mistaken ones so seduce that one Error in the Order leads to many § 28. Yet even Catechumens and young Christians should learn what they learn in method And that is first the said Baptismal Covenant and our Relation to the Trinity thereby and all that is added to their Knowledge daily be it never so little should be methodically added For a weak head may perceive the true method of the few Essentials being great and plain though the strongest cannot follow the due Distribution of innumerable Integrals and Consequent Truths As the first partitions of the Tree into its greater Boughs are easily perceived though not the innumerable sprigs thence arising § 29. Accordingly a wise Teacher will proceed with Infidels in proving the Christian Religion yea and with himself and will first prove the Truth of the Essentials which are delivered us both in Scripture and other infallible Tradition before he undertake to prove all the Scriptures to be the Word of God For he that will begin here 1. Must shew the Book which he will so prove and when he cannot vindicate it from variety of Lections and the Errors of Scribes and Printers to say nothing of the greater of Translators it will stop him in his Designs 2. And when he hath so many thousand Words to prove to be Divine and so many Integrals and Accidentals to make good he maketh his Work difficult by allowing his Scholar to doubt as much of the Essentials of Religion as he shall doubt of the Truth of any particular Book or Text History Genealogy c. in the whole Scripture A blind Zeal for Scripture hath led some to this dangerous way but the ancient Churches did otherwise and so will all that well understand what they do And really on supposition it could be proved as it cannot that any Penman of the Scripture erred in a Ciâ—ation a Genealogy the Circumstance of a bye-History c. it would not follow that we must be therefore uncertain of all our Religion even the Essentials and they ignorantly betray their Faith that say It would so follow § 30. So far is it from being true that the Scripture is too narrow as to the matter of Divine Faith and Duty without the additional matter of Tradition that indeed as the compleat Body of a Man hath more than his Essentials yea or Inteâ—rals even Hair and Nails as Accidents so hath the Holy Scripture as to the matter of Divine Faith and Duty There is more than is absolutely necessary to Salvation but not less § 31. They that in peevish opposition to others tell us That Christ made no Law and that the Gospel is not a Law if they strive not about equivocal Words but mean that Christ is not a Legislator nor hath a Law and Covenant by which he will govern and judge the World do deny all our Christianity at once For Christ is not Christ if he be not the King of the Church nor is he King if he be not a Lawgiver nor doth he Rule and Iudge if he have no Law which is so far from Truth that there is now no Law of God that we are under but what is truly the Law of Christ For he is Lord of all and Head over all things to his Church and all power in Heaven and Earth is given to him and the Father alone or meerly as Creator by the Law of Innocency judgeth no man but hath committed all Iudgment to the Son as Redeemer and Universal Administrator The lapsed World and the Law which they are under as rational Creatures are now delivered up to the Redeemer whose Law as is aforesaid hath two parts 1. The Law of lapsed Nature commonly called the Moral Law 2. The Remedying Law of Faith of which before § 32. But it is not to be supposed that the very preceptive part of the Law of Innocency is now in force to us as it was to Adam For it bound him to be perfectly innocent in Act and Dispositions But to a Man that hath lost his Innocency and is already in Act and Habit sinful it is not to be supposed that the Law saith Thou shalt be innocent For that were to command not only a Moral but a Physical absolute impossibility as saying Thou shalt not have sinned § 33. Obj. God changeth not his Law when man changeth his capacity Therefore the Law may be the same as in Innocency both as to the Precept Threatning and Promise God may still say 1. Sin not or be innocent 2. And if thou be perfect thou shalt live 3. Else thou shalt die And if man will make himself uncapable it 's his own change § 34. Answ. I spake to this before and now further add God's Law is not to be taken for a meer script of Words considered as standing in a Book not obliterated or as written on stone and not broken or cast away The signum materially may stand and the Law be changed and the signification cease As a repealed Statute may be still in the Books and Records God's Law is signum voluntatis divinae debitum constituentis Therefore if it signifie not God's Will as constituting what shall be due from us and to us it is no Law And that it may so signifie his Will and constitute Dueness Debitum or Ius or as they use to say oblige and give the Subject must be in a natural capacity For where there is no Subject to be obliged there is no Law And where natural capacity ceaseth as in a dead corps there is no Subject to be governed And the Law is Instrumentum regiminis So that if you do not only say This was God's Law but This is God's Law you must mean Thus he nâ—w obligeth man and This he threatneth now and This he conditionally giveth him So that if it be an unchanged Law to us just as it was in Innocency you must make this the sence of precept threat and promise 1. Preserve thine Innocency and sin not in act or habit but be thou a peâ—fect Obeyer of my Laws and this to one that hath sinned already and is habitually inclined to more q. d. Let not that be which is or quod factum est infectum fiat 2. If thou sin thou shalt be an Heir of Death When we are Sinners and Heirs of Death already 3. If thou be and continue sinless and perfect thou shalt not die but live When we are Sinners and dead before In which Case all Law and Reason saith That the Law doth transire in sententiam vel rem judicatam § 35. So that as was before-said the Covenant of Works is ceased yea the Law or Precept bindeth not now as it is a Law of Innocency made to innocent Nature for its preservation for Nature is not innocent But the Law of Nature is now the Law of lapsed redeemed Nature and not of innocent Nature And it obligeth us for the future to as much perfection of Duty as we are naturally
out of their Churches which should be the Porch of Heaven is the way to be shut out themselves of the heavenly Jerusalem If those that have long reproached me as unfit to be in their Church and said ex uno disce omnes with their Leader find any unsound or unprofitable Doctrine here I shall take it for a great favour to be confuted even for the good of others excluded with me when I am dead Jan. 21. 1691. Richard Baxter THE CONTENTS Chap. 1. HOW to conceive of GOD. Pag. i. Chap. 2. How to conceive of the Trinity in Unity p. vii Chap. 3. How to conceive of the Hypostatical Union and Incarnation p. xxiii Chap. 4. How to conceive of the Diversity of God's Transient Operations p. xxx Chap. 5. Whether any point of Faith be above 〈◊〉 contrary to Reason p. xxxii Chap. I. Prefatory Who must be the Iudge of Controversies The true Causes of the Divisions of Christians about Religion p. 1◠Chap. 2. The Doctrines enumerated about which they chiefly disagree p. 22 Chap. III. Of God's Will and Decrees in general Th. Terms and several Cases opened p. 2◠Chap. IV. Of God's Knowledge and the Differenc◠about it p. 4◠Chap. V. Of Election and the Order of Intentio◠and Execution p. 3◠Chap. VI. Of Reprobation or the Decree of Damnation the Objects and their Order p. 4◠An Answer to Mr. Polhill of Futurition p. 4◠Chap. VII Of God's Providence and predetermining Premotion Of Durandus's way p. 7◠Chap. VIII Of the Cause of Sin What God doth and doth not about it p. 82 Chap. IX Of Natural Power and Free-will p. 89 Chap. X. Of Original Sin as from Adam and nearer Parents p. 94 Chap. XI Of our Redemption by Christ what it doth how necessary p. 89 Chap. XII Of the several Laws and Covenants of God p. 99 Sect. 1. Of the Law or Covenant of Innocency made to Adam Divers Cases p. 113 Sect. 2. Of the Law of Mediation or Covenant with Christ When and what it was p. 121 Sect. 3. Of the Law or Covenant of Grace in the first edition What it was p. 126 Sect. 4. Of the same Law with Abraham's Covenant of Peculiarity and the Mosaical Iewish Law of Works p. 132 Sect. 5. Of the Law or Covenant of Grace in the last edition the Gospel Divers Cases about it opened p. 138 Chap. XIII Of the universality and sufficiency of Grace What Grace is How far universal and sufficient p. 154 Chap. XIV Of Man's Power and Free-will since the Fall Adrian's Saying That an unjustified man may love or chuse God's Being before his own What to ascribe to Grace and what to Free-will in good p. 173 Chap. XV. Of Effectual Grace and how God giveth it Doubts resolved p. 181 Chap. XVI Of the state of Heathens and such others as have not the Gospel What Law the Heathen World is under and to be judged by Whether any of them are justified or saved The Heathens were the Corrupters of the old Religion and the Jews of the Reformed Church Mal. 1. 14 15. and Sodom's Case c. considered p. 188 Chap. XVII Of the necessity of Holiness and of Moral Virtue p. 203 Chap. XVIII Of the necessity of Faith in Christ where the Gospel is made known p. 212 Chap. XIX Of the state of Infants as to Salvation and Church-membership p. 216 Chap. XX. Of the nature of Saving-Faith its Description and Causes p. 226 Chap. XXI Of justifying Righteousness Iustification and Pardon The several sences of the words and several sorts of them Our common Agreement about them p. 238 Chap. XXII Of the Imputation of Righteousness Christ's righteousness in what sence ours and imputed and in what sence not p. 256 Chap. XXIII How Faith justifieth and how it is imputed for Righteousness Several questions about it Repentance c. resolved p. 267 Chap. XXIV Of Assurance of our Iustification and of Hope What Assurance is desirable What attainable What Assurance we actually have Who have it The nature and grounds of it Whether it be Divine Faith p. 279 Chap. XXV Of Good works and Merit And whether we may trust to any thing of our own 1. What are Good Works 2. Whether they are necessary to our Iustification or Salvation 3. Whether they are rewardable or meritorious 4. What is their place use and necessity 5. Whether to be trusted to p. 282 Chap. XXVI Of Confirmation Perseverance and danger of falling away 1. Whether all Grace given by Christ be such as is never lost 2. Whether that degree be ever lost which to Infants or Adult giveth but the posse credere 3. Whether any lose actual justifying Faith 4. Or the Habit of Divine Love and Holiness 5. Whether some degree of this may be lost 6. If Holiness be not actually lost is the loss possible 7. Whether there be a state of Confirmation above the lowest Holiness which secureth Perseverance 8. Or doth Perseverance depend only on Election and God's Will 9. Whether all most or many Christians are themselves certain of their Perseverance 10. I◠such Certainty fit for all the justified 11. Is it unfit for all and doubting a more safe condition 12. Doth the Comfort of most Christians rest upon the Doctrine of Certainty to persevere 13. Doth the Doctrine of eventual Apostasie inferr Mutability in God 14. Why God hath left the point so dark 15. What was the Iudgment of the ancient Churches herein 16. Is it of such weight as to be necessary to our Church-Communion Love and Concord p. 300 Chap. XXVII Of Repentance late Repentance the time of Grace and the unpardonable sin p. 314 BOOKS Printed for and Sold by Iohn Salusbury at the Rising Sun in Cornhil A Rational Defence of Nonconformity wherein the Practice of Nonconformists is vindicated from promoting Popery and ruining the Church imputed to them by Dr. Stillingfleet Bishop of Worcester in his Unreasonableness of Separation Also his Arguments from the Principles and Way of the Reformers and first Dissenters are answered And the case of the present Separation truly stated and the blame of it laid where it ought to be and the way to Union among Protestants is pointed at By Gilbert Rule D. D. The Christian Laver Being two Sermons on John 13. 8. opening the nature of Participation with and demonstrating the necessity of Purification by Christ. By T. Cruso Six Sermons on various occasions By T. Cruso in 4◠The Conformists Sayings or the Opinion and Arguments of Kings Bishops and several Divines assembled in Convocation A new Survey of the Book of Common-Prayer An END of Doctrinal Controversies c. CHAP. 1. How we may and must conceive of GOD. § 1. A True Knowledge of God is necessary to the Being of Religion and to Holiness and Glory No man can love obey trust or hope beyond his knowledge Nothing is so certainly known as God and yet nothing so defectively known Like our Knowledge of the Sun of which no man doubteth
â—â—tional Will and therefore that cannot be said 〈…〉 be above Reason which is it self essentially â—n Act of Reason By what Faculty do we beâ—â—eve but by the rational Intellect and Will â—nd this Intellect hath but two sorts of Acts â— Immediate Self-perceptions which some call In 〈…〉 uitions and some Eminent Internal Sensation â— Abstrative Knowledge by Reasoning And â—he first way we perceive nothing but our own â—cts Therefore it must be the latter or not at all § 8. 2. We have reason to know that God â—annot lye and reason to know by certain Proof â—hat Scripture is his Word and reason to know â—hat that Word expresseth Therefore we have â—eason to believe that it is true and consequently â—o trust it § 9. 3. If we tell Infidels that we have no Reason our selves for our Faith nor any Reason â—o give them why they should believe Christ more â—han Mahomet and the Scripture more than the Alcorâ—n this preaching is not the way to conâ—ince the World nor did such Preaching gather â—he Churches § 10. When the Apostles added Miracles to â—heir Testimony of Christ's Resurrection what was it for but to convince Mens Reason that what God so attesteth by unimitable VVorks must needs be true It is by reason abused that Men talk against reason § 11. Those knowing Divines that tell the Socinians That the Matters of Faith are above Reason can reasonably mean no more but that meer Reason by natural Light could not have known them without Gospel supernatural Revelation § 12. This Reason is unanswerable That is certainly true which God obligeth a 〈…〉 men of Reason to whom it is revealed to believe But God obligeth all Men of Reason to whoâ— it is revealed to believe the Life to come and that Christ is the Son of God and his VVorâ— true Therefore it is true The Major is proved by the very Being anâ— Perfection of God to say that God bindeth the World to believe a Lye and so is the great Lyer and Deceiver is to describe him like Satan and to deny him to be God The Minor is proved God bindeth us to believe that which being of greatest everlasting Consequence is attested by the former Prophecies the Essential Impressions of God the multitude of uncontrolled Miracles and the continued success of sanctifying Souls and making the greatest amendment of the world when we have no Disproof of it and to trust our Souls and Hopes on this when we have such sealed Promises and no other sufficient Hopes But such is the Gospel of Christ and the Life to come Ergo we are Sound as reasonable by God to believe it In this Belief and Hope I am writing this under the sentence of Death in expectation of my approaching Change CHAP. I. Prefatory Who shall be Iudge of Controversies and of the Sence of Scripture whether all the People or who else Sect. I. EXperience assuring all Men that we are born without actual Knowledg and yet with Faculties made to Know obliged to Learn desiâ—ing Knowledg needing it and delighting in it â—o wonder if Men be inquisitive after the surest â—nd easiest way to attain it and if they be unwilâ—ing to be deceived no wonder they love Truth as Truth and hate Lyes as Lyes though being deâ—eived they hate that which is Truth and love that which is a Lye § 2. Therefore the first Apprehensions of the mind do greatly tend to the introduction of those that follow to make them such as shall agree with these And here 1. Sense and 2. Education have the great advantage 1. We exercise Sense before Reason and therefore at first without the government of our own Reason and this necessarily strongly and constantly as the Bruites do 2. And being therefore governed by the Reason of our Parents we learn Knowledg of them and from sensible Objects â—ut drop by drop by slow degrees and Sense being strong inclineth Children strongly to desire that sort of Knowledg which will most serve the pleasure of Sence and Fleshly Appetite And so they easily learn how to sport and after how to seek Proâ—â—ssion by Labour and Trades and Flaâ—tery 〈…〉 tâ— sâ—tisfi the Desires of the Flesh. But the 〈…〉 dg of things spiritual and everlastinâ— which are beyond the reach of Sight and all the Se ses cometh not in so soon nor till Parents oâ— other Teachers tell them of such or Reason grow up to mâ—turity by Experience and serious Exercise and withal the Grace of God to bless such Helpâ— and overcome the contrary fleshly inclinations which original Pravity and customary Sensuality raise up against the Desires of Endeavours for and Obedience to a spiritual and more excellent Knowledg Where God giveth 1. A Body moderately temperated as to Sensuality and Ingenuity 2. And Parents or first-Teachers wise and faithful to teach Children that spiritual Knowledg which they have learnâ— themselves and 3. by His Grace exciteth Childrens Minds to love learn and obey the Truth there enter the beginnings of truest Wisdom But where these are wanting they grow up instead of saving Wisdom to the craftiness of a Foâ— to get keep and devour his Prey and to the valour and felicity of the Mastisse to be Master of the little Dogs and at last to the subtilty of Devils to oppose and destroy as a hated thing the Holy Wisdom and Practice that should have saved them § 3. As Knowledg cometh in by slow degreeâ— so there are as many degrees or differences of it in the World as there are Men it being not probeble that any two men on Earth have just the same apprehensions and degrees of Knowledg but that all mens mental Complexions differ far more than their Visâ—ges do So that if the same degree were â—he measure of necessary Church-Concord and â—alvation there should but one in the World be â—â—e Church or be saved The question then is not What measure is desireable but what is necessary to Church-Unity and Communion and to Salvation And what God will do with those that have not the Gospel and are not of the Christian Church but only believe that God is and that he is the Reâ—â—rder of them that 〈…〉 tly seek him and that in every Nation do fear God and work righteousness belongeth not to our present question but only what is necessary to the Christian State and Hope § 4. And here it is first to be decided Whether God hath by â—y fixed Law or Revelation determined so â—f the Measure of Christian Knowledg and Faith as â—hat thereby men may know who are to be taken as Christians and of the Church To which I say 1. We â—ust distinguish of Faith as objective and as Active â—r as to the matter believed and as to the Act of â—elieting or knowing 2. Between the Inward Sincerity and the Outward Profession And remember â—hat though God judge of Men according 1. to inward Sincerity and 2. expect that degree of Knoweâ—â—g and Faith in Act and Habit
be ruled and judged by and constituteth the Essentials of Christianity § 18. This Covenant did constitute Christianity many years supposâ—d eight before any part of the New Testament was written as now extant and near seventy years before it was all written § 19. As Man hath an Intellect a Will and an Executive power and the Gospel is to work on all so the Creed is the Summary of our Belief the Lords Prayer of our Desire and the Christian Decalogue and Institutions of our practice as expounding what Baptism generally expresseth § 20. Though to the Iews that were bred up under the use of the Old Testament and that expected the Messiah the Apostles staid not long instructing them before they baptized them when they professed Repentance and Faith in Christ yet it cannot be conceived but that with the ignorant Gentile Christians all Teachers took pains to make them understand first what they were to profess and promise for ignorant doing they know not what pleaseth not God And therefore that the Faith contained in the three Baptismal Articles was certainly explained in more words and accordingly professed which must be in substance that called the Apostles Creed which the Churches preservation and use with the Custom of long instructing Catecumens giveth us notice of as well as the reason of the thing § 21. When we find Christ commanding his Apostles to disciple the Nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and teach them all his Commandments and when we daily see after people have learned to say They believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost how long it is ere they understand the meaning of those three Articles and when we know that it is not bare words without the sence that constituteth the Christian Faith no sober Man will doubt whether the persons to be baptized were taught the sence as well as the words which must be done by more words And it is certain that those Words were not to alter Christ's Baptismal Covenant nor the Nature and Terms of Christianity but to expound them And it is certain that multitudes were so weak that had those Words been very long and many they would rather have burdened them than become their own profession as understood and remembred And it is certain that the changing of words doth easily turn to a change of the sense and that even then Heresies quickly multiplied which made it necessary to the Church to be careful to preserve sound Doctrine From all which it clearly followeth that a Creed that is a Summary Profession of Belief explaining the Baptismal Articles was in common use in all the Churches many years before the writing of the New Testament And it is not likely that in the Apostles days the Churches did receive it from any but themselves § 22. Yet it is not probable that they composed exactly such a Form of Words as might not at all be altered and used still the very same terms for the Creeds recited by Irenaeus Tertullian Marcellus in Epiphanius and others do all differ in some words from one another and some Articles have been added since the rest of which see Usher and Vossius de Symbolis But except those few Additions they all agree in Sence which may perswade us that the ancient Churches kept still to Words which signified the same matter of the Articles of our common Creed and admitted no variation of the Words but such as was small and endangered not the Doctrine § 23. Though Baptism explained by the Symbol of Faith Lords Prayer and Decalogue contain at least the Constitutive Essentials of Christianity yet the Integrals are much larger and all that Christ commanded was to be taught the Church And though this was done by Voice many years by the Apostles before they wrote any part of the New Testament yet the Memory of men from Generation to Generation would have been a very unsafe and treacherous Preserver of so many things had they been committed to Memory alone Therefore it pleased the Wisdom and Love of God to inspire the Apostles prophetically and infallibly to commit the Sum of the History of Christ's Life Sufferings and Death c. with all the Integrals of his Word to those durable and sacred Records which we call the Holy Scriptures for the easier and fuller Propagation and Preservation of the Christian Faith and all its Integrals especially his Example and sacred Precepts yea and the necessary Accidentals or Appurtenances § 24. Because the Scriptures contain both in Words and Sence much more than the Essentials of Christianity and so more than is of absolute necessity to Salvation many a million may be saved that understand not all that is in the Scriptures nay no man on Earth understandeth it perfectly And he that understandeth and receiveth the Essentials shall be saved though he were ignorant of a thousand particular Texts § 25. Therefore it is that the Church hath ever selected the great and most necessary Truths and taught Children and Catechised Persons these before the rest by way of Catechism of which the foresaid Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue are the Sum and the Sacramental Covenant is that Sum yet more contracted And it hath not been the Churches way to teach Children or Converts the Bible over in order indifferently without selecting first the Marrow out of the whole which the Ignorant cannot do for themselves § 26. Besides the Method or Order of the Scripture books there is specially to be studied by those that will be more perfect than the rudeâ— for t the true Method of the Body of Doctrine contained in all the Scriptures For all the parts of that Doctrine have that Place Order and Respect each to other as maketh up the Beauty and Harmony which is in the whole And even in the Covenants the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue there is a most excellent Order and Method above all that is found in Aristotle or any humane Writers though alas too few perceive it § 27. Therefore they that gather true Systems of Theology do not add to the Scripture nor feign it to have a Method which it hath not no more than Catechisms do but only gather out that Doctrine which is there and deliver it in the true Scripture-method not as it lieth in the order of Words but in the order of Relation that one Truth hath to another And to despise this real Method because every dull and slothful Wit doth not see it in the Scriptures is indeed to despise the Matter and Design of the Scripture and to despise all true and clear Knowledge of things Divine For to see Truths placed in their proper Order doth differ from a knowing of some confused parcels as knowing the parts of a Man a Picture a Clock a House a Ship c. duly compaginated and seeing all the parts cast confusedly on a heap But to draw up a true Method is the Work of a skilful hand and
of Grace and Pardon which he committed to his Ministers to proclaim 2 Cor. 5. 19. But 2. on mans part it is not the knowledge and belief of this Iesus incarnate personally that was made necessary to all before his coming and therefore not to all after No man ever came to the Father but by the Son's Merit and Spirit nor without a consenting Belief and Affiance in God's redeeming or recovering pardoning saving Mercy and true Repentance and a sanctified Soul which is in love with God and goodness And whatever was absolutely necessary in the terms of the first Edition of the Covenant of Grace even to all the World before Christ's Incarnation But Christ never meant that no man before his Incarnation or since that heard not of him did come to the Father without believing that which the Apostles themselves long believed not after they followed Christ. § 27. The rest of the World were not bound to know so much of the Messiah as the Iews as having not the same Revelation § 28. 1. Having proved that it is a Law of Grace that all the World is to be ruled and judged by it remaineth to be enquired Whether any of them that have not the Gospel do keep the Conditions of this Law and so are justified by it and saved To which I answer 1. That being a matter of fact it is not of so great Importance for us to be certain of it as some imagine And who can be certain of the Affirmative unless the Scripture affirm it when if we knew all the World one man cannot be certain of anothers Sincerity And much less can any be certain of the Negative without Scripture Negation seeing no man can know every man in the World and every Heart § 29. 2. But it is exceeding probable at least That God would never govern many hundred parts of the World compared to the Iews before Christ's Incarnation and five sixth parts since his Incarnation by a Law of Grace which yet no person should ever have effectual Grace to keep as far as was necessary to his Salvation Every Law of God is a Means and appointeth the Subjects the use of much Means for their own Salvation These means they are bound to use and shall be condemned if they use them not and that none should ever use them savingly is an Assertion so unlikely that he that hath the boldness to affirm it should bring certain Proof of it which the Scripture I think doth not afford him § 30. But what numbers do perform the Condition and are saved no mortal man can tell But in general we know that God usually worketh in Congruity to his appointed means and consequently that far fewer are saved where less means is vouchsafed than among Christians who have herein the unvaluable pre-eminence above others § 31. For as the Jews had both the common Covenant of Grace and also the Covenant of Peculiarity setting them above all others so the Christian Church hath both the common Covenant of Grace and by the second edition of it a Covenant of Peculiarity both sealed by Baptism and the Lord's Supper as the Jews Covenant was by Circumcision and the Passover Yea our Covenant Privileges set us above the World incomparably higher than the Jâ—ws were § 32. Yet should we take warning by the example of the Jews Pride who were so confident that none were saved or beloved but themselves that they despised the rest of the World and provoked God to cut them off and call the Gentiles into higher privileges So some Christians so trust to their Gospel-Peculiarities as the Jews did to their Law that they despise all the World besides themselves and can easilier believe that God will damn a thousand millions that never heard the Gospel than one of them who have no more real Holiness than many of those whom they despise But it is our Duty to be thankful both for our excellent Peculiarities and also for the commoner Mercies unto others And I wish the impartial Reader to study Mal. 1. 10 11. whether even this be not the sence Nor will I accept an Offering at your hand for from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense offered to my name and a pure Offering For my name is great among the Heathen saith the Lord of hosts but ye have polluted it Our Translators have as Expositors thrice at the least added the future Tense shall be But all the old Translations Syriack Caldeâ— Paraph. Greek Latin c. put it in the present Tense is great is offered I do but desire the Reader to study it It 's strange that all the ancient Churches should misunderstand it It seems more probable by the Context that the Hebrew Text understood the present Tense none being expressed § 33. If we might imitate our Father Abraham who yet saw Christ's day and rejoiced we should suppose the number of the saved through the world to be very considerable For as I said elsewhere though God had told him that Sodom was so much worse than the rest of the World that God would destroy it yet Abraham thought there might be fifty righteous persons there It 's like he thought not worse of the rest of the World § 34. Obj. You seem to make the rest of the World happier than the Iews for they had a Law that would justifie them and so had not the Iews Ans. The second assertion is false The Jews were under the Law of Grace which Paul calleth the Promise and might be justified by it and had greater helps to know and keep it than the rest of the World had But when they foolishly separated their Mosaical Law from the Promise or common Law of Grace Paul tells them by the Deeds of that Law no flesh could be justified § 35. Obj. Do you not thus confound the World and the Church Ans. No I ask you Did he confound them before Christ's Incarnation who thought that more than the Jews were saved Certainly no No more do I now § 36. The word Church is sometime taken so properly and strictly as to signifie only those that are under the Covenant of Peculiarity And so the Jews before Christ's Birth and Christians since make up the Church and some few perhaps before the Iews Covenant But sometimes it is taken more largely for the Kingdom of God For all that are in a state of Salvation under the several editions of the Law of Grace And so Iob and his Friends and Melchizedeck and many others before and all now that love God and Holiness sincerely are of the Church Accordingly by the World is meant either 1. All Men as under the Redeemer's Law of Grace antecedently to their Consent and so all the World belong to God's Kingdom as subditi obligati 2. Rebels that refuse Consent And so they are of the Kingdom by obligation but condemnable for Rebellion And
that save him 2. The Godfather may be an Hypocrite and mean nothing that he promiseth and shall the Child be saved by his Lye that damneth the Lyer himself 3. Why should a Promise of future Education save a Child that must die to morrow or ere long 4. But if it be the meer opus operatum of Baptizing that must save that may be a Profanation when unduly applied and the Priest's sin that damneth himself cannot save others § 11. 8. Some lay the hope upon Ancestâ—rs Faith and say That if the Great Grandfathers or others before them were faithful the Infants shall be saved But then are all Men saved for Noah's Faith Or how far must our Confidence ascend § 12. 9. Most of the Anabaptists with us hold That there is no Promise nor Assurance of the saving of any particular Infants in the World either Christians or Heathens but only that God electeth some whom he will sanctifie and save and reprobateth others whom he will damn without any notice given to the World who they be or how many or how few So that we cannot say that he will save Ten or that he will damn Ten of all the World nor have the Faithful any more promise than Heathens of the Salvation of their Infants and so are not to baptize them § 13. 10. The commonest Opinion among the English Calvinists is That God hath made no certain Promise of the Salvation of any particular Infant but by his general Promise of mercy to the Seed of the Faithful hath given us cause to hope that more of them than of others shall be saved and therefore that they are by Baptism to be entred into the visible Church as we baptize the Adult while we are not certain but they may be Hypocrites § 14. But I think this would not warrant their Baptism nor give us any certain hope of any ones Salvation God hath but one Covenant of Grace which giveth us Christ and Life and God hath ordained no Baptism but what is for the Remission of Sin and making us Members of Christ if we have the Conditions of Right to Baptism The Adult profess Faith and Repentance if they have them in sincerity and consent with the Heart as well as the Tongue they are certainly pardoned If they are Hypocrites and consent only with the Lips they have notoriously the Qualification which the Church must require and so are received to outward Communion but not that which God requireth to Remission and Salvation But if an Infant be the Child of a true Believer he hath all that God and the Church require And therefore if he be to be baptized he is certainly put into a state of Life because no Condition is wanting on his part § 15. 11. Others say That the Children of all Christians Sinners or Hypocriâ—es if baptized are in a state of Pardon and Salvation and that God will not punish the Child for the Hypocrite or prophane Parents Sin But by that rule Heathens Children should be in as safe a case because God will not punish them for their Parents sin Either something on the Parents part is a Condition of the Child 's Right or nothing If nothing Heathens and Christians Children are equal If something it must be true Faith as to God's acceptance For whatever the Church must do that knoweth not the Heart it is incredible that God should have such a Covenant Thy Child shall be saved if thou wilt though lyingly offer him to me tho thou shalt be damned for that Lye § 16. 12. That which I acquiesce in is this That God who visited Adam's Sin on all his Posterity hath in the Covenant of Grace also so joined Infants to the Parents that till they have a Will to chuse for themselves their Parents may chuse for them and dispose of them for their good and God taketh them as Members of the Parents so far And so he hath made many express Promises of mercy to the Faithful and their Seed and Threatnings to the Wicked and their Seed And that this Mercy cannot be consistent with their Damnation for it is to be their God and to love and bless them which cannot stand with damning them And God having but one Covenant seeing they are in the same Covenant with their Parents and not another if it give Pardon to the Parents it doth so also to the Child of whom no Condition is required but that he be offered by a believing Parent to God whose Acceptance is Salvation § 17. Therefore I think that the Synod of Dort truly conclude Act. 1. 17. That faithful Parents need not doubt of the Election and Salvation of their Children dying in infancy The Covenant certainly pardoneth and saveth them § 18. But this is not only because they are born of their Bodies nor yet is their Faith the efficient Cause of it but there are two things go to qualifie the Receiver as the dispositive Condition that is 1. That he be the Child of a faithful Parent who devoteâ—h himself sincerely to God 2. And that he be by the Parent devoted to God by Consent that he be in the mutual Covenant Which virtually all the Faithful do that have Infants because they devote themselves and theirs to God to the utmost of their Capacity And the Recipient Subject being thus qualified God Covenant pardoneth him as the efficient Instrument by signifying God's Will § 19. Though the Promise here be not so plain I deny not that all true Proprietâ—rs whose own the Child is here be as Parents § 20. God having not made the Case of Infants so plain to us as our own that are Adult there are difficult Objections against this way but as it seems to me much more against all the rest § 21. The grand Objection is That then some Infants lose a state of Salvation when they come to age Ans This will follow but far haâ—der things from all the rest But 1. This was thought no Absurdity for a Thousand years after the Apostles when I cannot prove that any one man thought that none of the Adult themselves fall away from true Sanctification and right to Life When even Augustine the famous Defender of Election and Grace against Pelagius thought that all the Elect only persevered and that more were justified and sanctified than were Elect and that the rest all fell away 2. Davenant answereth this That Infant-grace may be lost and yet not the Grace of the Adult Because it is but a Relative Regeneration and an Extrinseck Remission of Sin that giveth them Right to Impunity and Life or if they are said to have the Spirit it is not in a fixed Habit of Grace If you say They cannot be saved without real Holiness I answer § 22. 3. Distinguish of Holiness and of the Season of it 1. Infants have not actual Faith nor necessarily a proper Habit which is a disposition to facile acting that same act But a semen a Seed as Amesius
whether he should take a Potion or a Draught a bit or a morsel or take Ambar or Electrum or Succinum or Carâ—be § 54. And the partial Teachers are the Cause of all this while instead of opening the Doctrine truly to the People in what sence we have or have not any Worthiness or Merit they without distinction cry down Merit and reproach those that do otherwise And if they do but say Such a Man or such a Book speaketh for Merit and Free-will they have sufficiently rendered him odious or much suspected with their followers when yet all sober Christians in all Ages have been for Merit and Free-will in a sound sence And is not this to be Incendiaries and Adversaries to Truth and Love and Peace § 55. I have formerly thought that though we agree in the thing it is best omit the name because the Papists have abused it And I think so still as in such Companies and Cases where the use of it not understood will scandalize men and do more harm than good For why should I use words against mens edification But in other cases I now think it better to keep the word 1. lest we seem to the ignorant to be of another Religion than all the ancient Churches were 2. Lest we harden Papists Greeks and others by denying sound Doctrine in terms which they will think we deny in sence 3. Because our â—enury of Words is such as for my part I remember no other word so fit to substitute instead of Merit or Desert or Worthiness The word Rewardable is long and oft harsh And what other have we And it is nothing else that we mean § 56. Some Papists are against the very word Merit also Some own the word but differ not from the Protestants about the Doctrine some of them ignorantly drive the poor People by ill preaching into carnal Conceits of their own Works and to trust an hundred Fopperies for Salvation But he that readeth most of their School-Doctors must either confess that they differ from us about the meritoriousness of true Gospel-obedience rather in words than in deed and that we really mean the same thing or else he must see with better or worser Eyes than I do I speak not this of them all § 57. And Romaeus who prateth of Merit in point of commutative Iustice disclaimed by the rest and some such other ignorant Scriblers are not to be taken for the Index of their Doctrine nor yet their superstitious abusive Application no more than our Deniers of all Merit are the Index of ours nor the prophane ones abuse of it who are ready when we perswade them to a holy Life to tell us That God saveth not Men for their Holiness or Works and that ours deserve no more than theirs but he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and it is not of him that willeth or runneth § 58. Not only Waldensis Contarenus Ariminensis and many others expresly say as much against Merits as we But Medina and many of the Thâ—mists say the same in Sence and the Scotists and many others say That Merit â—riseth but ex pacto from God's Promise and to be meritorious is no more than to be a Work which God hath promised a Reward to And do any of us deny this § 59. Object But others say That Merit is ex dignitate operum from the worthiness of our Works Ans. Is it the Name Worthiness or the meaning that displeaseth you If the Name read Luke 20. 35. and 21. 36. Acts 5. 41. 2 Thess. 1. 5 11. Râ—v 3. 4. Matth. 8. 10 11 13 37 38. and 22. 8. 1 Cor. 11. 27 29. Eph. 4. 1. Col. 1. 10. 1 Thess. 2. 12. and see whether God use not the same Phrase And as to the Sence one Writer understands what he saith better and another worse and several men may have several Sences but they mostly seem to mean That holy Obedience is in the very nature of it so pleasing to the most holy God as rendereth it apt to be the matter of that Condition on which his Covenant promiseth to reward us the Imperfection being pardoned and we and our Works accepted upon the Redemption wrought by the Merits of Christ and upon his Intercession and presenting them to God And is this to be denied by any Christian Doubtless there is something in the very Nature of Divine Faith Love and Obedience which maketh it fitter to be accepted and rewarded than Infidelity Hatred of God and Sin or Rebellion Speak Christians is it not so And yet it is from God's Promise and meer Bounty only that our Right to the Reward resulteth though the material Aptitude be in the qualification to which that promise is made All this is plain and sure § 60. Obj. But some talk of a Proportion between the Work and the Reward Ans. We commonly hold degrees of Glory according to the degrees of Holiness and if any abusive Doctor mean any more that 's nothing to the rest And it 's pity that Men that are agreed should hate or revile each other as differing § 61. Vasquez the Jesuit is one that is supposed to say most for Merit who saith so much against it as I dare not say For he tells us That God doth not reward us at all as an Act of Justice either Commutative or Distributive Commutative Iustice he easily disapproveth and in that we all agree But the generality of Christians Papists Protestants Greeks c. hold That God rewardeth us in governing-paternal-distributive Iustice as a Father giveth Benefits to a thankful Child that humbly taketh them and not to the contemptuous or rebellious that spit in his Face But Vasquez saith That God hath not so much as Distributive Justice in our Rewards And yet I think he differeth but in words and really meaneth as we all do And he that dare for Words revile Consenters is bolder than I would have any good Man be And yet I doubt not but I and this Writing shall be so reviled by many that differ not from me when they think they do through Faction and Prejudice when I am dead even for these words § 62. IV. The fourth Point is so far dispatched in the second that I need here but to say 1. That our Obedience to God is a Duty resulting from our very natural Being and cannot but be so while we are Men 1. As it is God's due 2. As it is part of the right Order of the Universe and coâ—ducible to common Good 3. As it is our own Order Rectitude and Health 2. That Christ is the Saviour and Physician to give us this Health which is the end of his medicinal Grace 3. That the Soul cannot be complacentially amiable to God nor fit for Communion with him here or in Heaven without it Resignation to God our Owner Obedience to God our Ruler and Love and Praise to God our Father and the infinite Good make up that Holiness which is our
Salvation it self and the Image and Glory of God upon us § 63. V. About the next Question I may yet be shorter How far any Works of ours may be trusted in I think all agree 1. That nothing of ours or any Creature should be trusted to for any thing proper to God or proper to Christ or any thing that belongeth not truly to it self He that ascribeth any thing to our Faith Love or Obedience which is proper to Christ's Merits or God's Mercy and so trusteth them doth greatly sin and he that trusteth them for more than God hath assigned to them to do § 64. 2. That we must take heed of scandaous Language and therefore must not talk of trusting on any act of our own when it is like to be understood as put in Competition with God or with Christ's Merits as if the Question were Whether we must trust God or our selves Christ's Righteousness or our own For our own is not in the least measure to be trusted for that which belongeth only to Christ's Righteousness to be or do § 65. 3. That yet it is a great Duty to trust every means of Salvation appointed by God in its own place and for its own part alone even to preaching Sacraments Afflictions c. And accordingly to trust our own Faith Love Prayer Obedience so far as they are Means and have God's Promise and no further which is no more than to trust in God that he will bless such means He that trusteth his Sword doth not trust it to fight of it self without his Hand When God hath promised Mercy upon Prayer and to the Obedient or Penitent for a man to think that God will yet do no more for us if we repent pray and obey than if we do not is to be Unbelievers and say rebelliously It is in vain to serve the Lord. He is so far to trust to Faith Repentance praying hearing meditating diligence as to trust that God will bless them and reward them and look for more from him when we use means than when we do not CHAP. XXVI Of Confirmation Perseverance and Danger of falling away § 1. I Shall reduce all that needs to be said on this point to these following controverted Questions 1. Whether all Grace procured and given by Christ be such as is never lost 2. Whether that degree of Grace be ever lost which giveth the posse credere without the act of Faith commonly called sufficient Grace in Adult or Infants 3. Whether any lose actual true justifying Faith 4. Whether any lose true Holiness or love of God in the Habit 5. Whether any degree of this be ever lost or all special Grace have such Confirmation as the Angels have 6. Whether if Holiness be never lost it be possible to lose it and be in danger 7. Whether there be a state of confirmed Persons besides the meerly sanctified that from the degree or kind of their grace never fall away 8. Or whether Perseverance depend on meer Election and God's Will which secureth only some of the justified 9. Whether all or most or many Christians are themselves sure to persevere 10. Whether Certainty of perseverance be fit for all the justified 11. Whether it be unfit for all and a more unsafe Condition than doubting 12. Whether the Comfort of most Christians lie upon the Doctrine of such Certainty 13. Whether the Doctrine of Eventual Apostacy infer any mutability in God 14. Why God hath left this point so dark 15. What was the Judgment of the ancient Churches after the Apostles 16. Whether it be an Article of such evidence and weight as to be put into our Church-Confessions and we should force men to subscribe to it or make it necessary to Ministration Communion or Christian Love and Concord § 2. Q. I. Whether all Christ's Grace given us be such as is never lost Ans. No except Iansenius and his Followers I know of no Christians that ever affirm it and he doth it on this false supposition That the common Grace which worketh only preparatorily by fear is not the Grace of Christ but a grace of other Providence and only Love is the grace of Christ. But it is injurious to Christ who is the Lord and Light and Saviour of the World and God's Administrator-general into whose Hands all Things and Power is given to say That since the Fall there is any Grace in the World that is not his Grace and that our preparatory grace and all that 's common is aliunde some other way He that readeth Ioh. 15. Matth. 13. Heb. 6 and 10. may see the contrary § 3. Q II. Whether sufficient grace to believe which giveth the meer power of believing to Infants or Adult be ever lost Ans. These Questions suppose that there are these several sorts of Graces disputed of by Divines 1. Common grace 2. Power to believe and repent 3. Actual Faith and Repentance given by that called special Vocation 4. The Habit of love and all grace called Sanctification to pass by Relative grace as Justification c. 5. Confirmation of these Habits And we now speak only of the second And the very Being of that Grace is controverted Whether God ever give besides the natural Power a moral Power to believe to any that never do believe And 1. it is certain by Adam's instance that he gave him a power to have perfectly obeyed when he did not 2. And therefore no man can prove that now he giveth no man a moral Power to believe that doth not 3. But it seemeth most probable that he doth because his Government and Man's Nature are not tota specie changed 4. And it is certain that still all men have power to do more good than they do 5. And even the Dominicans grant this Sufficiency of grace 6. But yet for my part I am not certain of it § 4. But if there be such a power given which never acteth Faith which I think most probable it is either in the Adult or Infants if in the Adult no doubt it 's lost for they that will not believe to the last retain not still the moral power in their Rebellion § 5. But in the Case of Infants I think those of them that die before the use of reason lose it not nor any of the Elect that live to full Age But as to others after long doubt How far Infant-Grace is loseable this seemeth now the most probable solution to me § 6. Viz. There is a Grace that reacheth but to a moral Power to repent and believe before men have the Act or proper Habit Such Grace to persevere did put Adam in a present state of Life or acceptation with God this Grace Adam lost Accordingly such grace that containeth but this mâ—â—al power in an Infant 's Disposition with relative grace of Pardon is sufficient to provâ— his right to Salvation if he so die because he is not bound to the Act nor capable of it and even the Adult
upon the Act have right to Acceptance and to the Spirit to cause the Habit in order of Nature before they have the Habit Therefore Infants may be in a state of such Right and Life before the Habit though they shall not possess Glory without it And yet the Adult are not in a state of such right by the meer Power before the Act because the Act it self is made necessary to their Justification but so is it not to Infants So that Infants and Adult may receive a meer power to repent and believe and lose it after at age by actual sin though this be a loss of a state of Iustification to the one sort their fins of Nature being pardoned but not to the other who are not pardoned without the Act And yet it followeth not hence that the grace of habitual Sanctification is lost in any § 7. If this solution please not let them that can give us one that is less inconvenient and we shall thankfully accept it but it must be none that yet I have heard of not the Anabaptists nor those of their Adversaries who leave us no certainty of the Salvation of any particular Infants but only say God will save them that are Elect but no one knoweth who they are nor how few or many nor can tell us of any promise made to any upon any antecedent Character or Condition nor give Believers any more assurance of their own Childrens Salvation than of any Heathens Nor theirs that say Baptized Infants are saved by relative Grace alone without any internal real Grace Nor theirs that say They have the Spirit but tell us not in what operation or say it is only right to the Spirit hereafter Nor theirs that say That all Baptized Infants at least of godly Parents have habitual Holiness Faith Love c. such as the Adult in Sanctification have and that some at Age do lose it I think this less inconvenient than any one of these § 8. Q. III. Whether any lose true actual Faith and Iustification Ans. That a common uneffectual Faith may be lost is no doubt But concerning the other there are three Opinions 1. Some say No it cannot be lost because that Faith hath the Promise of the Sanctification of the Spirit as well as of Pardon and right to Life Therefore seeing habitual Holiness is not lost that which hath the Promise of it is not lost 2. Others say That actual Faith at first is like Adam's loseable Grace and that it giveth us actual Pardon and right to Life if we so die and right to the Spirit in relation to sanctifie us in time and by degrees But that every one that hath the Spirit hath not the Habits of Love and Holiness but he sometimes is causing many Acts before he produce a Habit ad modum acquisitorum 3. Others say That both Faith and habitual Holiness are oft lost I delay the solution till the rest be considered § 9. Q. IV. Whether habitual Love or Holiness or the Spirit be ever lost Ans. That there is a confirmed state or degree of Holiness that is never lost I do hold and that this is attainable and in that state men may be certain of Salvation But whether the least degrees of habitual grace be utterly loseable which prove a present right to life till they are lost I must plainly profess I do not know much may be said on both sides And if my Ignorance offend any it offendeth me more but how shall I help it I think it is not for want of study nor of impartial willingness to know the Truth And Ignorance of the two is safer than Error by which we trouble and seduce those about us And in this case so many great and excellent Men have erred either Augustine with the generality of the ancient Churches or Calvin Zanchy and most of the Reformed that my Ignorance is pardonable where their Error it self is pardoned But let those that are wiser rejoyce in the greater measure of their Wisdom But yet think not that taking up either Opinion upon the trust of their Party is such § 10. Q. V. To the next some have said That had Adam done but one act of Love or Obedience he had been confirmed as the Angels in a state of Impeccability And that so are all that once truly believe in Christ. But Experience utterly confuteth that For all men sin after believing § 11. Others say only That men may sin and may lose acquired Grace but no degree of that which is infused But we have small reason to think that our encreased degrees are not as much infused as the first degree was And yet Experience proveth that such added degrees may be lost § 12. Others say All added degrees may be lost but none of that which was first infused Indeed could we prove that God alwaies at first infuseth only the least degree consistent with Salvation then this must be held by all that deny that any fall from Justification But for ought we know God may the first minute give one man more Grace than to another in long time and that first degree may be lessened by his sin § 13. Q. VI. Whether it be possible to lose that Holiness which never will be lost Ans. The word Possible respecteth either a Consequence in Arguing and is a Logical Possibility or it respecteth the natural power of Causes and is called Physical Possibility In the first sence it is impossible that any thing should come to pass that doth not because God knoweth it will not And it is a good consequence God knoweth that this will not come to pass therefore it will not And it is impossible that this Consequence should be false But as to the natural Possibility no doubt but of our selves we can sin nay it is not an act oâ— Power but of Impotency or from a defect of Power And the Habit given us is not a sufficient Power to ascertain our Perseverance of it self But if you speak with respect to the Power of God by which we are preserved we must thus answer That it is impossible for us or any Creature to overcome God's Power or Will And if it be first proved that God will cause us to persevere by the way of Physical irresistible determination by Power then it must be called Impossible to fall away or commit any Sin which he so saveth us from But if he keep any as a free Agent by the sapiential disposal of his Free-will and so procure the event of a contingent action then it must be said that this and many things are possible which never come to pass That God only decreeth that we shall not fall away and not that it shall be impossible Thus Dr. Twisse and the Dominicans themselves use to speak But for my part I â—ake God's manner of working on and for us to be so unsearchable and this notion of Possibility or Impossibility of so little moment when we are
is no probable cause to move him to it and when we know God is ready with his Grace to help us how few lose the Comfort of their Lives by fear of such improbable things Certainty therefore is very desirable but a hope of great probability may give us joyful thankful Hearts or else few Christians would have such § 29. And the Doctrine of Perseverance hath its difficulties too as to mens comfort For he that holdeth That no man falleth from a state of Grace and seeth many that to all possible humane judgment were once excellent persons fall quite away can himself have no assurance that he is so much as justified at the present unless he be sure that he is better than the best of all those persons ever were which doubt the other side are not cast upon § 30. Q. XIII Whether the Doctrine of Apostacy infer any mutability in God Ans. No there 's no shew of it unless you hold that his absolutely Elect fall away It was no change in God when he gave us grace and justified us and it would be no more if he cease than it was to begin It was no change in God when I was born and it will be no more when I die The Change is only in Man and his receptive Disposition Even the Law of the Land without any Diversity or Change doth virtually condemn a thousand Malefactors and justifie the Just and will cease to justifie them and begin to condemn them if they cease to be just and begin to be Offenders The Changes that God himself maketh in all the World are made without any Change in him Therefore what man doth or undoth cannot change him § 31. Q. XIV Why did God ledve this Case so dark Ans. It is not fit for us to call for any reason of his doing but what he hath given us But while he hath made it sure to us that he will cause all his Elect to persevere and will deny his Grace to none that faithfully seek it and will save all that do not wilfully and finally reject it and giveth us no cause to distrust his Mercy his holy Ends are by this attained in his Peoples Uprightness and Peace And he seemeth by leaving the rest so obscure to tell us that it is not a matter of so great use to us as some imagine and that it is not a point fit for to be the measure of our Communion or Peace § 32. XV. What was the judgment of the ancient Churches of this Point Ans. Vossius in his Pelagian History hath truly told you and copiously proved it in the main Before Augustine's time it was taken commonly as granted That men might fall away from a state of Grace and that many did but the Case was not curiously discussed But some thought that confirmed Christians never fell But upon Pelagius his Disputes Augustine defending the honour of Grace laid all upon Election and maintained That though the Non-elect did fall away from the Love of God and Justification and a state in which they had been saved had they died yet none of the Elect did fall so as to perish but that the preservation of Grace in perseverance was the fruit of Election Thus Prosper and Fulgentius after him and some Passages in him and Macarius and some others intimate that they thought there was a confirmed degree of Grace which was never lost but they all took it for granted that some fell from a state of Iustification and perished And I remember not oâ—â— Writer that I have read and noted to be of the contrary mind for a thousand years after the writing of the Scriptures nor any mention of any Christian that was so unless Hierome be to be believed of Ievinian who saith that he held That the godly could not sin which Report is much to be suspected on many accounts § 33. What Use is to be made of this I leave to others but it beseemeth no good Man to deprave or deny the Truth of such History And some great Divines are to be blamed for reproaching Vossius for a true Historical Report when they neither can confute him nor attempt it Two or three Sentences out of Austin are cited by some but meerly mistaken as if they spake that of all the Justified which he speaketh only of the Elect. § 34. Q. XVI By all that is said it is past denial that Certainty of perseverance should be most earnestly sought and that state of Confirmation which is likest to obtain it but that few have it eâ—en of the truly godly and that it is not the common ground of Christians Peace and Comfort but Hopes upon great Probability do sustain the most and that the difficulty of the point is such as that it should in all Churches be left free and neither side made necessary to our Christian Love Peace Conâ—ord Communion or Ministery CHAP. XXVII Of Repentance late Repentance the time of Grace and of the unpardonable Sin § 1. REpentance as a Pain and involuntary is part of the Punishment of sin by the Law of Works but Repentance as a returning to God and a recovery of the Soul is a Grace and Duty proper to the Subjects of the Redeemer under the Law of Grace § 2. Yea it is a great and excellent part of the Law of Grace to give Repentance unto life and to admit of Repentance after sin which the Law of Innocency did not admit of § 3. Therefore Iohn and Christ himself did preach the Gospel or Law of Grace when they preached Repentance which was a great part even of Christ's own preaching § 4. Therefore the Antinomian Libertines know not what they talk of when they call it Legal Preaching and set Repentance as in opposition to Faith as if Faith were all that the Gospel did command or Repentance did not belong to Faith § 5. Yet it must be confessed that of late times many have laid more upon the sorrowing weeping and fearing part of Repentance than was meet and said too little of the turning of the Soul from worldly and fleshly sinful Pleasures to the delightful Love and Praises of God and willing Obedience and Conformity to his Will which is the principal part of true Repentance And I think God permitted the Antinomians to rise up and cry up Free-Grace and call the Ministers Legallists to rebuke our Error in this point and to call us to preach up his Grace more plentifully and to consider better that Gospel-obedience doth chiefly consist in Thankfulness Love and Ioy and in the words of Praise and Works of Love I am sure this use we should make of their Abuses § 6. Repentance is either general or particular General or Universal Repentance is a turning of the Understanding Will and Practice with repenting Sorrow from the inordinate Estimation Love and seeking of temporal Things for the Pleasure and Prosperity of the Flesh or sensual powers to God his Will and Service and the Hopes