that his Wisdom and Mercy and repent of their sins and unfeignedly give up themselves to God as their merciful Redeemer Thus far we are agreed about the Grace of the Covenant II. And as to the second sort of Communicative Grace that is The Promulgation of this Law of Grace and offers of the Covenant-Benefits to man we are and must be all agreed 1. That besides what Tradition sacrificing did intimate the first Edition of the Covenant of Grace as is said is universally promulgate by Providence For whereas by the violation of the Law of Innocency all blessings were forfeited and all miseries deserved and no man had any notice by that Law of any hope or means of his recovery on the contrary all the world hath great abundant mercies and are not punished according to the first Law and therefore have sensible forgiveness of sin and all have an inward testimony or conviction that they are obliged to gratitude for these mercies and also to the use of certain means as Repentance Prayer c. in order to their farther pardon and salvation And all this fully demonstrateth that God hath so far promulgated the old Edition of the Covenant of Grace as to make it notorious that the world is not under the meer Law of Innocency And to believe in a Merciful pardoning God as he was Exod. 34. proclaimed to Moses is become even the Law of lapsed Nature 2. And as I said the last Edition of the Covenant is commanded by Christ in his Ministers commission to be proclaimed to all the world Yea Magistrates parents neighbours all men in their several capacities are bound to promote it 3. And the world hath actually heard so much of the Gospel as that Paul in his dayes said That their sound went into all the Earth and their words to the end of the world Rom. 10. 18. when it had gone but a little way in comparison of what it hath since done Thus far we are agreed of the Promulgation III. The third sort of Grace is the Internal operation of the Spirit of God upon mens hearts And here it is that the heart of all our difference seemeth to lie SECT I. The presupposed Principles § 1. THe way of Gods operation on souls yea or bodies or any creature is so unsearchable that I had rather silence than pretend to decide abundance of the Controversies long agitated about it And had not mens audacious decisions and furious contentions not yet allowing the Churches peace made it accidentally necessary to repress their presumption and their error I should reverently have passed by much that I must now meddle with But the cure must be suited to the disease § 2. So much as is * * * See a notable discourse of Bradwardint of mans little knowledge of God li. 1. c. 1. cor 32. contrae philos which excellently rebuketh audacity in this case intelligible herein is divine and honourable and amiable and the prospect of Gods Providence is delectable to the wise For his works are great and wonderful sought out of them that have pleasure therein § 3. The nature or the order of them cannot be known by the single consideration of particular effects but by beginning at the original and proceeding orderly from the superiour Causes to the inferiour and seeing how every thing worketh in its proper capacity and place which man can do but very defectively and therefore knoweth but little or in part § 4. It is necessary therefore that I briefly look back to the Principles of Providence and Action which were partly mentioned before where UNITY in TRINITY shineth to us in God and in his works § 5. * GOD is ONE INFINITE SPIRIT in THREE ESSENTIAL VIRTUES or PRINCIPLES LIFE or ACTIVE POWER UNDERSTANDING and WILL †††Bradwardine li. 1. c. 1. cor 8. p. 5. Deus est Substantia Potentia rationalis habens intellectum liberam voluntatem cognoscens actualiter â—olens which are wonderfully ONE in ESSENCE yet THREE we know not perfectly how but as the Scotists say formaliter or rather as the Nominals by connotation of their objects and operations ad extra and so by Relation and extrinstck Denomination Not that Life Intellect and Will are formally the same in God as in the Creature or can formally be conceived by us But that while we must know God in a Glass mans soul must be this Glass and the Scriptures must be our Onomasticon and Logick Books and we must use such Notions and Names of God or none § 6. * * * Bradwardines language is Deum esse Omnipotentem active nullipotentem passivâ— li. 1. cap. 1. corol 1. n. 7. p. 5. These Principles as Transcendent in PERFECTION are called GREATNESS †††Communitâ—r antiqui Scholasticâ— agunt de intâ—llâ—ctu Voluntatâ— Potentiae operativae Dâ—â— quasâ— dâ— Potentiis ratione distinct is instâ—tâ—â—ntque de â—llis peculiares tractatus cum Magis Thom. c. Ruiz de Vohâ—â—â— Dei disp 14. â— 4. pag. 158. And he contradicting it saith as much Nihilomiminus intra â—asdem lineaâ— gradus intellectus voluntatis distinguimus Potentiam executivam â—â— partem â—arundem Potentia rum But less aptly or OMNIPOTENCE WISDOM and GOODNESS or LOVE by names borrowed from their effects upon the creatures § 7. This ONE GOD is revealed to us in THREE PERSONS The FATHER the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdom Word and Son and the HOLY SPIRIT One in Essence incomprehensibly Three ad intus but discernibly Three in their Operations ad extra and Relations thereto § 8. As we must conceive of GODS ESSENCE by INADAEQUATE Conceptions as aforesaid or not at all so must we of his EXISTENCE as in the Creature we call it Modally viz. His ESSENCE being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substance VIRTUS PERFECTIO which in the Creature is MATTER or substance FORM and DEGREE and his FORMAL VIRTUS being Potentia-Vitalis Intellect and Will so his Existence is considerable 1. In VIRTUE it self radically which is Potentia Activa Inclinata 2. As in Act IMMANENT objectively as Gods self living self-knowing and self-loving 3. And as in ACTION ad extra either objectively or effectively TRANSIENT And in this third respect Gods Essence is the Operator of all his works § 9. The Three Divine Principles Vital-active Power Intellect and Will and the Three Divine Persons Father Word and Spirit do alwayes inseparably co-operate But so as that there is a Trinity also of their Impressions or Vestigia which are answerably to have a Trine attribution each Principle being eminently apparent in his own impression though with the rest § 10. Gods WORKS are CREATION GOVERNING and PERFECTING And so he is 1. The first EFFICIENT OF ALL BEING Ex QUO by creating and continuing which are as one 2. The DISPOSING or GOVERNING Cause PER QUEM 3. The END AD QUEM IN QUO perficiuntur § 11. God having given a BEING to the
better than themselves Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Who made himself of no reputation 1 Cor. 1. 10 11 12 13 14. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement For it hath been declared to me of you brethren that there are contentions among you that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollos and I of Cephas and I of Christ Is Christ divided Was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized into the name of Paul I thank God that I baptized none of you c. 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3 4. I could not speak to you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal as to babes in Christ For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men See Eph. 4. 1 c. after John 17. 20 21 22 23. I pray for them which shall believe on me that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in Thee that they also may be One in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Matth. 5. 9. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as in you lyeth live peaceably with all men 2 Cor. 12. 20 21. I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would lest there be debates envyings wraths strifes backbitings whisperings swellings tumults Lest God will humble me among you and I shall bewail many c. Gal. 5. 19 20. The works of the flesh are manifest hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings 1 Cor. 14. 33. God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all Churches of the Saints Acts 20. 30. Of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them Phil. 1. 15 16. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of good will The one preach Christ of contention not sincerely Rom. 16. 17 18. Now I beseech you brethren Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Luke 9. 55. Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of The Angelical Gospel of the Ends of Christs Incarnation Luke 2. 19. GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST ON EARTH PEACE GOOD WILL TO MEN or WELL-PLEASEDNESS IN MEN. John 20. 26. Peace be unto you Grace Mercy and Peace with all that are in Christ and Love Gal. 6. 16. Eph. 6. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 2. 5. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 2. 1 Thess 5. 13. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind Live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you Amen 1. Assert THe BAPTISMAL COVENANT expounded in the antient CREED is the summ and Symbol of Christianity by which Believers were to be distinguished from unbelievers and the outward Profession of it was mens Title to Church-communion and the Heart-consent was their Title-condition of Pardon and Salvation And to these ends it was made by Christ himself Matth. 28. 19 20. Mark 16. 16. 2. All that were baptized did profess to Believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and devoted themselves to him with profession of Repentance for former sins and renouncing the Lusts of the Flesh the World and the Devil professing to begin a new and holy life in hope of everlasting glory 3. This form of Baptismal Covenanting and Profession begun with Christianity and called our Christening or making us Christians hath been propagated and delivered down to us to this day by a full and certain tradition and testimony and less alterations than the holy Scriptures 4. The Apostles were never such formalists and friends to ignorance and hypocrisie as to encourage the baptized to take up with the saying I believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost without teaching them to understand what they said Therefore undoubtedly they expounded those three Articles And that exposition could be no other in sense than the Creed is And when Paul reciteth the Articles of Christ 1 Cor. 15. and mentioneth the Form of sound words we may be sure that they all gave the people one unchanged exposition as to the sense Christianity was one unchanged thing 5. Though I am not of their mind that think the twelve Apostles each one made an Article of the Creed or that they formed and tyed men to just the very same syllables and every word that is now in the Creed yet that they still kept to the same sense and words so expressing it as by their variation might not endanger the corrupting of the faith by a new sense is certain from the nature of the case and from the Agreement of all the antient Creeds which were ever professed at baptism from their dayes that cited by me Append. to the Reformed Pastor out of Irenaeus two out of Tertullian that of Marcellus in Epiphanius that expounded by Cyril that in Ruffinus the Nicene and all mentioned by Usher and Vossius agreeing thus far in sense And no one was baptized without the Creed professed 6. As Christ himself was the Author of the Baptismal Creed and Covenant so the Apostles were the Authors of that Exposition which they then used and taught the Church to use And they did that by the Holy Ghost as much as their inditing of the Scripture 7. Therefore the Church had a Summary and Symbol of Christianity as I said before about twelve years before any Book of the New Testament was written and about sixty six years before the whole was written And this of Gods own making which was ever agreed on when many Books of the New Testament were not yet agreed on 8. Therefore men were then to prove the truth of the Christian Religion by its proper Evidences and Miracles long before they were to prove that every word or any Book of the New Testament was the infallible perfect Word of God 9. Therefore we must still follow the same Method and take Christs Miracles to be primarily the proof of the Christian Religion long before the New Testament Books were written 10. Therefore if a man should be
Ministers and serious Christians not only for Ceremonies but for holy practices of life Being under these apprehensions when the Wars began though the Cause it self lay in Civil Controversies between King and Parliament yet the thoughts that the Church and Godliness it self was deeply in danger by Persecution and Arminianism did much more to byass me to the Parliaments side than the Civil interest which at the heart I little regarded At last after two years abode in a quiet Garrison upon the Invitation of some Orthodox Commanders in Fairfax's Army and by the Mission of an Assembly of Divines I went after Naseby Fight into that Army as the profest Antagonist of the Sectaries and Innovators who we all then too late saw designed those changes in the Church and State which they after made I there met with some Arminians and more Antinomians These printed and preached as the Doctrine of Free Grace that all men must presently believe that they are Elect and Justified and that Christ Repented and Believed for them as Saltmarsh writeth I had a little before engaged my self as a Disputer against Universal Redemption against two antient Ministers in Coventry Mr. Cradock and Mr. Diamond that were for it But these new notions called me to new thoughts which clearly shewed me the difference between Christs part and Mans the Covenant of Innocency with its required Righteousness and the Covenant of Grace with its required and imputed righteousness I had never read one Socinian nor much of any Arminians but I laid by prejudice and I went to the Scripture where its whole current but especially Matth. 25. did quickly satisfie me in the Doctrine of Justification and I remembred two or three things in Dr. Twisse whom I most esteemed which inclined me to moderation in the five Articles 1. That he every where professeth that Christ so far dyed for all as to purchase them Justification and Salvation conditionally to be given them if they believe 2. That he reduceth all the Decrees to two de fine de mediis as the healing way 3. That he professeth that Arminius and we and all the Schoolmen are agreed that there is no necessity consequentis laid on us by God in Predestination but only necessity consequentiae or Logical but in Election I shall here suspend 4. That the Ratio Reatus in our Original Sin is first founded in our Natural propagation from Adam and but secondarily from the positive Covenant of God 5. That Faith is but Causa dispositiva Justificationis and so is Repentance These and such things more I easilier received from him than I could have done from another But his Doctrine of Permission and Predetermination and Causa Mali quickly frightned me from assent And though Camero's moderation and great clearness took much with me I soon perceived that his Resolving the cause of sin into necessitating objects and temptations laid it as much on God in another way as the Predeterminants do And I found all godly mens Prayers and Sermons run quite in another strain when they chose not the Controversie as pre-engaged In this case I wrote my first Book called Aphorisms of Justification and the Covenants c. And being young and unexercised in writing and my thoughts yet undigested I put into it many uncautelous words as young Writers use to do though I think the main doctrine of it sound I intended it only against the Antinomians But it sounded as new and strange to many Upon whose dissent or doubtings I printed my desire of my friends Animadversions and my suspension of the Book as not owned by me nor any more to be printed till further considered and corrected Hereupon I had the great benefit of Animadversions from many whom I accounted the most judicious and worthy persons that I had heard of First my friend Mr. John Warren began next came Mr. G. Lawson's the most judicious Divine that ever I was acquainted with in my judgement yet living and from whom I learned more than from any man next came Mr. Christopher Cartwright's then of York the Author of the Rabbinical Comment on Gen. chap. 1 2 3. and of the Defence of King Charles against the Marquess of Worcester Answers and Rejoinders to these took me up much time next came a most judicious and friendly MS. from Dr. John Wallis and another from Mr. Tombes and somewhat I extorted from Mr. Burges the answers to which two last are published To all these Learned men I owe very great thanks and I never more owned or published my Aphorisms but the Cambridge Printer stole an Impression without my knowledge And though most of these differed as much from one another at least as from me yet the great Learning of their various Writings and the long Study which I was thereby engaged in in answering and rejoyning to the most was a greater advantage to me to receive accurate and digested conceptions on these subjects than private Students can expect My mind being thus many years immerst in studies of this nature and I having also long wearied my self in searching what Fathers and Schoolmen have said of such things before us and my Genius abhorring Confusion and Equivocals I came by many years longer study to perceive that most of the Doctrinal Controversies among Protestants that I say not in the Christian World are far more about equivocal words than matter and it wounded my soul to perceive what work both Tyrannical and unskilful Disputing Clergie-men had made these thirteen hundred years in the world And experience since the year 1643. till this year 1675. hath loudly called to me to Repent of my own prejudices sidings and censurings of causes and persons not understood and of all the miscarriages of my Ministry and life which have been thereby caused and to make it my chief work to call men that are within my hearing to more peaceable thoughts affections and practices And my endeavours have not been in vain in that the Ministers of the Countrey where I lived were very many of such a peaceable temper though since cast out and a great number more through the Land by Gods Grace rather than any endeavours of mine are so minded But the Sons of the Coal were exasperated the more against me and accounted him to be against every man that called all men to Love and Peace and was for no man as in a contrary way And now looking daily in this posture when God calleth me hence summoned by an incurable Disease to hasten all that ever I will do in this World being uncapable of prevailing with the present Church disturbers I do apply my self to posterity leaving them the sad warning of their Ancestors distractions as a Pillar of Salt and acquainting them what I have found to be the cause of our Calamities and therein they will find the Cure themselves II. I Have oft taken the boldness constrainedly to say that I doubt not but the Contentions of the Clergie have done far more
more of the world to Quietness and Concord had not Satan the great enemy of Love and Peace seduced them to that Instrumental Means and way which will never consist with Concord It is that which Christ and his Apostles have done very much to prevent but the Devil even with all the sorts fore-mentioned hath much prevailed against their precepts The Grand case of the Christian World is WHAT IS THE TRUE CENTER and RULE OF CONCORD Could they find out this it would hold men of various tempers to it I. Christ first laid down the Description and Measure of Christianity in the Baptismal Covenant and ordained that all should be accounted Christians in foro Ecclesiae who by Baptism were solemnly devoted to him in a professed Belief and Covenant Dedication and Vow to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost These he would have called Christians or his Disciples and this is their Christening and so ever called in the Church 2. And next he made it his new that is Last and Great Command that All his Disciples should Love each other and live in eminent Unity and Peace which he accordingly wrought them to by the first pouring out of his Spirit Act. 2. 3. 4. II. The Apostles founding the Church in this Baptismal Vow or Covenant and mutual Love exhorted accordingly all the Baptized to Love each other and to Receive even the weak in faith but not to doubtful disputations Rom. 14. 15. Oft vehemently charging them to be of one mind and live in Love and peace and to beware of them as not serving Christ but their own bellies who were for Divisions 1 Cor. 1. 10 11. Rom. 16. 17. And though they came with pretences of ORDER WISDOM or PIETY such Good words and fair speeches were noted to be engines to deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 17. And whereas the objection seemed unanswerable How can they so agree who are of several judgements about Good and Evil Paul often warneth them to hold fast the form of sound words and summeth up as 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4. the Articles of their faith and chargeth them that so far as they had attained they should walk by the same rule and mind the same things and if in any thing they were otherwise minded stay till God revealed the matter to them Phil. 3. He oft chargeth them to be of one mind and judgement thus far and to live in Love and Peace and to do nothing by strife and vain glory but in honour to preferr others to themselves and not to strive about words that profit not nor about unnecessary Questions seeing such disputings and strivings gender to ungodliness and fret like a Canker and pervert the hearers minds Yea he directeth the Pastors to edifie souls rather by a Teaching than a disputing way and to convince gainsayers by meek instructing opposers to see if thus God will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth for the Minister or servant of the Lord must not strive Love is their work to be effected in others and Love must be their Principle and Love must be their mode and means even Loving others as themselves Oft are they called by Christ and his Apostles from masterly opinions aspirings and endeavours and to be as little Children and the servants of all and as stewards of Gods mysteries and helpers not Lords of the Churches faith and not to domineer over the flock of Christ but to oversee them not by constraint but voluntarily And what cannot be done by Light and Love is not to be done by them at all The Magistrate and not they must use the Sword but not to make men believers for he cannot And though Vossius and others have rendred Reasons enough to perswade us that the story of the twelve Apostles making each one an Article of the Creed is not credible nor that they shaped it in every word to the present form yet it is to me a certainty that the Apostles made and used the Creed for sense and substance as the very summary and test of Christianity long before any Book of the New Testament was written about twelve years and almost sixty six before the whole For 1. It is certain that all Christians were Baptized 2. It is certain that they then professed to Believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to Covenant accordingly renouncing the flesh the world and the Devil 3. It is certain that the Apostles and Pastors laboured to make men understand what they did and would not delude them by taking the bare saying of these three words 4. And it is certain that the Pastors altered not the Christian faith but taught the same for substance to all that were baptized 5. And it is certain that should men have taken much liberty to use new words or forms at Baptism in opening the faith it might easily have corrupted the faith and introduced a new doctrine 6. And it is certain by Church History that though some variety of little words was used yet this same Creed for substance except the two or three clauses mentioned by Usher and Vossius was commonly used at Baptism from the dayes of the Apostles 7. And we find yet that this Creed is nothing else but the explication of the three Baptismal Articles of which see Sandford and Parker two Learned Non-conformists in their very Learned Treat de Descensu Christi at large 8. And it is certain that if the Apostles did take this course so many years before they wrote any of the New Testament they did this as well as that by the Holy Ghost and so that the Holy Ghost seconding Christs own Baptismal Law or Instituted test did make the Creed to be the summary of the Christian Belief twelve years before we had any Book of the New Testament and about sixty six as is said before we had them all And then it will appear what is Gods appointed test of Christianity Communion and special Love All which considered though I think it is the truth which I long ago wrote against a Treatise of a Learned man Mr. Ashwell in the Append. to the second Edition of my Reformed Pastor yet I publish my Repentance that ever I wrote it as fearing lest it occasioned the turning of mens minds from this great truth which he and I agreed in and which I find few consider as it deserveth But the Gnosticks began the corrupting game and by pretences of higher knowledge spoiled men by vain Philosophy which engaged the Apostles to cry them down and to warn all Christians to take heed of being so spoiled and to vilifie arbitrary Philosophical notions tricks and vain janglings as likely to draw them from the simplicity of Christianity And the certain truth is that he knoweth neither the Interest nor the Ignorance and weakness of man nor the nature of Knowledge who doth not know that the frailty and employments of mankind are such as that there never
left to their own discretion in such and such circumstantials But do they dream of Perfect Concord on earth and that men of such various Interests tempers educations converse and degrees of knowledge should not differ in a word or gesture Our English Rulers make no Laws what Gesture shall be used in singing Psalms or in Hearing Sermons and there is no division or great disorder in them But if on pretence of nearer Concord they should tye all to one Gesture this or that we should presently find it an engine of division And O how many such Engines have the Papal Clergie made and used long and to what purpose To silence faithful Ministers to torment faithful Christians in the Inquisitions to brand the best men with the names of Hereticks and Schismaticks to gratifie all profaneness and malignity to quench brotherly love and to tear the Church into pieces And no experience will make them wiser II. And the DOGMATISTS also have done their part by departing from the Simplicity of the Christian Doctrine to set the Christian world together by the ears Of which Hilary hath written sharply against the Making of new Creeds not sparing to tell them that even the Nicene Fathers led others the way And Hierome wonders that they that were for the word hypostasis questioned his Faith as if he that had been Baptized had been without a Faith or Creed which all at Baptism do profess But this will not serve turn to these Corrupters Councils Doctors and Schoolmen have been led by the temptation of more subtle-knowledge to be Wise and Orthodox over-much till the Churches Faith is as large as all the Decrees of General Councils de side at the least and the Churches Laws a great deal larger And what abundance of dubious Confessions Declarations or Decrees are now to be subscribed or believed and justified before a man can have his Baptismal birth-right even the Love peace and Church-Communion bequeathed to him as a Christian by Christ And now controversal writings fill our Libraries by Cart-loads And a Use of Confutation is a great part of most Sermons among the Papists Lutherans and many others And men are bred up in the Universities to a Militant striving kind of life that their work may be to make Plain Christians seem unlearned dolts and dissenters seem odious or suspected men and themselves to be the wise and Orthodox persons and triumphant over all the erroneous that were it not for these Contenders would destroy the And so Ministers are armed against Ministers Churches against Churches Christians against Christians yea Princes against Princes and Countreys against Countreys by wrangling contentious Clergie men And O what an injury is â—t Young Students are almost necessitated to waste much of their lives which should be spent in preparing them to promote faith holiness and Love in reading over multitudes of these wrangling writers to know which of them is in the right And most readers catch the disease hereby themselves And those few that at great cost and labour come to the bottom of the differences do perceive that the Proud Opiniators have striven partly about unrevealed or unnecessary things but chiefly about meer ambiguous words and arbitrary humane notions and multitudes condemn and revile each other while they mean the same things and do not know it One writeth a Learned Book against such a party and another confuteth such an Adversary especially about Predestination Redemption Free-will Humane Power Grace Merit Justification Pardon Imputation c. and then many read and applaud all as excelently done Alas for the low estate of the Clergie that while when a truly discerning man perceiveth that it is but a striving about unexplained words for the most part And thus being Over-wise in pretences of Zeal for Truth and under-wise in understanding it and departing from Christian simplicity of doctrine and even deriding the Christian Creed hath made even some honest men become dividing Engineers and their Articles and Controversies the Churches calamity III. And what Practical misguided zeal about worship hath done almost all Sects Novatians Anabaptists in Germany and here and the various sort of Churches that refuse Communion with one another and that condemn or cast out dissenters from them and preach and talk and backbite their brethren into the odium or distaste of their seduced auditors the bitter invectives in Pulpit talk and press of the several Pastors and people against each other and worse than words where they have power all these speak so loud as may spare me the labour of any further discovery and calls us all to make it the matter of our lamentation And what shall I say in the conclusion now I am near to my departure from this contentious world but sound a Retreat to all these unhappy militants that will not let Holiness prosper by the necessary advantage of Peace Cease your Proud contendings O vain-glorious Militant Clergie Learn of the Prince of peace and the holy Angels that preached him to give Glory to God in the highest who giveth Peace on Earth and well-pleasedness in or towards men Did Christ or his Apostles make such work for Christians as you do The great Shepherd of the flock will take your pretences of ORDER ORTHODOXNESS or Truth and PIETY for no excuse for your corrupting ORDER FAITH and PRACTICE by your TYRANNY SELF-CONCEITEDNESS and blind ZEAL and SUPERSTITION and for using his name against himself to the destroying of that Love and Concord and Unity which he hath bequeathed to his Church and for serving his enemy and dividing his people and hardning Infidels and ungodly ones by these scandals Return to the primitive simplicity that we may return to unity Love and peace Dream not of them upon your own corrupting terms And read and read over again and again Jam. 3. which doth describe you condemn you and instruct you If you say Physicion heal thy self Who hath wrote more of Controversies I answer peruse what I have written and you will see it is of Controversies but against Controversies tending to End and reconcile If any thing be otherwise except necessary defence of certain necessary faith or duty I retract it and condemn it Let it be as not written I have meddled much with Controversies in this Book but it is to end them The God of Peace give Wisdom and peaceable principles minds and hearts to his servants that though I shall not live to see it true Love and Piety may revive in the Christian world by the endeavours of a healing Ministry and the shaming restraint and reformation of the CONTENTIOUS CLERGIE whether TYRANNICAL DOGMATICAL or SUPERSTITIOUS Amen Jan. 25. 167â— Of DIVISIONS and CONTENTIONS among Christians Consider I. The EFFICIENT I. PERSONS 1. The Devils 2. Men 1. A Contentious Clergie 2. Unwise and wicked Rulers instigated by them 3. The deceived people that follow them II. QUALITIES viz. I. Remotely 1. Selfishness in Carnal hypocrites who prefer worldly interest 2.
and effectual Rom. 9. 11. 15. 21 Joh. 10. 26. Rom. 6. 21. grace intending that it shall be effectual This he doth not for the Reprobate and besides this negation they know no act of Reprobation as opposite to Election And they say that the Gospel and grace are denyed to none but the unworthy sinners And that God damneth none nor destinateth none to damnation but out of the consideration of sin 674. The Hassian Divines ibid. Par. 2. pag. 34. say The just Judge God doth not for one cause Decree to punish and for another execute it on the guilty but both have the same cause that is both original and actual sin 675. The Helvetian Divines there say p. 37. § 12. Which is the Order and Number of Gods Decrees seeing Gods thoughts and wayes are not as ours and none of us are of his Council we leave to Him alone whose understanding is infinite 676. The Embdan Divines ibid. p. 75. say No one is predestinated by God to sin which they there prove 677. On the second Art the Brittish Divines say p. 78. God having Act. 10. 43. Rom. 3. 24 25. Maâ—k 16. 15 16. mercy on faln mankind sent his Son who gave himself a price of Redeâ—ption for the sins of the whole world Thes 4. In this Merit of Christs death is founded the Universal Gospel Promise Th. 5. In the Church where for this Gospel-promise salvation is offered Isa 59. ult 2 Cor. 3. 6. Tit. 2. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Luk. 10. 9 11. Joh. 15. 22. Heb. 2. 3. 4. 3. 6. 4. Mat. 10. 15. to all there is that administration of Grace which is enough to convince all the impenitent and unbelieving that they perish and â—oâ—e the offered benefit by their voluntary fault and neglect or contempt of the Gospel 678. On the second Article p. 103 104 c. there is the suffrage of the famous Matthias Martinius in 26 Theses of universal Redemption and seven Theses of special Redemption and seventeen Errours rejected so sound so full so accurate that I know not whither to referr the Reader to see the whole controversie more shortly yet clearly and soundly opened And therefore intreat him to peruse it seeing I may not be so tedious as to transcribe it all and know not how to leave out any 679. To the same sence have Iselburge and Lud. Crocius adjoyned theâ— suffrages the last being both brief and full 680. The same Breme Divines say no more of Reprobation but these three Thes 1. That there is a Decree of preterition as to special saving Rom. 9. 12 19 c. Mat. 7. 21. Deut. 4. 34. grace 2. That none are condemned but justly for their sins 3. That others as unworthy are converted in Mercy And if others had said no more of this it had been never the worse And of Infants they say Of only Believers Infants who dye before they are capable of doctrine we determine that they are beloved of God Pâ—tavius chideth Gerson Biel Cajetan Catherinus for their found opinion of Infants salvation without Baptism and saved as holy by Covenant-relation which Baptism is a Confirmation of SECT XXIV On the other side 681. ON the other side read but Suarez and Ruiz to save me transcribing and see what they grant besides that Ariminens and many old Schoolmen go as far as the Synodists as the Dominicans do much further Petr. à S. Joseph Suav Concord writing for Scientia Media summeth up the difference between them and the Thomists that is the Arminians and Calvinists so briefly as is worth the reading In which he granteth 1. That God from eternity antecedently to any absolute foresight of merits or preparation in us did freely and of meer mercy elect all those to Glory that are saved But denyeth that God antecedently to the absolute foresight of sin did absolutely decree to exclude any from glory or to addict them to eternal punishment or that the Creation of Reprobates and all natural or supernatural good conferred on them are the effect of reprobation 2. He granteth that the Decree of Predestination is certain and immovable in three respects 1. In that just so many shall certainly be saved as God hath predestinated 2. In that the same species of men shall be saved whom God predestinated to glory so that both materially and formally the number of the predestinate is certain 3. In that by the force of Predestination anteceding all Merits * * * That is Rewardable actâ— of man yea and Causing them God giveth to the predestinate effectual helps of grace by which they shall infallibly come to glory And is not here a fair concession for peace And must not the remainâ—ing differences be only 1. About words 2. Or unsearchable Orders of Gods Decrees and Modes of operation Read him further and see 682. Dion Petavius the Jesuite is too large to transcribe Vol. 1. Theol. Dogm lib. 9. of Predestination is worth the reading especially to know what the Father 's held of Gods Decrees who generally agreed that God Which he largely sheweth in their own words better than any that ever I saw and may save the Reader much labour in the investigation of the sense of the Antients herein decreed none to Hell but upon foresight of their own sin Though he himself doth furiously rail at Calvin and Amyraldus yet he so far acquitteth all other Calvinists save Beza and Piscator and a few that he calleth meer fools that he saith They have all forsaken his opinion and instanceth in the whole Synod of Dort who he saith desert him And he professeth that Augustines judgement may safely be held which is it indeed that those now called Calvinists own except in the point of perseverance See his lib. 10. c. 1. 9 10 11. But what a plague livor and faction is to the Church and the owners souls let but these ugly words of his be witness lib. 10. cap. 14. p. 728. Calvinus nocentem nullum innocentes omnes damnari statuit When â—e had made Amyrald an impudent lyer for proving Calvin to think otherwise O take heed of the spirit of a Sect. 683. Suarez de Auxil l. 3. cap. 6. about sufficient and effectual grace See Zumel reciting the opinions of Molina Bellarmine and Suarez de Gratia efficaci Part â—â—â—â— pag. 50 51 c. into which all the other controversies fall confesseth that Sufficient grace is that quod satis est ad efficiendum supernaturalem actum quod tamen non facit non ex insufficientia auxilii sed ex libertate Voluntatis But effectual grace is called such not only ab eventu effectu sed etiam quia vires praebet efficacissimas Voluntati singularem vim habet ad agendum And is here no ground for Christian Concord in this point But of this subject I must speak more particularly in the Third Part. 684. Bellarmine himself hath enough I think to convince any man
unus idemque per vitam totam esse non potest Non est satis quod dixi nisi illud etiam adjeceris qualis scopus hic esse debeat M. Antoninus li. 11. sect 21. p. 113. fruit of the Spirit that it is the very heart of the New Creature the sum of Sanctification as love is the sum of the Law So that to give the Spirit of Adoption to cry Abba Father and to sanctifie and to work in us the love of God and holiness are three phrases of the same signification in the Word of God 248. As Christ as Mediator is the summary means and way to the Father to bring man home to his Creator so Faith in Christ is a mediating Grace to work in us the love of God And as else-where I have oft said The bellowes of Faith kindling Love and Love working by holy Obedience Patience Mortification Gratitude and Praise is the substance of all true Religion 249. Love being the final Grace and Faith in Christ but a means to 1 Cor. 12. last 13. 1. 2. 2. Whether the habit of Love in patria be better than that of Faith and Vision in genere moris only or also in genere rei the School-men are utterly disagreed Cacere's sum Theol. 22. q. 5. a. 1. Utrum in sola charitate supernaturali sit amicitia hominis ad Deum Affirm Quia Dâ—us ut aâ—â—hor natura non ea communicat quae sunt propria ejus sed solum esse naturale potentias quae c. The Reason is not so good as the Assertion Vid. Bradward li. 1. c. 1. cor 30. Contra indoctos artis amandi nâ—scientes Deum esse propter seipsum amandum câ—tera propter Deum omnesque actus humanos ad ipsum propter se finaliter ordinandos ipsumque esse super omnia diligendum and his following proof that God is not to be sinned against in the smallest of his Precepts or in the smallest thing to avoid the greatest pain oâ— obtain the greatest good imaginable it the end must needs be more excellent than the means as such And thus Paul giveth the pre-eminence to Love 250. And no wonder if he prefer it also for duration For Love is Heaven or felicity it self yea somewhat higher than felicity as such For as God is our End for and in himself above the ratio foelicitatis so God is our End as he is to be loved And God the Ultimate Object and Love the Ultimate Act and Gods Love communicated perfectly to us and Gods Will pleased in all this are the inadequate Conceptions which make up the Ultimate End supposing the perfection of Nature and of the Intellect in the sight of God as subservient hereunto 251. Man therefore hath a degree of fruition or attainment of his Ultimate End in this life so far as he hath a delightful love of God Though this be but the foretast and First-fruits 252. Therefore it is not by Faith only that we know what Heaven is and are drawn to seek it and hope for it but also by this earnest and foretast of love which worketh by a spiritual gust and sweet inward experience The Intellect first hath Faith and the Will hath Love And a promise and earnest is more a promise alone 253. When Faith hath wrought this holy Love in the Soul it doth as much if not more to keep us from Apostacy than Faith it self Therefore many unlearned Christians by the power of holy Love stand fast when subtile disputing Doctors may cleave to the world and fall away 254. Though it be an ill expression of those School-men that say Love is the form of every Grace that which I suppose they mean is true that love being the final Grace the rest as they are means to it or the effects and expressions of it are what they are partly in that Relation The means is a means only by its Aptitude to the end And is never loved as such for it self but for the end And what the effect hath it hath from its efficient Cause And it is true that no Faith no Fear no Obedience no Praise no Suffering is further accepted of God and a part of true Holiness nor will prove our Salvation than it participateth of predominant love to God But this predominant Love is always an evidence of Life 255. Qu. What if a man should by Faith in Christ be brought to the love of God and after fall away from Faith in Christ and yet retain his love to God would that love save him Ans When you can prove that ever there was such a man I will answer you Till then such false suppositions are no otherwise to be answered than by telling you that if God should permit a man to fall from Christ that man would lose the Spirit of Christ and the sight and sense of all Gods Love and Goodness manifested in Christ and in all the Work of Redemption And therefore he would lose the love of God 256. How far Holiness is the design of Christianity I have opened in a small Tractate on that Question And how far Sanctification is to be preferred before Pardon as such and yet Christ's Glory in pardoning us I have shewed there and in my Confession and therefore will not here repeat it SECT XVIII Of Perseverance and the certainty of it in order to certainty of Salvation and true Comfort 257. No man can be further certain of his final Salvation than he is certain of his perseverance in Faith and Love 258. Therefore it is a small number of Christians comparatively that ever were certain of their Salvation For 1. No one that is uncertain of his sincerity is certain of his Salvation 2. No one that holdeth this Doctrine That the Saints that are justified may fall away and that we cannot be sure of perseverance can be sure of his own Salvation It 's hard to conceive how he can be certain who holdeth that no man can be certain Now those that hold this Doctrine are almost all the Papists the Arminians the Lutherans and as far as I can learn by their Writings all the ancient Writers for a thousand years after Christ And the Semipelagians and Pelagians no man will put in as an exception except Jovinian alone against whom Jerome writing his second Book chargeth him as holding that a man truly baptized by the Spirit could not sin No doubt he meant to damnation or mortally But it 's doubtful what his Opinion was Augustine's report of him is of no great moment who as Erasmus noteth in his Argum. in Hier. adv Jovin neither had seen Jovinians Book or Hieorm's but spake by report And Austin Prosper and Fulgentius thought that all the Elect persevered as Elect being chosen to perseverance but that more were truly sanctified justified and in a state of Salvation had they so died than were elect That all these fell away and perished That no man could be certain whether or no he were
this point on one side or other either as holding or as denying the certain Perseverance of all the justified than those that differ from me in the point it self without any proud supercilious confidence And that it is to be numbred with Tolerable Opinions I have proved by these Arguments in sum 1. That which is so difficult that very few of the Learned and Godly Teachers of the Church in all ages could discern a certainty of it cannot be a point so great or clear as to be made necessary for all Christians or all Pastors of the Church to agree in But such is this For my part I profess that though my judgment incline more one way than the other it is with no certainty that I am in the right and I see so great difficulties after my hardest studies and search that my inclination is not without much doubtfulness And humility and modesty forbid me to profess a certainty or too much confidence for a Doctrine which I openly say I cannot prove or find that any one Christian held of about 1000 years after the Apostles dayes * * * Unless Jovinian may be excepted which is doubtful I have not read all Books and therefore there may have been some such that I know not of But I know of none that I remember for a far longer time I know the Learned Bishop Robert Abbot and others cite Augustine as on that side But it 's past all controversie that it is not all the justified but only all the elect whose Perseverance he asserted And I am not he that would be separated from the Communion of all the ancient Churches and Doctors and all the Greeks and Lutherans of these times Methinks we should learn of the Papists at least to be moderate in our censures when they who are so much for Impositions do yet bear in part of this with one another in the controversies between the Dominicans and Jesuites 340. 2. My other reason is as to the comfort of men's Souls how little is the difference between these two conclusions I am uncertain that every weak Christian shall persevere And I am uncertain whether I my self shall persevere The first is the Arminians and the second is all or almost all weak Christians conclusion in the world For I have fully proved elsewhere 1. That the sinfullest and worst sort of true Christians have not a certainty of their own Sincerity and Justification nor are they fit for it Nay that it is only strong active Christians who attain to such Assurance 2. And that there are but few strong active Christians comparatively in the world 3. Yea but few that will say I am certain that I am sincere and justified excepting those that speak it opinionatively or presumptuously experience satisfieth us 4. And that one that is uncertain that he is justified at all â—annot be certain that he shall persevere in Justification I need not â—rove So that by our own common Doctrine and Experience it is â—ew true Christians that are certain of their own Perseverance and Salâ—ation And what doth this comfort them more than their Doctrine who say that it is not certain in it self that any besides the strong confirmed Christians and the Elect shall persevere and that we can â—e certain of the Election of none but the confirmed and the perâ—evering 341. I confess it is a great comfort to doubting fearful Souls if they â—an soundly thus argue in their doubtful state I am sure I had true Grace once and I am sure none fall quite away that have it Therefore I am sure I have it still But 1. Even this could be the comfort of none â—ut those few that were once of the stronger sort of Christians For no other can say I am sure that I had true Grace once 2. And that present sense of sin which maketh them doubt of their present sincerity doth â—sually make them as much doubt of their past sincerity 3. And though such a comfort I think be due to a causeless and melancholy doubter who feareth unjustly which is fetcht from former perceived sincerity yet it is not fit for all Christians that are faln into such doubts For if a man be faln as sinful as will stand with any sincerity even â—n gross Sin it is not safe for that man to argue I am sure that I once â—as sincere in my obedience therefore I am sure it is so still for the reasons which I gave before But by Repentance he must make sure that he is truly obedient that he may be sure he was so 342. For my part I will labour as earnestly as I can to make sure both that I am sincere and justified and shall persevere and I will be none of those that shall command commend or encourage causeless troublesome fears But preventing fear is the means of perseverance Heb. 4. 1. Having a promise left us of entering into his rest let uâ— fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it Joh. 14. 4 c. Abide in me and I in you 6. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you Continue ye in my love If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love Joh. 8. 31. If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed So Col. 1. 23. passim And I will never reproach or censure or disaffect such men as holy Bernard though I am not of his opinion who said Serm. 1. de Septuages Quis potest dicere Ego de electis sum Ego de praedestinatis sum ad vitam aeternam Ego de numero sum filiorum Dei Quis haec inquam dicere potest reclamante nimirum Nescit homo si amore dignus sit an odio Certitudinem igitur non habemus Sed spes fiducia consolatur nos c. SECT XXV Degrees of falling and danger 343. Every degree of Grace that is true is not to be supposed prâ—portionable to the strongest Temptations But God preserveth the weak effecttually by keeping them from Temptations too strong for them And that which a strong Christian overcometh might overcome a weak one were he assaulted by it Therefore to avoid and pray against Temptation is the way to be delivered from evil 344. Yet the weakest true Christian in choice resolution and trial forsaketh all for Christ and loveth God and preferreth Glory in Heaven before his Life and is a Martyr in resolution And yet there are Temptations * * * What the Grace of perseverance and what confirmation is is a great controversie among the School-men Malderus in 12. Tho. q. â—9 a. â—0 d. 1. mentioneth five Opinions 1. That they are both one and consist in extrinsick Divine
being Infidels unsanctified impeniâ—ent Hypocrites Apostates and so of having no part in Christ and the free Gift even by our personal Evangelical Faith Holiness Repentance â—incerity and Perseverance And all this justification by Works St. James â—s for and it is undeniable by any thing but prejudice ignorance and â—ding pievishness Let the Reader of quick understanding pardon my â—epeating the same thing which others will not yet understand 366. Christ's Sermons Matth. 5. 6. 7. 10. 13. 18. 21. â—nd Luk. 6. 11. 12. 16. 18. 19. and Joh. 1. 3. 5. 6 c. with all the Sermons in the Acts and all the Catholick Epistles of Peter James Jude and John and Paul's Epist to the Rom. Chap. 1. 2. 4. 6. 7. 8. â—2 c. Gal. 5. 6. and a great part of the rest of his Epistles are â—ade up of this Doctrine of * * * Me-thinks Jansenius greatly wrongeth his Cause when he saith To. 2. c. 13. that Primus Augustinus intelligentiam divinâ— gratiâ— novi Testamenti fide crediti a peruit fidelibus ecclesiae If we should say that Primus Lutherus they would take it for a note of novelty and errour was the Church for 400 years ignorant of Grace and fundamental Verities Contrarily I think that Christ's plain Doctrine in his Sermons and the old Churches for 300 years in their plainer uncurious Writings plainly delivered all the necessary Doctrine of Grace yea even the Creed it self containeth it Grace which I have asserted And the â—eading of them will better instruct you in the true sense of Remission and â—ustification than most Treatises written on that Subject which I have seen 367. The perfection of Justification and Pardon will be by the final executive act the taking the justified into Glory SECT XXVII Of the fewness of the glorified and the many that perish 368. Though it be comparatively but a little Flock and part of this world to whom God will give the heavenly Kingdom yet the number will in it self be exceeding great And it 's very probable that this Earth being a very little punctum of the Creation that taking all God's rational Creatures together the number of the damned will be found a very small number in comparison of the blessed even as the Malefactors in the Jailes are to the Subjects of the Kingdom For the worlds above us are incomprehensibly vast and glorious And the Text telleth us Heb. 22. 22. That we are come to an innumerable company of Angels Though the proportions be unknown to us I speak this again that mistakes tempt not men to unworthy thoughts of the infinite amiable goodness of God or of the Christian Faith 369. And what the Saints do want in number they shall have in excellency to glorifie the goodness of God The little Flock which shall have the Kingdom shall be all Kings and Priests and shall judge the world Judgment in Scripture is much put for Government They shall be equal with Angels and shining Stars in our Fathers Firmament and shall sit with Christ upon his Throne And shall in a word in the perfection of their Natures perfectly know love and praise obey and delight in God in a perfect society in the sight of Christ's Glory and be assured of this to all eternity Amen And we see in Gods Works of Nature high Excellencies are rare There are not so many Suns as Stars nor Stars as Stones or Leaves or Trees nor so much Gold as Earth nor so many Men as Flies Fishes and other Animals nor so many Kings as Subjects nor so many Teachers as Learners nor so many men of learning and wisdom as ignorance And we see there are not so many godly as ungodly 370. And as I told you before that as Israel was not all Gods people in the world before Christ's Incarnation and that the Chatholick Church now succeedeth them in their high and rare Peculiarities and Priviledges above the rest of the world and far exceedeth them in the greatness of our Mercies and that Christ's Incarnation hath put the rest of the world into no worse a condition than they were before and that all the world is under a Law of Grace and none under the Law and Covenant of Innocency only So I now add that all shall be judged by that Law which they were under They that have sinned without a written Law shall be judged without that Law And what state each particular Rom. 2. Soul is in the Judge only knoweth and not we who are insolently arrogant if we will step up into his Throne and judge his Subjects without his Commission But this we know that God hath various degrees of Rewards and Punishments as to Infants and Adult so to the Adult among themselves And that he that gained but two Talents shall be Ruler of two Cities And he that had but one might have improved one though he could not have improved more than he had And that they that have done good shall go into everlasting life and those that have done evil to everlasting punishment And the kinds and degrees of their different Matth. 25. last punishments hereafter how great and how far involuntary they are beyond the very miserable case of their sinfulness it self are things that are unknown to us But certain we are that the Judge of all the world will do righteously and that all wise and righteous mens judgments when they shall see what the number of Sufferers and the sorts and degrees of their punishment are shall be fully satisfied of the Goodness Clemency Wisdom and Justice of God and never once wish it had been otherwise And that the Servant that knew his Lords Will and prepared not himself nor did according to his Will shall be beateâ— with many stripes But he that knew not and did commit things worthy Luk. 12. 47 48. of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall he much required and to whom men have committed much of him will they ask the more 371. It is little understood by most how much man by sin it self is effectively his own Tormenter which tempteth man to doubt of Hell as if it were Gods too much severity so to punish How Sin is a punishment it self and how God antecedently made mans nature such that if he would sin it should torment him and undo him of it self like poyson to the Body I have opened in the first Chapter See Gabr. Biel in 2. d. 36. that Omne peccatum est poena and the four Reasons of Bonavent recited by him 372. The Stoicks and Platonists Revolution and the Pythagorean Re-incorporation are so like the Christian Doctrine of the Resurrection that though we must not with Origin seek to make them liker than they are yet those Infidels are unexcusable who take this for incredible and yet take the other for the most rational conjecture
I mean not only Whether some other acts as Intellectual perception and belief be not in order of nature before it and in time with it and real parts of the same new creature but also Whether aâ— Alvarez and others say there be not such a divine motion or Impulse on the soul tending to this love and antecedent to love it self in nature love being an effect of Gods will and mâ—â—s which Jâ—â—sâ—nius denyeth But 4. If it be not so but really love be the first effect of God on the soul then the controversies are all at an end about the difference of sufficiâ—â—t and effectual equal and unequal grace For then it would be as Jaâ—senius saith and there is no grace but the effect it self and so there would be no question but Whether all men love God and all alike But I yet believe that there is soe preparatory grace of Christ which tendeth to the love of God XVI I believe that the will is the prime seat of Morality and that love or complacency is as the spirit of all saving special grace But yet it is ill said that Christs grace is necessary only to love or delight For the soul of man hath three faculties which must be conjunctly sanctified viz. Vital active power Intellect and Will and sin is in all And the Spirit reneweth them by a threefold effect Vivification Illumination and Conversion or love And hatred of sin and fear of sinning and of God are graces of Christ also as are obedience patience c. though below love 2. There is an Analogical good that is done by self-love and fear which hath a tendency to mans recovery though not such good as is true holiness and hath a promise of salvation XVII I. Here we come to a difficult case 1. Whether indeed any ungodly man or Infidel do love God sincerely amore amicitiae propter se The doubt is because to love him less than sinful pleasures and the creature seemeth to be a loving him as less amiable or good And to love him as such is not to love him as God nor indeed to love God but an Idol of the imagination I think we must say 1. That no man loveth God adequately for no man hath an adequate conception of him 2. But yet that there are some essentials of such true love as is necessary and suitable to our dark and weak condition which all must have that will be saved either distinctly or confusedly As to know and love him as the Infinite Spirit the first cause and last end of all most powerful wise and good our Owner our Ruler and our Benefactor and chief good Father Word and Spirit the Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier the Author of Nature Grace Glory 3. That no wicked or unholy person truly loveth God thus viz. As his own Governour to make him holy and save him from the Flesh and World and as the Author of those holy Laws by which he governeth and a righteous Judge according to those Laws 4. Therefore Jansenius's little sincere Love in sensual men is but a love of aliquid Dei somewhat of God and not properly of God as God speaking of God as the object of love it self 5. Yet the same person may have all the â—orâ—said Notions of a Deity and may notionally call them all good and laudable but his Practical Judgement is not such of God as his holy Governour Judge and End as to bring him truly as such to love him 6. Yet this may be called a Love of God analogically as he is said to love the King who loveth him as great and good to the Common-wealth though not as a governing restrainer of his lusts By this I would have that explained which I have said of this subject in my Saints Rest II. But here I am at â— further loss Did he mean that this love called sincere is in none but those that are saved oâ— not As I said before If he did then a common Drunkard Adulterer c. may have this love and be saved But I suppose he meant Negatively And if so methinks hence all his opposition to sufficient Grace turneth back upon himself And to him it may better be said Why do you feign Christ and the Holy Ghost to give men such a Grace such a Love to God as no man ever was or will be saved by without more Is it any more dishonour to Christ to give men some such Power to do some more good â—han actually they do as Adâ—m had to have continued innocent than effectually to give so many persons sincere love which shall never save theâ— Whether these be they that he will adjudge to Purgatory I know â—â— If so he will stretch the rank of Venial sins to those that other men call Mortal III. But yet my greatest difficulty remaineth I am in doubt Whether he that denyeth common sufficient grace and extendeth the grace of Christ seemingly but to few do not really either make it the same thing with Nature or extend it to all For I suspect that all or almost all men on earth till they have sinned themselves into diabolical desperate malignity have this which he calleth Amor amicitiae and sincere imperfect love to God and Justice For Intellectus est Entis veri intellectus Voluntas est Boni Good apprehended such is the Wills necessary natural object And a simple complacency in apprehended good is the wills first necessary act Nature telleth man that there is created goodness and that the Creator who giveth it must needs have more than all his creatures And nature tells men that the World or millions are better than one person and their good to be preferred And how can it be then that he that taketh the World to be so much better than himself and God to be better that is more amiable than all the World should not have the least simple complacency in thinking of him All men take Wisdom and Goodness and Beneficence for amiable And they that believe that God hath most of these must needs have some Love to him not only as good to them but as most excellent in himself Insomuch that as Adrian the sixth before cited saith in some sort a bad man may love God better than himself and he is scarce worthy the name of a man that would not rather be annihilated or wish that he had never been born than that there were no World or no God if per impossibile he supposed he could live without them And if you tell every man that he hath that sincere love to God which is Gratia Christi who hath the least love to God and Justice propter se though he have more love to his fleshly interest and sinful pleasures I doubt you will not much differ from Pelagius and will have no way left but to say that it is not of Grace by Christ that Nature is reprieved and supported Or at least that this is of a common
first giveth all creatures what they have and next faileth them and leaveth them in darkness as the Sun setteth and then Rising again revolveth all things into his original pure spirituality like the revolution of day and night Summer and Winter it is sure another thing than the Scripture describeth it which maketh it a noble part of that Sapiential frame of Moral Government which some despise § 37. IX But let it be noted that we hold that as the Almighty Father is the glorious Creator Motor and Life of Nature and the Eternal Wisdom Word and Son the Glorious Ordinator Rector and Redeemer so the Eternal Love and the Holy Ghost is the final Perfecter of believers even of Gods Elect and that this Sanctification and proficiency is by more than Moral Sapiential Regiment even by the Real shedding abroad Gods Love upon the soul or by a Quickning Illuminating felicitating Communication of Divine Life and Light and Love which yet maketh not the Sapiential Regiment vain § 38. And as to Free-will I further say that we are far from holding that it is a state of man in which he is Above God or Independent and as a God to himself or that God is any way a defective or idle as they call it Spectator of mans sins or free acts But that this rank and state of free agents is Gods own wisely-chosen work in which he is delighted And that he doth truly attain his ends in all § 39. Therefore as Mr. Sterry magnifieth the harmony which aâ—â—seth from Moral Good and Evil as designed and necessitated by God so we first admire the harmony which ariseth from Natural and free agents and their works which must not be dishonoured and left out § 40. And more than so we doubt not but all Gods works are perfect it being their perfection to be suited to his own will And the difference between us and Mr. Sterry Dr. Twisse c. is not Whether God be Glorious in all his works or they be perfect For we say that though mans sin be found upon Gods works and that sin be none of his works nor any means properly so called of Pleasing or Glorifying him nor at all willed or caused by him but hated and punished yet he loseth none of his complacency or glory by it but notwithstanding its malignity shineth gloriously in the perfection of all his works § 41. Yea more we say that men sin under his Disposing power and that he will make use of their evil unto Good and sin shall become an occasion of that Glory to God as sickness to the Physicion of which it is no Cause or proper Means nor of it self condâ—ceth thereunto Yea and that no Act as an Act how sinful soever is done but by Gods causation as he is the fountain of nature and prime Motor Yea more that all the Effects and Consequents of sin that are not sin it self are under the Causal Government and disposal of God who will attain his Ends in all § 42. Therefore we differ but in this Whether God get not all that glory which Mr. St. floridly describeth notwithstanding sin or on supposition of it as barely permitted negatively but with a Decree or Volition of all the good consequents occasioned by it rather than by sin it self as a willed designed effect of his own necessitating Negations and in the positive part of the acts as circumstantiated of his determining premotion Whether mans permitted sin be any of Gods works And whether Gods glory be not rather non obstante peccato and also by occasion of it supposed to be mans work only and by all the good consequents caused by God than by the sin it self as a Means conducible or a Cause § 43. For we deny not that God could have prevented all sin if he had so resolved and yet we believe not that such a permission is equivalent to a necessitating Motion or Privation as Mr. Sterry would perswade us To make a creature no better than such as can do good if he will and can be willing with a decree to make many willing is much different from making the creature bad and then condemning him to Hell for being so as an act of Justice Yet we doubt not but the Divine Light will shortly give us all a fuller discovery of that which shall vindicate the Wisdom Goodness and Justice of God in his Government of man than yet the wisest mortals have § 44. Either you suppose that God doth all that he can do or not If yea then you suppose that he cannot nor ever could make any one Creature Worm or Grass more or less greater or smaller sooner or later or otherwise than he doth which few will believe It being not for want of Power but through perfection of Wisdom and freedom of Will that he doth no more But if God can make one creature more or one Motion more and yet doth not I ask Whether you dare call that non-agency by the name of Idleness or deficiency If not why should the Non-causation of sinful Volitions in specie morali or the leaving free-will to its own determination be so called Not to make more creatures or more physical motion or not to give more Grace and Glory is as much a non-agency as not to determine a sinning Will. § 45. As to all Mr. Sterry's Reasons against Free-will they are so Rhetorically rather than Logically delivered that I think it not meet to trouble the Reader with any further answer of them or to suppose them to have any more strength than those that other men plainlier have delivered § 46. I conclude with this repeated profession that I am fully satisfied that all the rest of the Controversies about Grace and Nature and Predestination and Redemption as they stand between the Synod of Dort and the Arminians are of no greater moment than I have oft expressed in this Book nor worthy any of that stir and contention which men that sufficiently difference not Words Methods and Matter have made to the mischievous injury of the Church And that the true life of all the remaining difficulties is in this controversie between the defenders of Necessary Predetermination and of Free-will that is not What free-will sinners have left but Whether ever in Angels or Innocent man there was such a thing as a will that can and ever did determine it self to a Volition or Nolition in specie morali without the predetermining efficient necessitating premotion of God as the first Cause or as Hobbes speaketh Whether ever a created will did act without a necessitating premotion And whether to will and to will freely be all one And whether the will except as to the kind of action be not as much necessitated to will or not will as my Pen to write or not write are we call not its acts Contingent or free either because they are what they are Volitions or though Ignorance because we see not the moving Causes § 47. And if
scope of the Gospel must not be reduced to your feigned sense of one obscurer Text. 2. But doth the Text tell us that he died not for the world as it tells us that he prayed not for them Or doth it tell us that he died for no more than he then prayed for Or rather are not these your own Inventions 3. But where doth the Text say that Christ never prayed for any but the Elect yea or that he prayed not at all for the world though he put not up that particular prayer for the world Look on the Text and you will see that he speaketh there only of the Disciples that followed him on Earth And that he prayed not in that Petition for all his Elect only And therefore he after addeth vers 20. Neither pray 1 for these alone but for them also which shall believe in me through their word And what was the prayer That they may be one and kept from the evil of the world which is a blessing peculiar to his Disciples But it is manifest that Christ had other prayers for the world even for many ungodly men yea for Reprobates For 1. On the Cross he prayeth for his Persecutors Father forgive them And it is mens own invention to say that he meaneth none but the Elect We must not unnecessarily limit where the Word limiteth not And Stephen made Christ his Pattern And it is gross fiction to say that Stephen prayed for none but the Elect. C. Doth not Christ say That his Father heard him always and can you imagine that he prayed for that which God denied him B. 2. My next Answer should have prevented that Objection which is that what God giveth to the World for Christ's sake that Christ may well be said to pray for For it is the fruit of his Mediation But God giveth much Pardon and many Mercies to the World for Christ's sake 1. He giveth them an Act of Oblivion of conditional pardon of the eternal punishment which Christ purchased and therefore prayed for * Ambros de Paradis c. 8. Venerat Dominus Jesus omnes salvos sacere peccatores etiam circa impios ostendere suam debuit voluntatem ideo nec proditurum debuit praeterire ut adverterent omnes quod in electione etiam proditoris suâ— servandorum omnium insigne praetendit Quod in Deo fuit ostendit omnibus quod omnes voluit liberare Nec tamen dico quia praevaricationem nesciebat futuram immo quia sciebat assero Sed non ideo pertuntis proditoris invidiam in se debuit derivare ut ascriberetur Deo quod uterque sit lapsus Chrysost Tom. 3. hom 9. de land Pauli Ipse quidem vult omnes salves sieri at non omnium voluntas ejus voluntati obsequitur neque ab to aliquis cogitur unde ad Jerusalem c. Deus paratus est ad salvandum hominem non involuntarium neque non volentem 2. He giveth them much Actual pardon of temporal punishments for Christ's sake All the Life Health Time Gospel Means and Mercies which ever he giveth them are such as deserved full punishment would have deprived them of And therefore they are all acts of executive pardon of that punishment 3. And this very Chapter containeth a prayer for the World viz. vers 21 23. That the World may believe and know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them If you say that by the World here is meant only the Elect I answer 1. Your word is no Proof 2. That they are prayed for to believe and know c. is no proof For many did believe that God sent Christ that yet were not saved This soundeth but as a common Act of Faith 3. And note that here the world is contradistinguished not only from Apostles but those after-mentioned that should believe by their word and it is prayed That the world may know that God loveth those that believe in him which may extend both to the Conversion of such as then are unconverted and to the conviction of others such as are the common members of the visible Church at least As the Spirit is sent to convince the world of Sin and Righteousness and Judgment 4. And it is not to be granted you without proof that by the World is meant all Reprobates as such For Judas is before distinguished from the World as one given to Christ when yet he was a Reprobate But either it may be the World of present Unbelievers whom Christ prayeth for else-where though not there Or the World of final professed Infidels and Enemies of the Church as distinct from both Elect and Reprobate in the Church And several expressions of Christ's before of the Worlds hating and persecuting his Apostles seem not applicable to every Hypocrite who prophesieth and casteth out Devils in his Name and perhaps suffereth for his Truth and excellently defendeth it and hath some love to Believers The fifth Crimination C. They make Christ to merit only Pardon and Salvation to Believers but not to have purchased Faith it self for any man And by that way no one that he died for would be saved For Faith is the necessary Gift of God And if Christ purchased not that all the rest would be in vain B. 1. Let us not here confound the Controversie de nomine de re That Christ died to purchase the Act of Faith for us is no Scripture-phrase so far as I know If therefore it be only the phrase which they refuse you may well bear with them But as to the matter they do not deny any of these things 1. That Christ is the Author and Perfecter of our Faith as Faith signifieth the Christian Religion or the Objects and Doctrine of Faith 2. That our own actual and habitual Faith is the Gift of God Though the controversies about the manner of giving it are to be afterward decided 3. That all that Christ giveth his Sacrifice procured and therefore it procured Faith All this is commonly granted by most School-men Papists Lutherans and moderate Arminians But 2. It must be considered that Christ did not die to purchase Faith as immediately and on the same account as to satisfie for Sin and purchase us impunity or Redemption The proper direct reason of his Sufferings was to demonstrate the Justice of God against Sin instead of mans own suffering for it and thereby to procure Pardon We may well conceive Christ promising to the Father as it were I will suffer for Sinners that they may not suffer But you will hardly describe his Undertaking thus I will die if thou will give men Faith or I will give thee so much of my Blood for so much Faith But because he knew that without Grace no man would believe and accept his Gift therefore he whose Sufferings were primarily satisfaction for Sin were secondarily meritorious of the means to bring men to the intended â—nd that is of the Word and Spirit by which Christ causeth Sinners to
hyperphysica qualem fieri fingit Chimera that is the Liber Concordiae non sine sensu quidem sed sine motu ut subjectum patiens convertibile eousque donec tantas accepit facultatis virium quibus agere possit moral Government of Men and Angels And his wondrous Love as the special Benefactor to the Vessels of Mercy Power Wisdom and Love or Goodness are never separated But each hath its eminent demonstration And the Omnipotent Father is most eminently glorified in his Power in the Creation and sustentation and motion of the Universe so the Son who is the Wisdom and Word of the Father and the Father in him is eminently glorified in his Wisdom in the Regency of the Intellectual World by a sapiential way of Government by Laws and Judgment And then steps up the physical Disputer and prophanely blasphemeth this honourable Work of God and calleth it moral Operation in contempt and thinks that unless God move man to every Volition as he doth the appetite of a Beast if not as we move a stone or shoot an Arrow he doth nothing and it is his reproach And to say that he can or did make a Creature that can freely will or not comparatively even by the Power and general Concurse of God they say is to feign him to make a God And so both the Honour of God as Creator is denied him and his Honour of sapiential Government is vilified It is an excellent Work of the Creator to make a free Agent in his own Image And it is a suitable and excellent Work as his King to appoint him his end and means and work and rule him by perfect Laws and Judgments In all which also he acteth as a Benefactor while he freely offereth him so glorious a Reward to which as Rector he would lead him And in that Relation will not be wanting unto him in any thing which perfect Regiment requireth * Of all this if the Reader please to peruse a very small book which I have written called A Vindication of Gods Love he may see more than I must here say But contrarily saith Bradwardine li. 2. c. 3. p. 614. Quam facile posset Deus si veilet tollere obicem sive actum Hujusmodi quoque obex ponitur a Deo antecedenter Quommodo ergo vult Deus conferre buic gratiam in quo parat obicem gratiam repellentem Vel si Deus non dat gratiam propter obicem resistentem ipse Deus scienter praecedenter causat hunc obicem quomodo ipse Deus non est causa non acceptionis gratiae salutaris I can hardly believe that they that thus take Sin and Hell to be nothing but the fruits of Gods good will do believe that either of them are so bad as Scripture doth describe them or so much to be hated or feared 3. Consider also that Divine Love the third Principle as it hath its common demonstration and glory in the Works of the Omnipotent Creation and in the Works of sapiential Regiment so hath it also its peculiar eminent demonstration on the Elect in their Grace and Glory or in their Holiness and Glory begun and perfected And it doth not follow that because this Love is eminently glorified on a peculiar treasure therefore there is no Glory in Gods other Works or no reason for them O that men had the wit to be humble and confess that God is wiser and better than they till they can come to more Wisdom to understand the Methods and Reason of his Works As God hath his Honour in making Stars as well as the Sun and Earth as well as Stars and Beasts as well as Men and Serpents and Toads as well as Birds and Clay as well as Gold so hath he his Honour in making a World of mutable defectible Intellectual free Agents Men as well as in making the confirmed Angels and in gracious sapiential Government of them all as well as in his extraordinary Beneficence and Love to his Elect. 4. And you must not feign the damnation of the Wicked themselves to be any such state as is inconsistent with the goodness of God to cast a Sinner into We know not perfectly what Hell is But as we know that it is the extreamest humane misery so we know that it is not at all worse than mens sins deserve And that when we come to Heaven we shall be perfectly satisfied of the Justice of God in mens damnation And though I say not melius est peccatori miserum esse quam non esse yet I will so far accord with worthy Dr. Twisse as to say that melius est peccatores miseros esse quam non esse Because else God would rather have annihilated them For God doth that which is best And his Wisdom and Will and Glory are fitter Rules of Meliority than the Will or Interest of Sinners And it seemeth by the Devils Kingdom and Conversation in the Air and on the Earth while yet they are in Hell and reserved in Chains of Darkness that their Hell is a state consistent with all that voluntary mischievous negotiation which they do And it 's like that though they have no Joy yet their Wills have some pleasedness in the mischief which they do as an angry and malicious man hath in revenge And we have no reason to believe that the Hell of the damned is any worse or more violent or irrational than the Hell of the Devils when they must go to that which was prepared for the Devils Matth. 25. But if I should but open to you the plain evidence of this truth how much of Hell consisteth in their sin it self in which undoubtedly they are voluntary though necessarily so by their own doing and desert it might tend yet more to the abatement of all disparaging and unbelieving thoughts of the Glory of Gods gracious sapiential Regiment of the World And to say that God could have made man better and given him more Grace is but as to say that he could have made Toads to be Larks and Beasts to be Men and Men to be Angels And what if he did not 5. And I again repeat what I have oft said that all this Earth is but a point next inconsiderable in the vast Universe And immeasurable spaces of those superior parts of the Creation are like to have proportionable Inhabitants for glory and number And we know that we are come to an innumerable Company of Angels Heb. 12. 23 24. And for ought we know God may have millions of blessed Spirits for one miserable wicked Soul Therefore we must not talk against that which we do not understand And if the Saints shall judge wicked Angels and the World judging being usually put for ruling and punishing we know not what hand we shall have our selves in the execution of Gods Wrath upon them and how far they shall be as Slaves to Saints C. You have said that I confess that tendeth to reconcile us all
never read that any mans damnation was any whit the more increased for not performing these acts And again page 170. It is true there is a Faith infused by the Spirit of God in regeneration But who ever said that any man was damned because he doth not believe with such a Faith As much as to say that non-regeneration is the meritorious cause of damnation C. I am amazed at this especially his supposing that no man ever said that which I thought no man of us had denied B. I would think that his meaning is that men are not condemned for want of Gods infusing act but their own believing act or for the privation of Infusion but for the privation of Faith or of Faith not quatenus infused but as they ought to have believed without infusion But he was not so wanting in accurateness but that he knew how to have exprest himself had that been his meaning And then I know not how his words will consist with this sense I never read that any mans damnation was the more increased for not performing these acts where changing their own hearts is one And whoever said that any man was damned because he did not believe with such a Faith Here it is the Faith as such which is supposed spoken of the privation whereof is not the meritorious cause of damnation And indeed though the power of this Faith would have been in us had there been no Sin or Saviour yet there would have been no obligation to believe in Christ as Mediator And therefore if the Law of Innocency had stood alone even the want of an acquired Faith in Christ would have been no sin But this is the unhappiness of such as must read Controversial Writings There is no end of searching after the Writers meaning But the thing it self I think is plain c. that only an effectual special Faith will save us and it is such a Faith of which Christ speaketh Mat. 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned though he believe with any other Faith whatsoever which he calleth acquired Perhaps this his opinion hath some dependance on what he saith before ibid. He punisheth the disobedient with eternal death True but according to what Covenant Not according to the Covenant of Grace that is only a Covenant for Salvation but according to the Covenant of the Law the Covenant of Works Woful error and confusion The Covenant of the Law is almost as bad a phrase as the Covenant of the Covenant 1. Gods Law of Innocency was a Law and Covenant in several respects 2. So was the Jewish Law which Paul meaneth by the Law of Works 3. So is the Christian Law of Christ and of Grace No man is now condemned by the Jewish Law of Works as such it being ceased and never did it bind the Gentile world The Law of Nature and of Innocency indeed condemneth the disobedient but the Law or Covenant of Christ or of Grace doth condemn them to much sorer punishment Luke 19. 27. Those mine enemies that would not I should reign c. Mark 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Heb. 10. 29. Mat. 25. throughout But this confounding of the Covenants I must not here rectifie But yet I hope he meant only that men suffer not for want of Gods Regenerating Infusing Act but for want of their own act of Faith The fifth Crimination C. I find Dr. Twisse ibid. alibi saepe charging it on them as holding that Grace is given according to Works which is Pelagianism For they think that God looketh at some preparation in the Receiver and giveth it to some because they are prepared for it and denieth it to others because they are unprepared whereas it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in him that of his meer good pleasure sheweth mercy B. There is enough said of this after about differencing and effectual Grace But if we must say more I ask you Quest. 1. Do you by this phrase according to Works mean to urge the Scripture that speaketh in that phrase in its proper sense or do you Vulgatum illud facientâ— quod in se est Deus non denegat Gratiam intelligitur de faciente â—â— gratia auxilie Pet. â— S. Joseph Thes Univers de auxil pag. 83. Idem pag. 90. Nequidem ipsius Christi opera fuerunt actu meretoria citra promissiâ—nem Dei usi ex se essent valoris inâ—â—â—iti which needeth explication only use the phrase in some other sense of your own C. I use Scripture phrase in Scripture sense because I rest on its Authority B. Quest 2. Are we not also saved without Works in Scripture sense And would it be contrary to Paul to say we that we are saved by Works yea or according to them in that sense that he speaketh of them See James 2. 14 c. Tit. 3. 5. Ephes 2. 5 8 9. Gal. 3. 2. 5. 10. Acts 15. 11. c. and 16. 31. Rom. 5. 10 And yet saved according to Works in another sense James 2. 14 c. Phil. 2. 12. Gal. 6. 4. Rom. 20. 12 13. 2 Cor. 5. 10. C. In several senses of Works we deny it not B. Quest 3. At least you will grant that we are not justified by Works and yet that we are justified by Faith yea in another sense by Works Quest 4. Is not believing and repenting in order to Justification and all holy obedience in order to Salvation as truly opâ—â— a work and in a far nobler sense than preparation for Faith is C. That cannot be denied B. Then you cannot affirm that the phrase not according to Workâ— which excludeth not Faith Repentance holy Obedience to justification and salvation doth intend the exclusion of all preparation in order to Conversion or Faith in Christ when by Works excluded it meaneth the same thing or sort in all C. But saith Dr. Twisse ibid. page 154. Pardon and Salvation God doth confirm only on condition of Faith and Repentance But â—â— for Faith and Repentance doth God confer them conditionally also If so whatsoever be the condition let them look to it how they can avoid the making of Grace to wit the Grace of Faith and Repentance to be given according to Works B. I know he frequently saith the same But 1. I speak now only of the sense of that Scripture and say that this goeth upon a most false and dangerous supposition that Justification and Salvation are given according to Works though Faith and Repentance be not whereas in the sense of Works there meant by Paul no man can be justified by Works And though Christ saith This is the work of God that ye believe in him whom the Father hath sent yet it is not that which Paul meaneth Let not therefore Scripture words be abused to mislead mens understandings 2. But as to the matter of the Controversie I spoke to it enough
B. Great is this mystery of Godliness there is more in Christ than you take notice of even the Spirit which must work Grace in mens souls is two ways given first to Christ 1. In that as Administrator general the power of giving out the Spirit to mankind is now given to Him even in his humane Nature And he giveth it out in manner and measure suitable That Grace habitual is participatio naturae divinae and how and in what sense Vide Caceres sum Theol. 2. 2. cap. 1. And abundance of Jesuites and other School-men go as far in asserting its supernaturality and some in ascribing it to Christ as Protestants do But Vasquez and many go farther than many Protestants in supposing Christ the cause not only of Grace but of our Election to Grace And yet even there the difference is most if not only in words The Thomists maintain even that Christs humanity is the Instrument of the Deity in operating Grace in us which the cause of the Eucharist leadeth them to 1. To himself 2. To us 3. To his established means and Ordinances by which he worketh So that now the Spirit with its aid common or special is not given to any sinner immediately from God as Creator and as it was given to Adam before his fall but by the Mediation of Christ the Redeemer I mean not only the moritorious and procuring mediation but also the powerful conveying mediation Though God the Holy Ghost be still proximately the cause of Grace yet Christ as Mediator is made by office the Mediator and authorized giver of that Spirit and all its Grace and so the measurer and orderer of his helps and appointer of the conditions 2. And Christ is first filled with this Spirit personally himself that he may be a fit Head of vital Influence to all his Members who by the previous operations of his Spirit are drawn and united to him C. How prove you all this universal power in Christ B. You have heard the express proof And study further 1 John 5. 11 12. And this is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life it in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Rom. 8 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Mark that it is The Spirit of Christ John 15. 26. The Comforter or Advocate whom I will send to you from the Father John 16. 7. If I depart I will send him to you John 14. 26. The Comforter whom the Father will send in my name Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me John 5. 21 22. The Son quickneth whom he will for the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son 26. For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given the Son to have life in himself And that you may see that he giveth the Spirit with and by means he saith Verse 24. Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life John 6. 27 32 33. Labour for that meat which endureth to everlasting life which the Son of man will give you For him hath God the Father seated that is openly owned as appointed to this Office He giveth life unto the world Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life Dwelleth in me and I in him My Flesh is meat indeed As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me Verse 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing John 3. 34. God giveth not the Spirit to him by measure John 7. 39. This he spake of the Spirit which they that believe in him should receive John 1. 5. 4 5. Abide in me and I in you As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the vine ye are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me or out of me ye can do nothing Matth. 28. 20. I am with you always to the end 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Phil. 1. 19. Through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Col. 3. 3 4. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Ephes 1. 22 23. And gave him to be head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Do you need more to prove this great Office of Christ C. Here is more than I have well thought on But I find more to prove Christ the vital Head to his Church than to prove him the universal dispenser of all Grace whatever is given to the world B. Read them over again what would you have more than all Power all things all Judgment given or committed to him And to be by Office the Redeemer Saviour and light of the world coming as such even to them that neither comprehend him know him or receive him I add another Text Prov. 1. 20. to the end Wisdom crieth without she uttereth her voice How long ye simple ones will you love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Because I have called and ye refused see the rest Ver. 32. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them And two things more I offer for your conviction 1. That to shew both his Power and that he will exercise it orderly by means Christ impowred his Apostles and Ministers under him to give the Spirit And if the extraordinary Gifts were given by the laying on of their hands no wonder if the ordinary were given by their Doctrine 2. That on this ground Christ shall be the universal Judge of all the world as he was the universal Law-giver and light to all But what need I more when it is his very Office as Christ as Prophet to be the universal Teacher by Spirit and Word and as Priest to sanctifie by Spirit and Word and as King to rule by Spirit and Word C. I am amazed to think how little we well understand of our very Fundamentals and Catechism which we teach the ignorant Methinks in this universal Light
and freely giveth him Christ and Life 5. Doth not God praise his Servants more than the Devil or wicked men do And will you not please the Devil and Malignants to tell them the contrary And is it not the mark of a just man that a vile person is contemned in his eyes but he honoureth them that fear the Lord Psal 15. 4. Doth not God himself praise Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Moses Joshua David Job c. Wrangle not against the unresistible Light Our light must so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our heavenly Father Matth. 5. 16. Christ will come at last to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that do believe because the Gospel was believed by them 2 Thess 1. 10 11. No man hath seen God at any time in his Essence but we see him here in a glass and that is in his Works and Image in which it is that his glory shineth And to say that Gods Works and holy Image are not worthy or Morally fit to be praised is to deny God his praise and glory on earth He that despiseth you despiseth me saith Christ and consequently him that sent me Luke 10. 10. Lib. Faith Love Holiness Obedience Patience are worthy that God should be praised for them but not Man for they are worthy as Gods works but not as ours P. 1. They are none of our works as the chief agents but only second causes under God And are not second causes to be praised in their places and degree Will you not praise Sun and Moon and Stars and all Gods works that he may be praised for them Do you not praise a good Servant a good Horse or Dog a good House or Land yea and your Friend or Teacher Do you not praise your own party when you say that they are wiser and better than others 2. Believe and regard the Word of God Do none of these Texts following speak of Praise as due to men in subordination to God Deut. 26. 18 19. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people and to make thee high above all Nations in Praise and in Name and in Honour and that thou maist be an holy people to the Lord thy God Prov. 27. 21. As is the fining pot for Silver and the furnace for Gold so is a man to his praise Isa 62. 7. Give him no rest till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Zeph. 3. 19 20. I will get them praise in every land c. I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth Rom. 2. 29. Whose praise is not of men but of God John 12. 43. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. Then shall every man have praise of God 2 Cor. 8. 18. The brother whose praise is in the Gospel c. Phil. 4. 8. If there be any praise think of these things 1 Pet. 2. 14. Governours are sent by him for the praise of them that do well See Prov. 27. 2. 28. 4. 31. 30 31. 1 Cor. 11. 2. Prov. 29. 23. Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit 21. 21. He findeth life righteousness and honour Psal 149. 4. This honour have all his Saints Prov. 3. 16. 4. 8. 8. 18. 15. 33. 20. 3. 22. 4. Eccles 10. 1. John 5. 44. Rom. 2. 7 10. They that by well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life Glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good 9. 21. 12. 10. 13. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that rule well are accounted worthy of double honour 1 Tim. 6. 1. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour Psal 91. 15. John 12. 26. If any man serve me him will my Father honour 1 Pet. 2. 17. Prov. 13. 18. Do you believe and regard no one of all these words of God Lib. I grant that God will praise the good but not because we are worthy of it P. 1. Have I told you that he himself calleth his servants worthy and will you contradict Gods Word 2. Dare you yet deny any thing to be worthy to be called what it indeed is Is not a Christian worthy to be called a Christian and a sober man to be called a sober man and an honest man to be called an honest man Must humility make us lyars Tell me Are you worthy your self to be accounted and called an Infidel a Heathen an Apostate a Heretick a wicked ungodly man that never repented nor did good Lib. That were to lye or slander to call one what he is not P. Are you not worthy then to be called contrarily that is what you are Lib. â—â—ought so to be called but not for my worthiness P. Must God and man account you such as you are not fit or worthy to be accounted And will you go on to accuse and contradict Gods Word Your fancy hath got some harsh conceit of the sense of the word Worthy and that cometh still into your mind as if it meant a worthiness which supposed not that all that we have is of mercy and grace when the Scripture meaneth no such worthiness but such as is that of a loving dutiful thankful Child of the inheritance A moral fitness Lib. Well suppose that our actions and we are worthy of Praise that is to be called as they are yet they are worthy also of dispraise that is to be accounted as menstruous rags defiled with sin and deserving Hell and is not this a pittiful praise P. Did you ever hear us deny any of this Why talk you of that which we are all agreed in But 1. It is not holiness but the faulty imperfections of it and the sin that is contrary to it which deserveth Hell 2. And the faults of sincere believers deserve not Hell according to the Law of Grace by which we are to be judged so as to be lyable to it but only so as to be accounted condemnable had we not been pardoned Lib. But if our faith and holiness deserve some praise what 's that to the deserving of salvation or being worthy of Heaven P. All these words your obstinacy hath put me to use to convince you that Faith and Holiness is worthy of any thing at all and that the word Worthy which God himself useth of them is not abused by God nor false But what it is that God will account the righteous worthy of the Scripture must determine where I have shewed you before that the words are plain They are counted worthy of God 1 Thess 2. 12. and of his Kingdom 2 Thess 1. 5. Worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection Luke 20. 35. They shall walk with Christ in white for they are worthy Lib. Still I grant it in the Scripture sense but not in yours P. To end this tedious talk with one that seemeth loth to understand say Yea
not L. I had rather they did differ less and if it be so I had rather know it than not But I would not hear that it is so when it is not R. Take heed that your heart deceive you not and that you be not averse to know the truth lest it should cross your own and other mens former censures Quest 2. If it prove true that the difference is less than most take it to be is he that falsly aggravateth it to the procuring of unjust odium or he that truly openeth and extenuateth it the more to be commended or approved L. If you have the Truth on your side no doubt but you do well because Love and Peace also are on your side and our fault is great that quarrel with you R. Quest 3. Do you think it is justice in any Papists to charge the crude unsound expressions of particular Writers on the Protestant party as their Doctrine as Mr. Parker Mr. Patrick Mr. Sherlock are blamed for doing by the Non-conformists or for us to do the same by them L. No but where their Doctors agree we may go further R. Quest 4. Do you think that the bare name of Merit is cause enough to accuâ—e any of false Doctrine who meaneth by it nothing that is unsound or that the name is reason enough for sharp accusations of such men L. I am willing to difference the controversie de nomine from that de re and not to make a greater matter of a name than there is cause But yet ill names do tend to introduce ill Doctrines R. Quest 5. Do you hold that well-doing hath any Reward from God L. It is not vain It hath that blessing freely given which is improperly called a Reward R. It is figuratively called Wages And yet this is the commonest Scripture title and cannot you bear with Gods Word But it is not improperly called Praemium a Reward that is A benefit given to one for well doing Indeed if with the new Atheistical Philosophers you take God but for a Physical Motor and his Government and Laws and Judgement to be all but Motion improperly and popularly so named then you may say the same of his Rewards and Punishments L. Well you know that Protestants deny not Reward R. Quest 6. Is not Reward formally Related to some well-doing as the moral aptitude of the Receiver L. Yes it is such a Relation formally R. Quest 7. Are not they then of your judgement as to the Matter who hold Merit in no other sense than as it is Rewardable well-doing or a Moral aptitude for Reward L. I deny not that with such I differ but in the Name R. Quest 8. Do not you know that it is the common usage of the word in Civil and Ecclesiastical Writers to take Meritum and Praemium so far for Relatives as that omne Praemium est meriti praemium though omne meritum be not Praemii meritum Reward and Rewardableness are thus meant as related It 's true that Meritum is sometime taken less properly for any Dueness â—s a man is said to Merit his Fathers Legacie that is hath right to it sometimes it is taken for any Moral Congruity sometimes in malam partem for Commerit of punishment and sometimes for a fault it self As Calvin noteth on the word But still every Reward is formally related to Merit or Rewardableness L. But not only our late Lectures against Popery but many Protestants say that It is not Merit unless there be an Equality of it in worth to the Reward And therefore their Arguments against Merit are as there 1. The Reward is meerly of Mercy and Grace therefore not of Merit 2. It is Gods Gift therefore not deserved 3. It is by Inheritance 4. We owe all to God and therefore cannot Merit 5. Our works are imperfect 6. We need pardon 7. Our works are not equal in Goodness and Value to eternal life 8. We cannot recompence God for what we have 9. We cannot profit God 10. Grace and debt are opposite 11. We may not Trust our works faith or love therefore they merit not So that the question is but of such a Merit as by equal worth maketh the Reward due in point of Justice R. All these reasons sufficiently confute Merit in point of Commutative Justice But they go upon a meer mistake as if this were the state of the controversie between us and the Roman Church or they took Merit in any such sense unless it be some rare ignorant fellow such as Romaeus seemeth by some words and some few others But do you grant that you differ but de nomine and not de re with those that take not Merit in any such sense but mean as you do de re ipsa L. That I must needs grant R. Before we proceed then let me briefly and plainly open the case 1. God standeth related to Man 1. As the Owner of us and all things 2. As our Rector by Laws 3. As our Benefactor 2. To Merit 1. Of a Proprietor or Owner must be giving him somewhat to his gain or pleasure for the worth of which he is bound by Commutative Justice to requite us 2. To Merit of a Ruler is to do that which he is bound to Reward in Distributive Justice to perform his Rewarding promises or at least for the Ends of Government 3. To merit of a meer Benefactor is no more than not to be uncapable of his Gift which is improperly called Merit 3. All our controversie is about the second God as our Governour ruleth us 1. At first by the Law of Innocency 2. By the Law of Grace and that 1. As delivered to the World in Adam and Noe 2. Or to the Jews with the addition of the Mosaical Law of Works 3. Or as delivered in the Gospel by Christ and his Spirit 4. To dream of that Merit from God as a proprietor in point of Commutative Justice which our Arguments militate against is tantum non madness and is not the Doctrine of the Church of Rome that I know of 5. To assert our Meriting of God as Rector by the Law of Innocency is dotage And I know none that hold that we do so by our selves though some hold that we do so per alium 6. Nor do any but Jews that I know of assert Merit after the Jewish Law of Works 7. But they that hold that Christ hath Merited and freely Given a Conditional pardon and right to life to all mankind even on condition of a penitent believing acceptance of the free gift and this by a Law of Grace which we must now be Ruled and Judged by do hold that this Law hath its Reward and mans acts accordingly their worth or Merit 8. This Merit in point of Distributive Justice is to be conceived of and defined according to the Regiment which it respecteth which is Gods Paternal Government of freely Redeemed sinners by a Law of Grace freely pardoning and saving them if they will
2. d. 23. q. 2. num 5. Palud in 4. d. 46. q. 1. a. 1. Gabriel supplem in 4. d. 49. q. 4. a. 3. dub 3. Alex. 1. p. q. 39. in 1. Thom. c. ex Anselm Aristot Cap. 3. he proveth it by many Reasons Yet Cap. 4. granteth that Justice distributive is in God secundum quandam rationem generalem non autem secundum propriam concluding Distinguendum est Aut enim Propriè opponitur Metaphoricè aut opponitur Communiter si priori modo Deo Propriè convenit Justitia distributiva si posteriori non convenit If in all this you can justifie this Jesuite and all the Schoolmen who he saith agree with him from giving too little to humane merit and Gods Justice I suppose few Protestants will accuse him of giving too much L. But yet this Jesuite elsewhere is one of the greatest defenders of merit for all that he saith in the words recited R. Do you mean the Name or Thing If the Name 1. Sure you will not make that a matter of much quarrel 2. If you do you must quarrel also with all the ancient Fathers even with Augustine who as Melancthon saith Loc. com de Lib. arb of his use of the word free-will doth use it throughout all his Volumes 3. And if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be well translated Worthiness or Merit you must quarrel with Christ and his Apostles also of which before L. But Aquinas his followers use the word Merits in a worser sense and many a volume they have written partly to assert it and defend it R. I hope you your self would write to defend Gods retributive Judgement and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. If you would let an Infidel carry it that pleadeth that obedience and patience have no Reward the Christian cause is little beholden to you Justice Reward and Merit are Relatives in their sence and you must deny All or none For nothing can be Rewarded but a Rewardable act which they mean by meritorious as nothing can be Punished but a real or imputed sault Poena and Culpa being so related also Though as Affliction may be without the commerit of culpability so a meer Gift may be without Laudable merit And Judicial Justice is the virtue of equal Judicial retribution according to laudable or culpable actions But what Aquinas and his followers hold it 's easie to see in himself in Cajetan in Ferrariensis and abundance such I will now turn you but to such an Epitomizer as Carbo or Vignerius where it 's soonest found Carbo 1. 2. q. 21. art 4. saith Actus humani habent rationem meriti demeriti per comparationem ad Deum Quia omnes actus sunt referribiles in Deum ut est ultimus â—inis ut regiâ— communitatem universi ità debet eis pro justitia retribuere alià s non haberet universi procurationem 2. Homo quantum in se est aliquid subtrahit vel exhibet Deo cum servat vel non servat ordinem à Deo constitutum 3. Homo sic movetur à Deo ut Instrumentum ut etiam moveat seipsum ideo meretur demeretur 4. Homo non ordinat se totum ad rempublicam secundum omnia sua ideo non omnes ejus Actus sunt meritorii respectu reipublicae sed totus ordinatur ad Deum respectu cujus omnis actus est meritorius vel demeritorius So that here is a meriting of God in the same sense as there is a demeriting and a meriting of God as the Rector of the Universe not for any real profit to God but for a free referring all our actions to him as the end and keeping the order he hath constituted in the World quantum in nobis with a loving and honouring mind returning to him that which is his own And do you deny any of all this L. No not the Matter but this is not to be called Merit R. If you will needs be the Master of Language openly profess then that it is the Name that you contend about Indeed Aquinas defendeth that which Vasquez seemeth to deny that in God there is Distributive though not Commutative Justice quia à nullo accipit And that though God do all according to the good pleasure of his will yet he doth all things Righteously because his Will is the Rule of Justice and he willeth what his Wisdom dictateth And that he giveth himself his Due in that he doth all to the glorifying of his goodness and he giveth the creatures their due in that he ordereth one for another as its end and the parts for the whole yet he is not called a Debtor to any because all are ordinated to Him which Justice is called The Condecency of his Goodness And is there any thing to be blamed in all this I am sure that English ears are so used to hear that God is Just yea that the Glory of his Justice is a great End of his Government that good men will hardly endure you to deny it Though yet through prejudice they hardly digest the name of that Merit or Rewardableness which is the object of that Justice because of other mens abuse of the word and some mens hard interpretation of it But God the Righteous Judge will give the Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. not according to Names and Logical Notions but mens works L. But are other Jesuits of Vasquez 's mind or many other Schoolmen of Aquinas his opinion We commonly suppose them to give more to Merit R. There are many School Doctors so strict herein that they will not grant that there is any such thing properly as Legal or Governing Justice in God Ruiz citeth for this Argentin 4. d. 46. q. 1. a. 1. Bassolis ibi q. 1. Brianson in 4. q. 8. cor 3. sol 152. saith Nullus fidelium fuit ita fatuus quod quaereret si peccator possit dare aliquid condignum vel aequivalens gratiae Dei speaking of Commutative Justice But Ordinative Justice which is that which we call Governing only he defendeth in the case a. 1. Suarez a Jesuite de Just Dei sect 4. n. 8. Pesant 1. p. q. 21. a. 1. disp 1. concl 2. But he thinketh that they differ but in words from others that assert Gods Legal Justice vidâ—licet Scotus Sotus Rubellus Lorca Navarret Yet all agree that God is in some sense Just And Ruiz saith that Suarez passim maintaineth that Gods Promises are but naked assertions by which he declareth his will to give the benefit And Durandus 2. d. 27. q. 2. n. 15. faith that Gods promises signifie not any obligation but the meer disposition of Gods liberality And Greg. Arim. 1. d. 17. q. 1. a. 2. saith that the Crown of Righteousness is not a debt but only of Gods free ordination And Marsil 2. q. 18. a. 4. absolutely denyeth that God is a Debtor or doth any otherwise accept mens deserts than
to sin entertained we must go as far from sin as we can But poor deceived souls run into it under the conceit of going far enough from it and sometimes into greater than they avoid S. What sin have such Protestants run into in their opposition to Popery P. I will tell you some I. In Doctrine and II. In the consequentâ— and practice I. It is more than one injudicious Protestant Divine that hath printed such unfound Opinions as these in opposition to Popery for want of judgement 1. While they plead against the Romish false Tradition they have weakned faith by denying that necessary use of Historical Tradition of Scripture which Christianity doth suppose As others have denyed the necessary use of Reason unto faith 2. They have wronged the Church by undervaluing the Tradition of the Creed and the Essentials of Christianity by many means besides the Scriptures 3. They have much wronged the Protestant Cause by denying the perpetual Visibility of the Church and almost given it away as I have shewed against Johnson 4. And their dâ—nyal of its Universality and confining it long to the Waldenses and such others is an exceeding injury to the Church and Truth 5. And so is some mens over-doing as for the Scripture who teach men that they can be no surer of Christianity as delivered many years in Baptism before any of the New Testament was written than they are that there is no one error in all the Bible by the carelesness of the Scribes and Printers nor any humane frailty in the phrase 6. And also their feigning the Scripture perfection to consist in its being a particular determiner of all those circumstances of which it is only a general rule 7. And those that make every form of prayer or Ceremony to be Antichristian 8. And those that make Justifying faith to be a certainty or full perswasion that we are elected and pardoned and shall be saved 9. And those that say that To believe that I am justified is to believe Gods Word or â—ides divina either as most say because one of the premises is in Scripture or as excellent Chamier saith because the Witness of the Spirit is Gods Word 10. And those that say All that have true faith are sure they have such as Keckerman and too many others 11. Those that deny Christ to have made any Law 12. And those also that assert Imputation of Christs Righteousness in that sense which I have proved to subvert the Gospel 13. And those that deny Faith it self to be Imputed for righteousness 14. And those that deny that there is any personal Evangelical Righteousness in our selves that is any way necessary to our Justification 15. And those that lay all the stress of Faiths Justifying us on the notion of Instrumental efficiency 16. And those that say we are Justified by no act of faith but its receiving Christs Righteousness and all other acts of faith are the Worâ—s by which none is justified 17. And those that say that Evangelical obedience is not meritorious as it signifieth only Rewardable in point of Paternal Evangelical Governing Justice and as all the antient Fathers used that word because we merit not by Commutation 18. And those that say that man hath no free-will at all of any sort to spiritual good 19. And those that say that Christ was in Gods reputation the greatest sinner or wicked man Adulterer Murderer hater of God in all the world 20. And those that say that he suffered in soul Pain altogether of the same kind with those that the damned suffer in Hâ—â— 21. And those that in opposition to the Popish Government Confession Austerities and several acts of Worship do run into the conâ—rary extream against due Government Confession Austerities c. And those that from dark uncertainty or à minus notiâ— do gather many conclusions against known truth I pass by such as the Antinomians who as I have proved subveâ—t the Gospel it self by running into the contrary extream from Popeâ—â—â— S. You are as â—ad as Parker or the Debate-maker that thâ—s lâ—y sâ—â—ndal on the Reformers themselves If these were their faults you â—â—â—â— cover them and not open them This had been enough for â— Romish Râ—bshakeh P. You know not what it is that you say This is to aâ—hoâ—â—â—â—â—â—tance and to preferr the honour of man before the honour of God yea to let the shame be cast on Gods Word and Religion lest the erroâ— of â—â—â—â— be shamed But all men are lyars that is fallible and God is â—â—â—â— He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy but he that hideth it shall not prosper Are there not with you even with you also saith the Prophet sins against the Lord our God Why hath God recorded in Scripture the faults of so many of his servants and fomeâ— them to such open Confessions Did Paul wrong Peter and â—â—â—â— Gal. â— or the Ministry when he said All seek their own thingâ— and noâ—e the things of Jesus Christ or did the Evangelists wrong all â—he Disciples by saying that They all forsook him and fled or James all Câ—â—stians saying In many things we offend â—ll I think the Prouâ— Impeâ—itence of many Professors that will not confess sin nor endure to be â—â—led to it lest Religion be dishonoured is that great dishonour to Religion which God hath been long punishing us for When such evils have â—â—â—â— held and done as our age hath known either it must be said that they are not evil or that they are If we deny it and say they are God â—â—â—â— and mâ—ns duty we feign God and Scripture and Religion to be for all that evil which is to blaspheme If we say It is evil we must saâ—â— that we are the guilty causes of it God will teach Ministers and Professors instead of Pharisaical self-justification to take open shame to themselves that he and Religion may be vindicated before he will deliver us from shame and sorrow And he that will save his honour against this shame shall lose it and he that will thus lose it and cast it away shall most effectually recover it S. I think you would fain perswade us that Protestants are as bad as Papists and perswade us into the Roman Tents P. That is but your pievish inference But little do you know how much of Popery it self you have while you think that you hate it more than I. S. You would make me believe any thing if you make me think that I have more of Popery than you P. 1. Do not you agree with them in consining the Catholick Church to one Sect or Party only They to their Sect and You to yours 2. Do you not agree with them in your vehement condemnation of dissenters only they excommunicate and burn them and you deny them your communion and reproach them But their charity extendeth much further than yours and you condemn more dissenters than they do 3. Do you not agree with them in