Lord But nothing is so contrary to this intention as for any man so to boast of his merits as though he had done them to himselfe and not the Grace of God but that Grace which differenceth the good from the bad not that which is common to good and bad From Election many heare the word of truth some beleeve others gaine-say these therefore will beleeve these will not who knowes not this who denies But for as much as in some the will is prepared of the Lord in others it is not prepared verily we must distinguish what comes from his Mercy and what from his Judgement What Israel sought saith the Apostle he obtained not but the election hath obtained and the rest were blinded Behold Mercy and Judgement Mercy in the election which hath obtained the righteousnesse of God but Judgement upon the rest which were blinded and yet these because they would beleeved these because they would not did not beleeve therefore Mercy and Judgement are done even in the wills themselves for Election is of Grace not verily of Merits Therefore freely hath the Election obtained what it hath obtained there was not something of theirs that went before which they first gave and recompence was made to them for he saved them for nought but to the rest who were blinded as it is not there concealed retribution was made All the wayes of the Lord are Mercy and Truth but his wayes are unsearchable unsearchable therefore are his Mercy whereby he freely acquits and his Truth whereby he justly condemnes cap. 7. But haply they say the Apostle distinguisheth faith from workes and Grace he saith is not of workes he doth not say it is not of faith true but Christ saith Faith likewise is the worke of God Joh. 6. So therefore the Apostle distinguisheth Faith from Workes as in the two Kingdomes of the Hebrewes Iudah is distinguished from Israel when as yet Iudah is Israel for yee are saved by Grace through faith and that not of your selves it even faith is the gift of God and faith is not of workes lest any one should boast and all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me What is this shall come to me but shall beleeve in me but that it may be done the Father gives No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And they shall all be taught of God and every one that hath heard of the Father and learned comes to me If every one that hath heard of the Father and learned comes truly who comes not hath not heard of the Father nor learned for had he heard and learned he would come Farre removed from the apprehensions of the flesh is this Schoole in which the Father is heard and teacheth to come to the Sonne There is likewise the Sonne himselfe because he himselfe is the Word of the Father whereby he so teacheth neither deales he with the eare of the flesh but of the heart there is together likewise the Spirit of the Father and the Sonne for neither doth he not teach nor doth he teach apart because we say the workes of the Trinity are inseparable and he is verily the Holy Ghost of whom the Apostle saith Having the same Spirit of faith Farre removed I say from the apprehensions of the flesh is this Schoole in which God is heard and teacheth we see many come to the Sonne because we see many beleeve in Christ but where and how they have learned this of the Father we see not verily this grace is secret but that it is grace who doubts This Grace therefore which by Divine bounty is after an hidden manner given unto the hearts of men is by no hard heart refused because it is therefore given that the hardnesse of the heart may first of all be removed when therefore the Father is inwardly heard and teacheth to come to the Sonne he takes away the stony heart and gives a heart of flesh as he promised by the Prophet Ezek. 36. for so doth he make the sonnes of the Promise and the Vessels of Mercy which he hath prepared unto glory why therefore doth he not teach all that they may come to Christ but because all whom he teacheth in mercy he teacheth but whom he teacheth not in Judgement he teacheth not because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens but he hath mercy bestowing good he hardens recompencing according to desert But why he teacheth not all the Apostle opens so farre as he thought fit to be opened Rom. 9. 22 23. Hence it is that the word of the Crosse is foolishnesse unto them that perish but to those that are saved the power of God All these God teacheth to come to Christ all these he will have saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth for if he would have taught those to come to Christ also to whom the word of the Crosse is foolishnesse without doubt even they had come too for he neither deceives nor is deceived who saith Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me farre be it therefore that any man should not come who hath heard and learned of the Father When therefore the Gospel is preached some beleeve some doe not beleeve but they that beleeve whilst the Preacher sounds without they heare and learne of the Father within but they that beleeve not they heare without not within neither doe they learne that is to the one it is given to beleeve to the other it is not given which afterwards is more openly spoken No man can come to me except it he given him of the Father Therefore to be drawne by the Father to Christ and to heare and learne of the Father is nothing else but to receive the gift of the Father whereby to beleeve in Christ. For he did not distinguish Hearers of the Gospell from no Hearers who said No man can come to me except it be given him of the Father but Beleevers from unbeleevers Faith therfore both begun and finished is the gift of God and that this gift is given to some and not given to all he cannot doubt who will not oppose most manifest holy Scriptures Chap. 12. When we come to little ones and to the Mediator betwixt God and man the Man Christ Jesus all assertion of humane merits going before the Grace of God falls to the ground because they are not distinguisht from the rest by any good preceding merits that they should belong to the deliverer of men nor he by any preceding humane merits when he is a man also was made the deliverer of men For Infants Originall sinne being by the Grace of God forgiven or by the Judgement of God not forgiven when they dye they either passe by Regeneration from an evill to a good state or by Originall corruption from an evill to an evill state And Lib. de bono persever
THE Lightless-Starre OR Mr. IOHN GOODWIN discovered a Pelagio-Socinian And this by the Examination of his Preface to his Book entituled Redemption Redeemed Together with An Answer to his Letter entituled Confidence Dismounted By RICHARD RESBURY Minister of the Gospel at Oundle in Northampton-shire Hereunto is annexed a Thesis of that Reverend Pious and Judicious Divine Doctor Preston sometimes of Immanuel College in Cambridge concerning the Irresistibility of Converting Grace Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the Truth Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest unto all as theirs also was 2 Tim. 3. 8. 9. London Printed for Iohn Wright at the Kings-Head in the Old-Bayly 1652. The Epistle to the Reader Reader I Shall not long detain thee in the pâ—rch only give we leave in a few words to acquaint thee with the Occasion and scope of this following discourse For the Occasion Mr. Goodwin having taken upon him to be a Champion in the Tents of most Anti-evangelieall and often-routed Errors and in a pompous Treatise by him published having thrown much defiance in the face of Truth and her Assertors many of them triumphing in glory after their Warfare others still in Conflict here below Upon perusall of this peece of his I found it a meer whiteâ— sepulchre specious in the style and pretense of holiness but made up for the substance of roiten Errors by broken Arguments and perverted Scriptures seemingly supported Whereupon I thought it very seasonable having by me a little Manuscript comprising certain main Truths opposite to his Errors to send it abroad if through the blessing of God it might help to establish some and prevent those snares of death which he had spread And I hope the Lord hath blest it unto divers The Title of that small piece and the Epistle reflecting upon Mr. Goodwin and his Book he found himself very angry and in great Indignation prints an invective Letter pen'd by him sitting in the scorners chair sends it to me requiring satisfaction for a charge of some particulars in mine Epistle against him The particulars charged upon him were sometimes Imperiall dictates instead of Arguments sometimes monstrous Conclusions sometimes wrested Quotations sometimes uncoth Philosophy sometimes consequential Blasphemy to these I may now adde frequently packing Sophistry And he will needs perswade himself that his book is so clear of these crimes as that I had not lookt into it when I put in this charge against it Now though I had no thoughts of writing any thing against his Book partly conscious of mine own weakness partly he having provoked so many of the ablest of men the University of Cambridge the Assembly of Divines and indeed the whole Orthodox name yet he pressing upon Me in his Letter after much scorn and high contempt to give instances of my charge against him I thought my self in equity obliged so to do for their satisfaction especially who have not read his Book for as for such as shall read it they if judicious and impartiall will easily observe the particulars over and over Hence Iovercame my self otherwise unwilling to think of such an answer to his Letter as wherein I might give him the instances he required but weighing withall how useless it would be to the publique onely to answer a taunting Letter and produce those particulars I thought it expedient to adde something further that might be of reall usefulness to Christianity and thereupon resolved the Examination of his Preface which abounding with two pernicious Errors Socinianism and Pelagianism was most necessary to be called to Account as likewise the examination of the four first Chapters of his Book wherein is the Foundation of his Building but a miserable sandy one The former through the good hand of God upon me I have dispatched and here present it to thee the latter I hope though in the midst of many employments and encumbrances by degrees to perform too if not happily prevented by some better furnished for the Work Thus for the Occasion now for the Scope It is partly to discover those dangerous Errors all along carryed on in his Preface against the Grace of God and the authoritie of Scripture against both which Mr. Goodvvin hath enormously ex alted the Reason and Will of man partly to lay before thee and clear up the main Doctrins of Gospel-Truth against those his Errors And forasmuch as the Doctrins of the Grace of God were with much strength clearness and evidence of the Spirit maintained by those famous Lights of the Church who lived in the time of Pelagius and the times immediately succeeding especially Augustine and Prosper and the Fathers assembled in the Milevitane Councill where Augustine was present and in the second Arausican Councill I have therefore distinctly layd downe the severall states of the Pelagian Heresie and the refutation thereof out of the forenamed Champions for the Truth of Christ not for their Authority but for their strength clearness elegancy and excellency of Spirit debasing Man exalting God and assigning their peculiar Privileges to the Elect of God In perusall whereof thou wilt find Mr. Goodwin a son of Error a disciple of Pelagius and easily find a wide difference between the spirit of his Pen and that of these renowned Antients the Assertors of the Churches Faith Reader I hope thou wilt think it worth thy labour when thou hast made tryall to take a view of the main Doctrines of Grace as by such excellent hands layd out against such dangerous and destructive Errors so many Ages since As for my charge against Mr. Goodwin thou shalt find it made good in the particulars in my Answer to his Letter wherein thou wilt find him guilty of absurdities enough and yet the particulars there produced are but some gleanings for Instancâ—s I have only One thing more to advertise thee of It is very likely Mr. Goodwin will make what hast he can to reply upon this my Essay against him My intention is the Lord assisting and as I may gain frâ—â— many employments and distractions leisure for the same to go through his four first Chapters before I will take any notice of what he shall reply thou shalt find him in this discovery that I have made a Star without Light in that which I hope to make a Builder without a Foundation For where as in those Chapters should be the Foundation of his after-discourse what a miserable One he hath there layd I hope God will in time discover and indeed I cannot still but expect that my further endeavours will be prevented by some more strenuous Undertaker raised up by the Lord in zeal to his Truth however till such a blessing shall appear I shall be moving though very slowly onwards Now the Lord command his blessing upon thy spirit in the perusall hereof sanctifying thee by his Truth Reader I am Thy servant for the Truth of
towards their productions was done by him at once and though no plant of the field was actually produced before it was in the earth yet in respect of what God contributed towards their actuall production they were produced before p. 49. 8. That which depends upon any deliberate or elective act of the will of man cannot be said to be positively peremptorily or absolutely declared by God p. 185. 5. His Consequentiall Blasphemies 1. In case any such assurance of the unchangeableness of Gods love were to be found in or could be regularly deduced from the Scriptures it were a just ground to any intelligent man to question their authority and whether they were from God or no. p. 335. 2. That Doctrine which denies that Christ died for all men without exception directly tends to divide between the Creature and his Creator and to raise jealousies and hard thoughts in the former against the latter p. 475. 3. The same Doctrine represents God as ingaged to the days of eternity in counsells and purposes of blood yea of the blood of the precious souls of men and this without any consideration or respect had to any the future sins of those against whom it supposeth him so implacably and unmercifully engaged p. 478. 4. The Doctrine of Perseverance hath been found a meer Impostor an appearance of Satan in the likeness of an Angell of light I tell the Reader that to these I may add your packing Sophistry which is so frequently found throughout your Book as cannot but be obvious to every intelligent Reader I shall therefore point at some certain heads rather than trouble my self to single out instances Sometimes you transform your Adversaries Doctrines sometimes you confound the immanent and transient actions of God together sometimes again you confound absolute and conditional necessity the determination of the wil of man by God with coaction these things and the like are nothing rare in your discourse And now Sir after all this unpleasing but necessary conflicting I humbly beseech the Father of Mercies to pardon unto me whatsoever it is wherein I may have swerved from the rule of Righteousness as likewise to vouchsafe both to you and me such further light and assistance of his Spirit as that we agreeing together in the truth and purity of the Gospel I may chearfully and with much rejoycing subcribe my self Your affectionate friend and brother in Christ Rich. Resbury From my Study April 17. 1652. The lightlesse-Star OR Mr. Iohn Goodwin discovered a Pelagio-Socinian CHAP. I. The Examination of the Preface THat which we have to doe in the Examination of this Preface is to discover the errors of it and to cleare up the truth against them The errors wherewith it is fraught are of two sorts yet near a kin and mutuall supporters each to other both very dangerous and against the very heart of Christianity Socinian against the authority of the Scriptures and Pelagian against the grace of God According to our intention for the discovery and refutation of these wee shall diligently insist upon those passages in this Preface where those monsters appear passing by or lightly touching upon the rest to avoid tediousnesse and impertinency And therefore whereas we have four parts of this insuing Discourse the first his invitation to read his booke the second his motives therunto the third a prevention of objections there-against the fourth an Apology for his change of judgement as he calls it The first part or his invitation we shall passe by what ever observations might be made shewing the spirit of the Authour as but the sounding of his trumpet to bid battle to the truth Upon the same account for his first motive to read his Booke which is a long and plausible discourse against error in generall we shall not speake much to it onely a word or two for caution about it It is though a discourse against error yet itself very erroneous 1. In the aime and tendency of it which is insensibly and by covert insinuations to instill those errours into the Reader which afterwards are more openly contended for 2. In the Contexture of it which manifests together with his insuing discourse what was the aime of it To make this clear we shall take notice of a passage or two in it and then adde some thing afterwards exprest which will satisfie concerning the aime we speake of 1. For the insinuation of his Socinian doctrine against the authority of the Scriptures we have this expression from him That a man or woman who have for many years profest the Gospell may in processe of time come to discover vanity in some erroneous principle or tenet where-with their judgements had been leavened for some considerable space formerly and so grow into a disapprobation or contempt of it and yet may very possibly think and suppose that the Gospell favours or countenanceth it and that otherwise they should never have owned nor approved it What Socinianisme is here vented against the authority of the word of God we shal shew hereafter where we have occasion to insist against this error and therefore desire the Readers patience till he shall meet with it in due place 2. For the insinuation of his Pelagianisme exalting the nature of man against the grace of God generally his high declaiming against errour as the onely cause of sinne is secretly to undermine the doctrine of originall sinne as to the corruption of the will Particularly wee shall transcribe a passage or two wherein he so derives both our ignorance and sinfulnesse from errour voluntarily by our selves in our owne persons contracted as thence hee evacuates the Scripture-doctrine concerning both our naturall blindnesse of mind and corruption of will to this purpose he hath this passage That errour and all mis-notions of God c. pollute corrupt and imbase the mind and understanding of a man by their union and communion with them as a person of a noble house and blood staines his honour and reputation by coupleing himselfe in marriage with a woman of base parentage and conditions This is a cleare insinuation as if the understanding in the naturall man was in a state of great excellency and honour contrary to the doctrine of originall sin concerning it there is none that understands c. vaine man would faine bee wise though he be borne like a wilde Asses Colt But of this more hereafter Another passage of like import speaking of erroneous and lying apprehensions and conceites concerning God he addes wherwith men willingly suffer their mindes and consciences to bee imbased and corrupted even to a spirituall rottennesse and putrifaction Againe that errour disposeth the soule which drinkes it in and converseth with it to a spirituall death In both which he supposeth nothing lesse then that the soule is by originall sin through the corruption of the will in a state of spirituall death rottenesse and putrifaction And thus having shewed from his discourse it self his erroneous aim and
walke in my Statutes and yee shall keep my Iudgements and doe them When he saith I will make you to doe what saith he else but that I will take from you the heart of stone whence yee did not and will give you an heart of flesh that you may doe And what is this but I will take away your hard heart whence ye did not and I will give you an obedient heart whence you may doe here we have both the renewing and acting of the will and this certainly and infallibly To the same purpose cap. 17. Speaking of Peter that he had no strong love when he denyed his Lord and yet he had a small and imperfect love when he said to the Lord I will lay downe my life for thee for hee thought he could doe what hee felt himselfe to will Hee addes And who had begun to give that though small love but he who prepares the will and perfects by working with us what he begins by working in us Because he as the authour works in us to will who as the finisher works with us when we will Whence saith the Apostle I am confident that he that hath begun a good worke in you will perfect it to the day of Iesus Christ. Phil. 1. 6. Therefore that wee may wil he works without us but when we will and so will as that we doe he works with us But without him either working that we may will or working with us when we will wee have no strength to the good workes of pietie Chap. 18. upon that text of Scripture Let us love one another for love is of God 1 Joh. 4. 7. Why is it said Let us love one another for love is of God but because by the Command free will is admonished to seeke the gift of God When it is said Let us love one another there is the Law when it is said for love is of God there is Grace Grace makes us lovers of the Law but the Law it selfe without Grace makes us only offenders Yee have not chosen me but I have chosen you If yee have not chosen doubtlesse yee have not loved for how should they chuse him whom they loved not And Chap. 19. In Iohn the light saith Behold what great love the Father hath given us In the Pelagians darknesse saith We have love of our selves which if they had true that is Christian love they would know whence they had it as the Apostle knew who said We have not received the spirit of this world but the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God Iohn saith God is love and the Pelagians say that they even have God himselfe nâ—â— of God but of themselves And when they confesse that we have the knowledge of the Law from God they will have love to be of our selves neither doe they heare the Apostle saying Knowledge puffesh up but charity or love edifies But I must take off my hand he is so abundant in all his Polemique Writings against Pelagius and his followers that the Quotations would be Voluminous which might be taken out of them I shall therefore conclude with the determination of the Milevitane Councell at which Austine himselfe was President and subscribed Can. 4. Whosoever shall say that the Grace of God by Jesus Christ our Lord helps against sinning in this regard only because by it the meaning of the Commands is revealed and opened to us that we might know what we ought to desire and what to eschew but that by it is not performed that what we know ought to be done we also love to doe and are enabled thereunto Let him be Anathema for when the Apostle saith Knowledge puffes up but charity edifies it is very wicked to beleeve that we have the grace of Christ for that which puffeth up but that we have it not for that which edifies when both is the gift of God both to know what we ought to doe and to love that we may doe it that charity edifying knowledge may not be able to puffe us up but as it is written of God That be teacheth man knowledge so is it written likewise that Love is of God Here we have the Doctrin of the Church in that age against the Hereticks in this point CHAP. VIII 3 LEt what Grace soever how true and genuine soever be acknowledged from God to man yet that Doctrine that teacheth that it is given according to mens merit in the sence of the Fathers against Pelagius is Pelagian but such is Mr. Goodwins Doctrine Evident it is that he makes faith and whatsoever he cals Grace so to depend upon the good use of the naturall understanding as upon that account it is given unto men how farre and in what sence soever it is given and as evident it is that no good use can be made of the understanding in order to Grace without some good use of the will for except a man will he shall not without the use of his will he cannot provoke and stirre up himselfe so much as to meditate of God and the things of God but whosoever teacheth Grace to be given upon or for the improvement of the Naturall will in any kinde or degree falls under that so famously damned Doctrine of Pelagius That Grace is given according to merits for clearing this let us briefly represent the Pelagian Heresie in its four-fold state and the Doctrine of Austin and other Fathers and in them the Doctrine of the Church there-against In the first place Pelagius denyed all ayde of supernaturall Grace which Mr. Goodwin denies at this day if he meane as he speakes affirming that the naturall strength of Free will was sufficient to fulfill the Commands of God and to obtaine eternall life denying Origin all sinne to the last In the second state he admitted the ayde of Grace but 1. He acknowledged this ayde only in the Law and externall Doctrine as also in the example of Christ. 2. He ascribed only this to it that by it man might more easily fulfill the Commands of God which without it he could fulfill He likewise by Grace understood remission of sins In the third state he at least seemed to admit inward illumination of the understanding and inward excitation of the will but this likewise that man might be able the more easily to fulfill the Commands of God which without it he might doe ever denying the infusion of grace into the will withall holding that this Grace was given according to merit that is upon the good use of Naturall power before hand against this Grace thus limited we have out of Austine and the Milevitan Councell newly spoken The fourth and last state was in the hands of certaine Pelagian Bishops who wrote two Epistles against Austins Doctrine which he answers in foure Bookes their Doctrine the Father layes downe in these words They will have the desire of good in man to begin from man that
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturall and falsely interprets it of the weakâ— Christian we shall see in its proper place 3 Whereas he denyes the word naturall to be found in Scripture in any such sense as should distinguish the unregenerate state of man from the regenerate and the word supernaturall in the argument of the efficacy of grace to be found either formally or vertually I must charge this bold assertion of his 1. With selfe-contradiction 2. With notorious falsehood 3. With ranke Pelagianisme First With selfe-contradiction pag. 9. of his Preface hee chargeth them with great errors who will have reason laid aside in enquiries after matters of a spirituall and supernaturall concernment which he there makes the same with matters of Religion what is then spirituall and what is of religious nature by your own confession there is supernaturall But all Christian graces Faith Hope Love c. are spirituall and of religious nature therefore grace and the efficacy of it are supernatural Vertually then at the least this word supernatural is found in Scripture in this argument of the efficacy of grace for those graces are by the efficacy of a gracious influx and in them is there an efficacious vertue of spiritual nature otherwise how are they spirituall 2 With notorious falsehood so obvious that was not the sword upon his right eye utterly darkening it I cannot imagine how such a doctrine should have escaped his pen. Let us bring it to the touch-stone of the Scriptures singling out of many texts a few Iohn 3. 5 6 7 8 Is not there a first and second birth the first natural the second supernatural and is not this the effect of grace is it not by divine impression upon the soule by the spirit of God that any one is borne of the spirit Iohn 5. 25. The hour is coming and now is that the dead shall hear the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that â—èare shall live Is not the conversion of a sinner here set forth to be a spiritual resurrection and is not a spiritual resurrection both as spirituall by your owne grant and as a resurrection supernatural Eph. 2. 5 6. Is it not a supernatural work To quicken such as were dead in trespasses and sinnes to raise them up together with Christ and make them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus This union with Christ and these spirituall advancements of the soule in Christ are they not supernatural and by the efficacy of grace Ephes. 4. 22 23 24. Is not that change In putting off the old man in being renewed and putting on the new man which is created c. by the operation and efficacy of Grace and is it not supernaturall 1 Cor. 2. 9. to the 15. Is not that revelation of the spirit discovering what eye hath not seen c. Searching the deepe things of God things as farre above the spirit of the naturall man as the things of man are above the spirit of a beast Things which the spirit of the World that is that spirit which is common to men cannot discover things that can no otherwise be discovered but by Spirituall light things which the Naturall man therefore cannot receive because they are Spiritually discerned Is not the revelation of these things supernaturall A revelation which flesh and bloud makes not Titus 3. 5. The washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Doth it report nothing supernaturall to your eare We might adde 2 Cor. 5. 17. that new Creation there and Iam. 1. 18. that new generation there and Iob. 6. 44 45. that drawing and teaching of the Father with many others of like kinde are all these naturall nothing in these above the power and operation of Nature and that in this corrupt state By this time I hope it appeares that the word Naturall belongs to the unregenerate and that Regeneration is by supernaturall operation and that the unregenerate or Naturall man as such is in Scripture Language darknesse Thirdly with ranke Pelagianisme I call it ranke because thus farre it agrees with the first and second state formerly declared as to admit no supernaturall operation upon the Soule for conversion or recovery from sinne if this be not your meaning I pray disclose your Riddle for no man I thinke can judge otherwise by your words Goodwin Those Ephesians of whom the Apostle saith They were sometime darknesse had been not only or simply unregenerate but had walked in sins and trespasses according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the Aire that worketh effectually in the Children of disobedience by whom their understanding had been darkned and they possessed with many false wicked and blasphemous conceits concerning God and the Gospel c. All which imply on unregenerate estate most dangerously encumbred and from whence it argued the high and signall grace and favour of God that even they should be delivered The Jewes also Joh 1. 5. are termed darknesse upon a like account viz. because they were strangely and desperately prejudiced and pre-possessed with erroneous Notions and conceits against Christ and about the estate of their Messiah's first coming unto them they expecting the forme of a great Monarch rejected and Crucified him in the forme of a Servant it was this darknesse which they had through an oscitant loose and sensuall converse with their owne Scriptures voluntarily suffered to grew and spread it selfe upon the face of their mindes and understandings that was a snare upon them and occasioned the sad event here mentioned viz. That when the light shone upon them i. e. when sufficient and pregnant meanes were vouchsafed unto them to have brought them to the knowledgement of their Messiah they comprehended it not i. e. did not by the meanes of it come to see and understand that for the sight and knowledge whereof it was given them for that by the way is to be observed that the Evangelist doth not say that the darknesse in which the light shined could not or was not able to comprehend it but only that it did not comprehend it Now it is a knowne Principle in reason that a Negatione actus ad negationem potentiae non â—alet argumentum there may be a defect in action or performance where there is no defect of power for action And the very observation and report which the Evangelist makes of the Non-comprehension of the light by the darknesse in which it shone plainely enough imports that the defectivenesse of this darknesse in not comprehending the light did not consist in or proceed from any Naturall or invincible want of power to comprehend it but from a blindnesse voluntarily contracted and willingly if not wilfully persisted in for how can it be reasonably supposed that this Evangelist who flyeth an higher pitch then his Fellowes in drawing up his Evangelicall Tidings for the use and benefit of the World should in the very entrance of his Gospell and whilst he was thundring
up out of the Word of God and not out of the judgements of men Then he addes out of Hilary God cannot be knowne but by God of God must we learne whatsoever we are to understand concerning him because no otherwise is it knowne then by him as the Author After this he adds further It is requisite likewise that this Doctrine agree with the naturall knowledge of God and the Principles of common understanding such as these and then layes downe divers Now whereas you make a double inference hence I Concerning the Doctrine of Predestination it selfe 2 Concerning all other Doctrines not so high and mysterious I will returne for answer to you your owne Arminius's words to this Proposition of Mr. Perkins viz. Against this I contend not only let this be added where we cannot agree about these common notions by reason of darknesse over-spreading our mindes and the weakenesse and diversity of humane judgements which thou rejectest saith he to Perkins there let us have recourse to the first the Word of God for the definitive and peremptory suffrage as that which is above all other You see here 1. Arminius himself utterly turning his back of that Doctrine which your inference pleads for you will have the Doctrine of Predestination tried ultimately at the barre of Reason he at the Scripture barre 2 His reason for it whereas we heare from you of nothing but light shining from God upon the hearts of men and the great capacity of that noble faculty of reason in man so frequently boasted of He acknowledgeth such darknesse over-spreading the mindes of men as common notions and mens judgement ac-according thereto are not to be rested in but from them to the Word of God must the appeale be made for finall determination Goodwin It was the saying of Augustine That God hath bowed downe the Scriptures to the capacity of Babes and Sucklings Tertullian hath much upon this account to excellent purpose in one place speaking of the Soule being yet simple rude and unfurnished with any acquired knowledge either from the Scripture or other Institution he demands why it should be strange that being given by God it should speake out or sing the same things the knowledge whereof God giveth to his Children not long after he admonisheth the Gentiles that neither God nor Nature lye and thereupon that they may beleeve both God and Nature wisheth them to beleeve their owne Soules A little after he saith that the Soule he speakes of hath the words and therefore the inward sences and impressions of Christians whom notwithstanding it wisheth that it might never beare or see Elsewhere having mentioned some expressions of affinity with the Scriptures as oft coming out of the mouths of Heathen he triumphs over them as it were with this acclamation O the testimony of a soule naturally Christian nor doth Calvin himselfe say any thing lesse then all this when he saith That God hath implanted or inwardly put the seed of Religion in the mindes of men doubtlesse the seed sympathizeth richly with that body which springs and growes from it But these things by the way All impressions all principles of Light and Truth which are found written in the hearts and consciences of men are here written by the finger of God himselfe therefore what Spirit or Doctrine soever symbolizeth in notion and import with these or any of them must of necessity be of the same parentage and descent with them there being no originall parent or father of light and truth but God onely And on the contrary what doctrine or spirit soever putteth any of these principles to sorrow or shame and doth not lovingly comport with them hereby declare themselves to be of a spurious and ignoble race As Christ reasoned with the Jewes If God were your Father yee would love me For I proceed forth and come from God but because they bated him he concluded them to be the children of the devill Resbury As for your testimonies out of Austin Tertullian and Calvin you do but make use of your old fallacy from the part to the whole the Scripture is in some things bowed down to the capacity of babes is it in all things so all milke no strong meat Did Austin thinke the Reason of man competent to search out and give a reason of all Scripture truths this by name about Predestination and the execution thereof let us heare himselfe upon this Argument De verbis Apostol Serm. 11. The Potter hath power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessell to honour another to dishonour wilt thou dispute with me nay wonder with me cry out with me O the depth of the riches let us both agree in feare that we perish not in error Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God how incomprehensible are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Search things unsearchable doe things impossible corrupt things incorruptible see things invisible his judgements are unsearchable let it suffice thee and his waies past finding out So 〈◊〉 Teriâ—…ians testimonies the soule hath the â—…owledge of some things impressions of some â—hings belonging to Christians but you may 〈◊〉 soon get oyle out of a flint as out of these testimonies wring your Conclusion That all Divine Truths may be knowne by the naturall man by reason of their agreement with the dictates of the naturall understanding as it is now in the state of mankind since the fall For Calviâ—… his seed of religion you would faine discourse into fruit but your Discourse is neither the shining of the Sun nor rain from heaven upon it 1 The seeds of some truths are writ upon the heart of man as knowledge but these of the Law not of the Gospell the Wisdome of God hid in a mystery c. flesh and blood hath not revealed c. No man can say Iesus is the Lord but by the spirit the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God neither can doe c. What man knowes the things of man c. the spirit of God not of the World c. The Naturall man darknesse through corruption by Satan further darkened 2 The knowledge he hath by nature of those things of the law is very obscure evanid and clouded with many errors and those invincible otherwise then as by the discovery of the word diligently consulted 3 The highest knowledge the Naturall man can attaine to with whatsoever helpe of the Word of God without the renewing and peculiar worke of the spirit vouchsafed onely to the Saints whereby they become such is but historicall not intuitive of logicall apprehension not of spirituall vision and therefore such a knowledge as is a great stranger to faith and repentance 4 All saving fruit of this knowledge is utterly prevented and the tendency of it to eternal life stifled choaked and perverted in every natural or unregenerate soule and therefore how richly soever the seed sympathizeth with the body