man and his purposes or decrees are his actions and if before the foundation of the world God elected us in Christ as the Apostle teacheth Eph. 1.4 then were we actually chosen before we had naturall being though Gods choyse had not effect in us till we had being But whereas they add vpon the condition afore spoken it is an error before refuted Object But of the elect Paul sayth Ye were without Christ without God in the world Eph. 2.12 so they were not then really and particularly elected Answ. Howsoever they change their tearmes their reason is not good They were not without God or Christ in respect of Gods election which he did before the world was made Eph. 1.4 but in respect of their sinfull estate and unbeleefe before they were called they were without God 2 Obj. But the Apostle sayth After yee beleeved ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise c. Eph. 1.13.14 Answ. What of this Could they not be elected of the father before they were sealed by the holy Ghost Gods election was before all time Eph. 1.4 their calling and sealing by the Spirit was in time But they would confound election and sealing ignorantly 3 Obiect Rom. 9.25 1 Pet. 2.10 I will call them my people which were not my people c. If we were actually and particularly chosen before the creation then were we also really Gods people and could not at any time be sayd not to be his people Answ. Here againe they confound Gods election with his calâ—â—ng which is the manifestation of his election by the effect Gods predestination is before his calling Rom. 8.30 So though they were not his people by calling they were his by election It is evident by Act. 18.10 that many in Corinth were Gods people before they were called or converted Ieremy was knowne sanctified and ordained to be a Prophet before he was formed or born Ier. 1.5 and can we thinke he was not then also chosen to life They say The Apostles meaning is that wee are first particularly chosen when we receiue or put on Christ. For God onely chooseth where be findeth faith and obedience to the Gospell and rejecteth where these are wanting Herein they wrong the Apostles who neither spake nor meant as these men speak It is shewed before from Act. 13.48 that election goeth before faith so these men erre that put it after They pervert the order set down in Rom. 8.30 whiles they make men to be first called justified glorified and then predestinated unto life They neglect Pauls doctrine that God chose us before the world was that we should be holy and teach new doctrine of Antichrists devising that God chose vs because we were holy But to follow them in their doctrine God chooseth none they say but where he findeth faith Where doth God find this seeing he hath shut up all in unbeliefe Rom. 11.32 Faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 so then hee findeth not faith in his elect but giveth them faith And if they say some will not beleeue and them God rejecteth some will beleeue and them God electeth I demand whence haue any this will to beleeue If they answer of themselues and their own power the Apostle telleth us the contrarie It is God that worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 Now God giveth not all men this will to beleeue and obey for some cannot beleeve 1. Ioh. 12.39 some are reprobate concerning faith and every good work 2. Tim. 3.8 Tit. 1 16. If God would giue all men alike grace he could make all men willing to beleeue and obey but this hee doth not for in some he giveth a new heart and a new spirit and takes away the stony heart out of their flesh Ezek. 36.26 in other some he hardeneth their heart that they cannot beleeue nor turne unto him Ioh. 1â— 39 40. The mysterie of his Gospel God bideth from some and revealeth to othâ—rsome even so for so it seemed good in his sight Math. 11.25.26 He hath mercie on whom he will whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 By this which hath been sayd all that loue the truth may see that all men to whom the Gospell is preached are not elected to salvation in Christ as these corrupters of the Gospell teach neither can all men beleeue or obey because God giues them not such grace Some refuse indeed willingly and they perish justly some who naturally are as bad as other haue harts of stone not of flesh are changed new hearts are given them faith and holines are wrought in them and so they are brought unto salvation whereunto they were elected Why God changeth the heart of some and not of other some when he could if he pleased change alle is not a question to be disputed of Rom. 9.19.20 Let it suffice us that God oweth us nothing except death for our sinnes His grace is his owne he may giue it where he will and none haue cause to complaine If God haue given grace to any of us let us praise him for his mercie when we see others left without grace let us reverence him for his unsearchable judgements The rest of their discourse about election though there be many abuses they offer to the scriptures which mought justly be taxed yet because they none of them doe proue these mens vniversal Election nor disproue our faith I think needlesse to reply unto Of Reprobation TOgether with Election they treat of Reprobation badly as before Our doctrine they pretend to be thus They say God hath reprobated some and the greatest number and that before they were borne and had done evill for whom there was never meanes of salvation because God would haue them perish for that was his good pleasure Answ. We hold not as they would beare the world in hand that God would haue men to perish because it is his good pleasure but because of their sinnes he destroyeth them his justice so requiring Neither doe we hold that God euer decreed to punish his reasonable creature without respect of the sin therof deserving punishment Yet was their punishment decreed before they were borne or had done evill For God foreseeing their wickednesse appoynted them to wrath before they acted it though hee inflicteth not punishment till they be sinners And this the scripture teacheth as in Iude vers 4. there are certaine men crept in who vvere before of old ordained to this condemnation If they vvere ordained to it before of old then vvas it before they vvere borne The same is confirmed by Rom. 9.11.12.13 vvhich scripture they seeke to pervert by a longsome and erroneous exposition Our doctrine being thus by them mis-reported they labour to refute their owne forgeries not our assertions So that they are unworthy of any reply Of falling away THE next errour which they would maintaine is that a man may fall from his election or that
command Thou shalt not eat for the Lord sayth All soules are mine both the soule of the father and the soule of the son that soule that sinneth it shall dye The son shall not beare the iniquitie of the father c. Ans. First the prophet speaketh not in Ezek. 18.4 c. of Adam but of the later fathers of the Iewes which sinned v. 2. but Paul speaketh of Adam who was not onely a particular person as all other fathers in this case are but an universall man the root of all mankind and a figure of Christ Rom. 5.14 Againe the Prophet speaketh of such sonns as are just and do not such like sins as their fathers did Ezek. 18.5.14 c. but Paul speaketh of us all as we are in Adam unjust and sinners and guiltie of our first fathers iniquitie Râ—m 5.12.19 So these two scriptures the one speaking of actuall sinnes vvhiâ—h are eschewed the other speaking of originall sinne which we now cannot avoyd speak not of one and the same sinne or estate and therefore doe not one expound an other Thirdly the Prophet exempteth the good children which eschew their fathers siâ—nes from death Ezek. 18.9.17 The Apostle inwrappeth us all the sonnes of Adam in his sinne and in death Rom. 5.12 14 17. Fourthly the Prophet speaketh generally of the many sinnes which the fathers did and the sonnes did not Ezek. 18.6.7.8.18 the Apostle speaketh of that one sinne or offence by vvhich we all being in Adams loynes are guiltie Rom. 5.16 But to this they both agree the Prophet sayth The soule that sinneth it shâ—ll die Ezek. 18 4 the Apostle sayth thâ—t all haue sinned to vvit in Adams loynes therefore death paâ—seth upon all Rom. 5. â—2 Hereby all vvise men may see how impertinent a proofe the Anabaptists bring from Ezek. 18. that Adams sinne brings not any soule to hell For Adams sinne bringing sinne and death upon all and hell being the death vvhich is eternall it is brought by his sinne upon all his posteritie except through Iâ—sus Christ our Lord they haue eternall life which is the gift of God Rom. 6.23 Further they answer and desire it may well be observed that mankind was onely in Adam in their bodily substance he is the father of our bodies in respect of matter but our forme and soules came from God he is the father of our spirits Heb. 12.9 Eccles. 12.7 8 8 that earthly matter was in Adam of which our bodies are made c. thus and no otherwise were we in Adam Answ. We obserue it well and obserue their error also It is untrue that thus to wit in respect of our bodies onely we were in Adam and not in respect of our soules no scripture teacheth them this but their own fansie For though our soules were not in all respects in Adam as our bodies were to wit materially yet in some respâ—ct to wit formally we were in Adam both body and soule which I thus manifest Adam begat Seth in his own image Gen. 5 Abraham begat Isaak c. Math. 1. so body begetteth not body but man begetteth man and man consisteth of body and soule which are the parts that constitute a man So man that is the whole not part of a man onâ—ly is sayd to be borne of a woman Iob. 14.1 yea the 66 soules whereby figuratiuely is meant persons consisting of bodies and soules are sayd to come out of Iakobs thigh or loynes Gen. 46.26 and Levi in the lâ—ynes of Abraham is sayd to pay tythes Heb 7.9 10. Now the body without the spirit is dead and therefore cannot pay tythes nor do any action And in the place and case in hand in Adam all sinned all died judgement came on all men to condemnation Rom. 5.12.18 but the body without the soule sinneth not neither â—yeth nor shall bee condemned Therefore it is apparant that the scripture speaketh of men in Adam otherwise then in respect of their bodies onely so that thâ—se mens speciall observation is nothing worth Againe they plead As God gaue no law to Adam before hee gaue him a soule of reason and understanding no mâ—re doth he giue to any of Adams posteritie aâ—y law till he giue them soules of reason and understanding as in Deut. 11.2 I speak not to your children which haue neither known nor seen c. Answ. First the words of Moses to Israel to whom he propounded the law are not to be compared with Gods law given to Adam for the Israelites were spoken to personally Adam generally as an universall man the root of all mankine as before is proved Secondly the covenant of Moses law did also after a sort pertaine to their children which then were not Deut. 29.14.15 though it was actually taught thâ—m onely which were present Dâ—ut 11. Thirâ—ly the sin which Paul treateth of and death for sin was in the world before Moses law which these men speak of Rom. 5.12.13.14 Fourthly let all they say be given them yet it helpes them not for I haue before proved that we were all in Adam as living men not as dead corpses and so had soules of â—easoâ— and understanding in him originally even as we had bodies eyes eares c. in him originally though after a different manner as before is noted Further they say God never purposed to execute on Adam for that transgression condemnation to hell in that hee purposed to send Christ betwixt in whom Adam beleeving should be saved If Adam for his own sin was not condemned to hell without remedy shall any of his posteritie be sent to hell without remedy and that for his sin c. Answ. 1. The question in the first place is changed which is whether Adam and all his posteritie in him falling from God deserved not hell for their sinne This they deny not neither can disproue 2. As God purposed not to damne Adam for his sinne so neither purposed he to damne Noah for his drunkennesse Lot for his incest David for his adultery and murder c. but to giue thâ—m remedie by faith in Christ. Will they hereupon plead that other actuall drunkards murderers whoremongers deserue not damnation or shall not many such be damned for these sinnes 3. Though all infants for their natiue sinne and all men for their actuall sinnes deserue damnatâ—on yet never was it Gods purpose to damne all without remedy For Christ the second Adam giveth righteousnesse and life to all infants and old transgressors that are borne of him as the first Adam conveyed unrighteousnesse and death to all his ordinary naturall posteritie Yea grace here exceedeth for the judgement or guilt of originall sin was by one offence to condemnation but the free gift by Christ is of many offences unto justification Rom. 5.16 They object that condemnation is for not beleeving in Christ Ioh 3 19. 16 9. Mar. 16.16 Rom. 11.32 Answ. First thâ— Apostle sayth the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 therefore the wicked shall be condemned
sinne say they Behold here how they thwart their own grounds They impose a necessitie upon all men which they think are born innocents to sin They cannot but sin they must needs dye and this not through their owne default at all but by Adams If we should thus teach what outcries would they make after us How is it they here forget the scriptures by themselues forealleaged The son shall not beare the iniquitie of the father Ezek. 18.20 Is not this a heavy burden which the sonns beare that their father sinning and they being innocent are so weakned of God that they cannot but sin they cannot but dye Doth God create an innocent man and giue him charge to doe that vvhich is unpossible for the man to doe and threaten death unto him for not doing it We abhorre such doctrine as quite overthrowing Gods justice When he made Adam innocent he gaue him no law but that vvhich was possible easie for him to do and to haue coÌ„tinued in doing it if he had would His justice requireth him to doe the like to all his innocent creatures Wherfore if these men come not to acknowledge with the Apostle and with us originall sinne and death for sin to be in Adams seed that his fall and disobedience was the fall of us all by imputation and by infection as a serpent brings forth but a serpent that so being sinners in him we haue lost our abilitie to do good by Gods just judgment are sold under sinne If they come not I say unto this they will bee open enemies to the iustice of God and make the judge of all the world not to doe equitie 5. Finally vvheras they say that neither this nor any part of Gods word is spoken to or of infants they impudently avouch untruth The Apostle in Rom. 5.14 speaketh of them which sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression and yet death reigned over them also What sin can this be but originall sin vvherin infants are born and for vvhich many infants dye For vvhen they passe from infancie and come to understanstanding they sin actually as Adam did To sin the same sin they cannot for all being shut out of paradice they cannot eat of the forbidden tree though they vvould Neither doth the Apostle speak of that same sin but of sinning after the similitude of Adams transgression so it meaneth actuall sin like Adams Now all sin is either originall or actuall If then death reigneth ouer them which sinne not actually as Adam did it must needs reigne over them which sin originally onely in Adam and these be infants For the Anabaptists grant that when they come to discretion they sinne and cannot but sinne actually And thus their next vvords also are refuted vvhen they say Infants are under no law therefore transgression cannot be imputed unto them Rom. 4.15 The contrary is thus proved Infants haue transgression imputed unto them and death for transgression as the Apostle sheweth in Rom. 5. Therfore they are under some law though not under Moses law vvhich punisheth actuall transgressors yet under Adams law in vvhose loynes they vvere and sinned for vvhich they are punished even vvith death it selfe In their next vvords they condemne themselues and all their vain reasoning confessing that Adam fell from the estate wherein hee was and in him all mankind This is very true and overthroweth their heresie For Adams fall as the Apostle describeth it vvas sin offence transgression disobedience judgement or guiltinesse to death and condemnation Rom. 5.12 19. Now all mankind fell in him as Paul teacheth and these enemies grant therfore all mankind is in sin offence transgression c. unto death and condemnation Of the remedy for the sin of all vvherof they next speake we grant that is both for infants and old sinners by grace in Christ. But these are two severall questions and here we treat of sinne onely and the merit of it Of Gods grace we haue spoken otherwhere They proceed and say that Infants whom Christ so often accounteth innocents Mat. 18.3 4 19.14 are freed from the law and so sin is dead in them but when the commandement comes then they die in sinnes and transgressions c. Rom. 7.8 Eph. 2.1 Answ. Innocents may be so called in sundry respects 1 when in them there is no sin at all thus Adam in his creation vvas innocent 2. When though they be sinners yet they are not guiltie of such sins as men lay to their charge Exod. 23.7 2. Sam. 3.28 Ier. 2.34 3. When they are cleare of actuall sinnes and thus infants may be called innocents Psal. 106 38 That Christ calleth infants innocents in the first sence I deny the scripture also denieth them so to be Iâ—b 15.14 25.4 Ioh. 3.3.6 Eph. 2.3 I find not in the plaâ—es which they quote that Christ called infants innocents how bâ— it somtime he calleth his disciples innocents or guiltlesse Mat 12.7 of whom yet these men I suppose will not say they were without all sinne That infants are freed from the law given to Adam is denied and disproved by Rom. 5. for in Adam they sinned and died That sin is dead in them is also disproved rather they are dead in sinne till they be revived by Christ Eph. 2.1.3 Infants say they haue done neither good nor evil in the flâ—sh therefore Infants shâ—ll not appeare before Christ they shall receiue no juâ—gement 2. Cor. 5.10 Râ—v 20 12.13 Answ. How boldly doe these men abuse the sâ—riptures In 2. Cor. 5.10 Paul sâ—yth We must all appeare before the juâ—gment seat of Christ. Rev. 20.12 it is sayd I saw the dead small great stand before God Nay say these adversaries not infants Their reason because infants haue done neither good nor evill in the flesh is an errour before refuted for though they haue not done good or evill actually as older people yet in the first Adam they haue done evill and in the second Adam Christ they haue done well Against Davids confession of his birth sin in Psal. 51. they thus dispute If David confesse unto God his own sin then he desireth him in mercie to behold whereof he was made as Psalm 103.14 of dust weake flesh unable to resist the Tempter through which weaknesse he was overcome in these sinnes and thus weak flesh is called sinfull flesh in which Christ came Rom. 8.1 Christ is sayd to be made sin 2. Cor. 5.21 not that he was a sinner no more David confessing he was conceived in sinne doth proue that by conception and birth he was a transgressor Answ. They pervert both Davids words and meaning Hee speaketh of sinne and iniquitie they speake of weaknesse onely vvhereby he fell into sinne What scripture can be so plaine that may not be wrested with such wicked glosses Against vveaknesse wee pray for aid and strength to resist evill against sinne wee pray for mercie and forgiuenesse and for this David prayeth in