controverted Opinions and restrain them from doing hurt C. XI While true Union and Love are secured by common concord in things essential and necessary a Judge of other Controversies is not needful to these ends before secured Christians must live in Love that understand not many hundred Texts or Controversies C. XII It is worse than Madness to think that all Controversies will on Earth be ended or that any Men can do it But they that say it do most deeply damn such pretended Judges that so many Volumes being written of Controversies and contrary textual Expositions among themselves will not decide them to this day Who shall decide all the Controversies between General Councils and all the present Patriarchs and Churches in the World Thus much to answer the question Who shall be Iudge of Controversies and Scripture Sence § 5. If Men did but difference points necessary to Salvation and Christianity from those that are only needful to a higher Stature in the Church and from those that are utterly uncertain and unnecessary and 2. If they did but know their own ignorance and liableness to Error and 3. If they considered how utterly impossible it is to make the multitude of ignorant People yea or Ministers to be all of a mind in the numerous hard Controversies Opinions and dubious or indifferent things that are striven about in the World certainly instead of damning or despising or destroying or hateing each other for such things they would magniâ—ie the Wisdom and Mercy of Christ who hath laid the Love Unity and Peace of his Church on a few plain sure and needful things Even the Covenant of Christianity with the Creed Lord's Prayer and Decalogue and so much of Christ's own Precepts as the universal Church hath ever bin agreed in And they would rather honour and obey St. Paul Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 12. Ephes. 4. 1 to 16. than count his Dictrin to be unpracticable or loose § 6. If God will take all into Heaven that practically believe the Creed and obey what is plainly written in the Scripture why may not such live in Love and Peace on Earth and the Key-bearers of the Church which is the Seminary of Heaven receive such as Christ receiveth us to the Glory of God the Father Rom. 15. 16. What if Men confess that they know no more when millions called Christians know not so much will they destroy them for not knowing more than they can know Or is it any Virtue or Duty to lye and say that they know or believe what they are utterly ignorant of What if those that with Ierome misliked the word Hypostasis and those that preferred it before Persona had forborn censuring one another What if the questions Whether Mary should be called the Mother of God or rather of Him who is God Or whether Christ's Will and Operations should be said to be One or Two had been managed with mutual forbearance without Zeno's Henoticon or Anastasius's forcible Amursty What if such forbearance had spared all the rage and bloodshed at Antioch Alexandria and other parts What if Chrysostom and others had bin permitted to silence their Thoughts of Origine What if men had not bin put to declare whether the tria capitula of Theodoret Iâ—as and Theodore Mopsuest were sound or unsound and said What is it to us Might not the Church have lived with such in Peace What if when the World was in a flame about Images they had left them only to those that desired them Might not they yet have lived in Love that agreed in all the Essentials of Christianity What if yet one man say that Christ's Body is locally present in the Eucharist and another say that Because he knoweth not how far his spiritual Glorified Body is invisible therefore he no more knoweth whether it be there than whether an Angel be there but believeth that the Sacrament is truly his crucified Body representative why might not both these live in peace What if one think that Venial Sin must be punished with Purgatory Fire or as an English Dr. that some men must pass a new Life of Trial in their Aireal Vehicle before they are capable of an Aethereâ—l Vehicle why may not such bear with one that saith he knoweth no such thing What â—f one man think that he may pray to his Angel Guardian and another saith only that he oweth Angels Love Reverence and Gratitude and would pray to them if he knew when they heard him and knew it were God's will what hurt will it do to the other man to bear with this If we agree of all points that put men into that state in which Christ commanded to Love one another as his Disciples if others differ from me about the meaning of five hundred Texts of Scripture why may notlbe contented with my Knowledg and Opinion and leave them to theirs Why might not Nazianzene and the Council of Constantinople Hierome and Russinus Chrysostom and Theophilus and Epiphanius Prosper and Cassianus and Vincentius to pass by Augustine and Celestine and Iulianus and Hierome and Vigilantius and Iovinian have composed their differences with less noise and strife and lived in love and peace together To pass by also the doleful Contentions about the Councils of Ephesus and Calcedon and Const. 5 6. and Nice 2. and between Ignatius and Photius and many more worse striâ—es since then Why might not the Jesuites and Jansenists have differed without troubling the Popes and the Church by mutual forbearance and gentle disputes as many of the Schoolmen did before them I quarrel not with Erasmus Faber and abundance such for chiding the Schoolmen as Causers of Contention by raising so many frivolous questions for Dispute But verily as they were in my opinion the best Philosophers that ever the World had and no wonder when they studied little else so they managed their Disputes with more Scholar-like candour and peaceable moderation than most that went before them or that have followed them How many huge Volumes of subtile Disputes do they write with very few railing words patiently bearing each others copious Confutations and Contradictions as a thing to be expected and no whit wondring at the Differences of Judgment among the worthiest men How many Volumes or loads of Volumes are there written of the different Opinions of the Thomists Scotists Nominals Durandists and yet till the late times put Virulency into the Writings of Iesuites Dominicans and Iansenists c. there was little reviling to be found in all these long Disputes And why might not Luther and Caerolostadius Zuinglius and Oecolampadius and many Lutherans and Calvinists have lived in as much Love and Peace as Melanâ—thon and Erasmus and such others if they had but had their forbearing Charity and Candour How sweet are the Pacificatory Writings yea and how judicious of Iunius Ludov. Crotius Matth. Martinius Georg. Calixtus Conrad Bergius Iohannes Bergius Paraeus Amyraeedus Hottonus Testardus Camero Lud. Capellus Placâ—us and
man can do any more good than he doth and so That he hath no meerlysufficient Grace to any one act in all his life § 28. The Controversie about sufficient Grace is the same in the true meaning of it with that of the Power of Mans Free-will For when by sufficient Grace we mean nothing but the enabling a Man to the act or giving him Power to do it the stress of the Question is Whether Man hath truly any Power to do more than he doth For if he have such a Power Grace hath given it him if it be for a Work that Grace is needful to So that indeed were it not for Custom and Expectation this Question should be handled under that of the Power and Liberty of Man's Will § 29. No man hath at the present Grace sufficient for his Salvation if he have longer time to live Because the Grace or help of the present hour is not sufficient for the next but there must be continual Supplies from God supposing that we distinguish of Grace by the distinct numerical acts and hours for and in which we need it But if you distinguish of Grace by the species of Acts for which it is needful and not by the numerical acts then it may be truly said that the same Grace in specie which a Believer hath to day may be sufficient to his Salvation or to his life's end § 30. But if you speak de gradu that Grace may be sufficient to one thing which is not sufficient to another And so 1. An Infidel may have Grace sufficient to forbear some Sin or avoid some Temptation or use some means that tendeth to Faith and Repentance who hath not Grace sufficient to believe and repent unto Salvation 2. A man may have Grace sufficient to enable him to believe and repent unto Justification and yet not have at that instant Grace sufficient to enable him to love God above all as God with a fixed habitual Love and to live an holy life for the Spirit and Sanctification are promised on condition of Faith and Repentance 3. A sanctified man that is yet but weak may have Grace sufficient to live to God a holy life at present and yet not have Grace sufficient for greater trials of Duty and Temptation And therefore Augustine and all his Followers still say That the Grace of Perseverance is a Gift over and above the Grace of meer Sanctification in the weakest degree § 31. By all this it is evident that he that disputeth of the sufficiency of Grace must first distinctly tell us 1. Whether he mean extrinseck Grace or intrinseck 2. If extrinseck Whether he mean it comprehensively of all extrinseck Grace together or only of some particular part of sort 3. If the latter Whether he speak of the sufficiency of Christ's Death and Righteousness Sacrifice Merit Intercession c. or of the sufficiency of the Gospel-Covenant or Promise or of the sufficiency of Preaching Praying and other means or of the Scripture-Records c. 4. If he speak of intrinseck Grace Whether the Question be of Sufficiency ex parte Dei agentis which none must question or ex parte effecti 5. If the latter What is the effect whose sufficiency he questioneth 1. Is it a Grace or Power to do some more common good use some means forbear some evil as the Unregenerate may do 2. Or is it a Power truly to repent and believe 3. Or to love God habitually and live holily 4. Or to overcome greater Temptations and persevere 6. And he must tell you whether he speak 1. De specie whether the Grace or Power sufficient to this sort of Acts or Duty be sufficient to another or to all 2. Or de gradu Whether this degree be sufficient against a greater degree or sort of Temptation 3. Or as men use to distinguish Grace and Help by numerical Acts and Hours Whether the Grace of this Hour and Act be sufficient for the next or for all The sence of all these Questions is distinct 7. But his last and greatest difficulty will be to tell you truly and plainly what is that Grace which is the subject of his Question of its sufficiency in the general nature of it and as related to the thing which it is called sufficient to § 32. For by Grace he meaneth 1. Either somewhat ex parte Dei agentis 2. Or ex parte effecti or 3. Quid medium 1. Grace as it is in God the Agent 2. Or as it is in Man the Recipient 3. Or as it is somewhat between both § 33. I. Grace as it is in God is nothing but his Essence not as Essence but as an essential Power Intellect and Will denominated by Connotation from the effect This is commonly agreed on God doth operate per essentiam and not by Accidents § 34. II. If they mean any mediate thing between God and the Effect either they speak of the first effect or a second and so on If they speak but of secondary effects and the meaning be only whether one effect be a sufficient Cause for another they mean either an outward or an inward Grace or Effect If an outward then the sence of the Question is Whether some other Work of God be sufficient to move the Will of Man And then it must be told what other Work you mean Whether an Angel or the Planets or the Word or Preacher or an outward Mercy or Affliction or what it is But if you speak of the very first effect then the fancy is almost proper to Aureolus among the Schoolmen to think that there is something from God antecedent to the Creature and Motion which may be called Action or Energy or Efflux which is neither the Creator nor a Creature neither Cause substantial nor Effect but Causation As if some Beam of Virtue or Force went from God to produce every Creature and Motion which is neither God nor the Creature or Motion But this is commonly and justly rejected as feigning a third sort of Entity between God and the Creature which it passeth the wit of Man to conceive of what it should be ☞ And if God do immediately per essentiam cause that middle Entity or Action or Force which he saith is no Creature why may he not as well immediately per essentiam cause the Creature and motion it self This therefore cannot be the thing meant by Grace in this Question To question the sufficiency of God's Essence is intolerable To question the sufficiency of a mediate divine Efflux or Action which is between God and the Creature and Effect is to dispute in your Dream of a Chimera an unproved and a disproved and commonly-denied Entity To dispute of the sufficiency of Angels Scripture Sermons c. to work Grace is not the thing commonly intended in this Controversie of Grace Each several sort of means may be sufficient in its own kind and to its own use but no one of them is sufficient to the
Whether it be a glorious igneous Substance endowed with the Power of Motion Light and Heats And yet what is less comprehended And no man hath an adequate knowledge of it or of the least part of it § 2. There are three things that must concurr to our Conceivings of God 1. Our General Conceptions 2. Our Metaphorical Conceptions by way of Similitude 3. Our Negative Conceptions what God is not § 3. I have opened this as distinctly as I am able in my Methodus Theologiae Cap. 4. in the Table called Ontologia the beginning to which I must referr the Reader that would be accurate and clear I. We must conceive of God as a Substance lest we think him to be nothing And as a spiritual transcendent Substance not univocally the same with created Substance nor such as Man can reach to any sensible or immediate or formal Conception of But by the Similitude of created Substance our Conceptions may get some help This we call the Fundamental Conception but it is but a Conception partial and inadequate yet necessary fetcht from the Similitude of the Creature whose Matter or Substance is the first constitutive Conception § 4. II. We must conceive of God as the prime Essential LIFE And though God be not compounded of Substance and Form yet from Similitude of Creatures we must as inadequate Conceptions think of his being LIFE as the form of his Substance not divisible or compounding but as a distinguishing Conception And formadat esse noment § 5. III. Though in God's Essence there be no Parts Degrees or Accidents yet to answer the Similitude of Parts Degrees or Accidents in Man we must put in general Transcendent Perfection And this includeth abundance of his Perfective Attributes as that He is One infinite eternal necessary independent uncompounded unchangeable and all the rest that are contained in Absolute Perfection § 6. IV. When we say That God is the prime essential LIFE we mean a Life of Eminency above all that is created But yet such as must be known by Creature-similitude And therefore from the Similitude of Man we must think of the Formal Divine LIFE by a threefold Conception 1. As Vital Power in Act 2. As Eminent Intellect and Will called Omnipotency in Act Wisdom and Goodness or Love Whether these be the FATHER SON and HOLY GHOST is after to be opened But as FATHER SON and HOLY GHOST the Scripture teacheth us to conceive of God As Three in One God and One God and Substance in these Three § 7. V. God is to be conceived of in relation to the Creation in general as OF HIM and THROUGH HIM and TO HIM are all things As He is the Divine Efficient the more than Constitutive and the final Cause of all § 8. VI. He is especially to be conceived of in his Relations to the Reasonable Creatures as their absolute Owner supreme Ruler and chief Benefactor and amiable attractive Good and End § 9. VII He is especially to be conceived of â—s related to Man As our Creator and Conserver as the God of Nature 2. As our Redeemer by Christ and the God of Grace 3. And as our Perfecter by his Spirit and the God of Glory And as related to his Kingdom of Nature Grace and Glory § 10. VIII He being without Passivity a pure Act must be conceived of as 1. In virtute seu potentia Activa 2. In his Acts objectively immanent 1. Self-living 2. Self-knowing 3. Self-loving 3. In his transient Acts or Works considered both ex parte agentis and as the Effects § 11. IX He is negatively to be known by the dâ—nial of all that noteth Imperfection § 12. X. When I say that God is to be known by Similitudes I mean that though nothing be fully like to God yet somewhat in which he may be partly known appeareth on the whole frame of Nature but especially on the Soul of Man which is his Image Therefore he that would know how to conceive of God must first know himself and what his own Soul is The true Conceptions of your Souls must be the prime Helps to conceive of God by similitude And here you first find Intellective Volitive and Executive Acts. 2. And by these you know that you have the Power so to act for no one doth that which he cannot do 3. And hereby you know that your Souls are Substance For all Power is the Power of some Substance Nothing can do nothing 4. And by this you know that an intellectual Spirit is a Substance so impowered And that others are such as well as you And knowing what a Spirit is you know what God the Father is transcendently and eminently And though all God's Works notifie him you have thus the most intelligible Similitude within you § 13. Therefore I know not how you can better conceive of God than as MORE THAN A SOUL TO ALL THE WORLD but especially to Saints I say More than a Soul For a Soul is but a Part and Câ—â—â—â—iâ—utive but God can be no Part and is more than Constitutive The World is finite but God is infinite therefore he is more than a Soul of the World â—assâ—ndus calleth the World Indefinite but seemeth to mean Infinite and so to make God but the Soul of the World But that cannot be proved Not but that there be created Souls under God But while God is more than a Soul to all those Souls he is more than a Soul to all the World § 14. It is lawful and useful to think of God by such similitudes as he hath used of himself in his Word how low soever Even by his particular Works Three Names he assumeth Life Light and Love He is the Living God He is Light and with Him is no Darkness God is Love saith the beloved Apostle GOD is said to cloath himself with LIGHT as with a Garment And a man will say I have seen the KING to day who saw him but in his Garments And if he saw the Skin of his Face how little of the King did he see In Scripture they that have seen Angels are said to have seen God and heard his Voice by them When we see the Glory of the Sun that diffuseth its Beams to all the surface of the Earth and uniteth it self with every Eye even of the smallest Worms and quickeneth every thing that liveth this giveth us by similitude some low resemblance of the Divine Life and Light and Glory When he is called Our FATHER and he is said to love us as a FATHER his Children this is some help to our Conceptions of him When we read of all those Visions which Iohn had in the Revelations of Christ's glorious Appearance as before on the Mount and of God on the Throne with the four Beasts and seven Spirits and the thousand thousands of glorious Attendants and of the metaphorical Description of the Heavenly Ierusalem It is not unlawful nor unuseful to us to make use of such Spectacles of
so one man may have the relative Person of a King a Husband a Father a Captain General a Physician an Astronomer c. And though I hold not this Relative Personality is all that we are to acknowledge in the Trinity yet I see no reason but in the second place it is included that is 1. The Relations which the Divine Vitality Intellect and Will have to the substantiality and to each other 2. And the Relation which they have ad extra to Effects And whereas it may be objected that so God hath thousands of Relations to thousands of his Works I answer But he hath three grand Relations which comprehend all the rest as he is the God of Nature Grace and Clory Creator Redeemer and Perfecter As he hath the three grand Attributes which comprehend the rest But undoubtedly this Trinity of essential Attributes which are said to be related to the substantiality and to each other is here in the prime Conceptus § 25. He that placeth Personality in the Trinity in SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS leaveth us to enquire of him Q. 1. Whether it be by him presupposed or not that there are the three foresaid Attributes called Essentialities or Formalities in one Divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we commonly call Substance or Spirit Q. 2. Whether Conscire being scire is not the proper Act of an Intellect and not of a Will or executive Power as such Q. 3. Self-perception indeed is a first and essential Act of every sensible Agent But doth not that among men only prove sensible Life which is in many Faculties and is as numerous as the Acts and not prove many persons seeing he must be first a Person who shall thus act By seeing I perceive that I see and by hearing that I hear and by tasting smelling touching that I taste smell and touch I know these by Intellection but I perceive them first by essential Sensation and so by understanding I immediately perceive that I understand and think And by willing I immediately not know but by a sort of eminent Sensation perceive that I will And by vital Action I perceive that I act Yet these are not distinct Persons but the acts of one Person Perception is essential to Vitality or Sense but not constitutive of Personality Q. 4. Is it knowing ones self or knowing another or another's knowing me that constituteth Personality I know not my self to be what I am in priâ—◠〈◊〉 I first perceive my acts and by the Acts I know that I have an active Power and by that I know that I am a Substance c. Which of these maketh me a Person 2. God knoweth the Acts of every Creature better than each knoweth his own yet that is not God's Personality as distinct from his Life And that the Creature doth not equally know God can be no privation of Personality to God whatever it be to the Creature And God's Personality was before there was any Creature Q. 5. To say That they are three Minds or Spirits or Substances that do invicem conscire is to say That they are three Gods And because every mental Substance hath its own active Power Intellect and Will it supposeth three Trinities instead of one Q. Though God be said to be purus Actus it is Actus entitâ—tivus including potentiam seâ— virtutem agendi and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Substantiality is a necessary prior fundamental Conception for it doth superare captum humanum to conceive of an Act that is not alicujus actus He that causeth all substantiality and existence is eminently existent Substance Many have made it a Dispute Whether the Creature have any Entity or be a Shadow but none whether God be so Obj. To be self-conscious proveth Personality and to be conscious of the act of another proveth one the same Person with the other Ans. To be self-perceptive is a good proof of a Vital Act and to be self-conscious is a proof of an Intellect Indeed in GOD the Substance and Act and so the Personality and Self-perception are not two things but the same But yet inadequate Conceptions must be orderly and so the act conceived as the act of a Power and of a Person And as is said every act or faculty that hath self-perception is not a Person 2. And God's consciousness of the acts of Iudas Herod Nero proveth him not to be the same person with each of them though he be infinitely more § 26. GOD being essential Life in â—ure Act without any passive Power meant by the word PERSON by the Orthodox may be better spoken of his Essential Acts the active Virtue included than of Mans. If it be the Essence why may not the proved Trinity of objective Conceptions as formal be called Persons or Hypostases Though many wise Men wish that a Name less liable to mistake had been used § 27. But though I am past doubt that in God is this Trinity of essential formal inadequate Conceptions or Primalities and that the impress of them is on the Soul of Man which is his image and on the whole frame of Nature and Grace yet far be it from me to say That nothing else is meant by the Trinity of Persons thus much we are sure of There may be more to constitute that personality than is to us comprehensible and I doubt not but there is more because thus much is so intelligible seeing the Divine Nature is so infinitely far above the Comprehension of us poor Worms But what we know not we cannot describe or notifie to others § 28. There are of late some of great Wit and Learning who have adventured upon another sort of Description of the Trinity Men whose parts I greatly value Peter Sterry Dr. H. More Mr. John Turner of St. Thomas Hospital and before them some in Germany went some such way They say that from the prime Being emaneth say some or is created say others the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the second Hypostasis or person and Matter which is the third and this caused Life and Matter the Son and Holy Ghost are one indivisible though distinguishable Being there being no Spirit saith Dr. M. save God that is not a Soul to some Body Some of them tell us not whether this first produced LIFE and MATTER be the Universal Matter of the World animated by an universal Soul or whether they mean only some prime Soul and Matter that was made or caused before the rest But others let us know that it is the universal that they mean And if so they must needs hold the World as to all its Spirit and Matter to be eternal though in Particles alterable and to be God himself The prime Entity the Life and the Matter being the Father Son and Spirit But they that hold not this universal Life and Matter do think that God by a most eminent Life and Spirit that was eternal did create all the rest as inferiour to them Dr. More 's Book of
Conceptions and rectifie my Judgment and give me that practical Faith and Knowledge of Him which constituteth Christianity according to the Baptismal Covenant and which is it that He calleth Eternal Life Amen CHAP. 4. How to conceive of the Diversity of God's Operations seeing he is immutable and intimately near to every Patient § 1. IT is certain That no Change wrought by God signifieth any Change in God and that no diversity of Effects signifieth any real Multiplicity or Diversity in God But all Diversity â—loweth from Unity and Change from Immutâ—bilâ—ty § 2. It is certain That God is intimately present in Essence with every Creature and every Effect and so all his Effects are immediatione proximâ—tatis immediately from God he being as near the Effect when he useth second Causes and having as much Causality in producing what is done as when he useth none § 3. Yet it is certain That God useth second Causes and therefore that all Effects are not so â—mmediately from him as to be sine medâ—is and the highest usually work on the lower § 4. Therefore it seemeth plain that Energy â—r utmost transient Operations go not as far as his Essential Presence nor are equal to his Omnipotency He doth not all that in primo instanâ—â— he can do but suspendeth freely such Acts. § 5. Therefore God may so far suspend some Operations on inferior Patients as to confine them to the Capacity or Aptitude of the superior created Causes as he doth in the ordinary Course of Nature He shineth not by the Moon so much as by the Sun nor in a cloudy day so much as in a clear nor in the night as in the day and nourisheth us not by every sort of Food alike nor cureth alike by all Medicines § 6. As God doth thus in Naturals so may he do in Morals or spiritual Changes As he is the God of Kingdoms and People he may use its Mercies and Judgments by Kings and Magistrates and according to their good or bad Dispositions as he did in the Death of Christ. He doth not use to govern Nations as happily by wicked tyrannical inâ—iâ—el Rulers as by the good and faithful Pagan Rome was more unhappy under Nero Domitian Commodus Heâ—iogabulus c. than under Nâ—rva Trajan Adrian Antonine Alexander Severus And the Empire was delivered by the fall of seven Tyrants by a Constantine § 7. So God usually prospereth or afflicteth Churches and particular Souls working his Grace according to the qualifications of the Pastors and Teachers and fitting them to be meet Instruments of the intended Good though he do not always so confine his Operations This is evide 〈…〉 in the different successes of Ministers that are skilful or unskilful wise or ignorant good or bad concordant or schismatical And it is notoriouâ— in the success of the Education of Youth in Schools Universities and Families § 8. According to this Method we may judge also of God's working according to variety of Company-helps Temptations and Hinderances and how much of God's Work of Grace is thus sapientially and mediately exercised though as to the internal manner of the Agency of his Spirit we are told by Christ That every one that is born of the Spirit is as the Wind bloweth where it listeth and we hear the sound but know not whence it cometh and whither it goeth It is much herein to know a little § 9. It greatly darkeneth us in judging of God's Providences on Earth as to the Welfare or Misery of Nations and Souls Believers and Insidels Peace and War c. that we know not how much God doth here by Spirits good and bad and how far such Spirits are left to their Free-will as Adam was in their Ministration and Executions here below God gave Satan power over Iob and power on the Sabeans that robbed him and power on the Fire that fell from Heaven on his Estate Christ said This is their Day and of the Power of Darkness What Laws the superiour Worlds are under as to us and one another is much unknown to us yea what power for our sins Satan may have against not only the wicked but even those that fear God both on their Bodies by Diseases and on their minds by troubling and seducing Temptations Sad experience â—elleth us that yielding to former Temptations giveth him advantage for easier access to our imaginations and to more dangerous fresh Assaults § 10. But yet we may be sure that all God's Promises shall be fulfilled and that he will never give Satan power to break them nor suspend his Operations so much on any second Causes as to violate any word of safety and hope that he hath given us to trust to which Assurance may serve to keep us in Faith and Hope and Comfort CHAP. 5. Is any point of Faith above Reason or contrary to it § 1. I Have answered this at large in Method Theol. It is a confused and ill-worded Question Distinguish 1. between Faith taken objectively and Faith subjectively as an Act or Quality 2. Between that which is required of all men to be believed and that which is required but of some 3. Between Reason in Faculty and Reason in Act and Habit. 4. Between Reason advanced by improvement and Reason unimproved and buried in Ignorance 5. Between Reason that hath only the Revelation of common Nature and Reason that hath supernatural Revelation § 2. I. It being only objective Faith that is meant in the Question that is no Object of Faith which for want of Revelation a man is not bound to believe There are Millions of Things above our Reason which are no Objects of our Faith And more may be the Object of one Man's Faith than of anothers that had it no way revealed to him § 3. II. Almost all the matter of Faith is above the Reason of ignorant Sots that never improved their Reason or studied the Evidences of Truth It is above their Reason as dispositive and active though not above the possibility of their Faculties being better cultivated and disposed hereafter § 4. III. The Doctrine of Faith is not only above but centrary to the false reasoning of ignorant deceived Fools for so is the very Being of God and such are many that boast of Reason § 5. IV. The Gospel of Christ and many points of Faith are above his Reason that hath only such natural Light as the Creation can give him without any Gospel supernatural Revelation Who can know in India that never heard of Christ that he was incarnate and rose from the dead and ascended c. § 6. V. Nothing that God commandeth us to believe is either contrary to or above Reason that is the reasoning Intellect informed by Evangelical Revelation or Notice and honestly and soundly qualified to judge otherwise as Law Physick Astronomy so Divinity is above the Reason of the unqualified § 7. This is apparent 1. Because we have â—o Faith in us but what is an act of Reason and
â—â—tional Will and therefore that cannot be said 〈…〉 be above Reason which is it self essentially â—n Act of Reason By what Faculty do we beâ—â—eve but by the rational Intellect and Will â—nd this Intellect hath but two sorts of Acts â— Immediate Self-perceptions which some call In 〈…〉 uitions and some Eminent Internal Sensation â— Abstrative Knowledge by Reasoning And â—he first way we perceive nothing but our own â—cts Therefore it must be the latter or not at all § 8. 2. We have reason to know that God â—annot lye and reason to know by certain Proof â—hat Scripture is his Word and reason to know â—hat that Word expresseth Therefore we have â—eason to believe that it is true and consequently â—o trust it § 9. 3. If we tell Infidels that we have no Reason our selves for our Faith nor any Reason â—o give them why they should believe Christ more â—han Mahomet and the Scripture more than the Alcorâ—n this preaching is not the way to conâ—ince the World nor did such Preaching gather â—he Churches § 10. When the Apostles added Miracles to â—heir Testimony of Christ's Resurrection what was it for but to convince Mens Reason that what God so attesteth by unimitable VVorks must needs be true It is by reason abused that Men talk against reason § 11. Those knowing Divines that tell the Socinians That the Matters of Faith are above Reason can reasonably mean no more but that meer Reason by natural Light could not have known them without Gospel supernatural Revelation § 12. This Reason is unanswerable That is certainly true which God obligeth a 〈…〉 men of Reason to whom it is revealed to believe But God obligeth all Men of Reason to whoâ— it is revealed to believe the Life to come and that Christ is the Son of God and his VVorâ— true Therefore it is true The Major is proved by the very Being anâ— Perfection of God to say that God bindeth the World to believe a Lye and so is the great Lyer and Deceiver is to describe him like Satan and to deny him to be God The Minor is proved God bindeth us to believe that which being of greatest everlasting Consequence is attested by the former Prophecies the Essential Impressions of God the multitude of uncontrolled Miracles and the continued success of sanctifying Souls and making the greatest amendment of the world when we have no Disproof of it and to trust our Souls and Hopes on this when we have such sealed Promises and no other sufficient Hopes But such is the Gospel of Christ and the Life to come Ergo we are Sound as reasonable by God to believe it In this Belief and Hope I am writing this under the sentence of Death in expectation of my approaching Change CHAP. I. Prefatory Who shall be Iudge of Controversies and of the Sence of Scripture whether all the People or who else Sect. I. EXperience assuring all Men that we are born without actual Knowledg and yet with Faculties made to Know obliged to Learn desiâ—ing Knowledg needing it and delighting in it â—o wonder if Men be inquisitive after the surest â—nd easiest way to attain it and if they be unwilâ—ing to be deceived no wonder they love Truth as Truth and hate Lyes as Lyes though being deâ—eived they hate that which is Truth and love that which is a Lye § 2. Therefore the first Apprehensions of the mind do greatly tend to the introduction of those that follow to make them such as shall agree with these And here 1. Sense and 2. Education have the great advantage 1. We exercise Sense before Reason and therefore at first without the government of our own Reason and this necessarily strongly and constantly as the Bruites do 2. And being therefore governed by the Reason of our Parents we learn Knowledg of them and from sensible Objects â—ut drop by drop by slow degrees and Sense being strong inclineth Children strongly to desire that sort of Knowledg which will most serve the pleasure of Sence and Fleshly Appetite And so they easily learn how to sport and after how to seek Proâ—â—ssion by Labour and Trades and Flaâ—tery 〈…〉 tâ— sâ—tisfi the Desires of the Flesh. But the 〈…〉 dg of things spiritual and everlastinâ— which are beyond the reach of Sight and all the Se ses cometh not in so soon nor till Parents oâ— other Teachers tell them of such or Reason grow up to mâ—turity by Experience and serious Exercise and withal the Grace of God to bless such Helpâ— and overcome the contrary fleshly inclinations which original Pravity and customary Sensuality raise up against the Desires of Endeavours for and Obedience to a spiritual and more excellent Knowledg Where God giveth 1. A Body moderately temperated as to Sensuality and Ingenuity 2. And Parents or first-Teachers wise and faithful to teach Children that spiritual Knowledg which they have learnâ— themselves and 3. by His Grace exciteth Childrens Minds to love learn and obey the Truth there enter the beginnings of truest Wisdom But where these are wanting they grow up instead of saving Wisdom to the craftiness of a Foâ— to get keep and devour his Prey and to the valour and felicity of the Mastisse to be Master of the little Dogs and at last to the subtilty of Devils to oppose and destroy as a hated thing the Holy Wisdom and Practice that should have saved them § 3. As Knowledg cometh in by slow degreeâ— so there are as many degrees or differences of it in the World as there are Men it being not probeble that any two men on Earth have just the same apprehensions and degrees of Knowledg but that all mens mental Complexions differ far more than their Visâ—ges do So that if the same degree were â—he measure of necessary Church-Concord and â—alvation there should but one in the World be â—â—e Church or be saved The question then is not What measure is desireable but what is necessary to Church-Unity and Communion and to Salvation And what God will do with those that have not the Gospel and are not of the Christian Church but only believe that God is and that he is the Reâ—â—rder of them that 〈…〉 tly seek him and that in every Nation do fear God and work righteousness belongeth not to our present question but only what is necessary to the Christian State and Hope § 4. And here it is first to be decided Whether God hath by â—y fixed Law or Revelation determined so â—f the Measure of Christian Knowledg and Faith as â—hat thereby men may know who are to be taken as Christians and of the Church To which I say 1. We â—ust distinguish of Faith as objective and as Active â—r as to the matter believed and as to the Act of â—elieting or knowing 2. Between the Inward Sincerity and the Outward Profession And remember â—hat though God judge of Men according 1. to inward Sincerity and 2. expect that degree of Knoweâ—â—g and Faith in Act and Habit
Common Covenant And their peculiar Promise to Abraham's Seed as the Nations Blessing with their Types and Prophecies all led them to Christ more plainly than he was revealed to others § 13. The Law as such an Appendix contained Preceptively the Decalegue as the Summary and stamina and the particular Determinations under it as belonging to the First and Second Table For all those not accurately distinguished as Moral Political and Ceremonial are but the particular Determinations of the things only Generally expressed in the Decalogue according to which they are fitlier distributed § 14. It pleased God to make the particular Precepts about Worship and Political Converse so many and the Sacrifices so Costly and the Penalties so Severe as that it became a very operous Employment to do the External Acts of it which the People made a Snare of to themselves For 1. Thereby they were so taken up with the outward Work that they neglected the inward spiritual exercises of the Soul without which all the rest are dead and carnal things 2. And they hereby grew into so high a conceit with the Letter of the Law it self and these External Duties as that they thought the very doing of them was enough to make them just and acceptable to God and forgot the true Doctrine of the Promised Messiah and Righteousness by him 3. And hereby they grew Proud as if they had for these Externals been so much better than all other People that all the World was Abominable save they 4. And they were so intent on the present Political Punishments to be escaped or suffered and Rewards to be won or lost that they much overlook'd the everlasting Punishments and Rewards And this Corruption increased till Christ came to Cure it who found the Sâ—ducees not believing a Life to come and the Phariseâ—s deceived by their External Legal Works and Righteousness and most of the People too ignorant of the true Spiritual Righteousness required by the Law it self § 15. It may seem to some a difficult Question whether God by such a Law made them Happier or Worse than the rest of the World And whether Christ's Abrogation of it was not a returning them to the common easier and better Condition of Mankind Ans. 1. You must know that though God made a common Covenant of Grace with Mankind the rest of the Nations about them were fall'n into Ignorance and Idolatry and the Jewish Law much tended to cure both and to make them better know God and the meaning of the Covenant of Grace and to return to him from Idols and worship him aright So that the Jews were happier than other Nations 2. The abuse of their Law was through their fault and folly and the Law by the faithful among them was better understood and used 3. Christ after setting up a better Covenant in its stead did bring the Church into a better state than the Jews were But the Unbelievers and idolatrous World that had not Christ's better Covenant were still left in a worse state than the Jews were before Christ's Incarnation § 16. And God by this operous Law would humble the Jews that by their peculiarity were apt to be puffed up with Pride And as all his works grow to Perfection by degrees even the Works of Grace in particular Souls so did his Means of Grace and the welfare of his Church which was to begin at their Rudiments and grow up to better means and knowledge yet so that all were to be judged according to the Law that they were under § 17. It is this operous Law of Moses which Paul meaneth usually by the Law of Works and the old or former Covenant and neither the Law or Covenant of Innocency made to Adam nor yet as if this Law of Moses were of the same Tenor or Conditions and so called a Covenant of Works as making Innocency its Condition But this Law which was an Appendix to the Law of Grace and was a peculiar Law of Grace it self is called The Law of Works because of the great and burdensome and costly Externals before mentioned and because as a political Law it so much insisteth comparatively on those Externals and the Doctrine of Grace is comparatively more obscure in it than in the Gospel and because the Jews had by their abusive Interpretation overvalued the Externals and operous Ceremonies and Sacrifices of it § 18. The mistake of Paul's meaning in this Phrase the Law of Works or old Covenant hath led some men to a new frame of Theology in a great part and engaged others in Errors and fruitless Contentions § 19. By the words He that doth these things shall live by them as distinguished from believing Paul meant not that the Condition of the Jewish Covenant of Peculiarity or Law was the same perfect Innocency as was required in the first Law of Adam for when Man was actually guilty it was impossible that he should ever become one that had not sinned And we must not put such a scorn on the infinitely wise and righteous Governour of the World as to suppose him to have such a Law or Covenant as this If you that are sinners are not sinners you shall be saved much less to make this a Covenant of peculiar favour § 20. Nor doth Paul mean That the Laws Condition was If you will never sin more I will pardon all that 's past For God never made such a Law with man not to sin being morally impossible to them and Pardon never offered on such terms § 21. To put all out of doubt 1. God before hand proclaimed the Name of that God from whom they received their Law Exod. 34. 6 7. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgrâ—ssion and sin though he will by no means clear the guilty That is He will not judge a Sinner to be no Sinner nor the Wicked to be Godly nor pardon and save any contrary to the established terms of his Covenant 2. And the Law it self hath many express means of forgiveness of Sin appointed as sacrificing confessing c. which sheweth that it was a Law of Grace § 22. By the Law Paul usually meaneth the written Law of Moses as contained in the very words now in our Bibles As by the Word of God we usually mean the Scripture Therefore though it contain much of the Law of Nature yet as a written Law and part of a Law of Peculiarity and Policy of that Nation even the Decalogue may be said to be done away though as the Law of Nature and of Christ it still remain § 23. By the Works of the Law then which Paul mostly disputeth of and by He that doth these things shall live in them is meant That this Law besides the sweet and easie Precepts of faith and Love did as part of the Matter of the Jews Obedience require abundance of burdensome Externals and he that
would not do all those must die for Obedience even to those commanded Tasks was then made necessary by God And as to temporal death it was not by that Law to be escaped but on the strict terms thereby required So that doing these things was necessary to life temporal and to eternal in sincerity And the driving on the People by temporal punishments to these externals was that Body of the Law which the mistaking Jews had separated from the Soul of it § 24. And he saith None could be justified by the Works of the Law because this written political Law and its externals were in this Dispute put in opposition to Christ and the Law taken for the meer Body of Moses's Law separated from the Law of Grace which was its Soul and no doubt 1. It is Faith in the Redeemer and Covenant of Grace which is the Condition of constituting Men Iust which they must have before any Obedience to their particular Laws could be sincere and acceptable and the faithful keeping of the Law of Grace which is made the Condition of salvation 2. And to dream that legal Strictness Ceremonies Sacrifices or other legal Works would justifie them without Christ and Faith in him or any otherwise than as Acts of Obedience to their Redeemer by which their fidelity to the Covenant of Grace was to be expressed while that Law was in force was contrary to the true meaning of their Law it self § 25. The rest of the World were not in the Covenant nor under the Law of Peculiarity or Jewish Policy And as such as is said it is now all abrogated even the Decalogue it self though its Matter be still in force as aforesaid SECT V. Of the Law or Covenant of Grace in the last Edition or the Gospel § 1. VVHether the Covenant of Grace in the first edition to Adam and this of the second edition by Christ shall be called One or Two the same or diveâ—s and the old Church and the Gospel-Church the same or not the same in specie are but needless questions about the bare Name of Oneness as long as we agree wherein they differ and wherein they differ not In some respects they may be called the same and in some not the same § 2. The Parties in the first Covenant of Grace were really but two GOD and Man unless you could prove that Christ had then such a superangelical Nature in which he mediated as some before mentioned hold But the Parties in the new Covenant of Grace are really Three viz. GOD as the absolutely Supreme who gave us a Mediator and Christ the Mediator as the supreme Subadministrator to whom all Power is given and Man the Subject to both § 3. The Benefits of the first Edition respected a future Saviour and his future Righteousness Sacrifice and Mâ—rits But the Benefits of the second Edition respect an existent Mediator and his merits and sacrifice already performed and accepted of God § 4. The revelation of life eternal and Man's spiritual felicity and duty is far clearer in the second Edition than in the first § 5. As there is more done for us so there are more full and excellent means provided for Man's information conversion sanctification and salvation in Apostles Scriptures Miracles spiritual Ordinances than under the first § 6. As the means excel so the Spirit is given in a greater measure answerable to the greater Revelation and means And is specially Christ's Witness and Agent in the World and the mark of his peculiar ones § 7. And as more is done for us so more is now to be believed by us Many necessary Articles are added to our Faith That this Iesus is the Messiah that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under P. Pilate was crucified dead and buried descended to Hades rose again the third day ascended to Heaven is there glorified in our Nature Head of all c. are all new Articles of our Faith which before were not required because not revealed or the matter extant § 8. This second Edition is both the Covenant of Grace and a Covenant of Peculiarity far excelling the Iewish Covenant of Peculiarity Believers are a holy Nation a royal Priesthood a peculiar People c. § 9. This Covenant supposeth the antecedent gifts of a Saviour to be incarnate and do his meritorious and sacrificing part and all such Preparatories and of Life Gospel and Opportunities given to the Sinner § 10. The parts of the Covenant are 1. The Conditional Gifts or Benefits 2. The Condition or Terms of Right 3. The Rule of Duty 4. The Penalty for violation or neglect of the Covenant § 11. 1. The Gifts are God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in their Covâ—nâ—nâ—-Relation to us and the love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the Holy spirit Or as it is briefly expressed in 1 Ioh. 5. 10 11. Christ and life in him that is Pardon Iustification the Spirit Adoption and Glory at first in right and after in possession and all means and mercies which God seeth meet to bring us to it § 12. 2. The Condition of our first Right is 1. That of natural necessity viz. Repentance and Return to God 2. Of natural and instituted necessity Belief and Confidence in Christ and Covenant-Consent § 13. The Condition of our continued and consummate Right and full Possession is the former Faith and Consent continued Repentance renewed when we knowingly sin and sincere Obedience and Perseverance § 14. 3. Seeing sincere Obedience supposeth a Law we must know that more is in the Precept than in the Condition Therefore we distinguish of necessitas praecepâ—i medii The Precept requireth perfect Obedience as due But Sincerity is the Condition and will save without Perfection § 14. The Precepts or Law of Christ now contain 1. The Law of Nature for all Things and Iudgment are given up to him 2. The new peculiar Laws of Grace containing our special Faith in Christ and his special Institutions of Church-Order Ministery Worship c. § 15. The Penaelty of the Law of Grace in this Edition is as in the first 1. A Privation of its Benefits to Nonconsenters or Insidels with a greater dâ—gree of punishment for Ingratitude 2. And withdrawings of the Spirits help for our quenching and resisting it and abusing Mercy 3. And temporal castigatory Punishments to Believers for their saults § 16. The Sum of all essential to this Covenant is in Baptism and the Lords Supper which are therefore Sacraments and Symbols of it and Baptism was appointed by Christ himself to be the solemn Initiation Badge and Character of his Disciples and Church-Members § 17. The History of Christ's Life and Sufferings and of his Apostles Life and Preaching and all the â—est of holy Scripture is God's Word and his Doctrine belonging to the Gospel-Covenant But it is the Covenant it self or Law of Grace which all that are under it must
sufficiently taught to understand the Essentials of the Christian Religion which they nominally profess and therefore are really much in the case of common Heathens § 4. 2. They consider their impossibility of being saved For it is not only morally by Vice but naturally impossible to believe that which was never heard read or understood So that their Damnation seemeth unavoidable especially to such as live in the vast Countries of America and much of Africa and Asia that are quite out of the reach of any Instructions for the Christian Faith § 5. 3. And lastly they consider the goodness and mercifulness of God declared in his Word and in his great and manifold mercies to all the World and that he would have a righteous man to be merciful even to his Beast much more to the Bodies of Men and most of all to their Souls and that our Rule and Motive is Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful § 6. And they think that the contrary-minded by over-doing are the greatest Hinderers of the Christian Faith and Promoters of Infidelity while they make it seem so contrary to God's own Attributes and to humane Interest and to be a Doctrine not of glad but of saddest tydings to Mankind viz. That none shall be saved that hear not the Gospel when it is few comparatively that ever heard it or can hear it § 7. On the other side it is thought a dangerous undermining of Christianity to say that it is not absolutely necessary to Salvation and that any besides Christians may be saved And it seemeth to them to be contrary to Christ's words that He that believeth not shall be damned and that He is the way the truth and the life and no man cometh to the Father but by him And how shall they call on him on whom they have not believed c. No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him c. And it seemeth to confound the Church and the World to say That any are saved out of the Church § 8. In this great Controversie that which must satisfie us is to agree in so much as is certain and to leave that which is uncertain and unknown undetermined For we shall know it never the more for a confident pretending that we know it when we do not § 9. And here the first thing to be enquired after is What Law of God the World that heareth not of Christ is now under as the Rule of Duty and of Judgment And then 2. to enquire Whether they so keep that Law as to be saved by it We can say nothing to the second without the first § 10. And we have here nothing to doubt of but 1. Whether they are under any Law or none 2. If any Whether it be the Law of Innocency as made to Adam or the Law of Grace 3. And if the Law of Grace whether of the first or second Edition It must be one of these § 11. And 1st It is certain That they are under a Law and not only under a Physical Government as a Ship at Sea or Brutes are For else God were not their Ruler and they his Subjects so much as by Right and Obligation and then they were bound to no Duty nor in hope of any Reward nor in Danger of any Punishment for Disobedience For where there is no Law there is no Transgression § 12. It is certain That they are not under the Rule of the Covenant of Innocency made to Adam or the Law of Innocency as containing the Precept premiant and penal parts which is the same with the Covenant as offered This I proved before Though I was long ignorant how far that Covenant was repealed till Mr. Lawson's Papers which I laboured to confute did begin to enlighten me God now saith to no man I give thee life on condition thou be personally innocent and perfectly obedient Nor doth he say I command thee to be perfectly innocent sinless and obedient that thou maâ—st live For no man is a Subject capable of such a Command or Promise being already a Sinner § 13. If any should think that they are under the bare preceptive part of the Law of Innocency with the penal part without any Promise or premiant part or hope of life this is certainly a mistake Because 1. God hath no such Law nor never had which hath no Promise or premiant part and is not in a Covenant-form what he doth by the Devils belongeth not to our Question but as to Men they must be under a Covenant of Works or of Grace And it were a hard Conceit to think that the far greatest part of Mankind had never any means to use for their Salvation nor any thing to do for it but were under a meer Sentence of Despair and Damnation as the Devils are without any offer of Help or Hope and consequently that none of them all are guilty of refusing any such Mercy or neglecting any such Means and Duty 2. The very nature of Law and Government tell us That if God command any Duty it is that the Subject may be the better for it and he never saith to any obey me perfectly and thou shalt be never the better for it § 14. Besides the very Precept is not in force in that sence as it stood in the Law of Innocency for so it bound only innocent Man to keep his Innocency But God saith not Keep that which thou hast lost § 15. Obj. God is not bound to change his Law if man sin Ans. I answered this before That God is not the Changer But the Law will not continue to be a Law but by continuing to signifie God's governing Will And it cannot so signifie his governing Will when there is no Subject to be a capable terminus So that it ceased cessante capacitate subditi vel cessante termino To say That the Law still signifieth what God would have had man do while he was capable is true but that saith no more but that It was once a Law and now is none For so it may do by the dead yea were they annihilated even tell others what God would have had them do but this is not a ruling Act but Lex transit in sententiam And to say That at least the Law bindeth a Sinner to perfect Obedience for the time to come is to say That it binds not as the Law of Innocency but as some other Law of which we are enquiring § 16. And it is a clear Truth before proved That God brought all Mankind in Adam under a Law and Covenant of Grace founded in the Promise of the Victory of the Woman's Seed And his dealing with all men ever since doth fully confirm it And this Law made to Mankind in Adam and Noah was never repealed to the World but perfected by a perfecter Edition to those that have the Gospel Therefore we have two Questions here to consider 1. What Law the World
gifts But it is perverseness in some School-men who make common Grace and special at least as to Faith to be differenced only in the Causation one being not infused and the other infused but the same in act and so that no man can know whether he have infused or acquired Faith which some call but a Moral Virtue CHAP. XVIII Of the necessity of Faith in Christ where the Gospel is made known § 1. INfidels take scandal from Christ's making Faith in himself to be so necessary to our Salvation as if it tended only to his Honour and were in its own Nature of no necessity to our happiness but arbitrarily made so § 2. And their reason also against this necessity is because believing is an act of the Intellect and Intellection is not free and in its self is no moral Act. A man cannot know or believe what he would no though he most earnestly desired it And will God condemn men for that which they fain would do and cannot Especially when mens intellectual Capacities do so greatly differ that some seem to differ but little from the Brutes § 3. This Scandal ariseth from their not well understanding the Nature and Reasons of our Faith in Christ. 1. They falsely suppose it to be only an Act of the Intellect where many Divines have given them the Scandal 2. They falsely suppose That the Intellect herein is necessitated to unbelief 3. And they consider not the Ends and Uses of our Faith § 4. 1. The true nature of our Faith is our Trusting in Christ as our Saviour who hath reconciled us to God by his Sacrifice and Merit that he may bring us to God by Iustification Adoption Sanctification and Glory It containeth Assent Consent and Affiance though through penury of Words we are fain to call it by some one of these names oft-times as the occasion requireth But indeed the very sence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fides and Trust includeth all And when the Act of the Intellect only is named it is as including or informing both the other § 5. 2. Though the Intellect be not free of it self it is free by participation being quoad exercitum under the Empire of the Will that is free And the Will by commanding it to act search think of the Evidences of Verity may do so much towards the specifying of the Act as that the meer weakness of Understanding without the fault of a vicious Will shall keep no man in damnable Unbelief § 6. For Christ hath many ways provided against meer Weakness of our Understanding 1. By the fewness and plainness of necessary Articles of Faith 2. By the fulness of Evidence of Credibility 3. By great Means and Helps for our Faith which he appointeth 4. And by the powerful Helps of his Spirit which is ready to illuminate us by these means § 7. No man was ever yet known that could say I have done my best to have obtained Faith and did not obtain it Though many can say I earnestly desired to believe and could not Because those may desire it that yet use not the means aright and faithfully and that indulge their own Prejudices or carnal Lusts which hinder it § 8. 3 In the saving of Sinners there is considerable 1. The great Benefits already given in the Purchase Merits and Covenant 2. The greater Benefits offered and to be received hereafter 3. The Means to be used on our part for obtaining them 4. The danger and loss if we miss of them 5. The ultimate End of him that giveth them § 9. And 1. will not any reasonable Infidel confess That Thankfulness is naturally due for great and inestimable Benefits And how can a man be thankful for that which he believeth not was ever done for him or given him Or can he be thankful to he knoweth not whom § 10. 2. Do not great Benefits freely offered require Acceptance And how can a man accept of that which he believeth not was ever purchased procured or offered him Will you accept a shadow § 11. 3. Christ never meant to carry Sluggards asleep to Heaven but to save them in the use of his appointed means 1. They must learn and obey his Doctrine and can they obey it that believe it not 2. They must take Heaven procured by a Redeemer for their Hope and Portion and love desire and seek it above all And who will do this that believeth it not and the Word that promiseth it 3. They must take Christ for their Guide and Mediator and Intercessor to bring them thither and they must forsake all here that stands in competition that they may obtain it And can you do this and not believe and trust him that must save you Will you venture your life in the Hands of a Physician and take his Medicines if you believe not that he hath Skill and Will to cure you Will you leave your Country and follow one over Seas that promiseth you a Kingdom if you trust him not § 12. 4. And who will avoid Sin Temptations and Hell that believeth not him that tells them of the evil and of the danger that is before him § 13. 5. And God can have no lower End ultimately than Himself and the Glory of our Redeemer is more excellent than mine or yours And therefore if We have the Salvation it is meet and necessary that God and our Redeemer have the Love and Thanks the Praise and Glory of it § 14. Yet hath not God arbitrarily made Faith more necessary than it is in the true Reason and Aptitude of it to its Ends. He hath not made to all a Faith so necessary of Christ and his Intercession and therefore though Infants and Ideots cannot actually believe they may be saved by Christ And though those before Christ believed not all that we must now believe nor the Gentiles before so much as the Iews yet neither of them were thereby excluded from Salvation § 15. Quest. Hath not Christ made the Case of Christians harder than it was before his Incarnation to Believers by making so many more Articles of our Faith and those of necessity to our Salvation Ans. No no more than it is our Misery to accept of more Mercies and Benefits than were offered to others Our Belief is not of numerous unnecessary difficulties but it is of such things as we must receive and be Partakers of it is the means of our use and fruition Who would take it for a Misery to believe that the King will give him a Lordship or that a rich Man will give him so much Money if he will come and thankfully accept it Every act of belief is but a means to some Benefit to be received § 16. As Christ is the way to the Father and the Mediator is to bring us unto God so Faith in Christ is the Mediate or healing Grace to help us to Holiness or the Love of God which being its End is as much more noble than Faith in
devoting and giving up our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and renouncing of all that is inconsistent with this Covenant Which Assent Consent and Trust are the effects of the Gospel and Spirit of Christ and are founded on God's Fidelity that is on the Veracity Love and Sufficiency of God Almighty most wise and good and on Christ the Father's great Apostle and on Christ's sub-Apostles and on the Gospel and especially the Covenant of Grace as on God's revealing and donative Instrument and on the manifold obsignant operations of the Holy Ghost miraculous and sanctifying as God's infallible Attestation to the Gospel-Verity § 28. Historical Tradition of the Words Books and Matters of Fact are subordinate necessary means of transmitting the Objects to our sense of Hearing who live at such a distance from the Time Place and Facts § 29. But though all these things aforesaid are in true Faith yet a distinct Perception or Description of them all is not necessary in him that hath them But a more general Conception of it which will but consist with the true Reception of the Things signified by the Words God Christ Grace c. may be certainly saving to a plain and simple-hearted Christian when one that can describe it accurately may be graceless For it is Believing and not Defining Faith which God hath made necessary to Salvation § 30. Therefore we do ordinarily well use shorter Descriptions to the People and sometime we say That Faith in Christ is our Christianity that is our Assent and Consent to the Baptismal Covenant and our Self-dedition to God therein For in Scripture it is all one to be a Believer a Disciple of Christ and a Christian. § 31. Sometimes we say That saving Faith is a fiducial-practical Assent to the Truth of the Gospel and Consent to the Covenant of Grace or an Accepting of all the Benefits of the Covenant as they are and on the terms offered or an Accepting of Christ and Life in and with him there offered us § 32. Sometimes we say It is a practical Affiance or trusting on Christ as our only Saviour for Salvation or to bring us to God and glory And in all these and the like we speak truly and mean the same thing some terms being used on occasion while the rest are implyed and to be understood § 33. Those that will needs call no act by the name of Faith but Assent and confine it to the Intellect do yet seem to differ with us but de nomine about a Word and not the Matter For they confess if there concur not a Consent of the Will it is not saving but as some call it â—ides informis and so that Assent and Consent make up our necessary Condition or means of our Union with Christ or Interest in the Covenant-Rights or Gifts And then seeing we are agreed so far of the matter it 's not worth much striving whether one only or both Acts shall be called Faith § 34. When the first Reformers had to do with men that commended uncertainty of our Sincerity and Salvation and kept People under a Spirit of Bondage and tempted them contrary to the Nature of Faith to love this World better than the next and to be afraid of dying by being doubtful whether they should be saved in the heat of opposition some of them called Faith Assurance or certain or full Persuasion of our own personal Election Pardon and Salvation But those that came after them and those that conversed practically with Men of troubled Consciences and observed the state of the greatest part of good Christians followed not this Example but spake more cautelously and soundly and described Faith as I before have told you For they found that not one of a multitude of godly Christians could say they were certain of their Election Sincerity or Salvation And some that were forwardest to say so were none of the best and had not what they said they had § 35. But whatever the transmarine Divines say I can witness that except ignorant Antinomians or such Sectaries rejected by the Orthodox I remember not that I have met these forty years with one Divine that taketh saving-Faith to be such Assurance of our personal Election Justification or Salvation especially the first act which is not to believe that we are justified but that we may be justified § 36. Indeed you would think those few must hold this who say That Justification is an immanent eternal Act of God But 1. this is but a difference about the word Iustification All confess that God's essential Volition of our Justification is eternal as being himself but some think that his Will may be denominated an Eternal Iustification and others better say Not But all confess that the Law of Grace doth justifie no man till he believe much less the Sentence of Christ as Judge And though some call our Perswasion that we are justified by the name of Faith yet they deny not another act of Faith antecedent to this that maketh us true Christians § 37 And indeed besides Mr. Pemble and Dr. Twisse both excellent Men it 's rare to meet with any English Divine that talks for Eternal Iustification And Mr. Pemble who let fall some such things in his Vindiciae Gratiae did set all right again in his Treatise of Iustification being very young when he wrote even the last And Dr. Twisse who in his Vindic. Gratiae hath some such words speaketh elsewhere soundly as Mr. Iessop his Scholar hath shewed in a Treatise purposely written to prove it when I had taken exceptions against his words § 38. It is therefore shameless Calumny of those who perswade their Followers That the Reformed Churches take Faith for such an Assurance or Belief that we are justified or elected and shall be saved only because they find some such word in some former disputing Doctors of ours when as all or near all have so long renounced that Opinion that he would be a Wonder among us in England Scotland or Ireland and I think abroad that should hold it § 39. Yet we still say That saving Faith is not only a believing that God's Word is true but a believing it with personal Application to my self § 40. But that Application is such as followeth 1. I believe that Christ hath died for my sins as well as for the rest of the World 2. I believe that the Gospel offereth Pardon and Salvation to me as well as to others 3. I believe that God will have mercy on me and Christ and Life shall â—e mine if I shall truly believe and repent and Glory if I persevere 4. Hereupon I accept the Offer and Consent to the Covenant of Grace which giveth me right to these Benefits if I consent 5. And so far as I can say that I am sincere in my repenting and believing so far my Faith helpeth me to conclude that I am justified § 41. But this last is a mixt act and a rational
extend to the Justification must extend to if perfect § 41. But no man is perfectly and absolutely just or justifiable For instance 1. If we be accused to have sinned we cannot be justified directly against this Accusation but must plead guilty by Confession For factum non potest fieri infectum and that Fact will for ever be culpable Adam did sin will for ever be a true assertion The Guilt of fact or fault is never done away in it self that it was really a fault and that we really did it will be an everlasting Truth Of which more afterward § 41. 2. If the Accusation be That in Adam we deserved Death it must be confessed Yea temporal Death and correcting Punishments are not only deserved but inflicted and not pardoned nor we justifiable herein § 42. 3. If the Accusation be that we deserved to have Abatements of Grace With-holdings of the Spirit and abatement of what Glory we might else have had all this must be confessed § 43. 4. Yea if it be said That our Sin primo instanti deserved Hell it must be confessed and against all this there is no direct Justification § 44. But against these Accusations we must be justified 1. If it be said that we are of Right to be damned or have no Right to Heaven but to Hell this must be denied And we must be justified by these several Causes 1. Because God's Iustice and the Ends of the violated Law are satisfied by Christ and by his Righteousness a free Gift of Pardon and Life are merited for us 2. And this free donation is the Law that we are to be judged by which giveth us Christ to be our Head and Pardon and Life with him § 45. 2. If it be said That we are Unbelievers impenitent or unholy and did not fulfill the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace we must deny it and be justified against this by our Faith Repentance and Holiness it self or else we must be condemned and perish for nothing else will do it § 46. And seeing it will be the work of the day to judge men as performers or non-performers of the said Conditions of the Law of Grace therefore it is that the Scripture speaketh so much of inherent or performed Righteousness and of Christ's judging men according to their works that is their works which are the performance of that Condition § 47. To be judged according to our Works is to be justified or condemned according to our Works For to be judged is the genus and to be justified or condemned are the species Iudging is justifying or condemning § 48. While all are agreed that all men shall be justified or condemned according to their Works it is unreasonable to quarrel at that height that many do about the syllable BY whether men be justified and condemned by their works as if according to them and by them had a different sence when as to judicial justification the sence is the very same though as to the making of men just the sence may differ § 49. We are commonly agreed that no man is justified by Works in any of these following sences 1. No man is justified either constitutively or judiciarily by his Works done according to the Law of Innocency that is by perfect personal Obedience and Love because we have it not 2. No man is justified constitutively or judiciarily by his Works done according to the Mosaical Iewish Law as such 3. Much less by any Works of his own or other mens invention which he accounteth good and are not so 4. No man is justified by any Works set in opposition to or competition or co-ordination with Christ but only in subordination to him and his Righteousness by which we are redeemed and for which we are all first conditionally pardoned and justified by the Law of Grace 5. No man could be justified by his Gospel-Obedience or his Faith if he were to be judged by the Law of Innocency as not redeemed 6. No man's Faith or Obedience will justifie him in Judgment against this accusation Thou art a Sinner or this Thy sin deserved Death Nor as one that hath fulfilled all the preceptive part of the law of Christ. 7. No Works do justifie us as meriting Life of God in proper commutative Justice 8. No man is justified by Tasks of working as contradistinct from believing and trusting on Free Grace or by external works without Christ's Spirit and spiritual Evangelical Duties 9. No good Work or Act of Man was a Condition of God's giving us a Redeemer or giving us a conditional justifying Law of Grace 10. Man's true Faith and Repentance is not before the Grace which worketh it and therefore is no Condition of that Grace 11. Man's antecedent common Works while he is impenitent merit not properly the special Grace which causeth Faith and Repentance 12. We have no Works that are acceptable to God but what are the fruits of his Spirit and Grace § 50. And on the other side we are agreed 1. That we are justified by the Works of Christ as the Meritorious Cause of our Justification 2. That the Justification purchased and given us by Christ is given us by a Law or Covenant of Grace which giveth as God's Instrument Right to Impunity and to Life to all true penitent Believers And therefore he that is justified according to this Law of Grace from the charge of Impenitence and Unbelief must be justified by his Repentance and Faith materially as being the Righteousness in question as is aforesaid 3. That without Holiness none shall see God And if any be accused as unholy and on that account no Member of Christ or Child of God or Heir of Heaven his Holiness must be the matter of his Justification 4. That though our Faith Repentance and Holiness be no universal absolute Righteousness yet they are that on which the judiciary Scrutiny must pass and which will be the question of the great day on which our Life or Death will depend as on the Condition or moral Qualification of the Receiver 5. That in this sence all men shall be judged by Justification or Condemnation according to their Works or what they have done that is as they have performed or not performed the Conditions of that Law of Grace which they were under as aforesaid 6. That therefore they that will be justified at last must trust in Christ that redeemed them and be careful to perform the Conditions of his Law of Grace and both must concurr 7. That that which is the Righteousness which must justifie us in Judgment is the same that must now constitute us just 8. That when our Right to Salvation is the thing in question to be judged that which justifieth our Right to Salvation justifieth the Person as to that Right and so far the same thing is the Condition of our Right to Salvation and to our Justification 9. And if any with Augustine will mean by Iustification God 's making us such
Believers or consent to the Covenant of Grace if at age 3. These penitent Believers sins are pardoned virtually before they are committed supposing them but Sins of Insirmity but this is properly no Pardon nor so to be called because it is but the position of those things which will cause Pardon hereafter To be only virtual is not to exist but to be in causis But it is too grosly inferred hence by some That it is not God then that actually justifieth but Man that performeth the Condition as if the Condition which is but a suspension of the Donation and the performance a removal of the suspending Cause were the donative Efficient and so the Receiver were the Giver As if he that opened the window were the Sun or efficient Cause of the Light or he that lets off a Crossbow by removing the Stop were the spring that effecteth the motion of the Arrow § 62. Neither Pardon nor Justification are perfect before death For there are some correcting Punishments to be yet born some Sins not fully destroyed some Grace yet wanting more Sins to be forgiven more Conditions thereof to be performed The final and executive Pardon and Justification are only perfect CHAP. XXII Of the Imputation of Righteousness § 1. THE great Contentions that have been about this Point tell us how needfull it is to distinguish between real and verbal Controversies The opening of the Doctrine of Redemption before Chap. XI hath done most that is needful to the solution of this Case we are commonly agreed in these following Points § 2. 1. That no man hath a Righteousness of his own performance by which he could be justified were he to be judged by the Law of Innocency that is all are Sinners and deserve everlasting Death § 3. 2. That Jesus the Mediator undertook to fulfil all the Law which God the Father gave him even the Law of Nature the Law of Moses and that which was proper to himself that thereby God's Wisdom Goodness Truth Justice and Mercy might be glorified and the ends of God's Government be better attained than by the Destruction of the sinful World and all this he performed in our Nature and suffered for us in our stead and was the second Adam or Root to Believers § 4. 3. That for this as the meritorious Cause God hath given him power over all Flesh that he might give eternal Life to as many as are drawn to him by the Father and given him Joh. 17. 2. He is Lord of all and all power in Heaven and Earth is given him Matth. 28. 19. and he is made Head over all things to the Church Eph. 1. 22 23. Rom. 14. 9 And for these his Merits a Covenant or Law of Grace is made to sinful Man by which all his sins are freely pardoned and Right to Impunity and Life is freely given him if he will accept it and penitently turn to God § 5. 4. Whenever a man is pardoned and justified or hath Right to Life this Law of Grace doth it as God's donative Instrument And whoever is so pardoned and justified it is for and by these Merits of Christ's Righteousness § 6. 5. But Christ doth initially pardon and justifie none by this Covenant but penitent Believers and therefore hath made it our Duty to repent and believe that we may be forgiven and have right to life as the Condition without which his donative and condonative Act shall be suspended § 7. 6. God never judgeth falsely but knoweth all things to be what they are And therefore he reputeth Christ's meritorious Righteousness and Sacrifice to be the meritorious Cause of all mens Justification who are justified and of the conditional Pardon of all the World 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. and as sufficient and effectual to the assigned ends as our own personal righteousness or suffering would have been and more though it be not so ours as that of our own performance would have been nor so immediately give us our Right to Impunity and Life but mediately by the Covenant § 8. 7. And as God reputeth Christ's Righteousness to be the prime meritorious Cause for which we are justified by the Law of Grace as afore-said so he truly reputeth our own Faith and Repentance or Covenant-consent to be our moral Qualification for the gift and our Holiness and Perseverance to be our moral Qualification for final Iustification and Glory which Qualification being the matter of the Command of the Law of Grace and the Condition of its Promise is so far our righteousness indeed and oft so called in the Scripture as is aforesaid § 9. 8. Therefore God may in this Sence be truly said both to impute righteousness to us and to impute Christ's righteousness to us and to impute our Faith for righteousness to us in several respects § 10. Thus much being commonly agreed on should quiet the Minds of Divines that are not wise and righteous overmuch and it beseemeth us not to make our arbitrary Words and Notions about the Doctrine of our Peace with God to be Engines to break the Church's Peace seeing Angels preached to us this great Truth That Christ came into the World for GLORY to God in the highest and for PEACE on Earth and for GOOD-WILL or LOVE from God to Man or mutual complaâ—ency and his Servants should not turn his Gospel into matter of strife § 11. That which we are yet disagreed about is the Names and Notions following As 1. What is meant by the Phrase of Imputing in several Texts of Scripture as Rom. 4. 11. That righteousness might be imputed or reckoned to them also Ans. The words seem to me to have no difficulty but what men by wrangling put into them To have righteousness impuâ—ed to them is to be reputed judged or accounted as righteous Men and so used the cause being not in the Phrasâ— it self but fore-described § 12. So what is meant Rom. 4. 6. by imputing righteousness without works Ans. Plainly reputing or judging a man righteous without the works which Paul there meaneth § 13. So what is meant by Not imputing sin Psal. 32. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Rom. 5. 13. Lev. 7. 18. 1 Sam. 22. 15. 2 Sam. 19. 19. Rom. 4. 8 Ans. Not-judging a man as a Sinner guilty of punishment not charging his sin upon him in Judgment which is as 2 Sam. 19. 19. c. because he is not truly guilty or as Rom. 4. 8. c. because he is forgiven § 14. 2. What is meant by imputing our Faith to us for righteousness But of that more purposely anon § 15. 3. Whether imputing Christ's righteousness to us be a Scripture-phrase Ans. Not that I can find § 16. 4. Whether it be a fit or lawful Phrase and whether in so great matters departing from Scripture-phrase and pretending it necessary so to do be not adding to God's Word or the cause of Corruptions and Divisions in the Church and an intimation that we can speak better than the
How fain would some men differ if they could or seem to do it when they do not § 32. IV. As to the fourth Question I answer 1. We are all agreed That God will not pardon justifie or save any without both Faith and Repentance and Desire as necessary moral Qualifications of the Receiver And this shall serve turn if any like not the term Condition and be willing to be quiet § 33. 2. Faith in a narrow Sence as signifying meer Assent is distinct from Repentance but Faith in that sence as is meant in Baptism and hath the Promise of Justification and Life is more the same with Repentance than many perceive For Repentance is the change of the mind from evil to good And the Good necessary to our Salvation is a fiducial practical Consent to the Covenant of Grace or a practical Faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost And to turn to this is to repent and be converted even to turn from the contrary Acts and Objects to this fiducial consenting Belief in God the Father Son and Spirit and what else is repenting but this Change § 34. 3. It was never Paul's meaning under the name of Works to exclude Repentance and all Acts of Faith save one and Thankfulness and Desire and Hope and Prayer c. while they keep their place in subordination to Christ They do but confound sacred Doctrines and mens minds that so imagine § 35. And the same Spirit that saith He that believeth shall be saved saith also He that calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 13. And we are saved by Hope Rom. 8. 24. and we are saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5 6. and by believing the Articles of the Creed 1 Cor. 15. 2. and blessed are they that kee◠his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life that right is our righteousness and may enter in c. Rev. 22. 14. By taking heed to himself and to Doctrine Timothy was to save himself and his Hearers 1 Tim. 4. 16. Many such Texts I have elsewhere cited which are all true § 36. V. As to the fifth Question it is answered before in the Description of Faith As the Father Son and Holy Spirit are one God so Faith in them is one Faith and no man can truly believe in Christ that believeth not in the Father our belief in God as God and Love to him is that Salvation to which Christ is to bring us And the Consent to use the remedy includeth the consent to have Health or to be saved And our Belief in God as our Redeemer even Christ is the chief part of our mediate Faith In a word all that Belief which is necessary to the Baptized is necessary to our Iustification But that is our Belief in Father Son and Holy Ghost in the measure that they are revealed CHAP. XXIV Of Assurance of our Justification and of Hope § 1. ASsurance of Perseverance and Salvation is not here to be spoken of but only of our present Iustification And they are distinct Questions 1. What Assurance is desirable 2. What Assurance is attainable 3. What Assurance we actually have and who have it 4. What is the nature and grounds of this Assurance § 2. I. Some pleaded so much for the usefulness of Uncertainty and Doubting as if it were the safest condition to keep us humble and watchful as excited Luther and other Reformers to take them for utter Enemies to Christian Comfort And certainly Assurance is a most desirable thing it kindleth in us the love of God it maketh Duty sweet it maketh Sufferings easie and Death less terrible and Heaven more desired and consequently cureth an earthly Mind and leadeth man to a heavenly Conversation and putteth Life into all his Endeavours Whereas a man that is still utterly in doubt of his state of Salvation and right to Life will be loath to die and therefore love this present World and have less thankful and loving Thoughts of God and his Redeemer and so all sin will have advantage and Holiness a great impediment An Infidel will confess that such Assurance is exceeding desirable § 3. II. And no doubt but a comfortable degree of Assurance is attainable or else God would never have so fully differenced the Righteous and the Wicked and commanded all to examine and try themselves and to make sure But this I have often elsewhere proved § 4. III. But all true Believers have not Assurance of their Justification because they are not certain that their Faith is such as hath the promise of Justification He that believeth perceiveth that he believeth but yet may be uncertain that his Faith is so sincere as no unjustified man can have § 5. Their Justification is real or true or certain in it self but the Evidence of it may be dark and their perception of the Evidence defective from whence it is to them uncertain that is not known with that full satisfaction of mind which we call Assurance § 6. Yea Experience telleth us That it is but a small part of the most religious Christians who will say themselves That they are certain of their Iustification and of those few that are forwardest to say so all have it not § 7. Therefore justifying Faith is not Assurance that we are justified otherwise all should have assurance that have Faith and justifying Faith in order of Nature goeth before Iustification but Assurance that we are justified followeth it we cannot be assured that we are justified but by being assured that we believe But it 's absurd to say I am assured I am justified because I am assured that I am justified But this is only against the Antinomians § 8. No man hath perfect Assurance that is the highest degree in this Life For if all our Graces be imperfect our Assurance must needs be imperfect § 9. IV. This Assurance then is not properly Divine Faith or a Belief of God's Word but it is a clear and satisfying perception of our own Justification because we are clearly satisfied that God's Promises are true and that we are true Believers § 10. This Certainty is not by an immediate Word or Revelation of the Spirit in us but yet the Spirit is all these ways the cause of it in the Faithful 1. The Spirit working us to God's Image and Will is our assuring-Evidence or the Minor in that Argument whose Conclusion we are assured of as the Spirit in the Word is the Major 2. The Spirit in Believers helpeth them to perceive his own Works in them and know their Evidence 3. And also to rejoyce in that perception This is the Witness of the Spirit which we mean and not immediate Revelation § 11. Though Hope be sometimes about things certain yet it is often also about that which we are not certain of And more have true Hopes of Salvation than have Assurance of it or of their Title
Salvation it self and the Image and Glory of God upon us § 63. V. About the next Question I may yet be shorter How far any Works of ours may be trusted in I think all agree 1. That nothing of ours or any Creature should be trusted to for any thing proper to God or proper to Christ or any thing that belongeth not truly to it self He that ascribeth any thing to our Faith Love or Obedience which is proper to Christ's Merits or God's Mercy and so trusteth them doth greatly sin and he that trusteth them for more than God hath assigned to them to do § 64. 2. That we must take heed of scandaous Language and therefore must not talk of trusting on any act of our own when it is like to be understood as put in Competition with God or with Christ's Merits as if the Question were Whether we must trust God or our selves Christ's Righteousness or our own For our own is not in the least measure to be trusted for that which belongeth only to Christ's Righteousness to be or do § 65. 3. That yet it is a great Duty to trust every means of Salvation appointed by God in its own place and for its own part alone even to preaching Sacraments Afflictions c. And accordingly to trust our own Faith Love Prayer Obedience so far as they are Means and have God's Promise and no further which is no more than to trust in God that he will bless such means He that trusteth his Sword doth not trust it to fight of it self without his Hand When God hath promised Mercy upon Prayer and to the Obedient or Penitent for a man to think that God will yet do no more for us if we repent pray and obey than if we do not is to be Unbelievers and say rebelliously It is in vain to serve the Lord. He is so far to trust to Faith Repentance praying hearing meditating diligence as to trust that God will bless them and reward them and look for more from him when we use means than when we do not CHAP. XXVI Of Confirmation Perseverance and Danger of falling away § 1. I Shall reduce all that needs to be said on this point to these following controverted Questions 1. Whether all Grace procured and given by Christ be such as is never lost 2. Whether that degree of Grace be ever lost which giveth the posse credere without the act of Faith commonly called sufficient Grace in Adult or Infants 3. Whether any lose actual true justifying Faith 4. Whether any lose true Holiness or love of God in the Habit 5. Whether any degree of this be ever lost or all special Grace have such Confirmation as the Angels have 6. Whether if Holiness be never lost it be possible to lose it and be in danger 7. Whether there be a state of confirmed Persons besides the meerly sanctified that from the degree or kind of their grace never fall away 8. Or whether Perseverance depend on meer Election and God's Will which secureth only some of the justified 9. Whether all or most or many Christians are themselves sure to persevere 10. Whether Certainty of perseverance be fit for all the justified 11. Whether it be unfit for all and a more unsafe Condition than doubting 12. Whether the Comfort of most Christians lie upon the Doctrine of such Certainty 13. Whether the Doctrine of Eventual Apostacy infer any mutability in God 14. Why God hath left this point so dark 15. What was the Judgment of the ancient Churches after the Apostles 16. Whether it be an Article of such evidence and weight as to be put into our Church-Confessions and we should force men to subscribe to it or make it necessary to Ministration Communion or Christian Love and Concord § 2. Q. I. Whether all Christ's Grace given us be such as is never lost Ans. No except Iansenius and his Followers I know of no Christians that ever affirm it and he doth it on this false supposition That the common Grace which worketh only preparatorily by fear is not the Grace of Christ but a grace of other Providence and only Love is the grace of Christ. But it is injurious to Christ who is the Lord and Light and Saviour of the World and God's Administrator-general into whose Hands all Things and Power is given to say That since the Fall there is any Grace in the World that is not his Grace and that our preparatory grace and all that 's common is aliunde some other way He that readeth Ioh. 15. Matth. 13. Heb. 6 and 10. may see the contrary § 3. Q II. Whether sufficient grace to believe which giveth the meer power of believing to Infants or Adult be ever lost Ans. These Questions suppose that there are these several sorts of Graces disputed of by Divines 1. Common grace 2. Power to believe and repent 3. Actual Faith and Repentance given by that called special Vocation 4. The Habit of love and all grace called Sanctification to pass by Relative grace as Justification c. 5. Confirmation of these Habits And we now speak only of the second And the very Being of that Grace is controverted Whether God ever give besides the natural Power a moral Power to believe to any that never do believe And 1. it is certain by Adam's instance that he gave him a power to have perfectly obeyed when he did not 2. And therefore no man can prove that now he giveth no man a moral Power to believe that doth not 3. But it seemeth most probable that he doth because his Government and Man's Nature are not tota specie changed 4. And it is certain that still all men have power to do more good than they do 5. And even the Dominicans grant this Sufficiency of grace 6. But yet for my part I am not certain of it § 4. But if there be such a power given which never acteth Faith which I think most probable it is either in the Adult or Infants if in the Adult no doubt it 's lost for they that will not believe to the last retain not still the moral power in their Rebellion § 5. But in the Case of Infants I think those of them that die before the use of reason lose it not nor any of the Elect that live to full Age But as to others after long doubt How far Infant-Grace is loseable this seemeth now the most probable solution to me § 6. Viz. There is a Grace that reacheth but to a moral Power to repent and believe before men have the Act or proper Habit Such Grace to persevere did put Adam in a present state of Life or acceptation with God this Grace Adam lost Accordingly such grace that containeth but this mâ—â—al power in an Infant 's Disposition with relative grace of Pardon is sufficient to provâ— his right to Salvation if he so die because he is not bound to the Act nor capable of it and even the Adult
upon the Act have right to Acceptance and to the Spirit to cause the Habit in order of Nature before they have the Habit Therefore Infants may be in a state of such Right and Life before the Habit though they shall not possess Glory without it And yet the Adult are not in a state of such right by the meer Power before the Act because the Act it self is made necessary to their Justification but so is it not to Infants So that Infants and Adult may receive a meer power to repent and believe and lose it after at age by actual sin though this be a loss of a state of Iustification to the one sort their fins of Nature being pardoned but not to the other who are not pardoned without the Act And yet it followeth not hence that the grace of habitual Sanctification is lost in any § 7. If this solution please not let them that can give us one that is less inconvenient and we shall thankfully accept it but it must be none that yet I have heard of not the Anabaptists nor those of their Adversaries who leave us no certainty of the Salvation of any particular Infants but only say God will save them that are Elect but no one knoweth who they are nor how few or many nor can tell us of any promise made to any upon any antecedent Character or Condition nor give Believers any more assurance of their own Childrens Salvation than of any Heathens Nor theirs that say Baptized Infants are saved by relative Grace alone without any internal real Grace Nor theirs that say They have the Spirit but tell us not in what operation or say it is only right to the Spirit hereafter Nor theirs that say That all Baptized Infants at least of godly Parents have habitual Holiness Faith Love c. such as the Adult in Sanctification have and that some at Age do lose it I think this less inconvenient than any one of these § 8. Q. III. Whether any lose true actual Faith and Iustification Ans. That a common uneffectual Faith may be lost is no doubt But concerning the other there are three Opinions 1. Some say No it cannot be lost because that Faith hath the Promise of the Sanctification of the Spirit as well as of Pardon and right to Life Therefore seeing habitual Holiness is not lost that which hath the Promise of it is not lost 2. Others say That actual Faith at first is like Adam's loseable Grace and that it giveth us actual Pardon and right to Life if we so die and right to the Spirit in relation to sanctifie us in time and by degrees But that every one that hath the Spirit hath not the Habits of Love and Holiness but he sometimes is causing many Acts before he produce a Habit ad modum acquisitorum 3. Others say That both Faith and habitual Holiness are oft lost I delay the solution till the rest be considered § 9. Q. IV. Whether habitual Love or Holiness or the Spirit be ever lost Ans. That there is a confirmed state or degree of Holiness that is never lost I do hold and that this is attainable and in that state men may be certain of Salvation But whether the least degrees of habitual grace be utterly loseable which prove a present right to life till they are lost I must plainly profess I do not know much may be said on both sides And if my Ignorance offend any it offendeth me more but how shall I help it I think it is not for want of study nor of impartial willingness to know the Truth And Ignorance of the two is safer than Error by which we trouble and seduce those about us And in this case so many great and excellent Men have erred either Augustine with the generality of the ancient Churches or Calvin Zanchy and most of the Reformed that my Ignorance is pardonable where their Error it self is pardoned But let those that are wiser rejoyce in the greater measure of their Wisdom But yet think not that taking up either Opinion upon the trust of their Party is such § 10. Q. V. To the next some have said That had Adam done but one act of Love or Obedience he had been confirmed as the Angels in a state of Impeccability And that so are all that once truly believe in Christ. But Experience utterly confuteth that For all men sin after believing § 11. Others say only That men may sin and may lose acquired Grace but no degree of that which is infused But we have small reason to think that our encreased degrees are not as much infused as the first degree was And yet Experience proveth that such added degrees may be lost § 12. Others say All added degrees may be lost but none of that which was first infused Indeed could we prove that God alwaies at first infuseth only the least degree consistent with Salvation then this must be held by all that deny that any fall from Justification But for ought we know God may the first minute give one man more Grace than to another in long time and that first degree may be lessened by his sin § 13. Q. VI. Whether it be possible to lose that Holiness which never will be lost Ans. The word Possible respecteth either a Consequence in Arguing and is a Logical Possibility or it respecteth the natural power of Causes and is called Physical Possibility In the first sence it is impossible that any thing should come to pass that doth not because God knoweth it will not And it is a good consequence God knoweth that this will not come to pass therefore it will not And it is impossible that this Consequence should be false But as to the natural Possibility no doubt but of our selves we can sin nay it is not an act oâ— Power but of Impotency or from a defect of Power And the Habit given us is not a sufficient Power to ascertain our Perseverance of it self But if you speak with respect to the Power of God by which we are preserved we must thus answer That it is impossible for us or any Creature to overcome God's Power or Will And if it be first proved that God will cause us to persevere by the way of Physical irresistible determination by Power then it must be called Impossible to fall away or commit any Sin which he so saveth us from But if he keep any as a free Agent by the sapiential disposal of his Free-will and so procure the event of a contingent action then it must be said that this and many things are possible which never come to pass That God only decreeth that we shall not fall away and not that it shall be impossible Thus Dr. Twisse and the Dominicans themselves use to speak But for my part I â—ake God's manner of working on and for us to be so unsearchable and this notion of Possibility or Impossibility of so little moment when we are
of everlasting glory through Faith § 7. This Repentance is the same thing with Conversion and as I said before Faith it self includeth Repentance in its Essence as denominated from the terminus a quo it being a Turning from Unbelief to God by believing in him as God and to Christ by believing in him as our Saviour and to the Holy Ghost by believing in him as the Agent and Witness of Christ and our Sanctifier § 8. Particular Repentance is our turning with Sorrow from a particular Sin to our contrary obedience to God § 9. Without that universal Repentance or Conversion which turneth the Mind Will and Life to God from created Vanity and this World no Man can be saved because he continueth an Idolater and Rebel and doth not indeed take God for his God nor Christ for his Saviour nor the Holy Spirit for his Sanctifier but is an ungodly Man and a Forsaker of God and his own Felicity § 10. Repentance as towards God is sometime distinguished from Faith in Christ And then Repentance is our turning to God as God by Faith Trust Love and Obedience resigning our selves to him as our Owner subjecting our selves to him as our Ruler and loving him as our Benefactor and chiefly as the Infinite Good in himself our ultimate objective End And this is the greater Duty respecting God as our End even the same with Love to God for the procuring of which Christ came into the World and Faith is given us And then Faith in Christ is the mediate grace and duty by which we are brought to this Repentance § 11. Not that any man can truly take Christ for his Saviour before he taketh God for his God for the Love and Intention of the End is before our Choice and Use of the Means But Christ being our Teacher first bringeth us to assent to the Truth of God's Perfections and Relations to us and then to the Truth of his own Gospel and by this Assent bringeth us first to a common and then to a special Consent at once that God be our God and Christ our Saviour but so that we desire God as our End and Christ as Mediator as the Means § 12. Universal Repentance or Conversion doth virtually contain all particular future Repentance but not actually Therefore where this is that Soul may be saved without actual Repentance for some particular sins or sorts of sin As e. g. if we are ignorant that such or such a thing is sin for want of necessary Instruction or if in a crowd of business some sinful Thought Passion or Word pass unobserved or if we do our faithful endeavour to find out a sin and cannot remember it as who can remember at Conversion one of many that he has committed in Unregeneracy and after many are forgotten And every Man dieth in some sin which he hath no time here to repent of viz. in some sinful imperfection of all grace and duty and omission of due degrees of Love and other Acts For all which virtual repentance will be accepted § 13. But great and heinous sins must needs have actual repentance because it will not consist with the Truth of Holiness to be so indifferent or easâ—e towards them as not to observe them and remember them And if they be known and remembred they will be repented of when the Soul hath opportunity to consider what it hath done For habitual repentance is necessary to Salvation and Habits will act when they are not extraordinarily hindred having notable Objects and Opportunity § 14. Yet some sins that are great materially in their nature may be lessened much to some persons by unavoidable ignorance and so may not have an actual repentance As e. g. in times of War to kill men in a wrong Cause is one of the greatest â—ins in the World and yet when by the darkness of State-cases the Question who is in the right is so difficult that very few can decide it and after their utmost search each Party thinks that God bindeth them to fight for their King or Country such persons cannot have a particular repentance while they are not able to see that they were deceived § 15. It is therefore a Case of exceeding difficulty what sins may stand with Iustification not particularly repented of and what not or as some speak which are mortal and which venial sins or sins of Infirmity § 16. But he that hath a care of his Salvation must hate all sin in the general as sin and keep up his watch and be willing to know all the worst in himself and diligently use the means to know it and resolve to forsake it to his power when he knoweth it that so he may not be wilfully impenitent And he that will sin as far as he thinks will stand with grace either hath no true grace or shall not know that he hath it § 17. The time of repentance or mercy may be said in two Sences to be past 1. When a man shall not be accepted and pardoned though he should repent And so the Day of grace is never past in this Life and the Damned do not truly repent in our present Sence so that for a penitent person to fear that the Day of grace is past or his Repentance too late if true is to contradict the Scope of the Gospel which giveth pardon to every one that truly repenteth 2. When a man that before had some motions and helps to repent and obstinately resisted them shall be given up to his Obstinacy and never have such motions more Thus the Day of grace may be past with many And such persons turn from God to Wickedness and are hardened in the love of sin and usually blinded to defend it and hate a holy Life But those that do repent or fain would repent or yet feel God moving them to repent have no cause to think that God hath thus forsaken them For it is only obstinate and continued forsaking God that is the sign of one forsaken by him § 18. And this also is no proof to us that such a Person is finally forsaken For many that have rejected grace many years are afterward converted by that grace So that all that we can say is That such as God hath forsaken do continue to the end to reject his Mercy and prefer their Lusts but that he will so continue to the end no man himself can tell before the end § 19. About the unpardonable sin there are two Coâ—â—oversies 1. What it is 2. Whether it be absâ—â—â—â—ely unpardonable That final impenitency is unpardonable is undoubted But the sin in question is called The Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost of which having written a special Tractate I now only say That it is the Sin of such as believing not Christ to be the Son of God but a Deceiver and yet being convinced of his and his Disciples Miracles do in their judgments think and blasphemously say and maintain that they were done by
that he giveth not Salvation to all men and yet that he doth give many and great Mercies to all men and especially that he hath given to the World and not only to the Elect an express conditional Pardon of Sin and conditional Iustification Reconciliation Adoption and Right to Glory And sober Divines had rather say that this universal conditional Deed of Gift is the effect of Christ's Sacrifice and Sufferings than that God giveth it to one part of Men for Christ's death and to the other part not for his death but as without it And we are agreed that Christ doth give to some such special Grace as shall and doth infallibly prevail with them to repent and believe and also actual Pardon Justification Adoption and Salvation § 19. Therefore in this sence Christ died for all but not for all alike or equally that is He intended good to all but not an equal good with an equal intention Whatever Christ giveth men in time as the fruit of his death that he decreed from Eternity to give them And whatever he never giveth them he never decreed to give them What he giveth them absolutely he decreed to give them absolutely And what he giveth them but conditionally he decreed to give them but conditionally Therefore being agreed of the fact and event we must be agreed of the Intention or Decree and what needs there more And by this time you may answer their Objection that say Why not a common and conditional Election as well as a common and conditional Redemption Ans. Neither of them are conditional as to the Act of God and Christ There is no act of ours the Condition of God's decreeing ex parte Dei but only of the thing decreed nor of Christ's Death or Intent but only of the benefit That a conditional Act of Grace or Deed of Gift of Christ and Life to all Mankind in common in the tenor of it should be made was both decreed by God and purchased by Christ. But 1. This is not the whole of God's Decree or Christ's Purchase and Intent 2. And this is not to be called Election as it signifieth a choosing of some from among the rest Common Redemption and the Decree of Common Grace both antecede that which is properly called Election in order of Nature in esse objectivo that is God decreeth to give Faith and Salvation effectively to some of them that had common Grace § 20. The old Solution which Schoolmen and Protestants have acquiesced in is That Christ died for All as to the sufficiency of his death but not as to the efficiency of their salvation Which is true but must be thus explained Christ's Death and Obedience were not only sufficient but effectual as to their first effects that is They effected that which is commonly called Satisfaction and Merit and hence and from the Covenant of God they were also effectual to procure the Covenant of Grace as of universal tenor and therein a free pardon of Sin and gift of Right to life-eternal to all on condition of due acceptance This conditional Gift of Christ and Life is effected And this efficacy of the antecedent Mercies must either be called part of the sufficiency of Redemption as to the consequent Mercies viz. Actual Pardon and Salvation or else an efficiency beyond the sufficiency antecedent to the said special efficiency That Christ's Death hath effectually procured the Act of Oblivion or conditional Gift of Life to all Mankind but it doth not effect the actual salvation of all To the universal Grace it is both sufficient and efficient but to the special Grace and actual Salvation it is sufficient to All as after shall be opened but not efficient which is by the Refuser's fault and forfeiture § 21. When we say that either Christ's Death or Grace is sufficient to more than it effecteth the meaning is that it hath all things on its part which is absolutely necessary to the effect but that somewhat else is supposed necessary to it which is wanting § 22. As there is a common Grace actually extended to Mankind that is common Mercies contrary to their merit so there is such a thing as sufficient Grace in su◠genere which is not effectual So that though it be disputable in what cases this is found and what not yet that there is such a thing is past dispute § 23. By sufficient Grace here I mean such without which Man's Will cannot and with which it can perform the commanded Act toward which it is moved when yet it doth not perform it and this without any other degree of help than that which procureth not the act So that it is not all that is useful to the effect nor all that is necessary to easie or prompt performance or to the infallible ascertaining of the act nor to the melius esse only that we speak of but so much as is necessary ad esse and efficient of the true posse When you can properly say that a Man can do this you say that he hath all that is of necessity to the doing of it § 24. Iansenius himself is so far from denying this Grace called Sufficient that he asserteth that by this improved by free-will without such special Grace as of it self giveth the Act as well as the Power the good Angels stood when the bad ones fell and Adam stood till the time of his Fall And so that such a thing there hath been § 25. And seeing God is still the same and man's will the same in its natural faculties and God seemeth to us to delight in Constancy it is very improbably imagined that God did for so short a time Rule Angels and Men by such a Grace as he would never after make use of in the World and that Man's free-will did for so short a time do its Duty by that Sufficient Grace and never after do any one act by the like Grace in any one to the World's end § 26. It 's true that such Grace will not serve our turn to do that now in our lapsed state which Adam could have done in Innocency no nor will all our effectual Grace yet reach it that is to have continued sinless But it is incredible that no common Grace of God now is as sufficient to the performance of the least good act which is good but secundum quid as Adam's was to the fulfilling of all God's Law and that the best unregenerate man is not able to do any better than he doth or forbear some Evil that he doth as well as Adam to have forborn all § 27. At least to the Regenerate such a Grace must be acknowledged For though of the rest Iansenius will say They do no good because they love not God and goodness and on the like reasons others will say That the Regenerate do no good because all hath sinful mixture or imperfection yet he will not say so of the godly And must we believe that no godly