apprehending the true sence of this Text. Rom. 9.18 to look upon the one will of God as it is by his own determinate counsell to be by Christ dispensed ever since the restoration before mentioned accordingly as men do beleeve or not beleeve Also note that though it be said that he that beleeveth shall be saved yet you know or ought to know that all beleevers during this life are in themselves unworthy their faith and works are imperfect and though their imperfections are such by the inhabitation of the remainders of the old man in them that men indeed considering of themselves as in themselves may admire why God should be merciful unto them yet as his second Covenant was established by that his one will so according to that his Covenant of grace he will have mercy on all such men though unworthy in themselves as by faithfull indeavours doe humbly aime at the performance of that his condition annexed to the second Covenant as is fully proved in Eph. 1.11 12 13. Heb 6. Chap. 2 Thes 2.3 4 5. James 2.5 And also considering that those conditions annexed to the Gospell are according to his will in holy writ published and propounded to the world to be observed John 1.16 What a preposterous injurious taxation doe you that stand to maintaine the effects of his power and will only in this point as separated from all his other holy attributes cast upon our just impartiall God and faithfull Creator by your from this Text and such like affirming that notwithstanding what condition soever that God hath in his owne word by his one will so published to declare to the world what his will is concerning mans salvation by their obedience to the faith Yet that he hath as you conceive in effect in this text declared that his secret mentall reserve is to proceed by his power and will only to harden some men to eternall destruction without any respect of their actuall and personall disobedience against the Gospell-Covenant though so propounded to them by himselfe Thus yee render up God by his exalting his power and will to destroy his Gospell-grace which is according to conditions performed by men to be obteined Doe you not bring in God placed upon the theatre of the world by you wrapped up in deâ—uding Simon Magus his cloathes making shew to do that for some men which in truth he doth not nor really never did intend to doe for them Therefore beloved with consent of Scripture to gather up our gratious Gods holy attributes together which such people have so farre dispersed asunder let us chearfully conclude this cause maintaining Gods impartiality with the very words of this Text that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth that he will have all men come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 and though even beleevers are in themselves ungodly yet he by his not starting from his second Covenant and the conditions thereto annexed made by him he will have it so it must be so though there be no cause in them deserving it yet he will have mercy on those and impute righteousnesse unto them that beleeve in him that justifyeth the ungodly and that it is his declared will also that he will 〈◊〉 have mercy upon any such man that after ability given him by grace to be obedient to the faith yet will wilfully persist in the sinne of unbeleefe contrary to the condition of grace by God himselfe annexed to the Gospell The sixteenth Distinction sheweth the unwarranted dealings of some men with Gods prerogative by a wrested application of Gods hardning Pharaohs heart SOme men have applyed these words where it is said and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 as if God by his absolute prerogative will doth harden some mens hearts without any regard of their hardning their owne hearts first and they doe attempt to prove that their surmized tenent by their bringing in Gods hardning of Pharaohs heart Exod. 4.21 as they suppose not in respect of Pharaohs hardning his heart first to be the moving cause of God thereto therein they though being Christians and intrusted with his word yet ill requiting Gods loving kindnesse by making advantage of a wrong sence thereof which makes against his impartiality and will not on his part therein take notice of the true procuring cause of Pharaohs misery where it is said that Pharaoh hardned his owne heart Exod. 8.15 neither doe they once own but rather conceale Pharaohs proud blasphemous answer given to Gods message which was first of all delivered by Moses and Aaron to him in a peaceable way to prevaile with him Exod. 5.15 nor of this tyrannicall dealing with his people before that message was delivered unto him nor of his multiplying afflictions upon his people after that first message from ver 6. to ver 11. Neither have they on Gods side shewed that Pharaoh hardned his heart againe Exod. 8.32 nor that Pharaoh sinned yet more and hardned his heart he and his fervants Exod. 9.34 But behold yee Christians that thus in effect doe maintaine that God is the compulsive author of sin and rebellion in some men even against himselfe and be ye astonished for behold the very Heathen Idolatrous Philistines that even their Idolatrous I Priests and Diviners did to provoke the people to send speedily away the Ark of God from among them reprove them saying Wherefore then doe you harden your hearts as Pharaoh and the Egyptians did when he had wrought wonderfully amongst them 1 Sam. 6.6 Thus you see here that the very Idolatrous Heathens have gotten the start of all such Christians in this point by their laying the fault rightly upon the Creatures as Pharaoh and the Egyptians thereby vindicating the impartiality of the Creator according to 1 Pet. 1.17 which such Christians will not vouchsafe to do but rather hide the same although in that Text 1 Pet. 1.17 it is said that God judgeth without respect of persons according to every mans works then not according to his first hardning of some mens hearts see the proud rebellious answer of those people the similized clay to the gratious exhorting message sent from God their similized Potter Ier. 18.12 and the people hardning their own hearts as an adamant stone in direct rebellion against Gods generall exhortations lovingly propounded unto them Zech. 7.9 10 11 12. See also in Rom. 1 chap. how gratiously God manifests and shewes himselfe to them ver 19 20. and yet how rebelliously they behave themselves towards him See also the unstained impartiality that is in our faithfull Creator confirmed in that he forsaketh no man before they actually and personally forsake him 2 Chron. 15.2 Ezek. 18 chap. Isa 5.2 3 4. compared with chap. 6.9 10. and Isa 44.18 compared with Mat. 13.15 and John 1.7 9. and Acts 8.27 as also Psal 145.9 Pro. 21.29 Jer. 7.25 26 27. besides God doth not harden any mans heart first nor forsake
by his having to his parent or brother or kinsman such a person whom God loveth And that sometimes in Scripture-phrase hatred is but the expression of a lesser degree of love as there in that saying the elder shall serve the younger And considering that Gods hatred in their sence as applyed to mans eternall reprobation or preterition is so destructively opposite to Gods owne words that he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 and that he desires not or delighteth not in the death of him that dieth but exhorteth them to turn themselves and live Ezck. 18.32 and that he is good to all and that his tender mercies are not onely over some but over all his works Psal 145.9 And that quite contrary to their imagined conceipt that God forsaketh some men eternally before after their infranchisement they actually forsake him God affirmeth that he doth not willingly afflict no nor so much as grieveth the children of men Lam. 3.33 Why then should not we beleeve God rather than men considering the election and hatred there mentioned extends but to an earthly superiority for Jacob and a temporall servitude for Esau and that their fancied preterition from reall means before men doe actually and personally forsake God is in truth if ript open but a disguised reprobation for one that hath power to doe it and doth keep from a man his food may as really kill that man so as if he cut off his head with a sword And considering that it is proved by Scripture in my 14 Distinction that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth in that darknesse or by that ability which he hath by generation naturally from fallen Adams loines but of God who doth set free all mens wils in due season and so doth enable all men by his free grace that they by their well usage of that ability may acceptably by imputation will and runne by their beleeving And considering that even then also it is of God that sheweth mercy even to beleevers in mercy by Christ opening a way for it and then in mercy forgiving their imperfections both in their faith and in their works also And considering that even beleevers are in themselves ungodly it is only of God that sheweth mercy it is of him that will have it so according to his second Covenant in that he doth predestinate according to his owne purpose who worketh all things after the counsell of his own will not that those predestinated by his absolute will and power only should but that those who in his fore-knowledge first trusted in Christ or before beleeved in Christ as some translations have it or fore-known lovers of God should be to the prais of his glory and that those men should be sealed with the holy spirit of promise not before by Gods absolute will and power only but after they beleeved as the coherence of the Text in plain words rendereth Eph. 1.11 12 13. Thus God will have mercy on him and will impute his faith for righteousnesse that maketh war against sinne and yet in the lively apprehension of his owne ungodlinesse departeth not from the goodnesse of the living God but confidingly doth beleeve in him that justifieth the ungodly according to Rom. 4.5 So by those Scripture-testimonies spunging out that grosse delusive construction from that Text derived that God will have mercy on some men and will harden the residue of men considered of as Creatures only as by his absolute will and power only or for fore-known sin before men do or can actually or personally forsake him And considering of the same impartiality of our faithfull Creator concerning his equall and just dealing with all men according to 1 Pet. 1.17 as is proved in my 15 Distinction and that their mentally conceal'd partiality of God doth destroy his Gospell-grace published which is according to mens performances of his conditions annexed thereto by them to be obtained And considering that it is proved by Scripture in my 16 Distinction that God hardneth no mans heart before he hath persisted in hardning his owne heart and that the very Idolatrous Philistines to the shame of some Christians did apply Pharaohs and his peoples misery to be by himselfe brought upon himself justly by his and his peoples hardning of their own hearts first as exemplary concerning all men so persisting And considering that it is proved in my 17 Distinction that God doth predestinate some men to bee conformed to the image of his Sonne but not according to his absolute will and power only nor as he fore-knoweth men to be of more noble parentage nor as being more wealthy nor as being born in more famous Kingdomes or Nations than some others are nor meerly as Creatures without having respect in his fore-knowledge either to their doing good or bad but that the Scripture affirmeth that God predestinates according as he fore-knoweth men to belovers of God according to Rom. 8. and that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him Acts 10.34 35. And moreover considering that God doth choose no man but in Christ Eph. 1.4 then you know that no man is in Christ actually by imputation untill he be an actuall beleever therefore he chooseth none to salvation but such as either are or he fore-knoweth will in future be in Christ by actuall beleeving for it is manifest that though God doth choose or set apart some men for himselfe yet that he maketh not that choice according to his absolute will and power only but know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe Psal 4.3 And affirmeth that those men doe turne his glory into shame and do love vanity that do affirm the contrary ver 2. From all these considerations herein mentioned and many more in Scripture we may warrantably and safely conclude that neither predestination election preterition or reprobation do proceed from God upon any one man by vertue of Gods absolute will and power only nor that he doth forsake any one man for fore-known sinnes but doth continue in using good means whereby all men in their well usage thereof might be eternally saved untill that man doth give a just occasion for God to forsake him by his wilfull forsaking of God first personally persistingly and actually after his inlightenment and infranchisement The nineteenth Distinction is briefly to shew what the speciall salvation is mentioned in 1 Tim. 4.10 as distinct from the common salvation which is in that Text therewith coupled HErein we are to take notice that as all men are enabled by and in the common salvation to beleeve and abide in beleeving so the speciall salvation is that condition or estate which after mens turning in at wisdomes reproofe by their abiding in beleeving and depending on Gods goodnesse only shee doth then poure out her spirit unto them and maketh knowne her words unto them according to
the discovery of the large extent of his love to and care over all men he may come to be more and more admired in his saints desiring those blessed people no longer to endeavour to deprive the world of the most sure most ready and most comfortable foundation of faith and patience and repentance presented frequently in Gods written word in generall promises on his part intended for the benefit of all men And that those Saints of God will be pleased what ever other ignorant people doe no longer with dubious interpretations to discourage but with Scriptures plaine and full sayings to direct infants in the faith first to feed upon that generall milke of the word and not to forsake their importunacy to ask and seek and knock but yet with patience to wait upon the lively use of Gods generall promises untill the day-star do arise in those tender waiting hearts as formerly it did in their own when they resolvedly with patience waited for establishment Thus intreating thee to take notice that I do not by this insuing tract maintaine that any one man hath free will as he is descended from fallen Adam to incline to or to think much lesse to act any thing acceptable to God in point of eternall salvation but that hereby I do by Scripture prove the contrary Secondly that I do not herein maintain that all men are eternally saved but that some men after their inlightenment and infranchisement in the common salvation in due season wil wilfully refuse their own mercies choose their own destruction and will draw back even to eternall perdition Thirdly that I do not in this ensuing tract maintaine that any one man though found beleevingly well acting in the ability by grace given unto him in the common salvation can in the least measure merit or deserve reward of due debt from God otherwise them God is pleased by the mercy of his own second Covenant to impute righteousnesse unto him as is largely proved in my 14 Distinction Thus also desiring thee to read and conclude without partiality I rest thine in the Lord Jesus Christopher Wade The Heads of my 24 Distinctions insuing to set forth the extent of the common salvation with the necessity and benefit thereof concerning all men and in what page to find them THE first Distinction which sheweth that as all men lost their blessed first life of Creation by Adams fall and thereby fell all of them into the first death that there is a common salvation wrought by Christ warranted by Scripture which doth relieve all men from the eternall danger of the first death and from that impossibility to be eternally saved which came in by Adams fall shewing also the difference betwixt the old man and the new man and the rationall man page 1 The second Distinction declareth what the common salvation is and the extent thereof for the benefit of all men whereby is set forth in good part the excellency of the restored second life of mankind gratiously intended on Gods part by Christ to preserve all men from the eternall second death p. 7 The third Distinction sheweth that our Saviour Jesus Christ by a salvation first wrought by and in himselfe alone without men laid the soundation of the common sulvation by his descension from Heaven and personall performances upon the Earth p. 16 The fourth Distinction proveth that one means to establish the common salvation purchased by himselfe is this that Christ by his performances hath abolished the eternall condemning power of the Morall Law yet shewing the necessary use thereof p. 17 The fifth Distinction proveth also that to perfect the foundation of the common salvation Christ by his death hath abolished the first death for all men p. 22 The sixth Distinction sheweth accordingly that at Christ hath by the said salvation first wrought in himselfe laid the foundation of the common salvation of all men by his personell performances upon the earth without men So herein is declared how he fin sheth the same by his spirit in all men by is resurrection and ascension into Heaven and his there being p. 24 The seventh distinction setteth forth that our Saviour Jesus Christ perfects the common salvation even to all the Heathens also where neither written Law nor Gospell is vouchsafed unto them otherwise then the effects thereof are written in their hearts p. 49 The eighth Distinct on which sheweth the mistakes of some en concerning divers considerable expressions of Scripture which hath bred and doth nurse up many vain contentions even amongst the Christians about the extent of the common salvation p. 52 The ninth Distinction doth discover what those sinnes were which are accounted in Scripture to have been the sinnes against the Father and that those sinnes also were the same sins which in Scripture are called the sinnes of the whole world and that they are all forgiven in and by Christ p. 56 The tenth Distinction wherein is set forth what those sins are which in Scripture are accounted to be the sinnes against the Son or Son of man and that they also as in reference to eternall punishment shall beverily forgiven unto the Sons of men p. 57 The eleventh distinction sheweth what those sins are which in Scripture are accounted to be the sins against the Holy Ghost and that they shall never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come and the cause why whereby the second death is discovered also p. 60 The twelfth Distinction wherein the wrong application of the simile of the Potter and his Clay is discovered p. 62 The thirteenth Distinction wherein the mistakes of some men concerning Gods dealing with Iacob and Esau is laid open p. 67 The fourteenth Distinction wherein some mens misconstructions are discovered concerning that Text where it is said so then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy p. 70 The fifteenth Distinction wherein the mistake is discovered which some men have fastined on that Text where it is said therefore hath he mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth also sheweth that there is but one will in God p. 72 The sixteenth Distinction sheweth the unwarranted dealing of some men with Gods prerogative by a wrested application of Gods hardning Pharaohs heart p. 75 The seventeenth Distinction is to rectifie some mens mistakes of that Text where it is said for whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate Rom. 8.29 and of that Text where it is said elect according to the fore knowledge of God 1 Pet. 1.2 p. 77 The eighteenth Distinction is a short application of those last six Distinctions for further clearing the cause of election and reprobation p. 81 The nineteenth Distinction is briefly to shew what the speciall salvation is mentioned 1 Tim. 4.10 as distinct from the common salvation which is in that Text there with coupled p. 85 The twentieth Distinction sheweth that as all men lost their
any man first witnesse that famous proclamation 2 Cor. 15.2 And to testifie Gods habituall and accustomable impartiality it is left to our view upon record that although God did foreknow that some Angels would fall voluntarily yet it is evident God did not forsake them first it is they that did first forsake or leave their own blessed habitation which God had given them Jude 6. neither although God did fore-know that Adam would voluntarily fall by hardning his owne heart yet you know that God did not forsake him first but on the contrary part God gave him directions how he might keep that blessed estate of which he was possest and not only so but therewith gave him power also to observe those his directions and to perform them and did not with-draw that power neither untill the very time that he himselfe wilfully expelled and cast off Gods gratious protection And this is much to be noted because he was the great patterne of Gods extention of mercy to mankinde yet to draw neerer to our own condition we finde in our Types that though God did fore-know that the people of the Jews would in future forsake him and harden their hearts against him even unto the height of Idolatry and told Moses so yet it is very observable that God on his part in love used preventing means with them by his word declared and daily mercies extended unto them and did not forsake them untill the very time or that very day as the Text saith in which they actually forsook him first Deut. 31.15 17 18. And hereto you cannot choose but know that throughout the Scripture that although God doth foreknow what men will in future doe yet he neither bestowes his rewards except inabling ones nor actually executes his judgements except gratious teaching ones untill the very time that men are either actually obedient or persistingly and actually disobedient to the Gospell Covenant besides to conclude this point I intreat you to beare in minde what blasphemous desperate resolutions and fearfull effects this their tenent may and often doth beget in the hearts of men thus delusively to tell them that God by his power and will only doth harden all mens hearts first that ever hardned whether they doe harden their owne hearts first or not The seventeenth Distinction is to rectifie some mens mistakes of that Text where it is said For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate Rom. 8.29 and of that Text where it is said elect according to the fore-knowledge of God 1 Pet. 1.2 COncerning these Texts we are to observe that the very Coherence of these words Rom. 8.29 doth lead us to take notice of something before spoken to be the cause of Gods predestinating according to his fore-knowledge and looking back but to the very next verse we finde that the Apostle affirmeth to and for those Roman Saints saying we known that all things work together for the best unto them that love God ver 28. And therefore from these words let us consider what the object is upon which his foreknowledge doth fasten by which he doth predestinate if you say that God predestinates only some men meerly as Creatures then his power and will so inordinately exalted without his other holy attributes annexed will render all his Gospell-conditions which are in point of acceptation required to be performed of all men Acts 17.30 to be absurd and ridiculous what shall we say then shall we say that his predestination proceedeth accordingly as men are of more noble Parentage then some others no these are denyed 1 Corinthians 1.26 James 2.1 2 3. What then is it in respect of Gods fore-knowledge of some men as bred up in the most famous Kingdomes or Nations no for in this very respect Peter saith that God is no respecter of persons Acts 10.34 What then shall we say that God predestinates according to his fore-knowledge of some mens qualifications in fearing God and working righteousnesse by their well acting in their infranchisement to this the Scripture answereth chearfully yes for in this respect Peter absolutely concludeth even with admiration saying of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him Acts 10.34 35. and as for the transcendent benefits that proceed from that his foreknowing men we have them expresly related in the 29 30 verses Rom. 8. to be in relation to such lovers of God leadingly set forth in the 18 verse preceding in the very same Chapter Thus we finde that Gods predestination and other gratious dispensations doe conjunctively worke together for the best it is not said to those whom he predestinated by his will and power only no no such matter but unto those that love God as the lively coherence of that Text Rom. 8.28 and 29 verses confirmeth Those fore-known lovers of God are those objects or those men which are said to be elect according to the fore-knowledge of God 1 Pet. 1.2 and in further confirmation of this truth behold that Gods gratious predestination proceedeth from Gods fore-knowing of mens actuall first trusting in Christ and that God doth not actually seale men with his holy spirit of promise untill after their actuall beleeving To prove the first of these it s said in whom also we have obteined an inheritance being predestinated note this being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will See here what the counsell of his will is that that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ Eph. 1.11 12. Note this who first trusted in Christ or that we which before beleeved in Christ should be to the praise of his glory as some translations render it See also Psal 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe See also John 6.40 Heb. 6.10 12. 2 Thes 1.3 4 5. So that hereby appeareth plainly that Gods gratious predestination of men proceedeth from his fore-knowing them first to be trusters in Christ where the Gospell comes or such as doe trust in Gods goodnesse only where the written Gospell is not vouchsafed as is proved in my 7 Distinction And as for beleeving it is not said after you were sealed yee beleeved but flat contrary note this after yee beleeved ye were sealed with the spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 for in truth their beleeving estates them to be in person imputatively in Christ and they and only they are thereby by their foreknowne abiding in him those men which are chosen in him before the foundation of the world Eph. 1.4 These submissive abiding beleevers and trusters are after their actuall and personall beleeving and trusting in Christ in Gods foreknowledge by him predestinated before time to adoption of children in time yet still according to the counsell of Gods will Eph. 1.5 by Christ although in themselves ungodly and undeserving ones as