But this lie at the bottom of Arminianism that there is Merit the Popish Merit of Condignity or hâ—w ever of congruity in our Holiness and good Works and upon Discourse with a Minister â— great Note in the Arminian way I found him to be as unsound in the Doctrine of Justification as any Popish writer I had ever met with 3. Arminians make Conversion an easy â—ork a small matter t is true t is easie to Godâ— work in any easier than for us to speak a woâ—â— but in it self it is a great work and impossâ—â—le for any to believe and Repent except Goâ— give them a new Heart and infuse this habit and principle of Grace into them Indeed they say that the Lord doth require easie Terms upon which Men may have Eternal Life but they don't know what they say for us that are universally blinded and corrupted by the fall of Adam for us to go out if our selves to Christ for us to mourn for Sin is it's an offence to God for us to desire and endeavour after Vniversal Holiness is ten thousand times harder work than for Adam to have coninued obedient to the Law for which he had a Cncreated Principle a Habit of Holiness infused â—nto him by Creation only it was mutable and left to the Managing of his own free Will 1. Bâ—t let it be observed that the way of Salvatiâ—n by Christ seems to be Foolishness to a Naturaâ— Man that we should look to be saved bâ— one that dyed himself Paul saith this is to them that Perish Foolishness it is a great work of God upon our understandings to enlighteâ— us and convince us that this way of Salvaon is the only way and that it is a glorious â—ay that the manifold Wisdom of God the exeeding Riches of his Grace and his Revenging Justice against Sin will shine to Eterny in this way of saving Sinners by a Crucied Christ 2. â—et it be observed that when a Sinner is covinced and humbled indeed and sees what Majesty he hath offended by his Sins it is no easie thing to set his hope in Christ whoâ— he never saw but that the Holy Ghost doth ecretly and inwardly reveal him to the Soul as the only and all-sufficient Mediator and unites the Heart to him to trust and rely upon him for Salvation 3. It is no easie thing for one that hath such a corrupt Nature and hath delighted in Sin to be willing that Christ should Reign over him to desire that Christ would put down all the Rule and Authority of Sin that he might be for Christ and not for another When Christ saith his Yoak is easy and when the Apostle saith his Commandments are not grievous the meaning is not that Christs Yoak is easy to the Flesh and corrupt Nature but easy and sweet when God gives a principle of grace a new Heart and Spirit so far as we are renewed and are led by the Spirit so far Christs Yoak is easie and his ways pleasant to our Souls The truth is many take up opinions and wrangle and dispute but 't is to be feared that few have experience of a Saving work of Conversion upon their Souls they do not seem to have a Spiritual Savour in their Discourses but of these things God will Judge CHAP. VIII Concerning the Saints Perseverance as being kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation THis Author hath something about this point page 19. He saith some may depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits I answer none ever doubted but Men may fall from the Doctrine of Faith from the profession of Faith and from an Historical Notional Faith from common Grace from common Enlightning But the Doctrine maintained by the Assembly of Divines and as I have shewed by the Lambeth Articles and by the Articles of Ireland is that none that are truly regenerated that have saving justifying Faith shall be so left to themselves as to fall totally and finally but shall be preserved unto the Heavenly Kingdom Believers may be left to themselves at times as David Hezekiah Peter and others that they may fall foully to the Dishonour of God and to the wounding of their own Souls but God will graciously recover them again Grace is in a swoun in them but not dead The Doctrine of the Saints perseverance is grounded 1. Vpon the free and Eternal Vnchangeable love of God to the Elect. 2. Vpon the perfect and eternal Redemption Christ hath wrought for them and his praying as Mediator that they may be kept and that their Faith fail not 3. The Inhabitation of the Spirit who abideth in them for ever 4. The promises of God to them that they shall not depart from him the Nature of the Covenant of Grace which they are brought under is that God will guide them by his Counsels and afterwards bring them to his glory But I shall not enlarge upon these things but let us attend upon what this Author saith upon this point Truly though the Assembly of Divines had positively declared for the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance yet according to the faculty of the Man to catch at something he saith nor need any Man say more concerning falling away than they do for as they deny not but there are Temporary Believers and truly such are all that fall away so they plainly tell us that the purest Churches in Heaven are subject to mixture and Error and some have so degenerated as to become no Churches of Christ but Synagogues of Satan Now saith he surely the purest Churches under Heaven are true Believers and if these may become Synagogues of Satan it is too much to prove the point Truly either this Author is more Ignorant than I took him to be before I saw his Book or else which is far worse hath not an honest Mind but is resolved to wrest Mens words contrary to what he knows they intended as we shall see 1. He saith the Assembly deny not but there are Temporary Believers I answer what Ignorance or worse is this When Divines speak of Temporaries or Temporary Believers they call them so to Distinguish them from true Believers those that have a true lively justifying Faith I suppose the phrase was taken up from the Parable of the four sorts of grounds Luke 18.13 Our Saviour there compares some Hearers of the Word to the High-way-side that the Word doth not affect them at all a second sort to the Stony Ground that hear the Word with Joy but they have no Root of grace in them Ay and if such do abide to their Lives end with no other but such a kind of Faith as they have they could not be saved but they often especially if Persecution come lose that Historical Notional Faith and common enlightning they had the Hearts of these were never made good ground they were never ploughed up and sown with the Seed of special Grace to bring forth Fruit unto God The Scope of our
her Child and she sees this simple Child running into a fire that would burn it to Death and the Mother could prevent it and pull the Child back but she suffers it to go on and Perish who will say that such a Mother had such a true and tender Love to the Child So said this Preacher If God have such great and tender Love to all Adams Posterity and sees them through their folly inadvertency and corruption of their Hearts running into Hell-fire and he could stop them and save them and doth not where is his Love and Desire to save them Though I cannot remember the very words yet it was to this purpose that he brought in an Objection he urged it very strongly I think over-ruled by God to confute himself I wondred how he would answer the Objection his Answer was this what saith he if I say God cannot that is that God could not Convert them and so left it To such Absurdities and Blasphemies doth Arminianism lead 2. Others of them say that God indeed can change the Rebellious Will of Man but they alledge two things 1. They say it is Dishonourable to God to go any further for the Conversion of a Sinner than to set before him Arguments Threatnings and Promises and urge these Arguments by inward Convictions but they say it is not for the Honour of God to put forth such irresistible power as shall infallibly change and turn the Heart to God I answer that God hath promised to some absolutely promised to the Elect that which Divines call the first Grace Jer. 31. Heb. 8. I will put my fear in their Hearts I will write my Law in their Hearts Ezek. 36.26 27. A new Heart also will I give you a new Spirit I will put within you and I will take away the Heart of Stone that is take away the stubbornness and rebellion of your Wills and Affections and I will give you a Heart of Flesh that is I will give you a penitent soft plyable Will towards me and my Precepts this God of his infinite Grace hath promised to his Elect without which not one Man or Woman in the World had ever been Converted and Saved and dare any say that 't is Dishonourable to God to shew this Grace and Favour Is it come to this that where God hath a gracious Respect to a person that though the person be ignorant foolish and desperate that it should be Dishonourable to the Physician of Heaven to cure the Man of his Spiritual Phrensy and bring him to a right mind Surely this is so far from being Dishonourable to God that the Elect and Ransomed People shall Adore him and praise him for ever for this great free and undeserved Grace to them 2. They say it is Dishonourable to the Will of Man yea impossible for the Will of Man to be forced therefore they say that all that God doth towards the Conversion of any is by Moral swasion and urging Arguments to this great Queen the Will of Man but she her self must not be touched I answer if God did not touch yea by an Omnipotent sweetness change and turn the Will of Man to himself there had never been any one Converted in this World God works upon the Will in Conversion to make it of unwilling willing and to make it as willing to turn to God as ever it was unwilling before God touched and changed the Will Indeed this Author saith you present Christ not serious because he will not save Men whether they will or no page 22. I say this is a very ignorant Speech and shews the Author to be little acquainted with the Scripture or the corruption of his own Heart for though Men when they hear of Hell and Damnation would be saved from Misery yet there is not any one that would be saved in the way that God hath appointed until God by his immediate Hand do secretly touch and change his Will i. e. that though all would be saved from Hell under the Notion of a State of Misery yet till God give special grace a new Heart put a new bent upon the Will and Affections there is no Man would be saved in Gods way in the Gospel way that is 1. To be made so poor in Spirit as to be taken off from all standing upon Terms with God but acknowledge his Soveraignty and his Righteousness that he might take Vengeance upon us for ever 2. To acknowledge that we have not the least Worthiness and Righteousness but to creep under the Robe of Christs Righteousness 3. To be willing to part with Sins that are as dear to corrupt Nature as Right Hands and Right Eyes to be willing to take up the Cross and follow Christ to be willing to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord so far as he shall please to make known his mind to us Ay it were well if in stead of this blustering about these things that all of us did examine whether we our selves have been so graciously wrought upon by the Spirit of God as that we are willing to be saved in Gods way in the Gospel way Alass Men are of this Opinion and the other and like the Pharisees are industrious to make Proselytes to their Opinions and yet know nothing of the new Birth of the work of Grace upon their own Souls Therefore let us all be much in self Examination and proving what work of Faith in Christ what work of Repentance for Sin what love to God and to his people and ways is begun in us by the Holy Spirit that so we may not think our selves something when we are nothing deceiving our own Hearts 2. Arminians turn the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of works they quite mistake the reason why God doth work Faith and Sanctification in those whom he bringeth to Eternal Life it is not to be the Righteousness in which they are to stand Righteous before God for their Justification at Gods Bar for we are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood Rom. 3.24 25. So that the Righteousness by which we stand Righteous at Gods Bar is a Righteousness imputed to us neither Faith as in act or work nor our Sanctification and good works are our Righteousness in the Covenant of Grace as Obedience to the Law was to be our Righteousness to justifie under the Covenant of works but Faith is wrought â—n those that are saved as a passive instrument whereby they receive and embrace Christ 〈◊〉 o be the Lord their Righteousness and so are tâ—ught to know and adore the way whereby they are saved and Sanctification is wrought is to se that are saved that they may have the first fruits of Holiness here that they may in some measure walk with God and glorifie God heâ—e and be preparing for perfect Holiness and â—ommunion with God in Heaven
Christ for all that If Christ have a few names in a Church that degenerates those shall be safe whatsoever becomes of the rest as to their Church Estate and Eternal-state Revel 3.4 Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white i. e. they shall walk with Christ in the white of Grace here to their lives end and in the white of Glory for ever Tho' the Lord do remove the Candlestick the Church-Estate and will not own a People any longer to be a True Church yet if there be any sound Christians amongst them they shall never be cast off Therefore how vainly doth this Author say from this passage of the Assemblies Confession of Faith here is too much to prove the Point when there is not the least shadow of any thing they say to prove that any True Believer may fall totally and finally Tho' those that were Professors of the Gospel and were in Churches may so degenerate as to lose their Church-estate yet if there were any in those Churches that were True Believers the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against them A Degenerate Church may Excommunicate the Sound Members may prosecute them to Death but can never separate them from the Love of Christ The truth is when a Church doth so wofully degenerate as to be accounted no longer a Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Satan the Lord is pleased many times to stir up those that are Sound Christians amongst them that they are more Lively and Spiritual than ever they were and love not their Lives unto the Death in bearing witness to the Truth Now let us hear this Author declare what his Opinion is about the Saints Perseverance Saith he Pag. 20. For my part tho' I doubt not but there is a State attainable in this Life from which by the Grace of God Christians shall not fall yet I hold it a vanity for any Man to affirm of himself or of any other person in particular that it is impossible for him to fall I hold it far better for the best as well as others to take heed lest they fall I answer This passage is very dark and ambiguous wherein this Author rather hides than declares his Judgment about the Point in hand The word Christian may be taken largely for those that are Christians by Profession only no doubt but they may fall from their Profession or the word Christian may be taken strictly for those who are Christians inwardly in the Heart and in the Spirit as well as outwardly by Profession Now this we maintain from the Scripture as hath been declared before that all such have attained such an Estate by their Vnion with Christ by their Justification Adoption and Regeneration that they shall never fall totally or finally This Author must intend some new Notion if he understand himself which must be that though every one that is Really and Spiritually in Christ is not in such an Estate as that he shall certainly persevere in Grace yet he who hath attained an extraordinary degree of Grace or to an absolute Perfection such as the Quakers talk of may by the Grace of God keep his standing This is a wondrous dark Passage and I shall leave the Author in his Clouds but we maintain 1. That none attain to an absolute perfection in this life Rom. 7. Gal. 5.17 Eccles 7.20 2. That the strongest Saints in the World cannot keep themselves one day but are upheld by the secret Influences and Supplies of the Spirit Phil. 1.13 1 John 5.5 2 Cor. 3.5 3. That the Lord who keeps strong Believers keepeth also the weakest True Believer most certainly and infallibly Phil 1.6 where he hath begun the good work of Special Saving Grace he will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ that the weakest of Christ's Sheep and Lambs shall have Eternal Life and shall never perish John 10.27 28. that Christ will not break nor suffer to be broken the bruised Reed nor quench the smoking Flax Matth. 12.20 that is where there is but a little Special Grace that can but smoke though it cannot flame Christ will keep it that it shall never be quenched but shall at last flame out in Love and Praise and singing in Heaven to all Eternity God keeps True Believers in a state of Grace till they come to Glory not because they are strong but because they are his Elect because they are redeemed by the Blood of his Son and at their effectual Calling adopted to be his Children and saith the Apostle If Children then Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 The least Babe in Christ is God's Child as well as the Eldest and strongest Believer and shall infallibly be an Heir of God and joint Heir with Christ For as many as believed to them he gave power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 The same Day and Hour that a Soul truly receiveth Christ the Lord doth actually adopt that Soul though it be a secret thing to the Soul yet it is as if God should say I did predestinate thee to the Adoption of my Child by Christ and now I do adopt thee to be my Child to be an Heir of Eternal Life and such shall certainly be preserved to the Heavenly Kingdom 1 Pet. 1.4 5. The Inheritance is reserved in Heaven for all that are begotten again to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and they are kept whilst they are in this World by the Power of God through Faith till they come to the Heavenly Inheritance 2. This Author saith I hold it a Vanity for any Man to say of himself it is impossible for him to fall I answer 1. It is a Vanity indeed for any Man to say of himself it is impossible for him to fall taking it for falling into Sin at all for there is no Man that liveth and sinneth not yea it would be Vanity Pride and Presumption for the best Saint on Earth to say it is impossible for him to fall into gross Sins seeing David and Peter fell so foully though they were graciously recovered again 2. It would be great Vanity for the best Saint on Earth to say in any the least Confidence in his own Strength that it is impossible for him to fall away totally and finally for indeed if they were left to themselves it is impossible that they should stand in a state of Grace one day if everlasting Arms were not underneath them if they were not kept by the Power of God If Christ did not hold them fast it were impossible that any of the Saints should stand 3. I say That it is no Vanity but a Triumph of Faith and Thankfulness to the God of all Grace for a True Christian when God sheds abroad his Love in his Heart by the Holy Spirit to say Who shall separate me from the Love of Christ Was it Vanity in David to say Surely
AN ANSWER TO Mr. Thomas Grantham's Book CALLED A DIALOGUE Between the Baptist and the Presbyterian By MARTIN FINCH Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich My Council shall stand and I will do all my Pleasure Isaiah 46.10 Who hath enjoyned him his way or who can say thou hast wrought Iniquity Job 36.23 In whom also we have obtained an Inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the Council of his own Will Eph. 1.11 For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11.36 Therefore hath he mercy on whem he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it Ephes 5.25 LONDON Printed by T. S. for Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-place and Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside 1691. TO THE READER THOSE that would set up to make a Party and draw Disciples after them have a mighty advantage in the Arminian way 1. Because there is a strong Inclination in corrupt Nature to quarrel with the absolute Lordship and Dominion of God over his Creatures to do with them for his own Glory what semmeth good in his sight Men would fain be from under the Lordship and Dominion of God but it cannot be 2. Because it is natural to Men to think that if they be saved it must be by their own Merits and Worthiness and not from the special and distinguishing Grace of God And 't is that which Arminianism brings Men to at last For if God have not made a difference amongst the Children of Men by his special Grace in Election Redemption and Regeneration then they with what helps they had common to them that are saved and to them that perish do make themselves to differ The way is prepared before them that would teach Men in the Arminian way 't is suited to Corrupt Nature But to bring Men to own the Sovereignty of God over them to bring Men to be sensible of the Holiness and Justice of God to bring them to cry guilty before God to acknowledge their own vileness to wonder that God should save any who might justly have damned all for sin To say in their Hearts if God take Vengeance upon them for ever yet he is Righteous to say let me live and I shall praise thee for ever To wonder that God was ever manifest in the flesh and suffered as Mediatour and Surety to save Sinners to see nothing in our selves not so much as a good thought or good inclination but what God puts into us To see that we cannot believe repent and turn to God but by his giving us a new Heart and a new Spirit infusing Grace into us making us new Creatures that if we be saved when others perish it is from free and special Grace that is to be adored to Eternity I say to have our Hearts brought to these things is hard indeed yea impossible except God be pleased to touch our Hearts and turn them with his Almighty hand He can give our Hearts a saving turn in a moment easier than we can think a thought His willing to do it for us is the doing of it for us in the way and time of his own appointment Men may hold some Errours Notionally and not Practically else there were more danger in Arminianism as to Eternal Salvation than Men are aware of For 1. An Arminian if he should act according to that Doctrine he can never pray to God for special Grace that God would determine and fix his Will to himself by his especial Grace that God against all opposition from corrupt nature would give a new Heart All that an Arminian can pray for according to that Doctrine is that God would propound and urge Arguments and Motives to him and that still he may be left to himself what he will do which is but mocking of God instead of praying unto him 2. An Arminian if he act according to that Doctrine cannot thank and praise the Lord for special and distinguishing Grace in Election Redemption and Vocation but must thank himself if he be saved when others perish by improving that universal Grace which others did not improve There would be but cold singing before the Throne in Heaven to Eternity for that Grace that brought them thither if it were not special Grace that saved them when others go into everlasting punishment in Hell Let my Soul be gathered to that people who have a Principle and Heart given them of God to say to Eternity Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name be all the praise 3. The Arminian Doctrine whilst it pretendeth to give great encouragement to Sinners to hope for Salvation by Christ their Doctrine doth if it were true take away all possibility and hope of Salvation for any Man or Woman now living upon the face of the Earth which I make out by these two particulars 1. It is clear from the Scripture that those that shall have Eternal Salvation in Heaven are Believers in Christ and are sanctified in part in this life that he that dieth an Vnbeliever the wrath of God abideth on him John 3. ult And without Holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 2. It is clear from the Scripture that by nature we are dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph 2.1 That the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 That except God do absolutely give a new Heart there can be no true Faith and Holiness in any man The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jeremiah 17.9 Therefore I say if there be not such a special love in God to some whereby he will most certainly and infallibly against all opposition from the World the Flesh and the Devil give them a new Heart give them converting and keeping Grace there is no possibility of the Salvation of any Man Arminian universal Grace can never bring any Man to Heaven it must be special effectual omnipotent Grace that must do it or else all must perish for ever This Author directs his discourse against the Presbyterians as if they only maintained the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation in the sense that he opposeth but I have shewn by the Articles of Lambeth 1595. and by the Articles of Ireland 1615. that the Episcopal Divines have maintained the same Doctrine and that those whom he calleth Presbyterians next to the Scriptures learnt that Doctrine from the old Episcopal Divines Those that maintain the Doctrine of the Sovereignty Immutability and Omnipotency of God may be bold to say what they are able on Gods behalf against vain man that would enjoyn him his way that would dictate to the Almighty what he should do Those that maintain that Christ God-man dyed so
in the following words answereth to the beginning of the 19th Verse Why doth he yet find fault The Apostle doth not answer as you have done but O vain Man O proud Clay shall not the Potter have power over the Clay to make of the same lump one Vessel to honour and another to dishonour So confirming what he had said that God hath mercy upon whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Vers 18. If then the latter part of the 19th Verse be the words of a Caviller or Objector against God's Sovereignty in giving or denying his Grace to whom he will the Apostle acknowledges that to be a truth Who hath resisted his Will In his everlasting Decrees and Purposes But to take the meaning of the words as you do who hath resisted his Will I say taking it for the Will of God in respect of his Precepts and Commands to Men Every one knows they had resisted God's Will in that sense that is broken his Commands and if that were the meaning of Who hath resisted his Will the Apostle would have made answer all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and not O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus He asserts the Sovereignty Lordship and Dominion of God over the Creatures and so he goes on Vers 22 23. The Apostle by the Spirit of God knew how to answer him that finds fault with God about his Decrees He shews the absolute Power and Lordship of God that he may save one by his Grace and condemn another for his Sins as he pleases and that it is not for Man to dispute and contend with God as many do Again you say to the Doctor you seem to hold that God cannot affect an end I suppose you mean he cannot convert a Sinner without a willing the utmost of his power to effect it But you cannot give an instance where he ever did exert or put forth his power to the utmost in any thing that ever he did We must take heed lest we limit the power of the Almighty lest whilst we accuse others we our selves be found most ignorant of Gods Omnipotency I Answer all this is against your self for seeing Gods power is infinite and his greatness is unsearchable Therefore he doth effect and bring to pass whatsoever he wills and pleases to do in the conversion of any Man he pleases to Convert or in any other thing that it is his Will and Pleasure to effect and do When the Doctor saith when God affects an end that is purposes to bring a thing to pass he must needs put forth the utmost of his power to effect it The plain meaning is not that God in any Act of his puts forth all his power But so much power as to effect and bring to pass infallibly what he purposed and intended to do And that when it is the Lords Gracious purpose and intention to Convert a Soul he doth exert and put forth his power so as that the Soul shall certainly and infallibly be Converted And whereas you say you cannot give an instance where God did ever exert and put forth his power to the utmost in any thing that ever he did this makes for the Doctors position for it supposes if there were a thousand thousand times more opposition and difficulty in the Converting of a Man or in any other thing that he pleases to do yet nothing is too hard Yea all is easy for God to do if it pleases him to do it I think you have been over-ruled by the All-governing hand of God to justifie the Doctor and to confute your self with your own pen. Your fourth Paragraph runs all upon the old mistake that you do not distinguish between the will of God in respect of his precepts which he commands us as our Duty and his purpose and intention what he will do That which the Doctor puts you to prove is this that God willed within himself the Conversion of the old World the Jews and Pharisees that never were Converted That is whether God decreed purposed and intended to Convert those of the old World those of the Jews and Phriasees or any other person that never are Converted You endeavour to prove that God did so will and purpose in himself 1. You say as to the old World that God was so serious and inwardly concerned that he strove with them by his Spirit and it grieved him at the Heart that they were Disobedient and he gave them an hundred years to repent in and this shews he inwardly willed their Repentance I am sure that if they had Repented God would not have destroyed them for he hath taught us so to judge of his threatnings to a Sinful Nation I Answer 1. God is said to strive with the old World How did he strive with those that perished The Lord did reprove them by the preaching of Noah for their Sins and by Convictions of Conscience but is this enough to Convert men if God had purposed and intended to save them surely he would have done more for them He would have given them a new Heart and a new Spirit he would have taken away the Heart of Stone and given them an Heart of Flesh This expression of Gods striving with Man must not be strained Surely God is greater than Man and can prevail over the most Stubborn and Rebellious Heart in the World and give it a saving turn in one Moment 2. You say it grieved God at his Heart that they were Disobedient It is said indeed Gen. 6.6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man and it grieved him at his Heart This is spoken by a Figure called Anthropopathia In another place it is said God is not as Man that he should repent When God is said to repent or grieve 't is spoken by a Figure and must not be properly taken and so likewise when God is said to have Eyes Hands Face if we be not careful to understand these things aright we shall mightily dishonour God So that these things are spoken after the manner of Men in condescention to us Poor Weak Shallow Creatures but must be careful to understand them so as to consist with the immutability and perfection of God We must not have such low thoughts of the Majesty of God as to think that God ever had or can have Perturbation or Sorrow at any thing for that is inconsistent with his insinite Happiness and Perfection But this expression of Gods repenting that he had made Man and that it grieved him at the Heart is only to set forth the extream extraordinary wickedness of the old World not the least perturbation and sorrow in God for he is infinitely above such things Ah! What need of Humility and Prayer to God for guidance for the understanding of the Scripture 3. You say that God gave them a Preacher of
as to make God Impotent instead of Omnipotent which he should be if he could be disappointed in bringing to pass what he hath purposed and intended to do You say that Christ was inwardly serious in his endeavours to gather Jerusalem appears by his words and tears which are such as may break a Heart of Stone I answer The Texts tho' you don't set them down are Matt. 23.37 Luke 19.41 42 43 44. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes for the days shall come upon thee that thine Enemies shall cast a trench about thee c. So that our Saviour is not speaking about the Eternal Damnation of the Jews but of the Temporal Destruction of Jerusalem and the People of the Jews which came upon them about forty years after It was such a Desolation as never was according as our Saviour had foretold But observe notwithstanding the Destruction that came upon that People all the Elect amongst them were Converted and between this Prophecy and Threatning and the Destruction of Jerusalem there was a great and famous Church at Jerusalem as we may see in the Acts So that our Saviour doth not mean that the things that belonged to their Spiritual and Eternal Peace were hid from all the People of the Jews for many of them believed and were saved after this time but that the things that belonged to the outward peace and safety of their City and Land were now so hid from the Eyes of the generality of that People and that God would lay their City and Land waste in a short space And for that place Matt. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not behold your House is left unto you desolate and in the next Chapter Mat. 24. he shews what Desolation should come upon Jerusalem As if Christ had said You have had many Prophets before that called you to Repentance and you have stoned and killed them and how often would I have gathered you for your safety to prevent your Ruin by the Roman Eagles that will as easily kill and destroy you as the Eagle doth the Chickens and ye would not Our Saviour as he was God so he was Man and some Speeches and Actions belong to him as Man Christ as Man preached to the Jews as a Minister of the Circumcision He was a Minister and Prophet to the Jews and would have gathered them as Man whom he would not gather as God-man Mediator Surely as God he could have gathered them so as to prevent both their Temporal and Eternal Destruction if he had pleased and as God-man Mediator he did gather the Elect amongst them as to Eternal Salvation And for what you say concerning Christ's Tears over Jerusalem such as may break a Heart of Stone I pray consider this may give more light into this whole business that this is spoken of Christ only as he was man and not as he was God And so it is said when Christ went to Lazarus's Grave Jesus wept John 11.36 Surely when Christ wept over Jerusalem and over Lazarus it was only as man he did not weep as he was Gods As he was Man he had such sinless Passions as Humane Nature hath but as he was God he was above all weeping and sorrow whatsoever But when you say that Christ's Tears over Jerusalem were such as might break a Heart of Stone you must know that Christ's pouring out of Tears as Man is not sufficient to break an Heart of Stone It is only Christ pouring out of his Spirit upon us as he is God-man Mediator that can break an Heart of Stone So that you have done nothing to prove that when God doth graciously purpose and intend to convert a Man that he doth not effect it Ay but you add that sure you are that God's Mind in sending Christ to them was to turn every one of them from their Iniquities Acts 3. ult Let us enquire into the meaning of that Scripture Acts. 3.25 26. Peter preaching to the Jews saith Ye are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant made with our Fathers saying to Abraham In thy Seed shall all the kindreds of the Earth be blessed unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from his Iniquities The Apostle Peter was now preaching to the Jews and tells them that they had been so wicked as to deliver up Christ to Pilate denyed him to be the Messiah and had killed the Prince of Life Vers 13 14 15. yet he exhorts them to Repent and be Converted that their sins might be blotted out Vers 19. Now whereas those that were Convinced that besides their other sins they had been guilty of Crucifying the Lord of Glory they might think there was no hope for their Salvation He tells them that they were the Children of Abraham to whom God promised that by the Messiah who came of his Seed according to the Flesh all the Kindreds of the Earth all the Elect amongst the Gentiles as well as the Jews should be eternally blessed Therefore tho' these Jews should be greatly humbled for their having a hand in Christ's death yet they should not despair of Mercy For unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus hath sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from his Iniquities that is that they should obtain Mercy be blessed and saved any one every one of these Jews to whom Peter preached notwithstanding all the evil that they had done if now the Lord were pleased to give them a Heart to believe in Christ whom they had Crucified The Jews notwithstanding they had Crucified Christ were to have a priority in having Christ preached to them and Salvation by him This is all that is intended in the words It was far from Peter's meaning that God purposed to save every particular man and woman of the Jewish Nation then living and to turn them from their Iniquities for then it should have been effected for the Counsel of the Lord standeth sure and the Thoughts of his Heart to all Generations What do men mean in wresting Texts of Scripture thus to dishonour the most high God as if he were uncertain to effect what he purposes and intends to do as if he were like Man whose Purposes are often broken off and disappointed No our God is wonderful in Counsel and mighty in working his Counsel shall stand and he will do all his Pleasure As to this of the Jews compare Scripture with Scripture and you will find that God never sent Christ to save and convert all the Jews Isaiah 8.14 15.
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
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
the Name of God Gracious and Merciful page 21. And what then are the Turks in a State of Salvation who deny the Trinity deny Christ to be God deny Christ to have dyed but one in his Room and put up Mahomet an Impostor as the great Prophet Indeed your Friend Servetus Conversed much with the Turks and would have had a Reconciliation of the Turkish and Christian Religion It may be this Author doth not understand the danger of these Opinions but they tend to the Subverting of the Christian Religion What if the Turks have a Notion that God is Merciful and Gracious They and all others will find that except they come to God by Christ the Mediator the Sacrifice for Sin they will find God to be a consuming fire to them This Authors mentioning of the Turks puts me in mind of a Discourse I once had with a Quaker one of the most knowing Men that ever I knew of that way and he said the Turks were as good Saints as any were in England Indeed the Arminians and Quakers they run all upon this that there is a sufficient light that God gives to all Mankind that if they do but heed that Light it will bring them to Salvation Ay and so our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the Knowledge of him and Faith in him must be but an indifferent thing and not absolutely necessary that they may maintain their Opinion of Universal Grace What darkness is coming upon this Land that the blind lead the blind after this manner 2. Well then set that question aside for the present what that Mercy and Goodness of God is that if Men accept God from the beginning chose them to Salvation in Christ What is this the Election the Scripture speaks of Here is not a Syllable of Gods purposing of his meer Grace infallibly to give them a new Heart to give them Faith and Repentance and so they must thank themselves if they be saved The Arminians will allow God only to decree that all shall be saved that are so wise and careful as to believe in Christ by improving that common and universal Grace that is afforded to them that are damned as well as those that are saved They will not allow that God hath elected any Persons from Eternity so as that he will certainly call them and that they shall obey that Calling that those Persons from God's special and distinguishing Grace shall be infallibly saved thro' our Lord Jesus Christ If there were no other Election but this there might not one Man or Woman in the World have been saved but blessed be the Name of God for ever God hath from Eternity chosen particular persons to Salvation chosen them so as to give Christ for them and certainly and infallibly to give Christ with all his Benefits to them Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed they were not ordained to Eternal Life because they believed but they believed because they were ordained to Eternal Life there were some of the Hearers that God had from Eternity ordained to Eternal Life that were now to be savingly called and to them God gave a new Heart Faith and Repentance when others contradicted and blasphemed Ephes 1.3 4 5 6. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in Love having predestinated us to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will to the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved 1. Here we see that those that God blesseth with Spiritual Blessings Justification Sanctification Adoption Grace and Glory it is by Jesus Christ all is communicated through him 2. Those that God doth in time Justifie and Sanctifie he purposeth to do it for those very persons before all Time even from Eternity 't is according as he had chosen them before the Foundation of the World was laid God from Eternity chose Christ to be their Mediator and Head and chose them to be the Members of his Mystical Body He did not choose them upon any foresight of Holiness in them but chose them to make them Holy and without Blame before him in Love 3. If any ask the Question Why God chose those individual persons and not others the Apostle shews that it was the good pleasure of his Will v. 5. to the praise of the Glory of his Grace v. 6. to the praise of the Glory of his Discriminating Distinguishing Grace who will be gracious to whom he will be gracious and will have compassion on whom he will have compassion whatsoever Men and Devils say against it Revel 13.8 And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him that is the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World As Christ the Mediator was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World to be Mediator and was slain in the Decree and Purpose of God from Eternity so there were the Names of those he should be slain for in time written in the Book of Life not that God uses Books and Writing as Men do but the Persons of those that were Elected from Eternity were as certain so many and no more as if they had been written in a Book And because they were thus Elected God will not suffer them to be finally deceived to worship the Beast 1 Thessal 1.4 5. Knowing Brethren beloved your Election of God for our Gospel came not to you in Word only but in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance So far as we can know that the Gospel comes with Saving Power upon the Hearts of any so far we know their Election before the Foundation of the World Men are not elected when or because the Gospel comes with saving Power upon their Hearts but because God had elected them to Life from Eternity therefore he sets home the Gospel in due season with Saving Power upon their Hearts 2 Thess 2.13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you Brethren that God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1. God's choosing from the beginning unto Salvation is meant of his choosing them from Eternity to the End viz. to Eternal Salvation 2. Through Sanctification and belief of the Truth shews the way by which God eternally intended to bring them to Salvation 3. The Apostle shews that God did in his eternal choosing of them freely purpose to bring them into this Grace wherein they stood that is he decreed to give them that Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth which he had now actually bestowed upon them Those whom God hath chosen
so as to get Execution against them in Hell seeing they are God's Elect and Christ hath died for them Men know not what they do when they set their Wits on work to deny that God hath set his free and unchangeable Love upon some from Eternity whereby he will certainly and infallibly bring them to Grace here and Eternal Glory hereafter through our Lord Jesus Christ For observe Take away Election and you take away Redemption for Redemption is grounded upon Election Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me Thine they were by Election and therefore thou gavest them me to redeem and bring to Glory Take away God's Eternal Election of a certain number of Persons to Grace and Glory and you take away Effectual Calling and Conversion For if God of his mere Grace and good Pleasure had not so elected them there had never been any Person effectually called 'T is God alone that doth inwardly and effectually call any so as that they are savingly converted and if he had not freely predestinated and elected them he had never called and converted them Whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called Rom. 8.30 Take away God's Eternal Special and Unchangeable Love to a certain Number that he will set them before his Face for ever and if we were in Heaven we could not be sure to continue there What a Multitude of Angels sinned and were thrust down to Hell It was Election that setled the Angels that see God's Face for ever The Angels that stand are called the Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5.15 God decreed from Eternity to determine and fix their Wills unto himself for ever It is from this Eternal and Unchangeable Love of God in Election that the Angels and Saints in Heaven are upheld in Love and Praise unto God for ever It hath been an old Objection of Arminians and revived by this Author pag. 26. That many have despaired of Mercy and have laid violent hands upon themselves and many he saith in this City He mentions it that they fall into this Despair because they are told Christ died but for a few 1. I answer This Objection useth to be brought too against Election For my part I do not remember that ever I knew any in my whole Life that laid violent hands upon themselves because they heard that Christ did not die for all Adam's Posterity or that they were not elected The truth is those that make away themselves may sometimes get such things into their Thoughts as that they have committed the Sin against the Holy Ghost and that they are not elected and Christ did not die for them But the true cause of their laying violent hands upon themselves is some extraordinary worldly Sorrow which worketh Death in that sense or Excess of Melancholy whereby they are so distracted that they are not themselves 2. As to Despair of Mercy If God give up a Man to Satan and his own Heart how easily may any Man fall into it though he hold Universal Redemption and deny Election For our Saviour saith plainly Matth. 7.14 Few there be that find the strait Gate and narrow Way Yea I will maintain that the Doctrine of Eternal Redemption and of Christ's dying only for the Elect and that the Elect whom Christ died for shall certainly and infallibly be saved is an Antidote against Despair if the Lord please to put in with it And that the denying of Election and holding Universal Redemption is the way to bring those that have a deep Sense of their own Sinfulness and Unworthiness is the way to bring such to utter Despair of Mercy I make it out thus Take a Person that is throughly convinced of Sin that sees and is sensible that he hath a Depth of Sin in his Nature that sees himself vile and abominable by reason of the universal Corruption of his Nature as well as actual Sins more than the Hairs of his Head which cannot be numbred You come to this humbled convinced Person with your Arminian Doctrine and tell him that God did not decree any Person to Salvation from Eternity of mere Grace to give them infallibly both Grace and Glory but that Christ died for all Adam's Posterity Saith the convinced humbled Sinner Shall all be infallibly saved that Christ died for You must tell him according to the tenour of your Doctrine No there were many of them in Hell when he died and never shall be set at liberty from their Everlasting Chains of Darkness Yea you can tell them according to your Doctrine that notwithstanding Christ's Death there might not one Man or Woman in the World have been saved Truly this Doctrine is enough to drive Men into Despair Ay but you can tell them that whosoever believeth shall be saved Ay and so can others tell them as well as you though they hold Election and that Christ died only for the Elect For if God gives Faith that is a certain sign of Election and that Christ died for that Person Well Now let us see what those that hold Election and that Christ died only for the Elect can say in a Ministerial and Doctrinal Way to keep a convinced humbled Sinner from Despair of Mercy I say in a Ministerial Doctrinal Way for it is God alone that can do it inwardly and effectually Now therefore our Doctrine can say to such a convinced humbled Sinner that is ready to despair God hath from Eternity decreed of his mere Grace in Christ to give Grace and Glory to certain Persons and some of these Persons that God intended to make everlasting Monuments of his Free Grace are not only by Nature Children of Wrath as well as others but in time are Monsters in respect of Actual Sin as Manasseh the Thief upon the Cross and Paul for persecuting the Church of God but being elected to Life and Christ dying for them they are converted and saved And who knows but that you are of that number There is a May be that you are an Object of this Special Grace and 't is certain if that you being convinced of Sin do venture and trust in God's free Mercy in Christ you shall be saved All that the Father giveth unto Christ to redeem and save shall come to him and he that cometh unto him he will in no wise cast out And if the humbled Sinner says If I should put my Trust in Christ the Arminian tells me that I may be a Child of God to Day and a Child of the Devil to Morrow Therefore why should I that know what a vile Heart I have ever think of any Hope of Salvation but sink in utter Despair Our Doctrine assures them if the Lord be pleased once to unite them to Christ by a true and lively Faith the Lord will give them from time to time such Influences and Supplies of his Spirit as that they shall be kept in the state of Grace until they come to the state of Glory Therefore let all that are wise
Saviour in that Parable is that some are affected with the Word and after a sort believe and yet never have the Root of the Matter a New Heart To explain this further John 2.23 24. It is said many believed on him when they saw the Miracles but Jesus would not commit himself to them for he knew all Men he knew what is in Man the meaning is that though they believed after a sort yet he would not commit himself to them and trust them as true Disciples and true Friends to him for he knew all Men he knew they were not sound Believers he knew they had not that precious Faith of Gods Elect. And so it 's said of Simon Magus Acts 8.13 That he believed and was Baptized and yet Peter tells him That his Heart was not right in the sight of God but was in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of Iniquity Men may be enlightened and convinced and after a sort be Believers and yet never be truly humbled for Sin as Sin never be taken off from all Confidence in their own Righteousness never rely upon Christ alone for Justification never have that Faith that worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 Those that fall away have but an Historical Notional Faith such as the Apostle James calls Faith without Works a dead Faith Saving Justifying Faith differs not only in degree but in its Kind and Nature from this Faith that they have that falls away 1 Jo. 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us no doubt they would have continued with us but they went out from us that they might be made manifest they were not all of us that is that those who were Professors and Believers after a sort they went out from us they fell away because they were not of us they were not of the Elect and Ransomed People they were not partakers of like precious Justifying Faith with us for if they had been so no doubt the Apostle puts a no doubt upon it they would have continued with us and never have fallen to Judaism or Heathenism again but they went out from us fell off from their Profession and common enlightning that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us but he tells them that had true Justifying Faith they have an anointing from the Holy one v. 21. and v. 27. the anointing which ye have received abideth in you v. 27. Every one the least as well as the strongest that have justifying Faith they have The Spirit of God dwelling in them they have another manner of work of the Spirit upon them than any that fall away they are new Creatures they are partakers of the Divine Nature and this Anointing with the Spirit of Grace and with the Graces of the Spirit abideth in them against all opposition from the remainders of Corruption against all opposition from Men or Devils The Lord to humble them and to shew them that it is of his meer Grace in Christ that they are saved may leave them in part to themselves at times and they may be as a Tree cut down but yet there is the Root of the Matter the Root of Grace always in them and through the scent of the Water of Life thro' new Influences Supplies and quickenings of the Spirit they shall put forth Buds and Blossoms of Grace again God hath promised to every true Believer that he will never leave him nor forsake him Heb. 13.5 i. e. he will never leave him nor forsake him totally or finally and 't is God's not leaving or forsaking them that keeps them from not leaving or forsaking of him Let it be well observed that we all by our fall in Adam have forsaken God the Fountain of Living Waters we have left God and God hath left us as to any help by a Covenant of Works that Covenant was Mutable and Conditional God would not leave and forsake Man upon condition that Man did not leave and forsake him as to exact and perfect Obedience but Adam and all of us in him did presently leave and forsake God Rom. 5.12 and so God hath left and forsaken all Adam's Posterity as to Blessing them upon the terms of the Covenant of Works But Blessed be God for a Covenant of Grace and Jesus the Mediator whom ever the Lord takes internally into this Covenant he will never leave them nor forsake them and hath himself undertkaen to keep them that they shall never totally and finally leave nor forsake him Jer. 32.40 Hos 14.4 5. Isai 54.9.10 Isai 55.3 2. The Assembly say in their Confession of Faith That the purest Churches under Heaven are subject to Mixture and Error and have been so degenerated as to become no Churches of Christ but Synagogues of Satan Upon which this Author saith surely the purest Churches are True Believers and if these purest Churches may become Synagogues of Satan it is too much to prove the point I answer That the Point in hand is whether one whom the Lord hath endued with a lively Justifying Faith shall not be actually and infallibly kept by the Grace and Power of God unto Salvation Now this Position of the Assembly doth consist very well with that point of Doctrine which they maintained about the perseverance of the Saints The Assembly of Divines are not speaking of the Invisible Mystical Church who are inseparably united to Christ but of particular Churches and Congregations of those that are Professors of the Gospel and they say rightly 1. That the purest of these Churches of Professors are subject to mixture i. e. that there may be in the purest Churches unsound Professors that never had a Saving Work of Grace wrought in their Hearts 2. That the purest Churches are subject to Error as to lesser Errors the purest Churches in the World may be guilty before God Christ may not only have a few things but many things against the best Churches either for Errors in Doctrine or Worship or failings in Conversation in Ministers and People who can understand his Errors all his Errors the purest Churches had need to be very Humble and not boast of their Purity but pray continually that God would pardon and reform what he sees amiss in them 3. The purest Church may so degenerate as to be no Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Satan All that the Assembly of Divines here say is very true and no contradiction at all to themselves in their maintaining the certain perseverance of particular Saints for tho' the purest Church may so degenerate in time as to be no true Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Satan yet if there be any True Believers in a Church they are kept notwithstanding the Apostacy of the Church whereof they were Members tho' the Church doth so degenerate as to lose their Church state yet if there were any one sound Christian in that Church he shall hold his spiritual Estate and Vnion with
Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord for ever Psal 23.6 and Psal 73.26 Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterwards bring me to Glory Was it Vanity in the Apostle Paul to say Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge will give unto me and not to me only but to all them that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 I suppose this Author may be of the Judgment of Bellarmine and other Papists that none can have Assurance in this Life of their Eternal Salvation except it be by extraordinary Revelation Then as to what he saith That it is a Vanity to tell any other particular Person that it is impossible for him to fall I answer that if he intends falling totally and finally I suppose it is not ordinary to say to any particular person it is impossible for you to fall away and if one do say so to any particular person it is upon a Supposition that the Person is savingly united to Christ as if a particular Person under desertion saith I once had Hope through Grace but now God will be gracious no more I shall one day fall by the hand of Sin and Satan one may assure him that if e're God hath begun the good Work of Special Saving Grace he will perform it to the Day of Jesus Christ Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 Ay but saith this Author It is far better for the best to take heed lest they fall I answer It is very well consistent with the Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance to take heed lest they fall and to work out their Salvation with an Holy Fear and Trembling looking diligently lest they fail of the Grace of God 1. They that have the fullest assurance of Salvation are to take heed lest they fall into Sin because Sin is Sin in a Believer as well as in another Man yea in some sence it is more heinous in a Believer than in another Man and tho' there be no Condemnation to those that are in Christ so that God will not cast his Children into Hell for their Sins yet he may sorely chastize them upon Earth both by Inward Terrors of Conscience and outward Afflictions 2. Such Cautions as take heed lest you fall and the like are one means by which God keeps his People from falling God's infallibly keeping his People doth not take them off from their Duty of Watching and Praying but encourageth them to their Duty But still if the Lord did not hold every Believer with a strong hand notwithstanding all their care and taking heed they would fall yea and fall as low as Hell For what the Author adds That good Laws were not made against Traytors and Felons to make Men Traytors and Felons but to keep Men from being Traytors and Feions I answer God's Laws and Precepts were not made to make Men wicked but to restrain Men from Sin and that they do so far as God is pleased to give Men either Common and Restraining Grace or Special and Sanctifying Grace But the aim of this Author is to make his ignorant and unwary Reader think that there are no other Decrees of God but Laws and Precepts set forth to Men as their Duty which is a gross mistake and is such a Vail upon this Author that till it be taken away he will never understand these things God's Eternal Decrees and Purposes are his Intentions what he himself will do for the manifestation of his own Glory God's Laws and Precepts are his Commandments to us as our Sovereign Lord but of these things I spake before in my Vindication of Dr. Collings Before I end this Chapter I would make this Observation which may be of use to his own Soul if the Lord please to put in by his own Spirit however it may be of use to others and it is this that this Author though he talks of a general Love of God to all Adam's Posterity and of God's setting forth good Laws yet he seems to have had such a dark Education that he is not acquainted with the free Covenant of Grace and the free Promises of Grace that are made to some Persons Some Scriptures declare what God requires of us in Precepts and Commands and in other Scriptures he doth freely and absolutely promise to some to all the Elect to all the Spiritual Israel that he will do it for them of his Free Grace in Christ And indeed if the Lord had not freely and absolutely promised to do these things for some there had not there could not have been any of Adam's Posterity saved The first Promise of Grace Gen. 3.15 that the Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head doth virtually contain all other Promises set forth afterward This Seed of the Woman is our Lord Jesus Christ who being God by Nature was to take upon him Humane Nature of a Woman It was declared that he should bruise the Serpent's Head give him a mortal Wound for all whose Surety and Mediator he was that he should destroy the Works of the Devil that he should certainly and infallibly bring all the Elect to Glory notwithstanding all that the Devil had done to bring Adam and all his Posterity under the Curse of the Law The Words hold forth no less than a full perfect and eternal Rescue in due time from the Devil and Sin that all whose Surety and Mediator Christ was shall certainly be Partakers of In one Text Deut. 10.16 it is said Circumcise the Fore-skin of your Heart In another Deut. 30.6 it is promised to the Elect The Lord thy God will circumcise thine Heart It is commanded in Ezek. 18.31 Cast away from you all your Transgressions and make you a new Heart And it is promised to the Elect that God will do this for them in Ezek. 36.26 27. A new Heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the Heart of Stone and give you an Heart of Flesh Let it be considered how absolutely God undertakes for his Elect in the Covenant of Grace I will and I will So Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People Ver. 34 They shall all know me There are Promises unto Grace and Promises to give Grace to work Grace infallibly in the Elect And if we do not partake of those exceeding great and precious Promises that the Lord will work Grace in our Hearts against all Opposition we cannot be saved Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power Joh. 10.16 Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold Them also I must bring and they shall hear my
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
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