was now by Gods decree irrevocable I have heard of a Malepert Courtier who being rated of his Soveraign Lord for committing the third murther after he had been graciously pardoned for two made this saucy Reply One man indeed I killed and if the Law might have had its course that had been all For the death of the second and of the third your Highness is to answer God and the Law Our Apostle being better acquainted then we are with the forementioned Circumstances of time and with the manner of Pharaohs hardening foresaw the malepert Jew or Hypocrite especially when Pharaohs Case came in a manner to be their own would make this or the like saucie Answer to God If Pharaoh after the time wherein by the ordinary course of justice he was to dye were by Gods special appointment not only reprived but suffered to be more out-ragious than before yea imboldened to contemn Gods Messengers the ensuing evils committed by him and the miseries which by his stubbornness befall the Egyptians may seem to be more justly imputed unto God than unto him at least the former expostulation might seem now altogether unseasonable 9. The Apostles first Answer to the former Objection explicated To this Objection our Apostle opposeth a two-fold Answer First he checks the sauciness of the Replicant Nay but O man who art thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui Deo respondes saith the Vulgar Beza as he thinks more fully qui responsas Deo our English better than both that replyest against God The just and natural Value of the Original doubly compounded word will best appear from the circumstances specified First God by Moses admonisheth Pharaoh to let his people go But he refuseth Then God expostulateth with him As yet exaltest thou thy self against my people that thou wilt not them go The Objection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made by the Hypocrite is as a Rejoynder upon Gods Reply to Pharaoh for his wonted stubbornness or as an Answer made on his behalf or others in his Case unto the former Expostulations For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Respondenti respondere to Rejoyn upon a Reply or Answer Now this Rejoynder to speak according to the Rules of modestie and good manners was too saucie out of what mans mouth soever it had proceeded For what is man in respect of God any better than an artificial body in respect of the Artificer that makes it or then an earthen vessel in respect of the Potter Now if we might imagine a base vessel could speak as Fables suppose beasts in old time did and thus expostulate with the Potter When I was spoiled in the making why didst thou rather reserve me to such base and ignominious uses than throw me away especially when others of the same lump are fitted for commendable uses it would deserve to be appointed yet to more base or homely uses For a By-stander that had no skill in this facultie for the Potters Boy or Apprentise thus to expostulate on the Vessels behalf with his father or Master would argue ignorance and indiscretion The Potter at least would take so much authority on him as to reply I will appoint every vessel to what use I think fit not to such use as every idle fellow or malepert Boy would have it appointed Now all that our Apostle in this similitude intends is that we must attribute more unto the Creators skill and wisdom in dispensing mercy and judgment or in preparing vessels of wrath and vessels of honour than we do unto the Potters judgment in discerning clay or fitting every part of his matter to it 's right and most commodious use Yet in all these The Potter is judge saith the Author of the Book of Wisdom Wisdom 15. 7 That very vessel which ministred the matter of this similitude to our Apostle Jer. 18. 4. was so marred in the Potters hand as he was inforced to fashion it again to another use than it was first intended for That it marred in the first making was the fault of the clay So to fashion it anew as neither stuffe nor former labour should be altogether lost was the Potters skill And shall we think our Apostle did intend any other Inference from this Similitude then the Prophet from whom he borrowes it had made to his hand O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in mine hand O house of Israel Jer. 18. 6. 10. The true and full Implication is thus much and no more Albeit God sought to prepare them to glorie yet had they a possibilitie or libertie utterly to spoile themselves in the making Howbeit if so they did he was able to form them again to an end quite contrary unto that whereto he first intended them So the Prophet explicates himself vers 9 10. And here we must request our Reader alwaies to remember that the Apostle compares God not to a Phrantick or Phantastick Potter delighted to play tricks to his losse as to make a vessel scarce worth a grâ—at of that piece which with the same ease and cost might be made worth a shilling only to shew his Imperial Authoritie over a piece of clay He Imagineth such a Potter as the Wise man did that knowes a reason why he makes one vessel of this fashion another of that why he appoints this to a base use that to a better albeit an unskilful By-stander could perhaps discern no difference in the stuff or matter whereof they are made The summe then of our Apostles intended Inference is this As it is an unmannerly point for any man to contest or wrangle with a skilfull Artificer in his own facultie of whom he should rather desire to learn with submission so it is damnable presumption for any creature to dispute with his Creator in matters of Providence or of the worlds regiment or to debate his own case with him thus Seeing all of us were made of the same Masse I might have been graced as others have been with wealth with honour with strength with wisdom unless thou hadst been more favourable to them then to me Yet that which must quell all inclination to such secret murmurings or presumptuous debates is it our stedfast Belief of his Omnipotent Power or absolute Will No but of his infinite Wisdom Equitie and Mercie by which he disposeth all things even mens infirmities or greatest crosses to a better end in respect of them so they will patiently submit their wils to his than they could hope by any other meanes to atchieve 11. In what sense Gods Will is said to be the absoulte infallible Rule of equitie or justice Gods Will to have mercie on some and to harden others or howsoever otherwise to deal with men is in this sense most absolute Whatsoever we certainly know to be willed by him we must acknowledge without examination to be truly good Whomsoever we assuredly believe
of the division should exhaust the whole or integrum divided As if a Geographer should say Of the inhabitants of the earth some are seated on this side the Line others beyond it This Division is not formal nor so exact as is required in arts or just under it the division were good but very imperfect if he should say Some are seated between the Tropick of Cancer and the Artick circle others betwixt the Tropick of Capricorn and the circle Antartick for a great many are commodiously seated betwixt the Tropicks as experience hath taught later ages to reform the errour of the Ancient and some likewise betwixt the Polar circles and the Poles But in matters arbitrarie and contingent as matters of common use for the most part are to exact alike formal or accurate divisions is ridiculous especially when as well the members of the division as the dividend it selfe are terms indefinite As if a man should say of men Some are extraordinarily good some extraordinarily bad or of Academicks some are extraor dinarily acute some are extraordinarily dull though every one will grant the division to be indefinitely true yet no man almost would acknowledge himself to be contained under either member as the most part of men are not indeed Or if one should say Every Prince sheweth extraordinary favour to some of his subjects and some others he maketh examples or subjects of his severitie who could hence gather that no part or not the greatest part were left to the ordinarie course of justice or to the priviledges common to all free denizons Now we are here to remember what was premised in the entrie into this Treatise That albeit Gods Will be most immutable yet is it immutably free more free by much than the Changeable will of man So are the objects of this his Free-will more arbitrarie than the designs of Princes The Objects of his Will in this our present argument are mercie and induration and these he awards to divers persons or to the same persons at divers times according to a different measure Whence if we take these termes in that extraordinary measure which is included in this division That most men are not comprehended under either member of this division the most part of men with whom we shall usually have to deale do not fall within either member The proper perhaps the only subjects of this division it self in Moses time were the Israelites and Egyptians in our Apostles time the cast-away Jews and such of the Gentiles as were forthwith to be ingrafted in their stead If we take mercie and induration in a lesser measure according to their lower degrees or first dispositions scarce any man living of riper years but hath devolved from the one part of this division unto the other oftner then he hath eaten drank or slept Christs Disciples saith Saint Mark Chap. 6. v. 52. had not Considered the miracle of the loaves because their hearts were hardened yet shortly after to be mollifyed that Gods mercie and Christs miracles might find more easie entrance into them Our habitual temper is for the most part mutable how much more our actual desires or operations And whatsoever is mutably good or mutably evill in respect of its acts and operations One and the same man according to the diversitie of time or qualification may be the true and proper subject of both parts of this division which are sometimes de bono sometimes de malo objecto hath its alternant motions from Gods decree of hardning towards his decree of shewing mercie and è contrà 31. The doctrine contained in this passage of Scripture will never sound well for the right setling the affections and consciences of such as be Novices in faith untill they be taught to run this division upon the same string Hast thou been enlightned and tasted of the heavenly gift made partaker of the Holy Spirit Thy sin is great and thou art found a despiser of the riches of his bountie unless thou embrace these illuminations as undoubted pledges of his favour and assured testimonies of his good purpose to make thee heir of eternal life Worthy thou art to be numbred among those perverse and wayward Jews whom our Saviour compares to children playing in the market if while these Good motions and exultations of spirit last thou givest not more attentive ear than he that danceth doth to him that pipeth or harpeth unto that sweet voice of thy heavenly Father encouraging thee in particular as he did sometimes the host of Israel Oh that there were such an heart in thee alwaies that it might go well with thee for ever But eschew these and the like inferences as cunning Sophismes of the great Tempter that old and subtile Serpent I thank God I have felt the good motions of the Spirit I perceive the pledges of his good purpose towards me but his purpose is unchangeable Therefore is my Election sure enough I am a sealed vessel of mercy I cannot become a vessel of wrath If such thoughts have at any time insinuated into thy heart or be darted upon thee against thy will remember thy self in time and thus repell them If God harden whom he will if his Will be immutably and eternally free it is as free for him to harden me as any other And consider withall that albeit thou canst not make or prepare thy self to be a vessel of mercy yet thy untimely presumption if it continue long in the end will make thee as in the begining it doth prepare thee to be a vessel of wrath This was the disease whereof the whole Nation of the Jews did perish Doest thou see thy Brother one baptized in the name of Christ go on stubbornly in his wicked courses thou dost well to threaten him with the sentence of death Yet limit thy speeches by the Prophets Rule Jerem. 18. pronounce him not for all this an absolute Reprobate or irrecoverable vessel of wrath give him not forthwith for dead but rather use double diligence to prevent his death and tell him If God shew mercy upon whom he will shew mercy if this his VVill be eternally free it is as free for him yet to shew mercy upon supposed Castawaies and to harden uncharitable and presumptuous Pharisecs for the present manifestation of his glory as it was for him to reject the Jews and chase the Gentiles Finally this Division though we take Mercy and Induration according to their Indefinite or lowest measure is not more universally true in respect of the Innumerable Subjects or parties unto whom it may fittly be applyed then it is in respect of the Time wherein it may be applyed to any determinate Individual Subject which hath not made as yet either the Full Measure of his iniquitie up to the brim or his Election immutably sure Of all and every Person and Subject not thus qualifyed it is universally true He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he
glory shine to the Israelites whom he was now preparing for vessels of mercy the hearts of whose posteritie he did not so effectually fitt or season for the infusion of his sanctifying Grace by any secondary meanes whatsoever as by the perpetual memory of this glorious victory over Pharaoh and his mighty host But this faithless generation whose reformation our Apostle so anxiously seeks did take all these glorious tokens of Gods extraordinary free love and mercy towards their Fathers for irrevocable Earnests or obligements to effect their Absolute Predestination unto honour and glory and to prepare the Gentiles to be vessels of infamie and destruction Now our Apostles earnest desire and unquenchable zeal to prevent this dangerous presumption in his Country-men enforceth him in stead of applying this second Answer to the point in question to advertise them for Conclusion that the Egyptians Case was now to become theirs and that the Gentiles should be made Vessels of mercy and Glorie in their stead All which the Event hath proved most true For have not the sons of Jacob been hardened as strangely as Pharaoh was Have they not been reserved as spectacles of terror to most nations after they had deserved to have been utterly cutt off from the earth yea to have gone quick into hell Nor have the riches of Gods mercy towards us Gentiles been more manifested by any other apparent or visible document than by scattering of these Jews through those Countries See the 1. Book Chap. 24. and 27 c. wherein the seed of the Gospel hath been sown The third General Point proposed concerning the Logical determination of this Proposition whom he will he hardeneth or concerning the immediate or proper Object of the Induration here spoken of 14. PHaraoh we grant was hardened by Gods Absolute Irresistible Will Could Beza can Piscator or any other Expositor living enforce any more out of the literal meaning of these texts Whether granting thus much we must grant withall what their followers to my apprehension demand that Pharaoh was an absolute Reprobate from the womb or that he was by Gods Irresistible Will ordained to this hardening which by Gods Irresistible Will did take possession of his heart is the Question to be disputed They unlesse I mistake their meaning affirm I must even to death deny Willing I am to put my life in question with my Opinion upon condition I may enjoy the ancient priviledge of Priests to be tryed by my Peeres which God wot must be no great ones I will except against no man of what profession place or condition soever either for being my Judge or of my Jury so his brains be qualifyed with the speculative Rules of syllogizing and his heart seasoned with the doctrine of the ninth Commandement which is Not to bear false witnesse against his Neighbour against his knowledge 15. To avoid the Sophistical Chinkes of scattered Propositions wherein Truth often lyes hid in Rhetorical or popular discourse we will joyn issue in this Syllogism Whatsoever God from eternitie decrees by his irresistible Will is absolutely necessarie and inevitable or impossible to be avoided God from Eternitie decreed to harden Pharaoh by his Irresistible Will Ergò The hardening of Pharoh was absolutely necessarie and impossible to be avoided And if his hardning were inevitable or impossible to be avoided it will be taken as granted that he was a Reprobate from the womb Damnatus antequà m natus the absolute child of eternal death before he was made partaker of mortal life The Major Proposition is a Maxim not questioned by any Christian Jew or Mahumetan A discovery of the Fallacie wherewith Beza and others have in this argument been deceived And out of it we may draw another Major as unquestionable but more immediate in respect of the Conclusion proposed Whomsoever God decrees to harden by his Irresistible Will his hardening is absolutely inevitable altogether impossible to be avoided The Minor Pharaoh was hardned by Gods Irresistible Will is granted by us and as we are perswaded avouched in Termes Equivalent by our Apostle The difference is about the Conclusion or connexion of the Termes which without better Limitation than is expressed in the Proposition or Corollarie annexed is loose and Sophistical 16. Would some brain which God hath blest with natural perspicacitie art and opportunitie vouchsafe to take but a little paines in moulding such fitt Cases for the Praedicates as Aristotle hath done for the Subjects of Propositions though those we often use not or use amisse those seeming Syllogismes whose secret flaws clear sighted judgements can hardly discern by light of arts would crack so fouly in the framing that blear eyes would espie their ruptures without spectacles it shall suffice me at this time to shew how grosly the Syllogism proposed failes in one Fundamental Rule of all Affirmative Syllogismes The Rule is Quaecunque conveniunt cum aliquo tertio inter se conveniunt All other Rules concerning the quantitie of propositions or their disposition in certain Mood and Figure serve only to this end that the convenience or Indentitie of the Major and Minor with the Medium may be made apparent This being made apparent by Rules of Art the Light of Nature assures us that the Connexion between the Extremes is true and indissoluble Now this Identitie or Vnitie for that is the highest and surest degree of Convenience is of three sorts of Essence of Qualitie of Quantitie or proportion under which is comprehended the Identitie of time Whatsoever is truly called one and the same is so called in one of these respects And all these Identities may be either Specifical or Common or Numerical Mixt or Single Most Fallacies arise from substitution of one Identitie for another As he that would admit that proposition for true of Specifical Identitie which is most true of Numerical might be cheated by this Syllogism I cannot ow you the same summe which I have paid you But I have paid you ten pounds in Gold Ergo I do not ow you ten pounds in Gold The Negative included in the Major is true of the same Individual or Numerical summe but not of the same Specifical For suppose twenty pounds in gold were due the one moytie might be paid and the other yet owing But men of common understanding are not so apt to be deceived in matters of money or commoditie with captious collections of this kind as unable to give them a punctual Solution Every Creditor in his own case would be ready to give this or the like sufficient practical Answer I do not demand my ten pounds which are already paid but the other ten Pounds which are yet behind that is as a Logician would say The same summe specie which hath been paid may yet be owing not the same numero Or the same summe by Equivalence not the same Individual coynes 17. But the Intrusion or admission of one Numerical Identitie for another of different kind is not so easily
hardneth In respect of every particular and determinate person not thus qualifyed it is universally true He hath mercy when he will have mercy and when he will be hardeneth And he hardeneth at no time sooner then when men what men soever are most confidently presumptuous of his mercy That this doctrine delivered is no way prejudicial to the certainty of salvation but rather directs us how to make our Election sure or untimely secure of their perseverance in faith or continuance in his favour 32. Perhaps the ingenuous and hitherto indifferent Reader will here begin to distast these last Admonitions and for their sakes most of our Resolutions as prejudicial to a commonly received doctrine concerning the Certainty of Salvation And I must confesse that upon first sight they may seem suspicious in that they suppose our Election to be not only uncertain in respect of our apprehensions but mutable in its nature But if it please him either to look back into some passages of the former discourse or to go along with me alittle further I shall acquaint him though not with a surer foundation yet with a stronger frame or structure of his hopes than he shall ever attain unto by following their Rules who I verily think were fully assured of their own salvation but from other grounds than they have discovered to us Surer foundation can no man lay than that whereon both parties do build to wit the absolute immutabilite of Gods decree or purpose Now admitting our apprehensions of his Will or purpose to call elect or save us were infallible yet he that from these foundations would rear up the Edifice of his faith after this hasty manner Gods purpose to call elect and save mee is immutable Ergo my present calling is effectuall my election already sure and my salvation most immutable becomes as vain in his imaginations as if he expected that wals of loom and rafters of reed covered with fern should be able to keep out Gun-shot because seated upon an impregnable Rock For first who can be longer ignorant of this truth than it shall please him to consider it That Gods purpose and Will is most immutable in respect of every object possible that mutabilitie it self all the changes and chances of this mortal life and the immutable state of immortalitie in the life to come are a-like immutably decreed by the eternal counsel of his immutable Will Now if mortalitie and mutabilitie have precedence of immortalitie in respect of the same persons by the immutable Tenor of his irresistible decree can it seem any Paradox to say That mans Estate whether of Election or Reprobation is even in this life usually mutable before it come to be Immutable and that by vertue of the same inalterable decree Or That ordinarily there should be in every one of us as true a possibility of living after the flesh as of living after the spirit before we becom so actually and compleatly spiritual as utterly to mortifie all lusts and concupiscences of the flesh Untill then our mortification be compleat and full we may not presume all possibilitie of living after the flesh to be finally expired and utterly extinct in our soules And whether this possibilitie can be in this life altogether so little or truly none as it shall be in the life to come after our mortal hopes are ratified by the sentence of the almighty Judge I cannot affirm if any man peremptorily will deny it nor will I contend by way of peremptorie denial if it shall please any man upon probable reasons to affirm it 33. But if to such as finally perish no true or reall possibilitie of repentance during the whole course of this mortal life be allotted by the everlasting irresistible decree in what true sense can God be said to allow them a time of repentance How doth our Apostle say that the bountifulnesse of God doth lead or draw them to repentance if the doore of repentance be perpetually mured up against them by his Irresistible will If in such as are saved there never were from their birth or Baptism any true or reall possibilitie of running the waies of death the fear of Hell or the declaration of Gods just judgements if at any time they truly feare them is but a vaine imagination or groundless Phansie without any true cause or reall occasion presented to them by the immutable decree Or if by his providence they be at any time brought to fear hell or the sentence of everlasting death yet hath God used these but as bug-beares in respect of them though truly terrible to others And Bug-heares when children grow once so wise as to discern them from true terrors do serve their parents to very small purpose For mine own part albeit I fear not the state of absolute reprobation yet so conscious am I to mine own infirmities that I would not for all the hopes or any joy or pleasure which this life can afford abandon all use of the fear of hell or torments of the life to come But whatsoever the Tenor of my estate in mine own apprehension heretofore hath been for the present is or hereafter may be I am and I think shall so continue absolutely perswaded that the absolute impossibilitie whether of Apostasie from Faith professed or of becomeing true and Stedfast professors is the usual Successor as heir by Conquest of mixt possibilitie of becoming as well vessels of wrath as vessels of mercy and è contrà 34. Upon this reall possibilitie of becoming vessels of wrath doth our Apostle ground those admonitions Hebr. 3. 12. 13. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbeleif indeparting from the living God But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin And againe Chapt. 4. v. 1. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it These and the like admonitions frequent in the Prophets and the Gospel suppose the men whom they admonish to be as yet not absolutely reprobated but in a mutable state or in a state subject to a mutuall possibilitie of becoming vessels of wrath or vessels of mercy and by Consequence not altogether uncapable of that height of impietie unto which onely the eternal and immutable decree hath allotted absolute impossibilitie of repentance or of salvation Upon the true and reall possibilitie of becoming vessels of mercy supposed to be awarded by the eternal and Irresistible decree to all partakers of the word and Sacraments doth S. Peter ground that exhortation Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly in to the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Peter 1. 10 11. The end of this exhortation was to bring his Auditors
unto that full growth in grace and good workes in this life unto which absolute impossibilitie of Apostasie is as irresistibly assigned by the eternal and immutable decree as final induration or impossibilitie of repentance is unto the full measure of iniquitie 35. In what proportion these two contrarie possibilities may be mixt in all or most men before they arrive at the point of absolute impossibilitie either of Apostasie or of repentance we leave it to every mans private conscience to guesse or examin grosso modo and to infinite and and eternal wisdom exactly and absolutly to determin Unto whose examination we likewise in fear and Reverence referre it whether the impossibilitie of repentance be absolute or equal in all that perish or the impossibilitie of Apostasie be absolute and equal in all that are saved at one time or other before they depart hence or whether the mutual possibilities of becomming vessels of mercy or vessels of wrath may not in some degree or other continue their combination in some men untill the very last act or exercise of mortal life But unto one and the same man untill he come to one of these two full points or periods God alwaies speakes whether by his word preached or otherwise by his peculiar providence as unto two because every such man hath somewhat of the flesh and somewhat of the spirit For men as they are the sonnes of Adam are carnal and Gods words are all spiritual and alwaies leave some print or touch behind them whereby the soul in some degree or other is presently either hardned or presently mollified or at least disposed to mollification or induration Continual or frequent calcitration against the edge of this fierie sword breeds a Callum or compleat hardnesse or as the Apostle speakes it seares the conscience But where it entreth it causeth the heart to melt and makes way for abundant mercie to follow after 36. Men as yet not come to a fulnesse either of iniquitie or of growth of Faith are but children in Christ and God speaks to his children while they are children as wise and loving parents do to theirs Now if a kind loving father should say to one of his sonnes whom he had often taken playing the wag Thou shalt never have pennie of what is mine and to another whom he observed to follow his book or other good exercises well pleasing to him Thou shalt be mine heire a man of discretion would not construe his words though affectionately uttered in such a strict sense as Lawyers would do the like Clauses of his last Will and Testament but rather interpret his meaning thus that both continuing in their contrary courses the one should be disinherited and the other made heire Though God by an Angell or voice from heaven should speake to one man at his devotions Thou shalt be saved and to another at the same time blaspheming Thou shalt be damned his speeches to the one were to be taken as a good encouragement to go forward in his service his speeches to the other as a faire warning to desist from evill and not as ratifications of immutabilitie in either course not as irrevocable sentences of salvation or damnation in respect of their individual persons but in respect of their present qualifications in whomsoever constantly continued Saul the Persecutor was a reprobate or vessel of wrath but Paul the Apostle a Saint of God a chosen vessell It is universally true The seed of Abraham or Israel was Gods people and yet it is true that the Jews though the seed of Abraham and sonnes of Israel were not partakers of the promise made to Abraham For they became those Idumaeans those Philistines and those Egyptians against whom Gods Prophets had so often threatned his judgements whom they themselves had excluded from Gods temple One principall cause of their miscarriage was their ignorance of the Prophetical language whose threats or promises are alwayes immediately terminated not to mens persons but to their qualifications In their Dialect onely true Confessors are truly Jewes every hypocrite or backeslider is a Gentile an Idumaean a Philistine None to whom God hath spoken by his prophets were by birth such obdurate Philistines as had no possibilitie of becomming Israelites or true Confessors The children of Israel were not by nature so Undegenerate sonnes of Abraham as to be without all possibilitie of becomming Amorites 37. The true scantling of our Apostles up-shot He will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth rightly taken reacheth exactly to these points following and no farther First to admonish these Iewes by Gods judgements on Pharaoh not to strive with their Maker not to neglecte the warnings of their peace upon presumption that they were vessels of mercy by inheritance seeing they could not pretend any priviledge able to exempt them from Gods general jurisdiction of hardning whom he would as well of the sonnes of Abraham as of the Aegyptians or of diverting those beames of glory which had shined on them upon some other nation It secondly reacheth to us Gentiles and forewarnes all and every one of us by Gods fearefull judgements upon these Jewes not to tie the immutabilitie of His Decree for Election unto any hereditarie amiable national disposition much less unto the Individual entities of our persons as if it were like a chain of Adamant to draw us out of the womb into the grave out of the grave into Paradise Our Apostle makes a quite contrarie Vse of this Doctrine his division of hardening and shewing mercy holds true as hath been declared in one and the same person and every one of us for this reason is bound alwayes to fasten one eye as stedfastly upon Gods severitie towards the Jew as we do the other upon the riches of his glorie and mercy towards our selves For if he spared not the natural branches let us take heed left he also spare not us who have been hitherto the Flower and Bud of the Gentiles Behold therefore the goodness and severitie of God on them which fell severitie but towards thee goodnesse if thou continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou also shalt be cut off And they also if they bide not still in unbeleife shall bee grafted in for God is able to graft them in againe The one aspect breedeth feare the other bringeth forth hope and in the right counterpoise of hope and feare consists that uprightness of minde and equabilitie of affections without which no man can direct his course aright unto the Land of promise This manifestation of Gods mercy to one people or other after a kinde of equivalent vicissitude perpetuated from the like revolution of his severitie towards others was the object of that profoundly divine contemplation out of which our Apostle awaking as out of a pleasant sleep cryes out O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his waies past finding out
this Resolution or Determination in the Point proposed was intimated before the whole strength of it relyes upon those places of Scripture wherein it is said He that continues unto the End shall be saved or We are partakers of Christ and his promises if we Continue the Beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the End But though it be True that no man which falls off from the Spirit unto the Flesh before the End of his bodily Life can be partaker of the promises yet is it never said That no man is or can be so confirmed in Grace before the End of his life that he cannot Totally or finally fall As for that Speech frequent in Scripture He that continues unto the End c. it doth not so punctually point out the End of Life as it doth the End or just Measure of this Duty here enjoyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Language of the Holy Ghost oftimes signifies as much as ad victoriam and denotes that point of time wherein we get the Victory or Conquest over the Flesh or other enemies of the Spirit And the Apostles words Hebr. 3. 14. may well beare this Interpretation if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the End That is unto the End or full Measure of our Confidence And all the glorious promises which are made unto such as continue unto the End are as often made and conceived in this Tenour To him that overcomes So it is Revel 3. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be cloathed in white raiment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life but I will confesse his Name before my Father and before his Angels And again ver 12. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God And the writing of this Name of Jerusalem which cometh down from heaven upon men imports it shall be thus written whilest they live here on earth or whilest it comes down to them not when they ascend in soul unto it And when S. Paul saith that the Names of Clement and other his Fellow-Labourers were written in the Book of Life Phil. 4. 3. Questionlesse his meaning is that they were so written in it that they should never be blotted out and yet were they so written long before they dyed I saw saith S. John the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. But although men in this Life may attain unto an Immutable estate of Grace yet many finally misse of this Estate because they know not where to find themselves or in what Estate or Condition they should for the Present rank or esteem themselves 11 Some there be which either Expresly or by Inevitable Consequence of what they expresly affirme divide Mankind as formally into Reprobates and Elect The division of all mankind into Elect and Reprobates not right as Philosophers do Substances into Corporeal and Incorporeal By this kind of Division were it sound and Orthodoxal every man from his birth unto his death should be either a Reprobate or One Elect. Now were this Doctrine true We that are Christs Messengers should be at a Non-plus either for administring Comfort to our hearers in trouble of Conscience or for preventing and asswaging Presumption in such as are not conscious of any grosser Sin or not dejected by the Thundring Threats of Gods Law The Truth is There be Three Estates or Conditions of Men not only in Generall but of every man in particular which finally attains unto Salvation First The Estate or Condition of Man as he is the son of Adam For every man as he is the son of Adam is the son of wrath Second The Estate or Condition of Man as he is reconciled to God and admitted into the Priviledge of his Son by Baptisme or ingraftment into his Mystical Body the Church Third The Estate or Condition of Compleat Regeneration or of Election The First estate or condition is the Terminus à quo Eternal Salvation or admission into the Everlasting State of Bliss is the Terminus ad quem of every True Christians Progresse The Two Estates Intermediate that is the Estate of the Sons of God in General by Baptism and the Estate of Election which we have in this Life are the Two several Degrees or steps of our Progress in Christianity But in as much as all men be not at all times either in the Estate of Election or Reprobation and yet all in the end become either Sheep or Goats we must observe Foure Estates of men in General Four Estates of men in general The First The Estate of the Sons of Wrath. The Second The Estate of Reprobates The Third the estate of the Sons of God by Adoption or Baptism The Fourth The estate of the elect or compleatly Regenerate 12. That there is a Difference between the estate or Condition of the Sons of Wrath and the estate of absolute Reprobation A difference likewise between the Estate or Condition of the Sons of God the Estate of Condition of the Elect may be Demonstrated form the several Estates or Conditions of the First Man Adam in his First estate was the Son of God yet not then in the estate of election for so he could not have fallen so foully as he did After his Fall he was in the Sate or Condition of a Son of Wrath Yet not in the estate or condition of absolute Reprobation for so he could not have attained unto the estate of election or Salvation So then every Reprobate is the Son of Wrath but every Son of Wrath is not a Reprobate Every elect Person or every man after election is the Son of God but every Son of God is not in the number of the elect The Award allotted to every one of these estates is either an Act of Mercy or of Iustice Divine But unto the individual Nature or Persons of men no effect of Justice or Mercy can be awarded And therefore the Individual entity or Nature of Man cannot be the Immediate Object of the Divine Decree No part of misery can be determined upon any man or Decreed against him before he be the Son of wrath or a Reprobate For God doth never punish where he is not displeased and displeased he cannot be with our meer Natures Now to be the Son of Wrath in the lowest degree supposeth some work of Satan wrought in the party which is the Son of Wrath That only makes him the Son of Wrath. Adam could not have become the Son of Wrath unlesse he
it hath been his Will to harden we must without dispute believe their hardning to have been most just Yet thus to believe we were not bound unlesse it were a Fundamental Point of our Belief that this his most absolute Will hath just reasons though unknown to us why he hardeneth some Vide Coppen in Ps 36. v. 7. Col. 388. B. C. D. and sheweth mercy unto others yea such Ideal Reasons as when it shall be his pleasure to make them known to us we shall acknowledge them to be infinitely better and more agreeable to the immutable Rules of eternal equitie which indeed they are than any earthly Prince can give why he punisheth this man and rewardeth that The contrarie In-consequence which some would inferr out of our Apostle in this place is the natural true and necessarie Consequence of a misconstruction which they have made of another most Orthodoxal Principle Gods Will is the only Infallible Rule of goodness that is in their Exposition Things are good only See Chapt. 39 Numb 9. of this tenth Book and see Attributes 1. part Sect. 2. Chap. 13. â— because God doth will them When as in truth his Will could not be so infallible so inflexible and so soveraign a Rule of Goodnesse as all must believe it to be that think themselves bound to conform their will to his unless absolute and immutable goodnesse were the essential Object of this his most Holy Will Wherefore though this Argument be more than Demonstrative It was Gods Will to deal thus and thus with mankind therefore they are most justly dealt withall Yet on the other side this Inference is as strong and sound Some kind of of dealings are in their own natures so evidently unjust that we must beleive it was not Gods Will to deal so with any man living Abraham did not transgresse the bounds of modestie in saying to God That the righteous should perish with the wicked that be farre from thee Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Yet were Gods Will the Rule of goodnesse in such a Sense as some conceive it or our Apostles meaning such in this place as many have made it Abraham had been either very ignorant or immodest in questioning whether Gods Will concerning the destruction of Sodom lovingly imparted to him Gen. 18. had been right or wrong whether to have slain the righteous with the wicked had been unjust or ill beseeming the great Judge and Maker of the world Howbeit to have slain the righteous with the wicked would have been lesse rigorous lesse unjust than to harden men by an inevitable necessitating decree before they had voluntarily hardned themselves or unnecessarily brought an impenitent temper or necessitie of sinning upon themselves And for this cause we may safely say with our father Abraham Thus to harden any whom thou hast created that be farre from thee O Lord. Farre be it ever from everie good Christians heart to entertain any such conceit of his Creator 12. The Apostles second Answer to the former Objection Albeit this First Answer might suffice to check all such captious Replies as hypocrites here make yet as our Apostle in his second answer imports we need not use the benefit of this General Apologie in Pharaohs Case The reason or maner of Gods justice and wisdome in hardening and punishing him is conspicuous and justifiable by the Principles of equitie acknowledged by all For Pharaoh and his confederates were vessels of wrath sealed up for destruction Hell as we say did yawn for them before God uttered the former expostulations perhaps from that very Instant wherein he first sent Moses unto him It being then granted that God as we indeed suppose did from the plague of murrain or that other of boiles positively and inevitably harden Pharaohs heart and after he had promised to let the Israelites go infatuated his brain to wrangle with Moses First whether their little ones afterwards whether their flâ—cks should go along with them yet to reserve him alive upon what condition or termes soever though to be hardned though to be threatned though to be astonished and affrighted with fresh plagues and lastly to be destroyed with a more fearful destruction than if he had dyed of the pestilence when the cattell perished of the murrain was a true Document of Gods lenity and patience no impeachment to his Justice a gentle Commutation of due punishment no rigorous Infiiction of punishment not Iustly deserved For what if God had thrust him quick into hell in that very moment wherein he told him So the Septuagint expresseth the sense of the Hebrew Phrase Ad hoc ipsum excitavi te For this very Purpose have I reserved thee alive that I might shew my power in thee No question but as the torments of that lake are more grievous than all the plagues which Pharaoh suffered on earth so the degrees of his hardening had he been then cast into it had been in number more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his strugling with God more violent and stubborn his possibility of repentance altogether as little as it was after the seventh plague if not lesse But should GOD therfore have been thought unjust because he continued to punish him in hell after possibility of repentance was past No Pharaoh had been the only Cause of his own Wo by bringing this necessitie upon himself of opposing God and repining at his judgments without possibilitie of repentance All is one then in respect of Gods Justice whether Pharaoh having made up the measure of his iniquitie be irrevocably hardened here on earth or in hell To reserve him alive in the state of mortalitie after the sentence of death is past upon him is no rigour but lenitie and long-suffering although Gods plagues be still multiplyed on Egypt for his sake although the end of his life become more dreadful than by the ordinary course of Gods Justice it should have been if he had dyed in the seventh plague 13. Another reason why God without impeachment to his justice doth still augment Pharaohs punishment as if it were now as possible for him to repent as once it was is intimated by our Apostle to be this that by this lenitie towards Pharaoh he might shew his wrath and declare his power against such sinners as he was that all the world might hear and fear and learn by his overthrow not to strive against their Maker nor to dally with his fearfull warnings Had Pharaoh and his people died of the pestilence or other disease when the cattel perished of the murrain the terror of Gods powerfull wrath had not been so manifest and visible to all the world as it was in overthrowing the whole strength of Egypt which had taken armes and set themselves in battell against him Now the more strange the Infatuation the more fearfull and ignominious the destruction of these vessels of wrath did appear unto the world the more brightly did the riches of Gods
Means much available for strengthening of Faith or for repairing those decayes or ruines which the subtiltie of Satan works in our soules yet the Reiteration of the Sacrament of Baptism is neither Necessary nor allowable much lesse Commendable for such purposes And the Raritie or rather Singularitie of It was to my apprehension Emblematically prefigured by the Sacrifice of the Red Heifer or the Water of sprinkling which was Legally sanctified or consecrated by her Ashes The Law concerning this kind of Purification is not to be found I take it in Leviticus at least not in that sixteenth Chapter wherein the Law of the Sacrifice of attonement is punctually set down However the forementioned Glossarie upon the Romish Canon for consecrating Holy Water either through negligence See Chapt. 48 Num. 6. or ignorance or both avouch that place for it If the sacrifice of the Red Heifer had belonged unto the Feast of attonement it must have been reiterated once every year whereas the Hebrew Antiquaries affirm that this solemnitie was not used above tea times during all the time of the Law of the Tabernacle or Temple And whether it were so often used may be questioned because there is no Law or Precept for the Continuation of it but only for the use of the water of sprinkling being once consecrated by it so often as the occasion specified in the Law did require 2. But unlesse the frequent use of the water so mingled with the ashes did wast or exhaust the ashes of that one sacrifice which Eleazar not Aaron was commanded to offer These might have been preserved without putrifaction for a longer time then the Law of Ceremonies was to endure For Ashes as good Naturalists tell us being well kept are immortal or an Emblem of Immortalitie But it may be that as soon or as often as the Ashes of any such sacrifice were by frequent use of the water of sprinkling exhausted or wasted the Legal Priests were bound by the Law mentioned to offer another for consecrating the water of sprinkling whose use was to continue as long as the reason mentioned in the Law did indure 3. The chief use or End of the water of sprinkling mingled with the Ashes of this sacrifice was to purifie such as had made themselves Legally unclean or had casually fallen into such uncleanness One branch of this uncleanness was the touching or being touched by any Dead Corps And unto this use of the water of sprinkling mentioned Numb 19. 11. that of our Apostle Heb. 9. 14. hath special Reference more then Allusion How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge our Consciences from DEAD works That this Legal Sacrifice for sinne was an Exquisite Type of Christs Bloudy Death and sufferings or an exact picture of his bloud wherewith the heavenly Sanctuary or Holy places were purified although the bloud of this Legal sacrifice were not brought into the Earthly Sanctuary no good Writers which I have read either deny or question That the Water of sprinkling consecrated by the aspersion of the Ashes of this Legal Sacrifice did truely resemble the water of Baptism by which we are washed from sin and consecrated unto God as clean persons that is made members of his Church here on earth is so evident in it self that it needs no Paraphrase or Laborious Comment upon the fore-cited Law Yet to this purpose the learned Reader may find much pertinent matter in Chytraeus his Comments upon the Book of Numbers and in many others It will be more needful or better suiting with my intentions in this place to prevent the captious exceptions which some Anti-Papists have heretofore taken and now resume against the expressions of our Publick Liturgie in that Part of it which concerns the Administration of Baptism Almighty and everlasting God which of thy great mercie diddest save Noah and his Familie in the Ark from perishing by water and also diddest safely lead the children of Israel through the red sea figuring thereby thy holy Baptism and by the Baptism of thy wel-beloved Son Iesus Christ diddest sanctifie the floud Iordan and all other waters to the mystical washing away of sin We beseech thee for thine infinite mercies that thou wilt mercifully look upon these Children Sanctifie them and wash them with the holy Ghost that they being delivered from thy wrath may be received into the Ark of Christs Church and being stedfast in faith joyful through hope and rooted in charity may so passe the waves of this troublesome world that finally they may come to the land of everlasting life there to reign with thee world Without end through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Seeing now dearly beloved Brethren that these Children be regenerate and grafted into the body of Christs Congregation let us give thanks unto God for these Benefits and with one accord make our prayers unto Almightie God that they may lead the rest of their life according to this beginning We yeild thee heartie thanks most merciful Father that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy holy Spirit to receive him for thine own Child by adoption and to incorporate him into thy holy Congregation and humbly we beseech thee to grant that he being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness and being buried with Christ in his death may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin that as he is made partaker of the death of thy Son so he may be partaker of his resurrection so that finally with the residue of thy holy congregation he may be Inheritor of thine everlasting Kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen 4. It is no part of our Churches Doctrin or meaning that the washing or sprinkling infants bodyes with Consecrated water should take away sinnes by it's own immediate Vertue To affirm thus much implies as I conceive a Contradiction to that Apostolical doctrin The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is gone into heaven c. 1. Pet. 3. 21. The meaning of our Church intends no further then thus That if this Sacrament of Baptism be duely administred the blood or bloody Sacrifice of Christ or which is all one the Influence of his spirit doth alwaies accompany or is Concurrent to this solemn Act. But whether this Influence of his spirit or Vertual presence of his body and blood be either immediatly or only terminated to the soul and spirit of the party Baptized or have some vertual influence upon the water of Baptism as a mean to convey the Grace of Regeneration unto the soule of the partie Baptized whilest the water is poured upon him is Too Nice and curious a Question in this Age for sober Christians to debate or contend about It may suffice to beleive that this Sacramental pledge hath a Vertual Presence of Christs Blood or some Real
of God ver 1 2. And again more fully ver 8 9 10 11. God commendeth his love towards us in that whilest we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Much more then being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the attonement The Ground then of our Hope or of such Certaintie as we can attain unto in this life is our Reconciliation to God of which our Apostle speakes more fully and divinely 2 Cor. 5. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministerie of Reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation ver 17 18 19. But if this Reconciliation were sufficient for our Certaintie of Salvation what need were there of a second Reconciliation or a second part at least of the same Reconciliation which our Apostle presseth upon us ver 20. 21. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him The first part of Reconciliation is Active or at the most part but a Grammatical Passive As a man is said to be Called when he is summoned to appear though he make no Personal Appearance so are we said to be Reconciled to God when pardon for our sins is proclaimed though before we could take notice of it The Second Reconciliation is a Real passive and includes a Turning unto the Lord by Acceptance of our Pardon and by serious pursuing the Allowance of it The former part of Recenciliation is wrought by meer Imputation of Christs death and merits The second is wrought partly by Imputation but especially by Real Participation of Grace from Christ and gifts of the spirit These are They that must defend and guard our soules against the Re-entry or Re-possession of Satan and wicked spirits whether by fair or forcible means 3. Answerable to the Two Sorts or Degrees of Reconciliation there are Two Sorts or two Branches of Iustification The One by meere Imputation of Christs Death and Passion which was once wrought for all at his Consecration to His Everlasting Priest-hood The Other by Participation of his Grace or Operation of his Priesthood since his Resurrection and Ascension During the time of Legal Sacrifices whether for sinnes against the Ceremonial or Moral Law the People were bound upon new occasions to bring new Sacrifices unto the Priest and he bound to offer them up unto the Lord for their Reconciliation or Attonement For us Christians to think or conceive of more Sacrifices for sinne then One that was Once offered for all were to deny Christ or the Efficacie of His Everlasting Priesthood But as for the Sacrifices of prayers prayses or thanksgiving for what is past or supplications for the assistance of Christs Spirit for the time to come These we are bound to offer up to God by Christ more frequently then the Jews could offer up their bloudy Sacrifices or then the Priests could attend this service which they were to attend only at certain houres or Solemn Times because they were but mortal men and could not perform their Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Christ since his Resurrection and Ascension is not only an Everlasting High Priest but doth exercise this his Function without Intermission Every Priest standeth dayly ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins But this Priest after he had offered one Sacrifice for sin sate down on the right hand of God For ever So the Syriack reades Points it much better then the Ordinary English doth or the Greek as may appear from a Parallel place Hebr. 7. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He remaineth a Priest for ever 4. Briefly though every sin perhaps every Gross sin which we commit after our Justification by the Resurrection of Christ and reall Participation of his Grace doth not work a Total Interruption in our Estate or Interest in him yet every such sin doth work a decay or diminution of Grace or some extinguishment of the Spirit of Life both which must be repayred by the Efficacy or Exercise of his Everlasting Priest-hood None is so just whether by Imputation of his merits or by Encrease of Grace but may and must be dayly more justifyed So that the Son of God doth set us free First by his sufferings upon the Cross Secondly by the Laver of Baptism and by Participation of his Life and Spirit and Lastly he will set us Free indeed at the Resurrection of the Just when we shall be translated into that heavenly house or mansion wherein he abideth for ever 5. Thus much of the Knowledge of Christ and of him Crucified and of the exercise of his Everlasting Priest-hood Points wherein I could wish to take more pains though to the wasting of my bodily Spirits upon Condition I could perswade a great part of the Clergie of this Kingdom not to make Christ Crucified and raised from the Dead a meer By-stander in most of their Disputes concerning Election c. as if he had shed his precious bloud to no other purpose save only the purchase of their own Salvation or the Eternal Excommunication or Damnation of others Now whether I have justly charged them with denyal of Christs Everlasting Priest-hood or of his Absolute Dominion or Final Judicature I here solemnly appeal unto Him in that great Day when he shall come as I verily believe He shall to judge the Quick and the Dead To reward every man according to all his workes whether his Writings Sayings or Actions C. Reader THE main Work of the sixth Section was to prepare and clear the way for The Exercise of Christs Everlasting Priesthood by amoving that Great Mountain of the Rigid Decree which in the Authors judgment did obstruct the general approach to the Throne of mercy and the issues of Grace flowing thence It making Christ a meer Spectator at most an Instrument to Execute a Decree passed before all Worlds and no Actor Advocate or Intercessor This following eighth Section treats of Certain Errors which though some of them do not wholly Evacuate or null yet do all of them disparage and Entrench upon the vertue and Efficacie of Christs Priest-hood Some of them were toucht before here they are more fully handled SECT