on directing and sending the poor sin-sick wounded Sinner to the Son of God with his Wounds and Plague-sores to be healed pressing him to believe in the Son of God out of whom no Salvation is to be found Hereto I add the peremptory Command of God himself that the poor despairing Soul believe on the Son of God 1 Jo. 2.23 Mark 16.16 By these Methods and Ways of God's own appointment God is pleased to work saving Conversion and effectual Faith in the Souls of elect Sinners To what hath been offered out of God's own Word to prove the Doctrine of Particular Election before time I here set down the Judgment of the most Orthodox Protestant Churches concerning the same Not that I think the Word of God stands in any need of Humane Testimony to help it out but rather to shew forth the sweet Harmony which is between the Holy Scriptures and the Saints of God in their Holy and Orthodox Confessions of their Faith concerning the present so much controverted and impugned Doctrine of Election and Reprobation before time As also to shame those nominal Protestants both Non. and Conformists who have so apparently turn'd the back upon their own Articles of Faith whereby both the one and the other Party hath not a little strengthened the Foundation of the Jesuits hope of bringing England's Neck once more under the Papal Yoke From which I heartily wish and sincerely pray that God will ever keep us I begin with the Church of England Predestination to Life is the everlasting Purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's Purpose by his Spirit working in due season They through Grace obey the Calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to everlasting Felicity See 39 Articles of the Church of England Article 17th of Predestination and Election Secondly The Confession of Faith agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster By the Decree of God for the Manifestation of his Glory some Men and Angels are predestinated to everlasting Life and others to everlasting Death 1 Tim. 5.21 Mat. 25.41 Rom. 9.22 These Angels and Men thus Predestinated and fore Ordained are particularly and unchangeably design'd and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either encreased or diminshed Those of Mankind that are Predestinated unto Life God before the Foundation of the World was laid according to his eternal and immutable Purpose and the secret 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 the Glory of his Grace As God hath appointed the Elect unto Glory so hath he by the eternal and most free Purpose of his Will fore-ordain'd all the means thereunto 1 Pet. 1.2 Ephes 1.4 5. Ephes 2.10 2 Thes 2.13 Wherefore they who are Elected being fallen 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 1 Thes 5.9 10. Tit. 2.14 Rom. 8.10 Ephes 1.5 1 Pet. 1.5 Neither are any other Redeemed by Christ effectually Called Justified Adopted Sanctified and Saved but the Elect only Jo. 17.9 Rom. 8.28 Jo. 10.26 The rest of Mankind God was pleased according to the unsearchable Counsel of his own Will whereby he extendeth or withholdeth Mercy as he pleaseth for the Glory of 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 Mat. 11.25 26. Rom. 2.12 2 Tim. 2.19 1 Pet. 2.8 See The Assemblys Confession of Faith Chap. 3. of the eternal Decree of God To this the Church of Scotland hath fully agreed With this also agrees the Articles of Faith of the Church of Ireland in Bishop Vsher's time See those Articles And Vsher's Body of Divinity Quest What are the parts of Predestination Answ Election and Reprobation 1 Thes 5.9 Rom. 9.13 22 23. Quest What is Election Answ It is the everlasting Predestination or Fore-appointing of certain Angels and Men unto everlasting Life and Blessedness for the praise of his Grace and Goodness 1 Tim. 5.21 Jo. 15.16 Rom. 9.22 23. Ephes 1.4 5 6 9. Quest What is Reprobation Answ It is the eternal Predestination or Fore-appointment of certain Angels and Men unto everlasting Dishonour and Destruction God of his own freewill determining to pass them by refuse or cast them off and for Sin to Condemn and Punish them with eternal Death Prov. 16.4 Exod. 9.16 Rom. 9.17 22. 2 Tim. 2.20 Mat. 25.41 See Vsher's Body of Divinity pag. 91 92. The Church of France in the 12th Article of the Confession of her Faith hath these words viz. We believe that God out of that Corruption and general Curse into which all Men were plung'd doth free those whom in his eternal and immutable Counsel he elected of his meer Goodness and Mercy in our Lord Jesus Christ without the Consideration of Works leaving the rest in the same Corruption and Damnation to shew forth in these his Justice and in them the Riches of his Mercy for none of them are better than others because God hath separated them c. The Synod of Dort in the 7th Canon doth lay down this plain and clear Definition of Election thus viz. Election is the unchangeable Purpose of God by which before the Foundation of the World according to the free good pleasure of his Will of his meer Grace he hath chosen out of all Mankind to Salvation in Christ a certain and set number of Men neither better nor more worthy than others but lying in the common Misery with others and fallen from original Righteousness into Sin and Destruction by their own fault c. And in the 15th Canon of Reprobation they say thus viz. The Holy Scripture doth manifest and commend unto us this eternal and free Grace especially when it doth farther witness That not all Men are elected but that some are not elected or are passed by in the eternal Election of God viz. Those whom God according to his free just unreproveable and immutable good Pleasure decreed to leave in the common Misery into which they had cast themselves by their own fault and not to
THE Doctrine of Particular Unconditionate ELECTION Before Time Asserted and Prov'd by God's Word against the Quakers Papists and Arminians In Answer to a Challenge given the Author by the Quakers to make good by the Scriptures of Truth the abovesaid Doctrine Wherein is evidently discovered I. That the abovesaid Doctrine rightly understood and believ'd with Application to ones self is the great Enemy of Sin both in the Heart and Life of a true Believer and that which keeps the Believer from Despair in the deepest Desertion and Temptation II. That the Doctrine of Free-will and General Redemption c. is an Inlet to and an Encourager of Sin and which leads in the end to horrid Despair under powerful Awakenings in the natural Conscience of an Unregenerate Man For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Mat. 24.24 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure c. 2 Pet. 1.10 By Ja. Barry an unworthy Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for the Author 1700. TO THE Impartial READER Courteous Reader I Am to inform thee that in the time of the Popish Government when Popery and Quakerism smil'd so amicably on each other as the two Religions if I might so call them which are nearest of Kin of all the Religions visibly profess'd in these Kingdoms the People called Quakers sent me a Thrasonical Challenge in Writing which was afterwards published in Print to prove from the Scriptures of Truth the Four Doctrines here following 1. The Doctrine of the Resurrection of this fleshly Body which Dies and turns to Duft 2. The Doctrine of Justification by the alone Righteousness of Jesus Christ freely imputed 3. The Doctrine of Imperfection in Sanctification in the most Mortified Believer while in this World 4. The Doctrine of Particular Unconditionate Election before Time All which the Quakers do stiffly and peremptorily deny as by their Printed Book against me doth evidently appear Their Challenge I was resolv'd to answer in Print to let the World see what Heterodox and Heretical Principles that deluded and seduced People do hold and teach for true Religion Besides my Resolution herein I oblig'd my self by promise to my Congregation that I would in the Strength of Christ prick the Bladder of their Blasphemous Pride by proving and making good by the Scriptures of Truth the abovesaid Doctrines For my Encouragement wherein my Congregation did unanimously stand by me resolving I should be at no other Charge hereabout but the Studying part Paper was Bought the Printer agreed with and just as the Press was ready to begin the Storm came so suddenly on the Protestants in Dublin that we were soon scattered asunder The Providence of God calling on us to secure our Lives instead of Printing Books The reason why I have been so long silent in this Cause is the want of that help I had from my Flock in Dublin If any generous noble Spirited Christians who love Christ's Cause better than they do the Mammon of this World will step in to my Encouragement in supplying the room of my absent Friends they shall in a very short time see the Four Doctrines above-mention'd clear'd up and made good from God's Word Maugre all the Jesuitical Craft and Subtilty whereof that People seem to be Masters The reason why I have singled out the last of the four Doctrines rather than any of the other three to discover and confute the Quakers pernicious Heterodoxy in the foundation Principles of true Christianity is twofold First because that in denying and opposing the Doctrine of particular unconditionate Election before time they do manifestly Rob God of his Soveraignty and Praise Secondly because of the Natural tendency which the denial of this Doctrine of a particular unconditionate Election before time and the holding and propagating its contrary viz. The Doctrine of Free Will to good in every Man of General Redemption and a Temporary Conditional Election with falling from Grace hath to encourage Men in Living a licentious loose Life and to necessitate Mens final despair of Salvation when the Naural Conscience in Vnregenerate Men comes to be under powerful Awakenings for Sin committed against the Law of God That I do the Quakers no wrong in charging them with Robbing God and encouraging Men to Live in Sin as also their laying a Foundation for Mens despair of ever being saved in their way of Conditional and Temporary Election will evidently appear to him who reads and compares with Gods revealed Will what is discovered in this small Tract And in case any noble Spirited Christians will but encourage the Work as already hinted I do not so much as doubt but that the Spirit of God will enable me to demonstrate from Gods own Word that the Quakers in denying the Resurrection of the Body and the Justification of a Sinner by the alone Righteousness of the Son of God freely imputed without any regard had to any Qualifications inhering in the Person of the Sinner Justified do deny all sound and saving Religion And as touching their Sinless Perfection attainable in this Life whereof they make such Brags it shall be made plain that herein they both belye the Spirit of God and contradict the experience of all saved Believers both in Heaven and Earth CHAP. I. Of Election before Time GOD did before all Time by his unchangeable Counsel most freely unchangeably and from all Eternity elect and choose unto himself out of Lapsed Adam's fallen Posterity a certain number of Persons which can neither be lessened nor encreased to partake of his special saving Grace to Salvation by Jesus Christ his Son to the Praise of the Glory of his own Grace What I have now asserted for truth if God enables me to demonstrate and make good by Scripture as I doubt not he will then will it unavoidably follow all the Wit and Malice of Men and Devils cannot overthrow it that God hath passed by and Reprobated others In the Proposition now laid down there are three things to be considered in order to a clearing up and making good the Point in Dispute First The Act of God and the Objects thereof which are both held forth and intended in the Scriptures following Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him Jo. 15.19 I have chosen you c. 2 Thes 2.13 God hath chosen you c. In the Scriptures now quoted we have God Electing or Choosing and then the Objects of his Election or Choice viz. Particular Persons on whom that Election of God fixeth viz. Some particular Persons That God's Act of Election hath fixt on some particular Persons not on all in general as the Enemies of Election would fain have it the following Arguments will evince Arg. 1. If God hath made a Promise of Life and Salvation to some particular Persons only then hath he elected and chosen
and the World hath hated them because they are not of the World even as I am not of the World Here are two distinct Partys described by Christ the one is Prayed for the other is not the one is hated the other hates the very Practice of the latter denotes the Persons to be Children of another Father distinct from those they hate There is nothing more discovers Men to be the Children of the Devil than their hating Righteousness and not loving those who appear to be Godly 1 Jo. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doeth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother As Love to God his Truth and such as bear his Image is an infallible Character of an Elect Child of God Jo. 13.35 1 Jo. 3.14 1 Jo. 4.7 So to hate God his Truth and such as bear his Holy Image is the indelible Character of a Reprobate designed for Eternal Destruction 1 Jo. 3.10 The second thing in the Proposition to be considered is the End and Design of God in that Act of his in Electing and Choosing which is twofold First as it respects the Creatures Elected viz. that they might partake of the Special Grace of God here on Earth and of Eternal Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven through Christ his Son according to that of Paul Ephes 1.4 According as he hath Chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in Love 2 Thes 2.13 Because God hath from the beginning Chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth Vers 14. Whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.9 For God hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Secondly with respect to God Electing viz. That the Glory of his Soveraign Free and rich Grace might be Extolled and Praised for ever according as the Apostle expresseth it in Ephes 1.6 To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Vers 11 12. In whom also we have obtained an Inheritance being predestinate according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will that we should be to the Praise of his Glory who first trusted in Christ The third thing in the Proposition to be considered is to take Notice of the Properties in that Act of God Electing Those Properties are in number three First God in Electing and Choosing some Sinners to himself out of the corrupted Mass of fallen Mankind on whom he purposed to shew Mercy He did Elect and Choose them most freely there was nothing at all in the Objects Elected and Chosen that could move God wherefore he should Elect one Sinner more or sooner than another for as fallen into Sin and equally obnoxious to the Curse of the Law and the Wrath to come were all the Sons and Daughters of Adam lookt on by God when he fixed his Electing Love on some and actually rejected and passed others by on whom the most High God as an uncontrolable Soveraign purposed to execute the fierceness of his Wrath for Sin The reason or impulsive cause of this Difference which the tremendous God saw fit to make between Sinners equally guilty and obnoxious to the Curse and Wrath of God is not to be sought out of God himself An Example and lively Instance hereof we have in Rom. 9.11 which the Wise God hath seen sit should be recorded on purpose to stop the mouth of Carnal reason which is so wretchedly prone to Question and Dispute against his Soveraignty over his Creatures The Children being not yet Born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth It was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger As it is Written Jacob have I Loved but Esau have I Hated The Wise God foreseeing the purblind Reasonings and Cavillings of Carnal Mens unsanctified Brains against the Doctrine of Gods absolute Soveraignty in disposing of the Eternal concerns of his rational Creatures fallen by Sin into a state and condition of Misery through their own default hath seen good for the vindication of his own Prerogative to make known to the Sons of Men and that by the unerring Wisdom and unquestionable Authority of so great a Man as Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles the reason of Gods Method in proceeding to Elect some of fallen Mankind to a state of Life and Salvation through a Redeemer and Reprobating others leaving them for ever to perish in that Sin and Misery into which they did without any constraint wilfully plunge themselves to be no other than his own most free and holy Will seeing that he alone is the undoubted Soveraign of the World who hath an indisputable right to determine what to do with or how to dispose of Sinning Rebels without being any way liable to the controulment of any of his Creatures especially such of them as by Sin have forfeited their very Being to the Divine Justice and who while in an unreconciled State are not capable of knowing him or of being subject to his Divine Law The good Will and Pleasure then of the Blessed God is the Source and Fountain whence the great Disparity between the Elect and the Reprobate World doth spring not any thing in the Creatures themselves as Arminian Cavillers dream and conceit it doth This will evidently appear if the Reader will but with a becoming modesty and unprejudic'd judgment read the whole Chapter at length and with fervent Prayer to God for the Wisdom of his Spirit look narrowly into and with sobriety consider the 11th and the 16th Verses where it plainly appears that the two conceited Qualifications of which the Enemies of Election are usually proud and which they hold and teach are the procuring cause of the Difference between the good and the evil Men on Earth viz. the Free Will in Man and the good Works which unregenerate Men do but conceit they do they are both met with and equally discarded by God from having any room or place among the causes which put God either upon Choosing the Elect or rejecting the Reprobate Mark the 11th Vers That the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth With this agrees Ephes 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 least any Man should boast And Tit. 3.5 Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he hath Saved us c. Vain unregenerate Man would fain perswade himself that he is worse than Threadbare Rags of his polluted Morality negative and positive is a covering sufficient
for there is no Argument which more stongly proves a Man or Woman to be of the number of Reprobates than to expect or hope to go to Heaven in the continued and approved Neglect of Believing in the Son of God Repenting of Sin living a Holy Life and Persevering in the same to the end of Life Object 4. The Doctrine of Election before time doth not only encourage to Sin but it leads People to final Desparation for preventing of which all imaginable care ought to be taken to suppress and decry it Answ To this Horrid and Blasphemous Objection I shall in Christs strength Answer in four Particulars And First I do boldly affirm in the Name of the ever Blessed Trinity That this Blasphemous Objection did originally spring from that Spirit which charged the Son of God with casting out Devils by Beelzebub which if I mistake not is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost and such as peremptorily with allowance and approbation persist in making and liking the same against the Doctrine of Election so plainly revealed and so positively asserted by the Holy Ghost I am not afraid to declare and pronounce them the Children and Successors of those Pharisees now in Hell who vented that unpardonable Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Mat. 12 24.32 Let all Cavilling Adversaries who bring this Objection against the Doctrine of Gods absolute and free Election before time have a care they be not found Ranked among those mighty Sinners who in the height of their Wickedness run themselves most desperately upon the thick Bosses of the Almighties Buckler Job 15.26 Secondly If the Doctrine of Election be such a dangerous Doctrine as leads to Licentiousness and which in the end brings Men to Desparation I would fain know how it comes to pass that the Enemies of this Doctrine are such Slaves to their Brutish Lusts and why so many of them Die in Despair when under powerful Awakenings and common Convictions in their guilty Consciences Thirdly I do with greatest confidence and certain assurance grounded on the Word of God and backt with my own Personal experience affirm That as the right Knowledge and Believing of the Doctrine of Election before time with a particular application thereof to ones self is the only Doctrine that sets the Heart of a true Believer against all Sin and which secures and keeps the Believer from Desparation in the time of the deepest Desertion and most violent Temptation so the Doctrine of Free Will and general Redemption is a Doctrine which encourageth to Sin and which necessarily leads to Desparation Here two things are to be demonstrated First That the Doctrine of Election before time rightly understood and particularly applied by Faith is the only Doctrine which engages the Heart of a sound Believer against all known Sin and which fortifys and secures the Believer against Desparation in the time of the deepest Desertion and the most violent Temptation Secondly That the Doctrine of Free Will and general Redemption is a Doctrine which encourageth to Sin and which necessarily leads to Desparation The first of these will evidently appear to him that rightly considers and believes the Particulars following First the Purpose and Design of God the Father in Electing which was That his Elect and Chosen who were fallen into Sin and Misery in Adam their Natural and Faederal Head might be delivered and by strong hand rescued out of that state of Sin and Misery and made effectual Partakers of that Liberty and Redemption purchased by Christ his Son the Sponsor and Surety of his Elect. Secondly the design of Christ the Surety and Sponsor of the Elect in the whole Work of Mediation which he undertook to go through for the Elect which his Father had chosen in him which was to purchase for and in time to apply actually to the Elect the saving Benefit of that Freedom and Redemption purchased by himself Thirdly The design and office of the Holy Ghost which is to sanctify and renew the Souls of the Elect in effectual Calling and to carry on and maintain the Work of Grace begun in the Believer to the end Fourthly The design of the Gospel in revealing and discovering the Mistery of Gods Love and Grace to his Elect and Chosen which is that Believers might by virtue of Christs Death savingly applyed Dye unto all Sin and that they might by virtue of Christs Resurrection walk in newness of Life before God Fifthly The design of Divine Providence towards true Believers which is to purge them from the remains of indwelling Sin more and more and to make them more and more to abound in Holy Conformity to Christ their Mystical Head All these as so many Lines in a Center do meet in the Doctrine of particular Election the which when the Believer seriously considers and by Faith applys to himself he is so far from being drawn either to Sin or Desparation thereby as that he finds the quite contrary in himself viz. an admirable Aversion and Repugnancy to yield consent to the flattering Sollicitations of Sin and an Anchor hold which powerfully keeps him from descending into the Darksom Valley of Desparation which is as I may say the very entrance into Hell it self When the Believer is at any time attacked by Satan his enticing Instruments or by indwelling Corruption to yield to the motions of Sin he fetcheth Arguments against Sin from the Doctrine of Gods Election thus Hath God from all Eternity fixt his gracious purpose of Delivering and Rescuing me out of that state of Sin and Misery into which the Apostacy of Adam my Natural and Faederal Head plunged me and that by choosing out and fixing on his own Son to be a Surety and Saviour to purchase a liberty and to work out a perfect and compleat Redemption for me and shall I can I with approbation yield my full consent to grieve and offend this freely and this dearly Loving God I cannot do it neither can all the Craft and Pollicy of my Spiritual Enemies ever work me to a willingness to go back into that state of Spiritual Captivity under Sin and Satan from which the Grace of God in Election and effectual Calling hath set me free Secondly Hath Christ the Son of God pursuant to his Fathers Holy Decree and Gracious Purpose and in compliance with so noble and glorious a Design as Redeeming Captive Sinners and reconciling them to his Father consented to become a Mediator for me to work ou a work of perfect Redemption for me that I might be set at liberty from the Laws Curse from the dominion of Sin and the Usurpation and Tyranny of the Devil and shall I consent to commit Sin against such Bowels of Mercy and Love I cannot do it Thirdly Hath the Holy Ghost who in conjunction with the Father and the Son had a Hand in my Election to Eternal Life vouchsafed to take on him the Office of a Sanctifier to Sanctifie and Renew the Elect in effectual Calling
and who hath begun in me the Work of Special Sanctification and will never finally leave me till he hath perfected his Work begun in me and shall I can I willingly grieve and offend that Holy Spirit by whom I am Sealed to the day of Redemption I cannot do it Fourthly Is the Gospel appointed by Father Son and Holy Ghost to be a Word of Revelation to discover to me how the Heart of God his Christ and Holy Spirit stood affected towards the Elect and toward me in particular from Eternity and to endless Eternity and not only so but that the same might be a rule of Direction to me all my Days to discover the false ways I am to shun and avoid as also the Paths I am to walk in in order to a pleasing the Holy Trinity and coming safe to Heaven and shall I can I consent to abuse so sweet and excellent a Gospel I cannot do it Fifthly Is the design of Divine Providence in all its various Dispensations to the Elect and to me in particular to purge Believers from the remains of indwelling Corruption and to make them more and more to abound in Holy Conformity to Christ their Mystical Head and shall I abuse it by Sinning against it and taking an occasion therefrom to be vain and secure in my Conversation I cannot do it And as the true Believer is enabled being taught and guided by the Holy Ghost to fetch Arguments against Sin from the five Sacred Topicks now mentioned so is he in like manner enabled being savingly influenced by the Inhabitation of the Holy Ghost in him to fetch from the above Named Topicks Arguments to keep him from final Desparation in the most violent Hurrycane of Temptation which can attend on a deserted or an afflicted Condition To evince and clear up this Truth for the comfort and encouragement of the Poorest Believer in an Hour of sore Distress when the Waters of Affliction reach even to the very Soul to a sensible endangering the extinguishing the little Grace lodged in the Soul let it be seasonably and seriously considered that the Believer when he finds Satan his wicked Instruments and indwelling Corruption all conjunctly together pressing and working his Soul within to despair of Mercy and Salvation he falls on Arguing from the sweet Doctrine of Gods Election thus shall I can I who am secured of Life Eternal by the Gracious and Unchangeable Decree of the immutable God despair of Mercy and Salvation as Satan the wicked World and my own Carnal reason would have me do I cannot do it If it were possible that my finking Soul should drop through the very Jaws of Despondency into Hell it self from thence would Gods unchangeable purpose of Grace fetch and deliver it Secondly Shall I or can I for when Christ the Son of God hath undertaken as a Sponsor and Surety and for whom he hath wrought a perfect Reconciliation by his own Mediatorial Righteousness in which no Spot or Defect ever was or ever shall be found by God Angels or Men despair of Mercy and Salvation as Devil wicked Men and my own Carnal reason would fain perswade me to do I cannot do it Thirdly shall I to and for whom the Holy Ghost is become a Sanctifier and a Renewer of my Nature and who by his saving influential Presence dwells in me never finally to leave me till his good work of Grace begun in my Soul in effectual Calling be compleatly perfected despair of Mercy and Salvation as the Devil wicked Men and my own Carnal reason would have me do I can by no means do it Fourthly Shall I who have all the sweet and precious Promises of the Gospel of Gods Love and Grace to comfort and assure me that God Christ and the Blessed Spirit will never never fail or forsake me despair of Mercy and Salvation as mine Enemies would perswade me to do I cannot do it Lastly Shall I who have the Divine Providence engaged for me to uphold me to purge out the remains of indwelling Sin in me and to forward me in conforming to my Mystical Head Christ in Holiness despair of Mercy and Salvation as mine Enemies would have me I not do it This is the use which a true Believer makes of the Doctrine of Gods Election before time while Faith in the Believer is in its right Exercise none will stumble at it so as Eternally to Perish but such as are not by that Act of Gods Electing Decree given to Christ before time to be actually Redeemed in time Secondly The Doctrine of Free Will and General Redemption is a Doctrine which encourageth to Sin and which necessarily leads to Desparation I shall offer two things to consideration for evincing and clearing up this for Truth the which I desire the Reader to weigh and consider without prejudice First The use which all unregenerate Men make of the Doctrine of Free Will which sad experience teacheth is this I will turn to God by Repentance I will Believe in an Attoning Saviour I will fall on the work of Reformation and thereby prevent my perishing by the deserved Judgments of God when I see my own time and when I am thereto disposed who sees not except one Spiritually Blind how greatly this Doctrine doth encourage to Sin For saith my Carnal reason as often it hath while I was in a state of Nature if I do not return to God upon his Call and Invitation this Day this Month this Year I fully purpose and resolve to do it the next for God hath implanted in my Soul a Principle of Free Will whereby I am enabled to answer his Call by Repenting Believing and Reforming the which when I do though not at present God will have Mercy on me and I shall be accepted being secured by that General Redemption provided for all who so Repent Believe and Reform Woful and sad experience convinceth me that many God provoking Follys and Vanitys of Youth in my Heart and Life have been indulged by this deceiving cursed Doctrine Oh! how often hath Carnal reason within me cryed out when the common Notions of the Spirit of God hath toucht my Conscience to call on me to convert and turn to God I will Repent I will Convert I will turn to God to morrow to morrow As Augustin confesseth of himself he often put God off with his Free-will Cras Cras To morrow to morrow Till at length he grew both asham'd and weary of his graceless to morrow crying out to the Almighty in the very hour of his effectual Conversion Quam Diu Domine Clamabo Cras Cras Quare Non Hodiè Domine c. How long O Lord shall I cry to morrow to morrow Why O Lord should I not be Converted this veryday And as an Unregenerate Man takes Encouragement from this Principle to go on in Sin so it leads him to Desparation Of this also my sad Experience hath fully convinc'd me as plainly appears by the near approach I made to
withwhat a virulent and malicious Spirit the Contriver and Presenter of this black Charge against me was Acted I here sincerely and conscientiously set down the very Words I spake from which the occasion was taken to represent me in such black Colours The thing was thus the Subject I was then upon leading me to discover the sad and deplorable Condition the Poor Sinner is in while in a state of Unregeneracy I had these Expressions whose design and tendency was to awaken and convince the Sinner of his Misery by Nature by way of observation viz. That where God sets the Law on work in the Conscience of an unconverted Sinner it will like the Avenger of Blood pursue the Guilty Sinner till it either drive the Sinner to Christ the only City of Refuge or till the Sinner he Lodged in Hell To bring the matter home more particularly and closely to an awakened Conscience labouring with Adam to cover the Sinner with the Fig-leaves of Self-rightcousness both Negative and Possitive thereby to be justified and saved I address'd my self to this Sinner in these words Thou convinc'd Rebel Sinner who art now under the Laws Arrest and sinking under the heavy weight of thy Sins hoping to relieve and lick thy self whole with thy Conditions and Qualifications as if there by thou couldst make amends to the offended Justice of God for all thy Violations of his Righteous Law know and consider it thou must that the Just and Righteous Law of God whose terrible Sentence in thy guilty Conscience thou art now striving to fly and shun in this way of Works it is like a strict Creditor who will not accept for Payments any Coin which appears short and deficients either in Quantity or Quality It will not hear of a Sinner's being justified by any Works but such as are exactly Commensurate to its own Just and Holy Demands Now said I either see that thy Conditions and Qualifications whereunto thou trustest for Life and Salvation be spotless and exactly commensurate to the Law 's Demand or in case they be not then away with thy Fig-leaf Holiness to Hell with thy Duties and personal Qualifications Look to the Lord Jesus Christ by an Eye of Faith cast thy weary sinking Soul on him for Life and Salvation or thou wilt Perish eternally Jo. 3.36 Jo. 8.24 This is what I said then Christ knows I Lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost When I have to do with believing Christians I press them to the Duties of practical Holiness and good Works as if they were to be justified and saved by them But still with this seasonable Caution that Believers do never join their Works of Sanctification with Christ's justifying Righteousness in the Work of Justification Besides the black Charge brought against me to which I have spoken by way of Apology mine Accusers the better to palliate their own black and horrid Crimes charge me with Defectiveness in my Life and Conversation as not practising what I Preach To this I reply in four Particulars First By way of Concession or Grant my Life and Conversation is not according to my Preaching in a sense I own it I do humbly acknowledge with shame and grief that I find my self vastly short of that Perfection in Sanctification which in Preaching I press as Duty on my self and others and the Searcher of Hearts best knows of how great a Concern it is to me to reflect on the vast Disparity which I sensibly perceive is between what I am and what I ought to be in point of Conformity to Christ in Life and Conversation which lays me under an indispensible necessity of subscribing to that Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor I know and approve better things but follow or encline to things which are worse And to that of Paul Rom. 7.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am c. Secondly By way of Negation if my Accusers intend and mean that I give my self up to a course of dissolute and loose Living or that I allow my self in the approved Practice of any Immorality which is incompatible with a Regenerate State or which is Inconsistent with a Holy Possession I absolutely through special Grace deny the Charge and do bid my Invidious Bespatterers and all such as do uncharitably credit such malicious Reports of me a fair and sober Challenge to make good such a Charge against me by any Authentick Witness which is not known to be prejudic'd against me if not one or more of them who have plotted to overthrow my Reputation and Ministry Thirdly If short coming in living up to what I Preach and Profess be a sufficient Warrant for Church Members to prevaricate and run away like Children of Belial throwing off the Yoke of Duty in the Church I would gladly know how it is possible for any Churches to be kept up on Earth considering that the Instruments by whose Ministry God sees fit to gather and Build up Churches to fit them for Glory are frail Men not sinless Spirits For my own part albeit I am far from pleading for any Sin though but the least Infirmity whereof either I my self or any other know me Guilty I must needs say that I never yet could find that ever God the Father in the Old Testament or Christ his Son in the New did call or send any to be Prophets or Apostles who were exempt or free from personal Failings or who were ever able to live up perfectly to the Doctrine they Preached to others Yea it is most evident to any intelligent Reader that a considerable part of the Canon of Holy Scripture is Occupant about discovering acknowledging and bewailing the sinful Miscarriages and short comings of the Pen-men thereof as the Learned and Godly well know Fourthly and Lastly Supposing that my Brethren knew and could prove me guilty of as great Falls as ever any pardoned Sinner fell into is it not the duty of Church Members to endeavour my Recovery by coming to me in the Spirit of Meekness and Brotherly Love to call on me and to stir me up to Repentance and Reformation knowing than the Holiest of Saints even those of the highest Attainments in Grace while in the Body are Obnoxious to the sprest Temptations and by reason thereof and the remains of indwelling Corruption are liable to the sorest falls thereby The Word of God proves that so to do is the undoubted Duty of Church Members one towards another Lev. 19.17 Mat. 18.15 Gal. 6.1 But this my Schismatical Brethren never did to me though never so earnestly Courted and lovingly Entreated thereto and that both in and out of the Pulpit As can be sufficiently prov'd if need be Satan and his plotting Agents knew fullwell that the old Trade Report and we will report it Jer. 20.10 was the most likely and effectual way to accomplish their ungodly Design which was to unchurch the Church and for future to render my Ministry useless In order whereto the Pastor must first be attackt according to Zach. 13.7 Smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered This Apology I thought not only Expedient but my Duty to publish for the true Information of those especially Dissenting Ministers who have from the Character given them of me by those I here intend suckt in Prejudice against my Name and Ministry And to occasion their seriously considering how every way unbecoming the Gospel it is for one Christian especially such as are called to Sacred Office to be open Ear'd and of too credulous a Temper in listening to and improving to the great Prejudice of those whom the Law of Charity commands them to love any Reports which looks like a Design to blacken or stain the Reputation of a Brother especially a poor Stranger who for Christ and the Gospel hath lost his All and who for witnessing against the spreading Errors of the times is surrounded and besieged with Enemies of all sorts To frown on and carry it strange to such will neither please God credit Religion or help to make a dying Bed easy and comfortable Exod. 22.21 Deut. 10.19 Mat. 7.12 Colos 3.12 13 14 15. Obsequium Amicos veritas Odium parit Flattery begets Friends speaking Truth causeth Enemies Compare Esa 30.10 with Amos 5.10 FINIS