〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle alludeth to the common course of Judges and suites in the law or of wrestlings in the Olympian or of captaines in the war who were wont conscribere to designe afore-hand or set downe in writing the names of such adversaries as were to have their causes or tryalls tryed before them And as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies of old I dare not stretch it so farre as to reach it to eternitie neither doth the place require it nor any other in scripture to my remembrance Yea God himselfe in Jeremy plainly distinguisheth time of old from eternitie as the lesser from the greater If you then aske what is that old time Jude here speakes of wherein God wrought afore-hand and as it were designed viz. these false teachers to the tryall of his Church and contention with him I answere About 4040. yeares before Jude wrote this Epistle when God pronounced in ' Paradise that ancient curse upon the serpent and his seed I will put enmitie saith he between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed then was that of old when God did assigne and appoint these false teachers under these generall words the seed of the serpent to this enmitie and contention with the Church concerning the faith once given to the Saints And indeed the description which Jude gives of these false teachers thus set out by God unto this contention doth plainly decipher them as the seed of the serpent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ungodly men turning the grace of God into wantonnesse denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Thus have I declared how farre or rather how little I have departed and upon what grounds not so much from the received doctrine of our Church as the received manner of the explication of it In all which I humbly submit my spirit not only to the judgment of the reformed Churches whether of England or of foreigne countries if ever they come to take notice hereof but also of every learned godly brother into whose hands this discourse may fall As for that place of Jude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sense hereof you say is given to be that these false teachers were of old ordained to judgement viz. As they take it from eternitie and so before themselves were and had given any former cause of such condemnation This you make the interpretation of the place given by others and their doctrine accordingly And the consequent thereof you make to be this namely That according to this sense the subject whereabout the decree of Reprobation is conversant is not the world as fallen in Adam much lesse as fallen from Christ but as considered in massa pura before they had done good or evill yea before they were Now I have diverse things to object against you in this First were I of your opinion in the point of Reprobation I should utterly deny that there is any such consequent that may be lawfully inferred from the former interpretation and doctrine For albeit men are from eternitie ordained to condemnation and consequently before themselves were or had given any former cause of such condemnation yet if when God did ordaine them hereunto he did foresee not only their fall in Adam but their finall infidelitie and impenitency also and thereupon did proceed to ordaine them to condemnation as it is acknowledged on all hands at this day both Papists Arminians and orthodox Protestants your selfe onely that I know excepted then surely herehence it will not follow that massapura should be the object of Reprobation but massa corrupta and that not in Adam onely but with actuall sinnes and that throughout the whole course of their lives all along even untill death And I perswade my selfe you also will be of the same opinion if you give your selfe to a due and serious consideration of it which might have saved you all this paines in straining a poore text to serve your turne in a miserable manner and that most causelesly For certainely you feare in this place where there is no cause of feare at all on your part Secondly why should you straine courtesie to acknowledge Gods ordination which is no other then Gods decree of men unto condemnation to have been from all eternitie For what Papist Arminian Lutheran or orthodox Protestant provided that he be learned withall is found to deny this Was it not one of the prodigious doctrines of Vorstius to maintaine that Gods decrees are not eternall Whence it should manifestly follow that God is changeable For if God should now begin to will that which formerly hee willed not this would introduce a change in God as well as if hee should cease to will that which formerly hee willed Can it be denyed but that God did everlastingly foresee whatsoever should come to passe If hee did then he did from everlasting foresee the finall infidelitie and impenitency of every one that in such a condition departs out of the world And why then should it not become God from everlasting to ordaine all such unto condemnation Thirdly who are they that interpret St. Jude in such a manner as you obtrude upon them I cannot beleeve any is found so absurd What that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should signifie no more then ordaine to judgement What shall become of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then a word in this place most significant I perswade my selfe you cannot name one the Author of so loose an interpretation But let us consider how you carry your selfe in the clearing of it as you speak which indeed is to raise a mist rather in the clear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you say in the first place signifies judgement and I say neither doe they render it otherwise whom you undertake to confute Yet holding the translation here as it were at bay without specification it cannot stand with your interpretation to wit of Gods ordaining men to judgement in generall according to their workes a judgement of mercy in case their workes prove good or of wrath in case they prove evill whatsoever you pretend to the contrary but most improvidently For albeit the word judgement be generall and indifferently appliable to either kind yet the Apostles phrase here this judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be understood and maintained in any such generalitie and indifferencie And therefore you could not rest in this sense without much oversight as your selfe observe and forthwith confesse Therefore you proceed further to observe that the Apostle v. 3. thought it needfull to exhort them to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints That is true In the v. 4. hee addes the reason hereof that also is true in these words For there are certaine men crept in of old ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And these men you call Antagonists hawking thereby after some congruitie to your interpretation following And thirdly you observe that
and serve them Now marke the reason whereupon the Lord dehorts them from this which the Lord thy God hath distributed to all people under the whole heaven as much as to say God hath made them to doe you service therefore doe not you make them your gods So Pastours and Apostles and Angels are made by God to doe us service therefore set not us make them our gods Thus wee see plainly by All in this place not the world only but the Church of God is signified every one of them being made to doe service unto the Church that is one unto another For are they not all members of one body though some performe more honourable service then others like as in a naturall botly some members are more honourable and for more honourable uses than others Unlesse wee thus understand it wee shall exclude the Apostles out of the Church And when it is said We are Christs this seemeth not to admit the same sense with the former for undoubtedly Christ is as much for our good as any nay more then all the world the Apostles and Angels and all for unto us hee was born unto us hee was given Esa 9. 6. given by the Father Joh. 3. 16. given by himselfe and that for us Tit. 2. 14. Gal. 2. 20. and that to dye for our sinnes and rise againe for our justification Rom. 4. and to redeeme us from all iniquity and to purge us a peculiar people unto himselfe zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. and that by his bloud 1 Joh. 1. 7. Revel 1. 5. Wee are therefore his not so much in respect of any good wee bring to him but in respect that hee hath bought us And so we are Gods too as Who sent his Son to redeem us unto God his Father Revel 5. 9. Yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits for yee are Gods 1 Cor. 6. 20. And Christ is Gods in speciall manner as touching his Godhead the naturall Sonne of God as touching his Manhood assamed into an hypostaticall union with his naturall Sonne in both the Chiefe Servant of God for the work of mediation and redemption for Gods elect given by the Father unto him that he might bestow eternall life upon them Joh. 17. 2. according to the good pleasure of his Father Mar. 10. 40. Thus I have been bold to deliver my judgement touching the Interpretation of this place without consulting any Interpreter onely the native genius of the Text it selfe seemed to afford sufficient light and evidence to discerne the meaning thereof which I willingly submit to the judgement of any It is no part of my meaning to dispute much lesse to determine whether Christ should have been incarnate if Adam had never fallen I conceive it a question no lesse frivolous then curious The purpose of glorifying Christ though it presuppose not the creation or fall of man as making way for such an intention in God yet doth it enforce the creation and fall of Adam as making way for this purpose Nothing usually doth cause more perturbation and hinderance in the inquisition of truth than incommodious expressions The purpose of glorifying Christ say you presupposeth not the creation and fall No marvell for the creation and fall are things temporall but Gods purposes are eternall Again such a purpose you say doth not make way to any such intention This phrase such intention is spoken in reference to the creation and fall as if they were intentions which indeed they are not but rather executions of intentions it should run thus As making way for the intentions of such things in God Purpose and Intention signifying the same it is good to keep our selves in one sentence to the use of one of them lest wee expose our Readers to distraction possibly suspecting they may have different significations Your meaning questionlesse is this Gods intention of glorifying Christ doth not presuppose the intention of creation or fall of Adam And I am of your mind in this But your meaning containes two things more whereof the first is this Gods intention of the creation and fall doth presuppose his intention of glorifying Christ The second is this Gods intention of glorifying Christ doth inferre the intention of creation and fall of Adam As in both these I differ from you so I will endeavour to disprove your opinion in both And first I prove that the intention of glorifying Christ was not before the intention of creation and permission of Adams fall For although this may seeme plausible for as much as thus the glorifying of Christ as it is first in intention so also shall it be most congruously last in execution yet according to this very rule the issue will fall more foule then you are aware of For to begin with the Creation if the glorifying of Christ were before creation then also was it much more before the generation of all mankind but this will appeare to be most untrue by the same rule for if in comparison of the glorifying of Christ with the generation of all mankind the glorifying of Christ was first in intention then accordingly it should bee last in execution which is most untrue for that of the Apostle Heb. 9. 2. Wee see Jesus crowned with glory and honour was delivered above 1500. years agoe and yet the generation of all mankind is not in execution Again if the glorifying of Christ were first in intention then was it the end and the generation of all mankind should be as the meanes tending to the furthering of that end but what I pray doth the generation of a little child of mine tend to the furtherance of the glory of Christ wherewith hee was crowned above 1500. years agoe Come we to the permission of Adams fall I say the glorifying of Christ was not in intention before this though it seems never so plausible in respect of congruity in execution for by reason of incongruity in the very same kind I disprove it thus If the glorifying of Christ were in Gods intention before the permission of Adams fall then much more was it before the permission of other mens sinnes in Gods intention but this is most untrue upon the very same ground For if in comparison between the glorifying of Christ and the permission of all mens sinnes to the end of the world the glorifying of Christ were first in Gods intention then should it be last in execution which is most untrue for the glorifying of Christ was accomplished above 1500. years agoe as hath been shewed but the permission of all mens sinnes to the end of the world is not yet in execution Again if the glorifying of Christ were first in intention then should it have rationem finis and the permission of all mens sinnes to the end of the world should be a congruous meanes to that end but to averre this were most unreasonable for what furtherance doth my sinnes this day and
whereas justice is as well remunerative as vindicative as this hath place only on the wicked so the other on the good I meane those that departed the world after they came to yeares of discretion yet consider I pray you what thinke you of them that perish in no other sinne but originall derived unto them by the fall of Adam which Adam we beleeve to be saved In the condemnation of these what glory of God doth appeare more either of his justice or of his soveraignty 2. But be it granted that these glories doe appeare chiefly at such times yet if other glories doe appeare also in the same last execution how will you deduce herehence that only those glories you mention were first in intention Will it not rather follow that seeing other glories as well as these did appeare in execution though not chiefly therefore other glories as well as these were first in intention though not chiefly 3. When God blesseth his elect with all spirituall blessings in Christ we need not say he aimes rather at somewhat else then the praise of the glory of his grace when out of meere grace he made his glorious selfe known unto us he made not only his grace known unto us but all his attributes more or lesse which to our understanding are equally glorious in themselves though we take more comfort in the speculation of his grace which yet is more wonderfull when we consider his soveraignty over us his creatures and that it was indifferent to him to make us vessells of wrath as well as vessells of mercy and in this very consideration the very damnation of reprobates shall improve our glorious joyes in the apprehension of Gods free love to us at the day of judgement according to that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 22. You are to looke to it how you make your Tenent good who maintaine that God doth rather aime at the one then at the other 4. As for the wicked the righteousnesse of Gods judgement upon them we can in some measure conceive at this present But as for the power of God in executing such judgements maintaining the creature in the suffering of eternall sorrows wee are not able to conceive and therefore the glory hereof is farre more admirable then the other So likewise what shall be the fruits of the grace of God towards us at that day and after neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard c. nor that glory contained in seeing the face of God If God should but reveale unto us the wisdome whereby he hath managed his providence towards us before he called us and since the calling of us immediatly by himselfe mediatly by the ministry of good Angels contending with and crossing the counsells and practises of wicked Angels what a body of glory would appeare unto us and how should we be ravished with the contemplation of it How much more with the contemplation of his providence thoroughout both in managing the whole course of nature and the whole course of grace QUESTION â— How and by what demonstrative reasons may it appeare that there is a necessity of a departing from the doctrine delivered in our Church The reasons which moved me a little and but a little to depart from the forme of words usually received in delivering the doctrine of Reprobation are such as to me seeme if not demonstrative yet convincing And though I have learned to suspect mine owne judgement where I differ never so little from my godly and reverend loarned Brethren yet I consider we are taught to trie all things likewise and to hold fast that which is good and as wee believe so to speake submitting our selves to the feare of God But before I come to the ground wherupon I have beene led to believe and speake somewhat otherwise of this point then is commonly received let me first shew you how farre I consent with the received opinon even in all usefull truthes and how little it is then wherin I dissent In the doctrine of election I consent wholly with Augustine Calvin Beza Martyr Zanehy Perkins Paraeus and others who have taught us by plaine evidence and that from scripture 1. That before the world was God out of his free will hath chosen the elect by name by an unchangeable decree unto grace and glory in Christ Jesus to the shewing forth of the riches of the glory of his grace 2. That to restore them who were losâ— in Adam he sent forth the Lord Jesus to be obedient to the death for them and by his death to redeeme them as effectually as if they themselves had suffered in their owne persons 3. That in the fulnesse of time he calleth each one of them by an effectuall and invincible drawing even by such an almighty worke of his quickning spirit as he did put forth in raising Christ from the dead 4. That those whom he so calleth he preserveth by some powerfull worke of his spirit to himselfe in Christ so as they never fall from him totally or finally Only herein take it not amisse if I place the subject of Election in Persons considered in Christ before the world or themselves were and not in massa corrupta with the late venerable Synod For though herein they follow Augustine and Zanchy and some others yet have they dissented from the chiefe instruments of the reformation of our Religion And with reverence I speake it as I am led to conceive that it need not trouble any if taking Christ to be the head of the elect I conceive him to be first thought upon and chosen and we in him Mr. Baynes followeth the schoole in so expressing it and the reasons delivered above in the first point have carryed me with them and the difference lyeth in opening the purpose of Reprobation But see here how farre I goe with the streamâ— and â—hen I goe aside how little and upon what ground How convincing or demonstrative the reasons are I addresse my selfe to consider It is good to make progresse in the investigation of truth Austin professeth himselfe to be of the number of those qui proficiendo scribunt scribendo proficiunt only our care must be that we goe not backward and make things worse then wee found them which comes to passe especially with good men many times not so much by falling into error as by confusion of method for hereby it comes to passe that the passages opening the way to the investigation of truth are stopt up and we find our selves in a brake and see no way out To prevent them I am perswaded it is a profitable consideration to thinke with our selves that different opinions especially amongst godly Divines may be no other then the dividing of the truth betweene them About the object of predestination there hath bin a triple difference in opinion some standing for massa nondum condita others for massa pura that is condita but nondum corrupta others for massa corrupta yet
both Junius did endeavour but very obscurely and Piscator hath endeavoured very perspicuously to reduce them into one If he failed therein especially in some one particular his failing rightly observed and discerned may open a way for the discovery of the entire truth But let the issue therof commend it selfe Your phrase of usefull truths I do not like amongst Arminians I often meet with such a course of arguing truth by the usefulnesse of it which is like the giving of the larger coat to him that is bigger because it is fitter for him when in the mean time he had no right unto it And though we can judge aright of a coats fitnesse to a body yet it is a dangerous course for us to presume so farre of our judgements in the usefulnesse of opinions as thereupon to conclude what are true and what are false 1. To choose before the world is to choose before the creation or Adams fall according to your owne exposition formerly mentioned but in this sense your selfe confesseth in the 4. place that Austin and Zanchy doe not concurre with others in this was there no more in Gods intention when he elected some then the manifestation of the riches of his glorious grace Did not God purpose to manifest also the glory of his remunerative justice Is it not undeniable that God will bestow salvation upon all his elect of ripe yeares before their departure out of this world by way of reward and crowne of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give at that day to all that love his Sonnes appearing It being a righteous thing with God as to recompence tribulation to them that trouble his Children so to his Children that are troubled rest with his Apostles when the Lord Jesus shall shew himselfe from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengance c. When he shall come to be glorifyed in his Saints and be made marvellous in all them that beleeve c. It is great pity this is not considered as usually it is not especially for the momentous consequence thereof in my judgement sufficient if I mistake not to have stifled this opinion following touching Reprobation in the first conception of it 2. Touching the Second I have nothing to say for if you have any opinion concerning some benefit that redounds to the Reprobate by the death of Christ it is more then hitherunto you do discover 3. Touching the Third it were to be desired you did expresse whether no lesse powerfull motion would serve to the drawing of them to faith and repentance 4. Likewise touching the Fourth whether this powerfull worke being denyed to any it is possible for such a one to beleeve and repent unto salvation Concerning the order here mentioned though my opinion be that the object of predestination is massa nondum condita yet in no moment of nature or reason was the decree of God concerning Christs incarnation and our salvation by him before the decree of creation and of permission of Adams fall and consequently Election unto Salvation had the consideration of massa corrupta concomitant with it though not precedent only the consideration of massa nondum condita being antecedentall to all these decrees Likewise in my opinion they doe mistake who take the Synod of Dort to maintaine the consideration of massa corrupta as precedent to Election though they beginne with signifying what God purposed to bring to passe upon the fall of mankind in Adam And Galvin in his answere to Pighius confesseth that the safest course is to treate of predestination upon the consideration of the corrupt masse in Adam As touching what you have delivered touching Election in Christ our head in the first place that I have already examined Our Divines commonly conceive a double act of Reprobation as Bellarmine and others of the Papists doe 1. Negative as they call it a non-election or Reprobation unto which some adde a purpose of forsaking the creature excluding it from glory and from sufficient meanes of grace in Christ 2. Positive ordaining it to condemnation The former they conceive to be absolute as being an act of Gods soveraigne Lordship over the creature without all respect to sinne The latter they conceive as being an act of vindicative justice to presuppose originall sinne at the least and some of them as Bellarmine actuall sinne also whom Paraus in this point seemeth to give way unto 1. To the first of these acts I wholly assent so farre as it resteth in a non-election or preterition of the creature according to the libertie of Gods absolute soveraignety That which is added to it of a purpose of forsaking the creature and to exclude it from glory and from sufficient meanes of grace in Christ before all respect of sinne I want warrant from scripture to condescend unto But this Negative act I would rather expresse in such words as the holy Ghost hath used before me and so distinguish it into two branches That before all respect of good or evill in the creature 1 God did not so love the world I meane the world of mankind distinguished from the elect this is plaine from the Apostles comparison of Jacob and Esau Rom. 9. 11. 12 13. 2. God did not give the world to Christ by him of grace to be brought to salvation as he did the elect for they are not said to be written in the Lambs book of life from the beginning of the world Revel 13. 8 17 18. And indeed all who were given to Christ doe in fulnesse of time come unto him Joh. 6. 37. Gods hatred of Esau before he had done good or evill reacheth to this act also Rom. 9. 13. 2. Touching the positive act which they conceive I wholly agree with them that God ordaineth none to condemnation but upon sinne presupposed Annihilate the creature God may without presupposall of sinne for annihilation is an act of Soveraignetie suteable to creation but condemne it he may not without presupposall of sinne For condemnation is an act of justice and presupposeth a rule of justice transgressed and thereby wrath or just revenge provoked onely this positive act of Gods counsell about the world of mankind severed from the elect upon serious consideration of sundry passages of Scripture I would rather distinguish into a double act 1. Whereby without all respect of good or evill in the men of this world God ordained them unto judgment according to their works Ezech. 33. 20. to judgment I say not of condemnation which presupposeth sinne in the creature to be condemned but judgment I meane of just retribution whereby God is willing to deale with them according to their works in justice justice I say aswell distributive to reward them with life if they continue in obedience as vindicative to punish them to death if they provoke him by carelesse and wilfull disobedience Hitherto even to this act the hatred of God to Esau reached 2. Whereby upon the
but one thing though expressed under different phrases What is this to the purpose Say they are not condemned till then I say nor then neither 1. Unlesse they continue finally therein for were not the very Elect sometimes strangers and enemies Rom. 5-10 Col. 1. 12. Be it so hatred of the light goeth before condemnation therfore the consideration of this hatred goes before Gods purpose to condemne them If this Logick likes you like this also Faith repentance and good workes goe before salvation therefore they are before Gods purpose to save them whom he saves But wheras you seeme to denote that after a certaine continuance in hatred of the light a mans case is desperate which you seeme to signifie by a phrase of shutting up besides that it is nothing at all to the present purpose but matter of another question I shall beleeve it when I finde your selfe or any man else to prove it In the meane time I continue as I am and rest contented with the reasons formerly mentioned for the disproving of it Undoubtedly by the seed of the serpent cannot be meant all men fallen and corrupted in Adam by originall sinne for they are expresly proposed in opposition to the seed of the woman Gen. 3. 15. Herein I concurre with you but I concurre not with you in the description of the seed of the serpent for that agrees to all even to the Elect as well as to the Reprobate before the time comes that God hath appointed for their effectuall calling for till then they have the Image of the old serpent as you call it stamped upon them for they are in blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart which undoubtedly are the chiefe workes of the devill which Christ came into the world to loose Their will is to doe the lusts of the devill for the devill workes in them and being taken in his snare they are led captive by him to doe his will yea Paul himselfe had an hatred of the light and loved darknesse above it But assure your selfe no hatred of the light except it be finall is the cause why our Saviour shuts any man under condemnation I verily thought with my selfe saith St. Paul that I ought to doe many contrary things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth 10. Which things I also did in Jerusalem for many of the Saints did I shut up in prison having received authoritie from the chiefe Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them 11. And I punished them oft in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being excedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities I see no reason why the prophaneness of Esau should stand in greater opposition unto grace then the zeale of Paul while he was a persecuter Esau intreated Jacob kindly in his returne from Mesopotamia but Esau continued finally in his prophanenesse Paul continued not in the course of his blind persecuting zeale and this puts the true difference between them Though with God there was a difference put between them from everlasting in his counsels to make the one a vessell of mercy the other a vessell of wrath And I see no reason why the reprobates should not be accounted the seed of the serpent from their first conception not because of their originall pollution for that is common to them with Gods Elect but because God doth not purpose to cure it in them as hee will cure it in the Elect though this naturall corruption cannot break forth into actuall hatred of the truth till they were brought acquainted with it and the like actuall hatred breakes forth also in Gods Elect as it did in Paul untill the time comes which God hath appointed for the curing of it But hee will never cure it in the Reprobate Against the point I know nothing of worth besides that in the Rom. interpreted and opened in the answere to the fourth Doubt following save onely that place in Jude where it is said of the false teachers as it is commonly translated that they were ordained of old to condemnation The words in the originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sense whereof is given to be that these false teachers were of old ordained to judgement viz. As they take it from eternitie and so before themselves were or had given any former cause of such condemnation and according to this sense the subject whereabouts the decree of reprobation is conversant is not the world as fallen in Adam much lesse as fallen from Christ but as considered in massa pura before they had done good or evil yea before they were To cleare this objection I am to crave leave to depart from the usuall translation and interpretation of this place For first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not in the first place signifie condemnation but as you well know judgement rather And so if I should give the sense they were of old ordained to judgement viz. according to their workes this would not at all touch the second act of positive Reprobation the point now in hand but only confirme the first point touching the former act of positive Retribution spoken of before viz. before the world was God then ordained the men of this world to judgment according to their works And surely I should have rested in this sense but that I see the Apostle Jude interposing the Pronounc◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth thereby point at some spirituall kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or judgement spoken of by him in the wordes before v. 3. Hee thought it needfull to exhort them to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints In the v. 4. Hee rendreth a just reason hereof from the antagonists which were crept in amongst them and whom God himselfe as the chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had designed and sent amongst them to put them to this contention and tryall For so the coherence requires this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be here translated for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies decerno dimico to contend in law or warre and then judico and last of all condemno doth first signifie lis or certamen contention or tryall and then judgement and at the last hand condemnation Thus Paul takes this word in the first sense with Jude here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for suits or tryalls or contentions There is utterly saith hee a fault amongst you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that you have contentions or suits or tryalls one with another If you take the primitive sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also consider the coherence of the Apostles words in this place this will appeare to bee his native and true meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were of old designed to this contention Yet for a little further clearing of the text let me adde a word touching the sense of the other two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
God designed them to somewhat and the better to hold up the congruitie of your interpretation you call God the chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the thing whereunto God designed them was you say to put the Christians to whom the Apostle writes to this contention and tryall Where you leave the Greek as no longer able to serve your turne for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereunto God ordained them But yet which is enough you positively avouch that the coherence requires this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee so translated This I say were enough if you could as substantially prove it as you doe confidently avouch it And yet I presume you well know your selfe to have been the first that hath discovered any such pregnancie of the text to goe as it were with child with any such sense and meaning And therefore it behooves you to bring good cardes for the proofe of this your interpretation Now before I come to examine your proofe I say that this interpretation of yours is farre more 〈◊〉 than that is which you impugne by how much it is farre more 〈◊〉 as Arminius urgeth against Mr. ' Perkins according unto truth to say that God from eternitie ordaines a man unto sinne then that from eternitie hee ordaines men unto condemnation And Piscator concurreth with you in the issue though he takes a different way Ad hoc judicium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. saith hee ad hanc impietatem qua impietate commerentur sibique accersunt judicium Dei i. e. eternam condemnationem As much as to say to this impietie which is their condemnation according to that of our Saviour Joh. 3. 16. This is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light because their deeds were evill still holding the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his usuall signification of judgement or condemnation Now wee come to the consideration of your proofe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee know comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies you say first decerno then judico and last of all condemno Be it so hence you inferre that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth first signifie lis or certamen and then judgement and at the last condemnation and thus Jude takes it here If this were granted you then Judes meaning must be this who were of old ordained to this contention But you render it in much different manner thus Who were of old ordained to put them good Christians to this contention Something you plead for the libertie you take in tempering the word but you doe not so much as endeavour to justifie the libertie you take in interpreting Pauls phrase when you say that to ordaine men to this contention is to ordaine them to put Christians to this contention If you should diswade men from impatience and giving a reason hereof should say For many wicked men there are of old ordained to this impatience would any of your Auditors understand you But give we you leave to enjoy your interpretation of the phrase let us see how you can justifie your interpretation of the word The first reason is ab origine nominis as if the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did first signifie to contend and thence you inferre that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies contention in the first place But you bring no Greeke Grammarian or Dictionarie to justifie either the one or the other neither doe I thinke any world of words as Dictionaries are sometimes called doth justifie any such interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A matter may be determined by deeds as by dint of sword as well as by words and legall debatings so that judicare and decernere as comprehended under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be still of the same moment and nothing different in the effect though res prove to be judicata different wayes Secondly you say that St. Paul takes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for contentions I finde by my Concordance that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is found 28 times in the new Testament Out of all these you have pickt out one to serve your turne if that doth serve your turne 1 Cor. 6. 7. There is utterly saith he a fault among you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is say you in that you have contentions and suits or tryalls one with another Calvin renders it thus I am quidem omnino delictum in vobis est quòd judicia habetis inter vos keeping the word to his usuall signification you will have it to signifie contention as if by speciall providence it were here so used For the better clearing of St. Jude our English both the last and Geneva thus Now there is verily a fault among you that you goe to law one with another Now to goe to law what is it but to seeke to civill courts for judgement or justice Yet I am content to take your owne translation whereby it is apparent that by this word is not so much signified contentions in generall as suites and tryalls in speciall like as Piscator renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place controversias forenses to wit by a Metonymie of the effect for the cause for where there are judgements forensecall there must needs proceed controversies forinsecall And as for contentions in generall I doubt not but you well know that in the new Testament they are usually denoted under the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now compare wee this with that of Jude when the Apostle exhorts them v. 3. to contend under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the faith once given to the Saints and that against those seducers and corrupters the devills factors no doubt who goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devoure he doth nothing at all exhort them to such contentions as you call suits or tryalls but rather unto a contention of resistance unto the practice of such who would corrupt them of the same nature with the exhortation of Peter 1 Pet. 8. 5. Having told them of the devils going about like a roaring lion c. Whom resist saith he stedfast in the faith And answerable to that of Paul Ephes 6. 12. Wee wrastle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities and against powers and against worldly governours c. For this cause take unto you the whole armour of God that yee may be able to resist in the evill day and having finished all things to stand So that throughout there is nothing at all that serves your turne for the countenancing of so strained an exposition which yet as before I shewed is most causelesly undertaken You proceed to a little further clearing of the text or rather to the raising of more mists especially in the interpretation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As for the
for himselfe and as all things are from him so all things must be for him for the supreame efficient must be the supreame end Now if God at once and in one moment of nature decreeth to give salvation by way of reward of faith judge you or let any indifferent Reader judge whether this decree of salvation be not necessarily conjunct with the foresight of saith 5 As for the occasions of slandering and reviling the orthodox truth of God which as you conceive this doctrine of yours cutteth of to the cavilling and froward spirit you have not so much as expressed what they are much lesse justified them to be such occasions as you speak of or shewed how they are removed by your doctrine and not by ours In like sort what is that equitie of the wayes of God the credit of the clearing whereof you attribute to your owne doctrine and derogate from ours you take no paines to explicate If your meaning be that you maintaine that God condemnes no man but for sinne voluntarily and freely committed by him and withall doe obtrude upon us the contrary you doe us the greater wrong provided you speak of men of ripe yeares As for the damnation of infants I doubt you feare so much to offend men that you come too neere the Pelagian and Arminian tenet hereabouts And if you thinke there is any active power in a naturall man to believe and repent wee will not feare offence to resist you or any man in this the scripture having so plainely expressed the contradictorie to this 1 Cor. 2. 14. and Rom. 8. 8. Or if your opinion be that God doth not harden whom he will as well as hee shewes mercie on whom hee will where the good pleasure of God is as evidently signified to be the cause of the one as of the other wee shall not forbeare by Gods grace through feare of offence to resist you in this also And if Pharaoh shall hereupon object and say Why doth God complaine of my not letting Israel goe when he himselfe hardens my heart that I may not let Israel goe wee thinke it fit to take the Apostles course to stop such a ones mouth and say 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 c. And let men take heed they doe not take upon them to be wiser then the Holy Ghost and thinke to satisfie men by devises of their owne when the word of God doth not satisfie them Yet in all this the Apostle doth not impeach the libertie of their wils nor Austin neither but rather justifieth it throughout yet is hee bold to pronounce that libertas sine gratia non est libertas sed contumacia As much as to say a man without grace hath will too much to that which is evill and averse from that which is good as being wilfully bent to the one and opposite to the other And the providence of God in the efficacie of working all things to his owne ends compared with the libertie of the creature hath ever been accounted of a secret nature whereas now a dayes nothing will satisfie the Patrons of free will unlesse this secret and misterious providence of God as it was wont to be accounted come to be utterly overthrowen and libertie of the creature if not chance be brought to domineere in the place thereof When you speak of the orthodox truth of God I presume you doe not distinguish of the truth of God as if some were orthodox and some not Yet I confesse Epithites have another use besides the use of distinction yet in this case also the Epithite is not congruous for orthodox is as much in effect as true 6 As touching the last I presume you will not deny but that the riches of Gods grace to Christ and in him to all the Elect are by our Tenet acknowledged to be as wonderfull as by yours As for the absolute power of his soveraigntie in dealing farre otherwise with the world I presume your opinion is that wee doe exceed rather then come short of you in the acknowledging thereof For wee maintaine God to be as absolute and free in the denying of grace to some as in giving it to others And by denying of grace wee understand the hardning of men at least as touching the chiefe part wherein it consists Yet this you will have to proceed not so much according to Gods absolutnesse as according to his justice in punishing men with obduration yet I grant there is an obduration which is properly enough a punishment of sinne and when men are thereby prostituted unto danger and exposed unto destruction Yet I dare appeale to the judgment of any intelligent Arminian whether in case you doe maintaine as you speak the absolute power of Gods soveraigntie in dealing farre otherwise with the world then with the elect any scandall is removed out of their way by your tenet which is cast in their way by ours As for the unsearchable depth of his wisdome in the order and end of all his wayes as also of his patience towards all men I presume you will not say it is more maintained by your tenet then by ours But by the way I hope you will not except against that of Austin Quantam libet praebuerit patientiam nisi Deus dederit quis aget poenitentiam cont Jul. liber 5. Cap. 4. And againe in the same place Istorum neminem to wit non praedestinatorum adduoit Deus ad salubrem spiritualemque poenitentiam quâ homo reconoiliatur Deo in Christo sive ampliorem illis patientiam sive non imparem praebeat And againe adducit ad poenitentiam sed praedestinatum adducit and none other in his opinion As for the justice of God to obstinate sinners I hope you will not say the common tenet of our Divines doth any way infringe it wee generally maintaine him to be righteous in all his workes and holy in all his wayes For hee punisheth none but for sin none of ripe yeares but for sinne voluntarily and freely committed by them and that in such sort as they might avoide it speaking of any outward transgresion Onely it is not in their power to change their hearts and to love God with all their hearts and feare him and depend upon him Whence it cometh to passe that albeit there is no particular materiall transgresion which they could not avoide yet it is not in the power of a naturall man to avoid it in a gracious manner and all for want of that love of God before spoken of which cannot be wrought in a man but by the spirit of regeneration If any man should further object as I wish you had objected to the uttermost against our Tenet supposing a naturall man to performe what good lieth in his power to performe but not in a gracious manner and likewise to omit what lyeth in his power
communicating life and glory unto him Which to my judgement doth manifestly intimate that you acknowledge in God a purpose to communicate life and glory to Esau some way or other And if you did acknowledge a purpose in God not to communicate life and glory at all unto him this Aquinas confesseth and wee joyntly with Aquinas confesse that it is nothing lesse then to hate him For if God will have a man to bee and will not have him to bee saved surely hee will have him in the end to bee damned For in the end there will bee found no middle state equally remote from salvation and damnation But you doe in plain termes acknowledge a purpose in God to deale in justice with Esau and to give him life or death according to his works I presume you will not avouch this of all them that you account the world of mankinde For I doubt not but you will except Infants As for men of ripe years is it not as true of the elect as of those you call the men of the world that they shall bee dealt withall according to their workes I doe not say according to their deserts but according to their works keeping my self to your own phrase Hath not the Apostle professed 2 Cor. 5. 10. That wee must all appeare before the judgement seate of Christ that every man may receive the things which are done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or evill But these works I confesse are different for either they consist in obedience or disobedience either to the Covenant of the Law or to the Covenant of Grace either to the Law of works or to a Law of Faith Now as for those whom you call the world of mankinde and concerning whom you professe God hath a purpose to judge them according to their works I demand whether your meaning is God wil judge them according to their works in reference to the Covenant of the Law or in reference to the Covenant of Grace If in reference to the Covenant of the Law then the meaning must bee this God hath a purpose to save them in case they perform exact obedience to his Law But in case they continue not in every thing that is writen in the book of the Law to doe it Gods purpose is to condemn them to everlasting death Now I appeale to every sober Christians judgement whether if God hath no purpose to save them but upon condition of such obedience and withall hath a purpose to damne them upon condition of such disobedience whether all things considered it may not bee more truely avouched that God hath a purpose to damne them but no purpose at all to save them If it bee spoken in reference to the Covenant of Grace I dispute against it first in the same manner The conditions of the Covenant of Grace on mans part being Faith and Repentance if God will not save them but upon condition of faith and repentance and will damne them in case of infidelity and impenitency then surely if it shall bee found that the men of this world are far more prone to infidelity and impenitency then unto faith and repentance it followeth that God purposeth rather to damne them then to save them But in case they are naturally carryed to infidelity and impenitency and have no power to beleeve in Christ and to break off their sinnes by true repentance then it followeth as well in respect of this Covenant of grace according whereunto God will deale with them as in respect of the former Covenant of the Law that God hath no purpose to save them but hath a purpose to damne them unto everlasting fire But so it is of all those whom you call the world of mankind namely that they have no power to believe in Christ or to break off their sinnes by repentance but are naturally carryed on unto infidelity and impenitency as I prove thus They that cannot discern the things of God but account them foolishnesse they cannot beleeve in Christ But such are all they whom you call the world of mankind for they are not regenerate and consequently they are meere naturals Now the naturall man as the Apostle speakes perceives not the things of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Again all such persons are still in the flesh Now the affection of the flesh is enmity against God is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can bee Secondly I prove that God cannot deale with them whom you call the world of mankinde according to the Covenant of Grace For if hee should hee should save them all as I prove thus If whatsoever God requires by this covenant on mans part God undertakes to perform on his part then it is impossible but that all must bee saved with whom hee meanes to deale according to this covenant But whatsoever by this covenant God requires on mans part God himself undertakes to perform on his part as I prove thus First in generall God undertakes in this covenant to bee our Lord and our God to sanctifie us Therefore hee undertakes to give us faith and repentance Secondly in speciall and first doth God require at our hands that wee should love him with all our hearts and with all our soules God undertakes to perform this I will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy children that thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule Doth God require at our hands that wee feare him And God also undertakes on his part to work us unto this Jer. 32. 40. And I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall never depart away from mee Doth God require Faith this also on his part hee performes Act. 2. ult God added to the Church dayly such as should bee saved And Philip. 1. 29. To you it is given to beleeve in him and to suffer for him Doth God require Repentance Even to this end God sent his Sonne to give repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins In a word it is God that makes us perfect unto every good work to do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Heb. 13. 21. Answ But in the second place it may bee argued that Gods raising up of Pharaoh to this intent to shew his power in his hardning and overthrow argueth the like hatred of Esau as of Pharaoh viz. a purpose of passing both by without communicating grace or glory unto them To which I answer a difference there is between Esau and Pharaoh though not in their finall condition nor in 〈◊〉 purpose concerning them Yet in the degree of their present estate whereunto they were severally come when God gave out his severall Oracles concerning them both for hee saith not of Pharaoh God raised him up to shew his power in his hardning and overthrow before hee had done good or evill as hee said of
a course to justifie God herein by saying that God hath mercy on none but in respect to their former good works Nay much more contradictions for as much as no good works in the state of nature or grace can bee meritorious of reward But sins may bee and are truely meritorious of punishment In the 22 vers there is not the least mention of obduration much lesse any mention of the cause thereof least of all any reversing of the former cause expressed ver 18. and justifyed ver 20. from the authority of God the Creator having power to make his creatures of what fashion hee will and substituting a new in the place thereof And although all that are vessels of wrath are sinners and consequently deserve punishment yet obduration in opposition to shewing mercy consisting in the deniall of saving grace is no punishment for as much as God doth not thereby withdraw any saving grace from them which formerly they injoyed and as for inflicting evill that hath no place in obduration for as much as all confesse that God doth not obdurate any man infundendo malitiam but non infundendo gratiam Neither is it sin either originall or actuall that which constitutes a man a vessell of wrath as a vessell of wrath is opposite to a vessell of mercy For sin both originall and actuall is incident to the Elect as well as to the Reprobate but like as Gods shewing mercy makes a man a vessell of mercy so Gods denyall of mercy finally constitutes a vessell of wrath exposing him to finall infidelity or impenitency which sin alone is not found in any of the elect It seems you think they are fitted to destruction by themselves as if vasa the vessels did separate and not Herus the Master rather Sin alone makes a man obnoxious to condemnation as deserving it and so there is sin in the best of Gods children to drive them to confesse that if the Lord should bee extream to mark what is done amisse none were able to abide it Yet the sin of the Reprobates you confesse God could prevent and not preventing it yet could cure it by the blood of Christ so that though sin bee granted to bee a cause hereof yet a more originall cause though nothing culpable must bee acknowledged to bee the deniall of Grace as our Saviour budgeth not to professe to the faces of some Yee therefore heare not my words because yee are not of God and Joh. 12. 40. Therefore they could not beleeve because Esaias saith Hee hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and should bee converted and I should heale them All this while have I maintained the safenesse of that exposition which interpreteth Gods hatred of Esau of a lesse degree of love and the same word is also used in the same sense But yet so understand mee I conceive this lesse degree of Love to have somewhat in it of the true nature of Hatred For as the nature of Love standeth in affecting communion with one and communicating good unto him So likewise the nature of hatred stands in the contrary to this either in affecting separation from one or inflicting evill on him or at least in not vouchsafing communion or communicating good unto him So is a man said to hate his brother that will not vouchsafe him such an office of brotherly communion as that hee will communicate a kindly reproofe to him for his sin Now I would easily grant that before Esau had done good or evill God so hated him as that hee did not communicate to him that fellowship with Christ which by Gods election and donation the members of the body have with him their head in Gods account even before the world was Neither did God vouchsafe that plentifull communication of his free grace unto him as might in time by a reall actuall power draw him to Christ and to live by him Yea God was pleased to set him in a state further remote and separate from him then his elect brother Even in the estate of a servant to the elect and in stead of communicating free grace hee purposed to deale with him rather according to his works by a covenant of Justice For both these are implyed in Gods putting of Esau into the state of a servant First the denyall of such grace and fatherly love to him as is reserved for children Secondly the not refusing of him to just dealing such as is due to servants according to their works I look to receive from you some proofe that the word Hatred is used in the same sense to wit to signifie a lesse degree of Love for to my judgement it is a wilde interpretation for in this sense God might bee said to hate every one of Gods elect excepting Christ for hee loves them all in a lesse degree then hee loved Christ and one in a lesse degree then another according as degrees of Love attributed to God are to bee estimated that is not quoad affectum for undoubtedly there are no degrees to bee found in the nature of God but quoad affectum and undoubtedly God alots one degree of grace to one and another degree to another and as hee deales with them in communicating of grace so in the communicating of Glory also Love and hatred undoubtedly are opposite contrarily and not onely contradictorily And because quot modis dicitur unum oppositorum tot modis dicitur alterum as love of complacency consists in delectation so hatred opposite is of displicency or aversation And as love of beneficence consisteth in wishing or doing good So hatred opposite consists in wishing or doing evill to another Here at length I observe the place you stand upon to prove that hatred in holy Scripture doth sometimes signifie a lesse degree of love and that seemes to bee Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt plainely rebuke thy brother and suffer him not to sin And to serve your turn in this interpretation you shape a correspondent practise of Love consisting in vouchsafing communion which unlesse it bee a communion of reproofe is nothing to your purpose who desire to shape hatred in contradiction thereunto And yet hatred all conceive to bee much more then not to love But were all this yeelded unto you yet doth it fall short of your purpose for albeit hee that forbears to reprove his brother doth him harm yet if hee doe not intend him harm hee cannot bee said to hate him For in Scripture phrase hatred denotes an intention to harm as Deut. 4. 42. Where wee reade that certain Cities were appointed That the slayer might fly unto which had killed his Neighbour at unawares and hated him not in times past But if you measure hatred by the harm done why should the sparing of reproofe to preserve a brother from sin and consequently from incurring the wrath of God bee
you of mankinde before Christ came into the world had they this power you speak of through Christ If you think they had I pray you how came they by it If onely it hold of mankinde since the preaching of the Gospel I demand whether of all or some if of all then you must acknowledge the Gospel to bee preached to all If only of them to whom it is preached yet the question still is whether it bee wrought by perswasion or inspiration Secondly in saying that in Christ they have greater grace to help to keep it your phrase doth imply that even without Christ men have grace and helpes and power to keep the Covenant of works In a word dare you say that any naturall man hath any power to bee subject to the Law of God or to doe that which is pleasing in Gods sight If you say they have any such power I demand whether ever any were found subject to the Law of God or did that which was pleasing in Gods sight It is very strange that never any such act should proceed from a power so generall If they were or did that which was pleasing in Gods sight then they were not in the flesh for they that are in the flesh cannot please God Lastly when you say these helps or this power is offered them in Christ it implies that upon some condition performable on their parts it is offered unto them Now it were very requisite you should deale plainly and expresse this condition which you doe not I confesse I see no danger in acknowledging that God purposeth to deale with mankinde according to their works nay I wonder you should exclude the elect from the number of those with whom God deales in this manner when the Apostle professeth so directly wee must all appeare before the judgement seat of God that every man may receive the things which are done in his body according to that hee hath done whether good or evill 2 Cor. 5. 10. Onely for Christs sake God giveth faith and repentance to some working in them that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ and doth not deale in the like mercy with others The rest of this Section I dislike not Glory bee to God in Christ and peace upon Israel In submission unto his Truth For why should wee lye for God as man doth for man to gratifie him For an Auctarium here is laid down a short Survey of the ninth Chapter to the Romans so farre as it treateth of the Doctrine of Predestination the better to clear some passages of the former Discourse THe whole Chapter from the first verse to the 23. is taken up in the answering of objections each latter arising from the answer to the former for the Apostle having taught in the last verse of the former Chapter that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ giveth occasion of this doubt that may arise Quest What think you of the Jews are not they the Elect people of God and yet are not they separate from Christ Answ The Apostle doth not plainly affirm it that they are separate from Christ but with much compassion bewailes it yea and protesteth that hee would wish himself rather separate from Christ for their sakes The grounds of which hee rendreth to bee for his kindreds sake ver 3. for their priviledges sake ver 4 5. This coherence I could brook well enough onely I say it is devised at pleasure and I finde it is a generall course to feign coherences and sometimes onely to shape thereby some conformation of the Apostles meaning to their interpretation of him The Apostle I am sure makes none and accordingly Ludovious Leoburgensis professeth saying Prorsus nova disputatio instituitur in qua tametsi doctrinam de Justificatione alicubi repetit intertexit tamen duas alias materias principales tractat videlicet quis sit vere populus Dei seu quae sit vera Ecclesia de vocatione Gentium Judaei contendebant se esse Ecclesiam se esse populum ad se solos pertinere promissiones Paulus respondet Elector esse populos Dei The disputation here instituted by the Apostle is altogether new wherein although hee doth sometimes repeale and insert the Doctrine of Justification yet hee handles two other principall matters to wit who are the people of God in truth and which is the true Church and of the calling of the Gentiles The Jews contended that they were the Church they were Gods people and that to them alone pertained the promises Paul answers that the Elect alone are Gods people Analysis What is then the word the word of promise of inseparable conjunction with Christ to them of none effect Answ No all are not Israel which are of Israel nor are all the children of Abraham that are of the seed of Abraham but in Isaac are his seed called viz. Not the children of Abrahams flesh are the children of God but the children of promise ver 6 7 8. which hee proveth by a twofold instance or example First of Isaac the seed of Abraham by Sarah who was given unto him as his seed by the word of promise ver 9. Secondly of Jacob the seed of Isaac by Rebekah of whom another promise was given that the elder brother should bee to him a servant ver 11. Which promise touching Jacob is amplifyed by First the freenesse of it all cause of different acceptation being removed from the two brethren and in regard first of parentage ver 10. secondly of personall condition and indowments ver 11. which freenesse is also further set forth by the end of it that the purpose of God might stand firm as not depending on any condition in the Creature ver 11. Secondly A parallell promise suiting to it preferring Jacob before Esau in Gods affection when they were both considered onely as brethren ver 13. These words of the Apostle are I confesse the key of the whole Chapter for opening the meaning or at least making way to a faire understanding of all that follows If the Jews are rejected as the Apostle presupposeth to wit as touching the most of them in the former words then it may seem that Gods word is of none effect which consequence the Apostle supposing such a consequence likely to bee made by his denying of it doth imply that there was some Word of God that seemed to bee made of none effect by this Doctrine concerning the rejection of the Jews This word therefore is to bee inquired into the investigation whereof will give light to all the rest Now this word can bee no other then the word of some promise made by God for the taking of the seed of Abraham to bee his people to bee his Church For such a promise alone seems to stand in contradiction unto our Christian Doctrine concerning the rejection of the Jews And indeed such a promise God made to Abraham Gen. 17. 7. I will establish