for doting anthropomorphits then graue Diuines Beside that man doth many things to some particular persons for which he hath no generall rule but that he may doe as he will Ratio obligans Ratio prepondarans Ratio concommitans where there is no reason which doth obliege him and sway him to the contrary Answered 7 The second proposition of this seuenth reason is denied for as I shewed before any person is eligible to life though he were neuer so vnfit presently and immediately for the state he is in to receiue life if so be that God can by iust meanes prepare and make fit to life Answered 8 That foreknowledge Paul and Peter speake of cannot be the foreknowing of Faith and sanctification in certaine persoâ—â— for then what need is there that those who are foreknowne should be predestinated to be called iustified and sanctified and if Peters foreknowledge were a foresight of faith and holinesse what need we to be chosen to holinesse For that place in Timothy If ye flye the lusts of youth ye shall be vessels of gold and siluer Besides there is no necessity to conster that whole passage of election thogh it be so vsually taken the faith of some hath been subuerted but the ground-worke or foundation of sauing faith Grace abideth sure and God doth know them in whom it is and they may know themselues by their care to depart from iniquity But why doth not God worke this well-grounded grace in all It is fit there should some not all be precious and golden vessels hauing that precious faith to wit which cannot be subuerted and those precious graces of the sanctifying spirit How may one know that he is one of these and not a vessell of Alchimie or baser matter Whosoeuer doth purge himselfe he shall be a vessell of gold he shall haue in him that foundation of God that is that sure grounded faith and grace which shall not be subuerted But this by the way Now to proceede Doct. Now we come to the second doctrine viz. That God hath chosen vs who belieue not onely to haue this life of grace I meane of loue and holines but to haue them in perfection Thus the text saith he hath chosen vs that we should come to such a state in this life of loue wherin we shal be perfect pure without any spot in it Heere wee haue life but all is in part We know in part we loue in part wee are holy in part this state is a state of child-hood or imperfection But in the other life that which is in part shall be done away We shall know as wee are knowen we shall loue with all our hearts and strength we shall be perfectly holy without defect or spot because God hath chosen vs not onely to life but to a state of perfection in this life spirituall Looke as God hath loued plants birds beastes men not onely thus farre that they should haue a being but that they should grow vp and attaine to a perfect state in this life and being to which he hath chosen vs. Vse 1 Let vs then considering this be stirred vp to thinke of the Lords exceeding loue We see men though they are lame know painefull liues in some measure more tollerable yet they thinke life a benefit counting it a mercy to liue though for manner lesse comfortable So heere had God taken vs to haue such a life of Grace as here we leade it had beene mercy though we know sicknesse and lamenesse with it but to choose vs to come vnto such a state wherein we shall be pure without any spot or defect not onely to ordaine vs to finde life but life in abundance in Christ this is the riches of his mercy Vse 2 This serueth to strengthen our Faith in apprehending attaining our perfect redemption from the relickes of sinne and death when we find that we cannot get ground of corruption as we would what must we doe speake to God say Lord if the attaining perfect holinesse did lye vpon my hand I know there were no hope I finde these workes of the Deuill too strong for mee but thou hast chosen me euen to this that I should be without spot Lord execute thy owne pleasure more and more purge mee and sanctifie mee and in thy time possesse mee of that state to which thou hast chosen me Euen in earthly Princes their choyce is operatiue If the King choose one Chamberlain or Treasurer his choyse maketh him that to which hee is chosen Wherefore let no good soule who striueth against any imperfections be dismayed Looke as surely as thou hast receiued this perfection of thy humane nature thou I say whom God did choose not only to be born but to liue to full manhood so surely shal all of you who haue true faith and loue attaine to the perfection of this Diuine nature for God hath chosen you to be holy and without spot in it And howbeit men are heere taken away in their spirituall being as in their naturall some so soone as they are borne of God as the Theefe on the Crosse was no sooner conuerted then translated some in youth some in the aged progresse of sanctification yet shall not this hinder for he who is no sooner begotten to God then he is hence remooued euen he shall in that day wherein all of vs shall grow to a perfect man in Christ attaine this state of perfection as that naturall creature which is carried out from birth to buriall shall at last day be raised vp not in fancy which entreth as a present penalty of sinne but in the full stature which beseemeth such a nature Doct. The third thing followeth viz. that God hath taken vs of grace to this that wee shall liue in his glorious presence had hee giuen vs a perfect life without showing vs himselfe as it were face to face it had beene much fauour but to choose vs to this most neere communion with him is the height of his grace and our happinesse There is a being before God in state of grace such as now wee haue Thus Noah thus Abraham Hezekiah Zachary Elizabeth are said to haue walked before the Lord and it is no small priuiledge that wee may conuerse in his presence after any manner but all wee see of him here is but as it were the reflection of him in a glasse there is another being before him when we shall be now with him in the place of his glorious presence when we shall walke by sight when wee shall see him as hee is when wee shall follow the Lambe and see God with that blessed vision euen face to face as it were and this is it which is our chiefe blessednesse euen to be with him and see him Glorious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whose presence is the saciety of euerlasting delights That perfection of quality and action which we shall attaine is a great blessednes as great as can be inherent in our
to create mankinde out of necessity not out of liberty that is absurd But choosing some and reprobating others to ends forenamed maketh him create out of necessity 6 He who cannot doe worse then annihilate his creature cannot reiect it to the glory of Iustice God cannot doe worse for hee giues it but being Ergo can doe no worse then take away that he giueth it Ergo. 7 Such who are chosen to saluation through faith and sanctification such are in sinne But we are chosen Ergo. 8 Such who were all alike loued in Creation amongst such was no election nor reiection but we are all alike loued receiued like fauours had all life alike offred vs. 9 That which maketh the fall of man necessary so as man was not free to fall is not to be granted Gods decree to haue mercy glorified in some and iustice in other some doth impose necessity of falling Ergo. These be the chiefe reasons which I haue obserued for the vouching our election to be both after the decree of creating vs and permitting vs to fall into sinne Now then let vs set in equall pareill the arguments which shew that Gods electing of vs cannot be after the consideration of our creation and fall 1 That which is a meane by which God bringeth some to saluation vnto the glory of Grace and others to glorifie his iustice in deserued punishments that is after these ends decreed But the permission of the fall is vsed by God as a meane c. The first part is plaine for the ends must be in nature before the meanes to the end The second part may be thus cleared We see some by occasion of the fall saued to the glory of mercy which without the fall they could not haue beene Had Adam stood it is manifest that iustice should immediately and properly had the glory in all our saluations for we should haue liued according to Couenant Doe these things and liue in them Againe that sinne in whose punishment iustice doth glorifie her selfe the permitting it could not but be a meane but the punishment of Adams sinne lyeth vnremoued on all vnpenitent and vnbeleeuing persons for wee are by nature the children of wrath and Gods wrath abideth on him who beleeueth not abideth I say intimating that the wrath is not first inflicted vpon vnbeleefe but further continued whereas could wee by faith come to God he would be reconciled That which some obiect that the sinne of Adam not as it was contracted by him condemneth any but as it is continued by our vnbeleefe this is nothing to the matter For first it is false that many remaine not in the death of sinne and trespasse in which by nature they are conceiued Now these who haue the punishment of that sinne neuer remooued from them must needs be vnder that sinne once contracted by him And though the latter part of that exception is true in this sense that by reason of vnbeleefe that sinne hurteth them which otherwise would not yet in this sense it is not true viz. vnbeleeuers are onely condemned for that sinne of vnbeleefe not for that sinne they sinned in Adam also and other actuall transgressions But whither as first contracted or after continued it condemnes This is sure that vnlesse it may be verified that the sinne doth not by any meanes stand on any mans score so as to be condemned for it that it must needs be yeelded a meane whereby iustice is glorified in the iust reuenge of some Argument 2. No word teacheth that God had any other euent for doe this liue doth not proue that God propounded to attain this as his end that wee might all liue no more then in what day thou eatest thou shalt die the death doth argue that God had this end viz. that all mankind breaking his Law should die eternally Eyther God had no end in making his creature or this end which now hee compasseth or some other which he hath not attained But he could not be without his end in making him nor haue any other end which he hath not attained The first proposition is vndoubted the second is as cleare for to haue no end in working agreeth not to God a wise and vnderstanding agent to haue an end and not attaine it standeth not with his blessednesse for to haue a primary principall end which one affecteth is more blessed then not to haue it Againe he whose prouidence is so perfect that no inferiour cause can default beside his intention and permission his end cannot be disappointed Now it is plaine that no instrument can default further then hee intendeth it shall and chooseth to permit it for if any defect befall an instrument which the Artificer chooseth not his worke is troubled and it argueth ignorance or impotency in him that so worketh Argument 3. Either God did by his antecedent prouidence propound this end or he commeth to it by occasion of some euent But he doth not come to this end of sauing in Christ by occasion First this after-prouidence is imperfect not beseeming God when one after a thing is fallen out maketh the best of it and is rather post videntia then prouidentia Secondly this maketh God vse a more imperfect prouidence about his most excellent workes and come to that besides his primary intention which is far more glorious then the first end could haue beene intended Thirdly This maketh God like men to doe as hee may when hee is hindred from that he would Argument 4. That which doth take away the vnsearchable mistery of Election and reprobation is not to be admitted But to choose reiect after the fall doth euacuate this mistery For though God deale diuersly with men now in equall condemnation yet the iustice of this fact is apparant for God may punish with death or make that treason trespasse which is committed against him Who will challenge this fact of iniustce Argument 5. That which maketh God will some of his creatures conditionally that is not to be granted But to make God choose after the fall maketh him to haue willed ineffectually some other end Gods will were not omnipotent should it not effect what euer it willeth Gods velle is posse neither can he haue a conditionall will I will giue my creature life if he keepe this commandement For either he must suppose that his creature must doe some thing which he will not make him and then he were not omnipotent or think that he will make him doe that thing and on doing it giue him life and this in effect a will most absolute or he must know that hee neither will nor can doe it and yet will this on a condition which he doth see impossible and this were friuolous Argument 6. That which maketh God looke out of himselfe for determining his will But to elect and reiect after the fall suspendeth that determination of his will on qualification fore-seene in the creature Ergo. The first part is manifest For it
maketh him not hauing all sufficiencie in himselfe and as it were imperfection in his vnderstanding to goe forth of himselfe seeking knowledge from things without him as we doe so is it for his will to looke at things without himselfe that thereupon hee may determine his will Argument 7. That Election and reprobation which are shadowed in the persons of Iacob and Esau that is the true election and reprobation But election and reprobation of persons yet not actuall existing but in some kinde possible of persons without merit or demerit are shadowed forth Ergo. Argument 8. That election and reprobation which make God a Potter framing his clay from his meere pleasure to contrary ends of honour and shame that election and reprobation are of man before his fall These latter reasons doe more sway with me and seeme to me far more vnanswerable For I cannot see how God can be thought to haue had other ends without many absurdities as for example 1. Without holding he may suffer defeasance in the intentions he purposeth and by his prouidence endeauoureth 2. That God is mutable going from one intention to another and that his will is not effectuall in euery thing it willeth that his will doth on fore-sight of some thing in the creature determine it selfe to that to which of it selfe it is not determined Secondly I hold that the surest way tracing truely the order of things in Gods intention is to marke well the existing of them in execution Now we see first the world was made Secondly man and so Gods chosen were brought forth in their naturall being holy blessed capable of life if their wilfull defection hindred not Thirdly They were permitted to fall into sinne and misery Fourthly They are by Christ deliuered from this misery being called iustified glorified Fiftly Christ glorious as a mediator Sauiour of Gods chosen to the glory of grace or mercy Sixtly God his mercy glorious who chose and predestinated Christ that he should be made euery thing to vs. In intention then this order is to be kept 1. Himselfe or his glory in the manifestation of his mercy 2. The glorifying his Christ with supernaturall glory 3. The bringing vs to supernaturall being and glory with himselfe through Christ Now because he may bring vs to supernaturall glory to the praise of his grace and mercy either by keeping vs from misery or permitting vs to fall into sinne and misery and restoring vs out of it to more blessed estate then euer it is plaine that he purposed so to worke by his permission that we should wilfully through our owne default runne our selues into sinne and misery Now because such whom he will bring to supernaturall life and being must first haue naturall life and being 1 Cor. 15.46 and for that man must first be naturall then spirituall and because that which he purposeth to permit to fall into sinne and misery must be holy and happy Ergo he purposeth to make man to make him holy not knowing any misery Lastly because he that will haue man thus made must haue some fit place fitly furnished in which such a creature might be placed ergo he decreeth to make this world which we behold Wherfore approuing the latter arguments I will come to answere the former and so passe from this question To the first Obiection Such as men are when God executeth saluation such he elected or decreed to saue If this proposition be vnderstood in this sense Such men are fore-seene when now God chooseth them to saluation it is false for it maketh Gods election finde such as it doth take fitted to saluation and not make them such as are fit by meanes predestinate For this reason proueth a man not onely fore-seene in sinne but fore-seene as perseuering in faith before Gods decree to elect him to saluation for in time such onely are saued who perseuere It maketh Gods decree choosing some persons to this or that end presuppose euery thing which after commeth in before the end be attained But in this sense such whom God saueth in executing saluation such be elected to saluation In this sense I say he elected those who should become such and such by his predestination not those who were fore-seene such before his election in this sense it is true and inferreth nothing against our assertion The reason why this latter is true being this because God choosing any to the end doth choose him to the meanes also But they Obiect either hee must choose to saue such as now in time hee saueth or this execution differeth from his decree but it doth not Obiect 1 I answere to the first part of the reason the consequence is faulty because it reasoneth falsely from a part of the decree as if it were the whole in this sense God considered not these such and such when he elected them to saluation as they are when now they are saued ergo his Execution differeth from his Decree Whereas they should reason Those whom God neither fore-saw such when elected them nor predestinated to make such as now they are when they are saued those are saued otherwise then God decreed for the decree of God is as well of the meanes as of the end Obiect 2 To the second I answere The first part is false and the reason of it is viz. that mercy and iustice can doe nothing where it seeth not sinne and misery for mercy may worke where there is possibility of misery either by preuenting the enterance or by decreeing to saue and deliuer from that misery which by permission shall befall the creature and though reuenging iustice cannot by way of execution yet I see not why God may not out of loue to the glory of his iustice passe by some intending to glorifie himselfe in their iust punishment for what show of iniustice is in this act of God most iust I intend to be glorious in the iust punishment of such and such It is one thing to make a iust intendement another thing to make an vniust execution It is answered to the second part that Election is out of grace 2 Tim. 1. Paul saith by Onesiphorus the Lord shew him mercy in that day In diuers respects the same thing called by different names And whereas it is said that reiection or reprobation is an act of iustice it is denied seeing it is an act of Gods dominion liberty or holy selfe-loue whereby he loueth the glory of his iustice in the manifestation of it rather then a formall act of iustice her selfe as likewise the permitting the fall was not one act formally from mercy or iustice but by wisedome and prouidence making way that both mercy and iustice might exercise their proper workes about the creature Obiect 3 The first part is not true looke as God may call the things that are not and loue some things possible before other so farre as to giue them being not other So he may elect or reiect euen a creature as it
shewed vs that we should be called his children 1 Iohn 3.1 Ergo life is called a gift of Gods grace Rom. 6. vlt. And that which God will do about his children in the day of iudgment is called mercy 2 Tim. 1. The Lord shew Onesiphorus mercy in that day This is to be marked against the Papists the first force of their error in the matter of merit beginning here For they grant this proposition true They make grace belonging ad actionem dei predestinantis eligentis non ad terminum electionis that God doth out of his grace predestinate vs to life but this they will not admit that God doth predestinate vs to life which shall come immediately from this grace Now to conceiue thus of predestination is to take away all the grace of predestination For to choose one out of grace to haue this or that hee shall well pay for is grace not worth God haue mercy As they say this is grace when he might haue chosen others left vs he did take vs as who should haue life purchased from his Iustice I answer here is an action of liberty to take one before another but while this is it to which I am taken viz. to haue a penny-worth for my penny there is no grace at all shewed me For when actions are defined according to the obiect about which they are conuersant if the obiect of life haue not grace in it there can be no grace in electing to it Secondly predestination should be an intermedled action partly a preparation of things God would doe out of his grace as of calling the first iustification according to the Papists partly a preparation of things God would doe out of Iustice as of our glorification Thirdly this maketh all that God doth out of grace tend to this end that his iustice may be glorious in giuing life We read the contrary that iustice shutteth all vnder sinne that grace may be glorious in all this wee reade not and it were absurd to thinke it when all his iustice doth in reprobation tend to this end that the riches of his grace may be more displayed Fourthly the life to which wee are predestinated is here included in this word Adoption it is called a gift an inheritance it is heere said to be attained through Christ Rom. 5. v. vlt. As sinne reigneth to death so doth not the righteousnesse of Christ to life But grace by Christs righteousnesse reigneth vnto life the immediate cause ergo of life is Gods grace for the immediate cause of death is sinne The Papists make life from grace remote quoad radicem not preximè immediatè and God is said to haue made Christ euery thing to vs that our whole reioycing might be in God shewing vs grace through him not that we might be able to reioyce in our selues as now reinabled to deserue from iustice throgh him this then is to be held as a principle of great moment that the life to which we are chosen and predestinated is a life immediately flowing from the grace of God For this doth shew that the iustifying righteousnesse which God doth prepare for vs must be such that God may vpon it reckon vs iust from his meere grace to the receiuing of life from his grace But heere is no place to enter the doctrine of iustification and merit the which wee shall haue fit occasion to vnfold hereafter Now followeth the manner within himselfe that is according to the good pleasure of his will The first phrase I rather reade thus because in that wee are saide to be ordained to adoption through Christ it doth intimate that we are ordained to be children to him and because he would rather haue said Who hath predestinated vs to be Sonnes through Christ to himselfe then to adoption through Christ to himselfe but it skilleth not how we take it seeing the latter words doth sufficiently ground the instruction to be gathered Doct. Obserue that God out of his meere good will doth determine both the end and all the meanes by which hee will bring vs to the end If God doe choose and predestinate vs to life because that hee doth foresee that we will so vse his grace as to perseuer in beliefe by meanes of it then must hee call vs rather then others because he doth foresee that wee will vse his grace offered well and concur with it in manner forenamed For so farre as foreseene considerations moue mee to take any to the end of life so farre they moue to intend and execute the meanes which must bring to life But the Papists themselues in this are sound who hold that therefore God doth freely ordaine vs to the end and that he doth therefore freely call and iustifie vs hitherto they grant grace euen in the execution of Gods predestination and it may be proued by Scriptures For in calling two things may be marked 1. The sending his word 2. The working with it by his spirit now he doth both these out of his free pleasure For the word hee doth send it to those whom he doth see will lesse profit by it then others If the things done in thee had beene done in Tyrus and Sidon they would at least haue humbled themselues in Niniuie like repentance Ezech. 3. I send thee not to a people of a strange tongue they would heare thee but these will not heare thee Now he teacheth inwardly no lesse freely Luke 10.2 Father I confesse thou reuealest these things to babes and hidest them from wise ones euen according to thy good pleasure Therefore Paul saith 2 Tim. 2.9 Hee hath called vs with a holy calling according to his purpose and grace Now if God doe call vs to saluation without any thing fore-seene in vs it cannot be but that hee did ordaine vs to saluation without fore-seeing any thing which might moue him vnto it this is taught Rom. 9. that the purpose of God is according to election that is free depending on him onely who calleth vs to glory not on any thing in vs called The reason why God sheweth mercy or hardeneth that is denieth mercy is his meere will That as the Potter hath nothing but his pleasure mouing him to appoint or make of the same lumpe vessels to so diuers ends no more hath God And here it shall not be amisse to cleare that Scripture from some misconstructions which haue beene made obscuring the true meaning of it to some vnderstandings Rom. 9. Vers 11. cleared from false constructions Some make the purpose of God verse 11. to note out such a purpose by which God determineth to choose out to life such whom he doth fore-see will seeke it by constant faith in his promises reiecting others from life who seeke saluation by their owne righteousnesse in the workes of the Law This construction floweth from a former errour viz. that the Apostle in this passage of Scripture from the sixt verse downeward doth speake of the
of that manner electing and reiecting which are heere expressed and for the two conclusions hee doth argue from these words The first is true but not a thing heere to be prooued for the Apostle had said that ergo the word was true notwithstanding the multitude of Israelites were reiected because that all Israelites were not that Israell and all the seede of Abraham were not those children to whom the word belonged This is then that which here is to be concluded that those who are the seede of Abraham and Israelites in course of nature were not that Israell and that seede to whom the word signifying Gods election and adoption belonged the force of the argument therfore is in this not that the decree is after election but that Iacob onely was in decree of election and Esau borne alike of Isaac was not The second syllogisme concludeth a thing that neuer came into the Apostles minde and cannot be accommodated to these types vnlesse types in that wherein they are types may be contrary to the thing testified by them as I haue shewed aboue Beside who will yeeld him that Gods calling is heere put for faith obeying God calling when the sight of faith and euery thing else was before excluded in this election of Iacob and therefore the decree electing him excludeth and opposeth it selfe in workes to this faith aswell as any other thing Now then we see that this decree electing and adopting is so from Gods will that nothing in man is considered in it as a meane or cause but onely his meere pleasure for cleering which I entred the explication of this place to this only the context following will agree which seeing I am thus far entred I will shew so shortly as I can What shall wee say then saith the Apostle is there iniustice with God God forbid For hee saith to Moses This is plaine that the doctrine next before deliuered giueth occasion to this obiection Let any iudge then whether Arminius his sense is made probably a ground of this imagination we see this doth naturally arise from our construction for if God from his meere pleasure doth choose one cal him to adoption and the heauenly inheritance reiecting another euery way equal to him Then God seemeth vniust for vpon his meere pleasure to deale so vnequally with equals vpon meere pleasure seemeth very hard doe but lay that of Arminius by it and there neede no other confutation If God decree to reiect such as reiect his grace offered in Christ stiffely cleauing to their own righteousnes if out of his meere pleasure none deseruing it he decree to saue such as shal by faith lay hold on his mercy offered in Christ then he seemeth vniust I answer Here is no shew of iniustice to the reason of man for that which he supposeth to be the groūd of their suspecting iniustice namely that God shold of his meere pleasure decree that beleeuers on Christ not followers of the Law should be saued contrary to his former decree in the couenant with Adam for had this beene the ground of their imputation the Apostle should haue answered that God did not of meere pleasure decree otherwise about attaining life then at first he had but he came to this couenant of the Gospell by reason that we had broken the former and through weake flesh made it impossible to vs But he maintaineth the will of God from meere pleasure showing mercy to Iacob to haue beene iust in him it followeth Hee who hath power to shew sauing mercy where himselfe pleaseth he is not vniust in showing to some without any consideration on their parts and denying to other some But God hath power to shew mercy electing adopting calling to the heauenly inheritance to whom he will This is the expresse testimony of Moses which tendeth to proue God free from iniustice in his grace to Iacob and in denying it to Esau For if hee may show it to such as he please hee may refuse it others by the same liberty He doth amplifie this by a consectory deduced That which is wholly in the free pleasure of God that commeth not from any thing in the power of man But this mercy electing adopting calling is meerely in Gods free pleasure it is not therefore in man to procure it but in Gods liberty to show this mercy This answere doth plainely shew that the point which distasted was this That God should at his meere pleasure show mercy to Iacob which he refused Esau which would make our election calling adoption quite out of our power meerely depending on Gods free pleasure For both these are here auouched to stand with iustice in God what euer might be surmised And marke here that the Apostle doth maintaine it without iniustice to show and refuse mercy when he considereth not any thing in the persons which might make this equall For were the equity of Gods mercy shewed to Iacob and denied Esau in this that now all were become children of wrath whom God might pardon and restore or leaue and execute at his pleasure then the Apostle should in the honour hee owed to the name of God haue here expressed this consideration that God might iustly show mercy to some and deny it to othersome who were no◠such that they had by sinne brought themselues vnder sentence of condemnation For if he had not shewed it to any hee had not beene vniust but Saint Paul did know that he had affirmed that God looking neither at merit in the one nor demerit in the other had chosen and loued the one refused lesse loued the other Here marke Arminius If that purpose God reiecting such as seeke righteousnesse by their owne workes electing beleeuers depend onely on his mercy then it is not vniust But that purpose is neither from him that runneth c. but dependeth on Gods meere mercy Ergo it is not to be accused of iniustice First Marke how he maketh the Apostle not answer the difficulty of the Obiection which was this How could God goe from one Couenant decreeing saluation on workes and decree contrary that not workers but beleeuers should be saued for Gods mercy cannot be the cause nothing else comming betweene why God should change his order and goe from one vnto a contrary Secondly Let him show how mercy can be the onely cause why a iusticiarie cleauing to his own righteousnesse is reiected from saluation Thirdly The Apostle doth not proue this decree that beleeuers shal be saued to be iust in God but Gods shewing mercy in destination and execution to one before another Now this decree I will saue all that shall beleeue doth not show any mercy to one before another but offers mercy to all alike Lastly Who would euer accuse the mercy of God for decreeing in a iust course to bring men to saluation when now they had made themselues guilty of wrath Marke how he depraueth that consectorie which showeth that it is not in our power
now vnder wrath to deserue that God should decree the saluation of vs in case we would beleeue But why Gods decree of election falleth on my person to life this he maketh in our power which is the chiefe thing here excluded for from that God had purposed and performed to Iacob and from that priuiledge that God will at his pleasure both intend and manifest his sauing mercy and compassions this is deduced that this mercy electing calling and adopting one before another is not in the will or indeauour of man but in God freely showing compassion Not to say he should tell vs a great matter in concluding with a solemne Epiphonema such a point as this that man vnder sinne and death could not deserue or any way cause why God should strike that couenant of the Gospel and promise saluation vpon beleeuing For the Scripture saith to Pharaoh The 17. Verse followeth The connexion may be diuersely conceiued either to proue that God sheweth mercy at his pleasure to some so as he denieth it to othersome or that which went before that it is not any thing in vs which maketh vs elected like Iacob or reiected as Esau then the proofe erre thus the Scripture doth testifie that hardening and denying mercy dependeth on Gods meere pleasure no lesse then shewing mercy Or we may conceiue it as in reference to the vnrighteousnesse formerly obiected for that obiection had a double fact giuing occasion God electing Iacob reiecting Esau without any thing that deserued it whence God might seeme subiect to iniustice in two regards First for showing his grace to the one before the other when they both were alike Secondly In refusing the one out of his meere will and excluding him from the grace shewed the other when he had done nothing to deserue it Hitherto hee hath answered the first part of the obiection that God in showing mercy to equals vnequally is not vniust Now he answereth the other part That which God hath done that is in the freedome of his will iustly to doe But God hath for ends of his glory without any thing done on their parts to moue him denied grace to some and hardened them which is plaine in this example he did raise vp Pharaoh not yet being purposing to harden and punish him Ergo as hee showeth mercy where hee will so he hardeneth that is denyeth mercy and so hardens and punisheth whom he will The Assumption is the example the Conclusion followeth it Arminius is here still like himselfe he frameth a double Sylogisme taking away shew of vnrighteousnesse in his decree made with election of some reiection of other some That which God iustly doth that he may decree to doe But hee stirreth vp hardneth some iustly Ergo he may decree it without iniustice The second Syllogisme from the 18. Verse Hee who sheweth mercy and hardeneth may decree according to election to shew mercy to some beleeuing and to reiect such as seeke righteousnesse in the workes of the Law But God showeth mercy on whom he will c. For the first it is true that is gathered but not pertinent for this example is brought to shew that God may reiect a person without iniustice when he hath done nothing for which Gods will should be moued to reiect him and it is to be well noted that the minde of God cannot be too prone that he may make a decree to reiect a person that followeth righteousnesse in the Law for Pharaoh cannot be considered as in the number of those Iewes who were zealous for the Law Beside that it could neuer seeme in appearance vnrighteousnesse to decree when a man is now a childe of death that if he will not accept of Gods mercy in Christ his Sonne but cleaue to his owne righteousnesse then he shall be reiected And for the latter Syllogisme it is no new Argument as Arminius would haue it but the conclusion affirming from all gone before that it is in Gods liberty to show mercy to some as to Iacob and to deny it to othersome and that Ergo he cannot be vniust in doing that which he hath liberty to doe Againe the first part of the Proposition doth fight with it selfe for he who may shew mercy on whom he will he may not make the creature the cause why hee should show mercy for he cannot shew mercy on any out of his meere pleasure yet shew mercy on some consideratiō in the creature mouing him to it Now from this that here it is said God may shew mercy on whom he will he gathereth that God may make a decree to shew mercy to such as beleeue repent and perseuere c in sanctification He who may shew mercy to whom he will he is not restrained to some persons who shall be of this or that condition but is as free to one as another Now the grounds of this new learning or old errour I know not which to call it say that God cannot choose any but such whom he seeth eligible as being qualified with such condition as the iustice of God admitteth which is the moderatrix of his mercy He who can shew mercy where he will can doe more then that which may possibly be done and yet not any receiue mercy But such a decree as this might be made and it still possible that not one in all man-kinde should be partaker of mercy He who sheweth mercy where he will is the cause why mercy lighteth on these particular men rather then others But he who can but make a decree that such as will beleeue shall haue mercy he is not the cause in particular why this man hath mercy shewed to him rather then another His Conclusion misconstring that word and decree is aboue refuted and hath no concord with this Obiection following which is most euident after this manner If it be by his meere irresistable will that men be in the state of such as are reiected and hardened then he hath no reason to blame them being so But hee out of his pleasure without any thing in the creature causing it doth reiect some from mercy and harden them Ergo. Now Saint Paul doth answere this either by denying that the will of God is vnresistable or by denying that the efficacie of Gods will doth reach thus farre that some men are in the number of those who are reiected and hardened but first by rebuking the insolencie of this fact that a creature should expostulate with his Creator secondly by showing the right of the thing viz. that God may at his pleasure reiect and harden some The first in the 20. Verse That which the Pot may not doe with the Potter that maiest not thou doe to God thy Creator But the Pot may not finde fault with the Potter for framing it thus or thus the end of the 20. vers Thou maist not finde fault with God as if hee were in fault by whose irresistible will thou art in this case wherein thou standest
iustice of God Col. 2. By his crosse he triumphed ouer spoiled principalities c. By death he destroyed him that had the power of executing death Thirdly this death doth obtaine the spirit to be giuen vs which doth free vs from the captiuitie of lusts and inable vs to finde liberty in actions of godlinesse Christ was put vnder the Law that we might be redeemed and receiue the spirit of God This spirit is that life of the world for which he did suffer death as the Gospell speaketh Last of all through this death we haue deliuerance from all euils so that all teares in Gods time shall be wiped from our eyes and in the meane while all our sufferings are so changed that they are not effects of Gods reuenging iustice to destroy vs but they are such things in which God doth offer himselfe as a father intending to make vs partake further by meanes of them in the quiet fruit of righteousnesse Vse 1 The Vses of this are manifold 1. It letteth vs see that loue of Christ to dye for vs when now we did practise nothing but open hostility against him Rom. 5. Vse 2 Againe we see how fitly that is spoken of this bloud that it cryeth for better things then the bloud of Abell This doth appease reuenge not prouoke it this doth call for all kinde of blessings Wherefore let vs get our consciences sprinkled with this and flye to it by faith as they were wont to the sanctuary to the hornes of the alter for this is our true refuge in euery necessitie This doth shew vs how we should esteeme of all those benefits as remission of sinne c. which are purchased by it Things bought at high price we doe esteeme of them accordingly Many will not come out of their vanity but leaue the thing as not worth the taking which Christ hath purchased with his dearest bloud Knowing that you are redeemed from your vaine conuersation not with siluer and gold but with the bloud of Christ a Lambe vndefiled Doct. Remission of sinnes out of his rich grace Whence obserue First that to haue our sinne forgiuen is to be redeemed Reconciliation Redemption Remission Iustification One thing in regard of diuers respects diuersly named or set free from all euill That which before he called Redemption is here called Remission of sinne Our naturall estate if it be considered as a spirituall bondage Christ his deliuerance is redemption but if it be considered as a state in which we stand guilty and vnder punishment of the Law then Christ his deliuerance is the procuring of remission of sinne and they cannot but be one in substance though in reason and consideration they differ For what is forgiuenesse of sinne but an act of grace acquitting vs from all the guilt and the whole punishment of all our sinne And as we did speake of redemption so we may speake of remission For though the sentence of pardon be wholly and at once passed to vs yet the execution of the sentence is heere begun only and shall then be consummate when euery teare shall be wiped from our eyes in which regard we may grant without any danger of Popery that in the life to come euen at the time of Christs appearing to refresh vs or to reanimate our bodies by the returne of the soule to them that euen then sinnes shall be blotted forth that is the sentence which had absolued vs from all the punishment and consequences of sinne shall then be fully executed Againe the force of this remission is such that it setteth men free from the condemnation of Gods iustice in the Law from that power of the Deuill and my conscience condemning of mee from the life and power of sinne which is the death of the soule from all miseries and death which come in as a wages of sinne Vse This then should stirre vs vp to seeke remission of sin it is to be redeemed or set free from all euill to get our sin forgiuen therefore Dauid saith Blessed is the man whose sinne is forgiuen to whom God imputeth not sinne Looke as Malefactors will turne euery stone make all their friends they haue to get a pardon for their liues so would wee bestirre vs to get this pardon which once gotten we shall be sure to haue in Gods time all teares wiped from our eyes we shall see our selues deliuered from all euill Obserue secondly that euery belieuer in Christ receiueth forgiuenesse of his sinnes though by nature wee are in our sinnes lie in euill of guilt and punishment yet once getting faith on Christs bloud we are iustified we haue forgiuenesse of sin are accepted as righteous to life through Christ his obedience though the one is named yet the other is by a Synecdoche to be conceiued Euen as Kings to shew their clemency in entring their reignes they giue out free pardons to many kinde of trespasses so God to glorifie his mercy it pleaseth him to giue to vs in Christ the forgiuenesse of all our sinnes My meaning here is to speake precisely of remission of sinne as it is distinguished from imputing righteousnesse which I conceiue as a distinct part concurring in our iustification About this then we will inquire three points 1. In what order we haue it 2. What is the extent or latitude of it in respect of sinne and punishment 3. How we who haue it can be said to belieue the remission of our sinnes For the first as the supreame power of sauing or destroying is with God so of remitting and holding sinne vnremitted Wee are therefore to conceiue our remission first of all as in the gracious purpose of God toward vs who knoweth on whom hee will haue mercy and whom hee will harden as we thus had in Gods eternall purpose so we haue it giuen vs in time by way of execution First wee haue it giuen to Christ our Head for vs all for he being made sinne for vs euen as a suretie hauing all our debt layd on him hee could not be raised vp till now all our sins were done away Ergo Paul 1 Cor. 15. saith That if Christ were not risen we were still in our sinnes where hee maketh the cleering of vs all from sinne and Christ his resurrection to be accompanied one with the other Againe God did reconcile the world not imputing sinnes in Christ which could not be without remitting all their sinnes for whom his Christ did vndertake Besides were not our sinnes forgiuen in him we could not be raysed vp set in heauenly places with him for before we can haue quickning giuen vs in Christ we must haue pardon of sinne giuen vs. Further what did Christ shed his bloud for but that he might actually get the pardon of our sins Finally he doth distribute nothing to vs which by vertue of his obedience he receiueth not for vs. In the third place this remission is communicated from Christ to vs in manner following 1. Christ sendeth
haue such confession satisfaction contrition as doe not put any impediment to the Sacrament then it sufficeth Then say I euery man who receiueth pardon of the eternall punishment by the Sacrament must receiue pardon of the temporall also for the Sacrament sufficeth to giue both if he come with such contrition and qualification as doth not put impediment he receiueth the whole benefit if he come not with such he receiueth no grace by meanes of it no remission of the eternall Now followeth the third thing to which I answere We doe beleeue remission of sinnes because though we haue it in regard of Gods sentence and feele some effects of it as peace ioy c. yet we see it not fully executed nor shall not till the time of refreshing Vse 1 Now then how should this comfort our hearts that God hath dealt thus richly with vs Feare not thou repenting beleeuing soule feare not sinnes past present to come thy God hath put all from his sight and so that he keepeth no backe reckonings for thee all the blame all that is a proper plague or punishment for sinnes remoued from thee What should come to vs vnder condemnation more pleasant then this word of pardon What can we beleeuers receiue more gladly then this generall acquittance of all our sinnes Vse 2 This must make vs feare the Lord There is mercy with God that he may be feared mercy reaching to forgiuenesse the word signifieth For a Traitour once pardoned in treason to be found a second time in conspiracie how vnthankefull how intollerable So with vs c. Vse 3 Seeing we get this remission in Christ his bloud let vs lay it vp and keepe it carefully We keepe all things which testifie our discharge from debts Let vs lay vp this by faith in our hearts euen this pardon in Christ his bloud which our God giueth vs It is a blessed thing to exercise faith in the promise and seales which we haue receiued Many measuring themselues in Gods fauour by feelings when these faile call all in question Many seeking comfort no further then the smart of terrours driue them and then giuing ouer at length are distressed with their old feares and doubtings for wounds ouer-hastily skinned will breake forth a fresh But not a few neuer exercising their senses in apprehending this benefit and so in carefull laying it vp they cause God to hide that comfortable experience of it to the end they may seeke it vp and keepe it receiuing it more carefully as if one looke loosely to Plate we will lay a peece a side for a while and make one thinke his negligence hath lost it that thus wee may teach him to keepe it more carefully when it is returned Vse 4 Let vs maintaine our spirituall liberty in which Christ hath set vs hating these lying vanities which would make the grace of God not to forgiue but to change a greater punishment into a lesser In outward matâ—ers wee will stand for the vtmost of our liberty not suffering a word of our Charters to be restrained and shall we beare it that when God giueth vs in Christ a pardon of all our sinnes men should limit it to sinnes before Baptisme of sinnes in regard of their eternall punishment In humane matters we hold that clauses which are in fauour to vs are to be censured in the amplest manner which they may beare with probability Doct. Obserue lastly in this seauenth verse from whence it is that God giueth vs pardon of sinne euen from his rich grace This made the Saints in the old Testament flye to Gods manifold tender mercies and feele in them remission of sinne See Exo. 34. Iehouah gracious mercifull rich in kindenesse forgiuing sinne and iniquities As if the riches of his grace were in this act aboue all others manifest Isa 43. For my owne sake doe I put away thy sinne not for your sake but for my owne name sake will I purge you and wash you from your sins O you house of Israel Ezech. 36. We see that giuing benefits though it commeth from kindenesse yet it doth not any thing so much testifie the clemency and kindenesse of our natures as the bearing and passing iniuries which doe highly prouoke vs this then is the fruit of Gods most rich grace Indeede nothing but grace can forgiue forgiuenesse being a free pardoning of some offence without taking any reuenge or satisfaction I cannot forgiue that fault for which I take my reuenge or something which doth counteruaile the iniury offered Iustice may cease reuenge but cannot forgiue Obiect But how can God out of his rich grace forgiue our sinnes when he doth not forgiue them but vpon the blood of his Sonne shed for vs as a ransome or redemption That which wee get vpon a ransome tendred that is from iustice due to vs not from free grace giuen vs. Many limit this sentence thus Resp That we receiue on a ransome which our selues tender that is due not on a ransome which is giuen vs out of grace but this seemeth not to answere the difficultie for what I purchase with money neuer so mercifully bestowed on me is mine in iustice though the mony were not mine till mercy did furnish me with it A price of redemption Ergo must be considered two waies 1. As a thing demanded of iustice that she may inliew doe something vpon it thus Christs bloud was no ransome For iustice did not call him to this mediatour-like and priestly office nor bid him lay downe his life 2. It must be considered as a thing prouided and inioyned by mercy that by it as by a meane mercy may doe something iustly which otherwise she might not and such a ransome is Christ his bloud and Ergo doth excellently accord with free grace and the worke of grace in euery thing Obi. But when Christ his obedience is such as ceaseth iustice It is Gods money but not giuen to buy with from iustice how can God out of grace release to this obedience that punishment of sinne from which now iustice in regard of it hath ceased Answ Because the obedience of the Sonne is due to the Father and may be required from the Sonne of duety to be rewarded at his pleasure If my Sonne doe that at my command vpon which I can demand ten shillings I who haue the right of my Sonne and his worke may take the whole and yet giue him of grace what I please Vse 1 It doth confute the former dreame that which the riches of grace doth is full and perfect no imperfect forgiuing Should the King imprison a man when he might hang him it were not an act of mercy pardoning but an act of iustice tempered with mercy Obi. But say they punishment abideth to those whom God forgiueth out of his mercy as Dauid and those for whom Moses prayed that God would forgiue them according to his rich mercy Answ It doth so but it so abideth that all guilt of sinne
they are desired God the Father and the Sonne Doct. 1 Obserue first in Generall that it is the duty of a Minister of Christ to blesse the faithfull children of the Church as in the name of God This for the substance of it was not proper to the Apostle no more then to be a spiritual Father was appropriated to them much lesse doth it belong to the Pope as the times of superstition imagined but to euery faithfull Minister who is a shepheard and instructer and so in the place of a spirituall Father Numb 6. Aaron and his sonnes shall blesse the people in my name As God hath giuen a power to the naturall parent to conueigh good things to their children Honor thy Father that thy dayes may be long or that they may prolong thy daies by their blessing deseruedly comming vpon thee so God hath giuen spirituall fathers a power of blessing yea and of anathematizing or cursing the children of the Church who so deserue and that effectually So that Paul maketh good what they doe in this kind This good Annah found 1 Sam. 1.17 when she had meekely answered so harsh and false a suspition The God of Israell grant thy request saith Elie and shee glad of the fauour shee had found in his sight went away and it was presently granted For more distinct conceiuing of the matter I wil briefly shew 1. what this blessing is 2. on what it is grounded It is a ministeriall act which doth apply Gods blessing to the well deseruing children of the Church and entreth them into the assured possession through faith of Gods blessing toward them which doth apply I say for it differeth thus from a Prayer a Prayer seeketh to obtaine the things for vs this doth in Gods name apply and assure our faith that the blessing of God is vpon vs and shall gratiously follow vs When the Minister intreateth forgiuenesse of sinne it is one thing when againe hee doth assure a repentant heart that God hath done away his sinne this is another thing in the one hee seeketh to obtaine this benefit for the partie in the other hee doth assure the party that it is now applied in him The grounds are two 1. The spirit of discerning I meane ordinary not miraculous which maketh them by fruits see who are such members of the Church whom God doth promise to blesse The second is the authority which God hath put vpon them Ordinary Publike Priuate who will haue them to be his mouth and instrument whereby he will both assertaine his children of their blessednes from him Priuate is but a wish or prayer as likewise execute it in them Now from these two that I discerne a childe of the Church to whom blessing pertaineth know my selfe to be his mouth to signifie it and instrument with whom hee will concurre to produce it from these two it is that this act of blessing springeth be it a blessing in generall giuen or singularly applyed And hence you may see a difference betwixt our blessing and the Patriarchs propheticall blessing for their blessings were grounded vpon a Reuelation in them made of things which should befall their posterity Vse 1 The Vse of this is to rebuke the foolish custome of running forth before the Ministers of God haue giuen their blessing What a miscreant would he be held that would not suffer his Father to blesse him so farre were he from seeking it at his hand It were not allowable behauiour if the Church were about to curse them and make them as vtter execrations Vse 2 Secondly This letteth vs see that we must not lightly let passe the blessing of the Minister but strengthen our faith by it and be glad that it commeth vpon vs. Doth not euery vertuous childe reioyce and know themselues the better that the blessings of their Fathers and Mothers haue beene heartily giuen them so shouldst thou further thy selfe in the faithfull perswasion of all good toward thee that the blessings of such who are the spirituall fathers haue come vpon thy head In times of superstition euery hedge-Priests blessing was highly esteemed if he had giuen his benediction in Nomine Patris Filij Spiritu sancti how well they thought themselues but as euery where else that which they superstitiously and idolatrously often magnified that the Atheisme of our time vtterly neglecteth Thus in Generall now in particular Doct. First note that he wisheth them Grace whom he had called Saints and beleeuers in Christ Whence obserue that the holiest iustified persons haue need of Grace The Papists will grant it meere grace in comparison that our sinnes are forgiuen and that we haue the spirit of Grace giuen vs but after this they say we haue to deale with Iustice from which we must expect eternall life A miserable Doctrine Grace is in the beginning Grace is in the middle Grace is in the ending A Christian man may be considered in three distances of time 1. In the time of his conuersion 2. In the time betwixt his beleeuing and receiuing the end of his Faith 3. in the time when God will giue him the Crowne of glory life eternall Now for the first all grant that we enter by faith into Grace but for our after-time that we stand not vnder Iustice but Grace it is manifest Rom. 5.2 in which Grace also we stand At the day of iudgment that we haue to deale with mercy not with iustice it is manifest 2 Tim. 1.18 where the Apostle prayeth that the Lord would shew Onesyphorus a most godly man mercy in the day of iudgement and life it selfe the very thing we come to Now the guifts of Gods spirit wherby we come to it is called grace Rom. 6. the end life eternal not a stipend but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gift of grace thus it is one way cleared Againe in what should grace manifest it selfe but in these three things First in forgiuing sinne Secondly in attaining life Thirdly in continuing in the present grace Now when we are conuerted we haue neede of forgiuenesse of sinne otherwise what neede we to pray Lord forgiue vs our trespasses Beside euery Saint findeth himselfe sold vnder sinne and that as an euill within the will of him which cannot therefore increase his merit but maketh him more guilty for heauen we haue no neede of grace for according to the Law continue in all perfectly to doe them and liue none conscious of sinne can hope to liue this way Now for perseuering in state of grace we haue neede of grace for this we cannot deserue but as Gods gracious pleasure made him to come vnto vs so it maketh him abide with vs to accomplish his good worke which should hee not all would come to nothing in vs For as the soule entring into the body giueth it life sense and motion which presently cease in the body if the soule be departed So here God the soule of our soules returning to them doth produce by
his spirit a life of grace which would presently be extinct if he should forsake them Vse The Vse is to let vs see the fearefull estate of the Papists who make Christ and his grace last no longer then till they are as they thinke enabled to iustifie and saue themselues by course of grace according to the Law They account it grace that God would inable me rather then another to come effectually to life Gratia cadit in actum voluntatis diuina non in obiectum but no grace that I come to life as when I might sell a Horse to many it is my fauour that I will sell him to one and not to another but it is not my fauour that hee hath the Horse which buyeth and ergo by force of communicatiue iustice is to haue him Thus they say it is Gods grace that he will haue some to haue life and giue them wherewithall to buy it but that they haue life is iustice not his grace Poore soules thus they forsake their mercies besides that they make mercy to haue nothing to doe at the day of iudgement and life it selfe not to be grace contrary to that which is aboue named Vse 2 We learne hence euer to humble our selues and flye intirely to Gods mercy let vs confesse our selues miserable vnprofitable seruants in a thousand regards hauing nothing but grace to cleaue vnto The arch-Papists confesse that for vncertainty of our owne righteousnesse and danger of vaine-glory it is the safest to trust onely on Gods mercy in Christ surely let vs take the safest way I would neuer trust my soule to them who will not goe the surest way to worke in their owne saluations Doct. 3 Obserue 3. from this he doth wish grace with them when he would wish them the greatest good obserue I say what is the most excellent thing which is to be sought afore all other viz. the fauour of God that his grace may be with vs. To open it before we discourse of it Grace ioyned with pitty doth signifie Gods loue onely so farre as it is a fountaine from whence springeth his pittie to vs in misery out of which mercy he doth when now we are miserable saue vs thus grace soundeth nothing but loue and the obiect of it is more generall for grace is toward vs and euery creature in innocencie and misery but mercy is onely toward vs as we are considered in misery vnlesse the preseruing the mutable creature subiect to fall may also be an obiect of mercy but when grace is put indefinitely then grace includeth mercy in it for mercy is but grace restrained and limited to man as in misery the difference is rather in our manner of containing them then in the things themselues Now wishing them grace out of which came true peace he wisheth three things 1. That God himselfe should be still mercifully and graciously inclined to them for God is loue 1 Iohn 4.16 2. He doth assure them of all effects of Gods grace and loue towards them partly in procuring them all things that were good the grace of the father of lights being as a sunne Psal 84.2 partly in protecting them from all euill this fauour being as a shield wherewith the Saints are compassed about Psal 5.13 3. In grace is included the signification the report of his grace in such sort as that they might haue the sense of it that is the displaying it on their heads as a banner the shedding of it into their hearts the lifting of the light of his countenance vpon them Lam. 2.4 Rom. 5. Psal 4. Thus when we wish one fauour with any we wish him that hee may be in their loue inwardly affected holpen with the fruits of their loue and curteously and kindely intreated in regard of louing vsages which is the signification of their loue for if God should loue vs if he should doe vs good and shield vs from euill yet should he hide this from our sense and experience wee could not haue this peace which is next mentioned Now then we may better see that this loue of God is aboue all things to be desired there is no lacke in this loue no good thing shall be wanting vnto vs nay if euils in our taste be good for vs we shall not want them as the loue of a Parent maketh him when neede is prouide bitter physicke for his childe as well as other contentments No euill shall haue accesse no if things good in themselues be harmefull for vs they shall not haue accesse to vs as the loue of a Parent layeth away a Knife which is a good thing in it selfe out of the reach of his childe for whom it were hurtfull All things which to our sense and in themselues are euill this loue maketh them worke to our good If the skilfull Art of a Physitian may make of a poysonfull Viper a wholesome Treacle no wonder if Gods gracious loue turne euen the diuell himselfe to become a helpefull instrument setting forward our perfection 2 Cor. 12.9 In a word it maketh a little estate great riches euery estate contentfull A little thing giuen as a token of the Kings good wil doe we not prize it more then thrice the vallew of that which is no pledge of his fauour And when the loue of a sinfull man is of such force that many a woman while shee may inioy it feeleth not beggery it selfe not grieuous What a force is there in the grace of God while it is perceiued to make vs finde no grieuance in greatest extreamity Whereas without this were a man in a paradise of the earth with all the good of it all were nothing There are Noble men in the Tower who may ride their great Horses haue their Ladies fare deliciously want not for wealth yet because they are out of the Kings fauour no wise man would be in their coates none esteemeth their state happy How much more then are all things of no value if they be possessed without this fauour of which we intreate Psal 17.15 Psal 4. Psal 63. This grace is our life it is better then life As the Marigold openeth when the Sunne shineth ouer it and shutteth when it is with-drawne so our life followeth this fauour we are enlarged if we feele it if it be hidden we are troubled Finally that which the Kings fauourable aspect doth in his Subiect that which the Sunne and Dewe doe in the creatures of the earth which they make to smile in their manner the like doth this grace through all the world of spirits who feele the influence of it Vse 1 Which doth let vs see their fearefull estate who walke in their naturall conditions children of wrath neuer seeking to be reconciled to God If we stand in mans debt and in danger of the Law we will compound the matter If we are faulty towards some great person out of fauour O how will we turne euery stone vse the mediation of all we can to
order of intention first God intendeth his owne glory then Christ then the Church then the World He who is elected and fore-knowne to be a Lambe taking away sinne a mediator redeeming from sinne and death he is elected himselfe after sinne foreseene and by consequent all in him But Christ is so foreknowne and elected Ergo. I should deny the first part of this reason for I see not why God should not choose predestinate him who should saue his chosen from sinne before he decreed or ordered that they should fall into sinne It is no ill prouidence to prepare my salue before I will let my childe out himselfe But some may say If God doe first appoint Christ to redeeme from sinne then hee must procure the being of sinne and so be the author of sinne Beside that this were nothing but to breake ones head that I may after heale it To this I say that it is good that sinne should be as Austin saith and that which is good so farre as it is good God may effectually procure it Praecipiendo mouendo non quiescendo consentiendo Hee is said to be the author of those things which he commandeth and worketh mouing the heart by habits which himselfe infuseth Ergo cannot be said to be the author of sinne If a man make a gash to prooue the excellency of some healing balme I see not why God may not prepare and giue way to the sinfull fall of his creature especially seeing hee knoweth how to mend better then his first making To the second part of the reason might be answered that Christ was not primarily and immediately chosen and predestinated a Lambe a Mediator of redemption but a Head and Prince of saluation who should saue all to the glory of Grace Now being chosen to this end hee is by force of this hee is chosen vpon sinne falling forth to be a sacrifice a Lambe taking away sinne for hee who is chosen to the end is chosen to the Meanes The second thing hence inferred is that foresight of Faith and perseuerance in it as a necessary condition before we can be elected Such who are chosen in Christ such are now fore-seene beleeuers when they are chosen for none are in Christ but such as beleeue But wee are chosen in him c. The first part of this reason is denied with the proofe of it There is a double being in any thing Virtuali continentia Actuali in existentia the one in vertue the other in actuall existing In the roote of corne there is blade eare in vertue but in haruest time the eare and blade are as it were actually hauing their existence in with the root So we are two waies in Christ First in vertue inasmuch as by force of Gods Election wee shall in time haue life and being from him Secondly when now by faith we come actually to exist in and with him who is the roote of vs. Now the first being in Christ requireth not faith but the second the first being heere to be vnderstood To the second part wee deny that this or any text saith we are chosen being now by faith in Christ for this sense maketh in Christ to belong to the obiect of relation whereas the scope of this place doth necessarily make it belong to the act of electing in this manner as for example He hath chosen vs in him viz. Iesus Christ my selfe with you Thus we might heere take occasion to discusse these two great questions 1. Whether man as now fallen be the subiect of election 2. Whether Election is of such who are in Gods foresight faithfull But I will handle the first in the next Doctrine the latter in the last conclusion or doctrine of this verse From this then that wee are beloued in Christ as our head wee may gather our happinesse O how firme is that coniunction which is begun in such a head who is God with God blessed for euer If Kings beare good will to some family if his loue begin in some chiefe one who is with him at Court as his speciall fauourite it is so much the firmer to all the rest of them Thus here how firme sure is his loue to vs whom he hath loued to life in Christ our Head and eldest brother who is his naturall Sonne from whom it is impossible that his loue should euer start and when it is sure to the head can the body be forsaken Doct. Before the foundation of the world Obserue what ancient loue the Lord hath born vs in Christ it is not of yesterday but before all worlds that his loue rested on vs electing vs to saluation such as should stand with the praise of his glory 2 Tim. 1.9 There is mention of Grace giuen vs before all worlds Ioh. 17.24 Make it manifest that thou louest them as thou louedst mee before the foundation of the world I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue saith the Prophet Earthly men will purchase to themselues and heyres when it is but a possibility whether they shall haue heyre of their body yea or no. Againe they will shew their care of posterity while yet they are vnborne by making sure intayles But our Father of all the Fatherhood in heauen and earth doth when wee were but possible creatures before him loue vs to this end of supernaturall blessednesse for by this phrase I take not onely eternity but the degree of order in eternity is noted that for order before the being of the world was willed by him hee did shew vs this grace of choosing vs to life Heere therefore is fit place to consider of that question Whether God foreseeth man as fallen before he elect him The question I should answer negatiuely but in determining of it we wil consider 1. The arguments which affirm it 2. The reasons which deny 3. Wee will shew what we take to be the trueth in this matter answering the arguments which are here propounded to the contrary 1 First then the execution is vrged to prooue our Election after sinne Those whom God now fallen into sinne iustifieth saueth and condemneth those now being in sinne he chose to saue and decreed to condemne But God saueth and condemneth men now fallen into sinne Ergo. 2 Those who are chosen out of mercy and reprobated out of Iustice they are now foreseene in misery by sinne But our Election is out of mercy and reprobation is out of Iustice Ergo. 3 Those which are not or haue not any way being they cannot be elected or reiected But before Decree of Creation men are not Ergo. The first part is plaine that which hath no being can haue no affections that cannot be thus or thus which is not at all 4 That which maketh God first decree mans reiection to the glory of his Iustice before his being or corruption is considered that is absurd But this Doctrine of choosing and reprobating before mans fall doth so Ergo. 5 That which maketh God
rather then thy selfe who dost suffer his vnauoidable pleasure Hauing thus chidden the insolencie of this muttering imputation he proueth that it is equall God should out of his meere pleasure show mercy to some of his creatures and reiect other some to induration and punishment The right which the Potter hath ouer his clay that and much more hath God in his for the Potter must haue his clay made to his hand but God must create and make the clay which he will worke with But the Potter hath the power that he may seuer certaine distinct parcels of his clay out of his meere pleasure to contrary vses v. 21. The Potter doth not seuer his clay in this manner if it shall all be fit to receiue some noble forme I will make it to such end if not I will turne it otherwise for then it must from the clay not the Potter why this parcell were a vessell to honourable vse and that otherwise The Conclusion followeth ver 22.23 Ergo. shall not God haue the same right to appoint some of his creatures to be vessels of dishonour howbeit he vseth much patience towards them that he may the better declare his wrath and power in them and his most gloririous mercy towards his chosen The words haue a rhetoricall reticency in them and are thus laid downe What if God willing to shew his wrath and power haue borne with much patience c. and that hee may shew his glorious mercy towards the vessels of mercy Now something must be vnderstood Shall his power for this be the lesser or any plead against this freedome of God in denying his mercy and reiecting some from the great patience hee vseth toward them or wee may conceiue it if not preuenting this obiection yet laying downe the conclusion with a double reason after this sort If God haue most iust ends of his glory and the good of others who are vessels of mercy and if hee execute his decree with much patience and long sufferance towards the vessels of wrath shall hee not haue power to ordaine them to this end whom in so iust manner and vpon so good considerations hee bringeth vnto c. In answering these Arminius seemeth very accurate but it is a wily diligence such as those poore creatures vse which being hard be set will run round often fetch running-iumps that by this meanes they may bring to a losse all that pursue To leaue him therefore in impertinent discourse what I can gather out of him touching these words respecteth one of these three things 1. The occasion which went before God hardneth whom hee will as hee sheweth mercy to whom he will 2. The obiection 3. The answer Let vs begin with the first for if you marke the antecedent in the sense Arminius taketh it it will not beare the obiection following Secondly If the obiection could be made yet Saint Pauls answere would proue impertinent the antecedent occasion Arminius must vnderstand of Gods decreeing to harden or actually hardening according to his decree His decree is I will deny thee mercy harden thee punish thee if through vnbeleefe and impenitency thou shalt make thy selfe worthy His actuall hardning is a powerfull executing this punishment of induration and reiecting on him who hath by finall impenitency deserued it neyther of these will beare his obiection with shew of reason And because Arminius seemeth rather to respect the decree we will take vp that and ioyne this murmuring obiection with it If I am hardned by Gods decree which doth set downe the hardning and reiecting of all such who shall by finall vnbeleefe and impenitency prouoke him to it then hath God no reason to be angry with me on whom this sentence is executed by his vnresistable will But I am hardned according to that decree Take the antecedent in the other sense If God now in his wrath execute induration on me hauing deserued it by my finall impenitency and that with such power that I cannot resist him then hath hee no cause to be angry with me who am thus hardned by his almighty power I doe appeale to any conscience what shew of reason there is inferring such a consequence on such antecedents No had Gods will beene not absolute within himselfe but respecting conditions meritorious in the creature or had his induration beene a meere inferring of punishment now deserued and not a deniall of mercy which should haue remooued the entrance of the other which the opposition teacheth to be meant by induration then there had beene no shew of reason thus to grant against God But come to the obiection He conceiued in it thus much as if it should say Can Gods induration cause him to be angry against vs who are hardned Can that which is the effect of his vnresistable will cause him to be angry with vs iustly First the Apostle chideth this insolency suggesting the state of the person murmuring and the person of God against whom it is murmured Secondly from comparison well hauing thus repelled it he defendeth the equity of God and answereth to the matter First in the 2. verse He who hath power to decree the life and death of his creature on some conditions and so to harden some and shew mercy to others If he harden or shew mercy we must not reason against it But God hath this power set downe in the comparison of the Potter but the comparison of a Potter pleadeth a farre higher thing in God then making a decree of sauing such as should become fit through vse of their owne liberty and condemning such who should most iustly deserue it For this legall kinde of induration as some of his schollers call it giueth no occasion of imputing with show of reason any fault to God seeing Gods decree doth not any thing to mee vnlesse further then I make my selfe a vessell of dishonour Secondly this sense hath no affinity with the Potters fact this decree doth not make definitely any persons vessels of honor but such of them as should belieue all if they will belieue this doth not make the persons become vessels of honour but the performance of the condition in the decree this maketh God to frame persons diuersly qualified to diuers ends whereas the Potter frameth a masse all alike to diuers purposes Thus hauing repelled this murmuring he doth make answer to the matter of their obiection three waies which likewise may make to his iudgement a limited reddition of the former comparison Thus by the way I haue runne ouer part of the ninth to the Romanes in which were not all error a thing connaturall I should maruell how any could euer imagine things so directly against the meaning discourse of it The plot of his election was as strong in his braine as numbers in theirs who thought they saw them in euery thing Let vs euer hold that the choyse and purpose of calling to the heauenly inheritance is meerely from his will because hee will without
thing who hath made all things in heauen and earth serue as their end to which they may be reduced Doct. Secondly obserue that he doth generally intend his praise of his grace in all such who are predestinated by him that which God doth out of his grace must needs be to the glory of his grace But hee doth elect and predestinate vs out of his grace We see that if one doth this or that in wisdome he is praised for his wisedome which in this or that he hath showed So in any other vertue thus it is those things which God doth out of his grace hee must needes intend to haue his grace notified in them and to haue it being knowne admired honoured praised accordingly Againe those things which God doth out of iustice though diuersly iustice from which they come shall be glorious in them yet all that iustice doth is reduced to this as the iust supreme end euen to lend a voice to the riches of Gods glorious mercy which he sheweth the vessels of mercy For looke as in vs the actions of inferiour vertues which commend the vertues they come from they are seruiceable in some sort to actions of superiour vertues Ergo what my temperance doth vpon the Sabbaoth it doth it for religion sake that my deuotion may more fully and fruitfully occupie himselfe so would God haue vs conceiue in his dispensation that what his iustice doth it is such that in some sort it hath a respect to and is seruiceable to this most supreame end this praise of his grace this is it in which he most delighteth Euen as vertuous Kings after the matters of God affect aboue all things to be had in honour for clemencie and bounty so it is with our God King of Kings all he doth is to this end that his grace may be made manifest vnto his greater glory Men indeede may looke at praise as a spurre but not driue at it as their highest end nay they may not seeke it but for a further end Gods glory the good of others their owne due encouragement But God may seeke his glory as his vtmost end because hee is not in danger of Pride as man is and there is none higher then himselfe to whom he should haue respect this maketh him when he sheweth himselfe to Moses proclaime this in himselfe without comparison aboue others See the place Vse 1 The Vse of this is first to stirre vs vp to glorifie him in regard of his grace to vs How will seruants who belong to bountifull Lords commend them for their franke house-keeping liberality to the poore bounty to their followers So should we neuer cease to haue this grace in our hearts and mouthes to his glory who hath shewed it Let vs not be like those grounds which swallow Seede and returne nothing to the Sower They are not the children of grace in whom God obtaineth not this end for all such as belong to his grace he hath chosen them to this end that his grace should be knowne praised and magnified by them Saint Paul I thanke God in Christ Rom. 7. Praise be to God in Christ 1 Cor. 15. Blessed be God euen the Father 1 Pet. 1. If the light of Gods graces shining in men must make vs glorifie God in them how should this most high grace of God before all worlds thinking on vs for good how I say should it be extolled of vs When the loue in a good man must be glorious in our eyes yea seeing his predestination hath so wrought that all things shall worke for our good let vs in euill as well as in good praise him hee loues in euery thing loue it selfe Euen as waters come from the sea and returne againe to it So from this Ocean commeth euery blessing and euery benefit should by praising this grace be resolued to it Vse 2 This Doctrine hath Vse for confutation If this be the last end and the direct and immediate end of all God doth toward his children then it cannot be that their life of glory in the heauens should be giuen them from the hand of iustice For if that should next of all and immediately be giuen them from iustice then the last things to which Gods predestination should come is the glory of Gods distributiue iustice Aeque proximè immèdiatâ—o If they say God doth giue it as an act of grace and iustice I answere then God hath not done all in election and predestination to life vnto the glory of his grace but to the ioynt glory of his grace and iustice Againe it is impossible that God should alike immediately giue life ioyntly from grace and iustice For if grace giue it freely iustice cannot together giue it as a matter due by meritorious purchase God may as possibly condemne the same man both out of reuenging iustice and mercy at once as he can giue a man life at once both from free grace and distributiue iustice for mercy and reuenging iustice are not more opposite then grace is to distributiue iustice Againe we see them confuted who thinke that God propounded an indefinite end about his creatures destinating his creature to his glory in a manner indefinite whereas we see in the highest acts of Gods counsell the Scripture mentioneth God is testified to haue his end not in generall but specified as it is here the praise of his glorious grace Beside that God cannot propound ends indefinitely for this supposeth that God may prouide for some particular end and be frustrated in it that he dependeth on the will of man in his decrees touching his glory in this or that particular manner that he doth not see in that instant moment or signe of his eternall act whereby he did decree to make When he doth decree to make his creature to what particular end hee shall bring him onely hee is sure in some kinde or other to haue his glory Doct. Obserue thirdly from this he saith Of the glory of his grace And so the other attributes of God are his essentiall glory a most glorious Essence In earthly things that is a glorious body which is light some radiant hath a kinde of luster Ergo Saint Paul saith there is one glory of the Sun another of the Moone and Stars making these lightsome bodies subiects of glory Thus it is a property of a body glorious to shine as the Sunne needes then must God be essentially glorious who dwelleth in light who is light it selfe such as that to it there is no accesse such as that the Seraphims conscious of their infirmitie doe veyle themselues before it The light naturall which this bodily eye seeth the light of reason of grace it selfe all are as nothing before this light When Moses said Lord shew me thy glory Exod. 33. the Lord said I will show thee my excellency And what was it Euen his grace mercy bounty long-suffering c. Exod. 34. Vse 1 I name this by the way to
for sinnes are said to be before committed which were committed vnder the former testament as Heb. 9. it is made plaine and so not the time of a man before and after conuersion but the time before and after or vnder the new Testament is there compared and howbeit wee are still to seeke forgiuenesse it is not that we are not in state of being iustified and forgiuen but because it is needfull that God should as well preserue and continue this as at first giue it and that this his mercy should be more and more manifested in vs and that the execution of this sentence should be further and further performed Finally that the Fatherly chastisements our sins daily incurre might be preuented for these causes we make this petition though we know all our sinnes are in regard of Gods gracious sentence remitted to vs Neyther doth the Churches censure excommunicating any argue that hee is one who before the tribunall of God is in state of condemnation or doth not continue vnited to Christ but that he hath no manifest externall communion with her in the dueties of godlinesse and secondary operations of the Spirit yea that as the Leaper was ciuilly dead in regard of ciuill communion so is hee to her in regard of spirituall but she doth take him to haue inward vnion and life which floweth from it for euen as wee seeke the health of none by way of medicine whom we cannot take to haue life in them no more can the Church the restoring of these by this so sharpe censure might she not thinke there were some life in them though it is oppressed as the life naturall by a fit of the Apoplexie If wee haue not all our sinnes forgiuen past present to come it is because Christ hath not the pardon of them all to giue vs or because the Word and Sacraments cannot apply to vs at once the pardon of them all or because our faith cannot receiue this plenary remission or else it is not fit for some consequence which would ensue But the former three none will doubt of and the latter is fondly surmised when this grace which forgiueth is the parent and nurse of holy feare in vs Psal 130. Wherefore for this first part let vs assure our selues God doth giue vs full pardon of all our sinnes and that this his gift is as his effectuall calling without repentance and we beleeuing doe receiue this whole mercy So that though we are subiect to grieuous fals after it and vnbeliefe yet not to any such vnbeleefe as shall euer make the faith of God and his gracious gift in vaine which concerning Gods forgiuenesse so far as they conceiue it to extend the best of the Papists Schoole maintaineth Now to show that the whole guilt and punishment is released Such who are set free from all condemnation are as well set free from temporall as eternall Now all in Christ are thus set free c. Such who are set free from the curse of the Law are set free from temporall punishments of sinne such I meane as come from reuenging iustice that she may be satisfied in them as well as from eternall for all these are the curses of the Law see Isay 43. Acts 3. Mica 9. Dan 9. Psal 103. Deut. 17. He who couereth them blotteth them out throweth them into the bottome of the sea sealeth them vp remoueth them as farre as the East from the West he doth not pardon them by halues The Papists doe yeelde this full pardon in Baptisme but in sinnes which we fall into after Baptisme I meane mortall sinnes they say that wee receiâ—e forgiuenesse onely of the eternall not of the temporall punishment which remaineth to be suffered by vs to the satisfaction of Gods iustice This is a wicked Doctrine derogating from Christ that the reuenew of purgatory might not be diminished and not to speake that all this Doctrine of sacramentall pennance leaneth on false grounds as namely on this for one that sinnes onely before Baptisme are forgiuen when we are Baptised that there are some veniall sinnes not deseruing eternall punishment it is to be detested because it maketh Christ not solely and perfectly to saue vs from sinne it maketh Christ not the purger of vs by himselfe from sinne which is affirmed Heb. 1.3 while it doth make vs to satisfie for our selues in regard of the guilt in part and temporary punishment Here are arguments in the Text against it 1. That remission which is giuen vpon a price more then sufficient to answere all the punishment of sinne that is not a halfe remission 2. That sinne which is remitted or pardoned that is not to be satisfied for to pardon is without satisfaction or any reuenge taken to forgiue that which is committed against me Should the King when he might execute a Traitour not take his life but keepe him in prison he should not forgiue the fault but change a greater punishment into a lesse 3. Againe that which is giuen from the riches of grace is no scant halfe pardon But the remission which God giueth is from his rich grace True it is that God doth after he hath forgiuen a sinne take temporary correction still as in Dauid but to offer himselfe as a father for our good is one thing to reuenge himselfe as a iudge for the satisfying of his iustice is another the sting of reuenging iustice is pulled forth from what time we haue forgiuenesse this done the euill is no curse of the Law and Ergo it may stand with full and free forgiuenesse Should some Turke haue sentence passe on him to die for some murther which amongst Christians hee is found to haue committed should Christians betweene the sentence and time of execution labour with him and conuert him to the faith of Christ should he now when the houre of execution were at hand Paenitentiae est sanatie in regeneratis in nonam vitam being duely prepared to it take Baptisme I hope he should be fully forgiuen and yet he should haue no release from this death which by his murther he had deserued In a word there is no ground for this opinion Which some see and Ergo yeeld that Baptisme doth not take away all punishment in this life but in the life to come it shall It taketh all away which were to be suffered in purgatory and all penalties the Church may inioyne but it is onely defended that the flame of purgatory might not be extinguished Aske the question why doth this man hauing after Baptisme fallen to some mortall sinne and then repenting why doth he on his faith and repentance receiue onely forgiuenesse of the eternall punishment Is it that Christ his death is not as sufficient as before are there not sufficient meanes will not the same qualification in faith and repentance serue that did before They say the first is all-sufficient in it selfe They say the Sacrament of their pennance is perfect they say if a man
hath disagreement with his nature is not to be yeelded But to will sinne is to will a deprauation of his image disagreeing with his nature Ergo. 9. That which taketh away mans liberty in sinning maketh his sinne no sinne and is not to be granted Gods ordeyning that man should fall doth so Ergo. 10. He that punisheth sinne is not the author of sinne God doth punish it Ergo. 11. He who doth giue his son all to death for the abolishing of sinne he doth not will that it should be But God doth so Ergo. 12. If God willed the being of sinnes to some ends then he hath need of sinne But he hath not need of sinne 13. That which maketh God will the being of sinne that he may show mercy in Christ and shew mercy in Christ for the taking away of sinne that maketh God runne a fond circle But this doth so 14. He who cannot tempt to sinne cannot will sinne God cannot Ergo. Now to proue that God did will that through his permission sinne should enter or that hee did will sinne so farre forth as that it should be or the being of sinne for these are one the Arguments following are vsed 1. He who doth make his creature such who may fall and setteth him in such circumstances in which he doth see he will fall and then permitteth him to himselfe hee doth will and ordaine that his creature through his mutability freedome shall fall But God maketh him such who may fall and setteth him in such circumstances in which hee doth foresee hee will fall and then leaueth him to fall Ergo. If any except God doth make him such as may fall and set him in circumstances in which he will fall not that he intendeth his fall but for his triall I would aske why God knowing such circumstances in which his creature might possibly haue fallen not actually falling and so haue proued him without falling why he did choose to set him in such in which hee did foresee that he would fall certainely 2. That about which an act of Gods will is occupied that thing is willed Gods permission is an act of his will and is occupied about sinne the entring or being of it Ergo this is willed The first part is plaine as loue hatred feare cannot be about any thing but the thing must be loued feared hated so heere neither doth man permit any thing hauing power to withstand it but hee is willing with it Now permission is so an obiect of will that it is likewise an act of will conuersant about that which it permitteth 3. Hee who prohibiting any thing nilleth it or willeth it shall not be he permitting any thing willeth it shall be But God doth euer nill that which he hindreth 4. That which God so permitteth that hee hath his end in permitting it that he willeth for what euer hath an end that so farre forth is good What euer in any degree is good that so farre forth is a fit obiect of the diuine will But God permitting sinne hath his end why he will permit it as all grant 5. Hee who willeth the antecedent on which an other thing doth infallibly ensue hee doth will that which followeth also As God cannot will the being of the Sunne but he must will the illumination following it But God willeth to permit on which infallibly followeth the sinne permitted otherwise God might permit and the thing permitted not happen which is absurd to thinke for then hee might deliuer a person vp to sinne and hee not fall into the sinne into which hee is deliuered For though the action of free-will come betweene Gods permission deliuering vp and the sinne to which wee are deliuered and permitted yet God doth neuer permit but that the creature will fall most infallibly to that which is permitted 6. Hee who cannot but either will that sinne should be or will that it should not be hee hath willed that it should be But God must either will it or nill it Ergo. He whose omnipotencie is in the being of all things hee must will the being of all things Gods omnipotencie is in the being of euery thing for looke as if his knowledge be not in euery thing he were not omniscient and looke as if his presence were not in euery thing hee were not omnipresent so if his powerfull will worke not in euery thing hee is not omnipotent 7. No defect of an inferiour instrument can trouble the worke of an all-knowing and almighty Artificer For the instrument cannot doe any thing nor yet faile in any thing without his sufferance and knowledge But a defect in an Instrument not intended and chosen by the Artificer doth disturbe his worke Therefore Adams defection from Gods order was not without the will and intention of God 8. That which maketh Gods prouidence more imperfect toward man is not to be graunted But to say God letteth man fall into sinne without his will ordaining it before doth so For God doth not onely fore-know the euils which befall the basest creatures but he doth ordaine the falling of them forth 9. What euer Gods prouidence worketh to his will is to haue that be to which his prouidence worketh for prouidence is ioyned with will and of things willed But Gods prouidence doth set the creature such circumstances in which it will sinne doth keepe backe all effectuall hinderances which might hinder the creature from sinning doth intend the vse of sinne fallen out Ergo Gods will was that his creature should sinne 10. That which taketh away the true ground of fearing God solide trusting in him patience in euill is not to be admitted But the opinion that saith that euill may befall vs which God neither willeth nor intendeth maketh vs we can neither soundly feare nor stay on God for how can we fully feare and rest on him in whose hand it is not intirely to keepe vs from all euill or to bring about all that euill which may ouertake vs Now to say that man had power to fall into sinne without Gods will or intention doth affirme both these viz. that it is out of Gods hand to preserue vs For though he will and intend our preseruation yet we may fall into euill And that euill may befall vs which God doth not will nor effectually bring about I neede not shew what a ground of patience is taken away when we cannot thinke that God had any will or intention in that which is befallen vs. 11. Hee who may holily will and ordaine to good ends and vses after-sinnes hee may ordaine the first also and will it as a meane which hee can vse to his glory this is thus shewed After-sinne as sinne hath no lesse disproportion with Gods nature nor can be no more approued by him then the first It must then onely be respects for which God may will an after sinne rather then the first but if respects make sinne a fit obiect of his will the first putteth on as good respects
verse 15 Hauing thus laid down the benefit he commeth to mention the effect which the consideration of it wrought in him which reacheth to the end of this chapter wherein two things may be obserued 1. The occasion in this 15. verse 2. The fact which hath two parts 1. His thankesgiuing 2. His prayer Concerning the latter first we haue set downe that he prayed 2. What hee prayed in the end of the 16. verse and so downward In setting downe the occasion 1. Wee are to consider the Apostle his hearing of them 2. What hee heard of them which was first their Faith et downe with the obiect of it in the Lord Iesus secondly their Loue which is amplified from the obiect to Saints from the quantity and extention of it to all Saints The verse hath nothing difficult to be explaned Doct. 1 Obserue first from this that Paul getteth heeresay say how the matter of grace went amongst them that Ministers must labour to know how grace goeth forward in those with whom they are to deale This was the newes that Paul asked after his desire was to be certified of this before all other things Thus Epaphras told him of the Colossians estate thus hee learned out the famous faith of the Romanes thus hee learned by some of the house of Cloe the state of the Corinthians Naturall men wil inquire hearken after the health of their friends how they are in body and estate Thus this spirituall man he was stil learning how the soules of the Churches prospered It behoueth shepheards to know their flocke Naturall parents if they haue children at the vniuersity they will inquire how they goe on in learning and vertue Thus this Father of soules absent from them could doe no other but bee delighted to learne how they did grow toward God Vse Which thing may checke many Pastors nowadaies whose Epistles if one reade you shall finde nothing they listen after but newes like those Athenians Acts 17. newes fitter for men that follow the Exchange then for those who are Fathers in Churches Againe this doth shew how wide they are who thinke it curiosity in Ministers if they look into the manners more neerly of their people What need they busie themselues thrust their oare into other mens boats For a priuate person without any calling to be inquisitiue and to prie into others that I may know how to come ouer them cast something in their teeth if they a little displease me is great wickednesse but for a Minister to the end he may discharge his duety more fruitfully it is no other thing then God requireth for the good of people Some who would heare nothing but omnia bene would haue Ministers quiet men stop their eares with waxe neuer weare their eyes about them but when they haue a booke in their hand but alas they consider not that Ministers are shepheards watchmen ouer-seers c. and that this is the key which openeth them the way into all the parts of their duetie viz. the knowledge of their states to whom they are to speake Doct. 2 Secondly obserue about what the faith of these Ephesians was occupied euen about the Lord Iesus Christ We reade sometime the faith of Christ sometime the faith on Christ sometime faith in Christ as here they note much the same thing but that the first may be conceiued as propounding Christ the simple obiect of faith The second phrase noteth Christ the obiect together with our adhering to him The third noteth Christ the obiect our innering in him together with the word prounded as the way and meane by which we come beleeuingly to inhere in him for that distinction which some make following some of the auncient is not by Scripture warrantable which doth indifferently appropriate these two phrases to the Saints to beleeue in the Lord Iesus and to beleeue on him Christ is euery where made the thing which faith imbraceth to saluation So God loued the world that he gaue his Sonne whom he hath set forth a propitiatory sacrifice through faith on his bloud Through faith on him we hope to be saued as others not that Christ is the onely obiect about which faith is exercised but it is the principall of all others and the sole obiect about which it is occupied that it may obtaine righteousnesse and life euerlasting otherwise as faith is called iustifying faith not that to iustifie is the sole adaequate or full act of it but because to iustifie to life is the most eminent act of all others 〈◊〉 i◠is said to apprehend Christ not that Christ is the adaequate the full obiect of faith as colour is of sight but because it is the most eminent of all other In like sort Loue is called the loue of God not that the same loue wherewith wee loue God doth not loue men also the contrary whereof see 1 Iohn 4.12 but because God is the most excellent obiect about which it is conuersant Further to open this point 2. Things must be showed first what faith in Christ or on Christ is secondly why faith as it iustifieth and saueth is carried to Christ onely Faith on Christ is not onely to know and with the eye of the minde to see that God sent his Sonne that he was borne and suffered for mankinde but to rest or stay on Christ that we may finde mercy in him to the forgiuenesse of our sins to stay on him for faith is not onely a knowledge in the minde but a godly affection in the will which doth goe to embrace rest vpon Christ or the grace offred in Christ Ergo receiuing is made an effect of faith Iohn 1.12 and going to Christ hee that beleeueth hee that commeth to mee Iohn 6. and the nature of faith is described by words which signifie to roule our selues on God to leane on him as one would stay himselfe vpon a staffe for the word of promise not onely containing truth but offering some good thing vnto vs we cannot fully receiue it with vnderstanding but the will also must moue toward it Againe let me be distressed for a hundred pound or so if one promise me I shall haue it of him I doe not onely know and thinke and perswade my selfe he saith true but I trust to him rest on him and write as we say on that hee hath spoken Besides if there were no particular confidence in a Christians faith the reprobate might haue all that is in his beleefe Now though our faith beleeue many other things yet it iustifieth and reconcileth vs to God as it doth see and rest vpon Christ As a malefactor though his hand will receiue innumerable matters yet as it receiueth the Kings pardon onely it doth acquit him and restore him to liberty so it is with vs condemned ones as our faith receiueth Gods pardon in Christ it doth obtaine remission of sinne and set vs free from feare of damnation The matter obiected may easily be answered if these