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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60360	The predestinated thief A dialogue betwixt a rigid Calvinian preacher and a condemned malefactor. In which is not onely represented how the Calvinistical opinion occasions the perpetration of wickedness and impieties; but moreover how it doth impede and hinder, nay almost impossibilitate the reducing of a sinner to emendation and repentance.	Slatius, Henry, 1585-1623.	1658 (1658)	Wing S3982A; ESTC R220063	24,121	82

punishment more to be feared to your Soul Therefore tell me now you are a going out of this world whether do you think you shall go Th. To heaven as well as you who art not much better than I. Pr. Do you think then you are as good and as honest as I am Th. Yes that I do and that I will prove out of your own proper Confession a Calv. Com. on Isa ch 64. v. 7. of his Institut l. 3. c. 12. dist 9 13 14. Ibid. c. 14. dist 9. one for all Your best works in themselves are filthy deformed detestable nay meer abominations and sins and like an unclean woman alwayes infected with filth and spots so that you are not accepted or esteemed of God for any of your works because that they b Belg. Confes art 24. deserve nothing but eternal punishment and that c Catech. Heidel quest 60. you altogether grievously sinn'd against all the Commandments of God neither have observed any one of them nay that you are altogether prone to all manner of malice and hatred both against God and your Neighbour In those printed Prayers at the end of your Psalter you confess worthy Sir your worchiness not onely to be blinde in your understanding but unapt to all good that it strayes from God follows its own vain imaginations that it daily sins and that most hainously and that it is by our Original Sin sometimes so corrupted and instigated that by reason of it there rise many and sinful thoughts which fight against God and your Neighbour so that many times you transgress the commands of God without intermission In brief you are a miserable sinner conceived and born in all sin and corruption prone to all evil unapt and averse to all good so that you have uncessantly by your sins throughout your whole life excited the anger of the Lord against you and according to his righteous judgement has deserved on thy self his eternal the more the pity Condemnation Your Conscience accuses you of this d Confes Belg. Art 7. nay your very sins witnesse against you so that being convinced you often groan under the sense of your corruption and desire to be freed from the body I will speak in short Since your being of little or no profit for e Teelings Dial. of Christian mans state p. 8 9. from your nativity you have been a childe of wrath and heir of Divine vengeance hadst communion with damned Devils when thou wast in thy Mothers womb full of all natural poison whence all evil actions proceed that you can do nothing more than sin yea when thou wast an Infant hadst thou but been tempted by the least occasion for you are naturally as propense to sin as the Serpent is to bite or sting and as is the Serpent odious to men not for the mischief it has done but the poison it carries about with it so even you are counted odious by God by reason of that poison of Original Sin in which you were born and conceived All this and much more of the same kind you say of your selves and have subscribed it with your own hand Nay you brand all those which deny to affirm these things with you by the name of Hereticks as Arminians Pelagians and such like Names and how would you take it if some one Shimei like should make it his business to reproach and assault you with dishonesty and maledictions and vomit out if there be any things worse than these upon you Pr. For the honour of God and the exalting of the superabundant riches of his grace I willingly confess my self guilty of all this nay God will that his chosen and faithful should be such sinners that they should not boast of themselves but f Calv. Instit l. 3. c. 14. dist 9. be humble which humility confists in this that we empty our selves of all goodnesse whatsoever Th. And of late I have believed this to be true too Sir and I did further judge if I may speak my minde in this case that I was forthwith to do no good my self for the further I was off from doing any good the truer I could confess my self to be void of all righteousness and goodness Pr. I would not have you so understand me as if God would have us to be sinners and not endevour to do good works but that 't is onely by his grace lest we should seek to be justified by our works Th. I believe the same yet and because I well know how deadly a sin it is to lean to good works for justification and see with what subtilties the devil does hunt men how with heresies he entraps men I have even lain aside doing good if I could onely leaning to the free grace of God Pr. Must you have your will and your judgement afore all others and interpret our doctrine no otherwise then if it were the cause of your perverse life Fy Fy. God intends this that men should not seek to be justified by works but faith Th. By faith what faith Pr. As our Catechism has it in the 60 question I believe onely in Jesus Christ through whom by faith I shall be justified before God My conscience accuses me of all these things that I have sinned most hainously against all the commandments of God that I have observed none of them and am now liable to all evil yet the good God without any merit of mine out of his own meer grace both gives and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction justice and sanctification of Christ as fully as if I had committed no sin yea as if I had performed all that righteousnesse and obedience which Christ either did or suffered in my own person as I apply this by belief to my heart Th. You say well Sir this pure and sound faith has been alwayes my faith and so that I am more perswaded I have alwayes stuck close to that Doctrine of the reformed Churches so that I have almost wearied God if it were possible with my prayers in which faith without any good works I persist Furthermore this was alwayes in my mind often in my mouth g Luthers preface to Galat. That it was the chiefest art of a Christian to know no law no good works no not a tittle as to justification h Luth. lib. of Christian liberty for a Christian neither wants works or the law after by faith he is freed from all laws i Luth. on 2. chap. to Gal. Id. de lib. Christian Faith is onely necessary to salvation other things we are freed from whether commanded or forbid Goodworks make not men good nor bad ones bad and as to unbelievers no good work profiteth to their salvation so on the contrary no bad action makes a man bad or condemns him but onely unbelief For where faith is no sin can hurt Pr. What then have you such an esteem of good works indeed we teach indeed that faith in Christ does alone

and power which is to the elect irresistible for Renovation is a second Creation which does not depend upon the will of man but sole power of God i Donteclock in respons ad ignoti scriptum litera L. 4. M. 1. k Martyr L.C. de lib. arbit p. 978. For as those which are dead cannot raise themselves againe so I can by no means raise my self from the death of sin how much soever the word of God sound against threatning to reward this Spirituall death with an eternall unless God himself be pleased to give a new Spirit unto me wherefore I did wisely even to tarry l Bucer in Rom. 9. till God should come in upon me and by his word and instructions turn my heart for when I should be compeld I could not chuse but follow On the other side I concluded with my self thus If I am reprobated all that lies in me either to do or suffer will be vaine my doings can do me no good may be they may do me harm m Donteclock against Castel p. 171. nay though I should perform all the good deeds n Marl. on Ioh. 15. v. 2. that all the Saints ever did or shall do I could not be saved the decree of God stands so firme and sure Pr. You should have observed the outward and inward call of God both by his word and spirit Th. Could I have behaved my self any otherwise then I have done o Gesel in probat fol. 38. for who are not outwardly by the Gospel and inwardly by the Spirit called according to the good purpose of God cannot obey this call neither can they believe or p Id. 38. convert themselves and God q Smout in pref Concopd fol. 9. draws those that believe so that they will not cannot neither can will to resist his will Whom God enlightens and whose hearts he moves are compelled and cannot but follow when 't is God that calls To illustrate this by an example r Anthon. Thys in doct ord reform Eccles s Contra-Remonst in Colloq Hag. as none can hinder his own production or resurrection so none can hinder the Free-grace of God working in Jesus Christ for our regeneration and resurrection to a spirituall life from these you abundantly see if I had bin thus handled and called of God I could have done no other then followed and obeyed his will Pr. Did you then never heare God thus calling nor find your self ever moved Th. Yes I have often heard yet you very well know that as God has an internall and externall will so there is an internall and externall call t Pareus in Rom. 9. but if this externall call shall be joyned with the internall 't is to be an effect and an ineffable figne of his predestination and this is what the Synod of Dort have not of late so clearly demonstrated u Synod of Dort cap. 1. Art 6. Some have faith bestowed on them by God and others have not proceeds from the eternall decree of God according to which decree he softens the hard hearts and bends their wils to believe but the non-elect the elect by his just judgement he leaves to the hardness and malice of their own hearts Therefore Sir you seeme to be easilier bafled then one of your Coat should be bawling at me so often that I did not hearken to the call and invitation of God and fishing out of me whether I had not heard this call or no and was moved at it x Synod of Dort cap. 3 4. Art 10. For that some are called and converted by the Ministry of the Gospell is not to be ascribed to man as if by his own free will from others instructions he could discern and follow sufficient grace and works for his conversion which that proud Heresie of Pelagius affirms but to God who as he hath from all eternity chosen his in Christ so in time he doth effectually call them bestows on them Faith and Repentance and translates them out of darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son nay y Ibid. Art 12. God creates this new creation in us without us by such a virtue which is not inferior to that of the great Creation or Resurrection So that all those in whose hearts God has thus strangely and wonderfully wrought are infallibly regenerated and do actually believe Why do you accuse me that I am not converted when to speak the truth I do not see how 't is possible that one who is alwayes tottering and doubting whether he be elected or not can conform himself to the eternal Call this lett being left too over and above that this internal Call doth not concur Pr. Have you then all this while judged your self to be a reprobate O sad to relate Th. That I have and that not without a cause too because God of his own good pleasure has reprobated the greatest part z Smout Concord fol. 109. of Mankinde and reprobates a Trigl Def. fol. 83. are not damn'd for their sins neither are fore-seen sins the cause why any should be reprobated so that 't is necessary we confess b Gesel probat f. 216 217. evil works and incredulity not to be the cause of reprobation So that God out of his will and counsel hath ordained That some should be born as infallibly heirs of Hell as of their Parents that by their destruction his Name might be glorified Pondering these things in my minde I have oftentimes silently thought O good God! hast thou also reprobated me with the greatest part of Mankinde I did easily believe it because thou hast so ordered our reprobation that though it be our misery it turns to thy glory Pr. This is very true that God c Anthon. Thys ad Summam Baron p. 20. from eternity without any respect to sin by his pure absolute Decree which no man can understand has rejected the greatest part of Mankinde and created them to destruction or bequeathed them to destruction in Adams fall from an immutable and inevitable Decree which he decreed with and in himself nay if any one d Id. pag. shall dare to say God hath not decreed to hate man as man his creature but as a sinner he contradicts the Apostle and so consequently won't take the Authority of God himself yet for all this you are not by and by without any more ado to conclude your self a Reprobate Th. You say well but how is it possible that a man whose faith is oppugned with so many various and strong temptations who is given to so many lusts should easily perswade himself not to be reprobated as for example if a man knowes and weighs with himself that not onely aged people but also Infants are of this number e Perk. Cat. pag. 393. so that among Infants that die f Thys in expl doct de Praedest p. 245. some are saved some damned and that before they have done

justifie yet notwithstanding we are bound to observe the precepts of God as it is written if you will enter into life eternal keep the commandments Th. Gently good brother l Luth. in Serm. on Joh. 16.4 for thus you deny Christ and destroy faith attributing that to Divine commands or the law which is onely due and proper to God Furthermore I am almost induced to believe that you are an heretick whilst you attribute something to good works in our justification before God m Luther N. T. I say further Sir because the way is narrow you ought to be lowly and humble if you intend to passe for those that are loaded with good works are like those we see go pilgrimage to the reliques of S. James so incompassed with reeds that they cannot passe thither n Id. therefore if you come to heaven with a great bag full of good works you will be forced to lay them down for you cannot get in with them Pr. I confesse that good works are not looked upon as the impulsive cause of our justification and salvation yet for all that we are to take heed that we commit no bad ones Th. Very right Sir we do beware of sins o Catech. Heidel qu. 114. but much more of the law and good works onely heeding divine promises and our end Good God! What good can such miserable sinners as we do when as the most holy men who ever lived whilst they were in this life have had so small beginnings of obedience that you could not out of all their actions pick out one which did not deserve the just punishment yea the eternal punishment rather of Gods wrath then worthy of the reward of eternal life Go to therefore you Pedlers and Sectaries in religion with your good works and follow me who onely build my faith and help in the free grace and mercy of God p Luther of Capt. Babyl ch of Baptism For a baptized Christian is so rich that no sinnes whatsoever they be can rob him of his inheritance or impoverish him unlesse he fall away of himself from the faith All these are the very expresse words of Luther and Calvin and are these of your reformed Divines Pr. Yes but I perceive friend that you confiding in these and such like expressions have taken too much liberty to commit hainous sins therefore 't is necessary that you be instructed of that will of God by which he will be obeyed Th. You speak well Sir but don't you think that I have often thought of it truly I have and have often and much considered with my self about it for y Sturm of Predest Thes 18. pag. 117. I knew the will of God was twofold either Secret or Revealed So that God wills many things which he will not reveal z Id. Thes p. 31. as is clear by this instance a Perk. of Free-grace p. 45. God promulgated this edict by Moses to Pharaoh saying Let my people go when as the secret will of God and purpose was that he should not let the people go Neither b Calv. ad calumn Nebulon. ought this to seem a wonder to you because God has by his secret will decreed some to sin who by his revealed will he has commanded to do no evil Pr. Why so do you believe you perform the will of God when you commit iniquity Th. If c Sturm of Predest Thes 18. p. 17. you look after the hidden will of God whereby he has ordered all things to work for his glory wicked men do do the will of God but ●f you look to the revealed will of God wicked men do it not Pr. You say right therefore you are alwayes to be intent on the external revealed will of God because his hidden will you do not cannot know Th. Truly Sir these same two wills in or of God have alwayes made a great noise in my head and sounded very strangely in my ears d Pisc against Schafm for seeing God does not alwayes will what he e Dungan Pacif. fol. 56. does reveal to us to have willed and his revealed will to be call'd so but improperly his hidden properly furthermore f Calv. ad calumn Neb. pag. 161 to Art 7. that God should by his ineffable counsel will a thing to this end and make it for another and forbid that to be done which he wills to have done I was not very inquisitive about this revealed will Pr. How dare you belch forth such Blasphemies Th. I speak the very truth it self for when-as g Sturm of Predest Thes 1. fol. 3. the secret will of God is wholly onely and alwayes done and nothing happens in the world but God did before decree it nay when this hidden Decree of God is the necessary cause of all things so that God himself wills sin by the will of his bene placet I have alwayes counted it safe to follow the efficacious will of God lest otherwise I should take labour in vain Pr. h Ripert in Colloq p. 250. It is manifest that the Omnipotent God according to his secret Decree and bene placet would not have done what he has commanded to men in his revealed word and that i Id. pag. 252. all things as it appears according to God and his Decree infallibly and necessarily come to pass I go not about to deny nay I expresly hold this opinion in my judgement yet neverthelesse you ought to be the more sollicitous and careful over your self Th. I have read in Scripture Sir that Christ forbids all manner of vain sollicitousness of minde as to adde one cubit to ones height to make one hair black or white and others of these sorts Thence I judge I should do a great deal foolisher as well as more irreligious if I should presume to endeavour and strive against the decree and efficacious will of God Therefore you ought to confess with me that all operations humane commotions internal and external as well the bad as good whether of understanding heart or will have both their rise and efficacy from the force and impulse of Divine Providence so that they cannot but chuse whatsoever God shall will So that in Adams fall God had destinated his heart both to that end and action And hence it is l Calv. of Predest p. 842. that men can never will or do any thing but what God prompts them too whether it be good or evil so that he sometimes guides their hands sometimes holds them now turns them this way then that way and what way soever he pleases that they may effect whatever he has decreed which is only not to be understood of actions which are but of bad and evil likewise for m Calv. de locis praecipuis men sometimes like unto savage beasts run into all manner of viciousness yet for all this it often happens that they are so held in and curbed by an invisible and