Divine Oracles of Truth for in this case I wish not to hear the opinion of this or that man but if it could be accomplished of all men If in the application of Scriptures mine seem discrepant from the understanding of another man let him not rashly reject it but remember that all Christian Commonwealths have indulged this priviledeg to a Writer to produce his own perswasion without the contumely of anothers judgement For why should that liberty be prejudged by him who is at liberty to exercise it Let them consider whether any thing be alleadged against the Analogy of Faith or the precepts of good Life any thing inconsistent with the highest and most undoubted principles of Christian Religion or derogatory from the Majesty and glory of the Kingdom of Christ of Allegories and mistical Interpretations I shall speak little knowing with what freedom all Writers have made use of them provided they have not been repugnant to the Doctrine of Christ It was my desire to attempt whether this Argument might not be published as a Paradox and after the custom of the ancient Schools discussed on both sides that so from the success of reasoning there might out of things obscure and wonderful flow matter probable and common Whereas I said in the beginning that some things in the secrets of Divinity are not yet explained this perhaps will not escape reprehension for it may be reinforced That not onely all things necessary to salvation are contained in the Scriptures but that all those things are unfolded and made plain both by ancient and modern Writers and therefore it appears a needless thing to enquire after new lights I say therefore that nothing more unchangeably ought to be believed than that God by the pens of his Prophets Evangelists and Prophets hath delivered unto us in their writings whatsoever it was his good pleasure we should know and observe but I say also I have I believe reason to pawse upon the consequence that because there they are contained they are therefore explained for this I suppose no judgement that is at leasure can believe for if there be a perfect Declaration of all those things wherefore are our precious hours punished with so many Commentaries why are so many books written to work down smooth and explicate the knotty questions in Religion why so many disputations conferences and controversies among the learned for whilest they emit Explications Observations Annotations and Animadversions do they not discipline reason to preponder some things as yet intricate and perplexed and instruct a consideration that they labour to propagate belief to things doubtful and authority to things contemned if any man will be so licentious as to reply that such polemical disceptations are spent for the most part about matters of indifferency besides the untruth of it certainly learned and wise men have reason to resent it as a horrible indignity to hear themselves charged to wast their time in unnecessary altercations But what age may not make the same objection that all things are abundantly revealed Antiquity might plead it and then it had been a needless undertaking to illustrate and declare the meaning of the Scriptures Future generations also that shall succeed us even to the worlds dissolution may affirm the same thing so that by such a restraint all means of interpreting the mystical places of Scripture would be evermore precluded That the sense of divers places of Scripture hath not been sufficiently declared in any age is sufficiently declared by the words of S. Paul to the Corinthians where he hath ordained prophesie to continue in the Church for ever by this means to inform our understandings that the enucleation of some abstruse matters hath the preheminence amongst Spiritual gifts In his first Epistle also to the Thessalonians he gives it in precept That we quench not the Spirit neither despise prophecyings but exhorteth us to examine all things and to hold fast that which is good Peter also doth not deny but that some things in the Epistles of Paul are hard to be understood Thus it is evident I wanted not reason to affirm that some questions in the Sacred Monuments of Christian Religion are still complicated and involved neither is the Spring-head of this holy Fountain so to be shut or dammed up that it may not be lawful for any to convey the streams to water this Celestial Eden the Kingdom of Christ Some perhaps may fancy that this Question might have been stifled in the birth or overlaid by second thoughts because it seems to graduate men in dissoluteness leading them from an awful reverence into security from security to contempt and from contempt to an unrestrained course of life Errours proceeding from a good intention are the more excusable and that they doe eâ—re through a misunderstanding of the progress of piety I shall now demonstrate Fear never made good Tutour to duty but love and a consideration of beneficence 'T is the method of slavery to act under compulsion but it is the glorie of obedience when affection extorteth a filial respect Thus when Moses in the sixth of Deuter. had set down all the laws solicitous as is were of our observing them he brings in the law of Charitie commanding us to love God above all things and our neighbour as our selves Our Lord Christ also brought no other commandment but this of Love making it the epitome of the Law and the Prophets From hence St. Paul also in the 13 to the Rom. saith Love is the fulfilling of the Law St. John also that bosom-friend of his Lord and Master when he would describe unto us the perfection of it by the nature of God telleth us God is Love insinuating that he that abideth in Love abideth in God and God in him Seing therefore the Law the Prophets the Lord and his Apostles do unanimously invite to love considering also that love floweth not from fear for fear and love are never consociated love still expelling fear but from the love of someother towards us which also is known by indulgence and conferring of favours and benefits it follows that the essence of piety and sanctity is rooted in the assurance of the Divine love to us and quickened by the consideration and estimation of Gods great benefits unto us which apprehensions enflame our souls to reaflect and obey him That our Lord Christ held this to be the path of true piety the Scriptures doe witness and therefore David saith unto the Lord righteousness thou hast loved but wickâ—dness thou hast hated For there is nothing more virtuous and effectual to promove the mind to an exaltation of piety and to keep it at that pitch than Love and a continual remembrance of the Divine clemency and goodness But this is undiscernable in the salvation of a few men and the condemnation of many In this rather was the mercy of God manifested that when in Justice he might have damned all hee destinated some to punishment but more to
intelligent I am not ignorant that some of the Graecians have derived the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to terrifie or make afraid because strength armed with malice is a terrible thing But as concerning their power their opinion who derive the word from the Hebrew liketh me best for there are many Greek words deduced from the Hebrew tongue The Hebrews term both Gods and Devils Schadaim and the more ancient Graecians leaving out the first consonant of the word and reading without prickt-vowels made it Daim then Daimones for both the Graecians and the Latines of elder times pronounced their dipthongues with distinct vowels and not confusedly as we use to do now this word signifieth strength fortitude and power And albeit Schadaim be one of the names of our omnipotent God yet as Elohim the proper appellation of the mighty Lord is communicated to great Princes and Potentates so the word Schadaim is promiscuously attributed to Spirits good and bad for although there be but one omnipotent Lord God yet Paul calleth the Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the worldly Princes M. You have discoursed Caelius very learnedly of the appellation of the word neither will I labour to urge any thing in contradiction of it for it strongly argueth their power in that they are of a sensible and an indefatigable nature besides the use and experience of infinite business and occurrences must needs instruct them with an unspeakable knowledge for Antiquitie and length of dayes joined with observation must needs bring forth incredible effects but as there are two sorts of wisdom one Heavenly and Holy another that descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual Devilish James the 3. so likewise there are two sorts of power For as the last is not properly fortitude but boldness not power but impotence and violence so that is not strictly and truly to be termed wisdom but malice that is a crafty and deceitful subtilety to work mischief for as upon an approch of danger if the mind be egged on by its own concupiscence and irregular desires and not by consideration of the publick good this attempt is rather a vitious audacity than a warrantable valour so knowledge without charity and prudence without Justice is malice and subdolous fraudulencie as Plato saith not wisdom Therefore when the all powerful wisdom of God doth frustrate and evacuate the wiles of Satan t is an improprietie to say that the wisdom of God hath overcome the wisdom of the Devil but rather that his malice is subdued by wisdom Also when we speak of the power of the Enemy we should say that audacitie is quelled by valour sury is vanquished by fortitude and rashness disappointed by counsel C. Nothing can be more truly spoken M. Having therefore spoken of the power and wisdom of our omnipotent God how shall we speak of the goodness mercy and clemency of our most indulgent and long suffering Father So incomprehensible iâ— his mercy that like an exuberant river nay a boundles Ocean it diffuseth it self and refresheth all the corners of the earth Here I am struck dumb and astonished at the wonderful plenty of considerations that roul and flow in upon me search the Scriptures and we find him not so wealthy in any thing as in mercy he chiefly delights himself in the publication the iteration the exaltation of his mercy he discloseth himself expresseth himself manifesteth himself and communicateth himself in mercy David saith Psalm 33. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord and in another place the Lord is endued with plentiful mercy and under the shadow of his wings all people have safety If I reckon up the testimonies of the Apostles and Evangelists I find not a word in them but magnifieth the mercy of our God Let Paul speak for the rest who himself found so great mercy Ephes 2. And you hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses wherein in time past ye walked according to the courss of this world according to the power of the Prince of the air the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom we also had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus for by grace are ye saved through saith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordaâ—ned that we should walk in them Here we may behold with what magnificence of expression the Apostle doth divulge and depredicate the goodness and mercy of God and how we must disclaime and abandon all our own works and merits by a stedfast adhesion unto and a sure dependance upon the eternal Love of God unto us in Christ Jesus But how is God famous over all the world for his mercy and eminent for the riches of his goodnes in the salvation of a few and the damnation of the rest C. Wonderful things I confess are revealed unto us of the mercy of God in the Holy Scriptures yet some men are not backward to say that his mercy is as conspicuous in the Salvation of one individual Soul as in the preservation of a thousand millions because to that Soul which the infinite mercy of God hath delivered from death eternal there was due an infinite punishment for infinite transgressions M. These are the inventions and vain imaginations of men which are too much accustomed to measure things Divine by the rule of humane judgement Suppose there were in this Citie some man exceeding wealthy and abounding with all kind of outward blessings suppose I say that he should share his munificence to some few nay bestow all his wealth upon them leaving abundance of other Citizens in an abject wanting and contemptible condition would you think this man as truely liberal as if he had made an equal distribution of all his estate among all the Citizens C. By no means but extreamly cruel and a homicide for Seneca said very truely He that seeth a man in miserie is able to succour him and refuseth that man slayeth and murthereth him But to say so of God were horrid impiety because it is Lawfull for him to do what pleaseth him for his will is the perfect reason of his works M. But doe you not remember the old saying that good is of a communicable nature and that the more it is spread and diffused still
the more good it is C. I have often heard it and alwayes took it for a rag of Philosophy M. Oh brother Caelius it is Divine for good and true are convertible terms and of whomsoever predicated whether of Moses or Cicero Paul or Plato yet they flow from God whose nature and essence is good and true and because as you said whatsoever he willeth is good and just and that it pleaseth him to be called rich in mercy certainly this must appear in the glorious salvation of many men otherwise why doth David sing out the earth is full of the mercies of God and why is he called the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation O the blind envy of some men that would abridge contract and engross this goodness to some few peâ—sons O the ingratitude of others that indeavour to traduce and calumniate the benignity of God as if he were some Tyrant or merciless destroyer Some perhaps are still diffident and require an indubitable sign that may remove and banish all hesitation behold the greatest pledge the firmest security even Christ Jesus the son of God upon whose coming God set sorth a Declaration of his Love for him hath he sent into the world and upon him hath he cast the burthen of all our iniquities Isaiah the 53. and again behold the Lord shall give you a sign a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and his name shall be called Emanuel This is that sign which we read of in the 12. of Matthew An evil and an adulterous gâ—neration seeketh a sign but no sign shall be given them save onely that of the Prophet Jonas to wit the death of Christ and his rising again the third day What greater significancy of love could the Lord exhibit to miserable mankind than to send his Son his onely Son to be the reconciliation for our transgressions or who now can scruple the amplitude the immensity of this goodness this Love this mercy how shall we be able with the Saints to know and comprehend the height the depth the length the breadth of this mercy it is necessarie that the Love of Christ be the greatest of all other not onely in respect of the magnitude but also the multitude of sinners otherwise we should disrobe and denudate it of its proper dimensions and who now will be so rashly bold to say that the benefit of so much love and so great goodness should be confined to a paucity of men for my part I think no man can harbour such a thought without a guilt of sacriledge what did he not deliver the greater part of the world from their wickednesses when he prayed unto his Father upon the Cross to forgive those Jews and Aliens which were the complotters and contrivers of his death Father saith he forgive them for they know not what they do and he said rightly they know not what they doe for had they known saith Paul they had never crucified the Lord of life 1. Cor. 2. Now if Princes Magistrates and many others as Peter witnesseth in the 3. of the Acts killed him through imprudence what shall we think of all the world beside of them that had and have at this day just causes of invincible ignorance Shall we exclude all these from the kingdom of God We cannot certainly if we diligently contemplate the nature and goodness of God if we think upon the clemency of our Lord Christ and what he required of us for he prayeth for all them that sinned through imprudence and infirmity Neither did he pray in vain Paul who at first was a persecutour and a contumelious sinner saith Notwithstanding that he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief And then he addeth This is a faithfull saying and worthie of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of which I am Chief Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that to me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting And did not God demonstrate this before to Jonas Who was grieved that he would spare Niniveh and destroy his Gourd that did shed him from the violence of the heat therefore God saith unto him And hast thou pitty on the Gourd for which thou hast not laboured neither madest it grow which sprang up in one night and perished in one night and should not I spare Nineveh that great City wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons thaâ— cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand and also much cattel Here we plainly see the most benign and merciful God doth spare a multitude and avert the present punishment of his severity because of their ignorance And shall we imagine that he who remitteth a temporal judgement because of unadvised actions and involuntary sins will inflict an eternal mulct or that he judgeth the death of the body to be greater than the destruction of the soul Ignorance doubtless hath some excuse especially if it be not tainted with fraud or malice C. This indeed is not denied yet they say that Christ died indeed for all meritoriously but for a few onely effectually because few onely do expect that advantage and benefit of Salvation by his death and very few are found worthy of that incomparable treasure of his satisfaction Therefore he is not blame-worthy who offered himself liberally for all men but they are to be condemned who refused this propitiation M. Oh how many errours are contained in those few words for as Epâ—curus that he might not offend the Athenians outwardly acknowledged a God but in judgement denied him so these men in words confess the death of Christ but deny the power of it For when the Epicureans durst not deny the Gods yet they denied a Providence which is inseparably conjoyned to the nature of God and so by consequence they denied God but more modestly and covertly and are not these men guilty of the same prevarication They teach that Christ died for all men and affirm at the same time that the benefit of his death doth concern very few men What is this but to deny the virtue of his passion the glory of his obedience to say that men can abolish the energy force and effect of his divine love St. Paul saith far otherwise when with so much gravity and mellifluous plenty he doth aver that no force is able to separate us from the love of God which he hath manifested unto us in Christ Jesus Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shalâ— then separate us from the love in Christ Rom. 8. Me thinks they that are so peremptory in the defence of that Opinion that Christs bloud was sprinkled only upon
hath not been revealed to them C. I confess I thought thus within my self but I was willing to hear your opinion but when you said a little before speaking of the Church that it was wheresoever men did believe or should believe wherefore made you that addition should believe M. Because at all times and in all ages many are elected to this kingdom which are not yet called not compelled by faith to enter as were Saul Cornelius the Centurion and Sergius Paulus the Proconsul and innumerable others whose vocation and ingress was by the Lord for some time deserred who because they were from all eternity appointed to this kingdom are therefore all Citizens and Members of this heavenly Common-wealth this is manifest by these and others who the goodness of God being revealed are afterwards received into this kingdom C. They say that Cornelius oponed a passage into this kingdom by his prayers and Alms-deeds and this they confirm by those words of the Angel to him Thy prayers and thy Almes are come up for a memorial before God M. The abettors of such fancies are contumelious to God and ignorant of the Scriptures they reproch God for they rob him of his Honour and give the glory to man they are ignorant of the Scriptures not discerning an open truth Their errour ariseth partly from a non-consideration of the words preceding and subsequent which if they had perpended they had never dashed against this Rock What hath St. Luke written in the beginning of this Chapter That Cornelius was a devour man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much Almes to the people and prayed to God alway Afterwards those men that were sent by Cornelius give him this Character that he was a just man feared God and of good report among all the nation of the Jews Who now doth not plainly see that his piety to and his fear of God are first commended then his Almes and good deeds are spoken of he was a Religious and a good man and therefore gave many Almes to the poor and prayed to God alway which were the fruits and effects of his piety Therefore it is said he was of good report among the Jews But from whence came these good effects Not from his good deeds for the tree must be good before the fruit can be good as our Lord saith Matth. 7. For the cause cannot follow the effect any more than a daughter can bring forth her Mother But who made him Religious and just and fearing God Who but he that circumciseth the foreskins of our hearts That taketh away our stony hearts and giveth us hearts of flesh and new Spirits Ezech. 11. He I say made Cornelius both Religious and devout and were not these things declared unto Peter by the Divine oracle of God for when he supposed that all the rest of the Nations were alienated from the benefit of the Gospel the Angel telleth him Those things which God hath purified call not thou unclean Acts 10. Here God witnesseth that he had purged prepared and consecrated Cornelius to himself And although it was spoken because of Cornelius yet the words concern all those that God hath chosen and adorned with the beautiful knowledge of the Gospel And whereas it is said that his prayers and giving of Almes went up to God as a memorial nothing more is intended but that God heareth the prayers of the Godly that their good works are acceptable to him and that he hath them in remembrance as flowing from himself the Fountain of all good gifts And where it is said that he was frequent in prayer it is evident that this proceeded from a Divine inspiration For as Paul saith We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with unutterable groans Rom. 8. Now if he was endued with the Spirit of God as certainly he was and that his Almes-deeds and his prayers were accepted it is as certain that he had saith without which it is impossible to please God as St. Paul doth most plainly teach Rom. 10. And if he had the illustrations of Faith then his heart was purified and cleansed as Peter testifieth of Cornelius and other Gentiles in St. Luke saying That God had enlightened them by his Holy Spirit and purged their minds by Faith C. I perceive that by degrees you have come to the right explication of the truth but there is yet one thing to be enucleated for Peter saith Of a truth I now perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted by him Act. 10. Here he sheweth that by good works a man is reconciled to God M. This speech of the Apostle meaneth nothing else but what diverse other holy sentences do teach that God in his election of and his Love to mankind hath regard onely to their goodness and glorie not to their original their pedigree their country their sex their age their merit or any other personal attributes This truth is exemplified in the person of Cornelius whom God called being an alien and dignified him with a place in his kingdom The signs of Election are an ingenuous and a reverential fear of God like to that of obedient children towards their parents from whence there ariseth in them a confidence and a stedfast perswasion of the love of God to them and from thence again groweth a delight in the Law of God a complacency in the works of righteousness he that is accepted by God he feareth he honoureth loveth and trusteth in God for it behoveth that the person of that man be gracious and acceptable whose duties or offices of Love are accepted for no performances are acceptable from him against whom we entertain a prejudice or aversation of this we have experience in the common civilities of life but with God there is no prejudice for he is the searcher of the heart And John saith Whosoever doth work righteousness is born of God Also Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ he is born of God that is therefore some men live justly some man believeth Jesus to be the Christ because he is justified by God and endued with holiness and righteousness by him for unless he thus be born of God he is unable to perform any thing justly and rightly or to believe that Jesus is the Christ This the Lord himself confirmeth upon Peters confession that he was the Son of the Immortal God Verily saith our Saviour flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Now there is this difference between Divine and humane justice he that is not justified by God may execute humane justice for fear of punishment expectation of glorie or hope of other reward but no man is exercised in heavenly justice who is not first justified purged by Faith and assisted with grace Therefore it is no wonder that whosoever