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A14096
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The doctrine of the synod of Dort and Arles, reduced to the practise With a consideration thereof, and representation with what sobriety it proceeds.
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Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.
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1631
(1631)
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STC 24403; ESTC S102470
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142,191
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200
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corruption of the worship and service of God with superstition idolatry Yet amongst them all is the Gospell preached What colour of reason then is there to conceave that in joyning with us any should suspect himself to be of the number of the Reprobates rather then of Gods elect although the most part of them to whom the Gospell is preached were reprobates But suppose that in every congregation the most part were reprobates If they are so allready before the Infidell comes to joyne himself unto us the number of the most being up allready on the reprobates part what reason hath he to conceave that he is of the number of them rather then of Gods Elect Againe his case is different from all the rest for all the rest have beene borne and brought up in the Church of God and therefore it is more hard to distinguish betweene true faith and hypocrisie But in case an Infidell convert and become a Christian This alteration is so great that it is more likely to affoord him better evidence and assurance of his election then others have whose conversion hath not beene from Infidelitie to Christianitie For all that are brought up in the Church of God whatsoever their hearts be yet they have alwayes concurred in the profession of Christianitie Adde to this why should it be more likely that he is of the number of Reprobates then any other upon this ground that the most part are Reprobates And if it be as likely for all and every one then it were most likely that all every one were reprobates which is contradictious to the suppositioÌ„ Lastly what if it were more likely as he speaketh shall this be a sufficient motive not to hearkeÌ„ at all to the doctrine of the Gospell The coÌ„mon practise of the world doth manifest this to be most untrue as it appeares by mens forwardnes to venture in lotteryes where it is most certeyn that the greatest part by farre sit downe with losse At the poole of Bethesda how many wayted for the mooving of the waters by an Angell yet but one could be cured namely he that prevented all the rest in stepping into the poole Nay we reade how that a creeple wayted there amongst the â—est and how unlikely a thing was it that he could get in before the rest yet there he wayted in hope And what if some are more hardned upon the hearing of the word is this any discouragement to us to present our selves before the Lord and to be humbled at his feete to heare the word In the course of his fiction he feignes his proselyte to remember somewhat out of Calvin namely that God directeth his word unto them wherby he makes them more deafe sheweth them the light of the Gospell to blinde their eyes but he tells not where Calvin sayth so But are not these the words of Calvin which here he shewes his teeth at Ecce vocem ad eos dirigit sed ut magis obsurdescant lucem accendit sed ut reddantur caeciores Now Calvin here in speakes not out of his owne Spirite but represents the word of God as playnly signifying so much in his judgment and gives reference to the place immediately related by him in the first word Ecce and the places immediately before alleaged by him partly out of Esa. 6 9. and partly out of Ioh. 12.34 His words are these Sed magis etiamnuÌ„ premit I saiae prophetia Sic enim a Domino dimittitur Vade dic filijs Israel Audiendo audite ne intelligatis Videndo videte nesciatis Obstina cor populi hujus aures eius aggrava oculos eius obline Vt ne fortè videat oculis suis corde intelligat quò conversus sanetur And hereupon he saith Ecce vocem ad eos dirigit sed ut magis absurdescant lucem accendit sed ut reddantur caciores Now this Author blames not Calvin either for false translation of the Prophets or for false interpretation of them onely takes his words a part from the place quoted by him as if he delivered this at large out of his owne doctrine without reference to any particular passage of holy scripture by concealing the place where Calvin writes this thought himself safe from having his unconscionable caryage herein discovered Yet Calvin sayth noâ— that God by his word doth make them more deafe or blindes their eyes as this Author forgeth Calvins wordes He signifies only Gods intention that they shoulde herupon be more deafened and blinded and Saint Peter as good as in expresse termes professeth as much where he sayth of some that Christ is a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offense to witt to them that stumble at the word being disobedient and that to this thing they were even ordeyned But how come they to be more deafened and blinded upon hearing the word as Act. 19.9 it is sayde that some herupon were hardned and disobeyed speaking evill of the way of God before the multitude surely after the same manner that Saint Paul sayth some are the worse for Gods lawe Sinne sayth he tooke occasion by the commandement and wrought in me all manner of concupiscence So then their owne corruption is it that blindes them deafens them hardens them more and more together with the God of this world 2. Cor. 4.3 God only refuseth to cure that natural infidelity impenitency he finds in them and in this respect only he is sayde to harden them to blinde them that is in denying mercy according to that Rom. 9.18 God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth And our Saviour was not ashamed to professe to the faces of the Iewes Therfore we heare not my woordes because ye are not of God And Ioh. 12.39 Therfore they coulde not believe because that Isaias sayth againe He hath blinded their eyes hardned their hearts that they should not see which theyr eyes nor understaÌ„d with their heart should be converted I should heale them Yet this Author to shewe of what Spirit he is and how opposiâ—e to the Spirit of Christ and his Apostles as if he were neyther new nor old Evangelist but a very Atheist rather woulde as much oppose them all as he opposeth Calvin if he dâ—â—st reproâ—heth us with this very doctrine as namely that therfore men cannot believe because God would not give them grace sufficient to believe which is as much as to reproache us for saying that all men are born in sinne that infidelitie and impenitency is naturall unto all God alone can cure it I wonder they doe not call Moses to a reckoning also and reproach him for saying as he doth unto the Iewes Ye have seene all that the Lord did before your eyes in the Land of Aegypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his Servants and unto all his Land The great temptations which thine eyes have seen those great miracles and wonders Yet the
by men on earth be it good or evill commeth not to passe but by the most efficacious decree and ordinance of God which doth all in all Now what followes here hence by this Authors artifice but that therfore there is eyther no filthines in sinne no scandall therby to our neighbour no ingratitude to our creator and redeemer and that the menaces of the law and vengeance of God are represented in vayne or at least that they are not to be reproved for their sinne Now since by this Authors confession we maynteyne that good comes to passe by Gods efficacious decree as well as evill it followeth as well eyther that there is no beautie in goodnes or obedience no benefite therby redoundes to our neighbour no thaÌ„kfulnes manifested therby to our creator redeemer or at least no man is to be commended for it and that the promises of the law and the rewards of God are represented in vayne eyther to be mooved therby unto obedience or to be comforted and reioyce therin upon obedience To avoyde which inconvenience if we will be advised by this old Evangelist it were very fitt that we deny eyther evill or good to come to passe by Gods efficacious decree but left to the wills of men namely to believe if they will and repent if they will and that a man is as well able to repent with Paul as to committ treason with Iudas And albeit to obteyne mercy be clearely to believe Rom. 11.30 and the Apostle as clearly professeth that God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth yet Aristotle doth not neyther doe these old Evangelists seeme to acknowledge any such oracle neyther doth that give any satisfaction to their argument Now Peter dealt with the Iewes in convicting them of crucifying the Sonne of God Act. 2. But this Author did not appeare in that assembly or any of his Spirit But if they had bene indoctrinated by this Author they might have sayde being better seene in Saint Peters doctrine then in maynteyning a good conscience they would have sent S. Peter to his owne principles and maximes and woulde much muse how Saint Peter shoulde be ignorant of his owne faith namely that Both Herod and Pontius Pilate together with the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together against the holy Sonne of God to doe what Gods hand and Gods counsayle had predetermined to be done Act 4.28 And indeede Peter feared no such colours nay he was so farre from fearinge it that he tells them as much to their face in that very sermon of his verse 22.13 Ye men of Israel sayth he heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approoved of God among you with great workes and wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves allso know Him being delivered by the determinate Counsell and foreknowledge of God after you had taken with wicked hands you have crucified slayne In the same breath both convicting them of crucifying Christ and withall acknowledging that he was delivered by the determinate Counsell and foreknowledge of God The meaning whereof is fully sett downe Act. 4.28 To this effect namely that what contumelious outrages soever they committed upon the person of the Sonne of God in all this they did but that which Gods hand and Gods counsell had praedetermined to be done In like sort Moses feared not the like colours of opposition which are so plausible to this old Evangelist who derives his Gospell from antiquitie beyond eyther Paul or Moses seeing such as concurre with them he accoumpts no better then new Evangelists For Moses reprooving the Iewes for their unprofitablenesse and hardnesse of heart as who neyther by Gods word nor by Gods workes were hitherto brought unto repentance unto obedience feared not at all least some of them should answer him in the like manner say Good Syr remember your self what doe you meane to blame us for this Doe you expect that they should heare who have no eares or that they should see who have no eyes or that they should perceave who have no hearts Or can you be ignorant that hitherto God hath given us none of all these And as he hath given us none of all these so he determined by his efficacious decree to give us none of all these which is in affect as much as by his efficacious decree to determine that we should neyther heare nor see nor perceave hitherunto I say Moses was so farre from fearing any such opposition that he seemed rather to feare least they would not take notice of the hand of God in this And therefore acquaints them with it particularly in this manner Ye have seene all that the Lord did before your eyes in the Land of Aegypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his Servents and unto all his Land The great temtations which thine eyes have seene those great miracles and wonders yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceave and eyes to see and eare to heare unto this day Deut. 24 2 3 4. Yet let us not suffer this Author to passe unconvicted of his ignorance and vnlearnednes First that nothing comes to passe which God did not decree shoulde come to passe we are ready to enter the lists of disputation herabouts with this Author which he declines throughout taking the contrary for principles and laying them as foundations of his cause most congruosly for fitt it is that a rottâ—n cause shoulde have a rotten foundation and to proove our Tenet by cleere and invincible demonstration and make it appeare that in respect of whatsoever future thinge they deny the decree in respect therof they must withall be driven to deny the foreknowledge of God and turne direct Atheistes But furthermore we discourse not of this decree of God as this Author supposeth as if it passed upon all things without distinction For first we distinguish betweene good and evill Good things we say God decreed should come to passe by his effection but evill things he decreed they should com to passe onely by his permission And therefore he deales falsely in imputing unto us that God workes all in all by all that he workes understanding both good and evill We teach with Austin that Malum non habet causam efficientem but deficientem If God will not worke a man unto faith or to that which is good this is enough to prostitute him to infidelitie or unto any thing that is evill Further we distinguish of things that are good For either they are good naturally or good spiritually Such things as are good onely naturally Gods decrees shall come to passe by his effection and that onely by a single influence which we call influence generall unto the act of every thing But as for such things as are good spiritually we say God decrees such things shall come to passe by his effection and that by a double influence one generall unto the substance of