though the ill digesting and composing of them will not deserve a Schollars eye much less answer yet because if it be possible that the Authour may not further befool himself or further delude his over credulous proselytes and lead captive 2 Tim. 3.6 silly women laden with sin I will draw a line of confutation over his more remarkable Errors and willingly pass by his smaller faults of incongruous or improper expressions First I do consent that the most holy and high God from all not in Eternity by one sole and single act did see all whatsoever he purposed to do or permitted to be done by any of the creatures he intended to create for else he could not be Omniscient Omnipresent Infinite and Eternal But whereas it is said That God saw some men embracing the means of salvation and those he elected in Christ from the foundation of the world to everlasting life this is so far from soundness that it is flat Pelagianism an old Heresie exploded forth of the Church for many ages since by which it must be concluded that the eternal decree of Gods unchangeable election must be dependent on the intervention of mans liberty of willing and working but no proof from Scripture brought to evidence it nor appearance of any colour of reason Whereas the Scripture when it speaks of election makes it to be altogether independent on the creature or from ought at all wrought by or in the creature but wholly resting for the ground thereof in the bosome and holy will of God himself and therefore it is called Ephes 1.5 the good pleasure of his will and Ephes 1.11 the purpose and counsel of his will Nay so absolute and irrelative is this decree of election from any thing out of God besides his good pleasure as to be any motive or incentive for which God elects as a meritorius or a procuring ground or cause of it that even Christ himself is excluded as for whose merit man should be elected and therefore we are said to be elected in Christ not for Christ But because Socratical discourses are not so convincing I shall produce some irrefragable Arguments to which if the adverse party shall give any the least colour of answer to satisfaction then I shall say as they believe that learning is good for nothing but to puffe men up and gull the world but till that be done which I am certain will never be I shall bless the God of my salvation who Ephes 4.8 11. hath given such gifts unto men 1. Arg. If the rise of our election be grounded in the free grace of God then it is not upon Gods foresight of mans embracing of the means of salvation but it is founded on the meer mercy and free grace of God therefore not upon the foresight of the embracing of the means The first proposition or major is unquestionable for that there is but one cause to produce the effect The second proposition or minor viz. that our election is founded on the meer mercy and free grace of God see for proof hereof Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself the Lord did not set his love upon or choose you because you were more in number c. but because the Lord loved you where the single love of God is pitcht upon as the cause of their election exclusively from any other outward causes See further Deut. 10.15 Matth. 20.15.21 Luk. 12.22 Rom. 9.11 18 21. Ephes 1.5 11. 2 Tim. 1.9 2. Arg. If the Patriarch Iacob was elected meerly out of grace without any respect had to any of his faith works or use of means then all others are likewise so elected for there is the one alike motive for the election of all as of one But Iacob was elected meerly out of the good will of God without any respect to faith works or the use of means at least for the moving of God to elect him Therefore all others are so likewise elected The minor proposition is confirmed out of Rom. 9.11 for 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 the elder shall serve the younger 3. Arg. If the decree of election be absolute without any respect had to faith works or means Then God did not elect upon a foresight of the embracing of the means but the decree of election is absolute c. Therefore See for proof Rom. 9.11 Rom. 11.5 6 7. Ephes 1.4 5 11. Matth. 20.16 and 22.14 4. Arg. If faith and works be the fruits and effects of election then they are no wayes causes of it for which God should elect but they are fruits and effects Acts 13.48 as many as were ordained unto life believed Ephes 2.4 7 8 9 13. 5. Arg. If our foreseen faith works or embracing of the means were the cause of our election they should be likewise the cause of our vocation and justification but the later is false therefore the first The major is proved by that undeniable axiome Quicquid est causa causae est causa etiam causati That which is the cause of a cause is also a cause of the thing caused i. e. of the effect The minor is proved 2 Tim. 1.9 and Ephes 2.8 Rom. 3.24 justified freely by his grace 6. Arg. If our election were dependent on mans embracing of the means then these absurdities would follow 1. Then the will of God should be moved and determined by an external cause i. e. the first cause should be ordered and guided by the second and thereby the first is made the second cause and e contra which is against the rules of all Philosophy and Divinity 2. God hereby is supposed to be capable of passion i.e. when thus moved but God is altogether immutable and impassible 3. Then there should be somewhat in the creature out of God before greater and better then God because that every cause is before and better then the effect 4. If there might be imagined to be any thing in the creature which might move God to the decreeing or appointing of this or that then it would follow that the actings or issues of things have not a dependence upon the decree of God contrary to Iam. 3.37 5. Then man might have just cause of boasting in himself 6. What then would become of children dying in infancy before they had the use of faith or works or any embracing of the means and which never were to have a being to act therefore they were never to be foreseen For the third Position That God saw some men rejecting the means of salvation continuing in sin and unbelief those he reprobated to everlasting destruction But this hath the like unsoundness in it as the former of election there being no other ground or reason assigned for it either of sin or unbelief or rejecting of the means
tend to the glory of God for to that end was man created Prov. 16.4 Ephes 1.15 And therefore neither have the elect cause for which they should boast because what they do receive is of undeserved grace 1 Cor. 4.7 neither are those who are pretermitted cause to complain whiles they have but their deserved reward Rom. 9. the Potter having power over his lump of clay to make one vessel to honour another to dishonour That which hath the fourth place is Election which is not to be understood of an election to a civil or sacred place or office as 1 Sam. 10.24 Iohn 6.70 Nor of a people separated to a special Covenant as Deut. 4.37 Nor onely of such as were called to the outward profession of the Gospel whereof a Church may consist as 1 Cor. 1.27 But it is A personal definite and immutable separation of certain singular men from the rest of mankind and preordaining them to salvation by such means as it hath pleased him to appoint in his most wise decre Matth. 20.16 and 24.24 Mar. 13.20 Rom. 11.7 And means for the execution of this decree of election are Redemption by Jesus Christ effectual vocation justification by faith and sanctification joyned with perseverance Rom. 8.29 30. Eph. 1.4 1 Thess 5.9 1 Pet. 1.2 Act. 13.48 Tit. 1. 1. Phil. 1.6 In election Christ is the basis and head thereof Eph. 1.4 5. both in that he was designed by the Father as a Redeemer of the elect 2 Cor. 5.18 Esa 12.2 As also because that such so elected were given to Christ to be redeemed by him and to be brought unto glory Ioh. 17.6 and 10.16 So that Christ is inrolled in the decree of election not as a meritorious cause of it nor as the foundation thereof but as executing that decree and the meritorious cause of grace and glory to be conferred upon the elect according to the decree of God Faith likewise sanctification good works and perseverance are ingredients in the decree consequently as means ordained to the end by that decree but not antecedently as the foundation or causes upon foresight whereof our election doth depend For if upon the foresight of our faith or foreseeing who would believe or embracing of the means or continuance therein our election should depend then were it necessary that the same should be foreseen in us either as those graces or works wrought in us by our selves and of our own innate strength or else wrought in us onely by God and of his grace and gift alone If you l ' say they proceed as from our selves as from the innate activity and choice of our own free-will then have we whereof to boast and then have we made our selves to differ from others contrary to that of 1 Cor. 4.7 for what maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it what dost thou glory is if thou hadst not received it But if we have received that grace from God and that it be onely of his working in us to give us faith and repentance from dead works c. Then God hath decreed to give us those graces which since they are infallible means unto salvation therefore they are to be drawn and derived from infallible election wherin salvation is decreed unto us for the further clearing wherof consult these places Matth. 11.25 26. Luke 12.32 1 Tim. 1.9 Rom. 9.11 12. and 11.5 Eph. 1.4 Rom. 8.29 Ioh. 15.16 Acts 13.48 1 Cor. 7.25 Ioh. 6.37 and 8.47 2 Tim. 2.19 Matth. 24.24 1 Ioh. 2.19 The last proposed is Reprobation which is the eternal Immutable and most free decree of God wherein a certain company of men considered in an alike lump and mass of corruption and guilt with all others he hath decreed to pass them by and not to have mercy upon them neither to confer on them the means tending to salvation but leaving them in their sin whereinto they had cast themselves for the same sin to condemn them for the manifestation of his liberty and justice and power This reprobation by a metonymy is styled in Scripture Hatred Rom. 9.13 So the purpose of God Rom. 9.11 that determined counsel of God Acts 2.23 the good pleasure of God Mat. 12.25 26. And the Reprobates are called vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 men of old ordained to condemnation disobedient whereunto they were appointed 1 Pet. 2.8 Appointed unto wrath 1 Thess 5.9 wicked made for the day of evil Pro. 16.4 All which do argue that God is the efficient cause of Reprobation and that hell fire is prepared for such Goats as well as for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 that God must be the efficient cause of Reprobation as well as of election appears in this that as he elects i. e. decrees to save some so likewise he decrees to Reprobate i. e. to pass by and leave others and not elect them as Matth. 24.40 41. For else had not he fore-determined what to do with a great part of mankind but to have left them to an uncertain event which is unsuitable to his wisdome Now the act of God in Reprobating may be distinguished into a negative and privative act i.e. of not granting salvation nor conferring means of salvation and into an affirmative or positive act i. e. of inflicting damnation and of blinding and hardening After both these waies the Scripture sets forth Reprobation 1 Negatively Mat. 7.23 and 25.12 I know you not Ioh. 10.26 you are not of my sheep Ioh. 17.19 I pray not for the world Matth. 13.11 to them it is not given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven 2 Affirmatively Rom. 9.13 Esau have I hated Rom. 9.22 vessels of wrath sitted to destruction Rom. 9.18 whom he will he hardens Ioh. 12.39 40. They could not believe because he had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts So that if it be demanded wherefore God when he saw all men in an alike condition sinners and children of wrath Reprobated some i. e. did not elect them or suffered not his face to shine on them as he did on others viz. those which he did elect no reason can be assigned for this but the absolute good pleasure of his will But if it be demanded why he doth not confer salvation on them or glorifie their persons in heaven but contrarily inflicts upon them eternal torments in hell here the cause is assigned to be their own sinnes Matth. 25.41 42. Go ye cursed into everlasting fire for I was hungry c. and Rom. 6.23 the wages of sin is death And therefore in the matter of Reprobation God is to be lookt upon partly as a sovereign who hath the sole power and dominion over his creature Psal 145.17 Gen. 18.25 and partly as a Judge who is righteous in all his waies and doth right to every man As a sovereigne and so according to his absolute power and liberty dependent on
as 2 Chron 15.2 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while you be with him and if you seek him he will be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you God had promised them sworne to them that they should enter into Canaan but they brought up an evil report concerning that land they murmured against God who hereupon told them that they should not come into that land but wander fourty years in the wilderness till their carcasses were wasted and so they should know his breach of promise or altering his purpose as the margin hath it Had they made good their promise he would have made good his promise but because they brake with him in sinning he brake with them in punishing and so here was exact justice lex talionis The like we have Ezek. 16.59 I will even deal with thee as thou hast done which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant Having set this buttress to my first Argument and throughly fortified it against all your crooked engines I am now ready to attend to what you have to say against my second argument which is this If the Patriarch Iacob was elected meerly out of Grace without any respect had to any of his faith works or use of means then all others are likewise so elected for there is the one alike motive for the election of all as of one But Iacob was elected meerly out of the good will of God without any respect had to faith works or use of means at least for the moving of God to elect him Therefore all others are so elected Whereto you begin thus to answer First I cannot but mind those words that fall from his pen in the close of his argument at least saith he for the moving of God to elect him certainly either it was his mind to give out something as though the position had said that mens faith works and use of means did move God to elect then when the word works was not there at all for had it been in it without an explanation of it I should not have vindicated the position but as it is I must maintain the truth of it against all opposers whatsoever neither is there any thing in it as that faith or use of means doth move God to the electing of any men or else surely his heart smote him or his own conscience did accuse him that he had excluded the use of means wholly in the electing of men to life and salvation as if God had no respect to it upon any account whatsoever and yet should take pay for preaching as if it were a thing of great worth upon that account Answ Sir by your last I hoped to have found you somewhat conformable to the rules of Schools and to have denyed some one proposition for matter or the whole for forme but instead thereof you fall into a rambling discourse without either art or wit so that I am forced to follow you in your wildgoose-chace though it be somewhat immethodical And I now shall tell you this that these words for the moving of God to elect him did neither casually nor by check of conscience drop from my pen but very considerately for the better illustration of the sense of the Argument and therefore whatsoever your disclaimer is as that nothing is implied in the position whence to conclude your admitting of external motives in the object by way of condition qualification or thing prerequisite for or according to which God doth elect and thereby become a motive or incentive for Gods electing and so not singly and simply his bare and meer good pleasure Yet as I have by severâ—â— arguments made to appear in the defence of the former Argument that in reality of truth according to you faith embracing of the means c. are concauses or incentives for God to elect And why you should grumble as in this and several times after you do that I insert works with faith and use of means in my argument I know no cogent reason you can have for it for as for works whereby I mean a conformable walking according to the mind and will of Iesus Christ they being via regni Heb. 11.6 Heb. 12.14 they are every way as necessary unto salvation as faith it self is for as without faith it is impossible to please God so without holiness no man shall see the Lord. And therefore that I yoke the Papist with the Anabaptist I shall only say Matth. 20.13 14. friend I do thee no wrong tolle quod tuum est et vadâ— for ought I see you are no holier then they their foreseen works carrie as much colour of truth as your foreseen faith and both alike both of them necessary and concurrent to salvation but both of them and all things else out of God excluded from election his alone will and good pleasure being the sole rise and fountain why any is elected and yet as God doth elect unto glory and salvation as the end so he doth elect unto grace unto faith unto good works as the way and means conducing to that end You second what you have begun and say that the Patriarch Iacob and all others that are elect are elected meerly of grace without any respect had to their works if it be meant meerly the works of the Law but that Iacob or any other man or woman whatsoever is elected without any respect had to faith or use of means I do deny This to me seems a bold attempt and a plain contradiction that any thing should be meerly i. e. solely and singly of grace and yet with a respect had to faith and use of means If the Apostles Argument be good Rom. 11.6 If of grace then not of works because grace excludes all other things besides it self if it be meerly grace then certainly it must be as concluding here if of grace then not from any respect had to faith or use of means which last in plain English is nothing else but good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them Eph. 2.10 That same grace excluding all other things besides as to the decree it self of election Though I alwaies did and shall affirm that the same gracious God that so freely without any respect had to any thing in those he did elect did decree to save them So he did decree to save them by faith in his Son and through good works to bring them to glory The next thing you endeavour is to commit a rape upon Rom. 9. and to defloure the purity of that Scripture by your false gloss upon it which you dictate thus For the Scripture in Rom. 9.11 which is that which he bringeth to prove his Argument proveth no such thing but the contrary for although it was said to Rebecca before the children were yet borne neither having done any good or evil that the pâ—rpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of
him that calleth yet there is nothing at all about excluding faith or use of means for the Apostles drift in that very text is to exclude the works of the law that the Jews would dwell upon for justification that so he might set up faith in the room and place thereof which I shall have occasion to speak of hereafter In the mean while consider that Paul is so far from confusion in putting faith works and use of means altogether and shutting them all out of doors together as having no place at all in that great and weighty work of our election to eternal life as this Babylonian doth that on the contrary he in beating down the works of the law and casting it out from having any place at all in that thing viz. the election or justification of persons in the sight of God to eternal life doth in the 9th of the Romans together with many other sayings by him recorded in that Epistle and other of the Epistles written to the Churches of the Saints endeavour to set up faith and the use of means that is leading thereunto in the same things Answ The result of all this nothing amounts onely to this that the Apostle in that chapter his intended scope is to exclude works and to entertain faith in the stead thereof But truly Sir I am very jealous or confident rather that if you were well canvast about it that whiles you undertake to be a teacher of others 1 Tim. 1.7 yet you understand not what you say or whereof you affirm For this I so positively affirm Matth. 5.17 that as all works are not excluded from a justified person they being for necessary uses Tit. 3.14 Christ not coming to destroy the law but to fulfill it Rom. 8.3 and to cast down the merit of our works and to declare that they could have no justification by them as being weak through the flesh So neither is faith ushered in by Paul here in the room as you phrasifie it of works as by the excellency thereof it could justifie us before God much less be any waies instrumental to our election as this Athenian babler seems to innovate For whereas you contradistinguish the Law of faith spoken of under that term 1 Thess 1.3 and 2 Thess 1.11 to the law of works You must know that the Gospel is called a law of faith because the promise of Grace in Christ is propounded with Commandement that men believe it But now we deny that faith justifies us as it is a work which we performe in obedience to this law It justifies us onely as the condition required of us and as an instrument of embracing Christs righteousness no Sir it is not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere or the act of believing that hath any such efficacy for so it is a work of our own and so as much turned out of doors as any other of our good works Our believing being impure and but in part Lord I believe help mine unbelief and so altogether unable to justifie for that must be done by a perfect righteousness But whatsoever is here or any where else in Scripture spoken to the advance and honour of faith is to be understood of faith objectively i. e. Christ believed on by faith that doth supply to our perfect justification Isa 64.6 Phil. 3.8 when all the merits of our Righteousness are but as filthy raggs yea dung and loss compared with Christ So that it is not properly faith that is a believers evangelical Righteousness whereby he is justified but Christ set up as the brazen serpent and laid hold on by faith the souls organ and hand to receive him that is our Righteousness Ier. 23.6 the Lord our Righteousness and 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made to us wisdome Righteousness But that I may more clearly rescue this eminent portion of Scripture out of such soule fingers who lay violence upon it and by their tricks of legerdemain make a Babylonish confusion of election with justification as this jugler doth here and all along as you shall find forcing upon election that which is peculiar to Justification not distinguishing the decree of election from justification which is onely the means for the execution of the decree the ordinary slur that this society of people would put upon us I shall by the assistance of Gods Spirit give you the genuine scope and sense of the Apostle in this Chapter In the former Chapter the Apostle had been treating of Justification in these three next Chapters he treats of Predestination but this is occasioned by way of Anticipation For against the Doctrine of Justification it might be objected If the Doctrine of Justification by faith alone were true then it would be received by the Jewish nation But the Jews disclaim that Doctrine at least the greatest part of them ergo it cannot be true The first Proposition the Apostle denies and answers to the reason of it teaching that not all the Jews are to be accounted the people of God who are partakers of the outward promises but onely those who do believe the promises of grace and that whereas they are but few that do believe and that most of the Jews do not believe this doth wholly rest on the secret will and Predestination of God who hath elected some unto salvation for the manifestation of his mercy and hath not elected or reprobated others according to his unfathomable justice Upon which Reprobation did depend the rejection of the greatest part of the Jews of that time and the calling of the Gentiles in their stead This is the general scope of this Chapter Now because a doctrine of this nature must needs be a stumbling-block of offence unto the Jews therefore in the five first verses he insinuates into their good opinion intimating his tenderest bosome-love unto them and extols them for many prerogatives wherein they did outstrip other nations and yet withall he expresseth his sorrow when he considers that they were rejected of God and appointed to destruction In the six and seventh verses he meets with an objection which in substance was thus If the Iews be rejected then the Covenant that God made with Abraham and his seed is of no effect But this is not so ergo not the other The Apostle here denies the sequel of the Major Proposition and renders a reason of such his denial by a distinction of a double sort of the children of Abraham viz. 1. Children of the flesh 2. Children of the Promise and thence informs them that the Covenant doth properly belong to the children of the Promise i. e. to the elect Jews Therefore howsoever the children of the flesh for the most part of them be rejected yet the Covenant of God remains sure and firm towards the children of the Promise i. e. towards the elect Jews This distinction he confirms by a special example of the two sons of Abraham viz. Ismael and Isaac whereof the first was onely
upright but he hath sought out many inventions Eccles 7.29 Answ Grave Seignior to what you say that I deduce from the Scripture that God doth elect men in Jesus Christ to eternal life without any respect had to faith or the use of means I pray point out the place where either I or any man else have vented such stuffe if you cannot blame me not to charge you for bearing of false witness against your neighbour yet this both my self and others constantly do affirm that in the decree of election God hath no respect at all to faith or use of means as a motive incentive or cause why he should elect one rather then another but yet in that decree those whom he sets his love upon to appoint them to salvation those he doth decree that they shall be saved by faith in his Son and by exercising of such means as he hath or will appoint in his word To what you do insert by way of concession although they do exclude the works of the law wholly in that thing Sir this is your mistake as I have told you of it before For I would have you to learn this from me if your pride be not too great that where works of the law are excluded and faith required that is onely meant in the business of Justification and not to be meant about the matter of election for in the cause of election both faith and use of means are as much excluded from having any casting voice at all as well as the works of the law yet this to be understood excluded as antecedently to election but not as consequently excluded as from being a means cause or motive of the decree but yet excluded as from being of a consequent means for the execution of the decree for as so works are as necessary to salvation as faith it self for Heb. 12.14 without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Nor is there any more truth in that which follows that we should collect from that portion of Scripture that the Reprobation of persons to everlasting destruction proceeds solely and singly from the will of God but this is that we do affirm that God did not elect some but past by them and left them in their lost condition and this was simply and singly from the same will whereby he elected the rest and that for the sin whereinto they had irrecoverably cast themselves which would unavoydably fetter them and make them obnoxious to all other sort of sins for those same sins I say at the last to condeme them and who can in this expostulate against the justice of God For Ismael Esau Pharaoh whom the Spirit of God makes instances of non-election or reprobation they were by the decree of God which is his will or good pleasure left in or past by in that corrupt mass of perdition out of which the Lord determined not to deliver them nor to supply them with grace sufficient for their salvation and this was from all eternity before they were in existence concerning which our dispute is which as yet you do not meddle withal but onely about reprobation in time concerning which I have no cause to contend but shall readily acknowledge that when these men came to be in being they in their several generations were led away by their own lusts which as they did flow from that principle of their non-election so one sin in Gods justice might be the cause of another sin You make your progress thus But it is found in Scripture that Gods way in making vessels of dishonour is in respect of what he doth by men in time when they come to have a being and so it appeareth from that similitude of the potter Ier. 18.3 4. Then went I down to the potters house and behold he wrought a work on the wheels and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it and we do find that God doth not apply the parable or similitude to any work that he did in the first creation or before man had a being but he doth apply it to his dealing with men in time when they have a being for saith the Lord by the Prophet ver 5 6. O house of Israel note the house of Israel was a people then in being and yet were not at that time made vessels of dishonour or given over of God to their own destruction but God pleadeth from that similitude that he had power and also wo ld do it if they did walk stubbornly against him which accordingly came to pass for saith the Lord by the Prophet ver 11. Behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your wayes and your doings good and they say there is no hope but we will walk after our own devices c. ver 12. and more for the clearing of this you may find if you read chap. 19. and especially mind the 15. ver the words are these Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Behold I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it because they hardened their necks that they might not hear my words Answ My friend why this of the Apostle Rom. 9. must necessarily be relative to any other place but immediately from that inspiration of the Holy Ghost I am assured you can bring no cogent reason for it T is true the margin of the Bible gives a hint of some such parallel places of the like import but it doth nor thence follow that the interpretation of the one must be concluded to be the sense of the other But if any man in this list to be contentions to make it relative then surely it must rather be to that in Isa 45.9 as I could evidently make it to appear if it were necessary and then all what this Gentleman hath said to that of Ier. 18.3 4. must needs fall to the ground where I have nothing to say either to him or it the strength of my Argument being nothing at all concerned in it What is in this paragraph spoken as to vessels of dishonour I shal by and by meet with that in the Analysing of this 9. to the Rom. and in the mean time proceed to attend to what you farther say And this is that which is pleaded for in Rom. 9. that God hath power and also it is his will to harden the hearts and blind the eyes or darken the understandings of those that will not obey the truth in their day of grace when light is held forth unto them as it came to pass upon the Jews as the just and righteous judgement of God upon them Luk. 19.44 Because they knew not the time of their visitation Rom. 9.32 Because they sought it not by saith and Rom. 11.20 Because of
Gerizim Election And Ebal Reprobation OR THE ABSOLUTE GOOD Pleasure of Gods most holy will to all the Sons of ADAM specificated Viz. To vessels of mercy in their eternal Election AND To vessels of wrath in their eternal Reprobation BEING An answer to a spurious Pamphlet lately crept into the world which was fathered by Thomas Tazwell Wherein the Texts of Scripture by him perverted are Vindicated His corrupt Glosses brought to light and purged His Shuffling and Ambiguous dealing discovered and the Truth in all fully cleared By JAMES RAWSON Mr. of ARTS and Preacher of the Gospel at Hasilbury Bryan in Dorset Rom. 9.13 Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated v. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth August Super Johannem lib. 3. cap. 161. Quare hunc trahat illum non trahat noli velle judicare si non vis errare London Printed by Iohn Owsley for Henry Shephard and are to be sold at his shop under St. Swithins Church in Canning street near London-Stone 1658. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE And truly Noble Lord ALGERNON Earl of Northumberland Lord of the Honours of Cockermouth and Petworth Lord Percy Lucy Poynings Fitz-pain Bryan and Latimer Knight of the most Noble order of the GARTER Right Honourable I Am no pretender to that thred-bare Apology of the importunity of friends in the committing of this worthless nothing of mine unto the press for had I hearkened to some this had never come into the light so inconsiderable is he that bears the name of my Antagonist though as I am ascertained one of greater eminency shrowds himself under my nominal adversaries wing and yet hath not the confidence to appear in publique But whosoever it is that took up the Gantlet since it is â—lear that the Holy Truths of God are by him stricken at through my sides and that many poor deluded people are seduced by his plausible miscarriages I could not do less in justice and conscience then to shew my self in publique both for the vindication of the cause of God that it may not suffer by my silence and that I may in some measure undeceive the light-headed tottering and unstable people T is very true I was decoy'd into this ingagement there being onely at first desired of me to write down my resolves unto certain Positions for the private satisfaction of some staggering persons which being rudely because suddenly conceived and drawn up not having time to clothe that Embryon in any curious dress my adversary by subtilty seiseth upon it and after a twelve monthes travel brings forth rudem indigestamque molem a mishapen answer unto some part onely of my resolves and steals it through the Press Now because I was surprised in that I held it needful to vindicate both my self and it which howsoever in the outward accoutrements it be ragged and torn yet for the matter of it I doubt not but that it hath truth to support it But yet alas who am I that I should adventure to undertake this task being less then the least of all the Saints and especially seeing the subject matter thereof is of so great concernment The well is deep and my fathoming is but shallow I must confess I am so low a man in the esteem of the world and so obscure every way that I fear the truth may sustain some loss through my weakness my onely hopes are that that God who begun that good work in and by me to the satisfaction of a few will now perfect that work which he hath begun to the resolving of others And whereas custome hath so far prevailed for the dedication of Books to some noble Personages my next hopes are that your Lordship will be graciously pleased to honour me your unworthy servant so far as that I may shelter my self under your Honours Patronage And I do the rather take hold of this occasion upon this ensuing consideration Right Honourable Twice have I had a large experience of your goodness and bounty in the setling of me in the Parsonage of Hasilbury Bryan first in recommending me to the Committee of the County upon the delinquency of the incumbent and afterwards upon his death by the free granting of me your Lordships Presentation thereunto notwithstanding the interposition of some to the contrary hereby freeing me from many of those snares wherein many of our coat are in these corrupt times very much intangled and hitherto I had no opportunity to give any evidence of that thankfulness I owe unto your Lordship I know it were injustice in me to smother it for si ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris Neither could I so satisfie my self in bare expressions and that in a private manner to testifie a thankful acknowledgement unless I did withal set the same upon record â—hat as this poor tract of mine passeth abroad in the world it may stand up every where as a publique testimony of my private obligations unto your Honour And however I am confident you take no pleasure to have your goodness published but that you are rather satisfied with the peace of a good conscience then with the gawdy outside of specious Encomiums yet it becomes an ingenuous spirit to profess how and by what hand mercies are reach't forth unto him God make me truly thankful to him for his good providence over me herein and for all other his mercies towards me And I could heartily wish that all the world might understand your noble disposition and Christian conversation in the midst of your worthy family how you make your self a pattern unto them in godliness and honesty both in publique and private that so every man might be provoked by your gracious example and therein as in a glass behold how immeasurablely you exceed the painted sepulchres of this our age both in reference to God in giving him the honour due unto his great name as also in reference to man by a distributive justice rendring to those who have a dependency on your Lordship according to their deserts But I must withdraw lest that in setting forth your praises I derogate from your worth which deserves the pen of a ready writer to advance it to the height My Honoured Lord I hope and humbly crave that your Lordship will be pleased to accept this small and simple present as a signal testimony of that great observance and thankfulness I owe unto your Honour professing my self so deeply engaged that I shall be ever studious how I may do you any faithful service in the Lord which whiles I am wanting in any other means of manifestation my supplication shall be at the throne of grace to grant you length of dayes continuance in and increase of all true honour and comfort therein amidst all the shakings of this present evil world and the crown of glory in that world that is to come which shall be the dayly prayer of My Honoured Lord Your Lordships humbly devoted
You further proceed But we have learned 2 Cor. 10.4 5. That the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thought that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ And where we read of the whole armour of God that the Saints are to put on Eph 6.11 there is not any mention nor the least intimation of a sword of steel or â—rmour of flesh not any carnall weapons whatsoever but the spirituall waies of Jesus Christ expressed in the New Testament must be defended with spiritual weapons notwithstanding all that can be said to the contrary by you which desire to have those waies and works which are devised by men and found in the Testament of Christ to be upheld by an earthly power Answ For that place cited 2 Cor. 10.4 5. I grant you for I know no Minister of the Gospell arrogates to himself the power of the sword except the Pope with his Ecee duo gladii No Sir your carnall weapons we commend unto the civill Magistrate whiles we labour with the sword of the spirit Eph. 6.17 Mat. 22.21 which is the word of God we give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things which are Gods The next Text of Scripture cited by you is Eph. 6.11 12 13. here you say is no mention nor the least intimation of a sword of steel but in the New Testament the spirituall waies of Jesus Christ are only to be defended with spirituall weapons Here is a true tang of your brethren of Munster and doubtless as occasion would offer it self you would speak plain English in the rest but to the wise enough hath been spoken of it before where it hath been manifested that the Magistrate is Custos utriusque tabulae But whereas you say there is no mention of a sword of steel what follows must not these therefore be put on I le propose a like Argument The Apostle Rom. 13.14 Rom. 13.14 bids us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ we are not there commanded to put on our cloths to put on our gowns to put on our cloaks c. What follows must they not therfore be put on O irrational arguing I tell you Sir that as a Christian that puts on Christ may put on his cloaths and cloak also so he that puts on spirituall armour may likewise put on a sword of steel I pray tell me of what metall Peters sword was made Joh. 18.10 wherewith he did cut off Malchus his ear And so I bid farewell to your act of Toleration your dearest Helena your City of refuge your Sanctuary for any your blasphemous opinions and erroneous tenets and proceed to examine what you answer to that of mine That it is very visible to all exact observers that those who were prime promoters incendiaries and blew the coales first of those strange opinions c. To which you say Now if by strange opinions is meant the universall love of God manifested to the sons of men in the death of his son as a way and means by which glad tidings of great joy is held forth to all people and the baptizing sucâ— in the name of the Lord Jesus who confess faith in him theâ— you are much mistaken for these are not strange opinions buâ— precious truths which concern the salvation of every man and woman in the world witnessed by the Holy Prophets by Christ himself and his Apostles which have been the prime promoters of the same Answ Sir what need was there of multiplying of Controversies in thrusting these in by head and shoulders I am sure you have more upon your hands already than your Infancy is able to weild And for those two subjects offered to consideration viz. Universall Redemption and Baptism of Infants there is as much said in them already by divers learned men of our side and particularly by Dr Kendal against Goodwin and Mr Baxter against Tombes to the satisfaction of any reasonable men that are not blinded through prejudice and even to the silencing of their very adversaries that it would be but casting water into the sea for me to cast in my mite Yet because that every man hath not the opportunity to read their works and that you may not have cause of glorying if I should slide over this I shall undertake through the guidance of Gods spirit to give in the genuine sence and scope of those Texts of Scripture nakedly mustred up by you in favour of your Universall Redemption and thus you begin The former is witnessed by Isa 53.4 5 6. where it plainly appeareth that the iniquity of all that went astray are laid on him that is on Jesus Christ Likewise by David in Psalm 145.8 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Yea Christ himself witnesseth to this truth in Joh. 3.16 17. And by his Apostles Rom. 5.18 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 1 Tim. 2.1 3 4 5 6 7. Tit. 2.11 Heb. 2.9 2 Pet. 3.9 And the Angel of the Lord also Luk. 2.10 11. And for the later which is the baptizing such in the name of Jesus Christ who confesseth faith in him it is so highly promoted by Christ and his Apostles that there is neither precept nor president for the sprinkling or washing of Infants in his name Answ The first in order placed by you is Isa 53.4 5 6. I know not what it should be unless the just judgement of God to infatuate these men 2 Thes 2.11 and give them over to such strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie and to blindfold them so as they should adventure to produce in evidence such a Text of Scripture as doth directly trip up the heels of their own assertion as this doth no one Chapter in the whole old Testament more limiting the suffering and thereby satisfaction of Jesus Christ to a peculiar people as this And first whereas you say that it plainly appears that the iniquity of all that went astray were laid on Christ is notoriously false and to make my charge good as the Eunuch asked Philip Acts 8.34 Of whom speaks the Prophet this Act. 8.34 You I imagine by the help of the Particle All will extend the scope of this Chapter to all men of all sorts But I say and that with better reason that the word Us restrains the universall Particle to a definite number And therefore take this rule from me for your better understanding in giving or taking the sence of a Scripture That when the Prophets Apostles and holy men of God speak to others including themselves as by way of priviledge and partaking of the benefit of a promise by these terms of Us Our or Me they commonly and constantly understand persons under
the same consideration and capacity people under one relation and qualification such who are nearly related as fighting under one Captain sheep fed under one shepherd 2 Cor. 6.14 1 Cor. 12.13 knit together by one bond of the spirit joyned together in one Communion of Saints for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness c. By one spirit baptized into one body having one Lord one Faith one Baptism c. Now of what sort and condition of men can this be spoken but only of the elect of those that have do or shall beleeve And thus this our Prophet an elect person a beleever speaks all this Chapter over of himself with other Elect and beleeving persons And lest you should say it is true that beleevers are included and yet are not unbeleevers excluded I shall prove and that only out of this Chapter that hereby is meant all beleevers and only beleevers or at least those that have did or shall beleeve Arg. 1. I draw from v. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him i.e. his chastisement procured our peace whence I argue thus That chastisement for sin that was laid upon the person of Jesus Christ procured peace for them for whom he was so chastised But there was no peace procured for the Reprobates or those who should never beleeve Isa 57.21 There is no peace to the wicked Eph. 3.14 He is our peace Ergo. Arg. 2. From v. 5. By his stripes we are healed whence I reason thus The stripes inflicted on Jesus Christ are intended and do become healing medicines for them for whom they are inflicted but they never become healing medicines for the Reprobates or unbeleevers Nahum 3 9. There is no healing of their bruise Ergo. Arg. 3. From v. 6. All we like sheep have gone c. whence I ground If in all the whole Scripture by sheep are understood the Elect and Beleevers then so it should be here but the former is true Ergo for either sheep or goats Arg. 4. From v. 8. For the transgression of my people was he stricken whence I raise this Those for whom Christ was stricken were in Gods account his own people But the Reprobates were never in Gods account his own people Mat. 7.25 I never knew you Ergo. Arg. 5. From v. 10. He shall see his seed whence I bottome this That which Christ had as a wages or reward for the making of his soule an offering for sin was a peculiar seed His seed Isa 65.23 The seed of the blessed of the Lord Genesis 3. The seed of the woman and not of the Serpent Mal. 2.15 A godly seed now the Reprobates are not of this seed Ergo. Arg. 6. From v. 12. He bare the sins of many All this Chapter hitherto the Prophet hath used words of the first person Ours Us We and to these he attributes the universall Particle All including with himself all beleevers But now when he comes to the third person he only speaks of Many so that hence it is plain that Christ as a Redeemer bare the sins of many of the universall world and that he is a Redeemer of all the elect or beleeving world So that it is undoubtedly true that not only this Text but this whole Chapter makes most mainly for me against your self It is a bad omen of ill success in a mans business when at the very first onset a mans supposed best friends should fly in his own face and fight against him The second in the list is Psal 145.8 9. The Lord is Gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Answ Those of the former ver 8. are some of the Divine attributes wherein there is neither difficulty nor question And for the former part of ver 9. that the Lord is good to all There is no doubt but that the Lords goodness hath and doth shew it self to all the work of the creation they being all Good yea very Good But the great knot sticks in these two things Gen. 2. 1. how far all his works may be extended and 2. unto what tender mercies must be limited First If you insist upon the terme of universality all and so labour to extend it to the Reprobates as well as the Elect Then by the same reason you may extend it as well unto the Devils they being likewise the work of his hands as the Reprobates are and where the Text doth not distinguish neither should you And truly I must acknowledge that even the Devils themselves do in some degree partake of Gods tender mercies They have in them a kind of goodness for ens bonum convertuntur Their nature and essence is good as Gods workmanship t is onely sin which is their own and none of Gods making that renders them evil and so hateful to God and man Is it not a tender mercy to have a native excellency beyond all the rest of the creatures Christ and the elect Angels onely excepted to have such spiritual substances equal in their nature and creation to the holy Angels themselves and through the dexterity and agility of those natures to be able to understand so far and to do so much as being permitted therein the parts and gifts of all the men in the world are not to be weighed in the ballance with them yea and withal to have that excellency so many ages past to be preserved and delivered notwithstanding their daily sinning and provoking the most High And according to this rule of tender mercies I confess there is a great bulke of tender mercies manifest to the Reprobates Act. 17.28 Psal 145.15 Wisd 11.24 25. Matth. 5.45 Eccle. 9 2â— In God we live move and have our being The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou lovest all the things that are and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made c. He makes his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good c. and all things come alike to all But Secondly if by tender mercies you will understand such mercies as concern eternal life and salvation as effectual vocation justification adoption sanctification c. then I deny that thesâ— are over all his works Deus diligit omnes homines in quantum vult aliquid bonum non tamen quodcunque bonum vult omnibus though God is good to all and his mercy is over all his works yet he extends not the top and height of all his bowels of compassion and his inmost tenderest mercies to every mothers Son there hâ—â— reserveth for his own chosen people those whom in Jesus Chrisâ— he hath before all time elected to eternal salvation And more then this you can never draw out of this fountain of love pump whiles you will not enough I am sure to establish that Chimaera of theirs an universal Redemption That Third in the rank is Iohn 3.16
who by the inward working of his spirit he hath made Godly For himself i. e. to do him service and live to his glory See Exod. 33.16 Or else this may be understood and that the scope of the place bears necessarily That the Lord hath set apart for some place 〈◊〉 of eminency office and trust him that is Godly as David was foâ— to be more Instrumental for the glory of God and good of his people What you write that there is no more ground or cause tâ— call the words of this position Pelagianism or an old heresy thaâ— there is to call the words of David so is but meer vapour and smoke because the words of David beare no proposition nor do not in the least degree carry any correspondence with the position To what you write for if him that is Godly or believers oâ— those that imbrace the means of salvation be not those that God hath elected in Christ to eternal life then shew me by plain Scripture-proof if you can who they be and what be their names that we may know them I answer roundly thus Answ That such as are thus qualified i. e. that are Godly that are believers and that in sincerity and truth such carry the evidence in themselves their faith and Godliness are arguments symptomes signes to them that they are elected And that as Eph. 1.4 he is said there to elect some that they should be holy so God hath elected such numerical persons that he will withâ—l in his good time make them godly make them believers make them to imbrace the means of salvation by working all their works in them Esa 26.12 Yet God hath not elected any whom he foresaw that by the power of his own free will and liberty of choosing and refusing would be Godly or would believe or would imbrace the means no the object of election was of men in their blood Ezek. 6.16 enemies Rom. 5.10 ungodly Rom. 4.5 sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 And this indeed is the main that I so zealously contend for to beat down all worth or excellency in the creature and to ascribe the sole glory unto God in making him the Alpha and Omega the first and the last in the whole transaction of mans salvation and which my Adversary implicitely denies though in express terms he is ashamed to profess it with a full mouth 1 Sam. 15.14 what meane else the bleatings of these words in my ears page 13. I should sin against Christ if I should say that believing in him were no cause at all and page 39. as it is the good pleasure of God to let the sons of men enjoy a sufficiency of means c. so he gives them liberty in the right use thereof in the day of Grace to choose or refuse and it cannot be otherwise so a choice must needs be at liberty and if there were not a liberty given of God in these things c. Mary hath chosen the better part c. But of these in their several places What further you write Shew me by plain Scripture if you can who they be and what be their names that we may know them is a question more suitable to be proposed by a boy of four years old for if he had been older a rod had been fitter for him then an answer And yet let me tell you Rev. 2.17 Rev. 5.1 Kev 20.12 that those which are elected when once they come to be believers they have a new name given which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it and the book wherein their names are written is as yet a sealed book But when the book shall be opened which is the book of life then it shall be legible even in such great Characters that he that runs may read who they be and what be their names In the mean time the secret things belong to the Lord our God Deut. 29.29 but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do them You further say and if these Scriptures to wit Psal 37. from vers 9. to vers 21. Prov. 3.33 34 35 and Mar. 16.16 together with many other of the sayings of the holy Spirit in the Scripture that have the like sound be not for substance a true coppy of Gods decree of Election and Reprobation from the foundation of the world then shew us a true Copy of it if you can Answ Alas Alas what will not ignorance at least mixt with impudence 2 Tim. 3.6 endeavour to obtrude upon a simple people by creeping into houses and leading captive silly people laden with sin But tell me Sir though it may be possible for you to delude your dull-sighted proselytes with such fopperies as these is it with you imaginable that men of parts and gifts will swallow down such gudgeons such Camels revise the Scriptures that you there cited and see whether any part of any one of them breath the least aire as to matter of Election or Reprobation whether any of them carries any import either in express words or by way of consequence to these eternal decrees And that it may appear that I charge you not unadvisedly let us take a view of the Scriptures apart 1 For that Psal 37.9 to vers 21. The scope of that Psalm is to direct the Godly how to deport themselves especially in reference to the wicked when flourishing in prosperity and to this end 1 He sets down what their duty is 2. He presseth that duty by several Arguments Their first duty is that they beware of angâ—â— and envy whereto they might be tempted upon that occasion oâ— the wickeds prosperity ver 1.7.8 2 That on the contrary they fortifie themselves with faith and hope in God ver 3 5 6. The arguments he useth for confirmation are drawn 1 From the end and issue of both their conditions how both the Godly and wicked shall succeed viz. it shall fall out well for the Godly but ill for the wicked ver 9 10 11. A 2. Is drawn from the cause of this issue and event viz. the efficatious providence of God from the 12 ver to the 21 ver which is illustrated by the effects as 1. The confusion of the wicked in their evil counsel ver 12 13 14 15. 2 By blessing of the little which the righteous man hath beyond all the riches of many wicked ones 3 by a protection and deliverance of the Godly man from those evils wherein the wicked are overwhelmed vers 20 23 24. now what is all this to Election or Reprobation For the place of Prov. 3.33 c. Solomon in all the former part of that chapter exhorteth to an endeavour after divers Graces as the contents thereof do imply The argument whereby he presseth it is from the diverse end and issue of those who are adorned with and those who want those graces which are exprest in these three last verses by you cited But what is this likewise
a son according to the flesh i. e. begotten carnally of Abraham and Hagar thâ— other was a son of promise i. e. by virtue of the Promise begotten by Abraham on Sarah Now the Covenant of God or onely appertain unto Isaac and the rest of the sons of Promise i. e. the elect prefigured by him which the Apostle proves bâ— the testimony of God himself Gen. 21.12 Now from this special example of Isaac in ver 8 9. The Apostlâ— gathers a general Doctrine to wit that the p omise of Grace made unto Abraham did belong onely to the elect which he caâ—â— children of the Promise because as Isaac by virtue of the Promise was begotten of Abraham and Sarah so the elect iâ— which number Isaac was are new begotten through the power of the holy Ghost by the promise of the Gospel and of singulaâ— Grace and mercy are adopted to be the sons of God And that Isaac was a son of promise i. e. begotten by virtue of the Promise he proves by the testimony of Moses Gen. 18.10 Again to the confirmation of the former distinction of the two-fold filiation he produceth another example of two brethren Esau and Iacob who though they were both of them begotten by Isaac and of the same mother Rebecca and at one time and the same birth and that Esau had the priviledge of primogeniture yet Esau was rejected of God and Iacob was accepted and admitted and that before they were born and therefore had done neither good nor evil this example the Apostle adjoynes unto the former as by a line of gradation as more efficaciously corroborating his intended purpose viz. that the promise of Grace doth not indifferently and equally belong to all the children of Abraham but onely to the elect For in the former example of Ismael and Isaac the Jews might except against it thus that Ismael was deservedly rejected because he was not born of Abrahams lawful wife Sarah but of the handmaid Hagar but that they viz. the Jews were by lineal descent the undoubted posterity of Isaac the lawful Heir of Abraham and Sarah Therefore the Apostle shewed that the Promise of Grace doth yet neither belong to all the children of Isaac for that Esau was reiected the brother of Iacob one copulation one conception one birth and if any precedency that falls to Esaus share for that he was the first-born The Argument which the Apostle useth looks thus If the promise of grace viz. I will be the God of thee and of thy seed should promise adoption or filiation to all the children of Abraham and Isaac it should equally appertain to Esau as well as Iacob the reason is because in all things there is a parity one father one mother one birth and to boot Esau the first-born Therefore the promise did not belong to Esau but onely to Iacob and this he proves by two texts of Scripture Therefore the promise of Grace doth not promise as the Jews falsely thought adoption and eternal life to all and every mothers son of the Jews begotten after the flesh either by Abraham or Isaac and therefore God is no covenant-breaker if he do reject the stubborn and unbelieving Jews Neither could the Jew alledge against this that Esau was a prophane person and behaved himself ill therefore was deservedly rejected and on the contrary that Iacob was godly and religious and therefore was he accepted and adopted and from whom they derived their Pedigree The Apostle likewise overturnes this objection and teacheth that there was a discovery of the purpose of God concerning them both even then when they had done neither good not evil yea even before they were born Yea and least they might object that this the Lords purpose did arise from a foresight of their works the Apostle clearely rejecteth this and denies that it was of works or for their works that the one was adopted and the other was rejected but affirms the contrary that both the adoption of the one and rejection of the other did singly and simply flow from the purpose and counsel of God which he confirms by the testimony of God himself out of Mal. 1.21 In the 14.15.16.17 and 18. verses Here is another objection that if the Lord deal so unequally with persons so suited in an equal rank as Iacob and Esau in loving one and hating another then God seems to be unjust But the Apostle looks upon the consequence as no less then blasphemy ver 14. and afterwards demonstrates this denial of the consequence ver 15 c. and therefore the Apostle teacheth that though God seem to deal unequally with persons in an equall consideration yet he still continues just and for proof hereof adduceth this reason The Lord hath a most free power of doing not bound as he is a Soveraign and therfore hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens either of which parts he proves by several Scriptures that for mercy v. 15 16. that of Hardening v. 17. but both are contracted and concluded verse 18. Yet ver 16. as a consectary from the testimony of Mosâ— which he had produced to answer the objection he makes thiâ— conclusion of the principal question viz. on what doth depend the salvation of man which he resolves thus that mans salvation doth not depend on his own free-will or endeavour which before he had demonstrated by that notable example of Iacob but singly and solely and onely on the free mercy and grace of God For the rest of this Chapter I shall suspend till I meet my Gentleman undertaking to paraphrase upon this chapter beginning at ver 19. and therefore Haec sufficient pro nunc So that this being the genuine scope of the Apostle in this Chapter any one may see whether faith works or the embracing of the means have any the least stroke in or be at all considerable by God in the great work of his election of any to salvation as this man would have it But you proceed thus yea in that very ninth of the Romans sheweth cleerely and plainly in the conclusion of all what he saith in the former part of the chapter setting down these very wordes in the 30 31. and 32 ver What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith but Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the law for they stumbled at the stumbling-stone Answ In this close the Apostle anticipates another objection that whereas God hath called the Gentiles and rejected the greatest part of the Jews what shall we say then q. d. shall we accuse God of injustice as who hath called the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness and hath on the contrary rejected the Jews which followed after righteousness The Apostle answers that although the
creatures who had willingly lost themselves and were irrecoverably miserable that so his name might be had in honour all the world over Eph. 1.6 to the praise of the glory of his Grace c. Rom. 9.23 and 11.35 36. 1 Pet. 2.9 But whereas you say God respecteth not persons t is falsely alledged as from those places and you deal in this as the accuser of the Brethren the Devil did with Christ in citing Psal 19.12 Mat. 4.6 He curtails the words and so do you for look on all those Texts by you mentioned and whereas you say he respects not persons the Scripture hath it he is not a respecter of persons or not an accepter of the face of any man for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie the face and t is the usual phrase of the Scripture to accept the face of any one i. e. to do any thing in the favour of another upon a consideration had of the external adjuncts of such which are obvious to the eyes and render him worthy or commendation See Lev. 19.15 Deut. 10.17 1 Sam. 25.35 2 Kings 3.14 Prov. 6.35 and 18.5 The sense of all which is that God takes no account or reckoning of a person in regard of any outward quality whereby he may be moved to do him good before another nor of the unworthiness of any person whereby he may be moved to punish him rather then another And I pray Sir tel me now sadly what you have gotten by you◠own quotations whether your own sword be not thrust into your own bowels and whether I have not beaten you with your own weapons And thus through your own provocation having gored your sides deeper by establishing of the strength of my second Argument I shall put to my hand through Christ that strengthens me to emancipate my third Argument from that captivity yo◠keep it under through the mist of darkness you eclipse it with by your slubbering exceptions My Argument is If the decree of election be absolute without any respect had to faith works or use of means then God did not elect upon the foresight of the embracing of the means But the decree of election is absolute c. Therefore See fo◠proof Rom. 9.11 Rom. 11.5 6 7. Eph. 1.4 to 11. Mat. 10.16 and 22.14 To which you answer that the decree of election is absolute without any respect had to the works of the Law for we shall ground upon Pauls conclusion Rom. 3.28 therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law for he that believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly and continueth in that faith shall absolutely be saved and he that is absolutely justified and saved must needs be absolutely elected For that sort or kind of people that are called and accounted believers in his Son and endure to the end or remain faithful unto death shall absolutely be saved Math. 24.13 and have the crown of life Rev. 2.10 For as I have before shewed the promises flow from the decree of election which is absolute like God himself that cannot change and all that sort of people before spoken of are concerned in it and not one of them shall ever be excluded from it but it is not of persons simply considered as distinct from those qualifications before spoken of as hath been already sufficiently proved Answ Here again no man can be ascertaind either what you affirme or do deny for Diruit aedificat mutat quadrata rotundis that which you build with one hand you pul down quickly with another First you grant the decree of election to be absolute without respect had to works and for a reason of such your concession alledge Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude c. And I must tell you Sir we are not acquainted with such sorry waies of proving that which we assert we are upon a business of election and your proof is from matter of justification Sir remember how you are upon the publique stage and by this your Printing you have exposed your self to the censure of all the men in England that have either eyes to see or ears to hear and that you are not now at Cuckolds-pit dictating it there to your Coridons But if you think to mend the matter by saying such are absolutely justified and saved and therefore they are absolutely elected I say the consequence follows on the other hand they are absolutely elected and therefore they are or shall be absolutely justified and saved because that Justification and so salvation transient works of God in time flow from the absoluteness certainty and immutability of Gods immanent and eternal decree of election which was before all time as an effect following its cause as you seem your self to confess saying The promises flow from the decree of election which is absolute as God himself that cannot change and so much for your building up Now for your pulling down But it is not of persons simply considered as Persons distinct from those Qualifications Answ See now whether this doth not quite destroy what before you granted That thing is said to be absolute which is ab alio solutum pure Inconditional not depending on another but if you will have election to be conditional respective and relative to faith or believing and use of means then you utterly hurle down the absoluteness of Gods election it ceases further to be absolute then when it depends singly and solely on the good pleasure of his will which is his decree without respect had to any external motive and where you have proved any such qualifications as essentials to election read it he that can for no such thing is to be found in these your papers You sent up this bundle of exceptions after this manner neither do the Scriptures by him brought prove any such thing for although the Scriptures do exclude the works of the law wholly in that thing as hath been already granted yet they afford us not one word to prove that faith and the use of the means of salvation should be cast out with it for he may as well say That because Ismael was cast out of Abrahams house or family therefore Isaac must be cast out also as to say that because the works of the law or deeds of the law in the business of election justification and salvation of the sons of men is cast out therefore must faith the use of the means of salvation be cast our also Answ Let those Scriptures by me alledged be exactly scand and see whether that with works all other external motives be not alike cast out of doors from having the least stroke either as active or passive in the matter of election and that the disparity and discrimination which is made by electing of me rather then another doth not rest in any prevision or foresight of any condition or qualification to be found in the object either of faith or embracing of the means or of
it will sound forth good sense that the Gentiles were addicted to eternal life and believed Answ Here you conjure me into a circle and by expressions more potent then any charm charge me that as I am willing to answer c. Sir I shall answer you not as by virtue of your spell but as setting the fear of God before mine eyes when first I alledged that place for a proof to what I did intend it and sure it is no wayes enervated but rather gathered strength by your opposition The word I readily acknowledge used Acts 13.48 comes from the same primitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in its proper and primitive signification is to ordain constitute appoint determine and whereas you say that in 1 Cor. 16.15 t is translated addicted I confess t is true but under submission I conceive they so render it rather as Interpreters Expositors then Translators when as withall they kept the sense and scope of the holy Ghost and that they foresaw no great controversie or article of faith did depend upon it But when once Soeinus lib. 4. de servat cap. 13. not able otherwise to resist the power of the Spirit speaking in that text had found a starting-hole by rendring of it dispositos praeparatos proclives sive bene affectos the whole croud of Aâ—minians treading in his steps pervert the genuine interpretation of that word and speak in his language whose apes the Anabaptists are But if we take a view of that place and there behold the mind of the holy Ghost it cannot properly be rendred otherwise then according to the native sense of that word viz. ordained And then why should such a shrimp as you incline to the false gloss of a forreiner an Heretick and wave the common received translation of those reverend Orthodox Divines our own countrey-men but onely out of an affectation of singularity I know you l ' say as before of the pragmatick Pelagius comparing him with blessed Calvin why may not Socinus be in the right and our Translators in the wrong and therefore to certifie your judgement I shall make the contrary to appear by these convincing Arguments 1. This signification which I assert is most frequent with this Evangelist see Acts 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They determined that Paul should go up and Acts 28.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they had appointed him a day so Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the powers that be are ordained of God and therefore why not so here 2. T is most consonant with the text it self where the ordination there spoken of intimates a relation to the end and not a disposition of the subject 3. Hereby the scope of the Evangelist is best preserved who speaking here of divers of the Jews and Gentiles proselytes ouâ— of curiosity coming to hear Paul preach he shews that whiles the Jews contradicted and blasphemed divers of the Gentiles were brought to believe in Christ but some did not now to any who should demand why the rest of the Gentiles should not likewise be converted the reason is implyed in the text that onely some of them were ordained unto life i. e. elected the rest were not as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed Wherein is a plain Antithesis not onely of the persons ver 45 48. viz. of the Jews contradicting and blaspheming and of the Gentiles being glad and glorifying the word of the Lord but also of the first cause according to Gods ordination viz. that some were ordained to life others were not 4. To render it addicted or disposed is gross Pelagianisme As many as were ordained i. e addicted prepared or disposed to eternal life for the same preparation either it must be of our selves or of God 2 Cor. 3.5 1 Cor. 4.7 1 Cor. 2.14 If you say it is of our selves that contradicts the evidence of such places as teach that we are not sufficient to think any thing as of our selves and who made thee to differ neither can any unregenerate man have any disposition to faith before he actually believe If you say it is of God then we have what we desire that God alone prepares disposes and ordains us unto life 5. The Evangelist useth not a participle active as thus as many as ordained themselves to eternal life believed but a participle passive as many as were ordained believed and therefore it speaks not of any action whereby they had disposed themselves but as they were ordained of God 6. There is no good consequence from that place of 1 Cor. 16.15 the house of Stephanus have ordained themselves or addicted themselves to the Ministery therefore it is in the power of an unbeliever to dispose himself to faith or eternal life for there is one way of those which are believers in disposing themselves to the ministery of the Church and another of those which as yet do not believe in respect of their disposition to faith and life eternal And thus Sir howsoever hand over head you have by tradition swallowed down the feculent dreggs of Socinus his interpretation yet it is too palpable that Glossa corrumpit textum and that it sounds plain non-sense that the Gentiles were addicted to eternal life before they believed And thus having thrown you out of your triumphing Charet wherein you marched so furiously against my fourth Argument I have leisure to attend to what you shall say against my fifth Argument which is this If our foreseen faith works or embracing of the means of salvation were the cause of our election they should be likewise the cause of our vocation and justification but the latter is false therefore the former The Major is proved by that undeniable Axiome Quicquid est causa causae est causa etiam causati that which is the cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused The Minor is proved 2 Tim. 1.9 and Ephes 2.8 Rom. 3.24 justified freely by his grace To which you offer an answer thus That this argument may tend to the confutation of them that hold foreseen faith works or the embracing of the means to be the causes of their election but it hits not us for we hold no such thing neither is any such thing asserted in this position Answ Short and therefore sweet I curtail mine as you do yours by telling you that I delight not to surfeit the Reader with a dish of Crambe terque quaterque recocta but shall desire him to revise my defence of my first Argument and so impartially to judge whether foreseen faith and embraing of the means be not implicitly asserted in your Position as motives to election so that the Argument not onely hits you on the back but so gores your sides that your Position staggers and expects a better cordial then either your wit or art are able to administer to keep life in it Your next advance is against my sixth Argument which is this If our election were dependent on mans
and means appointed of God for that end and one would think that this man were a little of my mind in this by what falleth from him in the close of this second Argument using these words at least for the moving of God to elect Sir If here where you make mention of any Instrumental cause you intend onely the Instrumental means of salvation then I joyne with you for as I have before asserted That as God hath decreed the end so likewise hath he decreed the means conducing to that end But as there is no external cause at all and therefore none Instrumental for which he doth elect before all time but all arising from within himself even his own love and good pleasure so when that decree comes to be put into execution in time then there are subordinate causes but all set on work by the first cause which is God himself but not as to election but all as tending to salvation And therefore that fell very advisedly from me when I said at least for the moving of God to elect where I place a vast difference between election and salvation God elects without respect had to faith works or use of means as to the decree but yet he saves with by and through faith works and use of means as in respect of the end 2 Thes 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 You pack up these your fardles of exceptions thus Now if he do not hold that it is some cause by which men come to be more peculiarly interessed into the favour of God by believing then they are without believing why did he not rather say it must not be accounted any cause at all upon any account whatsoever But it is that which the Lord Christ hath said in Ioh. 16.27 which perswadeth me to be of that mind in that he hath said the Father himself loveth you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God and therefore If I should say that loving of Jesus Christ and believing in him were no cause at all by which we came to be chosen into the Fathers love I should sin against Christ in speaking contrary to his word But this is more then was in the Position and yet it is no more then truth Answ Sir now I will give you an account why I used that expression at least for the moving of God to elect my meaning was not that any man came to be interested into the first favour and love of God which is the good pleasure of his will immanent and eternal in himself more by believing then without believing For in election God lookt upon men as sinners enemies ungodly in their blood in a doleful plight and the objects of pity and compassion and not as on believers And therefore my words carried this sense that though there were no cause or motive at all why he should elect one rather then another because all were in an equally lost condition yet in the decree of election wherein there was a love unto and a purpose to save some he likewise decreed to save them by such means which in his wisdome he had ordained to be suitable for the attaining of the end so that salvation should have adequate causes for the effecting of it viz. faith works and use of means though election it self had none but singly and simply the love of God arising onely out of his own bosome And therefore it excluded causes as to election but did admit of causes as to the accomplishment of salvation For the rest of this paragraph of yours it trips up the heeles of all the former your seeming fair concessions and plainly discovers the secret guile and fraud of your heart For now you begin to speak plain enough saying If I should say believing were no cause at all by which we come to be chosen into the Fathers love I should sin against Christ Here indeed is plain dealing though all along before you have juggled with me and denyed all causes as to election And this indeed though you are not aware of it moâ—lders to nothing all your former exceptions which have still denied all causes motives c. And now you grant loving and believing to be causes and confirms every argument that I have raised and fortifies every of those absurdities that I have charged upon you as following upon your position to any of which you make not the least appearance of an answer But I tell you as before God in electing lookt upon men as in the corrupt mass and lumpe of perdition regarding nothing what they could be as of themselves for they must unavoidably be in a lost condition till by his own act transient flowing from that of Immanent in himself he made them believers by giving of them faith and all of this for the greater advance of his own free grace which he did not do to others For that place of Ioh. 16.27 brought to confirm their purpose I answer that the love of God hath a two-fold acception The first is amor benevolentiae which is the foundation and fountain of all the good his people have and receive t is the wombe that conceives and sends forth all the good things we do enjoy of which Ier. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love and so 1 Ioh. 4.10 we love him because he loved us first and of this no cause or reason can be rendred besides the good pleasure of his will The second is amor complacentiae when in time the Lord is delighted with the persons of those that he loved from eternity Ezek. 16.14 thy beauty was perfect through the comeliness I put upon thee Cant. 3.1 Behold thou art fair c. and thus the Lord crowns rewards and delights himself in those graces given to his elect ones and of this love of complacency is this text to be understood and not of the everlasting love spoken of Ier. 31.3 in electing of us before all time and whereof onely this controversie is And now gather up altogether and make up your accounts and see to what an excrescency of advantage your numerous exceptions against my arguments will amount unto and you shall find that the Summa totalis will be just o Hitherto have we fayled in that still river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God Psal 46.4 Psal 87.7 Rom. 11.33 and from whence all our springs flow viz. Gods electing of us to life eternal But now we are to lanch into that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that unfathomable gulfe of the wisdom and knowledge of God whose judgements are unsearchable and his waies past finding out viz. that of non-election or Reprobation Concerning which this Gentlemans Position did assert this viz. That God saw some men rejecting the means of salvation continuing in sin and unbelief yet haply not without the exact form of godliness but denying the power those he reprobated to everlasting destruction from the foundation of the world But In
torments from both of which it follows that sin and unbelief is the cause of the adjudication to hell and eternal torments and that by the decree of God but is by no means the cause of the decree it self that singly proceeds from his good pleasure And as it is an undoubted truth that God as he never saves any adult person but such as are penitent and studious of good works so he hath not decreed to save any but such so qualified with repentance and good works whence we argue that repentance and good works are truly the causes of salvation 2 Thess 2.13 and that by the decree of God who hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth but it doth not thence follow that repentance and good works are causes of the decree for upon that account election should be dependent not onely upon faith foreseen as you would have it but likewise upon good works as antecedent to it which hitherto for ought I see you have not that impudence to affirme The like must be said of reprobation That as he never damns or decrees to torment and adult person but such as are impenitent unbelievers and rejecters of the means so he hath not decreed to damn any but such so qualified and whence the like Argument may likewise be taken up that impenitent unbelief and rejecting of the means are truly the causes of damnation Heb. 11.6 Heb. 12.14 and that by the decree of God who hath declared that without faith it is impossible to please him and that without holiness no man shall see the Lord But it doth not thence follow that impenitence unbelief and the rejecting of the means are the causes of the decree reprobates were not sinners at least in existence when the decree of non election or reprobation first pâ—â— upon them which was from all eternity as the elect were not penitents at the first instant of their election in the mean time God hath not decreed to adjudge any but sinners and unbelievers unto eternal torments as he hath not decreed to reward any with eternal life but penitents For what God doth or permitteth to be done in time the same and no otherwise hath God decreed to be done or permitted to be done before all time so that the prevision of sin and unbelief and rejecting of the means did no more antecede negative reprobation then the prevision of repentance and good works did antecede the decree of election So that I hope reasonable men will or may now judge that I have reconciled the enmity that your dim deluded sight had imagined and broken down that partition-wall which your Panick fears raised between these two positions and by the good hand of God have so reconciled your supposed difference between them that they go neer like Hippocrates twinnes hard â—n hand together though that the one ordine naturae not temporis have a priority before the other to which the last is subservient So that now I am at liberty to attend to what you will say to my first Argument which is this That which the holy Ghost in Scripture ascribes to the sole will and good pleasure of God that we are not to assigne to other causes But the Scripture assignes reprobation soley to Gods will Therefore To which you answer His Major proposition he bringeth nothing at all to prove for proof of his Minor he alledgeth these Texts Rom. 9.18 20 21 22. Mat. 11.25 Matth. 20.15 16. Rom. 9.11 12 13 17. Answ to which I answer The Scriptures which he quoteth and all that he can find in all the book of God cannot prove his argument for it is false in the Minor proposition therfore the Scripture cannot prove it for 1 Ioh. 2.21 no lye is of the truth although the Scripture doth speake of the will of God as a cause concerned in mans reprobation in having his eyes blinded and his heart hardned and the like yet the Scripture doth not assign it solely and singly to the will of God without assigning it to any other cause but on the contrary it doth assign the continuance in sin and unbelief and the rejecting the means of salvation as a cause thereof Answ I pray learned Sir what need I prove the Major that is unquestionable even to you i. e. would you have me beat the ayre and fight against mine own shadow No Sir t is the Minor that sticks in your sides so that you cannot breath out any one thing in a probable way of contradiction to any one of those texts by me alledged Yet with a face as full of impudence as ignorance you adventure to say but do not to which I answer c. This passage of this Doctor-like undertaker calls to my mind a Doctor of Oxford whom I well did know and to this day he is well remembred for it by some who in an University sermon of his falling upon a point of controversie wherein he found Bellarmine his adversary uttered words to this effect I will saith he confute him in two words mentiris Bellarmine and marke I pray whether this Gentleman tread not in the same steps he begs the question by saying it is false therfore the Scripture cannot prove it And what doth he do less than give the lye to the Spirit of truth when by his own confession the Scripture ascribes reprobation to the will of God which though afterwards he palliates by saying that it doth not assigne it solely to the will of God but that sin unbelief are concomitant causes yet he might have shewed some ingenuity in alledging of such places of Scripture which had done as he did say that so there might have been some appearance of an answer and not that Pythagoras-like his ipse dixit should be taken for currant coyne when as I am certaine it is but counterfeit but to give the lye and that to his betters as I am informed is as ordinary a dish with him as his dayly bread Well Sir but to attend your procedure which is thus But whereas he saith that sin and unbelief and the rejecting the means are just causes why God decrees such persons to hell and eternal torments but not the causes of Reprobation I do understand that the decree of God which was before time resteth for the ground thereof more peculiarly in the will of God without assigning other causes to it than reprobation it self which is the execution of the same purpose and decree of God in time â—â—en and where the continuance in sin and unbeleif and the rejecting of the means of salvation is found in men Answ Here like a Sorbon Doctor speaking ex cathedra you tender your simple sense of the decrees of God wherein your mistake is supposing that we confound the decrees of God with the execution of those decrees which is not ours which hath been your errour all along For this reprobation which I
universal assurance of their happiness in case there were and that all this that you have said were truth I suppose there were much more cause for believers to beg of God their infants death then with David in prayer to seek their life there being as you say full assurance of their happiness dying and so much fear of their condemnation living to see the temptations to which in their growth they are subject Nay if no child dying in infancy shall ever be cast into the lake of fire what should then deny but that it should be enrolled in the Chronicles as the mercifullest act that Herod ever did in all his life Mat. 2.16 when he commanded that all the male children in Bethlehem from two years old and under should be murthered for had they live to ripe years probably they would have filled up the measure of their fathers Mat. 23.32 and contributed as much and had their hands dipt as deep in the blood of Christ as any other of their brethren and therefore Herod to be as a blessed memorable butcherous murtherer that sent so many poor souls as Martyrs to heaven by the sleight of hand who had been like never to come thither had it not been for his merciful cruelty Yea you your self might be registred as the most indulgent father who for the saving of the souls of your children would expose your own to loss by cutting of your childrens throats as soon as they were born and so posting of them to heaven before their due time whereas perhaps if they had lived so long as with their mothers milk to have suckt in the venome of your principles and positions they might have endangered both body and soul from ever coming thither But what horrible things are these to think of I am amazed to write it and yet consectaries that without any inforcement might very well flow from your positions viz. that no child dying in infancy before they come to have a being to act shall ever be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death Whereas we do affirm that children as well as others being the objective subjects of Predestination and so considered as in the corrupt lump and mass of perdition with the rest of all the posterity and brood of old Adam according to the eternal and immutable decree proceeding from the sole good pleasure of Gods most holy will 1 Sam. 25.29 the souls of some of them are bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord their God and the souls of the rest being past over or not elected they shall be flung out as out of the middle of a sling But yet for confirmation of what you here assert you do endeavour cum ratione insanire to have some reason for this your wild assertion and next you basely prostitute the pure and undefiled word of God to fortifie your first I shall undertake them both in their order and by Gods assistance shall first prescribe you a pill to purge this your melancholy frenzy and next shall rescue those Scriptures by you alledged out of your hands giving them to speak in that peculiar sense they were at first intended by the holy Ghost And first my learned Antagonist had you placed the ground of your hope distributively viz. upon the children of believers you might have had some foundation for it because the promise of the Covenant doth no less appertain to Infants then to those of ripe years Gen. 17.7 I will be a God to thee and to thy seed The promise is to you and to your children Acts 2.39 Acts 2.39 But whereas you take it collectively and universally including therein the children of Turks Jews Pagans Infidels you have neither rule nor word nor promise for any such hope that they shall be saved And now the first reason that you produce for your Infantissimous assertion that no child in infancy shall ever be cast into the lake of fire is Because they not having the use of those faculties as hearing together with the use of reason to understand what is spoken and being not capable of any embracing of the means and which never had a being to act therefore they cannot reject the means of salvation Sir for this time admit it so that children cannot hear nor have not the use of reason Sir neither can those that are born deaf nor Ideots nor madmen in what state or rank will you then place them And for the rejecting of the means of salvation neither can they that never enjoyed the means reject it and in what squadron will you place them And therefore this assertion of yours is grounded on a false supposition that God cannot or at least he will not or doth not regenerate without the word heard understood and embraced but good Sir I must tell you that what expressions are used in Scripture as necessarily requiring the hearing of the word and receiving of the means it speaks of to such as are in a capacity so to hear it and receive it viz. those of ripe years and rationalists and where the Scripture is silent viz. as to children deaf or fools do not you undertake to determine without Gods advice and counsel but leave all the work as I do to Gods secret decree of predestination wherein he may do with his own what his good will and pleasure is either to save or to damn without the control of any And though we in a charitable way may hope the best of all those children that are born within the compass of the Covenant viz. of believing parents yet how God is pleased to bring his purpose to pass in the saving of any one of them is to me and sober-minded men as inscrutable as is the fashioning of their tender bodies in their mothers wombs and it is enough to me that we may hope well of them because God by his promise hath ingaged himself wherein he cannot lye 2 Tim. 2. Tit. 1.2 nor deny himself to be a God in covenant not with us onely but with our children likewise and were it not upon the account of the decree of election which is the foundation of all the promise wherein God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens and that not for any thing of good either done or foreseen but meerly out of his own good pleasure we should have just cause to doubt that all children dying in infancy should unavoidably be damned Besides my good friend have you yet learnt or do you understand what it is that doth regenerate If you ascribe this work to the word heard as it seems you do you are mainly mistaken 2 Cor. 3.6 The word of it self is but a dead Letter at best it is but a moral instrument and therefore it can never operate unless it be understood which can never he by one that is as yet unregenerate 1 Cor. 2.14 for the natural man receiveth not the
things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned No Sir it is the peculiar work of the Spirit to regenerate and convert Lydia's heart was opened Acts 16. Mat. 13.3 Rom. 1.16 before she so diligently attended to Pauls words The word of God that brought forth fruit did not make the ground good but it was so before by the special working of that Spirit The word which is the power of God to salvation doth not make believers but God first makes them so by sanctifying of their natures and giving them to believe Phil. 1.29 The word of God in Regeneration hath no greater force or power then the word of the Prophets and Apostles had in raising of the dead which had no other operation then to be tanquam signum as a sign of the thing done or as a moral instrument for there is no lesser power requirable in the recovery of a poor soul from a spiritual death to a spiritual life then there is from a natural death to a natural life And therefore as it is Gods peculiar to raise from death to life natural so it is his alone prerogative to raise from a spiritual death to a spiritual life The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Ioh. 5.25 Yea the same power is exerted in the work of Regeneration or the new creation as was at first in the work of the old creation 1 Cor. 4.6 no less then an hand of omnipotency in them both and therefore not communicable to any creature From all of which I shall hence infer that if it be Gods peculiar work to regenerate and not the word in the hearing of it and that Regeneration is principally necessary to give us ingress into heaven Joh. 3.3 Mat. 5.8 God may then as well regenerate infants by his secret power unsearchable to us though they neither hear nor understand as he doth those that are of riper years by so weak an instrument as the word and Gospel is which hath no such inherent power in and of it self Secondly this your assertion labours of another sickness viz. a false supposition that nothing but actual sins expose men to the danger of being cast into the lake of fire whereas the truth is That original sin or that hereditary pravity we brought with us into the world deriving it from our parents Psal 51.5 who conceived us in sin hath so much of filthiness and uncleanness in it that God may justly cast a new-born infant into the lake of fire for it unless it be washed clean by the blood of Jesus who is the alone way the truth the life Joh. 14.6 and through whose alone merits we have an access into the Holy of Holies into which place are admitted onely these whose names are written in the Lambs book of life Rev. 21.27 Luke 10.20 Rev. 20.15 whose names are written in heaven registred there in the eternal immutable decree of Gods election unto life all the rest whose names are not there recorded infants as well as others are cast into the lake of fire which is the second death But enough of this at present I shall be sure to meet you again more about this when you lay out your strength against original sinne Another thing which you give out in the nature of a reason why infants cannot be damned is viz. for that their not having of faith will never be charged upon them as sin Sir suppose I grant so much and so likewise what you produce out of Rom. 4.15 as a confirmation or rather as a reason of your reason for where no law is there is no transgression both may be very true as set disjunctively but as you have woven them both into one sentence they may not be true nor applicable to your purpose for herein you vary your terms that which you write takes notice of sin the text speaks of transgression wherein I conceive sin and transgression are not terms convertible for though every transgression of the law be a sin yet every sin is not a transgression of the law as in the case now before us for original sin though it be a sin properly and really yet it is not a transgression of the law as personally acted in and by the infants but as imputatively and as a defect of original righteousness So what you further say by way of illustration that there can be no law to infants as such and sin is not imputed where there is no law I grant you as to infants now in existence which law might require the exerting or putting out of any act or duty which their minority is uncapable to receive or to perform But I must withall tell you that as Adam as a publick person as a root and stock received Grace righteousness and holiness for him and his even for those in his loins so he received a law to him and his even the Covenant of works do this and live which law was incumbent not onely on Adam himself but likewise on all those that were in his loins So that infants now are born under a law and their want of original righteousness and that for the defect thereof their being conceived and born in sin and uncleanness shall be a deserving cause of their just condemnation What you bring forth in evidence to what you here aim at viz. Rom. 5.13 sin is not imputed where there is no law is so far from answering your desire that it cuts the throat of your assertion For the clearing whereof its expedient to search into the mind of the Spirit by the scope of the place The Apostle in this Chapter is prosecuting that grand point of Justification by faith in Christ and ver 11. laies down this that we have received attonement by him whence he makes this corollary ver 12. that as by the first Adam sin and death entred into the world so by Iesus Christ righteousness and life are restored to us But ver 13. he meets with an objection that sin is not imputed where there is no law where he argues after this manner If all have sinned in the loins of Adam then those likewise have sinned who lived before the law was given by Moses but before the law was given there could be no sin because where there is no law there is no transgression as Chap. 4.15 and therefore all have not sinned in Adam Now here the Apostle denies the assumption or minor proposition affirming the contrary that sin was before the law given by Moses constantly affirming that howsoever it was not imputed i. e. reckoned or accounted or reputed to be sin yet indeed and in truth sin was then in the world and this being of sin in the world before the law ver 14. he proves by the effect viz. death was then in the world and that all had sinned because that
a can or a will I mean power or desire that there is neither of them in professed Christians Phil. 2.13 but what is of Gods own working who giveth both to will and to do according to his good pleasure And as for the heathen instead of doing or any desires thereunto as to good there is nothing but backwardness indisposition aversness yea an enmity against any thing that is really good at least in a saving way But alas what persons or cause is there in the world that are so base and degenerate that cannot suborne some luxuriant tongues to plead their case though never so abominable I have now done with this and so proceed to hear what you can speak for your selfe in the defence of the position from the third absurdity which is this The third absurdity If the foresight of sin should be the cause of reprobation then the elect should be equally lyable to the decree of reprobation as the reprobates themselves they all being alike in the corrupt mass and lump of Adams transgression Answ See how he minceth his argument that he may bring forth absurdities from his own expressions and then father them upon us In the front of his argument he putteth in unbelief and the rejecting of the means but leaveth out the word continuing and now he hath thrust out all except it be this one single term Sin that he may bring reprobation to eternal destruction to the narrow scantling of Adams transgression but that shall never be granted by me until I see a better proof for it than he hath yet brought and I can allow him more Scriptures then he hath set down to his argument Iob 14.4 and 15.14 Psal 51.5 all which together with the Scriptures he bringeth do I confess prove that the whole lump of mankind is polluted with Sin and I deny not but that this pollution or corruption is in a measure from Adams transgression but that any ones being reprobated to everlasting destruction in the lake of fire which is the second death is for Adams transgression I deny for although all the fruits and effects of that sin in the first Adam do accompany us untill we come to the dust from whence we were taken which is Gen. 3.16 17 18 19. Womens sorrow being multiplyed and their conception and bringing forth children in sorrow together with the curse that is upon the ground for mans sake so as that man must eat of it in sorrow all the dayes of his life eating bread in the sweat of his face being accompanied with pain and sickness which are the companions of death till he return to the ground for out of it was he taken for saith God dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return and this was the sentence of that condemnation that God hath pronounced against the first Adam or 1 Cor. 15.27 earthy man and we being then in him when the sin was committed and the sentence pronounced we have our part with him in these things as our portion in this life for the original sin or first transgression But the holy Spirit in Scripture doth no where declare as I could ever yet find nor as any one could ever yet shew me that mans reprobation to the second death is for being in Adams sin nor for sin in their own persons no nor yet for unbelief simply so considered but for continuing in sin and unbelief For if they do repent confess and forsake their sins they shall find mercy and be saved as hath been already proved and if the elect should continue in sin and unbelief and not repent and believe or imbrace the means of Salvation they should be equally lyable to the decree of Reprobation as the reprobates themselves and there would be no difference but they in repenting believing and embracing the means of salvation fall under the unchangeable decree of Gods election so as they cannot miss of salvation as hath been already shewed Answ Truly Sir before this I did not rightly apprehend where the shooe did wring but now I find that it is Original sin that pinches you so sore that you cannot well endure the name of it which had I foreseen I would not have minced any thing in the Argument no not so much as the continuing in sin for howsoever it is that we affirm that Original sin is an hereditary disease which every soul brings with it into the world yet it leaves not a man suddenly no not when he is regenerate but continues to the end of a mans dayes It is the very last enemy of ours that death destroyes so that in respect of this Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet dici beatus Now what you have to say against our doctrine of Original sin I find not much in this your discourse for this you grant First that the whole lump of mankind is polluted with sin and which pollution as you say flows from Adams transgression And secondly that all the fruits and effects of that sin do accompany us till death there is onely then your bare denial that eternal death is not the reward or wages of this sinful pollution the contrary whereof is incumbent on me to prove to make my charge good against you with that third absurdity Now to prove that the first sin of Adam was ours not because he is our father by nature though that be a ground of the imputation also but because he is such a father by Covenant and law the law and Covenant of works being laid in pawn in his hand we are to understand that there be three parts in Original sinne 1. First a partaking of the first sin of Adam we all sinned in him Rom. 5.12 14 15. 2. Secondly the want of the Image of God Rom. 3.23 called the glory of God or original righteousness 3. Thirdly Concupiscence or a bentness or proneness of nature unto sin Rom. 7.7 14 17 23 24. As to the first Adams sin is ours really and truly not so much because it is ours as because it is imputed to be ours by God who so contrived the law of works as that it should be made with Adam not as a single father or person but with Adam as a publique person representing all mankind and having our common nature as a father both by nature and law which came from the meer free-will of God He was as the root and stock of all mankind Rom. 5.19 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners i. e. morally and legally but not physically and personally the fruit and effect of which is death and damnation for Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death not onely temporal or natural death but as the Apostles Antithesis necessarily carries it spiritual and eternal death in opposition to eternal life acquired by Jesus Christ the second Adam Yea and the whole series and purport of the Apostles discourse Rom. 5.12 to ver 19. carries this clear that every mouth may be stopped
run out as leaking vessels and 2 Tim. 2.21 purge themselves from error sin and uncleanness shall be vessels unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work And we do find in the Scripture that all those actings of God in a way of mercy in order to the everlasting good of his creature come from him with abundance of willingness freeness and delight for he is a God that delighteth in mercy Mich. 7.18 Answ Sir you onely speak here of Gods not consining himself to any subordinate power but you prosecute not the point as it is laid to your charge We with the Sctiptures do affirm Gods absolute purpose or the good pleasure of his most holy will is the alone cause of non-election or Reprobation and not the rejecting of the means to wit the free tenders of Christ in the Gospel and the continuing in sin and unbelief are not the causes as you assert pretending that if these be not assigned causes then God would be unjust or unmerciful to the creature hereupon we say that if God may not do with his creature what seems best to him in his own eyes without rendring a reason of his actings but that his attributes must be called into question this is to limit and confine the infinite soveraignty that God hath over all the creation and to suffer worms and dust to controll majesty But to this Sir hitherto you have said nothing To what you say of that place 2 Tim. 2.21 that it is the good will and pleasure of our God whosoever they be that delight to embrace the means of salvation and purge themselves from error sin and uncleaneness shall be vessels unto honour is very true and good in that sense it was intended by the Spirit of God but neither true nor good in that sense it is by you applied and made use of For first of all you suppose that it is in their own power to purge themselves from error sin and uncleanness whereas this is Gods peculiar work to purge us from our sins and purely to purge away our dross and to wash us with clean water and to turn us to himself and then we shall be sure to be turned all our strength to performe such a taske is else altogether insufficient Your second couchant error here is that you conceive this purging of themselves will hereby make them vessels of honour but I say this their purging was no cause at all of their being vessels of honour but it was onely a means of the discovery of it wherein they might have comfort and consolation Before even from all eternity by that decree of election they were out of that lump of perdition made vessels unto honour or vessels of mercy which God had afore prepared unto glory but when the times of refreshing come Rom. 9.21.23 Gal. 1.16 Heb. 9.14 and that the Lord is pleased to reveal his son in them and that such his secret decree comes to be put in execution in time by God his giving of faith and repentance and purging their consciences from dead dead works to serve the living God then they shall be vessels unto honour unto their own comfort and to the good example of others Such a manner of speech there is Ioh. 5.8 Herein is my father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my Disciples Now they were his Disciples before but the meaning is that by bearing of fruit they should approve themselves both to their own consciences and to the world besides that they were the Disciples of Christ Neither is that which follows altogether so sound where you write But on the other hand in respect of what he doth in the making forth of his justice in the punishment of his creature for sin and impenitency he doth it not until he is provoked thereunto even 2 Chron. 36.16 untill there is no remedy for the Lord is Psal 19.1 and 145.8 slow to anger and of great mercy and hath Ezek. 33.11 no pleasure in the death of the wicked And therefore although that the embracing of the means repenting and believing in Jesus Christ be no procuring ground or cause of any the least mercies we do enjoy yet the continuing in sin and unbelief and the rejecting of the means of salvation is a procuring of punishment see Ier. 2.17 Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way also ch 4.18 thy way and thy doings hath procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it reacheth unto thine heart Answ Sir though it be very true that the continuing in sin and unbelief and the rejecting of the means of salvation be the procuring cause of punishment in time but not the cause of the decree of negative reprobation before time Yet where you say that God doth not make forth his justice in punishing until he be provoked Sir I cannot allow you so much to take this universally For tell me if you can how those infants had provoked God in the general deluge Gen. 7. when they were swept away with the rest of the wicked world or those infants in the combustion of Sodom Gen. 19. how had they communicated in pride fulness of bread and idleness with the rest of the citizens or what confederacy was there in those infants in the rebellion of Corah Numb 16. that they descended likewise with their fathers into the pit or how had those women been a provocation whose wombes were shut in the case of Abimelech Gen. 20. 2 Sam. 24.17 or those sheep the people of Israel what had they done when they suffered that havock by the pestilence when seventy thousand men were destroyed No Sir in many cases there is no visible provocation besides the original depravation of corrupt nature which through the want of original righteousness doth justly deserve wrath and punishment In some it is not for any sin either in them or their Parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in them Joh. 9.3 But for other cases take the rest and make the most of them And now to fill up your pamphlet and for want of better stuffe you obtrude upon us a leathern tale of your own observation and this it is And I can yet remember when I have been a hearer of these men which have taken unto themselves the title of Clergy as if they onely were the heritage of the Lord and none besides them speak much to this purpose that God was abundantly more prone to shew mercy than to execute wrath and have earnestly prest their hearers to the use of means calling upon them to be careful to come to Church as they call it and to heare sermons saying thou dost not know when Gods time is therefore give attendance to the means If thou art careless in coming and wilt come but now and then thou mayest be