and eternal life are called the Kingdom by way of Excellency which Kingdom is not any purchase of ours but the gift of God to give you to the Elect to the little Flock and to no others upon no other motive than God's Will and meer Good-pleasure for it is your fathers good-pleasure 't is not said your God which is also true but your Father is a more tender word to express love for in a special manner he is Father to the Elect whom God hath chosen and adopted in Christ Jesus our Lord who himself is the Author of these words and did speak them upon sure grounds and out of his certain knowledge thus he saith elsewhere I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me Luke 22 29. All done by way of preordination and fore-appointment But before I conclude this matter of our Election I must speak of the Effects and Consequences thereof which are the means whereby to attain unto the end for as we said before the most wise God hath not ordained us to Glory and everlasting Happiness and left us to seek how to come there but also he hath appointed the way that every thing belonging to Salvation the grounds and beginning the progress and end may all be of his own so that we may be sure of it to the praise of the riches of his Grace Hence it is that our Blessed Saviour is called not only (a) Heb. 2.10 Chap. 5.9 the captain of our Salvation and the author of eternal Salvation unto all that obey him but also the author and finisher of our Faith which is the way and means conducing to it The most Holy and Blessed Trinity did purpose and resolve it In the execution Christ is the Captain and Leader and he will finish it for he will never give over till (b) Joh. 17.24.11 those whom the Father hath given him his elect be with him where he is that they may behold his glory and that they may be one as the Father and he are Now the means appointed for the execution in time of the Decree of Election are our Vocation to and in the Church thorough the ministry of the Word our Conversion Regeneration Faith in Christ Justification Sanctification which are all grounded upon our Lord and Mediator Jesus Christ These means that are between our Election and Glorification are as the Chain that links it together and spoken of by St. Paul in the place already quoted (c) Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified No danger of breaking or miscarrying it is so sure that he speaketh of it not as a thing to come but as passed and already done The Consideration of these means is part of the Decree of Election as well as Glory and Salvation for 't is but one single and individual act of Election to Glory by the means of Grace for neither Glory was decreed without relation to Grace nor Grace without relation to Glory Another fruit and effect of our Election is the certainty we have of it within us whereby (a) This affirmed in Rogers Analysis Pag. 76. we know and are sure we are elected to everlasting life This certitude ariseth out of the sence and feeling we have of the means appointed to execute Election every Elect after his Conversion having faith in Christ may certainly know whether he be elected If upon examination of himself he may say I by the word of God am called to the Church and to eternal life I have the gift of Faith in Jesus Christ that is I believe my sins are forgiven me for the merits of Christ the Mediator God and Man Furthermore with a real and sincere desire and endeavour I worship God according to the rule of his word and I love my Neighbour out of this he may conclude I am elected to life everlasting All this depends upon a true examination and the Consequence is drawn à posteriori where are fruits there is a Tree when we find heat and motion in a Man we safely conclude there is Life Now all this examination is grounded upon that Text of Rom. 8.30 which I quoted but a little before but the calling is inward proper to Believers that answer and obey the call which our Saviour speaks of (b) John 5.25 the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live for they were dead in their sins the call is inward and spiritual whereby the blind mind is enlightened by the Word applyed by the Spirit and the obstinate and perverse will is brought under to obedience they who make Faith and Justification common to Believers and Reprobates cannot have this certitude of Election but others can according to St. Paul (c) 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing brethren beloved your election of God Hence we conclude it may be known This certitude and assurance of Election and so of Salvation for if I can but make my Election sure then I am sure of my Salvation is no motive to softness neglect and carelessness he who is sure of Salvation is sure to perform the Condition Salvation is the end of Election and Repentance Faith Holiness perseverance are the effects thereof Grace is the way to Glory God promising to save the Elect promised also to preserve them in that without which is no Salvation and when sometimes Believers do so much forget and are so senseless to themselves as to sin offend and leave Gods ways God wants no Scourges or other means to bring them in again This certitude of our unchangeable Election doth not as our Adversaries would have it breed in us Prophaneness and carnal Security on the contrary as we already said 't is the greatest motive and incentive we have to Piety for which St. Peter is my Witness (a) 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure For if ye do these things ye shall never fall If it were not possible to attain unto it it were in vain for the Apostle to exhort us thereunto When once Men have that assurance they will endeavour to answer it in the study and practice of holiness and become worthy of it with their upright walking knowing they are elected and called thereunto For (b) Tit. 3.8 they which have believed in God must be careful to maintain good works And they will take care of their ways so that they can never fall finally For (c) Psal 37.24 God upholdeth them with his hand St. Paul saith the same with St. Peter For (d) Rom. 8.14 15 16 17. as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father
Scripture in matter of Predestination speaks only of men we shall consider it only as men are the object thereof but before I must shew what a Decree is because it entereth within our definition now God's Decrees are the eternal and unchangeable counsels and resolutions he hath taken from all Eternity about what he purposed to do in time according to the first rule we have laid down These Decrees are called God's essential works ad intra inward according to our capacity and manner of conceiving which himself in his word is pleased to condescend to We then call them Decrees after the manner of Men for Decrees and Resolutions of Men are works or acts really distinct from Man from his Understanding and his Will By this way we do conceive God's Decrees or rather God Decreeing though properly they may not be called his Works for every act so properly called is an effect really distinct from the Agent But in God 't is not so or else his supream Simplicity would come to nothing when 't is said of God are known all his works that knowledge is nothing else but his Decree of doing all things to be done in time Of ELECTION PRedestination hath two parts Election and Reprobation the word is not restrained only to Election as Papists and some others would have it It is in vain amongst Hebrews or Greeks to search the Original of the word which is Latin The ancient Latin Authors used the word destinare to destinate or appoint for Pains as well as Rewards so did the ancient Doctors of the Church as (a) Enchirid. cap. 100. de Civit. Dei lib. 12. cap. 24. Austin (b) Ad. capital Gallor Prosper (c) Lib. 1. ad Monim Fulgentius Now the Election we here speak of is not to an Office in which (d) 1 Sam. 10 24. Saul and David were chosen Kings over Israel So Matthias (e) Acts 1.24 26. was by lot chosen one of the twelve But 't is Election to Eternal Life and Salvation Now Election is a Predestination of some Men to Eternal Life to be obtained by Faith in Christ only out of God's pleasure in them to declare his Divine Mercy Every part of which definition we by the grace of God shall speak of This point most of any is to be taken notice of because it is the ground of our Hope Faith Holiness in a word of the whole mystery of our Salvation which doth wholly run and depend upon the decree of our Election therefore to darken it the Devil hath stired up so many instruments to oppose it In Scripture among many Texts we have one specially lays open the whole matter before us which here I quote to be read with great application (a) Ephes 1.3 4 5 6 7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood c. The eternity of God's decree of Election is here asserted he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World this Election is affirmed to be the cause of all spiritual blessings which God hath blessed us with some of those blessings are named as Holiness Blamelessness and Adoption Now Faith Repentance Charity and such graces are parts of Holiness and the fruits of the Spirit Holiness is posteriour to our Election All those blessings are in and by Jesus Christ Out of this Text it also appeareth that the good pleasure of God is the only impulsive or moving cause if we may use such a word which is improper here to Elect us nothing from without all from within according to the good pleasure of his will Hence between Papists Arminians and Us for I must say in matters of grace they both joyn against us ariseth the question What it is that moved God to appoint some Men to Eternal Life We say nothing but God's good will and pleasure moved him to it Amongst several reasons we have to prove it I will only bring two of the chief The first because Scripture assigneth no other cause but that as the only and when the word is silent we ought not to speak The whole 9th Chapter to the Romans is a sentence of condemnation against the Adversaries there St. Paul saith of Election (†) Rom. 9.16 15. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Which is but a conclusion out of what God said to Moses in the foregoing verse verse 18. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion whence he thus concludes so then it is not of him c. 't is only of free grace Why three verses after the Apostle gives the reason He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth This is very plain if any one is willing to dispute God's right herein let him do 't but he shall find God is a strong party (a) 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us before the world began Here the Decree of Election is made the cause of calling and other graces we receive in time The other reason is because in those that were elected was nothing at all that could move him to love them (b) Ephes 2.1 We were men dead in trespasses and sins unfit for any good thing and guilty of eternal death They say God hath chosen some because from Eternity he foresaw they would believe in Christ and continue in the Faith to which some add the foresight of some good works with Faith but against this I say God could foresee in sinful Man no spiritual good but what out of his mercy he was to give him this none but Pelagians can deny consequently God could not foresee Faith or Good Works as a motive to his Decree God elected us to be holy and without blame before him That is to the end we should be and not because we were such Holiness is an effect and not a cause of Election Faith also is an effect of Election as clearly expressed in Scripture (c) Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed If so then Faith is not the cause that moved God to elect us we were elected to believe not because we believed before for then we had chosen Christ and not he us contrary to what he positively saith
The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ The Holy Ghost we received which is the earnest of our inheritance and whereby we are sealed against the day of Redemption and having Christ's spirit we are sure to be his this spirit makes us call God our Father which is no lye for it is the Spirit of Truth it is the Spirit of Adoption which assures us that we are the children of God and consequently heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven which Christ is gone before to take possession of in his name and for us and if we may so speak after the manner of Men God the Father trusted the Son for the satisfaction to be given to Divine Justice till the time appointed to do 't was come in hope of the Resurrection of the Body the Souls of the redeemed were before Christ's death received into Abraham's bosom So for the possession of the purchase made by Christ's death namely eternal life if I may so say the Son doth trust the Father till the time of the whole and full purchased possession be come Yet this ought to be taken notice of how God not only hath promised but also for our Comfort and Assurance hath given us his holy spirit for earnest of performance of his promises And this holy spirit is given us not only as security but as a guide to direct and (a) Joh 16.13 lead us as our Saviour saith into all truth which he doth 1. with Illumination and shewing us the way 2. In his giving us strength and courage to go thorough Dark and Thorny ways 3. In removing obstructions and difficulties 4. In continuing his help to improve grace 5. In bringing us at last into eternal life Which truths the Soul of the Elect being convinced of they suffer themselves wholly and only to be guided by him with an absolute resignation unto his directions whereby we learn not to trust our selves to the guidance of our own natural reason or of our heart for in spiritual things our Light is but Darkness And (b) Prov. 28.26 he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool for neither our Reason nor our Heart can shew us a way to be delivered from sin and to give a satisfaction to God there being none but the righteousness of Christ which the holy spirit doth perswade us of and through Faith applies it to us to which end (c) Joh. 14.16 he doth abide with us for ever He is not come afterwards to leave us but saith our Saviour Ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Vers 17 'T is upon the presence of this Holy and Blessed Spirit and the knowledge we have of him that we do ground the certitude of our Election which to deny is as much as in one lies to deprive the believing Soul of the sweetest comfort in this life and 't is that consideration that makes me insist so long upon this point wherein we do but follow St. Paul's steps in those Quotations we had of him just before out of those several verses of his 8. chap. to the Romans than the which nothing can be more fuâ—l and to the purpose to work an assurance and a study how in our lives and conversations to behave our selves as becometh the children of God to which for greater confirmation of this we shall add the three last verses of that Chapter where after he hath said before by way of defiance no body can lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect nor condemn them nor nothing in this World part them from God's love in Christ he concludeth in these words (a) Rom. 8.37 38 39. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. After this he who will believe Scripture must believe there is a certitude of Election though in a different degree every true Believer hath assurance though every one hath not a full assurance (b) 1 Joh. 3.3 Yea every man that hath this hope of glory in him purifieth him self even as he God is pure Yet for all the clear Evidences of this Truth the Adversaries thereof will not be mute but better for them to say nothing than what they say First they corrupt a place of Scripture which Papists made use of against us upon the very same account (c) Eccl. 9.1 2 A man cannot tell whether he deserves love or hatred so he cannot be sure but according to the Original 't is thus No man knoweth what either love or hatred by all that is before them That is he knoweth not the causes of the things which in this world happen unto men for this he speaks of vers 2. as followeth All things come alike to all men there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean c. As is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath So that hath no relation to his Eternal State or his Election and though Man cannot tell the reason of the several dispensations of God's Providence it doth not hinder but he may know his own Eternal State and Condition They object the saying of (d) Prov. 27.1 Solomon Boast not of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Which Text forbiddeth an over confident boasting of good successes in this Life and 't is not to the purpose of Election or Eternal Life As to that of St. Paul (a) Rom. 11 2â— thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear There the Apostle speaketh against carnal Security and a confidence in ones own strength Many say our Adversaries who think to be in favour with God deceive themselves consequently cannot be sure of their Election we own there are such ones but they have nothing of true Piety only an outward profession a vain name and only in appearance So they cannot be sure of that which is not But those who are elected indeed do attain to the certitude of it In time of temptation this assurance is shaken and somewhat disturbed but when through grace we have overcome the temptation the certainty is renewed and strengthned for in the temptation or out of it 't is never utterly lost We do not wonder some deny it to be had till the last breath if at all because the ordinary means of certitude as justifying Faith Justification Sanctification c. which are only the Childrens Bread they make common to Believers and Reprobates Thus much of Election now we must speak of Reprobation Of REPROBATION
may be represented as we see at the latter end of the 4th verse 't is called the border of wickedness and the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever So this hatred is extended upon his Posterity But as to the scope of the place we can neither desire nor have a better interpreter than St. Paul Rom. 9. Where we find he doth apply it to spiritual things not only to temporal Mercies and Judgments but also to eternal as 't is the whole scope of the Chap. Wherein from the beginning the Apostle sheweth God's distinguishing mercy in matters of Religion between Jews and Gentiles to the first beloved the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises which our Saviour reduceth to Salvation when he saith Salvation is of the Jews John 4.22 All which privileges the Gentiles were excluded from as the Apostle saith elsewhere they were without Christ being aliens from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes 2.12 Another great privilege of the Jews by the Apstle mention ed is this of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is God blessed for ever The very naming of Christ the promised Messiah shews St. Paul speaks of higher things than are worldly and temporal He goes farther for he declareth distinguishing mercies between the Jews themselves when he saith They are not all Israel that are of Israel And what also meaneth his opposition of the children of the flesh to the children of God of the promise and of the seed Doth he not make a palpable distinction and visible opposition between Isaac and Ishmael when he saith In Isaac shall thy seed be called which afterwards doth continue in the persons of Jacob and Esau the first 〈◊〉 loved the other he hated before they were born and had done any good or evil the ground of which love or hatred he attributes to Election when he saith That the lave of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth Hence doth it not appear how God not in consideration of any works which could not be before men were born loved and elected Jacob hated and reprobated Esau and that without any injustice in the least or the least ground in the Creature to complain whether Jews or Gentiles for he speaks generally of both when he saith Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth and this out of his absolute power over the Creature as the Potter hath over the Clay Can any one without blushing say that by making vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour that by these words God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known to men endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and by these other words that God might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto glory I say can any man of sense affirm this to be spoken of outward and temporal things and not of Spiritual and Eternal of Election and Reprobation whereunto in the next verse he joyneth vocation of himself and others when he saith Even of us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles which hath a Connexion with and must be applyed to those vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory mentioned just the verse before amongst whom he declareth himself The whole rest of the Chapter doth evidence and confirm our assertion wherefore we shall no longer stand upon it to say some few words more to the instance of Jacob and Esau Esau had Temporal Blessings his Father gave him the Fatness of the Earth and the dew of Heaven from above he grew Strong and Mighty so the great difference between him and Jacob consisted not in worldly advantages it was of another nature in Scripture he is branded with the name of prophane who after he had sold his Birth-right yet before his Father called himself his first Born and would as such have inherited the Blessing which though his Father intended for him as we see by his being so cautious to know when Jacob came for it whether or not he was Esau indeed yet thorough Gods providence and Rebeckah's direction he was deprived of and as Scripture saith when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected Gen. 27. Heb. 12.16 17. Part of Isaac's blessing to Jacob was this Blessed be he that blesseth thee and cursed be every one that curseth thee which curse lighted upon Esau who afterwards hated Jacob Gen. 27.41 because of the blessing wherewith his Father had blessed him 'T is natural for one that hateth another to Curse and wish him Evil and Esau so hated his Brother that he would have served him as Cain served his being fully resolved to have killed him which in the sight of God was accounted as if he had done it Obid 10. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob. 'T is not in vain but surely for good reason that the spirit of God by the mouth of two of his Prophets Ezech. 35.5 Amos 1.11 takes notice of the hatred of Esau against his Brother Jacob and of his Posterity against Jacob's as if it had been entailed Well upon this hatred of Esau Jacob was forced to leave his Father's House but God to shew the difference he made between the two Brothers appeared unto Jacob in the way and to him renewed the promise made unto Abraham and to Isaac and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed Gen. 28.13.14 Which was a Spiritual and Evangelical promise by virtue of that choice which God from Eternity had made of him preferably and exclusively to Esau So then this love to Jacob and this hatred to Esau before they were born and had done any Good or Evil had a relation to future Spiritual and Eternal Privileges This matter of Predestination may very well be illustrated out of the consideration of the execution here in a visible way of his Eternal Decree So we shall begin immediately after sin with that Divine Oracle (a) Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity between thee the Serpent and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel This first promise of a Messiah includeth not only that conflict and victory of his over the Serpent but also an enmity between their Seeds for though the Woman's Seed and the Serpent's be only mentioned yet the enmity is to be between the Serpent's and the Messiah's Seeds for he though he be the Woman's Seed yet also hath his Seed for saith the Prophet (b) Isai 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed The special Seed therein mentioned was the Messiah
consisteth is not of God but only of Man wherefore Man alone is the author of sin as such Arminians accusing us to make God the author of sin do but follow the steps of their Elder Brothers the Papists Calvin and Beza c. falsely aspersed by slanderers speak well of this matter The first in his Treatise of Predestination a piece much worth reading the (a) Beza contra Castellinem other as quoted in the Margin are both (b) De gratia lib. arbit cap. 20 21. St. Austin's followers against Pelagius They who in this permission attribute nothing to God but only that he leaves the wicked to act according to their mind or to turn themselves to this or to that Object make God an idle spectator of things and one of these two things they must own either that God doth not execute his just Judgments by the sins of the wicked which is false and contrary to Scripture or else that many of God's Judgments are executed accidentally or by chance so that God decreed to punish David by his Son Absolom because he did foresee Absolom would go about rebelling against his Father and to punish Israel by the Kings of Assyria because he foresaw the Assyrian would make War against Israel a thing absurd and altogether contrary to Scripture which expresly saith that Tyrants are called God's (c) Isai 13.3 sanctified the Medes and Persians to execute his Judgments and in the same verse I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger They are called (d) Isai 10.5 6 15. the rod of God's anger and in their hand is the staff of his indignation as the Assyrian which is also called the Ax the Saw the Rod and the Staff in God's hand vers 15. I will send him against an hypocritical nation and against the people of my wrath will I give charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire in the street God sent him and he had God's Commission for what he was to do He is called (a) Jerem. 50.23 the hammer of the whole earth and in the following Chapter the King of Media is called God's battle-ax and weapons of war c. Certainly all this is more than a bare permission Chap. 51.20 whence we conclude there is an effectual acting of God and directing wicked Instruments to a certain Object against which God is pleased to execute his Judgments We have so many more Texts of Scripture to prove the effectual concourse of God with bad actions of Men against those who assert only a bare permission and a direction of evil to a good end The expressions of Scripture upon this subject are so full so clear so significant and so much to the purpose that Men must be blind who will not see Here we will produce only some few God saith to David (b) 2 Sam. 12.11 12. I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbour and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun for thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the Sun By Absolom (c) 2 Sam. 16.10 the Lord hath-said unto Shimei curse David (d) 1 Kings 22.22 God sent a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Ahab's Prophets (e) Jerem. 15.8 I have brought upon them a spoiler at noon day (f) Ezech. 14.9 I the Lord have deceived that Prophet The falling off of the ten Tribes is the work of God (g) 2 Chron. 11.4 Ye shall not fight against your brethren return every man to his house for this thing is done of me (h) 1 Kings 12.15 And Roboham hearkned not to the people for the cause was from the Lord. (i) 2 Kings 10.32 33. God stirred up the heart of the King of Assyria to carry a way some of the Tribes of Reuben Gad and half of Manasseh The destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to (k) 2 Chorn. 22.7 Joram (l) Chap. 25.23 Amaziah would not hear for it came of God that he might deliver them into the hands of their enemies because they sought after the Gods of Edom. Besides what we said before of God's hardning Pharaoh's heart God (m) Josh 11.20 hardned the hearts of several Kings that they should come against Israel as he had done before to Sihon King of Heshbon †Deuter. 2.30 For the Lord thy God hardned his spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into thy hands Must all this be understood of a bare permission Farthermore God by Deborah said to Barak (a) Judg. 4.7 I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera the captain of Jabin's army and deliver him into thine hand (b) Psal 78.49 He sent evil Angels amongst the Egyptians And †Judg. 9.23 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem (c) Isai 19.14 The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of Egypt (d) Jer. 13.13 God will fill the Kings that sit upon David's throne and the priests and the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness In another place 't is called (e) Isai 29.10 a spirit of deep sleep (f) 1 Sam. 2.25 The Sons of Ely hearkned not unto their Father because the Lord would slay them God saith by the mouth of his Prophet (g) Isai 45.7 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things (h) Amos 3.6 Is there any evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Hence it is that (i) Psa 17.13 the wicked is called the sword and hand of God David prays to God (k) Psal 141.4 not to incline his heart to any evil thing to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity And also (l) Psal 15.25 God turned the heart of the Egyptians to hate his people (m) Psal 69.27 Add iniquity to their iniquity saith David (n) Isai 54.16 God hath created the waster to destroy And the same Prophet saith (o) Isai 42.24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers did not the Lord (p) 2 Chron. 21 16 17. God stirred up against Jehoram the heart of the Philistins and of the Arabians that are near Aethiopia and they came up to Judah and brake into it and carried away all the substance that was found in the King's house and his Sons also and his Wives And three Chapters after 't is said (q) Chap. 24.24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men and the Lord delivered a great host into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers so they executed judgment against Joash Hence it is clear out of the very
The temporal Faith spoken of here is only an outward profession and not the power of true Religion in this same sence is to be taken what St. Paul saith (d) 1 Tim. 1.19 of some who concerning faith have made shipwrack They made an outward profession of the Gospel which at last they fell from so that whensoever mention is made of falling from Grace from Faith from the Truth 't is only mentioned of the outward profession of it or of a temporal Faith but not of true saving Grace when 't is said (e) 1 Cor. 10.12 Rom. 11.20 Let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall The Apostle doth not say that any fall from the Faith but he teacheth them how they ought and can prevent falling from it namely to have a care not to run into Carnal security such warning are effectual means whereby the Holy Ghost keepeth Believers upon Duty and doth preserve them from falls Though our first Parents fell it doth not follow the Saints should do so too the reason is God gave them only the Grace whereby they might continue in Innocency if they would but the Will he gave them not but to Elect and Believers is given Grace whereby not only they can but also they are (f) Philip. 2.12 willing to persevere But St. Peter speaks of some (g) 2 Pet. 2.21 who have known the way of righteousness and depart from it but there is a great difference between turning from saving Faith and Grace and turning from the way of righteousness which the Apostle in the same verse calleth the holy commandment that is the Doctrine of the Gospel CHAP. IX About Vniversal Sufficient GRACE NOW we must proceed to another Head wherein also Arminians joyn with Papists against us this Vniversal Sufficient Grace the whole Fabrick of Arminianism doth center upon Though several Sects are combined to assert such a thing yet they somewhat differ when they come to say what it is to Pelagians it is Nature to Papists Free-will to Quakers the light within to Arminians 't is a general influence superadded to the Natural faculties of every Man whatsoever whereby without any particular concurrence of God's Spirit and without any special Grace they are sufficiently enabled to embrace Jesus Christ and apply his Death and Merits to themselves in a saving manner which are offered alike indifferently to all Men to convert regenerate and to save their Souls if they will themselves which is meerly Free-will baptized with the Name of Grace a thing unknown to Scripture but if it be Grace in Truth as in Name how is it equally derived unto all Men and in the same measure When Grace is that which maketh one Man to differ from another Mercy distinguisheth one from another for (h) 1 Cor. 4.7 What hath a man more than another but what he received There is much to be said upon this matter but I will endeavour to restrain it within as narrow bounds as I can and I state the question thus Whether there be any such Universal Grace indifferently given to all Men at all times and in all places sufficient to convert to regenerate and to save We say no they say yea Let us examine who is in the right and let Scripture be the Judge The Word of God not in one but in many places taketh away from an unregenerate Man the power of doing good and of being converted (a) Jer. 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin and the leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil (b) Mat. 7.18 Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit (c) ch 12.34 O generation of vipers how can ye being evil speak good things (d) Joh 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (e) Joh. 6.44 No man can come unto me except the father which hath sent me draw him (f) Joh. 15.5 And without me ye can do nothing (g) Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Farther (h) 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned (i) 1 Cor. 12.3 No man saith the same Apostle can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost (k) 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think much less to do any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God All these places are so clear and positive to shew there is no such a power in Man as to convert himself that it were needless to make any enlargement upon them therefore we proceed and say how can there be such a power in men dead in trespasses and sins for such were the Gentiles before God had quickened us together with Christ Nay (l) Ephess 2. â— 5 12. we were strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world (m) Ephes 2.3 And we are by nature children of wrath even as others Therefore what Will and Power to do good is in us it comes from God and those whom he is not pleased to bestow it upon they never have it this is the reason assigned why the People of Israel had not well seen and perceived the great things God had done for them (a) Deut. 29.4 Yet saith Moses the lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day If without the gift of God they could not well know and perceive things obvious to their sences so palpable and visible to them how could they or any other see and understand things of a Spiritual Nature of an eternal concernment to be seen only with the eye of Faith (b) Joh. 3.12 If I have told you earthly things and you understand and believe not how shall ye believe and understand if I tell you of heavenly things This they must own Men cannot be saved without a Saviour then they also must grant there is no other Saviour but Christ no means to come to him but by Faith what then will become of those who never heard of Christ as the wild and ignorant Americans before the discovery of that Country and of so many Millions both before and after but chiefly before his coming who never heard one word of a Saviour and so could not believe in him for (c) Rom. 10.14 15. how shall they believe in him of whom they never heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they Preach except they be sent Before Christ's time we do not hear of any general Mission indeed after his Resurrection he gave his Disciples Commission but their number was but small they could not at once Preach all the
grat cap. 6. Anselm in Rom. 8. Bradward causa dei lib. 1. cap. 40. Margin Now we must come to the third thing The perseverance of Saints and certainty of Salvation wherein we do agree with the Doctors of the Primitive Church That (e) Trenae lib. 5. cap. 9. 10. 11. the Temple of God which is inhabited by the Spirit of the Father and that the members of Christ should not be partakers of Salvation how is it not a most great blasphemy c. (a) Cyprian de mâ—râ— lit de â—rat domin nam 6. It is written saith Cyprian the just shall live by faith if thou art just and livest by faith if thou truly believest in God why since thou art to live with Christ and art sure of the Lords promise Doest thou not rejoice that thou art called by death unto Christ And elsewhere He that hath believed in his name and is made the Son of God from that time must begin both to give thanks and to profess himself the Son of God Another saith He (b) Clemenâ— Alex. paedag lib. 1. cap. 6. that believeth in the Son hath eternal life if then we who have believed have eternal life what remaineth beyond the possession of life eternal Again He saith thou art no more a Servant but a Son if a Son then also an Heir thorough God what then wanteth to a Son when he is an Heir This certainty of Salvation worketh an assurance and comfort which makes one say (c) Hilar. de trin lib. 1. The soul knowing her own safety resteth in quietness rejoycing in her hopes so much not fearing death that she accounts it as the way to eternal life Let us hear what saith another upon the matter (d) Ambr. in 2 Cor. 1. Serm. 15. He hath sealed us by giving his spirit to us for an earnest that we may not doubt of his promises for if when we were in the state of death he gave us his spirit it is not to be doubted but that to us being made immortal he will add glory And in another place He saith well I am confident for confidence is the strength of our hope and an authority of hoping Therefore hope still and no man can make thee ashamed of thy expectation Our expectation is life eternal As for Austin he hath written at large upon this Subject in his Book De Perseverantiâ Sanctorum De Correptione Gratia But here we shall only quote few words (e) August in Psal 122. 123. For we are saved by hope but because our hope is certain it is so spoken of us as if it were already done Hereunto we do joyn what another saith (f) Bernard Epist. 107. O man thou hast the justifying spirit for a teacher of this secret and in the same witnessing to thy spirit that thou also art the Son of God Take notice of the counsel of God in thy justification for the present justification of thee is both a revelation of God's counsel and a certain preparation unto future glory The Doctor called profound having argued and proved perseverance to be a free gift of God concludes thus For these and the like motives it seems more probable to me and more to agree with reason and Catholick Doctrines that perseverance is not given to merits but is freely given of God according to his free grace free-predestination and free-purpose as the first working grace that justifieth a sinner Lastly to make an end of this one having spoken of the Elect and Believer saith (a) Ferus in 1. Joan. 5. Satan cannot touch him He may indeed dare to tempt the godly so likewise he durst to tempt Christ Yea sometimes he drives just men unto a fall as we see in David and Peter But finally as in Christ he could have nothing so neither can he prevail over the Saints for none can take Christ's sheep out of his hands wherefore going to his passion he recommended all that believed in him unto his Father The words of others I omit to quote only their (b) Basilus de Spiritu Sancto cap. 15. Prosper in Psal 114. Cyrill Alex. Comment in Isa lib. 3. in Joan. lib. 9. cap. 44. Gregor in Job lib. 11. cap. 20. lib. 16. cap. 2. Aâ—selm in Rom. 8. Names and places I set down in the Margin I think I have done enough in this kind to prove that in the matters of grace we have the Doctors of the Primitive Church with us and others in some of the late Ages and consequently Calvin is not the Author of such Doctrines and that we brought no Innovation into the Church which aspersion we may justly retort upon our Adversaries And to shew the more that conformity we have with the antient Catholick Church I must say in short how the very same aspersions by Arminians cast upon us were by Pelagius and his followers laid to the charge of St. Austin and they are these First That they take away free-will and bring in a Stoical fatality Secondly That the make God the author of sin Thirdly They open a gap to despair and slothfulness Fourthly They take away all use of Precepts Promises Threatnings yea and Prayer it self Fifthly That they make God an Impostor seeing he commands men to repent and believe yet doth not seriously will their repentance and faith nor their Salvation unto which only faith and repentance can entitle them Sixthly That their whole opinions are against the stream of Antiquity These were falsely fathered upon the Doctrine of Austin and other Orthodox Doctors of the Church as easily I now can and upon occasion shall ever be ready to prove out of their own writtings but this I now omit not to fill up so much Paper with Quotations neither thinking it so material to know what those Father 's believed as what the word of God which we have not been wanting to make use of doth declare upon the matter Nay to go up higher I have shewed how it was against St. Paul's Doctrine objected Rom. 9. and the Objections by him answered of making God unjust and men excusable out of the necessity of God's Decree and as these were falsly fathered upon St. Paul's afterwards on Austin's Doctrine So with the very same the truths we teach are aspersed by our Adversaries who are men of the same Principles as the others were Indeed 't is very sad that whilst a considerable Body of Papists followers of Jansenius Bishop of Ypres joyned with us in defence of those matters of grace a Party of our own should make a desertion and joyn with Papists against us And some of them with as much gall in the Heart and bitterness against us in Tongues and Pens as if we were the greatest Unbelievers and Miscreants in the World and all this for no other cause than our asserting of the truths plainly and fully contained in God's Word CHAP. XIV Of the absurd and dangerous consequences necessarily
Mercy they attain to everlasting Felicity Here are also the Particulars by which that general bringing to Salvation is perfected so that to joyn both together it is but one and the same and from first to last there is such an indissoluble Connexion that he who is elected to eternal Life shall infallibly have it Upon this certitude and assurance it is that St. Paul concludes nothing can deprive us of eternal Life because nothing can separate us from the love of God which is the Ground of our Happiness Wherefore he defieth any thing or person to do it though Arminians undertake to accept of the Apostle's Challenge not caring how they come within his Defiance For they seem to answer that there are many or some things that can separate us from the love of God in Christ tho' after and before a long Enumeration St. Paul concludes In all things these we are more than conquerours And Job will trust in God John 13.15 though he kill him Now that which maketh us to Conquer is not our own free-Will but it is God that loved us In conformity to this in the same Article it is said The consideration of Election doth greatly establish in the Saints and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ And the same Interpreter upon the 17th Article in his 3d. Proposition out of the Words constantly decreed doth infer this Wander then do they from the truth which think that the very Elect totally and finally may fall from Grace and be damned c. I think this is very clear for us And in the latter end of his 8th Proposition he condemneth those who call the Doctrine of Predestination a licentious Doctrine As to the point of Justification which is a Fundamental Article of our Religion and much corrupted by Arminians the xi Article of the 39. saith We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works and Deservings These last Words do reach Arminians as well as Papists for free Will Faith Perseverance right use and improvement of Means do come under the Word Deservings There is then nothing of Man and Rogers in the Proofs of his 1st Proposition explains it thus By his only Righteousness we are justified It expresses only Christ's Righteousness and excludeth any thing else But I must not be too long upon this Out of what hath been said I hope it doth appear how of the 39 Articles those which speak about these Matters are clearly for us against Arminians Now we must come to the Liturgy or Common-Prayer-Book which now and then and in several places doth strike against those Errors and for the Truth And as the Church teaches us those Doctrines by Articles of Faith so in the Liturgy she doth confirm it by Practice But before I come to it I must take notice of some Passages in the Catechism which is also a publick Record and Evidence of the Doctrine of the Church Know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walk in the Commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace See also the Answer to the first Question about the Lord's Prayer I desire c. Read the Answer to the 4th Question and by God's help so I will c. Now to come to Particulars out of the Prayer-Book In one place we have thus (a) Collect on Christ's Nativity Grant that we being regenerate and made thy Children by Adoption and Grace may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit Those Benefits we receive as effects of Grace not of our free-Will and our being renewed is by God's Holy Spirit not by our Will If it be by one it is not by the other because in Matters of Salvation Grace and natural Strength are opposed In another place (b) Collect upon Ash-wednesday we beseech God to create and make in us new and contrite Hearts Then we cannot have it of our selves and the Word to create sheweth it to be beyond the power of any Creature it is the Work only of the Creator Elsewhere we own (c) Collect on 2d Sunday in Lent to have no power of our selves to help our selves If we have a free-Will we have a Power Again (d) Collect on Monday and Tuesday in Easter week As by thy special Grace preventing us thou dost put into our Minds good Desires so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect This is plain and full against Arminians If there be good Thoughts in our Mind good Desires in our Heart it is God alone that puts it therein By what Motive and upon what Account Not for any thing in us but by his Grace nay his special not a common universal Grace not for our Faith Repentance good Works right use of Means but by his special Grace preventing Grace before we can think and desire But this is not all for as the beginning is from God as are Desires so is the Progress for we pray for his continual help so also is the end that we may bring the same good Thoughts and Desires to good effect Without that help nothing doth or can come to any good We have more than this to shew (e) Collect on 4th Sunday after Easter Almighty God who alone canst order the unruly Wills and Affections of sinful Men grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou command-est and desire that which thou dost promise We are all sinful Men even God's People Our Wills and Affections are unruly where then lays their Freedom They are obstinate Slaves to their Passions therefore called unruly None but God can order them nothing under a Divine Power can influence them to what is good nay in things that are natural to them as to love and to desire Nothing seems more natural than Love and Desire nothing more free yet here we see our Wills cannot love that which God commands or desire what he promises except God makes them do it Surely these are mortal Wounds to free-Will Furthermore we cannot so much as to think any good thing but by the Spirit of God For St. Paul saith of our selves we cannot have a good Thought so the Church which believeth his Doctrine saith to God (f) Collect on 5th Sunday after Easter Grant to us that by thy holy Inspiration we may think those things that be good This is of Grace and not by Nature therefore (g) Collect on 1st Sunday after Trinity we can do no good thing without thee grant us the help of thy Grace that we may please thee both in will and deed God puts into our Hearts to do Duties and to perform them well (h) Collect on 3d. Sunday after Trinity Thou hast given us a hearty desire to pray We pray God to grant (i) Collect on Ascension day and Collect on Annunciation day