on them that seeke him by the meanes that hee himselfe appointeth such finde Grace and mercy as Moses and not by our owne willing nor running Exod. 33. nor working as the Iewes Ereu. What is the meaning of the hardning of Pharaoh Vers 17. Odeg. This Pharaoh being a wicked man and hardning his heart against Gods Commaundements and iudgements Exod. 9 34. 1 Sam 6. euen as these Iewes Paul speaketh of did against CHRIST and his Gospell yea making his heart as an Adamant stone as others did Vers 17. Zach. 7.12 so that he would not let the people goe for his cruelty against Gods people in killing their Children and ouertasking them and in not letting them goe for these causes God hardned his heart that is as the holy Ghost explaines it gaue him vp to the hardnes of his owne heart as Psal 81.11 12. euen to Sathan who worketh hardnes of heart against God and his truth in all the Children of disobedience who when the word and Iudgements of God as to Pharaoh and these vnbelieuing Iewes is manifest to them and they dispise them that which was ordained a meanes of humiliation and softening the hart becommeth a meanes of hardning that which is of it selfe and to the belieuers the sweet sauour of Life becoÌ„meth to them the sauour of Death 2. Cor. 2.15.16 Rom. 7.13 and thus doth God harden the harts of the wicked by giuing them vp to Sathan to their own harts lusts to vile affections to reprobate minds RoÌ„ 1.24.26.28 Thus hee hath mercy on whom he will Vers 18. and whom he will he hardeneth his will being to shew mercy on such as Moses that seeke his fauour by his appointed way and hardeneth such as Phoraoh who hardneth their hearts against the same way as those Iewes did of whom Paul speaketh Ereu. How answer you these wordes who hath resisted his will Vers 19. Odeg. I answer them thus Vers 19. Paul in these wordes speaketh as in the person of one of these Iewes or declareth what these Iewes will answer to this Doctrine who hath resisted his will and why doth hee complaine For this was his will that wee should obey these his precepts of the Law which who so doth should liue in them and in sticking to the Law wee haue not resisted his will vnto which th'Apostle giues the answer that man must not plead against God to say why hast thou made me thus that is that I cannot obtaine saluation by the workes of the Law for God seeing the weaknes of the Flesh to obserue the Law * Rom. 8.3 sent his Sonne in the flesh for iustification to euery one that beleeueth prouing plainely to all that both Iewes and Gentiles were vnder sinne and that there was not one righteous by the Law Rom. 3. and therefore their cauill was vaine For Gods will was to saue all that seeke it by the Faith of IESVS and not by the workes of the Law which they did resist and so were iustly conuicted Now the aduersaries exposition of this verse is that God hated Esau so Pharaoh and all the reprobate before they were borne from which hatred he Decreed their damnation and because the will of God is declared to be contrary in the Scriptures therefore they call this his secret will against which will say they no man can resist but the most holy GOD declareth the contrary It is not my will that any man sinne they haue done that which I commaund them not neither came it in my minde c. * Ier. 32.35 neither is it my will that any sinner dye but that hee amend and liue and this I testifie as I liue â—aith the Lord * Ezek. 18. 33. Chap But if he will not amend but continue in sin as Pharaoh these Iewes others him will I punish in my iust Iudgement wherefore if any suffer iustly for his trespasse he ought not to accuse GOD as our aduersaries doe saying that God decreed him yeâ— by power compelled him to trespasse and so to suffer â— and say who can resist his Will Gods will is that all repent and beleeue the Gospell which may be and is resisted and also his will is that they who will not repent and belieue â—e damned which caÌ„not be resisted This his will is iust full of mercy and thus I haue sufficiently answered these words Ereu. What say you to these wordes Hath not the Potter power of the Clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honor another to dishonor Vers 21. Odeg. For the better vnderstanding of these wordes let vs reade the 18 Chaâ— Vers 21. of the Prophet Ieremie from whence th'Apostle hath these words And we shall see through the Grace of GOD that that making of the clay in the Potters hand is not in creation but in vocation the wordes are these O House of Israell cannot I doe with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the Potters hand so are you in my hand O house of Israell GOD is this Potter the House of Israell is the Clay And Vers 7. I will speake against a Nation or against a Kingdome to plucke it vp to roote it out and to destroy it That is to make it a vessell of dishonor But Vers 8. If this Nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednes I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them Again Vers 9. And I will speake concerning a Kingdome and concerning a Nation to build it and to plant it and so make them vessels of Honor. But Vers 10. If it doe euill in my sight and heare not my voice I will repent of the good that I thought to doe for them Therefore Vers 11. Thus saith the Lord vnto the men of Iudah and Inhabitants of Ierusalem Beholde I prepare a plague for you and purpose a thing against you returne you therefore euery one from his euill way c. This doth th' Ap stle apply to the thing in hand proclayming from this glorious Potter that all that seekes saluation by Faith and obedience to the Gospell as the Gentiles did he will make them vessels of mercy prepared for Glory but those that seeke it by the Flesh or by workes of the Law as the Iewes did he will make them vessels of dishonor prepared for destruction Thus doth God make vâ—seâ—s of Honor and Dishonor and not otherwise for in Creation hee made Man good and in vocation he saith As hee liueth he would haue him good by turning vnto him from his wicked way which if he will not then he maketh him a vessell of dishonor by bâ—inging vpon him as a iust recompence of reward dishonor and confusion and thus the Apostle alludeth to this Scripture in this place for hee wished the saluation of the Isralites whom God had planted a noble vine with the best plantes Esa 5. doing vnto it what he could doe
* 1 Cor. 10.13 Now if the word suffering were vsed in all places in stead of sending they would not thus peruert the Scriptures labouring to make wickednes come frō Gods decree originally for which cause let the holy Euangelists decide the controuersie Mathew saith Math. 8.31.32 And the Deuils besought IESVS saying If thou cast vs out suffer vs to goe into the heard of Swine And Iesus said goe so they went c. Marke saith Mark 5.12.13 the Deuils said Send vs into the heard of Swine c. and Iesus gaue them leaue Luke saith Luk. 8.32 the Deuils besought him that he would suffer them so he suffered them All which proues plainely that the Deuill can doe nothing without Gods suffering as also that God or Christs sending is nothing but suffering in this case And so this sending of Ashur is suffering Now for that of Iosephs brethren wee dispute not about Gods decreeing hee should goe into Aegypt for the preseruation of their liues c. but whether God decreed that their action in selling a mans Childe from him against the Lawe yea their enuy also in selling him * Act. 7.9 for I say Ioseph might haue come into Egipt by good meanes aswell as his Brethren did afterward they thought euill and did euil yet God turned it to good * Gen. 50.20 their thoughts Gods thoughts were contrary their thoughts were euill Iames saith no man is tempted of God Iam. 1. but to moue with euill thoughts is to tempt If all that come from the Father of Lights be good and this to moue by decreeing vnauoidably to these euill thoughts came from God then was it good and not euill but if their whole action was euill as it was then was it not of the Father but of this world 1 Ioh. 2.16 though God brought out of it goodnes who can bring good out of euill Lastly for that of our Sauiours death I acknowledge that God apointed him and gaue him to the Death for our sinnes * Rom. 5.25 8.32 and deliuered him or suffered to bee deliuered into the hands of the wicked by his determinate coūsell and fore-knowledge * Act. 2.23 with Chap. 4.27.28 but I deny that God determined appointed or decreed that the wicked should betray or murther him otherwise then by suffering them hee knew what they would doe to him and foretolde it long afore in the Scriptures and decreed to suffer them who if hee had pleased hee might haue consumed before they did it but he decreed not that they should so doe it for in doing thereof they were of their Father the Deuill who was the author of Murther from the beginning Iohn 8.44 and not Gods decree For might not God haue appointed some to sacrifice his Sonne CHRIST as he did Abraham to sacrifice his sonne Isaac and Israell their sacrifices which were types of him which might haue beene done without wickednes But hee could not appoint Iudas to betray him nor the Scribes and Pharises to murther him this was wickednes which God cannot appoint he cannot lye * Heb. 6.18 hee cannot destroy the righteous with the wicked * Gē 18.25 he cannot condemne the heyres of Promise * Heb. 6.17 and so cannot appoint Iudas and the rest to commit such horrible wickednes as they did euill cannot come from God euery good giuing cōmeth from him hee suffereth wicked men to doe those thinges which hee cannot doe himselfe for which cause men think God to be like themselues * Psa 50 2◠Thus you may see that although God determined certainly that his Sonne should be slaine yet he might haue beene slaine without sinne and therefore the betraying and murthering was not from God Wee acknowledge that God is omnipotent but wee say his omnipotencie is guided by his Iustice Omnipotency he can doe onely the things that pleaseth him which is Iustice and Equitie It is no part of Gods Omnipotencie to lye to destroy the righteous with the wicked to appoint and by an vnauoydable decree force men to betray and Murther c. these are not any part of Gods Omnipotencie but rather attributing that to the most holy and iust God which is proper to the Deuill Gods holy will is the rule of his Power and not his power the rule of his will he will not lye therefore I say he cannot lye Thus haue I shewed how God is said to doe a thing when he onely suffereth it wherein a principall Caluin agreeth with me vpon the Petition Lead vs not into Temptation Vrsinus pag. 1041. that the wicked execute the Iustice of God by sinning that commeth not to passe by any fault of God himselfe but through the proper corruption of the wicked and such as themselues haue purchased God neither willing nor allowing nor working nor furthering their sinne but in his most iust iudgement onely permitting it c. and Pag. 1042. The difference of the works of God and the Deuill c. is euidently confirmed by the Story of Iob cap. 1. 2. where God purposeth to try Iob but the Deuill to destroy him The same is likewise confirmed by the Story of Ahab 1. King 22. and by that Prophecie of the Apostle concerning Antichrist 2. Thes 2. where the Deuill seduceth men to destroy them and God will haue them to be seduced thereby to punish them and suffereth the Deuill c. And againe Lead vs not into temptation that is suffer vs not to be tempted aboue our power these are his wordes Ereu. Well let vs now proceed what answer you to the place of Amos 3.6 or shall there be euill in the Citty and the Lord hath not done it Odeg. I answer First I demand what they meane by euill if euill of punishment for sin as is apparant by the place and others * Deut. 29.21 then wee agree but if they vnderstand euill of sinne else why bring they this Scripture then I abhorre their horrible blasphemie If God doe euill of sinne then it first dwelleth with him and it cōmeth from him as it doth with all that doe it And herein they speake no parable but plainely that God doth all euill of sinne in a Citty oh the the patience of God to suffer such monstrous blasphemers who should attribute righteousnes to their Maker * Iob. 36.3 in stead of which they doe without all feare or shame make God the Author and doer of sinne in a Citty contrary to so many plaine Scriptures Iob 34.10.12 Psal 92.15 Psal 5.4 Iam. 1.13 Ereu. What say you to the place of Iohn 12.39 c. Therefore could they not beleeue because that Isayas saith he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand with their hearts and should bee conuerted that I should heale them Odeg. I say this these wordes being collected from Esa 6.9 and repeated in many places * Math.
13.14 c. Act. 28.26 c. by which it is manifest that the Lord sending vnto this people the light of his Truth by the ministerie of his seruants the places plainely affirmeth that they wincked with their eyes least they should see it For which cause God gaue them vp to this reprobate sence as at large I haue answered vnto the place in Rom. 9. of Gods hardening Pharaohs heart whether I referre you for your full satisfaction how God hardeneth mens hearts and for what cause and not otherwise not willing to relate the particulers heere againe because I would auoyde tediousnes To conclude this of Predestination This opinion of desteny was banished out of Rome because it destroyed the state of a Common-wealth Lib. quest 〈◊〉 nouo â—esta as August declareth in these wordes by what reason saith Augustine were they borne which banished Mathematicos the setters forth of Desteny out of Rome which law was kept and they were but Heathen how were those thinges done by Desteny which maketh against Desteny But surely if there be a Desteny it doth nothing against it selfe saith Augustine for so were Desteny no desteny or at least desteny fighting against it selfe Or to speake the same in those words which the Caluinists by abuse take out of the Scriptures to maintaine the very same matter If it bee Gods Predestination that men should write and speake against his Predestination as I and others doe then is Gods Predestination a Kingdome not onely deuided but a so fiercely fighting against it selfe O miserable absurditie which any man may perceiue must needes follow if all thinges what soeuer come to passe with absolute necessity by Gods Predestination as they teach Of Election Ereunetes FRiend Odegos wee reasoned before concerning Predestination and I must needes confesse you satisfied mee therein throughly Now my harty desire is that you will be pleased to reason of Election after the fall and to resolue mee of the difficulties of the same and of such Scriptures touching the same as in our present conference wee shall meete withall Odeg. I will most willingly doe it as the Grace of GOD shall enable me First therefore tell me what these mens opinion is concerning Election Ereu. Sometimes they doe say that God before the foundation of the world in his Decree Elected some few of Mankinde to saluation who cannot but be saued the rest of Mankinde hee reprobated to be damned and who by no meanes can be saued Sometimes they say that all wenâ— damned in Adam and that some few of those are Elected vnto saluation and that in Christ who doth cure them and this they call Election and they say that the greatest number are left in euill vnto damnation this they call reiection or reprobation this they teach by a similitude thus A certaine Physition doth enter into the house of sicke men where he cureth some and that freely for nothing and those are bound to giue him thankes others hee cureth not yet can they not complaine against him for hee oweth them nothing In like manner they whome God chuseth to heale are bound to giue him thankes and they whome he will not heale cannot iustly complaine for God oweth nothing to any man Odeg. You say true one while they say one thing and another while another thing to the first I shall answer presently and to the second declared by a similitude I say it is a dissimilitude for therein they doe compare a Physition that hath little mercy in him with GOD and CHRIST who are most mercifull that can be imagined in healing but a few and leauing infinite numbers vncured but Christ saith Mat. 11.28 Come vnto me all that are laden and I will ease you therefore if they will vse a similitude let them make choyse of a true similitude thus A good Physition one that is truely mercifull goeth into the house of sicke men there he proclaymeth that hee will cure all those that will take a medicine now some of them take the medicine and are cured but others because the medicine is bitter will not take it and therefore are not cured and in this case you may lawfully say that this Physition hath both power and will to cure them all But why then doth he not cure them all because all will not take the medicine without the which it is not possible they should bee cured And thus wee may speake of CHRIST hee came into the world to cure all men of their sinnes and he is able to doe it but he offereth a bitter medicine * Math. 16.24 which is That we must deny our selues take vp his crosse and follow him So many as refuse to take this medicine cannot be cured but such as receiue it are cured and thuâ— is Christ that blessed Physition to all sicke sinnerâ— that they may be cured being most willing and able to cure them by the meanes that they are curable ☞ but not by the meanes whereby they caÌ„not be cured For his power is herein subiect to his will his will is that they should take the medicine Wherefore to the intent that wee may plainely perceiue what and how Election is let vs consider that similitude of CHRIST concerning those that are inuited to the marriage wherein he speaketh of the Elect and thus it is Mat. 22. cap A certaine King married his Sonne and sâ—nt forth his seruants to call them that were bidden to the wedding but they would not come Againe hee sent forth other seruants saying tell them that are bidden beholde I haue prepared my dinner my Oxen and my faâ—lings are killed and all thinges are ready come vnâ—o the marriage but they made light of it and went their wayes one to his Farme another about his marchandize and the remnant tooke his seruants and intreated them sharpely and slew them But when the King heard it he was wroth and sent forth his Warriers and destroyed those murtherers and burnt vp their Citty then said hee to his seruants truely the wedding is prepared but they that were bidden were not worthy goe yee therefore into the highwayes and as many as ye finde bid them to the marriage So those seruants went out into the high wayes and gathered together all that euer they found both good and bad so the wedding was furnished with guests Then the K ng came in to see the guestes and saw there a man which had not a wedding garment and he said vnto him Friend how camest thou in hither and hast not on a wedding garment and he was speechlesse Then said he King to his seruants binde him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth This is the similitude which so soone as Christ had spoken he addâ—th this sentence For many are called but few are chosen here you see the whole argument of Election or choyse for the better vnderstanding whereof
darke but cleare and euident that all haue euer had or might haue had if they had would Christ aswell as the Law giuen vnto them Ereu. Now indeed these thinges seeme to be very true but I must intreat you to make plaine vnto me that which Paul hath writteÌ„ to the Romans concerning Election that there remain no scruple nor doubt in my minde that disputation of Paul troubleth many by reason it is handled so darkly surely I am of opinion that that place is one of those whereof Peter wrote that there were certaine darke thinges in Pauls Epistles â— Pet. 3. which the vnlearned weake doe wrest to their owne destruction as they doe also other places of Scriptures Odeg. Surely you haue good reason so to thinke now therefore let th'Apostle Peter shewe who those are that wrest the Scriptures of them or vs We say with Peter that the long suffring of God is saluation in that God would haue no man perish but would haue all come to repentance and this is that saith Peter vers 15. c. which our beloued brother Paul in all his Epistles speaketh of among the which some thinges are hard to be vnderstood which some peruert to their destruction They say God hath reprobated some and the greatest number and that before they were borne had done euill for whome there was neuer meanes of saluation because God would haue them perish for yâ— was his good pleasure Now these wordes of Peter as they iudge our aduersaries to be peruerters of the Scriptures so may they satisfie euery Godly minded man that Pauls meaning was not contrary to Peters they writing both by one Spirit nay then Pauls owne meaning was else where in the same Epistle * R that the long suffering of God was saluation euen to those that hardened their own hearts and heaped vp wrath against the day of wrath This therefore may be an entrance but let vs come to the words of Paul Rom. 9. In this 9th Chapter and so in most of this Epistle the maine subiect that the Apostle Paul handleth is That not the Law A short exposâ—on RoÌ„ â— but the Gospell is the Power of GOD to saluation not to him that is a Iew outward or that hath Circumcision of the Flesh or is an obseruer of the Law which was all the Iewes had to boast of and which they did boast of * Ioh. 8.33.39 9.28.29 Cap. 4.1.2 Cap. 2.28 c. Cap. 4.12.13.14.16 for Abraham himselfe found nothing concerning the Flesh neither was he iustified by workes but saluation appertaineth to him that is a Iew within that hath Circumcision of the heart that is of the Faith of Abraham whether he be Iew or Gentile in the Flesh this I say is the whole drift of the Apostle as in the whole so in this 9. Chap. In the 1.2.3.4.5 Vers th'Apostle sheweth his vpright vnfained desire of the saluation of the Isralites according to the flesh who were his fleshly brethreÌ„ who had all those Oracles of GOD coÌ„mitted to them of whom were the Fathers and of whom concerning the Flesh CHRIST came GOD ouer all blessed for euer Amen Yet notwithstanding his desire and all these their priuiledges Vers 6.7 the worde of God cannot be made voyde which saith All are not Israell that are of Israell neither are they all Children because they are the seede of Abraham but in Isaac shall thy seede be called which Paul expoundeth Vers 8. That is they which are the children of the Flesh are not the children of GOD or not those that shall be saued but the Children of the promise are counted for the seed So that thus farre there is no difficulty but that the Apostle plainely meaneth in all these Verses Iohn 8.33.39 Ioh. 9.28.29 that not all the children of Abrahams flesh who so much boasted of their being Abrahams seed and of being Moses Disciples in the obseruation of the Law were therefore in the estate of saluation and this he desireth to acquaint the Iewes with that they might cast off their reioycing in their Fleshly discent and seeke true reioycing in another way Th' Apostle hauing propounded this as an infallible truth hee goeth about to proue it by the Scriptures First alledging the promise made that Sara shall haue a Sonne * Gen. 18.10 which Abraham belieued not considering his own and Sara's body which were dead neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was strengthned in the Faith * RoÌ„ 4.18 c. and it was imputed to him for righteousnes so that this promised Sonne of Sara was borne not after Flesh but after the Faith which is most largely declared in Gal. 4.22 where is declared that Abraham had two Sonnes one by the seruant Hagar namely Ishmaell who was borne after the Flesh one by the free-woman Sara namely Isaac who was borne by Promise and so by Faith by the which saith th'Apostle another thing is meant these two Mothers are the two Testaments in type the two Children are the types of the children of the two Testaments the Childe of the Flesh Ishmaell sonne of Hagar typed out the fleshly Isralites which were in bondage vnder the rudiments of the Law the Childe of the Promise Isaac sonne of Sara typed out the Children of the Faith of Abraham and as the childe of the Flesh persecuted the childe of the Faith by his mockings for which cause he must be put out and must not be heyre with Isaac so saith th'Apostle do all that seeke acceptance with God through the Flesh persecute them that seeke it by the Promise through Faith and therefore all the children of the Flesh of Abraham that haue no other priuiledge to iustification must be put out and shall not be heyre with the children of the Promise This is so plaine in Gal. 4. that he that readeth the Scripture with an indifferent heart voyde of malice cannot be able to contradict being also confirmed in the 3. Cap. vers 16. where the Apostle treating of the promise of Saluation saith Now to Abraham and his seede were the Promises made hee saith not and to the seeds as speaking of many but and to thy seed as of one which is CHRIST which being well obserued that Abraham had two Sonnes or seeds by two Women as before Gal. 4. and that the Promise of saluation is made but vnto the one seed * Gal. 3.16 Vers 29. Vers â— 9 euen they that are CHRISTS that are of the Faith of Abraham and so after the manner of Isaac * Gal. 4.28 the sonne of Sara and that this Promise is not made vnto both the seeds namely vnto the Children after the Flesh of Abraham for they are not the children of God Rom. 9.8 but they must be put out and must not be heyre with th' other * Gal. 4.30 This is this sure word of Promise Sara shall haue a Son thus applyed by the Apostle
drawing of God and yet God standeth threatning Hell to all those that will not ascend vp Which opinion is so vaine that a man would not threaten a horse fallen into a ditch to rowse himselfe vnlesse he intended that the horse moued with the imagination of terror should helpe himselfe and concurre with his maister to get forth for if the owner would wholly hoyse him out by maine strength he would neuer threaten him 4 Those that be endued with libertie to chuse or refuse wee perswade and exhort to that part we desire they should follow because perswasions bend the will of man and induceth him to change opinion and leaue his former determinations hence it is that Christian Preachers vse no lesse diligence to finde out such reasons as may remoue men from vice and incline them to Vertue The like perswasions God vseth in the Scriptures to incline our wils to obserue his Law Come vnto me all that labour and are heauy loaden and I will refresh you * Math. 11.28 Conuert to me and I will turne vnto you * Zach. 1.3 Returne vnto me and I will not lâ—t my wrath fall vpon you * Ier. 3.12 To what other end tend these inducements but to bend our wils to the one side 5 When men possesse libertie wee blame them for their offences or wee relate vnto them their misdemeanors because they haue done euill and might haue done well as if an vnthrift spend his mony riotously and after be cast into Prison or fall into some incurable disease by his euill carriage we may iustly say surely hee deserued it who might haue carryed himselfe better and would not The same course wee finde in the Scriptures vsed by God concerning men after their sinnes Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets c. how often would I haue gathered thy Children as a Henne gathereth her Chickins vnder her wings and thou would'st not * Math. 23.37 Ezek. 18. 33. Chap. Psal 81.13 â—5 And why will yee dye in your sinnes Oh that my people had hearkened vnto me and Israell had walked in my wayes The haters of the Lord should haue beene subiect to him and their time should haue endured for euer What should I haue done to my vineyard that I haue not done I expected sweet Grapes and it yeelded sower the Caâ—uinists answer is you should haue giuen sâ— Grace vnto them that your vineyard that is the Iewes could not but bring forth sweet grapes for they holde without it they could bring forth no other then they did And thus they condemne you in their iudgement not to haue performed all thinges necessary to cause your vineyard to bring forth fruit according to your expectation Againe they accuse you most blasphemously of dissembling in saying you expect sweet grapes of that Vine when you had decreed â—hat it should bring foorth such sower grapes as it did and that by compulsion of your Predestination Our Sauiour cryeth * Math. 11. Luk. 10. Woe be to thee Corazâ—n woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the works that hath bene done in thee had bent done in Tyrus and Sydon they had repented long agone in sackcloth ashes CHRIST lamenteth that the inhabitants of these Cities were not conuerted to shew that the fault was their owne obstinacie not the defect of his Grace he affirmeth that with the helpes they had others would haue conuerted 6 Another inuinsible argument that there is yet in men Free choyse may be collected from this that somtimes those good workes wrought in vs by God are also attributed to vs in such manner that the same clensing of our soules the selfe same new heart the same iustification the same preparation whereof in one place holy writ acknowledgeth GOD the author in another place it confesseth that Man worketh them What better reconcilement can be hereof made then that of Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 Not I but the Grace of God with me God knocketh and wee let him in * Reuel 3.20 God inuiteth vs to the Mariage and we come and bring our wedding garments * Math. 22. God teacheth and we accept his Doctrine God illuminateth and wee open the windowe of our hearts God soweth his seede and wee receiue it and bring foorth fruit * Math. 13. 1 What is more proper to God then to wash our soules and therefore Dauid saith Thou shalt wash mee and â— shall be whiter then snowe Psal 50. yet this same God coÌ„mands the Children of Israell to doe O Ierusalem wash malice from thy heart that thou mayst be saued 2 What wonder worketh God aboue vs more admirable then in changing our hearts in giuing vs hearts of Flesh plyable to be wrought vpon and in taking away hearts of flint not able to be pearced and so by creating in vs a new heart * Ezek. 11.19 this same is ascribed to man * Ezek. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new Spirit why will yee dye oh house of Israell the meaning is in that man doth not hinder nor resist God in his new making it as God saith To day if you will heare his voyce harden not your hearts * Heb. 4.7 Dauid saith incline my heart to thy CoÌ„mandements and not to couetousnes * Psal 119.36 yet the same saith I haue inclined my heart to obserue thy Command-ments alwayes Vers 112. 3 In one place a sinner cryes to God Conuert vs O God our Sauiour In another place God cryes to them Conuert vnto me and I will conuert vnto you 4 God iustifies a sinner and as a proper tytle he taketh it to himselfe yet Dauid saith If the wicked prosper and the iust be afflicted to what end haue I iustified my heart Againe God saith Psal 73.12.13 I will cause you to keepe my Commandements Yet saith CHRIST If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements 5 Wee may gather from holy Scriptures that men are said to prepare their hearts to God and are reprehended for not doing the same The wiseman saith * Pro. 16.1 The preparations of the heart are in man but the answer of the tongue is of the Lord that is Although man through Gods Grace prepare his soule yet hee needeth particuler succour to vtter his conceits Samuell willed the Isralites if they had determined to abolish all prophane Gods that they should prepare their hearts to God Prepare your hearts to God and serue him alone 1 Kin. 7. 2. Chro. 12. Rehoboam is reprehended because he did not prepare his hart to serue the Lord. And all the Euangelists except Iohn alledge the wordes of Esa as from Iohn Baptist Prepare yee the way of the Lord make his paths straight These preparations affected by man ascribed to man and man reprehended for not making them doe sufficiently proue the concourse of mans Free choyse with Gods Grace for otherwise God should be said to doe all and man nothing 6 Holy men
cry vnto God to helpe them * Psal 108.12 Psa 118.13 Mark 9.24 O Lord giue vs helpe against trouble c. And the Lord hath holpen me and Lord helpe my vnbeliefe and many the like Yet also God requireth men should worke out their owne saluation c * Phil. 2.12 To open the doore c * Reuel 3 20. Cam 5.2 All which sheweth that man worketh with Gods Grace Also it is proued that man may resist that Grace of God wrought by his word and Spirit * Act. 7.5 Act. 13.46 Yee haue alwayes resisted the holy Ghost and you haue put the word of God from you and iudged your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life what can be more plaine then that man hath Free choyse to worke with God or against God in the worke of his Grace Hauing thus by the euidence of Scriptures proued that man hath free choyse to chuse or refuse in matters of God I will now speak somthing to common experience 1. First remorse of Conscience in this life and in Hell doe sufficiently proue this thing for if men had not libertie remorse would not trouble any for whatsoeuer euill we doe of necessity presently we excuse it iustly and acquite our Consciences by impossibility as if a man should drinke poyson not knowing of it he neuer would haue any scruple of conscience because it was vnauoidable hee could not preuent it but if hee procured it himselfe or might haue preuented it and would not then the torture of conscience will possesse him Againe that worme of Conscience that sticketh so deepe in the soules of all damned creatures should neuer appeare in hell if men were depriued of libertie for their torment consisteth in this that for their owne demerits being treated of God in such sort that if they would Heauen laide open for them by accepting Gods Grace through Faith and obedience to the Gospell and yet they cast themselues into Hell of their owne accord through vnbeliefe and rebellion 2 No humane Law can with iustice be enacted but such as may be obserued because the end of euery iust Law is to make good subjects and therefore it were most absurd that all men were not able to keepe that Law which was ordained for all and by which all shall be iudged to be punished that breake it Moreouer the very state of man who is in this world fighting requireth libertie for standing betweene Heauen and Hell God and the Deuill to ouercome or be ouercome all reason requireth that he might be plyable both wayes either to accept God or reject him follow Sathan or resist him 3 If men want free choyse what iudgement shall that be in the Scriptures so often repeated that euery man shall receiue according to his workes What iustice will appeare to torment men for sin wickednes to whom it was impossible to do otherwise 4 All the Theeues and wicked persons that either are punished with the Magistrates sword or with euerlasting torments shall giue witnes against the Caluinists in this thing For if they could not chuse at that time they committed such euills but doe the same by the force of Gods Predestination then what Law will punish a man with death for doing a thing vnauoydable for it lay not in their power to auoyde The Law of God neuer inflicted it vpon any and the Law of the Princes of the earth doth not inflict it For if a man kill another against his will or when by no meanes he could auoyd it death is not inflicted But if he might haue auoyded it and did not then had he libertie to auoyde euill and did it not and so iustly deserueth punishment Finally this error is the roote of all licentiousnes for thus may men truely reason according to this Doctrine either wee are decreed to doe well or euill If to doe well then it is impossible to doe euill If to doe euill then it is impossible to doe well For all goodnes proceedeth of Grace compelling our wills and all euill commeth of Gods decree which wee haue not power to resist neither can we chuse but doe it for they say as before wee are compelled to sinne by power which how wicked it is hath sufficiently I hope bene shewed by holy writ Ereu. You haue very largely and vndeniably proued that there is yet left in man free choyse to will or nill in matters of God yet you confesse all is through Gods Grace not otherwise Odeg. Yes I say what is in man whether by creation or regeneration he hath it only by God and therefore to God onely is all the glory to be attributed for whatsoeuer is wrought in man or by man that good is and I say that what Adam had in creation and lost by transgression for himselfe and his posterity that is restored through Christ yea and more too for although of our selues we can doe nothing as of our selues that good is 2. Cor. 3. â— yet through the strength of Christ wee shall bee able to doe all things Phil. 4.13 This the Apostle also affirmeth in Rom. 8. that what was impossible to the law in that it was weake because of the flesh God sent his Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh So that although the flesh of it selfe cannot perceiue the things of God nor fulfill the law yet through Christ it is able to performe the same Ereu. I thinke your opposites will not denie but that vnregenerate men may doe morall duties of the law and also that the regenerate may doe Spirituall duties of the Gospell But the greatest difficulty is whether a man can doe any thing in the worke of his regeneration either chuse life being offered by Christ or refuse it for they say as before the Elect cannot chuse but be regenerate and the reprobate cannot be regenerate Odeg. I haue shewed sufficiently before that Gods Grace that bringeth saluation through regeneration Tit. 2.11 Math. 22. Ezek. 18. not otherwise appeareth to all that all are called to this Grace and that vnfainedly GOD would haue all euen all sinners come that they might liue and not dye I haue shewed also that men may resist the holy Ghost in the offer of this Grace Act. 7.51 Act. 13.46 and put this word of Grace from them and iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life that although Christ Iesus would gather men to saluation as a Hen her Chickens Mat. 23.37 yet they can refuse it And although the Lord calleth men to heare the voyce of the Gospell Heb. 4.7 yet may they harden their hearts against it by all which and much more formerly related it is most apparant that although the Lord stretch out his hand all the day long Rom. 10.21 yet men may gainsay him Verse 3. and also they may submit themselues vnto this righteousnesse of God the promise of saluation through faith and obedience which