the Records of his Prescience and for the good Works written therein make a Decree of Election unto glory for such an Election would not be an Election of grace but of works and the Elect Vessels would be vasa Meritorum and not vasa Misericordiae But where is the holiness and obedience of the Saints recorded but in the very Decree of Election Therein God doth not only chuse men to glory as the end but also unto saith and holiness as the way leading thereunto God hath chosen us that we should be holy Eph. 1. 4. Non quia futuri eramus sed ut essemus sancti I have chosen you saith Christ that you should go and bring forth fruit Joh. 15. 16. and happy are ye if you do these things saith he Joh. 13. 17. But would all the Apostles bring forth fruit would they all do so and be happy Our Saviour answers plainly Ver. 8. I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen He speaks not of Election to the Apostleship but of Election to Grace and Glory for it is such an Election as shuts Judas out of the number Neither doth he say I know which of you will be holy and obedient but I know whom I have chosen because all the holiness and obedience of the Saints is built upon free Election Inter gratiam praedestinationem hoc tantùm interest saith St. Austin quòd praedestinatio est gratiae praeparatio gratia verò est ipsa donatio Quod ait Apostolus Ipsius sumus figmentum creati in Christo Jesu in operibus bonis gratia est quod autem sequitur quae praeparavit Deus ut in illis ambulemus praedestinatio est Si propriè appellentur saith St. Bernard ea quae dicimus nostra merita sunt quaedam spei seminaria charitatis incentiva occultae praedestinationis indicia futurae foelicitatis praesagia via regni non causa regnandi Others build Election on foreseen Faith and Perseverance as if these were the moving Causes or at least the antecedent Conditions thereof Thus the Remonstrants herein outstripping the Jesuits themselves Praedestinatio saith Ruiz tota est ex voluntate Dei quantùm ad merita quantùm ad retributionem And in another place Deus dat ut velimus facitque ut faciamus and withal gives an instance in Faith and Perseverance Bellarmine spends some Chapters in proving this Thesis Praedestinationis nulla est causa in nobis Electio saith he non pendet ex ulla praevisione operum nostrorum sed ex mero beneplacito Dei Si spectes saith Gregory de Valentia praedestinationis rationem nihil est in praedestinato sed potius in ipso Deo imò est ipse Deus à quo quae sua est infinita perfectio nulla ejus operatio reipsâ distinguitur And Praedestinationi sunt ascribenda omnia Dei dona quibus salus nostra continetur Deus suos electos saith Suarez ante praevisa merita suâ gratuitâ voluntate elegit non tantùm ad unum vel aliud beneficium gratiae sed ad totam seriem Mediorum quibus infallibiliter perducuntur ad regnum And again Electio non est ex praescientia perseverantiae futurae sed est origo illius Who can but blush at these passages wherein the Jesuits themselves attribute more to free Grace than the Remonstrants But for the thing it self the very same Scriptures which overthrow Election as founded on foreseen Works do overthrow it as founded on foreseen Faith That place Rom. 11. 5. is very pregnant against it There is saith the Apostle a remnant according to the Election of grace the reservation there spoken of is not man's act but God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the holy Oracle Ver. 4. Non dixit saith Austin relicta sunt mihi aut reliquerunt se mihi sed reliqui mihi The word in the Old Testament is very emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faciam remanere I will cause or make to remain 1 Kings 19. 18. And how doth God reserve or make men to remain unto himself how but by giving of Faith unto them This is that which puts them into the Ark of Salvation neither is there any other way of reserve found in the Gospel Now this reservation which imports in it the giving of Faith is saith the Apostle according to the Election of grace Election therefore is not according to Faith but Faith according to Election But as if the Apostle had not yet spoken enough in calling it the Election of grace he goes on and if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace where he doth include Faith within the word works Indeed in other places treating of Justification he opposes Faith to Works but here speaking of Election he includes Faith within them and the reason is evident Faith hath a peculiar Organicalness or Receptivity to receive the free Grace of God that the Believer may be justified Gal. 2. 16. but it hath no Organicalness or Receptivity to receive the free Grace of God that the Believer may be elected Wherefore as to Justification it is opposed to Works but as to Election it is included within them It is written in the Gospel Believe and thou shalt be justified but in what Gospel is it written Believe and thou shalt be elected Now that Election is not bottomed on foreseen Faith and Perseverance I shall demonstrate divers ways 1. From the glory of Election which breaks forth in its Eternity Sovereignty Grace and Efficacy If Election be founded on foreseen Faith and Perseverance where is the Eternity of it No man according to the Remonstrants Doctrine is completely Elect until he believe nay not until the last instant of Perseverance wherein he ceases to believe But if this may be salved by the Divine Prescience yet where is the Sovereignty of it Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour Rom. 9. 21 To order different Vessels out of the same lump to different ends is glorious power but to sever out Believers from Unbelievers is not so much power as skill Whether God in Predestination look on men in statu integro or in statu lapso it is out of the same lump still but if he elect out of foreseen Faith it is not out of the same lump with the unbelieving World for he looks on them in statu reparato To elect out of skill according to the goodness of the object becomes a Rational Creature but to elect out of Sovereignty and supreme Liberty becomes the great God who can make and meliorate the object as he pleaseth But if this also might be satisfied yet where is the Grace of it If God do but eligere eligentes if Man's Faith be earlier than God's Grace then we chuse God before he chuseth us contrary to that of our Saviour Joh. 15. 16. then we loved
God before he loved us contrary to that of the Apostle 1 Joh. 4. 19. To love as moved by the attractive goodness of the Object is to love like a man but to love Blackamores then give them beauty to love enemies and then overcome them with love is to love like God whose Grace is pure Grace whose Love is all from himself which is emphatically implied in that remarkable reduplication Mark 13. 20. The elect whom he hath chosen as if our Saviour should have said In Election there is nothing but pure Election like that speech of God I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious in which there is nothing but Will and Grace Will and Grace doubled as the only reason of it self But if all the rest might consist yet where is the Efficacy of it If Election be founded on foreseen Faith and Perseverance then it affords no help at all to any man in the way to Heaven How can that saith a Learned Bishop be the cause leading infallibly in the way to Eternal Life which cometh not so much as into consideration untill a man have run out his race in Faith and Godliness and be arrived at Heavens Gates Such a falsly named Predestination might more truly be called Postdestination but call it as they please it enacteth only per modum legis that men thus living and dying shall be received into Heaven but it doth not per modum decreti operantis infallibly work those Graces whereby men are brought unto Heaven If Election take its rise from the last gasp of persevering Faith and Holiness then how came the poor Church by the Chain of Graces on her neck the Bracelets on her hands the Crown of Gold on her head Whence had she her fine Linnen Wedding-garment Gold tried in the fire These are not Natures Riches but Pearls of Grace common Providence gives no such gifts wherefore they are the love-tokens of Election sent indeed in time unto the Church but prepared for her in Eternity O how much better were it that the Sun should be snatched out of the World than that the Influences of electing Love should be suspended from the Church All her light and life holiness and comfort comes down from God in these precious Beams But the Remonstrants instead of these heavenly influences have framed such an Election as hath no more influence on the Faith and Holiness of the Church than a Sun set up at Domesday would have upon the World that was before it it is so far from working that it presupposes all the Faith and Holiness of the Church even to the last minute of Perseverance 2. 'T is evident from the Predestination of Jesus Christ who was God's chosen servant Matth. 12. 18. The Lamb foreordained 1 Pet. 1. 20. and as St. Austin stiles him Praeolarissimum lumen praedestinationis gratiae he was as man predestinated unto the superlative glory of the Hypostatical Union and this high Predestination was not out of any foreseen holiness in his Humane nature for all that did flow out of the Hypostatical Union but it was ex mera gratia Respondeatur quaeso saith the same Father ille homo ut à Verbo patri coaeterno in unitatem personae assumptus silius Dei unigenitus esset unde hoc meruerit quid egit ante quid credidit quid petivit ut ad hanc ineffabilem excellentiam perveniret Nonne faciente suscipiente verbo ipse homo ex quo esse coepit silius Dei unicus esse coepit Nonne filium Dei unicum foemina illa gratiâ plena concepit Nonne de Spiritu sancto virgine Mariâ Dei filius unicus natus non carnis cupidine sed singulari Dei munere Respondeat hic homo Deo si audeat dicat Cur non ego si audierit O homo tu quis es qui respondeas Deo nec sic cohibeat sed augeat impudentiam dicat Quomodo audio tu quis es O homo cùm sim quod audio id est homo quod est ille de quo ago cur non sim quod ille At enim gratiâ ille talis tantus est cur diversa est gratia ubi natura communisest Certè non est acceptio personarum apud Deum Quis non dico Christianus sed insanus haec dicat Apparuit it aque nobis in nostro capite ipse fons gratiae unde secundùm uninscujusque mensuram se per cuncta ejus membra diffundit sicut est praedestinatus ille unus ut caput nostrum esset it a multi praedestinati sumus ut membra ejus essemus Humana hîc merita conticescant quae perierunt per Adam regnet quae regnat Dei gratia per Jesum Christum Surely the Members must not be set above the Head The Members were not elected to the beatifical vision out of foreseen Faith and Perseverance when the Head was elected to the Hypostatical Union out of mere Grace The elect Stones in Zion were not laid for their orient lustre and beauty when the precious Corner-stone who bears up all the building was laid with a Behold in a wonder of Grace and Love 3. 'T is utterly impossible that Faith and Perseverance should be the causes or antecedents to Election when these are the fruits and effects thereof If we search the Scripture for the Well-head of these we shall find it to be in the Decree of Election Therefore when the Apostle blesses God for the work of Faith in the Thessalonians he elevates his praises as high as Election it self knowing brethren beloved your Election of God 1 Thess. 1. 4. And in the very same strain of praise blessing God for blessing the Ephesians with all spiritual blessings in Christ amongst which Faith cannot but be a prime blessing he sets forth the eternal Rule of dispensing them he hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according as he hath chosen us Eph. 1. 3 and 4. Where it is plain that those whom God blesseth with Faith and Perseverance he chuseth unto Faith and Perseverance because he blesses according as he chuses The Remonstrants strangely interpret these words he hath chosen us in Christ that is say they being in him in the divine Prescience But this Interpretation cannot stand the Apostle saith not he hath chosen us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he hath chosen us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him that is in Christ now where in all the Scripture do the words in Christ import our being in Christ in the divine Prescience The words in Christ in such Scriptures as relate to Justification or Adoption do import our being in Christ by actual Faith but in such Scriptures as relate to Election they do import that all the Grace and Glory prepared in Election is conferred in and through Christ this appears in that famous place 2 Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us
and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began here the words in Christ relating to Election do not import our being in Christ for the Text saith that he called us according to his Grace given us in Christ and Calling goes before Faith or being in Christ and is the immediate cause or fountain thereof but they import that Vocation and Salvation with all the blessings thereof are communicated unto us in and through Christ and that the eternal Decree or Design was so to communicate them Neither doth the Apostle simply say he hath chosen us in him but he hath chosen us in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we should be holy thereby pointing out unto us Christ as the designed Fountain of all the holiness in the Elect. Moreover the Apostle saith that he hath chosen us in him that we should be holy and Faith is a choice part of holiness and that he hath blessed us in him with all spiritual blessings and Faith is a prime spiritual blessing and that he hath blessed us according as he hath chosen us and therefore he chuses us to Faith as well as blesses us with Faith but if he chuse us for Faith and bless us with Faith he doth not bless us according as he chuses us By all which it appears that the Remonstrants Interpretation is an Arrow shot besides the Text. But to go on to other Scriptures Blessed is the man saith the Psalmist Psal. 65. 4. whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee and what approach can a sinful worm have to the holy one what but by the Faith of Christ and whence is this approach but from God and God electing He chuseth and causeth to approach unto him If Faith were antecedent to Election the approach must have been before the chusing the contrary whereof appears in the Text. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts 13. 48. The Apostle saith not as many as believed were ordained to Eternal Life but as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed But here the Remonstrants tell us that in the Text 't is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that imports not God's eternal preordination but man's present condition or disposition so that the meaning is as many as were disposed or well-affected to Eternal Life believed Should it say they import God's preordination then all of that Assembly which were elected did believe at that one Sermon and all the rest were absolutely reprobated for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text is an universal particle now that all the Elect of that Assembly did believe that day or that all the rest were Reprobates is not imaginable I answer first as to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the import thereof will best appear by taking notice in what sence St. Luke doth use this word in the Book of the Acts Acts 15. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They decreed or appointed that Paul should go up Acts 28. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having appointed him a day Acts 22. 10. God promises Paul that it should be told him of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are appointed or ordained for him to do and what these were Ananias sets forth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath chosen thee to such and such things Ver. 14. Now in all these places of the Acts the word signifying appointing or ordaining why should it be taken otherwise in this controverted Text Nay where in all the Scripture doth this word import an inward quality or disposition In that place which seems most of any to speak that way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints 1 Cor. 16. 15. there this word imports no less than a certain purpose of mind in them to do that work Wherefore I conceive that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text doth import an ordination and that of God neither doth the absence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at all hinder it for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2. 23. doth without a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 import God's eternal counsel and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 designs an antecedent ordination and that ordination must be God's unless which is the grossest Pelagianism it be said that they were ordained by themselves to Eternal life But to pass over the word the Remonstrants take the Text thus As many as were disposed to Eternal Life believed but can a man without Faith who neither lays hold on Christ the Prince of life nor yet hath any thing of the Spirit of life can such a man be disposed to Eternal life Every disposition to Eternal life must be such either because it hath some intrinsecal dignity meriting Eternal life or else because it hath some Evangelical congruity to which Eternal life is annexed by Promise As to the former the Remonstrants as Protestants cannot own it and as to the latter they cannot in all the Gospel shew forth one Promise of Eternal life made to a man void of Faith and how then can a man void of Faith be disposed to Eternal life But if he could the Remonstrants of all others must not say so for they assert that none but a Believer can be the object of Election because say they God cannot will Eternal life to any but to a Believer to a man in Christ and how then can an Unbeliever a man out of Christ be disposed to Eternal life Such a mans disposition to Eternal life if it be not such by its meriting condignity must be such divinâ ordinatione and if so what is that but to say this is the man to whom God wills Eternal life and if before Faith God may will Eternal life to him why may not he before Faith elect him Again This disposition to Eternal life must be either some moral Virtuousness or else some better Grace of the Spirit if but a moral Virtuousness how can it dispose to Eternal life if a better Grace of the Spirit how can it precede such a Mother-grace as Faith But let us hear how the Remonstrants paint out this disposition in words of Scripture These disposed ones say they are the sheep of Christ Joh. 10. 4. the drawn of the Father Joh. 6. 44. such as do the truth Joh. 3. 21. such as will do God's will Joh. 7. 17. such as have honest and humble hearts apt and idoneous to embrace the Gospel But what a perplexed Labyrinth of words is here To be the sheep of Christ argues a being in the state of Election which is antecedent to all good dispositions in us they are called sheep before their bringing home to God Joh. 10. 16. and their bringing home goes before all gracious dispositions The Fathers drawing imports God's action and not man's disposition the doing of the Truth is man's
pouring forth his Blood and reconciling us to God's Justice here we have him pouring forth his Spirit and reconciling us to God's Holiness Now in my discourse touching Conversion I shall reduce all to 3. Quaeries 1. What is Mans state before Conversion 2. What is the Nature of the Work 3. Who is the Worker thereof In the first we shall meet with the extreme Necessity of the work in the second with the intrinsecal Excellency thereof and in the third with the Power and Grace of the great Agent 1. What is Man's State before Conversion I mean Man fallen for Man standing needed no Conversion and this I shall consider two ways 1. What it is in general in relation to the whole Man 2. What it is in particular in relation to the several parts of Man 1. What it is in general and this I shall open in two things 1. 'T is a State of Estrangement from God 2. 'T is a State of Enmity against God 1. 'T is a State of Estrangement from God a natural Man is estranged from the womb Psal. 58. 3. without God in the world Eph. 2. 12. God is all round about him in the witnessing Creatures and yet he is without God in the World God is in him in the Lamp of Conscience yet he is without God in his Heart for there he saith There is no God Psal. 14. 1. Which way soever God comes forth to meet him whether from Mount Sinai in the fiery Law or from Mount Sion in Gospel-charms of free Grace still he flies away from God's presence and if God pursue after him he 'l say to God in plain Terms Depart from me Job 21. 14. and if any reliques of light will not depart but stay behind in his heart he shuts them up in the prison of unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. His Ubi is with Cain in Nod the Land of wandring and demigration and with the Prodigal in a far Country where he is far off from God Psal. 73. 27. and God far off from him Prov. 15. 29. if ever he be saved he must be brought from far Isai. 43. 6. Now upon a distinct View this is a deplorable Condition for 1. A natural Man being estranged from God the Fountain of Life must needs be a dead Man dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. 1. because alienated from the Life of God he is not only as the man in the Gospel half dead Luk. 10. 30. who is there set forth not as a figure of Original Corruption but as an Object of Charity as is very evident by the scope of the Parable which is ushered in with that Question And who is my neighbour Ver. 29 and at last closed up with the like Which of the three was neighbour to him Ver. 36 but he is altogether dead in Spirituals there are no true vital Spirits of Faith in him no true motions of Obedience no pulse of heavenly Affections no breath of Spiritual Prayer no taste of the Gospel-wine and Marrow no feeling of all that massy Sin and Wrath which lies upon him all his Life is a Death-wandering all his rest is in the Congregation of the dead Prov. 21. 16. Give him all the Statures of natural Excellencies strew him over with the flowers of sweetest Morality and spangle him with the Notions of sublime Theology yet still he is but a dead man his Soul a dead Soul his Faith a dead Faith his Works dead works and his Hopes and Comfors but as the giving up of the Ghost But you 'l say Is not Man a living Creature Hath he not a Reason and reliques of Light in it Hath he not a free Will and Seeds of Moral Vertue in it And why then do you call him dead I answer Man is a living Creature alive in Naturals but dead in Spirituals he hath a Reason but because there is no light of life in it 't is but a dead Reason his reliques of Light argue no more Spiritual Life in him than knowledge doth in Devils he hath a free Will but for want of the freedom indeed 't is only free among the dead I mean to this or that carnal or natural Work and not to the Will of God he hath some Seeds of Moral Vertue in him but alas these are of too low an Extraction to be any Particles of spiritual Life Mere Moral Vertues are by God's blessing on humane Industry struck as sparks out of natural Principles but Spiritual Life is a Fire dropt down from Heaven into the Heart mere Moral Vertues descending but from natural Principles never ascend up to God as their end but Spiritual Life as it is originally born of God so it is ultimately terminated in him Wherefore a man may be naturally nay morally alive and yet be spiritually dead 2. A natural Man being estranged from God who is an infinite Spirit must needs be Flesh Thus God calls the Men of the old World flesh Gen. 6. 3. thus our Saviour sets out Regeneration by its opposite That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit Joh. 3. 6. As the Body separate from the Soul is Flesh such as moulders into Dust and putrifies into Worms so the Soul separate from God is Flesh too such as turns into the Dust of earthly things and rots in those Lusts which breed the never-dying Worm in Hell neither is this Flesh only in the lower Rooms of the Soul but in the upmost Faculties of Reason and Will In the Reason there is the cankred flesh of Errors and Heresies and in the Will there is the dead flesh of Impotency and the proud flesh of Obstinacy against the Will of God Hence the Apostle tells us of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mind of flesh Col. 2. 18. and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wills of flesh Eph. 2. 3. And therefore the true Circumcision is in the heart and in the spirit Rom. 2. 29. even in the highest Faculties and Powers of the Soul 3. A natural Man being estranged from God who is the Beauty of Holiness must needs be very impure he is filthy or stinking Psal. 14. 3. an unclean thing Joh 14. 4. he lies polluted in his blood with a Leprosie in his head and a Plague in his heart clothed in filthy rags of Sin and rolling in the mire and vomit of Corruption so great is his filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness that he taints whatsoever he touches his very Prayers are an abomination and his Services as dung before God Neither is this pollution only in the sensitive Soul but also in the rational there is filthiness of spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. and disilement in the very mind and conscience Tit. 1. 15. there is no sound part but all over wounds and bruises and putrifying sores 4. A natural Man being estranged from God who is Jehovah or Beingness must needs be a very Nullity in spirituals If a Creature be separate from the God of