be one of Gods elect which may be for ought we know to the contrary And if it proove otherwise and we have cause to complayne that we have laboured in vayne and that we have spent our strenght in vayne this ought to be nothing strange to us seing it hath bene the condition of better and more eminent servants of God then we are neyther are we to seeke how to comfort our selves but in the Prophets language Yet my labour is with the Lord and my judgment with my God though we have laboured all night yea and many dayes also and caught nothinge in S. Pauls language we are unto God the sweete savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perishe To the one we are the Savour of death unto death and to the other a Savour of life unto life and herby we doe God service in bereaving them of excuse for they cannot but by these meanes know that a Prophet hath bene amongst them yea and by molesting them with the torments of hell and stirring up a worme in their conscience to gnawe them we may as it were throwe water in their faces and quash their furious courses in satisfying their lusts so that hereby they may proficere ad exteriorem vitae emendationem quo mitiùs puniantur Now judge of the soliditie of this Authors discourse who conscious of giving litle satisfaction in good earnest affects to refresh the spirit of his propitious reader with a jest saying that his personate Actor will not affirme himself to be a Reprobate for feare of being held so indeed by the Synods But where doth eyther of these Synods teach that who so conceaves himself to be a reprobate is to be held by them to be such a one indeed For albeit eyther of them did affirme every Christian to be bound to beleeve that he is an elect for which we have no stronger evidence then the honesty of this Authors word which of what price it deserves to be let the indifferent judge yet that they should hold every one to be a reprobate indeed who conceaves himself to be such a one is altogether incredible Yet notwithstanding these and such like immodest and shamelesse pretences this Author will not want some to applaude him herein as a resolute champion of their cause And albeit he shapes his Actor such as feare not God yet to serve his turne he must shape him so as to stand in feare of the censure of Arles and of their hard opinion of him The third Section IF hereupon the Censurer proceede That allthough the Spirit alone doth produce repentance in the heart of a sinner yet notwithstanding that exhortations and threatnings are the meanes and instruments which it useth in the worke The other will demaund further of him the explication of his saying therein observing a most manifest contradiction in that on the one side repentance is immediately attributed to the holy Ghost and on the other side these exhortations and threatnings are held as means and instruments of this worke the operation not being there immediate where the meanes are used That if these meanes of exhortation be necessary or at least if it be ordinarily required in the operation how can it be that they who resist it and reject the instrument doe not nay cannot likewise resist the principall cause which is the holy Ghost He that will not suffer the rasour the instrument of his cure doth he not therein also reject the Chirurgeon The Censurer will say that the elect reject neither the one nor the other the holy Ghost pearcing the eare to make it heare and opening the heart to make it receave those admonitions which are alltogether vaine unprofitable untill the holy Ghost doth so worke in them Thereupon the other will make him confesse that the word preached for the most part is destitute of that operation of the holy Ghost as it appeareth by the misprise that the most part make of it which cannot be when the efficacy of the Spirit doth accompany it it followeth then that the whole ministery is but a dance no more cooperating with mans conversion then the clay which our Saviour applyed to the eyes of the blind did unto his sight or the sole voyce calling upon Lazarus made him to rise out of his grave He will also demand of him why it is seing nature doth nothing in vayne that the Author of nature did appoynt the ministery of the word and why those things which the Censurer attributeth onely to the Holy Spirit are yet notwithstanding in the Scripture attributed likewise to the word preached and how it is that thereby we are said to be begotten renued edified nourished and purified c. whereas the new doctrine of the Synod leaveth it no other function then to serve as an object and to represent that without which the Holy Spirit hath already wrought within as well in the will as in the understanding without any cooperation of the word not onely unprofitable without the Spirit but also dangerous and aggravating the damnation of its contemners although it were impossible to receave and cherish it even as it is unpossibâ—e for them to adde the efficacy of the Spirit which is not in their power Consid. Here the Censurer is brought in without any decent occasion to discourse of the Spirits operation alone in producing repentance and yet notwithstanding that exhortations and threatnings are the meanes and instruments which it useth in the worke so to make way for the discharging of some shot he hath in readinesse against this By the way I observe that howsoever he puts upon his Actor in this seene the name of a Censurer yet he might be called as well an exhorter and threatner The word of God S. Paul tels us is profitable to teach to coÌ„vince to correct to instruct in righteousnesse but no where doe I finde any such act as censuring attributed unto it But as for the mayne we acknowledge that it is the Spirits operation alone that changeth the heart and yet notwithstanding that exhortations backt with promises upon our obedience threatnings upon our disobedience are the meanes for as much as God worketh in all agreably to their natures Now having made man after his owne image indued with an understanding heart and rationall affections wherby he is fitt to be wrought upon unto that which is good and from that which is evill by way of instruction exhortation persuasion therfore it pleaseth God accordingly to bring him unto faith repentance and obedience Now let us consider what he hath to say against this herupon he saith the other will demaund further of him the explication of his sayings therin objecting a most manifest contradiction in that on the one side repentance is immediately attributed to the holy Ghost and on the other side these exhortations and threatnings are helde as meanes instruments of this worke the operation not being
is preached in the word in the issue left to the free will of man to beleeve or no to repent or no to obey or no and yet notwithstanding give out that the word it is which converts them brings them to faith repentance and obedience and yet cavill at our ascribing those effects to the word of God in one kinde of operation which yet we ascribe solely and immediately to Gods spirit in another kind of operation â—specially considering that it is Gods word not their word and sent by God in his Spirit by the ministery of the Prophets and not sent by them in their Spirits and it is the meanes whereby Gods Spirit workes as before I have shewed and not a meanes appoynted by them whereby their Spirit worketh But it is nothing strange that they who oppose Gods grace should in the end fayle even of common sense The Synod sayth this Auâ—hor leaveth it no other function then to serve as an object and to represent it When Bellarmine sayth that Suadens agit per modum proponentis objectum He delivereth this as a dictate of common sense knowne by the very light of nature I say a litle more that he who persuades ought his office is to repâ—esent that whâ—reunto he persuades in the most alluring manner â—o draw the partie whom he persuades to like it and to labour for it Farther I say we doe ascribe to the word as much as they doe or can doe in truth In pretence I deny not but they may deale wâ—th it as they deale with Gods grace makâ—ng shew as if â—hey ascribed thereunto their faith their repentance When indeed they impute it to their owne free wills not fearing to mocke God if he would be mocked And as the Iewes sometimes crowned Christ with thornes so do these crowne the grace of God with scornes But the true difference betweene us is not in ascribing or denying ought to Gods word but in that we ascribe that to the Spirit of God which they ascribe to the freedome of their wills I say the difference between us is whether it be not so indeede as here I professe and am ready to make good But wheras he saith we make the word of God only to represent that without which the holy Spirit hath allready wrought within as well in the will as in the undeâ—standing without any cooperation of the word this passage is eyther falsely copyed or falsely translated out of the French For the first without comes out of his place the sense it beares being afterwards represented at full in these wordes without any cooperation of the word and besides it marres altogether the sense of the wordes following therfore I leave it quite out and reade the passage thus to represent that which the holy Spirit hath allready wrought within as well in the will as in the understanding without the cooperation of the word Now here is a prety mystery woorth the opening For he imputes unto us as if we should say that the word persuades and exhorts to that which the Spirit hath allready wrought both in the will and in the understanding Now I desire to knowe what that is which the Spirit hath allready wrought and when it was wrought according to our opinion as he saith for I willingly professe it is a mysteâ—y unto me namely that we should maynteyne that God sends his ministers unto us to persuade us to that which God hath wrought in us and that perhaps long before we heard the word And I willingly confesse in this case we might well seeme to make the ministery of Gods word to be very unprofitable and vayne Now as I sayd so I say still this is very mysterious unto me But I must fishe it out as well as I can by Interrogation And what is it trowe we that this Author meanes by this Is it the worke of regeneration consisting in the renovation of all the rationall faculties of man both the understanding and the will Vndoubtedly this is his meaning though the Auâ—hor caryeth himselfe obscurely without particulating what he meaneth and wherin it consists Then agayne when was this wrought If before we are pertakers of the word preached as he playnly signifiâ—th is it not cleare that it must be before we come to the use of reason being as we are brought up in the Church of God and accordingly made pertakers of Gods word as soone as we come to the use of reason And what time of infancy is more likely to be conceaved as most congruous herunto than the time of our admittance unto the Sacrament of Baptisme I am out of doubt that this is his meaninge wherby it appeares that these Arminians are of a contrary opinion utterly denying that the grace of regeneration is conferd in Baptisme Yet master Hooker hath maynteyned that the grace of regeneration is conferd in Baptisme against master Cartwright and one I knewe in my time a favourer of his that maynteynd in the divinitie schooles that Baptisme is necessary unto salvation And nowadayes our Arminians are eager in the mayntenance therof which our Arminians beyond the Seas as it seemes doe utterly deny yet they hugge one another in the armes of love in opposing oâ—hers But to make short let our Englishe Armâ—nians looke how they answeare this For my part I maynteyne no such opinion and albeit master Montacute would put such an opinion upon our Church out of the booke of common prayer where it is sayde Now this childe is regenerate though the same Author professeth that all that we reade in the homilies is not to be receaved as the doctrine of the Church of England Yet Bishop Carleton hath answeared master Montacute upon the same point and hath shewed out of Austin that it is one thinge to be truly regenerate and another thing to regenerate Sacramento tenus I willingly confesse that the Sacrament of Baptisme is the seale of the righteousnes of faith unto us Christians as Circumcision was unto the Iewes Rom. 4. which is as much as to say that it assures us of the remissioÌ„ of our sinnes as many as believe and that as a Sacrament in generall is defined in the smaller catechisme of our Church to be an outward and a visible signe of an inward and invisible grace And so I conceave baptisme to be and that not of justification only unto them that believe but of the grace of regeneration allso but how not at that instant collatae but suo tempore conferendae To witt when God shall effectually call a man and it is very strange unto me that regeneration shoulde goe before vocation And therfore we are free from maynteyning any such unprofitablenes and vaynes of the ministery of the word as to persuade us to that which God hath wrought in us allready yea long before both in our understandings in our wills as here it is charged upoÌ„ us but causelesly for ought I knowe And if the Synod of Dort or Arlâ—s
notwithstanding all exhortations backt with promises and threatnings the will for all this is left at liberty to obey or disobey but God by his Spirit doth immediately worke the will to obey the ministery of the word He is brayne sicke with errour that seeth not how the preaching of the word nothing hinders the immediate operation of the Spirit of God in working the will to assent and yeelde obedience thereunto He saith there is not to be found in all the Scripture any one promise of such a perseverance in faith as the Synod intimates yet is it possible that he should be so ignorant as not to knowe that many passages of holy Scripture are alleaged to confirme this and that in the very Acts of that Synod but this Author being of a comicall witt doth not finde himselfe so fitt as to enter upon a serious encounter And insteede of debâ—litating any one passage of scripture usually alleaged by our divines for the confirmation of this their Tenet this judicious Author outfaceth them all blindfold saying that all exhortations wherof the scriptures are full doe directly oppugne the pretended promise But we utterly deny this nay nothing but shamefull inconsideâ—atenes makes this Author so bolde as by such base pretences which were exploded in the dayes of Austin by himselfe and others in their disputes against the Pelagians to cry downe the truth of God For he considers not that as God workes men to perseverance so it is fitt he should worke them hereunto in such manner as is agreeable to their natures Now this is by admonition and exhortation God promised Paul that he would give him freely all that sailed with him Act. 27.24 Yet this hindred not Pauls exhortation to the Centurion to stay the marriners in the shippe saying except these abide in the ship ye cannot be safe v. 31. And what an absurd thing is it to conceave that by begetting feare through admonitions we overthrow the promise when the promise it selfe is not accomplished but by this feare as Ier. 31 40. I will putt my feare in their hearts that they shall never depart away from me For God that he may beate presumption out of us and teach us to depend on him that so we may give him alone the glory of our preservation will have us sensible of our owne weaknesse and feare thereupon and therefore exhorts us expressely to worke out our salvation with feare and trembling Philipp 2.13 That so all our confidence may be in God and none in our selves and thus he leades us along in all the Holy wayes thereof unto salvation to witt with confidence in him but with no confidence in our selves but rather with feare and trembling in respect of our selves The promise saith not there is no cause of feare in respect of our selves but rather overcomes those feares by calling us to lift up our eyes towards our maker that so we may be a people saved by the Lord he being the shield of our streÌ„gth a sword of our glory we feare unto the Lord Hos. 3. last that is come flying with feare and trembling unto him and Hos. 11.10 They shall walke after the Lord he shall roare like a Lyon When he shall roare then the Children of the West shall feare trepidabunt that is festinabunt trepide ad dominum Be it that the danger cannot happen by vertue of Gods ordinance yet if God hath ordeyned that it shall not happen by meanes of our fearing it out of the sense of our owne impotency to guard our selves from it thereupon are stirred up to make the Lord our strength whose grace we know is sufficient for us are we foolish in fearing it when our feare makes us fly and cleave to God who alone can and hereupon will preserve us from it Nothing is to be done by us to keepe the Heavens from falling but something is to be done by us to keep us from falling that something in part is to feare least we fall The heavens shall one day passe away and Gods covenant with day and night shal be at an end but Gods covenant for the perseverance of his Saints shall never be at an end onely a time shall come when perfect love shall supply the place of feare in our fruition of God which shall be everlasting The fift Section FOr summe of all it will come unto that passe to believe it were better to addresse our admonitions unto God for him to finish his worke in men to convert correct and comfort them by his omnipotency which no person is able to resist and that it is his fault that so many persons continue faithlesse profane and desperate because it is he that refuseth to give or taketh away the grace necessary as well to their conversion as to their repentance and perseverance in the faith If any of these Synodâ—sts were sicke of the palsie and praesented themselves to some Physician who by the meanes of an excellent potion promiseth him to make him leave his bed ere long goe whither he pleaseth the other having recovered his health and the use of his arme and legge would he further binde his physician to cary him upon his shoulder from place to place for the sparing of his legges and nourishing of his sloth while he in the meane time lyes lazy in his bed and continueth the excesse which brought him unto his sicknes and yet not withstanding these men are not contented that God should furnish them with necessary and sufficient grace to preserve and keepe them from all temtaâ—ion from the divill the world and the flesh and to continue in that faith and therby to conserve this grace in watching fasting and praying they will allso have God immediately and irresistibly to produce all thâ—se thinges in them What remayneth then but to say that God himselfe doth beleeve repent and persevere in well doing even as Servetus said that the Fire doth not burne the Sunne doth not shine that bread nourisheth not but onely that God doth all these things immediately in his creatures not having given them their properties Consid. In the like manner some there were who opposed the grace of God 1200 yeares agoe in the dayes of Austin and thereupon he wrote his booke de Correptione gratia Rursus saith he ad eosdem scripsi alterum librum quem de correptione gratia praenotavi cum mihi nuntiatum esset dixisse ibi quendam neminem corripiendum si Dei praecepta non facit sed pro illo ut faciat tantummodò or andum And in the booke it selfe and 4. chapter he represents their discourse more at large in this manner Praecipe mihi quid faciam si fecero age pro me gratias Deo qui mihi ut facerem dedit Si autem non fecero non ego corripiendus sum sed ille orandus est ut det quod non dedit id est ipsam qua praecepta ejus fiant fidelem Dei
the libertie of mans will and not in the appetition of the ende it being naturall to a man to be caryed to the liking of his ende necessarily according to that of Aristotle Qualis quisque est ita finis apparet And doth it become these men to dictate unto us not only a new divinitie but also a new Philosophy at pleasure As for the reason here added fetched from the aeternall and efficatious decree of God this is so farre from confirming their premises as that it utterly overthrowes them and confirmeth ours For we say with Aquinas that the efficacions will of God is the cause why some things come to pasâ—e contingently and freely as well as it is the cause why other things come to passe necessarily Was the burning of the Prophets bones by Iosiah performed any whit lesse freely by him then any other action of his Oâ— the proclamation that Cyrus made for the returne of the Iewes out of the captivitie was not this as freely done by him as ought else Yet both these were praedetermined by God Nay I say more that every thing which cometh to passe in the revolution of times was decreed by God I proove by such an argument for answeare wherunto I chalenge the whole nations both of Arminians and Iesuits It cannot be denyed but God foresawe from every lastinge whatsoever in time should come to passe therfore every thinge was future froâ— everlasting otherwise God could not foresee it as future Now let us soberly inquire how these thinges which we call future came to be future being in their owne nature merely possible and indifferent as well not at all to be future as to be future Of this transmigration of things out of the condition of things merely possible such as they were of themselves into the condition of things future there must needes be some outward cause Now I demand what was the cause of this transmigration And seing nothing without the nature of God could be the cause hereof for this transmigration was from everlasting but nothing without God was everlasting therfore some thing within the nature of God must be founde fitt to be the cause herof And what may that be not the knowledge of God for that rather presupposeth things future and so knowable 〈◊〉 in the kinde of things future then makes them future Therefore it remaines that the meere decree will of God is that which makes them future If to shift off this it be said that the essence of God is the cause hereof I further demaunde whether the essence of God be the cause hereof as working necessarily or as working freely If as working necessarily then the most contingent thinges became future by necessitie of the divine nature and consequently he produceth whatsoever he produceth by necessitie of nature which is Atheisticall Therefore it remaines that the essence of God hath made them future by working freely and consequently the meere will and decree of God is the cause of the futurition of all things And why should we doubt hereof when the most foule sinnes that have beene committed in the World are in scripture phrase professed to have beene predetermined by God himself Vpon supposition of which will and decree divine we confesse it necessary that things determined by him shall come to passe but how not necessarily but either necessarily or contingently and freely to witt necessarie things necessarily contingent things and free things contingently and freely So that contingent things upon supposition of the will divine have a necessitie secundum quid but simply a contingencye and that the same thing may come to passe both necessarily secundum quid and simply in a contingent manner ought to be nothing strange to men of understanding considering that the very foreknowledge of God is sufficient to denominate the most contingent things as comming to passe necessarily secundum quid I come to the consideration of the fourth 4. As touching this Article here objected unto us we have no cause to decline the maintenance thereof but chearfully and resolutely to undergo the defense as of the truth of God clearly sett downe unto us in the word of God The illumination of the minde is compared to Gods causing light to shine out of darkenesse in the creatioÌ„ 1 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of the darknes is he which hath shined in 〈◊〉 heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ And for God to say unto Sion thou art my people is made aequivalent to the planting of the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth Es. 51.16 I have putt my wordes in thy mouth and defended thee in the shadow of my hand that I may plant the Heavens and lay the foundation of the Earth and say unto Sion Thou art my people Ps. 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart saith David and renewe a right spirit within me Yet was David a regenerate childe of God but when he fell into foule sinnes and sought unto God to restore him he acknowledgeth this his spirituall restitution to be a creation giving thereby to understand that the very children of God have savage lusts wild affections in them the curing mastering wherof is no lesse work then was the work of creation or making of the world 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Gal. 6 1â— In Christ Iesus neyther circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Now this new creature is all one with faith working by love Gal. 5.6 For there the Apostle expresseth the comparison antitheticall in this manner In Iesus Christ neither circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith working by love And Eph. 2.10 We are said to be Gods workmanship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created in Iesus Christ marke a new creation unto good workes which he hath ordeyned that we should walke in them God made the world with a word but the new making of man cost our Saviour Christ hot water the very blood of the Sonne of God agonies in the garden agonies upon the Crosse and he must rise out of his grave to worke this The Schoolemen doe acknowledge this namely that grace is wrought in man by way of creation Otherwise how could it be accoumpted supernaturall And as for the power whereby God raiseth the dead It is expressely said Col. 2.12 that faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who raised Christ from the dead whereupon Cornelius de Lapide acknowledgeth that faith is wrought by the same power wherby God raysed Christ from the dead And Eph. 1 19. the Apostle tells us of the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power towards us which beleeve adding that this is according to his mightie power which he wrought in Christ whom he raysed from the dead And therefore most congruously doth the Apostle take into consideration that worke
corruption of the worship and service of God with superstition idolatry Yet amongst them all is the Gospell preached What colour of reason then is there to conceave that in joyning with us any should suspect himself to be of the number of the Reprobates rather then of Gods elect although the most part of them to whom the Gospell is preached were reprobates But suppose that in every congregation the most part were reprobates If they are so allready before the Infidell comes to joyne himself unto us the number of the most being up allready on the reprobates part what reason hath he to conceave that he is of the number of them rather then of Gods Elect Againe his case is different from all the rest for all the rest have beene borne and brought up in the Church of God and therefore it is more hard to distinguish betweene true faith and hypocrisie But in case an Infidell convert and become a Christian This alteration is so great that it is more likely to affoord him better evidence and assurance of his election then others have whose conversion hath not beene from Infidelitie to Christianitie For all that are brought up in the Church of God whatsoever their hearts be yet they have alwayes concurred in the profession of Christianitie Adde to this why should it be more likely that he is of the number of Reprobates then any other upon this ground that the most part are Reprobates And if it be as likely for all and every one then it were most likely that all every one were reprobates which is contradictious to the suppositioÌ„ Lastly what if it were more likely as he speaketh shall this be a sufficient motive not to hearkeÌ„ at all to the doctrine of the Gospell The coÌ„mon practise of the world doth manifest this to be most untrue as it appeares by mens forwardnes to venture in lotteryes where it is most certeyn that the greatest part by farre sit downe with losse At the poole of Bethesda how many wayted for the mooving of the waters by an Angell yet but one could be cured namely he that prevented all the rest in stepping into the poole Nay we reade how that a creeple wayted there amongst the â—est and how unlikely a thing was it that he could get in before the rest yet there he wayted in hope And what if some are more hardned upon the hearing of the word is this any discouragement to us to present our selves before the Lord and to be humbled at his feete to heare the word In the course of his fiction he feignes his proselyte to remember somewhat out of Calvin namely that God directeth his word unto them wherby he makes them more deafe sheweth them the light of the Gospell to blinde their eyes but he tells not where Calvin sayth so But are not these the words of Calvin which here he shewes his teeth at Ecce vocem ad eos dirigit sed ut magis obsurdescant lucem accendit sed ut reddantur caeciores Now Calvin here in speakes not out of his owne Spirite but represents the word of God as playnly signifying so much in his judgment and gives reference to the place immediately related by him in the first word Ecce and the places immediately before alleaged by him partly out of Esa. 6 9. and partly out of Ioh. 12.34 His words are these Sed magis etiamnuÌ„ premit I saiae prophetia Sic enim a Domino dimittitur Vade dic filijs Israel Audiendo audite ne intelligatis Videndo videte nesciatis Obstina cor populi hujus aures eius aggrava oculos eius obline Vt ne fortè videat oculis suis corde intelligat quò conversus sanetur And hereupon he saith Ecce vocem ad eos dirigit sed ut magis absurdescant lucem accendit sed ut reddantur caciores Now this Author blames not Calvin either for false translation of the Prophets or for false interpretation of them onely takes his words a part from the place quoted by him as if he delivered this at large out of his owne doctrine without reference to any particular passage of holy scripture by concealing the place where Calvin writes this thought himself safe from having his unconscionable caryage herein discovered Yet Calvin sayth noâ— that God by his word doth make them more deafe or blindes their eyes as this Author forgeth Calvins wordes He signifies only Gods intention that they shoulde herupon be more deafened and blinded and Saint Peter as good as in expresse termes professeth as much where he sayth of some that Christ is a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offense to witt to them that stumble at the word being disobedient and that to this thing they were even ordeyned But how come they to be more deafened and blinded upon hearing the word as Act. 19.9 it is sayde that some herupon were hardned and disobeyed speaking evill of the way of God before the multitude surely after the same manner that Saint Paul sayth some are the worse for Gods lawe Sinne sayth he tooke occasion by the commandement and wrought in me all manner of concupiscence So then their owne corruption is it that blindes them deafens them hardens them more and more together with the God of this world 2. Cor. 4.3 God only refuseth to cure that natural infidelity impenitency he finds in them and in this respect only he is sayde to harden them to blinde them that is in denying mercy according to that Rom. 9.18 God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth And our Saviour was not ashamed to professe to the faces of the Iewes Therfore we heare not my woordes because ye are not of God And Ioh. 12.39 Therfore they coulde not believe because that Isaias sayth againe He hath blinded their eyes hardned their hearts that they should not see which theyr eyes nor understaÌ„d with their heart should be converted I should heale them Yet this Author to shewe of what Spirit he is and how opposiâ—e to the Spirit of Christ and his Apostles as if he were neyther new nor old Evangelist but a very Atheist rather woulde as much oppose them all as he opposeth Calvin if he dâ—â—st reproâ—heth us with this very doctrine as namely that therfore men cannot believe because God would not give them grace sufficient to believe which is as much as to reproache us for saying that all men are born in sinne that infidelitie and impenitency is naturall unto all God alone can cure it I wonder they doe not call Moses to a reckoning also and reproach him for saying as he doth unto the Iewes Ye have seene all that the Lord did before your eyes in the Land of Aegypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his Servants and unto all his Land The great temptations which thine eyes have seen those great miracles and wonders Yet the
this present be the time why should he deferre the hearing of Gods word wherby alone is our calling wrought though every one that heares it is not effectually called unto faith and repentance And a man may heare it with a purpose to oppose it eyther in generall or in some particular truth thereof Yet this humour of opposition cannot hinder Gods word and the operation of his Spirit where he will in spight of their coÌ„ceytes who thought the Apostles were filled with newe wine when three thousand were converted that day and Austin acknowledgeth that God converteth not only aversas à vera fide but adversas verae fidei voluntates We reade in the 7. of Iohn that some who were sent to take Christ were taken by him And Father Latimer observing that some came to Church only to take a nap yet saith he let them come for it may be they may be taken napping If it be impossible for man to disobey it is as impossible for man in like manner not to be industrious when God will have him to be industrious Yet I know no industry of man required to his effectuall vocation but the hearing of Gods word neyther is the execution of Gods goodnes towards him hastned by his hearkning to Gods word For though men doe heare it dayly yet are they not foorth with brought to faith As for effectuall vocation we take it to be all one with regeneration in effect and this Author will have God so to worke herein as to leave it to man whether he will be regenerated or no this is their sobrietie Austin I am sure professeth saying Deus omnipotente facilitate convertiâ— ex nolentibus volentes facit This Author seemes by his discoursing here of prayers eyther to be poorely exercised in Antiquitie or richly exercised in the contemning of it For he would have men to be effectually called by vertue of their prayers The Apostle saith how can they call upon him in whom they have not believed but this Author is able by his prayers to obteyne faith nay he makes shewe as if he could obteyne faith allso before his callinge and feares not to maynteyne that grace is obteynable by mens workes yet the contrary was condemned in the Synod of Palestine and Pelagius himselfe driven to subscribe unto it We nothing regard the qualitie of the person who speakes therby to condemne his doctrine but we judge of his doctrine and therby of the qualitie of his person Here he hath runne himselfe out of breathe as touching the first part of his performance We come unto the second The SECOND PART The first Section LEt us now see whether the practise of this doctrine hath more power over a debauched Christian to bring him to repentance and amendment of life To him then he will shew the filthines of his sinne the scandall to his neighbour the ingratitude to his Creator and redeemer the menaces of the law and the vengeance of God prepared for all impenitents c. Whereupon this man having more knowledge of our Doctrine of the Synods then of a good conscience will send his Censurer to the Maximes and Principles thereof and will much muse how the other should be ignorant that every thing which is done by men on Earth be it good or evill commeth not to passe but by the most efficacious decree and ordinance of God which doth all in all That the first cause doth in such manner moove and direct the second among which is the will of man that they cannot otherwise stirre then they are stirred That he is very sure that he is given to such a vice but his comfort is that God would have it so by his secret will that God hath predestinated him thereunto having as much willed and procured the treason of Iudas as the conversion of Paul That he hath no power to reteyne grace when he that gave it will take it away That the Spirit bloweth where it listeth inspireth whom it will withdraweth when it pleaseth when it pleaseth returns again And if it be with an intention for his amendment it shall be as impossible for him to withstand or else delay it as it is now to worke or hasten it Consid. We have considered how well this Author haâ—h instructed an infidell to play his part in opposing the doctrin of the Synod of Dort and Arles Now we are to consider how a debaucht Christian is fashioned by him to play his part in the same humour of opposition To such a one it is fitt we should apply the hammâ—r of the law which hath power to breake the bones we will labour to bring him thereby to the knowledge of sinne not onely of the nature of it but of the power of it Even of the power of that sinne which as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.8 takes occasion by the law to worke in man all manner of concupiscence and withall we will endeavour to bring him acquainted with the wrath of God and how in the course therof a fire is kindled that burneth to the bottom of hell Against this how he strengtheneth his Disciple from our doctrine we are to consider in the next place Now here first he supposeth his Factor to have more knowledge of the doctrine of the Synods then of a good conscience So that all debaucht Christians throughout the world he packs them together and makes them very judiciously to be of our side This is to hold up the enterlude of his owne making He is no Darby-shire man belike for their tales commonly ende with woodcocke on the one side as well as with woodcocke on the other side And we willingly confesse that our doctrine teacheth men not to trust to their selves for the doing of ought that is good but merely to the grace of God to give it the glory of working us to every thing that is pleasing in the sight of our heavenly Father Now this our adversary conceaves is it which makes us dissolute because we have learnt of S. Paul that God is he who makes us perfect to every good work workes in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ. As for these olde Evangelists they have a better opinion of their sufficiency then so and Aristotle hath taught them another lesson and it stands them upon to maynteyne their credite and reputation in this point by the exercise of their moralitie in a very accurate manner least otherwise they shoulde seeme to vaunt much in wordes but to preforme litle or nothing when they come to deedes Therfore they provide accordingly to holde up the credite of their Tenets and very artificially and histrionically they turne over all the debaucht Christians in the world on our side we must father them or at least our parishe must keepe them and that for good reason because they can no where be maynteyned so conveniently as by our trenchers For we must not be ignorant that every thing which is done
one hayre of his head he might well prescribe the time and houre of his conversion But seeing it is Gods worke alone to circumcise our heartes Deut. 30.6 to take away the stony heart and give us an heart of flesh and put his owne spirit within us Ezech. 36 27. to quicken us when we are dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 2.15 Surely it belongs to God alone to prescribe the time and houre when a man shall be converted And accordingly our Saviour gives us to understand that some are called at the first houre of the day some at the third some not untill the last And the Apostle exhorts Timothy in effect by his meeke cariage to wayte when God will give them repentance that are without that so they may acknowledge his truth and come out of the snare of the devill by whom they are led captive to doe his will 2. Tim. 2. last And albeit men are living as beasts why should they be thought to have any more power to rayse themselves or quicken themselves unto life spirituall then a dead man hath to quicken himself to life naturall Now that men are dead in sinne the scripture teacheth evidently and that the worke of conversion is called regeneration but the Scriptures are a strange Language to these Arminians They are diserti lingua sua And they discourse amongst Christians as if they should discourse among Cannibals Yet there is a difference betweene him that is dead naturally and him that is dead spiritually For he that is dead naturally can performe no naturall action at all but he that is dead only spiritually is able enough to perform any action naturall And some naturall actions are required without which a man cannot be converted As for Example it is requisite a man should be acquainted with Gods word which alone is the ordinary means whereby the Spirit workes in mans conversion Now it is in the power of man to heare the word And albeit he cannot hearken unto it in a gracious manner pleasing unto God yet shall not that hinder the efficacy of Gods word if God be pleased to shew mercy on him No though he comes to the hearing of it with a wicked minde As they that came to take Christ Iohn 7. yet when they heard him were taken by him and returned without him saying Never man spake as this man speaketh So is it in the power of a man to reade the word Now suppose he exercise this power and that with a minde averse from it yet may this word proove a word of power to the changing of his heart As Vergetius tooke Melanthons writings to reade with a purpose to confute them yet in the reading himself was confuted by them and this was a meanes of hâ—s conversion from Popery to the Protestant confession This Author discourseth in such sort as if the power of God to quicken a man though 4 dayes dead and stinking in the grave as Lazarus were taken up in his mouth in scorne For such is the manner and strengâ—h of his discourse in the most hungry fashion that ever I thinke proceeded from a reasonable man Our Saviour hath given us to understand that some are not called till the last houre we have an example of it in the thiefe upon the crosse If God hath not giveÌ„ him as yet the grace to cry Abba Father that Spirit of adoption requiring a spirit of bondage to precede it Rom. 8.15 Yet this houre and that by our admoniâ—ion and conviction of his sinnes God may humble him and make him feare and thereby prepare him to the Spirit of adoption For his word is as a fire as an hammat that breaketh the bones the Infidell findes this by good experience when hearing one prophecy he is rebuked of all judged of all the thoughts of his heart are made manifest and he falls downe on his face and confesseth thaâ— God is in his ministers of a truth 1. Cor. 14.24 The Iewes did finde this power of the word when hearing Peter discoursing how God made him both Lord and Christ whom they had crucified they were pricked in their hearts and sayd Men and Bretheren what shall we doe Act. 2. When in the course of his histrionicall fictions he feignes his Factor not daring to endeavour to doe well He supposeth and insinuateth that he would endeavour it but dares not for his hatred to the Arminian doctrine which is nothing answerable to our doctrine who deny that there is any such will in a carnall man We say the maine reformation of man consists in the change of the will from evill to good we know that God accepteth the will for the deede And the Saints of God commend themselves in this manner unto God We that desire to feare thy name Nehem. 1. And the desire of our hearts is towards thy name Esa. 26. And we desire to live honestly Heb. 13. And Austin mainteynes as I remember that the Saints of God no otherwise fullfill the Law of God then desiderio conatu And albeit this Author at pleasure feigneth his prolocutor to embrace our Tenets yet if he be but a carnall Christian he cannot embrace them or any doctrine of faith Fide vera infusa but onely fide acquisita Yet againe it is in the power of any man not onely to desire and endeavour to doe well but also to doe indeed quoad exteriorem vitae emendationem All the morall vertues as they were found in Heathen men so are they atteynable by a naturall man For even Heathens were famous and renowned some of them not onely for their good rules but for their vertuous practise of moralitie which yet nothing hindered Austin from passing his censure upon their best actions professing them to be no better then splendida peccata and for a rule of direction to judge aright herein he tells us non officijs sed finibus discernendas esse virtutes And therefore there is no cause of so superficiary a conceyte forged in this Authors braines as if endeavours to such moralitie should any way obscure the prerogative of Gods grace as only effectuall to the working of that which is pleasing in the sight of God Such moralitie shall nothing at all commend the will for any goodnesse in the sight of God any more thâ—n Socrates or Plato or Aristides their moralitie did though their damnation shal be farre lesse then the damnation of such who among the Heathens have bene given to a debaucht life and conversation Good motions undoubtedly God can rayse by his Spirit in the heart of the most wicked in the Church of God but like as the devills suggestions are not our fault if we resist them so such good motions of God doe nothing commend us in the sight of God if we doe not give way unto them but rather one day rise up in judgment against us to our greater and more inexcusable condemnation But that a carnall man is here brought-in conceyted
did beseeche you So the Iewes with their Fathers resisted the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 For as much as the wordes delivered unto theÌ„ which they resisted were sent by the Lord of hosts in his Spirit by the ministery of his prophets Zach. 7.12 accordingly God is sayde to have protested among them by his Spirit by the handes of the prophets but they would not heare Nehem. 9.30 But they doe not resist nor can resist the holy Ghost working immediately and physically upon their wills the act of conversion and physicall or rather hyperphysicall transmutation We willingly confesse that the elect resist neyther tending to their first conversion provided the time be come which God hath appoynted for their conversion till then they resist all exhortations tending thereunto as well as others but as for any divine act for a physicall transmutation of their wills they are not made pertakers thereof till the time of their effectuall calling Yet after their effectuall calling as they doe too often disobey God in his particular exhortations So likewise they have cause sometimes to expostulate with God for hardning their hearts against his feare But in their first conversion he doth not only pierce their eares the word of the minister being able enough for that but he gives them eares to heare so also he gives them eyes to see and as for the opening of the heart that also I take to be all one with giving them an heart Deut. 29.4 Now hereupon this Author tells us we must be driven to confesse that the word preached for the most part is destitute of that operation of the Holy Ghost as it appeares by the misprise that the most part make of it which cannot be when the efficacy of the spirit doth accompany it but this is untrue we are not driven nor neede to be driven hereunto we must willingly acknowledge it rightly understood namely that God â—nto the outward ministery of the word doth not for the â—ost part adde the efficacy of his Spirit to worke men unto faith and repentance as it is most evident by experience and our Saviour in the parable of the sower that went forth to sowe his seede teacheth us as much And the Prophet Esay also when prophecying of the times of the Gospell he beginnes thus Who hath beleeved our report and giving the cause hereof in the next words addeth And to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed But as touching the consequence herhence deduced namely that the whole ministery is but a dance no more cooperating wâ—th mans conversion then the clay which our Saviour applyed to the eyes of the blind did unto his sight or the sole voyce calling upon Lazarus made him to rise out of his grave Here this great master of ceremonies is miserably out in his formalities as well as in his realities It followeth not herehence that the ministery is a dance but a piping rather as our Saviour signifies in the Gospell when he sayth wherunto shall I liken this generation they are like to litle Châ—ldren sitting in the market place and saying we have piped unto you but ye have not danced we have mourned unto you but you have not wept yet piping is a naturall provocation to dance but the exhortation of the word without a more speciall operation of Gods Spirit is no provocat on at all to believe how can it be to naturall man to whom it seemes foolishnes and witt wisdome is naturally more affected by men then honestie For qui velit ingenio cedere rariu erit and the Italians have a proverbe that witt is aequally divided and the instance is given thus Let a proclamation be made that all Taylers appearing in an assembly stand up in this case Taylers will stand up and none but Taylers so of shoemakers so of other â—â—ades But if a proclamation be made that all wise men should stand up every one will be ready enough to stand up men of the meanest trade being apt to conceave that they are likely enough to be as wise as they who are of the best Yet by this Authors leave the ministâ—ry of the word confers more to a mans conversion then the clay did for ought I know to the curing of the blinde mans eyes c. For the word informes what is to be beleeved and likewise what is to be practised though to discerne the wisedom of God in the one and to be in love with the other and to feele the power of God in both requires another operation of the Spirit oâ— God to the inlightning of the minde and renewing of the will He that said nature doth nothing in vaine saâ—de God and nature doe nothing in vayne so that there was litle neede of such a gradation as here is made Nâ—yther is the ministery of the word in vayne though all or the most part are not converted by it For it informes all it takes away excuse from all they cannot say si audivissem credidâ—ssem they know hereby a Prophet hath beene amongst them though they who yeelde obedience to it have no need of any such excuse and for their sakes it is principally intended as appeares both by the revelation made to Paul Act. 18. Feare not and holde not thy peace for no man shall lay holde on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this city And accordingly by the Apostles scope in his ministery For albeit he professeth that he became all things to all men that he might save some 2. Cor. 6. Yet he manifests who those some were whose salvation he sought where he sayth I suffer all things for the elects sake 2. Tim. 2.10 And lastly it is not in vayne towards any for as much as the ministers thereof are the sweete savour of God both in theÌ„ that are saved in them that perish To them that perish a savour of death unto death to them that are saved a savour of life unto life in both a sweete savour unto God in Christ. As for the things which we ascribe onely to the Spirit of God we ascribe them to that Spirit of God onely in the way of a cause physicall we ascribe them to the word also in the way of a cause moâ—all as both informing the understanding concerning them and persuading thereunto But the Spirit of God alone both opens the eyes to discerne them and the heart to embrace them as the things of God And for the cause fore-mentioned to witt because the Spirit of God doth not inlighten to discerne the things of God but as revealed in his word nor to incline to any thing as to the will of God but as proposed in his word therefore is the word called the sword of the Spirit Eph. 6. Thus justly are we said to be begotten by the word renued by the word aedified by the word fed by the word clensed by the word And I finde it very strange that when these men will have all that
mayntâ—ynes any such doctrine it is more then hitheâ—to I have learned or can justifie It is untrue that the word is dangerous by our doctrine but rather that it is dangerous for any man to contemne or despise the goodnes of God therin their condâ—mnation it aggâ—avates only occasionally it is a mans owne coâ—ruption causally that aggravates his damnation when the Lord calls unto them and they will not heaâ—e admonisheth them but they will not hearken It is true that it is not in the power of man to adde unto the word the efficacy of Gods Spirit and it is as true that a carnall man hath no desire that God would adde the efficacy of his Spirit therunto The discipline of Christs Kingdom is as cords and bonds unto them they desire to breake them and to cast off the yoke of obâ—dience unto him And agayne it is as true that no man is damned for not adding the efficacy of Gods Spirit unto his word They are damned for contemning Gods word and not hearkning to his gracious admonitions but they coulde doe no other as this Author intimats but what impotency is this is it any where els then in theiâ— wills which this Author considers not nor distinguisheth betweene impotency naturall and impotency morall were they willing to hearken hereunto but coulde not then indeede their impotency were excusable but they please themselves in their owne and 〈◊〉 in their obstinate courses and if they woulde doe otherwâ—se I make no question but that they shoulde have no more cause to complayne of their impotency to doe that good which they would doe then the servants of God have yea and holy Paul himselfe had How can you believe saith our Saviour here is a certeyne impotency of believing which our Saviour takes notice of but what manner of impotency is it observe by that which followeth who receave honour one of another regard not the honour that comes of God only Therfore you heare not my wordes because ye are not of God Ioh. 8.47 this is as true as the word of the Sonne of God is true allthough this Author setts himselfe to impugne this kinde of doctrine all alonge But withall consider doe they deplore this impotencye doth the consideration herof humble them nay rather they delight in it as the Prophet noteth Ier. 6.10 Their eares are uncircumcised eares they cannot hearken beholde the word of God is as a reproch unto them they have no delight in it The fourth Section THere now remayneth no other instance for our Censurer theÌ„ to exhort this profane fellow to pray unto God that he would be pleased to give him the grace to leave his lewdnes promising that if he pray as he ought to doe that he shall be heard and receave what he demaundeth But herupon this profaner being well instructed in the doctrine of Dort will demaund of him how it is possible to pray as we ought if God give him not the grace before hand and that allso so effectually that it shoulde be impossible for him not to pray therfore seing that he faileth so to doe the Censurer must needes see that God will be no more invoked on by him then he hath given him grace wherby to doe it And that it is no lesse easye to perceave that God sent this Corrector unto him with an intention not to better him by his ministery when he findes more confusion in the doctrine of the speaker then ameÌ„dment in the practise of the hearer to whom he bringeth either the pillow of Epicurus to lull him asleepe in his securitie or else the haltar of despayre wherewith he may hange himselfe as Iudas But above all this profaner will finde yet one more singular benefit to the flattering of his flesh by the answâ—r which the Synodists doe usually make unto those who aske in what case David would have beene had he dyed in his adultery whereunto they say it was impossible for David to have dyed before he had repented bâ—cause that after this he was to begett a Sonne from whom the Messias must descend But hereunto our profaner will reply that the impossibilitie of dying before repentance according to the doctrine of the Synods is founded upon the generall promise made to all the Elect and not on any particular promise made to David touching the Messias whom God had sent into the world by other meanes had he foreseen the impenitency of David as he foresaw his repentance That if the Synod be not deceaved he is sure to dye never without repentance as was David So that following this doctrine the true meanes to avoyde death is to committ and ever to continue in some mortall sinne it being impossible for him to be killed in adultery or perish in any other sin before having first made his recoÌ„ciliation with God who is not angry for ever to speake in the language of the Synod of Dort but onely against the Reprobates See then the invention of immortalitie found out to satisfye the Paracelsians and such like fooles who search for this remedy against death in drugs and naturall causes Our Synods shew the Anâ—idote in a morall cause of so facile and agreable execution to their facile Auditors that the Poets Ambrasia and Medusaes charmes are fabulous unto it Now then our Corrector will eyther desist his enterprise in reforming this mans deboisnes or else forsake his owne principles and correct the doctrine of his Synods Consid. Surely we have small reason to exhort a profane fellow to pray unto God that he would be pleased to give him the grace to leave his lewdnesse so long as we finde him to delight in his profanesse and take pleasure in his unrighteous courses had he a desire to leave it but findes himself unable to cast off this yoake of sinne oâ— to breake the bonds of iniquitie then and in this case it were seasonable to admonish him to cry unto God that he would be pleased in mercy to loose him whom Satan hath bound so many years and that for his Sonnes sake whom he sent into the world to loose the workes of the devill he would be pleased to sett him free and give him the libertie of his children like as the children of Israel cryed unto the Lord by reason of their sore bondage and the Lord heard their crye and considered their sorrowes and came downe to deliver them Neyther are we driven to any such course as this Author feigneth who all along opposeth the secret providence of God in shewing mercy to whom he will hardning whom he will in giving hearts to perceave and eyes to see and ears to heare to whom he will and denying this grace to whom he will I say this he opposeth all along to the very face of it nothing fearing the judgements of God nor his power to harden theÌ„ to make theÌ„ feele that powr which they will not confesse saving that these such like spirituall
judgements are of such a nature that they are least felt where they are most suffered And as he opposeth this so doth he impugne the doctrine of Gods word concerning the impotency that is found in all to beleeve to repent untill God be pleased to cure that infidelitie and impaenitency which by propagation of nature is derived unto us all and made as naturall unto us as flesh and bone As where it is sayd that men cannot beleeve cannot repent they that are in the flesh cannot please God That the naturall man perceaves not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnes unto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned that the affection of the flesh is enmitie against God it is not subject to the Law of God nor can be That we are all naturally dead in sinne and that our raysing therehence is no lesse worke then regeneration or new birth All this he setts himself purposely to oppose and that in a vile manner by base insinuations to undermine this doctrine rather then by any just argument to overthrow it But when we deale about the reformation of such a one we will pray unto God to accept our endeavours and to shew his power in making his word in our mouths powerfull as to the convicting of his sinne so to the humbling of him and bringing him acquainted with the Spirit of bondage to make him feare and that he may be pricked in the heart as the Iewes were when by Peters Sermon the Lord brought their horrible sinne close home unto them in crucifying the Sonne of God If so be he may finde sinn to be as an heavy burthen unto him and cry out unto us to minister a word of comfort unto his weary soule and in this case we will be â—old to apply unto him the comforts of God in Christ because our Saviour calls unto him all such as labour are heavy laden promising that he will ease them Yet if we doe exhort him to pray it followeth not that this exhortation is in vaine no more then exhortation to Infidels is in vaine when we exhort them to faith in Christ. For albeit neyther the one nor the other can be performed without grace Yet upon our exhortation God can worke this grace in him if it please him Many come to Church with a profane heart yet in the hearing of it it pleaseth God to convert some of them and Ekron may be as the Iebusite and God is able to turne Lebanon into Carmel and to make the most wast places finitefull even as the garden of the Lord. And Saul was converted in his heate and furious persecution of the Church of God God can convert not only aversas à vera fide but adversas verae fidei voluntates ex nolentibus volentes facere and that omnipotente facilitate as Austin hath observed It is untrue that grace workes a man to pray in such sort as to make it impossible for him not to pray for that were not to worke him to pray freely Vpon supposition that God by his Spirite doth worke a man to pray it is impossible he shoulde not pray but how contingently and freely So that impossibilitie is not simply an impossibilitie but only secundum quid and joyned with a possibilitie simply so called to the contrary Otherwise it could not be done contingently and freely For to produce a thing contingently is to produce it with a possibility to the contrary and to worke this or that freely is so to worke this or that as joyned with an active power eyther to forbeare and suspend the action or to produce a contrary operation And thus Aquinas most learnedly sheweth how that the efficacious will of God is the cause why both necessary things come to passe necessarily and contingent and free things contingently and freely and accordingly he hath ordeyned different second causes some working necessarily others working contingently freely But this is more it seemes then this Author hath hitherto beene acquainted with And as he hath exercised his Provinciall witt in opposing the doctrine of Gods word in the most untheologicall manner that I thinke was ever knowne to the world so I wish he would keepe his course and shew as little scholasticalitie in refuting Aquinas also in this particular And albeit God gives him not grace to mocke him yet the dutie of prayer doth no lesse oâ—lige man then any other duetie seing God gave this grace to us all in Adam and in Adam we all have sinned and by that sinne our nature is become bankrupt of grace untill God in mercy and for his sons sake be pleased to have compassion upon us to restore it But he is master of his owne times and bestowes this grace on some sooner on others later on some not at all When God sent Ezechiel to his people it seemes by that we read Ezechi 2.3.4.5 he sent him not to better them but that they might not say they had no Prophet among thâ—m and to cuâ— of that excuse yet I hope this Author is not in such a measure obduâ—ate as to say there was any such confusion in Ezechiels doctrine as here he chargeth upon ours which yet is merely according to his owne shapinge and with what felicitie he hath succeeded in this aâ—tâ—fice of his I have endeavaured to make it appeare unto the indifferent and unpartiall Reader We teache that no man can have evidence of his reprobation but by finall impenitency or by committing the sinne against the holy Ghost and in eyther of these cases there is just cause of despayre to Pelagius himselfe how much more to his disciples that oppose the grace of God after the truth therof is in such sort cleered let them looke unto it whether not against the voyce and light of their owne conscience As for securitie can the feare of God open a way therunto or doe we maynteyne any other perseverance in the state of grace then by the feare of God according to that Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall never depart away from me To the question in what state David had bene had he dyed in his adultery he tells us of an answeare which is usually made by the Synodists as he saith namely that it was impossible for David to have dyed before he had repented because that after this he was to begett a sonne from whom the Messias must descend But who these Syndodists be whether of Dort or of Arles he mâ—ntions not much lesse the place where As for the Synod of Arles I never heard of it but by this manuscript In the Acts of the Synod of Dort I have beene something versed but I have not mett with this answer there nor ever heard of it before I read it in this Pamphlet And to my judgement it is imperfect in two particulars neyther of which this Author takes notice of the one is in altering the
then of the great seeing that you my Pastor and Comforter will not that the promises of salvation in Christ are made vniversally vnto all and that those places of Scripture which seeme generall according to your opinion are to be restreyned onely to the vniversalitie of the elect And that in all the rest of Holy Scripture there is no more speciall promise nor mention made of my self in particular who also besides the Holy Scripture have no testimony whether of Angell or Prophet to assure me thereof When our Saviour sayd unto his Apostles One of you shall betray me Although this concerned but one of them yet were they all exceedingly troubled therewith So then were there but a small number of Reprobates for whom as you sayd Christ dyed not yet should I have just reason to feare or thinke that I were one of them but much rather seeing their number is so great Consid. Now we are to proceed to tâ—e third Act of this Authors Comedy and the severall scenes thereof We have considered how well he had playde the part of an Infidell refusing to be converted by us as also of a bad living Christian refusing to be reformed at our hands Now we are to consider how well he performs the part of an afflicted Christian refusing all consolation that we can minister unto him I finde he hath a good witt and Proteus like can transforme himself into the likenesse of any condition and can act more parts then many In this last personation of his he is well neere as large as in both the former which whether it proceedes from greater confidence of his cause in this particular than in the former and that makes his witt to exuberate the more or that he meetes with more difficulties in this passage then in the former and therfore is put to the more paynes in Mastering them I knowe not He feignes us in his introduction unto this perhaps able to acquitt our selves farre better in undergoing the office of a comforter but the fictions of poeticall and comicall witts are nothing to be regarded as of any force to discover unto us their true meaninge As for us we neyther take upon us to convert or reforme or comfort any but only to minister a word of comfort to a weary soule a word of terrour to humble a debaucht Christian and a word of conversion unto an Infidell we leave it unto God and pray unto him by the powerfull operation of his Spirit to strike the stroke in any mans conversion reformation consolation Neyther is our doctrine of predestination and reprobation that word which we minister eyther for the conversion of the one or for the reformation of the other or for the consolation of the third but the terrors of the lawe we make use of for mans humiliation therby to praepare him for the grace of the Gospell and being humbled the gracious promises of the Gospell we make use of to rayse him by bringing him to faith in Christ then we instruct him in the dueties of Christianitie exhorting him to walke answerably to his profession and if he fayle herof we sett the wrath of God before him and shewe him how it had bene better for him he had never knowne the way of righteousnes then after he have knowne it to depart from the holy commandement given unto him Or if in the course of Christianitie he walkes uncomfortably according as we shall finde the cause of his disconsolate condition we will endeavour to fitt our consolations thereunto If affliction be the cause we will represent unto him how that this is the common condition of Christians and that through manifold temtations we must enter into the Kingdom of God that God sheweth hereby that he receaves us for his owne Children and not as bastards If conscience of sinne and of walking litle answearable to our profession we will represent unto him how that if we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord that griefe for this doth argue a desire of the contrary and that God accepteth the will for the deede and hath promised that if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just he will forgive them If weakenes of faith be the cause of disquietnes without any farther cause we will represent unto him how Gods gracious course is not to breake the bruised reede nor to quenche the smoaking flaxe and stirre him up to pray unto God to encrease his faith or to helpe his unbeliefe That this disquietnes doth manifestly argue a desire to believe and God hath promised to fulfill the desire of them that feare him If he hath atteyned to faith and holines we can assure him of his election by our doctrine which the Arminians doctrine cannot If he hath neyther yet there is no cause of desperation forasmuchas his condition is no worse then Saulâ— was before his callinge yen and the holyest servant of God God calls some at the first houre of the day some not till the last Nothing but finall impenitencie or the sinne against the holy Ghost is an assurance of reprobation But let us proceede along with this Authors discourse to examine it as we goe This Author hath but one ground of consolation I have lately had to deale with another of his Spirit that makes three grounds of consolation to witt the universalitie of Gods love the universalitie of Christs death the universalitie of the covenant of grace By which it is manifest that he makes a Christian capable of no better consolation then a Turke or Saracen is capable an elect then a reprobate And if in all three he thrives no better in his course of consolation what shall we thinke of this Authors successe in the worke of consolation who insists but upon one of those three Yet I commend him for being sensible of the unseasonablenes of his consolation had he rested as the other doth only in this that Christ having by his death and passion satisfied the justice of his Father he obteyned reconciliation for all mankind But this Author caryeth not himselfe so covertly but addes that this reconciliation is appliable to all those who acknowledging the infinitenes of the benefite doe therupon embrace the Author of it with a true and lively faith wherby it is manifest that in this Authors judgment consolation arising from the death and passion of Christ is appliable to none and consequently none are capable of it but such as believe in Christ which he calls the embracing of the Author of the benefite with a true lively faith Now we willingly confesse that we cannot finde any other foundation wherby to consolate and assure any afflicted soule against the terrors of Gods justice the condemnation of the lawe and accusation of his owne conscience But wheras he saith that the afflicted can never make this true foundation of Gods word agree with the second article of the Synod of Dort which he calleth false foundations but prooves it not
for us that it extends so farre therfore without just cause we must not conceave otherwise of them then that they are in the state of grace and consequently that they are elect And no other kinde of certitude is required in the case we treate of so that this Author caryeth himselfe miserably extravagant in his very extravagancyes And as for an afflicted soule we have reason to conceave better of him then of civill Christians for as much as his state is not so obnoxious to hypocrisie as is the condition of Christians who are nothing exercised with the terrors of God and with the affrightments of a tender conscience Be it so that it hath course only betweene man and man this judgment of charitie such is the case we treate of For as for the afflicted soule we doe not say that in the judgment of charitie he is bound to conceave that he is an elect of God any farther then he hath cause to conceave that he is in the state of faith But we come to the application which he makes herof to divine promises Now we willingly professe that divine promises are to be believed by certentie of faith we doe not say nor I presume was ever any of our divines knowne to say that the truth of divine promises was to be believed by the judgment of charitie Whosoever believes shall be saved we apprehende this by certeintie of faith not out of any judgment of charitie what a wilde race doth this Author runne in his roaving discourse We will be bolde to affirm that every one is to believe that he is of the number of Gods elect so farre forth as he knowes himselfe to have faith in Christ which as it is a gift of God Philip. 1.29 Eph. 2.8 so God giveth us his Spirit by the hearing of faith that we may knowe those things that are given to us of God 1. Cor. 2.12 But this to witt whether a man hath true faith or no though it be knowne to him that hath it yet is it not knowne to others any otherwise then by the judgment of charitie Yet Paul was confident of the truth of the Thessalonians faith and consequently of their election 1. Thess. 1.3.4 and 2. Thess. 2.13 It is untrue that we must have a sufficient assurance that Christ dyed to procure pardon of sin and salvation of soule absolutely for him whom we goe about to comfort it is enough that Christ dyed to procure these benefites for him condiâ—ionally to witt in case he believe and repent and of this we have a most sufficient assurance But these disputers like owles fly abroade only in the night of darknes and confusion but let the light of distinction come and then t is time to hide themselves in their close harbours for shame But over and above we can treate with our Patiens about Christs dying not only to procure pardon of sinne and salvation of soule conditionally to witt in case they believe and repent but allso for procuring the gift of faith and repentance for them allso wherof we have the better hope when we consider their afflicted condition this being Gods usuall course to transforme them into the image of Christ crucyfyed first then rising from the dead by making them to feele the fellowshippe of Christs passions and the power of his resurrection Now this way of consolation is quite out of the Arminians element The third Section THe minister or Comforter will then aske the patient if he never felt the witnes of adoption which the Spirit of God beareth with the Spirit of the elect And if he be assured that he once had faith he may be certeyne that he hath it still notwithstanding the small fruit that it produceth Wherunto the Patient will reply that Calvin himself doth much trouble obscure this doctrine of certitude in his Institut lib. 3. cap. 2. parag 10. where saith he The heart of man hath so many secret corners of vanitie is so full of so many hiding holes of lying is covered with such guilefull hypocrisie that it dâ—ceaveth it selfe and persuadeth him that he hath true faith when he hath it not If the patient acknowledgeth that he never found this testimony in his heart his comforter will answere him in the same manner as he formerly did the profane when he tooke upon him the office of a censurer and corrector to witt how that all are not called at the same houre But if the patient doe then aske him some assurance that he shall be thus efficaciously called before his death the comforter will finde none for him eyther at Dort or Arles only he will tell him that assuredly Christ dyed for him if so be he believes in him wherin he will shewe himselfe eyther a praevaricator of his owne side and an overthrower of the doctrine of the Synods or else that he is deprived of common sense For if he give the selfe same consolation to all that are sicke to all that are afflicted yea even to those who for their greater offenses are ledde to execution and if this consolation be founded upon the truth doth it not then follow that Christ dyed for all and every one And if he so understandeth it that this becommeth true by the faith which the Patient addeth to the discâ—urse of the Minister he hath lost his sense in affirming that the object of faith or thing proposed to be believed receaveth its truth and dependeâ—h of the consent and beliefe of men who by his approbation and faith hath no more power to make that true which is false in it self then to make that false by his incredulitie which in it self is true The incredulitie of man may deprive him of the benefiâ—e of this death yet can it not make that Christ suffered not this death to testifie his love unto all mankind universally even as all are bound to believe in him and yet no man bound to believe that which is false The Apostle saith that God will sende the Spirit of errour upon them that have not receaved the love of the truth And yet according to the Doctrine of Dort he would have all men first to beleeve that Christ dyed for him which is false in the judgemen of the Synod and then afterward for believing this falshood he shall be punished with the Spirit of errour for giving credence to a lye Consid. That there is a Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father is as true as the word of God is true as also that his Spirit doth testifie together with our Spirit that we are the Sonnes of God And that there is no falling away from the state of sanctifying grace we are ready to mainteyne according unto Gods word whensoever we shall be called thereunto Of some Apostates S. Iohn writes plainely saying They went out from us but they were not of us for had they bene of us they had continued wih us By faith we are built on
Author will bethinke himself and take heede how he censureth Abraham for giving credence to a lye in this but he runnes on more like a blind man then like one who as Salomon saith hath his eyes in his head Yet am not I of Piscators minde in that like enough Abraham was apt to thinke so but I see no cause to say that Abraham was bound to beleeve that which Piscator saith he was The fourth Section SEe then if this be not a Labyrinth of prodigious Divinitie which turneth obedience into punishment For if the Synod speake true and that Christ be not dead for those that beleeve not in him how can they deserve to be punished for not having bâ—leeved that which is false And they that have obeyed his commandement in beleeving of his death how should they suffer the punishment due unto disobedients and incredulous which is to beleeve lying In a word to deny the vniversalitie of the merit of Christs death is outragiously to dishonour God as though the Author of truth commanded all men to beleeve a falshood And the better to discerne the ficklenesse of this Spirit that did praeside at the two Synods it is to be noted how that as on the one side this doctrine doth forbid to beleeve that which the Scriptâ— affirme as most true and in most expresse termes So on the other side it commaunds every one to beleeve that he is elected unto life although he be a reprobate in effect And that he cannot loose his faith being once had for any sinne whatsoever he doth committ which the Scriptures deny as a thing most false in the like termes If then that this doctrine which denyeth that Christ dyed for all bereaveth the afflicted of all consolation the other point which denyeth that a man may fall away from grace faith doth cleane overthrow the ministry of preaching which consisteth in exhortations by promises and threatnings which can no longer be meanes of doing any good worke which is only by the immediate operation of the holy Ghost as it hath bene abovesayde So neyther is there to be found in all the scripture any one promise of such a perseveraÌ„ce in faith as the Synod intimates seing that all exhortations wherof the Scriptures are full doe directly oppugne the pretended promise They admonish the faithfull that they take heede they doe not fall of hardning their hearts of receaving the grace of God in vayne from falling from their stedfastnes c. And yet the imaginary promise of the Synod doth declare that they cannot fall they cannot harden their hearts that they cannot have receaved the grace in vayne and that they cannot fall from their stedfastnes By which means the admonitions which denounce the danger and begett feare doe overthrowe the promise which saith there is no feare of danger nor cause of feaâ—e If it be not that the Synod would make us to believe that the faithfull who feare danger that can no more happen then that God should lie are more foolish then certeyne melancholy persons who feare that the havens will fall which notwithstanding shall one day passe away We reade of one that while he slept loosing his eye-sight after he awaked out of sleepe and had layne long on bed wondering that he saw no light imagined that the reason thereof was because the windowes were shutt and therupon cryed out to open the windowe In like sort this Author cryeth out of the Labyrinth of prodigious Divinitie when it is nothing but his prodigious ignorance that makes our doctrine seeme prodigious divinitie unto him It is untrue that we turne obedience into punishment but he feignes the object of obedience and obtrudes it upon others before he doth sufficiently understand it himselfe being disirous that others should be like himselfe in believing they knowe not what As in believing that Christ dyed for them we willingly confesse that Christ dyed not to procure faith and regeneration for them that never believe in him that never are regenerated I doubt not but this Author believeth this as well as wee we farther believe that Christ dyed to procure the grace of faith and regeneration for some namely for Gods elect I doubt whether this Author who vaunts so much of Christs dying for all according to his faith doth believe so much and herin I am confirmed in that the Remonstrants spare not to professe that Christ merited not faith and regeneration for any Exam. Censurae pag. 59. Yet as touching Christs dying for all men so farre as to procure pardon of sinne and salvation for them absolutely I knowe no Arminian that affirmes that on the otherside we willingly confesse that Christ dyed for all and every one so farre as to procure them both remission of sinne and salvation in case they believe In all which wee doe not maynteyne that any man is bound to believe that which is false much lesse that they deserve to be punished for not believing that which is false I dare admitt Impudency it selfe to be Iudge between us in this who of us doe attribute more to the vertue of Christs death as allso which of us doth more believe that Christ dyed for us let their owne conscience be Iudge nowe the state of the difference betweene us is cleered For as touching the benefites of remission of sinnes and salvation in the extension therof unto all and every one conditionally we are aequall But as touching the benefites of grace and regeneration that we allso attribute to Christs death as the meritorious cause therof to all that enioy those benefites wheras the Remonstrants have openly professed to the world that Christ hath merited faith and regeneration for none How then doe we at all deny the universalitie of Christs merit when on the one side we extend it as farre as they on the other side much farther then they and who deserves to be censured as outragiously dishonouring God let the world judge upon indifferent hearing of both parts It is a false suggestion that we charge God the Author of truth to commande a falshood not only for as much as we esteeme that there is no small difference betweene believing in Christ which we acknowledge to be commanded and believing that Christ dyed for us which we finde no where commanded but allso upon supposition that we are commanded to believe that Christ dyed for all and every one yet herin should we not be commanded to believe a falshood for as much as in a good sense and which alone is tolerable we believe that Christ dyed for all and every one as much as the whole nation of Arminians doe and in another sense believing that Christ dyed for us we goe farre beyond them in extending the merit and vertue of Christs death and passion Therfore it is most untrue which this Author doth reiterate charging us to deny that which the Scriptures affirme in expresse termes but in as much as neyther doe the scriptures
that worketh in us every thing that is pleasing in his sight doth the Physician sett the mans leggs whom he hath cured I thinke he hath enough to doe to sett his owne legges members going according to their severall motions was holy Paul nourished in his sloath who both professeth that he laboured more abundantly then they all yet in the same breath acknowledgeth that nevertheles it cannot he but rather the grace of God in him Nay how is it possible that God should bring a man to a sermon while he lyes lazy in his bed How is it possible he should continue that excesse which brought him to his sicknes when God workes in him that which is pleasing in his sight and fullfills the good pleasure of his goodnes towards him and the worke of faith in power But we may easily proceave the Spirit of his Author he would not be a child still he would goe on highe alone and not have any neede of the leading of his heavenly Father his owne Spirit serves his turne to performe any holy duetie any gracious worke And as Plato discerned the pride of Antisthenes through his patcht coate so may we thorough these wilde expressions as if God did mans worke for him while he lay in sleepe we may easily perceave the pride of his heart requiring no more succour from God to the performance of to velle agere of that which is good then Pelagius of olde did Yet the Lord by his prophet playnely professeth of himselfe that he causeth us to walke in his statutes and judgments and to doe them and the Apostle as playnely teacheth us that God workes in us both the will and the deede according to his good pleasure yea that he workes in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ. The meaning whereâ—â— Pelagius his opinion was only this that suadet omne quod bonum est and in all liklihood no other is the meaning of the Apostle in the opinion of this Author though he comes not so farre as to the discussing therof and to treate of Gods concourse For which kinde of exercise this comicall witt of his is nothing accommodated and like enough this discourse of his is plausible to none but such comicall witts as himselfe is of and no merveyle if it be magnified of them For Lactucas similes labra simillima habent like lettice like lips Yet he doth us wrong in saying we are not content that God should furnish us with necessary and sufficient grace to preserve and keepe us from sinne For albeit we doe require that God should immediately and irresistibly worke all our good workes in us yet surely we acknowledge this to be necessary unto every good act and no grace without this sufficient ad velle agere though there may be without this a grace sufficient ad posse and the word of God it selfe we acknowledge to be sufficient in its kinde to witt in the way of instruction but the ministery therof we willingly professe goes no farther then Pauls planting and Apollos wateringe over and above all which unles God be pleased to give the encrease we shall continue unfruitfull still only there is a sect that have a better opinion of their activitie unto that which is good then so Sure I am the Apostle tells us that God doth fulfill the good pleasure of his goodnes in us and the worke of faith with power and if he fulfill the worke of faith with power doth he not fulfill the worke of love of repentance of obedience of all holy conversation and godlines that with power Molira will have Gods concourse to be simultaneous with the will not antecedaneous in nature to the wills operation least otherwise God should not be the immediate cause of the act of the maintenance wherof he was zelous and it seemes Arminiâ—â—s tooke his conceyte from him of making God in the same manner an immediate cause of every act But Suares his fellowe Iesuite doth not approove of that Molinaes conceyte and is of opinion that albeit God doth worke the will to her operation yet this nothing hinders the immediate condition of Gods causalitie So that all of them stande for the maintenance of Gods immediate causalitie which this Author very judiciously and profoundely out of the depth of his scholasticalitie rejects and after his manner takes it in scorne that God shoulde be required to performe an immediate operation in producing any good worke he would have that left to the will of man not that he desires to have wherof to boast for he will be ready in great plerophory of wordes to professe that he gives God the glory of all but how Forsooth of working him so to that which is good as to leave it to his will at the pleasure therof to be the immediate operator in all Otherwise he should worke irresistibly which is a phrase of an ill accent in their eares and stickes as a burre in their throate it will not downe with them for they are verily persuaded it would breede no good blood in them not for feare least herby they should ascribe too much to God and too litle to themselves farre be that from the Spirit of their humilitie but they would have the Allmightie cary himselfe decently in dealing with them and sith he hath indued them with free will not to damnifie the free course therof which were to disanull his owne workmanship For as yet they are not arrived to any such faith as to believe that it is in the power of the Almightye to make them to worke this or that freely But let me have leave to spurre this Author one quaestion Cannot he endure that God should so powerfully worke them unto that which is good that the world should have no abilitie to resist him nor the divill and his Angells of darkenes We knowe the course and fashions of the one and the practises and suggestions of the other are prest and forward enough to hinder us in the good wayes of the Lord as much as ever the Angell of God was to hinder Balaam in his wicked courses Now why should you be so zealous of maynteyning the power eyther of the world or the divill to corrupt your soule and overthrowe your faith were it not rather cheifly to be desired that God should so worke us by his holy Spirit unto every thing that is pleasing in his sight that it shoulde not be in the power of the very gates of hell to prevayle against us that is I trowe to worke us unto that which is good irresistibly that is so that the world nor the divill should not be able to resist Gods operation though they much desire it I shoulde thinke it is not the genius of this Author to oppose irresistible operation divine in this sense though it may be he was never cast upon this distinction untill now In respect of whom then would he have this