Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n
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A14096
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The doctrine of the synod of Dort and Arles, reduced to the practise With a consideration thereof, and representation with what sobriety it proceeds.
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Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.
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1631
(1631)
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STC 24403; ESTC S102470
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142,191
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200
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as the Synod would have it hath written their names in the booke of life from all aeternitie without having more regard unto their prayers then unto their faith and that it is impossible for them to be razed out and as for these they are no more able to gett themselves registred therein by their prayers theÌ„ to undo that inevitable unchangable decree of God So that by this triall of the practise each one may see what esteeme we ought to have of that religion which resisteth the conversion of Infidells the amendment of the scandalous and consolation of the afflicted which makes the preaching of the word to be of none effect and quite overthroweth the use of the Sacraments and exercise of prayers and in a word which overturneth the foundation of the ministry which consisteth in sound doctrine good discipline Consid. If the preaching of the word by the doctrine of these Synods be but thus made of none effect that is but by so hungry and comicall a discourse as this we shall have very small or rather no cause at all to think the worse of the doctrine of these Synods and we are confident that the use and profitt of the Sacraments will but in the like shallow and superficiary manner be enervated And how the ministers in their administration of the Sacraments doe destroy the same doctrine so unhappy as he conceavs it for no doctrine is so happy with them as that which maintaynes grace to be conferred according unto workes or that looke what we call grace as faith and repentance is neither merited by Christ nor indeed any gift of God otherwise then by giving them power to beleeve if they will repent if they will and persuading them thereunto by the ministry of his word for I have good reason to suspect that the Author of this discourse is a mere Anabaptist we are now to consider in the last place Now for proofe hereof he sayth that to every person whom we baptize we doe apply the promises of the covenant of grace which he saith is cleane contrary to our owne doctrine which saith that they nothing belong to the reprobates of the world I would he had particulated these promises of the covenant of grace For with the practise of their Churches in the office of baptizing I am not acquainted but onely with our own The promises assured by baptism according to the rule of Gods word I finde to be of two sorts some are of benefits procured unto us by Christ which are to be conferred conditionally others are of benefits which are to be bestowed upon us absolutely They of the first sort are justification and salvation For Abraham receaved circumcision as a seale of the righteousnes of faith Circumcision therfore was an assurance of justification to be had by faith If such were circumcision unto the Iewes we have good reason to conceave that such is baptisme unto us Christians For as that was unto them so this is the Sacrament of regeneration unto us And good reason the Sacraments which are seales of the covenant should assure that unto us which the word of the covenant doth make promise of Now the word of the covenant of grace doth promise unto us both remission of sinne and salvation upon faith in Christ. This by our doctrine we promise unto all and assure unto all as well as they doe by theirs If all and every one should beleeve we nothing doubt but they should be justified and saved On the other side if not one of ripe yeares should beleeve I presume our adversaries will confesse that not one of them should be saved But there are other benefites both promised in the covenant of grace and consequently assured by the Sacraments which are commonly called the seales of the covenant wherof there is or may be a question whether they are conferred on man by God absolutely or no but onely conditionally and the right solution thereof I willingly confesse is most momentous for the deciding of all those controversies and setting an happy end unto them But that question is wholy declined by this Author and generally by the Arminian partie For such a light and evidence of faith breakes forth herein that they are not able to abide it Those benefites are regeneration which in holy scripture is called the circumcision of the heart in reference to the Sacrament that sealed it and in the New Testament it is called the washing and clensing or sanctifying of our soules in reference to our Sacrament of regeneration which is called Baptisme under regeneration we comprehend the illumination of the mind and renovation of the affectâ—ons and these operations we commonly designe by faith and repentance Now let it be enquired whether regeneration and faith commonly supposed amongst us to be the gifts of God are bestowed upon men conditionally or absolutely If conditionally then like as the word of the covenant promiseth these gifts upon a condition to be performed by man so also shall the Sacrament of Baptisme seale it and assure us that upon the performance of that condition we shall obteyne at the hands of God faith and regeneration Like as justification salvation is promised in the word and assured in the Sacraments upon performance of a condition on mans part Now the condition of justification and salvation we all acknowledge to be faith but what should be the condition upon performance whereof we should obteyne it we are much to seeke neither doe the Arminians willingly come to the defining of it this Author utterly declines the question though most proper and criticall by the Orthodox resolution thereof to sett a blessed end to all the controversies wherwith the peace of Gods church hath been of late yeares so much disturbed Now whatsoever be devised to be the condition it must be in generall some worke of man and consequently it must be acknowledged that grace is given to wit the grace of faith according to mens works which is plain Pelagianisme So for regeneration it being acknowledged to be a gift of Gods grace if so be God bestowes it conditionally they must tell us what that condition is upon the performance whereof God is pleased to regenerate us but I never yet mett with any that undertooke to notifie unto us what that condition is certeynly it must be not onely a worke of man but a worke of nature seeing it precedes regeneration and consequently the grace of regeneration shal be conferred according unto workes of nature and this also is Pelagianisme and that in a degree beyond the former and withall directly contradictious to the word of God where it is sayd that God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace 2 Tim. 1.9 and where the Apostle saith that God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.16 and to bestow faith upon a man is clearly to
the libertie of mans will and not in the appetition of the ende it being naturall to a man to be caryed to the liking of his ende necessarily according to that of Aristotle Qualis quisque est ita finis apparet And doth it become these men to dictate unto us not only a new divinitie but also a new Philosophy at pleasure As for the reason here added fetched from the aeternall and efficatious decree of God this is so farre from confirming their premises as that it utterly overthrowes them and confirmeth ours For we say with Aquinas that the efficacions will of God is the cause why some things come to pasâ—e contingently and freely as well as it is the cause why other things come to passe necessarily Was the burning of the Prophets bones by Iosiah performed any whit lesse freely by him then any other action of his Oâ— the proclamation that Cyrus made for the returne of the Iewes out of the captivitie was not this as freely done by him as ought else Yet both these were praedetermined by God Nay I say more that every thing which cometh to passe in the revolution of times was decreed by God I proove by such an argument for answeare wherunto I chalenge the whole nations both of Arminians and Iesuits It cannot be denyed but God foresawe from every lastinge whatsoever in time should come to passe therfore every thinge was future froâ— everlasting otherwise God could not foresee it as future Now let us soberly inquire how these thinges which we call future came to be future being in their owne nature merely possible and indifferent as well not at all to be future as to be future Of this transmigration of things out of the condition of things merely possible such as they were of themselves into the condition of things future there must needes be some outward cause Now I demand what was the cause of this transmigration And seing nothing without the nature of God could be the cause hereof for this transmigration was from everlasting but nothing without God was everlasting therfore some thing within the nature of God must be founde fitt to be the cause herof And what may that be not the knowledge of God for that rather presupposeth things future and so knowable 〈◊〉 in the kinde of things future then makes them future Therefore it remaines that the meere decree will of God is that which makes them future If to shift off this it be said that the essence of God is the cause hereof I further demaunde whether the essence of God be the cause hereof as working necessarily or as working freely If as working necessarily then the most contingent thinges became future by necessitie of the divine nature and consequently he produceth whatsoever he produceth by necessitie of nature which is Atheisticall Therefore it remaines that the essence of God hath made them future by working freely and consequently the meere will and decree of God is the cause of the futurition of all things And why should we doubt hereof when the most foule sinnes that have beene committed in the World are in scripture phrase professed to have beene predetermined by God himself Vpon supposition of which will and decree divine we confesse it necessary that things determined by him shall come to passe but how not necessarily but either necessarily or contingently and freely to witt necessarie things necessarily contingent things and free things contingently and freely So that contingent things upon supposition of the will divine have a necessitie secundum quid but simply a contingencye and that the same thing may come to passe both necessarily secundum quid and simply in a contingent manner ought to be nothing strange to men of understanding considering that the very foreknowledge of God is sufficient to denominate the most contingent things as comming to passe necessarily secundum quid I come to the consideration of the fourth 4. As touching this Article here objected unto us we have no cause to decline the maintenance thereof but chearfully and resolutely to undergo the defense as of the truth of God clearly sett downe unto us in the word of God The illumination of the minde is compared to Gods causing light to shine out of darkenesse in the creatioÌ„ 1 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of the darknes is he which hath shined in 〈◊〉 heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ And for God to say unto Sion thou art my people is made aequivalent to the planting of the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth Es. 51.16 I have putt my wordes in thy mouth and defended thee in the shadow of my hand that I may plant the Heavens and lay the foundation of the Earth and say unto Sion Thou art my people Ps. 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart saith David and renewe a right spirit within me Yet was David a regenerate childe of God but when he fell into foule sinnes and sought unto God to restore him he acknowledgeth this his spirituall restitution to be a creation giving thereby to understand that the very children of God have savage lusts wild affections in them the curing mastering wherof is no lesse work then was the work of creation or making of the world 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Gal. 6 1â— In Christ Iesus neyther circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Now this new creature is all one with faith working by love Gal. 5.6 For there the Apostle expresseth the comparison antitheticall in this manner In Iesus Christ neither circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith working by love And Eph. 2.10 We are said to be Gods workmanship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created in Iesus Christ marke a new creation unto good workes which he hath ordeyned that we should walke in them God made the world with a word but the new making of man cost our Saviour Christ hot water the very blood of the Sonne of God agonies in the garden agonies upon the Crosse and he must rise out of his grave to worke this The Schoolemen doe acknowledge this namely that grace is wrought in man by way of creation Otherwise how could it be accoumpted supernaturall And as for the power whereby God raiseth the dead It is expressely said Col. 2.12 that faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who raised Christ from the dead whereupon Cornelius de Lapide acknowledgeth that faith is wrought by the same power wherby God raysed Christ from the dead And Eph. 1 19. the Apostle tells us of the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power towards us which beleeve adding that this is according to his mightie power which he wrought in Christ whom he raysed from the dead And therefore most congruously doth the Apostle take into consideration that worke