because being really and formally one and the same thing with his Essence and Being as learned men generally acknowledge it could not be of any later or other edition then so Secondly that this act though acted or put forth by him from eternity is not therefore to be conceived as an act that is past or finished long since but as permanent and continued in him or by him yet without any succession or continuity of time according to that of our Saviour My Father WORKETH HITHERTO and I worke a Joh. 5. 17. There is nothing perishable or changeable in God what he worketh once he worketh alwayes though the Products or Effects of his working alter and change rise and fall The late learned Bishop Davenant asserteth these Propositions as true in the opinion of all Divines 1. That God can Will nothing in time if so then that Will of His by which the World was at first Created and by which all things are in continuance and succession of time produced must needs be from or in eternity 2. That God cannot but have that Will which he hath if so then that will by which he created the World and gave being unto all things that were to receive being in time is unchangeably permanent in him â— 3. And lastly that God cannot have any will which for the present he hath not b Deus potest nihil velle ex tempore Deus non potest non habere volitionem quam habet Non potest habere volitionem quam non habet Davenant Animadversions upon a Treatise intituled Gods love to man-kind Pag 484. if so then that Will of his by which he operateth or worketh Faith in Peter in time as for instance to day was in him from eternity and consequently God wrought as much towards the making of Peter a Believer before he did beleeve as he did when he was actually brought to beleeve A third thing to be considered for a right understanding of the point in §. 18. hand is that that Act of God we speake of though from eternity and the effects or productions of it in time yet is it not to be conceived as precedaneous in time to these effects or productions themselves Though God for example willed that will from eternity which was efficacious to make Peter a Believer in time yet is not the act of this Will in God to be looked upon or conceived as preceding in time that act of Peters will by which he became or was made a Believer The reason hereof is because there is no succession nothing sooner nothing later nothing before nothing after other in order of time in eternity nor yet in those things which are measured by eternity as by their proper and adequate measure as all the Acts of God are This is the constant and known Doctrine of the ablest and best Divines as well modern as more ancient a In Deo non est vicissitudo temporum P. Mart. Loc. Class 3. c. 1. sect 6. Aeternum est quod principio et fine caret ut Deus Vrsinus Expl. Cat. qu. 58. Quod autem principio fine caret non potest habere medium nec prius aut posterius Aeternitas neque habet neque habere possit prius aut posterius Zanch. de Nat. Dei l. 2. c. 3. Qu. 1. Thes 1. Et paulò post Illa vere dicuntur aeterna quae principio et fine carentia eadem semper sunt ab omni successione libera Vid. plura húc spectantia in seqq In ipsa aeternitate nulla spacia temporis cerno quia spacia temporis praeteritis futuris rerum motibus constant Nihil autem praeterit in aeterno et nihil futurum est Ita quod praeterit esse desinit et quod futurum est nondum esse coepit Aeternitas autem tantum modo est nec fuit quasi jam non sit nec erit quasi jam non sit Aug. de vera Rel. cap. 49. Aeternitas ipsa Dei substantia est quae nihil habet mutabile ibi nihil est praeteritum quasi jam non sit ibi nihil est futurum quasi nondum sit sed non est ibi nisi est non est ibi fuit erit quia et quod fuit jam non est et quod erit nondum est sed quicquid ibi est non â—isi est Idem in Psal 101. Praesens autem tempus si semper esset praesens nec in praeteritum transiret jam non esset Tempus sed aeternitas Idem Confess l. 11. c. 14. Et si aliquid semper vivat tamen si mutabilitatem patiatur non propriè aeternum appellatur quia non semper ejusmodi est quanvis immortale quia semper vivit recte dici potest Aug. lib. qu. 83. qu. 9. Carere initio fine omni mutabilitate dat aeternum esse Rich. de S. victore l. 2. de Trin. c. 9. In illo Deo nec praeterita nec futura reperiri queunt sed cuncta mutabilia immutabiliter durant et quae in scipsis simul existere non possunt illi simul omnia adsistunt nihilque in illo praeterit quod transit quia in aeternitate ejus modo quodam incomprehensibili cuncta volumina saeculorum transeuntia manent currentia stant Greg. Moral l. 20. c. 23. That priority or precedency which the Act of God hath before the act of Peter by the mutuall co-incidency or joynt concurrence whereof Peter is made a Believer is only a priority in Worth Dignity Excellency Eminency c. not in time God doth not will the conversion of Peter before he is converted nor the glorification of Peter before he be glorified though he willed or rather willeth both the one the other from eternity The reason of the seeming strangenesse of these things to our apprehensions is our ignorance and unacquaintednesse with the Nature of of eternity which being nothing else but God himself considered as his own measure in point of duration and in this respect exceeding difficult to be rightly and fully apprehended and conceived by us men in the meane time being generally averse from intense and deep speculations it is no great marvell if it seemes a kinde of uncouth mystery unto them But that which we here affirm viz. that that act or operation of God by which Peter is made an actuall Believer though it were in God and put forth by him from eternity yet was not in order of time before that act of Peter himself whereby he Believed but only in a kinde of transcendent excellency or dignity proper to eternity is nothing but the avouched Doctrine of many learned and judicious men yea and cleerly follows from the very Nature of eternity as it is generally defined and described by our Reformed Divines themselves yea even those that are esteemed most Orthodox But if saith Austin speaking unto God there was no time before Heaven and Earth why do men aske what didst thou THEN
things by the way All impressions all principles of light and truth which are found written in the hearts and consciences of men are here written by the finger of God himself Therefore what spirit or Doctrine soever symbolizeth in notion and import with these or any of them must of necessity be of the same parentage and descent with them there being no original Parent or Father of light and truth but God only And on the contrary what Doctrine or spirit soever putteth any of these Principles to sorrow or shame and doth not lovingly comport with them hereby declare themselves to be of a spurious and ignoble race as Christ reasoned with the Iews If God were your Father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God g John 8 42. But because they hated him he concluded them to be the children of the Devil Concerning the mystery of the Trinity the Incarnation of God or the Son of God the conception of a Virgin with some other points of like consideration commonly pretended to be against or at least above and out of the reach and apprehension of Reason I clearly answer 1. That they are every whit as much yea upon the same terms out of the reach of Faith as of Reason For how can I beleeve at least upon good grounds and as it becometh a Christian to beleeve whatsoever he beleeveth that which I have no Reason nor am capable of apprehending any Reason nay for which there is no Reason why I should beleeve it If it be said I am bound to beleeve the Doctrines specified because they are revealed by God I answer that this is a rational ground whereof my Reason and Vnderstanding are throughly capable why I should beleeve them The light of Nature clearly informeth me that what God revealeth or speaketh must needs be true and consequently worthy and meet to be beleeved If it be further said but Reason is not able to apprehend or conceive how three should be really and essentially one and the same how a Virgin should conceive and bring forth a Son c. I answer that no Faith or Belief in such things as these is required of me nor would be accepted with God in case it were in me above what I am able by my Reason to apprehend and understand As I am not able to apprehend by my Reason the particular and distinct manner how the three Persons subsist in one and the same Divine Nature and Essence so neither am I bound to beleeve it That which I am bound to beleeve in this Point is onely this that there are three who do thus subsist I mean in the same Divine Essence and for this my Reason is apprehensive enough why I should beleeve it viz. because God himself hath revealed it as hath been said If I should confidently beleeve any thing more or further concerning the Trinity of Persons commonly so called and there is the same Reason of the other Points mentioned then what I know upon the clear account of my Reason and Vnderstanding it would be presumption in me and not Faith and I should contract the guilt of those whom the Apostle chargeth with intruding or advancing themselves into the things which they have not seen a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. 18 Vid. Sam. Petit Var. Lect. l. 1. c. 9 i. e. rationally apprehended and understood But 2. If it be yet demanded but is it not contrary to the grounds of Nature and so to Principles of Reason that a Virgin should conceive a Child And if so how can such a Doctrine according to what you have asserted be received as from God or as a Truth I answer it is no ways contrary to Reason nor to any Principle thereof that God should be able to make a Virgin to conceive but very consonant hereunto as the Apostle Paul supposed it credible enough as we lately heard even in the eye of Reason that God should make the Earth bring forth her dead alive b Acts 26 8 Indeed that a Virgin should conceive in a natural way or according to the course of ordinary Providence is contrary unto Reason but this Religion requireth not of any man to beleeve Nor doth it bear hard at all upon any Principle of Reason that God should be willing to do every whit as great and strange a thing as that I mean as to cause a Virgin to conceive for the accomplishment of so great and glorious a design as the saving of a lost World Nor is it contrary to Reason or any Principle thereof that God or the first Being being infinite should have a manner of subsisting or Being far different from the manner of subsistence which is appropriate to all created and finite Beings or that this manner of subsisting which is proper unto him should be unto men incomprehensible But most consonant it is to Principles of Reason when God himself hath pleased so far to reveal that appropriate and incomprehensible manner of his subsisting as to declare and say that he subsisteth in three that men should accordingly beleeve it so to be So that most certain it is that there is nothing in Christian Religion which so far as it concerneth men to know and beleeve but what fairly and friendly comports with that Reason and Vnderstanding which God hath given unto Man and what by a diligent and conscientious use of these noble faculties he may come to know and believe at least so far as to salve his great Interest of Salvation 2. Look with how many Precepts Exhortations Admonitions I stand charged by God to submit unto and practise I am under so many charges and engagements from him likewise to exercise my Reason and Vnderstanding 1. To apprend aright the Mind of God in every of these respectively lest when he injoyneth me one thing I through mistake should do another 2. To consider how when and in what cases I am commanded by him to do this or that 3. and lastly to pass by other particulars To gather together and call up upon my Soul all such Motives and Considerations which I am able whereby to provoke stir up and strengthen my self to the execution and performance of all things accordingly When God commandeth me to strive to enter in at the strait gate to seek his Kingdom and the righteousness thereof in the first place to labor for the meat which endureth to everlasting life to be a man in understanding to omit other Precepts of like nature without number be commandeth me consequentially and with a direct clear and necessary implication to rise up in the might of my reason and understanding in order to the performaance of these things nor am I capable of performing the least of these great and most important commands in any due manner but by interessing my reason judgment understanding and this throughly and effectually in and about the performance The truth is I stand bound in duty and conscience
production into Being 3. And lastly In respect of their permanency or continuance in and with these Natures and Beings In the first consideration they are absolutely and in every respect determined by God neither themselves nor any other contributing any thing at all towards their Natures or Beings in that sence nor being in any capacity to withstand or make any resistance against that hand of Pleasure and Power which made them so or so and imparted such and such a nature or frame determinately unto them But secondly In respect of their respective actuall productions into Being they are not at least a great part of them are not so determined by God as in the former consideration Men may sow more or less grain or corn in their fields as they please and so likewise herbs in their gardens Yea the ordinary course and assistance of Providence only supposed they have power to multiply individuals in some species of animal creatures and however to restrain such a multiplication Yea doubtless many Persons both of men and women have been propagated and born into the World whose Parents were not determined or necessitated to their generation In the third and last consideration though things cannot at least all things cannot be said to be absolutely positively or irresistibly determined by God as in the first yet doth his will and pleasure for the most part interpose effectually though by the mediation of Causes either naturall or morall or both for a determination in this kinde also The continuance of Herbs Plants and Trees in their vegetative lives or Beings in respect of their species or kindes respectively is determined by God but by the intervention of their severall natures temperatures constitutions or the like So that those Herbs Plants or Trees more generally and in respect of their kindes are longer liv'd whose tempers and complexions are more healthfull and strong and so better provided to resist and defend themselves against such inconveniences which endanger and are destructive unto the lives and beings of such creatures as they The continuance of individuals or particulars in each kinde of these vegetative creatures in their respective Natures or Beings is not so determined by God but that they are obnoxious at least many of them to the hand and will of man who may at pleasure serve himselfe of which and of how many of them he pleaseth being within the reach of his arme and under his power A man may cut down and suffer still to grow which and how many of the Trees growing in his own ground he pleaseth Thus may he do also by the Herbs in his garden There is the same consideration in all respects of sensitive creatures also The lives of many of these are subjected to the wills and pleasures of men Concerning the Naturall Lives and Beings of men in the World neither §. 2. is the continuance of these so absolutely or peremptorily fixed or determined by God but that either themselves or others may either abbreviate and contract them or else enlarge and protract them to a longer period by means proportionable unto either By excess in sinning and so by defect in caution and use of means for their preservation men may draw the evill day of death neerer to them as by righteousness and a prudent circumspection to prevent dangers and things destructive unto life they may put it further from them But thou O God saith David shalt bring them downe into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their days a Psa 55. 23. e. i. the half of those days which according to the course of Nature and Providence and Will of God otherwise they might have done To like purpose Eliphaz in Job speaking of a wicked man who stretcheth out his hand against God and strengtheneth himselfe againct the Almighty i. e. who sinneth at more then an ordinary rate of provocation His branch saith he shall not be green but shall be cut of before his day God shall destroy him as the vine his sowre grape and shall cast him off as the Olive doth his flower b Job 15. 32 33. And againe afterwards Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have troden who were cut down out of time whose foundation was overflown with a flood c Job 22. 15 16 It is probable he here speaks of the old World who because of that redundancy of wickedness which was amongst them were destroyed by a deluge of waters which otherwise they might have escaped according to what our Saviour speaketh to Capernaum concerning Sodom If the mighty workes which have been done in thee had beene done in Sodom it would have remained unto this day d Mat. 11. 23. And whereas God threateneth Ephraim meaning the ten Tribes that within threescore and five years Ephraim should be broken that he be not a People e Isai 7. 8. this judgement according to Musculus his computation was put in execution within twenty years after this Prophecy and that propter enormitatem maliciae as he faith i. e. for the enormous heinousnesse of their wickednesse So then as God hath by no decree determined that men shall be wicked especially not outragiously wicked which we shall further demonstrate afterwards so neither hath he determined that abbreviation of the lives of particular men which their voluntary excesse in wickednesse brings upon them He hath indeed determined indefinitely and in the generall That bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their days but if we speake of any particular persons who being bloody and deceitfull came thereby to an untimely end neither their sin nor their suffering by an untimely end was determined by God Againe That men by a prudentiall and providentiall care in preventing §. 3. dangers sicknesses and such inconveniences which are of a known malignity to the life of man may advance their days to a greater number then under a contrary neglect especially as the neglect for degree might have been they would or could in reason have amounted unto is evident God himselfe informed David That if he stay'd in Keilah till Saul should come thither to demand him which he was now ready to do the Lords of this City would deliver him up unto him a Sam. 23. 12. in which case he had been but a dead man Therefore David by departing from Keilah before Sauls comming downe to demand him added many days unto his life above what their number would have been had he neglected the Divine Oracle and by staying in Keilah fallen into the hand of Saul The men that were with Paul in the ship by hearkning unto his counsell for causing the Mariners to abide in the Ship got enlargement of quarter for their lives which upon their leaving of the ship had certainly been denyed unto them For Paul said unto the Centurion and the Souldiers Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be saved b
things will come to passe is there not a necessity of their comming to pass or otherwise must not the knowledge of God prove abortive and be accompanied with error I answer no if the events supposed to be knowne by God before their §. 22. comming to passe be contingent or at least such in the Production whereof Futura contingentia etiam ut subsunt divinae scientiae non sunt simpliciter necessaria Rada Contr. 30. Art 5. Scientia Dei non tollit contingentiam ab eo quod est scitum ibid. the wills of men must some wayes or other interpose if ever they be produced of which kinde of events only we now speake the certainty of the knowledge of God may be salved and yet no absolute necessity of the comming to passe of such events be supposed The reason is because at the same time when God seeth or knoweth that they will come to passe he seeth and knoweth also that there is no necessity they should come to passe but that they may well be prevented In which respect in case they should not come to passe the knowledge of God should suffer no defeature or disparagement If yet it be said yea but when it is supposed that God knoweth that such §. 23. or such an event will come to passe if it should be supposed withall that he knoweth it may not come to passe or that it may come to passe otherwise then according to this knowledge doth not this suppose or imply a consciousnesse in God of the weakness or deficiency of his knowledge I answer no but rather the contrary viz. a consciousnesse in him of the strength and perfection of his knowledge For he that knoweth not that contingent and free-working Causes which way soever they shall act in order to any particular event might yet act otherwise or suspend their actings is certainly defective in knowledge And if God did not as well know that there is a Possibility of the non-futurity or of the not comming to passe of such contingent events which he knoweth will come to passe as well as he certainly knoweth that they will come to passe he should be defective in his knowledge concerning the Nature and Property of contingent and free-working Causes in as much as this is their Nature and Property as hath been said to be at liberty in reference to particular actings to act one way as well as another or else to suspend their action Indeed if it should be said or thought that any event WILL not or SHALL not come to passe which God knoweth before hand will come to passe this would import an obnoxiousness unto error in the knowledge or fore-knowledge of God But to say or think that such an event whose future comming to passe God knoweth MAY notwithstanding this knowledge of his not come to passe reflects no dishonour or disparagement at all upon his knowledge a Cum ista Antichristus crit stat haec Antichristus potest non fore Rada Contr. 30. Art 6. Et paulo post non pugnat igitur quod Deus sciat Petrum esse peccaturum tamen quod ipse possit non peccare vel possit non esse peccaturus but rather gives an honorable and high testimony of excellency and perfection unto it For he that certainly knowes what contingent and free-working Causes will do notwithstanding their freedom and liberty either to do or not to do or to do otherwise must needs be excellent in knowledge indeed and one who needeth not count it robbery to be equall with God Concerning the acts of the wills of men which are called I know not how Properly supernaturall I meane such which have an essentiall connexion with their eternall happiness and glory how or how far they are determined by God and how and how far not we shall be better fitted with an opportunity to demonstrate in the Process of our Discourse In the meane time the reason why the great Commander and Lord of §. 24. nature leaveth his whole Militia ordinarily to move and act according to their native Properties and inclinations respectively without counter manding them or turning them out of their way are these with their fellowes First Nature with all her traine and retinue of particular Causes together with all their furniture of Principles for Motion and Action being the workmanship of his own hand if he should ordinarily or frequently interpose to change her Lawes or innovate her course he should seeme to pull down that which himself hath built up and to dislike that Portraicture and resemblance of himself which he hath drawne with admirable and unimitable art and skill in the regular and standing Progress of Nature and second Causes Secondly being conscious to himself with what excellency of Wisdom Goodness and Power the great Body of Nature with all the Parts and Members of it was at first rais'd built fram'd and temper'd by himself he knows there is no need for him either to add to or to take from or to alter any thing ordinarily in her course He hath sufficient security that his hand-maid left unto her self only with his ordinary and regular concurrence without which she can neither move nor be will no wayes mis-behave her self in order to his ends and those concernments of his glory wherewith she is intrusted So that for him to check or controule her in her way would be but a kinde of condemning the innocent which is when practised amongst men an abomination to him Thirdly and lastly if he should customarily and of course over-rule Nature or second Causes in their regular Proceedings he should overlay his own market for miracles and works of wonder and bring down the price of the glory and esteem of them to a very low rate In the dayes of Solomon Silver was but as Stones nothing esteemed * 1 Kings 10. 21. 27. by reason of the abundance and commonness of it Miracles are the rarities of Heaven and the reserve of Nature when her testimony concerning the Glory and Power of her Lord and Master is despised by Men. CHAP. III. Concerning the foreknowledge and knowledge of God and the difference betweene these and his Desires Purposes Intentions and Decrees and how these also are distinguished the one from the other IT is not to be denied but that the Scriptures do attibute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or §. 1. fore-knowledge unto God in severall places as Acts 2. 23. Rom. 8. 29. 11. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 2. c. Though evident it is that in some if not in all of these places the word rather imports a Pre-approbation then a simple Prescience or fore-knowledge according to the known signification of the simple word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though properly it signifieth knowledge yet in Scripture language according to that idiome of speech wherein the consequent is put for the antecedent not unusuall in the Scriptures frequently imports approbation As Mat. 7. 23. Rom.
which is the adequate object of his Desire he alwayes interesseth himself to effect Matters relating unto his glory being the only object of his Desires unpossible it is that any of these should be so weake or faint as not to advance and rise up into a purpose and intention and consequently into action especially considering 1. That there is nothing which concerns his glory but which lieth within the compasse of his Power to effect and 2. That by reason of his infinite wisdom being in conjunction with a Power every wayes commensureable to it he is able so to manage all the concernments of his glory as not to prejudice himself in any in or by the Prosecution of others But Secondly though desires and purposes or intentions cannot be separated in God yet intentions or purposes and decrees may God doth not alwayes decree the effecting of what he purposeth or intendeth to effect though he alwayes purposeth and intendeth to effect what he decreeth The reason why he doth not alwayes decree to effect what he purposeth or intendeth to effect is because he judgeth it meet to act only to a certain degree of efficiency for the effecting and obtaining of some things by which if he cannot effect or obtain them he judgeth it not meet to act any further or higher in order thereunto But because he never acteth for or towards the effecting of any thing but with a due and full sufficiency of means the whole course and compasse of his efficiency in this kinde taken together he may well and truly be said to purpose and intend whatsoever he ingageth himself to effect though with the lowest degree of efficiency wherein at any time and in reference to any end he appeareth If you aske me but what are the things in Particular or any of them §. 15. which God may be said to Purpose or Intend and yet not to Decree I Answer 1. In generall they are all such things for the Procurement and effecting whereof he vouchsafeth means and these sufficient for he never starveth his ends for want of means as hath been often in effect said and yet the things themselves many times are not obtaine◠nor ever come to passe in which respect he cannot be said to Decree them because his Decree according to the Proper notion of the Word formerly opened carrieth all before it against and above all opposition and contradiction whatsoever and never faileth to bring forth 2. In Particular the Faith and Repentance of all men the honest and upright lives of all men and consequently the Peace Happinesse and salvation of all men are some of the Principall of the Particulars inquired after For 1. Evident it is that God interposeth and vouchsafeth means for the effecting and procurement of all these of which more hereafter in which respect according to the grounds laid he must needs be said to purpose or intend them And yet 2. Every whit as evident it is that these things are not effected or obtained nor ever will in which respect they cannot be said to be Decreed by God according to the Proper notion of a Decree oft specified To draw up a full and cleer account from the Particulars argued with §. 16. as much brevity as may be how in what sence and upon what grounds Desires Purposes Intentions and Decrees are attributed in Scripture unto God First in the negative that none of them are attributed unto him up on any such ground or supposition as this viz. as being Properly or Formally in him i. e. after such a manner as they are in men really distinct and separable from his Nature or Being hath been already asserted and that I suppose with a nemine contradicente Therefore secondly in direct pursuance of our Preparatory instructions formerly also delivered in order to the businesse in hand the said four Particulars must be acknowledged as attributed unto God upon this ground viz. Because the infinite Perfection of his Nature and Being enableth yea and leadeth him to act and give out himself after some such manner and with such a kinde of efficiency reasonable allowance being made for the great disproportion between him and the Creature as the said Particulars Destres Purposes Intentions and Decrees being found in men are wont to ingage them unto So that 1. God is said to desire or will such and such things because the goodnesse of his Nature leadeth him to act and give out himself and to vouchsafe means for the bringing of them to passe it being an essentiall Property of desire in men 1. When it is cordiall and strong as all Gods Desires are as t was formerly Proved and 2. When men have opportunity to act for the obtaining of the thing desired which God alwayes hath 3. And lastly when their acting for the obtaining of the thing desired is not like to hinder them from obtaining another thing more desireable then that a case never incident unto God in respect of any thing desired by him as hath also lately been shewed it being I say in this case and under these circumstances an essentiall Property of desire in men to ingage them unto action for the obtaining of the thing desired Because whensoever men act or endeavour themselves in any kinde to bring a thing to passe they are alwayes presum'd to desire the thing or the comming of it to passe therefore God also according to Scripture Dialect and Phrase may be said to desire whatsoever he any wayes interposeth himselfe or giveth means to bring to passe Secondly there is the same consideration and ground also of Purposes §. 17. and Intentions attributed unto him He is therefore said to Purpose and Intend such and such things because his Goodnesse Wisdom and Power i. e. The infinite Perfection of his Nature which eminently containeth all these enableth and induceth him to act for or towards the attainement of them after such a kinde of manner and upon such terms according to which men I meane sober and well advised men are wont to act and ingage themselves for the assecution of such things which they Purpose and Intend How and upon what terms such men are wont to act in order to the obtaining of things Properly Purposed and Intended by them and not absolutely Decreed was lately declared viz. so far and to such a degree of ingagement as they judge convenient and meet consideration being had of the value worth and consequence of the things Purposed and Intended by them in case they be obtained Therefore to conclude Gods non-intendments from his non-attainments is a reasoning of no value and supposeth a non-difference between his Purposes or Intentions and Decrees between which notwithstanding as hath been shewed there is a very emphaticall and signall difference The reason why God ingageth not himself to the actuall assecution of all things purposed and intended by him shall God willing be argued in due Time and Place Thirdly and lastly God is also said to Decree
pleaseth and pleaseth when he judgeth meet give forth himself and act all that variety and diversity of action which these different Principles are wont to produce in men As for example a man that hath wisdom is able to act and doth act when he pleaseth in a regular proportion or due order unto his ends So a man that hath knowledge whether of things past present or to come being wise withall manageth and disposeth his affaires according to the exigency of such knowledge and with the best advantage that such knowledge affords unto him A man that is just doth things that are just and equall and so he that is angry frowns threatens or strikes he that loves doth good unto and kindly by those who are loved of him he that hates acts to the prejudice or hurt of the person hated when he hath opportunity and so in the rest Now because God out of the infinite perfection of his Nature though it be as hath been said most singly and simply one is yet able to act and doth act when he pleaseth all this variety of action acts as wise men act as men that have knowledge of things act as men that are angry as men that love as men that hate are wont to act c. Therefore all these Principles of action as Wisdom Knowledge Anger Love Hatred c. are by the Holy Ghost ascribed unto him Suppose there were in Physique such a simple as for example an Herb Root Drug Mineral or the like which had such a precious or soveraigne vertue in it that the use of it were a certaine cure of all diseases as Gout Stone Feaver Apoplexy c. and further that there were particular Medicines or Receipts besides appropriated to every disease respectively and were all of them sufficient to cure their appropriated diseases in this case that simple we speak of might be said to have the severall vertues of all those other Medicines or Receipts in it because it is able to do alone as much and as many things in a medicinall way as all those taken together yet can it not be said to have the vertue of any one of them in the specificall or formall Nature of it but only eminently i. e. in respect of that soveraigne Property which though it be simply and formally but one yet answereth in value worth and variety of operation unto all the severall vertues and healing properties in all those other Receipts In like manner all that great variety of Faculties Powers Properties Vertues Endowments Excellencies and all Principles of action whatsoever that are scattered in their proper and distinct Natures amongst the Creatures may be attributed unto God though not so much as any one of them be properly and formally in him viz. because there is that soveraign and super transcendent perfection in his Nature being but simply and most singly one which for Power and variety of action in every kind answereth them all yea and far exceedeth them also Secondly from the simplicity of the Nature of God as it hath been argued §. 6. and explained it cleerly followeth that love and hatred and so mercy and justice or severity in God towards his Creature do not argue any different affection or inclination in him towards it the simplicity of his Nature not admitting of any such difference but only a different dispensation answerable to the different effects or expressions of such Principles in men So that there is no inconvenience nor untruth in it at all to affirme that God at one and the same time may both hate and love and so again love and hate the same Person viz. in respect of severall dispensations of a contrary Nature and import As for example when he severely punisheth a godly Person for some sin or sins committed and yet withall continues such a measure of his Grace or good Spirit unto him whereby he is inabled still to believe in God and to love him his fore affliction notwithstanding in respect of this latter dispensation God may be said to love and in respect of the former to hate him If it be demanded but can God in any sence be said to hate a Person that is godly I answer that hatred in God importing not matter of affection but of dispensation only agreeable to the effects of hatred in men to deny that God can in any sence be said to hate a godly Person is to deny that he can punish him for sin or act to the prejudice of his Comfort and Peace in any kinde howsoever he provoketh him If it be yet said but the Scripture will not justifie or warrant any such assertion as this that God haâ—eth a godly Person I answer 1. By concession that the Scripture doth not indeed to my best remembrance justifie or warrant such a saying by way of example or samenesse of expression But 2. By way of exception I answer that the Scripture warranteth many things by way of reason or ground which it doth not warrant either by Example Precept or otherwise then by ground as is famously known in the case of Infant-Baptisme and of womens admission to the Lords Table Now where ever either the Perfection or Simplicity of God is asserted in the Scriptures whether expresly or by way of consequence as both the one and the other frequently are there is a sufficient ground laid to warrant both truth and also aptnesse enough of expression in such a saying as this that God may be said both to Love and to hate the same Person yea and both these at one and the same time as hath been sufficiently explained Thirdly and lastly from the Simplicity of the Nature of God the Truth § 7. of that common maxime in Divinity Quicquid est in Deo Deus est i. e. whatsoever is in God is God is fully demonstrable and consequently that neither from eternity was there any thing neither for the present is there any thing nor ever shall be any thing in him to eternity inferior to himself any thing which is not God And if so then both the justification of men from eternity and so the condemnation of men from eternity are but idle fancies with which some men partly through weaknesse partly through inconsideratenesse commit spirituall fornication Yea though I will not say that any of the Persons who hold either of these opinions doe blaspheme yet the opinions themselves narrowly examined will not be found innocent from this great offence in as much as both the one and the other do apparantly give the honour of the glorious God in his incommuicable attribute of eternity a parte ante as Divines call it to weake and contemptible Creatures men they make these co-eternall with God and to subsist from Eternity For that which is not can neither be justified nor condemned If it be demanded in favour of these opinions but had not men some §. 8. kinde of being or subsistence from eternity were they not in the
perish but on the contrary that whosoever of them should not believe should perish Which according to their Principles against whom we now argue is as if a man should say which soever of my sheep is no sheep but a goate shall have no pasture with his fellowes 3. They who by the World here understand the Elect must if they will §. 14. not baulk with their Principles suppose that Christ speaks at no better Rate of Wisdom or Sence in this Scripture then thus So God loved the World that He gave His only begotten Sonne that whosoever did that which was not possible for them to decline or not to do should not perish but c. Who ever being serious and in his wits required that in the nature of a condition from any Man especially in order to the obtaining of some great and important thing which he of whom it was required upon such terms was necessitated or had no Liberty or Power but to performe what Father ever promised his Son his Estate either in whole or in part upon condition that whilest he rode upon an Horse he should not go on foote or upon condition that he would do that which a force greater he was able to resist should necessitate him to do So that the whole tenor and carriage of the verse renders the interpretation of the word World hitherto encountred a meer nullity in Sence Reason and Truth 5. The Context and words immediately preceding will at no hand endure §. 15. that sence of the word World against which we have declared hitherto This little word for FOR God so loved c. being causall importeth not only a connexion of these words with what went before but such a connexion or Relation as that which intercedes between the cause and the effect So that the words in hand must be looked upon as assigning or exhibiting the Cause or Reason of that effect which was immediately before mentioned This being granted as without breach of conscience it can hardly be denied it will appear as cleer as the light of the Sun that by the word World in the place under Contest cannot be meant the Elect only The tenor of the two next foregoing Verses for together they make but one intire sentence is this And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wildernesse even so must the Sonne of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him or every one believing in Him should not perish but have everlasting Life So that the effect here mentioned and expressed is the Salvation and everlasting happinesse of what Person or Persons soever of Men or of Man-kinde that shall believe in Christ The Reason or Cause hereof our Saviour discovers and asserts in the words in hand For God so loved the World that He gave c. If now by the World we shall understand only the Elect the Reason or Cause here assigned of the pre-mentioned effect will be found inadequate to it and insufficient to produce it For Gods Love to the Elect and his giving his Son for their Salvation only is no sufficient cause to procure or produce the Salvation of WHOSOEVER shall or should believe on him For certaine it is that there is Salvation in Christ for no more then for whom God intended there should be Salvation in him If there be Salvation in him for none but for the Elect only then is it not true that whosoever believes in him shall be saved For certaine it is that no Mans believing puts any Salvation into Christ for him therefore if it were not there for him before he believed yea or whether he beleeved or not neither would it be there for him though or in case he should believe 6. And lastly that by the word World in the Scripture in hand is not meant the Elect nor any thing equivalent hereunto is evident also from the Context in the Verse and words immediately following where our Saviour goeth forward in his Doctrine Thus. For God sent not His Sonne into the World to condemne the World but that the World through him might be saved a Ioh. 3. 17. This Particle for being as we lately noted Causall or Raciocinative plainly sheweth that he useth the word World or speaks of the World in this Verse where he speaks of the condemnation of it in the same sence wherein he spake of it in the former and the meanes of the Salvation of it otherwise he should not argue ad idem i. e. to the point in hand Now then to make him here to say that God sent not his Sonne into the World i. e. to take the nature or to live in the condition of the Elest to condemne the Elect but that the Elect c. is to make him speak as never man I suppose spake but not for excellency of Wisdom or gracefulnesse of expression but for weaknesse in both To say that God sent not his Sonne into the World to condemne his Elect were but to beate the Aire or to fight against a shadow I mean solemnly to deny that which no man was ever likely to imagine or affirm For â—ow or by what way of apprehension should it ever enter into any mans thoughts that God should send his Sonne into the World to condemne those whom out of his infinite love he had from eternity decreed to save with a strong Hand out-stretched Arme and Power omnipotent and invincible Or are not these the Elect in their notion of Election with whom we have now to do Therefore certainly the World in the Scripture before us doth not signifie the Elect. A second interpretation of this word asserted by some is that by the §. 16. World is meant genus humanum or Mankinde indefinitely considered i. e. if I rightly understand the minde of those who thus interpret as neither importing all nor any of the individiuums or persons contained in or under this species or kinde but only the specificall nature of Man common to them all as when the Jewes said of the Centurion that he loved their nation * Luke 7. 5. their meaning was not either that he loved all that were Jewes without exception of any nor yet that he loved any particular person of them more then another but only that he was lovingly disposed towards them as they were such a particular Nation as viz. Jewes But that this Interpretation either falls in in substance with the former and so is already condemn'd with the condemnation thereof or else with the third and last which as we shall hear presently findeth in this Scripture a Love in God towards all the individuall Persons of Man-kinde without exception of any or else that it vanisheth into nothing and hath no substance at all in it may be thus demonstrated If by Man-kinde indefinitely considered be neither meant a speciall or determinate number of the persons of Men which the former interpretation asserteth nor yet the universality or intire body of Men consisting
sanguine suo redemit Quid enim gravius peccatum in Christum committi poterit quam eum occidere pro quo ipse est Mortuus I finish this account with Mr. I. Deodates glosse upon the words Perish i. e. saith he shall be in danger of wounding his Conscience mortally and whereas before through tendernesse of conscience he abhorred any thing that drew neer to Idolatry he may peradventure use himself to it to the Ship-wracke of Salvation These Expositors doe not mince the words as Piscator and some few others §. 11. doe who destroying hereby the best of the nourishment in them glosse them thus Thy weake Brother shall perish viz. as to thee or as much as lieth in thee c Peribit nempe per te quidem seu quantum per testat See also the Annotations of the English Ministers upon 1 Cor. 8. 11. I confesse such a bridle as this doth well in the lips of some other Scripture expressions which will not be ruled by the Truth without it but it incumbers the Scripture in hand and abridgeth the serviceablenesse of it For if it shall be supposed that that kinde of offender against the weak Christian of whom the Apostle here speaketh knoweth certainly before hand that his act in eating meate sacrificed unto Idolls can have no such sad effect or sequell upon it as the destruction of a weak Brother must he not needs be tempted hereby to despise the Apostles charge on that behalf being grounded mainely upon such an Assertion or Supposall and so be comforted or incouraged in his sinfull Practise To put restrictions upon Scripture Phrases or Assertions without necessity and this demonstrable either from other Scriptures or unquestionable grounds of Reason is not to interpret the Scriptures now in being but upon the matter to make new If it be replied in favour of the said limitation or explication of Piscator §. 12. that there will be great weight and force enough to command the Consciences of Men in the Apostles argument and to take them off from abuse of their liberty though it should be supposed that there is only a tendency in such a Practise towards the destruction of weak Believers whether it be supposed that such Persons may actually Perish and be destroyed or not I answer there can be no tendency supposed in any action or meanes towards an impossibility For that which is simply impossible or which is the same in effect impossible upon a condition that is immutable and cannot faile is never the more possible nor any whit neerer unto being upon any other account or for any thing whatsoever that can be done Therefore there is nothing can be done with any tendency towards the effecting of such a thing Besides were it granted that there is a tendency in such a Practise the forbearance whereof the Apostle urgeth towards the destruction of a weake Brother yea and further that this Practise in respect of such a tendency in it were sinfull yet would there be very little in either or both of these to deter men from such a Practise unlesse it be withall supposed that that sad effect whereunto the said tendency is acknowledged to relate may possibly be Effected or Produced by it For the more secure a sinner may be that his sinfull Practise will not be so sadly consequenced as the Nature and Property of it only considered it might very possibly be the greater tentation lieth upon him to adventure upon it The confidence which Judas had that his act in betraying his Master would not have been accompanied with His Death but that he would now as severall times before he had done finde some way or other to make an escape from those into whose hands He was betrayed was one maine thing which betrayed Him into the deadly snare of that most abominable fact For it is said that when Judas saw that he was condemned which implies that this was more then He feared or expected notwithstanding his act in betraying Him he repented himself c. and cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple and departed and went and hanged Himself a Mat. 27. 3 5 Thirdly and lastly the mention and tender of an impossible effect by way of motive to over-rule the Consciences of men against a Practice in one kinde or other whereunto they are inclined is little lesse then ridiculous especially when the said impossibilitie is presumed to be known before hand to him the over ruling of whose Conscience is attempted thereby Suppose I be full of this Perswasion 1. That I am a true Believer 2. That being such I am under an impossibility ever to fall away so as to Perish and under this double Perswasion were very much addicted to such or such a sinfull course the consideration of my falling away and perishing were the most improper and impertinent argument that lightly could be Pressed upon me to perswade me out of the Way and Practice of my sin But some as willing to break loose from the Scripture in hand as the former §. 13. yet being not satisfied with their Projection for an escape trie the same conclusion another way and by another device The Apostle say they calls a weak Professor of the Gospell by the name of a Brother not as if it could be demonstratively known that he is a Brother indeed but because others stand bound by the Law of Charity to judge him such after the same manner he saith that Christ died for him not as if he would have men to believe this according to the judgement or with the certainty of Faith but only with the judgement of Charity Upon this supposall they draw up the Apostles argument for him thus thy Brother shall perish for whom c. i. e. by the abuse of thy knowledge thou mayst be the destruction of him whom thou art bound in Charity to look upon as thy Brother in Christ and one of those for whom Christ died But 1. Why stand we not bound to believe only with the judgement of Charity and not with the certainty of Faith that Christ is the Son of God or Saviour of the World c. as well as to believe only after this manner that he may perish for whom Christ died this latter being as positively as cleerly as roundly and fully asserted by the Holy Ghost as either of the former Or what is such a liberty of Interpreting Scriptures as this being interpreted but an effectuall door opened for the reducing of all things whatsoever in matters of Religion yea the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures themselves to the judgement of Charity and consequently to the casting the judgement of Faith out of doores But 2. To enjoyn me a beliefe only according to the judgement of Charity §. 14. where a belief according the judgement of Faith would be ten times more beneficiall and serviceable unto me for the preserving of me from sin especially when the ground-work of
same Apostle saith that God hath purchased the Church with his own blood b Acts 20. 28 why do they not gloss here God hath purchased the Church with c. i. e. the Church PROFESSETH her self thus purchased c. Partiality in Interpretation of Scripture is every whit as bad and Unchristian as in civill Judicatures Secondly the great sin by which these false Teachers are said to bring §. 35. swift damnation upon themselves is said to be their denying the Lord that bought them If then they denied this Lord that bought them how can these Expositors say that they professed themselves bought by Him If it be replied they might formerly professe themselves bought by Him though afterwards they denied Him and the Apostle may charge them with sin in their present deniall of him upon the account of their former profession I answer that if formerly they professed themselves bought by him but were not indeed so bought and afterwards coming to understand or apprehend the truth viz. that they were not so bought they are not at all to be blamed for denying themselves to have been bought by him or for denying that he bought them To deny that to be so which is not so especially when a Man verily believes and apprehends it not to be is no Mans sin Or if it be further pleaded in favour of the said glosse that these false Teachers might at the same time when they professed themselves bought by Chris◠deny him viz. in a consequentiall way as either by teaching such hereticall Doctrines which overthrew his God-head Man-hood c. or else by an impious conversation I answer 1. That if they professed themselves bought by him they could not lightly teach or hold forth any Doctrine wherein they should deny either his God-head Man-hood Satisfaction or any other thing relating to him without which he could not in a rationall way have made such a purchase of them Or 2. If they did teach any such Doctrine it must be supposed that they did it unwittingly and because they apprehended nothing in it of any inconsistency with their profession of being bought by Christ For it is not to be thought that Men will willingly and knowingly teach contradictions or teach any opinion which they apprehend contradictory to what they daily professe to believe Now for a Man unwittingly and contrary to his intention and desire to teach such a Doctrine which consequently involves or leads unto an opinion that is dangerous and damnable is nothing but what is incident to the best and most approved Teachers as I could readily demonstrate by many instances and therefore not like to be a sin of such high provocation as to bring swift damnation upon them But 3. and lastly that the Apostle doth not speake of any such deniall of the Lord Christ by these false Teachers which is by workes or by wickednesse of life and conversation but of Doctrine is evident enough by the expresse tenor and carriage of the words themselves But there were false Prophets also among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying c. which cleerly sheweth that the deniall of the Lord here charged upon false Teachers stood not in works but in words in false Hereticall and damnable Teachings Therefore they are not they cannot be here said to have been bought by Christ because they professed themselves to have been redeemed by him Some to evade that mortall stroke which the Scripture in hand reacheth §. 36. to that opinion which denieth a possibility of perishing in those who are truly bought and Redeemed by Christ not being satisfied with any of the former come-offs have devised this The Lord say they is said to have bought these false Teachers not because he really indeed and in truth bought them but because in the opinion and judgement of Men he had bought them they were looked upon as persons Redeemed and bought by Him And to credit this Interpretation they alledge severall Texts where things or persons are said to be so or so such or such not because they were really that which they are said to be but only because they were this in appearance or according to the common estimate of Men. As Mat. 9. 13. Joh. 9. 39. Mat. 13. 12. com 〈…〉 ed with Luk. 8. 18. But this colour is as faint as any of the former and as easily washed off And 1. It is very questionable whether in any of these places either things or persons receive any denomination meerly from appearance or opinion of Men. Many things might be argued and that with much probability in oppositum But concerning the first of the places most certaine it is that there is no such notion to be found there For that by the righteous whom Christ saith that he came not to call to Repentance should be meant righteous only in shew or in the opinion of Men whether themselves or others and not righteous truly and properly so called contradicts the manifest and declared intentions of Christs comming into the World which are frequently avouched and found to be the calling of sinners of all sorts kinds and degrees unto Repentance and therefore of Hypocrites also as well as others and of persons conceited in the highest of their own Righteousnesse See Mat. 3. 7 8. c. 1 Tim. 1. 12 13 14 15. compared with Philip. 3. 6 7 c. to omit many other places of like import Besides the occasion and tendency of our Saviours Words are of pregnant eviction that by righteous he meanes persons truly such and not in conceit or opinion only He was charged as with matter of undue deportment in eating with Publicans and Sinners For his justification he pleads that the whole have no need of a Physician but the sick meaning that as the calling of the Physician is no wayes necessary in respect of those that are strong healthfull and sound but only of the sick so neither had His comming into the World been of any such necessity as now it was but for sinners and that had Men been righteous and spiritually sound there had been no need of His comming unto them And therefore as a Physician is not to be blamed for conversing with the sick in as much as the nature and end of his calling requires his presence with them and not with those that are sound so neither was he to be blamed for being in the company of sinners seeing the great end and intent of his calling to the Office of a Saviour was not to save or to be helpfull unto such as were righteous who upon such an account stood in no need of him but to administer comfort and help unto sinners who without help from him must needs perish Now certaine it is that the righteous whom Christ compares unto the whole who in that respect need no Physician are not men righteous in shew or in opinion only for these
of one only For certaine it is that there have been many Heathens professors some of the one and some of the other of those Opinions who have quitted themselves upon far better terms of honour and approbation in their lives then many Christians professors of the last Opinion have done It is the observation of a great learned man of this Nation Atheisme did never perturb Sir Fr. Bacon Essay 12. of Superstition States for it makes Men wary of themselves as looking no further and we see the times inclined to Atheisme as the time of Augustus Caesar and our own times in some Countries were and are civill times 2. There is I suppose a plaine reason to be given why that Generation of men now under discourse the popish gang of Bishops with the Clergy adoring them for perferment-sake should in order to the promoting of their secular interest take up the Doctrine which opposeth the common received Doctrine of perseverance together with those other Doctrines commonly but I know not how properly or deservedly called Arminian It is sufficiently known that the men we speak of were professed enemies to the most Religiously-zealous party of the Ministers in the Land with their adherents then commonly Puritans whom they both hated and feared as a generation of men by whom rather than any other they apprehended themselves in danger of being dethron'd Nec eos fefellit opinio Upon this account they judged it a very materiall point of their interest to suppresse and keep under this faction as they termed them in order hereunto they studied and cast about how to weaken their interest and repute with the generality of the People or at least with all those that were intelligent and in that respect considerable To this end wisely considering that nothing was like to prejudice them more in their esteeme with such men than to detect them of error and unsoundnesse in their Doctrine and perceiving withall as with half an eye they might being so fully disengaged as they were from all high thoughts of those who held them that they were not in any Doctines besides which they were generally known to hold and teach more obnoxious to such a detection then in those which they held and taught in opposition to the Remonstrants hereupon they politiquely fell to professe and teach Remonstrantisme that so they might have the more frequent occasion and opportunity to lay open the nakednesse of the Puritan Doctrine before the People and to shew the inconsistency of it with the Scriptures as also with many the most manifest Principles as well of Reason as Religion besides Therefore should it be granted that in the generall there is much in the unworthinesse of men who professe such or such a Doctrine or Opinion to render the one or the other suspected yet in the particular case before us there is nothing at all because the persons we speak of did not imbrace or take up the Opinion or Doctrine mentioned out of any naturall compliance they resented in it with their lusts or any their undue practises for such it had none but out of a politique only and as Austine sometimes said it is no disparagement to the Sheep that the Wolf sometimes puts on and weares her cloathing 3. And lastly it is generally known that the Cathedrall Generation of Men throughout Christendome were generally great admirers of the old learning as some call it I meane the Writings and Tenents of the Fathers and of Austine more especially and that they frequently made shield and buckler of their authority to defend themselves against the Pens and Opinions of later Writers whom their manner was according to the exigency of their interest at lest as they conceived to slight and vilifie in comparison of the other Now the judgements of the Fathers more generally and of Austine more particularly as we shall shew in the procedure of our present Discourse stood for the possibility of the Saints defection both totall and finall wherein it seems the greater part of our modern Reformed Divines have departed from them Whereas some to prejudice the minds and affections of men against the §. 27. Doctrine of a possible defection in the Saints with the rest commonly found in the same retinue cast out such sayings as these that they never knew any who fell in with these Opinions but they declin'd in Religion and in the end came to nothing they do but spread a snare in the way of the simple any considering man will laugh such pretences to scorne Such an allegation as this much sembleth the superstitious advise of those who disswade the Marriages of Cozen Germans upon the account of this Observation of theirs that such have never prospered It is very possible that they may have observed and known some miscariage disaster or lesse-desirable successe in one or two of these conjunctions amongst some of their acquaintance and friends but what is there in this to create prejudice in the least in the judgement of any well ballassed and considering Man against the whole species of such Marriages more then there is in the frequent miscarriages that are found in all kinds of Marriages whatsoever to disaffect the minds of Men against all these also If a man should inquire a little after matters of this Nature in the World he shall soone finde or heare of many instances of poore persons Marrying who prospered not of rich persons Marrying who prospered as little of Nobles Marrying whose married condition was little blest from Heaven of Princes Marrying to the gâ—eat affliction or ruine of themselves c. Is it now reasonable to infer from such observations or instances as these that therefore neither poore Men nor ricâ— Men nor Nobles nor Princes shall doe well or wisely to marry The alledgement in the Objection in hand is of no whit a better genius then such a collection as this For what though many who have clozed in their judgements or rather made profession of such a clozure with the Opinions there mentioned have lost their savour withered in their zeal and put away a good Conscience from them ought or can this in the judgements of reasonable Men reflect any whit more prejudice upon the said Doctrines then the frequent and daily apostasies and declinings that are made under and from the contrary yea under and from the Protestant Religion it self yea that which is yet somewhat more under and from Christianity it self ought in reason to disparage all these We have a common proverb that one Swallow makes not a Summer and to say that one Woodcock makes not a Winter would in time make a proverb of as much Truth But though enough hath been said to evince and maintaine the innocency §. 28. of the Doctrine under Protection in respect of any violation of or intrenchment upon the inward peace and comfort of the Saints yea and more I am certaine then can with good Reason be gainsaid yet prejudice I
whatsoever opposeth the happiness of it being so built and adhering constantly and perseveringly unto him For the Pronounce Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it doth not Relate to the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will build but to the Substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church 2. Whereas in the said Proposition Christs building of His Church is expounded by the constant adhering of this Church unto him that which is the Principall thing in question is taken for granted which is very in-argumentative For the matter in question is whether the Church of Christ in all the members of it once built upon the Rock must or doth necessarily so adhere to him 3. And lastly the said exposition renders a sence very preposterous and importune For upon this account Christ should speak at no better Rate of of Reason then thus The Gates of Hell shall not prevaile i. e. the Subtilty Policy and Machinations of Satan shall not be able to seduce those that are built upon the Rock i. e. that constantly adhere unto Christ Which amounts to no more then if he should have said the Devill shall not be able to make those inconstant who shall be and remaine constant or to cause those who shall firmly adhere unto Christ not to adhere firmly to him Which strain of discourse whether it becomes him who spake as never man spake I leave unto sober men to judg Another Argument urged by some against the interpretation given is §. 8. this If by the prevailing of the Gates of Hell be meant nothing else but the eternall condemnation of or perpetuall prevailing of Death against the Church then Christ here promiseth nothing but only in the behalf of those that are Dead and consequently nothing but what may stand with a totall defection of his Church on Earth But this seems to be contrary to his intention in the place Ergo. I answer 1. It is no inconvenience to suppose or grant that Christ in this place and in the Promise here mentioned doth not insure the perpetuall continuance or Residence of a Church on Earth no more then he doth in many other Promises which yet are of very high and blessed importance in their Respective kinds In that great Evangelicall Promise whosoever believes shall be saved there is nothing but what may possibly stand with an universall defection of a Church on earth yet is the Promise great and Precious It were easie to instance many others of like nature But 2. As in the Promise last mentioned though there be nothing which necessarily includes an un-interrupted succession of Believers in the World yet is there that which exceeding much conduceth towards the propagation and raising of such a succession as viz. a promissory proposall of the greatest reward that is unto whosoever shall believe even no lesse then that of eternall life so may it be said concerning this Promise of Christ And the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it Here is enough said if Men would but consider and quit themselves like Men to replenish the Earth with a Generation of Believers like unto the Waters of a River which fayle not Therefore 3. And lastly It is not truly said that this Promise And the Gates of Hell shall not c. in the sence asserted relates only to those that are dead The truth is that if we speak properly neither this nor any other promise whatsoever relates only if at all unto the dead or is made only on the behalf of the Dead the Dead in propriety of Speech are utterly uncapable of Promises though not of performances of Promises But cleerly this and all other Promises are made to the living and for their accommodation and comfort though for the letter and reality of the performance of them they are not to be partakers hereof untill they have undergone the state and condition of Death It is just matter of joy unspeakeable and glorious to him that is yet living to know and consider that though he dieth yet death shall not have any such dominion over him but what he shall shake off and that with a blessed advantage and conquest in due time But this exception against the exposition asserted is but like a moat in the Sun which darkeneth not at all the Rayes or light thereof but only gaines by being here a discovery of it felf to be a thing inconsiderable and next to nothing Another passage of Scripture compell'd to bear the Crosse of the same service §. 9. with the former is that Mat. 24. 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall or should deceive the very elect From hence it is inferr'd that the deceiving or seducement of those who truly believe is a thing impossible But whether the drawing of such conclusions as this from such Scriptures as that be not a drawing of darkness out of light the considerations ensuing will be competent enough to determine 1. In their Notion who trie to fetch the Water of Perseverance out of the Flint of the Scripture mentioned the word Elect doth not signifie Saints or true Believers but such as they suppose to have been in a personall consideration chosen by God from eternity out of the great body of mankinde with an intent to save them against all possible interveniencies or oppositions whatsoever Now that such as these at least before their calling are as liable to be deceived or seduced as other Men is their own confession without feare And the Apostle Paul to whom questionlesse they will not deny the grace of their Election acknowledgeth himself with Titus to have sometimes been foolish disobedient and DECEIVED a T it 3. 3. Yea 2. It is frequently confessed by the same party that such Elect as they meane and we lately described may even after they are called and have believed by the Just and Wise sufferance of God fall into Heresie and this in fundamentall Points yea and into that fearfull sin of an abnegation and abjuration of Christ and Christian Religion If so then certainly there is no impossibility of their seduction Yea the great Patrons of the Doctrine of Perseverance which managed the Conference at the Hague about these Questions Anno. 1611. acknowledged that even true Believers may fall so far as that the Church according to the command of Christ shall be compelled to testifie against them that they cannot beare or tolerate them in their outward communion and that they shall have no part in the Kingdome of Christ except they repent or be converted b Dâ—inde respondemus ad minorem fieri posse ut vere fideles eo prolabantur ut Ecclesia ex mandato Christi cogatur pronunciare se in externa sua communione tolerare non posse neque cos partem in regno Christi habituros nist resipiscant Collat. Hag. p. 399. Doubtlesse they who having once truly believed become
sinneth not nor doth the Apostle John affirm it as hath been cleerly shewed in any such sence If by Sinneth not the Argument meaneth walketh not ordinarily or §. 28. customarily in any known way or course of sin maketh not as it were a Trade or Occupation of sinning which we have formerly proved to be the sence of the Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scriptures and more particularly in the writings of this Apostle a Cap. 9. Sect. 11. the said minor proposition is granted as to this clause whosoever is borne of God Sinneth not For that further clause in it neither can Sin this also as to the Scripture use of the words can and cannot is very ambiguous and of doubtfull signification For 1. a Man may be said to can or to be able to doe a thing when the thing is meet or comely for him to doe and in opposition hereunto when a thing is uncomely or unmeet to be done by him it may be said of him in Scripture Phrase that he cannot doe it How then saith Ioseph to his mistrisse CAN I doe this great wickednesse and Sin against God b Gen. 39. 9 which is as if he had plainly said I cannot doe it So againe Can the children of the bride-chamber mourne saith Christ as long as the Bridegroome is with them c Mat. 9. 15 meaning that it was an irrationall or uncomely thing for them so to doe and in this respect saith he they cannot doe it Thus Exod. 8. 26. where our English Translators reade It is not meet so to doe Ierom Translated it Non potest ita fieri i. e. it cannot so be done Thus also the Apostle Paul to spare other places For we CAN doe nothing against the truth d 2 Cor. 13. 8 c. meaning that it was a most unworthy and unseemly thing for him to act in any kinde against the truth or to the prejudice of the Gospell and in this respect he saith that he could not doe it * See also 1 Cor. 3. 1. 1 Cor. 10. 21 12 21 Gal. 4. 15. Luke 6. 42. Gen. 24. 50. 29 8 c. Secondly a person may be said to can or to be able to doe such or such a thing when being otherwise provided of strength sufficient He is under a present disposition or inclination of minde and will to do it In this sence the Lord Christ is said to can or to be able to have compassion on the ignorant Heb. 5. 2. and in opposition hereunto when a Man wants such a disposition especially when a contrary disposition rules in him it may in Scripture language be said of him that he cannot do it Thus it is said of the Lord Christ himself that being in his own Country He COVLD there do no mighty work d Mark 6. 5 meaning that he had no disposition of mind or will hereunto and this because of the general unbelief of the People here as one of the Evangelists accounteth for otherwise his naturall or executive power of doing mighty workes was the same here which it was in other places So he demands of the Pharises How CAN yee being evill speake good things a Mat. 12. 34 implying that having a disposition in them contrary unto that by which Men are inclined to speak good things they were as Men unable and wanting Power to speak such things Again speaking to the same Generation of Men he demands Why doe yee not understand my speech and answers his own question thus even because yee CANNOT hear my Word b Ioh. 8. 43 meaning that they 〈◊〉 a mervellous averse disposition as to the hearing or minding of it which he plainly signifieth in the words immediately following yee are of your Father the Devill c. i. e. you are of a devillish disposition enemies unto God and goodnesse and this renders you unable to hear i. e. duely to minde and consider my words This signification of the word cannot is most frequent in Scripture See further upon this account Gen. 37. 4. Rev. 2. 2. Mat. 20. 22. Mar. 9. 39. Luke 11. 7. 14. 20. c. Thirdly the word cannot sometimes notes only the difficulty of a thing to be performed In this sence our Saviour approving that saying of his Disciples It is good not to marry saith thus All Men CANNOT receive this saying c Mat. 19. 11 c. meaning that it was very difficult for some Men to acknowledge the goodnesse of that saying in reference to themselves or to refraine marrying For that it was not or is not simply impossible for any Man in this sence to receive the said saying or to judge the forbearance of marriage good for him and to forbeare accordingly is in selfe evident and besides may be inferr'd from these words of our Saviour following and there be Eunuches which have made themselves Eunuches for the Kingdome of Heavens sake He that is able to receive it i. e. whose heart serves him to encounter and engage against the difficulty and shall overcome it let him receive it i. e. Let him forbeare to marry For concerning those of whom he saith that they have made themselves Eunuches for c. evident it is that he meaneth not by them either such who by nature are indisposed to marriage nor such upon whom an incapacity in this kinde hath been forced for of these he had spoken plainely in the former part of the Verse but of such who had over-ruled and vanquished their inclinations and desires that way by the weight and great import of spirituall considerations proper to obtain a conquest of that nature In this sence also Amaziah the Priest of Bethel saith concerning the Prophet Amos that the Land is not able to or cannot beare all his words d Amos 7. 10 i. e. can hardly beare them without falling soule up on him because of them So when our Saviour saith A City that is set on an Hill CANNOT be hid e Mat. 5. 14 he doth not import an absolute impossibility of the hiding of it for doubtlesse there may be means found out to hide a City so scituate as well as another standing in a valley but only a difficulty thereof * See also Gen. 32. 12 Gen. 45. 1. Exod. 7. 21. 24. Fourthly the Word or Phrase we speak of cannot sometimes imports only a present incapacity in a Person for the doing of a thing when there is a remote Principle or Power in him notwithstanding to doe it Thus God Himself saith to his Prophet Ezekiel Thou art not sent to a People of a strange speech or of an hard language whose words thou CANST NOT understand f Ezek. 3. 6 implying that there were some People whose words he could not understand viz. de praesenti for the present not but that there was a Principle of reason and understanding in him by the improvement whereof accordingly he might come in time to be very able to understand them
of being as also because it is naturally apt to produce and yeild such bodies or things which according to the course of Nature are corruptible likewise in like manner the seed of the Word of God is not therefore said to be an incorruptible seed because it cannot be taken from or forsaken by those in whom it hath a residence for the present but because whether it be taken or not taken from whether it be forsaken or not forsaken by these it retaines its proper Nature which is to be incorruptible For it is meerly extrinsecall and accidentall to the Word of God to be either imbraced or refused to be either retained or let goe or lost by Men nor doe any of these things make the least alteration in the nature of it no more then the taking up or removing a corne of Wheat or of any other corruptible graine from the Ground or Field wherein at present it resteth or the letting of it there alone altereth the Nature or Essentiall Properties thereof But 2. It may be some question whether by the seed of God in the Scripture §. 34. in hand said to remaine in him that is borne of him be meant precisely the Word of God and not rather that which the Scripture elsewhere calls the Divine Nature which is the proper effect of the Word of God according to that of Peter Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature c 2 Pet. 1. 4 c. together with that of the Apostle James Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth d Iames 1 18 c. If you ask me what this Divine Nature is I answer it is a certaine Heavenly impression made by the Gospel in or upon the Heart or Soul of a Man or a Divine Principle Quality or Disposition wrought in him by the Word of God by which he resembles God Himself and is effectually inclin'd to walke and act according to those Principles of Righteousnesse and Holinesse in all things appertaining unto him to doe by which God Himself walketh and â—acteth in the World If you aske me further but why doe I conceive that by the seed of God in the Scripture in hand the Apostle should meane such an impression or disposition as this I answer because some such thing must of necessity be meant by it which is very spiritfull vigorous and active in turning the Heart and Soul of a Man against sin First the metaphoricall expression of seed importeth as much I meane somewhat that is very spirituous full of Vigor Power and Efficacy in the kinde of it Naturall Philosophy and experience joyntly teach that it is the nature of Seed to be full of spirits and thereby exceedingly vigorous and operative Secondly the effect here ascribed to it the keeping or preserving of the Man in whom it remaines from sinning which requires a Principle of very great Strength and Power to effect implieth the same Now such a Principle genius or quality in a Man as the Holy Ghost calls the Divine Nature may well be conceived to be very spiritfull and vigorously operative according to the kinde and tendency of it in which respect it is frequently termed Spirit and consequently to be sufficiently active and powerfull to preserve its subject from sinning Yea our Apostle in assigning the reason of his latter Assertion in this place which is that he that is borne of God cannot Sin the reason whereof he alledgeth to be this because he is borne of God supposeth the seed here spoken of whatsoever is meant by it to be so actuous and powerfull that it doth not only actually and de facto preserve him in whom it remaines from Sinning but also renders him impotent or unable to sin For this reason because he is borne of God is the same in effect and for substance with that of the former assertion for his seed abideth in him only it doth somewhat more emphatically import that the reason why the Seed of God remaining in a Man is so potently exclusive of sin in the same subject with it is the absolute Holinesse or most perfect hatred of sin which is in God Himself of whom the Person is begotten againe by such his seed As the reason why a Lion hath courage strength and other like leonine Properties is because he came of a Lion a Creature naturally endued with the same Properties But whatsoever is here meant by the Seed of God whether the Word of God or the Divine Nature so notioned as hath been described evident it is by what hath been argued that no inseparablenesse of it from the present subject nor consequently any impossibility of falling away from Faith can be inferr'd from any thing spoken of it as attributed to it in this Place There is only one objection more as far as I am able to apprehend that §. 35. lieth with any seemingnesse of strength against the Premisses The tenor hereof is this If the Seed of God whatever it be remaining in a Man regenerate worketh in him the greatest and strongest antipathy against or alienation and abhorrency of minde and affection from sin that can lightly be imagined which hath been granted all along in the traverse of the Scripture in hand how is it possible that such a man should fall away especially totally and finally from his Faith It is no wayes reasonable to suppose that it is possible for a Man so to fall away from his Faith without sinning no nor yet without sinning very grievously nor is it much more reasonable if not as unreasonable altogether to suppose that a Man may sin and that grievously who hath the greatest and strongest antipathy against sin the deepest alienation and abhorrency of minde and will from sin that lightly can be conceived Therefore how is it possible for him that cannot sin even in this sence to fall away totally or finally I answer He that hath the greatest and strongest antipathy against sin that flesh and blood is capable of yet retaines that essentiall character or property of a creature mutability which supposeth a possibility at least of Sinning if not in sensu composito i. e. whilest such an antipathy remaines in its full vigor and strength yet in sensu Diviso i. e. in case or when this antipathy shall abate and decline As though Water made hot to the highest degree of heat whereof the nature of it is capable cannot possible coole any thing whilest it remaines under such a degree of heate yet this hinders not but that it may in time its present heat notwithstanding returne to its naturall coldnesse and then coole other things in like manner a Man may by the Spirit of Grace and Regeneration be carried up to a very effectuall and potent antipathy of minde and will against Sin by meanes whereof he is in no Capacity or Possibility of sinning in the sence formerly declared whilest
5. terms of Grace as have been mentioned argueth any Election from Eternity of David personally or particularly considered though it be true that He doth not vouchsafe the like terms of Grace or means of Repentance unto all other sinners Because 1. If David was a true Beleever and so in an estate of Grace when Nathan came unto Him He was under the wing of Election and in the way of Life and Salvation and consequently His sending to Him by God did neither argue pro or con such His Election 2. There might be some equitable consideration on Davids behalf though not known unto us on which God might ground a Dispensation of more Grace and Mercy towards Him then towards other sinners in whom the like consideration is not to be found For though we affirm and hold that Reasons in the general may be given even by men to evince an equitableness or reasonableness in all the ways of God yet we do not say but that there are many special and particular Reasons of His actions and ways which are known onely to Himself and are not assignable by men That God delt equitably by David in vouchsafing unto Him those signal means of Repentance which He did and that He deals as equitably by such sinners to whom He denyeth the like means may be clearly proved from the nature and import of that Great Attribute of His which the Scripture calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 1 Pet. 1. 17 or a non-acceptation of Persons as likewise from that equality in all His ways which the Scripture with no less evidence asserteth b Ezek. 18. 25 29. But why or how it should be equitable in Him to make such a difference between David and many other sinners between whom notwithstanding He maketh it may very possibly be indemonstrable by men because all the qualifying circumstances on Davids side or of Davids sins are not known unto men as they are unto God neither are all the aggravating circumstances of the sins of other sinners known unto them as they are also unto Him Which considered evident it is that God may have yea and questionless hath equitable and reasonable grounds and these in or from the Persons themselves and their ways between whom He maketh any such difference as that now in discourse though these be investigable or past finding out by men And why God should not give a reason or account i. e. a special or particular account of any of His matters as Elihu speaketh c Job 33. 13 the reason is so neer at hand that I shall not need to bring it any whit neerer by naming it or by insisting upon it 3. And lastly in case there should be found any other sinner whatsoever like unto David in all circumstances relating unto sin and righteousness it is little questionable but that in like case of guilt and present impenitency means of like grace and efficacy though not literally or formally the same in order to his Repentance would be vouchsafed unto him which were granted unto David A second Old-Testament instance of a total recidivation from Grace or §. 6. true Faith we finde in Solomon That Solomon before His fall by Idolatry and other sinful miscarriages of which more presently was a true Beleever a regenerate man a son of God is the constant Opinion of those that teach an impossibility of a total falling away from Grace I do not know any one of them otherwise-minded However His Writings being so full of Heavenly Wisdom and Knowledg as they are on all hands confessed to be give a liberal testimony unto their Author that He was a man truly fearing God and held communion with Him And Nehemiah speaking of Solomon saith that among many Nations there was no King like unto Him for He was BELOVED OF HIS GOD a Neh. 13. 26 c. Other Proofs and Arguments there are demonstrative enough of the truth and soundness of Solomons Faith before those sad and high misdemeanors of His reported in the Scriptures but seeing we have confitentes Reos the Confession of our Adversaries themselves in the Point we shall make no further labor of the proof of it Again that Solomon sinned at a very high rate of wickedness and provocation is nothing but what the same Persons freely enough acknowledg And in the Synod of Dort it self a Prime Member thereof publiquely said that Solomon practised in sin and wickedness whatsoever the lust and licentiousness of a King could stretch themselves unto b Solomo quicquid per regiam libidinem licentiam perpetrari potuit commisit ◠Deodat of Geneva The sad History of His wickedness is drawn up by the Holy Ghost Himself 1 King 11. 1 2 3 c. where having reported His disobedience to the Law of God by which the Israelites were prohibited to marry with the Daughters of a strange God in taking unto him no fewer then seven Hundred Wives and three Hundred Concubines of the women of the Moabites Ammonites Edomites c. and withall the several abominable Idolatries wherewith he came to be polluted hereby he adds that His Heart was not perfect with the Lord His God as was the Heart of David His Father that He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord that He went not fully after the Lord as did David His Father that the Lord was angry with Him because His Heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel c. I am no enemy to their Opinion who affirm that Solomon returned back again to the Lord God of Israel by way of Repentance but assuredly during all that wallowing in the mire mentioned under the pollution and guilt of all those abominations charged by the Holy Ghost upon him his back was towards him and his person under the dint of that heavy doom which is denounced against Idolaters and all that work abomination viz. exclusion from the Kingdom of God as hath been largely shewed already The nakedness of such allegations and washy pretences which are commonly layd hold on to make Solomon a true Beleever and son of God during his most dreadful Apostacy from him lately described hath been detected both in the last preceding Chapter as likewise in the late examination of Davids case So that we may without fear of the least breach of charity or of judging any unrighteous judgment conclude that Solomon whilest His Heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel to walk after other Gods as after Chemosh the abomination of Moab after Molech and Milcom the abominations of the children of Ammon after Ashtoreh the Goddess of the Zidonians c. and during his obduration and impenitency in these horrid ways and practices was an enemy unto God and God unto him and the former relation between them of Father and Son wholly dissolved They that hold or teach otherwise both represent God altogether unlike unto himself rendering him a most unworthy Accepter of Persons and besides
Principles i. e. to do any thing uncomely or imprudently so may it truly be said of God in the matter of granting means of Faith and of Salvation unto men that he cannot in the ordinary and standing course of his Providence or Dispensation of such Means rise so high give Means of that transcendent Nature Efficacy and Power which he can and doth give now and then in some special cases and in order to some great and special end As for example God was able no Principle of his Wisdom opposing to vouchsafe unto Paul that extraordinary means of beleeving or for his Conversion which we spake of a glorious Vision from Heaven But it doth not follow from hence that therefore he is able we still speak of his Moral ability or of the ability of his Will to afford the like Vision or any other means like unto that for efficacy and converting Power ordinarily or unto all other men When he demands thus concerning his ancient Church and People of the Jews What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it c Isai 5. 4. He had not done any such thing in it or for it as he did afterwards for Paul nor had he multiplyed those Miracles and great works of wonder some Particulars whereof he did work for them and amongst them to such a number or with such frequency as by his Power simply considered and without relation unto his Wisdom he was able to have done and yet he might truly say and profess unto them as his demand mentioned imports that he could do no more for them to make them fruitful to bring them to Repentance and so to make them a prosperous and happy People then He had done i. e. He had done the uttermost which his Wisdom in such a case as theirs was permitted him to do So when he vouchsafeth a greater sufficiency of means to one City then he doth to another as he did to Capernaum above Tyre and Sidon to one Nation then to another to one age or generation of men then to another the Reason of this difference is to be resolved into the same infinite uniform though manifold Wisdom of God as the Apostle calleth it or which is the same into the Counsel of his Will d Ephes 1 11 not simply into his Will but into the Counsel of His Will i. e. that infinite Wisdom or Prudence by which his Will is as it were steered and directed in all the motions and actings thereof according unto which counsel he is said to work all things e Eph. 1. 11. And it may be as truly and as properly said of him when he vouchsafeth the least and lowest sufficiency of means unto some men as when he affordeth the greatest and richest of all unto others that he did or doth what he could or what he is able to do as well for the one as for the other And in such cases of difference as these that admiration of the Apostle lately mentioned is most seasonable and proper O the depths of the riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledg of God! How unsearchable are His Judgments and His ways past finding out f Rom. 11. 33. By his Judgments in this place we are not I conceive to understand onely his penal inflictions upon men in one kinde or other but his dispensatory Administrations as he is the Judg and great Ruler of the World indefinitely considered as well such as are Munificent as those which are Penal and so the word Ways in the latter part of the Verse added it is like for explication indifferently implies as well the one as the other But how or in what respect are his Judgments or Ways of Administration in the World said to be unsearchable or past finding out The former part of the Verse clearly informeth us of this as viz. that they are unsearchable in respect of that abundance of Wisdom and Knowledg by which and according unto which they are first ordered and contrived and then executed by him First they are unsearchable viz. unto Men yea and to Angels too in respect of that most absolute and perfect Knowledg which God hath of every particular circumstance from the least to the greatest of all the actions and ways of all the Men in the World and so of all Cities and of all Nations in all succeeding generations from the Morning of the World until the present hour thereof upon which actions with all and every their respective circumstances compared and layd together by God as by Reason of his perfect Knowledg of them they readily may be he builds and forms by means of his Wisdom of which presently that entire series or Tenor of his Administrations as well Munificent as Penal which from day to day and from age to age take place in the World amongst the Sons and Daughters of Men. Now because neither Men nor Angels are capable of knowing or considering all that infinite and endless multitude and variety of actions with all their circumstances respectively which are done in the World upon which and according to the exigency of which not any one of them from the greatest to the least omitted or left out the Providential Administrations of God in the World as well of Justice as of Mercy and Goodness are founded and framed hence it is that the Apostle concludes in a posture of admiration that the Judgments of God are unsearchable and His Ways past finding out in respect of the depths of the riches of that Knowledg which he maketh use of in forming them meaning that no Creature who knoweth not as much as God himself knoweth concerning the Grounds and Reasons why he ordereth the Affairs of the World of Persons of Cities of Countries of Ages as he doth and not otherwise can possibly understand or comprehend the absolute exactness and accurateness of them how ever he may apprehend somewhat yea much of them I mean chiefly concerning the Equity and Righteousness of them Again 2. These Judgments and Ways of God are unsearchable and past §. 17. finding out in respect of the depths of the riches of that Wisdom which is in God according unto which also they are all calculated and formed by him For look as in a Judg who is to administer Justice and to give sentence in the Causes of Men that are brought before him there ought to be these two things 1. A perfect Knowledg of the respective Cases wherein he is to give sentence in all circumstances relating to them before he doth give sentence 2. A Principle of Wisdom to weigh and ponder aright every of these cases in all their circumstances respectively that so he may be able to form such a sentence wherein every circumstance great and small relating to every case may have its due consideration and weight So there are and of necessity must be in God to make him an absolute Judg as he is of all the World 1.
wonderful Humiliation and Condescension saith he God hath even highly exalted Him and given him a Name above every name c. Philip. 2. 6 7 8 9 c. Hence it is that the Scriptures still mention that glorious investiture of his which we speak of Headship over Men and Angels as conferred upon him not till after his rising again from the dead according to the working of His mighty Power which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His right Hand in Heavenly places Far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but in that also which is to come And hath PVT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET and GAVE Him to be the HEAD over all things to the Church c. Eph. 1. 19 20 21 22. From these last words And hath put c. it is observable that though God hath by a strong hand subjected all things whatsoever under and unto Christ yet He hath GIVEN Him to his Church and to His Church onely consisting of Men and Angels Colos 2. 10. for an Head From whence it follows 1. That neither Men nor Angels are necessitated or compelled by God to accept of Christ for their Head or in the â—â—lation of an Head though they be necessitated and compelled with all other Creatures to subject to his will and pleasure in the exercise of his Power For that which is properly given to a man he is not forced to accept or take but receives it freely If Men or Angels be unwilling or shall refuse to be or to continue Members of his Church as they are at liberty to do for their Wills in this kinde are not compell'd or necessitated by God they shall discharge themselves though to their infinite loss and misery from their relation or subjection unto Christ as their Head 2. That Christ stands in the relation of an Head and so performs the Offices of an Head onely unto such whether Angels or Men who are Members of that Body which is called his Church So that though the nature and compass of Gods great Projection by Christ and his Death was as we heard the Apostle expressing it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to head or rehead all things whatsoever viz. that are headable as we interpreted whether in Heaven or on Earth i. e. all Men without exception and all standing Angels yet it doth not follow from hence that all Men without exception ever will or shall be actually headed by Christ and so be saved by him because many will not accept of or submit unto those terms upon which onely the declared Will and Purpose of God is to interess his Creature actually in so great and blessed a Priviledg For though Gods Purpose and Design was to head All Men without exception with or in Christ as well as all his good Angels i. e. so to give and contrive his Christ that all of both sorts of these Creatures without â—xception might be put into a capacity and have opportunity of being brought into the relation of Members under so glorious an Head yet it was no part of either that any one particular whether of the one kinde of creature or of the other should actually come into this relation otherwise then by a free and voluntary acceptation of Christ for their Head So that as the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Counsel or Projection of God intended by him for good unto them in Baptism against themselves i. e. to their own great damage and loss in refusing to be baptized by John x Luke 7. 30. â—n like manner the greatest part of Men voluntarily reject that great Counsel of God for the reducing of them under so infinitely desirable an Head as the Lord Christ is to their own unconceivable misery by refusing to subject themselves unto him in the relation of Members Nor doth it follow from such a rejection of that Counsel of God we speak of by Men that therefore this Counsel of his or his Intention in it should be frustrated or made voyd because as hath been said the tenor frame or import of this Counsel was not that all Men without exception should absolutely and without condition be actually invested with the benefit or blessing therein intended unto Men but that all such Men without exception and such onely who should beleeve in Christ and freely submit unto him as an Head were they all without exception or were they never so few or never so many should actually partake of the said benefit Therefore from neither of the two Passages of Scripture cited towards the beginning of this Section can any such conclusion be evinced That all men without exception shall first or last be saved by Christ because it cannot be evinced from either of them that all Men without exception will beleeve in him first or last without which there is no Salvation supposed in either of them That neither of the places speak of any such Reconcilement of all things unto God which was actually to take place in any Person of Man without the intervening of Faith nor yet again that either of them supposeth an absolute necessity that all Men or that any Man should beleeve so as to be actually and compleatly reconciled unto God by means of the projected Reconciliation here spoken of is evident from this applicatory discourse of the Apostle subjoyned to the latter of them And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and irreprovable in his sight If ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel c. In this clause If ye continue in the Faith grounded c. he clearly supposeth 1. That their present Reconciliation unto God was obtained by the intervention of their Faith And 2. that the perfecting and compleating of it in Glory did depend upon their Perseverance in this Faith unto the end Which latter clearly implyeth that notwithstanding that Reconciliation which God made of all things to himself by Christ yet they might very possibly not have been reconciled unto him or saved in the end We formerly observed from Doctor Prideaux That such Conditional sayings upon which Admonitions Promises or Threatenings are built do at least suppose something in Possibility how ever by vertue of their tenor and form they suppose nothing in Being y Cap. 12. §. 7. 2. For those words in the former of the said places that in the Dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together all c. they no ways import any such time yet to come wherein all Men should be actually gathered together in one or be saved by Christ but onely that God made choyce of the most convenient time as viz. when many ages and generations of the
Lexic in verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Lexicon Ioh. Scapulae in eodem verbo Besides many the like The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus understood render the sence of the place clearly this that God by the Cross or Death of Christ reconciled Men on Earth and Angels in Heaven viz. between themselves Angels being enemies unto Men because of their sinning against God which cause of enmity being taken away by the Death of Christ the Angels are become friends to them as we lately shewed not to Himself but FOR HIMSELF i. e. for the effecting of his own great and gracious Design in advancing Christ to be Head unto both being incorporated and united in the same Body which without the healing of the enmity or disaffection between them could not have been as we lately proved This Exposition differs not much from that of Augustin in Cap. 61. 62. Enchirid. ad Laurentium By what hath been argued upon the two Passages it appears I presume sufficiently that there is nothing to be found in either of them from which the Salvation of all Men can with any colour of Reason be concluded Much less can any such Conclusion be regularly drawn from that of our Saviour Verily I say unto thee thou shalt by no means come out thence meaning out of the prison of Hell till thou hast payd the uttermost farthing e Matt 5. 26. For threatening men that they shall not come out of Hell till they have payd c. He no ways supposeth that in process of time they will suffer to the uttermost of what they have deserved in Punishment by sinning against God and that then God will deliver them The emphasis of the expression rather carryeth a sence of a contrary import viz. that they must never expect to come out from this Prison in as much as they will never be able to pay in Punishment what they owe to the just severity of God for sinning against him especially after such a rate as they have done For they are onely obdurate and finally impenitent sinners that are cast into this Prison A Promise of receiving any thing being made or implyed upon the performance of an unpossible Condition is equivalent to a threatening that a man shall never receive it When God expresseth himself thus to Jerusalem When thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate f Ezek. 16. 55. He rather threateneth this City with a non-returning to her former estate then promiseth any such thing to her So in case our Saviour should promise unto those that are cast into the Prison of Hell for the debt of their sins that when they have payd the full debt they shall be released and come forth it would rather have the import and force of a threatening that they should never be released then of a Promise of releasement after any time whatsoever Yea such Promises as these are more emphatically interminative or threatening them plain and formal Threatenings themselves The Reason is because a plain and bare Threatening onely â—mports the Purpose of Him that threateneth to bring the evil mentioned in the Threatening upon the Person threatned whereas such Promises as we speak of wherein deliverance from evil is promised upon the performance of an impossible Condition the reason or cause why the evil threatened should be executed or inflicted upon the Person threatned commonly is implyed As when our Saviour promiseth for the words in hand have a kinde of Promissory import that they who are cast into Hell shall come forth when they have payd the uttermost farthing i. e. discharged the full debt he plainly intimates the reason or cause why they shal never come forth out of this Prison to be because they will never make such Payment Now a Threatening upon an equitable and just ground for the execution of it is much more piercing and convincing then when it is simply and without any mention or intimation of such a ground denounced If it be demanded But why should not men who are cast into Hell for §. 5. sin be able in continuance of time to pay the uttermost farthing and so be delivered from thence at the last Or how can it stand with the Justice or Equity of Gods Proceedings against Men for sin to inflict everlasting Punishments upon them for sinning onely for a short time I answer 1. Sin especially such sin for which men are sent to Hell being an injury or base affront offered to an infinite Majesty and Goodness the demerit of it must needs be great and indeed unconceivable The reviling of a Magistrate or the smiting of a Prince in the face are misdemeanors of an higher nature and justly more punishable by men then the like injuries done to meaner men Yea it is the sence of all men that the greater the Person is in Dignity especially when His worth and merit is every ways answerable to whom an injury or indignity is offered the greater proportionably is the offence committed and obligatory to the greater Punishment When the standers by said to Paul Revilest thou Gods High Priest g Acts 23. 3. they clearly intimated that the sin of reviling a Person invested with so great a Dignity as the High-Priesthood was signally demeritorious and deserving exemplary Punishment Now then allowing proportionably for the incomprehensible and endless Dignity Soveraignty Majesty of God all in conjunction with eminency of worth and goodness every ways commensurable to them the injury which men offer unto Him by voluntary sinning against Him and His Laws plainly appears to be of infinite demerit and so binding over the sinner to an infinite Punishment infinite I mean either intensively in respect of the nature or quality or extensively in respect of the duration of it Now the Creature not being capable of suffering Punishment infinite in the former consideration the just severity of God imposeth upon Him that which is infinite in the latter To speak or think slightly or lightly of the guilt or demerit of sin or to look upon the Punishment of Hell fire as exceeding the proportion thereof proceedeth either from a profound ignorance of the Nature Majesty infinite Goodness and Sweetness of God or else from a profane neglect of an intense and due consideration of them 2. The infinite Purity of the Divine Nature and most perfect Hatred of sin ruling and reigning therein may well be conceived little less then to necessitate Him 1. To the denunciation and threatening of that most severe Punishment we speak of for the restraint and prevention of it and consequently to the execution hereof when the sinner shall despise His Attonement and neglect to wash himself in that Fountain which He hath most graciously opened for sin and uncleanness i. e. for men to purifie and wash themselves in from
been done with measure heaped up Therefore 5. And lastly To the Plea made for a liberty in God to shew and to deny Mercy as and to whom he pleaseth I answer yet further that in case it be found a thing utterly and clearly inconsistent with the Wisdom of God or with the goodness and graciousness of his Nature having provided means of Salvation as sufficient and proper for the Salvation of all as of a few which our Adversaries neither do nor with any face of Reason can deny to limit himself in the consignment or designment of them to the Salvation of a few with a disserviceabling of them as to all the rest then hath he no liberty to confine or limit himself after any such manner nor to evacuate the usefulness or beneficialness of these means in respect of the generality of Men. This consequence hath been sufficiently argued and proved already and however is of it self lightsom enough to make every denyer yea or questioner of it ashamed Therefore I assume For God to limit himself in the consignment of those means of Salvation unto a few which He hath provided with a sufficiency and aptness for the Salvation of all or to dis-intend the Salvation of the greatest part of Men by them is a thing clearly and utterly inconsistent with the Wisdom of God and graciousness of His Nature Therefore He hath no liberty in the case specified to straiten himself within the narrow bounds of such a consignment as that mentioned In this Argument we suppose and take for granted that the Death of Christ is a means as sufficient for the Salvation of all Men and as proper and meet for the Salvation of all as of a few And in this I presume we have no Adversary or however the generality of those who are Adversaries in the main of the Controversie depending accord with us therein The Reason of the assumption in the Argument now propounded is as to the former part of it because it is notoriously repugnant to the Principles of sound Wisdom to make waste of any thing which is serviceable or useful for any honorable or worthy end and purpose And the more precious and difficult of procurement a Means is the more honorable and excellent the end or purpose is for which it is appropriately and peculiarly serviceable the more repugnant it is to all Principles of Wisdom to sacrifice it upon the service of vanity and to do nothing with it at all Now questionless the Death of Jesus Christ is a means most choyce and precious not another of like preciousness efficacy or worth to be procured or levyed by God himself the end for which this Death of Christ is most appropriately serviceable is the Salvation of the whole World which is an end most honorable and worthy Therefore it must needs be notoriously inconsistent with the Wisdom of God to dispose of this means onely in order to the procurement and effecting of an end far less honorable as namely the Salvation of a few the obtaining whereof the excellent worth and weight of the said means doth incomparably over-ponderate and transcend So that a non-disposal of it to wards the obtaining of the just and adequate end for which it is appropriately useful and serviceable is to evacuate and make useless though not in whole yet in part the super-transcendent excellency worth and vertue thereof But of this lately The Reason of the latter part of the said Assumption is because it is §. 20. every whit as repugnant to the Nature of Grace Goodness and Bountifulness of Disposition not to relieve the miserable who are every ways capable of relief and this with Honor to Him that shall relieve them when a man hath abundantly in his hand wherewith to relieve them especially when withall he hath no other end or use whereunto to dispose what he hath in this kinde but onely towards the relief of such Persons And as the Apostle John argueth and demandeth concerning men Whosoever hath this Worlds 1 John 3. 17 good and seeth His Brother hath need and shutteth up His Compassion from Him how dwelleth the Love of God in Him in like manner we may well reason and demand concerning God If God having the good of the World to come means of Salvation for his poor lost Creature Man and yet shutteth up his Compassion from him how dwelleth the Love of Man in him And yet the Scripture as we formerly heard speaketh very excellent and glorious things of His Love unto Men no where confining it within the narrow circle or sphere of the Elect or some few Particulars Nor indeed can He with any congruity of expression be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Men or of Mankinde in case He loveth some few particular men onely as He is no where in Scripture called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Angels although He loves a very considerble number of this kinde of Creature as viz. all His Elect or Holy Angels because He loveth not all Particulars But of this more largely in the Premisses a Cap. 16 §. 3 4 c. To the point in hand Certain it is 1. That God hath no other use or occasion of contrivement of the Death of Christ save onely for and in order towards the glorifying of himself in and by the Salvation of Men or at least none other but what would be as effectually promoted and attained by it though it should be intended by Him for the Salvation of the generality of Men. 2. That this Death of Christ is every whit as proper and as sufficient a means to bless the whole generation of Mankinde with Salvation as those few whom our Adversaries suppose to be onely blessed by it in this kinde 3. That it would be no ways dishonorable unto God nor of any harder consistence with his Justice Wisdom Hatred of Sin or with any other of his Attributes whatsoever to intend the Salvation of any others or of all Men by the Death of Christ then it is to intend the Salvation of those few whom our Adversaries grant to be the Objects of his Intentions in this kinde 4. That the generality of Men or those whose Salvation our Adversaries suppose not to be intended by God in or by the Death of Christ are every whit as miserable and stand altogether in as much need of Salvation as those whose Salvation they suppose to have been intended thereby By the light of these grounds layd together it plainly appears that it is a thing signally inconsistent with the Grace Goodness Mercy Bounty of the Divine Nature or Being to consign the Death of Christ to the Salvation onely of a few and to suffer the far greatest part of Men being in every respect as salvable and this by the same means and with the same proportion to any end whatsoever as they to remain miserable and perish everlastingly for want of a like consignment unto them for the same
supposed the act of beleeving in men is no ground of admiration at all no more then it was under the Law to see a man making haste to his City of Refuge being hotly and closely pursued by the Avenger of Blood or then now it would be to fee a young Infant a mile from Home being carryed along in the Parents arms However to add this by the way I incline to think that the reason of our Saviours marvâ—lling upon the Centurions Answer was not simply and absolutely the excellency or greatness of his Faith discovering it self thereby but in part the strangeness of the stupidity and unmanlikeness of spirit in those of Israel which He was occasioned to reminde and consider by the notableness of that Faith which shined in a man who was and had been in all likelyhood a Pagan and a Soldier and an Officer of rank amongst Soldiers all which in their respective Natures and according to common experience which still follows the Natures of things and discovers them are disadvantages to Beleeving The words mentioned have a breathing of such an import When Jesus heard it He marvelled and said I have not found so great Faith NO NOT IN ISRAEL If Beleeving depends upon the Omnipotent Exertions of God after any such manner as our Adversaries imagine our Saviour could have no competent reason to marvel either that it should be found where it was or not found where it was not unless this should be a ground of marvelling unto Him that God by His Omnipotency should be able to work Faith in whom He pleaseth or that Man should not act and do more then He hath Power to do yea or then all the Creatures in Heaven or in Earth can enable Him to do I mean beleeve Fifthly If they who beleeve not have no sufficiency of Power vouchsafed §. 31. by God to beleeve then is the Faith of those who do beleeve no reasonable or just matter of reproof or shame unto those who beleeve not But the Scripture often puts those who beleeve not to rebuke and shame by mentioning unto them the examples of those who do beleeve Ergo. This latter Proposition needs no other Proof but onely the sight and consideration of these and such like Passages For John came unto you in the way of Righteousness and ye beleeved Him not but the Publicans and Harlots beleeved him And ye when ye had seen it repented not afterwards that ye might beleeve him a Mat. 21. 32 The men of Niniveh shall rise up in Judgment with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater then Jonas is here b Mat. 12. 14 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his House by which He condemned the World c Heb. 11. 7 c. From such places as these it is evident that the Faith Repentance and Obedience of the Saints or of such persons who do beleeve repent and obey are just matter of Condemnation unto those who beleeve not repent not obey not and represent them as inexcusable But now to make good the sequel in the Major Proposition these worthy actings and deportments of those in whom they are sound would be no ways considerable for any such end or purpose as the shaming or condemning of unbeleeving impenitent and disobedient Persons unless it be supposed that these have or had or at least might have had and this upon the same terms with those other the like power and abilities whereby to Beleeve Repent and Obey as they did or do The casting great matters into the Treasury by rich men was no disparagement or matter of shame to the poor widow that cast in two mites onely because these two mites were her whole substance she was not able to cast in more in which respect our Saviour Himself gives her this testimony that she had cast in more then they all Their casting in great matters would have been matter of just disparagement unto her in case she had been as wealthy as they and should have cast in her two mites onely Nor is the flying of a fowl in the ayr any disparagement to a man in that he doth not the like nor is the speaking of Greek and Hebrew by him who hath been seven years at School to learn these Tongues and hath had the help of men expert and skilful in them to direct him any matter of disparagement to an Infant of days who is not as yet capable of such education though he speaketh them not And generally where there is not an equality of strength means and abilities for the performance of an action that is commendable the performance of it by him or them who have the advantage of strength and means in this kinde doth no ways reflect disparagement upon the others though they perform it not If those who do beleeve have the Omnipotency of Heaven to assist them in beleeving nay to necessitate them to beleeve certainly their beleeving is no matter of disrepute or disgrace unto those who beleeve not especially if it be supposed that they have no Power at all to beleeve Sixthly If Gods Purpose and Intent be to stop the mouths of all such §. 32. Persons and to leave them without excuse who shall prove wicked ungodly unbeleeving c. then doth He vouchsafe sufficiency of Power and of Means to Repent and Beleeve and so to be saved But the Consequent is true and most unquestionably evident from the Scriptures Therefore the Antecedent is true also viz. that God doth vouchsafe a sufficiency of Power or Means unto all Men whereby to beleeve c. That Gods Purpose is and that He maketh Provision accordingly to stop the mouths of all wicked and ungodly men so that they shall have nothing with any colour of Reason or Equity to plead for themselves why the Sentence of Eternal Death should not pass upon them when they come to appear before His Tribunal is for truth as clear as the Light at Noon-day from these and such like places For the invisible things of Him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even His eternal Power and Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to the intent they should be without excuse a Rom. 1. 20 as our former Translators rendered meaning in case they should neglect the glorifying of God by depending upon Him serving and obeying Him Our last Translation maketh no difference as to our purpose rendering the words thus so that they are without excuse For if they the Heathen be without excuse by the means vouchsafed unto them by God whereby to glorifie Him certainly it was His Intent to render or make them so by the said means So again Now we know that whatsoever the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law THAT EVERY MOVTH MAY
personal consideration whatsoever altereth their Natures or essential Properties Again 2. If the intent of God were to express or signifie His Approbative Will of the Repentance and Salvation of his Creature or the agreeableness of these to His Nature Minde and Goodness He would rather have expressed it in applications of himself unto such persons or subjects whose Repentance and Salvation he really intendeth and desireth then in addressments made to those whose Repentance and Salvation he desireth not nay whom he was resolved from Eternity for this is the voyce of the Oracle consulted by our Adversaries to destroy for ever It were very unproper and hard for a Judg or Prince to make a feeling and affectionate Discourse of their clemency goodness and sweetness of Nature their great averseness to acts of severity c. unto such persons whom they had been of a long time resolved and before any cause administred by these persons of such a resolution against them to put to a terrible torturing and ignominlous death especially at or neer the time when this most severe execution is intended to be done upon them 3. And lastly The Argument propounded by us and with whose vindication we are yet in labor doth neither suppose that God will work Repentance as our Adversaries call working Repentance in the persons there spoken of i. e. that he will work it upon any such terms that it shall necessarily or infallibly be effected nor yet that the persons themselves can repent without God That which it supposeth is this that God is so far moving and assisting the Hearts Wills and Consciences of these men in order to their Repentance that if they were but willing to do what he enableth them to do in reference and order to the same their Repentance would be effected and they saved upon it In which case I mean if they should repent this Repentance were most justly ascribable unto God not to themselves in as much as it is he that 1. Giveth them power and abilities to repent 2. That secretly forms and fashions their Wills so as to make them willing actually to repent 3. That supports their Wills thus framed to and in the production of the act it self of Repentance Whereas that which men themselves do in towards or about their Repentance is so inconsiderable in comparison of what God doth that the greatness of his Grace and interposure herein deserves in a manner all the praise and honor that belongs unto the action although it be true also that the person himself who repenteth or in whom Repentance is wrought must of necessity be so far or to such a degree interessed and active in the work that the work it self may be as truly and properly ascribed unto him or called His as it is ascribed unto God and termed his For it is man that repenteth not God though what he doth in repenting he doth by the operating and assisting Grace of God in which respect it is said to be his gift But concerning the conjuncture and respective interests of the first and second Causes in the production or raising of one and the same act we shall God willing discourse more particularly in the second part of this Work where also we shall clear and discharge all those Passages and Texts of Scripture from their hard service which are compelled by some to serve against this great Truth of that high importance for the glory as well of the Grace as Justice of God That all Men without exception have a sufficiency of power vouchsafed unto them by God whereby to Repent and to beleeve unto Salvation and that it is through want of Will or rather willingness not of Power that any man perisheth At present to the further confirmation of the main Doctrine commended in this Discourse we argue thus In the eleventh place If God intended not the Death of Christ as a Ransom §. 37. Argum. 11. or Satisfaction for all Men then are there some Men whom He never intended to save but to leave irrecoverably to everlasting destruction and perdition This Proposition I suppose stands firm and strong upon its own basis and needs no Prop of Proof or Argument to support it For God intending to save no man but by the Death of Christ evident it is that if there be any man or number of men for whose Salvation he did not intend this Death that he never intended their Salvation Therefore I assume But there are no such Men or number of Men whose Salvation God never intended or whom He intended to leave irrecoverably to everlasting perdition Ergo. The Reason of this Proposition is partly because whatsoever God at any time intends he intended always yea from Eternity partly also because there was a time when all Men were righteous and holy viz. during the whole time of Adams integrity in whose loyns all Men then were and so must needs be Partakers of the same Holiness and Integrity with him So that unless we shall say and hold that God never intended the Salvation of just and holy men but to leave them irrecoverably to everlasting perdition we cannot say that there are or were any men or any number of men whose Salvation he never intended or whom he intended to leave irrecoverably to everlasting destruction Yea all Men had a Being in God himself before they received or had a Being in Adam in which respect Adam himself is called the Son of God a Luke 4. 38 viz. because he received his Being from him as though not after the manner that children receive their Beings from their Parents or Fathers Now wheresoever or in what estate and condition soever Adam was there were all Men in the same estate and condition with him So then all Men considered as being in God were nothing but God himself according to the common and most true Maxim of Divines Quicquid in Deo est est Deus whatsoever is in God is God The truth of this Maxim was clearly evinced by us Cap. 4. of this Discourse where we argued the absolute simplicity of the Divine Essence or God Therefore if God purposed from Eternity to leave any man or number of men irrecoverably to eternal destruction this Purpose was conceived or taken up by Him against these men whilest they were yet onely in His Will and Power and consequently whilest they were nothing but Himself But that God should peremptorily resolve and decree never to save nor to intend to save but to design and consign over irrevocably irreversibly irrecoverably to eternal misery and destruction millions of men whilest they were yet perfectly righteous and holy yea whilest they were yet nothing but Himself is doubtless a Notion hardly incident to the judgment or thoughts of any man who trembles to think irreverently or unworthily of God It is like it will be here pleaded that God in His Purpose or Decree to §. 38. leave the men we speak of to everlasting perdition doth