World over then they died the Candlesticks were removed from the places where at first they were placed We see by experience the Gospel to be ambulatory from one place to another Asia which first received it is at present and hath for these many years been over-spread with Heathenism and Mahometism where is then this Universal sufficient Grace For at this very day in the greatest part of the World there is no sign nor step of it so that there is no such Universal Grace as to Persons Places and Times besides Experience and Scripture runs against it there are but (d) Mat. 20.16 few elected to salvation they are but (e) Rom. 4.27 a remnant (f) Rom. 9.29 a seed (g) Luk 12.32 a little stock (h) Mat. 7.14 a very small number in respect of those that perish (i) 2 Pet. 2.5 one Noah amongst a World of ungodly (k) 2 Pet. 2.7 one Lot amongst a multitude of unclean Sodomites (l) 1 King 18.22 one Elijah amongst four hundred and fifty false Prohets one (a) Joh. 6.23 Rahab in all Jericho and Canaan one Nation of the Jews amongst all the world and in that Nation sometimes but (b) 1 Kings 19.18 seven thousand chosen ones to many hundred thousands sometimes (c) Isa◠1.9 a lesser remnant and sometimes (d) Jerem. 5.1 hardly one this scarcity we met with after the Ascension of our Lord as before his coming Christ had but a (e) Rev. 3.4 few names in sardis Few are the names (f) Chap. 15.8 written in the Lambs Book of life when all the world runs after the beast to worship him (g) 1 Cor. 1.26 not many wise after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called and few are chosen Christ's people in respect of others have been always few yet none but these are elected adopted effectually called justified sanctified glorified or endued with any grace sufficient to Salvation and if this be true as it is can there be any universal grace to prove this paucity or few-in the judgment of all Protestants rather than multitude and universality hath Being comparatively taken been a Character of Christ's Church Thus far we have considered this pretended universal sufficient Grace in the extent thereof as to Times Places and Persons which doth relate to the means conducing to Salvation afforded unto men Now we must consider it in Man himself as it is in the Soul I would find to know how it cometh in there is it a natural inherent faculty of the Will If so then 't is no grace for in relation to spiritual things and to Salvation Nature and works are opposed to Grace by Nature we are Children of Wrath but through Grace we are Sons of God and to make it natural is meer Pelagianism which our Adversaries dare not openly to own for Pelagius used to cloth Nature with the name of Grace If this universal grace be not natural then it must be adventitious or accidental either acquired derived or infused If acquired by any art or industry of our own then it becomes particular and cannot be universal it being originally proportionable in none If acquired 't is only in those who seek after and take pains to purchase it which certainly whole mankind doth not if not acquired then it may be derived but it must either be so from our Parents and so from Adam the first Parent but if from Adam 't is nature and not grace or if not from Adam then if from any 't is derived from Christ and from his Spirit the spring of all graces but they derive grace only to their believing and living Members not generally to all Men and this not by immediate inspiration from Heaven but by the word and means of grace which are neither common nor effectual to all But if they say this universal grace is infused by a divine immediate influence let us have some Scripture to prove it or else no body must believe it but as there is no word for it let them shew when and how this is done This universal sufficient grace of Arminians is the Quakers inward light and the reason of Socinians But to forge an universal sufficient grace without a power of doing good without Christ and without God without a 〈◊〉 by the word of God as without heart to understand eyes to see without a faculty to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and without knowledge and sence of our misery is to set up a defficient not a sufficient grace That cannot be called sufficient to act which hath not every thing necessary to acting and that Cause which hath all things necessary to act must needs produce its effect for in vain is that Power to act which doth never act so that pretended grace supposed to be sufficient to convert a Man and bring him into the way of eternal life and yet never doth it is but an insufficient power and an imaginary grace They would have Christ to have made God reconcileable to mankind procured a possibility which not being reduced to an act signifieth nothing and derogateth from the power and efficacy of his death for he hath by his death made a real and perfect reconciliation and all those he dyed for he actually reconciled them to his Father and all they and none else shall be saved They would ground their opinion upon what the Apostle saith of the Gentiles (a) Rom. 1.10 That which may be known of God is manisest in them for God hath shewed it unto them Therefore they have a sufficient grace but the knowledge of God spoken of there is such a one as the Devils have as well as they and I hope no man will dare say the Devils have a sufficient grace that the knowledge which St. Paul speaks of was not saving consequently not sufficient it appeareth because they did not know God as Father of our Lord Jesus Christ neither did they know Christ as Saviour of the World without which no saving nor sufficient knowledge But however say they (a) Rom. 2.14 They do by nature the things contained in the Law But they must take notice how the Apostle doth not say they do not by grace but by nature so that except they will have nature to be their universal sufficient grace the Text saith nothing to their purpose Besides we own that some amongst the Gentiles had great and extraordinary parts and natural gifts great Philosophers great Orators c. Yet for want of Faith the vertues of the Heathens were saith Austin shining sins splendida peccata But we deny those gifts to have been an universal sufficient grace the same may we say in that (b) Acts 14.17 God left not himself without witness amongst them not in that there is a God for as 't is said in the same verse He gave rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness But all these
words how by some men God doth execute judgment upon others Thus also a Prophet said to Amaziah when he refused to hear and repulsed him I know that God hath determined to destroy thee Neither would he hear what Joash sent to him For it came of God who would as I quoted before deliver him into the hands of his enemies Furthermore Shishak (a) 2 Chron. 12.2 3 4. King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the Lord. Then the Lord brought him up to punish them and took their fenced cities in execution of Gods Judgments and again the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the King of Assyria Chap. 33.11 which took Manassch amongst the thorns and bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon Why should we any longer insist upon a thing so clear by God's Order and appointment (b) 1 Kings 15.29 Baasha destroyed Jeroboam's Family And (c) Chap. 16.12 Zimri that of Baasha And (d) 2 Kings 10.17 Jehu that of Ahab And all along in the Old Testament God takes upon him self to be the Author of all punishments inflicted upon his people by cruel Princes and upon all other Nations Assyrians Syrians Chaldeans Moab Ammon Egypt Tyre Sidon Philistines c. in so many Chapters of the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah Not only whole Nations but also individual though publick persons were made sensible of God's working in and against them as in the Case of Saul (e) 1 Sam. 16.14 The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord trouble him The most excellent and glorious work that ever was managed by the worst men in the world namely the death of our Blessed Saviour yet Judas Herod Pilate and the Jews and Gentiles concurred in 't did nothing but what the Hand and the Counsel of God had determined before to be done and fullfilled all that was written of him So that we see this truth contained in the †Acts 4.27.28 and chap. 13.27 29. New Testament as in the Old God gave some to (f) Rom. 1.24 26 28. vile affections and to a reprobate mind and to uncleanness and to Idolatry (g) Acts 7.42 So as to worship the host of heaven And God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye Thus we see how God as a just Judge doth inflict not only bodily but also spiritual punishments upon men (h) 2 Thes 2.11 And if all these places were heaped one upon another and many others we could bring do not fully and clearly express the effectual concourse of God in and upon Men then all actings of God mentioned in Scripture must be explained of a bare permission and I dare say that those who amidst so great a light will not see must be in that darkness which comprehendeth not the light and there is cause to suspect (f) Psal 81.12 God hath given them up to their own hearts lust and to walk in their own counsels And sometimes God (g) Deut. 28.23 smiteth with madness blindness and astonishment of heart St. Paul speaks to the purpose of this universal and special actual Providence of God when he saith (h) Rom. 4 3◠For of him and through him and to him are all things none excepted good and evil not evil of sin which God abhorreth and 't is Blasphemy to say it but evil of punishment upon the wicked and of chastisements and afflictions to try the Faith and Patience of his Elect God threatneth to punish them that deny it (i) Zeph. 1.12 And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with Candles and punish the men that are set on their Lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Though they speak it not with their Mouth but say it only in their Heart and he will so strictly search into it that they shall be found out These Effects and Workings of Providence come from him and do serve his Ends (k) Job 37.13 For saith Job He causeth it to come whether for correction or for his land or for mercy And in another place he saith (l) Chap. 5.6 Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground That signal Plague of Egypt that is the Lice came out of the Dust which became Lice Yet the wicked Magicians of (m) Exod. 8.17 18. Pharaoh perceived God in it for they said This is the finger of God And the holy Man Job though the Sabeans or Arabs and Chaldeans had plundered and robbed him of his Oxen and Camels and killed his Servants yet he said (n) Job 1.21 22. The Lord gave and the Lord not the Sabeans or Chaldeans hath taken away Here some will be apt to say Why doth he attribute unto God those Actings of Men Job is to blame for fathering upon God the Actings of wicked Men. But as the Spirit of God knew there would be those so pragmatical as to cavil thereat so in the following Verse he doth clear him from such Imputations when it is said in all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly in saying that God had taken away So God speaking of himself in relation to his dealings with Men declareth how because of the Sins of Israel he had given them Laws as a Punishment So he saith (o) Zech. 20.24 25. Wherefore I gave them also Statutes that were not good and Judgments whereby they should not live We know all God's Laws are good but the meaning is they shall do them no good nor be profitable to them Thus the best things can do no good without God's special Blessing nor the evil harm with-it his sanctifying grace makes a difference yet both (p) Job 2.10 good and evil we receive at his hand This Doctrine as we see is strongly grounded upon the Word of God yet by some it is aspersed with the abominable slander that it makes God the Author of sin which we call Blasphemy and in our Minds and Hearts we abhor detest and pronounce a Curse against and appeal to the Judge of the World to vindicate our Innocency against so notorious false and impudent Aspersions They make God the Author of Sin who call Sin a positive Being as doth one of their great Men Dr. Pierce in several places For God is the maker of every positive Being but sin is a negative Being which God never was the Author of In the New Testament the name of Sin is with an Alpha privative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is a non-conformity to God's Law Wherefore he that calleth Sin a positive Being makes God the Author of it We sufficiently declared how tho' God doth concurr with the natural and Physical part of the Act he hath nothing to do as Author of the Moral or of the Deviation no more than the Sun when it
but we say that Men sinners are predestinated to Damnation neither doth Man sin because he is appointed to Damnation but is appointed to Damnation because a sinner They who are of the opinion here argued against yield the Thing but deny the Consequence thereby God to be the Author of sin though he made Man in a condition to fall into sin and decreed to permit him to yield to the temptation and commit sin to manifest his Justice in the just condemnation of Man sinner Then say the Adversaries God hath not found a guilty Man to be punished but hath made him such which is not true for God made him not so but permitted him to be made so he who thorough his own fault became guilty is justly punished by God Lastly they object thus that which is the cause of the cause is also the cause of the effect which is only true of the necessary cause called per se not of that per accidens but say they you say that reprobation is a necessary cause of sin which is a meer untruth and slander none of our Authors ever said or hath written so for 't is Blasphemy except it be through an abuse of the name Sometimes 't is usual to say causa sine qua non a Cause without which a thing is not but 't is improperly so called for every true Cause doth influence the Effect Thus we have answered their most plausible Objections and given them their best and most advantageous light to make the matter more intelligible It is time to come to the third degree of Providence Ordination or ordering of things whereby God according to his wonderful Wisdom and Power reduceth every thing into Order constituting good and certain ends disposing means to those ends and ruling things thus disposed About these degrees of Providence we must well observe how in the effectuating permitting and ordaining there is about every act of Creatures not only an universal but also a particular and special influence of God which is proved out of Scripture First In general (a) Psal 113.5 6 7 8 9. Who is like unto our God saith David who humbleth himself before the things that are in heaven and in the earth he raiseth up the poor out of the dust c. He maketh the barren woman to keep house and be a joyful mother of children And in another place (b) Psal 146.6 7 8 9. God made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is which executeth judgment for the oppressed which giveth food to the hungry the Lord looseth the prisoners the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind raiseth them that are bowed down preserveth the strangers he relieves the fatherless and widows Nehemiah saith (c) Nehem. 9.6 thou hast made heaven the heaven of heavens with all their hosts the earth and all things that are therein the sea and all that is therein and thou preservest them all And in the New Testament (d) Heb. 1.3 God upholdeth all things by the word of his power Secondly The particular Providence is proved out of the following Texts (e) Matth. 6.25 26 27 28 29 30 31. Take no thought for your life saith our Saviour what ye shall eat or drink nor for raiment for your heavenly father feedeth the fowls of the air c. even the smallest things God takes care of (f) Chap 10.29.30 one sparrow shall not fall on the ground without your father the very hairs of our head are all numbered This providence is extended over contingents nothing seems to be of chance so much as casting of the Lot yet saith Solomon (g) Prov. 16.33 The lot is cast into the lap But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. But the special providence of God was ever extended on his people as I shewed before in the cases of Noah Moses c. how admirable was it in relation to Abraham Isaac Jacob the Children of Israel in and out of Egypt as it may appear out of the * Gen. 15.7 16.10 17.2.4.16.20 21.13 28.13.14 Exod. 1.20 12 3â— Deut. 10.22 Texts quoted in the Margin Not only the Psalms and the Prophets are full of this but also whole Scripture containeth abundance of evidences of special divine influences upon every particular act of Creatures and this not only upon those that are good but also them that are evil for God doth specially rule both though he be not the Author of evil as such that hindereth him not from being the Rector and Ruler thereof For as we said before he is not an idle Spectator for at his pleasure he over-rules corrupt Instruments turneth them which way and to what end he pleases his Holiness and Justice ever undefiled and the end of his Providence is ever the Glory of God and Salvation of the Elect which all things are subservient unto And in every thing it is most true what is said Jonah 1.14 For thou Lord hast done it as it pleaseth thee In relation to the wicked how wonderful God's Providence is in bringing his ends about we may see it in the Case of Ahab God by the Prophet Elisha for his abominable Idolatry and other Sins had threatned him and his whole Family with utter ruine But because upon his outward Repentance (a) 1 Kings 21.29 God had said he would not execute his Judgments during his Life but in his Son's days Ahab must be the first taken out of the way In order to it he must begin a War against the King of Syria though there had been none for three Years before The occasision or pretence of the War is to recover the Town of Ramoth in Gilead an encouragement for him to go on in his design was Jehosaphat King of Judah being come to visit him promiseth in Person to assist him with his Forces But further to engage him in his Design his Prophets about 400 Men must promise him a Victory They come to a Battle before which the King of Syria commanded all his Captains to fight with none but the King of Israel who not to be known disguised himself in the Fight Jehosaphat is taken for Ahab so the Syrians fell upon him but perceiving he was not the King of Israel they turned back from pursuing of him For God helped him and the Lord moved them to depart from him 2 Chron. 18.31 Here is Providence All this while it seemed to Ahab he was safe enough but God who had sent Jehosaphat to visit and joyn with him who had put a lying Spirit in the Mouth of all his Prophets and put in the Heart of the King of Syria to command the 32 Captains of his Chariots to fight only against Ahab's Person Chap. 22. who thinking himself in some measure free from danger when behold God doth his work a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the King of Israel between the joynts of the harness Certainly though the
can know it to be so then they must be sure of their faith that is have a certitude of it In the case of the two blind men (d) Matth. 9.28 our Saviour asked them believe ye that I am able to do this they said unto him yea Lord. When believers are seriously asked whether they have faith They may well and do confess it in conscience to the Lord himself which must arise out of a certitude of it Then (e) 1 Cor. 2.11.12 the spirit a man which is in him knoweth the things of a man and in the next verse he addeth we have received the spirit of which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God And we can distinctly perceive the proper acts of faith as when one out of a sincere and pious affection findeth himself ready to deny the world and himself to serve and obey God according to his holy will To the question how can a man know when he is elected And how see he hath Faith I say Election is evidenced by effectual calling by Faith and Repentance so is Faith by the fruits and effects thereof as are good works as certainly-as one may conclude where a fire is there is heat and when the Sun shineth it is day-light Thus the cause is proved by the effect and the effect by the cause Where is motion either natural or spiritual we may confidently assirm there is life accordingly Thus we need not to go up to Heaven to dive into the secret Council of God nor to turn the leaves of the Book of Life to see whether our names be written in it but to search into our own souls and examine our own Thoughts Affections and Actings if there be holiness love and other fruits of the spirit Now they object that this certitude must be expressed or implyed in the word and thence drawen by a consequence but we say it doth not arise out of the letter of the word but out of the inward testimony of our understanding being enlightened by the holy Ghost which beareth witness to our spirit that we are the Children of God and consequently that we have true faith This is not written in the Book of Scripture but in the Book of our Heart with the very finger of the Holy Ghost hence it is that we do not believe we do believe but we feel and perceive it as we do not believe we think of God when we do 't but we know and feel it in our minds One thing here I must take notice of upon the matter in relation to that Exhertation of St. Paul to the Corinthians to examine themselves that it is a great deal of pity that many I dare say good people do not set themselves upon that tryal but do either wholly or in part neglect it but if they be of God's Elect at one time or other they must come to 't the sooner the better and the more often to known what progress they made in faith what degrees of strength it hath gotten and for neglecting this so necessary a duty they thereby deprive themselves of much comfort which would accrue to them To make an end of this matter I shall add that this certitude is very much improved when we can clearly make out we have an interest in Christ and are Christ's For saith the Apostle (a) 1 Cor. 3.22 Ye are Christ's and Christ is God's To know whether we be Christ's we have a certain rule to know it by that is if the spirit of Christ be in us (b) Rom. 8.9 For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his How then to know whether the spirit be in us St. Paul giveth a rule by (c) Gal. 5.22 23. the fruits of the spirit as love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith c. Now we are come to a great question why of so many that hear the word of God there are so few that believe What may be the cause of it at the same word and under the same Ministery so different and contrary effect is produced some like Wax at the fire are softned and melted when others at the same time like Clay and Dirt are hardened whilst some believe others continue in unbelief and harden themselves some are the better others the worse for it Like (d) Joh. 13.27 Judas into whom the Devil entred after our Saviour had given him the sop The word is a wholesome Physick to some and as deadly poyson to others the Lord Jesus is a (e) 1 Cor. 23. 2 Pet. 2 8. stumbling-block and a rock of offence and foolishmess to some and the (f) 1 Cor. 2.6 7. wisdom of God in a mystery to others so that this word and they that preach it are unto some those that are saved (g) 2 Cor. 2.15.16 a Savour of life unto life and to others to them that perish a Savour of death unto death All this is truth Scripture teaches and Experience confirms how all that hear the word of God do no believe for all men have not Faith 2 Thess 3.2 Now we are to inquire into the reasons of it First 'T is not for any Dignity Merit Natural Capacity or any other quality in the hearer seeing the (h) 1 Cor. 2.14 natural man such we are all by nature receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them Which the same Apostle doth confirm in another place (a) Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Neither is it for any depth of knowledge learning eloquence or other abilities in the Minister who preacheth the word (b) 1 Cor 3.6 Paul may plant Apollos may water but neither of them can give the increase (c) 2 Cor. 2. 2 Cor. 4.7 Who is sufficient for these things For saith he in another place this treasure we have in earthen vessels that the excellency be of God and not of us The most fervent and excellent Servants of God commonly complain of the hardness and impenitency of their hearers and let Isaiah speak for all (d) Isai 53.1 16. Who hath believed our report And our Blessed Saviour should if any have had cause to expect a good success of his outward teaching yet how often doth he complain of the hardness stubbornness impenitency and unbelief of his hearers How few of the great multitudes he taught were converted to him So that we must not seek in the dispensers of the word for the cause why some believe and others do not The cause why all do not believe is not as the Adversaries would have it because they do not all they can and do not make use of all the power remaining in them out of their natural corruption that they do not go to Church do not hear nor read
The Doctrines contained in every Article he reduces under several Heads and Propositions which he proves out of Scripture and these Propositions he in his Epistle Dedicatory affirmeth to be maintained by the Church of England which if it had not been true he would not have had the Face to have said so in Print to the Primate of the whole Kingdom To add a greater weight to what he writes I must warn the Reader he was no Puritan nor Friend to them as it appeareth out of his Book and so no Calvinist to make use of their Words He out of this 17th Article draweth ten Propositions the 1st That there is a Predestination of Men unto everlasting Life 2. Predestination hath been from everlasting Here is the eternity 3. They which are predestinated unto Salvation cannot perish This is Perseverance and against the Apostacy of Saints 4. Not all Men but certain are predestinated to be saved Here is a certain number of Chosen and Elect 5. In Christ Jesus of the meer Will and purpose of God some are elected and not others unto Salvation Here are Election and Rebrobation and no outward Motive in God but his meer Will and Purpose In the 6th and 7th Propositions he makes the outward Calling by the Word and inward by the Holy Ghost the Justification by Faith of those that are predestinate their Sanctification by the Holy Ghost and Glorification in the Life to come to be infallible Effects of free Election Take notice also how in his Proofs of the first Proposition he makes use of the Examples of Abel and Cain Isaac and Ishmael Jacob and Esau as Examples of Election and Reprobation And amongst those whom he condemns as Adversaries to this Truth for of the Truth he asserts in every Proposition he names those that are against it he expresses those that say how some are appointed to be saved but none to be damned And upon the 4th Proposition he condemneth those who say no certain Company be fore-destined unto eternal Condemnation Upon his 5th Proposition he condemneth of Impiety that 's his Word those who say that Man maketh himself eligible for the Kingdom of Heaven those who say that God beheld in every Man whether he would use his Grace well and believe the Gospel or no and as he saw a Man affected so he did predestinate choose or refuse him And those that say that besides God's Will there was in him some other Cause why he chose one and cast off another O Arminians here by a true Son of the Church according to the Doctrine of the Church you are charged with Impiety for your Opinions More of this is to be seen in the Book which for Brevities sake I omit One Evidence more of a true Son of the Church I shall make use of upon this point which also proves our 13th Chapter in the very Words (a) Reply to Fisher p. 275. Although our Tenet concerning predestination be no other than St. Austin and his Scholars maintained against the Pelagians saith Dr. Francis White Dean of Carlisle As to Mr. Rogers's Book something else I shall add how therein in matter of Predestination he saith as do all the Churches Militant and Reformed with a sweet consent testifie and acknowledge Then all such Churches agree against Arminians in these points For free-Will we must read the 10th Article The Condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural Strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasing and acceptable unto God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will This is plain enough as observed by Rogers how Man cannot do any good Work before he be regenerated and converted And he declares Adversaries to this Truth all such as hold that naturally there is free-will in us and that Man hath free-will to perform spiritual and heavenly things Again that Men believe not but of their own free-Will That it is in a Man's free-Will to believe or not to believe to obey or disobey the Gospel of Truth preached This is the Doctrine we assert in as plain and proper Words as can be expressed And on his 3d. Proposition upon the same Article he brings in the very same Texts we make use of for that purpose As (b) Acts 15. â— God purifieth man's heart (c) Phil. 2.13 works in us both the will and the deed (d) Rom. 8 2â— the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought (e) 1 Cor. 6.7 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God c. All this against free-Will and for God's free effectual Grace As to the certainty of Salvation and for Perseverance 't is contained in the already-quoted 17th Article where 't is said God hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to bring those he hath chosen in Christ and by Christ to everlasting Salvotion Whence it doth follow that certainly and infallibly such shall be brought to Salvation or else God could not execute that which he hath decreed to do which is Blasphemy Now the Adversaries are for Mutability and in constancy of Salvation which certainly this Article doth cross for it induceth a certain and constant Salvation and a constant Decree of Election constantly bringing to Salvation which must be by way of Perseverance in the State of Grace But they by inducing this Apostacy and that Men though elected may have leave to fall from Salvation if they will make an Election which followeth a Man upon condition of his fore-seen Perseverance a strange Election that waits upon Man to see whether he will give to himself a final Perseverance by his own free-Will an Election by which no Man is actually elected until he be no more that is after his death In this Article the Church hath another way to teach the certainty of Salvation which is to go upon the same Grounds St. Paul doth when he saith by Particulars to make the General sure (f) Rom. 8.29.3 Whom he did fore-know them he also did predestinate to be made like to the Image of his Son Whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified According to this Foundation in the said Article are these Words Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling They be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like unto the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by God's