Volitions is done by a suitable external means As by a more clear and lively awakening Ministry by some notable Providence especially by surprizing sufferings and distress A Thief when he is taken or judged a Fornicator when he is found in the shame of his Sin a Prodigal in Jail or want a Drunkard or Glutton when he is brought by it to the Gout or other pain and sickness c. have quite other apprehensions usually of the folly of sinning than ever you could bring them to before by any other the certainest convictions VII As we are certain by experience that the Acts called Intellection and Volition now are such operations of the Soul as ever stir and use the Spirits and we perceive both together as if it were a compound operation and know not by experience what any Knowledge or Volition is which useth not the Spirits so we find by true experience that the suscitation of the said Spirits or igneous particles in us much conduceth to the suscitation of the faculties of the Soul By which fervent speaking and awakening Providences do much And also that they that have clear and quick Spirits are easiliest awakened VIII We find also by experience that the internal sensitive faculty hath a great share in these effectual operations For the certainest apprehensions of the Intellect work but defectively on the Will unless they are accompanied with or stir up some Sense Affection or Passion either Fear Hope Love Desire Delight Anger or some other proper passion And Volitions themselves are but sluggish uneffectual Acts as to the imperium or command of the executive Powers or Thoughts unless they stir up some Passion to their aid And therefore lifeless wishes are common with sluggish and unreformed men IX The Spirit of God can and we have reason to think sometime doth stir up the faculties of the Soul to holy Cogitations Apprehensions and Volitions without any other means known to us than what the person before used uneffectually And when means are effectual to sanctifying Acts it is principally by the operation of the Holy Ghost and less principally the aptitude of the means X. The first received influx ad actum is not it which we call a Habit For a Habit is a fixed promptitude to act XI An habit in the Intellect is skill or intellectual promptitude to Act rightly and easily An habit in the Will is inclination and love it self radicated or aversation and radicated hatred And a habit in the vital executive Power is a promptitude and vivacity to the right executing of the Wills commands and first exciting it to act XII A habit infused is of the same Species with acquired habits though it be otherwise caused and of a more excellent use And in both we have reason to think that the Act goeth before the Habit Though the Holy Ghost can fix a Habit by one Act when acquired Habits are caused but by custom or many Acts. XIII In the strict sense as Acts so Habits are specified by their Objects and are not found but in such Species But in a larger sense and less proper we may say that there are more universal Habits not denominated at all from any sort of Objects that is the right Diposition of the Soul to its due operations But this is but an inadequate universal conception of the same Habit and not another thing I think XIV A habit of the Intellect about Principles is a Disposition to the knowledge of conclusions or consequents And a habit of the Will ad finem is a Disposition to the choice and use of the known means but not strictly a habit to them XV. Motion tendeth to further motion One Act of the Soul disposeth it to or furthereth another And as water that hath got a Chanel and is set in motion floweth still the same way and fire by burning the more forcibly proceedeth to burn so the Soul by acting the more readily holdeth on that course of action XVI The Soul hath at once more Acts than one and upon more Objects As at once it understandeth and willeth so at once it operateth on and towards the end and on and in the means But one of them specially ad finem is usually deep and not observed sensibly by the Agent And the other is uppermost and using the sense and fantasie more and the Spirits is easily perceived And so a man in his travel hath a deep unobserved but most constant and ruling Knowledge and Volition of his end or home though yet he seem to himself seldom to think of it but only of things obvious in his way XVII By all this its easie to perceive how hard it is to have the formal knowledge of the quiddity of a Habit when we have presupposed all this before-said 1. That the Soul is essentially of an active nature and as naturally contrary or averse to cessation or non-action as a stone is to action 2. And that it hath inseparably in its nature an inclination to Truth and Goodness as such and to its own felicity 3. And that it hath multitudes of exciting Objects and extraordinarily awakening Preachers and Providences specially dangers and sufferings naturally apt to excite the Soul into act 4. And that it hath the use of the sense and sensitive passions which things sensible are apt to excite by which it may be it self excited 5. And that it hath a certain degree of necessity of knowing by simple perception things received by the sense and fantasie men may know much of Good and Evil Duty Sin Danger whether they will or not 6. And that the Will hath a natural inclination to follow the Intellects apprehensions about Good or Evil in its Volitions and Nolitions though not always necessarily 7. And that the Soul excited to one Act is the more apt to another of the same sort 8. And that a cursus actionum with the fore-said inclinations is like a course of corporal motions which strongly tendeth to continuation so that they that are accustomed to do evil hardly do well 9. And that the potentiae secundae the sensitive powers and the Spirits by custom attain the same propensity to that way of action in themselves and so become to the active Intellect and Will what the Chanel worn by course is to the Torrent or River which with the natural gravity causeth the continuance of its course that same way Or as a Horse trained by custom who hath got his own peculiar habit is to the Rider 10. And that the Soul hath its profound or not noted Action which is constant and maketh so little use of the spirits sense imagination or passion as that it is unobserved while it is predominant such as is the aforesaid intention of the end in the use of means And doubtless the Soul is never unactive an instant no not in sleep but hath this kind of deep insensible action It is knowing it self loving it self intending its own Felicity deeply secretly insensibly
strange But I must say 1. That I see no cogent proof of this super-angelical nature 2. That seeming congruities and conveniences must not embolden us to take up a doctrine which is new and strange to the Church of Christ in so great a matter as the Natures and person of Christ are 3. And were it never so true if it be not sufficiently revealed to us in Gods Word it cannot be necessary to our salvation 4. Yea presuming too boldly to conclude of unrevealed things so high seemeth to me dangerous temerity curiosity and prophaneness like the Bethshemites or Uzzah's meddling with the Ark and the Sons of Aâ—râ—n offering false fire Let them therefore here thus proceed that dare For I dare not § 18. But this much I easily concede 1. That as all Being is originally from God so there is a continued divine causation of them without which they would all cease or be annihilated which some call a continued Creation and some an Emanation and some a continued Action or operation ad rerum esse And it is an intolerable errour to hold that God hath made the World or any part of it self-sufficient or Independent as to himself as to Being Action or Perfection We grant therefore that all the world is so far United to God as to depend on his continued causality And that the Beams do not more depend on the Sun or Light heat and motion on the Sun and other fire nor the branches fruit and leaves more depend on the Tree than the Creature on God § 19. 2. I grant that thus far the world may be said to be one as all things are united in one first cause from which they flow and by which they are § 20. 3. But yet all these are no parts of God as the fruit and leaves are of the Tree and as the beams are of the Sun 's But they are Creatures because Gods emanation or causation is creative causing the whole Being of the effect And it seemeth likest to the Sun or fire's causation of Motion Light and Heat as they are in the Recipient distinct ab essentia actione Agentis quà tuli § 21. 4. I grant that though as to proximity of essence God is no further from one Creature than from another being intimate to all immediatione essentiae yet he useth one Creature as a second Cause to operate on another and that the Higher and Nobler operate on the lower and more ignoble And in that sense we may conceive that some Creatures are first from God or nearest to him that is of the highest nature and use And so we deny not but that it is like that in the Creation God made one nature existent e. g. the highest Intellectual as more excellent powerful pregnant active and perfect than any of the rest that there was in the wonderful diversity some one that was Best and above the rest § 22. 5. I grant that it soundeth probably that the first and noblest Nature in specie should be found but in one Individual But of this there is not the least certainty to us mortals viz. Whether from one God first flow one perfect Created Intelligence of Spirit or ab uno plures two three or millions in the first order flow from one God Though in nature we see that from the trunk of the Tree few great members first arise and multiplicity is in the extremities And we grant that the greatest multiplicity appeareth where things dwindle to littleness or baseness One sound Sheep iâ— better than a rotten one that hath a thousand Worms in his Veins and Intestines And a man that hath a thousand Lice on his Head is not the Nobler And when the one soul hath left a Garkass it may turn to thousands of contemptible Vermine And a Looking-glass broken into an hundred pieces is not the better because it will make an hundred images of the face But yet we are strangers to Gods unseen works further than he revealeth them and therefore must confess our ignorance § 23. 6. We grant that all Gods works have some Union Concord and Harmony among themselves which yet consisteth with numerical diversity And though Men and other Animals walk about with Bodies that touch not one another and therefore the ignorant conceive of them as totally incoherent and think that though Pears Apples and other Fruit on the Tree and Trees in the Earth be both Many and Divert and yet parts of one Tree and of one Earth yet it is not so with animals because the union of spiritual beings in invisible yet indeed it is not probable that the souls of Animals have no dependant coherence with noblet supriour Spirits Though because we know of no nature above the Intellectual it is utterly uncertain to us Whether Humane souls depend on any proper superiour Cause of their Being but God alone immediately For God causeth the highest Natures without any mediate second Cause Though as to ORDER and helps of action and well being they may depend on others as the several Wheels or parts of the same Watch or Clock or as the Sheep upon the Shepherd § 24. Augustine de Anima is put to it whether he will hold 1. That souls are Many and not One 2. Or One and not Many 3. On both One and Many The two first he rejecteth The last he confesseth hard to defend but seemeth most inclined to But what Union he meant is hard to conjecture Whether that they were all the spiritual Parts of one Universal or one Greater soul if souls may be Parts or Whether distinct products of one such soul either Universitatis or hujus systematis or Whether One Relatively and Politically by making up one society or Whether one because emaning from one spring or Causa prima The two last are certain The two first are far otherwise § 25. 7. If he could prove that there is one First Best Universal created Intelligence or super-Angelical Spirit which God made the chief of all second causes by which he created and governeth all the rest and that this is Christ in his second Nature we would not deny but that Christ as the Mediator of Nature as Mr. Sterry calleth him is in all other Creatures as the Cause is in the being of the effect But it would not follow that the Essence of Christ or this Universal Intelligence is any Constitutive Cause or part of each creature For as God causeth them by Creative Emanation and not as a Constitutive part of them so we should rather hold that under God by a Power of producing Entities received from him this Universal Spirit did the same in a subordinate second place § 26. But his Opinions which I am now most concerned to renounce are those about Gods Moral Government his Laws Justice our free-will sin guilt and Gods Redemption Judgement and Punishment of man all which I think he much subverteth § 27. And I. I take the root of his error to be
the Synod of Dort and been as far from Tyranny as they should have been matters had never come so oft to Blood or Tumult among them as they have done nor Grotius and the Arminians had so much to say against them I will not meddle with the matters of this Island in our times seeing they sufficiently speak themselves But how cometh this Clergie Tyranny to be so common so long and so powerful in the World to make Parties and draw Princes into Wars 1. It must be remembred that true Godliness is not common in the World Too many take up Christianity as in the Eastern parts the posterity of the old famous Christians are now Mahometans 2. The Gospel and true Spirit of Christianity is contrary to the minds and worldly interests of carnal ambitious covetous voluptuous men So that they profess a Religion which their own hearts abhorr as to its serious practice 3. Every unrenewed man hath such a worldly fleshly nature and is voluptuous proud and covetous And none of them love to be reproved or crossed in their way 4. Church Honours Dignities and great Revenues and Clergie-ease in an idle life are a great bait or temptation to a carnal mind And the worse men are the more they will desire and seek Church preferments and make all the friends they can to get them And the more self-denying men will not do so but perhaps avoid them 5. The diligent seekers are liker to obtain and find than the neglecters and avoiders And so the Churches to be usually in the power of the worser sort of men and Religion to be under the Government of its enemies 6. Men in power and the Major Vote have great advantage to execute their own wills and to put Laws on others and bring them under what Characters they please and so to affix the names of Hereticks or Schismaticks on them if they fulfil not all their wills yea to silence them and suppress their Writings and make them to be little understood in the World yea or by their neighbours round about them 7. The Vulgar as they are for the Conquerour in the Wars so usually are for the upper and stronger side in peace that have Power to hurt them and have the Major Vote And also easily believe them and think men that suffer are like to be guilty of what they are accused 8. Godliness being against a worldly mind and interest and the Rabble usually for it hence ariseth a Conspiracy of carnal Clergie-men and the Rabble against those that are most seriously Godly as if they were their enemies and a surly proud intractable sort of people As Sulpitius Severus describeth Ithacius and his followers and even Mr. Hooker out of him Eccl. Pol. Praefat. 9. Such men in Power never want flatterers at their ears to praise all that they do and to exasperate them by slandering and reviling sufferers 10. The long possession since the dayes of Constantine of Great Places and Power by the Clergie within the Roman Empire now the Greek and Latine Churches doth seem to justifie mens Usurpations and Tyranny and make all dissenters seem singular and Schismatical which was and is the Papal strength against the Reformed 11. Too many of the Secular Rulers of the World have much of the same Spirit And find also their interests so twisted in shew with the Papal Clergies that they dare not cross them 12. The faults of those that suffer by them in doctrine and imprudent carriages use to give them great advantage and make all their odious characters and names of them believed and received as the case of the Waldenses and of the Lutherans and Calvinists in Germany too fully prove II. The second Rank of Church-disturbers are DOGMATISTS or men that profess exceeding zeal for ORTHODOX Opinions or Theological Knowledge And thus three instances tell us of the Cause of our Calamities 1. That of Gnostick and Heretical persons who account every new Conceit of theirs to be worthy the propagating even at the rate of Theological Wars and Church Confusions and cry out But the Truth and sell it not when it is some error of their own or some unprofitable or unnecessary notion 2. The case of the Romanists to say nothing of all the old contentious Bishops and Councils and the controversies about Persona and Hypostasis and about many words and forms of speech What do the Roman Councils for many hundred years last but on pretence of preserving the faith uncorrupted multiply divisions and new Articles of faith quoad nos And while they cry down most of Christs Church as Heretical or greatly erroneous they have run themselves into the grossest errors almost that humane nature is capable of even to the making it necessary to salvation to deny our own and all the sound mens senses in the World in the case of Transubstantiation 3. The case of the Schoolmen and such other Disputing Militant Theologues who have spun out the Doctrine of Christianity into so many Spiders Webs and filled the World with so many Volumes of Controversies as are so many Engines of contention hatred and division And I would our Protestant Churches Lutherans and Calvinists had not too great a number of such men as are far short of the Schoolmens subtilty but much exceed them in the enviousness of their zeal and the bitterness and revilings of their disputes more openly serving the Prince of hatred against the Cause of Love and Peace O how many famous Disputers in Schools Pulpit and Press do little know what Spirit they are of and what reward they must expect of Christ for making odious his Servants destroying Love and dividing his Kingdom How many such have their renown as little to their true comfort as Alexanders and Caesars for their bloody Wars But how cometh this Dogmatical Zeal so to prevail Consider 1. Nature it self is Delighted in Knowing much Else Satan had not made it Eves temptation Without Grace even Theological Speculations may be very pleasing to mens minds Morality and Holiness is principally seated in the Will 2. Satan hath here a far fairer bait than worldly Wealth and Pleasures and Honours to tempt men and steal away their hearts from that Love and Practice which is Holiness indeed All men are bound to Love Gods Word and his Truth must be precious to us all and now it is easie for the hypocritical Dogmatist to take up here and make himself a Religion of Zeal for those opinions which he entitleth God to And O that I could speak this loud enough to awaken the Learned World of Disputers to so much jealousie of their own hearts as is necessary to their own safety as well as to the Churches peace This thing called Orthodoxness Truth and Right-believing precious in it self if it be what it is called is made by Satan an ordinary means to deceive Learned men and keep them from a holy and heavenly mind and life when grosser cheats would be less effectual
Supereminence consisteth in 1. The Sub-propriety which we have in Inferiour Creatures 2. The Sub-government 3. That we are under God Their End and Benefactors SECT III. The several inadequate Conceptions which in order make up our Knowledge of God 21. BY the Knowledge of our own Acts we know our Powers and the Nature of our own souls though imperfectly And by the Knowledge of our souls we know the nature of other Intellectual Spirits And by the Knowledge of our selves and them and the Scripture expressions of his Attributes we know so much of God as we can here know And accordingly must speak of Him or be silent For we have no higher notions than such as are thus Analogical expressing that which is in God in an unconceivable eminency and transcendency by words which first signifie that which is formally in the soul as is said 22. And so we must conceive of God by all these following inadequate Conceptions confessing the impropriety but having no better I. The Essence of God who in Scripture is called in two words An Infinite Spirit is necessarily conceived of by these Three Conceptions 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Vita 3. Perfectio The two first being the substantial Conceptus of a Spirit and the third that which answereth to all perfective degrees properties and accidents in Creatures and comprehendeth a multitude of Perfective Attributes which I express in the Abstract being loth much to use Concretes or Adjectives of God Of these as the first answereth to Matter in Materials and to the Genus and substantia abstractè sumpta in Spirits so doth the second to the Form and Difference when yet in God there is no Composition or Matter 23. II. And the Formal Conceptus VITA must it self be conceived of in this Threefold inadequate Conception 1. * * * It is a great dispute with the Schoolmen Whether Gods Power be any thing but his Intellect and Will that is a necessary distinct conceptus inadaequatus of God For he is one simple essence Durand 1. d. 38. q. 1. justly affirmeth it Vasqu in 1. Tho. q. 23. d. 102. c. 2. saith Haec sententia noâ—null is recentioribus mirum in modum probatur yet he is against it though Suarez be for it But it is partly by misconceiving of the Potentia Vital is in man as if it were only Executive ad extra or in the inferior faculties and partly on such frivolous reasons as tend also to a denyal of his Intellection and Volition Methinks they that acknowledge Gods Understanding and Will to be analogically so called mans being the first which the word signifieth though Gods infinitely more excellent should on the same reason grant that Vita Potentia activa are terms as applicable to God For which denomination many reasons and cogent may be given And I am sure the language of the Scripture and our Creed will warrant this conception Potentia-Actus 2. Intellectus 3. Voluntas I call the first Potentia-Actus to avoid Concretes and to signifie that as God hath no Potentia Passiva so his Potentia-Activa is not an idle cessant Power but in perpetual perfect Act and that Act is a most Powerful-Act so that neither Potentia alone nor Actus alone but both together are our best Conception of this first Principle in the Deity And I take it for granted that even in Mans soul the Potentia-Vitalis Activa the Intellect and Will are not as Thomas thought Accidents but the formal essence of the soul as the Scotists and Nominals better say And I have largely elsewhere proved and therefore stand not here upon it 24. III. And the Existence of this Divine Essence must be known by us in this Gradual Threefold Conception 1. As in Virtute vel Potentia 2. In Actu Immanente 3. In Actione Transeunte Of the first I shall say no more but what is said before By the second I mean Gods own most perfect Essence as Active in it self without extrinsick effect or object By the third I mean not the Creature or the Divine Action ut recipitur in passo or the effect But the Divine Essence it self in the state of Agency ad extra which the Schools conclude to be Eternal though the effect be but in Time Yet if any will call this a free and not a necessary state of the Divine Essence I contend not 25. IV. The Essential Immanent Acts of God are Three 1. SIBI VIVERE or to be Essential Active Life in Himself 2. SE INTELLIGERE to know Himself 3. SE AMARE or to be Amor sui 26. V. The Trinity of Divine Subsistences or Persons also must be here acknowledged 1. The FATHER 2. The WORD or SON 3. The HOLY SPIRIT Of which the School-men have said so much if not far too much as that I may turn the Reader to them 27. I have elsewhere shewed that many of them and other Divines do take the Three last named Immanent Acts in God to be the same with the Three Persons or Subsistences Even the Three Divine Principles Potentia-Actus Intellectus Volunt as as in Act thus Immanently But of these great Mysteries elsewhere All that I say here is that seeing the Trinity of Divine Principles or formal Essentialities and the Threefold Act are so certainly evident to Natural Reason it self that no understanding person can deny them we have no Reason to think the Trinity of Eternal Subsistences incredible and a thing that the Christian faith is to be suspected for but the quite contrary though they are mysteries above our reach as all of God is as to a full or formal apprehension 28. Though God have no Real Accidents we are fain to conceive of Him with some Analogie to Accidents where 1. The Universal Conception is PERFECTION which comprehendeth all 2. The Divine Principles considered in PERFECTION denominate God 1. Potentissimus 2. Sapientissimus 3. Optimus 29. The Attributes of the Divine Persons are 1. Distinguishing viz. 1. GENERANS Patris 2. GENITUS Filii 3. PROCEDENS Spiritus Sancti 2. Common to all such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 30. The particular Attributes analogical as to Creatures Comparate Relative and Negative are very many But yet in Order to be conceived of and not confusedly which elsewhere I offer to the Readers view 31. VI. Gods Causal Relations to his Creatures are in General those named by S. Paul Rom. 11. 36. OF HIM and THROUGH HIM and TO HIM are all things And he is 1. The first EFFICIENT 2. The supream DIRIGENT 3. The Ultimate FINAL Cause of all things 32. Gods EFFICIENCY is terminated 1. On the Things in their Being 2. In their Action and Operation 1. And in the first respect he is the Cause 1. Of their Existing Essence 2. Of their Order 3. Of their Goodness or Perfection And so he is 1. The CREATOR and Conserver 2. The ORDINATOR 3. The BENEFACTOR of all the world And in the second respect as to Action
manifest 412. 2. God having made man did give him a Law both Natural and Positive This was next done and therefore decreed to be next done 413. 3. Man having broke this Law God judged him and laid on him some indispensible penalties This was decreed to be done in the third place 414. 4. At the same time God promised Man the victory by the Womans Seed and giving him pardon of the destructive penalty became his Redeemer and put him under a Covenant of Grace first given to mankind in Adam and afterwards in Noah And this was decreed to be so done 415. 5. Though all were thus put under this Covenant and God forsook none that first forsook not him yet did he give more Grace to some than to others to Abel e. g. than to Cain so that those that did actually repent and believe and live to God were justified and adopted and made heirs of life And thus he decreed to do 416. 6. Perseverance also was the effect of his special Grace which accordingly is Decreed to be given 417. 7. The Cainites Canaanites and others that were the wicked Seed of wicked Parents who forsook him and his Grace he accordingly judged punished and forsook And so decreed 418. 8. The Seed of the faithful he eminently blessed especially of Abraham whom he took by reward into a further special Covenant superadded to the common Covenant of Grace taking his Seed into a peculiar political and gracious relation to him promising the multiplication and prosperity of them and that the Saviour should come out of them All which was so decreed to be done 419. 9. The Messiah came in the fulness of time and did and suffered all that is mentioned in the Gospel And gave us a more perfect Edition of the Covenant of Grace and greater grace with it even more of the Spirit with a better Ministry Ordinances and Church-state Which were so decreed to be done 420. 10. To some Nations of the Earth this second Edition of the Covenant of Grace that is the Gospel is freely promulgate or Preached who deserved it no more than others while others for sin are left under the first darker Edition and under desertions and grievous punishments for their fore-fathers and their own violation of it 421. 11. Where the Gospel cometh among many that all deserve rejection for the resisting of grace God giveth to some that grace which infallibly Converteth them and consequently justifieth adopteth and sanctifieth them All which he decreed 422. 12. Giving also Perseverance as aforesaid he finally justifieth all such in Judgement and Glorifieth Christ first and them with Christ singly and conjunctly at the final consummation And he Decreed to do all this accordingly 423. If the Decree of God be called but One for the Reasons before given the Controversie is then at an end But if it must be distinguished and called Many Decrees or parts it must be either from the Effects oâ— from the supposed objects 424. 1. If from the Effects there will be no Controversie about the Decrees but what is first about the Effects themselves And most of them now named are uncontroverted 425. 2. And we cannot well denominate and distinguish the Decrees from any thing else but the Effects even as we do his operations as Creation Redemption c. But the objects then are past doubt such as follow 426. Viz. 1. The object of the Decree of Creation as such distinct from the Effect is Nothing that is There is no object 427. 2. The object of the Decree of Legislation is man considered meerly in his Being and Naturals as such 428. 3. The object of the Decree of the first Judgement was man newly faln 429. 4. The object of the Decree of the giving of the Promise of Christ the New Covenant in the first Edition and pardon and grace by it was faln man first judged 430. 5. The object of the Common grace of that Covenant from first to last is faln judged man brought under that Covenant of grace ut norma officii judicii beneficii 431. 6. The object of the Special grace of God at first viz. for effectual Conversion to men under that Covenant was the same as last mentioned Man brought under the Covenant of grace of whom 1. Some were prepared and disposed by Common grace for Special 2. And it 's like some not but suddenly surpirzed by mercy 432. 7. The object of Abrahams special promise besides the Common Covenant of grace was Abraham eminent in faith and self-denying obedience to God And afterward his Seed for his sake 433. 8. The Object of the actual gift of Christ incarnate and the perfect Edition of the New Covenant by him was the sinful world that had transgressed both the Law of Innocency and the first Edition of the Covenant of grace and the Jews that had broken Moses's Law 434. 9. The object of the gift of the Gospel as promulgate or published is the same adding the world as now Redeemed by the Actual sacrifice Merits and Resurrection of Christ incarnate 435. 10. The object of the Commonest grace of the Gospel Covenant is Redeemed man brought under this Covenant as the Norma officii judicii beneficiorum quoad jus or subditi obligati 436. 11. The object of the grace of this Covenant proper to the Visible Church and common to its members are Visible Christians or Baptized Professours 437. 12. The object of the first effectual grace of saving Conversion saith and repentance is certain persons Redeemed and brought under the obligation of this new Covenant Of whom some are prepared by common grace and it's like some are not 438. 13. The object of the gift pardon justification adoption the spirit of sanctification and right to life and all this in Christ by union is a Penitent Believer and the seed of such dedicated in Covenant to God 439. 14. The object of many acts of auxiliary grace and of higher degrees of grace is ordinarily such as have well used former degrees of special grace But also who God is freely pleased to give it to 440. 15. The object of the grace of Perseverance is the same last mentioned If not all the Justified which I reserve as almost our only real Controversie to handle in its proper place in the next Chapter 441. 16. The object of the Act of Raising the dead is all the world as appeareth in Joh. 5. 22. to 32. 442. 17. The object of the Justification of the soul alone at the first appearance is the soul of a member of Christ or one faithful and persevering August ad Simplic lâ— â— qu. 2. Quia non invâ—â—â—â— Deus opera in hominibus quâ—â—ligâ—t idâ—o manâ—â— propositum justification is ipsâ—us sâ—d quia illâ—d â—â—â—â— ut justifiâ—â—t credâ—ntâ—s idâ—o invâ—nit opera quae jam â—ligat ad râ—gnum câ—lorâ—â— in his Covenant or a Saint 443. 18. The object of the final justification of the whole man is a Saint â—isen from
it 's clear 1. That in the first case the Motion will be if it be not hindered But that it is not caused by not-hindering it but by its proper moving causes In the second case the consequence of futurity is false And where the inclinations to good and evil that is to superiour and inferiour prohibited good are equal yea though antecedently somewhat unequal Yet bare permission ascertaineth not futurity 3. Much less in the third case where the soul must have positive help or provocation Sure he did not think that all or any ungodly men would infallibly Love God if God did but Permit them But Gods Permitting or not hindering sin may respect divers acts 1. Iâ— God continue not his natural support man will be no man but be aâ—â—â—â—lated and so will neither do good nor evil 2. If God uphold mans nâ—ture in its Integrity as it was in Adam and give him not Moral means and helps of Grace and his natural concurse Adams sin would have necessarily followed 3. If God give Adam both such support and means to stand and do no more Gods permission would not have inferred the certainty of Adams sin when he fell any more than before For God withdrew no grace from him which was necessary to his standing 4. Iâ— God give a lapsed sinful man Nature and common grace it followeth not necessarily because God doth no more that he will commit every sin that he is not further hindered from but it 's certain that he will not do the works to which special grace is necessary 5. If God give to the faithful the Holy Spirit and continue his influx necessary to the continuation of the Power and Habits of holy actions with necessary means and do no more this man will do some good and some evil and though he may be equally said to be Permitted to do this sin as another yet he may do one and not another 6. God totally permitteth no man to sin but hindereth them many wayes though he hinder not all alike 7. It 's possible for two men to have equal helps to duty and equal hinderances to sin or the same man at several times and yet for one to do the duty and forbear the sin and the other to commit the sin and omit the duty As many Schoolmen have copiously proved Yet in this case Permission would be the same thing to both But if you use the word Permission as connoting the Event then indeed you may say that the event from another cause will follow And Gods non-impedition will ab eventu actionis be extrinsecally denominated Permission in the one case and not in the other But this is but from your arbitrary use of the word 615. Next the Doctor assaulteth Durandus who thus argueth Gods will followeth only his approving Knowledge But he knoweth not sin approvingly being of purer eyes c. He answereth 1. God approveth that sin be though he approve not sin 2. God willeth the manifestation of his mercy and justice Ergo he willeth the existence of sin as that which is necessarily required to it To which I reply 1. The first answer is unproved and false God approveth not that sin be If he did few wicked men do more as Estiâ—s saith For it is not sin as sin or evil that they will but that it be for other ends which seem good 2. He phraseth it with his ad quâ—d necessario c. as if God first willed this manifestation of his Justice c. as the end and then sins existence as the means yea the necessary means But this is false as I have fully shewed 1. And his own opinion should confute it that maketh one Decree only de mediis And this particular Manifestation being some Acts of God and not God himself â—or the Complacency of his Will must needs be part of the media ad finem â—â—timum 2. And indeed sins existence is not a necessary means willed for â—ods glory but it is a presupposed mischief our Deliverance from which â—â— punishment for it is willed for his glory It is indeed necessary but â—â—ly necessitate existentiae in esse praecognito as a foreseen evil and so preâ—pposed to those acts of God which are the Means of his glory Therefore his assertion of a Notitia approbationis rei tanquam Bonae in â—nere Conducibilis etsi non honesti is detestable 616. Ibid. p. 196. He again saith that Though it be dishonest in the â—eature to sin because forbidden it is not dishonest in God to will that he â—â— it by his permission it being unice conducibile to his glory â—nsw 1. Fie upon this conducibile and unicè too 2. Fie upon this oft â—peated permittente non efficiente It is utterly lusory or immodest â—or a man that maintaineth that no sinner doth any thing in sinning but â—hat God as the first total cause predetermined his will to even as to all â—e entity in act and circumstances imaginable and that in all omissions â— was a natural Impossibility to have done one omitted act without this â—edetermining premotion And for the man that in the next saith that â—alum non est Objectum Volentis aut facientis but ipsa effectio rei I â—y for this man yet to say that the creature effecteth sin and God effecteth â— not is too too gross The common evasion is that sin is not any â—â—ing and therefore not effectible But why then do they say that the â—eature effecteth it when they have said and defended that the creaâ—re doth nothing but what God doth and what he unavoidably maketh â—â—m do 617. Durandus argueth that Sin cannot be judged convenient by a â—â—ght understanding Ergo not by God The Doctor answereth That â—es own sin cannot be judged convenient but anothers may He inâ—anceth 1. When a man willeth that an Usurer lend him money on usury â— When a Christian Prince willeth a Turk to swear to a League by Maâ—â—met 3. When God willed that Absalom should defile his Fathers Concuâ—nes And he addeth that for us to sin is contrary to our right reaâ—â—n because it is forbidden and hurtful to us But for God to will that â—e sin is not contrary to his right reason as not forbidden or hurtful â— him Repl. 1. No man should will unlawful usury He that willeth to Borâ—â—w though he cannot have it without usury doth not will the usury â—ut the money non-obstante usura As he that chooseth to travell with Blasphemer rather than to go alone in danger he doth not will his â—lasphemy but his company non obstante blasphemia 2. The same is to â—e said of swearing by Mahomet It is only the Oath as an Oath that is â—â— be willed and not as by Mahomet that is not willed but unwillingly â—â—dured 3. Absaloms instance is answered before God willed only â—avids punishment and the Passive Constupration as an effect of sin â—n a foresight of Absaloms active Volition and sin and not as
naturally happy is proper to God therefore Adam was to be led to it freely by a Covenant An. To be happy necessarily and independently and primarily is proper to God But you can never prove it any contradiction or impossible for God to make a Creature naturally happy nor that there are not such § 9. Here the M. S. citeth some words of his Gibieuf making our Being in God initially and finally to be our state of amplitude and liberty and our going out from God to be our particularity and state of necessity as if we were pre-existent in God and our individuation ceased upon oâ—â— return into him as our End An. But these are Platonick Phantasms And Gibieuf who was a devout Oratorian and talketh too oft of our Deification as Benedictâ—â— de Benedictis Barbanson Baker and other Fryers that talk phanatically must be read with caution and exception and as the Soul need not fear too near a Union with God as the loss of its individuation so neither must it desire or hope for such § 10. M. S. An unchangeable state of Happiness in the love of God is called Eternal Life An. No doubt but that is called Eternal Life in the fullest sense which actually endureth to eternity as to that particular Subject And so 1. The life of Glory perfectively 2. And a confirmed state of Sanctity here initially are usually called Eternal Life But 3. Whether the lossable state which the Angels fell from and Adam fell from or that measure of Grace which the ancient Fathers thought the justified may fall from be never so called also I cannot prove § 11. M. S. Adam's promised Happiness was 1. Essential in this perfect holiness or love of God 2. Complemental in the enjoying God iâ— all the sanctified Creatures in that Paradise but not to be translated to Heaven which Christ only procureth us An. I inclined to that Opinion 26 years ago when I wrote the Aphorisms which you oppose But I now incline more to the contrary and rather think man should have been translated to Heaven as Henoch and Elias were upon many reasons which I now pass by Though I take it yet to be scarce certain to us § 12. M. S. The Holiness of God is his loving himself as his End And the third Person proceeding by a reflex act of the infinite Will and self-love of God is therefore called the Holy Spirit An. 1. This notion of Gods Holiness that it is his Self-love is not to be contemned It seemeth to be so with this limitation that you confine not his Holiness to this but take this only as the most eminent among the inadequate conceptions of it For his whole Transcendency in Being Life and Knowledg as being adoreable by the Creature and its End and the Fountain of all created Goodness and specially of Morality is also Gods Holiness 2. But the saying that God is his own End seemeth improper though tolerable if spoken but analogically For God neither hath nor is to himself a Cause nor an Effect a Beginning nor an End 3. That the third Person proceedeth by a reflex Act of the infinite Will many School-men boldly say And so some say that he is Gods actual self-love which is â—he same that you call his Holiness And some say that he is the Divine Will or Love considered in it self as distinct from Vital Power and Intellect or Wisdom But of this I have spoken more largely else-where § 13. M. S. Adam's promised Reward was to be fixed in an unchangeable state of pleasing God by this Holy Spirit not by infusing any new quality which should unchangeably fasten him to the Rule for no created thing can unchangeably keep a man from falling An. 1. The promise to Adam is very obscure But Happiness it must needs be and everlasting 2. But it is past my reach to conceive how the Spirit of God can fix man in perfect holiness without any fixing quality as it 's called on his Soul A constant Act the Soul must have And 1. If that Act be caused by any Divine Impulse disposing the Soul so to act then that disposition is a quality 2. And if there be not both disposition and habit then the Soul will not in Glory be habitually or qualitatively holy but only actually 3. And a habit-acting being perfecter than an act without a habit or inclination the Soul will be more imperfect in Glory than in this state of Grace 4. Operari sequitur esse God fitteth all his Creatures to their works And as when he will give Immortality he will give a Nature fit for Immortality even indissoluble and incorruptible so when he giveth perpetuity of Love he giveth a nature or habits fit for perpetual Action Christ saith A good Tree bringeth forth good fruit and an evil Tree evil fruit Make the Tree good and his fruit good 5. The Operations of Love in Glory should be ex potentia aut violentia aut neutra if there were no intrinsick disposition or inclination to them In a word it is a contradiction for a Soul to be perfectly holy and not have the perfection of inclination to its Acts. 3. But if the meaning were that no holy quality alone sufficeth without Gods Influx that were no more than what must be faid of every Creature without Divine Influx no Creature can be or operate a moment No created thing of it self without God can continue How then should it keep a man from falling But if the Soul have any more goodness of nature or inclination in it than the Devils have it must be a created thing or God himself If only God that proveth not a Saint to be himself better than a Devil as to nature or disposition but only that God in him is better His reason why the Sun is naturally fixed to its Operations but not a glorified Soul is § 14. M. S. that one is a natural and the other a voluntary Agent One as Gibieuf saith Non agit sed agitur the other doth agere non tantum agitur An. 1. Gibieuf and you were deceived in thinking that such naturals non agunt Passive matter doth not Act ex principio essentiali unless Dr. Glissons and Campanellas Doctrine hold true But the three Active Natures Intellectual Sensitive and Vegetative and so Fire and the Sun do ex principio Activo essentali agere but nothing doth Act without an Antecedent Influx to action from the first Cause in which it is passive For no Creature is Independent 2. Voluntas est quaedam Natura quamvis libera To move naturally only and not freely is proper to Agents meerly natural distinct from free But to move freely and yet from a fixed principle which shall infallibly determine the Soul to act freely is not a contradiction nor that which Gibieuf should deny to the glorified § 15. M. S. Man though a Creature is the first Cause of his own action He moveth and sets himself on work else he were
received but by degrees and upon certain terms And with pardon a free gift of Life Spiritual and Eternal and so of the Spirit and Communion with God on the said conditions 15. The Promise Gen. 3. 15. is plain as to Mercy and Salvation and darker as to the promised seed and his mediation and dark as to the Condition on man's part But by Sacrifices c. it is like that Adam had it more explained to him than those short words make it to us But this is clear that by this new Covenant God becometh man's Merciful Redeemer and Pardoner and Ruler on terms of Grace in order to recovery and Salvation And that man was to Believe in God as such and accorâ—ingly to devote himself in Covenant to him 16. This Law or Covenant was made with all Mankind in Adam For all were in his loins and God hath given us no more proof that the first Covenant was made with Adam as the Father of Mankind than that the second was so made 17. Gods dealings with Mankind are a certain confirmation of this truth and an exposition and promulgation of this Law and Covenant of Grace as extended to all Mankind For God doth not use them according to the rigor of the violated Law of Innocency but giveth them abundant merâ—ies and means which tend to their Repentance and recovery and obligeth them all to Believe that he is merciful and their case is not desperate and to Repent and use his means and mercies in order to their return to God and their Salvation There are no Nations in the world that even to this day are not under such mercies means and obâ—â—gations and therefore none that are left as the Devils in Despair under the unremedyed Covenant of Innocency alone 18. But though the Law of Grace made to Adam be it which the world was then put under and to be Ruled by and the tenor of it extended to all Mankind yet those that would partake of the Blessingâ— of it were to consent to it as Covenanters with God and to Belieâ—â— in and obey God their Redeemer pardoner and restorer in the thankful sence of all this mercy which because the ungodly did not they and their posterity fell under a double guilt and curse both as violateâ—â—s of the Law of Innocency and of Grace and therefore incurred a specâ—â—â— penalty Cain and his off-spring being first thrust out further from the believing obedient people of God and at last the whole world except eight persons perishing in the deluge 19. Noah with his house being saved to be the Root of all Mankind that should succeed him God renewed with him and Mankind in him the same Law or Covenant of Grace which he had made with us in Adam with some additionals To shew us that though the wicked and their seed had forfeited the benefits yet the Covenant was not altered but stood in its first sence in force to all and would pardon and save all true Consenters 20. C ham for his transgression brought a new Curse on himself and his posterity besides the meer fruit of Adam's Sin So that thougâ— God altered not his Law of Grace yet they became a cursed Generation 21. By multiplyed transgressions the Sons of men did still more degenerate and revolt from God till Nimrod and others by wickedneâ—â— and presumptions brought down the new and grievous penalty of confounded tongues the great hinderance of the propagation of the truth to thâ—â— day And at last the most fell to odious Idolatry not knowing the true God but given up to sensuality and wickedness 22. Abraham being faithful and escaping the Idolatry and wickednest of the world was eminently favoured and beloved of God and beâ—â—â—ving Abraham's Promise and trusting God in his promises and in the great tryal of his Sâ—â— is honoured with the name of the Father of the Faithful And God renewed with him the Covenant of Grace which he had made to all men in Adam and Noah with special application to his comfort and addedâ— special peculiar Promise to him that his Seed should be a holy Nation chosen out of all the world to God and that of him the Messiah should come of both which Promises the common and the special Circumcision was a Seal 23. Yet this was no repealing of the Law of Grace which had been made to all the world nor was it an excommunicating or rejecting of all others or a confining of Gods Grace and Church to him and his posterity alone but only an exalting them above all others in these peculiar dignities and priviledges For at that time holy Sem was living and long after who in all likelyhood was a King and its like that the Posterity of him and Japhet were not all faln away from God and Melcâ—â—zedek was such a King of Righteousness and Peace and Priest of the most high God as was a great type of Christ's own Heavenly Priesthood and therefore it 's like had some Subjects that feared and worshipped God The Scripture giving us the History of the Jewish Nation and affairs â—â— the principal and of the rest of the world but a little on the by we cannot know by it the full state of all other Nations nor what Religion and Worshippers of God were there But the History of Job and his Friends the probability that all the Children of Ismael of Keturah of Esau forsook not God for they were circumcised and therefore were Covenanters with the Case of Nineve after and Abraham's thoughts that even a Sodom had at least had fifty righteous persons in it c. assureth us that the Jews were not God's only Church but a peculiar people and a Nation holy above the rest And as the Covenant of Grace was still the Governing Law to the rest of the world though most rejected it by rebellion so it is not to be thought that none consonted to it and were faithful 24. The special promise to Abraham of the Messiah to be his seed which was more than was made to Adam and Noah as it belonged not to Mankind in general so was it not promulgate or known to them but only to the Jews and the few that conversed with them Therefore the rest of the world were not obliged to know and believe it who never heard of it 25. What Conditions of pardon and life were necessary to all Mankind The terms of the Universal Covenant then in general is most probably gathered out of these Texts of Scripture Exod. 34. 6 7. And the Lord-proclaimed the Name of the Lord The Lord the Lord God Merciful and Gracious long suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and to the Childrens Children unto the third and to the fourth Generation This is the description of God given by his own mouth as he is to
after him and find him though he be not far from every one of us For in him we live and move and have our being For we are also his off-spring Act. 17. 25 26 27 28 29. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved But have they not heard Yes verily their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10. 12 13 18. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal life Glory honour and peace and to every man that worketh Good to the Jew first and also to the Greek For there is no respect of persons with God For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel If the uncircumcision keeps the righteousness of the Law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision He is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2. SECT III. Of Christ's Incarnation and our Redemption 36. In the fulness of time God sent his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Rom. 4. 4. But not them only for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him He redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us For he is the Saviour of the world and the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world He is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2. 2. For he tasted Death for every man Heb. 2. being the Saviour of all men but especially of those that believe 1 Tim. 4. 10. For if one dyed for all then were all dead And he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. 37. As the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father in his Divine nature only was the interposing Redeemer by undertaking before his Incarnation and governed the faln world by the fore-described Law of Grace so upon his Incarnation initially and upon his performance plenarily all things are delivered into his hands even all the world so far as it was defiled and cursed by Man's sin Man as the Redeemed the Creatures as his utensils and goods and Devils as his and our Enemies All Power in Heaven and Earth was given him Matth. 26. 19. Joh. 13. 1 3. and 17. 2 3. All judgment was committed to him and the Father judgeth no man but by him But hath given him to have life in himself and to raise the dead Joh. 5. 22 23 24 25. For he hath made him Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1. 22 23. And for this end he dyed rose and revived that he might be the Lord of the dead and the living Rom. 14. 9 10. For God hath exalted him and given him a name above every name that in the name of Jesus every knee should â—ow Phil. 2. 7 8. And as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 22. 38. Christ upon his Incarnation performed but what God had Decreed before the foundations of the world and had obscurely and generally promised after the fall at the first making of the Covenant of Grace Which Decree of God is after the manner of men called by some a Covenant between the Father and the Son especially because the Prophets have sometimes as Isa 53. described it by way of prediction as a Covenant between the Father and Christ incarnate If we conceive of it properly under the notion of a Decree first and a Promise after unto the world so the Will and Mercy of God the Father and Son with the Holy Spirit are the cause of mans Redemption Pardon and Salvation even the fundamental Principal total Cause And the Promise was man's security and Christ as promised was the primary great meanâ— which was to procure us the rest by doing that upon the fore-sight and fore-decree whereof God did before-hand pardon and save Sinners But if you had rather mention it as in the form of a Covenant which before the Incarnation must be improperly taken being only of God to himself or a promise of and to Christ as to be incarnate then the undertaking of the Father and the Son herein must be carefully distinguished and described The Father giveth up to Christ as Redeemer the whole lapsed cursed reparable world the several parts to several uses and especially his chosen to be eventually and infallibly saved and promiseth to accept his Sacrifice and performance and to make him Head over all things to his Church and by him to establish the Law of Grace in its perfect Edition and to give him the Government respectively of the Church and world and to Glorifie him for this work with himself for ever And the second person undertaketh to assume man's Nature to do and suffer all that he did in perfect obedience to his Fathers Will and Law of Redemption to fulfill all Righteousness conquer Satan and the world to suffer in the flesh and be a Sacrifice for sin and to conquer Death and teach and rule and purifie and raise and justifie and glorifie all true believers 39. Before the Incarnation Christ's future death and obedience being * * * Eadem suit sides in antiquis patribus modernis qui alio modo credebant in specialia alia credibilia quam nos Immo aliquid eredebant quod nunc est salsum Alliaco in 3. q. 1. not existent were no real existent Causes in themselves of men's Justification But that Wisdom which foresaw them and that Will of God which Decreed them as such and not they without that fore-sight and Decree as existent were the cause 40. Nor were they either before
as is said were in a state of Salvation when under Christ's own teaching they believed not many great Articles now essential to the Christian Faith So that all set together will tell us that the conclusion of the certain damnation of all without the Jewish and the Christian Church seemeth not very desirable either as to the Glory of the good and gracious God nor as to the good of Mankind And therefore we should not propend that way in a case of doubtful arguing And I desire the Reader impartially to consider though Abraham knew not till God told him how bad Sodom was yet when he asketh of God to spare it if there were but fifty Righteous in it whether he do not imply that he thought most other Cities of that bigness had at least fifty righteous if not more For when God told him that he would destroy it for the cry of their sins he must needs judge it worse than ordinary And was Abraham more ignorant than we the Father of the Faithful a Prophet that saw Christ's day and rejoyâ—ed 93. It is a certain truth that as God the Creator so Christ the Redeemer doth extend his mercy farther than he himself is known And as the Sâ—â— sendeth some light to the world before it riseth and is seen it self so doth Christ send many excellent Gifts of his Grace to those that know him not as Incarnate And when all the world is delivered into his hand we have reason to believe that the mercies which Philosophers and all others in the world had were communicated by him as the second Person or Wisdom and Word undertaking mans Redemption first and as the Word Incarnate after 94. Those ancient Fathers of the Church who lived near the Apostles times as Clem Alex. c. who believed that some without the Church were saved were never condemned for it as Hereticks no not by the busie condemning Ages SECT VI. Of Universal Redemption 95. By what hath been said it appeareth how far Christ may be said to have died for all Certainly de re all that Christ giveth to all which is the fruits of his Death he procured for all by his death whatever we say of conditional Intentions he certainly intended to give all that he giveth But all these following particulars are given by Christ either to all or to more than the Elect. 1. The Humane Nature common to all is advanced and brought nigh to God in Christ's Incarnation 2. Christ's Sacrifice for Sin and his perfect Holiness are so far satisfactory and meritorious for all men as that they render Christ a meet Object for that Faith in him which is commanded men and no man shall be damned for want of the satisfactoriness of Christ's Sacrifice or for want of a Saviour to die for him and fulfil all Righteousness but only for the abusing or refusing of his Mercy 3. Christ's conquest of the Devil and the World hath made man's conquests of them the more easie or possible And his Victory over Death and his Resurrection hath procured a Resurrection to all the World 4. All men are his Subjects by Obligation as he is the Redeemer and so are under his healing saving kind of Government 5. A clearer revelation of Life and Immortality is made by him even to those that perish And they have far greater helps than else they would have had to set their hearts on a better World 6. Especially a Law of Grace is made by Christ for all the world In the last Edition to all Joh. 1. 11 12. 3. 16 17 18 19. 1 Joh. 5. 10 11. that hear the Gospel and in the first to all the rest By the Promise of which as by an Act of Oblivion or Instrument of Donation God hath Enacted and Given a full Pardon of all Sin to all Mankind with Reconciliation Adoption and Right to Christ and Heaven on condition of their acceptance of it as offered them So that men are pardoned and justified by that Instrument or Gift if they will believe and will not unthankfully reject their Mercies 7. Apostles and ordinary Ministers were appointed to preach this Gospel to all the World and make the Offer of Christ and Life to all men without exception 8. The Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 16. execution of the violated Law of Innocency is forborn to all men in the greatest part Judgments kept off and they kept out of Hell while they have time and means to prepare for their Salvation 9. Many and great Mercies which signifie Gods goodness and lead towards Repentance are given to all the world even mercies forfeited by sins against the Law of Innocency and given by the Grace of our Redeemer 10. It is made all mens duty to believe the Revelation made to theâ— to repent to accept more mercy and to seek their own Salvation And such duty is not the smallest mercy 11. He hath recorded his Word and Grace in the holy Scriptures which all are allowed to use for their good He hath filled his Doctrine or Gospel with such powerful convincing Reasons and Perswasions which have a tendency to convince men and convert them 12. He secondeth his Word by many such Providences in his Works his Mercies his Afflictions as greatly Act. 14. 17. 17. 27 28. Rom. 1. 19 21. Rom. 2. tend to win mens Souls 13. He hath left his excellent Example to the world which greatly tendeth to mens Conviction and Salvation 14. He hath appointed several Church-Ordinances which are mercies to more than the Elect as is the visible communion also which they have with the Upright and their examples prayers c. 15. To all these he addeth an obligation on all Christians to do their best to convert and save all others 16. And the Office of Magistrates under Christ is appointed for these saving uses to promote the Salvation of the people 17. Death it self is now turned into a medicinal means by the prospect of it to convert and save men 18. Usually Gods patitience alloweth men time of Repentance and taketh them not at the first denial that they may consider and correct their former error 19. Remedies are offered men fetcht from Satan and Sin it self The Tempter by the malice of his temptations oft detecteth his owâ— fraud and mens danger A natural enmity against Devils and all that is known to be of them is put into all Mankind And Sin hath a sting to the Flesh it self and is madâ— such a misery to Sinners even in this life as may much tend to alienate and deter them from it And the world it self is made such a palpable vanity and smart vexation as tendeth to drive men to look out for a better and not to love it above God 20. Lastly To all these means there are certain internal motions and strivings of the Spirit of Christ which he commonly vouchsafeth mâ—â— in some degree and which irritate Conscience to do its office and which if men will
and the Collation is according to the order of his Will though the Things Given have their intrinsick difference 115. All men confess that this Moral Reception is an Act and therefore hath an object which Physical Reception is not And that thus to Receive doth suppose a Moral Gift which Gift maketh not the thing ours necessarily as physical operation doth but on supposition of our voluntary Reception or Consent And all confess that Gods Donation is by his Covenant Testament or Promise and this Covenant hath its proper nature and mode that is the Condition as imposed antecedent to our Receiving Therefore as the thing Given is made ours by the Donation so according to the order appointed by it and our Consent no otherwise maketh it ours than as the Condition of the Gift performed But Gods Covenant doth Give us Christ and Life that is Justification Sanctification and Glorification in tithe or right in one Gift to be Accepted by one entire faith as the Condition not making at all the order of the Gifts and faiths respect to them in that order to be any of the Ratio proprietatis 116. This will be plainer by humane instances A Servants Relation is founded in his consent to be a Servant a Wifes Relation is founded in her Marriage-consent to be a Wife and to take that man for her Husband simply without any more adoe Now if the Master of that Servant or the Husband of that Wife be a noble man a rich man a wise man a good man and they knew all this and by knowing it were induced to consent and are to have their proportionable benefits by his Nobility Riches Wisdom Goodness yet their title to these benefits ariseth not from the act of their consent as it respected these benefits severally and distinctly but meerly by consent to their Relation as being his Condition of Collation The Wife is made Noble by her Husbands Nobility she is made Rich by his Riches she is instructed by his Wisdom c. But she hath no more Right to his Riches for marrying him in the notion of Rich or for consenting to him for Riches than for marrying him in the notion or thought of his wisdom or goodness On her part it was not consent to be Rich by him that gave her right to his Riches and consent to be Noble by him that gave her right to Nobility but consent simply to be his Wife that gave her right to all 117. This is yet fullyer evident in that most usually men make consent to one thing to be the condition of their Receiving or Right to another And usually that which one is most backward to is made the condition of their Right to that which they are most forward or willing to have The Master doth not say If thou wilt have thy wages thou shalt have right to it But if thou wilt do my work thou shalt have thy wages The condition of Marriage is conjugal Love and fidelity q. d. I will be thy Husband and give thee right to all that I have if thou wilt be and do what is essential to a Wife and not if thou wilt have my Riches c. If a Father give a Child a free gift on any condition it will likely be If thou wilt be a thankful and obedient Child and not If thou wilt have it Or if meer consent to have it be put it is usually when it is some gift which it is supposed that the person is not very willing to have As if a Sick man will have Physick if an ungodly man will have Teaching Books or Godliness it self But to this usually they are induced by the Promise of somewhat else which they are willing of As to the Sick If thou wilt take this Physick thou shalt have health To the ungodly If thou wilt have Christ and holiness thou shalt have pardon and happiness Now in the sence of Physical Receiving He that receiveth Physick hath Physick and He that receiveth health hath health c. But in the moral sence of Receiving which is Accepting as it is the condition of a gift so He that receiveth the Physick shall have the health and He that receiveth Christ and his sanctifying Spirit shall have Pardon Justification and Salvation Not that his willingness to have pardon and happiness is the chief or only condition of his pardon and happiness But his Accepting Christ and his Spirit which men are naturally unwilling of is the condition of that pardon and happiness which men would have By all which it appeareth that to say Faith justifyeth me as it is the Receiving of Christs Righteousness and not as it is the Receiving of Christ as a Teacher Ruler c. is a confounding or seducing saying For 1. If it intimate that Faith Justifyeth us as an efficient cause principal oâ— Instrumental it is false * * * Unless by Justifying they mean the acts of Love Hope Obedience called Hâ—â—iness 2. If it mean that Faith is the Condition of Justification quatenus as it receiveth Christs Righteousness only it hath either one or two falshoods 1. If it mean that Faith 's receiving act is the formalis ratio Conditionis or that it justifyeth not qua conditio dâ—â—ationis but quae Receptio Justitiae Christi it is false Therefore qua here can signifie nothing but the Aptitude of faith to be made the condition and so Qua Quae here are all one 2. And then that only the Accepting of Righteousness justifyeth us that is Is the condition of our Justification is a falshood 118. Therefore our consent to be a Holy and obedient people or to take Christ for our Teacher Exemplar Ruler Sanctifier by his Word and Spirit and Judge hath at least as great a hand in our justification being principally the Condition of the Promise as our belief in our acceptance of Christ's Righteousness hath SECT VIII Of Justification by Christ's Righteousness imputed 119. Christ's personal Righteousness Divine or Humane habitual active How little the Papists differ from the Imputation which they quarrel with See in Bellarm. words cited and approved by Davenant de Justit And Pet. a S. Joseph Theol. Speculat l. 4. c. 10. saith Obj. Pâ—ccatum remitti non potest quamdiu homo manet conversus ad creaturam aversus a Deo At semper aversus erit a Deo nisi mutatur Resp Sufficere mutationem moralem quae per solam Dei condonationem fieri potest ut jam homo non dicatur aversus a Deo This is Antinomianism and false As if God called not him averse who is really averse Obj. 2. Si peccatum remitti potest sine actu aut habitu per solam imputationem erit quae est â—aereticorum sententia Resp Haereticos loqui de facto non de imputatione peccati remanentis vere non remissi nos de possibili de verâ— remissione qua peccatum tollatur See how the case is turned and wranglers
As the Angels rejoyce at a Sinners Conversion and therefoâ—â— know it so the notifying of Gods acceptance and pardon to the Angelâ— may be called some sort of sentential Justification 215. And the notifying our constitutive Righteousness to our Consciences is some kind of sentential Justification 216. But this Justification called in foro conscientiae is not the Justification by Faith so much spoken of in Scripture For that ever goeâ—â— before this A man is ever made just before he can be esteemed judged or known to be so And this in conscience is an uncertain mâ—â—â—ble thing according to the weakness of the man And oft he that â—â— just before God doth most doubt of it and condemn himself This justification may cease when we sleep or think of other things and may rise and fall daily if not be often lost And it is not of that grand importance to our Salvation as justification by Faith is 1 Cor. 4. 4. SECT XV. Of initial executive Pardon or Justification 217. But the most notable justification by way of sentence is 1. By Gods initial Executions here 2. By the publick Sentence and Executiâ—â— at the Day of Judgment 218. God speaking not by Voice that is called his Sentence which dâ—cisively declareth his Judgment But the Execution most notably declareth that Therefore though they be two things with men and sometimes with God yet Sentence being oft passed principally by Execution they are then both one 219. In this sense to sanctifie a man is to justifie him executively and so sententially For executive Justification and Pardon is the actual Impâ—â—ity removing of deserved Punishment and actual giving possession of Life and Salvation which constitutive Justification gave us Right to And as our privation of the Spirit and Holiness and to be left in sin is a great punishment so to have the Spirit and Holiness given us is executive See my Epist before Mr. Hotchâ—â— Book Of Forgiveness and his Book Pardon and Justification And so will Glorification much more 220. Executive Pardon and Justification therefore though the last of three sorts is the noblest as supposing both the other and being their end and the perfecting of the whole work 221. Non-punire is not always Pardon because it may respect an innoâ—ent and uncapable Object But the Rulers non-punire sontem is pardon â— what degree soever But a non-punire as the execution of an Act of â—blivion or Gift of Right to Impunity is the fullest executive â—â—rdon 222. The same must be said of nolle punire which is no pardon as â—â— the Innocent nor to a fore-seen Guilt not yet existent no more than â—â— a stone But when the person becometh guilty and obliged to suffer â—â—en Gods nolle punire becometh de novo a pardon denominatione extrinâ—ca without any change in God 223. For God perfectly to forgive sin while any sin remaineth in the More of that imperfection of Pardon against Ockam and others â—oul epecially habitual is a contradiction For sin it self though not â—â— sin nor as effected yet as permitted and not healed is the greatest â—unishment as was said And there is no perfect pardon of the punishâ—ent while such punishment is continued And Ockam's great subâ—lty failed when Quodlib 4. q. 1. he determined that per potentiam abâ—â—lutam Deus potest salvare hominem sine charitate creata unless he meant that he can charitatem dare aliter quam creando For to save a man withâ—ut Grace or Love is a contradiction His first Argument is God can do that immediately which he can do by â—â—y second Cause efficient or final * * * Can they tell us intelligibly how the sin of Unbelief and not-loving God and other privations can be really put away without the contrary quality or act Scotus with Rada other Scotists go the same way upon the same false suppositions And to confute one of them is to confute all And so the Papists that say Original Sin is forgiven in Baptism as to the whole calpability and penalty as Petavins in Elench Theriac Vincent-Lenis i. e. Fromondi p. 111. c. 2â— do grosly err For 1. It cannot be that the pravity of mans will should not be culpable 2. And the remaining of that pravity is it self a great punishment of the sin which procured it The truth is which should satisfie them that to the truly baptized or â—â—eartconsenters to Gods Covenant Original Sin and all sin is pardoned at to the great eternal pernicious punishment But not absolutely and perfectly pardoned yet as to all degrees of punishment Nor is all the â—â—â—pability ceased But Love or Grace given is an efficiâ—t or final second Cause Therefore God can save a man without it Ans The minor is your mistake Love here is Salvation it self begun â—â— this life and perfected in the next And to give it and not to give it â—re contradictions All the rest of his arguments go upon the same â—istake as if Love were but a meritorious cause of Salvation and not â—e thing it self And as erroneously Q. 4. he determineth that per potentiam absoluâ—m God can remittere peccanti culpam poenam sine infusione gratiae â—eatae unless he had put the question only de modo conferendi gratiam â—n alio modo sine infusione Deus illam potest efficere But who knoweth â—hat infusion is distinct from other Divine efficience Or unless he had â—poken only of Gods giving the jus ad rem non rem ipsam viz. Ipsam â—mpunitatem For undoubtedly the poena damni properly poena is â—he privation of the Souls rectitude health and happiness which all â—onsist in the love of God And to pardon a mans forfeiture of Happiness executively without giving him the happiness which he forfeited â—r to give man happiness without giving him love to God are both gross contradictions unless equivocally you meant making a man some other thing and giving him the happiness of that other thing His first argument here is Whomsoever God can by his absolute power â—ccept as worthy of life eternal without infused Grace to him he can forgive â—all sin without infused Grace But c. For proof he referreth us to that which I now confuted adding That God could accept a man in his pure naturals to life eternal I answer It is a fiction that ever man had such naturals made by God as were not indued with the principle and disposition of holy love the same thing which infused Grace first restoreth much more that Adam lived without the acting of this love But if it were so yet to accept man to life eternal is to accept him to the love of God so that if he did prove that a graceless man might be predestinated to Glory he did but prove that he is predestinated to perfect holiness and the love of God And though without this he may be predestinated or might have had a promise and right by promise yet without
I believe I grant it if 1. This be in it self as evident 2. And as certain to me as Gods Word is otherwise I deny it 236. Obj. A man cannot believe and not know that he believeth Ans But a man may sincerely believe and yet through ignorance either of the Scripture or himself be uncertain that indeed his Faith is sincere and not such as is common to the justified 237. Some Protestants by erring in this point and saying that justifying Faith is a certain perswasion or belief that we are justified and that it is Gods own Word that I or you are actually justified or are sincere Believers and that the believing it is properly fides Divina have greatly scandalized and hardened the Papists to our disgrace 238. And so have those that say that in the Creed the meaning of I believe the Remission of Sin is I believe that my sins are remitted actually And that all must thus believe 239. Some say that the Spirit within them saith that they are sincere Believers and the Word of the Spirit is the Word of God and to believâ— it is to believe God Ans This is the Enthâ—sâ—asts conceit which if true all such have prophetical Inspiration For the Spirit to bring any new word from God is one thing and to give us the Understanding Love and Obedience to such a Word is another thing The Spirit doth indeed assure us of our sincerity but not by a new Word from God to tell us so but 1. By giving us that sincere Faith it self 2. By acting it and increasing it 3. By helping us to know it 4. By giving us the love of God and other Graces 5. By giving us the comfort of all But the reception and perception of these internal Operations is not properly called a Belief of the Word of God Else when we make Gods Word the adequate Object of Faith we shall be still at an uncertainty what that Word is 240. Yet this perswasion that we are sincere and justified is divine where the Spirit causeth it but not a divine Faith Yea it is participatively of divine Faith because Gods Word is one of the premises though the weaker must denominate the conclusion * * * Of this see Albertinus's Disp at large 241. Obj. A Reprobate or Devil may believe all the Articles of Faith without application but justifying Faith applieth Christ and his benefits to our selves Ans It 's true But this application is not a certainty nor a perswasion nor a believing that I am justified no more than that I am glorified no nor that I shall be so neither But it is an accepting of Christ offered that I may be justified and saved So that here are all these applying acts in it 1. I believe that Christ as the Saviour of the World is my Saviour as he is all other mens and is not the Devils that is that he hath done that for me which he hath done for all mankind 2. I believe that he is offered to me personally in the Promise or Covenant of Grace on condition of believing-acceptance and that with and for all his purchased benefits and so for my Justification 3. I believe that if I so accept him I shall be justified 4. By true consent I do accordingly accept him to justifie sanctifie and save me But when all this is done 1. I do not believe that God hath said in his word that I am justified nor that my Faith is sincere 2. And my Faith is so weak that I may long doubt of that sincerity which I have and so of my Justification 3. And when I come to be certain of my Faith it is not by believing God as saying that I do certainly believe but by experience of its sincerity upon just trial by the Spirits help 242. No man can be sure that his Faith is sincere and saving who is not assured that it will help him to love God as God above all yea already doth so and that it mortifieth selfishness and will prevail with him to deny even life it self and all the world for Christ and Salvation So far as a man doubteth of any of this he must needs doubt of his own sincerity 243. So weak is Faith in most that are sincere and so little kept in exercise and so strong is sense and self and flesh and worldly bâ—its and interest and Satan's temptations that in my experience who have conversed with as many that are careful of their Souls as most have done I think it is a very small number that I could ever hear say I am certain of my Justification and Salvation But a great number who have lived in holy confidence hope and peace and some in great joy but most in tollerable fears and doubting and some few oppressed by those doubts So that certainty of Salvation is very rare 244. When Bellarmine saith that our assurance more belongeth to Hope than Faith and that it is but moral certainty by signs that we have of our Justification Sincerity and Salvation he so little differeth from the sense of almost all godly Protestants that were it not through other distances and partiality we had never read in Luther's days that for this one point alone we have cause enough of our alienation from the Romanists 245. They err on one extream who say that all are commanded to believe that they are justified or any as if it were Gods Word And they err on the other hand who command doubting or commend it as if it were a duty or a benefit And they speak the truth who say that our doubting of our own Sincerity and Justification if we are sincere is a sin of Infirmity and a Calamity proceeding from weakness of Faith Hope Love and Self-acquaintance which we should use all possible diligence to overcome But they that are not sincere are bound to know it And first to seek and get sincerity and then discern it 246. It is by the Spirit that all Christians must come to their assurance But not by the Spirit as speaking this in us as a word from God Thou art justified or shalt be saved or art sincere But by the aforesaid Acts The Spirit in us is first Christ's Agent Advocate and Witness to assure us that he is the Saviour of the World And next he is our Witness to assure us that we are Gods adopted Children which he doth by being in us Gods Mark and the Pledge First-Fruits and earnest of our heavenly Inheritance by effectual habituating our Souls to the predominant love of God and Holiness and Heaven Where-ever this Sanctification is there is the Evidence and Witness of our Adoption He that findeth by the Fruits that he hath the Spirit findeth the certain proof of his Justification and earnest of Glory SECT XVII Of Love as the end of Faith 247. This predominant Love of God and Holiness is so proper a Cui non unus idemque vitâ— scopus est hic
unus idemque per vitam totam esse non potest Non est satis quod dixi nisi illud etiam adjeceris qualis scopus hic esse debeat M. Antoninus li. 11. sect 21. p. 113. fruit of the Spirit that it is the very heart of the New Creature the sum of Sanctification as love is the sum of the Law So that to give the Spirit of Adoption to cry Abba Father and to sanctifie and to work in us the love of God and holiness are three phrases of the same signification in the Word of God 248. As Christ as Mediator is the summary means and way to the Father to bring man home to his Creator so Faith in Christ is a mediating Grace to work in us the love of God And as else-where I have oft said The bellowes of Faith kindling Love and Love working by holy Obedience Patience Mortification Gratitude and Praise is the substance of all true Religion 249. Love being the final Grace and Faith in Christ but a means to 1 Cor. 12. last 13. 1. 2. 2. Whether the habit of Love in patria be better than that of Faith and Vision in genere moris only or also in genere rei the School-men are utterly disagreed Cacere's sum Theol. 22. q. 5. a. 1. Utrum in sola charitate supernaturali sit amicitia hominis ad Deum Affirm Quia Dâ—us ut aâ—â—hor natura non ea communicat quae sunt propria ejus sed solum esse naturale potentias quae c. The Reason is not so good as the Assertion Vid. Bradward li. 1. c. 1. cor 30. Contra indoctos artis amandi nâ—scientes Deum esse propter seipsum amandum câ—tera propter Deum omnesque actus humanos ad ipsum propter se finaliter ordinandos ipsumque esse super omnia diligendum and his following proof that God is not to be sinned against in the smallest of his Precepts or in the smallest thing to avoid the greatest pain oâ— obtain the greatest good imaginable it the end must needs be more excellent than the means as such And thus Paul giveth the pre-eminence to Love 250. And no wonder if he prefer it also for duration For Love is Heaven or felicity it self yea somewhat higher than felicity as such For as God is our End for and in himself above the ratio foelicitatis so God is our End as he is to be loved And God the Ultimate Object and Love the Ultimate Act and Gods Love communicated perfectly to us and Gods Will pleased in all this are the inadequate Conceptions which make up the Ultimate End supposing the perfection of Nature and of the Intellect in the sight of God as subservient hereunto 251. Man therefore hath a degree of fruition or attainment of his Ultimate End in this life so far as he hath a delightful love of God Though this be but the foretast and First-fruits 252. Therefore it is not by Faith only that we know what Heaven is and are drawn to seek it and hope for it but also by this earnest and foretast of love which worketh by a spiritual gust and sweet inward experience The Intellect first hath Faith and the Will hath Love And a promise and earnest is more a promise alone 253. When Faith hath wrought this holy Love in the Soul it doth as much if not more to keep us from Apostacy than Faith it self Therefore many unlearned Christians by the power of holy Love stand fast when subtile disputing Doctors may cleave to the world and fall away 254. Though it be an ill expression of those School-men that say Love is the form of every Grace that which I suppose they mean is true that love being the final Grace the rest as they are means to it or the effects and expressions of it are what they are partly in that Relation The means is a means only by its Aptitude to the end And is never loved as such for it self but for the end And what the effect hath it hath from its efficient Cause And it is true that no Faith no Fear no Obedience no Praise no Suffering is further accepted of God and a part of true Holiness nor will prove our Salvation than it participateth of predominant love to God But this predominant Love is always an evidence of Life 255. Qu. What if a man should by Faith in Christ be brought to the love of God and after fall away from Faith in Christ and yet retain his love to God would that love save him Ans When you can prove that ever there was such a man I will answer you Till then such false suppositions are no otherwise to be answered than by telling you that if God should permit a man to fall from Christ that man would lose the Spirit of Christ and the sight and sense of all Gods Love and Goodness manifested in Christ and in all the Work of Redemption And therefore he would lose the love of God 256. How far Holiness is the design of Christianity I have opened in a small Tractate on that Question And how far Sanctification is to be preferred before Pardon as such and yet Christ's Glory in pardoning us I have shewed there and in my Confession and therefore will not here repeat it SECT XVIII Of Perseverance and the certainty of it in order to certainty of Salvation and true Comfort 257. No man can be further certain of his final Salvation than he is certain of his perseverance in Faith and Love 258. Therefore it is a small number of Christians comparatively that ever were certain of their Salvation For 1. No one that is uncertain of his sincerity is certain of his Salvation 2. No one that holdeth this Doctrine That the Saints that are justified may fall away and that we cannot be sure of perseverance can be sure of his own Salvation It 's hard to conceive how he can be certain who holdeth that no man can be certain Now those that hold this Doctrine are almost all the Papists the Arminians the Lutherans and as far as I can learn by their Writings all the ancient Writers for a thousand years after Christ And the Semipelagians and Pelagians no man will put in as an exception except Jovinian alone against whom Jerome writing his second Book chargeth him as holding that a man truly baptized by the Spirit could not sin No doubt he meant to damnation or mortally But it 's doubtful what his Opinion was Augustine's report of him is of no great moment who as Erasmus noteth in his Argum. in Hier. adv Jovin neither had seen Jovinians Book or Hieorm's but spake by report And Austin Prosper and Fulgentius thought that all the Elect persevered as Elect being chosen to perseverance but that more were truly sanctified justified and in a state of Salvation had they so died than were elect That all these fell away and perished That no man could be certain whether or no he were
is less than a good habit 10. That every man hath a moral proper power to do more good than he doth and forbear more evil 11. That every man is commanded to use some means in order to his salvation which he is morally able to use 12. That God useth to bear long with the abusers of their Power before he forsake them 13. That many have many perswasions and helps to use their power that abuse it 14. That it 's just with God to forsake such 1â— And great mercy to the elect not to be so forsaken All â—â—â—â— will be made cleareâ— in their due â—â—â—â— which I shall now here offer you § 2. AS for the five Articles I. The Article of Predestination II. And the Article of Redemption contain no difference between the parties but only as they relate to the Articles of Free-will and effectual Grace as is aforesaid For all must agree that God Decreed and Christ procured all that Grace or Mercy for men which he giveth them Of which the Conditional gift of the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the Holy Spirit in the Covenant of Grace with a Commission to his Ministers freely to offer it to all Believing Consenters and to seal it and deliver it by Baptism is a great part And many mercies teachings perswasions and motions tending to draw them to Consent is another part God decreed not to deny men that which he giveth them and Christs Death procured them all that he giveth them To which add what elsewhere I have opened that there is no necessity of ascribing to God any Positive Decrees of Negations or nothings Else there must be a Decree against the existence of all the myriads of possible animals atomes names words c. And remember that to Permit is not-to hinder and so is a meer negation or a doing nothing and that not-to-give faith repentance grace the Gospel c. is a negation or a nothing and so need no Decree seeing a not-decreeing to give c. is sufficient so that the whole of the Controversie about these two Articles is clearly devolved to the Controversies of Grace and Free-will III. And concerning Free-will it cannot be denyed but that Natural Free-will is part of that excellency or Image of God by which man is differenced from bruits and that it is such a faculty by which man can in some instances determine his own will to this rather than that without Divine predetermination which is certain in the â—ase of sin yea and of some good For Adam's will could without any other grace than he had have forborn his sin Or else still all is but resolved into Gods meer will And it is agreed on as is said before that all men can do more good than they do and forbear more evil than they forbear and that without any more grace or help than they have when they use it not so that it is not abhorrent from the nature of Free-will for a man to make a good use or an ill of the same measure of grace at several times or for several men to make several uses of the same measure Therefore it is no unjust answer to the question Why did he forbear this sin to day and not yesterday or Why did this man forbear sin and not that supposing them to have the same measure of assisting grace to say Because this man at this time used that power which God had given him in stirring up his own will to concurt with grace and the other man or this at another time did not what he could Not that this answer is good in all cases where more grace is necessary to the effect but in this forementioned So that it is no Deifying of the will of a Rational free-Agent to say that it is essentially a self-determining faculty made by God in the Image of his Liberty and depending on him and not able to Act without him as the first Cause but yet on supposition of his Natural preservation and universal concurse and of his directions and Laws it is able to make choice hic nunc to will or not will to will this rather than that without Divine necessitating predetermination and without any more Grace or help than sometime it hath when it doth the contrary All which shewing the natural power of mans will and its liberty must be readily acknowledged by all sides that will not say that Adams first sin and every sin of all men else are all resolved into Gods causation in case of commissions and Gods non-causation in case of omissions and into Gods will in both and that man can no more do any thing but what he doth than he can be God or overcome God or live and act without God And as we must thus agree that natural Liberty consisteth in a self-determining power peculiar to Rational free agents so we are all agreed except the Pelagians that mans nature is vitiated by Original sin and therefore that the will which is naturally free from force and necessitation except from God who never necessitateth it to evil is yet in servitude to our own concupiscence and is not free either from the enticements of sense or the erroneous conduct of a blinded mind or from its own vicious habits averseness to God and holy things and proneness to things sensual and seeming good And therefore that this Holy or Moral Liberty of the will must have the Medicinal Grace of Christ to heal it of which next IV. And as to the Article of Effectual Grace it is agreed on and cannot I speak not of Grace as it is Gods favour but the effect â—e gratia data non de gratia dantâ— with sobriety be gainsayed without subverting the main doctrine of the Scriptures that whereas besides the Preparatory or Promeriting Grace of Christs own performance there is yet a three-fold Grace necessary for the application or conveyance of the Benefits purchased by Christ in the measure hereafter mentioned all this is common I. The first sort of Grace lyeth in the enacting of a new Law of Grace called also in several respects The new Testament the new Covenant and the Promise And as to this it is agreed 1. That God made this Law Covenant or promise in the first Edition with Adam and Eve after the fall Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head and did by Actual Remission of their sin and not-punishing them as the first Law threatned yet more plainly manifest to them the pardoning Grace of this Covenant And that he made this new Law or Covenant to all mankind in and by them And that he again renewed the same Covenant of Grace with all mankind in Noah after the deluge Those few inconsiderate persons that deny this are not so valuable as to be an exception to our Concord It is an intolerable conceit of any to think that the tenour or sence of the
There is no Place where any Corporeal being is where some Active created Nature is not with it so that considering the proximity and the natures we may well conclude that we know of no corporal motion under the Sun which God effecteth by himself alone without any second Cause § 6. Joh. Sarisburiensis and some Schoolmen liken Gods presence with the Creature in operation to the fire in a red hot Iron where you would think all were Fire and all Iron But the similitude is too low The SUN is the most Notable Instrument in visible Nature And GOD operateth on all lower things by its virtue and influx God and the Sun do what the Sun doth and we know of nothing that God moveth here on earth that 's corporeal without it § 7. But the Sun moveth nothing as the Cartesians dream by a single Motive Influx alone but by emission of its Threefold Influx as every Active Nature doth that is Motive Illuminative and Calefactive which are One-radically in Three-effectively § 8. This Efflux of the Sun is universal and equal ex parte sui But causeth wonderful diversity of effects without diversity in God the prime Cause or in it self The same Influx causeth the Weed and Dunghill and Carrion to stink and the Flowers of the sweeter Plants to be sweet some things to live and some to dye some things to be soft and some hard c. In a word there are few changes or various actions below in bodies which the Sun is not the Cause of without difference in it self But not the specifying Cause § 9. The reason why one equal Influx causeth such wonderful diversity of motions is the DIVERSITY of RECEPTIVE DISPOSITIONS and natures Recipitur ad modum recipientis So one poise maketh various Motions in a Clock c. § 10. God operateth on second Causes as God Omnipotently but not ad ultimum potentiae but Freely as he pleaseth § 11. God worketh by second Causes according to the said Causes aptitude so that the operation of Infinite power is limited according to the quality of the second cause which God useth § 12. There is a superiority and inferiority among Spirits as well as Bodies And whether God work on all our souls by superiour Spirits as second Causes is unknown to us It is not improbable according to the order of his providence in other things But we know little of it certainly § 13. But certain we are that superiour Voluntary Agents Angels and Devils have very much to do with our souls and operate much upon them It is a wonderful power which wise observers perceive Satan hath upon the Imagination or Thinking faculty of which I could give some instances enough to convince a rational Sadducee And it is not like that good Angels have less power skill or will § 14. And we are sure that God hath ordained One Great Universal second Cause to convey his Spirit and Grace by which is JESUS CHRIST As the Sun is an Universal Cause of Motion Light and Heat to Inferiour creatures and God operateth by the Sun So is Christ set as a Sun of Righteousness by whom God will convey his spiritual Influx to mens souls and there is now no other conveyance to be expected § 15. Christs Humane Nature united personally to the Divine and Glorified is by the Office of Mediator Authorized and by Personal Union and the Fulness of the Holy Spirit enabled and fitted to this communication of Gods Spiritual Influx to mankind § 16. Object A Creature cannot be a Cause of the Operation of the Holy Ghost who is God the Creator Sending is the Act of a Superiour But Christs humanity is not superiour to the Holy Ghost Answ 1. Christ as a Creature is no Cause of any Essential or purely Immanent Act of God for that hath no Cause But 1. He is a Cause of the Spirits operation as it signifieth the effect 2. And so the cause why his Act is terminated on the soul and 3. Of the ordering of these effects why rather on this soul than on that and at this time measure c. And 2. This Christ doth not as a superiour sender of the Spirit but a Ministerial and a second cause As a Master payeth his servants as his Steward determineth § 17. It is certain that Christ is the Political Cause or Head of this spiritual Influx on souls that is As Mediator is Authorized to determine of the Persons measure time conditions of the Communication of the Spirit But whether he be a Physical Head of this Influx by proper efficiency giving the Spirit from himself as the Sun giveth us its Influx is all that is disputable That is Whether the Spirit be first given Inherently to Christ and pass from his person as his unto us as the Spirits do from the Head to the Members § 18. This question may be put either of all Natural Being and Motion or only of Spiritual Motion in the soul of man Whether Christ be so the Head of Nature as that all Nature in Heaven and Earth is sustained and actuated by him as the physical efficient Cause or whether this be true of this Lower World which was curst for sin or whether it be true at least of Humane nature or whether it be true only of Gracious operations § 19. 1. That Christ hath the Political dispose of the whole Universe contained in the words Heaven and Earth the Scripture seemeth to assert 2. That he hath the Political disposal of humane nature and of all other creatures that belong to man so far as they belong to him Angels Devils Sun Air Earth c. is past dispute 3. That the real â—hysical effects acts and habits of the Spirit on mens souls are caused by Christs Moral Causation by his Merit and his Political Mission is past dispute 4. That besides all this the Spirit it self by Baptism is in Covenant with all the members of Christ and that as they are such and is in a prior Covenant first Related to Christ himself and so by this Covenant given us in relation as we are united to Christ is past dispute 5. And that Christ himself doth make such Physical changes on our souls by Means and by the foresaid Political Mission of the Spirit by which we are made Receptive of more of the Spirits operations is past dispute 6. But whether moreover any Action of Christs own Humane soul glorified do physically reach our souls or whether the Holy Ghost may in its own essential Virtue which is every where be said to be more in Christ than elsewhere and communicated to us as from the root or the Spirits effects on the soul to come by Reflection from the first effects on Christ as Light and Heat from the Sun by a Speculum or Burning-glass are questions not for me to determine § 20. Christs spiritual Influx on souls is not single but is ever Three in One as the Sun 's aforesaid which are according to
the Threefold Divine Excellencies Communicated and the Threefold humane Receptive faculties viz. LIFE LIGHT and LOVE or spiritual Vivification Activity and Power spiritual Illumination of the Intellect and spiritual Conversion or Sanctification of the Will by holy Love § 21. It is certain that it is not only on believers that Christ operateth by the spirit For he draweth men by it to believe and many wicked men that are not his elect have common even miraculous gifts of the spirit * * * Mat. 7. 21 22 23. Gal. 3. 1 2 3. Heb. 6. 5 6. 1 Cor. 14. which are all communicated by Christ § 22. As Nature it self is in his Political power and is delivered to him so far as it is reparable and belongeth to the reparation of man so all gifts and operations Received by any in the world which are Mercies contrary to commerit are the effects of Christ Even as the Sun shineth in the night by the Moon and in the dawning of the day by it self unseen and after by it self appearing so Christ shineth to the Heathen world in abundance of natural and providential mercies and by the help of many Creatures and experiences and to some by nearer approaches as well as to the Church by the manifestation of himself All which is evident 1. Because the whole lapsed world in Adam and Noe were brought under his own Covenant of Grace according to which he operateth 2. In that so much mercy after sin will not stand with Gods regiment by the meer Law of Innocency violated 3. In that Christ is expresly called the Saviour of the World and the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe who dyed for all in that all were dead that they that live should live to him who tasted death for every man c. And Joh. 1. 9 10 11 12. That was the true light which lighteth every man coming into the world or coming into the world lighteth every man He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not And v. 4 5. In him was life and the Life was the Light of man and the Light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not c. § 23. This threefold Influx of Christs Spirit for LIFE LIGHT and LOVE is not equally effectual on all nor equally effectual on the same person at several times nor each part of the influx equally effectual on the same person at the same time The Reasons anon SECT III. Of the Operations and Principles as compared § 1. THough Power Wisdom and Goodness or Love all co-operate by the spirit of Christ yet in the work of Mans Recovery their Impressions are not equal But as POWER with Wisdom and Love more appeared in the CREATION as is aforesaid so WISDOM with Power conveying Love appeareth more in our Redemption and LOVE with Power and Wisdom is most conspicuous and illustrious in our Renewed state begun indeed by Sanctification but perfect in our GLORIFICATION * * * As to the Question between the Schoolmen define beatitudin undoubtedly the Thomists err in placing it chiefly in the Intellect And Medina and others give silly reasons for it and the Scotists of whom Rada well handleth it are far righter And Agid. Romanus briefly and clearly tells us the truth Quodlib 3. q. 18. p. 187. Btatitudo est in aliquo finaliter in aâ—â—quo formaliter Naâ— si ipsum objectum principaâ—â— Voluntatis prout habit rationem finis sit beatitudo oportet quod beatitudo principaliter sit in hoc objecto coâ—sequenter formaliter in actu Voluntatis Nam Voluntas in suum objectum tendit finaliter sed per suum actum teadit in objectum formaliter Ex quo apparet quod be â—titudo sit magis in ipso objecto Voluntatis quam in actu quia ratio finis est magis in objecto quam in actu This is clear truth if you put but finis alone for beatitudo For Beatitudo qua talis is not the principal end of man but God as God in his perfect Goodness and the fulfilling of his will next and then our own beatitude with that of the blesâ—ed And he maketh Vision and not Love to be the secondary final object of all The Omnipotent Father as is said Createth Nature with the Son and Holy Spirit The Son the Wisdom of the Father is the Physicion of souls and healeth them by SKILL with Power and Love The Holy Ghost called by the Schoolmen The LOVE of God dwelling and working peculiarly in us to and in perfection with power and Wisdom is the PERFECTION of the soul And so Natura Medela Sanitas are the various effects of the Divine operation § 2. Therefore the SONS operation in procuring and communicating the SPIRIT of Love and Holiness is eminently sapiâ—â—tial § 3. The Impressions of all the Divine Virtues are excellent in their several kinds And it 's hard for us to say that this is simply more excellent than that But we can say which is more suitable to the nature of man to be esteemed and Loved by him And so we esteem the Impressions of Wisdom and Love as most suitable to us § 4. A Horse or Oxe excelleth Man in strength and a Bird or Hare or Dog in swiftness and a Mountain and an Oak in Greatness And yet we account the Wisdom and Moral Goodness of man to be a greater excellency and to make him the more noble Creature § 5. And God seemeth to tell it us 1. By calling these his Image 2. And by making man the Lord of these stronger Creatures § 6. And among men we take him not for the most excellent who is the strongest but who is the Wisest and the Best And therefore the Wisest and Best are by Aristotle said to be born by Nature to Rule the rest and by all sober men are thought to be the Fittest to Guide and Rule others how seldom soever it cometh to pass while the Robuster sort are Labourers and Mechanicks § 7. Yet I deny not but the effect is answerable to the Cause And as Active-Power causeth Action and Wisdom and Government causeth the Order and Rectitude of action and Love and Goodness the Perfection of it and the agent so Gods Vital-Power Wisdom and Goodness are equal which are the Principles of all As the Father Son and Spirit are coequal And God is indeed glorious in the Motion of Sun and Stars c. as well as in the Wisdom and Holiness of man But besides the foresaid suitableness this difference must be considered that as Life Intellect and Will Power By special Grace some mean two distinct things viz. 1. Our Love to God and other holy Habits and acts or an Inclination to them 2. Gods favour to us and acceptation of us and that as relating to the Glory which he will give us so that the first they call the Habit of Grace quâ— ens qualitas
of the Holy Ghost which is specially promised in the Gospel to believers For there are 1. Many common works of the Spirit 2. And the special effect of faith it self before it § 2. This gift of the Holy Ghost unto Believers was formerly two fold the Gift of Miracles or wonders and of special Holiness of which the latter continueth to the end of the world § 3. The spirit is Given to Believers in several respects conjunct 1. In that he is Given to Christ their Head with whom by Union they are Relatively one Body 2. In that He is Given to them by the Baptismal Covenant in special Relation to their own persons to be their sanctifier In which respect they are Baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost as being now in Covenant theirs 3. In that he worketh in them the Acts and Habits of Holiness even of Love to God and to his Image and helpeth them in all duties and against all temptations enemies and sins But not that his essence is more in them than elsewhere but his Operations from those Relations § 4. This Gift of the spirit is the great priviledge of believers and of Gospel times in the eminent degree and He is the great Agent Advocate and witness of Christ in us the divine nature and name of God and his mark upon us our witness earnest pledge and first-fruits of life eternal and the great difference between Christs living members and the unregenerate world § 5. So powerful and fixed is this Habitual Holiness or Love of God for that is the summ of it that though it be no substance nor alter not mans species nor operate not by natural necessitating determination yet it strongly and constantly inclineth the soul per modum nature to the act of Love and so emulateth nature that it is called in Scripture the Divine Nature and the new man § 6. The greatest blessing in this world is to have more of this Spirit and the greatest punishment to be for saken by the spirit and deprived of it And believers themselves must fear most lest they should quench and grieve the spirit and be punished with any measure of its desertion And their great work is to cherish it carefully and obey it faithfully and constantly § 7. The word Infusion as to Habits being metaphorical is ambiguous 1. If the question be Whether Habits be so Infused as that they are caused without Means we must deny it ordinarily 2. If it be Whether they are not at all procured by any cogitations desires or preparatory duties of our own to fit us to receive them It is to be denyed as to the ordinary way 3. If the question be Whether the Act of faith do ever go before the Habit as a cause of it It must be affirmed of the ordinary case 4. If it be Whether the Habit ever go before the Act we must say that some Impulse disposing to it doth And God can cause a Habit before the Act But we cannot prove that he ever doth so much less that it is his ordinary way § 8. Whence it is plain that ordinarily All Infused Habits are so far also Acquired as that they follow means and the Act But all Acquired Habits are not such as are called Infused § 9. The difference is in this that Habits are said to be Infused when the Holy Ghost doth excite the soul to the Act and by that Act unto a setled Habit by such a special powerful Impulse as would not follow Gods ordinary operation by meer natural second Causes As the seal set home on the wax by a strong hand maketh a deep impression more than when it 's laid on lightly by a child so are sacred objects and means and motives when set home by the spirit allowing for the differences of the things § 10. Whether in every true Believer a fixed Habit of Love instantaneously follow the first act of true faith though weak or whether in many God only give after the first act so small an increase of the Disposition as is short of the true nature of a habit till increased by frequent acts is a case that I think more difficult than needful to resolve § 11. That which God worketh in Infants is a seminal fixed disposition But I cannot prove that it is a proper Habit. § 12. Whether Adams Natural sanity or sanctity antecedent to his first Act was to be called more properly a Habit or only a seminal disposition I leave to others But if his and Infants be to be called Habits you must say that they are only certain General Habits such as Health in the Body and not those particular Habits which are strictly so called § 13. The nature of a Habit is not well known to mortal men We know that it is a strong and fixed Disposition to prompt and facile action of this or that special sort But what that Disposition is we well know not That is whether it be the robur of the essential virtues or faculties of the soul Intellection Will Activity And if so wherein that second Gradus Virtutis which is not essential differeth from the first that is And whether it be any thing else than a secret constant Act in and by which the soul is excited to more sensible acts it 's hard to know But certain I am that besides those Acts which taking in somewhat of Imagination or sense are ordinarily perceived by us which are our ordinary conversation the soul hath also some deep secret fixed acts which make no use of sense or Imagination or none that is observed and yet are the ruling acts of the man Such commonly is the Intentio finis which operateth constantly without memory or observation in all use of means As a travailer on his journey keepeth on his way while he seemeth wholly taken up with the occurrences company and talk of his way and thinketh not sensibly of his end And yet had he not an unobserved Intention of it he would not go on And night and day the soul hath this secret insensible sort of Action § 14. As when a spark of fire is blown up to a flame and the excited Act doth tend to more and the more it burneth caeteris paribus the more it is strongly inclined to burn And yet no man can say that here is any new Matter that was not before existent nor that the second degree of fire is not of the same nature with the first nor that there is any thing but nature and action which inclineth it to more action And yet how the same essence before not perceived is suddenly blown up by Action to such observable appearance and effects is past the power of man to understand aright So some such thing there is in the present case allowing for the difference of natures and kinds of operation SECT XVII Whether man be meerly Passive as to the first special Grace § 1. Answ 1. THe Nature of mans soul is to
the difference seemeth to be founded 1. See what the Brittish Divines say in the Synod of Dort de art 3. 4. suffrag p. 124. Th. 1. There are certain outward works ordinarily required of men before they are brought to the state of Regeneration Rom. 10. 14. Mat. 6. â—â— Act. 13. 46. Psa 58. 5. or Conversion which use to be sometime freely done by them and sometime freely omitted as to go to Church to hear the Preaching of the Word and such like Th. 2. There are certain inward effects which are excited in the hearts of those that are not yet justified previous to Conversion and Regeneration Act. 2. 37. by the virtue of the word and spirit such as are the knowledge of Gods will the sense of sin the fear of punishment the thoughts of deliverance some hope of pardon To the state of Justification Gods grace useth not to bring men by sudden Enthusiasm but prepared and fitted or disposed by many previous actings by the Ministry of the word As in natural Generation there are many previous dispositions 1 Cor. 4. 15. before the reception of the form so in the spiritual we come to the spiritual birth by many foregoing actings of Grace If God would immediately Regenerate and Justifie a wicked man not prepared by any knowledge any sorrow any desire any hope of pardon there were no need of the Ministry of man and the Word Preached to do it Th. 3. Those that God thus affecteth by his spirit by means of the Word them he truly and seriously calleth and inviteth to faith and conversion We must judge of the helps of Grace by the nature of the offered benefit and by Gods plain word and not by the abuse and event Seâ—ing the Gospel of its own nature calleth men to Repentance and Salvation seeing the excitements of grace tend to it we must not think that 2 Cor. 5. 20. 2 Cor. 6. â—â— Gal. 1. 6. Rev. 3. 2. God here doth any thing dissemblingly Nor can it be imagined that that calling by the word and spirit can make men unexcuseable which is given only to that end to make them unexcuseable Th. 4. Those whom he thus affecteth God forsaketh not nor ceaseth to promote them in the true way to conversion before he is forsaken by them by voluntary neglect or the repulse of this initial grace The talent of grace once given men of God is not taken away from any man till he bury it by his own fault Therefore we are oft warned in Mat. 2â— 2â— Scripture not to resist or quench the spirit nor to receive the grace Heb. 3. 7. Prov. 1. 24. 2 Chron. 24. 20. of God in vain nor to fall from God Yea it is plainly given as the reason of Gods forsaking men that they first forsake him Th. 5. Many lose these beginnings Mat. 13. 19. Heb. 6. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 21. Th. 6. The Elect do not so behave themselves under these preparatory workings but that for their negligence and resistance they might justly be forsaken of God But such is Gods special mercy to them that though Joh. 6. 37. â—er 14. 7. 32. 39. Phil. 1. 6. for a time they may repel or suffocate this exciting and illuminating grace yet God doth urge them again and again and ceaseth not to promove them till he fully subjugate them to his grace and place them in the state of regenerate sons Th. 7. All men resist Gods grace and God might justly forsake all Rom. 9. 18. 11. 35. Act. 28. 27. but doth not By all this it is evident that they took not man to be forsaken of God in the state of meer original sin or the corrupt mass but as a wilful resister and refuser of offered Grace and oft after the receiving of much preparing grace and that God forsaketh none till they forsake his grace 2. To the same sence our English Divines commonly tell us how ordinarily God prepareth men for conversion before he convert them and how far persons unconverted may go in common grace He that readeth Mr. Hooker of New England Mr. John Rogers his doctrine of faith Mr. Boltons instructions for comfort Mr. Meads Almost a Christian and abundance such will see that they were of the same mind 3. Hence it is plain that those persons that resisted this further work of grace and forsook God first had true Power to have done otherwise and could have gone further than they did without any other grace than they had Though quoad necessitatem sequentem vel consequentiae it might be inferred even from Gods prescience that it could not be 4. They here describe Gods effectual grace by moral titles of Gods urging them till they yield though as after they open it Gods renewing active influx maketh new creatures and is not a meer moral indetermining suasion leaving the will indifferent 5. The truth is as is aforesaid no mortal man can tell of any difference on Gods part between his common and special agency on souls but only on the part of the work done Nay it is against the doctrine of all â—orts of Divines both Papists and Protestants as to the generality that there is any difference at all For they all say that all Gods actions ad extra are noâ—hing but his essence viz. his essential knowledge will and power which is undividedly one as terminated effecting related and denominated variously E. g. by one Volition he willeth divers products but not by divers volitions See the Conclusion of the first Chapter ex parte sui either considered specifically or numerically but the specification and individuation is only in the effects and in Gods will as relatively denominated And if this be all mens doctrine what an unhappy case is the Church faln into that the very same men that say this should yet intolerably quarrel Whether this one Divine attingency or operation shall be called Creation infusion urgency excitation perswasion physical hyperphysical moral or what else when all are agreed that all are one and the same ex parte Dei And as to the effects I do my self think that a certain Impulse received on the soul is the first effect and the Act of man as faith is but a second and that of both Causes But we cannot tell well what that Impulse is And therefore must dispute in the dark about the differences of it And this is nothing to them that own nothing but Gods essence as the cause of our act as the first effect If their opinion hold true that as in Creation there was no mediate Impulse between the Creator and the Creature for there was no recipient so here there is no effect on the soul before the Act and habit of faith it self then what is that Grace whose Ratio efficaciae we can make a Controversie of Ad hominem at least I may say that it is common acts and habits overtopt by fleshly interest and concupiscence which
sinners find a good will to goodness and like it and many years perhaps are wishing and purposing to leave their sins for it and turn to God till at last Love prevaileth And this though imperfect is true sincere Love not from a perfect habit but from the excitation of the Holy Ghost It hath the same object as perfect Love that is Justice for Justice or God for God not loved on consideration of any other reward which proveth it sincere Love Such wish to live chastely temperately justly but cannot come to it Out of this imperfect love springs faith faith may be habitually many years before Justification Justification is the grace of perfect Love to God above all Hope and Perfect Love also come from this initial Love c. 7 8 9. XVIII As Hope so Reward and respect to it may stand with this grace of Love For the Reward is not desired ex amore concupiscentia for our selves only cum enim charitatis proprium sit unica voluptas diligere Deum non quia hoc sibi suave vel utile vel gloriosum est vel alia quacunque consideratione redundat in se sed quia ita est ordo creaturâ— sub creatore qui propter seipsum super omnia ex superexcellenti bonitate diligendus est ita unicum praemium est veritatem bonitatem Dei facie ad faciem contemplando ardentius amare lauaare Deum non quia utile est beatificum diligenti sed quid aeâ—â—rnae veritati congruum dilecto debitum c. Amoris hic inchoati Amor futurus consummatus unica merces Praemium Dei ipse Deus est Quisquis delabitur ab illa charitatis puritate ut amore concupiscentiae incipiat velle concupiscere sibi Deum totum dilectionis ordinem quem natura docet Lex aeterna praecipit diligendi perversitate perturbat Nam Deum ad se refert seipso fruitur quorum utrumque aeterna indispensabili lege proscriptum est c. 10. XIX The fear of punishment and attrition is good being fâ—gâ— mali an Antecedent of wisdom It is from a certain general grace but not that properly called the grace of Christ The Spirit of the Old Testament even of fear is Gods Spirit not that which Christ dyed to give men which is contrary delectation but another much inferiour grace which after the firm belief of Gods judgement and eternal punishment fortassis Gratiam peculiaris cujusdam providentiae operationis non excedit They that have but the Righteousness of fear by knowing the Law have not Gods righteousness but their own Indeed they have faith and that radicated but not Christs proper grace but that which may come ex proprii arbitrii viribus excited by providence or if you will inspired fear no sin can be avoided by it but by other sin c. 22 23 c. It is but of self-love It is Legal righteousness and our own c. 31 32. XX. Liberty of will is either meer Voluntariness whose contrary necessity is involuntarii coactio or that free state which is the Love of God consistent with simple necessity lib. 7. XXI Gratia Christi est Praedeterminatio voluntatis sed non Dominicanorum praedeterminatio 1. Praedeterminatio physica est motio nescio quae virtuosa habens esse incompletum ut colores in aâ—re impetus in impulso Gratia Christi est verissimus motus voluntatis ineffabilis viz. delectatio c. 2. Praed physica non est eis actus Vitalis animi sed aliquid cui voluntas tantum passive subjacet Gratia contra c. 3. Praedet physica in quibuscunque circumstantiis voluntas collocetur omnem superat resistentiam semper facit effectum contra delectatia victrix si alter ardâ—ntior est in solis inefficacibus desideriis haerebit animus 4. Praed physica est instar concursus cujusdam generalis Dei in ordine supernaturali Adjutorium Christi non ita 5. Praed physica necessaria statuitur omnibus agentibus ex vi causae secundae c. Christi adjutorium laesa tantum voluntati propter vulnus necessarium est 6. Praed physica propter naturalem indifferentiam voluntatis exigitur Gratia non ita 7. Praed physica statui innocentiae necessaria dicitur Gratia Christi non ita ergo hi Dominicani magis Aristotelici quam Augustiniani sunt Gratia tamen est Praed physica And grace and free-will are reconcilable as Predetermination and free-will are l. 8. c. 2 3 4. Summa est quod Gratia Amantem Volentem facit non tantum posse velle dat In conclusion he belyeth Calvin 1. As denying in man boni mali electionem and so in many â—ther points cap. 21. XXII His doctrine of Predestination as congruous to this I pass by â—nly adding that he denyeth Angels to be elected of grace or to perseveâ—ance which was but foreseen and they were made to differ not by â—race but by merits Man is elected to merits and glory but to glory â—efore the foresight of merits The Reprobation of Angels was after the â—urpose of giving them sufficient grace and the foresight of sin Permisâ—â—on of sin was no effect of it But the Reprobation of men was by Gods positive absolute will of men in original sin and the effect of it excaecation and obduration but not the permission of the first sin lib. 10. This is the Epitome of Jansenius as far as concerneth our present business The Animadversions § 2. I. IT seems Augustine and Pelagius were both pious men that differed in the methodizing and wording those fundamental conceptions in which they agreed by which Pelagius ran into errors And I doubt he was not so innocent as Jansenius intimateth when he maketh Augustine to be the first true Teacher of grace and Pelagius his Opinion to have been so antient And if it were not too bold to say so against one that read over all Augustine ten times and all his writings against the Pelagians thirty times I would say that I think that Austin owned more universal grace and free-will than Jansenius supposeth him to have owned Of Prosper and Fulgentiuâ— it cannot modestly be denyed who I think were of Augustines mind II. He confesseth that self-determining free-will and sufficient Grace were the condition of the Angels and innocent man and so that it is not alien to Gods government or prerogatives for subjects to be so Ruled and Judged III. He seemeth to me to ascribe far too much to innocent man and Angels in using sufficient grace when he maketh their wills the chief laudable cause of the effect I rather think that no Angel ever did any good the chief praise of which was not due to God as the principal first cause God giveth them all the power liberty help means motives by which they do it Besides that they did nothing but what he fore-decreed and willed they should eventually do Therefore there is no good but of him as the first cause though not
What man can do further opened p. 114. Crim. 3. Holding free will to good p. 121. A manifold Liberty evinced by many Questions p. 122. Whether any that use it not have liberty to believe p. 124 125. Crim. 4. That men are not dead in sin p. 125. Crim. 5. That man is not meerly passive in his first conversion p. 126. Crim 6. None damned for Adam's sin only p. 128. The seventh days Conference Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace Crim. 1. Of the Armin. Denying sufficient Grace they damn men for meer Impossibilities p. 130. Had Adam sufficient Grace p. 132. Of the 13th Artic. of the Church of England p. 133. How God willeth mens Salvation p. 134. Crim. 2. Making Grace unresistible p. 136. How far they do so The eighth days Conference Crim. 1. Of the Calv. They assert universal sufficient Grace p. 139. Queries evincing Common Grace p. 139. The greatness of their error that deny it p. 141. Doth this satisfie while God that can save men will not p. 143. What Grace and what sufficient Grace is p. 145. Whether the same measure of Grace called meerly sufficient be ever effectual p. 148. What the Grace in that question is Whether a vis impressa Of determination by God and by the Intellect p. 151 152 153. Crim. 2. By Grace they mean Nature as Pelagius p. 156. What Nature is Grace how far supernatural p. 158. Crim. 3. Making Grace but a Moral swasion p. 160. Physical operation what p. 162. Crim. 4. They hold faith to be acquired and not infused p. 162. What acquired and infused means p. 163. Dr. Twisse about this noted p. 167 c. Crim. 5. They hold Grace given according to works or preparation p. 169. Crim. 6. They make the Will to have no sin or Grace p. 171. Crim. 7. They make Grace resistible p. 172. The case further opened p. 173 174 c. Is there any universal second cause of Grace under God as the Sun in Nature which worketh resistibly and God by it ad modum recipientis p. 177. Christ how far such ib. Crim. 8. They make mans Will to make himself to differ c. p. 180. What differing is what the causes as to believing ib. How far God worketh by universal Grace p. 185. Who made thee to differ opened p. 186. Crim. 9. Man's will maketh Gods Grace effectual and not Gods p. 186. Whence Grace is effectual p. 189. Differencing Grace what p. 192. It not all the question of the Divine Impress p. 193 194. The case summarily opened p. 196. The ninth days Conference Of Perseverance The Arm. Crim. 1. They make fear and care to be folly p. 198. Crim. 2. They cherish all sin p. 200. Crim. 3. Their Doctrine is uncomfortable on pretence of confuting p. 200 201. Both sides charge each other thus A middle way about Perseverance avoiding both p. 204. Crim. 4. They dishonour Gods Image making heinous sin consistent with it p. 204. Crim. 5. Immodesty and singularity contradicting all the ancient Church p. 206. Crim. 6. Contradicting express Scripture p. 207. The tenth days Conference The Calv. Criminations about Perseverance Crim. 1. They overthrow the comfort of believers that deny Perseverance p. 208. What comfort may be had by such p. 211. Crim. 2. and 3. They make God or his Covenant mutable p. 212. Crim. 4. They deny the Promise of Perseverance p. 213. Crim. 5. They infer a second Regeneration p. 214. Crim. 6. They go against the Doctrine of Augustine c. p. 215. The just extenuation of this last controversie p. 215. The eleventh days Conference with a Libertine called Antinomian vindicating sound Doctrine against divers accusations Chap. 1. Whether we must call men to come to Christ without Preparation p. 220. Chap. 2. Of denying our own Righteousness p. 223. Personal Righteousness necessary p. 224. Of Reward and worthiness or Merit p. 225. The truth largely opened about merit and reward p. 230. Reasons for it p. 232 c. Ch. 3. Whether our own Righteousness conduce to our Justification Or we are any way justified by it p. 238. Ch. 4. Whether the Gospel be a Law of Christ p. 243. Ch. 5. Whether Christ and not we be the only party in Covenant with God p. 245. Ch. 6. Whether the new Covenant have conditions p. 247. Ch. 7. Whether justifying faith be a believing in Christ as Teacher Ruler c. or only a receiving his Righteousness p. 251. Ch. 8. Of Faiths Justifying Instrumentally p. 251. Ch. 9. Whether Faith it self be Imputed for Righteousness p. 252. Ch. 10. Whether it be a change in God to justifie the before unjustified p. 256. Ch. 11. Whether a justified man should fear becoming unjustified ibid. Ch. 12. Of mans power to believe and our calling the unregenerate to Duty p. 258. Ch. 13. Of the witness of the Spirit and of Evidences of Justification p. 261. The Conclusion The twelfth days Conference with a learned Lutherane Whether the difference among Christians about Merit be as great as some think it p. 263. Some Protestants and the late Lecturers Reasons against Merit proposed p. 265. and the case opened Of the Doctrine of the Council of Trent p. 266 c. Of condignity p. 267. The Doctrine of Vega Scotus Waldensis Eckius Marsilius Bellarmine Greg. Armin. Durand Brugens Cusanus Stapleton Bradwardine Soto Bonaventure st Clara and all the Schoolmen as he judgeth Carthus Cassander p. 270. Holiness and Glory a greater gift than Glory without holiness p. 271. Aquinas judgment His confusion occasioned by his opinion that the new Law is that which is in the heart and not written viz. the Spirit as the Quakers hold ib. Vasquez denyeth Commutative Justice in God with all the School Doctors 17 of them cited He confuteth it even as to Christ He denyeth proper Distributive Justice also in God citing Bonavent Scotus Durand Palud Gabriel Alexand. Aquin. c. p. 272 c. Aquinas sense in Carbo's words p. 275. Many Schoolmen deny as much as Legal or Governing Justice in God Ruiz citeth for this Argent Bassol Suarez Pesant Suarez saith God's promises are but naked Assertions declaring his Will Durand that promises signifie not obligation Greg. Armin. That the Crown is no Debt but of free Ordination Marsil That God is no Debtor but free Giver Scotus Major Ricard deny God to be a Debtor by his promise but hold that Merits are such by Promise Ruiz saith against Suarez That Promises are more than Assertions but that God's obligation is to himself p. 276. Medina against Meriting Remission p. 277. Against Preparation p. 277. Contarenus judgment Fisher's of Rochester p. 278. The words of Tolet p. 280. The thirteenth days Conference with a Sectary Of the great errors sin and danger which many Ignorant Professors fall into on the pretence of abhorring and avoiding Popery p. 283. The sins of such as Calumniate sound Teachers as favouring Popery p. 285. Errors vended by some Protestants through an injudicious opposition to
But that which I ask you is whether this new power given by sufficient Grace be of the same Species with our natural powers or of some other A. What if I say It is of the same sort B. Then as I have hinted you must make the Soul to have either two orders of natural powers of the same Species one founded or subjected in the other which is it that Dr. Twisse derideth or else indeed to have two Souls For I have else-where at large proved with the Scotists that the faculties are essential to the Soul or else you must make the specifick powers of the Soul to have degrees and Souls to be augmented and so that they have more Soul that have Grace than they that have none and so Grace is a kind of generation or augmentation of Souls A. What if I say that it is of another Species B. Then we must consider what it is Is it of a superior Species or subordinate or co-ordinate If you say with some Fryers and Fanaticks that it is the Spirit of God in Essence or God himself it would be Omnipotency If it be not any created Spirit or Substance which would alter our Species or make each one two it must be an Accident as all confess it is and therefore not ejusdem speciei with the faculties that are essential And if so tell us what this power is A. The Soul of man is it self so little known to it self that we cannot easily tell what its natural powers be as the difference between Thomas and the Scotists sheweth much less can we tell how to conceive aright of the quiddity of the Accidents of a Soul who know so little of the Accidents of Bodies or of Bodies themselves Let me hear what your own conceptions are of the matter if they tend to elucidate or reconcile B. He that will take up with the bare words Can or Cannot and confess that he knoweth not what they signifie should not with the blind confidence of too many Contenders trouble the peoples ears in Pulpits and set them on fire against one another and by raving distract the Churches of Christ with such Can's and Cannot's Able and Unable And yet this one poor word is the Granade or Fire-Ball If I pretend to understand it no more than you yet I will be ashamed to vex and ensnare mens Souls with what I understand not but will use the easiest intelligible words But to answer your desires distinctly 1. The Soul is as you say so little known to it self that no man living I think hath a true formal conception of that first accident or effect which it receiveth from Gods Spirit nor yet of the true nature of a habit or disposition following it He that readeth but what our Metaphysicks and School-men have said of Habits will find this to be true and that their quiddity is past his understanding To say that they are qualities by which we are prompt to act is but to name a general notion no better understood than the quaesitum Quality and to name the effect promptitude and not the form or thing it self II. The nature of fire seemeth to be a kind of likeness to Spirits And in this sensible thing we cannot tell what it is that is added by excitation and incension And they that talk of generation of fire know not what generation signifieth whether the production of a new simple substance that before was nothing or the introduction of a new form into a pre-existent substance by mixture or how or only a new motion or if they say It is a generation of new Qualities they know not what the word Quality signifieth But this much is apparent that whether it be done by Collision or however to kindle a spark or latent fire into a flame or incendium is to excite a pre-existent active nature And this excitation is by motion And as we have some very defective conception what motion received is in Bodies and how by contact when it cometh from force motus motum causat vis per motum vint quandam imprimit so by some Analogy we may conceive how Spirits move Spirits and such as is the unexpressible action of one Spirit on another such is the thing thereby imprinted and received A kind of spiritual motus And as in bodily motion the first thing received is the very thing moved by contact qua talis as it self in motion or act so Spirits sno modo seem qua agentes attingentes transcendently to be the first received by the moved Spirits And the second thing the vis impressa and thence followeth the ipse motus But if it to this day most certainly surpass the wits of the greatest Philosophers formally to conceive what it is that adhereth to the res mota to contiue its motion and what that is that is called Vis impressa and in what subject it moveth the projectum c. For the Cartesian fancy that motus inceptus nunquam cessabit nisi impeditus either tells us nothing of the continued cause or supposeth moveri to be no effect and to need no more cause than negatio motus which is unworthy a confutation what wonder then if it surpass the conception of all mortal men to know what that spiritual Vis impressa on a Soul is But what-ever it is this much is the best notion that we can have of that which the Divine Action first communicateth that it is influxus Dei Receptus vel excitatio facultatum exeâ—â—ata as distinct from excitatio Dei excitans It is passive excitation or a spiritual Vis impressa whence Action followeth III. But it hath also a similitude to the Agent in more than simple motion Even as the Sun or Fire doth kindle fire on combustible matter which had also a latent fire before or else it 's not combustible which is not as the Cartesians feign by motion alone but by the operation of a three-fold virtue in the Sun viz. the motive lucid and calefactive producing the same in the Receiver so the Spirit of God doth in this excitation at once communicate to the three faculties of the Soul an impressed force for Vital-activity Intellection and Volition so that the three natural faculties by this received impress and excitation are suscitated to holy Activity Knowledge and Love the habit of which is holy Life and Light and Love abiding For it is certain that it is not one only but all the faculties of the Soul that are vitiated by Sin and therefore all that must be repaired by sanctifying Grace The Vital-active-power as it is a faculty of the rational Soul is as it were sleepy dead and impotent and must be quickened with spiritual life and strength The Intellect is dark and must be illuminated The Will is carnal and unholy and must be turned from the Flesh to God by mortification and by holy love And all this the Holy Ghost doth by Action but not meer Action in
a long answer B. Not as Paul meant it but as our troublesome Contenders use it in Even those that found the infallibility on scientia media make congrous Grace ex proposito convertendi to be the cause of the difference So Malderus 1 2. q. 111. a. 3. p. 517. Quod hic credat prae alio indubie venit de misericordia Dei ipsum siâ— vocantis ut accomodet assensum misericordia inquam qua nos in Câ—risto elegit Totum est miserentis Dei ipse vocat ipse facit â—t vocatus veniat ipse â—t currat ipse nolentem praevenit ut velit volentem subsequitur nâ— frâ—fira velit vi sua Gratia it a sibi aptat liberum arbitrium ut a nâ—llo dâ—ro corde respâ—â—tâ—r quod diciâ—â—s provenire ex â—o quod meris inâ—â—â—abilibus occultis modis noverit Deus ita hominis â—over sensum ut accomodet assensum Fatemur Dei omnipotentiam Dominium quod habet in voluntates hominum manifestari in gratiae effâ—catia Et consensus homiâ—is est donâ—m Dei descendens a Patre luminum â—llumque consensum Deâ—â— vult â—acit quia facit â—ominem viribâ—â— gratiâ—â—acerâ— Yeâ— he yieldeth to â—radwardines Doctrine supposing him only to intend necessitatem quandam consequentiae necessarium esse hominem libere velle illâ—d ipsum quod Deuâ— cujuâ— omnipotentia quaecunque voluit facit praevoluit ipsum ville libere Item gratiam efficacem derâ— intuitâ— meritorum Christi non tantum quatenuâ— est sufficiensâ—sed etiam quatenus est eâ—â—iâ—ax dum seeundum propositum â—â—â—â— â—â—â—m cura Dâ—â— non est aqualis do omnibus another sense the answer must be suited to the question And here note that really it is the state of both parties compared and not of one of them that constituteth the dissimilitude as is said And the efficient causes of both states are the causes of the difference And so truly the cause of Nero's unbelief and the causes of Paul's Faith which are many as aforesaid all set together are the causes of the differences or rather all make up one cause of it This no Logician can deny But yet in vulgar speech we use to say that that person or thing is the cause of the difference 1. Which is the cause of the singularity 2. Or which causeth the state of the second person compared supposing the state of the first person to be already existent And so you will find yet several senses of the question C. Explain it by some instances B. 1. As to the cause of singularity If one man be born an Ideot or a Monster when we ask what made him differ from other men though really the causes of the dissimilitude be to be assigned on both parts yet we mean only on his part why is he not like others So if one Child be unlike to all his brethren or one Scholar in the School be much better or much worse than all the rest or if one in a Family be sick he that asketh what maketh him differ doth mean what made him sick c. 2. And so as to Posteriority of State if you suppose one of the dissimiliar parts pre-existent and ask what maketh the other to differ from it as if you ask why the Scholar writeth not like his Copy why the Son is so unlike to the Father why this age is so unlike the last c. We mean only what causeth the difference ex parte subsequente C. Apply it to the case in hand B. If you ask what made the difference between the Devils and the persevering Angels In the full and proper answer you must assign the reason on both parts But according to the usual sense of the question you must say The wilful sin of the Devils made the difference For the equal state of uprightness went before the difference So if you ask what made the difference between the world after the fall and before it vulgarly we must say sin because that came last So if you ask what made the difference between Noah and the world between Lot and Sodom Ans Indeed that which made one part sinful and the other righteous But according to the vulgar sense of the question it was the Righteousness of Noah and Lot and the causes of that righteousness So what made the difference between Judas and the eleven Apostles Ans Judas his wilful sin and Wickedness though indeed the cause is on both sides So what maketh the difference between Believers and the Unbelieving world Really the unbelief of the world and the Faith of Christians with their causes But it 's like the speaker meaneth only ex parte credentium And then the cause of their Believing is the cause of their differing But now if it hold true that God giveth a sufficiency of Grace ut causa universalis ex parte donantis antecedently to mens accepting or rejecting equally then if one ask what maketh the difference you would understand him why have not unbelievers Faith as well as others And then the answer would be wilful resisting or refusing Grace or the moral special indisposition of the Recipients makes the difference or else all would be alike believers But note that we ask not What maketh the difference between Believers and unbelievers but do particularize the subject and ask what maketh the Believer differ from the Unbeliever or what maketh the unbeliever differ from the believer It is then supposed that we mean only ex parte nominata And thus in the vulgar sense the questions what maketh the believer differ from the Infidel and what maketh the Infidel differ from the believer must have various answers C. I understand you thus in brief 1. You say that constitutively it is Faith that is the difference on Paul 's part and unbelief on Nero ' s. 2. The causes of the said Faith and unbelief are the causes of the difference As the causes of the whiteness of one wall and of the blackness of the other cause their difference 3. That to ask why the Believer differeth from the Unbeliever is but to ask why he is a Believer when the other is not 4. Here you say the two Relations of dissimilitude in two ubbjects make the questions two in one viz. 1. Why or whence is Paul a Believer 2. Whence is it that Nero is an Unbeliever 5. You say that Nero is an Unbeliever through his own wilfulness and illdisposition resisting Grace Satans temptations concurring And that Paul is a Believer from many conjunct causes 1. Gods Grace by his Spirit 2. Christs Merits 3. Christs donation of that Spirit 4. The means by which he worketh 5. The concurse of Pauls will To which efficients you add in most a competent Receptive disposition in genere causâ— materialis both passive and active 6. You say that in all this Gods Grace is incomparably the greater cause than man's will 7. But yet not the sole cause and that some free-not-necessitated concurse of mans
they were made less Receptive and more disposed as to the universal means and Influx And by his secession from the holy seed he was deprived of much outward means And having forfeited the Spirit he had less also of its helping Influx And thus he and his posterity made themselves to differ as if a Generation of Sinners should be born blâ—nd while the Sun shineth as it did before 8. The Holy seed that 's not yet Apostate have great subjective and objective Grace 9. The seed of Cain are still under the same Law of Grace and universal conditional promise that If they will believe and repent they shall be saved And they have some Means and some Help of Grace yet left them which have an aptitude by degrees to bring them back again to God And if they will not use that lower degree of Grace by returning as they can they forfeit that and further help 10. But yet God hath besides this Universal Grace some special and extraordinary ways and degrees of Grace for some according to his Good pleasure But this with the answer to your other two questions will come in better anon under the next head C. Having spoke to the matter now speak of the sense of the Text 1 Cor. 4. 7. and Rom. 12. 6. For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it B. It is most evident that Paul speaketh of the Gifts or Excellencies themselves primarily and of Differing from others but as a resultancy from those Gifts And he medleth not here with the question why others have not those Gifts as well as they and so why others differ from them q. d. Are not all those things of which you glory the free gifts of God And is it not by those free gifts that you differ as more excellent than others And should you boast of that which is Gods free Gift of which you are but Receivers To pass by the common answer that Paul speaketh of Ministerial Gifts and not of special Grace what Arminian can deny any of this about the Grace of faith it self 1. He must confess that we have no Grace to cause faith but what we have received For the Act which we performed is no otherwise to be said to be received but as we receive the gracious operation which causeth it 2. He cannot deny that by this Received Grace and Faith the believer in excellency differeth from unbelievers 3. Nor that such a Receiver hath no cause of boasting as if he had not received it Who will deny this C. But they leave him to boast that by his better preparation and disposition he was a fitter Recipient than another And so all boasting is not excluded B. 1. In Paul's Case of extraordinary Ministerial gifts there is less room for that much because they are not given so much according to preparations as saving Grace is For even ungodly men may have them 2. The boasting which is excluded is a boasting of our selves as against or without the glory of Grace as if we had some excellency which we had not received But our very Receptive disposition was received by Gods Grace even from his common preparing Grace And that common Grace was freely given 3. If by boasting you would mean an acknowledgment of Gods grace then all thanksgiving is boasting Or if a Rejoycing in the effects of that Grace as Received and improved by us then Paul so boasted often yea and to the death rejoyced in this testimony of his Conscience that in simplicity and Godly sincerity and not in fleshly wisdom he had had his conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. And that he tamed his body and that he suffered for Christ and that he had fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. If praising Gods grace in his Servants and that holy use of it in wisdom faith love obedience and patience be boasting God so boasteth of them and praiseth them even at judgment Math. 25. Well done good and faithful Servant And Scripture throughout so boasteth of them And we that must honour those that fear the Lord Psal 15. 4. must so boast of them also But this is not the forbidden boasting And as to Rom. 12. 6. 1 Cor. 12. Eph. 1. 6 7 8. and such like its past question that God freely diversifyeth Offices and such Gifts as he pleaseth and we know of no praedisposition to which even ordinarily he tyeth himself as to many of them But saving Grace is given more under a Law and stablished course of means in the use of which we must be fit Recipients The ninth Crimination C. They make the Grace of God to be Effectual not from the Will of the Giver nor from the proper force of the Grace it self so much as from the will of man concurring For they think that Gods Grace is but universal and indifferent and leaveth it to mans will whether it shall produce the act of faith or not so that the posse Credere velle is of God but the actu credere velle is of our selves This is the grand difference which I have reserved to the last and as Dr. Twisse oft noâ—eth the question Unde Gratia fit Efficax is it which they are loath to be brought to answer B. I know that this is cryed up as the great difference And where-ever things are mysterious and hard there will be variety of Conceptions and words from whence it will be easie to pretend real differences and make them seem great But because order befriendeth Truth we must be agreed first of the subject of the question what Grace is it whose Efficacy you dispute of I take it for granted that it is such as is to work in genere Causae Efficientis But tell me first whether you Arminius confesseth Gods infallible operation thus Nihil mali caveri posse nist Deo impediente certum est Sed de modo impediendi disputatur an ille sit ex Omnipotentâ— Dei actione in voluntatem hominis agente secundum modum naturae unde impeditionis existit Necessitas an vero ex tali actione quae agâ—t in Voluntatem secundum modum voluntatis quâ— liberâ— est unde impeditionis infallibilitas Armin. Exam Perkins pag 501. Note by Necessity Arminius doth mean Necessity consequentis vel effecti and confesseth necessity Consequentiâ— which here he calleth â—nfallibility And Dr. Twisse professeth that he and all the Schoolmen hold no other And note the unde that he maketh the Infallibility to result from the operation of God and not from his fore-knoâ—ledge only confess or not that there is such a thing as Universal Grace or Help of the Spirit fixedly or ordinarily accompanying or working by the means of Grace which operateth as the Sun ad modum recipientis and will not produce the same effect on one receiver as on another C. I
How will you prove it against them that think Solomon had but common Grace till he wrote Ecclesiastes or repented of his Fall A. He was a pen-man of the Scripture the Proverbs before And he was beloved of God and excelled all others in Wisdom B. 1. Whether he wrote or only spake the Proverbs you prove not 2. You cannot prove that writing part of the Scripture is a more certain sign of a Saint than speaking part of it And Balaam spake part of it what Job's Friends were I know not And if many Workers of Iniquity did by the Spirit prophesie and cast out Devils in Christ's Name how prove you that they may not write part of the Scriptures To pass by that Pilate Festus Claâ—dius Lystaâ— and other such wrote part of it And an ungodly Preacher may now speak and write excellent things 3. His Wisdom which he begged and is magnified for is described objectively to be political physical and ethical but how far spiritual the Text doth not speak 4. God might be said to love him as Christ did that man that was not far from the Kingdom of God Complacencially according to the good that was in him And benevolently as he purposed his future Sanctification and Salvation I write not this as my own Opinion but to tell you that you cannot prove so much as you think you can The fifth Crimination A. * Even Bradwardine l. 2. c. 15. who goeth as high against Free-will as Hobs or any man doth yet confidently holdeth the Apostacy of Saints though not of the Elect and questioning what causeth perseverance in Glory he consuteth all thâ—t lay it on any thing as sufficient but Gods Will which he calleth his Love and the Holy Ghost 1. Them that lay it on the nature of Grace 2. Or the degree of Grace 3. Or the sight of God 4. Or the intenseness of that sight 5. Or the delight in God 6. Or the degree of that Delight 7. Or on uniting adhesion to God 8. Or the degree of that adhesion 9. Or on our not seeing any good which we want 10. Or the fear of misery by sinning 11. Or that the joy taketh away Free-will 12. Or on a perfect beatitude in all these All which he saith are insufficient and Gods Will is the cause though using these And so in this life men stand or fall not because God giveth some his inward Grace for that may be lost and others not but because God willeth the persevering and obedience of one and willeth it not to another This is over-doing of the Champion of Grace against Free-will They shew exceeding much immodesty 1. In holding an Opinion which is contrary to the Doctrine of the universal Church from the Apostles till of late times neither Orthodox nor Heretick being ever known to hold it unless perhaps Jovinian alone till above a thousand years after Christ No not Augustine and his Disciples who were thought by many to run towards an extream in over-pleading for Grace so that they were called by some Predestinarian Hereticks 2. And yet they have the face instead of being ashamed of their own singularity to revile others as heterodox if not heretical who will not be as singular as they and set as light by the judgement of Christs Church B. I am not one of them that will cite any scraps of the Fathers contrary to their current expressions to contradict you Vossius hath copiously related their judgments in his Pelagian History and that as favourably for perseverance as there was cause And Dr. Twisse who frequently speaketh his distast of him saith nothing to prove his History false Which in this he that readeth the Fathers must confess to be true But this should somewhat moderate you in your censure 1. That the Writers of the first three hundred years are few and their Writings except Tertullians Origine and Cyprian very short even Clements Alexand. and Justins not long And few of them very learned and accurate Writers who are the common Managers of Controversies nor was this Controversie started in their times and therefore not accurately searcht into 2. And if you say that this is the more for your cause if it were not so much as made a Controversie I add that the Platonick Philosophy which then most prevailed might do somewhat to dispose them that way For as Grotius de fato hath copiously proved out of above thirty Philosophers and philosophical Christians most of all the Philosophers especially Platonists were for Free-will and most learned Christian Doctors came out of Plato's School and most of the learned Hereticks too 3. And yet Laertius in Zenone tells us That the Stoicks were against falling away and taught that no truly virtuous man did ever cease to be such 2. But above all I would have you consider 1. That this Point was not held by these consenting Doctors for an Article of Faith and necessary to Church-Concord and Salvation but as one of those many Opinions which were left free 2. And that many or most of these Fathers did agree in some Opinions that are not true 3. Yea that the greater part of them are by the Papists themselves charged with several Errors and some and not a few with Heresies 4. And that therefore the holy Scriptures being the only and sufficient Rule of Faith we need not be so much ashamed as you intimate in some things to differ from the generality of those Fathers if the Scripture be more for us than them There is many a Text of Scripture which Papists themselves interpret contrary to most of the Fathers notwithstanding their Trent Oath to the contrary Therefore your heavy Accusation of immodest singularity is too keen But as for their Cross-Accusation of you as heterodox I now meddle not with the truth nor excuse any uncharitableness therein The sixth Crimination A. They contradict abundance of express Scripture which asserteth that the godly may fall finally from true Grace B. And they think that you rather contradict abundance of Texts that speak expresly for the contrary It is none of my work now to defend either them or you I have long ago written a peculiar Tractate of my own Opinion herein Who is in the right I am not now determining But that you over-magnifie the difference on both sides usually I shall shew you in the end No doubt but the Scripture is of it self sufficient to decide all Controversies as a Rule of sound Doctrine so far as God would have them clearly decided But yet he that denieth that some things in Scripture are hard to be understood will contradict not only Peter's words but his own and all mens experience For as it pleased God to make up the World of variety of Creatures so also to make up the Scripture of Truths of various degrees of necessity and evidence And in this Point there are so many Texts that both Sides think do favour their Opinions that we have not the same certainty
life to conquer temptation and keep us in clear and sure obedience in a Holy fruitful life or else it will not be certainly discerned from dead opinion 4. It must not be clouded and blotted by great and powerful habits of sin within or acts of sin without For these will many ways hinder assurance And how few have all these Necessaries to make up an ascertaining evidence 4. And it must be one that knoweth how by self examination to discern all this to be certainly in themselves That frequently and skilfully thinketh on the matter 5. And it must be one that is not under the power either of Melancholy or other distracting passions or Temptations 6. And one that knoweth the true difference between a Mortal sin inconsistent with Justification and a meer infirmity 7. And one that knoweth the true nature of that Repentance which is necessary after sinning And alas how few be they that have all these qualifications C. The Spirit of God can give them certainty without all this ado B. What he can do is little to our case but what he will do If you once take that course to teach men to look for assurance of their Salvation or Sanctification without certain finding that Sanctification in themselves you will make sad work in the Church of God For nothing is more certain than that without Regeneration Conversion and Holiness none shall see God And that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ which must be known by his fruits he is none of his Joh. 3. 3. 5. Math. 18. 3. Heb. 12. 14. Rom. 8. 9 13. Gal. 5. 21. And that it is he that repenteth and believeth that shall be saved And to be sure that a man is sanctified and not to be sure that he hath the Graces of Sanctification is a contradiction to be sure and not sure of the same thing And to say you are sure of Heaven without Holiness is to say that you are sure that Gods Word is false C. But the witness of the Spirit certifieth us of all B. True And what is that As your Reason witnesseth or evidenceth that you are a man and your Life witnesseth that you are an Animal so the Spirit witnesseth that you are one of Christs that is the sanctifying illuminating quickening work of the Spirit For the Having of the Spirit is your witness And to have the Spirit is to have Holiness which is his work which also the Spirit to compleat his witness helpeth us both to Act increase discern and take comfort in Q. 5. And I next then ask you whether he that will have certainty of Salvation must not also have beyond a strong opinion a certainty that this Doctrine of certain perseverance is true C. Yes No doubt of it B. And are the generality of Professors certain of it when not only the Greeks and Romans but also all the Lutherans and Arminians and most Anabaptists utterly deny it I grant that men may be confident in the opinion which they are educated or faln into But are the unlearned certain when most of the Learned are confident of the contrary Following our Leaders eagerly is not certainty C. It 's granted you B. Q. 6. I ask then seeing so exceeding few of your own side are truly certain of their Salvation who never receive the Arminians opinion whether that be it that hindereth their certainty II. And now let us try in what Measure their Doctrine hindreth comfort Q. 1. Do you not think that many of those of your own side have much comfort though they attain not to assurance C. Yes Experience tells it us B. Q. 2. Do you not think that some yea many of the old Christians for a thousand years after Christ had comfort who yet were not of your opinion of Perseverance All the Martyrs and great Sufferers for Christ and the excellent Pastors were not comfortless C. That cannot be denyed B. Q. 3. Do you think that none of the Nations of Greeks Armineans Lutherans nor any of the Anabaptists of their mind do live in the comfortable hopes of Heaven C. Yes No doubt but many do B. Why then you see that comfort may be had without certainty of Salvation But I proceed to the Nature of the Case it self Q. 4. Would not your life be uncomfortable if you fore-knew that you should commit Murther Adultery Incest deny Christ c. kill your own Father Mother Wife or Child and lye as long as David did in your Sin much more to sin as Solomon did C. Yes I must needs be less comfortable in such a prospect B. Q. 5. Would it not much grieve you if you knew that you should fall from the Degree of Grace received to the very least that is consistent with sincerity C. It must needs be my grief but yet such as would consist with greater comfort because it consisteth with Salvation B. Q. 6. Are you certain that these two last Cases to commit such heinous sins and to fall so far from Grace may not be your Case C. No I cannot be sure of it because it may stand with Grace B. Q. 7. Tell me then what is it that now keepeth you from those sorrows which would befall you if such a thing should be C. The great hope that I have that it will never be B. What are the Reasons of those your hopes C. 1. Because I know that God is Good and merciful in himself 2. And he dealeth with man upon terms of Grace 3. And he hath given me experience of his mercy to my self 4. And I have his general promises that He will not fail me nor forsake me which though they assure me not that I shall not so fall yet they assure me that â—e will not so far forsake me without some heinous neglect of his Grace 5. And I feel in my self a present detestation of such heinous sins and a fixed Judgment and Resolution against them And though I have not power of my self to avoid mutation and back-sliding yet I have reason to trust him for the keeping of this Grace who freely gave it me And the truth is though man be mutable he is not apt to fear the change of his own mind when he is conscious that it is resolved on sound and unquestionable reason 6. And it is not nothing that I have been kept from all such sin till now 7. And that it is a rare thing for any faithful person so to fall And why should I fear that which not one of a multitude ever falleth into B. And why may not all these reasons comfort others that are uncertain of their Perseverance in a state of Grace Allowing but the difference of the degrees of the dangers Q. 8. Do you think that your Wife or Children are certain that you will not Murther them C. No they cannot be certain B. Q. 9. Would it not make their lives sorrowful if they knew that you would do it C. Yes no doubt B. Q. 10.
he was before without it and also may do something that tendeth as a means to that Faith by which he may please him 1. A total unbeliever and a wicked man as wicked whose prayers are animated with wicked principles and ends utterly displeaseth God and his prayers and all such actions are abominable 2. A convinced wicked man that doth somewhat from self-love for his own salvation and specially one that is not far from the Kingdom of God in the use of common grace is less abominable and pleaseth God secundum quid or less displeaseth him or seeketh that grace with which he may please him And Christ is said to love such a man Mark 10. 21. 3. But only the true Penitent believer so pleaseth him as to be an Adopted heir of life CHAP. XIII Of the Witness of the Spirit and Evidences of Justification P. XII I Will spend no more time with you on this than briefly to open your error and then to tell you what we hold as certain truth I. It is your gross Error to oppose Evidences to the Witness of the Spirit for in the principal respect they are the same as you may find by studying these Texts well Rom. 8. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 16 23. 1 Cor. 6. 17. 12. 4 12 13. 2 Cor. 3. 3. 4. 13. 12. 18. Gal. 4. 6. 5. 5 16 17 18 25. 2 Tim. 1. 7. John 3. 3 5 6. Eph. 1. 18. 2. 18 22. 4. 3 4 16 23. 5. 9 18. 2 Thess 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2 22. 1 John 3. 24. 4. 13. Zech. 12. 10. Rom. 7. 6. Ezek. 11. 19. 18. 31. 36. 26. Eph. 1. 13 c. Our having the Spirit and our being sanctified by the Spirit are the Witness Seal Pledge Earnest and First Fruits and the Evidence of our Adoption and Right to life It is not chiefly An inward voice or perswasion that we are Gods Children that is the Witness But II. As a mans Rational soul doth witness that he is a Man so the Spirit of holiness witnesseth that we are Christians and adopted 1. Constitutively making us such 2. And thereby differencing us from all that are not such 3. And then helping us to discern that we are such As the Reasonable soul perceiveth it self 4. And helping us to exercise our Grace that it may be the more discernable 5. And lastly Comforting us by such Exercise and discerning As Life and the Intellectual Nature are pleasing to themselves The Conclusion P. ANd now Saul what think you of the Cavils that have puzled and troubled you Have you heard any thing that should change your mind S. I have heard that from you that confirmeth and satisfieth me But I have heard that from L. which grieveth my very soul 1. To think what temptations and perplexing tryals poor ignorant Religious people are assaulted by and how hard a thing it must needs be for such to escape deceit and sin and great distractions 2. To think in how sad a condition the Church of God is that besides what they suffer from men of Violence and the flatteries of the World must be thus troubled and ensnared by men of high professions of Religion and even drawn to corrupt the Word of God and almost to preach another Gospel 3. And that ever men of such professions should be guilty of so much evil We to the World because of offences and wo to them by whom they come P. Alas it is no new thing Do you not remember that Paul had such and worse to deal with Read Gal. 1. 3 4. Read Rev. 2. 3. Jude 2 Pet. 2. James 2. 3. Acts 15 c. and you will see that even those purest times when they had Apostolical Gifts and Authority to restrain and settle them were yet thus tryed and troubled by men of high pretensions so that Paul wisheth that they were cut off that trouble them and Christ proclaimeth the hatred of his soul against the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans and Paul tells the Corinthians that Heresies must be among them that those which are approved may be manifested among them and the Ephesians Acts 20. 30. that of their own selves should men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them And ever since in all Ages to this day the Church hath been as Christ on the Cross between two Thieves between the Tyrannical and the Superstitious Heretical dividing sort of professed Christians But hold fast plain primitive SIMPLICITY and serious PRACTICE of a sober righteous godly and peaceable life and you will get safe through all such snares The Twelfth Dayes CONFERENCE L. A Lutheran R. A Reconciler Whether the Difference between Papists Arminians Lutherans and Calvinists about Mans Merits be as Great as many think it L. I Am greatly scandalized by a Sermon that you lately preached in London in which you said as many good people assure me that the difference between the Protestants and the Papists was little more than in meer words The City ringeth of it and it is a common scandal and offence R. Seeing you heard it not you are unfit to receive satisfaction about it save only by telling you that the Report is false and that which I said of some particular Controversies only they seign to be spoken of all or most or others But of this when you bring one that heard it I will give you a further account L. However I perceive by your words and writings that you extenuate our difference about Mans Merits And what is there that we more differ from the Papists about than Merits and from the Arminians than their placing our Righteousness in our own Believing and Repenting Is there any thing that more evacuateth the Righteousness of Christ and destroyeth the honour of free grace and justly entitleth them to the name of Antichristian R. Forget not that before I further discourse with you I premise that I speak not a word to justifie or excuse the Papists in general or any one of them in particular for any unsound word about this subject nor to abate your just dislike of any of their errors And before we proceed I desire your promise that you will hear and speak with as little partiality passion and unrighteousness as you can for to lay by all I cannot expect and that you will be true to what evidence of truth shall appear to you L. Do you think that I love not Truth and Sobriety Why do you so suspect me R. Alas how strange are our hearts oft to themselves and how much of our own ignorance temerity passion and unjust partiality is there in many a cause which we sinfully father upon God and his Truth and Grace But in order to our better understanding I ask your answer to these Questions Quest 1. Had you rather it did truly appear to you that the Papists and Arminians do less differ from us than most conceive or
diabolo voluntate se dedit a quo judicium voluntatis depravatum est non ablatum Non enim homo voluntate sed voluntatis sanitate privatus est cum a diabolo spoliaretur cum igitur homo ad pietatem redit non alia in co creatur substantia sed eadem quae fuerat labefactata reparâ—tur The answer to the former might serve to this But still I see that Names must be our quarrel Is the question of the Thing or of the Name whether it be to be called Good 1. As to the thing they deny not that there are first notices and common principles of morality in all mens understandings 2. Nor that the Intellect is inclined to truth as truth 3. Nor that the Will is inclined to good as good 4. Nor that natural Conscience doth somewhat for God and Duty and against Sin in bad men 5. Nor that a Heathen may have as much good as experience proveth some of them to have had as Antonine Alexander Severus Cato Cicero Seneca Epictetus Plutarch Socrates Plato c. 6. Nor that common Grace when the Gospel cometh may prepare them for special Grace and make them almost sanctified Believers In a word almost all agree that 1. Nature as now upheld by Mercy may have all the good aforesaid 2. That common Grace with the Gospel may go further 3. And that it prepareth for special saving Grace If you deny this you accuse them contrary to the fullest evidence that you could expect whilst our British Divines at Dort tell you so largely how far universal or common Grace goeth in this preparing work and when there are such a multitude of Treatises written by the strictest English Antiarminians on two Subjects 1. Of preparation to Conversion 2. How far an Hypocrite or unregenerate Person may go in Christianity the Title of one of Perkins's Books 2. But if it be de nomine whether this may be called good it is a question unfit to trouble the Church with All are agreed that is materially something commanded by God partly conformable to the Law of Nature or Scripture and that it tendeth towards the well-fare of him that hath it and of others and is better than its contrary But if we mâ—st set up a metaphysical Theater to dispute de ratione Boni by that time on as good reason we have prosecuted our disputes de ratione entis uniâ—s veri also we may fall out with all that agree not in Suarez his Metaphysicks or at least in Aquinas or Buridanes's Ethicks I pray you begin your self and tell me what is bonum goodness in your question A. You shall not tempt me into so difficult a metaphysical or moral dispute which I know the learned are so little agreed in For you would but make use of it to insult over me B. And yet is this one of your Accusations of your Brethren that they agree not with you in the sense of such a word as you dare not definitively tell your own sense of Moral good in man is his conformity to the holy regulating Will of God by resignation of our selves to him as our Owner subjection to him as our Ruler and love to him as our End or perfect Good with all the exercise of these Now 1. In the strictest sense men say Bonâ—mest ex causis integris and so where there is any sin there is not good in that sense that is unmixed perfect good And in that with a more transcendent sense Christ saith That none is good save God only I hope you will not quarrel with him for it And yet the Papists commonly reproach the Protestants as teaching that all that we do is sin and no good because we say that all is mixt with sin and imperfectly good I profess for my self that I never loved trusted feared obeyed God in all my life without imperfection And I take that imperfection of my love to God c. to be the great and grievous sin of my Soul so that I groan out all my days the last dying-words of Arch-bishop Usher Lord forgive my Sins of Omission And if the School-men almost agree that moral evil is privatio boni me-thinks a Papist should hardly dream that his greatest Faith and Love have no degree of such privation 2. But as the word Good signifieth that which is sincerely so though imperfectly being more predominant in heart and life than the contrary evil and proveth the persons acceptation with God and right to Salvation and is the imperfect Image of Gods holiness repaired so all and only the sanctified are good 3. But in the third sense as goodness signifieth such Inclinations and Actions as are good but in a low degree and bad predominantly so none deny but bad men have some good Inclinations and Actions And de nomine here Divines agree not either Protestants or Papists some and most commonly call all such Actions good in their degree Others say That quia finis deest none of it is to be called properly good It may end all to say that it is good analogically as accidens is ens or secundum quid though not simpliciter The fourth Crimination A. * So do the Jesuites as you may see in Vasqu in 1. Tho. q. 23. passive They damn multitudes of Infants for Original Sin which they could not avoid yea and the Adult too as necessitated by it to sin for the prevention or cure of which they have no remedy especially all the Heathen World in comparison of which from Adam's days till now the rest are very few so that they make the World to be made or born purposely for unavoidable damnation in Hell fire B. Here are several things which must be distinctly spoken to I. Of Infants II. Of the state of the Heathen World III. Of the necessity of sinning IV. Of the necessity of punishment for sin Of these in order 1. For the case of Infants there are three questions to be handled 1. Whether they have Original Sin 2. Whether they are worthy of punishment for it 3. Whether they are punished for it and how many and how 1. For the first I have proved in a peculiar Disputation that Infants have Original Sin that is moral Pravity in disposition with their participation in the guilt of Adam's sin as being seminally and virtually in him And I find you not yet denying it 2. For the second no Christian doubteth I think but that all sin deserveth punishment But the desert of Actual Sin and of Original Sin are as different as the nature of the sin Habitual or Dispositive Pravity is a Dispositive preparation or worthiness of punishment And actual Sin is an actual preparation for it but all deserve it that is are Subjects morally fit for it to demonstrate holy Justice 3. For the third Scripture and experience put it past controversie that Infants suffer For 1. They are deprived of the Spirit of Holiness as quickly appeareth by their early practice
Which privation is the greatest punishment here 2. They are hereupon left to the power of their own Corruption which desertion is a grievous punishment 3. They have pain and sorrow 4. And they die And if they have all this suffering here it is unlikely that they are wholly free hereafter if not pardoned Because 1. They have immortal Souls that are capable 2. And future as well as temporal death or misery is the wages of sin And that their suffering is for sin is undoubted from Rom. 5 c. And the Pelagians scarce deny but that Adam's sin caused it And if it be proved that they have moral pravity or sin of their own then it is for their own sin And if so it is their own punishment All the doubt then is Whether all Infants are forgiven And for that 1. We see that the temporal punishment is not forgiven them 2. We see as soon as they come to action that to many at least the foresaid penal desertion and privation of the Spirit of Sanctification is not forgiven them And 3. Without holiness none can see God 4. They that affirm it must prove it which they neither do nor can do There is no word of Scripture which telleth it us How then should that be part of our Faith which is no part of Gods Word If you say that Christ being the second Adam saveth the World from all the sin and misery brought on them by the first Adam I answer 1. Conditionally he doth He hath purchased Salvation to be given men on the terms of the Covenant of Grace and all that perform the Conditions shall have Salvation But 2. His bare Sacrifice it self without such application saveth none any further than to bring them under the terms of the said Covenant It is apparent by experience that Christ doth not undo all the hurt that Adam did immediately to all or any one in the world no not till death no nor till the Resurrection Sin and misery is still upon us Infants shew as soon as they come to the use of reason that they were not brought to the Innocency that Adam had before the Fall You your selves distinguish the Impetration from the Application of Salvation as to the adult and the reason is the same as to Infants though the condition be not the same Shew us a promise of the Salvation of all Infants and we will believe it 5. Indeed they are saved conditionally as the adult are and the condition is expressed in Scripture That they be the Children of the Faithful dedicated to God The Parents and their Seed are in the same Covenant And this is all that God revealeth of them * Saith Twisse Cont. Corvin pag. 136. c. 2 De Infantibus infantia sua morientibus falsum est quod nobis obtrudit Neque enim dicimus ullos Infantes credentium foederatorum Dei in infantia decedentes ad exitium destinatos Sanctos enim eos pronunciat Apostolus Et una cum parentibus fidelibus in foedere Dei comprehenduntur But I doubt he befriendeth the Anabaptists more than he was aware of when he addeth Obsignant Sacramenta credentibus remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam At Infantibus quoties administratur Baptismus non tam credentibus quam credituris obsignat promissiones istas Non credituris autem nihil obsignant If so then to them that die in Infancy or yet are Infants no pardon is delivered and sealed by Baptism which is not sound Of our guilt of nearer Parents Sin Let them that reject me in this hear Augustine in Enchirid. c. 46. Paâ—entum quoque peccatis parvulâ—â— obligari non solum primorum hominum sed etiam suorum de quibus ipsi nati sunt non improbabiliter dicitur Illa quippe divina sententia Râ—ddam peccata patrum in filios tenet hos utique antequam per regenerationem ad testamentum novum incipiant poenitere Reperiuntur plura peccata alia parentum quae etsi non ita possunt mutare naturam reatu tamen obligant filios nisi graâ—uita gratia miserecordia divina subveniat But whether God do also without a Promise save any of the Children of the Heathen World or of wicked Parents and how many and with what Salvation and also what degree of punishment they have in the life to come we take for unrevealed things which we are so far from making Articles of our Faith that we take it to be presumptuous arrogancy to dispute it and meddle with the Secrets of the Almighty The Papists themselves are not agreed whether Infants have only the poenam damni as shut out of Heaven or also poenam sensus Jansenius and many more yea most have written for the first and Petavius and others for the latter But secret things belong to God A. We cannot prove that all Infants are saved nor do we presume to tell you what Salvation it is that they shall have But we hope the best And I am glad to find that you take the Salvation of true Believers dying Infants to be sure by the same Covenant which pardoneth their Parents and that you do not peremptorily condemn all the rest B. You know that the Synod of Dort have said the same that I do of true Believers Children Art 1. Sect. 17. and the rest they meddle not with A. But I pray you tell me your thoughts Whether Infants themselves do perish for Adam's sin alone And what remedy is provided for them B. The whole tenor of the Scripture putteth me past doubt that Divines have strangely erred by over-looking the common Interest and Communion of all Parents and Children and appropriating our Original Guilt to Adam's sin alone But this requireth a larger Disputation by it self At present consider 1. That no Text of Scripture doth so appropriate it or make Adam only the Corrupter of our Natures But only maketh him the Original of our Guilt and Pravity as he was the Original of our Nature And so he only is the Original of our Death and Punishment 2. That the whole scope of Scripture containeth Promises and Penalties to Children with the Parents for and by the Parents sins more plainly than any was antecedently expressed of Adam's Posterity as his Yea the very Moral Law in the Second Commandment and in the Proclamation of Gods Name and Nature to Moses Exod. 34. 6 7. which nothing but prejudice and partiality can deny to be a valid proof of a secondary Birth sin derived to us And he that will read the Sacred History from the Curse on the Seed of Cain and Cham of the Case of Ishmael Esau Moab Amnon Sauls Grand-Children hanged and so on to Matth. 23. 38. On this Generation shall come all the righteous blood c. And His blood be on us and on our Children with all the Promises to the Seed of the Righteous only and Threatning to the Houses and Seed of the Wicked with the reason of Infant-Baptism it self 1