deep setled apprehensions of his gracious merciful lovely nature which indeed is the first work of true Religion and the very Master Radical Act of true Grace and the chief maintaiâ—er of spiritual life and motion 2. All these temptations are yet more effectually dispelled by considering this merciful Divine Nature dwelling in flesh becoming man by condescending to the assumption of our humane nature and so come near us and assuming the office of being the Mediatour the Redeemer the Saviour of the World 3. All our doubts and fears that proceed from our former sins have all a present rememdy in the fulness and sufficiency of Christs satisfaction even for all the World so that no sin is so great but it is fully satisfied for c. 4. All our doubts and fears that arise from an apprehension of Gods unwillingness to shew us mercy and to give us Christ and life in him arise from the misapprehension of Christs unwillingness to be ours or at least from the uncertainty of his willingness these have all a sufficient remedy in the general extent and tenour of the New Covenant From which principles our Divines do infer 1. A possibility of your salvation Ib pag. 43. 2. Nay though you were yet graceless you have now this comfort that your salvation is probable as well as possible you are very fair for it The terms be not hard in themselves on which it is tendred for Christs yoke yoke is easie his burden light and his commands are not grievous 3. Yea this exceeding comfort there is even for them that are graceless that their salvation is conditionally certain and the condition is but their own willingness But all this gives Desola us no satisfaction As to the greatest part of Mankind he finds in God a general unwillingness of their salvation for as if he were a cruel destroyer according to the Synod of Dort he cast them off without any vincible fault of theirs for the sin of Adam and out of an immutable hatred against them he decreed to with-hold from them all grace sufficient unto Faith and Repentance and hence it follows that Christ procured no such grace for them and consequently that his merit is insufficient * Distinctio qua Christus dicitur mortuus sufficienter non efficaciter pro omnibus vana est nom illud aut notat vice aut bono omnium mori sed nec hoc nec illud Ergo nullo modâ— c. Maccovius in Thâ—ol polem cap. 14. Qust 15. mihi pag. 98. And therefore if pardon and salvation be tendred to them it cannot be done seriously and in earnest but in mockery and delusion Hereupon he concludes that pardon and salvation being offer'd only upon such condiâ—ions as are impossible the obtaining them is so far from being certain that it is neither probable nor possible Lastly I have conjured him not to think of Gods mercifulness Mr. Baxter ib. pag. 18. with distinguishing extenuating thoughts nor to limit it by the bounds of our frail understandings for the Heavens are not so far above the Earth as his thoughts and wayes are above ours I bid him still-remember that he must have no low thoughts of Gods goodness but apprehend it as bearing proportion with his power As it is blasphemy to limit his power so it is to limit his goodness I advised him to consider that even under the terrible Law when God proclaims to Moses Ibid. pag. 17. his own Name and therein his Nature Exod. 34. 6 7. the first and greatest part is The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin And he hath sworn that he hath no pleasure in the death of a sinne but rather that he return and live For this he finds an evasion too out of Dr. Twiss where in Answer to the Text now alledged he replies thus As for that of swearing by himself that he wiâ— not for so the Translatour Vbi supra pag. 52 53. of Tilenus had rendred it the death of a sinner there is no such Text at all saith he the most Authentical Translation of our own Church reads it I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner And as Piscator observes A man may will that wherein he takes no pleasure like as a sick man takes no pleasure in a bitter Potion yet he is willing to take it to recover his health So is a man willing to lose a Limb though he takes no pleasure in it to save his life And then again as the words lie they are directly contrary to Christian reason for doth not God inflict death on thousands and doth not the Scripture testifie That God works all things according to the counsel of his will Ephes 1. 11. And albeit he takes no pleasure in the death of the sinner yet the Scripture is as express in acknowledging that God delights in the execution of judgment as well as in the execution of mercy I am the Lord which sheweth mercy judgment and righteousness in the Earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord Jer. 9. 24. Having proceeded thus far I saw so little probability of success that I resolved to have him treated with the best advantage I could and therefore I have call'd in your assistance that the Authority of your Office may add some weight and force to such Arguments as you shall think sit to produce for his Restitution And now Sir that you are acquainted as well with the Disease as with the Patient I beseech you to bestow a charitable visit upon him Diotrephes I will bear you company to his Chamber Samaritanus I am as good as my word you see my Desolatus my friendship is so fast and so unfeigned it will not suffer me to be long from you But here is another worthy friend of yours Mr. Diotrephes come to visit you I hope his Company and Conference will administer a great deal of satisfaction and comfort to you to his Charity therefore I commend you for a while Diotrephes Being inform'd that you lay under some pressures upon your spirit I took this opportunity to shew my readiness to do you the best office of kind ess I am able and now my prayer is That the God of hope would fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. Desolatus Sir you are very kindly welcome and I heartily thank you for your presence and your prayers though I have too much Reason to conclude that I shall reap no fruit or benefit by them Diotrephes Do not draw such uncomfortable Conclusions against your self I cannot think you have any premises from which such a Conclusion doth necessarily follow You know what the Psalmist saith of Almighty God He healeth the broken in heart and giveth medicine to heal their sickness and he lifteth up them that
the good pleasure of God and not upon consideration either of works or faith And he adds As touching Reprobation that it is no more of evil works than Election is of good works forasmuch as before they were born they were equally uncapable of the one as well as of the other and the doing of evil is expresly excluded as well as the doing of good whence it followeth manifestly that Gods ordaining men unto damnation proceeds as much of the meer pleasure of God and with as little consideration of sin as Gods ordaining men unto salvation proceeds of the meer pleasure of God and without consideration of any righteousness in man Dr. Twiss ubi supra page 38. Paganus To design men to destruction or torments though but temporal without fault for ones meer pleasure is such a severity as we usually brand with the title of Tyranny when we find it in any man though he were the greatest Emperour in the world and truly I dare not entertain such thoughts of God Diotrephes We must distinguish in this Decree the Act of God decreeing and the things decreed by him saith the same great Doctor * Ubi supra pag. 41. The things decreed by Reprobation are 1. The denial of grace by grace I mean faith and repentance whereby that infidelity and hardness of heart which is natural to all is cured 2. The denial of glory together with the inflicting of damnation As touching the first of these look what is the cause of Reprobation as touching the Act of God reprobating that and that alone is the cause of the denial of grace to wit the meer pleasure of God But as touching the denial of glory and inflicting damnation God doth not proceed according to the meer pleasure of his will but according to a Law which is this Whosoever believeth not shall be damned And albeit God made that Law according to the meer pleasure of his will yet no wise man will say that God denies glory and inflicts damnation on men according to the meer pleasure of his will the case being clear that God denies the one and inflicts the other meerly for their sins who are thus dealt withall And to this Doctors opinion agrees not only the Confession of the Congregational Churches but that also of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster who chap. 3. n. 7. do declare concerning the Reprobates whom they style the rest of Mankind That God was pleased according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will whereby he extendeth or with-holdeth mercy as he pleaseth for the glory his Soveraign power over his Creatures to pass by and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice Paganus Truly Sir as far as I am able to understand by the process of your Discourse the whole matter of Reprobation as well touching the things decreed as touching the Act of God decreeing is finally resolved into Gods meer pleasure to shew his Soveraign power for you say he makes a Law to bind men to repent and believe under pain of damnation and this Law he makes for his meer pleasure you affirm also that he decrees to deny sufficient and necessary grace to enable men to repent and believe and this of his meer pleasure too and from hence it doth undeniably follow that he doth ordain sin and the introduction of it as the means of damnation and that of his meer pleasure too Diotrephes That he who intends an end doth also intend the means the very light of nature suggesteth unto us saith Dr. Twiss * Ibid. pag. 73. but I confess there is a little difference amongst Divines in this Article Piscator * In Axiom de praedest c. cap. 5. saith roundly Reprobi prius ad poenam destinati sunt tanquam ad sinem deinde etiam ad peccaâ—a tanquam ad media that is the Reprobates are first destinated unto punishment as the end afterwards to sin as the means But Dr. Twiss saith We know God hath given us means of grace as for means of damnation we know none Sins can neither be called mans means nor Gods means saith he not mans means Ibid. pag. 56. or intended * Though he does not intend this directly yet indirectly and interpretatively he may and so a man is said to love death Prov. 8. 36. ch 15 32. Vid Thom. 12â— q. 79. a. 2. ad 2m Ibid. pag. 73. by him as Means forasmuch as the intention of Means ariseth from the intention of the End but no man or devil intends to bring upon himself damnation as the end whereunto he intends to sin Not Gods means forasmuch as means are intended but by him who is the Author of them which God saith he cannot be This acute Doctor therefore doth determine the Point thus The end that God aims at is his own glory for he made all things for himself And if he means to manifest his glory on any in the way of vindicative justice it stands him upon both to create them and permit them to sin and finally to persevere therein and to damn them for their sins Here saith he we have the end and the means intended by God Paganus Gods end you see is the Glory of his vindictive justice His means is to create man to permit him to sin and persevere in it c. I pray Sir let me understand what you mean by Gods Permissive Decree I should think it doth not import an absolute decree in the Will of God concerning the thing permitted but only a Negative Act whereby God is understood neither to will the being of that thing nor to nill it * Non deo vâ—lente vel nolent sed non vâ—lente â—iunâ— mala Magister 1. D. 46. F. And consonantly when God decrees to permit sin he decrees not to hinder it but to leave it in mans power that sin may come to pass or not come to pass whether it doth eventually come to passe or not Diotrephes You take the word permission in a sense too restrictive and limited For Man being created after Gods image in a state of integrâ—ty endued with free-wil and a sufficient ability to abstain from sin If God had permitted sin in that sense only that you speak of for all such a Decree it was possible * Implicat contradictionem ut aliquis effectus sequeretur infallibiliter ex causa defectibili impedibili per concursum aliarum causarum hoc est ex antecedâ—nte quae aliter atque aliter potest se habere Alvar. de Auxil cap. 7. Ames ubi infra for Man not to have sinned and then God had lost his end the Manifestation of his Vindicative Justice It stands neither with the wisdom nor the power of God to make Decrees whose success is doubtful and event uncertain * Deus enim successiva decreta incerti eventus condere non potest quia ut potentissimus est
ita sapientissimus qui decretum de fine non facit nisi decretum de mediis ei aeque sit certum Sapientiae enim non congruit ut decretum de fine quod per media exequendum est fine Mediorum certa limitatione statuatur Resp Ant. Wallaei ad censur Câ—rvini pag. 138. As the Decree for the illustration of his own Glory is absolute and irresistibl and therefore not to be defeated so the Means for the Execution of that Decree is certainly ordained and to be accomplished inevitably and therefore not suspended upon so contingent a thing as Mans Free-will is if left to its own determination Hereupon the Westminster Assemblers and the Congregational Churches treading in their steps unless it be where they thought those tread awry do tell us That Gods Providence is Chap. 5. 〈◊〉 4. extended even to the first fall and all other sins of Angels and men 3 and that not by a bare permission c. So that this permissive Decree is very pregnant and teeming it brings forth in its season as is said by the Prophet of Gods Decree concerning a temporal judgment Zeph. 2. 2. Pâ—ganus Do you think that God allows and approves of sin then for this permission as you define it imports something to that purpose as I conceive it Diotrephes No we do not speak of a moral permission which is a concession but of a physical permission which is no-impedition a not-hindring but such as doth determine the infallible futurition of sin Nam Dei decretum de permittendo pecâ—ato ponit quidem illius infallibâ—lem fâ—turitionem câ—m debeat sieâ—i evenire quod Deus decreviâ— permittere ut fiat saith * In sua Hydra Soâ—in Expug Tom. 1. p. 353. 354. Maresius and a little after he saith By the effective Dâ—crâ—e man determinately and certainly was to be â—ntire to be endued with free-wâ—ll and peâ—cable and by his peâ—missive Decree that pâ—ccable man was to sin ultro sponte of his own acâ—oâ—d and freely but yet determinately certainly and infallibly Hereupon Piscator saith Decretum Ubi supra c. 3. Ibid. permittendi pâ—câ—ata necessit at peccâ—â—a quia se us frustra â—sset The Decree of pâ—rmitting sin doth necessitate sin for otherwise it were to no purpose And â—gain Decretum permissivum etiam est cau a â—fficiens suâ—â—obâ—ectâ— â— e. peccati The permissive Decree is also the efficiâ—nt cause of its object that is of sin And upon this account the Divines of Wedderau at the Synod of Dort * De Artic. 3 4. mihi page 154. part 2. do conclude That sins do come to pass necessarily in respect of the permissive Decree And some English Divines do affiâ—m That Gods Decree is not less efficacious in the permission of evil than in the production of good * But some say 〈◊〉 as permissiva efficâ—â— est non quoad productâ—â—nem sed quoad illationem So R. B. 〈◊〉 â—ect 2 de 〈◊〉 Med. p. 30. â—per in Fol. Dr. Twiss saith That sin cometh not to pass but by the most efficacious Decree and Ordinance of God Iâ—id p 88. Paganus This doth confound Gods Decree of permission with his Decree of effection or operation Diotrephes They do but trifle * Calv. Inâ—it lib. 1. cap. 〈◊〉 Sect. 1. and play the fool that substitute a bare permission instead of Gods Providence as if God sate only as a spectator expecting the forâ—uitous and casual events of things and so his judgment should depend upon mans free-will Paganus Have you any good proof that Gods Decree doth certainly determine the futurition of sin Diotâ—ephes Our Divines do prove it out of Petâ—rs Sermon Acts 2. 22 23. where he thus bespeaks his Auditors Ye men of Dr. Twiss ubâ— supra p. 89 90. Israeâ— hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signs Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crâ—cified and stain In the same breath saith Dr. Twiss both convâ—cting them of crucifying Christ and withall acknowledging that he was delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God the meaning whereof is fully set down Acts 4. 28. to this effect namely That what contumelious outrages soever they committed upon the person of the Son of God in all this they did but that which Gods hand and Gods counsel had predertermined to be done Paganus * Cum ad productionem actus mali concurrit Deus eatenùs concurrit quatenús muneri auctoris naturae de patientia absolutae deesse non oult impediendo per substractionem sui concursus usum libertatiâ— creatae ac proptereà concurrit quatenùs sinit ut influxus oblatus ab ipso in actu primâ— ad opposita pâ—r libertatem creatam determinetur ad â—anc actum secundum quem quantum est ex se hoc est voluntate Antecedente nollet esse God might out of his mercy ordain that his Son should be made a Sacrifice for the sin of the World and he might freely determine his own will to deliver him up to that purpose and out of his fore-knowledge that the will of his malicious Crucifiers would fâ—eâ—ly apply and determine it self to that wicked Act of crucifying him he might as the Author of Nature and to perform the office of the first cause determine to uphold their power of acting and not to hinder the use of their naturâ—l lâ—berty by the withdrawing of his concourse but to afford the simultaneous influence thereof that they might freely act what they had most wickedly determined Diotrephes We do hold with Alvarez * Ibid. That God * Apud Ames Bel. Enervat Tom. 4. l. 2. c. 2â— 4. p. 23. by his Eternal Decree and by his Absolute and Effectual Will hath predetermined all our acts in particular and that before the prevision of them and independently to any middle knowledge of our future free co-operation upon supposition and Amesius * hath given the reason of it because the firmness of Gods Decree doth not properly depend upon the contingent and mutable will of man Paganus This overthrows the liberty of the will to my weak apprehension and turns man whose natural property it is to act freely into the condition of a necessary Agent Diotrephes No you are mistaken for seeing not only every action of the Creature but also the manner of that action depends upon Vid. Ames Bel. Enerv. Tom. 4. l. 3. c. 3. n. 4. ex Alvar. Synopsis Pur Thâ—ol Disp 11. Thes 11. the efficacy of the Divine Will it follows that the Providence of God doth not destroy the liberty of humane actions but establish it as the Belgick professors have observed for God so rules his Creatures that he suffers them also to act and exercise their own motions as Austin hath it Though God be the cause of the action in
negatio impedimenti the denial of his impedition or hinderance in respect of that operation which depends upon our free determination Diotrephes As I told you formerly concerning Gods permissive Decree so now I must tell you concerning his actual permission if there were no more in it but the bare negation of an impediment it were possible for man especially in his state of integrity to forbear the sin to which he is thus permitted and so God should fall of his means for the accomplishment of his end the manifestation of his vindictive justice To give you therefore our full sense and meaning when we speak of Gods permission of sin it imports 1. That God doth subsâ—racâ— * Polâ—n Synt. Theol. lib. 6. cap. 6. page 326. E. Maccov Cell Disp 8. de stat prim Rom. mihi page 86. or withdraw his grace and divine assistance suffiâ—ient and necessary to the avoiding of sin and that as well from the Angels and our innocent first Parents as from their lapsed posterity 2. That he doth influence the sinful act after a two-fold manner First in moving and pred terminating * For that is now the prevailing opinion Mr. Baxter of saving â—aith pagâ— 29. the will unto that wicked work by some previous reality received into it and this is that which Amesius * Ubi supra n. â—5 〈◊〉 etiam lib. 3. cap. 3. 〈◊〉 Ex Alvar. approves of in Alvarez when he saith Dâ—us motiâ—ne praevia â—fficaciter applicat voluntatem c. God doth by a previous mâ—tion effâ—ctually apply the creâ—tâ—d will to work freeâ—y and infâ—llâ—blâ— as he also applies othâ—r seâ—ond causâ—s to wâ—rk naturâ—lly And he gives it us in his own words thus Dâ—um non otiosa aut merè negaâ—iva pâ—rmissione circa eâ—câ—ti existentiam versari Ibid. n. 3. That Gâ—d is convâ—rsant about the existencâ— of sin not by an idle and meer negative permissiâ—n but permissione vâ—luntatis eventum ipsum praesinientis by such a pâ—â—mâ—ssion of will as 〈◊〉 fore-determine the very event it sâ—lf And this is not all for secondly * Pet. aS Jos in Evan. Concord p. 597. God hath his influâ—ncâ— together with the will into the same wicked work by a concomitaâ—t or astâ—ey call it a simultaneous concourse To this purpoâ—e Mr. Calvin saith that man doth effect Instit lib. 1. cap. 18. sect 1. Ibid. Sect. 4. mihi p. 130. nothing Nisiâ—aâ—canâ— Deinâ—tus arâ—arâ—â uâ directione but by the secret direction and motion â—f Almighty God nay that he does that which is not lawful justo illius imâ—ulsâ— by the just impulse of God Paganus If this be the nature of Gods actual permission I cannoâ— see how it frees him from the imputation of being the Author and Cause of 〈◊〉 for whatsoever sinful act a man commits 't is â—bsolutely unavoidable because God applies and predetermines his will unto it aâ—d that insuperably and produceth the act and that â—mmedâ—â—tly otherwise the man according to your Doctrine is not able to commit it Diotrephes I perceive you have little skill in the Metaphyphysicks Therein we are taught that Ens bonum convertuntur every thing that hath a being is good and from God and of his production and therefore we must as I said distinguish betwixt the act and the sinfulness of it For example in Adultery Mr. Hickman Sodomy Bestiality Murder Treason Blasphemy the hating of God though the obliquity and malice be foule and heinous and therefore from man only yet the act it self is very good and therefore from God and of his determining and production Paganus Is there any good in Adultery c why then do good men generally pray against it and declaim Censores nobis dati qui libidinem intemperantiam caetâ—ras animi pestes è Civitate profligent qui certe intolerabiles essent si haec omnia essent bona Nunquid enim stipendia conducendi qui bonitatem c civitate proscribant Tho. Raed Pervigil Metaphys in Perv Jovis against it before the commission of it for if it be good 't is desirable and to be commended and after commission why are the criminals enjoyned penance rather than obliged to give thanks that God hath prevented them with such sweet mercies And amongst men why are such severe Laws continued against Adulterers to cut off the spurious brood from their fathers inheritance Diotrephes This severity is practised in detestation of so foul a sin and to deter men from it Paganus If the act of God be principal in the production as I must needs conclude from your Doctrine that it is I hope that it is very clean and innocent else a holy God would never have made such an ineluctable Decree about it much less would he predetermine mans will without any prescience of his own free and previous inclination to it And forasmuch as such an absolute predetermination makes the act unavoidable that inevitability makes the penalty unjust that is inflicted to deter from it Diotrephes It cannot be unjust to inforce the observation of the righteous Laws of God and we know though he doth predetermine the will of man to the production of the act it self yet he forbids the sinfulness of it under a severe penalty Paganus By this Doctrine you will make as well the commands Nunquam ad hoc Deus potuit praedestinare quod ipse disposuerat praecepto prohibere Fulg. lib. 1. ad Moâ—im of God as the prayers of men against the foulest sins to be unjust irrational and absurd for according to this Doctrine God tyes men to impossibilities of his own making he tyes them to divide things that are inseparable either of their own nature or by his divine constitution In blasphemy and the hatred of God for example the formal malice and the material act are inseparable let the real entity of these acts be determined by the will acting with judgment and liberty it is impossible even to the absolute power of God but that the formal malice or sinfulness should follow it If therefore God doth absolutely and effectually foâ—e-â—rdain and intrinsecally predetermine the will of man to the real entity of the act of blasphemy or the hatred of God and yet tye him to avoid sin in these acts he tyes him to absolute impossibilities nay he tyes him to do that which is impossible to his own Omnipotency because it implies a contradiction that in these sins the act should be without the pravity the entity without the malice for these actions are evil antecedently to any positive Mr. Hickm p. 9â— Law evil ex genere objecto intrinsecally and essentially evil And this opinion makes our prayers against sin no less irrational and absurd than Gods commands for what God does in time that he decreed to do from all Eternity Suppose then that God hath decreed to produce the act of Adultery Blasphemy hating of God in me in praying against these I must pray
deny it Lastly Whether I have refused any preparatory grace though that might fall into the same account with the former yet I add that is more than you are privy to and therefore I pray be not so uncharitable in your censures And now give me leave to ask you a question or two First Whether it be possible to improve that preparatory grace to the height if it be not possible that impossibility will so far excuse the non-improvement but if it be possible to improve it to the full height which perhaps may be granted because a man can do what he can do and sure whatever God may do in justice yet in goodness he will require nothing above our abilities Then my second question is upon supposition that I do not refuse but embrace and to the utmost of my power improve that preparatory grace that is offer'd me whether in that case you have any Commission to warrant me that God will confer his saving grace upon me Diotrephes I am satisfied That God hath not entred into Covenant or promise with any unregenerate man to give him saving Mr. Baxter grace upon any condition to be perform'd without it Of saving faith pag. 46. Animalis Then as was said before he hath no promise to make his prayer for saving grace to become a prayer of faith in this particular but though there be no promise yet haply these preparatory dispositions as hearing the Word c. have a certain and infallible connexion with salvation and that may be some encouragement Diotrephes No we do not say they have for that affirmation denieth the power of the Potter over a Non-believer thus qualified and so sins against the freedom of the Soveraignty of God and Christ in making God a debtor of mercy before his time Norton Orthodox Evangelist pag. 186. f. with 190. M. Animalis While you are so careful to reserve to the Almighty a power to damn even poor humbled and prepared sinners you seem to be more tender of his Soveraignty than of his Goodness Mercy or Justice But to let this pass I pray upon these grounds what encouragements can you find to incite the unregenerate to the improvement of preparatory grace Diotrephes God hath commanded him to use certain means to obtain saving grace and to avoid the resistance and hinderances Mr. Baxter and a very command to use such means as means is a strongly encouraging intima im that God will not deny men the end and blessing that use the means as well as they can for it is certain that he appointeth no means in vain Of saving faith pag. 46. Animalis But Sir now you have brought me thus far the great and stumbling objection is behind still for Mr. Norton tells us that these preparatory works are really to none but the Elect only * Orthod Evang p. 164. as for the Reprobates all the water of life runs quite besides their Mill all gifts whatsoever are unprofitable to them so saith Martinius one of the most moderate of the Synod of Dort De Morte Christi pro soliâ— Electis Thes 4. 5. Act. Syn. Dord par 2. p. 107. By this it is evident that your daily and precious helps and means to cure the wills of the unregenerate and cause them to accept of Christ are alâ—ogether unsufficient whatever you pretend to the contrary And this as great a Clerk * Mr. Baxter in his account of persever pag. 14. as your self was very sensible of when he peremptorily denies that the Repâ—â—bates may be sanctified and consonantly the Congregational Churches do declare ingenuously * In their Declarat ch 10. n. 4. p. 8 9. Dr. Twiss ubi supra pag. 122 c. That they who are not eâ—ected although they may be called by the Ministry of the Word and may have some common opâ—rations of the Spirit yet not being â—ffectuâ—lly drawn by the Father they neither do nor can come unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved Diotrephes However they are damned for contemning Gods Word and not hearkning to his gracious admonitions 't is true they could do no otherwise but what impotency is Mr. Baxter delivers himself almost in the very same words this Is it anywhere else than in their wills 'T is not a natural but a moral impotency were they willing to hearken and come to Christ but could not then indeed their impotency were excusable but they please themselves in their own and in their obstinate courses and if they would do other wise I make no question but that they should have no more cause to complâ—in of their impotency to do that good which they would do than the servants of God have yea and holy Paul himself hâ—d Do they deplore this their impotency Doth the consideration hereof humble them Nay rather they delight in it as the Prophet noteth Jâ—r 6. 10. Their ears are uncircumcised ears and they cannot hearken behold the Word of God is as a reproach unto them Thus far Dr. Twiss Animalis That men may accustome themselves to a course of carnality till they arrive at such a state of impiety and obduration I make no question but all are not of that temper There are some who are as far abased in the feeling of their sin and misery and humbled by attrition and cry out of their sin and Mr. Baxter of sav saith pag. 43. 44. folly and day and night do beg for grace and mercy as common grace will carry them to do They like the word and wayes of God and think his servants the best and happiest men and have many a wish that they were such themselves and that avoid as much of gross and wilful sinning and continue as much in hearing reading the Word enquiring consideration as common grace may bring them to do and have as much belief of the Gospel and as much desire after Christ and holiness and heaven and as much love to God and the Redeemer and the Saints as common grace can lead them to And withall that have a knowledge that yet they are short of true Christianity or at least are much afraid of it and therefore are under a prudent impatiency till saving grace comes in and the Spirit have sealed them up to the day of Redemption and are crying out What shall we do to be saved Now I demand whether you have any promise that assures their interest in saving grace to such as are thus disposed for it Diotrephes I told you already that I am satisfied that God hath not entred into Covenant or promise with any unregenerate Mr. Baxter 〈◊〉 pag. 46. man to give him saving grace upon any condition to be perform'd without it However I am confident that no man can stand out and say I did the best that ever I could to obtain saving grace and yet went without it because God would not give it me Animalis If that Author doth not contradict himself yet they that hold a
emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders Gal. 5. 20 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And yet I do not deny but as the Apostle saith 't is good to be zealously affected in a good matter But as he saith of faith Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God So I say of zeal Hast thou zeal have it to thy self before God Rom. 14. 22. and let it not break out to set thy Neighbours house on fire for God hath no need of thy service to that purpose Diotrephes Sir I am sorry you should so much forget how odious luke-warmness is to Almighty God you may find this by that expression which carries along so much detestation with it against the Angel of the Church of Laodicea I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot so then because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will Rev. 3. 15 16. spue thee out of my mouth A father is exceeding angry when he wisheth his child cold in the mouth yet God doth so here by the Laodiceans He wisheth them cold in the mouth as I may say rather than luke-warm and he threatens to spue them out of his mouth he is not able to digest those that are of that temper they offend his soul and make his stomach recoyle and his heart rise against them and when he hath once spued them out certainly his purity is such he will not return to resume this loathsome vomit Securus I suppose Sir being a Divine as I conceive you cannot be ignorant that such threatnings concern none but the Non-elect at least they can damnifie and endanger none else As for those persons whom God hath chosen out to be Vessels of mercy Mr. Baxter In the Saints rest Part. 3. Sect. 26 and hath given them the cream and quintessence of his blessings when the rest of the World are passed by and put off with common and temporary and left-hand mercies they have the blood of Christ given them and the Spirit for Sanctification Consolation and Preservation and the pardon of sins and the adoption to sonship and the guard of Angels and the mediation of the Son of God and the special unchangeable love of the Father and the promise and seal of everlasting rest These are engraven so deep upon his heart from all Eternity he can never spue them out of his mouth The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his I 2 Tim. 2. 19. hope your judgment is setled upon better principles than to think the Elect can fall away Diotrephes I know Sir the Elâ—ct cannot fall from grace those threatnings we say do not imply that they are in any such danger but these threats are used as a means to preserve them from falling by quickning them up to holy duties and those peculiar priviledges which you have now reckoned up that belong to the Elect are so many engagements upon them to abound in the work of the Lord and shew them why they above all men should be laborious for heaven and that there is a great deal of Mr. Baxter reason that though all the World besides do sit still and be careless yet they should abhor that laziness and negligence and should lay out all their strength on the work of God And this is the use made of that Doctrine in the place where you found it Saints Rest Par. 3. Sect. 26. p. 127. Edit 3. Securus But good Sir give me leave to ask you for my better satisfaction How you can prove this convincingly to be their duty Diotrephes * Mr. Baxter in his Directions to prevent Miscar in Convers pag. 374 c. If a Feast be prepared and spread before them a good stomack will not stand to ask How can you prove it my duty to eat but perhaps the sick that loath it may do so If the Cup be before the Drunkard he doth not stand on those terms How do you prove it my duty now to drink this Cup and the other Cup No if he might have but leave he would drink on without any questioning whether it be a duty If the Gamester or the Whoremonger might be but sure that he should ' scape the punishment he would never stick at the want of a precept and ask Is it my duty If there were but a gift of twenty pound a man to be given to all the poor of the Town yea and to all the people in general I do not think I should meet with many people in the Town that would draw back and say What Word of God commandeth me to take it Or how can you prove that it is my duty And why is all this but because they have an inward love to the thing and love will carry a man to that which seemeth good for him without any command or threatning Directions to prevent miscarrying in Conversion page 373 374. Securus I beseech you Sir be not transported into passion at my Discourse with you for that will as little benefit me as become your self and 't will make our Conversation become a burden which we entertain'd to another far different end for a mutual Levamen and Solace in our Travel give me leave to demand of you for my better Information Would you have men do things in order to Gods service hand over head Is such an implicite faith and blind obedience commendable and to be embraced as carries them on in a credulous prosecution of that work which they have no assurance to be their duty We are sure it cannot be acceptable unto God if it be not a good work and a good work it cannot be if it be not of Gods prescription for so the Assmbly in their Confession * Chap. 16. n. 1 and the Congregational Churches in their late Declaration have determined That good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blind zeal or any pretence of good intention And a very Reverend Assembler in that threefold * Diatribe Triplex pag. 44. Cord of his against Dr. Hammond tell us That the sum and scope of the second Commandment in the affirmative part being this God must be worshipped with his own prescribed worship and in the negative And Mr. Baxter seems to be of this mind toc Vbi supra p. 377. part to forbid all devised worship of God by the wit or will of man the very name he saith of will of man put to worship of God as opposed to the will of God the only Rule of worship is as a brand in the forehead of it to characterize it as condemnable in all Would you against the concurrent suffrages of these Divines tempt men to will-worship and inflame them to be zealous in the performance of such works as they are not satisfied to
do omit neither can I do any more good than I do for the Orthodox do conclude * We do require that God should immediately and inresistibly work all our good works in us and we acknowledge this to be necessary unto every good act Dr. Twiss ubi supra p. 182. That every good act is immediatly from God and of his irresistible production if therefore I can do some good more than I do I can do some good that is not immediatly from God nor of his irresistible production which they account absurd that I do all the good that God irresistibly produceth in me appears from hence because otherwise God should irresistibly produce something which is not produced and consequently it should be and not be and be resistible and irresistible which are plain contradictions That this is no singular opinion you may assure your self from hence that 't is consonant to the faith of the Congregational Churches * Chap. 16. n. 3. who declare concerning Believers That their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves 〈◊〉 wholly from the Spirit of Christ and that they may be enabled thereunto besides the graces they have already received there is required an actual influence of the same holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure Diotrephes You would have cited the Thesis entire if it had been for your advantage but it was not for they add in the very next words Yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them Praesumptuosus I omitted this Clause not only because it was not to my purpose but also because I conceived it very absurd if not contradictory to the former words For 1. What doth that diligence in stirring up the grace of God in them signifie if it signifieth either to will or to do that whichsoever it is is not to be performed as they declare without an actual influence of the same holy Spirit and then 't is absurd to say they are bound to it without a special motion of the Spirit For 2. If they bound to perform such a duty without a special motion of the Spirit and yet are not enabled thereunto without an actual influence of the same holy Spirit as they declare they are not then are they even in a Covenant of Grace too bound to impossibilities which is absurd And 3. Why ought they to be diligent for if an actual influence of the Spirit be required hereunto then their diligence without it is impertinent if not impossible and when that actual influence of the Spirit is upon them if it works irresistibly as the Orthodox maintain it doth then all diligence is utterly superfluous unto such an operation And 4. In this case Believers cannot be negligent for neglect certainly is the pretermission of some possible performance which cannot have place here for the good work cannot be performed without such an actual influence therefore it is not possible without it and with that actual influence it cannot be omitted for that influence is irresistble Diotrephes You seem to lay the sin of the Regenerate upon Gods deficiency in affording grace necessary to avoid it Praesumptuosus This is no more than what is done by our Orthodox Divines Do they not conclude that he did withdraw from * As was shewed above in the first Dialogue Adam grace and light sufficient unto his perseverance and so he doth when he pleases from the regenerate too * God may withdraw his grace as he did from Peter and David in their sin Mr. Baxter's Directions for peace of Consc pag. 465. Edit 2. which is the reason of their several lapses and failings for as Mr. Baxter tells us in his Preface Sect. 16. the Synod of Dort say That if you speak of power in them the Regenerate cannot stand And that they are not alwayes so led and moved by God as to be preserved from the seducements of concupiscence but by his just permission are carried away into grievous and heinous Chap. 5. Art 4. sins 'T is by the power of God only that they stand their ability is not at all of themselves and besides the grnces they have already received there is required an actual influence of the Spirit and that irresistible when this power is withdrawn they must needs fall and therefore Dr. Damman as was observed before tells us That when God doth his part we cannot omit ours Diotrephes But God doth not withdraw his gracious assistance but upon mans provocation and neglect to co-operate with it Praesumptuosus Yes God hath liberty to do it for his meer pleasure being tyed by no Law unto his Creature Thus he did by Adam in his state of innocency and he hath several good ends in it his own glory and their benefit as the Divines of * See the Apology for Tilenus pag. 385. Drent determined at the Synod of Dort The British Divines say as you heard even now that their Justification and Adoption are thereby confirmed And those Divines of Drent add further That those sins which in the wicked have the nature of punishment have in the faithful the nature of fatherly castigation Ibid. Diotrephes But will they not be bitterness in the latter end think you as the Prophet Jeremy hath it Chap. 2. 19. Praesumptuosus To the unregenerate to whom they are damnable they must needs be so but not to the Elect whose slips and falings Mr. Perkins * In Armilla Aurea cap. 37. tells us are priviledges annexed to their adoption and paternal castigations for their benefit and as a remedy against doubting or desperation of our Election and Gods mercy he prescribes this meditation amongst others Lapsu non telli gratiam fidem sed illustrari That sin doth not take away grace but illustrate and make it brighter Now I hope you would Ibid. cap. 42. not have a man to be in anguish and bitterness of spirit for suffering chastisement which is derived to us as a special favour from God a great testimony of the love of our heavenly Father for what saith the Apostle from Solomon Hebr. 12. 5 6 7 8 12. My son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastning God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chastneth not but if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons Wherefore saith the Apostle lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees The Apostle turns it into an use of Consolation to the faithful Diotrephes Admit the slips and falls of the faithful be paternal castigations according to
comfort to such as want a true Gospel-faith for the morality of it But grant I have an interest in Christ so far forth as concerns the impetration of grace that is of pardon and salvation upon this condition If I repent Vid. Act. Syn. Dord par 2. pag. 4. thes 7 c. pag. 117. thes 2 3 4. and believe as Martinius and Ludovicus Crocius do acknowledge because they saw the glory of God his veracity in calling his equity in commanding his justice in threatning could not be defended otherwise yet if I have no interest in his merit and intercession as to the application of it that is for procuring grace sufficient and necessary unto the begetting of that Faith and Repentance as they say Reprobates have not what will it avail me Diotrephes That impetration being made for all in general as the greatest Divines do confess to whose Judgement I must subscribe for many weighty Reasons the application you know is to be accomplished by means What the ordinary means is you are not ignorant you must attend upon that and wait the good houre with patience you have many comfortable expressions for your encouragement Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost If you be amongst that number and sensible of your lost condition you have encouragement from that passage Christ came not to call the righteous but such lost persons sinners to Repentance Desolatus That I am amongst the number of those lost souls I am sufficiently sensible but that Christ came intentionally to seek and save me is not so evident yet I have been taught to believe that he came to save all upon condition that is if they repent and believe Diotrephes And not only so but he hath appointed a Ministry to make a general offer of Christ Pardon and Salvation upon that condition and to call upon them seriously and earnestly to perform it that is to repent and believe that they may actually receive forgiveness of their sins and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified Desolatus 'T is somewhat strange how he should seriously offer life and pardon or seriously call to Faith and Repentance such persons as he was pleased for the glory of his Soveraign Power to Decree from all Eternity to with-hold his mercy from to pass them by in the Decree of communicating grace sufficient and necessary to Faith and Repentance and to permit them efficaciously to fall into sin and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious Justice as the Congregational Churches have declared How can it consist I say with Gods sincerity equity and justice to call command and threaten unto Chap. 3. n. 7. See ch 5. n. 4. The Doctrine of the Assembly and that of Dort differ but little from this in effect though it be somewhat more plauble in appearance Faith and Repentance upon promise of pardon and salvation those very persons whom his own immutable and everlasting Decree hath put under an inevitable necessity of impenitency and unbelief that he may have an opportunity to glorifie his justice in their eternal condemnation A dejected soul cannot cast anchor upon such deluding offers and invitations I shall therefore trouble you no further good Mr. Diotrephes but sum up the grounds of my present doubts and disconsolation and leave them to be more deliberately weighed in the balance of your mature judgment 1. 'T is most certain there is no man shall be saved without Regeneration 2. 'T is resolved Do a man what he can to the uttermost in the improvement of common grace yet there is no promise extant to assure him that special grace shall be conferr'd upon him but only 3. Certain Revelations that this work of Regeneration shall be accomplish't irresistibly in a set number of persons called the Elect. And 4. Because those persons are design'd and cull'd out already without respect or fore-knowledge whether of Faith or Repentance or any good quality whatsoever in them as antecedent to their election therefore I am sure no performance of mine can procure me to be elected 5. It is impossible upon these grounds to come to the knowledge of it à priori whether I be elected or no without such a special Revelation as is granted very seldom and if ever to very few 6. It is so difficult likewise to collect any certainty à posteriori the sins and duties of the Elect and Reprobate are so symbolical and alike the first their sins proceeding from the common infirmity and corruption of nature which hath infected all And the second their duties being the effects of that grace common or special respectively which whatever it be in the political or moral capacity is but gradually distinguished in the physical or natural and especially seeing that degree of grace which is saving in one perhaps is not so in another 7. We observe even in the purest times whiles the Holy Apostles those foundations * Rev. 21. 14. of the new Hierusalem were yet alive that many who shin'd as glorious stars in that Firmament were notwithstanding drawn out of heaven by the tayle of the Red Rev. 12. 4. Dragon and cast down to the Earth which event as we are taught to believe is a sufficient indication they never had a real interest in Christs merits and intercession to procure saving grace for them and for abusing that common grace which had advanced them so high though higher it was not able they were cast so much the lower into shame and torments Lastly This absolute Election being as some of the Synod at Dort affirm * Deput Syn. Geld. Act. Syn. N. Dord pag. 30. par 3. the foundation of Christianity and salvation and the Root * Suffrag Genevens ibid. pag. 57. par 2. or Fountain of solid consolation in this miserable life and my self not able to make out my interest in it but finding much objection to the contrary Hinc illae lachrymae it seems for all such miserable comforters * Job 16. 2. and Physitians of no value * Chap. 13. 4. I must sit down in my confusion by these waters of Babylon and weep bitterly Lam. 1. 16. For these things I weep mine eye mine eye runneth down with water because the Comforter that should relieve or bring back my soul is far from me THE SYLLOGISM THAT Doctrine that can afford no solid grounds of hope to encourage a desolate spirit in the wayes of godliness That Doctrine is nor serviceable to the interest of souls nor practicable in the exercise of the Ministerial Function nor according to godliness The Doctrine as well of the Sublapsarians as that of the Supralapsarians can afford no solid grounds of hope to encourage a desolate spirit in the wayes of godliness Therefore The Doctrine as well of the Sublapsarians as the Supralapsarians is not serviceable to the interest of souls nor practicable in the exercise of the Ministerial Function