to his disciples (d) John 15.16 chap. 13 1â— Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and I know whom I have chosen Now though Election be the cause of Faith it doth not follow by the rule of relatives which are said to be the cause of one another that Faith should be the cause of Election that maxim is to be understood of the natural respect and relation of the Subjects not of the Subjects themselves of relations else it would a so follow That because the Creator is the cause of the Creature the Creature ought also to be the cause of the Creator which is Blasphemy It is the part of a wise Agent when he doth appoint to the end also to appoint to and provide the means So the only wise God having predestinated us to the end eternal life hath also predestinated us to the means namely Faith For saith the Apostle (a) 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth here are the decree election chosen the efficient cause God the Object you the end to salvation with the means sanctification of the spirit and belief of the Truth or Faith Farther I say if prevision of Faith had been the cause of our Election it would also be the cause of our Vocation in time which is contrary to the word (b) 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath called us with his holy calling not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace I bring one Argument more which is this if Faith and Holiness fore-seen had been the cause of our Election it would follow that the object of Election had been Man already restored through Grace and justified which is false Take notice that there are not two Decrees one to Grace the other to glory as they say Scripture maketh no mention of a double Election by one and the same Decree we are elected to Glory through Grace as the means and way for the first in Intention is last in Execution We are saved by Faith yet not elected by Faith the reason of both being different Election is an eternal act of God inward and immediately proceeding from God but Salvation is a temporal act of God outward and mediate which is perfected thorough many other means and second causes if the causes of Election and Salvation be the same then the Law of God the Gospel Sacraments and Ministers are the causes of our Election for God makes use of all these means to bring us to eternal life We are elected in Christ not for Christ God was never moved by the merit of Christ to Elect us but he decreed to save us in Christ who is not the cause of the Decree but a medium or means appointed in the Election to execute it We must have a care not to confound between the cause and sign of things which do very much differ thus the Rainbow is not the cause why the world shall no more be drowned with a general Flood 't is only the sign of it the cause is God's Will and Promise thus Sacraments are signs not causes of the things they represent Circumcision was the sign of God's Covenant with Abraham but not the cause which was God's Free-grace and Mercy to him the Lords Supper is the sign of Christ's Passion but not the cause which is God's Free-grace and Mercy to mankind When our blessed Saviour saith (a) Matth. 16.2 3. When it is evening ye say it will be fair weather for the Sky is red c. that colour of the Sky is not the cause but the sign of fair or foul weather Thus to make an Application to our Subject I say we must take heed not to make Faith the cause of our Election when it is the sign and effect of it so much posteriour to it for Election is from eternity when Faith is given but in time and yet serveth to prove Election for wheresoever true saving Faith is there is an infallible sign but no cause of Election which far from being caused by any grace is the sole and only ground of all and every grace we receive Faith it self the chief Gospel grace is an effect of it as it appears out of many places of Scripture which I already quoted so out of (b) Acts 18.27 Acts where 't is said Apollos helped them much which had believed through grace And those men who will not believe this will have much cause to fear they are of the same sort of those whom our Saviour speak of when he saith (c) John 9.39 For judgment I am come into this world that they which see not may see and that they which see might be made blind There is mercy for the first and judgment for the last for certainly Christ came into the world both for mercy and for judgment to make some unexcusable (d) John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin It was said of Christ almost after his very Birth That (a) Luk. 2.34 he was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against And as the Prophet says (b) Isa 3.14 a stone of stumbling a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin and for a snare to Jerusalem And Men are too apt to fansie things to be the cause of God's actings which are not thus the Disciples themselves thought because a Man was born blind the Man's sins or his Parents must be the cause of it but our Saviour tells them they were in an error for (c) Joh. 9.3 neither hath the man sinned nor his parents but he was born blind that the works of God should be made manifest in him This place sheweth clearly how God in whatsoever he doth in upon or for Men he minds chiefly his own Glory and followeth his own will and pleasure Thus (d) Chap. 11.4 Lazarus's Sickness and Death was for the glory of God and of Christ God denyed the Man his sight from his Birth here are his Will his Power and Justice over his Creature the Lord Jesus gives him his sight there is mercy thus the works of God are made manifest in this Man and why not so too in others in relation to eternity as well as to time This Man was naturally blind but God is pleased to give him his sight as he might without any wrong have left him in his blindness if it had been his pleasure So if God be pleased to leave some Men naturally dead in that condition and quicken others that were in the same state what hath wretched Man to do to cavil against or find fault with it Or presumptuously not to be satisfied with this cause the meer will and pleasure of God but must prye into his Secrets and forge other Motives instead
habit of that faculty and Knowledge an act proceeding from the faculty thorough the habit but no such distinction in God in whom all these are but one and the same distinguished only according to our manner of conceiving God by his Essence and not by any faculty or habit doth understand all in one eternal indivisible and unchangeable Act because every other manner of knowing is attended with imperfection for he is a most simple and infinite Agent in him no Succession no First and Last in him is the most perfect power of understanding the knowledge of God being nothing else but the nature of God knowing with one Act he comprehends his whole nature and all things besides as the Sun at once giveth light to every thing that is capable to receive it much more the eye of God infinitely brighter and more piercing than the Sun doth see and know all things that can be known and are visible which universal Science is by Scripture attributed unto God (a) John 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things and (b) Heb. 4 13. all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do God's Science of simple intelligence or of things that can be or of vision of things that shall be we wholly omit but the conditional Science call'd media because a middle between the other two was forged by the Jesuits and is an absurd invention of theirs to reconcile free-will and with the infallibility of God's Prescience and Predestination One thing more to be observed upon this is that the will of God is in order before his Science of things to come wherefore God hath foreseen this or that shall come to pass because from Eternity he decreed to doâ—t or permit it to be done without which will of effecting or permitting nothing would be done or foreseen to be done Therefore the will of God is the commanding principle as his mind the directing These are if I may so say the grounds which his Providence is acted by this will is that whereby God willeth himself by himself and every thing out of him for himself that is for his glory in Scripture this Will is attributed to God (a) Isai 46.10 My counsel shall stand and I will do alt my pleasure and St. Paul (b) Rom. 9.19 who hath resisted his will And our Saviour saith (c) Joh. 6.39 This is the will of him that sent me Now the great and ultimate end of the will of God is his glory which all things are and ought to be subservient unto to that end saith St. Paul (d) Cor. 10.31 do all things for the glory of God To dive into these matters and be able to understand the works of learned Divines upon the Subject one must well observe some distinctions of the will of God as secret and revealed of the good-pleasure and of the sign The secret properly so called is the eternal and unchangeable Decree of God about doing or permitting several things in time to be done which for want of being revealed are unknown to us of this 't is said (e) Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong to God as of the other But those things that are reuealed belong to us and our Children Thus there are many things relating to particular men which except those that concern the certitude of Faith we are wholly ignorant of Wherefore St. James reproveth the pride and over confidence of those who for time to come dispose of their affairs Jam. 4.13 14 15. though they know not what that day or next will produce therefore he will have them to add this If the Lord be willing The revealed will is not properly the Decree but a declaration made in the word which ever is an evidence of some Decree but not always of that which we took it to be this declaration is made either by way of Precept Promise or Threatning if that be done which God commandeth to be done that declaration of God's will is a sign and evidence that there was a Decree of doing or permitting the things that are done if what is promised be performed that declaration signifieth there is a Decree of performing what is performed so if God inflicteth what is threatned the revelation is a sign of a Decree to have things inflicted which are inflicted But if that which is commanded to be done be not done that declaration is sign of a Decree to admonish a Man of his duty by way of Precept and oblige him to do it thereby to make him unexcusable And if what God promiseth under an expressed or implyed condition be not perâ—ormed the declaration is sign of a Decree of shewing a Man reason why he may obtain a good promise And why that promise is not obtained namely the neglect of the condition prescribed and if that which is threatned be not inflicted the declaration is sign of a Decree to exhort and invite a Man to his Duty and Repentance and of remitting the punishment upon condition of Repentance whence it appeareth that there is no contradiction between the Revelation and the Divine Decree if one considereth well the diversity of Decrees and the meaning of the Revelation The other distinction of the good-pleasure and of the sign doth not differ from the former only that the good-pleasure is a Decree properly so called which may be either secret or revealed for some are so the will of the sign is the same with the revelation of the Decree but one must have a care not to misapply a declaration to a Decree which 't is not the declaration of and doth differ from which some do and so run into difficulties and inconveniencies Now our assertion is that God will have nothing with his good-pleasure but what also he will have with the sign provided one doth not understand every good pleasure as for instance God in his word would have all men to be holy and obedient to his Law but seeing the most part of the world is not holy and obedient we draw this consequence that God by his eternal Decree will not make all men holy and so will not have them to be holy for none is holy except he is made such by God Here seemeth to be a contradiction between the Good-pleasure and a sign which if so what would become of the truth of word of God wherefore though there be some diversity yet there is no contrariety for the will of God revealed in the word or the declaration that will have all Men to be holy is not the sign of the Good-pleasure or Decree nor to sanctifie the greatest part of Men for here is no agreement between the sign and the thing signified or between the Word and the Decree but 't is the sign of another Decree namely to invite and command Men to do their duty and study Holiness As to the other Decree of not making holy the greatest part of the world it hath another
Province which Articles are a sentence past against Arminianism as the fit and proper remedy for the Disease the Antidote was specifical and composed against the Poyson which because they are few short and altogether to our purpose I shall here set down in English as they were in Latin I. God from Eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life certain men he hath reprobated to death II. The moving or sufficient cause of predestination unto life is not the fore-sight of Faith or of Perseverance or of Good works or of any thing that is in the persons predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God III. There is a predetermined and certain number of the predestinate which can never be augmented nor diminished IV. Those who are not predestinated to Salvation shall necessarily be damned for their sins V. A true living and justifying Faith and the spirit of God justifying is not extinguished it falleth not away or vanisheth not away in the Elect either finally or totally VI. A Man truly faithful that is such a one who is endued with a justifying Faith is certain of the full assurance of Faith of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ VII Saving grace is not given is not communicated is not granted to all men by which they may be saved if they will VIII No Man can come unto Christ unless it shall be given him and unless the Father shall draw him And all Men are not drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son IX It is not in the will or power of any Man to be saved These Articles upon serious debate and mature deliberation having been agreed on by the persons before named very Eminent and Considerable Men were afterwards sent to the University of Cambridge by their Deputies where they were received with the unanimous approbation of the whole University with such success that of the two Arminians Baroe not long after left the University and went away and Barret was forced solemnly to recant which recantation was Registred Thus a full stop was put to those Innovations and since that time till Laud's Faction got the upper-hand this and no other contrary Doctrine was taught there as being the true Orthodox according to Scriptures and the Church of England's but since that time the Party have done what they could to suppress and discredit it Yet though sometimes truth be driven into corners we doubt not but at last it will prevail notwithstanding the opposition of Men and Devils as it happened in the case of Arrianism An Heresie against the person of Christ as Arminianism is against his grace though to our great grief we see Arrianism revived in Socinianism as Pelagianism is in Arminianism But we must go on in our design In these 9 Articles we see the true Sence and Doctrine of the Church explained by those that by their office and learning are the fittest Interpreters thereof so we may conclude that to be at that time the Doctrine of the Church which we have asserted But we have farther proofs which to bring in I must skip over some passages but with an intent to make use of them in due place the reason I have to do so is because what I am going upon carries along with it the stamp of Publick Authority and Influence I mean the confession of Faith and Articles of the general Convocation of Ireland held in Dublin 1605 That is 20 years after the Articles of Lambeth By the grace of God I shall here set down those Articles of that Convocation which are to our present purpose and so shall begin with the Eleventh XI God from all eternity did by his unchangaeble Counsel ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass yet so as no violence is offered to the wills of the reasonable Creatures and neither the liberty nor the contingency of the second causes is taken away but rather established XII By the same eternal Counsel God hath predestinated some unto life and reprobated some unto death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither be increased nor diminished XIII Predestination unto life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed in his secret Council to deliver from Curse and Condemnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting Salvation as vessels made to honour XIV The cause moving God to predestinate unto life is not the fore-seeing of Faith or Perseverance or of good works or of any thing which is in the person predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself for all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory and his glory being to appear both in the works of his Mercy and his Justice It seemed good to his heavenly wisdom to chuse out a certain number towards whom he would extend his undeserved mercy leaving the rest to be spectacles of his Justice XV. Such as are predestinated unto life he called according unto God's purpose his spirit working in due season and through grace they obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by adoption they be made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by God's mercy they attain to everlasting felicity But such as are not predestinated to Salvation shall finally be condemned for their sins XXV The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable unto God without the grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will XXXII None can come unto Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father draw him and all men are not so drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son Neither is there such a sufficient measure of grace vouchsafed unto every Man whereby he is enabled to come to everlasting life XXXIII All God's Elect are in their time inseparably united unto Christ by the effectual and vital influence of the holy Ghost derived from him as from the head unto every true member of his mystical Body and being thus made one with Christ they are regenerated and made partakers of him and of all his benefits XXXVII By justfying Faith we understand not only the common belief of the Articles of Christian Religion and a persuasion of the truth of God's word in general But also a particular application of the promises of the Gospel to the comfort of our own souls whereby we lay hold on Christ with all his benefits having an earnest trust and confidence in God that he will be merciful to us for his Sons
that calleth any thing of works and of Faith too for they could have no Faith before they were born or had done any good or any evil are here excluded and all attributed to the purpose of God according to Election The same Apostle saith in another place that though some have erred concerning the Truth even those who before were professors of it such as (b) 2 Tim. 2.17 19. Hymineus and Philetus yet Nevertheless the foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his 't is no prejudice to neither can it change God's Decree And still to make use of the same authority St. Paul saith elsewhere (c) Ephes 1.9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself Not only that purpose in himself but also the declaration to us of that my stery of his will are altogether attributed to his good-pleasure not to any thing without him or in the Creature and all this to the end (d) Ephes 2.7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness tovards us through Christ Jesus Here is Grace here are riches of Grace yea exceeding riches of Grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus through whom only these graces are conveyed to us and who is the sole dispenser thereof and he addeth (f) Ephes 1.11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Here every word is a sentence against our Adversaries and after this t is an amazement to me that amongst those who pretend to be Christians and to receive the word of God for rule of the Truth there should be some who go about to set up Free-will and Man's strength to the prejudice of Grace and forge Motives and Counsellours for God besides his own good-will and pleasure We say further there is a certain small select number of those that are predestinated to Glory this we speak after St. Paul (g) Rom. 11.5 6. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace and if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise work is no more work Here the reason is given why amongst the unbelieving obstinate Jews there was a small remnant which did believe and were saved The Faith Grace and Salvation of this remnant is ascribed to their Election as to the cause and this Election affirmed to come only of God's grace and deny'd to have proceeded from any of their works not by a simple affirmation but by a double opposition of Works and Grace as incompatible in point of Election Arminians must not think to blind this with saying they do not attribute Election to a foresight of Works but of Faith 'T is true their Father Arminius doth not openly assert it this Text being so clear and so positive however he minced the matter for he made Election and Justification to depend upon Faith not as an Instrument applying Christ but as an Evangelical Work in the Gospel appointed of God to be a saving quality in it self as a perfect Obedience should have been under the Law but his Followers are not so scrupulons as he But the Apostle denies it to be of Faith as of Works wholly ascribing it to the Election or Grace But as to the point of the small number of the Elect our blessed Saviour himself decides it when he saith (a) Matth. 20.10 Many be called but few chosen and St. Paul to shew the small number of those that are elected and shall be saved is not satisfied to call it a remnant in the place already quoted but in another of the same Epistle he also makes use of the word remnart (b) Rom. 9.27 Though the number of the children of Israel be as the Sand of the Sea a remnant shall be saved Only a remnant and this after the Prophet Isaiah 10.20 21. Who elsewhere calls it (c) Isai 1.9 A very small remnant which the Apostle in the same Chapter doth call a Seed (d) Rom. 9.29 Except the Lord of Sabbath had left us a seed which is only as much as sufficeth to sow the ground (e) Heb. 12.23 These are called the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven in the Book of God's Election which can never be encreased nor diminished and this (f) Ephes 4.12 13. for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Which meaneth that there is a fullness of the mystical body of Christ that is so many Members and that every Member is to come unto a degree of Stature unto a perfect Man as a certain number of Martyrs that shall be fulfilled Rev. 6.9 11. All those and those only (g) Rom. 8.30 whom God did predestinate them he also called with an inward and effectual calling and whom he called all and only them he also justified all and only them he also glorified This is the Golden Chain of our Salvation and the thing so certain and so sure that though to some it be to come 't is represented as already past and as if they were in actual possession of Glory There shall be no more nor less and though to the eye of Man in this there may seem to be some alteration some falling from the Truth it is only as to the outward shew and profession not as to the Election Wherefore St. John (h) 1 John 2.19 saith They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us And this also is a strong proof and evidence of the perseverance and against the final Apostacy of Saints which Arminians are stiff asserters of And that Election is the sole cause of everlasting Salvation it appears because into the heavenly City (i) Rev. 21.27 none shall enter but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life In another place this Book is mentioned (k) Rev. 13.8 and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him the Beast whose names are not written in the book of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world This is the Book of God's Decree of Election all that have names written in it shall enter into new Jerusalem or Heaven but those whose names are not written therein and do worship the Beast (l) Rev. 20.10 12. shall with the devil the beast and the false prophet be cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone that is Hell and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever and in that same chap. ver 12. again amongst the Books that were opened a particular mention is made of the Book of Life the opening of which Book is mentioned by a (m) Dan. 7.10 and 12.1 Philip. 4.3 Prophet and by an Apostle speaking of some whose names are written in the Book of Life On the other side we say that as God hath elected some to everlasting Life so others he hath reprobated and appointed to eternal Death The Decree of Predestination is the sentence of both of Pardon and Absolution for some and of Condemnation for others See the proof of this (n) Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known to men endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Such as Esan whom God hated such as Pharaoh (o) Ver. 13 17. whom God raised for this same purpose that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth All the earth is God's and so are all that dwell therein and this calls to my mind a common saying we have my Lord is Lord and Master at home where as he pleases he may order things as they best conduce to his honour and convenience and if we may argue from the less to the greater why should we not say Heaven and Earth are God's why then should not the Lord dispose of all things therein for his Glory as it best seems good unto him Scripture speaks of it as matter of Fact I hope no Man may or will question the matter of Right (p) Jude 4. There are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation c. So that as some are ordained to eternal life others are to condemnation this is a Scripture phrase not of our making We have a third witness for this Truth Christ is a stone (d) 1 Pet. 2.8 a stumbling and a rock of offence to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed As some are vessels of honour appointed to obedience of Faith so others are vessels of dishonour appointed to disobedience and this we do clearly see in the next verse by the opposition he makes between some men and others But ye saith he are a chosen generation Vers 9. a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people The Lord Jesus saith clearly how at the last day there shall be two sorts of men To his sheep at the right hand he will say Matth. 25.33 3â— c. come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Which proveth their Election to Glory from Eternity as blessed of the Father In these words I think I read God's Decree of Election of those blessed ones But Christ will say to those on the left depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Here is a Kingdom prepared for the blessed of the Father from the foundation of the World here is an everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels so that in that very place me may see Christ opening the Books of Election and Reprobation of Salvation and Damnation not only the Names but the Persons of the Elect may be seen on the right-hand as those of the reprobate may be seen on the left This everlasting fire is prepared not only for the Devil and his Angels but also for the Devil and his Children for so our Saviour calleth some Jews (e) John 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning c. he is a lyar and the father of it Thus Elymas the Sorcerer is by St. Paul call'd (f) Acts 13.10 thou child of the devil thou enemy of all righteousness Such was Judas by our Saviour called (g) Joh. 17.12 the son of perdition who as Peter saith (h) Acts 1.25 was gone to his own place If there be as certainly there is a place for the Devils and wicked Men prepared from Eternity there is reason also why from Eternity wicked men should he appointed for that place upon which account as I said before they are vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Now that God is the efficient cause of both Election and Reprobation 't is plain out of what the Apostle saith (i) 1 Thes 5 9. God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Then God doth appoint some Men to Wrath and some to Salvation Thus the Reader may see how strong in that way cometh the stream of Scripture which we do but follow Our Second Article is this The only moving cause of our Election is the meer good pleasure love free-grace and mercy of God This truth we also have many proofs of I (k) Exod. 33.19 will saith God be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy What can Men object against this By the mouth of his Prophet he saith (l) Hos 14.4 I will love them freely We use to say nothing is more free than Love Yet amongst Men some motive or pretence may happen to be assigned but in relation to God's love to the Creature no such thing may be pleaded for even in this world when God prefereth a people or one person before another there is nothing in that subject to move him to it as in the case of the Children of Israel Moses tells them plainly first not for their number (m) Deut. 7.7 8. the Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you and would keep the oath he had sworn unto your fathers Let this stop every Man's mouth God loves because he will love let who can go further and fathom that which is infinite neither were they chosen and loved for their wisdom for (n) Deut. 32.21 they were a nation void of counsel neither was there any understanding in them Nor for their uprightness of heart or for (o) chap. 9.4 5 6. their righteousness for they were a stiff-necked people Neither was it for any power of theirs (p) chap. 8.17 18. to do to say not so much as in thine heart my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth And (q) chap. 4.38 the nations that were driven out before them were greater and mightier than they So none of the things mentioned nor any thing else in them commended them to God We see how careful was that faithful Servant of God to beat them out of the conceit of any merits of their own
to move the Lord God to do them good Hence it is that Samuel saith to Israel (r) 1 Sam. 12.22 the Lord will not forsake his people and the reason he gives is this because it hath pleased him to make you his people Thus it is with God upon the account of any mercy he bestoweth upon the Creature of any nature whatsoever David declareth the same (i) Psal 44.3 for they got not the land in possession by their own sword neither did their own arm save them but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them Thus we read in the Gospel when the Lord Jesus worked a Cure of any bodily or spiritual Disease he made it wholly depend upon his will as in the Miracle upon the Leper he said (k) Matth. 8.3 I will be thou clean and in the case of working Faith (l) chap 11.27 neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him So (m) Joh 5.21 the Son quickneth whom he will Thus as of our Election so of our Regeneration and Conversion there is no other cause but the will of God for (n) Jam. 1.18 of his own will begat he us with the word of truth In few words the whole work of Salvation is an effect of his free-grace (o) Ephes 2 â— ad vers 8. When we were dead in sin he hath quickned us the reason he giveth there is this by grace ye are saved in both verses for he repeats it three verses lower by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God We further say there was no foresight or consideration of any work faith or merit in us why God should Elect us (p) Ezck. 16.6 And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live What sign of Faith or comeliness in that condition was there in us what ornaments in us there have been since they are the work of God in us whether repentance faith holiness or any other grace For after God said to us live he washed and anointed us clothed and decked us c. as may be seen in the following verses vers 8 9 10 11 12 13. We add that sin is the only cause of damnation as in St. Matthews (q) Matth 25.42 43. Gospel by me quoted already (r) Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil In another place of Scripture he says positively (s) Rom. 6.23 the wages of sin is death But here by the by this I must take notice of how though Damnation be the reward for Sin it doth not follow that Salvation should be the reward of Faith or good Works the just reward of Sin is Death it is its due but the Apostle doth not say that Eternal Life is the wages of Faith or Righteousness as Death is of Sin (a) Ver. 23. but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is a great disparity between the rules and means of Justice and of Mercy as hereafter we shall have occasion to shew as also why God leaves and Elects one and not the other as in the ease of Esau and Jacob. (b) Malach. 1.2 3. I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacob's Brother yet I loved Jacob and I hated Esau of which no account but God's pleasure for St. Paul makes to the same purpose use of the place in Rom. 9. as already quoted But now we must come to the proof of our 3d. Article namely that the Elect do constantly obey God's call when the time is come when (c) Cant. 1.4 God draweth they follow nay they run draw me we will run after thee and (d) Lament 5.21 turn thou us unto thee and we shall be turned The Elect obey the call When St. Paul heard the voice from Heaven he said (e) Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do This inward call for St. Paul's was such as well as outward makes a great change in Man how willing how ready to obey (f) Gal. 1.16 he confered not with flesh and blood but submitted So did the Jailour he said to Paul and Silas (g) Act. 16 30. Sirs what must I do to be saved The new Converts willing to be directed said unto Peter and other Apostles * Acts. 2.37 men and brethren wha shall we do though at first all know not what to do ye are prepared to obey and desirous to be instructed when the Lord said unto Paul arise and go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must do he complied and went So Samuel assoon as (h) 1 Sam. 3.4 6 8 10. the Lord called Samuel he answered Here I am and though he at first did not well know the nature of the voice nor whose it was yet he ran to the place whence he thought the voice came disposed to obey and when heat last was better informed then he said Speak Lord for thy servant heareth For though may be at first God's people do not distinctly understand the call yet God never gives over calling till we are come to him God makes known unto us the mystery of his will to this end saith St. Paul (i) Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him But God is never disappointed of his ends he worketh effectually and unresistibly Ver. 19. wherefore this is called the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Observe the Emphasis This dealing of God in and towards Believers is in one and the same verse called the working of Gods power yea his Mighty Power and in the beginning of the verse not only his Power but the greatness and the exceeding greatness of his Power The effectual preaching of the Gospel to People or Persons is an effect of their Election as the Cause is known by the effect so a posteriori Election is by a powerful preaching of the Gospel (k) 1 Thes 1.4 5. Knowing beloved your election of God saith St. Paul for our Gospel came not you unto in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance c. to the Elect ever it comes so in the due time and by its coming so they may judge themselves to be Elect for he saith also in much assurance We add further that the Elect neither do nor can finally and totally resist the inward powerful and effectually calling of God's spirit in the very
such a bough this is the certain and infallible doom of those who abide not in Christ (l) John 15.6 7 8. But if ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you Then we shall bear much fruit and be Christ's disciples Let us take notice that it is not enough for us to have Christ with us but we must be and abide in him or else he will profit us nothing St. Paul could say * 1 Cor. 15.10 by the grace of God only I am what I am and what I do Yet not I but the grace of God that was with me Thus much I premised at first to make things as clear and intelligible as I could I have been somewhat long in my Quotations that I might lay a sure foundation for the word of God must be judge in the case and (m) See my seasonable discourse about Religion in 1689. Texts of Scripture are the plainest and strongest Arguments that can be used in and about such Controversies though I omitted several which in the prosecution of this design of mine shall be produced I do not enter upon this Subject as acted by a spirit of strife to dispute for disputes sake as too many do I thank God I am acted by a better principle I know and others as well as I may how 't is the duty of every Christian to seek after and endeavour to find the truth and when found out to own and embrace it and never part with it give glory to God without any thing of self ends This truth may be found in the revealed word of God which is (n) Psal 9.7 perfect converting the soul making wise the simple It must often be read for God will be sought after in the way of his Commandments for the understanding whereof men are not to trust to their Parts and Learning because without Grace that is but ignorance and foolishness men stand in need that Christ would open their understanding as he (a) Luke 24.45 did that of the disciples that they might understand the Scriptures But (b) 2 Tim. 3. â—3 evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived But we must give God thanks That his Decree of Election hath secured our Salvation which if it had lain in our hands had soon been lost and forfeited like the Birth-right of Esau and the substance of the Prodigal Son And all that would advise others to or themselves stand to this tryal of free-will and right improvement of Graces I may very well in (c) Job 16.2 chap. 13.4 Job's words say to Miserable comforters are ye all and ye are forgers of lies ye are all physicians of no value Hitherto we have given an extract of Controversies about these several points and I hope have out of Scripture made good our assertions so that an ordinary capacity may with the help of God be able to understand them Now we must proceed and by God's grace endeavour to dive into this Subject But before I engage further upon this important matter I must lay down some rules that will contribute towards the better understanding of it First Nothing is done in time but what was fore-ordained of God from all Eternity (d) Act. 15.18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Thus (e) Chap. 2.23 4.27 28. Christ was delivered by the determinate council and fore-knowledge of God else you settle a contingency in relation to God and destroy his fore-knowledge Secondly what God decreed shall infallibly come to pass or else you destroy his immutability (f) Malach. 3.6 I the Lord change not Thirdly No motive in God from without why he should decree neither doth the execution of the decree depend upon any condition in or from men else you take away (g) Act. 17.25 Psal 50.12 Gods independency and self sufficiency Fourthly The decree is one single act or else you destroy the simplicity of God when we speak otherwise 't is after our manner of conceiving in God is no prius or posterius first and last or else you deny his Eternity Now Eternity Independency Immutability and Simplicity are God's incommunicable Attributes which no man may strike at Fifthly Secret things belong to God Deut. 29.29 but revealed things unto us and to our Children for ever The one we must not dive into but the other we ought not to neglect We are forbidden to presume beyond what is written but are commanded to acquaint our selves with what God hath set forth in his word That he would have us to know or else had not declared it What is fit and necessary for us to know we must inquire into and not else so these measures must be observed about these high mysteries of our Salvation as are God's decrees we ought to assort nothing but what we have a warrant for out of God's word Another thing we ought to lay for a foundation is this In every thing God proposeth his own glory for his ultimate end now in two ways God is glorified in his Mercy and in his Justice which include also both his Wisdom and his Power God's mercy is manifested in his free-grace and pardon to some and his justice in the punishment of those that transgressed his Law God is a gracious King the fountain of Mercy and Judge of the spring of Justice Now that which is first in intention is last in execution eternal Happiness for some and everlasting Misery for others is the subordinate end thus Heaven is prepared for the Elect and Hell for Reprobates And this in one word is called Predestination CHAP. III. Of Predestination SOme ignorant people amongst Men and Women are well acquainted with the name though they do not at all know the thing thereby signified they are startled and abhor the word as if it was a kind of a Spell but if they were well acquainted with God's word they would easily find it there The great Preacher of free-grace St. Paul hath it no less than twice in one and the same Chapter (a) Ephes 1.5 Vers 11. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ and six verses lower he adds In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will And in another place he mentioneth it twice in two verses For whom he did fore-know (b) Rom. 8.29 30. he also did predestinate Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called c. Thus it appears it is no Barbarous name nor unknown to Scripture 't is the same as fore-ordained and appointed Now I will come to the thing Predestination is an Eternal and Immutable Decree about the everlasting future state of Angels and Men But because we were not concerned in that which relates to Angels and that
declaration partly in the words and partly in the event There is then no contrariety but that sign which doth not agree with that Decree which it doth not belong to will agree with another of which it is the sign And because this is a matter of high concernment both as to the Decrees of God and as to his word between which nor in the word it self there is no contrariety to make the matter the more clear I will bring two more instances The first is out of Genesis (a) Gen. 22.2 12. God said to Abraham take thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering c. Here God commandeth Abraham to Sacrifice his Son but in the 12 verse lay not thine hand upon the lad neither do thou any thing unto him Here God forbiddeth him to Sacrifice his Son hence it apeareth as also the event made it good how God would not have Isaac to be sacrificed though before he had positively commanded it The second instance God by Moses said to Pharaoh (b) Exod. 9.1 12. Let my people go that they may serve me these are the words whereby God declareth he will have Pharaoh to let Israel go and verse the 12. God hardned the heart of Pharaoh that he would not let the people go As (c) Exod. 4.21 he said to Moses he would do I will harden the heart of Pharaoh that he will not let my people go Which God did at (d) Chap. 10.20 27. several times hence it appeareth that God in his Decree would not have Pharaoh at that time to let his people go when he commanded him to let him go for God hardened his heart that he would not let him go This is the other instance God forbid that Scripture should attribute to God two contrary wills a sign contrary to the Decree or a declaration in his word opposite to his eternal purpose which to affirm is no less than Blasphemy What difference or contrariety seems to be here is not real only in appearance arising from this that though in Scripture God ever signifieth that he will have that which indeed he is willing to have yet he doth not always precisely signifie that positively he would have that which at the first sight we conceive him to be willing to have Wherefore to remove difficulties to assert God's truth and shew the harmony and agreement between God's Good-pleasure or Decree and his revealed will in his word we must go to Scripture and accordingly proceed to a farther examination of the places In the History of sacrificing Isaac do appear two inward and different thoughts of God partly out of Scripture and partly out of the Event The first was to preserve Isaac on whom were the promises and hinder Abraham from killing him The second thought of God was his will by a command to engage Abraham to Sacrifice his Son who by vertue of that order prepared himself to obey and thereby give an illustrious example of Obedience which was tryed by this For in the first verse 't is said God tempted Abraham so was Job tryed to be made a famous example of Patience as in this Abraham was both of Faith and Obedience Now to the point to every one of these Thoughts and Decrees of God answered its sign which are not to be confounded one with another To the first and not to the last belonged this Sign or Declaration thou shalt not lay thy hand on the Lad c. which at first was not revealed to Abraham Not to the first but to the last answered this sign Offer thy Son for a burnt offering ye see here is no real contradiction different Decrees different Signs and a true harmony between signs and things signified which would be disturbed if the sign of the first was attributed to the last and of the last to the first Now to the other Instance in the History of Pharaoh are also to be considered two different Thoughts of Good-pleasure of God When Pharaoh was the first second and third time commanded to let Israel go God's will was not so soon to bring his people out of Egypt but to harden the heart of Pharaoh not to let them go The second Thought was to oblige Pharaoh by a special command to let the Jews go but not presently for then God had missed his aim and with hardning Pharaoh's heart had contributed towards it which is in no wise consisting with God's Wisdom but the end was to let Pharaoh understand that he was justly punished for obstinately disobeying God's command and this hardness of Pharaoh was an occasion for God to make his power known through the earth Exod. 9.16 Every one of these thoughts had its proper sign the first 's and not the last's which at first was hidden from Pharaoh is expressed in these words I will harden the heart of Pharaoh that he will not let my people go The sign of the last and not of the first declared to Pharaoh is expressed in these words let my people go Thus one may see here is no real contradiction but a true agreement between the signs and the decrees as their things signified and it would cause a confusion if they were not rightly applyed Thus one may see the true sense and meaning of those places of Scripture which I have the more insisted upon because the matter is of so high a concernment and that by the means of those distinctions of the will of God one may resolve the doubts and difficulties which occur upon this matter But before I leave it I must take notice of a new fangled distinction already mentioned in the Chapter of Predestination the more because this brings us directly upon Arminians 't is of the will of God unto absolute or peremptory and conditional the former say they depends upon no condition but the last doth If by this they meant only that which is called of the sign it might be allowed for sometimes in Scripture are conditional Precepts Promises and Threatnings But when they extend it to God's Decrees some whereof they would have to depend upon certain conditions which from Eternity God hath foreseen shall never be performed as when they say God hath decreed to save those that are to be damned upon condition they shall repent and believe in Christ We cannot but reject it as contrary to God's Wisdom Amongst Men one would be lookt upon as very imprudent and inconsiderate who would seriously resolve upon a thing under a condition which he is most sure will never be performed Thus if a Prince would in earnest resolve to make an old ignorant Man unexperienced dull unskilfull in every Art and Science his Chancelour upon condition he becomes a famous Orator a great Statesman very Wise and Prudent versed in all manner of learning and that he gets all endowments necessary for the Place which comparison I look upon as very
Man shot at a venture the Arrow was guided to the place where it did wound him The Blood ran out of the Wound into the Chariot wherein he was carried dead to Samaria The Chariot is washed in the Pool of Samaria and whilst it was a washing and his Armour the Dogs licked up his Blood according to God's Word by Elisha in the same place where they had licked up the Blood of Naboth How what remained of God's Judgments was afterward executed upon Jezabel and the rest of Ahab's whole Family Scripture makes a large mention of and therein God's Providence is visible and wonderful One thing more to be observed is that there is no other account given of the success of the Fight as if that part of the Chapter had been written only to relate Ahab's Death the manner of it and nothing else Because at that time the chief work upon the Wheel of Providence was the beginning of execution of God's Judgments upon Ahab's person which were next to follow upon his Son Ahaziah who died of a fall Jehoram was killed by Jehu who destroyed the whole Family All Dispensations of God's Providence are attended with Wisdom Power Holiness and Immutability Every thing that happeneth doth so according to the same wonderful Providence God from eternity having unchangeably decreed to do or to permit every thing that happeneth in time and whatsoever he hath decreed and appointed shall infallibly be For if it were not so God would be mistaken in his Prescience Divine Providence cannot be hindered seeing there is nothing more potent than God for who hath resisted his will or who can resist it he being Almighty Rom. 9.19 That makes him put a Question with Defiance Is there any thing too hard for me Jer. 32 27. which in that same Chapter 10. verse before the Prophet answers in the negative there is nothing too hard for thee ver 17 God for the things he purposeth to himself hath appointed fit sufficient and effectual means to obtain the same or else he could be frustrated of his ends which is contrary to his wisdom and power Some deny this immutability of providence under pretence that it takes away Contingency and Liberty but it doth not for in the disposition of providence many things are done by Causes which God would have in themselves to be Contingent and Free for such he made and preserveth them whence their effects are well called Contingent that is happened by Chance and Accident as to Second Causes though in relation to Divine Providence they be unchangeably done And 't is much to be observed how this Contingency is wholly and only on the side of near Second and particular Causes for in relation to the first and Universal nothing is Contingent but all necessary not of a necessity of the Cause but of the immutability Against this 't is objected if all things be out of an unavoidable necessity of God's Providence then Counsels Precepts and Prayers of godly Men are of no use for Counsels are taken to obtain a good success of our undertakings and avoid bad ones prayers are made to get good things and avoid evil ones but if all things be done by an unchangeable Providence these are in vain which we deny for this reason that Counsels and Prayers are means subordinate to God's Providence whence God granteth prosperous success to prudent Counsels and pious prayers God in his word bindeth us to these means thus the forgiveness of sins is an Article of our Creed 't is matter of Faith for we believe it yet in the Lord's Prayer we are commanded to pray God to forgive our trespasses And if sometimes he doth not hear us yet our Counsels and Prayers are not altogether in vain for they who use the means which God hath prescribed do perform their duty and serve God not without benefit one way or other and the same thing we pray for though not granted for the present yet often 't is so in God's due time (a) Dan. 9.2 3 and Rev. 22.17 20. Saints pray for those things which they know will be infallibly They which use this argument against prayers dispute like those who deny the world shall be consumed with Fire because by an unchangeable Decree it is to be consumed Now these Counsels and Prayers are not made use of as lets thereby to change the Decrees and stop the course of Providence but to the end that yielding obedience to God's law and following the usual course of providence we may obtain a good Conscience and be filled with good hope leaving the success of what we pray for to the most wise God A last Objection is this if God's actual Providence be immutable then none of God's precepts or promises are conditional for a condition doth imply a possibility of change to the contrary according to the performance or no performance of the condition but it doth not follow neither is the proof universally true but false in particular as to the condition of God's precepts or promises it is uncertain only on Man's side for on God's side it is most certainly decreed and determined Though already we sufficiently declared we ought not to separate the means from the end yet because about these disputes it is a fundamental truth I cannot forbear for confirmation of it here to insert two Instances one out of the Old Testament the other out of the New The first is concerning King (b) 2 Kings 20. Hezekiah after God had sent him word by the Prophet Isaiah to prepare for Death and here by the by take notice how the last message differed from the first given him a Reprieve for fifteen years though without any means God might have cured him yet he is pleased to make use of some and the remedy prescribed was proper for the Disease for a lump of Figs which are a great drawer is laid upon the Boile which thereupon broke and so the malignant humour came out The other instance out of the New Testament is very remarkable (c) Acts 27. Amidst the great danger of Shipwrack which Paul and other Men in the Ship were under God promised him not only his life but also of all them that were with him in the Ship which made him assure them there should be no loss of any Man's life though 276 were in it Yet after so positive a promise though God could have saved them all to shew how means must be used when he saw the Seamen under a pretence of casting Anchors were about to flee out of the Ship Paul said to the Centurion and to the Souldiers Except these abide in the Ship Vers 31 ye cannot be saved Now all that remaineth for me to say upon this whole matter is to observe how many a good use may be made of the Doctrine of Divine Providence and so conclude with it And first out of the administration of all things we must own the infinite Power Wisdom and goodness
of God Secondly We ought to put our trust and confidence in God as a Father who takes a special care of all his Thirdly In adversity we must not look so much upon Second Causes as upon the first and whatsoever we suffer we must own it to come from the hand of God and in prosperity we must acknowledge and praise God as the Author of every good thing we enjoy (a) Job 2.10 For at the hand of God we receive both good and evil Then we ought to fear and reverence so potent a God in whose hands is every Creature which he can arm all against us David saith Fire and hail snow and vapour stormy winde fullfilling his word Psal 148.8 So we may say of every other Creature they all are his Servants Psal 119.91 Further more we must love God who out of his Fatherly care watcheth for and promoteth our good and hereby ought to be excited a mutal love amongst us who are Children of the same Father This also layes an obligation upon us when there is occasion to make use of the means God hath prescribed yet not so as to put our trust in them neither are we to despair in case they fail us knowing how God is not so tyed to them but that he may help us without so that upon all occasions of whatsoever nature they be we ought to submit to trust and depend upon God's providence and in conformity to God we ought to follow our Work and Duty The Psalmist in the whole 107. Psalm having exhorted the redeemed of the Lord to praise God for his manifold providence as over Travellers Captives Sick-men Seamen and several other varieties of life in the last verse of all to bring them into a serious consideration of the right use they ought to make of it saith Who so is wise and will observe those things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. We must not be as idle and unconcerned Spectators for such are not wise But it is a part of wisdom in us to take a special notice of all effects of God's wise mighty and gracious Providence CHAP. V. Of GRACE WIth corrupt Men 't is natural to have too good an opinion of themselves and too mean of God therefore they are pleased with what exalteth humane strength and Free-will though Free-grace be thereby abased the more a Doctrine is suitable with Holy Scripture the less 't is acceptable to humane affections People must not dispute about these matters as some do to try their Wits and make a shew of their Parts but to find out the truth as revealed in God's word and then receive adhere to and profess it About this important matter of grace several parts are controverted between Arminians and us As first About Resistiblity of it Secondly About the Amissibility Thirdly About universal grace Fourthly About Faith the chief Gospel Grace which hath several branches By the grace of God we intend of every one of these to speak in its due place but in order thereunto we must endeavour first to beat down Free-will opposite to grace Here I put them together not by reason of their affinity but of their contrariety about this matter though in some different degrees we have for Adversaries Pelagians Papists and Arminians CHAP. VI. Of FREE-WILL THE Word Free-will doth properly denote the faculty of the Soul called the Will but in the present Question the Understanding and other faculties of the Soul are also understood thereby in as much as the Will is enlightned by the Intellect and followeth the last Dictates of it so that it is the guide of Will and Affections Now the Question is about the power of all Natural faculties of Man how far they may go in promoting of his own Salvation This is called Free-will and we are to see how much Nature which here is opposed to Grace can promote or hinder our Salvation Pelagians do say that by Obedience to the Law of Nature through the direction of right Reason Men may be saved that is by Nature without Grace So that the right use of Nature by infallible dependence draws the Grace of Regeneration which is to settle a soundness of Nature so contrary to what is expressed in the whole course of Scripture But these I pass by to come to others Papists who go not so far yet in matter of Salvation give Nature too much for in part they attribute it to Nature and in part to Grace Sin say they hath not taken away the Power of the Understanding and of the Will of Man to obey God and to believe but only the exercise of that Power that the power of Man's Soul to all good Works is not dead but only chained up and bound and in the act of Conversion the effect of it doth depend part upon Grace and part upon Man's own Strength About this part of farthering our Salvation Arminians do mince the matter and are sometimes on and off if not wholly yet in part but as to the other point of Man's natural power to hinder Grace and Salvation they highly and altogether are for it as it will appear when we speak about resistibility of Grace But as neither Free-will nor any natural faculty hath any power to purchase the beginning or progress of our Salvation for both Grace and Glory as after David I said before Psal 84.11 come from God who alone quickeneth Nature dead in Sin so Nature cannot hinder the Almighty power of God in the Conversion of Sinners except one will affirm the power of Men to be greater than that of God which is downright Blasphemy We say First That Man through his Fall is so corrupt that by Nature there is not in him any power at all to any Spiritual good rather a propensity and inclination to all kind of Spiritual evil so that our Will instead of being free is a Servant and a Slave to sin The consideration whereof made Luther give a Book he did write upon this Subject the Title de Servo Arbitrio the Will Slave or Servant The first Part that is our unableness is clear (a) Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him (b) Jer 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are used to do evil St. Peter speaks of those who (c) 2 Pet. 2 19. promise others liberty whilest they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage How far this Text is appliable to those who boast of a Power of Free-will in themselves and promise it to others I leave it to God and their Consciences sure I am the best of us (d) Eph. 2.3 5. are by nature Children of wrath even as others and dead in Sins This Natural and Moral impotency is by St. Paul clearly set down (e) 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth
those that are called and to turn stony hearts into hearts of flesh none can do 't but God alone but experience teaches he will not do it in Reprobates a sign he hath decreed not to do it And let the nonsence of their Hypothesis and Assertion be taken notice of which is thus God in calling reprobates intends to save them in case he giveth them effectual grace to obey the call which he resolved never to do God doth not intend the effectual calling or conversion of every one whom the Gospel is preached to and have only the outward means of Salvation as it appearet out of the fore-quoted places Ezech. 2.5 For sometimes a Prophet sent to a people or to a person is a stumbling block to that people or person so of some other Providence John 15.22 And this is God's own doing for he saith Ezech. 3.20 when I lay a stumbling block before a man whether righteous or otherwise or when God's own Son came into the world 't was as said before to take from unbelievers all manner of excuse to make them unexcusable for saith the Apostle as to them that believe he is a chief corner stone elect and precious so unto those that are disobedient he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. And this is the Lord 's doing Psal 118.22 saith David wherefore it is marvellous in our eyes John 8.43 Our Blessed Saviour said to the Jews Why do you not understand my speech In the same verse he gives the reasons even because ye cannot hear my word His word they heard and the meaning they understood but it did not work upon them neither could they effectually understand it of themselves they could not do 't neither did God intend they should or else it had been effected Gamaliel spoke well the truth Acts 5.39 when he said if this counsel be of God ye cannot overthrow it For 't is beyond any Man's power to disappoint God of his ends wherefore whensoever he intends by preaching of the word to convert any one he shall certainly be converted but if he be not it is a certain and infallible sign that God thereby never intended his conversion or that he should believe To what end then are Reprobates called I answer to know their duty and at last to own they are justly punished for having neglected it and herein God doth attain to his end Rom. 9.7 out of Exod. 4.21 9 1◠1◠20 St. Paul shewing how God called Pharaoh not to the end he should obey but that he should be hardened and should not let the people go In several places Holy Scriptures shew how God in calling and offering means of grace to wicked and reprobates doth not intend their Conversion but to make them unexcusable and to have Witnesses and Testimonies against them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that at the last day every wicked man may hear this Thou art unexcusable O man When God gave Ezechiel his Commission and commanded him to go to the people he gave him no hope of success nor seemed to intend their conversion for saith he Ezech 2.34.5 they are a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me they and their Fathers have transgressed against me even unto this very day for they are impudent children and stiff-necked to what purpose then doth God send him to them God declares it and they whether they will hear or forbear et shall know there hath been a prophet amongst them There is an Evidence and a Witness against them I have given them warning and they cannot pretend ignorance or any ground of excuse God doth not declare to the Ministers at first whether or no they will hear but to do and obey what is commanded When our Blessed Saviour sent his Disciples to preach the Gospel he gave this charge Mark 6.11 and whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you when ye depart thence shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them St. Paul did it for he shook his raiment and said let your blood be upon your own heads To the Jews that opposed themselves and blasphemed Acts. 18.6 as a testimony against them for verily it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorah in the day of Judgment than for such And elsewhere but upon the same argument doth before-hand tell his Disciples and ye shall be brought before governours and kings for my sake but to what end and purpose Matth. 10.18 to convert them not for if it was to that intent they would be converted for who hath resisted his will Luke 10.11 but for a testimony against them and the gentiles And according to another Evangelist the Lord directeth them what to say even the very dust of your City which cleaveth on us we do wipe off against you notwithstanding be ye sure of this that the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you As if he had said this shall be the ground of the charge against you at the last day and this dust shall rise in Judgment and as a witness against you Our Saviour saith how before the end of the world this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world Matth. 24.14 not with an intention in God to convert the whole world for then God would be disapointed of his purpose For Scripture and Experience teach us the contrary that all shall not answer the call and be converted In the Text the Lord Jesus declares why the Gospel shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations At the last day shall be the general Assize where every Man shall be called to an account for his sins the Causes shall not be between Man and Man but between God and Man and the Lord Jesus shall be the visible Judge for by him God will judge the World Now as matters of fact do require proof by Evidences so God makes sure of Witnesses to convince and confound the wicked for as St. Paul and Barnabas said to those of Lystra God left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain and fruitful seasons Acts 14.17 These mercies though common will be Evidences against those that abused or remained unthankful under them So shall the outward means and offers of grace against those that neglected and rejected them though God never intended they should thereby be converted for God's secret will was unknown to them and the revealed they ought to have obeyed as Abraham did when commanded to Sacrifice his Son so ought all when commanded to repent and believe Now those witnesses of God are of two sorts First those that are of his own immediate appointment as were the Lord's Disciples to whom he said John 15.27 ye also shall bear me witness because ye have been with me from the beginning which he repeated after his Resurrection Ye shall be
fellow servant for though it was unpossible for him to pay the ten thousand talents yet he delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due that is for-ever for he could never do 't here the torments of Hell are meant so God may justly do with every Man whom he hath no mind to be merciful to I do add one thing more how the Law promised life upon unpossible conditions of a mans own perfect obedience yet we do not read that any of the Jews ever said the Law was unjust on the contrary we find the Law was confessed to be holy just and good Rom. 7.12 and let some men say what they will we all know and must own that faith the condition upon which eternal life is promised in the Gospel is unpossible for men because 't is a gift of God Let therefore God be owned to be just in all his ways 2 Thes 2.12 though all may be damned who believe not the truth God sent them strong delusions to believe a lye that they might be damned as if he had said that there might be a just cause of their damnation CHAP. XI Of FAITH NOW we must come to the chief and most excellent Gospel Grace which is Faith concerning which also Arminians do teach many unsound things we intend by the Grace of God to speak of every one of them in order Satan ever raised his strongest batteries against this (a) Ephes 6.16 shield wherewith we are able to quench his fiery darts To have a right understanding of this matter we must know Scripture doth mention four kinds of Faith First Historical whereby we believe the Word of God to be true as 't is revealed in Scriptures and God to be the God of Truth the Devils have this Faith (b) Jam. 2.19 for they believe and tremble Secondly The Faith of Miracles which at first was granted thereby to confirm the Doctrine of the Cospel for (c) 1 Cor. 14.22 tongues a sort of Miracles aâ—â— a sign not to believere but to unvelievers t is a certain persuasion grounded upon some Revelation or a special Promise of some miraculous work to be done Our Saviour granted it to the Apostles but it ceased long ago Thirdly Temporal Faith is a knowledge and assent to Truth contained in God's Word but only for a time hence called Temporal attended with some joy arising out of the consideration of some worldly advantages or of the thoughts and bare notion of a future happiness which at last vanish away Some Reprobates have this Faith This our Saviour speaks of when he mentions that part of the (d) Matth. 13.20 21. Seed which fell into stony places where it is received with joy Thus (e) Mark 6.20 Herod heard gladly John the Baptist and went farther for he did many things and observed him Whether this as (f) Acts 26.28 Agrippa's being almost perswaded to be a Christian may be said of Temporal or only of Historical Faith I will not dispute it being nothing at all material for my purpose but this I say that this Temporal Faith sometimes goeth so far that they who have it are said (g) Heb. 6.4 to have tasted of the heavenly gift and been made partakers of the holy Ghost The spirit of God sometimes bestoweth grace upon some which graces are not common nor saving neither our Saviour saith to the man in the Gospel who had discreetly answered him (h) Mark 12.34 Thou art not far from the Kingdom of Heaven for a man may go far on the way and yet fall short of it All that came out of Egypt though they went far into the wilderness nay some came within sight of the Land of Promise yet never entred into it so many (i) Matth. 7.14 strive to enter in at the straight gate who cannot find it We read of one (k) Mark 10.20 21. who observed all the commandments from his youth and in part he spok the truth for 't is said our Saviour beholding him loved him which he would not have done if he had told him a lye This I insist the more upon to make this temporal Faith better known and how far it bordereth upon true faith because our Adversaries do confound it with the true faith which is the fourth kind of Faith This is the only true faith otherwise called saving and justifying faith which doth consist not only in knowledge of things necessary to Salvation and also in an assent to all truths revealed in Gods word which reprobates may have but also in a trust and confidence and relying upon Christ and in a special way applying unto the Soul the general promises of God without this there is no true faith and here we are to do two things First To shew the difference between temporal and justifying faith and then prove that assurance is essential to true faith without which it cannot be such As to the first saving faith is attended with a real spiritual joy not arising out of any humane consideration but only out of the sence of God's mercy this temporal faith hath not nor the following signs of saving faith Secondly True faith hath a love of Christ overcoming all difficulties which love is attended with a religious fear of offending God and with a studying how to promote his glory Thirdly A sence of a future happiness amidst the greatest troubles and calamities Fourthly A hope of glory which maketh not ashamed raised within us by the spirit (a) Rom. 8.15 which beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God Lastly A special unmoveable trust and confidence in the mercy of God and an application of Christ's merits Temporal faith hath nothing to do with these but they are proper to true saving faith Hence may appear the error of our Adversaries or rather of the truth who would have temporal and saving faith to be the same in nature and to differ only as to duration of time Now as to the other thing that a trust and confidence in God is of the nature of faith it doth appear from the names given faith in the word of God 'T is called boldness and confidence (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him or a strong persuasion A liberty of confidence (c) And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 3. chap. 10.19 and 1 Joh. 5.14 If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end A full assurance (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith A (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ— 11.1 substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Also confidence (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 16.33 This is the confidence we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he
heareth us 1 John 5.14 which confidence doth not leave those to whom God hath given the earnest of the spirit that is believers (g) 2 Cor. 5.6 we are always confident saith St. Paul which argues it to be essential to faith St. John also calleth it boldness (h) 1 Joh 4.17 herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment Such a frame ariseth out of faith without which no true and well grounded boldness and confidence nor being hearty and chearful as our Saviour saith to his disciples they ought to be Be of good cheer I have overcome the world Peter as St. John saith makes certitude and assurance go along with Faith for in his name and of the disciples he declares thus (i) Joh. 16.33 John 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the son of the living God to believe and be sure is the same neither could they or any other believe except they were sure it is true but it is more or less for as there are degrees of faith so of assurance which is an essential part thereof (k) Heb. 6.11 chap. 10.22 As Scripture speaks of a full assurance of hope so it doth of a full assurance of faith we are fully assured there is a promise for those who do their duty and the promise is from the God of truth of all this there is a full assurance he heareth us These words certainly go beyond common knowledge and assent and let this be the first reason Farther Christ is received by Faith (l) Joh. 1.12 But as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe in his name bare knowledge and assent are not enough or else Devils and Reprobates could be made Sons of God Again they who truly believe in Christ know they have eternal life (m) 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life out of bare knowledge and assent no man can know he hath eternal life for despair may consist with both 't is so in all Devils and in many Reprobates Lastly (n) Habak 2.4 By faith we live (o) Rom 11.20 By faith we stand (p) Rom. 5.1 By faith we are justified (q) Eph. 2.8 By faith we are saved and through faith we obtain forgiveness of sins heavenly Blessings Adoptions Victory over all spiritual Enemies in a word Christ and all his benefits we receive by faith which cannot be an effect of bare knowledge and assent Several other Texts I omit which are much to may purpose but this is sufficient Now followeth the question between Papists Arminians and us Whether saith be common to all Elect and Reprobates which they affirm but we say 't is given only to believers and 't is proper to them But still we mean true justifying faith Scripture speaks clearly for us in the case for it is called (a) Tit. 1.1 the faith of God's elect God's Elect and Christ's Sheep are one and the same but none believe but Christ's Sheep he saith to the unbelieving Jews (b) Joh. 10.26 but ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep Faith is an effect of Election for it is said (c) Acts 13.48 as many as were ordained to eternal life believed as many and no more And seeing (d) Rom. 8.30 only the Elect are justified and glorified they only have faith because believers only are justified and they only that are justified are glorified none but the Elect are members of Christ and we become such only through faith Now God hath (e) Eph. 1.5 predestinated none but the elect unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ There must be a certain mark of distinction between good and bad or else the one could not be known from the other Now faith is the characteristical note of God's children and our election is known to us a posteriori only by the effect whereof faith is the chief and it is so essential that it gives a general denomination the whole world being divided into believers and unbelievers this is of so high a concernment that St. Paul earnestly exhorteth the Corinthians to (f) 2 Cor. 13.5 examine themselves whether they be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Now Christ is in us by faith for 't is the instrument whereby we receive and apprehend him and not otherwise Against this they would have something to say out of that Text where St. Paul (g) Rom. 11.17 speaketh of some branches broken off the tree whence they conclude that some reprobates had been engrafted in Christ through faith but if any for unbelief were ever cut off from the tree of life we deny that ever they were in Christ indeed by true faith but only outwardly they seemed to be so they are said to be broken-off when by reason of unbelief and hypocrisie either they are fallen off themselves or have been put out of the society of the Church as it formerly happened to the Jews whom the Apostle speaks of in that place Let this be observed that when in Scripture faith is attributed to reprobates 't is not meant true saving faith which they never had but only historical or temporal an outward and hyp critical prosession of faith or of the doctrine of the Gospel and this calls to my mind that place of Scripture about the parable of the talents the talent was taken from the man when 't is said (a) Matth. 25.29 from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath How can that man have that which he hath not or that be taken away which he hath not The matter is explained by another Evangelist thus (b) Luke 8.11 whosoever hath not shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have he had it in appearance but not in reallity so reprobates have faith but in a shew and when they have lost it 't is only that which they seemed to have but never had it really They lost the outward shew and profession Another point concerning faith wherein we differ is this about the certitude of faith They deny believers can know whether or not they have true faith we say they can know it and begin to prove it with that Text already quoted 2 Cor. 13. Upon examination they may find and know whether Christ be in them he would not have advised them to that examination except they could have found out the truth of it Which truth we are aâ—â—ured of by our Saviour when he saith to his Disciples (c) Joh. 14.20 ye shall know that you are in me and I in you Seeing then we are in Christ and Christ in us by faith and they
can know it to be so then they must be sure of their faith that is have a certitude of it In the case of the two blind men (d) Matth. 9.28 our Saviour asked them believe ye that I am able to do this they said unto him yea Lord. When believers are seriously asked whether they have faith They may well and do confess it in conscience to the Lord himself which must arise out of a certitude of it Then (e) 1 Cor. 2.11.12 the spirit a man which is in him knoweth the things of a man and in the next verse he addeth we have received the spirit of which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God And we can distinctly perceive the proper acts of faith as when one out of a sincere and pious affection findeth himself ready to deny the world and himself to serve and obey God according to his holy will To the question how can a man know when he is elected And how see he hath Faith I say Election is evidenced by effectual calling by Faith and Repentance so is Faith by the fruits and effects thereof as are good works as certainly-as one may conclude where a fire is there is heat and when the Sun shineth it is day-light Thus the cause is proved by the effect and the effect by the cause Where is motion either natural or spiritual we may confidently assirm there is life accordingly Thus we need not to go up to Heaven to dive into the secret Council of God nor to turn the leaves of the Book of Life to see whether our names be written in it but to search into our own souls and examine our own Thoughts Affections and Actings if there be holiness love and other fruits of the spirit Now they object that this certitude must be expressed or implyed in the word and thence drawen by a consequence but we say it doth not arise out of the letter of the word but out of the inward testimony of our understanding being enlightened by the holy Ghost which beareth witness to our spirit that we are the Children of God and consequently that we have true faith This is not written in the Book of Scripture but in the Book of our Heart with the very finger of the Holy Ghost hence it is that we do not believe we do believe but we feel and perceive it as we do not believe we think of God when we do 't but we know and feel it in our minds One thing here I must take notice of upon the matter in relation to that Exhertation of St. Paul to the Corinthians to examine themselves that it is a great deal of pity that many I dare say good people do not set themselves upon that tryal but do either wholly or in part neglect it but if they be of God's Elect at one time or other they must come to 't the sooner the better and the more often to known what progress they made in faith what degrees of strength it hath gotten and for neglecting this so necessary a duty they thereby deprive themselves of much comfort which would accrue to them To make an end of this matter I shall add that this certitude is very much improved when we can clearly make out we have an interest in Christ and are Christ's For saith the Apostle (a) 1 Cor. 3.22 Ye are Christ's and Christ is God's To know whether we be Christ's we have a certain rule to know it by that is if the spirit of Christ be in us (b) Rom. 8.9 For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his How then to know whether the spirit be in us St. Paul giveth a rule by (c) Gal. 5.22 23. the fruits of the spirit as love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith c. Now we are come to a great question why of so many that hear the word of God there are so few that believe What may be the cause of it at the same word and under the same Ministery so different and contrary effect is produced some like Wax at the fire are softned and melted when others at the same time like Clay and Dirt are hardened whilst some believe others continue in unbelief and harden themselves some are the better others the worse for it Like (d) Joh. 13.27 Judas into whom the Devil entred after our Saviour had given him the sop The word is a wholesome Physick to some and as deadly poyson to others the Lord Jesus is a (e) 1 Cor. 23. 2 Pet. 2 8. stumbling-block and a rock of offence and foolishmess to some and the (f) 1 Cor. 2.6 7. wisdom of God in a mystery to others so that this word and they that preach it are unto some those that are saved (g) 2 Cor. 2.15.16 a Savour of life unto life and to others to them that perish a Savour of death unto death All this is truth Scripture teaches and Experience confirms how all that hear the word of God do no believe for all men have not Faith 2 Thess 3.2 Now we are to inquire into the reasons of it First 'T is not for any Dignity Merit Natural Capacity or any other quality in the hearer seeing the (h) 1 Cor. 2.14 natural man such we are all by nature receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them Which the same Apostle doth confirm in another place (a) Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Neither is it for any depth of knowledge learning eloquence or other abilities in the Minister who preacheth the word (b) 1 Cor 3.6 Paul may plant Apollos may water but neither of them can give the increase (c) 2 Cor. 2. 2 Cor. 4.7 Who is sufficient for these things For saith he in another place this treasure we have in earthen vessels that the excellency be of God and not of us The most fervent and excellent Servants of God commonly complain of the hardness and impenitency of their hearers and let Isaiah speak for all (d) Isai 53.1 16. Who hath believed our report And our Blessed Saviour should if any have had cause to expect a good success of his outward teaching yet how often doth he complain of the hardness stubbornness impenitency and unbelief of his hearers How few of the great multitudes he taught were converted to him So that we must not seek in the dispensers of the word for the cause why some believe and others do not The cause why all do not believe is not as the Adversaries would have it because they do not all they can and do not make use of all the power remaining in them out of their natural corruption that they do not go to Church do not hear nor read
will of God obligeth Man to believe such things as God in his secret will never intended to accomplish So Abraham was bound to believe as also he believed it that God surely intended the Sacrificing of his Son because he commanded him to do it Yet God intended to try his Faith The Ninevites were bound to believe and so they did the Prediction of Jonah (a) Joh. 3.4 Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed yet God intended their repentance not their ruine It is a mistake to think that every one whom Christ is preached unto is bound to believe that he died for him which not being he is bound to believe a lye which to understand the better one must know the several degrees of Faith in this case Upon hearing the Gospel preached there is a general Faith required namely that the Lord Jesus came into the world to save sinners the next thing for a Man to believe is that if I repent and believe Christ came into the world to save me so this is but conditional and many a wicked Man can believe thus far but the third and last degree is proper only to the Elect and 't is this when upon self examination and inquiry a Man finds that he repents as thus formerly I delighted in sin now I hate it heretofore I did eagerly run after the occasions now I avoid them and also doth find and feel that he believeth thus I know and am sensible of the desperate condition I am in by nature and see there is but one way to come out of it namely through the Lord Jesus for there is no Salvation in any other wherefore I hope and trust for mercy in him I lay hold upon and believe in him and do feel within me a comfort and inward assurance in the holy Ghost whereby I am sealed and which is the earnest of the Inheritance and assures me that I am the child of God Now a Man in such a condition is bound to believe that Christ died for him and believes it and so believes the truth according to this method St. Paul makes this declaration (a) Tim. 1.15 16. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief how be it for this cause I obtained mercy Ye see he hath the general notion wherefore Christ came into the world then he proceeds to apply it unto himself Lastly he is sure and believeth he obtained mercy This is the case of every Elect and Believer for there is for all but one way to Salvation Some go another way to work and say all are bound to believe Christ dyed not effectually but sufficiently for all if thereby be meant that the death of Christ as to the value and Merit be sufficient to save all we agree to it for if there had been ten thousand worlds Christ's death had been a sufficient value and price to save all but that distinction of effectually for the Elect and sufficiently for Reprobates doth not well become the dignity and merits of Christ's death wherein the design and wisdom of God and Christ are concerned to dye for one is properly so to die on his behalf as that he thereby may be delivered from death and this as our Saviour saith (b) Joh. 15.13 Implyeth the greatest love that can be Now to say that Christ dyed sufficiently not effectually is as good as to say Christ out of his infinite love for Reprobates dyed in their stead that they should be sufficiently delivered from death but noteffectually that is that they should never be actually delivered To say that Christ dyed for Reprobates not to the end they should actually be delivered but only put in a possibility of being so 't is in a manner to imply or else what they say is to no purpose that it lays in their power to receive Christ by Faith seeing without it they cannot be saved which all comes to this that God decreed from Eternity to save all and every Man upon condition they shall believe which smells of Pelagianism and Semipelagianism These are a new late sort of Arminians who would have minced and mitigated things but did not God from Eternity foresee many would not believe and decreed not to give them Faith which except he doth they can never have Why then should God have made a decree upon a condition which he knew shall never be performed having decreed never to grant the means to do it when a wise Man will not become guilty of so much imprudence But let this be enough upon the matter which in our hands is swelled beyond what we at first intended but 't is so copious that 't is almost unavoidable and yet how many things more might have been said Now we will proceed to something else CHAP. XIII That the Doctrines we hold concerning these Points are the same as Austin and other Orthodox Doctors maintained against Pelagians and Semipelagians WE have been at the Spring of all Truth and out of it I hope clearly and sufficiently proved all the Doctrines in question Now by the grace of God only to satisfie some we will come to something of humane Authority which indeed after God hath in his word passed a sentence is not necessary nor much material However 〈◊〉 shew we are not singular and that those high truths are not our particular opinion we shall make it appear how many hundred years ago some Hereticks having published their corrupt phancies against these truths God raised those who powerfully and successfully stood up in defence thereof Our Adversaries like prostitute Women which in a scolding fit hasten to call Whore first are gone about falsely to asperse us with innovation giving the points controverted between us the name of Calviaian Doctrines as good and as fit for them to call a Calvinist Austin who lived much above a thousand years before Calvin which in effect is to overturn the world and make last first and first last Hence it is that in a fit of rage some of them brake loose upon that worthy Servant of God who hath been an Eminent instrument in his hand to beat down the strength of that Roman Anti-christ to which so many pious and learned Men have given their Evidence Yet no Papist though never so violent spoke against him more unbecomingly and with greater fury than some Arminians have but we must not wonder at it the Cause he fought against is common to Papists with them and so they look on him as their Common Enemy However amongst Enemies if there be any sence of Christianity and Humanity there should be something more of Moderation and Generosity if they were capable of it Cannot we dispute about the things we differ in and let persons alone Forbear making reflections upon the Dead who in their Generation were better Men than we are in ours we should mind the merit of the Cause and not pick an unjust quarrel against the person And here before I
proceed farther I have an occasion to say something on the behalf of that faithful Servant of Christ in whose Written Life the world hath such a Character of him as becomes a Pious Laborious and learned Man and though I am not sworn to his or any Man's words yet for truths sake I shall speak some few words relating to us here in Queen Elizabeth's days a Convocation at Oxford approved the Book of Calvins Institution and appointed it by Tutors to be read to their Pupils an infallible sign of a perfect agreement of our Church with the Doctrines therein contained which was to joyn it with our Articles That Book indeed is a Master-piece and deserves well the Commendation following given it by a learned Pen. Praeter Apostolicas post Christi tempora chartas Huic peperere libro secula nulla parem Whereof the sence is Since the birth of Christ no Age hath after the writings of the Apostles produced so excellent a Book as is Calvin's Institution Johannis Stormius an Eminent Divine of Strasbourgh who with his Brother through their singular Prudence and Eminent Piety did by the grace of God prevail without any Tumult to have the true Religion at the beginning of Reformation received in that City gives the following Character of Calvin John Calvin Joannes Calvinus homo acuâ—issimo judicio sum maque doctrina Egregia Memoria praeditus est c. a man endowed with most acute judgement of very great learning and of an excellent memory in his Writtings are variety plenty and purity witness whereof is his Institution of the Christian Religion which having first began then enlarged and inriched and at last finished he hath published this year Neither do I know in this kind any thing better or more perfect to teach Religion to Reform Manners and remove Errors And let any man think himself to be therein very well settled and grounded who hath attained to the things contained in that Book Beza saith he read it one and twenty times and at every time out of it he learned something Our first Reformers had a great respect and value for him amongst the several opinions about the Lord's Supper they received his as the true and they sent over for three Men that had been influenced by him Martyr Bucer and Fagius to help them in the Work of Reformation Archbishop Cranmer did kindly write to him and desired his assistance in things tending to a farther settlement of the Church and acquainted him he could do nothing more profitable than to write often to the King Bucer at Cambridge where he was Professor in Divinity hearing his Letters prevailed upon the Protector Duke of Somerset desired him to write to that Noble Lord concerning some matters And Bishop Hooper valued him so much as from his Prison to write to him calling him vir praestantissime and subscribing himself pietatis tuae studiosissimus Jo. Hooperus When Calvin did write to the Duke of Somerset it was very kindly taken Mr. Thomas Rogers in his Analysis of the 39 Articles doth speak honorably of him in the 2d page of his Preface and the first Letter he did write to the King was very well received and the whole Council whom the King shewed it to was well pleased with it This sheweth at that time he was not such a monster in the eyes of great and good men as Arminians have since traduced him he was a Man of great and good fame for all the malice of his enemies and of the truths who from first to last thought they might write or say any thing against him I shall instance only one who called him a pragmatical Fellow c. who died Bishop of (a) Parket Oxford but such a Man's standers strike no blow for after he had by Mr. Malvile been reduced to a nonplus and to have nothing more to the purpose to say for himself in our strugling here against Popery made himself sufficiently known to the world before his death Such virulent Pens and Serpentine Tongues must spue out their venom against the Works and Memory of Pious Learned and Extraordinary Men whose Books they never were worthy to carry But we must not wonder that sort of people doth speak so ill of the Eminent instruments of Reformation which they were and are enemies to and to friends of Reformation (b) Heylin Histay of Reformation Preface page 4. Doth not one of their chief Men abominably say whose death Edward 6th I cannot reckon for an infelicity to the Church of England for being ill principled in himself c. None but Papists can account it an infelicity that so good a Protestant Prince should die so soon if so then it was no infelicity to England that he was so soon succeeded by such a Bloody Persecutor of Religion as Queen Mary was After that they are licensed to speak ill of any Man The most pious hopefull and knowing Prince for his Age that ever sat upon an English Throne comparable to Josiah in his Zeal for the glory of God his loss the more to be pityed that he did not go off the Stage without suspition of being poysoned which very reason should have stoped such foul-mouths for fear of being thought to approve of such abominable courses which were not only suspected at home but also reported and credited abroad as mentioned by an (a) Sleidâ—â— Author of very good reputation who gives a worthy and deserved Character of that young King which an English Man will not afford him The Court intrigues in his Reign are well known how at first through the Division then the ruin of the two Brothers his Unkles he was laid open to the attempts of his Enemies As a violent Arminian attempted to tread upon the memory of that Excellent King (b) Iohn Goodwin another stiff that way hath in print justified the death of King Charles they spare no body Hear how the same Heylin in his quin-quarticular History speaks of that worthy Primate Vsher the Irish Articles saith he were drawn up by Doctor Vsher a professed Calvinian who not only thrust in the Lambeth Articles but also made others of his own c. But let us return to our immediate Subject about Arminians Pelagius was their Grand-father whose Errors Austin overthrew with Scripture and Reason God at that time having raised him up to be Champion for Grace who in this matter handled the word of God so powerfully and like a wise Master-builder and in so successful a way that the unsound Tenets were beaten down and the upholders thereof highly discountenanced But after Pelagius his death his Sectators appeared but under another shape not altogether so hideous for they did not positively deny Original Sin but so had however that the same Doctor took up the Cudgels against those Semipelagians Arminius in his days renewed the dispute on the behalf of the Semipelagians in a time when all the Reformed Churches both here and abroad quietly
and without disturbance taught the truth of all those Doctrines The truth was then in possession of the Pulpits of Divinity Schools and of Presses but what when this Man appeared the most Famous and Learned Protestant Divines at home and abroad opposed him and did write against him If any one hath a mind to know the shifts and tricks of that Party to strengthen themselves and undermine their opposers and to prevent the calling of a General Synod which was sued for as the best way effectually to maintain truth and oppose falsehood let him read the Acts of the Synod of Dort with the Preface to it where they had all the fair play that might reasonably be wished for But because about these matters in the eighth Century disputes did break out again as it appeared in the case of Gottescalk wherein Hinemarus of Rheims and Remigius Archbishop of Lyons with the Churches of his Diocese were highly engaged these last for and the other against Gottescalk which if any one desireth to be well informed of let him read the Honest and Excellent account of it given by that worthy and Eminent Prinate of Ireland James Vsher which I quoted before A thing much to be taken notice of in all these disputes and which is the chief Subject of this Chapter is this that Arminius and his Followers do hold the opinions of Pelagians and Semipelagians and that Calvin whom they make the head against their opinions and we hold the same with Austin Hilarius Prosper Fulgentius and other Orthodox Doctors of the Primitive Church we hitherto have sufficiently declared ours what remaineth is for me to shew what those Fathers of the Church did hold about these points but that shall be briefly because the trouble of proving it hath been saved me by others who make good out of the writings of those ancient Fathers the things now in question First As to Predestination (a) Justin Martyr dialog cum Triph. Sect. 2. God elected us and was made manifest to them that sought him not And do you think O man that we could ever have understood these things in the Scripture except we had received grace by the will of God of which grace ye Jews being destitute have understood none of them Another saith (b) Cyprian de Mort. num 2. there is no need of Money Industry and Man's Hand but it is the free and ready gift of God as freely as the Sun shineth the Fountain watereth the shower moisteneth so doth the heavenly spirit power it self into us The great asserter of Christ's Divinity speaks thus (a) Athanas cont Aâ—â—â—â—n 4. Pag. 175. The Apostle James hath taught of his own will begat he us with the word of truth Therefore of all the regenerate yea and of all that by creation were generated it is the will of God by the word of God that doth create and regenerate whatsoever pleaseth him Let us hear what saith another (b) Ambros in Psal 118. Serm. 10. Perseverance is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth for it is not in the power of man but in God that sheweth mercy that thou shouldest be able to accomplish that which thou hast began Another saith (c) Hieron ad Ruff. lib. 1. Paul and those that are like him are not elected because they were holy and unspotted but they are elected and predestinated that afterwards in their lives in good works and vertues they may be unspotted and holy These Doctors attribute it to grace to the free gift of God to his own will and pleasure perseverance is not in the will or power of man but in Gods mercy neither were we elected for our Faith or Holiness but to be unspotted and holy all this is the sense of the fore-quoted Doctors which agreeth with what we said But because in Austin's days chiefly that Heresie sprung up and that he was the man who most laid it to heart and made it his main business to oppose it he hath written against it more clearly and most to the full of any Out of so many Treatises he hath written about it which are so well known we shall quote only one or two places (d) August de praedest grat cap. 13. Out of those to whom the severity of Justice adjudgeth punishment according to the unexpressible mercy of his secret dispensation he chose out vessels which he might fit unto honour both delivering some from wrath to come and leaving others to the sentence of Justice Enchirid. ad Laurent cap. 99. And in another place he hath mercy with goodness he hardeneth without injustice so that he that is freed may not boast of his merits neither he that is damned may complain of any thing but his merits for grace alone maketh a difference between the redeemed and the lost whom one common cause derived from the root had united together in one lump of destruction With this concurred another when he saith (e) Prosper ad except genu resp ad dub 9. Austin by a godly and constant doctrine hath abundantly proved that predestination was to be preached to the Church in which it is the preparation of grace and grace is to be preached in which is the effect of predestination and the fore-knowledge of God wherein he fore-knoweth before all ages on whom he would bestow his gifts Which preaching whosoever is against he is a most open defender of Pelagian Pride And in another place he saith from himself No Catholick doth deny the predestination of God The faith of predestination is established by many authorities of holy Scriptures yet unto it Ad capit Gall. cap. 1. it is not lawful to attribute any of the sins of men who came to their inclination to sin not by God's Creation but by their first Fathers transgression from the punishment whereof no man is free but only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ prepared and predestinated in the eternal counsel of God before the foundation of the world An excellent testimony about all these Doctrines by Austin asserted is given by Hormisda a Bishop of Rome to a Bishop of Africa who desired his advise about the Books of Faustus the Semipelagian in these words (a) Epist ad Possessor They know how not only the Roman and African Church and all the Sons of promise through all parts of the world do agree with this man's Austin Doctrine as in the whole Faith so in the confession of Grace But let us come to another (b) Fulgent de incar grat in fine God who made man by his predestination fore-appointed to whom he would give the gift of illumination to believe and the gift of perseverance to profit and persevere and the gift of glorification to reign who no otherwise performed indeed then he hath ordained in his unchangeable will The truth of which predestination by which the Apostle witnesseth that we are predestinated in Christ before the foundation
grat cap. 6. Anselm in Rom. 8. Bradward causa dei lib. 1. cap. 40. Margin Now we must come to the third thing The perseverance of Saints and certainty of Salvation wherein we do agree with the Doctors of the Primitive Church That (e) Trenae lib. 5. cap. 9. 10. 11. the Temple of God which is inhabited by the Spirit of the Father and that the members of Christ should not be partakers of Salvation how is it not a most great blasphemy c. (a) Cyprian de mâ—râ— lit de â—rat domin nam 6. It is written saith Cyprian the just shall live by faith if thou art just and livest by faith if thou truly believest in God why since thou art to live with Christ and art sure of the Lords promise Doest thou not rejoice that thou art called by death unto Christ And elsewhere He that hath believed in his name and is made the Son of God from that time must begin both to give thanks and to profess himself the Son of God Another saith He (b) Clemenâ— Alex. paedag lib. 1. cap. 6. that believeth in the Son hath eternal life if then we who have believed have eternal life what remaineth beyond the possession of life eternal Again He saith thou art no more a Servant but a Son if a Son then also an Heir thorough God what then wanteth to a Son when he is an Heir This certainty of Salvation worketh an assurance and comfort which makes one say (c) Hilar. de trin lib. 1. The soul knowing her own safety resteth in quietness rejoycing in her hopes so much not fearing death that she accounts it as the way to eternal life Let us hear what saith another upon the matter (d) Ambr. in 2 Cor. 1. Serm. 15. He hath sealed us by giving his spirit to us for an earnest that we may not doubt of his promises for if when we were in the state of death he gave us his spirit it is not to be doubted but that to us being made immortal he will add glory And in another place He saith well I am confident for confidence is the strength of our hope and an authority of hoping Therefore hope still and no man can make thee ashamed of thy expectation Our expectation is life eternal As for Austin he hath written at large upon this Subject in his Book De Perseverantiâ Sanctorum De Correptione Gratia But here we shall only quote few words (e) August in Psal 122. 123. For we are saved by hope but because our hope is certain it is so spoken of us as if it were already done Hereunto we do joyn what another saith (f) Bernard Epist. 107. O man thou hast the justifying spirit for a teacher of this secret and in the same witnessing to thy spirit that thou also art the Son of God Take notice of the counsel of God in thy justification for the present justification of thee is both a revelation of God's counsel and a certain preparation unto future glory The Doctor called profound having argued and proved perseverance to be a free gift of God concludes thus For these and the like motives it seems more probable to me and more to agree with reason and Catholick Doctrines that perseverance is not given to merits but is freely given of God according to his free grace free-predestination and free-purpose as the first working grace that justifieth a sinner Lastly to make an end of this one having spoken of the Elect and Believer saith (a) Ferus in 1. Joan. 5. Satan cannot touch him He may indeed dare to tempt the godly so likewise he durst to tempt Christ Yea sometimes he drives just men unto a fall as we see in David and Peter But finally as in Christ he could have nothing so neither can he prevail over the Saints for none can take Christ's sheep out of his hands wherefore going to his passion he recommended all that believed in him unto his Father The words of others I omit to quote only their (b) Basilus de Spiritu Sancto cap. 15. Prosper in Psal 114. Cyrill Alex. Comment in Isa lib. 3. in Joan. lib. 9. cap. 44. Gregor in Job lib. 11. cap. 20. lib. 16. cap. 2. Aâ—selm in Rom. 8. Names and places I set down in the Margin I think I have done enough in this kind to prove that in the matters of grace we have the Doctors of the Primitive Church with us and others in some of the late Ages and consequently Calvin is not the Author of such Doctrines and that we brought no Innovation into the Church which aspersion we may justly retort upon our Adversaries And to shew the more that conformity we have with the antient Catholick Church I must say in short how the very same aspersions by Arminians cast upon us were by Pelagius and his followers laid to the charge of St. Austin and they are these First That they take away free-will and bring in a Stoical fatality Secondly That the make God the author of sin Thirdly They open a gap to despair and slothfulness Fourthly They take away all use of Precepts Promises Threatnings yea and Prayer it self Fifthly That they make God an Impostor seeing he commands men to repent and believe yet doth not seriously will their repentance and faith nor their Salvation unto which only faith and repentance can entitle them Sixthly That their whole opinions are against the stream of Antiquity These were falsely fathered upon the Doctrine of Austin and other Orthodox Doctors of the Church as easily I now can and upon occasion shall ever be ready to prove out of their own writtings but this I now omit not to fill up so much Paper with Quotations neither thinking it so material to know what those Father 's believed as what the word of God which we have not been wanting to make use of doth declare upon the matter Nay to go up higher I have shewed how it was against St. Paul's Doctrine objected Rom. 9. and the Objections by him answered of making God unjust and men excusable out of the necessity of God's Decree and as these were falsly fathered upon St. Paul's afterwards on Austin's Doctrine So with the very same the truths we teach are aspersed by our Adversaries who are men of the same Principles as the others were Indeed 't is very sad that whilst a considerable Body of Papists followers of Jansenius Bishop of Ypres joyned with us in defence of those matters of grace a Party of our own should make a desertion and joyn with Papists against us And some of them with as much gall in the Heart and bitterness against us in Tongues and Pens as if we were the greatest Unbelievers and Miscreants in the World and all this for no other cause than our asserting of the truths plainly and fully contained in God's Word CHAP. XIV Of the absurd and dangerous consequences necessarily
The Doctrines contained in every Article he reduces under several Heads and Propositions which he proves out of Scripture and these Propositions he in his Epistle Dedicatory affirmeth to be maintained by the Church of England which if it had not been true he would not have had the Face to have said so in Print to the Primate of the whole Kingdom To add a greater weight to what he writes I must warn the Reader he was no Puritan nor Friend to them as it appeareth out of his Book and so no Calvinist to make use of their Words He out of this 17th Article draweth ten Propositions the 1st That there is a Predestination of Men unto everlasting Life 2. Predestination hath been from everlasting Here is the eternity 3. They which are predestinated unto Salvation cannot perish This is Perseverance and against the Apostacy of Saints 4. Not all Men but certain are predestinated to be saved Here is a certain number of Chosen and Elect 5. In Christ Jesus of the meer Will and purpose of God some are elected and not others unto Salvation Here are Election and Rebrobation and no outward Motive in God but his meer Will and Purpose In the 6th and 7th Propositions he makes the outward Calling by the Word and inward by the Holy Ghost the Justification by Faith of those that are predestinate their Sanctification by the Holy Ghost and Glorification in the Life to come to be infallible Effects of free Election Take notice also how in his Proofs of the first Proposition he makes use of the Examples of Abel and Cain Isaac and Ishmael Jacob and Esau as Examples of Election and Reprobation And amongst those whom he condemns as Adversaries to this Truth for of the Truth he asserts in every Proposition he names those that are against it he expresses those that say how some are appointed to be saved but none to be damned And upon the 4th Proposition he condemneth those who say no certain Company be fore-destined unto eternal Condemnation Upon his 5th Proposition he condemneth of Impiety that 's his Word those who say that Man maketh himself eligible for the Kingdom of Heaven those who say that God beheld in every Man whether he would use his Grace well and believe the Gospel or no and as he saw a Man affected so he did predestinate choose or refuse him And those that say that besides God's Will there was in him some other Cause why he chose one and cast off another O Arminians here by a true Son of the Church according to the Doctrine of the Church you are charged with Impiety for your Opinions More of this is to be seen in the Book which for Brevities sake I omit One Evidence more of a true Son of the Church I shall make use of upon this point which also proves our 13th Chapter in the very Words (a) Reply to Fisher p. 275. Although our Tenet concerning predestination be no other than St. Austin and his Scholars maintained against the Pelagians saith Dr. Francis White Dean of Carlisle As to Mr. Rogers's Book something else I shall add how therein in matter of Predestination he saith as do all the Churches Militant and Reformed with a sweet consent testifie and acknowledge Then all such Churches agree against Arminians in these points For free-Will we must read the 10th Article The Condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural Strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasing and acceptable unto God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will This is plain enough as observed by Rogers how Man cannot do any good Work before he be regenerated and converted And he declares Adversaries to this Truth all such as hold that naturally there is free-will in us and that Man hath free-will to perform spiritual and heavenly things Again that Men believe not but of their own free-Will That it is in a Man's free-Will to believe or not to believe to obey or disobey the Gospel of Truth preached This is the Doctrine we assert in as plain and proper Words as can be expressed And on his 3d. Proposition upon the same Article he brings in the very same Texts we make use of for that purpose As (b) Acts 15. â— God purifieth man's heart (c) Phil. 2.13 works in us both the will and the deed (d) Rom. 8 2â— the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought (e) 1 Cor. 6.7 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God c. All this against free-Will and for God's free effectual Grace As to the certainty of Salvation and for Perseverance 't is contained in the already-quoted 17th Article where 't is said God hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to bring those he hath chosen in Christ and by Christ to everlasting Salvotion Whence it doth follow that certainly and infallibly such shall be brought to Salvation or else God could not execute that which he hath decreed to do which is Blasphemy Now the Adversaries are for Mutability and in constancy of Salvation which certainly this Article doth cross for it induceth a certain and constant Salvation and a constant Decree of Election constantly bringing to Salvation which must be by way of Perseverance in the State of Grace But they by inducing this Apostacy and that Men though elected may have leave to fall from Salvation if they will make an Election which followeth a Man upon condition of his fore-seen Perseverance a strange Election that waits upon Man to see whether he will give to himself a final Perseverance by his own free-Will an Election by which no Man is actually elected until he be no more that is after his death In this Article the Church hath another way to teach the certainty of Salvation which is to go upon the same Grounds St. Paul doth when he saith by Particulars to make the General sure (f) Rom. 8.29.3 Whom he did fore-know them he also did predestinate to be made like to the Image of his Son Whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified According to this Foundation in the said Article are these Words Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling They be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like unto the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by God's