Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	faith_n	patience_n	temperance_n	4,962	5	11.6128	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64002	The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute hatred or reprobation of the vessells of wrath, or, An answer unto a book entituled, Gods love unto mankind ... in two bookes, the first being a refutation of the said booke, as it was presented in manuscript by Mr Hord unto Sir Nath. Rich., the second being an examination of certain passages inserted into M. Hords discourse (formerly answered) by an author that conceales his name, but was supposed to be Mr Mason ... / by ... William Twisse ... ; whereunto are annexed two tractates of the same author in answer unto D.H. ... ; together with a vindication of D. Twisse from the exceptions of Mr John Goodwin in his Redemption redeemed, by Henry Jeanes ...	Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.; Jeanes, Henry, 1611-1662. Vindication of Dr. Twisse.; Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1653 (1653)	Wing T3423; ESTC R12334	968,546	592

denies it Yet he goes on most ridiculously in the same tenour saying If they be absolutely appoynted to destruction their hearing reading praying almesgiving and mourning for their sinnes cannot possibly procure their salvation damned they must be But we still deny that men are absolutely appoynted to destructiō we willingly grant the elect are absolutely appointed unto grace namely to have regeneration faith and repentance to be conferred upon them and that absolutely not upon any foregoing condition performed by them but according to the meere pleasure of God but as for salvation that is appointed to be bestowed upon them only by way of reward of foregoing faith repentance and good workes observe by the way how he considers not the contradictious nature of that which he imputes unto us As first that we deny man to have any liberty or power to choose life and death And secondly that we maintain That their hearing reading praying almesgiving and mourning for their sinnes cannot possibly procure their salvation which is to imply that they have power to heare read pray give almes and mourne for their sinnes and consequently that they have power to choose life or death For to choose life or death is no other then to embrace such courses as by the ordinance of God lead to life or death Now such are hearing reading praying giving asmes and mourning for sinnes for these courses are the way to everlasting life Yet as touching the latter well we may say that Reprobates can neither heare nor read nor pray nor give almes as they ought nor mourne for their sins yet surely we are so farre from saying that these courses cannot possibly procure salvation that on the contrary rather we are ready to professe that these courses rightly used shall infallibly procure salvation for there is none more pretious mourning then to mourne for sinne and our Saviour hath pronounced them blessed adding that they shall be comforted Was it ever heard amongst us that men should be damned for reading hearing praying and mourning for their sinnes Yet the word of God teacheth us that men may houle yet be farre enough off from mourning for their sinnes as Hos 7. 14. They cryed not unto me when they houled upon their beds they assembled themselves for corne and wine they rebelled against me And if men be damned notwithstanding such mourning I should think it is nothing strange Of the same tenour is that which followeth If they be absolutely ordained to salvation their neglect of holy duties their ignorance their love of pleasure and continuance in a course of ungodlinesse cannot bring them to damnation as if this were our doctrine whereas to the contrary we maintain that from election flowes holinesse Eph. 1. 4. Who hath elected us in Christ that we should be holy And faith Acts 13. 48. As many believed as were ordained to everlasting life And 2 Thes 2. 13. God hath elected you unto salvation by sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth And indeed our profession is That Gods purpose is to bestow salvation by way of reward of faith repentance and good workes And accordingly there is no other assurance of election then by faith and holinesse 1 Thes 1. 3 4. Remembring the work of your faith the labour of your love and the patience of your hope knowing beloved brethren that ye are elect of God And therefore Saint Peter exhorts Christians To make their election and vocation sure by joyning vertue with their faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience Godlinesse and with Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and with Brotherly kindnesse Love 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. 10. But it were pitty this Author should have liberty denyed him servire scaenae and to execute his Historicall part in conforming our Doctrine to the Heresy of the Predestinatians so called as it is recorded by Sigebert And indeed the very Doctrine of Austin was charged with the same crimination For albeit Sigebert professeth that this Heresy arose ex Augustini libris male intellectis out of Austins Book not rightly understood yet the learned Arch-Bishop of Armach had made it manifest that this very crimination was charged upon Austins doctrine Histor Gottesc pag. 22. And that out of the beginning of the 6. book Hypomnestican or Hypognosticon The words are these and I pray mark it well whether it be not punctually the very objection which this Author makes in this place Credere nos vel praedicare sugillatis quia cum lege Dei Prophetis cum Evangelio Christi ejusque Apostolis Praedestinationem dicimus quod Deus quosdam hominum sic praedestinet ad vitam regni caelorum ut si nolent orare aut jejunare aut in omni operé divino vigiles esse eos omnino perire non posse nec prorsus sui debere esse sollicitos quos Deus quia voluit semel jam eligendo praedestinavit ad vitam Quisdam vero sic praedestinavit in Gehennae paenam ut etiam si credere velint si jejuniis orationibus omnique se voluntati divinae subjecerint in his Deum non delectari vitam illis aeternam in toto dari non posse sic electione praedestinatos esse ut pereant Judge I pray whether this be not the very objection charged upon the doctrine of Austin which this Author chargeth upon our doctrine And indeed that most learned Bishop sheweth how that albeit the Predestinatian heresy is pretended by Sigebert to have risen out of Austins bookes not rightly understood as also by Tyro Prosper Auncient to Sigebert as he is set forth in Print yet Tyro himselfe plainly professeth that the Heresy mentioned orta est ab Augustino rose from Augustine himselfe as appears by the Manuscripts of that Author which that learned Bishop had searched one found in Bennet Colledge in Cambridge and another in the Kings Library whereby it is apparent that this pretended Heresy of the Predestinatians no Author thereof being ever known to the world was a meere nick-name devised by the Remnants of the Pelagians and reproachfully cast upon the doctrine of Austin as now a daies it is upon our doctrine which is the same with Austins As for the Ministers Preaching in vaine in some sense and in some cases this is nothing strange to them that have their eyes fixed on Gods oracles and not on the oracles of their own braines For the Prophet Esaiah thus complaines and that as some conceive in the person of Christ Then I said I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God And Jerem. 8. 8. How dare ye say we are wise and the love of the Lord is with us Loe certainly in vaine made he it the penne of the scribe is in vaine And Ierem. 6. 29. The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the

they made profession of their faith and as for Infants they were also anciently said to be Baptized in fide Parentum Gods patience Rom. 2. 4. And the goodnesse of God manifested therein leadeth a Man to repentance so doe his judgements also Hos 5. In their affliction they will seeke me early and so doth Gods word and all this only in the way of a moving cause and exciting to repentance every morning God brings his judgements to light he faileth not yet will not the wicked be ashamed Zeph 3. 5. But it is the duty of all to be moved by his word by his works by his mercyes by his judgments to turne to the Lord by true repentance But God alone is he that workes them hereunto without whose efficacious grace none of all these courses will prevaile as Isai 57. 17. For his wicked covetousnesse I was angry with him and have smiten him I hid me and was angry They wanted neither admonition from his word nor from his corrections yet they profited by neither as it followeth yet he went away and turned after the way of his own heart yet what is Gods resosolution but to overcome their stubbornesse by the power of his grace as there we read I have seen his waies and will heale them now who are these whom he leads so as to bring them to repentance let Austin answer Contra Julian Pelag. l. 5. c. 4. Bonitas Dei te ad poenitentiam adducit verum esse constat sed quem praedestinavit adducit and he adds a reason Quamtamlibet enim praebuerit poenitentiam nisi Deus dederit quis agit poenitentiam And in the same Chapter professeth touching the Non-praedestinate that God never brings them to wholsome and spirituall repentance whereby a man is reconciled to God in Christ whether God affords them greater patience than he affords his elect or nothing lesse His words are these Istorum neminem adducit ad poenitentiam salubrem spiritualem qua homo in Christo reconciliatur Deo sive illis ampliorem patientiam sive non imparem praebeat God intends by this his patience that it is the duty of all to repent that is that they should repent ex officio but did he intend they should de facto repent what then could hinder it Then he would afford them efficacious grace to heale them as he promiseth Isai 57. 18. Then would he rule them with a mighty hand and make them passe under the rodde and bring them unto the bond of the covenant So then to the poynt in particular here observed 1. God leads all to repentance by his goodnesse manifested in his forbearance and long suffering by way of admonition that it is their duty to turne unto God by repentance while he gives them time and space for repentance 2. But as for those whom he hath elected he not only thus leads but also effectually brings them to repentance in the time he hath appoynted before which time they are found sometimes to despise the riches of his goodnesse and to have hard and impenitent hearts as much as any Reprobate who more foule in the committing of horrible abominations than Manasses Who more furious in persecuting the Church of God then Saul Yet God took away the stony heart and what is harder then stone out of their bowells and so he doth to all whom he regenerates 3. As touching a finall contempt of Gods patience that is peculiar unto Reprobates as for the elect though some are called at the first houre of the day some not till the last yet all are effectually called before they drop out of the World To say that God intends the everlasting good of Reprobates is to deny the first Article of our Creed even Gods omni potency as Austin hath disputed 1200 years agoe we find in our selves that whatsoever we will doe if we doe not it it is either because we cannot doe it or because our will is changed but to ascribe either mutability or impotency to God is intollerable in a Christian and it cannot be denied but God did from everlasting intend their everlasting damnation so that to say he did intend their everlasting good is flat contradiction neither is there any way to charme it but by saying God intends their everlasting good conditionally but to intend it after such a manner is apparently no more to intend their salvation than their damnation nay lesse rather considering the conditions of salvation are utterly impossible unto man unlesse God correct and cure his corrupt nature but this grace he dispenseth according to the meere pleasure of his will as the Apostle signifyeth in saying he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth As for that 2 Pet. 3. 9. He is patient towards us not willing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any of us to perish it hath been already considered but here he interpreteth towards us as if it had been said towards us men and I hope the elect are men as well as others but what ground hath he for this liberty of interpretation Why may he not take the liberty in interpreting of Iohn as well as Peter both were pillars Gal. 2. where he saith They went out from us but they were not of us for had they been of us they had continued with us and still swalloweth a palpable absurdity following hereupon even to the denying of Gods omnipotency in as flat contradiction to the Apostle where he professeth that God hath mercy on whom he will which is not to have mercy on all but on some only hardening others as Rom. 11. The election hath obtained it but the rest are hardned DISCOURSE SECT V. IN the last place those other gifts of God whereby mens understandings are enlightened and their soules beautifyed which are knowledge repentance fortitude liberality temperance humility charity and such like are bestowed upon all them that have them among whom are many that may prove Reprobates in the end that by the exercise of them and continuance in them they might be Saved The Reprobates are adorned with many of those graces as apears plainly by many Scriptures especially Hebr. 6. 4. Where the Apostle sayes that it is impossible for those that have been enlightned tasted the heavenly gift been made partakers of the Holy Ghost tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away should be renewed by repentance and the graces which the Apostle speakes of here are not ordinary and common but speciall graces illumination faith relish of the sweetnesse of Gods Word and the tast of Heaven The persons spoken of are Apostates such as are under the possibility of falling away for upon a dainger not possible cannot be built a solid exhortation and if Apostates then Reprobates and the thing intimated is that upon Apostates and Reprobates are these gifts bestowed The Like speech we have Hebr. 10. 26. For if we sinne willingly after we have received the

knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne c. from whence we collect that men that sinne willingly and unpardonably may receive the knowledge of the truth yea and be sanctifyed by the bloud of the Testament and the Spirit of grace v. 29. 2 Pet. 2. 20. They may escape the filthinesse of the world i. e. be washed from their former sins by repentance the uncleane spirit may goe out of them Mat. 12. 43. They may receive the word with joy Mat. 13. 20. And many excellent graces they may have besides All which graces are not given them that they might abuse them and so purchase to themselves the greater damnation or that they might doe good to others with them but none to themselves but rather that as by the former gifts of nature so by these of grace they may obtaine Salvation If God aime at this in those gifts that are farther off much more in these which make those that have them like the yong man in the Gospel not farre from the kingdome of Heaven Thus we see what end God aimes at in his gifts to men TWISSE Consideration THese gifts this Author formerly described to be gifts of grace applying salvation unto men which he distinguisheth from gifts of grace purchasing salvation in the entrance upon this reason of his Now it is apparent that most of these gifts have been found in the heathen men and who was ever heard to call these vertues found in the heathen gifts of grace applying the salvation purchased by Christ whereof they were wholy ignorant like as of Christ himselfe And whereas he makes faith and repentance to be gifts communicated unto such who as he expresseth it doe prove Reprobates in the end Saint Austin to the contrary as formerly I have alleadged him out of his 5. lib. contra Julian Pelag. c. 5. Expressely professeth of the Non praedestinate that God brings not one of them to wholsome and Spirituall repentance whereby a man is reconciled to God in Christ And our Brittaine Divines in the Synod of Dort upon the 5 th Article and fourth position professe in like manner of all such as are none of Gods elect that it is manifest they never really and truly attaine that change and renovation of the mind and affections which accompanieth justification nay nor that which doth immediatly prepare or dispose to justification For they never seriously repent they are never affected with hearty sorrow for offending God by sinning nor doe they come to any humble contrition of heart nor conceive a firme resolution to offend any more And whereas he saith that such doe prove Reprobates in the end he may as well say of others that they prove elect in the end which doth wholly savour of shapeing the decrees of God to be of a temporall condition and not eternall unlesse he delivers it of the manifestation of it in the judgement of men which yet as touching Reprobates cannot appeare untill their death and 't is a very hard matter for any man to passe upon men generally the censure of elect or reprobates the hypocrisy of man hath such power to evacuate the one and the secret operation of Gods mercy and grace the other How farre reprobates may attain to the illunination of their mind and renovation of their wills and reformation of their lives is set downe more fully by our Brittain Divines in the Synod of Dort than by this Author not one particular if I mistake not being mentioned here as touching the places of Scripture containing the indication thereof which is not set downe there and some there are set downe which are not set downe here In their first position concerning those who are not elect upon the fifth Article this Authors quotation here leaving out the Article and by a wild reference to the page being fitter to confound a Reader than direct him the first position there is this There is a certain supernaturall enlightning granted to some of them who are not elect by the power whereof they understand those things to be true which are revealed in the word of God and yeeld an unfained ascent unto them And in the explication of it Luke 8. 13. The seed which fell upon the stony ground noteth unto us such hearers as for a while believe that is those that for a while give ascent to things revealed from above and especially to the covenant of the Gospell and thereby it is plaine that this their ascent is no way faigned because they received the word with joy Acts 8. 30. And afterwards they give a farther reason of it thus For it is not to be imputed for a fault to any man that he is fallen from an Hypocriticall faith neither can a shipwrack be made of a faigned faith but only a detection and manifestation of it nor indeed can he suffer shipwrack who was never in the shippe 2 Pet. 2. 20. Some are said to have escaped from the filthinesse of the world by the knowledge of the Lord whose latter end is worse than their beginning and of those Ioh. 12. 42. who believed in Christ but did not confesse him they write that they believed with an unfaigned dogmaticall faith which then lay secretly hid in their hearts but never shewed it selfe in any outward profession for feare of danger ensuing Thir second position is this In these fore-mentioned there doth arise out of this knowledge and faith a certain change of their affections and some kind of amendment of their manners This they prove out of Math. 13. 20. They received the word with joy and 1 Kings 21. 17. concerning Ahabs humbling of himselfe and out of Heb. 6. 4. alleadged by this Author and over and above out of v. 6. observe a renovation also in as much as it is said That it is impossible they should be renued againe which implyeth that they had been formerly renued in some sort and out of Chap. 10. 19. That they trod under foot the blood of the Covenant by which they are sanctified and that they attained to some amendment of life they prove both by the example of Herod and out of 2 Pet. 2. 20. where t is said of them that they had escaped from the filthinesse of the world And Chap. 1. 9. Where they are said to have forgotten that they were purged from their old sinnes And out of Math. 12. 43. Where 't is said the unclean spirit was departed out of them and that all this was not faigned but that they proceeded out of the power of those dispositions unto grace and from the inspiration of the Holy Ghost yet notwithstanding all this in their fourth position they pronounce that they never attaine unto the state of adoption and justification and in their explication of it that they never attaine the change and renovation of the mind and affections which doth immediatly prepare and dispose unto justification For they never seriously repent

such a fall of theirs should come to passe by his permission and that upon such an occasion for even they that stumble at Gods word through disobedience and expressely said by Peter to be ordained thereunto thus I look out for a ground for that I deliver giving leave to the adversaries of Gods truth to roave at pleasure in the pouring forth of their impious dictates but come we to the particulars first as touching the gifts of nature I confes as touching the first of them creation that if that had not been he had never fallen but neverthelesse when God resolved to create he resolved to create all things for himselfe Even the wicked against the day of evill and if I erre in that I have an honourable Prophet to be my companion even Solomon himselfe As for preservation and sustentation I willingly confesse that if Judas had perished before he had been admitted into Christs service his damnation had been the more easy and God electing him ad prodendum sanguinem if I may be so bold as to speak in Austins language did determine that his sinne by Gods permission should be the more grievous by occasion of his advancement into the number of Christs disciples As for health strength beauty wisdome I see no reason why they should promote any mans damnation but that a foole or an ill-favoured or a weake or a sickly person may be as great a sinner as the wise man or beautifull or strong or healthy How because Christ died for the salvation of as many as doe believe which we all hold or dyed to procure faith regeneration for none as the Arminians hold any man is promoted to a greater measure of sinne thereby is a mistery to me As touching the ministry of the word Saint Peter speakes plainly of some that it had been better for them they had never known the way of right ousnesse than after they have known it to depart from the holy Commandement given to them he saith not this of all Austin professeth of some Reprobates that by the Gospell they are called Ut proficiant ad exteriorem vitae emendationem quo mitius puniantur As for the patience of God S. Paul professeth plainly that some after the hardnesse of their hearts which cannot repent despising the patience and long suffering of God and therein his goodnesse leading them to repentance doe thereby treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and Reprobation of the just judgement of God And I should think that even this God intended should come to passe by his permission otherwise he would have given them repentance or shortned their daies for give me leave to say with Austin Quantamlibet prebuerit patientiam nisi Deus dederit quis agat paenitentiam Contra Julian Pelag. l. 5. c. 4. As for knowledge that doth cleerely take away excuse grounded upon pretence of ignorance and like as our Saviour said to his Disciples Ioh. 13. If you know these things happy are yee if you doe them So likewise the more men know good things the more unhappy are they if they doe them not yet it is not necessary that knowledge should aggravate the damnation of the Reprobate as in case they doe thereby proficere ad exteriorem vitae emendationem for in this case surely mititus punientur but if they doe grow worse by occasion of their knowledge we spare not to professe that God intended this should come to passe by his permission why not as well as the crucifying of the Sonne of God Act. 4. 28. As for the vertues in the last place which here are pretended also to be given to worke for their harme and among them faith and repentance we are so farre from affirming that they are given for the harme of them that perish that we to the contrary maintaine that they are given to none but Gods elect and to bring them unto salvation Acts 13. 48. As many believed as were ordained to eternall life And faith is called the faith of the elect Tit. 1. 1. and Acts 11. 18. Then hath God also unto the Gentiles given repentance unto life Marke it well not unto death but unto life And Austin long agoe hath professed that of those who are not predestinated God brings not one unto wholsome and spirituall repentance whereby a man is reconciled unto God in Christ Knowledge is here shufled in among the rest of these vertues as if that were not all one with the illumination of the mind at least most deservedly to be ranged with it As for other vertues here mentioned as fortitude liberality temperance humility chastity where these vertues are bestowed after a naturall manner for no otherwise nor in any gracious manner are they found in Reprobates as I suppose ready to be called at any time to an account upon that poynt and to manifest six maine differences between the morall vertues of heathen men and the same vertues in name and as touching the substance of the acts wrought by them in Christians I should think they are rather given for their good that enjoy them than for their harme namely Ut profici ant ad exteriorem vitae emendationem quo mitius puniantur All the harme that may come by them that I can devise for the present is to grow proud of them and I willingly professe that nothing makes a greater separation from God then pride and it may be Moralists fret at this that their Morality is no better esteemed of But what thinke you May a man be proud of humility for that is one of the excellent vertues here specified why not of the naturall humility which is in them As Sir Philip Sidney observes in his defence of Poetry that Philosophers write Bookes against vaine-glory whereunto neverthelesse they set their names So they might write Books in commendation of humility and thereunto set their names also Yet I am not truly of such an opinion as to think that God should give any of these vertues to the end they should grow proud of them for I doe not find it any way requisite to a proud man that he should be vertuous for in my judgement pride is a very humble vice and disdaines not to dwell in the hearts of the meanest Plato could discerne it through Antisthenes his patcht coate and when Diogenes trod under foot Platoes hangings saying I tread under my foot Platoes pride it is observed that he did this majori festu with greater pride And as one sometimes said a man may be as proud of a Cloakebagge which he carrieth behind him as Cardinall Campeius was of his Sumpter-horse that followed after him and yet that pride of his might be of no better then of Brick-bats when all was known what shew soever it made unto the people And men of generous minds and parts and meanes answerable are many times found through the grace of God more truly humble than many a base fellow that hath nothing

to be made reckoning of but his own conceit As the fly sitting upon the Cart wheele in a dry Summer said see what a dust I make Saint Pauls righteousnesse which he speakes of Phil. 3. I take to be better than the vertue of any Philosopher which yet he accounted but dung that he might winne Christ But by the way I observe how liberall these men are in acknowledging the gifts of God in grosse which they will be found utterly to deny if they be examined upon them in particular As for example Morall vertues we commonly say are Habitus acquisiti acquisite habits and that by frequentation of consimilar acts whereupon the habit ariseth naturally Now doe these men maintaine that God is the Author of these acts otherwise than by concourse working in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle facere modò velint I can shew it under the hands of some of them in expresse termes Now I pray you is not God the Author of every evill act after this manner as well as of any good by their own confession for they grant that God concurres to every sinnefull act works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle and facere thereof also modò homines velint Who then is so simple as not to observe that they make God the Author of vertues after no other manner than they make him the Author of vices Yet they are content to talke liberally of the gifts of God only to cheat the simple I meane as many as are not acquainted with their juggling as for us wee maintaine that God determines the will not only to the substance of a good act by determination naturall but also to the goodnesse of it by determination supernatural as for example no vertuous act is truly good but as it is performed out of the love of God but what love Out of such a love of God as is joyned with the contempt of himselfe judge you whether such a love may be performed by power of nature and this amor usque ad contemptum sui Gerson makes to be the character of the child of God like as amor sui usque ad contemptum Dei he make the character of a child of the Devill But to draw to an end of this confused discourse wherein are clapt together gifts of nature seaven whereof are reckoned up as creation sustentation preservation health strength beauty and wisdome and gifts of grace that either purchasing salvation as Christ or applying salvation which are of foure forts 1. The Ministry of the word Sacraments 2. Gods patience 3. Illumination of the mind 4. The plantation of many excellent vertues eight whereof are particulated as 1. knowledge 2. faith 3. repentance 4. fortitude 5. liberality 6. temperance 7. humility 8. chastity which by this time I have gotten by heart ere I am aware I am so beaten to it through a tedious discourse of all which hand over head it is affirmed that either God meanes them not to them that enjoy them but as they are mingled with the elect which hath no colour as I can perceive save of the Ministry of the Word Sacraments for is it sober to impute to any to say that creation or preservation or health strength beauty wisdome or Christ himselfe or Gods patience or illumination of mind or the vertues he speakes of as knowledge faith repentance fortitude liberality temperance humility chastity are not given to any but as they are mingled among the elect Or that they are given for their hurt touching this last I answere in briefe that it is a very absurd thing to say that God gives any of these gifts to man to this end that they may by occasion be hurt by them but God both gives them and in case they prove an occasion of harme of sinne unto them he permits them through occasion from them to sinne and therein to presevere as touching Reprobates to damne them for their sinnes to the manifestation of his own glory in the way of justice vindicative as also hereby the more To declare the riches of his glory upon the vessells of mercy which he hath prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. When they shall find that had not God put a gracious and mercifull difference between them and others Christ had been a rock of offence as well unto them as unto others the Gospell had been a savour of death unto death to them as well as others All other gifts which God hath bestowed upon them look in what sort they have been an occasion of falling unto others so they might have been in like sort an occasion of falling unto them also for it is as true as the word of God is true that the Gospell is a savour of death unto death to some and that Christ was set up as well for the falling of some as for the rising of others yea a rock to fall upon to both the houses of Israell and as a snare and as a net to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and many among them shall stumble and shall fall and shall be broken and shall be snared and shall be taken And that as many as stumble at the word and are disobedient they were thereunto ordained And the holy Prophet wanted not faith when he delivered this execration let their table be a snare before them and their prosperity thir ruine And how poorely this Author labours to charme the energy of these such like passages let the indifferent judge by that which is delivered As for the last of an absolute decree cutting off and rejecting some from grace and glory I will end this with representing the sottish condition of this Author herein parbreaking his stomack without all judgement and sobriety First observe how he claps together grace and glory as if there were no difference in the manner of Gods cutting off from the one from the other whereas the manner of Gods cutting off from the one as it is maintained by us is such as impudency it selfe hath not the face to lay any thing to our charge therein As for the manner of Gods cutting off from the other as it is maintained by us there is indeed such absolutenesse as they maligne bitterly but withall it is so cleerely set down in holy Scripture that their hearts serve them not with open face to vent their spleen against it and that is a chiefe reason of this Authors declining the other controversies and keeping himselfe only to this though I verily think this hath proceeded from the counsell of his abettors And for the same reason it is that he claps togeather the cuting off from grace and glory But I will take leave to distinguish them and answer distinctly to both a part to make their madnesse and unreasonablenesse more apparent And first I will speake of Gods absolute decree of cutting off from glory Now this is well known to be opposed to a decree conditionall as in the end of the

contrary vices And therefore they turne not their backs from these meanes but industriously embrace and prosecute them 1 Iohn 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in himselfe purifyeth himselfe even as he is pure Esay 38. 5. When Hezechiah had received that promise from God of an addition of fifteen years to his life he did not therefore neglect the use of medicines or meat but that this promised event might be brought into act he applyed for the cure of his body the plaister which was prescribed unto him by the Prophet The Apostle doth altogether reiect this consequence of carnall security imputed to this Doctrine and that with a kind of indignation Rom. 6. 1. Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid How shall we which are dead to sinne live any longer therein As if S. Paul would intimate unto us not only the incongruity but also the impossibility of such a sequel 2. As touching the event true it is that any the most wholsome truth of God may be perverted by the abuse of men But upon this doctrine we cannot acknowledge that there groweth any such inconvenience no not de facto that is in the event it selfe Let us take a view of the reformed Churches in which this confidence of perseverance and inviolable adoption is believed and maintained Doe we find that thereupon the bridle is let loose unto ryot That piety is trampled downe We give thankes unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ that amongst ours who enjoy this full perswasion of spirituall comfort and are confident that there is an inheritance which cannot be lost laid up for them in Heaven there is not found lesse care of Godlinesse nor lesse endeavour so farre forth as mans infirmity will suffer to live an unblameable life then is to be found among any sort of these who pinne their perseverance on their own free will and will not grant it to flow from any foregoing election of God This may suffice for answer to the generality of the crimination From the generality he descends to specialties And in the first place he urgeth It takes away hope and feare He beginnes with hope and enlargeth himselfe in the commendation thereof out of Scripture By this hope of Heaven did our Saviour stirre up himselfe to endure the crosse and despise the shame Heb. 12. He could not alleadge a more pregnant passage to cut his own throat and mortify the vigour of his argument For in this place it depends upon such a notion of hope as signifies only a possibility of obtaining a future good and not a necessity of obtaining it as afterwards himselfe accommodates it and so he will have the hope which here he insists upon such as is mixed with feare as if our Saviour were in doubt of obtaining a Crowne of glory By this he heartned his Disciples to suffer for his sake Math. 5. 12. Rejoyce and be glad for great is your reward in heaven Here also we have no hope mixed with fear whereupon he heartens them but the very assurance of faith grounded upon Christs promise and what greater assurance then this The like promise for assurance of faith is made Math. 10. 32. And indeed hope in the Scripture phrase though in these places there is no mention thereof is but an expectation of enjoying that whereof we have a certain assurance by Faith The object of faith being Verbum rei of hope res verbi as Luther is said to distinguish them Such is the hope signified by our looking for the Saviour Phil. 3. 20. For therefore we look for him because we are perswaded by the assurance of faith that he shall come and that as a Saviour unto us as there 't is expressed in these words Who shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his glorious body Such is the hope mentioned Col. 1. 5. as grounded upon their true knowledge of the grace of Christ v. 6. And upon their Faith v. 4. For upon believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. And this joy is in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5. 2. Of the same nature is that hope Tit. 2. 13. So Abrahams looking for a City whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11. 8 9 10. But was not this hope of his grounded upon assurance of faith to enjoy it So Moses his seeing of him that was invisible was by the eye of faith And the scope of that whole Chapter is for the commendation of faith a faith therefore they had of a better resurrection and the certainty hereof was the certainty of faith Now let every sober reader judge which of our doctrines doth more tend to the justifying of a certainty of salvation the Arminians or ours That which followeth of the Husbandmen Merchants Souldiers is farre of another nature their hopes of their ends have no ground of faith many times it comes to passe that spem mentita seges though aliquis pendens in cruce vota facit yet most commonly it proves but a vaine hope Merchants many times prove bankrupts and Souldiers when they are most erected with hope of victory doe sometimes most shamefully take the foyle What a proud message did Benhadab send to Ahab 1 King 20. 10. The Gods doe so to mee and more also if the dust of Samaria be enough to all the people that follow mee for every man an handfull But Ahab answered him saying Let not him that girdeth his harnesse boast himselfe as he that putteth it off At the battle of Lipsich upon Tillies defeating of the Duke of Saxony word hereof was dispatched with post hast to the Emperour together with some of the Dukes Ensignes and scoffes upon the Duke himselfe they were confident of beating Sweden and that so all Germany should be theirs but herein that old Lad reckoned before his host the same Post brought heavy newes to Vienna at length of a great discomfiture to the Imperialists and of the victorious Army of the King of Sweden Yet a hope not only upon weake but sometimes upon very vaine grounds stirres up the spirit how much more upon certain grounds of good successe as that of the Apostle Rom. 6. Sinne shall not have the dominion over you for yee are not under the Law but under grace therefore let not sinne raigne over you as much as to say Play the men fight valiantly the Lords battailes against sinne and Satan for yee shall have the victory in the end The feare of Hell is a curbe to hold men in from wickednesse I willingly confesse but the knowledge hereof is not naturall but by revelation divine which to carnall men who live by fight is of little force Witnesse the story of the Welch-man who robbing an honest man upon the high way and being told by him that he should answer for it at the day of judgement saist thou me so quoth the thiefe and wilt thou trust me till that day then give me thy

cloake too We finde by experience the most uncleane person if he meets with never so beautifull a piece yet if he knowes shee hath the Poxe the feare of infection will be of more power to restraine him then the feare of Hell Yet God by his word workes in men even in carnall men as a tast of the sweetnesse of Heaven so of the bitternesse of Hell the one to erect with hope the other to awe with feare and in both respects they may be said in my judgement to have a tast of the powers of the World to come And like as the Law was added because of transgression that is to restraine transgression as some expound it so likewise the representation of Gods wrath and jealousy may in the sanctions thereof have good force in this And in the Godly also I make no question but it is of good use though the love of God hath in great measure overcome that servile feare yet as their faith is not so perfect as to be voyd of all doubting so neither is their hope so perfect as to be free from all mixture of feare But the chast feare the filiall feare feare of displeasing God who hath been so gracious unto them is that feare which is predominant in such And even feare of Gods fatherly chastisements in this world is an hedge of thornes keeping them within the goodnesse of the Lord and farre more forcible then the feare of Hell fire to the carnall Gospeller And this Author doth carry himselfe very unlearnedly in confounding their differences and discoursing of the feare of God without distinction As if the feare of of God in Job 1. 1. were the feare of Hell and the feare of the Midwives Exod. 1. 17. As if there were no difference between servile feare and a filiall feare Saint Paul was so confident of his salvation that he professeth his perswasion That neither death nor life nor Angells nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature should be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 38. Yet 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing therefore saith he the feare of the Lord we perswade men Gen. 20. 11. Abraham said The feare of God is not in this place therefore they will kill me for my Wifes sake But doth this Author carry himselfe as it becomes a Divine to take the feare of God wheresoever he meets with it for no other feare then the feare of Hell Certainly the feare of God is as a fountaine of life to avoyd the snares of death Yet I presume though our Saviour was nothing affected with the feare of hell yet was he never a whit the lesse forward to all holy coversation Nor Paul neither though he professeth I know whom I have trusted c. The Lord will deliver me from every evill worke and preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome That feare and trembling Phil. 2. 13. is not feare of hell but humility standing in opposition to presumption of a mans own strength as appears by the reason wherewith the Apostle enforceth that exhortation of his To worke out our salvation with feare and trembling for saith he God it is that worketh in you both the will and the deed according to his good pleasure And if the working out of our salvation goes not on handsomely except the feare of missing it be an ingredient to the worke as this Author discourseth then it seemes his feare of missing makes him goe on more handsomely in working out his salvation then either Paul the Apostle or our Saviour did for I no where find that our Saviour feared the missing of it no nor Paul neither after his conversion though he knew full well that conscionable carriage in his vocation was a necessary meanes without which he could not obtaine it and therefore professeth that he did beat downe his body and bring it in subjection least Preaching unto others himselfe should become a cast away We deny that by the absolute decree maintained by us hope and feare are taken away and we prove it by an invincible argument For undoubtedly the decree of Christs salvation was absolute yet did not this take away either hope or feare for it is recorded of him That for the hope that was set before him he despised the shame and also that he was heard in that which he feared though sinfull feare and slavish feare was farre from him as farre as hell from heaven The object of Christian hope is not only a good thing possible to be had but certainly to be had For we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6. A full assurance of hope were it of a thing uncertaine how indecent were it for the Apostle to compare it to an Anchor 1 Iohn 3. 3. He that hath this hope purgeth himselfe as he is pure Was this a wavering hope grounded upon an uncertain apprehension Marke the verse immediately preceding and consider whether it doth not enforce the contrary Now are we the sonnes of God but yet it is not made manifest what we shall be And we know marke his assurance well that when he shall be made manifest we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is The description of feare is answerable to the description of hope we were wont to define the one by the expectation appropinquantis boni the other by the expectation imminentis mali Yet it is true the object of the one is such a good as in its own nature is possible to be obtained and of the other is such an evill as is possible to be avoyded But like as eternall life is not attainable without faith and repentance so neither is damnation avoydable but by faith and repentance And we willingly grant that both eternall life is attainable and damnation avoydable by faith and repentance yet undoubtedly the unpreventable nature of an evill doth no way hinder a mans feare unlesse he knowes it to be unpreventable Neither doth the knowledge of the unpreventable nature thereof hinder feare but improveth it rather in as much as in such a case there is no place for any hope to qualify the feare And this is farther apparent by the example of the Devills of whom Saint Iames saith That they believe and tremble surely they doe not tremble the lesse because their torment is unpreventable by the appoyntment of of God yet doe they not give themselves up to their sorrowes but cryed out to our Saviour What have we to doe with thee thou Jesus the Sonne of God art thou come to torment us before our time Caesars case was not the case of feare for feare is the apprehension of an evill before it come but Caesar was so farre from fearing that though he were forewarned to take heed of the Ides of March as I remember least they proved fatall to him was so far from apprehending any feare thereupon that going that