Redemption the Liberty of the Will the Perseverance or Falling away of the Faithful Doctrines of an high nature and rightly understood and explained of great use both as to manifesting the Glory of the Goodness and Justice of God and to the strengthening of faith exciting the hope quickening the obedience and encouraging the perseverance of the Saints Yet through the blindness of mans finite understanding who indeed is not able to fathom the abyss of Gods counsels and the bold presumptions of some men who will dare to determine of that which no mortal man dares say he understands it hath been the unhappy fate of this Doctrine to be the matter of the highest contention in the Church a Controversie of the longest continuance and managed with the sharpest bitterness Sect. 4 And as if men when they enter into this dispute were engaged to deny Christianity and to lay aside all meekness of spirit and all soft and smooth language On the one side we are affrighted with the names of Arminians Damned Arminians at least half Jesuites Pelagians Semipelagians Proud men that dare presume to overthrow the Soveraignty and dethrone the glorious Grace of God to exalt the Handmaid above the Mistress setting the insolent Will of Man in the throne and making the Grace of God truckle under it And abundance more ejusdem furfuris Sect. 5 On the other side we are accosted with Calvinists Supralapsarians Sublapsarians Men that set up a Saturn for a God who devours his own children who to glorifie his own power without any respect at all to goodness or justice but only to declare his own uncontrollable soveraignty hath made the greatest part of the world to destroy it and decreed the tortures the eternal torments of so many thousand innocent souls meerly for his own pleasure and that he might destroy them with justice first to make them sinners that then they might be fit fewel for his indignation And that men have nothing to do but to wait for the execution of Gods will upon them yea if they do any thing to sin as fast and as high as they can that God may have the more glory of his grace if he save them or of his justice if he condemn them for all must be meerly according to his pleasure And a great deal more of this horrid representation charged upon this side Sect 6 I am confident to a considering man the charges as to the main on both sides are equally unjust I am sure uncharitable and unchristian But here is the mischief Men have espoused a quarrel interest and are resolved to maintain it Therefore rather than abate an inch to maintain a supposed reputation to themselves they break all the mounds of Charity and Christianity to raise the foulest slanders and draw the most odious consequences from the doctrines of their adversaries How agreeable this is to the Christian and Evangelical temper let the world judge Sect. 7 But may we not yet have peace and live in love notwithstanding a dissent in these Doctrines without doubt we may Or is there any such thing in the nature of these Doctrines that they cannot amicably be disputed without these heats or dissented in without breach of charity Certainly there is not For Sect. 8 1. It is not a thing of yesterday nor will this day end it I am much troubled to see that Arminian and Calvinist are made and used as the great Name to distinguish Professions as if Arminius and Calvin were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the men of the several perswasions were bound jurare in verba and owned either of them as their Master when both parties owne no Master but Christ and glory in no name but that of Christians their first appellation or because there may be some necessity to distinguish the Reformed from the Pseudo-Catholicks Protestants Sect. 9 Sure I am this Controversie is not peculiar to our Church the Romanists do as much dispute it there Those who have read the books of Alvarez or for why should I name any one when there are so many the Dominicans the Thomists and of the Jesuites will be able to witness this Are not the (r) See a large discovery of this in the Author of the Provincial letters or Mystery of Jesuitism Let. 1.2 3. disputes about the Next power to act the general sufficiency of Grace given to all that as one side pleads men need no other addition of any efficacious Grace to determine the Will and the necessity of efficacious Grace without which say the other no man hath power to act as much ventilated between the Molinists and the Jansenists The Dominicans or New Thomists as they are called upon a base designe closing with the Jesuite in words but agreeing with the Jansenists in the thing Sect. 10 Nor is it peculiar to this Age for was not the like dispute always in the Schools of the Philosophers about the Irrevocabile inevitabile and immobile fatum though I confess the rigidest Maintainers of the Absolute Decrees do as much decry the Stoical fatality as the contrary-minded but especially about the Determination of the Will whether the Will doth determine it self or whether any thing else and what that is that doth determine it Sect. 11 Yea was the Church almost ever free Infallibly these Disputes were in the Church long before either Calvin or Arminius were born and will be when possibly their names may be forgotten Both sides we know plead the sense of Antiquity and the concurrence of the Ancients in the same judgment The one pleading that they have the Vote of the whole Church in all the first ages before S. Austin and a many of the great Lights of the Church also after him Yet withall yielding to the other part that at least S. Austin was of their mind for the main And this other side pleading S. Austin ex professo disputing these points and citing the judgments of many before him as Cyprian Ambrose Greg. Nazianz. c. and after him they call in the testimonies of Prosper Fulgentius and abundance of later times both Papists and Protestants Sect. 12 Yea beyond all these do not both sides provoke (x) Isa 8.20 to the Law and to the Testimony to the Sacred Scriptures and strongly conceive those Sacred Oracles to determine for their perswasions The one building on those many Parables of the Gospel especially that of the Sower (y) Luk. 18.11.16 wherein the reason of the success or non success of the Word as to the fruits of righteousness is founded not in any such Decree of God but in the goodness or badness of the ground in the probity or improbity of the heart that receives it And those many texts in which God evidently dealeth with man as a Rational creature drawing him by (z) Hos 11.4 the cords of a man and bonds of love convincing the judgment by the clearest demonstrations wooing the affections by the sweetest and most
should our Governours be guilty yet it will be a greater error and sin in us of an higher nature to break the peace of the Church for such inconsiderable things For though the things are light in themselves and the use or not use of an indifferent ceremony be of no weight in it self yet obedience in a duty disobedience to a lawfull Authority where we might without sin obey is a crime and it will be our sin that we put a light ceremony in the scale against our obedience and duty together with the peace of the Church therein concerned Let us then learne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to put a due distinction and discerne between things that differ and accordingly walke be zealous where only we should be zealous and in things of a lower nature bear with and forbeare one another and not contend and we shall have peace 4. § 15 If we carefully avoide all profane janglings needlesse and unprofitable disputes about questions of little or no concernment It was a tart motto which that Learned a Sr. H Wâ—tton Knight gave Pruritus disputandi est scabies Ecclesiae but it is true enough For Cui bono to what purpose but to fill the braine with notions and empty speculations and so to fit men for wrangling I never knew any other fruit of such aiery disputes about questions of Rites Habits Formes c. than that while the head is warmed by the heate of of these contentions the heart and affections grow cold in their love to God zeal for piety and the Power of Godlinesse Such questions are the bones which the Devill throwes in to divert the souls of men from those truly Divine studies and spirituall speculations that should inflame them with an holy zeal for the glory of God and the sober and faithfull practice of Christian duties This effect we find in the b Joh. 4.18 woman of Samaria when Christ is convincing her of sin and shewing her adultery she presently finds a way to divert the discourse to circumstance of the place of worship whether it be tyed to Jerusalem or may not as well be in that mountaine The like we see in our daies let Ministers presse the duties of Repentance and Mortification of Piety and Peace and go about to convince men of their sin of Rebellion Schisme and uncharitablenesse presently men have a way to put off these discourses Questions and disputes shall be started about Church-Government Liturgy Ceremonies and Rites circumstances and things of so low a consideration that a good Christian may believe either way and not prejudice his salvation and were it not for the publicke constitutions and matter of Scandall might practice either way without sin These are Questions and disputes which the Devill scatters among us to interrupt our peace to fill the Church with divisions that he may rule more freely among us They are at the best as they are managed but as those questions mentioned by the c 1 Tim. 4 5 6. Apostle which tend not to Godly edifying but make men turn aside to vaine janglings and to swerve from that Christian charity which is the great duty of the Gospell and the whole end of the Commandement Let us avoide such Questions silence such disputes whose product is Strife whose fruit is contention and we shall have Peace If we would seriously set our selves to practice that Apostolicall rule d 2 Tim. 2.22.23 Flee youthfull lusts and follow after Righteousnesse Faith Charity Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart but foolish and unlearned or e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unsavoury and undefying questions avoid for they gender strife Then should we soone see f Jsa 66.12 our Peace run like a river and our glory as a following streame Then shall all places of the Church be no longer as a barren wildernesse but abound in Grace and Goodnesse Righteousnesse and uprightnesse * Jsa 32.15.16 17. Then shall judgement dwell in the wildernesse and Righteousnesse in the fruitfull field Then shall the fruit be Peace Joy Prosperity and Tranquillity The worke of Righteousnesse shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever 5. § 16 If we seriously study that Christian Grace of Humility and conscionably make it our worke g Mic. 6.8 to walke humbly with our God For really the Originall and source of all our contentions is cheifly the Pride and Presumption in man that some are so conceited of themselves and their own spirituall parts that they can content themselves with their own private devotions and suppose they can as well yea better and more holily sanctifie a Sabbath by Reading Praying Meditating apart by themselves and in their own way than by being present at the Publick worship which they like not or joyning with the Publick Assembles of Gods people whom they proudly censure as Formall Superstitious worshippers a Prophane mixture at least not h Isa 65.5 so holy as themselves A spirit far different from that truly Pious inlightned heavenly yet Humble spirit of David though i 1 Sam. 13.14 a man after Gods own heart and had the word of God not only dwelling plentifully in him the k Col. 3.16 Apostles phrase is but flowing abundantly from him as l Joh. 7.38 Christ promised his Saints Able not only m Psal 16.7 to admonish himself but n Psal 32.8 34.11 5.13 to instruct direct and edifie others also not to sing only but himself to make and compose Hymnes of Prayer and praise for the use of the Church being the o 2 Sam. 23.1 sweet Psalmist or songster of Israel Yet it was the p Psal 122.1 joy of his heart when he was at home to repaire to the Temple to the publick assemblies there held q Psal 42.4 to go to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise among those who kept holy day and nothing made his Banishment and exile more bitter than that he was deprived of the opportunity of those publick devotions and kept from joyning with the Church in those holy duties and services there performed Those Psalmes r Psal 27.4 Psa 42. 63. 84. penned by him during those restraints shew how bitterly he bewailes this his great unhappynesse and instantly sueth to God for his freedome and liberty to returne to those Assemblies It is the Pride of man that fills him with a delight in and applause of his own conceptions and will not suffer him to admit that another may be more intelligent judicious and holier than he and having now entertained notions though never so strange or paradoxall and of never so light moment yet they shall be maintained Hence arise those eager contentions and oppositions though this knowledg which they so much pretend to and are Å¿ 1 Cor. 8.1 2. puffed up with is no true genuine sound knowledge not properly but t 1
one Glory of the Sun another of the Moone another of the Stars He that made all things of nothing made them in Order and placed them in Order being made Where Order ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is maintained the universe stands fast in its strength is preserved in its beauty This being destroyed there follow Thunders and stormes in the aire Earthquakes in the land Inundations of the Sea Seditions in Cities and houses sicknesses in the bodies sinnes in the soules of men All which are not names of Order and Peace but of Trouble and Confusion Again Order is the security of all that existeth therefore hath God so appointed in his Church that some should be Pastors some Shcep some command others obey one as the Head some as Eyes Hands Feet c. All are of the same Body yet all have not the same Place or Office The Eye goeth not but directeth the Feet see not the Tongue heares not nor doth the Eare speake but all in their own place and Order So in the Church we are one hody all joyned to the Lord by the same spirit yet is there difference in our places Governours distinguished from Subjects and the t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guides also among themselves for as much as u 1 Cor. 14.32 the spirit of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets Contend not saith he when Saint Paul tells you God hath set in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets then Teachers c. those distinct Orders and offices All must not be Tongue nor all Prophets as he there goes on exactly agreeable to the Apostles x 1 Cor. 12.12 31. Doctrine keep up Order sacred and inviolate in the Church and we preserve our Peace 2. § 19. Being placed in this Order let us be especially carefull of the duties and works of our own place To what purpose is Order if we will observe none To what purpose distinct places and offices if we strictly keep not to the works of those places where we are set Never expect peace while we do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y 1 Pet. 4.15 act as an over-busie Bishop in anothers Diocesse and Poly-pragmatically busie our selves in other mens matters offices and places They are noted as disorderly walkers z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3.11 who are idle carelesse do nothing of their own works but are over-workers too too busie in things which do not concern them and in works to which they are not called and it will be strange if they be not found evil-workers also The Apostle a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet 4.15 puts them together as very near of kin These are the constant Seedsmen of Rebellion and Sedition in the State of Schisme and Contention in the Church This therefore is the strict charge of the Gospel that b 1 Cor. 7.20 24. every one abide in his own place and in doing the works of that place c Phil. 2.12 work out his own salvation He must bear his own d Gal. 6.4 5. burden it will be then his wisedom to employ himself in doing and proving his own works This is the way to quietnesse and peace in the Apostles account who gives this Order in the Church That all men e 1 Thes 4.11 study to be quiet and to do their own businesse 3. § 20 We must conscientiously obey our Superiours in all things where we should not sinne against God This follows upon the former If ORDER be of God as no doubt it is he hath commanded some to Rule some to obey then whilest we are under command a necessity of obedience is laid upon us by the same God It is not our work to examine whether our Governours discharge the duty of their places but to see that we do our own We are not called to examine what power they have in every thing to command nor doth it concern us to enquire whether all these impositions and strict injunctions of such Circumstances Rites or Formes be justly laid upon us by them they shall bear their own burden and if they have not well used their Authority they alone shall be accountable But all that we have to do is to consider how farre we may obey howsoever they may mistake in imposing yet we are to look how farre we may comply with the things when they are imposed When the Gospel hath laid such an indispensible obligation upon us to obey our lawfull Superiours in all lawfull things if we would preserve our peace let us look upon a due obedience as a thing so sacred that no lower matter than sin against the most high God may excuse us from it 4. § 21 Though we may differ in some opinions and private sentiments yet still see that peace be sacred and that with difference of opinions we maintain Love and Charity Particular judgments and the interest of an opinion especially in matters of circumstance are but private things and concern but particular persons But peace and love is the interest of the body it concernes the publick profit and the good yea the very being of the Church for it is not a Church unless united and embodied It is not possible that we should all see with the same eyes or that every thing should have the same relish and savour to every palate that all men should be of the same judgement All are not perfect yet it is not onely possible but a duty that we should all be of one heart f Jer. 32.39 Acts 4.32 Phil. 2.2 and walk in one way and bear the same affections of love one to another Some are weak others strong but let not the strong despise g Rom. 14.3 10. the weak nor the weak judge the strong so shall both together maintain a peaceable Communion There may be variety of Ceremonies and about these variety of opinions yet when love is continued that variety commendeth the unity of faith Faith is the bond that binds Christians in one body and this must be the same can be but one but variety of opinions if without pertinacy and in lower matters may well stand with unity But nothing is so contrary to the Church as schisme and division There were in the antient Churches as great differences in such matters as about Easter Fasting c. and yet they maintained love among themselves Irenaeus sharply reproving Victor for breaking peace by excommunicating the Eastern Churches over which he had no power for the only difference in a circumstance of a day It was the Character of the Christians in those dayes that h Christiani amant paene antequam norunt Tertul. alicubi They loved one another before they knew one another Though they knew not one another by face though they varied in their several Rites yet they loved one another as Christians What Basil the Great saith of i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil apud Greg.
endearing expressions of kindness and arguments of love drawing the Will by sweet promises of the choicest mercies terrifying the impenitent and awakening the secure by severest threatnings and the thunders of most dreadful terrors (a) Deut. 30.15.19 setting before man Life and Death everlasting blessedness upon his (b) Mat. 24 13. Rev 2.10 perseverance in faith and obedience eternal misery upon his final impenitency and disobedience seriously exhorting man (c) Deut. 30.19 Josh 24.15 Job 34.4 Pro. 1.29 Isa 1.16.21 65.12 to make his own choice that he may live and not die (d) Luk. 19.42 Mat. 23.37 Passionately bemoaning the blindness and stubbornness of man that will not see nor close with the things that do belong to his peace and (e) Deut. 32.6.28 29. expostulating with man for his unkindness to God his unmindfulness of himself Calling (f) Deut. 30.19 Isa 1.2 heaven and earth to witness yea making (g) Isa 1.18 19 20. Ezek 18.25 29 Man himself judge between God and his own soul whether by any act or any such irrevocable decree he be bound up that he cannot do otherwise and by solemn oath removing from God all kind of (h) Ezek. 18.30 31. 33.10 11 12 13-21 pleasure in or desire of mans destruction and charging the cause of all upon man himself who will sin and will not repent and by consequence will die Expressly (i) Mar 16.16 Luk 13.3.5 Heb. 10.38 39. most expressly determining Salvation onley upon condition of Repentance Faith Obedience and final Perseverance Damnation onely in case of Infidelity Disobedience Apostacie and final Impenitency Thus from the express Condition in the effect and execution by which onely we can know the cause in this thing they infer such an indeterminate and conditional Decree there being no promise of life but to persons so and so qualified and acting nor salvation given but upon perseverance in faith and obedience no death denounced but upon intuition of sin nor inflicted but where such sin is persevered in Sect. 13 The other side also make their equal claims to the same sacred Oracles Which declare the (k) Rom. 9 11. 28. stability of the purpose of God according to Election That He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth That it is not of him that will th nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy the Discrimination being made with God before they have done cither good or evil and that howsoever God dealeth he hath as unquestionable a soveraignty over his creatures as the potter over his clay that every mouth may be stopped and no man dare to reply against God referring the whole Series of mans salvation to God first (l) Rom. 8.30 Predestinating then calling then justifying then glorifying which onely charge sin and impenitency and consequently impute all the miseries death and destruction on mans perverse and depraved will but declare his help deliverance mercy and life to be only from God and his pure free rich Grace and Love and teach that though Repentance Faith Obedience and Perseverance in these be the expresse conditions of life yet they are all the Gifts of God (m) Act 5.31 Ephes 2.8 Phil. 1.29 who gives repentance and faith and (n) 1 Cor. 1.8 9. Phil. 1.6 1 Thess 5.24 strengthens us to persevere and upholds us from falling and that therefore such shall not utterly and for ever fall away And that these being the gifts of God they must be from the pure love and onely good pleasure of God that man may have (o) 1 Cor. 1.29 nothing to boast of in himself as having nothing but (p) 1 Cor. 4 7. what he hath received and (q) 1 Cor. 15.10 the Grace of God being that which maketh the difference And though no man can be saved but such as are fully willing to be saved and whose wills freely choose the way of righteousness and life yet the will of man is so naturally corrupted and enslaved to lust that man cannot choose nor the will determine it self to that which is really good until it be emancipated and set free by that Divine grace which is not given to all but onely to some certain persons according to the Beneplacitum Dei the good pleasure of God who makes men (r) Phil. 2.13 willing as well as enables them to work Thus from these Scriptures experiences and effects they conclude the Absolute Decree of God to prepare for and give to such a number of persons whom he hath chosen this effectual grace and so to bring them infallibly to salvation leaving the rest to the liberty and corruption of their own will to perish in their own wilful Rebellion Sect. 14 I have no design to interpose mine own opinion I must here cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and confess he must be a man of greater skill and sar greater wisdom and learning than I dare pretend unto or can hope to attain who shall be able to decide this controversie and cut so even a thread as to place the grace of God in the Throne where it must unquestionably sit and have all the glory of the good that is in us or conferred upon us and yet assert the power and liberty of the rational creature which God hath given to it and according to the use whereof it shall and must be judged Sect. 15 But by all this it is apparent That this dispute is not newly started neither Calvin nor Arminius were the first fathers or factors of either opinion that we should be now engaged to prosecute either as a new Doctrine sprung up in the Church when it hath been of old and I believe will be among men while men are in the World And shall we now for this difference break peace shall we not unite in one communion because we cannot agree in this one Doctrine should the Church for this maintain a perpetual Faction and continue a perpetual Rent to the end of the World for a different judgment in so abstruse a Doctrine wherein not Hereticks and Schismaticks but learned men of sober pious and peaceable principles have dissented and do and will dissent while they are on this side Heaven where only they will be fully acquainted with the truth having their understandings inlightned beyond all obscurity and their hearts perfectly purged from all corruptions God forbid Sect. 16 2. To this let me add the difficulty of deciding it which must be concluded from what hath been said in the former Paragraphs and the great pretensions and those strongly probable too which both sides make to those three chief yea only rules to judge and determine of things by Scripture Reason and Experience and Arguments drawn from all these by each dissenting Party which will puzzle the acutest Respondent of the other side to give such an answer and solution to them as may clearly take off the doubt and give satisfaction to them