Whosoever Will be saved May be saved God Wills it and it is Man only Will not And shall we think that if any would come in to these External Means whereby his Grace is Communicated that they are to be Refused It is a strange thing that Divines should be able to see how Christ how the Spirit it self or its Help can be the Fruit of Vniversal Grace and yet their Eyes be holden as not to see the External Ordinances to be so while they make the Church to consist of the Regenerate only I pray let us consider a little of other Societies What is it makes a Man the Member of any other Society which he may be of if he will Is it not his Consent only to be of it his Coming-in it self that which gives him his Right and makes him one of that Company And why is it otherwise with the Church or Society of Christians It is the Will of a Man upon his Hearing the Gospel Preached or his Receiving the Gospel Preached so as to be Willing is the Foundation I should say Condition to speak exactly of his Right to be Received If he will be Baptized upon it he may be Baptized without more terms It is his Consent to it is the Ratio fundandi in This as in other Voluntary Relations It is true that the Nature of Christian Society is such as requires that a Man be one that hath Received the Christian Doctrine that is to be a Believer and that he lives not in any open gross Sin seeing that would Excommunicate from it if he were In But supposing him such a one that believes that Christ is the Son of God I mean it according to the Articles of the Creed for how shall he be Baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if he Believe not the Trinity and stands not actually Guilty of any such notorious Sin as if the were in the Church he must to be turn'd out for it there is nothing but his Willingness enjoyned of God nor ought to be required of us to the Receiving Him There are some says St. Austin that Put on Christ so far as to come into the Church and be Baptized Vsque ad Sacramentorum receptionem in his Words and some that put Him on ad vitae Sanctificationem unto that Sanctification of Life as brings them to Heaven I add so much because there are Many Saints or Sanctified Men says Mr. Richard Baxter that shall never come thither There are Saints by Separation from Paganism unto Fellowship with the Political Body of Christians which yet are not so by Separation from all Vngodliness into Fellowship with the Mystical Body of Christ The Door of the Church says that Learned and Pious Author is incomparably wider than that of Heaven and the Gospel is a free Offer to All. If any Man will come quite over in Spirit to Christ they shall be welcome if they will come but only to a Visible Profession He will not deny them Admittance there because they intend to go no farther but will let them come as near as they will and that they come no farther shall be their own fault Saints Rest Part 4. Sect. 3. Let me make bold to set this right and as I have put in before Political Body of Christians instead of his terms Visible Church and also left out the word Visible so instead of Visible Profession let me say Participation of Ordinances as St. Austin but now hath it and I take it to be very happily spoken As for the terms Visible and Invisible which our Divines use ordinarily when they distinguish the Congregate and Mystical Church I do avoid them they are a Snare to us The Sense of the term Visible can have no Place with God who Judges always according to Truth and hath no footing therefore neither in Scripture There is indeed the Outward Jew and Inward Jew in Scripture but the Outward Jew was a Real Jew or really a Jew in God's and Man's Account alike who had thereby ex intentione Dei Ordinantis a Right to be Circumcised and consequently to the Priviledge of all the Ordinances of Israel But a Visible Christian a Visible Member according to our common Notion of Visible is one that is not a Christian or Member Indeed but one only that Appears to be a Christian or Member and as None hath no Right therefore to the Ordinances at all in God's Sight A Visible Profession must be consequently an Hypocritical Profession that hath nothing in it but a Lie and Falshood altogether And can Mr. Baxter indeed say That if any will come to Such a Profession he is welcome No no God Almighty indeed is willing that All should come in to Him and They may come as Far as they will if but to be Baptized or Circumcised they are Welcome But I am against that Doctrine and Practice which depends upon this ensnaring Distinction I am for a Believing in Earnest the Gospel Preached and a Man's Coming-in thereupon and being Willing to be Received or to be Baptized and then I say whosoever Will he May. Whosoever would be Circumcised or Take hold of the Covenant Isa 56.4 6. he might Whosoever will be Baptized under the New-Testament he may Whosoever will come in to Christ so far as ever he Will Come this must be held for certain He will in no wise cast him out But no Man must nor be suffered to say He Believes he Repentâ— if he does Not at least in any Sense otherwise than he Does We must have none of this fame Visible Profession whatsoever comes of it We must see our Way clear how we can admit the Vnregenerate as well as the Regenerate into our Mixt Churcher without a Lie or we must allow none but Gathâ—red ones and turn all Independents unless we should Preach One thing and Pâ—actisâ— Another which no honest Man but must hate to do The People of Samaria are all said to believe Philip Preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and were Baptized and Simon himself believed also Here we have none of this Visible Faith or Visible Profession but a Real Belief of what was Preached and that Belief prevailing upon the Will their Willingness to be Baptized is the Ratâ—o Baptizandi the Ground of their Baptism and Fight to be Admitted Simon Magus believed What is that Is it a Profession that he Did when he did Not No such matter his Faith and That of the City was Real and shewn by the Deed in their being Baptized A Man must Believe Indeed and his Faith be True as True does signifie Vndissembled or else he cannot be Baptized But his Faith may be far from True as Simon 's was as True does signifie Saving and yet so far as he can come in with any Truth he hath his Warrant from the Gospel SECT II. I Proceed now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to my Arguments If the common Opinion be received and a
Reason And this must ordinarily needs be for the Good of the Wheat But when there is a Willingness upon the Gospel Preached and there be no such Reason to hinder I am for gain-saying no Bodies Admission Whatsoever Passages there be then in the Fathers or Other Men that run in an higher Strain than This comes to they are to be Reduced I will account to this Model or to be seasoned with the same Interpretation I will Conclude yet with One Authority which seems to me to incline to my Cause with Declination from the common Opinion Our British Divines in the Synod of Dort upon the Fifth Article De Perseverantia Sanctorum have these Theses Quihusdam non Electis conceditur quaedam Illuminatio Supernaturalis cujus virtute intelligunt ea quae in Verbo Dei annunciantur essa vera iisdemque assensum praebent minime simulatum To some Persons not Elect God does afford a certain Supernatural Illumination by vertue whereof they understand those things which are declared in the Word of God to be true and do give an Assent to them not counterfeit In iisdem ex hac Cognitione Fide oritur affectuum quaedam mutatio morum aliqualis emendatio Out of such a Knowledge and Faith as this in the same Persons does there arise some kind of Change in their Affections and Amendment of their Lives Ex his initialibus etiam per externa Obedientiae opera testatis sumuntur Charitatis judicio sumi debent pro Credentibus Justificatis Sanctificatis From these Initials or this beginning Work upon such are they and ought they to be held for Believers Justified Sanctified who never come up to a State of Saving Grace that from the Falling-away of such the Perseverance of the truly Godly should be impugned as they proceed in their next Theses which concern not this Argument From these Positions now I note That when the common Opinion of the Protestants is That no less than a Saving Faith and Repentance or Regeneration is necessary to Membership and Baptism here appears in these Divines something that is Singular who do make a Work of Common Grace upon People that is less than Saving to be the Ground of our Holding them to be Such as Those are who are the most Qualified Members The Common Opinion will have Persons make a Profession of a Saving Faith or Regenerating Grace and it must be of no less than Such and then we are to reckon them in the Judgment of Charity to Be what they Profess unless we have Proof to the contrary This is our ordinary Judgment of Charity and so Men are Visible Members as they speak upon a Lie or upon a Ground that is False But these Judicious Divines will have us reckon Men Believers Saints Justified Sanctified upon an Initial Work of Grace that is Short of Saving and This is a Judgment of Charity upon a Ground that is True The Call of the Gospel is Vniversal Those Persons that will Come in so Far as they Will are to be Received The End why they are Called is That they should all come in Fully as the Elect do The Whole Number for That Part sake as come in So have these Denominations as being in the way to obtain the same End This is that Judgment of Charity these Divines would Establish and it is not upon a Falshood as the Other is There are Two or Three things nevertheless that are lacking in their Judgment One is When an Initial Faith Repentance or Grace short of Saving is made by them a Ground sufficient in Charity to Receive Men Into the Church and To Baptism so long as it suffices to Denominate Men so as qualifies them for Members They should hold the same Grace a Ground Sufficient also for their Own Coming Another is Whereas they make an Initial Work of Faith and Repentance to be Sufficient for their Reception in the Judgment of Charity They should hold it to be So in the Judgment of Verity upon the Vniversal Grace of the Gospel The Third and Chief thing wanting is to tell If a Work of Grace on the Soul short of Saving be able indeed to give a Man Right to Membership and the Sacraments unto what Degree then it must come If it be Initial only and yet not Saving how much Grace is it how much Faith how much Repentance is it that will serve Are we able to set any Stint until we come to Saving I Answer Yes We have Pitcht the Measure we have Fixt the Point Such a Work of Initial Grace or of Faith such an Initial Faith or so much Faith as brings the Man up to be Willing is it This is the Measure this is the Degree It is the Answer to the Question Wilt thou be Baptized in this Faith I say These words of Answer I Will gives a Man Right both to Come and to be Admitted Let me say it over in other words It is a Faith receiving the Doctrine of the Gospel and Advancing to the Degree as makes a Man Willing to come Into the Society of Christians and so own Christ our King for there are some may Believe and yet not be Willing to Own Christianity Joh. 12.42 43. as some may Believe and be Willing to Come in and yet their Faith be Short of Saving Jam. 2.18 26. that is Fides Dogmatica I may say Consensu Formata upon the Account of General Grace as the Fundamentum Juris does give Title to Church Communion Neither do I think but that These so much acknowledg'd Excelling Divines would themselves have also proceeded Thus Far if they had understood This Bottom and that their Matter led them to it I know they that lay Another Rule do honestly intend the Purity of the Church But either This Rule shall be Backt by a Law and then it will be a Strainer in Shew but instead of Keeping the Church pure it will but Strain the Tender and Scrupulous the Careless and Vnconcern'd will Prosess any thing that is Imposed as I have observed before in its Place Or it shall have no Power but that of the Word and Conscience as in the Primitive Times and I must then suggest this That where One went to Heaven when the Church was Pure there are Twenty a Thousand since it was Enlarged and Corrupt England might have been a Pagan Kingdom to this Day if they that Planted in it the Christian Religion had stood in good earnest upon these Terms and pressed them as the Congregationalists do And were the Rule indeed Christ's what a horrible deal of Guilt must there lie on the Ministers since Constantine's Time unto whom Christ committed the Keys of his House to Let In none but Subjects qualified according to That Rule and they Let in whole Parishes Kingdoms Countries into it Alas that none but those of the Novatian Donatist Brownist Sects should have delivered their own Souls You complain that the Bad Come In but I would fain know whether you think any were ever the Better that have Kept Out And now what remains but that The Spirit says Come and the Bride says Come and whosoever will let him Come If Men will come Quite Home to a Saving Faith Sound Repentance and the Love of God above All it is That which they should Do and in so Doing they shall be Partakers of the Saving Benefits of the Gospel Church and Covenant If they will come no Farther than to Submit to the External Administration of the Ordinances they are yet to be Received so Far as they Will come and in the Vse of the Means we are to expect they should be brought Farther even to Effectual Conversion and Salvation Deo Gloria mihi Condonatio J. H. Reader THere happening this Leaf to remain vacant I will fill it up with a Letter which I had but just now from a Private Christian to whom I Communicated several of these Sheets before the Last was wrought off at the Press he being a Man who hath considered these Things and of known Integrity to the Church whose Letter also will have its Use Or else I confess I should have chose rather to have left it for the Bookseller to have fill'd with a Catalogue of Books The Author SIR YOV were not mistaken in thinking as You told me That this Book would agree with my Sentiments touching the Latitude of the Church It seems to me to have much in it not to be found elsewhere and that Matter momentous striking at the Root of our Divisions about Church-Communion You have well observed That God is never behind hand with Men in a Willingness to any thing that tends to their Salvation and therefore the Church must not be so And indeed there is so great Advantage by Coming into the Church given to Men Thereunto that I wonder any should oppose it The Word is nigh them in their Mouth and in their Heart There is no Part of the Christian Church where every Member that comes to the Vse of Reason does not learn the chief Doctrines of Christianity contain'd in the Creed without Book which have a mighty force to bring Men to Repentance and an Holy Life And as this is so great Advantage to Them so it is no Means to corrupt the Church so long as the Discipline of Christ is observed which you take care of I know no other Book that hath given me so clear an Vnderstanding of the Church and Kingdom of God and Christ together with the Covenant of Allegiance proper to it That hath proposed the Rule which you have particularly recited p. 75. and 140. for Admitting his Subjects into the same That hath laid this Rule on its right Foundation which is the General Grace of the Gospel so exactly defined to the End p. 16. to 21. That hath carried the Cause through all its Difficulties at you have done This is the Opinion of Your Engaged Friend Thomas Seymor
Nations as He did Israel to come in to the Christian Church and to enter Covenant with Father Son and Holy Ghost If the Gospel be Preached and they Believe that these Three Persons are the only true God they are to be Baptized into their Name They are to Come and to come So as to be Sincere Converts They are to Engage and to engage So as to resolve upon the Performing the whole Condition on their Parts that they may be Saved If they fail in the Manner and do not Engage so as they ought or do not resolve upon the Performance supposing it a Conditional Engagement or rather resolve not Entirely but in Part or so far as to take God for their God and King in opposition to other Gods which is the main thing of that Covenant as the Israelites for the most of them at this Time we may be sure Did so that there is a Partial but not Total Hypocrisie to make it Evil in it self in their Engagement I Quaere Whether the Matter is not yet still what they are called to And if it be they Must and for ought I see they May engage as Israel did Where they fail then in regard to the Manner they are to be Reformed but what Their Duty is must be done If they Resolve not as they ought they sin I suppose in the Manner of their Engagement But I must ask Whether they shall not sin more if they Engage not at all if they quite turn their Back upon God and the Gospel and leave both the Manner and Matter undone You may object But can we think that the People could say They Would do all God commanded and God approve of it as Well said of them Deut. 5.27 or that they should make a Covenant by Sacrifice passing between the Parts thereof Jer. 34.18 and Enter into a Curse and Oath to walk in God's Law Nehem. 10.29 and yet intend nothing but a Conditional Dis-junctive Obligation to Do it or be subject to the Penalty Answ I say not so They did all take God to be the True God and their God in opposition to all false Gods And as for these Words here which they Said and God Approved I must first premise This That to engage a Man's self under the Curse of God to Do any thing must be laying the greatest Obligation on his Soul that can be to the Performance and if it were God's Will that the whole Body of Israel should engage to their Part of the Covenant so as to say Amen to the Curses which I think is not to be denyed it does appear that this Obligation by Covenant must be their Duty even the Duty of the Whole Body and consequently their Doing it and God's Command of them to do it must be Justified Which being premised I say that when these Words All that God hath said we will do are attributed to the Whole Body they were all under great Commotion that we know for certain at the Terrible Appearance of God as ever was and some of them I doubt not said So with a present Resolution of Sincere Obedience and did Perform it as Zachary and Elizabeth walked in all the Ordinances of the Lord blameless Others of them I believe said So out of that present Fear only and Awe of God upon them as the Seed that fell on the Stony Ground sprung up Presently but for want of Root Withered The Generality it is like had the Idea of a General Implicit Obedience in their Thoughts which they did also endeavour I suppose in their Lives but it was External altogether thinking That sufficient to their Justification before God And such an Obedience the Vnregenerate Man we know can Engage to and Perform all alike with the Regenerate there being no Duty in the Outward Matter or Outward Act but he can do as well as the other he can Hear Read Pray give Alms as well as the other when yet he cannot do it out of that Principle to that End and after that Manner as the other which is the Doing it so as to be acceptable to Salvation Now if I should rest here and say That these Words All that God commandeth we will do are to be understood of such an Engagement and that such an Obedience which is External only and Insincere is yet in the Matter or in Its self good and Man's Duty so that notwithstanding the Failure in the Manner it must be Engaged to and Done I do apprehend the Cause were carried But because my chiefest Cause ought to be Truth I must yet add That a great many of this Multitude I believe did say I for Company that is they consented with others in the General Terror without any formed Consideration of what they promised or Resolution to perform it nay their Hearts bring wicked they could have no mind to do it whatsoever Fear might constrain from them And when we see well how the First sort could say these Words with the Acceptation of God and how the Second might say the Same without any present Lie yea how the Third also might engage so Far and God in Tantum approve it I would fain know in respect to the Fourth sort of them how God and Moses could require of the Whole Body any Engagement to the keeping all God's Precepts but upon the Account I have offer'd that is upon this Account That it was a Covenant-Engagement which being of Validity for obtaining the Blessings to all those that Perform it was not in Vain as to those whom He deals withal still as Men that perform it Not because they were thereby even according to Agreement yet obliged to the Penalty and God was Righteous as their Lord and King to make every one of them Subscribe to it I will add a Simile that will come a little more near the Matter than some One we have had before In an Oath of Allegiance to a Prince a Man cannot swear to the King's Government but it includes Subjection to his Laws which Laws perhaps he knows not or if he do he knows he Breaks many and yet so long as the Substance of that Oath lies in the Owning his Authority against all Foreign Jurisdiction and being True to the Crown which one that is no Popeling does heartily consent to he makes no Scruple to take it notwithstanding those Laws for he makes this Account that if he submit to the Penalty in case of Transgression or can escape without Resistance that is consistent with his Allegiance So in the Covenant of the Jews which was a Covenant of Fealty to God as their King so long as they could freely and absolutely Consent to take God for their Lord and to serve Him alone in his Appointed Worship in opposition to ull other Gods their Submission to the rest of God's Precepts we may conceive to be under such Political Terms as in this Instance is signified See I have set before thee Life and Good Death and Evil therefore