Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A17306
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A plea to an appeale trauersed dialogue wise. By H.B.
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Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.
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1626
(1626)
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STC 4153; ESTC S106969
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84,171
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122
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praedestinating without any respect or preuision of their workes as a grand error which hee chargeth Caluin with neither would I willingly or wittingly conceiue or coniecture of the Appealers extended sense otherwise than by himselfe is not onely intended but clearly enough expressed as may be seene in his 7. chapter 1. part in sundry places But for Master Caluin wee haue sufficiently cleared him from the Appealers calumny notwithstanding hee spend a great part of his said 7. chap. in heaping vp testimonies of Fathers and all vpon a false surmised ground and so all to no purpose except to vent I would to cure the ouerflowing of that humour of the Gall which hath caused his Appeale to bee all ouerspread with the yellow yea with the blacke Iawndise For Master Caluin holds with Saint Augustine Gods election to bee out of the corrupt masse and reprobation of the rest already condemned by that sentence of death In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death But for the Appealers owne opinion concerning Gods decree of election and praedestination it may not be passed by in silence First hee saith There must needes first bee a disproportion before there can bee conceiued Election or Derelection What he meaneth by disproportion hee tells a little after namely betweene those who now condemned in Adams laynes God did forsee would accept of deliuerance offered them in and by Christ and the rest whom he foresaw would reiect this deliuerance His very words are God out of his mercy c. stretched out to them that is to all now condemned in Adams loynes deliuerance in a Mediatour the Man Iesus Christ and drew them out that tooke hold of mercy leauing them there that would none of him So that by the Appealers saying here no pradestination without a disproportion conceiued to goe before and this disproportion betweene the parties to be elect and reprobate is discouered by Gods preuision of both their workes hee foreseeing that the one would receiue and accept grace offered and the other refuse it vpon which preuision the Appealer would build Gods decree of prâ—destination and election an opinion no lesse gracelesse then groundlesse and if I should call it in plaine termes most impious and blasphemous against Gods pure glory and preciourgrace although I should doe the Appealer no wrong in it yet I should raise a Waspes nest about mine eares But wee must not feare to speake the truth and to oppose such blasphemy because of mens mischieuous and no lesse boundlesse then groundlesse malice especially in such a case wherein Gods glory is so deepely ingaged This opinion of the Appealer is very plausible to flesh and blood for mans pride would still be arrogating something to it selfe and be a fingering of one of Gods speciall peculiars his glory This was that poison which the Serpent infused and breathed into our first Parents Eritis sicut Dii c. Yee shall bee as Gods selfe-wise and selfe-sufficient And this poyson wee haue all sucked in with our Nurses milke wee will be at least fellow-sharers with God in the worke of our saluation O this pleaseth vs well Saint Augustine himselfe confesseth that hee was once of this opinion that God elected men out of his preuision and foresight of their faith c. But this he imputeth to his ignorance in his yonger yeares and therfore in his riper iudgment and further insight into the mystery of God hee retracteth his opinion in his first booke of Retractations cap. 23. yet our age wanteth not gray heads and white heires who with their grâ—â—nâ— wits will rather approue of the opinion of young then the iudgment of old Saint Augustine and to retract his Retraction Now for this opinion of Gods Election ruled by his praescience or premission of workes if we seeke some eminent authoritie and venerable antiquity for it S. Augustine can best resolue vs. For the Antiquitie of it wee haue Saint Augustines time for authoritie the Pelagian heresie Praesciebat ergo c. He foreknew then saith the Pelagian who would be holy and immaculate by their free-will and therefore in that his praescience whereby he fore-knew they would be such he Elected them before the foundation of the world Which opinion of Pelagius now reviued by our Appealer and his S. Augustine answereth most divinely from the Scriptures Intueamur ergo c. Let vs therefore peruse the words of the Apostle and let vs see whether God did therefore chuse vs before the foundation of the world because we would become holy and immaculate or that we might be so Blessed be God saith he and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in loue Non ergo quia futuri eramus sed vt essemus He chose vs not therefore because we would be such but that we might be such Nempe certum est c. For it is certaine for it is manifest that therfore we would become such because he chose vs predestinating vs that we should become such by his grace And marke saith he what the Apostle addeth Secundum plâ—citum c. According to the good pleasure of his will lest in so great a benefit of the grace of God we should glory in the pleasure of our owne will And much more doth this holy man sweetly apply to the same purpose out of that heavenly Chapter the first to the Ephesians whereof he saith Nimis longum est de singulis disputare It were too long to traverse every circumstance And he concludes Cerâ—itis autem proculdubio c. You see then doubtlesse you see with what evidence of Apostolick eloquence this grace of God is defended against which humanie merits are advanced as if man gaue something first that he should bee recompensed Elegit ergo c. God therefore chose vs in Christ before the foundation of the world praedestinating vs vnto the Adoption of sonnes not because we would of our selues become holy and blamelesse but bee elected and praedestinated vs that wee might be such And this he did according to the good pleasure of his will that no man should glory of his owne but of Gods good will towards him Out of this purpose of God is that calling which is proper to the Elect to whom all things cooperate for good because according to his purpose not their owne they are called to be Saints c. And to cleare this point yet more he induceth an obiection of some who though aduersaries in part to the Pelagians yet they would impute Praedestination to Gods praescience in regard of faith The Pelagians say they are of opinion that receiuing once the commandement of God wee become holy and immaculate of our selues by our free will which God foreseeing did
Oracle of the World O that hee were but one of our holy Society which if hee were our discipline within a short time would so season him as hee would proue a most accomplished actiue instrument for the Catholicke cause He is full of mettall and he wants but the stampe of our minte to make it current O the gratefull tartnesse and smartnesse of his stile And such is the dexteritie of his wit that in his Limbecke he can easily draw and distill all learning into the quintessence of his owne singular and rare opinions Let him but conceiue a rare notion and by and by the Church of England either saith it or not expresly denying it or being altogether silent he can easilie conclude silence to be consent Yea he is strong as Sampson for when he is disposed neither the Philistines cords of the Councell of Dore which hee tramples as durt nor yet of his Dalilah his Church of England can hold him further then himselfe pleaseth Oh I am euen rauished with the loue of the man hee hath dared and damped all the Puritans in England Doe but goe on and reade the Contents which will giue you some scanting of the substance of the booke Asotus I doe I finde here many things the contrarie whereof I haue heard our Minister publikely teach and that with no lesse vehemencie then plaine euidence of argument from Scriptures and Fathers at least to the conuincing of my simple iudgement Babylonius I would your Minister were here present whosoeuer he be you should see what hee could say to many points maintained in this booke they being also the very Doctrine of our holy mother Church of Rome at this day and those also fundamentall as of Free-will Praedestination Iustification Falling from grace Certaintie of saluation Antichrist and the like Asotus And you wish in a very good time for if I be not deceiued yonder hee is walking shall wee goe neere him and accost him Babylonius With a good will But by the way I pray you informe me a little of the qualities and conditions of the man that so I may the better attemper my speech and cariage towards him is he not a Puritan Asotus Surely in one sence he is no Puritan for he is conformable none of the refractaries but doth both practise himselfe and preach vpon occasion in the defence of Ecclesiasticall ceremonies and that very earnestly insomuch as I haue seene him sometimes put backe from the Communion those which would not receiue it knâ—eling yet not leauing them till he brought them on their knees Now formerly Non conformitants onely were accounted Puritans But if wee vnderstand Puritan in a second degree to wit for a Minister to be a diligent Preacher and resident vpon his charge one that cannot away with non-residency that will not take two Benefices and makes conscience how he comes by one that is of an honest conuersation and is a very sincere rebuker of sinne an vrger of the more strict keeping of the Lords day as he vsually calleth it and rather content to suffer wrong in his tithes then contentions for his right and aboue all a vehement inueigher against the Masse and all the Idolatries and Superstitions of the Church of Rome as he tearmes them and one who I warrant you would neuer giue his consent that Iesuites and Masse-Priests should bee any way tollerated to liue vp and downe in our Land insomuch as I haue heard he being desired to be in a place where it was appointed and so expected that Father Fisher should dispute when all came to all hearing Fisher refused to dispute without speciall licence from the Arch-bishop of Cantâ—rbury hee replyed and said Master Fisher I maruaile by what licence you goe vp and downe seducing our simple people and yet you want a licencâ— to dispute with our learned Diuines It is pittie such as you are thus suffered to vndermine soules and states and so to proue the bane of our Kingdome and Church sith for your sakes if we had no other sins and for your abominable idols the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place where it ought not we are exposed and indangered to all those plagues and punishments which we haue partly felt and haue much more cause to feare and expect which 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 flames must 〈◊〉 breake forth from the kindled 〈◊〉 of Gods spouse-like iealousie to our consumption if ye may be but suffered thus to set your Dagon check by iâ—wle in câ—rrinall-ship with Gods Arke in this his pure Church Now Master Babylonius how far is he a Puritan in these respects I leaue to judge Babylonius How Can there be a more pestilent Puritan in all the Packe then such a one But now you haue informed me thus much of the man I will tell you after what manner I thinke it fit to deale with him By no meanes must he perceiue what professioÌ„ I am off For then ten to one hee will fall foule vpon me and so wee short of our purpose which is to try what he can say against this booke Therefore wee will onely by way of question as for your resolution sake see how he can answer some of the most materiall things therein And for the manner of dealing with him let me alone onely giue you the occasion and first on-set Asotus With a good will I applaude your prudence herein God giue you good morrow Master Orthodoxus Orthodoxus And you neighbour Asotus Asotus Sir you are very well met for this gentleman and I haue accidentally light vpon a booke wherein I finde sundry things maintained contrary to that I haue heard of you and wee shall be much beholden to you to resolue vs in some points which doe a little stumble vs. Orthodoxus Neighbour Asotus I am glad to heare you make such a motion to me it being no vsuall thing with you nor many others and more is the pitty once to moue a question of conscience or faith to your Minister vnlesse it bee more for cauill and contention then for Christian resolution Therefore seeing you seeme to doe it out of a good desire to be informed in the truth and propose such questions as concerne those Doctrines which I haue publikely taught I hold it my dutie to satisfie you the best I can As for this Gentleman aâ— it seemes your friend if hee be of the same minde herein with you though he be a stranger to me yet I shall not be curious but deale ingenuously with you both and I pray God giue a good issue to our meeting in directing vs in the way of his truth Babylonius Sir wee both thanke you for your courtesie Orthodoxus Sir it is my duty But neighbour what booke is that you speake of Asotus Sir the Title of it is in Latin which I vnderstand not so well Appello Casarem Orthodoxus O I know the booke Asotus I pray you Sir what thinke you of it Orthodoxus Nay pardon me for that I doe not