Common Covenant And their peculiar Promise to Abraham's Seed as the Nations Blessing with their Types and Prophecies all led them to Christ more plainly than he was revealed to others § 13. The Law as such an Appendix contained Preceptively the Decalegue as the Summary and stamina and the particular Determinations under it as belonging to the First and Second Table For all those not accurately distinguished as Moral Political and Ceremonial are but the particular Determinations of the things only Generally expressed in the Decalogue according to which they are fitlier distributed § 14. It pleased God to make the particular Precepts about Worship and Political Converse so many and the Sacrifices so Costly and the Penalties so Severe as that it became a very operous Employment to do the External Acts of it which the People made a Snare of to themselves For 1. Thereby they were so taken up with the outward Work that they neglected the inward spiritual exercises of the Soul without which all the rest are dead and carnal things 2. And they hereby grew into so high a conceit with the Letter of the Law it self and these External Duties as that they thought the very doing of them was enough to make them just and acceptable to God and forgot the true Doctrine of the Promised Messiah and Righteousness by him 3. And hereby they grew Proud as if they had for these Externals been so much better than all other People that all the World was Abominable save they 4. And they were so intent on the present Political Punishments to be escaped or suffered and Rewards to be won or lost that they much overlook'd the everlasting Punishments and Rewards And this Corruption increased till Christ came to Cure it who found the Sâ—ducees not believing a Life to come and the Phariseâ—s deceived by their External Legal Works and Righteousness and most of the People too ignorant of the true Spiritual Righteousness required by the Law it self § 15. It may seem to some a difficult Question whether God by such a Law made them Happier or Worse than the rest of the World And whether Christ's Abrogation of it was not a returning them to the common easier and better Condition of Mankind Ans. 1. You must know that though God made a common Covenant of Grace with Mankind the rest of the Nations about them were fall'n into Ignorance and Idolatry and the Jewish Law much tended to cure both and to make them better know God and the meaning of the Covenant of Grace and to return to him from Idols and worship him aright So that the Jews were happier than other Nations 2. The abuse of their Law was through their fault and folly and the Law by the faithful among them was better understood and used 3. Christ after setting up a better Covenant in its stead did bring the Church into a better state than the Jews were But the Unbelievers and idolatrous World that had not Christ's better Covenant were still left in a worse state than the Jews were before Christ's Incarnation § 16. And God by this operous Law would humble the Jews that by their peculiarity were apt to be puffed up with Pride And as all his works grow to Perfection by degrees even the Works of Grace in particular Souls so did his Means of Grace and the welfare of his Church which was to begin at their Rudiments and grow up to better means and knowledge yet so that all were to be judged according to the Law that they were under § 17. It is this operous Law of Moses which Paul meaneth usually by the Law of Works and the old or former Covenant and neither the Law or Covenant of Innocency made to Adam nor yet as if this Law of Moses were of the same Tenor or Conditions and so called a Covenant of Works as making Innocency its Condition But this Law which was an Appendix to the Law of Grace and was a peculiar Law of Grace it self is called The Law of Works because of the great and burdensome and costly Externals before mentioned and because as a political Law it so much insisteth comparatively on those Externals and the Doctrine of Grace is comparatively more obscure in it than in the Gospel and because the Jews had by their abusive Interpretation overvalued the Externals and operous Ceremonies and Sacrifices of it § 18. The mistake of Paul's meaning in this Phrase the Law of Works or old Covenant hath led some men to a new frame of Theology in a great part and engaged others in Errors and fruitless Contentions § 19. By the words He that doth these things shall live by them as distinguished from believing Paul meant not that the Condition of the Jewish Covenant of Peculiarity or Law was the same perfect Innocency as was required in the first Law of Adam for when Man was actually guilty it was impossible that he should ever become one that had not sinned And we must not put such a scorn on the infinitely wise and righteous Governour of the World as to suppose him to have such a Law or Covenant as this If you that are sinners are not sinners you shall be saved much less to make this a Covenant of peculiar favour § 20. Nor doth Paul mean That the Laws Condition was If you will never sin more I will pardon all that 's past For God never made such a Law with man not to sin being morally impossible to them and Pardon never offered on such terms § 21. To put all out of doubt 1. God before hand proclaimed the Name of that God from whom they received their Law Exod. 34. 6 7. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgrâ—ssion and sin though he will by no means clear the guilty That is He will not judge a Sinner to be no Sinner nor the Wicked to be Godly nor pardon and save any contrary to the established terms of his Covenant 2. And the Law it self hath many express means of forgiveness of Sin appointed as sacrificing confessing c. which sheweth that it was a Law of Grace § 22. By the Law Paul usually meaneth the written Law of Moses as contained in the very words now in our Bibles As by the Word of God we usually mean the Scripture Therefore though it contain much of the Law of Nature yet as a written Law and part of a Law of Peculiarity and Policy of that Nation even the Decalogue may be said to be done away though as the Law of Nature and of Christ it still remain § 23. By the Works of the Law then which Paul mostly disputeth of and by He that doth these things shall live in them is meant That this Law besides the sweet and easie Precepts of faith and Love did as part of the Matter of the Jews Obedience require abundance of burdensome Externals and he that
capable of performing at that time though viciously indisposed it being only natural disability and not moral vicious unwillingness that hindereth Obligation But though not to do all that we can be peccare yet it is not to sin unto Death or Damnation if he perform so much as is made by Christ the Condition of life In short 1. Before mans sin he was under the proper Law and Covenant of Innocency which made perfect personal Innocency the Condition of life 2. Immediately after sinning before the Promise man was not under any Promise of life on condition of Innocency nor yet under the Command of being innocent nor of seeking and hoping for life on that Condition For upon the Impossibility these ceased without a Repeal cessante capacitate subditi But man was then under no Covenant or premiant Law But under 1. The Command of perfect Obedience for the future 2. The Obligation to Punishment not peremptory but due for every sin unless it should be pardoned on due satisfaction These two Obligations man was under between the Fall and the Promise 3. But next sinful condemned man with his said Obligation was delivered into the hands of the Redeemer who now continueth the said Law of lapsed Nature making perfect Obedience de futuro due or Death for sin in primo instanti but adding the Remedying Law of Grace giving Christ Pardon and Life to penitent Believers § 36. The Question What Punishment is due to Venial sin must be resolved from the sence of the Law that obligeth us And the Question is not what Punishment would have been due to the smallest sin if the Covenant of Innocency had continued but what is due to it by the Law of Redeemed Nature and of Grace which is in force § 37. There is a three-fold Dueness or Desert here considerable without distinguishing of which many such Questions cannot be answered 1. A Dueness of natural Congruity without any Remedy which the Law gave or took notice of So Death was due for every sin by the Law of Innocency as I think 2. A Dueness of natural Congruity with an affixed Remedy which hindereth the guilt from being compleat and fixed And such is the Dueness of punishment to the least real sin by the Law of Redeemed Nature to which the Law of Grace is annexed giving a Conditional Pardon to all the World for the Merits of the Redeemer As if God said Thy sin in strict Iustice is worthy of death but I will forgive thee if thou repent and believe in Christ. Here is so much Dueness as needeth pardon but it is virtually conditionally pardoned as soon as committed and so it is not a plenary Obligation to punishment 3. A Remediless Dueness or Guilt by natural Congruity and peremptory determination of the Law-giver And such was the Guilt of temporal death for sin against the Law of Innocency at least the eating of the forbidden Fruit for so far it is not forgiven and the Guilt of perpetual misery to impenitent Unbelievers and ungodly Ones that so die § 38. By this it appeareth that sins of meer Infirmity consistent with sincere Faith Repentance and Holiness in the second sence deserve punishment not all alike but according to the degree of the Offence But not in the first sence or the last § 39. Accordingly a great Question must be determined Whether the sins of the Faithful deserve any more than a temporal Chastisement And whether they may pray for pardon of perpetual punishment or need any such pardon Ans. The sins of the Godly deserve everlasting punishment in the second Sence or Degree of Desert or Dueness which is so far as to need a Saviour and Pardon and so as they must pray for and receive that pardon But not in the first or third Sence § 40. It is the Law of Christ or of Grace which is norma officit judicii and by which we must be judged at the last day § 41. It is of great importance in the Controversies of Justification to know whether or how far we shall be judged by the Law of Innocency or whether only by the Law of Grace He that is judged by the Law of Innocency must be justified by personal perfect perpetual Obedience not by anothers or be condemned But he that is judged by the Law of Grace must be justified by Christ's Merits and Sacrifice or Righteousness as purchasing his Grant of a Pardon and life or Right to Impunity and Glory given by the Covenant of Grace conditionally with his own performance of that Condition CHAP. XIII Of the Universality and Sufficiency of Grace § 1. IT was not only the Nature of the Elect but of all Mankind that Christ assumed in his Incarnation § 2. It was not to Adam only as the Father of the Elect but as the common Father of Mankind lapsed that God made the Promise or conditional Law or Covenant of Grace Gen. 3. 15. And so renewed it with Noah § 3. It was not the sin of the Elect only but of all Mankind that were the occasion of Christ's sufferings called by some An assumed meritorious Cause because by his consent they were loco Causae meritoriae § 4. It is not to the Elect only but for all the World as to the Tenor of it that Christ hath purchased and given a conditional Pardon of sin and a conditional Donation of Life eternal in the Covenant of Grace both of the first and second Edition That is the conditional Grant is Universal Whoever believeth shall be saved Though the Promulgation of it may have many stops § 5. It is not to the Elect only but to All that Christ hath commanded his Ministers to proclaim this Law or Covenant and offer the Benefits and require their Consent as far as the said Ministers are able § 6. It is not only to the Elect but to all Mankind that many Mercies procured by pardoning and reconciling Grace are actually given which were forfeited or not due by reason of sin against the Law of Innocency § 7. These Mercies given to all Mankind after sin and contrary to desert are not given by Gods Mercy alone without respect to the Blood and Merits of Christ But his Blood and Merits are the Cause of them as truly as of the greater Mercies of the Elect. And they that say That God doth give all these Mercies without a Saviour's Merits as the Cause prepare the way for Infidels to inferr That then he might have done so by the Mercies of the Elect. § 8. All these actual Mercies given to mankind contrary to Merit are a degree of Promulgation of the Law of Grace telling all the World That God doth not now rule and judge them meerly by the Law of Innocency but upon Terms of Mercy as is aforesaid § 9. Hereby it is signified to all the World that God is as he proclaimed his Name to Moses Exod. 34. 5 6 7. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and
abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty by false judging and that the World have no cause to despair of forgiveness as if they were under the remediless or unremedied Sentence of Damnation § 10. There are no People on Earth that are not obliged to the use of some means appointed them to be used for their full Pardon and Salvation else Despair would be their Duty and they should not be judged Sinners for neglecting any such means And were they not bound to do any thing for their own Salvation their Sin and Misery that neglect so to do would be far less than it is § 11. Therefore all People have some such Means that have a tendency to Recovery and Salvation afforded them by God § 12. They that say That all the Mercies of the Non-elect are no Mercies because through mens Sin they end in their Misery do perversely extenuate Gods Mercies and Man's Sin and teach Sinners falsely to plead in Judgment That they never abused or sinned against Mercy which God and their own Consciences will easily confute § 13. In the Controversie Whether Christ died for the Elect only or for all Mankind it seemeth to me that we little differ about the matter but only strive about ambiguous Words even about one Syllable for If to die for signifie for their sins under the reason of a Cause of Christ's Death so as Paraeus doth we must all grant that Christ died for all 2. If for signifie eorum loco in their stead so the Phrase hath yet great Ambiguity and will require a great deal of distinguishing for its due Explication The various kinds and degrees of Benefits to which the Intention is limitted do leave the word liable to various Sences Christ died so far in the stead of all Mankind as to suffer Death by his voluntary sponsion as a punishment deserved to themselves by sin to free them all from it on condition of their suitable acceptance of his Grace But if by for be meant in the civil person of all men as representing them the Word is still among Lawyers and all Writers ambiguous In a large sence he may be said to persenate or represent another who doth it but secundum quid and not simpliciter in parte aliqua vel in tantum ad hoc and not in omni vel ad omne And if any will so far stretch the Phrase and because Christ suffered in the common Nature of man will say that he suffered in every man's Person or because he had a special purpose of saving his Elect will thence say He died in the person of Peter Iohn and every elect Sinner I will not strive against mens Phrases if they will explain them soundly But in strict Sence as Representing a man or doing it in his Person signifieth that Christ so died and merited in several mens Persons as that the Law or Lawgiver doth take it to have been in sensu civili their own suffering and doing and meriting or to all intents purposes and uses all one to them as if they had so died and merited themselves thus Christ neither died nor obeyed for any man as shall be hereafter proved But if by for is meant for mens benefit or good so it is yet ambiguous and liable to a threefold sence viz. 1. Intentionally 2. Aptitudinally 3. Eventually for their good And 1. Intentionally the Controversie either speaketh of Christ's Divine Nature and Will or of the Humane Concerning the former the Question is the same with that about Election or Gods Decrees which is before spoken to viz. How far God decreed good to all men by Christ's Death As to Christ's Humane Nature and Will it will prove but an arrogant unprofitable Question Whether Christ as Man knâ—w the Names of every individual person in the World or of every one of the Elect and had a distinct Intent to save every one of those by Name that are saved It 's better let such Questions alone 2. And Aptitudinally there is no question but there is that in Christ's Sufferings and Obedience Sacrifice and Merit which is in its moral Nature adapted to the Good and Salvation of all and hath that sufficiency thereto which would accomplish it if it were duly accepted and improved 3. And as to the Event we are agreed viz. That some and not all are saved by Christ's Death and Merits but that all have great Mercies which are the fruits of these though many wilfully turn them to their Sin and Misery § 14. By all this it appeareth that it is a most unfavoury thing for men called Divines to dispute hotly That Christ did or did not die and merit for all and bitterly revile their Adversaries in the Controversie without ever explaining that one ambiguous syllable FOR or telling men what they mean And when it is well explained we scarce know how to differ § 15. For few will deny but that Christ suffered not immediately because Man sinned as if Suffering were due to him meerly because we sinned but because he undertook so to do and was obliged so to do by the Law of Mediation But remotely he suffered not only because the Elect had sinned but because all Mankind had sinned That is The Conditional Pardon and Mercies given to all Mankind are such as Christ's Sacrifice and Merits must be congruously the Causes of as well as the actual Pardon of Believers § 16. But if the stress of the Controversie be laid on Christ's personating or representing this man or that by that time this humane invented ambiguous unscriptural Phrase is explained either we shall be â—ound to be all of a mind or else some will run into an intolerable errour about Christ's dying and meriting in our civil person and our dying and meriting by his natural person or else they will dispute themselves into a Wood of Uncertainties and be lost about the sence of a word that cannot be sufficiently explained § 17. And they that will lay the stress of the Controversie on the Aptitude or the Event must be men of some singular Conceits and not of the common judgment of the Reformed Churches the Lutherans the Iesuites or the Dominicans if they will disagree for here we are commonly agreed § 18. But as far as I can discern most Contenders lay the Controversie upon the point of Divine Intention Purpose or Decree viz. Whether Christ as God did purpose to justifie and save all men by his death or else Whether he purposed to do good to all men by his death Which Purpose is nothing but God's eternal Will or Decree And why then do they make two Controversies of Election and Redemption when they mean the same in both And here methinks there cannot easily be a difference For in a few plain words whatever good Christ giveth to any that he from Eternity decreed to give them But we are agreed
sufficiently taught to understand the Essentials of the Christian Religion which they nominally profess and therefore are really much in the case of common Heathens § 4. 2. They consider their impossibility of being saved For it is not only morally by Vice but naturally impossible to believe that which was never heard read or understood So that their Damnation seemeth unavoidable especially to such as live in the vast Countries of America and much of Africa and Asia that are quite out of the reach of any Instructions for the Christian Faith § 5. 3. And lastly they consider the goodness and mercifulness of God declared in his Word and in his great and manifold mercies to all the World and that he would have a righteous man to be merciful even to his Beast much more to the Bodies of Men and most of all to their Souls and that our Rule and Motive is Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful § 6. And they think that the contrary-minded by over-doing are the greatest Hinderers of the Christian Faith and Promoters of Infidelity while they make it seem so contrary to God's own Attributes and to humane Interest and to be a Doctrine not of glad but of saddest tydings to Mankind viz. That none shall be saved that hear not the Gospel when it is few comparatively that ever heard it or can hear it § 7. On the other side it is thought a dangerous undermining of Christianity to say that it is not absolutely necessary to Salvation and that any besides Christians may be saved And it seemeth to them to be contrary to Christ's words that He that believeth not shall be damned and that He is the way the truth and the life and no man cometh to the Father but by him And how shall they call on him on whom they have not believed c. No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him c. And it seemeth to confound the Church and the World to say That any are saved out of the Church § 8. In this great Controversie that which must satisfie us is to agree in so much as is certain and to leave that which is uncertain and unknown undetermined For we shall know it never the more for a confident pretending that we know it when we do not § 9. And here the first thing to be enquired after is What Law of God the World that heareth not of Christ is now under as the Rule of Duty and of Judgment And then 2. to enquire Whether they so keep that Law as to be saved by it We can say nothing to the second without the first § 10. And we have here nothing to doubt of but 1. Whether they are under any Law or none 2. If any Whether it be the Law of Innocency as made to Adam or the Law of Grace 3. And if the Law of Grace whether of the first or second Edition It must be one of these § 11. And 1st It is certain That they are under a Law and not only under a Physical Government as a Ship at Sea or Brutes are For else God were not their Ruler and they his Subjects so much as by Right and Obligation and then they were bound to no Duty nor in hope of any Reward nor in Danger of any Punishment for Disobedience For where there is no Law there is no Transgression § 12. It is certain That they are not under the Rule of the Covenant of Innocency made to Adam or the Law of Innocency as containing the Precept premiant and penal parts which is the same with the Covenant as offered This I proved before Though I was long ignorant how far that Covenant was repealed till Mr. Lawson's Papers which I laboured to confute did begin to enlighten me God now saith to no man I give thee life on condition thou be personally innocent and perfectly obedient Nor doth he say I command thee to be perfectly innocent sinless and obedient that thou maâ—st live For no man is a Subject capable of such a Command or Promise being already a Sinner § 13. If any should think that they are under the bare preceptive part of the Law of Innocency with the penal part without any Promise or premiant part or hope of life this is certainly a mistake Because 1. God hath no such Law nor never had which hath no Promise or premiant part and is not in a Covenant-form what he doth by the Devils belongeth not to our Question but as to Men they must be under a Covenant of Works or of Grace And it were a hard Conceit to think that the far greatest part of Mankind had never any means to use for their Salvation nor any thing to do for it but were under a meer Sentence of Despair and Damnation as the Devils are without any offer of Help or Hope and consequently that none of them all are guilty of refusing any such Mercy or neglecting any such Means and Duty 2. The very nature of Law and Government tell us That if God command any Duty it is that the Subject may be the better for it and he never saith to any obey me perfectly and thou shalt be never the better for it § 14. Besides the very Precept is not in force in that sence as it stood in the Law of Innocency for so it bound only innocent Man to keep his Innocency But God saith not Keep that which thou hast lost § 15. Obj. God is not bound to change his Law if man sin Ans. I answered this before That God is not the Changer But the Law will not continue to be a Law but by continuing to signifie God's governing Will And it cannot so signifie his governing Will when there is no Subject to be a capable terminus So that it ceased cessante capacitate subditi vel cessante termino To say That the Law still signifieth what God would have had man do while he was capable is true but that saith no more but that It was once a Law and now is none For so it may do by the dead yea were they annihilated even tell others what God would have had them do but this is not a ruling Act but Lex transit in sententiam And to say That at least the Law bindeth a Sinner to perfect Obedience for the time to come is to say That it binds not as the Law of Innocency but as some other Law of which we are enquiring § 16. And it is a clear Truth before proved That God brought all Mankind in Adam under a Law and Covenant of Grace founded in the Promise of the Victory of the Woman's Seed And his dealing with all men ever since doth fully confirm it And this Law made to Mankind in Adam and Noah was never repealed to the World but perfected by a perfecter Edition to those that have the Gospel Therefore we have two Questions here to consider 1. What Law the World
Similitudes in our Thoughts of God while we exclude all the Imperfections of such Similitudes § 15. But after all till the Love of God be shed abroad on our Hearts by the Holy Ghost and God as LOVE look on us with his attracting and exhilarating Aspect or Communication all these notions will be dull and barren and will leave the Soul under fears and despondency It is Love by vital Influence warming the Affections that must give us a sweet taste of what we know and overcome the fear of Death and Wrath and give us comfortable Boldness and Courage in all the Dangers that we must go through And seeing Christ telleth Philip If thou hast seen or known me thou hast known the Father we must by Faith see the Father in the Son incarnate who came into our Nature to be a Mediator of our Thoughts and Conceptions of God and especially as he is LIFE and LIGHT and LOVE and I think in his GLORY will in Heaven be the Mediator of our LIFE INTUITION and FRUITION Come Lord Jesus Amen CHAP. 2. Of Trinity in Unity § 1. WHen I wrote the foregoing Treatise I found the generality of Christians Protestants and Papists agreed about the Trinity but Heresie and Debauchery encreasing together the Case seemeth partly altered And the ambitious rich and worldly sort being from their Childhood bred up in fleshly pleasure and in ignorance and contempt of serious Christianity having really no true Religion but a Name and Image of it at last by their Tongues declare what is in their Hearts and living in a Land where Atheists and Sadducees are in splendid Dwellings whilst fear of sinning maketh Confiscations Jails and Ruine the Lot of multitudes who are zealous Protestants they take the advantage decrying what they never had But before they disown all true Religion and declare themselves Sadducees or Brutes they begin as Disputers at the points where they think Difficulty will excuse them and especially at the Trinity and the Godhead of Christ and Socinian Errors § 2. I have perhaps over-tediously and prolixly handled the Doctrine of the sacred Trinity in my Latin Methodus Theologiae opening the various Opinions about it reciting the words of the Fathers School-Doctors and Protestants who handle it And through the whole Book I have shewed That the Image of Trinity in Unity is imprinted by God on the whole known frame of Nature and Government or Morality and that Doctrine of the Trinity which to the ignorant is a Stumbling-block greatly helpeth to confirm my Belief of the truth of the Gospel and Christianity while I find it so congruous to the foresaid Impress and attested so much by all God's Works especially on Man § 3. It is a truth unquestionable that without some knowledge of God there can be no true Religion no Love to God no Trust no Hope no Obedience no true Worship of him Prayer or Praise § 4. And it is as certain that no man can have an adequate knowledge of God that is adequate which comprehendeth the whole Object knowing it perfectly and leaving nothing of it unknown And with such an adequate Knowledge we know nothing not a pile of Grass nor a Worm or a Hair Much less God With such a proper Knowledge nihil scitur is true and yet aliquid rerum is known of all § 5. Yea it is certain that of God who is incomprehensible we have here no partial Conception that reacheth so high as to be strictly FORMAL but only such as are called analogical aequivocal metaphorical or by similitude Neither Substantia Vita Perfectio Potentia Actus Intellectus Voluntas Love Truth Goodness Mercy c. are formally and univocally the same in God and in the Creature Scotus excepteth only ENS Which is true as ENS is only a Logical term signifying no more than EST or Quoddity and not QUID est or Quiddity § 6. Yet this Knowledge by similitude is not â—ull or vain but the greatest advancement of Man's Understanding All that which is formally excellent in the Creature is EMINENTLY and transcendently in God Though he have not that which we call Knowledge Will Love c. he hath that which is infinitely more excellent which these in Man have some likeness to whereby we know him § 7. Man's Knowledge beginneth at our selves and not at God We do not first know God But first we perceive our own Souls Acts and thereby we know our Power and our Substance and thereby we know what all is that is such as we and so what a Spirit is and so what GOD is As by seeing hearing feeling we perceive that we see hear feel c. every Sense having essentially a self-perception So by thinking knowing willing â—illing loving joying we perceive that we do it essentially yet though the famosius significatum be our own Act as to formality and priority it is God's as to Eminency and Perfection § 8. It is certain that as all God's Works bear some notifying Impress of his own Perfection so Man is especially made in his Image and therefore our Knowledge of God must there begin seeing we have no immediate and formal knowledge of him § 9. As God is the God of Nature Grace and Glory so he hath made on Man the Image of these three 1. The natural Faculties of his Soul are his natural Image on Man as Man For which it is said Gen. 9. that blood shall be punished with blood because Man is made in the Image of God 2. His moral gracious Image is Holiness of Intellect Will and executive Power 3. The Image of his Majesty Glory and Greatness is 1. in all men the Dominion over the lower Creatures 2. And in Governours a Power over Subjects or Inferiours § 10. To begin where our Perception beginneth 1. It is certain that the mental Nature in Man hath three distinct Faculties in one undivided Substance That is 1. Vital Active Power Intellect and Will The Vital Power being considerable first as exciting Intellection and Will and after as Executive The same Essence or Substance is this vital Activity Intellect and Will But the Active Power is not the Intellect nor the Intellect the Will nor the Will the Intellect c. And as Melanchton told his Hearers to the admiration of George Prince of Anhalt and the Duke of Saxony That the Concrete and Abstract were here differently to be used we may say that the Intellect may be said to be willing but not to be the Will the Will to be Intellectual but not to be the Intellect c. § 11. I have fully proved in Methodo Theol. parte 1. in a peculiar Disputation that these three Faculties are not Accidents of the Soul but its essential form in a triple inadequate Conception and fully confuted all that Zubarel saith to the contrary who epitomizeth all the Thomists Arguments and vindicated Scotus and added many Arguments of my own and therefore must thither referr the doubtful § 12. Not
Will is always fulfilled though not always by the same means And the fulfilling of his will must â—e our ultimate proper End § 11. And because that the excellency of God's works is his own Image or Glory shining in them and the Perfection of the whole Universe most fulâ—y containeth that Glory therefore we may say that God's Glory is his End and that as it is found in the perfection of the Universe of which the Glorified Church is an eminent part § 12. Therefore they that call the Glorifying of God's Mercy in Saving and of his Iustice in Damning men his End and all that tendeth hereto the Means do name a means and that not the highest as the End For the Glory of Mercy and justice is but part of God's created or caused Glory and especially as it is on this or that Individual But the perfection of Christ Angels Saints Heaven Earth and all things is that Glory which may be called materially God's End as being his perfectest Effect as the Complacency or fulfilling of his will herein is the most formal notion of it But God's Glory appeareth in every Creature and every providential change in its proportion and if any will call that God's End we must not make a strife of words if we mean the same thing § 13. According to this explained sence of Intention the distributing of God's Decrees juxta ordinem intentionis will make no considerable Controversie but in the distribution of them juxta ordinem Executionis we more commonly and easily agree And it being but the divers denominations of God's simple will from the effects it is from the Effects â—ure that they are fitlyest distinguished § 14. As to the controversies about the Oâ—jects of God's Decrees meaning the Personal oâ— subjective Object as distinct from the effects of the Volition or the presupposed State of him that God Decreeth the gift to If we will distribute God's Decrees or Volitions as the parts or gifts decreed are distributed then the question is all one as What State a man is supposed to be in when God gives him such or such a Gift which is a thing that we are not much disagreed about § 15. e. g. The Recipient of the Gift of Glory is a persevering faithful Saint The Receiver of the Gift of Perseverance is a true Believing Saint The Gift of Iustification Adoption and the Spirit of further Sanctification is given to a penitent Believer Faith and Repentance are given usually to persons prepared by a more common Grace having the means of Grace and for ought we know sometimes suddenly without such Preparation And so on to the beginning CHAP. VI. Of Reprobation or the Decree of Damnation § 1. THough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture signifieth one whose existent Pravity rendereth him disapproved loathed and rejected of God yet we here continue the word Reprobation as ordinarily used for the Decree of rejecting men for ever that we may be understood not refusing any â—itter name § 2. God's essential Will as such is not called Reprobation nor a Decree of Damnation as distinct from other Volitions Therefore the distinguishing denomination must be fetcht from the effects or objects which it hath relation to § 3. Therefore where there is no effect or object of God's Will there is no such will to be named and asserted But so much as God effecteth in or towards Mans damnation so much he must be said to will § 4. God effecteth no mans Sin and therefore he willed not or decreed not to effect it § 5. He effecteth it not either for it self or as a means to something better Therefore he decreed not to do either § 6. God effecteth much without which Sin could not be as the Life and Power of the Sinners his abused Mercies Objects c. Therefore all this he decreed to do even as his own Works which Sinners make the occasions of their Sin § 7. If it be said that God permitteth Sin therefore he decreed to permit it These things must be answered 1. Permission is an ambiguous word Strictly it signifieth in Physicks nothing at all but a mâ—er Negation which is non impedire not to hinder But in Politicks it oft signifieth a positive Licence or voluntary Concession of Leave for a man to do or possess something And many Divines by Permission mean not bare non-impedition but also some action that tendeth to the procuring of the event In the first and proper sence it followeth not that God decreed to permit Sin because he â—â—rmitteth it For permitting here is but a bare verb and signifieth nothing Not-to-hinder is meerly nothing And nothing is no terminus to denominate Gods Decree or Will But as permitting signifieth any positive act which men make an occasion of Sin it is improperly called Permission and it was spoken of before And though God's general Influx be presupposed that is not Permission nor part of Permission And as Permission signifieth Leave to Sin God permitteth none for it is not Sin if so permitted 2. And if it would hold that God Decreeth his Permission of Sin it followeth not that he decreeth the Sin permitted for that is not a capable object of his Volition § 8. God effecteth punishment even in Hell at least part of it of which in due place therefore he decreeth or willeth so to effect it § 9. God damneth none but Sinners Therefore he decreed to damn none but Sinners Therefore a Man only as a Sinner is the object of the Decree of Damnation or Punishment seeing the Decree is denominated from the effect § 10. It is not a Sinner meerly as a Sinner that God will damn else all Sinners should be damned But it is only a certain sort of Sinners who prevalently and finally reject remedying means and mercy Therefore it is only such that are the Objects of the particular Decree of Damnation § 11. In the first instant we are Men in the second innocent in the third guilty of Sin against the meer Law of Innocency in the fourth we are brought under the Law of Grace upon the Promise of a Redeemer and in the fifth we have the Common Mercies of that Law and Redemption given us as means to our performance of the Duty which that Law requireth and obtaining further Mercy In none of these instants is a man the object of the Decree of Damnation God damneth not any man meerly as a Man or as Innocent or as a Sinner against the meer Law of Innocency nor as redeemed and under the Law of Grace nor as receiving the common means and mercies of that Covenant Nay nor as in the sixth Instant he is guilty of sinning against such Mercies for else all that do so should perish But only as in the seventh instant he is found a prevalent final rejecter of the special Grace and abuser of the common Mercies of that Covenant And therefore the Decree is to be accordingly denominated though God's essential will have
no Cause nor Dependance upon any Creature § 12. But there are other Acts of God's justice which are comprized in Reprobation or Rejection as the word is commonly understood As 1 Cutting off a sinner untimely in his Impenitency 2. Denying him some inward helps of Grace which once he had or was fair for so far as that is quid positivum and depriving him positively of some Means of Grace for his sinful refusal or abuse or for abuse of other Means and Mercies And all these punishments God so far decreeth as he Executeth which is upon none but such as by sin against the Law of Grace deserve them § 13. But where Negations are no Punishments nor Privations they fall not under the notion of Positive Effects or Objects and so are not fit to denominate a Positive Decree or Will Therefore when it is not a Punishment Not to give Faith Repentance Preaching c. is no act of Reprobation As not to give that Faith Repentance and Pardon which he needed not to Adam in Innocency not to give them in act to Infants c. § 14. Yea when a Penal Privation is only the consequent of God's not Acting and not of any Positive Act there the Ratio Poenae is of God and is quid positivum and God causeth it by that Law which did make the debitum poenae But yet the Negation or Privation in which it consisteth is Nothing or nothing of God's causing and therefore not fit to denominate a distinct Decree e. g. Not to give special Grace Pardon Iustification Glory to Iudas is nothing and so as nothing not the object of a positive Decree But both the positive acts by which any Mercy is withdrawn and also the relation of Punishment which is in these Nothings or Privations is caused by God and therefore Decreed by him As if God say This shall be his punishment that will not Eat that he shall die of Famine Here not eating is nothing but the penal reason which is in Famine which is but the privation of Meats resulteth from the Law of Nature and will of God § 15. By all this it appeareth that Election and Reprobation go not pari passu or are not equally ascribed to God For in Election God is the Cause of the means of Salvation by his Grace and of all that truly tendeth to procure it But on the other side God is no cause of any sin which is the means and merit of Damnation nor the Cause of Damnation but on the supposition of Man's sin So that sin is foreseen in the Person Decrâ—e'd to Damnation but not Caused seeing the Decree must be denominated from the Effect and Object But in Election God decreeth to give us his Grace and be the chief Cause of all our Holiness and doth not elect us to Salvation on foresight that we will do his Will or be Sanctiâ—ied by our selves without him Therefore Augustin Prosper and Fulgentius still make this difference That the decree of Damnation goeth on foresight of sin but the Decree of Salvation containeth a Decree to give that Grace that shall certainly Save us An ANSWER TO Mr. Polehill's Exceptions about Futurition SIR IAm much chidden already for writing many Books and Answering so many that object and am told That if the Case well Stated will not satisfie men no Answer will do it bâ—eause it is for want of their Receptive Capacity which long and right Studies must help them to and not a meer Answer to their Objections I very highly value the worthy Gentleman whose Papers you sent me hearing of few if any among us more commended for Knowledge and Piety The question is but whether it be he or I that by half confused conceptions of the matters in question speaketh in the Dark or which of us hath the more ripe digested and ordered thoughts hereof And must others be troubled with such Cases It is those that he pleadeth for that have made the edge of the Razor so thin that they or I do Cut our Fingers with it and have spun such subtile Notions which if their wits when they have done be not subtile enough to manage they will oft slip through or be as Spiders Webs As to the first Controversie of Futurity or Possibility this Gentleman's method will do me no good being no whit fitted to that which I expect I should expect from him that he had taken notice of my Distinctions and Explications â—f Futurity and that he had directly pleaded only for that sort or sence which I deny and had Answer'd the Reasons which both in the First and Second Part I bring against it But it is not so And to Dispute at such rates is but to try who shall live longest to have the last word it being easie at this rate to talk against one another as long as we live which I cannot expect and therefore shall give any man herein the best All that he hath said against me is materially Answered in the Book already and if he perceive it not how can I help that More Books are not like to do it nor have I leisure for such tasks Yet briefly I return I. As to my sence of the words Future and Possible 1. As they are predicated of the thing future or possible they are termini diminuentes quod realitatem existentem and futurity as it is rei ipsius futuritio is nothing 2. Whether Time be any thing distinct à re durante or Nothing is a Controversie which I conjecture Mr. P 's Pen and mine are never like to decide It is enough for me now to say that I take it for nothing Distinct 3. Yet shallow man that seeth not uno intuitu the Universe as God doth nor hath his essential Eternity is in motion where there is mensura motus and must think of things by partial Conceptions and must make past present and future his differing Notions in Duration 4. The internal Conceptâ—â— in man of a thing as future that it will be is quid reale for it is an act of the mind and a Verâ—um mentis and an act dâ— niâ—ilâ— A mental Negation is a real act To think and say in the mind the World was not from Eternity Darkness Death c. are nothing are real thoughts 5. The verâ—â—â— prolatum ore vel scripto sin will be c. the Suâ— will rise c. is quid reale It is a Word a Proposition 6. The fundamentum or premises from which such a Conclusion may be fetch'd iâ— quid reale e. g. God's Will or Knowledge or any necessitating Cause 7. God that knoweth man knoweth all his mental Conceptions and his Propositions de futuro without Imperfection knowing our Imperfection and so knoweth whether they are true or false 8. God's willing and knowing that things were are or will be are all one ex parte Dei being nothing but his simple perfect Essence thus knowing and willing But ex parte rei cognitae aut
meet right and just for God to pardon and save us which is a remote disposing the fall'n sinner to be a due Recipient of God's following promised Grace And thus it is in both senses a moral Cause as it is a Cause of our Right and of Congruity and as it is though not indeed yet morally reputatively or Quasi causa physica realis of our Pardon Grace and Salvation by making them become just right and due And being thus far a Cause of the effects ad extra per extrinsecam denominationem ex connotatione relatione ad objectum it may be called with cautelous sobriety a Cause of God's own Intellections and Volitions For though in themselves they are God's Essence yet for God to know us to be redeemed and to will our present Pardon and Salvation as Redeemed ones are words that speak more than God's Essence as in it self and include the termination of his Acts on these Objects as such and so denominate God's Essence distinctly from the Objects which else would never be distinguished nor have but one name being really but one § 12. Yet all these diversifying distinguishing denominating Causes of God's Intellections Volitions and Operations must not even denominatively or relatively be counted or called Efficient Causes of God's Acts nor strictly final but objective And therefore here it must be considered what Cause an Object is which Philosophers are not well agreed in But I think I may safely say That as to moral acts the Object is to be reduced to such a cause materialis or constitutiva as they are capable of not of the Act as an Act but as this act in specie denominated from the receptive terminating matter or object And though to Man to know this or that and to will this or that ad extra seem somewhat really different or modally at least from knowing and willing our selves or some other Object yet in God it is not to be called ex parte sui a real or modal difference at all § 13. Yet I assert not that the Ratio prima of all these Diversities of the Divine Acts is ex terminis seu recipientibus For the first Reason is in and of God himself For it is God that maketh all diversities of Effects and Changes and so it is from those divers Effects of his own Will that his Will is relatively ex connotatione termini diversly denominated But that in God which is the Ratio prima diversitatis is not divers but his one simple essential Will so that it is the diversity of Objects which is the immediate Reason of distinguishing God's acts of which before § 14. These things premised I come nearer to the Question if that which existeth not do truly cause it must be either efficiently constitutively or finally The two first are denied by the common Reason of Mankind That which is not cannot effect Nothing can do nothing And to say it is not is to say it constituteth not And as it is certain that causa finalis non efficit yea is but causa metaphorice operans so it is certain that no Creature causeth any thing in God no not finally § 15. Those that say That Christ and his death and merits did not cause before Existence in esse existenti but in esse cognito as constituting the Divine Idea's 1. Must remember that the esse cognitum as they call it is no esse rei cognita at all Therefore if only the esse cognitum do cause then it was not Christ and his Merits that caused 2. In Man for an esse cognitum to cause his further acts is but for one Thought to cause another Thought or a Volition or Nolition And these Thoughts and Volitions are really divers and constituted by reception of intromitted Objects But God is no Recipient nor knoweth any Object as we do by intromission Nor hath he any such Thoughts or Idea's of Creatures as are really divers ex parte Dei but only by extrinsick denomination § 16. If it be said That then God should know nothing till it is because a denomination must be from something and nothing can be no Object or terminus and so of his Will I Ans. 1. God doth not know any thing as existent now which doth not exist now But our Now is in his Eternity and his Eternity without partition comprehendeth all our Times prae and post ab and ad are Prepositions of no signification in and of Eternity but only In And therefore as Augustine saith his Prescience is but his Science so denominated from the Order of Objects but noteth not any difference in him who hath neither prae nor post How this is to be understood without making the Creature eternally exist I have elsewhere fully opened § 17. That plain truth therefore which must here satisfie us is That God who is the first efficient and ultimate final Cause of all things and caused by none did of his free abundant Mercy undertake the saving of sinful Man and notwithstanding his Threatning and Man's Defect resolving to make advantage of our Sin and Misery for the Glory of his Wisdom Love Mercy and Justice he promised that the Eternal Word should in due time assume Man's nature and therein do and suffer that which should glorifie him more than Man's Perdition would have done and which should make it just and meet for him to save the Guilty both inceptively at the present under the Promise for 4000 years and afterward more fully at Christ's Incarnation and finally to perfect all in Glory So that the Work of our Salvation is one entire frame composed by Divine Wisdom and Love where one part is the Reason of another though none be the Cause of any thing in God And Christ's Mediation though coming after 4000 years yet was then to do that which should make it meet and right and just for God to pardon Sin before Even as in a Building the several parts may be the reason of each other because they must be all compaginated and fitted to their relative places and uses And though the Foundation make not the Superstructure it upholdeth â—itâ— And as Aquinas briefly faith Deus non propter hoc vult hoc sed vult hoc esse propter hoc nothing is the Cause of God's Will but it is God's Will that one thing shall be for another And when all his Work must be one Frame the part last made may be a reason of the former And so Christ's merits and sacrifice though after 4000 years perform that for which it became just and meet before for God to pardon Sinners For though it was not then existent yet besides the Decree the Promise Prediction and Publication made it useful to its ends in respect to GOD and Man § 18. So then though the Cause be not truly a Cause till it exist and though all the Pardon and Salvation given for 4000 years was before the existence of the merits and sacrifice of
Christ yet the Promise and Notification of the Mediator and his merits and sacrifice as the reason of this Pardon did then exist and was the cause of that Pardon which Christ was afterward to merit § 19. It is therefore no absurdity that the existence of Man's Faith and Repentance should be necessary when the Mediator's Existence and his Merits was not necessary For it was not then an existent Mediator and Sacrifice c. that was the Object of Faith but only a Promised Mediator § 20. And whereas it is a doubt seeing the Head is essential to the Church and the Divine Nature only was Head of the Church before the Incarnation and the Divine and Humane united was afterward the Head whether it follow not the Church before the Incarnation and after and so Faith and Religion were divers in specie and not the same I answer That while we agree all de re that so much difference there is it is not worth our trouble to strive about the Name or Logical Notion of Sameness of Species § 21. When God hath chosen to save Man by way of a Mediator and by his Sacrifice and Merits as that way in which his Wisdom Love Holiness Mercy and Justice are eminently glorified it seemeth to me too bold Presumption to dispute Whether he could not have saved us otherwise and pardoned Sin without a Saviour as it would be to dispute Whether he could not illuminate the Earth without the Sun He wanteth not Power to do whatsoever is meet for God to do but all the question is Whether it be meet supposing Man's Nature and Sin to be what they are § 22. God did illuminate the World without the Sun till the Sun was made But it was the imperfect World and before the perfecting of his Work And so God did save Man without an Existent Mediator unless God may be called a Mediator between himself and us which is a harsh Phrase But it was before the Work of our Salvation was brought to maturity for the Cure of Man is perfectest at last § 23. We must take great heed that in considering of the parts of our Redemption by Christ we look not all at one and over-look the rest nor set not those Works of Christ in opposition which must be taken in conjunction But his Incarnation Obedience Contempt of the World Victory over Satan Suffering Resurrection Ascension Glory Intercession Reign Raising the Dead Judgment glorifying his Church must be all conjoined though not confounded § 24 The Benefits of Redemption or recovering Mercies are not all given in the same way We must carefully distinguish of those that God giveth absolutely and antecedently that is before any Condition or Duty on Man's part and those that he giveth consequently upon Man's Duty performed as the means of Reception § 25. Antecedent Mercies are some common to all men and some proper to some Countries Ages and Persons as the free Benefactor pleaseth § 26. Of the former sort is the Sustentation of Nature reprival from deserved miseries the Law of Grace as to the tenor and some degree of promulgation with all the common Mercies Means Duties which tend to Recovery Of the later sort are the greater degrees of such mercies and means which God freely giveth to some more than others § 27. Therefore we must not say that Infidels or wicked men have no Mercies or no Right to what they do possess as from God as being no Consenters to the Covenant or Performers of it Because there are Antecedent Mercies given before such Consent or Performance not as to Covenanters but as to miserable men invited to enter Covenant with God in Christ. Though these are so forfeited by their refusal that they have no assurance of their continuance but God may soon take them all away § 28. The consequent Mercies are Pardon Iustification Adoption the Spirit a secured filia◠Right to all outward Mercies that are good and suitable to us and final Glory and whatever God hath promised on Conditions by us to be performed § 29. The question of universal Redemption and special I shall pretermit till I speak of universal Grace § 30. Seeing Life Health Food Hope and all that is truly good were forfeited by Sin and none of them can be due to us by the Law of Innocency it followeth that wherever they are given it is upon other terms which can be no other than those of the Law of Grace as fruits of our Redeemer's Mercy antecedently or consequently And where the Fruits are apparent we may know the Cause § 31. The Fruits of Redemption are one entire frame consisting of various and unequal parts to divers persons yet mutually related And therefore it will not follow that nothing but what certainly inferreth the person's Salvation is any such effect of Man's Redemption CHAP. XII Of the several Laws or Covenants of God § 1. THough the order of the matter require that I should have spoken of the Law of Innocency before I had spoken of Sin and Redemption yet thinking that the sort of Readers for whom I now especially write will best understand things if I treat of all God's Laws together I will at this time fetch my method from their intended benefit § 2. The nature of a Law in general and of God's Laws in special I have elsewhere so oft and largely spoken of pretending somewhat to clear up that Doctrine from several mistakes that I must here pretermit it § 3. Though the word Law do principally signifie the regulating Imposition of our Duty and the word Covenant doth principally signifie a mutual Contract yet it is the same Divine Instrument which is meant oft and usually in Scripture by both these Names Of which see Grotius at large in his Preface to his Annotations in Nov. Testamentum It is called a Law in one respect and a Covenant in another but the thing is the same As a Law the parts of it are 1. The Precept and Prohibition constituting our Duty 2. The Retribution Premiant and Penal constituting the Dueness of Rewards and Punishments as the duty is performed or neglected As it is a Covenant it containeth 1. The Benefit which is the Reward freely given yet on condition of a due and suitable Reception and use of prescribed Means 2. The Condition described and Means prescribed in the said Preceptive part 3. And the Threatning in case of Ingratitude Refusal and Disobedience Which are the same things as in the Law of Grace considering the Covenant but as Instituted and Offered For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth usually but the Resolved declared terms of Life and Death or the Divine Ordination by which he will Rule and Judge us And so it is oft called a Covenant before Consent by Man which maketh it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mutual Contract And even a Law as Received by a voluntary subject is Consented to and becometh a Contract If any think that I give not the
use and by one he merited this and by the other that when though each part of his Condition or Duty had its proper reason yet it was only the entire performance that was the Condition of the Benefits and so of our Iustification and Salvation § 17. But I say before his Exaltation because the Benefits being of several sorts some of them were given upon Christ's merit presently and some upon Man's believing and some not till long after by application But to all these what Christ did only as under the Law of Mediation was properly his merit by which they were procured But his undertaking what he after did in gathering his Church and interceding and ruling may be numbered with the parts of his foresaid merit and still as a Creature he is under his Creator's Law even the Law of perfect uniting Love and so doth eminently merit § 18. It was neither the Covenant nor Will of the Father and Son that we should either have full possession deliverance or right thereto immediately upon Christ's Merit and Sacrifice as we should if we had done all by him as our Person But that we and all things being delivered to Christ's Power and Will he should convey the Benefits of his Death and Merits upon terms and in an Order suitable to the interest of his Wisdom Love Mercy and Justice even by a Law of Grace and a Ministry and Means adapted to the end and in the time and degrees which his Wisdom should make choice of Which accordingly is done This Covenant which giveth Right and Reward to Christ is not it that giveth any Right or Reward to us SECT III. Of the Law or Covenant of Grace in the first Edition § 1. AS God delivered the Law of Innocency partly by natural and real and partly by supernatural and verbal significations of his will so hath he done the Law of Grace which is the signification of his Will concerning Pardon and Life granted to guilty Sinners and the terms thereof § 2. The Promise Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head c. was a Breviate of the supernatural signification but it is not unlikely that God did more fully acquaint them with his Law of Grace and Redemption than those words alone could make us understand Because we find in their sacrificing some such intimation and in other signs § 3. God's actual Continuance of forfeited Life Liberty Health and other comforts and his actual Collation of many great Mercies by the course of Nature to such as by Sin have deserved present Damnation is a degree of signification of his pardoning will and mercy by these natural signs which they were not before sin and forfeiture § 4. Man being after guilt of death thus reprieved and enriched with manifold Mercies and his life and faculties continued with many instructing providential helps and means the very Law of Nature now obligeth him to love and thankfulness to God that sheweth him so great kindness § 5. And the same Law of Nature obligeth him to take that God still for a God of Love and Mercy and to believe that what Mercy he hath already shewed the World and us is on terms which he knoweth to be very well consistent with his Holiness Truth and Justice And it obligeth us therefore to seek to him for Mercy and to use all possible means for further hope and pardon and recovery and not to sit down in despair § 6. The common sence of all Mankind from Adam to this day acquainteth us by that experience That these Hopes and Duties are found in the Law of lapsed Nature For all the World that never heard the Gospel do yet take God to be a merciful forgiving God and take themselves to be under some duty for the obtaining of further mercy recovery and felicity § 7. Though want of the sense of Sin and its desert and Man's misery may be thought by some to be the only cause of this and so that it is but sinful presumption and no part of Nature's obligation yet this upon trial will prove false Though what they alledge be one part of the Cause For 1. These men do acknowledge themselves Sinners and to deserve punishment from God 2. They find some misery and fear more 3. It is not presumption to judge God to be merciful when they and all the World do find him so 4. It is not presumption to judge that he can and will pardon Sin when full Experience assureth us that he hath already pardoned much To remit the Sin is as we now speak of it to remit the deserved punishment And He that giveth Man forfeited life health time and all the abundant Mercies which the World is full of doth thereby so far actually forgive Sin Saith Christ Whether is it easier to say thy sins be forgiven thee or to say arise take up thy Bed and walk that is Executively to forgive them which is the full forgiveness by taking away the punishment 5. It is no presumption to believe such Duty to be incumbent on us as the remaining Law of Nature doth oblige us to 6. Nor yet to take God's own Encouragements to seek our own recovery and felicity § 8. The Light and Law of lapsed Nature doth convince men of the duty of repenting and returning to God and oblige them to it So that as Perfect Obedience was the duty of entire Nature so Repentance is the duty of laepsed Nature And I think few will say that all men are not hereby obliged to repent and that in hope of mercy § 9. Hence it is that it is found among the Communes notitiae and all the World as well as Christians acknowledge it and plead for it § 10. They that by God's Patience and Mercy are invited to Repentance which is a return from sin to God and are by Nature obliged to it ought to believe that it is not made their Duty in vain nor shall they lose by it if they perform it for that were to accuse God of making Mans Duty in vain or to his loss which is not to be suspected § 11. Therefore they are bound not to despair of Paâ—don and Salvation for an obligation to use means as tending to recovery is inconsistent with an obligation to despair Therefore hope of Mercy and use of some means Mankind is obliged to by the Law of lapsed Nature § 12. This is not the obligation of the Law or Covenant of Innocency for that Law bound us only as Innocent to keep our Innocency and perfectly therein obey But it giveth no pardon nor appointeth Man any Duty in order to pardon and recovery Whatever doth this is a Law of Grace § 13. The sum of that Duty which the Law of Nature now obligeth Man to is To consider of all the Mercies which God vouchsafeth Sinners and thankfully to improve them to repent of sin and turn to this God who sheweth himself a merciful â—aeâ—doniâ—g God To resign
that he giveth not Salvation to all men and yet that he doth give many and great Mercies to all men and especially that he hath given to the World and not only to the Elect an express conditional Pardon of Sin and conditional Iustification Reconciliation Adoption and Right to Glory And sober Divines had rather say that this universal conditional Deed of Gift is the effect of Christ's Sacrifice and Sufferings than that God giveth it to one part of Men for Christ's death and to the other part not for his death but as without it And we are agreed that Christ doth give to some such special Grace as shall and doth infallibly prevail with them to repent and believe and also actual Pardon Justification Adoption and Salvation § 19. Therefore in this sence Christ died for all but not for all alike or equally that is He intended good to all but not an equal good with an equal intention Whatever Christ giveth men in time as the fruit of his death that he decreed from Eternity to give them And whatever he never giveth them he never decreed to give them What he giveth them absolutely he decreed to give them absolutely And what he giveth them but conditionally he decreed to give them but conditionally Therefore being agreed of the fact and event we must be agreed of the Intention or Decree and what needs there more And by this time you may answer their Objection that say Why not a common and conditional Election as well as a common and conditional Redemption Ans. Neither of them are conditional as to the Act of God and Christ There is no act of ours the Condition of God's decreeing ex parte Dei but only of the thing decreed nor of Christ's Death or Intent but only of the benefit That a conditional Act of Grace or Deed of Gift of Christ and Life to all Mankind in common in the tenor of it should be made was both decreed by God and purchased by Christ. But 1. This is not the whole of God's Decree or Christ's Purchase and Intent 2. And this is not to be called Election as it signifieth a choosing of some from among the rest Common Redemption and the Decree of Common Grace both antecede that which is properly called Election in order of Nature in esse objectivo that is God decreeth to give Faith and Salvation effectively to some of them that had common Grace § 20. The old Solution which Schoolmen and Protestants have acquiesced in is That Christ died for All as to the sufficiency of his death but not as to the efficiency of their salvation Which is true but must be thus explained Christ's Death and Obedience were not only sufficient but effectual as to their first effects that is They effected that which is commonly called Satisfaction and Merit and hence and from the Covenant of God they were also effectual to procure the Covenant of Grace as of universal tenor and therein a free pardon of Sin and gift of Right to life-eternal to all on condition of due acceptance This conditional Gift of Christ and Life is effected And this efficacy of the antecedent Mercies must either be called part of the sufficiency of Redemption as to the consequent Mercies viz. Actual Pardon and Salvation or else an efficiency beyond the sufficiency antecedent to the said special efficiency That Christ's Death hath effectually procured the Act of Oblivion or conditional Gift of Life to all Mankind but it doth not effect the actual salvation of all To the universal Grace it is both sufficient and efficient but to the special Grace and actual Salvation it is sufficient to All as after shall be opened but not efficient which is by the Refuser's fault and forfeiture § 21. When we say that either Christ's Death or Grace is sufficient to more than it effecteth the meaning is that it hath all things on its part which is absolutely necessary to the effect but that somewhat else is supposed necessary to it which is wanting § 22. As there is a common Grace actually extended to Mankind that is common Mercies contrary to their merit so there is such a thing as sufficient Grace in su◠genere which is not effectual So that though it be disputable in what cases this is found and what not yet that there is such a thing is past dispute § 23. By sufficient Grace here I mean such without which Man's Will cannot and with which it can perform the commanded Act toward which it is moved when yet it doth not perform it and this without any other degree of help than that which procureth not the act So that it is not all that is useful to the effect nor all that is necessary to easie or prompt performance or to the infallible ascertaining of the act nor to the melius esse only that we speak of but so much as is necessary ad esse and efficient of the true posse When you can properly say that a Man can do this you say that he hath all that is of necessity to the doing of it § 24. Iansenius himself is so far from denying this Grace called Sufficient that he asserteth that by this improved by free-will without such special Grace as of it self giveth the Act as well as the Power the good Angels stood when the bad ones fell and Adam stood till the time of his Fall And so that such a thing there hath been § 25. And seeing God is still the same and man's will the same in its natural faculties and God seemeth to us to delight in Constancy it is very improbably imagined that God did for so short a time Rule Angels and Men by such a Grace as he would never after make use of in the World and that Man's free-will did for so short a time do its Duty by that Sufficient Grace and never after do any one act by the like Grace in any one to the World's end § 26. It 's true that such Grace will not serve our turn to do that now in our lapsed state which Adam could have done in Innocency no nor will all our effectual Grace yet reach it that is to have continued sinless But it is incredible that no common Grace of God now is as sufficient to the performance of the least good act which is good but secundum quid as Adam's was to the fulfilling of all God's Law and that the best unregenerate man is not able to do any better than he doth or forbear some Evil that he doth as well as Adam to have forborn all § 27. At least to the Regenerate such a Grace must be acknowledged For though of the rest Iansenius will say They do no good because they love not God and goodness and on the like reasons others will say That the Regenerate do no good because all hath sinful mixture or imperfection yet he will not say so of the godly And must we believe that no godly
Christ And Faith kindling Love to God and Goodness and Men and Love kindled by Faith is the Sum of the Christian Religion And it is no Disparagement to Christ and Faith in him to be taken for a Means or to trust him as one that will save to the uttermost all that come to God by him CHAP. XIX Of the State of Infants as to Salvation § 1. I Have said so much of this in two Books against the Anabaptists and in my Christian Directory that I shall therefore here be brief What measure of Glory and holy intellectual operations Infants shall have after Death we know not but we have reason to judge that they shall not be like Brutes nor so unintelligent as in the Body nor sleep in an unactive Potentiality but be intellectual Agents § 2. The Conceits of a middle state of those unbaptized as having poenam damni and not pâ—nam sensus we know not what to make of unless they suppose them to be not actually but only potentially intelligent For one that is deprived of true felicity must by knowing it have the sense of his Privation Nor do we find in Scripture any Proof of their middle State however Reason may think it congruous § 3. They that think all Infants saved go on these different grounds 1. Some think that they have no sin But if Pelagians could prove that it would be no Proof that they shall have Heaven or Happiness 2. Others think that Christ hath pardoned them all that sin which was derived from Adam But either they mean that his Sacrifice and Merit immediately pardoned it or that he hath pardoned them all by the Covenant or Law of Grace But 1. Christ's Sacrifice and Merits are given to God for Man and pardon no man immediately but only Merit a pardoning Covenant 2. And that Covenant doth indeed in tantum pardon all men as far as common Mercy amounteth to for the remitting any part of the punishment is so far to remit the sin But the saving-pardon in question it giveth to no man actually before the Condition be performed for it is but a conditional Pardon Therefore as no one at age so no Infant hath any Pardon given him by that Covenant that I can find but only conditionally § 4. All grant That the Covenant pardoneth the Adult only conditionally and if it should pardon all Infants absolutely their Condition would be so much more happy than that of the Adult as is not consistent with what Scripture Reason and Experience speaketh And there is no such thing said of them in the Word of God and therefore not to be believed § 5. Those that think not all Infants so dying to be saved and glorified are also of several minds 1. Some think that none are glorified as being uncapable Subjects whom I will not bestow the labour to confute nor to open the ill Consequents of it 2. Some think that some are glorified but none are positively punished with the poena sensus These seem to me less rational than the former For either Infants will have actual Intellection and answerable Joys and Sorrows or not If not the former who reduce them all to meer Potentiality or the state of Brutes are in the right of whom some will have them to be Viatâ—res after Death in vehiculo aâ—reo and some are for their Transmigration and return to Earth If yea then as one part will have rational Joys the other must have rational Sorrows unless some return to Earth or some middle state be better proved than I have yet seen § 6. 3. Some think that all that are baptized are saved and no other though the rest have no Pain But 1. this is not suitable to the Nature of God as a Spirit and as most wise and merciful nor yet to the Tenor of his Word to lay mens Salvation and Rejection upon a meer outward â—eremony or Act of Baptizing The Seed of Believers may want it in many Cases of Impedition and the Children of Cannibals and Infidels might by Souldiers be taken away by thousands and baptized against the Parents Wills and then turned to them again to be educated And who can believe that barbarous Souldiers that must themselves â—e damned can thus save thousands at 〈◊〉 pleasures There are many Infants that have no right to Baptism and why then should it save them § 7. 4. Some think that all that are baptized by the Parents Conâ—int are saved But what if a Heaâ—hen or Infidel or Athent say I believe not in God or Christ my self but for worldly Ends I desire my Child may be baptized whether he say I will or I will not educate him uâ—to Christianity There is no shew of Reason much less of Scripture that this should save the Children that are no better offered to God § 8. 5. Some say That all that any Christian Sinner or Hypocrite offereth to God and is so baptized shall be saved that is That hath Christian Godfather or Godmother But if so then what if Christians take Heathens Children against their Wills and baptize them and then turn them home again Are they saved by the Ceremony or by Consent to the Covenant Not by the meer Geremony as is and shall be shewed Not by Consent of any such Christian that hath no right to them nor power to represent them else all the Children on Earth should be saved For Christians would sit at home and consent for them and dedicate them to God unseen And sure God would not refuse to save them because of distance nor because unseen for the Godfather may be blind nor because unbaptized when it cannot be had and the Child hindereth it not § 9. 6. Some say That it is the Churches Faith and dedicating them to God in Baptism that is the Condition of their Salvation But this is not intelligible If by the Church they mean all the Christian World or all a National Church or all a Diocesan Church yea or all a Parish-Church they use not to be all Godfathers nor to offer other folks Children to be baptized nor did I ever know one that had so common a â—ote or was so offered If they mean that the Churches Faith â—erveth whoever be the Covenanter or Offerer then all the Pagan World may have their Children saved by the Churches Faith or all that can be catcht up and baptized and so the Ceremony doth it But if they mean by that Church the Bishops or Presbyters whether it must be all the Bishops of the World or of the Nation or one Bishop or the Presbyter that baptizeth every one may speak according to his own Invention and Fancy but with no Proof from the Word of God or Reason as the aforesaid Disproofs do manifest § 10. 7. Some say That any one baptized by a Godfather's offer who undertaketh for his Christian Education shall be saved and no other But 1. The Godfather may have no Propriety in the Child but steal him shall
Believers or consent to the Covenant of Grace if at age 3. These penitent Believers sins are pardoned virtually before they are committed supposing them but Sins of Insirmity but this is properly no Pardon nor so to be called because it is but the position of those things which will cause Pardon hereafter To be only virtual is not to exist but to be in causis But it is too grosly inferred hence by some That it is not God then that actually justifieth but Man that performeth the Condition as if the Condition which is but a suspension of the Donation and the performance a removal of the suspending Cause were the donative Efficient and so the Receiver were the Giver As if he that opened the window were the Sun or efficient Cause of the Light or he that lets off a Crossbow by removing the Stop were the spring that effecteth the motion of the Arrow § 62. Neither Pardon nor Justification are perfect before death For there are some correcting Punishments to be yet born some Sins not fully destroyed some Grace yet wanting more Sins to be forgiven more Conditions thereof to be performed The final and executive Pardon and Justification are only perfect CHAP. XXII Of the Imputation of Righteousness § 1. THE great Contentions that have been about this Point tell us how needfull it is to distinguish between real and verbal Controversies The opening of the Doctrine of Redemption before Chap. XI hath done most that is needful to the solution of this Case we are commonly agreed in these following Points § 2. 1. That no man hath a Righteousness of his own performance by which he could be justified were he to be judged by the Law of Innocency that is all are Sinners and deserve everlasting Death § 3. 2. That Jesus the Mediator undertook to fulfil all the Law which God the Father gave him even the Law of Nature the Law of Moses and that which was proper to himself that thereby God's Wisdom Goodness Truth Justice and Mercy might be glorified and the ends of God's Government be better attained than by the Destruction of the sinful World and all this he performed in our Nature and suffered for us in our stead and was the second Adam or Root to Believers § 4. 3. That for this as the meritorious Cause God hath given him power over all Flesh that he might give eternal Life to as many as are drawn to him by the Father and given him Joh. 17. 2. He is Lord of all and all power in Heaven and Earth is given him Matth. 28. 19. and he is made Head over all things to the Church Eph. 1. 22 23. Rom. 14. 9 And for these his Merits a Covenant or Law of Grace is made to sinful Man by which all his sins are freely pardoned and Right to Impunity and Life is freely given him if he will accept it and penitently turn to God § 5. 4. Whenever a man is pardoned and justified or hath Right to Life this Law of Grace doth it as God's donative Instrument And whoever is so pardoned and justified it is for and by these Merits of Christ's Righteousness § 6. 5. But Christ doth initially pardon and justifie none by this Covenant but penitent Believers and therefore hath made it our Duty to repent and believe that we may be forgiven and have right to life as the Condition without which his donative and condonative Act shall be suspended § 7. 6. God never judgeth falsely but knoweth all things to be what they are And therefore he reputeth Christ's meritorious Righteousness and Sacrifice to be the meritorious Cause of all mens Justification who are justified and of the conditional Pardon of all the World 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. and as sufficient and effectual to the assigned ends as our own personal righteousness or suffering would have been and more though it be not so ours as that of our own performance would have been nor so immediately give us our Right to Impunity and Life but mediately by the Covenant § 8. 7. And as God reputeth Christ's Righteousness to be the prime meritorious Cause for which we are justified by the Law of Grace as afore-said so he truly reputeth our own Faith and Repentance or Covenant-consent to be our moral Qualification for the gift and our Holiness and Perseverance to be our moral Qualification for final Iustification and Glory which Qualification being the matter of the Command of the Law of Grace and the Condition of its Promise is so far our righteousness indeed and oft so called in the Scripture as is aforesaid § 9. 8. Therefore God may in this Sence be truly said both to impute righteousness to us and to impute Christ's righteousness to us and to impute our Faith for righteousness to us in several respects § 10. Thus much being commonly agreed on should quiet the Minds of Divines that are not wise and righteous overmuch and it beseemeth us not to make our arbitrary Words and Notions about the Doctrine of our Peace with God to be Engines to break the Church's Peace seeing Angels preached to us this great Truth That Christ came into the World for GLORY to God in the highest and for PEACE on Earth and for GOOD-WILL or LOVE from God to Man or mutual complaâ—ency and his Servants should not turn his Gospel into matter of strife § 11. That which we are yet disagreed about is the Names and Notions following As 1. What is meant by the Phrase of Imputing in several Texts of Scripture as Rom. 4. 11. That righteousness might be imputed or reckoned to them also Ans. The words seem to me to have no difficulty but what men by wrangling put into them To have righteousness impuâ—ed to them is to be reputed judged or accounted as righteous Men and so used the cause being not in the Phrasâ— it self but fore-described § 12. So what is meant Rom. 4. 6. by imputing righteousness without works Ans. Plainly reputing or judging a man righteous without the works which Paul there meaneth § 13. So what is meant by Not imputing sin Psal. 32. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Rom. 5. 13. Lev. 7. 18. 1 Sam. 22. 15. 2 Sam. 19. 19. Rom. 4. 8 Ans. Not-judging a man as a Sinner guilty of punishment not charging his sin upon him in Judgment which is as 2 Sam. 19. 19. c. because he is not truly guilty or as Rom. 4. 8. c. because he is forgiven § 14. 2. What is meant by imputing our Faith to us for righteousness But of that more purposely anon § 15. 3. Whether imputing Christ's righteousness to us be a Scripture-phrase Ans. Not that I can find § 16. 4. Whether it be a fit or lawful Phrase and whether in so great matters departing from Scripture-phrase and pretending it necessary so to do be not adding to God's Word or the cause of Corruptions and Divisions in the Church and an intimation that we can speak better than the
Salvation it self and the Image and Glory of God upon us § 63. V. About the next Question I may yet be shorter How far any Works of ours may be trusted in I think all agree 1. That nothing of ours or any Creature should be trusted to for any thing proper to God or proper to Christ or any thing that belongeth not truly to it self He that ascribeth any thing to our Faith Love or Obedience which is proper to Christ's Merits or God's Mercy and so trusteth them doth greatly sin and he that trusteth them for more than God hath assigned to them to do § 64. 2. That we must take heed of scandaous Language and therefore must not talk of trusting on any act of our own when it is like to be understood as put in Competition with God or with Christ's Merits as if the Question were Whether we must trust God or our selves Christ's Righteousness or our own For our own is not in the least measure to be trusted for that which belongeth only to Christ's Righteousness to be or do § 65. 3. That yet it is a great Duty to trust every means of Salvation appointed by God in its own place and for its own part alone even to preaching Sacraments Afflictions c. And accordingly to trust our own Faith Love Prayer Obedience so far as they are Means and have God's Promise and no further which is no more than to trust in God that he will bless such means He that trusteth his Sword doth not trust it to fight of it self without his Hand When God hath promised Mercy upon Prayer and to the Obedient or Penitent for a man to think that God will yet do no more for us if we repent pray and obey than if we do not is to be Unbelievers and say rebelliously It is in vain to serve the Lord. He is so far to trust to Faith Repentance praying hearing meditating diligence as to trust that God will bless them and reward them and look for more from him when we use means than when we do not CHAP. XXVI Of Confirmation Perseverance and Danger of falling away § 1. I Shall reduce all that needs to be said on this point to these following controverted Questions 1. Whether all Grace procured and given by Christ be such as is never lost 2. Whether that degree of Grace be ever lost which giveth the posse credere without the act of Faith commonly called sufficient Grace in Adult or Infants 3. Whether any lose actual true justifying Faith 4. Whether any lose true Holiness or love of God in the Habit 5. Whether any degree of this be ever lost or all special Grace have such Confirmation as the Angels have 6. Whether if Holiness be never lost it be possible to lose it and be in danger 7. Whether there be a state of confirmed Persons besides the meerly sanctified that from the degree or kind of their grace never fall away 8. Or whether Perseverance depend on meer Election and God's Will which secureth only some of the justified 9. Whether all or most or many Christians are themselves sure to persevere 10. Whether Certainty of perseverance be fit for all the justified 11. Whether it be unfit for all and a more unsafe Condition than doubting 12. Whether the Comfort of most Christians lie upon the Doctrine of such Certainty 13. Whether the Doctrine of Eventual Apostacy infer any mutability in God 14. Why God hath left this point so dark 15. What was the Judgment of the ancient Churches after the Apostles 16. Whether it be an Article of such evidence and weight as to be put into our Church-Confessions and we should force men to subscribe to it or make it necessary to Ministration Communion or Christian Love and Concord § 2. Q. I. Whether all Christ's Grace given us be such as is never lost Ans. No except Iansenius and his Followers I know of no Christians that ever affirm it and he doth it on this false supposition That the common Grace which worketh only preparatorily by fear is not the Grace of Christ but a grace of other Providence and only Love is the grace of Christ. But it is injurious to Christ who is the Lord and Light and Saviour of the World and God's Administrator-general into whose Hands all Things and Power is given to say That since the Fall there is any Grace in the World that is not his Grace and that our preparatory grace and all that 's common is aliunde some other way He that readeth Ioh. 15. Matth. 13. Heb. 6 and 10. may see the contrary § 3. Q II. Whether sufficient grace to believe which giveth the meer power of believing to Infants or Adult be ever lost Ans. These Questions suppose that there are these several sorts of Graces disputed of by Divines 1. Common grace 2. Power to believe and repent 3. Actual Faith and Repentance given by that called special Vocation 4. The Habit of love and all grace called Sanctification to pass by Relative grace as Justification c. 5. Confirmation of these Habits And we now speak only of the second And the very Being of that Grace is controverted Whether God ever give besides the natural Power a moral Power to believe to any that never do believe And 1. it is certain by Adam's instance that he gave him a power to have perfectly obeyed when he did not 2. And therefore no man can prove that now he giveth no man a moral Power to believe that doth not 3. But it seemeth most probable that he doth because his Government and Man's Nature are not tota specie changed 4. And it is certain that still all men have power to do more good than they do 5. And even the Dominicans grant this Sufficiency of grace 6. But yet for my part I am not certain of it § 4. But if there be such a power given which never acteth Faith which I think most probable it is either in the Adult or Infants if in the Adult no doubt it 's lost for they that will not believe to the last retain not still the moral power in their Rebellion § 5. But in the Case of Infants I think those of them that die before the use of reason lose it not nor any of the Elect that live to full Age But as to others after long doubt How far Infant-Grace is loseable this seemeth now the most probable solution to me § 6. Viz. There is a Grace that reacheth but to a moral Power to repent and believe before men have the Act or proper Habit Such Grace to persevere did put Adam in a present state of Life or acceptation with God this Grace Adam lost Accordingly such grace that containeth but this mâ—â—al power in an Infant 's Disposition with relative grace of Pardon is sufficient to provâ— his right to Salvation if he so die because he is not bound to the Act nor capable of it and even the Adult
of everlasting glory through Faith § 7. This Repentance is the same thing with Conversion and as I said before Faith it self includeth Repentance in its Essence as denominated from the terminus a quo it being a Turning from Unbelief to God by believing in him as God and to Christ by believing in him as our Saviour and to the Holy Ghost by believing in him as the Agent and Witness of Christ and our Sanctifier § 8. Particular Repentance is our turning with Sorrow from a particular Sin to our contrary obedience to God § 9. Without that universal Repentance or Conversion which turneth the Mind Will and Life to God from created Vanity and this World no Man can be saved because he continueth an Idolater and Rebel and doth not indeed take God for his God nor Christ for his Saviour nor the Holy Spirit for his Sanctifier but is an ungodly Man and a Forsaker of God and his own Felicity § 10. Repentance as towards God is sometime distinguished from Faith in Christ And then Repentance is our turning to God as God by Faith Trust Love and Obedience resigning our selves to him as our Owner subjecting our selves to him as our Ruler and loving him as our Benefactor and chiefly as the Infinite Good in himself our ultimate objective End And this is the greater Duty respecting God as our End even the same with Love to God for the procuring of which Christ came into the World and Faith is given us And then Faith in Christ is the mediate grace and duty by which we are brought to this Repentance § 11. Not that any man can truly take Christ for his Saviour before he taketh God for his God for the Love and Intention of the End is before our Choice and Use of the Means But Christ being our Teacher first bringeth us to assent to the Truth of God's Perfections and Relations to us and then to the Truth of his own Gospel and by this Assent bringeth us first to a common and then to a special Consent at once that God be our God and Christ our Saviour but so that we desire God as our End and Christ as Mediator as the Means § 12. Universal Repentance or Conversion doth virtually contain all particular future Repentance but not actually Therefore where this is that Soul may be saved without actual Repentance for some particular sins or sorts of sin As e. g. if we are ignorant that such or such a thing is sin for want of necessary Instruction or if in a crowd of business some sinful Thought Passion or Word pass unobserved or if we do our faithful endeavour to find out a sin and cannot remember it as who can remember at Conversion one of many that he has committed in Unregeneracy and after many are forgotten And every Man dieth in some sin which he hath no time here to repent of viz. in some sinful imperfection of all grace and duty and omission of due degrees of Love and other Acts For all which virtual repentance will be accepted § 13. But great and heinous sins must needs have actual repentance because it will not consist with the Truth of Holiness to be so indifferent or easâ—e towards them as not to observe them and remember them And if they be known and remembred they will be repented of when the Soul hath opportunity to consider what it hath done For habitual repentance is necessary to Salvation and Habits will act when they are not extraordinarily hindred having notable Objects and Opportunity § 14. Yet some sins that are great materially in their nature may be lessened much to some persons by unavoidable ignorance and so may not have an actual repentance As e. g. in times of War to kill men in a wrong Cause is one of the greatest â—ins in the World and yet when by the darkness of State-cases the Question who is in the right is so difficult that very few can decide it and after their utmost search each Party thinks that God bindeth them to fight for their King or Country such persons cannot have a particular repentance while they are not able to see that they were deceived § 15. It is therefore a Case of exceeding difficulty what sins may stand with Iustification not particularly repented of and what not or as some speak which are mortal and which venial sins or sins of Infirmity § 16. But he that hath a care of his Salvation must hate all sin in the general as sin and keep up his watch and be willing to know all the worst in himself and diligently use the means to know it and resolve to forsake it to his power when he knoweth it that so he may not be wilfully impenitent And he that will sin as far as he thinks will stand with grace either hath no true grace or shall not know that he hath it § 17. The time of repentance or mercy may be said in two Sences to be past 1. When a man shall not be accepted and pardoned though he should repent And so the Day of grace is never past in this Life and the Damned do not truly repent in our present Sence so that for a penitent person to fear that the Day of grace is past or his Repentance too late if true is to contradict the Scope of the Gospel which giveth pardon to every one that truly repenteth 2. When a man that before had some motions and helps to repent and obstinately resisted them shall be given up to his Obstinacy and never have such motions more Thus the Day of grace may be past with many And such persons turn from God to Wickedness and are hardened in the love of sin and usually blinded to defend it and hate a holy Life But those that do repent or fain would repent or yet feel God moving them to repent have no cause to think that God hath thus forsaken them For it is only obstinate and continued forsaking God that is the sign of one forsaken by him § 18. And this also is no proof to us that such a Person is finally forsaken For many that have rejected grace many years are afterward converted by that grace So that all that we can say is That such as God hath forsaken do continue to the end to reject his Mercy and prefer their Lusts but that he will so continue to the end no man himself can tell before the end § 19. About the unpardonable sin there are two Coâ—â—oversies 1. What it is 2. Whether it be absâ—â—â—â—ely unpardonable That final impenitency is unpardonable is undoubted But the sin in question is called The Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost of which having written a special Tractate I now only say That it is the Sin of such as believing not Christ to be the Son of God but a Deceiver and yet being convinced of his and his Disciples Miracles do in their judgments think and blasphemously say and maintain that they were done by