Lord But nothing is so contrary to this intention as for any man so to boast of his merits as though he had done them to himselfe and not the Grace of God but that Grace which differenceth the good from the bad not that which is common to good and bad From Election many heare the word of truth some beleeve others gaine-say these therefore will beleeve these will not who knowes not this who denies But for as much as in some the will is prepared of the Lord in others it is not prepared verily we must distinguish what comes from his Mercy and what from his Judgement What Israel sought saith the Apostle he obtained not but the election hath obtained and the rest were blinded Behold Mercy and Judgement Mercy in the election which hath obtained the righteousnesse of God but Judgement upon the rest which were blinded and yet these because they would beleeved these because they would not did not beleeve therefore Mercy and Judgement are done even in the wills themselves for Election is of Grace not verily of Merits Therefore freely hath the Election obtained what it hath obtained there was not something of theirs that went before which they first gave and recompence was made to them for he saved them for nought but to the rest who were blinded as it is not there concealed retribution was made All the wayes of the Lord are Mercy and Truth but his wayes are unsearchable unsearchable therefore are his Mercy whereby he freely acquits and his Truth whereby he justly condemnes cap. 7. But haply they say the Apostle distinguisheth faith from workes and Grace he saith is not of workes he doth not say it is not of faith true but Christ saith Faith likewise is the worke of God Joh. 6. So therefore the Apostle distinguisheth Faith from Workes as in the two Kingdomes of the Hebrewes Iudah is distinguished from Israel when as yet Iudah is Israel for yee are saved by Grace through faith and that not of your selves it even faith is the gift of God and faith is not of workes lest any one should boast and all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me What is this shall come to me but shall beleeve in me but that it may be done the Father gives No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And they shall all be taught of God and every one that hath heard of the Father and learned comes to me If every one that hath heard of the Father and learned comes truly who comes not hath not heard of the Father nor learned for had he heard and learned he would come Farre removed from the apprehensions of the flesh is this Schoole in which the Father is heard and teacheth to come to the Sonne There is likewise the Sonne himselfe because he himselfe is the Word of the Father whereby he so teacheth neither deales he with the eare of the flesh but of the heart there is together likewise the Spirit of the Father and the Sonne for neither doth he not teach nor doth he teach apart because we say the workes of the Trinity are inseparable and he is verily the Holy Ghost of whom the Apostle saith Having the same Spirit of faith Farre removed I say from the apprehensions of the flesh is this Schoole in which God is heard and teacheth we see many come to the Sonne because we see many beleeve in Christ but where and how they have learned this of the Father we see not verily this grace is secret but that it is grace who doubts This Grace therefore which by Divine bounty is after an hidden manner given unto the hearts of men is by no hard heart refused because it is therefore given that the hardnesse of the heart may first of all be removed when therefore the Father is inwardly heard and teacheth to come to the Sonne he takes away the stony heart and gives a heart of flesh as he promised by the Prophet Ezek. 36. for so doth he make the sonnes of the Promise and the Vessels of Mercy which he hath prepared unto glory why therefore doth he not teach all that they may come to Christ but because all whom he teacheth in mercy he teacheth but whom he teacheth not in Judgement he teacheth not because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens but he hath mercy bestowing good he hardens recompencing according to desert But why he teacheth not all the Apostle opens so farre as he thought fit to be opened Rom. 9. 22 23. Hence it is that the word of the Crosse is foolishnesse unto them that perish but to those that are saved the power of God All these God teacheth to come to Christ all these he will have saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth for if he would have taught those to come to Christ also to whom the word of the Crosse is foolishnesse without doubt even they had come too for he neither deceives nor is deceived who saith Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me farre be it therefore that any man should not come who hath heard and learned of the Father When therefore the Gospel is preached some beleeve some doe not beleeve but they that beleeve whilst the Preacher sounds without they heare and learne of the Father within but they that beleeve not they heare without not within neither doe they learne that is to the one it is given to beleeve to the other it is not given which afterwards is more openly spoken No man can come to me except it he given him of the Father Therefore to be drawne by the Father to Christ and to heare and learne of the Father is nothing else but to receive the gift of the Father whereby to beleeve in Christ. For he did not distinguish Hearers of the Gospell from no Hearers who said No man can come to me except it be given him of the Father but Beleevers from unbeleevers Faith therfore both begun and finished is the gift of God and that this gift is given to some and not given to all he cannot doubt who will not oppose most manifest holy Scriptures Chap. 12. When we come to little ones and to the Mediator betwixt God and man the Man Christ Jesus all assertion of humane merits going before the Grace of God falls to the ground because they are not distinguisht from the rest by any good preceding merits that they should belong to the deliverer of men nor he by any preceding humane merits when he is a man also was made the deliverer of men For Infants Originall sinne being by the Grace of God forgiven or by the Judgement of God not forgiven when they dye they either passe by Regeneration from an evill to a good state or by Originall corruption from an evill to an evill state And Lib. de bono persever
preveniency efficacy and peculiarity of Grace I shall shut up this Discourse with certaine determinations of the second Arausican Councell which Councell was held about the middle of the fifth Century Canon 3. If any man saith That the Grace of God may be conferr'd by Humane invocation but not that Grace it selfe makes that it be invoked by us he contradicts the Prophet Isaiah or the Apostle saying the same I was found of those that sought me not I appear'd openly to those who asked not for me Can. 4. If any man contends That God expects our will that we may be cleans'd from sinne but doth not confesse that by the infusion and operation of the Holy Ghost it is brought to passe in us that even we will be cleans'd he resists the Holy Ghost affirming by Salomon that the Will is prepared by the Lord and he resists the Apostle wholsomely preaching that It is God that workes in us to will and to doe according to his good pleasure Can. 5. If any man saith that as the increase so the beginning of faith and the very affection of beleeving by which we beleeve upon him who justifies the ungodly and come to the Regeneration of Baptisme is not in us by the gift of Grace that is by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost correcting our will from â—nfidelity to faith from ungodlinesse to godlinesse but naturally he is an Adversary to the Apostles determinations blessed Paul saying We are confident that he that hath begun this good worke in you will finish it untill the day of our Lord Iesus Christ and that to you it is given for Christ not only to beleeve but to suffer for him And yee are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God For they that say that faith whereby we beleeve on God is naturall doe after a sort define all that are strangers to the Church of Christ to be Beleevers Can. 6. If any man saith That Mercy from God is bestowed upon us beleeving willing desiring endeavouring labouring watching caring asking seeking knocking without the Grace of God but doth not confesse that it is wrought in us by the infusion and inspiration of the Holy Ghost that we may beleeve will or be able to doe all these things as we ought to doe and doth subjoyne the ayde of Grace either to humility or mans obedience and doth not agree that it is the gift of Grace it selfe that we are obedient and humble he resists the Apostle saying What hast thou that thou hast not received and by the grace of God I am that I am Can. 7. If any man avouch That by the strength of Nature we can thinke any good that belongs to the Salvation of eternall life as we ought or that we can chuse or consent to the saving that is Evangelicall preaching without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy Ghost who gives unto all sweetnesse in consenting to and beleeving the truth he is deceived by an Hereticall spirit not understanding that voyce of God in the Gospel saying Without me yee can doe nothing and that of the Apostle Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Can. 8. If any man contend That some may come to the grace of Baptisme by Mercy others by Free-will which as it is evident is depraved in all that are borne of the transgression of the first Man he is proved an Alien from the right faith for he doth not affirme that the free will of all men is weakned by the sinne of the first Man or certainly he thinkes it so hurt as that yet some may be able to search out the Mystery of eternall life by themselves without the revelation of God which how contrary it is the Lord himselfe proves who testifies not that some men but that no man can come unto him but whom the Father drawes As he saith likewise to Peter Blessed art thou Simon the son of Ionah for flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven And the Apostle No man can say that Iesus Christ is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Can. 9. It is of the gift of God both when we thinke rightly and keep our feet from falshood and unrighteousnesse for as often as we doe good God workes in us and with us to work Can. 10. The Divine ayde is alwayes to be implored even by the regenerate and the Saints that they may come to a good end or that they may abide in a good worke Can. 19. The nature of man though it should remaine in that integrity wherein it was Created yet could it in no wise keep it selfe without the ayde of the Creator whence since without the Grace of God it could not keep safe that health which it received how without the Grace of God shall it restore what it hath lost Can. 20. Many good things are done in man which man doth not but no good things doth man which God doth not make man to doe Can. 22. No man hath of his own but a lye and sin but if any man have truth and righteousnesse of that fountaine it is which we ought to thirst after in this wildernes that being as it were bedewed with some drops from it we may not â—aint by the way To the same purpose with these is the five and twentieth Canon which because it is something long and we have in these sufficient I forbear to transeribe CHAP. XII ANd now Reader thou mayest tax me for my prolixity in this Argument let me plead my excuse in a word or two 1. We shal be shorter in many other things hereafter which we may the better be because we have been so long here 2. Thou hast by this discourse something to recompence the length of it as 1. The severall states of the Pelagian heresie declared 2. The doctrine of naturall corruption how utterly impotent unto all saving good man is thereby dead in sin under the power of the devill altogether in the dark about averse from adverse to the things that according to the mystery of godlinesse accompany salvation 3. The doctrine of saving grace if thou beest any thing attentive thou mayst observe that 1 For the nature of it It is by the supernaturall operation of the spirit plainly of divine originall and extraction in opposition to what is naturall to fallen man 2 For the Subject of it that the Understanding is the subject of internall illumination by the holy ghost that the Will is the subject of renewing of regenerating of quickening of soâ—…ing of subduing of healing of rescuing of effectuall of determining of transforming of cleanâ—ing of infranchising Grace 3 For the Distinctions of Grace First Prevenient and Subsequent that prevenient grace findes many unwilling and resisting makes him of unwilling willing of resisting obeying that subsequent Grace carries on what by prevenient Grace was begun in
THE Lightless-Starre OR Mr. IOHN GOODWIN discovered a Pelagio-Socinian And this by the Examination of his Preface to his Book entituled Redemption Redeemed Together with An Answer to his Letter entituled Confidence Dismounted By RICHARD RESBURY Minister of the Gospel at Oundle in Northampton-shire Hereunto is annexed a Thesis of that Reverend Pious and Judicious Divine Doctor Preston sometimes of Immanuel College in Cambridge concerning the Irresistibility of Converting Grace Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the Truth Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest unto all as theirs also was 2 Tim. 3. 8. 9. London Printed for Iohn Wright at the Kings-Head in the Old-Bayly 1652. The Epistle to the Reader Reader I Shall not long detain thee in the pâ—rch only give we leave in a few words to acquaint thee with the Occasion and scope of this following discourse For the Occasion Mr. Goodwin having taken upon him to be a Champion in the Tents of most Anti-evangelieall and often-routed Errors and in a pompous Treatise by him published having thrown much defiance in the face of Truth and her Assertors many of them triumphing in glory after their Warfare others still in Conflict here below Upon perusall of this peece of his I found it a meer whiteâ— sepulchre specious in the style and pretense of holiness but made up for the substance of roiten Errors by broken Arguments and perverted Scriptures seemingly supported Whereupon I thought it very seasonable having by me a little Manuscript comprising certain main Truths opposite to his Errors to send it abroad if through the blessing of God it might help to establish some and prevent those snares of death which he had spread And I hope the Lord hath blest it unto divers The Title of that small piece and the Epistle reflecting upon Mr. Goodwin and his Book he found himself very angry and in great Indignation prints an invective Letter pen'd by him sitting in the scorners chair sends it to me requiring satisfaction for a charge of some particulars in mine Epistle against him The particulars charged upon him were sometimes Imperiall dictates instead of Arguments sometimes monstrous Conclusions sometimes wrested Quotations sometimes uncoth Philosophy sometimes consequential Blasphemy to these I may now adde frequently packing Sophistry And he will needs perswade himself that his book is so clear of these crimes as that I had not lookt into it when I put in this charge against it Now though I had no thoughts of writing any thing against his Book partly conscious of mine own weakness partly he having provoked so many of the ablest of men the University of Cambridge the Assembly of Divines and indeed the whole Orthodox name yet he pressing upon Me in his Letter after much scorn and high contempt to give instances of my charge against him I thought my self in equity obliged so to do for their satisfaction especially who have not read his Book for as for such as shall read it they if judicious and impartiall will easily observe the particulars over and over Hence Iovercame my self otherwise unwilling to think of such an answer to his Letter as wherein I might give him the instances he required but weighing withall how useless it would be to the publique onely to answer a taunting Letter and produce those particulars I thought it expedient to adde something further that might be of reall usefulness to Christianity and thereupon resolved the Examination of his Preface which abounding with two pernicious Errors Socinianism and Pelagianism was most necessary to be called to Account as likewise the examination of the four first Chapters of his Book wherein is the Foundation of his Building but a miserable sandy one The former through the good hand of God upon me I have dispatched and here present it to thee the latter I hope though in the midst of many employments and encumbrances by degrees to perform too if not happily prevented by some better furnished for the Work Thus for the Occasion now for the Scope It is partly to discover those dangerous Errors all along carryed on in his Preface against the Grace of God and the authoritie of Scripture against both which Mr. Goodvvin hath enormously ex alted the Reason and Will of man partly to lay before thee and clear up the main Doctrins of Gospel-Truth against those his Errors And forasmuch as the Doctrins of the Grace of God were with much strength clearness and evidence of the Spirit maintained by those famous Lights of the Church who lived in the time of Pelagius and the times immediately succeeding especially Augustine and Prosper and the Fathers assembled in the Milevitane Councill where Augustine was present and in the second Arausican Councill I have therefore distinctly layd downe the severall states of the Pelagian Heresie and the refutation thereof out of the forenamed Champions for the Truth of Christ not for their Authority but for their strength clearness elegancy and excellency of Spirit debasing Man exalting God and assigning their peculiar Privileges to the Elect of God In perusall whereof thou wilt find Mr. Goodwin a son of Error a disciple of Pelagius and easily find a wide difference between the spirit of his Pen and that of these renowned Antients the Assertors of the Churches Faith Reader I hope thou wilt think it worth thy labour when thou hast made tryall to take a view of the main Doctrines of Grace as by such excellent hands layd out against such dangerous and destructive Errors so many Ages since As for my charge against Mr. Goodwin thou shalt find it made good in the particulars in my Answer to his Letter wherein thou wilt find him guilty of absurdities enough and yet the particulars there produced are but some gleanings for Instancâ—s I have only One thing more to advertise thee of It is very likely Mr. Goodwin will make what hast he can to reply upon this my Essay against him My intention is the Lord assisting and as I may gain frâ—â— many employments and distractions leisure for the same to go through his four first Chapters before I will take any notice of what he shall reply thou shalt find him in this discovery that I have made a Star without Light in that which I hope to make a Builder without a Foundation For where as in those Chapters should be the Foundation of his after-discourse what a miserable One he hath there layd I hope God will in time discover and indeed I cannot still but expect that my further endeavours will be prevented by some more strenuous Undertaker raised up by the Lord in zeal to his Truth however till such a blessing shall appear I shall be moving though very slowly onwards Now the Lord command his blessing upon thy spirit in the perusall hereof sanctifying thee by his Truth Reader I am Thy servant for the Truth of
to pray you to speak plainly and particularly you use the same Artifice and Cant most extreamly Afterwards in the first Chapter of your booke when you should lay downe your expresse doctrine about the divine influx and concourse we must try if wee can hunt you out of your holes there CHAP. XVI Goodwin 1. THough the spirit of God contributes by his assistance after that high manner which bath been declared toward the right apprehending understanding discerning the things of God by men yet this no wayes proveth but that they are the Reasons and Understandings of men themselves that must apprehend discerne and understand these things and consequently must be provoked raised ingaged imployed and improved by men that they may thus apprehend and discerne notwithstanding all that assistance which is administred by the spirit otherwise nothing will be apprehended or discerned by them Nor will the assistance of the spirit we speake of turn to any account of benefit or comfort but of losse and condemcondemnation unto men in case their Reasons 〈◊〉 Understandings shall not advance and quit themselveâ— according to their interest thereupon Resbury This may passe as impertinent It is the Reason of man that must apprehend c. But it is Reason sanctified that apprehends savingly man must stirre up his owne soule but it is by the worke of the sanctifying spirit that so he doth effectually These things have been proved abundantly already Goodwin 3 In case the Spirit of God shall at any time reveale I mean offer and propose any of the things of God or any spirituall Truth unto men these must be apprehended discerned judged of yea and concluded to be the things of God by the Reasons and Understandings of men before they can or ought to receive or beleeve them to be the things of God Yea before such a revelation can any wayes accommodate benefit and blesse their soule When our Saviâ—â—â— speaking of that spirit to his Disciples saith And he will shew you things to come And againe he shal receive of mine and shal shew them unto you Joh. 16. 13 14. he supposeth that they viz. with their own Reasons and Understandings were to apprehend and judge of the things that should be thus shewed unto them to have been shewed unto them by the spirit of God and not to have proceeded from any other Author Yea in case men shall receive the things of God themselves for the things of God or of the spirit of God before their Reason and Understanding have upon rationall grounds and principles judged them to be the things of God yet can they not receive them upon these termes as the things of God I mean as the tnings of God ought in duty and by command from himselfe to be received by men or so as to benefit or iâ—â—ich the soule by their being received For as God requires of men to be praised with understanding i. e. out of a rationall apprehension and due consideration of his infinite worth and excellency so doth be require to be beleeved also and they that beleeve him otherwise beleeve they know not what nor whom and so are brethren in vanity with those that worship they know not what and build Altars to an unknowne God to trust or beleeve in God upon such termes as these is being interpreted but as the devotion of a man to an Idol yea the Apostle himselfe arraignes the Athenians of that high Crime and misdemeanour of Idolatry upon the account of their sacrificing to an unknown God Resbury This is of the same Spirit Error and impertinency with the last 1 The Spirits revelation he interprets his Proposall This is just Pelagius his revelation proposall by his word and doctrine 2 The things by the Spirit proposed must be discerned the things of God by our owne reasons c. Who doubts this but which he meanes not by our owne reasons enlightened by renewing and peculiar Grace hee saith They must be received upon rationall grounds true reason being by Scripture enlightned Goodwin 4 And lastly The interposure and actings of reason and understanding in men are of that soveraigne and most transcendent use yea necessity in and about matters of Religion that all the agency of the Spirit notwithstanding a man can performe 〈◊〉 thing no manner of service unto God with accepâ—… nothing in a way of true edification to himselfe withâ—… their engagement and service First I stand chargâ—… by God not to beleeve every Spirit but to try thâ— Spirits whether they be of God I demand bâ— what rule or touch-stone shall I try any Spirit whâ—… or upon what account shall I reject one as a Spirit 〈◊〉 errour falshood and delusion and doe homage 〈◊〉 my judgement and conscience to another as the Spirit of God If it be said I ought to try the Spirits by the Scriptures or Word of God I demand againe But how shall I try my touch-stone or be sure that that Principle notion or ground which I call thâ— Word of God and by which I goe about to try the Spirits is indeed the Word of God There is scarce any errour that is abroad in the Christian world but freely offers it selfe to be tryed by the Word of God as well as the true Spirit of God himselfe i. e. by such meanings sences or conclusions as it selfe confidently asserts to be the Word of God i. e. the minde of God in the Scriptures so that I am in no capacity to try such a Spirit which upon such an account as this pretends his coming forth from God unlesse I be able to prove that those sences â—eanings and conclusions by which be offers to be tryed are not indeed the Word of God Now it is unpossible that I should prove this meerly and only by the Scriptures themselves because unto what place or places soever I shall have recourse for my proofe or tryall in this case this Spirit will reject my sence and interpretation in case it maketh against him and will substitute another that shall not oppose him Nor can I reasonably or regularly reject his sence in this case at least as an untruth unlesse I apprehend some relish or taste therein which is irrationall or some â—…on which jâ—rreth with or grateth upon some 〈◊〉 principle 〈◊〉 other of reason within me for as 〈◊〉 â—…e one hand what Doctrine or Notion soever clearly â—â—cordeth and is commensurable with any solid and 〈◊〉 â—…ted Principle or ground of reason within me 〈◊〉 â—…by demonstrably evinced to be a truth and from God so on the other hand what Doctrine or saying sâ—…r beares hard or falls foule upon any such Principle must of necessity be an errour and somewhat that proceeds from Satan or from â—…n and not from God Resbury 1 The same things most impertinently stil over and over an endlesse waster of words 2 By what rule or touch-stone shall heâ—ry any Spirit or Doctrine he answers If it be said by the Scripture but how shall
I try this touch-stone I answer By it selfe as the rule by reason as the eye enlightned and guided by this rule according to the Grammar and the Logick of it He objects That it is impossible to prove the truth or disprove an errour meerly by the Scriptures because still the question will be about the sence of the Scripture I answer By the Scripture alone as the rule by reason as making use of this rule but so as in making use thereof it be guided by this rule and resolves all conclusions into the authority of this rule is the truth to be proved or errours disproved and the sence of whatsoever controverted text discussed and cleared As for that which you adde about irrationall last and grating upon reason c. for as much as you doe not object reason to the Word but oppose it thereunto and advance it there-above and will have reason the touch-stone of the Word beside and above the Word you shew your selfe as formerly a most impure and prophane Socinian by all good men to be abhor'd and whilst you plead so much for reason you are a man mad with reason no way solving those difficulties which you pretend upon supposition that the Scripture shall be the touch-stone for let us suppose reason the touch-stone must you not be at the same losse your adversary denying that to be according to the principles and grounds of reason which you affirme to be according to them But here is no such difficulty as you pretend for allowing the Scripture the Touch-stone you shall by some Scripture-truthes wherein both your selfe and adversary agree cleare the controverted text and resute his errours about it that he must either yeeld to the truth therein or deny what he affirmed and overthrow his owne foundations Goodwin The reason hereof is clearly asserted by the Apostle in these words For God is not the Author of confusion but of peace from whence it appeares that God is not divided in himselfe or contradictious to himselfe so as to write or assert that in one Booke as in that of the Scriptures which he denieth or opposeth in another as viz. That of Nature or of the fleshly tables of the heart of man but whatsoever he writeth or speaketh in the one he writeth or speaketh nothing in the other but what is fairly and fully consistent with it Resbury A doughty reason God is not the Author of confusion true but man is who hath so corrupted his reason as he hath night for a vision and gropes in the darke like a blinde man It is one thing what God wrote upon the nature of Man in his Creation who made man upright another thing what man hath written upon his owne nature by the Fall who hath found out to himselfe many inventions what the Devill likewise hath written upon his minde by deluding suggestions You may remember formerly a peice of discourse much like this of yours by your elder Brother the Collator with whom Prosper hath to doe confounding the state of Man by Creation with his condition since the Fall and Prospers answer to him It is admirable to see how the same spirit that possest Pelagius and his Disciples of old speakes the same things and useth the same Arguments in Mr. Goodwin One borne out of due time so many Ages after In the praise of five things did they craftily couch their sacrilegious Doctrine at so great enmity with the Grace of God as Aug. observes Lib. 3. contra duas Epist. Pelagian viz. In the praise of the Creature of Marriage of the Law of Free-will and of the Saints How oft doe we heare Mr. Goodwin extolling man and the noble faculties of reason understanding c. in man and here from the Law of Nature and from the Wisdome of God hee thinkes to extoll the reason of blinde corrupt wretched selfe-confounded man against the Grace of God I hinted to you before what a faire offer you made against Originall sinne I beleeve your Doctrine about it is That it is wholly taken off from man by that glorious vouchsafement of light you told us of by Iesus Christ to every one that comes into this world but your darknesse about that light and the darknesse of Man-kinde about things of the Spirit of God that light notwithstanding we have lately seen As for the fleshly tables of the heart we know no such but in the regenerate when the Lord shall have taken away the heart of stone and given an heart of flesh Ezek. 36. You may remember how Austin concludes hence as formerly we alledged him that the will of man is wholly adverse and inflexible unto good before the effectuall and peculiar worke of regeneration and where then shall be that provoking and stirring up of reason understanding c. you tell us of so often in the Naturall man We told you before how ill-pleasing it was to you to hold fast the for me of found words I doe not wonder at it it is not for your advantage I perceive if we might have a new Scripture see forth by your superlative reason we should have the text much altered for the Tabernaâ—le of David the Tabernacle of Adam for the heart of stone the fleshly tables of the heart Goodwin Vpon this account it is a grave and worthy advertisement of Master Perkins in his Epistle before his Treatise of Predestination It is saith he also requisite that this Doctrine he speakes of Predestination Election and Reprobation agree with the 〈…〉 of coâ—â—on reason and of that knowledge of God which may be obtained by the light of Nature In 〈◊〉 â—…ing of his â—e â—â—â—arly supposeth That whatâ—… should be taught by any in the mysterious and high pâ—…ts of Predistination otherwise then according to the Scriptures and the truth may be clearly disproved by this viz. The disagreement of it with the câ—…on grounds of reason and of that knowledge of God which the light of Nature shineth into the hearts of men if himselfe had kept close to this Principle of his owne in drawing up his judgement in the point of Predostination the world had received a fâ—rre diffâ—ring and better account from his â—en of this subject then now it hath But if his sence were That the heights and depths of Religion for so we may call the Doctrines of Election and Reprobation c. 〈◊〉 nothing in them but what agrees with the grounds and principles of common reason and with the Diâ—â—ates of Nature in men and consequently may be measured discerned and judged of by these he did not conceive that matters of a more facile and ordinary consideration were above the capacity and apprehension of reason Resbury For Master Perkins his Testimony and your Descant upon it you doe but wander 1. He builds the doctrine of Predestination upon the Word of God in opposition to the judgements of men his words are these The Doctrine of Predestination and of the Grace of God is to be built
least of these great and most important commands in any due manner but by interressing my Reason Iudgement and Understanding and this throughly and effectually in and about the performance The truth is I stand bound in duty and conscience towards God and in faithfulnesse to mine owne soule neither to beleeve any thing at all as coming from God which I have not or may have a very substantiall ground in Reason to beleeve commeth indeed from him nor yet to doe any thing at all as commanded by him unlesse there be a like ground in Reason to perswade me that it is indeed his command Resbury Many waste words still according to your manner One passage or two we must call to account 1. God commands you you say in such and such precepts to rise up in the might of your Reason c. Wee heare in Scripture of the weaknesse of Reason as to the things of God not sufficient of our selves to thinke a good thought c. We hear of the might of the Word Preached to cast down the strong holds and reasonings in man against the things of God But where this mighty Reason dwels I would willingly aske Mr. Goodwin but that I feare he will send mee Racovia 2. Nothign may you beleeve as comming from God which you have not very substantiall ground in Reason to beleeve commeth from him the like for obedience to his Commands If you meant Reason enlightened and sanctified by the Word and Spirit thence beleeving upon the authority of the Word your meaning was the same with theirs whom you oppose but your meaning is Reason by its own light receiving or rejecting the Word it selfe according as such and such Doctrines are above or not above contrary or agreeable to the apprehensions of the Naturall man as wee have clearly found you out formerly and to this you have been answered over and over according as your tautology hath given occasion Goodwin I confesse good Reader I have presumed at somewhat an unreasonable rate upon thy patience in detaining thee so long with the Argument yet in hand But the sense of that unconceiveable mischiefe and misery which I most certainly know have been brought upon the World Christian at least in our Quarters of it and which lyes sore upon it at this day by meanes of the reigning of this Notion and Doctrine amongst us That men ought not to use but lay aside their Reason in matters of Religion lyeth so intolerable sad and heavy upon my spirit that I could not relieve my selfe to any competent degree with saying lesse then what hath been said to relieve the world by hewing in sunder such a snare of death cast upon it most assuredly all the ataxies disorders confusions seditions insurrections all the errors blasphemous opinions apostaâ—ies from the truth and wayes of holinesse all trouble of mind and sad workings of conscience in me all unrighteousnesse and injustice all bribery and oppression all un-man-like selfe-seeking and prevaricating with publique interests and trusts all covetousnesse and deceit and whatsoever can be named in this world obstructive destructive to the present comfort and peace to the future blessednesse and glory of the sons and daughters of men proceed and spring from this one root of bitternesse and of death they neglect to advance and ingage home their Reasons Iudgements Understandings in matters of Religion to imploy and improve them according to their proper interests and capacities in these most important affaires Resbury Your tongue is your owne in way of apology for your wandring discourse hitherto you tell us of the deep apprehensions you had of that unconceiveable mischiefe c. brought upon the world by that doctrine That men must lay aside their Reason in matters of Religion a meer Hob-goblin of your own making that you may have somthing to pelt at How Reason is to be laid aside and how not we have shewed distinctly formerly not as you represent as if men should look at it as their duties to be Ideots and mad men in seeking into the things of God As for those Ataxies c. hence they are That men have been so bold to oppose their owne corrupt reasonings against the word of God instead of following the light and guidance of it and captivating their fleshly reason to the Doctrines of Faith Goodwin O Reader my mouth is open unto thee my heart is enlarged now for a recompence in the same I speake unto thee as a deare Brother in Christ be thou also enlarged say unto the world round about thee Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light doubtlesse the world should soone finde it self in another manner of posture then now it is and see the whole Hemisphere of it filled with the glorious light of the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ if the inhabitants thereof every man from his quarters would be perswaded to rise up in the might of his abilities those heavenly endowments of reason judgement understanding wherewith God by Jesus Christ hath re-invested them to seeke after him by enquiring diligently into by weighing narrowly all those things as workes of Creation workes of Providence inscriptions upon the Soule and especially the sacred word of extraordinary revelation wherein and whereby God hath drawne neare unto men and as it were prepared postured and fitted himselfe on purpose to be found and knowne and this as well in the excellency of his Grace as of his Glory by all those who upon these termes seeke after him The time was when the Spirit was not given because Christ was not glorified in Heaven the time now is wherein the Spirit is not given unto the world according to the preparations and royall bounties and magnificence of Heaven because he is not glorified on earth by the worthy imployment of the meanes abilities opportunities vouchsafed unto men the Word of God makes it one argument of the wickednesse and sensuall wayes of men that they have not the Spirit yea the Apostle Paul by charging the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit clearly supposeth it to be a sensuall straine of a voluntary unworthinesse in men if they have not a very rich and plentifull anoynting of the Spirit Resbury A word or two to this wordy Paragraph 1 Say unto the world awake c. Say you to your Reader But for as much as this sleep is the sleep of death as is here evident in that the waking from it is standing up from the dead where is now that mighty Reason Understanding Judgement you have so often told us of as here again you doe in the naturall man 2 The time now is you say wherein the spirit is not given unto the world according to the preparations of the royall bounty and magnificence of heaven because c. this is as formerly we have seen at large the Pelagian doctrine so famously branded that grace is given according to our merits the Popish doctrine of the
shall be given c. is meant somewhat of a saving consequence as regenerateing grace the sanctifying Spirit faith and the like thus he Whence it is evident that grace is not here naturall that what is naturall is not saving that regenerating grace is spirituall and supernaturall given upon the improvement of naturall endowments but how doth this accord with his former Doctrine about which he laboured so much that in the argument of the efficacy of grace the word supernaturall was no where in Scripture so much as vertually found that the word naturall distinguisheth not the unregenerate from the regenerate c. We observed formerly that what he speakes here presently after concerning mens attaining what proportion and measure of the Spirit oâ—… grace they can desire upon the improvement oâ—… such gifts and abilities as they shall from time to time receive doth involue him in a contradiction to what he there had taught if he here meane the worke of the Spirit to be any other then such an influx as is attemperd and proportioned to mans naturall acting and therefore naturall but if that be his meaning then doth he contradict himselfe here making all that is saving to be supernaturall as we have now observed but he hath drunke deepe of an intoxicating cup wonder not if he Stagger like a drunken man 2. For Pelagianisme as plaine and palpable as may be that regenerating grace the sanctifying spirit faith and the like is given to men upon the use employment and improvement of naturall endowments which is that Stigmatized doctrine of Pelagius so notoriously refuted and condemned as formerly hath been cleard where we had this very doctrine in the hands of the Massilians related by Prosper charging them therein with high Pelagianisme onely Master Goodwin hath another fetch for it that new vouchsafements by Iesus Christ unto all in their naturall birth he tels us of which how miserable a shift it is hath formerly been discovered But that we may have the whole mistery of Master Goodwins doctrine about this point and see his vaine and selfe-subverting Sophistry I shall add and examine a notorious passage Page 329. and 330. of his Book the summe whereof is as followeth 1. Regeneration saith he imports a reiteration of some generation or other I answer regeneration is a generation over andabove a former generation 2. It cannot import a repetition of naturall generation true therefore it must import a repetition of spirituall generatiâ—…n False it is as will appeare by and by a spiâ—…tuall generation over and above the naturall generation a repetition if he will needs have â—hat word of generation but not of naturall nor â—pirituall generation but only of the genus comâ—on to both one opposite species succeeding aâ—other He goes on ' Naturall and spirituall geâ—eration are contra-distinguished the one to â—he other 1 Pet. 2. 23. and Iohn 3. 6. True and â—hence your discourse wil come to nought as wil â—ppeare by these Scriptures mentioned when we â—ave heard your conclusion for which you are â—aking way in these words viz. Now I suppose there can hardly be any instance given where the introduction of one contrary forme or quallity into the subjectis termed a repetition of the other as for example calefaction is never termed a repetition of Frigefaction Pittifull Sophistry No such thing is here pretended the spirituall birth is a repetition not of the opposite species or contrary forme as you phrase â—t to wit the naturall birth but onely of the genus birth As Calefaction succeeding Frigefaction is a repetition not of Frigefaction the opposite species but of alteration the genus Now comes your conclusion but it is an evill â—gge of an evill bird a false conclusion from a false discourse you conceive that regeneration relates not to the naturall generation as naturall but unto the spirituall state and condition of men in respect of their naturall condition anâ— birth But the Scriptures newly mentioneâ— prove two things utterly destructive of this conclusion of yours 1. That men by naturall generation have nothing spiritually good in them but the contrary and that to the utmost 2. That regeneration relates to the naturall generation as miserably corrupt and sinfull thâ—… our Saviour shews the necessity of regeneratioâ—… or the second birth because by naturall generation or the first birth we are so sinfull it beinâ—… the birth of the flesh in opposition to the birth of 〈◊〉 Spirit 3 John 6. with the Context thus Peâ—… opposeth regeneration as that generation which 〈◊〉 of incorruptable Seed to naturall generation 〈◊〉 that generation which is of corruptable Seed evidentâ—… that both he our Saviour opposeth the latter iâ—… its excellency to the former in its wretchednesse and therefore in no wise relates to the formeâ—… according to any excellency in it to be repeatedâ—… In laying downe this conclusion you tell uâ—… that men generally in the dayes of their youthâ—… degenerate from the innocency of their childeâ—… hood and yonger years and corrupt themselveâ—… with the principles and wayes of the world whence you give us to understand that regeneration appropriable onely to persons living tâ—… years of discreâ—â—on is a repetition of that spiri tuall purity which in their naturall birth they had but 1. Naturall birth and that as it relates to regeneration hath no more innocency or spirituall purity in it then what the flesh imports in utmost opposition to the Spirit 2. This degeneration you speake of from the spirituall excellency of their naturall birth 〈◊〉 it such as whereby spirituall life received in â—…e naturall generation is extinct or not if not â—…en a man yet living may be borne againe to â—…e same life which you grant most absurd alâ—…wing Nicodemus discourse for good in this â—…oint and it is most manifestly absurd to every â—…e If it be extinct then 1. What is the advanâ—…ge of it and so to what end was it vouchsafed 〈◊〉 men 2. Regenerating grace prevents all â—…bilities in man finding him wholly dead as 〈◊〉 spirituall life where then is that mighty â—…eason understanding c. you are wont to tell 〈◊〉 of and those endowments and ability for â—…he improvement of them which here in your explication of This Parable you mention in order to regenerating grace you further tell us that in and upon their spirituall state in respect of their naturall generation they are if not simply you doe not say though but if not simply and absolutely yet comparatively innocent c. whereby it appeares that you have a good minde simply and absolutely to deny originall sinne in them And in respect of these qualifications in grace and favour with God upon the account of the death and sufferings of Christ formerly we heard from you of a saving light vested in the natures of all upon this same account the vanity of which doctrine we have discovered Now you tell us of a state of Favour wherein upon the same account all children are and
the Gospel RICHARD RESBURY An Answer to Mr. JOHN GOODWINS LETTER Vainly by him Entituled Confidence dismounted Sir WHy you had not my Answer sooner you may find in my Epistle to the Reader viz. Because I intended something else besides an Answer to your Letter which indeed I should not have answered at all but onely to make good the particulars of my charge which you challenge me to I shall therefore touch upon other things as no better than impertinent generally and hasten to that First you find some exception against my reflection upon you in the Title and Epistle of my former Book that you never saw my face never heard of my name before Your meaning I suppose is to render me a son of the Earth an obscure and worthless man I confess my self such an one But what if God will by the foolish and weak things of the World confound the Wise and Mighty You might have made this construction thence that I had no animosity against your person upon any private interest you having never done me harm neither which you mention as another aggravation but onely upon the publick interest of Truth and Christianity did I touch upon you Secondly whereas the main of your grief and distaste is that I have uttered hard sayings against the Truths of God If they had been Truths which you defended you had sayd something That which follows representing me according to the practice of the Heathen cloathing the Christians in Wolves and Bears skins c. As likewise your high scorn of my expectation to give any stop to your Gangrene may pass for a strain of Mr. Iohn Goodwins Rhetorique But whereas you charge the Truths of God by me maintained as monstrous Principles uncouth hard and horrid Notions concerning God this passage I must put amongst your consequentiall Blasphemies In the next place you declame against my Book as a dead Drug lying upon my hands it is now in the hands of men let it answer for it self But whereas you so magnifie your self as though you was another Luther a man of such name weight and worth that great preferment is little enough to discourage any to oppose you you are in a pleasing dream It is not unlikely but divers hands will be against you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what terme onely as an Ishmael 〈◊〉 â—…nitie After this you tell me it 〈◊〉 reasonably be thought by any thing in my Book that I ever looked so much as a line of your Book in the face I see your mighty reason deludes your self as much in your conjectures as it strives to do others in your Doctrines Truly Sir I was not so scared with your Medusa's head but I durst look upon it And still I must tell you there are those Truths maintained in that little Book of mine which overturn your Babel In the next place you tell me that I or some Factor of mine purchased the Outcries of two Diurnalists whereas indeed I neither knew nor thought of any such thing till I saw it done but howsoever it is a thing of common course and for ought I know without offence for them to give notice of such Books as are newly printed After this you fall into a raving fit of pride and bitterness where I leave you to come to your self Then you beseech me by the love I bear or pretend to bear to the Lord Christ which comparing your sweet water with your bitter I conceive a Pharicall prophanation of the name of Christ to tell with what goodness of Conscience c. I can say that the main Truths of God concerning his Electing and Redeeming Grace have been highly assaulted by you For answer I refer you to my instances of your consequential Blasphemies at the end of this my Rescript and so your admonition here subjoyned may pass After this you run your descants that I termed you an unhappy man But Sir to let aside your trifling I therefore call you an unhappy man because you are a bold instrument to serve Satan against the Truth and that not onely whiles you live but in after Ages too when your bones shall be as rotten in the Grave as your Errours are now in the World Next you tell me what a daring hand you have for the Truth Happy was you if you sayd true less unhappy if the contrary was not true That your hand is daring against the Truth For the Title of your Book Redemption Redeemed whether right or no you shall be judged you say by a streighter Rule than my notion No doubt and that to your shame In the next place you tell me that I little know what Arminianism indeed meaneth If I be amongst those that know not the depths of Satan I am not much the worse but so much I know of it as I know that Arminius and Mr. Goodwin are Master and Scholar against the Truth of the Gospel Then you tax me for dictating rather than arguing Sir I was then doing another thing than taking your book to task I doubt not but you shall find that in this following discourse I have argued with you In the next place you resent it very deeply that I should pray that the Lord would rebuke you Our Saviour divers times rebuked his Disciples and Satan in one of his great Apostles why we may not pray that in Mr. Goodwin he would rebuke the spirit of Error I know not I think we pray it in effect as often as we pray that His Kingdom may come After this you challenge me to shew you where you at all much less seriously despise the peculiar Grace of God boldly bid defiance to it I answer the whole bent of your discours is both against it against Election the ground of it carried on with much defiance And even here where you would wipe off this spot you shew what an adversary you are to it by a famous contradiction You demonstrate you say the peculiarity of it that is in your interpretation the signal excellency glory of it to consist in this that it encompasseth the whole world about and particularly addresseth it self to every creature of Mankind A worthy demonstration peculiar because common such a thing is light because it is darkness Would any man have thought that Mr. Goodwins Logick could not distinguish between particular and peculiar And that what is common that is belonging to all suppose particularly presented and tendered should yet be peculiar that is belonging onely to some I do not much wonder that you have proved all Orthodox Writers of Primitive and Modern times to be with your self Pelagian forasmuch as you can prove one opposite species to be another therefore the same because opposite here is a way of demonstration which neither Euelide nor Archâ—â—ede ever dreamed of Concerning the saving Grace of God you say that we hold it so decreed to them that shall be saved that there is an absolute nenecessity for them to embrace it You knovv that we
came thereby to an untimely end neither their sin or their suffering by an un imely end was determined by God p. 9. 3. The actions and motions of naturall causes are not ordinarily by the concurrence of God determined p. 12. The like for the motion of brute Creatures p. 13 in these words Nor are the motions or actings of the second kinde of causes mentioned as of birds beasts c. any whit more determined than of the former by the presence of God with them in their actions the concurrence of God with the Lamb when it runs to the dam and when it flies from the wolf is doubtless one and the same Ibid. 2. His monstrous Conclusions 1. It is a thing as unquestionable as that the Sun is up at noon day that reason and understanding in men are competent to judge of the things of God of all of them that are contained in the Scripture according to the degree of their manifestation there Praf pag. 10. 2. Men that act according to the true principles of that reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers in the precious Faith of the Gospel pag. 11. 3. The Scripture knows not the Word naturall in any sense wherby it distinguisheth the unregenerate state of man from the regenerate pag. 12. 4. By the Natural man 1 Cor. 2. 14 is understood the weak Christian by the Spirituall man the grown Christian by the Things of God onely deep Mysteries pag. 13. 5 God doth require of me no more belief in the Mystery of the Trinity Incarnation of Christ and such like than my reason is able to apprehend pag. 17. 6. The dayes of mans continuance on earth are not determined as so many and no more by any decree of God Book pag. 9. Such Decrees are fitter to make an Alcoran divinity than Christian. pag. 11. 7. The Apostle Paul acquits himself and all others of all such irregular acts whereunto they are necessitated though by an inward principle pag. 13. 8. God might and did absolutely determine the giving up of Christ to suffer death upon the cross and yet not determine either that Herod or Pontius Pilate or any other persons by name should have acted this his determination pag. 23. 9. When a mans person house or goods are consumed by fire there is no competent ground to think that these were determined by God pag. 25. 10. As hands eyes ears grief repentance c. are attributed unto God which according to their proper signification agree not to him so Praescience or Fore-knowledge Election and Reprobation pag. 29. 11. Intentions Purposes and Decrees as well as Knowledge or Fore-knowledge are onely Anthropo-pathetically ascribed unto God pag. 32. 12. God doth not alwaies decree what he purposeth and intendeth to effect because he judgeth it meet to act only to a certain degree of efficiency foâ— the effecting and obtaining of some things by which if hee cannot effect or obtain them hee judgeth it not meet to act any further pag. 36. 13. God never starveth his ends for want of means and yet the things themselves are many times not obtained Ibidem 14. The object of Gods Fore-knowledge is far larger than the object of his intentions or decrees the object of his decrees only such things which he purposeth to effect without any exception the object of his intentions or purposes such things onely which he desireth and intendeth to give being unto but with condition and limitation pag. 39. 15. Love and Hatred Mercy and Justice in God towards his Creature do not argue any different affection in him but onely a different dispensation so that we may truly affirm that he both truly hates and loves at once one and the same person pag. 44. 16. If God reprobated any from Eternity It must be himself pag. 45. 17. When God prevailes by his Word and Spirit with men in time to believe and during this their believing continues the same means towards their further establishment he is sayd to have elected them Again when God upon mens neglect refusall or abuse of the means of Grace shall withdraw these means to such a degree that they fall to open prophaness c. he is now said to have reprobated them pag. 62. 18. The love of God in Election is primarily and directly pitcht upon a certain species of men and not upon the persons of men save by accident and indirectly only in a Consequential way so that it argues no change in God though one while he love and another while hates the same person because no person is the object of his Elective love but onely as righteous nor any person the object of his reprobating hatred but only as wicked pag. 64. 19. The Apostles meaning in this Antithesis not of Works but of him that Calleth is plainly this not of Works but of Faith pag. 463 20. Elect through sanctification of the Spirit c. this implies that such a state and condition as this is that very state wherein what persons should at any time be found God in his eternall Counsels judgeth it meet to confer the honourable title of Elect upon them Ibidem 21. To chuse us in Christ signifies to intend purpose or decree to chuse us as being or when we should be in Christ by beleeving Ibidem 22. Though sober men will not yet God may intend and will that which he knows shall never come to pass pag. 424. 23. When God foresaw that the good gifts which he bestows upon some men would be abused by them yet his love in giving is no whit less because it is not in his power to have done more to the preventing of such abuse than he hath done pag. 426. 24. The utmost extent of the power of God is to proceed no further in vouchsafing Grace or the means of Grace than to leave men a power of rejecting the Grace offered and so of ruining themselves pag. 427. 25. It may be as truly and properly sayd of God when he vouchsafeth the least sufficiency of means unto some men as when he affordeth the greatest unto others that he doth what he is able to do as well for the one as the other pag. 430. 26. When we teach that Christ died for all men we mean that he wholly dissolved and took off from all men the guilt and condemnation that was brought upon all men by Adams transgression so that now no man shall be condemned but for such sins onely which shall be actually committed by him oâ— for such omissions which was in his power to have prevented pag. 433. 27. In this sense we desire to be understood when we affirm that God intends the salvation of all men without exception by the death of Christ that upon this account he vouchsafeth sufficiency of means unto all men considered as men and before their wilfull sinning that most hainous and unpardonable sin whereby to be saved pag. 448. 28. All the acts and actings of
reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers of the precious faith of the Gospel and repentance he requires before faith as is evident in that passage of his God cals upon all men every where to repent and so to beleeve if they cannot but beleeve and that they may beleeve they must repent then from this knowledge in the Naturall mans power both faith and repentance necessarily ensue That this knowledge is in the power of the Naturall man according to his Doctrine is evident because the Objection and Answer is about the Naturall man whence he inferres this conclusion Now for answer here is the fallacy he confounds that knowledge which may be in the Naturall man with that which cannot be but in the Spirituall There is a two-fold knowledge about Spirituall things The 1 Naturall 2 Spirituall The former Historical or of Logical apprehension of Propositions rather then of things or of Propositions only distinctly of things contained in the Propositions confusedly and afar off as when a man reads an History of persons places c. but sees them not with his eye The latter Iniuitivè or of Spirituall Vision the things themselves in the light of the Spirit beheld as it were by Vision distinctly and at hand the former like that knowledge which the Queene of Sheba had of Salomon in her own Country only by heare-say the latter like that which she had of him at Ierusalem by the sight of her eyes 1. King 10. 4 5 6 7. then she beleeved then she admired not till then This is the knowledge whence springs faith and repentance and this is peculiar to the Saints 1 Ephes. 17 18. 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Mat. 16. 17. CHAP. V. Goodwin YEa and evident it is from the Scriptures that men act beneath themselves are remisse and slothfull in awaking those Principles of light and understanding that are vested in their natures or else willingly choake suppresse and smother them if they remaine in the snare of unbeleefe Pray for us saith Paul so the Thessalonians that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evill men for all men have not faith By unreasonable or as the word signifyeth absurd and evill men he plainly meaneth not men who naturally or in actu primo were unreasonable such as those were not like to endanger him or to obstruct the course of the Gospel but such as were unreasonable Actu secundo that is persons who acted contrary to the light and principles of reason and hereby became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 industriously evill or wicked that there were such persons as these abroad in the world he gives this account For all men have not faith which clearly implyeth that men who act and quit themselves according to the true Principles of that reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers of the precious faith of the Gospel To this purpose that passage in Chrysostome is memorably worthy As to beleeve the Gospel is the part of a raised and nobly ingenuous soule so on the contrary not to beleeve is the property of a soule most unreasonable and unworthy and depressed or bowed downe so the soâ—â—ishnesse of bruit beasts Resbury Reader here we must grapple close with him observe in his owne words what here he saith about the understanding of the Naturall man and his power to make use of it for repenting and beleeving now one of these two he must needs affirme either that he may so use his naturall understanding as thence without any peculiar and higher worke of the Spirit of God he may repent and beleeve or rather he must or else upon such use of it as he may make he shall certainly receive such a worke of the Spirit upon his soule as thence not only may but must faith and repentance be produced whether of these he affirmes I charge it with 1. Evident falshood 2. With Pelagianisme First for the falshood of both these I shall use only foure Arguments to evince it I. From the doctrine of Naturall corruption If we be not sufficient of our selves as of our selves to thinke a good thought If there be none in the state of naturall corruption that understands that seekes after God If that that is borne of the flesh be flesh If in this flesh there dwels no good thing If the naturall man receives not the things of the Spirit of God but they are foolishnesse unto him neither can know them because they are Spiritually discerned If the flesh and the lustings thereof be contrary to the Spirit and the lustings thereof If in the regenerate with the flesh the Law of sinne is served in opposition to the minde serving the Law of God If vaine man though he would faine be wise yet is borne like a wilde Asses Colt If the naturall man be dead in trespasses and sins If he be darknesse If the minding of the flesh be enmity against God If it be not subject to the Law of God neither can be so that they that are in the flesh cannot please God then in neither of those sences is faith and repentance in the Naturall mans power But the Antecedent or the former is true Therefore the Consequent or the latter As for those frivolous exceptions which you have against some of these particulars concerning naturall corruption we shall blow them away when we come to them for they are light chaffe II. From the Doctrine of the Naturall mans subjection to Satan If Satan be the Prince of the world the god of the world If the course of the world in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh be according to the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that workes effectually in the children of disobedience If Satan the strong man have such possession of the Naturall man as without the peculiar worke of the Holy Ghost as the stronger he cannot be dispossest Then is not repentance and faith in either of the two named sences in the power of the naturall man But the former is true Therefore the latter III. From the subjection of the Naturall man to the Law as the Covenant of Workes If in this estate of naturall corruption and subjection to the Devill therein all Naturall men be under the Law as the Covenant of Workes and the Law only reveales sinne and wrath stirres up and increaseth finne but gives no strength against it When we were in the flesh the motions of sinne which were by the Law did worke in our members Rom. 7. 5. Sin tooke occasion by the Commandement and wrought in me all manner of concupiscence ver 11. Then as formerly But the former is here true likewise Therefore the latter IV. From the Doctrine of Regeneration If Regeneration be as the word sounds a New Birth a birth of the Spirit in opposition to the naturall Birth as the birth of the Flesh a birth not of bloud nor of the will
of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God a quickning of such as were dead in trespasses and sins a resurrection from the dead a new creation If none can come unto Christ except drawne of the Father If not of workes that we have done but of his owne grace If not of him that wils nor of him that runs but of God who sheweth mercy If a calling out of darknesse If translating from the power of darknesse a taking away the heart of stone and giving a◠heart of flesh Then as formerly But the former is true Therefore the latter Further consideration of the falshood of this Doctrine we shall have in that which followes shewing the Pelagianisme of it CHAP. VI. Now for the Pelagianisme of this Doctrine 1 SUppose it acknowledge no supernaturall grace and therefore no grace but only toying with the word Grace ascribes saving vertues and operations to Nature and an assistance from God proportion'd and attemper'd to the heedfull exercise and improvement of naturall abilities then is it evidently Pelagian and that of the first stamp But if this be not the spirit of this Doctrine those conclusions here laid downe are very closely exprest 1 That men act beneath themselves and here he speakes of the generality of men are remisse and slothfull in awakening those Principles of light and understanding that are vested in their Natures or else willingly choake suppresse and smother them if they remaine in the snare of unbeleefe 2 That men who act and quit themselves according to the true Principles of that reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers of the precious faith of the Gospel Let us now adde a further explication in his owne words presently after and this will yet more clearly appeare to have been his meaning which we here suppose his words are as followeth That about the efficacy of the Grace of God vouchsafed unto men there is a great abuse of the word Naturall and so of the word Supernaturall a word not found in the Scriptures either formally or vertually the grosse falshood whereof we shall see in due place and that the Scripture knoweth not the word Naturall in any such sence wherein it should distinguish the unregenerate state of a man from the regenerate as false as the former as in due time shall be demonstrated Now this Commentary of his owne is so manifest for the sence we here suppose as needs no insisting upon for if the efficacy of Grace be not supernaturall then neither is Grace it selfe as the Principle nor any effects of Grace as to beleeve repent c. supernaturall for the principle operation and effects are all of one kinde naturall or supernaturall and so Grace is nothing else but a naturall endowment and improvement But then what shall be his meaning afterwards in his explication of the Parable of the Talents where he speakes thus That in case men will stirre up and lay out themselves accordingly in the improvement of such abilities and gifts as shall from time to time be vouchsafed to them they may by vertue of the bounty and gracious decree of God in that behalfe attaine and receive from God what proportion and measure of the Spirit and Grace of God they can desire I answer The worke of this Spirit of Grace upon their hearts if it be supernaturall he contradicts himselfe who will not allow that word either formally or vertually about the efficacy of Grace if he doe not contradict himselfe this worke of the Spirit must be nothing slse but such an influx as is attemper'd and proportion'd to mans Naturall acting and therefore naturall But this was the frequent manner of his great Apostle Pelagius to play fast and loose at every turne with the words Grace and Nature I much suspect that very Doctrine of Pelagius which Austine layes downe in his owne words Lib. de grat Christi c. c. 4. to be here touched We saith Pelagius distinguish thus these three In the first place we appoint to be able in the second to will in the third to be To be able we place in Nature to will in free Choyce to be in effect That first to be able belongs properly to God who hath conferred it upon his Creature the two others that is to will and to be are to be referred unto man because they descended from the fountaine of Free will therefore in the will and in the good worke the praise is of man yea both of man and God who hath given to him the possibility of the will it selfe and of the work and who alwayes helps that possibility it selfe with the ayde of his Grace but that men may be able to will good and to finish it this is only of God See now what Austine here advertiseth concerning Pelagius his Concession of Grace which how rightly it suits Master Goodwin let the Reader judge Whensoever saith he we heare that he confesseth the aide of Divine Grace we ought to know that he neither beleeves our wil nor our action to be helped hereby but only the possibility of the will and work which alone of these three he affirmes that we have of God and this in nature as is manifest CHAP. VII 2. SUppose it acknowledge no habitual grace upon the will renewing it nor effectuall acting and determining it but all the assistance of grace acknowledged be it naturall or supernaturall is onely for inlightening the understanding and exciting the will to determine it selfe whence it may come to passe that the will may as to the event obey or not obey the call of God This is partly no more then what Pelagius acknowledged partly opposite to that grace which the Orthodox Fathers maintained against him 1 Observe here that he puts all upon the Understanding as if all the assistance of grace necessary was onely for enlightening it 2 That Pelagius himselfe was driven to acknowledge thus much and withall exciting grace whatsoever he meant thereby 3 That the Fathers opposing his Heresie required and maintained that grace which by supernaturall efficacy did not onely inlighten the understanding and excite the will but likewise did by an efficacious impression give both a new and spirituall power to the will as likewise the acting of that power and the same grace that gave the power gave likewise the acting of that power and was both preventing and effectuall and peculiar and of infallible issue for conversion and therefore not common to those who were converted with those who were not but peculiar to the converted But let us see the truth of what is here asserted And first What Pelagius acknowledged as much for ought I can discern as Mr. Goodwin August lib de gratiâ Christi contra Pelag. Caelest chap 10. Thus reports him When he had a long time affirmed that not by the aide of God but of our selves in our selves the will is made good he objected against himselfe out of
the Epistle to the Philippians chap. 2. and how saith he shall that of the Apostle stand It is God that workes in us both to will and to doe Then that he might as it were answer this objection which he saw so vehemently against his opinion going on he addes He works in us to will what is good to wil what is holy whilst he inflames us who are addicted to earthly things after the manner of the dumb beasts loving only the things present with the greatnesse of the glory to come and with promise of rewards whilst by the revelation of wisdom hee stirs up the listlesse Will to desire after God whilst he exhorts us to all that is good To the same purpose c. 7. and c. 41. 2 What Austine requires in his answer hereto when he had first discovered his subtlety that all that he intends here by revelation of wisdome and exhortation may be nothing else but according to his former doctrine the law of God and doctrine of his word as all that Mr. Goodwin means by his concession of grace is nothing but what is natural He addes But no such grace will we owne Let him at length acknowledge that grace whereby the greatnesse of the glory to come is not onely promised but is withall beleeved and hoped for nor only is wisdom revealed but withall it is beloved nor onely is all that is good exhorted to but perswaded for all have not faith who by the Scriptures hear the Lord promising the Kingdome of heaven neither are all perswaded who are exhorted that they would come to him who saith Come unto me all yee that labour But who they are that have faith and who are perswaded to come to him hee hath showne clearly enough where he saith No man can come unto me except the father draw him and a little after where he speakes of unbeleevers I have said unto you saith he that no man can come to me except it be given him of the father Iohn 6. 44. and 65. This grace Pelagius must confesse if hee will not only be called but likewise be a Christian Hearken to this Mr. Goodwin least your Christianity be called into question And chap. 12. speaking of the same grace by this grace saith he we not only know what to do but we do what we know nor only doe we beleeve what we should love but we love what we beleeve Then he goes on chap. 13. If this grace must be called doctrine let it be so called but so as that we beleeve that God poures it into the soul more deeply and inwardly by an unspeakable sweetnesse not only by those who plant and water outwardly but also by himselfe who gives the increase in secret so as not only to shew the truth but to bestow love For so doth God teach those who are called according to his purpose giving at once both to know what they should doe and to doe what they know whence the Apostle to the Thessalonians 1 Epistle 4. 9. But concerning brotherly love yee neede not that I write unto you for yee are taught of God to love one another And that hee might prove that they were taught of God he addes presently And indeed yee doe it towards all the brethren which are in Macedonia Shewing this to be a most certaine evidence that they are taught of God if they dâ—e what they are taught After this manner Are all taught who are called according 〈◊〉 purpose as it is written in the Prophets They shall all be taught of God But hee that knowes what he ought to doe and doth it not hath not yet learned of God according to Grace but according to the Law not according to the Spirit but according to the Letter Then chap. 14. speaking of the same effectuall teaching of grace Of this manner of teaching saith he the Lord sayes Every one who hath heard and learned of the father comes to me whosoever therefore hath not come it is not rightly said of him he hath heard indeed and learned that he should come but he will not doe what hee hath learned In no wise is it rightly said of that manner of teaching whereby God teaches through grace For if as the truth speakes every one who hath learned comes whosoever comes not hee hath not learned but who sees not that each one comes and comes not by the liberty of the will but this liberty may be alone if it comes not but if it come assisted it must be and so assisted as not onely that it may know what is to bee done but that likewise it may doe what it knowes And hence when God teacheth not by the letter of the Law but by the grace of the spirit he so teacheth that what any one hath learned he doth not onely see by knowing but also desire by willing and performe by doing and by that divine manner of teaching even the Will it selfe and the operation it selfe not onely the naturall possibility of willing and working is assisted For if onely our power was helped by grace the Lord would have said thus Every one who hath heard and learned of the father may or can come to me but hee saith not so but dâ—th come to me A power of coming Pelagius places in Nature or even as he hath now begun to speake in Grace of what kind soever he accounts it by which as he saith the possibility it self is helped but to come is now in the will and the worke But it followes not that hee that can come doth come except he will it and doe it But every one who hath learned of the father not onely can come but doth come where there is now both the advance of possibility and the affection of the will and the effect of the action Reader It is easie for thee to observe from these testimonies out of this most learned and pious Father how powerfull upon the will how effectuall in the worke how infallible how peculiar the grace of God is according to what I affirmed before and all with cleare evidence and much strength of Scripture made good But indeed this great assertion of Grace doth so abound in this doctrine which he doth most strenuously maintain that it is very hard to make an end of quotations out of him not so much for his authority as for his demonstration by Scripture and his singular excellency in discussing it Wee shall adde a little more and but a little In his booke de gratiâ— lib. arbitr c. 16. It is certain that when we will we will but it is he who makes us to will what is good of whom it is said that the will is prepared of the Lord of whom it is said It is God who worketh in us both to will and to do It is certaine that when we doe we doe but he makes us to doe affording most effectuall strength to the will who hath said I will make you to
Whereas the Apostle saith It is not of him that wills nor of him that runs but of God that shewes mercy who releeves little ones whom he will when they neither will nor run those whom he chose in Christ before the world was made as to whom he freely would give Grace that is no merits of theirs whether of faith or workes preceding whom he wills not to releeve he releeves not of whom in his own predestination he hath otherwise judged secretly indeed but justly for there is no iniquity with God but his judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out As of those two twins Iacob and Esau of whom the one is taken the other is left their end is different their merits the same in whom yet so the one is freed by the great goodnesse of God that the other is condemned without any iniquity in God for is there iniquity in God in no wise but his wayes are past finding out therefore let us without wavering beleeve his mercy in those that are freed his truth in those that are punished neither let us search things unsearchable nor thinke to trace what is untraceable Now whereas it was objected by the Massilians or Semi-Pelagians that Infants were dealt with according to future merits foreseene if they had lived First he rejects this as a most absurd conceit that any should be judged not only according to his merits whilst he was in the Body but according to those merits which he should have had if he had been longer in the Body by merits here as frequently he meanes only deeds good or evil whence it should come into their thoughts saith he whose wills are not contemptible wondring and astonisht I cannot finde A new kinde of absurdity saith Prosper relating it to imagine things to come which are not to come and that what things are not to be should be fore-known and that what things are fore-knowne should not be done After his rejection of this Opinion he refutes it both in his Book De praedest de bono Persever and other-where I shall gleane a little Lib. de praedest Sanct. Cap. 12. We shall all appeare before the Iudgement Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. What he hath done saith he not what he might afterwards doe but whence this should come into the minde of such men that things to come which are not things to come should be punished that to merits of Infants should be honoured I cannot tell To this time of the Body belongs Originall sinne 2 Why then may we not say that the Gospel is preached in vaine with so much labour and sufferings of the Saints if men may be judged even those that have not heard the Gospel according to that contumacy or obedience which God fore-knew they would have had if they had heard and so Tyre and Sidon should not have bin condemned because if those wonderfull things and signes had been done amongst them which were done in those Cities to which the Lord speaks of this matter they had repented in sackcloth and ashes Lib. De Bono persever c. 9. 3 Then neither may we rejoyce in those whom we know to have departed in a right saith and a good life lest they should be judged according to some wickednesses which they were to commit if a longer life had been granted to them neither are they to be grieved for and detested who have finished this life in infidelity and wretched manners because haply if they had lived they would have repented and have lived in godlinesse and according to those things they were to be judged Epist. 107. These two Arguments are in force against our Adversaries because they hold that a righteous man a true beleever may fall utterly and finally from Grace and that it is in the power of the unrighteous to repent Our Saviour himselfe is likewise a most cleare light of Predestination and Grace he the Mediator of God and man the man Christ Iesus which that he might be by what fore-going merits whether of Faith or Workes did his humane Nature obtaine Give answer I pray that man that he should by the word Coeternall with the Father be taken into the unity of Person and become the only begotten Son of God whence might he merit this What did he before what beleeved he what asked he that he should come to this unspeakeable excellency Let man reply against God here if he dare and say and why not I and if he shall be answered O man who art thou that repliest against God and yet shall not refraine but shall encrease his impudence and say What doe I heare Who art thou O man when I am what I heare that is a man which he is likewise of whom I am speaking and why am not I the same that he But he is such an one and so great by Grace Why is Grace different where Nature is common certainly there is no acception of persons with God what I say not Christian but mad-man would speake thus In our Head then may the fountain of Grace appeare whence according to the measure of every one it diffuseth it selfe through all his Members by that Grace from the beginning of his faith is any man made a Christian by which Grace from his beginning was that man made Christ and of the same Spirit was this man borne againe of which he was borne As therefore he the only one is predestinated to be our Head so we many are predestinated to be his Members Let Humane merits here be silent which have perished by Adam and let that Grace of God reigne which reignes by Jesus Christ our Lord the only Sonne of God our Lord whosoever he is that in our Head can finde the fore-going Merits of that singular Generation let him inquire in us his Members the fore-going merits of multiplied regeneration for that Generation was not recompenced to Christ but given that free from all Obligation of sinne he should be borne of the Spirit and the Virgin so that we should be borne againe of Water and the Spirit it is not recompenced to us for any merit but freely given for he hath made us to beleeve on Christ who hath made Christ for us on whom we beleeve he makes in men the beginning of faith and the finishing in Iesus who hath made the Author of faith and the finisher Jesus Lib. de Predest Sanct. Lib. de Grat. Lib. Arbit c. 14. Thus he states the Question But when these not Defenders but blowers up and tumblers headlong of free will have been convinced that neither the knowledge of the Law of God nor Nature nor only the remission of sins is that Grace which is given by Iesus Christ our Lord but it makes that the Law be fulfilled scil Evangelically that Nature be healed that sin reign not when in
and opposition to the rest were not borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh â—or of the will of man but of God therefore well saith Austin speaking of that light shining upon this darknesse As when a blinde man is placed in the Sun-shine the Sunne is present to him but he is absent from the Sunne so every foole every unrighteous every wicked person is blinde in his heart wisdome is present to him but being present to a blinde man it is absent from his eyes not because it is absent from him but because he is absent from it Tract 1. in c. 1. Ioan. here was a beaming forth of this light upon such and about them in his workes and word but they neither discerne it nor have any power so to doe because they are blinde though in the middest of Sun-shine 2 From the whole Doctrine of Naturall corruption and the grace of Conversion throughout the Scriptures even all those Scriptures whence you gather That the intellectuall frame of man was so shatter'd by Adams fall are bent against all unregenerate persons shewing not what they had been by Adams fall if Christ had not been but what they are this notwithstanding before regeneration therefore 1 For the Doctrine of Naturall corruption all men are thereby before regeneration flesh in which dwels no good thing wherein it is impossible to please God which enmity against the Law of God contrary in its lustings to the Spirit all dead in sin all darknesse all children of wrath all in subjection to Satan all under the Law all borne as wilde Assâ—â— Colts all such as cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God as savour onely the things of the flesh c. whereas if your Doctrine was true the Scripture must have affirm'd the contrary to all these either that by Nature we are not flesh or not so wholly in opposition to the Spirit but that in the flesh some good thing dwels that we may by Nature please God that we are in amity with the Law of God compliant to the motions of the Spirit alive from sinne light children of peace free from Satans bondage borne under Grace borne the Children of wisdome such as can receive the things of the Spirit of God as savour or have those Principles whereby we may savour the things of the Spirit c. 2. For the Doctrine of the Grace of conversion the Scripture saith 1 That it is supernaturall quickning Grace Grace by which we are borne anew Grace raising from the dead Grace anew creating but according to your Doctrine there should be no such thing as the Grace of conversion or Regeneration but only a progresse of Naturall vertues faith and repentance but the fruits of the seeds of light in Nature for this light you make a common vouchsafement to all and the word Naturall you will not allow to difference the unregenerate man from the regenerate so that in the building of your Babel here is nothing but confusion of speech from confusion of things Grace is Nature and Nature is Grace Naturall is Spirituall and Spirituall is Naturall and which is yet admirable Spirituall is with you too supernaturall 2 It is altogether free and preventing as there is a supernatural Grace of Conversion so this grace as altogether independent upon any thing in man therefore is of God 1. As of him that shewes mercy meerly because he will shew mercy and will have compassion on whom he will have compassion in opposition to man willing or to man runing 2 As of him that is sound of those that sought him not 3. As of him that by this grace of his makes the difference betwixt the converted and unconverted so as the glorified Saints shall owe unto God not only what they received in common with the damned but that wherein they excell the damned who hath made thee to differ 4. As of him that cals not only of the foolishest and weakest and basest and most despised in the world but even of the worst of men 1 Cor. 6. 9. And Mr. Goodwin himselfe tels us how desperately incumbred the unregenerate state of the Ephesians was Now according to your doctrine all must be contrary man must begin and God must follow man must first give and God must recompence again whatsoever it is that you shal please to cal the grace or the work of conversion on Gods part it must be vouchsafed unto those who by the improvement of that common original natural grace you tel us of that light vouchsafed to all in their natural birth have sought the Lord have willed have runned and so they having received that common Posse Pelagius his owne grace shall make themselves by the good use of it to differ from those who for not using it are not converted 3. It is effectual and peculiar the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ is not potential but effectual where-ever it gives the power giving the deed likewise not common but peculiar given onely to those who are indeed saved by it No man can come to me except the father draw him and I will raise him up at the last day without this drawing here is no power of coming whosoever is drawne surely comes and is surely saved All are not saved All come not neither then could all come or any but those that doe come this grace then is at once preventing effectuall and peculiar And indeed the peculiarity of it is evident from the former heads He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy there is a distinction of the heires of mercy from the rest Who hath made thee to differ differencing therefore peculiar grace you hath he quickened you not all c. Thus we have seen the vanity of your Interpretation and if we adde the Heresie too we shall doe you no wrong For whether you confound Grace and Nature or which way soever you make Grace to arise from Nature or to depend upon any thing in the naturall man you cannot possibly quit your selfe of palpable Pelagianism The least charge that can be against you is that grace is given according to merits in that sense wherein Pelagius was refuted and condemned The very Doctrine of Pelagius you teach for a common power of repentance in all men against the supernaturall efficacy of converting grace against the preveniency and peculiarity of it against the natural mans darknesse and impotency and you offer fair against original sin whilst you tell us that â—e are all borne so vested with light and powâ—â— And you thinke to carry all as if you were no consort of his onely because you have a new fetch for it which how slender â—n oâ—â—e it is I hope by this time appears What you adde towards the end of this Section about the actings and movings of the â—ationall Powers by the spirit of God you doe so hover in generals and onely put off with a parcell of fine words as all that I shall yet say is
merit of congruity the Iesuiticall doctrine That he that doth what in him lyes by the strength of Nature shall thereby obtaine Grace 3 The Word of God you say makes it one argument of the wicked and sensuall waies of men that they have not the spirit Iudg. 5. 18 19. what then you adde yea the Apostle Paul by charging the Ephesians to be filled with the spirit clearly supposeth it to be a voluntary strain of sinfull unworthinesse in men if they have not a very rich and plentifull anoynting of the spirit Answ. 1. These Ephesians were regenerate and spoken to as regenerate therefore this concludes nothing for the natural man 2. T is true what you say concerning the Naturall man but false that you would conclude that therefore the Naturall man hath power to obtaine this anoynting of the spirit from mans duty to his ability is a meer non sequitur It is the duty of the naturall man to fulfill the law of God otherwise the transgression of the Law is not sin yet it is impossible for him The flesh is not subject to the Law of God neither can be It is the duty of the natural man when the Gospell is preached to him to come to Christ and a sinful straine of voluntary unworthinesse that hee comes not Yee will not come to me that yee might have life saith Christ to the Jewes rebuking them Yet none can come to him except the Father draw him and this drawing of the Father is not according to any preparation of man drawn He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and compassion on whom he will have compassion It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy It is the duty of the naturall man to receive the things of the spirit of God revealed in the Gospell which yet he cannot do without the renewing work of the spirit whereby he becomes a spirituall man because they are spiritually discerned But to obtaine this renewing worke of the spirit is not in his power hath no dependance upon any thing by him done in order thereunto The wind bloweth where it listeth thou bearest the sound thereof but knowest not whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that is born of the spirit CHAP. XVIII Goodwin HE that lives up to those principles of light which God hath vested in him is underthe beatificall influence of that most rich promise of Christ To him that hath shall be given and he shall have abundantly By him that hath in this promise is meant as clearely appeares from the tenor of the Parable immediatly preceding such a person who useth imployeth improveth that which he hath hereby declaring that he hath what he hath nor is that which he is here said to have any thing of a Spirituall or supernaturall import this likewise is evident from the said Parable for here one of the three who all had received talents one or more all which talents must needs by the course of the Parable be supposed to be of one and the same kind nor is the least intimation of any difference especially of any specificall difference between them is said to be an evill and sloathfull Servant notwithstanding his talent and because of his sloathfulnesse to be cast into utter darknesse these are no Characters especially in the judgement of those with whom we are to conflict in the ensuing Discourse of persons that had received any thing saving or supernaturall But by that which is here promised to be given and that in abundance to him that hath must of necessity be meant somewhat that is of a spirituall and saving nature this also is evident from the carriage of the same Parable where the Servants who had received the talents and imployed them faithfully by whom are typified our Saâ—iours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that have as was lately said are graciously invited by their Master into this joy Enter thou into thy Masters joy So to the other enter thou into thy Masters joy Now if either God or Christ be signified or meant by the Master of these Servants as I suppose no man questions but that either the one or the other are typified hereby by entring into their joy cannot be meant a receiving of greater measure of naturall gifts or endowments nor of receiving any reward which belongs to persons qualified only with such endowments as these but salvation or eternall blessednesse and glory if so it roundly followes that by what Christ promiseth shall be given to him that hath in the sense declared is meant somewhat of a saving consequence as regenerating Grace the sanctifying Spirit of God Faith and the like And promising not onely or simply that to him that hath shall be given but further that he shall have abundantly he clearly signifieth that in case men will stir up provoke and lay out themselves accordingly in the improvement of such abilities and gifts which shall from time to time be vouchsafed unto them they may be vertue of the bounty and gracious decree of God in that behalf attaine and receive from God what proportion or measure of the Spirit of Grace and of God they can desire therefore they that teach men to be meerly passive in matters of Religion and forbid them the use of their Reasons and Understandings as unlawfull and dangerous in these affaires how prudently soever they may consult their own carnall ease honour and worldly accommodations by such a doctrine yet herein they say to men in effect be not excellent let it never be said that the God of heaven hath made you rich or great Resbury Mr. Goodwin hath here led us to that famous Scripture the Parable of the Talents a Scripture so much abused by the whole nation of the Iesuites in whose steps the Arminians tread and amongst them this Author 1 Let us see his Interpretation hereof 2. The true Interpretation 1 For his It labours with two very great diseases 1. Self-contradiction 2. Pelagianisme 1. For selfe-contradiction spiritual and supernaturall are here one and the same with him as appeares in these words Nor is that which he is said to have any thing of a spirituall or supernaturall import A little after saving and supernaturall are one and the same with him â—n these words These are no characters of persons that had received any thing saving or supernaturall Presently after spirituall and of saving nature are one and the same in these words By that which is here promised to be given must of necessity be meant some thing of a spirituall and saving nature and this in opposition to naturall in these words by entring into the Masters joy cannot be meant a receiving of a greater measure of naturall gifts or endowments nor of receiving any reward which belongs to persons quallified onely with such endowments as these But salvation or eternall blessednesse and glory If so it roundly follows that by what Christ promiseth
conversio fides sequuntur absolutum Dei decretum modo multum dissimili Peccata enim sequuntur infallibiliter quidem necessitate tantùm consequentiae id est Deo non omnino causante vel efficiente sed tantum permittente fides verò bona opera eitam necessitate consequentis ut pote quorum deus propriissimè author dici debet secundum omnes Theologos Nemo enim unquam dixerit homines credere regenerari ad Deum converti bona opera praestare deo tantùm permittente sed etiam causante et operante Si vero hoc nobis concessum fuerit sicut necesse est ut concedatur fidem conversionem sequi absolutum Dei decretum necessitate consequentis i. e. necessitate efficiente cooperante non video quomodo negari possit cam modo quodam irresiâ—tibili in nobis fieri cum enim aliquod agens ita agat in patiens ut necessariò vincat is propriè dicitur agere irresistibiliter sic Deus si ita convertat peccatorem ut is necessariò convertatur necessitate consequentis tum eum convertit irresistibiliter i. e. modo cui patiens cedere necesse est Vnde miror eos qui negant electionem ex fide praevisa pendentem defendere tamen conversionem fieri modo resistibili ut etiam frustrari possit 5. Quinta ultima ratio haec sit Si conversio fiat modo illo resistibili sicut ab ijs describitur qui Arm. sequuntur tum electio divina non potest esse certa secundum ipsorum principia utpote quae pendeat a mutabili hominis arbitrio quod ut describitur ab Arminio ausim dicere a Deo ipâ—o praevideri non posse Supponatur enim quod illi substituunt fundamentum illius praevisionis Deum perfectè praevidere omnes modos quibus voluntas vel deordinari vel ad bonum inclinari possit Supponatur etiam Deum praecognoscere omnia objecta vel circumstantias quae possunt voluntati illo modo offeri vel exhiberi Denique supponamus etiam Deum exploratum habere quomodo unumquodque objectum vel circumstantia apta sit movere voluntatem eamque huc vel illuc suadendo impellere tamen fi haec sit conditio voluntatis ut positis quibuscunque objectis etiam pofita quacâ—nque aptitudine in his objectis vel circumstantijs ad inclinandam voluntatem huc vel illuc illa tamen pro intrinseca libertate possit agere vel non agere Non video quomodo Deus praevidere possit quid voluntas certo infallibiliter sit operatura i. e. utrum se convertet ad Deum necne non quod Deus ex aliquaâ— impotentia non possit expiscari quid voluntas conatura sit sed quia id non est simpliciter scibile nam Non potest esse major certitudâ— in cognitione quam in objecto unde sic argumeâ—tor Si certum sit voluntatem gratiae oblatae assensuram esse tum â—alsuâ— est dictu voluntâ—â—m positis omnibus Dei actionibus posse se convertere vel non convertere Contra si incertum sit utrum voluntas huic gratiae râ—sistâ—t necne tum ea quam de illa habet Deus praescientia certa esse nequit nam scibile est mensura scientiâ— ergo scientiam â—sse veram tamen plus esse certitudinis in cognitione quam in re cognita â—mplicat contradictionem sicut implicatur contradictio si quis dixerit mensuratum esse majus vel minus mensura tamen eidem aequale esse Ad haec etiamsi verum sit Deum cognoscere omnes modos secundum quos voluntas bene vel male inclinari potest tamen si voluntas sit omnimodo indeterminata admittens nullum determinans sive intrinsecum sive extrinsecum sive creatum sive increatum ut illi defendunt implicat contradictionem ut ab ipso Deo definiatur aliquis certus modus quo illam deordinari vel rectè ordinari contigerit Ex his omnibus colligitur si gratia convertens moveat voluntatem modo ab illa resistibili non posse Deum infallibiliter praescâ—re qui credituri â—int qui non unde ex consequenti omni◠è medio tolâ—â—retur electio Ergo reliquum est Gratiam convertentem mâ—do irresistibili tum a Deo communicari tum a nobiâ— accipi Supersunt plures aliae rationes sed objectiones quas recitare refellere institui sed satius mihi â—rit filum orationis imtempestivè abrumpere quam injurium esse tum in auditores tum in doctissimos opponentes FINISâ— Reader these following are the most materiall sâ—ips escaped the Presse which thou mayest do well to correct with thy pen before thou readest the book In answer to Master Goodwinâ— Letter Page 2. for discourage read encouragâ— p. 7. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 25. 〈◊〉 declared r. decrâ—â—d In the Book Page 14. line 27. for iâ— read of p. 17. l. 14. for And why 〈◊〉 At least why p. 20. l. 21. for Hipolâ—misâ— r. Hipolenuse l. 21. r. Squares p. 24. l. 7. for None r. Minâ— p. 40. l. 20. for closely 〈◊〉 looâ—â—ly p 47. l. last but onâ— for Assertion r. Aâ—â—rtour p. 50. l. 35 for Praesident r. Present p. 57. l 25. for lost r. last p. 71. l. 2. for wils r. wits l. â—0 for to r. so thâ— p. â—3 for fuller r. full p. 96. l. 11. for many r. Man 〈◊〉 117. for addition r. addiction p. 135. l. the last for Object r. Subject p. 143. l 16. for as knowledge r. as to knowledge Chrys. Ser. 3. in 2 Cor. 1. v. 22 22. * Let it be here observed that he useth Spirituall and supernaturall for one and the same which will be of use afterwards Heb. 11. 3 Effectuall and determining grace upon the Will No potential grace but what is effectuall that grace which gives to be able to obey the cal of God gives effectually to obey The grace of Christ not common but peculiar to all those and onely those who are converted by it The power of conversion from God The teaching of divine grace effectuall upon the wil. The efficacy of grace determining the wiâ— in its motion operation takes not away the liberty of the wil That aide of grace which gives the power of coming to Christ gives the act likewise Effectuall grace upon the wil determining it in its motion Habitual and renewing grace upon the wil together with effectual Preventing and subsequent grace operating and co-operating grace preventing and operating whence the first act of grace subsequent and co-operating whence the following act to which following acts this grace is preventing and operating subsequent and co-operating onely in respect of the first preventing and habituall grace all along Many Learned men hold that at length he came to this a speciall work of inward illumination by the Spirit above what he acknowledged in the second state but he that shall vveigh well what Austine saith Lib. dâ— Gr. Christi c. 7. 10. 22 23. 41. may well doubt of it Subduing Grace Man unwilling and resisting by Grace made willing and consenting the least desire of good how small and impeâ—fect soever from grace The Massilian state of Pelagianisme 1. From Gods promise to Abraham The whole of faith from God Godlinesse from faith 2. From differencing grace 3. From Election 4. From the efficacy and peculiarity of Grace depending upon election Grace preventing subduing renewing effectuall 5. From the salvation of Infants 6. From the person of the Mediator 7. The corruption of Nature exprest in hardnesse of heart 8 From the increase of sin by the Law in the natural man 9 From the subjection of the natural man to the devil 10 From the thanksgiving praiers of the Saints and of the church 1 Cor. 12. 1 Cor. 4. 1 Cor. 15 1 Cor. 7. 25 2 Cor. 4. 7. Ephes. 2. Phil. 1 Phil. 2. 2 Cor. 3. John 6. Iohn 15. Luk. 10. Iohn 5. Mat. 16. Vox Irresistibiliter explicatur