made either to a temporary faith in that respect as you call it Temporary namely as it is said to last but a while nor to Temporaryes that is as I conceive your meaning to those who are out of Christ Iesus Thus much I knew before as also maintained against you as appeareth in my answer to your third Argument For among other your assertions this is one namely that the very same dispensation in outward things belongs to one as to another to the evill and the good and there is no difference which assertion I there opposed and made it appeare to be a position contrary to sound doctrine and thus much you doe now in this place acknowledge in that you say There are no promises made to Temporaries that is to wicked and ungodly persons So that you have justly brought that upon your self which you unjustly intended against another For by your owne confession you contradict your self If that in your argument be true then this here must needs be false if this be true that cannot be currant I pray you take notise of this and the Lord give you an humble heart and willing minde to confesse your fayling 3. To your third conclusion I thus answer That notwithstanding temporary faith so called by you because it lasteth but a time doth faile when tribulation commeth Mat. 13.21 Yet it doth not therefore follow from this distinction that more can have assurance of helpe in their greatest misery seeing in my distinction yet not mine onely I termed that faith tempory not as you faine would have me because it lasteth for a time but because it apprehendeth temporall promises and blessings Nay doe not I labour to perswade the Saints of God to beleeve that they may have assurance of helpe and deliverance in and out of temporall plagues and miscryes if they are not found to lacke temporary faith that is a firme and stedfast apprehension of the temporall promises which God in Christ Iesus as the eternall promises have firmely made to all his servants 4. To the fourth conclusion I answer That if by faith here you understand faith in so generall a sence as it is in that of Heb. 11.1 that is as it apprehendeth both temporail and eternall promises it is sufficient both for the matters of this life and that which is to come for faith there generally conceived apprehendeth both things eternall and temporall as before I have shewed but if by faith here you meane that speciall one faith which justifieth to eternal salvatiō being an apprehension of a thing that is eternall and an Act of that faith Heb. 11.1 You shot besids the marke Now whereas I use these words These 2. kindes or sorts of faith are both the gift of God I therein speake but the truth for as the former namely Iustifying or Eternall faith is as one faith a perswasion given of God for apprehending eternall life and his Adjuncts So the second namely temporary faith so called as before I termed it is a perswasion given of God for apprehending temporary life with the Adjuncts So that now you see notwithstanding your great stirre this distinction being thus grounded upon the word of God remayneth unmooveable and I doubt not the foundation being so firme but that the building will also stand notwithstanding all the stormes and tempests that beate against it For Sola veritas invicta opprimi sed deprimi non potest And I am bound to say that the maine doctrines in my writings as by them may appeare are warranted for truth by authority of Scripture and if need did require it may be prooved warrantable by authority of approoved writers both at home and abroad notwithstanding I must therefore be slandered and derided EPILOGVS THe ground and foundation of all these horride reports which are scatered abroad of me good Christian concerning prayer for outward blessings I here present to thy view is it not Mr. Norrice his collections from my writings which hee affirmeth to be my Assertions c. Whereunto I have here directly answered Iudge righteous judgement are those reports true which thou hast heard reported of me Have I affirmed under my owne hand and in my owne name first That to teach men to pray for temporall benefits with submission to the will of God expressed is to blaspheme the truth Secondly that wee may pray for any thing and have it Thirdly that Gods will must be subject to our wills and to what wee desire Fourthly that whosoever wanteth outward necessaries have no faith but are meere infidells and the like fooleries Have I either taught these fopperies or are they affirmed by me in any of my writings Who hath ever heard or seene it Where doth he dwell or what is his name If these reports be but flying speeches and meere flanders and thou canst not produce any to stand forth to justify against me that I affirmed these particulars neither that any other to shew it under my hand then know whosoever thou art that hast received these accusations and againe report them that thou hast gone beyond thy bounds seeing one of Gods Canons runneth thus Receive not an accusation against any one under 2 or 3 witnesses And againe Iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 4.5 Yea but it may be thou wilt say that those rumours which thou received'st and againe reportedst concerning me came from Mr. Norrice and it is strange if he should speake or write any thing much more such foule things of any one without sound and sufficient warrant Strange and lamentable it is indeed yet how true it is I leave it to thy godly and judicious judgement comparing my writings with his collections And if thou findest after due examination all these as hee here affirmeth to be my assertions and that under my owne hand then let me beare the blame for ever but if not then know that the reproach I hereby suffer is very great and to me the more grievous in regard it is brought upon me by such a one as he whom notwithstanding I desire that hee would yet once ingenuously confesse wherein hee hath offended In the meane time for my part I can take it as a glory to passe by offences Howsoever to finish all give me leave to add this memento by an apostrophe Mr. Norrice you know that long since I made you acquainted with the grounds I hold concerning praying for temporall blessings whereunto at first you assented but not longe after you framed 5. Arguments intending thereby directly to contradict that which before you assented unto which Arguments you sent to me and withall desired that if they were faulty or fayling I would send you word wherein As also set downe in writing my opinion concerning prayer for outward blessings which thing at length I did and sent you as you desired me in writing both an Answer to your Arguments as also the grounds concerning the point before specified wishing you to shew what I had written to whom you would This being done had you well done you should have shewed had you shewed any my writings and mine onely that the Reader might have judged accordingly In stead of so doing you drew certain collections grounded upon snaps and snips of my writings wherein sometimes my words are corrupted sometimes cut off by the waste to the destroying of their sence sometimes some clause of your owne thrust in as if it were mine and sometimes doctrine foysted in for which you have no ground in my writings but indeed denyed and opposed in them as in this my answer it doth and may appeare And yet for all this you are not ashamed to say I wonder at it that in this paper you have presented to the Readers view no more but a view of my Assertions set downe under my owne hand and here you have laid your credit downe to pawne that these collections of yours doe agree with that which I have written as appeareth by these words Concordat cum originali which you have subscribed immediatly after your collections notwithstanding that collection immediately going before I will be bould to say it and that without an If is a doctrine of your owne invention and none of mine which yet you have here fathered upon my writings O Tempora O Mores Let all men judge whether you have not grosly carried your self in this matter in that you have laboured by your false collections to make me odious in Towne and Country If you have thus abused my Assertions spread before your eyes faire writing what marvaill is it though some prejudicall Heare give credit to your speeches and through your meanes abuse to eares of many with many sencelesse fopperies If you by this your dealing either out of malice or passion have not onely raysed scandalls and foule reproaches on me but also to effect your owne ends gone about to pervert both Priest and people then know that God will find it out and that without timely repentance publikely reproove them God give you so to consider of it as it may never be laid to your soules charge FINIS
will so much of his will as is necessary for us to know is revealed in his Word Iohn 5.39 his Scriptures unto which our Saviour referreth the Iewes for to enquire of him Search the SCriptures they are they that testify of me Now the Scriptures Gods written verities are absolutely sufficient to instruct us in all saving knowledge as Paul affirmeth 2. Timoth. 3.15 Thou hast knowen from a child the holy Scriptures speaking of Timothy which are able to make thee wise to salvation Chap. 1.21 or as Iames sayth to save thy soule through faith which is in Iesus Christ. Now whereas you affirme that the promises for temporalls are conditionall notwithstanding in the whole Scriptures there is no condition expressed what is it els but to affirme that God hath not revealed so much of his will in the Scriptures as is needfull for us to know and that the Scriptures are not sufficient to make the man of God perfect Your owne words in this matter shall be your judge you say that this position of yours namely That the promises for temporall things are conditionall is one of Gods truthes for you presse it upon men to beleeve it as a Truth from God and yet you say that God hath not expressed this Truth is his word for you say it is implyed Now it being implyed and not expressed it is no Scripture for if it be not expressed it cannot be written if it be not written it is none of Gods will because Gods will so much of his will as wee must know or beleeve is all written To which purpose saith Christ in the place before quoted Search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scriptures So then to affirme the promises of God for temporall things are conditionall according to your owne words is a doctrine of mans owne invention and not of God And certainely to make the best of it it is but as one of the Popes unwritten verities Unwritten you confesse it is for if any man should but aske you where in the Scriptures doth God say the promises are conditionall you have nothing to answer for ought I know but this The condition is implyed To those that come in a pretended message from Christ to beate downe the power of Sathan and have no better commission from Christ then this the Devill may boldly say as he did Acts 19.15 Qui vos Iesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee I would I had no worse enimy then you Wherefore I beseech you beware how you maintaine any thing for Gods truth which is not written its a chief pillar of the Romish Church least it be sayd to you as Paul speaketh Rom. 2.22 Thou that abhorrest Idolls doest thou commit sacriledge Now for those 2 cases which you alleadge for the prooving of your Minor proposition as it will appeare is not any thing at all to the purpose For your Minor proposition being denyed you labour to proove it by these cases thus First you say the Lord for the sinnes of his people doth strippe them of outward comforts sometimes in part sometimes wholely unto death ergo the promises of outward things have conditions implyed in them and are not absolutely intended Alas what is this to the purpose or what colour is there in it to proove that the promises are conditionall for you know and must needs confesse that the Lord Levit. 26. and Deuter. 28. made absolutely to his people Israel pretious promises In which promises there is no condition implyed It is true indeed those promises were made upon condition of their obedience as appeareth in both chapters If thou obey the Lord thy God all these blessings shall come unto thee Which condition may be turned participially thus Thou obeying the commandements of the Lord thy God c. The condition in these his promises lyeth on their part If thou obey that is thou obeying his commandements Gods part is absolute all these blessings shall come upon thee Doe what I require of thee and all these blessings without all doubt shall come upon thee But if thou wilt not obey my commaundements .i. thou disobeying my commaundements all these curses shall come upon thee As thy obedience shall be rewarded with such and such blessings so thy disobedience shall be punished with such and such curses The children of Israel found the word of God true in these particulars for so long as they kept the commaundements of their God and walked humbly with him which was the thing he required of them he was as a wall of brasse unto them and they wanted nothing of that which he promised them as the whole current of the old Testament doth plentifully witnesse But when they brake his covenant and did not observe that condition obedience being all the conditions too which was made betweene God and them he brought upon them those plagues which he had threatned For Israel notwithstanding they were a chosen people were very rebellious and unthankfull as the Lord complayneth of them Isay 1. The Oxe knoweth his owner but my people doth not consider Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seede of evill-doers They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger Read that 105. Psalme there is a whole catalogue of their rebellious proceedings and how the Lord dealt with them And to the end the Lord would have no imputation of severity layd upon his Majesty for dealing with them as he did and that no man should once imagine that hee did faile in his part in the least particular but was faithfull in all his promises he made it appeare to all the world that his proceedings with them were just for saith he Deut. 39.22 to the end of the chapter Their children and the nations shall say when they see the plagues of that Land wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this Land what meaneth the heat of this great anger Then men shall say vers 25. Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt Here is the Lords proceedings cleared by the confession of all the nations and the fault layd upon the people as Ezechiell also witnesseth Ezech. 39.23 as also the Prophet Isay prooveth Isay 59.2 to the end of that chapter Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sinnes have withholden good things from you Now concerning that place Lament 46. which you produce thinking to proove your position I beseech you call to mind I know you know it that the Lord had a long time before told them that if they would not heare and obey he would bring upon them that plague of famine which the Prophet did there bewaile This appeareth Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. where the Lord tells them if they did not walke with him in obedience that they should be compelled to eat the flesh of their sonnes and
whole matter They affirme that for outward necessary things wee ought to pray with an If but we affirme that If in all such prayers must be layd aside Wherefore it shall not be unmeete before we speake particularly of the matter in hand to shew how this word If is taken in the Scriptures This particle If then is taken in the Scriptures either for a terme of condition or els for a terme of doubt It is a terme of condition Deut. 4.30.31 If thou turne to the Lord thy God and shall be obedient unto his voyce he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee c. This and all other such like places may be turned participially thus Thou turning to the Lord and being obedient unto him he will not forsake thee nor destroy thee Secondly this particle If is not onely a terme of condition but also a terme of doubt and distrustfullnesse and so it is 2. Kings 7.19 If the Lord should make windowes in heaven might such things be As if he had sayd I cannot beleeve that such a plenty of corne will be in Samariah notwithstanding the Lord doth make windowes in heaven He doubted of the truth of the Prophets word Now to the thing in hand In what sence then is this word If used in prayer for necessary temporall blessings as it is conditionall or doubtfull if conditionall as the truth is the most would have it then our prayers for outward necessary blessings must be framed thus Oh Father if the gift of things necessary for my present being shall stand with thy will then be pleased to bestow it upon me In which petition this word If is not onely conditionall but also doubtfull We doe not by this saying referre it to the will of God but in so praying we doubt whether it doth agree with the will of God to bestow upon us things necessary for our present being which maner of praying doth manifest both ignorance and infidelity wee know not whether it be the will of God or not to give us such things as we aske and then no marvaill if we doubt whether we shall have them yea or no. Therefore contrary to the common opinion we conclude That the particle If ought to be excluded from the prayers of Gods faithfull servants yea from such prayers which they make for outward necessary blessings This doth appeare by our Saviours words Mat. 6. where he commaundeth his Disciples to pray for things necessary for soule and body without any If at all I thinke it be receaved of all without contradiction as a generall truth that that prayer which we call the Lords prayer and so call it because it is the Lord Christs owne framing is exemplar absolutissimum such an absolute patterne of prayer as that there is nothing in it superfluous neither is there any thing essentiall to prayer wanting If then nothing therein is superfluous neither yet any thing essentiall to prayer wanting then surely this particle If ought to be excluded from all the petitions of the Lords prayer because we find that in the whole forme it is wanting You all acknowledge that there is no need of any If in any of the petitions but in the fourth onely in which petition ye say that it is implied If this be graunted then it must needs be first that somewhat essentiall to prayer in Christs forme is wanting and then secondly that Christs forme is not perfect which is contrary to your owne tenent for ye confesse that the forme is perfect and then it must needs be if the forme be not perfect that there wanted either skill or will in Christ to make such a forme of prayer which could not be mended which for any man to affirme is no lesse then blasphemy Wherefore for ought I see so long as wee keepe our selves close to the word of God and frame our petitions according to his will revealed in the same there is no need of any If in any of our prayers no not in such prayers which wee make unto God for temporall blessings But more of this hereafter Now more fully to manifest and more evidently to proove our tenent concerning absolute prayer for temporall necessary blessings wee will draw all the matter as is specified in our title afore-mentioned into these three heads First that necessarie temporall blessings ought to be prayed for without doubting or wavering Or thus Faith without doubting is as well required in such prayers which are made to God for necessarie temporall things as it is in those which are made for spirituall blessings Secondly that the Saints of God may and ought as absolutelie depend upon the promises of God for their daily bread .i. for things necessarie as they may for the pardon of their sinnes And thirdly that the cause is in themselves who doe not obtaine them These are the branches which as I conceive doe naturally spring from the roote of our tenent concerning absolute prayer for necessary temporall things what fruit doe grow upon each of them ye shall by Gods assistance plainely and briefly see And first of the first namely That necessarie temporall things ought to be prayed for without doubting and wavering That faith without wavering is required in all prayers made unto God as well for temporall as spirituall things I thinke it is not I know it cannot be denyed of any For faith in prayer is not accidentall but essentiall it is not contingent but necessary it cannot be seperated from prayer sine subjecti interitu without its violation Faith is that which makes prayer to be as a sweete smelling sacrifice in Gods nostrills but without it it is displeasing For whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. last Whereupon Augustine affirmeth that our righteousnesse is discerned from unrighteousnesse not by the law of works but of faith without which faith whatsoever seemed good works are sinnes and turned into sinnes neither can it be that such prayers will bring either comfort to man or glory to God seeing they doe not please him whom to please without faith as the Apostle affirmeth Heb. 11.6 is impossible Whereupon our Apostle Paul doth expresly commaund us to send faith with all our prayers as appeareth 1. Tim. 2.8 I will therefore sayth he that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting And if any man should thinke the Apostles meaning in this place is restrained onely to spirituall things our Saviour himself shall give him satisfaction Luk. 12.28.29 where he doeth speake of temporalls from whom our Apostle did fetch his text where he doeth reproove the Disciples for their infidelity concerning outward things and he doeth draw reprooving arguments from the lesse to the greater did the Lord feed the fowles and cloath the grasse how much more will he feed and cloath you oh ye of little faith whereupon he addeth this prohibition Seeke not what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke neither be ye of doubtfull mind Hence it
pray absolutely to be delivred and if they are not delivered is the fault theirs too To remoove this doubt which some thinke doth contradict the point in hand wee are to consider that persecution for the testimony of faith and a good conscience is the legacy and portion of the faithfull as appeareth Math. 10. when our Saviour doth tell his Disciples that they were sent forth as sheep among wolves and that they should be hated of all men for his names sake and that many would thinke that they did God good service to kill them Ioh. 16.2 and therefore he tells them vers 33. that in the world they should have tribulation Neither is this the portion onely of the Apostles but also of every one that beleeveth by their preaching for all saith the Apostle 2. Tim. 3.13 that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Now this portion of the Saints is not to be accounted neither is it a plague or a punishment upon them but a blessing as appeareth by our Saviours words Math. 5.10.11 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake c. which words St. Peter repeatingly useth 1. Epist 3. and 4. chap. and the 14. verse Hence it was as I conceive seeing to be persecuted for the truth is such a blessed thing that those tortured Saints Heb. 11.35 accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And this made St. Paul Act. 21.13 willing and ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus The promises being rightly considered it will follow that we have no warrant to pray at all against persecution that we shall not suffer seeing it is our portion yea and a blessed portion too neither would this petition put case a man did pray be agreable to Gods will which was the last thing required in prayer because hee doth not for ought I find command us to pray against persecution and promise us that wee shall not suffer All the prayers that they are to make in this case must be to desire the Lord that he would give them strength and patience manfully to persevere in the truth and that hee would make them instruments of his glory In a word then when the Saints of God in case of persecution for the Gospells sake are taken and by wicked hands deprived of temporall necessaries as of goods livings liberty and life and all we impute not these their sufferings to their want of faith and repentance it is their portion and they suffer it joyfully Heb. 10.34 Neither to their failing in any other particular God never promised that they should not suffer but we say as Christ speaketh Math. 10.18 They are brought before Kings and Governours for Gods sake for a testimony against them and the Gentils And indeed the sufferings and persecutions of the Saints doe exceedingly redound to Gods glory 1. Pet. 4.14 So in this case notwithstanding the Saints doe suffer the promise of God concerning outward things is not nullified but is still in force and fast to the beleever Neither doth this hinder us from praying absolutely for temporall necessaries in time of freedome neither can it proove that the faulte is not ours if in any other case wee are deprived of them For to be deprived of them for the Gospels sake is a blessing and the portion of Gods people but in any other case it is a plague and a punishment for sinne The first maketh for the advancement of Gods glory the latter is to worke in those upon whom it is layd humiliation and repentance So that now the answer of this question being rightly understood we are come againe clearely without rubbe to our former ground It is this when we begge and goe without a gift the thing desired it is because we want faith and repentance or faile in some or one of these particulars required in prayer for as much sayth Cyprian upon the Lords prayer as all things are Gods he that hath God can want nothing if he himself be not wanting unto God What now dearely beloved doth all this doctrine tend unto but to the humbling of us in our wants as also to the justifying of God in all his proceedings First it doth serve to the humbling of us in our wants in that by reason of our weaknesse and corruptions we have made our selves unworthy of many temporall blessings Oh then whatsoever thou art whensoever thou prayest unto God and hee will not be found of thee retire quickly to thine owne heart be jelous of him hee is deceitfull and say unto him Oh wretch thou hast caused my loving Father to frowne upon me and cover himself in a cloud so that my prayers cannot passe thorough either thou regardest sinne and hidest corruption within thee thou art stubborne and wilt not be mollified or els thou art hardned too much against the face of thy brethren either thou doubtest and waverest at the promise of my loving Father and doest even call his faithfullnesse into question who hath alwayes bene faithfull unto me or els thou doest ayme too much at thy owne end asking what thou desirest according to thy old custome to consume it upon thy filthy lusts Say I say unto thy heart Oh hinc illae lachrymae be not beate off it here is the fountaine of my griefe why my Father is angry with me Let him not shift thee off with this or the like poore excuse The Lord doth not see it good for thee but rather tell him plainely thou knowest the Lord doth see it good for thee because hee hath both commanded thee to aske it of him and hath also promised to give it but thou Oh false heart with some or one of those before specified hast made me unworthy of the thing which I have asked unsufficient to apprehend the promise and to receive it To bring the heart to this examination is an excellent meanes to worke in him humiliation and certainely it will keepe him in the better awe This being thus performed in the first place it will also in the second place justify God in all his proceedings for when we aske a lawfull petition of God and goe without it If then wee acknowledge that the fault is our owne if we doe not receive it wee doe thereby submit our selves to Gods justice and acknowledge that whatsoever the Lord hath done unto us in depriving of us of such or such a blessing or continuing upon us such or such a punishment it is all but just there can be no aspertion of severity no imputation of iniquity layd upon his Majestie Yea by this we acknowledge nay our sinnes our weakenesses our infidelity our corruptions have taught us to yeeld that all is just and that there is not the least mixture of wrong in his proceedings In a word by this we acknowledge as David saith Psal 51.4 that he is just in speaking and cleare in judging Such then as maintayne
his spirit direct us all in all truth enabling us to walke in the truth preferring Gods glory before all things that so we laying up for our selves a good foundation may enjoy the crowne I will adde no more but conclude with that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 10.15 I speake as to wise men judge ye what I say An Answer to Mr. Norrice his 5 Arguments framed against praying absolutely for temporall things the Preface of which Arguments as t is written with his owne hand runneth verbatim thus delivered at Gayden the 29 Iunij against praying absolutely for temporall things without any condition expressed or implyed and that they want faith that doe not obtaine them being granted to be necessary for the present use BEfore we come to speake of these Arguments it shall not be unmeete to speake some-thing of the Title or Preface Concerning the Preface we are to consider in it these circumstances First these Arguments you say were delivered Now they being delivered and that publikely too I make no question but it was done with deliberation and consideration for otherwise you will come within the compasse of the Prophets woe Woe be to him that performeth the worke of the Lord negligently Now if you spake what you did speake upon deliberation and consideration if your Arguments proove unsound unsufficient and are found to be as so many arrowes shott against the truth your fault will appeare to be the greater and certainely you must beare your owne blame and be content to acknowledge your fault wherein you have offended Secondly you say againe it was delivered against praying absolutely for temporall things without any condition c. By which words you condemne as a sinne absolute prayer for temporall necessaries Now if it be a sinne as you affirme for if it be no sinne why doe you reproove it to pray to God absolutely for temporall necessaries then it must needs be the breach of a law for saith St. Iohn sinne is the transgression of the Law 1. Epist. 3.4 Now if you cannot find a Law for my part I find not any against this kinde of praying you went but God never sent you to reproove it for he sends his messengers to reproove no more but what his word doth condemne as a sinne And therefore herein unlesse you proove the thing before specified you must confesse your fayling Thirdly you thrust in your Preface this word implyed which word had you not expressed all your Arguments as you your self shall confesse would not have had so much as any colourable shew against that thing against which you framed them But of this word more hereafter Fourthly you professe also that you framed your Arguments against this position That they want faith these things being prayed for that doe not obtaine them Concerning which wee thus answer that upon prayer made for temporall necessaries the want of them is not to be imputed to the want of faith if we understand faith according to the generall definition as it is defined Heb. 11.1 which is as well the evidence of things eternall as temporall that is as it apprehendeth both eternall and temporall promises promises both concerning life and godlynesse I say not I say that those who upon their prayer doe not obtaine temporall favours doe altogether want faith or have no faith for I affirme that a man may have faith in apprehending the eternall promises for the pardon of sinne and life eternall and yet want faith in a temporall promise for a temporall blessing unto the want of which faith in a temporall promise or to the fayling of some or one of faithes companions I impute the want of these outward necessaries as it doth more fully appeare by that which we have sayd in defence of our tenent concerning absolute prayer unto which for your better satisfaction I referre you and so I passe from the Title or Preface to the Arguments as I find them in order written with your owne hand Before we come to speake what we thinke of them or to shew wherein they are fayling know this or rather call it to remembrance by the way that for any one to frame Arguments to the intent to contradict commandements or nullify promises is no better then publikely and openly to resist the truth And Augustine as one sayth maketh this and that justly to be the character and specification of an Heretick to seeme to proceed upon reasons or arguments which have no sound footing from the Scriptures and such arguments have no sound footing from the Scriptures when they contradict a commandement or nullify a promise It had bene well if these ensuing Arguments had bene free from oppugning those particulars The Arguments as they lye in order are these Mr. Norrice his first Argument THose promises that have implyed conditions in them cannot absolutely be relyed upon or exspected for our faith is grounded upon the promises But the promises of outward things although but necessary are so Therefore they are not absolutely to be relyed upon or exspected This appeares in 2. cases 1. Of chastisement and correction when the Lord will visite any of his people for their sinnes for then doth hee strippe them of their outward comforts in part and sometimes wholely unto death the former appeares in all the corrections of the faithfull the latter in the example of the Iewes Lam. 4.4.5 where the parents children dyed for want of bread and through extreame famine Yet they are not charged to want faith for this neither is faith so much required in those cases as humiliation and repentance and who will beare any correction at all at the hand of God if by his faith hee may presently remoove it from him and how can that be a signe of unbeleefe that is a speciall testimony of Gods love Rev. 3.9 2. Of probation and tryall when God will proove and try the patience and obedience of his servants for in that case they that have bene indued with most faith grace have bene brought to the greatest exigents and wants as in Heb. 11.37 they were destitute afflicted and tormented c. 1. Cor. 11.27 Paul was pinched with hunger thirst with colde and nakednesse and Luk. 16. Lazarus was in extreame poverty and dyed yet these were full of faith and of the spirit of God Now who would endure these tryalls and distresses if by faith and prayer hee may remoove them or with what warrant can he absolutely pray against them seeing no promise that shall be spared yea how can patience have her perfect worke without them or faith her crowne and reward promised on that condition Therefore the promises of outward things have conditions implyed to the people of God and are not absolute intended Answer to the first Argument THis Argument is to be answered negando by denying your Minor proposition for sure I am it is altogether untrue and contrary to sound doctrine To make this appeare wee are to consider that Gods
it is when the Saints doe come to the Throne of grace and sollicite God in Iesus Christ for any favour that the holy Ghost doth put them upon that issue Vbi libellus produce your evidence where have I commaunded you in the Scripture to aske of mee such or such a blessing where is your warrant Where in my Scriptures have I made any such contract any such covenant any such promise to give you such or such a thing which ye desire of me Now if the Saints so praying are able to produce their evidence and say unto the Lord Loe here is our warrant thou hast commaunded us in thy word to aske this thing which wee now desire and therefore in obedience to thy commaund wee have this boldnesse to come unto thee And loe Oh Lord pointing as it were with the finger to the place here is our evidence In thy Scriptures thou hast made a contract a covenant a promise to give us the things wee now desire If I say the Saints can thus answer the Spirit and produce their evidence as aforesaid their petition is lawfull and they may lawfully charge God with his promise his contract his covenant But then when the spirit of God puts them to that issue Vbi libellus produce your evidence for what ye aske and they are not able to produce any either commaundement or promise deducted from his Scriptures hee may as one saith justly plead and answer such petitioners with a Non est factum I made no such promise Wherefore when men pray unto God for such things as have no ground from his word notwithstanding they thrust in an If they shall be sent away empty the Lord will plead to such petitioners Non est factum I made no such promise Hee delighteth not in such babling In this long speech I could not but repeate it all you may plainely see Sir had you read it with a single eye that which I have therein affirmed is no more but the truth For first a little before I demaunded this question When are our petitions agreeable with the will of God Which question is there thus answered Our petitions are agreeable to the will of God when they are agreeable to his word Now said I our petitions are agreeable to Gods will not when wee put in this word If as to say if it be thy will to give us this or that but they are agreeable to his will when the thing we desire God to bestow upon us is both commaunded and promised Wherein can you find this faultie or fayling Which of those two doe make our petitions agreeable to Gods will Is it this word If or els Gods word thinke you What must wee not when wee pray to God as in my writings I have pressed it carefully examine and consider with our selves whether that which wee pray for be within the compasse of this rule namely whether God in his word doth commaund us to aske such a thing which wee desire to have and whether hee doth promise upon our calling to bestow it upon us ought wee not thus to doe and who can deny it Or is it sufficient upon all occasions to come to God onely with an If Is that the prayer wherein hee delighteth What doe you thinke then of this put case an honest learned true hearted Minister doth for the present want meanes as also a place to exercise his calling I presume you will say in this case pray hee must Well be it so Now hee frames his petition thus Oh Lord I beseech thee if it be thy will give me one of Mr. Norrice his places one of them at Tedbury or els that at Horseleigh whereby I may both exercise my calling and also ger my maintenance What doe you thinke of this petition Is it agreeable to Gods will thô hee here putteth in this word If and say If it be thy will give it me Or doth God delight in this kind of praying I trowe you will answer No and conclude with mee in these words thô now recorded by you as an errour Hee doth rudely and unadvisedly nay ignorantly run to God thô If be in And doth not the word of God warrant this Nay when men shall pray to God for this or any other thing as have no ground from his word notwithstanding they doe thrust in an If shall they not be sent away empty Will not the Lord plead to such petitioners Non est factum I made no such promise Will he delight in such babling Are not these the things which I spake of in my writings and who can justly except against them Doe not the Scriptures teach so much why then doe you lash the Scriptures as containing dangerous positions upon my backe why have you peeced up together certain sentences some of mine and some of your owne and sent them to divers as dangerous assertions Doe you not by this meanes labour to cast a mist before the Readers eyes that so hee can not clearely perceave my meaning For in these your last collections you deale very strangly in that you doe so tye them together with your owne chaines as that the Reader cannot conceave but that they doe follow one the other directly in my writings as you have here placed them when as you put part of that which is in the second place first and this sentence hee delighteth not in such bablings which is last you have put in the middle betweene another saying leaving out the ground upon which it is spoken and all other words and passages which I use to make it plaine This is brave dealing is it not Doe you thinke to make good by this meanes what you have spoken which is as t is reported this That I doe maintaine blasphemy which you labour to proove by these words The Lord delighteth not in such bablings I pray you what is that which I say is babling Is it not this namely to pray to God for such things notwithstanding If be thrust in as have no ground from the word Is this blasphemy Iudge righteous judgement And henceforth I pray you keepe your eyes in your head t is the place as Salomon saith Eccles 2.14 where a wise mans eyes are Consider before hand what the issue will be It had bene well if you had observed this rule before you had presumed to put in practise such things as these 6. The sixt place in my writings runneth thus Let him not namely thy heart shift thee off with this or the like poore excuse The Lord doth not see it good for thee but rather tell him plainely thou knowest the Lord doth see it good for thee because hee hath both commaunded thee to aske it of him and hath also promised to give it but thou Oh false heart with some or one of those before specified hast made mee unworthy of the thing which I have asked unsufficient to apprehend the promise and to receave it The ground of this speech is
I made plainely appeare in that as is there specified the will of God so much of his will as is necessary for man to knowe is revealed in the Scriptures which Scriptures Gods written verities are absolutely sufficient to instruct us in all saving knowledge which I prooved by that of the Apostle 2. Tim. 3.15 Now sayd I whereas you affirme that the promises for temporals are conditionall notwithstanding in the whole Scriptures there is no condition expressed what is it els but to affirme that God hath not revealed so much of his will in the Scriptures as is needfull for us to knowe And to make this appeare I brought your owne words to be your judge as it doth there thus follow You say that this position of yours namely that the promises for temporall things are conditionall is one of Gods truthes for you presse it upon men to beleeve as a truth from God and yet you say that God hath not expressed this truth in his word for you say it is implyed c. From which premises I drew this conclusion So then to affirme the promises of God for temporall things are conditionall is a doctrine of mans invention and not of God and certainly to make the best of it it is but as one of the Popes unwritten verities And thus much is made plaine by your owne words as they immediatly follow Unwritten you confesse it is for if any man should but aske you where in the Scriptures doth God say the promises are conditionall you have nothing to answer for ought I know but this the condition is implyed c. Now whether or not I have in this speech affirmed any more but what the Scriptures as also your owne words doe cleare let the unpartiall and honest hearted judge 9. The ninth place runneth thus in my writing For you know and must needs confesse that the Lord Levit. 26. and Deuter. 28. made absolutely to his people Israel precious promises In which promises there is no condition implyed c. Now by this and that which followeth I made it plaine even to the weakest capacity that that of Lament the fowerth which you alleaged to proove the promise to be conditionall is not any thing at all to the purpose For your Minor proposition being denyed you labour to proove it by that place thus The Lord for the sinnes of his people doth strippe them of outward comforts some times in part some times wholy unto death as you prooved Lament 4.15 Ergo the promises of outward things have conditions implyed in them and are not absolutely intended This was your doctrine And how doth this proove the promises to be conditionall Especially seeing the Lord as in my answer is manifested upon condition of their obedience did absolutely promise to give them such and such blessings If saith he thou obey .i. thou obeying his commaundements all these blessings shall come upon thee But if thou disobey .i. thou disobeying my commandements all these curses shall come upon thee c. Now while Israel walked with God in sincerity they wanted nothing of that which God promised them as the current of the Scriptures doe proove But they rebelling against him for they pluckt away the shoulder Zach. 7.11 He brought upon them this plague of famine which the Prophet Ieremy doth here bewaile The pittyfull women Lament 4.10 according as hee had threatned Lev. 26. and Deuteron 28. did eat their owne children for want of other meat What now as I there demaunded the question was the cause of this plague of famine Your owne words there is the answer The Lord did visite them thus for their sinnes So then by this it doth appeare that in prooving your argument you have spoken against your self in that you affirme the sinne and rebellion of the Iewes was the cause why God did thus plague them And is not this the thing which I labour to defend yet now by you opposed namely that it is our as it was their ignorance rebellion infidelity which doth robbe us of many blessings and bring upon us many punishments So that for ought I see you are contrary to your self Let all men now judge what daunger there is in that which I have written Notwithstanding you labour to make men thinke as bad of it as possibly you can in that you here in this place leave out those Scriptures which I use to make that plaine which I have sayd as if there was no warrant for what I speake The Lord lay not this your injurious dealing to your charge 10. The tenth place in my writing is thus The Saints of God may and ought as absolutely depend upon the promises of God for their dayly bread i. for things necessary as they may for the pardon of their sinnes This point is confirmed thus It is indifferently acknowledged by our whole Church that the promises of God concerning the pardon of sinnes and life eternall ought absolutely to be depended upon without any scruple c. The ground of our depending upon God for soule or body is his promises which God in Christ made to all his servants as the Apostle prooveth 2. Corinth 11.14 all the promises as well temporaries as spiritualls are in Christ Yea and in him Amen Now that God in his word hath promised his servants things necessary for the body as well as for the soule I made it appeare in divers places As that of Peter 2. Epist 1.3 Math. 6.25 to the end Rom. 8.32 and Iohn 15.7 with divers other Scriptures and reasons which are too long here to repeat all which you have left out as if I had no ground for what I speake And here I feare your study was to entangle you have put downe this position consisting partly of your owne words and partly of mine without quoting that Scripture which I had used to proove it As also you have thrust in this parenthesis of your owne contrary to Psal 73. why could you not if you had meant plainely have quoted some or one of those Scriptures which I cited to proove this position as well as you have cited this in a parenthesis which is none of mine that so the Reader might have compared yours mine together But I perceive your meaning 11. The eleventh place runneth thus in my writing Hence it was as I conceive seeing to be persecuted for the truth is such a blessed thing that those tortured Saints Heb. 11.35 accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection and this made St. Paul Act. 21.13 willing and ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus In my answer to your first argument it is thus written Those in Heb. 11.37 suffered those things for the truthes sake neither did they accept deliverance And Paul also 2. Cor. 11.37 suffered those things for the Gospels sake in case of persecution as hee testifieth 2. Tim. 1.12 which kind of sufferings both of
Paul and those in the Hebrewes are blessings and the portions of Gods servants not to be prayed against but rather rejoyced in c. There it is thus written briefly because in the other place I did more fully explane and expresse my self unto which I referred you that so you might understand what I meant in these short speeches as in my said answer you might have seene Now wherein doth this which I have written disagree from the word of God Yet as it seemes you taxe these for dangerous positions namely to say first that to be persecuted for the truth is a blessed thing And secondly that those tortured Saints Heb. 11. seeing to be persecuted for the truth is such a blessed thing accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And thirdly that wee have no warrant to pray at all against persecution that wee shall not suffer Now the word of God warranting the truth of all these positions then there is no danger in them but the word of God doth warrant them to be true as it is and will be further prooved First that to be persecuted for the truth and for righteousnesse sake is a blessed thing those Scriptures Math. 5.10.11 1. Pet. 3. and 4. chap. and the 14. vers quoted in my writings doe plainely proove t is further manifested in divers other places So that what I affirme concerning persecution is no more but what the word of God doth avouch to be true I say that persecution for righteousnesse sake is a blessing or to be persecuted for the truth is a blessed thing and thus much is verified Heb. 11.26 where it is said that Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Moses wee see and t is recorded by the holy Ghost for a fruit of faith counted the reproach for Christ or persecution for righteousnesse sake a blessing a favour or rich treasure of great waight Quae vel omnia Regum terronorum diademata facilè exuperaâ— And did not the Apostles also thus esteeme it when as they rejoyced Act. 5.41 that they were counced worthy to suffer shame for his name And did not Paul glory in the crosse of Christ Gal. 6.14 Did Moses account the crosse of Christ such a rich favour and did the Apostles rejoyce that they were counted worrhy to have a part in it And may not I affirme without heresy that persecution for the name of Christ is a blessing or a blessed thing Especially seeing in the first place as wee may further add Gods name is thereby glorified as I before prooved from that of Peter 1. Epist 4.14 And secondly in that thereby the Gospell is furthered and its faithfull professors imboldened to speake the word without feare as t is to be seene Philip. 1.12.13.14 And thirdly seeing the reward of those that doe suffer for Christ is so excellent for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven And to speake truely this is a favour which God giveth to his Saints for a signe the persecuted and that in that they are persecuted for righteousnesse are said to be blessed and thereby they are sure the Kingdome of Heaven is theirs So that as one neately observeth all our fiery tribulations fall under the nature and definition of Sacraments they are so many visible signes of invisible graces without this Sacrament this fire of tribulation a man cannot be so sure of his salvation for all that will live godly shall suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 which is indeed an evident token of a mans salvation and that of God being given to him in the behalfe of Christ Philip. 1 28.29 not onely to beleeve in him but also to suffer for his sake By this I hope you see that to say persecution is a blessing or to be persecuted for the truth is a blessed thing is cleared from being dangerous And I doubt not but so will the second also for in saying that those tortured Saints accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection I say no more but what the holy Ghost expresly speaketh And whereas I affirme the consideration of the blessednesse of persecution was a motive which did stirre up to hold fast the profession of their faith and to be willing and ready to resist even to blood it is no more but what the Apostle here teacheth Hee tells us vers 26. that Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt for hee had respect to the recompence of reward Non temerè mens in judicando resolvit in alteram partem as one saith upon the place sâ—d in deliberando intuebatur in praemij largitionem Was not the recompence of the reward now a motive which mooved Moses to make this choise and to esteeme the reproach of Christ as he did And had not these tortured Saints not accepting deliverance a respect to the recompence of the reward too thinke you Was not the joye that was set before them a motive to perswade them patiently to indure the crosse and to despise the shame Yea doe not the very words there following proove so much If this be true and who can deny it wherein am I to be blamed for saying that Hence it was seeing to be persecuted for the truth is such a blessed thing that the tortured Saints accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Now in the third place That wee have no warrant to pray at all against persecutions that wee shall not suffer the Scriptures doe plainely shew as those Scriptures which I have quoted in my writings concerning this thing doe plainely manifest It is as I have already said the portion of Gods people to suffer persecutions and without drinking this potion of tribulations here there is no drinking of the full cup of pleasures in heaven Wee must be with Christ in the garden and pertake of his afflictions or els wee shall not be with him in Paradice and pertake of his pleasures If wee suffer with Christ saith the Apostle 2. Tim. 2.12 wee shall also raigne with him If wee are with Christ in his afflictions wee shall be with him also in his eluctation in his Triumph els not Consider this I pray you and then tell me whether wee have any warrant from the word to pray at all against persecutions the afflictions of the Gospell that wee shall not suffer seeing without suffering with Christ there is no raigning with him Paul I finde exhorted Timothy 2. Epist 1.8 to the partaking of the afflictions of the Gospell but I find not any warrant any place wherein God doth commaund us to pray against persecution or promise us that wee shall not suffer If you or any one shall now aske how wee must pray in time of persecution The answer is thus already made in my said writings All the prayers that wee are to make in this case must be to desire the Lord that he would give us strength and
betweene following the examples of the Saints in things indifferent as things indifferent betweene making their examples without any commandement to be the ground of a duety In the first wee shew our Christian liberty it is not forbidden In the other wee shew voluntary humility in creating such a service which never came into Gods heart to require of us Had you well considered the drift of my writings in this particular all by-ends layd aside you could not me think have dealt with it so injuriously as you have but it seemes you are glad to catch any advatage where indeed there is none For here you have in that confused manner patcht together this collection partly with my words and partly with your owne as that the reader cannot rightly conceive the drift or ground of my writings concerning this particular I would you had presented to the Readers view my writings and mine onely in its proper kinde then had you bene free from blame and I from many scandalls 14. For answer to this fourthteenth place I referre you to that which I have already written from whence you gathered this collection and there I doubt not you will see a plaine difference betweene Praying and Saying 15. Concerning the fiftenth place I referre you and the Reader to that which I have already written in my answer to your fifth Argument from whence you drew this collection The summe whereof is to shew that this ground of yours is very weake to contradict a commandement and nullify a promise seeing it is uncertain why there Paul prayed for Trophymus his health and could not recover him for who knoweth whether Trophymus did dye or recover of that sicknesse for my part as I said before I know not how this can be rightly resolved unlesse you can call either Paul or Trophymus from the dead againe And what can you make of this You labour indeed to make it seeme as bad as may be for why els have you not set downe the same words which are written in your Argument and repeatingly used by me in my answer 16. In this sixtenth place you deale very injuriously in that you have set it downe for one of my Assertions notwithstanding there is no ground for it in all my writings I remember indeed that in a letter I wrote this unto you Whereas you say where I repeated your owne words that absolute prayer for temporall necessaries the tenent which wee hold is an uncouth and proud conceit without warrant tending to evill you doe in that saying no lesse then blaspheme the truth And in the conclusion of my answer to your arguments I add this speech It is namely your opinion a perverting of the promises besids their intendement and the teaching of an ignorant and unwarrantable kind of praying In these sayings I affirme first that you doe no better then blaspheme the truth in that you say this opinion namely That temperall necessary blessings ought to be prayed for without doubting and wavering c. being the ground of our tenent is an uncouth and proud conceit without warrant tending to evill And secondly that your opinion contained in your Arguments is a perverting of the premises besids their intendement and the teaching of an ignorant and unwarrantable kind of praying Now if it doth appeare that these above named grounds concerning praying for outward necessaries are warranted for truth by the Word of God then you must confesse your rashnesse in censuring for no one can say that any part of Gods truth is a proud conceit tending to evill and not blaspheme it And furthermore if it appeare that the drift of your Arguments is to alter the nature of the promises contradict commandements and to establish a will-worship then it is an ignorant and unwarrantable kind of praying for ignorance is the mother of will-worship and to teach will-worship is to teach but an ignorant kind of service Now whether the grounds of my writings which you say is a proud conceit are agreeable to the truth or not or whether your arguments doe bend their forces to alter the nature of the promises contradict commaundements and so establish any thing more but a will-worship a duety which God never commanded let our writings witnesse But you here give out without any If yet absolutely false that I affirme That for any to teach men to pray with submission to the will of God expressed is to blaspheme the truth c. whereby you pretend which you absolutely affirme That the ground and drift of my writings is to proove that no man without blaspheming the truth and teaching of an ignorant and unfaithfull kind of praying can teach men to pray with submission to the will of God expressed And to the end you might fasten this false imputation on me and my writings you have so framed this extraction as that it doth agree with the title or preface of these your learned collections which you say is the ground of my writings There you professe that the matter wee stand for is praying for temporall blessings in the particulars without any condition expressed or implyed of the will of God therein and here to make both ends meete you bring me in to conclude That for any to teach men to pray with submission to the will of God expressed is to blaspheme the truth c. As if this was the principall thing I aymed at to proove in that which I have written namely that we must not pray for temporall things with submission to the will of God expressed in his word Alas Mr. Norrice is this the thing which I hold concerning praying for outward blessings or is there any such thing written in those papers which I sent unto you Who that had his 5 wits about him would once avouch it Especially seeing the principall thing I aymed at and pressed in them was to perswade men to frame all their prayers according to Gods will revealed or expressed in his word And can any petitions be made with more humble submission to the will of God then when they are made agreeable to his word wherein his will is revealed This is the will of him that sent me saith Christ that ye keepe my commaundements And againe this is the will of God that ye beleeve in Iesus Christ whom hee hath sent And doe wee not pray with submission to the will of God when our prayers are made agreeable to his word Nay how can a man pray to God for this or that which hee hath commanded to aske and beleeve to receive that which hee hath promised to give and yet such petitions not made with submission and aggreeable to his will Unloose this knot that can for I cannot Mr. Norrice having first laid his foundation namely the Title pretending it thô falsely to be mine And secondly the particular Assertions of his calling from my sayd writings affirming that his sayd collections but how true it is curteous Reader thou mayst plainely