our sins in his own blood See Revel 5. 6. 12. 1 Ioh. 1. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. 2 Cor. 5. 18 c. God was in Christ reconciling the vvorld to himself Rom. 5. 10. When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Having made peace through the blood of his Crosse See Col. 1. 20 21 22. ch 2. 12 13 14. and Ephes 2. 13. 18. through him we have accesse unto the father Obtain right of saving c. Isa 53. 10 11. He shall see his seed and justifie many 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price Act. 20. 28. Which he God hath purchased with his own blood 1 Pet. 2. 9. 2 Pet. 2. 1. Mat. 11. 27. Mat. 28. 18. All are delivered unto me of my father Ioh. 3. 35. and Ioh. 5. 22. See Ioh. 17. 2. The Father hath committed all judgement unto the Sonne Mat. 18. 11. Luk. 19. 10. The Son of man is come to seek save that which was lost See Heb. 2. 14. 15 16 17. In whom we have redemption Col. 1. 14. Eph. 1. 7 8. 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Pet. 1. 2 3. Rev. 3. 14. Upon terms befitting c. 1 John 3. 8. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Mat. 1. 21. see Rom. 6. 1 2. Ephes 1. 4 6. For he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 9. 13. I am come to call sinners to repentance Tit. 2. 11 12 14. That he might redeem us from all iniquitie and from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. And purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Rev. 5. 9. He hath redeemed us unto God that we might become servants to God 1 Pet. 4. 1 2. And have our fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. And live unto righteousness 1 Pet. 2. 24. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3. c. 10. 4. That the Lord God might dwell amongst us Psal 68. 18. And We live to him 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Rom. 14. 9. Heb. 5. 9. and set forth his praise and glorie 1 Pet. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 6. 30. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. II. Upon the Consideration of his blood as shed he decreed that all those who should believe in that Redeemer and persevere in that faith should through mercy and grace by him be made partakers of salvation but such as would not believe in him but die in infidelitie should therefore be punished with eternal death Reprobation being decreed upon precedent infidelitie and dying therein Proofes out of Scripture His blood as shed c. Rev. 13. 8. The lamb slain from the foundation of the world Isa 42. 1. see 1 Pet. 1. 20. Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Isa 49. 3. Thou art my servant O Israel in whom I will be glorified See a Tim. 1. 9. Before the world began Who should believe c. Iohn 3. 14 15 16 36. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life John 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the son and believeth on him may have everlasting life see verse 47 54 58. Gal. 2. 20. I live by the faith of the son of God 1 Pet. 2. 6 7. Whosoever believeth on him shall not be confounded see Rom. 9. 30 33. Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved 1 Pet. 1. 2 5. who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Heb. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by faith Rom. 11. 20. Thou standest by faith Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace c. 1 Tim. 4. 10. The Saviour of them that believe John 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life 1 John 4. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe that ye may know that ye have eternal life Acts 15. 11. We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved And persevere c. Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing Mat. 24. 13 46. 1 Tim. 2. 15. But he that shall indure unto the end the same shall be saved Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing 2 John v. 9. He that abideth in the doctrin of Christ hath the father and the Son 1 Iohn 2. 24. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you Rom. 11. 22. if ye continue in his goodnes Col. 1. 23. Chap. 2. 5,6,7,8 If ye continue in the faith rooted and built up Heb. 3. 6 12 14. If ye hold fast-stedfastly unto the end Rom. 8. 13. If ye mortisie the deeds of the body Heb. 10. 35. ad finem Cast not away your confidence Rev. 2. 25. c. 3. 11. Hold fast till I come that no man take thy crown 2 Cor. 6. 1. Receive not the grace of God in vain 2 Pet. 3. 17 18. Beware lest being led away with the errour of the wicked ye fall from your own stedfastness But grow in grace Phil. 2. 12. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling 2 Tim. 2. 5 12. If a man strive for masteries yet is he not crowned except he strive for masteries yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully if we denie him he also will denie us Rev. 2. 11 17 26. Chap. 3. 12 21. To him that overcometh will I give of the hidden Manna and grant to sit with me on my throne and make him a pillar and he shall not be hurt of the second death Rev. 2. 10. Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give the a crown of life 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness see Iob 27. 3 4 5 6. Luke 8. 15. Such as would not believe but die in infidelitie c. Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Iohn 3. 18 36. He that believeth not is condemned already the wrath of God abideth on him 2 Iohn v. 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrin of Christ hath not God see Isa 27. 11. Rom. 11. 20. because of unbelief they were broken off Rom 6. 23. For the wages of sin is death Psal 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 11. 6. Vpon the ungodly he shall rain snares c. See Rev. 21. 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and abominable c. shall have their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone
providence it was that being dedicated to the service of Christ in mine Infancy the Piety of my Parents took an early care that I should not be alienated from him through the allurements of the world for want of a religious education and from a childe having been acquainted as Timothy was with the holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus herein I have exercised my self through the assistance of his grace to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Mr. Narrowgrace You speak as if regeneration came by nature and education Tilenus No Sir to say regeneration comes by nature were a Contradiction Mr. Takeo'-trust Do you not remember what the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 23. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God And Ephes 2. 1 2. We are dead in trespasses and sins and are by nature children of wrath Can there be so great a change wrought in a man as is a change from death to life and he have no apprehension or feeling when such a change is wrought in him Tilenus When I reflect upon the exuberance of the Divine grace under the Gospel I perswade my selfe there is some difference betwixt Christians born of faithful and godly parents and from their childe-hood educated and instructed in the wayes of faith and pietie I say we must make a difference betwixt these and those Jews and Gentiles of whom the Apostle speaks before they were made Christians I know you will not allow Heathens to stand in Competition with the servants of Jesus devoted to him from their very infancy neither is the law and discipline of Moses an equal standard to measure the dispensations of the grace of Jesus Christ by and yet if you consider Zacharie and Elizabeth who were trained up under the Pedagogie of Moses and date their practice of Pietie from their youth * See 1 King 18. 12 as you ought to do for why should we make an exception where God makes none You will finde that being righteous before God and walking in all the Commandements and ordinances of the Lord blameless S. Luke 1. 6. they were not capable of answering your question When and where and how the work of grace was wrought in them Now if the ministration of Moses which was in comparison a ministration of death was thus glorious how shall not the ministration of Christ which is the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious 2 Cor. 3. Under the Gospel that Covenant is fully accomplished wherein God bound himself to Abraham by the sacred tie of an oath to grant us a power to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our life S. Luke 1. 74. And the conveyances of this powerful grace being all put so freely into our hands this word and Sacraments it is required of us as a duty to have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12. 28. and doubtless 't is only our own inexcusable fault if we have not for indeed be it spoken with holy reverence the administration of our sacred baptisme were not better than a piece of solemn Pageantry if grace were not conferr'd upon us in receiving that Sacrament for therein are begg'd on our behalfe the blessings of Christ grace and pardon with the renewing and assistance of the holy spirit These the Church by prayer seeks for on our behalf by vertue of that Covenant wherein God hath promised and engaged himself to bestow them which promise be for his part will most assuredly keep and perform Then upon this we engage our vow to forsake the Devil and all his works and to keep Gods holy will and Commandements Can we think either that God in goodness or justice would require such an ingagement at our hands under peril of a greater condemnation or that the Church of God in prudence could oblige us to undertake it without good assurance of sufficient assistance and power from his gracious spirit to inable us to perform it according to the tenour of the Gospel Mr. Fribabe It seems you are for universal grace and you hold that all the children of the faithful dying in their infancie and before they have the use of reason are saved by vertue of that Covenant made Isa 49. 8. Heb. 13. 20. with us in the blood of Christ into which they are consigned at their baptisme as if all such were invested with some priviledge to exempt them from the absolute decree of reprobation Tilenus This Sir is the faith into which I have been baptized and catechized for I am taught to profess that in my baptisme I was made a member of Christ a childe of God and an inheritour of the Kingdome of Heaven Mr. Knowlittle But you know that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. Tilenus That I very well remember but withall I consider that besides that federal holiness which removes all obstacles in the children of the faithful and renders them recipients duly qualified for the Sacrament I am instructed in my Creed to believe in God the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth me that is if I do not resist his work and quench his motions and am further directed to beg by diligent prayer his special grace to inable me to discharge my duty to God and my neighbour which grace if I be not wanting to my duâ—y I have reason to assure my self of upon the strength of our Saviours promise S. Luke 11. 13. The short is Baptisme being stiled the laver of regeneration Tit. 3. 5 6. And the children of the faithful being in no capacitie of putting a bar against the efficacie of it the learned Davenant one of the Divines of the Synod of Dort concludes that therein they are truly justified regenerated and adopted and by this means a state of salvation is conferr'd upon them suitable to the condition of their infancy and arriving to the use of reason if they walk in the strength of the Divine grace under the command and conduct of the Holy Spirit and fight under Christ's banner as generous souldiers ingaged by solemn covenant and armed with assistance from above to that purpose should do we are assured that sin shall not got the dominion over them Rom. 6. 14. for he is greater that is ingaged in them for their assistance then he that is in the world against them 1 John 4. 4. Whereupon the same Apostle is confident to conclude c. 5. v. 18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not Mr. Knowlittle You speak as if a man might live without sin and so be saved without Christ Tilenus Sir I believe it is the duty of the children of God and therefore possible to be blameless and harmless without rebuke shining as lights in the midst of a crooked and
may lose their taste and relish as to sensible refreshment but not their real presence as influencing to Salvation Tilenus Tentatus Some comfortable apprehensions might be awakened and kindled in those bosomes that have been warmed with such sweet and heavenly experiences if they were not all overcast and darkned again by other black and dismal clouds which the observation of some of your greatest Divines have spread over them For Mr. Calvin himself Instit 1. 3. c. 2. § 10 11. saith The heart of man hath so many starting holes and secret corners of vanitie and lying and is cloathed with so many colours of guileful bypocrisie that it oftentimes deceiveth it self and besides experience sheweth that the Reprobates are sometimes moved with the same feelings that the Elect are so that in their own judgement they nothing differ from the Elect. See Heb. 6. 4 5. But the truth is though I have lived a good moral life hitherto and in a way of duty have had a comfortable dependence upon the mercy of God in Christ Jesus yet I am now affraid I have had none of those extraordinary snavities and refreshments of Gods spirit and consequently have no assurance of the presence of that comforter who is promised shall abide with us for ever Mr. Knowlittle You are to consider that all the Elect are not called at the same hour Tilenus Tentatus I should not stand upon the hour I could be content that God may take his own time to call me if you could in order to my present comfort insure me that I shall be called though it be but at the hour of death but this is that I am afraid you have no grounds for Mr. Take o'trust You may be confident that Christ is dead for you and that you have an interest in him so you can believe it Tilenus Tentatus I would desire to ask but these two questions 1. Whether this comfort be applicable to all and every sick and afflicted persons and 2. whether it be grounded upon the truth For if it be not to be applied unto all I may be amongst the excepted persons and so am not concerned in it or if it be not grounded upon the truth you offer me a delusion instead of comfort Mr. Take o'trust It is applicable unto all and every one and grounded upon the unquestionable truth of the Holy Gospel Tilenus Tentatus If it be applicable to all and every one as you affirm and grounded upon the truth that is as I conceive a rruth anâ—ecedent to their believing then it follows undeniably that Christ died for all in general and for every one in speciall else how can the comfort of this doctrin be so applied to them as you would have it But if your meaning be that it will become true to me or any other person that Christ died for us by that Act of faith which you would have me or any such other person give unto your speeches then you run into a manifest absurditie maintaining that the object of faith or the thing proposed to be believed doth receive its truth from the act of the believer and depend upon his consent whose faith and approbation can no more make true that which in it self is false then make false by his unbelief that which in it self is true Well may the Infidel deprive himself of the fruit of Christ's death but he cannot bring to pass by his unbelief that he hath not suffered it as a proofe of his love to mankinde On the other side the believer may receive benefit from the death of Christ but his act of faith doth not effect but necessarily suppose that death as suffered for him before it can be exercised about it or lay hold upon it Nay my believing is so far from procuring Christs death for me that on the contrary our great Divines do maintain quod nemo unquam fidem habeat nisi morte meritis Christi procuratam that I cannot have faith unless it be procured for me by the merits and death of Christ And because I cannot finde this faith in me I may conclude he hath not procured it for me and consequently that he hath not died for me neither and this you know is the ground of all my trouble Dr. Dubius Sir I wish you to take heed of that evil heart of unbelief as the Apostle calls it Heb. 3. and to that end remember the words of our Saviour John 3. ult He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Tilenus Tentatus Sir instead of lending me a clew to guide me out of that Maze of difficulties into which the prodigious Divinity of the Synod hath led me you intangle me much more in it For whereas the Apostle saith that God sends strong delusions to such as will not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved 2 Thes 2. You governing your discourse by those principles would first perswade men to believe a false proposition when you exhort every man to believe that Christ died for him which is false according to that Doctrin and then having believed this falshood they are punished by the spirit of errour to believe a lie I beseech you which way would you have me turn my self to get out of these perplexities Having instructed me to believe a doctrin that turns my obedience into punishment and makes my following the truth according to that Calculation the sure way to aggravate my damnation For if the Synod saith true and Christ be not dead for them that believe not in him how do they deserve to be punished for not believing that which is false And those that do obey the Commandement and believe in his death though but for a time why suffer they the punishment due only to the refractory and incredulous which is to believe a lie Mr. Knowlittle Sir you must not think to beguile us with your vain Philosophie we are too well established in these saving truths to be perverted by such Sophistrie Tilenus If you have no better Cordials for afflicted Consciences nor firmer props to support the necessitie of your ministerie than what the doctrins of the Synod will afford you I am afraid the most vulgar capacities will finde Logick enough to conclude from the premises that your office is altogether useless and impertinent Laying aside therefore the person of the Infidel Carnal Tepid and Afflicted whose parts I have hitherto acted to make a practical trial of the efficacie of your ministery upon them according to the tenour and consequences of those doctrins I beseech you sadly to reflect upon what hath already pass'd betwixt and consider further what a vertiginous spirit presided in that Synod that led those Divines Maugre all the reason to the contrary to denie some things which the Scripture expresly doth affirm and to affirm other things which the Scripture doth as
judgement was governed by his passions of love and hatred these by his lust And for his bitter Speeches Bucer gave him the title of a Fratricide Reverend Mr. Beza confesseth also of himself that per quindecim annorum Spacium quo alios docuit justitiae viam nec sobrium se factum nec liberalem nec veracem sed haerere in luto That for the space of fifteen years together wherein he taught others the way of righteousnesse himself trod neither in the way of truth nor bounty nor sobriety but stuck fast in the mire of sin Men that have had triall of the powerful workings of sin and grace and been brought upon their knees like the great Apostle with a bitter complaint O me miserum O wretched man that I am These are your None-such Divines which methinks our Saviour gave an intimation of in that passage to Peter Luke 22. 32. tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos Mr. Narrowgrace He attributeth so much to the Ministery of the Gospel that he seems to be superstitiously addicted to it and turnes it into an Idol Whereas we know of it self it is but a dead letter and therefore Maccovius handling that question Whether the word God may be savingly heard before regeneration concludes negatively and to avoide his Adversaries argument he affirmes that that hearing of the word which produceth faith doth presuppoose regeneration To this agrees the opinion of some Divines who think that Regeneration is effected after another manner then faith is To which purpose Johannes Rysius in his Confession saith thus Fides Dei gratiâ per verbum concipitur Regeneratio vero a Deo per Christum sine ullius rei Creatae interventu proficiscitur Faith is conceived by the grace of God through the word but Regeneration pro-ceeds from God through Christ without the intervention of any created thing whatsoever Mr. Take o' trust I conceive Sir when we see the ministery so much ecclipsed and undervalued as it is if there were nothing else in it Christian Policy should teach us not to vent such doctrines as are apt to bring more contempt upon it But the Holy Ghost hath set it at a higher rate by cloathing it with titles of a greater reputation He calls it the word of grace the word of faith the word of life the Joh. 6. 63. Heb. 4. 12. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. word of reconciliation the ministration of the Spirit the word that is able to save the soul the power of God unto Salvation the word of God that effectually worketh in them that beleeve Mr. Know-little I conceive the Ministery of the word hath these excellent titles bestowed upon it in regard it is the instrument by and through which God doth infuse into the understanding and heart his special grace or rather that regenerating virtue which alone doth powerfully effect the work of regeneration so that the outward word as an instrument conferreth nothing at all to that effect but is onely as the tunnell whereby water is poured into a vessel and yet that water receives no tincture at all from the nature or quality of the said tunnell Mr. Takeo'trust I have seen this alledged But they say we should consider that the nature and propertie of the word is to be intelligible in expression and to carry such a sense as is apt to move the party to whom it is addressed by working upon his understanding and inciting his heart to love or hatred hope or fear and this is the true efficacy the word is indowed with But if the word contributes no more to our conversion or regeneration than the tunnell that only conveighs the liquor to the filling of the vessel then it matters not whether the word be intelligible yea or no for that regenerating virtue being a distinct power infused besides it the word doth not work as a verbal id est a rational instrument but onely concurr's as an instrument destitute of sense and reason And therefore as it matters not what mettall the tunnell be made of whether wood or brasse or tinn So had the word no other kinde of instrumentalitie than that hath it were all one whether the language were barbarous non-sense as is usuall amongst some Sectaries or significant And to what end then did God confer the gift of tongues upon his Apostles and they take such care to condescend and apply themselves to the capacitie and apprehension of their hearers Besides if the word hath no more to do in this work than is pretended why should it consist of precepts and those establish't with promises and threatnings For a precept so establish'd especially doth prescribe the thing under command as a duty and concurr's unto that duty as the reason moving and obliging a man to performe it But if that special grace or regenerating vertue so infused doth alone effect a mans regeneration taking nothing at all from the word how can that effect be said to be the performance of his duty and an act of obedience to the command of the word Mr. Knowlittle 'T is a question whether there be any precepts properly so called under the new Covenant yea nor no Some absolutely denie it But we confess it and they may be said to concur to our conversion and believing per modum signi as a sign or object representing what God by his free grace is said to effect and work in us Indeed they declare what man ought to do but they serve rather to discover and convince his weakness than promote his duty Mr. Takeo'trust This doctrin doth cancel the very formal reason force of all the Commands of Christ and makes the word of God intended for an instrument of mans conversion to serve only for an object and meer doctrin for his faith and repentance to converse with for they are not to be wrought it seems by this means but immediately effected and wrought of Almighty God in the heart by a special action and operation and consequently all the exhortations and precepts as such all the promises and threatnings complaints and obtestations wherewith the word of God aboundeth to be nothing else but empty signs and busie trifles if not a ludicrous stage-play conducing nothing to that effect which they pretend to be designed for But that faith and regeneration which flowes from it are both wrought in a rational way by the outward ministery of the word moving and inciting the understanding and heart of man will evidently appear to be the doctrin of Christ and his Apostles 1. For faith take that expression in our Saviours prayer John 17. 17 20. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Neither pray I for these Apostles alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word See Joh. 20. 31. 1 John 5. 13. And Rom. 10. 17. Therefore faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God 1. That he understands faith working by love which the Gospel determines
hold that true believers may fall from true faith and into those sins which cannot stand with true and justifying faith neither is this onely possible but oft cometh to pass Proofes out of holy Scripture True Believers may fall from true faith Mat. 13. 20 21 22. Luke 8. 13. 14. They on the rock are they which when they hear receive the word with joy and these have no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away And that which fell among thorns are they which when they have heard goe forth and are choaked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring forth no fruit unto perfection Rom. 11. 20 21 22. Because of unbelief they were broken off Gal. 5. 4 7. Ye did run well Ye are fallen from grace 1 Tim. 1. 18 19. Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack ch 4. 1. Some shall depart from the faith ch 5. 12 15. Some are already turned aside after Satan Having damnation because they have cast off their first love See ch 6. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 15. ch 2. 17 18. Gen. 3. 6 24. Into sins which cannot stand with justifying faith c. 2 Pet. 2. 18. See ver 1. c. They allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour It hath happened unto them according to the true proverb The dog is turned to his own vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Mat. 26. 70 72 74. Then began Peter to curse and to swear saying I know not the man David a man of great faith and integrity 1 King 15. 5. yet 2 Sam. 11. 4 15. ch 12. 9. He committed adultery and murder And Solomon beloved of the Lord. 2 Sam. 12. 25. 1 Kings 3. 10. yet 1 Kings 11. from 1 to 10 verses through the love of strange women his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice and went after other gods And that these sins of Adultery Murder and Idolatry are inconsistent with true justifying faith See Gal. 5. 19 20. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Rev. 21. 8. ch 22. 15. Demas one of Saint Pauls fellow-labourers Philemon 24. Col. 4. 14. Whose names were written in the book of life Philip. 4. 3. yet 2 Tim. 4. 10. He embraced this present world How great a sin that is in a person so engaged 2 Tim. 2. 3 4. See Iames 4. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 20. 1 Iohn 2. 15. Ier. 2. 13. My people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living water c. Rev. 2. 20 22. Jezebel seduced my servants to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to Idols and they commit adultery with her Luke 11. 24. c. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and finding none he saith I will return unto mine house whence I came out And when he cometh he findeth it swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there III. They hold that true believers may through their own default fall into crimes and heinous offences continue and die in them and so finally fall away and perish Proofes out of Holy Scripture 1 Chron. 28. 9 If thou forsake him He will cast thee off for ever John 15. 2 6. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away and it is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned Ezek. 18. 24. When the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die See ver 26. and ch 33. 12 13 18. Matth. 18. 26. ad finem Then his Lord said unto him O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee And his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors See the Reasons of the 2 3 4 c. Negatives and the proofes of the 2 Affirmative III. They hold that true Believers though they fall sometimes into grievous sins and such as wast the Conscience yet fall not from all hope of repentance but that God according to the multitude of his mercies can and often doth bring them again by his grace unto repentance although they cannot certainly be assured that this shall certainly and undoubtedly be done Proofes out of Holy Scripture Fall not from all hope c. Ezek. 18. 30. Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not be your ruin See Rev. 2. 4. c. 3. 3. Psal 51. 17. Ier. 3. 1 12 14. Thou hast plaid the harlot with many lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord. Turn O backsliding children I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful I will not keep anger for ever For I am married unto you Hos 14. 4. I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely Ier. 31. 19 20. Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant childe For since Ispake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Mich. 7. 7 8 9. Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me Rejoyce not against me O mine enemie when I fall I shall arise Mat. 18. 21 22. How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him Jesus saith untill seventie times seaven Luke 6. 36. As your father which is in heaven is merciful Exod. 32. 2. c. to the 10. Aaron makes a calf and provokes the Lord yet chap. 40. 13. He is consecrated to the Priests office Hezekiah humbled himself the wrath of God was removed from him 2 Chron. 36. 26. Peter weeps bitterly Mat. 26. 75. Davids sin is put away 2 Sam. 12. 13. The incestuous Corinthian findes indulgence 2 Cor. 2. 7 10. A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal 51. 17. They cannot certainly be assured c. 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Divel Joel 2. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behinde him Ionah 3. 9. Isa 27. 11. For it is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on
into example when we speak of Gods ordinary external intercourse with sinners inviting and calling them to repent believe and obey the Gospel upon promise of life and peril of damnation For 1. This would make the divine call not only a continual temptation which is absurd enough but also ridiculous for this would not be such a temptation as that which occurs in Abrahams example wherein the duty commanded was not only possible to be performed but was also actually performed so far forth that God declared his own satisfaction in it by a voice from Heaven But according to the doctrin of those men we oppose God is supposed to be alwayes tempting and trying whether that will come to pass which is altogether impossible to come to pass that is he tempts and tries again and again whether the reprobate will believe and convert that is whether he will do that which Gods own decree hath rendred impossible for him to do Which is as if one should be very sollicitous to make an experiment whether the blinde would see or the dead walk 2. This would make Gods calling of Reprobates which is done by his signant will alone as they say not only an act of hypocrisie in seeming to wish them well by desiring their repentance and salvation when his beneplacent will hath decreed otherwise but also an act of cruelty because by this calling God is not only the occasion or cause of their infidelitie and disobedience it being impossible for reprobates to answer that call but of their greater punishment likewise into which they do necessarily fall for that their necessary and unavoidable infidelitie From which it follows 3. That that will whereby God wills not to give to reprobates sufficient grace to inable them to repent and believe much less irresistible grace that actually they must do so should not be Voluntas beneplaciti but rather Maleplaciti a will of displeasure rather then of good pleasure because it is an affection of the greatest hatred and aversation where as notwithstanding Gods calling unto faith and to salvation which is done by the word is declared to be an act of his good pleasure and grace Ephes 1. 9. 2 Thes 1. 11. 2 Tim. 1. 9. and an evidence of his compassion and love as may easily be collected out of Holy Scripture 2 Chron. 36. 15. Rom. 1. 7. Hos 9. 15. Lastly according to the doctrin of that distinction and those men that make use of it the whole revelation and ministery of the Gospel goes for no more but voluntas signi the will of God to give out such a thing for a signe only when indeed it is the will of Gods beneplaciture and is expresly so called as shall appear in the second particular wherein Tilenus offers the Reader satisfaction which is about the sense of another text perversly cited by him above upon another occasion Maccovius Colleg. de Predest disp 2. to prove that God would not have all men to be saved no not voluntate signi contrary to the most express grammatical sense of Scripture 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. he saith voluntas signi non est propriè dicta voluntas sed est verbum Dei that which is revealed and signified in holy Scripture to be the minde of God is not his will properly so called but it is the word of God as if it were consistent with his sacred veracitie to utter something disagreeable to his own will and he affirms further disp 5. that God doth not will that is not delight in or approve of any thing but what he doth effect and this he indeavours to prove out of Psal 115. 3. a paralel place to which we have Psalm 135. 6. against which doctrin these 2. assertions are clear 1. That Gods word or his command revealed in holy Scripture is his will properly so called John 6. 38 39 40. I came down from Heaven to do the will of him that sent me and this is the will of him that sent me Rom. 2. 18. Thou art called a Jew and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will being instructed out of the law 1 Thes 4. 3. This is the will of God even your sanctification Mat. 7. 21. But he that doth the will of my father c. See Mat. 12. 50. John 7. 17. chap. 9. 31. Heb. 13. 21. 1 John 2. 17. 'T is that which is right in the eyes of the Lord. Deut. 6. 17 18. Heb. 13. 21. 'T is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12. 2. And if it be not so how can we be assured that we do please him and are acceptable in his sight when we walk according to this rule 2. This will of God is not alwayes done but many times the contrary Isa 65. 12. chap. 66. 4. When I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear but did evil before mine eyes and did chuse that wherein I delighted not So Ier. 19. 5. chap. 32. 35. They have built also the high places of Baal to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal which I commanded not nor spake it neither came it into my minde Now to come to those passages of the Plalmist when he saith The Lord doth whatsoever pleaseth him it cannot be understood of mans work whether we mean his sin or his duty 1. Not of his sin for that cannot be said to please God For he is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness Psal 5. 4. And therefore most of our adversaries are ashamed directly to attribute the effecting thereof unto God Nor yet 2. Can it be understood of mans duty for that pleaseth God not as it is opus operatum Isa 1 12. c. but as it is a duty and a duty it cannot be if it be Gods doing for a duty is a work performed by an inferiour in obedience to the command of his superiour who hath authoritie over him and consequently mans duty cannot be a work of Gods only doing besides he that commands a thing he would have that thing which he commands to be done by him to whom he doth command it but he that does that thing supposed to be under command himself he wills not that it be done by another otherwise he should at the same time both will and nill it to be done by that other The Psalmist therefore is to be understood not of the things which the Lord would have done in a way of duty by others nor yet of such things as he promises to perform himself upon condition of mans obedience which through default hereof many times are not accomplished as Numb 14. 30. 1 Sam. 2. 30. but of all things which he intends absolutely to execute and bring to pass himself as Psal 33. 9. and so we may observe that his power in these works is opposed to the impotencie of Idols who are able to do just nothing see those two Psalms throughout