of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them He adds soon after For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our Hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God a 2 Cor. 4. 4 6 c. So that true Beleevers are here distinguished from Unbeleevers by this that they are enlightened the other having their eyes blinded by reason whereof they are without any such illumination So again where He saith to these Hebrews But call to remembrance the former days in which after ye were enlightened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye endured a great fight of afflictions b Heb. 10. 32 He clearly rermeth their Conversion it self to the Faith their illumination or enlightening Yea this illumination is so appropriate unto the Saints or sound Beleevers that our Saviour Himself stiles the generation of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children of light c Luk. 16 8. So the Apostle Paul admonisheth the Ephesians to walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as children of the light d Eâ—hes 5. 8. meaning as Saints or true Beleevers And in the same Verse he distinguisheth their present estate in Faith from their former in unbelief thus For ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. 2. In the latter of the said Passages the Persons spoken of are said to have §. 20. received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the acknowledgment of the Truth Which expression doth not signifie the bare notion or apprehension of what the Gospel teacheth and holdeth forth of which they are capable who are the most professed enemies thereof but such a consenting and subjection hereunto which worketh effectually in men to a separating of themselves from Sin and Sinners This is the constant acception and import of the Phrase in the Scriptures Always learning saith the Apostle of silly women laden with Sins and never able to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to an acknowledgment of the Truth e 2 Tim. 3. 7. i. e. to a through and cordial assent to it which is wont to utter it self in a suitable Conversation So when He saith that God will have all men to be saved and to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the knowledg or acknowledgment rather of the Truth by coming to the acknowledgment of the Truth f 1 Tim. 2. 4 He cannot mean any thing ineffectual or unavailable to Salvation such a sence would render the sentence senceless and exhibit it in this form God will have all men to be saved and to come to that which is not able to save them Therefore by the acknowledgment of the Truth is meant such a cordinal and through assent to it which consists in a sound and saving Faith So when He saith that the Servant of the Lord must be gentle in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God per adventure will give them Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to or for the acknowledgment of the Truth He clearly supposeth the acknowledgment of the Truth to be either the end or specifical Perfection of Repentance i. e. such a thing which demonstrates Repentance to be sound and of the saving kinde where ever it is found There is but one Place more where the Phrase is used and here also it bears as high a sence as in the testimonies already opened Paul a Servant of God and an Apostle of Jesus Christ according to the Faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledgment of the Truth which is after godliness g Tit. 1. 1. By the acknowledgment of the Truth cannot any such knowledg of it be meant in this place which should stand with unregeneracy or unbelief because then Paul should stile himself an Apostle of Jesus Christ according to the exigency or requirement of such a knowledg of the Gospel in men which is insufficient to save them A sence ridiculous and preposterous Somewhat was done by us in the preceding Chapter h Sect. 26 27 towards the unfolding of this place Yea the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acknowledgment in construction with other words of like import as the acknowledgment of Christ Ephes 1. 17. of the Son of God Eph. 4. 13. of God Colos 1. 10. of the mystery of God Col. 2. 2. of Him that hath called us 2 Pet. 1. 3. to omit many the like still importeth such a knowledg which accompanieth a sound and saving Faith 3. The Persons queried about are said to be sanctified with or by the §. 21. blood of the Covenant i. e. by their being sprinkled herewith to be separated from such who refuse this sprinkling as likewise from the pollutions and defilements of the world To be sanctified when applied unto Persons is not found in any other sence throughout the New Testament unless it be where Persons bear the consideration and respect of things rather then of persons and this onely in that one place 1 Cor. 7. 14. But of this signification of the word which we claim in this place instances are so frequent and obvious that we shall not need to mention any And we have formerly I remember demonstratively evinced that the Scripture in hand speaks of none other but a true and real Sanctification i Câ—â— 8. Sect. 50 51 c. and such which is appropriate unto Saints 4. They are said to taste or to have tasted of the Heavenly gift By this §. 22. Heavenly gift may be meant either 1. Christ himself who is called the gift of God Joh. 4. 10. Or 2. the Holy Ghost who is said to be given to them that beleeve Act. 11. 17 and again to them who obey God Act. 5. 32. Or 3. the gift of Righteousness or Justification for this also is called a gift Rom. 5. 15 16 17. Or 4. and lastly Salvation or Eternal Life This also is termed the gift of God Rom. 6. 23. Now all these gifts are given onely unto true Believers Whatsoever is meant by this Heavenly gift certaine it is that by tasting is not meant any light or superficial impression made upon the Hearts or Souls of Men through the sence or apprehension of it but an emphaticall inward and affectuous rellish and sence of the excellent and Heavenly sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of it opposed to a bare speculation or naked apprehension thereof The reason hereof is cleare viz. be cause the tasting of this Heavenly gift here spoken of is not mentioned by the Apostle in a way of easing or extenuating the sin of those that should fall away from Christ but by way of aggravation and exaggeration of the heynousnesse and unreasonablenesse thereof and withall more fully to declare and assert the equitablenesse of that severity in God which is here denounced against those that shall sin the great sin of apostacy here spoken of It must needs be much more unworthy and provoking in the sight of God for a Man to turne His back
he must either suppose them in a capacity to distinguish and discern between the things whereof he would have them repent and the things of which he would not have them repent and so between what he would have them to beleeve and what not or else speak unto them as no otherwise capable of such his Commands then the stones on the Earth or beasts of the field And how then is the Commandment holy and just and good Therefore certainly those noble faculties and endowments of Reason and Vnderstanding in Men as they are sustained supported and assisted by the Spirit of God in the generality of Men are in a capacity of apprehending discerning understanding the things of God in the Gospel Yea and evident it is from the Scriptures that men act beneath themselves are remiss and slothful in awakening those Principles of Light and Vnderstanding that are vested in their Natures or else willingly choke suppress and smother them if they remain in the snare of Vnbelief Pray for us saith Paul to the Thessalonians that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men for all men have not Faith h 2 Thess 3. 2 By unreasonable or as the word signifieth absurd and evil men he plainly meaneth not men who naturally or in actu primo were unreasonable such as these were not like to endâ—nger him or to obstruct the course of the Gospel but such as were unreasonable actu secundo i. e. persons who acted contrary to the light and principles of Reason and hereby became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 industriously evil or wicked That there were such persons as these abroad in the World he gives this account for All men have not Faith which clearly implyeth that men who act and quit themselves according to the true Principles of that Reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers in the precious Faith of the Gospel To this purpose that passage in Chrysostom is memorably worthy As to beleeve the Gospel is the part of a raised and nobly-ingenuous Soul so on the contrary not to beleeve is the property of a Soul most unreasonable and unworthy and depressed or bowed down to the sottishness of brute beasts i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Rom. Hom. 8. Therefore Secondly Whereas it was objected that men in their natural estates are by the Scriptures termed darkness and in this respect presented as unable to comprehend the light of the Gospel I answer There is in the Controversies about the extent and efficacy of the Grace of God vouchsafed unto men as great an abuse of the word natural and so of the word supernatural a term not found in the Scriptures either formally or vertually as there is of the word Orthodox in this and many others The Scripture knoweth not the word natural in any such sence or signification wherein it should express or distinguish the unregenerate estate of a man from the regenerate Our Translators indeed render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture adjoyning of which a touch presently the natural man but quo jure nondum liquet And however the whole carriage of the Context round about maketh iâ— as clear as the light as I have elsewhere argued and proved at large k Novice Presbyter page 86 87 that it is not the unregenerate man but the weak Christian that is there spoken of and termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a little after in the same contexture of discourse he is term'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnal and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a babe or youngling in Christ If therefore by the natural estate of men the Objection meaneth the unregenerate estate of men according to the whole compass and extent of it and under all the differences which it admitteth I absolutely deny that the Scripture any where termeth natural men darkness Those Ephesians of whom the Apostle saith they were sometime darkness had been not onely or simply unregenerate but had walked in sins and trespasses according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the ayr the Spirit that worketh effectually in the children of disobedience by whom their understandings had been darkened and they possessed with many false wicked and blasphemous conceits concerning God and the Gospel c. All which imply an unregenerate estate most dangerously encumbered and from whence it argued the high and signal Grace and Favor of God that ever they should be delivered The Jews also Joh. 1. 5. are termed darkness upon a like account viz. because they were strongly and desperately prejudiced and prepossessed with erroneous Notions and Conceits against Christ and about the estate of their Messiah at his first coming unto them whom they expecting in the form of a great Monarch rejected and crucified in the form of â—â—ervant It was this darkness which they had through an oscitant loose and sensual converse with their own Scriptures voluntarily suffered to grow and spread it self upon the face of their Minds and Vnderstandings that was a snare upon them and occasioned the sad Event here mentioned viz. that when the light shone unto them i. e. when sufficient and pregnant means were vouchsafed unto them to have brought them to the acknowledgment of their Messiah they comprehended it not i. e. did not by the means of it come to see and understand that for the sight and knowledg whereof it was given them For that by the way is to be observed that the Evangelist doth not say that the darkness in which the light shined could not or was not able to comprehend it but onely that it did not comprehend it Now it is a known Principle in Reason that à negatione actus ad negationem potentiae non valet argumentum There may be a defect in action or performance where there is no defect of power for action And the very observation and report which the Evangelist maketh of the non-comprehension of the light by the darkness in which it shone plainly enough imports that the defectiveness of this darkness in not comprehending the light did not consist in or proceed from any natural or invincible want of power to comprehend it but from a blindness voluntarily contracted and willingly if not wilfully persisted in For how can it be reasonably supposed that this Evangelist who flyeth an higher pitch then his fellows in drawing up his Evangelical tydings for the use and benefit of the World should in the very entrance of his Gospel and whilest he was thundering out on high as one of the Fathers speaks the Divinity of Christ insert the relation of a thing that had nothing strange nothing more then of common and ordinary observation in it Or is it any thing more then ordinary or what is most obvious that men do not fly in the ayr like birds or that fishes do not speak on the Earth like men Or is it a thing of any whit a more savory consideration then
their sacrificing to an unknown God d Acts 17. 29 4. And lastly The Interposure and actings of Reason and Vnderstanding in men are of that soveraign and most transcendent use yea necessity in and about matters of Religion that all the Agency of the Spirit notwithstanding a man can perform nothing no manner of service unto God with acceptation nothing in a way of true Edification to himself without their engagement and service First I stand charged by God not to beleeve every spirit but to try the spirits whether they be of God e 1 Iohn 4. 1 I demand by what Rule or Touchstone shall I try any spirit When or upon what account shall I reject one as a spirit of Error Falshood and Delusion and do Homage with my Iudgment and Conscience to another as the Spirit of God If it be said I ought to try the spirits by the Scriptures or Word of God I demand again but how shall I try my Touchstone or be sure that that principle notion or ground which I call the Word of God and by which I go about to try the spirits is indeed the Word of God There is scarce any spirit of Error that is abroad in the Christian World but freely offers it self to be tryed by the Word of God as well as the true Spirit of God Himself i. e. by such meanings sences or conclusions as it self confidently asserts to be the Word of God i. e. the Mind of God in the Scriptures So that I am in no capacity to try such a spirit which upon such an account as this pretends his coming forth from God unless I be able to prove that those sences meanings and conclusions by which he offers to be tryed are not indeed the Word of God Now it is unpossible that I should prove this meerly and only by the Scriptures themselves because unto what place or places soever I shall have recourse for my proof or tryal in this case this spirit will reject my sence and interpretation in case it maketh against him and will substitute another that shall not oppose him Nor can I reasonably or regularly reject his sence in this case at least as an untruth unless I apprehend some relish or taste therein which is irrational or some notion which jarreth with or grateth upon some clear principle or other of reason within me For as on the one hand what Doctrine or notion soever clearly accordeth and is commensurable with any solid and undoubted principle or ground of Reason within me is hereby demonstrably evinced to be a Truth and from God so on the other hand what Doctrine or saying soever bears hard or falls foul upon any such principle must of necessity be an Error and somewhat that proceeds from Satan or from men and not from God The Reason hereof is clearly asserted by the Apostle in these words For God is not the Author of Confusion but of peace a 1 Cor. 14. 33. From whence it appears that God is not divided in himself or contradictions to himself so as to write or assert that in one book as in that of the Scriptures which he denyeth or opposeth in another as viz. in that of Nature or of the fleshly tables of the heart of man but whatsoever he writeth or speaketh in the one he writeth or speaketh nothing Inclinavit Deus Scripturas ad infantium lactentium capacitatem Aug. in Psal 8. * Tertul. De testimonio Animae adversus Gentes c. 1. Mirum si a Deo data homini novit divinare Sic mirum si a Deo data cadem canit quae Deus suis dedit nosse Ibidem c. 5. Si de tuis literis dubitas neque Deus neque natura mentitur ut Deo naturae credas crede animae c. Ib. cap. 6. Cur verba habet Christianonorum quos ne auditos visâ—s que vult Ibid. O testimonium Animae naturaliter Christianae Tertul. Apologet Ne â—ui praeclusus esset ad felicitatem aditus non solum hominum mentibus indidit illud quod diximus Religionis semen c. Calvin instit l. 1. c. 5. Sect. 1. in the other but what is fairly and fully consistent with it Vpon this account it is a grave and worthy advertisement of Mr Perkins in his Epistle before his Treatise of Predestination It is saith he also requisite that this Doctrine he speaks of Predestination Election and Reprobation agree with the grounds of common Reason and of that knowledg of God which may be obtained by the light of nature In this saying of his he clearly supposeth that whatsoever should be taught by any man in the mysterious and high points of Predestination otherwise then according to the Scriptures and the Truth may be clearly disproved by this viz. the disagreement of it with the grounds of common Reason and of that knowledg of God which the light of Nature shineth into the hearts of men If himself had kept close to this principle of his own in drawing up his Judgment in the point of Predestination the World had received a far differing and better account from his pen of this subject then now it hath But if his sence were that the heights and depths of Religion for so we may well call the Doctrines of Election and Reprobation c have nothing in them but what agreeth with the grounds and principles of common reason and with the Dictates of Nature in men and consequently may be measured discerned and judged of by these he did not conceive that matters of a more facile and ordinary consideration were above the capacity and apprehension of Reason It was the saying of Augustin that God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacity even of Babes and Sucklings Tertullian hath much upon this account to excellent purpose In one place speaking of the Soul being yet simple rude and unfurnished with any acquired knowledge either from the Scripture or other institution he demands why it should be strange that being given by God it should speak out or sing the same things the knowledg whereof God giveth unto his children Not long after he admonisheth the Gentiles that neither God nor Nature lye and thereupon that they may beleeve both God and nature willeth them to beleeve their own Souls A little after he saith that the Soul he speaks of hath the words and therefore the inwards senses and impressions of Christians whom notwithstanding it wisheth that it might never hear or see Elsewhere having mentioned some expressions of affinity with the Scriptures as oft coming out of the mouths of Heathen he triumphs as it were over them with this acclamation O the Testimony of a Soul naturally Christian Nor doth Calvin himself say any whit less then all this when he saith that God hath implanted or inwardly put the seed of Religion in the mind of men Doubtless the seed sympathizeth richly with that body which springs and grows from it But these
and by means of such Principles or instruments of action being in the Propriety or Formality of their respective natures in them which are ascribed unto God As for example to give the World knowledge that the Divine Nature can and upon just occasion will yea and doth many times expresse it selfe after such a manner and with such a kinde of effect as men use to expresse themselves out of anger as viz. by Reproveing Expostulating Withdrawing themselves Striking Punishing and the like the Holy Ghost oft ascribeth the Passion or Impression of Anger unto God There is the same consideration of all those other Creature-affections as of Love Zeal Grief Sorrow Repentance Delight Mercy Compassion c. And so also of all those organicall parts or members of an humane body as Eyes Eares Hands Heart c. which are so frequently in the Scriptures attributed unto God These respective attributions give the light of this knowledge of God unto the World that the Divine Nature though most singly simply most undividedly and indivisibly One is yet able out of the infinite perfection of it to act all that variety and diversity of action and effect which the Creature is wont to act out of such affections and by means of such organs or members respectively To come in to the particular in hand The Scripture is wont to ascribe §. 5. knowledge unto God to inform the World that what kinde of contentment soever men reape or receive by meanes of any knowledge of things which they have and that what regular use or advantage soever they make or are capable of making in any kinde of such Knowledge God receiveth the like contentment by maketh when and as he pleaseth the same or the like use of the infinite perfection of his nature or being For example men of knowledge and of understanding so far as their knowledge extendeth are free from errors mistakes and other inconveniences in reference to the things known whereunto men that are ignorant are exposed Again men that have knowledge of things are hereby according to the measure and extent of this knowledge inabled to manage and order their affaires to their best advantage either in a way of profit or of Repute and Honor yea and being otherwise furnished with opportunity and meanes for such a purpose to communicate and impart the same light of knowledge unto others which shineth in and to themselves In like manner knowledge yea the knowledge of all things a 1 Joh. 3. 20. is in Scripture asserted unto God not because he knoweth them after the same specificall manner or upon the same specificall terms upon which men know or understand the things known by them for as the Lord seeth not as men seeth b 1 Sam. 16 7 so neither doth he know as man knoweth but because from and by means of the infinite perfection of his Nature 1. He injoyeth himselfe with a scientificall contentment I mean with such a kinde of contentment as knowing men injoy or might injoy by means of their knowledge and 2. Because by the same means he is inabled to manage order and dispose of all things to the best advantage and improvement for his own glory and for what other end besides he pleaseth and 3. and lastly because he hath an opportunity also thereby to impart the knowledge of what things soever he pleaseth unto his Creature By what hath been said it is no matter of difficulty either to conceive §. 6. or to declare in what sence or upon what ground one or more the Scriptures attribute prescience also or fore-knowledge unto God For look what regular conveniency opportunity or advantage in any kinde the foreknowledge of things in men affordeth unto them the like doth the infinite perfection of the Divine Nature exhibit and afford unto him Men who have the certaine fore-knowledge that such and such things will come to passe at such or such a time if they any wayes relate unto them or be capable of being wrought to such a Relation besides the inward contentment of such knowledge have an opportunity thereby not only of making known before hand unto their friends or others that at such a time such things will come to passe for this they may do whether the things fore-knowne doe any wayes concerne them or no and by this meanes gaine the repute of being Propheticall or otherwise very understanding and discerning men but also of contriving and ordering other things in the meane time so and after such a manner that the things fore-knowne when they come to passe shall come to passe with more conveniency or advantage unto them then otherwise they could have done Upon such considerations as these the fore-knowledge of things yea of all things that are future is by the Scriptures ascribed unto God viz. Because thorough the infinite perfection of his Essence and and Being he 1. Injoyes a delight or contentment answerable to that of fore-knowing men by means of this their knowledge 2. He is able to impart before hand at what distance of time he pleaseth either to his Saints his Friends or others such particularities of what is hid in the womb of time as himself judgeth meete to be upon such terms as these revealed 3. and lastly he is able also providentially to dispose of all such things to the best advantage both for his own glory and the benefit of those who shall be found worthy of this great interest in him From the Rule that hath been given and the explication made according §. 7. thereunto for a right understanding how and in what sence and upon what grounds both knowledge and fore-knowledge are in Scripture transferred unto God a cleere light shineth whereby to discover how and upon what gounds also Desires Purposes Intentions or Decrees in one kinde or other are by the same authority vested in God as likewise how they differ both from his knowledge and fore-knowledge That Desires Intentions Purposes and Decrees as well as Knowledge or fore-knowledge are only anthrope-pathetically ascribed unto God not formally the former part of this Chapter I presume hath given the tantamont of many demonstrations So that cleerly and distinctly to understand how and in what sence they are in Scripture attributed unto him inquiry must be made and consideration had how they are wont to affect or ingage men after what manner and upon what terms men are usually acted and drawn forth by them Only before we come to the Explication hereof this is to be remembred by way of caution that though there alwayes be as hath been said a Ground or Reason one or more for that attribution of humane actions affections members c. which the Scriptures so frequently make unto God which Reason is still founded in a certaine Proportion or Similitude found between the Nature of God and the nature of man in respect of the things so attributed unto him yet is it not necessary that all things accompanying or
that know God or have means and opportunities of knowing him not to glorifie him like himself and as God is a sin of a very high provocation and which directly and with a swift course tends to an utter dissolution of all communion and friendly converse between God and men 2. That for men of Knowledg Parts and Abilities to neglect the manifestation and making known of God in and to the World to the intent that he may be acknowledged reverenced loved delighted in by his Creature is a strain of the worst resentment with God of that unthankfulness which he interprets a non-glorifying him as God or like himself Knowing the Terror of the Lord in the way of the Premisses Brethren honored and beloved in the Lord according to the measure of the Light of the Knowledg of himself which he hath been graciously pleased to shine in my Heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have in the ensuing Discourse lift up my Heart and Soul and all that is within me to the discovery and manifestation of him in the World in the truth of his Nature Attributes Counsels Decrees Ways and Dispensations and that with a single eye with clearness and simplicity of intention to dis-encumber the Mindes Judgments and Consciences of Men of such thoughts and apprehensions concerning him which are evil Mediators between Him and his Creature feeding and fomenting that distance and enmity between them which have been occasioned by sinful and unworthy deportment on the Creatures side I confess that in some Particulars managed and asserted in the Discourse I have been led I trust by the Spirit of Truth and of God out of the way more generally occupyed by those who of later times have travelled the same Regions of Enquiry with me But deeply pondering what Augustin somewhere saith that as nothing can be found out more beneficial unto the World then somewhat Nihil periculosius quaeritur nihil fructâ—osius invenitur further of God then is at present known so nothing is attempted or sought after with more danger I have steered my course in the subsequent Debates with all tenderness and circumspection arguing nothing concluding nothing but either from the Grammatical Sence or best known signification of words and phrases in the Scripture and this for the most part if not constantly in conjunction both with the scope of places the express consent and agreement of Contexts together with the Analogy of the Scriptures themselves in other places or else from the most unquestionable and universally received Principles and Maxims either in Religion or sound Reason and more particularly from such Notions concerning the Nature of God and his Attributes and Perfections which I finde generally subscribed with the Names and Pens of all that is called Orthodox amongst us and have written of such things Nor have I any where receded from the more general sence of Interpreters in the Explication of any Text or Passage of Scripture but onely where either the express signification of words or the vergency or rather indeed urgency of the Context or some repugnancy to the expressness of Scripture elsewhere or else some pregnant inconsistency with some clear Principle either of Religion or sound Reason necessitated me unto it Yea I seldom upon any of these accounts leave the common road of Interpreters but I finde that some or other one or more of the most intelligent of them have troden the same path before me And for the most part Chrysostom among the Ancient Expositors and Calvin himself among the Modern are my Companions in the paths of my greatest solitariness Concerning the main Doctrine avouched in the Discourse wherein the Redemption of Mankinde by Jesus Christ no particular person or member hereof excepted is held forth and asserted I demonstrate by many Testimonies from the best Records of Antiquity to have been the Oecumenical sence of the Christian World in her primitive and purest Times Nor am I conscious to my self I speak as in the present of God of any the least mistake either in word or meaning of any Author or Testimony cited by me throughout the whole Discourse nor yet of any omission in point of diligence or care for the prevention of all mistakes in either kinde The Discourse such as it is with all Respects of Honor and Love I present unto you not requiring any thing from you by way of countenance or approbation otherwise then upon those equitable terms on which Augustus Sueton. in vita Augusti recommended his Children unto the care and favor of the Senate Si meruerit Onely as a Friend and Lover of the Truth Name and Glory of God and Jesus Christ and of the Peace Joy and Salvation of the World with you I shal take leave to pour out my Heart and Soul in this Request unto you that either you will confirm by setting to the royal signet of your Approbation and Authority the Great Doctrine here maintained if you judg it to be a Truth or else vouchsafe to deliver me and many others from the snarâ— thereof by taking away with an hand of Light and potency of Demonstration those weapons whether Texts of Scriptures or Grounds in Reason wherein you will finde by the Discourse it self that we put our trust Your Contestation upon these terms will be of a resentment with me more precious and accepted then your Attestation in case of your comport in Judgment with me though I shall ingenuously confess and profess that for the Truths sake even in this also I shall greatly rejoyce Notwithstanding I judg it much more of the two richly conducing to the dear Interest of my Peace and Safety to be delivered from my Errors then to receive countenance and approbation from men in what I hold or teach according to the Truth If nothing which is here pleaded whether from the Scriptures or otherwise shall be able to over-rule your Judgments into an acknowledgment of Truth in the main Doctrine contended for in which case you will I trust though not with respect to my Request in that behalf yet for the Truths sake and for your own Interests sake as well in the things of this World as of that which is to come declare your selves in some worthy and satisfactory Answer to the Particulars here propounded I shall not need I presume to desire you that in your Answer you will not rise up in your might against the weaker looser or less-considerate Passages or Expressions of which kind you may very possibly meet with many more then enough but that you will rather bend the strength of your Reply against the strength of what you shall oppose at least if there be any thing herein worthy such a title You well know that a Field may be won though many Soldiers of the conquering side should fall or be wounded in the Battel and that a Tree may flourish and retain both its beauty and firmness of standing in the Earth though many of the smaller
are needless where Primitives are at hand According to this kinde of expression God may be said to give men one heart and one way that c. and so to put his fear into their hearts that c. when he vouchsafeth and exhibiteth such motives means and opportunities unto them which are efficacious and proper to work them to such a frame and disposition of Heart and Soul out of which men are wont firmly to resolve to love serve and obey him for ever whether they be actually wrought or brought hereunto or no. In this sence it is easie to conceive when and how the said Promises were performed or fulfilled as viz. to a good degree in upon and soon after that famous Deliverance out of their seventy years Captivity God hereby as by many other signal mercies vouchsafed unto them soon after their return about the repairing of their City and Temple as likewise by the effectual Ministry of several great Prophets raised up amongst them from time to time mightily engaging them all to devote themselves unto him and his service for ever But more fully and gloriously when the great Messiah was sent unto them in the flesh by whose unparallel'd â—olinesse in Life and Conversation together with His frequent and wonderfull miracles and especially by His Doctrine so full of Heavenly Authority Light and Power they were only not compelled into such an heart and such a way wherewith and wherein to have feared i. e. to have religiously served and obeyed Him for ever In so much that proving such Apostates as they wilfully became under such transcendent means as they had to have rendered them the best and most faithfull People under Heaven unto their God they declared themselves to be the most stiff-necked and rebellious Generation of Men in all the World and were judged by God accordingly Take any other sence of the Promises or words now in question especially that which is so much contended for and which imports a finall Perseverance in grace to be wrought in this People by the irresistible Hand of God and it will be impossible for any Man to finde so much as by probable conjecture when or how they should ever be fulfilled To say that they might even in that sence which I so much oppose be fulfilled constantly in the Elect of this People is to say that which reason will gainesay For 1. An absolute or un-conditioned Promise made to a great number of Men cannot be said to be fulfilled when the thing promised is exhibited only to some few of them Now the Promises under debate were cleerly made to the whole body or nation of the Jews as we have formerly proved from the expresse Context and not to the Elect only amongst them 2. According to their judgments who plead the fulfilling of them in this sence the Persons for whose sakes and comfort they were made the Elect might yea must needs have had every whit as much comfort without them as they could have with or by them For they knew before the making of any of these Promises to them that being Elect and once in an estate of grace they should persevere therein unto the end And thus these great and signall Promises of God shall be rendred voyd and meere impertinencies unto those for whose sake only they are supposed to have been made 3. And lastly to say they were fulfilled in the Elect in the sence gainesaid is to begg the question instead of digging for it 2. The Scriptures many times assert the futurity or comming to passe §. 56. of things not yet in being not only when the comming of them to passe is certaine or certainly known unto God but upon a probability only or likelyhood of their comming to passe in respect of means used or to be used for the bringing of them to passe Upon this account God Himself is represented by our Saviour in his parable of the Vineyard as speaking thus in the person of the Lord of the Vinâ—yard They will reverence my Son a Mar. 12. 6. in case I shall vouchsafe to send Him unto them And yet the event shewed that they were so far from reverencing Him that when He came to them they tooke Him and slew Him and cast Him out of the Vineyard So when He saith upon occasion of the punishment which he commandeth to be inflicted upon the Man that should doe presumptuously that all the People shall heare and feare and doe no more presumptuously b Deut. 17. 1â— 13. He doth not speak it out of any certainty of knowledge in Him that it would or should actually so come to passe for many doubtlesse of this People did not so feare as to forbeare doing presumptuously notwithstanding the exemplarinesse of such a punishment but because the severe and thorough execution of Justice in this kinde was a proper and probable means to restraine all sorts of persons amongst them from the like sins See Sect. 50. of this Chapter In this notion and idiome of Scripture also God may say I will give them one Heart and one way that they may feare Me for ever not out of a certainty of knowledge or determination in Himself that any such Heart or Way should actually and with effect be given unto them which would infallibly produce such an effect in them as is here specified but because he was purposed so to intreat them and to afford such excellent administrations of His Grace and Spirit unto them which should be very Pregnant Proper and Efficacious to create such an Heart in them and to put them into such a Way that they should never have declined from His Worship and Service whilest the Sun and Moone endure This answer I acknowledge is of much affinity with the former Therefore 3. And lastly that no such sence was intended by God in the Words or Promises yet under consideration which imports any certainty of a finall perseverance in Grace in those to whom they are spoken and made fully appeares from all those propheticall passages and predictions in the old Testament which are many in number and very plaine and pregnant in import wherein that sad breach which afterwards happened between God and this People to whom these Promises were made and which amounted even to a rejection of them from being any longer a People unto Him is foretold by Him For that God should absolutely promise such an Heart unto a People which should infallibly cause them to feare Him for ever and not to depart from him and yet withall prophecy the great and generall Apostasie of this People from him and their rejection upon that account by him doubtlesse lieth not within the verge of any Mans belief who takes any competent care what he believeth I trust the Scripture now last Opened will from henceforth be put to no more trouble about any Contribution of aid towards the maintenance of the Doctrine of absolute perseverance Some other Scriptures possibly there may
in case he had not continued to keep it under he might be a Reprobate Nay as in case Christ had not died there had not been a Possibility onely but even a certainty of their perishing who now by believing on him are saved in like manner in case Paul had deserted his exercise of keeping under his Body there had been more then a possibility and no whit lesse then a certainty of his proving a Reprobate though now by means of his persevering therein unto the end as we have cause in abundance to judge concerning him he be saved So that the Argument recoyles as we see upon the Author himself and the cause which he seekes to maintaine by it Our English Annotators upon the place are very tender of admitting any §. 17. such sence of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which should imply any uncertainty in the Apostle of his Election or of obtaining the prize But the truth is that that sence of the Word for which we have contested doth no wayes imply the former nor yet if by uncertainty be meant any thing grievous or discourageing to the Apostle the latter For 1. He might notwithstanding a possibility of becoming a Reprobate afterwards know certainly that for the present He was elected in as much as know He might with the greatest certainty and doubtlesse did that He did believe And that all those who truly believe are elected our Adversaries themselves will not deny 2. Notwithstanding such a possibility as we suppose of his becoming a Reprobate He might have as much certainty of obtaining the prize as He desired or was any wayes meet or reasonable for him either to desire or enjoy This certainty He might have and questionlesse had upon his continuance in well doing and for any Man to be certaine of obtaining the prize though He should apostatize and decline into wayes of wickednesse is not a certainty either meet for God to give or for any Man to receive Somewhat more was said upon this account in the nineth Chapter The next passage we shall insist upon to evince the possibility of a finall §. 18. defection in the Saints openeth it self in these words For it is unpossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come If they shall fall away to renew them againe unto Repentance seeing they Crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame For the Earth which drinketh in the raine that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth Thornes and Briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned a Heb. 6. 4 5 6 7 c. Answerable hereunto is another in the same Epistle For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins But a certaine fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace b Heb. 10. 26 27 c. Evident it is that in these two passages the Holy Ghost after a most serious manner and with a very pathetique and moving straine of speech and discourse scarce the like to be found in all the Scriptures admonisheth those who are at present true Believers to take heed of relapsing into the wayes of their former ignorance and impiety This Caveat or admonition he vehemently presseth by an argument of this import that in case they shall thus relapse there will be very little or no hope at all of their recovery or returne to the estate of Faith and Grace wherein they now stand Before the faces of such sayings and passages as these rightly understood and duly considered there is no standing for that Doctrine which denies a possibility either of a totall or finall defection in the Saints But this light also is darkened in the Heavens thereof by the interposition of the vailes of these two exceptions 1. That the Apostle in the said passages affirms nothing positively concerning the falling away of those he speaks of but only conditionally and upon supposition 2. That he doth not speak of true and sound Believers but of Hypocrites and such who had Faith onely in shew not in substance The former of these exceptions hath been already non-suited and that by some of the ablest Patrons themselves of the cause of Perseverance c Cap. 11. Sect. 9. where we were taught from a pen of that learning That such conditional sayings upon which Admonitions Promises or Threatenings are built do at least suppose something in possibility however by vertue of their Tenor and Form they suppose nothing in being But 2. As to the Places in Hand there is not any Hypothetical sign or conditional Particle to be found in either of them as they come from the Holy Ghost and are carried in the Original Those two iffs appearing in the English Translation the one in the former Place the other in the latter shew it may be the Translators inclination to the cause but not their faithfulness in their engagement an infirmity whereunto they were very subject as we shall have occasion to take notice of the second time ere long in another instance of like partiality But the Tenor of both the Passages in hand is so ordered by the Apostle that He plainly declares how great and fearful the danger is or will be when Beleevers do or shall fall away not if or in case they shall fall away To the latter exception which pretends to finde onely Hypocrites and §. 19. not true Beleevers staged in both Passages we likewise answer that it glosseth no whit better then the former if not much worse considering that the Persons presented in the said Passages are described by such characters and signal excellencies which the Scriptures are wont to appropriate unto Saints and true Beleevers and that when they intend to shew them in the best and greatest of their glory What we say herein will I suppose be made above all gainsaying by instancing Particulars 1. The Persons spoken of are in the former of the Passages said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. enlightened meaning with the knowledg of God and of Jesus Christ in the Gospel How frequently is this Grace of illumination or enlightening attributed unto the Saints or true Beleevers The Apostle having said that the god of this world had blinded the eyes of those who beleeve nor lest the light