all did originally commit it All our natures were at and in the committing of it which natures we lineally derive from him And that you say we are made sinners in the first Adam simply and absolutely before we have done evill the Scripture saith no such thing but the contrary that in him we are all sinners Therefore to retort the Argument upon you we are not made righteous in the second Adam till we partake of his nature that is his Divine nature as 2 Pet. 1.4 which is that by which we escape corruption through lust A part of which is faith after reckoned up and commended to them to whom Peter writes in verse 5. immediately following To that you urge out of 2 Cor. b 5.19 I answer the Scripture is no friend to universall redemption And then what will follow on your behalfe Surely no more will follow or can follow but this that in Gods ordinary way of Gospell administration God is in Christ reconciling them of the world to himselfe that are perswaded by him to believe and receive the word of reconciliation So evidently immediately before and after that 19. verse Yet you say c This Argument did so wring Cardinall Bellarmine that he confessed Christ may be put on without a proper act of our soule Surely then the saddle was closer and harder put on him by some other then you have tackied it or he was more artificially wrackt then you here stretch him But I am willing to imagine the urmost you would or could make of this Argument It may be you have this in your thoughts that as in Adam children are accounted sinners though they cannot act sin so in Christ children may be accounted righteous though they cannot act faith To which I answer As there is a naturall habit of corruption in infants that makes a foundation of a just relation of Adams sinne to them For where there is no habituall corruption of nature there is no imputation of Adams sinne as we see in Christs conception and humane nature He was not accounted a sinner in himselfe but is for them that are saved by him but in himselfe he was and accounted most holy So there is habituall faith in elect infants dying in their infancy through which they are accounted righteous in Christ as we have reasoned to the 1. Argument But that I am loath to wade too deep that little ones should not follow more might be said If it might be said in some sense Christ can be apprehended without a proper act of our soule that is as it is a meere peculiar act of our soule yet not without an act of Gods grace in that soule Till that be put into the soul no more is done in any particular elect person then what was done in the eternall election which the Scripture calls a purpose Rom. 9. And a purpose is not the practise of the thing purposed and of that act of grace the soule of the youngest elect infant is in a faire capacity For the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligere the naked act of understanding depends not on the organs of the senses So the Artists that handle of the nature of the reasonable soule no nor doth the representing of an intelligible object to the understanding depend upon the senses when God will in the darke or in a dreame represent as in a vision of the minde the species or images of some spirituall thing that sense never apprehended How much lesse doth the acts of grace in this act of understanding depend upon the body or senses So that though the body be a childe great may be the actings of the gratiated soule Argument VI. VVHere there is full satisfaction made and the party offended accepting that satisfaction and contented to rest in it there must needs follow perfect remission of sinnes But in Christ crucified before we beleeved was full satisfaction made and God was contented to rest in that satisfaction Therefore there will follow perfect remission of sinnes c. First a that there was full satisfaction made in Christ is proved Heb. 10.11 12 13 14. vers For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified But the second that God is therewith contented to rest in that satisfaction we have the witnesse of the Father Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Acquiesco saith Beza See Esay 53.11 He shall see the travaile of his soule and shall be satisfied An Answer to Argument VI. YOur sixth Argument as you prove it will answer it selfe That Heb. 10.11 a 12 13 14. shews expresly that though Christ did make ready the satisfaction for the common nature of men before they knew of it that after should beleeve yet it is not brought home and made available to any particular person but to the sanctified The sanctified ones for ever in all ages and for eternity have the satisfaction not onely prepared but perfected to them See you Pareus c. on the place whether I deale not clearly with the place That place also Matth. 3.17 is for us against you It is in whom not with whom So that it imports that he is onely well pleased with all he studes in Christ Else he doth not acquiescere rest pleased but is earnest till somewhat else be done 2 Cor. 5.20 This interpretation is as old as Augustines time whom I name because you named him But look to the Scripture which to shew that God is well pleased only with those that are actuall in Christ addes to this speech Matth. 17.5 Hear ye him to draw men into Christ that with them God may be wel pleased Till men be actually in Christ God is not well pleased with them though they be elect See a notable place Rom. 9.25 I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved who were they Them whom he had called ver 24. Argument VII IF we are not iustified in his sight before we believe a then are we uniust sinners workers of iniquity then doth the Lord hate us for he hateth all the workers of iniquity Psal 5. You know what absurdity will follow if you say we must believe before God can love us But it God hate us to day b and love us to morrow let Arminius with his disciples hear this and wonder why they should be blamed that say we may be loved to day and hated to morrow Children of God to day and of the Devill to morrow when they who would seeme their greatest Adversaries will not spare to say we may be hated to day and loved to morrow the children of the Devill to day and of God to morrow But that God loved us first before we believed when we were enemies in our blood c. is so plaine that I will not willingly so dishonour you as once to conceive that you will deny it Here is an end of the
three places fore-mentioned with that which we find 2 Cor. 5.20 In the former places the Apostle told us we were reconciled and in this place he beseecheth us to be reconciled So you If you mistook your selfe and intended to make the parallel between the 18. verse of 2 Cor. 5. God hath reconciled us to himselfe and verse 20. We pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled Meaning herein that the same Corinthians were reconciled and were yet to be reconciled Know that in that 18. verse the Apostle speakes of his and his fellow Ministers reconciliation verse 19. of the reconciliation of others in the world And therefore ver 20. intreats and beseecheth the Corinthians that were not yet converted to be reconciled For as for the other they were Saints and a Church of God Chap. 1.1 and therefore actually reconciled 2. Answ If our first reconciliation be originall that is hath a beginning like as originall sinne then our first reconciliation is not before the foundation of the world much lesse our second which you call actuall And whereas in your first part or Sermon you mention another reconorliation before both these namely Gods reconciliation of himselfe to us we ask you what shall be the obiect of this reconciliation seeing that our nature and persons are not say you reconciled but by the other two namely by that originall and actuall reconciliation 3. By bringing both ends of your Book together we perceive that the whole frame of your mouldring foundation is this 1. God is reconciled to man Serm. 1. Page 2. And this containes such a love as Christ never purchased Page 21. Yea that God was never an enemy page 2.2 There is reconciliarton of us to God and this is two-fold 1. Originall of our natures 2 Serm. Page 2. And of this you lay down this Proposition That we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son without any previous conditions in us page 3. Here you admit Christs sufferings but Christs grace and spirit of faith is excluded 2. Actuall Reconciliation of our persons page 2. And of this you lay downe this position page 5. of your 2. Part or Sermon Mans actuall reconciliation say you to God requireth previous conditions and qualifications to be wrought in man by the Spirit of God before man can be actually reconciled to God or Gods reconciliation manifested unto him For there are say you three sorts of conditions 1 Antecedent 1 Knowledge of sin 2 Knowledge of the depth of misery by sin to such 2 Present 1 Without believing the soule remaining in the body cannot bee reconciled to God John 3.36 That by believing the soule is actually reconciled to God Iohn 3.33 John 1.12 Rom. 5.1 Thus you Your third sort of conditions are rather effects than conditions therefore I mention them not Thus brother after you have filled the bellies of your auditory with crudities I am loath to say poyson in your after service or second course you bring somewhat that is wholsome in that one dish of actuall reconciliation All the rest we must vomit up or we die To that end I goe on to administer my Dosis 1. Ans That there is but one only reconciliation namely that of God and man into atonement by faith in the one only Mediator Jesus Christ We proved afore * On page 2 of 1. Sermon that the Scripture would yeeld you this one only not two much lesse will it now allow you three one being enough and therefore one onely held out to us in the word whereof we have said so much already that we shall add the lesse now 1. The quarrell between God and us is but one namely our fall in Adam and continuance in that condition Rom. 5. it 's the businesse of the Chapter 2. The satisfaction is only one and made at once Rom 6.10 In that Christ dyed he dyed unto sinne ONCE Likewise reckon yee also your selves dead to sin but alive to God Hebr. 7.27 Christ needeth not dayly to offer up sacrifice for this he did ONCE Heb. 9.12 Christ by his owne bloud entred in ONCE into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us mark that clause Heb. 9.26 But now ONCE in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe And ver 28. Christ was ONCE offered to beare the sins of many and unto them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath ONCE suffered for sins the just for the unjust that be might bring us to God And so in the fourth of Ephesians the Apostle much runs upon one That as every Christian hath but one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ and one and the same holy Spirit so every one hath one calling one hope one faith and one Baptisme as a seale of those Out of all we conclude that if Christ did not at once make a full reconciliation for all that shall bee found in him then is he an insufficient Saviour If he did make a full and sufficient satisfaction whereof they have benefit by the individuall act of justification Rom. 5.1 then is he fully within the atonement in an instant 2. Answ Reconciliation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Ecclesiasticall Church polity No members of a Church Ismael in the Church circumcised His posteritie out of the Church not circumcised and non-reconciliation are immediate contraries therefore either a man is wholly reconciled or nothing reconciled This immediate contrariety the Apostle toucheth and intimateth 2 Cor. 6.14 where the Apostle makes the opposition between believers and unbelievers to be as between righteousnes and unrighteousnes light and darknes Christ and Belial And the Apostle toucheth our conclusion or inference that a man is either wholly irreconciled or reconciled Eph. 2.11 12 13 14 15 16. Remember that ye in time passed were Gentiles in the flesh who were called uncircumcision c. that at that time yee were without Christ being aliens from the common-vvealth of Israel or rather * Politie of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope vvithout God in the vvorld But now in Christ Jesus ye vvho sometimes vvere far off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ For hee is our peace vvho hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished the enmity even the Law of Commandements contained in ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace and that hee might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse O golden place to our purpose Read it and read it and weigh it and read it See 1. the Apostle sets down once and again a time in this life wherein they were not reconciled 2. Saith that the they were afar off 3. That as they were without hope so without Christ as without Christ so without God God and they were not reconciled And 4. That the bloud of Christ the cresse of Christ by the preaching of peace verse 17. had made believers verse 8. Jewes and Gentiles one among themselves and both one with God at Peace I know not what can be plainer to convince that we are either altogether at peace God with us and us with God or else not at peace at all 3. Answ I remember it was the maine argument of the Orthodox against the Arminians that if we might fall totally as the Arminians said from grace and yet not finally that they should produce the evidences of Scriptures set downe of one totally fallen and not finally If the Scripture set down none but of those that were totally off or finally on then the Arminian truth was not sound So may wee argue that the Scriptures set down no discoveries of one halfe reconciled or two parts reconciled and not the third for you make three reconciliations one after another but set down a demonstration to know whether we are wholy unreconciled or wholy not And therefore either we are wholly reconciled or wholly not for the time till Christ comes and makes the change This demonstration set down in the Scripture is onely from the act of actuall iustification by faith in Christ Rom. 5.1 By this we are blessed or else not blessed Rom. 4.6 Faith makes that there is no difference between us and others in state of salvation or else there remains the difference that we are not in state of salvation for the time till God comes and alters the case through faith This is evident Acts 15.9.11 And put no difference between us and them purifying * There is a purity by faith as well as of imputation of sanctification Rom. 4.3 their hearts by faith But wee believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they The Postscript MUch more might bee said but I have been much larger than I intended though I had two severall printed Tracts to answer the materiall mistakes whereof we have discussed not letting one as I know of escape I wish it had been undertaken by a fitter man and to such a one I had left it but that I saw most of the able men so busie and the meane while some of my neere friends to begin to bee taken with these mistakes I have answered with as much judgement as I could in so verie a short time as I had allotted for this businesse still carrying with me a render conscience the Lord knowes I lye not that I nught not in the least grain or jota prejudice or cloud the free grace of God in Jesus Christ which is more precious to me than my life and the onely bridge that must carry me over the eternall Lake to heaven I have also used as much modesty and love in all my expressions as I could I appeale to the would for the truth of this that I might not grieve any but guide them If any apprehend any materiall mistakes let them but with divine reason cleere them unto me and I will print my retraction Or if they will needs print a confutation let them but doe by me as I have done by this for the manner and keep to the Scriptures for matter and I will say well done Farewell FINIS
hath Christs death and resurrection and intercession and strengthening in tribulations accompanying it Argument IV. THey that have their sins taken away are iustified a But the elect have their sins taken away before they believe Ergo the elect are iustified before they believe The maior is proved Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgteen and whose sinne is covered Rom. 4.7 The minor That the Elect have their sins taken away before they believe b is proved Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sins of the world and Esay 35. ◠The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all and 1 Pet. 2.24 Himselfe bare our sins in his own body on the Tree and Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed Did Christ take away sinne or not Did he beare them Did he destroy the body of sinne If you say c No how will you escape the Sword of the Spirit If you say Yea I desire no more An Answer to Argument IV. YOu say a they that have their sins taken away are iustified you prove it Rom. 4.7 Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered By this you intend to prove a man is iustified before he believes But your own expressions and allegations are against that 1. Expression For sins are not taken away which is a Physicall act by Gods meere mentall thoughts of iustifying but when he pronounceth the blessing of justification he saith withall in whose heart is no guile Psal 32.1 2. which is the place the Apostle quotes Rom. 4. See reall actuall iustification take our sinnes from us and our hearts from our sins 2. Allegation And with the same breath almost with which the Apostle saith Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven he saith also To him that beleeveth on him that iustifieth the ungodly is his faith counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 6 7. You go about to prove that the elects sins are taken away before they believe b by that Isa 53.8 1 Pet. 2.24 Eph. 1.29 What do you intend by these generall places would you by the two first places have it that Christ takes away the sins of all the Jewes contrary to Rom. 11.7 c. or by the third place that Christ takes away the sins of the whole world contrary to Rom. 8.30 yet either you must take them in that false generall sense or else they make nothing to prove justification before faith That place you alledge out of Rom. 6.6 is flat against you For if sinne be not destroyed till crucified then not till mortified For crucifying signifies mortifieation which is a part of sanctification Gal. 5.22 23 24. And the body of sinne signifies not the guilt but the filth and power Rom. 7. And therefore this place supposeth justification by faith even as faith is mentioned to precede that crucifying in the place last alledged Yet in the close you seeme to triumph c as if you had sheerly carried away the gerland upon the hornes of an unanswerable Dilemma Saying if we say Christ did take away sinne did bear them did destroy the body of sin you desire no more Thus you We answer Christ doth take away sinne doth bear the sins of men but for whom onely for the elect And when doth he take away sinne and make his bearing to lighten men Even when comes that justification by faith that as you say brings with it a crucifying of the body of sinne when comes that iustification mentioned Rom. 5.1 2 3 4. Argument V. VVE were made sinners in the first Adam before we had done good or evill a Therefore we are made righteous in the second Adam before we have done good or evill This consequence is proved Rom. 5.18 19. As by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous If you shall place the Emphasis of this Text in All and many you will cause the hearts of the * universall Gratians to leape for joy which I beleeve you would not willingly do Therefore you must be forced to place the Emphasis in As and So As we sinned all in the loynes of the first Adam So were we all made righteous in the loynes of the second Adam The Lord Christ And this agreeth with the ministerie of Reconciliation b to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5.19 Truly this Argument was of so great force c that it did wring out of Cardinall Bellarmine this confession as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 5. That Christ may be put on without a proper act of our soule I confesse I differ from the Cardinall in his meanes of putting on Christ yet this his confession I acknowledge to be true An Answer to Argument V. IT is plaine by the place you alledge Rom. 5. c That you meane not a making of us sinners in the first Adam by Gods bare decree accounting us so And if you do not so meane but meane that we are actually accounted sinners in the first Adam since we came from his loines before we had done good or evill I admire how you dare affirme a thing so contrary to Scripture For the Apostle most evidently affirmeth in that Rom. 5. That though all that are come of Adam have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression ver 14. that is have not sinned actually in their particular persons as infants not any sinne nor any men that particular sinne of Adam yet ver 12. it is said expressy that death passed over all men for that all have sinned or the Greeke will beare it In whom all have sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The former part of the verse favours this reading in these words As by one man sinne entred into the world Then concludes all have sinned Which how can it be true of infants in their conception as Psal 51. unlesse they be said to sinne in Adam But however we read the same conclusion will necessarily follow that all children and all in the wombe even Jacob and Esau have sinned originally in the common nature at first existing in that publike father of mankinde I say originally As true as we have our bodies from our Grandfathers so from the first Adam we had all the same corrupt senses and appetite in him though actually in our own persons we sinned not that sinne nor do infants as Jacob and Esau actually sinne as persons of ripe years when as the Law speakes they are capaces doli can do evill and give a seeming reason for it So then in briefe our answer is That Adams sin is imputed to all because
instrument And the text meanes iustifying not bare manifesting of iustification Objection 2. He that beleeveth not is condemned already John 3.18 Answer This is all one with He that believeth not shall be damned a which you must understand of finall unbeliefe which I grant to be a note of Damnation An Answer to your Reply to Obiection 2. This you say must be understood of finall unbeliefe a As if a man were not in state of damnation till the last We reply 1. What then meaneth the termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is condemned already 2. How do you answer to the Antithesis He that believeth is not condemned that is is actually out of state of damnation by faith Ergo without faith is actually in state of damnation 3 What say you to the reason he is said to be in state of condemnation for his past infidelity because he hath not believed Objection 3. Without Faith it is impossible to please God therefore we cannot be iustified without it Answer I deny the consequence and I perceive so will you also when you please a b c d e f For you will affirme a iustified person may displease God and then why is it not possible for a man to displease God and yet be iustified To please God is so to do those things which God approves in us to be well done which we cannot doe without Faith That this is the meaning of the Apostle is plaine by his reason For he that commeth unto God must be 〈◊〉 c. We cannot come unto God before we believe but cannot God come unto us before we believe Now Justification is Gods act upon a sinner not a sinners act upon God This also answereth the fourth Obiection Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne An Answer to your Reply to Obiection 3. You deny the consequence Before we reply a note the meaning of the word please it imports to be well pleasing or acceptable 1. So the Greeks take the word So Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abel the first that is said to be acceptable to God was a shepheard So Bud. renders it See you more instances in Greeke Authours 2. It s spoken in this 5. ver not of doing but of receiving God translated him for before his translation he had this Testimony that he pleased God which must be meant that he was well pleasing to God by faith in Christ which is the Apostles scope ver 1. ver 39. or else you will make his doings the cause of his translation 3. This 6. ver shewes that the word please must signifie to be accepted of God through faith in Christ because it is added we must believe that God is there is his essence or that he is Jehovah And that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him there is his attribute of mercy to them that come to him by faith in Christ For without faith no acceptable seeking him Rom. 10. 4. This Epistle being written in Hebrew the Hebrew renders the word please 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a delight to him 5. Either this must be the meaning that he that pleaseth God pleaseth God by faith in Christ or else the Apostles Argument drawn from Enoch to prove the Excellency of faith which is the maine businesse of this chap. comes to nothing for this is the Apostles Argument He that pleaseth God hath faith Enoch pleased God therefore he had faith and so by faith went to heaven Now to answer to your reply you deny the consequence 1. We answer by proving the consequence He onely that is justified pleaseth or is well pleasing to God This you yeild in your 6. Argument therefore if a man be not justified by faith he cannot please God This inference is the Apostles in this 11. of Hebr. 5.6 compared with Rom. 5.1 For saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God And by faith Enoch pleased God as sure as Abel did But saith he without faith it is impossible to please God Observe and observe the word impossible and see how it can be possible for a man to be well-pleasing to God without faith 2. We answer though one justified by faith may do some displeasing act as Thomas did in doubting of Christs resurrection yet a man justified by faith cannot be displeasing to God in his person God may chasten the corruption yet love the person Revel 3.19 We hate wantonnesse and whip it but we love the child Faith brings in our Sonship 1 John 12. To your reason for deniall of the consequence b we reply thus That you seeme to inferre that because one justified may displease God in some action therefore he may a time be without faith and displease God in all his actions and yet be justified which inference is very much to be blamed both for the consequent and consequence To your definition of pleasing God in action c I demand whether God can approve of a greater thing without faith namely our persons being as you say iustified before faith comes but cannot approve of a lesse thing namely our actions without faith which seemes strange By faith our persons are united to Christ Ephes 3.17 And our actions are but by a naturall dependence united to us Therefore the person is 1. Accepted by faith then 2. Our actions are accepted because our persons the Apostle saith by faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice How saith the text Gen. 4. God had respect to Abel and his offering To your reason d that pleasing God in action must be the onely meaning of the Apostle I answer That from the effect the Apostle proves how a man must have faith to be well-pleasing to God in his person that so he may be well-pleasing in his practise To your demand whether God cannot come to us before we believe e I answer his making us to believe is coming in and dwelling with us Eph. 3. Before that God doth but onely purpose his coming Ephes 1. To your close that Justification is an act of God upon a sinner f not a sinners act upon God we answer that Gods putting faith into a man and by it a man into Christ is as well an act of God in iustifying him as Gods reputing him iust in Christ imputing his sinnes to Christ and Christs righteousnesse to him Obiection 5. We are by nature the children of wrath c. Answer This were of some force a if you could prove us altogether in the estate of nature as well in Gods account as in our esteeme and so quite exempred from grace untill we believe which you cannot doe for the Apostle witnesseth the contrary 2 Tim. 1.9 b According to his own purpose and grace given us before the world began If grace were given before the world began surely before ever we believed God is Alpha and Omega therefore what he promiseth shall come to passe to his c is done
Antichrisis or opposition between our Passivenesse and Gods Act vers 5. There God is said to quicken us and that with Christ Now how or whom shall God be said to quicken but by taking into construction that clause us that were dead in trespasses and sinnes That as Christ being dead was quickned Hebr. 13 So we from the death in sinne are quickened together with him 2. As for other Translations The Hebrew Copy and the Syriack Copy put at the word us in verse 4. their full stop or Period Nor doe I fee any other Translations point it as you would point 2. From words let us come to matter If we should lend you this Proposition that God loved us with his great love VVHEN we were dead in trespasses and sinnes what would you gaine For these kind of Whens in the Scripture as here when you ware dead and Rom. 5. when we were enemies and Ezek. 16. When thou wast in thy Blood doe but import an order of Nature or working not a difference of time That is at the same instant when wee were dead enemies in our blood in the same instant did God put us into Christ by faith and made us lovely and actually loved us with his great love in him So is the very scope of the Apostle here to shew wherein did appeare Gods great love namely in quickning us to a spirituall resurrection with Christ verse 5. And in raising us to a speciall Ascension with Christ verse 6. And so Rom. 5.8 9 10. God commends his love towards us that when we were enemies c. we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne And so in other whens They doe but shew the matter God makes lovely in Christ not a sinfull condition that he can love out of Christ In common Speech When must of necessitie so be taken to signifie order of things not antecedency of time As one saith I married my wife when she was a Widow This cannot be meant that when shee was a widow shee was married or made a wife And so God converted mee when I lay in a most profane unregenerate condition It cannot be meant that when a man is regenerated he is unregenerated So when it is said God loved us with his great love WHEN we were dead in Trespasses and sinnes quickning us together with Christ This cannot be meant that God loved us with great love being still in our state of sinne and out of Christ For why then is he said to be wroth with the self same Ephesians whiles out of Christ and unregenerated and unquickened verse 1 2. Your 5. Proof Pag. 15. Rom. 9.11 12. The children not yet borne and having done neither good nor evill that the purpose of God might stand according to election Answ The Apostle expressely in your quotation applies this to election And election is called even here as oft else-where a purpose and wee cannot say that in regard of us or upon us that Gods purpose of love is actuall love God distinguisheth himself between his Purpose and Act Ephes 1.3 4. and 2 Tim. 1.9 10. Of which at large afore Upon this place of Jacob you make an Objection pag. 16. What if Jacob after this had turned to be a notorious and profane Person would or could the Lord have continued his love to such a person as this I answer boldly say you yea For Gods love and mercie are mercies of eternitie Psal 103.17 Ps 136. Malach. 3.6 Should the Lord change as often as we change he should be more variable then the winde Answ By these your words and the Obiections of some that heare you as a Commentary upon them you seem to conceive that if the Lord should not love us with as great love in a profane and unconverted condition as after then there were a change in God and in his love which to be your minde is yet more plaine by many former Passages already alleaged and especially of that place out of Ephes 2. And that touching Paul after in pag. 23. That God loved him with as great love when he persecuted the Church as when he preached the Gospel But this inference will no wayes follow That if God doth not actually love us from all eternitie in the same manner that therefore there would be a change in God and his love O that in such deep things you would speak debitè in proper termes as a man that hath skill in Divine reason Let me aske you a question Whether God having chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the World that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ c. can save us without our being in Christ without holinesse c. If not for his purpose is unchangeable whether he doth not love to see us in Christ rather then out to see us holy rather then not c If so then there is a change in Gods acts though not in his purpose O that you would discrecely mixe your sweet drinkes lost they make your Ratients burst Poyson is sooner taken down lap'd in gold or sugared Keckerm Syst Theolog. lib. 3. cap. 1. Evermore say the Learned and Godly Schoolmen wee call not the Papists in put a wide difference between the Decree of God and the execution of that Decree The Decre is eternall but the bestowing or giving of the end by the means is done in time So Keck And he saith well For though Gods Decree be eternall yet the World was made in time in sixe dayes Therefore when God actually looked upon it and approved all as exceeding good Gen. 1. that was done was in time So Christ was sent in due time to die for us and to save us in him either at Third Sixt Nineth or Eleventh houre Rom. 5.6 Matth. therefore God doth actually love us in him in time Yet all this doth not alter Gods purpose but answeres to his purpose Medul Theolog. lib. 1 cap. 6. and is the perfection of his purpose carrying on it self to its designed end To effect worke or doe saith D. Ames taken actively as they are in God the Agent differ not really from God himself For there is no composition or change of Power and Act in Gods most simple and immutable Nature mark not in his nature But saith he to effect worke or doe doth adde a certaine relation of God to a reall effect And there belongs unto God an active power in regard of the creature which gives to the creature a posse recipere a power to receive which produceth an appearance of that act which formerly was not So hee So that Gods essentiall purpose is like himself is himself eternall and unchangeable but his outward actuall working is in time And it is as great contradiction to conceive an outward action of God upon the creature without all time as to conceive hee should make a body that should be in