Riches of his grace that ever was or can be to those persons that God gave his Son to dye for 2. He expresseth what Christ suffered for them in pursuance of Gods eternal and infinite grace to those persons whose Surety and Mediator he was and that is set forth by tasting of Death for them whereby is meant the bitter Passion of Christ suffering in his Soul and Body to bear the Curse of the Law the Wrath of God due to their Sins that so they might not bear it themselves 3. He shews who it was that Christ tasted Death for this bitter Death in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which lest any should think is meant of all Adam's Posterity it is restrained by the Apostle himself he shews it was only for the Elect for it follows v. 10. For it became him for whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto Glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through Sufferings So that the Apostle shews that the all that Christ tasted Death for are all the Sons that are to be brought to Glory all that God hath Predestinated to the Adoption of Children Christ tasted Death for all them and only them Again he shews who were intended by the all that Christ tasted Death for by calling him The Captain of their Salvation that those that Christ as their Captain and Leader would infallibly conduct to Salvation v. 11. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one The all and every one that Christ tasted Death for is restrained by the Apostle again to all those that are or shall be sanctified by the Blood and Spirit of the Lord Jesus their Sanctifier and in the end of v. 11. it is said For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren and v. 12. I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing Praise unto thee So that the all that Christ tasted Death for is all that he makes Believers makes his Brethren makes his Church and v. 13. Behold I and the Children which God hath given me So that those that Christ tasted Death for is limited to those that the Father hath given him and are the Children of God by Faith in Jesus Christ such as are given to Christ to bring all of them at last to be actually the Children of God So that all things considered as I said before we have the Apostles example in enquiring into the true meaning of any Scripture that speaks of Christ's dying for all giving himself a Ransom for all his being a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World to restrain and limit such Expressions to the Sons that were to be brought to Glory to those that Christ was to make Brethren to those that are or shall be sanctified by him to his Church to those that were given him of the Father to be certainly and infallibly brought to Glory 2. The next place this Author bringeth for Universal Redemption is 1 John 2.2 Who is a Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World Now for the finding out the true meaning of this Scripture 1. Observe that this Epistle was written to the Jews v. 7. Brethren I write no new Commandment unto you but an old Commandment which ye had from the beginning It was the Jews that had the Commandments of God the sum of which old Commandments was Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart and thy Neighbour as thy self Matth. 22.37 38 39. As for the Gentiles they had not the written Law committed to them Psal 147.19 20. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them 2. Consider that when the time came that the Lord would visit the Gentiles and that the Gospel should be preached unto them it was expedient that there should be such Expressions used that Christ was the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World not only to encourage the Gentiles to look after Christ but also in respect of the Jews who did generally despise the other Nations of the World and thought the Messiah was only for them yea for a time the Jews that believed could hardly bear to hear of the calling of the Gentiles Therefore the Apostle shews that Christ was not only a Propitiation for the Sins of Believers amongst the Jews but for the Believers amongst the Gentiles throughout the whole World 3. The word Propitiation will give light into the meaning of the place and determine the true sense and meaning of it for what is it for Christ to be a Propitiation for our Sins it is to make Satisfaction and Reconciliation for our Sins an absolute and perfect Satisfaction for all our Sins to the Law and Justice of God and this is laid up with the Faithfulness of the Father to be certainly and infallibly bestowed upon us in the Lord 's appointed time Those that Christ hath died for he hath made such an absolute and eternal Satisfaction and Reconciliation for their Sins for all their Sins that they shall certainly be Called Sanctified and Eternally Saved So that as Divines have observed the true sense and meaning of this place before us is the same with what we have John 11.51 52. And this spake he not of himself but being High-Priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for that Nation that is the Nation of the Jews and not for that Nation only but that also he should gather together in one the Children of God that were scattered abroad that is the Elect amongst the Gentiles throughout the whole World 3. Then he cites 1 Tim. 2.6.7 Who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time whereunto I am ordained a Preacher and an Apostle I speak the truth and lie not a Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and Verity for the understanding of this Scripture 1. Consider that when the Apostle wrote this Epistle the Magistrates were Gentiles and not Jews and they were generally wicked Persecutors whereupon the Professors of the Gospel through their Corruption and Weakness did many of them neglect to pray for them but rather prayed against them Now the Apostle puts them upon Prayer for these Magistrates and shews them that if God do not please to Convert them yet he can so over-rule them that they may live peaceable lives and enjoy the liberty of God's Worship in their Dominions yea the Apostle goes further he would have them pray for the Conversion of those Wicked Persecuting Magistrates and saith v. 4. That God would have all Men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth Some of all sorts and ranks some Kings and great ones as well as mean People and that for any thing they know God will save and bring
a thing which he never purposed and intended to be be done yea which he resolved to hinder the doing of therefore it is one thing for God to command us to do a thing and another thing for God to purpose and intend this thing shall certainly be effected Yea take another instance concerning Pharaoh Exod. 4.21 And the Lord said unto Moses When thou goest to return into Egypt see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine Hand but I will harden his Heart that he shall not let the people go God sent a Command to Pharaoh to let the People of Israel go out of his Land Exod. 5.1 but before ever Moses came to Pharaoh with this Message and Command God said to Moses I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not by a mighty hand Exod. 3.19 So here you see that God as Sovereign Lord may give out a Command to shew his Authority over Man and require a thing of Man as his Duty when he doth not intend to enable a Man to do it Yea when God intends to harden a Man's Heart that is intends to leave Man to the Corruption of his own Heart that he shall never do what God commands him If you will not adore the Incomprehensible Majesty and Ways of God but compare him with Man put Laws upon God that he must do as Man is bound to do then I say this borders upon Blasphemy if it be not down-right Blasphemy against the most high God CHAP. III. An Answer to this Author's Letter to Mr. H. wherein this Author pretends to bring several places of Scripture for Vniversal Redemption IT seems Mr. H. sent a Paper of Verses to this Author He answereth these Verses by a Letter and with this very Humble and Civil Direction To the Nameless and Nonsensical Poet indeed I have seen these Verses and truly to speak my Judgment of them tho' this Author calls them Nonsensical yet they were written with great Judgment excepting the Scriptures which this Author quotes which are excellent in themselves however wrested and mistaken by Men I think there is more Truth and good Sense in those Verses than in all this Author's Book 'T is true he that made those Verses did not shew himself to be a good Poet but he shewed himself a knowing Christian and tho' I have known the Person many years yet I could not have expected that he could have framed so many solid Arguments against Universal Redemption and if I had known before hand that he would have written to this Author I would have advised him to have written in Prose and not in Verse Good Poetry is one thing and good Sense is another These Verses were against Universal Redemption This Author in Answer to this Letter brings several Scriptures for Universal Redemption which are now to be explained When the Papists bring for Transubstantiation the words of our Saviour This is my B dy We deny Transubstantiation but we don't deny the words of our Saviour but shew the meaning of the words to be otherwise than they understand them So in dealing with this Author we do not deny the Scripture we hold that Christ dyed for all for every Man for the whole World that is for all the Elect for all Believers of all Nations of all Ranks throughout the whole World and we say no more is intended in any of those Expressions but that this Author and those that are of his Opinion mistake the meaning of the Scriptures Before I come to explain the Scriptures this Author brings for Universal Redemption 1. Let it be considered that the words all every the World and the whole World do not always signify all Adam's Posterity but must be taken in a limited restrained Sense yea sometimes but for a few that there is nothing can be concluded from those Expressions but by considering the Subject matter spoken of and the Circumstances of the places of Scripture where those Expressions are used 1. As for example of the word all it is not always meant of all Adam's Posterity but sometimes of but few Persons Psal 145.14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall whereas Men fall into sin and misery yea the greatest part of mankind into Hell it self and the Lord doth not prevent these things The meaning is only that those that are upheld and kept out of Sin and Misery here or Hell hereafter he it is that upholds them but this all that the Lord upholds are indeed but a small number in comparison of those that God doth not uphold The Jews said to John chap. 3.26 He to whom thou barest witness behold the same Baptizeth and all Men come to him when it was so few that came to Christ so that John saith vers 32. that no Man comparatively received his Testimony 2. For that Expression every Man it is often to be taken in a limited restrained Sense Luk. 16.16 The Law and the Prophets were until John since that time the Kingdom of God is preached and every Man presseth into it It was only some of all sorts and very few in comparison of those that were then living in the World 1 Cor. 12.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal when indeed the manifestation of the Spirit there spoken of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit are given to few very few but the meaning is only that to every one of those to whom this Manifestation of the Spirit is given it is that they may profit others with it Again 1 Cor. 4.5 the Apostle speaking of the Day of Judgment saith That then shall every Man have praise of God which is meant only of every true Believer for the greatest part of Adam's Posterity shall not then have praise of God but have the Sentence of Eternal Damnation pass against them 3. As for the word World and whole world these Expressions are sometimes taken too in a limited restrained Sense John 12.19 The Pharisees therefore said amongst themselves Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing Behold the World is gone after him whereas it was but few very few of Men then living in the World that went after Christ and owned him in any Sense it was only of a few in that little Country of Judea that were there spoken of Luk. 2.1 And it came to pass in those Days that there went out a Decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should be taxed it was but all the Jews as some Expositors think however it was but all that were subject to the Romans which were far from being all Mankind then living in the World I might give many more Instances that the word all and every Man the World and all the World are taken in a limited and restrained Sense sometimes and that nothing can be collected rightly from such Expressions but as the Matter treated of and the Circumstances of the place shall require 2. I would
upon themselves This is to reflect upon the Presbyterians who he had said before are punished by their own Pens I pray God that you as well as others may not be punished for your Pen for your Writings Lord enter not into Judgment with any of us but pardon us for Christ's sake And as to those words you quote God shall shoot at them suddenly shall they be wounded How do you apply these words to the Presbyterians against whom you write They hope to be pardoned and saved by the Free Grace of God in Christ God might shoot at them and you with an Arrow Let us have a care of being proud Pharisees And truly you seem to shoot your Arrow against the Sovereignty of the God of Heaven have a care it doth not fall upon your own Head You do as it were arraign God at your Bar about his Lordship over the Creature and he must do so and so or else he is not Just Repent and turn to God lest he arraign you at his Bar-Tremble at this word at this Scripture you have set down And for making mens Tongues fall upon themselves let us all fear and tremble Those upon whom God is pleased to bestow such Grace as that they say from their Hearts that they do not stand upon terms with God but acknowledge God might have had no thoughts of Eternal Love to them but might have decreed to leave them to their sins and to glorifie his Justice upon them for ever and that if it had not been for special discriminating Grace they had never come to Christ tho' they had those common helps that others think are sufficient I say these are not so like to have their Tongues fall upon themselves another day as those that say That notwithstanding any thing that God freely decreed as to their particular persons and notwithstanding any thing Christ did for them in Redemption or the Holy Ghost in working upon their Hearts they might have been damned but their own Will had the Casting-Voice and was so towardly that they shall be saved When those that God on his part did every way as much as for them do perish in Hell for ever CHAP. II. A Vindication of Dr. Collings from the Errour that this Author charges upon him THE Author of this Dialogue visiting these Parts first wrote a Contentious Letter to Mr. B. K. Then next he falls upon that Learned and Pious Divine Dr. Collings who is now at rest with the Lord. Tho' the Dr. was dead yet this Author must print what had passed about this Controversie And tho' the Ignorant and Erroneous may think he hath done great matters against the Dr. yet he hath done nothing at all Yea this Author gives up the Cause to the Dr. in his second Letter in these words Page 7. You cannot fairly collect from my Paper that God can be resisted in the thing wherein he will act Omnipotently for then he should cease to be God Now this is the very thing that the Dr. maintained in his Book and in his Answer to this Author's Letter So that this Author's Tongue hath fallen upon himself Psalm 115.3 Our God is in the Heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased Isa 46.10 My Counsel shall stand and I will do all my Pleasure When any say that God acts Omnipotently in this or that which he purposes in himself to do I suppose none have such gross conceptions of God as to think that God is hardly put to it to effect any thing that he pleases to do When we read of God's Right-hand and the exceeding greatness of his Power in some Acts of God 't is only to shew the greatness of those Works above some other Works of God but not at all to shew that God is hardly put to it to do those Works It is as easie for God who is Omnipotent to do the greatest Work that he pleases to do as to do the least Works he pleases to do He doth all things that he pleases to do with the greatest facility He made the World with the word of his Power He upholds it as long as he pleases with the word of his Power He converts Souls by the word of his Power He raises the dead by the word of his Power His willing in this sense is his effecting what he Wills He doth whatsoever he pleases to do as easily and more easily than we can speak a word But still I fear this Author doth not understand what he saith and what others say in this matter for if he had he would have done with this Contention For he adds Doth God never act Seriously when he doth not act Omnipotently I answer As for such a phrase as God acting Seriously I do not love to use it It seems to me that tho' we use such an expression as to Men yet I think it is below the Divine Majesty and the Dr. using that word in his Book you catch at it and it is all the advantage you have against him What Man upon Earth not infallibly inspired but may sometimes use a word that may not be so proper but for that which the Dr. intended in that expression in his Book and explained in his Letter it will stand against you and all the World That is Whatsoever the great and glorious God hath purposed and intended he will do shall certainly be effected by his glorious Power That which this Author does not understand which would set his Judgment right in this Controversie is this There are Laws Precepts and Commands of God whereby he shews what is our duty to do This we may call the Will of God in respect of Precepts and Commands to us what we ought to do But then the Will of God is often taken in another sense for his Eternal Purpose what he will do in us for us and with us and this is always effected in the time appointed by him God's Will in respect of his Precepts or Commands is that none should sin at all but God did not purpose to keep every one from sinning no he did not purpose to keep the Elect from all sin after their Conversion in this life so far as God purposed to restrain sin in any he doth effect it Tho' the Creatures don't do what he commands them to do yet he always doth effect and doth whatsoever he purposes to do in them for them or with them How the Dr. quoting those words Rom. 9.19 For who hath resisted his Will You make those words to be the words of some Caviller and Objector and you say that the Dr. and you have resisted God's Will I answer The Apostle had said in the verse before Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Now let it be so that the whole of the 19th Verse is the Allegation of one that objects against God's giving Grace or denying Grace to particular persons as he pleases Yet observe tho' the Apostle
in the following words answereth to the beginning of the 19th Verse Why doth he yet find fault The Apostle doth not answer as you have done but O vain Man O proud Clay shall not the Potter have power over the Clay to make of the same lump one Vessel to honour and another to dishonour So confirming what he had said that God hath mercy upon whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Vers 18. If then the latter part of the 19th Verse be the words of a Caviller or Objector against God's Sovereignty in giving or denying his Grace to whom he will the Apostle acknowledges that to be a truth Who hath resisted his Will In his everlasting Decrees and Purposes But to take the meaning of the words as you do who hath resisted his Will I say taking it for the Will of God in respect of his Precepts and Commands to Men Every one knows they had resisted God's Will in that sense that is broken his Commands and if that were the meaning of Who hath resisted his Will the Apostle would have made answer all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and not O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus He asserts the Sovereignty Lordship and Dominion of God over the Creatures and so he goes on Vers 22 23. The Apostle by the Spirit of God knew how to answer him that finds fault with God about his Decrees He shews the absolute Power and Lordship of God that he may save one by his Grace and condemn another for his Sins as he pleases and that it is not for Man to dispute and contend with God as many do Again you say to the Doctor you seem to hold that God cannot affect an end I suppose you mean he cannot convert a Sinner without a willing the utmost of his power to effect it But you cannot give an instance where he ever did exert or put forth his power to the utmost in any thing that ever he did We must take heed lest we limit the power of the Almighty lest whilst we accuse others we our selves be found most ignorant of Gods Omnipotency I Answer all this is against your self for seeing Gods power is infinite and his greatness is unsearchable Therefore he doth effect and bring to pass whatsoever he wills and pleases to do in the conversion of any Man he pleases to Convert or in any other thing that it is his Will and Pleasure to effect and do When the Doctor saith when God affects an end that is purposes to bring a thing to pass he must needs put forth the utmost of his power to effect it The plain meaning is not that God in any Act of his puts forth all his power But so much power as to effect and bring to pass infallibly what he purposed and intended to do And that when it is the Lords Gracious purpose and intention to Convert a Soul he doth exert and put forth his power so as that the Soul shall certainly and infallibly be Converted And whereas you say you cannot give an instance where God did ever exert and put forth his power to the utmost in any thing that ever he did this makes for the Doctors position for it supposes if there were a thousand thousand times more opposition and difficulty in the Converting of a Man or in any other thing that he pleases to do yet nothing is too hard Yea all is easy for God to do if it pleases him to do it I think you have been over-ruled by the All-governing hand of God to justifie the Doctor and to confute your self with your own pen. Your fourth Paragraph runs all upon the old mistake that you do not distinguish between the will of God in respect of his precepts which he commands us as our Duty and his purpose and intention what he will do That which the Doctor puts you to prove is this that God willed within himself the Conversion of the old World the Jews and Pharisees that never were Converted That is whether God decreed purposed and intended to Convert those of the old World those of the Jews and Phriasees or any other person that never are Converted You endeavour to prove that God did so will and purpose in himself 1. You say as to the old World that God was so serious and inwardly concerned that he strove with them by his Spirit and it grieved him at the Heart that they were Disobedient and he gave them an hundred years to repent in and this shews he inwardly willed their Repentance I am sure that if they had Repented God would not have destroyed them for he hath taught us so to judge of his threatnings to a Sinful Nation I Answer 1. God is said to strive with the old World How did he strive with those that perished The Lord did reprove them by the preaching of Noah for their Sins and by Convictions of Conscience but is this enough to Convert men if God had purposed and intended to save them surely he would have done more for them He would have given them a new Heart and a new Spirit he would have taken away the Heart of Stone and given them an Heart of Flesh This expression of Gods striving with Man must not be strained Surely God is greater than Man and can prevail over the most Stubborn and Rebellious Heart in the World and give it a saving turn in one Moment 2. You say it grieved God at his Heart that they were Disobedient It is said indeed Gen. 6.6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man and it grieved him at his Heart This is spoken by a Figure called Anthropopathia In another place it is said God is not as Man that he should repent When God is said to repent or grieve 't is spoken by a Figure and must not be properly taken and so likewise when God is said to have Eyes Hands Face if we be not careful to understand these things aright we shall mightily dishonour God So that these things are spoken after the manner of Men in condescention to us Poor Weak Shallow Creatures but must be careful to understand them so as to consist with the immutability and perfection of God We must not have such low thoughts of the Majesty of God as to think that God ever had or can have Perturbation or Sorrow at any thing for that is inconsistent with his insinite Happiness and Perfection But this expression of Gods repenting that he had made Man and that it grieved him at the Heart is only to set forth the extream extraordinary wickedness of the old World not the least perturbation and sorrow in God for he is infinitely above such things Ah! What need of Humility and Prayer to God for guidance for the understanding of the Scripture 3. You say that God gave them a Preacher of
and spiritual judge which Doctrine gives grounds of most Encouragement Support and Comfort if the Lord please to set it home by his Spirit CHAP. VI. Of God's Eternal Decrees what should come to pass in Time and of his governing and disposing of things in the World for his own Glory THis Author in his Epistle to his Book falls upon the Assembly of Divines concerning God's Decrees and according to the manner of the Man leaves out that which should clear their Sense and Meaning that so he might expose them The Words in the Assembly's Confession are these God from all Eternity did by the most wise and holy Counsel of his own Will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass yet so as thereby neither is God the Author of Sin nor is Violence offered to the Will of the Creatures nor is the Liberty or Contingency of Second Causes taken away but rather established This Article is almost word for word the same with the Eleventh Article of the Episcopal Divines in Ireland 1615. long before the Assembly at Westminster so that one would think it was taken thence God from all Eternity did by his Vnchangeable Counsel ordain whatsoever in Time should come to pass yet so as thereby no Violence is offered to the Wills of the Reasonable Creatures neither the Liberty nor the Contingency of the Second Causes taken away The Reader may see what a Harmony there is about God's Decrees between the old Episcopal Divines and the Assembly of Divines at Westminster There have been two sorts of Atheists in the World the first sort of Atheists denied the Existence and Being of God the second sort of Atheists denied God's governing the World the Lord keep this Age from being Atheists either of these ways If the Evills of Afflictions that befall us came merely by Second Causes and Instruments and were not determined and decreed by God how should we sanctifie God's Name and humble our selves under the mighty Hand of God As Job did when he said The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. This Men drive at in this Atheistical Age to throw down the Soveraignty Independency and Immutability of God to make him change in his Purposes and Intentions as Men do and to make Contingencies to God as there is to Man It is come to this daring Boldness that Men have asserted in Print that God hath not determined the Period of Men's Lives nor other things of that nature But who I pray shall order what shall come to pass but that blessed God who hath made à ll things for himself for his own Glory for the Glory of his Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy And who is fit to govern the World but he that made it Ay but the great Objection that blinds the Ignorant is That if God have from Eternity decreed all things that come to pass then he hath decreed that Men shall fall into those Sins that they do fall into Answer And what then Do not we say that yet God is not the Author or Approver of Sin neither is there any Violence offered to the Will of the Creatures Men sin as freely as if there were no Decree of God to leave them to commit those Sins We say that God's Decrees are not the Cause of Sin neither is God the Author of Sin Nihil isto contradicentius aut impossibilius nempe Deum esse Authorem peccati Nothing is more contradictory or impossible than this Proposition that God is the Author of Sin saith Dr. Twisse Yet he is one that this Author puts in his Black Bill Well but this Author scrapes together several Passages quoted by Mr. Pierce and other Writers out of Calvin Luther Zuinglius Beza and others which are very strange concerning God's determining Men's Sins What do you say to these Expressions I answer 1. That Mr. Pierce and this Author might have spent their Time better than to quarrel with Calvin Luther and those eminent Instruments in the Reformation This is very pleasing to the Papists and those that are Popishly affected for they hate the Names of Calvin Luther Zuinglius and those Divines that God made use of to communicate so much Light to the World And if this Author knows it not I will now tell him that Bellarmine long since in his Writings doth inveigh against them upon this very Account concerning God's Decrees and Over-ruling Hand about the Sins of Men. 2. I say I shall not meddle with any of his Quotations One may cut out Snips out of Authors whereby the true Sense and Meaning of the Authors may be quite altered 3. I say I shall not take upon me to justifie all the Phrases and Expressions of Learned and Godly Men They may sometimes in haste express themselves not so prudently and warily in such a tremendous Mystery as this is The truth is God's mysterious Administration concerning Sin in ordering and over-ruling it to his own Glory is past our finding out 'T is best to say O the Depth And that to be sure though we cannot comprehend it he is righteous in all his Ways and holy in all his Works I would have all Persons very cautious about this Point both of the one side and the other and keep close to Scripture-Expressions which I shall now set before this Author and those of his Way and do fear that till they learn more Sobriety Awe and Reverence of God they would openly quarrel against the Scripture it self in this Matter if they durst Let us then hear what the Scripture saith in this Matter When Joseph's Brethren did wickedly and unnaturally sell him into Egypt Gen. 45.5 saith Joseph God sent me before you to preserve Life And Ver. 7. God sent me before you to preserve you a Posterity in the Earth And Gen. 50.20 But as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it for good 1 King 22.19 20 21 22 23. And he said Hear thou therefore the Word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting on his Throne and all the Host of Heaven by him on his Right Hand and on the Left And the Lord said Who shall persuade Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead And one said on this manner and another said on that manner And there came forth a Spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will persuade him And the Lord said Wherewith And he said I will go forth and be a Lying Spirit in the Mouth of all his Prophets And he said Thou shalt persuade him and prevail also Go forth and do so Now therefore the Lord hath put a Lying Spirit in the Mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lord hath spoken Evil concerning thee Exod. 4.21 And the Lord said unto Moses When thou goest to return into Egypt see that thou do all these Wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine Hand but I will harden his Heart that he shall not let the People
doth not own that he was the Person intended in that Book I saw so I desire however that the Reader of my Letter would wholly wave that part of the charge against him Well in my first Letter to him I did not directly Answer to his queries but it seems I must do it but I would be very brief in it for I have spoken of Election and Reprobation already It seems that in a Sermon which I Preacht twenty four years since from this Text 2 Cor. 13 14. I had two passages that do not please this Author it being so long time since it was with Difficulty that I got the Sermon The passage pag. 13. opening that Scripture the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you I shewed that the meaning of the Apostle is amongst other things That these Believers might always have the Sence and Comfort of the Love of God in choosing them before the Foundation of the World to be Vessels of Mercy it is as if the Apostle had said Oh! That you may always see the special and distinguishing Love of God the Father towards you that when he had so many Millions of Souls in his Eye that he should choose you to everlasting Life and pass by so many that you should be Jacobs whom he hath loved and not Esaus whom he hath hated that he hath not appointed you to wrath but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ the Sence and Comfort and Assurance of this Unspeakable Love of God be with you This is the first passage in that Sermon that offended this Author Now upon this saith this Author both sorts being supposed to be living when you wrote thus Qu. Wherefore did the Lord pass by the Millions And after what manner did he hate them Did he afford them no Means that they might be saved I answer 1. This Author saith both sorts being supposed to be living when you wrote thus How impertinent is this Did I write 2 Cor. 13 14. did not the Apostle Paul write it to the Church at Corinth and Prayeth that the love of God may be with them as I have opened it in some measure no doubt there are of the Elect and of those that are passed by now living on the Earth both in the Sence that I hold Election and in the Sence that he holds Election but that which I said was to open the meaning of the Apostle Paul's Benediction or Prayer for the Church at Corinth not mentioning the persons to whom I spake whether they were Elected or not Elected 2. But for the Query wherefore did the Lord pass by the Millions and after what manner did he hate them did he afford no means that they might be saved I Answer that the Apostle speaking of the Love of God in the Text I opened which to be sure must be understood of the special Love of God it seems that because Paul is not now alive for you to quarrel with therefore you must send Queries to me about God's Especial Love and wherefore God had not the same Love for all Adam's Posterity and you must know of me how God hated those whom he did not choose to Salvation It is sufficient to tell you that he did not Love them to Elect them to Salvation to Grace and Glory but Decreed to leave them to their Sins and to glorifie his Justice upon them for their Sins and who are you that shall say unto God What dost thou must God give you an Account He saith I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens Yea but you say did he afford no means whereby they might be saved I Answer 1. The fallen Angels that were far more glorious Creatures than the Children of Men never had any means that they might be saved 2. As for the Children of Men the greatest part of Mankind never had so much as the Outward means of Salvation and none but the Elect have inward sufficient Means of Salvation there is nothing short of God's giving actually a new Heart and infusing Grace so as to make dead Souls live is sufficient to Unite the Soul to Christ indeed the Quakers hold and they grow upon the Root of Arminianism that all Men have a sufficient Light within to bring them to Salvation if they would but heed it but if the Light in us be Darkness how great is that Darkness Q. 2. What are the People to whom you write better than other Men and why do you call them Jacobs I pray who did I write to I only opened what Paul wrote to the Corinthians and if you ask what were they better than other Men The Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11 12. they to whom he wrote had been some of them much worse than many other Natural Men but through the Exceeding Riches of God's grace in Christ they were washed they were Justified they were Sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God And this was a Fruit and Effect of Gods free and eternal Love to them This Author adds Or did you mean it of the Dead Truly all the Corinthians are dead to whom Paul wrote concerning this special Love of God but no doubt there are many now living that are partakers of the same grace and as to those that are not Elected I suppose you do not question but there are Millions who are so passed by as that they are now in the Prison of Hell Q. 3. You take your self for a Jacob and me for an Esau as I suppose I Answer Truly Sir I am sorry you should thus disgrace your self If you had not written your Name to the Queries you sent me I should have thought they had been sent me by some Impertinent Woman rather than by a Man Why do you say that you suppose I take you for an Esau You may be Elected to Salvation for any thing I know Our Doctrine doth not allow us to say of any particular Man yet living that God hath appointed him to Wrath except we had grounds to think that he hath committed the sin against the Holy Ghost which is a sin that is very rarely committed and I never knew that person in my whole Life that I was so uncharitable to as to think that person had Committed that sin But you say that you are mine Ancient Acquaintance and Neighbour and now a Stranger in this City and I never had the Humanity to invite you to my House had a Neighbor's Dog come to you out of Lincoln-shire would you not have been more kind to him than you have been to me I answer That those that do not know things may think that you and I have been great Acquaintance in Lincolnshire and that we lived very near together either in the same Town or within a few miles one of