sin by giving him the spirit of faith and grace goes before his beleeving for hee cannot beleev before hee haue faith nor haue it before God giue him it but his actuall saving by justification and glorification follows after faith The discourse which here they fall into touching Gods deliberating and decreeing to make man c is impertinent considering that our question is onely of that decree which is Evangelicall and of mercy and so presupposeth man faln and in misery by reason therof So is the deliberation which they imagine in God incompetent to his infinite wisedom and providence They make God like a weak man contriving his purposes with ifs ands as though he stood in a mammering and unresolved what to doe till hee found by experience what men would doe first And here I demand of these men what if some of those so actually really and particularly chosen to salvation as they speak upon their faith and obedience and to whom God hath so fully purposed without ifs or ands to impart the Kingdom of heaven doe afterwards wholly fall away as they hold any may and many doe then all this actuall reall and particular chusing and setled purpose of God is voyd and frustrate and God must unpurpose what he had formerly purposed really actually and particularly and undecreâ— what he had formerly decreed They should therfore haue learnt in this place from their more learned Masters to haue added the condition of their persevering to the end without which it is certain none shall be saved But then they must needs rush upon the same deperate rock with the other which is that none are thus actually and particularly elect or chosen till they be dead seeing they deny all certainty of perseverance to the living not acknowledging any thus elect either before the world or in it but after the world and in heaven The Scriptures here produced to proue that men are not actually really and particularly Gods people and partakers of the grace of Christ before the world and they also be and before they haue learned Christ might well haue been spared as proving that onely which no man doubts of Onely they must learn that it is one thing for a people to become actually Gods people and partakers of his grace and another thing for God actually to purpose in himselfe from eternity in time to make them such Nothing in God is potent all but all actuall Their proofs of an universall calling in the means of salvation we will presently examine notâ—ng onely by the way their apparant contradiction of themselues and unjust insinuation against us They contradict themselues in saying that God chuseth all men good and bad upon condition of faith and obedience the partition wall being broken down To chuse is to take some from the rest and not to take all He that takes all alike chuseth none Besides by this the same persons are both elected and reprobated chosen and refused and every one alike either of both Then which nothing is more absurd The insinuation is that we make God an accepter of persons in saying that he chuseth men that haue not put on Christ. Nothing lesse To accept persons in the Scriptures is to judge of or doe to a person better or worse for some by thing in or about him whereas God in chusing one before another whether in the decree or actuall application of grace respecteth nothing in the chosen but onely the good pleasure of his own will in himselfe This is the highest cause that God would haue us take knowledge of though wee also know in the generall that God is no way wilfull in his will though hee be most free but alwaies most wise and holy To remoue a little further out of the way this stone at which divers stumble First we know that all by nature and of themselvs are subject to sin and condemnation and so might in justice haue been left of God without remedy of redemption If then it had been but just with God to haue left all in that state of sin and misery into which they haue cast themselvs it is then meere mercy that he hath chosen any in his Son or given him for any Now if of all men indefinitely considered as faln God haue purposed in himself from eternity to raise up some by working effectually in them faith and obedience so to saue them and not to work the same in others but to leav them to their own affected and effected pravity and sin and so in justice to condemn them for that their wickedness by them freely committed and obstinately continued in I would know in regard of whether of these two works we can be said to make God a respecter of persons The one being a pure work of his mercy and the other of his justice Why God should thus chuse some and passe by others in the generall we see reason both by the light of nature and the Scriptures namely that the glory of his power and justice might be seen in the one and of the riches of his mercy in the other But why in particular the Lord God should rather chuse this man or woman then that we leav unto himselfe to know till the day of revelation of hidden things Onely let our care and diligence be in the mean while first to know assuredly that we are our selvs of that blessed number and by such marks as cannot deceiv and so knowing both to haue in our hearts and to expresse in word and deed all thankfulnes unto our good God and most gracious Father who hath vouchsafed unto us aboue many others such singular mercy ADVERSARIES IT now remains we come to examine whether to use their own words the wicked that come to damnation had by this purpose of God spoken of before means of salvation if they had not refused it DEFENCE FIrst if this of outward means were granted them it would not help them to proue the purpose of God to saue all except they could also proue that there needed nothing on Gods part but the outward means This as they cannot doe so haue I formerly proved plainely the contrary and that though God so provide that even Paul plant and Apollos water in the most full and free offer of the outward means that can be yet except the same God by the inward and effectuall work of his Spirit giue the increase also all is nothing Secondly I deny that the wicked who perish all and every one of them haue had or haue the outward meanes of salvation offered them ADVERSARIES BVT here before they come to that which they promise they offer and enterprise the proving of another thing which is that Christ dyed unfeynedly for all without exception by whose death all might be saved if they did not reject it DEFENCE FIrst I here acknowledge that the death of Christ being God is in it selfe sufficient for all and every
threatning that if they continued not in the bounty of God they should be cut off ch 11. 21. I answer as before first that the threatning is conditionall as Gal 1. 8 If we c. Was it possible that Paul should preach any other Gospell Or were he an Angell from heaven or of God that should so doe I suppose no ch 4. 14. But an Angell from hell rather and of the divell The question is not whether if any should not abide in the bounty of God they were to be cut off or no But whether any with whom hee hath dealt so bounteously as indeed to justifie and sanctifie them haue not also a promise by his power to be kept in that his bounty by the means which he hath appointed Secondly Paul pronounceth those Romans justified not from the judgement of certainty but of charity Of whom as some were undoubtedly sincere whom God did by this and the like warnings preserv and keep in his grace so for the hypocrites mingled amongst them it was but that which we say if in their time they were broken off from that which formerly they seemed to others by their profession and it may be to themselvs also to haue had And indeed this very place if it be well minded ministers full answer to the most of their Arguments This warning though immediately given to the Romans concerns all Christians as well as them And being founded upon an example of the Lords dealing with the Iews must be expounded and applyed accordingly Who then were these exemplary Iews formerly cut off by the Lord from the oliue tree Were they such as had once truely beleeved but had after made defection I suppose not even in these mens judgment but such as occupying a place in the Church yet were in truth faithlesse hypocrites and as chaff in the Lords flore which the Son of man comming with his fan in his hand purged out And in these we may see what kind of branches they are which in time come actually and visibly to bee broken off from the Oliue The instances following of Elies house loosing the Priesthood Saul the Kingdom of Israel and the Israelites Canaan serv onely to fill up room That Priesthood Kingdom and Canaan were not the graces of faith and sanctification in the heart nor the losse of them sin but punishments onely Onely the last place Math. 18. 32 where debt forgiven is as they say recalled were something to the purpose if the drift of the parable were to shew that God indeed forgivs sins and after unforgives them which were lightnesse unbecomming any graue and honest man But the scope of the parable being no more then that we ought to forgiue such as offend us and that otherwise God will not forgiue us to draw more from it is to forget that it is a parable and to take the high way to to most grievous errour Besides there is in this parable no colour for falling away from grace and true godlinesse formerly had but onely even their exposition being admitted that a man may haue his sins pardoned who yet wants all brotherly loue and goodnesse which the Scriptures every where deny Math. 6. 14. 15 Mark 11. 24. 25 1 Ioh. 3. 14. 15 Rom. 8. 1 Ps. 32. 1. 2. Thirdly by these grounds no man can certainly know that his sins are indeed pardoned whilst he liues in the world because he may still fall away and so haue his pardon recalled though sealed up unto him by the very spirit of God it selfe And so all our faith must be but adventure whilst we liue in the world whether our sins past be in truth pardoned or no contrary to the Scriptures Lastly this impeacheth both the justice of God and his truth His justice in making him require double satisfaction for the same debt first of his Son even the price of his bloud and the same also by faith applyed to the person that hath sinned and beleeveth and after of the person himselfe Of his truth and that both of his word absolutely promising forgiuenesse of sins to him that beleeveth and also of his spirit by which he seals up the same unto their hearts Their second and third reason taken from the fall and sin of Adam and all mens falling and sinning in and by him are wholly besides the question which is onely of falling from the grace of God in Christ from election in him from the loue of God towards us when we were enemies from mercy which presupposeth sin and misery and is properly Evangelicall God gaue Adam his portion in grace by creation and left it in his own keeping which hee soon mispent but hath dealt more mercifully with us in making his Son our feofâ—er in trust that he as our head might keep and improue the grace of God belonging to us as is meet for us lest we having â—ll at once and that same left in our own hands should mispend all as Adam did To that which they alledge from Eph. 1. 4 compared with Rev. 2. 4. 5 I answer first that Paul stiles those Ephesians elect onely as he knew them so to be which was by outward appearance of holinesse Secondly that the leaving of their first loue was not a total falling from grace but onely a decaying of their former zeal Thirdly the threatning of the Candlesticks removing was to the truely called an effectuall means of drawing them to repentance When these men can make it appear that any one of the truely elect and sanctified Ephesians did wholly despise this and the like means of their bettering I will then grant their proof strong It may as well be concluded that therefore the fire goes out because it hath good and fresh fuell put unto it and is diligently blown For these exhortations and admonitions are as fuell and blowing to preserv from going out the spark and fire of grace in the hearts of beleevers That onely he that continues to the end and overcomes shall be saved and that the promise of acceptance and salvation by them miscalled the promise of election is no otherwise intended to us then upon our abiding in the faith and obedience of Christ. Wee beleev and confesse with them according to the Scriptures but withall are taught and beleev according to the same Scriptures that God keeps all his holy ones unto the end and giues them to overcome that he puts his fear in their heart that they shall not depart from him that the seed sown in good ground shall neither wither by persecution nor be choaked by cares of the world or deceitfulnesse of riches or otherwise but shall grow up to the harvest that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church or any one member thereof built upon the rock of Peters confession that God is faithfull who with the temptation will giue a way to escape for all his that they are kept by the power of
as in a generall root was so conceived and brought forth by his mother in sin Secondly it is one thing to be conceived and born in sin another thing to be made of sin The former David affirms of himself the latter they vainly impute to us and refute in us with many words That Infants are under condemnation that is naturally guilty thereof hath been formerly proved that actuall faith in Christ is required for their reconciliation to God doth not follow hereupon Actuall I say for the seed of faith they haue and of all graces for but by Gods holy Spirit in them which carries all graces with it they cannot be holy and so not bee glorified if they be not holy first but that hereupon they need actuall faith is their saying without proof Actuall sins indeed require actuall faith but for sin in disposit on called originall why may not faith in disposition suffice through the mercy of God for the applying of it About the Infants of Sodom and Gomorrah they discourse marvellously as first in ranking them in their deaths with unreasonable creatures in theirs secondly in making them not onely innocent but godly also The Scriptures teach that besides the temporary death those Cities suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Let them proue children not to haue been of those Cities If God exempted them or any of them from that vengeance it was not for any condition cōmon to them with bruit beasts as they insinuate but with respect to Christ besides whom the Scriptures acknowledg no other Saviour nor no other salvation but by him ADVERSARIES TO a question moved by themselves What need Infants haue of Christ if they be not under condemnation they answer that through his redemption they liue and moue and haue their being and injoy all other earthly blessings with resurrection from the dead and glorification 1 Cor. 15. 12. DEFENCE THus they make Christ and Infants amends But how proue they that by Christs redemption they liue moue c The Scripture Act. 17 to which they haue reference is meant of the naturall life of all by Gods work of creation and providence which is nothing but continuation of creation and nothing at all to Christ as Redeemer The redemption for which Christ came is from sin and so from the curse due for sin as the Scriptures every where testifie The first Adam was made a living soule the last Adam a quickning spirit We haue therfore our naturall life motion and being common to Heathens with Christians by the first Adam our spirituall and glorious life by the second Lastly the Apostle saying 1 Cor. 15. 22 In Christ shall all be made aliue speaks onely of all beleevers as is evident v. 14. 17. 18. 19 who haue Christ for the first fruits and are Christs v. 20. 23. Are any Christs but Christians Is not the lump and the first fruits one Men should haue risen again though Christ had never come or been promised but to condemnation Our resurrection onely in regard of the glory of it is from Christs glorious resurrection And if Infants haue glorification from Christ then they haue the pardon of sinne from Christ also 1 Cor. 15. 17. 23 and therewith his Spirit dwelling in them for sanctifying and quickning them Rom. 8. 9. 10. 11. These men divide Chrst making him a King to some for glorification to whom hee is not a Priest for redemption by his bloud Next to a question by themselvs moved How wee must haue the Son they answer by keeping his commandements forgetting faith by which alone we receiv Christ from which followeth loue purity of heart and obedience Which faith hath more properly the consideration of a condition as a hand to receiv a promise then of an act of obedience to a commandment It is true being rightly understood which they add that repentance is of all sin to wit particularly of all sins known and generally of sins unknown For Who can understand his errours Cleanse thou me from secret faults said he that observed and knew his wayes better then either these men or I. Doe they think nothing amisse slips from them in thought word or deed or ever hath done whereof they doe not or haue not repented particularly Is their knowledge so perfect as they need not pray for further enlightning as Eph. 1. 17. 18 Are they certain they are ignorant of and erre in nothing in the Scriptures written for their bearning This their book sufficiently reproues their Pharisaicall dream of perfection Where speaking of Idolatry they affirm that God cannot bee worshipped after a false manner they expresly contradict the Scripture saying The people did sacrifice still in the high places yet unto the Lord their God onely Here was worshipping the true God and him onely and yet after a false manner in a respect The same the Apostle teacheth the Athenians The God whom you ignorantly worship declare I unto you When Papists direct their prayers to God the maker of the world and father of Iesus Christ hoping the rather to be heard by means of the Virgin Maries intercession who doubts but they worship the true God but in a false manner Neither doth Deut. 18. 20 proue the sin one of speaking in the name of a false God and speaking falsehood in the name of a true God but divers though both deserving death Next they in their wilde order come to treat of Faith where they affirm that no man can haue faith to justification before he haue repented If they had sayd that no man hath the grace or habit of faith before the grace of repentance it had been true God by the spirit of regeneration infusing the habits of all graces at once But that the act and exercise of faith in beleeving is before our repenting appears both by Scripture and common sense We liue the life of Christ wherof our repenting is a part by the faith of the Sonne of God God purifieth the heart by faith and justifies the ungodly by his faith In all which it is plain that faith hath the preheminence and first work So 2 Cor. 7. 10 Godly sorrow workes repentance Repentance then presupposeth godly sorrow Godly sorrow or whatsoever is truely godly must needs please God which without faith no man can doe but even every thing is sin Faith working that which worketh repentance must goe before it Secondly godly sorrow is not onely for the fear of punishment for so the devils are sorrie but for the offence of God specially Now none can be sorrie for his offending God except he loue God nor loue him except he know first that he bee loved of him in Christ in which faith consisteth We beleev therefore before we repent in the truth of the thing and order of causes though we can hardly discern this order in our own sense CHAP. VI. Of Baptisme IN the next place they come to
hardeneth Their alledging of Austin against the heathenish desteny which they held to come from the starres is frivolous and impious against Gods infinitely wise and powerfull providence in governing all things in heaven and earth In regard wherof the same Father saith that the things which are done against Gods will are not done without his will viz. ordering and directing them to their ends And if the penners of this book were not voyd either of all knowledg of the Authours judgment whom they cite or modesty in themselues they would never alledg Austin and Ursinus as patrons of their errours about the divine Predestination and other points therupon depending then whom the Synode at Dort hath none the one of former and other of later times more clearly witnessing with it and all the best Reformed Churches in those matters CHAP. II. Of Election THeir first head of Predestination being ended they come next to Election which they consider not as a part of the former with the Scriptures and all good Authours but as clean another thing But what may rather bee guessed then gathered from their words And first in laying down the supposed errours of their Adversaries concerning Election they doe us and the truth manifold injuries as the Reader may evidently see who pleaseth to compare with their calumnies the Confession of the Synode thereabout which is Electio autem est immutabile Dei â—ropâ—stium c. Election is the unchangeable purpose of God by which before the foundation of the world were laid out of all mankind faln from its primatiue integrity into sin and destruction by iâ—s own fault according to the most free good pleasure of his will he out of his meer grace hath chosen to salvation in Christ a certain multitude of such as were neither better nor more worthy then others but lying in the common misery with others vvhom to wit Christ he hath appointed from eternity for Mediator and Head of the elect and accordingly to giue them to him to be saved and to call and draw them effectually to fellowship with him by his word and Spirit or hath decreed to bestow upon them true faith to justifie sanctifie and at the length being powerfully kept in the fellowship of his Son to glorifie them for the declaration of his mercy and praise of the riches of his glorious grace as it is written He hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame in his sight with loue having predestinated us to the adoptien of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in that beloved one Eph. 1. 4. 5. 6. And elsewhere Whom hee hath predestinated them also he hath called and whom he hath called them also he hath justified and whom he hath justified them also he hath glorified Rom. 8. 30. And by this joynt Confession all equall Readers will judge of the faith of the Evangelicall Churches in this point and not by the partiall and perverse relations of such Adversaries as catch here and there a piece divided from the rest and ometimes altering the words alwaies perverting the meaning therby cast stumbling stones in their own and others way ADVERSARIES THese things premised the particulars follow the first whereof is a similitude brought as they say by us to exemplify our opinion by of a phisition entring into the house of sick men and curing some and that for nothing who are bound to thank him and not cureing others who haue no cause to complain of him because he ows them nothing This similitude they except against as that in which comparison is made between a phisition who hath litle mercy in him in healing but a few and â—â—aving infinite numbers unhealed and God and Christ who are most mercifull saying Come unto me all that are laden and I will ease you They therfore to correct this will haue Christ compared to a Phisition truely mercifull that going into the house of sick men proclaims that he will heal all that will take a medicine which some taking are cured others refusing because it is bitter as to Deny a mans self Take up his crosse and follow Christ remain uncured DEFENCE FIrst the Scripture by them cited for their catholike cure is violently stretched aboue it reach For neither are all in the world no nor a handfull in comparison of the rest laden as Christ there speaks that is feeling and groaning under the intollerable burthen of sin and of the wrath of God due therunto This did very few of the other Iews and fewer of the Pharises who thought themselues righteous neither doth Christ so call and therefore not offer to cure by the preaching of the Gospell every particular person in the world from the beginning to the end therof This truthlesse and shamelesse assertion we shall haue occasion hereafter to confute at large In the mean while the place alledged proues onely thus much that Christ the good Phisition offers to cure all that come to him by the preaching of the Gospell with feeling of their sins and faith in his death and no more Secondly even for them that come to Christ and are effectually healed by him these men erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God for the conversion of sinners in affirming that he doth no more but provide the medicine of grace and outwardly perswade to the receiving of it or that there is which they take wrongfully for granted the same natural power in a wicked man to receiv grace offered by the Gospel that there is in a sick man to take the medicine offered him by the Phisition This capitall errour of theirs is in this place to be refuted and the contrary truth to be cleared namely that for the effectuall converting of men God not onely provides the medicine Christ and his benefits and by the Gospell exhorts to the receâ—t thereof and so leavs men to their own freewill indifferently without further doing But that wâ—thall and aboue the former hee by the inwâ—id work of hâ—s holy Spâ—â—it given them makes effectuall the outward means in opening the heart to attend to the things spoken with reverence in inlightning the understanding to discern and assent unto the same things as true and good and that with particular applications in bending the will efficaciously to consent to the same and all the affections of the soule to loue and like them But before this be done by us it is meet we answer an objection or two rather insinuated then expresly made by them Their words are which also as appears by the mark in the margent they would haue accounted remarkeable that Christ is willing and able to cure men by the means by which they are curable and not by the means by which they cannot bee cured for that his power herein
to life beleeved that is of unbeleevers which they were before became beleevers in Christ according to that Rom. 8. 30 whom he predestinated them also he called that is he gaue them to beleev and repent Their preordination or predestination to life therefore went before their effectuall calling and beleeving as the cause before the effect Their assertion in the application of their Similitude of a mercifull rich man offering mony to so many as come that they who proudly refuse the rich mans gift were ordained to haue it as well as any that received it is most erroneous being applyed to the matter in hand and strikes directly against the Text which saith that so many as were ordained to life did beleev that is did come and receiv eternall life by beleeving in Christ. If all or so many as were ordained received it then they that received it not were not ordained Neither doth v. 46 as they affirm for a conclusion that their end may answer their beginning testifie any such thing but onely that they who thought themselvs unworthy of eternall life had the word of God preached unto them but that they were therfore ordained to eternall life is not the testimony of the Text but their unskilfull glosse The Holy Ghost expresly opposeth unto them to whom Paul speaks v. 46 them that were ordained to life v. 48. CHAP. III. Of falling away ADVERSARIES THE third Head questioned is according to their order whether a man may full from life eternalls but is more plainly and fully thus laid down Whether a man truely and effectually called justified and sanctified may wholly fall away from the grace of Christ They hold the affirmatiue and that a man may thus fall away though they set down their opinion both in unproper and doubtfull terms where they say that the promise of Gods election is continuedupon continuance in the condition of faith and obedience to Christs Gospell DEFENCE FIrst the Scriptures speak not of the promise of Gods election as they here doe again and again Election or gods purpose of electing is before the world the promise not till men actually be Gods purpose must needs be before his promise for he but promiseth in time what he purposed from eternity If they had spoken of Gods purpose of or according to election it had been something but what the promise of election means I understand not nor I suppose themselvs All election is to somewhat and this of which they speak to salvation the Kingdom of God and eternall life In their meaning then God promiseth to chuse to eternall life and continueth to promise to chuse to eternall life upon condition of continuance of the condition of election faith and obedience Now a promise made upon a condition to goe before is not to be performed till the condition be performed and so by their doctrine God doth not elect any till they haue continued to the end in faith and obedience that is till they be dead And so actuall and particular election is not of men living but dead To which absurd assertion these mens Masters the Arminians are driven It is true that God neither purposeth nor promiseth to saue any but such as persevere in faith and repentance unto the end So is it also true that this perseverance in grace depends upon election which is both to the end and means Christ Iesus and perseverance in faith in him and obedience unto him ADVERSARIES THeir Arguments are of two sorts the former drawn from such Scriptures as teach as they say that the godly may fall away the latter from such as exhort and admonish godly men to keep them-from falling away The latter of these two they prosequute â—n the first place upon this ground that if there were not danger and great need of warning the Lord who saith not in vain unto his people Seek yee me Esay 45. 19 would not so oft move them to take heed beware and the like DEFENCE AS they are deceived by the translation which they follow Esay 45 the Lord not speaking of his not saying in vain to his people Seek yee me but of their not seeking him in vain seeing all his words tend to righteousnesse So the ground which they lay is true in its selfe namely that were there no danger any way then it were in vain to warn to take heed which to affirm of God derogates from his wisedom We are therfore in the first place by way of distinction to consider a faithfull man either in respect of himselfe as sustaining himselfe or in respect of the grace of Christ sustaining him Considering him in himselfe we willingly grant that a faithfull man may as easily fall away as did the Angels in heaven and Adam in paradice being left to themselvs grace not being as is reason an inseparable property but that which is separable from mans nature But now considering the same faithfull person as a living member of Christs body receiving nourishment from him the head and given to Christ by the Father that he might saue him as having the spirit of Christ dwelling in him and as kept by the power of God through faith to salvation in that regard we deny that it can come to passe possibly that such a one should wholly fall away from the grace received And this divers consideration of one and the same person is founded in the Scriptures and light of reason The Apostle teacheth that both he and all others are insufficient of themselvs to think any thing as of themselvs but sufficient as of God that the faithfull may be weak in themselvs and haue God perfecting his strength in mans weakenesse that not a mans selfe but the grace of God in him may labour aboundantly that is he by â—t and not by his own strength Thus to open the distinction yet fullâ—er might Christs flesh haue seen corruption considered in it selfe as being made of the same mould with ours but so could it not possibly in regard of Gods purpose promise and work of providence to the contrary So considering his bones in themselvs and their naturall strength it was as possible they should haue been broken by the souldiers as the bones of the two theevs crucified with him but yet this was impossible in respect of Gods precedent word and prediction Not a bone of him shall be broken and of his present work of most powerfull providence according to his word If now with this consideration that a beleever may of himselfe fall away we conjoyn this other that the exhortations and admonitions in the Scriptures are means sanctified of God to keep and preserv all his from such apostasie how should it seem strange unto any that God should infallibly obtain his own end the perseverance of his Saints by his own means which these exhortations are Is it a good argument that God may fail of his end because he useth effectuall means wherby to
is subject to his will and his will is that they should take the medicine The substance of their objection is that God will not and therefore cannot cure men otherwise then by their receiving the medâ—cine offered Christ and his benefits Very true God wâ—ll not nor can so doe by his revealed will which to us is the rule of his power But where they say that Gods power is subject to his will this must be otherwise understood then as they do conceiving it to be of that work of his will by which he appoints others what they shall doe whereas it is to be understood of that work of his will by which he appoints in himselfe what he will doe in or about others As where it is said The Lord is in heaven and doth whatsoever pleaseth him that is whatsoever he wils the meaning is not that he doth or that his power is ruled by what he commands others to doe but by his will or purpose of doing himselfe what pleaseth him God so wils the conversion of all to whom the Gospell comes as to command the same and to approue it where it is but hee wils the conversion of some namely the elect with another and further intention of will setting a work the power of his Spirit in their hearts effectually and as they speak irresistably to convert them by taking away their stony heart and giving them an heart of flesh and by putting his Spirit within them and causing them to walke in his statutes Gods power then is not subject to his commanding will alwaies to work alike where he commands alike but it is subject to his purpose of will in himselfe according to the good pleasure thereof to work or not to work by means of his commanding will The Arguments of proofe distinctly follow 1 Arg. To receiv Christ and his grace is to beleev in him this beleeving or faith by which we are saved is the gift of God and not of our selues So as not onely the medicine it selfe and offer of it but also the hand to receiv it with which is faith and a beleeving heart is Gods gift The Phisition offers and giues to the receiver the medicine but not the heart and hand â—o receiv it but God giues these also to them that doe receiv Christs justification and sanctification and salvation by him If it be said that God giues faith by preaching and exhortation to receiv it though he add no further work I answer that then God giues this gift and grace of faith as well and as much to them that receiv it not but remain still unbeleevers as to them that beleev yea more to many unbeleevers as having more and more excellent outward means then many that receiv it It is therefore absurd to say that God giues faith or to beleev unto him that never beleevs specially faith being such a gift as hath no existence but in the heart of him that beleevs 2 Arg. The Apostle elsewhere pronounceth all men either spirituall or naturall Of the naturall man he testifieth that he doth not nor can discern of themselvs the things of God but that they are foolishness unto him but of the spirituall that he discerns of such things and receivs them The naturall man he neither doth nor can the spiritual he both can and doth What is it then that of the natural makes the spiritual man that can doe these great things the bare publishing and proclaiming of this spirituall and gracious medicine in and by Christ Not so for too many alas remain naturall still to whom the Gospell of grace is very plenteously preached What then Is it his freewill to receiv it to whom it is preached Not so neither for his will is but the will of a naturall man who neither doth nor can discern and receiv the things of God till he become spirituall It is then Gods holy Spirit which he giues to one that hears the Gospell and not to another which makes one hearer spirituall and not another thereby changing both the will and whole man of him to whom he giues it 3 Arg. A third is taken from 1. Cor. 3. 6. 7. Paul plants Apollo waters but God giues the increase And Neither he that planâ—eth is any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase The Corinthians did too highly advance the Ministers by them factiously adhered unto as is evident setting them in Christs and Gods place the Apostle thereupon puls them down and sets them in their owne place shewing that except God and a further work then their preaching how sound and excellent soever all â—s nothing But by these mens device there needs no further work of grace from God then the gracious proclamation made by preaching to be received by mans free-will and so Gods further work of giving the increase is quite shut out 4. Arg. When the Iewes Ioh. 6. murmured at Christs words he to stop their mouths and to prevent his Disciples offence-taking sayth that No man commeth unto him except the father which sent him draw him If any say that God drawes men to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell it is true but not to the purpose of the place for so the Iewes were drawn that came not as well as they that came and beleeved There is then requisite that men may come to Christ or beleeue on him a further drawing then that by the outward preaching onely Not that God drawes men as horses draw a cart or by any violence or compulsion against or without their will but that he makes them by the inward work of his Spirit joyned with the outward word of unwilling willing effectually driveing away ignorance and rebellion and so enlightening the minde as to asâ—â—ns and the will to consent 5 Arg. Lastly these adversaries suffering their mercifull Phisition to go no further then the proclaiming offering of the medicine of grace to the sick of sin do therein make many despisers of all grace and goodnes so living and dying and perishing for ever more bound and beholden to God and his grace then many other the most faithfull holy and happy servants of Christ. The reason is plain for that many liveing and dying impenitent haue had the Gospell in a far more full and plenteous manner and measure published and preached unto them with all other outward motives and provocations of grace then many that truely beleev and repent These adversaries to the grace of God would make the faithfull servants of God more Pharisaicall then the Pharisees themselues with whom they consort in divers poynts of their faith The Pharisee that went up with the Publican into the Temple to pray yet thanked God that he was not like other men as extortioners unjust c. nor as the Publican But by these mens doctrine we should thank our selues â—f we be not like the wicked and gracelesse men and not God for God by
hoping to come in time to some dore or window A second is that the terrours of conscience accusing them for sin should haue caused them to seek after God with earnestnesse for reconciliation And to this we assent also A third is that it is not Gods fault but their own that they are ignorant of the means of reconciliation and salvation And of this also we are perswaded as they so far as there is a fault But now what did those Heathens in this case They became vain in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were full of darkenesse so as they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to Idols satisfying themselvs in their own inventions And this also as consonant to the Scriptures we willingly admit of And what then God for this say they delivered them up to a reprobate minde that they never knew more for what should he that is not faithfull in a little be trusted with more Luk. 16. 10 and gaue them up to their own hearts lusts and so they became past feeling And to consent with them herein also the Scriptures leade us very directly But what now follows of all this for conclusion Namely that all Nations Citties houses c. that is every particular man and woman hath had the mercy of God in the offer of Christ affoarded them that all were bidden to the marriage Nay the plain contrary and that all were not bidden but that many in stead of this mercy to be bidden were in justice left to themselvs and given up to their own vain imaginations the Lord suffering all the Nations to walk in their own waies as the Apostle saith and refusing as themselvs confesse to trust them with much which had not been faithfull in a little so as they never knew more And whereas they cunningly shuffle in now and then that men might haue had Christ given unto them or offered them and that Christ might haue been manifested to every one if they had would how congruously to the Scriptures they speak therein we now dispute not is not onely besides the matter in controversie which is what was and is and not what might haue been done but to their own prejudice feeing that which onely might haue been is not specially that bar being put by mens own default which effectually hinders the being of it as in this case Having thus shewed that these men either fight busily with their own shadows in proving at large things never called into question by us or may easily haue their weapons turned upon themselvs in the main matter I will even now proceed after that I haue briefly observed some particular mistakings by them And first they both add to the Text and err in applying that which is written Rom. 11. 32. The Scripture is God hath concluded them all in unbeliefe that he might haue mercie upon all they add of their own every person whereas the Apostle neither speaks of every person but onely of the Gentiles indefinitely at one time and of the Iews at another which he there opposeth the one to the other neither speaks he of the offering of grace and mercy onely as they deem but of the actuall conferring of it upon all of whom there he speaks who beleeved and obtained mercy the other remaining in unbeleef And this both the drift and words of the place expresly manifest v. 30. 31. 32. Neither doth that other place alledged Tit. 2. 11 speak of all and every particular person but of persons of all sorts servants as well as masters or any others The Apostle v. 9 10 provokes beleeving servants to obedience to their masters rendâ—ing this reason of encouragement v. 11 for the grace of God which bringeth salvation unto all hath appeared as if he should say that even they though poor bond-slaves if they continued in faith and faithfull obedience should haue their part in the salvation of God as well as any others Secondly as I will not simply deny that God punished the Heathens other sins with the want of preaching Christ unto them so is it certain that greater sinners and deeplyer drowned both in idolatry and other lusts none in the world were then the Corinthians Athenians Ephesians and others to whom Christ was preached and faith thereby given to many unto salvation The Lord tels the Prophet that though the house of Israel to whom he was sent would not hear yet if he had sent him to the Heathens surely they would haue heard him So the Lord Iesus upbraids the cities of Chorah Bethsaida and Capernaum where he both preached and wrought most of his mighty works that they were deeper in the contempt of God and further from all disposition to use aright the means of salvation then the Heathenish Cities of Tyre and Sâ—don yea of Sodom it selfe unto whom yet he vouchsafed not the means of repentance and revelation of grace which he did to the former By which it doth appear that the Lord doth not observ the order prescribed unto him by these men for the dispensing of his favours this way in trusting them with most who are of their faithfull in a little that is wholly faithlesse indeed but as the wind blows where it lists so doth he by the sweet gusts of his Gospell and spirit according to the good pleasure of his own will and not according to the good pleasure of mens will in their use of naturall light and conscience dispense supernaturall grace both for means and efficacy Lastly as they here contradict their main ground of universall calling in supposing some Nation to haue no means of knowing Christ so I would learn of them how the Gentiles wholly voyd of faith could rightly examine all things touching the offence of God an accusing conscience and the satisfying of Gods justice as they would haue them or in so doing could promise to themselvs the revelation of Christ by one means or other as they liberally undertake for them They tell us He that seeks shall find Math. 7. But we answer them that Christ there speaks not of a seeking by blind and unbeleeving Gentiles but by his faithfull Disciples Now albeit the eternall and unchangeable election of God doe not manifest it selfe in time in the bare outward calling of the so elected common to many others with them but as the same hath joyned with it the effectuall work of true faith and repentance in the heart peculiar to them alone Yet seeing these adversaries labour upon presumption of an universall grace offered to all in the preaching of the Gospell to establish an uniuersall election of all that is in truth to overthrow all election I will here annex to the things formerly laid down two or three plain testimonies for thâ—â— further conviction The first â—s from the Psalm He shewed his word unto Iacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for judgements they
also the workers of iniquity not with a passion of the mind as hatred is in man but with a holy will to punish the violation of his righteous Law And though with a generall loue of the Creator to the creature he alwaies after a sort loue the persons of men as being his generation yet he loues as is meet the honour of his holinesse more then the happinesse of his creature having violated and prophaned it without repentance They further bewray their ignorance where they think to mend the matter in saying that God hates the persons as weapons and instruments of those wicked qualities Where hath God ever so spoken or any other man before them The godly qualities or graces of knowledge faith loue patience and the like are the spirituall armour and weapons of godly men the members also of men are called the weapons of righteousnesse or unrighteousnes for that with them they practise perform the works thereof But to say the persons are weapons and instruments of the qualities is to put the person in the hand of the weapon to be used by it wheras on the contrary all know that the weapon and instrument is in the hand of the person and to be used and exercised by him They here in desiring the Reader well to observ what they haue said as being a most blessed truth are loath that their nakednesse should not be seen in their spirituall drunkennesse ADVERSARIES NOW for the words of the Apostle to which they return after so long wandring their comment is They went out from us c. that is say they Those lying spirits those persons who had once the spirit of truth in them went out from the Apostles and other Saints And again those lying spirits and Antichrists in mens persons went out c. and were never of the truth the summe of all being that lying spirits and Antichrists in mens persons went out of the truth DEFENCE A Riddle better fitting H. N. then the professours of the truth in simplicity It behoues us therefore a little to insist upon the Text opening it according to the Apostles meaning and ours with him and first proving against them that by those that went out are not meant the lying spirits in the persons but the persons themselues And first these words They went out from us or better from out of us shew that those out-goers were formerly of them in a respect else how could they haue gone out from them But lying spirits were never of the Apostles and Saints but the persons sometimes were Secondly hee saith not as they corrupt the Text If they had been of the truth but of us nor they would hane continued with it but with us nor but they are not of it but they were not of us all carrying it to persons so and so qualified Thirdly Is it to be conceived that the Apostle would complain as heere he doth that lying spirits did not continue with the Churches Fourthly in saying They went out of us that it might be manifest that they were not all of us he shews that by their out-leaps something was manifested which was hid before But it was plain before to the Apostles and Saints that lying spirits were not of the truth He speaks therefore of the persons of hypocrites whom by this their professed defection God discovered Fithly in saying they were not all of us he insinuates that some of them were What some lying spirits of the Spirit of truth No but that not all the persons that formerly professed the truth with them were true members of Christs body which they were Lastly v. 20 He makes an opposition between them of whom hee writes and to whom But yee What yee spirits and so v. 28 little children that is little spirits All may see with what spirit these men are led He then speaks of the going out of persons not of spirits as they mean but being indeed Antichrists as v. 18 in regard of their spirits and doctrines for which they pretended the spirit of Christ. That which they add of the spirit of Hymeneus together with his person being in fellowship with Paul is like the rest By his Spirit it seems they mean his faith in saying faithfull Hymeneus was of the truth erroneous Hymeneus was never of it Hath the faith of a person fellowship with the Saints Or did Hymeneus his faith sometimes hold faith and a good conscience and after put them away Or are not these things plainly spoken of the person of men Paul speaking that of Hymeneus and others which hee knew in regard of outward appearance and not that which he knew not of the inward truth in the heart The meaning of Iohn is plain enough that these Antichrists went out of the Church not by making any seperation or schism from it as some thinke for they still continued in the outward fellowship preaching and prophesying and deceiving but in it by heresie and prophanenesse contrary to that outward profession of faith and holinesse which they had formerly made by which their defection they shewed that they were never truely regenerate and inwardly and indeed living members of the body but having been hypocrites at their best God so ordered that they should hereby discover themselvs For had they been indeed of the number of the faithfull they had so continued to the end Which truth this Apostle confirms further ch 3 very evidently saying whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin For his that is Gods seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God He doth not say as some would haue him he cannot sin or commit sin that is giue himselfe to sin as the wicked doe whilst the seed of God remains in him or whilst hee is born of God but for or because this seed of the new birth remaineth in him One observation I will here annex and so conclude this Head It cannot be saith Christ but offences will come And of all offences none is greater and which more wounds the tender heart of a weak Christian then when he sees such as by their former profession and appearances haue purchased to themselvs the opinion of piety and godlinesse to apostate and fall away from that their former profession either to grosse errour or prophanenesse This occasions him to suspect Satan by suggestions of unbelief furthering him herein that there is not in the course of Christianity that power of grace stablenesse and true comfort which it promiseth This stone of offence which Satans malice casts in the way Gods spirit removeth in providing that where there is in the Scriptures either mention or insinuation of mans falling away from the grace of God there is withall commonly an item given in the same place that such persons were never effectually sanctified but hypocrites at their best whatsoever they seemed either to others or to themselvs Thus where some at the first
receiving the word with joy are after when tribulation or persecution ariseth offended others haue made some growth yet become unfruitfull by the cares of the world and deceitfulnesse of riches the Lord would haue us take knowledg that such were never better then stony and thorny ground Thus that Iudas being lost was none of them whom the Father had given unto Christ but a child of perdition Thus where Israel did not obtain that which it sought for but was broken off yet that the election obtained it the gifts and calling of God being without repentance Thus that they which fall are such as think that is presume that they stand rather then ever doe so indeed Thus that though some come to err concerning the truth formerly professed by them yet the foundation of God stands steady having this soul The Lord knoweth who are his Thus that if some inlightned and tasting of the heavenly gifts c. fall away it is they that are dull of hearing like the earth that beareth but thorns and bryars notwithstanding the rayns falling upon it Thus that false Teachers and such as follow their pernicious wayes were at first and best but men creeping in unawares Lastly that such as went out of the fellowship of the Apostles and Churches in the outward profession of faith and holinesse were never truely and inwardly of them as was made manifest in due time CHAP. IIII. Of Freewill AFTER a lowd blast in the beginning as formerly of their full and sufficient dealing in the former point our Adversaries begin this with a false and foul accusation ADVERSARIES THE Calvinists hold that wicked men are compelled to sinn by Gods power and again that men are compelled by the power force and compulsion of Gods predestination to all wicked and cruell crymes Against which they alleag out of Bastingius and Thes. Genev. that Man by evill was spoyled not of his will but of the soundnesse of his will Therfore that which in nature was good in quality became evill and that as Bernard teacheth there is in us all power to will but to will well we had need to profit better to will evill we are able already by reason of our fall as also that there remains freedom in all good naturall civill morall and judiciall things but not in spirituall These things they say if we wil stand to they require no more DEFENCE BOth we will stand to them and they must fall by them as they might evidently see if they considered that all our question is about freedom of will in spirituall things which alone we deny The ground of their errour here is that they unskilfully confound necessity compulsion and conceiv not how a thing both free and casuall in it selfe may be the over-ruling hand of Gods providence be determined necessarily this way or that The difference between necessity and compulsion I haue formerly both proved and opened at large shewing how mans freewill in chusing that which is evill and Gods powerfull hand in governing him in that his choise according to his wise counsell to his holy ends may well stand together And for that which is good God works it by inclination by his Word and Spirit which inclination cannot be compulsion seeing compulsion and violence is onely against the inclination of the thing and not the inclining of it God herein first takes away the former corrupt inclination that â—t reign not which is the coard wherewith a man is tyed as they speak and then giues a new inclination contrary to the former not haleing up a man by main force as they mishape a similitude for us but giving inward will and strength of grace for the man to raise up himselfe by And if all kinde of necessity abolish all kind of freedom then in truth a man doth nothing freely for whatsoever he doth he doth it necessarily when he doth it They doe here in vain heap up Scriptures like medicines upon a sound stomack to prove that election and choyce cannot be but in or rather with liberty We acknowledg that whatsoever good or evill a man doth outwardly or inwardly where the will comes to work for there may be acts of the understanding and motions of the affections before and without the wills working he useth liberty and freedom in chusing or refusing that is he doth it not by any violence or compulsion but from the inward principles of his mind the understanding directing and the will consenting though yet the wicked being left of God cannot but doe wickedly any more then the Aethiopian can change his skin or the Leopard his spots nor the godly but doe godlily by the grace of God effectually inclining him thereunto Neither doth our affirmation make voyd or unmoveing the threatnings of God but makes both threatnings and promises and precepts and all most effectuall God by the inward work of his spirit giving an encrease to the outward preaching and opening the heart to receaue the same One man can move another by outward motives words and the like Will these men affoord God no more or other work Will they deny any inward work of Gods spirit at all above the words work though in and by it What mean then the holy Scriptures speaking so frequently of this Spirits work in men with means without means for ordinary and extraordinary operations both gifts and graces Or if there be such a spirit of God dwelling and working in men why doe they deny unto it a prevailing power wheresoever it pleaseth God to bestow it And for those that cannot repent as they plead for some God and their own consciences will plead against them that they will not repent and so are not tyed with a coard by others and violently with-held as they plead for them but doe willingly cast and keep the coards of iniquity and rebellion upon themselvs We acknowledg also and they therefore prove in vain that to whomsoever the word comes them God would have gathered unto him hearken unto his voyce repent that they might live and not dy to wit in that degeee of willing which stands in commanding those things and approving them if they follow and that the fault is onely in mens obstinacy if they repent not Neither doe the Calvinists as they surmise make either Gods decree or the defect of his grace in fault if men repent not because they affirm that God decreed not to give them the grace to repent nor doth give it them except eyther God may not require repentance of all or be bound to give it to all It is not my fault that a drunkard fals and lyes in the street though he cannot but both fall and ly there except I hold and help him up except withall I be bound so to help him nor my fault that a prodigal spend-thrift comes into debt and is cast into prison and cannot escape the one or other unlesse I pay his
debts except withall I be bound to pay them so neither is it Gods fault that men remain and periâ—h in that impenitency out of which they neither will nor can come without Gods speciall gift of repentance except it be Gods bounden duty as these men seem to make it to bestow that grace upon them The two places Esa. 5. 1. 2. 3 c. and Math 11. 21. 22 we will a little more particularly examine In the former where God saith he could doe no more to his vineyard then he had done he speaks onely of outward means as the text makes it plain I fenced it c. I would ask these men whether there be not requisite that the naturall vineyard may bring forth fruit something besides the fencing gathering out of the stones and the rest there mentioned It cannot be denyed that except besides and above all these God give the encrease by an inward blessing all planting watering and outward dressing whatsoever is nothing so is it in the spirituall vineyard much more though planted by Paul himself yea by Christ himself in the outward ministery And where God saith He expected sweet grapes but it brought forth wild v 4. we must not imagine as our adversaries seem to doe that God is deceaved in his expectation as men often are but onely that the Israelites did not perform that which God required and they ought Touching the repentance of Tyre Sidon First I would know how they prove that Christ speaks of other then legall repentance such as Ahab manifested in sack-cloth which was not from a godly sorrow for sin but from a servile fear of punishment Secondly eyther this repentance should haue been wrought by those mighty works alone or by them with other helps Mighty works alone cannot work faith repentance which must come by hearing instructions of the word which they serve to confirm unto men If Christ speak of his mighty works as means though not sufficient of themselvs yet availeable with other requisite helps he excludes not the spirits work but includes it But in truth the meaning of Christ seems to be no more but to reprove the obstinacy of Corazin in a form of speach like unto that Luk. 19. 40. If these should hold their tongue the stones would imediately cry out And as it were a vain thing hence to dispute about the speaking of stones so is it to gather any thing thence of the Tyrians repentance The meaning of the Lord here is not to commend the Tyrians at all but to upbraid the Chorazites and to shew their hardnes of heart to be greater then the others The like form of speach we haue to the like purpose Ezech 3. 6. And if so be there were in these Tyrians this pronenes to repentance if they had enjoyed the means which the others did but they wanted withall that God so desires the repentance salvation of all how came it to passe that God did not afford those helps unto them that were so prone and willing to have used them aright It seems the former case is now altered and that men might say to God that they would but he would not ADVERSARIES THeir invincible Argument servs onely to bewray their incurable disease in heaping together many Scriptures to prove that which no man doubts of namely that the works wrought in us by God are attributed to us also as the cleansing of our hearts c wherein yet they mingle with Gods truth their own errours and that in particular in affirming that God takes it to himself as a proper title to justify a sinner and yet that Dasaith he justified his heart DEFENCE FIrst if it be proper to God to justifie a sinner how is it common to David with him Secondly They slaunder David in making him say he justified his heart Could David forgiue the sin of his heart which God doth in justifying a sinner David Psal. 73. speaks of sanctification not of justification They ignorantly apply the Scriptures Psal. 108. 12. Psal. 118. 13. to Gods working grace in men being meant onely of his working deliverance for them They vainly and deceitfully affirm from Acts. 7. 51. 13. 46. that man may resist the grace of God wrought by his word and spirit The places speak not of any grace wrought by either of them The former speaks onely of resisting the spirit as the Authour of the word in the Prophets and others The latter of resisting the word of God not working but offering grace onely Besides they notably abuse those Scriptures cited in making them plainly to shew that man hath free choise to wit alike to work with God or against God in the work of his grace It is true that men whether receiving or refusing grace doe it freely and without compulsion but the latter freely of themselvs being left of God to themselvs the former freely by Gods speciall grace and spirit giving them and effectually drawing them to Christ. I say more effectually though not violently then any one creature can by violence draw another Oh that any made partakers of this free grace of Gods spirit dwelling in them should deny the powerfull work of it to establish their own freewill After Scriptures they come to experience And first they erre in thinking that liberty and necessity of sinning in wicked men cannot stand together It is certain that the more wicked either man or devill is he sinneth both the more freely and the more necessarily Their similitude of a mans drinking poyson is against themselvs so far as it is pertinent I would know of them how the drinking of poyson by any is unavoydable If they say because hee knows it not to be in his drink therin they grant that sins of ignorance are done unavoydably and yet not by compulsion as they conclude Secondly who would think that any after the profession of the knowledg and obedience of the Gospell which these men haue made so many yeares both in the Church of England and else where should so far apostate therefrom to Popery and Phaâ—isaism as to think it as easie a thing for a man yea though never so wicked to keep himselfe from all sin as from drinking of poyson which he knew to be in his cup For he that knows it not cannot avoyd it How grievously erre they in affirming that all men are able to keep the Law to wit without the least fayling all their life long in thought word or deed For this they plead in this whole Section that except it be possible for every man thus to keep the Law neither his conscience can accuse him nor God justly punish him for breaking it Neither doe the Calvinists hold as they barbarously speak unjustly slander that men commit evill by force of Gods providence or are decreed to doe evill or compelled to sin by power But they beleev as the Scriptures teach that all men
work our regeneration and again of God by the power of his word and spirit shewing man the benefite of life c. If they consider the spirit onely as the Authour of the word speaking in the men of God why doe they not say the Spirit and the Word rather then as they do the Word and the Spirit Or how doth God send the spirit thus understood to work regeneration in men If they answer that God is ready to giue the spirit and so doth to them that will receiv it first to be ready to giue is not to giue or send secondly they should understand that to be willing to receiv spirituall things is a main fruit and effect of regeneration and therfore not a cause as they mistake For the will thus holily bent presupposeth the understanding divinely enlightned whose direction it follows and without which going before it is blind and brutish Neither can a man possibly will a thing but as he understands it to be good for him If the understanding be divinely inlightned and the will holily bent then the whole man is before regenerated that is begotten before of God by the spirit of regeneration In truth they but speak of Gods sending his Spirit to work in mans regeneration as Senacherib by Rabsakah spake of Gods sending him against Ierusalem He to cover the pride of violence and they to cover the pride of free-will in bending it selfe of itself to receiv grace offered To conclude this Head referring the Reader to the Arguments of conviction formerly laid down I onely add thus much that if God onely bend the will by perswasions of promises and threatnings and works not otherwise then by force of reasons and by using strong arguments and perswasions as they expresly affirm then that whose contrary both the Scriptures and experience confirms would ordinarily come to passe namely that the wise and prudent should haue heavenly things revealed unto them and discern them much more easily and effectually then babes and weak persons and so should be converted sooner then they specially sooner then harlots and light persons considering how much better they mind and understand arguments and reasons of all sorts then the other We therfore conclude with the Apostle that God works in us both the will and the deed not onely by his word working on us but by his Spirit working in us not onely by sending Paul to plant by propounding strong arguments of perswasion but also by giving the increase by the most effectuall work of his Spirit inlightning the eyes of the understanding to see the force of those arguments opening the heart to attend unto them and so writing them in the same heart and most inward parts as they cannot be blotted out CHAP. V. Of the Originall estate of Mankinde THE main question here to be discussed is whether all Infants sinned in Adam and so be guilty of death and condemnation naturally and without mercy in Christ or not This I will proue God willing against them answering and disproving what they bring to the contrary and that in their own order as followeth ADVERSARIES INfants had no life nor being as Adam had at that time when God gaue the Law to Adam and therfore no Law was given unto them and therfore sinned not nor were guilty of condemnation DEFENCE I Grant that infants had then no life and being as Adam had to wit actuall and distinct but affirm that they had both after a sort and as the branches in the root Odegos the guide of the blinde as Rom. 2. 19 affirms pag. 114 that mankind was in Adam in bodily substance they had therfore being in Adam after a sort namely so far as they were in him If they had being in Adam any way they had life also in him for nothing in Adam was dead but all living their being therefore so far as it was in him was a living being We reade Hebr. 7. 9 that Levi payed tithes to Melchisedeck in Abraham But how could this be might one say seeing Levi had then no life and being The Apostle answers that he was in the loyns of his father Abraham when Melchisedeck met him And reason teacheth that none can doe any act but he must first be nor doe it otherwise then as he is Levi therefore then had a kind of being and that living and reasonable also as he performed that act of paying tithes He in Abraham as a particular root Mankind in Adam as in a generall root 2 That Infants had a Law given them I thus proue First the word of God Gen. 2. 17. In the day that thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and evill thou shalt die the death shew that whom God threatneth with death to them he gaue the Law The punishment Gen. 3. 17. 18. 19 reacheth to all Adams posterity and so the threatning and by consequence the Law Secondly the Apostle teacheth Rom. 2. 15 that the Law is written in the hearts of the Gentiles according to which Law of nature written in their hearts though they had it not written in tables of stone as the Iews they shall be judged at the day of the Lord v. 15. 16. 17. These Gentiles cannot be imagined to haue this Law thus written any other way then as God in the beginning created Adam and all mankind in him after his Image in righteousnesse and holinesse in which respect also they are said to doe by nature the things contained in the Law having also a naturall conscience in them which without a Law were vain Vnder which generall Law binding the reasonable creature to faith and obedience in all things in disposition before use of discretion and in act afterwards the particular Law Gen. 2 is conteyned and to be referred unto it Thirdly if infants haue reasonable soules then haue they the faculties of understanding and will though not the actuall use of them as men haue This understanding cannot be conceived by any to be without all disposition and pronenesse either to the knowledg of God or to ignorance errour and doubting of him nor this will to bee without all disposition and inclination to will according to or against Gods will As the yong whelps and cubs of Lyons Beares and Foxes haue in their naturall and sensitiue faculties a pronenesse and inclination to raven and every beast pronenesse to the things of its kind after actually performed and practised by them so haue infants necessarily in their reasonable faculties a disposition one or other to understand and will things specially such as concern God by reason of the most naturall necessary and indossolible relation between the reasonable creature and the Creator and that specially in those most noble faculties The objection from Rom. 7. 1 hath in it no colour of truth for neither are there any such words that the Law is given especially onely which must be added to them that know it neither doth the Apostle there intend
such Heathenish men of yeares as became Proselytes then of their Infants to be circumcised with them The ground of this errour in so many is that they understand not the true nature of the Gospell and Ordinances thereof The Gospell aymes not at the exacting upon man as made after Gods own image obedience due as a naturall debt from the creature to the Creator as the Law doth but considers him as a most miserable creature drowned in sin and altogether unable to help himselfe neither yet servs it and its Ordinances primarily to declare and manifest what man in right owes and performs to God but what God in mercy purposeth doth and will perform to man being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a joyfull message or glad tydings of salvation by Christ. So to apply this for the baptizing of Infants albeit they on their part can for the present make no manifestation or declaration of obedience or thankfulnesse or any other goodnesse yet sufficeth it for Evangelicall dispensation that God according to the Covenant of grace I will be thy God and the God of thy seed can and will make manifestation and declaration of his gracious minde of washing them with the bloud and spirit of his Son from the guilt and contagion of sin they also being bound in their times to reciprocall duties Let us not think scorn as proud free-willers doe of Gods taking both of us and our infants to be his people going before our or their taking of him to be our God But let us rather magnifie his mercie in this regard both towards us and them ADVERSARIES NExt they undertake to proue that Infants are not regenerate and so not to be baptized Their reason is because they haue not faith and repentance This Regeneration they define to be a turning from sin to God which they would proue from Rom. 6. 11. DEFENCE THE Apostle Rom. 6 speaks not of regeneration it self which is Gods work but of our living to God as an effect therof For as our naturall life is an effect of our first generation or begetting by our parents so is our spirituall life an effect of our regeneration by God and his Word and Spirit Turning from sin is mans work by Gods grace Regeneration is Gods work not mans So for Repentance they roav about it on all sides but scarse touch the true nature of it Repentance to wit Evangelicall required for Baptism in men of years is neither a sight and knowing of sin by the Law for that the wicked also doe nor a confessing of sin for that is outward and follows repentance in the heart nor a sorrow for sin for that goes before it nor a promise to forsake sin for that follows after it as an outward effect no nor yet properly an endevour to forsake it though that come nearest Repentance is properly a growing wise afterwards and changing of the minde from sin to God in the purpose of the heaâ—tâ— having an effectuall endevour to forsake sin accompanying it as the effect thereof Now their argumentation in this place that because Infants haue not faith and repentance to wit actuall and that in manifestation also which are the conditions required in men of years for their Baptism and the inseparable fruits of regeneration therefore they are not regenerate and so not capable of Baptism is as if some idiot would affirm that infants are not born nor to be reputed reasonable creatures nor endued with the faculties of understanding and reason because they make no manifestation thereof no more then bruits doe Their proofs against the Regeneration of Infants thus disproved I manifest the contrary as followeth Christ the Lord teacheth that except a man be born or as the word more properly imports begot again hee cannot enter into Gods Kingdom Either therfore regeneration is to be granted Infants or Gods Kingdom to be denyed them If any say this is meant of men of years onely the Text convinceth him which opposeth the first birth or generation which is of Infants to the second regeneration The first as v. 6 being of the flesh making them so born uncapable of Gods Kingdom without the second by the spirit Secondly they confesse else-where that all by Adams fall haue that weak flesh Rom. 8. 3 by which they cannot keep the Law c. Now I demand whether Infants to be glorified carry this weak flesh hindring thus effectually true holinesse into heaven with them or no If not as is certain then it must be purged out of their soules and hearts as the seat and subject therof But nothing can purge out that which is contrary to holinesse saue the holy Spirit of God the Spirit of regeneration which lusts against the flesh and is contrary unto it either therfore they must be regenerated or not glorified Thirdly the Scriptures teach that by the spirit of Christ which is the spirit of life for righteousnesse dwelling in us our bodies shall be quickned and raised up unto glory Children therefore by their grant being to be raised again and glorified by Christ must haue Christs spirit which is the spirit of sanctification and regeneration dwelling in them Lastly joyn with these things that all are by nature I say by nature with the Apostle not by act alone as say the Adversaries children of wrath having right to wrath as children to their fathers inheritance and therewith that baptism is the lavacher or washing of regeneration it will follow that children if to be freed from the wrath to come and glorified are to be regenerated and baptized also Christ saues and so glorifies his body onely which is the Church which he sanctisies with the washing of water and the word and there is one body and one baptism ADVERSARIES THeir Answers to the Scriptures brought for the baptizing of the Infants of beleevers follow To Act. 2. 38. 39. Repent and be baptized every one of you c. for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are a farre off even as many as the Lord shall call they answer that this is meant of such fathers of the Iews and their children and fathers of the Gentiles and their children as beleev viz. both fathers and children and that by children are oft meant men of yeares in the Scriptures specially Abrahams children DEFENCE THat such are sometimes meant wee grant but deny that meaning in this place And first by them a far off are not meant the Gentiles far off in state as Eph. 2 but the Iews far off in time as the originall carries it Besides neither was Peter himselfe as yet sufficiently perswaded of the calling of the Gentiles Act 10 neither if he had was it as yet seasonable to mention that matter to the Iews Secondly in saying the promise is made to you and your children hee speaks of some solemn promise made to them all and the same to haue its fruit and effect
he that the Spirit makes a materiall print in the soule as a seal doth in Wax Or not this onely that it helps to confirm and comfort a Christian inwardly in the loue of God and hope of salvation And are not the Sacraments outward helps of comfort and confirmation of a beleevers heart in the same loue of God and hope of glory Vpon the same ground that the Apostle cals it a seal inwardly we call them seals outwardly ADVERSARIES TO shew that the Covenant in question was the Covenant of the Law and old Testament and not the covenant of salvation and so Circumcision the seal thereof and not the sign and seal of life and salvation they discourse at large upon Gal. 4 and of the two seeds of Aoraham the one after the flesh unto which the covenant appertained whereunto circumcision was annexed DEFENCE FIrst they err greatly in denying the very Covenant of the Law to haue been the Covenant of life and salvation For the commandement was ordained to life And the man that doth the workes of the Law shall liue in them And if the Law promise not life and salvation then neither doth it threaten death and condemnation The Covenant then is of the same things but the condition divers The Law exacting perfect obedience of and by our selvs the Gospell requiring true faith and repentance which it also worketh in the elect Secondly it is most untrue that Circumcision was the sign or seal of the old Testament or Law taking it properly as they doe The Apostle expresly cals it the seal of the righteousnesse of faith opposed to the righteousnesse of works or of the Law of which more hereafter else where shewing that the same Law was given foure hundred and thirty years after the covenant or promise to Abraham and his seed confirmed before in Christ through the peaching of the Gospel that they which are of faith might be blessed with faithfull Abraham How preposterous are these mens waies who will haue the seal so long before the Covenant Thirdly Circumcision was the seal of that Covenant by which Abraham and his posterity became the Lords peculiar people seperated from all the uncircumcised heathen unto him for his inheritance and therein blessed For blessed is the nation whereof the Lord is God the people that he hath chosen for a possession to himself and blessed is the people whose God is Iehouah Now will these gainsaying spirits have men blessed by the law whether God will or no Saith not the scripture that by the law all are accursed and that as many as are of the works of the law are accursed as being unable to keep it The Covenant then by which Israel became Gods people and therein blessed of which Circumcision was a sign and seal was not the Covenant of the law but of the gospell and so of grace and salvation by grace Lastly how wyde and wilde are they in expounding the allegory of Abrahams two sons Gal. 4 makeing Abrahams children after the flesh the Infants of the faithfull never considering the Apostles generall scope unto which the particulars are to be applyed Doth he in that place deal against the Infants of the Galatians or against the men of yeares though children in knowledg who had begun in the spirit but would be made perfit in the flesh that is would be justified by the law specially by circumcision in the flesh by which they made Christ of none effect and fell from grace Were they Infants to whom he saith Tel mee ye that desire to be under the law c. So where he addeth He that is born after the flesh persequutes him that is born after the spirit doth he mean that Infants are persequuters Or is not his meaning plain that such as glory in the flesh and in circumcision and other fleshly prerogatives and so despise the free promise of grace in Christ and them that rest under it as Ismael did both in truth of person and type of others are these persequuters at all times to be cast out with Ismael as having no right to the inheritance of grace or glory Are the Infants of beleevers to be cast out for their persequutions Out of what I marvail and for what persequutions These men in opening this Allegory or Parable verify that of the Wise-man As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard so is a Parable in the mouth of fooles That the Covenant Gen. 17. whereof circumcision was a sign was the same which we haue now in the Gospell we haue not onely said as they say we haue done but proved by so clear arguments as that had they onely set them down there had needed no further confirmation of them notwithstanding any thing that they could haue excepted But they haue cunningly passed them by in silence as if no such thing were in the book and doe onely repeat over and again the same things with great irksomnes specially to those that haue formerly confuted them ADVERSARIES BVT they tell us that the Covenant under the Gospell is a new and better Covenant then the old c. DEFENCE WE grant it but affirm withall that the Covenant with Abraham was not the Covenant of the law or old testament as they mean The Covenant with Abraham was confirmed of God in Christ that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles thorow Iesus Christ. The Covenant of the Law or old Testament was 400 and thirty years after and was added for transgression til the seed should come to whom the promise was made that is to detect and manifest mens sins and cursed state thereby that so they might fly the more earnestly to the promise of Christ the blessed and blessing Seed made formerly to Abraham Neither do the Scripture in this matter ever oppose Abraham and Christ but Moses and Christ. The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth by Iesus Christ. So Hebr. 10 the Law of Moses and Covenant of the Son of God are opposed and Moses made the Mediator of the old testament and Covenant established in the blood of bulls and goats and Christ the mediator of the new by his own blood And I would know of these men where the law is ever called the law of Abraham as it is every where the law of Moses which law or old testament opposed to the new was written and engraven in Tables of stone and had therefore not Abraham but Moses the mediator of it Lastly for the ceremoniall part of the Law old Testament or Covenant the Authour to the Hebrews makes it plain that it was received under the Leviticall Priesthood having a worldly sanctuary and ordinances and divers washings for the purifying of the flesh but not of the conscience from dead workes whereas by the promise and Covenant to Abraham and his seed the blessing of justification came both upon the Iews in their time and Gentiles
actuall chusing of David to the Kingdom of Israel was that by which he had first actuall right to that Kingdom to which he had right before onely in Gods decree and of which afterwards he had possession So Gods actuall chusing of a man to the Kingdom of heaven is that by which he hath first actuall right to that Kingdom to which he had no right before saue in Gods decree Gods chusing a man therfore actually as they speak to the Kingdom of heaven is the very giving of him faith and holinesse for by these he hath this actuall right to eternall life and glory If therfore Gods chusing men actually opposed to his chusing them in decree be his giving them actuall faith and repentance then their faith and repentance goes not before Gods choise but on the contrary his chusing before their beleeving The giving of the grace by God must needs goe before the having of it by men With like successe they quote Rom. 9. 25 and â— Pet. 2. 10 c. which haue no shew of ground whereon to build their assertion that God chuseth men actually and particularly because they beleev and repent but most firm foundation for the contrary truth Men become Gods people and beloved actually by actuall faith and repentance which before were his and beloved onely in the purpose of his will according to election Rom. 9. 11. 13 and elect according to Gods foreknowledge 1 Pet. 1. 2 God therefore actually chusing men and making them his people and beloved which are all one by giving them to beleev and repent their beleeving and repenting cannot goe before his chusing them but the contrary The giving of the gift is in nature before the having and using of it by him to whom it is given and therefore â—ods chusing them which is his giving them faith and repentance is before their beleeving and repenting The next place being Rom. 11. 5. 7 they set down craftily thus v. 5 If they seek righteousnesse by faith and these are thâ— the elect according to the election of grace The words of the Apostle are So then at this time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace and v. 7 the election hath obtained it and the rest were hardened The thing obtained was the righteousnesse of God and of faith the wedding garment the righteousnesse which Israel obtained not because they went about to stablish their own righteousnesse but the election obtained it by beleeving even that remnant wherof Paul was one according to the election of grace What can be more plain against these men Or how can any more directly crosse the Apostle then they doe The Apostle saith we obtain the righteousnesse of faith which is the wedding garment according to the election of grace They say we obtain the election of grace according to the wedding garment and righteousnesse of faith and obedience The Apostle saith the election obtains the righteousnesse of Christ by faith they say the righteousnes of Christ by faith obtains the election turning Gods work upside down that they may establish their own Besides this proud exaltation and Babylonish building of mens works against Gods grace for if it be of obedience as they say then of works to wit the works of obedience the Apostle v. 6 clean overturns saying If by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise works is no more works In alledging from 2 Pet. 1. 10 that this election must be made sure they as before craftily conceal part of the Apostles words which being laid down as the Text hath them overthrow plainly their errour The words are Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure He joyns calling and election together they leav calling out And herein I commend them as the master did the unrighteous steward for doing wisely though not honestly For who knows not that Gods calling us goes before our answering him by faith and obedience as the cause therof God cals and also elects men to faith and obedience and not for them The Apostles meaning is that the faithfull should use all godly care for the establishing and confirming of themselvs in the grace of God to which they were formerly called and chosen The like prophane boldnesse they use towards 1 Thess. 1. 4 where for the Apostles text Knowing beloved your election of God or Knowing beloved of God your election they put their own glosse The houshold of faith the Church of God are the elect of God The Apostle v. 4 mentions his knowledg of their election and v. 5. 6 the ground of that his knowledg and perswasion which was their faith and obedience by receiving the Word by him preached They were not therefore made elect of God by faith and obedience but therby known for such by men Col. 3. 12 makes against them also where their election is mentioned as a reason to moue them to put on bowels of mercy and all goodnes As indeed the gracious purpose of Gods election with his effectuall calling followeth and manifestâ—th is the onely Evangelicall motiue to all earnest study of obedience Their assertion following that Election is not of particular persons but of qualities is monstrous and most crosse to the Scriptures which never mention election of qualities but alwaies of persons Is the meaning of Christ Math. 22. Many are called but few chosen that many qualities are called and few chosen What quality but of sin and misery sees the Lord in them whom he calleth Or how can qualities be either called or chosen to grace or glory Christ tels his Disciples that he had chosen them out of the world If they were chosen out of the world which lyeth in wickednesse and hates the good for what good qualities trow we were they chosen If they were chosen out of the world and so were of the world before they were chosen out of it how had they faith and obedience for which these men wil appoint God to chuse them or else not That we are Gods generation viz. by creation is true but impertinent Of â—ods working good qualities in men by his word and spirit and of their resisting or not resisting we haue spoken and shall speak else where Rom. 8 29 makes for them as the former places shewing plainly â— that our predestination or election goes before our calling our calling before our justification our justification before our glorification The note in the English Testament upon Ephes. 1 is the same which the Synode at Dort and all Evangelical Churches professe Onely these mens errour is in their not putting a difference between Gods decree to saue and his actual saving of them that beleev whether by justifying or glorifying them Gods chusing a man whether in decree from eternity or by actuall and effectuall calling and calling of him out of the state of