and foreseeing that Adam would wilfully transgress the same and thereby make himself and his posterity lyable to condemnation though God was notwithstanding mercifully affected towards man yet out of respect to his justice and truth would not give way to his mercy to save man till his justice should be satisfied and his serious hatred of sin and love of righteousness be made known Proofes out of Scripture After his own Image Gen. 1. 26 27. So God created man after his own image See Col. 3. 10. Eph. 4. 24. An easie law c. Gen 2. 16 17. Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat See Rom. 2. 14 15. Levit. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. Added thereto a threatning of death Gen. 2. 17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Foreseeing that Adam c. Isa 44. 7. And who as I shall call and shall declare it and the things that are coming and shall come See Isa 41. 22 23. Act. 15. 18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world And all mans works too Psal 139. 2. Thou understandest my thoughts afarre off See Gen. 3. 6. 2 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Tim. 2 13 14. Eccles. 7. 29. See Isa 45. 21. Liable to condemnation c. Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 5. 12-18 19. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death See Act. 17. 26. Heb. 7. 10. Job 14. 1. c. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 2 Cor. 11. 3. with Rev. 2. 7. Gen. 3. 24. Deut. 27. 26. with Gal. 3. 10. Jam. 2. 10. Mercifully affected c. Exod. 34. 6. The Lord God merciful and gracious 1 Joh. 4. 19. He loved us first See ver 11. Jona 4. 2. Thou art a God gracious and merciful slow to anger So 2 Chron. 30. 9. Psal 86. 5 15. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive a God full of compassion and gracious Psal 103. 8. 13. The Lord is slow to anger As a father pittieth his children Psal 111. 4. and 145. 8 9. His tender mercies are over all his works Rom. 2. 4. the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering Luk 6. 36. Be ye mercifull as your father is mercifull See Isa 55. 7. Jer. 31. 20. Ioel 2. 13. Num. 14. 18 19. Neh. 9. 17. Deut. 5. 9 10. Jer. 32. 18. Respect to his justice Ex. 34. 7. He will by no means clear the guilty Psal 5. 4. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickednesse neither shall evill dwell with the. Isa 59. 2. your iniquities have separated c. And to his truth Gen. 2. 17. thou shalt die the death and he is a God that cannot lie nor repent nor deny himself Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. Num. 23. 19. 2 Tim. 2. 13. Till justice be satisfied Isa 53. 5 6 10. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all and made his soul an offering for sin He was wounded for our transgressions Luk. 24. 26 46. Thus it behoved Christ to suffer 1 Pet. 3. 18. the just for the unjust Mat. 20 28. To give his life a ransom for many and 1 Tim. 2. 6. Psal 69. 4. I restored that which I took not away See Phil. 2 7 8. Matth. 3. 15. c. 5. 17. Gen. 3. 15. Mar. 10 45. 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Luk. 2. 14. His hatred of sin c. Psal 5. 4 5 6. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickednesse thou hatest and abhorrest c. Psal 45. 7. thou hatest iniquity Prov. 11. 20. The froward are abomination to the Lord. Isa 59. 2. your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you See Psal 7. 11 12. Isa 65. 12. And love of righteousnesse Psal 45. 7. Thou lovest righteousnesse Rom. 3. 24 25 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation to declare his righteousnesse that he might be just c. He is the avenger of unrighteousnesse And therefore I. For the satisfying of his justice he did ordain the Mediatour Jesus Christ who should be made a sacrifice for sinfull men suffer Death for them and by his blood shed for their reconciliation obtaine right of saving them upon termes befittting mercy and justice Proofs out of Holy Scripture Ordained the Mediator Isa 9. 6. To us a son is given Ioh. 3. 16. So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten son 1 Ioh. 4. 9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely begotten son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to bee the propitiation for our sinnes Rom. 5. 8. c. But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. For there is one God and one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all See Hebr. 12. 2. with 24 25 verses Made a sacrifice and suffered death Phil. 2. 8. He became obedient unto death Ioh. 10 11 15. 17 18. I lay down my life for my sheep Se Ioh. 15. 13. Heb. 2. 9. He tasted death for every man 1 Cor. 15. 3. Christ died for our sinnes Rom. 4. 25. c. 6. 10. He died unto sinne once 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self hare our sins in his own body on the tree 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us Isai 53. 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin Ephes 2. 2. Who loved us and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour 1 Ioh. 2. 1 2. He is the propitiation for our sins Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood See Hebr. 5. 1. c. c. 8. 3. c. c 9. 11 12 13 14 32 26 77 28. c. 10. 5. 10. 12 14. He is the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world Ioh. 1. 29. He gave his life a ransom Mark 10. 45. and purged our sinnes Hebr. 1. 3. He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. Made a curse Gal. 3. 13. To redeem us that were under the Law and delivered us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. 13. and the power of darknesse Col. 1. 13. and the fear of death Heb. 2. 14. Hos 13. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 55. and from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. Rom. 5. 9. and obtained eternal redemption for us Hebr. 9. 12. Luk. 1. 60. 8. 2 Tim. 1. 10. By his blood shed for their reconciliation Matt. 26. 28. This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Rev. 1. 5. and washed us from
but commanded as to be done by us Deut. 10. 16. Ier. 4. 4. A new heart and spirit promised Ezek. 36 26. but commanded Ezez 18. 31. * see Eph. 4. 23 I will be your God promised Ierem. 32. 38. but commanded Exod. 20. 3. and if ye forsake him he will cast you off for ever 1 Chron. 28. 9. One heart and one way promised Ier. 32. 39. yet commanded Ephes 4. 3 4. 1 Cor. 1. 10. So Ier. 32. 40. 't is promised I will put my fear in their hearts Yet Prov. 1. 29. because they did not chuse the fear of the Lord and 1 Pet. 2. 17. So 't is promised I will write my lawes in their inward parts and they shall be all taught of God Jer. 31. 33. Isa 54. 13. Yet in other places it is commanded Be swift to hear take heed how you hear as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. See Prov. 7. 1 3. and Rom. 10 8. with the 17. vers So 't is promised Isa 1. 25. I will purge yet 2 Tim. 2. 21. He that purgeth himself So 't is promised Ier. 33. 8. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity yet Iam. 4. 8. Isa 1. 16 18. 't is commanded wash ye make ye clean And 't is evident that God many times fulfilleth his promise and performeth his part when mâ—n altogether neglecteth his part and duty Ezek. 24. 13. I have purged thee and thou wast not purged See Mat. 11. 21. Luke 7. 30. Dr. Dubius Enough of this you promised us a third reason why God doth not as you pretend work mans Conversion and his faith by a power of grace irresistible I pray let us hear that also Tilenus Sir you shall have it in a few words and it is this because he will not save as I speak of the Adult who have the use of their faculties but in a way of duty Gen. 4. 7. If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted Rom. 2. 6 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortalitie to them and to them only will he render eternal life and therefore He is said to be the Author of Eternal salvation only to them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Now observe that which is not wrought but by the omnipotent impulse and irresistible motion and operation of God that cannot be the duty of a poor frail Creature or thus what is a work of Almightiness in God cannot be a work of obedience in us if it were it would conclude us to be omnipotent besides the act could not be an act of duty Christ could do nothing that was duty for us till he had submitted himself to the condition of our nature Phil. 2. 7. because God supposed to be the doer of it is not under obedience but repentance and amendment of life c. are required as a duty of us and as part of our obedience Ier. 7. 3 5. Amend your wayes and make you a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18. 31. Mr. Knowlittle By this doctrin you seem to make a man his own Saviour Tilenus If I should not only seem to do so but do so in good earnest so it be in a way of subordination to Christ I see no harm in it St. Paul saith work out your salvation Yea St. Peter exhorting to repentance saith expresly save your selves Acts 2. 40. To our safety our own sedulity is required according to that trite saying He that made thee without thy self will never save thee without thy self Dr. Absolute Me thinks this doth hardly sound like that doctrin which the Apostle labours so earnestly to establish to shut the creature for ever out of all ground and occasion of boasting Rom. 3. 27. Tilenus For a man to boast himself in his riches is vanitie in his wickedness is impietie in his works performed in obedience to Moses law or out of the strength of nature as if they could justifie and save him is arrogancie But to glory in the Lord and rejoyce in his salvation is not only allowed a Rom. 2. 7. but also injoyned b 1 Cor. 1. 31. Phil. 4. 4. and practised 2 Cor. 1. 12. our rejoycing or glorying is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sinceritie not by fleshlie wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world See Rom. 15. 17. and Gal. 6. 4. Let every man prove his own works performed in the faith of Christ and through the power of his grace and then shall he have rejoycing glorying boasting in himself 'T is the same word in these two places with that in the Text objected Rom. 3. 27. Dr. Damman Are these your tenents Consonant to the Articles of the Synod of Dort What opinion have you of tâ—at and the doctrin held forth by the Divines in that Assembly Tilenus I have had as great a reverence for that Synod as any man living the principles therein delivered being instill'd into me from my youth but I thank God studying the best method for the cure of souls and the opportunitie of reading better books hath altered my judgement quite Dr. Damman Do you think you have changed so much for the better that you have reason to give God thanks for it Tilenus Yes truly and I perswade my self you would be of that minde too if you would patiently attend to my objections against their doctrin and weigh them without prejudice or partialitie But before I propound those objections it will be requisite that we take a brief view of that doctrin which I shall therefore concisely yet truly and clearly summe up in these five Articles following They hold 1. That God by an absolute decree hath elected to salvation a very little number of men without any regard to their faith or obedience whatsoever and secluded from saving grace all the rest of mankinde and appointed them by the same decree to eternal damnation without any regard to their infidelitie or impenitencie 2. That Christ Iesus hath not suffered death for any other but for those elect oâ—ly having neither had any intent nor commandement of his father to make satisfaction for the sins of the whole world 3. That by Adams fall his posteritie lost their freewil being put to an unavoidable necessitie to do or not to do whatever they do or do not whether it be good or evil being thereunto predestinate by the Eternal and effectual secret decree of God 4. That God to save his Elect from the corruâ—t Mass doth beget faith in them by a power equal to that whereby he created the world and raised up the dead insomuch that such unto whom he gives that grace cannot reâ—ect it and the rest being reprobate cannot accept of it though it be offered unto both by the same preaching and ministery 5. That such as have once received that grace by faith can never fall from it finally
a wicked Christian I desire therefore in the next place that you would make proofe of your discipline upon Tilenus Carnalis Mr. Fatalitie Herein methinks I should make no great difficultie to prevail if the power of reason can but fasten upon your understanding or the tie of religion upon your conscience or the sense of gratitude upon your heart and affections Do but reflect upon those obligations which Almighty God hath laid upon you in your Creation and Redemption He hath a fair title to your best obedience by right of dominion in regard of that excellent nature and being he freely conserr'd upon you but a stronger title if stronger may be by the right of a deer purchase made by no lower price than his own blood These obligations as common equitie hath drawn them up so with respect to the benefit that would accrew to you hereby your own ingenuitie hath drawn you on to subscribe and seal them You have been solemnly devoted unto God and listed a sworn souldier under the Banner of your Redeemer Are you under his pay and fight against his interest Do you wear his livery and eat his provisions and expect his reward and yet spend your time and strength and talents in the service of his mortal enemie How execrable is the sacriledge of this ingratitude and rebellion Remember it will not be long ere the justice of God send 's the trumpet of the Law which will be so much the shriller if it be sounded by the hollow lungs of death to give your now-secure Conscience a hot alarum and when you are once awakened with the terrour of those dreadful threatnings you will be amazed at the horrour of that apprehension when you shall behold all those shoals and swarms of sin you are guiltie of muster'd up in their several ranks and files to charge and fight against you for the momentarie and trifling pleasures whereof you have so improvidently forfeited all the comforts of a good Conscience and refreshments of the Holy Ghost with your portion in Heaven and your interest in Gods favour in exchange whereof like a foolish Merchant you have procured nothing but the coals of eternal vengeance and the flames of Hell which the crowds of your condensed sins have thrust wide open ready to swallow up and devour you unless you presently prevent it by an unfeigned repentance and universal reformation Tilenus Carnalis Sir I beseech you suffer not your zeal of a holy life to transport you beyond the rule of sacred truth lest while you pretend to honour God on earth you cast reproach upon his Eternal designs in Heaven I am jealous Tilenus Infidelis hath so disturbed your passions that you know not where you are for you have quite forgotten your Synod and your principles and I think your own name too and seem to have lost your Creed in your Commandements Recollect your senses and recal your wandring phantasie and awaken your judgement to consult the Oracle of your belief your Synod and speak accordingly for whatsoever is not of faith will be sin in you And is it not one of the Articles of that Creed which you profess that all the good or evil whatsoever that happens in the world doth come to pass by the only immutable and ineluctable decree of God and his most effectual ordinance That the first cause doth so powerfully guide and impel all second causes and the will of man amongst the rest that they cannot possibly either act or suffer sooner then they do nor in any other manner I am sorry I am no more master of my self and mine own actions that I am so divested of my libertie and carry a nature about me so debauched that I cannot chuse but suffer my self to be carried captive under the power of those sins that reign in-me but my comfort is I am assured by the judgment of such sound Divines as your self that the secret will of God which procur'd Judas's treason no less then Pauls Conversion hath so decreed it And you know it is not in my power to procure a writ of Electment to cast out that sin which came in and keeps possession by the uncontroulable order of the divine predestination I cannot get grace when God will not give it me nor keep it when he is pleased to take it away from me I have no Lure to throw out that the Dove of Heaven will vouchsafe to stoop unto the Spirit blows where he pleases inspires whom he pleases and retires when he pleases returns where he pleases And so if it comes with an intent to amend me it will be as impossible then to put him back as it is now to draw him on It were an intollerable presumption in me to make my self so much a taskmaster over the Holy Spirit as to prescribe him the time and hour when he shall effect that work for me whereunto I am able to contribute no more than to mine own birth or resurrection * Atque hec est illa tantopere in Scripturis predicata regeneratio nov a Creatio suscitatio mortuis vivificatio quam Deus SINENOBIS in nobis operatur Can. 12. art 3. 40. Synodi Dordracene I can affirm with confidence I never was so much an Atheist as to entertain the least distrustful thought of the divine power When he hath been four dayes dead and lies stinking in his grave Lazarus may be raised and the more putri'd I am in my corruptions the triumphs of the divine grace will be so much the more glorious in my restitution but it may be the last hour of the Day with mee before the Day-spring doth thus visit me In the mean while to shew my detestation of that arrogant doctrin of the Arminians I will not strive to do the least endeavour towards pietie lest by attributing some libertie to my self I should eclipse the glory of Gods grace which I acknowledge as well most free in her approaches as unresistible in her working I confess for the present my sins have brought such a damp upon my grieved spirit that he doth not afford m so much grace as to crie Abba Father Nevertheless I can call to minde I have sometimes heretofore had such heavenly motions and gratious inspirations in my heart as could be breathed from no other than the spirit of the Almighty hereby there hath been begotten in me a faith in Christ's merits not only true which can never be lost but so firm also that I am even now perswaded nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God towards me in Christ Jesus This faith is rooted in a rock which all the powers of darkness are not able to root up though to your present apprehension for want of the fruits and blossomes of pietie and devotion it be as trees and herbs in winter which seem drie dead and withered but are not so Besides being one of God's Elect as every one is bound to believe according
the full assurance of hope firme unto the end Tilenus Tepidus I know Mr. Diodati in his Annotations upon the 5. verse of that 6. Psalm saith Hereby is shewen the fear of Gods children anguished and pressed by the feeling of his wrath lest they should die out of his grace unreconciled and by that means be excluded and debarred from their desired aim to be everlastingly instruments of his glory But 't is probable David had no intelligence of that comfortable Doctrine defined by the Synod in this last age as appears by his fearfull complaint and expostulation if that Psalme were his Psal 77. I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was over whelmed My soul refused to be comforted will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Hath be in anger sbut up his tender mercies There could not have been this conslict of diffidence and anxietie in him if he had been established in the principles of the Synod for annexing the Lords Publick declarations by the mouth of Samuel touching him I Sam. 13 14. c c. 16. 6. 7. to the conscience of his own integrity he might have collected a certainty of his present regeneration when he was anointed King and from thence have concluded undeniably his election from all eternitie and consequently the impossibility of his rejection from God's favour But there is some likelyhood He thought that in the designation of his everlasting mercy towards them God considered men as faithfull according to the way of the Arminians and as persevering in their faithfulnesse For he saith Psal 4. 3. Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself If that text will not serve the turn yet there is one unavoidable Psal 103. 17 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting Vpon them that fear him To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his commandements to do them And to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 50. the last And governing his persuasions by these principles there is no wonder he was so exceedingly transported with a fear of God's displeasure And that such were his principles may be collected also from hence in that when the Paroxisme of the temptation was somewhat over he doth not make his recourse to the immutable decree of God's Election to cure the remanent palpitation of his spirits but onely to former experience of God's mercifull despensations towards his people Psal 77. 11. 15. I will remember the works of the Lord thou hast redeemed thy people c. But since the cleering up of this soul-setling doctrine by the great judgement and pietie of the Synod He that hath once tasted the graciousness of the Lord in his effectuall vocation and firmly believes that the things concerning his everlasting happiness are so established and carryed on by the irresistible power of an irrespective Decree as is there taught he may cast away all anxiety and care and repose himself with confidence under the wings of that security Dr. Absolute But the Synod declares fidelibus perpetuò esse vigilandum orandum ne in tentationes inducantur That the faithfull must watch and pray lest they fall into temptations and that when they grow remiss and torpid quit their guard and neglect their duty as you do they are many times surprized of the flesh and the world and carried captive into hainous and enormous sinnes whereby they offend God and grieve the Holy Spirit and incurre the guilt of death and the like Tilenus Tepidus 'T was well you stopt there Mr. Doctor But I had thought your worship had been better versed in this point For my part such Mormo'es and bugg-beares never trouble me I am taught by the Synod to believe that all the sins in the world shall never be able to separate an Elect person from the love of God but rather make for his greater advantage Mr. Indefectible But suppose by your sins you should provoke God to anger so far forth that he should cut you off as our Saviour threatens the Jewes Ye shall die in your sins And Ezek. 18. 24. When the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed in his sin that he hath sinned in them shal he die Tilenus Tepidus I did not expect such a supposition or objection from you of all men living for to speak properly God is never angry but with the Reprobates and I know 't is your avowed opinion that the Elect can neither fall finally nor totally and all the Synodists are of the same judgement They distinguish therefore of righteousness into that which is inherent or the righteousness of works and that which is imputed or the righteousness of faith And they confess the Elect may forsake his inherent righteousness and fall into most foul and horrid sins but yet he doth not fall from his imputed righteousness the righteousness of Christ which he hath by faith They do also distinguish between death temporal and death Eternal affirming that the sins of the Elect though never so many or heinous do not incur the guilt of eternal death but only temporal which is never inflicted upon them neither as a curse nor before their restitution for if you ask them what doom David had layn under if death had surprized him in his murther and adultery they will tell you roundly it was impossible he should die without repentance Dr. Dubius I suppose David's case was extraordinarie and a special reason is given by them of the Synod why he could not die before repentance viz. because after his sin he was to beget a son of whom the Messias should descend Tilenus Tepidus I conceive that ground is too loose to bear the superstructure the men of that opinion would raise upon it for they are not all saints in our Saviour's Genealogie neither did David's sin bereave him of the facultie of generation The son of Jesse might have propagated a stem for the Messias to branch out of and yet have died in his sin afterwards the impossibilitie therefore of his dying without repentance is grounded upon a more solid and impregnable foundation viz. the eternal decree and love of God which equally concerns all the Elect. That immutable love wherein God elected them doth exert it self and prompt him infallibly to confer the grace of repentance upon them first or last how great and how many sins soever they run into And if men had the will to improve this most excellent comfortable doctrin the advantage of it would be unspeakable Men do beat their brains and exhaust their treasure
Lord will Keep the City whether the Watchman waketh yea or no He that setteth the watch and is Captain of the guard over us he saith Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation and we can promise our selves safety no longer then we are upon our duty 1 Joh. 5. 18. He that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not That is the effect or event of his duty if he be careful to observe it But though Christ hath freed us from the dominion of the enemy yet if we do voluntarily render our selves up again to his power his servants we are to whom we obey Rom. 6. 14 16. â—r if we quit our guard and suffer our selves to be surprised through our wilfull carelesnesse we are involved in a like thraldome for of whom a man is overcom of the same is he brought in bondage 2 Pet. 2. 19. Mr. Indefectible Sir The Apostle hath taught us to distinguish betwixt a sin unto death and a sinne not unto death 1 Ioh. 5. We confesse the Regenerate may fall into sin but not into sinne unto death Though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Psal 37. 24. Dr. Dubius For that place of the Psalmist the context doth cleer the meaning to be of falling not into sin but into affliction and misery Yet I do not deny but God out of his abundant mercy is ready in a way agreeable to his wisdom and justice to assist such as fall into sin in order to their rising again But I am in some doubt whether the regenerate may not sin a sin unto death and that as well if you consider the event as the demerit of his sin For the Moderate and those not inferiour Vid. Synops pur theo disp 31. thes 38. Synod Dordra c. 5. Art 4. 5. in learning to the more rigid of the Synod of Dort do acknowledge that the regenerate may not onely fall from certain degrees of grace and intermit the Acts of grace but likewise that they may fall into such sins as leave them under a damnable guilt so that they have need of an actual renuall of repentance and a new absolution that they lose their present aptnesse to enter into the Kingdom of heaven into which no unclean thing shall enter And that David and Solomon fell thus farr will be evident if you consider the nature of their sinnes and apply these following Scriptures to them 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Gal. 5. 21. Apoc. 21. 7 8. 1 Ioh. 3. 15. Now let us consider whether it be not possible for a man that is fall'n into this estate and condition to be cut off in his sins before his repentance be renewed and his new absolution received to remove his guilt and restore him to an aptitude and a present actuall capacity to enter into the kingdom of heaven If it be possible for him to be cut off in this condition then it will follow that either he shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven at all or else there must be some purgatory after this life for him to passe thorow to clense and fit him for heaven which Protestants will not admit of But if we say it is not possible for such a man to be cut off in his sin then it must follow 1. That he hath a lease of his life granted till his restauration which will be a hard matter to make appear and 2 that God is bound by some Covenant or promise to afford him as well grace as time to repent and this will be as hard to evidence as the former for I presume 't is not to be denied that there is required a greater measure of grace to raise up such a sinner being fall'n then to keep him while he stood from falling Now if God's Covenant and promise did not binde him to give that less measure of grace to keep him actually from falling how can we perswade our selves that he is bound by it to conferr that greater measure of grace whereby he shall actually arise Mr. Indefectible The Apostle tell 's the Philippians he is confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in them will perform or finish it untill the day of Iesus Christ Phil. 1. 6. Dr. Dubius I need not say the Apostle's perswasion is not alwayes an infallible argument of Gods purpose Act. 16. 6 7. for he had a perswasion of charitie as well as of faith Heb. 6 9. and that his perswasion touching the Philippians was of this nature appeares by the verse following that which is alleaged But I say God doth as well carry on as begin the work of grace in mans heart in such a way as doth not evacuate but establish the necessity of mans duty and therefore he backs that his confidence with a vehement exhortation Chap. 2. 12 13. As ye have alwayes obeyed work out your own salvation with fear and with trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure And we may observe in the Epistle to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia Where God makes a promise to preserve him in a time of triall then at hand though that promise was something of the nature of a reward being made to him upon a consideration of his former fidelity yet he subjoynes an obligation of duty Apoc. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denied my Name Verse 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth But to shew that his own care and constancy was requisite in order to the accomplishment of that promise he add's Vers 11. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crown Notwithstanding God's Promise if we grow carelesse we may forseit our reward and incurr damnation as is clearly threatned Ezek. 18. 24. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die Mr. Indefectible How can this consist with God's Covenant and promise Ier. 32. 40. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Dr. Dubius That God doth not engage himself in that place to conferre upon his people an irresistible power of grace infallibly to effect the gift of perseverance in them will be manifest if we consider that the Covenant there mentioned concern'd the people of the Iewes and conteined the
whereby he would bring some unto life and disappoint others of the benefit thereof according to such decree The reason hereof in the several branches is to be collected from the proof of the foregoing and following articles yet that it may further appear 1. That God did not create c. Consider that He made man after his own image Gen. 1. 27. 2. Gave him the tree of life Gen. 2. 9. 3. That he hates sin Psalm 5. 4 5. Hab. 1. 13. 4. And cannot be tempted with evil James 1. 13 14 15 17. 5. And desireth not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18. 31. c. 33. 11. 6. That sin was from the suggestion of the Devil Gen. 3. 1. 7. And mans voluntary compliance with him Eccles 7. 29. 2. That he procureth not the Gospel c. Consider 1. He is merciful to all Psalm 145. 8 9. Acts 14. 16 17. Chapter 17. 26 27. Would not that any should perish Ezek. 18. 23 31. Cha. 33. 11. See John 3. 17. 2 Chron. 24. 19. But that all should come to faith and repentance 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. And 2. Christ having died for all 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. Heb. 2. 9. He invites all Mat. 11. 28. And upbraids such as wilfully refuse to embrace his offered grace and salvation Iohn 5. 34 40. IV. They do utterly denie that Christ the Mediator is only the executor of the decree of Election and not the foundation thereof The places cited above in proof of the affirmative is sufficient reason hereof And note here once for all that whensoever the Affirmative is sufficiently proved the Negative is thereby utterly overthrown because both parts of a contradiction can never be true V. They do utterly deny that the cause why some are effectually called justified persevere in faith and are glorified is because they are absolutely elected to eternal life The Reason Acts 10. 34 35. See Gen. 4. 6 7. God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Rom. 10. 11 12. For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him See Jam. 2. 5. 2 Thes 2. 13. and all the rest of those places cited above for the affirmative conditional Election VI. They do utterly deny that the cause why others are left in the lapse and Christ not given to them and that they are not at all or uneffectually called and so hardened and damned is because they are reprobated from eternal life by an antecedent decree The Reason Prov. 5. 22. See Mic. 7. 18. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin Isa 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you See the places cited above for the affirmative viz. for respective reprobation Also the Texts cited for Christs satisfaction and the administration of necessary and sufficient means unto salvation VII They do utterly deny that God did decree without respect unto actual sins coming between to leave in the fall of Adam the far greater part of mankinde shut out of all hope of salvation The Reason Gen. 3. 15. ch 9. 8 9. Isa 49. 8. Christ is promised and given for a Covenant and means of restauration Gen. 22. 16 18. See Rom. 1. 18. chap. 2. 8. Deut. 24. 16. 2 King 14. 6. Eph. 5. 7 11. See the Texts cited for his satisfaction Ezek. 18. 2 3 4. What mean ye that ye use this proverb The Fathers have eaten sowr grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge As I live saith the Lord God ye shall not haâ—e occasion any more to use this Proverb Behold all souls are mine as the soul of the father so also the soul of the son is mine the soul that sinneth it shall die Ier. 31. 29 30. They shall say no more The fathers have eaten a sowr grape and the childrens teeth are set on edge But every one shall die for his own iniquity every man that eateth the sowr grape his teeth shall be set on edge See Isa 27. 11. It is a people without understanding therefore he that made them will have no pity on them Gen. 4. 6 7. Eph. 5. 5 6. The wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Prov. 1. 24. c. Because I have called and ye refused c. 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my selfe should be a cast-away See Prov. 5. 22. Isa 59. 2. VIII They do utterly deny that God did destin by an absolute decree to give Christ a Mediator only to the Elect and to give faith to them alone by an effectual calling to justifie and continue them in the faith and glorifie them alone The reason of this appears in the Texts cited above for Christs satisfaction and those which follow for the universality of his merit in the Second Article or Question To which nothing is needful to be added IX They do utterly deny that many even all the reprobates are rejected from eternal life and means lufficient thereunto by an absolute and antecedent decree so as neither the merit of Christ nor vocation nor any gift of the spirit can or do avail unto their Salvation The Reason Because God created man after his own image and approved him to be very good Gen. 1. 27 31. and to the judge of all the earth the righteous are not dealt with as the wicked Gen. 18. 25. For he is good to all and his tender mercy is over all his works Psal 145. 8 9. He will not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18. ch 33. almost throughout See Iob 34. 23. 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Mans destruction is of himself Hos 13. 9. Rom 6. 23. ch 1. 32. for he despiseth mercy Rom. 2. 4 5. Luk. 7. 30. Acts 13. 46. See Mat. 22. 2. to the 15. Luke 14. 24. Hebr 10. 26. c. Iohn 3. 19. See 2 Chron. 24. 19. and 36. 15 16. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evill Ezek. 24. 13. In filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. See Prov. 1. 29 30 31. Rom. 2. 8. c. 1. 18. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness See likewise all the places cited for the affirmative viz. respective reprobation X. They do utterly
Infants children of the faithful are to be accounted in the number of Reprobates The Reason Rom. 11. 16. For if the first fruits be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches Gen. 17. 7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Acts 2. 39. The promise is unto you and to your children Acts 11. 14. Words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved Acts 16. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house 1 Cor. 7. 14. The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy II. They utterly denie that some Infants of the faithful departing this life in their Infancy before they have committed any actual sin in their own persons are reprobated The Reason Gen. 18. 25. That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee shall not the judge of all the earth do right Ionah 4. 11. Thou hast had pitty on the gourd for the which thou hast not laboured neither madest it to grow which came up in a night and perished in a night and should not I spare Nineveh wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left Ezek 18. 2. 3 4. What mean ye that ye use this proverb saying the fathers have eaten sower grapes and the câ—â—ldrens teeth are set on edge See Deut. 24. 16. 2 Kings 14. 6. As I live saith the Lord God ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb Behold all souls are mine as the soul of the father so also the soul of the son is mine the soul that sinneth it shall die Ier. 31. 29 30. In those dayes they shall say no more the fathers have eaten a sowre grape and the childrens teeth are set on edge But every one shall die for his own iniquitie every man that eateth the sowre grape his teeth shall be set on edge III. They do utterly denie that the sacred laver of baptisme and the prayers of the Church can no wayes avail such Infants unto salvation The Reason Mat. 28. 19. Go ye therefore and disciple all Nations baptizing them c. 1 Pet. 3. 21. The like figure whereunto even baptisme doth also now save us Tit. 3. 5. He saved us by the washing of regeneration Ephes 5. 25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Acts 2. 38 39. with Acts 22. 16. Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins for the promise is to you and to your children Gal. 3. 27. with Rom. 8. 1. As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And the prayers of the Church c. 1 John 5. 14 15 16. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death And shall not God hear the prayers of the Church in behalf of Infants IV. They do utterly denie that some of the faithfuls children baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost while they live in the state of their Infancy are reprobate by an absolute decree The Reason of this appears sufficiently in the Reasons of those Negatives fore-mentioned The state of the Controversie touching Predestination or Election to Eternal life or Reprobation therefrom I. Whether of divine and peremptory Election to Glory or eternal life the first and adequate object be All and only those which persevere in true faith unto their lives end as such or certain particular persons not at all considered as believing and persevering in faith as such See all the Texts alledged for conditioned and against absolute irrespective Election II. Whether of Peremptory Reprobation unto everlasting torments the first and adequated object be All and only unbelievers dying in their unbelief as such or certain particular persons the greatest part of mankinde not at all considered as impenitent unbelievers and disobedient as such See the Texts fore-cited for respective and against irrespective and absolute reprobation to which you may adde Isa 27. 11. Because this people have no understanding therefore c. Ezek. 18. 1â— 23. The second Article Controverted concerning the Universalitie of Christs death What the Remonstrants hold I. THey hold that the price of Redemption which Christ tendred unto his Father was not only in it self sufficient for the Redemption of all mankinde but was also according to the decree the will and grace of God the Father paid for all and every man Proofs out of Scripture For all and every man 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all Chap. 4. 10. We trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men Iohn 3. 16. John 1. 29. Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world 1 John 2. 2. John 6. 33 51. We have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world He tasted death for every man Hebrews 2. 9. For the unjust 1 Peter 3. 18. c. For the ungodly for sinners for his enemies Rom. 5. 6 8 10. See the places cited before for Christs satisfaction According to the decree the will and grace of God c. John 3. 16. So God loved the world c. 1 John 4. 14. We have seen and do testifie that the father sent the son to be the Saviour of the world Romans 8. 32. He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all 1 John 4. 9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved John 3. 17. That he by the grace of God should tast death for every man Heb. 2. 9. Col. 1.
19 20 21. It pleased the father by him to reconcile all things to himself Tit. 3. 4. After that the kindness and pity of God our Saviour towards man appeared Iohn 12. 47. For I came not to judge the world but to save the world Iohn 15. 13. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friend Rev. 1. 5. He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. The love of Christ Constraineth us c. II. They hold that Christ by the merit of his death hath so far forth reconciled God the Father to all mankinde that the Father by reason of his Sons merit both could and would and did enter and establish a new and gracious Covenant with sinful man liable to Condemnation Proofes out of Holy Scripture 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Col. 1. 21 22. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death Isa 49. 8. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people i. e. A mediator and foundation of the Covenant of grace Deodat Annot Isa 53. per tot verse 10 11 12. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Act. 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins See Ier. 31. 31 33 34. ch 33. 8. Mich. 7. 18 19 20. with Hebr. 8. 6. c. He is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises viz. I will put my lawes into their minde and I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness c. Hebr. 9. 14 15. c. How much more shall the blood of Christ and for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance See chap. 10. per totum chap. 7. 22. chap. 12. 24 25. III. They hold that though Christ hath merited reconciliation with God and pardon of sins for all and every man yet according to the tenour of the new and gracious Covenant none is indeed made partaker of the benefits purchased by the death of Christ otherwise then by faith nor are a mans sins pardoned before he actually believes in Christ Proofes out of holy Scripture None made partakers otherwise then by faith Romans 3. 24 25. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud Heb. 11. 6. But without faith it is impossible to please God Romans 9. 33. Whosoever believeth on him shall not be confounded 1 Timothy 4. 10. He is the Saviour specially of those that believe Col. 1. 19. to the 23. For it pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things unto himself And you hath he now reconciled to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight If ye continue in the faith c. Heb. 3. 6 14. We are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast c. Heb. 9. 15. He is the Mediator that by means of death they which are called Cum Eventu might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Iohn 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name See Gal. 3. 22. Nor are a mans sins pardoned before he believes Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins See Acts 26. 18. Chapter 13. 39. See John 3. 36. Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousness of God without the law is manifested even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Romans 4 3 24. Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness and it shall be imputed to us also if we believe See the whole Chapter Gal. 2 26. We have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ Gal. 3. 11. See Gal. 3. 22. The just shall live by faith Romans 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God See Acts 2. 38. Isa 53. 11. IV. They hold that only they for whom Christ died are bound to believe that Christ died for them and if there were any for whom Christ died not they should not be bound to believe he died for them or condemned for not believing yea if there were any such Reprobates they should rather be bound to believe that he died not for them Proofs out of Scripture Only they bound to believe c. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. with 21. ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ who was manifest for you who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Iohn 14. 1 2 3. Believe also in me Why I goe to prepare a place for you and I will receive you to my selfe See 1 Cor. 15. 2 3. with the 14 verse Whence it followes that they for whose sins Christ died not and for whose justification he rose not again to them preaching is vain and their faith is vain for they do but believe an untruth and lean upon the staffe of a broken reed Accordingly as was alleaged above Maccovius saith A man must first believe Christ to be his Saviour which he cannot be unless he hath died for him and that must be the reason why he placeth his faith in him Rather believe that he died not for them For Deut. 29. 29. Those things which are revealed belong to us And Luke 24. 25. O fooles and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken If it be a revealed truth that Christ died not for the Reprobates then are they bound to believe he died not for them But if it be not a truth revealed why is it then preached and urged as an Article of faith What they doe not hold touching Christs death I. They do utterly deny that the price of Redemption which Christ tendered unto God his Father was not according to the decree will and grace of God the Father paid for all and every man that so the greatest part of mankinde should by an absolute and antecedent decree of God be precisely shut out from the participation of the benefits of Christs death The Reason 1. Mat. 18. 11. Luke 19. 10. Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was
in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe Isa 53. 6. He laid upon him the iniquity of us all And Christ died for all for every man for the world for the whole world for the unjust and disobedient finally such 1 Pet. 3. 18 with the 20. for the ungodly for sinners for his enemies as was said above 2. Also for as many as died in Adam Rom. 5. 12 18. 1 Cor. 15. 22. As by the offence of one man c. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 3. For as many as are bound to believe in him as was declared above 4. For as many as are bound to adore and serve him 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your c. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. with Rom. 14. 9. We thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that he might be Lord of all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them See Eph. 1. 12. 5. For as many as we are bound to pray for in Christs name 1 Tim. 2. 1 5 6. I exhort that supplications be made for all men For there is one Mediator who gave himselfe a ransome for all 6. For such as crucifie him a fresh to themselves Hebr. 6. 4 5 6. c. 10. 29. For such as deny him and finally do perish 2 Pet. 2. 1. See Rom. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 8. 11. II. They do utterly deny that the immediate fruit of the death of Christ is the actual pardon of sins or which is the same in effect that sins are pardoned unto sinners before they do actually believe in Christ The Reason Rom. 10. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness See Gal. 3. 22. Heb. 11. 6. But without faith it is impossible to please God Marke 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Iohn 3. 18 36. He is condemnâ—d already the wrath of God abideth on him See proofes for the affirm III. They do utterly deny that Reprobates as some call them for whom Christ died not if there were any such are bound notwithstanding to believe in him and to believe that they are elected unto glory and that therefore those that believe not shall be condemned justly yea shall therefore be punished with more grievous torments by Almighty God The Reason 1. Iob 13. 7. Will ye speak wickedly for God And talk deceitfully for him Ier. 10. 1â— He is the God of truth Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. that cannot lye All his Commandements are truth righteousness and faithfulnesse Psal 119. 86 151 172. And Rom. 15. 8. Christ was a Minister for the truth of God and no lie is of the truth 1 Iohn 2. 21. 2. If we meet with false Prophets and dissemblers for all their fair speeches he bid us Believe them not Ier. 12. 6. Mat. 24. 23. Prov. 26. 25. 3. He denounceth grievous judgments against such Prophets as go about to induce the people to trust in a lye Ier. 28. 25. chap. 29. 31. 4. It is a sore judgement inflicted only upon the obstinate and refractory and therefore certainly no duty of them that are not such to be given up to such Errours 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness So that the God of truth and righteousness doth not binde men as a part of their duty to believe falshood much less punish them with more grievous torments for not believing it 5. Iob 8. 3. Doeth God pervert judgement or doth the Almighty pervert justice Ioâ— 34. 10 12. Yea surely God will not doe wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert judgement and ver 23. He will not lay upon man more then is right that he should enter into judgment with God The state of the Controversie touching the Universality of Christs death Whether Christ Jesus out of a serious and gratious purpose and decree of God the Father suffered that most bitter and shameful death that he might bring into favour with God onely some few and those formerly and in particular chosen to eternal life by an absolute decree or that he might merit and obtain reconciliation with God for all and every sinner without difference by doing and suffering those things which divine justice by sin offended did require to be done and suffered before he would enter a new gracious Covenant with sinners and open the door of salvation to them The decision is conteined in the former Assertions and Negations The Third and Fourth Articles Controverted which are touching the grace of God in the Conversion of Man What the Remonstrants hold I. THey hold that a man hath not saving faith of himselfe nor from the power of his own free will seeing while he is in the state of sin he cannot of himselfe nor by himselfe think or will or do any saving good in which kinde faith in Christ is eminent but must needs by God in Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost be regenerated and renewed in his minde affections will and all his powers that he may aright understand will and meditate and do that which is savingly good Proofs out of Holy Scripture Not faith or any saving good of himself c. Ephes 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness Rom. 7. 5. When we were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Rom. 11. 32. God hath concluded all in unbelief Ephes 2. 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Phil. 1. 8 9. To you it is given to believe 1 Cor. 12. 3. None can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost who is therefore called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God Rom. 5. 6. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly Iohn 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing Iohn 6. 44 45 65. No man can come to me except the Father draw him Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Must needs be regenerated c. John 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and this I say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. Iohn 3. 3 5. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Tit. 3. 4 5 6. Not
times deceived in his present condition Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest I am rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked Gal. 6. 3. 2. Mans heart is deceitful above all things Ier. 17. 9. See Iohn 16. 2. 3. 'T is Gods prerogative to know future contingencies Isa 41. 22 23. and Eccles. 9. 1. The righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him 4. A man may resolve well for the present and be confident he shall stick to such principles and resolutions as he hath once made and espoused and yet fall quite off from them 2 King 18. 13. Hazael practised afterward what he then abhorred Mar. 14. 31. Matth. 26. 33 35. Peter said unto him though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee Likewise also said all the disciples But he denied before them all saying I doe not know the man ver 70. 72. and again he denied with an oath and ver 74. Then began he to curse and to swear Mar. 14. 50. And they all forsook him and fled So Hezekiah 2 Chron. 31. 20 21. He wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God and in the law and in the Commandements to seek his God he did it with all his heart and prospered But Chap. 32. 25. Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem See Davids fall 2 Sam. 11. 5. Hence Rom. 12. 16. Isa 5. 21. Woe to him that is wise in his own eyes 6. Our life is a warfare Iob 7. 1. and only death dischargeth us from that service Rev. 14. 13. Happy is the man that feareth alwayes Prov. 28. 14. For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Prov. 27. 1. 7. Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10. 12. See Rom. 11. 20 Watch and pray Matth. 26. 41. Take heed lest at any time Luke 21. 34 36. and work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 13. What the Remonstrants hold not touching Perseverance I. They hold not that a Believers Perseverance in faith is an effect of that absolute decree wherein God is said to have chosen some particular persons without all respect to any condition of obedience The Reason Psal 125. 1. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever Rom. 11. 20. Thou standest by faith 1 Pet. 1. 5. Kept through faith unto salvation Ioh. 15. 4. As the branch cannot bear fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me ver 7. If ye abide in me c. Iohn 14. 15 16. If ye love me keep my Commandements and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that may abide with you for ever 1 Thess 4. 3 4. This is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my selfe should be a Cast away Rom. 8. 13 16. If ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live 2 Pet. 3. 18. But grow in grace 1 Pet. 2. 19. This is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God not of necessity endure grief Psal 15. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 10. If ye doe these things ye shall never fall Eph. 6. 10. to 19. Take unto you and put on the whole armour of God c. 2 Pet. 1. 5. Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 1 Tim. 6. 12. Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life Phil. 3. 12. I pursue hard after â—f that I may apprehend c. II. They do utterly deny that true Believers cannot sin of deliberation but onely of ignorance or infirmity The Reason 1. From exhortations 2 Cor. 6. 1. Receive not the grace of God in vain 1 Thess 5. 19. Quench not the spirit Eph. 4. 30. grieve not the holy spirit Hebr. 10. 35. 37 38. Cast not away your Confidence if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 2. From expostulations and admiration c. Iohn 6. 67. will ye also goe away Isa 1. 21. How is the faithful city become an harlot Ier. 2. 12 21. Be astonished O ye heavens at this For my people have committed two evils Yet I had planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me Mat. 12. 43 44 45. Luk. 11. 24. 3. He taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked then himself 4. Davids example 2 Sam. 11. 4. He sent Messengers for Bathsheba and lay with her ver 6. He sends for Uriah to cover the fact and tempts him to that purpose ver 8. He made him drunk ver 13. Plotted and Contrived his death ver 14 15. III. They do utterly deny that true believers can by no sins fall from the favour of God The Reason Rom. 11. 22. If thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou shalt be cut off 2 Sam. 11. 27. The thing that David had done displeased the Lord. See Chap. 12. 10 11 12. 1 King 11. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord. See 1 Chron. 28. 9. Cant. 5. 2. to 6. Isa 64. 5 7 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquitie for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Hos 9. 15 17. All their wickedness is in Gilgal for there I hated them for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house I will love them no more Isa 63. 7 8 9 10. He said surely they are my people children that will not lie So he was their Saviour But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemie and he fought against them 2 Chron. 32. 25. There was wrath upon Hezekiah Deut. 32. 19. When the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters Rev. 3. 16. I will spue thee out of my mouth Jer. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord. Heb. 10. 39. See verse 38. Of them who draw back unto perdition IV. They do utterly denie that every man is bound to believe that he is elected and consequently that he cannot fall from that Election or that a 1000. sins yea the sins of the whole world cannot make his Election void The Reason See