all as it is free for God to give grace to whom he will and so to bring them to salvation the purpose whereof is called Gods election so is it enough for God to deny grace to whom he will and thereby to expose them to condemnation the purpose whereof in God is that which wee call Reprobation which as Aquinas saith Includit voluntatem permittendi peccatum damnationem inferendi pro peccato Now of this generall impotency of doing good which cleaves unto all since the fall of Adam you take no notice at all though herein consists the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of these controversies but carry your selfe throughout in such manner as if notwithstanding that shipwracke of grace which all humane soules made in Adam it were still as much in mans power to obey God as it was before or as much in mans power to rise by repentance now after he is fallen as it was in his power to stand in his integrity and in obedience unto God before he was fallen Put the case all were true that you deliver in the next place namely that God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost proceed in the way of admonition and exhortation to turne themselves to the Lord that iniquitie might not be their ruine yet this hinders not but that the decree of condemnation might be precedent to Gods decree of taking such a course and permitting them to resist it For upon a purpose to condemne them for such a sinne he might thereupon resolve to expose them to such a sinne And if God should first decree to permit such a sinne and then decree to condemne them for it the permission of this sinne being first in intention should by your owne rule be last in execution that is first men should be condemned for such a sin and afterwards they should be suffered to commit it Not that I maintaine any such order but onely to represent the weaknesse of your discourse approaching shrewdly to such a disorderly constitution of Gods decrees and nothing at all preventing the most harsh tenet that can be devised Againe this that here you deliver were it granted you yet doth it nothing hinder the corrupt masse in Adam to be the object of Gods decree of condemnation For albeit God the Father and God the Sonne faile not of performing all this you speak of yet if by reason of the generall impotency which is come on all they are nothing able to obey these motions of Gods spirit and withall God purposeth to deny them a further grace to make them to obey shall not this be sufficient to expose them to condemnation even for this sinne of resisting the motions of Gods spirit But now let us consider your discourse it selfe and what weight it carrieth which onely makes a shew of much but comes to nothing in the end First you please your selfe in devising distinct workes applyed to the distinct persons in the Trinitie without all ground in my judgement Wee commonly say Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisibilia Were not the Sonne and the Holy Ghost as active in the creation and are still in the workes of providence as the Father How Christ enlightned the world by his death is a mystery to me his doctrine I confesse did and much more the doctrine of his Apostles But in this ministerie of Christs servants were not the Father and the Holy Ghost as operative as the Sonne As for the knocking of the spirit at mens hearts you nothing distinguish it for ought I found hitherto from the ministerie of Christs servants in admonishing and exhorting which worke is yet the Fathers and the Sonnes aswell as the Spirits But whereas you say all this is done for this very end To turne them to the Lord that iniquitie might not be their destruction I pray you observe your owne words well all the operations you specifie are drawn from these two heads Instruction and Admonition to turn to the Lord and the end of all this you say is to turne to the Lord. Put these together that you may behold the sobrietie of this discourse God exhorts them to turne to the Lord to this end to turne them to the Lord As much as to say God exhorts them to turne to the Lord to this end that in case they obey his voice and turne to the Lord which is their part then God will performe his part also and turne them to the Lord. But what need I pray of Gods worke in turning them to the Lord after they have performed their part so well as to turne themselves to the Lord Againe if God hath a purpose to turne them to the Lord why doth he not Is it because they refuse to performe some act upon the performance whereof God would turne them to himself Now I would gladly know what act that is which God expects to be performed that so he might turne them to the Lord. I am verily perswaded your selfe are not willing to be put to designe this Is it the very act of turning to the Lord or lesse or more If the very act of turning to the Lord you fall upon a manifest absurditie before specified if lesse then turning to the Lord then 't is lesse than a good act and shall God reward that which is lesse then a good act with conversion unto him What is it to conferre grace according to the workes of nature if this be not Yet I would faine know what this act is Least of all will you say 't is more than turning to the Lord for that should suppose conversion unto the Lord already wrought and consequently no need that God should turne them to the Lord which supposeth that they were not before turned to the Lord at all The providing of severall helpfull meanes for the salvation of the world after the fall doth nothing hinder Gods reprobating of the world upon the fall unto eternall condemnation and perdition For if hee purpose to deny them grace to obey these meanes this shall bee sufficient to expose them to condemnation even for the despising of those meanes of grace which God purposeth to provide for them and accordingly the objection here proposed is sound And whereas you answere that these meanes doe aggravate their condemnation by accident onely to wit through their neglect and abuse of them I answere that this their neglect and abuse doth by necessary consequence follow upon Gods purpose to deny them effectuall grace for the using of those meanes aright like as upon Gods purpose to harden Pharaohs heart that hee should not let Israel goe it followed by necessary consequence that Pharaoh through the hardnesse of his heart would not let Israel goe But that Gods end is as you say the restoring of men to salvation and life as if God did will and purpose any such thing is utterly untrue and nothing proved by you hitherto but rather flatly contradictorie to that you have most an end delivered partly in
that is not till after one and another admonition neverthelesse this makes nothing for you unlesse you maintain that Gods Spirit convicts them also of this that it is in their power to beleeve which power of beleeving you seeme to attribute to a man unregenerate though you are loath to speake plainly in expressing so much And you seem to intimate such an Argument as this They sinne in not beleeving therefore it is in their power to beleeve But you may as well inferre that wee sinne in not keeping Gods Law therefore it is in our power to keep it Or if you dispute thus The world is convicted of sinne in not beleeving therefore they have power to beleeve You may as well dispute thus The regenerate are convicted that they sinne in that their flesh lusteth against the Spirit therefore it is in their power to keep the flesh from lusting against the Spirit Besides when men quench the motions of the Spirit and persecute the Ministers of the word how can they be said in so doing to resist the Holy Ghost if the Holy Ghost went not about such a worke as to bring them to Christ and to life by him Could they be said to resist the Holy Ghost if the workes of the Holy Ghost had never striven with them to worke this worke in them Thus then you see those three that beare witnesse in heaven the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost they all from heaven beare witnesse of this point in hand concerning the truth hereof The Father by the end of the creation of his workes and providence the Sonne by his end of enlightening the world and of his coming into it to dye for it the Holy Ghost by his inward wrestling in the hearts of men doe all of them really proclaime that it is the will and good pleasure of God as to save the Elect not according to their owne workes but his grace so likewise to save the world of mankind if their workes hinder not his good will towards them Thus you see also a sweet harmony between the Purpose and the Covenant or Promise and the Providence of God This Purpose willeth life unto the world upon the condition of their obedience and repentance the Promise in the Covenant of Workes offereth life unto them likewise upon the same condition the Providence of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost provideth and applieth severall meanes of life unto the world upon the same tearmes And there is in every godly man renewed after the Image of God a just concord betwixt his Purpose his Covenant or Promise and his Performance So is there here the like in God You may read what Gods purpose is toward the world by his Covenant made with the world and you may see both what his Covenant with them and purpose of them is by his performance and axecution of them both in his actuall providence in the fulnesse of time If you ask how God may be said to purpose any thing that is not effectually accomplished I answer the act of Gods will which hee is pleased to put forth is alwayes accomplished There is no good thing possible to be though it never come to passe as that all men should in all things obey the word of God but God passeth upon it some act of his will hee at least approveth it to be good and good it is though it never come to passe This act is not disappointed for as hee will prove it so likewise doth hee approve it Doth God command this or that good duty to be done which is not done Yet that act of his will which hee puts forth is done as hee willed to command it so hee did command it Doth God purpose to give life to the world upon condition of obedience and accordingly give means to help them to the performance of this obedience so farre as it is meet for them to doe Surely God performeth it on his part although men performe it not on their part their salvation is indeed disappointed but not Gods will who never willed to give salvation to them but upon that condition The motions of the Spirit which are quenched are godly motions in the way of admonition perswasion exhortation and they are quenched not onely in the men of the world but too often in the children of God the flesh too often prevailing in their lustings against the spirit whereby are quenched for a time the motions of the Spirit that is the regenerate part lusting against the flesh and consequently the motions also of the Spirit of God admonishing and inviting unto good either by the hearing of the word or by the observation of Gods works This worke of morall motion and invitation is wrought sometimes with a purpose to worke obedience conformable thereunto sometimes with no such purpose as often as God doth not make them effectuall to the working of obedience whether in the unregenerate or regenerate for even these sometimes yea too oft erre from Gods wayes and have their hearts hardened against his feare for if God had a purpose to make them effectuall who should hinder him Who hath resisted his will cui nullum humanum resist it arbitrium saith Austin for ex nolentibus volentes facit Undoubtedly morall invitations if they be not yeelded unto are justly said to be resisted to what end soever they be made whether to convert them or to leave them without excuse even such an excuse as Austin speaks of when hee saith Dicere solet humana suporbia Si scissem fecissem I see no reason why you should deny the Elect to be saved according to their workes our Saviour doth manifest Mat. 25. that they are so Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you c. For I was an hungred and you fed mee c. and can it be denyed but that God rewardeth every man according to his workes I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith saith Paul Henceforth there is laid up for mee a crown of righteousnesse God is not unrighteous to forget the labour of your love c. Looke to your selves saith John that wee may not lose the things that wee have done but wee may receive a full reward Piscator a precise Divine spareth not to professe that fides is causa salutis They are not I confesse causa meritoria as sinne is causa damnationis but they are causae dispositivae according to the Apostles phrase God hath made us meet partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Neither doe I see any reason why you should oppose grace and good workes in the point of salvation howsoever they are opposed in the point of justification The place you point unto for proofe treats not of the salvation of glory but of the salvation of grace consisting in effectuall calling as the Text it selfe manifesteth Had you spoken plainly as you might and as
both Junius did endeavour but very obscurely and Piscator hath endeavoured very perspicuously to reduce them into one If he failed therein especially in some one particular his failing rightly observed and discerned may open a way for the discovery of the entire truth But let the issue therof commend it selfe Your phrase of usefull truths I do not like amongst Arminians I often meet with such a course of arguing truth by the usefulnesse of it which is like the giving of the larger coat to him that is bigger because it is fitter for him when in the mean time he had no right unto it And though we can judge aright of a coats fitnesse to a body yet it is a dangerous course for us to presume so farre of our judgements in the usefulnesse of opinions as thereupon to conclude what are true and what are false 1. To choose before the world is to choose before the creation or Adams fall according to your owne exposition formerly mentioned but in this sense your selfe confesseth in the 4. place that Austin and Zanchy doe not concurre with others in this was there no more in Gods intention when he elected some then the manifestation of the riches of his glorious grace Did not God purpose to manifest also the glory of his remunerative justice Is it not undeniable that God will bestow salvation upon all his elect of ripe yeares before their departure out of this world by way of reward and crowne of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give at that day to all that love his Sonnes appearing It being a righteous thing with God as to recompence tribulation to them that trouble his Children so to his Children that are troubled rest with his Apostles when the Lord Jesus shall shew himselfe from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengance c. When he shall come to be glorifyed in his Saints and be made marvellous in all them that beleeve c. It is great pity this is not considered as usually it is not especially for the momentous consequence thereof in my judgement sufficient if I mistake not to have stifled this opinion following touching Reprobation in the first conception of it 2. Touching the Second I have nothing to say for if you have any opinion concerning some benefit that redounds to the Reprobate by the death of Christ it is more then hitherunto you do discover 3. Touching the Third it were to be desired you did expresse whether no lesse powerfull motion would serve to the drawing of them to faith and repentance 4. Likewise touching the Fourth whether this powerfull worke being denyed to any it is possible for such a one to beleeve and repent unto salvation Concerning the order here mentioned though my opinion be that the object of predestination is massa nondum condita yet in no moment of nature or reason was the decree of God concerning Christs incarnation and our salvation by him before the decree of creation and of permission of Adams fall and consequently Election unto Salvation had the consideration of massa corrupta concomitant with it though not precedent only the consideration of massa nondum condita being antecedentall to all these decrees Likewise in my opinion they doe mistake who take the Synod of Dort to maintaine the consideration of massa corrupta as precedent to Election though they beginne with signifying what God purposed to bring to passe upon the fall of mankind in Adam And Galvin in his answere to Pighius confesseth that the safest course is to treate of predestination upon the consideration of the corrupt masse in Adam As touching what you have delivered touching Election in Christ our head in the first place that I have already examined Our Divines commonly conceive a double act of Reprobation as Bellarmine and others of the Papists doe 1. Negative as they call it a non-election or Reprobation unto which some adde a purpose of forsaking the creature excluding it from glory and from sufficient meanes of grace in Christ 2. Positive ordaining it to condemnation The former they conceive to be absolute as being an act of Gods soveraigne Lordship over the creature without all respect to sinne The latter they conceive as being an act of vindicative justice to presuppose originall sinne at the least and some of them as Bellarmine actuall sinne also whom Paraus in this point seemeth to give way unto 1. To the first of these acts I wholly assent so farre as it resteth in a non-election or preterition of the creature according to the libertie of Gods absolute soveraignety That which is added to it of a purpose of forsaking the creature and to exclude it from glory and from sufficient meanes of grace in Christ before all respect of sinne I want warrant from scripture to condescend unto But this Negative act I would rather expresse in such words as the holy Ghost hath used before me and so distinguish it into two branches That before all respect of good or evill in the creature 1 God did not so love the world I meane the world of mankind distinguished from the elect this is plaine from the Apostles comparison of Jacob and Esau Rom. 9. 11. 12 13. 2. God did not give the world to Christ by him of grace to be brought to salvation as he did the elect for they are not said to be written in the Lambs book of life from the beginning of the world Revel 13. 8 17 18. And indeed all who were given to Christ doe in fulnesse of time come unto him Joh. 6. 37. Gods hatred of Esau before he had done good or evill reacheth to this act also Rom. 9. 13. 2. Touching the positive act which they conceive I wholly agree with them that God ordaineth none to condemnation but upon sinne presupposed Annihilate the creature God may without presupposall of sinne for annihilation is an act of Soveraignetie suteable to creation but condemne it he may not without presupposall of sinne For condemnation is an act of justice and presupposeth a rule of justice transgressed and thereby wrath or just revenge provoked onely this positive act of Gods counsell about the world of mankind severed from the elect upon serious consideration of sundry passages of Scripture I would rather distinguish into a double act 1. Whereby without all respect of good or evill in the men of this world God ordained them unto judgment according to their works Ezech. 33. 20. to judgment I say not of condemnation which presupposeth sinne in the creature to be condemned but judgment I meane of just retribution whereby God is willing to deale with them according to their works in justice justice I say aswell distributive to reward them with life if they continue in obedience as vindicative to punish them to death if they provoke him by carelesse and wilfull disobedience Hitherto even to this act the hatred of God to Esau reached 2. Whereby upon the
it is cleare that God is not bound to remunerate any creature but upon presupposition of his will for hee may convert him into nothing if it please him But if hee hath determined to reward them according to their obedience it must needs bee so for as much as the Divine nature is without variablenesse or shadow of change So likewise neither is God bound to punish any sinner for hee may pardon him if it please him but upon supposition that hee hath determined not to leave a sinner unpunished in this case onely is hee bound to punish Further I will shew that in such acts the condition whereof doth not depend upon the will of God the act may be of one condition and yet neverthelesse the purpose of God to performe such an act is of another condition As for example the act of creation is an act of Gods almighty power but Gods purpose to create the world is no act of power but of will rather So likewise Gods act of ordering all things unto their end in wonderfull manner is an act of infinite wisedome but his purpose to order all things in so admirable manner is no act of his wisedome but of his free-will Now I will demonstrate that the fore-sight of sinne cannot be the cause of Gods purpose to condemne For if it be the cause of Gods purpose then either by necessity of nature or by the free constitution of God not by necessity of nature for hee is naturally more prone as Piscator confesseth upon Exod. 24. 6. to remunerate obedience than to punish for sinne but no man will say that hee doth remunerate by necessity of nature therefore neither doth hee punish sinne by necessity of nature therefore it must be onely through the voluntary constitution of God that sinne is the cause of ordination unto condemnation But marke I pray the foule absurdity hereof for here-hence it followes that God did purpose that upon the fore-sight of sinne hee would purpose that men should be damned So that the purpose of God is made the object of his purpose and that upon a certaine condition whereas nothing can be the object of Gods purpose but some temporall thing or other and consequently one purpose of God shall be in time precedaneous to another purpose of God which is impossible first because no purpose of God begins in time secondly there is no priority between the purposes of God but priority of nature and reason and that onely in such a case as when one is of the end and the other of the meanes tending to that end which hath no place in this matter wee now treat of By the way when you say God cannot condemne the creature without sinne though hee may annihilate him what doe you meane by condemnation doe you take it for punishment If so then the formality of it expressed at full is this Affliction for sinne Now consider is it a sober speech to say God cannot afflict for sin without the presupposall of sin I doubt not but you deliver your mind of what God cannot do in the way of justice But it is utterly impossible that any man should bee afflicted for sinne without the presupposall of sin I presume your meaning is only this though incommodiously expressed God cannot excruciate or afflict a creature without the presupposall of sinne But in whom I doubt not but your meaning is in the person afflicted But what thinke you then of the Sonne of God how was hee afflicted and without any presupposall of sinne in him And I pray you tell mee hath not God as much power over us as over him Againe consider I pray what power doth God give unto man over inferiour creatures But let this passe Can God annihilate us without any respect to sinne and can hee not afflict us Alas what affliction would most men bee content to endure rather then to dye much more rather then to bee turned to the gulfe of nothing from whence wee came If it be said that God may afflict in some degree but not in the highest or for a time but not for ever such as wee conceive that torment to bee which wee signifie by the word Condemnation I pray remember wee are made after the image of God and endued with the light of reason and let us not cast our selves in a brutish manner upon conceits without all evidence of reason Now tell mee what reason can bee devised why God should bee able without all prejudice of his justice to inflict paine in one degree in two degrees in three or foure degrees in five six and seven degrees without all respect to sinne onely if in the eight degree hee should inflict it in this manner he should bee unjust Againe if without injustice hee may inflict paine on an innocent creature for a thousand yeares or ten thousand yeares or ten times ten thousand what reason why hee cannot afflict a creature for ever without injustice yet if no finite time can be set which hee cannot exceed why not for ever Nay if a creature should be put to his choyce whether he would choose to bee annihilated or to bee in eternall torment yet preserved without sinne which of these two would an holy creature make choyce of should he not preferre his being without sinne though in eternall torment before annihilation But let us consider the double act of God here devised about the world of mankind severed from the elect God you say did ordain to judge them according to their workes I pray consider who denyeth this even they that maintaine Reprobation as absolute as Election doe notwithstanding maintaine that God doth judge them no otherwise then according to their works for they doe not avouch that God doth ordaine to damne them for ought else then for sinne yea and that for sinne actuall as many as doe dye in actuall sin unrepented of and for originall sinne as many as doe dye only in originall sinne Againe will you deny the same forme of decree to have his course concerning the elect as well as concerning the Reprobate Doth not God reward them according to their workes I meane as many as live unto ripenesse of age for otherwise it cannot be verisied of the Reprobates And if God doth reward the righteous according to their workes did hee not also ordaine from everlasting so to reward them Neither is Election rightly stated and in congruous opposition unto Reprobation any other then Gods decree to reward men with everlasting life for their obedience of faith repentance and good works like as Reprobation is Gods decree to punish them with everlasting death for their continuance in sinne without repentance unto death albeit neither of these is Gods complete decree on either side but the decree of Election is Praeparatio gratiae gloriae as Austin saith that is a decree to give both the grace of obedience both in the way of faith repentance and good works and to crowne them with
heart out of their bowels and give them an heart of flesh when he resolves to afford this grace unto some but not unto others let every one judge hereby whether God can be said earnestly to desire the changing of their hearts when hee resolves to forbeare that course which alone can change them No no this discourse favoureth strongly of a conceit that it is in the power of an unregenerate man to change his owne heart and of an heart of stone to change it into an heart of flesh And in this case I confesse it were very probable that God should earnestly desire it provided that any ineffectuall and changeable desires were incident unto God That when God putteth forth the second act of positive retribution viz. the rejection of the world or decree of their condemnation God doth behold and consider the world especially men of riper yeares not in massa primitus corrupta nor as newly fallen in Adam but as voluntarily falling off by some act of carelesse and wilfull disobedience To prove this I need not produce other reasons then what I have formerly alledged in the fone-going Point for when God did expresse by his oath his will and good pleasure to be not for the death but life and conversion of sinners was it not after the fall of Adam and all his posterity in him then notwithstanding the presupposall of the fall God had not yet rejected the creature but as hee there declareth himselfe still retaineth and reserveth thoughts of peace towards them even a desire of their conversion unto life Againe with whom did the Lord enter into a Covenant of life and death upon condition of obedience and disobedience was it not with Adam onely and his posterity in his loynes in the state of innocency by the law written in their heart Was it not also after Adams fall renewed to all his posterity both Jewes and Gentiles Then yet God had not cast them away in the fall though the fall had justly deserved it but expecteth yet further to see how they will yet keep this renewed Covenant with him before hee cast them off as Reprobates Even Cain himselfe the eldest sonne of Reprobation is after the fall offered acceptance of Gods hand if hee doe well Moreover is it not after the fall that the Father by his workes of creation and providence judgements and mercies c. the Sonne by his enlightening the world by his death and ministery of his servants and the Holy Ghost by his calling and knocking at the hearts of the wicked doe all strive with men even to this very end to turne them to the Lord that iniquity may not be their destruction If therefore all the Persons in the Trinity doe provide severall helpfull meanes for the conversion and salvation of the world of the world I say now after the fall lying in wickednesse surely God did not then upon the fall reprobate the world unto eternall condemnation and perdition If you say God might well reprobate the world unto condemnation upon the fall and yet still after the fall usâ— meanes for their conversion and salvation because those meanes doe but further aggravate their condemnation I answer these doe indeed further aggravate their condemnation but it is but by accident onely by their neglect and abuse of them but the proper end which God himselfe of himselfe aimes at in the use of these meanes himselfe plainly expresseth it to be not the aggravation or procurement of their condemnation but the restoring of them to salvation and life as hath been before declared So then to draw all to an head the summe of this first reason is If God after the fall doe retaine a will and purpose to restore life to the world upon an equall condition then hee did not upon the fall or upon the onely consideration of the fall reject the world of the ungodly unto their utter perdition But you see God retaineth after the fall an holy will and purpose of restoring life unto the world upon an equall condition as appeareth by his Oath by his Covenant and by his Workes therefore the conclusion which is the point in hand is evident I marvell what you meane to call Gods decree of condemnation his act of retribution retribution being an act temporall and transient the decree of God is an act immanent and eternall And therefore it is not so handsomely said to be the putting forth of an act for so much as it is immanent and not transient 'T is manifest I confesse that sin is alwayes precedent to the retribution of punishment as it is without controversie that sinne neither is nor can be antecedent to Gods decree sinne being temporall but all Gods decrees eternall And I have found it by experience to be an usuall course with our Adversaries to confound condemnation with the decree of condemnation And Junius himselfe very incongruously in my judgement calls this decree Praedamnatio to make the fairer place as I guesse for sins praecedencie thereunto at least in consideration But no necessity urgeth us to any such course and wee may well maintaine that God in this decree of condemnation hath alwayes the consideration of that sinne for which hee purposeth to damne them for undoubtedly hee decrees to condemne no man but for sinne It is impossible it should be otherwise condemnation in the notion thereof formally including sinne But I like not your expressions in the distinction you make saying God considers men in this sinne not as newly fallen in Adam but as voluntarily falling off you mean long after by some act of carelesse and wilfull disobedience When God made this decree they were not newly that is a little before fallen in Adam for that fall in Adam was temporall but the decrees of God are eternall And to consider as newly fallen when as yet they were not much lesse were they fallen is not so much to consider as to erre or feigne But like as God decreed to suffer all to fall in Adam and many also to continue both therein and in bringing forth the bitter fruits thereof even untill death so he purposed to condemne them for those sinnes but take heed you doe not make an order of prius and posterius between these decrees lest either you make the decree of condemnation precedent to the decree of permission of those sinnes for which they shall be condemned which will be directly contradictory to your Tenet here or making Gods decree of permitting such sinnes for which they shall be condemned precedent to his decree of condemnation whereunto you doe encline unawares which will cast you upon miserable inconveniences and that by your owne rule already delivered for if the decree of permitting sinne be first in intention then by the rules received by you it should be last in execution that is men should be condemned for sinne before they be permitted to sinne But the conjunction of these decrees into one as in the same
making Gods will of their salvation to be onely in a disjunct 〈◊〉 and partly of a conditionate 〈◊〉 which is no more to will their salvation than their damnation in case they were indifferent to performe either condition But in case they be found unable to performe the condition of life and most prone to performe the condition of death God meaning not to give them such a grace as alone can relieve them it is manifestly an evidence that God wills their condemnation and nothing at all their salvation Not to mention any other arguments against this conceit the one drawn from Gods omnipotency the other from his immutab litie In the recapitulation of this reason you help your selfe with a phrase and onely with a phrase God retaines a will and purpose to restore life to the world upon an equall condition Obedience is due to God though man be not able to performe it And therefore God in requiring that which is due unto him carrieth himselfe in an equall I had rather say in a just course though man becoming banckrupt be not able to performe it But in this case namely if God will not restore life but upon performance of such a condition which he is utterly unable to performe and withall purposeth to deny him that grace which should inable him to performe it is not this a manifest document that God hath no purpose to restore life unto him Yet I confesse the phrase used is advantageous unto you for at the hearing of an equall condition most are apt to conceive the condition to be such as lyeth in a mans power to performe But you have not hitherunto manifested any such opinion of mans abilitie If you have entertained any such as whereunto pastorall Divines dealing much upon exhortation are sometimes over-prone though I see small cause why the opinion of mans impotency unto good should any whit rebate the edge of their exhortation you should doe well to convince your adversaries by argument and not circumvent them From the condition of those men upon whom the scriptures pronounce reprobation or rejection I no where read of reprobation but of such men to whom the meanes of grace or at least of the knowledge of God in some measure or other have been offered in vaine In the Old Testament God pronounceth the house of Judah reprobate silver rejected by him But when Not till they were all become revolters and corrupters and till the meanes hee had used to purge and cleanse them had been attempted in vaine The bellows saith hee are burnt the lead is consumed in the fire the founder melteth in vaine and reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them When did God reject all further care of purging the people from their filthinesse any more Not till after hee had used meanes to purge them and they were not purged When doth the Sonne of God under the name of wisdome reject the wicked Not till after he had called upon them earnestly to return stretched out his hands unto them offered to poure out his spirit upon them and they after all this had set at nought his counsell and despised the meanes of their owne reformation Prov. 1. In the New Testament the Apostle speaks of reprobates in case so powerfull a ministery as his was so long a time dispensed unto them and had notwithstanding been vainly received by them and that as yet they knew not themselves to be in Christ Yea the Gentiles themselves when did God give them up to a reprobate minde Was it not after they had disregarded the acknowledging and glorifying of God according to the meanes they had received In a word when doth God shut up the Sonnes of Adam either Jewes or Gentiles under enmitie against Christ and set forth Christ in enmitie against them thereby excluding them from attonement with him or by him with God Is it not after they are become the seed of the Serpent Now by the seed of the Serpent cannot be meant all men fallen and corrupted in Adam by originall sin though that fall was wrought by the suggestion and practice of the Serpent for then all the seed of Adam had been shut up in enmitie against Christ and cut off from all fellowship with him their head But by the seed of the Serpent I understand all such men of the world as have the image of the old Serpent stamped upon them which is a will set to doe the lusts of the devill Saith our Saviour to the Jewes Yee are of your father the devill and the lusts of your father ye will doe or which is all one an hatred of the light when it cometh amongst them and which is a character of the devill a lover of darknesse rather then light Upon which point it is our Saviour shutteth up the men of this world under condemnation viz. When by the hatred of the light they have drunke in the venome and received the image of the old Serpent till which time men are counted the seed of Adam Or if they be borne in the Church the seed of Abraham rather then the seed of the Serpent For our Divines doe wisely and justly maintaine against the Anabaptists that the seed of Abraham as pertaining to the Covenant are not only his spirituall seed partakers of his faith but also his children after the flesh till by their carelesse and willfull disobedience they have excluded themselves from the Covenant of Abraham From whence it is that all the seed of Abraham even the carnall seed are scaled up by Circumcision or Baptisme under the Covenant of Abraham Neither are they excluded from hope of benefit by the Covenant and the seales and ordinances of it till that with prophane Esau they dispise this their birth-right and sell the pledges of their inheritance for some base and sensuall lust Now if all such are to be accounted the seed of Abraham till by despising the Covenant they have broken off themselves from partaking with him in the satnesse of the olive then surely even the carnall seed of Abraham are not the seed of the Serpent from their originall pollution but doe become afterwards by their actuall voluntary rebellion As there is an election eternall and election temporall so in both senses the word is taken in holy scripture Of election eternall we read Ephes 1. 4. where God is said to have chosen us in Christ that wee should be holy before the foundation of the world Of election temporall wee read 1 Cor. 1. 26. Brothren you see your calling how that not many wisemen after the flesh c. But God hath chosen the foolish things c. Where Election is taken as all one with vocation in proportion whereunto wee must distinguish of reprobation And like as Election temporall is all one with effectuall vocation as when men find mercy at the hands of God to obey their callings So reprobation temporall is all one with obduration