consolation in God even to the assurance of their election If weake in faith and oppressed vnder the burthen of their sinnes yet is there no cause why they should despayre by reason of any doctrine of ours but rather good hope that these troubles of minde may proove as panges of childbirth to deliver their soules into the world of grace 2. Of any doctrine Canonized eyther in the Synod of Dort which we knowe or in the Synod of Arles which I knowe not I am utteâ—lâ— ignorant The course of comprehending the doctrine of the Church concerning certeyne points in severall theses and denominating them canons hath bene anciently of use in Councells and Synods but of canonizing any doctrine therby I never heard nor read till now But if the Church be the pillar and butteresse of truthe the authoritie therof is of no small force for the establishment therof albeit we acknowledge no infallible rule of faith but the word of God The quaestion in praesent is whether election be upon the foresight of mans obedience or according to the meere pleasure of God and in the issue it comes to this as in due place I will shewe whether God hath mercy on whom he will by giving faith and repentance vnto them and whom he will he hardeneth by denying faith and repentance Or rather in the dispensation distribution of these graces proceedeth according to mens workes Now to me it seemes a strange course when a quaestion is moved as touching two contrary opinions which of them is true and to be embraced to drawe the resolution herof to the consideration of the usefulnes of the opinions or doctrines quaestioned As if because an opinion is usefull therfore it is to be coÌ„cluded that it is true and not rather in case it be founde to be true yea the very truthe of God the rule wherof alone is Gods word therfore we ought to conclude that it is vsefull and be carefull to make such use of it as it doth bespeake Nay is it not most indecent for man to presume â—o obâ—rude opinions upon Gods word upon a bare praetence of the usefulnes of them in mans iudgment to serve turnes as he thinkes good And doe not as many as take such courses for the mayntenance of their owne way manifest hereby that their cause is desperate and that it seemes they have very litle or no ground for their opinions out of the word of God when they runne out vnto such divinations as these for the supporting of their labouring and wavering cause As for example if the Apostle shall playnly professe that election is not of workes shall not we embrace this for truth unles we finde it to be more usefull to the purposes here specified then the contrary and if we seeme to finde the contrary doctrine more usefull then this in our phantasy shall we therfore contradict the Apostle in expresse termes or set our wits on worke so to fashion the Apostles meaninge by a forced interpretation as to make him to contradict his owne wordes In like sort if the Apostle sayth God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 And withall manifests that by obteyning mercy at Gods handes he understandeth the obteyning of faith Rom. 11.30 that even in the former place being manifest enough by the antithesis of it unto obduration Shall we hang still in suspense as touching the acknowledging of S. Pauls meaninge untill we have well weighed and considered the usefulnes of this doctrine in comparison with the usefulnes of the contrary doctrine and according to the weight of each by such weights and in the scale of our judgment pronounce judicially eyther for Paul or against him or at least make the holy Apostle by some practise or other to eate his owne wordes as Saturne did his children And verily in the cause of such a triall a good witt will serve a disputant in good steade who can if he list bring forth pleasant ejaculations in commendation of a bald head or of folly with Erasmus or of a louse with Daniel Heinsius and with our English Sonnetters of a stâ—aweâ— to witnesse thâ— songe O the strawe the strawe and then let them take forth and singe Now here is a jolly couâ—se quoth the minstrill And others like eâ—ough will be furnished with as good witt to the contrary in displaying the unnecessary condition of ought â—ike him who having fâ—â—st made an excellent speech in the commendation of justice afterwards spake as wiâ—â—ily to the contrary shewing that there was no justice at all in the World And I have heard of a Gentleman that would discourse against any neede we have at all of fire saying that at the end he was driven to a non plus for as much as he could not devise how his horse could be shod without it And in like manner I have with admiration receaved a relation concerning a Gentleman in an Assembly of States such as we call Parliaments namely that he was absolutely the best speaker yet nothing respected and that for a most sufficient reason which was this They knew full well that he could speake as well and as movingly to that which was quite contrary And I willingly professe the Author of this discourse seemes to be a witâ—y Gentleman and to enterteyne his readers in the following treatise with a pretty enterlude no mervail if he makes choyse of a fiâ—t scene wherein to shew the feates of his activitie Wherein how well he caryeth himselfe when he comes to the triall of our Doctrine by the serviceablenes thereof to the three endes here proposed we shall by Gods helpe inquire in due place But surely though it be not serviceable to any of these ends yet if it be as serviceable to other ends above specified out of the history of the Counsell of TreÌ„t as also out of the 17. article of our church of EnglaÌ„d as also to the glorifying of God in acknowledging the prerogative of his grace as onely effectuall to every thinge that is good the prerogative of Gods soveraintie over his Creatures in making whom he will Vessells of mercy and whom he will Vessells of wrath â—o witt by shewing mercy on whom he will and hardening whom he will This I hope shall be sufficient to uphold the reputatioÌ„ of it yea albeit it be found contrary to other endes which yet I deny like as comforts are contrary to the use of terrifying and terrours are contrary to the use of comfortinge and yet Gods word coâ—taines both kindes of discipline Like as Martin Luther and Melancthon were of different dispositions and Erasmus his censure of them was this that Melancthon followed Luther as Litae followeth Atae in Homer yet Chytraeus in his Historiae confessionis Augustanae as I remember professeth that God in his gracious providence made good use of both for the service of his Church and propagation of the Gospell in these latter dayes And I well observe
frequently seene among Arminians as lice among beggars The third Section THe Cathechumenist will theÌ„ further ad If the Gospell according to the doctrine of the Synods be preached unto the most not to any other end but only for their greater damnation that he will no longer hearken to it seeing that it is most likely that he is of the greatest number and not of the small that he remembers that he hath read in Calvin that God directeth his word to them wherby he makes them more deafe and sheweth them the light of the Gospell to blinde their eyes and that therfore they who never heard the word are lesse miserable then they who could not therfore believe because God woulde not give them grace sufficient to believe Finally our Catechumenist will say that if the decree of God be such as the Catechist proposeth it must necessarily followe that they both labour in vayne seing that every man before he is come into the world is allready inrolled in one of the two Registers eyther of life or death and that it is no more possible to be blotted out eyther of the one or other then it is for God to deny himselfe The Catechist then fearing that his proselite will fall from him doth tell him farther that it is not for us to searche into those secrets that there is no visible marke wherby to discerne the elect from the Reprobate That the elect themselfes knowe not their election before their calling which is deferred sometimes even to the last hower of their lifes that every man ought to be readie to answere obey God when he calleth that there are none but profane reprobates who say that men labour in vayne seing that they whome God hath elected to salvation are likewise elected to faith and good workes But these thinges will the more provoke our Catechumenist For he will not say or at least thinke that it is no matter to be able to distinguish in particular the elect from the Reprobates of that it sufficeth to know in generall that everyone is necessarily eyther of the one or of the other seing that no man is able to doe any thing before his vocation which may avayle him that therfore we should deferre all thinges till then and seing that our saving vocation worketh with such a force that it is impossible to disobay it would be extreame folly to hasten the execution of God by mans industry and studye yea and that our prayers too were likewise hereto vayn in as much as we cannot make any thing pleasing unto God without faith which is never to be had before our calling that the question is not of the qualitie of him who so speaketh whether he be profane or no but of the qualitie of the doctrine which necessarily makes him so Vniversus mundus exercet histrioniam sayth one this was never more true I thinke then of the nation of Arminians at this day And this Author seemes to be his craftsmaster in this kind great pitie he is not preferd to be the master of the Revells Here he feignes his Catechumenist being an Infidell to be well studyed in the Synods of Dort and Arles and well read in Calvins institutions thus he promotes his present enterlude But where I pray is it that these Synods of Dort and Arles doe teache that the Gospell is preached unto the most not to any other ende but only for their greater damnation For I am utterly to seeke of this in the Synod of Dort and as for the Synod of Arles this writing hath first caused the noyse therof to sound in mine eares Had he alleaged their woords without quoting of the place we might have had somewhat to woorke upon The Gospell we all knowe is preached by man but at the command of God is the ministers ende in preaching it the damnation of them to whom they preach it or doth he deliver this of Gods ende only Did it become him to confounde these I cannot believe that any of our divines are founde to deliver any such thing of Gods ende in preaching the Gospell Gods ende is so expresse in Scripture to be his owne glory that even there where he professeth that God made the wicked against the day of evill he doth no way signifie the daÌ„nation of any to be the end he intends but rather his owne glory for in the same place it is sayde that God made all thinges for himselfe which is as much as to say for his owne glory Indeede I finde that Gods manifestation of his aeternall power and Godhead by his workes was that they might be without excuse and in like sort the preaching of the Gospell may justly tende to the bereaving men of all excuse according to the explication of the former gâ—veÌ„ by Austin de Graâ—â—â— lib. arbit cap. 2. Quomodo dicit inexcusabiles nisi de illa excusatione qua solet dicere humana superbia Si scissem fecissem ideò non feci quia nescivi In like sort by preaching the Gospell the like excuse is taken away whereby a man might say si audivissem credidissem or refipuissem ideo non credidi non resipui quia non audivi vel admonitus sui Now this excuse is not taken away from the most only but from all and every one that heare the Gospell For as God sending Ezechiel unto the Iewes sayth they shall knowe that there hath bene a prophet amongst them so by this they cannot be ignorant that some preacher or other hath bene sent unto them It is true all have no neede of any such excuse to witt as many as doe obey it but only such as in the hardnes of their hearts stand out against it But the excuse is her by indifferently taken away from all Agayne I am of Austins opinion that the Gospell may be preached to many a reprobate ut proficiant ad majorem vitae emendationem quo mitius puniantur Then agayne I see no reason why we should conceave that in every congregation where the Gospell is preached the most part of them should be supposed to be reprobates Nay I see no cause why we should despayre of any in orthodoxe congregations albeit the most part of them to whom the Gospell is preached are reprobates For consider how many various sects there are amongst Christians some of them if not most of them maynteyning dangerous yea damnable heresies Christians in Aegypt and in the Empire of the Abyssines are all of them Coptites joyning circumcision with the Gospell of Christ And S. Paul hath confessed to the Galathians If ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing Then there are Nestorians and Armenians in the East The Greeke Church denyes the proceding of the Holy Ghost from the Sonne Besides they are full of superstition The Church of Rome how doe they derogate from the office of Christ What corruption of the truth of God with errour heresie is found amongst them what
life and Act. 2. last God added daylye to the Church such as shoulde be saved and the Apostle thus collects the Election of the Thessalonians 1. Thes. 1.3 we remember the worke of your faith the labour of your love the patience of your hope 4 Knowing beloved brethren that ye are Elect of God 2. Thess. 2 13. wee ought to give thanks alwaies to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because that God hath from the bâ—ginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth In like sort thy Prompter will not have the promises of sâ—lvation in Christ made universally to all to be made absolutely but conditionally and we willingly extende this universalitie to all and every one provided he believe in Christ so that unlesse thou believest this Suggester can give thee no interest in them as formerly he hath signified sufficiently and in case thou believest in Christ we can by our doctrine allowe thee as great an interest in them as he can But if it be founde that indeede none but Gods elect doe believe which this Author will not deny provided that by faith be understood finall perseverance therin it will followe herupon that in the issue none but Gods elect shall have these gracious promises accomplished upon them Neyther will this Author I trowe be so bolde as to tel thee that in scripture there is any mention made of thee in particular more then of himselfe neyther will he say that any testimony of Angell or Prophet is required to assure thee that these promises doe more particularly concern thee then any other Only if thou believest in Christ then he can assure thee that they belong unto thee and in that case so can we and more then that that by faith thou shalt receave the Spirit of God which shall testifie unto thee that thou art the childe of God yea and that this Spirit shall and doth seale thee to the day of redemtion as much as to say give thee assurance of thy perseverance unto the ende as being kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation which the Arminians doctrine can no way assure thee of So that were the number of reprobates more then it is yet by faith thou mayst be assured thou art none of them according to our doctrine without faith no Arminian can assure thee that thou are none of them no nor by faith neyther And yet consider there is nothing but sophistry in all this For consider thou art one brought forth into the world under the winges of God and in the bosome of his Church what if the number of reprobates were farre more then twelve times greater then the number of Gods elect yet considering how great a part of the world is possessed with heathens Savages Turkes and Saracens and Moores thou wilt finde Christendom to be but a small number of them allthough the Gospell be spread in these dayes farther then ever it was hertofore Then consider amongst them that beare the name of Christians how many sects there be miserably estranged from the true doctrine of Christianitie as Coptites Nestorians Armenians the Greeke Church and the Church of Rome here in the west what an handfull is left of those wherin the truth of God is not subject to the same corruption nor the holy worship of God defiled with the same superstitions what reason hast thou to trouble thy selfe with consideration of the small number of Gods elect great number of reprobates To receave comfort the way is playne and short if thou beleevest in Christ a fountayne of consolation is opened unto thee by our doctrine so long as thou believest not this Author hath as good as expressely signified that no comfort is applyable unto thee from the death of Christ. And over and above we say that by faith in Christ thou mayst be assured of thine election accordâ—ng unto our doctrine not so according to the doctrine of Arminians The second Section THerupon our consolator instructed in the Schoole of Dort will alleage unto him the judgment of charitie which praesumeth well of every one seing that God doth as litle reveale the decree of reprobation as that of election But this patient will not there finde the least assurance and that for many reasons 1. First because this judgment of charitiâ— which presumeth well if a man apply it generally unto all doth necessarily proove false The comforter not daring to mainteyne these two propositions together that Christ dyed for all men and that he dyed for a very small number 2. Secondly the judgment of charitie haâ—h never any place when we must have the certitude of faith to believe or doe any thing with a good conscience 3. Thirdly the judgment of charity extends it selfe no farther then to the suppressing of sinister opinions and suspicions too lightly conceaved against ones neighbour whose infirmities it commands us to conceale without preaching any falshood to him When I see any one pâ—esent himselfe at the table of the Lord in the judgment of charity I thinke him to be prepared as he ought seing nothing to the contrary But that they who are thus well pâ—epared doe theâ—e participate to their soules healthe this I believe with the judgment of faith which suffereth nothing that is or may be to be false So likewise when I see a sicke man which is giving up the Ghâ—st calling upon Iesus Christ I believe in charity that he dyed a Christian. But that God makes them happy who depart in the true faith of our Lord and Saviour this I believe with the certitude of faith and in such a manner as it is impossible for me to be deceaved which yet notwithstanding both may and often doth happen in the judgment of charitie In a word the judgment of charitie hath no place but in those thinges only that are betweene man and man But when there is a question of the divine promises which have their foundation in divine truâ—h there is then required a certitude of faith wherin there is nothing to be found that is eyther false or doubtfull If every one should say we should presume every one to be of the number of the elect untill he appeare to be the contrary the patient will answeare that by outward appearence we can knowe nothing eyther of election or reprobation even by the judgment of the two Synods And that therfore it is not sufficient to presume but that allso we must have a full and perfect assurance that Christ dyed for him whom we goe about to comfort which assurance is not to be found in the doctrine authorised at Dort seing it denyeth that Christ dyed for all men This Author may proove a valiant champion and aâ—tâ—yne to very great atchievements upon his enemies when he prescribes unto his adversaries how they shall strike yet this is his course all along And I commend his wiâ—t more then his valour in this