beginning of the World hath Predestinated in Christ unto Eternal life Thus do I wade in Predestination in such sort ' as God hath patesied and opened it Though to God it be the first yet to us it is the last opened and therefore I begin with Creation from whence I come to Redemption so to Justification so to Election On this sort I am sure that warily and wisely a man may walk it easily by the light of Gods Spirit in and by his Word seeing this faith is not to be given to all men 2 Thes 3. but to such as are born of God Predestinated before the World was made after the purpose and good will of God c. Which judgment of this holy man comes up so close to that of the former Martyrs and is so plainly cross to that of the Calvinistical party that Mr. Fox was fain to make some Scholia's on it to reconcile a gloss like that of Orleance which corrupts the Text and therefore to have no place here however it may be disposed of at another time But besides the Epistle above mentioned there is extant a Discourse of the said godly Martyr entituled The sum of the Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation in which is affirmed That our own wilfulness sin and contemning of Christ are the cause of Reprobation as is confessed by the Author of the Anti-Arminianism p. 103. though afterwards he puts such a gloss upon it as he doth also on the like passages in Bishop Hooper as makes the sin of man to be the cause only of the execution and not of the decree of Reprobation But it is said That any one that reads the Common-Prayer-book with an unprejudiced mind Justifi Fatâ—â—s cannot chuse but observe divers passages that make for a Personal Eternal Election So it is said of late and till of late never so said by any that ever I heard of the whole frame and fabrick of the Publique Liturgy being directly opposite to this new conceit For in the general Confession we beseech the Lord to spare them that confess their faults and restore them that be penitent according to his promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord In the Te Deum it is said that Christ our Saviour having overcome the sharpness of death did open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers In the Prayer for the first day of Lent That God hateth nothing which he hath made but doth forgive the sins of all them that be penitent In the Prayer at the end of the Commination That God hath compassion of all men that he hateth nothing which he hath made that he would not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from sin and repent In the Absolution before the Communion That God of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them which with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him Can any one which comes with an unprejudiced mind to the Common-Prayer book observe any thing that favoureth of a Personal Election in all these passages or can he hope to find them in any other Look then upon the last Exhortation before the Communion in which we are required above all things To give most humble and hearty thanks to God the Father and the Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ both God and man who did humble himself even to the death upon the Cross for us miserable sinners which lay in darkness and the shadow of death More of which nature we shall find in the second Article Look on the Collect in the form of publique Baptism in which we pray That whosoever is here dedicated unto God by our Office and Ministry may also be endued with Heavenly vertues and everlastingly rewarded through Gods mercy O blessed Lord God c. And in the Rubrick before Confirmation where it is said expr sly That it is certain by Gods Word that Children being baptized have all things necessary to their salvation and be undoubtedly saved Look on these passages and the rest and tell me any one that can whether the publique Liturgy of the Church of England speak any thing in favour of such a Personal and Eternal Election that is to say such an absolute irrespective and irreversible Decree of Predestination and that of some few only unto life Eternal as is maintained and taught in the Schools of Calvin Some passages I grant there are which speak of Gods People and his chosen People and yet intend not any such Personal and Eternal Election as these men conceit unto themselves Of which sort these viz. To declare and pronounce to his People being penitent O Lord save thy People and bless thy Heritage that it would please thee to keep and bless all thy People and make thy chosen People joyful with many others intersâ—ers'd in several places But then I must affirm withal that those passages are no otherwise to be understood than of the whole bo y of the Church the Congregation of the faithful called to the publique participation of the Word and Sacraments Which appears plainly by the Prayer for the Church Militant here on earth where having called upon the Lord and said To all thy People give thy Heavenly grace we are taught presently to add especially to this Congregation here present that is to say the members of that particular Church which there pour forth their prayers for the Church in general More to their purpose is that passage in the Collect for the Feast of All-Saints where it is said That Almighty God hath knit together his Elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of his Son Jesus Christ though it doth signifie no more but that inseparable bond of Charity that Love and Unity that Holy Communion and Correspondency which is between the Saints in Glory in the Church Triumphant and those who are still exercised under the cares and miseries of this present life in the Church here Militant But it makes most unto their purpose if any thing could make unto their purpose in the Common-Prayer book that at the burial of the dead we are taught to pray That God would please of his gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of his elect and to hasten his Kingdom From whence as possibly some may raise this inference That by the Doctrine of the Church of England there is a predestinated and certain number of Elect which can neither be increased nor diminished according to the third of the nine Articles which were agreed upon at Lambeth So others may perhaps conclude That this number is made up out of such Elections such Personal and Eternal Elections as they have fancied to themselves But there is nothing in the Prayer which can be useful to the countenancing of any such fancy the number of the Elect and the certainty of that number being known only unto God in the way of his
Concil Laodicen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to name the Psalm and to begin it as some about this time had presumed to do it being permitted as he noteth after the Psalm was so begun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lay-men of what rank soever if they had tuneable voices or could sing their parts might then joyn with them asin consort to make up the Harmony The next care taken by this Council was that the Gospels and other parts of the holy Scripture might be read upon the Saturday or the old Jewish Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereof the reason is thus given by Balsamon Concil Ladoic Can. 15. because that day had been formerly spent in Feasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the people used not to assemble on it Balsamon in Can. 16. Laodicen for religious offices which to redress it was determined by this Canon that on that day as well as others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sorts of Ecclesiastical ministrations were to be performed The last was for the ordering of the Psalms concerning which it was ordained that between every portion of the Psalms for they divided the whole Psalter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. in Canon 17. Concil Laodic Can. 17. into several portions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some part of holy Scripture should be intermingled lest else the people might be tyred with continual singing Here then we have certain prescribed Rules and Orders for the officiating of Gods publick Service the Palms divided into Portions those Portions intermingled with the reading of the holy Scripture a prescribed office ordered for the Saturday and finaly a punctual direction not only who should name or begin the Psalm but from what Book it should be read But there 's another Canon of this Council which looks more backward and did not so much introduce any new Orders into the Church as confirm the old and doth indeed give as full a view of the several parts and Offices of the publick Service as any other of that time whatever The first part of the Service we have seen before in Justin Martyr that which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Common-prayers of the Church at which all sorts of people were and might be present This ended with the Sernion as we saw before And we shall see now more particularly what they had to do after that was done For howsoever it may seem in that place of Justin that presently upon the conclusion of the Sermon they went unto the Celebration of the blessed Eucharist yet that is on a supposition that there were none present but Believers only and such as were prepared to Communicate But being that in those severe Ages of the Church they had not only Catechumeni such as desired to be admitted into the bosom of the Church and had not yet received that Sacrament of Baptism but such as having been Baptized were for their lapses and offences put to open Penance as well as godly and religious persons against whom no bar could be pretended the Offices of the Church were to be so fitted that every one of these conditions might not want his part And this is that which we find described in this Canon thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Laodicen Can. 19. c. After the Bishop hath done his Sermon let first the prayer be said for the Catechumeni they being gone the prayers for such who are under penance are to be dispatched and when they have received Imposition of hands and are also gone then let the prayers for the faithful be thrice made thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the first softly every man secretly to himself the second and the third aloud which done the Peace or kiss of peace is to be given and so they are to go to the Oblation And let none but such as be in Orders enter within the rail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or come within the place where the Altar stands to receive the Sacrament So far the Canon of the Council by which it is apparent that each sort of Auditors had a peculiar course or Office besides that part of publick Service in which they joyned all together as before was said But whether the prayers here spoken of were left at liberty to the discretion of the Minister or in a prescribed and determinate Form we must see elsewhere And in my mind we cannot see it at a fuller view than in the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens undoubtedly more ancient than the times we speak of where we find it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All rising up let the Deacon go into some eminent place and say Constitut Apost lib. 8. c. 5. None of the hearers none of the unbelievers depart the place And silence being made he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray ye hearers And all the faithful shall pray for them with a good devotion saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy upon them Then let the Dacon thus proceed Id. cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let us all pray to God for the Catechumeni that our good God of his abundant love to man-kind would graciously hear their prayers and give them help minate their understandings instruct them in knowledge and teach them his Commandments c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Moreover let us beseech God for them that having obtained remission of their sins by Baptism they may be meet partakers of the holy Eucharist and dwell for ever with the Saints c. Now unto every point or period contained in this solemn prayer the people answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lod have mercy on them after the manner of the Litany and the whole prayer being ended they bowed their heads under the Bishops hands by whom they were dismissed with a Benediction conform unto the Canon of the Laodicean Council which before we spake of Which done the Deacon standing as before said thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depart ye Catechumeni in peace The Ite missa est in the Western Churches is the same with this Then follow prayers for the Engergumeni or such as were possessed with unclean spirits And that being ended together with another for the Baptized or Illuminati the Deacon said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray ye devoutly which be under Penance and then goeth on Id. ibid. cap. 8. Pray we for those which be under Penance that God would shew them the way of repentance accept their Recantation and Confession and finally beat down Satan under their feet c. the people still subjoyning unto every clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy on them Thus much and more unto this purpose in the Constitutions And I the rather am inclined to admit these Forms or to resolve it at the least that set Forms they had for these several Offices because the Minister by whom they were performed was of no higher Order than a Deacon For had the
Prescience by which he seeth all things past and all things to come as if present with him And therefore having past a general Decree of Predestination touching the saving of all those which believe in Christ and knowing most infallibly who and how many of all Nations will believe in Christ continue in the faith to the end of their lives and consequently attain salvation The number of the persons so Predestinated is as well known unto him in the universal comprehension of his Heavenly Prescience as if they had been personally elected unto life Eternal the accomplishing of which number that so his Kingdom may be hastned and the hastning of his Kingdom that we with all the rest which are departed in the true faith of his holy Name may have our perfect Consummation and bliss both in body and soul is the scope and purpose of that Prayer And being the sole scope and purpose of it cannot imply such a Personal and Eternal Election as some men imagine though it conclude both for a number and for a certain number of Gods Elect. CHAP. X. The Doctrine of the Church concerning Reprobatin and Universal Redemption 1. The absolute Decree of Reprobation not found in the Articles of this Church but against it in some passages of the publick Liturgy 2. The cause of Reprobation to be found in a mans self and not in Gods Decrees according to the judgment of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper 3. The Absolute Decrees of Election and Reprobation how contrary to the last clause in the seventeenth Article 4. The inconsistency of the Absolute Decree of Reprobation with the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption by the death of Christ 5. The Vniversal Redemption of man-kind by the death of Christ declared in many places of the publick Liturgy and affirmed also in one of the Homilies and the Book of Articles 6. A further proof of it from the Mission of the Apostles and the Prayer used in the Ordination of Priests 7. The same confirmed by the writings of Archbishop Cranmer and the two other Bishops before mentioned 8. A Generality of the Promises and an Vniversality of Vocation maintained by the said two godly Bishops 9. The reasons why this benefit is not made effectual to all sorts of men to be found only in themselves AS the speaking of Heaven doth many times beget the discovery of Hell so the foregoing discovery of Predestination to Eternal life conducts me to the speaking of a few words concerning the Doctrine of Reprobation Rejection Eternal death a point of which the Church of England is utterly silent leaving it to be gathered upon Logical inferences from that which is delivered by her in the point of Election for contrariorum contraria est ratio as Logicians say though that which is so gathered ought rather to be called a Dereliction than a Reprobation No such absolute irreversible and irrespective Decree of Reprobation taught or maintained in any publick Monument of Record of the Church of England by which the far greater part of man-kind are preordained and consequently pre-condemned to the pit of torments without any respect had unto their sins and incredulities as generally is maintained and taught in the Schools of Calvin Much I am sure may be said against it out of the passages in the Liturgy before remembred where it is said that God hath compassion upon all men and hateth nothing which he hath made but much more out of those which are to come in the second Article touching the Universal Reconciliation of man-kind unto God the Father by the death of Christ Take now to more than this one Collect being the last of those which are appointed for Good Friday on which we celebrate the memorial of Christ his death and passion and is this that followeth viz. Merciful God who hast made all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made nor wouldst the death of a sinner but rahter that he should be converted and live have mercy upon all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved amongst the remnant of the true Israelites and be made one fold under one Shepherd Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer as utterly inconsistent with the Calvinians Decree of Reprobation as the finding of an Hell in Heaven or any thing else which seems to be most abhorrent both from faith and piety More may be said against it out of the writings of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper before remembred Latimer in his 4. Sermon third Sunday after Epiphany 4. Serm. in Lincoln Beginning first with Latimer he will tell us this viz. That if most be damned the fault is not in God but in themselves for Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri God would that all men should be saved but they themselves procure their own damnation Thus also in another place That Christ only and no man else merited Remission Justification and Eternal Felicity for as many as believe the same that Christ shed as much blood for Judas as for Peter that Peter believed it and therefore was saved that Judas could not believe it therefore was condemned the fault being in him only and no body else More fully not more plainly the other Bishop in the said Preface to the Exposition on the Ten Commandments where it is said That Cain was no more excluded from the promise of Christ till he excluded himself than Abel Saul than David Judas than Peter Esau than Jacob concerning which two brethren he further added That in the sentence of God given unto Rebecca that there was no mention at all that Esau should be disinherited of Eternal life but that he should be inferiour to his brother Jacob in this world which Prophecy saith he was fulfilled in their Posterity and not the persons themselves the very same withat of Arminius and his followers have since declared in this case And this being said he proceedeth to this Declaration That God is said by the Prophet to have hated Esau not because he was disinherited of Eternal life but in laying his mountains and his heritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness Mal. 1.3 that the threatning of God against Esau if he had not of wilful malice excluded himself from the promise of grace should no more have hindred his salvation than Gods threatning against Nineve that the cause of Rejection or Damnation is sin in man which will not hear neither receive the promise of the Gospel And finally thus That by Gods grace we might do the good Exposit of the Command cap. of Ignor. and leave the evil if it were not through malice or accustomed doing of sin the which excuseth the mercy and goodness of God and maketh that no man shall be excused in the latter judgment how subtilly soever they now excuse the matter and put their evil doings from them and
turneth his faced for the time and as long as he so doth so should they more and more â—â—ir us to cry unto God with all our heart that we may not be brought into the state which doubtless is so sorrowful so miserable and so dreadful as no Tongue can sufficiently express nor any heart can think for what deadly grief can a man suppose it is to be under the wrath of God to be forsaken of him to have his holy Spirit the Author of all goodness to be taken from him to be brought to so vile a condition that he shall be lâ—ft meet for no better purpose than to be for ever condemned to Hell for not only such places of David de shew that upon the turning of Gods face from any persons they stall be lâ—ft bare from all goodness and far from hope of remedy but also the place rehearsed last before of Isaiah doth mean the same which sheweth that God at length doth so fosake his unfruitful Vineyard that he will notonly suffer it to bring forth weeds bryars and thorns but also further to punish the unfruitfulness of it he saith he will not cut it he will not delve it and he will command the clouds that they shall not rain upon it whereby is signified the teaching of the holy Word which St Paul after a like manner expressed by planting and watering Meaning that he will take that away from them so that they shall be no longer of his Kingdom they shall be no longer governed by his holy Spirit they shall be put from the grace and benefits they had and ever might have enjoyed through Christ they shall be deprived of the heavenly light and life which they had in Christ whilst they abode in him they shall be as they were once as men without God in the world or rather in a worse taking And to be short they shall be given into the power of the Devil which beareth the rule of all men which be cast away fro God as he did in Saul and Judas and generally in all such as work after their own wills the Children of wistrust and unbelief let us beware therefore good Christian people lest that we rejecting or casting away Gods Word by which we obtain and retain true faith in God be not at length cast so far off that we become as the Children of unbelief which be of two sorts far diverse yea almost clean contrary and yet both be very far from returning to God the one sort only weighing their sinful and detestable living with the right judgment and straitness of Gods righteousness be so without content and be so comfortless as they all must needs be from whom the Spirit of counsel and comfort is gone that they will not be persuaded in their hearts but that either God cannot or else that he will not take them again to his favour and mercy the other hearing the loving and large promises of Gods mercy and so not conceiving a right faith thereof make those promises larger than ever God did Trusting that although they continue in their sinful and detestable living never so long yet that God at the end of their life will shew his mercy upon them and that then they will return And that both these two sorts of men be in a damnable estate and yet nevertheless God who willeth not the death of the wicked hath shewed means whereby both the same if they take heed in season may escape The first as they defend Gods rightful justice in punishing sinners whereby they should be dismayed and should despair indeed as touching any hopes that may be in themselves so if they would constantly and stedfastly believe that Gods mercy is the remedy prepared against such despair and distrust not only for them but generally for all that be sorry and truly repentant and will therewithal stick to Gods mercy they may be sure they shall obtain mercy and enter into the Port or Haven of safeguard into the which whosoever do come be they before time never so wicked they shall be out of danger of everlasting damnation as godly Ezekiel saith What time soever a sinner doth return and take earnest of true Repentance I will forgive all his wickedness The other as they be ready to believe Gods promises so they should be as ready to believe the threatnings of God as well believe the Law as the Gospel as well that there is an Hell and everlasting fire as there is an Heaven and everlasting joy as well they should believe damnation to the threatned to the wicked and evil doers Ezek. 3. as salvation to be promised to the faithful in Word and Works as well they should believe God to be true in the one as the other And for sinners that continue in this wicked living they ought to think that the promises of Gods mercy and the Gospel pertain not unto them being in that state but only the Law and those Scriptures which contain the wrath and indignation of God and his threatnings which should certifie them that as they do over-boldly presume of Gods mercy and live dissolutely so doth God still more and more withdraw his mercy from them as he is so provoked thereby to wrath at length that he destroyeth such presumers many times suddenly for of such St Paul said thus When they shall say it is peace there is no danger then shall sudden destruction come upon them 1 Thess 5. let us beware therefore of such naughty boldness to sin For God which hath promised his mercy to them that be truly penitent although it be at the latter end hath not promised to the presumptuous sinner either that he shall have long life or that he shall have true Repentance at the last end But for that purpose hath he made every mans death uncertain that he should not put his hope in the end and in the mean season 〈◊〉 to Gods high displeasure live ungodlily Wherefore let us follow the counsel of the Wise man let us make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord let us not put off from day to day for sudenly his wrath comes and in time of vengeance he will destroy the wicked let us therefore turn betimes and when we turn let us pray to God as Hosea teached saying Forgive ad our sins receive us graciously Hosea 14. And if we turn to him with an humble and a very penitent heart he will receive us to his favour and grace for his holy Names sake for his Promise sake for his Truth and Mercies sake promised to all faithful Believers in Jesus Christ his only natural Son To whom the only Saviour of the world with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour glory and power world without end Amen These are the very words of the second Himily touching falling from God in which we have many evident proofs not only that there is a Falling and a frequent Falling but also a Total yea a final