A PLEA FOR FREE-GRACE AGAINST FREE-WILL WHEREIN Matters about Grace and Providence are plainly and fully cleared and contrary Opinions demonstrated to be against Scripture the Judgment of the Primitive Church and the Doctrine of the Church of England By J. GAILHARD Gent. For I know this that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in amongst you not sparing the flock Also of your own Selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them Acts 20.29 30. By the grace of God I am what I am ... Yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 LONDON Printed for George Grafton in Middle-Temple-lane in Fleet-street MDCXCVI THE PREFACE THE Church of God is in Scripture under the name of his Love compared to (a) Cant. 2.2 the Lilie among Thorns which not only make her uneasie but also do often strike deep wounds into her sides The two head Thorns which from the beginning prickt her sometimes to the very bowels and will do so to the worlds end are Tiranny whence ariseth Persecutions and Heresie the cause of great Disorders and Confusion this is the worst of the two for tho' the other destroyeth several of the members yet it purges the dross and makes the blood of Martyrs the Seed of the Church But this reacheth the very vitals lays her in a languishing and fainting condition (b) Gal. 5 20. Tiranny is a foraign Enemy for tho sometimes persecutions were raised by some that had been members yet they were fallen off and had declared open war against it But Heresie rockoned among the works of the flesh is a Domestick Enemy living within her pales yet so unnatural a child to the Mother as to divide rent and tear her The Holy Ghost forewarned us that such things should happen to the end we should not be surprized when they do Our Blessed Saviour fore-told his Disciples that there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and to make the Prophecy the more to be taken notice of he addeth in the next verse (c) Matth. 24.24 25. behold I have told you before After him St. Paul shews a necessity for it and gives the reason for (d) 1 Cor. 11.19 there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you And elsewhere he saith not of himself but (e) 1 Tim. 4.1 the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter days some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils St. John gives the like warning how (f) 1 Joh. 4.1 many false prophets are gone out into the world There be false Prophets that are to come in among the flock in Sheeps cloathing (g) Matth 7.15 to do the more mischief but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Wherefore 't is a truth beyond all dispute that Men teaching false Doctrines are to arise out of the bosom of the Church for as Christ's love is compared to the Lilly so are the Daughters compared to Thorns It would be tedious and superfluous to name those Plants which our heavenly Father having not planted have been or ought to be rooted out and those Tares which the enemy the Devil hath sowed in the Field only out of the vast number of those that have been notorious we shall mention two Heresiarcks Authors of abominable Doctrines one against the Person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the other against his Grace The first Arrius who afterwards was followed by Photinus and others and of late years by Socinus denied and opposed the Deity of Christ and in number prevailed to astonishment for though that pestilent Heresie had in the days of Constantine the Great been condemned at the first Nicene Council yet afterwards being maintained and upheld by some Emperors in some other Councils as Sirmiense and Seleucense especially in that numerous meeting of Bishops at Rimini that abominable Heresie was approved of and confirmed The other infamous and notorious Heresiarch which opposed the Grace of Christ to set up Nature and Free-will was Pelagius who afterwards was followed by the Semipelagians Papists and of late by Arminians and now unhappily at this time the Church is troubled and pester'd with both Arminianism and Socinianism and to explode this last the true way is to begin with the first which also once was here and is still a Shooing-horn to draw on Popery Yet herein we ought to admire at and adore the most wise Providence of God who thereby not only tryed his Church but also out of those Heresies brought forth this great Good that several truths which before were not so well nor so publickly known and in the dark have been brought to a greater and a more universal light for ever God raised some eminent Instruments to maintain the Truth Thus Athanasius was raised against Arianism and endued with such courage and other necessary qualifications that tho' Error seemed to triumph in number of Men yet he stood fast for the Truth hence it was said of him Athanasius against the whole World and the whole World against Athanasius If there had never been a Pelagius or some such a Man very likely we would never have had those excellent Writings of Austin which so well enlarged upon and cleared Matters of Grace so that after St. Paul the great Apostle for free Grace no Man hath upon those points written better than Austin Thus those Rocks which once others made Shipwrack upon are to us become Buoys and Warnings It hath been and still is God's Method from time to time to exerciâ—â— the Faith of his Church upon several and different Matters by means of heterodox and unsound Men so that though Truth in it self be always Truth yet some may well be called Truths of the Times because sometimes they were not at all spoken for or against and at one time they were opposed more than at another especially at that very time when old Errors were revived or new ones invented for afterwards new things being brought upon the Stage old questions did wear off and People minded new ones yet with this good effect That after all oppositions Truth appeared the more glorious like the Sun after it hath dispersed the Clouds that stood between it and our aspect Thus after the Roman blast had for a long time almost withered the face of the Church and the Frosts and Snows of the Alpes almost starved it in appearance yet when once more the light of the Gospel began to shine the World was made sensible how all fires of Persecution could not consume the Truths of God nor all the Waters of Affliction drown them that Church which seemed to have been buried under the violence and cruelties of Antichrist and wholly overlaid with all his Errors in Doctrine with Superstition and Idolatry in Worship yet when God's time for (a) Heb. 9.10 Reformation was come though that light of the Truth appear'd but dim
in a little corner of Germany and upon occasion only of Indulgences at first how suddenly upon new inquiries and new discoveries notwithstanding the rage and craftiness of those that held it in unrighteousness did it spread abroad almost all Europe over So that the Lilly though amongst Thorns by the dew from Heaven the heat of the Sun of righteousness and the fatness of the Soil watered with the Blood of so many thousands of Martys became extraordinary fruitful Germany Bohemia Hungary Sweden Denmark Poland England Scotland Ireland the Low Countries France Swisserland generally and for the most part and some Persons in Italy received it But since whilest the Protestant Reformed Churches though in some of their Members lying under Persecution from Worldly Powers were undisturbed amongst themselves and agreed upon these Points the Enemy again sowed Tares which out of Flanders spread into Holland whence not just presently but soon after that Poyson crept over hither where it was opposed and condemned as contrary to the professed Doctrine of the Church as by the Grace of God I shall clearly make it appear Though upon these Matters several Books have been written in Defence of Truth yet 't is long since so that many of them are almost out of Print and those that remain do not fall into every one's hands wherefore it will not be amiss sometimes and upon occasion for some to publish their thoughts to assert and vindicate Matters of God's Grace and Providence in opposition to what Adversaries do write or say against it in their Discourses and in the Pulpits and upon that same account I now do bring in my Evidence That which chiefly engages me upon this present Design is to hear upon all occasions these unsound Doctrines ring out of the Pulpits which for the most part they have been in possession of for several years they having taken effectual care to keep those that are for the Truth from going up to such publick Places so that they would create a belief in People that what they teach is the Doctrine of the Gospel received by the Church and by those means infuse into common capacities those evil Principles which do puff up Men with the Opinion of their Natural Strength which must needs produce dangerous practises We teach how God from Eternity hath freely Decreed our Salvation in the fulness of time Christ purchas'd it and in time 't is promised and offered us in the Word and thereby we are called to come in to Christ upon his own terms Sacraments do seal it the Holy Ghost applieth it Faith receives it and Holiness with other good Works do bear Witness to it In few Words out of the whole corrupt lump of Mankind God hath freely chosen some to be Objects of his Mercy and hath elected them to eternal life through Faith in Christ our Lord which Faith and other necessary means to come to Glory in execution of his Decree he doth in time give us till at last through these means of Grace we are brought into eternal life and all this meerly out of his Mercy and only through his free Grace the rest of Mankind he leaves in their Natural corruption at last to have his Justice executed upon them We attribute our whole Salvation to God's free Grace and they to Natural Strength and Free-will which is clearly made out But a further reason to engage me upon this Design is the great affinity between Socinians and Arminians for in some things they border so near one upon the other and in others are so united that specially they agreeing with Papists in most of those Points wherein they differ from us I am afraid of the production of some new Monstrous Opinion now when Socinians increase come fast upon us and even in Print without any check grow bolder every day God knows what the effect of such an Vnion may prove and how pernicious to the Souls of many as some of them formerly turned Papists so now others may happen to become rank Socinians Once Arminianism had very near brought in Popery and now 't is a-pace ushering in Socinianism these are great Judgments though most Men seem not to be sensible thereat which at last may happen to deprive us of the light of the Gospel all this danger and evil if it doth befal us we do and shall owe to Arminianism Here we have a large Field to bring in the Evidence and Authority of several of the Ancient Fathers of the Church engaged in the Defence of the same Cause with us which have spoken clearly fully and to the purpose but because the Rule I mean the Word of God is so clear I think it were needless to borrow the Authority of Man which we may believe no farther than it agrees with Scripture after God hath declared his Holy Will and Mind neither are there such difficulties as do need the interpretation of most or many Ancient Doctors Besides it would be tedious for common capacities which I desire to make these Matters intelligible to as mach as I can and the subject will admit to run over several passages of the Fathers for 't is not material chiefly for a kind of Readers to know what Austin Hilary Prosper Fulgentius Hierom and so many others with Bertram Bernard c. have written upon the matter as what the Word of God saith about it wherefore for Proofs we shall stick chiefly to the Law and to the Testimony The Church like the Ship in the (a) Marth 8.24 25 26. Gospel is tossed up and down with Winds and Waves exposed to Rocks Sands and many other Dangers in such a case what 's to be done In Storm time like the Disciples we must go to the Lord Jesus with Cries and Prayers awake him and say Lord save us we perish for our Comfort we must not go far he is in the Ship and though he be asleep and to make us call the louder seems to be so for (b) Psal 121.4 he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep yet in good time he will awake arise and rebuke the Winds and the Sea and there shall be a great Calm may the Lord do so in his due time Yet sometime some Jonah who is the cause of the Tempest must be cast over-board some are by Christ (c) Rev. 3.16 spued out of his Mouth and (d) 1 Tim. 1.2 delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme This is the end of many a disturber of the Peace of the Church which we are sure cannot miscarry but shall at last come to a good Harbor for though sometimes the Body be under Water as long as its Head is above it there is no danger of being drowned TO THE READER THE following Sheets I once intended to Dedicate to my Lord Carteret thereby to shew my singular esteem for his Piety Virtue and Merits But God By a late untimely Death and much to be lamented having taken him to
as others do we presently are by them branded with the name of precise and morose Puritans If they do well they attribute it to themselves to the right use they make of their free-will to their own will and inclination But if in us there be any thing better than in others we wholly as 't is most due attribute it to free-grace the glory of all we return to God and not to any will of ours for no good is done in or by us but what comes from God's free-grace to which specially in matter of Salvation we can never attribute too much nor too little to our own strength So that whilst their principles lead them to looseness and licentiousness ours or rather Gods in us lead us to holiness and vertuous practices and if thorough the corruption of our nature they do not as it should we confess it ought so to be Let them shew us their faith by their works for by the fruit we judge of the Tree Now bad actions and a vitiout life do naturally and necessarily flow from their principles and whilst as I said before (a) 2 Pet. 2.19 they promise others liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption Now if there be such an universal sufficient grace imparted to all men whereby they may be saved if they will why then from the Creation till now have not the effectual means of saving grace been imparted alike which if so then all or most had been saved which not being it must proceed from a want either of will or of power I cannot believe it is for want of a will for though people out of their own corruption be willing enough to procrastinate repentance and like Sampson be lulled a sleep in their Dalilah's bosom yet when they hear or see the Philistines (b) Judg. 16.19 the approaches of death dangerous sicknesses heavy afflictions and terrors of Conscience are coming upon them surely none are so prodigal of their own Souls or so desirous of damnation but would unfeignedly desire to be saved (a) Numb 23.1 let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his was the desire of that wicked false Prophet Balaam And as Sampson would have drawn up together all his forces to have overcome his Enemies he found his strength was gone The Lord was departed from him So those sinners who were lulled a sleep with those pretty fancies of a power to repent believe and be saved when it comes to the push they find there is no such thing in them as they were made to believe In Sampson his strength was gone for once he had it but that free-will and power which Arminians do brag of no man ever had Therefore at last they must be convinced how in man is no such a power whereby to be saved when he will Now to sum up all in few words Horrible absurdities follow on the Arminian opinions some whereof they acknowledge and others are bound on their back by unavoidable consequences Namely that the fruit of Christ's death doth absolutely depend upon the accidental assent of man's free-will that notwithstanding his death it was possible and very contingent that all men had perished That no soul had been free from Hell by his Blood That God should never have had any Church at all That now by vertue of his death true grace is given to all That all Pagans as well under the Law as the Gospel who never heard of Scripture are truly reconciled to God by the death of his Son That all Infants even of Heathens who die before the years of discretion are saved by Christ That in no man is any original sin but every one when he is born is put in the state of Innocency That Baptism is not necessary for no sin is therein remitted because there is none then to be remitted CHAP. XV. How Arminianism is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England WIth a sort of men namely those that are zealous for the Religion of their Fathers and true Sons of the Church of England I make no doubt but that this will be a weighty and prevailing Argument which for their sake and information before I have done I hope by the grace of God to make good and thereby to shew the disingenuity and design of those who to impose upon several people have the face to affirm Arminianism to be the Doctrine of the Church of England which is so contrary to truth To understand this well it must be explained what is meant by the Doctrine of the Church 't is not the opinions of some corrupt Members of the Church whom that Mother disowns as spurious because fallen from her Principles and having set up Errors of their own which she never taught them though they would father them upon her she hath fed them with pure and sincere milk which their own ill constitution hath turned into Poyson But what we call the true Doctrine of the Church is that which was received believed and taught in the very beginning of the Reformation from errors and abuses of the Church of Rome and without alteration by her self lasted for above threescore years after till a party here combined to bring in erroneous innovations of their own In few words we call that the Doctrine of the Church of England which concerning these controverted points is contained in the 39 Articles in the Common Prayer Book the Book of Homilies and the Catechism of Edward the 6th These are the general publick and authentical Records and Evidences of the Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England and we shall not want the Testimony of the most Eminent and famous Doctors thereof to prove what we say So then we shall make it appear how Arminiamsm is contrary to all this I mean in every one of these we shall find Testimonies against it First of all to begin with the Articles of Faith We have the 17th about Predestination in these Words Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundation of the World was laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ and to bring them unto everlasting Salvation c. Let the whole be read with Attention and what we have asserted about that Point will be found therein to be contained as the eternity of God's Decree everlasting Purpose its immutability hath constantly decreed c. But because if I should point at every Word confirming what I am about proving out of this Article it would take up too much time To do it more effectually I shall make use of another Man's Pen I mean of Mr. Thomas Rogers a Man beyond exception in the Case who was a Chaplain to Archbishop Bancroft He hath written an Analysis upon all the 39 Articles which he doth dedicate to the Archbishop and the Book is licens'd and printed by Authority
Mercy they attain to everlasting Felicity Here are also the Particulars by which that general bringing to Salvation is perfected so that to joyn both together it is but one and the same and from first to last there is such an indissoluble Connexion that he who is elected to eternal Life shall infallibly have it Upon this certitude and assurance it is that St. Paul concludes nothing can deprive us of eternal Life because nothing can separate us from the love of God which is the Ground of our Happiness Wherefore he defieth any thing or person to do it though Arminians undertake to accept of the Apostle's Challenge not caring how they come within his Defiance For they seem to answer that there are many or some things that can separate us from the love of God in Christ tho' after and before a long Enumeration St. Paul concludes In all things these we are more than conquerours And Job will trust in God John 13.15 though he kill him Now that which maketh us to Conquer is not our own free-Will but it is God that loved us In conformity to this in the same Article it is said The consideration of Election doth greatly establish in the Saints and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ And the same Interpreter upon the 17th Article in his 3d. Proposition out of the Words constantly decreed doth infer this Wander then do they from the truth which think that the very Elect totally and finally may fall from Grace and be damned c. I think this is very clear for us And in the latter end of his 8th Proposition he condemneth those who call the Doctrine of Predestination a licentious Doctrine As to the point of Justification which is a Fundamental Article of our Religion and much corrupted by Arminians the xi Article of the 39. saith We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works and Deservings These last Words do reach Arminians as well as Papists for free Will Faith Perseverance right use and improvement of Means do come under the Word Deservings There is then nothing of Man and Rogers in the Proofs of his 1st Proposition explains it thus By his only Righteousness we are justified It expresses only Christ's Righteousness and excludeth any thing else But I must not be too long upon this Out of what hath been said I hope it doth appear how of the 39 Articles those which speak about these Matters are clearly for us against Arminians Now we must come to the Liturgy or Common-Prayer-Book which now and then and in several places doth strike against those Errors and for the Truth And as the Church teaches us those Doctrines by Articles of Faith so in the Liturgy she doth confirm it by Practice But before I come to it I must take notice of some Passages in the Catechism which is also a publick Record and Evidence of the Doctrine of the Church Know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walk in the Commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace See also the Answer to the first Question about the Lord's Prayer I desire c. Read the Answer to the 4th Question and by God's help so I will c. Now to come to Particulars out of the Prayer-Book In one place we have thus (a) Collect on Christ's Nativity Grant that we being regenerate and made thy Children by Adoption and Grace may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit Those Benefits we receive as effects of Grace not of our free-Will and our being renewed is by God's Holy Spirit not by our Will If it be by one it is not by the other because in Matters of Salvation Grace and natural Strength are opposed In another place (b) Collect upon Ash-wednesday we beseech God to create and make in us new and contrite Hearts Then we cannot have it of our selves and the Word to create sheweth it to be beyond the power of any Creature it is the Work only of the Creator Elsewhere we own (c) Collect on 2d Sunday in Lent to have no power of our selves to help our selves If we have a free-Will we have a Power Again (d) Collect on Monday and Tuesday in Easter week As by thy special Grace preventing us thou dost put into our Minds good Desires so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect This is plain and full against Arminians If there be good Thoughts in our Mind good Desires in our Heart it is God alone that puts it therein By what Motive and upon what Account Not for any thing in us but by his Grace nay his special not a common universal Grace not for our Faith Repentance good Works right use of Means but by his special Grace preventing Grace before we can think and desire But this is not all for as the beginning is from God as are Desires so is the Progress for we pray for his continual help so also is the end that we may bring the same good Thoughts and Desires to good effect Without that help nothing doth or can come to any good We have more than this to shew (e) Collect on 4th Sunday after Easter Almighty God who alone canst order the unruly Wills and Affections of sinful Men grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou command-est and desire that which thou dost promise We are all sinful Men even God's People Our Wills and Affections are unruly where then lays their Freedom They are obstinate Slaves to their Passions therefore called unruly None but God can order them nothing under a Divine Power can influence them to what is good nay in things that are natural to them as to love and to desire Nothing seems more natural than Love and Desire nothing more free yet here we see our Wills cannot love that which God commands or desire what he promises except God makes them do it Surely these are mortal Wounds to free-Will Furthermore we cannot so much as to think any good thing but by the Spirit of God For St. Paul saith of our selves we cannot have a good Thought so the Church which believeth his Doctrine saith to God (f) Collect on 5th Sunday after Easter Grant to us that by thy holy Inspiration we may think those things that be good This is of Grace and not by Nature therefore (g) Collect on 1st Sunday after Trinity we can do no good thing without thee grant us the help of thy Grace that we may please thee both in will and deed God puts into our Hearts to do Duties and to perform them well (h) Collect on 3d. Sunday after Trinity Thou hast given us a hearty desire to pray We pray God to grant (i) Collect on Ascension day and Collect on Annunciation day
and without disturbance taught the truth of all those Doctrines The truth was then in possession of the Pulpits of Divinity Schools and of Presses but what when this Man appeared the most Famous and Learned Protestant Divines at home and abroad opposed him and did write against him If any one hath a mind to know the shifts and tricks of that Party to strengthen themselves and undermine their opposers and to prevent the calling of a General Synod which was sued for as the best way effectually to maintain truth and oppose falsehood let him read the Acts of the Synod of Dort with the Preface to it where they had all the fair play that might reasonably be wished for But because about these matters in the eighth Century disputes did break out again as it appeared in the case of Gottescalk wherein Hinemarus of Rheims and Remigius Archbishop of Lyons with the Churches of his Diocese were highly engaged these last for and the other against Gottescalk which if any one desireth to be well informed of let him read the Honest and Excellent account of it given by that worthy and Eminent Prinate of Ireland James Vsher which I quoted before A thing much to be taken notice of in all these disputes and which is the chief Subject of this Chapter is this that Arminius and his Followers do hold the opinions of Pelagians and Semipelagians and that Calvin whom they make the head against their opinions and we hold the same with Austin Hilarius Prosper Fulgentius and other Orthodox Doctors of the Primitive Church we hitherto have sufficiently declared ours what remaineth is for me to shew what those Fathers of the Church did hold about these points but that shall be briefly because the trouble of proving it hath been saved me by others who make good out of the writings of those ancient Fathers the things now in question First As to Predestination (a) Justin Martyr dialog cum Triph. Sect. 2. God elected us and was made manifest to them that sought him not And do you think O man that we could ever have understood these things in the Scripture except we had received grace by the will of God of which grace ye Jews being destitute have understood none of them Another saith (b) Cyprian de Mort. num 2. there is no need of Money Industry and Man's Hand but it is the free and ready gift of God as freely as the Sun shineth the Fountain watereth the shower moisteneth so doth the heavenly spirit power it self into us The great asserter of Christ's Divinity speaks thus (a) Athanas cont Aâ—â—â—â—n 4. Pag. 175. The Apostle James hath taught of his own will begat he us with the word of truth Therefore of all the regenerate yea and of all that by creation were generated it is the will of God by the word of God that doth create and regenerate whatsoever pleaseth him Let us hear what saith another (b) Ambros in Psal 118. Serm. 10. Perseverance is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth for it is not in the power of man but in God that sheweth mercy that thou shouldest be able to accomplish that which thou hast began Another saith (c) Hieron ad Ruff. lib. 1. Paul and those that are like him are not elected because they were holy and unspotted but they are elected and predestinated that afterwards in their lives in good works and vertues they may be unspotted and holy These Doctors attribute it to grace to the free gift of God to his own will and pleasure perseverance is not in the will or power of man but in Gods mercy neither were we elected for our Faith or Holiness but to be unspotted and holy all this is the sense of the fore-quoted Doctors which agreeth with what we said But because in Austin's days chiefly that Heresie sprung up and that he was the man who most laid it to heart and made it his main business to oppose it he hath written against it more clearly and most to the full of any Out of so many Treatises he hath written about it which are so well known we shall quote only one or two places (d) August de praedest grat cap. 13. Out of those to whom the severity of Justice adjudgeth punishment according to the unexpressible mercy of his secret dispensation he chose out vessels which he might fit unto honour both delivering some from wrath to come and leaving others to the sentence of Justice Enchirid. ad Laurent cap. 99. And in another place he hath mercy with goodness he hardeneth without injustice so that he that is freed may not boast of his merits neither he that is damned may complain of any thing but his merits for grace alone maketh a difference between the redeemed and the lost whom one common cause derived from the root had united together in one lump of destruction With this concurred another when he saith (e) Prosper ad except genu resp ad dub 9. Austin by a godly and constant doctrine hath abundantly proved that predestination was to be preached to the Church in which it is the preparation of grace and grace is to be preached in which is the effect of predestination and the fore-knowledge of God wherein he fore-knoweth before all ages on whom he would bestow his gifts Which preaching whosoever is against he is a most open defender of Pelagian Pride And in another place he saith from himself No Catholick doth deny the predestination of God The faith of predestination is established by many authorities of holy Scriptures yet unto it Ad capit Gall. cap. 1. it is not lawful to attribute any of the sins of men who came to their inclination to sin not by God's Creation but by their first Fathers transgression from the punishment whereof no man is free but only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ prepared and predestinated in the eternal counsel of God before the foundation of the world An excellent testimony about all these Doctrines by Austin asserted is given by Hormisda a Bishop of Rome to a Bishop of Africa who desired his advise about the Books of Faustus the Semipelagian in these words (a) Epist ad Possessor They know how not only the Roman and African Church and all the Sons of promise through all parts of the world do agree with this man's Austin Doctrine as in the whole Faith so in the confession of Grace But let us come to another (b) Fulgent de incar grat in fine God who made man by his predestination fore-appointed to whom he would give the gift of illumination to believe and the gift of perseverance to profit and persevere and the gift of glorification to reign who no otherwise performed indeed then he hath ordained in his unchangeable will The truth of which predestination by which the Apostle witnesseth that we are predestinated in Christ before the foundation
Province which Articles are a sentence past against Arminianism as the fit and proper remedy for the Disease the Antidote was specifical and composed against the Poyson which because they are few short and altogether to our purpose I shall here set down in English as they were in Latin I. God from Eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life certain men he hath reprobated to death II. The moving or sufficient cause of predestination unto life is not the fore-sight of Faith or of Perseverance or of Good works or of any thing that is in the persons predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God III. There is a predetermined and certain number of the predestinate which can never be augmented nor diminished IV. Those who are not predestinated to Salvation shall necessarily be damned for their sins V. A true living and justifying Faith and the spirit of God justifying is not extinguished it falleth not away or vanisheth not away in the Elect either finally or totally VI. A Man truly faithful that is such a one who is endued with a justifying Faith is certain of the full assurance of Faith of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ VII Saving grace is not given is not communicated is not granted to all men by which they may be saved if they will VIII No Man can come unto Christ unless it shall be given him and unless the Father shall draw him And all Men are not drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son IX It is not in the will or power of any Man to be saved These Articles upon serious debate and mature deliberation having been agreed on by the persons before named very Eminent and Considerable Men were afterwards sent to the University of Cambridge by their Deputies where they were received with the unanimous approbation of the whole University with such success that of the two Arminians Baroe not long after left the University and went away and Barret was forced solemnly to recant which recantation was Registred Thus a full stop was put to those Innovations and since that time till Laud's Faction got the upper-hand this and no other contrary Doctrine was taught there as being the true Orthodox according to Scriptures and the Church of England's but since that time the Party have done what they could to suppress and discredit it Yet though sometimes truth be driven into corners we doubt not but at last it will prevail notwithstanding the opposition of Men and Devils as it happened in the case of Arrianism An Heresie against the person of Christ as Arminianism is against his grace though to our great grief we see Arrianism revived in Socinianism as Pelagianism is in Arminianism But we must go on in our design In these 9 Articles we see the true Sence and Doctrine of the Church explained by those that by their office and learning are the fittest Interpreters thereof so we may conclude that to be at that time the Doctrine of the Church which we have asserted But we have farther proofs which to bring in I must skip over some passages but with an intent to make use of them in due place the reason I have to do so is because what I am going upon carries along with it the stamp of Publick Authority and Influence I mean the confession of Faith and Articles of the general Convocation of Ireland held in Dublin 1605 That is 20 years after the Articles of Lambeth By the grace of God I shall here set down those Articles of that Convocation which are to our present purpose and so shall begin with the Eleventh XI God from all eternity did by his unchangaeble Counsel ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass yet so as no violence is offered to the wills of the reasonable Creatures and neither the liberty nor the contingency of the second causes is taken away but rather established XII By the same eternal Counsel God hath predestinated some unto life and reprobated some unto death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither be increased nor diminished XIII Predestination unto life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed in his secret Council to deliver from Curse and Condemnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting Salvation as vessels made to honour XIV The cause moving God to predestinate unto life is not the fore-seeing of Faith or Perseverance or of good works or of any thing which is in the person predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself for all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory and his glory being to appear both in the works of his Mercy and his Justice It seemed good to his heavenly wisdom to chuse out a certain number towards whom he would extend his undeserved mercy leaving the rest to be spectacles of his Justice XV. Such as are predestinated unto life he called according unto God's purpose his spirit working in due season and through grace they obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by adoption they be made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by God's mercy they attain to everlasting felicity But such as are not predestinated to Salvation shall finally be condemned for their sins XXV The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable unto God without the grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will XXXII None can come unto Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father draw him and all men are not so drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son Neither is there such a sufficient measure of grace vouchsafed unto every Man whereby he is enabled to come to everlasting life XXXIII All God's Elect are in their time inseparably united unto Christ by the effectual and vital influence of the holy Ghost derived from him as from the head unto every true member of his mystical Body and being thus made one with Christ they are regenerated and made partakers of him and of all his benefits XXXVII By justfying Faith we understand not only the common belief of the Articles of Christian Religion and a persuasion of the truth of God's word in general But also a particular application of the promises of the Gospel to the comfort of our own souls whereby we lay hold on Christ with all his benefits having an earnest trust and confidence in God that he will be merciful to us for his Sons
can know it to be so then they must be sure of their faith that is have a certitude of it In the case of the two blind men (d) Matth. 9.28 our Saviour asked them believe ye that I am able to do this they said unto him yea Lord. When believers are seriously asked whether they have faith They may well and do confess it in conscience to the Lord himself which must arise out of a certitude of it Then (e) 1 Cor. 2.11.12 the spirit a man which is in him knoweth the things of a man and in the next verse he addeth we have received the spirit of which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God And we can distinctly perceive the proper acts of faith as when one out of a sincere and pious affection findeth himself ready to deny the world and himself to serve and obey God according to his holy will To the question how can a man know when he is elected And how see he hath Faith I say Election is evidenced by effectual calling by Faith and Repentance so is Faith by the fruits and effects thereof as are good works as certainly-as one may conclude where a fire is there is heat and when the Sun shineth it is day-light Thus the cause is proved by the effect and the effect by the cause Where is motion either natural or spiritual we may confidently assirm there is life accordingly Thus we need not to go up to Heaven to dive into the secret Council of God nor to turn the leaves of the Book of Life to see whether our names be written in it but to search into our own souls and examine our own Thoughts Affections and Actings if there be holiness love and other fruits of the spirit Now they object that this certitude must be expressed or implyed in the word and thence drawen by a consequence but we say it doth not arise out of the letter of the word but out of the inward testimony of our understanding being enlightened by the holy Ghost which beareth witness to our spirit that we are the Children of God and consequently that we have true faith This is not written in the Book of Scripture but in the Book of our Heart with the very finger of the Holy Ghost hence it is that we do not believe we do believe but we feel and perceive it as we do not believe we think of God when we do 't but we know and feel it in our minds One thing here I must take notice of upon the matter in relation to that Exhertation of St. Paul to the Corinthians to examine themselves that it is a great deal of pity that many I dare say good people do not set themselves upon that tryal but do either wholly or in part neglect it but if they be of God's Elect at one time or other they must come to 't the sooner the better and the more often to known what progress they made in faith what degrees of strength it hath gotten and for neglecting this so necessary a duty they thereby deprive themselves of much comfort which would accrue to them To make an end of this matter I shall add that this certitude is very much improved when we can clearly make out we have an interest in Christ and are Christ's For saith the Apostle (a) 1 Cor. 3.22 Ye are Christ's and Christ is God's To know whether we be Christ's we have a certain rule to know it by that is if the spirit of Christ be in us (b) Rom. 8.9 For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his How then to know whether the spirit be in us St. Paul giveth a rule by (c) Gal. 5.22 23. the fruits of the spirit as love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith c. Now we are come to a great question why of so many that hear the word of God there are so few that believe What may be the cause of it at the same word and under the same Ministery so different and contrary effect is produced some like Wax at the fire are softned and melted when others at the same time like Clay and Dirt are hardened whilst some believe others continue in unbelief and harden themselves some are the better others the worse for it Like (d) Joh. 13.27 Judas into whom the Devil entred after our Saviour had given him the sop The word is a wholesome Physick to some and as deadly poyson to others the Lord Jesus is a (e) 1 Cor. 23. 2 Pet. 2 8. stumbling-block and a rock of offence and foolishmess to some and the (f) 1 Cor. 2.6 7. wisdom of God in a mystery to others so that this word and they that preach it are unto some those that are saved (g) 2 Cor. 2.15.16 a Savour of life unto life and to others to them that perish a Savour of death unto death All this is truth Scripture teaches and Experience confirms how all that hear the word of God do no believe for all men have not Faith 2 Thess 3.2 Now we are to inquire into the reasons of it First 'T is not for any Dignity Merit Natural Capacity or any other quality in the hearer seeing the (h) 1 Cor. 2.14 natural man such we are all by nature receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them Which the same Apostle doth confirm in another place (a) Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Neither is it for any depth of knowledge learning eloquence or other abilities in the Minister who preacheth the word (b) 1 Cor 3.6 Paul may plant Apollos may water but neither of them can give the increase (c) 2 Cor. 2. 2 Cor. 4.7 Who is sufficient for these things For saith he in another place this treasure we have in earthen vessels that the excellency be of God and not of us The most fervent and excellent Servants of God commonly complain of the hardness and impenitency of their hearers and let Isaiah speak for all (d) Isai 53.1 16. Who hath believed our report And our Blessed Saviour should if any have had cause to expect a good success of his outward teaching yet how often doth he complain of the hardness stubbornness impenitency and unbelief of his hearers How few of the great multitudes he taught were converted to him So that we must not seek in the dispensers of the word for the cause why some believe and others do not The cause why all do not believe is not as the Adversaries would have it because they do not all they can and do not make use of all the power remaining in them out of their natural corruption that they do not go to Church do not hear nor read
grat cap. 6. Anselm in Rom. 8. Bradward causa dei lib. 1. cap. 40. Margin Now we must come to the third thing The perseverance of Saints and certainty of Salvation wherein we do agree with the Doctors of the Primitive Church That (e) Trenae lib. 5. cap. 9. 10. 11. the Temple of God which is inhabited by the Spirit of the Father and that the members of Christ should not be partakers of Salvation how is it not a most great blasphemy c. (a) Cyprian de mâ—râ— lit de â—rat domin nam 6. It is written saith Cyprian the just shall live by faith if thou art just and livest by faith if thou truly believest in God why since thou art to live with Christ and art sure of the Lords promise Doest thou not rejoice that thou art called by death unto Christ And elsewhere He that hath believed in his name and is made the Son of God from that time must begin both to give thanks and to profess himself the Son of God Another saith He (b) Clemenâ— Alex. paedag lib. 1. cap. 6. that believeth in the Son hath eternal life if then we who have believed have eternal life what remaineth beyond the possession of life eternal Again He saith thou art no more a Servant but a Son if a Son then also an Heir thorough God what then wanteth to a Son when he is an Heir This certainty of Salvation worketh an assurance and comfort which makes one say (c) Hilar. de trin lib. 1. The soul knowing her own safety resteth in quietness rejoycing in her hopes so much not fearing death that she accounts it as the way to eternal life Let us hear what saith another upon the matter (d) Ambr. in 2 Cor. 1. Serm. 15. He hath sealed us by giving his spirit to us for an earnest that we may not doubt of his promises for if when we were in the state of death he gave us his spirit it is not to be doubted but that to us being made immortal he will add glory And in another place He saith well I am confident for confidence is the strength of our hope and an authority of hoping Therefore hope still and no man can make thee ashamed of thy expectation Our expectation is life eternal As for Austin he hath written at large upon this Subject in his Book De Perseverantiâ Sanctorum De Correptione Gratia But here we shall only quote few words (e) August in Psal 122. 123. For we are saved by hope but because our hope is certain it is so spoken of us as if it were already done Hereunto we do joyn what another saith (f) Bernard Epist. 107. O man thou hast the justifying spirit for a teacher of this secret and in the same witnessing to thy spirit that thou also art the Son of God Take notice of the counsel of God in thy justification for the present justification of thee is both a revelation of God's counsel and a certain preparation unto future glory The Doctor called profound having argued and proved perseverance to be a free gift of God concludes thus For these and the like motives it seems more probable to me and more to agree with reason and Catholick Doctrines that perseverance is not given to merits but is freely given of God according to his free grace free-predestination and free-purpose as the first working grace that justifieth a sinner Lastly to make an end of this one having spoken of the Elect and Believer saith (a) Ferus in 1. Joan. 5. Satan cannot touch him He may indeed dare to tempt the godly so likewise he durst to tempt Christ Yea sometimes he drives just men unto a fall as we see in David and Peter But finally as in Christ he could have nothing so neither can he prevail over the Saints for none can take Christ's sheep out of his hands wherefore going to his passion he recommended all that believed in him unto his Father The words of others I omit to quote only their (b) Basilus de Spiritu Sancto cap. 15. Prosper in Psal 114. Cyrill Alex. Comment in Isa lib. 3. in Joan. lib. 9. cap. 44. Gregor in Job lib. 11. cap. 20. lib. 16. cap. 2. Aâ—selm in Rom. 8. Names and places I set down in the Margin I think I have done enough in this kind to prove that in the matters of grace we have the Doctors of the Primitive Church with us and others in some of the late Ages and consequently Calvin is not the Author of such Doctrines and that we brought no Innovation into the Church which aspersion we may justly retort upon our Adversaries And to shew the more that conformity we have with the antient Catholick Church I must say in short how the very same aspersions by Arminians cast upon us were by Pelagius and his followers laid to the charge of St. Austin and they are these First That they take away free-will and bring in a Stoical fatality Secondly That the make God the author of sin Thirdly They open a gap to despair and slothfulness Fourthly They take away all use of Precepts Promises Threatnings yea and Prayer it self Fifthly That they make God an Impostor seeing he commands men to repent and believe yet doth not seriously will their repentance and faith nor their Salvation unto which only faith and repentance can entitle them Sixthly That their whole opinions are against the stream of Antiquity These were falsely fathered upon the Doctrine of Austin and other Orthodox Doctors of the Church as easily I now can and upon occasion shall ever be ready to prove out of their own writtings but this I now omit not to fill up so much Paper with Quotations neither thinking it so material to know what those Father 's believed as what the word of God which we have not been wanting to make use of doth declare upon the matter Nay to go up higher I have shewed how it was against St. Paul's Doctrine objected Rom. 9. and the Objections by him answered of making God unjust and men excusable out of the necessity of God's Decree and as these were falsly fathered upon St. Paul's afterwards on Austin's Doctrine So with the very same the truths we teach are aspersed by our Adversaries who are men of the same Principles as the others were Indeed 't is very sad that whilst a considerable Body of Papists followers of Jansenius Bishop of Ypres joyned with us in defence of those matters of grace a Party of our own should make a desertion and joyn with Papists against us And some of them with as much gall in the Heart and bitterness against us in Tongues and Pens as if we were the greatest Unbelievers and Miscreants in the World and all this for no other cause than our asserting of the truths plainly and fully contained in God's Word CHAP. XIV Of the absurd and dangerous consequences necessarily
in the Prayer in time of War and Tumult amongst the Thanksgivings that we may in Heart and Mind ascend into the Heavens Surely 't is to deny those Prayers if one denieth the effectual Power of God on the Will of Man In another place Almighty God c. whose power no Creature is able to resist in Spirituals as in Temporals But I must not much longer stand upon this for the Stream runs strong that way only few places more I shall quote as that wherein we own (k) Collect on 4th Sunday after Trinity God to be our Ruler and Guide and beseech him to be so In another we say (l) Collect on 6th Sunday after Trinity and Collect on 7th Sunday after Trinity Pour into our Hearts such Love towards thee And we pray (m) Collect on 14th Sunday after Trinity for increase of Faith Hope and Charity And almost in every Collect we pray to God to rule our Hearts and in one place to work upon and move our Wills in these Words (n) Collect on 25th Sunday Stir up we beseech thee O Lord the Wills of thy People They are not free nay they are asleep and dead to every good thing except thou be pleased to stir them up The Question is about the Will and here the Will is named God may well rule the Heart for (o) 2d Collect on Good Friday by his Spirit the whole Body of the Church is governed In the Church-Prayers we own he ruleth the Hearts of Kings (p) 1st and 2d Collect on the Communnion Rule the Heart of thy Servant the King The Hearts of Kings are in thy Rule and Governance and thou dost dispose and turn them as it seemeth best to thy godly Wisdom We humbly beseech thee to dispose and govern the Heart of thy Servant our King that in all his Thoughts Words and Works he may ever seek thy Honour and Glory If Men have free-Will and Power to do those things as to purifie themselves why do we pray for them 'T is in vain for us to pray to God to do for us that which we can do our selves But if therein we want his Assistance then we must need want that Power I shall conclude with two or three places out of the Litany where 't is prayed for the King That his Heart may be ruled in the Faith Fear and Love of God In another place That the Church may be called and universally governed in the right way and That God would bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived Here the Church doth plainly acknowledge the Efficacy of God's Grace on the Wills and Hearts of Men for when we pray that God's Grace may work such Effects 't is owned such Effects to be the proper Works of God's Grace One thing more I shall take notice of and it is this In a Prayer are these Words We beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of Men that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them Hence we see how Men cannot of themselves know God's Ways but it is God that makes them known unto them therefore we therein beseech God to do it Which if it were not proper for God alone the Prayer would be in vain Hence we also learn the Sense of the Church as to the signification of the word all used in Scripture as it ought to be the Object of our Prayers and then by a consequence apply it to those for whom Christ died against an universal Redemption in their way for in the Collect it is not said for every single and individual Man but for all sorts and conditions of Men. Now to proceed We should bring something out of the Book of Homilies and of the authorised Catechism of Edward the 6th As to the first take notice of the following places out of the Edition quoted in the Margin London 1623. Part. 1. pag. 8. Ephes 2. St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our own Colours calling us the Children of the Wrath of God when we were born Saying also that we cannot think a good Thought of our selves much less can we we say or do well of our selves c. And we be of our selves of such Earth Pag. 10. as can bring forth nothing but Weeds Nettles Brambles Bryars Cockle and Darnel we have neither Faith Charity Hope Patience Chastity nor any thing else that good is but of God and therefore these Vertues are called there the Fruits of the Holy Ghost and not the Fruits of Man In another place Of our selves and by our selves we have no Goodness part 1. p. 11. and Part 2. p. 181 182 183. Help nor Salvation but contrariwise Sin Damnation and Death everlasting Our Salvation comes only by Christ We are all become unclean but are not able to cleanse our selves nor to make one another of us clean We are by nature Children of God's Wrath but we are not able to make our selves the Children and Inheritors of God's Glory c. He is the God who of his own Mercy saveth us and setteth out his Charity and exceeding Love towards us in that of his own voluntary Goodness when we perished he saved us and provided an everlasting Kingdom for us And all these Heavenly Treasures are given us not for our Desert Merit or good Deeds which of our selves we have none but of his meer Mercy freely Doth not this wholly and only attribute our Salvation to the free Grace of God in Christ and consequently excludeth any thing in or from us to move God to be so gracious to us As to the great point of our Justification before God in the Sermon of the Salvation of Mankind by only Christ our Saviour from Sin and Death everlasting are these Words But our Justification doth come freely by the Mercy of God of so great and free Mercy that whereas all the World was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their Ransom it pleased our heavenly Father of his infinite Mercy without any our Deserts to prepare for us the most precious Jewels of Christ's Body and Blood c. And further to shew there is nothing of ours Part 2. p. 172. it is said elsewhere It is of the free Grace and Mercy of God by the Mediation of the Blood of his Son Jesus Christ without Merit or Deserving on our part Part 2. p. 81 82. that our Sins are forgiven us that we are reconciled and brought again into his Favour and made Heirs of his Heavenly Kingdom And as to the Certainty and Immutability of our Election it is said in another place Let us by such Virtues as ought to spring out of Faith shew our Election to be sure and stable Part 1. p. 28.29 c. And elsewhere we read this The holy Man Simon saith Part 2. p. 152. that Christ is set forth for the fall and rising again of many in Israel As Christ
sake so that a true believer may be certain by the assurance of Faith of the forgiveness of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ XXXVIII A true lively justifying Faith and the sanctifying spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanisheth away in the regenerate either totally or finally The members that composed the Convocation which passed these Articles were for the most part English Divines of great learning who had made their studies in our Universities true members of the Church so that 't is the same as if they had been agreed here and the Lambeth Articles were inserted withall we look upon the Church of England and Ireland to be but one and the same The famous and for Piety and Learning eminent James Vsher afterwards Primate of that Kingdom was present at the Convocation and had a hand in penning the Articles which were approved of by King James Licensed and published here by Authority Our 39 Articles agreed upon in the Reign of Edward the VI. by the Convocation in 1552 several years before Arminianism was broached and appeared abroad could not be so plain and so full against it as are those of Lambeth and of Dublin For then the evil being broken out a fit and proper remedy was applyed against it Hence it is that in both we see those Errors so clearly and fully condemned that if we had been the Pen-men thereof we could not have drawn them otherwise than they are I must now return to my more ancient proofs but not generally publick as this last the first that broke the Ice as far as I have read upon these matters was one Samuel Harsnet who upon the 27th of October 1584 having at Paul's Cross preached a Sermon concerning those points his Sermon was censured and condemned and he at last declared his sorrow for it The ground of the complaint was that he had preached contrary to Truth and to the Doctrine of the Church About this time something having appeared abroad to favour those Errors amongst others one Veron did well handle the points in a Book called A Fruitful Treatise of Predestination with the Apology for the same against those who appeared in Cambridge and he Dedicated it to the Queen and it was received with approbation and applause But why should I stand upon naming of persons Seeing all our first Reformers sufficiently expressed their judgment in the 39 Articles the Common-Prayer-Book and Homilies which they compiled So we must name Bishop Cranmer Latimer Hooper Jewel Ridley Grindal and Martyr Bucer who though Foreigners were Divinity Professors one at Oxford the other at Cambridge and were made use of in the work of Reformation Tyndal Friths Barnes c. and since that time Edwin Archbishop of York the Bishop of Chichester in 1576 John Bridges Bishop of Oxford Babington Bishop of Worcester the fore-named Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury and Hutton of York The Bishops of London of Bangor Dr. Will. Whitaker and since that time Perkins not excepting Mr. Hooker and who not Which it were too long to number we can bring a List of 300 English Scotch or Irish yet most English or thereabouts with whom in the controverted points agreed all the Considerable and Eminent Instruments of Reformation as others beyond the Seas Zuinglius Luther Calvin Beza Bullinger Zanchius Piscator Chamierus Paraeus Vrsinus Junius Molinaeus Rivetus Gomarus Scultetus Macovius c. But we must not go abroad we have enough at home to carry on the argument which I shall reduce within the time of King James's Reign and maybe go little after Every one may know he was a learned Prince and a true England Church-man during his life the Arminian Sect durst not appear here at least publickly For a Sermon in the year 1616 having been preached at Royston before the King concerning points of Arminianism a recantation was imposed upon Mr. Sympson who had preached it and he recanted and about six years after at Oxford one Mr. Gabriel Bridges having in the University Church preached a Sermon against the absolute Decree of Predestination he was accused for preaching contrary to Truth and to the Articles of Religion established in the Kingdom and was ordered to maintain in the Schools the contrary of what he had preached in the Pulpit which he did Now we will come to a Royal Evidence and that is King James in his own writings at the conference at Hampton-Court about predestination he delared against the Arminian opinion and was approved and applauded by all present He said how Predestination and Election depend not upon any qualities actions or works of Man which are mutable but upon God's Eternal and Immutable Decree and Purpose And before we leave off we shall by the grace of God shew his judgment about Arminius and his Errors First he calls Arminius a seditious and Heretical Preacher an Enemy of God the first in our age that infected Leyden with Heresie a man whom all the Reformed Churches of Germany had with open mouth complained of Anâ—n we shall see what he saith of his Followers But let us see something of what he writes against his and their opinions As to Predestination he expresseth thus much (a) Meditation the Lord's Prayer God hath two wills a revealed will towards us and that will is here understood he hath also a secret will in his eternal Counsel whereby all things are governed and in the end made over to turn to his glory oftentimes drawing good effects out of bad causes and light out of darkness to the fullfilling either of his mercy or his justice c. The first Article of the Apostles Creed teacheth us that God is Almighty however Vorstius and the Arminians think to rob him of his eternal Decree and secret Will making things to be done in this world whether he will or not And in his Declaration against Worstius he saith (b) Protestatio Antivorstiana We do not doubt but that their Ambassadors of Holland which were with us about two years since did inform them of a fore-warning that we wished the said Ambassadors to make unto them in our name to beware in time of Seditious and Heretical Preachers and not to suffer any such to creep into their State Our principal meaning was of Arminius who though himself were lately dead yet had he left too many of his disciples behind him which he mentioneth in what he addeth We had well hoped that the corrup seed which that Enemy of God Arminius did sow amongst you some few years since whose disciples and followers are yet too bold and frequent within your Dominions had given you a sufficient warning afterwards to take heed of such infected persons seeing your own Countrymen already divided into factions upon this occasion a matter so opposite to unity which is indeed the only prop and safety of your State next under God as of necessity it must by little and little bring you to utter ruin if wisely you do not provide
we should look only into that rotten part of it we might well say of it with the Prophet (i) Isa 1.21 How is the faithful City become an Harlot and apply to it what is spoken of the Church of Sardis I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die Thou hast the name of the Church of England but thou art not as to that thou art dead thou art such only in a Shew Soundness in Matters of Grace is one of the Vitals of true Religion and of a true Church There are some things remaining in thee thou art not altogether Pelagian thou art not a thorough-paced Papist thou mincest the Matter and ownest something of Grace but have a care Rev. 3.1 2. for those things are ready to die if they be not strengthned Though the Corruption in these points of Grace be very Epidemical and too far spread amongst those who pretend to be the Sons of the Church Yet Thanks be to God all are not infected all along there have been and still are some who receive the Mother's Counsel and follow her Directions in the same sense and meaning thereof and continue obedient Children which others do not For by what I already said it doth appear how Arminianism far from being the Doctrine of the Church as constituted in the beginning of Reformation and long after is contrary to and condemned by it One thing more I shall add to shew as I said but just now that for all the great and general Corruption crept amongst the Members in those and late Days There are and have been some eminent Members of the Church not ashamed of the Truth nor afraid to own it And for the truth of this I appeal to the Author Anonymus and nameless of the Book called Several Conferences between a Romish Priest a Fanatick Chaplain and a Divine of the Church of England His Evidence must be the more received that he is no favourer of Dissenters but declares himself an Enemy to them and to Puritans in that he most undecently traduces the Chaplain for a Fool and doth ridicule him to such a height as if he wanted common Sense and Reason and could speak nothing but Nonsence for himself Well he saith thus P. D. for he makes himself the Protestant Divine (a) Pag. 76. at the latter end Very wonderful Proofs as though many of our Church against the Puritan Party had not been inclined to Calvinism in the point of Predestination specially in that moderate way wherein R. Abbot asserted it as though it were not possible for Men to be zealous for our Liturgy and Ceremonies if they held the Doctrine of Election and Perseverance But we do not want those of the highest Order in our Church at this day who are eminent for Learning and Piety and Zeal for the Church who would take it very ill from T. G. upon the account of those Opinions to be thought Enemies of the Church of England as the Puritans were So that although that Truth of late Years was much opposed and abused God never left it without Witnesses Here besides the eminent Doctors and Prelates we named before Amongst those that have succesfully taken great pains in Latin to vindicate this Truth we must reckon Dr. Ames and Dr. Twysse and beyond Sea Peter Molienaus in his Anatome Arminianismi Wedelius's Arcana Arminianismi with the Acts of the Synod of Dort c. All which as to matter of Fact as of right do give impartial and reasonable Readers a full satisfaction In the mean time seeing Matters of Grace are Fundamental to our Salvation we are highly concerned to mind them Let this Question be put to any or to every Man Would you go into Heaven or into Hell I think there is none so desperately wicked but that if the thing depended upon a Wish without wavering he would answer Into Heaven Then if he hath the least sparkle of Reason he must grant he cannot go without a Way and a Guide to lead him thorough for the Way is thorny and full of Difficulties In the choice of a Guide let him come to this Dilemma chuse either God or Man Surely he may easily determine I had rather to trust to God than to Man About Means and Ways the Arminian saith if you have a mind you can go to Heaven you have within you a sufficient Grace and Light to carry you thither you have a free Will you can go if you please for you can repent believe make a good use of Means and persevere if you will But on the other side let us hear what God saith Thou canst not see for thou art blind thou canst not hear for thou art deaf thou canst not speak for thou art dumb thou canst not walk for thou art impotent and lame thou canst not move because thou art dead In prosecuting of this Argument I shall not do as Arminians who frame in their Heads some pretty and pleasant Notions and deliver them in as plausible a manner as they can and take us to be so credulous as to take their bare Word for it without any Scripture Proofs But first in general we say in matters of temporal Deliverance or Salvation much more as to eternal Salvation God reserveth it only to himself For (a) Psal 3.8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord and (b) Jon. 2.9 Salvation is of the Lord and (c) Isa 26.1 Salvation will God appoint for (d) Luk. 1.69 he hath raised up an Horn of Salvation for us We know who said (e) Psal 37.39 The Salvation of the Righteous is of the Lord and (f) Rom. 6.23 the Gift of God is eternal Life which is the same with Salvaion That is a Gift of God not a Word of Man in it God is the only Physician of the Soul that is his Right and Property which no Man may invade or encroach upon without making himself liable to the Curse of God But let us come to Particulars I need not to prove a thing granted that there is Blindness Darkness and Ignorance in the Mind Hardness Stubbornness and Deadness in the Heart with Perverseness and Rebelliousness in the Affections But I am to shew how to cure these is the proper Work of God (g) Psal 119.125 God and no Man gives us understanding to know his Testimonies and when he is pleased to (h) v. 144. give us understanding we shall live Thus Christ (i) Luk. 24.45 opened the understanding of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures 'T is (k) Psal 146.8 the Lord and none else that openeth the Eyes of the blind and raiseth them that are bowed down Here also he upholdeth and strengthneth the weak (l) Isa 35.5 The eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped Here is a Promise and a Remedy for the deaf
as for the blind Not only so but he will be a Guide to the Blind Chap. 42.16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not I will lead them in the Paths that they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight these things will I do unto them I know this may also be understood of Miracles by our Saviour wrought on the Bodies but it is chiefly meant of the spiritual Cures upon the Souls of Men 'T is not so much of the Eyes of the Body but as St. Paul explains it (m) Ephes 1.18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened To this relateth the Eye-Salve by the Lord Jesus mentioned in Scripture who in the same place offereth poor Sinners Riches Raiment and Eye-Salve (n) Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee to beg of me gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine Eyes with Eye-Salve that thou mayest see So then no Remedy but in God for the blindness of our Understanding 2 Tim. 1.7 for God alone can give the Spirit of Power and of true Chap. 2.7 and of a sound Mind and understanding in all things As for the Heart God is also the sole Physician thereof (o) Psal 10.17 and 86.11 God doth prepare it and causeth it to fear his Name Take notice of God's working upon the Heart (p) Jer. 32.39.40 and chap. 24.7 chap. 31.33 I will put my Fear in their Hearts that they shall not depart from me and I will give them one heart and one way that they shall fear me for ever Moreover I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts And by the Mouth of Moses God promiseth (q) Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine Heart and the Heart of thy Seed But God goeth beyond for he gives a new Heart and a new Spirit (a) Ezec. 11.19 20. and I will give them one Heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an Heart of flesh that they may walk in my Statutes and keep mine Ordinances and do them God and none else must give or else we cannot have it See how positive and full Moses is upon this (b) Deut. 29.4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to hear unto this day They had it not because God had not given it it did not depend upon their free Will to have it for then they had not wanted it God reneweth changeth and restraineth the Heart (c) Ezec. 39.7 I will not let them pollute my holy name any more And when it is wounded and (d) Psal 147.3 broken he healeth it and bindeth up the wound And when 't is in a good Frame he doth (e) 1 Thes 3.13 Psal 27.14 and Psal 31.24 stablish it unblameable in holiness before God he strengtheneth it Out of these and many more Texts which we omit appeareth the absolute power disposal of and ruling which God hath over the Heart How can after this Arminians deny it when they say 't is free to obey or disobey to reject or receive that which God offereth in few Words to disappoint God and do what it will in spite of God Is not this to make a God of it To this I add we cannot so much as mind or attend unto the Word of God preached except he be pleased to open our Hearts as he did that of (f) Acts 16.14 Lydia As to our Lameness and Impotency to walk in God's ways we must depend only upon God to be cured of it Wherefore David doth beseech him to order his steps (g) Psal 25.4 5. to shew him his ways to teach him his paths to lead him in his truth and to to teach him And God saith (h) Hos 11.3 I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their Arms For they could not go of themselves they wanted a Guide and a Helper (i) Jer. 10.23 For the way of man is not in himself he cannot direct his steps (k) Psal 63.8 'T is God's right hand that upholdeth us Than every thing else conducing to our Salvation God doth it for us (l) Psal 143.10 he teaches us to do his will he draws and turns us when we go astray when we are dull slow and weak he quickeneth us How many times doth David in that 119th Psalm pray God to quicken him in his ways in his Righteousness c. but the great Work is to (*) Ephes 2. quicken us when we were dead in trespasses and sins Let us in very few words with admiration and thankfulness take notice of God's way and method in his gracious actings for us First He begins and prepares (a) Isai 57.14 Prepare the way take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people then (b) Chap. 26.12 he works in and for us afterwards he (c) Psal 68.28 strengthneth that which he hath wrought for us (d) Psal 3.5 he (e) 145.14 sustaineth and (f) Psal 57.2 upholdeth (g) Psal 138.8 he performeth all things for us But God is not content to do so he also (h) Heb. 13.21 doth perfect that which concerns us and as the Apostle saith he (i) 1 Pet. 5.10 makes us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight St. Peter is full upon the matter he prayes God to perfect stablish strengten and to settle believers In a word God saith David is the God of our salvation from whom we receive blessing and righteousness (k) Psal 24.5 I must not omit that admirable Text wherein God promiseth to plant the Gospel which is concluded thus (l) Ezech. 17.24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree have exalted the low tree have dryed up the green tree and have made the dry tree to flourish I the Lord have spoken and have done it God alone hath done it all To conclude these Evidences it must be granted how without faith and repentance we cannot be saved but with them we shall surely be For the substance and declaration of the Gospel is repent and believe Now 't is easie out of Scripture to shew how both repentance and saith do not depend upon the will and power of man but they are the gift of God As for repentance 't is clear Acts 5.31 Jesus hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Repentance and forgiveness of sins which go together are not in the power of any man but God
proceed farther I have an occasion to say something on the behalf of that faithful Servant of Christ in whose Written Life the world hath such a Character of him as becomes a Pious Laborious and learned Man and though I am not sworn to his or any Man's words yet for truths sake I shall speak some few words relating to us here in Queen Elizabeth's days a Convocation at Oxford approved the Book of Calvins Institution and appointed it by Tutors to be read to their Pupils an infallible sign of a perfect agreement of our Church with the Doctrines therein contained which was to joyn it with our Articles That Book indeed is a Master-piece and deserves well the Commendation following given it by a learned Pen. Praeter Apostolicas post Christi tempora chartas Huic peperere libro secula nulla parem Whereof the sence is Since the birth of Christ no Age hath after the writings of the Apostles produced so excellent a Book as is Calvin's Institution Johannis Stormius an Eminent Divine of Strasbourgh who with his Brother through their singular Prudence and Eminent Piety did by the grace of God prevail without any Tumult to have the true Religion at the beginning of Reformation received in that City gives the following Character of Calvin John Calvin Joannes Calvinus homo acuâ—issimo judicio sum maque doctrina Egregia Memoria praeditus est c. a man endowed with most acute judgement of very great learning and of an excellent memory in his Writtings are variety plenty and purity witness whereof is his Institution of the Christian Religion which having first began then enlarged and inriched and at last finished he hath published this year Neither do I know in this kind any thing better or more perfect to teach Religion to Reform Manners and remove Errors And let any man think himself to be therein very well settled and grounded who hath attained to the things contained in that Book Beza saith he read it one and twenty times and at every time out of it he learned something Our first Reformers had a great respect and value for him amongst the several opinions about the Lord's Supper they received his as the true and they sent over for three Men that had been influenced by him Martyr Bucer and Fagius to help them in the Work of Reformation Archbishop Cranmer did kindly write to him and desired his assistance in things tending to a farther settlement of the Church and acquainted him he could do nothing more profitable than to write often to the King Bucer at Cambridge where he was Professor in Divinity hearing his Letters prevailed upon the Protector Duke of Somerset desired him to write to that Noble Lord concerning some matters And Bishop Hooper valued him so much as from his Prison to write to him calling him vir praestantissime and subscribing himself pietatis tuae studiosissimus Jo. Hooperus When Calvin did write to the Duke of Somerset it was very kindly taken Mr. Thomas Rogers in his Analysis of the 39 Articles doth speak honorably of him in the 2d page of his Preface and the first Letter he did write to the King was very well received and the whole Council whom the King shewed it to was well pleased with it This sheweth at that time he was not such a monster in the eyes of great and good men as Arminians have since traduced him he was a Man of great and good fame for all the malice of his enemies and of the truths who from first to last thought they might write or say any thing against him I shall instance only one who called him a pragmatical Fellow c. who died Bishop of (a) Parket Oxford but such a Man's standers strike no blow for after he had by Mr. Malvile been reduced to a nonplus and to have nothing more to the purpose to say for himself in our strugling here against Popery made himself sufficiently known to the world before his death Such virulent Pens and Serpentine Tongues must spue out their venom against the Works and Memory of Pious Learned and Extraordinary Men whose Books they never were worthy to carry But we must not wonder that sort of people doth speak so ill of the Eminent instruments of Reformation which they were and are enemies to and to friends of Reformation (b) Heylin Histay of Reformation Preface page 4. Doth not one of their chief Men abominably say whose death Edward 6th I cannot reckon for an infelicity to the Church of England for being ill principled in himself c. None but Papists can account it an infelicity that so good a Protestant Prince should die so soon if so then it was no infelicity to England that he was so soon succeeded by such a Bloody Persecutor of Religion as Queen Mary was After that they are licensed to speak ill of any Man The most pious hopefull and knowing Prince for his Age that ever sat upon an English Throne comparable to Josiah in his Zeal for the glory of God his loss the more to be pityed that he did not go off the Stage without suspition of being poysoned which very reason should have stoped such foul-mouths for fear of being thought to approve of such abominable courses which were not only suspected at home but also reported and credited abroad as mentioned by an (a) Sleidâ—â— Author of very good reputation who gives a worthy and deserved Character of that young King which an English Man will not afford him The Court intrigues in his Reign are well known how at first through the Division then the ruin of the two Brothers his Unkles he was laid open to the attempts of his Enemies As a violent Arminian attempted to tread upon the memory of that Excellent King (b) Iohn Goodwin another stiff that way hath in print justified the death of King Charles they spare no body Hear how the same Heylin in his quin-quarticular History speaks of that worthy Primate Vsher the Irish Articles saith he were drawn up by Doctor Vsher a professed Calvinian who not only thrust in the Lambeth Articles but also made others of his own c. But let us return to our immediate Subject about Arminians Pelagius was their Grand-father whose Errors Austin overthrew with Scripture and Reason God at that time having raised him up to be Champion for Grace who in this matter handled the word of God so powerfully and like a wise Master-builder and in so successful a way that the unsound Tenets were beaten down and the upholders thereof highly discountenanced But after Pelagius his death his Sectators appeared but under another shape not altogether so hideous for they did not positively deny Original Sin but so had however that the same Doctor took up the Cudgels against those Semipelagians Arminius in his days renewed the dispute on the behalf of the Semipelagians in a time when all the Reformed Churches both here and abroad quietly