to pray you to speak plainly and particularly you use the same Artifice and Cant most extreamly Afterwards in the first Chapter of your booke when you should lay downe your expresse doctrine about the divine influx and concourse we must try if wee can hunt you out of your holes there CHAP. XVI Goodwin 1. THough the spirit of God contributes by his assistance after that high manner which bath been declared toward the right apprehending understanding discerning the things of God by men yet this no wayes proveth but that they are the Reasons and Understandings of men themselves that must apprehend discerne and understand these things and consequently must be provoked raised ingaged imployed and improved by men that they may thus apprehend and discerne notwithstanding all that assistance which is administred by the spirit otherwise nothing will be apprehended or discerned by them Nor will the assistance of the spirit we speake of turn to any account of benefit or comfort but of losse and condemcondemnation unto men in case their Reasons 〈◊〉 Understandings shall not advance and quit themselveâ— according to their interest thereupon Resbury This may passe as impertinent It is the Reason of man that must apprehend c. But it is Reason sanctified that apprehends savingly man must stirre up his owne soule but it is by the worke of the sanctifying spirit that so he doth effectually These things have been proved abundantly already Goodwin 3 In case the Spirit of God shall at any time reveale I mean offer and propose any of the things of God or any spirituall Truth unto men these must be apprehended discerned judged of yea and concluded to be the things of God by the Reasons and Understandings of men before they can or ought to receive or beleeve them to be the things of God Yea before such a revelation can any wayes accommodate benefit and blesse their soule When our Saviâ—â—â— speaking of that spirit to his Disciples saith And he will shew you things to come And againe he shal receive of mine and shal shew them unto you Joh. 16. 13 14. he supposeth that they viz. with their own Reasons and Understandings were to apprehend and judge of the things that should be thus shewed unto them to have been shewed unto them by the spirit of God and not to have proceeded from any other Author Yea in case men shall receive the things of God themselves for the things of God or of the spirit of God before their Reason and Understanding have upon rationall grounds and principles judged them to be the things of God yet can they not receive them upon these termes as the things of God I mean as the tnings of God ought in duty and by command from himselfe to be received by men or so as to benefit or iâ—â—ich the soule by their being received For as God requires of men to be praised with understanding i. e. out of a rationall apprehension and due consideration of his infinite worth and excellency so doth be require to be beleeved also and they that beleeve him otherwise beleeve they know not what nor whom and so are brethren in vanity with those that worship they know not what and build Altars to an unknowne God to trust or beleeve in God upon such termes as these is being interpreted but as the devotion of a man to an Idol yea the Apostle himselfe arraignes the Athenians of that high Crime and misdemeanour of Idolatry upon the account of their sacrificing to an unknown God Resbury This is of the same Spirit Error and impertinency with the last 1 The Spirits revelation he interprets his Proposall This is just Pelagius his revelation proposall by his word and doctrine 2 The things by the Spirit proposed must be discerned the things of God by our owne reasons c. Who doubts this but which he meanes not by our owne reasons enlightened by renewing and peculiar Grace hee saith They must be received upon rationall grounds true reason being by Scripture enlightned Goodwin 4 And lastly The interposure and actings of reason and understanding in men are of that soveraigne and most transcendent use yea necessity in and about matters of Religion that all the agency of the Spirit notwithstanding a man can performe 〈◊〉 thing no manner of service unto God with accepâ—… nothing in a way of true edification to himselfe withâ—… their engagement and service First I stand chargâ—… by God not to beleeve every Spirit but to try thâ— Spirits whether they be of God I demand bâ— what rule or touch-stone shall I try any Spirit whâ—… or upon what account shall I reject one as a Spirit 〈◊〉 errour falshood and delusion and doe homage 〈◊〉 my judgement and conscience to another as the Spirit of God If it be said I ought to try the Spirits by the Scriptures or Word of God I demand againe But how shall I try my touch-stone or be sure that that Principle notion or ground which I call thâ— Word of God and by which I goe about to try the Spirits is indeed the Word of God There is scarce any errour that is abroad in the Christian world but freely offers it selfe to be tryed by the Word of God as well as the true Spirit of God himselfe i. e. by such meanings sences or conclusions as it selfe confidently asserts to be the Word of God i. e. the minde of God in the Scriptures so that I am in no capacity to try such a Spirit which upon such an account as this pretends his coming forth from God unlesse I be able to prove that those sences â—eanings and conclusions by which be offers to be tryed are not indeed the Word of God Now it is unpossible that I should prove this meerly and only by the Scriptures themselves because unto what place or places soever I shall have recourse for my proofe or tryall in this case this Spirit will reject my sence and interpretation in case it maketh against him and will substitute another that shall not oppose him Nor can I reasonably or regularly reject his sence in this case at least as an untruth unlesse I apprehend some relish or taste therein which is irrationall or some â—…on which jâ—rreth with or grateth upon some 〈◊〉 principle 〈◊〉 other of reason within me for as 〈◊〉 â—…e one hand what Doctrine or Notion soever clearly â—â—cordeth and is commensurable with any solid and 〈◊〉 â—…ted Principle or ground of reason within me 〈◊〉 â—…by demonstrably evinced to be a truth and from God so on the other hand what Doctrine or saying sâ—…r beares hard or falls foule upon any such Principle must of necessity be an errour and somewhat that proceeds from Satan or from â—…n and not from God Resbury 1 The same things most impertinently stil over and over an endlesse waster of words 2 By what rule or touch-stone shall heâ—ry any Spirit or Doctrine he answers If it be said by the Scripture but how shall
least of these great and most important commands in any due manner but by interressing my Reason Iudgement and Understanding and this throughly and effectually in and about the performance The truth is I stand bound in duty and conscience towards God and in faithfulnesse to mine owne soule neither to beleeve any thing at all as coming from God which I have not or may have a very substantiall ground in Reason to beleeve commeth indeed from him nor yet to doe any thing at all as commanded by him unlesse there be a like ground in Reason to perswade me that it is indeed his command Resbury Many waste words still according to your manner One passage or two we must call to account 1. God commands you you say in such and such precepts to rise up in the might of your Reason c. Wee heare in Scripture of the weaknesse of Reason as to the things of God not sufficient of our selves to thinke a good thought c. We hear of the might of the Word Preached to cast down the strong holds and reasonings in man against the things of God But where this mighty Reason dwels I would willingly aske Mr. Goodwin but that I feare he will send mee Racovia 2. Nothign may you beleeve as comming from God which you have not very substantiall ground in Reason to beleeve commeth from him the like for obedience to his Commands If you meant Reason enlightened and sanctified by the Word and Spirit thence beleeving upon the authority of the Word your meaning was the same with theirs whom you oppose but your meaning is Reason by its own light receiving or rejecting the Word it selfe according as such and such Doctrines are above or not above contrary or agreeable to the apprehensions of the Naturall man as wee have clearly found you out formerly and to this you have been answered over and over according as your tautology hath given occasion Goodwin I confesse good Reader I have presumed at somewhat an unreasonable rate upon thy patience in detaining thee so long with the Argument yet in hand But the sense of that unconceiveable mischiefe and misery which I most certainly know have been brought upon the World Christian at least in our Quarters of it and which lyes sore upon it at this day by meanes of the reigning of this Notion and Doctrine amongst us That men ought not to use but lay aside their Reason in matters of Religion lyeth so intolerable sad and heavy upon my spirit that I could not relieve my selfe to any competent degree with saying lesse then what hath been said to relieve the world by hewing in sunder such a snare of death cast upon it most assuredly all the ataxies disorders confusions seditions insurrections all the errors blasphemous opinions apostaâ—ies from the truth and wayes of holinesse all trouble of mind and sad workings of conscience in me all unrighteousnesse and injustice all bribery and oppression all un-man-like selfe-seeking and prevaricating with publique interests and trusts all covetousnesse and deceit and whatsoever can be named in this world obstructive destructive to the present comfort and peace to the future blessednesse and glory of the sons and daughters of men proceed and spring from this one root of bitternesse and of death they neglect to advance and ingage home their Reasons Iudgements Understandings in matters of Religion to imploy and improve them according to their proper interests and capacities in these most important affaires Resbury Your tongue is your owne in way of apology for your wandring discourse hitherto you tell us of the deep apprehensions you had of that unconceiveable mischiefe c. brought upon the world by that doctrine That men must lay aside their Reason in matters of Religion a meer Hob-goblin of your own making that you may have somthing to pelt at How Reason is to be laid aside and how not we have shewed distinctly formerly not as you represent as if men should look at it as their duties to be Ideots and mad men in seeking into the things of God As for those Ataxies c. hence they are That men have been so bold to oppose their owne corrupt reasonings against the word of God instead of following the light and guidance of it and captivating their fleshly reason to the Doctrines of Faith Goodwin O Reader my mouth is open unto thee my heart is enlarged now for a recompence in the same I speake unto thee as a deare Brother in Christ be thou also enlarged say unto the world round about thee Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light doubtlesse the world should soone finde it self in another manner of posture then now it is and see the whole Hemisphere of it filled with the glorious light of the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ if the inhabitants thereof every man from his quarters would be perswaded to rise up in the might of his abilities those heavenly endowments of reason judgement understanding wherewith God by Jesus Christ hath re-invested them to seeke after him by enquiring diligently into by weighing narrowly all those things as workes of Creation workes of Providence inscriptions upon the Soule and especially the sacred word of extraordinary revelation wherein and whereby God hath drawne neare unto men and as it were prepared postured and fitted himselfe on purpose to be found and knowne and this as well in the excellency of his Grace as of his Glory by all those who upon these termes seeke after him The time was when the Spirit was not given because Christ was not glorified in Heaven the time now is wherein the Spirit is not given unto the world according to the preparations and royall bounties and magnificence of Heaven because he is not glorified on earth by the worthy imployment of the meanes abilities opportunities vouchsafed unto men the Word of God makes it one argument of the wickednesse and sensuall wayes of men that they have not the Spirit yea the Apostle Paul by charging the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit clearly supposeth it to be a sensuall straine of a voluntary unworthinesse in men if they have not a very rich and plentifull anoynting of the Spirit Resbury A word or two to this wordy Paragraph 1 Say unto the world awake c. Say you to your Reader But for as much as this sleep is the sleep of death as is here evident in that the waking from it is standing up from the dead where is now that mighty Reason Understanding Judgement you have so often told us of as here again you doe in the naturall man 2 The time now is you say wherein the spirit is not given unto the world according to the preparations of the royall bounty and magnificence of heaven because c. this is as formerly we have seen at large the Pelagian doctrine so famously branded that grace is given according to our merits the Popish doctrine of the
maintain the necessity flowing from the Decree of God In this argument is an hypotheticall necessity For your own Tenet here it may well be added to your monstrous conclusions For your challenge of the University here you lay down my words where you make much a do about the word it when I say that you may set it off bravely what this it should refer to Briefly it is an indefinite expression very usuall as much as if I had sayd that you might set off the matter bravely Then you deny that you challenge the University It is evident hence that you do because though disjunctively you desire their attestation or contestation yet so confident are you that if your doctrin be not as indeed it is nothing less the Truth of God you are an high Blasphemer more than once Upon this occasion you inform me of some gracious characters found in Arminius and hereupon I must crave leave to inform you that Pelagius was an errant Heretique though a man so far of name for Piety that Austin in his first Writings against him forbore to name him that he might preserve his honour By this time you are come to the particulars of my charge and here you are very willing to tell me that I had not read your book Truly Sir I had been a very adventurous man if I had proclamed you a nourisher of those evil beasts and had not taken notice of their dens that I might point them out when called thereto Though this I will grant you how much or little soever I had read a man need not read one quarter of your Book to make good such a charge But why did I not with one pointed Argument draw blood of this evill beast That which then I had to do was onely to give warning against it and the book by me published doth afford many Arguments against your Doctrins though it be no formall answer to your Book And whereas here you twit me proverbially in these words Is it fair for you to say that you never indeed read all Chrysostoms Works whereas you never read so much as one line of them I shall for answer return you a few lines out of Chrysostome which methinks run very cross to your Doctrin in your long digression contended for but all in vain of the Apostafie of True Beleevers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I care not if I English it for the Readers sake Again by what is past what is to come is confirmed for if it be he that establisheth us in Christ that is that suffers us not to be moved aside from the Faith in Christ and he that hath annoynted us and given the holy Spirit in our hearts how shall he not give us the things to come For if he hath given the beginnings and the foundations and the root and the fountain as the true knowledge of himself the participation of his Spirit how shall he not give us the rest For if those things be given for these much more he that hath given these will also give those And if he gave us these things whilst we were yet enemiet much more will he freely give those things to us being made friends Wherefore he said not simply the Spirit but called it the Earnest that thence thou mightst trust boldly for the whole for except he would give the whole he would not have chosen to give the Earnest and to lose it vainly and to no end In that which next followes you please your self with vain talk then you pick a quarrell with me for my Antithesis when I say Mr. Goodwins boldness will excite modesty you like it better to oppose impudence to modesty take what you like I hoped a soft word might have found pardon Hence you pass to the particulars of my Charge all which I shall give you in a Catalogue by and by mean time touching upon particulars First Imperiall dictates the sum of what you say here is 1. That you abound with Arguments no less than Newcastle with Coles Well sometimes good Homer may be taken napping 2. You fly upon the Assembly of Divines as if the Confession of Faith by them set forth was not proved Sir by Scripture it is proved but whether all those Scriptures you will allow or not I cannot tell this I know they are many of them above many of them cross to your reason and therefore it is not according to your rule to allow them Secondly monstrous Conclusions these you tell me are the genuine issue of mine own Principles you shall see the contrary presently Then you give me as my Prophets and Founders of my Faith in Election c. Calvin Musculus Bullinger Martyr c. And this c. takes in Beza Luther Piscatâ—r Pareus Zanchy Perkins Twisse Aâ—es Rivet and whom not of savoury name and eminent service in the Church of God since her coming out of mysticall Babylon These not Founders of Faith but blessed Instructers in the Faith and Defenders of it the Synod of Dort the only Synod of eminency since the Protestant name you grant me a little after Who now are the men of your Faith What obscure names compared with these Armiâ—ius that bold corrupter of the Truth Bertius the Apostate Tilenus his brother in Apostacy Corvinus Squire of the body to Arminius with such like Thirdly your wrested Quotations if I should instance in the Scriptures wrested by you together with Authors I must instance your whole Book Tolli tota theatra jube I shall therefore in this place give you a taste of Quotations out of Authors onely The speciall reason of your quoting Authors you say is to shew that your Doctrine wants not an arm of flesh to stand by it that is that it hath been held by Orthodox and pious men but the defence of the truth by Orthodox and pious men according to the Word of God is the arm of the Spirit rather than an arm of Flesh indeed it hath been onely an arm of Flesh that hath stood by your Doctrines 2. That the greatest opposers of your Doctrine were inconsistent with themselves in this endeavour you shew not them inconsistent but your self a Jugler Fourthly uncouth Philosophy This by and by with the rest of his fellowes Fifthly Consequential blasphemies here you want my Heifer to plow with to sinde out the riddle and then you sweat and trifle and seem to be wandring in a filthy dream your expressions are so immodest and unchast I will tell you my riddle briefly I suppose you rather blinded with error than sinning of malice against the truth and therefore your blasphemy not intentionall but upon supposition that they are the truths of God which you oppose as indeed they are his main Gospell Truths your revilings are so high against them as they amount to no less than high blasphemy such as Paul was guilty of when yet he sinn'd of ignorance and unbelief which I was willing to
allay with the term consequentiall but forasmuch as you are at such a loss about that term I am content you substitute blasphemy express Neither doe I pass that your Critick Learning will here finde fault with my Antithesis again Here you take occasion to tell me of a Triumphant Argument of yours against Eternall Reprobation that it contains this blasphemy in it That God should reprobate himself Hem I here is a Gorgon indeed Sir we shall see the vanity and ridiculous foppery of this Argument when we come to examine it in your Book in the mean time let me put one question to you that teach that God created all things at once and that from eternity did he create himself In the next place you modestly and humbly as you say intreat me to shew you one instance of any of these yet your humble modesty subjoyns that I may take ten Universities to my assistance I shall Sir give instance of every one of them and borrow no help in a case so obvious and gross of any one University But then you require an impossibility that I would shew you one spot of your darkness but that I would not shew you darkness Sir whilst I shew you those things I have nothing but darkness to shew you Indeed here ten Universities cannot assist me to satisfie your contradiction Then you would know why I call your Doctrine Arminianism and being one that loves to hear your self talk you run an idle wordy descant hereupon I have shewed you in the following discourse wherein your Doctrine is not Arminianism onely but Jesuitism Pelagianism and Socinianism as I had occasion from your Preface and I hope to shew you more of the same kinde hereafter from your Book As for my Sermons you have promised to destroy them by the fall of the Synod of Dort upon them crushing them into Atomes no doubt Sir when this great wrack comes I shall believe the Astrologers of our times that the last Ecclipse of the Sun portended some notable thing In the mean time I thank you that you have given me the Synod of Dort now for a recompence take you the Council of Trent You tell me the nineth to the Romans is a wrong field wherein to dig for absolute Reprobation but your word is no whit currant with me You add that I my self making my Elect ones liable to be seduced by a spirit of Error doe little less than shake the foundation of absolute Reprobation Here first prophanely you call them mine elect then you argue to this purpose this liableness to seduction is such as indangereth the salvation of the seduced or not If not 1. Care against it is in vain because thus Men whether Elect or not Elect will be liable thus far at least to be seduced though all errors in the world were supprest For answer 1. Men not elect shall certainly deceive themselves and be seduced by Satan to the loss of salvation Your limitation thus far at least in reference to such is very Atheological nor will your Parenthesis concerning my notion salve your error here 2. Granting what you say for the elect yet there is a latitude in this liableness and spirits of error are instruments fitted to seduce further than otherwise they were likely to be and therefore care is to be had against them because their salvation as the end enjoyns the care of all means tending to that end and against all things that tend to cross that end though it be familiar to you in spight of all Logick to argue from the end to the exclusion of the means whereas the end infers them again because the more they are seduced the more they dishonor God 2. Care against it is for their hurt say you to this end you add that according to my principles all the sins of the Elect shall work for good to them and not only be forgiven them immediately upon the Commission But 1. Where do I say they shall be forgiven them immediately upon the Commission 2. Suppose the sins of the Elect in the conclusion turn to their good even their sins not excluded that comprehensive promise All things shall work together for good to them that love God What then Then you say a care of preventing their seduction would be a care to keep them from a certain benefit For answer let me tell you out of what School you had this Argument truly out of the same with that prophane Caviller Rom. 3. 5. 7. who argues thus but our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God therefore is God unrighteous if he take vengeance and if the truth of God hath abounded through my lie to his glory therefore should I do ill to forbear lying 2. Yourâ— Sopâ—istry is gross and sordid things in themselves evill though accidentally of good issue are to be avoyded and what puny Sophister knows not this Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest it not And now having thus far wandred in the first member of your distinction you come to the second that if this liableness to seduction may end in the destruction of the Elect then Election staggers and if so then Reprobation too I answer no such liableness do I understand as that any one of the Elect ever did or ever shall perish Then you tell me but that you are unworthy to teach me I might have learned from the 359. and 360. pages of your book how impertinently I cited these words of the Apostle the foundation of God stands sure there will be time and place I doubt not to shew the falshood of your interpretation there in the mean time you are unfit indeed to teach me or any man els because you are such a stranger to the Truth but ere long you hope to vindicate the nineth to the Romans from the monstrous and horrid Doctrine of absolute Reprobation Once again the Lord rebuke thee thou devouring tongue In the close you profess your hopes that I will be more tender of your name and reputation the Lord make me tender of his Truth and in tenderness thereof a poor instrument in his hand to blast your errors whereupon if your name be built it must take part with them Now Sir I have only a basket of your rotten figs and wilde grapes to present you with accordding to the particulars of my charge A tast of M. Goodwins lovely Doctrines and Discourse in some few Instances gathered here and there for the most part in his own words alwaies in his own sense where for brevity sake the words are altered where we have 1. His Imperiall Dictates 1. DOubtless many persons both of men and women have been propagated and born into the world whose parents were not determined to their generation pag. 7. 2. He that is God hath indeed determined indefinitely and in the generall that bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out half their days but if we speak of any particular persons who being bloody and deceitfull
came thereby to an untimely end neither their sin or their suffering by an un imely end was determined by God p. 9. 3. The actions and motions of naturall causes are not ordinarily by the concurrence of God determined p. 12. The like for the motion of brute Creatures p. 13 in these words Nor are the motions or actings of the second kinde of causes mentioned as of birds beasts c. any whit more determined than of the former by the presence of God with them in their actions the concurrence of God with the Lamb when it runs to the dam and when it flies from the wolf is doubtless one and the same Ibid. 2. His monstrous Conclusions 1. It is a thing as unquestionable as that the Sun is up at noon day that reason and understanding in men are competent to judge of the things of God of all of them that are contained in the Scripture according to the degree of their manifestation there Praf pag. 10. 2. Men that act according to the true principles of that reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers in the precious Faith of the Gospel pag. 11. 3. The Scripture knows not the Word naturall in any sense wherby it distinguisheth the unregenerate state of man from the regenerate pag. 12. 4. By the Natural man 1 Cor. 2. 14 is understood the weak Christian by the Spirituall man the grown Christian by the Things of God onely deep Mysteries pag. 13. 5 God doth require of me no more belief in the Mystery of the Trinity Incarnation of Christ and such like than my reason is able to apprehend pag. 17. 6. The dayes of mans continuance on earth are not determined as so many and no more by any decree of God Book pag. 9. Such Decrees are fitter to make an Alcoran divinity than Christian. pag. 11. 7. The Apostle Paul acquits himself and all others of all such irregular acts whereunto they are necessitated though by an inward principle pag. 13. 8. God might and did absolutely determine the giving up of Christ to suffer death upon the cross and yet not determine either that Herod or Pontius Pilate or any other persons by name should have acted this his determination pag. 23. 9. When a mans person house or goods are consumed by fire there is no competent ground to think that these were determined by God pag. 25. 10. As hands eyes ears grief repentance c. are attributed unto God which according to their proper signification agree not to him so Praescience or Fore-knowledge Election and Reprobation pag. 29. 11. Intentions Purposes and Decrees as well as Knowledge or Fore-knowledge are onely Anthropo-pathetically ascribed unto God pag. 32. 12. God doth not alwaies decree what he purposeth and intendeth to effect because he judgeth it meet to act only to a certain degree of efficiency foâ— the effecting and obtaining of some things by which if hee cannot effect or obtain them hee judgeth it not meet to act any further pag. 36. 13. God never starveth his ends for want of means and yet the things themselves are many times not obtained Ibidem 14. The object of Gods Fore-knowledge is far larger than the object of his intentions or decrees the object of his decrees only such things which he purposeth to effect without any exception the object of his intentions or purposes such things onely which he desireth and intendeth to give being unto but with condition and limitation pag. 39. 15. Love and Hatred Mercy and Justice in God towards his Creature do not argue any different affection in him but onely a different dispensation so that we may truly affirm that he both truly hates and loves at once one and the same person pag. 44. 16. If God reprobated any from Eternity It must be himself pag. 45. 17. When God prevailes by his Word and Spirit with men in time to believe and during this their believing continues the same means towards their further establishment he is sayd to have elected them Again when God upon mens neglect refusall or abuse of the means of Grace shall withdraw these means to such a degree that they fall to open prophaness c. he is now said to have reprobated them pag. 62. 18. The love of God in Election is primarily and directly pitcht upon a certain species of men and not upon the persons of men save by accident and indirectly only in a Consequential way so that it argues no change in God though one while he love and another while hates the same person because no person is the object of his Elective love but onely as righteous nor any person the object of his reprobating hatred but only as wicked pag. 64. 19. The Apostles meaning in this Antithesis not of Works but of him that Calleth is plainly this not of Works but of Faith pag. 463 20. Elect through sanctification of the Spirit c. this implies that such a state and condition as this is that very state wherein what persons should at any time be found God in his eternall Counsels judgeth it meet to confer the honourable title of Elect upon them Ibidem 21. To chuse us in Christ signifies to intend purpose or decree to chuse us as being or when we should be in Christ by beleeving Ibidem 22. Though sober men will not yet God may intend and will that which he knows shall never come to pass pag. 424. 23. When God foresaw that the good gifts which he bestows upon some men would be abused by them yet his love in giving is no whit less because it is not in his power to have done more to the preventing of such abuse than he hath done pag. 426. 24. The utmost extent of the power of God is to proceed no further in vouchsafing Grace or the means of Grace than to leave men a power of rejecting the Grace offered and so of ruining themselves pag. 427. 25. It may be as truly and properly sayd of God when he vouchsafeth the least sufficiency of means unto some men as when he affordeth the greatest unto others that he doth what he is able to do as well for the one as the other pag. 430. 26. When we teach that Christ died for all men we mean that he wholly dissolved and took off from all men the guilt and condemnation that was brought upon all men by Adams transgression so that now no man shall be condemned but for such sins onely which shall be actually committed by him oâ— for such omissions which was in his power to have prevented pag. 433. 27. In this sense we desire to be understood when we affirm that God intends the salvation of all men without exception by the death of Christ that upon this account he vouchsafeth sufficiency of means unto all men considered as men and before their wilfull sinning that most hainous and unpardonable sin whereby to be saved pag. 448. 28. All the acts and actings of
insinuation accordingly It is now time for me further to shew the same by what is afterwards exprest as I promised which I shal do by quoting his own words which in the tenth page of this preface are these It is a thing as unquestionable as that the Sun is up at noon-day that Reason and Understanding in men are competent to judge of the things of God at least of some yea of many of them or rather indeed of all that are contained in the Scriptures according to the degree of their discovery and manifestation there And after some instances whereby he would confirm this doctrine he comes to this conclusion pag. 11. Therefore certainly those noble faculties and endowments of Reason Understanding in men as they are sustained supported and assisted here are as ever words enough by the spirit of God in the generality of men are in a capacity of apprehending discerning understanding plenty of words still the things of God in the Gospell yea and evident it is from the Scriptures that men act beneath themselves are remisse and slothfull in awakening those principles of light and understanding that are vested in their natures or else willingly choke suppresse and smother them who may complaine for want of words but this is his perpetual manner which I shall not need after these hints to take much notice of if they remaine in the snare of unbeleefe Then after a little more discourse he hath with reference to a text of Scripture which wil not own his inference these words Which clearly implyeth that men who act and quit themselves according to the true principles of that reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers in the precious faith of the Gospell To the same purpose in the fourth chapter of his book pag. 41. He professeth his opinion That that life and salvation which Christ in reality of designe and with semblable acceptance in the sight of God had from the beginning purchased by his death for men did or doth as it were in the first breake or dawning of it appear and discover it selfe in those principles of naturall light reason judgement conscience understanding c. which are found in the generality of men upon their coming into the world Then he tells us That men generally as they grow up in the world convert those principles of light and understanding to make provision for the lusts of the flesh and that partly by an un-man-like ossitancy partly out of an inordinate propenfity to comport with the world they suffer their judgements and understandings to be corrupted adulterated imbased and abused by many false and foolish Principles and notions which turne them quite a side from a regular and due prosecution of that life and salvation which is in Christ for them and might have been obtained by them and that ignorance or incapacity rather of the things of eternal life which is in men they have voluntarily contracted and brought upon themselves By this time Reader thou wilt discern something of the mystery of iniquity lurking in this discourse of his against error the refutation of what is here averred we must defer a while til we shall meet with it in its proper place where the Lord assisting we are resolved to grapple close with Master Goodwin and to make it we hope cleare as the Sunne that he is not only a Teacher of falshood but of the Pelagian Heresie in the meane time we must follow him as he goes on and in the first place we shall finde him a Socinian CHAP. II. Goodwin THe second thing good Reader wherewith I desire to possesse and fill thee judgement and conscience heart and soule and all that is within thee to strengthen ttine hand to a diligent perusall of the Treatise ensuing is the high necessity that lyeth upon thee as it doth upon all the world besides respectively to awake raise and engage all those worthy faculties and endowments which God hath vested in thee reason judgement memory understanding about the things of thine eternall peace and because this Iron I feare hath of late been much blunted with the earthly conceits and suggestions of many I am desirous to put so much the more strength to it but to me it is the first borne of wonder and astonishment that amongst men professing the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the wisdome of God yea amongst the Teachers themselves of this wisdome men should be found who thinke they doe God and men very good service in perswading men wholly to lay aside their reasons judgements understandings in matters of Religion and not to make use of or engage any of these in their enquiries after matters of a Spirituall or supernaturall concernment doubtlesse Satan is a debtor to those persons who have seasoned the world with the unsavoury salt of such a Principle as this for all the religious respects and high entertainment that have of late been given by many amongst us to all those wicked sencelesse saplesse hideous and blasphemous Doctrines and Opinions which like the dead Froggs of Aegypt make the Land to stinke for if men may not interpose with their reasons and judgements to distinguish between Spirit and Spirit Opinion and Opinion why should not one Spirit be beleeved as well as another and one Opinion received as well as another or if the difference be not to be made by the interposure and exercise of reason in a man I demand by what other principle or meanes ought it to be made If it be said partly by the Word of God and partly by the Spirit of God I answer Resbury Now he begins to come closer to his work and by bolder steps then hitherto moves on to the open venting of such Doctrines as he durst but nibble at till now In his first motive he hath made such a long discourse against Errours as he begins to grow confident that in the second to which he is now come he may broach errour without suspicion Here we have an hideous out-cry against such as teach the laying aside of naturall reason in enquiries about matters of Religion and of a spirituall and supernaturall concernment and to make it sound the better he tels us of such worthy faculties reason understanding c. in reference to these enquiries as if he had never heard any thing of Originall sin the blindnesse darknesse perversnesse folly bruitishnesse of the Naturall man and then as is the manner of all Seducers and Heretiques he drawes his charge confused and in generall termes and therein vents the bitternesse of his spirit to the full against all the Orthodox that is generally the Ancient Fathers the School-men of best note after them and in the last place the eminent Lights of the last Ages reformation and of this present Generation these must be Factours for Satan seasoners of the World with unsavoury salt the abettors at least of all those borrid opinions and blasphemies which have
darkned our Land What Jesuite hath a blacker mouth or a stronger breath But let us enquire into his Doctrine and the mystery of deceit working in the bowels of it and that by distinct proceeding in particulars which he hath fraudulently wrapt up together in generall 1 Then it is true that in some sence Reason is to be made use of in these enquiries of Religion and Spirituall concernments as 1 Suppose an Heathen not yet owning the true God and his Word he is by arguments propounded to his reason to be dealt with by the Booke of the Creation to prove the one true God as likewise by extrinsecall arguments to be drawne to read the Word of God that by the word it selfe as the Spirit shall please to enlighten by it he may come to owne the Divine Canon for the true word of the true God 2 Granting the Scripture the un-erring Word of God in whatsoever it shall deliver we are diligently to employ our reason in searching into the minde of God by the Scriptures as our light to enlighten and rule to direct our reason as that word which is able to make wise unto Salvation and to make the man of God perfect throughly furnisht to every good worke And in two things here are our reasons to be exercised 1. The Grammar of the Scriptures or the formes of expression to finde out the truth of them 2. The Logick of the Scripture or the true discourse thereof and this in three things the Scope the Context and Selfe-consent Scripture compared with Scripture the more obscure places interpreted by the clearer and so in all the analogy of faith held Now Sir you know very well that in this sence and upon these termes none of those against whom you bend your stile deny the use of reason for they doe not teach that men in seeking into the meaning of the Scripture must become either fooles or mad-men or Enthusiasts And was it in this sence only that you require the use of reason or in any such sence as preserves the due authority of the Word as for it selfe to be beleeved as the perfect rule you had never raised such Tragedies about the use of reason or the laying it aside as here you have but we shall now passe to the enquiry in what sence it is to be laid aside and there I am affraid we shall finde you requiring the use of it so as to evacuate the authority of the Word therefore we say 2. It is true that in some sence man must lay aside his reason in matters of religion and in enquiries after matters of Spirituall and supernaturall concernment as 1 That our assent to such truthes as the Scriptures hold forth may be the assent of Faith the immediate ground of it must not be the Selfe-evidence of the thing testified by the Scriptures unto reason but the authority of God testifying Hence that knowne Doctrine of the Schooles that the formall object I like as well to say the proper ground of faith is the first truth or God himselfe revealing his minde Hence suppose a truth taught in the Scripture is likewise demonstrated to my reason by Philosophicall arguments as for instance That God created the world that is made it of nothing so farre is my assent to this truth the assent of Divine faith as it is grounded upon the authority of Divine testimony that assent which is grounded upon Philosophicall demonstration is not Divine faith but only Humane knowledge He that trusts a man no further then he sees him as we say Proverbially trusts him not at all Hence the Apostle Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seene were not made of things that doe appeare It is only the Christian sure not the meere Philosopher that by faith understands this though haply both of them may understand it by demonstration but the Christian alone by Divine testimony for its owne authority assented to 2 We may not oppose our naturall conceptions to the Word of God or make our apprehensions before-hand the rule of what we will receive for the Word and revealed Will of God and what we will reject but what the Grammar and Logick of the Word holds forth must be the rule of our apprehensions whether we can discerne how in reason the things affirmed should be or not we must not Afferre sensum Scripturae but referre otherwise we subject the authority of Gods Truth to our owne apprehensions and beleeve him not because he hath said it but because we by reason see it neither shall we ever otherwise embrace the Word of God for as much as the Word it selfe teacheth many things 1. Above reason Great is the mystery of godlinesse saith the Apostle yet it is no great mystery if reason may comprehend it What reason of men or Angels could ever have thought of such a thing as the three Persons of the God-head as the Personall union of God and Man in the Mediatour the imputation of the Mediatours righteousnesse to beleevers of Adams sinne to his Posterity with many others or who comprehends clearly these things at least some of them when revealed in the Word 2 Many things against reason that is crosse to the apprehensions of corrupt reason as it is now in all naturall men The minding of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be The naturall man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them because they are Spiritually discerned Your fruitlesse attempt to avoyd the strength of this text of Scripture we shall consider in due place It is one vertue of the VVord preached to cast downe the reasonings of the naturall man 2 Cor. 10. 5. Many others of like import we shall have occasion afterwards to mention On the one hand such is the blindnesse and wickednesse of man by Originall sinne which are withall daily encreased by themselves and Satan on the other hand such is the mysterious height and transcendent purity of the Word of God that mans reason must receive light from it is not a light otherwise then as enlightned by it whereby to judge of it And as the truth we are now upon is evident by the Word so is it by all experience name me any one people or any one person since man was Created upon earth that without the word or voyce of God for direction by the light and ducture of reason either worshipped the true God or did not fall upon a most abominable way of Worship or light upon the Gospel-way of Salvation to omit all other deviations Nay you your selfe who leane so much to your owne wisdome and are so much in advancing the Rush-Candle of reason against the Sun of the Scripture are amongst others an evidence even in this the Master-piece of your reason the Treatise in
hand of the incompetency of mans reason not enlightened by the Word through the Spirit to judge of the things of the Spirit of God whilst you fall so wretchedly foule upon the maine Doctrines of Predestination Redemption Perseverance c. Now if in this sence Mr. Goodwin acknowledged that reason is to be laid aside why doth he raise a Controversie with those who in the other sence formerly specified not only grant but urge the use of it But that Master Goodwin in this sence denies the laying it aside and exalts it as the Judge of the VVord beside and above the word seemes in the first place not obscurely insinuated in the second place openly exprest by some passages of his Pen. For the first not obscurely insinuating it what shal we say to that Doctrine of his which he sayes is much to be observed Pag. 5. of this Preface That a man or woman who have for many yeares profest the Gospel may in processe of time come to discover vanity in some erroneous Principle or Tenet wherewith their judgements have been leavened for some considerable space formerly and so grow into a dis-approbation or contempt of it and yet may very possibly think the Gospell favoureth or countenanceth it and that otherwise they should never have owned nor approved it Hence it appeares that in your account errour may be discerned by reason which yet shall be thought by the Gospell to be owned so that the Gospell shall not be the rule by which to judge of truth and errour but reason shall be the rule by which to judge whether the Gospell it selfe to wit that sacred Writ which is received in the Church of God for the Gospell be true or false Then you goe on to the same purpose Now when a person shall be brought into the snare of such a conceit or imagination as this that the Gospell in some of the veins or carriages of it teacheth or asserteth things that are vaine But before you goe any further allowing the Divine authority of the Gospell it is unpossible that such a conceit should have place that the Gospell in any of the veines or carriages of it should assert any thing that is vaine He goes on Or if no good consistency with reason or truth here is your rule to judge of any opinion in matters of Faith and that whereby the Gospell it selfe must be called to an account the consistency or inconsistency of it with reason so farre it must be truth as vaine mans blind reason judgeth it consistent with it selfe You conclude He is in a ready posture to throw from his soule all credence of the Divine authority of the Gospell and to esteeme it no better then a Fable devised by men so farre then as you comprehend by reason the things taught in the Gospell to be agreeable to reason neither above it nor crosse thereto so farre you will embrace the Gospell if any thing you finde in it otherwise you are in a ready posture to esteeme it no better then a Fable I doubt you are so indeed by your discourse here and other-where for most certaine it is that there are many things in the Gospell both above your reason and crosse to it But Sir allowing the divine authority of the Gospell It is impossible that any man should discover an errour in matter of faith and religion but he therein discernes it to be dis-owned and condemned by the Gospell and the Gospell it selfe was the rule and the light whereby he discovered it and the fruit of his discovery will not be as you reason here the blame of the Gospell but of his owne former ignorance of the Gospell But if here you have not spoken openly enough you have discovered your selfe fully pag. 335. of your booke where disputing against a maine Gospel-truth namely the unchangeable love of God to the Saints your words are these Besides whether any such assurance of the unchangeablenesse of the love of God to him that is godly as the objection speaks of can be effectually and upon sufficient grounds given unto men is very questionable yea I conceive there is more reason to judge otherwise then so But let us hear what you say next Yea that which is more it is indeedmore then enough I verily beleeve that in case any such assurance of the unchangeablenesse of Gods love were to be found in or could regularly bee deduced from the Scriptures it were a just ground to any intelligent and considering man to question their authority and whether they were from God or no. Now have you spoken out evident it is as the light of the sunne that you make mans reason blind and corrupt as it is a rule above the Scriptures whereby to try them and the only touch-stone of them for that which may be found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures must needs be the voyce of the Scripture in concordance with it self by what rule now shall we question it but that of our reason as above it Now Sir you must give me leave to tell you that your owne pen hath proclaimed you a very Socinian And now let us see whether this conclusion leads even to the utter overthrow of the Scriptures By the same reason that you may question this doctrine found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures you may question any other and the authority of the Scriptures thereupon a ready way for all Hereticks and erroneous Teachers The Papists may question the authority of the Scripture if Gods hatred against Image-worship may bee found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures you may question the authority of Scriptures if holinesse of life or whatsoever other truth as wel one as another may be found in or regularly deduced from them Let me advise you a more compendious way to maintain your errours against personall election and reprobation against the dominion of God therein exprest against the confinement of redemption to the elect against the perseverance of the Saints against the efficacious influence of grace upon the will of man and even this errour concerning the light and ability of the naturall man for discerning and applying the things of the spirit of God held forth in the Gospell trouble not your selfe to torture the Scriptures that they may seeme to witnesse for you but for as much as they speake so much against you question their authority and whether they be from God or not And why should you not doe as your elder brethren of the Socinian-family have done before you Let us first see their doctrines as like to yours as one egge is like another what saith Smalcius It is certaine that whatsoever is contrary to reason is neither extant in the holy Scriptures neither can it be gathered from them De Christo vero naturali Dei filio C. 6. What saith Ostorodius another head of that Tribe If reason or understanding expresly prove the Trinity of persons in God to be false how
may it come into the minde of any man right in his wits that yet notwithstanding it is true and may be proved by the Word of God Now adde Mr. Goodwins doctrine and see if it speak not the same language I verily beleeve by the Secinian not Apostolicall faith that in case any such assurance of the unchangeablenes of Gods love was to be found in or could regularly be deduced from the Scriptures it was a just ground to any intelligent and considering man to question their authority and whether they were from God or no These doctrines plainly allow not the Scripture in the Grammar and Logique of it the rule and light to guide and conclude mans reason but exalt the reason of man as judge above it whence whatsoever Article of faith they dispute about nothing is more usuall with them then this objection this or that is false because contrary to reason We have now seen their doctrines let us see their deductions which likewise must be yours your doctrine being the same Hence they proceed to deny many Articles of the faith because contrary to reason at least in their apprehensions The Racovian Catechisme the body of their Theology or Heresie rather rejects the doctrine of the three persons in one essence p. 49. the two natures in the one person of Christ pag. 55. Danies that Christ by his death satisfied for us and merited eternall life for us pag. 261. And all because these are contrary say they to right reason Smalcius against Franzius opposeth Originall sinne because if he say true it is utterly contrary to reason that an innocent person by once sinning should infect all his posterity These for a touch of your Doctrine and whither it leads CHAP. III. Goodwin COncerning the Word of God it is to be acknowledged that this is to be in speciall manner interessed in all our dijudications between Doctrine and Doctrine Opinion and Opinion in matter of Religion Resbury Why doe you not acknowledge it the perfect rule Goodwin And that this is the fire which must try every mans worke of what sort it is and must separate the vilâ— from the precious Resbury Doe not you sit then as a Refiner by fire of this fire it selfe by your reason so as to reject any thing that may be found in the Scripture or regularly deduced there-from Goodwin But as the Plummet and Rule doe not measure the worke of the Architect or discover whether it be true and square or otherwise of and by themselves but as they are regularly applyed hereunto either by the Workman himselfe or some other capable of making such an application however true it may be that a sufficient test or proofe of the worke cannot be made without the use of the Plummet and Rule about it In like manner though the Word of God be of soveraigne use and necessity for the measuring of Opinions and Doctrines and for the discovery of what is straight and what crooked in them yet he that desires to reap the Spirituall benefit and advantage of the usefulnesse of it in this kind must first understand the minde and sence of God in it aright and secondly Be dextrous and expert in making a due application of it being rightly understood to the Doctrines or Opinions the soundnesse or unsoundnesse whereof he desires to understand by it Resbury To what end are these waste words 1. The Scripture is the rule and reason is the eye but as the Scripture is the rule so is it the light too by which this eye must be enlightened otherwise it is too darke to apply this rule It is by the Scriptures that a right understanding is had of them and a dextrous faculty for applying them they being the meanes by the Holy Ghost appointed and sanctified for enlightening and sanctifying the reason of man The Scripture is not only a rule for tryall aâ— is that of the Architect but for instructing too it is such a rule as gives rules for instructing and directing in all matters of Religion and even for the use of it selfe as a rule and indeed that you may the lesse wonder hereat all Arts are such rules as give rules for understanding themselves Suppose this Geometricall question was to be debated ' whither in a right angled Triangle the square of the Hypolemise be equall to the square of the sides I thinke you will grant that we must fetch the demonstration from Geometry it selfe and the demonstration must conclude us we must not say though this proposition be demonstratively concluded in Geometry yet we will question it only indeed here is the difference A Geometricall demonstration renders the conclusion not only agreeable to Principles and former propositions in Geometry by which it is demonstrated but withall cleare to reason but the conclusion of a Divine truth by Scripture is many times obscure to reason though clearly agreeable to Principles and other Doctrines in Scripture because even those Principles and Doctrines proving it are to mans reason not for want of light in them but through the blindnesse of it obscure Yet shall reason see the legitimacy of the proofe from Principles and Doctrines in Scripture laid downe when it hath very obscure apprehensions both of the thing contained in the conclusion and the things contained in the Principles and Doctrines proving it these things faith beleeving upon the authority of the word affirming 2. You deale with the Scriptures as he that because the rule and plummet doth not verifie the judgement which he made by his eye at a guesse he will therefore by his eye question the rule and plummet themselves whilst you take liberty to question the authority of the Scriptures and whether they be from God or not upon supposall of something found in them or regularly deduced from them which relisheth not with your reason Goodwin For first it is not the letter or forme of words as separated or considered apart from the spirit notion or sence of them that is the touch-stone or rule of triall for Doctrines yea the letter and words are only servants to the sence and notion which they containe and exhibit and were principally if not only delivered by the Holy Ghost unto men for this end that by them the sence minde and Counsell of God in all the particulariâ—ies of them which are held forth in the Scriptures might be communicated and conveyed to the reasons and understandings of men so that in case a man had the sence and minde of God upon the same termes of certainty of knowledge without the letter on which he hath it or may have it by meanes of the letter he should be as richly as compleatly qualified hereby to discerne between Doctrines as he now can be by the opportunity and advantage of the letter Resbury Words to no purpose still 1. If the Letter and words of the Scripture be servants to the Sence and Notion and so forth as you declare then is not that sence which
reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers of the precious faith of the Gospel and repentance he requires before faith as is evident in that passage of his God cals upon all men every where to repent and so to beleeve if they cannot but beleeve and that they may beleeve they must repent then from this knowledge in the Naturall mans power both faith and repentance necessarily ensue That this knowledge is in the power of the Naturall man according to his Doctrine is evident because the Objection and Answer is about the Naturall man whence he inferres this conclusion Now for answer here is the fallacy he confounds that knowledge which may be in the Naturall man with that which cannot be but in the Spirituall There is a two-fold knowledge about Spirituall things The 1 Naturall 2 Spirituall The former Historical or of Logical apprehension of Propositions rather then of things or of Propositions only distinctly of things contained in the Propositions confusedly and afar off as when a man reads an History of persons places c. but sees them not with his eye The latter Iniuitivè or of Spirituall Vision the things themselves in the light of the Spirit beheld as it were by Vision distinctly and at hand the former like that knowledge which the Queene of Sheba had of Salomon in her own Country only by heare-say the latter like that which she had of him at Ierusalem by the sight of her eyes 1. King 10. 4 5 6 7. then she beleeved then she admired not till then This is the knowledge whence springs faith and repentance and this is peculiar to the Saints 1 Ephes. 17 18. 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Mat. 16. 17. CHAP. V. Goodwin YEa and evident it is from the Scriptures that men act beneath themselves are remisse and slothfull in awaking those Principles of light and understanding that are vested in their natures or else willingly choake suppresse and smother them if they remaine in the snare of unbeleefe Pray for us saith Paul so the Thessalonians that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evill men for all men have not faith By unreasonable or as the word signifyeth absurd and evill men he plainly meaneth not men who naturally or in actu primo were unreasonable such as those were not like to endanger him or to obstruct the course of the Gospel but such as were unreasonable Actu secundo that is persons who acted contrary to the light and principles of reason and hereby became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 industriously evill or wicked that there were such persons as these abroad in the world he gives this account For all men have not faith which clearly implyeth that men who act and quit themselves according to the true Principles of that reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers of the precious faith of the Gospel To this purpose that passage in Chrysostome is memorably worthy As to beleeve the Gospel is the part of a raised and nobly ingenuous soule so on the contrary not to beleeve is the property of a soule most unreasonable and unworthy and depressed or bowed downe so the soâ—â—ishnesse of bruit beasts Resbury Reader here we must grapple close with him observe in his owne words what here he saith about the understanding of the Naturall man and his power to make use of it for repenting and beleeving now one of these two he must needs affirme either that he may so use his naturall understanding as thence without any peculiar and higher worke of the Spirit of God he may repent and beleeve or rather he must or else upon such use of it as he may make he shall certainly receive such a worke of the Spirit upon his soule as thence not only may but must faith and repentance be produced whether of these he affirmes I charge it with 1. Evident falshood 2. With Pelagianisme First for the falshood of both these I shall use only foure Arguments to evince it I. From the doctrine of Naturall corruption If we be not sufficient of our selves as of our selves to thinke a good thought If there be none in the state of naturall corruption that understands that seekes after God If that that is borne of the flesh be flesh If in this flesh there dwels no good thing If the naturall man receives not the things of the Spirit of God but they are foolishnesse unto him neither can know them because they are Spiritually discerned If the flesh and the lustings thereof be contrary to the Spirit and the lustings thereof If in the regenerate with the flesh the Law of sinne is served in opposition to the minde serving the Law of God If vaine man though he would faine be wise yet is borne like a wilde Asses Colt If the naturall man be dead in trespasses and sins If he be darknesse If the minding of the flesh be enmity against God If it be not subject to the Law of God neither can be so that they that are in the flesh cannot please God then in neither of those sences is faith and repentance in the Naturall mans power But the Antecedent or the former is true Therefore the Consequent or the latter As for those frivolous exceptions which you have against some of these particulars concerning naturall corruption we shall blow them away when we come to them for they are light chaffe II. From the Doctrine of the Naturall mans subjection to Satan If Satan be the Prince of the world the god of the world If the course of the world in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh be according to the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that workes effectually in the children of disobedience If Satan the strong man have such possession of the Naturall man as without the peculiar worke of the Holy Ghost as the stronger he cannot be dispossest Then is not repentance and faith in either of the two named sences in the power of the naturall man But the former is true Therefore the latter III. From the subjection of the Naturall man to the Law as the Covenant of Workes If in this estate of naturall corruption and subjection to the Devill therein all Naturall men be under the Law as the Covenant of Workes and the Law only reveales sinne and wrath stirres up and increaseth finne but gives no strength against it When we were in the flesh the motions of sinne which were by the Law did worke in our members Rom. 7. 5. Sin tooke occasion by the Commandement and wrought in me all manner of concupiscence ver 11. Then as formerly But the former is here true likewise Therefore the latter IV. From the Doctrine of Regeneration If Regeneration be as the word sounds a New Birth a birth of the Spirit in opposition to the naturall Birth as the birth of the Flesh a birth not of bloud nor of the will
of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God a quickning of such as were dead in trespasses and sins a resurrection from the dead a new creation If none can come unto Christ except drawne of the Father If not of workes that we have done but of his owne grace If not of him that wils nor of him that runs but of God who sheweth mercy If a calling out of darknesse If translating from the power of darknesse a taking away the heart of stone and giving a◠heart of flesh Then as formerly But the former is true Therefore the latter Further consideration of the falshood of this Doctrine we shall have in that which followes shewing the Pelagianisme of it CHAP. VI. Now for the Pelagianisme of this Doctrine 1 SUppose it acknowledge no supernaturall grace and therefore no grace but only toying with the word Grace ascribes saving vertues and operations to Nature and an assistance from God proportion'd and attemper'd to the heedfull exercise and improvement of naturall abilities then is it evidently Pelagian and that of the first stamp But if this be not the spirit of this Doctrine those conclusions here laid downe are very closely exprest 1 That men act beneath themselves and here he speakes of the generality of men are remisse and slothfull in awakening those Principles of light and understanding that are vested in their Natures or else willingly choake suppresse and smother them if they remaine in the snare of unbeleefe 2 That men who act and quit themselves according to the true Principles of that reason which God hath planted in them cannot but beleeve and be partakers of the precious faith of the Gospel Let us now adde a further explication in his owne words presently after and this will yet more clearly appeare to have been his meaning which we here suppose his words are as followeth That about the efficacy of the Grace of God vouchsafed unto men there is a great abuse of the word Naturall and so of the word Supernaturall a word not found in the Scriptures either formally or vertually the grosse falshood whereof we shall see in due place and that the Scripture knoweth not the word Naturall in any such sence wherein it should distinguish the unregenerate state of a man from the regenerate as false as the former as in due time shall be demonstrated Now this Commentary of his owne is so manifest for the sence we here suppose as needs no insisting upon for if the efficacy of Grace be not supernaturall then neither is Grace it selfe as the Principle nor any effects of Grace as to beleeve repent c. supernaturall for the principle operation and effects are all of one kinde naturall or supernaturall and so Grace is nothing else but a naturall endowment and improvement But then what shall be his meaning afterwards in his explication of the Parable of the Talents where he speakes thus That in case men will stirre up and lay out themselves accordingly in the improvement of such abilities and gifts as shall from time to time be vouchsafed to them they may by vertue of the bounty and gracious decree of God in that behalfe attaine and receive from God what proportion and measure of the Spirit and Grace of God they can desire I answer The worke of this Spirit of Grace upon their hearts if it be supernaturall he contradicts himselfe who will not allow that word either formally or vertually about the efficacy of Grace if he doe not contradict himselfe this worke of the Spirit must be nothing slse but such an influx as is attemper'd and proportion'd to mans Naturall acting and therefore naturall But this was the frequent manner of his great Apostle Pelagius to play fast and loose at every turne with the words Grace and Nature I much suspect that very Doctrine of Pelagius which Austine layes downe in his owne words Lib. de grat Christi c. c. 4. to be here touched We saith Pelagius distinguish thus these three In the first place we appoint to be able in the second to will in the third to be To be able we place in Nature to will in free Choyce to be in effect That first to be able belongs properly to God who hath conferred it upon his Creature the two others that is to will and to be are to be referred unto man because they descended from the fountaine of Free will therefore in the will and in the good worke the praise is of man yea both of man and God who hath given to him the possibility of the will it selfe and of the work and who alwayes helps that possibility it selfe with the ayde of his Grace but that men may be able to will good and to finish it this is only of God See now what Austine here advertiseth concerning Pelagius his Concession of Grace which how rightly it suits Master Goodwin let the Reader judge Whensoever saith he we heare that he confesseth the aide of Divine Grace we ought to know that he neither beleeves our wil nor our action to be helped hereby but only the possibility of the will and work which alone of these three he affirmes that we have of God and this in nature as is manifest CHAP. VII 2. SUppose it acknowledge no habitual grace upon the will renewing it nor effectuall acting and determining it but all the assistance of grace acknowledged be it naturall or supernaturall is onely for inlightening the understanding and exciting the will to determine it selfe whence it may come to passe that the will may as to the event obey or not obey the call of God This is partly no more then what Pelagius acknowledged partly opposite to that grace which the Orthodox Fathers maintained against him 1 Observe here that he puts all upon the Understanding as if all the assistance of grace necessary was onely for enlightening it 2 That Pelagius himselfe was driven to acknowledge thus much and withall exciting grace whatsoever he meant thereby 3 That the Fathers opposing his Heresie required and maintained that grace which by supernaturall efficacy did not onely inlighten the understanding and excite the will but likewise did by an efficacious impression give both a new and spirituall power to the will as likewise the acting of that power and the same grace that gave the power gave likewise the acting of that power and was both preventing and effectuall and peculiar and of infallible issue for conversion and therefore not common to those who were converted with those who were not but peculiar to the converted But let us see the truth of what is here asserted And first What Pelagius acknowledged as much for ought I can discern as Mr. Goodwin August lib de gratiâ Christi contra Pelag. Caelest chap 10. Thus reports him When he had a long time affirmed that not by the aide of God but of our selves in our selves the will is made good he objected against himselfe out of
Lord But nothing is so contrary to this intention as for any man so to boast of his merits as though he had done them to himselfe and not the Grace of God but that Grace which differenceth the good from the bad not that which is common to good and bad From Election many heare the word of truth some beleeve others gaine-say these therefore will beleeve these will not who knowes not this who denies But for as much as in some the will is prepared of the Lord in others it is not prepared verily we must distinguish what comes from his Mercy and what from his Judgement What Israel sought saith the Apostle he obtained not but the election hath obtained and the rest were blinded Behold Mercy and Judgement Mercy in the election which hath obtained the righteousnesse of God but Judgement upon the rest which were blinded and yet these because they would beleeved these because they would not did not beleeve therefore Mercy and Judgement are done even in the wills themselves for Election is of Grace not verily of Merits Therefore freely hath the Election obtained what it hath obtained there was not something of theirs that went before which they first gave and recompence was made to them for he saved them for nought but to the rest who were blinded as it is not there concealed retribution was made All the wayes of the Lord are Mercy and Truth but his wayes are unsearchable unsearchable therefore are his Mercy whereby he freely acquits and his Truth whereby he justly condemnes cap. 7. But haply they say the Apostle distinguisheth faith from workes and Grace he saith is not of workes he doth not say it is not of faith true but Christ saith Faith likewise is the worke of God Joh. 6. So therefore the Apostle distinguisheth Faith from Workes as in the two Kingdomes of the Hebrewes Iudah is distinguished from Israel when as yet Iudah is Israel for yee are saved by Grace through faith and that not of your selves it even faith is the gift of God and faith is not of workes lest any one should boast and all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me What is this shall come to me but shall beleeve in me but that it may be done the Father gives No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And they shall all be taught of God and every one that hath heard of the Father and learned comes to me If every one that hath heard of the Father and learned comes truly who comes not hath not heard of the Father nor learned for had he heard and learned he would come Farre removed from the apprehensions of the flesh is this Schoole in which the Father is heard and teacheth to come to the Sonne There is likewise the Sonne himselfe because he himselfe is the Word of the Father whereby he so teacheth neither deales he with the eare of the flesh but of the heart there is together likewise the Spirit of the Father and the Sonne for neither doth he not teach nor doth he teach apart because we say the workes of the Trinity are inseparable and he is verily the Holy Ghost of whom the Apostle saith Having the same Spirit of faith Farre removed I say from the apprehensions of the flesh is this Schoole in which God is heard and teacheth we see many come to the Sonne because we see many beleeve in Christ but where and how they have learned this of the Father we see not verily this grace is secret but that it is grace who doubts This Grace therefore which by Divine bounty is after an hidden manner given unto the hearts of men is by no hard heart refused because it is therefore given that the hardnesse of the heart may first of all be removed when therefore the Father is inwardly heard and teacheth to come to the Sonne he takes away the stony heart and gives a heart of flesh as he promised by the Prophet Ezek. 36. for so doth he make the sonnes of the Promise and the Vessels of Mercy which he hath prepared unto glory why therefore doth he not teach all that they may come to Christ but because all whom he teacheth in mercy he teacheth but whom he teacheth not in Judgement he teacheth not because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens but he hath mercy bestowing good he hardens recompencing according to desert But why he teacheth not all the Apostle opens so farre as he thought fit to be opened Rom. 9. 22 23. Hence it is that the word of the Crosse is foolishnesse unto them that perish but to those that are saved the power of God All these God teacheth to come to Christ all these he will have saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth for if he would have taught those to come to Christ also to whom the word of the Crosse is foolishnesse without doubt even they had come too for he neither deceives nor is deceived who saith Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me farre be it therefore that any man should not come who hath heard and learned of the Father When therefore the Gospel is preached some beleeve some doe not beleeve but they that beleeve whilst the Preacher sounds without they heare and learne of the Father within but they that beleeve not they heare without not within neither doe they learne that is to the one it is given to beleeve to the other it is not given which afterwards is more openly spoken No man can come to me except it he given him of the Father Therefore to be drawne by the Father to Christ and to heare and learne of the Father is nothing else but to receive the gift of the Father whereby to beleeve in Christ. For he did not distinguish Hearers of the Gospell from no Hearers who said No man can come to me except it be given him of the Father but Beleevers from unbeleevers Faith therfore both begun and finished is the gift of God and that this gift is given to some and not given to all he cannot doubt who will not oppose most manifest holy Scriptures Chap. 12. When we come to little ones and to the Mediator betwixt God and man the Man Christ Jesus all assertion of humane merits going before the Grace of God falls to the ground because they are not distinguisht from the rest by any good preceding merits that they should belong to the deliverer of men nor he by any preceding humane merits when he is a man also was made the deliverer of men For Infants Originall sinne being by the Grace of God forgiven or by the Judgement of God not forgiven when they dye they either passe by Regeneration from an evill to a good state or by Originall corruption from an evill to an evill state And Lib. de bono persever
of truth but into some deficiency neglect or incogitancy of his owne which he might very possibly have prevented or over-come But Resbury For the summe of this Paragraph concerning the Philosophers and Heretiques you say in the first place That though they were able to apprehend the things of the Gospell yet doth it not follow that they must but 1. We have seene that no Naturall man is able 2. Finde one that ever did advance his reason to apprehend the Gospell-Mystery without the Spirit of illumination revealing it by the Word if not one then none could for from the Universall deniall of the Act to the deniall of the Power the consequence is undeniable 3. Whether might those Philosophers according to your apprehension without the word of the Gospell have found out in the Booke of the Creature the Gospell-Mystery or might they so improve their reason about inquiry after God That thereupon he must send his Word unto them thereby enlightening them whether soever of these you take you fall into the Relagian Heresie as we often formerly evinced against your Discourse of the same batch with this As for your instance of men bewitched with a corrupt desire of drawing Disciples after them and speaking perverse things pardon me if I be apt to beleeve that you speake feelingly and from selfe-experience 2 You teach that men must bend their minds and intentions to Gospel-enquiries that they may have the knowledge thereof T is true so doth the Spirituall man But the Naturall man wants Principles for bending his minde thereto as discerning nothing worthy in them and his heart 's set against them 3 You say That God punishing the Philosophers for their unthankfulnesse addicting themselves to other things c. their foolish heart was darkned this is true too but the conclusion you ayme at here scil that therefore they were able to have addicted themselves to Gospel-enquiries is both false and Pelagian as hath been proved before as supposing that man is able to performe all his duty As for Hereticks it is true you say They are led aside by some uncleane Spirit therefore must I alwayes suspect an Heretick though his conversation be never so specious to be but a whited Sepulchre whereas in the close of this Section you say That whatsoever any mans errour c. be it is not to be imputed to deficiency on Gods part in the vouchsafement of meanes I answer deficiency sounds culpably and therefore not to be imputed to God but evident it is that God doth not yet without deficiency vouchsafe the necessary meanes of Gospel-knowledge to many denying his Word to more his Spirit who have no more nor otherwise deserved this deniall then those to whom he affords both who is sought of those that asked not for him and found of those that sought him not of whom it is as of him that shewes mercy not of him that wills nor of him that runs Goodwin Secondly concerning the Spirit of God by which alone and in opposition to reason many affirme and teach That the things of God and matters of Religion are to be apprehended discerned and knowne I answer that such an Opinion as this is a conceit as uncouth as â—ulpably weake and ill-coherent with it selfe as lightly can be for if only the Spirit of God within me apprehends the things of God and I my selfe apprehend them not and apprehend them I cannot but by my reason or understanding having no other faculty where with to apprehend or conceive them such an apprehension of them relateth not at all unto me nor can I any whit be said the more to apprehend them because the Spirit of God apprehends them in me then I may or might in case the same Spirit should apprehend them in another man That which another man meditates or indicts in my house without imparting it unto me no whit more concernes me then in case be should have meditated or indicted the same in the house of another man Besides the Spirit of God being but one and the same infinite and invisible Spirit in all men he cannot with any tolerable propriety of speech nor with truth be said to apprehend discern and concerve that in one man which he doth not after the same manner apprehend discerne and conceive in another yea in every man therefore if there be any thing more apprehended or discerned of the things of God in one man then in another the difference ariseth not from the different apprehensions of the Spirit in these men but from the different apprehensions of these men themselves and this by their owne reasons and understandings they having as hath been said no other faculties principles or abilities where-with to apprehend but these Resbury You affirme here That many teach that by the Spirit of God alone in opposition to reason in man the things of God are apprehended who those many are or one of those many I know not the Doctrine of your knowne Adversaries is That by mans reason are the things of God apprehended but that they may be savingly so reason must be Spiritually enlightned and the whole soule sanctified and that by preventing and differencing Grace so that all you say further in this Section are wast words you may make great webs if you spin thus plentifully yet when all is done they will be but Cobwebs CHAP. XV. Goodwin IF it be demanded But is any man able without the presence and assistance of the spirit of God to discern the things of God or to judge aright the matters of Religion I answer 1 Plainely and directly to the heart I suppose of these who make this demand No The spirit of God hath such a great interest in and glorious super-intendency over the Mindes and Spirits Reasons and Understandings of men that they cannot act or move regularly or performe any of these operations or functions that are most naturall and proper to them upon any worthy or comely termes especially in matters of a spirituall concernment but by the gracious and loving interposure and helpe of the spirit for questionlesse the intellectuall frame of the heart and soul of man was by the sin and fall of Adam wholly dissolved shattered brought to an absolute Chaos confusion of ignorance and darknesse to a condition of as great impotency to doe him the least service in order to his comfort or peace in any kind as can be imagined So that if the Reasons and Understandings of men quit themselves in their actings or workings with honour or with any due proportion to their benefit comfort or peace it must needs be by meanes of that gracious conjunction of the spirit of God with them which is a veuchsafement unto the children of men procured by him who raised up the Tabernacle of Adam when it was fallen Iesus Christ blessed for ever in respect of which vouchsafement purchased by him and given unto men for his sake he is said to in lighten every man coming into the
and opposition to the rest were not borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh â—or of the will of man but of God therefore well saith Austin speaking of that light shining upon this darknesse As when a blinde man is placed in the Sun-shine the Sunne is present to him but he is absent from the Sunne so every foole every unrighteous every wicked person is blinde in his heart wisdome is present to him but being present to a blinde man it is absent from his eyes not because it is absent from him but because he is absent from it Tract 1. in c. 1. Ioan. here was a beaming forth of this light upon such and about them in his workes and word but they neither discerne it nor have any power so to doe because they are blinde though in the middest of Sun-shine 2 From the whole Doctrine of Naturall corruption and the grace of Conversion throughout the Scriptures even all those Scriptures whence you gather That the intellectuall frame of man was so shatter'd by Adams fall are bent against all unregenerate persons shewing not what they had been by Adams fall if Christ had not been but what they are this notwithstanding before regeneration therefore 1 For the Doctrine of Naturall corruption all men are thereby before regeneration flesh in which dwels no good thing wherein it is impossible to please God which enmity against the Law of God contrary in its lustings to the Spirit all dead in sin all darknesse all children of wrath all in subjection to Satan all under the Law all borne as wilde Assâ—â— Colts all such as cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God as savour onely the things of the flesh c. whereas if your Doctrine was true the Scripture must have affirm'd the contrary to all these either that by Nature we are not flesh or not so wholly in opposition to the Spirit but that in the flesh some good thing dwels that we may by Nature please God that we are in amity with the Law of God compliant to the motions of the Spirit alive from sinne light children of peace free from Satans bondage borne under Grace borne the Children of wisdome such as can receive the things of the Spirit of God as savour or have those Principles whereby we may savour the things of the Spirit c. 2. For the Doctrine of the Grace of conversion the Scripture saith 1 That it is supernaturall quickning Grace Grace by which we are borne anew Grace raising from the dead Grace anew creating but according to your Doctrine there should be no such thing as the Grace of conversion or Regeneration but only a progresse of Naturall vertues faith and repentance but the fruits of the seeds of light in Nature for this light you make a common vouchsafement to all and the word Naturall you will not allow to difference the unregenerate man from the regenerate so that in the building of your Babel here is nothing but confusion of speech from confusion of things Grace is Nature and Nature is Grace Naturall is Spirituall and Spirituall is Naturall and which is yet admirable Spirituall is with you too supernaturall 2 It is altogether free and preventing as there is a supernatural Grace of Conversion so this grace as altogether independent upon any thing in man therefore is of God 1. As of him that shewes mercy meerly because he will shew mercy and will have compassion on whom he will have compassion in opposition to man willing or to man runing 2 As of him that is sound of those that sought him not 3. As of him that by this grace of his makes the difference betwixt the converted and unconverted so as the glorified Saints shall owe unto God not only what they received in common with the damned but that wherein they excell the damned who hath made thee to differ 4. As of him that cals not only of the foolishest and weakest and basest and most despised in the world but even of the worst of men 1 Cor. 6. 9. And Mr. Goodwin himselfe tels us how desperately incumbred the unregenerate state of the Ephesians was Now according to your doctrine all must be contrary man must begin and God must follow man must first give and God must recompence again whatsoever it is that you shal please to cal the grace or the work of conversion on Gods part it must be vouchsafed unto those who by the improvement of that common original natural grace you tel us of that light vouchsafed to all in their natural birth have sought the Lord have willed have runned and so they having received that common Posse Pelagius his owne grace shall make themselves by the good use of it to differ from those who for not using it are not converted 3. It is effectual and peculiar the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ is not potential but effectual where-ever it gives the power giving the deed likewise not common but peculiar given onely to those who are indeed saved by it No man can come to me except the father draw him and I will raise him up at the last day without this drawing here is no power of coming whosoever is drawne surely comes and is surely saved All are not saved All come not neither then could all come or any but those that doe come this grace then is at once preventing effectuall and peculiar And indeed the peculiarity of it is evident from the former heads He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy there is a distinction of the heires of mercy from the rest Who hath made thee to differ differencing therefore peculiar grace you hath he quickened you not all c. Thus we have seen the vanity of your Interpretation and if we adde the Heresie too we shall doe you no wrong For whether you confound Grace and Nature or which way soever you make Grace to arise from Nature or to depend upon any thing in the naturall man you cannot possibly quit your selfe of palpable Pelagianism The least charge that can be against you is that grace is given according to merits in that sense wherein Pelagius was refuted and condemned The very Doctrine of Pelagius you teach for a common power of repentance in all men against the supernaturall efficacy of converting grace against the preveniency and peculiarity of it against the natural mans darknesse and impotency and you offer fair against original sin whilst you tell us that â—e are all borne so vested with light and powâ—â— And you thinke to carry all as if you were no consort of his onely because you have a new fetch for it which how slender â—n oâ—â—e it is I hope by this time appears What you adde towards the end of this Section about the actings and movings of the â—ationall Powers by the spirit of God you doe so hover in generals and onely put off with a parcell of fine words as all that I shall yet say is
up out of the Word of God and not out of the judgements of men Then he addes out of Hilary God cannot be knowne but by God of God must we learne whatsoever we are to understand concerning him because no otherwise is it knowne then by him as the Author After this he adds further It is requisite likewise that this Doctrine agree with the naturall knowledge of God and the Principles of common understanding such as these and then layes downe divers Now whereas you make a double inference hence I Concerning the Doctrine of Predestination it selfe 2 Concerning all other Doctrines not so high and mysterious I will returne for answer to you your owne Arminius's words to this Proposition of Mr. Perkins viz. Against this I contend not only let this be added where we cannot agree about these common notions by reason of darknesse over-spreading our mindes and the weakenesse and diversity of humane judgements which thou rejectest saith he to Perkins there let us have recourse to the first the Word of God for the definitive and peremptory suffrage as that which is above all other You see here 1. Arminius himself utterly turning his back of that Doctrine which your inference pleads for you will have the Doctrine of Predestination tried ultimately at the barre of Reason he at the Scripture barre 2 His reason for it whereas we heare from you of nothing but light shining from God upon the hearts of men and the great capacity of that noble faculty of reason in man so frequently boasted of He acknowledgeth such darknesse over-spreading the mindes of men as common notions and mens judgement ac-according thereto are not to be rested in but from them to the Word of God must the appeale be made for finall determination Goodwin It was the saying of Augustine That God hath bowed downe the Scriptures to the capacity of Babes and Sucklings Tertullian hath much upon this account to excellent purpose in one place speaking of the Soule being yet simple rude and unfurnished with any acquired knowledge either from the Scripture or other Institution he demands why it should be strange that being given by God it should speake out or sing the same things the knowledge whereof God giveth to his Children not long after he admonisheth the Gentiles that neither God nor Nature lye and thereupon that they may beleeve both God and Nature wisheth them to beleeve their owne Soules A little after he saith that the Soule he speakes of hath the words and therefore the inward sences and impressions of Christians whom notwithstanding it wisheth that it might never beare or see Elsewhere having mentioned some expressions of affinity with the Scriptures as oft coming out of the mouths of Heathen he triumphs over them as it were with this acclamation O the testimony of a soule naturally Christian nor doth Calvin himselfe say any thing lesse then all this when he saith That God hath implanted or inwardly put the seed of Religion in the mindes of men doubtlesse the seed sympathizeth richly with that body which springs and growes from it But these things by the way All impressions all principles of Light and Truth which are found written in the hearts and consciences of men are here written by the finger of God himselfe therefore what Spirit or Doctrine soever symbolizeth in notion and import with these or any of them must of necessity be of the same parentage and descent with them there being no originall parent or father of light and truth but God onely And on the contrary what doctrine or spirit soever putteth any of these principles to sorrow or shame and doth not lovingly comport with them hereby declare themselves to be of a spurious and ignoble race As Christ reasoned with the Jewes If God were your Father yee would love me For I proceed forth and come from God but because they bated him he concluded them to be the children of the devill Resbury As for your testimonies out of Austin Tertullian and Calvin you do but make use of your old fallacy from the part to the whole the Scripture is in some things bowed down to the capacity of babes is it in all things so all milke no strong meat Did Austin thinke the Reason of man competent to search out and give a reason of all Scripture truths this by name about Predestination and the execution thereof let us heare himselfe upon this Argument De verbis Apostol Serm. 11. The Potter hath power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessell to honour another to dishonour wilt thou dispute with me nay wonder with me cry out with me O the depth of the riches let us both agree in feare that we perish not in error Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God how incomprehensible are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Search things unsearchable doe things impossible corrupt things incorruptible see things invisible his judgements are unsearchable let it suffice thee and his waies past finding out So 〈◊〉 Teriâ—…ians testimonies the soule hath the â—…owledge of some things impressions of some â—hings belonging to Christians but you may 〈◊〉 soon get oyle out of a flint as out of these testimonies wring your Conclusion That all Divine Truths may be knowne by the naturall man by reason of their agreement with the dictates of the naturall understanding as it is now in the state of mankind since the fall For Calviâ—… his seed of religion you would faine discourse into fruit but your Discourse is neither the shining of the Sun nor rain from heaven upon it 1 The seeds of some truths are writ upon the heart of man as knowledge but these of the Law not of the Gospell the Wisdome of God hid in a mystery c. flesh and blood hath not revealed c. No man can say Iesus is the Lord but by the spirit the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God neither can doe c. What man knowes the things of man c. the spirit of God not of the World c. The Naturall man darknesse through corruption by Satan further darkened 2 The knowledge he hath by nature of those things of the law is very obscure evanid and clouded with many errors and those invincible otherwise then as by the discovery of the word diligently consulted 3 The highest knowledge the Naturall man can attaine to with whatsoever helpe of the Word of God without the renewing and peculiar worke of the spirit vouchsafed onely to the Saints whereby they become such is but historicall not intuitive of logicall apprehension not of spirituall vision and therefore such a knowledge as is a great stranger to faith and repentance 4 All saving fruit of this knowledge is utterly prevented and the tendency of it to eternal life stifled choaked and perverted in every natural or unregenerate soule and therefore how richly soever the seed sympathizeth with the body
merit of congruity the Iesuiticall doctrine That he that doth what in him lyes by the strength of Nature shall thereby obtaine Grace 3 The Word of God you say makes it one argument of the wicked and sensuall waies of men that they have not the spirit Iudg. 5. 18 19. what then you adde yea the Apostle Paul by charging the Ephesians to be filled with the spirit clearly supposeth it to be a voluntary strain of sinfull unworthinesse in men if they have not a very rich and plentifull anoynting of the spirit Answ. 1. These Ephesians were regenerate and spoken to as regenerate therefore this concludes nothing for the natural man 2. T is true what you say concerning the Naturall man but false that you would conclude that therefore the Naturall man hath power to obtaine this anoynting of the spirit from mans duty to his ability is a meer non sequitur It is the duty of the naturall man to fulfill the law of God otherwise the transgression of the Law is not sin yet it is impossible for him The flesh is not subject to the Law of God neither can be It is the duty of the natural man when the Gospell is preached to him to come to Christ and a sinful straine of voluntary unworthinesse that hee comes not Yee will not come to me that yee might have life saith Christ to the Jewes rebuking them Yet none can come to him except the Father draw him and this drawing of the Father is not according to any preparation of man drawn He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and compassion on whom he will have compassion It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy It is the duty of the naturall man to receive the things of the spirit of God revealed in the Gospell which yet he cannot do without the renewing work of the spirit whereby he becomes a spirituall man because they are spiritually discerned But to obtaine this renewing worke of the spirit is not in his power hath no dependance upon any thing by him done in order thereunto The wind bloweth where it listeth thou bearest the sound thereof but knowest not whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that is born of the spirit CHAP. XVIII Goodwin HE that lives up to those principles of light which God hath vested in him is underthe beatificall influence of that most rich promise of Christ To him that hath shall be given and he shall have abundantly By him that hath in this promise is meant as clearely appeares from the tenor of the Parable immediatly preceding such a person who useth imployeth improveth that which he hath hereby declaring that he hath what he hath nor is that which he is here said to have any thing of a Spirituall or supernaturall import this likewise is evident from the said Parable for here one of the three who all had received talents one or more all which talents must needs by the course of the Parable be supposed to be of one and the same kind nor is the least intimation of any difference especially of any specificall difference between them is said to be an evill and sloathfull Servant notwithstanding his talent and because of his sloathfulnesse to be cast into utter darknesse these are no Characters especially in the judgement of those with whom we are to conflict in the ensuing Discourse of persons that had received any thing saving or supernaturall But by that which is here promised to be given and that in abundance to him that hath must of necessity be meant somewhat that is of a spirituall and saving nature this also is evident from the carriage of the same Parable where the Servants who had received the talents and imployed them faithfully by whom are typified our Saâ—iours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that have as was lately said are graciously invited by their Master into this joy Enter thou into thy Masters joy So to the other enter thou into thy Masters joy Now if either God or Christ be signified or meant by the Master of these Servants as I suppose no man questions but that either the one or the other are typified hereby by entring into their joy cannot be meant a receiving of greater measure of naturall gifts or endowments nor of receiving any reward which belongs to persons qualified only with such endowments as these but salvation or eternall blessednesse and glory if so it roundly followes that by what Christ promiseth shall be given to him that hath in the sense declared is meant somewhat of a saving consequence as regenerating Grace the sanctifying Spirit of God Faith and the like And promising not onely or simply that to him that hath shall be given but further that he shall have abundantly he clearly signifieth that in case men will stir up provoke and lay out themselves accordingly in the improvement of such abilities and gifts which shall from time to time be vouchsafed unto them they may be vertue of the bounty and gracious decree of God in that behalf attaine and receive from God what proportion or measure of the Spirit of Grace and of God they can desire therefore they that teach men to be meerly passive in matters of Religion and forbid them the use of their Reasons and Understandings as unlawfull and dangerous in these affaires how prudently soever they may consult their own carnall ease honour and worldly accommodations by such a doctrine yet herein they say to men in effect be not excellent let it never be said that the God of heaven hath made you rich or great Resbury Mr. Goodwin hath here led us to that famous Scripture the Parable of the Talents a Scripture so much abused by the whole nation of the Iesuites in whose steps the Arminians tread and amongst them this Author 1 Let us see his Interpretation hereof 2. The true Interpretation 1 For his It labours with two very great diseases 1. Self-contradiction 2. Pelagianisme 1. For selfe-contradiction spiritual and supernaturall are here one and the same with him as appeares in these words Nor is that which he is said to have any thing of a spirituall or supernaturall import A little after saving and supernaturall are one and the same with him â—n these words These are no characters of persons that had received any thing saving or supernaturall Presently after spirituall and of saving nature are one and the same in these words By that which is here promised to be given must of necessity be meant some thing of a spirituall and saving nature and this in opposition to naturall in these words by entring into the Masters joy cannot be meant a receiving of a greater measure of naturall gifts or endowments nor of receiving any reward which belongs to persons quallified onely with such endowments as these But salvation or eternall blessednesse and glory If so it roundly follows that by what Christ promiseth
shall be given c. is meant somewhat of a saving consequence as regenerateing grace the sanctifying Spirit faith and the like thus he Whence it is evident that grace is not here naturall that what is naturall is not saving that regenerating grace is spirituall and supernaturall given upon the improvement of naturall endowments but how doth this accord with his former Doctrine about which he laboured so much that in the argument of the efficacy of grace the word supernaturall was no where in Scripture so much as vertually found that the word naturall distinguisheth not the unregenerate from the regenerate c. We observed formerly that what he speakes here presently after concerning mens attaining what proportion and measure of the Spirit oâ—… grace they can desire upon the improvement oâ—… such gifts and abilities as they shall from time to time receive doth involue him in a contradiction to what he there had taught if he here meane the worke of the Spirit to be any other then such an influx as is attemperd and proportioned to mans naturall acting and therefore naturall but if that be his meaning then doth he contradict himselfe here making all that is saving to be supernaturall as we have now observed but he hath drunke deepe of an intoxicating cup wonder not if he Stagger like a drunken man 2. For Pelagianisme as plaine and palpable as may be that regenerating grace the sanctifying spirit faith and the like is given to men upon the use employment and improvement of naturall endowments which is that Stigmatized doctrine of Pelagius so notoriously refuted and condemned as formerly hath been cleard where we had this very doctrine in the hands of the Massilians related by Prosper charging them therein with high Pelagianisme onely Master Goodwin hath another fetch for it that new vouchsafements by Iesus Christ unto all in their naturall birth he tels us of which how miserable a shift it is hath formerly been discovered But that we may have the whole mistery of Master Goodwins doctrine about this point and see his vaine and selfe-subverting Sophistry I shall add and examine a notorious passage Page 329. and 330. of his Book the summe whereof is as followeth 1. Regeneration saith he imports a reiteration of some generation or other I answer regeneration is a generation over andabove a former generation 2. It cannot import a repetition of naturall generation true therefore it must import a repetition of spirituall generatiâ—…n False it is as will appeare by and by a spiâ—…tuall generation over and above the naturall generation a repetition if he will needs have â—hat word of generation but not of naturall nor â—pirituall generation but only of the genus comâ—on to both one opposite species succeeding aâ—other He goes on ' Naturall and spirituall geâ—eration are contra-distinguished the one to â—he other 1 Pet. 2. 23. and Iohn 3. 6. True and â—hence your discourse wil come to nought as wil â—ppeare by these Scriptures mentioned when we â—ave heard your conclusion for which you are â—aking way in these words viz. Now I suppose there can hardly be any instance given where the introduction of one contrary forme or quallity into the subjectis termed a repetition of the other as for example calefaction is never termed a repetition of Frigefaction Pittifull Sophistry No such thing is here pretended the spirituall birth is a repetition not of the opposite species or contrary forme as you phrase â—t to wit the naturall birth but onely of the genus birth As Calefaction succeeding Frigefaction is a repetition not of Frigefaction the opposite species but of alteration the genus Now comes your conclusion but it is an evill â—gge of an evill bird a false conclusion from a false discourse you conceive that regeneration relates not to the naturall generation as naturall but unto the spirituall state and condition of men in respect of their naturall condition anâ— birth But the Scriptures newly mentioneâ— prove two things utterly destructive of this conclusion of yours 1. That men by naturall generation have nothing spiritually good in them but the contrary and that to the utmost 2. That regeneration relates to the naturall generation as miserably corrupt and sinfull thâ—… our Saviour shews the necessity of regeneratioâ—… or the second birth because by naturall generation or the first birth we are so sinfull it beinâ—… the birth of the flesh in opposition to the birth of 〈◊〉 Spirit 3 John 6. with the Context thus Peâ—… opposeth regeneration as that generation which 〈◊〉 of incorruptable Seed to naturall generation 〈◊〉 that generation which is of corruptable Seed evidentâ—… that both he our Saviour opposeth the latter iâ—… its excellency to the former in its wretchednesse and therefore in no wise relates to the formeâ—… according to any excellency in it to be repeatedâ—… In laying downe this conclusion you tell uâ—… that men generally in the dayes of their youthâ—… degenerate from the innocency of their childeâ—… hood and yonger years and corrupt themselveâ—… with the principles and wayes of the world whence you give us to understand that regeneration appropriable onely to persons living tâ—… years of discreâ—â—on is a repetition of that spiri tuall purity which in their naturall birth they had but 1. Naturall birth and that as it relates to regeneration hath no more innocency or spirituall purity in it then what the flesh imports in utmost opposition to the Spirit 2. This degeneration you speake of from the spirituall excellency of their naturall birth 〈◊〉 it such as whereby spirituall life received in â—…e naturall generation is extinct or not if not â—…en a man yet living may be borne againe to â—…e same life which you grant most absurd alâ—…wing Nicodemus discourse for good in this â—…oint and it is most manifestly absurd to every â—…e If it be extinct then 1. What is the advanâ—…ge of it and so to what end was it vouchsafed 〈◊〉 men 2. Regenerating grace prevents all â—…bilities in man finding him wholly dead as 〈◊〉 spirituall life where then is that mighty â—…eason understanding c. you are wont to tell 〈◊〉 of and those endowments and ability for â—…he improvement of them which here in your explication of This Parable you mention in order to regenerating grace you further tell us that in and upon their spirituall state in respect of their naturall generation they are if not simply you doe not say though but if not simply and absolutely yet comparatively innocent c. whereby it appeares that you have a good minde simply and absolutely to deny originall sinne in them And in respect of these qualifications in grace and favour with God upon the account of the death and sufferings of Christ formerly we heard from you of a saving light vested in the natures of all upon this same account the vanity of which doctrine we have discovered Now you tell us of a state of Favour wherein upon the same account all children are and