will rejoyn Can you give me any Promise that I shall live long enough to shew sorth my Faith by my Works If you cannot there 's but small encouragement to believe for to a late though serious Believer you say there is no certain promise of Salvation But let us leave the Remonstrants to reconcile themselves to their own Decree and take notice that at the Conference the Remonstrants were further asked 1. Whether they made this Article to contain the whole and entire Decree of Predestination 2. Whether they made Faith and Perseverance in Faith causes or conditions which did antecede Election unto Salvation or fruits which grow out of Election and so follow it After some tergiversation they said 1. That they acknowledged no other Predestination than that which they had in their first Article expressed 2. That Faith did in the consideration of God precede Election to Salvation and was not a fruit of it This is their opinion about the Decree which now that it is opened appears to be as repugnant to Scripture as before when it was wrapped up it seemed agreeable Were this Opinion true it should not be said that we are elected that we may be holy but because we were holy nor would the Holy Ghost have said as many as were ordained to eternal life believed but as many as believed were ordained to eternal life The second Article as translated by the Doctor pag. 50 is That Iesus Christ suffered death for all men and in every man that by his death upon the Crossâ— he might obtain for all mankind forgiveness of sins c. with this condition notwithstanding that none but true Believers should enjoy the benefit of the reconciliation and forgiveness of sins I have if I forget not in the Pamphlets of some Quakers read this phrase of Christ's suffering death in every man and looked upon it as non-sense so I do still and therefore will hope it never dropped from the Doctor 's Pen but is to be put among the Errata's of the Printer As to the Article it self I can easily grant it to be a truth though all Contra-remonstrants do not but it is not all the truth Christ died not with an intent onely to make man reconcileable and salvable but also to purchase for some whom the Scriptures call Elect the very graces of Faith and Repentance Here therefore is the Question betwixt us Whether Christ died with the same intention for all Remonstrants affirm Contra-remonstrants deny Christ hath procured that whoever comes to the Father through him shall be saved but there are also some for whom he hath procured that they shall come to the Father The third and fourth Articles are so worded as to contain nothing but the truth though not all the truth save that in the end of the fourth it is said that As for the manner of the co-operation of Grace it is not to be thought irresistible in regard that it is said of many in the holy Scriptures that they did resist the Holy Ghost Act. 7 and in other places Which is a very rude Assertion either impertinent or false If the meaning be that some operations of the Holy Spirit are resisted some of his motions quenched who ever denied this If the meaning be that the converting work of the Spirit may be resisted in some degree and measure that will not be gainsaid neither But this we say that converting Grace doth determine the Will that Grace effectual doth not leave the Will at liberty utterly to resist it or not but taketh away that which would resist or make head against the Spirit As for the fifth Article it seems they did not know their own minds They profess that such as are ingrafted into Christ by a lively Faith may be Conquerours Christ is ready to assist them if for theâ—â— parts they prepare themselves to the encounter and beseech his help and are not wanting to themselves in performing duties But they say it is first to be well weighed and proved by the holy Scripture Whether they may not by their own negligence forsake those Principles of saving Grace by which they are sustained in Christ before they can publickly teach these Doctrines with any sufficient tranquility or assurance of mind All which is no more than may be said of that fundamental Doctrine concerning the Trinity for it must first be well weighed Whether the Scriptures do hold forth a Trinity of Persons before a man ventures publickly to Preach that Mystery I think that if we search the Scriptures it will soon be found that though the Regenerate may lose the Spirit of God and would soon lose him if they were left to themselves yet there is a promise by which God hath engaged himself not to let sin so far prevail in them as quite to extinguish the Spirit totally to destroy the new Creature and workmanship of God One would think that the Remonstrants who thus poorly sought to hide their Opinions should not have much reason to brag of the success of the Conference yet Dr. Heylin is resolved to tell us that Dr. H. Pag. 54. The Contra-remonstrants had the worst and finding themselves not to have thrived much better by their Pen-combats than in that of the Tongue they betook themselves to other courses vexing and molesting their Opposites in their Classes or Consistories endeavouring to silence them from Preaching in their several Churches or otherwise to bring them to Publick Censure Answ. It would better have beseemed the Doctor to have answered Dr. Ames his Coronis ad Collationem Hagiensem than thus to have boasted of an imaginary success especially seeing the States ordered to leave these Articles just in the same state that they were in before the Conference After this Conference I find the States enjoyning both parties to give in their judgements what they thought the best way for the composing of the Controversies that were in the Church which did much endanger the Peace of the Commonwealth The Remonstrants in order to accommodation propounded that there might be a Toleration both Parties being permitted freely to Teach and Publish their Opinion The Contra-remonstrants judged the best way for the composing of the Differences was this that a National Synod should be called in which it might be determined which Opinion was most agreeable to Scripture and to the common judgement of the Reformed Churches These two ways being propounded to the States they were divided in their Opinions and so nothing could be determined only they enjoyned in order to the crushing of the Vorstian Party that none should teach otherwise concerning Christ's Satisfaction for our Sins the Iustification of Men before God Saving Faith Original Sin Certainty of Salvation than had been taught in other Reformed Churches and in those Provinces If ever men forsook the Word and betook themselves to the Sword the Remonstrants did Adolphus Venator when Magistrates were chosen that favoured not his Opinion stirred up the common Rabble against
else bring more apposite and concluding testimonies and authorities than any that the Doctor hath here brought Nor is the Doctor more advantaged by any thing that he alledgeth out of the Institution of a Christian Man for if the Reformation in Henry the Eighths time were looked on as a standard which it is not by any Protestant yet is there not a tittle in all the five particulars gathered by him Par. 2. p. 21 22 that hath so much as a face of opposition to any opinion of Mr. Calvin's concerning Predestination Had the Authors of that part of the Institution put the Pen after they had made it into Calvin's own hand he would not have dashed out any one period or expression in it Many and just exceptions might be taken against sundry passages relating to the Composers and composition of the first and second Book of Liturgy and the Book of Homilies of King Edward pag. 23 24. But being aprosdionysous to our main Controversie let them pass Nor will I wrestle with the Historian concerning any thing he saith about the Composers of the Articles or the Articles themselves or the authority they carry in respect of the making or how they are to be understood in respect of the meaning from pag. 25. to pag. 33. Though if I should wrestle I were sure to lay him on his back I will also submit to every Rule by him laid down for the interpreting of the Article concerning Predestination pag. 34. Let this be agreed on 1. That that only is the Doctrine of our Church which is laid down expresly in our Articles or by good consequence may be thence deduced 2. That if any phrase occur about which there is any doubt that be taken for the meaning that shall be found agreeable to the mind of those who first composed or were authorized to review the Articles or were familiarly acquainted with such and may be presumed to know their meaning or to have received their notions from them 3. Let this also be taken for granted that none are to believe or think themselves elect but those who find in themselves a faith working by love or that none can take unto themselves the comfort of being given to the Son by the Father's decree but only those who are come unto him and that no ones reprobation can be known by himself or another in any ordinary way unless by discerning some such sin as is alway accompanied with final unbelief and impenitence such is only the sin against the holy Ghost But the thing to be enquired is Whether God's purpose to save out of fallen man all that believe and persevere in believing be his whole decree of Predestination and his purpose to condemn all who continue in unbelief the whole of his Reprobation So say the Remonstrants If our Church acknowledge no other decree of Election or Reprobation but this Dr. Heylin then hath got the day But if the Church besides this general purpose do acknowledge a decree to give to a certain number of persons grace and glory and a decree to leave others in that sin and misery that they brought on themselves by the fall then he loseth the day But do the Remonstrants acknowledge no other Election and Reprobation besides these Answ. Sometimes they do not and then all their Election notwithstanding no one man may be saved but sometimes they are in a better mood and give us notice of another Election according to which some shall certainly be saved This their decree is terminated to singular persons but it is nothing else but God's purpose to save S. Iames or S. Clement for example whom he eternally foresaw persevering in faith unfeigned to the end of their lives This latter decree they speak of but rarely what our thoughts are of it will be seen by and by Nor doth it honour Divine election at all for when they are closely examined they say the designation of S. Iames to salvation was founded on the foresight of a faith not which he attained unto by virtue of any grace prepared for him by Divine election but which he attained unto by the good use of his own Free-will Never do I find them or any that follow them acknowledge an Election of the Son of Zebedee or any other person unto Faith or unto any other part of Holiness Other Questions there be betwixt the Calvinist and Anticalvinist besides the Question of Election but such as are reduceable to it or at least such about which they would easily agree could they but agree in this I for my part would only ask that angry man who calls me Manichee Blasphemer c. Why did Iames believe why did he persevere why was he ordained to eternal life If in answering these he fly to a special discriminating love and mercy then will I never look on him as an Adversary But if he shall say the cause of all is to be referred to Iames his own using of such sufficient means as were vouchsafed to Iudas as well as to him then must I needs think that he taketh from God to give to man I must also needs think that he shapeth his Notion of the Divine decree and grace neither according to Scripture nor according to the Doctrine of the Fathers who wrote against Pelagius nor according to the English Church As to our English Church thus runs her Article according to the Doctor Dr. H. Pag. 27. Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the world were laid he hath constantly ordered by his Council secret unto us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation as vessels made to honour Furthermore we must receive God's promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture and in our doing the will of God that is to be followed which we have expresly declared to us in the Word of God One would think that the many words used in this Article were sufficient to determine what kind of Predestination the Church meaneth For 1. If she had meant nothing but God's purpose to save all Believers it had been but bringing some one Scripture in which eternal life is promised to Believers and all had been done Nay what needed any Article at all concerning Predestination and Election when we had one before concerning Justification which according to this Notion very little differs from Election God's Justification considered as an internal immanent act in himself was nothing but his purpose to justifie fallen man believing in Christ. How much Mr. Playfer is gravelled with this Argument may be seen App. Evan. pag. 360. 2. If Election be nothing but God's purpose to save Believers why is it said that as many as are endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through
adult Persons his observation may be granted Dr. H. Ibid. Finally That this Counsel is secret unto us for though there be revealed to us some hopeful signs of our Election unto Life yet the certainty of it is a secret hidden in God and in this life unknown unto us Answ. The Doctor should have said if he would have kept to the words of the Article that God hath ordered by his Counsel secret to us the meaning whereof seems to be that the reason which moved God to predestinate this or that person is unknown to us But this would have overthrown the whole Arminian fabrick Therefore another sense is pitched on no way deduceable from the phrase contrary to Scripture contrary to the seâ—se and judgement of our Martyrs and Confessors viz. that in this life we can have no certainty of our predestination unto life Against this thus I argue If a man may certainly know that he believes in Christ he may know certainly that he is predestinated unto eternal life But the antecedent is true ergo so is the consequent I prove my major Because every one that believes is ordained to eternal life Which enunciation if any one shall deny I prove it first by the saying of Mr. Latimer quoted with applause by the Doctor If thou believest in him then art thou written in the Book of life and shalt be saved which connexion were not good if there were any man a Believer whose name were not found in the Book of life or not saved I prove it because Faith is called the Faith of God's Elect Tit. 1.1 I prove it finally because it is said that as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts 13.48 Why is it said as many as were ordained to eternal life believed if any could believe but those who are ordained to eternal life But there is a place not to be eluded Whom he calleth those he justifieth and whom be justifiâ—th those he also glorifieth Whoever are called according to the purpose of his will are justified and glorified As to the minor that A man may certainly know he hath saith methinks no Christian should doubt it We should not so earnestly be presâ—ed to try whether we be in the faith if we could not know whether we be so or no. Are there not some effects that are proper to saving faith If there be why may not he who feels them in himself conclude thence that he hath faith As for our first Reformers so far were they from thinking that Election is not knowable that some of them placed Faith in an Assurance of a mans Election and Christ's dying for him If I prove this I shall prove ex abundanti that they were for personal absolute Election Of others I shall prove that they have in terms express owned Calvin's Predestination or some such Doctrine as is necessarily connexed with it Secondly I shall answer every Testimony that Dr. Heylin brings to prove that the absolute Decrees were decryed by any of our Martyrs and pass to the other Points 1. I begin with the Liturgy In the Catechism whereof after rehearsing of the Creed Question is made What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy belief Answer is returned 1. I learn to believe in God the Father who hath made me and all the world 2. In God the Son who hath redeemed me and all mankind 3. In God the holy Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God The object of the Father's Creation is here made the Respondent and all the World the object of the Son's Redemption is the Respondent and all Mankind the object of the Spiriâ—s Sanctification is the Respondent and all the Elect People of God The second object is not so large as the first nor the third so large as the second and the Catechumen is as well taught to number himself among the Elect people of God as among mankind Who are these chosen of God Surely they are the Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and to such is the Sanctification of the Spirit here limited So that if any one be chosen he is sanctified and if he be sanctified he is chosen and every one who comes for Confirmation is taught to profess himself one of those whom the Spirit Sanctifieth and God Elected I dare not direct every Baptized person so to say But by this we may see what the opinion of the Composers of the Liturgy was In the Catechism appointed by King Edward's Authority to be taught by all Schoolmasters fol. 38 it is said To the furnishing of this Commonweal belong all they as many as do truly fear honour and call upon God wholly applying their mind to holy and godly living and all those that putting all their hope and trust in him do assuredly look for the Bliss of everlasting life But as many as are in this faith stedfast were forechosen predestinate and appointed out to everlasting life before the world was made Witness whereof they have within their hearts the Spirit of Christ the Author earnest unâ—ailable and pledge of their faith How much Calvinism is here As many as fear God were forechosen predestinate and appointed out to everlasting life before the world was made therefore if any man â—ail or miss of eternal life he never feared God or God never put his fear into any but those whom he so fore-ordained to everlasting life Yet there is more fol. 39 The first principal and most perfect cause of our justifying and salvation is the goodness and love of God whereby he chose us for his before he made the world Now the Arminian election is not sure the most perfect cause of our justifying and salvation nor is it God's chusing of us to be his before he made the world And let it be observed that it is said that after that he hath chosen us for his he granteth us to be called by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ when the spirit of the Lord is poured into us 2. Our next task is to look into the sentiments of our Martyrs and Confessors such as lost their lives or left their Countrey or were deprived of their Liberty or Dignities and Preserments for bearing witness to the Doctrine that was established by all Authority Ecclesiastical and Civil among us Our first Martyr in order of time was Iohn Rogers our first in order of Dignity were Cranmer of Canterbury and Ridley of London Bishops I have not met with any writings of either of these in which they have expresly declared their judgments in the Points under debate yet we will see what may be at least guessed concerning their mind For Mr. Rogers I find he was the Convert of William Tindal and Miles Coverdale and that he joyned with them in making that Translation which now goes by the name of Matthews Translation and what opinions that Translation doth favour I leave it to indifferent persons to judge I find
he might have mercy upon all What can hence be collected Why The two All 's are of equal extent How many Unbelievers there be on so many God hath a Will of shewing Mercy and if every Man be under Mercy then there is no precise Will of shutting out any from possibility of Mercy Well 1. Let it be remembred that here it is granted that God hath shut up all under unbelief Which is as high an expression concerning God's providence about and concurrence unto evil as any used by Mr. Calvin 2. When it is said that God hath a Will of shewing Mercy on all Unbelievers If by Mercy be understood a general Mercy we can grant it All Men are not only under a possibility of this Mercy but also have some actual participations of it But 3. It is plain that the Mercy intended in the Text is not a general Mercy common to all Mankind but such a Mercy as was never vouchsafed to some whole Nations much less to every individual Member of those Nations V. 30 For as ye i. e. the Gentiles in times past have not believed God yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy Doubtless the mercy that the Gentiles obtained by the unbelief and hardness of the Jews was the hearing of the word and that which comes by hearing even Faith The mercy also that the Jews obtained through the mercy of the Gentiles was the being provoked to jealousie the seeing of him whom they had crucified and being in bitterness the turning of them away from iniquity and the turning of iniquity from them Now doth Dr. Heylin indeed think that God did shut up every Jew and Gentile in unbelief with a design and purpose to have the Gospel preached to the singula generum If so he must unavoidably grant that the Almighty is marvelously frustrated in his design and purpose for he is too good a Geographer and Historian to think that the Gospel was ever preached or entertained by all men that have lived or do now live in the World 3. Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life From hence it undeniably follows that God will not damn any man meerly for not coming up to the terms of the old Covenant of Works and that none shall perish whose heart is brought to believe in Christ. Nor have the Contra-remonstrants denied this and more than this cannot hence be inferred For whereas Mr. Hoard argueth God loveth the whole lump of mankind and loved it fallen into a gulf of sin and misery He did not therefore hate the most of them lying in the fall for love and hatred are contrary acts in God and cannot be exercised about the same objects He sure could not but think that we would reply that God doth not love the whole lump of mankind with the same degree measure and kind of love and that a less degree of love is sometimes in Scriptures called by the name of hatred God had not such a love for the whole lump of mankind as to decree to bestow upon every particular person that special grace which shall infallibly bring him to eternal life and glory Any love less than this many consist with absolute eternal Non-election or Preterition Nay God did never so love the World as to purpose to bestow on all the parts of it the very means of knowledge How many notwithstanding the love this Text speaks of are everlastingly punished who never heard of the way to Salvation 4. 1 Tim. 2.4 Who would have all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth In these words the Apostle delivers two things 1. That it is God's will that all men should obtain an happy end 2. That it is his will also that they should use and enjoy the means which is the knowledge of his truth that they might attain the end There is no let in God but that all men may believe and be saved and therefore there is no absolute will that many thousands of men shall never believe nor be saved The thing that should be proved is That there is a will in God to save all men and to bring them to the knowledge of the truth and we have here a Scripture brought to prove that God would have all men to be saved as if there were no difference betwixt these two Propositions Deus vult omnes salvos fieri Deus vult omnes salvos facere If a man should lay down this assertion that Dr. Heylin hath a mind or purpose to bestow an hundred pounds per annum on Abingdon and when he is called to make good that assertion should only prove that Dr. Heylin could be well pleased that an 100 per annum were given to the Town and that there is no let in him why it hath not been given would he not become ridiculous Never did sober Sublapsarian say that there is any let in God but that all men may believe and be saved but they do not think that a man must presently believe and be saved if God do not hinder his faith and salvation 'T is required that God should remove all the leâ—s and hindrances of faith cure us of our unbelief and put his fear into our inward parts else we shall never believe or be saved Let any Arminian prove that God hath willed and purposed to do all this for every one 5. 2 Pet. 3.9 Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance This is a negative Proposition and must be taken distributively and therefore it flatly contradicteth absolute Reprobation Here is Logick that may well make younger men than Dr. Heylin and I to smile 1. The Scripture produced is not one Proposition but two and if the first be negative the second is affirmative 2. What if it be taken distributively Is there no distribution but only into the singula generum I thought that there might be a distribution into genera singulorum 3. I could notwithstanding any thing brought by Mr. Hoard to the contrary hold that the words are to be restrained to the Elect. 4. But because I can be not only honest but also liberal I will grant that God is not willing that any one should perish that he is willing that every one should repent But then I deny that either of these two Propositions do contradict Gods decree of Reprobation which as hath been often said is his decree to permit that many shall perish in their impenitence Mens being under this decree doth not hinder but that God may voluntate complacentiae will their conversion and patiently expect it and afford them such means as will leave them without excuse though such as he foreknew they would frustrate and receive in vain The conditional Texts of Scripture that follow are so
turn I shall conclude what relates to Bishop Ridley with those words of his farewel pag. 506 Acts and Monum The Church had holy and wholesom Homilies c. It had in matters of controversie Articles so penned and framed after the holy Scripture and grounded upon the true understanding of God's word that in short time if they had been universally received they should have been able to have set in Christ's Church much concord and unity in Christ's true Religion and to have expelled many false Errors and Heresies wherewith this Church alas was almost overgone He here approves all the Articles and therefore the three before-mentioned as agreeable to God's Word As to Cranmer we have him not only owning all the Doctrine and Religion set out by King Edward but also offering if Peter Martyr might be joyned to him with four or five more to maintain that it was more pure and according to God's Word than any that had been used in England for an hundred years This had been a most foolish challenge indeed if he had not known full well that Peter Martyr and he jumped in their judgements about all the Articles and particularly that of Predestination With Heterodoxy in which he might well expect to be charged for Iames Lambert had been apposed in that point in King Henry the Eighths Reign and our Martyrs in Queen Mary's time were frequently twitted with fatality making God the Author of Sin destroying Free-will and what not The next Martyr I shall instance in is Mr. Philpot to whom Mr. Bradford refers his Friend for satisfaction in the matter of Election What he did write about Election I do not find but I find enough to make me confident that if he had written any thing about it he would have shewed himself sufficiently Calvinistical For in his fifth Examination he took occasion to ask his Popish Adversaries Which of them all was able to Answer Calvin 's Institutions which is Minister of Geneva To which Dr. Saverson replies with lye and all A godly Minister indeed of receipt of Cut-purses and Runnagate Traytors And of late I can tell you there is such contention fallen between him and his own Sects that he was feign to flee the Town about Predestination I tell you truth â—or I came by Geneva hither At which calumny Philpot â—s zeal was stirred as appears by his words I am sure you blaspheme that godly man and that godly Church where he is Minister As it is your Churches condition when you cannot answer men by learning to oppress them with blasphemies and false reports for in the matter of Predestination he is in none other opinion than all the Doctors of the Church be agreeing to the Scriptures If this be not full and home what is The profound Disputant and blessed Martyr answering for his life avows Mr. Calvin's Doctrine of Predestination to be agreeable to the ancient Doctors and Scriptures And how could a Doctrine be more amply commended His Friend Mr. Bradford will say as much for the Doctrine it self though not taking notice of Mr. Calvin as delivering it in his Institutions There is a Letter of his concerning Election to two of his Friends N. S. R. C. recorded Acts and Monuments 352. Who the persons were notified by these four letters N. S. R. C. I have no certainty but suppose that N. S. was one Skelthrop who held conditional Election and Free-will but by the pains Mr. Bradford and others took with him was reclaimed After this Epistle of Mr. Bradford's Mr. Fox adds some Notes appertaining to the matter of Election which Notes do not in the least contradict any one tittle in Mr. Bradford but more largely explain what he touched but briefly But Dr. Heylin saith Dr. H. page 42. Fox his Notes corrupt the Text and that Bradford's Notion of Predestination is plainly cross to that of the Calvinistical Party Let us see whether there be any such crossness or no. Bradford saith he believeth that Faith is the work and gift of God given to none other than the Children of God Who are they Those whom God the Father before the beginning of the World hath Predestinated in Christ unto Eternal life Answ. Is this Election cross to that of the Calvinists Do not they say against the Arminians that Faith flows from Election as a fruit of it and that it is commensurate with Election so as none believe but those who are elected It not this the very offensive Notion of Election against which the Remonstrants make such outcries The Letter further adds that though the Election be first in God yet to us it is last opened But the Doctors Election is last in God as well as last opened to us Let the Martyr proceed in his Letter By the light of the Spirit a man may see this Faith not given to all men but to such as are born of God predestinate before the World was made after the purpose and good will of God which will we may not call into disputation but in trembling and fear submit our selves to it as to that which can will none otherwise than that which is holy right and good how far soever otherwise it may seem to the judgement of reason which must needs be beaten down to be more careful for God's glory than man's salvation which dependeth only thereon as all God's Children full well see Lo here he speaks of a Predestination in which there is an unsearchable depth of an Election about which if reason not assisted by revelation should pass judgement there would seem to be in it something of injustice Whereas the Arminian Election making God to predestinate men to life upon the foresight that they would believe and to pass by others upon a foresight they would not believe hath nothing of a depth in it but is as easily accounted for as any other act of God's providence whatsoever I said before that I conceived one of those unto whom this Letter is directed was by it rectified in his judgement touching Election and the use of Free-will which he had made a condition of that Election at least I am sure one Skelthrop was made to see the light in this particular Mr. Bradford takes notice of the change wrought in him and praises God for it in a Letter to Careless page 336. Not doubting but that he would be so heedy in his conversation that his old Acquaintance may ever thereby think themselves astray In the same Letter he salutes in Christ True and his Followers hoping that God had his time for them also Now this True was a man differing from Careless in the point of Election as doth most manifestly appear by the Examination of Careless related by the Doctor page 15 16 Part 3. He thought as the Popish Clergie did that we be elect in respect of our good works But Mr. Bradford hoped he would come off from that opinion But I think he did not but still continued to sacrifice to Free-will
grace obey and they walk religiously and at length by God's mercy they attain to everlasting felicity The benefit that any man hath by Election in this way is but to know that if he believe he shall be saved And are all that know so much called justified made to live righteously and saved We know they are not Again it is said that the godly consideration of Election in Christ is of unspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ. But in the Doctor 's way Predestination is comfortable to those who feel nothing of the Spirit for the promise is to them that if they believe they shall be saved and other promise the godly man hath not he may the next hour lose all his holiness and what certainty hath he then of salvation It is also said that for curious and carnal persons to have alway before them the sentence of God's Predestination is a most dangerous downfal whereby the Devil doth thrust them into desperation or into wretchlesness of living But now for any men to have the Doctor 's Election or sentence of Predestination alway before them is no way dangerous or apt to beget either despair or wretchlesness We cannot advise carnal persons to a more profitable and pertinent object of meditation In a word the very calling of Election by the name of Predestination is enough to determine what kind of Election is meant The Doctor 's Election is a Postdestination for it then only makes men ordained to eternal life when having overcome all temptations they are possessed of it But I must hear what the Historian hath to observe from this Article viz. Dr. H. Pag. 35. 1. That Predestination doth suppose a Curse or state of Damnation in which all mankind was represented to the sight of God which plainly crosseth the opinion of the Supralapsarians Answ. I have no fondness for the opinion of the Supralapsarians though I honour the memory of some Supralapsarians but yet cannot deem that there is any thing in the Article that doth overthrow their Opinion He that is of another mind may do well to frame a Syllogism out of the Article and to try his strength And withal he may do well to refute Mr. Wotton who hath so expounded the Article as to draw the Supralapsarian platform out of it and his Argument is not inconsiderable pag. 137 Answer to Mountague Dr. H. Ibid. 2. That it is an act of his from everlasting because from everlasting he foresaw into what misery wretched man would fall Answ. Our Article doth indeed call Predestination the everlasting purpose of God but that it therefore calls it so because God foresaw what misery man would fall into is to speak mildly an unproved dictate Dr. H. Ibid. 3. That he founded it and resolved for it in the Man and Mediator Christ Iesus both for the purpose and performance which crosseth as directly with the Sublapsarian Answ. The Article in describing those whom God hath predestinated saith they are such whom he hath choseâ— in Christ therefore God founded Election and resolved for it in the Man and Mediator Christ Jesus both for the purpose and performance This is an Argument that hath scarce sense in it so far is it from having any strength of reason But how doth this cross with Sublapsarian Why because Dr. H. Ibid. They place the absolute Decree of Predestination to Life and of Reprobation unto Death both of Body and Soul before the decree or consideration of sending his onely beloved Son into the World to be the common Propitiation for the Sins of Men. Answ. This may perhaps be true of some Sublapsarians of all I am sure it is not The Sublapsarians I converse with say that if we respect God's nature and perfection he doth by one most simple act and at once decree all things but if respect be had to the things decreed some priority and posteriority hath place They also say that the Controversie betwixt them and the Arminians is not concerning the order of the Divine decrees which almost every considerable Author hath framed with some variety Would the Remonstrants but acknowledge that God did by his decree ordain men to Faith as well as to eternal life they would permit them to abound in their own sense Whether he did first ordain to the means or to the end Christ is by all Sublapsarians that I ever heard of made the meritorious cause of our Salvation but they say he is not the impulsive cause why one rather than another is chosen to Eternal life any more than he was the cause of sending himself into the World Whether the consideration of the Mediator did in God's decree precede the consideration of Salvation to be obtained by him or the Salvation appointed to the Elect precede the consideration of the Mediator is a thing disputed among the Calvinists themselves Dr. H. Ibid. 4. That it was of some special ones alone and not generally extended unto all mankind a general election as they say being no election Answ. This is a great truth that Election cannot be of all a General election being oppositum in apposito But the Doctor would have merited much of the Arminians if he had shewn us what Election they acknowledge which is not of all Arminius makes four Decrees 1. The Decree to send Christ to Redeem mankind 2. The Decree to give Eternal life to Believers 3. The Decree to give Grace and Strength sufficient to Believe 4. The Decree to give Salvation to those particular Persons whom he foresaw would Believe and persevere in the Faith The three first concern all or at least all that hear of Christ. As for the fourth methinks it is not worth the name of a Decree nor beseeming the Divine Wisdom for if our King foreknowing who would come in and acknowledge their Rebellion should decree that all comers in c. should be pardoned would it be suitable to Royal Wisdom to make another decree to pardon those whom he foresaw would come in c Besides this fourth Decree can be of no use or efficacy to any man in this life it conferred no more benefit to David than to Saul to Abel than to Cain for this Decree supposeth perseverance in Faith to the last breath and so belongs to the other world Now let all Christians judge whether the Scriptures describe not such an Election as hath its efficacy and fruit in this life Dr. H. Ibid. 5. That being thus elected in Christ they shall be brought by Christ but not without their own consent and co-operation to everlasting salvation Answ. The Historian would do well to ponder Whether Infants be not brought to eternal salvation without their own consent or co-operation whether they are all placed among the Elect S. Austin was wont to urge such an Argument against the Adversaries of absolute Election and it gravelled them the Doctor dealt wisely to take no notice of it Of