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spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	speak_v	6,346	5	5.2623	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09386	A C[hristian] and [plain]e treatise of the manner and order of predestination and of the largenes of Gods grace. First written in Latine by that reuerend and faithfull seruant of God, Master William Perkins, late preacher of the word in Cambridge. And carefully translated into English by Francis Cacot, and Thomas Tuke.; De prædestinationis modo et ordine. English	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Cacot, Francis.; Tuke, Thomas, d. 1657.	1606 (1606)	STC 19683; ESTC S103581	116,285	285

hath also giuen remedies to him that sinneth lest hee should despaire T●eodulus Presbyter Hee hath said that both Iewes and Gentiles should be Comment in Rom. cap. 3. partakers of grace yet not all but those that beleeue and because grace is common to all not without cause Secondly they speake of naturall vocation Answer 2. or of the grace of nature consisting in the reliques of naturall light and vnderstanding in the common gifts of vertues and outward blessings which are testimonies of Gods prouidence and goodnesse The Author of the calling of the Gentiles Lib. 2. c. 14. For this cause verily the nations may bee excused which being aliants from the common wealth of Israel voyde of hope and without God in this world haue perished vnder the darkenesse of ignorance because this abundance of grace which doth now water the whole world did not slow so pentifully before For there is euermore shewed vnto all men a certaine measure of doctrine from a Chrysosto● saith that the preseruing in the Atke is superna gratia grace frō aboue aboue which albeit it proceede from a more sparing and hidden grace yet it is sufficient in the Lords iudgement for a b For the outward reformat●● of the life Horn. 25. in Gen. Lib. 2. 6. 4. remedy vnto some and a witnesse vnto all Againe who may not easily perceiue that hee neuer denied his diuine goodnes to the posteritie of this brother slayer if he consider how profitable so long patience of God such plentifull store of temporall blessings and such an vniuersall increase of multiplied fruitfulnesse might haue been vnto them which benefits although they wrought ●o cure and emendment in those whose harts were hardned ●et they proue that their apostasie was not caused by God Again In the farthest parts of the world there bee some nations vnto which the light of sauing Lib. 2. cap. 〈◊〉 grace hath not as yet dawned vnto whom that paercell of general assistance is not denied which is alwaies from aboue granted vnto ad men Although the nature of man hath receiued so sharp a wound that it is not possible for any man to come to the knowledge of God by the helpe of his owne voluntarie contemplation vnlesse the true light dispell the darknesse of the heart which the tust and good God in his vnsearchable iudgement hath not so shed abroad in times past as he doth in these last daies Thirdly the fathers speake of the vniuersall aptnesse whereby mans will being by Gods ordinarie dispensation preuented and helped by the holy Ghost may beleeue and bee conuerted which notwithstanding a stone stocke or beast cannot Augustine Apossibilitie to haue faith Depraed 〈◊〉 5 is giuen of nature Againe hee saith that mans nature is capable of iustification by the grace of the holy spirit Againe Men may Con● ●ul l. 2 keepe Gods commandements and beleeue in God if they will because that light enlighteneth euery man which commeth into this world Prosper To be able to haue faith is De gen contra Manich. lib. 1. cap. 3. the nature of men but to haue faith is the grace of the faithfull Augustine This difference there is betwixt wicked men and the diuels that men though they be exceedingly Ad art Sibi falso imp 6. wicked may bee reconciled if God will shew mercie but there is no conuersion reserued for the diuels Now as concerning Christian grace whereby a will to bee conuerted and to beleeue actually in Christ is giuen vnto men The fathers haue not so much as dreamed that it is common vnto all and euery one which notwithstanding some are not a For they say that God hath giuen euery ●ā without exception power to beleeue if hee will himselfe now afraid to affirme in their writings * Error 7. This platforme teacheth that Gods foreknowledge of our faith and iusidelitie is the rule of predestination which is vtterly false For first of all the very will is a rule vnto it selfe and the diuine counsels Ephes. 1. 5. 11. We were predest●●ated according to his purpose who worketh all things after the counsell of his owne ●●ll Secondly Gods election is the rule of faith that is to be giue or not giuen Rom. 17. 5. A resoruation is made according to the election of grace Thirdly the foreknowledge of faith and infidelitie doth not extend it selfe so farre as predestination which belongs vnto all men whatsoeuer many of whom notwithstanding neuer so much as heard of Christ now these Aug. de cor grat c. 10 12. cannot haue faith not * contempt of the Gospell priuatiue infidelitie but only a negatiue The same I say of those which die in their infancie being within the cou●nant who we beleeue are saued by the ●●nour of the same couenant who for all that are neither elected for saith nor according to faith which they as yet had not But if the foreseeing of faith were the rule or square of electiō or reprobation the thing foreseen should belong to all men without exception for the rule must not bee 〈◊〉 ter than that which is ruled by it Fourthly foreseene faith is the effect of election therefore it it is not the rule of it Ephes 1. 5. Who hath predestinated us vnto Adoption by Christ and therefore also to faith which receiueth the benefit of adoption Augustine Let vs therefore saith he vnderstand ' that ●ib de praed c. 17. c. 5. * God will it the first rule in contingents Cling in loc com l. 1. c. 6. And Fra●cis Maronis saith that Gods will is the principall in contingēts and that it is ruled and directed of none Lib. 1. ais● 4● q. 〈◊〉 Lib. 〈◊〉 dist 4● calling whereby they are chosen who are choson not because they did beleeue but that they should beleeue for if they were for that cause chosen because they did beleeue they themselues verily had chosen him before by beleeuing in him that they might deserne to be chosen Againe Lest any man should say My faith or some such like thing doth distinguish me from other men the teacher of the Gentiles meeting with such conceits asketh What thou hast that thouhast not receiued and of whom but of him who distinguisheth thee from him to whō he hath not giuen that which he hath giuē to thee Lumb God hath elected those whom it pleased him to elect of his owne free merc●● not because they were to be beleeuers but that they should bee beleeuers Again Grace is the effect of predestination Fiftly if God did elect according In epist. 〈◊〉 Rom. cap. 8. to foreseene faith tell me why he did foresee faith in one man rather then in another tell me I say for here whether thou wilt or no thou must haue recourse to the meere will of God For God doth foresee nothing which is good in any besides that which hee himselfe of his pleasure will first make And what is the

whereupon Priuil 23 if they lay all their prescribed sacrifices they shall be accepted of God as smelling sweetly in his nostrils But the Reprobate and all their sacrifices are odious and abominable in his sight They want our Altar Christ Iesus who should purge and sanctify theyr offerings and by whom they should offer them vnto the Father and therefore their goodly sacrifices are but goodly sinnes God giueth his holy Spirit to his Elect only who in Gods appointed time maketh Priuil 24 his habitation in them who doth also sweep the floores of their spirits with the hand of his grace and the beesome of his word and trimmeth vp the houses of their hearts with the sweet and pleasant flowres of his spirit and adorneth them with the costly tapestry and precious ornaments of his orient and excellent graces He perfumeth them as it were with frankincense and coales of Iuniper He buildeth windowes within them that they may receiue the bright and beawtifull beames and louely light which do shine from the Sun of righteousnes Hee constituteth a kingdome within them hee ruleth them with the strength of his arme and the scepter of his word He stablisheth his throne with iustice and mercy he fostereth the part regenerate he bridleth and tameth the rebell euen the rebellious corruption of the heart and by little and little consumeth it As for the Reprobate their hearts are the dens of the Diuell and the cabins of sinne stincking loathsomly like a dead carryon There is indeed a kingdome within them but the Diuell is the King Sinne is the Queene His Throne is wickednes his Scepter is iniquity his Lawes are the liberty of the flesh his rewards are death and they are his slaues and vassals As the Elect may haue Grace so it is possible for thē to grow in grace therefore Priuil 25. 2. Pet. 3. 18. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Peter exhorteth vs To grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ and sheweth also how we may grow But for the Reprobate as they are void of all true lauing grace so they grow not there in for they can not increase in that which they want A man cannot grow in bignes vnlesse he haue a body A man cā not grow rich vnlesse he haue ●iches They may increase in sin and grow in wickednes as clay doth in hardnes whē the weather is dry or as the riuers do in depth bredth whē the tide commeth Againe whereas the Lord doth very often giue the reines to the Reprobate and suffers them to rush headlong into horrible enormities as the Gadarens Swine did into the Sea hee doth mercifully preserue his owne people and graciously keepeth them oftentimes from declining and falling and whensoeuer they either stumble or fall they may recouer themselues by serious and sound repentance But God hath not vouchsafed the gift of godly sorow and true repentance to the Reprobate It belongs only to Gods Elect. Wee may reade of Dauids repentance of Peters falling and rising of Pauls conuersion but wee neuer read of any true * ●o turne truly is to returne from all sinne vnto God turning that euer any reprobate made If any of them repent it is but for fashion sake or for feare of punishment It is not for loue to God or for the hatred of sinne for sinne or for the consideration of Gods loue vnto them As lead being cast into the water can not but sinke so the Reprobate can not but sinne And as a Mill-stone lying in the bottome of the Sea can not come vp so the Reprobate beeing ouerwhelmed in the bottomlesse pit of iniquitie can not repent Though it were possible to remoue a Mountayne out of his place yet it were more impossible to remoue a Reprobate from his corruptions Hee may mooue but hee will not remooue Hee may turne but hee cannot returne As it is impossible for him to reuiue who is ordained to perpetuall death so it is impossible for him to reuiue from sinne whom the fountaine of all life hath righteously forsaken and deliuered for euer vnto Sathan to hold captiue in the graue of sinne and in the darke and deadly dungeon of iniquity The children of God haue the spirit of prayer and with boldnesse may approach Priuil 26. vnto the throne of his grace and put vp their suites vnto him The King will permit a true subiect to come into his presence and speake vnto him when a rebell or traytour shall finde no such fauour A Kings sonne may speake vnto his father when others are not permitted so to do We are the sonnes of God and the seruants of his sonne therefore we may boldly in the name of our elder brother present our selues before him and put vp our supplications to him and the rather because he knoweth and approoueth vs. For as the Apostle sayth The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are 2. Tim. 2 19. his But the Reprobate and their prayers are abominable in his sight They want the spirit of prayer and either can not pray at all or not in the right manner Neither can they approach with boldnesse vnto GOD seeing they haue no part in Christ nor Christ in them They cannot pray with cōfidence to be heard seeing they are destitute as well of faith as of the fauour of God GOD accepteth the sincere will and Priuil 27. feruent desires of his faithfull and elect children to beleeue repent and obey for faith repentance obedience For As Psa. 103 13. a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him He will spare them as a man Mala. 3. 17. spareth his owne sonne But fathers vse to take in good part their childrens works so they do them with care and diligence though not so perfectly and exactly as indeed were meet In like manner if we will and with an honest heart desire to do well though we do it very weakely God doth notwithstanding take all in good part and regardeth not the imperfection of the worke A desire of grace is one degree of grace and a will to do well is with God accounted doing well Therefore Paul sayth If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man 2. Cor. 8. 12. hath and not according to that he hath not That which he saith of giuing almes is true in the performance of all other duties If there be in a man a ready and willing mind to beleeue repent and obey though he do not these things perfitly or so well as many of his brethren do yet God for the merits and intercession of his Sonne accepteth both of him and his imperfit works and in mercy rewardeth him Dauid besides his dayly infirmities did thrice grieuously offend God and yet he told Salomon that if he 〈◊〉 Chron. 7. 17. would walke before him as Dauid his father he would establish the throne of

operation is infinite but yet it must be distinguished for it is either potentiall or actuall The potentiall efficacie is wherby the price is in it selfe sufficient to redeeme euery one without exception from his sins albeit there were a thousand worlds of men But if we consider that actuall efficacie the price is payd in the counsell of God and as touching the euent only for those which are elected and predestinated For the Sonne doth not sacrifice for those for whom hee doth not pray because to make intercession and to sacrifice are conioyned but hee prayeth onely for the elect and for beleeuers Ioh. 17. 9. and by praying he offereth himselfe to his Father verse 19. For as Illyricus hath well obserued this whole prayer in the 17. chapter is indeed as he speaketh an oblatory and expiatory prayer or as the Papists call that blasphemous forme a Canon or rule of sacrifice by which Christ hath offered himselfe a sacrifice to the Father for the sinnes of the world Therefore the price is appointed and limited to the elect alone by the Fathers decree and the Sons intercession and oblation Secondly Christ bare their person and stood in their roome vpon the crosse for whom he is a mediator and consequently whatsoeuer Christ did as a redeemer the same did all Ephes. 1. 6. Coloss. 3. 1. those in him with him which are redeemed Christ dying rising again ascending sitting at the right hand of the Father they also die with him rise againe ascend and sit at the right hand of God Now that all these things can be truly said of the elect only and of such as beleeue I proue it thus To say that any one of the wicked which are to perish for euer is raised vp in Christ rising againe is flat against the truth because the raysing vp of Christ is that I may so speake his actuall absolution from their sins for whom he died for euen as the Father by deliuering Christ to death did in very deede condemne their sins imputed vnto Christ for whom he died so by raysing him vp from death euen ipso facto he did absolue Christ from their sinnes and did withall absolue them in Christ but being absolued from their sins they shall not perish but be saued Therefore that wicked man which perisheth for his sin cannot be said to haue risen againe with Christ and therefore Christ did not beare his person vpon the crosse Thirdly the expiatory sacrifice sanctifieth those for whom it is a sacrifice as the holie Ghost plainly and absolutely auoucheth Heb. 9. 13. 14. The sacrifice and sanctification appertaine to the same persons and Christ is their perfect Sauiour whom he saueth not only by meriting their saluation but also by working it effectually But Christ doth sanctifie only the elect and such as beleeue therefore he was a sacrifice only for them And this was the iudgment of the ancient Church in this point Augustine saith He which spared not his Jn Iohan. tract 45. owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all how hath he not also with him giuen vs all good things but for what vs for vs which are foreknown Tract 2. predestinated iustified and glorified Againe Those whom he pleased to make his brethren De recta fide ad Regin In Ioan. lib. 11. cap. 14. he hath released and made fellow heires Cyril saith If God who is most worthy was in the flesh he was of right sufficient to redeeme the whole world Againe The Lord Iesus separating his owne from those which were not his saith I pray only for those which keepe my word and cary my yoke For he doth make them alone and that iustly partakers of the benefit of his mediation whose Mediator and high Priest he is Gregorie saith The author 2. Hom. in Ezek. lib. 1. of life gaue himselfe to death for the life of the elect Againe The Lord will redeeme In Psal. 33. the soules of his seruants to wit with his precious blood because he which beleeueth rightly In Ephes. cap. 1. in him is redeemed from the due thraldome of his sins Sedulius All things are restored which are in the earth * Or when seeing that the men themselues who are predestinated vnto eternall life are renewed from the corruption of the old man Beda The flesh of the Hom. in sab post reminise Lord is furnished with spirituall vertue that it might be a sweet sauor sufficient for the saluation of the whole world Againe Our Lord Hom in vigil P●s● and redeemer to the elect-whom he knew to be placed in his flesh yea and to vs also whom he foresaw should beleeue in the last times he Jn Reuel part 1. hath procured the remedie of saluation by his death and resurrection Ioachim the Abbat The word All which for the most part is vniuersall doth not alwaies signifie so much as it seemeth as in that place When I shall be lift Col. 1. 19. 20 vp I will draw all things to my selfe And by him he hath pleased that all things should be reconciled in him It seemeth that in these In 2. Reg. cap. 7. places Elect Things onely are vnderstood Angelomus What other nation is there in the earth besides the elect people for which God the Son of God vouchsafed to come into this world as it were into Aegypt that taking vpon him the forme of a seruant he might with the merchandize of his blood redeeme vnto himselfe an acceptable people zealous of good workes Ruper●us In that houre he washed those only from sin whom his death Jn Exod. lib. 2. cap. 6. findeth faithfull whether dead or liuing Againe The passion of Christ is the iudgement In Ioan. cap. 12. of the world that is saluation seuering the whole number of the elect which were from the beginning of the world to the houre of the same passion from the reprobate And the casting out of the prince of this world is the reconciliation of the nations of the elect Againe I will draw all things to my selfe what all things namely All Elect Things as all the members follow their head Haimo Christ hath taken away in the Elect not onely originall In cap. 5 ad Rom. but all actuall sins also and hath ouer and besides giuen them eternall life Radulphus The blood of the high Priest Christ was the purgation of all beleeuers Innocentius In Leuit. lib. 17. cap. 2 Lib. 4. de Myst. Missae cap. 4. Christ blood was shed effectually for those only who are predestinated but for all men in regard of sufficiencie for the shedding of the blood of that iust one for the vniust was so rich in price that if euery one had beleeued in the redeemer none at all had been held captiue of the diuell Arnoldus Carnotensis He redeemeth none but those whom he calleth Ben 〈◊〉 allis tract 7. de verbis Domini and washeth by grace neither doth the Spirit

is i● very deede to beleeue The publican● and ha 〈◊〉 t s and those which are held captiue at the diuels will doe repent and are conuerted and therefore they doe not onely receiue power if they will but of ●illers and st●bbor●e r●pugners they are made actually willing Thirdly there are and haue been many nations which have had no knowledge of the faith or which haue not kept it and without this knowledge there is not any sauing grace Answer is wont to be made that man receiuing naturall light is not to bee excused for the want of supernaturall knowledge because if he would doe by Gods assistance that which liech in him God would enlighten him with supernaturall grace For thus the sch●olemen do vsually speake Although no man is able by Greg●●d Va● the ministry of men to know the nature of faith of ●e neuer heard any thing of it yet he may by Gods helpe if hee liue morally according to Gods law so much as in him lieth to doe For then God will succour him either by himselfe or by some other to wi● either man or Angell by propounding of faith vnto him For as in naturall things so in supernaturall God doth minister grace when man is not wanting to himselfe I answere that this is false For if grace be giuen to him which doth that which lieth in him to do by the strength of nature it is giuen either by merite or promise Not by merit because there is no merit before faith and we do nothing acceptable vnto God before wee haue faith Augustine Thou bringest in a kind of men which can please God without the f 〈◊〉 th of Christ by the law of nature This is Cont. Jul. the cause why the Christian Church doth especially detest you And it is not giuen by promise because there is no promise or diuine law to bee found in the scriptures that grace should by and by bee giuen vnto him that doth that which lieth in him to doe It is also false to say that God doth minister all things that make for the felicitie of nature or this present life For some are borne lepr●us blinde foolish very poore vnmeet for this temporarie felicitie neither do they euer attaine vnto it This opinion also is against experience because many die in their infancie and many are foolish and mad all their life long vpon whom we cannot say that this vu 〈◊〉 fall grace is bestowed 〈◊〉 also cō●rary to most plaine places of 〈◊〉 ture Saluation is not in him that willeth 〈◊〉 in him that runneth but in God that s●●weth mercy And he hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth It is g 〈◊〉 uen to the disciples to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen Mat. ●3 〈◊〉 The wind bloweth not in all but where it Ioh. 3. 8. listeth The sonne doth not reueale the father Ioh. 6. vnto all but to whom he will All doe not beleeue but those which are drawne and predestinated Acts 13. 49. unto life All doe not heare but those to whom eares are giuen for to heare Furthermore it is some impayring of effectuall and Christian grace so to place it in mans power that hee may if hee will receiue it and that he may also if he will not refuse and despise it and to say that God hath giuen vnto men no other grace then that against which the flesh or peruerse will may preuaile in all men and against which it doth preuaile indeede in the greatest part of mankind because God will not restraine it To conclude let vs also heare the restimonies of the fathers The author of the calling of the Gentiles saith thus If so bee that the grace of the sa●er doe passe by some as we see it doth it is to be referred to the hidden iudgements of diuine iustice Augustine Nothing deliuereth vs from this wrath whereby wee are all vnder sinne sauing the grace of Lib. de p●● ●erit c. 21. God by Iesus Christ. Why this grace commeth to that infant and not vnto this the cause may be vnknowne but not vniust Againe It was by diuine dispensation that Pharaoh did not tractably consent but obstinately resist because that there was not only In Ex●d qu●st 18. a iust punishment but a iust punishment euidently prepared for such a heart whereby those which feare God may be corrected Againe The iudgements are vnsearchable wherefore of two wicked men being of yeeres Lib. de hon ●ers cap. 8. aged one should bee called so as that he should follow the caller and the other should either not be called at all or not called so as that he should follow him that calls him And again He giueth to whō he will because he is mercifull Cap. 12. which though he should not giue yet he is iust Againe he doth not giue to the to whom he will not that he might make knowne the riches of his glorie vpon the vessels of mercie for by giuing vnto some wh● deserue nor he will haue it to be his free and by this also his true grace and fa 〈◊〉 r. Againe Whosoeuer are set apart from originall Ibid. cap. 7. damnation through the boun●●e of Gods grace it is no doubs but that it shall he procured for them to heare the Gospell and to beleeue when they heare it Againe We know that Gods grace is not giuen vnto all men Epist. ad Uital 107. Lib. de spirit li● c. 34. And againe Why one man is so exhorted that he is perswaded and why it is not so with another O the depth of the riches Thomas As he doth not open the ere 's of all that C●n● gent. lib. 3. c. 161. are blinde nor cure all that are crazie that in those his power might appeare and that in the other the order of nature might hee preserued euen so he doth not by his helpe preuent all that ●inder grace but some in whom he willeth that his mercie should 〈◊〉 so also that the order of iustice should be manifested in others Isidore Spirituall grace Sent. lib. 2. cap. 5. 6. is not distributed to all but is only giuen to the elect Againe It is giuen to him because he is euill that would be good another neither willeth neither is it giuen him that he might be good Cameracensis Although God be an vniuersal agent ouer all so as that In lib. sent 1 q. 12. art 2. he giueth vnto all some gifts of grace as being life knowledge c. yet he giueth some gifts of speciall grace vnto one which he giueth not to another as namely faith and the grace which makes vs gracious and such like which are the effects of predestination Finally Augustine and almost al the Scholemen make two kindes of infidelitie the one negatiue in those which neuer heard the Gospell the other priuatiue in those that refuse and contemne the