Production and first bringing into Being yet conceiving it not to be of any difficult or remote speculation nor finding it so much as controverted or questioned by any considering man especially of latter times we shall in these respects content our selves with a brief and light enquiry upon it The Holy Ghost indeed judged the Assertion of this Truth and that by one §. 3. of his Greatest Instruments worthy of him yet not so much I suppose to commend it simply as a Truth or to secure the judgements and consciences of men of the Veracity of it as to inforce the practicall consequences thereof upon them upon which ground doubtlesse it is that we finde so many common and ordinary Truths not only delivered but some of them oft repeated and inculcated in the Scriptures Principles and Assertions that are very obvious and low for matter of Truth and apprehension may be transcendently weighty and High in those things whether relating unto practice or opinion which are infolded and contained in them and deducible from them Mary was but a Carpenters wife yet did she bring forth the Great Messiah and Saviour of the world But this only occasionally The Truth held forth in the Thesis is the clear Doctrine of the Apostle Paul and that preached at Athens amongst Philosophers for learning and knowledge the Princes of the world For in him saith he speaking of God we live and move and are or subsist b Acts 17. 28. as the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In him i. e. through him or by means of him as the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frequently signifieth We are not said to live move and have our beings in God in a way of permission only as viz. because he refrains the exercise of that power in him by which he is as able to take away all our beings as he was at first to give them or because he forbears to annihilate us in such a sence as this we might as well be said to live in every man who having power and opportunity to kill us yet suffereth us in the possession of our lives but we are said to receive or have these accommodations in or through God in a positive way viz. by means of a glorious supporting influence which issuing from his power by the mediaâ—ion of his goodnesse or will is to the great Body of the Creation and to the respective parts and members hereof as the Soul is to the naturall Body of a man with the members thereof which remaining in union with it preserveth it from dissolution and putrifaction or as the presence of the Sun is to the light in the ayr which retains its Being whilst the Sun shines upon it but vanisheth presently and becomes that which is not as soon as the fountain of light withdraweth his shining The Holy Ghost himselfe expresseth the dependance of creatures upon God in a borrowed resemblance of very near affinity with this Thou hidest thy face saith David unto God they i. e. the creatures are troubled thou takest away their breath they dye and returne to their dust c Psal 104 29 That Great Act of God in it selfe so wonderfull and inexpressibly glorious the Sustentation and upholding of the Universe with all the parts thereof in Being is ascribed only to the setting or turning of his face towards it to shew I conceive that it is an act of speciall dignation and favour in him to preserve it and yet withall an act of easie performance and which costs him not the least labour or toyle A gracious look from him will do it effectually as the contrary is enough to affright all things out of their Beings and which is equivalent hereunto and in some cases more out of all that is desireable in their Beings The Lord Christ is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Heb. 1. 3. i. e. to sustain or bear up all things by §. 4. the word of his power which implies 1. An utter impotency and weaknesse in the creature to stand alone or to keep it selfe by its own strength from a recidivation or relapse into its first vanity or nothing For that which is able to preserve it self from falling needs no support or bearing up by another 2. That Christ feels no weight or burden of the Universe whilst he supporteth it The speaking of a word especially within himselfe and in his mind only engageth no mans strength nor putteth him to the least pain This great Act of bearing up the Universe is therefore I conceive appropriated unto Christ though common to the other persons with him because in his Mediatory Humiliation he laid a foundation of Equity and Reason why God notwithstanding that great provocation given by the sin of man to dissolve it should yet consent to the standing and supportation of it Such executions which depend upon his Mediation and for which there had been no place otherwise are elsewhere in Scripture peculiarly asserted to him in respect thereof See John 5. 27. Though in respect of the Divine Nature Power and Will being one and the same in all the three Persons there is a necessity of their joynt concurrence in all actings ad extra as the Schoolmen call them yet such of these actings for which way hath been made by any personall atchievement or transaction of any of the Three may with a good savour of Reason be in a more speciall and remarkable manner attributed to that person who hath more peculiarly interposed for the procurement of them When the Apostle affirmeth that we live and move in God in the sence §. 5. declared as well as have our essence or being in him his meaning seems to be that it is through God and his voluntary closing with us that we have and do enjoy all manner of accommodations of Being as well the greater and lesser as Essence or Being it self To live oft-times in Scripture signifies the enjoyment of an happy and contentfull condition which signification is no ways inconvenient for this place Or if the Apostle be conceived to speak of the life naturall which is not improbable he must be supposed to include all those noble and desireable faculties and endowments as of Reason Memory Judgement Understanding Speech c. which are appropriate to the life of man So that when he saith We live in God his meaning is not only or simply that that spring or fountain of vitall actions or motions in men which in a district sence is termed life is possess'd enjoyed and held by means of a gracious and loving comportment of God with them for such a purpose but that all that honourable retinue likewise of those excellent powers and faculties named which attend upon the Principle of life in man is maintained in being by the same compliance also Whereas he adds That in him also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we move or are moved as the §. 6. word
and by means of such Principles or instruments of action being in the Propriety or Formality of their respective natures in them which are ascribed unto God As for example to give the World knowledge that the Divine Nature can and upon just occasion will yea and doth many times expresse it selfe after such a manner and with such a kinde of effect as men use to expresse themselves out of anger as viz. by Reproveing Expostulating Withdrawing themselves Striking Punishing and the like the Holy Ghost oft ascribeth the Passion or Impression of Anger unto God There is the same consideration of all those other Creature-affections as of Love Zeal Grief Sorrow Repentance Delight Mercy Compassion c. And so also of all those organicall parts or members of an humane body as Eyes Eares Hands Heart c. which are so frequently in the Scriptures attributed unto God These respective attributions give the light of this knowledge of God unto the World that the Divine Nature though most singly simply most undividedly and indivisibly One is yet able out of the infinite perfection of it to act all that variety and diversity of action and effect which the Creature is wont to act out of such affections and by means of such organs or members respectively To come in to the particular in hand The Scripture is wont to ascribe §. 5. knowledge unto God to inform the World that what kinde of contentment soever men reape or receive by meanes of any knowledge of things which they have and that what regular use or advantage soever they make or are capable of making in any kinde of such Knowledge God receiveth the like contentment by maketh when and as he pleaseth the same or the like use of the infinite perfection of his nature or being For example men of knowledge and of understanding so far as their knowledge extendeth are free from errors mistakes and other inconveniences in reference to the things known whereunto men that are ignorant are exposed Again men that have knowledge of things are hereby according to the measure and extent of this knowledge inabled to manage and order their affaires to their best advantage either in a way of profit or of Repute and Honor yea and being otherwise furnished with opportunity and meanes for such a purpose to communicate and impart the same light of knowledge unto others which shineth in and to themselves In like manner knowledge yea the knowledge of all things a 1 Joh. 3. 20. is in Scripture asserted unto God not because he knoweth them after the same specificall manner or upon the same specificall terms upon which men know or understand the things known by them for as the Lord seeth not as men seeth b 1 Sam. 16 7 so neither doth he know as man knoweth but because from and by means of the infinite perfection of his Nature 1. He injoyeth himselfe with a scientificall contentment I mean with such a kinde of contentment as knowing men injoy or might injoy by means of their knowledge and 2. Because by the same means he is inabled to manage order and dispose of all things to the best advantage and improvement for his own glory and for what other end besides he pleaseth and 3. and lastly because he hath an opportunity also thereby to impart the knowledge of what things soever he pleaseth unto his Creature By what hath been said it is no matter of difficulty either to conceive §. 6. or to declare in what sence or upon what ground one or more the Scriptures attribute prescience also or fore-knowledge unto God For look what regular conveniency opportunity or advantage in any kinde the foreknowledge of things in men affordeth unto them the like doth the infinite perfection of the Divine Nature exhibit and afford unto him Men who have the certaine fore-knowledge that such and such things will come to passe at such or such a time if they any wayes relate unto them or be capable of being wrought to such a Relation besides the inward contentment of such knowledge have an opportunity thereby not only of making known before hand unto their friends or others that at such a time such things will come to passe for this they may do whether the things fore-knowne doe any wayes concerne them or no and by this meanes gaine the repute of being Propheticall or otherwise very understanding and discerning men but also of contriving and ordering other things in the meane time so and after such a manner that the things fore-knowne when they come to passe shall come to passe with more conveniency or advantage unto them then otherwise they could have done Upon such considerations as these the fore-knowledge of things yea of all things that are future is by the Scriptures ascribed unto God viz. Because thorough the infinite perfection of his Essence and and Being he 1. Injoyes a delight or contentment answerable to that of fore-knowing men by means of this their knowledge 2. He is able to impart before hand at what distance of time he pleaseth either to his Saints his Friends or others such particularities of what is hid in the womb of time as himself judgeth meete to be upon such terms as these revealed 3. and lastly he is able also providentially to dispose of all such things to the best advantage both for his own glory and the benefit of those who shall be found worthy of this great interest in him From the Rule that hath been given and the explication made according §. 7. thereunto for a right understanding how and in what sence and upon what grounds both knowledge and fore-knowledge are in Scripture transferred unto God a cleere light shineth whereby to discover how and upon what gounds also Desires Purposes Intentions or Decrees in one kinde or other are by the same authority vested in God as likewise how they differ both from his knowledge and fore-knowledge That Desires Intentions Purposes and Decrees as well as Knowledge or fore-knowledge are only anthrope-pathetically ascribed unto God not formally the former part of this Chapter I presume hath given the tantamont of many demonstrations So that cleerly and distinctly to understand how and in what sence they are in Scripture attributed unto him inquiry must be made and consideration had how they are wont to affect or ingage men after what manner and upon what terms men are usually acted and drawn forth by them Only before we come to the Explication hereof this is to be remembred by way of caution that though there alwayes be as hath been said a Ground or Reason one or more for that attribution of humane actions affections members c. which the Scriptures so frequently make unto God which Reason is still founded in a certaine Proportion or Similitude found between the Nature of God and the nature of man in respect of the things so attributed unto him yet is it not necessary that all things accompanying or
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
things by the way All impressions all principles of light and truth which are found written in the hearts and consciences of men are here written by the finger of God himself Therefore what spirit or Doctrine soever symbolizeth in notion and import with these or any of them must of necessity be of the same parentage and descent with them there being no original Parent or Father of light and truth but God only And on the contrary what Doctrine or spirit soever putteth any of these Principles to sorrow or shame and doth not lovingly comport with them hereby declare themselves to be of a spurious and ignoble race as Christ reasoned with the Iews If God were your Father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God g John 8 42. But because they hated him he concluded them to be the children of the Devil Concerning the mystery of the Trinity the Incarnation of God or the Son of God the conception of a Virgin with some other points of like consideration commonly pretended to be against or at least above and out of the reach and apprehension of Reason I clearly answer 1. That they are every whit as much yea upon the same terms out of the reach of Faith as of Reason For how can I beleeve at least upon good grounds and as it becometh a Christian to beleeve whatsoever he beleeveth that which I have no Reason nor am capable of apprehending any Reason nay for which there is no Reason why I should beleeve it If it be said I am bound to beleeve the Doctrines specified because they are revealed by God I answer that this is a rational ground whereof my Reason and Vnderstanding are throughly capable why I should beleeve them The light of Nature clearly informeth me that what God revealeth or speaketh must needs be true and consequently worthy and meet to be beleeved If it be further said but Reason is not able to apprehend or conceive how three should be really and essentially one and the same how a Virgin should conceive and bring forth a Son c. I answer that no Faith or Belief in such things as these is required of me nor would be accepted with God in case it were in me above what I am able by my Reason to apprehend and understand As I am not able to apprehend by my Reason the particular and distinct manner how the three Persons subsist in one and the same Divine Nature and Essence so neither am I bound to beleeve it That which I am bound to beleeve in this Point is onely this that there are three who do thus subsist I mean in the same Divine Essence and for this my Reason is apprehensive enough why I should beleeve it viz. because God himself hath revealed it as hath been said If I should confidently beleeve any thing more or further concerning the Trinity of Persons commonly so called and there is the same Reason of the other Points mentioned then what I know upon the clear account of my Reason and Vnderstanding it would be presumption in me and not Faith and I should contract the guilt of those whom the Apostle chargeth with intruding or advancing themselves into the things which they have not seen a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. 18 Vid. Sam. Petit Var. Lect. l. 1. c. 9 i. e. rationally apprehended and understood But 2. If it be yet demanded but is it not contrary to the grounds of Nature and so to Principles of Reason that a Virgin should conceive a Child And if so how can such a Doctrine according to what you have asserted be received as from God or as a Truth I answer it is no ways contrary to Reason nor to any Principle thereof that God should be able to make a Virgin to conceive but very consonant hereunto as the Apostle Paul supposed it credible enough as we lately heard even in the eye of Reason that God should make the Earth bring forth her dead alive b Acts 26 8 Indeed that a Virgin should conceive in a natural way or according to the course of ordinary Providence is contrary unto Reason but this Religion requireth not of any man to beleeve Nor doth it bear hard at all upon any Principle of Reason that God should be willing to do every whit as great and strange a thing as that I mean as to cause a Virgin to conceive for the accomplishment of so great and glorious a design as the saving of a lost World Nor is it contrary to Reason or any Principle thereof that God or the first Being being infinite should have a manner of subsisting or Being far different from the manner of subsistence which is appropriate to all created and finite Beings or that this manner of subsisting which is proper unto him should be unto men incomprehensible But most consonant it is to Principles of Reason when God himself hath pleased so far to reveal that appropriate and incomprehensible manner of his subsisting as to declare and say that he subsisteth in three that men should accordingly beleeve it so to be So that most certain it is that there is nothing in Christian Religion which so far as it concerneth men to know and beleeve but what fairly and friendly comports with that Reason and Vnderstanding which God hath given unto Man and what by a diligent and conscientious use of these noble faculties he may come to know and believe at least so far as to salve his great Interest of Salvation 2. Look with how many Precepts Exhortations Admonitions I stand charged by God to submit unto and practise I am under so many charges and engagements from him likewise to exercise my Reason and Vnderstanding 1. To apprend aright the Mind of God in every of these respectively lest when he injoyneth me one thing I through mistake should do another 2. To consider how when and in what cases I am commanded by him to do this or that 3. and lastly to pass by other particulars To gather together and call up upon my Soul all such Motives and Considerations which I am able whereby to provoke stir up and strengthen my self to the execution and performance of all things accordingly When God commandeth me to strive to enter in at the strait gate to seek his Kingdom and the righteousness thereof in the first place to labor for the meat which endureth to everlasting life to be a man in understanding to omit other Precepts of like nature without number be commandeth me consequentially and with a direct clear and necessary implication to rise up in the might of my reason and understanding in order to the performaance of these things nor am I capable of performing the least of these great and most important commands in any due manner but by interessing my reason judgment understanding and this throughly and effectually in and about the performance The truth is I stand bound in duty and conscience
viz. when the race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong c. Eccles 9. 11. Eccles 9. 11. §. 9. If it be here demanded In as much as second Causes and created Principles especially in men act notwithstanding such a substraction of the Divine Presence from them as hath been declared though not according to the perfection of their natures but in a troubled and miscarrying manner the eyes of the two Disciples we spake of though they were so held that they knew not Christ viz. to be the person which he was yet they represented him unto them as a man c. Whether do such actings as these proceed from their Principles without any such presence of the first Cause with them as that which we have asserted to be simply necessary for and with second Causes whensoever they go forth into action Or what manner of presence of this first Cause or how differing from that which is constant and more agreeable to their natures shall we suppose they have with them when they act irregularly or deficiently To this I answer 1. Whensoever second Causes move into action whether they act congruously to their respective natures and kinds or whether defectively they still have and must have a presence of the first Cause with them as hath beene already argued But 2. When they faile or faulter in their motions or actings if their motions be such which are not morall or commanded by the will of which kind the mis representation of the person of Christ by the eyes or visive faculty of the two Apostles was I conceive that the presence or concourse of the first cause with them is attempered and proportioned in order to the deficiency of the action I mean as well to the degree as kind of this deficiency and is not the same with it selfe in the ordinary and proper actings of these faculties The reason hereof is because faculties meerly naturall act determinately and uniformly after one and the same manner unlesse they be troubled and put out of their way by a superior power But in morall actions and such whose deficiency proceedeth from the wills of men or other creatures indued with the Whether or how the concurrence of God with the wils of men in good actions dister from that which is afforded unto them in evill actions shall God willing be taken into consideration in the second part of this work same faculty the presence and concourse of the first Cause with the Principles producing them is not at least ordinarily different from that which is naturall and proper to them and by vertue whereof at other times they act regularly or at least may The Reason hereof is because the nature and intrinsecall frame and constitution of the will importeth a liberty or freedom of chusing its own motions or acts this being the essentiall and characteristicall property of it whereby it is distinguished from causes meerly naturall Now then if this faculty when it moves or acts inordinately should be so influenced by the first Cause as hereby to be determined or necessitated to the inordinacy of its actings 1. That distinguishing property we speak of should be dissolved or destroyed and the will it selfe hereby reduced to the Order and Laws of Causes meerly naturall 2. The inordinatenesse or sinfulnesse of the motions and actings of it could not be resolved into it selfe or its own corruption but into that over ruling and necessitating influence of the first Cause upon it which it was not able to withstand nor to act besides or contrary unto the determinating exigency thereof And thus God shall be made the Author of Sin which is the first born of abominations even in the eye of Reason and Nature it selfe But of these things more hereafter Though all the motions and actings of the creature and created Principles §. 10. or faculties are absolutely suspended upon the association of the first Cause with them in their actings yet do they very seldom suffer any detriment or actuall suspension of their motions or actings hereby God never denying suspending or withdrawing that concurrence or conjunction of himself with them without which they cannot act but only upon some speciall design as for example now and then to be a Remembrancer unto the world that Nature and Second Causes are not autocratoricall i. e. do not perform what ordinarily they do perform independently and of themselves but that he is the soveraign Lord of them and hath all the strength and operations of them in his hand The battell commonly is to the strong and the race ordinarily to the swift and bread most frequently to men of understanding c. But more of this also in the following Chapter The Apostle affirming That in God we live and move in the sence declared §. 11. passeth the sentence of condemnation against two opinions which yet condemn one the other also being two extreams leaving the Truth between them in the middle The former denies all co-operation of the first Cause with the second affirming That God only communicateth that operating virtue unto them which they respectively exert and put forth and preserveth it but doth not at all co-operate with it The latter affirmeth That it is God only who acteth or worketh at the presence of Second Causes and that these do nothing but stand by act not at all The former of these opinions wâ—â— held by Durandus the Schoolman and by some others far more ancient then he against whom Augustin disputeth Lib. 5. dâ— Geâ— ad lit c. 20. The latteâ— by Gabriel Biel a School man also and some others of that Learning The Apostles assertion That we move in God in the sence asserted is visibly attended with these two consequentiall Truths 1. That God doth associate himselfe and communicate with Second Causes and all created Principles in their respective motions and operations and consequently contributes more towards their motions and operations then only by a collation and conservation of a sufficient strength or virtue in their respective causes to produce them 2. That the ordinary effects acts and operations produced in these sublunary parts are not so or upon any such terms attributable unto God but that they have their Second Causes also respectively producing them whereunto they may as truly and perhaps more properly be ascribed as unto God CHAP. II. Though there be as absolute and essential a Dependance of Second Causes upon the first in point of motion action and operation as of simple Existence or Being yet are not the motions actions or operations of Second Causes at least ordinarily so immediately or precisely determined by that Dependance which they have upon the first Cause as their respective Beings are THe simple Existences or Beings of things may be said to be determined §. 1. by God the first Cause three ways 1. In respect of their Natures or constituting Principles of their respective Beings 2. In respect of their
11. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 19. But as many other things are oft in Scripture attributed unto God which according to the proper and ordinary signification of the words are no wayes comperible to him as Hands Eyes Eares Greife Repentance c. So is Pre-science or fore-knowledge also Notwithstanding as there is a ground in Reason one or more for all those other metaphoricall and improper attributions which are in any kinde made unto God so is there for this of Prescience also Only care and caution must be taken that our Table proves not a snare unto us my meaning is least those things which are metaphorically spoken of God for the accommodation of our understandings and to inrich us with such conceptions apprehensions and knowledge of him as we are well capable of according to the truth of his Nature and Being be not so interpreted or understood by us as to occasion any such fancies or imaginations in us which are unworthy of him and inconsistent with the truth of his Being That Pre-science or fore-knowledge are not Formally or Properly in §. 2. God is the constant assertion both of Ancient and Moderne Divinity The Quid est proescientia nisi scientia futurorum Quid autem futurum est Deo qui omnia super graditur tempora Si enim in scientia res ipsas habet non sunt ei futurae sed praesentes ac per hoc non jam praescientia sed tantum scientia dici potest Aug. l. 2. ad Simpl. vide plura ib. Nec zelus nec ira nec penitentia nec proprie miscrecordia nec praescientia esse potest in Deo Greg. Moral l. 2. c. 23. learned Assertors of the Protestant Cause are at perfect agreement with their Adversaries the Schoolemen and Papists in this Nor is it any wonder at all that there should be peace and a concurrence of judgement about such a point as this even between those who have many Irons of contention otherwise in the fire considering how obvious and neere at hâ—â—d the truth herein is For 1. if fore-knowledge were Properly and formally in God then might Predestination Election Reprobation and many other things be Properly and Formally in him also in as much as these are in the Letter and Propriety of them as competible unto him as foreknowledge Nor can there be any reason given soâ— a difference But unpossible it is that there should be any Plurality of â—â—ings whatsoever in their distinct and Proper natures and formalities in God the infinite simplicity of his nature and being with open mouth gain-saying it Secondly if fore-knowledge were Properly or Formally in God there should be somewhat in him corruptible or changeable For that which is supposed to be such a foreknowledge in him to day by the morrow suppose the thing or event foreknown should in the interim actually come to passe must needs cease and be changed in as much as there can be no fore-knowledge of things that are present the adequate and appropriate object of this knowledge in the Propriety of it being res futura somewhat that is to come Thirdly and lastly there is nothing in the Creature univocally and formally the same Quid est praescientia nisi scientia futurorum Aug. l. 2. ad Simpl. q. 2. with any thing which is in God The Reason is because then there must either be somewhat finite in God or somewhat infinite in the Creature both which are unpossible But if Prescience or fore-knowledge being Properly and Formally in the Creature should be Properly and Formally also in God there should be somewhat in the Creature univocally and formally the same with somewhat which is in God Therefore certainly there is no foreknowledge properly so called in God If it be objected that this argument lieth as strong against the Propriety §. 3. of knowledge as of fore-knowledge in God in as much as knowledge is every whit as Properly and Formally in the Creature as fore-knowledge I Answer True it is there is no knowledge neither in God according to the precise and formall notion of knowledge or in such a sence wherein it is found in men And this the first and last of the three Reasons mentioned doe infallibly demonstrate Knowledge in the Creature is a Principle or habit really and essentially distinct from the subject or soule where it resideth yea and is capable of augmentation and diminution therein and of separation from it Whereas that which is called knowledge in God neither differs really or essentially from his nature or from himself but is really one and the same thing with him as will further appeare in the following Chapter nor is it either capable of growth or of decay or of separation Only in this respect knowledge of the two is more properly attributeable unto God then fore-knowledge viz. because fore-knowledge in the proper notion or formall conception of it includes or supposeth a liablenesse to a change or expiration viz. upon the comming to passe of the thing fore-knowne which must of necessity come to passe in time whereas knowledge imports nothing but what may be Permanent and Perpetuall and so is of the two more appropriable unto him who changeth not But though neither knowledge nor fore-knowledge can in strictnesse and §. 4. formality of notion be ascribed unto God yet since both the one and the other are frequently in Scripture attributed unto him necessary it is that we make inquiry into the Grounds and Reasons of such attributions For it is no wayes credible but that the Holy Ghost in all such expressions did intend to informe the World of somewhat and that according to truth concerning God Now the method and way in generall whereby to discover upon what grounds or Reasons the Holy Ghost attributeth such things unto God which yet are not Formally or Properly competible to him and consequently what it is in God of which by such expressions he desireth to impart the knowledge unto us is this to consider the Respective natures the different manner of operation the divers effects or ordinary consequents of those things in the Creature whetâ—â—r they be Actions Passions Habits Parts or whatsoever which are upon such terms attributed unto God For still we shall finde something or other proceeding from God or done by him which holds proportion and correspondeth with some or other one or more of the ordinary effects or consequents of those things in the Creature which are so attributed unto him And the intent of the Holy Ghost in ascribing such things unto God which are proper only to the Creature is to make known to us that the Divine Essence or God himself hath that eminently after a transcendent and most perfect manner in his nature or being which alwayes inableth him and in respect of some particulars upon occasion rendereth him actually willing to expresse himself in such kinde of actions or effects wherein the Creature is wont to expresse it selfe upon occasion out of
that great and blessed end and purpose viz. that by them they might be made capable of attaining that life and Salvation which was procured purchased for them by Christâ— and intended to be really conferr'd upon them upon their believing and continuance therein unto the end though it is true that men generally as they grow up in the World convert these Principles of light and understanding to other uses and not to those for which they are given them as viz. to make provision for the flesh for the fulfilling of the lusts thereof and not to the obtaining of that life and happinesse which is in Christ for them as foolish Children which fall to play or quarrell amongst themselves by the opportunity of that Candle which their Parents allow them for their studies and books Yea men generally doe not only mis-spend those Talents of light we speake of about the impertinencies of this present World but partly through an un-manlike oscitancy and inconsideratenesse partly out of an inordinate Propensity to comport with the World without any feare or sence of danger hereby suffer their judgements and understandings to be corrupted adulterated imbased and abused by many false and foolish Principles and Notions which turne them quite aside from a regular and due prosecution of that Life and Salvation which is in Christ for them and might have been obtained by them yea and subject them to a sad incapacity of the things of their Peace when they are proposed with the greatest Evidence and Power unto them Insomuch that though the Life which was in Christ is said to be the light of men yet it immediately followeth that the light shineth in darknesse i. e. The Doctrine of Life and Salvation is cleerly Preached to an ignorant World and the darknesse comprehended it not i. e. That ignorance or incapacity rather of the things of eternall life which men have voluntarily contracted and brought upon themselves is fo exceeding great and strange that they understand little or nothing of this Doctrine so Preached unto them But this occasionally only and by the way As to the Worke in hand doubtlesse there was never any man touch'd with any competent sence or enlightened with any tolerable Notion of a Deity that ever put it to the question in himself whether God was perfect or no. All men saith Aristotle in his Metaphysiques without any demur or delay ascribe that unto God which they conceive to be most perfect And indeed that very Sence and Notion of God which Nature prompteth her Children with though many of them are dull of hearing in this kind doth not admit of any thing look'd upon as defective or imperfect within the Verge of it Therefore having so firme and so generally-approved a foundation to build upon as the perfection of God let us see what it affordeth unto us by way of §. 4. evident deduction toward the advancement of our great design the magnifying of God in his gracious intendments of salvation unto all men without exception in or by the Death of Christ First if the Nature Essence and Being of God be most perfect then must it needs be most simple most intirely absolutely and perfectly one not admitting any Plurality or Composition whatsoever The reason of this is plaine because all Plurality and Composition whether of Parts or of Natures suppose imperfection For if any one of these Parts or Natures were perfect absolutely or infinitely perfect it were able to do whatsoever is necessary yea or possible to be done for without this there is no simple or absolute perfection and then what need were there of any thing more to be added unto it or joyn'd with it That a man hath Eares as well as Eyes and Eyes as well as Eares and so Hands as well as Feet and Feet as well as Hands cleerly proves that no one of these members are simply and absolutely perfect i. e. can do or performe and this with a like comelinesse and conveniency whatsoever is necessary to be done and performed by man for then all the rest should be superfluous They may all be perfect in their kinde i. e. with a determinate and limited perfection and in order to such or such a particular action and service and yet one stand in neede of another as the Apostle speaketh but if any one of them were simply and absolutely perfect i. e. could doe all things whatsoever upon the same terms of convenience which both it self and all the rest can do together certainly all the rest were needlesse So if an Angel could understand by his meere Essence or Substance of his Nature without any endowment or gift of understanding distinct there-from or could perform any other action or do any execution immediately by his Essence without the intervening of those Naturall endowments or qualities of Strength Power Activenesse c. all these endowments and appendices to his Nature and Essence would be meerly superfluous The necessity which the Angels have of Wisdom Knowledge Reason Strength c. over and besides their meere Essences and Beings plainly declareth and sheweth these Essences and Beings of theirs to be unperfect I meane in respect of a simple and absolute perfection and that they stand in neede of such additionall Properties and Endowments as we speak of to make them perfect even in their own kind Nor is it indeed possible for God to make any such Creature or to speak somewhat more properly no such Creature can possibly be made which shall be able to act or worke immediately by its Essence or otherwise then by the mediation of some Vertue Property or Quality in one kinde or other inherent therein it being the glorious and incommunicable property and prerogative of the Divine Essence or Being it self so to worke So then this absolute and infinite simplicity of the Nature of God supposed as without which he cannot be absolutely and infinitely perfect it plainly followeth First that all those attributes of God commonly so called as Wisdome §. 5. Knowledge Justice Mercy Goodnesse Power c. and so all those Passions and Affections as of Anger Griefe Repentance Love Hatred c. Deo idem est esse fortem esse vel sapientem esse vel justum esse si quid de illa simplici multiplicitate vel multiplici simplicitate dixeris quo substantia ejus significâ—tur Aug. de Trin. l. 6. c. 4. And again all those Parts or Members as Eyes Eares Hands Feet Mouth c. which are so frequently attributed unto him in the Scriptures are all one and the same thing in God though they be very different things in men nor is any one of them nor all of them together any other thing but only his single simple and pure Essence But therefore all this variety and diversity both of Attributes Affections and Parts is attributed unto him because by meanes of this one simple and single Essence being infinitely perfect he can when he
the present Secondly if God in his Nature or Essence be simply absolutely and §. 12. infinitely perfect then must he needs be a most pure and simple act without any potentiality at all i. e. he must needs be actually Et de praesenti as they say and so have been from eternity whatsoever he is capable of being or whatsoever it is possible for him ever to be The reason of this is because all potentiality or possibility of being any thing more or any thing besides what a Person or thing is for the present argueth imperfection which is cleerly proved thus Whatsoever it is possible for a Person or thing to be which at present he is not must needs be something which will either add unto his being and make it better or else take away from his being and so make it worse or else be a thing meerly indifferent and so of no concernment unto him at all So then if a man be capable of being any thing which yet he is not for the bettering of his condition it is a cleere case that his present condition or being is unperfect for he is as yet destitute of that which should add perfection unto him If he be capable of any thing or of being any thing which yet he is not to the making of his present condition worse here the case is yet more cleere that such a mans condition is not perfect For to be obnoxious to the deprivation or losing of any good which a man injoyeth for the present manifestly argueth weaknesse and imperfection Thirdly and lastly if a man be capable of being any thing which yet he is not suppose it be without any relation at all to his condition either for the better or the worse yet this also plainely argueth imperfection For it supposeth that a man hath something hath a capacity which is a meere superfluity to him and doth him no good yea which he knoweth not how to improve for his good and this as apparantly as either of the former argueth imperfection So that certaine it is that if the Nature and Being of God be absolutely and infinitely perfect he must needs be a pure and meer act all in present and actuall Being whatsoever it is possible for him ever to be This most intire and compleat Actuality of the Divine Nature and Being §. 13. is I presume generally subscribed by all Reformed Divines God saith Zanchie is a most pure and most simple act and no wayes capable or in any possibility of being any thing more or lesse then what he is a Cum igitur Deus purissimus sit simplicissimus Actus nullo modo in potentia ad aliquid evincitur Deum nullo modo mutabilem esse Zanch. De Nat. Dei l. 2. c. 4 qu. 1. Praeterea cum tria sint eorum omnium quae sunt genera supremum est tantum actus simplicissimus sine ulla potentia passiva Ibid. ca. 6. Et paulo post Adhaeâ— Deus Actus est purissimus sine ulla potentia passâ—va Ergo nullum habet aut habere potest suae perfectionis finem And from this Actuality of God he infers both his absolute immutability and infinity of his Perfection It is affirmed saith Peter Martyr as with one mouth of all that are godly that God is not changed in as much as this would be a certain signe as well of imperfection as inconstancy in him b Apiis omnibus uno propemodum ore dicitur Deum nequaquam mutari quando quidem id cum imperfectionis tam etiam inconstantiae certum esset indicium Pet. Mart. loc Class 1. cap. 11. Sect. 23. Imo purus simplex est actus nec unquam sistitur felicissima ejus actio Ibid. Class 2. c. 7. Sect. 1. Deus est purus Actus non habens aliquid de potentialitate Aqu. Sum. part 1. qu. 3. art 2. The reason why God is not changed nor capable of any change whatsoever is because he is a most Pure Absolute and Compleat Act i. e. He is for the present whatsoever it is possible in any respect for Him to be So that notwithstanding his omnipotency it self He hath no Power to make the least alteration or change in Himself either in Nature Will or Action Upon the account of this Authors credit who interesseth all the godly in the Assertion and Belief of Gods unchangeablenesse and consequently of that perfect actuality which we assert I judge it needelesse to make any further levy of Testimonies in this behalf Only I conceive it may be worthy our paines to vindicate this Doctrine §. 14. of this Actuality of God from the incumbrance of an Objection or two First if God be so Pure Meere and Perfect an Act that no mutation in any kinde is incident unto Him how can He be said to act or do any thing to day which He did not yesterday or before yea from eternity as for example to give Faith unto a Person or make him a Believer to day who was an Unbeliever yesterday Or doth God worke no more no otherwise in or upon a man when he is made an actuall Believer then he did whilest he was yet an Unbeliever And if God changeth his action or manner of action or acteth at all where he acted not before is he not somewayes mutable and consequently no such Pure or Compleat Act as hath been asserted I answer 1. What Mutations Changes or Differences soever be at any time found in Men or in other Creatures whether in their Natures Qualities Motions Actions or in what respect soever most certaine it is that God is uniformly and unchangeably the same in His both Nature or Essence Properties and Actings God saith Peter Martyr defers his assistances as seemeth good unto Him and moves the hearts of Men at a certaine time whereas He moved them not before which notwithstanding we question not but He doth without any change of Himself c Deus auxilia sua diffeâ—t prout illi videtur et hominum coâ—da movet certo tempore cum â—a antea non moverit Quod tamen ab eo absque sui mutatione fieri non dubitamus P. Mart. Loc. Class â— c. 2. Sect. 8. The Essence or Being of God being altogether unchangeable and His Operations or Actings being really and formally the same with His Essence unpossible it is that the one should be more changeable then the other Therefore 2. When a man believeth to day who believed not yesterday or before §. 15. though God now inclines and moveth His heart to believe which he did not before yet he doth it not by any new act or exertion of himself but by that first great eternall act of His quo totum Ens omnes ejus differentias profudit as Aquinas speakes i. e. by which he poured out as it were from himself at once the whole and intire body of entity or being with all and all manner the differences of it For
saith he will alter or change the will of a man being evill he makes use of Admonitions Sermons Chastisements for these are the Organs and Instruments of the Providence of God c. a Vult Deus mutare malam hominis voluntateÌ„ adhibet admonitiones Sermones castigatioÌ„es Haec enim sunt organa instrumenta Providentiae Dei c. Ib. Sect. 16. If Admonitions Sermons c. be the Instruments and Means which God useth to change the evill hearts and wills of men certainly he doth not change them by an irresistiblenesse of Power nor in any way whereby the change is necessitated because then there could be left no place for any usefulnesse or serviceablenesse at all of his Instruments in or about the change Nothing can be instrumentall in or about the producing of an action or effect but only in a way of and according to such an efficiency which is proper to the nature of it Charms and Spells written in Paper and hung about the neck are not instrumentall in the Cures which are wrought by Satan there being no Property or Quality in them which holds any proportion of causality with such effects as the Cures of Diseases are nor can such Cures be truly said to be wrought by them though haply they would not be wrought without them In like manner the nature and property of Admonitions Exhortations Chastisements c. being to perswade or worke the hearts of men to a change contingently only and not in a way of necessitation much lesse of compulsion unpossible it is that these should be instrumentall in the Hand of God in changing the hearts of men unlesse it be supposed that this change is wrought by him contingently and with a possibility at any time before it be effected that it should not be effected and this not only in respect of his liberty whether he will go through with the worke and effect it or no but in respect of the liberty of the will it self whether it will be perswaded to a change or no. But concerning the uselessnesse of exhortations c. in case conversion be wrought by an irresistible or necessitating hand we shall have occasion to speake more at large hereafter To the point in hand Polanus another Reformed Divine as Orthodox by repute as Mr. Calvin himself prefixes this title to his fifth Thesis in the sixth Chapter of his Symphony God so worketh by the meanes of Nature â—hat he worketh nothing contrary to their Nature and therefore the Providence of God constraineth not the will of the Creature b Deus sic agit per media naturae ut nihil contrà eorum naturam ac proinde Providentia Dei non coget voluntatem Creaturae The Nature of the will is to work I mean to assent and dissent freely contingently and without any necessitation either from within or from without Therefore if God worketh nothing contrary to the Nature of the will the will still consents unto him upon such terms that she is at liberty to dissent any thing that he worketh to procure this consent notwithstanding Besides if God worketh nothing contrary to the Nature of second Causes then he must needs according to the common expression of Divines as with necessary Causes work necessarily so with contingent Causes worke contingently Take the acknowledgement of the same Truth from Ursine also another late Writer no lesse Orthodox then the two former The will of man saith he even moved of God is ABLE not only TO RESIST but also to assent unto and obey God in his Motion by her own and proper Motion which doing she doth not only suffer but acteth also and raiseth up or springs her own actions although shee hath the POVVER of assenting and obeying from the Holy Ghost c Potest enim voluÌ„tas mota à Deo non tantùm repugnare sed etiam adsentiri obsequi Deo moventi suo ac proprio motu quodfaciens non tantùm patitur sed etiam agit ciet ipsa suas actiones et si vim assentiendi et obsequeÌ„di non ex se habet sed ex Gratia Spiritus sancti aceipiat Vrsin Catec Part. 1. Qu. 8. Et paulò post voluntas humana regitur non tantuÌ„ ab alio sed etiam à se Deus enim sic movet homines ut tamâ—n non vi rapiantur sed et ipsi se moveant A little after these words he saith for God so moveth men that yet they are not ravished by force or might but they move themselves also No man can more cleerly assert the perfect contingency or non necessity of the actings of the wills of men determinately under the movings and actings of God then this Author hath done in the words presented He that saith the will moved by God is able not only to resist but also to obey God in his Motion doubtlesse meaneth or supposeth that the will is able to resist him in or under those very Motions under which and by meanes whereof she is able also to consent unto him and obey him Besides saying that the will receives POVVER of assenting and obeying from the grace of the Holy Ghost doth he not plainly imply that she receives from hence no necessitating impressions unto these actions A man that is unavoidably carried or acted in or towards an action can in no tolerable construction be said to receive Power for the performance of this action in as much as the conferring of a Power to do that which a man was not able to do before doth no wayes infer the taking away of that Power such as it was which this man had before not to act Notwithstanding my sence and judgement in the point is that the will receives from the grace of the Holy Ghost not only a Power of consenting and obeying God in his gracious movings but Sensu sano these actings themselves But of this hereafter It is I suppose needlesse and would be more tedious then difficult to make the Pile of Testimonies from our best and most approved Authors for the confirmation of the Truth last asserted any whit greater He that is afraid to Believe the Truth unlesse he hath an arme of flesh to encourage him may finde many more quotations from severall Authors of best acceptance with himself for his encouragement in this kinde drawn togeby me in my late Answer to Mr. Jenkyn from p. 67. to p. 74. But for the Truth of this Assertion hitherto managed and credited by the authority of men that no Act of God is either destructive to the contingency of or impositive of any necessity or infallibility in the event upon the actions of the wills of men it hath been in part already and may in place more convenient in the progresse of our present discourse be further evicted and confirmed by dint of argument and demonstration In the meane time my request to him that shall haply undertake to answer these Discussions is that he will
righteousnesse were the objects of Gods Love who is frequently in Scripture said to love the righteous a Psal 146. 8. to blesse the righteous b Psal 5. 12. with his favour to compasse the righteous as with a Shield c Ibid. c. Therefore all this while I meane during their innocency and integrity in Adam there was none of them that could possibly be the Objects of Gods hatred or consequently of his Reprobation So that if any of them be reprobated it must be afterwards and in time for upon the said supposition which is manifestly true viz. that they were all the Objects of his Love whilest they were righteous and innocent it could not be from eternity And besides if God loved them personally considered it is impossible that without a change in his affection which is absolutely inconsistent with the Perfect actuality of his Nature and Being he should ever hate them or reprobate them under the same consideration or under any other then as changed personally from righteousnesse unto sin from innocency unto transgression In which case God may be said to hate them though he loved them formerly without the least shadow of a change either in himself or in his affection as was lately proved Fourthly and lastly from that compleat Actuality of the Divine Essence §. 33. which hath been argued and asserted it plainely followes that all Gods Counsells Purposes and Decrees are absolute unchangeable irreversible upon any terms suppositions or conditions whatsoever Any change or possibility of change in any of these supposeth a change or possibility of a change in him either of which are diametrally inconsistent with a compleat Actuality which excludeth all Potentiality and capacity of change in what kinde soever It is true many of the Purposes and Decrees of God have conditions essentially included in them and which are parts of them but taking the whole body or systeme of the Decree they are all absolute irrevocable indispensable It is one of the great Purposes and Decrees of God that if Men believe they shall be saved Here is a condition viz. believing essentially included in the Decree But this condition doth not make the Decree conditionall in reference to execution nor any whit lesse absolute then those Decrees are which have no condition at all framed into them For let the World stand or fall let Men Angels and Devils interpose and oppose their utmost this Decree of God shall stand and be put toties quoties in execution if men believe they shall be saved There is the same reason of all others which are of like tenor and frame And thus from the Perfection of the Divine Nature we have evinced 1. The Simplicity thereof 2. The most Pure and absolute Actuality thereof and from both these in a way of lawfull cleer and evident deduction inferred severall considerations and conclusions for the support and strengthening of our maine building in this Discourse We have only one thing further to argue from the Infinite Perfection of the Nature of God Therefore Thirdly and lastly if God in his Nature and Essence be absolutely §. 34. and infinitely Perfect then can He act nothing Order Decree nothing to the Prejudice or hurt of any Creature whatsoever but only in a way of righteousnesse and equity i. e. upon the consideration of some demerit or sin Preceding For not only to act but to be able to act unrighteously or to intend evill to or against the innocent argues imperfection and that in a very high degree Because as Job reasoneth and demandeth on the one hand who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane and concludeth not one * Job 14 4. so may we on the other who can bring an uncleane thing out of that which is Perfectly cleane Surely not one If the Nature of God be infinitely Perfect there can be nothing in it there can nothing proceede from it or be done by it that is unjust nothing unequall nothing hard nothing that any wayes bendeth or inclineth to the hurt or damage of the Creature being yet innocent And if so then can there be no such purpose no such Decree in him as men commonly call Reprobation or an irreversible Decreeing or Ordaining of men much lesse far the greatest part of Men to eternall destruction from eternity no nor yet any such Preterition of men whether we conceive it under the Notion of an act or of a meere Negation which even Lenitate verbi tristiciam rei mitigante Cic. Offic. in the sence of those Men who think to qualifie the harshnesse of the matter with the softnesse of such a terme tendeth every whit as infallibly as unavoydably to the everlasting ruine and misery of the Creature as a Positive Reprobation could do And indeed the exchange of the word Reprobation for a Preterition no more easeth God or vindicates the honour of his Grace Goodnesse Love Bounty towards the Creature then it would the justice or clemency of a Judge to pleade on his behalf that though he sentenceth guiltlesse men unto death yet he takes speciall care that execution shall not be done upon them with hempen but with silken Halters For as not to feede a mans enemy when he is an hungry or when he is thirsty not to give him to drink is interpreted by God to be an avenging of a mans selfe Rom. 12. vers 19. compared with vers 20. in like manner for God to leave Men in such a condition or upon such terms in and under which it is simply unpossible for them to escape the vengeance of eternall fire is constructively and as we use to say neither better nor worse then to Ordaine or Decree him in a Positive way to the suffering of this vengeance But here it is commonly pleaded on Gods behalf and said yea but it is no §. 35. unrighteous thing no unequall or hard thing in God to Reprobate or Predestinate to destruction and that from eternity which or how many of his Creatures he pleaseth without any consideration of sin at all This is his lawfull and just Prerogative as he is the absolute Lord of his Creatures and if he useth it in reference to such or such of them who can say unto him why dost thou so Or however if he be conceived to have looked upon Men as lapsed in Adam and so sinfull when he Passed by so many of them and left them in the hand of eternall ruine without all possibility of an escape is there so much as any appearance of unrighteousnesse or hardnesse in this I Answer 1. As some men importunely officious unto Kings and Princes and desirous to make their faces to shine above their native lustre in the World have attempted to vest such Prerogatives as they call Prerogative in them as a lawfulnesse of Power to impose what taxes they please upon their Subjects to take away any mans estate they have a minde unto to exempt such Malefactors
Thus it is said of the Egyptian Magitians that they COVLD NOT STAND before Moses viz. at present because of the Boyles g Exod. 9. 11 but these notwithstanding they were in a capacity of standing before him another time as viz. when they should be healed of their Boyles Thus it is said that the Children of Israel COVLD NOT stand before their enemies a 1 Judg 7. 12 viz. whilest Achans sin was unpunished amongst them yet were they remotely capable not only of standing before their enemies but of vanquishing yea and making their enemies flie before them Fifthly and lastly the Phrase cannot frequently importeth an absolute impotency or incapacity in Persons in reference to the doing of such or such a thing Thus our Saviour speaking of His sheep No Man or none CAN take thâ—m out of my hand b Ioh. 10. 29 i. e. either hath or ever shall have any such Power whereby to take them out of my hand And so Gamaliel to his fellowes But if this Counsell or Work be of God yee CANNOT overthrow it c Acts 5. 39 c. i. e. you are in no capacity at all either present or remore to overthrow it It were easie to multiply instances of this Signification Now if the clause cannot sin in the Argument propounded be understood §. 29. according to any of the foure first signification mentioned of the word cannot both the Propositions are false if according to the fifth and last the major is true but the minor false The major Proposition was this He that sinneth not NEITHER CAN SIN cannot fall away from his Faith 1. If by the deniall of a Power to sin in this Proposition which that clause neither can sin importeth be meant nothing else but an unmeetnesse or uncomlinesse for a Man to Sin it is a cleer case that He that cannot sin may notwithstanding such a want of Power to sin very possibly fall away from his Faith For thousands may doe yea and doe things very unmeet and uncomely to be done by them 2. If by a deniall of the said Power in the Proposition be meant a present indisposition or incapacity in a Man to Sin by reason of the contrary disposition of holinesse prevailing in Him in this sence also He that cannot Sin may very possibly fall away from His Faith For He in whom a disposition of holinesse is predominant at present may very possibly by degrees and through a frequency and custome of contrary actions if not by an impetuous and suddaine turne also of Heart within Him devest Himself of that honourable habit and put on the vile garments of Loosenesse and Prophanesse in the stead 3. If by cannot Sin the Argument meaneth can hardly Sin or cannot Sin without difficulty which was the third signification of the word cannot neither will this sence give any colour of truth to the said Proposition For He that can hardly Sin or not Sin without difficulty may yet possibly Sin and consequently such an inability to Sin notwithstanding fall away from his Faith 4. If by cannot Sin the Argument imports only a present incapacity of sinning in the Person not excluding a remote capacity in Him hereunto and such as may in time by means suteable be reduced into act evident it is that the Person this inability to Sin notwithstanding may possibly fall away from his Faith Againe 2. according to all these Significations and Importances of the §. 30. clause cannot Sin in the said Syllogisme the other Proposition also is false which saith that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not neither CAN SIN For 1. He that is borne of God may very possibly doe that which is uncomely and unmeet for Him to doe 2. May be able to doe that by the superveening or contracting of another habit upon Him which by reason of a contrary habit prevailing upon Him for a time He cannot doe 3. He may possibly doe that which only is hard or difficult for Him to doe 4. And lastly He may have a remote capacity in Him of doing that in the future and in time and consequently may doe it which at present He is under an inability to doe Therefore it is a cleare case that there are four severall Significations of the Word cannot and these frequent in Scripture wherein both the Propositions in the argument now under canvass is false If the said argument understands the Phrase cannot Sin according to the §. 31. fifth and last import mentioned of the Word cannot wherein it sounds an utter and absolute incapacity or impossibility though in this sence the major Proposition be granted viz. that he that doth not Sin nor can Sin cannot fall away from his Faith yet the minor is tardy which saith as we lately heard whosoever is borne of God Sinneth not neither can Sin For He that is borne of God is in no such incapacity of Sinning of Sinning I mean in the sence formerly asserted to the Scripture in hand which amounts to an absolute impossibility for Him so to Sin But because this seems to be the sence intended in the argument and the minor Proposition in this sence to be built upon the Scripture in hand let us consider whether the reason which this Scripture assignes for the said assertion Whosoever is borne of God cannot sin doth necessarily inforce such a sence thereof The tenor of the whole Verse is this Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannâ—â— sin because he is borne of God Here are two Propositions or Assertions laid down and a reason given of either of them respectively The former Proposition is this Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin The reason hereof is for his seed remaineth in him The latter Proposition this Whosoever is borne of God cannot sin The reason hereof is because he is borne of God The sence and difference of the two Propositions according to what we have argued about the place hitherto and what we judge is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. every one that hath been borne of God stnneth not i. e. whosoever hath by the Word and Spirit of God been made partaker of the Divine Nature so as to resemble God in the frame and constitution of his Heart and Soule doth not under such a frame or change of Heart as this make a Trade or Practise of sinning or walke in any course of inordinatenesse in the World yea saith He in the latter Proposition every such Person doth not only or simply refraine sinning in such a sence but He cannot sin i. e. He hath a strong and potent disposition in him which carrieth Him another way or He hath a strong antipathy or aversenesse of Heart and Soule against all sin especially against all such kinde of sinning Now the reason saith the Apostle why such a Person committeth not Sin in the sence explained is because his seed the seed of God by or of
of being as also because it is naturally apt to produce and yeild such bodies or things which according to the course of Nature are corruptible likewise in like manner the seed of the Word of God is not therefore said to be an incorruptible seed because it cannot be taken from or forsaken by those in whom it hath a residence for the present but because whether it be taken or not taken from whether it be forsaken or not forsaken by these it retaines its proper Nature which is to be incorruptible For it is meerly extrinsecall and accidentall to the Word of God to be either imbraced or refused to be either retained or let goe or lost by Men nor doe any of these things make the least alteration in the nature of it no more then the taking up or removing a corne of Wheat or of any other corruptible graine from the Ground or Field wherein at present it resteth or the letting of it there alone altereth the Nature or Essentiall Properties thereof But 2. It may be some question whether by the seed of God in the Scripture §. 34. in hand said to remaine in him that is borne of him be meant precisely the Word of God and not rather that which the Scripture elsewhere calls the Divine Nature which is the proper effect of the Word of God according to that of Peter Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature c 2 Pet. 1. 4 c. together with that of the Apostle James Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth d Iames 1 18 c. If you ask me what this Divine Nature is I answer it is a certaine Heavenly impression made by the Gospel in or upon the Heart or Soul of a Man or a Divine Principle Quality or Disposition wrought in him by the Word of God by which he resembles God Himself and is effectually inclin'd to walke and act according to those Principles of Righteousnesse and Holinesse in all things appertaining unto him to doe by which God Himself walketh and â—acteth in the World If you aske me further but why doe I conceive that by the seed of God in the Scripture in hand the Apostle should meane such an impression or disposition as this I answer because some such thing must of necessity be meant by it which is very spiritfull vigorous and active in turning the Heart and Soul of a Man against sin First the metaphoricall expression of seed importeth as much I meane somewhat that is very spirituous full of Vigor Power and Efficacy in the kinde of it Naturall Philosophy and experience joyntly teach that it is the nature of Seed to be full of spirits and thereby exceedingly vigorous and operative Secondly the effect here ascribed to it the keeping or preserving of the Man in whom it remaines from sinning which requires a Principle of very great Strength and Power to effect implieth the same Now such a Principle genius or quality in a Man as the Holy Ghost calls the Divine Nature may well be conceived to be very spiritfull and vigorously operative according to the kinde and tendency of it in which respect it is frequently termed Spirit and consequently to be sufficiently active and powerfull to preserve its subject from sinning Yea our Apostle in assigning the reason of his latter Assertion in this place which is that he that is borne of God cannot Sin the reason whereof he alledgeth to be this because he is borne of God supposeth the seed here spoken of whatsoever is meant by it to be so actuous and powerfull that it doth not only actually and de facto preserve him in whom it remaines from Sinning but also renders him impotent or unable to sin For this reason because he is borne of God is the same in effect and for substance with that of the former assertion for his seed abideth in him only it doth somewhat more emphatically import that the reason why the Seed of God remaining in a Man is so potently exclusive of sin in the same subject with it is the absolute Holinesse or most perfect hatred of sin which is in God Himself of whom the Person is begotten againe by such his seed As the reason why a Lion hath courage strength and other like leonine Properties is because he came of a Lion a Creature naturally endued with the same Properties But whatsoever is here meant by the Seed of God whether the Word of God or the Divine Nature so notioned as hath been described evident it is by what hath been argued that no inseparablenesse of it from the present subject nor consequently any impossibility of falling away from Faith can be inferr'd from any thing spoken of it as attributed to it in this Place There is only one objection more as far as I am able to apprehend that §. 35. lieth with any seemingnesse of strength against the Premisses The tenor hereof is this If the Seed of God whatever it be remaining in a Man regenerate worketh in him the greatest and strongest antipathy against or alienation and abhorrency of minde and affection from sin that can lightly be imagined which hath been granted all along in the traverse of the Scripture in hand how is it possible that such a man should fall away especially totally and finally from his Faith It is no wayes reasonable to suppose that it is possible for a Man so to fall away from his Faith without sinning no nor yet without sinning very grievously nor is it much more reasonable if not as unreasonable altogether to suppose that a Man may sin and that grievously who hath the greatest and strongest antipathy against sin the deepest alienation and abhorrency of minde and will from sin that lightly can be conceived Therefore how is it possible for him that cannot sin even in this sence to fall away totally or finally I answer He that hath the greatest and strongest antipathy against sin that flesh and blood is capable of yet retaines that essentiall character or property of a creature mutability which supposeth a possibility at least of Sinning if not in sensu composito i. e. whilest such an antipathy remaines in its full vigor and strength yet in sensu Diviso i. e. in case or when this antipathy shall abate and decline As though Water made hot to the highest degree of heat whereof the nature of it is capable cannot possible coole any thing whilest it remaines under such a degree of heate yet this hinders not but that it may in time its present heat notwithstanding returne to its naturall coldnesse and then coole other things in like manner a Man may by the Spirit of Grace and Regeneration be carried up to a very effectuall and potent antipathy of minde and will against Sin by meanes whereof he is in no Capacity or Possibility of sinning in the sence formerly declared whilest
the other two mentioned Simon Magus and especially Demas were partakers of the like calling with him may be considered in due time But that they all three with Wickednesse and Unbeliefe barred up the way against their finall Justification is I suppose every Mans Hypothesis and grant or conjecture at least But some it may be will yet further object against the interpretation §. 46. given and plead 1. That the Connexion between these two links of this chaine predestination to a conformity with Chrst and calling is simply and absolutely indissolveable so that for example whosoever is thus predestinated by God never failes of being called by him 2. That it is altogether unlikely that in one and the same series or concatenation of Divine Actions there should not be the same fixedness or certainty of coherence between all the Particulars so that for example there should be as much certainty that he that is called shall be justified and againe that he that is justified shall be glorified as there is that he that is predestinated shall be called To this I answer 1. By a demurrer upon the former of these Pleas which was that the connexion between the Predestination of God mentioned and his calling is uninterruptible by any interveniency whatsoever Somewhat doubtfull to me it is whether a Person who by means of the Love of God which is in him at present falls under his Decree of Predestination and consequently by vertue of this Decree is Predestinated to be conformed to the Image of Christ may not possibly before the time appointed by God for his calling be changed in that his affection and consequently passe from under that Decree of Predestination and fall under another Decree of God opposite thereunto and so never come to be called But 2. To the latter of the said Pleas I answer by denying the unlikelyhood therein asserted For in one and the same concatenation of Divine acts the aspect and manner or kinde of dependance between act and act may vary according to their different natures or the different tenor of Gods Decrees concerning them As for example God may Decree to Create or give Being unto a Man againe He may Decree to give unto this Man a sufficiency of Means and Power whereby to maintaine himself in this Being given unto him Againe yet further he may Decree to give unto this Man not only a sufficiency of Means and Power to make good his Possession of that Being thus given him but further to improve his present Being first given unto him into a better and more desirable Being Fourthly he may yet further Decree to promote and advance the condition of this his Creature Man above the line of his first Being In this subordinate concatenation of Divine Acts all Decreed by him there is not the same aspect or relation I mean in Point of necessity and contingency between every former act and that which followeth As for instance the second act of the foure now mentioned may partly by reason of the tenor of the Decree by which it was Decreed by God partly by reason of the nature of it I meane in reference to some Divine Projection or end have an absolute and un-interruptible dependance upon or connexion with the first so that in case God creates a Man he is absolutely and against all interveniences whatsoever resolved to confer upon him that sufficiency of Power which was mentioned Neither Man himselfe Angell or Devill could prevent or hinder God from conferring such an endowment upon Man being created by him But it doth not follow from hence that there must needs be the like aspect of necessity between this second act and the third or between the third and the fourth For though God as well Decreed the third act as the second viz. to bestow upon his Creature Man a sufficiency of Power and Means whereby to improve his first Being into a better yet he did not Decree it i. e. the doing of it simply and absolutely but only provisionally and upon the supposall of such an interveniency one or more which very possibly might not have interveened as viz. either the fall of this Creature Man by sin and the gift of Jesus Christ upon it to die for his Redemption or else the continuance of Man for a time in the honour of his Creation and intirenesse of his obedience unto God First that the fall of Man was contingent there being no cause either within him or without him necessitating him hereunto is unquestionable that the fore-knowledge of it by God did no wayes prejudice or hinder the contingency of it hath been formerly shewed 2. That the gift of Jesus Christ to die for the Redemption of Man depended in this sence upon his fall viz. so as that he should not have been given in such a way or upon such terms I meane to die had not Man fallen is I suppose the sence and apprehension of every Man 3. And lastly that that Act of God in giving unto Man Power Means and Opportunity to better Himself in Point of condition above the line of his Creation or first Being depends his fall supposed which was contingent also as was lately said upon the gift of Iesus Christ so as never to have taken place in case He had not been so given is sufficiently evident without Proof So that evident it is that this Act of God hath only an accidentall or contingent dependance upon or coherence with the former whereas this former hath an essentiall and necessary connexion with the first as hath been shewed There is the same consideration of the relation between the third and fourth or last of these Acts. For God upon His Decree to grant unto His Creature Man a sufficiency of means and opportunity to Promote in his way viz. by higher services and greater acts of obedience his happinesse above the condition of his Creation or first being might and did Decree also Himself to promote in his way viz. by the ingagement of His Power his Creatures happinesse accordingly But this latter act of His though Decreed by Him doth not import an absolute necessity of Performance by Him but only a conditionall and contingent the tenor of that Decree of His wherein this act is Decreed being this in case My Creature Man shall quit himself in any measure worthy that grace which I shall give unto him in and through My Son Christ I will make Him greater in happiness then He was in the state of His Creation So that it is as cleer as the light at Noon-day that in one and the same series or subordination of Divine acts there may be a different habitude in point of dependence between act and act so that one of these acts may infallibly necessarily and universally follow and be exerted upon another Precedent to it in the subordination and yet another of these act◠follow the next Predecessor to it in the series but contingently and consequently admit of many
that we shall also live with Him Knowing that Christ being raised againe from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over Him For in that He died He died unto sin once but in that He liveth He liveth unto God Likewise reckon yee also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin c. The intent of the Apostle in these passages is nothing lesse then to teach or insinuate a non-possibility of their returning or living againe unto sin who at present are dead unto it such a supposall as this is diametrally inconsistent with the emphaticall energy of His exhortation Verse 12. Let not sin therefore reigne in your mortall bodies as likewise with many other pregnant Scriptures which shall be consulted with in due time but to set forth the spirituall condition of the Children of God partly in respect of what it is partly in respect of what it should or ought to be by a metaphor or similitude borrowed from what happened unto Christ corporally or literally after this manner As Christ died once corporally for the abolishing or taking away of the sins of Men but now liveth and acteth for the advancement of the Glory of God and is not obnoxious unto any more dyings in that kinde in like manner they who are his or desire or professe themselves to be His ought to be conformable to Him in these things in a spirituall way as viz. by dying unto sin i. e. by endvouring to destroy and work out all sinfull dispositions from within them and by ceasing from all Sinfull actions and wayes and againe by living unto God i. e. Righteously Holily and so that God may be glorified in the World by the excellency of their conversations and by persevering and continuing in this course of living unto God without relapsing into that death in sin which is opposite hereunto even as Christ liveth unto God so as never to cease thus living unto Him Therefore all that can be inferr'd from this contexture of Scripture is the duty of Perseverance in Faith and Holinesse or necessity of it in respect of the great obligation to it that lieth upon the Saints and that professe interest in Christ and expect Salvation by Him not any absolute not any such necessity of it which is unavoideable or undeclineable by the Saints For to what purpose should they be so solemnly so seriously cautioned against that whereby they were not in any possibility of suffering inconvenience If it were impossible that sin should reigne in their mortall bodies after they were once dead to it needlesse and vaine had that exhortation been Let not sin reigne in your mortall bodies The common maxime among Divines and interpreters of Scriptures is that Similitudes or Metaphors doe not run on all foure meaning that they are not to be extended or applied to the spirituall thing intended to be illustrated by them in all the properties or relations which are found in those things from which they are taken but in respect of that only which suits naturally with the scope of the place where they are used From the consideration of Christs death once suffered by him without being liable to die the second time and so of His living unto God without danger of ever having this life extinguished or taken from Him cannot be proved either that Men who are once dead unto sin can no more live to it or that Men once alive unto God cannot possibly suffer any interruption or losse of this life Because these particulars are not mentioned or insisted upon by the Apostle to prove the absolute but only an Hypotheticall or conditionall necessity of the Saints conforming themselves spiritually unto them or unto Christ Himself in respect of them viz. if they meane to answer the tenor and import of their holy Profession or to obtaine Life and Salvation herein in the end Nor doe these words 1 Joh. 5. 4. For whatsoever is borne of God overcometh §. 53. the World and this is the victory i. e. the means of the victory or that victorious thing that overcometh the World even our Faith imply any absolute necessity that he that is borne of God or that truly believeth viz. at the present and in this respect is victorious over the World must alwayes retaine the strength and vigor of His new Birth or true Faith and so be victorious alwayes and to the end All that can be reasonably and according to the usuall import of such Scripture expressions concluded from this place is 1. That all the true-borne Sons and Daughters of God by means of that Spirit of Faith which works in them in this estate of Regeneration are for the present above the temptations and allurements of the World wherewith others are overcome and hereby remaine in imminent danger of perishing 2. That they are likewise in such a posture or condition by means of their Faith that if they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle Pauls word is quit themselves like Men and act their Faith or with their Faith according to the vertue vigor and usefulnesse of it they may make good the ground or standing which they have gained and maintaine their present victory or conquest over the World unto the end But here is not the least or lightest intimation given but that those who are at present victorious over the World by the aid and working of their Faith may through carelesnesse security and inconsideratenesse suffer the World to recover her former advantage and so far to insinuate with them as to cause them to let fall the Shield of Faith out of their hand before they be aware of it See more to this point Sect. 9. of this Chapter Nor is there any whit more reliefe for the cause now in distresse in that §. 54. other place Ver. 18. of this Chapter We know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth Himself and that wicked one toucheth Him not For that which is here asserted and held forth by the Holy Ghost is only this that the naturall genius or property of a true-borne In Scriptura saepe ea facta vel futura dicuntur quae fieri â—ecâ—t aut debent sive quâ— ut fiant honestas rerum natura postulat vel quibus ut sâ—ant justa gravisque causa datur Cornel. Lap. in Zachar. 13. 12. Child of God as such and whilest such is to refraine from wayes or customary practises of sin and to set a guard as it were of holy and potent considerations and resolutions about his Heart that the Devill may have no entrance or accesse thither by the mediation of any temptation whatsoever Not that such vigilancy and care as this are always perform'd and taken by Him the contrary hereunto is too much experimented but that there is a certaine propensnesse in that Divine nature wherein He partakes by being borne of God that inclines Him hereunto Men are often in Scripture Dialect
said to doe that not which they alwayes doe but which they are apt and likely to doe and which very frequently or customarily they doe indeed and sometimes that which is their duty to doe In this Dialect our Saviour speaketh when He saith If any Man walke in the day He stumbleth not i. e. He is not apt to stumble or He doth not ordinarily stumble because He seeth the light of the Sun But if a Man walke in the night He stumbleth i. e. He is apt to stumble or He often stumbleth because there is no light in Him a Joh. 11. 9 10 So likewise the Apostle Paul He that is unmarried careth for the things of the Lord how He may please the Lord i. e. frequently He doth so or He hath an opportunity which the married hath not to do it for otherwise we know that many unmarried Persons are far from caring for the things of the Lord. But He that is married careth for the things of the World how He may please His Wife b 1 Cor. 7. 32. 33. His meaning is not that the married alwayes and without exception of any one in that condition thus miscarrieth there are some Married Persons that tread lighter on the Earth I meane that are lesse addicted to the World then many that are unmarried But only that Persons so ingaged and related have a temptation upon them more then the unmarried and so are apt to turne aside on that hand yea and frequently doe so That which followeth is of the same character There is a difference also between a Wife and a Virgin the unmarried Woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and in spirit but shee that is married careth for the things of the World how she may please her husband The Booke of the Proverbs aboundeth with such veynes of expression as these viz. where Men of such or such a qualification or relation are simply said to doe so or so according to the nature and genius of either not because they doe alwayes and universally so but because they are disposed apt and likly by reason of such a qualification or relation to doe it and accordingly often doe it Thus it is â—aid A Man void of understanding striketh hands and becometh surety for His Neighbour c Pro. 17. 18. i. e. He is apt to doe it Men weak in understanding and lesse considerate oft bring themselves into this snare not that they alwayes doe it or that every Man thus weak doth it So againe The poore useth intreaties i. e. Poverty ministreth occasion unto Men thus to doe and poore Men ordinarily do it yet some poore there are who are so far from using intreaties that they are more surly and rough in their answers then many that are rich though it followes But the rich answereth roughly d Pro. 18. 23. Meaning only that they are apt to doe it and do it frequently Other instances of like interpretation are obvious in this Book See Cap. 18. 11. 15. 18. 16 17 28 c. Therefore when John saith whosoever is borne of God sinneth not and that he that is begotten of God keepeth himself c. nothing can be concluded from such sayings but only that Men Regenerate have a Principle within them disposing and inclineing them unto wayes of righteousnesse and to vigilancy over themselves or that Regenerate Men doe frequently abstaine from the customary wayes of sinning in the World and watch over themselves not that every Regenerate Man without exception doth these things 2. Some understand the words whosoever is borne of God sinneth not but §. 55. keepeth Himself c. in a declarative sence thus Whosoever desireth to approve himself whether to himself or others upon any sufficient ground for a Man Regenerate or borne of God he must abstaine from wayes of sin and watch narrowly and carefully over himself that the Devill may not do him the least hurt as our English Annotators interpret the Phrase toucheth him not This interpretation reduceth the place to a like sence and notion with that in the same Epistle formerly opened Little children let no Man deceive you He that doth righteousnesse is righteous a 1 Joh. 3. 7. meaning that no Man hath any sufficient ground either to judge Himself a righteous Person or to expect to be so judged by others unlesse he doth righteousnesse i. e. lives holily and in a conscientious observance of the Commandements of God b See Cap. 9. Sect. 11. There are many assertions and sayings in Scripture of like consideration with this Now this Interpretation doth not finde in the words any impossibility for the Regenearte Man to sin or any absolute necessity that he must so keepe himself that the evill one shall not touch him but only a necessity for him to refraine the one and to practise the other if he desires upon good and sufficient grounds either the comfort within or the honour without of being born of God As for that Argument which some build upon the metaphor or similitude §. 56. of the naturall Birth or generation viz. that as Men are capable only of being once borne and cannot lose the substance of that nature wherein they were borne or change their species afterwards so neither are men capable of being borne of God more then once or of losing the substance or nature of this birth being once made partakers of it this Argument I say is built upon one of the lame feete of the similitude on which it neither runs nor stands For it cannot be proved from the Scriptures that the similitude of the naturall generation or birth is borrowed or used by the Holy Ghost to signifie teach or import any such thing as this but only to shew either 1. That Men have no being no compleat perfect or desireable being till they be spiritually born of God in which respect they are said to be nothing who are not regenerate or born of him c Gal. 6. 3. or else 2. To shew that as no Man comes to partake of the nature or naturall properties or endowments of Men but by a suteable generation i. e. by a generation or propagation from Man so neither do or can men partake of the Divine Nature or true holiness but by a proportionable descent from God or 3. To shew that as Men in and by means of their naturall generation and birth come to partake of the same Properties Principles and Propensions which are naturall to their Parents who beget them and act according to the genius of such Properties Principles and Propensions so doe they who are spiritually Propagated by God in and by means of this Propagation receive such Principles and Impressions which are in God Himselfe and withall act and move in the World according to the Heavenly genius ducture bent and tendency of these or else perhaps 4. And lastly to shew that as the effect of naturall generation
i. e. the conception of the Person generated in the Womb is secret and unseen and for the manner of it in a great measure unknown unto Men as thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones doe grow in the Wombe of her that is with Child d Eccles 11. 5 So is the manner of Gods dealing with the Heart Soul and Conscience of a Man in and about the act of Regeneration of a very abstruse consideration and remote from the apprehensions and understandings of Men according to that of our Saviour The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whither it goeth so is every one that is borne of the Spirit e Joh. 3. 8. That these Particulars are or may be imported in the Metaphor or Resemblance of the naturall generation may be proved from the Scriptures But that by the impossibility for a Man to passe from that species wherein he was borne into another which attendeth the birth naturall was intended to signifie a correspondent impossibility in the birth spirituall can no more be proved then that this generation or birth consists in a change of essentialls and not of qualities only or that it is a generation of a corporeall substance because both these are found in the naturall generation And who knows not that by straining and stretching similitudes beyond their staple I mean beyond what is intended to be signified by them an endlesse generation of absurd in-coherent and monstrous conceits may be produced But 2. The Scriptures doe not only no where countenance any such deduction §. 57. from the said simile but plainly enough assert the contrary viz. that Men may passe from one spirituall species into another and repasse into the former againe My little children saith Paul to the Galathians of whom I travell in birth againe untill Christ be formed in you a Gal. 4. 19. And againe yee did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth b Gal. 5. 7. yet again Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law yee are fallen from Grace c Verse 4. So when the Apostle affirms it to be impossible to renew those by Repentance who have once been inlightened c. in case they fall away d Heb. 6. 4. 6. He cleerly supposeth 1. That some Men may fall away who may be renewed by Repentance i. e. restored to their former species in Faith and Holinesse from which they had been transformed by sin 2. That others may fall away and be trans-speciated upon such terms that they are uncapable of such restauration But of these passages more hereafter Nor doth that of Paul to the Corinthians Though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ yet have yee not many Fathers for in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the Gospell e 1 Cor. 4. 15. import the contrary For 1. He doth not say that it was not possible for them to have many Fathers but only that de praesenti they had not many This implies that Paul was the instrument of God for and in their conversion to the Faith at the beginning and withall that they at present persisted in that Faith or species of Believers whereunto or wherein He had begotten them But it no wayes supposeth or implies either that they were unchangeable in that Divine Nature wherein He had begotten them or uncapable of being begotten the second time in case they had been actually changed 2. Our English Divines in their Annotations upon the place by Fathers understand such as were tender over them and free in their Teachings as by Instructors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schoolmasters who are imperious in their Teachings and teach for hire 3. And lastly in saying that they had not many Fathers He doth not necessarily imply that they had no more but one Father but possibly that they had but very few For many is not alwayes nay seldom opposed to one but sometimes and more frequently unto few The next Scripture attempted in favour of the said Argument is that §. 58. wherein the Saints are exhorted to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints f Jude v. 3. But neither doth this place so much as in face look like Pillar or Prop of the Doctrine we oppose For 1. By Faith is not here meant the Grace of Faith or justifying Faith but by a metonymie either of the efficient for the effect or of the object for the faculty as in twenty places besides the Doctrine or word of Faith Faith say our English Annotators upon the place is not here taken for faithfulnesse nor for credulity nor for confidence nor for Faith of miracles but for the Doctrine of the Gospell which is to be believed So hope is taken for the thing hoped for Rom. 8. 24. Colos 1. 5. This exposition of the word Faith is confirmed by the Apostle Himself affirming it to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once delivered not once given to the Saints or rather to holy Men. It it very unproper to say of the grace or habit of Faith that this was delivered but most proper of the Doctrine of Faith This Doctrine is said to have been once delivered to holy Men to imply either that it hath been delivered by God so that He intends never to make any change or alteration of it or addition to it which implies the Perfection of it or else that He intends to reveale or deliver it no more in case the Saints who are and ought to be the guardians and keepers of it should suffer it to be cashiered or wholy extinguished in the World See the aforesaid Aâ—notations upon this clause In saying that it was delivered to holy Men or Saints He intends to lay so much the greater and more effectuall Obligation upon this Generation to contend earnestly for it i. e. for the maintenance and preservâ—tion of it in its purity of being 2. If the place should be understood of the Grace of justifying Faith nothing could be inferenced from it but only that they who are once possessed of such a Faith shall keepe and mâ—ke good this their Possession if they quit themselves like Men and shall strive in good earnest to effect it This is nothing but what is fully consonant with the Doctrine asserted by us Neither hath the last Scripture mentioned any right hand of fellowship to §. 59. give unto the Doctrine now gainsaid For the Holy Ghost pronouncing Blessed and holy is He that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no Power a Revel 20. 6. doth not by the first Resurrection necessarily meane Regeneration or Renovation by Faith or if this should be granted doth He necessarily suppose that the second death shall have no power on those who have part in Regeneration unlesse
Lexic in verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Lexicon Ioh. Scapulae in eodem verbo Besides many the like The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus understood render the sence of the place clearly this that God by the Cross or Death of Christ reconciled Men on Earth and Angels in Heaven viz. between themselves Angels being enemies unto Men because of their sinning against God which cause of enmity being taken away by the Death of Christ the Angels are become friends to them as we lately shewed not to Himself but FOR HIMSELF i. e. for the effecting of his own great and gracious Design in advancing Christ to be Head unto both being incorporated and united in the same Body which without the healing of the enmity or disaffection between them could not have been as we lately proved This Exposition differs not much from that of Augustin in Cap. 61. 62. Enchirid. ad Laurentium By what hath been argued upon the two Passages it appears I presume sufficiently that there is nothing to be found in either of them from which the Salvation of all Men can with any colour of Reason be concluded Much less can any such Conclusion be regularly drawn from that of our Saviour Verily I say unto thee thou shalt by no means come out thence meaning out of the prison of Hell till thou hast payd the uttermost farthing e Matt 5. 26. For threatening men that they shall not come out of Hell till they have payd c. He no ways supposeth that in process of time they will suffer to the uttermost of what they have deserved in Punishment by sinning against God and that then God will deliver them The emphasis of the expression rather carryeth a sence of a contrary import viz. that they must never expect to come out from this Prison in as much as they will never be able to pay in Punishment what they owe to the just severity of God for sinning against him especially after such a rate as they have done For they are onely obdurate and finally impenitent sinners that are cast into this Prison A Promise of receiving any thing being made or implyed upon the performance of an unpossible Condition is equivalent to a threatening that a man shall never receive it When God expresseth himself thus to Jerusalem When thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate f Ezek. 16. 55. He rather threateneth this City with a non-returning to her former estate then promiseth any such thing to her So in case our Saviour should promise unto those that are cast into the Prison of Hell for the debt of their sins that when they have payd the full debt they shall be released and come forth it would rather have the import and force of a threatening that they should never be released then of a Promise of releasement after any time whatsoever Yea such Promises as these are more emphatically interminative or threatening them plain and formal Threatenings themselves The Reason is because a plain and bare Threatening onely â—mports the Purpose of Him that threateneth to bring the evil mentioned in the Threatening upon the Person threatned whereas such Promises as we speak of wherein deliverance from evil is promised upon the performance of an impossible Condition the reason or cause why the evil threatened should be executed or inflicted upon the Person threatned commonly is implyed As when our Saviour promiseth for the words in hand have a kinde of Promissory import that they who are cast into Hell shall come forth when they have payd the uttermost farthing i. e. discharged the full debt he plainly intimates the reason or cause why they shal never come forth out of this Prison to be because they will never make such Payment Now a Threatening upon an equitable and just ground for the execution of it is much more piercing and convincing then when it is simply and without any mention or intimation of such a ground denounced If it be demanded But why should not men who are cast into Hell for §. 5. sin be able in continuance of time to pay the uttermost farthing and so be delivered from thence at the last Or how can it stand with the Justice or Equity of Gods Proceedings against Men for sin to inflict everlasting Punishments upon them for sinning onely for a short time I answer 1. Sin especially such sin for which men are sent to Hell being an injury or base affront offered to an infinite Majesty and Goodness the demerit of it must needs be great and indeed unconceivable The reviling of a Magistrate or the smiting of a Prince in the face are misdemeanors of an higher nature and justly more punishable by men then the like injuries done to meaner men Yea it is the sence of all men that the greater the Person is in Dignity especially when His worth and merit is every ways answerable to whom an injury or indignity is offered the greater proportionably is the offence committed and obligatory to the greater Punishment When the standers by said to Paul Revilest thou Gods High Priest g Acts 23. 3. they clearly intimated that the sin of reviling a Person invested with so great a Dignity as the High-Priesthood was signally demeritorious and deserving exemplary Punishment Now then allowing proportionably for the incomprehensible and endless Dignity Soveraignty Majesty of God all in conjunction with eminency of worth and goodness every ways commensurable to them the injury which men offer unto Him by voluntary sinning against Him and His Laws plainly appears to be of infinite demerit and so binding over the sinner to an infinite Punishment infinite I mean either intensively in respect of the nature or quality or extensively in respect of the duration of it Now the Creature not being capable of suffering Punishment infinite in the former consideration the just severity of God imposeth upon Him that which is infinite in the latter To speak or think slightly or lightly of the guilt or demerit of sin or to look upon the Punishment of Hell fire as exceeding the proportion thereof proceedeth either from a profound ignorance of the Nature Majesty infinite Goodness and Sweetness of God or else from a profane neglect of an intense and due consideration of them 2. The infinite Purity of the Divine Nature and most perfect Hatred of sin ruling and reigning therein may well be conceived little less then to necessitate Him 1. To the denunciation and threatening of that most severe Punishment we speak of for the restraint and prevention of it and consequently to the execution hereof when the sinner shall despise His Attonement and neglect to wash himself in that Fountain which He hath most graciously opened for sin and uncleanness i. e. for men to purifie and wash themselves in from
been done with measure heaped up Therefore 5. And lastly To the Plea made for a liberty in God to shew and to deny Mercy as and to whom he pleaseth I answer yet further that in case it be found a thing utterly and clearly inconsistent with the Wisdom of God or with the goodness and graciousness of his Nature having provided means of Salvation as sufficient and proper for the Salvation of all as of a few which our Adversaries neither do nor with any face of Reason can deny to limit himself in the consignment or designment of them to the Salvation of a few with a disserviceabling of them as to all the rest then hath he no liberty to confine or limit himself after any such manner nor to evacuate the usefulness or beneficialness of these means in respect of the generality of Men. This consequence hath been sufficiently argued and proved already and however is of it self lightsom enough to make every denyer yea or questioner of it ashamed Therefore I assume For God to limit himself in the consignment of those means of Salvation unto a few which He hath provided with a sufficiency and aptness for the Salvation of all or to dis-intend the Salvation of the greatest part of Men by them is a thing clearly and utterly inconsistent with the Wisdom of God and graciousness of His Nature Therefore He hath no liberty in the case specified to straiten himself within the narrow bounds of such a consignment as that mentioned In this Argument we suppose and take for granted that the Death of Christ is a means as sufficient for the Salvation of all Men and as proper and meet for the Salvation of all as of a few And in this I presume we have no Adversary or however the generality of those who are Adversaries in the main of the Controversie depending accord with us therein The Reason of the assumption in the Argument now propounded is as to the former part of it because it is notoriously repugnant to the Principles of sound Wisdom to make waste of any thing which is serviceable or useful for any honorable or worthy end and purpose And the more precious and difficult of procurement a Means is the more honorable and excellent the end or purpose is for which it is appropriately and peculiarly serviceable the more repugnant it is to all Principles of Wisdom to sacrifice it upon the service of vanity and to do nothing with it at all Now questionless the Death of Jesus Christ is a means most choyce and precious not another of like preciousness efficacy or worth to be procured or levyed by God himself the end for which this Death of Christ is most appropriately serviceable is the Salvation of the whole World which is an end most honorable and worthy Therefore it must needs be notoriously inconsistent with the Wisdom of God to dispose of this means onely in order to the procurement and effecting of an end far less honorable as namely the Salvation of a few the obtaining whereof the excellent worth and weight of the said means doth incomparably over-ponderate and transcend So that a non-disposal of it to wards the obtaining of the just and adequate end for which it is appropriately useful and serviceable is to evacuate and make useless though not in whole yet in part the super-transcendent excellency worth and vertue thereof But of this lately The Reason of the latter part of the said Assumption is because it is §. 20. every whit as repugnant to the Nature of Grace Goodness and Bountifulness of Disposition not to relieve the miserable who are every ways capable of relief and this with Honor to Him that shall relieve them when a man hath abundantly in his hand wherewith to relieve them especially when withall he hath no other end or use whereunto to dispose what he hath in this kinde but onely towards the relief of such Persons And as the Apostle John argueth and demandeth concerning men Whosoever hath this Worlds 1 John 3. 17 good and seeth His Brother hath need and shutteth up His Compassion from Him how dwelleth the Love of God in Him in like manner we may well reason and demand concerning God If God having the good of the World to come means of Salvation for his poor lost Creature Man and yet shutteth up his Compassion from him how dwelleth the Love of Man in him And yet the Scripture as we formerly heard speaketh very excellent and glorious things of His Love unto Men no where confining it within the narrow circle or sphere of the Elect or some few Particulars Nor indeed can He with any congruity of expression be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Men or of Mankinde in case He loveth some few particular men onely as He is no where in Scripture called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Angels although He loves a very considerble number of this kinde of Creature as viz. all His Elect or Holy Angels because He loveth not all Particulars But of this more largely in the Premisses a Cap. 16 §. 3 4 c. To the point in hand Certain it is 1. That God hath no other use or occasion of contrivement of the Death of Christ save onely for and in order towards the glorifying of himself in and by the Salvation of Men or at least none other but what would be as effectually promoted and attained by it though it should be intended by Him for the Salvation of the generality of Men. 2. That this Death of Christ is every whit as proper and as sufficient a means to bless the whole generation of Mankinde with Salvation as those few whom our Adversaries suppose to be onely blessed by it in this kinde 3. That it would be no ways dishonorable unto God nor of any harder consistence with his Justice Wisdom Hatred of Sin or with any other of his Attributes whatsoever to intend the Salvation of any others or of all Men by the Death of Christ then it is to intend the Salvation of those few whom our Adversaries grant to be the Objects of his Intentions in this kinde 4. That the generality of Men or those whose Salvation our Adversaries suppose not to be intended by God in or by the Death of Christ are every whit as miserable and stand altogether in as much need of Salvation as those whose Salvation they suppose to have been intended thereby By the light of these grounds layd together it plainly appears that it is a thing signally inconsistent with the Grace Goodness Mercy Bounty of the Divine Nature or Being to consign the Death of Christ to the Salvation onely of a few and to suffer the far greatest part of Men being in every respect as salvable and this by the same means and with the same proportion to any end whatsoever as they to remain miserable and perish everlastingly for want of a like consignment unto them for the same
Elsewhere comparing the Lamb offered in the Levitical Sacrifices with Christ the Lamb of God concerning the former He saith that it never took away any one mans sin so much as once whereas the latter taketh away the sin of all the World and that when it was in danger of perishing it presently delivered it from the wrath of God h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem in Joh. 1. 29. To reserve many other Testimonies offered by this Author in the case in hand to another occasion in case it be offered upon Rom. 4. 25. He hath these words That thou mayst not say how can we being under the guilt of so many and such great sins be justified he sheweth thee Him that hath abolished or cancelled all sins i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem in Rom. 4. 25. Hom. 9. Athanasius lived somewhat above an hundred years before Augustin and yet was full of the spirit of that Doctrine concerning the Redemption by Christ which we contend for Since saith He the Debt due from All Men was meet to be payd for All Men ought to have dyed for this cause chiefly he came as it were on pilgrimage to us and after the demonstration of his Godhead by His Works it remained that he should offer up a Sacrifice FOR ALL delivering up his Temple unto Death for all Men that so he might discharge and free ALL MEN from that old Transgression k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athanas De Incarn Verbi Elsewhere With the Blood of his Passion or Mactation he simply redeemed all Men l Mactatus non interiit sed sanguine suae mactationis omnes simpliciter redemit Athan. in Passionem Salvatoris In another place There was need of Death and it was requisite that Death should be endured for all that what was due from all might be satisfied Wherefore the Word for that it could not dye for it was immortal assumed to it self a Body capable of dying that he might offer that as his own FOR ALL MEN and that suffering FOR ALL by means of his coming thereunto He might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. De Incarnat Verbi Dei c. In another Tractate the same Author thus It became the Lord being desirous to make a Renovation to make new the first Adam that his Sin being dissolved he might take away Sin on all hands FROM THE UNIVERSE OF MANKINDE n Oportâ—bat enim Dominum renovare cupientem primum Adam renovare ut soluto illius peccato peccatum undique tolleret ab universo hominum genere Athan. in Passionem Domini Segment t. 2. p. 626. Edit Paris In another thus For the coming or presence of the Saviour in the Flesh was the Solution of Death and the Safety or Salvation of every Creature o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem In Epist ad Adelphium contra Arianos If the Reader desires to know more of the minde of this Author touching the Point in question He may please to peruse his learned Tract entituled De Incarnatione Verbi Dei wherein He hath frequent occasion to declare his Judgment therein Hilarius another Orthodox Father who lived not long after the former writeth upon Matthew to this effect He Christ admonished them to learn what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice viz. that the Law bound up or consisting onely in the observation of Sacrifices could afford no help unto Men but that Safety or Salvation was reserved FOR ALL MEN WHATSOEVER in the Indulgence of Mercy And presently after speaking of Christ He came unto or for ALL MEN how then doth he say that he came not to or for the Righteous p Admonuit vt scirent quid esset miserecordiam volo non Sacrificium Legem scilicet Sacrificiorum observatione devinctam opem ferre non posse sed salutem universis in miserecordiae indulgentiâ reservari Omnibus venerat quomodo ergo non se justis venisse dicat c. Hilar. in Mat. can 9. His Answer is that there were none such but all were Sinners Elsewhere He discourseth thus The Son of God was born of a Virgin for the sake of Mankinde and the Holy Ghost himself assisting Him in this operation and overshadowing with His Power being the Power of God He planted the beginnings of a Body for Himself that being made Man of a Virgin He might receive that Nature of Flesh in or upon Himself and that by the fellowship of this Conjunction the whole Body of Mankinde might be sanctified that as ALL MEN WERE HID or built IN HIM by means of His willingness to assume a Body so again He might be related unto ALL MEN or carryed back into all Men by that which was invisible in Him q Humani enim generis causâ Dei filius natus ex Virgine est Spiritu Sancto ipso sibi in hac operatione famulante suâ videlicet Dei inumbrante virtute corporis sibi initia consevit exordia carnis instituit vt homo factus ex Virgine naturam in se carnis acciperet perque cujus admixtionis societatem sanctificatum in eo universi generis humani corpus existeret vt quemadmodum omnes in se per id quòd corporeum esse voluit conderentur ita rursum in omnes ipse per quod ejus est invisible referretur Hilar. de Trinit l. 2. meaning His Divine Nature Once more For He did this once offering Himself a Sacrifice unto God being to redeem or recover the WHOLE SALVATION OF MANKINDE by the Oblation of this holy and perfect Sacrifice r Hoc enim fâ—cit semel scipsum offerens hostiam Deo omnem humani generis salutem oblatione sanctae hujus perfectae hostiae redempturus Idem in Psal 53. Lastly because this Testimony being somewhat more emphatical then its fellows would not be omitted For He took the flesh of sin that in the assumption of our flesh He might forgive sins being made a Partaker hereof by assumption not by sinning by His Death blotting out the sentence of Death that BY A NEVV CREATION OF MANKINDE He might ABOLISH THE CONSTITVTION OF THE FORMER DECREE suffering Himself to be crucified that by the curse of the Cross He might strike through dissolve or make voyd all the curses of that terrene or earthly Damnation s Carnem enim peccati recepit vt in assumptione carnis nostrae delicta donaret dum ejus fit particeps assumptione non crimine delens per Mortem sententiam Mortis ut novâ in se generis nostri creatione constitutionem Dec eti anterâ—oris aboleret crucifigi se permittens vt maledicto crucis obliterata terrenae Damnationis maledicta configeret omnia Idem de Trinit cap. 1. Whether He calleth that Damnation whereunto Men became subject by Adams Transgression Earthly because He judged the extent of the penalty of
yet moved with fear prepared an ark by which he condemned the world c. 314 315 c. 11. 17. By Faith Abraham offered up Isaac c. 19 451 452 12. 2. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faiâ—â— 254 255 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit 463 1. 5. Who by the power of God are kept through Faith unto Salvation 185 186 c. 1. 23. Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible 199 200 2. 4. elect and precious 244 3. 21. The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us 354 4. 19. as unto a faithful Creator 70 71 236 2 Pet. 1. 4. partakers of the divine nature 199 200 2. 1. even denying the Lora that bought them 129 130 c. 2. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledg of the Lord 144 145 c. 3. 9. not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 104 417 418 1 Joh. 2. 2. And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world Pag. 91 92 c. 188 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no dobt have continued with us 189 190 c. 261 2. 24. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall abide in you ye also shall continue in the Son c. 261 3. 7. Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous Cap. 9. § 11. p. 265 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sin c. 192 193 c. 3. 10. whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God 402 4. 4. because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world 325 4. 18. perfect love casteth out fear 314 because fear hath torment 3 16 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us 476 5. 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his CoÌ„mandments and c. 337 5. 4. For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world and c. 263 337 5. 5. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that beleeveth that Jesus is the Son of God 398 5. 10. He that beleeeveth not God hath made him a lyar c. 497 504 5. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us 250 5. 18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not 263 264 2 Joh. vers 8. Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward 258 Jude ver 1. and preserved in Jesus Christ 253 3. that ye should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints 243 Apocal. 2. 11. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death 267 268 3. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life 332 333 14. 4. these were redeemed from among men c. 143 20. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection c. 267 A Table of the particular Heads of Matter in the preceding Discourse A ABraham in what sence commanded to offer up Isaac Pag. 451 452 453 Acts actings of God why expressed by Verbs of the Preterperfect-tense 63 Actions if men with their consequences ascribed to God emphatically and why 23 of Causes meerly natural why not always uniform p. 24. Actings and motions of created Principles seldom suspended by the first Cause and why p. 6. Such as proceed from the wills of men frequently in Scriputre attributed to them in terms of a passive signification p. 15. How said to be determined 23 Actions and Operations in these sublâ—nary parts not so attributed to God but that they have their second Causes 7 Actuality of God 7 Adam all men righteous in him 512 513 had not justifying Faith 504 505 c. All men in what sence they have right to the Promises p. 451. have sufficient means to beleeve pag. 499 500. All all men what signifie in Scripture 108 109 Ambrose for Vniversal Redemption 528 for falling away 325 327 Angels whether changeable in their Wills after Election 485. not out of a possibility of falling according to Calvin 441 receive benefit by Christ 440. need an Head as well as men 438. understand not bytheir meer essence p. 43. whether and how reconcilable 441 Anselm for Vniversal Redemption 543 Antecedent and Consequent Intentions in God 448 106 107 Aretius for falling away 392. for Vniversal Redemption 407 Arnobius for Vniversal Redemption 533 Arriba resolves the certainty of the foreknowledg of God into the perfection of his Wisdom 22 Assurance of Salvaiton whether men live holily or no not meet for God to give or men to enjoy 282 Athanasius for Vniversal Redemption 530 531 Attonement universal no new Religion 73 taught by express Scripture the contrary onely by consequence 73 Augustin for Falling away 378 379 c. how to be understood when he seems to speak otherwise Ibid. for General Redemption 525 526 c. against them that deny the co-operation of the first cause with the second 7 The Authors Intent in citing Authors 524 561 B BAptism All Children baptized judged by Musculus in favor with God 331 A weighty consideration for Infant-Baptism 537 Basil for a possibility of total falling away 377 for Vniversal Redemption 534 Bede for general Redemption 542 Simple Beings and existences of things how determined by God p. 7. what manner of Being men had from Eternity 45 46 Bernard for general Redemption 543 Beza defines justifying Faith by assent 400 Denyeth that Christ dyed sufficiently for all men except in a barbarous sence 97 Book of Life blotting out Names no blemish to it 332 Bottomless pit what it signifieth 435 Bucer defines Justifying Faith by assent 400 For Vniversal Redemption 556 Bullinger for Falling away 392. For Vniversal Redemption 560 C CAlvin sometimes for Falling away 387 416. Defineth Justifying Faith by assent to the Word of God 398. For General Redemption 406 552 553 c. For Desires in God to save the World 470 His Discourse for universal Grace 508 509 Can and cannot diversly taken in Scripture 194 Causes natural how sometimes suspend their proper actions 7 Ceremonies why termed the rudiments of the World 522 523 Chamier defines Justifying Faith by assent 398 399 Character of Regeneration 326 327 Chemnitius for Falling away 385 386. Defines Justifying Faith by assent 400 Children in favor with God 330 Christ a sufficient Redeemer without being crucified p. 15. How necessitated to well doing 341. How always heard in his Prayers 245. How the foundation of
amply his goodness and infinite clemency among Men he hath not contented himself to instruct them all by such documents as we have exprest but hath specially given to understand his voyce to a certain People c. To this so large and lightsom an acknowledgment of sufficient means vouchsafed by God unto the Heathen whereby to come to the Knowledg of Him of His Goodness Power c. and consequently to Repent and beleeve in Him I shall not need to subjoyn such sayings as these That the Knowledg of God is naturally imbred or implanted in the mindes of Men c Dei noticiam hominuÌ„ meÌ„tibus naturaliter esse inditam Calvin Instit l. 1. c. 3. in titulo That this Knowledg is stifled or corrupted partly by their foolishness partly by their malice d Eandem noticiam partim inscitiâ partim malitiâ vel suffo cari vel corrumpi Idem Instit l. 1. c. 4. in titulo with other passages of like import extant without number in this Author Eightly and lastly If wicked men and such who perish in their sins §. 35. through Impenitency and Unbelief have not a sufficient Power and Means to Repent and Beleeve then when God most graciously most affectionately most earnestly invites them to Repent and to Beleeve and this in order to their Peace and Salvation He rather insults over them in their extremity of weakness and misery then really intends any thing gracious or of a saving import to them But to conceive thus of God is most unworthy of Him and dishonorable to Him and not far from Blasphemy Ergo. The Reason of the Connexion in the Major Proposition is because to profess love to a man that is in imminent danger of his life and upon this account to perswade press and be earnest with him to do that for the safety of his life which the Perswader in this case absolutely knoweth to be unpossible for the perswaded to do as suppose it were to make him wings and fly in the ayr beyond the Seas or to turn himself into a fish and live in the Seas or the like such an addressment as this to such a poor wretch would be basely illusory and insulting nor could it admit of any better interpretation In like manner if God knowing that a natural and ungodly man is in the utmost danger of perishing for ever and withall that he hath no power to repent or beleeve shall yet vehemently and affectionately urge press and perswade such a man to Repent and Beleeve that he may not perish can such an application as this bear any other construction then as derisory and proceeding from one who doth not simply delight in the death of a Sinner but to make the death of such a miserable Creature as full of gall and bitterness and misery as He well knows how to do Therefore certainly when God stretcheth out his hand all the day long to wicked men when he saith turn ye turn ye from your evil ways why will ye dye c. when He saith Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine and again turn at my reproof with the like He knoweth that what He thus earnestly and affectionately requireth of them and presseth them unto they have power to perform otherwise in such expressions as these He should be like unto a Judg or King that having sentenced a lame man to death for Treason or some other crime should promise him his life in case he would run twenty miles within an hours space and accordingly press him with much seriousness unto it I have met with nothing to my best remembrance from the Pen of any Defender of the contrary Faith to obstruct or check this Argument in the course of it nor am I able to imagine what can with any face of Reason or of Truth contest with it To say that when God with the greatest earnestness of expression calls upon wicked men to Repent He onely signifies unto them what would prevent their destruction were it found in them but supposeth not any Principle or power in them to exhibit or perform it such an allegation I say as this hath neither salt nor savor in it For to what account can it be brought that God should inform wicked men how or which way they may escape destruction if it be supposed withall that they are in no capacity no not so much as under a possibility of receiving any benefit by such an information Besides God cannot truly and cordially profess that He desireth not the death of a sinner or of him that dyeth upon the account onely of an information directed to such a man concerning the way or means of his escape unless it be supposed withall that he is made capable by Him of benefit by such an information and in a condition to make use of it in order to an escape And to conclude meer informations are not wont to be given in exhortatory or preceptive language as turn ye turn ye c. nor in such pathetique strains as Why will ye dye O house of Israel nor with such Promises annexed as so shal not iniquity be your ruine nor lastly where they are of no use neither to those to whom they are given nor to Him that giveth them nor to any others which upon consideration of particulars would plainly appear to be the case before us To say that in such affectionate Exhortations and Expressions as those §. 36. under present consideration God onely expresseth His Will of Approbation signifying that Righteousness and Repentance after sin and so the Peace and Salvation of His Creature upon and by means of these are things simply agreeable to His Nature Minde and Goodness but â—oth not intend to signifie any Will or Purpose in Himself to work Repentance in the persons to whom He thus speaketh nor yet that they have power to repent without Him is an allegation as inconsiderable and inconsistent with Reason as the former For 1. If Righteousness and Repentance after sin and the Salvation of the Creature hereupon be simply agreeable to His Nature Minde and Goodness then why should not the Repentance and upon this the Salvation of those persons to whom He particularly addresseth Himself in those gracious and earnest Compellations and Exhortations of which we now speak be every whit as agreeable to His Nature Minde and Goodness as the Repentance or Salvation of any other persons in their case He no where signifieth any difference in this kinde Or if the Repentance and Salvation of some Sinners be agreeable to His Nature Minde and Goodness and not of others it is a plain case that the Repentance and Salvation of the Creature simply considered are not the things that are so agreeable to Him but the Repentance and Salvation of such and such particular subjects For Repentance and Salvation are the same things and of the same Nature in what persons or subjects soever no
personal consideration whatsoever altereth their Natures or essential Properties Again 2. If the intent of God were to express or signifie His Approbative Will of the Repentance and Salvation of his Creature or the agreeableness of these to His Nature Minde and Goodness He would rather have expressed it in applications of himself unto such persons or subjects whose Repentance and Salvation he really intendeth and desireth then in addressments made to those whose Repentance and Salvation he desireth not nay whom he was resolved from Eternity for this is the voyce of the Oracle consulted by our Adversaries to destroy for ever It were very unproper and hard for a Judg or Prince to make a feeling and affectionate Discourse of their clemency goodness and sweetness of Nature their great averseness to acts of severity c. unto such persons whom they had been of a long time resolved and before any cause administred by these persons of such a resolution against them to put to a terrible torturing and ignominlous death especially at or neer the time when this most severe execution is intended to be done upon them 3. And lastly The Argument propounded by us and with whose vindication we are yet in labor doth neither suppose that God will work Repentance as our Adversaries call working Repentance in the persons there spoken of i. e. that he will work it upon any such terms that it shall necessarily or infallibly be effected nor yet that the persons themselves can repent without God That which it supposeth is this that God is so far moving and assisting the Hearts Wills and Consciences of these men in order to their Repentance that if they were but willing to do what he enableth them to do in reference and order to the same their Repentance would be effected and they saved upon it In which case I mean if they should repent this Repentance were most justly ascribable unto God not to themselves in as much as it is he that 1. Giveth them power and abilities to repent 2. That secretly forms and fashions their Wills so as to make them willing actually to repent 3. That supports their Wills thus framed to and in the production of the act it self of Repentance Whereas that which men themselves do in towards or about their Repentance is so inconsiderable in comparison of what God doth that the greatness of his Grace and interposure herein deserves in a manner all the praise and honor that belongs unto the action although it be true also that the person himself who repenteth or in whom Repentance is wrought must of necessity be so far or to such a degree interessed and active in the work that the work it self may be as truly and properly ascribed unto him or called His as it is ascribed unto God and termed his For it is man that repenteth not God though what he doth in repenting he doth by the operating and assisting Grace of God in which respect it is said to be his gift But concerning the conjuncture and respective interests of the first and second Causes in the production or raising of one and the same act we shall God willing discourse more particularly in the second part of this Work where also we shall clear and discharge all those Passages and Texts of Scripture from their hard service which are compelled by some to serve against this great Truth of that high importance for the glory as well of the Grace as Justice of God That all Men without exception have a sufficiency of power vouchsafed unto them by God whereby to Repent and to beleeve unto Salvation and that it is through want of Will or rather willingness not of Power that any man perisheth At present to the further confirmation of the main Doctrine commended in this Discourse we argue thus In the eleventh place If God intended not the Death of Christ as a Ransom §. 37. Argum. 11. or Satisfaction for all Men then are there some Men whom He never intended to save but to leave irrecoverably to everlasting destruction and perdition This Proposition I suppose stands firm and strong upon its own basis and needs no Prop of Proof or Argument to support it For God intending to save no man but by the Death of Christ evident it is that if there be any man or number of men for whose Salvation he did not intend this Death that he never intended their Salvation Therefore I assume But there are no such Men or number of Men whose Salvation God never intended or whom He intended to leave irrecoverably to everlasting perdition Ergo. The Reason of this Proposition is partly because whatsoever God at any time intends he intended always yea from Eternity partly also because there was a time when all Men were righteous and holy viz. during the whole time of Adams integrity in whose loyns all Men then were and so must needs be Partakers of the same Holiness and Integrity with him So that unless we shall say and hold that God never intended the Salvation of just and holy men but to leave them irrecoverably to everlasting perdition we cannot say that there are or were any men or any number of men whose Salvation he never intended or whom he intended to leave irrecoverably to everlasting destruction Yea all Men had a Being in God himself before they received or had a Being in Adam in which respect Adam himself is called the Son of God a Luke 4. 38 viz. because he received his Being from him as though not after the manner that children receive their Beings from their Parents or Fathers Now wheresoever or in what estate and condition soever Adam was there were all Men in the same estate and condition with him So then all Men considered as being in God were nothing but God himself according to the common and most true Maxim of Divines Quicquid in Deo est est Deus whatsoever is in God is God The truth of this Maxim was clearly evinced by us Cap. 4. of this Discourse where we argued the absolute simplicity of the Divine Essence or God Therefore if God purposed from Eternity to leave any man or number of men irrecoverably to eternal destruction this Purpose was conceived or taken up by Him against these men whilest they were yet onely in His Will and Power and consequently whilest they were nothing but Himself But that God should peremptorily resolve and decree never to save nor to intend to save but to design and consign over irrevocably irreversibly irrecoverably to eternal misery and destruction millions of men whilest they were yet perfectly righteous and holy yea whilest they were yet nothing but Himself is doubtless a Notion hardly incident to the judgment or thoughts of any man who trembles to think irreverently or unworthily of God It is like it will be here pleaded that God in His Purpose or Decree to §. 38. leave the men we speak of to everlasting perdition doth