Saviour Christ to sett him Free and to enable him to do those things which being done he shall be set Free For the Question is not nor ever ought to have been made Whether we have any Free-Will or power to make our selves Free but Whether we have a Free-Will or some Abilitie to do those things which being done we shall be made Free which being left undone we have no Hope or probable Assurance that we shall be made Free Indeed by the Son of God 4. Let Every one that is called a Christian and is not ashamed of the Cross of Christ or of Baptism in his name account it an open shame or Scandal both to his Person and Profession either to deny or suspect that he hath not the same measure of Free-Will or a greater which Naaman the Syrian had when he came to the Prophet Now he had a true Freedome of Will or choyce of harkening or not harkening to Good Counsel The one Branch he exercised in not obeying the Prophets Command The other he practised in hearkening to his Servants Advice or Counsel And it went better with him that he did so For otherwise he might have gone home a more grievous Leper then he came and made himself uncapable of the Miracle wrought upon him by God alone Let us Likewise account it a shame to suspect that we have not the same Freedome of Will which the Widdow of Sarepta had Now she had a true Freedome of Will or choyce either to relieve or not to relieve the Prophet out of her small store If she had not relieved him she and her Child might have died for hunger within few daies after But she making choyce of the better part of such Freedome of Will as she had was with her Child preserved alive by miracle Let such as be Servants to sin as she was then when the Prophet came to her use that Portion of Free-Will which they have either as well or not further amiss then she did hers And the Lord no doubt will work as great miracles in and upon their Soules as he did upon her poor pittance of oyl and meal Let not any man that professeth himself the Servant of Christ be more prone to Tempt God by Distrusting then to Try his Goodnesse by practising the Like works of mercy and charitie as that poor Widdow did 5. Even such amongst us are most conversant and busiest in the medling or market-way to Gain or Preferment and by their several Trades or Callings which they have made choyce of more obnoxious then other men are to the temptations of the Prince of this world will scorn to be suspected not to have as much Free-Will or Good Nature or as good affection towards Christ and his Gospel as the Romane Souldiers or Publicans had unto John Baptists Person or his Doctrine of Repentance And a Freedome of Will or ability they certainly have as well to be contented with their wages or Fees and to deal Conscionably as to exact more then their due or to oppress others by bribery by extortion or unjust exactions If they make choyce of practising this later Branch of such Free-Will as they have this is but to take Earnest mony to become hired Servants unto Mammon If they make choyce of that part of Free-Will which Zachaeus did practise that is to be Charitable Liberal to the poor and to make such Restitution as he did to those whom they have wronged then they shall be made Children of Abraham or which is more true Servants of God and of Christ whose Service is perfect Freedome 6. A brief Rule for right stating the Questions Concerning the Concurrence of Grace and Free-will Again albeit not many of us scarce Ten in any Age since the Apostles Times have any Freedome of Will or ability to determine or examine the Controversies about the power of Grace and of Nature about Justification or Election yet even the meanest amongst us have a Freedome of Will either to say or not to say their dayly Prayers or Devotions and a Like Freedome of Will to frequent or not to frequent the Solemn Prayers of the Church and to hear them either negligently or attentively and a Capacity withall to understand the meaning of them being expounded unto them by their ordinary Pastors or Catechists whom I could wish to make this one special work of their Function 7. For Conclusion I shall commend to every Readers or Teachers Meditations that Prayer of the Church appointed to be read amongst others in the second Service Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most Gratious Favour and further us with thy Continual Help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie Thy Holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In the First part of this Godly Prayer we have the State of the Question concerning the Concurrence of Grace and Free-Will more pithily and more plainly set down than in any Controversie-writers whether in the Romish or Reformed Churches The Summe is that without Gods Preventing Grace or peculiar disposition of his Favourable Providence we cannot do any Good Works at all though but Civilly or Morally Good as a Learned Jesuit acknowledgeth nor any works Spiritually Good without Gods assistant Grace or Gifts of the Spirit inherent in us This is that which is in the same Prayer Better expressed by The Furtherance of his continual help In the later Clause of the same Prayer That in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting Life we have all I am perswaded that the Romish Church would have said Concerning the Necessitie of Good Works Whether unto Salvation or Justification and all again that the Protestants have said or can say against the Romish Church concerning Justification by Faith only without works When we Pray that we may glorifie Gods Name by our good works this argues their Necessity unto Salvation if not to Justification And when we pray that after we have glorified Gods Name by our Good works we may attain Everlasting life by Gods mercy in Christ and through Christ this is an Argument most Concludent that we must not rely upon or put our Confidence in the Best Works which we do though we do them continually but in Gods Mercies and Christs Merits Only And this is the Full and Lively Expression of our Apostles meaning when he saith We are Justified by Faith in Christ alone Finally Let all of us remember this Lesson that when it is said We are to Renounce Good works in the Plea of Faith or all Trust ☜ or Confidence in our Selves or in our Merits or Workes This must alwayes be understood of the Good works which we have done not of the Good works which we have left undone much less of Works which we have done amiss We must as our Saviour instructs us
before him his First Titles are The Lord The Lord God mercyful and gratious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving transgression Iniquitie and sin c. Visiting the iniquitie of the fathers upon the children c. Exod. 34. 6. This Sense well fitts our Apostles Instance in Iacob and Esau See Geu 36. For God was mercyfull unto Esau whom he blest and made a Father at least of One considerable Nation but exceeding mercifull unto Jacob because his purpose was to give the world a manifest proof of his extraordinary Goodnesse in him as he did of his severitie in hardening Pharaoh who had made up the measure of his forefathers iniquitie which God as in the former place he had said to Moses did visit upon him But of this Instance concerning Pharaoh and the similitude which the Apostle borrowes from the Potter we shall speak if God permitt hereafter 13. See Chap. 42. Numb 9. If we put the former verses and the words of this verse together our Apostle saith neither more nor lesse in them then our Saviour implyed in that speech Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple And not being his disciple it is impossible he should find mercy Or professing himself to be his disciple and not willing to learn this Lesson of denying himself the latter end shall be worse then the begining that is he shall be hardened But shall all that truely forsake themselves be assuredly his disciples and find that mercy which God promised unto Moses Yes Christ hath promised to all without exception There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and for the gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold in this life and in the world to come eternal life Mark 10. 29 30. 14. But if there be a possibilitie for All unfainedly to fly unto Gods mercyes and if All that fly unto them shall undoubtedly find them and make their Election sure See Chap. 32. how is not election ex Praevisis operibus seeing to fly unfainedly to Gods mercyes is truly a Work yea an industrious Work Now to make workes necessary or ordinarily available to our First Conversion may seem a point of Poperie if not a degree of Pelagianism To this purpose some sons of our common Mother would interpret My meaning should I utter this Doctrin in some publik Audience This was a Sermon preached in C. C. C. Chappel in Oxon 20 or 30. yeares since Howbeit in truth and veritie there is no doctrine under heaven with which my former Assertion may better stand then with the Doctrine of the English Church No Tenet or Principle of any other Religion whatsoever that can so directly clear the former Objection as doth the Fundamental Article of that Religion which is professed by all the Reformed Churches Do not all these expressly teach That men are Iustified by beliefe in Christ without works Now let any man rightly answer an Argument usually made by the Papists and as commonly denyed by every Protestant and I shall make his Answer as well fitt the former Objection or any inconvenience that can be pretended against the former Assertions The Argument used by our Adversaries is Works of Faith are true Workes and to believe in Christ is a true work of Faith Now if we cannot be Iustified but by believing in Christ it is impossible we should be Iustified Without good workes The Answer to this Captious Syllogism most used by the Reformed Writers is Fides justificat non quà Opus sed Relativè I like their Meaning well but their Manner of expressing is not so Artificial as it might be and therefore more Obnoxious to Exception I would answer as I take it more appositely to the same Effect To renounce all works and seek salvation only by Plea of mercy is the proper and Formal Work of Faith and therefore is essentially included in the Act of Justification not included in the universalitie of works which are excluded from justification Did not Priests as the Proverb is forget that they had been Clerkes Or rather could great Clerkes in Divinitie remember what they had learned when they were Punie Artists the former Objection or the like could never have troubled them the Form of it drawn into Mood and Figure being so childishly Captious as would be exploded out of the Schooles of Arts should it be stood upon in good earnest If such Divines as urge it most should come into our Per-vices and apply it to matters there discussed thus Omne visible est Coloratum Omnis color est visibilis Ergo Omnis color est coloratus I hope a meaner Artist then this Nursery God be praised hath any would quickly cut off their progress with a Distinction of Visibile ut quod visible ut quo and shew that the Major though universally true of every Subject or body that may be seen did not nor could not comprehend Colour it self by which they are made visible and by whose Formal Act they are denominated colorata The Fallacie of the former Objection drawn into Mood and Figure is the same but more apparent Every Will or Work of Man must be utterly renounced from the Act of Justification or Conversion But to deny our selves and renounce all works is a Work Ergo This work must be excluded from the suit of mercy as no way available Cujus contrarium verum est Seeing This is opus quo renunciamus the Formal Act by which all works must be renounced This Work must of Necessitie be included in the suite of mercy and is alwaies Precedent to every mans first Conversion whose calling is not extraordinary Neither may we that are Ministers of Gods word and Sacraments presume to give any man hope of being converted without this work or Act. Unlesse we thus distinguish between Works and Renouncing of Works and grant in man before his effectual Vocation or Conversion as true a possibilitie to do the One as want of abilitie to perform the Other we shall sett the soules of our hearers in a perpetual Backwater or cause them to flote Ambiguously as it were between the main Current of sacred Scriptures and the stream of antient Interpreters both gratiously inviting all to Gods mercy and the fierce Current of modern opinions which deny all possibilitie of running in any sort to Gods mercy before Grace infused do draw us The unseasonable overflow of Which newly-out-burst doctrine through out our Land doth more mischief to mens soules then the summer floods do to their fields But if we give that Vent or issue to this Eddye or whirlepool which the former Distinction naturally implies we shall lett our Auditors or Hearers at liberty to take sea-room enough And the breath of Gods spirit plentifully diffused throughout the whole Current of His Word will as a gentlegale impell
Quarto's in this Volume we must tell the Reader before hand that the sixt Book of Divine Essence Attributes Providence will not administer to him either the delight or the profit we intended unless God move the hearts of them that have the MS. Copie of the Treatise of Prodigies or Divine Forewarnings betokening Blood which certainly was perfected by the Authour lent or lost in his life time to produce it that it may be annexed to the sixt Book to which of due it appertaines The 4. Particular will give the Reader notice what Subject Matters he is to expect handled in the 11. Book But before we name them he must be reminded that the Authour had in the 9. Book come as farre as the Article of Christs Ascension reckoning Inclusivé in the 39. Chapter of that Book had tackt That Article to the next of His Session at the Right-Hand of God Now the respective Ends or Effects of Christs Ascension into heaven and of His Session at the Right-Hand of Majestie were some of them of Immediate and if I may so say of a Transient dispatch And such I take it were His prepareing a place for his Elect Ones His Consecrating the heavenly Sanctuarie and setting open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers His sending the Holy Ghost in the Grace of comfort Gifts of tongues c. Some are of constant Vse and continue in Esse unto this day so shall unto the worlds end as the Providential Government of His Church and the rest of the world in order to the affaires of his Church which He administers as Lord the Exercise of His Sacerdotal Office which he executes as Christ some shall be manifested at the end of time of this sinfull world when He shall come in great power and Glory to Judge both quick dead What this Authour hath said upon any of these Heads in his Books already printed the Reader if he will take the paines to search may find Of the following Generals with their incident subordinate particulars doth the Eleventh Book treat Of Christs Session at the Right-Hand of God the Grammatical Sense of the words the Real Dignitie answering to them viz. The Exaltation of Christ And whether He was exalted as the Son of God or as the Son of David An excellent state of the question about Ubiquitie Of Christs Lordship or Dominion Of His Coming to Judgement Of the Final Sentence to be awarded by Him to All. Of the Resurrection of the Dead From thence He shall come to Judge the quick and the Dead Of Life Everlasting not the merit of man but the Gift of God and Death the wages of sin So that it is plain the Eleventh Book reflects upon The Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting or resumes the Article of Christs Sitting at the Right-Hand of God and withall proceeds to the Next and to the Two last 16. I Expect the Intelligent Reader will Ask where He may find handld the Articles concerning God the Holie Spirit the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins I must referr the proposer of this rational question which deserves a better answer then I can give it to the Authors owne words Which he may find in the first page of His Treatise Of The Holy Catholick Faith and Church which in the Catalogues of his Works for orders sake is reckon'd the 12. Book of his Commentaries and whereof the first part of three intended was published 1627. In my Comments on the Creed Saith Hee I did Sequester Four points from the Body of the Work The First was the Doctrin Of the most Holie and most Blessed Trinitie So he did intend to Handle the Commandements by way of Catechism to be set down by way of Prayer Soliloquie not of Schoole-Dispute The Second The Holie Catholick Church The Third The Communion of Saints The Fourth The Remission of Sins Points which I cannot Handle in that order they be propounded in the Creed without Interruption of my Method intended So that I have out of Choice reserved these for peculiar Treatises THE AUTHORS Book then of the Holie Catholick Faith Church 't is more then plain The Holie Catholick Church referres to the Article of And for the rest of his Books or Tracts hereafter to be published when they come abroad they must bear some Tessera or Recognizance to signifie their Retainance or to which of the 12. Christian Predicaments they are to be reduced 17. I have yet Two things to recommend unto the Reader The One I humbly present to the Consideration of the Nobilitie Gentrie of the Land who have the Honour Blessing Longo Sanguine Censeri This Author as his manner all-a-long is to open the Earth shew the Out-Burst of the spring leave the Well to be digged by him that meanes to dwell upon the Plat hath page 19. 31. moved a Querie well worth their most exquisite indagation and pursuit 'T is This whether Parents of both sexes may not by frequent voluntarie Commission of some sinnes improve the Corruption of nature in their Children to an Height above the ordinarie Taint descending from Adam or coming from Sin meerely Original not intended by unnecessary affected actual or habitual Transgressing Would any of Them now in this their privacie or vacation please Philosophari to think upon it and Commend their meditations to the world they would be more acceptable and more imperative of practise Coming from themselves consequently be more Contributive to the Revival of virtue unto an Heroical Degree 18. The other is to those of the Clergie who teach the people Knowledge for that end do seek acceptable words out of writings upright and True as for the pretended Favorites of the Spirit it is in vain to speak to them He that has Compassion on the poor ignorant multitude even destroyed for lack of Knowledge of Principles contained in their Creed Catechism c. And a mind to tread in the Good Old way for Aedification of the poor of the Flock may find in this Authors Works matter proper for every Dominical Festival through the year especially for the special ones that is those that Commemorate the Great Benefits received by Christ As also for occasions of Administring Both Sacraments marriages Funerals Fasts c. But let me tell him The Gold he is to find beat out doth somtimes lie in so smal a Compass that unless he observe well he may over-run it For an Experiment he may see 1 grain taken by me beaten out into divers Leaves And for expounding Texts of Scripture this Author seems to have a felicitie not ordinary Oft-times when he pretends but to take One verse he illuminates the Reader in the Epicycle of the Context nay in the next Orbe I mean the Parallel be it in the old or new Testament But the Magisterium of his excellencie
Church call Original should be no more then a meer Privation of Original Justice Of the Inconveniencies which will follow upon the affirmative Opinion that is of that Image of God wherein the First Man was Created But the Ingenuous Reader wil perhaps demand what further Inconvenience wil follow upon the yielding or granting of the former Postulatum or Supposition unto them This in the Second place That Adams Successors whether immediate or intermediate unto the worlds End should have a greater measure of that which they call Liberum Arbitrium or Free-will then the word of God doth acknowledge or any Ingenuous Man that will subjugate his Reason to be Regulated by the written word or Ancient Rules or Canons of Faith can allow or approve This deduction following is clear by Rules of Reason viz. If the Righteousnesse of the First Man did consist in a Grace Supernatural or in any quality additional to his constitution as he was the Work of God This Grace or Quality might have been or rather was lost without any Real wound unto our Nature Or without any other Wound then such as the Free-will or right use of Reason or other Natural parts which after the losse this of supposed Supernatural Grace or Quality were left might instantly have cured or yet may cure Or in other terms more Scholastical perhaps Thus If the Integrity or Righteousnesse of the First Man were lost only demeritoriè by way of Demerit without any physical or working cause of its expulsion or without any wound made in our nature by such positive cause The same Righteousnesse which the First Man had might have been regained by the right use of Reason which was left unto him or of those natural faculties which he had pro primâ vice abused From these premisses the necessary consequence will be this That the satisfaction of our Lord Christ for sin original at least had been superfluous And according to this Tenet the Opinion of the Socinians would be more tolerable and more justifiable then the Doctrine of the Romish Church so far as it concerns the Valew or Efficacy of Christs Sufferings or Satisfaction by his Merits or Justification by works rather then by faith especially works of the Moral Law or observance of those two great Commandments To love God above all and our Neighbours as our Selves or of that other whatsoever you would that men should do unto you even so do unto them 3. Lastly if all or any of these Opinions were granted to the Church of Rome we of Reformed Churches should be concluded to yield That Adams posterity or as many of them as are or shall be justified were to be Formally justified by inherent Righteousnesse that is they have or might challenge absolution from the first sentence denounced against Adam by way of legal plea or satisfaction The deduction or remonstration of this demonstrative inference is clear to any Artist to any reasonable man unlesse his Reason be overgrown by faction or by mingling of passions with his understanding The Remonstration of this demonstrative inference is thus It is in confesso and more then so an undoubted Maxim subscribed unto by the Church of Rome That the grace which is infused by and from our Lord Jesus Christ is a supernatural quality or a qualification more soveraign then the first grace which God the Father bestowed upon the First Man Now if that Grace were a super addition to his Nature or Constitution as he was the work of God the losse of this Grace or quality could not have made any wound in the humane Nature which the least drop of that Grace which daily distilleth from the second Adam might not more then fully cure Yea such grace would sublimate our Nature so cured unto an higher pitch or fuller measure of Righteousnesse then that which was bestowed upon our Father Adam In respect of these and many other Reasons which might be alledged all such Congregations or Assemblies of Christian Men as have departed or have been extruded out of the Romish Church stand deeply engaged to deny that the Righteousnesse of the First Man was a Grace or quality supernatural CHAP. III. Whether Original Righteousness were a quality Natural or a mean betwixt Natural and supernatural 1. TO affirm that the Righteousnesse wherein the First Man was created was a gift rather Natural then supernatural would be no solaecisme no assertion any way more incongruous then many Resolutions of the Roman Doctors in like Cases are no grosser blemish or deeper impression then might easily be salved or wiped off with that distinction usual amongst them in other the like or rather the same Cases The true state of the Question proposed That the righteousness wherein Adam was created was natural quoad terminum productum non quoad modum productionis A natural Endowment in respect of the essential qualitie produced albeit the manner of producing it were somewhat more then supernatural But this is a dispute which for the present shall be waved because the Original difference betwixt us and them may be more punctually stated and the Questions dependent on it may be more clearly resolved from these Postulata or presumed Maxims First That God did make the First Man after his own image Secondly That the First man being so made was righteous and just Neither of these are denied by any The state of the Original Controversie unto such as are disposed to have it plainly propounded in constant or unfleeting Terms is thus Seeing man was made after the image of God and being so made was just and righteous Whether there were two works of God or two distinct effects of his work of creating the First Man in righteousness and in his own image And whether the one of them was terminated to his own image imprinted in man and the other to his original justice If these two expressions made by Moses of Gods image and mans righteousness expresse or include no more then one and the same work of God or effect of his work in man The losse of Original justice or defacing of Gods image enstamped upon him was more then a meer privation and necessarily presupposeth a positive Cause in our First Parents and a positive Effect wrought by that cause whereunto the privation of Original justice was Concomitant or rather Consequent Whatsoever Controversie may be moved concerning the Cause or manner how this Effect was wrought the effect it self was a deadly wound in our Nature a multitude of wounds all by Nature or any endeavour of Nature or performances of such Free will as was left to mankind after these wounds were once made altogether incurable without the help or assistance of better Grace or endowments then were bestowed upon the First Man The cure of these wounds wholly depends upon that grace whose Being and bestowing the second Adam did merit from the Father of Lights or from the Divine nature or Deity 2. To win the Assent of
Work then our Assumption or minor Proposition is Good and the Conclusion will follow if not Certitudine Fidei by the Certainty or Full Assurance of Faith yet by Certainâ—y more then Moral by an Assurance of Hope But if we Mortifie the Deeds of the Body only Now and Then or by Fits Or if we intend this work but slightly or as it were upon the By Then our former Assumption I do mortifie the deeds of the Body is Impertinent and will sooner bring forth Presumption then any Assurance of Hope or Moral Certainty of our Estate in Grace For Conclusion of this Point Let every one of us take heed not to measure our Hopes of Regeneration or Degrees of Mortification by our readinesse or desire to hear the Word Preached until we have examined our selves Whether This Desire in us be a Desire of the Spirit or of the Flesh Or Whether it proceed from True Religion or from Humour or Fashion of the place Certainly if this desire in many were from the spirit or from true Religion it would be more Uniform and like it self in the Practise They would be as ready at least in some good Measure or Proportion to frequent Publick Prayers as to go often unto Publick Sermons For the Faith of Christ can be had no more With Respect of Christian Duties than With Respect or Persons And the same Authoritie whether Divine or Humane or Ecclesiastick from it derived which injoynes us to hear The Word Preached doth more strictly injoyn us to frequent Publick Prayers specially in seasons wherein we are specially required by Authoritie to thank God for our manifold deliverances from the Messengers of his wrath But from what cause soever our desire of hearing the word Preached proceedeth Our backwardness in frequenting publick Prayers without all doubt ariseth from some workes of the Flesh or Reliques of the Old man which must be Crucified 3. They that are Christs saith our Apostle Gal. 5. 2â— have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts Take we heed that none of us argue thus I am Christs therefore I have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts The Apostles meaning is that the safest way for us to know whether we be Christs or no is from this Experiment within our selves if We have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts But what doth he mean when he saith The Affections and lusts must be Crucified Doth he require an vtter Extinction or Total Mortification or absolute death of all carnal Affections and Passions before we can be assured that we are Christs No. Such a Total Mortification cannot be hoped for in this Life We are said to be Crucified to the world or to have the Flesh with the Affections Crucified in us First By Profession or Consecration So all that are Baptized into Christ Jesus are said to be Dead to Sin yea to be Buried with him by Baptisme Rom 6. 2. 4. Secondly we are said to be Crucified unto the world or to be Mortified to the Flesh not by Profession only or Resolution but by Practice and this Crucifying or Mortification admits of many Degrees 4. Mortification and Crucifying Termes not â—â—divisible but of Large Extent Crucifying taken in its proper Sense was a most Lingring kind of Death or Torture And men were said to be crucified from the very First Moment of their nayling to the Cross albeit the conflicts betwixt life and death were many and strong for divers houres after Now it is not to be expected that any of us will be as eager or violent in Crucifying our own Flesh as the Jewes were in crucifying our Saviour Seing the Partie to be crucifyed in us is Part of Our Selves we cannot but use it more mildly and gently then the Romans did such as they crucified for Malefactors whom they would not so violently have handled unlesse they had first adjudged them for no members or but for rotten and putrified members of their Body Civil The lesse violent the conflict is between the Spirit and the Flesh or between the Old Man and the New the longer will the Old man live in us the more frequent and sensible his motions will be And finally as he was born with us so he will die with us hardly before us Yet may we be truely said to have Crucified the Old-Man with the Affections and lusts from the verie First Time wherein we begun to nayl them to the Cross of Christ if so we still watch them and seek to quell their Motions by the Spirit They are dayly crucified by Gods Children and yet are daily reviving 5. As often as we receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist with due Preparation Every remembrance or Meditation of Christs Death upon the Cross if it be wrought or managed by the spirit will be as the fastning of A New Nayl into the Old Man or Body of Sin which we carry about with us We cannot think of Christs Death or of the Causes of his Crucifying aright but every thought will be a degree of weakening or enfeebling the Old-Man whom we must by this and the like meanes dayly weaken otherwise he will be our Destruction CHAP. XXXI How the Flesh is Mortified by Vs How by the Spirit This was the Second General Propounded Chapt. 28. And the parts of This Inquiry be Three First In what Sense WE whom this Duty concerns can be said to Mortifie the Deeds of the Body The Second By what Spirit we are to Mortifie them By the Spirit of God by our own Spirit or by Both The Third The Manner and Order of The Spirits Working or of our Working by the Spirit 1. Seeing to Mortifie implies an Action How Man can Mortifie his Flesh THe First Point is most Material and of most use in respect of Modern Controversors If Mortification be as I think none upon better Consideration will deny a True Part of our Conversion How can We be said to Mortifie the Body or Flesh unlesse we may be said to Convert Our Selves which is a Doctrine that Few will like of as being prejudiced by Contrary Tenents much imbraced by men deservedly well approved of by all or most Reformed Churches For Resolution of this Doubt we are in the First place to consider That Regeneration Conversion or Mortification are Termes in their proper Nature Indefinite and so used by the Holy Ghost The Actions or Qualifications comprehended especially under Conversion and Mortification are not of one Rank There is a Conversion Spiritual and a †Conversion or Mortification Spiritual and Moral See the Note at the end of this Section or of Chap. 36. Conversion only Moral There is a Mortification likewise either meerly †Conversion or Mortification Spiritual and Moral See the Note at the end of this Section or of Chap. 36. Moral or truly Spiritual The matter signified or imported by these words Mortification and Conversion whether Moral or Spiritual is not Indivisible Whence it is that we often
deceive our selves and others by giving one and the same Answer to All or Most Questions that are or can be moved concerning these Duties That may be true of Mortification or Conversion whether spiritual or moral taking it in some Degree which is altogether false if we apply it to the same Qualification or Duty taken or considered according to another Degree Thus much they better saw then considered who have entertained Dispute Pro or Con in that Question An Homo in prima Conversione ad Deum sit merè Passivus Whether man in his first Conversion be meerly passive The Issue would be easier shorter and more certain if the same Question were proposed thus An Homo quoad Primum Gradum Conversionis sit merè Passivus Whether man be meerly Passive in the first Degree or Degrees of his Conversion or Mortification For mine own part as I acknowledge many Degrees of Conversion and many precedent Motions to true and compleat Mortification So I should think the most men Living that are throughly Converted and truely mortified to be Meerly Passive not in the First Second or Third Degree only but in All or most of the intermediate Degrees of Mortification which are precedent to the Habit of it or rather to the Gift of Perseverance in it And being once Habitually Mortified we are in a sort Active 2. But if in the First Second or Subsequent Degrees of Mortification we be meerely Passive How shall we avoyd That Imputation which is laid upon our Church by the Romanists The Imputation is This That albeit we grant men to be Mortified and require the Dutie of Mortification at mens hands yet wee acknowledge them not to be Men but meere Stocks in the Acts or Interims of their Conversion or Mortification To this we answer That although we be meerly Passive in the Acts of Mortification yet are we not Passive after the same manner that Stocks and Stones or Creatures meerly Sensitive are Passive Nor are Creatures indued with sense Passive after the same manner that stocks and stones or creatures without sense are There be Passives inanimate Passives sensitive reasonable Passives or Patients Every Faculty of Sense is meerly Passive in respect of its proper Function or Sensation And yet the ignoblest Faculties of sense are in some sort Active that they may be sensitively Passive or passive after another manner than stocks and stones or things inanimate are The Sense of Touching which of all the five External Senses is most ignoble and least Active may not withstanding be lesse Passive or more or lesse capable of paine by the Activitie or motion of the bodie But of the more Noble Senses the Maxim is most true Sentire est pati All Sensation is a kind of Passion or suffering And it is generally resolved in Schooles that Visio fit intromittendo non extramittendo Sight or Vision although it be the most Noble external Sense is not made by Extramission or sending out of the Rayes or beames of the Eye but by Impression of the Obiect seen and Impression is a Passion So that Sight it self consists in Passion and the Eye it self in respect of its proper Function is meerly Passive and yet he that will see the Sun or other Objects Visible must be content to open his eyes not to wink yet to wink or open the eyes is no Passion but an Action He that desires to see Objects obscure or lesse Visible must Intend the Optick Nerves otherwise he shall not be sensitively Passive In what sence we are said to be Passives in our Conversion And He that desires to hear well especially if he be afarre off must be content to Listen and Listning includes an Intension of the Organ or Instrument of hearing an Action in the Hearer that he may be sensitively Passive He that speaks is the Agent or Actor And yet how pleasant soever his speech be the Hearer must be Active to finde him Eares Now Faith is as the Eye-Sight of the Soul and understanding and yet Faith as the Apostle saith comes by hearing Our Mortification or Conversion which is a work of Faith is never wrought without some sense or feeling And in these works if they be spiritually performed the Spirit of man is as meerly Passive as the bodily Eye is in the sense of Sight or the Eare in the Act of Hearing But meerely Passive after a more remarkable manner in the First Degrees of Mortification or Conversion than in their Accomplishment The Resolution then of the former doubt is This We are meerly Passive in the Degrees or works of Mortification or Conversion We are not meerly Passive we must be Active in some works by the Providence of God presupposed for accomplishment of these works or for his accomplishing these works in us by the Spirit 3. For Illustration of that which in this Point may be easily conceived by all without offence as I hope to any We will take for Instance or Example a man whose heart hath never found any internal Comfort of the Spirit a Despiser of the Meanes which lead to Grace A Young Man Every way as dissolutely Bent as his yeares and Experience will permit him This man upon some Loathsome Concomitants which follow ryot or upon some grievous mischance that hath befalne him or his Friend in an unruly place upon the Lords-Day abjures the like place and Companie for a while And being not able or unaccustomed to be alone resolves to make trial whether he shall speed better by repairing at times seasonable unto the Lords House In thus resolveing and in thus repairing to the Church he is not meerly Passive but an Active This is no Work of true Faith no Degree of true Conversion or Mortification spiritual yet a Motion by Gods Providence presupposed or rather prerequired to his future Regeneration or Conversion He is Active Likewise in Lending his Eares with some tolerable attention unto the Preacher The Theme whereupon the Preacher without any notice of this Parties Dispositions or Occasions doth insist we will suppose to be that portion of scripture which was the meanes of St. Austins first Conversion to Christianitie without any choyce made by Him but presenting it self in respect of his present thoughts or purpose by meere Chance The Theme which first wrought his Conversion as he himself in His Confessions acknowledgeth Confess 8. lib. 12. Cap. was Rom. 13. 13. 14. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in Ryoting and Drunkennesse not in Chambering and Wantonness not in strife and Envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof A discreet methodical application of such Doctrines as this Text affords would much move any dissolute Young-Mans heart which had been impelled or drawn upon the former presupposed Occasions to heare these Words opened or discoursed upon without his choyce and beyond his Ayme or expectation And in this supposed Motion or relenting of
Salvation as God is readie to work in them and for them And because God never failes to work salvation in them and for them that are diligent in seeking it or affraid to neglect it therefore they are said to Work out their own Salvation not properly or Formally but Consecutivè that is Salvation is the Necessary Consequent of their working or doth necessarily follow upon their work Not by any force or Efficacie of their Work or by any natural Connexion but meerely by Gods Appointment or Decree The very same phrase in the Original our Saviour useth unto the people John 6. 27. Which words can beare no other Construction then that which we have made of St. Pauls words Philip. 2. 12. no other Interpretation then our English hath already made Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life And so the Vulgar Latin doth not render them verbatim Operamini Cibum but Operamini Cibo Not Work that meat but work for that meat For if That Meat which endureth to eternal Life must be given them by the Son of God if This Meat be the very Bodie and Blood of the Son of God it cannot be the proper Effect of any mans work or any Merit of man but the End or consequent of our Labours or endeavours and yet we are said to work This Meat in the same sense that we are said to work our Salvation viz. Consecutivè because God doth infallibly make us partakers of it if we diligently seek after it or labour for it 7. By the right Use of this Distinction we may reconcile many places of Holy Scripture which seem repugnant one to another as Likewise qualifie many Speeches whether of the Fathers or some Good Modern Writers which otherwise would seem harsh and offensive Who can say saith Solomon Prov. 20. 9. I have made my heart clean This Interrogation is in all mens judgement Equivalent to this Universal Negative No man can say I have made my heart clean Howbeit the Psalmist Psal 73. 13. saith Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain There is no Contradiction between this Psalmists Particular Affirmative I have cleansed my heart and Solomons Universal Negative No man can say I have cleansed my heart Solomon speakes of the Internal Purification which is the proper Effect and sole work of Gods Spirit The Psalmist speakes of his own Labours or Endeavours that his heart might be thus purified by the spirit of God He then did cleanse his heart Consecutivè non Formaliter Every one Saith St. John that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure 1. Joh. 3. 3. This place perhaps Some will say is meant of men Regenerate only seeing they only have that hope whereof the Apostle here speakes Many other such places of scripture there be in which we are said and sometime Commanded to Purifie our Selves as Jam. 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye Sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded This place cannot be meant of men truely regenerate For even Sinners and double minded men such as men regenerate are not are commanded to cleanse their hands and to purifie their hearts Many other places likewise there be wherein this purifying of the heart is wholly ascribed unto God God saith St. Paul Act. 15. 9. put no difference betwixt us and them purifying their hearts by Faith Not this Purification only But all other Good Works are said to be wrought by God as Esay 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our workes in us or for us And our Saviour saith John 15. ver 5. Without me ye can do nothing Both parts of our former Distinction are included in that of St. Paul 2. Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto honour Sanctified and meet for the Masters Vse and prepared unto every good work His speech is if we mark it He shall be made a Vessell unto honour if he purge himself He doth not say He shall be enabled to make himself a Vessell of Honour Nor doth he in proprietie of speech or as we say Formally or Efficiently purge himself But in that he doth those things whereupon this Purification by Gods Spirit doth immediately follow Man is said to purge himself And so are we in this place of St. Paul Rom 8. said to mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the Spirit when we do those things whereupon this Mortification doth immediately insue not by any Merit or Causalitie of our works but by Gods meere Grace by the Councel of his Holy irresistible Will by the Determination of his Eternal Decree by which it hath pleased him to apoint The One as a Necessarie Consequent of The Other to witt Spiritual Mortification or life it self as the Issue of our endeavours to Mortifie the Flesh This kind of Speech is usual not in Scripture only but in other Good Writers and in our Common Dialect So Tully tells us of a Romane Orator who for want of skill in Civill Law Petijt revera ut causa caderet made a Motion that he might Loose his Cause This Motion he did not make directly or Formally His meaning is that if his Motion had been granted he must by Necessary Consequent have lost his Cause Thus when we see a man Look Old whom we know to be much younger then our selves we usually say You make me an Old Man Not hereby meaning that he hath brought Old-Age or Gray Haires upon us by any trouble or vexation but that he who is much younger then we being apparently Old we must by Consequence be Old So that he makes us Old not Efficiently but only by Consequent truely argues us to be Old According to this Analogie of Speech by which He is said to make us Old whose Age doth truely argue us to be Old is that Prophesie litterally mean◠of Jeremiah which was punctually or formally fulfilled in God or his Christ Jer. 1. 10. See I have this day set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdomes to root out and to Pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Jeremiah did never Levie an Armie or incite any people to take Armes for the Deposition of their present Governour or for the Alteration of any state yet in as much as He foretold the Extirpation of Some Kingdomes and the Erection or Plantation of Others And in as much as what he foretold did certainly come to passe he is said to have Done that which did Follow upon his Predictions though many yeares after his death And in the same Sense we are said to Mortifie the Flesh to cleanse our Hearts to work out our Salvation yea to make our Election sure when we do those things whereupon our Purification or Mortification shall be wrought though many yeares hence and alwaies wrought by the Omnipotent Power of that Decree by which those Kingdomes
Reconciliation of mankind to God the Father there had been no election in Christ So that though it be most True that Christ was Agnus occisus ab origine mundi the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World yet was it not necessary from eternity that this Lamb should be slain For Christs death was no more necessary then Adams death or Transgression was Now no man I hope well advised will affirm that God did destinate Adams Transgression as a necessary Means that Christ should dye for so he should make him the Author of sin in Adam before he became the Fountain of Mercy in Christ The Truth then is That Adam having sinned not of necessity but Freely God out of his Free Mercy and Compassion towards man-kind did destinate the Incarnation the Death and Passion of his only Son as the Only Means of our Redemption and Reconciliation to himself And did likewise Destinate the Consecration of his Son by his death unto his everlasting Priesthood as the only means for the accomplishing of our Redemption that is for making our election sure and Absolute As Christs Priesthood is then most unchangeable and most necessary yet was it not necessary from eternity that he should be made a Priest by the suffering of death So our estate of election in him is most Absolute and necessary after we attain unto it yet was it not necessary from eternity that we should attain unto it not absolutely necessary that any should attain unto it but necessary only upon Supposal of Adams Transgression which was no way necessary but Free and Contingent and of Gods infinite wisdom and mercie in sending Christ Jesus our Lord. 16. If no mans Destination or designment to the Absolute State of election in Christ were absolutely necessary from Eternity but necessary only upon the Supposals last made which were not necessary much less was the Designment of any mans Individual nature or Person to the Absolute State of Reprobation or damnation absolutely necessary from Eternity Damnation as all grant is the end of Sin or rather an endlesse misery into which no man can fall but by sin whence if this endless misery had been absolutely necessary from Eternity or Decreed by God as the Goal of any mans Course of life the means likewise or only way by which men come unto this end or Goal must have been by a like degree of necessity destinated and decreed by God and the only way or means by which men come unto this end is sin So that God by this Opinion or Doctrine should have been as Immediate a Cause of Sin and death as he is of the Punishment of sins or of non-Repentance for sins committed And this is Contrary to the fundamental Principles of Christianity of Religion it self By both which we are taught that God as a Righteous Judge is the sole Author of the Decree or Sentence against impenitent sinners but no Cause at all no Author of their sins or Impenitency and therefore no Cause much lesse any necessary Cause of any mans Falling into the Absolute state of Reprobation Our Saviour Christ as then designed to be the Future Judge of quick and dead did pronounce that Woful Sentence against Judas and against him alone for ought we read It were good for that man if he had never been born Judas not Reprobated from Eternity We may hence safely conclude that Judas from that time was in the Absolute State of Reprobation and had now deserved without hope of Pardon this fearfull Sentence as having now resolved in his heart without Remorse or Compunction to betray the Son of God into the hands of sinners He became an Absolute Reprobate by resolving to betray the Son of God he did not resolve to betray the Son of God because he was an Absolute Reprobate from Eternity or from his birth He was not lyable to this wofull Sentence from his birth or in his Infancy for if it had been better for him from his birth or from his calling to the Apostle-ship not to have been born at all or not to have been so called God howsoever most gracious and good in himself had not been good or gracious unto Judas in giving him Being in making him an Apostle seeing it had been much better for him not to have been either a Man or an Apostle if from the time of his Birth or Apostle-ship he had been inevitably designed to the absolute estate of Reprobation to a greater measure of everlasting punishments then other men ordinarily are But the Truth is the greater measure of his punishment did presuppose a greater measure of his unthankfulness the greater measure of his unthankfulness in respect of other men did presuppose a greater measure of Gods Favour and goodness towards him in giving him birth and being in the days of his Sons Incarnation or in calling him to the Fellowship of his Apostles or Ambassadors And thus we come a Thesiad Hypothesin from the general Speculative Truth unto the Particular Use or Application 17. All of us do I am perswaded unfeignedly acknowledge our selves to have been by Naturall birth the Sons of wrath and to be the sons of wrath includes in it some work of Satan wrought not in Adam only but in our Nature Satans work two-fold Sin and Curse which we derive from him and this work of Satan is Twofold Sin Original and the Curse thereunto annexed this Latter Part to wit the Curse must be dissolved by Faith as by the Instrument For he that believeth not saith S. John Chap. 3. ver 36. shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him that is It was upon him from his First Being and rests upon him until it be removed by Faith in the Son of God Now in that this work of Satan that is the Curse due to Sin Original is removed by Faith in the Son of God the Son of God is the Principal Cause or Agent which removes it by his Sacerdotal or Princely Blessing upon our Ministerial Act or Function of Baptism It is a Truth unquestionable especially in the Doctrine of the Church of England that as many as are Baptized are from their Baptism and by their Baptism translated from the Estate or Condition of Sons of wrath to the Estate or Priviledge of the Sons of God This Doctrine of our Church is necessarily grounded upon the Saying of our Apostle Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Now it is impossible that any should put on Christ and not receive him And to as many as receive him saith S. John cap. 1. ver 12. to them he gives power Right or Priviledge to become the Sons of God 18. But here some will demand If all that are Baptized become the sons of God do they not all likewise by this new birth become heires with Christ Yes all that are Sons are likewise Heirs but not therefore un-disinheritable because
observant Eye may see bear the Stamp and Form of a Conclusion or Collection containing matter for its Truth as unquestionable and of as large Extent for good Vse as any Maxime in this whole discourse This Illative being turned into a simple Assertive Non est volentis neque currentis c is as the Axis whereon the whole Doctrinal Part of this Epistle revolves But taking this Verse as it here lyes being both a Principle and a Conclusion the Lists of my Inquirie into it at this time by Gods assistance shall be but Two Vndè infertur Quò refertur 1. Two Inquiries From what Premisses it is gathered And 2. To what End it is referred Or To what Vse or purpose in the Apostles Intent it is specially applyable The Premisses whence it is gathered first well sounded will rectifie our aime or Level at the Scope whereto it is directed And the End or scope being known will easily impart the right Vse or Application Amongst many Vses whereto these words may serve it is not the least That their just Extent once rightly taken will serve as a just measure or scantling to notifie and unfold the contents of many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Chapter which have been as much perverted as any places in all St. Pauls Epistles because they have been the common Themes of every illiterate vocalist or rural Scholar 2. It is I take it agreed upon by all at least it will be denyed by none that the principal End of this Epistle is to establish these Romanes whether Jews or Gentiles by Progenie in that Faith wherein they had been instructed And by the Line or Level which is directed to this End must the Argument of this present Chapter as of all the rest be squared The Materials here handled differ somewhat from the former but Modus considerandi their Reference or Aspect to the proposed End is the same What the Apostle in this place here inserts either concerning the hardening of Pharaoh the Reprobation of the Modern Iewes or free Election of their Fathers is purposely inserted for under-propping or fortifying his Former Assertion That Iustification or Salvation must be sought by Faith only without Works To perswade the truth of this our Assertion no particular Allegations of Authorities or reasons can so much avail with an ingenuous Auditor as his own di-diligent Perusal of the 10. and 11. Chapters in which The Resumption of his former Argument is to cleare-sighted men more evident then the Continuance of it is in this And with his former Doctrine in those two Chapters resumed he intermingles powerful admonitions to the Gentiles to make their Election Sure unto which purpose the Original and manner of the Iewes Rejection is in this Chapter premised And He that shall please in his more retired thoughts unpartially to survey the Connexion which the 10. and 11. Chapters with the last part of this 9 have with the former specially with the 4 5 6 7 and 8 The stream or Current of the Discourse will evidently bewray it selfe to be the same howsoever it may seeme a litle before and after This 16 Verse to run a close way or under ground yet so as the opening of it is apparent verse 30. What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse But Israel hath not attained to righteousnesse because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the workes of the Law Verse 32. 3. The fairest Connexion of this 9. Chapter with the former in my opinion is This The Apostle having in the later end of the former Chapter confidently avouched the Infallible Assurance of their hopes which renouncing Workes seek Salvation only by Faith in Christ and his heart having been dilated with joy and exultation of spirit in contemplation of their happinesse is in the rebound more deeply touched with sorrow for the Iewes his countrey-men and kinsfolk according to the flesh The lamentable Issue of whose excellent Prerogatives and strange miscarriage of their extraordinary paines and zealous care in observing the Law might well have danted the late converted Gentiles to whom he writes and in mens esteem much impaired the strength of all former assurances which he had given them unlesse he had further manifested the true Original of the Fall or Rejection of Gods antient people This unfained sorrow for their miserie is so much the greater as every good mans in like case would be by how much their Meanes of well doeing had been the better their Approach to true happinesse nearer and their Interest in Gods promises more peculiar then other mens were It litle moves us to see a lazy unthrift come to be a begger But to see a man extraordinarily industrious in his Calling not to thrive or utterly to overthrow himself and his posterity by some one wilfull humour is grief to every other man that can take paines for his living This Original of our Apostles sorrow is expressely intimated by himself Chap. 10. Ver. 1 2. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge And in the 11. Chapter he tels us Gentiles what Moses before had told these Iewes That whensoever they should turn again to the God of their fathers they were to have Precedencie of all other people in the world in his Everlasting and unchangable Love I say then Have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid But rather through their Fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie Now if the Fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulness ver 11. 12. And again ver 28 29. Concerning the Gospel they are Enemies for your sake but as touching the Election they are beloved for the fathers sake for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And would it not greive any zealous soul that loves the memorie of his fathers to see them so farre estranged from their God who is not altogether estranged from them but alwayes ready when these Prodigals shall returne unto him to embrace them as his dear Sons These are Points whose contemplation in our Apostle was deeper then our shallow witts can rightly sound and did cast him out of such an Ecstasie of joy into such a suddain Trance of sorrow that he had no leasure to expresse the Causes of it in the beginning of this ninth Chapter but is fain to reserve it to the beginning of the tenth The very depth of sorrow had swallowed up the very stream or current of his discourse and causeth him to begin thus abruptly I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also hearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heavinesse and continual sorrow in my heart For I
of this discourse ver 32. is apparent is That they sought salvation not by Faith but by works not by relyance on Gods Power or Promises but by Confidence in these Carnal Prerogatives 6. As it is dangerous to assign any Cause of Reprobation without warrant of Scripture so is it a Preposterous presumption to pronounce their Persons Reprobated or accursed whom the Scripture hath proclaimed for Blessed Yet some in our times unlesse my memory fail me have ranked Ismael amongst the Reprobates when as Moses hath registred the Grant of Abrahams Petition for him Gen. 17. 20. As for Ishmael I have heard thee Behold I have blessed him Now Abraham doubtlesse did pray in Faith and his Faith questionless did as well respect the Kingdom of God and his righteousnesse as the blessings of this Life Yea his Prayer for him was conceived in that very form which as I have learned from some too rigid in the doctrine of reprobation is the true Character of Gods Elect and Chosen And for justifying their observation of this use of the Phrase in other places of Scripture they alledge this Petition of Abraham Gen. 17. 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee which is as if he had said O that thou wouldest take Ishmael to be thy servant and admit him into thy favour Just Abraham prayes for and the Almightie grants I shmaels admission into that presence of God from which David desires he might not be cast out Psal 51. 11. 7. But whatsoever became of Ishmael Our Apostle foresaw the proud Jew would Except against this instance as they did against the like of our Saviours John 8. 41. We are not born of fornication We are Abrahams sons not by the Bondwoman but by Sarah and why then Twit'st thou us with Ishmael His Rejoynder followeth in the next words to this effect Esau was Isaacs Son by Rebecca conceived at the same time and born before your Father Jacob who notwithstanding got the blessing of Birthright from him Was Esau therefore an accursed Reprobate God knowes I cannot tell The bounds of my present enquirie is to what End or Use this Instance is brought by our Apostle and how it inferrs the Conclusion here in this 16. verse Now from our Apostles Principal Intent or Scope we can gather no other pertinent Use of his Instances in Esau and Jacob save only this That God in his allseeing wisdom did by these Types mystically forewarn their Posteritie as John Baptist his Messenger and his Son our Lord and Saviour expresly and literally afterwards did not to stand on their Genealogie their Birthright or other Prerogatives wherein flesh and bloud Abrahams seed above all others were apt to boast but wholly to betake themselves to his Promises The Circumstances which evince and justifie this Observation are remarkably contained in the holy Stories whereto our Apostle as his manner is briefly and in Transcursu referrs us that we might see the Truth which he taught with our own eyes and Rear our Faith upon the same Foundations from which his faith had been raised Abraham after God had promised him I will make of thee a mightie Nation In thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed did yet suspect lest all this might be fulfilled in his heir by Adoption though by Birth a stranger and by condition a servant untill the Lord made a fuller Declaration of his meaning Gen. 15. 4. This. Eliezer shall not be thine heir but he that shall come forth of thine owne bowels he shall be thine heir After all this Sarah complains Behold now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing And Abraham hearkening to her counsel which this distrust had suggested took Hagar her maid to wife hopeing the former promise might be accomplished in her Off-spring as it is Gen. 16. Abraham to speak with Reverence of his Infirmitie did herein mistake the Tenour of Gods promise as he had done once before And to rectifie his error God further explicates his meaning in promising Isaac Gen. 17. 15. c. Now that which our Apostle would have us specially to observe is That the Almighty in thus crossing righteous Abrahams Will and purpose first to make Eliezer then Ishmael his heir did hereby give posteritie to understand They were not to relye on the Will of man or any Inventions of flesh and blood for attaining the blessing but meerly on His Will revealed who is able and willing to effect his promise though by meanes more miraculous then was Isaacs birth or to use S. Iohn Baptists words though it were by raising up children out of stones to Abraham 8. Isaac also had a greater longing to bestow his birth-right upon Esau his eldest son then to eat of his Venison for he sent him out to catch it to the end he might blesse him with greater chearfulnesse And Esau was more forward to gratifie his old fathers desire then was his brother Jacob. Yet that posterity might alwaies bear in memory the blessing did neither depend on Isaacs Willingnesse to bestow it nor on Esau's Running to deserve it of his father but wholly and meerely on Gods purpose Rebecca to whom his purpose was long before made known findes a meanes to derive the Birth-right to her Younger son while the Elder was rangeing abroad to compasse it It seemes she had not imparted the Oracle to old Isaac before Or He perhaps had forgotten it untill the Event did call the meaning of it to his memory And this perchance may be the reason why he is so patient of Circumvention by his wife as now perceiving it to be the Lords doing However the Lord before the children were born before they had done either good or evill had told Rebecca their mother That the Nation which should spring from the Elder should be the weaker and serve the off-spring of the Younger And from this intimation she wisely gathered that the Birth-right or blessing was according to the Tenour of Gods Free Donation to be convaied unto the Younger Had not this purpose of the Almightie been revealed before the children had been born before either father or mother could have had any reason to affect the one more then the other Iacobs posterity as they have been too foolish and arrogant would have baosted That either their father Iacob or his mother Rebecca which loved him more then his brother Esau had better observed those rites and customes wherein they placed righteousnesse then Isaac or Esau had done and that God upon these motives had bestowed the birth-right or blessing upon Jacob before Esau And to no other Purpose for ought I can by Analogie of Scripture conceive save only to Prevent this pride and hypocrisie in the Iew or to leave it without excuse doth our Apostle note that Circumstance of the Story before they were borne or had done good or evill 9. But as this takes away the former Reply or Apologie so it breeds a new Objection for did not God
Rom. 11. 33. 38. He that desires to have his heart filled with such a measure of joyfull admiration as will seek a vent in these or the like unaffected serious exclamations must feed his thoughts with contemplation of divine attributes specially with those of infinite duration or eternitie of infinite wisdom of infinite goodnesse and love to man In all which I have adventured to tread a path for others to correct or follow upon triall being assured of this that without the knowledge of these generalities nothing can be said to any purpose in the particulars thus farre prosecuted or in the like to bee prosecuted more at large when God shall grant leasure and opportunitie 39. These present disquisitions though seeming curious as the resolution is truly difficult have a vulgar and immediate use yet not so vulgarly plain or common to all as profitable to every particular Christian not fully perswaded of the certainty of his salvation The speciall aime of my meditations in this argument is first to deterre my self and others from all evill wayes whatsoever but especially from those peculiar and more dangerous sinnes which make up the full measure of iniquitie with greatest speed Secondly to encourage mine owne soule and others with it to accomplish those courses unto which the immutabilitie or absolute certaintie of election it self which must in order of nature and time goe before our infallible apprehensions of it is inevitably predestinated by the eternal and irresistible decree These exhortations are more fit for popular sermons than such points as hitherto have been discussed whose discussion neverthelesse hath seemed unto me very expedient as well for warranting the particular uses which I purpose if God permit to make out of the chapters following as for giving such satisfaction to my best friends as God hath enabled me to give my self concerning the Apostles intent and meaning in this ninth chapter 40. If what I have said shall happen to fall into any mans hands which hath a logical head and beares a friendly heart to truth though otherwise no friend to me yet I presume he will not be so uncharitable towards me as to suspect that I have intended these premisses to inferre any such distastful conclusions as these That Election should be ex fide aut operibus praevisis for our faith or workes sakes That any man should be more than meerly passive in his first conversion That the working of saving grace might be resisted or lastly That in man before his conversion there should be any spark of free will remaining save only to do evill Whosoever will grant me these two Propositions That the unregenerate man hath a true freedom of will in doing evill and The eternal Creator a freedom of will in doing good I will engage my self to give him full satisfaction that no difference betwixt Reformed Churches concerning Praedestination or Reprobation is more then verbal or hath any other foundation besides the ambiguitie of unexplicated termes The errors on all sides grow only from pardonable mistakings not so much of truth it self as of her proper seat or place of residence C. Reader THis last Discourse was published without the Authors consent or knowledge as he says Book 9. Chap. 12. margin He that will compare shall find very considerable meliorations in This now printed after an exact Copy which also had a solemn Dedication prefixed I feared these late Revolutions might have made the ritual publishing it prejudicial to the H persons Therefore have I placed it here as in the Dark behind a Curtain where the Reader may have the same benefit Though the Authors Friends have not either the honour intended or the accidental prejudice To the Two Noble Gentlemen his much honoured Friends Mr. R. S. and Mr. E. S. sonnes to the R. H. L. S. The Blessings of this Life and of the Life to come be multiplied Noble Sirs THere is no Argument in Divinitie wherein every Soul that earnestly seeks Salvation or the avoidance of damnation ought in reason to be more desirous of satisfaction than in the point of of Eternal Election and Reprobation Nor are Scholastick disputes concerning these Points in themselves so dangerous as they are made by such as are more apt to abett Contentions sett on foot than able rightly to examine whence the quarrel first began upon what termes it stands or how it may fitly be composed In searching out the true sense and meaning of whatsoever it hath pleased God to reveal there can be no offence in the manner of the search we often offend Diligence and accurate pains are alwaies commendable as in every other Subject so in this wherein Curiositie is only dangerous Howbeit wheresoever Curiositie of search is dangerous peremptorie Resolutions whether negative or affirmative must needs be pernicious seeing suspension of Assent in difficult or controversed Cases is a propertie no less Essential to true Faith than firm adherence to divine truth known and acknowledged And if the blame were bestowed in that proportion it hath been deserved amongst the several Commentators upon the Scriptures prefixed to these discussions the heaviest burden would lye not upon such as make new Queries but upon such as have taken upon them to give absolute Determinations without accurate search of the Apostles meaning preposterously seeking to comprehend what they should admire and endeavouring to stirre up affected admiration of that which every Novice might fully comprehend were their Resolutions in this Argument as Orthodoxal as they are peremptorie The end of these present Queries is to find out a middle way how to maintain some principal Conclusions of Reformed Churches specially concerning the Servitude of mans Will the Nullitie of merits or of Works foreseen and the Irresistible efficacie of saving Grace without association of those Rigid Premisses which latter ages have invented for their maintenance as Astronomers of old did Epicycles and Copernicus of late the motion of the Earth for salving their Coelestial Phaenomena To pick quarrels with Antecedents of good use whereas the fault lies only in the Inference is a fault too common to Controversie-writers in every age And thus to spight an erroneous Conclusion the foundations of many useful truths are often overthrown and new false Principles brought in their place which will bring forth dangerous errors by faultlesse Consequences I have often been enforced to season my retired thoughts with sighs or tears whiles I beheld the factious oppositions of forraign Reformed Churches abetted animated and propagated by men whom God had placed as Bystanders or unpartial Vmpires and blessed with all opportunities of making peace amongst others so they themselves had been the sons of peace The parties here meant were English Divines men freed by Gods especial providence from all vicinitie of publique adversary or such politick provocations as their forraign brethren were often misled with Some or rather a great many of no mean note have held it as a matter of conscience and affected it as
it to the poor fast and pray most dayes in the week they should be damned yea the Evill deeds of the one should be forgiven before they were committed the others good works or abstinence from Evill works should not be capable of pardon for as Election unto life Eternal if it were terminated to mens persons without respect unto their works doth include not only a general Ante-dated Pardon for all the sins they can commit but priviledgeth them also from all question so doth Reprobation include an utter exclusion from all hope of Pardon what course of life soever they take if so be it were Terminated to their Persons or Entities without respect unto their works The Orthodoxal Truth then is that God hath decreed to reward every man according unto all his works not according to the foresight of his individual Nature or Person And though it be true that it is impossible for any man to fall from the estate of Election into the estate of Reprobation and as impossible for any man to aseend or be transported from the estate of Reprobation unto the estate of Election Yet is it not alike impossible for him that is for the time present in a Middle State betwixt both that is a man capable of Gods promises in Christ and yet lyable to his Judgments either to proceed unto the estate of Election or to fall into the state of Reprobation There is a necessitie that every Elected man shall be saved that every man Reprobated shall be damned but no like necessitie by the Eternal decree that This or That particular man shall attain to the state of Election or fall into the state of Reprobation Their works or measure of working whether well or ill their faith or want of faith the measure manner of both are not so immutable or unchangable as their natures or persons are Now Gods immutable Decree doth infallibly reward them according to the measure manner or qualitie of their works or of their faith or infidelitie For albeit the Works or Acts of mans Faith be Mutable yet Gods purpose of rewarding every man according to his works or different measure of faith or infidelity is most Immutable 5. But albeit God do not Ante-date any pardon in particular for the sinnes of the Elect is it safe hence to conclude that he is not more favourable unto them than unto other men or doth his peculiar favour to them being granted conclude him to be an accepter of Persons surely it would if we did maintain that his Eternal Decree for shewing peculiar favour and mercy towards the Elect did respect only mens Persons or Individual substances But laying this Foundation That God from Eternitie hath Decreed to reward every man not according to the prevision of his Individual Manhood or substance but according to all his works God 's peculiar favour may without imputation of partialitie or acceptance of persons be extended not to the Elect only but unto all that are within the Covenant unto all that without Hypocrisie or sinister respects have subscribed unto it Yet though this peculiar favour be to be extended to all within the Covenant we may not deny but that it reaches the Elect in an extraordinary measure for ordinarily none are admitted into the number of the Elect which have not done some works which others not of that number have not done And if God out of his free bountie reward not the men but their works more bountifully than he doth the works of other men whose persons are not within his Covenant whose works are not so capable of bountie he cannot hence be conceived to be a Respecter of Persons but an accepter of such in every Nation as work righteousness or do less evill then others do The works which St. Peter requires to the making of our Election sure are all in their Nature and qualitie Good all parts of righteousness and though we cannot do them aright yet such as hope to be partakers of Gods peculiar favour must be industrious in doing them But not these works only but even our Subscription unto the Covenant of Grace our Profession of being Christs Disciples is a work capable of mercy of peculiar favour in respect of others which neglect this Covenant though No work meritorious of Grace or of better abilities to proceed in Christianitie nor are the best works of the Elect in their nature such 6. Gods gratiousness to the Elect and his respect to their good works First the good Works which He doth that is within the Covenant are more capable of reward than the like works of men which are without the Covenant and yet the good works of the Elect are more capable of reward then the best works of him that is only within the Covenant not in the state of Election not confirmed in Grace Secondly the good Works of men within the Covenant do facilitate their progress towards Grace and lengthen their possibilities of being confirmed in Grace The good works of the Elect do more then strengthen their present estate in Grace they make them capable of greater Glorie than others Elect are which work not after the same manner or measure as they do But leaving the Elect and their works to God who only knowes them the good works of such as are within the Covenant though as yet not confirmed in Grace do in some degree shelter them from danger of final Apostasie or of exclusion from Grace The more good Works such men have done the better fruits of Faith they have shewed the firmer they stand in the day of temptation wherein the Fruitlesse hearer shall fall Thus much is included in the Close of our Apostles words Heb. 6. ver 7 8. The Earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth thornes and bryers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned These Hebrewes had come as neer to that shelf upon which others had made shipwrack of faith as any men since have done which have escapt it And if they had been to be judged by men according to their present Facts they had incurred that dreadful sentence of final Rejection or Reprobation which the Apostle there denounceth against backsliders What then was the Sheet-anchor which in our Apostles Divinitie did hold them from striking against the immoveable rock of Reprobation the Merits of their former works So some great Professors of Romish Divinitie do teach in their Lectures de Reviviscentia meritorum that is of the Revival of merits being dead or abated by Relapse or Backsliding This Title they ground upon this very Text of Scripture being otherwise groundless as they themselves confesse The words of the Apostle are ver 9 10. Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak For God is not unrighteous to forget your
goe out from him to her alone It is true then for our Saviour saith it her Faith did make her whole and yet she was made whole by the Vertue which went out from him this was the fruit or effect of her Faith or rather the Reward or Consequent of her Faith In like sort as many as are healed from their sinnes whether by the Sacrament of Baptism or the Eucharist are healed by Faith relatively or instrumentally Faith is as the mouth or organ by which we receive the medicine but it is the Vertual influence derived from the Body and Blood of Christ which properly or efficiently doth cure out soules and dissolve the works of Satan in us This woman as St. Matthew relates the storie had said within her self if I may but touch the hemme of his garment I shall be whole She wanted either the opportunitie or boldness to touch the fore-part of his garment or to come into his sight or presence Yet he then knew not onely that she had touched the Hemme of his garment but what she had said within herself and out of his knowledge of this her faith and humilitie he did pronounce and make her whole Now it is but one and the same Act of one and the same Divine Wisdom to know the hearts and secret thoughts of men a farre off and neere at hand And therefore a matter as easie for the Son of God or for the man Christ Jesus in whom the Godhead dwelleth bodily though still remayning at the right hand of God to know the hearts and secret thoughts of all such as present themselves at his Table here on earth aswell as he knew the secret thoughts of this woman which came behind him What need then is there of his Bodily Presence in the Sacrament or of any other presence than the influence or emission of vertue from his heavenly Sanctuary unto our soules He hath left us the consecrated Elements of bread and wine to be unto us more than the hemme of his garment If we do but touch and tast them with the same faith by which this woman touched the hemme of his garment this our faith shall make us whole and stanch the running issues and cleanse or cure the leprous sores of our soules as perfectly as it did this womans issue of blood But of Christ's Presence with us Especially in the B. Sacrament of his Body and Blood we shall take occasion to speake somewhat more in Handling the Article of His Sitting at the Right-Hand of God which may perhaps give the Reader some degree of Satisfaction and Line out the Right Mean betwixt Consubstantiation and Transubstantiation or between the Romanist and the Lutheran at least between the Lutheran and other reformed Churches A Note relateing to the precedent Chapter First Paragraph or Number 1. Those words St. Cyrill in his Parallels c. I Conceive the Author meanes St. Cyrill's Comments or Strictures upon Genesis and in them This Place or These words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in These words his Eye was fixt upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exâ—ulit or proâ—ulit it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obtulit That is Melchisedek Brought out or Caryed forth not OFFERED Bread and Wine Cyrill Alex. Tom. 1. Glaphyrorum Lib 2. Paris Edit 1638. Fol. 47. To which I may adde that the same S. Cyrill in the same Book p. 62. Sayes That Melchizedek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. according to Sylburgius Suidas and Hesychius Procuravit Adornavit Exportavit Commeatum Commodavit not obtulit as Andr. Schotus translates it there And again p. 63. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. apportantem afferentem not offerentem as the same Schotus translates it also But it is the Roman Ingenie to Catch at this place So Maldonate to despight Calvin corrects the Magnifyed Vulgar Latin altering it to et erat Sacrificans but partially for his Criticism Being given it will amount to no more then erat ministrans See this Author 's 9. Book Chap. 10. Where he cites Philo Judaeus Lib. 2. S. leg Allegor Making Melchizedeks Bringing forth Bread and Wine not an Act of Pietie and Religion but of Hospitalitie Opposite to Ammons Churlish niggardliness who afforded not the posteritie of Abraham in their travel Bread and Water Though he that only reades this Author by Index is unworthy both of him and it and though the observant Reader may serve himself well of the Contents of the Chapters the Table of Texts of Scripture the Titles of every Page and the Marginal Breifes yet for his further Advantage is made this ensuing Table To which every Reader may adde what he pleases space being left for that purpose at the end of every Letter in the Alphabet A. A Aronical Priesthood farre inferior to Christ's 3268 c. Aaron see Priesthood Abraham in Gods promises to him assurance of faith to be sought 3267 Abrahams Bay 3256 Abraham see promise Active passive see Conversion Some Actions required in us that Grace may be created in us viz. To make us meere passives 3107. c 3115. 3143 These Actions or Endeavours necessary necessitate praecepti nâ—cessitate medii 3191 Adam like his Maker 3091 Adam God dealt not so hardly with him as some say he did 3015 Adam's first sin Actual and voluntarie 3101 Adam's Prerogatives Opinions about them Compatible contending not contradictory 3003. 3008 Adam's Righteousnesse not Supernatural 3004 3033 Church of Rome bound to maintain that it is supernatural 3004 Reformed Churches that it is not so 3005 Three inconveniences follow the Affirmamative ibid. Righteousness as connex to Gods Image in Adam as Rotunditie to a Sphere 3006 3178 Adams losse of Righteousness had a positive cause wrought a positive effect a wound many wounds in mans nature 3006 How Adam had been rewarded had he stood 3008 Neither Adams Fall nor standing necessary both possible ibid. 3009 He that sayes Adams fall was necessitated by Gods Decree lays more to Gods charge then we can truly lay to the Divelâ—s 3012 That God de facto did decree a mutual possibilitie of Adams Falling or not Falling demonstrated 3016 More of that point 3226 Whether he that sayes God decreed Adams Fall inevitably may be demonstrated to make God Author of sin 30â—0 Author of Sin see Sin Adams Inadvertencie and Evah her contempt let sin into the world 3008 The sinfulnesse of Adams sin wherein it did consist 3017 How Adams one sinfull Act could produce an Habit and more then an Habit 3017 3019 3029 c. Act see Obliquitie Adams first sin did pollute our Nature now our nature defiles our persons 3019 Admonitions vain where no freedom is 3129 Admonitions presuppose possibilities to good and evill 3246 Advocate his Office 3288 No Advocate pleades for pardon of sin already forgiven ibid. Aestunare res humanas norunt pauci 3001 Affections indifferent differenced by their Objects must be wonne to the Spirit 3125 Of Affections strange effects and alterations 3073