any preparation or disposition thereunto but solely in the bosome of the God of heaven who according to the counsel of his own will from all eternity differenceth one person from another Iacob from Esau decreeing and destinating both unto glory as the end and likewise unto saving grace as the means conducing to that end For if besides the act of God thus specifying or distinguishing man should have any stroke as that through his own strength or acting at all Ephes 2.9 Hab. 1.16 1 Cor. 4.7 as to his own being decreed to salvation then a man had whereof to boast then might he sacrifice to his own net and burn incense to his own drag then man had made himself to differ and he had that which he never had received And if those former Scriptures by me alledged seem not to you of full weight Luk. 6.38 take these following to the bargain which doutbtless will make it good measure pressed down shaken together and running over First as to the exclusion of all creature-interests besides the alone will of God which is his decree of election Mat. 11.25 Luke 12.31 Secondly as to the confirming of this grant ad numerum numeratum as to a set definite and known number The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 he knows whom he hath chosen Ioh. 13.18 he knows his sheep Ioh. 10.27 yea he knows them by name Ioh. 10.3 their names are written in heaven Luk. 10.20 yea in the spirits book Rev. 13.8 even in the book of life Phil. 4.3 Rev. 21.12 So that having discharged this Argument likewise from the burden you cast upon it by your crude exceptions I am now at liberty to come to the relief of My fourth Argument which is this If faith and works be the fruits and effects of election then they are no waies causes of it for which God should elect But they are fruits and effects Acts 13.48 as many as were ordained to life believed Eph. 2.4 7 8 9 16. To which you answer First See here what ado the man makes with works and causes as the position never mentioneth Answ Sir that I inserted works into any of my Arguments I have given the reason thereof in my defence of my second Argument to wit for the avoiding of vain Tautologies I must refer the Reader and as to causes to my first Argument and though it be true that totidem verbis causes are not exprest in the position yet by an unavoydable consequence they are implied and therefore if the man had holden fast the forme of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 1 Tim. 6.3 and consented to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness much of this contest would have been spared The holy Scriptures and this mans learned writings were not calculated for the same meridian they will not easily suite for one hemisphere where find you in all the holy writings such a style as this especially as to matter of election God saw some men embracing the means and those he elected I have not found the like in Scripture whatsoever this man hath done in his rarer observations but sure I believe he laid it purposely as a gin to catch woodcocks no Sir when you set forth any doctrinal truth by way of a position you ought to keep as close to a Scripture-phrase as possibly the subject matter will bear Secondly you answer by way of a demand what ground he hath to say that faith and works be the fruits and effects of election except it be this that because election goeth before and faith and works follow after and by that way of reasoning he may as well say that Abels death was the effect of Cains birth and that may be accounted the cause of it but yet Cains being born had not effected it if he had not afterwards rose up against him and slew him and so he came to his death it being effected by that means so likewise notwithstanding the Decree of election was before man had any being yet faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 as a means appointed by God for the effecting of it that so men might fall under the decree of salvation that is appointed by God to be the portion of believers from before the foundation of the world Answ I shall return upon you in our Saviours language Luk. 19.22 Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant But even now did you consent Promises did flow from the decree of election and yet though we had not reum confitentem we are not so barren and empty of solid grounds for what we say or do affirm Ephes 1.3 that all those spiritual blessings in heavenly places thâ—â— a believer from first to last is made partaker of they all flow unto us and are conferred on us as fruits and effects of election Rom. 11.7 election hath obtained it that Christ was given of the Father that he was incarnate crucified dead raised from death to life that he ascended up on high and that now he sits on Gods right hand and acteth now daily as an intercessor all these flow from election Gal. 4.4 1 Pet. 1.20 Luk. 24.26 Phil. 2.6 c. That any are effectually called according to purpose t is the effect of election Rom. 8.28 and ver 23.24 c. Justification is from election 8.30 c. Sanctification from election Rom. 6.22 Your fruit unto holiness Ephes 1.4 Chosen that we should be holy All which Graces and priviledges as they are fruits and effects of election so are they all of them in their several stations and relations causes of salvation and every antecedent grace is a cause of its consequent grace and the salvation of the elect which is their consummate Glorification is the common effect both of the first cause as of all the intermediate and secondary causes At last you bid defiance to this Argument by having a fling at that Classical text of Scripture Acts 13.48 retorting it upon me thus To his Greek that he writeth in the margin of his paper from Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained c. I do desire him to look once more into his Greek Testament and then let him as he will be willing to answer it before the Judge of the world the Lord Iesus at his appearing when he shall come in his glory and let him speak according to his conscience upon that account whether he cannot read the same words in the Greek from which the word ordained is translated to be the same with that in 1 Cor. 16.15 from which the word addicted is translated and also I shall appeal to the consciences of reasonable people whether it be not a suitable and an agreeable kinde of reading it being directly contrary to what the Jews did v. 45. they spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming and so
analogous to the business in hand Yet I have not spared to set the whole down having proposed that to my self to be my method at first that so it might apppear that I had not put a slur upon any part of his writing which had any appearance of substance in it And yet in my answer hereunto I shall not confine my self to such strict terms as to pursue him so closely in his wildgoose chace through thick and thin over hills and over dales Ultra Garamantas et Indos and so to wait upon him in his crooked waies or follow him in his extravagancies he gleans up and patcheth together divers impertinent places of Scripture as Act. 4.10 c. Act. 13.16 c. Ioh. 9.28 c. Rom. 2.17 Gal. 4.22 Gen. 25.23 Obad. 10. Rom. 10.18 and Ier. 18.4 and 2 Thes 2.10 11. and from these to drain out the Apostles meaning in this place But my purpose is to keep me close to the words of the Apostle who best knew the meaning of the Spirit and who alone is sufficient to be his own interpreter and from thence to infer so much as to a rational man may give a full decision to the matter in controversie viz. that sin and unbelief is not the cause of Reprobation before all time but that it proceeds solely from the good pleasure of Gods most holy will to reprobate or pass by whom he pleaseth though this confident I might say impudent man saith he hath already proved the contrary But sure then it must be in one of his former printed volumes I am certain it cannot be found in this pamphlet But before I undertake to make an entry on the words I cannot over-slip one of his new discoveries whereof he desires the Reader to consider that the people that Paul speaketh to in these words Rom. 9.19 Thou wilt say unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will c. were the Jews c. Sir may I be beholding to you for this your rare invention Your skill in Chorography it seems is not ordinary such a dull brain as I have did believe that Rome stood in Italy within the bounds of Europe but your dextrous art hath espied it out in Iudea within the climates of Asia many hundreds of miles distant from what I ever apprehended of it I pray Sir in your next inform me whether Rome stood in Ierusalem yea or no But what need I to wonder at thi for with such fopperies you gull your deluded Auditors who swallow down worse falsities then these without straining at such Camels For truly Sir I must tell you that you must help me to such a faith that can remove mountains in the twinkling of an eye nay cities too before I can yield to you that Paul here speaks to the Jews For if I may safely believe Paul rather then you it was directed to the Romans Rom. 1.7 for all that be in Rome and the Postscript written to the Romans from Corinthus Now who can be so ignorant as not to know that the Romans were Gentiles and not Jews and though in this chapter mention be made of the Jews his sorrow for them in respect of his near relation to them their ancient pedigree and great priviledges yet it is directed particularly to the Gentiles that they might make a holy use thereof So that your fabrick raised on so sandy a foundation your Babel consisting of a bare circumlocution of several texts of Scripture forced by you to speak what was never intended by the Holy Ghost in them it all moulders to powder But lest this may seem rather a tergiversation then an answer I will as I intended offer to the Readers view the genuine Analysis of the Apostle in this part of the chapter that so sorting it as collateral to your forced interpretation the judicious Reader may thereby censure whether is more suitable to the mind of the Holy Ghost yours or mine In the former part of this chapter the Apostle had been treating of the predestination of the Saints by the examples of Isaac and Iacob and now is he entred upon the doctrine of reprobation by the examples of Ishmael and Esau under which all Reprobates may be comprehended Of whom when he had concluded that it was not for any of their evil deeds but the meet good pleasure of Gods will that so rejected them and having proposed an objection to himself which carnal wisdome might alledge that if the matter were so then there was unrighteousness with God to deal so unequally with persons that were in all things in an equal condition He repulseth this objection as most absurd saying God forbid and withal he aggravates his protestation against such a conclusion as the charging of God with injustice by the testimony of God to Moses Exod. 33.9 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy c. the reason whereof is drawn from Gods absolute and most free power that he hath over all his creatures to do with them what he pleaseth The same absolute sovereignty is likewise ratified by the example of Pharaoh in whom there is such a series and concatenation of acts of the divine providence in hardening and destroying and that written in such large Characters that all the future ages of the world might know that God is Lord Paramount over all the works of the creation and therefore that he may when and whom and where he pleaseth raise up some to be as potsheards that were made of purpose that his absolute power might be shewen on them as to shew mercy on whom he will so to harden whom he pleaseth This block being removed and thereby the point of absolute soveraignty being confirmed the Apostle now meets with another objection ver 19. Thou wilt say unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will now from what the Apostle here objects it is palpable that in himself he concludes that it depends meerly on the will of God that some are Reprobated or not elected and thereby hardened and being hardened do unavoidably sin and perish For humane reason from what was said whom he will he hardens might conclude that the Apostles doctrine leads to an absurdity for if it must be so how can it be that God can justly complain of those which are hardened and so of those who are Reprobated when they do sin How may it be said can God complain and that for a double reason First because those who are hardened or reprobated when they sin they do onely such things as God doth will to permit by them to be done Secondly because those who are so reprobated and hardened they can do no other then thus sin if that unto that purpose they were so hardened and reprobated Now both of these things are very true neither doth the Apostle deny either of them But that which humane reason doth infer from thence viz. that therefore God cannot in justice find fault
but the meer good pleasure of Gods most holy and righteous Will who will do with his creature what he will do neither can any expostulate why hast thou done thus Esa 45.9 It is true that sin and unbelief and the rejecting of the means are just causes why God decrees such persons to hell and eternal torments but yet not the causes of their reprobation that is solely and singly in the good pleasure of his Will Ephes 1.5 which I prove by these Arguments 1. Arg. That which the holy Ghost in the Scripture ascribes unto the sole will and good pleasure of God that we are not to assign other causes to But the Scripture assigns reprobation solely to Gods will Therefore For proof of the minor proposition see these texts Rom. 7.18 whom he will he hardeneth ver 20 21. Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessell unto honour and another unto dishonour ver 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted or made up for destruction Matth. 11.26 Even so O Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Matth. 10.15 Is it not lawful to do what I will with mine own ver 16. Many called few chosen Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil Rom. 9.11 12 13. for the children being not yet born ver 17. for this same purpose have I raised thee 2. Arg. That which is the efflux and consequent of Reprobation cannot be the cause of it But sin unbelief and rejecting the means is the efflux and consequent of Reprobation Therefore The major is as clear as the sun The minor proposition is proved from these texts Math. 11.25 26. I thank thee father c. for so it seemed good in thy sight He hid those things not outwardly but inwardly Ioh. 6.36 37. Christ to the Capernaites I said unto you that ye also have seen me believed not all that the father giveth me shall come to me signifying that they are not given to him of the father and therefore reprobated Ioh. 8.46 47. Christ to the Pharisees If I say the truth why do ye not believe me he that is of God heareth Gods word ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God i.e. ye are reprobates Ioh. 10.26 Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep i. e. not of the number of my elect Ioh. 12.39 40. Of the whole company of the Jews Therefore they could not believe because Esaias said he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts viz. God according to his decree Rom. 9.18 whom he will he hardens and ver 33. Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence Rom. 11.7 8. the election hath obtained it the rest are hardened for God hath given them the spirit of slumber c. 1 Pet. 2.8 which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed 3. Arg. If sin and unbelief and rejecting of the means of salvation are the onely causes why God reprobates any then there is no such mystery in the decree of reprobation neither are Gods waies herein so unsearchable and past finding out but that the true and undoubted cause may be assigned But yet they are mysterious and unsearchable See Rom. 9.14 What shall we say then is there unrighteousness with God God forbid Rom. 1.33 34. O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his waies past finding out for who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellour 4. Arg. If the foresight of sin and unbelief and rejecting the means of salvation be the causes of Reprobation then these absurdities will unavoidably follow 1. That no child dying in infancy can possibly be reprobated 2. Neither such Gentiles or Turks Indians or Salvages that never heard of Christ who never enjoyed the Gospel nor ever had the means tendred to them for how can they believe in him on whom they have not heard Rom. 10. and how can they reject that which was never tendred unto them as many nations in the world who are strangers from the life of God Ephe. 1.12 3. If the foresight of sin should be the cause of Reprobation then the elect should be equally lyable to the decree of reprobation as the Reprobates themselves they all being alike in the corrupt mass and lump of Adams transgression Rom. 9.21 22 23 24. Iohn 15.19 20. If ye were of the world c. Ephes 2.1 2 3. children of wrath as well as others Rom. 3.10 and there is none righteous no not one 4. Then Paul was mistaken Rom. 9.11 in not assigning sin to be the cause of Reprobation 5. The same Apostle then answered very unsoundly to those objections Rom. 9.13 14. The first is if God reprobated Esau because he hated him then he was unjust The second ver 19. Why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will For he might in one word have answered to both the objections and said that sin was the cause of reprobating both of Esau and Pharaoh but he saith the contrary ver 11. When they had done neither good nor evil Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Mal. 1.2 6. Hereby we confine Gods infinite soveraignty over his creatures to the narrow scantling of our subordinate power as though he might not do with his own what he lists without our controll and not make a vessel either of honour or of dishonour unless he were accountable to us for the reason of his so doing For the fourth and fifth Positions These may pass with a grain of Salt bating some impropriety in the expressions and I am not so at leisure to teach such men to express themselves after a Theological manner either in their teaching or writing For the sixth Thesis I must ingenuously confess it is such a Mystery or Paradox and so involved with seeming contradictions that I want an Oedipus to unriddle the meaning of it I have been a little acquainted with the opinions of the Pelagians Semipelagians Papists Arminians Socinians and Anabaptists and amongst them all can observe none of them jumping in with this mans judgement for thus he writes All men are sometimes convinced of sin and the state of nature What his meaning is by the state of nature I cannot divine If his sense be that every man is at one time or other convinced that by nature he is a child of wrath and disobedience and dead in trespasses and sins and so t is false for most men have not such convictions Next And are made alive by the works of the spirit by this all men should be
actually saved for if in Christ 1 Cor. 15.22 all are made alive that are alive and that he that is alive liveth unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.11 then as Christ himself such dye no more sin hath no more dominion over them Rom. 6.9 for they live unto the Lord Rom. 14.8 and 1 Joh. 3.9 his seed remaineth in him Being born again 1 Pet. 1.23 not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Next And Christ rendreth the light of the Spirit of Grace to every man in the world It s true we have some expressions Ioh. 1.9 that Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world but that is to be understood of the common light of nature or the actings of reason as the two next following verses do evince for the world knew him not and his own received him not they had not the spirit of grace and faith for 2 Thes 3.2 all men have not faith But how doth Christ tender the light of the Spirit of grace to every man surely after that ordinary manner that God hath sanctified to wit the preaching of the Gospel for Rom. 10.14 faith cometh by hearing and how shall they hear without a Preacher then that is apparently false for it is too well known that there are many thousand thousands in the world yea divers nations which never enjoyed the blessing to hear of Christ or the Spirit of grace but Ephes 1.12 lived without a God in this world and at last shall go Psal 49.19 unto the generations of their fathers and never see light If the meaning be that Christ tendreth the light of the spirit of grace inwardly and after an extraordinary manner this is but petitio principii as they say in the Schooles a plain begging of the question without any proof of Scripture or probability in common reason Nay it is flat against the Scripture for Luke 16.19 they have Moses and the Prophets they are to hear them Esa 8.26 to the law and to the testimony c. 2 Pet 1.19 We have a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place Next God also giveth a Talent to every man and power to improve it but man not improving it when received with a power is the cause of mans destruction Now what weight this talent bears with this Dictator or what power is given unto frail men to improve it and how far and to what or whom either of these talents or power is extended when he hath better studied the point and comes to understand his own meaning if he please then to communicate it he shall be sure to receive a further answer but in the mean time by way of Anticipation if his sense be as I conjecture through his clouded and dark expressions That God hath afforded sufficient means of grace and power to improve that means to every man whereby they may come to the knowledge of the truth and so be saved then I utterly deny it and my ground of such denial rests upon these ensuing Arguments 1. Arg. If God do purposely for the raising of his own glory harden some blind others and make fat the hearts of many then a sufficient means of salvation nor power to use the same is administred to all indifferently But God doth blind some hardens others and makes fat Therefore The major or first proposition is undeniable because blinding hardening and making fat is destructive to the use of means The minor or second proposition is proved from these express texts Ex. 4.21 and 7.3 and 14.4 Rom. 9.18 whom he will he hardeneth Ex. 9.16 and Rom. 9.17 even for this same purpose have I raised thee up Ioh. 12.40 he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts c. Esa 6.9 Rom. 11.7 election hath obtained it the rest are blinded Esa 6.10 make the hearts of this people fat 2. Arg. If God willingly suffers Nations to walk in their own wayes and winkes at or lets them alone in their sins and ignorance then God doth not exhibite a sufficiency of means nor inables them with a power of acceptation of life and salvation But the first is true therefore the latter For the proof of the major is unnecessary for the minor see Acts 14.16 and 17.30 3. Arg. If the preaching of Christ crucified in the doctrine of the Gospel be the onely ordinary sufficient means to bring men to life and to salvation and that many nations never enjoyed that means then God hath not afforded a sufficiency of means to all men but the first is true therefore the latter That the Gospel is the onely ordinary means Rom. 10.14 How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard c. Acts 4.12 there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Ioh. 14.6 No man cometh to the Father but by the Son 1 Ioh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Tim. 2.5 One mediator between God and man the man Christ Iesus Now that many nations want this means t is too evident and therefore no sufficiency The Seventh Position That Christ hath redeemed all men from the first transgression and crost the score of Adams sin I cannot well interpret what this dreamer means for if his sense should be by way of limitation in all men to all the elect of men then I imbrace his Position and should much enlarge it But I suspect worse that he covertly denies the being of original sin secretly insinuating that the death of Christ hath blotted out Col. 2.14 that hand-writing that was against us from any further imputation of Adams sin or obligation unto punishment onely the guilt and pollution thereof still remains inherent in us However it is I will shoot at rovers and adventure an argument or two in defence of the truth 1. Arg. That unto which the Scripture doth apply the name and nature of sin deserving punishment that without controversie must be sin indeed But unto original sin both the name and nature of sin are applyed in the Scripture Therefore For proof hereof see Psal 81.7 Rom. 5.12 14 16 19. Ioh. 3.6 Rom. 7.7 8. and 8.13 Iam. 1.14 2. Arg. If temporal death hath been the lot of every one which yet hath not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression then there is original sin still in being in respect of punishment for Rom. 6.23 the wages of sin is death and every sin is either actuall or originall but temporal death hath been the lot of many who yet have not sinned actually Rom. 6.14 and this we may see instanced in the death of Infants which die without actual sin Therefore The last Position is Christ hath laid his life and shed his bloud for
who by the inward working of his spirit he hath made Godly For himself i. e. to do him service and live to his glory See Exod. 33.16 Or else this may be understood and that the scope of the place bears necessarily That the Lord hath set apart for some place 〈◊〉 of eminency office and trust him that is Godly as David was foâ— to be more Instrumental for the glory of God and good of his people What you write that there is no more ground or cause tâ— call the words of this position Pelagianism or an old heresy thaâ— there is to call the words of David so is but meer vapour and smoke because the words of David beare no proposition nor do not in the least degree carry any correspondence with the position To what you write for if him that is Godly or believers oâ— those that imbrace the means of salvation be not those that God hath elected in Christ to eternal life then shew me by plain Scripture-proof if you can who they be and what be their names that we may know them I answer roundly thus Answ That such as are thus qualified i. e. that are Godly that are believers and that in sincerity and truth such carry the evidence in themselves their faith and Godliness are arguments symptomes signes to them that they are elected And that as Eph. 1.4 he is said there to elect some that they should be holy so God hath elected such numerical persons that he will withâ—l in his good time make them godly make them believers make them to imbrace the means of salvation by working all their works in them Esa 26.12 Yet God hath not elected any whom he foresaw that by the power of his own free will and liberty of choosing and refusing would be Godly or would believe or would imbrace the means no the object of election was of men in their blood Ezek. 6.16 enemies Rom. 5.10 ungodly Rom. 4.5 sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 And this indeed is the main that I so zealously contend for to beat down all worth or excellency in the creature and to ascribe the sole glory unto God in making him the Alpha and Omega the first and the last in the whole transaction of mans salvation and which my Adversary implicitely denies though in express terms he is ashamed to profess it with a full mouth 1 Sam. 15.14 what meane else the bleatings of these words in my ears page 13. I should sin against Christ if I should say that believing in him were no cause at all and page 39. as it is the good pleasure of God to let the sons of men enjoy a sufficiency of means c. so he gives them liberty in the right use thereof in the day of Grace to choose or refuse and it cannot be otherwise so a choice must needs be at liberty and if there were not a liberty given of God in these things c. Mary hath chosen the better part c. But of these in their several places What further you write Shew me by plain Scripture if you can who they be and what be their names that we may know them is a question more suitable to be proposed by a boy of four years old for if he had been older a rod had been fitter for him then an answer And yet let me tell you Rev. 2.17 Rev. 5.1 Kev 20.12 that those which are elected when once they come to be believers they have a new name given which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it and the book wherein their names are written is as yet a sealed book But when the book shall be opened which is the book of life then it shall be legible even in such great Characters that he that runs may read who they be and what be their names In the mean time the secret things belong to the Lord our God Deut. 29.29 but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do them You further say and if these Scriptures to wit Psal 37. from vers 9. to vers 21. Prov. 3.33 34 35 and Mar. 16.16 together with many other of the sayings of the holy Spirit in the Scripture that have the like sound be not for substance a true coppy of Gods decree of Election and Reprobation from the foundation of the world then shew us a true Copy of it if you can Answ Alas Alas what will not ignorance at least mixt with impudence 2 Tim. 3.6 endeavour to obtrude upon a simple people by creeping into houses and leading captive silly people laden with sin But tell me Sir though it may be possible for you to delude your dull-sighted proselytes with such fopperies as these is it with you imaginable that men of parts and gifts will swallow down such gudgeons such Camels revise the Scriptures that you there cited and see whether any part of any one of them breath the least aire as to matter of Election or Reprobation whether any of them carries any import either in express words or by way of consequence to these eternal decrees And that it may appear that I charge you not unadvisedly let us take a view of the Scriptures apart 1 For that Psal 37.9 to vers 21. The scope of that Psalm is to direct the Godly how to deport themselves especially in reference to the wicked when flourishing in prosperity and to this end 1 He sets down what their duty is 2. He presseth that duty by several Arguments Their first duty is that they beware of angâ—â— and envy whereto they might be tempted upon that occasion oâ— the wickeds prosperity ver 1.7.8 2 That on the contrary they fortifie themselves with faith and hope in God ver 3 5 6. The arguments he useth for confirmation are drawn 1 From the end and issue of both their conditions how both the Godly and wicked shall succeed viz. it shall fall out well for the Godly but ill for the wicked ver 9 10 11. A 2. Is drawn from the cause of this issue and event viz. the efficatious providence of God from the 12 ver to the 21 ver which is illustrated by the effects as 1. The confusion of the wicked in their evil counsel ver 12 13 14 15. 2 By blessing of the little which the righteous man hath beyond all the riches of many wicked ones 3 by a protection and deliverance of the Godly man from those evils wherein the wicked are overwhelmed vers 20 23 24. now what is all this to Election or Reprobation For the place of Prov. 3.33 c. Solomon in all the former part of that chapter exhorteth to an endeavour after divers Graces as the contents thereof do imply The argument whereby he presseth it is from the diverse end and issue of those who are adorned with and those who want those graces which are exprest in these three last verses by you cited But what is this likewise
to tender unto fallen mankind by his son Jesus Christ and did not look at any thing that was in the creature or should be acted by the creature as any motive by which he was drawn thereunto but the moving cause was the fountain of everlasting love that was in himself towards his poor perishing creature freely to enter into an engagement by purpose and decree and from that purpose and decree to make forth promises in the Scripture that are 1 Cor. 1.20 yea and Amen in Christ Jesus to the glory of God by us that all sort or kind of people that do embrace the means of salvation to wit the free tenders of grace in the Gospel and continue in the faith and way of Jesus with a single heart and humble mind to the end of their lives Matt. 24.13 shall undoubtedly be saved and God can as soon cease to be as that he should fail in making good these promises to that sort or kind of people aforesaid because they flow from his purpose and decree which is unchangeable like unto himself as I shall by the assistance of God hereafter make appear in the following discourse Answ Here I will intreat the intelligent Reader considerately to take notice how this merchant of rags endeavours to juggle with me and by acting the Gypsies part to play fast and loose with my first Argument for howsoever it is by me affirmed that Gods election is absolute in it self irrespectrive and irrelative as to the end viz. salvation to which there was no motive or incentive whether of faith foreseen or embracing of the means or continuing therein or any thing else yet withal as before hinted I do maintain that the same God that determined of the end did likewise decree unto such persons so elected fit and suitable means conducing to that end viz. that he would send his Son to become a propitiation for them that he would effectually call them by his Gospel that he would give them faith to answer that call by believing that he would justifie their persons and sanctifie their natures and keep them by his power through faith unto salvation And whereas he writes although mans believing and obeying the Gospel be not a motive incentive or procuring ground or cause for which God elects c. who would not think here but that this man meant plainely and honestly but tuta frequensque via est sub amici fallere nomen for mark what followes but it hath been the good will and pleasue of God to engage himself by purpose and decree to elect justifie and save all those men and women that did or should in time embrace the means of salvation Answ Here is his warping for see how he fumbles together the decree it self of salvation with the means for the execution of that decree no waies distinguishing but confounding election with justification and embracing of the means It is very true and it is a Gospel-declaration that God will save all those that he doth justifie and who do embrace the means in sincerity and truth Rom. 8.29 Eph. 6.24 But if he prove out of any part of the Bible from Genesis to the Revelation that God will elect all those that do or shall embrace the means of salvation I will give him the cause and cry peccavi and it is to be marked that we are about the point of election and not of justification and therefore all such proofs that speak onely of justification and not specifically of election are alien to the point For all the rest of his words if the grant may gratify him I will freely give him viz. that all sorts of people that do embrace the means to wit the free tenders of grace in the Gospel shall undoubtedly be saved But what 's this to the Argument of Election You further add But if by these words Then it is not upon Gods foresight of mens embracing the means but onely that the embracing of the means is not a motive or moving cause for which God elects then his Argument is true in every part of it but I have some cause to except against the sequel of his major proposition viz. then it is not upon Gods foresight of mens embracing the means not so much in respect of any untruth I find in it if his meaning be as aforesaid but the exception that I make against it is in respect of the terms of it because it varieth from the position not answering the expressions of it for the position doth not say that God elected men upon the foresight of their embracing the means but the substance that is in it is that God saw some men embracing the means those he elected and therefore if it had answered to it it should have spoken thus Then God hath not elected those men which he saw embracing the means of salvation and then it had been so palpably false that it must needs have been denied without any further trouble but as it is it may be a truth and yet proves nothing in the position to be false Sir what need all these frothy words to wast time and to spoile clean paper you know my sense is that the embracing of the means is not a motive or moving cause for which God doth elect and howsoever it is that you are ashamed to outface so much clear light of the Scripture which confirms this truth but that your pretence is that you except against my Argument in respect of the terms of it because as you say it varieth from the Position not answering the expressions of it The substance whereof is this that God saw some men embracing the means those he elected Therefore now I must deal plainly roundly with you and shall unkennel you our of yout fox-holes You know the Water-men on the Thames when they cry Westward Hoe they have their faces Eastward So whiles you here pretend against motives incentives or procuring causes of election yet in very deed and truth you are most mainly for them as I shall God assisting me make plainly to appear Sir possible it is that you may not dive into the bottom of this mystery of Iniquity nor foresee at such a distance as you are into the depth of this design and therefore may with the more confidence protest against and utterly disclaim all motives incentives or procuring grouds or causes why God elects any but ascribe all to the good pleasure of his will as in words you seem to assert But if we cast a reflexe eye upon this Heresie I mean for eternal causes of election as it was at first hatched by Pelagius though shortly after it was crushed by a Councel and next again revived in part by the Semipelagian Papists and at last refined and put into a new garbe by those Interpolators your correspondents the Arminians it will be very visible to all considerate men that howsoever in words you deny any moving cause in respect of election yet so long as
creatures who had willingly lost themselves and were irrecoverably miserable that so his name might be had in honour all the world over Eph. 1.6 to the praise of the glory of his Grace c. Rom. 9.23 and 11.35 36. 1 Pet. 2.9 But whereas you say God respecteth not persons t is falsely alledged as from those places and you deal in this as the accuser of the Brethren the Devil did with Christ in citing Psal 19.12 Mat. 4.6 He curtails the words and so do you for look on all those Texts by you mentioned and whereas you say he respects not persons the Scripture hath it he is not a respecter of persons or not an accepter of the face of any man for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie the face and t is the usual phrase of the Scripture to accept the face of any one i. e. to do any thing in the favour of another upon a consideration had of the external adjuncts of such which are obvious to the eyes and render him worthy or commendation See Lev. 19.15 Deut. 10.17 1 Sam. 25.35 2 Kings 3.14 Prov. 6.35 and 18.5 The sense of all which is that God takes no account or reckoning of a person in regard of any outward quality whereby he may be moved to do him good before another nor of the unworthiness of any person whereby he may be moved to punish him rather then another And I pray Sir tel me now sadly what you have gotten by you◠own quotations whether your own sword be not thrust into your own bowels and whether I have not beaten you with your own weapons And thus through your own provocation having gored your sides deeper by establishing of the strength of my second Argument I shall put to my hand through Christ that strengthens me to emancipate my third Argument from that captivity yo◠keep it under through the mist of darkness you eclipse it with by your slubbering exceptions My Argument is If the decree of election be absolute without any respect had to faith works or use of means then God did not elect upon the foresight of the embracing of the means But the decree of election is absolute c. Therefore See fo◠proof Rom. 9.11 Rom. 11.5 6 7. Eph. 1.4 to 11. Mat. 10.16 and 22.14 To which you answer that the decree of election is absolute without any respect had to the works of the Law for we shall ground upon Pauls conclusion Rom. 3.28 therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law for he that believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly and continueth in that faith shall absolutely be saved and he that is absolutely justified and saved must needs be absolutely elected For that sort or kind of people that are called and accounted believers in his Son and endure to the end or remain faithful unto death shall absolutely be saved Math. 24.13 and have the crown of life Rev. 2.10 For as I have before shewed the promises flow from the decree of election which is absolute like God himself that cannot change and all that sort of people before spoken of are concerned in it and not one of them shall ever be excluded from it but it is not of persons simply considered as distinct from those qualifications before spoken of as hath been already sufficiently proved Answ Here again no man can be ascertaind either what you affirme or do deny for Diruit aedificat mutat quadrata rotundis that which you build with one hand you pul down quickly with another First you grant the decree of election to be absolute without respect had to works and for a reason of such your concession alledge Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude c. And I must tell you Sir we are not acquainted with such sorry waies of proving that which we assert we are upon a business of election and your proof is from matter of justification Sir remember how you are upon the publique stage and by this your Printing you have exposed your self to the censure of all the men in England that have either eyes to see or ears to hear and that you are not now at Cuckolds-pit dictating it there to your Coridons But if you think to mend the matter by saying such are absolutely justified and saved and therefore they are absolutely elected I say the consequence follows on the other hand they are absolutely elected and therefore they are or shall be absolutely justified and saved because that Justification and so salvation transient works of God in time flow from the absoluteness certainty and immutability of Gods immanent and eternal decree of election which was before all time as an effect following its cause as you seem your self to confess saying The promises flow from the decree of election which is absolute as God himself that cannot change and so much for your building up Now for your pulling down But it is not of persons simply considered as Persons distinct from those Qualifications Answ See now whether this doth not quite destroy what before you granted That thing is said to be absolute which is ab alio solutum pure Inconditional not depending on another but if you will have election to be conditional respective and relative to faith or believing and use of means then you utterly hurle down the absoluteness of Gods election it ceases further to be absolute then when it depends singly and solely on the good pleasure of his will which is his decree without respect had to any external motive and where you have proved any such qualifications as essentials to election read it he that can for no such thing is to be found in these your papers You sent up this bundle of exceptions after this manner neither do the Scriptures by him brought prove any such thing for although the Scriptures do exclude the works of the law wholly in that thing as hath been already granted yet they afford us not one word to prove that faith and the use of the means of salvation should be cast out with it for he may as well say That because Ismael was cast out of Abrahams house or family therefore Isaac must be cast out also as to say that because the works of the law or deeds of the law in the business of election justification and salvation of the sons of men is cast out therefore must faith the use of the means of salvation be cast our also Answ Let those Scriptures by me alledged be exactly scand and see whether that with works all other external motives be not alike cast out of doors from having the least stroke either as active or passive in the matter of election and that the disparity and discrimination which is made by electing of me rather then another doth not rest in any prevision or foresight of any condition or qualification to be found in the object either of faith or embracing of the means or of
his end though that be not done which he requireth of us What you write of the means that they were of such a nature and tendency had they not been abused to bring forth those good things that God said he looked for c. I grant it true in respect of the outward means viz. soyle fruitful place fenced stones gathered choycest vine planted tower built and a wine-press in it But all these were but outward graces common to all the Israelites alike for there was that unum necessarium wanting viz. the inward working of his holy spirit in their hearts by changing of their natures and making of them new creatures taking away their stony hearts and instead thereof giving of them hearts of flesh Ezek. 11.19 and 26.26 without which all the other outward means though elevated to the top of Pisgah will prove altogether ineffectual Your progress holds yet further after this manner But that it doth sometimes seem good in the sight of God to hide the things concerning the kingdome of God and the name of Jesus from the wise and prudent men of this world according to the Scripture by him quoted out of Matth. 11.25 26. I freely grant as he did hide these things from the men of Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum as a great woe unto them or as the just and righteous judgement of God upon them because they repented not for proof thereof read ver 20. and so downwards Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done Because they repented not and it doth appear that as mighty works were done amongst them and great means given forth of God by Jesus Christ unto them the greater is their condemnation because they embraced it not Answ I wonder Sir what your meaning is to take cognisance of a text of Scripttre by me quoted and yet not to give the least colour of answer to it but onely to pervert the scope of the place and the truth of the thing 1. The scope of that portion of Scripture is an expression of a consolation wherein Christ supports himself as in reference to the Incredulity of the Jews The consolation is raised from the good pleasure of Gods will which had so appointed it It seemed so good unto thee which you altogether obscure without taking notice of it 2. The truth of the thing is by you concealed which rests principally in the distinguishing of persons into two ranks and that arising meerly from the will of God it so seemed good unto him 1. Because to some it is said that it is revealad to others not and that not so much by the preaching of the Gospel for that was common to them both alike but by the inward illumination of their minds by the spirit of God 2. Because the discrimination that is made in the rendring of it to some and hiding of it from others is attributed to Gods separating those parties in the decree of election and reprobation 3. The prime and chief cause of that separation is placed in the good pleasure of Gods will which is the alone foundation and cause of election and non-election Eph. 1.4 5. Rom. 2.11 c. And upon this account was it that the place was by me quoted and so by you slubbered over And the like fair dealing I find in that which followes in your English thus And thus I do confess that God giveth to men the spirit of slumber darkeneth and blindeth their eyes not outwardly but inwardly as this man hath said and also hardeneth and maketh fat their heart but not from before the foundation of the world or from eternity as some do vainly imagine but as the just and righteous judgement of God upon them in time when they come to shut their own eyes and harden their own hearts against the truth in their day of grace see the words of Christ Luk. 19.42 saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Also read and consider well for the better clearing of this truth Ps 81.11 to the end Luk. 13.34 35. Rom. 1.24 to the end and mind well the 26. ver for this cause God also gave them them up to vile affections and also ver 28. and even as they did not like to believe God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind And in this sense I do not deny but that sin unbelief may be an effect and consequence of reprobation but this reprobation or being given over of God to a rep obate mind is not solely and singly to be ascribed to the will or decree of God from before the foâ—ndation of the world without any other ground or cause being assigned thereunto by the holy Spirit in the Scripture for there we may see that mans default in not improving what he hath received oâ— may obtain if he be not wanting to himself in good eaâ—nest to seek the grace that God doth so freely tender to the sons of men by Jesus Christ in the Gospel is a cause of it Answ Sir you that have such rare notions who ere did imagine that God from eternity should give men up to a spirit of slumber darkness and blindness of mind that he should harden and make fat hearts T is but one of your slanders which your dull-sighted proselytes will to easily swallow Yet this I do affirm that what you say that God doth all these things in time as a just and righteous judgement So I say all these things did God decree that he would do or permit to be done before all time for there is no new Immanent act in God but all whatsoever he in time doth or that he doth permit others to do those very samethings are so decreed by God to be done and likewise so decreed to be permitted to be done by others Ruminate on this and for the rest I may dismiss without contradiction having not much to say to reprobation in time Your next objection that you make to your self is this Obj. But this tendeth to the exaltation of the creature Ans That indeed is that false report that is cast upon us in these dayes and upon the truth that we profess but I know not what gâ—ound they have for it except it be this because we sometime use the word self in our speaking or writing but upon that acâ—ount they may as well say that Peter was a Free-willer or one that exalted the creature because he said Acts 2.40 save your selves from this untoward generation and also they may as well charge the same upon Paul because he said 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed unto thy self and to thy doctrine continue in them for in so doing thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee But we are so far from setting up any wisdome strength or power of our own that we do aâ—knowledge that we 1 Cor. 4.7 have
because it is a truth viz. that no child dying in infancy can possibly be reprobated for reprobation is the portion of such as have the means of the knowledge of God and his truth which is the means of salvation and so reject it which infants as such can never do as hath been already proved But for the former viz. that children dying in infancy before they have any being to act should be reprobated to everlasting destruction he shall never father it upon us for it followeth not from any principle that we hold neither will it agree with the tender mercies of our God who hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked and therefore not of an innocent dying infant for mercy rejoyceth against judgement Answ Sir this latter absurdity will stick to your skirts as long as ever you uphold this your position and that you do not recant it as hath been by me sufficiently proved and for the former it likewise hath been evidenced that children dying in infancy before they had the act and use of faith must unavoydably be damned were it not for the sole good pleasure of Gods most holy will who hath chosen some of them according to the election of Grace they being in the same lump with others And so I proceed to the second absurdity which is As 2. neither such Gentiles or Turks Indians and Savages that never heard of Christ who never enjoyed the Gospel c. Answ To which I answer first by demanding why he concludeth that there be some Gentiles that never heard of Christ c. The Apostle Paul delivereth doctrine contrary to this saying have they not all heard yes verily their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the end of the world Rom. 10.18 and chap. 16.25 26. Speaking of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the commandement of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith how then is it that this man saith that there be such Gentiles or Turks and the like that never heard of Christ if he hath been among such pretending himself to be a Minister of Christ he should have preached Christ unto them But I am perswaded that he groundeth what he saith upon a report of some History of Travellers or the like and from thence there is as good ground to conclude that they may hear of Christ and that there are Christians in this part of the world which worship that God that is the creator of al things by Jesus Christ as there is for us to conclude that there is a Mahomet which the Turk doth believe in and that there are Indians and Savages who are strangers from the life of God and that worship the creature more than the Creator for certainly they may as wel hear what we do as we can hear what they are and what they do and if they did but delight to retain that God in their knowledge whom we worship and to entertain the Lord Jesus Christ in their hearts in whom we believe without question they might know more of God and his Son Christ then they do and this doth appear from the words of Christ Luk. 16.10 11. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much if therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who shall commit to your trust the true riches and therefore if they were faithful in the use of that means which they do enjoy from God without doubt they might know more of God then they do Answ Well fare you good Sir in your understanding you have already dispatcht infants even those of Pagans and sent them into Limbo infantum for there is no place in heaven for them I mean Pagan infants and to the Lake you say they must not go and now you are engaged to become an advocate for infidels and take heed at last you turn not proctor for the Devil and with Origen to be so charitable as to have some hopes of his salvation for truly for what yet appears by the word he is in as great a capacity for salvation as those infidels are Salvation according to Scripture-account is incompassed within the verge of the covenant and doth not go beyond it The Scripture leaves men out of covenant in a hopeless condition But against what I say that some Gentiles yet never heard of Christ you produce that of Rom. 10.18 and 16.25 26. that their sound i. e. of the preaching of the Gospel went into all the earth and their words into the ends of the world as it was made known unto all nations But my good friend you that mist before in your Chronography I believe you are here likewise out in your Cosmography for here the Apostle speaks of the ministers of the Gospel yea and of those not as sent to the Gentiles neither but to the Jews of whom he here treats and shews their inexcusableness for not obeying the Gospel whose sound went to the ends of the world But what ends of the world we know that the word world is sometimes straitned to Iudea onely as some are wont to construe that of the taxing of the world by Augustus Caesar Luke 2. onely of Iudea Now saith the Apostle the Iews cannot plead ignorance of the Gospel because the preachers of it have sounded it to them every where Have they not heard ver 18. did not Israel know ver 19. but to Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched out my hands ver 21. and you that are so indulgent over those pitiful Pagans how is it in right reason imaginable that when Paul writ this Epistle to the Romans that every mothers son under heaven should have been a hearer of the Gospel when as the compass of the earth is many thousand miles about and so many nations which have never been discovered till of late years yet that they then should have heard the Gospel and that in so short a time sure herein your pen did run before your wit in understanding those words in such a sense and therefore my friend if you mean to make a right construction of those words you must not extend them to such a latitude as that all the posterity of Adam had immediately upon the death of Christ the Gospel preached to them but you must interpret that place by comparing it with other such like universal expressions as Mat. 4.23 Christ healed all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases and Act. 10.38 healed all that were oppressed with devils and Act. 10.12 All manner of four footed beasts and wild beasts and creeping things and foules of the ayre appeared by Peter as in a great sheet and Mar. 1.5 All Iudea went out to Iohn Baptist and all were baptised in the river Iordan
he doth not say that they might have it out of their own strength without special grace but this exhortation implicitly teacheth First what duty is incumbent on us for our part to performe and yet it doth not acknowledge strength enough in us to performe the duty Secondly it shews us what is best for us viz. to choose life rather then death Thirdly such places are as tutors to us to informe us of our natural infirmity when therein we find that we are no waies able to do as we are commanded Luk. 17.10 but that when we have done our best we are unprofitable servants Fourthly this will be as a spur to put us on to prayer to seek that at Gods hands which we cannot compass by our own strength Da Domine quod jubes et jube quod vis Give us Lord power to do what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt Fifthly such exhortations the Spirit of God ordinarily makes use of in converting of sinners there accompanying the inward energetical working and power of the Spirit of God with the outward ministery of the word it was the power of Christ Joh. 11.43 Ro. 1.20 and not the bare words of Lazarus come forth that raised him Sixtly yea such exhortations are useful to make the wicked inexcusable Seventhly t is to this end that when the wicked are punished the justice of God might be vindicated Isa 5.4 What could have been done more Those two other places Heb. 11.24.25 and Luk. 10.42 where you set out the word choosing in capital letters as though they would have beheaded al the arguments brought against your freewil yet speak little to the purpose as to a liberty of choosing that which is good in a person unregenerate for that they must speak or else it were as good that they held their peace as to your cause now in hand For as for that of Moses First I look upon him not as then an unregenerate person but as one of the people and houshold of God Secondly neither are you ever able to prove that this was his first choice as to the waies of God but that he was better principled before this Thirdly the choice which he is here said to make was but a meer civil choice viz when Pharaohs daughter had adopted him for her child when he came to years and well understood his pedegree whence his descent was he then disclaimed this adoptive honour and was not further willing to dissemble his nation and to act for the Egyptians against his own brethren according to the flesh but chose rather to profess himself an Hebrew of the Hebrews Heb. 11. though he suffered affliction with them T is true it s said he had an eye to the recompence of the reward but then surely that must be in his heart before ever he could make any such choice and then what will this place be to the purpose as to persons unregenerate And for that choice of Maries likewise the most you can make of it is but an external spiritual good to choose rather to hear a sermon than to provide a dinner to prefer to hear Christ preaching than how she might give him curious entertainment and this its possible for one to do and yet to go to hell after the sermon is ended Mar. 6.20 Act. 12.21 Herod made choice to hear Iohn Baptist and the text saith that he heard him gladly and yet what became of Herod it is an easy matter to judge without any breach of charity And thus you shake hands at parting with freewill and return to your in and out discourse after this manner And thus when men and women come to repent and be changed from dead works and embrace the means of salvation and believe in Jesus Christ they then come to be such a sort or kind of people that it was in the purpose and decree of God which was from before the foundation of the world to elect justifie in the end eternally to save and the decree of God which was from before time cometh to be actually put in execution upon them in order to their being made vessels of honour when they come to embrace the means as aforesaid and will be fully accomplished when it shall be said unto them Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world Answ Surely Sir a man had need to have a great deal of patience and much time to spare that can be content to follow you up and down with your so many wrenches and turnings and windings that at first sight one can scarce discover what the subject is you have in hand for here you hunt counter and tell us what sort or kind of people those are whom God did decree to elect justifie and save from before the foundation of the world which hath been often answered to and proved that they were such persons whom God had a love unto and from that love did elect them out of the corrupt lump and likewise did decree to give them faith and repentance to sanctifie their natures and justifie their persons and at the last eternally to save them Yea even those individual persons were so decreed as aforesaid and no other Rev. 21.27 13.8 20.15 whose names were found written in the Lambs book of life and that whosoever were not found written in that book that they should have their portion in the lake which is the second death God did not decree to elect and justifie and save individuum vagums or qualifications to be found no man knows where nor when for so it might be that for all that election by you imagined yet no man might be saved if no man would believe or repent and indeed no man could if God did not give them to believe and give them repentance to salvation And having done with this extravagancy you have one fling more at the business you should look at and this it is And this is that which God hath done not in order to any confinement of himself to any subordinate power in us but in order to the doing of that which he purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began for our good and it hath been the good will and pleasure of God to be so far accountable unto us of these things for our comfort and consolation in Jesus Christ that if any shall say unto us who be the vessels of mercy which God hath afore prepared unto glory that we can say Rom. 9.24 even us whom he hath called not of the Iews onely but also of the Gentiles Yea it hath been the good will and pleasure of our God so to make known the mystery of his will unto us in the Scripture that he or they whosoever they be that do with delight embrace the mean of salvation and retain the words of Christ Heb. 2.1 See the margin and not let them slip or