it is meant of all rankes and orders of men whether Kings and those in Authority or Subjects and those under Authority as in Gal. 3.28 no difference of Nation sex condition exclude from Christ and there was speciall reason from the state of those times for the Apostle to speake to this The Kings and Rulers of the world being then great persecutors of the truth and professed enemies to it it might seem labour in vaine to pray for such a deplored kind of men therefore the Apostle useth this reason that of that order of men as well as others God hath his Elect whom hee will save For the second 2 Pet. 3.9 To us-ward saith the Apostle who are these The Apostle an Elect and Believing person writing to the dispersed Jews who for the Gospell suffered persecution themselves Elect Believers and sanctified 1 Pet. 1.1 2. and 2 Pet. 3.1 The sum then is this God delayes the day of his great judgement that he might first gather in all his Elect ones not willing that any of them should perish and as this is applied to them of that generation amongst the Jewes so it looks further to that harvest of Gods Elect amongst them which in their great call yet to come is to be gathered in Rom. 11.28 c. For the other two Scriptures Ezek. 33. and 18. 1. The Lord wills not their death by his declaring will for as much as he hath commanded them to return and given them means for it 2. For his decreeing Will the Lord by it wills not their death according to the purport of their charge against him to which here he answers They charge the Lord first as unjust punishing the children for the Fathers offences the children themselves free Ezek. 18.2 Secondas unmerciful as though inexorable against repentant sinners this the Lord shewes to bee charged against him in his answer to them chap. 18. mentiening so often that the wicked returning shall find mercy and both these we find charged upon him chap. 33. unmercifulnesse v. 10. injustice v. 17. had this charge been true the Lord had delighted in the death and torments of perishing sinners as a Tyrant delights in the blood of his Subjects had not willed their death as a righteous judge wills the death of a Malefactor The Answer then is That God doth not so will the death of a sinner as that he is liable to the Charge of Injustice condemning without fault or to the charge of unmercifulnesse inexorable against repenting sinners but for their just and true incouragement hath he so fully expressed himselfe not to will the death of a sinner no not of him that dies in the meane time upon immovable grounds formerly laid downe the Lord wills the death of those that die for the glory of his own power and justice seen in their condemnation The like Answers in generall are to be given to those Seriptures so frequently alledged and as often perverted for Vniversall Redemption which Scriptures the adversaries are wont to object against the Doctrine of Predestination Further and particular answers 1. The main Texts alledged by them do of themselves together with the Context afford 2. The Analogie of Faith in many fundamentall Doctrines clearly taught in the word of truth amongst which this of Predestination hath the leading place in which whosoever is truly instructed is surely anchor'd against that windy error Hitherto we have answered these two last Scriptures Ezek. 18. and 33. upon supposition that eternall death was there spoken of whereas it is indeed temporall judgements which they there complaine of and about which the Lord cleares himselfe as is manifest Ezek. 18.2 with Jer. 27. to the 31. vers and Ezek. 33. from the 24. to the 30 vers where it is evident the desolation of their Land was the matter of their quarrel and complaint they were so far from complaining that God had given them over to hardness of heart ordering them thereby to eternall death as that they justifie themselves as suffering undeservedly That was indeed the complaint of an humble and repenting people Isai 63.17 but these were quite of another straine To this the sum of the Lords answer is That they are the Authors of their own wo he is so far from taking pleasure in their undeserved sufferings that would they be righteous they should be free from miserie to this end hath he commanded them to turne from their iniquities and afforded them means for the same that obeying they might live A great stir the Arminian Nation is wont to make with these Texts of Scripture disputing all the while upon a false interpretation and meerly perverting the question here held forth THE SIXTH SERMON ROM 11.7 The Election hath obtained it and the rest were hardned WE come now to other their maine Objections which tend upon supposall of the former Doctrine either to accuse God or excuse Man Object 1. Say they according to this Doctrine of Reprobation God must be the Author of sin and so be guilty of sin and this they urge upon three grounds especially 1. In that he decrees it thence there is a necessity of mans sinning 2. In that he acts in it producing as the first cause those acts in and by man to which sinne cleaves inseparably 3. That unto Adam he denied that grace without which it could not be that as to the event be should persevere in working righteousnesse Answ What is here alledged as the grounds of this Objection is owned by this Doctrine but the charge of the Objection is denied as having here no footing 1. For the decree 1. That God decrees that sin should be hath formerly been proved but that hence he cannot be concluded the Author of sin is evident because the decree as such is an act immanent in himselfe not immanent upon the creature it being the property of immanent acts to put nothing in the object 2. There is upon the decree of God a necessity of mans sin as * Lib. 6 de Genes ad literam c. 15. Austin saith well The Will of God is the necessity of things But 1. It is a necessity not absolute but upon supposall or conditionall not of compulsion but of consecution for as much as God hath so decreed it cannot otherwise come to passe but man shall sin yet doth he sin freely chusing so to do acting neither by constraint nor from a principle of naturall necessity but of this we shall speake more in answer to the third Objection which chargeth this necessity as inconsistent with the essentiall liberty of mans will 2. There is a necessity of the same kind for mans sinning if we grant that God fore-knowes his sinne if God fore-knowes that man shall sinne then must it needs so come to passe otherwise God fore-knowes that shall be which shall not be but this clearly involves a contradiction We must then either grant a conditionall necessity of mans sinning or deny Gods prescience 3. Upon supposall
Some stop to the GANGRENE OF ARMINIANISM Lately promoted by M. John Goodwin ' in his Book entituled Redemption Redeemed OR The Doctrine of Election Reprobation IN SIX SERMONS Opened and cleared from the old Pelagian and late Arminian Errors By RICHARD RESBURIE Minister of the Gospell in Oundle in Northamptonshire LONDON Printed for John Wright at the Kings-Head in the OLD-BAYLY 1651. To the Reader Reader THou hast here a small piece presented to thy view which hath above these three years laine concealed with the Author as thou mayest perceive by the Imprimatur neither had it yet looked abroad had not those main Truths of God in it asserted concerning his Electing and Redeeming Grace whereon especially the throne of his glory is raised wherein is the peculiar treasure of his Saints been of late by the daring hand of that unhappy man M. John Goodwin in his wretched Treatise by him called but miscalled Redemption Redeemed been so highly assaulted In the first place my hearty Prayer is The Lord rebuke him and if that peculiar grace which for the present he so seriously despiseth and so boldly bids defiance to shall yet magnifie it selfe in saving him though by fire yet let the zeal of the Lord for his own most precious truth burn his worke for it is stubble Nay when ever that grace shall visit him indeed with the discovery of the truth as it is in Jesus his own hands will be forward to pul down what he hath built In the second place my hopes are and indeed my confident expectation that the Spirit of the Lord shall send forth some faithfull assertors of his Truth not only to encounter him but to confound his Doctrine and for the good of his Elect ones in this Nation such of them as through weakness of judgement and unskilfulness in the mysterie of Christ are liable to be seduced by such a Spirit of Errour onely the foundation of God stands sure to strike his weapons out of his hand as they have been already struck out of the hands or his great Masters Arminius and Corvinus and the rest of that mischievous faculty Neither hath he for ought I can and without partiality discerne at all repaired their losse onely concealing it from vulgar eyes he treads with confidence in their beaten steps and that nothing may want to set it off bravely challengeth an whole University to remove him Doubtlesse such modesty and ingenuity must needs be the character of the Spirit of Truth in him In the meane time till a further Antidote shall be prepared by a more skilfull hand I have adventured to administer this which lay by me if the Lord may please to blesse it for some checke to that spreading poison And this let me say though it be no Answer directed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his Booke for it was composed long before his discourse saw the light yet doth it mainly insist upon the foundation of all viz. the Decrees of God endeavouring to cleare according to the Scripture the onely key of this Mystery the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation which being once well setled his errors about the following Doctrines that of Redemption the perseverance of the Saints c. are smitten at the root withall in the prosecution of those forenamed Decrees the other Doctrines controverted fall in to be discoursed neither have I declined the maine Objections which by the Arminian Family are wont to be made about these Doctrines so that the substance of the whole Controversie is therein handled But the best account I can give hereof is briefly to set down the order of the Treatise which is as followeth In the first and second Sermon is handled the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation joyntly and this in opening the ninth Chapter to the Romans from Vers 1. to 24. wherein the Absolute Decree is maintained In the third Sermon the Doctrine of Election apart and therein Absolute Election further asserted In the fourth Sermon the Doctrine of Reprobation apart and therein Absolute Reprobation proved In the fifth Sermon those Texts of Scripture cleared which are wont mainely to be objected against the Doctrines in this Discourse maintained and therein the Arminian Doctrines 1. About the antecedent and consequent Will 2. About the improvement of naturalls for the obtainment of spiritualls examined In the sixth and last Sermon three other Objections are answered 1. That which chargeth the former Doctrine as making God the Author of sinne 2. That which chargeth the same Doctrine as rendring God cruell or at least not so mercifull as the Scripture represents him 3. That which chargeth it with despoiling man of the liberty of his Will and indeed here is the Diana In these Objections are the knots I have therefore singled them out not that I have such an overweening opinion of my selfe as to thinke my selfe amongst the ablest to unite them but indeed very farre below many of my brethren But 1. It is not faire dealing with a Controversie to passe by the main Objections 2. I hope what is here said in answer to them may not be without fruit for the further establishment of some in the Truth 3. I was willing hereby to give occasion to some one or other Scribe in this our Israel more throughly instructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven to bring out of his treasure things new and old for setting these precious Truths of God more faire in the eyes of his people And here I now thanke Mr. Goodwin whose darknesse I doubt not will occasion more light his boldnesse confident I am will excite modesty I will not say what an edge his sometimes imperiall dictates instead of Arguments as is the Arminian mode sometimes his monstrous Conclusions sometimes his wrested Quotations sometimes his uncouth Philosophy sometimes his consequentiall Blasphemy will put upon the spirits of some whom the Lord shall honour to rescue his Truth out of his hands onely I am perswaded the zeale of the Lord will doe it Which and a fruitfull blessing thereupon shall be the earnest Prayer of Reader Thy Servant in and for the Truth Richard Resbury THE FIRST SERMON Rom. 11 Chap. verse 7. But the Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded or hardened THe Apostle is here taking up againe the same discourse which in the ninth Chapter he had begun and hitherto continued now winding up all towards a conclusion For our more distinct understanding of it we must first observe the occasion then the discourse it selfe The occasion an objection which might arise from the Jews refusall of the Gospell which the Apostle doth so prevent and answer as in his answer he doth clearly open the great mystery of eternall Predestination The Objection ariseth thus The Apostle having formerly preached the truth of the Gospell in that maine Article of justification by faith alone without the works of the Law Hence this Objection if that be truth and the onely of life how comes it to passe
that the Jews Gods covenanted Israel generally refuse it sticking to the Law for righteousnesse to life Hence it will follow that God hath made void his Covenant setled upon Abraham for himselfe and his seed in that he hath now cast off his people the seed of Abraham this in the first verse I say then hath God cast away his people But then they assume but God hath not made void his Covenant therefore they conclude against the truth of the Gospell that justification is not by faith as the Apostle taught For answer The Apostle retaining the truth of the Gospell first disclaimes then refutes the objection First he disclaimes it God forbid God makes good his Covenant to the utmost Secondly He refutes it 1. By speciall instance of himselfe For I also am an Israelite c. vers 1. this concludes God hath not cast away all his people but what if some Therefore in the second place he answers by distinction vindicating the faithfulness of God that not one of his Covenanted ones hath he cast away the summe of his answer here is this of the people of God so by outward call and within the outward administration of the Covenant some he foreknew others he did not foreknow these whom he foreknew are his people indeed to whom not onely the outward administration but the spirituall and eternall blessings of the Covenant do belong these he hath not cast off the rest he hath yet herein his faithfulnesse not lyable to exception for as much as they never were truly his Covenanted ones onely pretenders to and seemingly in the Covenant This is the summary meaning of those words vers 2. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew By the way observe if any of Gods covenanted ones should fall short of eternall life making defection from the truth the Apostle leaves God under that guilt which the objection here chargeth him with viz that he breaks Covenant and casts away his people contrary to the undertaking of his Covenant but this by the way against that horrid Tenent of the Saints finall apostacy The Apostle having thus answered by distinction he goes on first confirming then concluding his answer in the conclusion likewise explaining what he meant by this fore-knowledge of God concerning his people For confirmation that God hath not cast off his people whome he foreknew he instanceth the Churches state in Elijah's time from the 2d to the 5th vers The sum is this though the whole Nation in generall fell off from God to abominable Idols and no where true worshippers appeared yet then had God his reserved number cleaving to the truth and obtaining life The conclusion is vers the 5th by application of the former instance the sum this though at this present time the Nation of the Jews generally oppose the Gospell and bring damnation upon themselves yet there is a remnant according to the Election of grace who embrace the Gospell and find life where together with the conclusion we have his interpretation the people whom God fore-knew are they whom he elected and that of meer grace and peculiar favour And then vers the 6th having descanted upon this grace that it shuts out works Works then are as inconsistent with the grace of Election as with the grace of justification with that free favour whereby God chuseth unto life before all time as with that whereby in time he puts into the state of life and therefore works fore-seen have no more to do in Election it being the onely way wherein they in time to be performed can be represented to that degree which prevents all time then works done have to do in justification but to return the Apostle having infer'd that because Election is of grace it must therefore shut out works and this with speciall aime at the errour of the reprobate Jews who stood so much upon works he doth in the 7th vers resume the conclusion differencing first betwixt Israel in common and the Elect of of Israel the Election here being the same with the remnant according to Election vers 5. Then betwixt the Elect and the rest from the Elect by Israel in the former part of the vers understanding the rest of Israel from the Elect in the latter part who were blinded or rather hardened for so the same * The verb derived rather from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Callus then from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caecus what if it signifie when blindnesse most properly that kind of blindness which is by thick filmes and hard scales over the eye word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is otherwhere usually rendered John 12.40 where it is differenced from this signification of blinding and Mark 6.52 it having in it the signification of a brawny hardnesse and so it answers more expresly to the Apostles Doctrine otherwhere as Rom. 9.18 The way thus cleared we have two things to observe in the words 1. The difference betwixt man and man founded in the breast of God some are Elect others the rest from the Elect even amongst his own people So by outward call some his people whom he fore-knew with the knowledge of peculiar love others his people whom he did not fore-know 2. Then different condition for eternall life who are thus differenced in the breast of God the Elect shall certainly have life The Election hath obtained it the rest are hardned unto death And the rest were hardned we shall conclude both in this following Doctrine There is this difference between man and man founded in the breast of God Doctrin some are chosen to life and therefore they shall most certainly obtain it others are refused to death whence they shall as certainly not escape it Before we proceed to confirm the Doctrin it will be necessary to premise some cautions 1. In handling this Doctrin we shall be cast upon the deep things of God matters of high adoration even to amazement for it is a great Mystery we have in hand so the Apostle concludes admiring and adoring Rom. 11 33. and therefore here we must bespeak all sobriety of spirit with fear and trembling and indeed there it behoves us to bespeak it where it is to be had even at the throne of grace by faithfull prayer 2. We shall meet with many things to startle humane reason against which it will cavill endlesly So Rom. 9 14. God is charged with unrighteousness and in vers 19. with tyranny by mans corrupt reason Here therefore we must resolve setting our own wisdom apart to follow step by step the Clue of the Word which alone is able to guide us into this Maze so to hear what God speaks though never so contrary to our apprehensions and affections too as to stop all curious and unwarranted enquiries and where he makes an end of speaking there must we make an end of enquiring remembring the incomprehensible greatnesse of God and his absolute dominion over us so the Apostle Rom. 9.20 3. Many things
we are like to meet with which many are likely most dangerously to abuse some to licenciousness others to insolent murmurings against the Lord and indeed according to this difference betwixt man and man held forth in this Doctrin this Doctrin it self in the prosecution of it is like to have a different work opening the eyes of some striking others blinder then they were softning some hardning others But first forasmuch as God hath in his Word revealed it we may and must enquire into it onely stint our enquiries by the Word 2. This Mystery truly conceived is of most excellent use the spring of true comfort the foundation of true humility that which gives light to other Mysteries of the Gospell makes very much for clearing the free and peculiar grace of God which is indeed the life of the Gospel is the Maul to beat in pieces the Rock to split many the most dangerous Errours against the truth of the Gospell and therefore so much in all ages opposed by the Devill and his Agents 3. There is the same different fruit of all the truths of God when they are preached they are to some the favour of life to life to others of death to death yet are we the Ministers of the Word in preaching of them unto God a sweet savour in Christ both in them that are saved and in them that perish 4. The children of God must not therefore be denyed any part of their food because the children of the wicked one will poyson themselves with it much lesse must they be denyed their chiefest food These things thus premised we return to the Doctrin the confirmation whereof depends upon the description first of Election then of Reprobation as out of the Scriptures they are to be gathered and by the Scriptures to be opened But forasmuch as in the 9th to the Rom. this Mystery is most fully spoken to both for Election and Reprobation from the first to the 24 vers and what the Apostle here speaks in the 11 Chapter hath dependance upon what he had disputed in the 9th Chapter It therefore seems very expedient briefly to open the Scripture in the first place then to descend more particularly to the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation apart confirming each particular as we go along out of the 9th to the Rom. first open'd adding as occasion shall be other Scripture Testimonies Now for this Chapter The Apostle prevents and answers the Objection formerly mentioned as in the 11. Chap. resumed which was made against the truth of the Gospell from the Jews rejection of it in the first 23 verses arising in his answer to this great Mystery which he first asserts and then cleares all the way by propounding and refelling Objections against it In the five first verses and the former part of the sixth we have the Objection not in terms propounded but in the answer insinuated the sum of them being this Though the Jews generally refusing the Gospell fall short of eternall life and are indeed accursed from Christ yet the word of the Covenant made betwixt God and them with their Fathers stands firm and God fulfills his Covenant to the utmost whence it is manifest what the Objection is to which this answer is given the same with that which was formerly mentioned viz. If that be the Gospell which the Jews refuse and by refusing miss eternall life then is the Covenant of God of none effect in wich objection there is first a supposition of the Jews rejection 2. An inference thereupon of Gods unfaithfulness The Apostle grants the supposition denyes the inference grants the supposition in the five first verses not expresly affirming the rejection of the Jews but rather taking it for granted expresseth his marvellous grief for it in the three first verses where observe the Apostle in the third verse covertly sheweth what is the state of that people in wishing himself accurst from Christ for their sakes it is as much as if he had wished himself in their stead so they might thereby have become Heires of blessing It is impossible that man only should be mans Redeemer yet so high a strain of love doth the Apostle here run that for the salvation of the Jews he would undergoe that wrath which for man lay upon mans Redeemer a love so like to the Mediators love was in that breast as sometimes the like in Moses towards the same people Moses their sometimes Typicall Mediatour the Apostle having thus express his griefs shews the speciall reasons of it partly his interest in them vers the third partly their interest in God in those many precious priviledges they received peculiarly from God vers the 4th and 5th And having thus granted the supposition he denyes the inference vers the 6th Not as though the word of God had taken none effect this word is the word of the Covenant I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Gen. 7.7 as appears by the following discourse the meaning then is the Covenant of God remaines firm notwithstanding the generall apostacy of the Jews which the Apostle proves by a three-fold instance all tending to this to limit the Covenant to the true Heirs of it the first instance in the posterity of Jacob the common Father of the Jews All are not Israel that are of Israel Israel in the first place signifies Jacobs Genuine posterity according to the purport of the Covenant In the second place it signifies Jacob himself the meaning then is that for Jacobs posterity all are not faederally his children that are his children naturally they are not all his children as he is Israel the name of his prevailing with God for the blessing that are his children according to the flesh But for light to this and the following instances let us observe how a people may be said to be in covenant with God in a double sence according to one of which all Jacobs posterity generally were in Covenant but according to the other onely the remnant according to Election a people therefore may be in Covenant with God 1. According to the outward and common administration of it so all Jacobs posterity was in Covenant separate by outward call and sealed up by Circumcision to the Lord. 2. According to the speciall and primary intention of it which is eternall life and all blessings effectuall thereunto and so not all the posterity of Jacob was in Covenant The former may fall short of life notwithstanding that Covenant-interest as not fulfilling the condition of the Covenant the latter cannot the covenant for them undertaking the condition and therefore the faithfulness of God is engaged not onely to give them life upon beleeving but to give them to believe unto life The second instance is in the posterity of Abraham who was the head of the Covenant * Gen. 12.3 Galat. 3.8 in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed here the Apostle againe distinguisheth betwixt the naturall and