or understand it 2. Let me ask you seriously Can God Decree salvation and glory to Pâ—ter without any faith or holiness in him and can he not bring him to glory without them Certainly this is either against the wisdom and justice of God if he Decrees any thing which he ought not to execute or against his Omnipotency if he cannot bring it to execution when he hath Decreed it Diotrephes Sir It becomes not us to dispute the wisdom justice or power of God our duty is to regulate our selves according to his will and if we look for the reward of eternal life 't is our part to fulfill those conditions which he hath prescribed us in his his holy Gospel to that purpose Securus Sir I observe your Discourse many times borders upon dangerous Errours sometimes you recede from the Synod of Dort and approach the Remonstrants and here you leave them to gratifie the Church of Rome Eternal life is not given as a reward but as an inheritance not upon any conditions perform'd but of grace freely promised To this purpose we have the judgment of the Deputies of the Synod of Gelderland and 't is inserted amongst the Acts of the Synod of * Par. 3. pag. 30. pr. Dort in these words Vti gratis fâ—lii simus jus haereditatis acquirimus it a in possessionâ—m haeredi atis mitâ—i mur planè gratis misericâ—rditâ—r indâ—â—itè Perperà m ergo dicitâ—r vitam aeternam à Deo â—eu praemium decerni dari â—s qui conditiones quas ipse praescripsâ—â— impleverit Nam dâ—re vitam ut praemium praestitâ jam conditione sub quâ decrâ—ta erat vita illa ut praemium non est omnimodò gratis et ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dare vitam sed ex debito That is As we are made sons and obtain the right of the inheritance freely so are we also most mercifâ—lly and freely put into the possession of that inheritance therefore it is ill said that Eternal life as a reward is decreed and given by God to those that fulfill the conditions which he hath presâ—ribed for to give life as a reward upon the performance of a condition upon which that life was decreed as a reward this is to give life not altogether freely and of good pleasure but of debt Thus far those Deputies where you see they disclaim all conditions necessary unto salvation and good reason for if we were absolutely elected a Bucan aâ—ii ut supraâ— while we were ungodly and if Christ died b Rom. 5. 6 8. for us while we were ungodly and if he justifies c Rom. 4. 5. For Dr. Twiss and Mr. Pemble do make Justification an immanent act in God and therefore from Eternity as Mr. Baxter doth charge them Aphâ—risme of Justif in Append. pag. 163 Therefore it is before Faith and consequently of such as are ungodly us while we are ungodly what shall sâ—parate us from this free and unchangeabâ—e love of God what shall hinder that we may not be saved also while we are ungodly For if when we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son and why were we reconciled by the death of his Son but because he had formerly and freely loved us and out of that love elected us unto salvation and from that election sent his Son to dye for us and now having dyed for us much more nay if any duty were required on our part more than to our election and justification it should be much less and not much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his lâ—fe Rom. 5. 10. Diotrephes Sir Dâ—vines observe a great difference betwixt those three benefits Election Justification and Glorification Election is absolutely free without any qualification in the person whatsoever Justification is by his faith through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus but salvation is not ordinarily attainable but through sanctification unto obedience in all good works whatsoever Securus You will find that amongst Evangelical Divines the more sound and such as keep the greatest diâ—tance from Popery and Arminianisme do deny â—aith to be the cauâ—e or condition of Justification their reason is because otherwise Justificatio non est gratuita sed ex nobis saith Wendilin from them Justification should not be freâ— Christ Theol. lib. 1. cap. 25. Exp. Thes 6. mihi pag. 609. Which he doth not recite as his own opinion Dr. Twiss seems to be of this opinion ubi supra p. 142 143. And so Mr. Baxter chargeth him Ap. to Aphor. pag. 163. but of our selves hereupon they conclude that it is called justifying faith not because it justifiâ—th or ant cedeth Justification sed quod justificatis conferatur but because it is conferr'd upon such as are justified and in order if not in time is after Justification Postquam nos justificaviâ— Deus creat in coâ—dibus Electorum sidâ—m saith Maccâ—viâ—s * Colleg. Theol. Disp 8. de Justificat mihi p. 153. God crâ—ates faith in the hearts of his Elâ—ct after he hath justified them And why is this only to give them a comfortable testimony of their Election and Gods love towards them it doth not justifie us conditionally before God but declaratively to our own consciences and thus he expounds those Texts A man is not justified but by the saâ—th of Jesus Christ we have believed in Christ that we might be justified Gal. 2. 16. Chap. 3. 24. That we might be justified by faith That is Fide cognoseinâ—uâ— sentimus nos esse jusâ—os coram Dco by faith we know and perceive that we are justified before God who hath forgiven our sins and given us a right to eternal life for the satisfaction sake of Christ and his righteousness imputed to us Diotrephes I profess I am not of those mens opinion 't is my judgment that no man is actually justified till he doth actually believe and that faith justifies as 't is the performed condition of Gods promise as was said above out of Mr. Baxter Securus I remember you said That Faith is an effectual acceptance of and affiance in Christ as Christ Now Christ as Christ is a King and Prophet as well as a Priest and so you must effectually accept of him and rely upon him in his capacity of Kingship and your Faith must be a principle and an effective principle too of obedience and if such a faith be the condition of Gods promise and we shall not be justified but upon the performance of such a condition then Faith and Evangelical obedience in general being co-ordinaâ—e in their conditionalâ—y unto this work what is become of the Apostles free justification May you not as well deny a free election and say a man is elected and justified both by the obedience of good works and by the faith that is in Christ Jesus But how contrary is this to the judgment of the Deputies of Gelderland mentioned above yea how contrary to the Apostle who professeth knowingly that
a man is not justified by works * Gal. 2. 16. Being justifiâ—d freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Chriâ—â— * Rom. 3. 24. And that you may not pretend there is more required unto our salvation than unto our justification the same Apostle tells us plaiâ—ly otherwise Fâ—r by grace are ye saved saith he through faith and that not Ephes 2. 8 9. of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lâ—st any man should boast Would you have your wedding garment of your own spinning Are you desirous to be sound having on your own righteousness * Cum venerit Deus ad judicium non nisi râ—nunciando meis merit is inveniri poâ—ero in Christo dâ—stitutus omni siducia in mâ—â—rum operum inhaerâ—nâ—e justitia indutus impuâ—ata illa Christi justâ—tia quae a Deo grat is daâ—ur per sidem nobis applicatur Dicson Ad Phil. 3. 9. See the Notes of Beza and others on Phil. 3. 9. Or as you are cloathed in the sweet smelling rayment of your elder brother Hath not Christ a two-fold riâ—hteousness and are they not both imputed to the Elect What then Are we afraid his active obedience is less sufficient to adorn and dress us up for glory than his passive is to secure and shelter us from shame and torment If the holy Scripture proclaims our salvation to be as free a benefit as either that of Justification or Election why should we give our selves the temptation of a needless trouble by distinguishing them and what saith the Scripture of the three Election standeth not upon works but in the purpose and good will of him that calleth Rom. 9. 11. not of works but by grace Rom. 11. 5 6. And it saith the same of justification too * Qui dicunt quod Deus fidem ipsam fideiobedientiam impâ—rfectam pro pâ—rfecta legis obedientia reputet vitae aeternae praemio gratiosè dignam enseat Hi contradicunt Scripturae Rom. 3. 24 25. Et cum impio Socino novam peregrinam hominis coram Deo justificationem contra totius Ecclesiae consensum inducunt Syn. Dordr cap. 2. Reject 4. Rom. 3. 24. with Gal. 2. 16. Being justified not by the works of the Law but freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus And it saith no less of salvation Ephes 2. 8. For by grace yâ— aâ—c saved and the Apostle doth oppose works to mercy in the business of salvation Tit. 3. 5. Net by works of righteousness which we have done but accâ—rding to his mercy he saved us And therefore he saith Rom. 6. 23. Eternal lâ—fe is the gâ—ft of God and what is freer than gâ—fâ— I find this comfortable Doctrine held forth exactly by Dr. Spurstowe in his Wells of Salvation opened where he saith Were the way which leads to Heaven a Ladder of duties and Page 51 52. not a golden Chain of free-grace I could not but fear that the higher I climb the grâ—ater would my fall prove to be every serviâ—e being like a brâ—ttle round that can bear no weight and the whole frâ—me and â—eries of duties at the best fâ—r short of the Lâ—dde◠〈◊〉 Jacobs vision which had its foot standing upon the Eâ—râ—â— anâ— its â—op reaching to Heaven buâ— the whole way of salvation from first to last is all of meer grace that the promise might be sure Rom. 4. 16. Every lâ—nk oâ— the golden Chain is made up of frâ—e merâ—y Election is free Ephes 1. 5. Vocatâ—on free 2 Tim. 1. 9. Justification free Rom. 5. 34. Sanctification free 1 Cor. 6. 11. Glâ—â—ification free Rom. 6. 23. Diotrephes Eternal life is not given but to such persons as are antecedeâ—tly qualified by the performance of such conditions as God hath prescribed in order to it Securus Have I not already sufficiently overthrown your conditions by most plentiful and irrefragable Authority But I will and this God promiseth Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you And Matth. 13. 11. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven saith our Saviour who is also said to give Repentance Acts 5. 31. And in many other places Faith and Repentance are said to be the gifts of God as Phil. 1. 29 Acts 11. 18. 1 Tim. 2. 26. From these and such like Texts and the expressions used in them of Gods giving c. Our Orthodox * Censura Confess cap. 17. par 3. pag. 236. Amesii Corâ—â— p. 257 258 Divines do infer not only the absolute Decree of Election but also a most free inconditionate and irresistible collation of what is promised or affirmed in them respectively and that to be performed in nobis sine nobis as the Synod of Dort determines Now eternal life being the special gift of God as well as the new heart faith repentance c. If you suspend the obtaining of that gift upon any condition to be performed by us you will much endanger the purest Orthodox Doctrine and give advantage to the Remonstrants by the force and example of such interpretations to invalidate those Arguments which are drawn from the said Texts to prove those absolute Decrees and such an irresistible conversion Diotrephes Sir I hope you are not so great a stranger to the Book of God but that you know good works are called for in every page and upon all occasions Securus That is not the question called for or not called for but how and to what end they are called for Inter Act. Syâ— Nat. Dord par 43. pag. 213. I remember well the Divines of Drent in their Examen and judgment upon the third and fourth Articles of the Remonstrants they tell us a main end why common grace and generâ—l gâ—fâ—s are bestowed upon men is Ut sâ—ciâ—tas humana poliâ—ia conserventuâ— for the benefit of humane society and to this purpose indeed I find the Apostle directeth Titus That they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works adding his Reason thâ—se things are good and profitable unto men But the Apostle may understand lawful Trades and Callings by good works in that place but they are not such which you contend for in order to salvation Diotrephes Nay Sir more then so we are exhorted to be rich in good works in order to our own assurance and comfort 2 Pet. 1. 5 10. Give diligence add to your faith vertue c. Wherefâ—re the rather give diligence to make your Calling and Election 〈◊〉 And Maccovius who defenâ—s Justification before Faith yet he saith * Vbi supra Quò magis crâ—scâ—t sides â—ò magis etiam Justificationis sensus seu fructus ubâ—rior emergit Rom. 1. 17. The more our Faith increaseth the more sweet and plentiful will be the sense and fruit of Justification that springs up to us Securus For that assurance and those relishes and consolations upon 't I am perswaded they are more
Arguments for all his are reputed for such Vbi supra p. 6â— is drawn from Bradwardine's Demonstration that no will of God is conditional but absolute throughout The Demonstration is this if there be any conditional will in God the condition of that will of God is either willed by God or no. If not willed by him then that must be acknowledged to come to pass in the World without the will of God which he holds for a great absurdity but if that condition be also in some sort willed by God then either absolutely or conditionally if absolutely then also the thing conditionated shall be absolutely willed by God As for example if God doth will that a man shall be saved in case he believe and withall doth absolutely resolve to give him Faith and make him believe this is in effect absolutely to resolve to save him But if it be said that the condition spoken of is willed by God not absolutely but conditionally then a way is open to a progress in infinitum which all disclaim For as touching that second condition I will renew the former Argument enquiring whether that be also willed at all by God or no and if it be whether it be willed absolutely or conditionally so that either we must subsist in something that is absolutely willed by God and consequently all that depend thereupon as conditionated shall in like manner be absolutely willed by God or a progress from one condition to another and that without end cannot be avoided This is Dr. Twiss his demonstration taken from Bradwaraine and Mr. Baxter * In his Preface to the Grotian Religion Sect. 9. triumphs in the use of it against the Authour of the Examination of Tilâ—nus But this is not all for the Dr. hath another irrefragable Argument to prove that Faith and Repentance are not confer'd by God upon man conditionally to wit upon the performance of some condition by man for saith he * Vbi supra p. 161. 152. if it were so then these graces should be conferr'd according to mens works which is clearly and undeniably stark Pelagianism So that all endeavours after Faith and Repentance are not only impertinent but 't is heresie also to maintain that the bestowing of them depends upon any of our performances Diotrephes Sir if you will receive what that Reverend Dr. holds forth in another place you will understand his opinion more fully He is not against the use of means for the obtaining Faith and Repentance take his words at large God saith Vbi supra p. 195 196 c. he hath regard both of our Faith and Prayers not that upon the fore-sight hereof he did elect us but in that as he did ordain us unto everlasting life by way of reward of our Faith Repentance and good Works so likewise he did ordain us to the obtaining of Faith Repentance and good Works to be wrought in us partly by the Ministry of his Word therein speaking unto us and partly by our prayers seeking unto him to bless his Word unto us and fulfill the good pleasure of his goodness towards us and the work of Faith with power for God doth expect that we should â—eck unto him by prayer for this as we read Ezek. 36. 37. Neither do we maintain that God doth ordain any man of ripe years unto eternal life in any moment of nature before he ordains him to Faith Repentance and good Works and that to be wrought in him by the Ministry of the Word with Gods blessing thereupon according to the prayers in common both of the Pastour and the People This is the Drs. opinion fully Securus If the Dr. will contradict himself who can help it and 't is evident he doth contradict himself if he suspends the bestowing of Faith and Repentance upon our hearing and prayers as conditions imposed upon us for obtaining them 2. If to hear and pray be a work of ours 't is Pelagianism in the Drs. opinion to say that God gives Faith according to them for supposing Tilenus his meaning to be That God is ready to work Faith in man upon a condition he disputes against Ubi supra p. 46 it in these words Now what is that condition can it be any other thing than some work of man And what follows here hence but that God gives faith according to mens works which saith he is pure Pelagianisme condemned for heresie in the Church of God from time to time 3. And therefore elsewhere this Dr. declares the invalidity of the Word to this effect and slights the use of prayers in order towards it in these scoffing words * Ibid. p. 84 85. This Authour would have men effectually called by vertue of their prayers 4. Hereupon I shall satisfie my self with that resolution of the point which I find given by Dr. W. Spurstowe * The Wells of Salvation opened Cap. 7. Sect. 1. Rule 2. pag. 67. having propounded a distinction concerning the promises which is this There are promises of grace and there are promises which are made to grace The one saith he are so absolute as that they do not depend upon any grace in us fore-going or suppose any good qualifications in us to be partakers of them such are the promises of Conversion and Regeneration in which grace makes way for it self and works all the initial preparations without any concurrence or activity on our part we being as fully passive in our second birth as we are in our first birth in our Regeneration as in our Generation Diotrephes But the same Dr. tells us in the same place That the absolute promise of Conversion and giving of spiritual Ibid. seq life though it have a kind of opposition unto conditional promises in not requiring that aptitude and qualification of the subject by grace for the fulfilling of it as the other promises of pardon glory do for the performance of them yet is it not absolute in opposition to the use of external means which God hath appointed us a necessary way to obtain converting grace for as the Decrees of God though peremptory and unchangeable do not exclude the endeavours of the Creature and the working of second causes no more doth the absoluteness of Gods promise in Conversion shut out but rather include the uâ—e and exercise of all means that lead to the end Thus Dr. Spurstowe Securus How far the absoluteness of Gods promise doth shut out the use of means we shall further see hereafter in the mean while I pray what is the means you think so necessary to be exercised in order to our Conversion Diotrephes I shall give you my Answer in the words of Dr. Twiss I know no industry of man saith he required to his effectual Vocation which is conversion but the hearing of Gods â—upra p. 84. Word Securus He required hearing of Gods word and prayer too even now and hath he cashier'd half his means already But to let
and the day of salvation I am content to take Gods time and the happiness that comes along with it being so transcendent as you have represented it the sooner the better But all the question now is whether it be in my power to return and beliâ—ve Diotrephes No by no means for you are yet in your natural state and the natural man receiveth not the things of the 1 Cor. 2. 14. Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Nay the carnal Rom. 8. 7. mind is enmity against God Paganus How then comes this Faith to be wrought in him Diotrephes It is not of himseâ—f but it is the gift of God he doth infuse it irresistibly and worketh it in us without us and that by an opâ—ration for mightiness not inferiour to that whereby he created the World and raiseâ—h up the dead Synod of Dort Chap. 3. and 4. Art 12. and Reject 6. Paganus If Faith be the gift of God and wrought in us after such an irresistible manner and likewise if now be Gods accepted time and the day of salvation as you have told me why is not that Faith even now wrought in me The delay seems by your Discourse to be rather on Gods part whose work this is than on mine to whom it is impossible without him I hope you would not have me perswade my self that I am not of that seed of Christ you mentioned in whom this work you say is peculiar Diotrephes No Sir I would not have you disheartned for a whole Synod of Divines have determined That those who as yet do not effectually perceive in themselves a lively faith or a sure confidence of heart in Christ the peace of conscience an endeavour of filial obedience a glorying in God through Christ and nevertheless use the means bâ— which God hath promised that he will work these things in us such as these ought not to be cast down at the mention of Râ—probation nor reckon themselves amongst the Reprobate but must diligently go forward in the use of those means and ardently desire and humbly and revâ—rehtly expect the GOOD HOURE of more plentiful grace Synod of Dort Chap. 1. Art 16. Paganvs Expect the good houre did you say why this is a perfect contradiction to what you said before viz. that now is the accepted time and the day of salvation And if I be commanded to believe now certainly to make that Command just and much more to make it not grievous but light and easie as the Gospel-commands are said to be there goes a power along with that command to make it possible now and so my duty else what will become of your fifty moving Considerations to convince men of the folly of delay But I remember you said it was every mans duty living under the dâ—spensation of the Gospel to believe Now if to make a man believe be Gods irresistible work and accomplish't by his Almighty power not inferiour in mightiness to that whereby he did create the World and raiseth up the dead How can this be a poor Creatures duty Could we think it equal in a good man or consistent with his goodness to impose an insupportable burden upon a childs shoulders and to whip him because he doth not carry it when such is his weakness that he sinks under it Sure we should account this extream severity and shall we attribute the like to God God forbid Diotrephes God may give what Lawes he please for his Soveraignty is absolute his Dominion incontrouâ—able he is bound to none and gives account of his actions to none Paganus I know Sir 't is impossible God should be obliged to his Creature whether upon the account of any Law made by it or of any benefit received from it but yet the very nature of God and that natural equity which is supereminent in him God esteems as a Law to himself and doth never transgress the dictates of it And besides God doth freely enter into Bond unto his Creatures as well by giving them a Law as by making them a promise for if he prescribes a Law he is in his own natural equity bound to bestow grace and assistance necessary to the observation of it and if he promiseth a thing absolutely he ought absolutely to perform it if he promiseth a thing conditionally the condition being fulfilled he is tyed upon the honour of his truth and justice to make that promise good as appears plainly by that which you call and value as his own Word Mat. 25. 24. Hebr. 6. 10. 1 John 1. 9. Diotrephes I beseech you Sir have you been instructed in Gods Word Paganus I shall deal ingenuously with you I have been long acquainted with your Biâ—le which you make the ground of your Religion And I observe it speaks very much of Heaven and glorious things of a life to come and calls upon you very earnestly to despise the World and lay up your hearts and your hopes in Heaven but observing withall what insatiable avarice ambition and luxury there is amongst you that profess Christianity and how much more carefully notwithstanding your demure pretence you lay out your selves for Earth than Heaven and what Factions you drive on to compass your ends I have been drawn into a suspition that few of you do cordially believe your own Religion or else that you think 't is such a Religion as will save you by a verbal profession though your practice be at utter defiance to all the Rules and Precepts of it Besides I have stumbled at some Doctrines which I have found in other of your Books and it hath given me no small scandal to read what I now hear from your mouth that the God you worship should make such a severe Law as you say he hath for the regulating of his Creature and yet deny that Creature a sufficient ability to perform it How this can consist with that Justice by which the true God is supposed to govern the World I confess I understand not Dâ—otrephes God help us in many things we offend all But you must not impute the fault to our Religion which is holy just and good but to the Professors of it who refuse to square their practice according to the Gospel-institution But for the offence you take that God injoyns a Law which is become impossible you must know we hold the justice of God excusable in this case because he gave all mankind a sufficient power in their first Parents whom he created after his own Image in righteousness and true holiness and had they persisted in their obedience their Posterity had been furnished with the same abilities and had had the same image stamp't upon them in as full and fair a Character as they had but because upon the suggestion of the Divel they prevaricated the Covenant of their Maker therefore were they punished with the loss of that Image Original Justice and
Supernatural abilities and this sin of theirs being imputed to their whole off-spring the very same penalty is also derived unto them upon that account Paganus When sin is committed and a guilt contracted admit God be not tyed to his own Creature yet he may be tyed to his own natural equity to proportion the penalty to the crime and not to aggravate the affliction beyond the Creatures demerit And therefore if they became Delinquents in the person of another that the penalty may hold correspondence with the fault they should also receive their punishment in the person of another Diotrephes The punishment as I have already â—inted to you was imposed upon another person even upon the Son of God for God laid upon him the iniquity of us all and he was wounded for our than gressions he was â—ruised for our iniquities the chastisemâ—nt of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are Isa 53. healed Paganus But Sir I remember you said He died according to the Counsel and Purpose of his Father only for a certain seed which he had given to him The rest he did no redeem or die for and yet he commands them to believe in him and rely upon him and denies them power to do it too which I cannot but think to be extreme severity Diotrephes I told you before that the justice of God is excusable because He gave them power to believe in their first Parent in Adam and to this prodigality they must impute this their impotency Paganus The tenour of your Discourse hath led me to look upon Faith or which is all one Believing under this notion viz. A laying hold upon Christ the Mediatour as the means to help us out of sin and misery and if it be so I am apt to conclude That as Adam had no need so neither had he power though he had so much as was sutable to his condition in his state of integrity to lay hold on Christ And if I apprehend your sense aright Faith contains or implies a power to arise after our fall If therefore Adam before his fall had this power then after he was fall'n he might have elicited or drawn it forth to his restitution and so there should have been no need of that omnipotent and irresistible operation of God unto this work which for mightiness is not inferiour to the Creation of the World or raising up the dead as is pretended Besides the question is not concerning the Historical Belief of a Mediatour in case God had made the Revelation upon supposition of the fall as he did not but whether Adam had a power to believe in Christ savingly This he could not do because saving faith implies a renouncing of ones own works and a relying upon Christs merits and mediation for grace and pardon This in the state of Innocency Adam could not do because God had given him a command and tyed him in a Covenant to do otherwise And I observe that the Son of God hath sealed a new Covenant for Mankind with his own blood and he invites all men to subscribe it Now this is called I perceive a Covenant of Grace but as it is established upon better promises than the former so I find that more dreadful threatnings are annexed to it also I must profess my dissatisfaction herein I think it very hard that Almighty God after he hath deprived them of original righteousres for the sin of their first Parent which they could no way be guilty of but by his own positive constitution I say I think it very hard that after this he should engage them in a new Covenant and tye Mankind to new conditions and not vouchsafe a competent strength to perform them especially being tyed to this performance under a severer penalty and how this can be called a Covenant of Grace I profess I cannot sufficiently understand Diotrephes We sâ—tissie our selves in an humble submission to Gods incontrolable Soveraignty and a modest veneration of his most free Beneplaciture considering that the Redeemer himself doth check the objections of Repiners with this short reprehension Mat. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me do what I will with my own And the Great Apostle of the Gentiles argues thus against such Disputants Rom. 9. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth And ver 21. Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the sam lump to make one Vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour what if God willing to shew his wrath c. And this is that unfordable and unfathomable Abysse which put the wits of that great Vessel of Election to a stand and makes him cry out in an extasie of astonishment Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Paganus If Almighty God intended his holy Scriptures which are opened for all men to examine for their instruction and benefit sure it is possible for a reasonable creature using his utmost diligence to gain some measure of understanding in them And truly if I be able to apprehend any thing the place you last mentioned affords as strong an Argument against you if you take the Context with it as one could imagine for what I pray is the ground of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Quae profundae divitiae sapientiae in co positae esse possunt quod Deus velit minimam hominum partem salvare maximam perdere Solum illud tantum in co locum habet Sic volo sic jubeo sit pro ration voluntas Episcop Rom. 11. 32. Is it not the contrivance as I may say of his Counsel whereby he designed a general mercy would they but embrace it to all Mankind without doubt you will be forc'd to acknowledge it with me if you reflect upon his Assertion that ushers in that Exclamation for this it is God hath shut them both Jews and Gentiles all up together in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all and then it follows O the depth c. And though 't is said in the other Text alledg'd He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he Rom. 9. 18 21. hardneth yet if you interpret that saying by a Collation of it with other places where he makes a further Declaration of his meaning you will find it comes far short of a pregnant evidence to serve your purpose for the Psalmist tells us The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and think upon his Commandments to do them Psal 103. 17 18. Exod. 20. 6. And by this great Apostle he hath sufficiently revealed what his will is in this kind even to have mercy to the salvation of them that believe * 1 Cor. 1. 22. And what Authority or Example can you produce to prove that ever God
did actually harden or had a will to harden any but such as had formerly rebelled against the fight abused his patience and despised his gracious dispensations * Rom. 1. 22 26 Because when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God c. for this cause God gave them up Rom. 1. 21. with 26. Psal 81. 11 12. But my people would not hear my voyce and Israel would See also Luke 7. 30. Acts 13. 26 40 41 45 46. Hebr. 2. 3. not obey me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts We find that the Lord though he had fore-told what would be the issue of Moses Ministry to him is not said to have hardned Pharaoh till he had multiplied his Rebellions and dallied with five plagues The last whereof when Moses undertakes the removal of it he gives him a fair warning of his danger Exod. 8. 29. I will intreat the Lord but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more And because he neglected to quit himself of the danger upon this hot Alarme therefore with the sixth plague this judgment came upon him also 't is said the Lord then hardned the heart of Pharaoh Exod. 9. 12. and ver 14. with the judgment following the Lord threatens I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart Therefore do not resemble God to a mad or â—nwise Potter that layes out his cost and skill in making up a Vessel for no other purpose but only to make ostentation of his power will and liberty to break it Perhaps the Apostle by that comparison takes upon him to demonstrate not what God will do but what he can for he saith What if God willing to shew his wrath c Besides God is compared to the Potter and men to the Mass or Lump of Clay but what men are they that are entred into this comparison not innocent men or men made guilty by imputation only as your Doctriâ—e supposes them but men corrupt through their own vâ—luntary pollutions as such This is evident from the Apostles Discourse in the three first Chapters of that Epistle He declares then that out of this Mass or Lump it is lawful for God according to his own Beneplaciture to select some unto life namely those who would believe in Christ upon his being tendred to them * Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Chap. 11. 20. See also John 3. ult and to harden the rest and reserve them to wrath that is to say those who would augment the number and mount the heap of their other sins by the addition of a wilful unbelief This to my sense is most clearly that liberty * 1 Cor. 1. 21. which the Apostle asserts and vindicates to Almighty God in that present juncture and current of his Providence over Jewes and Gentiles though the Jewes cryed it down with utter detestation as a violation * Rom. 11. 1. of those signal promises which he had anciently made unto their Nation For your other Allegation Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own It can conclude nothing but that God may distribute equal portions of reward to those whose labours in his Vineyard have been unequal for when he that hath done most receives the utmost they did contract for why should he repine at the Lords bounty which is no injury to him though a benefit to others But what is all this to the vindication of Gods justice when he invites men to a new Covenant wherein he promiseth to proceed with them upon a gentler account and tyes them to new conditions and yet denies abilities sufficient to perform those conditions though he binds them to that performance under the commination and peril of a soarer penalty And I ask't you further in what sense this Covenant with Mankind could be properly called a Covenant of Grace which demand and I conceive it a material one you were pleased to take no notice of in your last Reply Diotrephes You must know Sir that your natural Reason without a supernatural illumination is no competent Judge of the sense of holy Scripture which contains the mind of God yet I shall not now reply to your interpretations but address my self to give you satisfaction to your lâ—st demand which is in what sense the Covenant which God hath sealed to us in the blood of Christ is styled a Covenant of Grace To this end you must understand that there are a certain number of persons predestinated unto life and glory and these are called the Elect These Elect God Almighty before the foundation of the World was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret The Declaration of the Congregational Churches at the Savoy Chap. 3. n. 5 6 7. counsel and good pleasure of his will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory out of his meer free grace and love without any foresight of faith or good works or perseverance in either of them or any other thing in the Creature as conditions or causes moving him thereunto and all to the praise of his glorious grace And as God hath appointed these Elect unto glory so hath he by the eternal and most free purpose of his will fore-ordained all the means thâ—â— unto wherefore they who are elected being faln in Adam are redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season are justified adopted sanctified and kept by his power through faith unto salvation All these benefits are infallibly and irresistibly conveyed to those Elect by vertue of the said Covenant and upon this account I hope you will allow it to be very fitly intitled a Covenant of Grace Paganus I do readily allow of the title in respect to those Elect you speak of but I pray satisfie me in this particular what interest have the rest of mankind in Christ and this Covenant Do not the benefits you have now mentioned belong to them Diotrephes For your satisfaction you may assure your self it is the Determination and PUBLICK FAITH of the new Congregational Churches in England * Ibid. n. 6. agreed upon and consented to by their Elders and Messengers That not any other are redeemed by Christ or effectually called justified adopted sanctified and saved but these Elect only Paganus I pray to what end did God create the rest and what Acts hath he passed against them and what Providence doth he exercise towards them Diotrephes There is a Text of holy Scripture that saith thus Before the children were born and when they had neither done good nor evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand Rom. 9. 11 1â— 13. not of works but of him that calleth it was said The elder shall serve the younger as it is written I have loved Jacob and have hated Esau Out of which words a Renowned Divine doth conclude That Gods ordaining men unto salvation proceeds meerly according to
the good pleasure of God and not upon consideration either of works or faith And he adds As touching Reprobation that it is no more of evil works than Election is of good works forasmuch as before they were born they were equally uncapable of the one as well as of the other and the doing of evil is expresly excluded as well as the doing of good whence it followeth manifestly that Gods ordaining men unto damnation proceeds as much of the meer pleasure of God and with as little consideration of sin as Gods ordaining men unto salvation proceeds of the meer pleasure of God and without consideration of any righteousness in man Dr. Twiss ubi supra page 38. Paganus To design men to destruction or torments though but temporal without fault for ones meer pleasure is such a severity as we usually brand with the title of Tyranny when we find it in any man though he were the greatest Emperour in the world and truly I dare not entertain such thoughts of God Diotrephes We must distinguish in this Decree the Act of God decreeing and the things decreed by him saith the same great Doctor * Ubi supra pag. 41. The things decreed by Reprobation are 1. The denial of grace by grace I mean faith and repentance whereby that infidelity and hardness of heart which is natural to all is cured 2. The denial of glory together with the inflicting of damnation As touching the first of these look what is the cause of Reprobation as touching the Act of God reprobating that and that alone is the cause of the denial of grace to wit the meer pleasure of God But as touching the denial of glory and inflicting damnation God doth not proceed according to the meer pleasure of his will but according to a Law which is this Whosoever believeth not shall be damned And albeit God made that Law according to the meer pleasure of his will yet no wise man will say that God denies glory and inflicts damnation on men according to the meer pleasure of his will the case being clear that God denies the one and inflicts the other meerly for their sins who are thus dealt withall And to this Doctors opinion agrees not only the Confession of the Congregational Churches but that also of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster who chap. 3. n. 7. do declare concerning the Reprobates whom they style the rest of Mankind That God was pleased according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will whereby he extendeth or with-holdeth mercy as he pleaseth for the glory his Soveraign power over his Creatures to pass by and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice Paganus Truly Sir as far as I am able to understand by the process of your Discourse the whole matter of Reprobation as well touching the things decreed as touching the Act of God decreeing is finally resolved into Gods meer pleasure to shew his Soveraign power for you say he makes a Law to bind men to repent and believe under pain of damnation and this Law he makes for his meer pleasure you affirm also that he decrees to deny sufficient and necessary grace to enable men to repent and believe and this of his meer pleasure too and from hence it doth undeniably follow that he doth ordain sin and the introduction of it as the means of damnation and that of his meer pleasure too Diotrephes That he who intends an end doth also intend the means the very light of nature suggesteth unto us saith Dr. Twiss * Ibid. pag. 73. but I confess there is a little difference amongst Divines in this Article Piscator * In Axiom de praedest c. cap. 5. saith roundly Reprobi prius ad poenam destinati sunt tanquam ad sinem deinde etiam ad peccaâ—a tanquam ad media that is the Reprobates are first destinated unto punishment as the end afterwards to sin as the means But Dr. Twiss saith We know God hath given us means of grace as for means of damnation we know none Sins can neither be called mans means nor Gods means saith he not mans means Ibid. pag. 56. or intended * Though he does not intend this directly yet indirectly and interpretatively he may and so a man is said to love death Prov. 8. 36. ch 15 32. Vid Thom. 12â— q. 79. a. 2. ad 2m Ibid. pag. 73. by him as Means forasmuch as the intention of Means ariseth from the intention of the End but no man or devil intends to bring upon himself damnation as the end whereunto he intends to sin Not Gods means forasmuch as means are intended but by him who is the Author of them which God saith he cannot be This acute Doctor therefore doth determine the Point thus The end that God aims at is his own glory for he made all things for himself And if he means to manifest his glory on any in the way of vindicative justice it stands him upon both to create them and permit them to sin and finally to persevere therein and to damn them for their sins Here saith he we have the end and the means intended by God Paganus Gods end you see is the Glory of his vindictive justice His means is to create man to permit him to sin and persevere in it c. I pray Sir let me understand what you mean by Gods Permissive Decree I should think it doth not import an absolute decree in the Will of God concerning the thing permitted but only a Negative Act whereby God is understood neither to will the being of that thing nor to nill it * Non deo vâ—lente vel nolent sed non vâ—lente â—iunâ— mala Magister 1. D. 46. F. And consonantly when God decrees to permit sin he decrees not to hinder it but to leave it in mans power that sin may come to pass or not come to pass whether it doth eventually come to passe or not Diotrephes You take the word permission in a sense too restrictive and limited For Man being created after Gods image in a state of integrâ—ty endued with free-wil and a sufficient ability to abstain from sin If God had permitted sin in that sense only that you speak of for all such a Decree it was possible * Implicat contradictionem ut aliquis effectus sequeretur infallibiliter ex causa defectibili impedibili per concursum aliarum causarum hoc est ex antecedâ—nte quae aliter atque aliter potest se habere Alvar. de Auxil cap. 7. Ames ubi infra for Man not to have sinned and then God had lost his end the Manifestation of his Vindicative Justice It stands neither with the wisdom nor the power of God to make Decrees whose success is doubtful and event uncertain * Deus enim successiva decreta incerti eventus condere non potest quia ut potentissimus est
Grace Treatise of Convers pag. 238 239. Animalis I pray God we have the right Key yet Here are but two to speak of in the whole bunch Prayer and the Word and 't is well if we do not find the first to be a Key without Wards and the second one that will not fit the Lock well let us try and to begin with prayer 1. Dr. Twiss * Against Tilenus ubi supra pag. 85. makes a mock at it and upbraids D. Tilenus for seeming to attribute something to the power of prayer in order to our conversion His words are these This Author seems by his discoursing here of prayers either to be poorly exercised in antiquity or richly exercised in the contemning of it for he would have men to be effectually called by virtue of their prayers The Apostle saith How can they call upon him in whom they have not believed But this Author is able by his prayers to obtain faith In his judgment you see prayers signifie nothing to the obtaining of faith or conversion 2. I have read in the Writings of Mr. Baxter * Direct â—â— Prev Miscar in convers pag. 265. That the first special work of Conversion God hath not promised conditionary or absolutely to any individual person that hath it not he hath bound all to repent and believe but hath not promised to make them do it only he hath revealed that there are certain persons so given to Christ as that they shall be infallibly drawn to believe Sir that act of grace you know was past before I was born and so 't is too late for any address of mine to procure my name to be put into the Donation if it be there already I am then of the surer side I shall be infallibly drawn to believe But if God hath made no promise absolute or conditional of that special work what incouragement can I have to pray for it Will not a prayer without a promise prove to be a Key without wards as I said 't is only the prayer of faith that finds acceptation and not to speak of an unregenerate man into whose heart that faith is not yet infused such a prayer it cannot be unless it be establish't upon some promise * Oratio formalis actus est fidei spei Ames-Medulib 2. c. 9. th 62. p. 308. Et Spes est virtua qua inclinamur ad expectationem eorum quae Deus nobis promisit ib. 6. 6. th 1. p. 277. for 't is Mr. Baxters Doctrine two or three pages after the place mentioned pag. 269. When men say they believe that which never was promised this is presuming and not true believing And whatever prayer be according to your Doctrine I am sure presumption is none of the means that God hath appointed to bring me into the state of saving grace Diotrephes Though he hath made you no promise to give you saving grace yet he hath revealed it to be his sacred will that you repent and believe in order to your salvation 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Animalis I have read in the Author mentioned That Gods will is sufficient to cause the thing willed from whence I Mr. Baxter's Preface to the Gro. Rel. Sect. suppose I may rationally infer that either God doth not will my conversion or if he wills it that his will hath caused it also and then why should you so sharply reprehend me for my non-conversion Diotrephes We must distinguish of Gods will it is either secret and this is sufficient to cause the thing willed and never fails to accomplish whatever it pleaseth or else 't is revealed and this hath no other sacrifice than what consists in the manner of signification by commands perswasions exhortations c. which may be and oftentimes is rejected When I say God wills you to repent and believe I understand it not of his secret but of his revealed will whereby he declares what shall be your duty to do though by his secret will he hath determined the contrary To this purpose Dr. Twiss saith By his Commandment God signifies what is our duty to do but by his purpose he decrees â—bi supra p. 58. what shall be done or not done God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and thereby made it his duty to offer Isaac but withall he determined that Isaac should not be sacrificed Animalis I shall not ask you how it can consist with Gods sincerity to profess to will one thing and secretly to will another But I shall only observe that since this revealed will of God is nothing but his external word repudiable and for the most part eventually rejected it must needs be as I said a Key that will not fit the Lock I mean 't is no fit and adequate means to bring us into the state of grace though you say God hath appointed it to that purpose Insomuch as Dr. Twiss affirms That the execution of Gods goodness towards a man is not hastned by his hearkning to Gods Word for though men do hear it daily yet are â—bi supra p. 84. they not forthwith brought to faith For this word is but a moral instrument whose whole energy is exerted and put forth only by precepts and instructions exhortations and perswasions promises and threatnings as was intimated even now such inducements as haply may conduce somewhat towards the inciting of a soul already alive and active but can confer nothing towards the exciting of a soul that is dead of those two great spiritual diseases wilfulness and blindness and therefore it seems very irrational to undertake her Resurrection by such feeble and incompetent applications Diotrephes But you must remember this is such a death as hath a natural life and a reasonable soul and moral vertues and common graces conjoyn'd and by these the dead may be disposed Mr. Baxter Of saving faith p. 39. Animalis If you think the undertaking is not rational I pray what is the way you would prescribe in order to the cure of these diseases Diotrephes The means of cure are the perswasions with the revelations of the Gospel Men have the natural powers of understanding and willing but they want that right disposition Mr. Baxter which we call the habit or moral power which is no more than to say They are habitually blind and wilful It is so far from being unreasonable to teach and perswade men that are under such an impotency as this that there is nothing in the world that doth more be speak our teaching and perswasions for this is the natural and instituted way to cure them and give them power What means of overcoming ignorance like teaching And what means of overcoming habitual wilfulness like perswasion added to informing truth We do not use to reason men out of a natural impotency nor to perswade them to do that for which they have no faculties or object but it is the very means of overcoming a moral impotency and
not you will be ready to say that all the benefits forementioned are administred to the worst that perish * Mr. Baxter's Preface to the Grot. Religion Sect. 8. And I conclude not only from thence that they are ineffectual but also because I find those of your judgment do add * Idem in his Directions to prevent Miscar in Convers pag. 267. That with this means God doth set in and infallibly cause it to be effectual and to whom oâ—ly to his chosen And Dr. Twiss a Vbi supra pag. 116. doth readily acknowlâ—dge That God unto the outward Ministry of the Word doth not for the most part add the efficacy of his Spâ—rit to work mâ—n unto Faith and Repentance which is the actual cure of their blindness and wilfulness So that this zeal and earnestness you hold forth in a way of moral perswasion with that uneffectual assistance of the Spirit flies at no higher an aime than to render men inexcusable if it can amount to that for whatever cure it may work upon his blindness it leaves his disease of unwillingness still unmastered and so in fine you leave me but where you found me in my insuperable stat of death still after all these applications and though you call it but a moral impotency yet 't is such it should seem as is not to be cured by moral means though some motions of the Holy Ghost concur with it what therefore can you prescribe me further that I may if it be reasonable submit to it Diotrephes You must diligently go forward in the use of those means and ardently desire and humbly and reverently expect the good houre of more plentiful grace so that famous Synod * Synod of Dort Cap. 1. Art 16. Mr. Baxter doth advise you And though you be dead in your trespasses and sins yet you know a condemned Traytor that 's dead in Law may by humble supplication do somewhat to dispose himself for pardon and life Of saving faith p. 39. Animalis Sir I doubt you contradict the Doctrine of the Synod if it doth not in this point contradict it self for they infer that an unregenerate man is properly and toâ—â—lly dead in sins and destitute of all strength tending to spiritual good that he is not able to hunger and thirst after righteousness or everlasting life or to offer the sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart such as is acceptable to God Syn. Dodrac cap. 3. and 4. Reject 4. Diotrephes You must betake your self daily to God in hearty prayer bâ—seeching him to open your eyes and shew you the greatness of your sin and misery till you be unseignedly humbled Mr. Baxter and that he would shew you the need of his grace in Christ till you can thirst after him and his righteousness and that he would shew you the certainty and excellency of his glory till your hearts be sâ—t upon it above all Treat of Convers pag. 239. Animalis We heard before that such prayers of the unregenerate have no promise to bottom on and how then can they be made in faith But besides the Assembly of Divines and the Congregational Churches tell us * Cap. 16. n. 7 Of their Confes and Declarat respectively That works done by unregenâ—rate men although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands and of good use both to themselves and for others yâ—t because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith nor are done in a right manner according to the Word nor to a right end the glory of God they are therefore sinful and cannot please God nor make a man mâ—et to receive grace from God and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God The last clause of which Thâ—sis seems to oppose the opinion of some other Divines of the same combination who say positively That all works done before Regeneration are rather hurtful than profitable but indeed they are coincident for if they cannot make us meet to receive grace nor please God but are sinful then it will undeniably follow that they are more hurtful than profitable to our salvation So that upon the matter after all the Rules you prescribe and the advice you give to the unregeneâ—ate you allow him but the choice of a lesser evil to bring him into a state of grace Diotrephes You may mistake those Assemblers and the Elders of the Congregational Churches I find them declare in the Chapter of Free-will ch 9. n. 3. That a natural man being altogether averse from that spiritual good accompanying salvation and dead in sin is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto Observe they say he cannot prepare himself by his own strength but if common grace be added to their own strength I suppose they will not deny but by the accession of such Aâ—xiliaries a man may dispose himself for conversion for thaâ— common grace is preparatory to sâ—ecâ—al is so commonly held by Protestants especially practical Divines and so plain in Scripture and Reason that I shall not trouble you with many words about it 1. He that â— eth Gods appointed means as well as he can is more disposed fâ—r the blessing of those means than the wilful Mr. Baxter despiser or neglecter of them 2. He that is nearer Christ is more disposed to come to him by faith than he that is at a further distance 3. He that doth not so much resist the Spirit but with some seriousness beggeth for the Spirit and for saving grace is better disposed for it than such as obstinately resist and scâ—â—n it Of saving faith pag. 39. Animalis Sir I have those two Assemblies against you For mark their Reason why they say the works of an unregenerate man are sinful and cannot please God nor make him meet to receive grace from God their Reason is not because those works are wrought by his own strength and not by commsâ— grace but because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith 2. The Synod of Dort is clear against you for they say All men are untoward to all good tending to salvation forward to evil and neither will nor can without the Holy Ghost regenerating them set strait their own crooked nature no nor so much as dispose themselves to the mending of it Chap. 3. and 4. Art 3. They do not say men cannot dispose themselves by their own strength without common grace to the amending of their crooked nature but they cannot dispose themselves to it without the Holy Ghost regenerating them Diotrephes But you should consider withall what those Divines add in their 16th Artiâ—l where they say As by the fall man ceased not to be man endâ—ed with understanding and will nor did sin spreading it self through all mankind abolish nature with us but corrupted and spiritually slew it in like manner this regenerating grace of God worketh not upon men as if they were stocks
deny it Lastly Whether I have refused any preparatory grace though that might fall into the same account with the former yet I add that is more than you are privy to and therefore I pray be not so uncharitable in your censures And now give me leave to ask you a question or two First Whether it be possible to improve that preparatory grace to the height if it be not possible that impossibility will so far excuse the non-improvement but if it be possible to improve it to the full height which perhaps may be granted because a man can do what he can do and sure whatever God may do in justice yet in goodness he will require nothing above our abilities Then my second question is upon supposition that I do not refuse but embrace and to the utmost of my power improve that preparatory grace that is offer'd me whether in that case you have any Commission to warrant me that God will confer his saving grace upon me Diotrephes I am satisfied That God hath not entred into Covenant or promise with any unregenerate man to give him saving Mr. Baxter grace upon any condition to be perform'd without it Of saving faith pag. 46. Animalis Then as was said before he hath no promise to make his prayer for saving grace to become a prayer of faith in this particular but though there be no promise yet haply these preparatory dispositions as hearing the Word c. have a certain and infallible connexion with salvation and that may be some encouragement Diotrephes No we do not say they have for that affirmation denieth the power of the Potter over a Non-believer thus qualified and so sins against the freedom of the Soveraignty of God and Christ in making God a debtor of mercy before his time Norton Orthodox Evangelist pag. 186. f. with 190. M. Animalis While you are so careful to reserve to the Almighty a power to damn even poor humbled and prepared sinners you seem to be more tender of his Soveraignty than of his Goodness Mercy or Justice But to let this pass I pray upon these grounds what encouragements can you find to incite the unregenerate to the improvement of preparatory grace Diotrephes God hath commanded him to use certain means to obtain saving grace and to avoid the resistance and hinderances Mr. Baxter and a very command to use such means as means is a strongly encouraging intima im that God will not deny men the end and blessing that use the means as well as they can for it is certain that he appointeth no means in vain Of saving faith pag. 46. Animalis But Sir now you have brought me thus far the great and stumbling objection is behind still for Mr. Norton tells us that these preparatory works are really to none but the Elect only * Orthod Evang p. 164. as for the Reprobates all the water of life runs quite besides their Mill all gifts whatsoever are unprofitable to them so saith Martinius one of the most moderate of the Synod of Dort De Morte Christi pro soliâ— Electis Thes 4. 5. Act. Syn. Dord par 2. p. 107. By this it is evident that your daily and precious helps and means to cure the wills of the unregenerate and cause them to accept of Christ are alâ—ogether unsufficient whatever you pretend to the contrary And this as great a Clerk * Mr. Baxter in his account of persever pag. 14. as your self was very sensible of when he peremptorily denies that the Repâ—â—bates may be sanctified and consonantly the Congregational Churches do declare ingenuously * In their Declarat ch 10. n. 4. p. 8 9. Dr. Twiss ubi supra pag. 122 c. That they who are not eâ—ected although they may be called by the Ministry of the Word and may have some common opâ—rations of the Spirit yet not being â—ffectuâ—lly drawn by the Father they neither do nor can come unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved Diotrephes However they are damned for contemning Gods Word and not hearkning to his gracious admonitions 't is true they could do no otherwise but what impotency is Mr. Baxter delivers himself almost in the very same words this Is it anywhere else than in their wills 'T is not a natural but a moral impotency were they willing to hearken and come to Christ but could not then indeed their impotency were excusable but they please themselves in their own and in their obstinate courses and if they would do other wise I make no question but that they should have no more cause to complâ—in of their impotency to do that good which they would do than the servants of God have yea and holy Paul himself hâ—d Do they deplore this their impotency Doth the consideration hereof humble them Nay rather they delight in it as the Prophet noteth Jâ—r 6. 10. Their ears are uncircumcised ears and they cannot hearken behold the Word of God is as a reproach unto them Thus far Dr. Twiss Animalis That men may accustome themselves to a course of carnality till they arrive at such a state of impiety and obduration I make no question but all are not of that temper There are some who are as far abased in the feeling of their sin and misery and humbled by attrition and cry out of their sin and Mr. Baxter of sav saith pag. 43. 44. folly and day and night do beg for grace and mercy as common grace will carry them to do They like the word and wayes of God and think his servants the best and happiest men and have many a wish that they were such themselves and that avoid as much of gross and wilful sinning and continue as much in hearing reading the Word enquiring consideration as common grace may bring them to do and have as much belief of the Gospel and as much desire after Christ and holiness and heaven and as much love to God and the Redeemer and the Saints as common grace can lead them to And withall that have a knowledge that yet they are short of true Christianity or at least are much afraid of it and therefore are under a prudent impatiency till saving grace comes in and the Spirit have sealed them up to the day of Redemption and are crying out What shall we do to be saved Now I demand whether you have any promise that assures their interest in saving grace to such as are thus disposed for it Diotrephes I told you already that I am satisfied that God hath not entred into Covenant or promise with any unregenerate Mr. Baxter 〈◊〉 pag. 46. man to give him saving grace upon any condition to be perform'd without it However I am confident that no man can stand out and say I did the best that ever I could to obtain saving grace and yet went without it because God would not give it me Animalis If that Author doth not contradict himself yet they that hold a
emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders Gal. 5. 20 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And yet I do not deny but as the Apostle saith 't is good to be zealously affected in a good matter But as he saith of faith Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God So I say of zeal Hast thou zeal have it to thy self before God Rom. 14. 22. and let it not break out to set thy Neighbours house on fire for God hath no need of thy service to that purpose Diotrephes Sir I am sorry you should so much forget how odious luke-warmness is to Almighty God you may find this by that expression which carries along so much detestation with it against the Angel of the Church of Laodicea I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot so then because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will Rev. 3. 15 16. spue thee out of my mouth A father is exceeding angry when he wisheth his child cold in the mouth yet God doth so here by the Laodiceans He wisheth them cold in the mouth as I may say rather than luke-warm and he threatens to spue them out of his mouth he is not able to digest those that are of that temper they offend his soul and make his stomach recoyle and his heart rise against them and when he hath once spued them out certainly his purity is such he will not return to resume this loathsome vomit Securus I suppose Sir being a Divine as I conceive you cannot be ignorant that such threatnings concern none but the Non-elect at least they can damnifie and endanger none else As for those persons whom God hath chosen out to be Vessels of mercy Mr. Baxter In the Saints rest Part. 3. Sect. 26 and hath given them the cream and quintessence of his blessings when the rest of the World are passed by and put off with common and temporary and left-hand mercies they have the blood of Christ given them and the Spirit for Sanctification Consolation and Preservation and the pardon of sins and the adoption to sonship and the guard of Angels and the mediation of the Son of God and the special unchangeable love of the Father and the promise and seal of everlasting rest These are engraven so deep upon his heart from all Eternity he can never spue them out of his mouth The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his I 2 Tim. 2. 19. hope your judgment is setled upon better principles than to think the Elect can fall away Diotrephes I know Sir the Elâ—ct cannot fall from grace those threatnings we say do not imply that they are in any such danger but these threats are used as a means to preserve them from falling by quickning them up to holy duties and those peculiar priviledges which you have now reckoned up that belong to the Elect are so many engagements upon them to abound in the work of the Lord and shew them why they above all men should be laborious for heaven and that there is a great deal of Mr. Baxter reason that though all the World besides do sit still and be careless yet they should abhor that laziness and negligence and should lay out all their strength on the work of God And this is the use made of that Doctrine in the place where you found it Saints Rest Par. 3. Sect. 26. p. 127. Edit 3. Securus But good Sir give me leave to ask you for my better satisfaction How you can prove this convincingly to be their duty Diotrephes * Mr. Baxter in his Directions to prevent Miscar in Convers pag. 374 c. If a Feast be prepared and spread before them a good stomack will not stand to ask How can you prove it my duty to eat but perhaps the sick that loath it may do so If the Cup be before the Drunkard he doth not stand on those terms How do you prove it my duty now to drink this Cup and the other Cup No if he might have but leave he would drink on without any questioning whether it be a duty If the Gamester or the Whoremonger might be but sure that he should ' scape the punishment he would never stick at the want of a precept and ask Is it my duty If there were but a gift of twenty pound a man to be given to all the poor of the Town yea and to all the people in general I do not think I should meet with many people in the Town that would draw back and say What Word of God commandeth me to take it Or how can you prove that it is my duty And why is all this but because they have an inward love to the thing and love will carry a man to that which seemeth good for him without any command or threatning Directions to prevent miscarrying in Conversion page 373 374. Securus I beseech you Sir be not transported into passion at my Discourse with you for that will as little benefit me as become your self and 't will make our Conversation become a burden which we entertain'd to another far different end for a mutual Levamen and Solace in our Travel give me leave to demand of you for my better Information Would you have men do things in order to Gods service hand over head Is such an implicite faith and blind obedience commendable and to be embraced as carries them on in a credulous prosecution of that work which they have no assurance to be their duty We are sure it cannot be acceptable unto God if it be not a good work and a good work it cannot be if it be not of Gods prescription for so the Assmbly in their Confession * Chap. 16. n. 1 and the Congregational Churches in their late Declaration have determined That good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blind zeal or any pretence of good intention And a very Reverend Assembler in that threefold * Diatribe Triplex pag. 44. Cord of his against Dr. Hammond tell us That the sum and scope of the second Commandment in the affirmative part being this God must be worshipped with his own prescribed worship and in the negative And Mr. Baxter seems to be of this mind toc Vbi supra p. 377. part to forbid all devised worship of God by the wit or will of man the very name he saith of will of man put to worship of God as opposed to the will of God the only Rule of worship is as a brand in the forehead of it to characterize it as condemnable in all Would you against the concurrent suffrages of these Divines tempt men to will-worship and inflame them to be zealous in the performance of such works as they are not satisfied to
save us in a way of justice mingled with mercy and therefore he hath chosen * Eph. 1. 4. us in Christ now * 2 Cor. 5. 17. he that is in Christ is a new Creaâ—ure Securus It seems then that the exâ—cution of the Decree is not exactly conformable to the Decree it self but contains something else besides it and then how is that true of the Apostle * Rom. 9. 11. That the purpâ—se of God according to the Election doth stand not of works but of him that calleth I am afraid you have gotten a tang of the Remonstrants Doctrine by your expressions * Vt enim Electio ad gloriam absoluta in Christo facta dicatur quatenus Christus Deus est unios cum Patre Spiritu Sancto absurdum est quiaâ—â—sic Electio etiam in Spiritâ— S. quatenâ—s unus cum Patre Filio Deâ—s est facta fuerit quod contra Scripturae stylum est For can any man be in Christ but a believer I am sure none but a bâ—lievâ—r can be a new Creature in affirming therefore crudely as you do that God hath chosen us in Christ and adding upon it that He that is in Christ is a new Creature you do plainly imply that the object of Gods Election are the faithful and sancâ—ified which the Synod at Dort will tell you is a pernicious Erroâ—r The Bishop of Winchester delivering his judgment about the second Lambeth Article as it was amended by the Bishops and other Divines there whereas the Article saith Causa moveâ—s aut efficiens praedestinationis ad vitam non est praevisio fidei aâ—t persevâ—rantiae aut bonorum operum aut alîus reâ— quae insit perâ—onis â—â—tic Lamb. p. 13. praedestinatis sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto life is not the fore-sight of faith or perseverance or good works or any other thing which is in the persons predestâ—nated but the sole will of Gods good pleasure Bishop Andrews makes a Quaere concerning that Particle Sâ—â—a Voluntas benepâ—â—citi the sole will of Gods 〈◊〉 pag. 23 24. good pleasure whether it doth include Christ or seâ—luâ—e him that is whether the Act of predestination be aâ—solute or relative For my part saith he I think it is relative neither do I think there is any good-will of God towards men that is a will whereby he is well-pleased towards men but in his Son in whom he is well-pleased nor that any one is predestinated either befoâ—e or without reâ—â—ect to or intuition of Christ But as the sacred Scriptures have it Christ is â—ore-known in the first place 1 P. t. 1. 20. then we in him Rom. 8. 29. Christ predestinated Rom. 1. 4. then we by him Eph. 1. 5. And not we in the first place as some think He in the last and for us for we cannot be predestinated unto the Adoption of sons but in the natural son nor can we be predestinated that we should be conformable to the image of the Son unlesâ— the Son be first appointed to whose image we should be made conformable hereupon that Bishop would have it added to that Articleâ— the good pleasure of Gâ—d in Christ And though in King Edward's Articles of 〈◊〉 Articulo cuperem addi Beneplacitum Dei in Christo ibid. 1553. the 17th Article runs thus Constantèr decrevit eos quos elegit ex hominum genere * Which words are mistaken by Mr. Beâ—â—anus à malâ—dicto exitio liberare Yet in those of Queen Elizabeths and King Jame's 1616. we finde this addition In Christo quos in Christo elegit And consonantly hereunto those Articles of King Charls of blessed Memory whereunto He prefixed His Declaration 1631. do run thus He hath constantly decreed to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind But this you see overthrows absolute election to avoid which the Synod though it saith elegit in Christo hath establish't the good pleasure of God towards sinners on this side or before Christs Mediatorship and Reconciliation * Act. Sys 〈◊〉 cap. 1. de prâ—d Art 7. 9. Christum pro iâ—â— quos Deus summè dilexit ad vitam aeternam elegit Mortuum esse dicunâ— Cap. 2. Reject 7. Christus est causa meritoria salutis sed non causa electionis Causa quaerenda est 〈◊〉 Dei beneplacito amore gratuito qui ordine antecedit intercessionem filii P. Molin Consess inter Act. Syn. Dord par 1. p. 290. for Election is resolved by them to be the first benefit and the fountain of all the rest upon which depends the designation of the Mediatour himself Diotrephes Sir I am perfectly of the Synods judgment in this point however you mistake me I do not say Christ is the cause or foundation of the Decree but of the things decreed not of Election as to be established but as to be executed not of election to be decreed through him but of salvation to be obtain'd by him he comes under the Decree not antecedently but consequently not as the cause of that love wherewith God hath embrac'd us unto salvation but as a means underlayed to that love and therefore Christ was not given to men that they might be elected by him but then when they were elected he was given ut siâ—e justitiae suae dispendio nos ad gloriam adduceret as Sphanhemius * Disput Inaâ—gur Thes 5. hath it That God might bring us unto glory without any detriment unto his justice Securus You do acknowledge then that God hath elected us unto glory without any regard to faith or any good work whatsoever in us and that upon the intervention of Christ he may bring us into the possession of that glory without any detriment or impeachment of his justice therefore as I said from the beginning of our Discourse there is no need at all of our endeavours after good works or after a course of holiness and righteousness Diotrephes Sir you must not mistake us here though God do not choose us for this antecedent reason because we were hely yet he chose us to this consâ—quent end that we should be holy so the Synod have determined in these words This said Election was made not upon fore-sight of faith and the obedience of faith holiness or of any other good quality or disposition as a cause Cap. 1. Art 9 or condition before required in man to be chosen but unto faith and the obedience of faith holiness c. And therefore Election is the fountain of all saving good from whence faith holiness and the residue of saving gifts lastly everlasting life it self do flow as the fruits and effects thereof according to thaâ— of the Apostle Ephes 1. 4. He hath chosen us not bâ—cause we were but that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Securus Sir I hope you understand that
through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. Securus If the end be absolutely intended then either there are no means required or if they be required they are absolutely by an irresistible strength to be wrought by him who absolutely intends the end for if God absolutely intends an end and leaves it to be accomplished by contingent and fâ—llible means that means may be deficient and so God should fail of his end which were absurd Diotrephes This is that which the Synod of Dort affirmeth of Faith and the work of Regeneration for they say This is a work to the production whereof God employeth his omnipotent strength chap. 3. and 4. Reject 8. A work for the mightiness thereof not inferiour to the Creation of the World or raising up the dead which God worketh in us but not with us but without us an operation so carried on that when God hath done his part it remains not in mans choice to be or not to be regenerated to be or not to be converted Art 12. Reject 8. To this purpose Mr. Norton having laid it down for a Rule in his Orthodox Evangelist That Though the Decree be absolute yet the 〈◊〉 of the Decree in the Gospel is conditional Page 85 86. He adds yet here carefully observe That by a condition we are alwayes to understand not a condition properly so called but a consequent condition scilicet such a condition the performance whereof is not left unto the Elect but is undertaken for by the Elector and therefore is not only not opposite unto but is both an effect and argument of an absolute Dâ—cree and also of an absolute Covenant of Grace Securus These passages have reference to the infusion of faith and the work of our first conversion and perhaps this Doctrine looks no further and Am sii Coâ—onis pag. 258. f. Ex conditione proprie dicta qua aliquid confertur in casum dubium incertum eventum alienae voluntatis quae praestita movet velantatem judicis ad praemium ex tali conditione si pendeâ—ent promissiones Dei actum esset de nostra salute â—licet â—riremus then there is not sufficient provision made for the infallible accomplishment of an end that is absolutely intended though the Regeneration of the Elect be absolutely immediatly and irresistibly wrought by the strength of Gods Omnâ—potency yet if the work be left in the hands of the same Elect as their duty to be continued such is their frailâ—y and fallibility they may possibly mâ—scarry in it and so God should lose his end for all that which is very absurd to be affirmed of an end which he hath absolutely intended Diotrephes You need not fear this for as God begins the work so he carries it on irresistibly by the same power to the very last stage and period of our lives Hence Cornelius Dungan saith * Pacific p. 172. Such as the operation of grace is in the beginning such it is also in the progress And Dr. Twiss * Ubi supra p. 178. saith Gods Omnipotency no Creature is able to resist and therefore if God will have any man to believe repent do this or that good work it is impossible it should be otherwise and that God is he who worketh in us that which is pleasing in his sight is as true as the Epistle to the Hebrewes is a part of the New Testament And pag. 182. We do require that God should immediatly and irresistibly work all our good works in us and we acknowledge this to be necessary unto every good act and no grace without this sufficient ad velle agere though there may be without this a grace sufficient ad posse To this purpose 't is very remarkable what the * Thes Heterod quas rejicim 3. pag. 200. par 2. Brittish Divines who were accounted stuper mundi have delivered in their judgment concerning the fifth Article of perseverance at the Synod of Dort Falsum est say they Perseveraâ—tiam esse donum sub conditione oblatum 'T is false that perseverance is a gift offered upon condition for it is a gift absolutely promised of God without any respect of condition The Reason is this the promises of God some are concerning the end others concerning the means to that end The promises concerning the end for example â—akâ— concerning salvation are conditional Believe and thou shalt be saved be thou faithful or persevere unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of life But seeing no man is able to perform the conditions God hath also made most free and absolute promises for bestowing the vâ—ry conditions themselves which he effâ—câ—eth in us that by them as the means we might attain unto the end To this purpose they urge that Text Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou mayst live Upon which words they thus dilate The end here promised is life which the Israeliees could never attain but by the performance of this condition namely the loving of God but here God absolutely promiseth that he would give them that very condition Seeing therefore the promises of faith and perseverance in the faith are promises concerning the means they are promises of absolute gifts whereby God considering mens inability as well to attain the end without means as to perform those means or câ—nditions of themselves hath promised he would effect it that they should perform those condiâ—ions God promiseth life to those that constantly fear him the promise concerning life is conditionate but the promise concerning the constant fear of God is absolute I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Thus those Divines and the Canons of the Synod are of the same tenour and importance Securus I thank you Sir for this part of your Discourse wherein you have most clearly proved by the Doctrine of the Synod the Divines thereof and others that the opinion I have been all this while disputing for is exactly true that is to say 'T is altogether needless for any man to take care to do any thing for his salvation for though it be true that the end salvation is conditional yet the means to that end is granted absolutely and irresistibly to the Elect. 'T is true none but believers and Converts shall be saved but 't is as certainly true that all the Elect shall first or last at Gods appointed time one way or other by Gods appointed means be irresistibly brought to repâ—nt and believe But the Non-elect being past by in the state of sin as Adam left them and the saving grace of Faith and Repentance denied them they can never be saved first or last by one means or other God having appointed neither time nor means effectual to that purpose why then should they trouble themselves about it And
this is the more unquestionably certain in that God hath from all Eternity irrevocably establish't these Decrees to illustrate and set forth the glory of his good pleasure Soveraign power mercy and justice Diotrephes I wish you would remember that great day of Revelation which will be a day of discrimination too when God Rom. 2. 5. Mat. 25. 32 shall separate the precious from the vile and divide the Sheep from the Goats you would be glad to find mercy of the Lord in that day * 2 Tim. 1. 1â— You must separate your self from the communion and practice of the wicked in this life if you would be divided from their portion in the life to come if you do not distinguish your self from them here you will never be distinguish't from them hereafter You must abandon the company of the wicked and associate your self with the godly and conform your judgment and opinions your life and conversation unto theirs and then Hebr. 4. 16. you may be sure to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need The Prophet Malachi tells you of a Book of remembrance Mal. 3◠〈◊〉 that was written before the Lord but for whom for them only that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Securus Sir I am sorry to see you so far inclinable to a dangerous Errour for you speak as if it were in mans power to See Dr. Wards Twelve Arguments in concione ad Clerum ad Phil. 2 13 contribute somewhat towards his own discrimination and if you think so it is evident you do at least favour the Popish Doctrine of Free-will if you have not perfectly espoused it And this you know is diametrically opposite to the Apostle whose words are these for who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive c Here we are instructed 1. Cor. 4. 7. Ut quas Deus nobis largitus est dotes meminerimus non nostra esse bona sed 〈◊〉 Dei bona saith Mr. Calvin * Instit l. 3. c. 7. n. 4. That what endowments soever Almighty God bestows upon us we must remember they are not our goods but Gods free gifts Non inscite Augustinus saith Mr. Calvin * Citante Amesio in sua Coron Art 4. mihi pag. 369. hoc testimonjo saepe contendit adversus Pelagianos quicquid excelleâ—tiae est in homimbus ex merâ gratuitâ ejus miserâ—cordiâ manare h. e. Austin doth often make use of this testimony of the Apostle against the Pelagians contending thereby that whatever excellency there be in men it flowes from the meer and free mercy of God So Peter Martyr also si quis propiùs accedat videâ—it Augustinum rectè admodum existimasse nam sicut inter Ministros Ibid. Ecclesiae non est nisi Deus qui unum donis coelestibus aliis praestare faciat ita in râ—generatione electione ac reparatione Dâ—us unus author est agnoscendus Austin was in the right for as amongst the Ministers in the Church 't is not Study Learning or Industry none but God that makes one to excell another in those Celestial Endowments so in the work of Regeneration Election and Reparation God is to be acknowledged the only Authour And Mr. Calvin makes this yet more evident in his Institutions Apud centum eadem ferè habetur concio A hundred L. 3. c. 24. n. 12. men hear the very same Sermon twenty of them do chearfully receive it with the obedience of faith the rest either do not regard it or deride it or explode and abominate it If any man alledge this diversity Quis enim te discernit inquit nunquid per haec dona quae omnibis sunt communia possit quippe dicere homo inflatus adversus alterum Discernit me fides mea justitia mea vel quid aliud talibus occurrens cogitationibus bonus Doctor inquit quid autem habes quod non accepisti Aquo nisi ab illo qui te descernit ab alio cui non donavit quod donavit tibi Aug. Citante Amesio contra Grevinch proceeds from the malice and perversity of the men this gives no satisfaction because the same malice had possest the nature of the others also if God had not corrected it by his goodness and therefore we shall alwayes be intangled if that of the Apostle doth not relieve us Quis te discernit Who maketh thee to differ from another Quo significat non propriâ virtute sed solâ Dei gratià alios aliis praecellere Whereby he signifies that it is not by any vertue or power of their own that some do excell others but by the sole grace of God Cur ergo teste Apostolo saith he Coronantur fideles Quia Domini misericordia non sua industria electi sunt vocati justificati Why therefore are the Idem l. 2. c. 5. n. 2. faithful crowned according to the testimony of the Apostle not in regard of any endeavour of their own but because by the mercy of God they are both elected and called and justified from whence it appears clearly that as there is no possibility so there is no need that a man should contribute to his own discrimination Diotrephes I confess a man is able to do nothing towards the differencing of himself but yet he is so frequently called upon to repent and believe that I cannot but conclude there is some duty incumbent upon him to this purpose Securus Sir this is all one as if you should say you grant the Premises but deny the Conclusion As for the giving or denial of Faith and Repentance Dr. Twiss tells us Herein we willingly profess that God carrieth himself absolutely throughout Vbi supra pag. 42. Hereupon he concludes that in the work of Regeneration We are meerly passive Ibid. p. 27. not only decreeing these according to the meer pleasure of his will without all consideration of ought in man but giving them also unto some and denying them unto others according to the meer pleasure of his will without the consideration of ought in man Why then should you tell me of any duty incumbent upon me to the procuring of these graces Can it consist with the wisdom or justice of God much less with his goodness to tye me to endeavour after them when he hath not suspended the bestowing them upon the performance of any such conditions but wills and hath decreed to give them absolutely Diotrephes I pray who tells you that it is Almighty Gods good pleasure to bestow Faith and Repentance absolutely without any condition performed on our part Securus I gave you the Authority of Dr. Twiss even now for it I will also add his Arguments for your satisfaction One of his invincible
that pass I pray resolve me whether it be possible for a man without faith to hear after such a gracious manner as will be acceptable to Almighty God For if he cannot perform the duty graciously he may instead of obtaining grace come under that reprehension even given to performances under precept for want of such a gracious manner in the circumstances Whohath reqisired this at your hand to tread my Courts Isa 1. 12. Diotrephes Some natural actions are required without which a man cannot be converted saith Dr. Twiss As for example it is required a man should be acquainted with Gods Word which alone is the ordinary means whereby the Spirit Vbi supra p. 99. works in mans Conversion Now it is in the power of man to hear the Word and albeit he cannot hearken unto it in a gracious manner pleasing unto God yet shall not that hinder the efficacy of Gods Word if God be pleased to shew mercy on him No though he comes to the hearing of it with a wicked mind As they that came to take Christ John 7. yet when they heard him were taken by him and returned without him saying Never man spake as this man speaketh So is it in the power of a man to read the Word Now suppose he exerciseth this power and that with a mind averse from it yet may this Word prove a Word of power to the changing of his heart Thus far Dr. Twiss Securus Why this is a full confirmation of what I have been contending for that it is impertinent and needless for a man to take care for his salvation 't is no matter with what affections he addresseth himself to the means of Faith and Repentance for though he doth it with a wicked mind with a mind averse from it yet shall not that hinder the efficacy of Gods Word if God be pleased to shew mercy on him He hath no Reason therefore to trouble himself about laying aside all malice and all guile 1 Pet. 2. 1. James 1. 21. and hypocrisies and envie and all filthiness and superstuity of naughtiness and to receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save the soul But I remember you told me long since that God ordains men to Faith Repentance and good Dr. Twisse ut supra Works and that to be wrought in them by the Ministry of the Word with Gods blessing thereupon according to the prayers in common both of the Pastour and the People Now Sir I would fain be satisfied whether if a man doth carefully joyn himself unto these Ordinances he may be assured of his Conversion Diotrephes No the execution of Gods goodnesse towards him is not hastened by a mans hearkning to Gods word for though men do hear it daily yet are they not forthwith brought to faith saith Doctor Twisse * Ibid. p. 84 85 Securus If a man cannot promise himself a blessing in his carefull attendance upon the Ordinances and affording his presence to hear the Word to what purpose as I said should he trouble himself about it Diotrephes Doctor Spurstowe * Ubi supra tells you though these be such actions which have no immediate influence to the begetting or working of grace yet are they so farre necessary as that no man can promise unto himself that ever he shall be converted who doth either neglect or refuse the using of those means in which God is pleased to dispense his free and undeserved grace Thus Dr. Spurstowe Securus As he cannot promise himself to be converted without this means so neither can he promise himself to be converted with it because as you say from the Doctor it hath no immediate influence to the begetting or working of grace Upon the whole matter therefore it comes all to a reckoning whether he applies himself to the use of this means or no Diotrephes Not so for though Conversion be wholly and only from God himself yet it is ordered by him to be effected in the Dr. Spurstowe ubi supra p. 70. use of means As Physicians put their physick in certain syrups and liquors which are Vehicula Medicinae not at all of themselves operative but serviceable to the medicine that works the cure So doth God by his Ordinances which are Canales gratiae Channels and Conduit-pipes designed for grace to run in convey and dispense the precious blessing of a new and spiritual life to those upon whom he is pleased to bestow it And therefore the plea of those is both weak and impious who contemptuously turn their backs upon the preaching of the Word and other external helps as needlesse and unnecessary to conversion it being Gods sole work Securus I pray resolve me this question whether hearing the Word be of absolute necessity to conversion Diotrephes I shall give you my opinion in Dr. Twisse his words We willingly grant saith he that information of the understanding Vbi supra p. 115 is necessarily required both to faith and to repentance otherwise they were not acts rational but that this information should be made by the Minister that is I confesse ordinarily required by the vertue of Gods Ordinance but not necessarily and he upbraids Tilenus as little sensible of any such distinction Securus Seeing God hath determined not to bestow his saving grace at all upon the greatest number of manking and before Dr. Twiss ubi supra p. 128. he hath bestowed faith and regeneration upon them it is utterly uncertain by ordinary means both whether he hath determined to p. 116. bestow any such grace upon them and whether Christ died for the procuring of any such benefit unto them and seeing the exhortation of the Word without a more special operation of Gods Spirit is no provocation at all to beleeve and God doth many times work p. 117. faith without the ministery of the Word which are the affirmations of that great Divine why may I not as well depend upon the extrardinary which when it comes is likely to work upon me insuperably as wait upon the ordinary means which I have no assurance at all that it shall be effectual Diotrephes When God will give any man saving grace ordinarily he will do it by the means of grace He that hath appointed his Ordinances to that end will so farre stand to his own apâ—â—â—tment and honour his own Ordinances as to work by them and not ordinarily without them If men therefore will not use Gods means no wonder if they go without his grace For first such are out of the way of grace and when they avoid the Causes they cannot in reason look for the Effects Secondly And moreover they do provoke God to with-hold and deny his grace when they set so light by it as that they will not so much as use the means to get it Treatise of Conversion pag. 229. Securus Here are so many infirmities in this piece of your discourse that it will be a trouble to
be the more congruously applied for his Conversion Diotrephes No for that were stark Pelagianism a giving of grace according to mans works To avoid which We willingly profess as I told you already from Dr. Twiss that God carrieth himself absolutely throughout not only declaring these 〈◊〉 42 graces of Faith and Repentance according to the meer pleasure of his will without all consideration of ought in man but giving them also unto some and denying them unto others according to the mâ—er pleasure of his will without the consideration of ought in man Securus I pray resolve me one question more Is it possible for any man by any means or any diligence in the use of that means to attain unto these graces when God hath decreed to deny them to him oâ— is it possible for any man through any perverse opposition to fail of them when God hath decreed to bestow them upon him Diotrephes To this I shall answer you in the very words of Mr. D. Dyke * In his Mystery of self-deceiving p. 245. he propounds a shift that is rife as he saith in the mouths of the profane That it is vain and bootless to take any pains in godliness for if they be ordained to destruction it will nothing advantage them they shall lose all their labour if to salvation though they live never so wickedly it shall nothing prejudice or disadvantage them they must needs come to their appointed end To which shift he applies these words by way of Antidote But these must know that it is impossible either for a Reprobate to live godly or an Elect alwayes to live lendly and loosely for the same God that ordains the end ordains the means And Dr. â—wiss * Vbi supra p. 74 saith as much for he confesseth it is impossible for them Reprobates to shun damnation and for the Elect * Ibid. p. 84. he confesseth also it is impossible for them to disobey or not to be industrious when God will have them to be industrious Securus Sir You have most plentifully confirmed what I have been all this while attempting to prove unto you That all endeavours whether to obtain life or avoid destruction are utterly impertinent and needless for who * Matth. 6 27. but a Fool or a mad man will trouble his brain or spend his labour about impossibilities Diotrephes But Sir without a special revelation which is rare and extraordinary a man cannot be certain of his Election and consequently cannot enjoy the comforts of that apprehension but by and through his effectual calling the means whereof he is therefore carefully to attend Securus That alters not the case at all for if the man be a Reprobate his knowledge of that Estate though it may torment him before the time it cannot enable him to avoid so sad a destiny And if he be elected though the assurance of that condition be attended with never so much happiness yet that assurance is not attainable before his effectual calling as you confess and the time hereof is prefixed unalterably so that he cannot be regenerated repent and believe sooner or later If you should therefore address your Exhortation to him to repent he replies to you If I be elected to the end Salvation I am elected to the means too What that means is extraordinary or ordinary I know not whether affliction the voyce of Gods Rod or preaching the voyce of his Word whether your Sermon or another mans But God knows which infallibly and hath as infallibly decreed to bring me to it and I am no more able to absent my self from that means than to rescind and alter Gods immutable Decrees Why then should I not stay and expect the good houre till God by such an irresistible efficacy draws me unto that end through the means of his own appointing I am sure neither my neglect of Ordinances nor my flagitious crimes can cancel the Decree of my Election You may think it impossible that a profane careless wretch should be saved but 't is no less impossible that an Elect Vâ—ssel how profane and careless soever should be damned The Divines of great Brittain * Vbi supra p. 193. have determined this most judiciously in their Suffrage upon the fifth Article of perseverance Expl c. Thes 4. It is impossible that Paul elect should perish it is impossible also that Paul a blasphemer of Christ and an unbeliever if he dies in this state should not perish so it is impossible that David elect should perish it is also impossible that David an Adulterer and Murderer if death arrests him in his impenitency should not perish Sed hunc nodum Divina Provdentia Misericordia facilè solvit curando ut nemo Electorum in eo statu moriatur in quo à vita aeterna juxta aliquam Divinae Voluntatis ordinationem excluderetur They say That the Divine Providence and Mercy doth easily unty this knot by taking care that none of the Elect shall dye in that state whâ—rein according to any ordination of the Divine Will he should be excluded from eternal life This is the judgement of those profound Divines Diotrephes Those Divines I am sure do conclude and in those very passages to that the end is not to be attain'd but by the use of the means and Gods acting in that means doth not exclude but assist and encourage ours Nehemiah therefore doth thus exhort the Nobles Rulers and the rest of the people Be not ye afraid remember the Lord which is great and terrible and fight for your Brethren your sons and your daughters your wives and your houses for our God shall fight for us Nehem. 4. 14. with ver 20. Securus The question now is not concerning the conjunction of the end and means but concerning the nâ—cessity of mans care about the use of that means * Etiamsi fidem resipiscentiam à suis confederat is requirat Deus nequaquam tamen propterea voluntas ejus conditionata est neque ab impletione illarum conditionum voluntas Dei meritum Christi applicandi dependet cum impletio harum conditionum purum putum Dei donum sit qui dat velle perficere nullo modo homini tribui possit ac debeat Embdensium examen de Gratiae Meriti Christi Univers Quest 7. Pag. 121. Par. 2. Syn. D. I grant the first but deny the last Why should I less trust God with the means then with the end Are they not alike absolutely intended If any advantage be 't is on the part of the means for as you cited the words of the Brittish Divines the end eternal life is designed and promised but conditionally if we do believe but the means Faith and Repentance are promised absolutely And seeing God hath by his immutable Decree absolutely undertaken for that means and that not only as to the kind but also as to the irresistible application and working of it it is so far from being a
duty that it seems to be a sinful distrust to be solicitous about it We ought not to distrust Gods power for the accomplishment of salvation in the Elect for that is Almighty nor his Will for that is immutable To doubt of either is to sin against his Omnipotence or Immutability If Christ passeth his word for Peters security in walking upon the surface of the water as weak as the foundation is his Faith is weaker and too blame if he fears sinking When the means is absolutely determined and the application and working of it absolutely undertaken for by Almighty God his Revelation that it is so gives us a Quietus est about it In that Battel where the watch-word is The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon there that Exhortation is no less needful then seasonable Be not dismayed Judg. 7. 18 20. fight for the Lord fighteth for you We must in this case blow our Trumpets of Rams Horns and break our empty Deut. 20. 3. Pitchers and advance our lights if God promiseth victory but upon condition only we must dutifully address our selves to the performance of that condition though to our apprehension it contributes little or nothing to the event or blessing promised But where God absolutely intends and promises a victory there the word is Ye need not fight in this Battel Fear not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you 2 Chron. 20. 17 Exod. 14. 13 14 the Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace And they that should lay hold upon the Sword and Speâ—r and stand upon their own Guard and postures of defence in this case deserve as sharp a reprehension as that our Saviour gave to his Disciples not trusting his Divine presence as sufficient to bridle and curb Matth. 8. 26. chap. 14. 31. that tempest Why are ye fearful or doubtful O ye of little faith Diotrephes That Gods promise of the end doth not acquit us of the use of the means we may see in the example of King Hezekiah he was sick unto death but upon his devotions his prayers and tears God was pleased to send his Prophet to him with a joyful message of his Restitution Behold I will add unto thy dayes fifteen years Isa 38. 5. And yet to shew they should not rely upon Gods intent and promise for the end without the use of the means the Prophet commanded Let them take a lump of figs and lay it for a plaister upon the Bile and he shall recover And the example of the Apostles Voyage is very Ibid. ver 2â— memorable Acts 27. wherein being in extream danger by Reason of the Tempest the Angel of God at last appears to Paul saying Fear not God hath given thee all them that sail with thee ver 24. yet to shew the use of means was necessary for obtaining the end the safety here promised the same Paul when he saw the Ship-men about to flee out of the Ship said to the Centurion and to the Souldiers Except these abide in the Ship ye cannot be saved ver 30 31. Securus In these examples 't is evident by the very letter of the Text that as well the several ends intended as the promises about them were suspended upon several conditions and those conditions not absolutely undertaken as are those for the salvation of the Elect to be perform'd by God himself but prescribed and left to the care of those concerned in them and had not that playster of figs been applied by those about him Hezekiah had not recovered and had not the Cenâ—uâ—ion and Souldiers kept the Sea-men in the Ship they had suffered Ship-wrack But if the Lord had absolutely decreed the recovery of Hezekiah by such a playster and had absolutely promised too that he would infallibly apply it himself the Prophet had been at least impertinent in prescribing the appâ—iâ—ation to be made by others that attended on him In like manner had the Lord absolutely decreed the safety of all the passengers in the Ship upon condition of the Marâ—ners presence and labour in it and had absolutely promised to make good the condition also that is insuperably to cause those Mariners to abide and labour therein which is the very case in the matter of salvation Paul's jealousie of the Sea-mens departure out of the Vessel had been Verba Pauli Acts 27. 31. Manifeste continent comminationem hypotheticam quae irrefragabiliter arguit Revelationem ei factam non continuisse decretum aut promissionem absolutam sed conditionatam Aut falsa fuit comminatio Pauli si promissio Paulo facta absoluta erat cam absolutam esse intellexerat Aut si vera fuit Pauli comminatio promissio Paulo facta non fuit absoluta sed conditionata Episcop culpable and his motion to the Centurion and Souldiers impertinent nay his advice and acting herein had been so far from prudence and a duâ—y that it had argued in him a piece of infidelity a distrust of Gods power and faithfulness that Naaman may be cleansâ—d he is injoyned to wash seven times in the waters of Jordan but had God absolutely promised to cut a Channel to bring those waters into his Bed-chamber he had at least been improvident to take so long a Journey when he might have had the same benefit of cure in his own Lodgings Let me offer you but one example to illustrate the case touching Gods absolute promise it was Gods special command Exod. 34. 23 24. Thrice in the year shall all your men-children appear before the Lord But how shall their Land be secured in the mean time when all the fighting men are drawn away God makes an absolute promise to defend it For saith he I will cast out the Nations before thee and enlarge thy Borders neither shall any man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year Be not afraid to leave your Cities and your Houses without watch or defence to come to my Temple to serve me for I will defend you from all assaults * Annor Diodati Sure in this case it had been a piece of distrust and infidelity in them to have provided guards against any invasion of the enemy Diotrephes Sir I pray give me leave to open my mind freely to you for I am almost at my Ne plus ultra and ready to take my leave of you Why do you not consider what madness it would be to argue about mens bodies as you do about their souls It is as true that God hath decreed how many years and dayes you shall live as that he hath decreed whether you shall be Mr. Baxter's Treatise of Conversion p. 292 293. saved and I will refer it to your own Reason what you would think of the wit of that man that would give over eating and drinking and say God hath decreed how long I shall live and if he have
Sacram. Disput 3. pag. 29 30. Mr. Baxter We know many that we sâ—e great signs of grace in and that are well reputed of as eminent for godliness that do frequently comâ—it as great sins as some kind of rash swearing seems to be For example It is too rare to mâ—et with a person so conscionable that will not frequently baâ—kbite and with sâ—me malice or eâ—vy speak evil of thoâ—e that differ from them in judgment or that they take to be against them or that they are falâ—n out with they will ordinarily censure them unjustly and secretly endeavour to disgrace them and take away their good names and love those that â—oyn with tâ—em in iâ— So how many Professours will rashly rail and lye in their passions How few will take well a Reproof but rather deâ—end their sin How many in these times that we doubt not to be godly have been guilty of disobedience to their Guides and of Schiâ—m and doing much to the hurt of the Church A very great sin The same person * Mr. Baxter saith also That a man may be oâ—t drunk and oft commit fornication he knows not justly how oft and yet have true grace * Ib. pag. 329. Nay he doth conclude though he subjoyns some Cautions to avod scandal That Solomon whose sin was more heinous than Drunkenness Forâ—ication yea or Murder it self as he confesseth * Ib. p. 327 328 was not unsanctified but had true grace and norwithstanding his Sensuality and Idolatry that he did in other things continâ—e his worship of the true God I hope I am not in a worse state than Solomon Diotrephes Had we such a man as Solomon in his sin to dâ—al with we ought to use him as an ungodly man I think saith the same Party whose Authority you insist upon * Mr. Baxter ib. pag. 347. So those that have lately committed scandalous notorious sin and will not on sufficient perswasion manifest any satisfactory Repentance for it we must presume them ungodly till they will manifest Repentance for we know except they repent they shall perish and an undiscovered Repentanâ—e is to us as none And our Divines at Dort conclude That though a godly man lose not his Justification by gross sinning yet he contracts such an incapacity of coming to heaven in that state that that must be removed or else he could not be saved Praesumptuosus It seems strange to me that persons who for the present have a real actual interest in Christ as all justified persons are supposed to have should at the same time have no Right to his Institutions and be in an incapacity of salvation Is Christ Theirs and are not his Sacraments Theirs too Are the Ordinances more sacred and precious than the Redeemer But they are uncapable of salvarion you say Doth not this make a foul flaw in the Apostles Chain Rom. 8. 30. Whom he justified them he also glorified But Sir though your words sound that way I hope you do not hold that a Child of God can fall totally from the state of grace Diotrephes We do not maintain that the Children of Dr. Twiss ubi supra p. 29 30. God cannot fall from grace albeit they should let the Reins loose to their lusts to commit sin and that with greediness but to the contrary we teach that God keepeâ—h them from falling away by putting his fear into their â—earts according to that Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall never depart away from me So that the right state of ouâ— Tenet is not that God will keep them from falling away in spight of their presumptuous courses but that he will keep them by him through an holy fear which is as much as to say he will hold them fast by him by keeping them from presumptuous courses and accordingly David after he had prayed that God would cleanse him from his secret faults he entreats God that as touching presumptuâ—us sins he would keep him from them that so he might be innocent from the great offence And as this was Davids prayer so answerable hereunto was Pauls Faith He will deliver me from every evil 2 Tim 4. 17. work to wit either by Obedience or by Repentance or else from every presumptuous course and preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom And accordingly the Saints of God as they are styled his called ones his sanctified ones so likewise are they denominated his reserved ones in the Epistle of Jude for his course is to make them meet partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light not to save them in spight of their unfitness for it but to make them first fit for it by holiness and then to make them partakers of it Thus Dr. Twiss Praesumptuosus The Children of God then are alwayes free from at least a course of presumptuous sins Pauls Faith and Davids Prayer which are theirs too do secure them from sins of that nature But should they commit such sins as would make so foul a â—law in their state of salvation as to put them into an incapacity of Heaven I doubt whether it could be soader'd up again by Repentance Repentance is a metal so hetâ—rogeneous and different I am afraid it would never hold for as nothing in the World but Christ and that Evangelical Grace of his procuring can put us into the state of salvation so certainly nothing elâ—e can restore us to it if we make a recession from it Diotrephes Why Repentance is a part of the Gospel and one of the conditions of the Covenant of Grace Praesumptuosus I am taught otherwise by the Deputies of the Synod of Gelders and their Judgment is recorded amongst the Acts of the Synod at Dort * De Artic. secundo pag. 100. par 3. wherein they declare That Repentaâ—ce is not alwayes prescribed with an intention of salvation that it hath not Câ—râ—st for its foundation and that to be called unto Repentance is not the grace of the Gospel Nam haec in solo Christo propter solum Christum offertur cum intentione semper salutis aeternae for this grace of the Gospel is offeâ—ed in Christ alone and for Christ aâ—onâ— and alwayâ—s with intention of eternal salvation So is not Repentance as they say Diotrephes It is not sufficient to consider how the grace of the Gospel is offered but we must consider withall how it is to be received and hoâ— to be kept Praesumptuosus I suppose there is little dispute about that amongst the Ortâ—odox Faith is concluded to be the sole instrument or condition of receiving and presâ—rving this grace To this purpose it is delivered with great approbation as a Branch of Modern Divâ—nity * The Marrow of Modern Divâ—nity pag. 119 Edit 3. That In the Covenant betwixt Christ and his there is no more for man to do but only to know and believe that Christ hath done all for them Diotrephes This must be a lively
active Faith not a dead one and such we ought to conclude his to be who lives in gross sins I nothing doubt saith Dr. Twiss * Ubi supra p. 102. but a Carnal Christian may be Orthodox throughout and perswade himself of a Dr. Twiss true Faith But if his life be not answerable we will be bold to tell him that his Faiâ—h is vain for true Faith worketh by love Gal. 5. And Faith working by love is as much as a new Creature Gal. 6. And whosoever is in Christ is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 24. Therefore where such such a new Creature is wantng where the flesh is not crucified with the affections and lusts they are not Christs nor in Christ nor have any faith working by love Praesumptuousus Whatever Dr. Twiss saith in his passion against his Adversary I am confident he is far from affirming That the Children of God do lose their Faith as often as they commit the works of flesh The Divines of Drent * De persev examen Thes 4. p. 275. par 3. at the Synod of Dort tell us very roundly it is false and that not only in respect of the habit of faith but in respect of the act of faith too Ille saepe manet etiam dum hâ—mo pecâ—at The Act of Faith doth oftentimes remain even then when a man sins And a little after Quid vetat quo minus sancti dum ipsa actualia peâ—cata quidem crassiora committuâ— simul actum fidei sentiant What hinders the Saints that they should not feel the effect and acting of their faith at the same time when they commit the grossest sins Diotrephes Sure you cannot think they can believe unto salvatiâ—r at that time of their gross sinning when they contract such a guilt and incapacity of coming to Heaven that if it be not removed by Repentance they cannot be saved as you had it before from the Divines of England * Reatum damnabilem contrahunt praesentem ad Regnum Coelorum ingrediendum aptitudinem amâ—ttunt De persâ—ver quoad ipsos Electos Thes 3. vid. etiam Thes 4. 5. inter Acta Syn. Nat. Dord pag. 192 193. par 2. at the same Synod Praesumptuosus Sir I wonder you or they should offer to say That the Saints or Godly may fall into such a state wherein they cannot be saved when there is such an absolute Decree past for their salvation as neither themselves nor sin nor hell nor Divel can frustrate nay the power of God himself is not able to rescind it This is the judgment of the Hassien * De persever Aphor. 5. pag. 215. par 2. Divines at the Synod of Dorâ—â— They say It is Gods immutable Counsel to preserve his Elect in the true Faith even unto the end and through that Faith to bring them ad aeternam salutem necessariò infallibilitèr infallibly and necessarily to eternal salvation which Counsel of God cannot be made void by any Creature Nec ab ipso Deo propter ipsius immutabilitatem revocari unquam poterit no nor ever be revoked in regard of his immutability by God himself And this Sir is the only Sanctuary that I flee unto for Refuge this the only Rock that my hope anchors on Diotrephes But you must first be sure to be set upon this Rock before you can prudently build your hopes and confidence upon it Praesumptuosus Sir I have good assurance that I am of the number of the Elect and the Decree of Election layeth a certain ground of perseverance and the faithfulness of God is by his promise engaged for it on their behalf Account of persever * By Mr. Baxter pag. 3 3 37. Diotrephes I would not have you too confident of your own state 't is the advice of the Apostle Let him that thinketh he 1 Cor. 10. 1â— standeth take heed lest he fall Praesumptuosus Such as have no other evidence * Amâ—sius saith Non ad timorem rejectionis exhortatur Scriptura veros fideles quamvis nonnullos professione fideles qui videntur stare 1 Cor. 10. 12. hortatur ne nimis fidant suae professioni externae Bel. Ener Tom. 4. l. 6. c. 3. th 1. n. 2. p. 173. but their own conjectures and seemings that they are in a state of grace have reason to be jealous But I hope you will not offer to lead me into an opinion that the Elect can fall totally and finally from the state of salvation for * Mr. Baxter that is an Errour of dangerous consequence against the grace and fidelity of God if not against his wisdom and his power and against the peace of the Saints and therefore is to be carefully avoided and resisted by those that would not wound their faith Ubi supra pag. 14. Diotrephes That is not the thing I tempt you to I am certain if you be elected you shall be saved but I would have you be upon sure grounds before you pretend to so great an assurance of your Election that you have obtain'd this assurance by an immediate Revelation and Testimony of the Spirit I hope you will be more modest than to affirm Praesumptuosus Sir I do not pretend to any Enthusiastical assurance a certainty of Election may be had and the Synod of Dort at least most of the Divines thereof do conclude That every Elect person hath it sooner or later before his death * See the Apology for Tilenus pag. 493. and 't is the Faith of the Congregational Churches expressed in their late Declaration * Chap. 3. n. 8. That men attending the Will of God revealed in his Word and yielding obedience thereunto may from the certainty of their effectual vocation be assured of their eternal election So also say the Westminster Assemblers Diotrephes I shall not dispute that with you I know it is the general Tenent of the Orthodox But you must remember the Apostles Exhortation Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Your effectual Calling make that sure first and then you need not doubt your Election for none are effectually called but the Elect only as the Congregational Churches * Ch. 3. N. 6. Syn. Dort Cap. 2. Art 8. have declared Praesumptuosus Sir I am able to tell you not only the man but the very Text he preach'd upon with the day and houre when I was effectually called I confess time was when I lay among those loose corns that were very fit to have been blown off but such a Fast Sermon did I hear from N. N. as melted my heart and spirit into that frame and temper that I shall never forget it This Sermon was a preparation to the Solemn League and Covenant and I was so fit for the impression at that time that I made no objection or scruple at it And having upon this Call espoused the Good
do omit neither can I do any more good than I do for the Orthodox do conclude * We do require that God should immediately and inresistibly work all our good works in us and we acknowledge this to be necessary unto every good act Dr. Twiss ubi supra p. 182. That every good act is immediatly from God and of his irresistible production if therefore I can do some good more than I do I can do some good that is not immediatly from God nor of his irresistible production which they account absurd that I do all the good that God irresistibly produceth in me appears from hence because otherwise God should irresistibly produce something which is not produced and consequently it should be and not be and be resistible and irresistible which are plain contradictions That this is no singular opinion you may assure your self from hence that 't is consonant to the faith of the Congregational Churches * Chap. 16. n. 3. who declare concerning Believers That their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves 〈◊〉 wholly from the Spirit of Christ and that they may be enabled thereunto besides the graces they have already received there is required an actual influence of the same holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure Diotrephes You would have cited the Thesis entire if it had been for your advantage but it was not for they add in the very next words Yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them Praesumptuosus I omitted this Clause not only because it was not to my purpose but also because I conceived it very absurd if not contradictory to the former words For 1. What doth that diligence in stirring up the grace of God in them signifie if it signifieth either to will or to do that whichsoever it is is not to be performed as they declare without an actual influence of the same holy Spirit and then 't is absurd to say they are bound to it without a special motion of the Spirit For 2. If they bound to perform such a duty without a special motion of the Spirit and yet are not enabled thereunto without an actual influence of the same holy Spirit as they declare they are not then are they even in a Covenant of Grace too bound to impossibilities which is absurd And 3. Why ought they to be diligent for if an actual influence of the Spirit be required hereunto then their diligence without it is impertinent if not impossible and when that actual influence of the Spirit is upon them if it works irresistibly as the Orthodox maintain it doth then all diligence is utterly superfluous unto such an operation And 4. In this case Believers cannot be negligent for neglect certainly is the pretermission of some possible performance which cannot have place here for the good work cannot be performed without such an actual influence therefore it is not possible without it and with that actual influence it cannot be omitted for that influence is irresistble Diotrephes You seem to lay the sin of the Regenerate upon Gods deficiency in affording grace necessary to avoid it Praesumptuosus This is no more than what is done by our Orthodox Divines Do they not conclude that he did withdraw from * As was shewed above in the first Dialogue Adam grace and light sufficient unto his perseverance and so he doth when he pleases from the regenerate too * God may withdraw his grace as he did from Peter and David in their sin Mr. Baxter's Directions for peace of Consc pag. 465. Edit 2. which is the reason of their several lapses and failings for as Mr. Baxter tells us in his Preface Sect. 16. the Synod of Dort say That if you speak of power in them the Regenerate cannot stand And that they are not alwayes so led and moved by God as to be preserved from the seducements of concupiscence but by his just permission are carried away into grievous and heinous Chap. 5. Art 4. sins 'T is by the power of God only that they stand their ability is not at all of themselves and besides the grnces they have already received there is required an actual influence of the Spirit and that irresistible when this power is withdrawn they must needs fall and therefore Dr. Damman as was observed before tells us That when God doth his part we cannot omit ours Diotrephes But God doth not withdraw his gracious assistance but upon mans provocation and neglect to co-operate with it Praesumptuosus Yes God hath liberty to do it for his meer pleasure being tyed by no Law unto his Creature Thus he did by Adam in his state of innocency and he hath several good ends in it his own glory and their benefit as the Divines of * See the Apology for Tilenus pag. 385. Drent determined at the Synod of Dort The British Divines say as you heard even now that their Justification and Adoption are thereby confirmed And those Divines of Drent add further That those sins which in the wicked have the nature of punishment have in the faithful the nature of fatherly castigation Ibid. Diotrephes But will they not be bitterness in the latter end think you as the Prophet Jeremy hath it Chap. 2. 19. Praesumptuosus To the unregenerate to whom they are damnable they must needs be so but not to the Elect whose slips and falings Mr. Perkins * In Armilla Aurea cap. 37. tells us are priviledges annexed to their adoption and paternal castigations for their benefit and as a remedy against doubting or desperation of our Election and Gods mercy he prescribes this meditation amongst others Lapsu non telli gratiam fidem sed illustrari That sin doth not take away grace but illustrate and make it brighter Now I hope you would Ibid. cap. 42. not have a man to be in anguish and bitterness of spirit for suffering chastisement which is derived to us as a special favour from God a great testimony of the love of our heavenly Father for what saith the Apostle from Solomon Hebr. 12. 5 6 7 8 12. My son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastning God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chastneth not but if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons Wherefore saith the Apostle lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees The Apostle turns it into an use of Consolation to the faithful Diotrephes Admit the slips and falls of the faithful be paternal castigations according to
of Consolation he had given down in those Theses for soon after he puts in his excepâ—ions and enters such a Caveat against the greatest part of Mankind See Thes 16 c. as doth infallibly keep them out of possession of the benefit for saith he this universal Redemption must be very circumspectly handled as to point of satisfaction and merit and a double exception he propounds to limit them One respecting the things another the persons Christ he saith hath not satisfied for a permanent impenitency much less for a persevering contumacy and hence it comes to pass that the wrath of God abides upon unbelievers and all their sins original actual against Law and Gospel are imputed to them And yet O strange subtilty he hath merited grace for all even for the impenitent and unbelievers But what grace why Remission of sins and Eternal life under the condition of faith and repentance but not grace sufficient and necessary unto that faith and repentance From hence you will conclude that he must put in another exception a Caveat against persons too and it is this That although Christ hath promiscuously so satisfied for all men that their sins may be remitted viz. if they repent and believe that is when they are invited to take Christs easie yoke if they perform an impossible condition yet in truth he hath procured the sins of the Elect only in whom that condition is effected by an irresistible grace and operation to be remitted eventually So that Christ having made no satisfaction for the sin of final impenitency and having decreed to let them fall inevitably into that state by withholding grace sufficient and necessary to keep them from it what advantage I beseech you do these poor wretches receive from his merits and satisfaction Diotrephes But the Synod declares their sense more fully in this Article That many being called by the Gospel do not repent nor believe in Christ but perish in infidelity this comes not to pass say they through any insufficiency of Christs Sacrifice for that is a most perfect sacrifice and satisfaction for Chapt. of Redempt Art 3 4 5 6. sins of infinite price and value abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole World and that 't is therefore of so great value because the person that was offer'd up was the only begotten Son of God and because his death was joyned with a feeling of Gods wrath and of the curse which we had deserved by our sins and they declare this to be Gospel That whosoever believes shall not perish but have life everlasting Desolatus 'T is true if they believe upon that condition Mr. Baxter's Preface to the Grot. Relig. sect 9. Syn. Dord ib. A t. 8. But did God purpose* to cause in men this condition or not In the Elect he did upon whom only it was the most free counsel gracious will and intention of God the Father that the efficacy of that Sacrifice should stream â—orth to the production of faith in them by an irresistible operation as that Synod hath more at large declared So that a man must have the work of special grace wrought in him and the Spirit of Christ abiding with him before he can have assurance of his interest in Christ Diotrephes 'T is very true They that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his * Rom. 8. 9. but you could not so much as say That Jesus Christ is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost * 1 Cor. 12. 3. yet this I know is your stedfast profession and because ye are sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Can you not pray to God too as well as profess to believe in him Desolatus 'T is most certain we should not have believed Christ to have been the Messiah and the Son of God if the Holy Ghost had not sealed the Revelation to us and confirm'd it with a world of miracles But having this Revelation by us Christ may be acknowledged to be the Lord without the special inhabitation of his Spirit to prompt us to it and his influences may be sufficient to move us unto prayer when they are insufficient to renâ—w us unto salvation and therefore not every one that saith Lord Lord not every Supplicant shall enter into the Kingdâ—m of heâ—ven but he that doth the will of the Father which is in heâ—ven Mâ—â— 7. 21. Diotrephes Hold you close to this principle that heaven shall be alotted for a portion to him that doth the will of God for the Lâ—rd loveth judgment and forsakâ—th not â—is Saints or his Psal 37. 28. that be godly they are prâ—served for ever Desolatus 'T is not enough to do Gods will for the substance of the work that may be done by the unsanctified But it must be done after a spiritual and gracious manner also * Dr. Twiss ib. p. 48. and so â—one but the Saints and truly godly do it and they are called his by a peculiar â—â—â—le of Election and are sure to be preserved for ever Diotrephes I remember you have been look't upon as a person eminent for godâ—â—ness and forward not only to do the will of God but when the will of God requir'd it to suffer also for your well-doing Now St. Peter tells you and he prefixeth a kind of Oath to his Asseveration saying Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in â—very Nation he that feareth Acts 10. 34 35. him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Desolatus Sir the sense of that Text must admit of a limitation for as the Synod at Dort hath declared God hath chosen in Christ unto salvation a set number of certain men Cb. 1. Art 7. with 15. neither better nor more worthy than others but equally lost and lying in the common misery with others whom he passed over unto everlasting destruction And therefore Deodati tells us in his Annotation upon that Text that Peter speaketh not here of that Original of the will and pleasure of God by which he taketh into favour one who of himself is as unworthy as the other Rom. 9. 11. 1 Cor. 4. 7. * Do these Texts serve the interests of the Sullapsarians or Supralapsarians or both or neither But of that consequent degree of his love toward the work of his grace in what Nation or quality of person soever it be found to maintain increase and make it up This is his sense Diotrephes But that learned man does conclude you see that where God hath begun his work of grace he will not fail to maintain increase and make it up and this is that very thing whereof the Apostle is so confident That he which hath begun a good work in you will perform or finish it untill the day of â—esus Phil. 1. 6. Christ Desolatus This perswasion of the Apostle is but the result of his charity towards those Philippians as
that a harmless person be made miserable and then to will that he be made a sinner that he may be made miserable as it were in a way of justice and far be it from us to ascribe such proceedings to the righteous Judge of all the World Desolatus If this be all the account you can give of the Decree of Reprobation I pray what will you make that power and liberty to consist in which the Apostle doth assign to Almighty God in the Act of Election and Reprobation under that similitude of a Potter Samaritanus A liberty to dispose of the same lump for several ends and uses as he finds it more stubborn or pliant under his hand upon a second working for we must conceive the Apostle speaks of such a lump of Clay as was first marr'd in the hands of the Potter Jer. 18. 4. * Read that Chapter throughout Rom. 3. 23. Ver. 12. Hence he concludes that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Sinned I say not in the loins of Adam only but personally and actually for he saith They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Now in the disposal of this lump God declares his Power and Soveraignty 1. By assigning glory to some part of it that is to Believers for it pleased God to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1. 21. and this is the Election of grace Rom. 11. 5. And 2. By awarding shame and destruction to others viz. to unbelievers who are therefore said to be broken off because of unbelief Rom. 11. 20. And this is exactly consonant to the resolution of our Saviour to whose hands the Regiment of the Church is committed John 3 35. 36. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting lifâ— and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And indeed this is the very Key that the Apostle hath put into our hands to open his meaning in those Chapters to the Roman chap. 9. 30 31. What shall we say then or what shall we conclude That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have â—ttained to righteousness even the righteousness which is oâ— faith but Israel which followâ—d after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness wherefâ—re because they sought it not by Faith c. Desolatus The Apostle speaking of the Elect saith God hath predestinated them unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the purpose and good pleasure of himself who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Eph. 1. 5 11. where he attributes the Election and Adoption of such persons to Gods meer good pleasure purpose and the counsel of his own will and the counsel of God that shall stand Samaritanus To satisfie you in this there is no more to be considered but wherein this good pleasure purpose and counsel of God consists and 't is in this That whereas mankind was â—nthral'd to Satan sin and death Christ establish't to be a Mediatour and Saviour in the execution of those Offices of King Priest and Prophet had Commission to proclaim a great spiritual Jubilee for the liberty and salvation of as many as were willing upon his terms to accept of their Redempâ—ion To this purpose you may at your leisure consult these Scriptures Isa 42. 1 2 3 4 6 7. chap. 49. 1. to 10. chap. 61. 1 2 3. Zach. 6. 12 13. Hence the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. Colos 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory And because the terms which Christ propounds or the condition which he requires of us in order to our actual Liberty and Redemption is Faith in the Gospel-sense * See and compare these three parallel places Gal. 5. 6 Jam. 2. 22. 1 Cor. 7. 19. Gal. 6. 15. therefore the same Apostle saith Ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 26. For as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1. 12. who are therefore said to be chosen in him Eph. 1. 4. But on the other side such as despise the Benefit of this Jubilee or Acceptable year and will not have Christ to reign over them but being fond of their old Master and Service continue in the obedience of his laws and lusts they shall die and perish in their thraldom Exodus 21. 5 6. Rom. 6. 16. 2 Pet. 2. 19. Luke 19. 14. with 27. This is clearly Gods whole pleasure purpose and counsel in the Gospel and This shall stand Whereupon the Apostle saith If an Angel from Heaven preacheth any other lâ—t him be accursed Gal. 1. 8 9. Desolatus What will you say to that of the Apostle ascribing all to God's Will Rom. 9. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth Samaritanus I shall not insist to tell you in what sense God is said to harden It will be sufficient to enquire a little further into God's Will in these particulâ—rs of shewing mercy * Proâ—sâ—s cuâ—us vult miseretur â—uâ—m vult inducat Sed haec voluntas Dei injusta esse non potest venit enim dâ— acculâ—issâ—â—nis meritis quia ipsi peccatores cum propâ—er geâ—erâ—â—e peccatum unam mâ—ssâ—m fâ—cerinâ— non tamen null â—â—st inâ—er â—os diversitas praec dit â—â—go aliquid in pec catoribus quo quâ—mvis nondum sinâ— justificati digni efficiantur justificatione item â—reâ— dit in aliâ—s peccatoribus quo digni sint obtusionâ— Aug. Lib. quaest 83. Quaest 68. and hardening respectively And as was declared even now it is God's absolute Will to have mercy upon Believers as such and to harden Vnbelievers as such So the Apostle Rom. 11. 7. What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election that is Believers represented by those who had not bowed the knee to Baal vers 4. hath obtained it mercy unto justification and life and the rest unbelievers * See Rom. 3. 3. who going about to establish their own righteousness did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God Ch. 10. 3. The righteousness which is of God through the faith of Christ as it is stiled Phil. 3. 9. These were blinded or hardned See Rom 9. 30 31 32. Desolatus But forasmuch as Faith is a work as our Saviour witnesseth John 6. 29. the Apostle seems to exclude that utterly in this Election of Grace For he Argues thus Rom. 11. 6. If by grace then is it no more of works otherwise Grace is no more Grace But if it be of Works then is it no more Grace otherwise work is no more work Samaritanus
You must observe Though Grace and works * Viz. Such as go before faith as Tâ—â— 3. 3 4 5. and such as pretend to reward upon the integrity of their perfe ction Rom. 4. 4. Not such as flow from faith for Jam 2. 14 26. 1 Joâ— 3. 7. for faith doth establish grace Rom. 4 16. be opposed yet Grace and Faith are subordinated in the Gospel Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by grace Eph. 2. 8 9. For by grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lâ—st any man should boast And what is it that is said to exclude works but that which excludes boasting too which is Faith Rom. 3. 27. Now as the Apostle saith in another case 1 Cor. 15. 27. When he saith All things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him So here when the Apostle saith Works are excluded it is manifest that Faith is excepted which did exclude them And hereupon we are sâ—id to be saved by Faith to be justified by Faith to be adopted †Joh 1. 12. Gal. 3. 26. by Faith and to be chosen in Christ * Eph. 1. 4. too in whom we cannot be but by Faith †Eph. 3. 17. Hence the Apostle useth that Title To the faithful in Christ Jesus Eph. 1. 1. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfâ—st unto the end Heb. 3. 14. See 1 Tim. 2. 15. Rom. 11. 20 with 22. Desolatus I have yet more to object out of the Apostle who saith Rom. 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And in the next verse he adds a most dreadful example of God's severity and judgment upon Pharaoh of whom the Scripture as the mouth of God saith Even for the same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my Name might be declared throughout all the earth Samaritanus That raising up of Pharaoh is not to be understood of his Creation or Birth as if God brought him forth into the world on purpose to make him a spectacle of his Wrath and Fury For the word the Apostle useth hath no such importance but of raising him up from the Gates of death rescuing him from that destruction by the Pestilence which his measure of sin being then fill'd up had seized upon him had not God reserved him by a special power to serve other ends of his providence The Original Text hath it clearly to this sense For so it runs Exod. 9. 16. And in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand * So the Marginal reading according to the Hebr. for to shew in thee my power and that my Name may be declared throughout all the earth which we see was accordingly accomplished not only amongst the surviving Egyptians Exod. 14. 17 18. but amongst the Philistims also 1 Sam. 6. 6. and other Nations When the Apostle saith which is your other Objection it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth 1. We are told by Mr. Baxter * Treatise of Conversion p. 295 f. Vâ—d Dissertaâ— Theologic inter Ames Gâ—evinch p. 23. that the meaning is 〈◊〉 that our salvation is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth the Apostle talketh of no such thing but it is about the giving of the Gospel to them that had it not and taking it from them that had forfeited it by their sin Indeed he speaketh not of salvation or election unto glory but of giving the Gospel and calling men unto Christianity who were in no capacity much less in any forwardness to enquire after it till they were prevented by the Revelation and light thereof as the Apostle recites it from the Prophet Rom. 10. 20. But 〈◊〉 is very bold and saith I was found of them that sought me not I was made manifest unto them that asked not after Me. 2. The Apostle in the place mentioned speaks of such as will and run after their own phantâ—sies and Humours as the Jews did * Rom. 10. 3. against whose principles and practice he disputeth For who had required †Iâ—a 1. 12. these things to which they addicted themselves under the Gospel at their hands But 3. That God shews mercy * Ecce misericordia judiciuâ— misericordia in â—lectionâ— quae conjecuta est justitiam Dei judicium vero in caeteris qui excaecati sunt tamen illiquia voluâ—runt credâ—derunt illi qâ—ia noluerunt non crediderunt Aug. lib. de praedest S. S. c. 6. unto sâ—lvation to none I speak of the Adult but such as do boâ—â— will and run according to his own prescription in the Gospel is every where apparent To this purpose are those exhortations Hebr. 12. 1. Run with patience the race that is set before you 1 Cor. 9. 24. So run that ye may obtain And such â—s desist faint or step aside in the course of Christiâ—nity are reprehended for it Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did drive you back that ye should not obey the truth There is the same Reason for Willing which the Scripture inculcates with no less importunity insomuch as it is said * Apoc. 22. 17. Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely And If any man will * Joh. 7. 17. do his Gods Will he shall know And such as remain in their unbelief are reproved upon this account because they would not come to Christ * Joh. 5. 40. they would not be gathered * Mat. 23. 37. by Christ If God's purpose were to shew mercy to us unto salvation without our willing and running according to those Laws and those abilities he hath been pleased to give us why are we so earnestly exhorted to walk worthy of our calling To give diligence to make our Calling Eph. 4. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Phil. 2. 12. and Election sure To work out our own salvation with fear and trembling Desolatus But sure there is something more in it else why doth the Apostle discoursing upon this profound Article silence all Objections with his O hâ—mo tu quis es Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God He resolves Rom. 9 20. the whole reason of the affâ—ir into the Will of God and will have us dispute no further Samaritanus You must understand that exclamation O man who art thâ—â— Non succumbentis est sed indignantis ac câ—rripientis hominis responsatoris audaciam as St. Austin * Vid. Aug. lib. 83 quaest Quaest 68. and others have observed The Apostle out of indignation doth use that expression to repell the sauciness of an insolent Replicant For it is such a one that is introduced in the former verse uttering these words Why doth he
to be conquered according to the ground upon which it is made How Joh. 5. 44. can ye believe saith our Saviour to the Jews who seek honour one of another And he tells the Scribes and Pharisees That the Publicanes and Harlots entred into the Kingdom of heaven before them And Solomon invites us to this observation saying Sâ—est thou a man that is wise in his own eyes there is more hope of a fool that is a wicked man than of him Prov. 26. 12. The dispensâ—tion of the Gospel which is the Ministration of the Spirit goes forth doubtless with a mighty power of conviction but how farre it works upon particular persons affected under the influences of it is not so easie to be resolved There are in the conversion of sinners cases extraordinary which must not he drawn into example nor prejudice the general Rule as in S. Paul Austin c. But ordinarily that there is some disposition and temper of spirit more apt than others to receive the effectual impressions of it is most certain Such is the honest and good heart in the Parable such are the humble and meek Psal 25. 15. Joh. 3. 21. Joh. 7. 17. Mat. 11. 18. Joh. 10. 28. Mat. 11. 25. 1 Pet. 2. 2. Joh. 8. 47 1 Joh. 4. 5 6. Joh. 6. 45. and the pâ—or in spirit such as do the truth and the Will of God so farre as their information serves them such are the weary and heavy ladâ—n and the like They are resembled to sheep and to babes and are sâ—id to be of God to have learned of the Father and to know him These are said to be ordained that is disposed and in a sit posture for eternal life Acts 13. 48 and of this ingenuous and noble temper were those Bereans Acts 17. 11. They were as it were in the Suburbs or Confines not farre from the Kingdom of God and upon the first call by the word of grace they obeyed and stept into it Desolatus But by what means may a man obtain to be thus disposed or qualified for faith and conversion Samaritanus Mr. Baxter tells you very truly that common grace is truly preparative and dispositive to saving grace so Of Saving Faith p. 39 41 46. that if we employ and improve the first we may be confident we shall obtain the other Not by any merit or causolity force or efficacy of our work or by any natural connexion but meerly Dr. Jacks p. 3109 c. by God's grace by the counsel of his holy and irresistible will by which it hath pleased him to appoint the one as a necessary consequent of the other Desolatus Have you any grounds for this assertion Samaritanus Yea that ground so often laid down by our Saviour in the Parable of the Talents Habenti dabitur To him that hath made use of grace shall be given and he shall have more Mat. 25. 28 29. abundance Desolatus That is he shall have more of the same kind if he employes his Talents of common grace he shall have an addition of common grrce if he employes talents of saving grace he shall receive a greater measure of saving grace Samaritanus Nay God's bounty will be extended further a Mat. 25. 21 22. Thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee ruler over much upon the emprovement of common grace he shall receive saving grace for to him that had emproved his talents he saith Be thou Ruler over so many Cities b Luk. 19. 17 19 The remuneration is in a matter of a higher nature And this God doth vouchsafe not of debt or condignity or congruity but of grace * Praecedaneorum illorum recâ—â—or â—sâ—s causae rationâ—m non habet qua Deus tanquam justus Judex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impulsus est ad majoâ—em gratiam communicandam sed tanquam mitissimus pater c. 〈◊〉 col inter D. Tilon Camer p. 35. and mercy still Desolatus Suppose two persons alike affected in mind and body exposed to the like temptation and attended with equal assistances of grace whether is it possible for one of these to stand impregnable while the other miscarries under this tryal And if he may whence is this difference in the issue and event of this combate Samaritanus Take the Totum Complexum together and there can be no other cause assign'd but the liberty of the will for grace cannot be the cause why any man doth fail of his duty but the will assisted by grace is a Partial cause of that man's standing in his integrity and the total cause of this man's falling from it Thus S. Austin hath determined the question Si aliqui duo aequaliter affecti animo corpore videant unius corporis Lib. 12. de civit cap. 6. apud Grevinch pulchritudinem quâ visa unus eorum ad illicite fruendum moveatur alter in voluntate pudica stabilis perseveret quid putamus esse causae ut in illo fiat in illo non fiat voluntas mala Respondet si eadem tentatione ambo tenentur unus ei cedat atque consentiat alter idem qui fuerat perseveret quid aliud apparet nisi unum voluisse alterum noluisse à castitate deficere unde nisi propriâ voluntate ubi eadem fuerat in utroque corporis animae affectio amborum oculis paritervisa est eadem pulchritudo ambobus pariter institit tentatio Of two persons alike affected in soul and body alike assaulted by the temptation of the same beauty why one of them should prostitute himself to the temptation while the other perseveres in his chastity Austin could assign no other reason but their own will the one would the other would not violate his Sacred chastity 2. If you take the Case apieces Prosper * De vocat Gent. l. 2. c. 26. answers distinctly to the several parts and renders the cause exactly well Quod gratiae opitulatio à multis refutatur ipsorum est nequitiae quod autem à multis suscipitur gratiae est divinae voluntatis humanae That the assistance of grace is rejected of many 't is solely of their own naughtiness but that it is embraced of many 't is both of the divine grace and the humane will Desolatus But Sir that good use and that cooperation of the will are pious actions and savingly good and therefore should be ascribed wholly to the grace of God and not at all to the will of man Samaritanus That good use and that cooperation of the will are to be ascribed to Grace as the Principle and Primary cause but yet as they are moral actions they do derive their efficacy and vertue from the will and not from grace wholly which may be clearly evinced by this Dilemma of the Remonstrants Examen censuraep 180. b. Usus ille bonus gratiae aut est actus officij nostri qui virtuosus dici meretur Aut non est Si
receives in vain or receives not at all If man can do nothing to difference himself 1. Why doth God give so many commands to him for his renovation and improvement a Deut. 10. 16. Jer. 4. 4. Ezek. 18 31. Eph. 4. 22. 2 Cor. 7. 1. 2. Why doth he render praise and glory to his Saints b Numb 14. 24 Job 2. 3. Rom. 2. 29. Mat. 25. 23. and so often commend them saying They are worthy c Rev. 3. 4. 3. Why doth he so earnestly incite them unto duty by promises and threatnings d Rom. 8. 13. Isa 1. 19 20. Rom. 26 c. Why doth he upbraid unbelievers for rejecting the counsel of God against themselves e Luke 7. 30. and judging themselves unworthy of eternal life f Act. 13. 46. And finally brands them with shame confusion and eternal torments All these Topicks will afford us most pregnant proofs that men may and many times do act something towards their own discrimination Desolatus But will not this abate the accounts of thankfulness in Believers if they receive no more than Vnbelievers do Sámaritanus The Faithful do receive such assisting and following Grace as the Vnregenerate receive not though their Preventing Grace be equal * Quando enim unus istorum pro suae libertate convertitur jam auxilium praeveniens ipsi collatum habet in co insluxum gratiae cooperantis quem non habet in altero neque enim Deus ita movet voluntatâ—m praeveniâ—nâ—o ut iâ—si conversionem actualâ—m relinquat pro sola sua libertate qua voluntas in actu prâ—mo coâ—stituta scipsam sola redicâ—t ad actum secundum sed corpâ—ratione gratiae efficacis Dâ—scrimen ergo ex parte non-conversi totum oâ—itur ex sola arbitrii libertate tota enim ratio ob quâ—m Deus illi non daâ— novum inslâ—â—um gratâ—ae cooperantis est quia ipse homo pro libertate juâ— non vult coâ—s nsum operaâ— â—ui alioquin Dâ—us ex se paratus â—rat ad cooperandum Sic Augustin l. 2. de pec mer. remis cap. 17. Gratia Dei hominum adjuvat voluntates qua ut non adjuv nâ—ur iniosis causa est non in Do c. Sâ—cùs Deus desereret hominem denegando ei auxilium essiâ—ax anâ—â—qâ—â—â— homo deserat Deum Dissert Theolog. de duâ—b quaest inter Ames Grevincov pag. 204 205. But besides am not I obliged to be thankful to my Benefactor because others do undervalue and sleight his Bounty Shall not the children of Sion be joyful in their King and sing Hosanna to the Son of David because others cry out We will not have this man to reign over us The short is we owe our discrimination be our own concurrence what it will to the Divine preventing and assisting operation And 2 Gods grace and mercy doth follow us all the days of our life and 3 finally he crowns our co-operation with eternal joy and glory Aâ—d sure here is seed enough to bring forth a full Harvest of Thanksgiving Desolatus Me-thinks this seems to lay a ground sor glorying which the Apostle would by all means have excluded in the work of â—race Samaritanus The Gospel allows us to seek fâ—r glory and honor as well as sor immortality Rom. 2. 7. Indeed our Savior blames Rom. 2. 29. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Gal. 6. 4. the Jews for that they did receive honor one of another and no seek for that honor that commeth from God onâ—ly Joâ— 5. 44. To glory in what we do as done by the stock of our own strength and to glory in what we receive as being received upon the account of our own merits is wicked arrogance and condemned by the Apostle But we are allowed yea we are required to glory in the Lord and we may glory also that we are able to do all things if we glory that we do it upon this Gospel-account through Christ that strengthens us For the will of man in what we do graciously doth not confer any power upon Grace but rather Grace confers the power and propension uponthe Will and moves it to determine it self and hath besides its prevention and excitation a co-efficiency into the determination of the will Desolatus My dearest Samaritanus seeing you have taken the trouble upon you to discourse me if you can into satisfaction of all my doubts and scruples I must beg your patience to hear out all my Objections There is one more in that 9th to the Romans vers 11. For thâ— children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to the election might stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said unto Rebecca concerning those Twins with whom she was conceived The elder shall serve the younger As it is writteâ— Jacob have I lâ—ved but Esau have I hated Samaritanus I am so desirous of your satisfaction that I entertain it as a contentment when you afford me the opportunity to administer unto it And now you offer me that Objection I have long expected from you to which I answer 1. That St. Austin himself concludes the Election and Reprebation of These very Persons Jacob and Esaâ— to proceed upon God's ford-knowledge of what they should do respectively for thus he writeth Nemo eligitur nisi jam distans ab illo qui rejicitur Vnde quod dictum est quia elegis nos Deus ante mundi constitutionem Ad Simpl. lib. 1 non video quomodo sit dictum nisi de praescientia fidei opâ—rum pietatis Et mox Jacobus non electus est ut fieret bonus sed bonus factus eligi potuit No man is chosen unless he differs from him who is rejected So that I know not how to interpret that saying That God hath chosen us before the foundation of the world but by understanding it of his * Foâ—eknowledge See Rom. 8. 29. and chap. 11. 2. 1 â—er 1 2. of Faith and works of piety Jacob was not chosen that he might be made good but being made good he was in a capacity to be chosen And in the same Book he attributes Esau's Reprobation to his own actual miscarriages for thus he writeth Noluit ergo Esau non cucurrit Sâ—d et si voluisset cucurrisset Dei ad utorio per ven sset nisi vocatione contempta reprobus fieret Esau would not and did not run Had he willed and had he run by the help of God he had attained but by a contempt of the Divine call he was made a Reprobate 2. But whence doth it appear that Esau was a Reprobate Is the proof of it in those words Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated But 1. the Apostle produceth them but as a verification of what was alledged before from the Oracle to Râ—becca the elder shal serve the younger which sure imports not an eternal Reprobation 2. For God to love and hate persons to such
the Apostles discourse and the thing he labours so much to make good Desolatus What use then doth the Apostle make of it having so fully asserted and proved it Samaritanus The use he makes of it is this To declare that in the present Age under the Gospel God was likewise of his meer grace and favour pleased to invite and call men unto Faith and upon their Faith to Adopt them into the priviledge of his children and this not out of râ—spect to any mâ—rits in them for so many and so great generally were their transgressions that they deserved nothing but perdition Therefore this their Election unto grace and the means of salvation proceeds not of works but of â—im that callâ—th since God when he might have damn'd them justly among other sinners was pleased notwithstanding Rom. 9. 11. to call them unto Faith and believing upon that Call to choose them for his children And this is that Election of Grace to which at least the Apostle alludeth Rom. 11. 5. Desolatus I desire you would give me a view of the Apostles Discourse upon this subject in one short entire summ that I may the better comprehend it Samaritanus I shall do it most readily because I know it will be of much advantage to your understanding of the point You apprehend already that the Apostle is disputing with the Jews whose privileges were very glorious and they knew it well enough To them pertained the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises Theirs were the Fathers and of them as concerning Rom. 9. 4 5. the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever By so many signal acts of Grace they concluded God had tied himself so fast to them that they must needs inherit the Blessing Though their zeal in adhering to the Law was blind and pertinacious yet they plead their Title to righteousnesse and Life upon that account and resolve they shall be Heirs as is intimated Rom. 4. 14. Otherwise they alledged God should unjustly cast away his own people Rom. 11. 1. and cancell his own Promises and make his word of none effect Rom. 9. 6. and so become unfaithful yea if he should adopt the Gentiles who were no way zealous of the Law and besides as they thought greater sinners than themselves if God should adopt them to be his children upon their faith and submission to the Gospel and reject those his antient people who did so earnestly contend for the honor of his own Law and would seek * Rom. 9. 31 32. Gal. 5. vers 2 3 4. for righteousnesse and life no where else but from the observation of that If God should deal thus if he should after this manner prefer the unworthy Gentiles before the Jews who at least were not more unworthy he should become unrighteous too as well as unfaithful as is implied Rom. 9. 14. To this the Apostle replies 1. In general that the Law of Moses as it abstracts from Faith in Christ could not bring in Justification unto life by reason of sin which had over-spread all * Rom. 3. 9. 10 the 22. and that it was never intended to that purpose Rom. 3. 19 20 23. But that such Justification was to be obtain'd upon the accounts of Grace and consequently by Faith which doth establish Grace and not destroy it Rom. 4. 16. and that this Dispensation of Grace for Justification unto life was extended freely to All Nations Gentiles as well as Jews without difference This the Apostle asserts Rom. 3. 21. to the end And in the next Chapter he proves both branches by instancing in Abraham who 1. was not justified by the Law but by Faith Rom. 4. 3. c. and 2. he was justified while he was in the condition of a Gentile uncircumcised Whence he concludes that the Blessedness of Justification unto life doth belong also to the Uncircumcision that is to the Gentiles Rom. 4. 9 * See chap. 10. throughout c. And this was Gods constitution four hundred and thirty years before the Law of Moses was given as the Apostle alledgeth in handling the same Controversie to the Galaâ—ians * Gal. 3. 17. Vide Calv. Instit lib. 4. c. 16. sect 13 14. This is St. Paul's reply in general Then 2. more particularly he tells them though God did now cast off them for their unbelief who were formerly his renowned people yet he could not justly be charged with unfaithfulness * Rom. 3. 3. or breach of promise therefore Because when he promised he would be the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob and the God of their Seed he did not renounce his own Supream Right and Power in all times to restrain and determine * And the scope of the Apostle in his Dispute with the Jews is to prove that the Faithful were designed to be that Seed Rom. 4. 11 12 13. and Rom. 9. 8. at his own pleasure the signification and Title of that their Sâ—ed to whom and to what manner of persons he would Thâ—s Liberty God always reserv'd to Himself and exercised it in the Family of Abraham preferring Isaac before Ishmael his elder brother Rom. 9. 6. to 10. And more signally he used this lâ—berty in the Family of Isaac whereof those Twins that had done nothing to disâ—riminaâ—e themselves being yet in their Mothers womb that this his liberty and good-pleaâ—ure might be established He freely preferr'd the younger before the elder vers 10 to 14. And these present proceedings of Gods providence in accepting the Gentiles upon their submission to â—he Fâ—ith and rejecting â—ou for your unbelief which you so much dispute against This saith the Apostle is but the same exercise of His Supream Right and Power who had proclaimed to Moses your great Leader I will have * Rom. 9. 15. mercy on whom I will have mâ—râ—y And this is the very point he pursues and presses the equity of so hard on Gods behalf in the rest of that Chapter And this is a perfect account of that Election and Reprobation which are there handled by the Apostle And as this Reprobation cuts off the Jews no longer than they continue in unbelief Rom. 11. 23. so that Election comprehends the Gentiles no longer than they continue in the Faith Rom. 11. 22. Desolatus Sir I thank you heartily for your pains in unfolding that which to me especially of late hath been such a hard Chapter But Sir there are some Texts which trouble me because they seem to import and many learned men do so interpret them that some men are under an absolute Decree of Reprobation and that the sins for which they are at last condemned come to pass by Gods most efficacious Decree Ordinance Dr. Twisse ubi supra p. 90. pp. 95. f. and Pre-determination and if it be so then their damnation and the sin that procures it are inevitable And