29. For the meaning hereof is not that what God once gives he never takes away we know there are instances in the Scripture without number to the contrary He tooke away that integrity and rectitude of nature from Adam upon his fall which he had given him in his Creation So in the Parable he commands the Talent to be taken away from the unprofitable servant b Mat. 25. 28 which before he had given him yea and threatens universally that from every one that hath not viz. by way of improvement or increase shall be taken away even Vers 29. that which he hath viz. by way of stock or originall donation So that the gifts and calling of God are not in this Sence without Repentance Therefore 2. When the Apostle affirmes the gifts and calling of God to be without §. 57. Repentance his meaning may be 1. That he never gives any thing to any Person or People whatsoever but that he knows and considers before-hand all the inconveniences and dis-accommodations that will follow upon it either in Reference to his own glory or to his Creature one or other in any kinde In so much that what ever be the event or consequence of any of his gifts if they were to give again he would give them Nor doth that expression concerning him and it repented the Lord that He Had made Man upon Earth and that it grieved Him at His Heart c Gen. 6 6. any way imply but that if Man had been now to make he would have made him or that when he did make him he did not fore-see the inconvenience which now followed upon his making of him The Phrase only imports a purpose of heart in God shortly to destroy him from off the face of the Earth for his wickednesse as he saith immediately after that he would do For which kinde of expression when attributed unto God we have accounted at large in the third Chapter of this Discourse 2. The gifts and calling of God are or may be said to be without Repentance §. 58. because let Men continue the same Persons I meane Geometrically or Proportionably the same which they were when the donation or collation of any gift was first made by God unto them he never changeth or altereth his dispensation towards them unlesse it be for the better or in order to their further good in which case he cannot be said to repent of what he had given But in case Men shall change and alter from what they were when God first dealt graciously and bountifully by them especially if they shall notoriously degenerate or cast away that principle or through negligence or otherwise devest and despoile themselves of that very qualification on which God as it were graffed his benefit or guift vouchsafed to them in this case though he recalls and takes away his guift he cannot be said to repent of the giving it because the terms upon which he gave it please him still only the persons to whom he gave it and who pleased him when he gave it unto them have now rendered themselves by their unworthinesse displeasing unto him and uncapable by the Lawes and Rule of his righteous dispensations of any further injoyment thereof This is the case between God and such Men who having once obtained remission of sins from him by such a Faith which wrought or was apt and ready to work by love afterwards upon the losse or degeneration of this Faith together with the operativenesse of contrary and vile principles are devested by him of that great and glorious priviledge and fall back into their former estate of condemnation Therefore from those quarters of the Parable in Matthew which we have §. 59. lately surveyed perfect intelligence comes that persons who have by meanes of a sound Faith received remission of sins upon the account of Christs Death may through negligence in not preserving this Faith or the sweetnesse and soundnesse of it so far provoke their glorious Benefactor as to cause him to repeale that His Act of Grace towards them and to suffer their former guilt to returne like the uncleane spirit with seven worse then himself upon them From whence it undeniably followes that Christ hath purchased Remission of sins by His Death for those who notwithstanding may through their own folly and wickednesse perish Chrysostome interprets the place in full consonancy with this inference or supposition Although saith he the graces and guifts of God are without Repentance yet malice or wickednesse prevailed so far as to dissolve this Law What then is there of more grievous consequence then to remember injuries which appeares to be a subverter or destroyer of such and so great a gift of God a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amongst our later Expositors Musculus as Orthodox as Men can make a Man advanceth the same interpretation making it his third observation upon the place that those sinnes which are through the Grace of God pardoned at present shall not be remitted in the future unlesse we will forgive our Brother For it is an unjust thing saith he that he should enjoy the free remitment or forgivenesse of a debt of ten thousand Talents who refuseth to forgive his Brother a debt of an hundred pence b Tertia observatio est etiam eadelicta quae jam condonata sunt per gratiam Dei non fore remissa si nos nolimus remittere fratri Est enim injustum gaudere de re missis sibi Talentis mille qui nolit centum denarios fratri remittere Mr. John Ball himself nibbleth also at this exposition even whilest for the sake of those that sit at table with Him he opposeth it As in the Parable saith he the Lord is said to remit to his servant a thousand Talents when he desired him viz. inchoately or upon condition which was not confirmed because he did not forgive his fâ—llow servant so the false Prophets are bought by the Blood of Christ viz. in a sort as they believed in Christ but not sincerely and unfeignedly c Covenant of Grace p 240. A little after to these Men their sinnes were remitted in a sort in this World c. If he would have brought forth his darknesse of inchoately upon condition in a sort into a cleare and perfect light his meaning must have been that that Remission of sins which God gives unto Men in this World he neither confirmes unto them in the houre of Death nor in the Day of judgement the Authors own words a little after the former in case they live and die under an implacablenesse or unmercifulnesse of spirit towards those who injure them Such a sence as this is truly Orthodox whether Men vote it such or no. Our English Annotators though they neither buy nor sell this interpretation in expressnesse of terms yet interpretatively they buy or confirme it This Parable say they upon Verse 35. informes us that they shall finde God severe and
God of their Fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his People and on his dwelling place And yet it followes But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and mis-used his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his People till there was no remedy b 2 Chro. 36. 15 16. So that God is every whit as serious as urgent and pressing in the Ministry of his Word and Gospell upon those who remaine obdurate and impenitent to the last as he is upon those who in time come to repent and to believe on him And Paul Acts 17. Preached the same Sermon used the same addressement and application of the word to those who mocked which he did to those who believed c Acts 17. 32. 34. Evident therefore it is that God as well seekes and attempts the Reconciling of such unto Himself by Christ who in fine Perish as well as he doth those who are saved And that he doth vouchsafe as well the same inward as outward means at least remotely unto both shall be Proved in due place Again 2. If we shall take the latter sence of the Phrase wherein God is §. 30. said to be Reconciling the world unto Himself and understand hereby such an act whereby He renders or seekes to render Himself Loving Gracious and Propitious unto the World neither yet can the word VVorld signifie any thing but the generality or universality of Men or howsoever not the Elect in Particular The reason is because God cannot in any tolerable sence or construction of words be said to reconcile Himself unto those with whom is not angry or offended or to render Himself Loving and Propitious unto those to whom his love is so great already that by reason of it he Peremptorily resolves to give unto them absolutely the greatest and most desireable of all good things even no lesse then eternall life it selfe which includes in it the richest and fullest injoyment of God Himself whereof the Creature is capable Now we know this is the Posture or Relation wherein the Elect stand before and unto God at least as is generally held and maintained by those that are contrary minded in the present Controversie viz. as Persons with whom God is so far from being angry or displeased that He is pleased by absolute Purpose or Decree to confer eternall life upon them Therefore certainly God cannot be said by any Act whatsoever to Reconcile Himself or render Himself Propitious unto these But now by the VVorld understand the great bulk or body of Men in the World with whom God is and may truly and properly enough be said to be displeased for their sins so he may be said to Reconcile Himself unto them at least if by a Reconcileing we meane such an act by which He takes a course or useth meanes to bring Himself into a complacency or love of friendship with them as when a Father useth meanes to recover his son of the Phrensie or Plague It is true a Father loves his son with a benevolous affection or with a love of pity as we commonly call it even whilest he is under a Phrensie and hath the Plague upon him but he takes no pleasure in his company doth not delight to converse with him as with a friend bestowes nothing upon him at the present but only in order to his recovery and in case by all that he doth for him in this kinde he cannot recover him he never proceeds to settle his inheritance upon him But when and whilest he doth that which is proper to recover him out of such distempers he may be said in this sence to do an act whereby to Reconcile Himself to his Son viz. to make way for Himself to take pleasure in his company and to converse with him and to deale furthe◠by him as a Friend In like manner it is as true that God cannot properly or according to the usuall sence or signification of the word be said to doe any act whereby to Reconcile Himself to the World in generall much lesse to his Elect in Particular because he alwayes bares a benevolous affection to it as appeares Joh. 3. 16. the Scripture lately opened So again Tit. 3. 4. and elsewhere he was never so far angry or offended with it but that he seriously and affectionately sought the good of it yet in such a sence or consideration wherein notwithstanding his affection of benevolence or commiseration towards it he is said to be angry with Men for their sins and to hate them for their wickednesse and to resolve to destroy them everlastingly if they repent not he may be said to doe such an act whereby to reconcile Himself unto it as viz. when he doth that by which he is like to take Men off from their sins and to bring them to Repentance and consequently to cause his own anger and hatred towards them for their sins to cease But however this is not the Primary or direct sence of the Phrase in the Scripture in hand as was formerly intimated but only that which followes upon it For God by seeking to Reconcile the World unto Himself in the former sence takes a course likewise to Reconcile Himself unto it in the latter But take either the one interpretation or the other there is no Colour or Pretence by the VVorld to understand the Elect only If it be objected and said yea but God is here said to be in Christ Reconciling §. 31. the World unto Himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them Doth not this imply that God Reconciles none unto Himself but those only to whom he doth not impute their Trespasses or sins Now it is certaine that God doth impute their sins unto all Men his Elect only excepted Therefore he Reconciles none unto Himselfe in Christ but these only To this I answer 1. By concession It is true God doth actually and in the event Reconcile none unto Himself by Christ i. e. He brings no Man to Faith and Repentance but withall he forgives him his sins or which is the same he imputes not his Trespasses unto him But 2. By way of exception I answer further that it was no part of the Apostles intent in this place to speak of any spirituall or inward Act of God by which Particular Men are actually and de facto converted or Reconciled unto Him and consequently obtaine forgivenesse or a non-imputation of their sinnes but only concerning that great and gracious dispensation or act of Grace together with his Counsell or Project therein in which or whereby He did as it were posture Himself and take a standing with the best advantage to save the World For this end and purpose I meane for the saving of the World or of Men upon such terms as he was willing and as only became Him to save them it was necessary 1. That He should Reconcile them unto Himself It was
terms whatsoever even of the greatest sin and wickedness would be an effectuall motive upon the Heart and Conscience of a regeneate Man to cleave in Love unto God yet would it not be a motive in this kinde of any such strength or efficacy as such an assurance as this that he shall continue in the Love and Favour of God for ever in a way of Righteousness and well doing but with all shall be in danger of loosing this love in case he shall decline unto wickedness The reason why this latter compounded motive must needs be of more efficacy to the purpose mentioned then the former is because the latter supposeth a necessity of this cleaving in Love to God for the obtaining of this great good the continuance for ever of the Love of God towards him which the former doth not Now this is a generall rule that that motive is still of greater force to perswade to an action which renders the action perswaded unto as of absolute necessity for the obtaining of some desirable end especially when the said end is insured withall upon the performance of the action then that which renders this end attaineable without the Performance of this action He that shall perswade me to love such or such a man by telling me that whether I love him or no yet he will deale lovingly and friendly by me should not perswade me to love him by an argument or motive of so much strength as he that should move me to the same Point thus if you love him he will deale very lovely and friendly with you but if you shall neglect or voluntarily injure him you will finde him a sore enemy There is no action how lovely or desirable soever in it self but becomes so much the more desirable by how much the greater good shall appear to depend upon it and must needs be produced by it especially if it shall yet further appear that this good cannot be produced or obtained by any other meanes whatsoever without it Now then as he who deprives a man of a greater benefit to interess him in a lesser doth him as real an injury or wrong as he that should take away a part of his substance from him without any consideration at all in like manner that Doctrine which shall bereave the spirituall part of a man or a Believer of a greater and more effectuall motive to the performance of a duty only to present him with a weaker and of less Power must in reason be judged an enemy unto the one and the other yea as great an enemy as such a Doctrine would be which deny them a lesser motive in that kinde without any recompence at all 3. If such a knowledge or assurance as the Objection speakes of were §. 19. an effectuall motive to perswade the heart of a man to cleave in love unto God what reason can be given why God should not administer it in order to such a Purpose as well to his enemies and carnall men as unto his Saints or Friends For 1. certaine it is that all men whatsoever are commanded by God to love Him or to cleave in this affection unto Him 2. As certaine it is that God is not defective in the subministration of motives unto them on this behalf no not of those that are most Proper and efficacious to perswade them thereunto 3. As certaine it is as either of the former that an assurance of the love of God towards them against all sin and wickednesse whatsoever that they are capable of committing is a motive every whit as taking with as suteable and pleasing to Naturall and Carnall Men if yet a motive it be as to spirituall and holy Men to perswade them to the love of God Therefore if God hath not thought meet to afford such a motive as this is unto Naturall or Carnall Men it is no wayes likely that he hath afforded it unto Saints with whose hearts as such I meane as they are Saints it hath no agreement or takingnesse at all as was shewed formerly a Sect. 16 17. of this Chapter 4. And lastly the very truth is all things duly considered that the consideration §. 20. we now speake of and which is specified in the Objection hath nothing at all in it of the true Nature or Property of a motive to perswade any Man to cleave in love unto God For whatsoever representeth God to the Heart Soule or Conscience of a Man as a God in whose sight he is good that doth evill b Mal. 2 17 and consequently as no God of judgement as a God Promising His Love Favour and Acceptance as well unto Dogs returning unto their vomits and to Swine wallowing after their washing in the mire as well as unto Lambs and Sheep is no consideration which commendeth him unto his Creature Man or consequently which hath any thing in it to ingage him to cleave in love to him Suppose a man were thus Principled that having once had a good opinion of any man he would never alter his opinion of him how desperately soever the Man should degenerate from himself as though he should become the first borne amongst all the Sons of Belial turne the most bloody murtherer the most cruell oppressor the most brutish incestuary under Heaven but under the guilt and daily Practise of these and such like abominations should love this Man with as much truth reality and sincereness of affection only upon the account of his sometime goodnesse as he doth the most vertuous and worthy Person under Heaven would such a Temper or Principle as this commend him as a Person so much the more worthy love and respects in the eyes of any considering Man or would they not rather draw disparagement and contempt upon him yea and this from those very Persons whom he shall affect and love upon such terms Therefore in case it were possible for me certainly to know that how loosely how Prophanely how debauchedly soever I should behave my self yet God will love me as intirely as fervently as he doth the holiest and most righteous man under Heaven it would be a very slender motive unto me to cleave i◠love unto him So then it doth not yet appear by any thing that hath been mentioned or argued to the Point that the Doctrine of Perseverance as it passeth up and down amongst us is any contributor to the Peace or Comfort of that which is of God but only to that which is of Satan in men and which deserveth mortification and Crucifying instead of Comfort and Peace If it be yet further Objected But is not the Doctrine of falling away a §. 21. very uncomfortable Doctrine apt to beget a servile spirit in the Saints a a spirit of bondage and feare Or must not they who apprehend themselves to be in continuall danger of falling away and Perishing needs eate their bread in darkness dwell with Sorrowes and Perplexities of soule all their dayes To these
was before yea and may still love the Persons of these Men whom he hath condemned to die considered as Men as much as he did before their delinquency In like manner in case God shall destroy with eternall death such Men or Women whom he sometimes truly loved and respected deerly this doth not necessarily argue the least change or alteration in any attribute of his whatsoever as either Love Goodnesse Mercy c. viz. in case these Persons having been formerly faithfull and obedient unto him have since apostatized and died impenitently Nay if God should not destroy such persons in such cases or upon such a supposition it would argue a manifest change in some of his Attributes as Severity hatred of sin truth c. yea haply if the matter be narrowly considered even in his Love or Goodnesse it self For if we judge it any part or property of the Love or goodness of God towards goodness and good Men to put so great and gracious a difference between them and between wickedness and wicked Men as to reward the former with eternall glory the latter with eternall shame and misery and that he hath at any time expressed his love and goodness in this kinde evident it is that in case he should at any time not punish persevering Apostates which are the wickedest of Men with eternall Death it would argue an alteration or change in those Attributes of his we speak of Therefore to reason thus if God should love a Man to day and hate him to morrow it would argue a strange inconstancy or mutability in God or in His Love is a very inconsiderate and weak reasoning For the constancy or unchangeablenesse of the Love of God doth not stand in His constant loving the same Person or Ob 〈…〉 materially considered but only as considered formally i. e. as rem 〈…〉 the same morally or in lovelinesse which it was when he first loved it Julian the Professor and Julian the Apostate are the same Person or Object materially considered but in a formall consideration they are two and these very different In like manner the Angells in the integrity of their Creation and in the guilt of their transgression are one and the same Object materially considered but formally they differ as much as light and darknesse And to argue that unlesse God should alwayes love the same Persons materially considered whom He once or at any time loved he should be mutable in his love necessarily supposeth either that God hated the lapsed Angells whilest they were yet Holy and in the glory and beauty of their Creation or else that he now loves them in their apostacy The truth is that should God alwayes love the same Person or Persons though morally distinguished from themselves and of righteous become wicked and abominable this would cleerly argue a mutability in his affection as it would in the affection of such a Man who should love good Men as good Men or good Men only to day and wicked Men to morrow So that Men who were sometimes loved by God may now be hated of Him without any the least change or alteration in Him or in His affection only by means of a change and alteration in themselves The third and last Particular wherein the unchangeableness of God is to be considered are His Decrees These truly stated and understood are all absolute and unchangable shall and will take place and be fulfilled against all contradictions and oppositions whatsoever But of this formerly a Cap 3. Sect. 18. 20 c. And that unchangeableness assumed by God Himself unto Himself in the words in hand I am the Lord I change not is I conceive that which is found in him in respect of His Decrees The reason is because it is assigned by him as the reason why they were not utterly destroyed I am the Lord I change not therefore yee Sons of Jacob are not consumed In the beginning of the Chapter he had declared unto him his Purpose and Decree of sending His only begotten Son whom he there calls the Messenger of the Covenant unto them He predicteth Verse 3. 4. the happy fruits or consequences of that his sending in Reference to their Nation and Posterity To the unchangeableness of this His Decree He assigns that patience which he had for a long time exercised towards them under their great and continued Provocations whereby he implies that if he could have been turned out of the way of His Decree concerning the sending of His Son unto them in their Posterity they would have done it by the greatness of their Sins But in as much as this His Decree or Himself in this His Decree was unchangeable and yet must have been changed in case they had been all destroyed for the Decree was for the sending him to their Nation and Posterity hence saith he it comes to passe that though your sins otherwise abundantly have deserved it yet I have spared you from a totall ruine Therefore in these two Scriptures last argued there is every whit as much or rather more against then for the common Doctrine of Perseverance Another parcell of Scripture sought out for the service of this Doctrine §. 42. is that which riseth in these words And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to His Purpose For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of His Son that He might be the first borne amongst many Brethren Moreover whom He did predestinate them He also called and whom He called them He also justified and whom He justified them He also glorified a Rom. 8 28 29 30. From this Contexture of Scripture it is frequently argued to this effect that when Men once love God and are effectually called i. e. are Regenerate and doe Believe they are fastened to one end as it were of a certaine Chaine consisting of severall Decrees of God like so many Links indissolveably fastened one unto another and hereby are infallibly and irresistibly drawn unto glory and consequently cannot fall away or perish finally To all this I answer 1. That in as much as this passage of Scripture is impressed also for the service of the Doctrine of absolute Personall Election we shall reserve the further consideration of it till our Method hath carried us on to that subject and for the present examine it only in relation to the Point in hand Therefore 2. Whereas it is argued from this place that persons once Regenerate are infallibly drawn and carried on to glory by a Series or Chaine of Divine acts or Decrees un-interruptedly suceeding or taking hold of one another I answer That no such conclusion as this can reasonably be drawn out of these words For the Scope of the Apostle in the sequell of this passage is cleerly this as that ratiocinative Particle for in the beginning of Verse 29. plainly sheweth to prove and
suspensions and interruptions Therefore there is nothing in the last Objection against that exposition of the Scripture in hand which hath been asserted both the feet upon which it stands being weak and lame There is yet another Objection colourable I suppose in some Mens §. 47. eyes against the said interpretation The substance of it this If the links of that chaine of Divine acts described in this passage of Scripture may be severed or broken by the miscarriages or unworthinesse of the Saints in any kinde then had the Apostle no sufficient reason to build the Saints so high upon it in Confidence Exultations and Triumphs as He doth in the Verses immediately following What shall we say to these things If God be on our side who can be against us And the reason is because the Saints are children of many infirmities and of much unworthinesse apt to sin against God every moment Therefore if their Peace and Salvation depend upon their own regular and worthy walkings with God they are in a condition of no good security to be saved and what ground then have they to rejoyce and triumph at any such rate as the Apostle seemes here to invite and incourage them unto To this I answer that the Heart of this Objection was broken in the last preceding Chapter where we shewed upon severall considerations and grounds that the Saints have cause in abundance to rejoyce yea and to triumph under the hope and expectation of Salvation notwithstanding any possibility they are subject unto of declining or perishing The Reader I presume will be satisfied in this Point upon a serious perusall of what is there Written from Section 21. to the end of the Chapter I here add 1. That the friends and favourers themselves of the common interpretation §. 48. of the place in hand and which contradicteth the exposition given generally grant and teach that the Saints themselves cannot have any Peace or Comfort in their Faith or assurance of Salvation whilest they walk prophanely loosely or unfaithfully with God So that these Men themselves doe suspend the Peace and Comfort and much more the Joy and Triumph of the Faith of the Saints upon their Christian behaviour and Regular walkings with God Therefore judging the Exposition given upon such an account as this they condemne themselves and their owne Doctrines 2. The assureance of the continuance of Gods Love to them and of His care over them whilest they in any measure walke worthy of it is a Regular and due foundation unto the Saints of every whit as great a confidence Exultation and Triumph as the Apostle in the words mentioned intitles them unto Yea 3. The very particular and expresse ground upon which He buildeth up Himself and the Saints with Him in such a Triumphant Confidence as we heard is this the sence or assureance of Gods Love towards them meaning whilest they walk with Him as becommeth Saints because being out of this posture they can neither have sence nor assureance of His Love as our adversaries themselves acknowledge and teach as we lately heard not any assureance of the continuance of His Love to them how profane wicked or abominable soever they can or shall be What shall we say then to these things if God BE with us who can be against us Therefore 4. And lastly such a supposition or Doctrine as this that they that are at present justified may possibly sin themselves out of the Grace of Justification and so never come to be glorified is upon due consideration no bridle at all to check the holy and humble confidence or boastings of the Saints in God or in the Lord Jesus Christ they may in the face and presence of such a Doctrine though acknowledged and admitted for truth lift up themselves upon the wings of a blessed security unto Heaven and rejoyce that joy which is unspeakeable and glorious But of these things we spake liberally in the last Chapter Some may yet possibly imagine that they discover a ground of confutation §. 49. of all that hath been said upon the Context of Scripture yet in hand Verse 29. in those words That he might be the first-borne amongst many Brethren For from hence they may reason thus If this be Gods End or Designe in Predestinating those whom he knew before or pre-approved to be conformed to the Image of His Son in glory that He might be the first borne amongst many Brethren i. e. might have the honour of bringing many into part and fellowship with Himself in His own blessednesse and glory then must all they who are thus Predestinated of necessity attaine or come to injoy such a conformity with Him otherwise God shall be frustrated in His Designe and Jesus Christ be defeated and disappointed of that excellent honour which His Father projected for Him For if one or some thus predestinated may miscarry and never come to enjoy an actuall conformity unto Him in His glory why may not others of them miscarry likewise and consequently all and so the Great Counsell or Project of God for the honor of His Son Iesus Christ be laid in the dust To this I answer 1. Suppose that Iesus Christ should have no Brethren conformable unto Him in glory yet would it not follow from hence that the Counsell or Designe of God to make Him the first borne among many Brethren should be made void or miscarry For the Counsell or Designe of God in this behalf stood Mainely and Principally in this viz. in casting this honour upon Iesus Christ that He should be a Person every wayes fitted and accomplished should act and doe or be ready and willing to act and do every such thing whereby many of his Brethren i. e. of the children of Men if they were not most shamefully and grossely neglective of themselves and their own greatest concernments might come to partake with him in His great Blessednesse and glory And in case Men should prove thus neglective of themselves and so as voluntarily to deprive themselves of that great Salvation which Iesus Christ out of His great Love and with the sore travell of his Soul hath prepared and made ready for them yea and invited and called yea and pressed upon them to accept at his hand yet the honour and glory of a signall Benefactor and great Saviour shall remaine intire unto Him nor is there the least colour or pretence why He should suffer the least disparagement or prejudice in the thoughts either of Men or Angells because of the wilfull folly and madnesse of Men to forsake their own mercies and destroy themselves Himself owned and built upon this consideration when He spake thus by the mouth of one of His greatest Prophets Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength a Esa 49 5. In the former Verse He speaks thus in his Representor Then I said I have laboured in vaine I
twigs or lesser branches should prove dry and sere and so be easily broken off So may a Mountain remain unmoved yea and unmovable though many handfuls of the lighter and looser earth about the sides of it should be taken up and scattered into the ayr like dust In like manner the main Body of a Discourse may stand entire in its solidity weight and strength though many particular Expressions Sayings and Reasonings therein that are more circumferential and remote from the center should be detected either of inconsiderateness weakness or untruth Yea in some cases one Argument or Plea may be so triumphantly pregnant and commanding that though many others of the same engagement should be defeated yet the cause protected by it may upon a very sober and justifiable account laugh all opposition of contrary arguings to scorn I acknowledg there are some Expressions and Passages in the ensuing Discourse as in Cap. 1. Sect. 9. and elsewhere which upon the review I my self apprehend obnoxious enough to exception yea and which had my second thoughts been born in due time should have been somewhat better secured But I trust that ancient Law of indulgence in such cases as mine which very probably may be some of your own also is of Authority sufficient in your Common-wealth to relieve me O pere in longo fas est obrepere somnum i. e. On him that sits long at work Sleep Without disparagement may creep Neither need I suspect or fear any of that unmanlike Learning amongst you which teacheth men to confute Opinions by vulgar votes and exclamations We know that this Sect or Heresie is every where spoken against i Acts 28 22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. had no influence upon Paul to turn him out of the way of his Heresie And for those Mormolukes or Vizors of Arminianism Socinianism Popery Pelagianism with the like which serve to affright children in understanding out of the love and liking of many most worthy and important Truths I am not under any jealousie concerning you that you should suffer any such impressions from them You know that that great Enemy of the Peace and Salvation of men who of old taught the Enemies of God to put his Saints into Bears skins and Wolves skins so preparing them to be torn in peeces and devoured by Dogs hath in these latter times secretly insinuated and prevailed with many of the children of God themselves to put many of his Truths such as they like not or comprehend not into Names of Ignominy and Reproach to draw others into the same hatred and defamation of them with themselves I have somewhere observed that this method of confuting and suppressing Opinions against which men have had no competent grounds of Eviction otherwise was at first invented by the subtil Sons of the Synagogue of Rome k Divine Authority of the Scriptures page 202 203 and elsewhere shewed by several instances that it is familiarly practised by them The truth is that you have no such temptation upon you as particular and private men have to flee to any such polluted Sanctuary as that mentioned to save your Names and Reputations from the hand of any Opinion or Doctrine whatsoever For you so far I presume understand your Interest and Prerogative that for matters of Opinion and Doctrine you are invested with an autocratorical majesty like that which was sometimes given unto Nebuchadnezzar over men whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive whom he would he set up and whom he would he put down l Dan. 5. 19 By the joynt suffrage of your Authority your Interest of Esteem amongst men being so predominant you may slay whâ—t Doctrines what Opinions you please and what you please you may keep alive of what Tenents you please you may make the faces to shine and of what you please you may lay the honor in the dust If you will justifie who are they that will not be afraid to condemn if you condemn who will justifie Only Gods eldest Daughter Truth hath One mightier then you on her side who will justifie her in due time though you should condemn her and will raise her up from the dead the third day in case you shall slay her However if the Doctrine commended in the Discourse now presented unto you shall commend it self in your eyes also for a Truth far be it from you to hide your faces from it because at present it labors and suffers reproach in the World considering that you may very suddenly take away the reproach and partake your selves of that Honor which you shall cast upon it Should such an University as you fear the reproach of standing by a Truth Jesus Christ is not ashamed of the Bodies of his Saints living or dead though in both conditions vile and contemptible in the eyes of men knowing that he hath power in his hand to cloath them with glory and immortality when he pleaseth and that this glory when vested in them will be an high augmentation of his own Brethren unto you I may truly say with Paul to his Philippians that I have you in my heart m Philip. 1. 7 I can look upon you with an eye of good hope as a generation of men anointed by God with a spirit of Wisdom Knowledg Zeal and Faithfulness to bring on the New Heavens and the New Earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell and this by repairing the breaches and decayed places in the Body of the Doctrine of Christian Religion which since the first raising and compleating of it by Christ and his Apostles partly through the ignorance and insufficiency partly through the oscitancy and remissness of those to whom the guardianship and custody thereof have been committed by God in their successive generations hath been lamentably dismantled mis-figured and defaced and this well-nigh in all the integral and principal parts of it more or less In so much that a man who truly and clearly apprehends what this Doctrine was and yet is in her purity and native frame and shall compare it with the Systeme or Body of Divinity which under this Notion is commonly taught and held forth amongst us will hardly be able to say this is the Doctrine of Christ For whosoever shall engage himself with that diligence throughness and unpartialness of Enquiry which become those who run for so high a prize as an incorruptible Crown of Glory to consider what is ordinarily delivered and more generally received amongst us not onely in and about those great Points of Election Reprobation Redemption the efficacy and extent of the Grace of God and Perseverance of the Saints but also about many other Heads of Christian Doctrine as about Faith Justification the Sufferings of Christ the Intercession of Christ Repentance Good Works Baptism the state and condition of the Dead until the Resurrection with sundry more and shall with like diligence consider what the Scriptures teach concerning these Particulars respectively will
praeterita quà m praesentia quoniam quae ibi sunt nunquam possunt non esse praesentia sicut temporaliter praeterita non valent urquam praeterita non esse praesentia vero temporis omnia quae transeunt fiunt non praesentia Ansel Opusc de Concord c. 1. Secondly if God be a Perfect Pure and compleat Act all in present §. 30. Being and Doing which is any wayes possible for him either to be or to do then must his Counsells and Decrees concerning men and particularly those lately mentioned Election Reprobation Predestination c. of necessity respect them and relate unto them not as individually or personally considered or as such or such men by Name but in a specificall consideration or as Persons so or so qualified or of such or such a condition So that for example God cannot be said to elect or to have elected Peter simply considered as Peter or as a Person consisting of that individuall body and soul of which Peter consisteth but as an individuum or Person of such or such a Species Sort or kinde of men The reason why an election of men in a meere personall consideration must needs be inconsistent with the perfect Actuality of God is because it evidently supposeth a mutability or possibility Concerning the unchangeablenesse of God See more cap. 10. Sect. 40 c. of this Discourse of change in him as viz. in point of affection as from hatred unto love which an election of them according to a specificall consideration doth not For if God for example shall be supposed to have chosen Peter simply and meerly as Peter and not as a Believer or as a godly or righteous Person and if it shall be supposed withall that Peter before his conversion was a wicked and ungodly man as the greatest part of men are before their conversion especially at some distance of time from it it will follow that God in time comes to love that Person which sometimes he hated which evidently supposeth a mutability or changeablenesse of affection in God according to a change made in the Creature The Scripture saith expresly of God that he hateth all workers of iniquity * Psal 5. 5. Therefore whilest Peter was a worker of iniquity most certaine it is that God hated him But upon this Peters conversion it must be supposed that God layd aside his affection of hatred towards him and put on the affection of love in stead thereof which imports a Palpable and plaine change in him If it be said that such an Election as I Plead for viz. of men under a specificall consideration supposeth such a mutability in God as this because §. 31. according to the notion and tenor of this Election God must be supposed one while to hate Peter viz. during the time of his non-conversion and whilest he is a worker of iniquity and another while to love him viz. when he is regenerate I answer no the Election asserted infers no mutability or change in God at all The reason is because it doth not make the persons of men meerly and simply as such the Precise and formall object of election but considered as the individuaâ—ls of such a determinate Species Sort or Kinde of Men or rather the species it self of such and such Men. Now as it is as truly as commonly said in Logique that though all the Individualls of a Species be corruptible may change or die yet the Species it self remaines incorruptible and cannot be changed so in the case in hand the Love of God in Election and there is the same reason of his hatred in Reprobation being Primarily and directly pitched and set upon a certaine Species of Men and not upon the Persons of Men save by accident and indirectly only and in a consequentiall way hence it followes that the Proper and formall Object of Gods Love and so of his hatred being unchangeable his love it self cannot be said to be changed nor yet his hatred though the persons of Men change never so often from good to evill or from evill to good Though all the righteous Persons on the Earth should apostatize and turne wicked yet the Species or Kinde of righteous Men would be still the same the same in Nature Definition Worth Lovelinesse and in whatsoever is essentiall or proper unto the Species And as God loved this Generation or Species of Men with this love of Election before the foundation of the World as the Apostles Phrase is and consequently whilest as yet no individuall Person thereof was in actuall Being in like manner were all the righteous Persons in the World dead or degenerated into wicked men the Love of God towards the Species would be still the same yea and towards all particular Persons of Men that should at any time rise up in this Species According to this notion of Election it argues no mutability or change at all in God either in respect of his love or hatred that one while he loves and another while hates one and the same Person because it supposeth no Person of Men to be any otherwise or in any other consideration the object of his Election or of his elective Love but only as righteous nor any Person of Man the object of his Reprobation or reprobating hatred but only as wicked or ungodly As it argueth no change or alteration in the Heavens or in the Climates thereof that a Man removing himself by travell out of a cold Climate where he felt the inconvenience of cold into an hot partakes here of the accommodation of warmth it only argues a change in the Man in respect of his Residence and Place so neither doth it argue any change at all in God nor of any affection in him in case a Man passing from sin where he liv'd under the hatred and displeasure of God unto righteousnesse injoyes in this condition the Love and Favour of God This only imports a change in such a Man but no change at all in God or in any affection of his He now loves but where and what he loved before and hates still as before he hated Nor doth this Notion or Doctrine of Election and Reprobation any wayes suppose either righteousnesse to be the cause of the former or sin of the latter as opportunity may be given in the Processe of the Discourse more fully to shew Thirdly if the Actuality of God or the Divine Essence be so absolute §. 32. and full as Proof hath been made then can there be no such Act or Decree in him as the Reprobation of Men personally considered from eternity The Reason is because all men being in the loynes of Adam whilest he was yet standing just and righteous were partakers of the same condition of righteousnesse with him and consequently of all Priviledges amongst which the Love and Favour of God are predominant equitably belonging to this condition So that all Men whilest they were found in this condition or estate of
God Himself as it was might very well had they not been negligent or willingly blind have been apprehended and submitted unto by them as a way and means of Justification far more rationall more full of Wisdom and Equity and every wayes more honourable unto and better becoming God then that way and Method of their imagination I mean by the observation of Moses Law 3. Though it be not to be denied but that God hath an absolute Sovereignty §. 37. and Lordship over his Creature i. e. a lawfull power to dispose of it as he pleaseth yet it is an horrible indignity and affront put upon him and no lesse then a constructive deniall of his Infinite Grace Goodnesse Mercy Bounty Love c. to affirm that he exerciseth or administreth this Soveraignty and Power upon the hardest terms and most grievous unto his Creature that can lighâ—â—y be imagined yea and no wayes conducing unto his own glory which notwithstanding they affirm in effect who maintain that from eternity He left or purposed to leave the far greatest part of his most excellent Creaturâ—â— Men to everlasting Misery and Ruine without any possibility of making an escape therefrom Suppose that God should grant an absolute Power unto Parents over their Children as that if they pleas'd they might slay them or dispose of them to be stain which some learned Men are not far from supposing that God did grant unto Parents under the Law a Vi. Ludov. Cappell de voto Jepthae Diatrib or else to expose them to the wide World as soon as they are borne to suffer all the extremities that are incident to flesh and blood can it be imagined that persons of loving kinde and â—ender disposâ—tions by Nature would ever marry out of a desire to have Children that they might shew their Prerogative or absolute Power over them either in disposing of them unto death or exposing them unto misery as soon as they should be borne Or are such Intentions or Desires as these any wayes consistent with sweetnesse goodnesse and tendernesse of disposition How prodigiously then and portentuously inconsistent must it needs be with the Grace Goodnesse Mercy Bounty Love of God which are all Infinite to create millions of Men-creatures with a desire or intention to declare his Prerogative over them in leaving them irrecoverably irrevocably unavoydably to the â—aslesse endlesse torments of Hell 4. Suppose such a Preterition or Dereliction of the Creature as this §. 38. could be reconciled or argued into some tolerable consistency with the Grace Goodnesse Sweetnesse Love Bounty and Mercy of God yet the Wisdom of God will not bear them as being most disadvantagious unto him in point of glory or at least comparaâ—ively disadvantagious I mean in respect of that other most wise just and equall disposition of them wherein and according unto which he is asserted to have predestinated or purposed so many of them be they fewer or be they more as should truly believe unto life and glory and the residue be they fewer or be they more viz. all those who should not believe being capable through years of believing and otherwise competently rationall unto destruction Such a Predestination of men from eternity as this the Scriptures cleerly and frequently hold forth yea those that are contrary minded in the present controversies subscribe hereunto and without controversie such a Predestination as this is fairly and fully consistent with the glory of his Wisdom and highly commends and magnifies either all or the greatest part of his Attributes without the least disparagement or obscuration unto any Whereas that doom-full preterition that blood which many wring out of the Scriptures in stead of Milke hath no rationall or intelligible comport at all with any of them but casts a kinde of spirit of obscurity and contristation upon them all Nor did any of those I verily believe who have been the rigidest and most confident assertors of it ever so much as undertake to shew how or wherein it gratifieth or complieth with any of them no nor have they all been able with any tolerable satisfaction to Men of unpartiall and free judgements to discharge it of those imputations of Malignancy against the glory of the Divine Attributes which the Dis-assertors of it have charged upon it 5. And lastly the Scriptures are so far from countenancing or asserting §. 39. any such exercise of prerogative in God over his Creature which consists in a most severe and dreadfull dereliction of them from eternity to unavoydable and endlesse misery that they still present Him as a Creator of far another Spirit yea of a Spirit directly contrary to that which such a dereliction notoriously imports These frequently commend Him as a Creator very Gracious Loving Mercifull and Bountifull towards all the works of his hands and towards Men above all in so much that our Saviour himself recommends him unto his Saints in his deportments even towards the worst and most unworthy of Men as an absolute pattern for them to imitate in doing good and shewing mercy even to their enemies But I say unto you love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you That yee may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and on the unjust a Mat. 5. 44. 45. If it shall be supposed that God from eternity hath irreversibly doomed to eternall destruction those evill and unjust ones on whom he maketh his Sun to rise and sendeth Raine it must be supposed withall that he intends the greatest evill unto them that can be imagined even whilest he doth these good things unto them If so then must they who imitate him in such wayes be the most accursed Hypocrites and Dissemblers under Heaven making shew of Love and Kindnesse in their outward deportments whilest War and Blood are in their hearts towards men yea and doing good unto them with a purpose and desire of bringing so much the greater evill and destruction upon them thereby But the Scripture every where abounds in giving testimony to the Love and Goodnesse of God towards all his Creatures The Apostle Peter styleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Faithfull Creator â— Pet. 4. ult and willeth Christians to commit their Soules unto him in well doing upon that account viz. as one or as a God that would faithfully perform and discharge the Relation of a Creator unto them In calling him a Faithfull Creator he cleerly intimates that there is a kinde of naturall tie or ingagement upon every Author of Being whether unto persons or things which promiseth unto those who receive Being from them in any kinde a regular and due care in them for their preservation and good The relation of a Parent Father or Mother promiseth unto the Child a regular care
Man as such but of Believers and of such intentions as these he never faileth or suffers disappointment But of this we spake liberally in the third Chapter Besides if Christ died sufficiently for all Men either God intended this §. 40. sufficiency of his Death for or unto all Men or not If not then was the glory or sovereigne worth of this death of his besides the intentions of God God did not intend any such compleatnesse of merit or satisfaction in his death as were in it But this I presume tempteth no Mans thoughts or belief If then God did intend the sufficiency of his Death for or unto all Men why may it not be said that he intended his Death it self accordingly and so that Christ died intentionally on Gods Part for all Men The word sufficiently is no terminus diminuens no terme of diminution Therefore the argument followes roundly if God intended the sufficiency of Christs Death for all Men then he intended his Death it self for all Men and consequently Christ Died not sufficiently only but intentionally also for all Men. And so the distinction vanisheth Thirdly how can he who payeth nothing at all for a Man nor intends to §. 41. pay any thing be notwithstanding said to pay that which is sufficient for him Suppose a Man be in debt and in danger of imprisonment for it can a sufficient payment be said to be made for him whether any thing at all be payed for him or in order to the keeping of him from imprisonment or no when nothing at all is paid for a Man that is a great Debtor but that he remaines as much a Debtor and in as great danger as before can that which is sufficient or enough for him or for his discharge be said to be paied for him unlesse haply it be in a sence very delusory and deriding in which sence doubtlesse Christ did not pay any Ransome for any man Suppose a man should pay a great sum of money only for the redeeming of John and Peter being Captives by which money he might if he had pleased have ransomed me also and a thousand more being in the same condition of captivity with them can this man by reason of the payment of such a sum as this upon the terms specified be said to have payd that which is sufficient to Ransome me Or is that sufficient to Ransome me which was only paid for the Ransome of another Fourthly if there were a sufficiency in the Death of Christ for all Men or §. 42. for the Salvation of all Men and God not intend it for all Men but for a few a number inconsiderable only then will the Death of Christ be found rather matter of dishonour or disparagement unto him than of honour Suppose a Man were possest of a very great estate in Gold Silver and other the good things of this life whereby he is able to relieve the necessities of all his Neighbours round about him who are generally poore and that to such an extremity that without relief from him they must inevitably perish in case this Man should resolve to relieve only two or three of these indigent Persons with this his abundance and rather throw the rest of it into the midst of the Sea then minister unto any more of them though they be many thousands and these every whit as necessitous and as well-deserving as the other would not this great estate in such a case and upon such terms as these be a blot rather and reproach then an honour or matter of repute to this Man and declare him to be of a very unnaturall ignoble and inhumane spirit In like manner if God shall have satisfaction merit and attonement before him abundantly sufficient to save the whole World from perishing everlastingly and shall purpose rather to let it be like water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered up then dispose of it towards the Salvation of any more then only a small handfull of Men comparatively leaving innumerable soules to perish irrecoverably and without mercy would not this abundance of merit and satisfaction upon such an account as this be in the eyes of all considering men an obscuring vail over the Mercy Love Goodnesse and Bounty of God and occasion the Creature to judge of him as a God rather envying then desiring the Peace and Welfare of men And if God so deeply abhorred the fact of Onan in spilling the seed upon the ground lest he should give seed unto his deceased Brother that he slew him for it a Gen. 38 9. 10 how dare men present Him so neer unto communion in such a fact as the spilling interverting or non-consigning of the far greater part of the merit of the Death of Christ unto men lest they should be saved would render Him Fifthly if Christ died sufficiently for all men and not intentionally as viz. §. 43. not for Reprobates so called then he died as much for the Devils themselves as He did for far the greatest part of men Because His death in respect of the intrinsecall value and worth of it was sufficient to have redeemed the Devils as well as men Yea if the sufficiency of the Price paid by Christ be a sufficient ground to beare such a saying as this that He died sufficiently for all men He may be said to have died not only for Reprobates as Reprobates and so for Unbelievers as Unbelievers viz. sufficiently but for the Devils also quatenus Devils in as much as there is no defect imaginable in the price we speak of in respect of the absolute and inherent dignity value or worth of it but that all these even under the considerations mentioned might have been redeemed by it as well as the Elect. But that Christ died for Reprobates as Reprobates and for Devils as Devils in one sence or other were never yet I conceive the sayings or thoughts of any Man nor I suppose ever will be certaine I am cannot reasonably be Sixthly and lastly as yet there hath no sufficient ground been shewed §. 4. 4 either from the Scriptures or from Principles of Reason for the distinction under Contest nor I believe ever will be or can be Therefore they who distinguish between Christs dying for al men sufficiently and intentionally opposing the one to the other affirming the former and denying the latter do not only go about to set Lambs together by the eares which will not fight but also speak things most unworthy of God and which render him a far greater deluder or derider of his poore Creature Man then a Benefactor or well-willer to him in all his Declarations and Professions of love unto him in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ to make his attonement and procure Redemption for him Upon consultation had with the Premisses with other considerations haply of like import some of the greatest and most learned opposers of Universall Redemption Piscator and Beza by Name have
Texture of words as this Yea doth not such a carriage of the place cleerly imply that there are or may be some of the Elect themselves who shall not live or be restored from death by Christ and consequently shall not be bound upon any such ingagement to live unto him Doubtlesse if by the word ALL the Apostle had meant ALL the Elect and these only he would not have added that they who live but rather that they or these might live For these words that they who live cleerly import a possibility at least yea a futurity also i. e. That it would so come to passe that some of those ALL for whom Christ died would not live and consequently would be in no capacity of living from themselves to live unto him The uncouthnesse and sencelessnesse of such interpretations as these was somewhat more at large argued in the next preceding Chapter Sect. 12. 13 c. But now let us take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL in the proper and due signification of it viz. for the generality or universality of men the sence will run cleer and have a savoury and sweet relish with it Because we thus judge i. e. upon cleer Grounds and Principles of reason argue and conclude that if one died for All Men then were All Men dead i. e. Obnoxious unto death dead in Law as good as dead otherwise they should not have had any need that another should die for their preservation and that he died for All Men i. e. we further also judge and conclude that he died for All Men with this intent or for this end amongst others that they who live i. e. That whosoever of those for whom he thus died shall be saved by this death of his for them should in consideration of and by way of signall thankfulnesse for such a Salvation not live unto themselves i. e. only or chiefly minde themselves whilest they live in the World in their carnall and Worldly interests but unto him who died for them and rose again i. e. Promote his interest and affaires in the World who so notably ingaged them hereunto by dying for them and by resuming his Life and Being after his Death is become capable of their love and service to him in this kinde In such a carriage of the place as this there is spirit and life evidence of Reason Commodiousnesse of Sence Regularnesse of Construction no forcing or straining of Words or Phrases or the like whereas in any such exposition which contracts the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL Men either to the Elect or to any lesser number of Men then ALL there will be found an universall disturbance in the sentence nothing orderly smooth or clear By the way the Apostle in saying that Christ died for All Men that they §. 6. who live should not live unto themselves c. doth not intend to confine the duty of thankfulnesse for Christs Death only unto the Saints or those that are put into an estate of Salvation by it as if wicked Men and Unbelievers ought him no service at all upon that account but only shewes that Christ expects or lookes for no such deniall of themselves for his sake at the hands of any but of theirs only who come actually to taste and partake of the great benefit and blessing of his death Thus then we see that the word ALL or ALL Men though in some place or places it may yea of necessity must signifie only some men or some parts of all men yet in others and particularly in those two lately insisted upon it must with the like necessity signifie ALL Men without exception 4. And lastly for the word World which was the terme of contention in the former head of Scriptures though I deny not but that in some places it signifies only some part of men in the World and not the intire universality of Men as Luke 2. 1. Acts 19. 27. and frequently elsewhere yet that it any where signifies precisely that part of the World which the Scripture calls the Elect I absolutely deny neither hath it yet been nor I believe ever will be proved and the rather because the Holy Ghost delights still as some instances have been given a Cap. 5. Sect. 10. and more might be added without number to expresse that part or party of men in the World which is contrary unto the Saints and which are strangers and enemies unto God by the World This by way of answer to that exception or pretence against the exposition given of the Scriptures alledged viz. that the word World and those generall terms ALL and every Man are sometimes used in a restrained signification Concerning the exposition given of the Scripture last argued were it not §. 7. clear and pregnant enough by the light wherein it hath been presented further countenance might be given unto it by shewing what friends it hath amongst our best and most approved Authors Among the Ancients Chrysostome is generally esteemed and that worthily the best Interpreter of the Scriptures His sence of the place under debate is plainly enough the same with ours For saith he writing upon the place He meaning Christ had not died or would not have died for All had not All died or been dead In which words he cleerly supposeth that Christ died for as many as were dead and consequently for ALL without exception in as much as ALL without exception or difference were dead A little after thus For it argueth an excesse of much love both to die for SO GREAT A WORLD and to die for it being so affected or disposed as it was b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amongst our later Divines Musculus is not the least if not equall to the greatest Yet he also gives the right hand of fellowship to the interpretation given upon the place But Christ saith he died not only for his friends but for his enemies also NOT FOR SOME MEN ONELY BVT FOR ALL without exception This is the unmeasurable or vast extent of the love of God a Christus verò non pro amicis tantum sed inimici◠non pro quibusdam tantùm sed pro omnibus Mortuus est Haec est immensa Divinae dilectionis amplitudo But the cause we plead needs no such Advocates as these being potent enough with its own evidence and equity and therefore we shall retaine no more of them A third Text of Scripture presented upon the same account with the former §. 8. was that he by the Grace of God should taste death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every Man b Heb. 2. 9. This clause importeth that universality of attonement made by the Death of Christ which we maintaine more significantly if more may be and with lesse liablenesse to any evasion or shift then any of the former places ingaged in the warfare To shew that the Lord Christ though cloathed with a body of flesh
stand in as much or more need of the Physician then others but those that are truly and sincerely righteous Therefore this Scripture holds no intelligence with that interpretation of the other which is now under censure But 2. Be it granted for truth that things and persons sometimes receive appellations §. 37. only from an appearance of what they are called or from the opinion of Men judging them such yet such a line of interpretation as this is not to be stretched over what Scriptures we please nor indeed over any but where the manifest exigency of the Context calls for it Otherwise we shall entitle Men to a liberty of substituting shadowes and appearances only instead of realities and substances of Truth where and when they please and so to turne the Minde and Counsells of God in the Scriptures upside down The Contest of old between Hierome and Austine about Pauls reproving Peter Gal. 2. is of notable consideration to the businesse in hand Hierome pleaded that when Paul reproved Peter at Antioch he did it not seriously or in good earnest but affirmed that these two Apostles out of a kinde of prudent Charity agreed to make a shew of a Contest between them when as indeed there was none But how gravely and copiously doth Austin declare against and argue down such a licentiousnesse of interpreting The Scripture saith he plainely saith that Peter was worthy reproofe or to be condemned If then we shall take this liberty or boldnesse to say that indeed and in truth he did not amisse but only dissembled for the sake of those that were weake then the Apostle Paul lyes in saying that he was worthy blame or reproofe Admit this saith this learned Father and down falls all the Authority and certainty of the Scriptures a Mihi enim videtur exitiosissime credi aliquod in libris Sanctis esse mendacium c Aug. Epist 8. vid. Epist 9. 14. praecipue Epist 19. For if they speake that which is false in one place who can make it good that they speake Truth in another This is the briefe of that famous dissertation between those two Worthies in the Christian Church From whence it may appeare of what dangerous consequence it is to expound that which the Scripture simply and plainely delivers as a Truth as spoken by way of appearance or humane opinion only when there is no apparant necessity inforcing such an Exposition And if there be some places which will beare or which call for such a figurative and Catacresticall Interpretation as this they are but few and those which are must be discerned and distinguished from others by the manifest exigency of their respective scopes and imports the least jot or title of which character is not to be found in the place in hand For 3. And lastly most evident it is as hath been formerly also observed §. 38. and as many Expositors more then enough addicted to the contra-Remonstrant opinion themselves acknowledge that the Apostles intent here is to set forth the most hainous and horrid indignity of the sin of these false Teachers in denying their Lord by this aggravating consideration that they deny such a Lord who bought them Now if it be supposed that this Lord really and of love and good will to them and out of a desire to free them from misery bought or redeemed them the consideration is of great pregnancy and force to demonstrate horrible ingratitude and impiety in them to deny Him But if on the contrary it be supposed that he did not indeed buy them with any intent to free them from their misery but only make a shew of such a thing or only do that which might occasion Men to think or to believe that he did so this manifestly easeth and qualifies the guilt of their sin in denying him and so is manifestly repugnant to the Apostles scope For to make a shew of love only or to doe that by which other Men may be invited to think that a reall kindnesse is done for such or such a Man when as indeed there is nothing done of any such consideration nor ever intended to be done doth no wayes oblige this Man in thankfulnesse unto him who accommodates him upon no better terms but is rather a just ground of an harder and worse opinion of him If it be replied yea but these false Teachers knew nothing but that they §. 39. were truly and really bought by Christ and that out of a desire of saving them nor had they any sufficient reason to judge otherwise Therefore their sin in denying him is no wayes eased upon this account that he did not indeed buy them with any such intent or desire because 1. Men are bound to judge as they have reason to judge and 2. are bound to act or practise according to their judgements I answer There can be no sufficient ground for any Man to believe that which is false nor ought such a thing to be believed at least with confidence of belief or with any such belief upon which he shall stand bound to ingage in any material and weighty Action or Practise Therefore if Christ did not really buy these false Teachers they could have no sufficient ground to believe that he did at least to believe at any such rate of confidence as rather to suffer the losse of any considerable good then deny it If it be againe replied A Man may stand bound to adventure much upon probabilities in many cases though there be no certainty or truth in that which upon such probabilities he doth believe I answer possibly a Man may indeed stand bound in point of wisdome or prudence in some cases to adventure much in a simple consideration upon probabilities only but not in point of Conscience As for example a Merchant or other Man may stand bound in point of wisdom to adventure some considerable part of his state in a way of Trade beyond the Seas upon probabilities only of a gainfull returne though even in this case upon a more exact consideration it will appeare that such a Man doth not make this adventure upon any meere probability one or more but upon that which is certaine For the probability of a good returne in this case is a certainty to him he knowes certainly and beyond all doubt or question that it is a thing probable or likely that he shall receive such a returne though he knowes not certainly but only probably that he shall indeed receive it Now the true ground upon which the Merchant adventures is not the knowledge that he shall or will gaine by his adventure for it is unpossible for him to know this but the knowledge and consideration of the likelyhood of his gaining which as hath been said he may and doth know and that certainly You will upon this say it is like The false Teachers in the Scripture §. 40. in hand had or might have had such a certainty as this
i. e. This antipathy standing either doe that which is sinfull but especially omit or neglect the doing of that which is his duty yea and of great concernment likewise unto him to doe Thus we have at last fully and cleerly we suppose acquitted that Scripture 1 Joh. 3. 9. more vehemently suspected and charged then all his fellows with confederacy against that Doctrine which affirms a Possibility of a totall and finall defection in the Saints Another Scripture hath the same imputation cast upon it for speaking §. 37. only thus My Father which gave them me is greater then all and no Man is able to take them out of my Fathers Hand a Ioh. 10. 29 From hence it is argued and conceived that God ingageth himself with his Omnipotency to preserve the Saints or Sheep of Christ from either totall or finall apostasie and consequently that it is unpossible but that they should be preserved But to this place of Scripture a sufficient answer hath been given already in this Chapter b Sect. 18. 19 20 c. where we shewed that the ingagement of the mighty Power of God for the Protection and safeguarding of the Saints as such or remaining such against all adverse Power whatsoever is frequently asserted in Scripture but no where for the compelling or necessitating of them to Persevere or continue such Nor is there the least intimation of any such thing in the Text before us And yet here I shall further add in reference unto it That by the tenor and carriage of the Context it appeares 1. That that security for which our Saviour ingageth the greatnesse of His Fathers Power unto his Sheep is promised or ascertained unto them not in order to the effecting or procuring their finall perseverance but rather by way of toward to it 2. That this promise of eternall safety made by Christ unto His Sheep doth not relate to their estate or condition in this present World but to that of the World to come My Sheepe saith he verse 27. heaâ— my voyce and I know them and they follow me In which expressions of hearing his voyce and following him he intimates or includes their perseverance c Intellige autem loqui Christum de oviâ—us quâ— tales sunt ac maâ—ent Hag. Grot in locum as appeares by the words immediately following Verse 28. And I give unto them etenall life This gift of his presupposeth the finall perseverance of those to whom it is given It followes and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand In these words he seems further to explaine how and in what sence he calls that life eternall which he promiseth to confer upon them as viz. that by the eternalnesse of it he doth not only meane such a constitution or condition of it which secureth it from perishing or dissolving in respect or by means of any intrinsecall cause upon which account the lives they live in the flesh are perishable but which secureth it likewise against all externall means or power that may seem to threaten or indanger it And for a further confirmation that the life which he promiseth unto his Sheepe hearing his voyce and following him viz. as was said perseveringly is eternall in the best largest most comprehensive most desireable sence of the word he subjoynes the words in hand Verse 29. My Father which gave them me is greater viz. in power then all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers Hand as if he should have said God Himself by whose grace they became my Sheepe and followed me and whose power is abundantly sufficient for the work would maintaine and make good unto them to the uttermost that life which I shall give unto them against all dangers all enemies all adversary powers whatsoever This being the naturall and cleer disposition of the Context it is a plaine case that here is not the least aire or breathing of any ingagement of the great power of God to bring about the perseverance of the Saints upon those terms of infallibility or necessity which are so much contended for Another Scripture much intreated in the behalf of the Doctrine of perseverance §. 38. is that of the Evangelist John concerning our Saviour having loved his own which were in the World he loved them unto the end a Ioh. 13. 1. Out of this light some draw this darknesse Therefore whom Christ once loves He loves alwayes or unto the end Which inference they suppose is further strengthened by that of the Prophet For I am the Lord I change not b Mal. 3. 6. I Answer 1. From the passage in John there can nothing more be concluded in Reference to the Question in hand then by way of immediate deduction the greatnesse and constancy of Christs love towards such of His Disciples who continued in their obedience and faithfulnesse unto him for the Evangelist I suppose did not intend Judas amongst those whom Christ loved unto the end and 2. By way of Proportion or Rationall consequence from this deduction that the love of Christ is great and constant towards all those who persevere in love and faithfulnesse unto him This is the constant Doctrine of the Scriptures but no wayes concerns the present Dispute Yet for the passâ—ge it self if it hath any aspect at all upon it it is rather by way of favour and countenance to that side against which then to that for which it is commonly alledged For if the love of Christ towards His Disciples unto the end necessâ—rily supposeth or requireth the concurrent continuance of the same affection in them towards him it plainely follows that if men shall draw back from Him His Soul will have no further pleasure or delight in them And this indeed was the expresse Doctrine of that Man of God who was sent to meet King Asa and the People with him upon the late Presence of God with them against their enemies O Asa and all Juda and Benjamin hear yee me The Lord is with you while yee be with Him and if yee seeke Him He will PE FOVND of yoâ— but IF YEE FORSAKE HIM He will forsake you c 2 Chron. 15. 2 Which cleerly supposeth 1. A possibility of their forsaking God who for a time are truly and really with Him 2. A certainty of Gods forsaking those who forsake Him 2. It is not here said that Christ having loved His own loved them unto the §. 39. end of their lives or dayes but to the end viz. of his life and abode in the World the emphaticall and clear meaning of the place being thus that to declare the exceeding greatnesse and mervellous constancy of his affection towards His Disciples and that whilest they were yet in the World and so subject to many weaknesses and infirmities which might seeme to render them lesse lovely unto Him then those that were made perfect d Heb. 12. 23. as the Apostle speaks thorough death
He did not cease to manifest His Care and Love towards them no not at such a time or season wherein the most affectionate and tender Parents are wont to forget and lay aside the care and thoughts of their dearest children as viz. when he knew and was very sensible of a most hideous and grievous storme and tempest of death hanging over his Head and even now ready to fall upon him At such a time as this he expressed His Love to them and Care over them as appeareth partly by that condescentious action of his in washing their feet which immediately followeth in this Chapter partly by that large and serious Discourse which he had with them and made unto them in the three following Chapters partly also by that most affectionate and Heavenly Prayer for them wherein he recommended them unto his Fathers Love and Care Cap. 17. But that by the end unto which he is said to have loved his Disciples is not meant the end of their lives but of his own is the common sence of Expositors He loved them even to the Death which He suffered for them say our English Divines in their Annotations upon the place and so uncessantly Calvin likewise not to mention any more plainly enough intimates the same sence Nor is it doubtfull saith he upon the place but that even now He beares the same affection which He retained in the very instant of Death a Neque â—nim dubium est quin cundem nunc quoque affectum gerat quem in ipso mortis articulo retinuit So that in this passage of Scripture there is neither colour nor shadow of any thing for the finall Perseverance of the Saints but only for the perseverance of Christs Love towards them whilest they persevere which indeed may be substantially proved from hence if it were any part of the Question 3. For the words of Malachi I am the Lord I change not from which it §. 40. Read more of this subject Cap. 4. Sect. 30 31 c. of this Discourse is wont to be argued that when God once loves a person he never ceaseth to love him because this must needs argue a changeablenesse in him in respect of his affection and consequently that the Saints cannot fall away finally from his Grace I answer 1. By the tenor of this arguing it would as well follow that in case God should at any time withdraw his love or favour from a Nation or body of People which he sometimes favoured or loved he should be changed But that no such change of dispensation as this towards one and the same people or Nation argueth any change at all in God at least any such change which he disclaimeth as incompetent to him is evident from those instances without number recorded in Scripture of such a different dispensation of his towards sundry Nations and more especially towards the Jewes to whom sometimes he gave peace sometimes he consumed them with wars stirring up enemies against them sometimes he gave them plenty other-while he exercised them with famine and scarcity of all things sometimes he made them the head and sometimes againe the taile of the Nations round about them Therefore neither the changeablenesse nor unchangeablenesse of God are to be estimated or measured either by any variety or uniformity of â—ispensation towards one and the same object and consequently for him to expresse himself as this day towards a person Man or Woman as if he intended to save them or that he really intends to save them and should on the morrow as the alteration in the interim may be or however may be supposed in these persons expresse himself to the contrary as that he verily intends to destroy them would not argue or imply the least change or alteration in him Yea when as in one hour he confer'd upon the lapsed Angells the greatest happinesse they were capable of and in the next hour perhaps sooner there sin interveening he cast them out of his sight into the greatest misery this argued no change or shadow of change or turning in God Therefore 2. That unchangeablenesse which the Scriptures or God Himself in §. 41. the Scriptures asserts unto Himself is to be considered only in respect of his Essence Attributes and Decrees and not in respect of any constancy or samenesse of tenor in his dispensations towards the same Creatures whether they be changed or no. First God is unchangeable in his Essence or simple Beeing in respect of this nothing can be added to him nothing can be taken from him nothing can be altered or made otherwise with Him in Him or about Him then now it is or was from eternity This unchangeablenesse in him the Prophet David contemplated in this his addresse to him Of old thou hast laid the foundations of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy Hand They shall perish but thou shalt indure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy yeares shall have no end a Psal 102. 25 c. Secondly God is unchangeable likewise in respect of his attributes which are all founded in His Nature Essence or simple Beeing so that for example he is not more wise at one time and lesse wise at an other not stronger at one time and weaker at another nor better at one time and worse at another though it is true he may shew more wisdome or to speak more properly he may shew his Wisdom more i. e. more plainly and perspicuously as unto Men in one contriveance or Providentiall Dispensation then in another and in this sence he may shew more Power and so more goodnesse at one time then at another Yet this different expression of himself according to the different natures and imports of his Attributes respectively doth not argue any changeablenesse at all in these Attributes As a Man may be as strong when he acts little or nothing with his strength as when in any action he exerts or puts forth the uttermost of it and so may be of as loving and sweet a disposition when according to the exigency of his calling and conscience he most severely punisheth the same Persons for their misdemeanours whom he sometimes honoured and loved whilest he judged them vertuous as he was whilest he yet honoured and loved them When a Judge who is of a sweet nature and loving disposition towards all Men considered as Men especially as good Men shall according to the Laws whereunto he is sworne and the equity of the Case award a Sentence of Death against one or more of them this no wayes argueth or supposeth any alteration or change in his goodnesse or sweetnesse of disposition he may be nay it is like he is the same Man in respect of these lovely qualifications or indowments even when and whilest he executes such a Judiciary Act of severity which he
are justified not be glorified how can the Apostles Proof stand that all things worke together for good to those who love God which as your self acknowledged is the Doctrine or Conclusion the demonstration of the truth whereof the Apostle intends by the Producing of this golden chaine of Divine acts taking hold in a clear subordination one upon another Can all things be said to work together for good to him who never comes to be glorified but to be everlastingly condemned To this I answer That this Doctrine or saying of the Apostle All things work together for good unto those who love God is to be understood with the like Explication or graine of spirituall salt wherewith these two and a thousand more sentences in the Scriptures are to be seasoned He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned b Mar. 16. 16 The meaning of this latter saying to proceede a notioribus ad magis ignota He that believeth not shall be damned is not this He that now or at Present believeth not let him doe all he will or can let him believe a thousand times over hereafter shall notwithstanding be damned this I say is not our Saviours meaning in that clause His meaning is cleerly enough this He that believeth not viz. and continueth an unbeliever to his dying day shall be damned But it doth not follow from hence that he that is a present unbeliever must of necessity live and die in unbelief and so be damned So that there is a sence wherein it is as true that he that believeth not may and shall be saved viz. if he repents of his unbelief and returnes to his vomit no more So to search now into the former saying when our Saviour saith He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved his meaning is not that he who at present believeth and hath been or shall be Baptized shall be saved let him do what he will or can let him turne Apostate make shipwrack of his Faith renounce his Baptisme and the like but he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved i. e. He that believeth and continueth a Believer or shall be found a Believer and a Man standing fast by his Baptisme and Review the 43 Sect. of this Chapter holding out his Profession with constancy unto the end shall be saved Our Saviours cleer intent in these sayings was to shew and assert in the former the blessed interest of Faith in conjunction with a Christian Profession as viz. that it gives unto Men a title and rightfulnesse of claime to Salvation in the latter the dreadfull danger and formidable Property of unbelief as viz. that it exposeth the Person in whom it abides to the vengeance of Hell fire But as it was no part of his intent to assert any inseparablenesse of unbelief from the subject thereof in the latter clause so neither did he any wayes intend to assert any such property unto Faith in the former In like manner when the Apostle layeth down this Doctrine All things work together for good unto those that love God his meaning is not either to assert the unquenchableness or unremoveableness of this affection from its present subject or to imply that whosoever is at present a lover of God is in any such Possession of that Priviledge he speaks of I meane of having all things to worke together for good unto him that in case his love to God languisheth and dieth and a contrary affection succeeds in the place thereof he can or shall never be cast out of it But his intire and cleer intent in that Position or saying of his is to shew that the love of God in what Subject or Person soever it resides and whilest it there resides doth by vertue of the gracious Decree or Will of God in that behalfe invest him with this Priviledge viz. to have all occurrences of things relating to him even afflictions and Persecutions themselves benefactors unto him To make this good he shews what God hath fully Purposed or Decreed to doe for such Men or which is the same what he hath Predestinated such men unto as viz. to a conformity with or to the Image of His own Son the Lord Christ i. e. to make them glorious and blessed in such a way or upon such terms as Jesus Christ himself who was the greatest lover of God that ever was is now become glorious unto whose glorification all things that happened unto him in this present World and more especially his sufferings joyntly contributed and wrought And for further satisfaction how by what means and degrees God actually brings these Persons viz. continuing still lovers of him to this conformity with Christ in His glory He adds Moreover whom he did thus Predestinate them He also called i. e. as was formerly interpreted a Sect. 42. of this Chapter He Purposed to call viz. to the knowledge of His Son as the Saviour of the world and calleth them accordingly in which respect they are said to be Persons called according to his Purpose Verse 28. and whom He called them He also justified i. e. Purposed to justifie and justifieth accordingly and whom He justified them also He glorified i. e. Purposed to glorifie or to bring to an actuall conformity with Christ in His glory and glorifieth them accordingly Why the purposed or intended actings of God are expressed in Scripture rather in the Preter-Perfect tense then either in the present or future is accounted elsewhere in this Discourse b Cap. 4. Sect. 29. But in all these gradations mentioned of the Counsell of God concerning the bringing of those that love him unto a conformity with Christ in His glory the same subject formally considered i. e. those that love him as such is to be understood so that in case the subject be changed under or between any of the said gradations and he for example who loved God being yet only Predestinated by God to be conformed unto Christ in glory and not called or being called and not yet justified of being justified and not yet glorified shall either before his calling though Predestinate or before his justification though called or before his glorification though justified be alienated in his affection from God and having loved him shall cease to love him and suffer an hatred of God secretly to grow upon him it is not to be conceived that God notwithstanding such a change in him should advance or carry him on by the remaining steps or gradations unto glory but that where ever this heavenly affection of his Love to God shall expire and leave him there the Counsell of God also concerning his glorification should leave him and nothing be further done or acted by him in order thereunto unlesse haply he returnes unto his former affection The Apostles intent in the passage in hand was to declare the series and tenor of Gods Counsells for the glorious benefit and good of
4. they shall commit iniquity c. all the righteousnesse that they have done formerly shall not be mentioned i. e. as Calvin Himself interprets shall not come into any account as to matter of reward a Cum autem satis liqueat non venire justiciam ejus qui defecit in rationem ut quicquam mercedis sperare debeat c. Calv. in Ezek. 18. 24 evident it is that if it shall not come into any account at all as for example to obtaine from God so much as the reward of a temporall deliverance much lesse shall it turne to any such account as to be rewarded with that great recompence of reward Salvation Againe that Death which God here threateneth against that double or two fold iniquity of backsliding is opposed to that life which is promised to Repentance and Perseverance in well doing But this life is confessed by all to be eternall life therefore the death opposite to it must needs be eternall or the second death When the Apostle saith the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus our Lord b Rom. 6. 23. is it not evident from the antithesis or opposition in the sentence between the death and life mentioned in it that by that death which He affirmes to be the wages of sin is meant eternall death How else will the opposition stand Yet againe when God in the Scriptures threatens impenitent Persons with Death for their sins doubtlesse He intends and means eternall Death or that Death which is the wages of sin Otherwise we have no sufficient ground to believe or think that Men dying in their sins without Repentance shall suffer the vengeance of eternall fire but only a temporall or naturall Death which the righteous and truly penitent themselves suffer as well as they Therefore to say that God threatens impenitent Apostates in the place in hand with a temporall Death only when as elsewhere He threatens impenitency under the lightest guilt of all with eternall Death is in effect to represent him as vehement and sore in his disswasives from ordinary and lesser sins but indifferent and remisse in disswading from sins of the greatest Provocation Once more if it be only a temporall Death which God here threatneth against the Sons of Apostasie dying under the guilt of their Apostasie and of all the sins they have committed therein without Repentance then may Men under the guilt of the greatest and foulest abominations remaine in the greatest love and favour of God as just and righteous Men yea and without Repentance not only escape damnation but also inherit eternall life And where then is the God of judgement c Mal. 2 17. Or what will become of that great voyce of the Scriptures which every where calleth Men to Repentance for the forgivenesse of sins That comparative allusion of the Leper under the Law wherewith the §. 5. Synod of Dort it seemes much pleased themselves and others also since of the same judgement with them reacheth not the case nor administers any relief at all to their cause against the Scripture in hand The Leper say they among the Jews was enforced for a time meaning whilest his leprosie was upon Him to want His House but yet He did not in this time lose the right of Title which He had to this House because upon His healing or cleansing He might againe possesse it a Leprosus siquidem apud Judaeos cogebatur pro tempore domo caâ—ere non tamen jus ad domum amisit quia sanatus potuit illam rursus possidere Dr. Prid. Lect. 6. De Persever Sanct. p. 202. This comparison I say squares not with the businesse in hand For 1. The reason why the Person leprously affected did not lose the right He had to His House before He was leprous by His becomming a Leper was because there was no Law by which any Mans right or title to His House was disabled or made voyd by Leprosie whereas in the case of Apostasie there is a plaine Law or rather many Lawes established and declared by the great Law-giver of Heaven by which backsliders from wayes of righteousnesse into wayes of sin and abomination are without Repentance cut off from all right of title or claime to the inheritance of Heaven For this yee know saith the Apostle as we heard lately that no Whore-monger or uncleane Person nor covetous Man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance i. e. any right of inheritance or to inherit for otherwise no righteous Person yet living in the flesh hath any actuall inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God b Eph. 5. 5. To object that this Law or Decree of Heaven holds good against such sinners in every kinde Whoremongers covetous c. who never were righteous not against such who have been righteous though now lapsed into these wayes of abomination is not only to declare a Law without the sence or authority of the Law-maker but against that Declaration which he hath made of it who still declareth those the worst and greatest of sinners who with the lapsed Angells which we call Devils revolt from his service and wayes to walke in wayes that are an abomination to Him Be astonished O yee Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be yee very desolate saith the Lord. Why what is it that causeth the Glorious God to appeare in such an extasie of Passion For my People saith He have committed two evills they have forsaken Me the Fountaine of living Waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water c Jer. 2. 12 13. The Scripture is full of such Declarations from God as this against Apostates So that the Dort comparison palpably faulters in that circumstance which should have rendered it apposite to their Purpose 2. The leprous Person they speak of was cureable before his Death and §. 6. so as they say being healed might re-enter and possesse His House againe But the Revolter from Righteousnesse of whom Ezekiel speaks is supposed as we heard before to die under the guilt of his revolt without healing and consequently to be without all Possibility of cure being dead Therefore as the Leprous Person they speak of though whilest he lived had a right to His House no Law as was said depriving Him of this yet during His leprosie upon Him He had no right to enter take Possession or dwell in His House the Law disabling him hereunto in respect of his leprosie and in case he had been leprous untill his Death he should have had no more Power or Right to Possesse His House then if his title to it had been wholly lost in like manner should it be granted or supposed that the spirituall Leper of whom Ezekiel speaks had a right to the Kingdome of Heaven during his Leprosie yet supposing the cleaving of this Leprosie to him untill death which is the Prophets supposition he could never
Possibility of their finall fall by the dim light of some sensuall Principles and Apprehensions and in an overly and superficiall manner as it were at a distance are much troubled at it as if it were a Doctrine of an Anti-evangelicall spirit that would bring them into a Bondage of fear and torment them Which Doctrine notwithstanding would they look upon it narrowly and with an unprejudiced attention and this by the clear light of such considerations which exhibit it like it self unto them they would then soon confesse to be a Doctrine which was set not at all to curse but to blâ—ss them altogether The sole undertaking of this Chapter is to commend the said Doctrine unto §. 2. Argum. 1. the Judgements and Consciences of Men for a Truth by a Proposall of such worthy things which relate to it either by way of causality or affinity in Truth In the first place I pleade the cordiall sympathy it hath with that righteousness of God which the Scripture calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a non-acceptation of Persons thus That Doctrine which rendereth God free from that unrighteousness which the Scripture calls a respecting the Persons of Men is a Doctrine of perfect consistency with the Scriptures and the Truth The Doctrine which teacheth a Possibility of the Saints declining and this unto death is a Doctrine of this import Ergo. The reason of the former Proposition is plaine in as much as the Scriptures frequently assert that Principle of non-respecting Persons most worthy the judge of all the Earth unto God Deut. 10. 17. Gal. 2. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 17. c. The latter Proposition needeth no labouriousnesse of Proof neither Evident it is that the Doctrine here spoken of representeth God as a non-respecter of Persons in as much as it rendreth him a Judge of the same righteous severity against the enormous transgressions of his own Children and Friends which he exerciseth towards his enemies and those that are strangers unto Him upon the like Provocations This Doctrine subjecteth Saints as well as others to this righteous Law of God Neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankinde nor Theâ—ves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God a 1 Cor. 6. 9. meaning as is evident from other Scriptures without Repentance Whereas the common Doctrine of Perseverance exempteth all such who have at any time been true Believers or Children of God from the penalty or doome of this Law teaching that though such as these should turne Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers c. and continue never so long in these abominations without Repentance yet they retaine their Right and Title of Inheritance in the Kingdome of God and that they remaine under the greatest love that God can shew or beare towards Men the love of Election and of Children even in the midst of these deep and desperate Provocations And thus it maketh God the greatest accepter of Persons in the World rendring Him implacably severe towards lesser sinners and indulgent above measure to the greater For that such who have or have had the knowledge of God and have believed in Jesus Christ and made Profession of love and service to Him when they turn Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers c. are far greater sinners then Men committing the same sins in ignorance and unbeliefe is I think no Mans doubt or question Certaine I am that the Scripture still representeth God as more severe in punishing where greater means of Righteousnesse and well doing have been vouchsafed You said He to His own People the Children of Israel of old onely have I knowne of all the Families of the Earth Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities b Am. 3. 2. In the Gospell And that servant which knew His Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to His Will shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For unto whom much is given of him shall much be required c Luk. 12. 47 48. c. It cannot be denied and confessed it is by our Adversaries themselves as hath been formerly observed but that true Believers have fallen into the Practise of the foule transgressions mentioned yea and have remained impenitent in them for a long season Therefore if during the time of such Practise and impenitency they should not be in the same or worse condition to God-ward and Salvation-wise then ignorant Persons and such who were alwayes strangers unto God are when they live in the same impieties God must needs be an accepter of Persons in the highest and shew a thousand times more favour to grand and signall Delinquents then to ordinary and lighter Offendors in comparison So that to pretend though true Believers may and oft doe fall into the fore-named sins and continue for a time in them without Repentance yet God alwayes reneweth them by Repentance before their death though this was never yet proved nor ever will be it doth not at all salve the honour of the said Doctrine Because such a supposall notwithstanding the Persons contended about may and doe according to the tenor of the Premises lately Proved suffer a totall eclipse and intercision of the grace and favour of God in the mean season Secondly for a Possibility of the Saints defection either totall finall or §. 3. both I thus argue If the common Doctrine of Perseverance rendereth the Ministry of the Gospell Argum. 2 so far as it concerneth the Perseverance of the Saints vaine impertinent and voyd then is it not a Doctrine of God but of Men and consequently that which opposeth it is the Truth But certaine it is that the said Doctrine is of this un-Christian tendency and import Ergo. The consequence in the Major Proposition is pregnant of truth in as much as the Preservation of the Saints in Faith and Holinesse unto the end is one of the most considerable ends of the Ministry of the Gospell about the effecting whereof it is mainly conversant Therefore if God who hath ordained the Ministry of the Gospell for the advancement of this end should assert any such Doctrine which rendereth it unnecessary and impertinent in Reference to this end He should be divided in Himself and pull down with one hand what He buildeth up with another The Minor Proposition is demonstrable thus That Doctrine which rendreth the labour and faithfulnesse of a Minister in pressing such Exhortations Threatnings and Promises which tend to the Preservation of the Saints in Faith and Holinesse unto the end uselesse rendereth the Ministry of the Gospell as far as it concerns the incouragement or inabling of the Saints to Persevere needless and vaine but guilty of such a tendency as this is the commonly-received Doctrine of Perseverance Ergo. The truth of the Major Proposition here shineth clearly enough with its own light or however
the Saints themselves can say either that His Heart is clean or His Love perfect Perfect Love casteth out Flesh as well as Fear yea true Love until flesh be cast out preserveth Fear for its assistant and fellow-helper The flesh would soon make Love a Wanton and intice her unto folly did not Fear dissolve the inchantment and protect her chastity But enough of this Notwithstanding if it be yet further demanded But doth it not argue servility §. 15. in men to be drawn by the iron coard of the fear of Hell to do what is their duty to do Or doth any other service or obedience become sons and children but onely that which is free and proceedeth from Love I answer 1. If the great Law-giver God judged it not unworthy of Him or His Wisdom to perswade and press obedience to His Laws and that as well upon true Beleevers and such who are His Children by Faith as upon others as we lately shewed from Luke 12. 4. by Arguments drawn from fear of punishment they have no reason to judg it unworthy of them to suffer themselves to be perswaded and wrought upon accordingly Nay doubtlesse if the Lord Christ commands or requires of us to feare him who when he hath killed is able to cast both body and Soule into Hell and that upon this very account as we lately interpreted the place we shall not be found obedient Children unto Him unlesse we doe feare accordingly 2. There is a very different consideration of the obedience of Children to their naturall Parents and of the obedience of the Children of God unto their Heavenly Father The obedience of the former is taught by the inspiration of nature and is an act not so much raised by deliberation or flowing from the will by an interposure of the judgement and conscience to produce the election as arising from an innate propension in Men accompanying the very constituting Principles of their nature or being whereas the latter the obedience of the Children of God is taught by Precept and the Principle of it I meane that obedientiall frame of heart out of which they subject themselves unto God planted in the Souls of Men by the ingagement of Reason Judgement and Conscience to consider those Grounds Arguments and Motives by which their Heavenly Father judgeth it meete to work and fashion them unto such a frame So that though the obedience of naturall Children to their naturall Parents be the more genuine and commendable when it flowes freely from the pure instinct of nature and is not drawn from them by feare of punishment yet the obedience of the Children of God is then most genuine commendable and like unto it self when it is produced and raised in the Soule by a joynt influence and contribution not of one or of some but of all those Arguments Reasons Motives Inducements whatsoever and how many soever they be by which their Heavenly Father desires to plant and work it in them For in this case and in this onely it hath most of God of the Spirit of God of the Wisdome of God of the goodnesse of God in it and upon this account iâ— liklyest to be most free uniforme and permanent Therefore 3. And lastly that service or obedience unto God which is exhibited and performed unto him either out of a desire and hope of that great recompence of reward Salvation or out of a fear of suffering the vengeance of eternall fire upon disobedience is not to be termed mercenary or servile meerly or simply because such an hope or such a feare are interessed in the raising or procurement of it unlesse with all the exhibition and performâ—nce of it be burthensome grievous and offensive unto those who doe performe it For Men may act as willingly as freely as cheerfully as contentedly out of a Principle of Hope yea and of feare it self also as from love it self yea and more willingly and freely from the two former then from the latter unlesse the Principle of love be advanced to a very considerable Degree Height and Power in Men. There is no reason but to judge that Noah went about the making of his Ark and continued in the work untill the finishing of it with as much willingnesse cheerfulnesse and contentment of minde as he performed any other Act of obedience unto God at any time notwithstanding as the Scripture informeth us he was moved thereunto through feare a Heb. 11 7. Nor is it credible but that Paul followed the work of mortification keeping under his body and bringing it into subjection with all Willingnesse Freenesse Cheerfulnesse and contentment though he was ingaged and provoked hereunto by a feare lest by any means when he had Preached the Gospell unto others he Himself should prove a cast-away b 1 Joh. 4. 18 or Reprobate If that of the Apostle John be objected feare hath torment c 1 Joh. 4. 18. and a demand §. 16. made upon it How can a Man act willingly or freely out of such a Principle which hath paine or torment in it I answer That feare of which John speaketh and which he saith hath paine or torment in it is such a feare which hath little or no hope in conjunction with it For such a fear which is accompanied with a certainty of Hope that by the use of such and such meanes which he is sure he shall or may have if he please especially the use of these means being otherwise honourable and delightfull unto him the evill feared shall be prevented such a feare I say as this hath little or no paine or torment in it at all Now of this kinde is the fear out of which the Children of God many times act as with Honour and Peace they may it is attended with a living hope that by comporting or co-operating with the Grace of God which they are assured they may and shall have for the asking which co-operation is in it self matter of honour and of delight unto them they shall be delivered from the great evill feared which is Hell or the casting out of the Presence of God for ever Though Noah was moved through feare as we heard to prepare the Arke for the safety of Himself and his yet he was as well moved hereunto through Faith as Feare By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seene as yet moved with feare prepared an Arke d Heb. 11. 7. c. By Faith Noah prepared c i. e. out of a setled Perswasion and belief that God would preserve him and his from perishing in the Waters by meanes of the Ark which he had directed him to make for that purpose he readily and cheerfully betook Himself to the framing and making of it In like manner Paul though he kept under his Body and brought it into subjection lest i. e. through fear lest when He had Preached unto others He Himself should be a cast-away yet was He full of assureance that by this meanes
you were children you were accepted with Him ye shall not enter c. Calvins words in English are these And the conversion whereof He speaks imports that His Disciples had at this time too much accustomed themselves to the common course and manners of men in the world and therefore that they might aspire to the mark at which they aimed I suppose He meaneth greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven they must turn back in their course c Atque huc spectat conversio cujus meminit quòd scilicet ad communes hominum mores jam nimis assuevissent Discipuli ideó que ut ad scopum adspirent cursum illis retroflectendum esse And unless we shall suppose that children to whom our Saviour saith that His Disciples must be like or else never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven are in an estate of grace favor with God we shall make Him to say in effect that unless they be like unto those who are in an estate of condemnation they cannot be saved For as Musculus upon the place well observes our Saviour doth not say unto them Except ye be converted and become as this childe but indefinitely and become as children or little ones lest they should conceive that there was something singular in this childe more then in others which they were to imitate d Non dicit sicut puer iste sed sicut parvuli ne putarent isti puero singulare quid ab aliis pueris inesse quod imitandum esset Nor doth any thing that hath been said upon this last account suppose children to be begotten or born without Original Sin onely that indeed hath been said which supposeth that that sin which is in children is taken away by the Death of Christ so that they are generally whilest children in the favor of God through Christ notwithstanding that sin which is in them Neither is this any thing more then what Musculus Himself upon the place clearly avoucheth in respect of all Children without exception that have been Baptized a Quòd veró per baptismum dicit tolli peccatum originis verum est ità tamen ut concupiscentia illa prava non ideó extinguatur sed opus sit ut crucifigatur per omnem vitam Ita tollitur peccatum per gratiam Christi ut non condemnet ampliùs juxta illud Nihil est condemnationis illis qui sunt in Christo Iesu Vt autem nullum sit peccatum in carne nostrâ non sequitur But this onely by the way Nor doth that of the Apostle any ways oppose either the possiblity or §. 30. conveniency of a second Regeneration For though you have ten thousand Instructors in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel b 1 Cor. 4 15. Because He speaketh here not of what they were uncapable of having afterwards but of what their state and condition was at present by His means and Ministry That which He remindeth the Corinthians of in the Metaphorical Notion of His being a Father unto them and the onely Father they had is nothing else but that He was the onely Person that had layd the Corner-stone or first foundations of that spiritual building which was now amongst them He was the onely Person that had by the Preaching of the Gospel formed them into a Church of Christ and that all those Teachers that came amongst them afterwards however magnified by them above Him yet were they but as Tutors or Schoolmasters unto them in comparison of Him building upon His foundations and consequently could not in Reason be so truly and naturally affected towards them as He as it is no ways probable but that the love and care of a Father towards His Children should be greater and more genuine then of a School-master This is agreeable to what He elsewhere writeth to the same Persons I have planted Apollos watered c 1 Cor. 3. 6. c. and a little after According to the Grace of God given to me as a skilful Master-builder I have layd the Foundation and another buildeth thereon d Vers 10. c. And elsewhere not boasting of things without our measure that is of other mens labors and presently after to preach the Gospel in the regions beyond you and not to boast of another mans line of things made ready to our hand e 2 Cor. 10. 15 16. In these expressions of his not boasting of things without His measure of other mens labors of things prepared to His Hand c. He obliquely taxeth the ambitious vanity of those vain glorious Teachers whom these Corinthians so much applauded with an undervaluing of Him in assuming unto themselves the Honor and Repute of all that knowledg of Christ and those other worthy things of the Gospel that were found in them as if they had been the Authors and prime or sole Instruments of God in the raising and working of them whereas this was His line and measure and that which of right and according to truth appertained to Him But His being a Father unto them in this sence neither implies but that there might be many particular Persons amongst them begotten to the Faith through the Gospel by other Ministers and Teachers besides Him nor but that in case any of those who had been begotten by Him should apostatize from the Faith they might be again recovered and so be again begotten by others The substance of this Interpretation is delivered by Calvin Himself upon the place If any objecteth saith He how can Paul deny those to be Fathers who succeeded Him when as there are new Children begotten unto God dayly in the Church The Answer is easie viz. that here He speaketh of the first beginnings of a Church For though never so many should have been begotten by the Ministry of other Men yet this honour remained intâ—re unto Paul that he was the first founder of the Corinthian Church a Si quis objiciat quùm gignantur quotidie novi Dâ—o filij in Ecclesiâ cur Patres esse negat Paulus qui sibi successorant Facilis est solutio nempe quòd hîc dâ— primordio Ecclesiae loquatur Vt enim plaerique aliorum Ministerio geniti fuissent manâ—bat tamen uni Paulo hic honor illibatus quod Ecclesiam Corinthiacam fundâsset So that evident it is that there is nothing at all in the place alledged against a Reiteration of Regeneration Nor is that which I have sometimes heard alledged in opposition to the §. 31. Doctrine maintained in the Digression yet in hand any whit more considerable as viz. that it teacheth or supposeth a blotting and a blurring a putting in and a putting out of Names in Gods Book of Life which some it seems conceive to be unseemly and some wayes disparaging the said Book But 1. The Scripture it self frequently speakes of that which the Objectors call a blotting in the said Book of God and
absolutely the certainty of Gods love to him that is godly as it promiseth conditionally the certainty of this love to him that is prophane viz. in case and upon condition that he hath been once godly 2. Neither is certainty of reward in every sence or kinde more encouraging unto action then uncertainty in some kinde To promise withall possible assureance the same reward or prize to him that shall not run in the race which is promised upon these terms to him that shall run is not more incouraging unto Men thus to run then to promise it conditionally viz. upon their running which is a promising of it with uncertainty in this respect viz. because it is uncertaine whether Men will run in the said race or no and consequently whether they shall receive the said prize or no upon such a promise Certainty of reward is then and in such cases more incouraging unto action then uncertainty when the certainty of obtaining or receiving it is suspended upon the action noâ— when it is assured unto Men whether they act or no. 3. And lastly though an assureance of the unchangeablenesse of the love of God towards him that is godly upon any and against any terms whatsoever suppose such an assureance could be effectually and upon good grounds given unto Men be or would be a more effâ—ctuall and prevailing motive unto godlinesse i. e. to an entrance into godlinesse then an uncertainty whether this love of God would be continued to such a Man unto the See before Sect. 17 of this Chapter end or no yet would it not be any thing comparably so effâ—ctuall or prevailing upon Men that are godly to persevere in godliness as such an uncertainty which hath been asserted Nay the truth is that such an assureance effectually given to him that is godly without any condition of his remaining godly is no incouragement at all unto him to persevere in godlinesse but rather to turne aside unto prophainness The reason is plaine No reward which is promised unto Men simply and absolutely is incouraging to any action or ingagement whatsoever It is true a simple and absolute promise of a reward may be and commonly is oblieging unto action by way of duty or thankfulness unto him who maketh the promise but is never so oblieging unto action simply as such a promise which assureth the reward onely upon the performance of the action Hence it is that the Apostle incouraging and perswading Men unto holiness holds forth not absolute but conditionall promises unto them in order hereunto The tenor of the promises we meane is this wherefore come out from among them and be yee separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you And will be a Father unto you and yee shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty a â— Cor. 6. 17 18. meaning that upon condition you will come out c. and touch no uncleane thing I will receive you and be a Father unto you c. Upon the account of these promises he immediately subjoyns Having therefore THESE promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God b â— Cor. 7. 1. q. d. Such Promises at these viz. which hold forth such great and blessed Rewards and withall require and injoyn Holiness by way of condition for the receiving and enjoyment of them are of the most soveraign efficacy and import that can be imagined to perswade you unto Holiness Nor can any instance I beleeve be given from the Scriptures where the Holy Ghost presseth or perswadeth unto action or ways of Righteousness by any other kinde of Promise then that which is either in form or in matter i. e. in sence and meaning conditional Besides whether any such assureance of the unchangeableness of the Love of God towards Him that is godly as the Objection speaks of can be effectually and upon sufficient grounds given unto men is very questionable yea I conceive there is more Reason to judg otherwise then so Yea that which is yet more I verily beleeve that in case any such assureance of the unchangeableness of Gods Love were to be found in or could regularly be deduced from the Scriptures it were a just ground to any intelligent and considering man to question their Authority and whether they were from God or no. For that a God infinitely righteous and holy should irreversibly assure the immortal and undefiled inheritance of His Grace and Favor unto any Creature whatsoever so that though this Creature should prove never so abominable in His sight never so outragiously and desperately wicked and profane He should not be at liberty to withhold this inheritance from Him is a saying doubtless too hard for any man who rightly understands and considers the Nature of God to hear For what can it be conceived that he should promise more to such a Person who should remain loyal in his affections and constant in his obedience unto him without turning aside either to the right hand or to the left all his days And where now would be the God of Judgment Ye have wearied the Lord with your words saith Malachi in Gods Name unto the People Yet ye say wherein have we wearied Him When ye say every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and He delighteth in them and where is the God of Judgment a Mal. 2. 17. Clearly implying 1. That to say that God delighteth in them that do evil is highly displeasing and dishonorable to him amounting to no less being interpreted then a denyal of his being a God of Judgment i. e. of his Wisdom and Righteousness or that he puts any difference in his affections between the best and worst of men 2. That notwithstanding the great offensiveness unto God of such a saying yet they that utter it are backward to consider any such unworthiness in it It is possible that yet some will further object against the Argument in §. 34. hand unless the Saints be assured of the Perpetuity of their standing in the Grace and Favor of God they must needs be under fears of falling away and so of perishing and fear we know is of a discouraging and enfeebling nature an enemy unto such actions which men of confidence and courage are apt and ready to undertake I answer 1. That the strength of this Objection hath been already troden down and that more then once See Sect. 15. 16. of this Chapter and more upon the same account Cap. 9. I here add 2. That the Saints notwithstanding the possibility of their final falling away have or may have such an assureance of the Perpetuity of their standing in the Grace and Favor of God which may exclude all fear at least that is of a discouraging or enfeebling nature The Apostle as we have formerly shewed b Sect. 16. of this Chapt. lived at a
Sin onely is exclusive from the love and Kingdome of God is no such great mastery no such matter of difficulty unto such Men and that when they are overcome and fall into such Sins it is through a meere voluntary neglect of stiring up the Grace of God that is in them and of maintaining that holy Principle we speak of in strength and vigour by such means as God most graciously and indulgently vouchsafeth unto them in abundance for such a purpose And thus we see all things unpartially weighed and debated to and fro that the Doctrine which supposeth a possibility of the Saints finall declining is the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse and the corrivall of it an enemy thereunto That Doctrine whose genuine and proper tendency is to advance the peace and §. 36. Argum. 7. joy of the Saints in believing is of a naturall sympathy with the Gospell and upon this account a truth Such is the Doctrine which informeth the Saints of a possibility of their totall and finall falling away Ergo. Our adversaries themselves in the cause depending will not I presume regret the granting of the former proposition the truth of it being a truth so neere at hand The Minor hath received confirmation in abundance from what was argued and evinced in the 9th Chapter where we demonstratively proved that the Doctrine we now assert is of the most healthfull and sound constitution to make a Nurse for the peace and joy and comforts of the Saints whereas that which is opposite to it is but of a melancholique and sad complexion in comparison The ground we built our Demonstration upon was this That Doctrine which is of the most incouraging quickning and strengthning import to the Spirit and Grace of God in Men on the one hand and most crucifying and destructive to the flesh on the other hand must needs be a Doctrine of the best and choycest accommodation for the Peace and Comfort of Believers The reason hereof is because the Peace Joy and Comfort of Believers doe if not wholly yet in a very great measure depend upon the fruits of the Spirit and the testimony of their Consciences concerning their loyalty and faithfulnesse unto God in doing His will keeping His Commandments refraining all false wayes as David speaketh abstaining from the works of the flesh c. As on the contrary that Roote of bitternesse in the Saints from which feares and doubtings perplexities agonies and consternations of soule spring is the flesh when for want of a sharpe bridle still kept in the jawes or lips of it it breaks out becomes unruly and magnifies it self against God and His Lawes These things we prosecuted more at large in the fore named Chapter where likewise we proved above all reasonable contradiction that the sence of those who assert a possibility of the Saints drawing back even to perdition is a Doctrine of a very rich sympathy with the Spirit or regenerate part in Men of an excellent and high animation unto it and on the contrary a Doctrine morrally inspired against the flesh with all the lusts and wayes hereof Here also we gave an answer in full unto those who are wont to object and pretend that the best and holiest persons more generally cleave in their judgements to the Doctrine of absolute Perseverance as on the other hand that persons more carnally and loosely disposed more generally take up that which is contrary unto it So that we shall not need to add in this place any thing further to give weight or strength to the Argument in hand unlesse it be to certifie the Reader that since the publishing and clearing the Doctrine now asserted some very godly and seriously Religious persons have with their whole Hearts blessed God for it We proceede to another Argument That Doctrine which evacuates and turns into weaknesse and folly all that §. 37. Argum. 8. gracious counsell of the Holy Ghost which consists partly in that diligent information which he gives unto the Saints from place to place concerning the hostile cruell and bloody minde and intentions of Satan against them partly in detecting and making knowne all his subtil stratagems his Plots Methods and dangerous machinations against them partly also in furnishing them with spirituall weapons of all sorts whereby they may be able to grapple with him notwithstanding and gloriously to triumph over him partly againe in those frequent Admonitions Exhortations Incouragements to quit themselves like Men in resisting him and making good their ground against him which are found in the Scriptures and lastly in professing his feare lest Satan should circumvent and deceive them that Doctrine I say which reflects disparagement and vanity upon all these most serious and gracious applications of the Holy Ghost unto the Saints must needs be a Doctrine of vanity and error and consequently that which opposeth it by like necessity a truth But such is the common Doctrine of absolute and infallible Perseverance Ergo. The Major in this Argument is greater then exception For doubtlesse no Doctrine which is of an undervaluing import either to the Grace or Wisdome of the Holy Ghost in any Scripture transaction can be Evangelicall or consistent with truth The Minor likewise is evident upon this account All those actions or transactions ascribed to the Holy Ghost in the Major Proposition as viz. his discovering and detecting unto the Saints the hostile Spirit and machinations of Satan against them his furnishing them with spirituall weapons to conflict with him and fight against him c. are in severall places of Scripture plainely reported and attributed unto him particularly in these Jam. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Eph. 6. 11. 12 c. 2. Cor. 11. 3. 14. 2. 11. Mat. 12. 43 44 c. 2 Thess 2. 9 10. 1 Cor. 7. 5. not to mention many others Now if the Saints be in no possibility of being finally overcome by Satan or of miscarrying in the great and most important businesse of their Salvation by his snares and subtilties all that operousnesse and diligence of the Holy Ghost in those late-mentioned addressements of his unto them in order to their finall conquest over Satan will be found of very light consequence of little concernment to them Yea if the said addressements of the Holy Ghost be compared with the state and condition of the Saints as the said Doctrine of Perseverance representeth and affirmeth it to be and be digested or formed into an hypotyposis accordingly the utter uselessenesse and impertinency of them will yet much more evidently appeare Suppose we then the Holy Ghost should speake thus unto the Saints O you that truly believe who by vertue of the Promise of that God that cannot lie are fully perswaded and possest that you shall be kept by God by His irresistible Grace in true faith until death so that though Satan shall set all his wits on work and by all his stratagems snares and cunning devices seek to destroy you
even Christ-man is to be looked upon as simply and absolutely unchangeable a Prerogative Royal wherein neither Saints no◠Angels have part with him And because of such an unchangeablenesse in him though otherwise he was a subject capable enough of being tempted yet was he not a person meet to be intreated or dealt with by the Holy Ghost upon those terms of Admonitions Cautions Exhortations unto Watchfulness Constancy or standing fast Informations of danger threatning him in case he should not quit himself worthily c. wherein he frequently turneth himself unto the Saints and true Believers as we heard Nor is that necessity of doing Righteousness and Obeying God which §. 40. rested upon the Will of Christ by the means aforesaid any whit prejudiciall to the merit or rewardableness of what he did and suffered in the flesh though it be most true that any such necessity which should cause the wills of Men other Men necessitatingly or unavoydably to act righteously would be destructive to the rewardableness of what they should act upon such terms The reason of the difference is because in case any such necessity of well doing should come upon or be found in the wills of meere Men they must necessarily be passive herein in as much as they have no Native or inward Principle of their own whereby to contract or induce any such necessity upon themselves and what Men are necessitated to doe in a Passive way wants the ratio formalis the essentiall property of what is rewardable either by the rules of Wisdome or Justice See more upon this account Sect. 19. of this Chapter But that necessity which rested in or upon the Will of Christ of doing righteously though it was not a meere logicall or irresistible necessity neither as was lately intimated but such as it was it was contracted by himself and that voluntarily and freely the God-head or the Divine Nature personally united with the humane which was as much as properly as essentially Christ as the humane Nature it self in this union voluntarily and freely deriving unto the humane so united unto it such a fulness of Grace Holiness and Goodness from which that necessity we spake of of well-doing in a way of a genuine and kindly result arose upon him and abides with him for ever No meere Creature having the like opportunity or means of vesting the like necessity of well doing in it self it followeth upon a very faire account that in case it were or could be supposed that they meere Creatures I meane were unavoydably necessitated to doe well such doings of theirs should be uncapable of reward although it be otherwise in the case of Jesus Christ and of that unparallelable necessity of well doing which was found in him I shall only add one Argument more and therewith conclude this Chapter That Doctrine which naturally and directly tendeth to beget and foment §. 41. Argum. 9. jealousies and evil surmises betweene Brethren in Christ or such as ought cordially to Love Reverence and Honor one another is not confederate with the Gospell nor from God and consequently that which contradicteth it must needs be a Truth The common Doctrine of unquestionable and unconditioned Perseverance is a Doctrine of this tendency apt to beget and foment jealousies suspicions and evill surmises betweene Brethren or such as ought to love and respect one the other as Brethren in Christ c. Ergo. The Major in this Argument will I suppose meet with no adversarie and therefore needs no second The Minor standeth firme and strong upon this foundation That Doctrine which teacheth and perswadeth me to judge the Faith and love of those whom I ought cordially to love and honour as Saints and Brethren in Christ to be no better then the Faith and love of Hypocrites Dissemblers formall Professors c. directly tendeth to beget jealousies and evill surmises in me against them and is of the same tendency to occasion them to measure back againe the same measure towards me The common Doctrine of peremptory Perseverance thus teacheth and perswadeth both me and them Ergo. The Major here also feares no contradiction and so craves no assistance The reason of the Minor is because I cannot reasonably judge either the Faith or love of those whom I stand most bound by the Law of Christ to Love Reverence and Honour as Saints and Brethren to be better greater or more sincere then sometimes I judged or at least ought to have judged that Faith and Love of those to have been whom the Doctrine we speake of teacheth me to judge to have been Hypocrites and false-hearted even then when their Faith and love were at the best For the very truth is that amongst all the Professors of Christian Religion that are at present any wayes known unto me and I make no question but that every other Christian of any considerable standing in the World may with a good conscience professe the like of himself there is not any one who I can reasonably judge to be either more sound in Faith or sincere in love both towards God and Men then I sometimes judged and that upon competent grounds yea the best that either I then was or yet am capable of some others to have been whom now I know to be wretched Apostates and to have given up themselves to work all filthinesse and that with greedinesse Therefore if upon or because of their Apostasie I stand bound to judge them to have been in the best of their spirituall standings no better then Hypocrites it is unpossible but that I should be jealous and suspicious at least lest the best and greatest Professors of Christ that are known to me in all the World should be no better then Hypocrites also notwithstanding any account or satisfaction they give or possibly can give unto me of their sincerity If it be replied that even that Doctrine which I teach in opposition to that other hath a like tendency to create and nourish amongst the Saints reciprocally if not the same jealousies and evill surmises which have been charged upon the other yet others every whit as bad or however not much better then they in as much as this Doctrine it selfe teacheth Saints to looke one upon another as those that may Apostatize and turne enemies unto Christ and the Gospell And is not such a jealousie as this concerning any person every whit as Unchristian hard or uncharitable as to look upon him as a possible Hypocrite To this I answer That a jealousie or suspicion of a present vilenesse or unworthinesse in a Man especially when he that is suspicious hath all the best grounds that can be given why he should not be suspicious in this kinde is a far worse and more Unchristian jealousie and suspicion then that which is conceived against a Man touching any future unworthinesse that onely possibly may be found in him The Doctrine which teacheth a possibility onely of a totall and finall defection in the Saints
Pardon of His Sins Therefore Justification or Pardon of Sin may according to the Doctrine of this Father be lost yea so lost as never to be found again The same Author elsewhere saith That Solomon and Saul and many others had power were able to retain the Grace that had been given them whilest they walked in the ways of the Lord but when the Instruction or Discipline of God departed from them His Grace departed also Therefore it stands us in hand to hold out in the strait and narrow way of praise and glory c Solomon denique Saul caeteri multi quamdtù viis Domini ambulaverunt datam sibi gratiam tenere potuerunt recedente ab ipsis disciplinâ divinâ recessit gratia Perseverandum nobis est in arcto in angusto itinere laudis gloriae Idem Ep. 7. ad Rogat caeteros confess c. c. Yet again The very same spiritual Grace which in Baptism is equally received by those that believe is afterwards in our conversation and acting either diminished or increased as in the Gospel the seed whereof our Saviour speaketh is equally sown but according to the diversity of the ground part of it is consumed or comes to nothing another part of it bringeth forth fruit in abundance yet in a different proportion some thirty some sixty some an hundred fold c Planè eadem gratia spiritalis quae aequaliter à credentibus in Baptismo sumitur in conversatione atque actu nostro postmodùm vel minuitur vel augetur ut in Evangelio dominicum semen equaliter seminatur sed pro varietate terrae aliud absumitur aliud in multiformem copiam vel tricesimi vel sexagesimi vel centesimi numeri fructu exuberante cumulatur Idem Epist 76. ad Magnum A little after Oft-times it comes to pass that some of those who are spiritually sound when baptized if afterwards they fall to sin are shaken with the unclean spirit returning unto them so that manifest it is that the Devil is by the Faith of the Believer excluded in Baptism and that in case this Faith of his afterwards fails that he returneth d Et contrà saepé nonnulli de illiâ— qui sani baptizantur si postmodùm peccare coeperint spiritu immundo redeunte quatiuntur ut manifestum sit Diabolum in Baptismo Fide credentis excludi si Fides postmodùm defecerit regredi Ibid. Chromatius who according to some Writers had his time of mortality §. 12. allotted unto him about the year 350. though others bring it down much lower having upon those words Mat. 6. 12. And forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors affirmed That unless we forgive our debtors we make our selves guilty of eternal death before God with our own words subjoyneth a little after thus This the Lord Himself elsewhere doth most plainly make manifest producing the example of the Servant who had been a Debtor to whom though he ought much yet upon his intreaty his Lord forgave him the whole This servant after his debt had been freely remitted unto him denying the like favour in a smaller matter to his fellow-servant was cast into prison and condemâ—ed to punishment e Hoc autem alio in loco ipse dominus apertissimé manifestat proferens servi illius debitoris exemplum cui plurimum debenti rogatus Dominus debitum omne concesserat qui cum post indultum debitum conservo suo debenti sibi nollet ipse dimittere in carcerâ—m traditus damnatus in poenâ est Chromatius in Mat. 5. 6. Macarius who lived about the year 370. is a diligent and frequent Assertor of the Doctrine maintained in our present Digression in his Writings After the same manner saith he the Spirit admonisheth the Soul which by grace knoweth God and is purified from her former sins and is endowed with the ornaments of the Holy Ghost and hath tasted the divine and heavenly meat or nourishment yet because she doth not walk in this knowledg with that diligence which is meeâ— nor preserveth that good affection and love which she oweth to her heavenly Husband Christ as becometh her she IS CAST OFF AND DRIVEN AVVAY FROM THAT LIFE OF WHICH SHE DID PARTAKE Not long after Wherefore we must strive and take heed with the greatest wisdom that we work out our Salvation with fear as it is written Whosoever therefore of you are made partakers of the Spirit of Christ see that in nothing neither small nor great you behave your selves carelesly nor reproach the Spirit of Grace LEST YOV BE BANISHED FROM THAT LIFE WHICH YOV HAVE NOVV OBTAINED f Eodem modo etiam Spiritus admâ—net animam quae per gratiam cognoscit DeuÌ„ purificata est à pristinis peccatis ac ornamentis spiritús sancti dotata et prâ—gustavit divinuÌ„ ac coelosteÌ„ cibuÌ„ ob id tamen quòd non sicuti decebat deligenter in eâ noticiâ versata est nec decenter bene volentiaÌ„ ac dilectioneÌ„ Christo Sponso coelesti debitaÌ„ conservavit projicitur expellitur à vitâ cujus erat facta particeps Macar Hom. 15. Et paulò post Quapropter certanduÌ„ est suÌ„ma prudentiâ nobiâ— cavenduÌ„ ut cuÌ„ timore saluteÌ„ nostraÌ„ operemini operemur sicut scriptuÌ„ est Quicunque ergo participeâ— facti estis Spiritus Christi in nullo pusillo vel magno contemptim vos geratis neque gratiam spiritus contumeliâ assiciatis ne exuletis à vitâ quam jam adepti estis c. Yet again a little after But when the Soul hath obtained Grace now is there need of much understanding and perspicacity in discerning which things themselves God also gives unto the Soul asking them of Him that so this Soul may serve Him in that Spirit which she hath received with all acceptation and in nothing be overcome of evil or deceived through ignorance turning aside through rashness and sloth and falling to do all things besides or contrary unto the comely Order of the Divine Will For PVNISHMENT DEATH AND MOVRNING ABIDE SVCH A SOVL which in effect the divine Apostle Himself also saith lest when I have preached unto others I my self should be a castaway You see after what manner or at how great a rate He feared notwithstanding He was an Apostle of God The same Father in the same place speaketh words to this effect For man is of that nature or frame that though He be fallen into a deep gulf of vice and is become the Servant of Sin yet He may be converted or turned to that which is good and on the contrary being the bond-man of the Holy Ghost and overcome with the drunkenness of spiritual and Heavenly things He may be turned back to that which is evil g Et paulò post Caeterum ubi anima gratiam est adepta tuÌ„ intellectu multo atque perspicatiâ opus est quae etiaÌ„ ipsa largitur Deus animae ab eo
postulanti ut gratissimè illi possit inservire in eo spiritu quem accepit in nullo vincatur à malitiâ aut fallatur per ignorantiam temeritateÌ„ ac ignaviam aversa peragens omnia praeter decorum divinae voluntatis Talem enim animam manet supplicium mors luctus quod Divinus etiam Apostolus dixit ne cum aliis praedicaverim ipse reprobus efficiar Vides cum Dei Apostolus esset quo pacto timebat Ejus enim est homo naturae ut etiamsi in profundum vitiorum lapsus sit ac peccato deserviat ad id quod bonum est converti possit Et contrà Spiritui Sancto devinctus rerum coelestium ebrietate correptus ad id quod malum est converti potest Ibid. No man considering these things can lightly imagine but that this devout and learned Father who carrieth Blessedness in his name held dogmatically and upon mature consultation had with the best of His understanding in the Mystery of Christ a Possibility that even the best and highest-raised Saints may through sloth and negligence lose this standing fall away and perish Basil sirnamed the Great who lived much about the same time with the last-mentioned §. 13. Author assigning the differences between the condition of the Saints in this present world and that which is to come asserteth this for one That in this life the danger of falling is great upon which account Paul said Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall but there meaning in the future estate of glory their steps are firm or fixed life is unchangeable there is no more danger of being carried away unto sin For neither is here any rebellion or insurrection of the flesh c. Not long after Therefore we men dye often before the body cometh by death to be unyoked or loosed from the Soul So that the life of men is made or naturally apt to be accomplished or fulfilled not only with a change in respect of one age succeeding another but with falls or ruines of their Souls through sin a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil in Psal 114. non longè à fine Paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same Father in another place speaks yet more plainly to the business in hand Many saith he who had gathered much together from their youth when they come to the middle of their years Temptations from evil spirits rising up against them and assaulting them have not been able to bear the stress or burthen of the Winter for want of a good Pilot-ship and so HAVE LOST ALL. And hence it cometh to pass that SOME HAVE MADE SHIPVVRACK OF FAITH others by means of a violent tempest as it were of pleasure rushing upon them have utterly lost that Chastity which they had preserved together from their youth A most sad spectacle for a man after fasting after austereness of living after much praying after much weeping after a continent life it may be for twenty or thirty years together through negligence and carelessness of Soul to be found naked or destitute of all and that such a person who hath greatly prâ—spered and thriven by the trade or work of the Commandments of God should become like unto a Merchant of a great Estate who whilest His ship sailed on Her course with a fair and prosperous wind judged Himself a brave man for the abundance of Goods in Her but having passed through Tempestuous Seas His Vessel comes to be wracked in the very Haven and He pointed at or shewed by men as one that on the sudden and at once hath lost all that abundance which He lately had b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IdeÌ„ HoÌ„ 12. in Princip Proverb propè sineÌ„ The same Father in another of His Sermons expresseth His sence in the matter yet before us in words of this import But Sin is the Destroyer of that Grace which is given us by the Laver of Regeneration And soon after allegorizing our Saviours Parabolical History of the man who going from Jerusalem towards Jericho fell among Theeves thus But now stripes go before stripping or taking off his rayment that thou mayst learn and know that Sin goeth before the laying aside or loss of that Grace or gracious benefit which is given unto thee by that Love or kindness which the Lord beareth unto men c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et paulò post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem Hom. 21. circa finem Once more in another Homily this Great Doctor of the Christian Church in his days owneth the Doctrine we now contend for in words to this purpose Thou seest them speaking of the Galatians having the Spirit thou hast also heard Ye are abolished from Christ and again Ye are fallen from Grace What doth He subjoyn after all this making room or granting place for their renewing My little children of whom I travel in birth again He had once begotten them before but He that had once begotten them refuseth not to beget them the second time unto Salvation d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem Hom. 28. De Poenitentia propè finem All the Authors hitherto consulted about the sence of Antiquity and of §. 14. the Primitive Christians concerning the possibility or non-possibility of the Saints relapsing unto death had served their generations respectively and were gone off the Stage of Mortality before Pelagius was entered to act His part hereon or at least had not much to do with Him We now come to enquire what their judgment and sence in the same Points were who either synchroniz'd with Pelagius and skirmished Him or else took their turns of Mortality after Him Concerning the former of these that Star of the first magnitude in the Christian Firmament Augustin I mean is I suppose in every mans estimate instar omnium a man that will perform the service alone as sufficiently as if He had twenty more with Him to assist Him Questionless no man was better versed in the affairs of Christianity or that better understood what Doctrines or Opinions ruled in the Christian World or that dissented less from the common and generally-received Tenets of he Church then He. Now to how great a degree He abounded in that Faith which beleeveth a Possibility of the Saints declining and that unto death cannot lightly be unknown to those that are though but competently acquainted with His Writings I shall present the Reader with a first-fruits onely and leave the Harvest for his own gathering It is saith He much to be admired and admired again that God to some of His Children whom He hath regenerated in Christ and to whom He hath given Faith Hope and Love should NOT GIVE PERSEVERANCE when as He forgives such great sins unto strange children and by imparting His Grace unto them makes them children of His own a MiranduÌ„ est quidem multuÌ„que miranduÌ„ quòd Filiis suis deus quibusdaÌ„ quos regeneravit in Christâ— quibus
Election of Men as hath been mentioned as held by him which was the occasion or ground of his Opinion that such could not fall away finally or to perdition we shall have opportunity in the latter part of this Discourse to enquire God sparing life health and liberty for the composure of it In the mean time we have yet a further account of the Judgment of this Father touching the possibility of the total and final defection of many true Beleevers in the Citation following Many are called and yet are not of those of whom it is said that few are chosen Yet who can deny them to be elect or chosen when as THEY BELEEVE and are baptized AND LIVE ACCORDING UNTO GOD They are plainly termed Elect by those who are ignorant what they will prove afterwards but not by Him who knoweth that they have not Perseverance which bringeth the Elect to Life eternal and that they so stand that He foreknoweth they will fall In this case if the question be put to me why God doth not give Perseverance unto those to whom he hath given the Grace of Love by which they live Christianly I must answer that I am ignorant d Multi vocati non in eis de quibus dictuÌ„ est Pauci verò electi Et tameÌ„ quis negeâ— eos Electos cuÌ„ credunt baptizaÌ„tur secundum Deum vivunt Plané dicuntur Electi à nescieÌ„tibus quid futuri sint non ab illo qui eos novit non habere PerseverantiaÌ„ quae ad beatam vitam perducit Electos scitque illos ita stare vt praesciat esse casuros Hic si à me quaeratur cur eis Deus PerseverantiaÌ„ noÌ„ dederit quia eaÌ„ quâ Christianè viverent dilectioneÌ„ dedit me ignorare respoÌ„deo Aug. de Corr. Grat. c. 7. 8. If all this be not sufficient to satisfie the Reader that this great and learned Defender of the Christian Faith whose sence in the Point in hand we are now enquiring after was of the same Judgment with us herein let him feed further upon what yet remaineth Having asserted a beneficial necessity even to the Elect or Predestinate ones themselves to be kept in ignorance by God of their Predestination or Election in this life He subjoyns words of this import So then for the beneficialness of this secret it is to be beleeved that some of the Children of Perdition who receive not the gift of Persevering unto the end yet begin to live in such a FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE yea and live for a time faithfully and justly and afterwards fall away nor are they taken away by death before this happeneth to them a Propter utilitatem ergo hujus secreti credendum est quosdam dâ— Filiis Perditionis non accepto dono Perseverandi usque in Finem in Fide quae per Dilectionem operatur incipere vivere aliquamdiù fideliter ac justé vivere postea cadere neque de hâc vitâ priusquam hoc eis contingat auferri Ibidem Cap. 13. Doubtless there is no Faith at all either justifying or saying but that which worketh by Love and yet we clearly see that Augustin's Opinion was that the Children of Perdition i. e. such who perish eternally are very capable of such a Faith and consequently may yea and sometimes do fall away both totally and finally from it The same Father in another Tract discovereth his sence in the point queried in these words That of two both being GODLY Perseverance unto the end should be given unto the one and NOT GIVEN UNTO THE OTHER belongs to the unsearchable Judgments of God b Ex duobus autem piis cur huic donetur Perseverantia usque in FineÌ„ illi autem noÌ„ donetur inscrutabilia sunt Judicia Dei Aug. de Bono Persev c. 8. That in this sentence He speaks of persons truly godly and not seemingly onely besides the exigency of the Passage it self to make the sence of it regular as well that which goeth a little before as what followeth after maketh manifest The words a little before are these For of Him they receive this power viz. of being made the sons of God who giveth pious cogitations to the heart of man by which He cometh to have Faith which worketh by Love c Ab eo quippâ— accipiunt eam qui dat cordi humano cogitationes pias per quas habeat FideÌ„ quae operetur per dilectionem The words a little after these To conclude Were they not both called and BOTH FOLLOVVED HIM THAT CALLED THEM Were they not BOTH of Sinners made righteous or JVSTIFYED and both RENEVVED BY the Laver of REGENERATION d Nonne postremò utrique vocati fuerant vocantâ—m seâ— cuti utrique ex impiis justificati per Lavacrum Regenerationis utrique renovati Afterwards in the same Treatise He cites with approbation the Judgment of an Orthodox man of good repute in his days to whom also He gives the testimony of learning and much acuteness concerning the Reason which moved Christ not to work those mighty works among the men of Tyre and Sidon which He wrought in Capernaum although He knew that they would have beleeved and repented upon the sight of them The Lord Christ saith this Author as the Father records His gloss foresaw that the men of Tyre and Sidon would afterwards have apostatized from their Faith in case they had been brought over to beleeve by such Miracles wrought amongst them in which respect it was out of mercy that He forbare the working of them there because they had been liable to a much greater punishment in case they should have turned their backs upon the Faith which they had once received then if they had never received it e Quidam Disputator catholicus non ignobilis hunc Evangelij locum sic exposuit vt diceret praescisse Dominum Tyrios Sidonios à Fide fuisse posteà recessuros cum factis apud se Miraculis credidissent misericordiâ potiùs non eum illic ista fecisse quoniam graviori poenae obnoxii fierent si Fidem quam tenuerant reliquissent quà m si eam nullo tempore tenuissent Ibid. c. 10. In process of the same Discourse He hath words to this effect That of Regenerate men some dye persevering unto the end others are detained in life until they fall away who certainly had not fallen away in case they had dyed before they so fell and again that some who thus fall pass not out of this life until they return or rise again who certainly should have perished had they dyed before their return a Ipsos quóque regeneratos alios perseverantes usque in FineÌ„ hînc abire alios quibusque decidant hic teneri qui utique non decidissent si antequam laberentur hînc issent rursus quosdaÌ„ lapsos quousque redeant non exire de hâc vitâ qui utique perireÌ„t si antequam redirent exirent Ibid. cap.
there In the next Chapter of the same Epistle the Apostle addeth light unto §. 3. light in the business in hand expressing himself thus But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards men appeared a Tit. 3. 4. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goodness and the love of God towards man I here demand How or whether God can in any tolerable construction of Reason or common sence be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of men or to bear an affection of love to men in case he should hate incomparably the far greatest part of men and that with the hatred of a Reprobation from eternity leaving them without all possibility of escaping eternal misery and torment and this when as at the same cost and charge which he hath been at for the saving of a few he might have provided for the Salvation of them all For this they affirm who grant that Christ dyed sufficiently for all but intentionally only for a few Can we say that a King or Prince is a Lover of his Kingdom or of his Subjects only because he loves two or three Favorites about his Court especially when the generality and great Body of his Subjects are in imminent danger of perishing or being undone unless he provides for their relief he in the midst of the greatest abundance of means to relieve them and this without the least prejudice or hinderance to himself shall altogether neglect them in their danger and misery Doubtless there was never Prince or King since the World began that ever obtained the Name or Honor of a Lover of his Subjects upon such terms as these And yet they make God a Lover of men in no other sence upon no whit better terms who affirm and teach that he loved only that small number of men which they call His Elect which the Scripture very frequently affirms to be few in comparison of those who perish when as that great generality and vast Body of men were from the greatest to the least of them in most imminent danger of being undone and that in the most dreadful manner that can be imagined to the days of eternity teaching withall that the Death of Christ which was bestowed upon these few only was sufficient for the saving of the rest also and that God upon meer will and pleasure not to ease his Son Jesus Christ in the least nor to accommodate himself at all otherwise implacably resolved from eternity to exclude all these from part and fellowship in that Salvation With a great desire my Soul desireth that men whose consciences serve them to oppose in the present Controversie would seriously and calmly confider whether that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that love to mankind which the Scripture reporteth to be in God be at all compossible or consistent with such a dismal design in reference unto men as that now represented Again If God loveth only such a small number of men as the Opinion which we oppose supposeth why is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of Angels as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of Men ascribed unto him For doubtless if God loves no more men then those who come to be actually saved he might more properly and truly be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Angels rather then a Lover of Men. Because if we shall restrain his love towards men only to those comparative few who will be actually and eventually saved he will be found to love a far greater proportion of Angels then of men it being no ways probable but that the number of Angels who keep their standing and are Elect is far greater being compared with those that fell then the number of men who according to the Scriptures are like to be actually saved is being compared with those that perish To say that Gods Love though but to a few men expressed in the gift of §. 4. his Son Jesus Christ to dye for them is more considerable and so a more reasonable ground of giving the denomination of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto him then the love which he bears to Angels though more in number or in proportion is to say that which no way easeth the matter or salveth the difficulty First Because the Angels the Elect Angels as the Scripture calleth them are partakers with men in the gift of Jesus Christ given unto men though not in that Redemption from sin misery which accrues unto men by him unless haply it be by sympathy with their fellow creatures in their joy and blessedness yet otherwise as appears from Col. 2. 10. and other places and besides is generally acknowledged by Divines Secondly One of the highest expressions I remember whereby the happiness procured for men by the gift of Christ is set forth in the Scripture is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an equality with the Angels or likeness of condition with them Luk. 20. 36. Therefore Gods Love to the Angels that stand doth not fall short at least to any such considerable degree of the Love which he beareth unto men that are saved Therefore the Reason why he is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Men not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Angels is not because he loves some men more then he doth any Angels but because he loved all men and not all Angels Besides if God should love only such a small parcel of men as some imagine with the hatred of all the rest he might much more properly be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Hater of men then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of men Whereas the Scripture frequently extols and magnifies the Love of God towards all men yea towards his Enemies on whom he maketh his Sun to arise and sendeth rain as well as on his Friends a Mat. 5 45. and strictly injoyneth all those that would be accounted his children to resemble and imitate him in this his goodness but no where suggesteth the least degree of any hatred in him against any person of man personally considered nor any other then what doth redundare in personam as the School-men speak i. e. which redoundeth and as it were runs over from the sin which he hateth unto the person in whom that sin is found Again if God should not love the generality of mankind in order to their Salvation by Christ then all the good which he doth unto them in outward things as in making his Son to arise and his Rain to fall upon them as our Saviour saith he doth as well upon the unjust as the just and so his filling of their heart with food and gladness with the like must be conceived to be done by him upon such terms and with such intentions as men use to lay scraps for birds or bait hooks for fishes which they do for none other end but to take and destroy them For if God hath no intent
body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ i. e. so also is it with Beleevers who in respect of their spiritual Being are from Christ meaning that though they be many personally distinct yet they make one spiritual or mystical body with Christ their Head Now when the Promises are said to be made to Abraham and his spiritual seed Beleevers the meaning is not as if they were so or upon such terms made to them that none but they had any right to receive them or beleeve them for then it must follow that men must or ought to be Beleevers before they receive or beleeve the Promises which is impossible But the Promises are made to Abraham and his seed i. e. the great Inheritance of Life and Salvation promised by God is promised as touching the actual exhibition or collation of it unto Beleevers onely such as Abraham himself was and such as those who desire to be accounted his seed must be But this supposeth not but that the said Promises are in this sence made to Adam and his seed i. e. to all Mankinde viz. that all and every Person of Mankinde as well as Adam yea or Abraham himself have a right to beleeve them so that in case they should beleeve them they should do no unjust or unrighteous thing Nay they have not onely a right but a grand necessity likewise lying upon them to beleeve them as well in respect of the Commandment of God who commands no unjust or unrighteous thing as of their own eternal Peace and Safety whereof they will certainly make shipwrack unless they do beleeve them A second Demonstration whereby Christ dying for all Men is euinced §. 4. Argum. 2. is this If Christ dyed not for all Men without exception then He dyed for the Elect onely But He dyed not for the Elect onely Therefore for all Mâ—n without exception I presume the former Proposition will be granted without further Proof because they who deny that Christ dyed for all generally suppose and grant that He dyed for some and by Name for the Elect and indeed for these onely So that if it be proved either that He dyed not for the Elect at all or not for the Elect onely then according to their own Principles and grounds it follows that He dyed for all Now then that He dyed not for the Elect and much more not for the Elect onely which was the Minor Proposition appears thus If the state and condition of the Elect were such that Christ needed no more to dye for them then He needed to dye for the Holy and Elect Angels then Christ dyed not for these much less for these onely But the state and condition of the Elect was such that there was no more need that Christ should dye for them then for the Elect Angels Ergo. In this Argument I reason I confess upon my Adversaries grounds not mine own concerning Election but howsoever such a process of arguing as this is very serviceable for the confirmation of a Truth in opposition to an Error and the Apostie Paul himself sometimes 1 Cor. 15. 29 useth it in a like case as 1 Cor. 15. 29. The Major Proposition in this last Argument standeth upon this ground that there was no need that Christ should dye for the Holy or Elect Angels I suppose this will not be denyed or doubted of by any but however it is clearly enough asserted by the Apostle in that saying of his Gal. 2. 21 I do not frustrate the Grace of God Gal. 2. 21. for if Righteousness i. e. Justification come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain i. e. without any necessity or reasonable cause moving thereunto But now if there had been a necessity that Christ should have dyed for the Elect Angels it would not have followed that His Death had been in vain though men might have been justified by the Law Therefore if there were no more reason no more need why Christ should dye for the Elect of Men then for the Elect Angels certainly He did not dye for them much less for them onely But now that there was no more reason no more need why Christ should dye for the Elect of Men then for the Elect Angels which was the substance of the Minor Proposition appears by this double consideration 1. Because God loved the Elect I mean the Elect of Men and that as such as Elect without any consideration had of Christs dying for them with as great a love as He did the Elect Angels yea with as great as it was possible for him to bear to them 2. Because Salvation and Eternal Glory were decreed and adjudged to them and consequently were made truly and properly theirs in and by Gods Purpose in Electing them God in Electing them without any consideration or respect had unto Jesus Christ dying or to dye for them or unto their beleeving in him did irreversibly appropriate and consign over unto them Eternal Life From these two grounds it follows undeniably that there was no more need for Christ to dye for the Elect of Mankinde then for the Elect Angels For 1. If God loved the Elect of Men with as great a love as He loves the Elect Angels or as He is capable of bearing towards them what occasion what necessity was there that Christ should dye for the one more then for the other The same Love affords the same Favors the same Priviledges without any mediation to equalize it in this kinde If God loved the Elect of Men as much as intensely as the Holy Angels considered onely as Elect or before their Election for this is the notion and sence of our Adversaries in the Point in hand then the offence and distance occasioned by sin between him and them was wholly ceased and taken out of the way before the Blood of the Covenant was sprinkled on them before the Attonement came at them as the Hebrew women in the story were delivered of their Exod. 1. 19. children before the midwives came at them And if so if the offence and distance caused between God and his Elect by means of sin was swallowed up in the Love of Election so that he loved them now considered onely as Elect or to be Elected as much as He did or could do upon their actual ingraffing into Christ and participation of His Death to what purpose should Christ dye for them or what profit is there in the Blood of Christ as to them God thought every whit as well of them loved them as much intended to do as much for them yea irreversibly decreed adjudged as great things unto them before and without all consideration had of the Death of Christ as He did or could do upon the consideration of it 2. God out of His Love of Election as the Doctrine of Election is commonly taught and received amongst us did in the very
both to his wisdom and goodness be disposed Therefore certainly if the Death of Christ was sufficient for all it was intended by God for all But 2. Suppose it were granted that Christ dyed sufficiently for all yet unless it be granted withall that he dyed intentionally for all the sufficiency of His Death is no sufficient ground for all Men nor indeed for any man to beleeve on Him or to cast themselves upon Him for Salvation Nabal was a rich man and had sufficient to have relieved David and his men in their necessity and his sheep-shearers too But yet David and his men had no sufficient ground to depend upon him for relief in their extremity nor is it like they would have repaired to him for relief if they had known his churlish and inhumane disposition before In like manner that Opinion which represents God as minding onely and intending the Salvation of a few peculiarly relating to Him by a Purpose of Election in the Death of Christ but altogether averse from so much as hearing of the saving of all others thereby what doth it else but dissolve and loose all bonds of engagement or obligement upon men to beleeve on Christ or on God through Christ for Salvation For who is bound to seek water from a flint or to repair to thorns in hope to gather grapes from them For they who deny that God intendeth the Salvation of all Men by Christ represent him to the generality of men upon no better terms of comparison then of a flint to him that wanteth water and of thorns to him whose Soul lusteth after grapes If it be said Yes there is reason and ground sufficient for all Men without §. 8. exception to beleeve on Christ for Salvation though it be not supposed that He dyed for all Men. Because the Promise of God howsoever is general and free unto all Whosoever beleeves on Him shall be saved To this I answer It is true the Promise is general and free unto all and this generality and freeness of the Promise plainly sheweth the generality and freeness of the Salvation promised to all Men to be commensurable with the Promise and extensible to as many as it Otherwise the Ministers of the Gospel shall be found lyars and false witnesses For if they shall promise Salvation unto all Men in case they shall beleeve when as there is no Salvation for far the greatest part of men whether they beleeve or not beleeve or in case they should beleeve for their beleeving or not beleeving do not alter the Intentions of God in the Death of Christ nor multiply Salvation do they not undertake more in the behalf of God then God himself according to their Notion is able or willing to perform But this Point we have debated more liberally in the seventh Chapter of this Book If it be yet said yea but God who orders and frames their Commission may without danger will them to preach and promise Salvation to all that will beleeve though Salvation be not purchased for all Men because He knows beforehand that those onely will beleeve for whom there is Salvation purchased in the Death of Christ To this I answer If God had kept His Intentions in this kinde to Himself and had not declared that He intended Salvation onely to a few there might be some more colour or pretence for such a Plea If He had not let the World know any thing but that He really intended the Salvation of them all though He should in the mean time have intended but the Salvation of a very few He might with far less dishonor at least for the present cause the Heralds of His Grace His Ministers I mean to make such a general Proclamation as now He hath given them in charge to make throughout the World of Grace and Salvation prepared for all flesh for all Comers whatsoever But to imagine and suppose that first He gives the World to know and understand that He intends to save but a very few of them and yet this notwithstanding and as it were in the very face of such a Declaration to cause the great year of Jubilee to be proclaimed throughout the World eternal Liberty and Redemption to be offered unto all flesh unto all persons without exception must needs be most unlike unto Him and unworthy of Him yea and have a direct tendency to make Him that which a reverential sence of His Majesty makes hard to be uttered the hatred and abhorring of all his Creatures David to present his hollow-hearted and treacherous friends hateful both to God and Men describes them thus The words of his mouth were smoother then butter but war was in his Heart His words were softer then oyl yet were they Psal 55 21. drawn swords And doth not that Opinion turn the Glory of the ever-gracious God that great Lover of Mankinde into the image of such a vile and abominable creature as David here describes which saith of Him that He comes indeed unto men and opens the Bosom of Love unto them speaks sweet and loving and gracious words unto them offers them yea and that with much importunity of urging and pressing them to an acceptance terms of Mercy and great Compassions Forgiveness of Sins Adoption Life Salvation Glory the great things of the World to come and yet all this while under all these sweet droppings of His Lips hath in His Heart that most bloody and irreconcilable War of Reprobation a Purpose and Resolution taken up and conceived within Him from the days of Eternity never to be altered upon any terms whatsoever of casting them into Hell and tormenting them with the vengeance of eternal fire Certainly that Opinion which representeth God unto men upon such terms in such a shape as this flatters or rather befriends the Devil and makes Him to have much of God in Him And if God should conceal for the present that Intention of His we speak of viz. of saving onely a few and of destroying the generality of men and yet proceed in that method which now He doth in inviting the whole World to Grace and Favor with Him except He should conceal it to the days of Eternity whensoever it should break forth and be discovered it would occasion the same reflexion of dishonor upon Him yea and doubtless would comfort and ease the damned in Hell if ever the knowledg of it should come amongst them But this for the proof of the Major Proposition in the Argument propounded If Christ dyed not for all Men then are not all Men bound to beleeve on Him for Salvation The Minor I conceive needs little proof being this But all Men are §. 9. bound to beleeve on Him for Salvation However the Truth of this Proposition is as clear as the light at Noon day partly from the Commandment of God directed unto all Men to beleeve on him partly from the Threatenings of God denounced against all Men that shall refuse to beleeve in
signifies a dayly summoning of them and that TO DRAVV AND UNITE THEM UNTO HIMSELF A little after The Lord never speaks unto us but He there with all stretcheth forth His Hand to unite us unto Himself and causeth us to feel that He is neer unto us Yea He so manifests His FATHERLY LOVE and so willingly accepts of us that if we yeeld not obedience unto his voyce we ought justly to impute the same to our own frowardness So that Calvins Judgment clearly is that in this and such like places God professeth a reality of Intention and Desire in Him to draw and unite unto Himself i. e. to sanctifie and save such who through their own frowardness never come to be actually united unto Him or saved Add hereunto onely two places more for the present though there be many others to be found The former of these shall be that in Jer. 44. 4 5. Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising early and sending them saying O do not this abominable thing that I hate But they harkened not nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness to burn incense unto other gods a Jer. 44. 4 5 The latter place is in the New Testament O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate b Mat. 23. 37 c. Upon the former of these places Calvin makes the Prophet to say that God was watchful because HE WAS SOLICITOVS FOR THE PEOPLES SAFETY Even as a man that is intent upon his business will not stay till the Sun shines upon him but will prevent the morning it self c Nam quisquis erit atteÌ„tus ad negotium non expectabit dum Sol illuceat sed praeveniet ipsam Auroram Sic etiam dicit Propheta Deum fuisse vigilem quia SOLICITUS ERAT DE SALUTE POPULI Et paulò pòst Sciamus ergo Doctrinam quùm nobis annuÌ„ciatur esse signum paternae erga nos Dei solicitudinis quia noÌ„ vult nos perire sed descendit ad nos prospicit quid nobis opus sit acsi adesset tanquaÌ„ pater filios curaret nos res nostras Haec igitur Summa est Upon the latter place he saith that God attempted in a way of gentleness and fair speaking TO ALLVRE the Jews unto Him that his BENIGNITY or kindness was great towards them that his invitations of them were more then mother-like d Quùm verò comitèr ac blandè ad se allicere Deus tentaverit Judaeos ac nihil profecerit tantâ benignitate longe atrocius fuit tam superbae contumeliae crimen Nunc tenemus cur se Christus in Dei personâ gallinae comparet nempe quò plus ignominiae huic scelestae genti irroget quae suaves plusquam maternas ejus invitationes respuerat Mirum hoc certe incomparabile amoris documentum fuit quod se ad blanditias usque demittere gravatus non est quò circuraret in suum obsequium rebelles with much more of like-import Now to say that God should profess and express himself unto Men and Women with so much vehemency and patheticalness of affection as these gestures phrases and expressions our chiefest adversaries themselves being Judges imply spreading forth his hands all the day long endevoring to gather people with as much care and tenderness as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings crying out O do not this abominable thing c. and yet have no desire at all no intention at all of their Salvation nay on the contrary to have setled and grounded intentions to destroy them for ever is to render him like to that generation of men in the World whom His Soul most abhorreth and who are indeed and that most justly the hatred and abhorring both of God and Men Hypocrites I mean and Dissemblers Christ commands us to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful e Luk. 6. 36. but if we should be merciful as those represent the mercifulness of our Heavenly Father who deny that Christ dyed for all Men we should be the first-born children of Hypocrisie and the most notorious dissemblers under Heaven many degrees worse then those whom James speaks of with reproof who say to a Brother or Sister naked and destitute of dayly food Depart in peace be ye warmed and filled notwithstanding give them not those things that are needful for the body f Jam. 2. 15 16. For though such merciful ones as these do their poor Brethren and Sisters little good with their merciful words yet it no ways appears nor is it likely that under such words as these they hide or harbor intentions of evil or of a further increase of misery unto them whereas they that shall be merciful like unto their Heavenly Father as the Opinion which we oppose lays the pattern before us shall under the most affectionate protestations of love and kindness unto men under the most earnest asseverations of intentions and desires of their good conceal setled projects purposes desires and intentions of doing them the greatest mischief they can imagine That which is wont to be excepted against this Argument is so empty except §. 11. it be of contumely and dishonor unto God that it neither deserves consideration nor confutation and I beleeve all that can be excepted against it is of very little more weight Some as to the Scriptures cited for the confirmation of the Argument with their fellows wherein God as we heard professeth with so much earnestness the sincerity of His Desires to the welfare and Salvation of those who perish answer somewhat to this purpose for it is hard indeed to make any regular or good sence of what they answer at this Point That God in such expressions useth sanctâ quâdam simulatione a kinde of an holy simulation others that He doth duplicem personam induere i. e. that He takes upon Him a double Person others that God is presented in such Scriptures as speaking secundum voluntatem approbativam non â—fficacem i. e. according to his Will of Approbation not according to his Will of Efficacy or Execution others that such wishes or desires as are expressed in the said Scriptures are attributed unto God anthropopathetically and according to the rate of humane capacity c. But what uncouth and hard fac'd allegations are these or what salt of interpretation is there that will make them savory Or what do they that use them but as it were beg bread out of desolate places to support the life of an Opinion that is guilty and deserves to dye First I would know of those who take sanctuary from the pursuit of the Scriptures mentioned under the wing of Sancta quaedam Simulatio in Deo a kinde of Holy Simulation in
set a quite contrary way as viz. to multiply soment and encrease those evil and hard thoughts of God which the sense of sin and guilt as hath been said are marvelously apt to ingender in the hearts and spirits of Men must needs be Anti-Evangelical and of another inspiration much differing from that whereby the Gospel was given unto the World So that to cloath this Proposition with light we shall not need to labor or spin Nor need we be put to much trouble for proof of the latter Proposition had not the adverse Doctrine gotten the advantage of possession against the clear Truth in the Judgments of Men. For what can be more apparant then that such a Doctrine which manifestly importeth the causless peremptory irremediable and unremovable hatred of God against far the greatest part of Men and this burning to the bottom of Hell the Persons also against whom this Hatred is supposed to be lodged in Him being unknown What I say can be more apparant then that such a Doctrine as this directly and with open face tends to a most sad horrid and desperate alienation of the Heart and Soul of the poor Creature Man from his dear and ever-blessed Creator God Or is it possible that such a Creature should truly cordially or entirely love or delight in Him that made him in case he either knows or otherwise hath strong grounds of jealousie and fear that before he made him and without any offence taken at or respect had unto any of his future sins or unworthy carriages in the least he so far hated and abominated him as to resolve against all mediation whatsoever to cast him out of his sight to devote and doom him to suffer the vengeance of eternal sire Or doth not that Doctrine which denyeth that God intended the Death of Christ for the Salvation of all Men manifestly import and suppose that God to such a degree hated and abhorred or however purposed and decreed to hate and abhor the far greatest part of Men from Eternity as to resolve against all means possible to be used by them or purposed to be used by himself for prevention to pour out the fierceness of his Wrath upon their heads in flames of unquenchable fire The Holy Ghost teacheth us that the Love of God i. e. Love towards God must or ought to be kindled in the Hearts of Men by a sense or apprehension of a precedency of this affection in him towards them We love Him saith John because He first loved us 1 Iohn 4. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Original will indifferently bear as Calvin himself observes and grants Let us love Him because He loved us first According to either of these constructions of the words the intimation is pregnant that the Love of God towards Men apprehended and beleeved is and ought to be the proper seed of a reciprocal affection in Men towards Him And the Scripture most frequently conjures Men to love God upon the account of his great Love towards them manifested by the gift of his Son Jesus Christ unto them Now if Love declared and resented be the natural and proper seed of the same affection in another then Hatred discovered and apprehended must needs be a seed of a contrary import and of like aptness to beget in its own likeness also For though God chargeth Men to love their enemies and those that hate them yet he doth it upon the account of that great and signal Love which he hath first shewed unto them in the gift of his onely begotten and dear Son And we see notwithstanding this great Commandment imposed by God upon Men and that upon the advantage of such a rational and equitable ground or motive for the performance of it yet with what difficulty and renitency of the flesh even in Men truly sanctified yea and with what rareness of example it is effectually if at all performed How unpossible then must it needs be that Men should truly love God whilest they apprehend him as an Enemy bent in an unplacable and unappeasable manner to destroy them and that with the most formidable destruction they are capable of enduring and this to the days of Eternity Especially considering that they have no advantage or motive of any love shewed unto them by another any ways considerable whereby to be strengthened or enabled to love him against so sore a stumbling block and obstruction in the way of this affection as a Reprobating of them from Eternity This Demonstration is so pregnant of Proof and Conviction that certain I am nothing can with any strength scarce with any face of Reason be alledged against it But meet it is that the Poor should be hear◠in his cause as well as the rich Therefore 1. To the Argument now urged it may be replyed That the Doctrine §. 13. Object which affirmeth that Christ dyed onely for the Elect and not for all Men in general hath no such tendency or aptness in it as the said Argument chargeth upon it to separate between God and any of his Creatures because it leaveth an hope to every Person of Mankinde distributively considered that they may be of the number of the Elect and consequently of those for whom Christ dyed There is no man or woman but may the said Doctrine notwithstanding be of a good and comfortable hope that Christ dyed for them and so have no ground to conceive hardly of God or to be alienated in their mindes or hearts from him To this I answer Be it granted that the Doctrine we blame leaveth a degree of hope to every Answ Person that he is one of those for whom Christ dyed yet it is an hope very faint and feeble and which must needs be sick at the heart as being over-ballanced many degrees by contrary jealousies and fears and so can at no hand be termed a good or comfortable hope or give any advantage by way of motive unto the Creature to think well and honorably of God The truth is it is rather a possibility of conceit then any well-grounded Hope that such a Doctrine leaveth or affordeth unto any man being yet in his unregenerate estate that he is one of those for whom Christ dyed Suppose fourty or an hundred men should be arraigned and found guilty of High Treason against their Prince and He should declare without naming any of their Persons that he would graciously pardon the Offence of one or two of them but was resolved against all possible interveniencies whatsoever to inflict in the most severe manner the Penalty of Death upon all the rest would such an hope of escape or of finding favor in the eyes of their Prince as should be afforded or left unto these men in this case be any considerable encouragement or ground of motive unto them respectively to conceive honorably of their Prince for clemency goodness and mercy Or would not the severity and peremptoriness of his resolutions to take away the
He Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 120 doth not withall give them Faith in His Son But certain it is 1. That all Men come not to be saved and 2. That the great Love of God in the gift of his Son doth not vanish in unprofitableness Ergo. A like Argument is fram'd upon the account of the great Love of the Son Himself towards those for whom He dyed Christ saith the Argument so loved us that whilest we were Enemies He dyed for us Is it now credible that He should not apply a benefit merited or procured with so much sweat and with such precious Blood unto those for whom He merited it These Arguments with some Texts of Scripture not here mentioned cited to prove some of the Particulars together with some few Sayings from the Fathers both which we intend to take and give knowledg of upon occasion were in a manner the whole strength wherein the Synod of Dort so much magnified themselves against their Adversaries the Remonstrants in the traverse of the second Head of Matters Controversal between them which concerned the Intentions of God in and about the Death of Christ as far as I am able to observe from the Records of this Synod Concerning which Arguments I shall say no more at present but onely these two things 1. That though they be somewhat numerous yet there is none of them but lieth very opportune and fair for Answer and 2. That some of them if not the greater part stand bent against such an Opinion which I beleeve their Antagonists did not hold certain I am they do not oppugn that Doctrine of Redemption which is maintained in this Book Nevertheless because they may possibly be conceived by some less considerate to rise up with much strength against it we shall take them into consideration respectively in their places I will not say that there have been sufficient grounds layd yea and sufficiently proved in the Premisses of our present Discourse whereon to frame satisfactory Answers even to those that are counted Pillars amongst them but shall leave the consideration hereof to the intelligent and unpartial Reader and to the Disquisitions about them intended in the second Part of this Work I do not meet with any thing of moment in any other Author to infringe §. 7. the credit of the Doctrine of General Redemption which doth not make one spirit with one or other of the Arguments levyed as we have heard by the said Synod This which I shall presently recite from the Collocutors of the Contra-Remonstrancy at the Conference at the Hague Ann. 1613. is but the same in effect with the first and fifth of those used by the Synod For whom soever Christ dyed and obtained Remission of sins and Reconciliation with God for these also He obtained by his Death Deliverance from the bondage of sin and the spirit of Regeneration for Newness of life But Christ did not obtain Deliverance from the bondage of sin or the spirit of Regeneration for all Men. Ergo. If any man conceives there is somewhat more in this Argument of the said Collocutors which I shall next transcribe then in any of the former I am content that it shall stand as additional unto them I finde it in this form All they for whom Christ dyed can freely say Who is he that condemneth 20 Reason It is Christ that dyed for us Rom. 8. 34. But they are onely Beleevers and the Elect that can speak thus Vers 33. not Unbeleevers Mark 16. 16. Ergo. The Minor is further strengthened by this consideration The Consolation raised from the consideration of the Death of Christ which the Apostle here Rom. 8. 32 33 c. administreth unto the Saints or Beleevers would have little solidity or worth in it in case Reprobates and Unbeleevers could as truly say that Christ dyed for them also This Argument likewise from the same Authors is vertually contained in that already mentioned in the fifteenth place Yet let it have the Honor of an Argument by it self If Reconciliation with God and Remission of sins be obtained for all and 21 Reason every man none excepted then should or ought the Word of this Reconciliation i. e. the Gospel be preached or declared and this continually to all and every man But the Word of Reconciliation is not thus preached to all and every man Ergo. The Reason of the Consequence is because they for whom Reconciliation is obtained not being capable of enjoying it but by Faith and Faith not being to be obtained but by hearing the Word of this their Reconciliation it seems contrary to all Reason that they should be deprived of the means of beleeving The learned Chamier advanceth this Argument against us the strength 22 Reason Chamier Panstrat â—om 3. lib. 9. c. 13. Sect. 19 whereof the observant Reader will finde lodged in the nineteenth Reason already propounded To all those for whom Christ truly dyed the Death of Christ is profitable But this Death of his is not profitable unto all Men. Ergo. The Major he proves 1. From the proper import of the Particle for which saith he always notes some benefit accruing to him for whom any thing is said to be done 2. From the state of the Controversie 3. And lastly From the Scriptures as where it is said He gave himself for us that he might redeem us c. Tit. 2. So again from Matt. 26. 28. Rom. 5. 8 9. The Minor he proveth 1. From the Concession or his Adversaries themselves the Papists concerning Infants who dye unbaptized all which they exclude from Salvation and consequently from all benefit by the Death of Christ. 2. From the Concession almost of all concerning persons of years of Matury viz. that very many of these perish everlastingly and so never come to receive any benefit by the Death of Christ. In the same place the same Author subjoyneth this Argument the same in 23 Reason substance with the former If Christ dyed for all Men then all Men are saved or shall be saved But this is not so Ergo. The Minor which needs no proof he proves from Joh. 3. 36. Rom. 2. 8. For the Consequence in the Major Proposition he cites the Apostles Discourse Rom. 5. 8 9 10. under the Notion of an express Probation of it But God commendeth his love towards us c. The Scriptures and Arguments now propounded are the effect and substance §. 8. of all that I can readily finde or call to minde pleaded and argued against the Doctrine of General Redemption as it hath been stated and asserted in our present Discourse excepting onely some quotations from the Fathers If any thing of moment upon the same account shall further occur or be offered unto me either before or under my examination of these I shall not conceal it but shall as in the presence of God and without the least touch or tincture of prejudice or partiality acknowledg strength in any thing
dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again 98 99 100 c. 5. 19. To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Pag. 87 88 c. 7. 1. Having therefore these Promises let us cleanse our selves c. 334 8. 12. For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 17 548 10. 15 16. Not boasting of things without our measure and not to boast in another mans line 331 12. 14. but Parents for the children 70 13. 14. and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all 286 Gal. 1. 6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that calleth you unto another Gospel c. 362 363 2. 21. For if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain 459 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the Promises made He saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ 458 4. 11. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain 363 6. 1. Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault c. 323 Ephes 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy c. 62 63 461 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved 462 1. 10. That in the Dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven c. 436 1. 11. who worketh all things after the counsel of his owâ— will 67 429 430 482 1. 13 14. In whom also after ye beleeved ye were sealed with the spirir of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. 255 256 1. 22. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church 436 438 c. 2. 3. and were by nature children of wrath 518 4. 30. whereby ye are sealed to the day of Redemption 256 5. 5. For this ye know that no whoremonger nor covetous man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ c. 272 5. 18. but be ye filled with the Spirit 325 5. 23. and he is the Saviour of the body 252 253 Philip. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ 241 242 1. 7. Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart c. Ibid. 2. 12 13. work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will c. 176 Colos 1. 20. And having made peace through the blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven 436 437 c. 1. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated c. 439 1. 23. If ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled c. 237 2. 8 20. the rudiments of the world 522 523 1 Thess 5. 23. And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 238 239 2 Thess 3. 3. But the Lord is faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from evil 235 1 Tim. 1. 18. This charge I commit unto thee son Timothy according to the Prophecies which went before on thee that thou by them mightest war a good warfare c. 357 1. 19. which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack 353 354 c. 2. 4. Who will have all men to be saved and c. 103 104 284 2. 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all men 97 98 5. 15. For some are turned back already after Satan 365 6. 3. and to the Doctrine which is according to godliness 333 6. 13 14. I give thee charge in the sight of God that tho ukeep this Commandment without spot unrebukable unâ—il the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ 239 2. Tim. 1. 3. whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience 355 356 1. 12. I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 254 2. 13. If we beleeve not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself 359 2. 18. and overthrow the faith of some 358 2. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure and hath t is seal The Lord knoweth who are his c. 359 360 c. 4. 2. preach the Word be instant in season out of season 440 Tit. 1. 1. according to the Faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledging of the Truth which is after godliness 243 244 269 283 c. 1. 4. To Titus mine own Son after the common Faith 489 2. 11. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men 406 407 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity c. 250 3. 4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared c. 408 409 c. Hebr. 1. 3. upholding all things by the Word of his power 3 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation 480 492 499 2. 9. that he by the Grace of God should taste Death for every man 102 103 2. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels 484 3. 6. whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end 260 261 6. 4 5 6. For it is unpossible for those who were once enlightened if they fall away to be renewed again c. 282 283 c. 329 7. 25. seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 248 9. 24. now to appear in the presence of God for us 248 249 c. 9. 27. As it is appointed unto men once to dye 9 10. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin 416 417 c. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing c. 148 149 c. 282 283 c. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by Faith but if any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him 290 11. 6. for he that cometh unto God must beleeve that he is and that he is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him 507 11. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as
comes within our reach for such a purpose so ought we no less to rest satisfied with such grounds and meanes for our spirituall consolation which God hath judged meete for us and hath Himself administred unto us in His Word and not straine our phantasies or apprehensions to mould such Notions and Doctrines as we our selves conceit to be commodious and serviceable to us in such a way And as it is an high reproach unto the gracious and bountifull Providence of God for Men to have recourse unto the Devill or any of his uncleane Arts or Methods for their temporall supplies in any kinde so is it no less if not rather much more dishonorable to Him when Men shall make themselves beholding to a spirit of error for the supports or supplies of their inner Man But 3. No such Notion or Doctrine which is only comfortable and betiding §. 15. peace to the flesh i. e. the corrupt base and sensuall part of a Man ought to be esteemed especially by the Saints so much as comfortable simply and indeed or any meanes of peace truly so called but should rather be looked upon as prejudiciall unto and of an evill influence upon their whole interest in this kinde For that which is proper to strengthen the hand of the flesh can very hardly if at all be serviceable unto the Spirit in the things of the Peace and Comfort thereof Now that the Doctrine so often named is a grand Benefactresse to the flesh a full fountaine of joy and gladnesse unto it hath been sufficiently proved in this Chapter already I here only add this brief demonstration further It must needs be a Doctrine speaking to the heart of the flesh because it administreth a certaine hope unto it that it shall however escape the wrath and vengeance which is to come yea though it dispoâ—teth it self in all manner of loosenesse and licentiousness in the meane time For this iâ— the spirit that speaks in that Doctrine That it is no wayes comforting or strengthening to the spirit or spirituall §. 16. and regenerate part of a Man but rather fulsome and importune is evident from hence because a man so far as he is regenerate and spirituall desires not wisheth not Heaven or Salvation it self but only in wayes of Holinesse and of Honor nor would he purchase a dispensation though it were offered unto him with the least haire on his head to take his fill in the pleasures of sin without danger Nay if an Angell from Heaven should come and offer such a dispensation as this unto him upon the terms specified it would be as an uncleane and accursed offer unto him The Holy Angels because they have no flesh no corruption in them though they be mutable as all Creatures whatsoever by the unavoideable Law of their Creation are value not their happinesse or their security in their standings at the least mite the less because they have no liberty of sinning without danger nor would they account such a liberty any priviledge or comfort at all to them if they had it But that they are capable or in a possibility of sinning as well as Men regenerate though not in so neer a capacity we shall I conceive have opportunity to demonstrate in the sequell of the Discourse Now a Man regenerate take him so far as he is spirituall and borne of God valueth opportunities of sinning no more than an Angell nor desireth continuance in the love and favour of God upon any other terms or conditions then such on which the Lord Christ Himself as it seemes injoyed it If yee keepe my Commandements yee shall abide in my Love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and abide in his Love a Ioh. 15. 10 So then evident it is that the new Man taketh no pleasure rejoyceth not in any such Doctrine which insures either perseverance in Faith or continuance in the Favour and Love of God to it upon any other terms then of walking holily and humbly with him And upon these terms the Doctrine which teacheth a Possibility of the Saints declining insureth both the said glorious accommodations with as high an hand of security as it Yea the Truth is that the received Doctrine of Perseverance is so far §. 17. from gratifying the spirituall part of a Man that it is to it what Peter was to Christ when he counselled him to pitty himself b Mat. 16. 22 I meane an offence oâ— what those Christians were unto Paul of whom He complained that they brake his heart with weeping c Acts 21 13 For it secretly whispers and suggests unto it such things the Nature and Proper tendency whereof is to scatter what the spirit hath gathered to dissolve and break the strength of those holy Purposes and Resolutions wherewith the Regenerate part hath harnassed and armed it self against temptations unto evill When the new Man in a Servant of God shall with Paul have reasoned and resolved thus I will keepe under my Body and bring it into subjection lest that by any meanes when I have Preached unto others I my self should be a cast-away d 1 Cor. 6. 27 he that shall come and insinuate thus into him whether thou keepest under thy Body or no whether thou bringest it into subjection or whether thou sufferest it to wax wanton thou shalt be in no danger in no possibility of being a cast-away shall he not loosen the very foundation ground-work of such a resolution which was the sence and apprehension of the great danger of being a cast-away in case his body was not kept under Or suppose a Man should argue and conclude thus within himself I will labour with my hands that I may have whereof both to subsist honestly and to doe good unto others would not such a suggestion as this to him that he shall have that which will be abundantly sufficient for both purposes whether he laboureth with his hands or no be a temptation and snare upon him to retract his Conclusion in that kinde If it be here said yea but a certaine knowledge and full assurance that §. 18. God will never cease to love me will bestow Salvation and blessednesse upon me whatsoever my failings shall be is an effectuall motive unto my heart and soule to cleave unto him in all love and faithfullnesse and consequently is nourishing cheering and strengthning even to the inner man To this I Answer 1. That the inner or new Man in the Saints takes no pleasure at all in any such Notion or Perswasion as this that it may or shall injoy the Love of God or Salvation it selfe under the practise of all manner of sin and wickednesse whatsoever The very sound of these last words is harsh and uncouth unto it Nor can it easily be perswaded that any such Perswasion is from GOD. 2. Should it be granted that a full and Perfect assurance of the continuance of the Love of God upon all upon any
have spent my Strength for nought and in vaine yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God And immediately before the said words thus And now saith the Lord that formed me from the Womb to be his servant TO BRING JACOB AGAIN TO HIM Though Israel be not gathered yet c. Cleerly implying that though Gods Intent and Counsell was to forme Christ from the Womb for this end and purpose viz. to bring Jacob againe to him and so to save and make Him blessed yet would it be no disparagement unto Christ nor any miscarriage or defeature of the Counsell of God herein though Iacob should not upon this account be brought againe to him or be made blessed by Christ The reason is because when it is said that God formed Christ from the Womb to bring Iacob againe to him the meaning is not that He formed Him with any such intent out of any such end or designe to bring Iacob again to Him by head and shoulders as we use to say or by a strong and irresistible hand but to bring Jacob againe c. i. e. that he might be represented and Preached unto Jacob as such a Person who had attoned their sins made their Peace with God by His Blood and had purchased grace and favour and every good thing for them at his hand in case they would repent and turne againe to him and further that he might by his Spirit especially in the Ministry of his Prophets administer unto them inward strength and frequent excitements abundantly sufficient to have brought them to a due consideration and imbracement of these great things of their Peace In this sence and in no other Christ was formed by God from the Womb to bring Iacob againe to him and thus it appears also how and in what respect God was not disappointed of his end purpose or intention in his forming of Christ nor Christ Himself any wayes disparaged notwithstanding Iacob was not actually converted or brought againe to him The Apostle Paul likewise upon the same consideration saith of Himself and other the Apostles and faithfull Ministers of the Gospell thus For we are unto God a sweet Savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish a 2 Cor. 2. 15 Whereby it appeares that howsoever Gods reall Intent and Designe in sending Christ into the World was according to the frequent testimony of Scripture the Salvation and not the perishing or condemnation of Men yet he was no more defeated or disappointed of his designe herein by the perishing then by the Salvation of Men. Otherwise Christ in the faithfull Ministry of the Gospell would not be a sweet Savour i. e. matter of high contentment and satisfaction unto him as well in those who perish through unbelief as in those who are saved by believing For who can be pleased or much satisfied with or under disappointments Therefore Gods Intent of saving the World by Iesus Christ is not so to be conceived or understood as if he intended to save Men by him upon any terms or under any consideration whatsoever or without all Proviso's Limitations or Exceptions but thus he intended to save the World by him i. e. to put the World into a capacity of Salvation and to afford unto the Sons and Daughters of Men means and opportunities in abundance whereby to repent and believe and consequently to be saved So that whensoever Christ is faithfully and effectually Preached unto Men in order to their Salvation God obtaines his end and intent concerning their Salvation whether they come to be saved or no i. e. whether they repent and believe or remaine impenitent in unbelief 2. For the Phrase or manner of expression that he might be the first borne §. 50. amongst many Brethren I desire to give notice once for all for there may be frequent use of the observation in these controversies that it is frequent in Scripture to expresse a thing after the manner of an event or consequent that will or shall come to passe or follow upon such or such an occasion or means somewayes likely to produce it which yet frequently comes not to passe but only is intended or desired nay the contrary whereof many times follows and comes to passe in stead thereof According to this Dialect of Speech Moses expresseth himself unto the People thus and the Man that will doe presumptuously and not hearken unto the Priest or unto the Iudge even that Man shall die and thou shalt put away the evill from Israel and all or that all the People shall heare or may hear and feare and doe no more presumptuously b Deut. 17. 12 13. This hearing fearing and restraining of the People from doing presumptuously are mentioned if we respect the precise forme of the words as if they were such events which would alwayes follow and come to passe upon the occasion or means specified viz. the inflicting of death upon the Delinquent spoken of Yet Moses his intent was not to affirme this which had been an untruth to affirme such events as these many times failing if at any time obtained but to shew what God His intent was in commanding such severe executions to be done in such cases or rather perhaps to shew what fruits might reasonably be expected from such just severity So again in the same Chapter speaking of the King whom they should set over them and the Book of the Law And it shall be with him and he shall reade therein all the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord His God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to doe them a Deut. 17. 19. These words that he may learne c. doe not import the event or effect that would certainly follow upon the duty or course prescribed but either what Gods Intentions were in Prescribing such a course or what such a course was proper and likely to effect Many other places there are of like character and import amongst which that in Present debate is to be numbred God Predestinate these and these or rather such and such to be conformed to the Image of His Son that He might be the first borne c. These words that He might be the first borne c. doe not necessarily import any event or effect which should certainly come to passe or be produced by that Act of Gods Predestination but only such an event as was intended by God in such a sence as intentions are appropriable unto him in that Act of His or which would probably follow thereupon It may yet further be demanded by way of Objection against any Explication §. 51. whatsoever of the Passage in hand which makes the golden chaine of Divine acts therein dissolveable in any link or part of it in what case or cases soever If either they who are Predestinated may not be called or they that are called may not be justified or they that
He hath made that blessed Provision for them And if a Providing for the Salvation of some doth in the Judgment of our Adversaries render Him more Gracious and Evangelical then such an Act or course would have done whereby He had refused to make this Provision for any at all certainly the greater the number shall be supposed for whom this gracious Provision is made by Him so much the greater and more Evangelical must that Act of Grace necessarily be by which such Provision is made And in case God had provided whether by the Death of Christ or in any other way but for the Salvation of one Man onely and had left the whole Posterity of Adam this one man excepted to have perished everlastingly it could be looked upon but onely as such an Act of Grace which is next to none at all and wherein little of that Evangelical Spirit which abounds and reigns in God could have been discovered yea and would doubtless commend it self unto the intelligent Creature less for Wisdom then for Grace Proportionably the fewer or smaller number they are supposed to be for whom Provision of Salvation is now made by God the lesser and more contracted and so the less Evangelical must that Grace needs be concluded to be by which this Provision is supposed to be made For what proportion one or a single person beareth unto those few whose Salvation is in the sence of our Adversaries now provided for by God the same do these few bear unto all or unto the whole body of Mankinde Therefore if they judg that God sheweth more Grace in providing for the Salvation of that number of men which they call the Elect then He should have done in providing for one person of this number onely they have Reason to judg also in case God maketh this Provision not onely for their small number of Elect but for them and all others with them that He sheweth far more Grace in such a Provision as this then in that which their Doctrine confineth Him unto Nor doth it from these debates any ways follow that in case God had made §. 18. Provision for the Salvation of the Devils He should have manifested more Grace or Evangelicalness of Spirit then now according to our Principles he hath done in providing Salvation for Men onely though for all Men although it is true the number of those for whom Provision of Salvation should have been made in this case had been greater then now we suppose it to be The Reason is because Grace especially divine Grace is not to be measured or judged of simply or meerly by any beneficialness accruing unto the Creature of one kinde or other but by a beneficialness accruing in an honorable and prudential way in respect of him from whom or by whom this beneficialness is supposed to accrue Acts of Prodigality are or may be beneficial to the Receivers of what is thereby given yet are they no Acts of Grace nor would it be any Act of Grace in a Judg to spare the life of a Murtherer or Traytor though this Act of his in the nature of it is beneficial to him whose life is spared and may possibly turn to a further benefit unto him The Reason why these and such like Acts as these though they may be very beneficial to their Objects respectively are notwithstanding not to be reputed Acts of Grace because Grace imports such a Principle which is every ways regular and savory and as comely and honorable in the fruits and actings of it unto him in whom it resides as beneficial helpful or refreshing unto others whereas Prodigality and so Injustice or Inconsiderateness in a Judg though beneficial unto many are yet unworthy Principles and justly dishonorable unto their Subjects So then in case it were not or be not well consisting with the Principles of true and divine Wisdom and so would not have been truly honorable unto God to make Provision for the Salvation of the Devils the making of this Provision for them would not have been any matter of Grace in him and consequently upon such a supposition he should have been never the more gracious though in making Provision for Salvation he should have taken the Devils into part and fellowship with Men. And that it is no ways consistent with his Wisdom or Honor to spread a Table of Salvation before the Devils as he hath done for Men may by this clear Argument a posteriori be evinced viz. that he hath not done it it being reasonable in the highest to conceive that God never was never will be wanting to himself in point of honor or glory Besides that of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Heb 2. 16 i. e. for in no wise or at no hand doth He help or relieve the Angels meaning the lapsed Angels carrieth this import pregnantly and distinctly in it that to reach forth an helping hand unto them was not simply a thing which God was not pleased or willing to do but such a thing which lay at a great distance from his Thoughts or Intentions to do Which distance imports a signal inconsistency with or repugnancy unto his Wisdom Honor and glory How or in what consideration or respect the providing for the Salvation of the fallen Angels or Devils is or would have been repugnant to the Wisdom and so no ways consistent with the honor of God is haply not unworthy a sober enquiry But because it is somewhat eccentrical to the main business in hand and the body of our Discourse begins to swell to an unacceptable bulk already we shall decline the pertractation of it at present onely offering to consideration whether their prodigious unnaturalness or height of misdemeanor in sinning above what is to be found in the sin of Men either as sinning in Adam or by actual and personal perpetrations ordinarily may not upon a very reasonable account be deemed the Cause or Reason why it was not honorable for God or of any good consistence with his Holiness or Wisdom to stretch forth an hand of Grace or of Salvation unto them We see in the case of men themselves that if they sin with an high hand especially after any considerable means of Grace vouchsafed and turn head upon the light which hath shone clearly to them or upon the ways of Holiness wherein they have sometimes walked that God taketh no pleasure in them i. e. that they are an abhorring to his Soul and that against all such men who shall commit that most hideous and enormous sin against the Holy Ghost He hath as good as sworn in His Wrath that they shall never enter into His eternal Rest Now if God judgeth it a matter unbecoming His Grace Holiness or Wisdom and no ways consistent with his Honor to impart of that Salvation which He hath provided in Christ for Men unto those for whom it was provided in case their misdemeanor in sinning shall rise to such an height as
hath been mentioned and as a total and persevering Apostacy importeth can it seem any ways improbable the Devils having desperately apostatized from a far greater light from a richer and more sensible experience of the Grace Love and Bounty of God then Apostates amongst Men lightly can do that his Soul should so far abominate them together with such their stupendious Apostacy as to judg it altogether unmeet for him unworthy that inaccessible Light of Wisdom Grace Holiness and Glory wherein He dwelleth to conceive so much as a thought within him in order to their Salvation The Schoolmen resolve the irremediableness as they term it of the Sin and Misery of the Devils into several causes or grounds most of which and these the most material respect the greatness of their sin the rest the quality or condition of their Natures Yet if that be true which they assign among other Reasons why no course should be taken or thought upon by God for or about their Salvation viz. that their Wills or Appetites are naturally and by the Principles of their Creation unflexible or unremovable from that Object whether it be good or evil which they have once chosen a Differt autē apprehensio Angeli ab apprehensione hominis quòd Angelus apprehēdit immobiliter per intellectum sicut nos immobiliter apprehendimus prima principia quorum est intellectus homo verò per rationem apprehendit mobiliter discurrendo de uno ad aliud habens viam procedendi ad utrunque oppositorum Vnde voluntas hominis adhaeret alicui mobiliter quasi potens etiam ab eo discedere contrario adhaerere voluntas autem Angeli adhaeret fixè immobiliter Et ideò si consideretur antè adhaesionem potest liberé adhaerere huic opposito in his scilicet quae non naturaliter vult sed postquam jam adhaesit immobiliter adhaeret Et ideò consuevit dici quòd liberum arbitrium hominis flexile est ad oppositum anté Electionem pòst liberum autem arbitrium Angeli est flexibile ad utrunque oppositum ante Electionem sed non pòst Sic igitur boni Angeli semel adhaerentes Justiciae sunt in illâ confirmati mali verò peccantes sunt in peccato obstinati Th. Aquin. Sum. Part. 1. qu. 64. Art 2. it is a consideration of strength enough alone to carry the business under enquiry clear before it For if this be an essential property of their Natures not to be in any capacity of changing when once they have chosen it follows at once that having now chosen Apostacy and Defection from God they are by their own Act irrecoverably and against all possibility of Redemption concluded under Sin and Misery for ever And if this were the frame and condition of their Natures and themselves conscious and privy to it and conscious doubtless they were to the Law and terms of their own Creation it renders their sin unmeasurably sinful and inexcusable above the sinfulness of the Sin or sins of Men. For though Adam and so all Men in him knew not in case he did or should sin whether he should obtain from God the Grace of a Redeemer or no yet neither did he know the contrary but knew that he was capable of Redemption so that though his sin was exceeding great in many considerations otherwise yet in this behalf it was the more rational and so the more pardonable and excuseable viz. that he knew himself in a capacity of being restored Whereas the Angels in case they understood the inflexibility of their Wills after an Election and consequently that they were simply and absolutely unredeemable after sinning and yet presumed to sin must needs be the more irrational and so the more insufferable and inexcusable in their sin But whether this Doctrine of the School concerning the unchangeableness of the Wills of Angels after their first determination be square and stable or no I am at present in a fitter posture to query then determine Onely herein my thoughts are all made that the Wills of both sorts of Angels as well of those who at first chose Righteousness as of those who made a choyce contrary hereunto remain to this day unchanged the one in their adherency to the good the other to the evil which they chose respectively in the begining But this unchangedness doth not necessarily flow from any unchangeableness in either of them but may in the former arise from the native liberty of their Wills which as they had Power at first to chuse that which was good so have they Power and this with enlargement by means of the sensible experience they gain continually of the sweetness of the good chosen by them to persevere in this their choyce and in the latter partly from the just Judgment of God denounced against them and made fully known to them viz. that He will upon no terms whatsoever be reconciled unto them to the days of Eternity partly also from his absolute and total withdrawing of his Spirit of Grace from them Nor do I apprehend any thing considerable to oppose my Belief but that they will both the one and the other of them remain upon the same terms unchanged to the days of Eternity Yet were I to build I had rather chuse the former of these for my foundation because I conceive Scripture-evidence more pregnant and clear for it To say that the Will of a Creature should and will remain unchanged in that which is good is no elevation of it above that sphere of excellency which is made for it to move in but to affirm that at any time it is or ever will be thus UNCHANGEABLE is to make it a Companion of his who in the height of his Pride said Ero similis Altissimo I will be like unto the Most High But concerning the unredeemableness of the Devils I much rather approve §. 19. another Reason which the forementioned Authors the Schoolmen give of it Diabolus say they peccavit in termino Homo in via i. e. The Devil sinned being at his journeys end Man sinned onely by the way The meaning is that the Devil sinned in an estate of perfect Blessedness under a full fruition of God in which respect his Sin was provoking in the highest Whereas Man when he sinned was but in his progress towards such a condition and was not as yet possessed of it and in this respect sinned though at a very high rate of provocation his sin simply considered yet at a far lower rate then the Devil because against a far lower Light and less Grace Received But of this enough if not more then enough our main business being no more interessed in it then we formerly intimated it to be Nor did the difficulty layd in our way exact of us any thing more then onely to prove that it had been no Act of Grace in God to provide for the Salvation of the Devil which I suppose hath
it unto some there is a like possibility unto all and consequently a possibility of the Non-salvation or of the Damnation of all The Minor stands it seems upon this bottom that those whom God the Father hath given unto Christ to be redeemed and saved by Him of necessity must and shall be redeemed and saved by Him and those whom He hath not given unto Him upon such an account which are far the greater part of men must by a like necessity perish or be damned as not being redeemed by Him nor given unto Him to be saved If the Will and Intention of the Father the Obedience and Oblation 10 Reason of the Son and the saving Operation of the Holy Ghost or Effectualness of Calling or Sanctification be of one and the same compass or extent then did not Christ dye for all men But all the three Particulars Acta Synodi Dordt part 2 p. 94 mentioned are of one and the same compass or commensurable Ergo. The Reason of the Consequence is evident viz. because the saving operation of the Holy Ghost or effectualness of calling are not extended unto all Men. The Minor builds upon this Sorites The Father gives only his Elect whom alone He loves to be redeemed by His Son The Son onely redeems those that are thus given unto Him as being those whom alone He loves The Holy Ghost being the Love of the Father and the Son sanctifies onely the Elect of the Father and the Redeemed of the Son If no man wittingly and knowingly payeth a price of Redemption for a Captive §. 5. which he certainly knoweth this miserable man will never be the better for then 11 Reason Christ dyed not for all Men. But no man wittingly and knowingly payeth Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 94 such a price upon such terms Ergo. The Reason of the Sequel in the Major Proposition is because Christ knew cerâ—ainly that the greatest part of men would never receive any benefit by His Deâ—â—h and upon this account it is altogether irrational to suppose that He dyed for them If Christ dyed for all Men without exception then now in Heaven He 12 Reason intercedeth for all Men without exception But He intercedeth not for all Men. Ergo. This latter Proposition fears no contradiction and therefore Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 100. Collat. Hagiens p. 132 stands by its own strength The Reason of the Major seems to be because it is unreasonable to conceive that Christ should do the greater and more difficult thing as viz. dye for those for whom He is unwilling to do the less viz. intercede If God intends and derees the Salvation of all Men by the Death of 13 Reason Christ then it must needs follow either that all Men are saved or that God Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 119 his Intentions and Decrees become frustrate and attain not their end But neither of these are true for 1. Certain it is that all Men are not saved 2. As certain it is that Gods Intentions and Decrees never miscarry or fall short of their ends and to affirm this is absurd yea blasphemous Ergo. If Christ by the Counsel Intention and Decree of the Father dyed 14 Reason for all Men it will follow that there is neither an Election of any certain Persons nor a Reprobation of any But there is both an Election of some Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 119 certain Persons and a Reprobation of some others Ergo. The Reason of the Major because I finde it not expressed seems to be because it is contrary to Reason that God should intend or decree to give His Son to dye for those whom He decreed to Reprobate i. e. to leave in the hand of everlasting Perdition without all possibility of being saved from Eternity And if there be no Reprobation there can be no Election in as much as these do mutuâ— sese ponere auferre The Minor stands upon the Authority of the common Interpretations of such Scriptures which are commonly insisted on to prove such an Election and consequently a Reprobation corresponding with it All which Scriptures at least all such of them which colour best with such an Election we shall God willing fairly examine upon the Point If Christ according to the Intention and Counsel of the Father hath 15 Reason suffered Death for all Men then God should stand equally or indifferently affected towards all Men yea and saving Grace should be universal But Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 119 God doth not stand equally affected towards All Men nor is saving Grace universal Ergo. The Consequence is supposed authentique without Proof The Minor is argued 1. From the gratuitous Election of some 2. From the like gratuitous Vocation of some as of the Israelites Deut. 4. 7. Psal 76. 1. 147. 20. 3. From the Covenant made with Abraham and not with others 4. From the Mystery of the Calling of the Gentiles 5. And lastly From that special Favor Love and Grace wherewith God prosecuteth His Elect. §. 6. If Christ dyed for all Men and all Men be not saved then is God not 16 Reason Omnipotent But certain it is 1. That all Men are not saved and 2. That God is Omnipotent Ergo. The Minor needs no Proof as to either part of Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 120 it The Reason of the Consequence in the Major is because if Christ should dye for all Men it would follow that God should be willing that such a benefit should be impetrated or procured for men which He could not apply unto them If Christ dyed for all Men and all Men come not to be saved then is the 17 Reason Wisdom of God defective or imperfect But certain it is 1. That all Men are not saved 2. That the Wisdom of God is not at all defective but absolutely Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 120 perfect Ergo Christ dyed not for all Men. The Minor here also is presumed as well it may The Consequence stands upon this supposition That to fall short in compassing what a man intends argues a deficiency in point of wisdom If Christ should dye and make Satisfaction for all Men and yet all Men 18 Reason not be saved God should be unjust as viz. in receiving a full Satisfaction Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 120 for men and yet refusing to receive them into favor or to forgive them But certain it is 1. That all Men are not saved and 2. That God is not unjust Ergo Christ dyed not for all Men. If Christ dyed for all Men and all Men not come to be saved then doth 19 Reason that great Love out of which God gave his Son unto Men vanish into an unprofitableness or unusefulness in respect of men For to what purpose or of what use is the Love of God in the gift of His Son unto men if