first is annihilated and brought to nothing in believers the other two remain for their exercise and humiliation and of that complaint of the Apostle O wretched man that I am ver 24. he saith It is an exclamation for his misery of being under the bondage of sin When the Apostle therefore saith Sin shall not have dominion over you the meaning is sin shall not have authority to destroy you but it may have power to tyrannize over you and then 't is not so much your fault as your affliction Diotrephes But the Apostle saith in the same Chapter Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof for who thus commits sin is the servant of sin and such a one is not at that time the servant of God for Christ saith A man cannot serve two Masters which are so opposite as God and sin are Praesumptuosus Sir you are much deceived Mr. David Dicson * Ad ver 25. cap. 7. ad Roman proves this for the consolation of the faithful from the example of the Apostle Rom. 7. 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin As if he had said Now that for the consolation of those who bewail their sins I may summarily recollect what I have said concerning my self I profess I have not attained unto that measure of holiness to which I aspire but together with the rest of the Saints I go on bewailing and striving under hope of deliverance and as it were divided from my self the Spirit and the flesh striving between themselves in me with my mind indeed or that part of me which is spiritual and renewed I do with delight serve the Law of God but with the flesh or that part of me which is not renewed as it were a Captive brought under the yoke I serve the Law of sin or the prevailing inclination of corrupt nature And Mr. Baxter * Of saving Faith p. 92. grants as much by affirming that the same man having flesh and spirit may have two contrary ultimate ends To this I may add That there is a great difference betwixt a sin that is invited and espoused and so reigns by our free election and suffrage and a sin that gets possession by Gods officaci us permission and order he withdrawâ—ng his assistance and our guards to make way for it Diotrephes I pray have a care you do not forget your self and lay your sins upon God for to impute your faults to him is blasphemy Praesumptuosus Sir I shall take care to confine my self within the limits of such expressions as are consonant to sound Doctrine What think you of the Elders and Messengers of the Congregational Churches I hope their faith being the Confession of the Assembly double refined will pass for currant with you and they declare as the Assembly had done before them That Gods de erminate * Chap. 5. n. 4. Counsel extendeth it self even to the first Fall and all other sins of Angels and men and that not by a bare permission That God ordained whatsoever comes to pass * Chap. 3. n. 1. without excepâ—ion And Mr. Norton saith That God is the fore-determiner of the sinfulness of the action to his own glorious and blessed end * Orth. Evang. pag. 63. f. And you may remember the words of Dr. Damman That when God doth perform his part we cannot omit ours Diotrephes Methinks you are departed from the Subject of our Discourse neither can I see to what end you alledge the former passages Praesumptuosus I follow the thread of our Discourse as evenly as I can and these Allegations are to let you understand that the Regenerate are not so much to be blamed for their omissions and lapses as you imagine because these fall out according to Gods own will and by his special order Diotrephes I know you may do more good than you do and omit more evil than you omit if you will and through your default herein you shew your self very disingenuous in grieving the good Spirit of God and hereby you incur his displeasure in a very high degree Praesumptuosus Gods displeasure I know is dreadful to such as lie under the burden of it but a Professour ought not to give himself so great a temptation as to fear it this is the judgement of Mr. Caryl Mr. Burroughs Mr. Strong Mr. Sprig Mr. Pritty * The Marrow of Modern Divinity pag. 201 Edit 3. for they have commended a Book wherein I am taught thus In case you be at any time by Reason of the weakness of your faith and strength of your temptations drawn aside and prevailed with to transgress any of Christs Commandments beware you do not thereupon take occasion to call Christs love to you into question but believe as firmly that he loves you as dearly as he did before you thus transgressed for this is a certain truth As no good in you or done by you did or can move Christ to love you the more so no evil in you or done by you can move him to love you the less To which purpose I consider That he chose me to salvation when I was yet in my sin and if my sin could not provoke his displeasure against my person then when I was without Christ much less can it do so now when he hath made me accepted in the Beloved Ephes 1. 6. Neither can the Spirit of God be grieved at my infirmities and that upon this account for a wise person will not be grieved but either for omitting what he would have done or for committing what he would have left undone How then can the Regenerate grieve Gods Spirit For as to every good Act he doth determine our will to that and produce it by an irresistible efficiency and this being good and according to his will it cannot grieve him As for every evil Act his determinate Counsel extendeth it self to that too and that not by a bare permission only * Declar. of Congreg Ch. ut supra nor as the Authour of nature that he may not be wanting to his charge of Providence affording such a simultaneous concourse as the nature of the second cause requires that it may use its natural liberty but by way of predetermination and a most efficacious Decree * Dr. Twiss ib. pag. 88. 89 90. to that 1. He is the Authour of the Act wholly 2. He is the fore-determiner orderâ—r and governour of the sinfulness of the action to his own glorious and blessed end saith Mr. Norton thâ—s herefore is according to his good pleasure too and how then can it be said to grieve him especially seeing he hath his own glorious and blessed end in it for which he fore-determines it And every sinful Act being thus ordered and fore-determined it is impossible a poor Creature should avid it and consequently I can omit no mo e evil than I
am much obliged to you for your Civility for which I return my hearty thanks and shall be ready to serve you in the capacity of a stranger I am much affected to this Climate and the more because it agrees so well with my constitution and most of all for the extream Civility I find amongst the Inhabitants Sir you have a fruitful Soile and therein you see much of the riches of Gods bounty and you have a sweet light and warm influences and these as they serve to discover somewhat of his Wisdom and Beauty to you so they serve to bring his Blessings to maturity and ripeness for you But Sir as your own observation prompts you to the notice how fading and unsatisfactory all these things are so let me tell you for indeed 't is my Office and the best instance of my Gratitude and Charity that I can give you Intelligence of a better Countrey for the furnishing whereof to the unspeakable joy and glory of the Inhabitants the Almighty hath been pleased to disburse the richest treasures of his Bounty and the Fruits that grow there do never fade but administer a durable satisfaction and are perpetuated to an everlasting enjoyment for indeed in their passages thither they that obtain an interest in it have all their Rags of infirmity strip't off and are cloathed with Immortality Paganus Such a place Sir would invite a huge ambition to make a Voyage if the journey were not too far to travel thither But perhaps unless one could procure a happy settlement there the thoughts of a return would allay the sweetness of the pleasure while one converses there Diotrephes Sir such as are bound for that Place make no Return If they be accounted worthy of admission into that Society as their hearts are immediatly setled upon the state of Bliss wherein they are swallowed up so do they receive possession of their several Mansions that are establish't to all Eternity Paganus I pray in what part of the World is this Kingdom situated Diotrephes Not in this World Sir it is above all Heavens Paganus But where should we find a Ladder long enough to reach up thither to convey us to it Diotrephes Almighty God hath made a Ladder for us himself and sent it down to convey us thither Paganus That is a great Mystery to my understanding I pray what may that Ladder be made of We have no Trees that are long or strong enough for such a service Diotrephes This Ladder is made of the Tree of Life that grows in the Paradise of God Indeed it is the Son of God himself who is therefore styled the Way the Truth and the Life for so God loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have life everlasting Paganus What need was there of such a Dispensation could be not have made us happy otherwise Diotrephes God did make man upright at his first Creation and allowed him a communion with himself and fair hopes upon the proof of his constant obedience of further happiness but upon the temptation of the Devil he violated the Command which his Maker had given him and so betrayed himself and all his Off-spring to a state of misery sin and ruine But it pleased God that his own Son out of his love to man should interpose himself for our Redemption To this end he cloathed himself with our nature and became obedient not only in a way of action to the whole Law of God but in a way of suffering too for he humbled himself to the death of the Cross that suffering in the flesh he might satisfie Gods justice and purchase a people to himself by the price of his own dearest blood and as many as will heartily submit to him and faithfully believe in him shall be endued with his Spirit and finally inherit Eternal Life in his Kingdom Paganus This I confess a wonderful Condescension of the Divine Compassion but that God should send his Son and so much debase him and all to exaltus This is a Mystery so far above the pitch of my apprehension that Humane Reason cannot entertain it upon the account of a naked Proposition That you may gain Credit therefore to this Doctrine you had need produce good evidence for the proof of it Diotrephes Without controversie great is the Mystery of godliness God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World 1 Tim. 3. 1â— received into glory While he conversed here on Earth he confirmed his Doctrine by a World of Miracles and after he was put to death he rose again from the dead the third day and ascending into heaven he sent down the Holy Ghost to inspire his Apostles who being so instructed foretold things to come struck hypocrites dead with the word of their mouth and by the same power raised up others from the dead suffered all the affronts and indignities a wicked World could inflict upon them at the instigation of the malicious Spirit and for no advantage in this world but only upon the assured hopes of their Masters promises that relate to another life and the world to come at last having finished the course of their Ministry with an invincible patience and alacrity they sealed their Doctrine and the Testimony which they held concerning the Saviour of the World with their heart blood Hereupon the great Apostle who himself was offered up upon the Sacrifice and Service of this Faith cries out to us in these words How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both Hebr. 2. 3 4. with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Paganus I must acknowledge that these Arguments which you alledge supposing your Tradition for the matter of Fact unquestionable are highly credible Bâ—t if I assent to your Gospel and embrace the Christian Reâ—igion will the Faith that is begotten in me upon these Motives be a Dâ—vine Fâ—ith and sufficient for my salvation Diotrephes I am loth to deliver any thing to you for sound Doctrine without good warrant and therefore I shaâ—l say nothing to that part of your Quaere whether a Faith of this extraction may be called a Divine Faith or no But our Learned men do usually call such a Faith an Historical Faith and distinguish it from that Faith which is saving To this purpose I remember a great Divine denying that it is Gods purpose to give the Reprobates Faith he addeth yet you wiâ—l say God punisheth them for refusing to believe I grant he doth for this refusal saith he is the free act of their wills and by meer power of nature they might abstain from this refusal and have believed as well as
and the day of salvation I am content to take Gods time and the happiness that comes along with it being so transcendent as you have represented it the sooner the better But all the question now is whether it be in my power to return and beliâ—ve Diotrephes No by no means for you are yet in your natural state and the natural man receiveth not the things of the 1 Cor. 2. 14. Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Nay the carnal Rom. 8. 7. mind is enmity against God Paganus How then comes this Faith to be wrought in him Diotrephes It is not of himseâ—f but it is the gift of God he doth infuse it irresistibly and worketh it in us without us and that by an opâ—ration for mightiness not inferiour to that whereby he created the World and raiseâ—h up the dead Synod of Dort Chap. 3. and 4. Art 12. and Reject 6. Paganus If Faith be the gift of God and wrought in us after such an irresistible manner and likewise if now be Gods accepted time and the day of salvation as you have told me why is not that Faith even now wrought in me The delay seems by your Discourse to be rather on Gods part whose work this is than on mine to whom it is impossible without him I hope you would not have me perswade my self that I am not of that seed of Christ you mentioned in whom this work you say is peculiar Diotrephes No Sir I would not have you disheartned for a whole Synod of Divines have determined That those who as yet do not effectually perceive in themselves a lively faith or a sure confidence of heart in Christ the peace of conscience an endeavour of filial obedience a glorying in God through Christ and nevertheless use the means bâ— which God hath promised that he will work these things in us such as these ought not to be cast down at the mention of Râ—probation nor reckon themselves amongst the Reprobate but must diligently go forward in the use of those means and ardently desire and humbly and revâ—rehtly expect the GOOD HOURE of more plentiful grace Synod of Dort Chap. 1. Art 16. Paganvs Expect the good houre did you say why this is a perfect contradiction to what you said before viz. that now is the accepted time and the day of salvation And if I be commanded to believe now certainly to make that Command just and much more to make it not grievous but light and easie as the Gospel-commands are said to be there goes a power along with that command to make it possible now and so my duty else what will become of your fifty moving Considerations to convince men of the folly of delay But I remember you said it was every mans duty living under the dâ—spensation of the Gospel to believe Now if to make a man believe be Gods irresistible work and accomplish't by his Almighty power not inferiour in mightiness to that whereby he did create the World and raiseth up the dead How can this be a poor Creatures duty Could we think it equal in a good man or consistent with his goodness to impose an insupportable burden upon a childs shoulders and to whip him because he doth not carry it when such is his weakness that he sinks under it Sure we should account this extream severity and shall we attribute the like to God God forbid Diotrephes God may give what Lawes he please for his Soveraignty is absolute his Dominion incontrouâ—able he is bound to none and gives account of his actions to none Paganus I know Sir 't is impossible God should be obliged to his Creature whether upon the account of any Law made by it or of any benefit received from it but yet the very nature of God and that natural equity which is supereminent in him God esteems as a Law to himself and doth never transgress the dictates of it And besides God doth freely enter into Bond unto his Creatures as well by giving them a Law as by making them a promise for if he prescribes a Law he is in his own natural equity bound to bestow grace and assistance necessary to the observation of it and if he promiseth a thing absolutely he ought absolutely to perform it if he promiseth a thing conditionally the condition being fulfilled he is tyed upon the honour of his truth and justice to make that promise good as appears plainly by that which you call and value as his own Word Mat. 25. 24. Hebr. 6. 10. 1 John 1. 9. Diotrephes I beseech you Sir have you been instructed in Gods Word Paganus I shall deal ingenuously with you I have been long acquainted with your Biâ—le which you make the ground of your Religion And I observe it speaks very much of Heaven and glorious things of a life to come and calls upon you very earnestly to despise the World and lay up your hearts and your hopes in Heaven but observing withall what insatiable avarice ambition and luxury there is amongst you that profess Christianity and how much more carefully notwithstanding your demure pretence you lay out your selves for Earth than Heaven and what Factions you drive on to compass your ends I have been drawn into a suspition that few of you do cordially believe your own Religion or else that you think 't is such a Religion as will save you by a verbal profession though your practice be at utter defiance to all the Rules and Precepts of it Besides I have stumbled at some Doctrines which I have found in other of your Books and it hath given me no small scandal to read what I now hear from your mouth that the God you worship should make such a severe Law as you say he hath for the regulating of his Creature and yet deny that Creature a sufficient ability to perform it How this can consist with that Justice by which the true God is supposed to govern the World I confess I understand not Dâ—otrephes God help us in many things we offend all But you must not impute the fault to our Religion which is holy just and good but to the Professors of it who refuse to square their practice according to the Gospel-institution But for the offence you take that God injoyns a Law which is become impossible you must know we hold the justice of God excusable in this case because he gave all mankind a sufficient power in their first Parents whom he created after his own Image in righteousness and true holiness and had they persisted in their obedience their Posterity had been furnished with the same abilities and had had the same image stamp't upon them in as full and fair a Character as they had but because upon the suggestion of the Divel they prevaricated the Covenant of their Maker therefore were they punished with the loss of that Image Original Justice and
11. saith of that covetous seditious and bloody Sect of Gnosticks in his time that went in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward he saith They perished in the gain-saying of Corah But you will ask how could that be when the Rebellion of Corah was in Moses time and these men lived many hundred of years after in St. Jude's time Why they perished in effigie in their Types Patterns or Representatives Thus you see in what sense men may be said to be fore-ordained or set forth afore-hand unto Condemnation though their persons be under no such Decree of Absolute Reprobation Desolatus Does not God fore-know that men will sin and continue obstinate in it to their last period and so incurr the guilt of condemnation according to his Eternal Law though he hath not absolutely ordain'd them to sin and condemnation Samaritanus They that say God fore-knows nothing but what he hath ordained to come to passe making his Prae-science â—â— depend upon his Decree they derogate from the glory of Gods fore-knowledge which yet we see the Scriptures celebrate even with admiration For what praise shall the prescience of God have if he fore-knows nothing but what himself hath decreed seeing we can scarce find a Mortal so brutish as to be ignorant of what himself hath determined The knowledge of our God we are assured is unsearchable and therefore without passing a Decree for their Commission he fore-knows sin and all such contingencies as for their obscurity are most remote to human understanding But there is this further difference betwixt Gods Prae-science and his Absolute decree were there any such in this case Such a Decree in order to its Execution doth introduce an Antecedent Casual and Inevitable Necessity of sinning and being damned Prae-science is but a looker on in the whole processe Prae-science is but a Perspective through which God discovers a mans voluntary motion till he arrives at that horrible Lake of fire and brimstone But That Decree is such a Boat or Engine as transports Him thither will He nill He irresistibly Desolatus I shall consider that this piercing Eye of God is always open and upon me to observe my steps and make it a motive and enforcement to steer my course so much the more exactly But you must give me leave to ask you two or three Questions more And first deal ingenuously with me Doth God give Grace sufficient unto Faith and Repentance to such as perish for the abuse and neglect of it Samaritanus God gives or is ready to give if we make no new obstructions that Grace that is sufficient to the obtaining of Faith perhaps not immediately but grace sufficient to use the means grace to do more than we do in order to the obtaining of it You may reflect upon what was said above upon Habenti dabitur That some men may perish who receive sufficient grace to bring them to salvation if they would persevere in it appears plainly from hence that our Saviour saith to his Disciples Matth. 24. 13. He that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved And If ye continue in his goodness Rom. 11. 22. Ye shall not be cut off * See 2 Ep. Joh. 8. Gal. 3. 4. Can a man arrive at a place that is not in the direct way that leads thither He must be instructed to turn and not exhorted onely to continue in it And how could St. Paul say of some that they made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1. 19. Can that be shipwrack'd that was never in the Vessel and can that be called a shipwrack which though preserved intirely would but bring us to predition Desolatus But should a man through his sinfull improvidence make shipwrack of this grace may his dammage be recovered Samaritanus Yes how else could the Apostle give order To deliver the Incestuous Corinthian uâ—to Satan for the destruction See Ezek. 18. 21 22. of the flesh that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5. 5. If there be no restitution for persons that have once wasted that portion of grace that was put into their hands then there can be no right Prodigals but our first Parents What think you of David Peter Solomon and others whose falls were most lamentable and yet they were restored by a new Conversion Desolatus The Apostle saith of some that if they fall away it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance Heb. 6. 4 6. Samaritanus The word impossible doth many times signifie no more but 't is extreamly difficult but in that place to the Hebrews the Apostle speaks of such as do not onely fall away but add persecution of the Gospel of grace to their Apostacy from iâ— For they tread under foot the Son of God and count the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing and do despite to the Spirit of Grace Though we may not give that which is holy unto dogs * Matth. 7. 6. nor cast our pearls before swine who will rample them under their feet and return and rent us yet we are assured the fatted Calf is killed * Luk. 15. 23. and made ready to entertain the returning Prodigal Sinners are therefore every where exhorted to return and God hath promised to heal their back slidings Hos 14. 1 2 4. Repentance is Secunda Tabula post naufragium And Christ hath invited all that act heavy laden with their sins to come unto him Mâ—tth 11. 28. And if they come we have his promise He will in no wise cast them out Joh. 6. 37. Desolatus This is a very encouraging Invitation but I suppose it concerns none but such as He died for and because so many do flatly deny Vniversal Redemption and the holy Scripture it self seems sometimes to restrain his death to a ceâ—tain number as where it saith He gave his life a Ransome for many * Matth. 20. 28. Therefore I would gladly be satisfied about the extent of that death of His whether the Satisfaction and Merit of it were for All I mean not All Sorts onely but All Individuals Samaritanus You have ask'd a very material Question for seeing there is salvation in no other but Christ such as are not redeemed by him if there were any such can receive no benefit Act. 4. 12. as to matter of salvation from him nor have any comfort really administred unto them But if we receive the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater and this is the testimony of 1. Joh. 5. 9. God which he hath given of his Son 1. That He came to seek and to save that which was lost a That God laid upon him the iniquity of us all b That He died for the ungodly c for sinners d for his enemies e for All f for every man g for the world h for the whole world i for the unjust k and finally