be one of Gods elect which may be for ought we know to the contrary And if it proove otherwise and we have cause to complayne that we have laboured in vayne and that we have spent our strenght in vayne this ought to be nothing strange to us seing it hath bene the condition of better and more eminent servants of God then we are neyther are we to seeke how to comfort our selves but in the Prophets language Yet my labour is with the Lord and my judgment with my God though we have laboured all night yea and many dayes also and caught nothinge in S. Pauls language we are unto God the sweete savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perishe To the one we are the Savour of death unto death and to the other a Savour of life unto life and herby we doe God service in bereaving them of excuse for they cannot but by these meanes know that a Prophet hath bene amongst them yea and by molesting them with the torments of hell and stirring up a worme in their conscience to gnawe them we may as it were throwe water in their faces and quash their furious courses in satisfying their lusts so that hereby they may proficere ad exteriorem vitae emendationem quo mitiùs puniantur Now judge of the soliditie of this Authors discourse who conscious of giving litle satisfaction in good earnest affects to refresh the spirit of his propitious reader with a jest saying that his personate Actor will not affirme himself to be a Reprobate for feare of being held so indeed by the Synods But where doth eyther of these Synods teach that who so conceaves himself to be a reprobate is to be held by them to be such a one indeed For albeit eyther of them did affirme every Christian to be bound to beleeve that he is an elect for which we have no stronger evidence then the honesty of this Authors word which of what price it deserves to be let the indifferent judge yet that they should hold every one to be a reprobate indeed who conceaves himself to be such a one is altogether incredible Yet notwithstanding these and such like immodest and shamelesse pretences this Author will not want some to applaude him herein as a resolute champion of their cause And albeit he shapes his Actor such as feare not God yet to serve his turne he must shape him so as to stand in feare of the censure of Arles and of their hard opinion of him The third Section IF hereupon the Censurer proceede That allthough the Spirit alone doth produce repentance in the heart of a sinner yet notwithstanding that exhortations and threatnings are the meanes and instruments which it useth in the worke The other will demaund further of him the explication of his saying therein observing a most manifest contradiction in that on the one side repentance is immediately attributed to the holy Ghost and on the other side these exhortations and threatnings are held as means and instruments of this worke the operation not being there immediate where the meanes are used That if these meanes of exhortation be necessary or at least if it be ordinarily required in the operation how can it be that they who resist it and reject the instrument doe not nay cannot likewise resist the principall cause which is the holy Ghost He that will not suffer the rasour the instrument of his cure doth he not therein also reject the Chirurgeon The Censurer will say that the elect reject neither the one nor the other the holy Ghost pearcing the eare to make it heare and opening the heart to make it receave those admonitions which are alltogether vaine unprofitable untill the holy Ghost doth so worke in them Thereupon the other will make him confesse that the word preached for the most part is destitute of that operation of the holy Ghost as it appeareth by the misprise that the most part make of it which cannot be when the efficacy of the Spirit doth accompany it it followeth then that the whole ministery is but a dance no more cooperating with mans conversion then the clay which our Saviour applyed to the eyes of the blind did unto his sight or the sole voyce calling upon Lazarus made him to rise out of his grave He will also demand of him why it is seing nature doth nothing in vayne that the Author of nature did appoynt the ministery of the word and why those things which the Censurer attributeth onely to the Holy Spirit are yet notwithstanding in the Scripture attributed likewise to the word preached and how it is that thereby we are said to be begotten renued edified nourished and purified c. whereas the new doctrine of the Synod leaveth it no other function then to serve as an object and to represent that without which the Holy Spirit hath already wrought within as well in the will as in the understanding without any cooperation of the word not onely unprofitable without the Spirit but also dangerous and aggravating the damnation of its contemners although it were impossible to receave and cherish it even as it is unpossibâ—e for them to adde the efficacy of the Spirit which is not in their power Consid. Here the Censurer is brought in without any decent occasion to discourse of the Spirits operation alone in producing repentance and yet notwithstanding that exhortations and threatnings are the meanes and instruments which it useth in the worke so to make way for the discharging of some shot he hath in readinesse against this By the way I observe that howsoever he puts upon his Actor in this seene the name of a Censurer yet he might be called as well an exhorter and threatner The word of God S. Paul tels us is profitable to teach to coÌ„vince to correct to instruct in righteousnesse but no where doe I finde any such act as censuring attributed unto it But as for the mayne we acknowledge that it is the Spirits operation alone that changeth the heart and yet notwithstanding that exhortations backt with promises upon our obedience threatnings upon our disobedience are the meanes for as much as God worketh in all agreably to their natures Now having made man after his owne image indued with an understanding heart and rationall affections wherby he is fitt to be wrought upon unto that which is good and from that which is evill by way of instruction exhortation persuasion therfore it pleaseth God accordingly to bring him unto faith repentance and obedience Now let us consider what he hath to say against this herupon he saith the other will demaund further of him the explication of his sayings therin objecting a most manifest contradiction in that on the one side repentance is immediately attributed to the holy Ghost and on the other side these exhortations and threatnings are helde as meanes instruments of this worke the operation not being
were scattered and Matth. 24.31 God shall sende his Angells with a great sound of a Trumpet who shall gather together his Elect from the foure Windes and from the one ende of the Heavens to the other But suppose it be understood of all and every one yet that place Ioh. 3.19 gives a faire exposition of this also whence it is said So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish And we willingly confesse that Christ dyed to obtaine salvation for all and every one that beleeve in him And indeede our Adversaries doe usually please themselves in the confounding things that dâ—ffer And in the stating of this thesis we have a miserable confusion as if these men delighted to fish in troubled waters For wheÌ„ we say Christ dyed for us our meaning is that Christ dyed for our good and a benefite redoundes unto us by the deathe of Christ now it may be there are diverse benefites redounding unto us by the deathe of Christ and they of so different nature that in respect of some wee spare not to professe that Christ dyed for all and in respect of others the Arminians themselves are so farre from granting that he dyed to obteyn any such benefite for all as that they utterly deny them to be any benefites at all redounding to any by the deathe of Christ. Though we willingly acknowledge them to be benefites redounding to us by the death of Christ albeit not redounding unto all but only to Gods elect Now if this be true is it not a proper course which this author takes in confounding things so extreamely different And that it is so as I have sayde I now proceede to shewe in this manner We say that pardon of sinne and salvation of soules are benefites purchased by the deathe of Christ to be enjoyed by men but how not absolutely but conditionally to witt in case they believe and only in case they believe For like as God doth not conferre these on any of ripe yeares vnles they believe so Christ hath not merited that they should be conferred on any but such as believe And accordingly professe that Christ dyed for all that is to obteyne pardon of sinne and salvation of soule for all but how not absolutely whether they believe or no but only conditionally to witt provided they doe believe in Christ. So that we willingly professe that Christ had both a full intention of his owne and commandement of his Father to make a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world so farre as therby to procure both pardon of sinne and salvation of soule to all that doe believe and to none other being of ripe yeares according to that Rom. 3 24. we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus v. 25. Whome God hath sett forth to be a propitiation or reconciliation through faith in his blood But we further say that there are other benefites redounding to us by the death of Christ to witt the grace of faith and of repentance For like as these are the gifts of God wrought in us by his holy Spirit so they are wrought in us for Christ his sake according to that of the Apostle praying for the Hebrewes namely that God will make them perfect to every good worke working in them that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ. Now as touching these benefites we willingly professe that Christ dyed not for all that is he dyed not to obtaine the grace of faith and repentance for all but only for Gods elect In as much as these graces are bestowed by God not conditionally least so grace should be given according to mens workes but absolutely And if Christ dyed to obteyne these for all absolutely it would follow her hence that all should beleeve reâ—â—â—â— consequently all shoulde be saved And doe our adversaries blame us for denying that Christ dyed to procure faith and repentance unto all Nothing lesse nay it is apparant that the Remonstrants nowadayes openly professe that Christ hath not merited faith regeneratioÌ„ for any For wheÌ„ this is layd to their charg as themselvs profess in these words At inquit censor si hoc tantum meritus est Christus tum Christus nobis non est meritus fidem nec regenerationem marke their answeare following Sanè ita est Nihil ineptius nihil vanius est quà m hoc Christi merito tribuere So that their playne meaning is that Iesus Christ dyed for none so as to obteyne the grace of faith and regeneration for them no not for Gods elect not having the least intention of his owne or commandement of his Father to purchase these gifts these blessings for any Proceede we to the third 3. Of freedome of will in the creature we may dispute and divines doe uswally dispute different wayes and upon different considerations as namely in respect eyther of the state of the creature from within as under corruption or free from it or in respect of the divine decree from without This author very judiciously Arminian like confoundes these into one It is utterly untrue that any of our divines of my knowledge say that by the sinne of Adam his whole posteritie hath lost their free will In the time of my minoritie in the Vniversitie in divinitie disputations we heard concerning free will such a distinction as this of common course The actions of men are eyther naturall or morall or spirituall the resolution of the truth as touching free will according to the foresayde distinction was this we have not lost our free will in actions naturall nor in actions morall but only in actions spirituall So that the naturall man perceaveth not the things of God for they are foolishnes unto him neyther can he knowe them because they are spiritually discerned And the affection of the fleshe is enmitie unto God for it is not subject to the law of God noâ— can be So that they which are in the fleshe cannot please God Of heathen men the Apostle professeth that their mindes are blinded their hearts hardned and they estranged from the life of God Eph. 4.18 that they are in the snare of the divill led captive by him to doe his will That the Ephesians were dead in trespasses and sins before the time of their calling by the Gospell and the like is affirmed of the Colossians Col. 2.11 Yet that which followeth in this Author is more untâ—â—e imputing unto us as if we maynteyned that every mâ—n is subject by inevitable necessitie to doe or leave undone that which every man acteth or omitteth being good or evill This imputation I say is utterly untrue we say that every one doth freely whatsoever he doth and omitteth freely whatsoever â—e leaveth undone Only this is to be understood aright to witt in respect of meanes tending unto endes wherin alone and in the election therof consisteth
exercised in such sort that albeit God gives it yet they to whom he gives it doe reject it Now this may be understood two wayes as namely that after God hath given it and they receaved it they doe reject it or that they so reject it as not at all receaving it The first sense includes a sober notion though the truth of it may be questioned But in that sense it belongs to the next Article but in the latter sense only it belongs to this present Article Now say I in 〈◊〉 this sense there is no sobriety For it mainteynes some thing to be given which is not at all receaved which is clearly non sense and no merveyl if in opposing Gods grace they cary themselves as destitute of common sense A thing may be offered and rejected but that cannot with sobriety be said to be given which is not receaved Especially of gifts given to the soule For a gift given to the soule must eyther be a qualitie permanent or an act immanent both which are inhaerent in the soule and unlesse they are made inhaerent in it and the latter also produced by it cannot be said â—o be given unto the soule As for example the praesent quaestion is of producing faith in the soule of man Now this may be understood either of the habite qualitie of faith or of the act of faith but neither of these can be said to be given unlesse the one be made the qualitie of the soule and the other the act of the soule Which supposed they are not rejected nor can be rejected in such sort as not at all to be receaved And this inconvenience the Author seemes to have beene sensible of and accordingly desirous to avoyde and therefore observe in the third place he doth not say that they to whom God giveth faith are able to and accordingly some times doe reject it according to our opinion which would imply that in his opinion though God gives faith to men yet they to whom he gives it doe sometimes reject it But he makes our doctrine to be this that to whom God gives his grace they are able to and accordingly sometimes doe reject implying thereby that the grace which God gives man may be and is sometimes rejected And indeed this grace being not faith it selfe but an opeâ—ation tending thereunto and that no other then suasion this may in a good sense be said to be rejected though it be both given by God and receaved by man though the like cannot be said of faith which is not receaved but by beleeving and unles it be thus receaved by man it cannot be said to be given by God In like sort if God exhort a man to faith it cannot be said that that man is not exhorted thereunto and therefore to whom God gives exhortation it cannot be but that the exhortation given be receaved so farre forth as the man is justly said to have beene exhorted thereunto But besides the receaving of suasion and exhortation in this sense which cannot possibly be denyed wheresoever it is given there is another sense hereof namely of receaving it so as to obey it and yeelde unto it And in this sense we confesse that the grace of suasion and exhortation though it be made by God yet may it be rejected by man for though it cannot be denyed but he hath receaved it so farre foorth as wherby he hath heard it which is sufficient to denominate him a man exhorted unto faith yet he hath not receaved it in such sort as to embrace it and obey it And upon this ambiguitie of sense and aequivocation doe these impostors proceede first willingly cheating themselves their affections being possessed with a love of errour which will allwayes to use the judgment from the truth and afterwards labouring to cheate others as many as doe not discerne their juglinge Now we clearely professe that like as in case the Sunne doth inlighten the world it is not possible but that the world should be inlighteyed so if God inlighten mens mindes the minde cannot choose but be inlightened For the understanding is a power naturall not free And consequently if God make it appeare to a Christian soule that God is his summum bonum not only summum bonum but his summum bonum it is not possible but he shoulde be inlightned with this light of his loving countenance which is called in scripture the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. last and it is signified to be the glory of his grace appearing in Christ Ioh. 1.14 which we are sayde to behold in Christ with open face 2. Cor. 3. last Agayne this glory of Gods grace appearing unto us as our chiefest good it is not possible but we should love it For we love him because he loved us first 1. Ioh. 4.19 our wills should be fixed upoÌ„ him as on our supreame ende For the libertie of the will consistes not in appetitione finis but onely in electione mediorum which is a rule of Schooles acknowledged by Aristotle and receaved generally without controll sealed unto us by the light of nature And accordingly we are sayd by the very beholding of the glory of the Lord with open face to be transformed into the same image what is that but the image of Christ as by the Lord there Christ is meant in whom appeares the glory of Gods grace and of his love to man and that hath two parts the one Christ crucified the other Christ raysed from the dead and ascended into heaven and there sitting at the right hand of God to make requests for us And our transformation into this image is our regeneration consisting in mortification which is a conformity to Christs death and vivication which is a conformity to Christs resurrection thus we feele the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his passions Phil. 3.10 And in this worke of regeneration consisting in the illumination of our minde and renovation of our affections we are meerely passive and so changed as to discerne our chiefest good and to have our heart sett upon it as upon our ende all which is naturall not free Freedome having place onely in the election of meanes unto our ende wherein we faile often partly through weaknesse of judgemeÌ„t partly through perversnesse of our affections For we are regenerate but in part both darknes in part possesseth the understanding in our hearts and affections there is a principle of the flesh which inclines inordinately to the creature as well as a principle of the Spirit which inclines to God our creator And whereas in the last place it is said that the Reprobates cannot obtaine this grace of God although it be offered them in the Gospell this eyther hath no sobriety or being brought to a sober sense is utterly untrue And nothing but the ambiguous notion of grace serves their turne and gives them libertie to prate they knowe not what For as for faith it selfe that is not
by men on earth be it good or evill commeth not to passe but by the most efficacious decree and ordinance of God which doth all in all Now what followes here hence by this Authors artifice but that therfore there is eyther no filthines in sinne no scandall therby to our neighbour no ingratitude to our creator and redeemer and that the menaces of the law and vengeance of God are represented in vayne or at least that they are not to be reproved for their sinne Now since by this Authors confession we maynteyne that good comes to passe by Gods efficacious decree as well as evill it followeth as well eyther that there is no beautie in goodnes or obedience no benefite therby redoundes to our neighbour no thaÌ„kfulnes manifested therby to our creator redeemer or at least no man is to be commended for it and that the promises of the law and the rewards of God are represented in vayne eyther to be mooved therby unto obedience or to be comforted and reioyce therin upon obedience To avoyde which inconvenience if we will be advised by this old Evangelist it were very fitt that we deny eyther evill or good to come to passe by Gods efficacious decree but left to the wills of men namely to believe if they will and repent if they will and that a man is as well able to repent with Paul as to committ treason with Iudas And albeit to obteyne mercy be clearely to believe Rom. 11.30 and the Apostle as clearly professeth that God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth yet Aristotle doth not neyther doe these old Evangelists seeme to acknowledge any such oracle neyther doth that give any satisfaction to their argument Now Peter dealt with the Iewes in convicting them of crucifying the Sonne of God Act. 2. But this Author did not appeare in that assembly or any of his Spirit But if they had bene indoctrinated by this Author they might have sayde being better seene in Saint Peters doctrine then in maynteyning a good conscience they would have sent S. Peter to his owne principles and maximes and woulde much muse how Saint Peter shoulde be ignorant of his owne faith namely that Both Herod and Pontius Pilate together with the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together against the holy Sonne of God to doe what Gods hand and Gods counsayle had predetermined to be done Act 4.28 And indeede Peter feared no such colours nay he was so farre from fearinge it that he tells them as much to their face in that very sermon of his verse 22.13 Ye men of Israel sayth he heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approoved of God among you with great workes and wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves allso know Him being delivered by the determinate Counsell and foreknowledge of God after you had taken with wicked hands you have crucified slayne In the same breath both convicting them of crucifying Christ and withall acknowledging that he was delivered by the determinate Counsell and foreknowledge of God The meaning whereof is fully sett downe Act. 4.28 To this effect namely that what contumelious outrages soever they committed upon the person of the Sonne of God in all this they did but that which Gods hand and Gods counsell had praedetermined to be done In like sort Moses feared not the like colours of opposition which are so plausible to this old Evangelist who derives his Gospell from antiquitie beyond eyther Paul or Moses seeing such as concurre with them he accoumpts no better then new Evangelists For Moses reprooving the Iewes for their unprofitablenesse and hardnesse of heart as who neyther by Gods word nor by Gods workes were hitherto brought unto repentance unto obedience feared not at all least some of them should answer him in the like manner say Good Syr remember your self what doe you meane to blame us for this Doe you expect that they should heare who have no eares or that they should see who have no eyes or that they should perceave who have no hearts Or can you be ignorant that hitherto God hath given us none of all these And as he hath given us none of all these so he determined by his efficacious decree to give us none of all these which is in affect as much as by his efficacious decree to determine that we should neyther heare nor see nor perceave hitherunto I say Moses was so farre from fearing any such opposition that he seemed rather to feare least they would not take notice of the hand of God in this And therefore acquaints them with it particularly in this manner Ye have seene all that the Lord did before your eyes in the Land of Aegypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his Servents and unto all his Land The great temtations which thine eyes have seene those great miracles and wonders yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceave and eyes to see and eare to heare unto this day Deut. 24 2 3 4. Yet let us not suffer this Author to passe unconvicted of his ignorance and vnlearnednes First that nothing comes to passe which God did not decree shoulde come to passe we are ready to enter the lists of disputation herabouts with this Author which he declines throughout taking the contrary for principles and laying them as foundations of his cause most congruosly for fitt it is that a rottâ—n cause shoulde have a rotten foundation and to proove our Tenet by cleere and invincible demonstration and make it appeare that in respect of whatsoever future thinge they deny the decree in respect therof they must withall be driven to deny the foreknowledge of God and turne direct Atheistes But furthermore we discourse not of this decree of God as this Author supposeth as if it passed upon all things without distinction For first we distinguish betweene good and evill Good things we say God decreed should come to passe by his effection but evill things he decreed they should com to passe onely by his permission And therefore he deales falsely in imputing unto us that God workes all in all by all that he workes understanding both good and evill We teach with Austin that Malum non habet causam efficientem but deficientem If God will not worke a man unto faith or to that which is good this is enough to prostitute him to infidelitie or unto any thing that is evill Further we distinguish of things that are good For either they are good naturally or good spiritually Such things as are good onely naturally Gods decrees shall come to passe by his effection and that onely by a single influence which we call influence generall unto the act of every thing But as for such things as are good spiritually we say God decrees such things shall come to passe by his effection and that by a double influence one generall unto the substance of
the act another speciall as touching the manner of performing it Lastly as touching the manner how all things shall come to passe by vertue of Gods decree this Author lurkes purposely under a miserable confusion which we cleere thus All things come to passe we say by Gods decree whether they are such things as come to passe necessarily by second causes working necessarily Or such as come to passe contingently by second causes working contingently and freely And accordingly upon supposition of Gods decree we say it is necessary that such things as God hath decreed shall com to passe but how Not necessarily allwayes but eyther necessarily or contingently and freely according to the condition of second causes some of them onely working necessarily but others working contingently freely All this this Author most judiciously confoundes as whose ende is to serve his owne turne and the advantage of his owne cause but not the cause of God in the sincere and faithfull investigation of his truth As in the very next sentence he manifesteth himself deep in this confusion as when he saith That the first cause doth in such manner moove and direct the second among which is the will of man that they cannot otherwise stirre then they are stirred For here he confoundes the different manner of Gods mooving and directing second causes as if there were no difference herin wheras indeede there is a very vast difference For wheras of second causes some worke necessarily some contingently God mooves them all not after one manner but differently that is agreably to their different conditions Second causes working necessarily he mooves and directs to worke necessarily in such sort as they cannot otherwise stirre then they are stirred but as for second causes working contingently and freely he mooves and directs them to worke accordingly that is contingently and freely to witt so as they have power eyther to suspende their operation which is their libertie quoad exercitium or to produce another operation which is their libertie quoad specificationem Thus he mooved Cyrus to builde his cittie and lett goe his captives as he had foretolde long before thus he mooved Iosiah to burne the prophets bones upon the altar which was foretold in the dayes of Ieroboam many hundred yeares before and no sober man makes doubt but that these workes of theirs though predetermined by God yet were performed as freely by them as any other workes of theirs In like manner he mooved the souldiers to absteyne from breaking of Christs bones prophecyed of about a thousand yeares before and the bordering nations to forbeare to invade the land of Israel when all the males came up thrise in the yeare before the Lord in Ierusalem according to the promise made unto them Exod. 34.24 I will cast out the nations before thee enlarge thy coasts so that no man shall desire thy land when thou shalt come up to appeare before the Lord thy God thrisâ— in the yeare Yet who doubts but they did as freely forbeare this as ought els and that the souldiours as freely absteyned from breaking Christs bones as they did freely breake the bones of them who were crucified with him But these Lucifugae delight in confusion like owles that are in love with darkenes that is their best time for prey In that which followes I confesse he deales clearly saying that though a man be given to sinne yet in case he knowes God would have it so by his secret will and that God hath predestinated him therunto this is a comfort unto him and truly I doe not envy him such a comfort and I see no reason but in the midst of the torments of hell it shoulde be likewise a comfort unto him that God did predestinate him therunto by his secret will Only he is pleased to speake in his owne phrase when he talkes of predestinating unto sinne Of predestinating unto damnation the Ancients spake acknowledging such a predestination But they acknowledged no predestinating unto sinne for as much as they tooke predestination to be only of those things which were wrought by God not of sinnes which are only permitted by God Yet these even as foule sinnes as were committed Herod and Pilate together with the Gentiles and people of Israel when they were gathered together against the holy Sonne of God are in the mouthes of the Apostles confessed to have bene foredetermined by the hand and counsel of God which wee understand thus God did fore-determine they should come to passe by his permission as touching the sinfulnes of them Now as for the Spirit of this Author how well it suiteth with the Spirit of Gods Saints we may easily judge by the word of God For when they doe expostulate with God in this manner Lord why hast thou caused us to erre from thy ways and hardned our hearts against thy feare it seemes apparantly that they tooke no comfort at all in this that God hardned their hearts against his feare and caused them to erre from his wayes And when the Lord revealed unto Moses that he would harden Pharaohs heart wherupon he should not let Israel goe for a long time I never perceaved that herby any comfortable condition was denoted that shoulde be unto Pharao in case he had known so much It seemes allso S. Paul tooke no notice of any such comfortable condition when having taught that God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth he bringâ—s in one herupon expostulating thus why then doth he yet complayne For who hath resisted his will Neyther doth the Apostle take any such course to pacifie him as by representing any coÌ„fortable condition redounding unto him hereby namely in as much as God it is who hath hardned him unto disobedience But the course he takes to stop his mouth is of another nature thus O man who art thou that disputest with God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one a vessell unto honour and another unto dishonour And whatsoever a debaucht Christian may be feigned to conceave for mine owne part and so I thinke I may be bold to say of every one of our profession whose hearts God hath seasoned with his feare I may be bolde to professe a truth that albeit I take notice of Gods hand sometimes hardening me against his feare yet God knowes I take no comfort in it but rather in this that God knowes how to worke it for my good according to that of Austin Audeo dicere vtile est superbis in aliquod apertum manisestumque cadere peccatuÌ„ c. when I find that my sinnes doe not make a finall or a totall separation betweene my soule God this may well tende to the corrobaration of my faith and persuade my soule that nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Iesus our
one hayre of his head he might well prescribe the time and houre of his conversion But seeing it is Gods worke alone to circumcise our heartes Deut. 30.6 to take away the stony heart and give us an heart of flesh and put his owne spirit within us Ezech. 36 27. to quicken us when we are dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 2.15 Surely it belongs to God alone to prescribe the time and houre when a man shall be converted And accordingly our Saviour gives us to understand that some are called at the first houre of the day some at the third some not untill the last And the Apostle exhorts Timothy in effect by his meeke cariage to wayte when God will give them repentance that are without that so they may acknowledge his truth and come out of the snare of the devill by whom they are led captive to doe his will 2. Tim. 2. last And albeit men are living as beasts why should they be thought to have any more power to rayse themselves or quicken themselves unto life spirituall then a dead man hath to quicken himself to life naturall Now that men are dead in sinne the scripture teacheth evidently and that the worke of conversion is called regeneration but the Scriptures are a strange Language to these Arminians They are diserti lingua sua And they discourse amongst Christians as if they should discourse among Cannibals Yet there is a difference betweene him that is dead naturally and him that is dead spiritually For he that is dead naturally can performe no naturall action at all but he that is dead only spiritually is able enough to perform any action naturall And some naturall actions are required without which a man cannot be converted As for Example it is requisite a man should be acquainted with Gods word which alone is the ordinary means whereby the Spirit workes in mans conversion Now it is in the power of man to heare the word And albeit he cannot hearken unto it in a gracious manner pleasing unto God yet shall not that hinder the efficacy of Gods word if God be pleased to shew mercy on him No though he comes to the hearing of it with a wicked minde As they that came to take Christ Iohn 7. yet when they heard him were taken by him and returned without him saying Never man spake as this man speaketh So is it in the power of a man to reade the word Now suppose he exercise this power and that with a minde averse from it yet may this word proove a word of power to the changing of his heart As Vergetius tooke Melanthons writings to reade with a purpose to confute them yet in the reading himself was confuted by them and this was a meanes of hâ—s conversion from Popery to the Protestant confession This Author discourseth in such sort as if the power of God to quicken a man though 4 dayes dead and stinking in the grave as Lazarus were taken up in his mouth in scorne For such is the manner and strengâ—h of his discourse in the most hungry fashion that ever I thinke proceeded from a reasonable man Our Saviour hath given us to understand that some are not called till the last houre we have an example of it in the thiefe upon the crosse If God hath not giveÌ„ him as yet the grace to cry Abba Father that Spirit of adoption requiring a spirit of bondage to precede it Rom. 8.15 Yet this houre and that by our admoniâ—ion and conviction of his sinnes God may humble him and make him feare and thereby prepare him to the Spirit of adoption For his word is as a fire as an hammat that breaketh the bones the Infidell findes this by good experience when hearing one prophecy he is rebuked of all judged of all the thoughts of his heart are made manifest and he falls downe on his face and confesseth thaâ— God is in his ministers of a truth 1. Cor. 14.24 The Iewes did finde this power of the word when hearing Peter discoursing how God made him both Lord and Christ whom they had crucified they were pricked in their hearts and sayd Men and Bretheren what shall we doe Act. 2. When in the course of his histrionicall fictions he feignes his Factor not daring to endeavour to doe well He supposeth and insinuateth that he would endeavour it but dares not for his hatred to the Arminian doctrine which is nothing answerable to our doctrine who deny that there is any such will in a carnall man We say the maine reformation of man consists in the change of the will from evill to good we know that God accepteth the will for the deede And the Saints of God commend themselves in this manner unto God We that desire to feare thy name Nehem. 1. And the desire of our hearts is towards thy name Esa. 26. And we desire to live honestly Heb. 13. And Austin mainteynes as I remember that the Saints of God no otherwise fullfill the Law of God then desiderio conatu And albeit this Author at pleasure feigneth his prolocutor to embrace our Tenets yet if he be but a carnall Christian he cannot embrace them or any doctrine of faith Fide vera infusa but onely fide acquisita Yet againe it is in the power of any man not onely to desire and endeavour to doe well but also to doe indeed quoad exteriorem vitae emendationem All the morall vertues as they were found in Heathen men so are they atteynable by a naturall man For even Heathens were famous and renowned some of them not onely for their good rules but for their vertuous practise of moralitie which yet nothing hindered Austin from passing his censure upon their best actions professing them to be no better then splendida peccata and for a rule of direction to judge aright herein he tells us non officijs sed finibus discernendas esse virtutes And therefore there is no cause of so superficiary a conceyte forged in this Authors braines as if endeavours to such moralitie should any way obscure the prerogative of Gods grace as only effectuall to the working of that which is pleasing in the sight of God Such moralitie shall nothing at all commend the will for any goodnesse in the sight of God any more thâ—n Socrates or Plato or Aristides their moralitie did though their damnation shal be farre lesse then the damnation of such who among the Heathens have bene given to a debaucht life and conversation Good motions undoubtedly God can rayse by his Spirit in the heart of the most wicked in the Church of God but like as the devills suggestions are not our fault if we resist them so such good motions of God doe nothing commend us in the sight of God if we doe not give way unto them but rather one day rise up in judgment against us to our greater and more inexcusable condemnation But that a carnall man is here brought-in conceyted
of true faith in him that shall never faile is that part which this Comedian hath put in his Actors mouth to play For it is fitt his care shoulde be according to his Art populo ut placerent quas fecisset fabulas Yet I nothing doubt but a carnall Christian may be orthodoxe throughout and persuade himselfe of a true faith But if his life be not answerable we will be bolde to tell him that his faith is vayne For true faith worketh by love Gal. 5. and faith working by love is as much as a newe creature Gal. 6. and whosoever is in Christ is a newe creature 2. Cor. 5. and they that are Christs have crucified the fleshe with the affections and lusts therfore where such a newe creature is wanting where the fleshe is not crucified with the affections and lusts they are not Christs nor in Christ nor have any faith working by love Nay we know not how soone if such an houre of â—entation shall once come such a one will turne Turke or Atheist For whosoever heareth Christs wordes doth them not our Saviour likeneth him to a foolish man which hath builded his house upon the sand and the rayn felt and the floods came and â—he winde blewe beate upon that house and it fell and the fall therof was great Matth. 7. 26 27. The Corinthians were renowned professors yet S. Paul calls upon them to prove themselves whether they were in the faith to examine theÌ„selves saying know ye not your selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates There is a secret hypocrisie wherby a man may deceave himselfe as indeede the heart of man is a deceiâ—full thing all may seeme fayre no reygning sinne appearing wherby the conversation is defiled and yet good cause for men to put themselves to the triall of their faith It is true the children of God may sometimes be overtaken with some foule sinne as David was and they may continue in it too longe without bringing forth so cleere and full evidence of repentance and satisfaction to the Church of God as the condition of their sinne requires and in this case they may be for a time as trees in the winter but to apply this to every carnall Christian that lives in sinne and goes on in a debaucht course of lâ—fe and conversation may be very suitable to the scope of such a Comedian as we have to deale with who is merely Scenicall throughout but it is intolerable in a sober divine whose ayme shoulde be to dispute truth and not to enterteyne his Readers or hearers with Enterludes of his owne making and poeticall fiction That every one is bound to believe that he is elect I no where finde in the Synod of Dort and this Author loves to discourse at large as if he had nothing to doe but to tell a tale as for the Synod of Arles I am utterly unacquainted with the Acts therof But I have reade such a doctrine related out of Zâ—nchy and Bucer and I conceave the meaning to be this that every one in the Church of God is bounde to believe that God hath elected him to obteyne salvation in case he believe And indeede as God hath ordeyned none of ripe yeares to obteyne salvation unles he believe so on the other side God hath ordeyned that every one who believeth shall obteyne salvation But as God hath not ordeyned to bestow faith on every one eyther absolutely or conditionally so did I never reade it layde to the charge of any one of our divines that he should maynteyne that every one is bounde to believe that God hath elected him to the obteyning of faith eyther absolutely or conditionally But such like confusion of things that differ is very agreable I confesse with the learning and judgment of this Author who seemes much better fitted to make a play then to handle a controversie in divinitie That all thinges work together for the good of them that love God is as true as the Apostle Pauls epistle to the Romans is the word of God And Bishop Cooper a Scottish Bishop applyes this to mens sinnes amongst other thinges shewing how they allso doe worke for a mans good But that the sinnes of a carnall man a debaucht Christian workes for his good a Poet may faigne such a conceyte I deny not pinne it upon the confession of whom he will for Pictoribus atque Poetis quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas and by the illusions of Satan it is possible like enough that a carnall person may be so farre transported but if this Author thinke good to justifie any such persuasion he may take his course surely we and our doctrine doe not No more then his persuasion of obteyning the pardon of his sinne while yet he liveth in sinne And indeede so it is he takes upon him to justifie these persuasions and that with a face of confidence saying that his censurer cannot deny it what doe I heare cannot we denye but that he who lives in sinne and goes on in fulfilling the lusts of the fleshe cannot but be persuaded or may nevertheles be justly persuaded that his sinnes how enormous soever worke together to his salvation and that he hath allready obteyned pardon for them I had thought impudency it selfe could not have bene so brazen faceâ— as to impute this unto us But it may be he hath some trickes of witt and feates of activitie that way to discharge upon us though contrary to his owne conscience And what are they surely therfore his Censurer cannot deny but that the sinnes of a debaucht Christian how enormous soever worke together to his salvation and that he hath obteyned already pardon for them because forsooth he exhorteth him unto repentance which is nothing worth without faith no more then faith if it believe not the remission of all sinnes both done to be don Here we have an hobgoblin discourse yet it is well we meete with some shewe of argumentation to cope withall I doubt this Author is yet to learne what it is to obteyne pardon of sinne we exhort such men unto repentance that they may obteyne remission of their sinnes we doe not suppose such wicked persons to have allready obteyned the pardon of their sinnes It is true repentance determines not upon obteyning the pardon of our sinnes but the sense of that love of God in giving his Sonne to dye for our sinnes and for his sake pardoning them unto us of his free grace renewes our repentance like as David never repented more fervently then after Nathan had sayde unto him from the Lord the Lord hath put away thy sinne witnesse the Psal. 51. Therfore we utterly deny this consequence we exhort a wicked wretch to repentance therfore we acknowledge him to have obteyned the pardon of his sinnes But he insinuates a proofe of this after this manner Whom we exhort unto repentance him we suppose to have faith allready wherby
affirme that in expresse termes which this Author saith they doe to witt that Christ dyed for all and every one and if it did affirme any such thinge in expresse termes we should be farre enough from denying it nay wee doe maynteyne it not only as farre as they doe but much farther Where the Synod of Dort doth commaunde every one to believe that he is elected unto life I knowe not Only I have read lately such a thing objected unto us as out of the particular opinion of Zanchy and Bucer Yet they deliver this only of Christians who are such as believe in Christ and for whom they make no question I trowe but that Christ dyed so that the congruitie herin is accurate without all colour of contradiction And yet if it should proove to be contradictious the one unto the other I never observed such a condition to be taxed for ficklenes in the embracers of such opinions till nowe Ficklenes is shewed in changing from one opinion to another not in holding the same opinions still albeit some one perhaps may seem in the judgment of some malevalent adversaries contradictions unto the other Yet Zanchy who sayth every one is bound to believe speaking of Christians that he is elected unto life was never knowne to affirme that every one is bound to believe that he is elected to faith and regeneration Now aeternall life we knowe is ordeyned by God to be the portion of men not whether they believe or no whether they persevere in faith holines and repentance or no but only of such as believe repent and are studious of good workes for it is ordeyned to be bestowed on men by way of reward for their faith repentance and good workes And will any Arminian deny but that every one that heares the Gospell whether he believe or no is bound to believe that aeternall life shall be his portion in case he believe repent and be given to exercise good workes Now albeit this Author be for the present upon the pinne of disparaging our doctrine as utterly unsufficient for consolation to an afflicted soule yet he spares not as it were in the same breath to cry downe our doctrine as touching perseverance in the state of grace and holde up the Arminian Tenet as touching the Apostacye of Gods Saints as if their doctrine in this particular were more seasonable for consolation then ours The sinnes of David were very foule adultery and murther yet Bertius that zelous maynteyner of the Apostacye of Gods Saints will not say that David by these foule sinnes did expell the holy Spirit out of his heart and that propter graves causas And in deede the Scripture teacheth us that albeit David prayed in his paenitentiall Psalme conceaved in reference to those sinnes that God would restore him to the joy of his salvation yet he prayes not that God would restore him to his Spirit but rather that he would not take away his Spirit from him And Peter sinned fouly and shamfully in denying his master with execrations and oathes and that as it were before his Masters face yet our Saviour had tolde him before that he had prayed for him that his faith should not faile And we knowe what promise the Lord made to David Psal. 89.30 If his Children forsake my law and walke not in my judgements 31. If they breake my statutes and keepe not my commandements 32. Then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with strokes 33. Yet my loving kindnesse will I not take from him neither will I falsifie my truth The scripture this Author sayth denyes this doctrine of ours as a thing most false in like termes that is in expresse termes But he quotes no place referres to none nor so much as intimates any such place where this which he pretends should be delivered in expresse termes Yet to the contrary Matth. 24.24 our Saviour setting downe the efficacy of false Prophets in the seducing of many expresseth it in this maÌ„ner so that if it were possible they shold deceave the very elect plainly signifying that it was a thing not possible that the Elect should be seduced Now this cannot be understood of the elect as yet unregenerate for in the state of nature who sâ—â—th not that they are obnoxious to the same errours whereto others are And Iohn the 10.29 he plainly gives us to understand that his sheâ—pe are in the hands of his Father and that none is able to take them out of his hands and accordingly S. Peter saith 1. Pet. 1. that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Yet when we say that this faith cannot be lost we deliver it upon supposition of Gods purpose to mainteyn them in that state of grace against all the powers of darkenesse which purpose is manifest by his promise I will putt my feare in their hearts that they shall never depart away from me and accordingly the Apostle promiseth on Gods behalf that he will perfect the good work he hath begunne in us Philip. 1.6 that he will not tempt us above our strength but with the temtation will give an issue that we may be able to beare it 1. Cor. 10.13 Now albeit their opposite doctrine of the Apostacy of Saints savoureth of no consolatory nature yet to spitt his poyson against that also though out of season in this place he hath some what else to objâ—ct against that as namely that it overthrowes the ministry of preaching which consists in exhortations by promises and threatnings which can no longer be meanes to doe any good worke if so be the good work be wrought by the immediate operation of the Holy Ghost as it hath beene above sayd indeed this coms in here as it were against the hayre first considering that we are now upon the point of consolation Now I presume no Arminian will say that their doctrine as touching the Apostacy of Saints is to be magnified as a very comfortable Doctrine Secondly whether good workes are wrought by the immediate operation of the Holy Ghost is nothing to the present purpose For that he avoucheth is this that the doctrine of perseverance overthrowes the ministry of preaching not that immediate working of perseverance by the Holy Ghost overthrowes the ministry of preaching yet if this were the present assertion of this Author I have already sufficiently disproved it before â—f his vineyard of red Wine the Lord professeth that he is the keeper of it and that he watereth it night and day God keepes it and waters it and by watering it he keepes it Can any sober man devise any sober opposition betweene these Yet he can keepe it without the preaching of the word and where that is is wanting the Lord is able to keepe it and will keepe it And where these meanes are most rife yet this hinders not the immediate operation of the Holy Ghost unto every good work as I have shewed For
that worketh in us every thing that is pleasing in his sight doth the Physician sett the mans leggs whom he hath cured I thinke he hath enough to doe to sett his owne legges members going according to their severall motions was holy Paul nourished in his sloath who both professeth that he laboured more abundantly then they all yet in the same breath acknowledgeth that nevertheles it cannot he but rather the grace of God in him Nay how is it possible that God should bring a man to a sermon while he lyes lazy in his bed How is it possible he should continue that excesse which brought him to his sicknes when God workes in him that which is pleasing in his sight and fullfills the good pleasure of his goodnes towards him and the worke of faith in power But we may easily proceave the Spirit of his Author he would not be a child still he would goe on highe alone and not have any neede of the leading of his heavenly Father his owne Spirit serves his turne to performe any holy duetie any gracious worke And as Plato discerned the pride of Antisthenes through his patcht coate so may we thorough these wilde expressions as if God did mans worke for him while he lay in sleepe we may easily perceave the pride of his heart requiring no more succour from God to the performance of to velle agere of that which is good then Pelagius of olde did Yet the Lord by his prophet playnely professeth of himselfe that he causeth us to walke in his statutes and judgments and to doe them and the Apostle as playnely teacheth us that God workes in us both the will and the deede according to his good pleasure yea that he workes in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ. The meaning whereâ—â— Pelagius his opinion was only this that suadet omne quod bonum est and in all liklihood no other is the meaning of the Apostle in the opinion of this Author though he comes not so farre as to the discussing therof and to treate of Gods concourse For which kinde of exercise this comicall witt of his is nothing accommodated and like enough this discourse of his is plausible to none but such comicall witts as himselfe is of and no merveyle if it be magnified of them For Lactucas similes labra simillima habent like lettice like lips Yet he doth us wrong in saying we are not content that God should furnish us with necessary and sufficient grace to preserve and keepe us from sinne For albeit we doe require that God should immediately and irresistibly worke all our good workes in us yet surely we acknowledge this to be necessary unto every good act and no grace without this sufficient ad velle agere though there may be without this a grace sufficient ad posse and the word of God it selfe we acknowledge to be sufficient in its kinde to witt in the way of instruction but the ministery therof we willingly professe goes no farther then Pauls planting and Apollos wateringe over and above all which unles God be pleased to give the encrease we shall continue unfruitfull still only there is a sect that have a better opinion of their activitie unto that which is good then so Sure I am the Apostle tells us that God doth fulfill the good pleasure of his goodnes in us and the worke of faith with power and if he fulfill the worke of faith with power doth he not fulfill the worke of love of repentance of obedience of all holy conversation and godlines that with power Molira will have Gods concourse to be simultaneous with the will not antecedaneous in nature to the wills operation least otherwise God should not be the immediate cause of the act of the maintenance wherof he was zelous and it seemes Arminiâ—â—s tooke his conceyte from him of making God in the same manner an immediate cause of every act But Suares his fellowe Iesuite doth not approove of that Molinaes conceyte and is of opinion that albeit God doth worke the will to her operation yet this nothing hinders the immediate condition of Gods causalitie So that all of them stande for the maintenance of Gods immediate causalitie which this Author very judiciously and profoundely out of the depth of his scholasticalitie rejects and after his manner takes it in scorne that God shoulde be required to performe an immediate operation in producing any good worke he would have that left to the will of man not that he desires to have wherof to boast for he will be ready in great plerophory of wordes to professe that he gives God the glory of all but how Forsooth of working him so to that which is good as to leave it to his will at the pleasure therof to be the immediate operator in all Otherwise he should worke irresistibly which is a phrase of an ill accent in their eares and stickes as a burre in their throate it will not downe with them for they are verily persuaded it would breede no good blood in them not for feare least herby they should ascribe too much to God and too litle to themselves farre be that from the Spirit of their humilitie but they would have the Allmightie cary himselfe decently in dealing with them and sith he hath indued them with free will not to damnifie the free course therof which were to disanull his owne workmanship For as yet they are not arrived to any such faith as to believe that it is in the power of the Almightye to make them to worke this or that freely But let me have leave to spurre this Author one quaestion Cannot he endure that God should so powerfully worke them unto that which is good that the world should have no abilitie to resist him nor the divill and his Angells of darkenes We knowe the course and fashions of the one and the practises and suggestions of the other are prest and forward enough to hinder us in the good wayes of the Lord as much as ever the Angell of God was to hinder Balaam in his wicked courses Now why should you be so zealous of maynteyning the power eyther of the world or the divill to corrupt your soule and overthrowe your faith were it not rather cheifly to be desired that God should so worke us by his holy Spirit unto every thing that is pleasing in his sight that it shoulde not be in the power of the very gates of hell to prevayle against us that is I trowe to worke us unto that which is good irresistibly that is so that the world nor the divill should not be able to resist Gods operation though they much desire it I shoulde thinke it is not the genius of this Author to oppose irresistible operation divine in this sense though it may be he was never cast upon this distinction untill now In respect of whom then would he have this
shew mercy Rom. 11.30 Hereupon we conclude that faith and regeneration are gifts of grace which God bestowes absolutely according to the mere pleasure of his owne will regenerating whom he will and denying the grace of regeneration to whom he will Now then who are they on whom God should bestow faith and regeneration but his Elect and accordingly the Apostle calleth it the faith of Gods elect Tit. 1.1 and Act. 13.48 The Evangelist cleerely telleth us that as many believed as were ordeyned to aeternall life and Rom. 8.29 Whom God foreknewe them he predestinated to be made confoâ—mable to the image of his Sonne and whom he predestinated them he called and whom he called he justifyed and whom he justified he glorified And accordingly baptisme as it is a sâ—ale and assurance of performing this promise of justification and salvation unto them that believe so it is a seale and assurance of the promise of circumcising the heart and regeneration only to Gods elect Yet I confesse that according to the booke of Common prayer in use with the Church of England we professe of every Childe as he comes to be baptized and when he is baptized that he is regenerate and grafted into the body of Christs regeneration whereupon Mr. Monâ—acute sometimes tooke advantage to justifie his opinion touching falling away from grace as the Docteine of the Church of England but he was answered by D. Carleton then Bishop of Chichester that there is a regeneration so called Sacramento tenus and which Austin as he shewed distinguished from true regeneration And for ought we know to the contrary every one that comes to be baptized by a minister may be an elect of God and therefore we have no reason to conceave them to be reprobates And I would gladly knowe what this our adversary conceaves of every one that is brought unto him to be baptized will he conceave them in the judgement of charity to be elect or no Or doth he beleeve them in judgement of faith to be elect In my judgement his opinion hereabout is no more then this that God hath ordeyned that in case they beleeve they shal be justified and saved and accordingly that in Baptisme assurance hereof is sealed unto them and no more Now that God hath so ordeyned we beleeve as well as they and that baptisme is a seale of the righteousnesse of faith and of salvation by faith But if he thinkes the covenant of grace comprehends no more then this herein alone we differ from him and are ready to mainteyne that all who are under the covenant of grace are such as over whom sinne shall not have the dominion Rom. 6.14 and that the Lord vouchsafeth to become their Lord and their God to sanctifie them and to circumcise their hearts to love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soule as he seeth their wayes so to heale them to subdue their iniquities to give giftes even to the rebellious that he may dwell among them to powre cleane water upon them that they may be cleane and from all their filthinesse to clense them A new heart also to give unto them a new spirit to putt within them and to take away the stony heart out of their body and give them an heart of flesh And to putt his owne Spirit within them and cause them to walk in his statutes and to keepe his judgements and doe them And as in the Prophet Ieremiah the Lord professeth This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes sayth the Lord I will putt my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shal be my people And Ier. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way that they may feare me for ever for the wealth of them of their children after them And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will never turne away from them to doe them good but I will putt my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me And Ezech. 16.60 Neverthelesse I will remember my covenant made with thee in the dayes of thy youth and I will confirme unto thee an everlasting covenant 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalt receave thy sisters both thy Elder and thy yonger and I will give them unto thee for daughters but not by thy covenant And 20.37 I will cause you to passe under the rod bring you into the bond of the covenant And 37.23 Neyther shal they be polluted any more with their idols nor with their abominations nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned I will clense them so shall they be my people and I will be their God 24. And David my servant shal be King over them they shall have one sheapheard they shall also walke in my judgements and observe my statutes doe them So that regeneration sanctification faith repentance holinesse obedience these be the works which God promiseth to worke in them and that by vertue of the covenant of grace he hath made with them The Eucharist we confesse is likewise given to all who for their profanesse impuritie or conâ—umacy are not excommunicated and that with assurance that Christ dyed for all those that doe receave it worthily not otherwise but as many as receave it unworthily doe receave it to their owne condemnation And doe the Arminians themselves administer it with assurance of the favour of God towards them any otherwise then in case they are found worthy pertakers As for Christs dying for mankind I have already shewed at large how this Author treates of it hand over head carying it in the cloudes of generalitie Now it is a rule of schooles that in genere latent multae equivocationes Therefore for the cleering of the truth in this particular I have distinguished the benefits which Christ procured for us some of them as remission of sinnes and salvation are conferred onely conditionally to witt upon condition of faith And herein we extend the vertue of Christs death as fart as they to witt in conditionall manner for we willingly professe that if all and every one should believe all and every one should be saved by Christ On the other side no Arminian will say that any man of ripe yeares shall be saved by Christ if he never beleeve in Christ. But other benefites there are which God bestowes upon man for Christs sake as we say to witt faith regeneration repentance Now these are conferred not conditionally for if they were then should grace be given according to mens workes which is manifest Pelagianisme Therefore these must be conferred absolutely not on all for then all should believe and be saved but on some and who can they be but Gods Elect Now as for the Remonstrants