commits such an Act or if he doth sin that the fault is to be transferred upon God who is the first Cause of that Act. By the way before we proceed further Let me ask you one Question Can a man a Viz. under the same influx and assistance do any more good than he doth or omit any more evill than he b That is whether he can be guilty either of omission or commission and upon what account omitteth I know you are clearly for the Affirmative But that will hardly stand with M. Hickmans Metaphysicks for I argue thus and first for good works He that can do more good than he doth can do some good that God doth not produce in him the consequence is apparent because he is supposed to do allready all that God produceth in him But man cannot do some good that God doth not produce in him for every good is a reall being and every reall being or reall positive modification of beings is from God and produced by him saith M. Hâ—ckman Thus for good Then for evill That man cannot omit more evil than he omitteth according to M. Hickmans Metaphysicks I prove thus He that can neither omit the Act to which the evil of sin adhereth nor avoid the obliquity of that Act which is the sinfulnesse of it He can omit no more evil than he omitteth the consequence is evident But a man can neither omit the Act nor avoid the obliquity Therefore c. He cannot omit the Act for that is of Gods production nor avoid the obliquity for that is either to be done by some other Act or without it If by some other Act that is not in his power for every Act is from God and 't is absurd to say it may be done without it If Master Hickman holds the negative of that Question the Brittish Divines of the Synod are against him and a world of absurdities do follow that opinion viz. That a man cannot bury his Talent nor receive the grace of God in vain nor be idle and neglect the great Salvation nor watch nor fast nor pray nor do any one good duty more then he doth nay that he can do no duty properly so called nor sin at all if he be thus chaind by a Fatall necessity to every Action and omission And then what will become of the word of exhortation and the power of Godlinesse But let us follow Master Hickman a little in that instance of Hating God †Pag. 90. This saith he is Complexum quid and must not be spoken of as if it were one the vitall action or hatred is a thing positive and consequently he grants that is from God but the undue referring or terminating of that Act to such an object to God which is altogether lovely that saith he is the sinfulnesse of the Action But whence is this derived He saith pag. 75. onely from mans corruption and the Devils temptation But what is mans corruption is it not his vitiosity yet he saith pag. 97. where the cause it self is vitious its vitiosity is not the cause of the vitiosity of the effect for vitiosity of it self neither can effect nor be effected And for the temptation of the Devil is not that an Act if it be then it is from God for every Act is from him saith M. Hickman If he saith the malice of the temptation is from the Devil I demand what is that malice of the Devil Is it not his vitiosity and then as before where the cause is vitious its vitiosity is not the cause of the vitiosity of the effect for vitiosity it self neither can effect nor be effected what then the vitious cause saith he taking together the being and the supervenient privation is the cause of the vitious effect taking it in like manner for the being and the super added privation But I say again the being whether mans or the Devils doth not act according to Master Hickmans Metaphysicks for every Act is from God and produced by him and consequently 't is the Act of God that gives the corruption of man and the malice of the Devil their life and vigour and how then can God be freed from being the Cause or Author of the sin Besides in the hating of God there is not onely the Act of hatred which he confesseth to be positive and so from God but there is also the turning of the will in this Act and the undue determination of it upon God the object altogether lovely wherein consists the sinfulnesse of the Action as he confesseth I demand then is not this determination of the will an Act If it be which I presume cannot with any shew of reason be denyed then whose Act is it and from whom If he saith from man himself his best course is to whisper this assertion as softly as he can else I must tell him in his own language p. 96 97. he and I both were best not to make too much noise lest we should awaken the youngsters to fall aboard us with such an Argument as this If man be the efficient Cause either of a good action or a bad action then he doth effect it by another action and so we may proceed in infinitum Well for fear of these dangerous Bugbears we will for once ascribe it unto God So that God is made the cause of that hatred and of determining the will upon this lovely Object which is God Now if we should impannell a Jury of honest men to inquire who is the Cause or Author of this sin of hating God in this case who would they finde guilty think ye Doctor Molin saith In Anat. c. 13. parag 10. Quod si Deus insontem creaturam destinavit ad perditionem necesse est eandem destinaverit ad peccatum sine quo non potest esse justa perditio sic Deus erit causa impulsiva peccati Nec homo poterit juste puniri ob peccatum ad quod est aut praecise destinatus aut Dei voluntate compulsus If his destinating men to sinne makes him the impulsive cause of sinne how can he produce in them the Act that is sinfull and determine their wills unto it and yet not be the Cause of the sinne Let us put a Case for illustration Suppose a Prince should make a Law injoyning his subjects to write none but perfect Italian Characters and then should take the hand of a child to write with and the Characters prove Bastard Roman or Secretary or suppose one should take a dead mans hand and forge a Deed with it * Such a case hath been and a Triall upon it too and the dead hand acquitted by the Jury Though the Subtilty of Master Hickmans Metaphysicks should finde the childe guilty and distinguish the Forgery upon the dead body yet without all peradventure an honest Jury would bring in a better verdict If it be objected that these are no competent instances because there is no vitall
rather unto this Nation than unto another is not the meere and onely good pleasure of God but because this Nation is better and more worthy of it than that to which he hath not communicated the Gospel But the Remonstrants know none that do say or think so Upon all occasions they have profest and taught the contrary saith the Author of that Antidotum pag. 79. v. sqq This last imputation Perfrictae frontis mentis odio tantum non excaecatae indicium est Ib. p. 80. Touching the Second Chapter of Redemption in their Second Rejection That this was not the end of Christs death that he might establish a new Covenant of grace by his blood but onely that he might procure unto his Father the bare right of making again with men any covenant whatsoever whether of Grace or of works here in the first member of this Article they impute to the Remonstrants what is manifestly false and contrary to their publick Doctrine And the Second Member is a fiction and interpolation to render them odious Vid ib. p. 88. In the Fourth Rejection the first branch is of the same complexion and the opposition made therein very unapt and ridiculous Ibid. p. 89. The first Rejection the Remonstrants observe to be equivocal and to admit of a double sense Whereof they account one to be false but the other they do most stedfastly embrace ib. p. 90. Touching the Third and Fourth Chapters of Conversion they say they may justly challenge three things of the Synod 1. Bonam fidem 2. Charitatem sive aequitatem 3. Prudentiam attentionem pag. 104. The first we are now concern'd to inquire into And whereas in their First Rejection they condemn the Remonstrants as teaching that it cannot well be avouched that originall sinne of it self it sufficient for the condemning of all mankind c. If they understand this of Adam's first sinne there is none of them but acknowledge that the guilt of it hath overspread his whole posterity and made them obnoxious to condemnation But whether that which is appendant to it by way of punishment makes a new guilt and begets a new punishment no act of mans will passing unto the espousing of it this they think too vain and triviall a subtilty to contend about In their Fourth Rejection They insinuate that the Remonstrants teach That an Unregenerate man is not properly nor totally dead in sins nor destitute of all strength tending to spirituall good c. whereas there is not one of them that did ever write or affirm so but in their third Article they confesse That in the state of Apostasie and sin man of himself and by himself can neither think will or do any good that is truly good In the Seventh Rejection They impute to them that they teach that The Grace whereby we are converted is nothing else but a gentle suasion c. whereas there is not one of them have such an affirmation That nothing else is required to the power of believing but a gentle suasion Quid enim ineptius quam Potentiam in homine effici per suasionem For what can be more foolish than to affirm that a power may be wrought in man by persuasion In the Eighth Rejection they charge them to affirm That it lyeth in mans power to be or not to be regenerated When their meaning is no more but this that it may come to passe that man may oppose a new contumacie or resistance to God's Call c. Ibid. pag. 105. In the Fifth Chapter of Perseverance as in the rest the 1 2 3 and 4 Rejections Ibid. p. 119. are observed to be of the same argument and importance that by the Fiction of a multiplicity of errours the Remonstrants might be rendred the more odious and this is none of the most conscionable much lesse worthy dealing Besides there is to use Master Baxter's own words a perverse insinuation in the first Rejection where they affirm there are some meaning the Remonstrants who teach That Perseverance is a condition of the New Covenant which is to be performed on mans part by his own free-will before his peremptory election and justification In that this condition is said to be performed by mans free-will Ibib. p. 126. the Remonstrants are brought under a suspicion as if they did not think the grace of God and the continuall assistance of his Holy Spirit necessary unto perseverance in that which is good whereas the Synod knew they were of a contrary persuasion Besides by implying that they should assert any free-will to be in man which was not made so by grace to do that which is pleasing unto God they procured the Remonstrants envy which was a manifest injury to them Likewise in the Second Rejection the Remonstrants are Master Baxter would say feigned to teach That when as all abilities necessary unto perseverance and all things which God is pleased to use for the preservation of faith are granted and set in readinesse that it still remaineth in the choise and pleasure of mans will to persevere or not Which words do darkly insinuate as if the Remonstrants did believe and teach Ibid. that God for his part doth first perform all those things that are behoofull towards men and then leave them to themselves affording them no further grace or help to assist and exstimulate them to do their duty But this is far from the Remonstrants Doctrine who did alwayes undoubtedly hold that God doth alwayes both in the beginning progresse and end more especially in temptations assist and help man by his grace to persevere in that which is good unlesse he confronts those divine aides and succours by the unworthinesse of a shamefull neglect or the opposition of a contumacious rebellion The liberty whereof under the most gracious and potent dispensations is ordinarily according to His most just and wise providence reserved unto man by Almighty God that so his perseverance may be under such a sweet conduct a work of his own choise and duty and consequently capable of the Divine approbation and reward Once more That Author complains that such Doctrines are imputed to them as the Remonstrants never so much as dreamt of especially as they stand reported by the Synod For example such as are in their Fifth Rejection viz. That no certainty of future perseverance can be had in this life Ibid. p. 127. without speciall revelation Indeed they own no such certainty of a future absolute perseverance as flows from an inconditionate Election and serves to furnish Cordials for the secure and sinfull in the midst of their perversities drowning their cares and sorrows and extinguishing their fears of hell fire and Gods displeasure But they do most willingly acknowledge that an upright man one that feareth God eschews evill and worketh righteousnesse may be certain of his future perseverance so that no force fraud or fallacy shall be able to rob him of that treasure his hope of eternall life
deny me thrise He was forearmed too if he had followed his direction Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation and retirement was suggested to him also Mat. 26.41 as his best posture of defence If yee seek me Joh. 18.8 let these go their way That he was honoured to be the first in order of the Colledge Apostolick the mouth of all the rest whose confession was made the rock and foundation of the Christian Church and in whose person the power of the Keyes was conferred upon the whole body of the Priesthood that such a man as he †After so high a profession of fidelity too Though I should die with thee Mat. 26.35 should not fly the persecution or faint under the pressures of it but will fully expose himself to question and notwithstanding all our Saviour had done to fortifie him against it then lye and persist in it and forswear and curse himself and all this out of a base unworthy fear to save his skin rather then own a person who was his gracious Master his God and his Redeemer who had formerly told him Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words Luk. 9.26 of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory Mat. 10.37 Luk. 14.26 and in his Fathers and of the holy Angels And again He that loveth his own life more then me is not worthy of me So many and signall aggravations are enough if not to mount his sin up to the highest pitch of a pardonable guiltinesse at least to have his name inrolled in the Catalogue of such sinners as stand in need of a solemn repentance in order to their restitution to grace and pardon 6. Your sixth Conjecture for your arguments are no other discovers it self in these words I verily think that after his sin David went on in his ordinary course of Religion and obedience in all things else abating in the degrees otherwise his Apostasie would have been noted by those about him and so his very sin would scarce have been hid which he desired to hide And I do not think that he went to God daily in publick and private was that to hide his sin too without any love at all These things to me are utterly improbable Answ I think and I think and I verily think is this a good way of arguing Other men will be allowed their liberty to think as well as your self and if they see cause to think otherwise and yet think as verily as you do and make no wonder or scruple at it at all that David should go on in his ordinary course of Religion and obedience in all things else It is so ordinary a thing for Religion to be made a cloak or a vizor or a stalking-horse to shelter the design when another game or mark is aimed at that no man of observation can think this part of your conjecture improbable Saul in the very time of his grand rebellion will offer sacrifice Absolon will go pay a vow at Hebron when he intends an insurrection Naboth shall not have a false Indictment drawn up against him and witnesses sons of Belial suborn'd to make the charge good upon oath but a solemn Fast and Prayers shall be proclaimed to usher in the Tragedy Why you know well enough that men will be very strict in observing the new Moones and Sabbaths and solemn Feasts and appointed Meetings they will appear before the Lord and that they may not appear empty they will bring a multitude of sacrifices and oblations Isa 1. and make many prayers and spread forth their hands and yet their hands are full of blood Have you lived to these years and are you become so great a master of Israel John 3.11 and knowest not thou these things Verily verily I say unto thee c. The very Heathens had taken up that for a rule Canâ—e si non Castè And the adulterous woman when she hath eaten the bread of leudness she wipes her mouth very formally and saith Prov. 30.20 I have done no wickedness But you say you do not think that he went to God daily in publick and private Sir you were not Clerk of his closet and therefore know little of his private devotions the publick I grant it probable he did frequent to the end you mention which proceeded more out of self-love then love towards God but you do not think he did this without any * As great mens quick goods are presumed to be of a better kinde or breed than the like goods of their poor Neighbours for Noblemens geese as the proverbe is are swanâ— So there be some who will have all qualifications whether of life or practice all acts of duty or performances to be of a better kinde or rank in the Elect than they are in others And as Belief so Mortification in them especially how little soever it be so it be true will suffice unto salvation Dr. Tho. Jackson B. 10. p. 3147. love at all It seems now that in your opinion any love will serve his turn who is once Regenerate It comes out of a Silver-mine and is of the right stamp and must pass for currant God cannot refuse it But the love of a poor unregenerate when it is put into the scale against all the creatures of the world if it doth not preponderate and turn the scale it weighes nothing at all with you But to proceed there is no doubt men may have so much love to God and so much zeal to his service in some particular instances as may lead them into an expectation of receiving very great favours from him and yet be that while in a very unsafe and unjustified condition I need no other evidence to prove this than Gods own attestation He arraigns the Jews upon this very account and gives order to his Prophet to prosecute the Indictment against them in these words Isaiah 58.1 2. Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins Yet they seek me dayly and delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of justice they take delight in approaching to God Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not I hope by this time whatever they be to Master Baxter to the indifferent Reader These things will not be utterly improbable So much for your Conjectures and Imaginations To your arguments 7. You say Christ prayed before-hand for Peter that his faith should not fail therefore his charity was not totally Extinct Answ The Church of Rome tells you by the mouth of all her Doctors that it doth not follow Faith they say may be separated from Charity But admit it cannot yet where iniquity doth so abound that Charity waxeth cold there Faith will grow so weak and
from what fountain they issued finds in his opinion uncharitable passage and these induced him to resolve if he were put to it to prefer that Option Be not angry Sir if I put S. James his question to you upon this occasion Are you not then partiall in your self and become a judge of evill thoughts Jam. 2.4 For you are clean contrary to God in judgement He judgeth the person by the works you judge the works by the person The bitterest expressions that fall from your Dissenting Brethren you can have this excuse for We are united in Christ Disput of Right to Sacram in the Preface and in hearty love to one another We are so far agreed that we do without scruple professe our selves of the same Faith and Church And if any salt be mingled in our writings which is usuall in Disputes which are not lifelesse it is intended rather to season then to free or to bite that which each one takes to be an errour rather then the man that holdeth it And thus on both sides those that erre and those that have the truth do shew that errour is the thing which they detest and would disclaim it if they saw it and that Truth is it which they love and are zealous for it so farre as they know it Sir a little of this candor or charity would have made a better construction of those passages in Master Pierce his book at least to alleviate your censure than what you put upon it But the judgements of some men are so byassed towards the Party they have espoused that what they account but veniall or infirmitie if not laudable in them shall be censured as damnable in those against whom they set themselves in opposition To this purpose I find an observation so pertinent in that profound Doctor D. Thomas Jackson B. 10. of his Comment on the Creed pag. 3181. that I cannot forbear to transcribe it for the benefit of the Reader The Turks saith he being ignorant or not considering that there is an Immutable goodnesse precedent to the Act or exercise of Gods will A Goodnesse whereof his will however considered is no cause For it is coeternall to his will to his wisdome and Essence they fall into grosly absurd errours And consequently unto this their ignorance or to the common errour that all things are good onely because God willeth them they sometimes highly commend and sometimes deeply discommend the self same practises for quality and circumstances with as great vehemency of zeal and spirit and with as fair protestations of obedience in all things to Gods will as any other men do For Selimus to attempt the deposition of his Father was in their Divinity a good and godly Act. For Bajazet to take Arms against his Brother was an abominable impiety What was the reason Selimus his attempt sound good successe for he prevailed against his Father and this was an argument that it was Gods will that he should so do But Bajazet miscarries in his attempt against his Brother and his disaster was a proof sufficient that God was displeased with his attempt it was not his will that he should prosper And seeing his will is the onely Rule of Goodnesse seeing he did predestinate these two Princes as he did Jacob and Esau the one to a good end the other to an evill the self same Fact or attempt was good in the one but wicked in the other We all condemn it as an errour in the Turk for measuring the difference between good and evill by the event But even this errour hath an Originall which is worse They therefore measure all good and evil by the event because they ascribe all Events without exception to the irresistible will of God and think that nothing can fall out otherwise than it doth because every thing is irresistibly appointed by Gods will which in their Divinity is such a necessary Cause of Causes and by Consequence of all Effects as the Author †M. Burton of the said Epistle would have it to be Whosoever he be whether Jew Turk or Christian which thinks that all events are so irresistibly decreed by God that none can fall out otherwise then they do must of necessity grant either that there is no morall evill under the Sun or that Gods will which is the Cause of Causes is the onely cause of such evill But is the like sinne or errour expresly to be found in Israel Do any make the same Fact for nature quality and substance to be no sin in one man and yet a sin in another or to be a little sin in one men and a grievous out-crying sin in another Though they do not avouch this of Rebellious attempts against Prince and State or of other like publick Facts cognoscible by humane Laws yet the Principles of Predestination commonly held by them and the Turk draw them to the like inconveniences in transforming the immutable Rule of Goodnesse into the Similitude of their partiall affections in other cases The Adultery and Murder which David committed had been grievous sins in another man but in David being predestinated they were but sins of infirmity sins by which the outward man was defiled not the inward man Such a sin was incest in Lot Such are all the sins committed by the Elect. Thus farre Doctor Jackson And this is as like Master Baxters doctrine as if that great Prophetick spirit had been in his very bosome at the writing of those passages For saith Master Baxter The sinne of Peter David c. was exceedingly in regard of manner ends concomitants c. different from the like Fact in a gracelesse man And two Sections after In his Preface Sect. 18 materially more heinous Sect. 20. Men thus habituated to Godlinesse never live in a course of willfull sin though elsewhere †Disput Sacram pag. 331. he saith How long Asa or Solomon sin'd we know not Nor can any man possibly determine justly how long a man may live in the practise of such a sin and yet have true speciall Grace and a state of Justification nor have any one sin which for Ends concomitants and all is such as that of unsanctified men What I do the Godly mans Relations extenuate his Commissions Is his sin lesse because his light and Gods love towards him have been greater The more indeerements he hath received the more is his ingratitude heighten'd and the more incouragements have been conferr'd to continue him in his allegeance the more execrable is his Apostasie and Rebellion and all those sweet and gracious experiences of Gods favour which he hath injoyed by his perversity are raised up to be Aggravations of his crime But Master Baxter having considered too That as it is a greater measure of spirituall refining and purity that is promised and justly expected under the Gospel so a greater measure must be looked after by every man in himself and by the Guides of the Church in
sanctification the work of Christ p 211 212 And the first part of our Redemption yet D. Twisse and M. B. affirm most absurdly that Christ hath procured remission and life for those for whom he hath not purchased sanctifying Grace p 213 M. B. own universalists are too strict for his pretensions p 214 215 A bountifull promise upon an impossible condition 216. unworthy the most mercifull God p 217 How God purposed to cause the condition of the new Cov. in us p 217 218 Something to be done by us in a way of order to the introduction of Faith and the work of conversion 219 to 222. And this is M. Baxters own doctrine p 223 He makes salvation possible in his Sermons even to such men as he makes it impossible unto in his disputations p 224 225 226 According to M. B. doctrine against Tilenus His directions to prevent miscarrying in Conversion should have been dedicated not to men but to God p 226 The sufficiency of Christs death is no proof of the universall extent of the benefit in respect of Gods intention p 227 The Synodists cannot affirm if they speak consonantly to their doctrine that the sins of the non-elect were laid on Christ p 228 229 M. B. as well as others do untie the end and means 229. and divide them The Syn. grants an Evangelicall command without Evangelicall power to perform it p 230 To promise and offer life upon conditions which are made impossible by the propounder is absurd and a mockery 231. But to torment such wretches as do not because they cannot perform those conditions and receive those promises horrible p 232 Whether Saving Faith Regeneration c be under promise or under Revelation onely The Calvinists differ and M. B. dissents from himself in this point p 232 to 235 He had reason to alter his opinion for they that hold them promises doe make a double Gospel to avoid which he makes use of this new Light and yet he avoids not the absurdity of making a double Saviour p 236 237 Infidelity cannot properly be the Reprobates own fault according to the Synods doctrine p 239 240 M. B. universall Redemption is not sufficient to free the Non-elect neither from sin nor punishment 241. Why it ought rather to be called universall perdition p 242 How God calls the Non-elect to Faith and Repentance according to the doctrine of the Synod p 243 M.B. in extremes p 246 M. B. sufficient Grace deficient and not such as that the Remonst mean by sufficient p 247 c. Gods speciall grace restrained by the Calv. to the elect and his common Grace of no advantage to the salvation of the rest 248 c. But administred onely to render them inexcusable p 249 M. B. if the Synods doctrine were true might with as much reason inveigh against the Devils as against the non-elect for making light of Christ p 250 For the non elect are more hardly dealt withall by that doctrine than the devils are p 251 M. B. sufficient Grace is ineffectuall of its own nature and kind 253. But that asserted by the Remonstrants becomes uneffectuall through mans voluntary and vincible fault p 254 c. The Remonst grant that men may be and are sanctified by that Grace which they affirm to be bestowed on the non-elect which Calv. will not allow of p 255 An exact Account of the power and operations of Grace according to the Remonstrants p 256 257 They grant that Grace works irresistibly upon the understanding and affections yea and upon the will too as to a collation of power ibid. c. Whether he that doth not oppose Grace and is converted hath more grace than he that doth oppose it and is not converted p 258 259 Though a supernaturall power to believe be conferred irresistibly yet the actuall consent is not so wrought and why p 259 If Faith be irrisistibly infused the word cannot possibly be the instrument or means of it p 260 Illumination performes the whole work of Grace according to Camero p 261 The Calv. do not bring faith and salvation to mans choice by their doctrine as the Rem do p 261 c. The glory of Conversion to be ascribed to God but the miscarriage in that work only to man p 263 255 The Remonst preserve to the will her liberty in the work of Grace p 261 How the soul comes to miscarry under these helps of Grace and to be seduced and led away by sensuality 264. And rebell against the light p 265 Conversion not wrought irresistibly but a matter of choice according to the doctrine of the Primitive Church p 266 Preaching and Hearing the means to make men willing p 269 Lesse Grace would convert some than what is ineffectual to others p 270 271 Conversion is from Gods Grace with the cooperation of mans will p 272 M. B. denies Gods praedetermination and asserts the wills self-determination and yet maintains insuperable determining Grace p 273 274 275 Grace irresistibly determining the will not necessary 276. not convenient for it overthrows that Dominion which the will is said to have of its own Acts. It destroys the nature of duty p 277 It evacuates the use of the Ministery the use of exhortation p 279 c. It furnisheth the obstinate with a just Apology against all exprobrations p 283 284 It takes away all praise of vertue p 284 285 It makes God the first deficient cause in mans sinning p 285 It is an Inlet to Enthusiasme 286. And disparages the sweetnesse of the Insinuations and motions of Grace p 288 What move Authours to conceale their Names p 291 After the Fall no liberty left in the will to do well p 292 The Devil hath the naturall faculty of Freewill as well as Man p 292 Men under an unavoidable necessity of good and evil 292 293. The Calv. deny onely a necessity of coaction in humane affairs p 297 298 Elect and Reprobates put under an unavoidable necessity of being saved or damned respectively according to the Calv. p 296 Spontaneity no good salvage for the necessity of sinning or the justice of perdition that follows it p 299 Men will take unworthy courses to promote the cause they have once espoused p 303 The Syn. but a party in those controversies though they took a solemn oath to be impartiall p 303 The equity of the Helvetians p 304 Originall sin yielded to M. Baxter 305. Whether Christ hath not restored the power that was taken away by original sin M. B. seems to be for the affirmative p 306 307 D. Taylor unjustly censured by M. B. for a Pelagian 308 309. All the Fathers of the first 300 years spake like Pelagians saith M. B. 310. The Manichees as ill as the Pelagians and the Calv. to avoid one extreme run into the other p 311 M. B. will not subscribe the Canons of the Syn. of Dort without his own interpretation 312. and consequently he had been served as the Remonstrants were if
followers might be accurately examined and determined of by the Rule of Gods Word onely the true Doctrine established and the false rejected and concord peace and tranquillity by Gods blessing restored to the Churches of the Low-Countries This was the end of their Convention But what opinions were they that gave the Scandall to Arminius and his followers Were they not those of the rigid Calvinists and who were the Authors of that disturbance but those petulant Parsons that would not endure the Prescription of the wise Physitian nor suffer their Soars and Ulcers to be lanced 'T is true The weakest must to the wall and when 't is put to the Question Who they are that trouble Israel to be sâ—â— the Oppressor will have the casting voice But if the Character inserted in the Margin be true Illi scilicet Religionis ergô alii ministeriis suis aincti alii prescripti relegati extorres c. Nempe Hillenius Alcmariâ c. Tu quoque aliique tui similes aut libellis infames aut concionibus tribunitiis Conventiculis schismate seditione ac rebellione adversus Illust Ordd. Decreta ac Magistratuum Edicta insignes Hos tu totidem quasi religionis ac professionis vestrae Martyres habe in Canonem refer non invideo nec vehementer nego si quidem ista est religio Populum mendaciis splendidis decipere ac dementatum in Pastores ac Superiores suos concitare in alienas Ecclesias ac Ministeria involare quod tu de Samuele Antipa Borriis vesiris agnoscis Loca publica per vim occupare Clausira publico sigillo munita effringere Senatui vim inferre Ordd. Edicta atque Interdicta palà m violare omnia turbare Haec dum vobis impunè licent Superiorum sive indulgentia sive metu jam istos videre est precarium in vos imperium trahere At si hâc non succedit via si eorundem authoritate toties laesâ ista maledicendi ac malefaciendi libido vestra coercetur ferocitas comprimitur tuique unius vel alterius exemplo alii deterrentur sisiuntur ut verbo dicam cuneus cuneo pellitur tum verò vos audire est vim ac persecutionem quam aliis intentâstis quiritantes Martyria vestra praedicare Grevinch Absiersio Caelumn Adr. Smoutii pag. 42. which Grevinchovius hath given of them I shall referre it to the judgement of the Reader whether it doth not more then a little resemble a Disturber both of Church and State But the impartiall Synod is Assembled and upon the invocation of Gods holy name bound by Oath that they would hold the Sacred Scripture as the onely rule of their verdict and demeane themselves in the hearing and determining of this cause with a good and upright Conscience Act. Syn. ubi supra And in the Frontispice of every Chapter of the Decrees or Canons they insert this Title A Rejection of the Errors wherewith the Churches of the Low Countries have now a long time been troubled Would not any man expect upon so solemne an undertaking especially having made it their method as well to reject such Errors as to assert their own Doctrine that those should be rejected amongst the rest that teach Reprobation to be decreed in order of nature before Creation The greatest part of mankinde to be created to destruction That by the force of Gods irresistible Decree it is impossible but Man should sin That whatsoever comes to passe whether good or evill does come to passe by the force of Gods irresistible Decree That Mans wickednesse is not the cause of God's will of abandoning man to hell but on the contrary that God's will is the cause of that wickednesse That 't is not absurd to say that it may be a capitall sinne to do the true and primary will of God That seeing Adam is the cause of sinne and God the cause of Adam how it can be that God should not be the cause of sin That God doth incite lead draw command impell harden deceive men unto wicked actions and effect sins that are most enormous Such horrid and blasphemous opinions as these are frequent in the Writings of Calvin Beza Piscator Martyr and many others and yet herein we have altum Silentium these Doctrines never troubled those Churches nor the tender Consciences of this Synod They are so good friends with these Opinions they never disturb their peace at all 3. This is not all when Bogerman the President of the Synod had entertained but a suspicion that the Remonstrants would detect the enormitie of these opinions and the shamefull errors that had been broached by those so admired Names forgetting his solemn Oath to lay all prejudice and affection aside and examine all matters to be debated according to the onely rule of God's word he fell into so great an agony of Passion that it was discernible in his very eyes and countenance as if they had touched the very apple of his eye Yet the Synod obliged by the conscience of the same oath never gave him the least rebuke or check for this palpable indication of Partiality as the perspicacious Author of that Judicious Antidotum †Bone De. us quam vehementer afficiebat ipsum levissima talis suspicio qui viri oculi quis vultus quis ardor animi quartae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Antidotum p. 31 hath observed and put upon record for us Ibid. p. 32. 4. When Maccovius Professor of Franequer in Freisland had not onely asserted and disseminated by his Writings the most horrid opinion of all that ever had been written about Predestination by Zuinglius and Piscator and moreover in the very Synod undertook against his Colleague Sibrandus Lubbertus to maintain that God wills sinne that he ordains men to sinne as it is sinne that God in no wise would have all men to be saved and many things of the like import declaring openly that if these things were not maintained they must forsake their chief Doctors who had taught those things and fall in to the opinion of the Remonstrants What said the Synod to this bold Supra-Creatarian Did they sequester or displace him No but accounted him for a pure Orthodox Divine guilty neither of heresie nor erroneous doctrine as it was declared by the publick testimony of the Synod and so they dismissed him with a wholesome and friendly Caution to forbear such forms of speech as might give offence to tender eares and could not be digested by persons ignorant and uncapable of so great mysteries and that he would not set light by those distinctions of Divines who had deserved well of the Church of Christ 5. That which is beyond all exception we finde in the very Acts of the Synod Sess 107. Act. Syn. Nat. Dord 233. part 1. That Gomarus declared publickly that he could not approve of the Judgement of those Belgick Professors concerning the object of Predestination that he thought they must determine Man to be
if so be he be not wanting to Gods grace but walks circumspectly in that road which God hath appointed to lead him in and beset it with Guards of Angels to secure his passage against the incursions of the enemie And he that walks according to this Rule Peace be upon him and mercy But in the Sixth Rejection there is another unworthy imputation cast upon the Remonstrants viz. That it is a very commendable thing to be doubtfull of future Perseverance They say That as the Regenerate are begotten to a lively hope so they go on if they do their duty to a Persuasion and grow up to a full Assurance and they exhort Heb. 6.11 hort every one with the Apostle to shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope even unto the end And this is Gospell truth Christian consolation and a practice laudable But for the certainty of such a perseverance as was mentioned above they do not onely doubt of it but absolutely deny it as having no just Title to the ground 't is built upon and having a Genius that comports too much with the interests of the flesh and carnall security and apt to make abatements in our accounts of solid devotions and the practice of Holy duties He that seeks for such a certainty of his perseverance in God's favour as may be made serviceable to caresse him in the heighth of his lust and vanity is sure never to find it otherwise then by speciall revelation For the Holy Scriptures will not afford it And the Revelation that brings it being contrary to that Rule how extraordinary soever cannot come from heaven and therefore ought to be suspected if ever it comes for a strong delusion And now having discharged my undertaking and brought Master Baxter to so full and cleare a view of that unconscionable dealing unworthy falsification and perverse insinuation in the Practices of his own Party I hope they shall receive equall measure from him with Tilenus and his Adherents I hope he will not yet Jurare in verba but suspend his belief of their sayings also till a further examination Reflexions upon the VII Section WHere we cannot but take notice of M. Baxter's ingenuity in acknowledging the full sense and importance of the first Article as it is charged upon the Synod and its Adherents For he confesseth that in the Decree of Election God had no regard to faith or obedience in the persons whom he did elect as a means or Antecedent to his Decree and this he knows well enough to be the point in question 2. That he appointeth the Reprobates to damnation without any regard to their Impenitency or Infidelity This Master Baxter acknowledgeth too for he saith they of the Synod professe that it is for their infidelity and other sins that God decrees to damn them as the Causes of damnation though not of the eternall decree Therefore the appointment of them to eternall damnation which is the Decree and that which Tilenus spake of though not the execution of that appointment was without any regard to their infidelity or impenitency One would think now that Tilenus had a faire Title to Master Baxter's right hand of fellowship but to shew the pregnancy of his wit in taking up exceptions in the writings of such as differ from him and the acutenesse of his Judgement in finding out distinctions to blind or set a faire glosse upon the absurdities of those to whose opinions he is wedded he proceeds in his discourse and first by way of Interrogatory he demands as if this circumstance were the main hinge of the whole Controversie Where talk they of a very little number Answ With your patience Sir I conceive Tilenus had the phrase as you heard from Master Calvin whose expressions the Synod did too much reverence to disown much lesse detest them And therefore though they have not the very words they come not short of the sense For they say that out of the common maltitude of sinners he cull'd out to himself for his own peculiar some certain Cap. 1. Art 10. Art 7. A set number of certain men and so Rejection 1. And Cap. 3. 4. Art 7. They say Under the Old Testament God disclosed unto but a Few this secret of his will viz. concerning salvation and yet I hope it was disclosed to all the Elect at that time in a capacity to receive the Revelation So that by luck we have found a Few even in their Canons and some certain cull'd out persons for his own peculiar And now I hope Master Baxter will be satisfied in this particular if I had in Tilenus his behalf said that the number whether more or lesse shall not increase the quarrell But the next word would have done it if Master Baxter had not been prudent in the choice of it For he doth not rudely say It is a lie but more modestly It 's not true But what is the untruth That they say he doth it elect unto salvation Without any regard to their faith or obedience whatsoever But doth Master Baxter say this is an untruth yes and proves it too and that substantially by a handsome way of sliding from the question For they professe saith He that he God hath regard to it and a double regard too 1. as the benefit which he decreeth to give them 2. As the condition of the Glory which he decreeth them But what is this to the matter in question The question is about the Prevision of it as a qualification wrought by Gods Grace in the person to be Elected and you tell us of a Provision made for it that it may be wrought ex Post facto after they are elected I 'le discover the impertinency in a familiar instance Suppose Master Baxter hath a sequestred Parsonage at his disposall and power to give Ordination Institution and Induction one reports of him that he hath made choice of an Incumbent without any regard to his Learning or Godlinesse whatsoever he being acknowledged to be a very ignorant and vicious person to all the neighbourhood Upon this report Master Baxter's Confident undertakes the vindication and to salve the matter He cryes out It 's not true that he made him Incumbent to that Parsonage without any regard to his learning or Godlinesse whatsoever For he had regard to it 1. as a benefit or quality which he designed to work in him 2. As the condition of that greater preferment which he intended to confer upon him This is Master Baxters way of Answering Tilenus He decreeth to save none saith M. Baxter but for their Obedience as the fruit of faith which is not a means or Antecedent to Gods decree but to our salvation as the most rigid Anti-Arminians teach For obedience as the fruit of faith Is the fruit better then the tree why not for Faith as well as for obedience or rather for both together But if ye should set it so Faith being much dearer to some of them
a more ugly face of its Own then any Tilenus can put upon it and neither the Synods mask nor your paintry can hide it much lesse make it beautifull But where is it to be seen you ask Is it in the Number If he think a greater number are saved or absolutely decreed to salvation then they do he should speak out I Promised you already not to quarrell further with you about the number But what if Tilenus should speak his minde out in this particular I hope there is no Felony nor Treason can be made of it I will therefore tell you plainly for him if you do not know his minde already that he is so far from thinking that a greater number are absolutely decreed to salvation then they do that he doth not think so of any single person whatsoever But what do they think that any number are absolutely decreed unto salvation Absolutely That is without any regard to their Faith or Obedience whatsoever and are they come to this already But perhaps by the word Absolutely you intend Absolutely in respect of Motives on Gods Part not in respect of Means on our Part and yet I cannot tell how you should do that neither since the means are absolutely decreed too as to be wrought in the Elect according to the judgement of the Synod and most expresly declared by the British Divines * Act. Syn. Dor. part 2. pag. 200. But what if we grant you an Absolute Decree in respect of such Motives If we acknowledge that there is in man no Cause Motive or Morall Title unto his Election but ascribe it wholly to God's good pleasure and Grace will you then condescend to it that there is any qualification at all in him unto which as the Term or Object the wisdome of God thought fit the Decree of election should be Terminated Grant this and we shall soon agree But what should this Term or Object be to qualifie Persons for their Election It can be no other than what may make us capable in the accounts of the Divine wisdome and Grace of which the holy Gospel is the best Repository to receive the Highest Act of Gods Dearest Love towards us in Christ Jesus and such is our Election unto Glory Our Saviours Come ye blessed children of my Father at the Generall Judgement being nothing else but the Solemn Judiciall Publication of it But if Tilenus be of this opinion What manner of Persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godlinesse 2 Pet. 3.11 For it should seem by this Doctrine that a holy faith and a blamelesse life are made the previous dispositions to our immutable election unto Glory But this will usher in a new objection of Master Baxters against Tilenus For if he think saith Master Baxter that God foresaw that they would believe and obey before he decreed to give them faith or the grace of obedience and consequently that these are onely or principally of themselves and not of God be must condemn Austin c. as well as the Synod of Dort Here we have a very Perverse insinuation if I may make so bold with Master Baxter's leave to use his own expression Believe and obey you mean the Gospel before a Revelation of it or a call to it Was Adam obliged to do so or could he do so in his state of Innocency And will poore collapsed Tilenus pretend to it No he hath studyed the Mysteries of Grace and learnt himself and the incapacities of Man-kind better God hath not onely a Foresight which is as I may say bounded within the compasse of things future In their due time existent which cannot be without his Decree but also a Foreknowledge which extends to all things Possible though no Decree ever did or ever shall passe for the futurition or existence of them Thus He foreknew that the men of Keilah would have delivered up David into the hands of Saul 1 Sam. 23.12 if he had stay'd amongst them and thus he foreknew that Tyre and Sidon would have repented Mat. 11.21 if they had been placed under the same dispensations as Chorazin and Bethsaida were Now suppose Almighty God to consider men under such a state and order of means though he hath not as yet to speak after the manner of men decreed to establish either such an order or such men under it yet by his Omnipotency he infallibly foreknowes what creatures of such capacities would do being put into such a Posture But for Faith and Obedience these duties relating to some Authority and Revelation and requiring power far above what remains in us since the fall of Adam it implies a Contradiction to say Man can believe and obey the Gospel before he receives as well a competent strength as a proper Object for it But Almighty God having put such and such capacities into us and placed us under such and such means and dispensations in his eternall wisdome He Foreknowes what use and what improvement every one will in that order make of those capacities and dispensations And then making a Decree according to this his Foreknowledge He Foresees who will believe and obey not before he decrees to give them Faith or the grace of Obedience as M. Baxter perversly insinuateth but after it though considering them under such an order of means he foreknew it before his Decree and consequently this both faith and obedience are neither onely nor principally of themselves but of God And this is consonant to the Doctrine of the Primitive Church for all the purest Ages of it †As Mr. Baxter acknowledgeth in his Saints Rest part 1. pag. 154. in the margin f. And if the Passion or prejudice or interest of fierce Disputers have raised new Articles and maintained them at the charge or upon the reputation of their Over-credulous Admirers yet having imposed so palpably upon the Faith of the Church they are in these particulars to be forsaken by what Names or Titles soever they be dignified or distinguished And for this we have S. Austin's own warrant and direction Disputationes quaslibet etiam Catholicorum probatissimorum virorum Epist. 111. non esse tanti faciendas c. He saith The Disputations of the most approved Catholicks are not so highly to be esteemed but that it may be alwayes lawfull for us with respect to the honour that is due to them to reprove those things in their writings which we think to be recessions from the truth And he addeth that himself did so by the writings of others and he would have others do so by his own Neverthelesse Master Baxter may receive competent satisfaction to his scruples if he will but keep his word For he makes a very reasonable demand in these words For my part saith he I wish no more in this then may consist with Rationall Prayers and Thanksgivings and if this be all who will not adde a great AMEN to it Do you wish no more then what
of the Covenant Luk. 1.74 75. Eph. 5.25 Heb. 13.12 and 't is a main Part of our Mediators Office to take care for the performance of it in a way sutable to his wisdome justice and mercy according to that of the Apostle Act. 5.30 31. The God of our Fathers raised up Jesus whom ye flow and hanged on a tree him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to Give Repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins * See Act. 3. last But because he gives this not to evacuate but assist our duty not to discharge us from it but to inable and so oblige us the more to be diligent in applying our selves to it Hence it comes to be our duty as well as his donation To have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear Heb. 12.28 and upon this account the Apostle exhorteth so earnestly Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure And this makes a fair way for our Answer to Master Baxters next demand in these words If God did purpose to cause this condition then it was Absolutely or Conditionally if absolutely it it will be done If conditionally what is the Condition and so in infinitum That you may not tyre out your patience or run your selfe quite out of breath in such a long course I shall endeavour to stop your passage by telling you that there is ordinarily some condition to be performed not by way of Causation Merit or Congruity but by way of Order to the introduction of faith or the work of Conversion This is confest by Master Norton who saith Vbi supra chap. 6. pag. 129. That Christ in his ordinary dispensation of the Gospel calleth not sinners as sinners but such sinners that is qualified sinners immediately to believe But because he may runne with the Hare and hold with the Hound like your self in this course therefore I shall send an Ahimaaz after you to give you a turn I mean Doctor Jackson 2 Sam. 18.27 no Novice M. Baxter in School or Practicall Divinity Book 1 3109. c. His words are these And because Man by the assistance of Gods speciall Providence without the concourse of sanctifying inherent Grace is inabled to do somewhat which being done his Conversation or Mortification shall undoubtedly be accomplished therefore are we said to mortifie the body and not so onely but to make our Election sure yea to work out our own salvation For so the Apostle speaks Phil. 2.12 But how are we said to work out our own salvation Non Formaliter sed Consecutivè Salvation is the Necessary Consequent of our working or doth necessarily follow upon our work Not by any Merit or Causality force or efficacy of our work or by any naturall Connexion but meerly by Gods grace by the Counsil of his holy and irresistible Will by the Determination of his eternall Decree by which it hath pleased him to appoint Pag. 3110 3111. See p. 3114. The one as a Necessary Consequent of the other to wit Spirituall Mortification or life it selfe as the Issue of our endeavours to Mortifie the flesh Thus that profound Doctor To whom I may adde the invincible Argument of that Learned P. 3143. f. and Judicious Editor of his Works His words are these Let us take a Polemo a most shamelesly debauched Ruffian upon this man we desire the work of the Lord by our Ministery may be prosperous We must either tell him that there is something required of him in this present state unconverted as he is and so set him a Task or that nothing at all is expected from him These two be Points Contradictory Diametrally there is no mean betwixt them I say that of this man something is required The first Minimum quod sic is Reflecting upon his own actions and the Law writ in his Conscience Next I would apply some of Gods words spoke by the Prophets to some sinfull people or Person Or I would reade to him Ezek. 18. as Isa 1.16 Wash you make you clean put away the evill of your doings cease to do evill learn to do well Or that of Saint James 4.8 Draw nigh to God Clense your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded And would Affirm that these words signifie something were not empty noises but Precepts and if Precepts have some Duty correspondent to be performed by him to whom I laid them which is quod quaerimus that I would have done My Adversary must say Nothing is to be done It 's to no purpose for me to Exhort or him to Try nothing can be done to purpose Now what will the poore Patient say Men are naturally inclined to believe them that most ease and please their natures best The least Consequent of this Doctrine that he will or can make and that if he were a good natured man too will be this Why then I will betake my self to a negative idlenesse wrap my body in my armes sit still and wait the Good houre when Grace shall breathe upon me A Second will say Go to then I will eat my meat with joy and take my portion of the things of this life till tasts of a better drop into my mouth from heaven A Third may perhaps do worse wend to a Tavern or worse place and make work for Grace with a gracelesse Desperate hope that the more he sins the more Grace when it comes may abound that quo sceleratior eo Gratia vicinior If my Adversary saies nay He must abstain from lewd Courses we are half agreed is not that part the same with Esay's Cease to do evill If he maintain his Conclusion I have no more to say but to enter an Appeal to God and this Protestation to man That I disclaim all such dispositions preparations endeavours as cooperating to the Production of Grace after the manner that temperate behaviour concurreth to produce the Habit of Temperance or that naturall qualities do to produce Forms merely Physicall And this will quit me from Pelagianisme or Popery But he shall never be able to free himself from the Errours of the Stoick or Manichees that holds it indifferent what workes a man does before he be regenerate Ibid. This is Master Baxters own Doctrine Sure I am saith he that some means is appointed to be used for the Acquisition of Speciall Grace Of Saving Faith pag. 27 and pag. 46. And that a very command to use such means as means is a strongly incouraging intimation that God will not deny men the end and blessing that use the means as well as they can For it is certain that he appointeth no means in vain But whereas you say immediately before this That you are satisfied that God hath not entred into Covenant or Promise with any unregenerate man to give him saving
with a distinction betwixt Reprobation and Praedamnation or Predestination to damnation For they say it is one thing to Predestinate and create to damnation another thing to Praedestinate and create to destruction Damnation being the sentence of a Judge must be past in consideration of sin but Destruction may be the Act of a Soveraign and so inflicted by Right of Dominion as was shewed above To this purpose those Deputies Ibid. pag. 35. m. De Causa Reprobationis do conclude Causam adaequatam cur Deus aliquos non eligendo Praeterierit esse solum divinae voluntatis beneplacitum That the Adaequate cause why God doth passe-by some is the sole beneplaciture of his Divine will Causam verò cur eosdem damnare decreverit esse non tantum actualem oblatae gratiae divinae rejectionem sed etiam alia omnia peccata tam Originalia quam actualia But the cause why he decreed to condemn them is not onely the rejection of the divine grace but also all other sinnes as well the Originall as Actuall Besides the Synod in those their Decrees where they thought it most plausible to fix Predestination upon the fall of Adam they confesse God did not reprobate the most part of the world without all respect of sin because they suppose all mankind infected with that corruption and stain of Originall sin in and with Adam and God cannot but behold it because nothing is concealed from his eye but they never confesse that God had respect to sin as the impulsive or Meritorious cause for which he did reprobate and ordain any to the torments of hell For they say if God had been moved by sin to passe the Act of Reprobation He had reprobated All without exception because All had sinned in Adam Again when they say God did not do this without respect of ANY sinne they confesse it may be granted that he had some respect to some kind of sin to that of Adam committed more then five thousand years agoe without the consent or knowledge of those who are reprobated and to that Originall sin that doth follow from that first sin by unavoidable necessity but they do not say he had respect to any Personall sin or sins committed freely and with a deliberate will of those who are reprobated I say according to their Doctrine God had no respect to any such personall sins Infidelity and Impenitency unlesse it were for the introduction of them by an efficacious permission as means connected with the end in the same Decree for the infrustrable execution of it And therefore the Deputies forementioned Vbi supra do reject it as an Errour in those that hold Causam cur Deus aliquos rejecerit esse infidelitatem impoenitentiam praevisam That impenitencie and unbelief are the cause why God rejects men And the very Decrees of the Synod affirm as much For Cap. 1. Reject 8. they Reject it as an Errour in those who teach that God out of his mere just will hath not decreed to leave any man in the fall of Adam and common state of sin and damnation But suppose the Synod did grant as their very nice and wary distinction absque omni ullius Peccati respectu makes it more than Probable they did not that God in mans Reprobation had some respect to his Actuall Personall sin yet if that sin be such as those Reprobates could not possibly avoid the whole matter will be reduced at last to the respect of that onely sinne of Adam And thus the Synod hath determined Cap. 3 4. Art 3. That All men are conceived in sin and born the children of wrath untoward to all good tending to salvation forward to evil dead in sins slaves to sin and neither Will nor Can without the Grace of the Holy Ghost regenerating them set straight their own crooked nature no nor so much as dispose themselves to the amending of it So that if the Synod had granted a respect of personall sins in the Reprobation of men yet they had understood no other sins than such as had been unavoidable to those Reprobates For they say those Reprobates want the Grace of Gods regenerating Spirit that they may avoid sin and they say also God hath Decreed not to give it them whence it follows that they cannot possibly avoid those sins but through the strength of that first sin and corruption which they lie under when they are commanded by the word of the Gospel to repent and believe will they nill they they shall fall into those foul sins of Infidelity disobedience impenitency and the like as necessarily as a mill-stone falls downward by its own weight for which inevitable sins notwithstanding they should be said to be praeordained to the eternall and horrible torments of hell And then if God ordained the sin of Adam and made that necessary and unavoidable too as Danaeus †Adaâ—um Dei consilio ordinatione necessariò lapsum esse and Piscator and others do positively averre and the Synod hath no where rejected it that I can remember the Reprobation of the most part of the world will be reduced undeniably to the mere will of God * Deum Adamo legem dedisse ut eam transgrederetur c. Sententia Perkinsii nostrorumque Theologorum haec est lapsum illum evenisse Dei voluntate transeunte in rem permissam h. e. Deum voluisse ut Adamus Laberetur D. Twiss in vind Grat. L. 2. p. 1. Sect. 2. c. 12. vigr 3. p. 142. col 2. what ever publick Profession they have made to detest it A fourth Doctrine which the Synod doth purposely disown and publickly professe to detest is That Reprobation is the cause of Infidelity and Impiety in the same manner as Election is the fountain and cause of Faith and Piety That sin follows the Decree of Reprobation by an unavoidable necessity is the expresse affirmation not onely of Piscator Zanchy c. But of many Synodists also Reprobationem tria consequuntur privatio gratiae peccata poenae peccatorum saith Gomarus Disp de Praedest Resp Otten There are three things which follow Reprobation the deniall of Grace Sinne and the Punishment of Sin And that they do follow it as the fruits of it is the affirmation of Festus Hommius †Thesaur Catech. pag. 216. Fructus Reprobationis sunt desertio vel privatio gratiae Dei mediorum induratio c. The fruits of Reprobation are desertion or the deprivation of Gods grace and means sufficient and necessary induration c. And the Divines of Wedderau do confesse that a necessity of sin doth follow from the Decree of Reprobation De 3 4. Art in Corol. p. 134. par 2 And this is the Doctrine of the whole Synod in their Canons for they say man cannot but sin without Gods regenerating Grace which he hath Decreed to deny or deprive them of as was shewed above Even Master Baxter himself doth acknowledge and professe that
certain Law the transgression whereof is Tyranny but he doth it jure dominii as an Absolute Lord whose Soveraignty is without Law or controll and therefore he may dispose of them at his pleasure That this is their sense notwithstanding what they publickly professe to detest may easily be collected from the 18. Art of the 1. Chap. Of Predestination where to stop the mouthes as they pretend of such as murmur at the grace of free Election and severity of just Reprobation as they call it they alleage that of the Apostle Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that replyest against God And that of our Saviour Mat. 10.15 Is it not Lawfull for me to do what I will with my own Texts of Scripture which the Creabilitarian-Supralapsarians as well as the Existentialists make use of for proof of their Decrees and they are just as much to their purpose that is altogether impertinent to the use those severall Parties do make of them Amongst those Doctrines which the Synod doth purposely disown and publickly professe to detest there is another which I wonder Master Baxter hath omitted which is this That this Doctrine of the Calvinists maketh God the Author of sin But perhaps he hath smelt out the Fallacy exprest in the Fifth Article of the first Chapter where they say Incrodulitatis istius ut omnium aliorum peccatorum causa seu culpa neutiquam est in Deo sed in homine The cause or fault of unbelief as of all other sins is in no wise in God but in man Here are two words made use of as of the same importance Causa seu culpa Cause or fault by which while many of their Doctors do affirme that God doth incite and irritate urge and impell necesitate and constraine men to sin nay worketh sin in them yet shall they be excused from prevaricating the Doctrine of the Synod for though to speak properly God be the cause of sin by such manner of working to the production of it yet Culpa the fault of sin can in no wise be ascribed to him Zuinglius and Keckerman have given the Reason of it because there is no law made to bind Almighty God to the contrary but man onely For confirmation hereof they adde Sicut Taurus cum nunc has nanc illas vaceas promiscua vaga Venere init adulterii culpa non tenetur sed homo si cum aliorum uxoribus rem habeat eo quod huic non illi prohibens lex lata fit ita Deus peccato seu culpa non tenetur cum creaturam ad hos illos actus movet sed tantummodo creatura ipsa quia ei lex prohibens lata est non Deo I shall not so much as English it for shame I cannot leave Master Baxter till I have followed him to the very last stage of his Preface which he shuts up thus We should live in peace if the advise of the Synod ibid. were followed A Phrasibus denique iis omnibus abstineant quae praescriptos nobis genuini Sanctarum Scripturarum sensus limites excedunt protervis sophistis justam ansam praebere possint doctrinam Ecclesiarum Reformâ—tarum sugillandi aut calumniandi But the Synod should have done well to have left us an example herein by their own practice But we find that when the British Hassien and Bremish Divines moved to have the harsh and incommodious speeches of some of their Doctors declared against and rejected they were out-voted and cried down upon this account Ne Phrasium istarum rejectione Orthodoxa doctrina ab illis asserta defensa paritèr damnari videretur Session 13â— We may see by this it is a great deal easier to give good advise than to follow it And this appears further by that Admonition of Master Baxter in the next words And if withall we were humbly Conscious of our own frailty and fallibility and could maintain that unfeigned charity to our Brethren which beseemeth all the Disciples of Christ and which would cause us to say and do by others even in our Controversall writings and private Speeches of them as we would have them say and do by us But alas the Disciples of that Synod will neither be persuaded to be the first nor do the last they will follow none of these Prescriptions no not so much as Singular M. Baxter †Physician heal thy self witnesse his proceedings against A Table of Decrees of Salvation Damnnation Ye shall live therefore ye shall mortifie the deeds of the Body Ye shall die therefore ye shall live after the Flesh Delineated by Mr. W. Perkins In his Armilla Aurea Predestination Creation Election The Fall Reprobation Supralapsarian Creabilitarians Supral Existentialists Sublapsarians Suprulap Creabilitar Sup Existent Sublapsarians God's Love in Christ towards the Elect Effectuall Calling Justification Sanctification Glorification Eternall Life The Word Softning Faith Remission Imputation Mortification Vivification Repentance New Obedience CHRIST the Mediator His Holinesse Obedience Death Buriall Dominion of the grave Resurrection Ascension Session Intercession Illumination Repentance Faith Tast Zeale Deception of Sinne. Obduration Malice Vnbeliefe Apostacy Calling Vneffectual Agnition of that Call Relapse Gad's hatred towards the Reprobate No Calling Ignorance Blindnesse Reprobate Sense Greedinesse in sinning Pollution Damnation Death Eternall Death Judgment Declaration of Mercie Declaration of Justice GOD's GLORY Place this at Page 411 M. Perkins his Synopsis or Table In Armilla Aurea shewing according to his account the Series of Causes both of Salvation and Damnation or the Decrees of Election and Reprobation with the Means and Order of their Execution BEcause this Table contains an Ocular demonstration of the matter of Fact charged upon the Calvinists and their Synod by Tilenus I thought it convenient to insert it and to make some Reflexions and Observations upon it for the benefit of the Reader who upon a view of this Diagram may take notice with me 1. That there are three severall Sects contending as well against one another as against the Remonstrants They are usually divided into two Parties Supralapsarians and Sublapsarians But because Supralapsarians are of two sorts I shall distinguish them by severall Names The first sort who make the creature Gomar disp de Praedest 1604. thes 13. not in its Actuall existence but in its condition of Possibility the Obâ—ect of the Decree These I shall call Supralapsarian Creabilitarians The second sort who make the creature in its Actuall Existence but yet Innocent the Object of that Decree These I shall call Supralapsarian-Existentialists The third sort who make mankinde faln in Adam and by Divine imputation guilty of Originall sin the Object of the said Decree These are called Sublapsarians * Piscator indeavours to reconcile all three opinions Considerationes illa non sunt opposiâ—ae sed tantùm diversae ac proinde omnes locum habere possunt sicut revera habent Objectum praedestinationis esse hominem consideratum ut nondum
Grace here or his Glory hereafter On the other side Observe 1. That according to this Synopsis containing Master Perkins's and the Judgement of all the Creabilitarians That the farre greatest part of mankinde are Reprobates before they are Creatures and according to the most modest opinion amongst them they are Reprobates as to the demerit of Preterition onely upon the account of Adams sin which was no more in their power to prevent or avoid than to hinder Gods imputation of it or to forbid their Parents Banes of Matrimony and for Actuall sins they do commence upon the stock of this sin Originall 2. That Christ was not given according to Gods intention for their benefit They have no interest in him there is no line of communication drawn betwixt him and them For 3. at least upon the Fall of Adam Gods implacable and immutable hatred was extended towards them And hence 4. His calling of them is but uneffectuall so that 5. Though they own and answer that Call so farre as to be inlightned by it repent at it believe upon it relish the heavenly Gift and grow zealous of Gods Glory yet this doth not remove them one step out of that road or line drawn by the Decree of Reprobation to lead them to eternall death according to the Series and processe whereof which is immutably set and insuperably carried on the Deceitfulnesse of sin must and shall inevitably and necessarily prevaile to bring them into a Relapse which shall heighten their pollution and guilt by an accession of obduration and malice unbelief and Apostasie and so cooperate to the aggravation of their condemnation and torments And this is the very Doctrine of the Synod of Dort as it is delivered Act. S. Dor. par 2. p. 62. th 24 25. in the Judgement of the Divines of Embden For speaking of the means by which the Decree is executed in the Reprobates They say Prima summa eorum exitii Causa The first and chiefest cause of their destruction is the corruption of our first Parents Spontanea Adami voluntate of Adam's own accord first brought upon himself and afterwards by the just judgement of God propagated unto his whole Posterity in which if God had left all he had done injury to none because he is debtor unto none The second Cause is because either God vouchsafes not to call these Reprobates at all by his Gospel or if he calls some of them outwardly by the Gospel yet it is not accompanied with any internall Spirituall efficacie or if in some of them he begets a certain assent and some kinde of faith yet he leaves them all at last in their blindnesse and voluntary corruption and doth not vouchsafe them his saving grace And Szegedin To the Question In loc com de Repr tab 1. p. 122. f. Whether the Reprobate can do good works he makes this answer They may do good works sometimes but not persevere in them as the Predestinate in like manner do fall into most grievous sins Therefore saith he we may conclude that Good works are sometimes inservient unto Predestination and sometimes unto Reprobation By good works Predestination doth illustrate Gody glory and in respect of Reprobation they are many times reasons why sin is aggravated For they that fall from God when he hath adorned them with good works as they do more grievously sin so are they more severely-punished Lastly Observe that according to this Series or Table of Causes The onely Glory that God designs and aims at primarily and by it self as to be drawn out of the Rationall Creature for himself consists in the Salvation of some for the Declaration of his Justice and Mercy and the Damnation of others for the Declaration of his Power and Justice Whereas the Scripture informs us otherwise viz. That the Glory which he intended to have and therefore requires and expects from us doth consist in the oblation or performance of a free and dutifull obedience or results from it To this purpose we have our Saviours own warrant Joh. 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit and his example Joh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the worke that thou gavest me to doe and his Command Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven and Gods own approbation Psal 50.23 Who so offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright c. So that Gods Glory is intended all the way Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God This is that duty we are all primarily designed for and called unto by the dispensations of his Grace 1 Pet. 2.9 Ephes 1.6 And if men will not comply by a voluntary obedience with this Gracious designe that the Goodnesse of God may triumph in our exaltation then for their contempt or neglect of his honour and service as he hath threatned so he rejects them and glorifies his Justice in the infliction of their deserved punishment Act. S Dor. par 2. pag. 104. th 5. Martinius therefore acknowledgeth that the condemnation of the wicked is an event of Gods Calling which is not intended of God by it selfe but by accident it is an attendant upon mans transgression Hic autem eventus per se non intenditur à Deo sed per accidens hominis Culpa sequitur As for that Glory of God which the Blessed Saints and Angels do eternally celebrate in heaven that is not designed by Almighty God for a part of Mans duty the Scene whereof lyes here on earth but for his Reward upon the performance of that duty which duty the wicked having neglected they are by way of punishment for ever debarred Rev. 7.14 15. Job 17.24 from having any communion in that blessed solemnity which is the Masters joy into which none are admitted but such as have been faithfull servants This by the way will afford a sufficient answer to that Maxime in Logick What is first in the intention is last in the execution Whence some Admired Doctors would inferre that punishment was intended before sinne and Glory before obedience But the Maxime will not hold in the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments which doe alwaies where Justice holds the Sword and ballance presuppose duty and fault respectively as the Vshers to go before them This is easily seen and many times complained of in Civil administrations †Call to the Vnconverted p. 84. A Rulers will us Lawgiver is first and principally that his laws be obeyed c. See the rest wherein as the Magistrate that intends reward before obedience is accounted imprudent so he that designs a personall punishment before there be a fault shall not escape the Reproach of being a Tyrant AN EXAMINATION OF Master BAXTERS XIX and XX. Sections Wherein the state of DAVID AND PETER is Debated The State of
you do not sit down with satisfaction herein I shall conclude in your own words to Master Warner of Justification pag. 314. It is not replying that will serve the turne but either prejudice will hold them to the side that they have taken or else they will think him in the right that hath the last word but usually they will go with the Party that is in greatest credit or hath most interest in them or advantage on them But 3. you upbraid them with unconscionable dealings unworthy falsification perverse insinuation and upon this threefold Cord it is that you suspend your belief towards them But can you discover such moats in the Remonstrants eyes which how many soever your Multiplying Glasse or indisposed Medium presented to you are by this time washed out of Tilenus's and can you not see the Beams that are lodged in the eyes of your own Party Do they stand at too near a distance for you to behold them If you will promise to suspend your faith here too upon the discovery of such beams I will be so charitably officious as to direct you to a Prospect whence you may take a full view of them If you have seen Festus Hommius who was one of the Scribes of the Synod his Specimen Controversiarum Belgicarum you might have seen enough of such dealings as you unjustly charge Tilenus with as is sufficiently discovered in two little Pamphlets the one bearing this Title Joan. Wtenbogardi Responsio ad ea quae illi speciatim impegit Festus Hommius the other this Optima Fides Festi Hommii c. Of this Man and his Brother Scribe Doctor Damman the Author of that Antidotum Pag. 11. writeth thus To whom is the falshood of these men unknown Festi sc Hommii in edendis pro arbitrio suo truncandis atque interpretandis Trelcatiorum Scriptis non sine magnorum virorum gravissima indignatione Similiter in propolandis pessimâ fide Episcopii Disputationibus privatis c. And of Bogerman President of the Synod He saith thus An non ille est cui ô justa Nemesis ◠artes fraudes mendacia sua quibus titulis ille innoxios insontes Remonstrantes in Synodo Ib. pag. 10. suopte arbitratu injussus praeter omnem rationem oneratos ac gravatos tantâ cum acerbitate amarulentia dimittebat ut poenitentia tactus veniam sibi posteà petendam indicaret adeoque ambitio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 palam publicéque exprobrata in os objecta sunt quòd vid. c. But alas these are Peccadillo's not worthy Master Baxter's taking notice of we will therefore bring him to a Mount which will afford him a notable Prospect indeed whence he shall descry the Reputation of the Innocent Remonstrants bleeding under the stroaks of such objected forgeries and Calumnies Hactenus Remonstrantibus saith the same Author Pag. 23. ferè crimini datumtest quod malâ fide sententiam contra Remonstrantium proponerent atque exprimerent dici vix potest quot convitia dirae ac probra propterea passim contra Remonstrantes in foris pulpitis circulis conviviis scaphis rhedis curribus triviisque hominum dicta ac projecta fuerint tanquam in falsi manifestos fide omni indignos Mortales Ipsa Synodus Arnhemiensis O rem foedam ac detestandam quis credidisset ausa est sententiam illam quam Remonstrantes ipsissimam ac genuinam Contra-Remonstrantium sententiam esse asserebant tanquam foedam atque impiam sub vocabulorum quorundam homonymiâ aequivocatione communibus calculis damnare eâ tantum de causa ut falsum dixisse Remonstrantes crederetur atque ita publici odii victimae fierent But to bring the Prospect a little nearer to Master Baxters ken Was there no such Artifice used in the Synod of Dort What say they in their fourth Rejection upon the First Chapter of Divine Predestination They reject the errour of those who teach that in the Election unto faith this Condition is formerly required viz. That a man use the light of Reason aright that he be honest lowly humble and disposed unto life eternall as though in some sort Election depended on these things Is not here an insinuation as if the Remonstrants held this Doctrine the designe of the Synod being to declare against them yet say the Remonstrants this is falsly and by way of Calumny thrown upon them for the Contrary appears as clear in their writings as the light at noon day a Ibid. p. 72. In the sixth Rejection they reject those who teach that not all election unto salvation is unchangeable but that some which are elected the Decree of God notwithstanding may perish and for ever do perish The Synod herein doth adulterate pervert and traduce the Doctrine of the Remonstrants by odious expressions Ibid. p. 76. That last branch that the elect may perish eternally the Decree of God notwithstanding is without cause thrown upon them and against their judgements For the first they ever professe Election and the will of God to be immutable Indeed when they say so they make the subject about which Election is exercised to be the faithfull man as such Hence it comes to passe when that man who believes to day turnes Infidell to morrow there is no change in Gods Election but in the man onely The Reason is because God will not chuse the unfaithfull but the faithfull And therefore when the faithfull man becomes unfaithfull the will of God concerning the Election of faithfull men remains uniform and the same But the truth is if the will of God or the Divine Election concerning that man now become unfaithfull should persevere then the will of God should properly be changed because he should will to elect unto salvation not onely the faithfull men but the unfaithfull also In the Seventh Rejection the Remonstrants complain that they of the Synod have cloathed a most certain truth with some rough invented Phrases to make it odious and look ugly Ibid. p. 77. The Errour rejected is That in this life there is no fruit no sense no certainty of immutable election unto glory but upon condition contingent and mutable But the Remonstrants professe they have not these words in all their writings They know no fruit more sweet to a pious man then what grows upon the consideration of Gods unchangeable love whereby he will most assuredly conferre eternall life upon believers As for that opinion which some place so much of their comfort in that he who doth once truly believe may be alwaies certain of his being in the faith and Grace of God however he pollutes or behaves himselfe this is a fruit which indeed they cannot relish growing onely upon that tree of Election which by whomsoever it was planted hath no sound root in Scripture In their Ninth Rejection the Synod doth covertly insinuate to make them odious that the Remonstrants teach That the cause why God sends the Gospel
this Grace was not any quality or motion determining the will by a Physicall or irresistible operation for if it had been such they whom Christ so bitterly reproved and threatned for Non-conversion had been infallibly converted This Grace therefore did but impower and bringing the matter to their choice assist and solicite them morally to embrace it which solicitation and assistance they obstinately rejected when they had it in their power and at their liberty freely to cooperate with it to their effectuall conversion Our Saviour gives us another Emphaticall Instance in the men of Nineve Mat. 12.41 where he tells the Scribes and Pharisees The men of Nineve shall rise in Judgement with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater than Jonas is here How was our Saviour greater than Jonas in respect of his person or office onely and not also in respect of the efficacy of his Ministery He was full of Grace Psal 45. had the words of eternall life taught with Authority John 1. Grace came by him Was Jonas a better Preacher than our Saviour Did a more efficacious Grace of the Spirit accompany his Ministery than did that of the Son of God who came from heaven to seek and to save that which was Lost by calling them to repentance The horrour that follows the conception of such a blasphemy will not suffer any sober Christian bosome to entertain it Yet the men of Nineve repented at the preaching of Jonas But that generation did not repent at the Sermons of the Son of God Was this through any defect in Christs Dispensations No The administration of Grace here by him was more abundant than that of Jonas The fault therefore lay in their abuse of their power and liberty in opposing new contumacy and obstacles to these more Gracious Dispensations To this purpose Prosper writeth expresly lib. 2. De vocat Gent. c. 26. The Grace of God saith he is principally preeminent in all our Righteousnesses persuading us by exhortations moving us by examples terrifying us with dangers inciting us by miracles giving understanding inspiring Counsil and inlightening the heart it self and imbruring it with affections of faith but the will of man is also subjoyned and conjoyned to it which is excited by the foresaid helps to this end that it may cooperate to the Divine work in it self that it may begin to exercise toward the attainment of rewards ad meritum what through the power of the supernall seed it conceived towards an endeavour ad studium having it from its own mutability if it fails from the help of grace if it proceeds Which help is applyed to All by innumerable wayes whether hidden or manifest and that it is rejected of many is their own wicked fault but that it is received of many is both of the divine grace and mans will I shall shut up this with an Instance out of Fulgentius In libr. de Praedest Grat. c. 15. framing a comparison betwixt Nebuchadonosor and Pharao he saith In respect of their nature they were both men in respect of their Dignitie they were both Kings in respect of the Cause they both kept the people of God in Captivity in respect of their punishment they were both chastised and admonished by the rod of Clemency What was it therefore that made their ends to be so different but this that one sensible of Gods hand bewailed the memory of his own iniquity the other fought against the most mercifull truth of God by his own free-will But all this will not serve Master Baxters turne though he contradicts the faith of Primitive Antiquity and overthrows not onely mans naturall liberty and way of working but likewise all the commands and exhortations comminations and promises of Holy Scripture he will not be satisfied without Gods irresistible attingencie of the will to apply and determine it to the very Consent or Act of willing which is that we are now to take into examination But to attain Master Baxters meaning may be a matter of some difficulty he doth say and unsay so often which makes many not to regard at all what he saith For Physicall Predetermination he denyes it in this Preface and in his Sermon of Judgement he saith Section 5. That God doth determine all Actions Answer to the 23 and 24. excuses mihi pag. 242 243. Naturall and Free as the first Efficient Physicall immediate Cause or else nothing could Act This Principle he saith is most likely to be false And that the wil is necessarily and infallibly determined by the Practicall Understanding which is unresistibly necessitated by objects and therefore whatever Act is done by my understanding or will is necessitated and I cannot help it And that Liberty is but the Acting of the Faculty agreeably to its nature And it was God as Creator that gave Adam his Faculties and God by providentiall dispose that Presented all Objects to him by which his understanding and so his will were unavoidably necessitated This saith M. Baxter is of the same nature with the former Ibid. uncertain if not certainly false Were this true for ought we can see it would lay all the sin and misery of this world on God as the unresistible necessary Cause which because we know infallibly to be false we have no reason to take such principles to be true which inferre it I wish Master Baxter had kept himself alwayes of this minde and then he had saved me all this labour But a little after he tells his Reader There are other wayes of Determining the Will which yet he mentions not But in his first Assize Sermon he saith Pag 9. Christ hath undertaken himself to be a Physitian to the world who are now Morally dead in sin though naturally alive to cure all that will come to him and take him so to be and trust him and obey him in the Application of his medicines He hath erected an Hospitall his Church to this end and commanded all to come into this Ark. Those that are far distant he first Commandeth to come nearer and those that are near he inviteth to come in Too many do refuse and perish in their refusall And your doctrine declare they cannot do otherwise He will not suffer all to do so but mercifully boweth the wills of his Elect and by an insuperable powerfull drawing Compells them to come in So that we have an insuperable compulsory determination And yet in his foresaid Sermon of Judgement He tels us Vbi supra The will of man in its very Dominion doth bear Gods Image It is a self Determining Power though it be byassed by Habits and needs a Guide If a Guide would serve Master Baxters turne we are content to allow him out not an Ignis fatuus but a Lantern that doth direct the understanding infallibly and besides this a reall influx that after the manner of a Physicall Cause inclines
the will to Act But he must have such a one as doth controull and Determine the will to Act and Operate notwithstanding the Dominion over its own Acts which he seems to ascribe to it which we think not onely unnecessary but in the ordinary course of Gods providence very absurd inconvenient and of dangerous Consequence to be affirmed 1. That it is unnecessary is evident by Gods complaint Isa 5.4 Judge I pray you between me and my vinyard what could I have done more to my vinyard that I have not done to it Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wilde grapes That God administred all things necessary and sufficient not in Master Baxters sense of sufficiencie which is unsufficient to this effect appears by his expectation of grapes of good workes for the All-wise God doth not he cannot expect to gather grapes of thorns or figgs of thistles and to expect conversion and good works from them who have not grace necessary and sufficient to their production is as unreasonable as to expect a Bird should fly without wings or a man goe without leggs But here was no determining Grace administred for then they would have been infallibly converted and have brought forth good works Therefore such Determining Grace is not necessary 2. As it is unnecessary so it is inconvenient For 1. it overthrowes that Dominion which by Master Baxters own confession the will hath over its own Acts and destroyes its Connatural manner of working For it puts a necessity in order of Nature and Causality Antecedent to the Act of the will so that all Praerequisites put in order the will hath not a simultaneous power that may be reduced into Act to Act otherwise or a power to want that operation to which it is so determined which takes away the liberty of the will quoad exercitium in regard of the exercise of it 2. It destroyes the proper nature of duty for a Duty is a work perform'd conformably to a command for his Authority sake who doth command it that giving proof of our free obedience we may avoid the Penalty and gain a Right to the Reward upon which the Command is established This cannot be agreeable to the nature of that work to which God doth irresistbly determine the will for 1. though the work be conformable to his command yet it cannot be properly said to be done because of his Authority but because he doth insuperably determine it 2. The doer or rather the sufferer gives no proof of his free obedience because he cannot do otherwise 3. This can procure him no right to the reward because it is not thank-worthy as the Phrase is 1 Pet. 2.19.20 beeing no part of a free obedience And 4. upon what Title can it free a man from punishment For we see God doth over-rule such as become the Rod of his anger Isa 10.5 6 12. and directeth them to do his work according to his Secret which the Calvinists account his onely proper will and yet when that work is done he casteth the Rod into the Fire But M. Baxters Determining Grace hath the Doctrine of the Synod to justifie it in making Faith and Conversion Repentance or Regeneration for the termes are promiscuously used here no part of mans work or duty For the Synod saith That Regeneration c. is a work for the mightinesse thereof not inferiour to the Creation of the world or raising up the dead quam Deus sine nobis 〈…〉 4. de Convers Art 12. in nobis operatur which God without us worketh in us and they say that Faith whereby we are first converted Ibid. Art 14 Reject 6. and from which we are styled Faithfull is really inspired and infused into the will Ibid. Reject 8. and that God in regenerating a man doth employ the strength of his Omnipotency powerfully and infallibly to bow and bend his will to Faith and Conversion And in this work saith M. Baxter * Of Saving Faith pag. 20. the Spirit is as the Hand the Object and Word as the Seal the Act of impression on the Intellect is first in Order of nature and so upon the Will the impressed Act and Habit immediately are effected by it Is this Faith and Conversion thus wrought Gods or mans It may be called Mans in regard of the Possession of it after it be wrought but in regard of the efficiency the production is so meerly a piece of New Creation that it can in no sense be accounted a part of Mans Morall duty For this is not performed by man because Gods will commands it but wrought in him because Gods power imprints it And then 3. This will evacuate the force of the Ministery the use of Commands and exhortations expostulations and reproofs For how can you in Gods Name seriously command a man under pain of death and promise of life to do that as his duty which you teach him to believe that God will insuperably effect himself If he believes that God must and will do it by his irresistible determining Grace he cannot reasonably believe that he doth seriously require it as his duty because it implyes a contradiction that God should at once will an effect to be done by another and yet will to do it himself alone What do your Ministery then amount unto 'T is but the Revelation of what God will do in mens souls like the Angels Message to the Blessed Virgin Luk. 1.30 with 35. Fear not for thou hast found favour with God for the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee Therefore that Holy thing that Faith and Repentance that shall be borne of thee shall be called the work of God Thus you may signifie to your Beloved Disciples what God will doe for and in their souls But if you should attempt the use of exhortations c. to move them to undertake that work as their duty your exhortations would lose all their force and propriety for that work you say is actually and really of Gods Impression Now when Gods Omnipotent hand of Grace sets the Determining Presse on work which is not moved at all by your exhortations they being directed onely to souls that are merely Passive under it that work of Faith and Repentance is stampt upon them irresistibly And can it consist with Gods wisdome to attaque a Sinner thus If you will be wrought upon and converted and believe as the force of my insuperable Grace shall irresistibly determine you you shall be saved And can you find in your heart to exhort your Auditors and to fall down upon your knees to them as you say many times you would do to intreat and beseech them not to wrastle with Omnipotency but to suffer themselves to be moved and determined by it And can you threaten woe and eternall death to others if they be not thus determined telling them withall which is a part