another Sir Recollect your self I cannot remember that ever I saw your face more than three times in my Life before I saw you lately in Norwich The first time I saw you was upon the Road on Horseback I met a Friend upon the High-way that you were travelling with I saluted him and he told me your name and so after a few words you went your way and I mine The second time was about fifteen years since going to see a Neighbour that lay Bed-rid he was one of your way but I think a Godly Man and I visited him several times in Love you was there and we had two Hours Discourse and all about Controversies The third time was about eight Years since you came into a Friends House where I was upon a Journey and stayed about an hour This was all our acquaintance and as for our being Neighbours it is true that in some sence all are our Neighbors but I suppose you and I liv'd twenty Miles Distant though I am not certain where you lived for as you never were at mine House in Lincolnshire so I never was at yours What a poor business is it that the World should be troubled about our Acquaintance and Neighbourhood Sir though you and I differ in several points of Religion yet I love all Men and though I do not desire intimacy with any Man that is of a Contentious Spirit I love Peace and Quietness yet if you please to let me know when you are in any want you shall find that not only my self will relieve you but that I shall get others of my Friends to Minister unto you otherwise I do not desire Acquaintance with you whilst you are so violent and abusive Then you say that some of my Jacobs have called you Rogue and wisht that you were put out of the Town I am sorry that you should use such passionate Speeches as to call any persons my Jacobs and as to calling you Rogue I hope none of the Congregation that I belong to ever used such unseemly words of you for my part I have always spoke of you in Company with good Respect till you put forth the Book I love to speak the best I can of every Man Q. 4. You tell me that in pag. 19. God chose us so many and no more I pray who are those us whom you call us surely you speak of the Living I answer Let the Reader hear with Patience what is said Pag. 19. the words are these This is especially applied to the Father in Scripture to choose us before the Foundation of the World to foreknow us to predestinate us to be conformable to the Image of his Son therefore in that Scripture 1 Pet. 1.2 where you have the proper and distinct Work of Father Son and Holy Ghost about the Vessels of Mercy the Apostle saith We are Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ observe here our Election is ascribed to God the Father he chose us so many and no more this Man and not the other Jacob and not Esau then you have the proper work of the Son in those words the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ it is he who washeth us from our Sins in his own Blood he purchaseth all good things the second Person in the Trinity He is the Lord our Righteousness he is the Propitiation for our Sins he is our Mediator it is not the Father that is Mediator nor the Holy Ghost but the Son it is he that took upon him our Nature it was the Word that was made Flesh not the Father nor the Holy Ghost it was the Son that died upon the Cross for our Sins not the Father nor the Holy Ghost then you have the special Work of the Holy Ghost about our Sanctification in these words through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience It is the Holy Ghost who in our Conversion doth Sanctifie us and bring us to the Obedience of Faith he applieth Redemption as the Son hath wrought Redemption when the appointed time when the fulness of time is come to call home an Elect Vessel he convinceth the Soul of Sin he revealeth Christ to the Soul he infuseth the Habit of Grace and after Conversion is with us to mortifie our Corruptions comfort us and lead us and to carry us to the Heavenly Kingdom Now What Cause had this Author to say Who are these Vs Surely you speak of the Living I answer I speak as the Scripture speaks in those Texts that I have mentioned of all the Elect of all the Redeemed of all that are or shall be sanctified and how strange and captious is it for this Author to go on and say You have good Thoughts of your self for you must be one of the Vs And shew me how many and no more or at least name One to make good the Word Vs and prove by the Word of God that You Two were undoubtedly chosen to Salvation Surely this Author was not in frame when he wrote thus this is just like a Woman scolding and quarrelling in the Streets I am heartily sorry for him Qu. 5. and 6. Are both about the same thing about Jacob and Esau Now concerning Jacob and Esau note 1. That Esau was not saved appears by Heb. 12.15 Lest there be any Fornicator or profane Person as Esau who for one Morsel of Meat sold his Birth-right This Observation may give much Light into this Matter that when any that were real Saints under the Old Testament are spoken of in the New Testament all their sinful Failings are covered and their Grace only mentioned So it is with Abraham Sarah Job Sampson Lot though they had many sinful Failings yet I say they are covered in the New Testament and their Faith Patience and Holiness only mentioned Or if there be an hint of their sinful Failings as of Rahab and Elijah there is mention also of their Faith and Prayer and the Grace of God bestowed upon them But when Esau comes to be mentioned in the New Testament the Holy Ghost leaves him upon Record that he was a profane Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that despised set light by and contemned holy things So that let it be observed that Esau after he had been so long dead is in the New Testament where the sinful Failings of the Saints of the Old Testament are covered is left under this black Character that he was a profane Person 2. As to what is said Rom. 9.13 As it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated let it be observed that the Apostle in that Chapter from the Beginning to the End is not treating about outward things but about spiritual things and to shew them that amongst them that enjoy Church State and Church-Privileges and Ordinances some are from Eternity elected to Salvation of God's mere Grace and others are passed by And the Apostle
well that it is one part of the Corruption of our Nature by the fall to quarrel with the Great and Holy God concerning his Dispensations Gen. 3.12 Adam discovered this Temper when once his Nature was Corrupted The Woman which thou gavest me she gave me of the Tree this was nothing but quarrelling with God and Eve she said the Serpent beguiled me as if she had said why didst thou permit the Devil to tempt me Ah let there be an Holy Trembling and if the Lord do not for one as for another should Men quarrel with the Lord Luke 4.23 to 30. When our Saviour told the People that none could come to him except it were given unto him of the Father John 6.65 from that time many of his Disciples went back and walkt no more with him V. 66. In stead of being humbled at their own Impotency and Inability to come to Christ and looking to God to give them Faith by special Grace they quarrel with this Doctrine of the Effectual Grace of God and fall off We may conceive it to be the temper of the Damned in Hell to quarrel with the Holy Soveraignty of God as why did God suffer the Devil to tempt our first Parents which was the first inlet to all our Misery seeing he could have hindered it Why did God make our first Parents mutable in their Estate of Holiness and Happiness when as he fixt the Elect Angels in their Holiness and Happiness Why did God suffer the Devil and false Teachers to draw us to Errours of Judgment and Sins of Life which encrease our Condemnation when he knew how prone we were to Sin Why did God choose the other Company in Heaven and leave us to our selves Why had he not the same Love for us Why did he not give his Son to be an absolute and compleat Redemption for us and send his Spirit to turn us Effectually and Infallibly as he could have done and hath done for some as bad or worse than we by practice till the Lord turned them I say we may conceive that the Damned in Hell do thus quarrel with the Soveraignty of God in his Dispensations which should make us on Earth to have a care of all things that tend to a quarrelling with God's Dispensations for it is the Spirit and Frame of the Devils and Damned in Hell Therefore the way we are to take for our Salvation is to lay to Heart the Soveraignty and Greatness and Holiness of him with whom we have to do to be sensible of the Heinousness of Sin and to acknowledge that God is Righteous though he should take Vengeance on us to hearken to the Report of the Gospel that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners and that he that believes on him shall be sa ved and to pray and wait upon God to work upon our Hearts by an Invincible overcoming Power of his Spirit to believe that Jesus is the Son of God to rely on and trust in his Mediation and Righteousness and to give up our selves to be governed and sanctified by him 7. Consider that the Vniversal Common sufficient Grace to all Mankind which Men cry up though the Preachers of it may do it in the Simplicity of their Hearts and think they advanced the Glory of God by it yet it is Satans design thereby to rob God of the Glory of the Salvation of those that shall inherit everlasting Life and to make them their own Saviors for if notwithstanding what the Father did for any in Election the Son in Redemption the Holy Spirit in working upon their Hearts they might have perisht for ever then the chief praise must be to themselves to their ingenuity towardliness and care for themselves 8. Consider that if there were no other Election Redemption and Power of the Spirit for Conversion than Arminians speak of there had never any of the Children of Men been saved or would be 9. Consider that though the Lord do Condescend to speak after the manner of Men as for Instance Psal 81.13 Deut. 32.29 Yet all such Expressions must be understood so as to comport with the Immutability and Omnipotency of God 10. Consider that the true State of the Question between us and the Arminians is whether Christ dyed for any For whilst the Arminians make a great Noise of Christs dying for every Man and Woman of the Race of Adam they do indeed deny that he dyed for any in a Scripture Sense that is absolutely to make satisfaction for all their Sins absolutely to purchase Converting and Keeping Grace for them to be infallibly bestowed on them in the Lord 's appointed time and so indeed they make but a mock of that glorious Redemption by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they make it an insignificant thing they make little or rather nothing of it Sir I perceive you take it ill that I do not seek Acquaintance and Familiarity with you truly it is my Natural Temper to love Retirement and not to have much Acquaintance but as to your self I confess I do not desire intimacy with you because I told you the first time I ever spake with you about fifteen years since that one of your own Judgment about Baptism had charged you in Print that you set the Houses of God on fire where ever you came and that you pretended to be an Arch-bishop and to have Jurisdiction over other Churches or words to that purpose and since you came to live at Norwich you have been so quarrelsom with those of your own perswasion about Baptism and likewise with my worthy Friend Dr. Collings that I would observe the Counsel of the Scripture Prov. 22.24 make no Friendship with an angry Man and with a furious Man thou shalt not go If any of my Friends have spoken so rudely and harshly of you as you write I am sorry for it it doth not become Christians Tit. 3.23 and if you or any other that differ from me are Instruments of Real good to any I do therein rejoyce if you draw any to Error and make the weak to stumble I pray God to Convert them from the Error of their way I love all Men I hope the best of them that differ in Judgment I hope many hold some Errors but notionally and that in their dealing with God about their Eternal Conditions they make use of better Principles than they profess You find fault with Preachers having Curled Periwigs truly I am not for Preachers having frizled Periwigs or Plush Capes upon their Coats I like them not some are for a greater Latitude in these things than I am but I Love and Honour Godly Men though they can do some things that I durst not do my self Sir I pray do not trouble me with more Letters I have something else to do than to spend my time in vain janglings The God of Love and Peace be with you Your Affectionate Friend M. F. After this I Received an Answer to mine wherein he
everlasting life And to exhort them to pray to God to give them true Faith and Repentance to shew them that they have not a good thought or desire but what God works in them that it is not enough for Conversion to have Commands Promises and Threatnings set before them tho' God makes use of these but to tell them as our Saviour did that none can come to Christ but those whom the Father draws None but those to whom it is given of the Father and that Sighs and good Moods and Resolutions in their own Strength are far short of true Conversion and that they pray and wait in the use of God's Ordinances that the Lord of the exceeding riches of his Grace would give them a new Heart and Spirit that they may find that God hath put his fear in their Hearts that thro' his Grace they may find not only some sudden flashes and sudden resolutions to turn to God but a penitent frame of Heart for sin a prizing of Christ adoring of God's free Grace in him and desire and endeavour to walk with God But to entertain people with Discourses of By-opinions and Controversies and to talk of Universal Redemption is but to do people hurt instead of good yea upon preaching of Universal Redemption Experience hath shewn that people generally are more Carnal and Prophane in their lives Now to explain Ezekiel 18.32 I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth and Ezekiel 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O House of Israel 1. This is spoken to the House of Israel not of all mankind They were the Children of Abraham his Friend they were under the external Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace what is this to all mankind The Gentiles they were aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no Hope and without God in the World Eph. 2.12 2. God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked as it is the pain and misery of the Creature so God hath no pleasure in the torments of the Devils and damned in Hell yet it is his holy pleasure to punish them there to Eternity for the glorifying of his Justice And when God Commands the people of Israel saying Turn ye turn ye why will you dye he shews them that Obedience is acceptable to him but not that ever he purposed and intended to give all their Hearts a saving turn which he could have done if it had pleased him 3. Compare Scripture with Scripture God saith Ezekiel 5.11 Neither shall mine Eye spare neither will I have any pity v. 13. Thus shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted Minuit vindicta dolorem Isai 1.24 Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies in the Hebrew it is I will comfort my self in shewing my Wrath and Justice upon them Proverbs 1.25.26 but ye have set at nought all my Counsels and would have none of my Reproofs I also will laugh at your Calamity and mock when you Fear cometh All these texts of Scripture those in Ezekiel 18.32.33.11 and those in Isaiah 1.24 Ezekiel 5.11 13. Proverbs 1.25 26. must be understood with great Caution and Sobriety God doth often speak after the manner of men to our shallow Capacities but we must understand all Scripture so as to know that there are no Passions in God's immutable Essence nor any change in his Purposes for ever So much in answer to this Author's Letter to Doctor Collings But he is up with the Doctor again Pag. 17. concerning Voluntas signi and Voluntas beneplaciti but surely he doth not rightly english voluntas beneplaciti or else his Printer hath not done right for he calls it his acceptable Will That which Divines mean by voluntas beneplaciti is what God himself hath decreed shall infallibly come to pass But as this Author speaks this distinction of Divines would be no distinction at all for to be sure what God commands is acceptable to him but the meaning of Divines by voluntas beneplaciti is not what is acceptable to God from Man as his duty but what God himself pleases to do or suffers to be done for his Glory This distinction of Divines being well understood is a great help to the understanding of many places of Scripture God gives out Precepts and Commands to men for several wise and holy Ends. 1. To shew his Lordship and Authority that he hath an absolute dominion over them to command what he pleases 2. To shew what is good and acceptable to him to shew what is their Duty 3. To shew them their inability weakness and insufficiency that man may see what cause he hath to be humbled and lye low before God for man of himself can do nothing of what God commandeth from a right Principle and to a right End but what God pleases to work in us and do for us that is another thing indeed as to his Elect what he commands them as their Duty he purposes and promiseth to do for them of his meer Grace and good pleasure Tho' man by his fall hath lost his power to obey yet surely God hath not lost his power to command God gives some Grace to obey to others he doth not give Grace Who shall dispose of his Grace but himself Further to illustrate this distinction of Divines concerning God's Will of Precept what he commands men to do and his Will of Purpose what he will certainly and infallibly do himself Let it be observed that God's Will as to some Precepts and Commands to men do vary and alter as it pleaseth him As for example several ritual Commands about the Worship of God which he required in his Worship under the Old Testament are altered under the New Testament But take God's Will for his Purposes and Intentions what he will do and he is of one mind unchangeable from Eternity to Eternity Yea to make this Distinction far more evident God doth sometimes give out a Command to Man to do a thing and yet may absolutely purpose and intend to hinder a Man from doing of it as in the case of God's Command to Abraham to offer his Son Isaac Gen. 22.2 And he said take now thy Son thine only Son Isaac and get thee to the Land of Moriah and offer him there upon one of the Mountains that I will tell thee of Abraham prepared all things to obey this Command of God and v. 10 11 12. and after he had bound his Son stretched out his Hand and took the Knife to slay his Son the Lord called unto him and said Lay not thy Hand upon thy Son neither do thou any thing unto him Here we see that God gave out a Command to do
as Creator requireth of them and to the Jews the House of Israel to whom those words are spoken as is plain to be seen in that Chapter God did shew to them more of his Mind and Will what he commanded and required of them what is this for Christ's dying for all Adam's Posterity 17. Then he quotes Psalm 103.8 The Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion and of great Mercy 'T is certain that the Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion and of great Mercy But he hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 The Grace and Mercy of God is to be adored for ever that he saves any that have sinned against him Sinning against the Divine Majesty is so hemous that God's Grace and Mercy is unconceivable in saving any tho' it had been much fewer persons than he doth save and his holy Justice is to be adored for ever in punishing so many with Eternal Damnation for Sin There is such infinite Mercy in God that he could have pardoned all the Angels that sinned and could have saved all Adam's Posterity if he had pleased there might have been no Hell no place of Torment for Devils or Men if he had pleased there might have been no place but Heaven for all the Angels and all the Children of Men to sing Halelujahs to Eternity but we must not order what God shall do how he shall exert and put forth his Attribute of Mercy O that there were more Reverence of the Divine Majesty more holy trembling before him more wondring that he should shew Mercy to any and especially to our selves for he hath his Glory not only in them that are saved but in them that perish In them that are saved he hath the Glory of his Grace and in them that perish he hath the Glory of his Justice 18. Psalm 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works I answer 1. God is good to all as a Creator during the Day of his Patience and Long-suffering and what Mercies he affords may be called Tender Mercies considering our Vileness and Sinfulness who deserve every moment to be cast into Hell We are to adore the common Bounty of God to all in his Patience and Long-suffering for a time in this World 2. This place of Scripture may be applied to the Saints only for it follows All thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee They shall speak of the Glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy Power v. 10 11. So I say the words may be understood that the Psalmist is speaking of Gods being good in an especial manner to all those whom he makes his People and that his tender Mercies are over them over all the Saints who are the Works of his Hands in an especial manner that are made new Creatures by him his new Creation in Christ Ephes 2.10 3. Take all for all Mankind 't is certain that the Lord is not pleased to shew them such Goodness and tender Mercy as to give them a new Heart so as to take away the Heart of Stone and to give them a Heart of Flesh and save them for ever which he could easily have done if he had pleased and the more are they beholden to his for ever to be adored Grace to whom he is so good towards whom he sheweth such tender Mercy as to take away and remove all Mountains of Guilt and Rebellion that stand in the way to hinder their Eternal Salvation Thus I have explained those Scriptures this Author brings for Universal Redemption which indeed intend no such thing If the Lord be not pleased to give us light into the meaning of Scripture we shall father our Errours and Mistakes upon the word of God we must compare Scripture with Scripture we must bring a humble Mind to the study of the Scriptures We must pray continually to the Father of Lights and of Spirits that he would lead us into all Truth We must not interpret any Scripture so as to derogate from the Perfection of the Divine Attributes we must not interpret any Scripture so as to derogate from the Infinite and Eternal Vertue and Merit of our Saviour's Death 't is always new and of Infinite Efficacy for all he died for to Eternity Then it follows in this Author By these Authorities I teach that Christ died for all I answer that so do others that you oppose they teach that Christ died for all that is all the Elect all that the Father hath given him all that believe and trust in him but if you teach that Christ died for all Adam's Posterity you teach you know not what I pray consider that when our Lord and Saviour died as a Surety and Mediator it was near four thousand years from the Creation and there were multitudes then in the Prison of Hell from whence there is no Redemption and do you think that Christ God-man died upon the Cross and bare such unutterable Dolour for them to redeem them that were then in Hell There was reason indeed that Christ should die for those Saints that were in Heaven before he died because they were pardoned and saved upon the account of his having undertaken as Surety for them to make satisfaction to the Justice of God for their Sins Heb. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which were called might receive the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance The Father trusted Christ as we may express it upon his Covenant and undertaking as Surety to make satisfaction to Justice and so he pardoned and saved the Saints of the Old Testament before Christ actually died for them And as for the Elect that were then living and were to live afterwards in their Generations Christ trusted the Father with the Payment and Satisfaction he made for them by his Death that they should have the benefit of his Death in due time bestowed upon them It sounds well enough in the Ears of Christians that Christ was but once to offer himself a Sacrifice and that therefore when he died he bore the Sins of the Saints in Heaven because they came there upon the account of his Covenant and Undertaking with the Father that he would in the fulness of time take upon him Humane Nature and would as their Surety make Satisfaction for their Sins But surely it will sound very harshly in the Ears of all Christians that Christ God-man should sweat drops of Blood and die bearing the Curse of the Law for them who were then in Hell when he died except Arminians think that the damned in Hell shall be saved at last Indeed some passages of those of that Judgment have a tendency to such an Opinion but such Doctrine is contrary to many places of Scripture Matth. 25.41 and the last Verse 2
Cross despising the Shame The Joy that was set before Christ as Mediator when he endured the Cross when he died upon the Cross was not only the Glory that should follow to his Humane Nature but the Glory that the manifold Wisdom infinite Grace and the holy Justice of God should have to Eternity by saving the Elect in such a wonderful way by his Cross and likewise this was part of the Joy set before Christ when he died upon the Cross that all that he died for should be eternally saved and stand before the Throne as his Redeemed People Thus I have endeavoured for the Honour of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for the Comfort of those that believe on him to maintain that he hath not failed in the Work of Redemption but for all that he undertook to die as their Surety and Mediator he will bring them to Eternal Blessedness Now to the Father that sent him to the Son that was willing to take our poor Humane Nature upon him and die for our Sins and to the Holy Ghost that doth certainly and infallibly apply this glorious Redemption that Christ hath wrought to all for whom he died be Glory for ever and ever Amen And for those that catch at a few Words and Phrases in the Scripture to make this Redemption by the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ to be ineffectual to any for whom he died I bow my Knees and pray to God for them that he may please to give them Light and Understanding that they may be taken off from their erroneous Conceits concerning our Saviour and the for ever to be adored Redemption by him which standeth sure for ever But to remove what Doubts and Temptation may arise in the thoughts of some upon two places of Scripture It is said Rom. 14.15 But if thy Brother be grieved with thy Meat now walkest thou not charitably destroy not him with thy Meat for whom Christ died and through thy Knowledge shall thy weak Brother perish for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8.11 from these two places some maintain that those that Christ died for may be damned in Hell Now for the understanding of these two Texts observe that some walked very uncharitably towards those that were fellow Members with them they pretended more Light and that they saw their Liberty further than those which they counted weak Brethren did about eating of some Meats which others scrupled Now saith the Apostle to those that accounted themselves strong Destroy not him with thy Meat for whom Christ died Those that are fellow Members in the Church you ought to judge of them with a Judgment of Charity that they are the Elect of God and such as Christ died for therefore don't do that which tends to their destroying and ruin and thro' thy Knowledge thy pretence of having more Knowledge and to have a greater Latitude shall thy weak Brother perish for whom Christ died if without Light and Satisfaction in his own Conscience he should be emboldened to do those things by your Example you draw him to sin which deserves Damnation but that eventually any shall perish for whom Christ really died cannot be collected from these Scriptures or any others those that we in Charity think are such as Christ died for may perish we ought to think in Charity that all that are Members with us in the Church are partakers of the Heavenly Calling and such as Christ died for tho' in foro dei in the sight of God who knoweth infallibly who are his they are such as Christ never died for our Judgment of Men that Christ died for them is but a Judgment of Charity not a Judgment of Infallibility But can any one think that if Christ God-man did really die for a Person had such inconceiveable Love to him and had endured so much for his Salvation in his Agony in the Garden and upon the Cross that he would not take such care that this poor Soul should not eternally perish and be destroyed by the uncharitable carriage of some proud giddy Professor yea if Christ really died for any Person all the Wiles and Devices and fiery Darts of all the Devils in Hell shall never be able to destroy and ruin such an one tho' other Professors be uncharitable and hard-hearted to give offence to the weak and shake them and endanger them yet Christ the Meek the Pitiful and Merciful and Almighty High-Priest will not suffer a bruised Reed to be broken nor smoking Flax to be quenched but tho they may fall yet shall they rise again Christ saith to the Sheep that he laid down his Life for that they shall never perish and that none whether Men or Devils shall pluck them out of his Hand John 10.27 28. CHAP. V. Of Election and Reprobation THis Author in his Dialogue with the Presbyterian Pag. 17. doth cite a passage in the Confession of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster By the Decree of God for the manifestation of his Glory some Men and Angels are Predestinated unto everlasting life and others fore-ordain'd to everlasting destruction and those Angels thus Predestinated and fore-ordained are particularly and unchangeably designed and their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either encreased or diminished 'T is either for want of acquaintance with Books or want of Ingenuity that this Author falls upon the Presbyterians as if they only were of this Opinion The Assembly of Divines at Westminster published their Confession of Faith but about 46 years ago But first I shall shew that the Episcopal Divines long before them printed and published the same Doctrine 2. Consider of the Doctrine it self 1. Whereas this Author would suggest as if the Presbyterians only held this Doctrine and so cast an odium upon them I shall shew that the Episcopal Divines did publish the same Doctrine long before 1. The Articles of the Church of England in the Year 1552 say Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundation of the World was laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace be justified freely they be made the Sons of God by Adoption they be made like to the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to everlasting Felicity Article 17. Here is plainly asserted that there is an Eternal Election of certain Persons that they shall be certainly and infallibly called to Grace and Glory by Jesus Christ And as for the 31th Article which this Author mentioneth tho' he did not think fit to meddle with the 17th Christ is a
perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World both Original and Actual They having before asserted the Doctrine of God's Eternal Election of some this Article may fairly be interpreted that Christ is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World of the Elect or of all the Elect in all Ages and of all Nations throughout the whole World and for them only and their words being well considered will constrain such an Interpretation To be sure they did not hold that all Mankind should be saved and therefore saying that Christ is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World they cannot be understood to mean any more than this that there is no other name under Heaven by which Men can be saved but the name of Jesus Christ there is not Salvation in any other It is he alone that is a Perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for Sin so that whoever are saved in any Age or Place throughout the whole World are saved by him only 2. The first Articles of the Church of England being not so explicit and plain about Predestination and Arminianism being broached there was a meeting at Lambeth-house on the 20th Day of November 1595. now almost an hundred Years since There was John Archbishop of Canterbury Richard Bishop of London Richard Elect Bishop of Bangor Dr. Tindal Dean of Ely Dr. Whitaker Professor of Divinity in Cambridge and sundry other Reverend and Learned Divines there present with the concurrent Approbation of of the Right Reverend and Learned Prelate Matthew Archbishop of York for the determining certain Arminian Points of Controversie they composed agreed upon and published these Nine Assertions following 1. Deus ab aeterno praedestinavit quosdam ad vitam quosdam reprobavit ad mortem 1. God from Eternity hath predestinated certain Men to Life he hath reprobated some unto Death 2. Causa movens aut efficiens Praedestinationis ad vitam non est praevisio fidei aut bonorum operum aut ullius rei quae insit in personis praedestinatis sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei 2. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto Life is not the foresight of Faith or of good Works or of any thing that is in the persons predestinated but only the good Will and Pleasure of God 3. Praedestinatorum praefinitus certus est numerus qui nec augeri nec minui possit 3. There is a predetermined and certain number of the predestinated which can neither be augmented nor diminished 4. Qui non sunt praedestinati ad salutem necessario propter peccata sua damnabuntur 4. Those that are not predestinated to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their Sins 5. Vera viva ac justificans fides Spiritus Dei justificantis non extinguitur non excidit non evanescet in electis aut finaliter aut totaliter 5. A true living and justifying Faith is not extinguished it fails not it vanisheth not away in the Elect either finally or totally 6. Homo vere fidelis id est fide justificante praeditus certus est plerophoria fidei de remissione peccatorum suorum salute sempiterna sua per Christum 6. A true believer that is such a one as is endued with a justifying Faith is certain with the full assurance of Faith of the pardon of his Sins and of his Everlasting Salvation by Christ I suppose they did not mean that a true Believer may not have doubts and fears whether he be in Christ or no but that he may have a full assurance of his Justification without such extraordinary Revelation as the Papists speak of This Article is directed especially against the Papists whose Doctrine is that no Believer can attain a full assurance of his Salvation in this Life except he have an extraordinary Revelation from God 7. Gratia Salutaris non tribuitur non communicatur non conceditur universis hominibus qua Servari possint si velint 7 Saving Grace is not given is not communicated is not granted to all Men by which they may be saved if they will 8. Nemo potest venire ad Christum nisi datum ei fuerit nisi pater eum traxerit Et omnes homines non trahuntur a Patre ut veniant ad filium 8. No Man can come unto Christ unless it shall be given unto him and unless the Father shall draw him and all Men are not drawn of the Father that they may come unto the Son 9. Non est positum in arbitrio aut potestate unius cujusque hominis servari 9. It is not in the Will and Power of every one to be saved 3. I come to the Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Archbishops Bishops and the rest of the Clergy of Ireland in the Convocation holden at Dublin 16.5 Article 11. God from all Eternity did by his unchangeable Counsel ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass yet so as no Violence is offered to the Wills of the Reasonable Creatures and neither the Liberty nor the Contingency of second causes is taken away but rather Established Article 12. By the same Eternal Counsel God hath predestinated some unto life and reprobated some unto Death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither be encreased nor diminished Article 13. Predestination unto Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly Decreed in his Secret Counsel to deliver from Curse and Condemnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Article 14. The cause moving God to Predestinate unto Life is not the foreseeing of Faith or Perseverance or of good works or of any thing which is in the person Predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself For all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory and his glory being to appear both in the works of his mercy and of his justice It seemed good to his Heavenly Wisdom to choose out a certain number towards whom he would extend his undeserved Mercy leaving the rest to be spectacles of his Justice Article 15. such as are predestinated unto Life be called according to Gods purpose his Spirit working in due Season and through Grace they obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk Religiously in good Works and at length by Gods Mercy they attain to everlasting felicity but such as are not predestinated to Salvation shall finally be condemned for their Sins Article 25. The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to Faith and calling upon God wherefore we