notwithstanding their most rationall improvements Except the Father draw him not except he draws or surely ingages the Father by improvements but there will be necessity of further inlargements on this from what follows we see here that insteed of being ingaged by promise by naturall improvements we have the contrary he saith not because you have imployed Naturalls therefore according to my promise I will sâ—cond it with grace but contrarily notwithstanding your utmost improvements Yet No man be he ever so accurate in naturall improvements can come except the Father draw him which to do no improvements can draw God You next alleadged another Scripture Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in but as touching this I finde no absolute promise of Grace annexed from Gods being ingaged by naturall improvements therefore not as yet seeing any thing considerable therein whereof to take notice shall step over to what appeares to be of greater moment Wherein though I conceive it sufficient to have deposed what I conceive against the proofs whereon you ground your fifth assertion yet I shall with great presumption on your patience and candid construction give my grounds for the contrary namely to prove that Naturall men dead c. have not such a power of Reason Judgement c. as whereby if they will accordingly put it forth they may do such things as whereunto God hath by promise annexed Grace which I conceive might be clearly made out from sundry Scriptures whereof to Name 2. or 3. One is Iohn 5. verse 39. Search the Scriptures concerning which though the first word be usually rendered as the Imperative Mood Search ye as a Command given to search yet for my part as yet with Submission to the judicious I finde not how it may be read with good sence any other way then as the Indicative Mood ye do search which I ground not onely on my own Judgement though I finde this that the Originall Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scrutamini may as properly be so rendered for as I remember 't is the Judgement of Doctor Homes as in his book Of new Heavens and new Earth I have seen though not since divers moneths by-gone and that it may most properly be thus rendred may as I conceive be most cleerly proved from the context the occasion of all Christs discourse from the 19. verse of that 5. chap. seemes chiefely to arise from what 's expressed in verse 18. where this is given as one reason why they sought to kill Christ because he had said God was his Father making himself equall with God c. Whereupon Christ all along forward in a most convincing manner proves the truth of that for which the Jews would needs have slain him to which purpose telling them God sent not Christ onely to bear witnesse of himselfe but sent his fore-runner John to bear witnesse which John ye sent to your selves verse 33. who accordingly bave witnesse of me and he was once a man in great credit with you therefore why might not his Testimony carry it Yea after he had named other grounds of testimony from his Works done and the Fathers own Testimony that sent him he adds yet a further ground of confirmation in this 39. verse even from their own practise as before in sending to know Johns judgement so here from their own diligent inquiry into the Scriptures ye do search even your selves do the scriptures namely the writings of the Prophets which alone were then written as of Moses particularly insisted on Again that they did search them is clear from what follows Moses shall accuse you verse 45. whose Accusation shall be a sufficient witnesse against them without Christs Why Because thâ—y perused his writings and so were rendred inexcuseable yea further cleer from the concluding clause of that 45. verse In whom viz. Moses ye trust or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom ye hope now had they not searched diligently and conformed to his writings they would not have built such hope thereon knowledge must precede confidence Which acception supposed to be most warrantable seemes considerable towards the proof of what 's affirmed Ye search which word imports exact and accurate scrutiny and no marvail for therefore ye search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because in them ye think to have eternall life upon this very ground they searched and therefore with all their utmost care and diligence as conceiving to finde life in them which Paul himself that strict Pharisee searched so into as that he thought he had found life in them but yet was dead whiles so alive Rom. 7 8 9. and they are they that testifie of me those Scriptures which ye think to have life by from the letter of them testifie of me what it must have reference as I conceive to what they sought for namely eternall life they testifie then that what life ye think to have in them must be had in me they send you from themselves to the Messia pointed at by them as John sent such as he baptized with water to Christ to be baptized with the Holy Ghost Notwithstanding your searching ye will not come to me that ye might have life which proves that mens naturall improvements do not ingage God to give them saving faith without which through utmost improvements they could only look on the Scripture while pointing to a Messia but as a covenant of works and learned by all but to be selfe Justiciaries which sanctuary of justification by works we most obviously finde was the strongest one which the profoundest wisdome of the Jewes could erect Rom. 10.8 Object But it may be objected Christ in Verse 40. charges them with this Ye will not come to have life or in faith doth it not hence seem that they might have power to believe or to ingage God to to give faith which power they did not put forth as they might and that 's the reason why ye believe not Answ Whereto for answer for the former supposition that they might have power to believe that you absolutely conclude against For the latter which you avouch that they might so ingage themselves in improvements as to ingage God to give faith this must as yet be denied because here they did improve to their utmost their naturals in searching even as for life and yet God added not faith which is most undeniably proved in Chap. 6. from Verse 28 to 45. Wherein the whole discourse most inevitably demonstrates that they did as it were put all their naturall powers of reason judgement c. on the wrack as is before shewed by propounding questions rationall discussing them praying for c. But all this did not make Christ confesse I see you have done your utmost therefore I le perform mine engagements to give saving faith no he tearms their strongest reasonings but murmurings adding no promise thereunto and therefore not ingaged thereby so to do and consequently their not improving naturals is not the reason of Gods not giving faith which
follows not therefore that naturall men can so aske The thing promised on asking you acknowledge to import acceptation with God but shall it be had upon every asking No T is Wisdome whereof James tells us in the place fore-named in expresse termes it cannot be had but upon asking in faith so that whosoever be meant by Son here he must aske in faith without which his naturall improvements ingage not God at all Not but that such must improve naturall abilities for 't is their duty but yet thereupon 't is not Gods duty to confer Grace Again for I decline exact method as not becoming me the manner after which this duty is to be done appears expresly to be with greatest attention and intention Apply thy heart c. If thou cryest after liftest up thy voyce seekest her as silver c. Now according to that known saying Ignoti nulla cupido 't is impossible meer naturall men not possest with the fear of God which is the very beginning of all saving knowledge should be able so to apply their hearts cry after it seek c. Taking pains as one digging in a mine for hid Treasures swine are not wont to take such paines for pearls As yet therefore I cannot conceive this exhortation to be chiefely directed to naturall men as having a power so to perform the duty as to ingage God to instate them in the promise which to prove you bring it but in strictnesse and propriety as 't is a promise 't is onely absolutely given to them that have faith though the condition on our part so concerns naturall men as to inform them what their duty is as all other of Gods Commands do with making known of which God is not bound to inable all that know their duty to do it so that while naturall 't is impossible for them to keep any one savingly The next Text alledged is John 6.27 Labour c. For that meat which endures to eternall life which the son of man shall give to you namely said you Upon labouring even Naturall mens Labouring to whom you direct the exhortation and that to prove the fifth assertion prescribed to which refer so that by Labour you understand a mans improving his Naturalls with greatest diligence on which God according to his promise will give everlasting meat or saving Grace whereby to interest them into Christ who is life everlasting But that by Labouring here Christ means not their own full improvement of Naturall abilities only or chiefely as whereunto annexing a promise seemes evident because by Labouring he means true beleeving which I prove from 28. and 29. verses Christ having exhorted them to Labour c. Thereupon they perceiving the Exhortation to import Everlasting life were inquisitive in verse 28. What shall we do that we might so labour for the word for Labour in the 27. vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that in 28. verse following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated might work are the same so that their question propounded was in reference to the duty injoyned before that they might understand the nature of that Command whereto Christ answers telling them what labour or work 't was he required of them where the word translated work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers the Verb whence also the Verb is derived and so joyntly import Labour in all three verses which work then is to beleeve in Jesus Christ as is directly laid down in expresse termes verse 29. If then labouring imports the saving work of beleeving then 't is more then utmost improvement of Naturalls because by such improvement we cannot work the great work of faith so then by Labour he commands more then Naturall improvement And because 't is a work far above the reach of mans Naturall improvements he that givâ—s it in command undertakes to work his own will or command in them which follows Which the Son of man shall give unto you So as 't is here granted Christ requires them to improve their naturall abilities but yet withall that also which is infinitely above them all how fully soever improved even saving faith Which the Son of man shall give they must impove c. but yet after all must rest in nothing but Christs gift they were so to labour by naturall improvement as to submit to or rather close with the Spirits exceeding great inspiring power whereby it works faith Object But could they not so labour by naturall improvement as to ingage Christ to give them everlasting meat certainly upon their labouring which 't is brought to prove Answ For Answer as yet I conceive that they had no promise made on their meer Labour though to utmost improving naturall abilities which I prove thus clearly because they did labour according to their power for they took as good a course as naturall reason could prescribe First they desired to understand what their duty exprest by the tearm Labour did import next they desired in a most rationall way some good ground whereon to stablish or bottome this their duty of beleeving even by some sign which was an ancient manner of confirming great matters in answere whereto he declares himself to be the true signe from heaven the bread of God whereupon according to the strength of naturall understanding imprinting in them a desire of happinesse because 't is again and again affirmed to be the bread of life they put forth the utmost of their Naturall abilities in this great request Lord ever more give us this Bread whence Christ again declares himselfe to be that Bread and further tells them who should partake thereof even he that comes to me or beleeves in me not every comming for these came yet to them he saith ye beleeve not shall never hunger c. whereby alluring them to come and yet after their improvement of naturall abilities in affectionate askings Christ tells them Ye come not so as to have life But is not their not improving Naturalls given as the reason thereof Object Answ No in no wise for they improved their Reason judgement c. to the utmost yet further to finde out how it should be true That Christ was the bread of heaven and that by inquiry into his stem or Parentage whence he was the best course their naturall light could guide them to which they followed in verse 41. and 42. but doth Christ hereupon tell them Ye have not yet fully improved your naturalls therefore 't is you beleeve not or doth he expresse by way of promise that because you have improved c. in reasoning disputing begging c. Therefore according to my sure promise ingaging me I le second your improvement with grace I will give it you No but contrarily the reason why they cannot come to life or beleeve which he had said in verse 36. he gives them in verse 44. No man can or hath power to come Except the Father draw him which act he was not ingaged to put forth on them
scope is to prove mans free-will to beleeve for the main Argument of both your Sermons is touching mans power towards attaining faith which power you call executive which so called you demonstrate by making it like that power which those instances hold forthâ— but to all those severall acts the persons respectively have a power of free will those concerning men have because all those acts may be done by man in his pure naturalls those which concern God are much more within his power to will as they are acts requiring power for God is not capable of receptive power though God wills not â—â—â—â—seâ—â—ring acts therefore in making mans executive power to come to Christ or beleeve to be such as those instances have you necessarily make man to have Free-will â—o beleeve else all those instances are to no purpose In briefe thou a man cannot be said to have an executive power to any act but what he can voluntarily do and is within the liâ—e of that power so as to stand in need of no extâ—â—ordinary divine assistance 't is contradictory to say an executive power cannot execute of it selfe for if a supernaturall power must co-operate to execution then the other power cannot be executive but the work of faith cannot be executed without a divine power infused which you else-where grant therefore man cannot have an executive power to beleeve till he be so inspired insteed therefore of a willingnesse to draw out an executive power to act faith which you speak of there must be a putting in a new power before any drawing out to act can be To and this therefore I desire to know directly what this power is by name which you call executive for it forms not imaginable that the name executive should be any other then a nick name of such a power as cannot execute Who ever then can distinguish between an executive power or a principle whereby to act â—syoâ—â—â—plâ—mit and such a principle as 〈◊〉 produce aâ—â—act such a one will doubtlesse out the hair indeed But yet between your unfolding the distinction of powers you insert two particulars one is a quaere about Arâ—â—â—â—â— Tâ—â—â—â—â—s which is for substance the same with your opening the disâ—â—â—â—ce between your opinion and that of free will which being already â—â—ale with I passe over The other particular is an Objection from Johâ—â—â— 44. Which in the â—iâ—â—oâ—â—â—â— given you is â—llendged 〈…〉 through was of power which for answer you 〈…〉 Now 〈◊〉 come 〈…〉 put forth himself in any such way wherein God hath promised to meet him with grace By which expression No man can come you understand can proceed so far in a way of nature in order to grace as wherein God hath promised to meet him with grace but this destroyes the sense for 't is most evident that the expression cometh imports a coming to life with saving grace which might be proved from many other Texts some whereof are given in that discourse as John 5.40 so John 6.37 He that cometh to me which imports coming with saving faith which place you have understood so Now there is a great contrariety between these for mans doing that wherein God hath promised to meet him with grace is a doing by himself without grace upon which doing you say God meets with grace but the comming here is a saving comming or unto life by saving grace therefore not a comming in the course of naturall abilities to meet with grace thereupon Againe there appears not the least ground for such an interpretation because here is never a word spoken of pawing forth in a course of nature but of comming to Christ or believing which in the discourse given are proved to be tearms equivalent nor yet is there the least tittle of a promise of meeting man with grace upon comming And for that clause except my Father draweth which you expound except be interpose with some greater power then ordinary's that you understand thereby Gods inabling to improve naturals to the utmost in order to grace is plaine in that you make Gods interposing to be a carrying of man so far in a course of nature as wherein God hath promised to meet him with grace and so you make Gods drawing to be but by way of preparation unto grace promised thereupon against which 't is evident 't is such a drawing as whereby man commeth unto Christ or believeth both being one therefore drawing is an act of divine power working saving-grace and not a carrying of man so to do as upon which doing God will afterwards meet him with the gift of grace Afterwards you adde another Exposition no man hath any foresight of any compleat power of comming which implyes man hath in himself a power to come to Christ before Gods drawing so that by drawing God only gives him sight of that power But this directly opposeth the words which are no man can or hath a power to come he saith not no man hath a sight that he can come For establishment of which exposition you re-assume your distinction of powers already dealt with by opening of which executive power to come to Christ you make mans power of comming to Christ or believing to be a power of Free-will as is before proved from the instances After that you expresly conclude from what is delivered in that Sermon The necessity of your fifth assertion touching Gods promising grace c. Concerning all which to speak truly supposing these two Arguments which you say are for the clearing of the whole businesse were unanswerable yet would they be far from such a clearing for all the arguing of Men or Angels shall never prove this without bringing a promise of God for it which throughout this Sermon you no where attempt though all your former texts pretended to containe such promises alleaged in your former Sermon are prowed wholly impertinent in that discourse given in The thing you would prove by these Arguments is That God is ingaged by promise to naturall improvers but if this promise be such as God hath been graciously pleased to make which you affirme then you cannot prove such a promise by Argument but only from expresse exhibition because what God doth of Free-grace can proceed from no ground or reason but his own freenesse for which being Gods essence no reason can be given Yes of all grounds that whereon you build the strength of all your Arguments namely the vindication of Gods justice must needs be most weak it seems of all reasonings most absurd to say God cannot but freely promise grace because his justice binds him to it And seeing you expresse your maintaining that assertion to be of so great necessity for upholding the truth c. of the Gospel I wonder you omit both the justifying it by any one Scripture after all the Scriptures alleaged are proved contrary and likewise the vindicating it from those pernicious consequences which in the discourse given you are shewed to be most inevitably deduceable
thence because in what degree that suffers whereon you make the truth grace c. to depend so much must the truth grace and uprightnesse of the Gospel c. suffer And touching that of Augustine take away c. if it be compared with a passage immediately foregoing which is that men may be destroyed without any malignancy in their wils both put together plainly make man to have power of Free-will for you make taking away all malignancy of will to be within mans power which being taken away nothing hinders from Free-will Next you further refer this controversie to your disputes against the Arminians diverse things wherein especially in the two last Exercises seem justly liable to exception but I shall decline further dealing there with on this ground because the substance thereof is repeated in this Sermon and though I intended to have added a word about that Text To him that hath shall be given I shall wholly omit it referring to that learned discourse of Doctor Twisse upon the sense thereof in his Third Book fore-cited Touching the use you make of all in which is implyed your great care in all this to study out mollifying and to prevent harsh expressions which as you intimated in discourse are given out by most against the Arminians I may not unfitly insert a passage which you used against the Arminians being here fitly applicable viz. While you go out of the Kings high-way in relation to Free-grace and seek out by-wayes of mans ingaging God by improvement censuring Gods justice the freenesse of his grace c. you hereby fall into worse wayes though you endeavour so to pave them that they may seem most smooth And whilest you professe great care against harsh unsavoury expressions c. I know not what expressions can be more harsh then such as belch out such calumny against the justice of God the freenesse of his grace c. of which it may fitly be said who art thou that repliest against God nor know I with whom such expressions can be savoury after triall except with the Arminians themselves And touching your Apology I commend this Quare to serious consideration whether it would not be a more ingenuous way of Apologizing to disclaime your own errour and with that mouth to justifie that truth wherby you have condenmed it rather then to please your self with this saying If so be we cannot come to expresse our selves c. We shall content our selves with some such manner of excuse as this is That God hath not given us that ability and faculty of utterance and expressions and that we conceive the businesse better in our mindes then we are able to give account of to others Which I the rather refer to consideration because of that fluency of utterance and expression which God hath vouchsafed you above many And seeing you conclude The Scripture affords suitable expressions for this matter and that such are here most necessary I wonder you omit searching out such from Scripture and instead thereof take upon you so hard a task as to create or frame Gospel or promise of grace out of reason and argument without any Scripture-proof And touching your advice closing up all seeing in my former discourse I endeavoured to pleade for the truth of God I have in this endeavoured according to Gods assistance vouthsafed to quallifie that hardnesse which your Arguments have attempted to cast upon it Yet one word more touching your scope in propounding and maintaing your fifth assertion seeing you hold it so necessary for the encouraging of naturall men I wonder you wholly omit to teach them what particular duties are to be done by them in this way of improvement For whilest you tell them If they put forth themselves to do what God hath inabled them in a way of nature they may do such things as whereunto God hath promised grace you neglect to tell them what those things are Now you know Dolus latet in generalibus deceit lyes in generals and therefore in the issue such generall tearms must needs become snares of deceit to naturall men who after doing ever so much are still left to seek out what actions they be upon which God hath promised grace which tearms to retort upon you with your own language are indeed like to the demanding to catch all the fishes in the sea or foules of the aire or like the leading men into a Labyâ—inth oâ— into the middle of the boundlesse Ocean and there leaving them For you give naturall men a boundlesse task of doing such things as whereto God hath annexed grace by promise but what or how many those things are is not at all shewed but is left to their own judgement which being wholly erroneous must necessarily lead them to presumption or dispaire Much like in some respect to the doctrin of many heretofore urging in generall a necessity of legall terrouâ—s before any true comfort could be had by which means multitudes have laid loâ—ds of perâ—â—â—â— upon themselves one after another and after all findâ— no more ground comfort then at the beginning because they can sinâ—e not Scripture Standard to measure such qualifications by Seeing then you count this doctrine of naturall mens doing such things as whereupon God hath promised grace so necessary you may do well in a matter so weighty not to lead and leave them to be beguiled by generals but let them know in particular what and how many actions they are to do upon doing whereof God hath promised grace that so after they have finished such a tale they may sing a Quietus est to their soules through confidence of their happy state as the Papists do upon their Opus aperatum after they have mumbled over the full tale of their prayers according to the number of their Beads And now in answer to your method I should shut up all with a word of use which may be first for caution to such as take upon them to promote the truth of God viz. forasmuch as errour is of so bewitching a nature as that men are apt to maintain one errour by the broaching of others worse rather then to relinquish and disclaim the first this should provoke such persons in speciall to great jelousie against every errour least one errour received prove an in-let to more and worse Or secondly by way of direction to men both in improving the meanes of grace and in tryall of their state First then for direction in improving first negatively let no man because he labours in the strength of his naturalls to improve the outward meanes of grace therefore addresse himself to God with this confidence Lord I have endeavoured with utmost intention c. Therefore do thou according to thy promise made to these improvements give me saving grace for this is to mist in lying vanities and to go to God with a lye in steed of a promise because God hath made no such promise but contrarily in all thine improvements