made liable to wrath not the guilt and liablenesse it self 2 You say that quickning together with Christ opposed to this death is interpreted Col. 2.13 to be the forgivenesse of sinnes You that deny the Scripture feare not to pervert it the Apostle makes not forgivenesse of sinne the formalis ratio of vivification by quickning together with Christ he understands a spirituall reparation and forming of the Divine Image in us by which the filth and pollution of sinne is wip'd away and we are made his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good workes Davenant in 2 Col 13. Deus animâ—m vivificat allâ—m reparâ—n lo sordes peccati detergendo â—psius enim factara sumus creatâ— in Christo Jesu in operibus bonis Per vivificationem intelligit 〈…〉 quod ipsum Rom 6.11 Vocat vivere Deo amhulare in novâ—tate vitae Ro. 6.4 Pise in loc So Davenant wherever sin is remitted and its guilt taken away there is this vivification by grace Piscator saith expresly upon the place that by vivification the Apostle intends the renovation of nature 3 You say the Scripture expresseth the condition of guilt by the terme of death therefore by dead in trespasses we must understand guilty of death c. 2 Sam. 9.8 16.9 19.28 Rom. 8.10 2 Cor. 5.14 1 Tim. 5.6 That the Scripture doth often expresse the condition of guilt by the terme of death though I deny not yet the Scriptures which you cite prove nothing lesse those places 2 Sam. 9.8 where Mephib saith to David What is thy servant that thou shouldest looke upon such a dead Dog 2 Sam. 16.9 and Abishai cals Shimei a dead Dog c. have no other sence than 1 Sam. 24.14 where David expostulating with Saul asketh him after whom is the King of Israel come out after whom dost thou pursue after a dead Dog after a flea in which words the word dead notes not guilty as you most ignorantly suppose Vivens vita ndturali mortua morte spirituali Pis in Loc. but vile contemptible base that of 1 Tim. 5.6 where the widow is said to be dead while she liveth is by most understood to be meant of spirituall death and by the happy interpreter of Scripture learned Calvin it s understood of her unprofitablenesse and her being nothing worth q. d. those widowes who love to live without all care and passe their times idely and in pleasure are no more usefull profitable in their places then if they were dead Mortuas vocat quae nulli sunt usui he cals those dead which serve for no use now your interpetation is the widow that lives in pleasures is guilty of death if I may have John Calvin let who will have John Goodwin for their Expositor That of 2 Cor. 5.14 comprehends both liablenesse to eternall death and spirituall death also as all interpreters agree 4 Lastly whereas you most unworthily and wretchedly assert that dead in sins is not represented by the Apostle as the condition of men considered as naturall but of men who have a long time continued in sinne the context witnesseth against you for 1. First the Apostle tels them what they were by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 3. not only by practice 2. He makes their walking in sinne a fruit of their death in it ver 2. dead in sinnes wherein ye walked 3. this death in sinne is represented by the Apostle as common to all Jewes and Gentiles and the Apostle certainly intends that the death is as extensive as the quickning which latter Mr. Goodwin will not limit unto those that have a long time continued in sins he intends that all were dead that ever were quickned old and young Your Expositions are huskes food fitter for swine than soules the Lord grant that your poore misled followers may no longer lay out their money for that which is not bread Upon your saying Sect. 66. Yo. Eld p. 56 Bu. Bush p. 25. that by the improvement of nature a man may attaine to such a conviction as upon which saving conversion alwaies followes I demanded what place is here left for grace you reply in this Section 1 By asking me If a man who is able through lazinesse were unwilling to goe an hundred miles in foure dayes for the saving of his life is there not place left for the kindnesse of his friends to accommodate him with an horse Answ There 's no place according to this supposition left for grace by way of absolute necessity but only by way of accommodation and facilitation of the worke he stands in no Absolute necessity of an horse to carry him that is able to goe his journey on his ten toes you now loudly speake your selfe a Pelagian you told me before that the â—â—turall man needed not eye-sight but light only and now you say he needs not the help of God save by way of accomodation he can of him selfe will or make himselfe willing to beleeve only not so easily detestable doctrine and yet 2 In this Section you tell me Yo. Eld. p. 56. there is place enough for all tha grace of God which the Apostle attributes unto him Phil. 2.13 in working both to will and to doe in mon of his good pleasure Answ I flatly deny it the Apostle in that place ascribes the work of faith to God wholly and necessarily you ascribe it to him but by way of partiality and convenienty According to your late resemblance God comes in in a super-added way and makes us to beleeve who yet are able to make our selves do sâ— The Apostle saith God workes according to his owne good pleasure but you That God workes according to mans good pleasure otherwise you suppose That God should worke in man whether he would or no and that grace would be a compulsorium not an ad utorium 3. Yo. Eld. p. 56. You say That there is far larger place left for grace by your opinion thâ—n by mine If you can evince this Eris mihi magnus Apollo my opinion saith with the Apoâ—le God hath quickned us being dead in trespasses and sins till which quickning the fruit of his rich love we lye under a present reall spirituall death and can do no act of spirituall life as â—o beleeve Yo. Eld p. 55. c. You say That this death implyes no impotenâ—y to believe but onely consisteth in guilt so that as to the being able to beleeve all naturall men are alive My opinion saith This grace of God is infallibly effectuall yours That it may be rejected and that there 's no infallibility in its effecting any thing Yo. Eld. p. 52. You say That God onely gives light l that God gives light and eyes to behold it In a Word You hold that God gives food I That That he gives life which is more than meat And now leaves your opinion a larger place for grace than mine 4. You endeavour to prove That your opinion leaves a larger place
cannot stand together this indeed I say that a morall influence is of it selfe insufficient but not with an efficatious influence inconsistent That a meere morall influence is operative onely metaphoricâ—s per modum objecti and gives no power to the faculty upon which it workes but serves onely to excite and draw into act the innate power and that the soule of man destitute of power to supernaturals cannot be wrought upon in such an objective way of morall perswasion 3. You say That if by physicall influence Master Jenkin understandeth any ether kinde of workâ—ng upon the will by God than by the mediation of the Word or than that which is proper to be wrought by such an instrument as this c. I deny any other physicall influence upon the will It passeth my understanding to conceive how the will should be wrought or acted into a consent in any kinde otherwise than by argument motive and perswasion unlesse by force violence and compulsion c. Answ Your answers here are inconsistent 1. with themselves and 2. with truth First you deny any worke of God upon the will save by the mediation of the Word and yet instantly you say Yo. Eld. p. 62. You allow an outward excitation of the soule or opening of the heart by the spirit a gracious and immediate supporting of the will in the act of consenting c. I would faine know how these two can stand together 2. You deny That God workes any thing upon the will which is not proper for the Word to worke or that any thing can be wrought upon the will except by perswasion or by argument c. If you had attended the state of the question you would have spared much of this twatling the question is by what influence of grace the naturall mans will is set right in actu primo hath a principle of new life infused into it and not by what it is made actually to beleeve in actu secundo the former is done by the immediate and almighly power of the grace of God Homines tentum sunt habitualis conversionis orâ—â—sio amecedens condit oâ—quod praedicato evangediâ— resipiscentâ—â— fidei deus spirâ—â—u regenerante virtutem fidei resipiscentiae â—nimis electorum indat ut habiles sinâ— ad parâ—dun Evangelium actualis verò conversionis sum causa instrumentalis Gom. p. 154. the other by the same power working in the word You must not assert that the causa objectiva or moralis doth create the faculty but suppose it For your further information herein I refer you to that excellent Tractate of Gornarus de gratia conversionis particularly to pag. 154. To. 1. at whose feet you may fit to reape the blessing of his head as you speak but fit not as an instructor any more but as a novice not as a teacher but as teachable 4. You tell me in this section frequently that you understand not well it passeth your understanding c. to conceive how the will should be acted into consent c. how men be begotten by the Word c. The miste ies of faith are not to be measured by the strength of your understanding will you beleeve nothing but what you can conceive why do you not turne a professed Socinian 5. You tell me in this Section that God opens the heart immediately supporteth the will in the act of consenting suffers nothing to intervene to prevent consent You would faine seem to say something but hoc aliquid nihilest what meane you by supporting of the will Doth not God as immediately support the will when it consents to evill as in the act of consenting to good and though he prevents externall tentations yet leaves he not the will it self in â—quilibria to consent or not to consent Is it enough to deliver from externall tentation unlesse also from our owne internall corruption What meane you by opening the bea rt is it not so done by the Word that it passeth as you say your understanding how the will should any other way be wrought into a consent meane you not as your Pelagius who in a fit of zeale spake for the working of grace just as you do Aug. de gra Chr cap. 7. Adjâ—vat no Deus per doctrinam revelarionem suam dam cordis nostri oculos aperit duâ—n nobis ne praesentibus occupemur futura demonstrat dum diaboli pandit infidiat c. Nunquam isti inimici gratiae ad eandem gratiam vehememius oppugnan lem occultiores mol untur insidias quà m ubi legem laudant adjuvat nos Deus per doctrinam revelatimâ—m c. God assisteth us by doctrine and revelation when he opens the eyes of our mindes when he shewes us things to come lest we should be intangled in things present when he discâ—vers the snares of Satan Concerning which and the like passages Augustine saith That the enemies of grace the Pelagians did never more subtilly oppose grace than when they most pâ—aised the Word in which respect In Con. mileu Can. 4. was that anathemâ— denounced * Conc. Mil. c. 4. Quisquis di erit gratiam dei propter hoc tantum nos adjuvare ad non peccandion quia per ipsam revelaiuâ— aperitur intelligentia man latoâ—um ut sciamut c. non autem per illam nobis praestari ut quod saciendum cognoverimu agere valeamus anathema sit Quisquis dixerit c. whosoever shall say That the grace of God serves to help ut against sinne onely because by that we know and understand the commandment and not also because by that grace power is bestawed upon us to do what we know let him be accursed Yo. Eld. p. 63 Lastly you say in this Section That you do not well understand what I meane by my physicall insiuence of grace upon the will Answ Where have you lived all your time have you grown grey in promoâ—ing Arminianism and yet never heard of the physicall influence go to Ames Triglandius Rivet c. and you shall be informed what it is I acknowledge it with these and sundry other reformed Divines to be that gracious and reall working of the Spirit of God by which a principle of divine life is put into the soule of the naturall man that was dead in sins and trespasses by which he is quickned and raised from the death of sinne and of naturall is made spirituall and savingly to understand and will spirituall things You acknowledge Sect. 69. that I propounded foure quaeries Yo. Eld. p. 63 Sect. 72. but now in this your 72 Section you having thus ridiculously as is seene gone over my two former quaerees muddily jumble together my two last though not without this designe of a more convenient hiding your opinion from the Reader My third quaere was this Whether grace be an adjutory uncertaine and resistible or whether grace be an invincible infallible determinating adjutory to the will 1. In this
deep reach because he feared not the same issue Exempla gratia p. 26. Y. El. You laid Master Walker and Master Robroughs writings in the dust with the former of which you encountred as an asse with a lyon and with the latter of which you never durst enter the Lists though provoked by an elaborate Treatise in confutation of your errors about justification So you laid Master Edwards his Antapologia in the dust a booke that so fully and clearly detected your frauds that instead of answering the matter of it by Scripture or reason you were faine to betake your self to your Grammer and only here and there snarle at the seeming impropernesse of a word He threatens That before he and his friend William part he will make him as hereticall as himselfe c. And rather than he will not prove himself a boaster he makes himself a ballad-maker he saith or rather saweth thus in the height of menacing The time will come that youthfull Turnus shall Wish dearly Pallas neâ—'r had been encountred But why rather makes he not use of the skill of a far better Poet who brings in Master Goodwins younger brother expressing himself thus to David Art thou weary of thy life so sâ—one O foolish bay phantasticall baboon I will not file My feared hands with blood so faintly vile Go seeke thy match thou shale not dye by me Thine honour shall not my dishonour be No silly lad no wert thou of the Gods I would not fight at so unknightly odds This among the rest of the characters of those ungodly men spoken of by Paul and Peter 2 Tim. 2.3 4. 2 Pet. 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agrees with him to be fierce and high minded to speak great swelling words of vanity He expressing himself more like a Russian than a Minister he shining not like a sweetly influentiall star but flashing like an angry bloody Comet he speaking after the rate of the eldest sonne of Godmagog more like a Polyphemus than like a Paul more like a swash-buckler than a Bishop a Lamech than a Moses and expressing more the presumption of Behemoth Job 40.23 who trusteth that be can draw up Jordan into his mouth than the lamb-like spirit of a Saint In a word he hath so much of the Goodwin that be hath nothing at all of the John in him for From his eyes All drunke with rage and blood the lightning flyes Out of his beaver like a boar be foams A bellish fury in his bosome roams But alas this Ivye-bush of boasting doth but shew the badnesse of his wine to all prudent passengers his booke is a meer thundring trifle a mountaine of chaffe a terriculament onely for the ignorant of the alley like the logg in the fable it makes a great noise in its falling but then it lies still for every frog to skip upon it The truth is he might well have spared the paines of setting his name unto it for so poor a weakling and so mishapen a monster it is that as none will challenge it for theirs so none will doubt it for his although in two regards it be very unlike the father it having a rich and a full bead a stuffed title and a thin empty body the residue of the book He doth not so much as pretend to answer the greatest part by far of what I bring in opposition to his errours There 's not so much as any mention in his Youngling Elder of the most materiall passages contained in mine but he prudently passeth them by in learned silence and onely here and there toucheth superficially upon a few by-passages not but that he was able I trow with the least puffe to send them all on an errand to the wormes had not his owne goodnesse and noble nature more prevailed with him than any merit in such a naughty youth as I so that as to the businesse of answering me his booke is a meer by-work and indeed among all judicious men a meer by-word which he prudently foreseeing confesseth by way of anticipation that his booke is not a formall confutation of mine but that his end in fetting of it forth Epistle to the Reader was to make me know my selfe but of his childish and impotent omissions I shall God willing give a more particular account in the following Chapter But if at any time he doth vonchsafe a mentioning of any of my passages against him instead of an answer he either brings scoffs and reproaches or else he labours to do the work of an opponent bringing in stead of a solution of my arguments a bumble of musty reasons taken out of his other books to fill up paper in this or else his poore sew answers are so miserably unsatisfactory impertinent and hereticall that this his last worke appeares plainely to be the issue of his very dotage to all impartiall observers I shall onely in this fiâ—st Chapter barely recite some of his answers to some places of Scripture and passages contained in my booke reserving the refutation of them to the third and fourth Chapters though indeed the recitation of such cheape and poore stuffe be a sufficient refutation of them among intelligent Readers The places of Scripture which I bring against his Errours he either wholly passeth by as if they had never been alledged by me and thus he dealeth with all those many places which I alledge against his Errours about the Scripture or else if he pretends to answer them he puts such false and unsound glosses upon them that he speakes himself most erroneous even when he goeth about to cleere himselfe from errour like the swearer that being reproved for his oathes sware with a greater oath that he did not swear To that place Acts 26.18 where Paul declares That he was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes c. I having said That conversion is the restoring of sight not of light onely T. El. p. 54. he asserts most prophanely and erronously that mens eyes are onely opened in conversion as the light of the morning or the sun may be said to open a mans eyes which were shut by the darknesse of the night so that naturall men have good eyes onely they are in the darke there 's nothing perisht in the faculty of seeing To that place Yo. Eld. p 55. Epist 2. dead in trespasses and sins he answers by saying the meaning onely is That they of whom the Apostle speaks were guilty of death and liable to condemnation The meaning of that place Yo. Eld. p. 87. 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God neither can be know them c. he gives us thus by the naturall man he saith is not meant the man that is simply or meerly naturall or unregener are but such a kinde of men as are babes in Christ and whereas it s said be cannot know the things of the spirit of God Yo. Eld. p. 89. this profound
This is your detestable Doctrine Reader are there not two who hold that man of himselfe can be able to beleeve In this section you endeavour with wofull weaknesse to draw the forecited place of Master Ball to concurre with this your opinion Thus Master Ball saith No man is hindered from beleeving through the difficulty or unreasonablenesse of the command Hence you infer Certainly a man hath power to do that from the dâ—ing whereof he is not hindered by any difficulty relating to the performance of it If the command of God wherein he commands men to beleeve hath no such difficulty in it whereby they are hindered from obeying itâ— have not men power to obey it and consequently to beleeve What dotard besides J. G. would have made such an inference Answ Master Ball removes difficulty and unreasonablenesse from the Command Master Goodwin simply all difficulty relating to the performance Master Ball saith No man is hindered from beleeving through the difficulty of the Command Therefore saith Master Goodwin men have power to obey it But friend be mercifull to the sepulchre of a Saint now in heaven How little did this blessed man thinke when he was on earth that ever Popery and Arminianisme should have found a prop in his writings after his discease Popery I say for might you not as well have argued from Master Balls words that men want no power to keep the whole Law for is it from the difficulty or unreasonablenesse of the Law that men performe not the Law or from the weaknesse and corruption of their nature pray passe not sentence upon Mr. Bell before you heare what he can say for himselfe p. 245. Cout of Gr. he saith Impossible in it selfe or in respect of the unreasonablenesse of the thing commanded is not the object of Gods Commandment but an impossible thing to us may be and is the object of Gods Commandment should I request Mr. Goodwin to construe a chapter in the Hebrew Bible he would not be hindered from doing it by any difficulty in the thing which I request of him but if he understands not the Hebrew Tongue he would be hindered through his owne unskilfulnesse if there be no impossibility on the part of the command yet if there be an impossibility on the part of the commanded there will be a falling short of performance 4 You adde besides when Mr. Ball saith A man doth not beleeve because he will not he doth not resolve his unbeleefe into any deficiency of power in him to will or to make himselfe willing as Mr. Jenkin would imply but into his will it selfe into the actuall and present frowardnesse and indisposition of his will therefore what why therefore according to the Glosse of Master Goodwin Mr. Ball asserts a man hath power to beleeve Answ If impudence in an old man be a vertue you are vertuous you shamefully abuse Mr. Ball for he resolves not mans unbeliefe into a present and actuall wilfulnesse or frowardnesse of his will as if the will had a strength and power to beleeve but being in a fit of peevishnesse would not put forth that power or make use of that strength though it could doe so if it pleased but he resolves mans unbeliefe into a frowardnesse not actuall and present but habituall and rooted awd setled such a frowardnesse and oppositenesse to the things of God as that he cannot but be froward and opposite till the Lord makes him to consent habituall frowardnes in mans will being the root of the wils impotency and that this holy man resolves unbeliefe into this habituall frowardnesse is cleare from the scope of this place which is to prove that God is just in requiring faith though he gives not sufficient grace to men to beleeve if they will and from the constant consent of other passages in this and his other books Tract of faith pag. 11. Heare what he saith concerning the production of faith God saith he doth infuse or poure the habit of faith into man whereby he giveth to will to come to Christ this is requisite to faith for as a dead man can doe no act of life untill a living soule be breathed into him c. no more can man dead in trespasses and sins move himselfe to receive the promises of grace untill the free and gracious habit of faith be infused We cannot will to beleeve unlesse God give that will the power to beleeve and will to use that power is of God It is God only and altogether that inableth stirreth up and inclineth the heart to beleeve pag. 12. If God have not left you to a most obstinate obduration of heart you will in your next acknowledge how you have abused Mr. Ball in your saying that he doth resolve mans unbeleefe only into present actuall frowardnesse or a fit of peevishnesse You give us a fifty ninth Section thus just such worke as he makes in interpreting Mr. Balls words to manife st their non-concurrence with me he makes also in a like attempt upon the passages cited by me from Mr. Bucer Yo. Eld. p. 45. Sect. 59. the fathers Austine Hierome In this Section you plainly yeeld me Answ Bucer Austine and Hierome acknowledging that I have proved their non-concurrence with you as I have proved the non-concurrence of Mr. Ball with you if you desire the Reader should beleeve that Bucer and the Fathers are still on your side notwithstanding all that I have said to the contrary why give you not so much as one word by way of taking off my exceptions to your allegations out of them which exceptions were largely set downe in my Busie Bishop p. 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 c. but all that I say in all these pages in proving the impertinency of your quotations out of the fore-cited Authors you blow away with this learned answer just such worke as he makes in manifesting the non-concurrence of Mr. Ball with me he makes also in a like attempt upon the passages cited by me from Mr. Bucer and the Fathers moll strenuously and disputant-like illustrating if not endeavouring to prove this your answer from the example of Josuah quoted in chapter and verse in your margin who as he had done to Hebron and Libnah and to her King so he did to Debir and her King and I promise you a good proofe too as proofes goe now a dayes in the alley But what is become of your friend Testard your chiefe witnesse whom also you alledged as concurring with you whose Doctrine you impudently said was asserted for orthodox by a province of Ministers in France and was the receaved Doctrine of the reformed Churches in France It had been ingenuity in this Reply to have asked pardon of that Province which in your last you so unworthily slandered In your sixtieth Section I reade thus Yon. Eld. Sect. 60. Whereas he quotes severall sentences out of Mr. Ball Bucer Austine c. of a contrary
The god of this world hath blinded the mindes of them that beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them it makes directly against him 1. The naturall man of whom the Aposile speakes is here said to be blinded Yo. Eld. p. 54. which Mr. Goodwin denies for he only grants that a naturall man is as a man in the darknesse of the night not blinde but his eyes are good 2. It s said lest the light of the Gospel should shine unto them evidently importing that their blindnes hindred the light from shining unto them that though these naturall men had the light of the Gospel shining among them yet they were blinde for all that Id. Ib. when as Mr. G. tells us it s proper for the light to effect the opening of the eyes of men in conversion but here was light without sight This quotation sure if it be not false printed he laid before him not to confirme but to consute his errouâ— But you labour by argument to maintaine your errour thus Yo. Eld. p. 55. If men should have the eyes of their mindes opened in any other sence then that wherein the light nay be said to open them God must be said to worke as many miracles as conversions and how then can that great Pillar of Presbitery that Miracles are ceased stand Answ I desire to know why you call the cessasion of Miracles a pillar of Plesbitery 1. If cessation of Miracles be a pillar of Presbitery I pray take heed lest in opposition to a Pillar of Presbitery you cry up Miracles as you cry downe the Word some of you I heare begin Your engagement against querisne or seeking mentioned in Sion Colledge visited I plainly see will come to nothing Nos non asserimus Dei brachium sic hodie esse abbreviatum ut miracula mulla concedat praesersertim iis qui Evangelium sincerè conantur inter Ethnicos praedicare sednegamus ista inter Christianos de arâ—iculis nonnullis dissentientes ad mittenda esse ut veritatis gnorisiâ—â— aut criteria Prid. 10. pag. 99. quae invisibilia occulta sunt miracula non sunt Pol. synt Lib. 6. Cap. 58. Rather than Presbitery shall not sinke you will seek 2. What doe Presbiterians as such build upon the cessation of Miracles 3. It seemes by your arguing that you know not what a Miracle is Polanus I remember Lib. 6. c. 58 makes this the first condition of a Miracle that it be visible and externall and he proves it by many Scriptures Miracula necesse est sensui exposita esse quiâ— debent convincere infideles c. Miracles ought to be externall for conviction of unbeleevers or confirmation of beleevers You cannot say this of the opening of the eyes of mens mindes in conversion taken either in your sence or mine vid. Greg. valâ—m To. 1. Disp 8. c. 3. p. 3. It 's in courtefie that I returne not upon you those undervalewing expressions os illiterate silly-braine c. I can easily grant the worke you speake of to be a greater and more admirable work than many Miracles and yet not a Miracle properly so called 3. In this Section you weakly cavill against my quotation Eph. 2. Dead in trespasses and sins you say the Apostle only meaneth that they were guilty of death and liable to condemnation 1 Before you had so peremptorily pronounced your glos upon this place which if you know any thing you know is cited by all writers of Controvetsies agninst Papists and Arminians as by me you should have furnished your selfe with stronger arguments 1 You say this their death in sins and trespasses is explained by their being children of wrath ver 3. but is this to understand the Scripture had iâ— bin as easie for you to have proved as to have said i we should have had an argument instead of a dictate but you only give the latter c. The scope of the Apostle is to illustrate the benefits we receive by Christ this he doth by the calling to minde our former misery out of Christ this misery was 1. our spirituall bâ—ndage to sinne and 2. for sinne to wrath The former contained in the 1. vers Dead in trespasses and sinnes every naturall man being totally void of spirituall life and so under the power of sinne that he can do nothing holily The latter contained in the 3. vers children of wrath in which 3. vers the Aposile expresseth that practicall unholinesse held forth in the 2. vers as the fruit of their death in fins by shewing 1. who they were that had lived in it Jewes as well as Gentiles also we all c. 2. By shewing wherein it consisted they had conversations in lusts of the flesh fulsilling c. 3. by shewing what they deserved or the punishment to which they were liable when they lived so they were children of wrath Calvin in Lo. Non in elligat solum fuisse in morâ—s periculo sed realem mortem significat acâ— praesentem qâ—â jam erant oppressi omnes mortui nascimur donec efficiamur vitae Christi participes unde illud Johannis Oâ—nis bomâ— na uâ— alis mortuus est in haâ—nativa sua corruptione quia nulla pars anitrae petest in spiriualibus vitalem â—ct oâ—em exercere Dav. in 2 Col 13. Amma mornuâ— morte gratiae quatenus peccatum sua impuritate dissoluit gratâ—itam animae unicnem ad Deum in qua sita est vita spiritualis Id. Ib. Pise In loc homo natura manciptum est diaboli cui servit pepetramâ—o peccata ac prcinde est filius irae h. e. reus damnationtis Pisc in lec Quum dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat se conceptos natos esse in peccato ac proinde reos mortis nam singulis naturaliter nâ—scentitus imputatur Adâ— lapsus in singulos nascendo propagatur naturae eorruptio seu pravitas Thus the most learned Calvin upon this place interprets this of the Apostle dead in sins Non intellegit solum fuisse c. The Apestle understands not only saith Calvin that they were in danger of death Mr. Goodwin saith liable to death but he signifies a reall and a present death all are borne dead and live dead till they are made partakers of the life of Christ whence is that of John The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they who heare shall live So Pifeator also upon the place Homo naturâ mancipium c. Man by nature is a slave to Satan whom he serves in committing sin and therefore is a childe of wrath and guilty of damnation So Davenant anima moritur c. the soule dieth in as much as sinne by its impurity dissolves that union of the soule to God wherein stands spirituali life You see that Expositors understand by this death in sinne c. that our native corruptednesse whereby we become guilty and we are
than mine for that grace which the Apostle attributes to God Yo. Eld. p. 56. Phil. 2.13 You say It s a greater act of grace to forgive the sins of one who knowes how to dâ—well and yet dâ—th evill than to forgive the sins of him that hath no fower to do well the latter is Mr. Jenkin his sinner the sormer mine Ergo quid therefore your opinion leaves a larger place for that grace which the Apostle attributes to God in working to will and to do Phil. 2.13 1. Whether now Sir have we a wandring Jew or a wandring John you are quite gone from the question we were disputing about the grace of conversion and the Apostle was asserting this and now you flye to the grace of remission It s not this latter that the Apostle in this place Phil. 2.13 attributes to God he speaks not of God pardoning the evill which we have done but of giving the will to do that good which of our selves we cannot do And by the way I cannot but observe your perfect conformity with Pelagius one spirit acts you both Sic Oculos sic ille manus sic ora forebat just so and so with eyes Graâ—iam Dei quae neque lex est neque natura in hoc tantum valere ut peccata praeterita dimittantur nou ut futura vitentur c. Quis me liberabâ— Ã reatu peccatorum meorum quae commisi cum vitare potuissem Contr. Jul. l. 1. f. 85. hands face he acted Pelagius said that the grace of God which was neither Law nor nature onely did serve for the remission of former sins not for the avoyding of future sins c. So Julian the Pelagian expouâ—ds that place who shall deliver me from this body of death i. e. Who saith he shall deliver me from the guilt of my sins which I have committed when as I could have avoyded them 2. In proposing the object of this grace a sinner you deale unworthily in concealing both what your self hold and what I hold for your sirner is one that wants no ability either in his understanding to know the things of God or in his will to embrace them the grace he wants is onely outward light for the understanding and morall perswasion for the will which is left to its owne choice whether it will embrace what is offered it or no and when it hath received all from God there 's a possibility of non-conversion Yo. Eld p. 65. whereas my sinner is one that is in spirituall things starke blinde that neither knowes nor is able to receive the things of God that in his will is wholly unable to embrace them this inability arising from his pâ—avity and lusts which have put out his eyes and made him an Enemy to God so that he hates light and reformation and the grace that I stand for is such as renewes the understanding and changes the will not onely by affording light and perswasion but by an infallibly effectuall power And now let any judge whether of these is the more miserable sinner whether of these the more glorious worke of grace you will have grace for the accommodation and facilitation of the work I maintaine it to be simply necessary Your sinner is but in a sleep and may â—ossibly awake of himself mine is dead and cannot live but by the power of grace 2. You say Yo. Eld. p. 57. For God to give a man strength and power to beleeve twice over or after a forfeiture made by sin of the first donation is an act of more grace than to confer them onely once and that without any such provocation Master Jenkins opinion leaves place only for the latter act of grace whereas my opinion makes rome for the former To say nothing of your non-sence in this passage Answ here is abominable falshood Do I deny that God gives a man strength to beleeve twice over I have ever taught that God created man in his owne image in all the faculties of his soule which when man had defaced and lost and thereby infinitely provoked God that God of his infinite goodnesse by the power of his Word and spirit of grace doth renew in man that image giving him not onely ability to repent and beleeve if he will but working in him to will and to do according to his good pleasure giving repentance and being the â—â—thor and finisher of our faith 5. I having demanded of you how this your position upon the improvement of nature a man may attaine to such a conviction upon which saving conversion alwayes followes agrees with that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another And I having said that Master Goodwins answer to this question of the Apostle is my self by my improvement of nature 1. You say That these words from another are not in the Originall There it s onely found thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who makes thee differ subtill Sir can there be any difference if there be none to differ from 2. You demand how your opinion leads you to make such an answer as I put into your mouth Relate your opinion and you shall finde the answer at hand You who say That conversion alwapes followes a conviction abtained by the improvement of nature D. a. p. 200. You who say A naturall man may do such things as whereunto God hath by way of promise annexed grace and acceptation pag. 26. And hold That after every worke of grace the will remaines in equilibrio and may convert or refuse to be converted pag. 52. 65. resolving actuall conversion not into the efficacy of the grace of God pag. 52. but into the compliance of mans will And yet will not say with your friend Episcopius Ego meipsum discrevi I have made my self to differ upon this your forbearance you may be lookt upon as more courteous but by no wise man as lesse hereticall than Episcopias if in your next you will determine this question whether the same grace being afforded to two sinners of the same degree one may be converted and not the other you will haply be better knowne to your selfe in this point Your sixty seventh and sixty eighth Section followes Yo Eld. p. 58. Sect. 67. wherein you proclaime your sinne in the former you say that these words who made thee to differ exclude not the creature from being the cause of its differing in a way of inferiour efficiency and causalty for if it be say you the creature it selfe and not God who beleeveth then is it the creature it selfe and not God which maketh it selfe to differ Answ The Apostle removes all cause of glorying from man and therefore leaves no share in the efficiency of this worke to man 2. The Apostle denyes most vehemently that man hath any thing which he hath not received therefore a man hath not this concurrence of his will with the grace of God It is very true that a man beleeves when he beleeves
will or do that which is spirituall and supernaturall as to repent believe c. I fiâ—de that Master John Goodwin hath alleadged some passages in my booke Christians daily walk cap 15. sect 1. page 452 453. as if I did concurre with him or favour his opinion I have hereupon considered and weighed well what I have there written and finde nothing tending to the maintenance of his errour but something expresly against free will to good I declaring That notwithstanding Christ may be said to give himselfe a ransome for all c. yet this doth not argue universall Redemption nor that all men may be saved if they will I appeale to any judicious and impartiall Reader whether in any thing I have there written I have justified his opinion which I am utterly against Henry Scudder SIR Undeâ—standing of your purpose to returne an answer to Master John Goodwins booke Master Calamy his Vindication and finding that therein I am brought upon the stage as one that in a Sermon preached Jan. 12.1644 should say something to countenance that heterodox opinion of his That a naturall man hath power to believe and repent I thought it my duty so far at least to vindicate my selfe and my Ministry as to intreate you to insert in your Answer thus much as from me by way of reply 1. That I do and alwaies did abhorre that proud Pelagian and Arminian Tenent And that 1. because it seemes to me as it is defended by him in his booke to set up free will which by the fall of Adam is no longer liberum but servum arbitrium in the place of free grace And to make free will to put the difference betweene the Elect and the Reprobate and not free grace which is coutrary to Rom. 9.11 18. Eph. 1.5 11. 1 Tit. 1.9 2. Because it makes a man able by nature to do something that will positively and infallibly dispose and prepare him to conversion which is contrary to Rom. 11.35 John 15.5 John 6.44 And contrary to right reason also as * * Nâ—lil se disponit ad gradum altiorem quam habet natura Atqui graâ—ia regenerans excedit totam naturem quicquid igitur est à viribus naturae id inferioris est ordinis improportionatum ad gratiam Potest quidem homo minus peccando miâ—us indispositus reddi ad recipiendam gratiam quam alius sed nihil tamen facere potest per quod ad gratiam disponatur Vossi historia Pelagiana lib. 4. part 1. pag. 420. pag. 419. Dispositio ad gratiam est pars converfionis nostrâ— Conversio autem est opus Divinwn Psal 85.5 Lam. 5.21 Vossius excellently sheweth 3. Because his opinion as he defends it seems to me wholly to take away the necessity of preventing grace and to make the grace of conversion to be subsequent onely to mans naturall endeavours or at least but concomitant Which is contrary to Isa 65.5 Rom. 9.16 4. Because the Scripture sets out the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and inability of anaturall man to beleeve and repent in such full and expresse termes as that as I conceive it is impossible to be my opinion without wresting the Scriptures Witnesse Gen. 6.5 Gen 8.21 Jer. 17.9 Eccl. 36.26 Mat. 7.18 John 5.25 Rom 8.7 Rom. 5.6 10. 1 Cor. 2.14 2 Cor. 3.5 Ephes 2.1 2 3 Col. 2.13 John 3.6 and divers others of the like nature The Scripture doth not onely say That a man by nature is in the darke as Master G. erroneously affirmes but that he is darknesse Eph. 5.8 not onely that he wants light but that he wants eyes also Deut. 29.4 Not onely that he is de ad in sinnes in regard of the guilt of sinne as Master G. saith but also in regard of all spirituall ability to raise himselfe as appeareth by the next argument 5. Because conversion in Scripture is not onely said to be a giving of light to one that hath eyes before is Master G. saith but a giving of sight also Isa 42.7 Lu. 4.18 It is not onely a giving an immediate actuall or present capacity as Mr. G. minceth it contrary to Scripture but it is a sutting within us a principle of spirituall life It is not onely a raisâ—ng us up from the guilt of sinne but it is a bestowing upon us a new heart and a new Spirit it is a spirituall resurrection and regeneration 1 Pet. 1.23 Ja. 1 1â— John 3.3 Ezek. 36.26 And therefore as a naturall man cannot contribute any thing to his naturall being no more can he contribute any thing properly to his supernaturall being These and divers other reasons have induced me alwaies since I knew what belonged to Divinity to detest and abhorre this his unsound and unjustifiable opinion There is a second thing that I would have you likewise to put into your Answer Secondly That I am much wronged and abused in what Master G. relates concerning the Sermon I preached Jan. 12.1644 The truth is looking over my notes I finde that I made two Sermons upon the Doctrine mentioned in the Booke In which I laid downe this position quite contrary to his assertion That man by nature is dead in sin and trespasses unable to do any thing that is spiritually good as he ought to do That man by nature is unable to believe and repent and is like the cold earth able of it selfe to bring forth briers and thornes but not able to do any thing pleasing to God in order to eternall life unlesse he be enabled by the seed of grace sorcen in his heart by Gods holy Spirit Indeed I added That a man unconverted remaining unconverted might do that that was right in the sight of the Lord he might do bonum though not benè And by the helpe of the Holy Ghost in the common worke of it he might do many things in order to salvation And that the reason why he is damned is not for want of power but for not improving the power he hath not for cannot but will not But then I subjoyned two other positions 1. That no unconverted man did ever improve the power that God hath given him but doth give advantage to God to damne him for voluntary refusing to do what he hath power to do 2. That though an unconverted man did improve his naturall abilities to the utmost of his power yet notwithstanding God was not bound by any promise to bestow the grace of conversion upon him This I proved by five arguments too long here to repeat And thus I have given you a short account of what concerns me in his Booke I have but a word more to say and that is to a passage in the 131 page in which he saith He will not so far abuse me as to call me either learned or pious For my part I thanke God I am not solicitous what he or his Pulpit-Incendiary say of me I have learned of my great Master to requite good for evill and to heape