abundantly manifested by the light of Scripture Doctrine without the help of his notions and shall be yet farther manifested in the day of Christ to the shame and silencing of all that now reply against God even in those things where his Judgements are a great deep as the Apostle discourseth at large Rom. 9. and 11. Chapâ—ers The Objection that he starts about God his creating man upright c. I need not long stay upon The truth concerning this is before stated and proved and every impartial Reader may see how miserably he trifles in his endeavour to solve it He gives you his word for it that God will excuse men from all that Obedience that they have by their sin lost both power and will to perform But I hope none are so credulous as to take his Book to be Canonical Not one Text of Scripture doth he nor can he produce for the proof of his opinion but only attempts to back one falshood with another saying That since the fall God requireth not perfect obedience of men but only sincerity and that he knew that man might yield sincere Obedience â—n Faith and Love and in that hath promised both assistance and accâ—ptance in his Son c. Two things he here takes for granted but both without ground 1. That all the World are under the Covenant of Grace so as to be presently interested in the priviledges thereof and accepted in those sincere endeavours to obey God which they are capable of in that condition wherein they are by nature which is not so For all that can be said of Men in General unto whom the Gospel is preached amounts to no more then this That the Grace and Blessings of the New covenant are offered to them upon condition of Faith God declareth his good pleasure to sinners that if they or any of them do confess and forsake their sins they shall find mercy and those of them that do believe he gives the sure mercies of David unto Isa 55. 3. and they are under Grace Rom. 6. 14. But the rest of the world are under the severity of the Law still yea whosoever doth in heart depart from Christ and seek life by his own works is a Debtor to answer the most rigorous demands thereof and is fallen from Grace Christ shall profâ—t him nothing Gal. 5. 3. 4. And that passage 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not is pitifully wrested by Mr. C. in that he would apply it to the case in hand for neither the thing nor persons there spoken of will at all agree thereto 1. It is not a moral sinful impetency or deficiency that the Apostle there speaks of but only a want of riches and ability in that respect to contribute so largely to the necessity of the â—oor Saints as otherwise they might and would have done 2. The persons spoken of are Saints Believers such as are accepted in Christ and interested in the Covenant of Grace whose sincere endeavours to walk with God are according to the terms of that Covenant accepted by him through the beloved though this Obedience of theirs is not their justifying righteousness nor accepted for that end But the case is otherwise with persons out of Christ Mr. C. endeavours to strengthen this notion p. 32. by proving That under Moses Law sincerity was accepted and â—hat though the Law required perfect Obedience yet this perfection consâ—sted in universality and sincerity c. But here again he pitifully confounds things that ought to be heedfully distinguished In the Mosaical oeconomy there was such a remembrance of the Covenant of works revived with the terms and sanction thereof as that hereupon it is called the ministration of condâ—mnation and did ingender unto bondage 2 Cor. 3. 7. Gal. 4. 25. But yet the promise of Salvation by the Messiah being made long before was not enervated thereby but even this was laid in a subserviency to Gospel ends and also the Gospel was preached to them Heb. 4. 2. and so the Covenant of Grace revealed though more darkly in types and shadows through which they were instracted to seek Justification unto Life by Christ promised and so deliverance from the curse of the Law by him Now amongst these some did believe others did not and so some were related to God in the New Covenant others remained under the Old The sincere Obedience of the one was accepted on Gospel gracious terms and for Gospel ends not that they obtained life thereby according to the terms of the Covenant of works Do this and live Christ being their surety to answer the utmost demands of the Law for their Justification before God The otheâ— wer 〈…〉 n their own persons responsible for the br 〈…〉 of the Lâ—w 〈…〉 nd stood 〈…〉 ty of death by the curse thereof 〈…〉 ll for wa 〈…〉 〈…〉 lu◠〈…〉 rtection as sincerity in their Obedien 〈…〉 〈…〉 e Covenant of works considered formally as such knows no câ—ange of sincerity for perfection but its commands must in every spect be obeyed and its demands answered and they are so by Christ alone who hath fulfilled the righteousness thereof for them that do believe and without Faith in him the Soul stands or falls to the unallayed and most rigorous sentence thersof The second thing Mr. C. supposeth is That every man hath ability in his fallen state to yield sincere obedience to God in Faith and Love This hath been already refuted and here is nothing offered to enforce it I shall therefore refer the Reader to that which precedes in this Chapter where also the foundation of what Mr. C. farther pleads in his two following Sections is fully removed so that there remains only a flourish of words wherewith he beats the Air in returning answer to which I shall waste no more precious time CHAP. V. Wherein some things relating to the principles already asserted are farther cleared and vindicated And also the Saints perseverance proved and Tho. C's Exceptions removed I Am now come to his 5th Chapter wherein he endeavours farther to strengthen his Opinions before laid down and is more express in his asserting Believers final falling awâ—y from Grace The most of what he saith is built on those principles that have been already discussed and therefore in my examination thereof I will only note either those things which are very gross or that wherein he seems to offer something that hath not before been urged and answered Those Texts which he endeavours to wrest in the beginning of this Chapter have been already vindicated from his corrupt glosses I do therefore here pass them over and attend to what he saith p. 31. where he propounds this question May we suppose that persons may believe or that any do believe unto life only by the objective evidence or external Ministry without the spirits work in and with the Gospel His answer is
Vindiciae Veritatis â—R A CONFâ—TATION 〈◊〉 THE Heresies and Gross Errours Asserted by THOMAS COLLIER IN HIS ADDITIONAL WORD TO HIS Body of Divinity Written by Nehemiah Coxe a Servant of Jesus Christ and Minister of his Gospel For there must be also Heresies among you that those which are approved may be made manifest among you 1 Cor. 11. 19. Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lost ye also being led-away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. Nonnulli dum plus exquirunt 〈…〉 ando quam capiunt usque ad perversa dogmata erumpunt 〈…〉 um veritatis discipuliâ—essâ— negligunt humiliter magistrierroris fiunt Greg. LONDON Printed for Nath. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultry near Corn-hill and in Chancery-lane near Fleet-street 1677. Christian Reader WE whose names are here subscribed thought our selves more particularly than many others obliged in Duty and Conscience to appear in the front of this Book by way of approbation of the same Wherein the manifold Errors of Tho. Collier in a Book intituled An Additional Word c. are clearly detected and solidly enervated Because although it be a most unequal judgement to make the Errours of one single person under any Profession to reflect upon the whole of the same seeing the Apostle telleth the Church in its Primitive and most pure state Act. 20. 30. That there should arise from themselves men speaking perverse things and draw away Disciples after them yet woeful experience hath taught us that there is nothing more usual with the world And we did judge that though we do not hope hereby to silence the mouth of malice yet this might be a means to set us right in the thoughts of those who are not byassed by evil affections We had hoped that the snares wherein the said Tho. Collier had been many years entangled and for which he seemed by Gods blessing on some of our endeavours to manifest repentance might have been a caution to him to avoid these dangerous Rocks for the future But to our grief we find it otherwise and see that the highest Profession cannot secure men from falling when the heart is not established with Grace and kept humble before the Lord as we see in the examples of Hymenaeus and Alexander For the Author of this work if any by reason of his inferiority in years should suspect him of an over-forwardness arising from any over-weening sâ—lf-opinion in undertaking this matter although that answer is ready in his behalf which sometime David gave to Eliah in a case though of a different yet something like nature 1 Sam. 17. 29. What have I done is there not a cause shall the whole Host of Israel be defied the principles of Gospel-truths subverted the name of God blasphemed a flood-gate of Errour open'd and any be thought over-forward to oppose the Adversary But over and above we think meet to acquaint thee that the Combatant in this Conflict was not so much prompted to it by his natural inclination as by the joint and earnest perswasion of several of the Elders and that of elder years partly because we did judge him meet and of ability for the work and next at that time of his entring upon it a more than ordinary Providence of God gave him leisure for it more then others by suspending him from other more weighty employment thereby as it were calling him out and determining him to this employ Wherein upon our perusal we hope we may truly say without particular respect to his Person he hath behaved himself with that modesty of Spirit joined with that fulness and clearness of answer and strength of argument that we comfortably conceive by Gods blessing it may prove a good and soveraign Antidote against the Poison from which as we earnestly pray the venter of it may be delivered so no less that thou also maist be preserved And in order thereunto desire of thee that thou wouldst read this ensuing discourse with this candour and charity to believe that it is Verity not Victory that is here contended for And farther we beg of God that thou maist be enabled to weigh each particular in the just Ballance of the Sanctuary and that he will direct thy heart into the love of Truth which shall be the daily Prayer of Thine in the Lord William Kiffen Daniel Dyke Joseph Maisters James Fitton Henry Forty William Collins TO THE READER Courteous Reader AMongst all those vanities which are under the Sun this is none of the least That some men puft up with a conceit of their sufficiency for every undertaking do daily burthen the world with their raw and indigested notions and whilst they contemn that guidance they might have in the way of truth from the labours of others who have been raised up and enabled of God to transmit to posterity the Doctrine of the Gospel in a form of sound words do darken counsel by words without knowledge But alas Our sorrow on this account may be drowned in Tears for a greater evil if we reflect on the more bold and dangerous attempts of some who are not satisfied to have darkened the shining lustre of divine truth unless they do also subvert the foundations of the Christian Religion by a downright opposition to some of the most important Doctrines thereof And one sad instance of this kind we have in a Book not long since published by Thomas Collier which he calls An Additional Word c. which hath occasioned my writing this small Treatise in answer thereto For although the argument of the Book may not seem to require his pains inasmuch as there is nothing urged by him to give countenance to his corrupt notions but it hath either been answered many times already by those that have written against the Pelagians Jesuites and Socinians in whose steps Mr. Collier very frequently treads or else where he doth transcend the Heresies of those mentioned its weakness and impiety is more manifest then to need any refutation by another yet on many accounts some Answer to him was judged necessary not only by my self but by divers others whose Judgement in this matter I esteemed much more then my own That so at least a Publick testimony might be born against those gross Errors therein by him expos'd to publick view and by the detection of them the intanglement and seduction of weak though well-meaning Souls might be prevented who otherwise were in danger to be drawn away by him to drink in those notions that will eat as doth a Canker and also that persons irreligious and ungodly who are ready to catch at any thing even against the Judgement of their own Consciences that may give them quiet in their sinful ways might not rest in peace on those Pillows he hath prepared for them by his endeavour to perswade them That there is no such Eternal wrath and Judgement like to overtake them as
Book I answer I have in the following page given thee a specimen of Mr. Colliers strange Heterodoxies collected out of his Book for the most part in his own terms which with very many more contained therein are detected and refuted in this And give me leave to express my desires in the words of that holy man of old concerning what I have written Domine Deus unus Deus Trinitas quaecunque dixi in his libris de tuo agnoscant tui si qua de meo tu ignosce tui Amen! August Let God alone have the glory of any thing serviceable to the interest of his truth in this Treatise and interpret well my poor Essay towards the clearing thereof much weakness therein I am sensible of and know right well that one of deeper Judgement and greater abilities endued with a more plentiful anointing of the good spirit would have said much more in less room then I have done But seeing no other was engaged in this service my mite is humbly offered and that my weakness may be pardoned and my poor endeavours succeeded to some advantage if it be but of the weakest of Christs sheep and the reflecting of some glory to his holy Name is the earnest prayer of The unworthiest of his Servants N. C. Amongst the many gross Errours published by Mr. Collier in his Additional Word and refuted in this Treatise are these following 1. THat Christ is the Son of God only as considered in both natures Addit Word Ch. 1. p. 2. 2. As he was the Prince of Life the Lord of Glory was he killed and crucified and that was not in the humane nature only ch 1. p. 4. 3. As God-man he was a Creature ch 1. p. 9. 4. This Creature God-man made all things ch 1. p. 10. 5. The word God-man was made flesh ch 1. p. 11. 6. There are Increated Heavens for the Eternal God must have some Eternal habitation ch 1. p. 12. 7. Christ died for the Universe the Heavens and Earth and all things therein ch 2. p. 13. 8. The Gospel ought to be preached to the whole Creation even to that part of it that is not capable of hearing or understanding it ch 2. p. 16. 9. The Foolish Virgins shall obtain some great priviledge in the day of Christ ch 3. p. 23. 10. Those that never heard the Gospel cannot be under the Judgement of Damnation ch 4. p. 26. 11. The sinful defilement of our nature is not the sin but the affliction of man ch 4. p. 27. 12. It s possible for men in respect of power to believe the Gospel if God do not work at all upon them by his spirit ch 5. p. 31 32. 13. Regenerate Persons or True Believers may finally fall away from God and Perish ch 5. p. 36 c. 14. None shall be Eternally damned but those that sin against the holy Spirit ch 7. p. 47. 15. The Gospel hath been preached to men after they were dead ch 7 p. 48. 16. Men may repent so as to obtain deliverance from their torment after death and the last Judgement ch 7. p. c. 8. 17. Sluggish Christians and Formalists may find some mercy in the day of Judgement p. 51. 18. Perhaps the torment of some sinners may not exceed a 100 years p. 52. 19. The Sodomites have already received their Judgement and are still suffering thereof and the day of the general Judgement is like to be their day of ease p. 53. 20. The infinite Sacrifice of Christ remains the same to have its influence for the obtaining of Grace after the Judgement as before p. 54. CHAP. I. Concerning God The distinct Subsistencies in the Divine Nature And more especially the Person of the Son MR. Collier intimates in the beginning of his first Chapter That he had been from some private hand admonished of certain errors by him before published in his Body of Divinity which in this Chapter he endeavours to vindicate and makes this the occasion of the putting forth the whole of what we find in his Additional Word But verily this course is in no wise like to give satisfaction to them who before were justly offended For a man when he is blamed for swerving from the form of sound words and that Doctrine that is according to Godliness in some instances to repeat his errors with new Confidence instead of a retractation of them and then to add many more and more dangerous against the analogy of Faith yea the express words of Scripture and common sentiments of all that deserve the name of Christians is not the way to reconcile himself to the truth or to any true lovers thereof And that Mr. Collier hath thus done will be manifested in our progress We are plentifully instructed from the Scripture That there is but one only living and true God who is a most pure Spirit Eternal and Immutable Incomprehensible and infinitely perfect in his Being and all the properties thereof c. This also Mr. Collier professeth to own yet he hath in the close of this first Chapter of his Additional Word dropt an expression or two that seem to hold no very full harmony therewith He saith p. 12. As to the Omnipresence of God the Father I say what the Scripture saith which directeth us to the Father as in Heaven and that by his Spirit he is present in all places Omnipresence is an Essential property of God grounded on his Infiniteness it is as necessary to him to be Omnipâ—â—ent as to be God It is all one therefore whether we speak of the Omnipresence of the Father or of the Son or of the holy Spirit these three being that One incomprehensible and infinite Jehovah to whom all fear and worship is due And to deny it of any of them is to deny their Divinity And whereas Mr. Collier tells us That he saith what the Scripture saith c. That is not enough unless he make it manifest also That he saith it according to the true sense and intendment of the Spirit of God in those Scriptures he refers unto I am unwilling to entertain jealousies of any man but yet I must say That those Socinians who have most opposed the truth concerning the immensity of God have yet said as much as Mr. Collier here presents us with and to clear himself from suspicion in this matter when questioned about it more might justly have been expected from him The Scriptures indeed speak of God as in Heaven but that is as many other expressions in them â—re in a way of condescension to our capacity And we must always remember that those things that are spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men must be interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a sense becoming God else we must immediately close with the gross and absurd Heresie of the Authropomorphites Seeing then that we conceive of no place so glorious as Heaven that is represented to us as the dwelling place or
any kind of argument in these words to Mr. Câ—lliers purpose it must be this If Christ had not dyed for all men and reconciliation to God by him been tendred to them on Gospel-terms they had not been liable to the second death But all that do not believe and obey the Gospel must dye the second death Ergo Christ dyed for them and procured non-imputation of sin to them c. I deny the major Proposition Sinners are guilty of damnation by the breach of the Law though they never hear the Gospel c. And immediately Th. C. will deny the minor as we shâ—ll hear Certainly he will be hard put to it to prove that all men are redeemed because most men are damned The Scripture cited by him viz. Joh. 3. 19. proves indeed That where the objective light of the Gospel is afforded to a people and tâ—ey obey it not but refuse to walk in it they shall dye the second death yea their case will be worse then others that have not enâ—â—yed the like means unbelief is a crying sin and brings them under condemnation with a witness as we use to speak But it doth in no wise prove what Mr. C. supposeth that none are guilty of the second death by the breach of the first Covenant And in plain terms Mr. C. doth not think that all that have not faith in Christ shall be damned as his minor Proposition supposeth though for the present he is willing to pretend so that he may thereby prove they are redeemed for thus he writes p. 26. Damnation is the judgment of Gospel-unbelief and disobedience he intends that only yet those that never heard the Gospelâ— cannot be unâ—er this judgment because its impossible without a miracle that they should believe the Gospel it s in some sense their affliction and judgement that they have it not but not their sin because they believe it 〈◊〉 because they cannot Rom. 10. 14. I grant that a Law cannot oblige unless it be sufficiently made known or published and that there are multitudes in the world that enjoy not the Gospel and these as they are in an ordinary way capable of no saving benefit by Christ so neither is the sin of not believing the Gospel chargeable upon them But even these are under the first Covenant which requires of them perfect Obedience to the moral Law or Law of nature which if they have not the written Law neither is so far written even in their hearts as that they are a Law unto themselves and utterly inexcusable in the breach of it Rom. 1. 19 20 ch 2. 15. But amongst these there are many filled with all unrighteousness ch 1. v. 21. 〈◊〉 31. and shall we suppose according to this mans licentious Doctrine that these are in danger only of a temporal death which the best in the world cannot escape The Consciences of these very wretches tell them otherwise v. 32. where by death the sâ—cond death or perishing under Divine wrath must be understood otherwise there were no evil peculiar to them intended therein and the Apostle assures us that the wrath of God is revealed from â—eaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men who imprison and stifle their natural Light holding that truth in unrighteouss and not subjecting themselves thereto through the â—nmity that is in their hearts to God v. 18. c. Though the Law cannot give life yet is its curse heavy enough to sink all the world under Eternal wrath which it had done without remedy if Christ had not delivered Believers from the Curse of the Law by being made a Curse for them Gal. 3. 13. Thus we have heard out Mr. C. what he hath â—o say for the reconciliation of all the World to God and the non-imputation of sin to them and I know some will take notice of that which immediately follows in the next Section where he asserts That there is a more special design of Grace in the death of Christ i. e. the salvation of his Elect of his Church whose peculiar priviledge it is that the bloud of Christ is shed for them for the remission of sin And they will perhaps wonder at the mans acumen that hath found out such a notable distinction of non-imputation of sin from remission of sin the one of which belongeth to the reprobate the other to the Elect though Paul took them to be of the same import Rom. 4. 7 8. But I cannot stay to remark every absurdity in his Book and therefore let this pass The glorious and wonderful design of free Grace to redeem and save to the utmost all the Elect by Jesus Christ I adore and to own that there was any end or design of God in the death of his Son which was not perfectly accomplished thereby I dare not But I shall proceed with Mr. C. it not being my purpose as I said at first to enter upon a full discussion of these points or to urge the arguments that might be pleaded against his opinion but only to clear our way of that rubbish that he hath cast into it He discourseth in the next place of the Preaching of the Gospel and he is as liberal here and good reason for it as he was in determining the extent of Christs death The design of God saith he in his Gospel Grace by the death of his Son being thus universal to the whole world in this threefold sense as hath been mentioned Hence it is that the Gospel must be preached to the whole Creation c. He grants indeed p. 16. That it is especially to be published to men who were concerned in the sin and fall But it is and may be truly preached to the whole Creation though they hear it not nor understand it I suppose in this particular Mr. C. may truly say he hath not followed Authors for I know none before him that have been so fond as to assert what here he doth though in other things it is evident that he hath imbibed the notions of divers Hereticks that have been before him Although I must confess the Papists in some of their Legends tell many odd stories to this purpose and we may collect from thence what some of them thought in this matter And although all Protestants deride their foppery that will not discourage Mr. C. from joyning with them in this and other things for he hath observed as he tells us p. 59. That the Protestants run themselves too much in both principle and practice beyond almost all works of Charity amongst which perhaps he reckons Preaching to Birds and Beasts Stones and Trees c. If I should recite to Mr. C. some of the stories they tell of St. Francis his Preaching oft to the Birds and how affectionately they heard him his converting a ravenous Wolf from his rapine to a tame and harmless life c. and of Father Bede his Preaching to the Stones when he was blind and his naughty Boy led him to a heap
of Stones instead of a company of Men and how in the close of his Devotion they all cryed out with a loud voice Amen How he would approve of these things I know not but others would think I intended to make him ridiculous and therefore I will forbear only if he will allow me freely to impart my thoughts with him I shall say this That I think Mr. C. would have been much more innocently imployed if he had thus spent his time and never Preached and Printed to men the lamentable stuff that we have in this Book But let us consider what proof of this notion he offers to us There are two Scriptures produced by him Mar. 16. 15. Col. â— 23. The first saith â—o ye into all the world and Preach the Gospel to every Creature concerning which he tells â—s The word translated to every Creature is in the Greeâ— to all the Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all the Creation What Emphasis Mr. C. supposeth in these words to all the Creation more then in thâ—se to every Creature I know not some great thing he hath imagined in this criticisme that no body else can find out else he would not have inculcated it with such a tautology as he doth or it may be heâ—â—nly took this occasion to shew his s 〈…〉 in the Greek But if that be it I must beg his pardon for I think it is not much Learning but sâ—mething else that hatâ— made him so far forget himself as to interpret this Scripture after such a mannâ—â— as he hath There is doubtless no more intended iâ— Mark then is in other words exprest by Matthew in his record of â—he same Commission Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them c. Mat. 28. 19 20. So that the Commission to Preach the Gospel to every Creature intends only those concerned to hear and obey it as the following words evince He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved c. even the Children of men of all Nations Kindreds and Tongues as well as the Jews And as this phrase suits our dialect or way of speaking in the same sense so was it common with the Jews as I could evince from their Writings to use the word in their Language that properly signifietâ— a Creature for a Man because men are the most excellent of all visible Creatures Of the same import is Col. 1. 23. But there the words are expresly which was Preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ— all the Creation that is under Heaven i. e. in all the Earth to the men that dwell thereon But Mr. C. saith that under Heaven may be understood to be under God I answer it may not neither is this phrase under Heaven so to be expounded any where in the Scripture and although it be allowed that in the Texts cited by him Heaven is put for God yet it is so used not according to its proper signification but figuratively per metonymiam adjuncti for him that dwells in Heaven It doth not therefore follow that we may take it in that sense wherever we meet with it But what he means by this I know not unless he would have the Gospel Preached not only to the whole visible Creation but also to the Devils for they are under God Neither know I what to make of that which follows That the Gospel may be truly Preached to the whole Creation though they hear it not nor understand it and thus we must understand Col. 1. 23. For the Gospel was not then Preached in the hearing of all men nor in the hearing of the whole Creation yet it was Preached to all the Creation If this were true the Apostles needed not to have gone abroad into the world to have preached the Gospel to every Creature But I am perswaded if one at London should pretend that he daily preached the Gospel to the Turks in Constantinople that hear him not or to the animate and inanimate Creatures that either are not capable of hearing or understanding what he saith many would laugh at his folly and conclude the man was under a Delirium but none would think that he truly preached the Gospel to any of these nor yet that it was worth their while to refute his conceit by argument Yea but thus we must understand Col. 1. 23. Mr. C. were doubtless the greatest Tyrant in the world if he could force our understandings to assent to so great an absurdity But his words are but wind we have our liberty still to think otherwise especially seeing his reason for it is so weak For saith he though the Gospel was not then preached in the hearing of all the Creation yet it was preached to all the Creation which in plain terms amounts to no more then this It must be so because Tho. Collier saith it was so This needs no answer valeat quantum valere potest We may conclude this notwithstanding that the Gospel was preached in the hearing of all it was preached to In the next place he tells us That the works of God do preach the Gospel to the whole Creation His notion of The preaching of the Gospel by the works of God we shall meet with again and farther examine presently in the mean time we might enquire what these works of God are that preach to the whole Creation in his sense for surely the works of God that preach must not be the same with the whole Creation preached to But however Mr. C. scape for writing thus I should incurr the câ—nsure of idleness if I should pursue so fruitless an enquiry I will therefore leave it off and proceed to the doubt or question that he moves and endeavours to solve p. 17. Quest If Christ dyed for the sins of the world and if God had a real design of good-will and Grace to all men in his general love why then is not the Gospel preached to all men whence is it thaâ— the greatest part of the world have been and still are without the Gospel If Mr. Collier had not been conscious to himself that his previous discourse had been very vain and futilous he needed not to have moved this doubt having already concluded that a man may preach the Gospel to the whole Creation though they hear him not nor understand him and that it is also preached to all by the works of God But the truth is notwithstanding all he hath said or can say there is great weight in what he here suggests For certainly if Christ had given himself a ransome for all men seeing none can enjoy the benefit thereof without Faith and none can believe on him of whom they have not heard he would not so â—ave disposed things in his providence that multitudes of these ransomed ones should never have knowledge thereof But we see that things are so ordered Ergo He never intended to give himself a ransome for all men in Mr. Colliers sense Let us hear what Mr. C. saith to
not contend add thereunto the close of the verse now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it From hence we may safely infer That if any man differ from another or from what he was in himself before that is to say be raised from a state of death in sins and trespasses unto newness of life delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of the Son of Gods love it is God hath made this difference to the praise of the riches of his Grace And thus much Mr. C. in answer to the objection grants It is God by Gospel Grace makes us to diffeâ— But if Mr. Colliers notion elsewhere be true that amongst men that receive every way as much Grace from God the one as the other some believe unto life others remain in their sins it will necessarily follow that those of them which choose the better part do make themselves to differ and have cause of boasting if not before God yet in comparison with other men And this is in terms denied by the Apostle And Mr. C. makes no reply thereto but what hath now been oft mentioned and answered and therefore I will not trouble the Reader with a repetition of it The Text that remains to be insisted on is Phil. 2. 13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his gâ—od pleasure That this Scripture is directly opposite to Mr. Collierâ— Doctrine is evident In the foregoing Verse he exhorts the Philippians to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling By working out their Salvation he intends labouring for or bestowing their utmost industry to obtain Salvation and according to this sense is the same word rendred Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth c. Now hereunto two things are required 1. A principle enabling and disposing them to walk humbly with God in Faith and Obedience 2. The exercise thereof Dr. O' s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 496. which is referred unto the internal acts of the will and external operations in duties suitable thereunto And as we have before proved that Grace is wrought in us by the spirit of God so the Apostle here expresly affirms that both to will and to do which expressions take in the whole of its exercise is also effectually wrought in us by him of his own good pleasure which is the most prevailing argument and motive to an humble walking with God and encouragement thereto He that reads Mr. Colliers Gloss upon this Text p. 43. will find him constrained almost to embrace that notion of it that doth evert his opinion and all that he offers towards the salving of it is in these words To understand it to intend Gods working an impulsive will and that they could not or should not work without it destroys the exhortation and makes null the duty What Mr. C. intends by an impulsive will or wheâ—her there be any good sense in those terms we need 〈◊〉 inquire That God worketh in us to will or the very act of willing the Text is express And it hath been already manifested to be his great errour to conceive That nothing is required of us in a way of duty but what in our lapsed state we are able to perform without the help of Gods spirit And therefore it is fallaciously done of him to join those terms together as if they were of equal extent that they could not or should not work without it It was their indispensible duty to obey the exhortation foregoing but this they could not do without the effectual working of God in them And there is not more frequent mention of any one thing in the Gospel it being that wherein Gospel Grace doth eminently shine forth then of our receiving Grace from God to enable us to yield to him that Obedience which he requires of us Pious therefore and well grounded was the petition of that worthy opposer of the Pelagians of Old Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis Give me O Lord what thou requirest of me and command what thou pleasest Indeed to deny that we receive any thing from god in a way of special and distinguishing Grace that is required of us in a way of duty is flatly to reject the Gospel and to deny the Grace of the New Covenant We do not then destroy the exhortation and make null the duty but instruct men which way they may expect and receive Grace to obey it in the performance of their duty which is certainly a great quickening and incouragement thereto unto all that have an humble sense of their concernment in these things I shall now return to Mr. C. p. 34. where he propounds another Question Does the spirit in the Gospel where it comes work in all alike or may we suppose that he effects a more special work in some then in others In answer hereunto he first tells us That this is a mystery known only to God and then immediately proceeds to give an account of very different operations of the holy Ghost upon the Children of men as 1. Some are convinced but not converted 2. Others are wrought so far by the same word and spirit as to believe and obey the Gospel so as if they continue therein they shall be saved Col. â— 21 22 23. 1 Tim. 2. 15. Mat. 10. 22. 3. Though the work be sufficient by which all might obtain the end yet he worketh differingly and giveth differing measures for differing ends c. 4. His work on the special Elect is certain and shall not leave them untill it bring them to Glory Here we have another instance of the mans contradiction to himself as well as unto truth But to these things I say It is indeed certain from the Scriptures that many are convinced who never are converted by the spirit of God and also that the convictions of some proceed so far as that they escape the pollutions that are in the world through Lust 2 Pet. 2. 20. pass under that work described Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and yet fail of those things that accompany salvation which are things better then all that was before mentioned Such with respect to their profession and general assent to the truth of the Gospel c. are said to believe for a time And perseverance being the great touch-stone of sincerity the interest of persons in Christ is oft referred thereto with respect to the manifestation and proof thereof So in Heb. 3. 6. and those Texts cited by Mr. C. If persons hold fast their rejoycing of hope and confidence stedfast unto the end it is evident they were sincere and that their Faith was of the right kind in that it proves victorious against all opposition made thereto But if they draw back and fall away their Hypocrisie is detected and it is made manâ—fest that they were not of us For if they had been of us no doubt