guilty and not excuseable when God judgeth us as sinners and takes vengeance of our unrighteousness The Doctrine then is this that the sins of Men serve to the glory of God for as skillful Physicians make poisons to be ingredients into their best Cordials so the wise God makes Man's greatest sins to be subservient unto his glory and draweth good out of evil Yet for that those poisons are poisons in themselves those sins in themselves are sins and God doth punish them without any injury either to his mercy or to his justice But because 't is natural with Man to raise questions to find out excuse for himself here the Apostle doth propose one which carnal sence and reason are apt to make against this Doctrine and therefore to qualifie the objection and shew he doth not approve of it he saith I speak as a man Well what doth Man say if my sin commends the righteousness of God and becomes an instrument of his glory then God is unrighteouss to take vengeance of me and punish me as a sinner besides that I cannot avoyd sinning being a reprobate But the Apostle saith God forbid though things be so yet there is no unrighteousness in God thou art in the wrong to think and to say so and he gives a reason For then how shall God judge the world and as Abraham said Shall not the judge of all the earth do right Gen. 14.15 This is a true Doctrine which by some was misconstrued and that makes St. Paul complain they slanderously reported of him We have the same ground to complain against Arminians and for the like slander Let this Text be compared with that of Rom. 9.14.15 To what hath been said we shall add that the Decree of reprobation is the sentence and Damnation the execution of it Sin is not the cause of reprobation but sin is the cause of Damnation God as Judge hath passed sentence yet there is a reprieve but the last day shall be Execution-day then actual sins shall be laid to the charge of reprobates they shall have nothing to say for themselves why sentence should not be pronounced against them For the sins of the Elect they shall solemnly be declared to be forgiven in and through the Lord Jesus and though Grace be the means appointed for us to come to glory yet reprobates are not appointed to sin though it be the way to eternal misery for there is a different reason of means conducing to Salvation and those to Damnation God is the Author of the first which are good because he puts into the Elect that which was not in them namely his Grace Faith Repentance Holiness c. But as to the last he infuseth nothing into reprobates he finds in them that which is evil namely sin and there he leaves it he is not bound to take it away Mercy is free and God is the Author of Grace which is the way to Salvation but not of sin which is the way to Damnation These two several ways all the world will go some one way and some another wherefore that Exhortation of St. Paul is very necessary (a) 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whither you be in the Faith prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates The reasons of God's election and reprobation differ as much as Mercy doth from from Justice His ordaining means for one doth not conclude his ordaining means in like manner for the other Against the Text about Jacob and Esau which strikes home upon them they say two things first concerning the signification of the word hated Secondly That t is spoken of temporal advantages and not of spiritual things As to the first God loved Jacob and hated Esau mean's nothing else but that God loved Esau less than Jacob which interpretation they ground upon that place where 't is said that Leah was hated that is as in the foregoing verse less loved than Rachel Gen. 29.31 We know how in Holy Scripture one and the same word hath sometimes a different signification but the true one is always to be deduced out of the scope of the place and the Analogy of Faith How often doth the word of God mention his Hatred Anger Indignation and Wrath against the wicked whom he is said to abhor and they are said to be abomination unto the Lord when God speaks of evil men in opposition to the good whom he is said to love as to hate the others must we understand that hatred of his love only with this difference of a lesser and lower degree this were to overthrow the whole Scripture and the intent of God's Spirit therein Certainly the sence of that Scripture by them quoted doth not at all reach our case or come within our present purpose There it is spoken of the passion of a Husband who having two Wives that Affection of his had two several Objects but St. Paul mentioneth the love and hatred of God towards his Creatures which in verse 18. of the same Chap. is represented by his shewing mercy to one and hardning the other Let the signification of a word be what it will yet all must agree how there ought to be a vast difference in the meaning in relation to the carriage of a Husband towards two Wives whereof he loves one more than the other and that of God of a great and a just Judge towards two persons whereof he hath chosen the one and rejected the other as may be seen in the case of David and Saul As in that of Abel unto whom and to his Offering the Lord had respect Gen. 45 5. and of Cain unto whom and to his Offering God had no respect The like may be said of Isaac that was the Son of the Promise and Ishmael of the Flesh and so here God loved Isaac and hated Esau Besides love and hatred are humane Passions not really in God though improperly attributed unto him after our manner of conceiving and to condescend to the weakness of our Nature they are not affections in but effects from God when God bestowes favours he is said to love and when he inflicteth punishments to hate By love and hatred of God are meant the Mercies or Blessings and Curses of God Come ye blessed depart ye cursed 'T is called the wrath of God which abideth on him that is the unbeliever Reprobation is called hatred John 3.36 as Election love Rom. 9.11 Now we must come to the other part of their exception how here the Apostle speaks of temporal advantages and not of spiritual blessings To say that love and hatred here relate only to temporal things is not enough those words are taken out of Malachy 1.2 3 4. and there is in it also something of the worldly concernment when God said he laid his Mountains and his Heritage wast for the Dragons of the Wilderness which yet is a Metaphorical expression whereby things of another nature
Jesus is a fall to Reprobates which yet perish through their own Defaults so is his Word yea the whole Book of God a cause of Damnation unto them through their Incredulity c. Furthermore Christ Jesus the Prophets the Apostles Pag. 16. and all the true Ministers of his Word yea every jot and tittle in the Holy Scripture have been is and shall be for evermore the Sauour of Life unto eternal Life unto all those whose Hearts God hath purified by true Faith c. God of his mercy and special Favour towards them whom he hath appointed to everlasting Salvation hath so offered his Grace especially and they have received it so fruitfully that altho' by reason of their sinful living outwardly they seemed before to have been the Children of Wrath and Perdition yet now the Spirit of God mightily working in them unto the obedience to God's Will and Commandments they declare by their outward Deeds and Life in the shewing of Mercy and Charity which cannot come but of the Spirit of God and his special Grace that they are the undoubted Children of God appointed to everlasting Life c. For a further confirmation of this 't is said The reasonable and Godly as they must certainly know and perswade themselves Part 2. p. 172. that all Goodness all Bounty all Mercy all Benefits all Forgiveness of Sins and whatsoever can be named good and profitable either for the Body or for the Soul do come only of God's Mercy and meer Favour and not of themselves So c. p. 199. we have thus It is the Holy Ghost and no other thing that doth quicken the Minds of Men stirring up good and godly Motions in their Hearts which are agreeable to the Will and Commandment of God such as otherwise of their own crooked and perverse nature they should never have Man of his own Nature is carnal corrupt and naught sinful and disobedient to God without any spark of Goodness in him without any vertuous or godly motion only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds as for the works of the spirit the fruits of faith charitable and good motions if he have any at all in him they proceed only of the holy ghost who is the only worker of our sanctification and maketh us new men in Jesus Christ And page 219. his power and wisdom compell us to take him for God Omnipotent having all thing in his subjection and will have none in Council with him nor any to ask the reason of his doing for he may do what liketh him and none can resist him for he worketh all things in his secret judgment to his own pleasure yea even the wicked to damnation saith Solomon .... David would make answer for all know ye for surely even the Lord is God he hath made us and not we our selves .... Not to us O Lord not to us but to thy name give all the thanks for thy loving mercy .... Verily the holy prophet Esay beareth record and saith O Lord it is then of thy goodness that hath wrought all our works in us not we our selves .... St. Paul bringeth in his belief We be not saith he sufficient of our selves as of our selves once to think any thing but all our ableness is of God's goodness for he it is in whom we have all our being our living and moving And pag. 228. It is he that preventeth our will and disposeth us thereunto That is as said before Faith Charity and Repentance And p. 229. For without his secret and lively inspiration can we not once so much as speak the name of our mediator ... It is he that purgeth and purifieth the mind by his secret working .... He lightneth the heart c. And p. 263. We must beware and take heed that we do in no wise think in our hearts imagine or believe that we are able to repent aright or to turn effectually unto the Lord by our own strength ... For this cause although Jeremiah had said before If thou return O Israel return unto me yet afterwards he saith Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned c. Why should I longer insist upon this which is so full and so clear let those that have a mind to know more of it read the First and Second Parts of the Homilies of the misery of Man with the Homilies of Christ's Nativity Passion and Resurrection The first on Whitsunday the First Second and Third part of that on Rogation-week and the First part of that of Repentance And as to the points of our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification and Salvation besides the foresaid let them read the First Second and Third parts of the Homilies of Salvation and Faith And out of all they shall find that there is an eternal and immutable predestination of certain Men unto eternal Life out of meer grace and free-mercy and a passing by or reprobation of others to eternal Death out of Gods meer pleasure That there is no free-will or sufficient grace communicated unto all men whereby they may convert and save themselves if they will on the contrary that Man without the special help of Gods spirit and grace is so weak that he can neither think any thing that is good nor prepare his heart to seek for grace That Christ dyed intentionally and effectually for none but the Elect that Gods grace and spirit do always work effectually in the hearts of the Elect in the act of their Conversion which they can never totally nor finally resist and that the same Elect do never nor can wholly and finally fall from the state of grace In these Homilies which for the most part were compiled by the learned Martyr Cranmer doth appear the spirit of our first Reformers to have been wholly for free-grace against free-will or any thing of merit or strength in man Another Authentick proof of the Doctrine of the Church against Arminianism is taken out of a short Catechism published in the time of good King Edward 6th It was Composed by John Ponet Bishop of Winchester and before its publication was presented to the King who committed the perusal thereof to some Bishops and other learned men who assured his Majesty it agreed with Scripture and the Statutes of the Kingdom whereupon by his special command it was not only Printed in Latine and English in the Year 1553 The next after the first publishing of the 39 Articles So that we may well look upon it as a perfect Comment on them but he also prefixed his own Epistle wherein he did command all School-masters within the Kingdom carefully and diligently to teach it in all their Schools There in one of the Scholars answers to the Master 't is said But as many as are in the faith stedfast were fore-chosen predestinate and appointed to everlasting life before the world was made And in another thus The first principal and most proper cause of our Justification and Salvation is the goodness
in a little corner of Germany and upon occasion only of Indulgences at first how suddenly upon new inquiries and new discoveries notwithstanding the rage and craftiness of those that held it in unrighteousness did it spread abroad almost all Europe over So that the Lilly though amongst Thorns by the dew from Heaven the heat of the Sun of righteousness and the fatness of the Soil watered with the Blood of so many thousands of Martys became extraordinary fruitful Germany Bohemia Hungary Sweden Denmark Poland England Scotland Ireland the Low Countries France Swisserland generally and for the most part and some Persons in Italy received it But since whilest the Protestant Reformed Churches though in some of their Members lying under Persecution from Worldly Powers were undisturbed amongst themselves and agreed upon these Points the Enemy again sowed Tares which out of Flanders spread into Holland whence not just presently but soon after that Poyson crept over hither where it was opposed and condemned as contrary to the professed Doctrine of the Church as by the Grace of God I shall clearly make it appear Though upon these Matters several Books have been written in Defence of Truth yet 't is long since so that many of them are almost out of Print and those that remain do not fall into every one's hands wherefore it will not be amiss sometimes and upon occasion for some to publish their thoughts to assert and vindicate Matters of God's Grace and Providence in opposition to what Adversaries do write or say against it in their Discourses and in the Pulpits and upon that same account I now do bring in my Evidence That which chiefly engages me upon this present Design is to hear upon all occasions these unsound Doctrines ring out of the Pulpits which for the most part they have been in possession of for several years they having taken effectual care to keep those that are for the Truth from going up to such publick Places so that they would create a belief in People that what they teach is the Doctrine of the Gospel received by the Church and by those means infuse into common capacities those evil Principles which do puff up Men with the Opinion of their Natural Strength which must needs produce dangerous practises We teach how God from Eternity hath freely Decreed our Salvation in the fulness of time Christ purchas'd it and in time 't is promised and offered us in the Word and thereby we are called to come in to Christ upon his own terms Sacraments do seal it the Holy Ghost applieth it Faith receives it and Holiness with other good Works do bear Witness to it In few Words out of the whole corrupt lump of Mankind God hath freely chosen some to be Objects of his Mercy and hath elected them to eternal life through Faith in Christ our Lord which Faith and other necessary means to come to Glory in execution of his Decree he doth in time give us till at last through these means of Grace we are brought into eternal life and all this meerly out of his Mercy and only through his free Grace the rest of Mankind he leaves in their Natural corruption at last to have his Justice executed upon them We attribute our whole Salvation to God's free Grace and they to Natural Strength and Free-will which is clearly made out But a further reason to engage me upon this Design is the great affinity between Socinians and Arminians for in some things they border so near one upon the other and in others are so united that specially they agreeing with Papists in most of those Points wherein they differ from us I am afraid of the production of some new Monstrous Opinion now when Socinians increase come fast upon us and even in Print without any check grow bolder every day God knows what the effect of such an Vnion may prove and how pernicious to the Souls of many as some of them formerly turned Papists so now others may happen to become rank Socinians Once Arminianism had very near brought in Popery and now 't is a-pace ushering in Socinianism these are great Judgments though most Men seem not to be sensible thereat which at last may happen to deprive us of the light of the Gospel all this danger and evil if it doth befal us we do and shall owe to Arminianism Here we have a large Field to bring in the Evidence and Authority of several of the Ancient Fathers of the Church engaged in the Defence of the same Cause with us which have spoken clearly fully and to the purpose but because the Rule I mean the Word of God is so clear I think it were needless to borrow the Authority of Man which we may believe no farther than it agrees with Scripture after God hath declared his Holy Will and Mind neither are there such difficulties as do need the interpretation of most or many Ancient Doctors Besides it would be tedious for common capacities which I desire to make these Matters intelligible to as mach as I can and the subject will admit to run over several passages of the Fathers for 't is not material chiefly for a kind of Readers to know what Austin Hilary Prosper Fulgentius Hierom and so many others with Bertram Bernard c. have written upon the matter as what the Word of God saith about it wherefore for Proofs we shall stick chiefly to the Law and to the Testimony The Church like the Ship in the (a) Marth 8.24 25 26. Gospel is tossed up and down with Winds and Waves exposed to Rocks Sands and many other Dangers in such a case what 's to be done In Storm time like the Disciples we must go to the Lord Jesus with Cries and Prayers awake him and say Lord save us we perish for our Comfort we must not go far he is in the Ship and though he be asleep and to make us call the louder seems to be so for (b) Psal 121.4 he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep yet in good time he will awake arise and rebuke the Winds and the Sea and there shall be a great Calm may the Lord do so in his due time Yet sometime some Jonah who is the cause of the Tempest must be cast over-board some are by Christ (c) Rev. 3.16 spued out of his Mouth and (d) 1 Tim. 1.2 delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme This is the end of many a disturber of the Peace of the Church which we are sure cannot miscarry but shall at last come to a good Harbor for though sometimes the Body be under Water as long as its Head is above it there is no danger of being drowned TO THE READER THE following Sheets I once intended to Dedicate to my Lord Carteret thereby to shew my singular esteem for his Piety Virtue and Merits But God By a late untimely Death and much to be lamented having taken him to
a Convocatio of a Synod at last it began in 1618 to be held at Dort Where did meet Divines not only within the Dominions of Holland and the Seven Provinces but also out of England and from most if not all other Reformed Churches T is true the French did not send in any solemn deputation for they dared not do it without leave of that Popish Court and they chose rather not to ask than to do it and be denyed however the sense of that Church was by the French Churches gathered in those Provinces and then by Peter Du-Moulin in his Letters and Book of Anatomy of Arminianism sufficiently made known to that Synod and afterwards a French (a) Held at Aleâ—zon Octob. 6. 1620. National Synod approved of and inserted amongst their one resolutions the Acts of the Synod of Dort where the Arminian Errors were unanimously condemned This the Arminians from the beginning thought would be the conclusion of such a Solemn Assembly wherefore like Popes Papists and Hereticks they were afraid to have things discussed in a free Council where the word of God is the only Rule and therefore they used their utmost endeavours to stop it as long as they could As to Arminius his Opinions they are part from Pelagius and part from Papists Against the first God raised Austin who by force of Scripture did beat the Heretick in all his Errors yet after his Death (a) Faustus and Cassianus those of his Sectators that remained thinking it not fit for them to own things to the height as Pelagius had done abated something of it and made alterations and got the name of Semipelagians whom also Austin and his Followers did write against with the same success he before had obtained against their Founder In the Eighth Century Semipelagians caused a great deal of trouble as we see in the Cause of Gottescalk whereof Worthy and Famous Primate Vsher hath given so true and so good an account About the Year 1590 Molina a Jesuit renewed the old Errors but was opposed at Rome by Alvarez a Dominican Fryar who followed the Principles of Thomas Aquinas hence to this very day continues the dispute about these matters between Jesuits and Dominicans Lessius another Jesuit at Lovain in the Spanish Netherlands became a Second to Molina and under the favour of the Neighbourhood those Errors passed into Holland where Arminius entertained them Let those who have a mind to a fuller account of Pelagius his Errors read what (a) Joh. Ger. hardi Vossii Hist Pelag. one hath written upon that Subject for I mention it only by the by and as it leads me to the Arminians who here durst not appear during King James's Life but in his Sons Reign under Archbishop Laud's Favour and Protection in they came with a full Sail and then indeed but not before begins our Arminian Church but with this difference from those in Holland that they incline more to Socinianism and ours more to Popery hence it is that at last some of them as Barret Montague c. turned Papists Now 't is true and to be observed how concerning the controverted points we hold the same as did the ancient Fathers who did write against Pelagius and Arminians assert some of the same things if not all which Pelagius did so that 't is the same Cause and as by the grace of God we shall see anon Pelagians did cast on their Adversaries the same aspersions as Arminians do upon us But first we must set down what are their Opinions contained in several Articles which they themselves at the Hague-Conference and at the Synod of Dort reduced to five the Chief though there be more Here I will in substance set them down but to help the Reader I must first write the Orthodox Doctrine in opposition to every Article of theirs as an Antidote and Preservative against the Poyson Afterwards I shall endeavour out of Scripture to prove it and so confute their Notions and this as shortly as I can and as far as I am able accommodating things with the capacity of the unlearned Reader which being done then by the grace of God I shall go on and as far as God will be pleased to enable me enlarge somewhat in the School way upon every point First Orthedox I. We say that from all Eternity God hath by his unchangeable Decree and Purpose predestinated unto life not all Men nor any undetermined but a certain select number of particular Men commonly called the Elect which number can neither be encreased nor diminished Others he hath passed by and predestinated to eternal Death They say Arminian I. there is no absolute or unrevocable but only a conditional and mutable Decree of Predestination both to Life and Death and that not of any particular persons but indefinitely of all Believers and Unbelievers and that the number of the Elect and Reprobate is not so certain but that it may be either increased or lessened We say that the only moving and esficient cause of Predestination or Election unto Life Orth. II. is the meer good Pleasure Love Free-grace and Mercy of God not the foresight of faith perseverance good works good will or any other quality whatsoever in the persons elected And that though sin be the only cause of Damnation yet the sole and primary cause of non-Election or Reprobation or why God doth not Elect those that Perish is the meer Free-will and Pleasure of God not the foresight of any actual sin unbelief or final impenitency in the person rejected They say Arm. II. the foreknowledge of Faith Perseverance Good-works and the right use of Grace received are the pre-required Conditions and the efficient causes of Election unto Life not God's free-grace and mercy only without respect to these as to a cause and that the original and moving cause of reprobation that is of the Decree not of its Execution is only the foresight of sin unbelief or final impenitency in the persons rejected not the meer free-will and pleasure of God We say that the Elect do always obey Orth. III. when the time appointed for their Conversion is come neither do or can they finally or totally resist the inward powerful and effectual call or working of God's spirit in their Hearts in the very act of their Conversion neither is it in their own power to Convert or not Convert themselves at that very time when they are converted They say it is in the will and power of men Arm. III. either finally or totally to resist the inward call the effectual working of God's Spirit in their Hearts in the very act of Conversion so that they may at that very instant and all times else either withstand or embrace their Conversion as they please We say that true justifing saving faith Orth. IV. is proper and peculiar to the Elect alone who after they are once truly regenerated and by faith ingrafted in Christ do always and constantly
persevere unto the end though they sometimes fall through infirmity into grievous sins yet they never fall totally or finally from the habits seeds and state of Grace They say that true justifying Faith is neither a true special fruit of Election Arm. IV. nor yet proper to the Elect alone that 't is often found in Reprobates And that the very Elect by falling into sin may and often do fall totally and finally from the very habit seeds and state of Grace We say that Christ's death is of sufficient intrinsecal merit in it self Orth. V. though not in God's intention or his holy Spirit 's application to redeem and save all mankind wherefore he died really and effectually for none but the Elect for whom alone he actually and effectually hath obtained remission of sins and everlasting life They say Jesus Christ died effectually alike for all men whatsoever Arm. V. whether Elect or Reprobates without any special intent to save the Elect alone or any particular persons more than others With a general purpose to save all men alike upon condition of their believing and applying of his death which dependeth principally upon every man's own actual will and powers not of Christ's actual application of it to them by his Spirit To this one thing more I shall add against one of their Opinions Orth. VI. We say there is not any such Free-will any such universal and sufficient Grace communicated unto all men whereby they may Repent believe and be Saved if they will themselves They say there is an universal sufficient Grace derived upon all men since the fall of Adam Arm. VI. by vertue of which they may all Repent Believe and be Saved if they will themselves These and several other things of that kind as namely the important point of Justification which they so highly have corrupted of Providence and others which by the grace of God in due time we shall have occasion to speak of are the matters we do differ about yet to what we already said of their adhering to Pelagians Massilienses and Semipelagians we may add how some of them own Socinus's and Worstius his Blasphemies against the Trinity of the Divine Persons the simplicity of divine Nature it self c. as King James charges them with it and well so he might for after Arminius's Death they were so desirous to be headed by Worstins that they used all their endeavours to have had him to succeed the other in his place of Professor of Divinity at Leyden Hence it is that they openly declared they had nothing against Worstius nor had found any thing in his Writings contrary to Truth and Piety and that it would be most profitable for Church and Commonwealth if his calling should go on This account we have in the Preface of the Acts of the Synod of Dort And it is well known how King James opposed effectually that man's promotion to that place and whose Book De Deo Attributis was here burnt by the hand of the Hangman according to King James's special Order and by advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury But because it is not enough to affirm things without proofs therefore now before I proceed I must bring in evidence for the Articles I set down Scripture which in this is Judge and Rule affordeth us a great cloud of Witnesses And to begin with our first Article clearly proved out of that excellent place of (a) Ephes 1.4 c. St. Paul which hereafter I shall have occasion to make use of but for the present omit to prove first the Eternity of God's Decree out of another Text of the same Apostle God who (b) 2 Tim. 1.9 hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began This Text is very comprehensive here is the Decree under the name of his own purpose out of which are excluded any thing of our own not according to our works but attributed only to his Free-grace according to his own purpose and grace The eternity of this Decree is thus expressed before the world began this Decree of Election is the ground of our Salvation God who hath saved us the next effect is our Vocation and called us with an holy that is an effectual calling We want not other places of God's word to prove the Eternity of his Decree but afterwards we shall have occasion to make use of them for often one and the same Text doth prove several things As for the Immutability of God's Decree of Predestination we have clear and undeniable proofs (c) Psal 33.11 David saith The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations As positive as this is what he saith in another place (d) Psal 89.28 33.34 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my covenant shall stand fast with him And a little below nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth Here we see how the Counsel of the Lord and the thoughts of his heart which are his Decree shall stand that is are unchangeable so are his mercies his loving-kindness his faithfulness which the Decree of Election is grounded upon as to his Covenant called the thing that is gone out of his mouth it shall not be broken nor alter'd but it shall stand All this is for its immutability And the prophet saith (e) Isai 14.24 The Lord of hosts hath sworn saying surely as I have thought so shall it come to pass and as I have purposed so shall it stand Vers. 7 We have not only God's Word but his Oath for his Truth which must needs convince us of what a high concernment it is yet as if 't was not enough three verses lower 't is added For the Lord of hosts hath purposed and who shall disanul and his hand is stretched and who shall turn it back This makes good the immutability of a Decree both of Election and Reprobation so it doth the final unrefistibility of Grace and of the works of his Providence St. Paul that great Preacher of Free-grace out of a sense of the great mercy God had shewed him doth almost every where batter down Works Free-will and all pretences of man's strength to set up the Grace and Power of God specially in his Epistle to the Romans but above all in the 9th chap. which before we have done we shall often have occasion to make use of for it seems to have been written to condemn Arminianism In a place there the Apostle saith (a) Rom. 9.11 For the Children being not yet born neither having done any good or any evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him
the lake of fire and brimstone that is Hell and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever and in that same chap. ver 12. again amongst the Books that were opened a particular mention is made of the Book of Life the opening of which Book is mentioned by a (m) Dan. 7.10 and 12.1 Philip. 4.3 Prophet and by an Apostle speaking of some whose names are written in the Book of Life On the other side we say that as God hath elected some to everlasting Life so others he hath reprobated and appointed to eternal Death The Decree of Predestination is the sentence of both of Pardon and Absolution for some and of Condemnation for others See the proof of this (n) Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known to men endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Such as Esan whom God hated such as Pharaoh (o) Ver. 13 17. whom God raised for this same purpose that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth All the earth is God's and so are all that dwell therein and this calls to my mind a common saying we have my Lord is Lord and Master at home where as he pleases he may order things as they best conduce to his honour and convenience and if we may argue from the less to the greater why should we not say Heaven and Earth are God's why then should not the Lord dispose of all things therein for his Glory as it best seems good unto him Scripture speaks of it as matter of Fact I hope no Man may or will question the matter of Right (p) Jude 4. There are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation c. So that as some are ordained to eternal life others are to condemnation this is a Scripture phrase not of our making We have a third witness for this Truth Christ is a stone (d) 1 Pet. 2.8 a stumbling and a rock of offence to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed As some are vessels of honour appointed to obedience of Faith so others are vessels of dishonour appointed to disobedience and this we do clearly see in the next verse by the opposition he makes between some men and others But ye saith he are a chosen generation Vers 9. a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people The Lord Jesus saith clearly how at the last day there shall be two sorts of men To his sheep at the right hand he will say Matth. 25.33 3â— c. come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Which proveth their Election to Glory from Eternity as blessed of the Father In these words I think I read God's Decree of Election of those blessed ones But Christ will say to those on the left depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Here is a Kingdom prepared for the blessed of the Father from the foundation of the World here is an everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels so that in that very place me may see Christ opening the Books of Election and Reprobation of Salvation and Damnation not only the Names but the Persons of the Elect may be seen on the right-hand as those of the reprobate may be seen on the left This everlasting fire is prepared not only for the Devil and his Angels but also for the Devil and his Children for so our Saviour calleth some Jews (e) John 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning c. he is a lyar and the father of it Thus Elymas the Sorcerer is by St. Paul call'd (f) Acts 13.10 thou child of the devil thou enemy of all righteousness Such was Judas by our Saviour called (g) Joh. 17.12 the son of perdition who as Peter saith (h) Acts 1.25 was gone to his own place If there be as certainly there is a place for the Devils and wicked Men prepared from Eternity there is reason also why from Eternity wicked men should he appointed for that place upon which account as I said before they are vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Now that God is the efficient cause of both Election and Reprobation 't is plain out of what the Apostle saith (i) 1 Thes 5 9. God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Then God doth appoint some Men to Wrath and some to Salvation Thus the Reader may see how strong in that way cometh the stream of Scripture which we do but follow Our Second Article is this The only moving cause of our Election is the meer good pleasure love free-grace and mercy of God This truth we also have many proofs of I (k) Exod. 33.19 will saith God be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy What can Men object against this By the mouth of his Prophet he saith (l) Hos 14.4 I will love them freely We use to say nothing is more free than Love Yet amongst Men some motive or pretence may happen to be assigned but in relation to God's love to the Creature no such thing may be pleaded for even in this world when God prefereth a people or one person before another there is nothing in that subject to move him to it as in the case of the Children of Israel Moses tells them plainly first not for their number (m) Deut. 7.7 8. the Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you and would keep the oath he had sworn unto your fathers Let this stop every Man's mouth God loves because he will love let who can go further and fathom that which is infinite neither were they chosen and loved for their wisdom for (n) Deut. 32.21 they were a nation void of counsel neither was there any understanding in them Nor for their uprightness of heart or for (o) chap. 9.4 5 6. their righteousness for they were a stiff-necked people Neither was it for any power of theirs (p) chap. 8.17 18. to do to say not so much as in thine heart my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth And (q) chap. 4.38 the nations that were driven out before them were greater and mightier than they So none of the things mentioned nor any thing else in them commended them to God We see how careful was that faithful Servant of God to beat them out of the conceit of any merits of their own
to move the Lord God to do them good Hence it is that Samuel saith to Israel (r) 1 Sam. 12.22 the Lord will not forsake his people and the reason he gives is this because it hath pleased him to make you his people Thus it is with God upon the account of any mercy he bestoweth upon the Creature of any nature whatsoever David declareth the same (i) Psal 44.3 for they got not the land in possession by their own sword neither did their own arm save them but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them Thus we read in the Gospel when the Lord Jesus worked a Cure of any bodily or spiritual Disease he made it wholly depend upon his will as in the Miracle upon the Leper he said (k) Matth. 8.3 I will be thou clean and in the case of working Faith (l) chap 11.27 neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him So (m) Joh 5.21 the Son quickneth whom he will Thus as of our Election so of our Regeneration and Conversion there is no other cause but the will of God for (n) Jam. 1.18 of his own will begat he us with the word of truth In few words the whole work of Salvation is an effect of his free-grace (o) Ephes 2 â— ad vers 8. When we were dead in sin he hath quickned us the reason he giveth there is this by grace ye are saved in both verses for he repeats it three verses lower by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God We further say there was no foresight or consideration of any work faith or merit in us why God should Elect us (p) Ezck. 16.6 And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live What sign of Faith or comeliness in that condition was there in us what ornaments in us there have been since they are the work of God in us whether repentance faith holiness or any other grace For after God said to us live he washed and anointed us clothed and decked us c. as may be seen in the following verses vers 8 9 10 11 12 13. We add that sin is the only cause of damnation as in St. Matthews (q) Matth 25.42 43. Gospel by me quoted already (r) Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil In another place of Scripture he says positively (s) Rom. 6.23 the wages of sin is death But here by the by this I must take notice of how though Damnation be the reward for Sin it doth not follow that Salvation should be the reward of Faith or good Works the just reward of Sin is Death it is its due but the Apostle doth not say that Eternal Life is the wages of Faith or Righteousness as Death is of Sin (a) Ver. 23. but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is a great disparity between the rules and means of Justice and of Mercy as hereafter we shall have occasion to shew as also why God leaves and Elects one and not the other as in the ease of Esau and Jacob. (b) Malach. 1.2 3. I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacob's Brother yet I loved Jacob and I hated Esau of which no account but God's pleasure for St. Paul makes to the same purpose use of the place in Rom. 9. as already quoted But now we must come to the proof of our 3d. Article namely that the Elect do constantly obey God's call when the time is come when (c) Cant. 1.4 God draweth they follow nay they run draw me we will run after thee and (d) Lament 5.21 turn thou us unto thee and we shall be turned The Elect obey the call When St. Paul heard the voice from Heaven he said (e) Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do This inward call for St. Paul's was such as well as outward makes a great change in Man how willing how ready to obey (f) Gal. 1.16 he confered not with flesh and blood but submitted So did the Jailour he said to Paul and Silas (g) Act. 16 30. Sirs what must I do to be saved The new Converts willing to be directed said unto Peter and other Apostles * Acts. 2.37 men and brethren wha shall we do though at first all know not what to do ye are prepared to obey and desirous to be instructed when the Lord said unto Paul arise and go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must do he complied and went So Samuel assoon as (h) 1 Sam. 3.4 6 8 10. the Lord called Samuel he answered Here I am and though he at first did not well know the nature of the voice nor whose it was yet he ran to the place whence he thought the voice came disposed to obey and when heat last was better informed then he said Speak Lord for thy servant heareth For though may be at first God's people do not distinctly understand the call yet God never gives over calling till we are come to him God makes known unto us the mystery of his will to this end saith St. Paul (i) Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him But God is never disappointed of his ends he worketh effectually and unresistibly Ver. 19. wherefore this is called the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Observe the Emphasis This dealing of God in and towards Believers is in one and the same verse called the working of Gods power yea his Mighty Power and in the beginning of the verse not only his Power but the greatness and the exceeding greatness of his Power The effectual preaching of the Gospel to People or Persons is an effect of their Election as the Cause is known by the effect so a posteriori Election is by a powerful preaching of the Gospel (k) 1 Thes 1.4 5. Knowing beloved your election of God saith St. Paul for our Gospel came not you unto in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance c. to the Elect ever it comes so in the due time and by its coming so they may judge themselves to be Elect for he saith also in much assurance We add further that the Elect neither do nor can finally and totally resist the inward powerful and effectually calling of God's spirit in the very
Scripture in matter of Predestination speaks only of men we shall consider it only as men are the object thereof but before I must shew what a Decree is because it entereth within our definition now God's Decrees are the eternal and unchangeable counsels and resolutions he hath taken from all Eternity about what he purposed to do in time according to the first rule we have laid down These Decrees are called God's essential works ad intra inward according to our capacity and manner of conceiving which himself in his word is pleased to condescend to We then call them Decrees after the manner of Men for Decrees and Resolutions of Men are works or acts really distinct from Man from his Understanding and his Will By this way we do conceive God's Decrees or rather God Decreeing though properly they may not be called his Works for every act so properly called is an effect really distinct from the Agent But in God 't is not so or else his supream Simplicity would come to nothing when 't is said of God are known all his works that knowledge is nothing else but his Decree of doing all things to be done in time Of ELECTION PRedestination hath two parts Election and Reprobation the word is not restrained only to Election as Papists and some others would have it It is in vain amongst Hebrews or Greeks to search the Original of the word which is Latin The ancient Latin Authors used the word destinare to destinate or appoint for Pains as well as Rewards so did the ancient Doctors of the Church as (a) Enchirid. cap. 100. de Civit. Dei lib. 12. cap. 24. Austin (b) Ad. capital Gallor Prosper (c) Lib. 1. ad Monim Fulgentius Now the Election we here speak of is not to an Office in which (d) 1 Sam. 10 24. Saul and David were chosen Kings over Israel So Matthias (e) Acts 1.24 26. was by lot chosen one of the twelve But 't is Election to Eternal Life and Salvation Now Election is a Predestination of some Men to Eternal Life to be obtained by Faith in Christ only out of God's pleasure in them to declare his Divine Mercy Every part of which definition we by the grace of God shall speak of This point most of any is to be taken notice of because it is the ground of our Hope Faith Holiness in a word of the whole mystery of our Salvation which doth wholly run and depend upon the decree of our Election therefore to darken it the Devil hath stired up so many instruments to oppose it In Scripture among many Texts we have one specially lays open the whole matter before us which here I quote to be read with great application (a) Ephes 1.3 4 5 6 7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood c. The eternity of God's decree of Election is here asserted he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World this Election is affirmed to be the cause of all spiritual blessings which God hath blessed us with some of those blessings are named as Holiness Blamelessness and Adoption Now Faith Repentance Charity and such graces are parts of Holiness and the fruits of the Spirit Holiness is posteriour to our Election All those blessings are in and by Jesus Christ Out of this Text it also appeareth that the good pleasure of God is the only impulsive or moving cause if we may use such a word which is improper here to Elect us nothing from without all from within according to the good pleasure of his will Hence between Papists Arminians and Us for I must say in matters of grace they both joyn against us ariseth the question What it is that moved God to appoint some Men to Eternal Life We say nothing but God's good will and pleasure moved him to it Amongst several reasons we have to prove it I will only bring two of the chief The first because Scripture assigneth no other cause but that as the only and when the word is silent we ought not to speak The whole 9th Chapter to the Romans is a sentence of condemnation against the Adversaries there St. Paul saith of Election (†) Rom. 9.16 15. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Which is but a conclusion out of what God said to Moses in the foregoing verse verse 18. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion whence he thus concludes so then it is not of him c. 't is only of free grace Why three verses after the Apostle gives the reason He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth This is very plain if any one is willing to dispute God's right herein let him do 't but he shall find God is a strong party (a) 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us before the world began Here the Decree of Election is made the cause of calling and other graces we receive in time The other reason is because in those that were elected was nothing at all that could move him to love them (b) Ephes 2.1 We were men dead in trespasses and sins unfit for any good thing and guilty of eternal death They say God hath chosen some because from Eternity he foresaw they would believe in Christ and continue in the Faith to which some add the foresight of some good works with Faith but against this I say God could foresee in sinful Man no spiritual good but what out of his mercy he was to give him this none but Pelagians can deny consequently God could not foresee Faith or Good Works as a motive to his Decree God elected us to be holy and without blame before him That is to the end we should be and not because we were such Holiness is an effect and not a cause of Election Faith also is an effect of Election as clearly expressed in Scripture (c) Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed If so then Faith is not the cause that moved God to elect us we were elected to believe not because we believed before for then we had chosen Christ and not he us contrary to what he positively saith
of Jews and Gentiles indefinitely to whom he gives hopes of Salvation through Faith in Christ for that is the scope of that whole Chapter so the sence is this God hath concluded under sin Jews and Gentiles to have mercy on both in Christ apprehended with Faith so that Jews and Gentiles may ascribe their Salvation only to God's mercy This Text compared with another (f) Gal 3.22 Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe doth clear the point this last interpreting the other for as it appeareth that all are concluded under sin so it sheweth how special mercy reacheth only those who through the grace of God do believe and through Faith are elected to everlasting life To say that God hath from Eternity decreed to save all and every Man under this condition if they believe in Christ not only they find in Scripture nothing to ground it upon but withall intangle themselves in two very great difficulties First to God they attribute a vain and imprudent Decree for if from Eternity God hath foreseen that the condition of Faith in Christ shall not be performed by many to what purpose to make such a Decree of Salvation to depend upon such a condition Such a Decree doth not become the wisdom of any Man much less of God The Second inconveniency is this they submit and make faith a free gift of God to depend upon the free-will of man dead in trespasses and sins that it is in the power of Man to believe or not believe which is meer Pelagianism and wholly contrary to Scripture These considerations have so wrought upon some that they wave off the fore-sight of Faith but betake themselves to the fore-sight of the right use which Men would make of outward means of Conversion and Salvation as the serious saving hearing reading and meditation of the word of God receiving of the Sacrament frequenting of Churches c. But alas the first of these is the fruit of the Spirit not of corrupt Nature the saving hearing of the Word as well as Faith proceedeth from our Election For (a) 2 Cor. 2.15 16. the word is a Saviour of life unto life to none but the Elect but to others that perish it is the Saviour of death unto death And if going to Church and every hearing of the word of God could make a difference between chosen and reprobates and was necessarily joyned with Election all those that perform those duties would be Elect which we know to be false Experience teacheth us how sometimes the worst of Men most averse from hearing of the Word or walking in the way of Salvation are converted to God others who seemed better and fitter for the Kingdom of God being passed by and left so calling is sometimes for those who seemed the worst not for those who appeared the best Farther this opinion makes the rejecting of the grace of the Gospel outwardly offered the only cause of reprobation What then shall we say of those who from the beginning of the world to the birth of our Saviour were damned whereof the thousandth part never heard a word of Christ Now we proceed and say in the third place the lesser part òf sinners is elected and the greatest part left in their state of Damnation which Scripture clearly affirmeth (a) Rom. 9.29 Chap. 11.5 4. Except the Lord of Sabbath had lest us a seed 't is but a Seed a remnant a little one seven thousand amongst all the people of Israel our Blessed Saviour who knew it very well saith though (b) Matth. 20.16 Chap. 7.13.14 many are called yet few are chosen and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat But strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it They are called the little Flock whereof the Members at certain times are so few as thereby invisible to man's eye some times in God's not one Fourthly Kings 19.14 Ezek. 22.30 We say that these few ones are chiefly chosen out of those that are low and contemptible in the world for which we have that famous Text (c) 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. For ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak to confound the mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen c. Hence we learn two considerable things First Not to judge of the love of God or his special grace out of humane Wisdom Power or Nobleness The Second patiently to bear the lowness meanness weakness and despicableness before the world for they are signs rather of Grace than of Wrath. To that purpose also is that passage in the Gospel (d) John 7.48 49. Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed These learned and wise High-priests and Pharisees in their own conceit would not go into Heaven nor suffer others to enter into it Ver. 47 not only they called the people cursed but also the Officers they had sent deceived are ye also deceived But upon occasion our Saviour plainly tells them the truth ye who think your selves so wise and righteous are fools in comparison of those whom you despise For (e) Matth. 21.31 Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you As every wise Agent proposeth an end to himself in every thing he doth so likewise the only wise God in our Election purposed the manifestation of his mercy in his gracious Salvation of some sinners this St. Paul speaks of when after having said (a) Ephes 1.4.6 We are elected in Christ he addeth to the praise of the glory of his Grace Hence it is that the Elect be called (b) Rom. 9.23 Vessels of mercy Which mercy when God gives us grace to depend upon then we are grounded on the rock of Eternity but Man's Pride makes him desire to be loose from the Rock and stand on his own bottom which is meer quick Sand and Mud. So at last he must needs sink into it if God leaves him Now two things belong to the Decree of Election and are inseparable from it which do afford us matter of unspeakable comfort they are Eternity and Immutability for our Election is eternal and unchangeable First Eternal (c) Ephes 1.4 chap. 3.9 God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world which in the same Epistle is called the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God And in another place (d) 2 Tim. 1.9 Grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began And in another the same Epistle calls it (e) Rom. 16.25
it self which he acknowledgeth and in it admireth the ordering of Providence for he saith to them (a) Gen. 50.20 As for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is at this day to save much people alive For thus they were preserved from being destroyed by Famine and this in order for above 400 years after to bring them out of Egypt with so many wonders and to lead them into the possession of the promised Land But before I leave this point some thing more I must offer to the consideration of serious and thinking men Certainly the several degrees of God's Providence in Joseph's case are to be admired First his dreams then his declaring of them which raised the hatred and envy of his brethren against him his Fathers sending him to them in the field whereupon they took counsel to kill him Reuben's preventing their design and advising to cast him into a Pit God at that very time bringing by a company of Ishmalites and Juda's council of selling him to them their bringing him into Egypt and selling him unto Potipher a great Man with Pharaoh his Wifes unchast designs upon him her manner of vengeance seeing her self denyed And here indeed appears a dark effect of a wise Providence that so good an act of his should be followed with his being cast into Prison but 't was in order to bring him nearer to Pharaoh for 't is observed how the Lord was with him giving him favour in the sight of the keeper of the Prison as before he had fonnd grace in the sight of Potipher whilst he was in Prison God's Providence brought into the same place the Butler and the Baker of the King of Egypt then followed their several dreams with their interpretation by Joseph whose desire the chief Butler minded not but forgat him But two years after Pharaoh dreamed and none of the Magicians could interpret upon this occasion the Butler remembered him so he was sent for by the King and after the interpretation he was raised to be next under Pharaoh the greatest Man in the Kingdom Then God called for a Famine upon the Land but as David observeth Psal 105. he had sent a Man before them to preserve life to Jacobs Family as Joseph said to his brethren it was not you that sent me hither but God Gen. 45. In Egypt they multip ied exceedingly though under Oppression and Bondage till the time of their deliverance as promised to Abraham was come and the iniquity of the Amorite was full How much is herein to be admired God's wise and adorable Providence Thus for a second instance the combination of (b) Acts 4.27.28 Herod Pilate the Gentiles and people of Israel against our Saviour to shed innocent blood was by God's Providence directed to do whatsoever the hand and counsel of God determined before to be done We must think the like of every other effect of Providence though we cannot tell the reasons of it I declare in the whole dispensation in time of our Salvation nothing moves me more than the consideration of God's ordering things for the good of his people and I therein admire and adore his Infinite Mercy Wisdom and Power And thus God over-rules the evil designs of wicked men and of devils too for although their being evil be contrary to God's will which is good it doth not hinder but that they do fall under his Providence for as a stubborn Horse is by the Rider governed and directed to a certain end and place and as a Magistrate doth rule and compel to duty Seditious and Rebellious Subjects Thus with the Curb of his Providence God doth over-rule the stubbornness of the wills of Devils and Wicked Men reduceth them to order and directeth them to his end We see in the case of Job how Satan can do nothing against him without God's special leave neither can he go a jot beyond what he is allowed Against this truth this objection is made God is the Author of things done by his Providence but God is not the Author of Evil and Sin therefore Evil and Sin are not done by his Providence I Answer God is the Author of things efficiently that is the true and proper effect of a Cause done by his Providence but sin and evil are not efficiently done but permissively or by permission as hereafter it shall be explained Evils of sin are said to be done by Providence because God ruleth things done by evil and wicked Men yet is free from the evil and sinfulness thereof Thus a Rider ruleth and maketh a lame Horse to go yet is not the cause of the lameness a Man writeth a good hand yet writting with a bad Pen what he writes is not well written 't is not the fault of the Hand but of the Pen the lameness lies in the Horse and the vitiosity of fault in the Instrument Now Providence is a Divine and perpetual act whereby all and every thing is preserved ruled and directed to its own and proper end There are three degrees of Providence as Preservation Governing and Ordering of all things out of every one of these degrees do appear the Wisdom Freedom Power and Goodness of God Hence he is said to administer every thing Wisely because (a) Hob. 4.13 every thing lies open before his eyes all being well disposed towards good and certain ends Causes do accordingly produce their effects God herein acteth freely for nothing compelleth him to this Government of the World neither doth he without himself act any thing out of a natural necessity but out of his own free-will then powerfully because out of his own Will and Pleasure he doth what he pleaseth without any trouble or disturbance so that nothing can hinder him Lastly he administereth well because he never fails in any thing he doth out of any mistake or error in the understanding or a deviation in his Will from that which is Right Good and True And though I am to speak chiefly of God's special Providence yet before I enter upon the matter it will be necessary for the better understanding of it for me to go up higher and say some things in general of the acting principle in God which is threefold Directing Commanding and Executing the principle directing the Action is the understanding which in God is the same with his Divine Knowledge and Wisdom This is a property of God whereby he knoweth himself in himself and every thing without himself not only of things that are whether they be necessary contingent passed or future whether thought spoken or done whether good or evil but even those which are not to be and all that most truly and infallibly This understanding is the principle directing the Action for no intelligent Agent willeth and executeth any thing but what the Intellect hath some fore-knowledge of and proposed it to the Will In Men are the Intellect a faculty of the Soul Science an
those that are called and to turn stony hearts into hearts of flesh none can do 't but God alone but experience teaches he will not do it in Reprobates a sign he hath decreed not to do it And let the nonsence of their Hypothesis and Assertion be taken notice of which is thus God in calling reprobates intends to save them in case he giveth them effectual grace to obey the call which he resolved never to do God doth not intend the effectual calling or conversion of every one whom the Gospel is preached to and have only the outward means of Salvation as it appearet out of the fore-quoted places Ezech. 2.5 For sometimes a Prophet sent to a people or to a person is a stumbling block to that people or person so of some other Providence John 15.22 And this is God's own doing for he saith Ezech. 3.20 when I lay a stumbling block before a man whether righteous or otherwise or when God's own Son came into the world 't was as said before to take from unbelievers all manner of excuse to make them unexcusable for saith the Apostle as to them that believe he is a chief corner stone elect and precious so unto those that are disobedient he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. And this is the Lord 's doing Psal 118.22 saith David wherefore it is marvellous in our eyes John 8.43 Our Blessed Saviour said to the Jews Why do you not understand my speech In the same verse he gives the reasons even because ye cannot hear my word His word they heard and the meaning they understood but it did not work upon them neither could they effectually understand it of themselves they could not do 't neither did God intend they should or else it had been effected Gamaliel spoke well the truth Acts 5.39 when he said if this counsel be of God ye cannot overthrow it For 't is beyond any Man's power to disappoint God of his ends wherefore whensoever he intends by preaching of the word to convert any one he shall certainly be converted but if he be not it is a certain and infallible sign that God thereby never intended his conversion or that he should believe To what end then are Reprobates called I answer to know their duty and at last to own they are justly punished for having neglected it and herein God doth attain to his end Rom. 9.7 out of Exod. 4.21 9 1◠1◠20 St. Paul shewing how God called Pharaoh not to the end he should obey but that he should be hardened and should not let the people go In several places Holy Scriptures shew how God in calling and offering means of grace to wicked and reprobates doth not intend their Conversion but to make them unexcusable and to have Witnesses and Testimonies against them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that at the last day every wicked man may hear this Thou art unexcusable O man When God gave Ezechiel his Commission and commanded him to go to the people he gave him no hope of success nor seemed to intend their conversion for saith he Ezech 2.34.5 they are a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me they and their Fathers have transgressed against me even unto this very day for they are impudent children and stiff-necked to what purpose then doth God send him to them God declares it and they whether they will hear or forbear et shall know there hath been a prophet amongst them There is an Evidence and a Witness against them I have given them warning and they cannot pretend ignorance or any ground of excuse God doth not declare to the Ministers at first whether or no they will hear but to do and obey what is commanded When our Blessed Saviour sent his Disciples to preach the Gospel he gave this charge Mark 6.11 and whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you when ye depart thence shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them St. Paul did it for he shook his raiment and said let your blood be upon your own heads To the Jews that opposed themselves and blasphemed Acts. 18.6 as a testimony against them for verily it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorah in the day of Judgment than for such And elsewhere but upon the same argument doth before-hand tell his Disciples and ye shall be brought before governours and kings for my sake but to what end and purpose Matth. 10.18 to convert them not for if it was to that intent they would be converted for who hath resisted his will Luke 10.11 but for a testimony against them and the gentiles And according to another Evangelist the Lord directeth them what to say even the very dust of your City which cleaveth on us we do wipe off against you notwithstanding be ye sure of this that the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you As if he had said this shall be the ground of the charge against you at the last day and this dust shall rise in Judgment and as a witness against you Our Saviour saith how before the end of the world this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world Matth. 24.14 not with an intention in God to convert the whole world for then God would be disapointed of his purpose For Scripture and Experience teach us the contrary that all shall not answer the call and be converted In the Text the Lord Jesus declares why the Gospel shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations At the last day shall be the general Assize where every Man shall be called to an account for his sins the Causes shall not be between Man and Man but between God and Man and the Lord Jesus shall be the visible Judge for by him God will judge the World Now as matters of fact do require proof by Evidences so God makes sure of Witnesses to convince and confound the wicked for as St. Paul and Barnabas said to those of Lystra God left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain and fruitful seasons Acts 14.17 These mercies though common will be Evidences against those that abused or remained unthankful under them So shall the outward means and offers of grace against those that neglected and rejected them though God never intended they should thereby be converted for God's secret will was unknown to them and the revealed they ought to have obeyed as Abraham did when commanded to Sacrifice his Son so ought all when commanded to repent and believe Now those witnesses of God are of two sorts First those that are of his own immediate appointment as were the Lord's Disciples to whom he said John 15.27 ye also shall bear me witness because ye have been with me from the beginning which he repeated after his Resurrection Ye shall be
and without disturbance taught the truth of all those Doctrines The truth was then in possession of the Pulpits of Divinity Schools and of Presses but what when this Man appeared the most Famous and Learned Protestant Divines at home and abroad opposed him and did write against him If any one hath a mind to know the shifts and tricks of that Party to strengthen themselves and undermine their opposers and to prevent the calling of a General Synod which was sued for as the best way effectually to maintain truth and oppose falsehood let him read the Acts of the Synod of Dort with the Preface to it where they had all the fair play that might reasonably be wished for But because about these matters in the eighth Century disputes did break out again as it appeared in the case of Gottescalk wherein Hinemarus of Rheims and Remigius Archbishop of Lyons with the Churches of his Diocese were highly engaged these last for and the other against Gottescalk which if any one desireth to be well informed of let him read the Honest and Excellent account of it given by that worthy and Eminent Prinate of Ireland James Vsher which I quoted before A thing much to be taken notice of in all these disputes and which is the chief Subject of this Chapter is this that Arminius and his Followers do hold the opinions of Pelagians and Semipelagians and that Calvin whom they make the head against their opinions and we hold the same with Austin Hilarius Prosper Fulgentius and other Orthodox Doctors of the Primitive Church we hitherto have sufficiently declared ours what remaineth is for me to shew what those Fathers of the Church did hold about these points but that shall be briefly because the trouble of proving it hath been saved me by others who make good out of the writings of those ancient Fathers the things now in question First As to Predestination (a) Justin Martyr dialog cum Triph. Sect. 2. God elected us and was made manifest to them that sought him not And do you think O man that we could ever have understood these things in the Scripture except we had received grace by the will of God of which grace ye Jews being destitute have understood none of them Another saith (b) Cyprian de Mort. num 2. there is no need of Money Industry and Man's Hand but it is the free and ready gift of God as freely as the Sun shineth the Fountain watereth the shower moisteneth so doth the heavenly spirit power it self into us The great asserter of Christ's Divinity speaks thus (a) Athanas cont Aâ—â—â—â—n 4. Pag. 175. The Apostle James hath taught of his own will begat he us with the word of truth Therefore of all the regenerate yea and of all that by creation were generated it is the will of God by the word of God that doth create and regenerate whatsoever pleaseth him Let us hear what saith another (b) Ambros in Psal 118. Serm. 10. Perseverance is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth for it is not in the power of man but in God that sheweth mercy that thou shouldest be able to accomplish that which thou hast began Another saith (c) Hieron ad Ruff. lib. 1. Paul and those that are like him are not elected because they were holy and unspotted but they are elected and predestinated that afterwards in their lives in good works and vertues they may be unspotted and holy These Doctors attribute it to grace to the free gift of God to his own will and pleasure perseverance is not in the will or power of man but in Gods mercy neither were we elected for our Faith or Holiness but to be unspotted and holy all this is the sense of the fore-quoted Doctors which agreeth with what we said But because in Austin's days chiefly that Heresie sprung up and that he was the man who most laid it to heart and made it his main business to oppose it he hath written against it more clearly and most to the full of any Out of so many Treatises he hath written about it which are so well known we shall quote only one or two places (d) August de praedest grat cap. 13. Out of those to whom the severity of Justice adjudgeth punishment according to the unexpressible mercy of his secret dispensation he chose out vessels which he might fit unto honour both delivering some from wrath to come and leaving others to the sentence of Justice Enchirid. ad Laurent cap. 99. And in another place he hath mercy with goodness he hardeneth without injustice so that he that is freed may not boast of his merits neither he that is damned may complain of any thing but his merits for grace alone maketh a difference between the redeemed and the lost whom one common cause derived from the root had united together in one lump of destruction With this concurred another when he saith (e) Prosper ad except genu resp ad dub 9. Austin by a godly and constant doctrine hath abundantly proved that predestination was to be preached to the Church in which it is the preparation of grace and grace is to be preached in which is the effect of predestination and the fore-knowledge of God wherein he fore-knoweth before all ages on whom he would bestow his gifts Which preaching whosoever is against he is a most open defender of Pelagian Pride And in another place he saith from himself No Catholick doth deny the predestination of God The faith of predestination is established by many authorities of holy Scriptures yet unto it Ad capit Gall. cap. 1. it is not lawful to attribute any of the sins of men who came to their inclination to sin not by God's Creation but by their first Fathers transgression from the punishment whereof no man is free but only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ prepared and predestinated in the eternal counsel of God before the foundation of the world An excellent testimony about all these Doctrines by Austin asserted is given by Hormisda a Bishop of Rome to a Bishop of Africa who desired his advise about the Books of Faustus the Semipelagian in these words (a) Epist ad Possessor They know how not only the Roman and African Church and all the Sons of promise through all parts of the world do agree with this man's Austin Doctrine as in the whole Faith so in the confession of Grace But let us come to another (b) Fulgent de incar grat in fine God who made man by his predestination fore-appointed to whom he would give the gift of illumination to believe and the gift of perseverance to profit and persevere and the gift of glorification to reign who no otherwise performed indeed then he hath ordained in his unchangeable will The truth of which predestination by which the Apostle witnesseth that we are predestinated in Christ before the foundation
of the world If any man refuse to receive with the belief of the heart or to speak with the confession of his mouth if before the last day of this present life he doth not cast off the stubbornness of his error whereby he rebelleth against the true and the living God it is plain he doth not belong to the number of those whom God hath freely chosen in Christ and predestinated before the foundation of the world There is a two fold predestination saith one (c) Isidor Hispalensis either of the Elect unto rest or of the reprobate unto death both are done by the Judgment of God So that he ever causeth the Elect to follow heavenly and inward things and by forsaking the reprobate he suffereth him to follow earthly and outward things Another speaks thus (a) Anselm de cencor praesâ— praedest Predestination is not only of good but it may also be said of evil as God is said to do the evil he doth not because he permits it for he is said to harden a man when he doth not soften him and to lead into temptation when he doth not deliver therefore it is not unfit that he should thus predestinate whilst he doth not amend evil men nor their evil deeds but yet he is said more specially to fore-know good things because in them he makes that they be and that they be good But in evil things he makes but their being not the evil of their being The same Author saith farther in another place to this purpose (b) In Rom. 9. God did not therefore take mercy on Jacob because he willed and runned but therefore Jacob willed and runned because God had mercy on him Let it be enough for thee who yet livest by Faith and not seeing perfectly but knowing only in part to know and believe that God doth save none but by free mercy nor damn none but by most righteous justice But why he saveth or saveth not this man rather than that man Let him search who will look into the great depths of God's judgments but withall let him take heed that he doth not fall down headlong But to come to lower times let us hear what saith Bernard a good and famous Writer (c) Bernard in Cant. Serm. 14. My right is the will of the Judge what more just for merit What more rich for reward May not he do what he will Mercy indeed is shewed to me but to thee is done no injury take that which is thine and go thy way If he hath decreed to save me also why wilt thou destroy me take what thou wilt of thy merits extol thy labours the mercy of God is better than life If we descend to the School-men we can hear them speak at the same rate first the Master of Sentences (d) Pet. Lombard lib. 1. dist 41. lit d. God elected whom he pleased by free mercy not because they would be faithful but that they might be faithful and he gave them grace not because they were faithful but that they might be for the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7. I obtained mercy that I might be faithful He saith not because I was faithful grace is indeed given to the faithful but it is also given first that he might be faithful So also he reprobated whom he pleased not for any future merits yet by a most true justice though hidden from our eyes The next saith (a) Thom. Aquin. part 1. quaest 23 Art 5. It is manifest that grace is an effect of predestination and that cannot be put as a cause of predestination which is shut up under predestination God would shew his goodness on some whom he predestinated in sparing them by way of mercy and on those whom he reprobateth in punishing by way of justice and this is the reason why he chuseth some and reprobateth others but why he chuseth these unto glory and reprobateth those there is no reason to be given but the will of God Another speaketh thus (b) Bradward de causa dei lib. 1. cap. 39. There is no such cause either forbidding the will of God or causing it by which an answer may be given why he loved this man or hated that man Two or three more I shall add then I have done with this He concludes out of St. Paul (c) Gorran in Rom. 9. That both Election and Reprobation depend on Gods good-pleasure saying therefore he hath mercy on whom he will because he hath freely loved Jacob and rejected Esau he hath mercy on whom he will by giving grace and he hardeneth whom he will not by imparting wickedness but by not giving grace whereupon St. Austin as the Sun in departing far from the earth doth harden Ice not by imparting coldness but by not giving heat The next saith I (d) Thom. Campensis de imit Christ lib. 2. cap. 63. am he that made all Saints I gave them grace I bestowed glory I knew all their good works I prevented them in the blessings of my sweetness I fore-knew my beloved before all ages I elected them out of the world and they did not pre-elect me I called them by grace I drew them by mercy I led them thorough many temptations I poured into them glorious consolations I gave them perseverance c. I am to be blessed and honoured in them all whom I have so highly glorified and predestinated without any foregoing good works of their own The last is one whom some of our Adversaries do set a high value upon his words are these (e) Cassand consult art 18. The grace of predestination is so greatly commended in the word of God and Ecclesiastical writers that those who are endued with faith in Christ and with good works springing from that faith may not ascribe these things to themselves but unto God and to the grace of his divine predestination and election and so may glory in the Lord and not in themselves Surely all these men were Calvinians Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 24. ad 38. ad lib. 3.33 Hiliar in Psal 48. Pet diacon de incarn grat Christ Gregr. mag moral in Job lib. 29. cap. 15. Beda in Rom. 9. and may be by a Metempsycosis he had the Soul of some of them transmitted into his body if so that of Austin was the likeliest for both were great asserters of these truths yet Dr. Taylor saith Austin is the first that stirred the mudd if instead of Austin he had named Pelagius he had spoken the truth but 't is usual for the Wolf to say the Lamb hath troubled the waters However 't is but an idle notion but withall spiteful and malicious to give these Doctrines the name of Calvinism But we have with us men of all Ages and they very considerable To the same purpose we could bring in others whom for brevities sake we quote in the Margin and if I went about to make use of more quotations on this point I should weary my self
in the Prayer in time of War and Tumult amongst the Thanksgivings that we may in Heart and Mind ascend into the Heavens Surely 't is to deny those Prayers if one denieth the effectual Power of God on the Will of Man In another place Almighty God c. whose power no Creature is able to resist in Spirituals as in Temporals But I must not much longer stand upon this for the Stream runs strong that way only few places more I shall quote as that wherein we own (k) Collect on 4th Sunday after Trinity God to be our Ruler and Guide and beseech him to be so In another we say (l) Collect on 6th Sunday after Trinity and Collect on 7th Sunday after Trinity Pour into our Hearts such Love towards thee And we pray (m) Collect on 14th Sunday after Trinity for increase of Faith Hope and Charity And almost in every Collect we pray to God to rule our Hearts and in one place to work upon and move our Wills in these Words (n) Collect on 25th Sunday Stir up we beseech thee O Lord the Wills of thy People They are not free nay they are asleep and dead to every good thing except thou be pleased to stir them up The Question is about the Will and here the Will is named God may well rule the Heart for (o) 2d Collect on Good Friday by his Spirit the whole Body of the Church is governed In the Church-Prayers we own he ruleth the Hearts of Kings (p) 1st and 2d Collect on the Communnion Rule the Heart of thy Servant the King The Hearts of Kings are in thy Rule and Governance and thou dost dispose and turn them as it seemeth best to thy godly Wisdom We humbly beseech thee to dispose and govern the Heart of thy Servant our King that in all his Thoughts Words and Works he may ever seek thy Honour and Glory If Men have free-Will and Power to do those things as to purifie themselves why do we pray for them 'T is in vain for us to pray to God to do for us that which we can do our selves But if therein we want his Assistance then we must need want that Power I shall conclude with two or three places out of the Litany where 't is prayed for the King That his Heart may be ruled in the Faith Fear and Love of God In another place That the Church may be called and universally governed in the right way and That God would bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived Here the Church doth plainly acknowledge the Efficacy of God's Grace on the Wills and Hearts of Men for when we pray that God's Grace may work such Effects 't is owned such Effects to be the proper Works of God's Grace One thing more I shall take notice of and it is this In a Prayer are these Words We beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of Men that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them Hence we see how Men cannot of themselves know God's Ways but it is God that makes them known unto them therefore we therein beseech God to do it Which if it were not proper for God alone the Prayer would be in vain Hence we also learn the Sense of the Church as to the signification of the word all used in Scripture as it ought to be the Object of our Prayers and then by a consequence apply it to those for whom Christ died against an universal Redemption in their way for in the Collect it is not said for every single and individual Man but for all sorts and conditions of Men. Now to proceed We should bring something out of the Book of Homilies and of the authorised Catechism of Edward the 6th As to the first take notice of the following places out of the Edition quoted in the Margin London 1623. Part. 1. pag. 8. Ephes 2. St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our own Colours calling us the Children of the Wrath of God when we were born Saying also that we cannot think a good Thought of our selves much less can we we say or do well of our selves c. And we be of our selves of such Earth Pag. 10. as can bring forth nothing but Weeds Nettles Brambles Bryars Cockle and Darnel we have neither Faith Charity Hope Patience Chastity nor any thing else that good is but of God and therefore these Vertues are called there the Fruits of the Holy Ghost and not the Fruits of Man In another place Of our selves and by our selves we have no Goodness part 1. p. 11. and Part 2. p. 181 182 183. Help nor Salvation but contrariwise Sin Damnation and Death everlasting Our Salvation comes only by Christ We are all become unclean but are not able to cleanse our selves nor to make one another of us clean We are by nature Children of God's Wrath but we are not able to make our selves the Children and Inheritors of God's Glory c. He is the God who of his own Mercy saveth us and setteth out his Charity and exceeding Love towards us in that of his own voluntary Goodness when we perished he saved us and provided an everlasting Kingdom for us And all these Heavenly Treasures are given us not for our Desert Merit or good Deeds which of our selves we have none but of his meer Mercy freely Doth not this wholly and only attribute our Salvation to the free Grace of God in Christ and consequently excludeth any thing in or from us to move God to be so gracious to us As to the great point of our Justification before God in the Sermon of the Salvation of Mankind by only Christ our Saviour from Sin and Death everlasting are these Words But our Justification doth come freely by the Mercy of God of so great and free Mercy that whereas all the World was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their Ransom it pleased our heavenly Father of his infinite Mercy without any our Deserts to prepare for us the most precious Jewels of Christ's Body and Blood c. And further to shew there is nothing of ours Part 2. p. 172. it is said elsewhere It is of the free Grace and Mercy of God by the Mediation of the Blood of his Son Jesus Christ without Merit or Deserving on our part Part 2. p. 81 82. that our Sins are forgiven us that we are reconciled and brought again into his Favour and made Heirs of his Heavenly Kingdom And as to the Certainty and Immutability of our Election it is said in another place Let us by such Virtues as ought to spring out of Faith shew our Election to be sure and stable Part 1. p. 28.29 c. And elsewhere we read this The holy Man Simon saith Part 2. p. 152. that Christ is set forth for the fall and rising again of many in Israel As Christ
Province which Articles are a sentence past against Arminianism as the fit and proper remedy for the Disease the Antidote was specifical and composed against the Poyson which because they are few short and altogether to our purpose I shall here set down in English as they were in Latin I. God from Eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life certain men he hath reprobated to death II. The moving or sufficient cause of predestination unto life is not the fore-sight of Faith or of Perseverance or of Good works or of any thing that is in the persons predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God III. There is a predetermined and certain number of the predestinate which can never be augmented nor diminished IV. Those who are not predestinated to Salvation shall necessarily be damned for their sins V. A true living and justifying Faith and the spirit of God justifying is not extinguished it falleth not away or vanisheth not away in the Elect either finally or totally VI. A Man truly faithful that is such a one who is endued with a justifying Faith is certain of the full assurance of Faith of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ VII Saving grace is not given is not communicated is not granted to all men by which they may be saved if they will VIII No Man can come unto Christ unless it shall be given him and unless the Father shall draw him And all Men are not drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son IX It is not in the will or power of any Man to be saved These Articles upon serious debate and mature deliberation having been agreed on by the persons before named very Eminent and Considerable Men were afterwards sent to the University of Cambridge by their Deputies where they were received with the unanimous approbation of the whole University with such success that of the two Arminians Baroe not long after left the University and went away and Barret was forced solemnly to recant which recantation was Registred Thus a full stop was put to those Innovations and since that time till Laud's Faction got the upper-hand this and no other contrary Doctrine was taught there as being the true Orthodox according to Scriptures and the Church of England's but since that time the Party have done what they could to suppress and discredit it Yet though sometimes truth be driven into corners we doubt not but at last it will prevail notwithstanding the opposition of Men and Devils as it happened in the case of Arrianism An Heresie against the person of Christ as Arminianism is against his grace though to our great grief we see Arrianism revived in Socinianism as Pelagianism is in Arminianism But we must go on in our design In these 9 Articles we see the true Sence and Doctrine of the Church explained by those that by their office and learning are the fittest Interpreters thereof so we may conclude that to be at that time the Doctrine of the Church which we have asserted But we have farther proofs which to bring in I must skip over some passages but with an intent to make use of them in due place the reason I have to do so is because what I am going upon carries along with it the stamp of Publick Authority and Influence I mean the confession of Faith and Articles of the general Convocation of Ireland held in Dublin 1605 That is 20 years after the Articles of Lambeth By the grace of God I shall here set down those Articles of that Convocation which are to our present purpose and so shall begin with the Eleventh XI God from all eternity did by his unchangaeble Counsel ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass yet so as no violence is offered to the wills of the reasonable Creatures and neither the liberty nor the contingency of the second causes is taken away but rather established XII By the same eternal Counsel God hath predestinated some unto life and reprobated some unto death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither be increased nor diminished XIII Predestination unto life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed in his secret Council to deliver from Curse and Condemnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting Salvation as vessels made to honour XIV The cause moving God to predestinate unto life is not the fore-seeing of Faith or Perseverance or of good works or of any thing which is in the person predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself for all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory and his glory being to appear both in the works of his Mercy and his Justice It seemed good to his heavenly wisdom to chuse out a certain number towards whom he would extend his undeserved mercy leaving the rest to be spectacles of his Justice XV. Such as are predestinated unto life he called according unto God's purpose his spirit working in due season and through grace they obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by adoption they be made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by God's mercy they attain to everlasting felicity But such as are not predestinated to Salvation shall finally be condemned for their sins XXV The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable unto God without the grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will XXXII None can come unto Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father draw him and all men are not so drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son Neither is there such a sufficient measure of grace vouchsafed unto every Man whereby he is enabled to come to everlasting life XXXIII All God's Elect are in their time inseparably united unto Christ by the effectual and vital influence of the holy Ghost derived from him as from the head unto every true member of his mystical Body and being thus made one with Christ they are regenerated and made partakers of him and of all his benefits XXXVII By justfying Faith we understand not only the common belief of the Articles of Christian Religion and a persuasion of the truth of God's word in general But also a particular application of the promises of the Gospel to the comfort of our own souls whereby we lay hold on Christ with all his benefits having an earnest trust and confidence in God that he will be merciful to us for his Sons
sake so that a true believer may be certain by the assurance of Faith of the forgiveness of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ XXXVIII A true lively justifying Faith and the sanctifying spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanisheth away in the regenerate either totally or finally The members that composed the Convocation which passed these Articles were for the most part English Divines of great learning who had made their studies in our Universities true members of the Church so that 't is the same as if they had been agreed here and the Lambeth Articles were inserted withall we look upon the Church of England and Ireland to be but one and the same The famous and for Piety and Learning eminent James Vsher afterwards Primate of that Kingdom was present at the Convocation and had a hand in penning the Articles which were approved of by King James Licensed and published here by Authority Our 39 Articles agreed upon in the Reign of Edward the VI. by the Convocation in 1552 several years before Arminianism was broached and appeared abroad could not be so plain and so full against it as are those of Lambeth and of Dublin For then the evil being broken out a fit and proper remedy was applyed against it Hence it is that in both we see those Errors so clearly and fully condemned that if we had been the Pen-men thereof we could not have drawn them otherwise than they are I must now return to my more ancient proofs but not generally publick as this last the first that broke the Ice as far as I have read upon these matters was one Samuel Harsnet who upon the 27th of October 1584 having at Paul's Cross preached a Sermon concerning those points his Sermon was censured and condemned and he at last declared his sorrow for it The ground of the complaint was that he had preached contrary to Truth and to the Doctrine of the Church About this time something having appeared abroad to favour those Errors amongst others one Veron did well handle the points in a Book called A Fruitful Treatise of Predestination with the Apology for the same against those who appeared in Cambridge and he Dedicated it to the Queen and it was received with approbation and applause But why should I stand upon naming of persons Seeing all our first Reformers sufficiently expressed their judgment in the 39 Articles the Common-Prayer-Book and Homilies which they compiled So we must name Bishop Cranmer Latimer Hooper Jewel Ridley Grindal and Martyr Bucer who though Foreigners were Divinity Professors one at Oxford the other at Cambridge and were made use of in the work of Reformation Tyndal Friths Barnes c. and since that time Edwin Archbishop of York the Bishop of Chichester in 1576 John Bridges Bishop of Oxford Babington Bishop of Worcester the fore-named Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury and Hutton of York The Bishops of London of Bangor Dr. Will. Whitaker and since that time Perkins not excepting Mr. Hooker and who not Which it were too long to number we can bring a List of 300 English Scotch or Irish yet most English or thereabouts with whom in the controverted points agreed all the Considerable and Eminent Instruments of Reformation as others beyond the Seas Zuinglius Luther Calvin Beza Bullinger Zanchius Piscator Chamierus Paraeus Vrsinus Junius Molinaeus Rivetus Gomarus Scultetus Macovius c. But we must not go abroad we have enough at home to carry on the argument which I shall reduce within the time of King James's Reign and maybe go little after Every one may know he was a learned Prince and a true England Church-man during his life the Arminian Sect durst not appear here at least publickly For a Sermon in the year 1616 having been preached at Royston before the King concerning points of Arminianism a recantation was imposed upon Mr. Sympson who had preached it and he recanted and about six years after at Oxford one Mr. Gabriel Bridges having in the University Church preached a Sermon against the absolute Decree of Predestination he was accused for preaching contrary to Truth and to the Articles of Religion established in the Kingdom and was ordered to maintain in the Schools the contrary of what he had preached in the Pulpit which he did Now we will come to a Royal Evidence and that is King James in his own writings at the conference at Hampton-Court about predestination he delared against the Arminian opinion and was approved and applauded by all present He said how Predestination and Election depend not upon any qualities actions or works of Man which are mutable but upon God's Eternal and Immutable Decree and Purpose And before we leave off we shall by the grace of God shew his judgment about Arminius and his Errors First he calls Arminius a seditious and Heretical Preacher an Enemy of God the first in our age that infected Leyden with Heresie a man whom all the Reformed Churches of Germany had with open mouth complained of Anâ—n we shall see what he saith of his Followers But let us see something of what he writes against his and their opinions As to Predestination he expresseth thus much (a) Meditation the Lord's Prayer God hath two wills a revealed will towards us and that will is here understood he hath also a secret will in his eternal Counsel whereby all things are governed and in the end made over to turn to his glory oftentimes drawing good effects out of bad causes and light out of darkness to the fullfilling either of his mercy or his justice c. The first Article of the Apostles Creed teacheth us that God is Almighty however Vorstius and the Arminians think to rob him of his eternal Decree and secret Will making things to be done in this world whether he will or not And in his Declaration against Worstius he saith (b) Protestatio Antivorstiana We do not doubt but that their Ambassadors of Holland which were with us about two years since did inform them of a fore-warning that we wished the said Ambassadors to make unto them in our name to beware in time of Seditious and Heretical Preachers and not to suffer any such to creep into their State Our principal meaning was of Arminius who though himself were lately dead yet had he left too many of his disciples behind him which he mentioneth in what he addeth We had well hoped that the corrup seed which that Enemy of God Arminius did sow amongst you some few years since whose disciples and followers are yet too bold and frequent within your Dominions had given you a sufficient warning afterwards to take heed of such infected persons seeing your own Countrymen already divided into factions upon this occasion a matter so opposite to unity which is indeed the only prop and safety of your State next under God as of necessity it must by little and little bring you to utter ruin if wisely you do not provide
against in and that in time As to the point of free will and effectual grace he expresseth his mind thus The only way for enabling us for to do it Meditation on the Lord's Prayer namely the will of God is by our earnest prayer to God that he will enable us to do it according to that of St. Austin da domine quod jubes jube quod vis And upon the petition against temptation and lead us not into temptation the Arminians cannot but mistake the frame of this petition for I am sure they wou'd have it and suffer us not to be led into temptation c. St. Austin is the best decider of this question to whom I refer my self And indeed he quoteth in the Margin of his Books de Praedesi inatione Sanctorum and de Dono Perseverantiae contra Pelagianos passimalibi this is a proof of what I asserted in another Chapter how our doctrine about these points is the same with that Doctors of the Church In the same Book of his Meditation on the Lord's Prayer that King says It is enough for us to know that Adam by his fall lost his free-will both to himself and all his posterity so as the best of us all hath not one good thought in him except it come from God who draws by his effectual grace out of that tainted and corrupt lump whom he pleaseth for the work of his mercy And elsewhere he declareth thus (a) Protest Antivorst The nature of man through the transgression of our first parents hath lost free-will and retaineth not now any shadow thereof saving an inclination to evil those only excepted whom God of his meer grace hath sanctified and purged from this original leprosie For certainty of salvation and perseverance against the Apostasy and falling away of true Believers his mind he declareth thus (b) Protest Antivorst About the same time one Bertius a Scholar of the late Arminius who was the first in our age that infected Leyden with Heresie was so impudent as to send a letter unto the Archbishop of Canterbury with a Book intituled de Apostasia Sanctorum And not thinking it enough to own the sending of such a Book the Tittle whereof only were enough to make it worthy to be burnt he was moreover so shameless as to maintain in his Letter to the Archbishop that his Doctrine contained in his Book (c) Our Arminians are this man's Disciples agreed with the Doctrine of the Church of England Let the Church of Christ then judge whether it was not high time for us to be stir our selves when as this gangren had not only taken hold amongst our near neighbours so as non solum paries proximus jam ardebat not only the next house was on fire but it also did begin to creep into the bowels of our own Kingdom O the care care of a Prince Nursing-father to the Church never enough to be commended would to God the like was now taken to oppose Socinianism as was then to prevent the coming in of Arminianism But that Prince goes on thus It is true that it was our unhappiness not to hear of this Arminius before he was dead and that all the reformed Churches of Germany See how all Protestant Churches opposed Arminianism had with open mouth complained of him but as soon as we heard of that distraction in your State which after his death he left behind him we did not fail taking the opportunity when your last Extraordinaray Ambassadors were here with us to use some such speeches unto them concerning this matter as we thought fittest for the good of your state and which we doubt not but they have faithfully reported unto you for what need we make any question of the arrogancy of these Hereticks or rather Atheistical Sectaries amongst you when one of them at this present remaining in your Town of Leyden hath not only presumed to publish of late a blasphemous book of the Apostasie of Saints but hath besides been so impudent as to send the other day a Copy thereof as a godly present to our Archbishop of Canterbury together with a Letter wherein he is not ashamed as also in his Book to lye so grosly as to avow that his heresies contained in the same Book do agree with the Religion and Profession of the Church of England For these reasons therefore have we cause enough very heartily to request you to root out with speed those Heresies and Schisms which are beginning to bud forth amongst you which if you suffer to go on any longer you cannot expect any other issue thereof than the curse of God infamy throughout all Reformed Churches a perpetual rent and distraction in the whole Body of your State And all this was his Majesties special order backed with the earnest and frequent sollicitations of his Ambassador in Holland where they have been since so sensible of the spirit of that Party that though they have given them an indulgence yet are not admitted to have a hand in the Government Hence it clearly appeareth how earnest that Prince was to have Arminianism suppressed and what opinion that wise and learned King who had studied the points had of their Errors which he calleth Heresies and Schisms and them Hereticks and Atheistical Sectaries specially upon the occasion of Bertius his Book the title whereof he saith makes it deserves to be burnt he calls it a blasphemous book and by his Ambassador saith to the States not to suffer the followers of Arminius to make their actions an example for them to proclaim to the world that wicked doctrine of the Apostasie of Saints And as herein we see that King's opinion about Arminian Tenets so by him we are informed how false it is to say that they agree with the Doctrine of the Church of England which after him we may speak to the Arminians that to say Arminian Heresies agree with the Doctrine of our Church is a gross and impudent lye and that King knew very well what is the Doctrine of the Church of England and a third thing we learn hence is the dangers that arise from this kind of Doctrine in three particulars First The Curse of God Secondly Infamy throughout all Reformed Churches Thirdly A perpetual rent and distraction in the whole body of the State where it is tolerated for Arminius left behind him a great distraction in the state out of which considerations we see that King took a good resolution when he saith it was high time to bestir our selves when as this Gangrene had not only taken hold on our nearest neighbours but did also begin to creep into the Bowels of our own Kingdom Arminian Opinions he compareth to a Gangrene but he is not satisfied to take good Counsel himself but he also gives it to the Hollanders therefore for these respects saith he we have cause enough very heartily to request you to root out with speed these Heresies and Schisms
The Doctrines contained in every Article he reduces under several Heads and Propositions which he proves out of Scripture and these Propositions he in his Epistle Dedicatory affirmeth to be maintained by the Church of England which if it had not been true he would not have had the Face to have said so in Print to the Primate of the whole Kingdom To add a greater weight to what he writes I must warn the Reader he was no Puritan nor Friend to them as it appeareth out of his Book and so no Calvinist to make use of their Words He out of this 17th Article draweth ten Propositions the 1st That there is a Predestination of Men unto everlasting Life 2. Predestination hath been from everlasting Here is the eternity 3. They which are predestinated unto Salvation cannot perish This is Perseverance and against the Apostacy of Saints 4. Not all Men but certain are predestinated to be saved Here is a certain number of Chosen and Elect 5. In Christ Jesus of the meer Will and purpose of God some are elected and not others unto Salvation Here are Election and Rebrobation and no outward Motive in God but his meer Will and Purpose In the 6th and 7th Propositions he makes the outward Calling by the Word and inward by the Holy Ghost the Justification by Faith of those that are predestinate their Sanctification by the Holy Ghost and Glorification in the Life to come to be infallible Effects of free Election Take notice also how in his Proofs of the first Proposition he makes use of the Examples of Abel and Cain Isaac and Ishmael Jacob and Esau as Examples of Election and Reprobation And amongst those whom he condemns as Adversaries to this Truth for of the Truth he asserts in every Proposition he names those that are against it he expresses those that say how some are appointed to be saved but none to be damned And upon the 4th Proposition he condemneth those who say no certain Company be fore-destined unto eternal Condemnation Upon his 5th Proposition he condemneth of Impiety that 's his Word those who say that Man maketh himself eligible for the Kingdom of Heaven those who say that God beheld in every Man whether he would use his Grace well and believe the Gospel or no and as he saw a Man affected so he did predestinate choose or refuse him And those that say that besides God's Will there was in him some other Cause why he chose one and cast off another O Arminians here by a true Son of the Church according to the Doctrine of the Church you are charged with Impiety for your Opinions More of this is to be seen in the Book which for Brevities sake I omit One Evidence more of a true Son of the Church I shall make use of upon this point which also proves our 13th Chapter in the very Words (a) Reply to Fisher p. 275. Although our Tenet concerning predestination be no other than St. Austin and his Scholars maintained against the Pelagians saith Dr. Francis White Dean of Carlisle As to Mr. Rogers's Book something else I shall add how therein in matter of Predestination he saith as do all the Churches Militant and Reformed with a sweet consent testifie and acknowledge Then all such Churches agree against Arminians in these points For free-Will we must read the 10th Article The Condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural Strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasing and acceptable unto God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will This is plain enough as observed by Rogers how Man cannot do any good Work before he be regenerated and converted And he declares Adversaries to this Truth all such as hold that naturally there is free-will in us and that Man hath free-will to perform spiritual and heavenly things Again that Men believe not but of their own free-Will That it is in a Man's free-Will to believe or not to believe to obey or disobey the Gospel of Truth preached This is the Doctrine we assert in as plain and proper Words as can be expressed And on his 3d. Proposition upon the same Article he brings in the very same Texts we make use of for that purpose As (b) Acts 15. â— God purifieth man's heart (c) Phil. 2.13 works in us both the will and the deed (d) Rom. 8 2â— the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought (e) 1 Cor. 6.7 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God c. All this against free-Will and for God's free effectual Grace As to the certainty of Salvation and for Perseverance 't is contained in the already-quoted 17th Article where 't is said God hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to bring those he hath chosen in Christ and by Christ to everlasting Salvotion Whence it doth follow that certainly and infallibly such shall be brought to Salvation or else God could not execute that which he hath decreed to do which is Blasphemy Now the Adversaries are for Mutability and in constancy of Salvation which certainly this Article doth cross for it induceth a certain and constant Salvation and a constant Decree of Election constantly bringing to Salvation which must be by way of Perseverance in the State of Grace But they by inducing this Apostacy and that Men though elected may have leave to fall from Salvation if they will make an Election which followeth a Man upon condition of his fore-seen Perseverance a strange Election that waits upon Man to see whether he will give to himself a final Perseverance by his own free-Will an Election by which no Man is actually elected until he be no more that is after his death In this Article the Church hath another way to teach the certainty of Salvation which is to go upon the same Grounds St. Paul doth when he saith by Particulars to make the General sure (f) Rom. 8.29.3 Whom he did fore-know them he also did predestinate to be made like to the Image of his Son Whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified According to this Foundation in the said Article are these Words Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling They be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like unto the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by God's
Mercy they attain to everlasting Felicity Here are also the Particulars by which that general bringing to Salvation is perfected so that to joyn both together it is but one and the same and from first to last there is such an indissoluble Connexion that he who is elected to eternal Life shall infallibly have it Upon this certitude and assurance it is that St. Paul concludes nothing can deprive us of eternal Life because nothing can separate us from the love of God which is the Ground of our Happiness Wherefore he defieth any thing or person to do it though Arminians undertake to accept of the Apostle's Challenge not caring how they come within his Defiance For they seem to answer that there are many or some things that can separate us from the love of God in Christ tho' after and before a long Enumeration St. Paul concludes In all things these we are more than conquerours And Job will trust in God John 13.15 though he kill him Now that which maketh us to Conquer is not our own free-Will but it is God that loved us In conformity to this in the same Article it is said The consideration of Election doth greatly establish in the Saints and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ And the same Interpreter upon the 17th Article in his 3d. Proposition out of the Words constantly decreed doth infer this Wander then do they from the truth which think that the very Elect totally and finally may fall from Grace and be damned c. I think this is very clear for us And in the latter end of his 8th Proposition he condemneth those who call the Doctrine of Predestination a licentious Doctrine As to the point of Justification which is a Fundamental Article of our Religion and much corrupted by Arminians the xi Article of the 39. saith We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works and Deservings These last Words do reach Arminians as well as Papists for free Will Faith Perseverance right use and improvement of Means do come under the Word Deservings There is then nothing of Man and Rogers in the Proofs of his 1st Proposition explains it thus By his only Righteousness we are justified It expresses only Christ's Righteousness and excludeth any thing else But I must not be too long upon this Out of what hath been said I hope it doth appear how of the 39 Articles those which speak about these Matters are clearly for us against Arminians Now we must come to the Liturgy or Common-Prayer-Book which now and then and in several places doth strike against those Errors and for the Truth And as the Church teaches us those Doctrines by Articles of Faith so in the Liturgy she doth confirm it by Practice But before I come to it I must take notice of some Passages in the Catechism which is also a publick Record and Evidence of the Doctrine of the Church Know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walk in the Commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace See also the Answer to the first Question about the Lord's Prayer I desire c. Read the Answer to the 4th Question and by God's help so I will c. Now to come to Particulars out of the Prayer-Book In one place we have thus (a) Collect on Christ's Nativity Grant that we being regenerate and made thy Children by Adoption and Grace may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit Those Benefits we receive as effects of Grace not of our free-Will and our being renewed is by God's Holy Spirit not by our Will If it be by one it is not by the other because in Matters of Salvation Grace and natural Strength are opposed In another place (b) Collect upon Ash-wednesday we beseech God to create and make in us new and contrite Hearts Then we cannot have it of our selves and the Word to create sheweth it to be beyond the power of any Creature it is the Work only of the Creator Elsewhere we own (c) Collect on 2d Sunday in Lent to have no power of our selves to help our selves If we have a free-Will we have a Power Again (d) Collect on Monday and Tuesday in Easter week As by thy special Grace preventing us thou dost put into our Minds good Desires so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect This is plain and full against Arminians If there be good Thoughts in our Mind good Desires in our Heart it is God alone that puts it therein By what Motive and upon what Account Not for any thing in us but by his Grace nay his special not a common universal Grace not for our Faith Repentance good Works right use of Means but by his special Grace preventing Grace before we can think and desire But this is not all for as the beginning is from God as are Desires so is the Progress for we pray for his continual help so also is the end that we may bring the same good Thoughts and Desires to good effect Without that help nothing doth or can come to any good We have more than this to shew (e) Collect on 4th Sunday after Easter Almighty God who alone canst order the unruly Wills and Affections of sinful Men grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou command-est and desire that which thou dost promise We are all sinful Men even God's People Our Wills and Affections are unruly where then lays their Freedom They are obstinate Slaves to their Passions therefore called unruly None but God can order them nothing under a Divine Power can influence them to what is good nay in things that are natural to them as to love and to desire Nothing seems more natural than Love and Desire nothing more free yet here we see our Wills cannot love that which God commands or desire what he promises except God makes them do it Surely these are mortal Wounds to free-Will Furthermore we cannot so much as to think any good thing but by the Spirit of God For St. Paul saith of our selves we cannot have a good Thought so the Church which believeth his Doctrine saith to God (f) Collect on 5th Sunday after Easter Grant to us that by thy holy Inspiration we may think those things that be good This is of Grace and not by Nature therefore (g) Collect on 1st Sunday after Trinity we can do no good thing without thee grant us the help of thy Grace that we may please thee both in will and deed God puts into our Hearts to do Duties and to perform them well (h) Collect on 3d. Sunday after Trinity Thou hast given us a hearty desire to pray We pray God to grant (i) Collect on Ascension day and Collect on Annunciation day