sure Vers 11. whereupon he drawes up a peremptory conclusion If you do these things ye shall never fall that is neither totally nor finally from the grace of God in Jesus Christ Thus our Lord himself to his eleven Apostles excluding Judas saith If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen for he chuseth to himself a godly man his mystical member A second ground of the Saints perseverance is this Psal 4.3 the seed of Gods word by the hand of his spirit sowne in their hearts being born again not of a corruptible seed but of immortal by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Vers 23 25. The word of the Lord endureth for ever And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you and the ground why the word is immortal to the mind of beleevers is this that although the word as printed or preached by the Tongue of man to man be no more but a humane expression or dead letter yet the thing therein contained is to man the unchangeable minde of Jehovah and he will make it good upon them according to the tenor of the Gospel for the works which they have done in the body whether they be good or evill to eternity And thus the word of God is a seed that perisheth not but is immortal in both respects for it is in this case in some sort as it is with seed in natures production of bodies which in one respect is perishable for all humane bodies return to the dust and in another respect it is not perishable for that seed hath continued its kind from the Creation and so shall to the worlds end because the seed carrieth in it a spirit of life virtually To this alludes Peter calling Gods word an immortal seed and hence saith our Saviour The words that I speak unto you are spirit and life Joh. 6.55 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing And as it is in the natural seed so it is in the spiritual seed in some sort if it be not sowne or do not fall in a right place or on a proper subject it looseth its natural force or life to produce its effect so is it in this case as to the perseverance of the Saints never totally nor finally to fall away for although by their inherent righteousness or circumcision of the heart the spirit of Christ hath made their mindes a fit subject to receive that seed Gal. 5. 2 Cor. 2.14 15 16. and so to grow yet if the Saints afterwards do quench the spirits force not as to it self but as to them in their perseverance for in the mind of a wicked man the seed of Gods word hath its force as to its self but it hath not its force as to that mans happiness Hence it is that the word is a sweet favour unto God in them that perish in the demonstration of his merciful justice to eternity for all are damned by the tenor of the Gospel And that the seed of Gods word doth thus take various effects according to the mindes of men in which it falls is affirmed by our Lord himself in his exposition of the parable of the seed for when he hath said the seed is the word of God thereupon he explains its various effects in the mindes of good and bad men and thereupon to his Apostles he saith Luk. 8. from 4. to 18. Take heed therefore how you heare But if it be objected Quest That this is no general Rule because unto some it was given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom Vers 10. to others not It is a general Rule ordinarily Answ and the seed of Gods word doth take effect according to the subject it falls into according as they do improve their Talent either to come to Christ before faith as is described or after faith as you have it here Our Lord saith unto such as well as unto others Take heed how you hear and this is a general rule except in cases extraordinary such is that in the 10. Verse Unto you it is given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom c. And thus our Lord when he ascended he gave gifts unto men some to be Apostles c. Not for their own sake but for the sake of his Fathers final end to his glory in carrying on the aforesaid particular branch against the design of the Apostate Angels what this particular branch is is amplified in my second Treatise and therefore it was given to the Apostles but not to others to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom clearly and infallibly and it is clear that this is meant by the Apostles for the first verse of the Chapter saith the twelve were with him and in the 9th Verse they put a question which drew this answer from him in the 10. Verse therefore this makes nothing against the aforesaid ordinary rule Here we must remember two things as to the perseverance of the Saints to the foresaid stability that is they stand in relation to a twofold contingency until they have arived to that stability not to fall the first is the tenor of the Gospel the rule of mercy and justice according to which if they do not exercise their graces they may fall away totally but if they do they may go on from strength to strength in Sion or be established as is proved And this is the first contingency And the ground why the Lord in this case hath put all mankind and the Saints thus upon contingency is it suits with his final end for which he made both men and Angels as formerly is proved The second Contingency is the natural liberty of the will purposely so created by God and that also with respect to his final end so any man let him be what he will or can be Christ excepted or any Saint not yet attained to that stability may be a Vessel of honour or dishonour to eternity But to clear this point concerning the will of man we must alwayes consider it under three distinctions The first is its natural liberty and that is it chooseth or refuseth all Objects or things presented to it as it likes or dislikes them and this remains in good and bad men on Earth and also in Heaven and in Hell because it is the very nature of the reasonable soul The second distinction is the natural property of mans will which is this to look to good either as it appears good or as it is indeed the very true good And as the eye doth naturally follow light so this natural property of mans will doth follow good according as it apprehends it to be so This also is natural to the very essence of the soul and neither of these can be lost but by annihilation of the reasonable soul which God will never annihilate because it will make void his final end
THE Fulness and Freeness OF GODS GRACE IN JESUS CHRIST DECLARED In two general Points First That Personal Election is no ground of the Saints perseverance in the Grace of God by Jesus Christ Secondly In what sense the Scriptures speake the Saints Perseverance in that Grace The Third Part. By FRANCIS DUKE LONDON Printed by T. N. for Wil. Milward without Westminster Hall Gate and Miles Michael within the Gate 1656. The Epistle to the Reader IN my first Treatise are four grounds or principles in the first four Chapters The first is our natural perfection in Adam by Creation The second is Gods Covenant with us in Adam the onely and alone Covenant of works made with man these two states were distinct each from other before the Fall The third is the Fall of the whole World by Adams one offence once committed The fourth is the restauration of the fallen World by Jesus Christ the second Adam And my second Treatise handles this one general point that is In it is proved what is Gods final end for which he made all things in Heaven and in Earth and that he made choyce principally of seven meanes to accomplish that end This third Treatise principally treats of three things First That Personal Election is no ground of the Saints perseverance in the Grace of God by Jesus Christ. The second proves in what sense the Scriptures speake the Saints Perseverance in that Grace The third is a disproving of the false Doctrine of the Familists and the Quakers in particular against Lieutenant Colonel John Lilburn The Contents of several principal things contained in this Treatise FIrst Against personal Election these Scriptures following are opened Rom. 1.9 13. In this Paul repeats a Record recorded by Malachy and the thing recorded is expounded by God himself that is what his purpose was in that business Pag. 1. 2. 3. The second Text Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved p. 4 5 6. A third Text is the 17. of John opened from p. 6. to p. 18. Fourthly These several Texts are opened Jer. 31.3.31 32 33. Jer. 32.39 40. Rom. 11.15 27. Heb. 8.8 9 10. Heb. 10.16 17. p. 19. 20. 21. Also it is opened in what sense the word Elect originally did arise in its use and application in the Old and New Testaments p. 22. 23 24. Also the Text is opened Eccles 12.7 The words are these Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God that gave it This against the Familists from p. 24. to 32. Also against them see p. 33. to 36. All these fall under the first head as against personal Election These following fall under the second Head First It is opened how a man that is no Saint may become a Saint and so to be in a capacity to the said perseverance p. 41. to 46. The first ground of the Saints perseverance is the power of Gods Spirit and the exercise of their Faith and other Graces The second ground is the immortal Seed of Gods Word sown in their mindes by the hand of Gods Spirit Also here is opened a threefold distinction as to the will of man from p. 42 to 54. A third ground of the Saints perseverance so as they shall never totally nor finally fall is Christs more full and constant manifestation of himself by his Spirit to the minde of beleevers which so exercise their graces as before is said by which he holds the will of a beleever to himself actually or virtually at the least from p. 55. to 60. To beleevers is peculiar a twofold righteousness and to no men else wherein is briefly opened how Abraham and Rahab were justified by works or working out their own salvation from p. 60 to 68. How the nature of true love doth arise in the Saints minde Also a definition of Love and its natural properties declared from p. 68 to 74. Also the patience of the Saints as to its perfect work is opened from p. 75 to 80. Also that God greatly afflicts some holy men not for tryal nor for chastizement nor for sin primarily but for some eminent respects from p. 80. to 92. Chap. 13. In which is answered Lieut. Col. John Lilburn his six particulars as to the Doctrine of the Quakers CHAP. I. In this Treatise is handled two general Points FIrst That personal Election is no ground of the Saints perseverance in the grace of God by Jesus Christ Secondly In what sense the sacred Scriptures speaks the perseverance of the Saints in that grace But I will first briefly touch upon two things by way of Introduction And first By Saints is meant no more but this Rom. 5.17 18. EPhes 1.1 John 1.12 Man that hath inherent righteousness or holiness and so doth by a right beleef receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness which came upon all men to justification of life These are Saints in deed and truth and none other are the Sons of God for as many as received him to them he gave prerogative to be the Sons of God Even to as many as beleeve in his name Secondly The personal Elections which are erroneous are three first the Superlapsarian way Secondly The Lapsarian way Thirdly An Election of some mens persons upon Gods fore-sight of their perseverance in faith and works The first is no more but this That God elected some mens persons infallibly to eternal life without respect to Adam's sin or their owne onely upon his Soveraign right over his Creature And in Reprobation Not mans undeserving is the cause of Reprobation but the will of God to reprobate Secondly the Lapsarian way is no more but this That God considered all mankind as fallen in Adam and elected some mens persons out of that Fall infallibly unto eternal life and left all the rest of mankind in that misery unrecoverably unto Eternity without any means as effectual unto them Thirdly Personal Election in this sense is no more but as is said That God upon his foresight of their perseverance in faith and works unto the end infallibly elected them unto Eternal life So much for Introduction And as concerning the first general point to carry it on clearly I will follow this Method to open the scope of those Texts which is supposed do primarily prove the said Elections and the first text that I will pitch upon hath relation to Gen. 25.22 Gen. 25.22 23. Mal. 1.1 2 3. Ezek. 16.3 Rom. 9.9 10 11 12 13. 23. Mal. 1.1 1 2 3. And the Text that is grounded upon these two Texts is Rom. 9.13 The words are these For the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth It was said unto her that is Rebecca The elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Therefore when
off from amidst his people I but mark the reason and ground because he hath despised the word of Jehovah and hath broken his Commandement Here note that God concludes his word and his Commandements to be one and the same thing and concludes That soul shall be utterly cut off his iniquity shall be upon him Exo. 9.20 that is it shall never be forgiven him except God in mercy grant repentance the truth is you are worse than the Heathen for they beleeved the word spoken unto them by Moses to be the word of Jehovah He that feared the word of Iehovah Exo. 2.23 among the Servants of Pharaoh made his Servants and his Cattel flee into the Houses Likewise he conveyed his minde by his word to the minde of the Israelites for to them he spake all these words saying I am Iehovah thy Elohims Deut 4.2 which have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage thou shalt have no other Elohims before me Moreover he saith Ye shall not adde unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it Here take notice of this That this Scripture God ownes to be his word therefore admits of no addition or diminution then it is certain it is the spirit of the Devil in you I do not say doth adde or diminish but that which is much worse for you endevour utterly to dissolve the Scriptures Again The Apostle Peter affirms two conclusions of the old Testament First That the then written Scripture in his dayes namely the old Testament was to the Churches of Christ a more sure word of Prophecie than that excellent speech that came from Heaven to Jesus Christ upon the Mount because that was a private and peculiar respect to him alone He renders this reason why Knowing this first saith he that no Prophecie of Scripture is of any private interpretation as all your quaking Doctrines are being bottomed upon your light within which neither you nor any man else knowes what it is Secondly 2 Pet. 1.17 18 19 20. Your Doctrines are of a private interpretation because they are not owned by the publick Oracles of Gods word neither do you own them to be his word The Apostles second conclusion to the Churches as to the old Testament is you do well that ye take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place until the day-dawn and the day-Starre arise in your hearts and in the 21. Verse he renders a reason thereof for saith he the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man as your quaking Doctrines do but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Now the reason why the shining of the old Testament was in a dark place is because it was under types and shadows and Prophecies as to them that had not beleeved the Gospel though then unveiled and by the dawning of the day and the day-starre arising in their hearts is meant the preaching of the Gospel without that veile so beleeving in Christ more clearly manifested to their mindes by his spirit that was the day-starre which was to arise in their hearts Again Our Lord Jesus Christ himself proves the Scriptures to be the word of God Mark 7.8 13. when he had charged them that they had laid aside the Commandements of God as do you more directly then ever they did then in the 13. Verse he affirms that Commandement written in the Scriptures to be the word of God Likewise he affirms the Gospel preached to be the word of God Luk. 8.11 for saith he expounding the parable the Seed is the word of God and it appeares also to be the word of God preached Vers 18. saying Take heed how you hear And from this ground I told you that a wiser man than you did affirm the Scriptures to be the word of God that is the Lord Jesus Christ Likewise he saith unto them Joh. 10.34 35. It is written in your Law I said ye are Gods if ye call them Gods to whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be dissolved Here our Lord also affirms the word of God to be the Scripture And in John 17.8 Our Lord to his Father concerning his Apostles saith I have given them thy words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have beleeved that thou diddest send me Observe here that Gods word which the Father gave to Christ Christ to his Apostles and they beleeving those words preached them to the World the substance whereof is in their Gospels and Epistles and the Scriptures is unto us these words of God and the ground of our Faith But you endevour to dissolve this ground and to lay a foundation of your own making a thing that you call a light within and tell us that that is Gods word and that there is none other but that and you call this thing the everlasting word of God and your Christ and your spiritual King Jesus and this lye is the ground of your Faith But our Lord Jesus Christ in the houre of his Temptation kept his minde close to the word of God in the Scriptures that were written by Moses to repel the Tempter and his temptations saying to the Devil It is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God that is his minde shall live by beleeving the Scriptures as his body does by bread as in Vers 8. Deur 6.16 Chap. 10. Get thee behinde me Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and this word was then written And here our Lord applies those Scriptures to the Devils that were spoken to the Israelites they being his Creatures as well as man Thus the word of God in the Scriptures was the ground of Christs Faith and so are to all that are his that is that are truly godly therefore because you deny the Scriptures to be Gods word and also the sacred Trinity consequently you deny God himself for it is proved that Jehovah is in the Elohims and the Elohims in Jehovah wherefore I told you because you deny principles you ought to be served as they serve such in the Schools that is they kick them out and so ought you to be kicked out of the School of Christ and the company of all Gods people yet nevertheless I did then grant that the Scriptures as a humane expression as printed in Inck and paper was not the word of God for that may be burnt in the fire as the King did the Roll yet that which was express'd to the King in that Roll Jer. 26.29 30. was the word of God and God made it good upon him and so he will make good his word upon you and your Companions though you endevour to dissolve that word as did that King that all men
Rebecca had conceived as God had promised the children strugling together in her wombe thereupon she said If it it be so Why am I thus wherefore she went to enquire of Jehovah whereupon concerning Esau and Jacob God declares his purpose That he considered those two children in her wombe not as two persons individually but as two roots universally in National respects For saith God unto Rebecca Two Nations are in thy wombe and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels and the one people shall be stronger than the other people the elder shall serve the younger Now the ground why God elected one Nation in the younger childe Jacob and rejected the other in the loyns of the elder childe Esau was to figure that the children of the flesh as such should not be counted as children unto God but the children of the Promise as leading to faith in Christ and born again not of the will of the Flesh but of the Spirit shall be counted the Children of God as faithful Abraham A second ground why God elected that Nation in Jacob's loyns was to be his onely visible Church in all the world to uphold his Name till Shilo came in the flesh namely Christ A third ground why God did so at that time was this Because when he declared this purpose to Rebecca his name in Christ to destroy the works of the Devil Gen. 11.8 10.32 12.1 2 3 4. Josh 24.2 23.15 Ezek. 16.3 4 5 6. was as it were extinguished out of the world And the ground why it was so extinct was this For at that time all Nations and all the Families of the Earth were Apostates from the said posture by which they might receive eternal life I say all Families except one and that was the family of Sem and that also began to Apostate to Idols as appears in Terah Abraham's Father therefore God commanded him to depart from his Fathers house and then promised him having no childe this Nation to issue from his loyns and Isaac's and Jacob's and all comprehended in these words So shall thy Seed be Again God did not onely then at that time elect the Jews unborn to be the visible Church of Christ but also at the same time predestinated the Gentiles into the same posture Gal. 3.8 by which also they might receive eternal life by promise to Abraham whence saith the Apostle And what that postture is is at larg declared in my second Treatise The Scriptures foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached the Gospel before unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations of the Earth be blessed So that the scope and drift of all these Texts is so far from maintaining the aforesaid Elections that it is against them all for the Text onely speaks of a National not a Personal Election and of a National Rejection not a Personal A second Text which is supposed to speak for Personal Elections as a ground of the Saints perseverance are these words As many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved But as before so now to find the true meaning of this Text Acts. 13.98 is to keep close to that which it aims at Vers 42. The Apostle having preached Christ to the Jews in their Synagogue thereupon some Gentiles then present besought the Apostles that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath whereupon the next Sabbath day Vers 44. came almost the whole City together to hear the word of God And then some of the said Elect of God namely the Jews seeing the multitude they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and Blaspheming Vers 45. whereupon the Apostle spake to the blaspheming Jews and said It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it away from you and judge your selves unworthy of eternal life that is of that posture wherein you might have received eternal life Lo we turn to the Gentiles Vers 47. For so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the Earth Vers 48. When the Gentiles heard this that is those words of the prophecie concerning themselves to be admitted into the posture by which they might receive eternal life then they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord that is in beleef of the said prophecie for they had been 1800 yeers excluded from the said posture because the Oracles of God were before confined only unto the Nation of the Jews not at all to come amongst the Gentiles until Christ came yet did not all that multitude beleeve for some were in the case of final Impenitency through their precedent obstinacy as also were some of the Jews and therefore God denied them the spirit of faith to beleeve vers 41. Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your dayes a work which you shal in no wise beleeve though a man declare it unto you Therefore Vers 51. the Apostles shooke off the dust of their feet to witnesse against those unbeleeving Jews that were his visible members and so his sheep but being denied the gift of faith therefore not his sheep John 10.26 John 10. 26. Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you So as the meaning of these words As many as were ordained to eternal life is no more but this That God predestinated or ordained by promise to Abraham that the Gentiles should be called into that posture by which they might receive eternal life From this ground it was that the Scriptures did foresee that God would justifie the Heathen through faith and upon this ground the Apostle doth apply to beleeving Gentiles That Gods calling of them is according to his purpose to be made like unto Christ and the first born among many Brethren Rom. 8.28 29 30. and to be justified and glorified was now fulfilled So that the scope of these Texts makes nothing for Personal Elections but sets forth the rejoycing of the Gentiles in the demonstration of Gods ordaining them to the said posture by promise to Abraham and conveyed to them under this prophecie CHAP. II. In which the 17 th Chapter of JOHN is opened THis Chapter is supposed to prove these Personal Elections as the ground of the Saints perseverance Some of the words are these which our Lord spake to his Father of himself Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him c. These words naturally divide themselves into four branches First The power given him by his Father Secondly The extent of that power over all flesh Thirdly The End wherefore That he should give Eternal life Fourthly The Restraint or Bounds to which this Eternal life is limited Not to all
Again The Apostles were not of the World as he was not of the World because he engaged himself in life and Doctrine in opposition to the Apostate World both men and Angels And so in some degree did the Apostles and all Beleevers and so they were not of the World as he was not of the World from this ground it is that he said to his Father I pray not for the World that is for them as to their course of life and conversation but for them which thou hast given me out of the World that is Apostles and Beleevers that thou wouldest keep them from the evil The third Quere What meaneth our Lord by these words for their sakes sanctifie I my self that they also may be sanctified through thy truth Answ He meaneth that the Apostles should be sanctified by his word of truth because by it he did sanctifie himself to his work as it respected his Fathers final end Therefore cursed be for ever that Doctrine of the sneaking Quakers and our Familistical ranting Popelings by whom the Apostate Angels endevour to adulterate the most pure Oracles of God the old and new Testaments Secondly Although he thus prayes that it might sanctifie them in their work as it had done him yet we must note this by the way he was not unholy before for if we consider him as the second in the one Jehovah so he was infinite in holiness or personally God-man for so he was perfectly holy because that humane seed which was elect out of the fallen Masse to be assumed in the course of nature in the womb of the Virgin was totally separated from the least tincture of the nature of Devils sin I mean because the Virgin was over-shadowed by the Holy Ghost therefore that holy thing was called the Son of the most high Luk. 1.35 that is above all created natures in a superlative degree Quest If you ask me how could he be sanctified by the word of truth who was so sanctified in his divine and humane nature Answ Very well Heb. 5.8 for as he did grow in stature and wisdom so he learned obedience by the things he suffered that is Luk. 2.40 52. he did grow in degrees of heavenly wisdom in the sacred Oracles of God that is the old Testament and also in the words which himself received from his Father and gave them to his Apostles in the 8. v. of Jo 17. which now to us is the new Testament and as he did grow from Child-hood to a youth or young man to a perfect man he still kept close to his Fathers words from whence he was able to dispute with the Doctors at 12. years age to dispute with the Devils alledging It is written and custom makes another nature in good Luk. 4.4.8 as well as in evil for we see by his sufferings he learned obedi-ence that is better and better Object If it be objected Object That if he were more perfect then formerly consequently he was formerly lesse perfect consequently he sinned because he fell short of his Fathers will I answer Answ Not so for his Fathers Law requires man to love God but with all his soul and all his strength and his Neighbour as himself but no more then is proper to his kinde Therefore he sinned not And for his divine nature it being without limits in its Essence is without Law in his operations Again he being not created as was the first Adam a perfect man at once but being born of Woman came to it by degrees as is formerly proved yet in every degree he did as himself saith alwayes those things that pleased his Father Jo. 8.29 therefore he sinned not Again Our Lord did not thus sanctifie himself onely to accomplish his Fathers final end himself but also for his Apostles sake for saith he for their sakes sanctifie I my self that is to give them example how to go on ministerially in that which himself hath done fundamentally whence in the 18th verse he saith As thou hast sent me into the World even so I have sent them into the World that is to a World of Heathens and to a world of proud formal professors the Jewes his Elect Spouse for he came to his own and his own received him not To this end he gave his Commandement to the Apostles to go forth to the World Jo. 1.11 saying Goe ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alwayes that is Mat. 19.28 by my spirit for that is implyed Again He sanctified himself for all beleevers that he that sanctifieth they that are sanctified may be one not only in sufferings but in holiness insome degree in this life and to be perfect in one in the next Heb. 2.11 as is proved for he did know as satans lies believed by our first Parents we in them was und is the universal ground of all unholiness and ungodliness so on the contrary he did know that his Fathers truth beleeved and obeyed is the universal ground of all true holiness and godliness and therefore prayed sanctified them with the truth thy word is truth that is the only alone truth so to do by the spirit of truth which goes along with that word which the world that lives in weakness knowes not Therefore O you friends of the Bride-groom keep close to the pure truth of the Oracles of God for the grounds of your Doctrines expositions and applications and be content with the simplicity thereof and look not too much upon this or that mans expositions as to put too much stresse upon any mans wit or learning for their mistakes are numerous But above all keep to the four grounds manifested in the Oracles of God for in themselves they are infallible The first is Mans pure naturals as he was created by God for in holiness and righteousness created he him The second ground is the Covenant of works between God and Adam and these two States were distinct and each did stand alone before mans fall The third ground is the fall of man The fourth ground is the restauration of the whole Creation by Christ the second Adam The which four grounds in some measure are opened in the four first Chapters of my first Treatise upon which grounds that first Book my second Book and this third Book are built by him who makes use of the foolish things of the World 1 Cor. 1.27 to condemn the wise and when you see a Bee work beyond his wit then know there is a greater efficient than it Again The Father gave not only twelve men of all flesh to be Christs Apostles nor only all right beleevers of all flesh to be his mystical members here but if they continue to the end to be triumphant in Heaven to eternity But also he
gave him some part of all flesh which by Apostacie are become dead in sins and trespasses to that posture in which once they might have received life yet some of these men are given to him at one time and yet given him at another and some of them are denyed him for ever and these various respects are the grounds of our Saviours words in these cond verse That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Thus God denied the Gentiles to Christ about 1800. years being dead in sins and in trespasses excepting some few as is proved in the 7th Chapter of my first Treatise and denied them the residence of his Oracles the said time for their Apostacy at Babel until Christ was come in the flesh Again When Christ came in the flesh Jo. 12. God gave him many of those Gentiles dead in sins to hear the voyce of the Son of God and live in that posture in which they might receive eternal life yet some are denyed him to this day and remain Heathens and shall till the fulness of the Gentiles come in in the interim many perish because denyed to Christ Again When God called us Gentiles to come to receive life in the said posture or to be either as is proved for before there was no way but death to most men yet at that time he denyed the Jews to Christ for crucifying the Lord of glory and his blood is upon them for to this day they remained dead in sins and trespasses for in Holland where the Gospel is preached it is no Gospel to them because God as yet denies them the spirit of faith as he hath done these 1600. years except it may bee to some few Again Thus were some of those denyed the gift of Faith while our Lord lived amongst them wherefore he said unto them Ye are not my sheep that is although my Sheep as from Abrahams flesh Jo. 1.16.25 26. yet not my Sheep as in Abrahams spirit of faith And although the whole body of that Church Elect still stands cut off for their unbeleef yet there will come a time when they shall be given to Christ The Apostle saith Rom. 11. If the casting away of them be the reconciliation of the World Rom. 11.8.12 15 16 20 25. what shall the receiving be but life from death Now I come to the fourth Quere How is it that Rom. 5.18 The Text affirms as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life And yet this 17th of John restrains that gift of life but to some I answer That justification was universal to all man-kind and to all alike and the extent of the imputation of that righteousness was to the whole Creation from whence it was put into a posture of travail from that bondage of corruption which it fell into by Adam to be partakers of the glorious liberty of the Sons of God and it travelleth until now as saith the Text. Again I answer That the gift of eternal life in the 17th of John is particular and peculiar to him that receives that gift of righteousness by Faith in two respects which that universal justification was not As first He that receives this imputed gift of righteousness God pardons that mans sins although numerous against the mercy of God in Jesus Christ which that universal justification did not for it onely pardoned the gift and punishment of Adams one offence once committed to him and all his posterity but it pardoned no more Secondly That man which by beleef receives that imputed gift of righteousness is possessed of eternal life in this World for the Text saith he that beleeveth hath eternal life which that universal justification did not give it onely gave right to eternal life but no more And the truth is the Apostle in the fifth of the Romans points out this particular justification and that universal justification The particular justification in these words for if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ But mark the Text It refers this particular Justification onely to Beleevers that receive that gift of righteousness Vers 17. and in the 18. Verse the Apostle layes down that universal Justification in these words Therefore as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification of life Obj. It will be objected Object our Lord saith Father I will that those which thou hast given me be with me even where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovest me before the foundations of the world Vers 24. Therefore those that are given by the Father to Christ cannot but be infallibly brought to behold that his glory to Eternity For it is impossible but that Christs prayer must be granted because he alwayes did that which was pleasing in his Fathers sight Answ True it is Answ that Christ did alwayes so and therefore so in this prayer and therefore it shall be granted But the question in hand is not whether his prayer shall be granted but in what sense he prayed for it cannot be in the sense alledged because it is proved in this Chapter that the Father gave him 12. men of all flesh and yet one of them which his Father gave him shall not behold that glory because our Lord affirmes it had been good for him he had never been born and in this Chapter he saith one of them is lost and became the son of perdition Again right beleevers of all flesh are given by the Father to Christ to be his mystical members and himself to be head to that body from which ground he made this prayer in behalf of them that they might behold that his glory but we must mark the reason and ground of his prayer why his Father should grant it In these words Thou lovest me before the foundations of the world And of his members he saith Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me V. 23. Now it is already proved in what sense our Lord himself was loved of his father before the world was namely to be the seaventh meanes or second Adam infailibly to accomplish his Fathers final end Therefore it necessarily followes That all his members are loved with the same love as they adhere to Christ in respect of his Fathers final end to his glory and not otherwise This is expressed by our Lord himself John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me for where I am there shall also my servant be If any man serve me him will my Father love otherwise not for that is implyed because our Lord puts it upon if and if If any man
serve me c. For if our Lord himself be loved unto the said respect of his Fathers glory as to be compleated in his final end by him Consequently this his prayer is according to that level and not otherwise as plainly appears in the comparing the 26th Vers of the 12. of John with this 24th Vers in the 17th of John But what Gods final end is here I pass it over because it is proved in the first and 12th Chapter of my second Treatise So much for the opening of the 17th Chapter of John which proves that the Saints perseverance hath no dependance upon the supposed personal Elections which neither this Chapter nor any other doth own CHAP. III. In which are opened several other Texts to the purpose aforesaid BEhold the dayes come saith the Lord Jer. 31.3.31 22 33 That I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers c. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. By that word in those dayes is meant as is expressed in the 17. Verse There is hope in the latter end saith Jehovah that thy Children shall come to their own border that is their own Land and return into that posture wherein they may receive eternal life as is implyed in these words I will write my Law in their hearts further implying that formerly they were dead in sins and trespasses To the same purpose he saith I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their Children after them Jer. 32.39 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them and I will not turn away from them to do them good In the next words he shewes wherein principally their good consists I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall never depart from me onely note this by the way That this fearing of God for ever and a Covenant that shall last for ever and that they shall never depart from him is in no sense spoken in reference to personal election as the ground of the Saints perseverance in the grace of God by Jesus Christ for all this story points onely at the Jews Gods elect visible Church and these words as to them imply two things First That God had formerly turned away from them from doing of them good many years yet he continued them to be and so to be distinguished in all Ages and Generations as that they are known by the name of Jews as Abrahams off-spring to this day Secondly These words further point out That although they are now no visible Church of Christ yet after their conversion into the said posture they shall never totally depart from being Christs visible Church unto the Worlds end as they have been many hundred years and are at this day and that is meant when God saith I will make an ever lasting Covenant with thee as to the same effect in the 3. Verse And in that he saith Rom. 11.15.27 Heb. 8.8 9 10. Heb. 10.16 17. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever And to this point the Apostle speaks Rom. 11.15 27. and to the same purpose Heb. 8.8 9 10. and Heb. 10.16 17. So that it is clear these Texts speak nothing to the maintenance of personal Election as I said â—efore Onely I marvail that so many godly learned men should be so bold to infer from the Apostles words Rom. 9.13 Esau have I hated That Esau was personally reprobated to eternity for the Apostle doth onely repeat a Record as it is written by Malachy and Malachy followes God declaring his purpose to Rebecca concerning those Children That they were the Roots of two Nations and he purposed the one Nation should be his visible Church and the other being the elder Brother should not that no flesh as flesh should glory in his sight and in this sense he saith Esau have I hated as is formerly proved in this and both my other Treatises Again For further clearing of the truth against those threefold erroneous Elections I will prove the original use of the word Elect and in what sense that word is applyed in the old and new Testament For instance many hundreds of years after Esau and Jacob were dead came the burthen of the word of Jehovah by Malachy I have loved you saith Jehovah yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us was not Esau Jacobs Brother saith Jehovah yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and laid his Mountains and his Heritage waste And to Jacobs Nation Vers 5. he saith your eyes shall see and you shall say Jehovah will be magnified from the border of Israel And to Israels Nation Jsaiah applies the word Elect which as to them Isa 44.1 2. was the original use of this word Yet hear now O Jacob my Servant and Israel whom I have Elect Thus saith Jehovah that made thee and formed thee from the womb he will help thee fear not O Jacob my Servant and thou righteous whom I have Elect. But thou Israel art my Servant Isa 41.8 9. Jacob whom I have Elect the seed of Abraham my friend And in the 9th Verse Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the Earth and called thee from the chief men thereof and said unto thee thou art my Servant I have elected thee and not cast thee away From this ground our Saviour speaking of the destruction of this visible Church Elect after his death he concludes those dayes of vengeance shall be shortened except those dayes should be shortened there should be no flesh saved Mat 24.2 and from 15. to 22. But for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortened implying no flesh otherwise of Abraham his friend whould be reserved for a future call to the said posture in which they might receive the gift of eternal life Dan. 11.15 1 King 3.8 So the Prophet saith thy Servant is in the midst of thine Elect people whom thou hast elected likewise O seed of Jacob his Servant ye Children of Jacob his Elect ones 1 Chron. 16.13 so that in the old Testament we see the original of this word Elect and the application of it hath not the least sense to any personal Elections but to a visible Church or to its individual members under the same capacity Secondly It is applyed to the same sense and none other in the new Testament To the visible Church of Colos the Apostle saith Put on therefore as the Elect of God Col. 3.12 1 Thes 1.4.7 bowels of mercy c. likewise to the visible Church he saith knowing Brethren beloved your election of God for our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also
denies Angels and Spirits and the Resurrection as did the Sadduces but to those seduced spirits our Lord answered and said unto them Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures And this error is the first ground upon which this Objection is built But our Lord stayed not there but said neither do ye know the power of God Mat. 22.29 Act. 23.8 that is not knowing or beleeving his infiniteness and the Text affirms he is infinite therefore your ignorance of this is a second ground of your objection And you measure him by your reason or your reasoning which is as if you would empty the Ocean into an Egg-she therefore you cannto but erre And for further explanation how Gods potency and vertue which was essentially in himself and spirited out of himself by Creation yet is not now himself I refer the Reader to my second Treatise pag. 104 105 106. But secondly I answer that all Creatures in Heaven and in Earth principally men and Angels are but a remote shadow of his being and not his being which is the fountain of life for they are all but meer dependents upon his Essence as Job affirms of the Earth It hangs by nothing that is no created thing but dependent upon him as an accident to a substance as for example witheness upon a wall depends on the wall yet the wall was a wall before and will be when that whiteness shall be washed off so God was before all things were created in its dependence upon him And he will be the same though he should please to wash away the whole Creation by an annihilation but for his final ends sake he will never do this as is proved And thou O man who thus disputest to be he art but a remote shadow of him and canst thou imagine the shadow of thy body to be thee or to comprehend what thou art much lesse art thou he or ever wilt be nor able to comprehend him But do thou dispute and beleeve thine own disputings 2 Chron. 20.20 And I will beleeve the Lord and his Prophets so shall I surely prosper but he that will not so beleeve shall be damned Mark 16.16 And in that word he points at thee if thou repent not for the wanton despising and such disputing out thy precious time against Gods long patience which as by a hand of mercy would lead thee to return unto himself to be happy for ever for at the end of our lives when the dust returns to the Earth as it was the spirit shall return to God that gave it and can do no other for then it will be stripped of all those mediums which did interpose its naked approach to God in its apprehension and shall see it self returned to the alone disposing of God and this is the meaning of the Text and the spirit shall return to God that gave it that is to be sent to its place of weal or woe Luk. 12. â—7 according to his works as is figuratively laid down between Dives and Lazrus So much for answer to the blasphemous abuse of this Text. CHAP. V. In which is further amplified the Errors of the Familists and four Quere's answered as to the point of Election ANd in the first place take notice from what ground these men deny the sacred Oracles of God and prayer to him as our heavenly Father and all Ordinances as tending to mans salvation that is from the same ground that the Angels fell which is that they abode not in the truth of God and from the same ground that we in our first Parents fell beleeving not his word of truth So this sort of men forsake the truth and beleeve a lie that is a fancy which they name a light within them and the divine nature and Christ they call their light by the name of Christ But what saith our Lord to these men Joh. 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do and concludes he is a lyer and the Father of lies But you wil say your own grounds imply Object you need not pray as it is in that which you call the Lords Prayer your Father in Heaven because you affirm you are in his Essence and cannot be out of it Then if he be so neer you what need you pray to him at all much lesse as in Heaven a great way off Though it be true that he is so near us Answ yet that is false which you infer form thence That we need not pray for we need to pray because of the foresaid mediums between our spirit and he and it is formerly proved those mediums are three That is this World being but an object of sense and the body of man being but a sensitive thing and the spirit of it self involed in a body of sin and of errors and mistakes Therefore although he be so neer we have great cause to pray unto him to manifest himself unto our spirits as did he that said Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef Again I answer The nature of sin in our mind carries in it enmity to God and therefore our minde being conscious to our sin in our apprehensions keeps at a distance from him therefore as neer as he is unto us we had need to pray unto him to shew himself to us for it is one thing that he is so neer and another thing to beleeve that he is so neer as for example If a man be as neer to one that is blind as possible may be if he neither feel him nor hear him he is to him as if he were 1000. miles off and this is our case by reason of these three mediums before specified therefore we have need to pray to God to draw neer to us not in his Essence for neerer he cannot be but in the manifestation of his mercy and goodness he may Again Our Lord taught us to pray to our Father as in Heaven because it is the ultimate manifestation of his transcendent glory that Men and Angels can be capable of and a place created purposely for that end in which we shall center in him to all eternity therefore we begin our Lords Prayer with Our Father which art in Heaven and conclude it with Thine is the Kingdom power and glory Again Because it is Jehovah that makes a barren Wilderness fruitful and a fruitful Land barren therefore he being so neer us we may the rather pray Give us this day our daily bread that is a competent maintenance for us and ours during this life which is our day Again Because the Apostate Angels do multiply and advance their Kingdom of darkness by mens beleeving lies and lying vanities so forsaking their own mercies and principally this Familistical Crew seemingly Angels of light to deceive therefore in regard God is so neer unto us I say we may the rather pray Let thy Kingdom come and will be done by removing those numerous errors and blasphemies which
ingenious acknowledgement of the divine truth Whereas you affirm Faith arises as a particular branch of the new Creature Object or Saints inherent righteousness yet it is affirmed by others that Faith is the first and Mother of all graces I answer It is one thing that Faith is included in the general nature of the Saints inherent righteousness wrought by the word and spirit of Christ Answ and another thing that in the exercise of their graces in order to perseverance That Faith is the first mover for in this case it is true Faith sets all graces a work and I suppose this is it they mean and I have proved in my second Book pag. 71.72 That mans beleef is the general ground of all his deliberate actions as to the avoiding of any danger and attaining any good hopeful And this is bottomed in the nature of the thing and not in the excellency of faith above the nature of other graces for justifying Faith simply considered in it self as to justification of a sinner is but a dark body till it hath received Christ and his righteousness which is the light of life eternal As is the eye a dark body till it receive the light And as by the Saints exercising all their graces all graces do grow so faith growes up with the rest Hence saith James thou seest that Faith was the helper of Abrahams works and by works Faith was brought to its end that is by offering up Isaac which figuratively was Christ to Abraham for saith our Lord Abraham saw my day and rejoyced Thus Christ is the Authour of eternal salvation to all that obey him otherwise not for that is implyed as to those professors in whom Faith dyed mentioned by James Jam. 2.22 If it be objected what I affirm in my first Book Object pag. 55. That Christ is the Authour of salvation to them that disobey him as old Eli and Miriam and Aaron and Moses whose carcases fell with others in the wilderness by the wrath of God 1 Cor. 1.29 30. and in the Church of Corinth for contempt of the Sacrament wherefore Christ smote some with sickness and some with death Moses and all the Saints that dye under a relaps Answ or back-sliding condition yet if any seed of Gods word sowne by the hand of Christs spirit remain in any degree of inherent righteousness though never so small then there is in them a virtual tendency by faith to Christs imputed righteousness as to the brazen Serpent the smallest tendency of sight that beheld it saved that mans body from death so that virtual tendency to Christs righteousness doth likewise save that man from the guilt and punishment of his sins and renders him eternal life after his departure out of this World yet the death of these Saints is under a Cloud of obscurity as to themselves and to others in respect of their eternal life as Salomon and Eli and those Corinthians which Christ stroke with death yet as for Moses although he dyed under a Cloud yet he dyed not as a barren and fruitless Christian but being filled with the fruits of righteousness although he disobeyed Christ eminently in one particular of unbeleefe for which Christ slew him his Carkasse falling in the Wilderness with the rest yet God rendered him this honour and comfort in his passage from this Vale of misery to eternal felicity for before he destroyed his body he led him to the top of a Mountain to let him see the figure of his eternal felicity Deut. 34.5 6 7. the promised Land of Earthly Canaan still proving that Christ is the Authour of eternal salvation to them that obey him as is formerly proved those that obey him most according to their measure of grace receive most To those Saints he most manifests himself to their secret minde and they that obey him least according to their measure he manifests himself least to their secret mindes for onely the pure in minde see God therefore the more purity of spirit the more sight of God and the lesse the lesse for the sanctified minde of the Saints is the onely Temple of the Holy Ghost and not the Saints persons as personally elected for as personally elected Christs humane body and soul was only the Temple of the holy Ghost as formerly is proved and therefore it is said the God-head dwelt bodily in that person or humane body but of none else for the Text saith In him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 that is the fulness of the one Jehovah for that most properly is the God-head therefore the second in the one Jehovah to carry on his Fathers final end was personally elected God-man and his soul and body receives not the spirit by measure as doe the Saints but without measure as saith the Text. CHAP. X. Briefly touching upon the point of Faith but at large upon the point of Love FOr having formerly spoken of the works of the Saints whereof Faith is the first mover It were necessary that I should now treat what faith is but in regard I have handled it in my first Treatise here I passe it over for there I have proved that in justifying faith there are three degrees and shew the difference between that Faith and other Faiths and then I have proved what justifying Faith in its own nature is definitively and defined what its perfection is and also proved how God doth bring the Saints to that perfection and also that justifying Faiths perfection and dissolution are both in this life Pag. 128. to the 140 from pag. 128. to the 140. And because Faith works by love it is requisite to treat upon the nature of love and how that love doth arise in the mindes of beleevers and in a word all love in general in the minde of man arises from that suitable agreeableness between the subject and the object and so in this case of justifying Faith for no man can love that which is not suitable nor agreeable to his minde From this ground Jacob could not love Leah so well as Rachel but because there was a suitable agreeableness between the subject and the object therefore Jonathans love to David was more than the love of women so much to shew how love ariseth in the minde of man but the question will be What is love in its own general nature Quest In a word Answ It may be definitively thus laid down It is in the minde of man a liking and an uniting affection but the point will be more cleared by its natural properties the which are two What is the first property Quest It is to endevour as neer an Union and Communion with the thing loved Answ as possible may be therefore it was that Jonathan and David kissed one another and wept one with another until David exceeded and that David said concerning Jonathan I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan 2 Sam. 1.26 1 Sam. 18.1 very pleasant hast thou
must ground upon a lye and nothing else for you deny the increate word of God the second Elohim in Trinity Joh. 1.1 Who in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God And secondly You deny the Scriptures to be the word of God and so you leave the World no word of God but the light forsooth that is within you so much for your second point Thirdly you affirm There is no word of God but that light which is in man To this I need give no answer having proved a twofold word of God but because you did affirm your light within to be the word of God I desired you to prove it thereupon you alleaged the 1. of Iohn and the 1. Vers In the beginning was the word c. To which I answered That word which was with God and was God was the second Elohim in Iehovah or in the Trinity and he did create all things and without him was not any thing made that was made but what I pray you did that light within you create what were the things which it created and made for the Lord Jesus Christ himself who is personally God-man simply so created nothing that is as he is Christ yet you would have your light which you call Christ to be a creator of you know not what And because I affirm that the word that was with God and was God being the second person in Trinity this stirred up the light within you to deny the Trinity therefore I conclude that the light in you is darkness Yet neverthelesse I do grant that the Lord Jesus Christ as personally God-man the second Adam after the fall of the World by the first Adam immediately did as the faithful and true witness of God against the Apostate-Angels lies Rev. 3.14 as it were put a new Creation upon the works which God had made by virtue of his imputative righteousness interposing the imputative unrighteousness of Adam put the whole Creation in a travell until now from that bondage of corruption Rom. 8. to which it fell to be partakers of the glorious liberty of the Sons of God And this first Chapter of Iohn speaks to both that is what he did as he is the second Elohim in Iehovah and also to what he did as he was personally God-man Jesus Christ But what is all this to your Idoll light within which is your spiritual King Jesus and your Christ I and the same light which is in God himself I pray you let me ask you this question is not this to reproach Ichovah for you also attribute Creation to your light within so much to the third point Fourthly You affirm in your Book pag. 16. That that light in man is as the light is in God himself in whom is no darkness at all I answer This word light is a metaphor allluding to the light of this inferior Elementary World which light is not suitable to the reasonable soul of man nor spirits as Angels but to the eye of flesh as to man and beast yet no man certainly knowes what it is but in probability whether it be a quality a substance or a spirit therefore for its excellency the essence or nature of Iehovah is compared unto it the words are these God is light 1 Tim. 6.16 1 Joh. 1.5 in whom is no darkness at all who onely hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto which no man hath seeen nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen Yet in your Book pag. 15. you affirm that this light which in the Text is the infinite Essence of God is the living and quickning holy or tender part of man the everlasting word of God by whom all things were made But herein you fall just with the Familists that the Essence of God is the tender part of man but as to those your elder Brethren in evill I have answered this point formerly in this very Treatise Pag. 19.27 And also in my second Treatise from pag. 104. to 108. Nevertheless I will say something of this point to you also And first I grant that this increate light the Essence of Jehovah our Elohims is in all men and in all things but not in your sense as to be any part of the nature of man or of any thing else for it is in him that we and all things else do live and move and have our being for as nothing is able to include him so is it impossible that he should be excluded by any thing But I pray you here take notice That although the sacred Essence of God be within and without all men yet this no way conduces to the happiness of man as you ignorantly affirm in several places of your Book and in pag. 19. it is affirmed to be the very principle of all true Religion I pray you is it such a principle to the Devills and all damned Creatures for their being life and motion is in him He that is being it self is the bottom of the being of all created nature and so it is of good and bad men to continue them to be happy or to be tormented to eternity otherwise they would all fall to nothing by an annihilation But God for his final ends sake will so continue them for ever now what that final end is I refer you to my second Treatise and thus for his final ends sake he upholds the Earth which hangs by nothing as saith the Text that is by no created thing and the Text saith He sitteth upon the Circle of the Earth and the truth is his infinite Essence is not only in and thorough all created Natures and Worlds but also his intrinsicall glory extends far beyond them all and he is where they are not nor any created thing ever were for in his intrinsical glory they all adde nothing unto him who is Jehovah our Elohims our own Jehovah and is this that which you call the tender part of man and so his happiness as you childishly affirm not knowing what you say Again I answer and grant It is a great happiness unto a godly mind to know and possess this infinite light which is both within and without us as he is pleased to stoop to our capacities as appeares Joh. 1.1 speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ personally God-man he saith That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen which wee have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life Here note that John had heard and seen Christ looking upon him and handled Christ by being in his Company But your Idoll Christ your light your everlasting word that same tender part of man was never visible but invisible for you say it is within so that you nor any man else can say what it is except a whimsey But in the second verse Iohn complains himself further saying the life was manifested we have