wierd Pee eke ags ie lela else bt eer et PR vette: eateoi me Me Kah Scare | i tot noe e eat { . ane Aasance ot” : F ) ope, wal. eye ff ‘ i. | aaleed oe. : : 7 Rite eae | oJ ' ° aa a. tee Se t | oom} all: v wae oe a er atte H / NON ‘CIRCULATING 1 ong ate SSS ee. ee 3 Flaminague de tt ula’ 7 eee" eooee ‘sqeee 33 oa eoace {il o 1 itt al eseaen SAAN: NAA: tls Saba de Fea: . COWS bead bile papetey? Werte com sees Oe eee rareesonee =!i8 Carewell VAINE Wo RLD.as thou hast bin to me. i § ———— SS 3 BB DUST and a SHADOW: those J leave with thee: | #2 Ss es =a ‘The vnsecn VITALL SUBSTANCE J commit, | #—=—= - SSS = 4 RG him thats SUBSTANCE LIFE LIGHT. LOVE to it: SSS SR She LEAVES & FRUIT are droptfor oule Ksced,; f= = —— ea Een N Reavens heirs to generate:to hedleand feed: 4a —— KS Them also thou nilt flatter and molest, . 4 7 = / (27 RT FE But fhalt not keep ‘om Everlafting Reft 2S oe aia Sal Roe os PA CIFICA TION Who, 1. By contending about things unrevealed or not underftood, 2. And by | taking VERBAL differences for REAL, and their arbitrary Notions for neceffary | Sacred Truths, deceived atid deceiving by Ambiguous unexplained W OR DS, have long | been the Shame of the Chriftian Religion, a Scandal and hardning to unbelievers, theIncendiaries, Dividers and Diftraters of the Church, the occafion of State Difcords and Wars, the Corrupters of the Chriftian Faith; and che Subverters of their own Souls; and their followers, calling them to a blind Zeal, and Wrathful Warfare, againft true Piety, | Love and Peace, and teaching them to cenfure, backbite, flander, and prate againft each other, for things which they never underftood, —
I. A PACIFYING PRAXIS or Dialogte; about the Five Articles, Juttifica- | Gon, ée, Proving that men here contend almoft only about Ambiguous words, and ay- | revealed things. _ oo: iden.4 [IIL PACIFYING DISPUTATIONS againtt (ome Real Errors whic hirider | Reconciliation, vz. About Phyfical Predetermination, Original Sin, che extent of Re- ) demptidn, Sufficient Grace, Imputation of Righteoufnefs, crc.
\Written chiefly for Pofteriry, when fad Experience hath raught men to hate Theological | | Logical Wars; and to love; and feek, and call for Peace. { Ex Bello Pax.)
LONDON, | Printed by Robert White, for Nevill Sinimons at the Princes ~ Armsin S* Pauls Church-yard. MDCI,XXV.
AGAINST |
Crercie Mens Contentions; AND
knoweth them: ‘That the Clergie is not only greatly culpable herein, but the chief caufe, cannot be hid. Bue which part of the Clergie it is, and
| : -; Crimes, and how they fhould be cured, is indeed eafie for the truly faithful and impartial Spectators to perceive, but exceeding hard (as experience tells us)to make the Guilty throughly know,and harder to do much compet forthe cure.. For thie error and fin which
is the true. caule, is its own.defence, and repelleth and fru-
Grateth the Remedies. And fo each party layéth it from themfelves, on others, andhate all that accufethem, while — are the fharpeft ( and perhaps moft unjuft) accufers of
the reff. —_ vin Ba | I fhall here: freely tell the Reader the Hiftory of my own. Conceptions. of thefe -matters,. and then my prefent " (a) | thoughts
Divifions ; no mari will deny that
what be their. dividing Errors and
The Preface.
thoughts of the Caufes of all thefe Calamities, and the Cure.
I. [was born and bred of Parents pioufly affected, but of no fuch knowledge or acquaintance as might engage them in any Controverfies, or difaffe& them to the prefent Government of the Church, or caufe them to fcrupleConformity to its Dodtrine, Worfhip or Difcipline: In this way I was bred my felf, bute taught by my Parents and God himfelf, to make confcience of fin, and to fear God, and to difcern between the Godly and the notorioufly wicked: For which my Parents and I were commonly derided asPuritans,the Spirit of the Vulgar being commonly then fired with hatred and {corn of ferious godlinefs, and ufing that name as their inftrument of reproach, which was firft. forged _againft the Nonconformifts only; And the Clergie where I lived, being moftly only Readers of the Liturgie, and fome others that rather countenanced than reproved this ' courfe, I foon confined my Reverence to a very few among them that were Learned andGodly ( but Conformifts ) and for going out of my Pagifh to hear them, my reproach in- . created: About eighteen or nineteen years of age I fcll acquainted with fome perfons, half Conformifts and half -Non-conformifts, who for fear of feverities again& private
Meetings, met with great fecrefie only to repeat the publick ‘Sermons, and Pray, and by Pious Conference edife each other. Their Spirits and Praétice was fo favoury to me, that ic kindled in me a diftafte of the Prelates‘as Perfecutors, who troubled and ruined fuch perfons, while ignorant Drinkards and Worldlings were tolerated in fo many Churches, yea, and countenanced for crying down fuch perfons, and crying up Bifhops, Liturgie and Conformity: Before I was aware, my affections began to folicite my underftanding, to judge of the Things and (aujes. by the Per/ons (where the difference was very gteat). But yet my firt Teachers kept my judgement / Conformity as Lawful, though not Defrrable had we Leberty, ull {1 was ordained. But foon after anew acquaimance provoked me 2 ta a ftudy of the whole Comroverfie than I had undertaken before, which left me perfwaded, that the ule of Litargie and (Ceremonies was lawful in that cafe of necefSity, except the Baptifmal ufe of the Crofs, and the fub/cription to all things, &c. But in 640. the Oath called CE (etera] being offered the Miniftry, forced me to a yet more fearching Study of the cafe of our
Diocefane
The Preface. Diocefane Prelacie (which elfe I had never been like to have
gainfaid,) At ameecting of Minifters todebate the cafe, it. fell to Mr. Chriftopher Cartwrights lot and mine tobe the Di- |
— and the -iffue of all (that and my ftudies ). was;
thacI f{erled in the, approbation of the Epilgopacy afferred by Ignatius, yea, and Cyprian, but fuch a diffent from the Englijh frame, asl have given account of in my Difputations of (burch Government. 7 | os
My genius was inquifitive, and earneftly defirous to krniow
the truth: my helps for Piety were greater than my helps for
Learning, of which I had not much befides Books: ficknefs helpe my ferioufnefs, keeping me ftill in expectation of death. All my reverenced acquaintance ( {ave one ) cryed down Arminiani{m as the Pelagian Herefie, and the Enemy of Grace: I quickly plunged my felf into the ftudy. of Dr. Twiffe, and Amefius, and Camero, and Pemble, and others on that fubjeét: By which my mind was fetledin prejudice againft Arminiani{m, without a clear underftanding of the cafe: whereupon I felt prefently in my mind, a judges ment of thofe that were for Arminiani{m, as bad or dangerous adver|arjes tothe Church; and {pecially of the then ruling Bifhops: which yet IcthinkI had not entertained, had 1 nor taken them withal for the great Perfecutors of Godly able Minifters, and ferious Chriftians, not only for Ceremonies, but for holy practices of life so Being a3 thele apprehenfions, wheri the Wars. began; though the Caufe it felf lay in Civil Controverfies, between King and Parliament, yet the thoughts that the Church and Godlinefs it felf was deeply in danger by Perfecution and Arminianifm, did much more to byafs me tothe Parliaments fide, than the Civil intereft (which at the heart I little regarded) : Atlaft ( after. cwo years abode ina quiet Garrifon) upon the Invitation of fome Orthodox Commanders in Fairfax’s Army, and by the Miffion of an Affembly of Di vines, | went (after Nafeby Fight ) into that Army asthe profeft Antagonift of the Seétaries and Innovators, who we all then (too late ) faw defigned thofe changes inthe Church and State which they after made. I there met-with fome Arminians, . and more Antinomians: Thefe printed and preached as the
‘Doéttine of Free Grace, that all men muft prefently believe
that they are Elect and Juftified, and that Chriit Repented. and Believed for them (as Saltmarfh writeth ). I had a little before engaged my felf as a Difputer againft Univerfal Ret. . & 7 (a2) | demption; —
Pal
} T he Preface.
\demption, again{t two antient Minffters in Coventry (Mr. (ras dock and Mr. Diamond ) that were for ic. But thefenew notions called metonewthoughts: which clearly fhewed me the difference between Chrifts part and Mans, the Covenant of Innocency with its required’ Rightcoufnefs, and the (ovenant of Grace with its required and imputed righteoufne/s: | had never read one Socinian, nor much of any Arminans; bul laid by prejudice, andI went tothe Scripture, where its whole current, but efpecially Matth.25. did quickly fatishe me in the Doctrine of fufification: and I remembred two or three things in Dr. Twiffe (whom [ moft efteemed ) which inclined me to moderation in the five Articles: 1. That he every where profeffeth, that Chrift fo far dyed forall, asto sepehse them Juftification and Salvation conditionally to _ begiven them, if they believe. 2. That he reduceth all the _. Decreesto two,de fine c de medus,as the healing way. 3. That he profeffeth, that Arminius and we and all the Schoolmen
God in Predeftination, but only nece/Sity confequentia or Legical (but in EleQion I fhall here fufpend. ) 4. That the Ratio Reatus in our Original Sin, is firft founded in our Natural propagation from Adam, and but fecondarily from the pofitive CovenantofGod. 5. That Faith is but Canfa difpofitiva Juftificationis, andfoisRepentance. ‘Thefeand fuch things more [ eafilier received from him, than I could have done from another: But his Doétrine of Permifsion and Predeters mination, and Caufa Mali, quickly frightned me from affent. And though Camero’s moderation and great clearnefs took much with me, I {con perceived that his Refclving the caufe of fin into neceflitating objects and temptations, laid it as much on God ({ in another way ) as the Predeterminants do. And I found all godly mens Prayers and Sermons run quite in another ftrain, when they chofe not the Contro-~ verfie as pre-engaged. :
In this cafe I wrote my firft Book called Aphorifms of Fuftie fication and the Covenants, &c. And being young, and unexercifed in writing, and my thoughts yet undigefted, I put into it many uncautelous words (as young Writers ule to do,) though I think the main do@trine of ic found. lL intended it only againft the Axtinomians, But ic founded as new and ftrangetomany. Upon whofe diffent or doubtings, | printed my defire of my friends Animadverfions, and my //penfion of the Book, as not owned by me, nor any moreto be
printed,
a, - stl See
wee
‘ : wane - Comer a whe oe : o +g
The Preface.
printed, till further confidered and correéted: Hereupon | had the great benefit of Animadverfions from many, whorn I accounted the moft judicious and worthy perfons that I had heard of: Firft my friend Mr. John Warren began: next came: Mr. G. Law/fon’s, (the moft judicious Divine that ever I was acquainted with, in my judgement, ( yet living ), and from whom I learned more than from any man) : next came Mr. Chriftopber Cartwright’s (then of York; the Author of che Rabbinical Comment. on Gen. chap. t, 2, 3. and of the Defence of King Charles againft the Marquels of Worcefler). Anfwers and Rejoinders to thefe took. me up much time: nextcame a moft judicious and friendly MS. from Dr. Foba Wallis. and another from Mr. Tombes, and foméwhat J extorted from
Mr. Burges: the anfwers to which two. laft are publithed. —
To all thefe Learned men I owe very great thanks: and J
never more owned or publifhed my Aphorifms (but the |
Cambridge Printer ftole an Impreffion without my knowledge). And though moft of thefe' differed as ‘much from Gne another (at leaft) asfrom me! yer the great Learning of their various Writings, and the long’ Study which I was thereby engagedin, in anfwering and rejoyningtd the moft; was a greater advantage to me, to receive accurate And digefted conceptions on thefe fubjects, than privace Students can expect. & @. . aa ee
My mind being thus many years immerft in Rudies of this siature, andI having alfo long wearied my felf in fearching what Fathers and Schoolmet, have’ Gid of fuch things before us, and my Genius abhorring Confufion and Equivocals, Icameby many years longer ftudy to petceive, that moft of the Doétrinal Controverfies among Proteftdnts (that I fay not ih the Chriftian World) are far more about equrvocal words,
than matter ; and it wounded my foulto perceive what work |
both Tyrannical, and wnskilful Difputing Clergie-meti had made —
thefe thirteen hundred years in the world! And experience jince the year 1643. till this year 1675. hath loudly called to.
me to Repent of my own prejudices, fidings and cenfurings of
caufes and perfons not underftood, and of all the mifcarriages of my Miniftry and life, which have been thereby caufed , and tomake it my chief work to call men that are within my hearing to more peaceable thoughts, affections and pratlices: Andmy endeavours havenot been in vain, inthat the
Minifters of the Countrey where I lived, were very many -
of fuch a peaceable temper (though {ince caft out), (anda great
T he Preface.
great number more through the Land by Gods Grace ( rather than any endeavours cf mine) are fo minded.) But the Sons of the Coal were exafperated the more againft me, and accounted him to be againf{t every man, that called all mien to Love and Peace, and was forno man as in a contrary
way.
| And now looking daily in this pofture; when God caleth me hence, ( fummoned by an incurable Difeafe to -haften all that ever I willdo in this World,) being uncapable of prevailing with the prefent Church difturbers, I do apply my {elf to pofterity, leaving them the fad warning of their Anceftors diftractions, as a Pillar of Salt, and acquainting them what I have found to be the caufe of our Calamities, and therein they will find the Cure themf{elves.
I, | Have oft takénthe boldnefs ( conftrainedly ) to fay. that I doubt not but the Contentions of the Clergie have done far more hurt to the Chriftian World, than the moft bloody Wars of Princes. And I muft reduce the Caufes to thefe three Heads: a | , I. The Abufe of POWER, Il. OF WISDOM, IILOF GOODNESS.; or gf the Names of thefe the three great Principles of Humanity. — | . That is, 1. By Clergie TYRANNY, IL ByOPINIO- NISTS or Dogmatifts, Il BySUPERSTITION andHYPOCKRISIE, or PRACTICAL BLIND ZEAL. | a | -_ _ But among all thefe forts, felfifh PRIDE, IGNO. RANCEand UNCHARITABLENESS or want of LOVE are the great effectual Caufes. And departing from CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY, in Do&rine, Worfhip, | Church-government, and Converfation, is the grand in/trumental means of moft of our Schifms, Diftragtions and Calamities. 3 | I.Only by Pride cometh Contention, Prov. 13. 10. The Church- / TYRANT is Proud of his Superiority and Wealth: The OPINLUNIST is Proud of his fuppofed Knowledge and Theological Wifdom; on which account the Gnofticks troubled the Church of old. The HYPOCRITE and the (honefter ) ignorant Zealot, is Proud of his {uppofed Holines or GoodnefS: And for an eminency and precedency and praile in each of thefe, they allconfpire (while they difagree
The Preface. —_
agree among themfelves ) to trouble the Church of Chrift: 5
In a word, Selfifhne/s, Ignorance and want of Love, are the Caufes of mens perfonal rane and damnation, and the famie are the Caufes of the Churches divjtons, and all the miferies of the World. | | | :
I]. Andthac IGNORANCE isa Commin caufe even irt the Gnoftick Doymatifts chat cry down Ignorance, Error and Hes refie, needs no other proof, than the diverfity of Opinions which fuch contend for: Every fide pretend, that it is @ Rs
THODOXNESS, FAITH or the Great Truths of
God, whichthey defend; And in one Countrey or with one Party, one thing is Orthodoxne/s and the Truth, and another thing in another Countrey or Party, and another thing with athird,ezc. And did they all but know what is Truth
tions, and all the Seéts would meetin Unity.
ff. And did men but LOVE their neighbours as thent-
Selves, and were as eafily perfwaded to think well of, and | deal gettly with their neighbours as. themfelves, and as
hardly drawn to condemn, hate, hurt or injurethem,Ineed
not tell you how -eafly; quiekty and univerfally we fhould be healed. | | |
But before I fpeak of the Inftrumental Means, Y will fullier open the chree forementioned Caufes, —
I. Religious ClergieeTYR ANNY hath {o notorioufly, fo long, and fo greatly made havock both of Piety, and Peace, thac he thac is not an utter ftranger to Church-Hiftory -cannot be
ignorant of it. I need not tell any Learned man, how ma- —
ny even moderate Papifts, much more Proteftants have
thought, that Con/tantine and other Emperoursthat over-ex- :
alted the Clergie, powred ont Poyfon into the (burch : making
great preferments a bait to invite all the worft of mien, tobe |
feckers and invaders of Church Offices and Power, and to
corrupt thofe that otherwife would have been ufeful men a
e{pecially when (Chriftians having firft made them their Arbitrators, in obedience to St. Pauls counfel ).chey were made the Legal Fadges of the Canfes of all contentious Chriftians, and fo fet up Secular Magiftratical (outs. need not tell them what work almoft every General Council (as thofe of one Em- = were called) did make! what work even thefirft ax ice hadmade, had not Conftantine burnt their Bills of accufation againft each other, and perfonally lamented their di- Vifions,and driven them onto peace! what work was — int that
“we Gem
— The Preface.
that at (halcedon, and that at Ephefus, and fo of others! what a horrid {candal thecafe of John and Diofcorus was, andthe murder of Flavianus, and many others! nor yet how the controverfies againft the Ne/torians, Eutychians, and Monothelites were managed! Ineed nottell them, how foon /iéforbegan at Rome, nor what Socrates and others fay of Cyril and Theophilus at Alexandria; nor yet how Nazsanzene was ufed at Conjtantinople; nor how copioufly and vehemently he ac- . cufeth the Bifhops, and he that there were no fuch inequalities among them, as gave them advantage to do hurt, nor what he faith againft their Councils: nor yet of the quarrels of Bafil and Anthymius, nor of Bajfils fharp complaints of the Roman and other Weftern Prelates: I need not tell them of the Ufage of Chry/offome, even by fuch men as Theophilus, Epipbanius and their partakers; nor of the dividing of the Conftantinopolitan Chriftians thereupon; nor how the violent Prelates made Separatifts and Non-conformifts of Chryfoftoms adherents, by a name of Joannites. and how unlikely that Schifm was to have been healed, had not wifer Bifhops fucceeded, who reftored Concord by honouring Chryfoftoms Name and Bones, and dealing kindly with his _ followers: [need not tell them of the fad work made at Ariminum and Syrmium, and oft at Rome; Conftantinople and every great Epifcopal Seat: nor of the bloodfhed between Competitors, ac the Eleétion of Damafus; nor of the feparation of St. Martin from the Synod of Bifhops led by Ithacius and Idacius; nor of the difference of him and Ambrofe from the reft about the complyances with Maximus. The World knoweth of the doleful Rupture that hath continued between the Roman and the Greek Church about a thoufand years; Andof the many Schifms at Rome by various Anti- Popes, even at once above forty years together, And of the rxealon of the calling of the Councils of Conftance and Ba/il to endthem; And howthe King of Rome keeps up his Kingdom tothisday; what work he hath made with Frederick, the Henries, and other German Emperours; what divifions this caufed among the Clergie; what blood he caufed to be fhed for Jerufalem, and how many thoufands: of the Waldcnfes have at divers times been flaughtered; what work the Inquifition hath made in Spain and Belgia and elfewhere; and the flames of Perfecution in England, and almoft in all ‘Chriftian Lands; what work the Holy League did make in France, and the Englifh Bifhops in many a War with their 2 Kings;
mee
The Preface,
Kings. befides the cafe of Becket and {uch others; By whole
inftigation two hundred thoufand Proteftants were Jarel
murdered in Ireland, and many again in Piedmont; Hay to
tell fuch things ’as thefe to thofe that are acquainted with Church Hiftory, is vain. AndI would thofe that yet think cruelty the beft way to fet up themfelves (or Relicion, if
that muft bear the name) and to reprefs their advetfaries _
(or Schifms,) would but ( among many others) read the
Epittle of great Thuanus before his Works to Henry King of |
France. : : But is it only the old Bifhops, Greeks and Papifts, that have made fuch havock in the Churches?. Eventhofe that pretended to moderation did by the German Interim make many hundred Churches defolate. And the ten years imprifonment of Cafbar Peucer (vid, Fijtor. Carcer.) and the filencing of many and many faithful Minifters, and the banifment of many, doth fhew with what Spirit, many of the Luthes rans carryed on their work. And doubrlefs, had the Calvinifts in Belgia been as wife and peaceable as the Engli(h Delegates were at theSynod of Dort, and been as far from Tyranny
as they fhould have been, matters had never come {0 oft to Blood or Tumult among them as-they have done, nor
Grotias and the Arminians had fo much to fay againft them. T will not meddle with the matters of this Ifand in our times, feeing they fufficiently {peak themfelves. | But how cometh this Clergie Tyranny to be fo common, fo long and fo powerful inthe World, to make Parties, and draw Princes into Wars? | : 1. It muft be remembred, that true Godline/S is not common in the World: Too many take up Chriftianity, as in the Eaftern partsthe poftericy of the old famous Chriftians
‘are now Mahometans.
2. The Gofel. and true Spirit of Chriftianity is contrary to the minds and worldly interefts of carnal, ambitious, cove-
‘tous, voluptuous men. So that they profes a Religion
which their own hearts abhorr asco its ferious practice. ~ :3, Every unrenewed man hath fuch a worldly flefhly nature, and is voluptuous, proud and covetous: And none of
them love tobe reproved or croffed in their way. -
4. Church Honours, Dignities and great Revenues , and Clergie-eale in an idle life, are a great bait or temptation
to a-carnal mind: Andthe worfe men are, the more they will defire and feek Church preferrments, and make all the
(b) friends
The Preface. friends they can coget them, And the more felf-denying men will not do fo, (but — avoid them. )
5. Thediligent feekers are liker to obtain and find, than the negleéters and avoiders : And fo thé Churches to be ufually in the power of the worler fort of men, and Religion to be under the Government of its enemies.
6. Men in power, and the Major Vote, have great advantage to execute their own wills, and to put Laws on others, and bring chem under what Characters they pleafe ; and fo to affix the names of Hereticks or Schifmaticks on them, if they fulfil not all their wills: yea, tofilencethem, and fupprefs their Writings, and make them to be little underftood in the World, yea, or by theit neighbours round about them.
7. The Vulgar (as they are for the Conquerour in the Wars, (o) ufually are for the upper and ftronger fide in peace, that have Power to hurtthem, and have the Major Vote ; And alfo eafily believe them, and think men that fuffer, are like to be guilty of what they are accufed.
_. 8 Gedlinefs being againft a worldly mind and inteteft, and the Rabble ufually for it, hence arifeth a Confpiracy of carnal Clergie-men, and the Rabble, againft thofe that are moft ferioufly Godly, as if they were their enemies, and a furly, proud, intraétable fore of people. As Sulpitins See yerus de{cribeth Ithacius and his followers, ( and even Mr. Hooker out of him Eccl. Pol. Prafat. ) | .
_. 9. Such men in Power never want flatterers at their ears, to praife all that they do, and to exafperate chem by flandering and reviling fufferers. .
_ 10. The long poffeffion (fince the dayes of (on/tantine ) _ of Great Places and Power by the Clergie, within the Roman Empire (nowthe Greek and Latine Churches,) doth feem to juftifie mens Ufurpations and Tyranny, and make all diffenters feem fingular and Schifmatical, ( which was and is the Papal ftrength againft the Reformed. )
‘ut. Too many of the Secular Rulers of the World, have much of the fame Spirit; Andfind alfo their interefts fo twifted infhew withthe Papal Clergies, that they dare not -crofs them. oe |
12, The faults of thofe that fuffer by them (in dodtrine and imprudent carriages) ufe ro give them great advantage, and make all their odious charaéters and names of them believed and reteived, (asthe cafe of the Waldenfes and of the Lutherans and Calvini/ts in Germany too fully prove. ) , 4 IT. The
The Preface.
II. The fecond Rank of Church-difturbers are DOG M 4. TISTS or men that profes exceeding zeal for ORT H0:. DOX Opinions, or Theological Knowledge. And thus three inftances tell us of the Caufe of our Calamities,
1. That of Gnoftick and Heretical perfons , who account every new (conceit of theirs , to be worthy the propagating, |
-evenat the rate of Theological Wars and Church Contufions,
and cry out (Buy the Truth, and fell it not], when it is {ome error of their own, or fome unprofitable or unneceflary notion:
2. The cafe of the Romanifts (to fay nothing of all the old contentious Bifhops and Councils, and the controverfies about Perfona and Hypoftafis, and about many words and forms of {peech ). What do the Roman Councils for many hundred years laft, but on pretence of preferving the faith | uncorrupted, multiply divifions and new Articles of faith. ( quoad ms) ? And while they cry down moft of Chrifts
- Church as Heretical or greatly errcneous, they have run
themfelvesinto the grofleft errors almoft that humane nature is capable of, (evento the making it neceffary to fal-
-vation,to deny our own and all the found mens fenfes in the
World in the cafe of Tranfubftanciation ).
3. Thecafe of the Schoolmen, and fuch other Difputing Milie tant Theologues: who have {pun out the Do@rine ot Chriftianity into {o many Spiders Webs ; and filled the World wich’ fo many Volumes of Controverfies, as are fo many Engines of contention, hatred and‘divifion: AndI would our Proteftant Churches, Lutherans and Calvinijts, had not too great. a number of fuch men, as are far fhort of the Schoolmens fubtilry, but much exceed them in the enviou/neS of their zeal, and the bitterne/S and revilings.of their difputes, more openly ferving the Prince of hatred againft the Caufe of Love and Peace: O how many famous Difputers, in Schools, Pulpit and Prefs, do little know what Spirit they are of, and what reward they muft expect of Chrift,for making odious his Servants, deftroying Love, and dividing -his Kingdom ? How: many fuch have their renown as little'to their true comfort, as Alexanders and (4fars for their bloody Wars ? iy how cometh this Dogmatical Zeal fo to prevail? Conider
1. Nature it felf is Delighted in Knowing much: Elfe Satan had not made it Bves temptation. Without Grace,even Theological Speculations may be very pleafing to mens minds. Morality and Holinefsis principally feated in the Will.
The Preface.
2. Satan hath here a far fairer bait, thah worldly Wealth and Pleafures and Honours, to tempt men, and fteal away their hearts, from that Love and Praétice which is Holiness indeed. All men are bound to Love Gods Word, and his Truth muft be precioustous all : and now it is eafie for — the hypocritical Dogmatift co take up here, and make himfelf a Religion of Zeal for thofe opinions, which he entitleth God to. AndOrhat[ could fj ca this loud enough to awaken the Learned World of Difputers, to fo much jealoufie of _ their own hearts, as is neceflary to their own fafety, as well as to the Churches peace! ‘This thing called Orthodoxne/s, Truth and Right-believing ( precious in itfelf, ifitbe what itis called, ) is made by Satan an ordinary means to deceive Learned men, and keep them from a holy and heavenly mind and life, when groffer cheats would be lefs effe€tual : Theologie is valued by many as the Mathematicks are, as a pleafant fort of knowledge; and by others asthe Jews were zealous of their Law, by a formal fort of Religioufnefs ; one fort being zealous for’their Opinions, and another for their (Ceremonies from the like principle of formality. |
3- Yet Nature that would know much, is dull and flothful; and loth to be at that great and long ftudy and labour necef- {ary to obtain it. ; | |
4. And it is but. few chat are born with a quick natural capacity. a ae
5. And it is not the moft that have the happinefs of very wile, experienced and throughly Learned Teachers: but moft are inftructed:by half witted men. And young perfons know not how to choofe the beft for themfelves, nor _ their Parents neither ordinarily.
6. Eafe and Intereft, or the Veneration of certain perfons, maketh men fall in with thofe Opinions that are in beft efteem in the placeswhere they live, and among the perfons whom they maft value. | |
7. Reafon is mans noble faculty, and thereforethat which man is apteftto be Proud of: And though few have much knowledge and wifdom,almoft all would be thought to have it, and are too proudto endure to be accounted ignorant or erroneous. |
8. The Dignity of the Paftoral Office,and Academical Degrees, maketh men think that the Honour of knowledge is their due, and neceflary to their work. And therefore they will expect and claim it that deferve it aot: and it fhall
be taken for Pride and Singularity for any man to convince
them of ignorance or error.
g: Many of them are godly men and excellent Preach= —
ers, and cryed up (defervedly) by good people: And
therefore they take the reputation of more knowledge than
they have, to be their due; and the people are ready to
joyn with them in reproaching all that differ. from
10. Great knowledge being rare ; “the half-knowing
mien are ftill the major part by Pe (alas how far!) Andfo
if Synods be called,or moft Voices heard, thefe will ftill pats
for the Grthodox men, and a more judicicus man will
{carce be heard among them. , | .
11. Learning is of many ages got into certain forms of
words ; and he that hath got fome organical arbitrary Notions, pafleth for a Learned man ; or he that can {peak
many Languages: while true real wifdom (which confiftech 1. In knowing the Greateft Things, and 2. In fitting
words to things) ismuch negleé&ted: whereby as hypocrites
deceive themfelves and others.with forms of piety, fo do Scho-
Jars with forms and notions inftead of knowledge.
12. Thefe humane formalities of wifdom have prevailed to bring the Scripture, and the beft part-of wifdom, into.
difefteem, as a dull and low kind af knowledge, as if
Logical, Phytical and Metaphyfical trifling, were a higher
matter. ea: eS
13. No man is fufficiendly ccna yon Aen
of the Curfe in the confufion of Tongues: whereby as we
can preach but to few Nationsin the World, fo we cannot
intelligibly converfe with one another. All words ( being
arbitrary figns) are Ambiguous; And few Dijputers have the
jealoufie and skill which is neceflary to difcufs equtvocations,
and to agree of the meaning of all their terms before they
ufe them in difputing: And fotaking Verbal differences for
Material, doth keep up moft of the: wretched Academical
14. And nothing here undoeth all. the World in point of
wifdom, fomuel: as over-hafty judging or prefidence: Ie
is natural to almoft all to faften prefently upon che firlt
appearances, and to be confident before they have halt
tryed: In cafes where feven and feven years ferious ftudy
is neceflary to a through digefted knowledge, every No+
vice will prefently conclude asif he were Pre, And then
-
A_OT Pew
The Preface.
as every one is apt to be confident, fotobe tenacious ; every error leading on more, and the reputation of the perfon being concernedin it, mutability being a fhame: And {o it becometh a very difficule thing to wnlea‘nthe errors once learned ; as white Paper is eafier written on than that which is written on a )
45. And then no man knoweth bis own error ( elfe it were no error ), nor knoweth what another mans perceptions are, nor what any other man knoweth more than he.
16. And laftly , the odious names of diffenters ( the common ufage) doth quickly affright even beginners from thinking well of their Opinions, (yea, or of their perfons and o ufually ). And by all chefe means almoft all are of the opinion of the Countrey where they live, or of thofe that a moft reverence, or which are moft for their intereft ; and boldly condemn the reft not underftood.
- IIL And the pretence of HOLINESS or a blind pra fical Zeal, and Superftitions Religion, both in Hypocrites and many honeft ignorant people, hath not a little hand in the diftragtions of Chrifts Church. }
‘It was the appearance of more Spirituality and Striélnefs which drew Tertullian tothe Montanifts, and which promoted a great part of the Herefies which have torn the Churches, This bore up the Caufe of the Prifcilianifts, and of thofe that Bernard and Cluniacenfis {o. much inveigh againft, ( 1 {uppole Manichees with fome better perfons mixt:) This kept up the Donatifts; but above all the Novatians long in great reputation: This was the ftrength of the Anabapti/ts in Gere many and the Low Countreys, as their’ adverfaries confefs. Saith G. Wiceliws Meth. Concord. c.12. p. 42. CRetinftores hac una parte duntaxat fapinnt, tenentes doftrinam Ecclefie Catholica J {peaking of the neceffity ofa holy life: This ische ftrength of the Quakers among usnow, and of almoft ‘all the feparating and Cenforious Seéts: And -were not {0 :excellent a thing as GodlinefS the Motive, abundance of good people — durft never have done the great evils which we have feen done inthis age, to the great fhame of our profeffion, and the fad calamities of Church and State. ( And if I my felf have formerly in my unexperienced youth, promoted any dividing or se Pace wayes, it was upon this and. the former miftake; which I beg daily of God to difcover toime to the full, and beg the pardon of the mifcarriages which I know, and which yet I know
The Treface.
And if you Confider thefe things following, you will not ‘wonder that miftaken Godline/? fhouldcaufe divifions:
\. Holine/S and Gods Love or well-pleafednefs with man; as ‘the deft ching inthis world, or that man is capable of: And therefore is moft Defireable, and moft Honourable.
2, Therefore all good men prefer it before all other things, And are juftly more averfe to any thing that is again ic, chanto any worldly lofsor fuffering,
3. Yea it is Gods Intereft more than theirown: And all ‘good men are againft all that difpleafeth God, fo far as it is known. | |
4. We all know butin part, and asin aglafs and darkly ! Eventhe moft of Teachers take abundance of things a Trueand Good that ate Falfe and Evil, and for Falfe and Bad which are True and Good ; Much more are Godly vulgar people ignorant, and confequently erre in many things.. Even they thatcry out againftthe vulgar Ignorance, and infufhcient Teachers, know far lefs than they are Ignorant of themfelves. | | | _
5. He that miftakingly thinks any thing is Good ot Bad, Duty or Sin, which is not fo. will be zealous in purfuit of his miftake, if he be ferious for God: A good principle will haftenhim on in a or whatever it cofthim. ©
6. Ignorance and timerou{nefs caule /uperftition, which is a conceit that God is pleafed by overdoing in excerrial things, and obfervances and laws of their own making, and {o— they that make part of their own Religion {uperftitioufly
- (as.mioft good people do in fome things through ignorance,) will cenfureall others as Goodor Bad, by the meafureof theirownmiftakes - | | q. He that thus miftakingly thinks that men fa when
— do not, will have a proportionable diflike of them,
and averfation from them: And willbe ready to {peak as he thinks of them, and fo will be guilty of calumny, and calling Evil Good, and Good Evil. .
8. The World will abound ftill with real evil and {candals, And all parties will be faulty : And ufually the greater parc of the Clergie in the Chriftian World will be guilty of fo muchIgnorance, pride, contentioufnels, worldlinefs and (enfuality, as will greatly grieve and offend good people. And this will occafion alienation and feparations even with Godly perfons: The facrifice of the Lord was abhorred through the fins of Bli’s fons : The cafe of the
The Preface.
Clergieat this day in the Greek Church in Ms/covic, Armenia, Syria, Abaffia, &c. yea atnong too many of the German Churches, is very lamentable, by Ignorance and {candal And thecorruption of the Roman Clergie was it that facilitated the revolt from the Papacy, at Luther’s reformation, He that readeth Cornel. Mus, Ferus, Efpenceus, Erafmus, Alvan Pelagius, Clemangis and fuch others defcribing their own Clergic, and 7of. Acofta of them in India, ¢rc. will fee much of the Caufe of the Divifions inthe World: And all the old Writers that write againft the Waldenfes, do make us underftand that the ignorance and wickednefs of the Clergie then, was it that drove them from the Roman Church. Saith Wicelius Meth. Concord. c. 11. P-39- Quum tales ad nullum hos neflins vite mjtitutum idonei (unt, mirum fit ft bonos facerdotes pre: flabunt: fic itaque procedente tempore regetur Ecclefia ab afinis, o> predicabunt imperitif[imi mifero populo, quod nunquam didicerunt ‘ipft. Adolefcentes optimi quique abborrent propterea ab inftituto illo, quod nolint {uam’ libertatem fibi eripi, xc. 1 have oft faid, whac caufed St. Martin to feparate during life from the Synodical Bifhops about him: And what Gildas faith of fuch, that no excellent Chriftian will call them Minifters + And it’s very ob- | fervable not only as Dr. James in the Margin of Wicelius hath cited, that there are many Canons againft wicked Priefts celebrating and Maffing, but Wicelius himfelf faith (p.17.) Non admittantur facra concubinariorum, quos Deus pejus odit, atq. manifeftarios inceftus: Meminerimus in Decretis Pontificum pie caveri, Ne quis Miffam ejus Presbyteri andiat quem fcit indubitanter cons cubinam habere, aut fubintroduttam mulierem. (And yet there are now men pretending to piety among Proteftants, that {peak of, andufe thofeGodly perfons more hatefully who telufe to hear fuch wicked Priefts, than they do thofe Priefts ‘themfelves. ). Light and Darknefs have no Communion - And the Church will alwayes have bad Minifters and Mem- ‘bers: And many good people through Ignorance will think that they fhould go further from them than they ought: _And will not diftinguifh between that private familiarity _ which isin their own power, and that publick Church Communion which the Church Paftors are the guides and judges Of. And fo the bonefty and the ignorance of thefe good men, - meeting with the oulgar wickedne/s, will be as the congrefs of fire and water, and will occafion ruptures and parties in,
9. The
g. The carnal Clergie will wfually hate and perfecute Godly zealous Preachers: ( As even thé cafe of “Pb. Nerins and Barouins at Rowe theweth, which had almvolt made di: turbance: ) And then /ufferings will be a ftrouger témprtation to hard thoughts and roo much ali¢natidn thati moftaré able well to overcome. Se Mew
10. And the Godly people will adhére to their Godly fasfering Teachers, and run further in bitcernefs again the cathal and perfecuting party, than their fuffetitig Leaders do defire.
it. Yet intereftand temptations will prevail with too mahy of the fufferets to connive ac the bitternie(s and alitnatioh of the people, (if trot to comttenance it, ) which they do hot ji.
fife: And fo thérupcure willptow ftillgreater, =
12; And all men have forie Pridé: And Godtine’ being the bet thing may become the objed& of Pridé as well 4s Knowledge and Power, And fo many Will’ affect to have cheir Piety Confpicnons, and therefore to be fingalar or of Lotne {maf party that is eminent, and foby feparation to ftand 4c a tnore con{picuons oe froth the se fort of Chtiftians, than.
Chrift would havethem: And fo many a good man hath more of Pride in his profefion ahd feparation than he. is aware of. | | 2 oF;
13. And beeaufe Gods word, atid his laft judgemtettr, and Heaven atid Hell, do tnake fo gtdat 4 difference Between the Godly and ungodly , it otcaftotieth many to ay that chey muft difference men by theit owrt Cenfutes ard {eparacions farther than iftdeed they obsht,
14. Andit greatly promoreth Schifths Hat good ptople dre snacqnainsed with Church-bifery, and kriow hot how juft
uch Opinions and Schifms 2s their on have itt fotmet ages rifen, and how they have mifcarryed atid dyed, atid what have. beet their fruits. ee ee ee
15. And few tren have that humble ferife as they me of their own Ignorance and badnef’, which would keep theit fufpicions and Ceénfures rote at hothe, and make thém mort compaffonate to others. .
16. Arid few love their Neighbours as themfelves, not confidet whilé they hate metis fin, what is fovely in theit Naturet and Capacities of grace. . —— _
17. And the Prety of almroft all Sefts of Chriftians on Earth is already corrupted with {0 niany bunsane {uperftitions ade ditions, tlrat few can efcape the temptation of Cenfuring accordingly. tal (c) 18. And
The ‘Preface.
\ 18 And the Church will alwayes have many hypocrites,
who quiet their Confciences by adhering to the ftricte/t Minifters and Churches, inftead of a mortified, holy and heavenly. heart and converfation. | .. 19. Andlaftly, Perfecution and hatred from others, and ° the due Love of Godly perfons, tempteth too many Mini- {ters to over-run their own judgements, and follow the more cenforious fort of perfons further than they ought (at leaf by connivence,) and to be ruled by thofe whom they fhould rule. Andthus Divifions are occafioned even by Piety it elf. II, But yet were the Principles of Divifion never fo many and pernicious, Intereft might have led more of the world to Quietne{s and Concord, had not Satan, the great enemy of Love and Peace, feduced them to that Inftrumental Means
and way,which will never confift with Concord. It is that
which Chrift and his Apoftles have done very much to prevent, but the Devil (even with all the forts fore-mentioned ) hath much prevailed againft their precepts. | |
The Grand cafe of the Chriftian World is, WH AT 1S THE TRUS CANTER and RULE OF CON- CORD? Could they find out this, it would hold men of various tempersto it.
IL. Chrift firft laid down the Defcription and Meafure of Chriftianity, inthe Baptifmal Covenant; and ordained that all fhould beaccounted (hrifhians in foro Ecclefie who by Baptifm were folemnly devoted to him, in a profeffed Belief and Covenant, Dedication and Vow to God the Father, Son and Fily Ghoft: Thele he would have called (Chriftians or his Difciples, and this is their (hriftening, and fo ever called inthe Church. 2. Andnext he made it his new (that is Laft ) and Great Command, that All his Difciples fhould Love each other, and live in eminent Unity and Peace: which he accordingly wrought them to by the firft pouring out of his Spirit, Aé. 2.73.5 A. a _ IE The Apoftles founding the Church in this Bapti/mal Vow or Covenant, and mutual Love, exhorted accordingly all the Baptizedto Love each other, andto Receive even the weak in faith, but not to doubeful di/putations, Rom. 14. 815. Oft vehemently charging them to be of one mind and live in Love and peace, andto bewareof them as not ferving Chrift but their own bellies, who were for Divifions, 1 (or. 1.10, Wt. ‘Kom.16.17. Andthough hey came with pretences of 0 R= DER, WISDOM or PIETY, fuch Good words, and fair
) fpeeshes
ers, not Lords of the €burc flock of Chrift, but to overfee them not by conftraint but volune -
are
The Preface.
‘ as EEE! OF ete meen ian
. Speeches were noted to be engines to deceive the hearts of chie
fimple, Romans 16:17. ot os. a And whereas the objection feemed unanfwerable, How
‘can they [0 agree, who are of feveral judgements about--Good and
Evil? Paul often warneth themto hold faft the form of found word, -and fummeth up (as 1Cor. 15-1, 4,3, 4.) the Articles of thei faith, and chargeth them that fo -far as they had. at: tained, they [howd walk by the-fame rule, and mind the fame things,
and if in any thing they were ‘otherwife minded, ftay cill God revealed the macter-to them, Pbil. 3. He oft chargeth them to be of one mind and judgement (thus far ) and to live in Love and Peace, and todo nothing by ftrife and vain glory, but in honour to prefetr others to themfelves; and not to ftrive about words that profit not, nor about unneceflary Quefti+ ons, feeing fuch difputings and ftrivings gender to ungodlinefs, and fret like a Canker, and pervert the hearers minds: Yea he directeth the Paftors to edifie fouls, rather by a Teach. ang than a difputing way, and td convince gainfayers, by meek inftrutting eppofers, to {eeif thusGod will give them repens
tance to the acknowledgement of thetruth: for the Minifter or [ere evant of the Lord muft not firive; Love is their work to be effeated in others, and Love muftbe their Principle, and Love muft
betheir mode and méans, ever’ Loving others as themfelves :
Oft are they called by Chriftand his Apoftles from majfterly
opinions, afpirings and endeavours, and to be as little Children, andthe fervants of all, and as ftewards of Gods myfteries and belpe | Churches ash and not to dominecr over the tarily: And what carinot be done by Light and Love, is notto be done by them at all: The Magiftrate and notthey, muft ufe che Sword; but not to make men believers ( for he cannot. )
And though Vo/Sus and others have rendred Reafons
_ enough to perfwade us that the ftory of the twelve Apoftles
nnn see ee ee — EIA ct, ’ €
making each one an Article of the Creed, is not credible,
nor that they fhapeditin every word to the prefent forni,
yetit istome acertainty, thatthe Apoftles made and ufed the Creed for fenfeand{ubftance asthe very fummary and teftof Chriftianity, long before any Book of the New Teftament was written (about twelve years, and almoft fixty fix beforethe whole.) For 1. It is certain that all Chriftians were Baptized: 2. It is certain that they then profeffed _ to Believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghof/t, and to Covenant accordingly, renouncing the flefh, the world and the ~— : | (¢ 2) 3. Ic
A
The Preface.
3. It.is,certain that the Apoftles and Paftors laboured to make men underftand what they did, and would nor delude them by taking the-bare faying of thefe three words.. 4. And itis certain that the Paftors alrered not the. Chriftian faith, — but caught the fame for fubftance to all that were baptized. 5- Andit-is certainthat fhould men have taken much liberty to ufe new words or forms at Baptifm, in opening the faich, it might eafily have corrupted the faich and introduced anew doétrine. 6. And‘it is certain. by Church Hiftory. that (though fome varjety of little words was uled, yet ): this fame Creed for fubftance (exceptthe two or three claufes mentioned by Ujher and Vofsius ) was commonly ufed at Baptifm from the dayes of the Apoftles. 7. And we find yeg that this Creed is nothing elfe but the explicacion.of the fhree Baptifmal Articles, of: which fee Sandford and Parker (two. Learned Non-conformifts) in their very Learned Treat, de Defcen/u Chrifti at large. 8. And itis certain that .if the Apoftles did take this courfe fo many years before they -wrote any.of rhe ‘New Teftament, they did this ¢.as well as that ) by the Fioly Ghoft: and fo thatthe Holy Ghoft feconding Chrifts own Baptifmal Law, or Infticuted teft, did make the Creed to be the {ummary of the (hriftian Belief, twelve years, before we had any Book,of the New Teftamsent, and about fixty fix as is faid before we had them all. And then it will appear what is Gods appointed teft of Chriftianity, Communion and fpectal
Love |. ~ 3 a. ee ee ee _. All which confidered, though I chink ic 1s the truch which I long ago wrote againft a Treatife of-a} Learned man (Mr. Afhwell )in the Append. to the fecond Edition of my. Reformed Paftor, yet I publifh my Repentance that ever I wrote it, as fearing fen it occafioned the turning of mens minds from this great truth which he and I agreed in, and which I find few confider as it deferveth. _& 268 _ But the Gnofficks began the ‘corrupting game, and by. .pretences of higher knowledge, {poiled men by vain Philofophy, which engaged the Apoitles to cry them down, and to warn all Chriftians to take heed of being fo {poiled, and to vilife arbicrary Philofophical notions, tricks and vain janglings, as likely to draw them from the fimplicity of -Chriftianity. |
And the certain truth is, that he knoweth neither the Inte- -reft nor the Ignorance and weaknefSof man, nor the nature of Knowledge, who dothnot know, that the frailty and employments
The Preface. ments of mankind are {uch as that there never will be an uiniver[al
Concord in very MANY, or UNCERTAIN, UNNA CESSARY things, And O thar! could write it on: all
‘mens hearts, or doors at leaft, that The Chriftian world will never
have Concord, but a FBW, CERTAIN, NECES:
S ARY things. : | a Therefore Paul faid tothe Corinthians, 2 Cor. 11.2,3. Iam jealous of you with Godly jealoufie: For I have efpoufed you to one husband, &c. But I fear left by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his fubtilty, fo your minds fhould be corrupted from the fimplicity that is m (or towards ) Chrift. © © mark thefe words all ve contentious Church-T % R ANTS, DOGMATISTS. and SHPBRSTITE OUS ones. Read and ftudy them well. | God laid down the terms of the Churchés Concord in {even Unities. 1.One Body or Church Catholick, 2. One Spirit or Holy Ghoft, asthe foul of that Church; 3. One Hope, ot Heavenly felicity hoped for; 4. One Lord of the (burch, out Head and Saviour.” 5. One Faith, or Ereed, or Symbol of our belief, and Belief thereof; 6. One Baptifmal Covenant; . And one God and Father of us all, who is above all; through all andin us all. Spb. 4.3, 4,5, 6. And ie is the unity of the /pirit in the bond of peace, that on thefe terms wearé | charged to keep, v.2,3. with all lowline/s and meéekne/s, with long-Juffering, forbearing one another in love. oe But now cometh the Serpent (note 1. The aithor,) and by /ubtilty (2. Note the means, ) evén as he beguiled Bvé (3. Note the precedent ) which was by promifing her more knowledge and exaltation to be as God;. and he corrupteth mens minds, ( 4. Mark the effect) though it is knowledge and ads evancement of mind that he promifeth and pretendeth: Even by drawing them (as to higher POWBR, KNOW: LEDGE or HULINBSS) from the — fomplicity, (5..Mark whacthe paral) fang of Religionis. | And what is this Chriftian SI1M® LICITY which they forfake, and how are they thus Corrupted from it? a I. The Church-TYR ANT departeth from the SI Mz PLICITY of Church Government firft; and will not hear Chrifts vehement charge, Luk. 22. With you it fhall notbe fo: He cannot underftand {uch Texts becanfe he would not; Hence how unlike is the Secular-Papal and Patriarchal ftate to the Miniftry appointed and deferibed by Chrift! To reduce them to that, they think is to be enemies tothe Church; | (c 3) And
ae eal
Lhe Preface.
And dothey not then take Chrift for their Capital enemy? becaufe they are enemies to humility, mortification and. theCrofs, Phil.3.18. ( To crofs bearing not to crofs making.) The Papifts think that Greg. the feventh that took down Princes was the moft glorious inftrument of the Churches exaltation: And by turning all to corporeal Glory, they lofe hearts, and deftroy the fouls whom they profels to © fave. , Ke, # |
— And having firtcorrupted GOVERNMENT from the Primitive fimplicity,and made Princes their Lictors (as Grating {peaks in that excellent Epiftle newly tranflated by Mr. Bark/> die) they next corrupt DOCTRINE, and WORS HIP confequently. ForTYRANTS mufthave their Wills in — every thing: andnumerousand needle{s Laws and Canons muft be made to fhew their power and fulfil their wills, that chey may be Law-givers and a Rule to all the World. And when they have made a feeming NecefSity of doing things unneceflary, then to plead che NecefSity which they have made, is the {umm of all their arguments.
And they that are againft fri and precife adhering to rhe Scriptures, or obfervance of Gods own commands, are yet fo firiét for obedience to their proud imperious wills, thac they perfwade themfelves and others, that without ic there can be no order, no unity, no peace, but rebellion and confufion: _ And fothey cry up Obedience Obedience that their Idol wills may be bowed to by all without controul; And when they are meer Ufurpers, and ule no Power given them by God, they yet get the advantage of making all odious that obey them not inthe leaft and greateft maxters, by chenames of {chifm,. unruline> or {uch like. Q fay the Papal Ufurpers, (The (Church - mujt be obeyed, or there will be no order: Difobedience in {mall matters #6 no {mall fin) when they have {et up anIdo} power again _Chrift; asif todifobey bim, whofe Laws they make void by
their Traditions and Ufurpations, were a leffer faule. . And when they have departed as far from the Chriftian fimplicity, in Dottrine, Government and Wor{hip, as their volumineus Councilsand Decretals, and Miflals ditfer from the ancient dimple Chriftianity, andhave made as many {nares and engines to divide and tear the Church of Chrift as there are noxts ows (that I fay not Needle/S) Laws, Canons, and Decrees impofed as neceflary to peace and concord, then no mens mouths are more opened againg {chi/m, when they have unavoidably caufed it, yea are the greateft {chifmaticks; And no | | men
The Preface. men call fo loud for Unity and Concord, as they that have firft made it a thing impoffible. ) 2.
Let none think that 1 am fpeaking againft any true Church-Government, or faithful Paftors: But | appeal to the Con{ciences of thefe Papal Tyrants, 1. Whether it would mot. be far eafier for Chriftians to Agree, in A FEW, PLAIN and NECESS 4RYP things, of Chrifts own dnfticution, than in a multitude of bumane decrees and articles, compofed in words niore lyable to Controverfie? Will nor more fubfcribe- to the Creed, than to all the Councils? — a. Have they not room enough to fhew cheir Power, and work enough to do, in feeing to the:execution of (hrifts own Linverfal Laws, and preferving meer: Order and Decency in undetermained circumftances, that all may be done to edification? 3. Doth not every needlefs Oath and Subfcription by which they would tye men fafter to themfelves in controvertible cafes, plainly tendto undermine themfelves, and Keep up ftill a confcientious party againft them? Fox while men have nothing to do but live quietly under a Government, they will be glad of peace: But when they are put to Swbfcribe, Declare, Covenant and Swear chat all this is good or lawful, or that they will never be again ic,
4x fets men unavoidably on the deepeft ftudies of the cafe,
and fo allthe people are fet ontrying and judging of thar, which elfe they. would never have meddled with: For what honeft man will fay, fwear or promife he knoweth not what 2 Evenas {ome crafty Rebels would undermine Princes, by drawing them to put the controverted parts of their Prerogative into the Subjeéts Oaths, that fo they may make all the people Students and Judges of the caufe, and unavoidably. make factions and diflenters, that elfe would have lived quietly if they might: fo do the Papal Clergie ruine themfelves by -fuch over-doing impofitions. | I remember Lampridius tells us that Alexander Severus (that great enemy of injuftice ) was fo fevere, that he would have made a Law to regulate mens Apparel: But Wlpian changed his mind by telling him, that Mas ny Laws caufe Dicvifions, and make occafions of difobe-
- dience.
They cry out, There will be no order if Minifters and people be left to their own difcretion in fuch and fuch citcumftanuials; But do they dream of Perfeé Concord on earth? and thae | | men
The Preface. men of fuch various Interefts,” tempers, educations, converfe and degrees of knowledge fhould not differ in a word, or gefture? Our Englifh Rulers make no Laws, what Geture fhall be ufed in finging Pfalms, or in Hearing Sermons, and there is no division or great dilorder in them: But if on pretence of nearer Concord, tlicy fhould tye all to one Geftute, this or that, we fhould prefencly find it an engine of divifion. And O how many fuch Engines have the Papal Clergie made and ufed long! and to what purpofe? To filence faithful Minifters, to tormentc faitliful Chriftians in the Inquifitions, to brand the beft men with
the’ names of Hereticks and Schifmaticks, to gratifie all
profanenefs and malignity, to quench brotherly love, and totearthe Church into pieces ; Andno experience will make © them wifer, | |
IL And the DOGMATISTS alfo have done theit part, by departing from the Simplicity of the (hriflian Do- étrine, to fet the. Chriftian world together by the ears.
Of which Hilary hath written fharply againft the Making
of new Creeds, not {paring to tell them that even the Nicene Fathers, led others the way: And Hierome wonders that they that were for the word hypoftafis queftioned his Faith, as if he thac had been Baptized had been without a Faith or (reed which all at Baptifm do. profefs. But this will not ferve turn to:thefe Corrupters. Councils, Doétors and Schoolmen have been led by the temptation of more /ubtleknowledge, to be Wife and Orthodox over-much, till the Churches Faith is as large as all the Decrees of General Councils de fide at the leaft, and the Churches Laws a great deal larger! And what abundance of dubious (onfe/sions, Dee clarations or Decrees are now to be {ubfcribed or believed and juftified, before'a man can have his Baptifmal birthright, eventhe Love, peace and Church-Communion bequeathed to him as a Chriftian by Chrift!
And now controverfal writings fill our Libraries by Cart-loads : And a Ufe of (onfutation is a great part of moft Sermons among the Papi/ts, Lutherans and many others; And men are bred up in the Univerficies to 2 Militant ftriving kind of lite, that their work may be to make lain Chriftians feem unlearned dolts, and et feem odious or {ufpected men, and themfelves to be the wife and Orthodox perfons, and triumphant over all che erroneous, that were it not for thefe Contenders would deftroy the
| Lhe Preface.
And {o Minifters are armed againft Minifters, Churches againft Churches, Chriftians.again{t Chriftians, yea Princes again{t Princes, and Countreys again{t Countreys, by wrangling contentious Clergie men. And.(.Q whatan injury is it!) Young Scudents are almoft necefficaced.co, wafte much of their lives ( which fhould be f{pent:in preparing chem to promote faith, holinefs and Love) in reading over myplsi-, tudes of. thefe wrangling writers, to know which of them is in the right: And moft readers catch the difeafe hereby themifelves, And thofe few that ar.great coft and labour come to the bottom of the differences da perceive, that the Proyd Opiniators have ftriven partly about amrevealed ar unneceffary things, but chiefly sna esac ee words and arbitrary bumane notions;. and multitudes condemn and revile each other, while they mean the fame things, | and do not know it. One writeth a Learned Book againft fuch a party, and another confutech {uch. an Adverfary (efpecially about Predeftination, Redemption, Free-will, Humane Power, Grace, Merit, Juftification, Parden, Imputation, esc.) and then many read and ee all as excellently done; (Alas, for the low eftare.of the Clergie that while!) when atruly difeetning men perceiveth that it is but a ftriving about. unexplained words, forthe moft part: And thus being Orverswife in pretences of Zeal for Truth, andwuidey-wife in underfanding it, and departing fram (briftian fonplicity of dottrine, and even deriding the Chriftian Creed, hath:
made even fome honeft men become ditiding Eagmeers, ‘and
their Articles, and Controverfies the Churches calamity.
Il. And what Praétical mif guided zeal about wor{hip hath done, almoft.all Sects, Novatians, Anabaptifts, in Germany and here, and the various fortof Churches that refufe Communion with one another, andthat condemn, or caft.out diffenters from them, and preach andtalk and backbite their brethren into the odium or diftafte of their feduced auditors, the bitter invectives in Pulpit, talk and prefs of the feveral Paftors and people againit each other (and worfe than words where they have power:) all thefe {peak fo loud, as may {pare me the Jabour of any further iioieey; and callsusall to make it. the matter of our lamentation. |
And what fhall [fay in the conclufion, now I am near to my departure from this contentious world? but found a Re-
~ treatto all thefe unhappy militants, that will not lec Holinefsprofper by theneceffary advancage of Peace.Ceafe your Proud a contendings,
The Preface.
contendings, O vain-glorious Milicant Clergie! Learn of the Prince of peace and the holy Angels that preached him, to give Glory to God in the highe/t, who giveth Peace on Earth, and well-pleafedne/s in (or towards ) men. Did Chrift or his Apoftles make fuch work for Chriftians as you do? The great Shepherd of the flock will take your pretences of ORDER, ORTHODOXNESS (or Truth ) and PIETY, for no excufe, for your corrupting ORDER, FAITH and PRACTICE by your IYRANNY, SELF-CONCE&ITEDNESS and blind ZEAL and SUPBRSTITION; and fot ufing his name againfthim- ‘felf, to the deftroying of that Love, and Concord and Unity which he hath bequeathed to his Church; and for ferving his enemy, and dividing his people,and hardning Infidels and - ungodly ones by thefe {candals. Return to the primitive. fimplicity, that we may return to unity, Love and peace. Dream not of them upon your own corrupting terms. And read — and read over again and again Jam. 3. which doth defcribe you, condemn you, and inftruét you. 7 _. + Tf you fay, Phyficion heal thy felf: Who hath wrote more of Controverfies? 1 anfwer, perufe what I have written, and you will fee, it is of Controverfies, but againft Controverfies, tending to End and-reconcile. If any ching be otherwyife ( except neceflary defence of certain neceflary faith orduty ) I retract it, and condemnit: Leticbe as not written. [have meddled much with Controverfies in this Book: but it is to end them. The God of Peace giveWifdom and peaceable principles, minds and hearts to his fervants, that (though I fhall not live to fee it) true Love and Piety may revive in the Chriftian.world, by the endeavours of a healing Miiftry, and the fhaming, reftraint and reformation of the CON [TE NTIOUS CLARGIB, whether TYRANNICAL, DOGMATL CAL, or SUPERSTITIOUS. Amen.
Fan. 25.
Iv. The REMEDIES.
OF DIVISIONS and CONTENTIONS athong Chriftians, Confidei
'(I. PERSONS: _ Ar. A Contentious Clergie. ul. di
2.Men:<2. Unwife and wicked Rulers inftigated by them.
3. The deceived people that follow them. 8 :
1. Selfifhnefs in Carnal hypocrites, who prefer. worldly iritereft.
I. Remotely 92: Slabhinet in Students, in feeking truth.
| 3. Haftinefs in Judging, before digefted conceptions and proof.
II. Near- 32: Koo and felf-acquaintance: Pride.
II. QUALI-
TIES, viz. ly: Wante 2. Knowledge: Ignorance and Error.
of 3. Love toothers: Envy, Malice and Bitternefs. IIT. Inftru- 1.In General: Corrupt departing trom Chriftian Simpliciry. , sae pee. 1. From Simplicity of Doétrine, by DOGMATISTS Words & Notions ¢ ; i 2 Pail g. From Simplicity of Practice; by SUPERSTITIOUS additions. ngines, 3. From Simplicity of Difcipline by CHURCH-TYRANNY.
DISCORD, [ 1.In JUDGMENT of things neceffary, ) -Privativesby denying
I..The EFFICIENT,
bard _\. due Communion. II. CONSTI- oe 1.By Contention.
Vile
2. Malice.
\{ viz. on Church-2 2. Worfhip, Prayer, Sacraments,corrupting them by faction, partiality and wrath. 3. Difcipline, corrupting it into Secular or factious Tyranny, or a dead Image.
= 1. Themfelves, C1. The Gusit and Deceit of falfe Religious zeal. = 2. Their da The Death of true Holinefs and Heavenly Converfation. es lowers: 3. The Death of Love, and Life of Wrath and injuries. _ a Rul 1. Corrupting them by factious clamours againft their Subjects. = ae ao Tempting them unto perfecuting Laws and Executions. be: "Cy. Particu- | 7°* 3. Engaging them in bloody Wars abroad. , ea) lar, 4. The private (1+ By centures, flanders,backbitings,making them hated, e Inno- (7° sefics 3 2. Denying them due Love, Communion and help. | cent, )P?C€4. Perfecution, filencing, and other mifchiefs. fs tm, pein Ct Weakning and grieving them by the Subjects difcords. e+ 1I TI. On Inju- 7. 32 Difhonouring them by defaming Excommunications. PER- ries to. ? 3. Urging them to be the Clergies Liftors or Executioners, } SONS, g. Enemies and Strangers, fcandalizing and hardning them in Infidelity & fin. L
I. Chur- )2. bike ual pied difcord and divifion.
ches: 3. Shaming them before the World. |
4.Making them lefs fit for Gods Love and Communion.
Il. Kingdoms: Weakning them, difhonouring them, and drawing thein into the
Guilt of Feuds, Warsand Perfecutions. |
1. Chrift the Prince of Peace, and the Churches Head and Center.
1. Perfons 2. Wife Princes, who underftand the Intereft of 1.Chrift, 2.Their people, 3. Themfelvesj
74 3. Able, Wife, Holy and Peaceable Paftors. | |
4. The Mature, Experienced, Mellow, Peaceable fort of the people.
' €1. Diligent Study under wife Teachers. (1. Humility.
IT. Qualities, 32 Sincere Holinefs: A dying life: ° z. Knowledge.
3. Deliberate Judging upon tryal. 3. Love, to others as our felves:
1: In Doctrine : The antient Creed, ccs
1. Returning to Chriftian Simplicity <2. In Worfhip. :
III. Means 3. In Difcipline.
>) 2. Magiftrates forcing the Clergie to keep the peace, and forbear ftrife.
3. Subjects obedience in all lawful things required by Authority. 7
Vix 1. Corrupting them in Do@trine,Worfhip and Order.
IF .Societiess .
and practice, in things Neceffary, in Communion and mutual help: And mutual loving forbearance in Infirmities and things unneceffary, edified in Love. | I. GLORY S?" Inthe Hallowing of his Name, and Honoor of Religion.
of Cure.
2. Inthe increafe of his Kingdom, and Converfion of the World.
to God, 3. Inthe Doing of his Will on Earth, as it is done in Heaven. VI. The EF- U.P 1. Increafe of Holinefs, Heavenlinefs and Love. | FECTS hereof. E a ae Delight herein; The Joy of Health and Concord. it 3. The Churches Strength and Glory. :
III. Gods WELLPLEAS- ¢ His Church will be meet for his Love, Delight and eae EDNESS in MEN; munion, aod be liker to Heaven, and enjoy 1#s foretaltese
Nature ; Relations : Knowledge E C R E KE Ss
GOD:
AND OF
FREEWILL
AND
PROVIDENCE,
As the ew thereof. —
Such felected Verities as are needful to reconcile the common Differences about Predeftination, Providence, Grace and Free-will, between the Synodifis and Arminians, Calvinifts ‘and Lutherans, Domini Cans and Fefuits, &c.
By RICHARD i aeus.
LONDON, Printed by Robert White, for Nevill Simmons at the Princes Arms in S* Pauls Church: = MDC LXXV- |
-——_- et ete bmg see. mem Sees Sk woe >, mn, ae apes 2 wawavesttoes) Wee St. Og . - ee ree eeeee . eee z . 4 = eno em = ° e . \ vl : oy 1 : é 4 ; be eure ‘ ‘ ‘ ~~. nm t i, ‘ - e. oe ad . ae ihe ‘ ‘ . ~ ° % ! a . é. f.. My me’ -¢@ - . ° ‘ d t ad 3
rows
: t ote ’ . : ~~ at* ’ ae a o-y ee. = “he we At 9g &, . Sant Py = bw rg a; o sac se ‘ nia: ‘ : a es ‘ cs a a a cd a s “ a bat. 5 ‘ ‘ * 4, e apie: yr “aap P ay -. 1 bh d —
Y ~~ ’ oe: ® wo ~9d - . t o é ‘ Be t, me a ' "9 ‘ . ‘ ' ee ° ‘ > b| : . : : aN. - id be: : ?. sy ‘ ry. > sed oe? , ' . ri ee - é i ° oo. o4w ‘ ‘ ee a. * a* as te 4 . a j
bor we. img? age
anemm-
~~ wer care
a
7 ee Pe eh 2. : ead HAT Knowledge of God is here to be ex: L —opetted, Fee Pag. r, S Seta. Of mans Soul as the Glafsior. Image in which God muft be eer, p. 3. mn Seah. 3. The f nbhor inadequate Concepti- | ons which together make up the moft exatt and orderly Knowledge of God .
v | | p. 4. Sedt.4. The Relations and Denominasions of Gods Active Power, Knowledge and Will, as to the Creatures,
: Pp. 6, Se&. 5: Of Futurity, and the pretended Eternal Canfes of it, and Gods’
Knvledge a tt, p. 8. Set: 6. Of the Co-exiftence of the Creatare with Godin Eternity, and: of Gods Knowledge of them as exiftent, ‘ p. 13.
Seét..7. Of the prefwmptions and uncertainties of many Scholaftichk Di- - {putes about Gods Knowledge, which fbowtd moderate - our cenfares of
Diffenters in fuch matters, and check our finful curiofity, =. 15. Sect. 8. Adore of Gods knowing things future, and of Permiffion of fing Pe 24s Seé&t.9. Of Predetermination, Univerfal Caufation, Humane Power, and the Nature of Liberty of will: Diftinguifbed in aTable, - p.27. Sect. 10, Of Natural and Moral Power and Impotency: Their difference, P- 36.
Set. 11. More of the-fame; and whether God bind man to Impufibili-- ties? p. 396 Sea&.12. Of Scientia Media, 42.
Se&.13. Of the will and Decrees of God in general, Their fimpliciey and diver (ity, jennie priority and pofteriortty. Of Negations, of Nolitiops usaVolitins: 7 Negatives, &c. | Pp. 456
Sef 14g: Several diftinitions of Gods will explained, 1. Pofitive atts, and non-agency. 2. Pofitive and Negative as to the objet. 3. Pofitive and rae Volitions and Nolitions. 4. Immanent and Tran-. fient. 5. Efficiently Tranfient and Objectively Tranfient. 6.Natural andFree. 7. Efficient and Permifive. 8. Beneplaciti & fignide eventu & de debito, Decretive and Legiflative. where the true nature of
Laws
The Contents.
Laws ts opened. 10. Abfolute andCondstional, 31. Effettual and uneffectual. 12, Antecedent and Confequent, Pp. 49. Sect, 15. whether Gods Decrees muft be fatd to be diverfified and prowed, according to the order of Intention, or Execution, whether God do intendere finem? andwhat ts bis End, The Order and Objects opened,
Seft. 16. what Election and Reprobation ave? The order of the ace called Reprobation, and of the Objetts: Of Negations of Decree, p.66, An Additional Explication.of Divine Nolitions, ~~" ~~~ —'p. 76, Se. 17. whether God will. Decree or Canfe Sin, Five Acts of God tn and about Sin, What Sints. Many wayes Godcan cane the fame thing that the finner cau[eth, and [0 fulfil bis Decrees, without willing or Caufing the Sin. Objections anfwered, God freely ( not idlely or impotently ) reffraineth his own pofible operations, :fometimes that he do not {uch or fuch an ack at all, and fometime that he do but fo much towards it, and no more. wWhetherGod be ever Caula partialis? p. 84. Set. 18. A Confutation of Dr. Twifles Digreff. 5. li. 2. [email protected]. Vindic.
— Gratize, where be afferteth that God willeth the exifience of Sin, and that fins ave’ a4 medium {ua natura fumme & unice conducibile to the
Glorification of his Mercy and Fuftice, 92.
Sect. 19. The fame Doctrine in Rutherford de Providentia confuted, a _ ther things be good, becaufe God willeth them, or willed: by him becaue good? refolved, whether there were eternal rationes boni & muli.
- Dr. Field vindicated, 3 p. 106, Se&t. 20. The old Doétrine of Auguftine, Profper and Fulgentius, rhought by fome Fefuits too rigid, but indeed Conciltatory, (for abfolute Eleition te Faithy and fo to Salvation, and for mo.reprobating Decree, but only of Punifbment for Sin forefeen, but not decreed.) Profper ad Cap. Gall, Sentent. tranflated, | p. 115. Se&. 21. The fumm of Profpers Anfwer to Vincent, 16. Obje&. p.118. Set. 22. Fulgentius words to the fame fenfe, ° p. 19%. Sect, 23. The healing Doctrine and Conceffions of many called Calvinitts, of the Synod of Dort, Pet. Molinzus, cc. ~124.
fide, efpecially Bellarmines at large, and others, Pp. 827.
ERRATA.
to ftudy thefe Texts of Scripture ;
pe A TT H.28.19,20. Go, Teach all Nations, Baptiz- & ing them into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, Gy and of the Holy Ghoft, Teaching them to obferve all
11.26, The Di {ciples were called Chriftians, 1 Cor.15. 1,2, 3; 4. J declare to you the Gofpel
which 1 f yeas to you, which alfo you bave received, and wherein ye ftand,’
by which alfo ye are faved, of ye keepin memory what I preached to yon, unlefs ye have believed in.vatn—_—That Chrift dyed for our fins,——. and that he was buryed, and that he rofe again the third da 2 Tim.1.13. Hold faft the FORM f found words, which thos haft beard of me,in FAITH and LOVE which 1s in Chrift Fefus. 1 John 4. 15. whofoever foall confe[s that Fefus is the Son of Gody God awelleth. in him, and he in God. |
Rom.10.9, 10. Jf thow confels with thy miouth the Lord Fefus, and be-'
lieve in thy Heart that God hath raifed bim from the dead, thou fbalt be faved: For with the Heart man believeth unto Righteou[ne(s, and with the
— Mouth confelfion is made to falvation.
— AGS8. 37. If thou believeft with all thy heart thon maifi ( be baptized)
And he faid—-——T believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God: -
‘Rom, 14,1.17, 18,19. Him that is weak inthe Faith receive, bat mot to doubtful difputations_—_——For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but Righteou[ne[s, Peace and Foy in the Holy Ghoft: For he that in thefe things \erveth Chrift, i acceptable to God; and approved of men: Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things whererith one may edifie another, Rom.15.5,6, 7. Now the God of pattence and confolation grant ap to be like minded one towards another (or; mind the fame thing one with another) according toChrift Fefus, That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God—wherefore Receive ye one enother as Chrift alfo received us, to the glory of God,
1 Tim. 1. 3,4, 5. Charge fome that they teach NO OTHER doétrine, nor give heed to fables and endle{s Genealogies, which miniffer Queftions, rather than godly edifying, which is in faith : Now the End of the Com-. mandment is Charity, cut of a pure heart and of a giod confcience, and of faith unfeigned: From which fome having [werved, have turned afide to Vale janglings. | | a
he things whatfoever 1 have commanded you, Mar.16.16¢ p He that believeth andi Baptized {ball be faved. A&s. |
“Bg nat en Church. Te.
1 Tim, 6.34555 6-Jf any man teach OTHERWISE, and confent not to whollome words, the words of our Lord Fefus Chrift, and to the doctrine which is according to Godlinefs, he s PROUD; KNOWING NOTHING j; but DOTING about Que ftions, and STRIFES of WORDS, whereof coincth envy, ferife, railings, evil furmifings, perverfe difputings of men of corrupt
minds, and deftitute of the truth, {uppofing that gain ts godlinefs,( or thinking that godline[s is advantage ;) from {uch turn away, |
2 Tim. 2. 22,23,24. Follow righteoufnefs, fai:h, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart: But feoli(b andunlearned Queftions avoid, knowing that they do gender ftrifes: and the fervant of the Lord muft not firive. V.15,16,17. Study to fhew thy felf approved unto God, a workman that needcth not be albamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the word of truth: But foun profane and vain bablings: for ticy will increafe to more ungodline(s, and thetr word will eat as dsth acanker.
2 Tim.2. 14. Charging them before the Lord, that they STRIVE not about WORDS, to no profit, to the fubverting of the hearers.
1Cor.8.2,3. Jf aay man think that be knowcth any thing , he knoweth nothing as he ought to know: Bat if any maw LOVE GOD, the fame ts KNOWN. OF HIM. |
Jam. 3. 1,13, &c. Aly Brethren, Be not Many Mafters, knowing that we {hall receive the greater condemnation—_who is a wile man, and indued with knowledge among you? Let him fbew out of a good convcr{ation his WORKS with meekne{s of wifdom, But if ye have bitter zeal(or envying) and ftrifein your hearts, Glory not, and Lye not azainft the truth, This WISDOM defiendeth not from above, but is earthly, fenfual, devil:{b: For where envying and ftrife ts, there is coafufion andevery evil work: But the wifdom from above is firfe pure, then peaceable, gentle, eafie to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hrpocrifie: And the fruit of Rightcoufne/s is fownin Peace of them that make Peace. es = a Acts15.28. it feemed good to the Holy Ghoft and tous * to lay upon yc no greater éuraen than tacfe neceffary things | - Philippians 3:15,16,17. Let #5 as many as be perfect be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwife (or diverfly, or contrarily) minded, God {bali reveal even this unto you. Neverthelefs whereto we hive. already attained let us walk by the fame rule, lect us mind the fame thine. , | te: oe os
Philippians 2:1 > 25354: Uf there be any confolation inChrift, if any comfort of lve, if any follew{bip of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercics, fulfil ye ny joy that ye be like minded, having the fame Love, being of one accord, of one mind; Let nothing be done throtgh firife, or vain glorys but in lowline(s of mind, let eaci efteem other tctter than ihemfclves: Look not every man on his own things, but every man alfo onthe things of ethers 3 Let this nend. be ta you, which was. alfo ta Chrift Fefus thi——— made binmfelf of no reputation. . .. BS ads
t Corel. 10, 11,12, 13,14. Now Lhefeech you brethren by the name of ény Lord Jefus Chrift that ye {peak the fame thiag, and that there be no diwifiois among yous but that ye be perfectly joyncd together iz the fame milad, and im the fame jadgement.:.For mt bath been declared to ne of
you brethven——__—that - there are. cpntentions among you— that every ore of you faith, I aw df Paul, and J of Apollos, and 7 of Cephas, and J of Chrift: 18 Chrift divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were jou baptized into the name of Paul? \ J thank God, that I baptized ncne of you, XC ce Me
ees Cor,
hn rai. ial aa cali 2
1 Cor, 3.1, 25 354. J could not [peak to you as uato [pirttual , bit As
unto carnal, as tobabes ta Chrift ——For whereas there is among yop.
CBVILBL, and firife, and atvifiins, are ye wot carnal and walk as inen?; See Eph. 4. 1,6. alter, 7 os
John 17:26, 21, 22,23. J pray mt ——-that they all may be one, as thou Father artin me, and LimThee, that they alfo may be One in us, that the world may beligue that thors.
haft fent me. Aad the glory which thou gaueft mel have gtuen them,
that they may be one, even aswe are one: Lin them, and:thon in mey. that they may be made perfett in one, and that the world, may know that thos haft fent me, and haft loved them as thou haft loved me.,- — Pe Matth, 5.9. Bleffed are the Peace-makers, for they [hall be called the. children of God. ee ek git oe, Bee Rom.12.18. Jf it be poftble, as much ag tn you lyeth, live peaceably with all men. on er ae i are 2 Cor. 12.20,21., J fear lef? when I come J [ball not find you {uch as I woisld ——left there be debates, envyings, wraths, i hae back. bitings, whifperings fwellings, tumults—-— Left God will humble me among you, and I {ball bewail many, &. *. - ee - Galatians 5:19, 20. The works of the fielb are, manifeft—hatrea, variance, emulations, wrath, ftrife, feditions, herefies, envyings 7 1 Cor, 14.33. Godis not the Author of Confufion, but of Peace, as in all Churches of the Saipts, °° a. | Acts 20:30. Of your own [elves fball men arife, peaking perver(e thinzs to draw away dtfciples 5 id them. °° ee ee — Phil 1. 15,16, Some indeed preach Chrift even of exvy and ftrife; and fome alfo of god will: The one preach Chrift of contention, not fincorel _- we ee | | Rom, 16.17, 18. Now I befeech you brethren, Mark them which caufe divifions and offences contrary to the dotirine which you have learned, and avoid them: For they that are fuch, ferve not our Lord Fefus Chrift, but their own bellies: and by good words and fair [pceches, deceive the hearts of the fimples,. a Se oe Luke 9:55. Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of —-— The Angelical Gofpel of the Ends of Chrifts Incarnation, Luke 2:19. GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST: ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TO MEN:( or WELL-PLEASEDNESS IN MEN, ) | John 20, 26. Peace be unto you, Grace, Mercy and Peace, with all that ave in Chrift— ana Love—— Galatians 6:16. Eph,6.23. 1 Pet, 1.2. &§.14. 2Pet.t.2. 1 Thefi5.13. , 000 2 Cor. 13, 116 Finally, brethren, farewell ¢ be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind: Live in Peace; and the God of Love and Peace fball be with you. Amen, : oe, ae
x. Affert. T ‘He BAPTISMAL’COVENANT expounded 3 iB. in the: antient CREED. is she fmm and Symbol of Chriftianity, by which Believers were to be: diftibguifhed from unbelievers, and the outward Pro “fi on of it was mens Title to Church-communion, and the Heart.corfent was their Litke-condition of Pardon’ and Salvation, Andto thefe ends itwas made, by. Chrift himfelf, azatth, 28. 19520, Mark 1K 16... ie oes et | ve ae Gee
_fur them which foal ee oi
2. All chat were baptized did profefs to Believe in God the Father,
~ Son and Holy Ghoft, and devoted themfelves to him, with profeffion of
Repentance for former fins, andrenouncing the Lufts of the Flefh, the World and the Devil, profeffing to begin a new and holy life, in hope of everlafting glory.
3. This form of Baptifmal Covenanting and Profeffion begun with Chriftianity (and called our Chriftening, or making us Chriftians ) hath been propagated and delivered down to us to this day, 7 a full and certain tradition and teftimony and lefs alterations than the holy Scriptures.
4. The Apoftles were never fuch formalifts and friends to ignorance and hypocrifie, as to encourage the baptized to take up with the faying ( I believe in the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft'} without teaching them to underftand what they faid. Therefore undoubtedly they expounded thofe chree Articles: And that expofition could be no other in fenfe than the Creed is. And when Pau reciteth the Articles of Chrift, 1 Cor.15. and mentioneth the Form of found words, we may be fure that they all gave the people one unchanged expofition as to the fenfe: Chriftianity was one unchanged thing. .
§. Though ] am not of their mind, that think the twelve Apoftles each one made an Article of the Creed, or that they formed and tyedmen to juft the very fame fyllables, and every word that is now in the Crecd 5 yet that they ftill kept to the fame fenfe, and words fo expréflingit, asby their variation might not endanger the cosrupting of the faith by a new fene, is certain from the nature of the cafe, and from the Agreement of all the. antient Creeds, which were ever profeffed ac baptifm, from their dayes; that cited by me ( Append. to the Reformed Pajffor) out of Zrenaus, two out of Tertulian, that of AfarceHus in Epiphanius, that expounded by Cyril, that in Raffinws, the Nicene, and all mentioned by Ufber aind Voffius agreeing thus far in fenfe,; Andno one wasbaptized without the Creed profeffed. | |
6. As Chrift himfelf was the Author of the Baptifmal Creed and Covenant, fo the Apoftles were che Authors of thac Expofition which they
_ then ufed and taught the Church to ufe: And they did that by che Holy
Ghoft as much as their inditing of the Scripture,
7. Therefore the Church had. a Summary and Symbol! of Chriftianiry (asI faid before ) about twelve years before any Book of the New Teltament was Written, and abont fixty fix years before the whole was written: And this of Gods own making: which wasever agreed on, when miany Books of the New Teftament were not yet agreed on, | |
8. Therefore men were then to prove the truth of the Chriftian Religion, by its proper Evidences and Miracle8, long before they were to prove that every word { or any Book ) of the New Tcftamient was the infallible perfect Word of God. ae
9. Therefore we muft ftill follow the fame Method, andtake Chrifts Miracles to be primarily the proof of che Chriftian Religion, long before the New Teftament Books were written. a
1c. Therefore if a man fhould be tempted to doubt.of the certainty of this or that Book, words or reading, it followeth not chat he muft thercfore doubr of the Chriftian Faich.
11. Athoufand Texts of Scripture may be not known and underftood, by one that is Juftified: burt all the Baptifmal Articles and Covenant muft
_ be underftood competently by all that will be faved.
12. Thole charch-Tyrants, Dogmatifts or fuperftitions ones, who deny
to its proper ule, (to be the Symbol of fuch asin Love and Communica we
are to take for Chriffians)) do iubvert the fumm of Chrifts Gotpel and
Law, and do worfe than chey that add to, or alter the lefler parts of the
Word of God,
13. Therefore our further Addsttonal Confeffions mutt be only to ether
fubordinate ends, As 1.To fatisfie other Churches that doubt of our right
' anderflanding the faith: 2. To be an enumeration of Verities which
Preachers fhall not have leave to preach ayainfé (though they fubfcribe
14. Objet. Hereticks may profe[s the Baptif{mal Creed, Anfw.1. And
Hereticks may profefs any words that you can impofe on them, taking them
in their own fenfe. All the Councils are not large enough to kecp out
fub{cribing Hereticks. We muft not make new Symbols, Rules and Laws
as ofcas Knaves will falfly profefs, or break the old ones: there being none
that may not be falfly profefled and violated. 2. Many fubfcribe to the
whole Scriptures, that yet are Hereticks. 3. Church Governeurs are for
this, to caft out thofe or punifh them, who preach, teach and live contrary
to the certain and fufficient Rule which they profefs. Judicatures are not
to make new Laws, but to punifh men for breaking Laws. A heart-Hevetick-only is no Heretick in foro Ecclefie, He that teacheth Herefie mutt
be proved fo todo, and judged upon proof: which may be done withoue
new additional Symbols, Rules or Laws of faith. So chat all this contradicts not the fufficiency of the Baptifmal Creed as the Symbol of Chriftian Love, Communion and Concord. I thought meet to add, this more
' fully to what I faid in the Epiftle, to convince men of the true terms of
Union, and of the heinous fin of all che forts of Adding and Corrupting
everdoers, that divide us, gS |
THE:
oon
a
. ¢ ‘ . Lan. ni a as Ss: Pal oe ET ’ yao Nea al SEN See awe ~As - eS: ' - BN arts: ahi H i ae; =: vee st oN s. RE DP eee: } Vox ad os 800, =, a yee yee ‘ cre a ma Stas z: cone Te cent ved oer he ' @e. pie as a Bho Cepek a ae = ~ Ph een ce eae; : : = ae i 4 i ~ =_-- = e 4
S E C T. I. | zn | ° Of owr Knowledge of God, 8 here attainable.
MXR Hough it be about the Knowledge, Will and Decrees of. | God, that our Controverfies are agitated, yet bécaufe the confequent Verities are fcarce ever well underftood, without the underftanding of the Ancecedents,out of which the Con‘equents arife, and without che juftt order, place and re{pect which the later have unto the - former, and unlefs things be underftood in their true Method, Iwill cherefore expofe my felf to the obloquy. of thofe, who will call it Over-doing, fo far as to premife fomewhat of the Deity it felf ¢ Butnoc what is neceflary to the full explication of the Divine Attributes ( as we are capable) as muft be in a Method of Theologie ( which Ihave atgempted elfewhere), but only fo much as lyeth — our Controverted Subje@ : And when I have done that, I thall leave + jon 1, 9, the reft, ; Bas Bradward. le teb. 16 fe Thef. 1. To Know the only true God and Jefus Chrift whom he hath Rogie Pine o fent, is Life Ecernal. * . 7 a God, and the firft coms 3. Tot know GO D is to know his Being, Nature, and Relations: For Plex fimply is of God, though thofe Relations that are to Man be not effential to his Divise Na- pedi ag pe hl ture, yet are they effentially contained in the fignification of the name éagztum. : BO CGOD] ¢ Exodus 20,
2. Of the N ature, Knowledge, Will
[GOD] ashe is the object of our Faith, and Relvgion. For to be OUR GOD doth fpeak his Relations tous, as well asnis Nature 3 As thename KING and FATHER doth among men, |
3. Weneither have, norcan have here in flefh any one proper forimal
Conception of the Divine Nature, that is formally fuiced cto the truth in the object: But only Metaphorical or Anatogical Conceptions; borrowed from things better known. a, | |
4. Yet nothing beyond fenfe (at leat) is focertainly knownasG OD, fo far aswe can reach, though nothing be /efs perfect/y or more defectively known, or lefs poets ee Even as we know nothing Vifible more certainly than the Sus,and yet comprehend nothing Vifible Icis,
5. Itis not true which many great Metaphyficians aflert, that the
— Quiddity of God istotally unknown tous: For then it could not be /ife eternal to know him; “nor would a meer Negative knowledge caufe in us a fufficient Pofitive Love, or Foy Or Traft, crc. Butto know that we cannot know bim, would but inferr that we cannot Love him: For we Love not an unknown Good.
6. Nor is ic true that Pet. Hurtado de Mendoza ( in fine D:/put. ) and fome others fay, that the Notions of Zéfe and Zatellec? are all thatwe have of the Quiddity of God, and that the Divine will is not a Quidditative notion. at” site we |
ee eta God is here feenin the G/aff of his works, with the Revelation of feé& works can noti. “25 Word and Spirit. And from thefe works we muaft borrow our conethe perfe&tGod: And Ceptions, * ~ ) : | the &choolmen manageit_ = 8. ‘Therefore though the Thing intended when we {peak of God, be as an infuperable difficul- er ae Sn - ; ; ty, whether God could tranfcendently and only it Him, andnot in the Creature, yet the firft w/e. bave made the world or of the words is tofignifie fomething inthe Creature, And therefore the in? pets eh Creature is the famofius analogatum, thcugh Nothing to God. me for making that cafe, 9, In the ufe of thefe notions we muft {till profets that weapply them which they make inca to God no farther than-to fignifie his perfeétions: And all words mutt be nefs is Primitive ( that aS little as may bé ufed of himin ftrict difputes, which imply éperfe- 8, Ged ) or Derivative, ¢fion, when better may be had - But the higheft are to be preferred. which only 1s in Crea- ‘ —_U turcs: This laftisforma- 10. And we mutt ftill profefs, chat we take none of thefe words tobe ty Good, as it is Related formal proper univocal terms, leftthe concealed Metaphor or impropriety ee pats i"? occafion falfe conceptions of God, and unworthy of Him; and alfo temps Rule: Tobe 4 Deo Voli- men to rua them further by falfe inferences. _ | cae oe nt stg. Gods Nature is moft fimple, undivided: And fo muft an adequate fo the world is perfeét, conception Of Him be: But Man can have no fuch conception af Himg andcan, be no beret, but muft know what he can know of this One GOD by many partiat ae it is'as God wil- . ‘ | : é Ieth it i “And yet.Gode De 4equate conceptions. — | ee cag. makg particular = 12, Yetmudt we be very careful that thefe znadequate analogical Conee ceptions be Orderly, ‘and not ag (I willnot fay how commonly ) itis done ther; He can make any by féme, a confpfed beap: For the Mind that fo conce:veth of Him, greatly holy pa ae wn fbi injureth # felf and Him; andthe Tongue and Penthat fo defcriterh Him, 1s no further properly difhonoureth Him: And though the Ignorant 3 for whom Catechifmes are forum, than tt isVolitum written, cannot lay together a full scheme of the Divine Attributes th jut Déo: Therefore God re See pone sce can make the world far Methods yet thofe few which they can underftand and remember,they would otherwife than. ic-.is s as well and better underftand and remember in the true meghed, were they oe dhe Heer taught it, chan inanheap. For A¢ethod is a great help.to underftanding would be bur as Ged and memory, - We wouldnot give a Prince. his Titles fo confufedly, nor Samamtenay aa craw his Picture monftroufly, with the arms where the feet fhould be, and Geodiicls might aker; the feet where the arms, orthe back before, and the face behind, unlefs a the tne torm of we expofed him purpofely to fcorn, -Every man knowcth the difierence GoodnefS would be full ware; 3 1; —e <¢ jutthe fame asnow. DCtWecn a Clock or Warch in order, and the fame in confufed ors ona a ee ee eee” rs Cap 5
and Decrees of God, &e. ob
heap; and between an Army anda Rout,cee. Shall Order be the beauty of the World and every Creaturcin it, and thall we deny it only to the God of Order ¢ I crave the pardon of Divines for intreating them to amend
this in their Dottrine, buc elpecially in their Catechi/ms , yea, in their
Underftandings firft.
SECT. IL
Of mans Soul as the Glafs in which we muft fee cod,
33. Tu principal Glafs in which we mutt fee God, in his Nature;
among all his Creatures here, is the Sow! of man; which is {aid to be made afterthe Jmage of God, And which being oar fe/ves, we
can beft perceive. . ; 14. The Soul of Man beareth Gods /mage in three parts of it, or re-
{pects: 1. In its Watere ic is the Imageof the Divine Natwre: 2.In its
Reéfitude it is the Image of the Divine Holine{s and perfection: 3. In our. Dom¢nion over the inferiour Creatures, and eminently, in Swperiours over. _ Subjec#s, it hath the Image of his Atajeffy and Supereminerice. | 15. I. Wehaveno one adequate Conception of the /Vatare of our ows.
fouls; but muft think of them by partial inadequate Conceptions, And thac by many (not feigned or forced, but) real and neceflary Trinaries in Unity. | _
16. And firft the Three Inadequate Conceptions of its Betmg are the Gemerical, the Differengial, andthe Proper-infeparable Accidental, viz, that .
i: is, * ovcia, Vita, Proprietatibus fuis predita, The firft notion is fwbffantia abftratte a forma concepta: The fecond is the Conmceptus formalss:
‘The third its Accédemts, notacquired, but natural, By LIFE Iunderftand not Relatively only, that itis the Life of the body or Comspofitum ; But effentially asinits nature it is Life it felf, or a Living fubflance formally, as well as the Living Principle in the man, The word [ Spirit]
as commonly ufed by us, comprehendeth all this, but what a Spzrit is, we
know but by thefe partial Conceptions, | |
17. To pals bythe Three Vital Faculties, Vegetative , Senfitive and Intellective, (becaufe I defcribe icbut asthe Speculum Deitatés ). 2. This One Formal Principle; LIF E,s it is mans foul, muft be it felf known
* or. Sujantialitas Gee mevica@ 5 1S leco materje: FEgid.Rom, faith Quodl. I. q- De P- 18. Non eft materia in Angelis: bene tamen cf aliquid loco materie: quia non funt Actus purus, fed babent aliquam potentialitatem. admixtam : unde in lis de Canfis feribitur, uod Intelligentie habeant UAM BANAKHF, lo Co fuums materiale. volant sli qué in Angelis
Matersam ponunt 5 Cum
by us by thele Threesnadequate Conceptions, as making up.the Forms of #7f dicant materiam ils
the foul, 1. Vical Activity (or Power), 2. An Intellect, 3. A Will. + 18, 3.And the EXISTENCE of thefe Formal Principles cannot
juftly be underftood by us, bueinchefe three gradual inadequate or partial
Conceptions, 1. Assn Potentia-aitiva leu Virtute: 2. As in Atta immanente: 3.AS in Attione tranfeunte: (Notas it isin Paffo, but as ic is
Status vel Modus Agent.) |
19. IT, The Aforal or Holy Image of God on the foul, is che Holy
Perfection or Qualification of-thefe Faculties, as they are Jn Virtute by
Holy Difpofitions ; Asin Adtu immanente, by Holy Intrinfick cs and
Habits; And asto Action adextra, by 2 Holy Reftitude : And this Image
cqniifteth in the fouls Holy Vimmacity or Activity, and its Wifdom and Goodmefs, or its Holy Liveline{s, Light and Love, .
20. TEI. The Image of Gods Majefty or Supereminence confifteth in
1. The Sub- propriety which wehave in Inferiour Creatures; 2. The Sabgovernment ; 3. Thatwe arcunder God Their Evd ( and Bencfaétors ),
<
SECT.
lam non effe ejufdem rationss cam materia corporas lium: Solum ergo in vere is videntur -dif-ordare a nobis: Quia & nos ibi aliquod materiale pons mus. (N.B. ) tT See Aureolus in 2. de 9. that in feparated fubftances ( Angels ) there 1s a Motive power befidd the Intellect and Will: with whom Sudrex and
many cthers do agree.
Et hoc forte -
4 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Wil
SECT. IIL
The feveral inadequate Conceptions which in order make np our Knowledse of God, | z
21. PY the Kaowledge of our own 4s we know our Powers and the
Nature of our own fouls ( though imperfectly) 5 And by the
Knowledge of our fowls, we know the xzature of other Jetelle dual Spirits ;
And by the Knowledge of ovr felves and them, and the Scripture expretfions of his Atcributes, we éxomw fo much of God as wecan here know, And
accordingly muft {peak of Him, or be filent: For we bave no higher noti+
ons, than fuch as are thus Analogical , expreffing that which is in God in
an wmconceivable eminency andtras{ceadency, by words which firft fignifie that which is formally in the foul (as isfaid ).
22, And fo we mutt conceive of Godby all thefe following inadequate
Conceptions, confeffing the impropriety, but having no better. I. The
Effence of God, who in Scripture is called in two words. [ An Jwfizite
O Spirit] is necetfarily conceived of by thefe Three Conceptions: 1, Oveley
2. Vita, 3. Perfettio, The two firlt being the /wbfantial Conceptus of
a Spirit, and the. third that which an{wercth to all a ie degrees,
properties and accidents in Creatures, and comprehendetha multitude of
* Itisagrear difpute with Perfective Attributes: which I exprefs in the Abfract, being loth much
= anal Melaaailend to ule Concretes or Adjectives of God. OF thefe asthe firft anfwerezh to
thing but hic tele ana “Matter in Materials, andto the Genss and fabftantia abjtraite fumpta in
wilt: that is, a necefla- Spirits, fo doth the fecond to the Form and Difference ; when yet in God
ry difting conceptus it there is no Compofition, or Matter. |
ag gpa fimple ef 23+ IT. And the FormsalConceptus [| VITA} mutt is felf be confence, ) Devand.i- 438. ceived of in this Threefold rR oar Conception; 1.4% Potentis-Ahus,
ae The. 4. i 2. Intelleéhus, 3.Voluntas, call the firlt Potentia-Aihus, to avoid Cond. 102. ¢ 2. faith, Hec Cretes, and to fignifie, that as God hath no Potentia Pafiva, fo his Poten-
Sentara nenmalig recent” pia- Adtive is not an édle ceffant Power, bucin perpetual perfe@ AQ, and
agatiit it 3 though ” . : apie: Tae ae ). But alone, but both together, are our beft Conception of this firft Principle in
it is partly by mifcon- the Deicy.. And take it for granted, that even in Afans foul, the Potencrivig. ‘the Portia tia-Vitalie Afliva, the Intellef and will, are not as Thomas thought Acciwere only Executive ad Gents, but the formal effence of the foul, as the cr we and Nominals extra, or in the inferior better fay; AndI have largely elfewhere proved, and therefore ftand noe fich frivclous feafos as Dre upon it, Ort ae |
tend alfo toadenyalof 24. III, And the Ex:fence of this Divine Effence, muft be known eager vod cer bah O- by us in this Gradwal Threefold Conception: 1. As in Virtute (vel Potenthat.acknowledge Gods £44) 2./a Attu Immanente, 3.1n Altione Tranfeunte: OF the firft I
Ted Coane cing che ft own moft perfect Effence as Aéfive in +t felf, without extrinfick effeg or
which the word fignif- objeé#, By chethird, I.mean not the Creature or the Divine Aion x¢
eth, though Gods infi- ae: ‘ eee. Z miele eee excellenr) 7ecipitur in paffo, or the effe& : Buc the Divine Effence ic felf in the
fhould on the fame eca- flate of Agency ad extra s which the Schools conclude to be Eternal, fon grant, thar Vitec though the effect be but in Time. Yet if any will call this free, and
Potentia acliva are terms ae an applicable to Ged; Ota weceffary fate of the Divine Effence, I contend not.
For which denominatt- 25. IV. The Effential Immanent Abts of God are Three: I. SJ BE Sa aaa at VIVERE, or tobeEffential Active zifein Himfelf; 2.5E INTE L- Jam fure the language of L/GERE, to know Himfelf; 3.SE AALARE, or tobe Amor isi. re Serie fe and or 26. V. The Trinity of Divine Subfiftences or Perfons alo mutt be here conception. acknowledged, 1.The FATHER; 2.The WORD orSON 5 | 8 3. The
—
nd Deveeif Gel ee
27. Ihave e!fewhere fhewed that many of them, and other Divines, dd take the Three laft named Jasmanent Acts in God, to be the fame with the- Three Perfons ot Subjiftences Eventhe Three Divine Principles ( Poten-: tia-Aitws, Intelletius cy Voluntas) asin Act thus Immanently , -But of. thele great Myfteries elfewhere, All thac I fay hereis, chat feeing the Trinity of Divine Principles ( or formal Effentialities) and the Threefold Aéé, are fo certainly evident to Natural Reafon it felf, chat no underftanding perfon candeny chem, we have no Reafon to think the Trézity of Eternal Subfiftences incredible, anda thing that the Chriftian faith is to be fufpe@ted for, but the quite contrary , though they are myfteries above our reach, (as all of God js, as to a full or formal apprehenfion ). | .
28. Though God have no Rea! Accidents, we are fain to conceive of Him with fome Analogie to Accidents: where, 1. The Univerfal Conception is PERFECTION, which comprehendeth all, . 2, The Dsvine Principles confidered in PERFECTION denominate God;
29. The Attributes of the Divine Perfons are, 1. Diftinguifbing;; viz.
I1.GENERANS, Patrd: 2.GENITUS, Filit: 3. PROC E-~ DENS, Spiritus Saniti, 2.Common to all, fuch as "Ersa@ , ‘Oposa@; "Eommasy Zuvdvaey@-; Is@-, Smatdh@-; are,
30. The particular Attributes, analogical as to Creatures, Comparate, Reiative and Negative, are very many: But yet 4% Order to be conceived of, and not confufedly , which eltewhere I offer tothe Readers view.
31. VI. Gods Canfal Relations to his Creatures, are in Général thofe named by S; Past! , Rom.11.36. OF HIM and THROUGH HIM and TO HIM are all things And heis, t. The firft E-F- FICIENT, 2. The fupream DIRIGENT, 3.The Ultimate FINAL Caufe of all things. — _ | |
32. Gods EFFICIENCY is terminated, 1, On the Things in their Being, 3. In their 44iom and Operation, 1. And-in the firft re{pect, he is the Caufe, 1, Of their Exifting Effence, 2. Of their Order, 3. OF their Goodnefs or Perfeftion: Andfoheis;1.The CREATOR, and Conferver, 2. TheOR DINATOR, 3.The BENEFACTOR of all che world. a
And in the fecond tefpeét; (ds to Adtion ) he is, 1. The Aifor or,
Motor of all things (by his A@tive Power) 2.The Governor of all (according to their feveral Natures) (by his wifdom ) 3. The Perfecter of all
things in their attingency or fruition of cheir proper End , (by his
Goodnefs. )
GENERATER or SANCTIFIERs eminently afcribed diftintly co the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT: From whence flowcth, WATURA, MEDELA,SALUS,or NATURE, REDEEMING GRACE, and RENEWING GRACE (HOLINESS and GLORY) (that is, LOV-E begun here and perfected in Heaven. ) ie uh eat aes _ a
34. VILL. Fron CREATION there refulteth 4 Threefold Motal Righe and Relation of God to Man: 1. Heis our Abfolacee O W NER or LOR D to dsfpofe of us, and Ac? us by his Power. 2. He is our S#- pream RECT OR, Morally to Rele ws as Intellectual free-agents, emihently by his wifdom, 3.Heis out LOY E-R and Ustimate END;
5+ Gf the Nsw, Kowledge, Wi
as heis Goodnefsand Love it {elf 4 To Love Him and be Loved by him.
perfectly for ever, being Amantifimus 3 Amabilifimus in his Goodne/s. 35 He chat leaveth out any one of thefe Relations of God to man,
‘ (to be Our Owner, Ruler and Lover and End) leavcth out that which is’
: __ Effentialto Our God, as the word is Relatively uled in the Precepts and Promifes of the Holy Scripture,
SECT. IV.
yf Gods Relations to the Creature and denominations ( thereupon ) in bis Power, Knowledze and will. |
36. Ce: Three Divine Effential Principles, Related to the Creature,
- who is Potentiffimus, perfectly Powerful in Ad, in Himfelf, isdenominated
That Gods Power is In- Ommipotent , becaufe he can do all things ad extre which belong to
finite, quia rt ila Inti Power: 2, And he who is Jutellectus fe Intellizens ad intra, is dcnomi-
Baten fs ce be hated Omnifcient or Knowing all Creatures, from the exterior objects :
ie Pu See 3- And he who is Voluntas fe Volens, or Amor fe Amans ad intra ; is allo
‘aipared:: And. fome denominated willing of exterior things.. |
prove the affirmative, by 37. But (bythe way) howthe Creatureis called exteror to God who
aR pane puiens is Effentially every where and in all, and how God is not a Part of Univer-
43. 4.2. hath reafons too fad Being, and how God and the Creature are no more than God alone, is
fubrile to be here rc, elfewhere fomewhat explained, but tranfcendeth mans Underftanding to
vay. weth in te Too, COMprehend, © ew |
q. 25 d. 103. 6.2% | 38, Gods Tranfient Acts are of two forts: 1. Effectively Tranfient (as
difp. 104. Vid. opiniones Creation, Regeneration, gc.) which do -— fomewhat without. 2, Ob-
Gabricl. Scotti CG Thone (f° 7 : : de ratione nominis Oni- jectively only Tranfient; which canfe not ‘ny but fuppofe the Objeé&.
nipotentia Living. , 39. It is a dreadful ching to be over-bold, rath and prefumptuous, in
{peaking and aflerting any thing without clear proof, of Gods Kzowledge and will; efpecially to reduce chem to all che Modes and Methods of aman, _ even astothe order of his Acts; fecing we are forced to confefs, that even aE 1s diego. Intellection and Volition are {poken of God with exceeding great improprifit proprie Habitus, eftta- cty, and mans Acts which are the prius fignificatum, are further below phe abi ete oe Gods, than a Worm is betowa Man. Therefore were it not that the prehabitus, faaidim (cientia {umption of the Schools and Polemical writers hath made that Wece ary in nobis eft Habitus ad as Defenfive, which elfe would nog be fo, I fhould f{carce dare tofay this SE il a Virtus little followine: . | —_ | eft hbabstus ad operandum. itt. OMOWINE § - are eae eae: ; Cognitin Divina cum fen- 40, 1, The Power of God is denominated Relatively Omz#-potency in three ad sear arte mftants to Three feveral Objects: 3. In che firft inftant, as to AM things which belony to Power: And{o God can do allthings, which are hence called Poffible, 2. Inthefecond inftant, to 4/ things meet or Congruous to the Divine Intellecd to be willed and done: Andiowe fay, that God can do Allthat is meet to be done, - and nothing that is ##meer. 3. Inthe third inftant (of’reafon ) asto All things which he willeth to do: And {o we fay, that:God can do whatfoever be will do. And fo Poffb:lity hath various fenfes, Aeid. Rem. quodl. 3-9-3° _. Te TI, Gods Intelled is Relatively denominated Omnifcient, in refpect funth, That Gods fpccu- ¢q hye forcs of Objeéts alfo in thrce inftants: 1.In che firft inftant he lative knowledge 1s be- Rare as; fore his Velle; but his knoweth all Pejibles, in his own Ommipotence: For to know things to be PraGiical determined ad pyfhle, isbut toknow what He caz do, | opus, is aftcr. as we muft In the a Tatlant ne Kaowervall anne. ) A orien 2 Q che iccond snitane ne Nnowctn a: CINES y as Caagriois, e@ aed _ | ; ANG
and Decrees of Ged, &c.
and Volenda, fit to be Willed: And this out of the perfection of his ove wi/- . dom: which is but to be perfectly Wife, andto know what perfect wifdsm fhould offer as eligible to che wz. |
3. In the third inftanc he knoweth AW things willedby himas fuch (ag Volita ): which'is but to know his own will, and fo that they will be. |
42. In all chefe inftances we fuppofe the Things themfe:ves not to have yet any Being: Butfpeak of God as related to Imaginary beings, according to the common {peech of men. | :
43. Thele therefore are not properly Tranfient Acts of Gods becaufe it is but Him/felf that is the objec indeed, viz. His own Power, Wifdom and will, though it be de creaturis in that which is called his Zdea’s,
44. Ic isufual with Divines to afcribe /dea’s to the Divine Intellect, after the manner of men, againft which I quarrel not, buc am my felfafraid . of prefumption. - oe
45. From what is laid, youmay fee, that the Common Schoo! diftinction of all Gods Knowledge , into fcientia fimplicis Intelligentia, G pure Vifionts, isnot accurate, and the terms are too arbitrary and dark co notifieche thing intended , and that the [cientia media added dothnot mend | the matter: And that a fitter diftinction is plain and obvious.
46. IIT. Alfothe willof God as Related to things not yet exiftent, hath. in {everal inftants a chreefold obje@, (as we may conceive of God after the manner of men. )
1. The Pofibility of things, which God is faid to will, in willing his
2. The Congruity, Goodne/s and Eligibility of things, asin his own Knowledge ; which is but tow¢// the perfection of his owx Under ftanding.
3. The Future exiffence of things Good and Eligible, to be produced in their ficceft teafon. - @ +4 ee = 3
47. They that fay God can do no more than he doth, muft mean only in the fecond and third inftants or fenfe,; or fpeak very prefumptuoufly , if not blafphemoufly. a a re - 3.
48. That God doth not all that he Caz do, is no note of imperfection in his wifdom or will, but is from the perfection of both. :
49. Nor doth it hence follow that he hath eithec a ain or an Unaéfive Power, For his Power is his perfection, and therefore not Vain: And it is ever effentially A@ive in himfelf, as he is the Lewing God: And was neither ain nor Unad¥ive when there was yet no Creature.
50. Gods Power doth nattherefore Create or operate ad extra meerly as Power ; For then. it. fhould do fo ad sltimum: poffe, and from Eternity: But as it Voluntarily puts forth che effect...
51. Gods Knowledge meerly as Knowledge, oras the Knowledge of Congruitics, Future things, yea, or things Exiftent, is not Efficient, nor yet as it concurreth with his will wt finis (or his Willof Complacency ; ) But on- Jy as it concurreth with his Efficient well. ee
52. Gods Knowledge and willeffect nothing.d extra,but by and with his
Attive Power, as effictent. _ a
- §3. Therefore Bradwardine and many other Schoolmen, do not congruoufly fay, that Gods meer Volition without any Effective Power is all his
Caufing Influx: Unlefs they thruft two Conceptions into one word , and
mean a powerful adive Volition. For, 1. By the famereafon that we mutt
Thefe being three principles in his Image. 9. And in Man Meer willizg effe&ts not. 3. And they thae fay God.willeth ut eveniat peccatum
tpfo non efficiente, fed permittente, fappofe that he walleth ~——s
which .
* That Relations have no entity extra intelleium preter albfolxtam , Ockam in many difputes in his Sued/éb. thewerh. ¢ Relation ts bur compzrabilitas.
* An Relations reales fint 2 109 ad Creataras, ep. Crestor, Dominus, &C. Affirmiatnr 2b Ockam & Gabr.1.d. 30.q. 5. Durand. q. 3. Marfil. 1. Q. 32.4. 1. Greg. Ari. d. 28. q.3. a1. Pet. Hurtad. Negatur a Thomiftis : fed et Lis de noméne xt notat Vafquez in 1 Tho. g.13.a.9. Nal- Lim quippe fundamentum dz now eft ex parte Dei, fed crea ite: Ideo Thomifte wocant Relation€ rat/onise
Tt Bonavent. in. d. 4s. 9. 2. Refol. Deus non diceray Omni-volens, _ficut Omnupotens > Omni{csens, cam bolantas abtrahat & a vation attnalitatis, & a vation caf-. See hits plain explication of it.
Vide Aliiac.in princip.1. At © contra Bradmard, J.4.¢. 10. cor. Pag. 197. But vot accurately enough; though ic feems
us df noming.
OF Furority, fee Bons wentares diflirdtion of furnr. quaid — fuecelfionim temporis, > quoad ordinem tewporalis ad eternun tecandan camecntionom with the application, ix 1. Ai. 38. dub. 2.
Vid. Blank de Concord.lid. C> decret. 1. 1. 54. that fueurity is nothing buc rifhe ‘Tks vations, and eds no cafe, bue chac of ihe thing furure.
—_ Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
which he effeéeth not. faid cnough.
im. For indeed ( as Ockam hath copioufly proved ) * Kelations have ne real Enticy, or are nothing befides the Abfoluta and the Attof Reafon about them. + Relation is but rerum Comparabiistasy which Reafon ufeth by actual comparing-conceptions of them. |
53. Though the Thomiffs fay, thatman only is Related to God, * relatione rations, andnot God to man, yet Pet, Hurtado de Mendoza and others ftrongiy affert, that God him(e'f bath not only Re/ationes rationis and Tranfsendental, bus predicamental Relations aos as Creator, Dominus, Recfor, cc. which the Scriptures conftantly a‘eribe to him; And which inceed are no way notes of Imperfection. For if it be no Imperfection in God to Create, Redeem, Sanctifie, Rule, cc. it can be none to be related €9 us as a Creator, Redeemer, Sanétifier, Ruler, Gc. For it is nothing more, | |
56. AsGods Smmanent Acts are his Effence, buenct frmply as Effence g but as Effence in the diflind Ads of felf-living, Serbia 5 elf loving; related to Himfelf: fo his Actions ad extra are his Effence as Related to the Creature, but not fimply as Efeace, but as Effesce-AcFing.
57+ Gods will as mecrly Ordinant or Dirizent effeeth only Order and Direétion , but not the Sub/ftances ordered,
§8. His will qua Finis isnot Efficient. + =
$9. His ill qua Finis is his will as Pleafed by being Fulfilled.
61. God willeth efficiently allthat i Good, which cometh to pafs, For all Good that is ever done, is done by hint, though not by Aim only,
62. But he willeth the various produdtion of things , as they are varix oAfly produced ; {ome folely by Himfelf, and fome by Creatures and means fome neceflarily by neceffitated agents, and fome freely by free agents,
63. As Gods Efficient will caufeth the thing willed ( whether lubftance, accidents, rule, order, gc.) fo his Final will or Complacence fuppofeth the Pleafing ching in’ Being : That is, If it be the Thiny it fef, chat he is Pleated in, it is {uppoied Exiffenr; If the thing as Pf, it is fuppofed Paft, or that it was exiftent , If che thing as future, or fore-known , or fore-willed, itis noe che thing it felf chat is in that.inftanc properly {aid to Pleafe him, but his own Xzowledge and Will concerning ic: Though we ufe to call this, The Thing ineffe Cognito aut Volito,
¢
But aguinft chem inthis Svavez and orhers have
SECT. V. Of Futurity and its pretended Canes.
64. He Poffibility and Futurity of things , are not accidental notia ons, or relations of the things themfelves; bue are terminé dj- To fay that a
minuentes, astothe Things, and are poken of Nothing. ay that wow ic gs
Thing May be, or will be, which now is not, is.to
nothing.
65. Nothing isno Effect ; and therefore hath xo
Poffible and Future as fuch, have no Caufe.
66. Therefore Paofibility and Fatarity as they are taken for any attribuce
Caufe: Therefore things
7 and Decrses of God, &é.
or accident or mode of Creatures, as objects, are miftaken 5 Though they
may be Conceptions in the mind of Creatures, concerning that which is not. | 3 x“ 8 : Mh ts | 67. Therefore alfo God isno Caufe of any Eternal Poffibilicy or furwnity
effect.) hath no Eternal Caufe: For there is nothing Eterna! but God.
68, Therefore the Poffibility and futarity of. things (conceived as an -
— 69. Though man Jmagine Things which are not, and then ‘think that ©
they Can be, and will be, becaufe that Js, which Can or will Canfe them, an
thence frame notions and names of Nothing, and call ic Poffsble and Future; we muft-be very fearful and not unreverent and rafh, in afcribing fucha dance or lwfus of notions to God, unlefs as ufed ‘with great impropriety
afterche manner of weak man:.
70,. God knoweth his own Power, Knowledge and Will, And fo know:
eth what hecaz do, what he knoweth to be elegible, and what'‘he will do,
And if any will'call this knowledge of God, by thie name of the Poffbility
or Futurity of the thing known, or will denominate, Nothing, (as‘'anIma- — ginary fomething ) as Pofible and Future, relatively from Gods Power, - will or Knowledge, Let them remember, 4;-That 2vothing hath xo relation, 2. That properly they: fhould but give che denomination co that © which is, that is, to Gods Power, will and Knowledge, and fay God Can, &. g. make a World; or will do its and not to that which # sot: And - when they fay that ¢, g. the world is eternally poffible or future, they can.
juftly mean. no more,buc that God caz and wid make it. 3. And that
this isbut /is de nomine,andnot a real difference ( whether futurition bé —
thus from Eternity .): -
a1. And efpecially lee them rerhember that nothing in God is Canfed: :
There are no effe&s in God: Therefore as there is nothing from Etetnity but God, and therefore poffibility and fatwrition mutt needs be names of God himfelf, or fome Divine perfection or conception ¥ which is himfelf) if they be faid to be eterhal + fo fuch Poffibility and fwtarity can.
have no eternalcaufe. For God hath no Caufé, nor any thing in God.
_ 72,.1£ the Faturity of fin mutt have an eternal Caufe, then God canfeth
the futurity of all fin: Butthatis notfo. For none is the Caufe'thac fiz
will be; buchethat (mediately or inimediately ) caufech the -being of it
- 73. Imagine (per poffbile vel impoffébile) that a thoufand years hence
a freecreated agent (thatcan do otherwife ) will caufe fuch an act; Ic
may be denominated Farsré without the taking in of agy antecedent caufe
into thenotion, It is called Future becaufe it will, be, and not becaufe
there is at prefent exiftent any caufe from whence it will be inediately or immediately, =... > 3
. 7%,. Though Futurity be nothing, yet this Propofition is fomething,
E This or that willbe. | Andtoknow the futurity of a thing, is moft properly to know the truth of that propofition [| /¢ wil be.J
- 75: God knoweth not by Propofitions ( for thac is the imperfect mode of
man) But he kzoweth Propoftions when they are exiftent, as humane in-
{trumentsor conceptions: And therefore he knoweth the eruth of all true
propofitions of futurity. - ae : ee |
- 76. What man knoweth by Prtopofitions, God knoweth otherwife by
a more tran(cendenc perfect, but incomprehenfible way ; Therefore God
knoweth that every thing willbe, which will be. —
77. There werero Propofitions from Eternity : ( For manthat ufeth
them, was nots And God ufeth them _ though he know them as ya
Pennot. 13,t, 14: cite many Fathers faying,thac things are not future bes caufe fore-known,
fore-known. becaufe future: And <Augauftine, Greg. M. Boetius, Anfélmy Lomb. & Aquin. faying the contrary. And h citeth the four wayes the Schoolmens reconcling them, and con-. cludeth that in regard of” the Creatures being, the firft is true; and in regard of free ads, the fecond. I think that in regard of fin neither 1s true. Unlefs [Becaufe] fignifié only rationem denominationis objectsvam 3 And even if fo tt 15 dubious, whether
not fimultancous as Res lations are.
~ afferterh
* 1 know that the Judiclous Greg. Arim. 1. de
thefe four
things: 1. That aliquid
poteft referré realiter ad
non ens: 2. Non ens poteh vealiter referré ad ens:
3- Ouod Deus eternaliter
refevebatur ad Creaturam
que non erat: 4. Quod
Deus realiter a ad
creaturam ex tempore. And
his reafons are very confiderable for three of
them: But as to the fecond which concerneth
our cafe he faileth. For
1. his firft reafon, that
rclations are ever mutual or convertible, I de-
_ ny his proof as vain, as
tothe realty of the relation, 2. And that res non exiftens is caufa I deny: Fuit caufa, non eft. 2. And remember that he ioftanceth only in things as caufed or foreknown: Sin therefore canbe called future but as fore-known, 3. Remember that his Mafter Ockam hath oft Qirdl.) proved t Relations are Nothing befides the quid abfolutum, . and ing nothing’ but Comparabilitas, all 1s but to fay, that God fore-knew what
‘would be, and’
therefore had there been fuch a propofition from Eternity as [ This wilf be] t had been true.
Vid. Aqsin. 1. p. ds 38. q: Te a 1. Bonav. thea. 1. Jo ¥e& 2. Durand. 1. .d. 38.9.1. Scote ib. q. 10 Cayet. Bannes, Rip. Zumel, Nazar. Molin. Vafqu. Arrub, Ole Vs po. qe 14. a.8. Greg. Valent. 1.. d, Te 9 W4s pune.’ 3. f.2,' dluar. de Auxil, ditp.r6; Snarex de daxil. 110.13. Ledefm. de Auxil.. “dif. 2. Ruiz de feiert. d. 15, 16, 33> 35, Peo es
"Of the Nature, Knowledge, Wil
pafttion,
agent, knoweth alfo that this. burtty is Nothing, nor is any exiftent canfe of ic neceffary:
Orn gt
byman } : Therefore this propofition [ Hoc futuruns
Erernity; Becaule nonentis non [unt affectiones. |
78. But if there bad been fuch Propofitions from Eternity, as, [ The
world will be made, Chrift will be incarnate, &c.} they wauld. have
been trie: And fo the eternal Futurity of things, as commonly difputed
of, canbe nothing but the Eternal Verity OF a Propofition de futtritione,
which Was no propofition ¢ becaufe then. there was none ); only én timwa
mans brain Imagineth or feigneth that chen there might have been.Creatures, who might have ufed propofitions de futuritione rerum, which if they
had, they would havebeen tree, : ee ee
79. All Verity is either, 1. Rez, 3. Conceptus, 3. Expreffionis : And
I. Ubt non eft Res, ibt now eft Veritas Rei: The thing which was: xot
from Eternity, was not a True Thing from Eternity. 2. The Divine knowledge that fuch and fuch things will be, was True from Eternity, by an
incomprehentible way. above propoficions. 3. If there had been any
Propofitions Adental or Vgrbal de rerum futuritione, they would have been
true.And this is all that can truly be {aid-of the Eternity of foturition,
.80, Qaly this being added, that fo far as Gods will was the firft
Caule determining of any. thing thac will be, fo far he was eternally che
Caule of. the. truth of this Propolition, Hoc erit, when fuch a propofition
eft J was noi :from
inal bey ey |
_ 81.. But where Gods Willis not the firft caule of the
be, there it. is not his caufing the truth-of the propofition
that i¢ will be ; ( Though his Knswledze be
may Logically beinferred chat it will be. >).
82. Moreover, whatever is from ctemity, muft be Ress or modus rei or
Relatio, But from Eternity, there isno. Res futura, 00 modus rei future
NO Relatio rei future, * For. non entis non eft Modus, vel Relatio, If
you add that it is Dexominatio extr¢nfeca, I anfwer it mut be then God
elfonly, as denominated Knowing, or Willing that This orthat ball be,
“UAS not properly the futbrity of the thing). For otherwife it muft
a denomination of Nothing, = |
- 83, Obj. The Object is before the.Act of Knowledge.
Thing which will om that is the caufe a, medium from whence it
6 future before God knoweth it to be future, ic | Anfw. 1. To be future is a word whofe found deceiveth men, as if ic fignified fome being; whichis not fo, 2, God cannot know that a thing will be, unlefsit. wil! be ; But this fignifieth no more but that he. cannot know this Propofition ta be true [This or that will be] unlels it. be true = But 1, there were from cternity no propofitions: 2. And the propofiion 18 not érwe before itis a propofition. 3. And therefore not before iC 1S COnceived in the mind, whence it hath its firft being. 4. But if you might fuippofe God to have eternal propofitions, their Beéag is confiderable betore their Verity s andthe Verity hath its Caufe. But that caufe is nothing but what.is in God himfelf, which is either his. Decree of what he will Caufé, or his foreknowledge of what will be caufed by a fin- Selon a And neither of them as a caufe of the sruth of the proe caufeth that the Thing will be: nor yet is any other exiftent
Caufe fuppofed; but only thac God knowing that he will make the free agent will freely fin: Inall which the fu
But only the Propofition would refule from the Infinite perfection of Gods
Therefore a thing
truth of the knowledge. 84. Obj. The futurity of things ts True whether. God or man know it mt. Antw. 1. Futurity being Nothing is neither true
e, nor
and Decrees of God, &c. nor falfe. *2. But all chat you can truly mean is but this, that whether it bethoughton or not, this is a true propofition, Hoc vel illed futurum eft.
Which is true when there are propofitions, extrinfecal, which no man
thinketh of. Bue 1. God hath no propofitions,; 2. Much lefs extrinfecal
from Eternity. Buc if- he had any, they would be nothing but the aéts of
is own knowledge. 3. And they haveno Caufe, .4. If chey had been
vont by ih coe ee no Canfe but his perfec knowledge.
85. Obj. Futurity isthe Object of Gods knowledge : and the object 5 a tcaufe of the act. God knoweth things to be future, becaufe they are fusure 5-45 be knoweth exiftents, because theyexift, 4
Anfw, Still fay, 1. Futurity is Nothing; and Nothing hathno Caule,
2. Nothing is eternally in God but God: and God hath no Cau/e nor is
an Effect, 3. Acleaft thacwhich is Working cannot be the Caufe of God.
4. It is not true that God foreknoweth things, becas/e they will be 5 but
only chat he fore-knoweth that they will be. aa
86. Gods meer fore-knowledge, nor his meer will without effictent Power or Action, caufeth not the thing future, and, therefore is not the Caulethat Jt will be. Buc where Kuowledge and sill with Aétive Power cooperate, they are true Canfes of thé ching. And nothing is.4 proper Caufe that s¢ will be, bucwhatwiliCas(eitsbeing, _. 87. By allthisic is evinced that God Caufeth not the futurity of fin, And that chere needech no Decree of God to make Sin pals ¢ sumero
* According to Gree, and the Nomina!s fence of Relations before cited, two Nothings may. eternally be Related to each other, One as a fus ture Caufe,and another as a future effet: And if there were now no Being, but hereafter (per impaiibile ) a Being would arife of it felf, It is future though there
* be none to know it. But
this futurity hath no aufe: And it is no more, but chat ‘this Props Hoc erit, would True if there were any £0 conceive it. | t Tothe Queftion, 42 prefcientia Dei fit Can ata @ rebus? Bonaveut.anfwereth ( én 1. dil. 38. 01.4.1.) Prefcita Caufa ta prefcientie Divine; non:effendi, fed aut Infe- “vendé, aut Dicendj— —
Secundum rationen effendi
Prafcientia poteft effe Caufa aliquorum prefcitorums
Pe , | licet non omnino: fed nullo poufibilium in numerum futuroram ; And confequently that the Learned
ious Dr. Twiffe his Achillean argument, which is the ftrengch of re A cop ap oben. Media is but euiey As the excellent Strangins alfo hath fully manifefted. And his admired Bradwardine is as weakin his attempts on the fame fubje, and proveth God the Caufe of all futurition by no better reafons than he proveth, that without him there would be xo impofibles + yea that ron pellet effe impoffibile: When it were: impoffible any thing fbowld be, were there no God s and yet that impoffibility is xothing and needeth no caufe, It’s ftrange how fome Learned meh confound Things and Nothings, and the Wotions and Names of Nothings with the Nothings named. So Bradwardine /..1.¢, 18. pe22t. willtell us how God knoweth complex objects, and diftinguifhech thofe that are antecedent to Gods Intellection from thole that are confeqgsent: The former fort are fuch asthefe [ God is God, is eternal, omant otent,: 8c. | Thefe he faith are the Cafes that God knoweth them, being before his knowledge of them: The other abont Creatures are after it and canfed by it. Yet doth the good man thus humbly Preface [Non proprie cr diftintte fed fimilitud:- narie balbutiendo vix tenus poffum vel {cio, ‘ignarus homuncio, encelfe fcientie Dei mirabilis refonare.) But fee how the world is troubled with this prophane * prefumption, and how juftly Paw cautioned us againft feduétion by vain Philofophy: and what danger the Churchisin of lofing Faith, Religion and Charity, and peace in a game at _— Whiatis this Complexe object [ Deus ef \? Is it any thing or nothing ¢ If nothing, it isnot before Gods knowledge and the Caufe of it. If an thing, Js “it God or a Creature? A-Creature is not before God, nor a
caufe of his knowledze, whichis Godhimfelf. If icbe God isit his Effence: he
| orhis Effesttal properties, or the Perfons? None of thefe: For on isthe pls nannies Being, and not a Complece —_ (Deus eff]: His Properties, primary, are Omsnipotent-vital-power, Intelleg and will; But thefe alfo are the fame /ncomplexe effence,eand _ propofitions: And his Intellect as an object of it felf is not before "i - telleét as an Actual Knowledge of are nor the caufe of ic: A A - : en
modo @ converfo. Secundum rationem Inferendé fant mutuo caufe, quia mutuo antecedunt e conftquuntar: Ge antecedens elt caufa confequentis. Secune dum rationem Dicend!, fiturum eff caufa prefciine tie, & non é corrverfas Nam prafcientia, dicitur
Scientia ante rem: con'tat —
ergo quod simportat ordinem ad pofterius: ¢ ff cetum, offi cmper praefens, effet {cventsds fed nox prefeéertia.
Bonavent. 1. ditt. 38. di. 3. faith, Gods knowledve called Approbation connoteth c& effectum c bonitatem: bute when it is called fimplex Notitia, It connoteth only the event, but init {clf 1s one. Thus denominations by Connoration and relation may be many wayes diverfified, both of Knowledge and Will.
* Hervews in his Quodlih. puts the queftion, Whether it be uot a Mortal fin in a Divine‘to omit things neceflary, and to treatof curiofities ? Eur was too guilty him(fcli to an{wer itas plainly as he ought.
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
fenfe he can make of it is, that this propofition [ Dem eff, c eff Eternus, &c. | if it had had an eternal being, would in order of nature have been conceivabic to ws before this [ Dews fcit fe effe] or before hes knowledye it felf: orthac if man had been the Knower, ic hadbeen firft.a true
ropofition that He és, before he kwoweth that he #. But God knoweth not hinnfelf by propolitions. Words (# mente vel ore) arebut artificial organs for blind creaturesto know by. And doth Ged need {uch to kvow himfelf? Doth he know by Thinking and by Artificial means, as wedo? Hath he Extia rationis in his Intellect, as man? (as Propofitions are), And had he an Jntellecé and thefe Entia rationss cx propofitions in his Intellect ( Deus eff, &c.) before he knew them? yea, and his fe/f-knowled ce (which in Adis his pure, eternal, neceffary Effence ) casfed by thefe ¢ Ail
that you can fay is,that poor creatures know by Propofitions, and phantafms,
and diverfe choughts, and that God knoweth maz, and therefore knoweth all owr propofitions and thoughts as ours: but not that he had the like eternally in himfelf, and knoweth them in himfelf 5 and chat Himfelf asa propofition, is the Caufe of himfclf ( or felf-intelleétion ) as in AG. Hecan know that you fee by Spectacles, and yet not eternally ufe Spectacles him-
_ _felf as the Caufe of his fight.
But Bradwardine faith, that Ged knoweth illa vera complexa que vobuntatem divinam pracedant, per folam fuam effentiam, ficut alia vera
tncomplexa; Illa vero que Voluntatem ejus fequuntur, non {cit Deus per slla complexa nique per aliquid alind a voluntate ejus femota, fed per fram voluntatem, vel per [uam [ubftantiam cum voluntate, &. More prefumption ftill! He faith God knoweth complexa fed non.complexe; And who knoweth what fenfe thofe words have ¢ Whar meaneth he by
complexa but Notions, thatis, names and propofitions , as diftinct from the -
Things? And what is it to know propofittons complexe, but to know them
a8 they are 2? And what is it to know chem iacomplexe, unlefs it be to
know quid phyficum a propofition is, or to know that it is no propofition,
thatis, ro err? If Gad know a Complexum or a propofition, that Propofiton is inbeing: And where was it in being before God knew it? If in God (or no where) 1. God then #% 4 propofition, 2.AndGod is before he knoweth bimfe/f; 3. And.a propofition being in intellects an act of knowledge, it isto fay, that [God kxoweth that he is, before hc knoweth that he is: and his knowing that he is, caufeth him to know that he is J. If ic be faid, that by complexe he meaneth not organical notions, rvords nor propofttions, but the Vertty of Gods Being, Eternity, oc. Lanfwer, To know things, is faidtobe [0 know fome Truth] becaufe by knowing the
_ thing, we can make this propofition [ This is] or [ This truly s.] Buc
Gods knowledge of Things isnotas ours, but by pure perfect intuition, and fo maketh not propofitions in himfelf by ksowrxg things : Butif it be the
. Truth of this propofition [ Deus eft] chat you mean, it fuppofeth that
propofition to exift ( for, quod non eff, non verum eft); and {o toexift in God; which is denyed: Andie is that propofition that Bradwardine fpeakcth of. | | |
Buc if by Trath, you mean nothing but Gods Effence; that isnot a Complex object, which he fpeaketh of: And he faithnot, that God knoweth /uam effentiam, cy creatavel futura, but that he knoweth per faa effentiam quod Dews eft, cr eff Omnipstens, Aaternus, &c. ch per faam effentiam cum voluntate quod mundus futurus eff, Sothacit’s a propofition that he calicth complexum incomplexé cognitumby contradiction, when he cannot prove that Gods Intellect made propofitions in it felf, and that antecédently to themfelves, and the Canfes of themf{clves. _e: ; : Ar
pit.cap.7. Et in Pfal. 101, And Gregor. Moral, li, 20. cap. 23. that Pre- pund.cate
and Decrees of God, &e. 13
| And all this which mentalk in the dark about God is non-fenfe, to’ trouble themielves and the world with, on falfe fuppofitions that Gods knowledge is fuch asours, or that we can have formal conceptions and de- {criptions of it: when we fhould tremble to read men thus prophanely take Gods Name in vain, and pry into unrevealed chings, 7
I have purpofely been the larger on this inftance; to. warn thé Reader to take heed of the common cheat of Scholaftick Word-mongers, who would obtrude on us humane extia rationis, or Thoughts, as real Divine entities, and would perfwade us that every xothing which they make a name for, istherefore fomething, yea, fome of them God himfelf.
Whar I have faid of Divine Jstelection, I fay of his Volitions, of | which cap, 10, 21. Bradwardine faith, that Voluta priora, viz. Deameffe, omnipotentens effe, bonum, cogno[centem, &c. fant Canfa. But, 1.1 is. toobold to fay, thac Gods Will isan Effet. 2. If ic were fo, it muft be his Effexce, Omnipotency and intelleé that is the Caufe of his will, and not a Complex verity, as [Deus eff, omnipotens, bonuseft, &c. | For Gods Will is nor caufed by Propofitions, 3. 1f youfay chat his Volition as terminated objectively on his Effeace, Goodnefs, &c. ishis will in af (fe Velle; whichfome call the third Perfon ) yet here would be no Caafe and Effec#, but our diftinct partial conceptions of that incomprehenfible fimpli+ city, which hath no real diverfity or priority.
SECT. VI. ,Of Gods Knowledge, and the Co- exiftence of the Creature;
88. Uguftine well and truly faith, that fore-knowledge in God, is
A the fame with the Knowledge of things prefent: Patt, prefent
and future, through his Infinicenefs and Bternity, being alike to him, even
89. But this dependeth upon the Indivifibilicy of Eternity : in which all
the things of time are included, and co-exift. | |
90. Thus faith Auguffine 4.2. ad Simplic. q.2. Quid eft prefcientia .
sift {cientia futurorum? Quid autem faturum eft Deo qut omnia fuperyreditur tempora? Si enim in fcientia res ipfas habet, nom funt et future,
fed prafentes: ac per hoc non jam prafctentia fed tantum fcientia ditt... pouy.y. d. e
poteff———Si autem ficut in ordiné temporalinm creaturarum, ita @& ax.1. & plurimos Schoapud Deam, nondum funt que futura fant, [ed ea prevenit {ciendo, bis laft. in 1.d.8. viz, Tho.
ergo ta fentit, uno quidem modo [ecundum futurorum prefctentiam, altero fhaee: cee pscksty vers modo fecundum prafentium [ctentiam: Aliquid ergo temporaliter Arrubal. q. 14: hac lin, accedit fcientie Dei, quod abfurdiffimam atyque falfifimum eft. ee a aify. Thas with Awza/tine Nothing is futare to God, left the after-knowledge 8. & 9.Navatret.Cent.s2,
& 8. Ruiz. de Scient, then futurity had no eternal Caule. ifp.28. Albert. To. 3,
gt. See more sbid, in Anguff, co thefame purpofe, And /, 15. de Tri- an ine ne a -1.Alarcon. feience is notproperly in God, nor any thing future to hive. So Anfelm, p. wat. 2.d.2.0.8. Tan. opufe. de Concord. cap.t. See allo Arriba Concil, li, 3.0.11, 12,13, 1h. Oo ciibe - fe aig and Boetivs and Aquinas there cited, And 2 cap, 16. 44 cap.26. the whole Dei, tra@. 10. c. 15, &c. Controverfie handled of the co-exiftence of all chings with God in eternity. * piu a one “I 92, But becaule scotus, Durand. Gabriel, Greg. Molina and many others Fis ‘yahec. in. pe de digeft not this notion, I fhall open it to you in a moderate and un- 39- Get nang Seients denyable fenfe, how chings may be faid to'co-exift with God in — 31. .238.8 cOroL.p.8 yo. cn
* Card. Sarnan. Concil. Th. & Scoti, p. 22. Inquit, Deus per fuam aternitatem fine aliqua fucceffione fake(t omnibus prefens : fed non fins fucceffione rerum. Ideoque omnia que funt, fuerunt & erunt,coéxiftunt in eternetate , babent etiam effe cognitum in mente divina. Et ideo bene dicunt & Thomas & Scotus.
+ This fuppofeth ( with
Pet. Hertad. and other Nominals, ) that God 16 Related to the creature, and that Scotus his anfwer to Aquinas refting on the contrary fuppofition, that only the creature is Related, 1s therefore vain.
/égid. Roman, Quod. - q. 3. Pap. 135. Totus aecurfus rerum eft Deo prefens 3 deo circa hoc non fallitur, five fit neceffaré- um fivecontingens: Cum snfallibilitas divine cognetionis nom det rebus necefitatem, nec tollat a contingentebss contengentiam: Futura fant prefentia pre- Scientia Divina, &c.
For this co-exiftence, fee C% 39. Fete dete Capreol. wont, Gent... 66. Cayete contrary, fee Alenf. 1. p. Scot.i. Joie Dithe 4s 3- Marfl.in Thom. Vafqu. in
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
When temporary Creatures are the fwhjecés of Relation to God, then God is denominated by extrinfecal denomination as the terminus of that Relation: But when God or Eternity isthe Fp of Relation to Creatures, then temporary creatures are denominated as the termini of the Divine relation. And fo Eternity (being as Divines conclude indivifible and tota fimul quia fine partibxs ) being one and the fame, communicateth fomewhat of its Name tothe multifarious fluid creature, as its terminus; And as the Afstations of creatures in exiftence and operation thus communicate.various denominations to. the actions ( knowledge and will ) of God; fo Gods Unity and Conjfancy giveth various denominations to the creatures. * And fo,becaufe things when they exift, do co-exi/? with eternity, and eternity hath no priws cm pofterius, and the Prepoficions [ 4b] co (4d ]-c& [ante] c& [pot] have there no true fignitication, therefore icmay be faid, that as Jndsvifible Eternity co-exifteth with the creatare, {o the creature co-exifteth with and in ésdivifible eternity, and {o with AZ eternity, andnot with apart. _- 1. 4 7
93. Hence you may fee how both fayings may be true; both that Esernity ( or God and his Knowledge ) ever co-exifteth with creatures, and alfo that it doth de zovo begin to co-exift ; viz. As God is extrinfecally denominated from the real mutation of the creature related to him; or as the creature iscenominated extrinfecally as related to the indivifible God and Eternity: even as Godand the creature are varioufly confidcred towards each other, as the Re/ate, or asthe Terminus. — |
94. To clear it by a low fimilicude; Whena Rock in the Sea is the Relatum, andthe Sea the Terminus, itmay be faid, [ This Rock is the conflant Companion. of the Sea]: Andalfothence, thac [The Sea is the conftant companion of the Rock } the title of Con/fancy being thus mutually
ufed, but ina various fenfe. Sowhenthe Sea is the Re/atum, and the Rock is the Terminus, it may befaid, that [The rolling waves pafs by the Rock 4s its unconftant companions \ And confequently, that [The Rock is an unconftant Companion of the waves. \ So you may fay, that [the Eternal God or Eternity doth indivifibly co-exifé with the temporary creature, or with time; | andthence that [ thetemporary creature or Time doth coexift with tzdivifible eternity. | And yet that [ the tranfient creature doth tranfitorily co-exift with God] and fo that [ God doth but temporarily co-exift with the tranfitory creature | ; asthe reafon of the denomination 95- In like manner quoad focums it may be faid, that [ the finite creatare doth limitedlyco-exift withGod ] and fo, that [ God as the Terminus of the creatures exiftence, doth /mitedly co-exift with thecreature }. But ‘alfo chat (the Infinite God doth immenfely co-exift with the finite crearure ] and [ the finite creature doth co-exift with Immenfity. } . 96. + Butnote 1. Thatasthe denominations of a univerfal may be berter diftributed. and reftrained by its relation-to particulars, than particulars can be denominated like the univerfal, fo it is here unfitterto give the attribute of God relatively to the creature,’ than to {peak of God as Relatively limited tothe creature. And therefore it is more unfit to fay that rhe creature co-exifteth [eternally and immenfely withGod, than that God co-exifteth ( temporarily and Limitedly] with the creature in relation. 2. That che moft proper expreffion is to fetch the attribute from the Nature of the fubje@, rather than borrowedly from the correlate: And fo it is fitteft tu fay, thac [The Eternal and Immenfe God doth co-exift Eternally and Immentely with the Tranfitory, finite creature], And that [the creature doth Tran /itorily and. fixitely co-exift with the Eterxal Inimenfe Ged }.’
a
and Decrees of God, Be.
97. AS Time is no Real being, but the Duration:of Beings; which is no=> -:
thing but their Exsfleace notceafing, fo Eternity is nothing veally diftinc#: from God himfelf; but it is Gods exiftence. confidered.as having: no!
mea(ure of duration, no beginning, no middle, no parts. of durationand.
no End.
98. Eternity therefore is a Notion which may be: called Tedivifible ands... Divifible in feveral refpedts. Ic is Jndrvifible properly and in.it felf con-3 ° ~ fidered ; for it is nothing bue God him(elf as exifting fine. mewfure tem"... poris [email protected] indivifibly: But it may be called Divifidle Intelléftue
ally (by humane, partial or inadequate conception , not by pattition ), ag: © it is compared to tranfitory times and becaule as tans narrow head mult: - know one God fwo mods by many inadequate conceptions, ox fot at-all, fo °
muft he know Eternity fo modo, by conceptions drawn: from partiblé.. |
Time. a ‘ | oe. 99. Bythis much the great Objections of the. Seoti/fs may be -fatisfied’ by a Conciliation: They fay, +. That which exiftech nor, doth not co-exit / nor God with ic. 2. That Erernity indeed includech aH Tine fucceffively as prefent inic, bucnotfutureTime. To the firft I anfwer, 1. Fhat ic is’ granted that Time hath {ucceffions, and only the prefent Inftant is: And that: which Zs mot, co-exifteth not with Eternity: Bue yet feding-Etertiity is Indivifible, irc is not part of ic char co-exifteth with one of our Initants and pare with another, but All indivifibly with each inftane. . 2 And whenic: is faid, That che Creature exifted not ab eterno, if you intelleQually di-: vide Eternity into paft and prefent and futsre, like Tinie, it’strue: Buc. {peaking properly, it is fallacious: For [ 46}. eterno implyeth a divi-_
- fion of Etemicy, and a preterition of one part, which is commonly fuppofed falfe: But if che denomination be fetche from Esernity, {eeing ic is: fadivifible, you cannot fay that today irco-exifteth with this day, and noc with tomorrow; for if ever it co-exiftech, ic alwayes co-exifteth: For,’
ah Gad, cp ante c pofty & fait Ge evit, ave words of falfhood fpoken
properly of Etesnity: ¢ according to the commonetft doctrine...) _
109. And to the {econd the fame an{wer ferveth; Denortninating Time in icfelf, ycumay fay that fome is futwre, thatis, Zs zor, but 7// be, and fo that itis not In Eternity till it come. But fecching the Name from Indivifible Eternity, Futwre there is a-word of falfe importance: There isno:Feterity in Eternity: And it Indivifibly- incladeth all facceffions of Our Time. _ a ee hg es oO
ror. Yet welay no ftrefs on any of this as neceffary to reconcile our Controverfies: And we readily acknowledge and maintain;: that by Extrinfiok: denomination: from its Relation.to our fucteffive Infants, Eternity and God himfelf may have #ew and vartows denominations ( of which more anon ). on | o?
| SECT. VIL. | Of School Curiofities and Uncertainties about Gods ‘Knowledge.
192. A Bout Gods Knowledge Scholaftical prefumption hath gone fo far? \. asthat I flrould rather with trembling fly from their queftions;
than feek to folve chem, if the oppofition of their curiofity and the defence of truth, were not by: them made neceflary to others, and confequently fome confideration of the thing. a | — _ 103. Some prefume to tell us, that God knoweth Creatures only in his’
“16 Cf the Nature, Knowledge, Wil
Anreolus in Capreol. t¢ own Effence, andnotin themfelves, which mutt needs be falfe, if the Creaa tures areinthemfelves Intelligible: Becaufe Gods perfection importeth the knowledge of all that is imelligible. :
Vid. Rad. lists Cont.29. 104. Others tell us on the contrary, that God knoweth the Creatures _ artep4s2 == only in themfelves, and not in his own Effence: But doubtlefs fo far as - dhe Valtte p. we they may be faid to de in his Effence, ( which isac leaft Virtually ) they are
1. 4.14 po 3+ Suar. de there intelligible. - oo | mad. ib, een re 2-105 .Scotus with his followers hold chat Gods Intelle& hath two Objects, Pete Aquil. 1. dife 35 ONC Primary, immediate, and motive, by virtue of which all other things are ob ihe . po He Known s and this is Gods Effence. The other fecondary, mediate, and Ge ys q. Gab, wot motive, but terminative, and {uch is the Creature ; known only in Fe 4-3 de 3+ Ruizbed-l0. Gods Effence ,..as per aliud prius cognitum in quo continetur, Cy non per PES difha. c.3, propriam fpeciem. But here they are atthe greateft lofs.. _ &c. Granad.1. pe contr. 106. For to the Queftion, How the Creature is in God, their neceflary ae Ignorance bewrayeth it felf by eheirdivifions. It is agreed that all chings were eternally in Godasin the firft caufe virtually and eminently. But fay fome, The fame numerical perfections are in God, as inthe Creatures, viz lafinitely inGod, and finitely in the Creatures : Butthis maketh God and the Creature to be One, and deifieth Creatures. |
107. This they are put to, for the folving of that great difficulty, whether Goa dnd theUniverfe conjuntt contain more Entity or perfection intenfively or axtenfively than God alone , and the worlds Being add any Entity befides Deity ? | = |
108. They that are for the Negative, judge it blafphemy to fay, thac. God alone is Lefs than God and the Worlds For he feemeth not tobe of Infinite Entity co whom any thingcan be added: The queftion is not Whether the World add any Divine Being to God, but any Being atall be fo fuperadded, as that Godis made a Part of the Univerfe. And I confefs that Pars, and toto minor, are words that I dare not apply to God. | Ubi fuprs Pe 4445, 455 109. Onthe other fide, faith Redz, Though Intenfively nothing is adaad pig thir a ded to God, yet Extenfively we muft fay, that extity and perfection in the Se ee b added, as that God and the Creature are Asore than God
nator verborum, lis 1s Co 7s Creature is pe 14. ea alone, becamfe elfe we muft fay, either that God and the world are oney ‘sfinite: andro fice OF €L[e that the world # Nothing, or hath no Being:' which is falfe. fomewhatmay beadded: | 44Q, Who dare venture on either of thefe: paren confequences s. zeae Gols knovlslf¢ eicher that God is but a Pare of Entity and Le{+ then Al, and fo not Inf ( which drove Vafquez nite s or thatthe World is God or Nothing? If we fhould fay, that the ane ete haa Entity of the Creature being but Analogical Entity, is no Addition to knowledge it Infinite in GOdS being, Ems nom dicitur Univoce de Deo Gr Creaturés - as the Scott fis knowing him(clf: But deny the antecedent, fo it hardly fatisfiech the mind: Becaufe even this ee a Analogical Entity is real pofitive Entity, and not sothing: And therefore though it add not Deéty, itfeemeth to add Extity; and both forts to be - __ ,_ more than Onze alone, | The witty eek “rir, Andif we fhould fay, that the world is an Accident of God, ( as the world, faithItis al: 4 mans hair is of aman, fuppofing it were voluntarily Caufed by him) s ae ee rf And that itisno imperfection in God to have Accidents, as long as his and Pet. Hurtado and Ejlemce is na Accident, nor Compounded; And fo that the World is m0 part nnany others prove that of God, Effential or Integral; butbeing an Accident it is no Addition of
which we call Accidents, his Parts, but his haz as an Accident, fo the word.. God] may include
as 1s afore notcd. the worldas an Accident: This would be judged novel, bold, prefumpruous, and isnot fully fatisfactory, had it no ill confequents. |
112, The only way therefore is to confefs our Ignorance, and that ic
muft needs be that the mind which cannot comprehend Gods Immenfe
Frernal
‘fo no fuch moving.
and Decrees of Ged, &c.
Eternal Effence, muft be unable to folve {uch queftions as imply fuch a comprehenfion: And it were well if mens experience of their utter incapacity. co underftand fome {uch Cafes, would warn them more cauteloufly co meddle with others, ae |
1. Deus cognofcit alia a fe. 2. Cognofcit omnta perfectiffime. 3. Non
cognofcit alia a fe per reprafentationcm cy motionem quam ipfa de fe faciunt. 4.Creatura non eff objeitum primarinm ( tmmediatum Divine
cognitions, §. Sed tale eft Divina effentia. 6. Difinétam tamen aliorum habet Cognitionem. 7. Deus. cognofcst creaturas in fua effentia,
8. Cognofcit res im fe ipfis G proprits carum naturis, fi fiat determinatio
cogmitionis ex parte ret cognite. In all this ic {eemeth tame to be overbold prefumption to conclude, 1. That God knoweth not the Creature
immediately: And the reafon he giveth is as bold, gata tunc vilefceret
Divinus intellectus. None of this can be proved, though I prefume not
to affere the contrary. Yet ic fecmeth ro us thar the Creature is Quid
intelligibile in fe immediate, and that ic is the perfection of Godto know
all chat is intelligible, and not a vilifving of him. Asic is no vilifying
of his Power to make every thing as itis, The Creature nodoubt is not
the Primary intelligible object: But whether ic be not Josmediately Intelligible in fe is the doubt. |
2. Andit feemeth tome a prefumption to fay ; that elfe the Creature would move the Divine Intellect, and that God as the objec? moveth his own Intellect as agent; For Afoving fignifieth Casfing, and there is in God (fay all Divines ) no Effects, and therefore no Caufing of them ; and
114. Ic is alfo an agitated Controverfie with them, Whether ic be Gods Effence s fuch which the Creatures are.Reprefented and known in, or in his Kwowledge it felf as fuch? . They chat are for the former fay, that the Creature is reprefented in the Divine Effence before it is known (as in aglafs) becaufe the object is prefuppofed to the a&: faith Cajetan, the Ruder ignorant fort thus imagine. The fecond opinion is thus delivered by Rada, Res non continentur in Divina Effentia ut prior eft cognitione itu cy formaliter; neo ibi repralentantar atta cy diflinite. 2, Creatnre in Divina Effentia non prius habent effe reprafentatum actw cp formaliter, quam intellizguntar, 3. Creatura (formaliter loquendo fecundam quod aliquid dicitur formaliter intelligibile ) non prius abet intelligibile quam intelligatur , fed per intellettionem babet primum effe attuale ce formele, & proprium expref[um cy reprafentatam, And their fimilitude is, that as mans mind doth not prefuppole fecond notions (Genus, pecies,cpc.) but make them, fo duth God the Creature as intelligible intelligendo,
115. This leadeth chem to another doubt; Whether the Creatures have from Eternity an effe reale diftinct from Gods Effence? Where Hearic.
faith chat they have atrue effe reale effentiae, at non exiftentia, becaule
omne polfibile eft ens reale; & eft in genere; crc. Thus do men play with the notions of their own brains, Scotws confuteth this by feven are guments, which is eafily done. eg | . 116, But their next doubt is preater, whether the Créatares have from eternity am efle intelligibile & cognitum déftintt from Gods effence? What the effe Cognitum is, whether it be ens reale or rationis or quid seedium? Scotss is the Author of this notion of effe cognitam as an effe formate cy proprium quod creatura habet diftinttwm ab effe Fa Canfas in g40 in Divino intellects creature ip[e per intellettionem producuntur; ¢.8- Lapidem in effé cognito producit, laid intellectus nofter fecundas intentt- | ones
Vafquez in. Thom. q/ {>. difp. 80. Prefcéenti4 " inf fubftantia Dets que alias Cognitio eft creaturarum pojjibili- ° um, addito refpecta folum vations ad ves fxturass quarum dicitur fcientias Ita ut fi res future non éffent 5 Deo Qkidem deiffer.
prafcientia, fed non fcientia ¢ O fi ves future non effent, non effet in Deo liberaVoluntas, que fignificatur cum illo respetu libero: effet tamen Voluntas Complacentie, ipfa viz. effentia divind cum vefpecte rations neceffario ad ves pofibiles. Ita @& Ferrarienf. c. 75.
Cajete Lo Po qo lhe arte $e
Rad. lists contr. 29. arti 2. Ptg. 460-
Scot. in 2edek qolo lit.Hy
Vid. Rad. ib,
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
tiones facit, cy ita rebus ipfis effe cognitum tribuit : nam ficut lapis vifus per vifionem habet effe vifum,ita lapis cognitus per cogniticnem effe cognitum babet fed ut —s ejus effe, per quod effe formale habent
Imoeffe rerum Pofibile in cffe cognito fundatur. Who canread fuch prefumptuous aflertions of the unknown mode of Divine Intellection without dread? And what a dance and fhew is here made of mecr words, while a Creature that is no Creature, is faid to have an effe which is no effe (of them) and fo confefled ¢ For (though Cajetax and others miftook
_ him, ) Scotus confefleth that this effe cognitum non eft ens reale, nec me-
' dium inter ens reale cy rationu, fed eft ens rationis purum, Cr omnino
Slots Yo de 350 Jo HMC lite Ge 7
nihil, contra ens reale diftincium, ita, quod nullatenus aliquid realitatis habet, Andis-not here then a prefumptuous play with words? Scotes thus explaineth ic. If Cefar were annihilaced, and the ftatue of him remained,
_Cafar would have an Effe reprefentatu:m in the ftatue, which is neither
"Rade ubi [up> p48- 467+
an effe effentie vel exiftentia total or partial. And faith Rada, Ex his manifefte collizitur effe cognitum Creature in Deo fecundum Scotum effe omnino nibil, promt nibil opponitur enti reali five effentia five exiftentia, cy non magis effe nihil Chimeram quam hominem in effe cognito, quia utrig; ineft negatio totius ente. And indeed the effe repre‘entatum Cafaris is nothing but the modus ftatwe, which per modum figni ts apt to bring the fhape of Cefar to the beholders imagination. And 1, Can they prove any fuch Modifications of God’ 3. And if they can, fhould they fo abufe words as to call chat modus Intelleiius Divint, an effe primum formale creature diftin® from God ¢ The fum of the Sconufts opinion is thus. expreffed by Reda Effe cognitum creature eft ens Rationws, folum habens effe in intelleitu Divino objective, ficut fecunde intentiones in intellect creato fea res in offe cognito non eff obfectum motivum fed terminativum fecundarium, 1. Asif God hadan objettum motivum! 2. Or as if we poor mortals knew that God hath entia Ration! “Lhough we: confefs that we may fo fpeak of him after the manner of men, it we confefs the great impropriety of the fpeech. _ 117, From hence arifech another Controverfie, Whether to Gods underftanding the Creatures, there be neceflarily pre-required in him difting relations to the objects? which I will not trouble you with their agirati-
Age Yo po Jo 1§e Arte te T Scot. 1.4.35]. unica. & 36. Gaby. 1. ds 35. Jo §
Gerfon l. vit. fpir. anima.
See in Pennot. l. 3. ¢. 9. p. 114. ec. the four dif- - ferent opinions about I- _dea’s, and the doubrfulnefs of them.
Augut. Duell. l. 83. qe 46. Scot. 1. de 35+ Je uni- C4. Kada I... Cont. 2G
ATL. $+ Pe 49794985 Pee
118. But the great Controverfie is of the Diviné Idea’ss efpeciall
whether the Creature asin Effe ccgnito be 4 Divine Idea? Aquinas dcayeth
it, * and faith that an Jdea is the Divine Effence as imitable by the Creature. Scotus, Gabr, Ockam, Gerfon, Gre, affirm it. Aguinas his opinion
is thus opened by Cajetan, Rada and others, 1. Jdea non fignificat folum
fundamentum smitabilitatis. 2, Nec tantum refpettum tmitabilitatis.
3. Sed strumque. 4. Effentia Divina cognita ut imitabilis a Creatura
r modam exemplaris eft Idea, §. In Deo eff idearum multitudo. 6. Multitude tdearumin Deo non eft multitudo rerum reipfa inter fe, ab effentia diftinttarum. 7. Nec multitudo rationum formaliumy five rerum formaliter aiftinctarum, 8. Sed eft multitudo rationum intellettayum, 9. Non diftinguuntur ratione per attum intellectus creati, Idearum multitudo eft multitudo rationum a Deo intellettarum,
119. The Scotifts think Augu/ffine of their mind, and give us their fence in thefe conclufions, of Rada, 1. Ideas, hoc eff, rationes in mente Divina collocatas tam Greet quam Latini tradiderunt. 2, Idea non eft Divind effentia fecundum fe ce abfolute fumpta. 3. Non eft quid agzregatum ex efjentia cy refpectu imitabilitatis. 4. Non includit in fua ratione velpectitm vationis nec tangaam aliquid fivi effentiale, nec tanquans
; moaum
and Decrees of God, &c.
ee miodum intrinfecuia. §. Ideain mente Divina eff tpamet creatura cog nita. And Scotus his definition is, Jdea eff ratio eterna & tncommutabilis in mente Divina, fecundum quam aliquid eft formabile extra tanquam fecundum propriam rationcm ejus, |
120. By this you fee how widely they are difagreed what an Idea is‘in Cod: And yetthey concluce (as Rada ib. p. 480.) neminem nifi his intellectis fapientem effe : Nam quamvis Deus Opt. Max. ex cognitione fue effentia fit Infinite faptens, ac proinde ex cognitione Idearum nen efficiatur fapientior intenjive, attamen ft Ideas, quarsim ratio incommutabilis eft, ignoraret, non effet Omnilcius, Et Art, 3. p. 470. he faith, [ Dess effe nequit fine Idets,\ Weallgrant that without the Knowledge of all things Intelligible, God cannot be, nor be Omnifcient. But the name of Jdea’s is fetcht from mans mode of Intelle@tion, which is ever -conjuné with fomewhat of Imagination or fenfe; which alfo feemeth included in our notion of Ideas, which therefore are ufually called maces or Species. Andasweare moft certain that Intellection in God both in the form and mode doth fo Infinitely tranfcend and differ from humane Intelicétion, as that. it is not the fame thing ; fo we are very unfit in this woful darknefs to talk fo peremptorily of things unknown, and to conclude that God hath nota more perfect knowledge of things, than by Idea’s, or any thing fitly fo called. The world eherefore fhould not be troubled with fuch prefumptions, 3
121, The next doubt among them is of Future Continyents, whether and how they are known of God. That they are known of him is paft doubt: But owis the great difficulty. quéxas his mind is thus expreffed by Rada, Concl,1. Futura Contingentia prout funt in fuis caufis indeterminatis, folum conjecturali cognitione cognofet poffunt, 2, Futura continzentia in feipfis poljunt certa cm infallibili cognitione cognoftt.. 3. Deus non cog nofcit pract(e futurum contingens, prout eft in [uis caufis indeterminatis, 4. Deus cognofcit futura contingentta ut prafentia in [a reali CG altuali exiffentia, que ets convenit extra fuascaufas. §. Dews certa & infallibili cognitione prafcit futura contingentia. | eo
122, The mind of Scotus he thus exprefleth, after many notes and diftinétions, 1%. Dews cognofcit omnia futura continzentia quoad omnes conditiones exiftentia corum, fic, quod quecunque és in tempore contingenter infunt, perfecte ab aterno attingtt, .r. Deus noncognofcit certo c de-
Vid. Durand. int. de 3%
qe 25 Be De Ideis vid. etiam Ronde 1. de 36. qu To Richid. my 1. de 356 9. he Aqutls Scotel.in. 1. ds 366 q. 16 ( who feemeth du: bious of his Mafters do- Ctrine. ) pag. 240. C% qe 2. bede diverfitatem opinionum de Glue Quorum funt Idee.
Rad. ibid. arte 3. pi 4S
terminate futura contingentia per hoc quod funt ibt in aternitate prefeztia. (Should There recite you the reafons by which he and other scotiffs and Dr, Twiffe do propugn this affertion, and thofe by which Cajetan and many Thomiffs do oppugn it, I thould tire you. It fhall fuffice
to fay that both fides talk in the dark of that whichis utterly above mans _
reach ). 3. Certitudo Divine. effentia refpettu omnium quantum ad omnes conditionesexiftentie, non habetur perideas. (Thisalfo is onboth fides tedioufly difputed in the dark). 4. Qué noffet caufas naturales futurorum, etiam eorum que neceffarias caufas habent, ut Solis, Lunaq; des fectiones, non proinde infallibilem eorum notitiam affequeretur, nift determinationem divine voluntatis circa huju{moat eventus cognofceret, (That’s true, becaufe they are all but dependent fecond Caufes), 5. Dews cognofcit futura contingentia certo infallibiliter; quia Divina effentia wt
ratio cogno{cendi reprafentat divino intellectus rem determinate futuram
ex determ:natione divine voluntatis, And this is Scotus his way, which
‘
Dr. Twsffe propugneth. : 123. Here Scotus {uppofeth things to lye in this order in the Divine Ineclicct, (1. The Divine Effence moveth the Divine i#tellect to know it
Scote Duodlib. qo¥ge Vja rer. So Te
20 Of the NCature, Knowledge, Will
ape ee ee | eee
felf, and allthac is formally in it, 2, To the fimple Intellection of all that is sate/ligible, as abftracting from exiftence, or any order to it. 3.:To the knowledge of all neceffary copulations, which are known by connexion
of terms, and thisnaturally and neceflarily before the wills determination: —
beeaufe they arenot True becaufeGod willech it, but antecedently formal. ly of themfelves, Butnot foro the Knowledge of contingent copulations, gc.) How cafie were it to open much uncertainty and figment in thele bold Vid. Rad. 15.9. 4979 455+ atrerrions ¢ | Vid. Ruiz de Vol. Des. : . ; dilp, 16 elle S p-173. 124+ And herea great deal of difpute there is about the Liberty of Gods
Cine a eet siding 2, and the mature of contingency. Some Thomifis, (whom our we/tee oe pofe Deum - minfier Aflembly follow, butit thould not have been put into a Confeffion ficere ut non voluerit aut of faith ) fay that nothingis to be called Contingent in refpect of God, predpeand fome faying BUC the Scotif?s contrarily fay that there could be no contingency if ic
yer more, mone ¢ffe pofi- were NOt firft from Gods free will: and that he freely and contingently
bile per potentiam abjolutam, ut non fuerlt facta re- made all the world: All Actions being either naturally neceffary Or CONn- .
velatio de futuris Dei Gngent 3 And if God had made all of natural necefficy, they had been tribus. Isnotthispro> erernal ne boldnefs with the °
moftholy God? 125. And herethey fay that Gods will hath firft a Liberty of contra-
| | dition, Cro will or not will.) 2, And a Liberty to divers objects, (which I call of competition or comparifon) yea and to will contrary objects by. the fame act. Es But not 2 Liberty to contrary Acts ( Velle ee nolle y becaufe that would be mucability.
126, And here many maxims are ee by them as fufficient to anfwer all objeGors, which yet are ambiguous or uncertainthemfelves. 1.One is, that God receiveth not the certainty of his Knowledge from the Creatures: And therefore if their prefent co-exifience in eternity were proved, it would wo whit clear the doubts, or belp the Thomiffs, who are here at 2 loi€ for a fufficient anfwer. My bufinefs is to fide with neither, but to deterr the Reader from the prefumption of both parties-; and to chac
a1 ie, end, to open the uncertainty of what they fay. And fo it is enough to * See the marginal cita: eae ae: tion, fect. 16. out of Pet. anfwer, thae As the Creature in being is no addition to Gods being or ae who sivet perfection, fo to Kwowthe Creature is not any addition to Gods Knowpn taking Gods 4edge or perfection; but only che terminative acting of his perfe% Know- Volition to be the reafon ledge ad extra, And that their word [ Recerveth | hath a falfe fuppoeee fiion, For God Recse:veth no Knowledge ( though mans knowledge be falliy fu pofeth priorit partly Receiving ) $ but the Infinite Li he 0 his Tarellect is emitted knowpage soar eg iogly to the Creature. So that Gods knowledge may be terminated on
Gods intelle& in primo Creatures, and thence denominated This or That knowledge without Reinftanti to be ae dé ception,
faturitiove Fe Oe ar Another maxime is that of Augufine, Non aliter facta quam dium in contradittion fends novit, and D0 new mode of Knowledge is to be imagined in God: Becaulc WG of Gea Which both fides make ufeof. To which I fay, that nothing can be called to be a medium & ratio Gods Knowledge, but either his Effensial Intellection, or the termination ONE eer, Of it onthe Creature. The firft is never changed: But the fecond, fay
the cafe is unfearchable, the Nominals, is but an exerinfick denomination of it from the various 2, Bae ape prow kis terminating objects : Aad whether you will call chem terminations, or caaah queda inuitio Relations, Or denominations, they may be New and variows (of which
lcieniair fiper quam- More anon ) without any change or variety in God: even as the Sun is Libet rem adlualiter vel poe ‘ ; os ee
saeialiter evifentem (f- BOE changed by the vasious Receptions or terminations of its influx here mul fertur: Ideo tam circa below.
futuva quam prefentia. vel
gentinm veritatum cevtum © ter nally in himfelf ‘4 his will ) when they exift not. Anfyw. As Abftra- |
pa tad He ae <tive and Intuitive are words fignifying che divers modes of Gods knowin Ma LNT ° : mirfan judiciume things, they gre but prefumptuous figments, for ought I fees It being pa
and Decrees of God, &c. ag
mans reach to know the mode of Divine intellection, more than above
the reach of a bird or beaft to know the mode of ours. But as we may
more eafily and fafely diftinguifh and denominate Gods Knowledge froiii
the objects, fo we may well fay, . Thathe knoweth not that Creatureto.
exift in ze temporis which doth nor foexift. 2. And that effe Volitine
as not effe exiffens. And therefore co know the former is nog formally
to know the latter. a 129. Yea it ishere difpated Whether there be indeed ariy contingency Read the difpute of Per.
or not ( which the Doctrine of Hobs and the Dominican Predetermi- 47%" ah eae!
nants muft needs exclude, which make all events co he neceffitated by gories and Okams and his
God ). The Reafons dgainft it are, 1, Whatever God fore-knoweth omnopinion, aboue the
mutt neceflarily be: but he foré-knoweth all chae will be: e7ge——. owing what he know.
2. All things fucure are from eternity derérmined in Gods will to one eh, and that itis in the
partof thecontradi@ion: érye a eramt. 3. All the acts of the Puke God nox oe
Creatures will isto bedone, by the phyfica] efficient neceffitating infupera- known them, and much
ble predecermination of God the fir{t caufe: ergs, there is noplace in fach Poet ret cones
heceffity for contingency ( which is 2 poffe tendere ad le vel non effe,) the fal‘hood but) the Sold 130. Many and different anfwers are given to theley and thofe of the m4 aie prefumption of
Thowifts aid Dominicans are -moftly thuffling arid vain: Bug plainly and theyre prophane.
briefly, 1, Gods fore-knowledge, 2. And his meey wil, whenthey are _
Hot joyned efficiently with power, og a will de efficiende, do no whit at
all Caufe or neceflitace the effect or event, or ponere aliquid in objetto.
Aris only a Logital necelfitas confequentia in ordine prebandi that arifeth Vid. D'Orbellis in 1. d,
38. dub. 1-Bonaventur.and
fromthem, which confitteth with contingency, and not a phyfical neceflity (Gith Dr. Twif) all the ty ordine efjendi as from a Caufe, called confequentis, or effect. pe choolmen fay the fame. a. Gods Kuowleage and will rather prove comtingemey 5 For he doth not
Only Aaow aod will hee faterum, but hoc contingenter futarém: Therefore ic willbe. 3. And the Jaft argument from peceffitating predetermiwatios I fhall elfewhere confate, and fhew their contradiction who fay that God doth predetermine the thing contingently to come to paG,
13t. Bur it cannot be denyed byt chat Gods will is from Ecernity determined about every contingent event: And therefore that pvece/fitare exiffentia the determination of it is eternally neceffary ¢ And therefore that which we call its Liberty is bus the perfect missner of its determingtian, as Bradwer dine confeffech, , | —
132. Bue what is all this ftir about’? The great bufine& of all is to fhew how God fore-ktoweth fin, For faith Radd, iss eafie (from Gods tid. ar. 3p. 503; Volition) to fhew how he kneweth things that are wot fis: but bow - ae kmoweth be fin from étarniry, fecing this was sever ip effe volito ? And Mae 36 s wr ae here che way of the Scorifts proveth utterly infafficient, Drs Twiffe and asd. ih a.1. cept Rav: Rutherferdand {ome Dominicans fay, that God fore-knoweth ic, becaufe #%. Zune Ripa,Gonzal. he Decreed to Caufe all the Ensits of the AG@ with all ics circymftances noe Ae oe Peis
from which the form of fin is but a refultiag relation. Bue this fub- 10. Tamer. p. cif 2.
22 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
Vid. Aquin. 1. p qe14¢ 133, And herethe Thomi/ts and Scotifts have another skuffle, on the
oe ee 4. queltion, Whether this knowledge of future contingents and the conditi.
Rad, li. ¥. Cont. 30. art.s. ONS Of exiftency in God, be Weceffary in him, or free and contingent ° The
oe, op Thoms/ts thus conclude, 1.5S# futurum contingens fecundum Je, & fuaim
Cajetan and Ockim at proprtam natuhram confideretur , necelfitas nullatenus et convenire poteft, ,
ae in ik rs 39- 41+ fed fola contingentia. 2. Si futurum contingens confiderctur [ecundum
Leste IE 3. carr 40d fubcft Divina fcientie, eft necef[arium abfolute. 3, Hac propofitéo, Dews
ch 12, p. 118, 119, ce fervit Antichrifium futurum, eff fimpliciter Gy abfolute necef[aria: fed hec
confequens, {Ergo Antichriftus erit ] 702 eff abfolute neceffarium fed contingens, fi fecundum fe confideretur: At wt divine [cientia [ubcft, eff abfolute necefJarium., 4. Scientia Det re{pectu futurornm contingentium prout
Jam ad ipfa eft terminata, eft fimpliciter neceffarta, Andthcy prove the
affirmative thus, 1.Gods knowledge is Immutable: therefore neceflary.
2. To know future Contingents is Perfection : therefore neceflary in God.
3. This Can be in God : therefore it neceffarily is in him.
134. The Scots/ts thus exprefs their fenfe, (after much explication ),
1. Futuro contingentt fecundum [uam propriam naturam confiderato null
a neceffitas convenire poteft. 2. Futura contingentia, etiam ut fublunt i Divine [cientie, non funt neceffaria, 3. Futurum contingens, etiam ut fobeft Divina [eientia, eft quoad effe fimpliciter contingens, & fecundum
quid neceffarium. 4. Propofitio hac { Deus {civit Petrum futurum J five fie
de prafenti, vel de pratertto, non eft fimpliciter neceffaria, [ed ex fuppofitione. §. Prafata propofitio Cc omnia futuracontingentia, [unt neceffaria
| neceffitate immutabtlitatis. 6. Scientia Det ve[peciw omnium creaturaranm \ quoad effe exiftentia earum eft contingens, cr ex fuppofitsone neceffaria, | I recite che words of Rada only, that may not weary the Reader by referring him to perufe toomany Authors, and becaufeno man better difcuffeth ‘the differences. See alfo his anfwers tothe Thomiffs arguinents, pag. 514.
a Alenf. te Pr 4 23> He that would perufe more, may fee them named in Réipalda (sb, 1.4.38. Eine 66. riaaiannik c® 37. and may read Aquin. 1. p.d.38.9.1.ar.§. Aureol.1.d, 38. art. 1.p.d. 38 & 39. Lychete- Ockham: cy Gabri, ib. q. unit. ar. 2 3. Greg. ib, 9.2, Durand. ib.q. 3. ee “Fab. a. §4. Cajet. Naz. Bannez, Zumel, Gonzal. Arrub. Atolin, Vafq. Fafol. m.1.P. Joh. 47.3. Tanner. 1.p. d,2. 9.8. dud, 3. Valent. 1. p.
A.1. 4.14. p. 3. Suarez li,3, de Attribut.¢c.2. Ruizd. 12% Bonavent.
1.4, 39. Aquil, Scotell. int. d.39. 4.2. Andonthe fame a multitude of
other known Scoti/ts, &c. <i : : |
ny 135. Should I proceed to open to you all or half the queftions about which
If you would fee what the Schoolmens acuteft wits do but dream, concerning the Knowledge and a fang Decrees of God, I fhould weary my felf and the Reader to little purpofe 5 ea find them. And fuch as, Am fcientia attualis aliorum fit de Effentia Dei? An Effentia Dez “the aH and ae fit Motivum adaquatum ejus [cientiea? An Deus cognofcat creaturas ex ae ee ae fezp[0, aut ex alto per difcurfum? An ce quomodo fcientia Det poffit dz- 7, ts ugdé in plures? An cy quomodo Deus cognofcat Mala? An & quomodo Dess a 1. cCognofcat negationes cy privationes? An Deus cognofcat Entia rationis? An habeat tn fe Entia Rationis? De fcientia Atedia, An [cicntiaVifionis
fit caufa futurorum? An futuracaufa fcrentia? An [cientia fimplice ixtelligentia fit caufa futurorum cy practica? An Deus cognofcat futura compinendo cy dividendo? An Deus cognoftat prefentia eadem indivifibilé cognitione, qua ip[aprenovit futura? An Deus noverit Infinita [ctentia -fimplicis intelliventia? An eadem cognitione fe ce creaturas cognoftat?
An exiftente objecto pro folo imperio Voluntatis Divine poffit non effe in
Deo aliquis attus [ctentta divino inteleltwi poffibilu? cc. witha multi- .', + tude of-lefler queftions which arife in the handling of thefe; And with as many more about Predeftination, Gods Decrecs or Volitions, Pre-
4 SE determination,
and Decrees of God, &c.
determination, ee. I think rather your patience is put co it fufiicicntly
already. _ 136. If you fay that by reciting thee difficulties, I do but confound mens underftandings, rather than elucidare the things in hand, I anfwer, If
you are lof? a2 them, T have my end, which is to make you fenfible how un--
meet it is, thac the Peace of the Church, and the Concord and Communion of Brethren fhould at all be laid on fuch mulcicudes of difficule and unfearchable things which are many vain, and others paft mans underftanding. Shall we. call one another by the names of Scets, and resroach our brethren, as for thetruthof God, and as if it were for his Glory, cill all thefe Controverfies are clearedto usall¢ 1 who profe(s them to be beyond my reach, and profefs my Ignorance of very many of them, am yet cen- {ured by my Brethren as too Scholaftically curious for fo much as naming them, or medling wichthem; yea, and for deciding cafes which may and mutt be decided: And of all our prefent Minifters, I am confident there isnot one of fifty (if of a hundred) that hash either throughly ftudied them, orever willdo. Nowif the Church muft have Love and Concord, how will it be had ¢ Of thofe few (‘one of'a hundred that ftudy them throughly ) fix men it’s like are of three opinions, And what fhall che ninety nine dothac never fo ftudied them? Either chey muft know what they never ftudied, and be in the Réght where they underftand not what they fay: Orelfe they mutt unite by an Implicit faith, Andin whom fhall chac be’ Ifthe Church, what Church isiez Arenot many Churches of a | minds? If of the Papal Church, it hath more wit than to decide fuc es fo that their Doctors are almoft Sectaries by divifions to this day. ; . |
I hie if any will dream that the Controverfies between the Ca/vinifés and Lutherans (or Arminians) and the Dominicans and Fefuits can be refolved for either fide without medling with thefe queftions, he is a perfon too ignorant to be fitto fpeak confidently inthe Caufe, Let him but try adifpute with any able adverfary, and he thall be carried to thefe whether he will or not. ;
138, Bucif it be one that is fo confident on either part, as to think chat his fide or opinions are fo great and clear, as that the contrary are unfic for our toleration, and communion, I muft be fo freewith himasto fay, that
he bewrayeth fo great Jgnorance and Pride, as make his own fitnefs for communion much more queftionable. . For. isie not moft odious Jgnorance, for
Nic, D'Orbellis in 1. d. 4t. a2. Pollet dar una veivmfio — gereralss ad quifliones confimts less quod devilftzs nolri intellectus non fufficit ad indagandum aby (fam gudia - chorum Divinorum. Nic mivum: cum ad plenum nor valeamus cognolcere nadice herbe fia minini vermis cule propreetatem.
The very fame hath Bralwardine, though a prefumptuous Schoolman.
See alfo Valquex in 1 ThOM. Jo 1Ge difp. Ole 6.26 P1g 503) 504. where he fully and freely confeffeth that our underitanginvs are utterly ftailed about Gods Liberty of Will as related to things future, Nodus hic mea quidem fententia infolxbilis elk 3 vex enim vitare peffonus civculun in reddenda ratione: Certiffima ratione snveltigare poffumus quid ia hac rvenor fit s Digd vero fit, verbo explicaré difncillimun, aut pro bos ftatu impofibile ct. Qui autem videt Dewn, de ejes Volantate Libera quae terss princtpium liberum eft futurorum, Longe aliter entiet, Cr unico verbo exs primet fine hifce relationis bus rations. Seethe reft there to the fame purpofe. And this is the confeffion.of them all: of which more after.
aman not to know his ows Ignorance of fo many myfteries which no more |
tals know ¢ And is it not loacthfome Pride, for mentobe fo confident of thefe falfe conceits, and arrogate to themfelves a knowledge which mans earthly ftate is uncapable of ¢
139. And it filleth me wich fhame to find, that (though fome ftir hath been lately made againft the Fanfenifts) yetall thefe Sects ( Dominicans, Fe(uits, Scotifts, Nominals,&c,) can live in communion notwithftanding their differences, when yet the Proteftants have profecuted the fame ditferences with all that bitternefs, which you may find in the Germans Hi- {torians and Divines, (fuch as Schlaffelburgius, Caloviws, and many more ) and in the fad Hiftory of the Low Couatreys, andin Heylin’s Life of Archbifhcp Zawd, and which you may ftill hear in all parties, in their ignorant cenfures of one another, by the names of Ca/viniffs and Arminians. And yet the Church of Rome is juftly condemned by us for itsuncharitable Cruelty againft Diflenters, when thus we thereby condemn our felves.
SECT.
Of the N ature, Knowledge, Will
Fennottus propugn. l. 3. Ce ie”. %. noteth, that even the reconciling of the certainty of Divine pre-fcicnce with contingency, was quite paft the power of mans uncerftanding in this life, in the opinion of thefe fubtile Schoolmen, Gabriel ¥.d. 38. qo le de 2. OCkim ibid.q.t. Marfil. 1. q. 40. How much more difficult will it be to reconcile GodsDecrees,and moft of all his premotion if pre-determining with contingency? Plainly and — honeftly faith Bonaventure, in few words, int. d. 37. q. 2. Divita Cognitio quia ave non Caulatur, nec dependét, idea poreft effe certa de re Comergents.
‘name, fo ) it is infufhcient co this ufe.
More of Gods Fore-knowlzdge, and of Permiffion of Sin,
Ur to leave this Wildernefs, and {peak more of things certain,
or fuch asbelong to us in our meafure to know ¢ It is certainly unknown to mortals, formally, what knowledge isin God (as is aforefaid), and much more in what Manner he knoweth either Futures or Contingents, or any Creatures, ex parte [cientu. :
141. If any particular manner therefore offer it felfto your minds, as that which probably feemeth to be the right, icmay afford you reafon thercfore to fufpect that it isnot the right: Becaufe it is certain chat the Manner is 7 our reach, And what man can comprehend is infinitely below God,
142, If che Cafe of Asrons Sons, the Beth(bemites, Uzzah, Uxziab, and others that prefumed too boldly to meddle wich holy Rituals and Ceremonies was fo dreadful 5 whatis theirs that profanely tofs Gods own Name, and pretend to know that of himfelf, which they know not, and curn his phair profanely into matter of Contention againft the Churches of
143. Eicher Futurity as fach, is Intelligiblein it felf toGod, orclfe the things future axe Intelligible as in Ecernity $ or elfe futurity is intelligible only in its Caufes : We canthink of noother way ( bue God hath more than we can think of, ) If it be Inte!ligible in ic felf, or asthings are /x Eternity, the Controverfie is moftly ended: The perfection of Gods underftanding then is proof enough that he knoweth all thac is intelligible, But if it be se in the Caufes , it is eicher as thofe Cafes nece|jarily will Caufe, or clfe as freely and contingently. The firft Caufe reacheth not our Controverfie : For finhathno neceffitating Caufe, but free. The fecond is the fame difficulty with that in queftion, 7z. How God knoweth that a free undetermined Caufe (mans Will) will this or that way determine it felf¢ Nothing is knowable tous ascertain from an uncertain caufe ; which hath no antecedent reafon to prove its future felf-determination to this more than to thar,
144. If we gorothe Fefuites Scientia Media ( asit deferveth not that For all thofe circumftances in which God fore-knowcth that the will fhall determine ic felf, are fuch asneceffitate the will foro do, ornot: If they fay the firft, they give away their own caufe, and the caufe of Religion ( {peaking of finful Volitions ). If the latter, the cafe is ftill as difficult (and the tame ) as if they. had ne-
:ver mentioned thofe circumftances or conditional knowledge: viz. How
God knoweth chat a will ftill free and not neceffitated will choofe fin raa than duty ¢ For from non-necefficating circumftances it followeth not,
145. If we go the way of Scotus, andfay that he fore-knoweth it in the determination of his own will de rerum futuritione, ether that will is fuppofed tobe a Caufing efficient will; or not? If itbe, ic reacheth not the cate of fin, feeing Gods will doth caufenofin, Bucif not, then ftill che difficulty is the fame as before, How God that willeth the Event, but caufeth it not, doth know that his Will thallbedone? For ic is not from the Caule to the Efftct. To fay that his own Jysmutatility proveth it, is no proof: For if his Jamutability Caufe net, the Effeé arifeth not from it; Andto fay that his Omnipotency or Abiotutencfs inferreth it, is rg
and Decrees.of God; 8c.
‘proof, unlefs his Omnipotency Caufe ir.
gically Neceffstate Confequentie, though not Cau'ally neceffitate effccti
vel confequentis , that what God willeth to be, fhall be, is mot certain :
And {o is it from his fore-knowledge ( which median yet the Scotits {ay
is here infufficient. -) But that is becaufe it is here fuppofed chat what God
fo knoweth or willeth to be fueure, he willeth to be future by the caufation
‘of fome Caufe: forhe willeth noe any thing to be withouca Caule, Befides thac_ ftill fin is not willed by him to be future ar all. ¥ OS |
146. And here I am to confute the forefaid reafon of Rada ( recited
Thef. 130.) God, faith he, fore-knoweth fin, in chat he knoweth that he
decreeth to permit it. And Dr. Twif often faith, that all confefs, chat
Permiffion certainly inferreth the event of the thing permitted, Lanfwer;
+ There is not fomuchas any great appearance of the Truth of the confequence unlefs limited. To Permit is nothing but 0n-smpedire, not to hinder.
‘And if a thing will come to pafs becaufe it isnot hindered, then the world
would have been made without God, and min faved without God, if
he would not hinder ic. Try if your work will be done meérly by your
not hindering ic, es
147. Indeed the word Permiffion is oft uled as a complicate notion, fignifying both the permsifton and the event permitted: But that’snothing
to the nature of proper permiffion it felf. = | :
148. A man may be hindered, 1. Morally ; andchat 1. By Commands,
2.By Threats, 3, By Promife and perfwafion, 4.By Gifts, 5.By terrifying
ftripes on himfelf or others. In all
but hindereth it by them all.
.
149; 2.Or aman may be hindered Phyfically. And: that r. By total ‘veffraint and —— 2. Or by leffer impediments which make not the act impoffible, buc difficult. God doth not alwayes thus hinder fin, and
therefore thus he permitteth it. He doth not dé/able the finner, ‘e.g. tolie: And he doth not alwayes render it difficu/t to him. But’ it followeth
nor neceffarily, that this willbe done, becaufe it’s pofible; io nor becaufe
it is eafie or mot difficultto be dome, |
150. * Butthe Cafe differeth as to’ permitting of a proper agent, and
an indifferent agent, and a,contrarily difpofed agen, © To permit 4 ftone
to afcend, will noc make ic afcend.. To permit the. Air to move, will nor
make itmove. But to permit a ftone ‘inthe Air to fall, think with Devandus, is enough tomake it fall, fuppofing the continnation of the Nature
of ie and all ciccumftances. ~’ Ande, isit in permitting fome fmners to fin.
- 151, But yet here we ntuft diftinguifh, 1, Between aneceffary anda free
agent, 2. Between Adams finning and ours; 3. And between the fin of
aman ftrongly inclined or but weakly, orthat hach eo | diffwafions or but
‘few. 1. Though a bad man be under a moral neceffity of {inning in the
general, chat is, of not living innocently, yethe isnot under aneceffity of
committing every fin that he committeth : nor is it a valid confequence,
He is a badman: Ergo he willdothis, and that, andthe ather Sin: Becaufe a free agence oft actethcontrary to his habits. 2. And fome Sinners
have fo great impediments in finning, chat they ftand long in egusliorio
before the act, 3. And Adam had no more propenfity to his firft fin, than
tothe contrary : So that bare permi fier will not inferr the Certainty of all
fin, at leaft,; and therefore will not here ferve curn. |
152. But faith Rede, ic isnot common permiffion, but allo 4 withdrawing of effectual helps againft fin. An{w.1. God did not fo by Adam at firft.
2. But are fufficient or neceffary helps allo withdrawn, as well as effectual ?
If fo, then Adam was as muchneceflitated to fin by God, as he was to dye
And to fay that it followerh
thefe refpects God permitteth not fin, —
é ° . *Scee in Alliaco after cited the notable reafons by which the No:7/:.2/5 confute Scotus in this opini- .
on ( which yet Dr. Tri Pref. ad l. de frient. Med. faith did firft invite his to School-divinity. ) , This alfo.tianatis de Scient. Media cont. Tri]. granteth him ez, 5. §. 1. But not as ex ratéone pirmiffonis, but by hy potheticalConnoration, Eccau‘e we ufe the word Pernutfion about that which aliunde will be if permitted. -Sothat itis a Compound notion, when thus ufed,
*Ruir.de predet.Ty.2.di ip. 12. §. 1, 22 Pp 172. fo defineth Permiii‘on as I confefs fo it is pofirively decreed : viz. ( Incre.- tam permiffionem Deus non predefinit ) Creata’ permiffio fimul complectituy quarundam rerum produ- Ctionem €& aliarum rerum negationem, q4ibus pofitis peccatum permettitur. And if by permiffion they will mean quéd pofitivam, it muft have a pofitive Will and Caufe; but what’s thatto the Negative,or Meer non impedire? —
( Thus ftil ell our wrangings fhall be but abou ambiguous words.) His reafon §.2. 1s, Permiffion of fin 1sgood: 1. NegatioWolition:s efficac:s quz Deus impedivet peccatum. ( And he faid that permiffio increata 1s not decreed.) 2. Negatio motivorum, Ot. 3 Prod:e tio & Conftitutio circumftantiarum. 4. Generalis concurfus. Anf.t.Nothing isnot Good: meer - Negations are Nothing. ,
2. Moral Negations or
pai: er ( that ts, Denyat an
reftraints) are fome- -
thing, and have a Caufe.
3. Production and Corcurfus are fomething and
havea Caufe; but (0 1s not a2 Meer Hon-) npedition, whichis proper permiflion.
26” Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
by Gods withdrawing his Vital influx or fuftentation, and ie would have been asnaturally Impoffible for him not to fin, as to live without God. Buc if not fo, thenwhile Neceffary Grace, called fufficient, is continued, che withdrawing of any other inferrech noc a neceffity of finning. Butindeed it is an unproved and improbable fidiion, that God withdrew flom Adam any Grace which he had given him, till Adam caft it away. e
Ie istherefore no good Illation, Deas permitrit aliquem peccare: ergo peccat: unlelsby permitting you mean withholding neceffary help, which is more than proper permiflion. —
153. Andir muft be remembred that God is far from a total permiffion or si Sar of fin: He alwayes hindereth it fo far as to forbid it, to threaten damnation to affright men from it, to proméfe falvation and all felicity co draw men from it: Hetellsmen of the vanity of all which would allure them to it; And his daily mercies, and correétions fhould withhold
‘men from it, Only by doing x0 more, nor effectually changing or reftraining finners, but leaving them to their own choice under all chefe moral reftraining means, hepermitteth fm. |
154. But it is alfo confefled, thac when by great fin thefe means them-
~ felves are forfeited, fome of them are oft-times withdrawn or not given :
And fo fome are without that Teaching, thofe mercies or thofe corrections which others have: But yet they are ftill under a Law of Grace.
155. And icis ftill fuppofed that God as the firft Caufe of Nature, up- .
holdeth man in the Nature which he gave him ; and concurreth with it as
the firft Mover and Univerfal Caufe: And therefore that mans Inclination
to Felicity, Truth and Goodnefs which is Natural, doth continue. Otherwile it is confefled, that Permiffion would inferr fin materially, bur no
fin formally, if by permiffion be meant Gods withdrawing Reafon, Freawill, or aig ps a i airs a ; ee
, . 156. But I eafily confels, thac if the Dosmtnicans predetermining Pre-
Phir rog rece: motion * in finful ations could be proved, that sould certainly inde the
2 bape sinipeatr ead all event of fin; And if God decreed fo to pre-determine the will, finmay be
reomern.f0 Pal fore- known in that decree. And if Scotus or the reft had been of that
mind, they had never omitted. that eafie folution of rhe Cafe, How God
- fore-knoweth fin ¢ Buc this Ihave elfewhere confuted, and fhall add a
_. 457. But firft (having difproved all thefe prefumptions of Gods way. of fore-knowing future fin ) I fhallin a word tell you the anfwer which may em and muft fatisfie us; whichis, [ That Gods Underflanding ws Infinite, and — therefore extendeth by its own perfection unto all things intelligible; But How his underftanding reacheth them, what Idea’s he hath of them, how they are Intelligible to him, with fuch lke, are finful Pot fumptuous que ftions of blind men, who know not their own ignorance. And no manner of un-
Gerftanding is properly Divine, which mortalscancomprehend. ] ~
and Decrees of God, &e.
SECT. Ix.
Of Predefiination and Free-will ( of mbich fee more Se. 26. again -
Ay, Rutherford.)
158, “Hough Pre-determination belong to Gods Execution , and be after his Volitions in order , yet becaufe I am now only td
{peak of it, as apretended mediam of his knowledge of fin, and as guid *
‘ decretum, I fhall rouchithere. ‘It.is confeffed that there is iio fubftance
which God isnot the Maker of (befides himfelf ) , Nor any Aion of whiclt - |
he is not the fir/ft caufe.- _ ae = 159. God may well be called the perfect firft Caufe of humane Actions; in that he giveth man all his Natural faculties, and. a Power to Ad or
not att at thistime, or to choofethis or that; and as the Fountaizof Na- . ture and Life and Motion, doth afford his Juflax neceffary to this free agency. Sothat when ever any Adtisdone, as an 4d in genere, God i$ © the firft Caufe of it: Forit isdone by the Power which he giveth and — continueth, and by his Vital nflaxs And there isno Power uted to pro- |
duce it which is not given by God, — 7
160, An Ac asfuch, hathno Morality in it, but is gatd zaturale, And fo it is from God asheis fons satire, Butthe Morality of an AG is formally the Relative Reititude or obligaity of it, referred to Gods Governtag will or Law, and to his amiable. Goodnefs or will as it is mans End, And AMaterially it is (not the AGvasfuch, but) the Act as exercifed on
an unmeet objet rather than ona meet one, or to an wuadwe End rather
than 4due End, or el\fe the Omiffon of the Actas to the die End and Objeé#, which is the fiz, and the fandamentum of the finfulnefs; and fo & contra. “—™ oe “ :
161. This Comparative mode of exercife addeth no proper Phyfical En-'
tity at all to the General natare of the Actas fuch. In Omiffions ( of.
Loving, Trufting, Fearing, Serving God) there is no Nataral Ad, but a he gee of it. In committed fins, to Love this Object rather than char,
ath no more Natural Entity than co Love that rather than this; and no _
more than is in the general nature of Love as fuch. <A modus Entis is not.
Ens: But this Comparative choice, isbut the Atodus Mod: entis: For an Attion isbut Modus Enti3, and this is buta modus aétionis.
162. It is therefore aninvalid argument which is the All of the Domiénzcans, that Man fhould be a — prima, and{obeGod, if he could determine his own will without Gods pfe-determining pre-motion ; and there fhould be fome being in the world which God is not the Caufe of: For this morality and modality is no proper being above the Actas fuch. |
163. Jf any will litigate de somine entis, let them call it Bezng or x0being as they pleafe, buc it is fuch as God can make a Creature able to do. And he that dare fay that God Almighty who made all the World, is. not Able to make a Creature that can determine his own will cothis object rather thancothat, under Divine Univeffal Influx, without Divine pre-determining pre-motion, on pretence that his wic doth find a contradiction in ic, isbolder againft God, thanIfhall be, And if God can do it, wehave no rcafon co doubt whether it be done. | 7
164. Men({cemnotin denying this, to confider. the fignification of che word [POWER ] whenthey confefs that God givech man the Power to choofe or refufe, and yet fay that ic is Impoffible for him to Act by it, Without the faid pre-motion, If fo, Itwas only a Power to Choofé when
* Ie is a contradiction therefore of Dr. Twiffe who oft faith, that God denyed to Adam no grace ad poffe, but he denyed him grace neceflary 2d agere: For he hath not the Power who hath noc that which 1s neceffary to the a&. .
Vid. Rad. list. Cont. 29s arts 1. Pugs 457+
28 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
ee: predetermined to it. He that hath a proper Power to Choofe, is Able to Choofe, and Can Choofe, by that Power. — 165. Godtherefore is truly the firft Caufe of the Act by Giving the Power, and doing all that belongeth to the fons mature to the exescife. And he is the firft Caufe of our Liberty in ‘making us free-agents; and he is che firft Caufe of the Moral Goodnefs of our actions, by all that ‘he doch by his Laws, Providence and Grace to make them good. Bur he is no way the firft Caufe of themasevil, |. - Cae © pellermin's Univerfal - 166, When we fay thac God caufeth the Actof fin as Caufa univer- Caufe, feemeth the fame fg/45, the. fenfe of this word muft needs he opened by this diftinction. A wit ee ‘Caufe is called Univer{al, 1. In predicando, Logically 5 And fo Artifex
meaneth. And Pennottus denying Durandus’s ig caufa univerfalis rei artificial, cr Statwarius eft Caufa particularis, opinion, faith, B 4 cln, Cr Polycletus eff casa fingularis lajus fietue, 2%, Jn canfands, as to the PP tquatur ex bac opi- effect. And{o that is an Univeral Cawfe, whole caufaliry extendeth to nione dari duo prima tt” sayy effects. And this is two-fold: 1. When it is the caufe of fome- Philyfphie “it Plate, ari. What common to all thofe effects, but not of af that proper to each, unfot. agnoverunt unum pri- lefs its caufalicy be otherwife (as -by the dipofitio recipients ) determined. Oe eae aenmunun Had fo theSun is caufa wniverfalis of the {weetsefsof the Rofe, and the iftud primum principium {tink of the Dunghill, gc. And fo God is the Cafe univer falis ut fons effe caxfam immediatem oroye by his common fuftaining and moving Influx, of all finful actions. Omnium effectuum Caufarhm 3 ce ae ie: fecundaram. 2. When it is the Caufe of thofe aGions, not only as to that which is common to them all, butasto that which is proper to each by which they differ from one another, and that of it felf, and set as determined by the difpolitto rectpientis, or byany other caufe. And fo God isthe Ungverfat Caufe of all that is meerly phyfical in all beings and ations; As in Generation, &c. which is properly to fay that he is at once, both “ag univer fal, particularis C oo And how far he is thus alfo the Caule of all the moral Good, of all Actions I muft open to you more diftin@ly in the third part. But of the fixful morality of Actions he is not fucha Caufe; bug only ameer Univer/al as aforefaid, ©
167. They that denying our felf-determining power, do make Volition,
Ueto baa : bared and free-Volition to fignifie the fame, and Cogexzcy to be nothing but to
arbitrio abfolut. make men willing and unwilling both ac once in the fame ac, do feem
The definition of dlva- rather to jeaft, than ferioufly difpute. And to define Free-will, to be vezof Free-willis [ 145. ce d; arbitrium eft facultas ve. ODly Lubentia vel Volitio fecundum rationem, is no other. For Velle
luntatis eo vations ad juxta rationem, is DO more than Velle; the Will being the Rational Apaztndun &agendum unm peice diftiné from the fenfitive. And if Velle and Libere Velle be all vel alterum | which Ri- One, Why do we blind the World with words, and do not rap put the vet refteth in, and fitteth cafe whether man hath any will, and not whether his Wil
the dodrine of neceffi- . : a3 , tation; Luc I think ex- if to take away its Liberty or conftraia it, be nothing elfe but to make the
Prey not Liberty (ame numerical a@ which is a Volition fimultaneoufly tobe no Volition,
Huddy caer: Temay be or not the Volition of another thing, the queftion whether the will may had a power to move it be conftrained is ridiculous. If the will benot forced as long as it willeth, 4 ramen Faby arp, OF willeth juxta rationem, then to queftion whether it can will by coneft Libera poteftas ex bis ftraint, is to queftion whether it can at once will and ot will;+ yet is this que ad finem aiquim co defcription only of Liberty and conftraint too common with fome.
ucunt unum pre alio éle- :
gendi, ant unm c 168. Burif this werefo, then & 1. The (af(peaxfion of the will mighe ddem respuendi vel acce- be neverthelefs by force or reftraint: which isa won velle; And fo when
nad Laan nes they fay Volustatem ab ipfo Deo non cogi poffe, becaufe when it atteth am conce(fa | which Pa- it adteth willingly, ( that is, when it willeth, it willeth ) the confequence a diffencesh not fro™ holdeth not, becaufe it may be forced from all action: (unlefs they | glltheambiguous word mean that ic cannot nolle Cy mon agere at once). 2. And if this were [ Fresdom | be duuunguy, fo, then either they mean that God cannot aaturally neceffitate the will ingly varioufly ftated. Coact, orthat fuch a satural neceffitatéon coniifteth with its Liberty. If
the
be freee And
a
and Decrees of Grod, &e,
the firft, they deftroy their doétrine of Predetermination: For whatisthac
buc Gods Phyfical irrefiftible efficacious premorion, determining the will
to a& ¢ And what is natural neceffitation if this be noc. ¢ If the latter,
then: they contradi¢t their own definition of Liberty, which they oft give
us, that ic is Liberty from natural meceffity (which Twif calleth Liver.
tas nature diftinc. from Libertas conditions, vel civil.) And what
more natural necefficy chan that which refuleeth from that préemotion of
God as the firft caule of all action, without which no agent natural or
free can act, and which none can refit ¢ oe. os |
169. Their opinion of Liberty alfo leaverli no difference between braitifd
appetite or fpontaneity, and free-will, {ave only that this doth follow réafon = which indeed is a difference of Gaides, but not of Liberty. =
1go. And according to this opinion, if God gave Setan power to
move any mans will to fix by as crue a phyfical motion and as unrefifti>
ble_ as I move my pen, it were no conffraimt, nor lofs of satural Liberty,
becenfe ir is moved to be willing. : | |
171. Andif they lay all on the Acts congruity to the Habit or Inclimation, then if Satan could infsfe unrefiftibly into the wil, an saclinatiowto hate God or to any fin, andthen phyfically determine it according co thatinclination, it were no force, or lofs af natural liberty.
172. Bat Ithink he chat by irrefiftible efficiency makes a mans will | wicked both in its Inclination and Aéts, doth incomparably more againft |
him and his /:berty, thanhe that could force his tongae or band againft bis
will, orhethat only tempted and perfwaded him, |
173. The grand Reafons why we cannot receive the Dominicans
dotrine of predeterminiag premotion, are elfewhere given; I now name
buc chefe three, 1. Becaufe ( whatever vain talk is ufed to blind men)
ic maketh God the fole-cotal-firft-neceffitating caufe of all the fin that is
committed in the world, or can be. 2. It unavoidably deftroyeth the
Chriftian faith: For if God be really the faid determining Caufe of all
lyes and other fins inthe world, then his Veracity which is the formal objet of faith, is gone: And nomortal man cantell whether Prophets and
Apoftles are predetermined to {peak trae or falfe, nor when God moveth
(at leaft to intereft himfclf in the act) than his weceffary phyfical premoving determination. 3. Becanfeit feigneth God to damn moft of the
world for zot-conquering God, who infuperably predetermined them to the
forbidden aG@ 5 that is, for not being Gods, or greater thaa God: And
thac he fent Chrift-co die only for thofe fins which he thus pré-moved us
to irrefiftibly, and.ic was as impoffible to forbear, as to touch the
174. In the iffue of all. thefe Controverfies, the fharpeft contenders feem agreed, whether they will or no : Arminius grancech that
all events of fin or damnation are from eternity neceflary meceffitate confequentie, * which is (as isfaid ) buc a Legical pane? in ordine probaudi: thatis, It is a good confequence, [Th God fore-knoweth, ergo
st will come to paf:} Andit is only che secefitas confequentis which he
denycth, (which Rob. Baronius Metaph. calleth neceffitas caufata, and I
had rather call weceffitas effecti) which is tn ordine productions. And
Dr. Twif doth fharply reprehend him for feigning that he or any
Others do affert any more than meceffitas confequentia : And bringeth in
the teftimony of many Schoolmen profeffing concordantly that there is no,
more than this, which alfo fore-knowledge ic {elf will inferr; Ic’s _
I. Réefole -Prefcientia Dei
rebus prefcitis neceffitatim non imponit cum eo modo res cognofcat quo future funt Duplex ef neq cefitas: Abfoluta que opponitur Contingentie, dick tur neceliitas confequentis $ Reshectiva dicitur neceffitas confequentie: & hee
non opponitur contingentiace -
ut fi ambulat, movetur — In prefcito non eft neceffitas abjoluta, fed folum tld Glial
Nicol. D’Orbellis 1.4.32. dub. 1. Duplex ¢ neceffitas, Confequentie o> confequentls: Bene (equitur neceffstate conf:quentie, Des novit me cras felfue rum, ergo fedebo: confequens tamen ef contine gens ut homo cure rit, ergo movetur.
Nos concedimus Liberun arbitrium ia eo quod agit, liberum effe ab ommi neceffitate, ut proprie non pojetnecefiario agere quozd exercitium fui atus;quamvis refpeftu Divine ordé- nations certa * infallie biliter agat. Aimef. Bellarm. Entrvat. To. 4.le 4e cot. He meaneth it of acaufed phyfical neceffie ty, no dows.
Annatus de feient. Med. cont. Twifs de Libertate cap. 6. feemeth not to underftand him, as to this Neceffity confequentie, which is not at all Caufal of the event, but of the Conclufion mm arguing; Leaving it our, from whence the event Is,
orig
| Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
the reciting: Vindic. Grat, Li. 2. p.1. Digrefi 5. [ Quid quod ch eruditis ecadem flatuitur neceffitas ab utraq; profluens, tam. a prefcicntia Det quam ab ipfius Voluntate. Nam licet Arminius voluerit necefitatem a Dei voluntate profettam effe neceffitatem Conlequentis, @ pre cientia vero promanantem duntaxat Confequentié; altter tamen vijum: ef magnis Theologis. Sic enim Durandus'{ Nom bene d:cunt tli out dicant quod omnia de neceffitate eventant per comparationem ad Voluntatem dsvinam 3 quia omnia vefpettu Voluntatis Divine eveniunt libere 3 Gr tdeo abfolute loquendo poffunt non evenire.) Expreffius Bonaventura (Dei voluntatem abfolutam neceffe eft implert 5 conditionalem verd min:me: fed advertendum quod eft neceffitas confequentia, ficut. prediitum eff de prafctentia: Ip[a enim non habet neceffitatem confequentis Jed con,equcntie; Quia seccta infertur er fequitur, Deus prafcrvit hee;-Ergo ho erits Sedtamen non neceffario prafcit: quia in actu. preclendi frequenter notatur effectuscontingens, Sic intellizendum eft quod Folustas. Det abfoluta connotat eventum rei, cy ideo eft ibi neceffitas confequentia: fed non confequentu 3 quia non mutat eventum ret. unde ficut prefctentia quia necef[ario infert effectum, non poteft falli: fic voluntas abfoluta quia wecefario infert (thatis, inarguing ) on pote/t tmpedtr:.] .
Ita Trigofius in fum. Theol, Bonav. (Effects continzentes ce liberi fi comparentur ad [ctentiam, providentiam, ¢r Voluntatem Dei dicuntur neceflarit fecundsm quid, five ex fuppofitione, que neceffitas Vocatur conditionalis cy confequentia, non tamen abfoluta ce confequentu. Quoniam ifte confequentia [unt optima (Deus prafcivit hoc futurum, Ergo erit: Deus vult aliquid fiert; Ergo fict eo medo quo volnerit, Cc quando voluerit; Quia non ftat dart antecedens verum cy confequens falum. | ; | F Iftis ad amulfim congruentia fant Aquinatis illa [| Quamvis Voluntas Dei fit trmmutabilis & tnvincibilts, non tamen fequitur quod etiam effectus fit necefjarius neceffitate abjolata fed foluin conditronata, ficut && de pre'cientia dictum eft. | Buc the word (effectws'] here is move thanthe reft fay. | 3 :
And more fully ibid. fect. 18. pag, ( Vol. min.) 2 30, [Qud quod Scho-
— dabict, nominatim vero Aquinas CG Durandus (nec quenquam novi aliser
fenticentem, N.B.) non aliam agnofcuat neceffitatem rerum, ratione Voluntatis Dei, quam qua dict: poteft neceffitas confequentia. ]
And yet plainer ibid. fect. 18. pag. 332.c.2. [At ea neceffitas quam juxta noflram fententiam orirt putat Arminius ex Decreto Det, revera non tam ex DecretoDet fluit, (quod monuit Perkinfius, Cr vere,) quam ex fuppofitione decreti divini, in Argumentatione {cilicet: quoties feslicet pofito decreto Det de re aliqua futura, legitime infertur nececffe cffe ut fio tempore futura fit. At hujufmodi neceffitas nibilo minus evincitur ex fuppofitione actus liberi cujufcanque quam ex [uppofitione decreti Divini: etenim pefito quod exiftat actus liber, neceffe eft ut exiftat. |
175. We are all agreed then what Neceffity it is that fore-knowledge, decree, and providence inferr as tothe actscf fin: wiz. of Logical contequence. Let them now but make it good chat their Phyfical efficiene predetermining premotion caufeth no other, and I will contradic it no more.
176, But whereas they conftantly fay thar God predetermineth mans
— willto the mode as well as to the act, that it be done free/y as well as
‘that it be done if ee and freedom wereallone, Lwould granticx,
on their grounds. Bue jf an Immediate-Phylical-predetermining-effisient premotion, and an invincible caufation of Habit and Act by the firft Caufe,
bring
Sine Per ny — te
and Decrees of God, &c. - a - "
bring nocther neceffity bucof Logical fequel, and be no real cawfe of the
thing it {elf, Lconfels I underftand not what they mean, nor know what - Liberty is, if the will havenot a Power to act without fuch a Predeter- . mination. Se a
1773 The fame I fay of €amero’s and others way of predetermining by Vid- Belar. de lib. ar a chain of neceffitating Caufes,viz. that God by the object neceffitateth the run Repay de att of the intellect in fpecie, 2. And that the intellect neceffitateththe will. P 46s 475 G. Scot. 2.d. For all cometh to one, if all finful Volicions be necefftated. Nor. will iv 32° finnce, Mee} 4: fatisfie any man well that Camero doth refolve all mans fin intothe De- duh 2. come. evar met, vils temptation asa weceffitating caufe, tillhe know into what to refolve 1 .19,/¢ 6: Vafpux 1. . the Devils fia: And he may turn. AZenichee in time that can believethat 77°” **
God gave the Devil power to neceffitate innocent man to fin, and bring.
all fin and mifery on the world; much more he that faith; that God did
178. Asthere is Libera Voluntas, and Liberum arbitrium, ox Libertas
Volunt ath, or Libertas hominis, {othereis a coaction or conftraint of the Co-adion in finfs cov will and of the Man. I fhould take my will to be conftrained, if by an Sf, 38 @ contradiction unrefiftible power it were fuddenly made impious in act and habit, or et- in fine divifo 3 to be ther. But the wean is not faid to be conftrained, fo long as he hath his ae by sels will, - ; of unwilling. - |
- 179. The unhappy defcriptions of free-will, which I mentioned Fznfe- Yer in ae fenfe I nine hath To, 3. 4.6. de Grat. Salvat. cap.5: G@ 6: And Aunatus de In- contels that Voluntarium coaite Libertate confuteth them at large : As (Jmplicat contradictionem t's" oe at Voluntas few Volitio non fit libera, ficut implicat ut Volendo non velimus. Latet Contradsttto tn corum diitis qui dicunt Voluntatem, id eft,
Volitionem effe pale qua non fit libera. Apud Auguftinum effe liberam, | c& effe aliquam hominis c Angeli Voluntatem feu Volitionem pro tifdem prorfus ufurpanter, Voluntas feu Volitio, & libera Voluntas idem eff, ficut o&
elle cy libeveVelle: Ce Impoffbile eft ut Velle non fit liberum——_—_—] Lege etiam Anmatuns Cr Petavinm Cont. Vincent. Lerinenf. ; & Penxoti propucnacul, bac plenius trattans. 7 | |
_ 180, The Liberty of the will confiftech not in fuch an Indifferency as ise. Guit. camerar. Scot: leaveth it iz equilibrio equally inclined to this or that ( As A¢acedo again{t D/P. Phildf. Moral. qH 4- Tho. white confeffeth with others 5) For then all Habits or Inclinations rc) fence of Lié eae ty ng deto this rather chan that, deftroyed Liberty: Buc in an Indetermination fedtibility. with a Power of felf-determining: which power is called indifferent, becaufe it is a Power (0 this or that, and not becaufe it is equally énclined, no. nor equally a Power to either. For there may be éequality, ; ; Boch, ee ae ae;
" 181.When Dr. + Ti = with Bradwardine * about the definition of free- + rwif de Scien deded.a. will, (which pofttss omnibus ad agendum requifitis poteft agere vel non agere) °3:P 265. . limiteth [omtbus | tofecond caufes, Agzatus playeth upon his overfight, Dip. 1. ea he asifhe faid chat [Agere poffet voluntas fine requifitis ex parte caufe pri- * Vid. Bradwpard, Lee ma. \ But no pr Dr. Twiffe meant the limitation as to che non-agere 1011S Palin. only: and chat with the explication [on quafs motio Divina fit inter ejuf- | moat pre-requifpta que voluntatem creatam indifferehtem relinguat. | Though indeed we cannot imagine that the case fecunde fhould operate and poncre omnia ad agendum requifita fine prima, And we may well fay indeed that Voluntas pote/t non apere, if the fecond caufe only do its part, _ non potcft omnino agere, ‘This therefore fhould be better opened. . de sy: ’
. 82. If by [omnibus requifitis] be meant only [meré neceffariis fine.
wibus ayere non poteft Voluntas | this taketh not away the AZoral
much leis the Watwral ) Power ad agendum vel non-agendum, nor — neceffarily
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
* That Auguft. Anfelme y Lomcard, Aquin Scotus, held fome Liberty confftent with neceflity, fee their words cited by Pemattus lL 1. Co 15+ Pe 32 And 40 doth Alph.a Caftr. adver. Here. in verb. Libert. for which fee Rada Vol.y. moft accuritcly.
+ Duid fit Libertas, vide Ockaim Quodl. ¥. gq. 16.
& Soncin. Meta. 1.9.4q.17.
& Scot.r. d. 29. lit. F. & Waldenf. Dod. fid. antig. [1.1.¢. 25 8& Medin. 1. 2. q. 6. art. 2. Bannes I. p. q. 83. art. 1. dub.2. couch 2. prob. 4. and many déefintte cited by Pennottus 1.1. 6. 33+ p.63- Vid. Pennot. le. ¢. 3. five fenfes of Liberty: Bur it isno perfec diftriburion. And whereas c29.14. he maketh only Eledion as diftin® from Volition ( in four re- {pects ) to be the formal act of the Will as free, It is true as frecdom is taken in the narroweft fenfe, as above-cited: Ent there is a frecdom alfo of all Volitions: Ard there is One common Notion of Liberty which is a genus to beth. And he confeffeth that the will 2d finem is free quoad extrcitium adins.
¥ Aug.de Nat.& Grat.cap. 46. Perquasa abjurdum eft ut ¢deodicamus non pertineve ad Voluntatem noftram quod beaté effe volumus, quia ¥d emnino nolle non p flenus: mec dicere audemus gdto Deum non Voluntatem, fed necelfitatem havere yuftitie 5 quia non potzt Velle peccare.
He that would fully fee the fenfe of Anguftin ,
Erofser and Fulgentins de —
Liebert. with leaft-labour, let him read all their own words in Panl. Iren. his Titas Patrum
~ The common doarine that Election or comparate Volition is only de Medtis, 1s falfe: No one thing is neceffarily our end, God 1s refufed by the wicked : Felicity
may be refufed if put in
competition with publick gced or Gads will.
Fe is a Beaft that would net cheofe to be annihilated, rather than the World or kingdoms fhould be annihilated, But the fimple Volition here Is necetary.
neceflarily determineth it. But there may be fuch an effeQual or * potene operation on the will, as thall Certainly and Conftantly determine it, by caufing it to determine it felf: and antecedently take away its Aforal power ad contrarinm, though not éts Natural, Of the difference between the Natural and Moral power, I fhall fomewhat“infift, and elfewhere more at large. | : ab.
4 The Natural Liberty of the Will muft be diftinguifhed from its Moral Liberty (from evil difpofitions } and its Political Liberty ( from reftraining Laws. ) | pe :
184. The Natural Liberty feemeth to f confift in thefe three things
1. That the Will asa finite dependent Creature, be a Power given and
upheld by God of fe/f-determining or morally fpecifying its own acts,
without any weceffitating Pre-determiner (Divine or humane:) ‘Where
note that all Divine Predetermination taketh not away that Liberty: But
not to be. able to determine it felf without Divine Phyfical Efficient Predetermination, is inconfiftenc with its Natural Power and Liberty, 2. Liberty containeth the Wills Empire over the inferiour faculties (refpedtively with variety, Defpotical or Political.) 3. Tobe from under the power
of any: creature, asto mecefitation, = > — ee
185, Asthe Poffe Velle boc vel illud, velle aut non veélle ( in quibufdam) fine divinavel alia extrinfica pradeterminatione, is the Wills Natural Liberty, {0 mot to be pre-determined to fin, (in-aéf or habit) by God or creatures, isthe wells Political Freedom, or Libertas Conditionis, as Dr. Twéffe calleth it: which God himfelf hach given it, and never taketh away from ic, | 3 3
186, And tobe Habstually and Attually Holy, is the Wills Ethical Liberty ; which all men have Joff fo far as they are corrapted by fin > and all men have recovered, {o far as they are fanctified by Grace. “This is the Free-will which Grace reftoreth to us.
187. Habzts do not determine the Will infallibly per modum natura; or neceffitate its act, Becaufe a man oft aéteth contrary to habits.
188, There are fome things which watwral Inclination infallibly caufeth the Will to determine it {elf to, without the lofs of its primary natural Liberty, —_ = ¢ | _ 189. For all Liberty lyeth not in fuch an Indifferency as Aforally may fall.cither way: Bue a‘certain Watural Liberty is confiftent witha conftant certainty Of felf-determination ex Inclinatione Natwrali, as 1. To a fimple * Volition Of our own felicity; 2. As to a. fimple Volition Boni fenfbile qua talis. 3.As toaVolition medi unict, nott, ubi nibil repugnat, -
190. And yer here, Imean but qaced fpecificationem actus: For quoad exercitiums itmay be omitted, 2, Teorikne it to fimple Volition , which may confit with + Comparate Nolition of. the fame thing. 7
191, Some Habits are fo ftrong, thae ( wich the Concurrence of convenient objects and circumftances,) the Will doth never a@ againft them 3 and though they donot ab/o/utely mecefitate, not take away the Natural power ad contrarium, yet do they conftamly procure that power to determine it felf well or illaccording tothem, as refembling a Natural Inclination in {ome degrce, a | ? os 192. That which is commonly called ziberty is not the greateft exceldency of the will or. felicity of man, Anindifferent and undetermined ftate, is a middle ffate between that of Brutes and Angels, and is fittedto a Vietorscondition. But {o far as Grace and Holy Habits fix the will to aconitant certain felf-determination to Good, fo far is it fet in fuch a Liberty of excellency as Gilieuf defcribeth, above our fate of lool indifferency.
and Decrees of God, &e. -
193. Becaufe Order is neceffary to aclearand full underftancing, and all our controverfies are indeed refolved into this of T'ree-will, Iwill here delineate it, as I underftand it.
E L FREE-WILL as to the Quid nominit is ambiguous as to the Objet, and is I, Libertas proprie dita : Qua femper eft Libertas ab alique Melt |
| { A malo Efecto st. A Peccato XY. Adtaali 2. Habituall.
Viz. 2.4 Miferia 1, Privativa 2. Pofitt stun, Viz,
ites A Mali (1. Supra nos: (Deas Optimus Malum peccati non efficit.) : ‘a ciente 1]. Intra nos: Abinclinatione Natural determinante pe | malum, | ri. a I. te Angel 1. Bonis 5 Gut nec nis. | volant nec ¢ poffunt. y- |X, Extray. : | S2- Malis: qui non | mos, Vila _ poffunt. t
2. Hominibus Qui non po wnt.
2. Rebas: objettie, Cxc,que non necefatant.
{lL sapren nos 3 G Bess peccatune non Cat fat moraliter. )
71. a 1. Prava inclinatione.. Volun- 23 2, Malis Habitibus.
WIL, Zntre pnt n05s 2. Ab ignorantia cy errore Intelle ius.
| i 7 1 Qa. Bonis: Qui neminem ad melum allicinnt. .
- I. Ne Tyrannide 1. Boma vetent,
iz . 2, Mala pracipt ant.
| | © fpectes: 2. Gradus. | i |. Homini- }2. Ne falsa.dottrina Intelleftam bu, viz. ). COrrumpant. | 3. Ne pragtice nostentent Se. cebris 2. Nocumentis, | 3.4 Rebus 1. Terrorems incutientibus, &c. | 2. Allicientibus. | | I, Deficientia | Phyficd: diftinguenda at ante
Ill. iia Mal: de Cana efficicate
{
: F | II. zebertas
3. Adibus(ad pejus ducentibus.)
2. Melis: 1.Quoad tentationum
2 4 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
I. Quod Majus quid eff , ut Do-
I]. Libertas Improprie didte: : minatio,
cum illud dicitur Libertas 2. Quod Minus: utpote Boni nihil continens:
1, A Dei Gubernatione > per Leges c} judicinm.
i I. Ad Pi ie VIZ, )2. 4 Dei Attrattione G Determingtione Gratiofa thertas & finali,
~ 3. A Det Dominio & difpofitione arbitraria.
(I. A Voluntatis Inilinatione natarali ad Bonum na-
| |. A Voluntatic Habitn Confirmato, cy Perfeétione, 4
3 aka Inclinante ad bonum PRE, Deum [cilicet, fanhie Ad lotray | Aitatem, caleftia. |
Me inthitum,
| a 3+ Ab Intellecins Lumine [pecificante attum per Bot
| I. Lilt a Angelirum Gubernatione cr Auxili tise
a 1. Inflruttione per doétrinam: ;
IIL ‘Ad Ex- 587 AB Bo minum 2. Regimine neceffario yy Leges, tray Viz. 3. Auxiliis amitis ( in (pitita- | — altbus, &c.)
“hy AA Bonitatis i ia acterminante attrattione. +
I mention all II thef Obje&ive DiftinGions, as about the Common ufe and abule of the Name of LIBERTY or Free-will, that you may be able to examine mens words that shall mention it.
from Stz, 2. Out Polttieal L, . fhall {peak only of the Natural Liberty in hand: And there fhew
. and Decrees of God, Kc. - 194. UL As to the thing it cif: palling by our, 1. Moral ziberty. feb ee reftraints of Rulers. 3. 1
% ae | | , VM sluntatens effe fut Deo principium | propria determinations, c attuum fworum Dominam, poten-
| tem fe pradeterminare fine neceffitante pradetermi-
Il. Effentialt-< natione, Divina vel serabas agp |
ter, - J% o> era ceteris facultatibns ( fed diver{é. )
3. Abfolute, diretie cy proprie, nulli. {ubjict preter.
LY Dewmy
1. Non Angels vel Damonibus.
Ch Ab extra: 2. Nox Hominibus, imperuntibas, fnadenntibns Bit. 3. Non Objethis, (ficut eff appetitus bratorum.)
featant. |
ceffant.) .
Tre ote, nec anferre bonas.
“a byes 2. efter milos Habitus, ant auferre wibil potest bonos: ( neceffario.) -
4 3, Determintre chm 4d Altus males ne.
eo fo SS teffarian |
ED, Conle- S11. ia Ber mee vel Malans morale poffe age.
L qmeénter. | oe uN re, fi velim: > )
‘| Perfone Lé-, . Poffe mon uelim, G malum non
| triam eff, Me 3. Polfe felicem effe fi velim, & non In- - _ ° falicem nife Voluntario péccantem.
Il. Quglis fit: fg; Libertas Vokintatis, a oa3 | (1. te Volitione fimplici fen Amore
| er "] om + propria falicttatis, ‘ | oe. | tet en, Ja taVolitione fimplici few Amore. Quodd Altus fpe- ‘| sate convent- os 9. a are ) cote natura.) Bim fenfibilis, oe cificationem, fee (3 In Velitione Medi snici faliciie ae " patis, omnimode bont, ° |
‘hs In Subjettione G Amore erga Casfam priman
(€reatorem.) |
|. In Volitione fimplict Dei ut Finis, & Boni fpirituals, | pee Se eihadee 3. In done el ge wbi. plures Pop rae i a neceffitate 4 In Elettione Medioram ubi diver fa offeruntur. natur aliViZe 5. In Attu Intendendi finem elettum,quoad Exercitiun, | 6. ln Uf Medtorani,e facultatibus fubditis imperandis.
III, Qussuplex fir Libertas Voluntatis | 1. Libertas Contradiftionis, vel Exercitit, viz, Velle aut Non-velle s 3 \ Nollie ant Nonenolle. ~. oe 7 oF 2. Contrarietatis, few [pecificationis quoad Actum, viz. Velle aut Nolte. . 3 Competitionis, Comparationis, vel Contrarietatis, vel (pecificattwis, quoad Objects: Viz. Velie aut Hoc aut Ilud; Nolle Hocvel illed.
Roe
1, Now fenfibus vel phantafie, dune objects pre-
7 ‘Yl, Ab intri. 22. Non Paffionitus 5 ( tamet(i meoleftiam ci fa
1. imprimere ei malas inclinationes,
‘Vid. D’Orbellis m 2. d. 25. dub. 2, de diftingt. li beri. avbitriis
* If you will put the queftion, Whether bomo /apfus fine auxilio gratia polit refiftere gravi tentationi? Vel An polit efficaciter diligere Deum fine eratie fpeciali auxilio , &c. The Schoolmen will ordinarily fay, No, as well as Proteftants. Vid. Careres Sum. Theol.
t Natura humana, ejufque potentie Naturales, quamvis mere naturales int, fibé innatam proferunt potentiam receptivam gratia, immo etiam potentiam activam ex fe aptam ut fimul cum divino auxilio vitaliter producat fupernaturalem actum fides,charitatss, &c. Ruiz.
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
195. If any man will difpuce about Free-wél named and not defined or diftinguifhed, nor cell usin what fenfe he caketh:ic; or if Divines will redioufly and fiercely difpute 4x fit, before they Agree or prove, Quid fit, they are fitcer to be pittied, than tobe read or heard.
SECT. X. Of Natwral and Moral Power as fore- fen,
196. Nd _ having here anticipated the Doctrine of Free-will, F will ( as fitteft for che Readers ufe ) connex the Difference of the Natural and Moral Power of thew: or Afaz , as it eometh under Prefcience and Decree.* a | Power is called Naturad in all thefe refpects: 1. Becaufeit isin oar Natures and we have it from our birth. 2. Becaule it is effential tothe foul. 3-Becaufe it operateth per modum mere natu¥a, quantum in fe, and not freely. Mans foul hath three Powers called Facultzes, The Vital-Ative, The Jntellective, and The Volitive Power: Of which the two firfiare x2tural inall thefe three refpects, in themfelves confidercd: But the sill is natural only in the two firft refpects ; And fo are the other two fo far as they are imperate by the Will, being, as imperate, participatively Free.
197. Power is called Aforal, 1. Becaufe iris ét felf Atorally Good or Evil,
as a Difpofition of the foul. 2. Becanfe it is a Power to Moral Attions.
3. Becaufe icisnotcalled A POWER in theftri@ phyfical fenfe,: but
Morally, that is, Reputatively, called Quaft Potentia, a ere
198. ‘Two things are called:'a Adoral Power: 1. The Natural Powers
themfelves, not funply as Natural, but asthus Agorafy qualified. 2. The
Moral difpofition of the Natural powers. T sj
199... Morality is firft {eated in the will, and from it our Power is firft called Aforal: But yet it is fecondarily in the other two faculties,
200. As to Dr. Twiffe his faying, that Potentia non fundatur in Potentia, ( Moralis feiltcet in Natural, and as others fay, Accidens non fundaturin accidente:) 1 anfwer 1. Potentia univece fic ditts non fundatur in potentia: But thé is notfuch. 2. It is falfe chat accidens now fundatur in accédente, as the inftance of Relation proveth: Theterm [ Accident’ ] isindeed fo ambiguous, as proveth that the diftribution of all things firft into Swbftance and Accidents isnot genuine and congruous, but inept. If
‘ you will call Calor, Lamen, or Motus Accidents, and call Gradws alfo an Accident, and thenfay, that Caloris, Luminis, Adotus, non dantur diverfi gradus, becaule Accidentis non eft acctdens, you are not to be believed. And if you will fay that Ordois an Accident, and that Qualitatum, Altionum, &c, non datur ordo, itis falfe. 3. Butcthe worft of che error is, thac the Natural Powers are called Accidents, which is a falfhood of very ill tendency in many refpe@s: They are the very formal Effence of the foul. And furely the foul may have its Good or Evil Difpofitions.
' 201. Thereisin the very Effence of the atural Power or faculty, befides the Vis vel Virtas agendi,.a certain Natural: Inclination to fome things, which is Infeparable from it, from which the Schoolmen fay even of the wil that it is guedam Natura, @ pondus anime. So the foul is Inclined ox propenfe ( and not only Able) to Activity as fuch, to Intellection aS fach, to Volition as fuch; and objectively to Trs#th as fuch, and to Natural Good and felscity as fuch. . And there is an Inclination — a ou
and Decrees of God, &c.
foul, which is not effential and infeparable, but is much under the power
of che Will, and may be got and: /off, | 2.
202. This adventitious Difpofttion, is found ia the foul in various Degrees: 1. When it isin {uch a Degree only, as that immediately and properly without any other power added, the will may be faid to be Able" to
Ad thus or thus, then it is called.4 Aforal Power: Buc when it is in:fach
a degree, as that we are Di/pofed to AG promptly and eafily, it is called
203. He therefore: that is fo far dt/pofed to any Good act;-and whofe indifpofition , Or difpofttion to the contrary, is butfuch, as thatin his preferic
ftate, without any more help than * he hath, he can move. his own will to the
faid act, and the difficulty is not fo great, but chat.fuch Power fomctime
doth overcome it, is faidtohavea Aforal Power. But hethat wanteth not
Natural force or power, but only a right Difpofition of his will, and fo
far wanteth it, as that none in his cafe 4o ever change their own acts to
good, without more help and power than he hath, is faid to.be asorally
unable or impotent: and notonly to want the Habit. a
204. Whether the Watsral Powers be properly called 4 Power to Believe, Repent, Love God, ec. without the AZoral: Power or right difpofition? though it be a queftion of fome ufe among the Contenders about chefe
matters, yet it is chiefly de omine, and therefore of the: lefs moment.
Power or faculty, whichcan Believe-and Repent if duly pale and dx
fpofed: - But through an i Dé/pofttion and contrary. courfe of ation, and want
of due excitation, that Power will not Ac, without Gods. {pecial Grace.
Which [ will not ] fignifiech, 1. The Undifpofedne/s, 2: The Non-agen:
cy: Andin ftricteft fpeech, the former is beft exprefled by The will és
undifpofed and averfe to Believe, ec.) and the latter by. [ The frill | doth
not confent. | But the firft may be, expreffed.by [ 1¢ cannot} becaufe it
willnot come to pafs: Though it isho fuch [Cannot]: as'is diftin@ from
{ will mot ] butthe very fame. And as [ Power’) is diftin@ fom [will]
and a man is {aid to be 4b/e to dochae which [hei can do if: be willl, fo
no doubt buc he that sll Believe and Repent-, can do it, fo far ashe is
willing. And this is it that Augu/tine fo much pleadeth for, when. hé
syculd have us diftinguith [:Ca#not ] and [will not], and when he faith,
that Poffe Credere eft Omnium; Credere autem fidelinm. $e.
205. To the fuller opening of this, note rhe following Conclufions.
No man doth that which hecasnot do, at thatinftam®, = =: -*
206. Humane ( andall created ) Power is dependent, and is not properly
‘a. Power to do any thing, but on {uppofition of Gods Emanant fupport and
concurfe, as he is the firft Caufe of Nature. — -_ =
207. Humane Power is fizite, and is not.a Power ad omnia, but ad
bec: whichtherefore are called Pofible tous.’ © a
228. Power being a Relative word, it maybe faidto: be nullified ad hoc
by analteration of the Object only: Asif you double the weight, that man
may be Unable to bear it, who Could bear it when it was lefs : -when the object is changed, and not the powerindeed, aes oe
209. Power fuppofeth the due object and its due propofal of ftate. We
have 0 Power to fee invifibles, to underftand things not intelligible, to
will chings not apprehended to be good, and not forevealed, Ge... -*
210. The three Conjunct Powers of the foul fuppofe each other, thouglt
they are not formally the fame: We have no Power to will objects not #2der flood, nor to wuderfland, will or execute without Vital-activity 5 nor:
to wader /tand moft chings without the wills determination ad seeing
211. The
* Yer the Fefuits themfelves (as Rusx ubi fup. ) are not fo mutch for the.
or indifferent, yea, heinous fins themfelves. And that the beginni of Juftification ( Sané- a) 18 not Reds e ftrength or endeavours ae eat bur from Grace y proveth in the whole di/p. 17,18. as Vafquerand Suarez and gp Ada alfo do. + Of this fee Mr.Traman’s Treatife of Natural and Moral Impotency, and Mr. willsam Fenners n0table h ular Tractate of ' itl Lnpenitency.
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
211. Thedue qualification alfo of the Jaferionr faculties ( tha Senfes, and Phantafie, and grt | is fuppofed co the being of true Power, We never had Power to fee without eyes, nomorethan without Light. . This Power of the Inferiour faculties fome call Potentia fecunda, as cothe acts of the Superiour, _ } mck
212. Itis mo true Power ad hoc, which is put to overcome a Greater oppofing Power. Wenever had Power to overcome God, or to act againit his pre-moving pre-determination (as Bradwardine truly faith. )
_ 213. Aman may be Able mediately to do that which he is not Ad/e Immediatelytodo: Imeanhe that can write with a Pen, or move things
with an Engine, and foa& but as a partial, though —— Caufe, may
not be Able to write without a Pen, nor to do the fame alone as a Total Caufe, Oo | | a 214. Andaman may have Power to dothat Afediately and Hypothett-
_ cally hereafter, which he Cannot do Jmmediately, that is, at the prefent time. . He can cesrs to write, and after can write, who cannot write till he
-
hath learnt. Thus Tofants have a remote Power of (peaking, and Infidels of bekeving. | : 215. Noman Dosh all that he is truly and properly 46/e to do.
|. 246, Noman doth all chat he is Difpofed and Habited to, Sudden ob-
- jets oft carry us againtt ftrong Habis.
217. Amanerdsnarily willeth and Acteth accordmgto the predominant
"Habits of his foul; if he have objects and means.
218. Aman alwayes willeth that which he is folely difpofed to will, or
“>. gxoft defpofedto will, at chat moment; and which he apprehendeth (wb om- :: aaipeoda ratione boni: Much more if he were perfectly Habited to it, in his '"* Pitabity, IntelleF and will... -: )
319. Noiman adteth without the Effential fundamental Inclination to Good and td Natural feliciey : Bue a man may by fudden inftigation and eccafions will that which before he hadno particular difpofition to : A Power may bé without a Habic, 7 |
220. No Good mans Habits here are perfec? in goodnels.
- 221. No Bad man bere isat the worft ; nor deftitute of all Moral Power to all — commanded him of God.
_' 222. A bare Aforal Power which cometh not up to be an Jnclination or Habit, determineth not the +1 of it felf. :
223. Habits tendto the wills determination per modum nature, ut appesitus ; But they are not fufictent to it, or neceffary determiners de CUEBTM. | . 92g Weak Habits are oft bom down : Strong ones rarely, yet fometimes. _
245. Anunholy foul is much more Zmpotent as to the great Internal Acts of Loving God, delighting in hin, &c. than coany meer extemal A& which the Natural Power extendethto: And foare the regenerate in thac mature as they are unrenewed.
. .336, But weare more able to Leve or will aright, than to work and Do aright; becaufe here both muff concurr, which requireth more Power than eo¢ alone, KE. g.to Rule the Thoughts aright requireth more Power thanto be willing to rule them, —
227. Yetihthat meafure chat aman is willing to do Good, he is AMorally able, ( and more than able ) Becaufe Avorality being firft feated in the will, it is no farther Aterally Good or Bad, than it is Poftively or PrivasevelyNolentary. He that is fixserely willing, is fincerely Abke, and he that. is Penfecily willing, is perfeiwy able ¢ and more. ) : Saks 228, Every
and Decrees of God, &e. |
the Obligation, as being obliged by God to Moral Good. _
229, And becaufe Obligation prefuppofeth fome true Power to obey, mediately or immediately, prefent or former when the Law was made, therefore mans Natural faculties, though undifpofed, are thus far called a moral power cochecommanded a@& 7 ;
SECT. XI. whether God bind Men to Impoffibiliti es.
His leads us to the queftion, Whether God bind men to
things — Where we muft needs diftiaguifh 1. OF
difability Astecedens tothe Law, and Confequent. 2. Medigte and Inmediate. 3. Between Impoffibles as fuch, and as Things, Hated or Nilled.
4. Between Primary and Secondary Moral ats. And fo Tanfwer,
231. 1. No Law of God (or juftmen ) birtdeth tothings Natarally Jmpofible before the Law was made and broken, by an Jwimediate oblioffible, | fo ass Fe ge EE Ow ; Paes OB 5 ' 233. The obligation of a Law ceafech; when the ehing cottimanded be. cometh Jmpofitble without the fubjeétsfaul. 7 934. Every fin is Voluntarium-prohibitum : Bind fo far as Impofible things may be Voluntaria-prohibita (whichis all the doubt ) {fo far they may be fins. . . Lea" e . - 7, .
233. Gods Lawis Antecedent to our practice, and mediately ex parte fe bindeth us at once to all that we muft de to the End of our Lives. As if a Mafter in the Morning command his fervant his work till night, Therefore as if that fervant purpofely break his Spade or other Tools that he may not work, he is not therefore fo difobliged as to be guilrlefs; even fo when man by fini difableth himfelf to his commanded duty the Law is not changed, but is ftill che fame, nor is he thereby excufed. , |
236. Hete the Primary fin is that which contracted che Impotency : The Secondary finis the Jpotency it felf, thus wilfully contracted and {eated in che wil | The third tank is the mot doing of all that was firft commanded, andthe dving of all chat was forbidden. 7 |
237. Bucif ic be not only a Aloral Vicions Impotency that is contracted (fuchas the habitual unwillingnefs in queftion ) but a Phyfical Impotency (as if a man drunk himfelf ftark asad, or bind, crc.) thisisa fiz (and the confequent acts and omiffions ) not fimply in it felf confidered, but fecandum qsid, and participatively, asit partaketh of the firft fin, which is defcribed it felf tobe [4 Volaatary forbidden ait difabling ms to future duty, and virtually containing 4 finful life to the end.) . .
338. Burif it bechis Phyfical Impoffibility chat is contracted, then though the Law changenot, yet the Subjects capacity being changed, ftrictly and properly God is not {aid after to Oblige him by that Law, becaufe he is hot Receptive and Capable of {ach mew obligations ; And yet he is not difoblized as tohisbeneft. Forno man gettech a rightto any benefic by
228. Every mans Natwral faculties may be called Aforal Powers as to
Quando preceptum fuper-. naturale obligat, non poteft vitaré peccatum contra bl- Ind ab{que auxilio gratia. Pet. 2 S.Jofeph. Thef. Univerf. Theol. de auxiliis p.83. , AlliacsCamerate 1. 4. 14- R. faith, 1. We cannot be bound to a fimple imgation, | 8 Finn. 4 i pottbilicy 2, We may 232. A juft Law may smtecedently bind us tsediately to thae which is; nitty Cas chat his immediately impoffible. So he that cannot Read, may: be bound to Read fin paft had not been, mediately; that is, firft te Learn, and then to Read. And Past requireth thoughhe doubr ofthis.) : os; | Bae eee | 4. He may be bound to men to work with their hands, thas they may have ‘to give to him that need- thac which is not in his eth, ( and thento give; ) which yet before they have got #, is im- pore do of himfelf: i ek, every one is bound
habere gratiam 3 & quilibet viator fide infufam : & tamen noneft in creature poreflate afbivas
That a neceffiry contra-
&ed by our own fault (as
by drunkennefs') excufetch not from guilt, fee Angufte 1. de Natur, & Gratele 67. & Aquin, tte Ae de 500 qo 2+ ds Te
Vid. Bellarmin. de Grate ce lib, arb. livg. per totum 5 CO Ce 30. ae dijt. neceffitatis.
Bradwardine plainly faith li... Co9e po OTS. that
Nullus attus nofter eft fempliciter in noftra poteflate ( we grant not abfolutely and independently ) fed tantum fe- ‘cundum quid, vefpectu Caw- Jarum fecundarum. Nihil eft in noftra potefta- .
te nifi fubactiva 4 fubexecutiva & fubferviente neceffario, necefitate naturaliter precedente, refpectu voluntatis divinee Quo geo in noftra dicitur potefkate, quia cum volumus sllud facimus voluntarie e non inviti. So that by himno creature was ever able to do more or lefs than it doth, exce ou call him able to do it, that can do it when - God makes him do tt:
Of the Nature; Knowleage, Wall his faule. What then? Why, the Precept totiat ian is paft into a Virtual Fudiciary Sentence, condemning him as ditobecicnt, even as it is with chofe in Hell. | | 239. Therefore fince the fall, the Law of /wmocexcy in it felf is the fame, which once faid [ Thow fbalt continue perfectly Innocents] but it doth not properly oblige us asa Law to that Innocency or perfectivn which we were born without, becaufe we are become uncapable fubjects: Much lefsis that Jenocency now the Condstion of any Promife or Covenant of God; as if he ftill faid [Be perfonally and perpetually Innocent, and thou fhale live; and that thon maift live. | Butthe Law being ftill the fame, we thac are uncapable of the dwty, arenot uncapable of the guzlt and condemnation: And therefore the Law and Covenant are now become a Virtual Sentence of Condemnation for not obeying per fonally, perfectly and perpetually to, the death. Foshe that hath once made Ianocency Naturally Impiffrdle to him, is Virtually in the cafe of one that hath perfeveredto the death in fin
240. Butif thecontracted Impaffibilicy be not Phyficad but Azoral, the cafe is quite different. For chen the. thing is a threefold fin in it felf as aforefaids 1. The dsfabling fin, 2.The véctous Difabslity or Maliznity of the Well. 3. And the ster fin thereby committed, and omiffion of duty.
More of Phyfical and Moral Impotency.
241. 1. Norighteous Law forbiddeth Phyfical Impotency as fuch, nor commandeth men Phyfical Impoffibilities, as is faid ; But Gods Laws primarily forbid the malignsty of the Will, which is its Aforal Impotency...
242. 2. Rulers ufe not to make Pusifbments for Phyfical Impotency ; But for the wills ALalignity God doth. Bod a a
243. 3. Rulers ufe not to propound Rewards for Phyfical Impofibiliies § = for the fruits of Aforal Sanétity or Habits, and for themfelves,
244. 4. No jut Judge condemneth men for Phy fical Impotency; But for Moral Godand man do. bakes | _
1 “Moral malignity God and man do. ,
246. 6.An inlightned Con[cience accufeth and tormenteth no man for meer Phyficat Impotency and Impoffibilities: But for the wills Atalignity Confcience will torment men. So that ic is evident that one fort of Impotency maketh an aét no fin (in its degree) andthe other maketh ica greater fin. For Nature and common notices teach men to judge thar the More Willingnefs, themore cw/pabsisty, Buthe chat hath Adéwaland Habitual wilfulnefs, and is as fome Adulterers, drunkards, revengeful perbut that isnottobeable fos, proud, covetous, ec. Who are fo bad that they fay, J cannot choofe,
before, or when he aye che worft of
not caufed to do it.
allthe forts of finners, by fuch difapilicy.
247. Ic is moft probable that God overcometh Aforal Impotency, and giveth Aforal Power, by Moral Means, and Operations: For though God can give ic by a proper Creation.without Aforal Means, and we cannot
~ fay that he never doth fo, nor how oft he doth or doth nots yet it is moft
probable that his {pecial Grace, doth by his Trine Influx of Power, wifdom and Goodnefs, Life, Light and Love, fufcitate the natural faculties of the foul to the firft {pecial AG, and by it caufe a holy Habit, which he radi-
_eateth by degrees; Andthis is Metaphorically a Creation..
248. This is certain, that fince the fall we have the fame effential faculties, that Original fin is not as Zyricus fo long and obftinately main-
_ tained ( though an excellently good and Learned man) a Subftance, though
it be the Pravity of a fubftance: And chat finchanged not the humane {pecies; Nor doth Grace change our fpecies, Ic is certain chat the Acts of | thefe
the(e fame xatural faculties are commanded to all men, even the unregenerate, under the names of Fasthand Repentance ; And fo thefe are their
duties. And ic is certain, that a Comfe of Moral means (preaching, . reading, meditating, conference, threatnings, promifes, mercies, afflicti-
_ons ) are appointed and ufed to the procuring the faid faculties to perform thefe commanded acts : It is certain that thele Means have an Aptitude to
their end: And that God worketh by his own means: And appointeth -
not man to ufe themin vain; And that in working Grace, God preferveth and reformeth Nature, and worketh on Man as Man: . and according tothe Natureof his means = nen 2 ¢ 249. AndI think none dare deny, bue that God is Able by his Spirits powerful operation, without any Antecedent new Habic or diipofition, ta {et home thefe fame means fo effectually on. the Natural powers of the foul, as hall excite themto the firft Acts of Faith and Repentance: And by them imprint a Habit, asis faid,and fhall be faid again in Part 3, And if he Cas dofo, and Cas do otherwife, which then is likeft nia 9 ordinary way, I leave tothe abfervers of Scripture and Experience, |
450. This is the Common. fenfe of Divines, who place Vocation, exciting the firft act of Faith and Repentance, before Union with Chrift, and before Sanctification, which giveth the habit, ill Mr. Peasble Vind. Grat. taught otherwife, whom Bifhop G. Dowssame confuted in the Appendix to his Treatife of Perfeverance, | = 7
251. As to the queftion, How thw Grace is called Infufed, and not Natural ? \ antwer, Icis called sefufed and Supernatural, hecaufe, 1. Ic is not wrought by any Natural-moral means only, but by Supernatural-moral means, Viz. Revelation, in and by che Gofpel of Chrift. 2. Andthis fupernacural Revelation cannot work it, without the fpecial extraerdinary operation and. impreffion by the Holy Ghoft, above, the common concurfe of
God with all his Creatures, as he.is foms nature, Thisthe Schools have
Metaphorically called Jafufiow. | |
252. Buc it may be called Watura/, 1, Inthat mans Natural faculties receive Gods Influx, 2. And i hades the at: 3.And are perfected by it as the Natural body is by Health. -
253. And what che difference isex parte. Dei agentis ( cr ex parte effe- étns ) between Gods Natural and Gracious. operations, I fhall after open in the third Part. |
254. The Schoolmen, efpecially the scats/'s and Ockam, and many Francifcans, Bexedictines, and other Fryers ( yea, {ach Oratorians as Gibieuf) Have fled fo high in making Grace fupernatural, (feigning a ftateof pare — Naturals that had none ) and talk fo phanatically of the Desfication of ©
the foul, as I think hath enfnared fome Sectaries among us to imitate
them, feigning thac che firft Covenant is Aforaé as a Lem, and the fecond.
Covenant is the very é#-being of 4 Divine Natare, whichthey ( though
obfcurely ) feemto defcribe as fomewhat above all Habits and Inclinati- 075, put into our own nature, like another form or foul: Which over-doing -
rendeth totempt men to Infidelity, by doubting whether mans Nature was
made by the Creator co enjoy God in Heaven or nor, when it myft be made
another thisgto attain it. |
SECT. XII. Of Scientia Media.
255. Frer this. Digreffion about our Will and Powers as the objects
A of Gods Knowledge and Decrees, I return to the Doétrine de
Scientia Media. Andthat God knoweth from Eternity the rrath of all
conditional gee that are true, is paft all doubt, If we = {uppofe that God had eternal propofitions. No doubt but he knoweth now
chat fuch propofitions are true [Jf fuch Canes be put, they will or will
not produce thisor that as the fe. 71
256. But if it be an Jmsperfection to have mental propofitions to know
by, and God knoweth not 4y them, but only knvoweth them as the inftruments and way of humane knowledge, (For no doubt but he knoweth all
that’s ours, ) Thenit muft be faid thac he had from eternity, but the foreknowledge of the Creatures conditional propofitions. And who can well
determine this ¢
257. And this will lead the arrogant difputers to other enquiries no
lefs difficult, Whether it be only or. primarily the Propofition it felf as
ens vationis humane or as the Thought of mans mind which God knoweth,
or the ves ab homine cognita, that is, futurition itfelf ¢ Andif the former, How God knoweth them to be Trse? If the latter, How he knéweth
258. And here inextricable difficulties will ftill arife -before them,
‘Whether to have the notion of futwrity, be not a part of the Creatures
imperfection? Whether God know not all things as prefext?- Whether
[ Nothing] be properly Intelligible in ie felf ¢ Whether it be not only
Propofitions de nihilo that are known, andnot the épfum nihil, (fach as fu-
‘turition is?) Whether to afcribe {uch knowledge of [ Nothing |] and {uch
— or propofitions to God, beto alcribe perfection or Imperfeétion to
259. If we may or muft fay that God from eternity fore-knew our Propofitions of future contingents, which are Conditional, yet we muft not fay
* Mic. D'Orbellis faith, or chink thathis knowledge quoad attum is conditional, {o asthatthe Crea-
Sue ecdin bee. tures ftate is the condition of Gods Knowledge in it felf: But only that
approbationis, vifons. & the object is a conditional prepofstion, {peaking the Condition of the event
api tinge as eit “* -fore-knowa: From which Gods Act is denominated conditional only denorum: Cognitio Vifionis mominatione extrinfeca, notas an Aét, but as The act.
Eheoram gue fant, furruty 260. We deny not but’God ttiay be faid as truly to know the trath
Ligentia fiw finplicis noti. OF hypothetical as of. abfolute propofitions, If one be the object of his
it yal lt Knowledge, the other is: Which proveth the hypothetical propofition to be
Hie TEAe dire ius Leff perfect than an abfolute, but not Gods knowledge of it to be lef perdum fe; fed fecundum di- fe e
Rinttionem connotatorum.
Fe Bonen wtataum. 261, Nor doth Gods fore-knowledge that Adam will fin in [uch cirdub, 3. Dicerdum quod in chm[tances, make his underftanding depend on the Creature, but only ne to be terminated on the Creature as an object: And fo it doth in 2# diverfas cognitions; e Acts where the Creature is che object: This objection therefore belongeth eles es Rylan alfo co the difpute, Whether God know any thing buc himfelf’ or our of una tantum cacaitie eh himfelf ¢
Sed illa una facit Dewss ' 262, The feigning God to have x himfelf fo many a&ts of knowuod rrr oe Re ledge, really diftinct, and to lye in fwch an order, is intolerable, feeing fignificat— God is moft fimple. But by extrinfecal denomination, his Knowledge
may
conditionals as are meerly di/parate, and have no kind of dependence or
‘the knowledge : it: And if not, the Decree feemeth mentioned to no
and Decrees of God, &c. 43
‘may by us, through our weaknefs and necefity, be diftinguithed accordingco its refpectto diverficy of objects, by inadequate conceptions : Bur
on that pretenceto feign many needle ff di/fributions, is profane,
263. They that think it a good confutation of {ctentia media that Non decreta non funt futura; therefore no futurition can be known but as Decreed, do err much in the antecedent, (For it is falfe chat fiz is Decreed) and are either erroneous or uncertain inthe conclufion, ( For
God fore-knoweth fin {0 far asic is intelligible. )
264. The fenfe of the queftion de Scientia Adedia, is not de conditio- Vide Pet. 2 Sand. Fo
natis nece(jaris, as (If the Sun fet, ic will be night ] Nor yee of fuch etn 7 1. pe 463.
connexion, as [Jf Peter dye quickly, John will live lone :] But of fuich
conditionals, as have fome reafon of the Connexion, and yet leave the
Will in an wndetermined powertoactornot. Bue we know no difference
between thefe ex parte Des Sciestis, but only demominatione extrinfeca ex
parte objects. a |
265. Much lefs dare we conclude with them that Gods knowledge See all this modeftly and
of Conditionals is in God before his s#l to concutr, or that they exift, Wdictoully handled by
For we are not acquainted with fuch priorities and pofteriorities in God, p.1. pe: econ
except by fuch denomination. cluf6.p.127. And Ockam
266. Methinks it is but fumbling to fay with Pet. 2 S. Fofeph suav. yale ca cee
Concord. Difp.4. p. 484. A nemine dubitart Quin 4d cognitionem futuro- Gabr. Biel tb. qx. 1. aot.
7 ity 58 Et Ant. Cordub. queft. 4> yum [ub conditione, nece{[arium {it yf modo decretum divinum 5 cums se Hae aaa ft
nthil poffit effe futurum five abfolute frue fab conditione, nifi Deus ut priwaa Cat{a aut abfolute, aut [ub conditione velit ad iffe conourrere. At See the fhort anfwer in the firft look this feemeth to be fpoken of the case of futuritiox, or of ed: if Sats purpofe: For futurum tantum {ub conditione, is not as fuch. futwrum;
For the condition fulpendech the futsrition : A conditional propofition —
de futaro is as true of chat which will never come to pafs as of chat
‘which will, And if they meanthat God Decreeth e.g. that Fudas thall
fin if he be foand forempted, ic will laycthe canfe of Fades fin more on God in cheir own apprehenfion, than their Caufe or the Truth will bear, For if God Decree that anneceffary Caufes thall certainly effec the thing (fin) fee them take heed of checonfeqnence.. | | 267. Icould never (ee how tht Doétrine de fcrentia media doth at all Pennot. 1.4. c 23. faith, ferve cheir turn: (ecing they ale ic co thew how God kxoweth shat De- 1 Seimiam Mediam maxwe a. . : eae i _ &ma cum probabilitate determinately, which he forefeeth but t2Conditionibas fine quibas non, or it fendi poffe. 26 Hunt mounneceffary and not determining caufes, . And their own an{wer fignifieth ea agit at (denothing more to the purpofe, but that God can know fucure contingents principaliter ee jana by che Infinice perfection of his underftanding, which is moft crue. “But RE SAE edie, that he knowerh chem ever the moe for the fippofition of circimfPances; k4 Solum remote: quia hea. pd, d principalster sla non ponithey never prove, "Therefore the. doGrine.of Gods knowledge of fich: tur in Deo ad conciliandam Conditional propofitions, and contingents as fo ‘circumftantiated; feemeth 47 lébertatem cum Div. Tr ‘ally. (chat Th he Obi NE nde Innowiledo b ecretis: fe ut Deus prorue materially, ( cnat ey ar€é che jects © S KNOW Cs ) DUE vide & fapientiffime omnes falfe efficiently asif they were any Canes of his knowledge, ( which hath dus, maxine liberos déf- | ; : | ara ig ~. ponere polit, e dirigere no Caufe; ) buc only extrinfecal denominaters of it in that a: And it (a opt. fines.
feemeth s#felefand — to their purpofe,
268. For Iconfefs I chink chat we need no more, and are capable of no more co fatisfie us, how God knoweth any thing Intelligible, than to fay, By his Infinite perfection. Man knoweth by Reception ab extra, but fo doth not God. And if the Queft. How doth God know this, fuppole extrinfick efficiency or reception, it is blafphemous ! And I confefs I hear
men difpute How God knoweth? with horrour as I hear men curfe and G 2 7 fwear
Ab omnibus conceffum eft, nullam veritatem fugere inteleAlum Divinum 2 ac proinde propofitiones de futuris contingenttOus, Cnt Elank. de Concord. !1b. cum Decretis. 1. Thef. 49> 50 §1
Rada ubi fupr. ( who was one of the Congregation where it was ditputed before P. Clem.8. and was again{t it;a8 Pet. aS. fofeph and others tell us. }
Non difunt ex nofris qué fccentiam mediam aliquatenus agnofcunt, inquit Stivigits \. Ze Co 13s Pe 675, maming even Gomarrus, Waleus,and Lud. Crocius, as alfo Fucor Martinins and other Lutherans: and are we further from Arminius than Gomarrus was?
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
{wear and blafpheme: knowing how uncapable fuch Moles as we Mortals are of underftanding the intrinfick manner of Gods knowledge , And I deteft the very queftion, and am but perlwading others to deteft it thus underftood,
269. Much more do F think it arrogant prefumption in thofe that difpuce pro [cientia media to fay that God Cay no otherwife know future contingents. As Annatus de {fcient. med. p. 85. contr. Twifl. D. 1. c. Seclufa Scientia Medti non remanere tn Deo prafcientiam abfolutam futurorum costingentium, Et cap. 6. Seclufa Scientia Media non poffe pradefintri @ Deo liberas create voluntatu actiones. O Man! O Worm !.Who art thou that in cafes fo unfearchable dareft affert a on poffe upon the Almighty God thus in the dark !
270. And it is no lefs arrogane in the adverfaries of Scientia Asedia, fuch as fome of our own, and the Scot//s who dare fay that God cannot know future contingents, but in the predefinttion and decrees of his own will. As if we had feen into all his Powers and Ac¢s, who dwelleth in the unacceffible light, Whereas we know little of the {malleft of his works. | . 3
271. And as audacioufly do the Dominicans plead that God cannot otherwife know our future free acts, but by decreeing by immediate identificate premotion to predetermine them as the total firfl efficient caufe. Nothing can be more certain than that we know not How God knoweth, who fcarce know How we know our felves. | |
272, Hethat hath read but one half what is faid upon this fubjec by Z umel, Ripa. Gonzal. Fafol. Arrub. Alniz, Alarcon, Alvarez, Tanner, Ruiz, Greg. Valent. Swuar. Molin.Cantarel, Navar. Curtel.Cabrera, Mafcaren. Verdu, Fonfeca, Mendoz. Leffius, Diotalev. Moncaus, Theophil, in Theolog. Natur. Aigidius Conink, Pennottus, Petr. aS, Fofeph, Annatus, Twiffe, &c. yea or buc any two Contenders, and is not convineed that they talk prefumpruoufly of things which are unknown above their reach, doth not think reverently mo of God, nor knowingly and humbly enough of man: And he that doth but weigh the difficulties which Dw vandus his third opinion caftethin the way, and doth but try to folve well all Lud. a Dola’s Queftions, Part. cap.9. p. 96,97, &c, and to anfwer wellall his arguments againft the #fefulne/s of Sctentia Media, Part 2, and againft the trath of immediate phyfical Predeterminationy Part. 3. and againtt Identificate Concarfe (asto evil actions) Part 4. may foon find that much ‘of thele matters are fo far above us as tobe sothing to us, and unfic to be thought neceflary to our Peace and Concord, | | 273. The old doGrine of Gods Previfion, and this de Scientia Media, in all chat is within our reach come allto one: And they erre that hold ic to run pari paff*, equally about Good and Evil. God fore-knoweth not evil Adts becaufe he wileth them, or the futurity of them, nor becaufe he decreeth to predetermine the willto theact iz fpecée whichis fin: But he willeth to effect that which is Good, and may fo far know it. |
@
and Decrees of God, &c.
SECT. XIII.
Of Gods willand Decreesin General.
274. Ods Decrees de futures and his will de praefentibus are in themt-
G felves the fame, fave as to the extrinfick denomination from the
divers {tate of the connoted objects. oe 7
275. Gods Decrees are not his works in themfelves confidered, but only
when with his execut:ve power, they operate ad extra : and then his
knowledge and willare his working, being productive of the effects.
274, As in point of fimplicity Gods Acts are all One and yet many,
that is, Ome ex parte agente as his Acts are but his Effence ; and yer
many ex parte effetti Cy objeiti, Cr inde denontinatione extrinfeca; foalfo MY
as to their Eternity Gods Aéts are all Eternal as they are his Effence, ex parte agentis ; and yet fome of them newand temporary, {ome patt, fome prefent, fome future, ex parte effectus, Cr objecti, Ge inde denrminatione extrinfeca, — - 7 a es
277. Yet I confels that it paffeth my undérftanding to conceive how it is, that the fame Act is Eternal ex parte agentis, and yet but temporary ex parte patientis & effecti: that God fhould from eternity do all
That Gods Decrees are not wah be fpr ie 2 thi and ceafed, but as ] thing full doing, Pennot. li. 4. ¢. 24. thinkethis the beft notion to reconcile them with li- But ab extrinfeco ge Connotative they muft be denominated paft; though without change in God. Of this Dr. sg fe hath animadvert- . ed,
juttifie, gc, and yet that nothing fhould be done by it dill lately. Which
drew Ludov. 2 Dola ( de modo conjuntt. Concur. pari. ¢.2.p.20,) tofay, [ Probatur Attionem Dei externam feu Concurfum in att fecundo effe actum ab ipfo Deo diftinttum ex natura ret, ante opus intelletius. Quis
Deus non folum poterat nibil agere adextra, fed de facto per aternitatem
nisllum producebat effectum, cy de novo incepit operart in principio temporis. Igitur actio Det ef? omnino diftinita abipfo Deo: Neque dict poteft altionem quidem Det fuiffe ab eterno, fed effettim non fuiffe nift in tempore, Quia tametfi Virtus, cy Potentia agendi,cp Principium operationis, effe polfit antcequam Canfa acke agat 3 tamen Altio effe non poteft quin Caufa vere agat c& producat. Ac impoffibile eft Caufam vere Agere ce prodacere, quin effectus aliquis ab ea producatur cy agatur. Nullus antem effectus producebatur a Deo ab eterno: ergo non habebat Ationem ab eterno (loguimur de productione adextra Ce tranfeunte.) Sane non potest Aitio effe fine termino cy effettw (uo. Sed Actio effentialiter eft fui termini productio aut confervatio, ce ne concipi quidem poteft fine tlle: Eft; pror{us inintelligibile dari produttionem aut confervationem alicujus ret, & won dart actualtter iplamrem; Eftq; Omnis altio intime conjuntta cum effcits, qui per tp[am formaliter producitur, ant confervatur; nec {cjungé ab illa poteft.\ And {o Aureolus. | 278. In this allo we we muft confefs that the matter quite tranfcendeth our capacity: And as rhis is rafh in 2 Dola, to affirm fo confidently a thing abovehim, fo we mutt norbe rafh to affirm on the contrary more than is certain. But fo fat as we may venture, the common way feemeth the far {afer: Becaufe Godis ‘wschangeable not only Aforally, but Nataxally, And this Action as diftinct from the Effect, is made by him, to
be neither the creator nor a Creature, but a Creating, or moving Ai, between both; which is not convenient. And as it is intelligible chat God can Velle or Decree. ab eterno, mundum fieri, Petrum juftificari, Stc. 1 hoc tempore: {owe are not fure thac God cannot do all that Act from Eternity, which fhall effe@ only in Time, by the concurrence of his will, Though I confefs that the cafe much differeth, between an * Jmmanent. AG, (fach as nuda Politic, ) which doth nihil efficere, and an
: SO Effecting
* Ego quidem fateor noftram libertatem cum Voluntate Dei facilius concé- liaré guxta eorum fententiam qui dicunt , attum volends ec intelligendé non effe operattinem immanentem elicitam, aut Libeve additam ipft effenthe 5 quam fi dicamus e(fe
actum quendam = liberum elscitum: ttrogue tamen modo conandum.- Va{qu. in 1 Tho. g. 23. d. 99. €.2. And if this will make ic eafie,eafie it muft be: For Gods free Volitions and. knowledge of things extrinfick are common! faid to be no real additions to his effence, but dum unus, fimplex, immutabilis, plura, Cr mutabilia fost, vult, facét, his will and underftanding are denominated by relation and connotation a various from che varloug objects,
That the Potentia executiva in Deo 1s princepeum ablolute proximum agendi ad extra, See Pennot. l. 3. Co13. Neve CO Aquin 1 d. 450 de 3. ae 2
Bradwardine l. 3. Ce §C+ Ps Bog. argueth that Gods will de creand:s, was antecedently free, and yet. concomitantly and con-— fequently neceffary, and °
both immutably from Eternity.
Ruiz who faith that Gods will hath a final caufe, -meaneth but a final ob- “ject, as he confeffeth. -A Tree Is a paflive recipient caufe of the Termination of the Suns ca- ©
fefacicnt a& and of the effe& as received : but not of the act ex parte folie
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
Effecting Act, But many conceive that God caufcth all things mcerly by willing them. (Though I fee not but that we/? mult be a Powerful emanant operative wi/l, which is more than meer will) And we are fo unacquainted with God, and all Active natures, as that we cannot fay thac Attion ex parte agentis may not be fine termino, objeito cr effedtis. And all Philofophical Divines agree that God hath no Power out of Ad, but an Aétive power alwayes equally in act, ex parte fui, and fo is a pure act. Let us (per pofibile vel impoffibile ) {uppofe the Sunto be what ic is, and no other Creature to be with it in being: This Sun would in vacuo emitt its motive, illuminative and calefactive radios by Action. And yet nothing would be moved, illuminated or heated by ic: There would be no Terminus, and no effed#. And {uppofe afterward all other Creaturesto be made; then thesdivers Termini and Recipients would make a diverfity of effects, and the various dij/pofition of the Recipients would make that one Action of the Sun, to produce otion in one, light in another, Aeat in another, fweetneff fromthe Rofe, and ftink from Weeds, and fo of other effects. I do but tell you why we muft not peremptorily deny much more of God.
279. Prefcience with Predefinition or Decree do nor inferr caufally that neceffity of the event as predetermining premotion doth: Becaufe they do ( alone.) wzhil ponere in objecto, So that if it could be proved that God doth eternally Decree or will the event of fin, and mens dam-
‘nation abfolutely, ic would not prove (alone) that he is therefore the
caufe of them, Ic.is not thereforcthe Predctermination of bare Decree
which we lay thofe confequenceson, but effictent predetermination.
— 280. Lombard, d.45. well concludech That even that free-will of God
by which he willech, decreeth, and loveth the Creature, is his effence :
But yet the Name (Amor Petri, odium peccati, &c. ] fignifieth not his
Effence as fuch, but his Effential will as denominated from the created
or humane object. |
281. Therefore it cannot beinferred hence, that God ts aCreatare, becaufe he willethor Loveth the Creature: Becaufe his Loving ic denominateth his Effence as terminated on or connoting the object, and not as
in ic felf fimply. | | ce
282, Itisnot fitor lawful toask after any Caufe of the Will of Gods
Becaufe it is the fir/t casfe of all things elfe, and hath nothing Superiour
or antecedent to Caufeic; And Godis abfolutely independent, and is not
to be called the Canfe of himfelf. : |
283, Even the Acts of Gods free-will or Decrees, have no Caufe
even in God himfelf, no more than thofe called weceffary. For we
muft not fay that anything in God is an effec#. | |
284. Yet as Gods Actsare oft denominated by Connotation from the
object, ( which in man is a confticutive Caufe of the AQ, oco materiz, )
fo extrinfick objects maybe called The Casfes ( but rather the Objeas J
of God will, Love or Knowledge, not as his Effence, but only as fo denominated by that Connotation of the object. | | :
285. Thefe diftributions of Gods Volitions in Avwmber, and by fpecéfying objects, and individuating objects, which are called material conftttutive caufes of the act, are all according to humane weaknefs 5 in us who know God but enigmatically, aod in a glafs : Buc yet if any ‘man ufe fuch words in a broader manner than we think fic, before we cenfure and condemn him--we muft hear his fence explained. For all that ever we can fay of God is émproper, analogical, yea metaphorical ; And
- .dt is but in degrees of impropriety chat all words about Gods attribures
oot and
&
and Decrees of God, &c.
and aétions differ, For (asis oft {aid ) no man hath formal proper conceptions of any thingin God. If God fhould not fpeak tous in this improper language of our own, he muft not fpeak intelligibly to us, unlels
he create another underftanding inus. And he himfelt in Scripture ufing fuch Janguage of himfelf, alloweth us to ufe it, while we profefs to difclaim afcribing to God any of the imperfe@ion which ic feemeth to import. | 7
286. Onthefe terms not only Various Volitions are Afcribed to God §
in Scripture, and exteriour caufes of them,: ( as John 16:27. the Father Leveth you, becuufe ye bave loved me, ‘and bel:eved, &c.) * But alfo
Fear, Afflittion, Grief, Hatred, Repenting, Rejoycing, &c. Deuteronomy 32:27.
Ifs.63.9. Gen.6,6. Pfal.5.5. Gen.6.7. 1Sam.15.11, Foel 2. 13. Fer.15.6. Hof. 11.8. Zeph. 3. 17. Fer. 32.41, 76. and exceriout caufes of them. : : : a ee ae 287. That which isto be underftood by all thefe, is 1. Thae rhant is fo far the Caufe of the Effects of Divine Volitidns,as the Dé/pofitio receptiva, may becalled aCasfe, And before fhewed in the inftance of the effects of the Suns Influx, how greata hand the various Dé(pofiteones materia receptive have in the diverfifications of effects. 2. And that Gods Volitions therhfelves are hence relativelydenominated, © |, 288, Thereforewe muft fay, that Gods electing Peter‘and his rejecting Fudas, his Love to Peter and his hatred of Fadzs, are not in (pecée the fame act of his will; nor his Loving Peter, and his Loving Paw the fare Numerically > As his knowihe of Peter to be ‘a Saint, and ‘his knowing Fudas to bea Saint, isnot the fame xamerical adt of knowledge; Though as they are Gods Effexce, all are but one. . And we miuft fay that he Loveth one becaufe he is good, -and hatech another becaule-he is evil; and he juftifieth men becaule they believe, and condemneth men becaufe they believe not, that he forgiverh a finner becaule he repenteth; dé. Thoug 1
Gods Will have no effictent Caufe. Pe
289. Thole Volitions of God which are but JSmmanent asio Effciency, but Tranfient Objectively, ate fome of them to be denominated as
before the thing willed,and fome as after, The Willof effecting is before the
thing willed: The Will wt fixes, or Complacency and Difplicency (asalfo
Intustive Knowledge of the thing as Exifen, eftimacion, ‘ approbation, reprobation of it) the Will of Continuing, modi ying altering, perfecting,
deftroying, fuppofe the exiftence of the thing willed sm effe objective. And
fo rnany Volitions may be denominated as begénning intime , as connoting
the objects.+ And itisnomore wrong to Gods Immutability {0 to name
them, than to his fimplicity toname them many and divers, — so
290. And in this fenfe it is no more wrong to Gods Immuatability, to
{peak of Him as being before 2 Potentia only as to fuch Relative denomiations, Asthe Rock inthe Sea hath not yet that proximity tothe Wave
which atwelvemonth hence will touch it, and yet isnot therefore mutable!
Or as youare yet out 7 bs to the termination of his Relations who
will pafs about you, before and behind, on the right hand and on the left.
So God was but Potentially the Creator and Redeemer of the World frorti
Eternity. Though as to any real paffion God hathno paffive power. -
291. In this fenfe of relation to the objects and effects , it is that we
conceive of Gods acts of Knowledge and Volition in acertain order of nature, as one being before-andoneafter another ; Though notas they are
Gods Effence. Oo : oe a
292. Yetbecaule the ufe and truth of words or némes, is their fignification of Things as indeed they are, and we fhould put noname on oo
* So Genesis 22:16, & 26. 5. Prov. 1. 24 Luke 11. 8. & 19.17. Gal. 4. 6. Eph. 5° 5. 4 Sam. 28 183 1 King. 9. 9. & 11. 34. & 20. 42. 2 King. 1¢.3¢. 2Chron. 34. 27. Pal letds T Pennottus lie 4. 6. 246 p- 235. confidently argueth, that_becaufe God can Love him that he hated or Loved not , he can therefore Predeftinate hini whom he reprobated, or change his decrees without any change in himelf. 1 anfwer, 1. I grant that God cari Love a Sainte. whom he hated as a finner before, and ceafé hating him without any chanze fave relative and by extrinfecal denominaticn. 2. But his inference feemeth to me falfe and dangerous, un-. lefs he Had meant it of executive Ele@icn and. Reprobation which he doth not. For 1:.Proper Love and Hatred connove an Object ds exiftent, and by fuch connotation are named : And his fourth fuppofition is falfe,that Love 1s nothing but Gods Will to give a@ man Irfe Eternal. For the formal A& of Love is Complacency : And the Velle Bonum 1s another a > as think an effect of Love ; or at the mtoft another a&t of Love. And we deny that any abfolute Velle dpa pres cha > thou i{plirence te ch eed : be. caufe it isthe fame with Decree; 2. And the reafon why the faid Decree or Volition (if abfolute and proper ) may not be denominated changed is, becaife ic maketh its own object, and {fo fupfeth it not pre-exitent, and dependeth not On it denominatively : And therefore ic would inferr God to be mutable, t6 change ir; Bat ic is not fo in the other, which as to the Relation and Nante followeth the Mutable creature; as doth Gods Knowledge of - refent exiftents and preteritions as ty denomination and connotaton.
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
creature, buc what is adapted to notifie it aright to mans underftanding ;
we muft much more be afraid of putting any cau‘elefs, unmeet, unneceflary
names of reality or diftin@ion on the will or Acts of God, -
: 293. Gods Will is not Appetitus ret defiderate, for he wanteth nothing, :
294. God willeth efficéently all that he effecteth ; and finally by come
placence, all that is Good. | |
295. Gods willing or Loving Himfelf, is Himfelf, or an inadequate
Conception of Himfelf ashe is. But his willing or Loving Creatures, is
"(as is oft faid) arelative connotative Conception of Himfelf as extriafecally denominated, and not ashe és himfelf. |
he willeth or Loveth 2d ultimum potentie, all that by Power he is Able to
Volition: that is, chat he willech notfome things which he Could will. _ As to have made the World fooner, greater, with other forts of creatures:
to have made fome men better, wifer, richer, ga The exterior objects of
Gods Willare finite, and contingent beings.
298. Theréfore to afcribe to God a Negation of -fome Poffible Volitions cannot be charged as making Gods Will to be Idle, or Neutral, or as = Imperfection : feeing it is but his free-zegation of his own Act, throug
his perfection.
299. Norcan itbefaid, that hereby we make God Finite in that his willis made Finite in AQ, whichis Himfelf. For his wd is Infinite as ic _ ishis Effence, and as it Acteth upon Himfelf, though as it afteth ad extra on finite temporary Creatures, it muft needs be relatively, and connotatively as to the terminus denominated finite : which all muft hold de re, that chink not the World is Infinite. If the Sunwere alonein Yacwo, it would be as Great as now it is, and'as perfect: And yetas its beams are terminated on this or thatrecipient Creature, they are more limited. |
300. We cannot prove that really God hath any Pofitive Decrees or Volitions of Nothings as fuch. | 3
301. Therefore none fuch fhould be afferted by Divines, much lefs pre-
‘tended neceffary to be believed, to our Concord.
302. It feemeth more allowable to hold the Negative, that God hath no {uch Decrees ; becaufe Nothing is not a capable terminus of a Divine
ack: Andtherefore it is a fiction of Scaliger, that Omnipotentia agit in
m0 €ns, wt fiatens, | Exercit. 365.2”, 9. pag. 1074. And fi entia non funt multiplicanda fine neceffitate, muchlels Divine adfs, Alo Non-v0lition is enough to a non-exiffence or a Nothing; Therefore a Nolition
‘need not be feignedto it: c fraftra és per plura, quod, &c. , .303. Yer knowing fo little of God as we do, Idare not boldly affert the
contrary: But it’senoughto know that ths muftnot beaflerted, and buile on in our difputes,
304. HowGod welleth future Contingents troubleth the Schools with many needlefs difficulties as well as bow he kxoweth them. About his knowledge of them, before treated of, there are befides the Dominicans that lay it on Pre-determination as decreed, and the Scoti/fs that lay it on Decree or Will alone, {everal other opinions: One is of Ambr. Catharinus de Pred, Sanct. who holdeth that God ksoweth not future Contingents, certo
| fish conditione canfali, but only by conjecture : Becaule the obje& is not
>
¢
and Decrees.of Gad, &c.: .> polition hereof is ever falfe, becaufe it is fpoken by. way: of Caufality and Confequence, whenthere istone. 3, Swérez.and others fay, chat God knoweth future contingents, even when the Condition isds(psrate or of no Casfaltty, a true Connexion of the terms fufficing, Albertinus. Princ. 4: To. 1. 94.4. Aub. 1. p.292. pretendeth to a middle way, viz.’ 1. Thac future contingents {#b conditione are certainly known of God, whether the condition be Casfal or meerly Conditional. . .2. But quandoConditio eft difparata, non poteft futurum Contingens {ub ila. Conditiont cornofti 3 Deov 3. But becaule there is a Comcomitancy between the terms of the.-propo-: fitions, fuch a dé(parate Propofition may be known of God, fab: ratione Concomtitantte, a — ahs G8 Baath 4 And accordingly they diverfifie Gods Decrees. To the queftion, Whe-. ther conditional future contingents may be known of God‘in his Decree, he firft tellech us of a threefold Decree, 1. Conditional quoad Aétum cy Objecium, ut (fi difcernerem concurfuram cum voluntate creats, fi talis occafio occurreret, hoc futurum effet. 2.Ex parte object only, ( being abfolute ex parte actus.) 3. Abfoluce on both parts; I refer you to ‘himr p. 296,297. if you will fee the decifion, left I perplex and Weary you: And for the fame reafon pafs by a multitude of other controverfies of thefe men. | oo ~ = -_
SECT. XIV: . of feveral Diftinitions of Gods will.
M fies: As, 1. The Pofitive Acts of Gods Will are diftinguithed from his wot-aétimg (or not-willing, ) 2. The Poftive objectively, from the Negative-quoaa objecum, 3. The Pofitive fromthe oppofitive. 4. The Jamanent and the Tranfient atts. 5. The Trenfient effiotenter,and the Tranfient only objectively, 6.The Nataraland the Free, 7. The Ef ficient and Permiffive acts. 8. Beneplaciti ce fizni. 9, Abfolute and Conditional, 10. Effettual and uneffeitual. 11. The Decreeing will and the
meet with all thefe, I fhall tell you in what fente only they muft be received;
306. I. Of the firft Ihave {aid enough before. Gods free-will hath its
307. IT. Themeaning of the fecond is, that God doth pofitively will
folue Beiwgs, and tome ao If theymean Negative Propofitions,
it’s true, butinept; Becaufe thofe are Pofitive Beings. If they meanin
the fecond branch [-Nothings ] they cannot prove that God Pofitively ac all willeth them. But -he oft willeth their Antecedents and
confequents, and occafions, and he willeth allcreatures to be Limited and
Imperfeét, and fo Negations muft néeds seein | tan upon them: And >
-in-thache willeth sot-more, and willeth casfes which may be deficient, men —
improperly and confequently fay he willeth negatively, ze fint Plara, and —
the defects. Butthis isnot ftrit(peech. -— a -
quoad effe :) ( Asthat men fhall not have grace, that they thall not live, or —
not be pardoned, or faved, ce.) 1. Becaufe he doth properly and pofitively
will and make that Law which condemneth themco thefe penalties; 2.Be- -
caufe he will have Chrift pofitively Condemn them to Privative punifh- -
ments; 3. Becaufe he doth pofitively cake away fome of themercies — |
See after the Additions of Divine Nolitions.
. media lla per qua efficaciter impediretur peccatum
D’Orbellis mr. de 4. Quando queritur xtrum Electio vel Reprobatio rationem Meritoriam babeant, boc non intelligitur quantum ad Voluntatem divimam, ant ejus actum,. qui eft Dew: fed quantum ad tranfitum ejus fuper obje- Elum; feu quantum ad ordinationem ad ipjam Voluntatem.
* How far Gods Volitions of creaturesare free, the fubtileft confefs to be unfearchable. Vafquex ( ut Supra ) in 1. Thom. q. 19. difo. 80. p. 504. [ Licet aljienemus in Deo liberta- ‘ten comparatione facta cum objectis Ce rebus creatis, tamen non alignamus fufficcentem rationem ex parte Dei cur mune acts libero efficacé referatur ad has potius quam ad illas 3 Siquidem Idem omnino manens im fe, poterat eas non velle quas vult : QDuare cum vem exactius enodare contendimus, difficultatem predictam euvgdive nor poffumus. | See more of hun before.
a
~ Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
tend tofavethem; 4.’Andhedoth freely and penally not-give them that which they are deprived of; So that this Language is not unfic while we fpeak of Moral Subjects, and of God afterour manner, But in ftria {fpeech it cannot be proved that any [ Nothing} is the proper objet of © a Volition of God.
309. The opinion of Scotus and his followers is known this way. And fubtile Albertine Tost. princ.4. qt. he po 297 faith, that Congruentius dicitur Deum non atte Pofitivo velle negationes, cr Rep. Deum non habere attum pofitivum non concurrends, [ed negationem altus Volendi dare concur fam efficacem : cy jnxta banc modum melius intelligitur quomodo fe habet Voluntas Det circa peccatum, Nam Deus non vult peccatum actu pofitivo, fed tantum negative fe habet circa concurfum ba cews dandi reid, cat.
310. ILL. The chird diftinction is between Gods Love and Hatred, his Volitions and Nolitions ; And this muft be ufed, But Hatred and Nolition in man have more of imperfection,than Love and Volition, importing fomewhat contrary tous, and either hurtful, troublefome, feared, or that poffibly may be fo. Therefore we muft confefs here, that we fpeak of God with greater impropriety, and muft difclaim the imperfection in the fenfe.
301. Butif you would not be abufedintomany errors, {wallow not the name [ Love ] and ( Hetred] without diftinction ; Left the fore-cited reafon of Pennottus cheat yous, viz. { God Loveth a man converted whom he Hated while wicked: Ergo he can decree or predeftinate a man to falvation, whom before he decreed and reprobated to damnation, J And all rofe from this falfhood, that [ Love is nothing but the willing of falvation to us} and fothe fame with Decree : Whereas Love isalfo, yea, moft properly a Complacency in Good as Goed, and Hatred a Difpiscency in Evil as Evil, Benevolence is fometime Ancecedent and fometime an effect of this in man. - |
312. IV. The Immanent and Tranfient a&ts, I need fay no more of.
313. V. But Divines ufe to omit the next diftinction (of Traxfiext aé#s) fomuch, that few of them let you know, whether that which is bue Objectively Tranfient, be numbred by chem with Jmmanent or with Tranfrent ads. Briefly, 1. As Gods willis the frft efficsent , and with his Wifdoms and Executive Power doth effect ad extra, it is effectively Tranpsent, (though Effentially Immanent initfelf.) 2. Buc as Gods will is (as aforefaid ) the Fizal Caafe or End of all things, and willeth things on! Complacentially, fappofing all that is Complacent to be Exiffent ( in lle vealt, vel in effe cognito) fo is itonly Objectively Tranfient, and not effedtively, andt fea aes by many is numbred with Jomanent as. And as God may be faid to kwow and will the creature ix himfelf, and to Love the Jdea of it in himfelf, the phrafe is not tobeblamed: But as the Creature in it felf confidered by fore-knowledge or prefent knowledge ( if we may fo diftinguifh ) is the objec, it feemeth unfit to call the act Immanentr, though itdo wihil ponere (vel efficere) in object.
Siifying, Adopting aks of will.
315. VI. * Gods Natural Volitions are thofe which ex xatura rei, could not be ocherwife ; that is, All his Volitions of his own being and perfections. To which fome number natural neceflary objeéts, in the creatures: As his Volition that Contradictions fhall not be true; that two and two fhall be four, ortwomore than one, gc. His Free Volitionsare thofe which might have been otherwife as co che nature of the ching, and as to the
power
and Decrees of God, Ke.
power of the Divine will, Such is the Volition of the being. 6f all the Creatures. bs dent.
16. The Schoolmens contention whether the Son be freely begotten, andthe Holy Ghoft freely proceed, ari(eth from the ambiguity of the word ( free, ] which I will not crouble you with.
317. Yet all agree that Gods Volitions are all eternal, and therefore
eternally neceffary neceffitate exiftentiz,
318. And fome think it beft to fay chat they are re(pectively to be
called both Weceffary and Free 5 Becaufe Gods will chofe that which his wi [dem faw was Be/?, and he muft neceflarily choofe the Be/?. Bue we mutt not be here coo bold in our Conclufions, eee
319. VII. The diftinction of an efficient and permiffive will is no better,nor other, than that of aVolstion and no Volition, But todiftinguifh the Efficient and Permiffive Act, implyeth a falthood, That Permiffion as fuchisan.Ace | | 7 | 7
permiffion. Andas to Phyfical permiffion,] have {hewed before, that fome -
pofitive removal of Impediments, are fometimes called non impedire, ot permiffion: But permiffionit felf as {uch is xo adt. 3ar. VIII. The diftinction of Vol, Beneplaciti c figni is old and
common: But nota diftinguifhing the 4d#s of Gods wil!, buc rather his 7olitions from the figs of them. For itis his Volustas beneplaciti chat there fball be fuch figns. 7
322. The five figns commonly named by the Schoolmen are Prac:pit ac prohibet, permittit, confulit, implet, And the older Schoolmen fay thac thefe are called Gods Will Metaphorically only, yea by a remote fort of Metaphor, they being not mans will properly but metaphorically only when applyedto man, and accordingly called Gods will. But fome of the latterfay that they-are proper figns of ‘Gods real will. is, they chat firft ufed this diftinction teem to have'inténded only Gods Government, if not his word alone with the performance of it, by /- luntas figni, (of which next.) Indeed the whole fenfible world and all things init, is fome way or othera fignof Gods will: efpecially the nature of man himfelf, with the nature of all creatures about him, and the order in which he ftandethto thems which is therefore called, The Law of Nature. | ; 3 | |
323. Phyfical Permiffion is no pofitive fign, nor of a pofitive will (as afore opened: ) But Legal permiffion may be, | |
324. Thediltinction between pracipit and confulit would be vain, but that Ags. and fome others expound confwlit by Perfwading. For God counfelleth to nothing but what is Beft,; and chat which is Belt, precept ( even zatural ) maketh it our Daty to choofe: But Precept going before and Making Duty, Perfwading-counfel may come after and urge us to perform it. |
325. Gods Voluntas fignit Bene-placiti are never contrary properly taken: Nor doth he’ give us any falfe figns of his Wi; And therefore his word is alwayes true: But there are many things which ignorance mif-judgeth to be a fign of fome. Divine Volition, which the fignifie not ; and fome dark fignes which are. not eafily underftood. - If men miftake Gods works or word, the fign was not falle, but cheirexpofition of it. But of this next, |
AYN [- qe TQ. art. 115,12. Pet. de Alliaco i. 4.14. Ae Voluntas Dei fumitur Pro-
The cruch pri¢ 3 & tanc fignat divinum beneplacitum, quod noneft alind quam ipfe Dewh volens. 2 Improprié ce metaphoréce pro aliquo figno ts, Ole
For this read Alliaco ib. further after cited: And his citation of Gregor. that Volant.s beneplacité 1s respecin complexs Volis tio, profecutio aut fuga Aut fimplex complacentia ce difplicentia, & eft ipfe Deus prater connotationeme
52 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
325. 1X. Dr, Twiffe ufeth inftead of this the diftin@ion of Volantas Voluntas figni Jew prect- Beneplaciti Cr Precepts, His fence is Right, but the terms are too zareee cbt th vow, ‘Tue true Diftinctionis of Gods will of Natural Things and Events fit quod per tale fignum ul as fuch, and his will de Debito vel Faure as fuch : His well as it is the a fa Fountain of Natsre, and as it is the foustain of Morality or Right: Or fic femper impletur. Nam his willof Natwrad Events and his Law,
pertale preceptum fignif- 2%, Thisdiftinctionis of Greater and more Neceffary ufe to us than _ catur aliquid debere frere { hat ab ig ancluded: mothe GileecuG dcreatura : & ita of : any of the reft; yea fo great that it is included in the firft principle of
Aliter tale fignum non effet Religion and morality; and is underftood ( diftinétly or more darkly, rig eg pie “ but really) by all Chriftians and moral agents. | pum fignatur debere fri: 328. Thediftinction is feccht from the objects: The common object
ch fic non femper impletur. : Pet, de Alliaco 1. 4.14, = es one being Matwre as fuch, and of the other Debitum or Jus as
329. As Gods will de Naturalibus is his Bene placitum.; and the effects of it are the figna fubfequentia, and wake a prognoftick of the effect ; fo Gods will de Debito is his Bemeplacitum, fignified by his Law and Fudgement.
330. Thoughthe word [Law] be ufually taken more narrowly for only [Statute eminent Laws} yet l here take it generaliy 3 And it is [The Governing will of a Rettor fignifi:d, conflttuting or confirming Right (or Daencff) from and to the Subject; or A Reétors conftitutive a of Right ; or, The fign of a Rectors will conftituting Right.
331. God being moft Great and Wife and Good, and mans Crea- +. Steat Divina voluntas tOF and thence our Abfoluce fupream Rector, his Will muft needs be in genere cafe efficéentis the fountain of all Morality and Right,
i pam Lina 332. It is not the will in it felf that is a Law, nor doth any Jmfee pine te fon Manent act oblige ws, Or conflitute Duty: Butitis Gods will as frgnified.
Regula, 2. Sicut divina And therefore Lex eterna is an improper {peech,
agin 333. Tilenws and others who think it fitter only to diftinguith Quid fieri + fic ipfa eft Lex obli- Deus ipfe vult facere, and Quid a nobis vult fieri, do but hide and not Ad dliqaalitin: te apps open the truth: For the terms feem to exprefs the Event in both, and effetentris %e Sicut divina diftinguifh not of Evert and Dut ye Whereas if God willed the Event of Voluntas eft Lex perfeclif- what he commandeth us, ashe doth of what he effecteth, ic would be
fima rationalis creaturay
fic Lex Chrifti vel do. 40%€. And he doth alfo by his Abfolute Decree, Will many things to be Givina eft fignum perfect? done by us, which his Lawcommandeth not. Such asare many meer Na-
(rn ae ctnetlate taral aZtions, quas i nobis vale fieri, _ fent. princip, 334. Morality being but Afodality and Relation of Natural Entities, 1. Voluntas Dei fignt nm the Acts or Habits themfelves commanded and forbidden are guid Na- Jemper empletur, 2. Vo- i h fid . ;
luntas beneplacité antece. #47 ale in themfelves confidered, and fo far are under Gods will de matndens. _non femper smpletur. ralious 5 Butitis only the Debitwm or Fus thatis confticuted by his Le-
3. Voluntas beneplaciti _. : confequens femper tmpletur, giflative will,
Probibitio high w figna 335. Though Gods will de Naturalibus muft operate by real efficient Deum Nollie efficaciter jl- ° ; . . ‘ : : dhe aued: probibie f- effiux, yethis will de Debito effedteth by meer fignification or notification
eré. Idem 1. 4. 44.'F. to the fubject.
Pee Be 336. Legem facere vel fignum dare is an act of Gods will de quotenetur fe conformare uni. 44% naturalt vel events: ( ned a fignum is aliquid naturale.) But verfaliter tali Voluntati-- per fionum facere Fus iS that which is prcper over ping
Impleré obligationem, non p; fg f F. P PS one? Orns oe eft proprie loquendo effects: . . oe _ . , rage 5 fed 337- If we will denominate Gods will here 25 Origine, It iS, I. Ansoe Laas MG tecedent to the Creature, ( fuppofed,) And that is his Creating will, G.H. 2. Suppofing the Creature in Being; and that is, 1. His will as Proprietary and Adfor of allthings; Andthat is his atoving and Difofing will, | of
and ius of God, &c.
of Eveats. 2. His will as Governour ( Morally And that is his Afvrally Ruling will, 3. His will ut Amator & Finis; And chat is his Beneficent and felscitating will. And among thefe it is his Regent will which I amtreating of. And thoughhis Law as making Fus, be che firft and chief part, yet his Fadgement as it decideth, and his Execution as it giveth every Man hes Right and Dwe, is included, |
338. It is not Gods will without the figs (as is faid) nor the fign without his will, but the fign as notifying, and his will ws notified that is a Law, and Fus the Effect : Gods will isthe principal Canwfe, and quaft Anima Lege ; and the fignis the saftrumental Caufe, and quaft Corpus,
339. The Sign reipecteth thete things, 1. The matter due. 2. The
duenefe or right. 3. The will of God concerning or conffituting it.
4. The mind apd will of man to whom this is fienified.
Or, 1. Gods will as the Effictent of Right. 2. The matter and form of Right as Conftituted. 3. The mind and will of manas the terminus.
_ 340. Thefe figs of Gods will are, 1. Natural, called the Law of Nature, whichis the Natra c ordo rerum, eSpecially tpfins hominis as before defcribed. 2. By extraordinary Revelation. ‘The acter have the great advantage of plainnefs, figmificandi rem preceptam. The former hath the fuller evidence of its Author and Original that ic isindeed of God. Both are his Laws to man. :
41. Law, Judgement and execution (the three parts of Government ) differ inthat, 1. Law maketh the Debitum or Fus, 2. he: ag determineth of it by decifive application , 3. Execution diftributeth according to it.
342. The Fus vel Debitum, inffituted by the Law, is twofold. 1.4
Subdite: WWhat fhall be Due from the Subjects: the Debitum Officii.
2. Subditis: what fhall be Due to the Subjects: viz. 1. Antecedently to
their merits (which is 1. The atof our Governing Benefactor. a. Ora
Divider: {uch was the Law for dividing the Iiraelites inheritances. }
2. Confequently , which is by the Retributive part of the Law ( commonly called the Sanétion,) which is 1. By the Prem/iant part, what Reward {hall bedue: 2. Bythe Penal, what Pani(bment.
343. Accordingly Laws have feveral parts: 1. Precept and Prohibition, making Duty : 2. Retributive, 1.Premiant, 2.Penal ; called Gods Promifes and Threats: 3. And fubfervient or accidental ; 1. Narratives Hifforical, Chronological, &c. 2. Pure Donations: 3. Prophefies; 4. Dottrinal, 5. Exhortatory, 6, Reprehenfive, &c.
344. Though Debitum vel Fas facere, be the formal operation of 4 Law; (whichis to be Fandamentum Relationis) yet the Ad of the chief parts ( preceptive or penal ) iscommonly called Obtigation: And{o many fay that obligare aut ad obedicntiam aut ad penam is all the action of a Law. But Oblizare is a Metaphor, and therefore in difpute co be laid by, or to give place to the proper terms: Andthe Preméant act is not proerly called obligation , northe penal act, fave in a fecondary notion, as . is cbligatus ad penam ferendam, if judged, whois fith Reus pene, or to whom it is wade Dwe by the Law. 7
345. The cblivation aut ad obedtentiam aut ad penam is not of equaliry in the. disjunctive. Asif God wereindifferent which we chofe: But it is primarily ad obedientiam, and but fubferviently ad penam as a micans againtt future at fobedience, and a fecuring the ends of Government, in cafe of fin. :
Tt is Of great ufe for a Divine who handleth Gods Laws to underftand the nature of Laws in 27nere (as Suarez inpret. de Leeib. fheweth 3 which Book 1s one of the beft on that Subje& that is extant among us.)
346. But the Preceptive and the Premiant parts, are each chief or final
in ieveral refpects : God Commandeth us a Courle of Daty or Right SO action
Of all the following diftinétions, note thefe words of Bonavent.in 1. d.47- det. qute Voluntatem Dek Antecedentim feu Conditronalem, polibile eft non emplerg: — at confiquentom & abfolutam nequiquam. Secundum Dae malce Voluntas bencplacete et dupl. Antecedens feu Conditioralis Ge — canfequcns, qua vault quantum in fe el omnium faluten, & aljaluta five confequens,qua diterminate vult aliquad quod novit certitudinaliter evenires Intelligendum eft nullam Des Voluntatem pole fuperaré aut caffaré 3 Aliquam tamen polfé non impleyi. (ut antecedéntem) Aliquam ut confequentem Empalfibile effe non émbleriy feu impedivi: —— Non etiam po'libile eft Voluntatim Dik caffavizs Nam calfum décetur aliquid dum = privatur — effettu proprio ad quem eft: Vouut.rs autem nullo prévatur effeclu ad quem eft propre. Nam quod dicitur quod Deus vult omnes hominis falvos fieré quantuin in fe eft, bec Voluntas non counotat falutems nec proprie eft ad effectum fa- Luts ¢ fed connotat ordinationm nature, five natue ram ordinasilen ad falu- _ tem wnde nibil plus eft dirrre Dews alt itum falwun fier’ peantam in fe eft, quam Deo placwt dare ite mituy am per QitT palfet pire centre ad fa'utem 5 ee quid Lens pavats effet pucure, fa quod falvs non deficit proprer defeclum a parte Dei. | Thercfore it connoteth alo ‘all the helps which God afiurdcth nicn.
* Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
aition tothis end, that we may be Happy in his Love. And he promifetbus firft, and giveth us after in foretaftc, this Happineff, to draw us to Dy.
| tl But here is a wonderful infeparable twift 5 and in the main an Identity. God Raleth us as a Father; or Regent Benefactor: All his Benefits are Free-gifts, as to the Thing and Value; But given 1, In an Order. 2. And the reff as means to the ultimate. In which refpects they are a Reward, or means to it. His very Law is a Gift anda great Benefit. Duty is the means to keep his firft Gifts and to receive more. The very doing of the duty is a receiving of the Reward; the olject of duty being felicitating. ( As if feaffing or accepting offered wealth or hunour were Our work.) Holineff is happinefs, ina great part. And in our End or ftate of perfection all willbeone: To Love God, Rejoice in Him and praife him, will be both our duty and felicity, means and end, as ic Were, in one.
348. Whereas fome fay, that if there were #0 Law, {fii would deferve
punifhment, ic is an errour: For it is due only by Law. But it’s true 7a it’s due by themeer Law of Nature, without any {uperadded Pofitive
als. .
349. Gods will called Legiflative, or Governing is ever fulfilled in ftrict fence, that is, So much as is Gods part and the Laws partto do, is ever done : e.g. God faith [ Perfect obedience, &c. {ball be Adams duty | and it is dove : It ts bis Duty whether he will or not. He faith [ Te freal [hall be fin and it is fin, He faith LHe that believeth {ball have right to Tuftification and Glory, and he that belteveth not {hall be Filius mortis, that is, Death and Hell {ball be his Due] and fo itis. Thus ftrictly all Gods Will is done. |
350. But in the fecondary remote fence every fin violateth the Will of God, by breaking his Law : For when he faith [ Obedience {ball be thy duty ;"\ we ule to fay, Jt is Gods will that we {bould obey him: And {o when we do not obcy him, we are {aid to Violate his will. But this is but metonymically : For that which is Gods milf indeed is but that we fhall be bound to obey ( whether we do or not:) And the event, whether we fhall-or not de facfo, is not at all determined by the Law.
351. Therefore if it were proved that God did Decree one thinz, and command the contrary, it would not prove two contrary wills in God 5 nor is there any great fhew of a contradiction init. Forto fay [J forbid Judas to hang himfelf] and [ J decree that he fhall hang himfelf] are no contradictions ; Itis but to tay, [ st ball be his Duty to preferve his life} and ( Eventually he {ball not preferve it."| All that is a mans
Duty doth not come to pafs : And to determine of Duty, is not to fay, -
It fall come to paff. Otherwife Gods word were falfe -whenever man finned. Nay inreality, Augu/fine (truly) judged chat by Gods Law Hell was Due so Paul unconverted, and yet then he was a chofen Veffel, and God Decrcedto favehim. He et that Perfeverance was the Duty of fome that after fell away, and that Heaven was cheir Due on condition of perfeverance till they fell away, (though not prefently to be poffefied 3) and yer that God decreed that sp/o permittente eventually they fhould fall away and perifh. |
352. If aKing made a Law that no man fhall murder another, and yet knoweth that a certain Traytor that hath broken Prifon, is like co fall into the hands of fome Thieves or Enemies that will kill him, If he be fecretly willing that he be killed by them, icis no contradi@ion: The Law maketh ie cheir daty not coKill, Buri faith nce, chat they fball not de evenru, by way of Progno!tication, $53. Buc
and Decrees of Gad, &e. 7 |
353. But yet indeed God never doth. command an até or forbid an ah,
and yet Decree that che fame A& immediately commanded {hall not be done, or that the act directly forbidden fhall be done. Becaufe fin isa thing that God cannot decree or will, ( of which anon.)
354. Buc the effec? of the commanded or forbidden a¢t is fometimes faid to be commanded or forbidden: And this:may be contrarily decreed of God. Andmen thac think not truly of the matter, think chat this is to Decree athing forbidden, and fothey err by fuch confufed thoughts. £.G. Gods command is that I hall relieve a poor man, and not let bim famifb , and that I thall beal the fick, ec. and yet God may decree that this poor man fhall be famifbed, and this fick man dye ; And yet no contradiction. For indeed [ Relieving] in effect, is but the End of the Act which is commanded me, and not the aé ic felf: Iam bound. cooferhim relief: But if one ¢emzot takeit, and another well wot, yet Ihave done my duty: And {fo in the other inftance. So God commanded Abraham to facrifice hisSon, and yer decreed that he fhould not be facrificed, And this without any contradi@ion, For the act that under that name was commanded Abraham, and made his duty, was not actual eventual facrificing. (For thenic had been a duty to refift the Angel and do a thing impoffible. ) But to confent and endeavour on his part to facrifice his Son: which he did, So the prefervation of our own and others lives is commanded us by God, and yer at thefameé time mens deathdecreed: Becaufe the thing indeed commanded, is not Prefervation as it fignifieth the effect and fuccefs , but only Prefervation as it fignifieth our true endeavour, So the Fews were forbidden to kill —— and yet God decreed thac Chrift fhould be killed: For thething forbidden them was their own Confent and wicked ac: Butthe thing that God willed and decreed was only the effecé, without any Will of their Act that cauled it (unlefS ix genere acins, ) but only a permiffion of it. Men of grofs brains that cannot diftinguifh and judge accurately, may bla{pheme God in their igmorance, in a cafe that to a difcerning judgement is very plain,
3395_ * The next diftinction of Gods will,is into Ab/folute and Conditional ; which fome Divines ufe and others condemn, and fay that God hath no Conditional Will; The common an{wer which moft Schoolmen and other Papifts agree with the Proteftants in, is, that there are Conditions ret volita of the event of the thing Willed, but no Conditions of the act of Volstion in God. As Aquinas faith of Caules,+ Dens vult hoc effe propter hoc; non
autem propter boc vult bec, 1. There are both Cafes and Conditions of
the event willed of God. 2. Densominatione extrinfeca ex connotatione
ebjecti his Will is hence called Conditional; meaning but a Volition of
Conditionals. |
356. That God willeth Conditions, and Conditional Propofitions , and Grants, is paft all controverfies. ‘ For he willeth his own word, which is his work: But his word hath conditional promifes and threats: And as his word alfo may be called his wif, he hath aCond:tional will, becaufe a Conditional word, _ |
357. Gods eternal Omnifcience proveth, that at no inftant he had a will properly Conditional quoad aéfum : Becaufe he that at the fame inftant fore-knoweth whether the Condition would be done or not, muft needs have his will to bethereby abfolute, But yer if ic had plealed God to fufpend the Act of his own Volition, upon a humane Condition, it would not have expofed him at alltothe charge either of mutability or dependence : which is very clear. For 1. Icis prefuppofed his Will as Voluntes & Effertia is unalterable, and is notthat of which we fpeak. 2. But only his
Volition
* Of which fee Amyraldus againft Spanhem. de Grat: uuniverfali. | t DeVol. Conditionali, & anthoritatibus Gr rationia bus ere eadem Vide Ruiz: de Vol. Dei, difp. 20.. But his affertion that (una creatura eff Ratio movens tanquam obyetium materiale ( fecundaréo ) ut Deus velit aliam producere | isa fiction , though he lay his ftrefs on it about the ordo decretorum. For movere 1s cagfare, and caufe or move to a&. There are Rationts bffettunm Cr eorum ordi nis: but none of the efte oes a God in im: If you fay, It is abfurd to lay, that God d no Reafon to will the creation of this world rather than another: J ahfwer, That isan A& of efficienc Wifdom, above allReafon: Burto fetctt Reafons fromm the dbjed, and thereby to be moved to Adt, 1s the part of the imperfect creature. Reafoning 13 be low more to
ES y: much be moved by extrinfick objeative reafons: Yet on this Ruiz difp. 24. lays eth a great fabrick; and fo men may draw twenty Schemes of Gods Reafow
ings as they varioally
S— eer
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
Volitiva as terminated on this or that object, and.fo as bec volstio:ab
objcéto denominata. 3. Andhis effictent Velition,. and Power. is tcrmina-: ced on objects in time, without mutation in God, 4, And WV, B. that God. doth fufpend his own Pofible Volitions in many cafes; Ashe doth Not will. to make more Worlds, more Men, more Suns, more Laws, ce. than-de
facto hewillmake. 5. And itis nomore defectivenefs in God to fulpend a Volition for a time, than thus to do it for ever... 6. And it isno more Dependence on the Creature to Terminate his Volition only on a qualified
lahjee ( performing the Condition) tl:anto terminate his Efictent Power and will on fuch or fuch a qualifted fubject, As ¢. y. He terminateth
his Omnipotent Concurfe for Gezeration only on the materia femtnalis vette difpofita; He concurreth to barx by fire, crc. And if his Ads effectively Tranfient may be terminated only and temporarily on difpofed objects, If he did fo inatts Objectively Tranfient, and did frecly not-wil. the damnation of man tiil he had aétually finned, but fufpended his will freely till then, and then de xovo terminated it on the faid qualified object, I feenofhew of Dependence or Mutability. For J oftcleared it before, that the termination of Gods Knowledge, Will or Power on any farticular Objet, isin himno addition toitseflence, And doing ie de xovo, isno change in him but in the Creature only; no more than it would be a
~ change inthe Sun or its aétive Emanations, if a thoufand new creatures
newly receive its Influx and are moved by it varioufly according to their {cvcral Conditions. Yet Ihave before given reafons why sxcipere jam pradefitnare ismore incongruous language..
358. Iputin this only to deprecate the blind uncharitable cenfures of diflenters in this point, who think that Gods Volitions are New and Conditional and fufpended, guoad actum hunc ad hoc objectum ; and cry out, It is bla{phemy,and maketh God mutable and dependent. I am againft their opinion as well as you as to Conditional Acts: But falfe charges prove you not
Aged. 1. SCOte Je tite Ditraid. dele Bonave art. I. Greg. Aime Je le Ao Be Perit. le hole 22. Alvar. de Aux dilp. 32. Ruix de Poleite difp. 18. Grait de binleeDeis Trad. 4. difp.s Sinan. 1. ge de Pradeft. ce 8 Gr. Val. dijpele Goi Ge po 6e Capit. Nazar. Bale LUM Nivare Ganrale adioline Fifg4. Oe in Ve Pe qo Gs ar... Ripts Arriube F afole ids Nite D’Orbel.1.dA6. and myny other Scotd(isy Cv.
ere
to have more truth, but lefs love and fobriety than others, -
359. XI. The next ciftinction of Gods Will is into Effectual and Uneffectual, And here hethat would fee a great deal faid on the queftion,
Whether God have any uneffe€tual Will, and whether mans will can fru-
{trate it, may feetoomuch in a multitude of Schoolmen on 1 Sext.9. 45.
46. Some anfwer (as D’Orbellis,cc.) that the Voluntas Beneplacité is
ever effectual, but not the o/. figné which yet feeing he well explaineth to
be only the making of Duty, he might well have faid is ftill effectual to
its proper primary effect. Greg. Arimin. ( and many others ) diftinguith
of the will of Complacency and Difplicency, and that Profecutionis c fuze s
and fay the darter is effectual, and not the former: which others fay of
the Abfolute Will as diftinét from the Conditional. The plain truth ¥
have oft opened before: Gods Will is the fir? Efficient, the chief Dirigent, andthe Final Caufes ( in which the three Principles, Power, Wifdom
and Goodnefs are eminent. ) 1, His efficient will is ever effectual, and
never fruftrate. Whatfoever pleafed the Lord (to do ). that he did, in Heaven and in Earth, in the Sea and in the depths, P/a/.135.6. And who
hath refifted (this) his will? Row.9.19. 2. His Direéting will-is ever eft. ctual asto the making of the Law or Rule, and of Due or Right thereby: For fo far ic is efficient of thae cffect: But it is too oft violated by
our fin, 3. His fizal will or Complacency is Gods being pleafed with the Being, or Action, or relation of the Creature, and tuppofing it, is
_ . hot effictemt, and therefore not effectual. And I.knowno need of more ‘ upon this qucftion. ia oak:
360. XII. The laft now to benamed is, The datecedent and Confeauent
4 wrll..
“WAY.
and Decrees of God, &e.
will, Thisalfo ishandled by many Schpolmen, and much ufed by the Fefusts and Arminians. To pals by others, Pessortus handleth it propuga.l.4.c.21. having firft fhewed, c.20. p.225. that Chryfoftom and Damafcene firttufedit. His explicatory Propofitions are, 1. Vol. Antec. co Conf. non eft tn Deo refpectu omninm Volitorum; fed folum refpecta eoyam qua aliquo modd pendent ex lib. arbitrio creatmre, 2, Volumtas antecedens eff illa qua Deus vult hominis falutem quanthm in ipfo eft, gua illum ad falutem ordinat, ch} media ad falutem neceflaria praparat, quibus nifs per ip(um hominem fleterit, falutem affequatar: 3. Non femper Voluntas antecedens & Confequens circa objetta contraria verfantur, fed poteft idem objectum effe Volitum 2 Deo Volantate tum antecedente tum confequente. 4.Voluntas antecedens in Deo eft Voluntas beneplaciti, cp non folums voluntas figni, §.Voluntas antecedens eff forma- Liter & proprie in Deo exiftens, Cr non folum per metaphoram ad cum modum, quoVoluntas fignt. : | 3
361. tell you their fenfe, that I may the better open che plain rruth to
you, which isas followeth. 1. Thisdiftinion of Vol, antec. G conf. is
2. As Government hath an Antecedent and Confequent part, viz, Leviflation and Fudgement (with Execation ) {0 Gods Antecedent iillis nothing
Confequent will, is his Fadicéal will, or expreffed in Fadgement, One Antecedent to Mans part (obedience or difobedienct ) and the other Confequent toit. 3. Icismoft certainthac God willeth Antecedently all that
is in his Zaw, thatis, that all that believe and repent fhall be faved: And
that he willeth eo that Fudas e. g, and evety finally impenitent
unbeliever fhall be damned. For what God doth, that he wil/eth to do:
But God doth himfelf make fucha Law, andpafs fuch a judgement: zryo
SECT. “XV. | Of the Order of Gods Decrees by way of Intention and Execution,
362. Here is no part of this Controverfie more contentioufly and I
i fear prefumptuoufly and too audacioufly handled , chan this
of the prion | order of Gods Decrees. Of which many have faid
much, bot no manhath laid fo great a ftrefs on it asthofe two very good
men Dr, Twiffe and his follower Samuel Rutherford. * But on this {uppofition we have had many very bold Schemes of Gods Intentional Decrees
iven us 3 of which you may fee fome in‘ worthy Mr. Perkins Golden
hain, and in Beza, and out of himin Evglifb his Tractate publifhed with
Mr. Gilbies of Predeftination, and in Péfeator, and others.
363.By this way the Avts. arminians are fallen into the diftin® parties,of
Sablapfarians, and Supralapfarians ; Andthefe into two parties, one making man as not a in effe coynito, the other man in inmocency, the
364. 1. The common way is to diftribute the Means among themfelves,
Chryf. in Epb. Hom. 1.Dae mac. fid. Orthod. l. 2.0.29. ee cont. Manich. ad’ fineme
Alliaco Camerac. Ys. Jo 14. D. E. tells you the ferfe of Thom. Scotus, Och1n,& Gregor. of this diftind1on: and that of Scotus and Ockzm is to the fame urpofe with what I here ay of it; including that antecedent Grace which they call fuffictent,which God giveth to perfwade men to confent. The Schoolmen are dif agreed of the fenfe of this diftin@ion: and not underftanding it, contend about it. See Ruiz de Vol. Dei, difp. 19.
* Scotus’s order is el{cwhere recited : Take
Vafquer’s asin 3. Tho. qe
of the adult and infants :
(1. Previderit Deus omnes in Maffa pirditionis
Peccato obnoxios propter
tranferefionem Adami s
2. Hoc non obftante, voluit
_ préemaria voluntate ex feipfo
quofdam parvulos & omnes adultos ad beatitudincm pervensre, ad boc media fafficientia concefferit, quamvis efficacia CG con- Eyua negaverit 5 non in tentione excludendé eos d reeno, fed oftendendé divi- . tias furs in vafa mifericordie. 3. ut viderit eos én pecca. orig. aut attualé decedere, er 4.Obid efficaciter décreverit ipfos ex-
. pelleve a beatitudine, ex
adultos ad penam ignis
deflinaverit, ex quo quarto snftanti incipit Repro
batio eorum a glovia.Circa
alios Ba ipted quibus
non conce/it poffe applicaré remedia, Ordo in divina
prafcientia & eorum reprobatio a negatione gratia incipit.| Would you not think that he took all thefe for diftin& thoughrs in God? when he meareth no real divesfiry at all.
as any of them are fubfervient to others, as their end, and fotomake a great many of Decrees or parts of the Decree, firft.of theultimate end, and then of the next, andthe next to that, and foon, till youcome tothe firft means which isnoend; as che Writer imagineth them to lye.
58 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
865. 2. The fecond way isinyented as Conciliatory by Dr. Tweffe ( and fo it is) vez. that God hath but two Decrees, one de fixe, and the other de mediis, and that all the medéa are the objects but of one Decree, and fo chat we need not trouble the Church with difputing which of them is firft or laft. 2 ne
366. 3.Athird opinion I have long ago read in a MS.of Animadverfions on Dr. Twiffe by a Learned Judicious ard Godly Do¢tor ( yet living ) who proveth that God hath but one Decree de fine cy de: medtis , which catteth away all thematter of the Controverfies about the priority and pofteriority. And it were well if the Controverfie were fo ended.
367. 4.Many Arminians write as if the order of Intention and of Execution were the fame, and fo begin atthe other end, and give us a Scheme juft contrary to the firft fort, ( Beza, Perkins, gc. ) |
368. 5.Some hold that satendere finem is proper to the imperfect creature, and not belonging to God; and therefore that he hath no order of Intention in hisdecrees at all, becaufe no properend. __
369. 6. Some hold that the whole bufinefs of the order of Intention is utterly beyond our reach: And therefore that we fhould meddle only with the order of Execution: Thus faith the moft judicious Bithop Davenant foundly, Déffert.de Pradeft. cg Reprob. cap. 9. pag. 209. Hac argumentatio (Corvint ) vocat nos ad fpesulationem valde difficilem cy dogmatica Theologia fundande minime accommodatam. WNititur enim confideratione Prioritatis cy Pofterioritatis in illis duobus Voluntatis Divine decretis de dande Medsatore cy de Elettis fervandis, quae utraque ab aterno fuere concepta cp conflituta, Ad me quod attinet, {cio ordinem Executionis, fecundum quews Deus voluit beneficia ad bomines pervenire , nullo negotia poffe delineari: At quo ordine Deus confignata ca tenuit abaterno in mente ac voluntate [ua, a ap enarrare pre[umat, qui fe Deo ab arcanis Cy aternie confiliis ettam affirmare audeat. Fatemur Deum ab eterno conflituiffe, wt
— oranibus falvandisChriftus primo in loco proponeretur, dein per fidem apprebenderetur, hinc ut eorundem juftificatio fequeretur, tum fanttificatio, Pe cr demum Glorificatio. Sed frquis minime contentus hoc ordine exequutionis velit etiam nobis deferibere feriem Decretorum Divinorum ordine concept. onis tn mente cr Voluntate Det quafs diftinitam, atque urgeat cum Arminio Divinam juftitiam impuygnari nift boc confideretur ut illo prius, is mihi videtur nimium ingenio [uo fidere. |
And he ciceth Gabr. Biel in 3. d.2. 9. dub, 3. faying Prioritates illas in Divinis hifce decretis non effe ponendas, ficut nec pluralitates actuum ordinatorum, Ac proinde fiquis confiderare velit talem ordinem horum decretorum ut ponat Chrifli incarnationem eleétione priorem, vel é contra, hanc confiderationem effe falfam [pecnlationem, ee
3. Digre. 3-Pa&e Vol. mir from the Decree de fine , and thus egumerateth the decreed Mcans :
aes [ 1. The Permiffion of fin (of which more anon. ) 2, The gift of a Sa-
_viour. 3. The grace of Vocation, Faith, Repentance and Perfeverance.
4. The Salvation of perfevering penitent believers.] And foas tothe ultimate end only [ gwod Prius eft sntentione, pofterinus eff executione.| But
that the order of execution only isto be obferved among the Afeans.
371. The matter it felf ( or at leaft my thoughts of it ) I fhall open as plainly as I can with brevity. Firft premifing that their own doctrine fhould take them off their confidence and contention about this order of intenticn, For, 1. They ofttell usthat all Gods Decrees are eternal without any order of Time, And fhould wenot then ke afraid of boldnefs abour any other order ¢ |
and Decrees of God, &c.
372. 2. They oft tell us, that Prefcience and Science, Predeftination and Deftination are allonein God, and not to be thought-of as aéts paft and ceafed. | | | Beh ok de a
373. 3. They oft tell us, that God is one, and his Willis him(elf , and his Decrees are his will, and therefore are all but one,
394. 4. They cannot deny but that all our conceptions of Godare imroper, and analogical or metaphorical more or lefs; and that what Knowledge and Will in God is formally, no mortal knoweth. And fhould we difpute then audacioufly about this Ordere 1.2
375. 5+ None can deny, but that thefe Myfteries require the higheft reverence, and that it’s dreadful to take Gods Name in vain, and dally with
the Confuming fire. And yet fhall we prefume ¢
376. 6. They all confefs that our Lord Jefus, his Prophets; Apofties, or Scriptures, lead them not this way, and decide not thefe Controverfies, fo as that they can ftand totheir decifionalone, :
377+ 7. They cannotdeny, but that defiring arrogantly to be as God in Knowledge, was our firft Parents fin, chat ruiried them and us ,. and
Predefinatio Des eft ipfa Des effentia que elt neceffaria, Alliac. Camer. in 1.q.12.D.
See in Ruiz de Vol. Del's difp.24. how they are confounded about the ordering of Gods decrees as to the order of Intention and Execution: His Solution fuppofetl that “nus objecti Volttio eft ratio determinans ad aliorum volitionem: When as ex parte Dei there is but One Volition, and that hath no caufe; and the Ratio is a deceiving ° ambiguous word.
that this was Satans firftfuccefstul game. And that our difcafe is like to
be fuch as its original.
378. 8. Laftly, They cannot choofe but know, that it is the troubling
of the Church with new Articles, and new practices, and leading them from the fimplicicy that is in Chrift, even as the Serpent beguiled Eve, ( with the nl pee of more knowledge, >) which hath beenthe great plague and divider of the Churches in all Ages; though the Apoftle foretold them that Ic was this that he feared of them. And are we not felf-condemned;
— afafter all chis, we will cenfure and reproach one another,and foment divifions for that which moft certainly no mortal underftandeth¢
379. I.And firft your very foundation is uncertain, that God doth properly Jntendere finem. Nay, it is ¢ertain that ( as Aquinas afore-cited
faith ) though Vwlt boc effe propter hoc, non:tamen. propter hoc valt hoc. He prefcribeth Eads to Adan, and fetceth Exds to Adeans which are fixes
eperis; Butthat he Intendeth an End Himfelf, muft be faid very improperly, or very uncertainly, or notatall. The.truchis, chat we muft fay chat God doth fizem intendere, becaufe we muft {peak of him after che man. ner of men, or not atall. But it isnot truein the fame fenfe as we {peak it of man, and asthe word properly fignifiech, but equivocally. 380, For, 1.To Intend an End, is to make that End a Caufe why we choofe the means (as moft fay: ) But Gods Election ot Adtions have no Caufe. All deny that there is inGod Cau/e and Effects; ‘ox that propter hoc vult hoc. | 2 3 | |
381. 2. Inmanto Intend an End, doth imply that-a man -yet wanteth his end; and chat it is fomewhat:that ‘he needeth, or at leaft doth not yet obtain. But God needeth nothing, and hath no end that is defired or wanting, nor but what he continually poffeffeth or enjoyeth, as well now as hereafter. | | eo
382. 3. We knownofuchthing as /ntendere finem where the AZ and the Exdarethe fame. Intendere isnot the fame with Fixw.. Butin God they are the fame : He that is moft fimple hath no Jntention,, which is not Himfelf. and no End which isnot Himfelf, and fo both areone.
383. 4.Our Jntendere finem is not the fame really with Electio mediorum. But God hathno Jntention but what is really the fame with Eleé#ion, though not denominatively, connotatively and relatively. . os 384. §. Divines ufually fay, that Nothing below God himfelf can be
Ta But
Vafquex faith, that Gods own Goodnefs 1s not a final Caufe of his Vclition; fuppofing that movere ad Electionem medié as final Caufality. Ruiz afferteth the contrary; taking final Caufality to be firft effe primum objecium: And thus men ftrive about artificial no tions. :
Vafq.1. A82.C.1-Ruix de Vol.Des, d.15. §.1- P1596 But that nothing ts the Ratio Volendi but his | own Goodnefs, fee Albert. 1. ps tYe 200 Je 19s Mele. dele Alex. Ifo Ge 35m. 3. Henric. quodl.4 qo 19.Gabr.¥.d. 1464o Yo a. 2. Dried.de Concord.p.1. Co 3. Valq.difp. 82. Scotus 1. ds 4.4. Molin. 4.1 Soke Se
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will But to Ged thereisno Afeazs. He is not a Means of himfelf; And no creature can bea means of him: If we fay, that any thing can be a means ut Deus fit, vel wt fit Maxtmus, Saptentif{imus, Optimus, c were DO berter than Blafphemy, Godthen hath not an End like man.
385. Yet neceffity conftraineth us to ufe the phrafe, bue thefe things muft ftill be underftood when we ufe it. 1. That no ereatwre can be Gods Ends unlels you will call an object as terminative,an End ; or elfe an Effect. | 7 or 2. That itis not Gods Effence and perfections that is an end as to any medium; But it is his iW: For his Free will is the Beginning and the Complacency of that willis the End of all things. But if you call God his own Objed?, and focall the final Objec# an End, fo we mut confider God as Loving Hinsfelf ; and Himfelf is the End or final object of his own Love or Complacency; and he himfelf as Loving himfelf, is faidto A&
on that End or Object, And indeed eternal felf-kxowledge and felf-bve ( which fome of old ventured to call the fecond and third Perfons ) are
the Great Immanent Adts of the Divine Effence, ( with the fbi vivere.)
And ie feemeth the chief Notion of Ho/inefsin God, that he Lovech Hime
felf in primo inffants, and that he is moft miable to his Creatures sy [ecundo inftanti, and that he is the Caufe and End of all thatis good in them.
Thus a final obje& of his own and our Love or Complacency, God is
aft all — And fecondarily his Will is pleafed and fulfilled in alt
is wor :
387. 3. Yet by that Complacency we mean not that God is pafiive, or
rveceiveth any Delight from the Creature, or hath any addition by it to
his felicity: Butashe is a Commnnicative Good by way of Efficiency as the
firft efficient Canfe, fo ishe a felicitating Good to the Creature as its End,
and he is Love taking the creature into tts neareft Communion with him :
which is his Complacency, and the End of all things. And hence ic is
that God is {aid when he had finifhed his works, to Reft complacentially in
all as very Good. |
388. 4. As the Complacency of Gods Will is his Ead , in the formal
389. That his Gry is not Formally his End, is confeffed by all Divines who fay that nothing below God can behisEnd. But by his G/oryis meant fomething below himfelf ; fome creature, or action of the creature. Ergo, cs. For if by his Glory be meant Hém/e/f, there is no Adeans to fuch an-end,
390. Therefore by Gods Glory is meant the fbining luffre ot his Image x or the Appearance of God in his works: And not only mans Praifing and Ghorifying thoughts and words of him: whichthongh they are our higheft duty, are unfit to be Gods End, alone. Yet are they spart of that Glory
_ which is watertally his End, though not the whole.
391. This Glory or Appearance of God, which is materially his End,
sy 1. The perfection of the whole Creation. 2, Next that the Glory of
the Celefiial Kingdom, containing Chri/? and all the holy ones. 3. Next that the Glory of Chrifts own perfor alone. 4.Next that the Glory of the Holy ones alone, &c. |
392. Becaufe this perfection of the Univerfe is not yet accomplifhed, but hall be, smproperly we may fay that ‘God bath not yet attained his End, that is, his Atatertal End. — |
393- 5- But properly and formally Gods End isthever unactained : Becaufe his sri! is never unfulfilled, though the things willed be not - wy | ; ected.
and Decrees of God, &c —_
fected. For when e. g. the firft dayes work, was made, all was done which
he then willed to be dane, and fo forthe fecond day, cc. And now all is done which he would have now done: And his Will is ever perfectly pleafed,; And he wanteth nothing. Sothatan End not artained,is not to be afcribed to God, except materially, a
394. Thus God is faid co have made all things for himfelf, Proverbs 16:4: Becaule for Hes Plaafwre they are, and were created, Revelation 4:11.
395. For his Decreeing difpofing Will is fulfilled by all, even the wicked that are forthe day of Evil: Though his Commanding Will being not fulfilled by finners, according tothat he is {aid to have no pleafure inthem, but. to hate them, P/al.5.5. Heb, 10.38, Mal. 1. 10, Ezek. 18, 32: 23.0°33-11. Fer. 22.28. ch 48.38. Ecclef. 5.4. Plal.5. 4, cre.
396. And leftany think that thus God miffeth of his End, let it be
well noted, 1. Thatthis phrafe of Gods taking no pleafure, is abjectively both Pofitive, Privative and Oppofttive, that is, Ic fignifieth that God will
deprive the wicked of felisity, or the Communion of his Love, and will. . load chem with forrows, and will fer himfelf againft their Comforts, Bat 2. As toGods own Complacency of will, it is but equal to a negative:
His felicity lyethnot in theirs: And fo as Gods will hath no aual Comapes in Wothings (as in more Worlds, or Creatures, than ever will
) and yet his Complacency is perfect; fo though he have no Complacency inthe Holinefs or Salvation of thofe that are never Holy or Saved, yet his Complacency is perfect. _ |
397. There is oo doubt buc Man hath Ends and Means, ‘becaufe God hath {0 appointed ic, and made him not in a ftate of perfection, but iz via: Yea, Angels have an End and every creature, becaufe defective dependent oo ¢ evenin a formal :fenfe.
398. God is chisUltimate End of man, as he is to be perfeétly Loved dnd Pleafed, to which ail aré means: And the means are ordered as Ends to one another. | Ps
399. Ufually where the Scriptures and Preachers do {peak of God asthe End, and of Intention of Ends, they mean Afens./ntention and End, pre-
{cribed himby God. Bar if they {peak of Gods, they mean only, formsally the fulfilling of bis will, and materially his Glory, of the perfeéting of — ,
bis works. | : | 400. The fisis operts a6 diftiact from the fixis. oper antis is nothing bat the aputade and of the work1o the Authors Jetended End, or to
fome effed: Noacthat the opus qua opus finem intendit, 7 _ g01 IS f.all chefe difficulties lyein the way; W hether and how far God intend
an End ar all, judgehow far it is fitco contend about the Mental Order of
his Intentions, and whether Judicious Davenantwas not inthe right.
402. II, If were granted, that Qeod prins rid Intentione, pofterins eft executiove, nothing would follow to graciffe either party in thefe Controvarfies. ‘For.aliwouldibe bae this, thac [ God intended Himfelf, and the Fulfilling or Cemplacency of his own will, before he willed any thing elfe thut ever.cometh to pafs..) And what's this to ehe bufinels<
403. Buc-they fay, # is bis Glory that he firft intended: 1 anfwered before, His Giory is, 1. Himfelf (and then it’s the fame which I afferted:) or 2. a Creature (and then it is not formally his End.) 2. His Glory as it is his Compleat Image on the whole perfected World, is his End indeed staterially : But -chat is but to be the Compleat means : The perfected means may improperly be ealled his End: But forma
dcnominat.
404. ‘When they fay, that it is the Glory of his Meréy and J The _ Ly |
Hence they difpute ; i tr gs? A ovis
dence alwayes attain his Ends: and
Ruiz citech
for the affirmative, Cajet.
Naz. Alvar. and Scot: Marfil. Okam, Gabriel Herveus, Dréedo $ and for the negative, Alex. Aquine Durand. Marfil: Capreel. Ferrar. & commaniter recentiores 5 Molina, Zumel, Vafq. Suarer,
-Valent. Becanus, Sirenus, Pe
mottus, Arrabal, &C. And all this difference is about names and words. And Rxéz is for
fed. 3. 66. quia aliqnos fenes Deus intendst volitione conditionata CG non totaliter effcaci. So that the queftion is, 42 Volitio conditionata ieribendk Deo ajcribenda ai a ea auxilia jue confenfum bominss redt poffsbilem, vel bomiwee faciunt potentes? Eft an uolitio bec dicenda fe intentio finis? For he concludeth as agreed on by all, that Gods Providence is never fruftrace, hindred, deceived, or fluctuating,nor any thing done againft ic abfolutely, or againft ics focal ads equate End.
nae
* Rule deVolut.De of 15> §.4.p. 163. pretty argueth that Sé non potift dari ratio ipfius voletions divine, fed folzus denominationis extrinfece refultantis ab effectis creatis, fequitur vanas effe plurimas Theologorum de ordine,dependentia vel rateone divinarum volitionum, poftquam inter sllos conftat quem ordinem, dependentiam vel rat/onem haveant externa objctta inter fe. The confequent 1s true. They are vain indeed, though he deny 1t.
And all his reafons p.161, 162, crc. to prove that dantur increatura rateones finales moventes divinam voluntatem, are but triflings with the ambigulties of the word R.t/oand abufes of the word Caufa, having before confefled that there 1s no Real Caufe. And are there Caujes that are not Real?
1. We grant the Crea-.
is the Terminus and Reci- .
pient of the divine influx. 3. Ie may therefurc be caufa materials of
the diverfity of the effeds of Gods influx as
Received in patiente ex
diverfitate difpofitionis.
4. Our acts may be the
effets of Gods Volitons. s. And may be
fecond Caufes of other
cffedts. 6. Thofe other
effcdts may be faid to be
Gods nearer ends, fpeaking of him after the manner of imperfect ‘man.
-9. Where our ats arc
Mot caufes, they may be
-conditions fine quibus
“non, of many of Gods
-adcts quoad effectus, ( as
fin is of. punifhment at
leaft.) 8.In all thefe refpe&s Gods Volition
which 1s One in itfelf,
may and muft be denomunated divers from the
diverfity of thefe effedts
- and objeds,which therefore are the Ratio nom/-
nie: And he that would
prove any other Rat/o or
Caufe of the firft Caufe, * Deus
the will of God or any of his adts as in himfelf, muft firft renounce
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will |
1. They fay but the fame and need no other anfwer. 2. They {peak very defedtively : For it is to afcribe to God a defective Decree or Intention, which is not for the glory ofall his revealed perfections: Doubtle(s whatever is materially the perfect means of glorifying God, mutt glorifie his Greatnef and Active Power or Life, his wifdom and his Goodneff, and therein his Veracity or fidelity, his Fuftice and his Holinefy, his Benignity and mercy, his Immutability, independency, &c. All this muft be in the means it felf. oo
4o5. If Mr. Perkins, Beza, Gilbie and many other good men had well confidered this, they had never made the glorifying of Gods Mercy and Juftice inthe falvationof fome and the damnation of others, Gods ultimateend; Thereby committing many palpableerrours, 1, Making gurd Creatum vel Creature to be formally or properly Gods end, which is buc a Means. 2. Making one /ittle parcel of that means, to be the end, 3. Inferting two acts or parts only of that which they themfelves confef to be but Adzeanws. . For what fhould the names of Sa/vation and Damnation do in the defcription of the end ¢ Are they any part of the end ¢ Why is not Redemption, Juftification, Sanctification, Prefervation, Refurrection, ec. as well put in ¢ Is he not Glorified z# them as well as in final falvation or damnation ? Yea and in Creation and the frame of
‘nature too? Yea why is notthe glory of Amge/s, and all the world put
in, aspart of thefamemeanstohisend? __ |
406. If itbe faid that it is only Gods Glory of Asercy and Fuffice in mens (a/vation and damnation which is the end of Redemption, Converfion, Preaching, Ordinances; Sanctification, Adoption, &c. 1. I deny it: His..Power, wifdom and Goodneff, and his forementioned fubordinate attributes are thereby Glorified alfo. 2. Itis an injary to God unworthy of a Divine, to make Godto have as many diftiné ultimate ends, as they think there are particular apticudes or tendencies inthe means.
407. For undoubtedly we muft feign in God no more ultimate ends than one, “And undoubtedly the means confifting of innumerable parts, make up one rerfect whole, in which Gods Glory fhineth fo, as ic doth not in any part alone. And he that will cut Gods frame into {craps and fhreds, and fet up the parts as fo many wholes, will more difhonour him than he thae would fo mangle a Pi@ure, ora Watch, or Clock, or Houfe, or the pipes of an Organ, or the ftrings of a Lute, and tell you of their beauty and Harmony only diftinétly. Well therefore did Dr. Twiffe reduce all the Decrees de medits to one : But they are one in their ape
compofition for one end: And the Glory of Sun, and Stars, and Angels,
and the whole Creationis apart, and the Glory of our falvation and damnation is but another parr.
' 408. Theorder therefore of Gods Decrees in refpe& of the Execution is onty fic for our debate: ( Any farther than that we may moreover fay that Gods will or Himfelf is all his ultimate end, and his Glory thining in the perfection of his intire works is the perfect means.) And there is nothing elfe that we can reafonably controvert. And about this our Controverfie is next to none at all, Herewe may well enquire what is prius vel pofterius, quid fuperins, quid inferius, &c, and that to our edificat10n. | ® 409. Secing then that we are agreed (as is faid)) with Aguénes that non propter hoc ult hoc, fed vult hoc effe propter hoc, that which
all natural and Scholaftical Theolcgie at leaft. He citeth Durand. Major, Richardus, &c. But Durandus t.d. 41.4.1. doth but fay that Gods Adts arethus tube reckoned fecundum rationem, as likening Gods reafoning or thoughts to ours, (wt 1.7.) and: not
and ‘Decrees of Gad, &c. | 63 ee a YS CED ee Regs eee | Rg Pe Ie Of a not juxta vei veritatem. Richard. is full for what I fay; 1. d. 45. Voluntas five volens de Deo ficundum effentiam dicitar ton et aliad Velle, alikd Effe: But yet his Vele boc {peaketh noc his effe qua eff; and therefore he addeth that when God fs faid fcére aut velle, it is his Eftences butto fay, Hoc aut illnd fcit aut unit is but td fay, Hoc aut ilud eff (ubjectum (cientie vel voluntatis que ipfe Deus ig Et Voluntas Dei eft prima & fumma Caufa omnium 3 cujus Cala non ef Querenda 5 cc non ef diverfa Volnntas, fed diverfa locutio de ea in Scripturis. And Richardus in loc. pe 141. faith but this, that Ipfius divini Velle nulla eft ratio motiva, cum realiter idem fit quod Deus: Tamtn Ordinationis que eft inter divinum velle & ipfam volétum bene eft ratio aliqua respectu alicujusvoliti. Which is no more than I have faid. And as td Major, Ruiz did illco cite him, who there profeffeth that Predeftination and Volitionis but Xelatio rationis Gr denominatio ex:
brinfece as co God. And his ordo fignorum in mente divina is but the Scoti(ts affimilating Gods acts to mans. _
we have to do is butto enquire, 1. De re, how one thing is a Caufe ot ether means of another; 2. And fo how God Decreed it to work and be, 7 a ee ae ee
410. And 1. Icis agreed that the creation was Gods firft work (chat we know of or have anything to do with: ) This had (asco the firft part) no Antecedent Object, but produceth its effect, which fome call its object. Bat the latter dayes works had an antecedent objedt, and alfo a produced effect. And accordingly God Decreed from Ezernity that this fhould be his firft work, From whence by connotation thac may be called, his firft Decree. a | . ., Bae
41x, That fs or the Permiffion of fiz, orother meer Wegatives, art not to have place among the afferted Means and Decrees, I am anon in duc place to manifeft.
412, 2. God having made man, did give him a Law both Natural
and Pofitive : This was next done, and therefore decreed to be next
done, Se 4 a ee _ 413. 3. Man having broke this Law, God judged him, and laid on him {ome indifpenfible penalties, This was decreed.to be done in che
third place.
414. 4. Atthe fame time God promifed Man the victory by the Womans Seed, and giving him pardon of the deftrudtive penalty, became his Redeemer, and put him under a Covenant of Grace; firft given to manetal in Adam, and.afterwardsin Noah. Andthis was decreed to be fo
one, y 415. 5. Though all were thus put under chisCovenant, and God forfook none that firft forfook not him, yet did hegive more Grace to fome, thanto others, to Abel, e.g. than to Cain, fo that thofe chatdid acuall repent and believe and live toGod, were juftified and adopted and ma heirs of life. Andthushe decreedtodo. | '. a ae
416. 6. Perfeverance alfo was the effect of. his {pecial Grace, which accordingly is Decreedto he given, - a ae ,
417. 7. The Cainites, Canaanites and others that were the wicked Seed of wicked Parents, who forfook him and his Grace, he accordingly judged, punithed and forfook: Andfodecreed, . © °°: |
418. 8. The Seed of che faichful he eminéntly bleffed, efpecially of Abraham , whom he took (by reward ) into a farther {pecial Covenant, _ fuperadded tothe common Covenant of Grace, taking his Seed into a peculiar political and gracious relation to him, promifing the multiplication and profpericy of them, and that the Saviour fhould come out of chem: All which was fo decreed to be done. i. ' 41g. g.-The Meffiah came in the fulnefs of time, and did and fuffered all that is mentioned in the Gofpel : And gave us a more perfect Edition of che Covenant of Grace, and greater. grace with it, even more of the Spiric, wich a better Miniftry,Ordinances and Church-ftate: Which were fo decreed tobe done. | | .
officit, adicii G beneficiorum (quoad jus; ) or, fubditi obligati,
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
420, 10. To fome Nations of the Earth this fecond Edition of the Covenant of Grace, (thatis, the Gofpel) is ~— promulgate or Preached, who deferved it no more than others; while others for fin are lefe under the firft darker Edition, and under defertions and grievous punithments, for their fore-fathers and their own violation of it.
421. 11. Where theGofpel cometh among many that all deferve rejection for the refifting of grace, God giveth to fome that grace which infallibly Converteth them, and confequently juftifiech, adopreth and fandtifiechthem. All which he decreed. |
422. 12. Giving alfo Perfeverance as aforefaid, he finally juftifiech all
fuch in Judgement, and Glorifieth ¢ Chrift firft, and ) them with Chrift: fingly and conjunétly ac the final confummation. And he Decreed to do all this accordingly. - 423. If the Decree of God be called but One, for the Reafons before given, the Controverfie is then at an end: Burif it muft be diftinguifhed and called A¢any Decrees or parts, it muft be either from the Effects or from the fuppofed obje&s. = | |
424. 1. I! fromthe Effeas, there will be no Controverfie about the Decrees but what is firft about the Effects chemfelves. And moft of chem now named are uncontroverted. |
425. 2. And wecannot well denominate and diftinguifh the Decrees from any thing elfe but the Effeéts, (even as we do his operations, as a Redemption, cc.) Buc the objects then are paft doubt fuch as
ollow, 426. Viz. 1. The obje@ of the Decree of Creation as fuch (diftin from the Effeét ) is Nothing: that is, There is no object.
427. 2. The object of the Decree of Legiflation is man confidered meerly in his Being and Naturals as fuch.
428. 3.:The object of the Decree of the firft Judgement, was man
- newly faln.
429. 4 The objt@ of the Decree of the giving of the Promife of Chrift, che New Covenant in the firft Edition and pardon and grace by ir, was faln man firft judged. | :
430. §5. The object of the Common grace of that Covenant from firft
to laft, is faln judged man brought underthat Covenant of grace ( #¢ sorma officit, judicit cp benefictt.) _ 431. 6. The objectof the special grace of God (at firkt ) viz. for effectual’. Converfion, to men under that Covenant, was the fame as laft mentioned, Man brought under the Covenant of grace; of whom 1. Some were prepared: and difpofed by Common grace for Special. 2. And it’s like fome net, but fuddenly furprized by mercy.
432. 7. Theobject of Abrahams {pecial promife, (befides the Com-
“thon Covenaat of grace) was Abrahem eminent in faith and felf-denying
‘Obedience to God: And afterward his Seed for his fake,
"433. 8. The Object of the actual pitt of Chrift incamate, and the perfect Edition of the New Covenant by him, was the finful world thac had xranf{grefled both the Law of Innocency and the firft Edition of the Covenant of grace, and the Jews that had broken Afofes’s Law.
"434. 9. The object of the gift of the Gofpel as promulgate or pub- ‘lithed is thé fame, adding, the world as now Redeemed by the Actual fa- “crifice, Merits and Refurreion of Chrift incarnate.
-- 435.10; The obje& of the Commoneft grace of the Gofpel Covenant, is Redeemed man brought under this Covenant as the Norma
a
and Decrees of God, Sc.
436. 11. The objec of the grace of this Covenant proper co the Vifible Church, and common to tts members, ate Vifiole Chriftians, or Baptized Profeffours. irae _ 437... 12. Theobjeét of che firft effetual grace of faving Converfion.
faith and repentance) is certain perfons Redeemed and. brought under the obligation of this new Covenant; Of whom fome are prepared by common grate, and(.it’slike ) fome'arenot, "2 0 7 ot. ws
. 438. 13. The objeét of the gift of pardon, juftification;adoption, the - {pirit of fanctificacion and right to life, (and all chis in Chrift by union is a Penitent Believer,and the feed of fash dedicated in Covenant to God,, - _ 439. 14. The objeét of many acts of auxiliary grace, and of higher -
degrees. of grace is (ordinarily ) {uchas have well ufed former degrees of {pecial grace: But alfo, who God is freely pleafedtogiveitto.
440... 15. -The objet of the grace of Perfeverance.is the fame laft men-.
tioned: If not allthe.Juftified 5. which I referve as-almoft our only re-
.
al Controveérfie to handle in its proper place in the next ty ts i
441.16. The obje@ of the [email protected] Raifing’ che dead is all the world; as -
‘
442. 17, The obje¢ of the Jultification of the foul alone at the firft |
appearance is, the foul of a member of Chrift, or one faithful and perfevering in his Covenagt: or a Saint, ton eg | Bae ae
- 443. -18., The objeétof the final juftificarion-of the whole man, is a Saint rifen fromcthedead. . a
- 444. 19. The object of Glorifying Grace, is a member of Chritft, or aSaint thus finally Juftified ( either in foul firft; or in foul and body after as is (aid. ) | 7 ;
5.20. The object of Gods greateft filicitating comsplacency ts the -
_ Auguft. ad Simplic. li. x, qu. 2. Quia non snvenit Dews opera in bominibus
- quae tligat,ideo manet pro
pofitum zuftificationss spf
us: fed quia tllud manet, ut juftificet credentes, ideo invenit opera que jam eli gat ad regnum celorum.
44 Glorified Charchof allthe holy ones : And the object of his ‘utmoft univerfal coniplacency in the Creature, is the-Glory of his image fhining on
the whole Liniverfe in perfection: (-Asthe object Soy may call it) of his
Effential Volition, Love or Complacency, is Himfelf) | And as thefe are the objects of the. grace thas diftinguifhed by the effects, foare they of the will or Decree of giving it, as denominated ac-
. cording tothe order of Execution, Befides which Davexant on one account, and Twiffe on anuther granc that gwad medéa there is no other for —
man to kxow., |
446. By this ic appeareth that the Corrupted Maff fimply confidered was . :
the object of no one of all thefe graces, But the Corrupted Mafs as.
Judged firft, and afteras Redeemed, and after as under Covenant, Ga:
Much lefs was it any effed# of God, as corrupt.
447. The corrupted Maf judged, wasnot as fuch the object of Gods |
difcrimination by Election of fome, and rejection of others : For they were commonly brought all under the Covenant of Grace, and hada com:
mon fort of grace, before the difcrimination, .
KO | SECT.
a
; Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
D’Orbellis in x. d. 40. [ Diftinguuntur, Scientia y Prefcientia, Provédentia, propoftum, electio, déspofitio, predeftinatio & reprobatto. Hee differant fecundum rationem, licet fint idem realiter in Deo. X. Scientia Dei eft certa Cognitio omnium preteré- —torum, prafentium, futurorum, fieriq; pofibélium tam bonorum quam malorum. 2. Praefcientia eft futurorum precognitio— Reprobaté vero appropriate dicuntur Prefceti Providentia of prefcientia fy turorum in quantum funt a prafciente in finem ordinabilia 3. Propofitum ef aftus Voluntatis Divina tam refpectu fut uro~ rum agendorum, quam permittendorum. 4. Electio fupra Propofrtum addit difcretionem electi a fuo contrario, {cil. boni a malo. s. Dispofitio eft prefcientia faciendorum, refpiciens fieri vei, C% cognitionem; ficut proveentia refpicit effe vei poftquam facta é 6. Predéftinatio eft propofitum divine voluntatis, conferendi gratiam ¢& gloriam predéftinats. 7. Reprobatio eft — —propofitum permittendi reprobatos permanere in obduratione finali, & retré- buendé es interminabilem pxnam, propter eorum iniq.itatem. |
~ you had rac
SECT. XVL Of the Order of the Decrees called Reprobation. And of Eleftion and Reprobation in themielves. : | 448. A Ccordingly in the order of execution we mutt reckon the ob: \ jects of that which fome call Reprobation, anfwerableto what
is before taid of Election: Buc order requireth thae I firft fpeak of Ele ion and Reprobation as in themfelves, whattheyares 449. Eleétion as to the etymologie I neéd not explain. | It is taken.
t. For a Temporary attual Taking one rather than another by way of
Choice. Whichis 1. By meer Volition, or Election of the will, 2. Or
alfo by manual Apprehenfion or Executive Election ( As a man taketh a
woman to wife.) 2. Or ic is taken for An Eternal Eledting Decree of
450. Gods Executive Eleétion in. Fime is twofold 1. By giving one
man converting effectual Grace which he giveth not to another. 2. BY
taking confequently that Converted perfon to be one of his Adopted and
Juftified ones, as his choice peculiartreafure, se
451. Gods ental Election being an AG of his w7d, is either his
meer Decree of the Event, 2. Or his Deeree as efficsent, 3. Or elfe his
complacency, The firft iseternal. The fecond is eternal ew parte Dez, but
not ex parteefeltas, The third is eternal as it is Gods effence, but is
denominated Temporary. by connotation of che object; as alfo may the
_fecond be: About thefe there needs no quarrel. |
- 452. All the fpecialgrace which God givethin Time, he decreed from
Etemity to give : And thongh fome decrees have f{pecial objects in effe coynitd
fuppofed, none of them have aproper exterior caufe. .
453. Ic is not poffible that any Creature can have any good which
ift of God, however he may require of man Conditions of
be order of Collation, Therefore the Decree muft neecs
is not a pure Reception, int be free. | 454. As: tothe queftion whether God elect men upon forefight of any din them, enough is faid before to anfwerit, If the queftion mean’ whether Gods Knowledze or Volition be firft in themfelves ¢ I anfwer, neither; For nothing in him is before or after other, But if God mighre befpoken of as man, we muftfay that his Uxderffanding is the firft /pecifyeng principle, and the wil! the firft quoad exercitium actus, And there-. fore that the Divine underftanding reprefented to his will, the object in: its Eligibility, If che queftion be what is the objects reprefented eligibrlity: in effe cogntto vel deal, it is anfwered, 1. We muft diftinguifh of the Divine Volitions called Elections by the divers effects: 1. (To pafs: by the reft ) It is one thing to Elect to Glory,or Velle Glorificare; And here the object of Actual Glorification, is a perfevering Saint: And you mutt diftinguifh Gods Volitions by his executions, or not acall ( which ee 2. It isancther thing tochoofe one to the firft grace of faith or true Converfion. And here the objectof the executionis, as is aforefaid, fomerime one a by common grace (though without merit, ) fainetime one extraordinarily wicked: Look over what I faid of the objects, and the queftion of forefight is anfwered, as far as it belongeth co our enquiry. ped Tho’e that deny all fpecial arbitrary Eleétion, muft deny all fpecial arbitrary effectual differing grace: which I fhall prove elfewhere by it
and Decrees of God, &c.
it felf; And now referr fuchto Davewanss Differtatiofl de predeff. where ic is fully proved, and defended. |
®
he dealeth equally with all chat make not che inequality themfelves:)) Buc
alfo as a Proprietor and a Benefactor, in both which Relations he is free
todo with his own as he seeps And free Lords and Bemefaétors ufe not to diftribute equally their gifts. Nor do they confider that de fad¥o God vifibly maketh wonderful inequalities; He maketh noc men as great or good as Angels, aor Stars as glorioys as the Sun: The whole fheweth us admirable variety, arbitrarily made by the great Benefactor, who giveth not to usa Reafon of his will. =. 2 | 457. The word (aésun@] Reprobus, in Scriptureis ufed nowhere that remember, but Rom, 1.28. 1 Cor.9.27. 2C0r.13.5, 6,7. 2 Tim. 3.8. Tit.1.16, Heb.6. And the word [ Reprobation | isnot ufedat all, as any a@tof God. But predeftixation and election are oft ufed on the
better fide, and rejecting, hating, forfaking onthe other fide. And eked-—
tng implyeth that fome are not eled.
438. About the obje@& of that'which many call Reprobation, be fire
to diftinouifh, between a true objec of any AG, circa quod verfatur,
and which is /wojectum inheflonis, and a meer object of {peech, or [wo
jectum pradicationés: Elfe’ you will wich many be enfhared to think thae every fubject or objec of a prediction which in the feries of Gods judgements you meet with, is the object of fome pofitive a of God.
459. And though we would quarrel with no man about meer wotds, yet left words deceive you I add, chat as the word Reprobation feemeth
to fieriifie a pofitive Act, and yet a great part of che defertion of the Reprobates is by Gods preteritions and xot-4éfing and privations , therefore it is not the whole feries that the word Reprobation aptly expreflech,
but only fome particular Acts. ie ciaa ar | |
1 Cor.2.5. (its #e¢ecw though not fpoken of perfons) .4¢7. 4. 28.
(tranflated [ fore-determined)) when applyed to perfons is ever taken in
Scripture as an act of mercy: And the ancients sen pues Pralber and
Falgentins wfe the words [ Predeffinatt cr Prefciti, the eb pina and
the fore-ksiown ] as of late men ufe among us the words Elec# and Reprobate.
461. Though men differ as-cheir opinions lead them ‘int: the expofition
fome take them to fpeak of predeftinating Individuals, aad others oily of
Species, that is, of believers, fufferers; Loversof God, dc. yet as to the
matter it felf norte that is judicious canor doth deny bue that God eternally ‘Predeftinaceth tsdividwals ; The — commonly confefs it,
though they differ-on the queftion, how far it i$ on fore-fight of faith:
But that forefeen Believers individually are eternally ele&ted to falvation,
thev cannotdeny. And the Leartiedft Jefwits maintain that God giveth
faithio time; and cledteth Individuals to faith ic felf from eternicy: Thae
is, eternally decreed to give them) faich; or to give chem thae Grace by
which he fore-knew that in the: advanragious ctrcumftances in which he
decreed to put them, they wowld freely, and he decreed foould infaliibly,
believe, er a | _
462. The conceit and fuppoficion of many, that Election and Repro+
bation are fuch perfe& contraties, as that they run pari paffsé, and that
God wileth in the one juftas he doth in the other, Endand means, for
matter and order, is a grofs miftake. rs seal Profper,: —
The prefumprion of the
Schonimen in defini the A& of predeftination ‘1s tremendous: See Rafz de provid. disp. 3. fete Q. ,
ad tx. who concludeth that Predeftination is am A& of Gods Intellect, ‘and a Practical act, and 1s Altus affirmans Dei t> Létionem libere: decernentems de finibus rerum Gr mes diis, &c. g.d. Volo Pee trum beatificaree> per talia media, &c. It's not this will, but the knowledge It. |
* Vid. Bexam in Roms. 83
28. de propofite.
Leg. Daven. Difot. de and Davenant of Tare, with many more have fhewed, that Cod prenon eft verume 2. Dusa | aS Empoffibile eft quod pro als- gloria, fed non-volitionem glorte. 7 : oat 1.2% que aria oe. _ 466. It is notable that ‘both Dr. Tw/ffe. and Bifhop Davenant, do dil- -Alias pro tunc. daretur Claim this opinion of Scotus without offering us any one — againtt
-medixm in contraditliont. ig ¢ whichis fo unufual acourfe with one of them, as wou
Pred. c& Reprobat. copiofe
hee probanton. Et Zymel deftinateth men to Fasth,and perfeverance,and to Glory,and not only to Glo-
. Difpste 50 §e5- 9-335 & ty upon the forefight of faith and perfeverance: Buc that he p.edeftinaceth
feq. & objecta tect. 738 oy decreeth mento damnation, only on the forefight of final impenitence
and infidelity, but notto Impenitence or Infidelity ic telf. |
463. The Grand difficulty that occafioneth all our Gontroverfies herein is, How todifcerathat God isthe Author of all our Good, and yet not
the Author of Sin, nor of Damnation faving for fin: And both parties
are very defirous to hold and fee that both thefe are true: Nay, beth
| believe them:. But they differ.only in the way and method of manifeft-
“464. There are three opinions about Reprobation: 1. One is, that Cod
Pofitively decreed from eternity to glorifie his Juftice in che damnation of
the moft, and to that end to occafion and permit their hardning and unbe+
lief; fo that Reprobation is Pofitive both as to the Ad and Object.
2. The other isthe opinion of the Synod of Dort (as expreffed ) defended
at large by Davexant and many others, thac Reprobation is Gods Pofitive
Decree not to give faith and and repentance to the fame men, and to
damn them: for impenitence and infidelity : and fo is Pofitive quozd
Aitum, but Negative quoad Objettum, ( as tothe firft past, wot giving
faith.) 3. The third is the Opinion of iubtile Scots and his followers,
So Albertine before cited. that i primo inflanti Reprobation is Negative quoad Adium @& Objeitum;
| that is, Ic is no AC of God at all, but only a Non-eleétion or preterition:
which is I fuppofe the meaning of Dr, Sterne of Dublin Coiledge, who
hath written a Latin Tractate maintaining that God Reprobateth none, that
is, by any Act, - 3 | beg
465. The method laid down by Scotus is this, [ Offertur Voluntati [us
fine bunc peccatarum vel peccare : Primo voluntas ejus circa hunc non habet
Againft Scotus his foun- Velle: Velle entms ipfumbabere peccatum non poteft, 2, Poteft intelligere
dation, that God know- amy Ps R 2 ee Gide apadnoens Voluntatem fuam non volentem hoc: cy tunc poteft velle Voluxta-
Scot. 1. d. 47. ae Vid. Signa Dfayronis 3”
ooly ut Volita, faith al- tems fuam hon, velle boc: ce ita dicitur Volens finere G.. v0- : io ee er ue luntarte permittere: ficut ex alia parte prafentato fib: Juda, primo Deus
f “Kea - eis ‘ . ; . : Hie “a. Quia talia ir haget non Velle fibi Gloriam, & non primo Nolle——_——c> poteft tune
flantia cm priovitaten & fecundo reflectere fuper iftam. negaticnem aitus gy Velle eam: cy ita Vo-
Peyvtoave M4 é ee ° * 6 pofterdoritatem effe in Deo 7, five voluntarte non eligtt Fudans finaliter peccaturum, Cy non nolitionem
3. Duia ponit aliquid effe d perfwade one
medium @ rationm cog- CO. think that they had not much to fay againft ic, but (what they intiis in Divino intel mate) the harth found of the words, that God fhould be herea non-agene. ’ bls THe 2 :
467, The cruth feemeth tome, that as Davenant faith, Scotus was the firtt artifex of this ordering of various Ads inthe mind of God: So here he faith too much, and is too bold, and feigneth a fubfequent Volition of a
468. So far was Scotus from being the firft Auchor of this Opinion, of
Lonbatd. 1. de 47. a Negatio volendi peccatam in God, that their common Matter Lombard moft exprefly aflerteth ic, and that more plainly and foundly than thefe
over-fubtilemen, Upon which his Commentators copioufly difpute 42
in Deo pit effe pura omiffio abfque volitione Cr nolitione pofitiva-?. of
which befides. the Scotiffs and Nomtnals, you may {ee Aquin. 16. 4.2. Dyrand, 1.4.47.9.1. Ruiz de Volunt. difp. 8. fedt.3. conct, 2. Albertin,
Tong. princip. 4. 9.4. db, &.Valquez 2. p. 1, dilp.79. mh, AD, Oe. : rr aa Suarez,
and Decrees of Ged, Kes
Sek. 3. Aluiz Tratt.2, dip. 6. fect. 3, Montepil. 1. p.difp. 33. 4.8. 601. & 3. Durandus diftinguitheth of contre & prater Volumtatém, and faith
that Volustas etiam beneplaciti antecedens, qua eft folum quedam Velleitas, — may be fuch as many things are prater Gr contra cam, But Voluntas bemeplacttt confequens 1S fuch as nothing iS contra cam, bue fre i 1S gs! cam, etiam mala fieri. Neque enim vault fert, ec valt non fiert. like not what he addeth: Jdem forte decerct aliquis de quibufdam has
que flant mere a libero arbitrio, fed non de omntbus, Viz. que fiunt a pré- |
acftinatis, &c.
469. And iristo benoted, chat Daransdus with otliet Schoclmen argue; that if fin were willed by God, God would be the Author of it :: Gods Volition, fay they, being officient, And Effias (a yet plainer Schoolman than Durand ) faith, Quicquid fit Deo Polente, fit Deo authore: whoalfo citing Aqnings’s confent, faith, Omnimode tenenda eft in hac parte dottrina magiftri, mala nec effe nec fieri Deo Volente, And againft thé vain diftinction of 1 E Deus son valt malam, fe edvnlt malam fieri’ few eventve ) he faith char [{ Yelle malt, Or velle mata fmplictter , eft ad rem wt fit. ————Qui valt virtutem, valt.virtatens effe, Qui vult peccatum, vult peccatum ¢ffe——_—neyue alind fit vellé mali, Gr velle mala effe ant fleri. i-d. 47. {edi 7. pag. 228, ( kt teemeth
_ there were fome then of Dr. Tiwiffes and Rutherford opinion: ) a 470... Andthat youmay fee £/tses mind further in This, and alfo fee all a 3 the Objections now ufed anfwered; I will here annex (though. Out of a
his anfwer to them... .
Obj. 1. Sin isnot committed Ded wolente: tree Deo vnlente. fits |
— Reflp: Weque nolente,. neque vileute Deo. finns, ‘fed permittente.
471. Obj. 2. Atals “effe aut fieri bonum eff 1; Ad perfettionem aniwerfi, 2. Ad devorem, Bc. ita Auguft, Enchir. 10. & 115g C..96.. Bonu eft wt fint mals.
effe feu fieri | idemefi.. Voluntas enim adren
Agata, ts 4. I. 9.19. art. 3. anfwereth in tal COMTI. .
Refp. Neg. Major::. Et x. Male fant Univerfi: mon wanda 6 perfe- : ae Eiones, fed td defor mant, exc. 2. , Augutt. 1018 ——— aes Bopum effe oan
mala permitts.
472. Obj. 3. They’ c cammot be, uhlefs God will them to bes Abgult. Lee
Enchir, 95 Non fit aligaid nifi Ommipotens fiers velit.
Refp. The reaton affometh-a falfliood. And Aa nftine is epee as —-
Speaking only of the Permiffion as willed, andnot the Event. ' 4730. _— cicada werums fa a Der sled — salar verse eft: Ergo...
Rel, Non Hegonit fed fophiftarum oft News verum gua, virwie oft. ; Deo:. De rebus mags [unt conceptus.mentis veri; ¢ Indeed malem qu sbhicctums feientie non. eft malum.y..
474: Obj. 5. Aug. ‘Bnchir. 100; Percation on vn fi prater De tales = ft coptra, bao
Relp, tdgaiter de: perm onis j valabtates non n opp ius elle: Bs
Albertinus words T,X. Princip... foe dub, 2. pig. 297- fciced befor as a Negation of Will. -
475 Swarez diftinguifherh of Gods wil Yoldntarily deserting to go no further, and awill fufpended without [uch a determination: the firft he-dényeth riot but the tater’ he denyeth it God’ as:imiperfectian : = upon reafons fo ie — Goll coman, sa I chink them not worth The recitin oO ie :
. “478. re mortal t man can prove, hn God af ‘sd bane adal Vo.
Vids dtu indsq7sge 33 adi e
68 | | Of the N ature, Knowledge, Will
Fr alae and Davenant of Yate, with many more have fhewed, that God prehee probantin. Et 2umet cettinaceth men to Fasth,and perfeverance,and to Glory,and not only to Glo: Difpute $0.§-5+ p335¢ & ty upon che forefight of faith and perfeverance: But that he p. edeftinateth oe © isda dtth P48 oe decreeth mento damnation, only on the forefight of final impenitence and infideliry, but notto Impenitence or Infidelity icfelf,
463. The Grand difficulty chat occafioneth all our Gontroverfies herein is, How to difcern that God isthe Author of all our Good, and yct not the Auchor of Sin, nor of Damnation faving for fiz; And both parties are very defirous to hold and fee that both thefe are true: Nay, both
) believe them:. But they differ.only in the way and method of manifeftae There are three opinions about Reprobation: 1. One is, that Cod
Pofitively decreed from etersiity to glorifie his Juftice in che damnation of
the moft, and to that end to occafion and permit their hardning and unbe+
lief: fo that Reprobation is Pofitive both as to the Act and Object.
2. The other isthe opinion of the Synod of Dort (as expreffed ) defended
at large by Davenant and many others, that Reprobation is Gods Pofitive
Decree not to give faith and and repentance co the fame men, and to
damp them: for impenitence and infidelity : and fo is Pofitive quoad
Aitum, but Negative quad Objettum, ( as to the firlt part, not giving
faith.) 3. The third is the Opinion of fubtile Scorws and his followers,
So Albertine before cited. that #7 = inflanti Reprobation is Negative quoad Aikum ¢ Objectum; that is, It is no ACtof God at all, but only a Won-election or preterition:
which is I fuppofe the meaning of Dr. Sterve of Dublin Coiledge, who hath written a Latin Tractate maintaining that God Reprobateth none, that
as,, by any Ad. - 7 : | oe. ,465- The method laid down by Scotus is this, [ Offertur Voluntati [ua fine *" bunc peccatarum vel peccare: Prime voluntas ejus circa hunc non habet Againft Scotus his foun- Velle: Velle enim ipfum babere peccatum non poteft, 2. Poteft intelligere oe heer sate Voluntatem fuam non volentem hoc: cr tunc poteft velle Voluntaouly ut Volita, faith Al- tems fuam hon, velle boc: G ita dicitur Volens finere, G..v0ae ae luntarie permittere: ficut ex alia parte prafentato fib: Juda, primo Deus | ee Quis talia o_ habet non Velle fibi Glriam, & non primo Nolle————¢&> pote? tunc flantia c priovitatem & fecundo reflectere fuper iftam. negaticnem aitus Velle eam: ita Voee ee ae lens five voluntarie non eligit Fudams finaliter peccaturum, CG non nolitionem Empolpibite eft quod pro alé- gloria, fed non-Volitionem: gloria, 7 ; ole ee re - 466. It is notable that both Dr. Tw/ffe. and Bifhop Davenane, do dil- Alias pro tunc. dareter Claim this opinion of Scotws without offering us any one argument againtt ~medion in rani it, whichis fo unufual acourfe with one of them, as would perfwade one “2 Gun G rationm cg. co.think that they hadnot much to fay againft ic, but (what they intinofcendi in Divino intel- mate) the harfh found of the words, that God fhould be.herea non-agent. - bed: - - 467, The truth feemeth tome, that as Davenant faith, Scotus was-the firtt artifex of this ordering of various Ads inthe mindofGod: So here he faith too. msch, and is too bold, and feigneth a feblequent Volition of a former non-volition without caufe or proof, meerly to fcapethe cenfure
which yet he now incurreth, of making God toplittle ative. bee
468. So far was Scotus from being the. firft Author of this Opinion, of
Lombards te de 4% a Negatio volends peccataws in God, that their common Mafter Lombard moft exprefly afferceth it, and that more plainly and foundly than thefe
over-{ubtilemen, Upon which his Commentators copioufly difpute 42
jn Deo peffit effe pura omiffie abfque volitione cy nolitione pofttiva?. of
‘which befides the Scorif?s and Norsinals, you may {ee Aquin. 16. 4..2.'Dyrand, 1.4.4769.1. Ruiz de Volunt. difp, 8. fect.3. conct, 2. Albertin,
Teoh. princip..4. 9.4. dub. %.Valquez 2. pit. dilp.79. mm ATs, ce. ee ee ae aie aa age is
Scot. ¥. d. 476 Vid. Signa Dayronis
w= cee ihr — ~~ eee, a
®
and Decrees of Ged, & Ke, ss
fe. 3. Aluiz Tratt.2, difp. 6. fect.3, Montepil. 1. p. ds/p. 33. 4.8. co,
3. Durandss diftinguitheth of contra & prater Voluntatém, and faith —
that Volustas etiam beneplaciti antecedens, qua eft folum quedam Velleitas,
may be fuch as many things are preter cr contra cam, But Voluntas bemeplacsts comfeqnens is fuch as nothing is contra eam, but fmm is —, cam, etiam mala fiert. Neque enim vals fiert, mec vult nin + i ae like not what he addeth: Jdem forte deceret aliquis de quibuf
m bonis
que fiant mere a libero arbitrio, fed non de omnibus, VIZ. gue mg a ial
aeftinatis, &c,
469. And itis to be noted, chat Sistas with otict Schoolmen argue, that if fin were willed by God, God would be the Author of it :: Gods Volition, fay they, being cfficient, And Effias (a yet plainer Schoolman than Durand ) faith, Quscquid fit Deo Polente, fit Deo authore: who alfo citing A7ninas’s confent, faith, Omnimode tenenda eft in hac parte dottrina magiftri, mala nec effe nec fieri Deo Volente, And againftthe vain diftinction of 1 [ Dews non valt malam, fedvnlt malam fieri few evenire) he faith char E Velle mala, cp vclle mata effe few fieri ides Voluntas enim adrem fimpliciter , eft ad rem ut fit.- Qui valt virtutem, vult.virtatem effe; Qui vult peccatum, vult peccatum efJe—_—neyue alind fit velle mdla, cp velle mala effe aut fleri. i-d, 47. fects 7. pap. 228, ( kt teemeth _ there were fome then of Dr. Twiffes and Ratherfords opinion: )
470... Andthat youmay fee £/ts mind further in this, and alfo fee all oas the Objedions now ufed an{wered; Iwill here annex (though: out of ae _
his anfwer. to them. |
Obj. 4. Sin isnot commicted Ded nolente: ergo Deo velenie. firs ~ Refp: Weque nolente,. neque vilente Deo fiunt, (fed permittente.
471. Obj. 2. Atala “effe aut fieri bonum eft 1; Ad perfettionem aniwerfi, 2. Ad decorem, 8x, Pra, RE 10. & 11; ¢. c. 96.. Bonum eff wt fint mala, -
Aquin. % Got art. 94 a 3 canfwerash i the fama,
Refp. Neg. Major:. Ett. Male fant Univer &: Bon ornatus: 6 perfe- : _
Etiones, fed ed defor mant, ec. ‘2. Augult. 107 voila aia Bopam effe mala permittts:
- 4726 Obj, 3. They'c carmot be, unlefs God aiff them to bes Angut
Enchir, 95. Non fit aligaid nifs Ommipotens freri velit.
Refp. The reaton aflometh.a falfliood, And Ang uftine is interpreted as Bas
{peaking only of the Permiffion as willed, and not the Event.
4730. beaded _— verums fia a Der elle & firs oalans wer ef: Ergo. . °° Rel, 7 Non Hegonit fea fiphiftarum eft: New werum ga. v veruin eff ; Deo:. De sebus males fant conceptus.mentis veri, ¢ dndecd: malem quan sbhjectuim fcientie nom eft malum.y ..
474. Obj. 5. Aug.: Bachir. 100. ‘Peccato Po vn fi pratt De tulaeaem, guod fis:coptra, = a> . Relp. tidgartar de. permiff onis valestate; non ipfne mali.
Albertinus words T. i. Princip. 4. 4 4 dub. 2. Pag: 297: feted befor abc of Will. -
475 Swarez diftinguifhecki of Gods will Yoldntarily determing te é no further, and awill fufpended without [uch a determination: firft he:denyeth riot , but the latter’ he denyeth ‘iis God’ as: speifosiion But upon reafons fo weak, ieee God tomans that I think them not worth
the ‘reciting.
; ee No mortal man cam prove, ht God ma pe hia ada Vox
Vids Apu ind gg 2] ad i.
70 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will Yet let the Reader note, fictions of Nothings asfuch. And confequencly chac he hath any fuch: And that though I hold wt chat his perfedtion excludeth them not. = é on prove a Po- : : fitive Volition or Noliti- 477+ Yet I granc that he willech che Truth of humane Negative Propoon of Nothings (ordina- firions: For thofe are fomething, though about Nothing. Ne rily ac leaft ) and fo me sige would fhorten ‘the Con. 478. That {uch Decrees or Volitions de mihilo are not neceflary, appearfroverfie, yet my Conci- ech, inthat 1. Either they are neceflary in 4d snffaaces de nihilo,.or only per yeercig eel dei in fome. Notin All:. Ergo, not gua tales: For if only in fomwe, it mutt ceed -fufficiently if you be from fome fingular accidental reafons: .4 guatenus ad omne valet con- Be eee onc, (egwentia, Thattheyare not neceflary in a//, is granted in chatno man and his Permifficns, © (that 1 knowof ) ever affertedic. Andto affercit, is great prefamption : For then.there muft be infinite Negative-Pofitive Decrees: Ase.g. that there fhali not be innumerable more Worlds, more Suns, more Atoms, that this and chat and every particular atome or fand fhall not be a Sun,a Star, an Earth,a Man,a Dog,a Fith, gs. And infinite Decrees, about every . Stone3.asmany abour every pile of grafs, and as many about every crea- . tare, what they thall not be, And infinite Decrees about infinite (or innumerable )} Poffibles, that they fhall not be exiftents, chat they fhall not be chas. or thus. named,.¢e, Who can prove or dare affirm, thet all . thefe Infinite Wothings , have Pofitive acts of Decretive Nolition from : 479. 2. We mnft not feignunneceffary Aéts in God: But fach Pofitive — Pitavius Vol. 1. Ui. 9. Nolitions of Wotbings feem wnneceflary: For Nothing will be nothing, Theol. dogmat. depredeft. without a Nolition, aswell as.with ic: What need:God we! che Being of aietiheth the od opin more Worlds, more Crearmres, more Names, ¢3-¢.. when it is.not pofible on of our Countrey-man that ever they fhould be, unlefs he pofitively will and make them Yea, Joan, Evigena Scotus if ( per inapoffibile ) there were no God, Nothing would be Nothing till. de predifiaaivnen sfrde TO feignor call fora Divine Nolition'to keep. Avosbing from becoming Dro, :yus sleds ad'avere fomethiays, is too prefumtin | See. 6 gee
nam felicitatim depineta~
nan feliciaiem dein 4” 480. .9 All chole Schoalmen and Divines who tell us, chat every ill of fe damnationm. How God, except his complacency and difplicence, is effective, muft ‘needs be
‘near is this tO the othet aoainft'a Pofitive Nolition of Nothings: For that:effecteth nothing. If
h. Scotus Duns. See. a pi — B oritprtasngs Shae Bithop ufeer farh they fay shac chey mean it only of Volstions and not of Welitions,..1 anfwer, of ee ee 1. Is not Gods Nolitiona Yelle non? What is it, but a will that this or cae: C idem a carole that thall not bee -2. And in man as Volitions are for ‘fome Good, fo Noana ro ete. ditions are for the depalfion of fome Evil: But Indifferent-Nothings, thae
etothis fenfe the De- a ee. eee Lee ne te ghee | ae crees Synodi Cavifiacenfis 5©: 20 bffe irxcayinate neither Good nor Evil, have no Valitions or Nolitions
contra Gotechalcum, se EVEN in man, es
J a oe See Sa 2 er ae e + STs Cotetl. Galispi6S, - 48x, g Gods Will is his Effence, varioufly denominated as varioufly
terminated on the objects: But Nothing is xo object, and {ono termipatte as of Gods Will, and{fono obje& to conftimte:an a@ in fpecia vel indé- evdue bp cvnnctatiog or.extrinfick denomination: Therefore God. is not to befaid to. Will it, or Decree it. Ifyou fay, that ie is fomething in the éea.of Gods Intele@ 5 I anfwer, Ic. is prefumptuontly afferted:: Who can prove, or ought to feign that there is in God Idea’s or Conceits of fuch nothings as never will be any thing, in che forms of fomsethizgs? For WNothing:as’oghfeg, hathno form.to be conceived of. ae ae 482. Object. Thus you deny Nothings as fuch to be known. of. Gods
PQA STO Bog if chey cannot be’ the “objects of his Wo/stiogs, then neither of: his
Buc a Repoftion de nsbile.is: But of thismoreanon, ‘ : ‘ 483. 5. Certainly God doth freely fufpend or Limit che Ads of his Power: ‘Therefore he may-for aught we. know ( chat Lfay not, ‘It is cer- > tain
-
‘
+ and Decrees of God, &c. ,
tainthat he doth ) . f*fead"or limit the Acts of his wil, .God doth not make more Worlds, nor mare Men, Birds, Beafts, Fithes, Plants, Stones, Sands, Atoms, Names, ec. chan are and will be: He doth not fanstife more than are and will be {anétified; nor give more grace to the {anéified than ever they will have: when he Codd if he would. Andwhen the Principles of the Divine Nature are Co-equal, why fhould we fay, that he who undenyably fufpendeth che pofffble acts of one, freely, fulpendeth not the attsof the Free Principle (the will) itfelfe or isic like chatone fhould be here aé#ive,.andnotthe other? = so
484. 6. Pofitive Nolitions of Evil do feemin man to come fromthe smperfection of his creatednature ; As being Paffive, and Capable of, or obnoxious to evs, or in dasger of é#, and fo needeth defence avdintt ic, and his Nolstéons are the defenfive and depulfive principle. And though we muft {peak of God according to our mode, we muft {ay nothing needlefly which importeth weakne/s or paffiveneft or danger inhim.:
485. * They that are againft this, aré moved with a fear, left we make God an Jdle Spectator, and noc the Governour of the World. But they confider not, 1. That the fufpenfion of his Powerfal Operation inferreth no
{uch ching: God isnot Idle, bécatifé he Casferh not, or maketh not inft-’
nite Wothings (or poffibles to exift:>) Nor is he the lefs Governour of the World: And yet /dlene(s and Government aré words that more diretly fignifie non-operation and operation, than any meer Vvlstions or Nolitions, . Men may chruft out words, but no tational anfwer againtft this argument, — | = * oP es | , . 486. 2. And note well, thac Gods not: knowing, or not-nilling nothing is from his Perfection, and not any privative Zgnerance or Negligence: For he kxoweth all char is an object. of Knowledge; and wilfeth all that his Wifdom judgeth meet to will ¢ or nill refpectively ): So tharcto tell God that he is Zgnorant if he know not an unintelligible object, or Zdle if he wéll or Weil not at our direttion, is as much blifphemy, asto'tell him
* Again lect the Readet note chat my Caufe lyech not on this, but becaufe I have faid fo much of It, I chink meet -to take Notice .of the moft that 16 faid againft me: aj Quez bf 1. Th0. Ge 19s 403. difp.79.¢.3 Goth purpofely confute Scotus, and affrmeth, that Gods will Is not to be conccived cf as Negative quoad alum aboutany Negatives; buc that he hath a pofitive act of Nolition of every non-entity and non-futue rum, and fo (ut alsbi ) hath infinite notitions of infinite xor-fulwres. . He himfclf confutech their reafon that fay, God is Mot 2m potentia ut velits and I need not anfwer ir. But he layeth all his caufe on this as ademonftration, ( and maketh It a very ufeful doctrine for the explication of reprobation ) that Quads cunque non cife creature’ cupofcungee veferré ported ad divinam Voluntatem wt ovje‘lum apoetibile , quod ipfa velle posits Ponamus Deum velle rem aliquam non effe: deinde at dicatur negative fe ba-
| 7 : | et, Oe OB “ bere, opus eft variatioe nem aliquam intrinfecam effe aut in Deo, aut in vebus non futuris: At wot, &c. Voluatas, autem Dei non necefario negative e
debet habere, quia itlud non effe ef appetibile: Thefumm 15, God can Pofitive wéll non-entity, ergo be doth, And this is
his A, to which elfewhere he oft referreth us. But lec the fober Reader confider, 1. He confefieth, that Gods Will is
his immutable and fimple Effence, and in it {elf 1s not at all diverfified to or by objedts, but only extrinfecally dcnomis
nated diverfly: fo chat allthis is but de relatione & nomins. | 2. And is-it not prefumpton to framie.a Logick of fecond
notions, and fay, This and not that 1s applicable to God, as if it were to man, when their Logical notions as to man hiiufelf are fo arbitrary? 3. He anfwereth none of the arguments to the contrary which I ule... Nil frujtra muft be feign
ed of creatures: much lefs of God. 4. We being agreed that whoever be. in the right, it inferreth no difference in
God, but in our denominations of his Will, the feven cafes here granted him, may fully fatishe them that will fo denominate Gods Will, 5. But in a Phyfical and’ proper fenfe I deny his fuppofition. It is no Non-catéty that is properly
bonum && appetibile, though it may be Malu. Bonum as well as 4num & Verum are affelionts [tu modi entis. Et ubi non eft
Ens non eft modus. That whichis not, 1s not Good; or appetibile. Morally we fay improperly, It ts good not to be fick, . not to have an enemy, not to dye,cr. But we mean but 1. It is Good to live, to be well, to have all that gocd which
an enemy would deprive us of, and 2. That it 1s Eusl to dye, ‘to be fick, to have goa We fay, Its Good not to
be erroneous, wicked, deprived of Heaven, cc. that 1s, It is Good to knowrtmily, to be godly, to be glorified, and it 1s
Evil to err, to be wicked, ec. 6. Gods Will is confidered'cither as 1. Efficient, 2. Or as finally fultilled and pleafed.
As Efficéent ie cannot wilt nothing: for nothing is not made or’ caufed. And smpeditio me res fiat, may be by effecting
the hindering Caufe. And as final, og as fulfilled and apa Non-entity can properly be faid tote but the mot dif pede of it. Nothing is no object of the Will: though a ee or in men an ters thought be fomewhat. It feemesh to me a prefumptuous playing with the Majefty of God to affirm, that we mutt afcribe to him infinite Pofitive
Volitions that infinite Atoms, Names, ec. fhall nat be: whien-even to men we only afcribe reductively and morally, the: nolition of things evil. 7. It is certain that God fufpendeth his Velle & facere about non-entitics? And why not as well
his Nolle? or Velle non effe? as aforefait. ~ But here after others a late philofophical Phyf-cton faith, that Nothings may
be Bona Moralia, though not Naturalja. 1 anfwer, It 1s’ nottrue fave by a reductive improper fpecch. Morality 1s Modality. The negative Commandments forbid evil, aad command the nolition and refifiance of it: Tomturder, che. ts
evil: and to nil itand pofitively refift and fubdue all in us that tendeth to it, 1s good: But the bare non occidere 1s not
moral Good. All moral Good is radically in the Will, and né farther in any forbearance of an ad, than a pofitive act
of the Will makes it Obedience: And yet here I go not fo far as Ockam, as 1 have faid elfewhere. _ I grant that when
the pofitive nolition and reftraint of an act towhich weare inclined ar tempted, is the good of obedicnce, the not-doing of he A&t 1s loco materie circa qaam, and fo muft goto an adequate conception of the although it be no proper
Part, nor good in irfelf.; But meee goeth further, and miaintaineth that the external act of duty with the sy A? tion hath no more moral goodnefs than the Volition alone: -But I think that the adicn Is a {ubje& (or loco fubjects )
a derived fecondary goodnefs, as Scotus dilerteth. |
Nop
that
Wee
Lt nal
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
that he is Impotent if he cannot fia, or caufé Contradictions to be true: The cafe is the very fame. | ,
487. Objet. But Scripture oft afcribeth both Nolstions of Nothings, and Knowledge of them unto Goa. — , | , _ Anfw. And fo muft we in that fenfe as the Scripture doth: We will fay, and muft fay of fome Nothings, that God Nilleth them. I hope the Learned will not cake it amifs, if I fpeak where the Schoolmen are too fi-
- lent, as well as defire filence where they unprofitably fpcak, as long as . the cafe is, 1. Weighty, 2. And made plain, 3. And I go the middle
healing way. ae
488. In all thefe cafes and refpeéts we afcribe Nolitions unto God: I. He chat by a Pofitive operation caufeth a limited caufe, may be faidto caufe the limitation of effeéts by confequence, And he that pofitively willeth realities with fuch limitations , from whence the confequence neceffarily followeth [ Nothing elfe will ever be’| is {aid Morally; or re-. putatively or by Confequence to will chat Nothing ele fhall be. .Andhe thac knoweth all things that belong to the perfection of knowledge , is improperly {aid to know all Worhines,in that he knoweth that Nothing more is or willbe. And fo as knowing Beings is by confequence ere
‘or morally called the knowing of Nothings by men, we are fain to ufe fuc
_ terms of imperfection even of God, left we feem to make him Idle or Ig-
- willeth not that there fhall be more.
- morant, When we fay, that God isthe Caufe that there is no more creatures, we mean but that be caufeth not more creatures. And fo to fay, that God willeth thac there fhall be no more Worlds, meaneth but that God
489. II. This Interpretative confequential Act, which is but morally
~ fo called, is fitlier expreffed in the grols of #niver(al Nothings, than of ” millions of econ atonal Ic is fitter tofay, that by willing a
limited or finite World, God willed that there fhould be xothixg more, than to fay, He willed that there fhould not bea Sun imevery mans pocket, or Heaven and Earthinevery mans fift,&c, Though as tothe truth. all is one: a oe | -
490. III, When a ie willeth the Pofitive hindering of a thing, he may morally be faid to’ AL the thing, or to will chat it (hall not be. That there are Pofitive Impeditions of God ( by Dr. Twaffes
. leave) I have elfewhere proved: But then youmuft fuppo‘e thacas the
fountain of Nature, as it were bya Decree, he hath refolved to continue
the Nature of things and his natural Concurfe: which fuppofed, their Wa-
“tures may incline them co fuch Action asneedeth Poftive Impedition. So
God hindered the fire from reser and the Lyons from killing Daniel (it’s like ) Dan. 3. 6. Certainly if amex can ftop a Cart-wheel with a Stone, or bind aman inchains, God can do thefame. And mens Jzclinativn to fin needeth a Pofitive Impedstion. Now though xon-agere is nothing, and hath xo caufe, yethe that deftroyeth or hindereth the Cau/e of Action, is morally faid to be the Caufe that there isno Action: Though ftridtly it be but ceftroying the Caufe of Action, and fo preventing further action. And this moral language even of God is the fitter, becaufe it is Of Moral thizgs. 7 : |
491. IV. And here Gods Law being called his Will, though it be
formally but de debito, yet being materially de ve ipfa, a double reafon
will thence arife. For when God forbiddeth and condemneth fin, crc.
1. He doth very thuch to hinder it, and that pofitively ( and fohe doth
it ae grace), 2. And his prohibition may be called his Nolition fig-
=
and Decrees of God, SEC,
492. V. And God properly willeth the Being and Truth of Negative p ropofitions, [. viz. Tais or that will not be] and knoweth them ( asmade éd man at leaft). AndasI faid, fs asthe {ubject of a propofition is oz fez, or hathno harm in it. As fin repented of, or the object of repen tance and hatred maketh up aVértwe, and ‘is not fiz indeed, but the knowledge of it: So here. But yet hence the phrafe may be borrowed, and it may be faid, that God Nilleth the exiftence of fuch Pofsbles, becaule he
willeth thetruth of the propofition, They foall mot be. | |
493. VI. But here note, that when Godis Aforally and moft fitly faid
to Nill fuch Nothings, it is not as Nothings, but as Pofible Evils: For
only Evil is che proper object of Pofitive Nolition : fo that ic may be
fpoken fullier of fin, than of other Nothings, even ficly in a Moral
fenfe. | a
it is meer operations or privations that are meant; and fothe phrafe is
as they fay 4b effettu ad affectum. Whenaman 1. Denyeth his aid,
2. rind actually hindereth, ic is a fign of nolition. And fo from Gods
1. Not caufing, 2. And his hindering, he is faidto Nill that Nothing (that
never fhall be.) So much of the phrafe, |
495. Now for application, 1.Non-dare fidem, aut pratiam, not to con: wert, is Nothing ; Therefore it is not Pofitively willed or decreed of of Ged: or at leaft no mancan prove it fo to be : So not-to give the Gofpel, the Spirit, &c. 4 xy. 3 | oo -
496. Yet note, that when mans fins have fo forfeited fuch gifts chat they are penally withheld, this non-agensy hath the denomination of a Moral Ait, And alfothat the making of the Pegal Law, whichmaketh this Privation due as a punifhment , was a pofitive aéf of God, and had a pofitive Volition. But Negations not-penal are not fo,
497. 2 Nottohinder fin, orto Permit fin (barely as tibet is Wothing: ( AselfewhereI have proved.) . Therefore it hath no Pofitive Decree or Will: fave that when it is penal, and the execution of a Law, that Law being a real natural being, andthe Fws thence refulting a real relation and the executive Privation guid orale, they are Willed and Decreed an{werably as theyare. ‘To permit aman to be {piritually Dead is [notto make him alive :] To permit his Darknefs or Ignorance, [is not-to give |
him Light or Knowledge :] To permit his unbelicf is [ not-tocaufe
to believe.] Topermichis want of Love, is [ not-to give him Love. ] To permit his pofitive fins of Malignity or Carnality, is but [ not-to cure and hinder them by Grace or Providence, ] fuppofing the Nataral fupport and concurfe, which che Author of Nature giveth toallthings, - 498. Therefore whenGods Acts in themfelves are his Effence and all one, and are diverfified bue by connotation of divers objects, relatively cand denominatively,; whenhe knoweth all things #0 éntustw, and wil- Jeth all chat he willeth wsica Volstione; when nihil phyficum is no denominating terminus, of a phyfical act, (though fo far as it may be called Moraliter, id eft, Reputative aliquid, aS a Privation, itmay be {aid to denominate reputativety, as aquafi aliquid,) and that which is moraliter vel imputative nibil, cannot morally denominate, whenboth Won dare
[piritum, gratiam, fidem, vitam, &c. and permittere infidelitatem, pec~ —
catum, &c. are truly Nothing, and even in Reputative Moral fenfe, are nihil morale, when they arenot penal, (And as antecedent to fiz, they are not penal, ) Judge now impartially whether 1.Thofe men deal not prefumpruoufly with God, 2. And troublefomely with his Church, who affert the Being of Pofitive Decrees and Volitions in God about fuch Wsé- Ee ee ee es lisies ey =
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
ities, and raife Controverfies about the Reafons and the Order of them,
yea, unto dangerous inferences; whenas 1. They can prove no fuch thing in God as they aflere. a. Nay, when we fay fo mach to prove the contrary. | | oe
499. Andhere confider, whether Scotws himfelf affert not without all need or proof, that God hath a pofitive knowledge and reflexive Volition of his own Non-Volition? and fothat a Nulity as to hisown act, muft be the terminus of a pofitiveact? Whenthat Nullicy is neither God, nora Creature; nor aliquid vel Dei vel Creatwra; and fo feemeth to be no denominating terminus of a diftin& a&. ‘Yet no doubt, God is not to be called Jexorant of fuch Nullities or Zd/e , for thofe are terms of privation : If God be faid either notto Kzow mothings or not to WH or Nill them, it is becaufe it fignifieth his Perfection: And no part of perfection is wanting tohim. But we muftnot place his perfection in 4 conformity to our imperfe& mode of knowing or willing. | _ 500. For we dare not here prefume peremptorily to determine Negatively, chat God doth not pofitively will his own non-agency or non-volitions ; becaufe we know how dark we areand diftant from God, and unfit to fay any thing but certainties of him, as certain truth : But we abftain from the contrary affertion, as utterly unproved, and we will impute no needlefs acts to God as his Perfection : Though we yield toreputative moral denominations, |
sor. And fol contradi& not the language of quinas 1. 9.14.9. who’ faith, chat God kmoweth fuch non-entities as never will be, ## poffibilia. And effe in potentia quamvis non in attw is more than nothing. But remember that effe i porentia {peaketh the effe Potentie, but the poffbile is a pure xothing. So that this is but to know the Potertia, and not any thing elfe, Yetno doubt but God knoweth all things as they arein himfelf, that is, he knoweth that he cando all things, and knoweth what he knoweth and willech; but this is no fe creatum but God himfelf, at leaft as to that whichnever will be. Bucif any will call ica knowing of things poffible which are nothings, when God knoweth his own Power to make them, we quarrel not with words, while the fenfe is known.
502. Butremember that it isnot the Kuowledge, but Decrees and Volitiens of God that our enquiry nowis abouc: And qwizas and his followers commonly fay, that Gods will goeth not fo far as his knowledge ; and that he kzoweth indeed mala ex bono of which they are the privation ( as no doubt hedoth fo far as it is not imperfection to be faid to know them, or as they are objects of knowledge ) but yet that ala neque vult, neque n0lit, fed tantum non-vult, as Lombard {aid,
503. Ockams Quodlib. 3.94.6. hath the queftion, Usrum Cognitio intuttive poteft effe de objecto cognito? And he x. concludeth that per potentiam divinam poteft effe de objecto non exiftente; but he meaneth only - quod fuit vel fuertt. 2. That zatwrally itcannotbe. And faith that Contraaictio eft quod vifio fit, c tamen illud quod Videtur, non fit in effects nec effe poffit: Ideo contradittio ef quod chimera videatur intuitive: fed non eff contradiétio quod illud quod videtur nibil fit in alte extra casfam fisan, dummodo polfit effe in effeitu, vel aliquando fuerit in rerum -BALUT A Unde Deus ab aterno videt omnes res fattibiles, Cr tamen sunc nulle fuerunt By which itis plain, that he meaneth as 4gaiz45, that it is not as Wothings, butas Poftbles and Futures they are known even by God, faving that Aquinas and his followers judge that they are from eternity fore-known in their proper exiftence, by reafon chat all times and things are prefent in Eternity, Now to know a Pofiibility of a thing, is ae | ae eee ern Ee Sees He
and Decrees of God, Ke.
not to know the Thizg: But to know the Power. For Pofibile is nihil.
And as Ockam proveth, that Univer{ale is qualitas mentis, andis xothing elfe, nor any where elfe exéffent, {o we may much more clearly fay de Pofroilé that befides Potentia ic is nothing but the Coxceptus mextis what that Power can do. :
504. And if an Artificer get the Zdea of a fabrick or frame whichnever was in the World, and Kefolveto make fucha real thing, that which isin his mind, is but his own Thought or Imagination, and nothing elf: And to call it Domus vel Navis Pofibilw, fignifieth nothing elfe, or it is delufory. 7 | |
—§05. Holkot Quodlib. li. 2. qu. 2. lic. C.D.E, ad primum décit [ Dice
plane quod alie res 2 Deo nullum effe habuerunt ab eterno diftinttum 3 Deo: Neque effe quidditativum, neque effe Potentiale, neque effe reprefentativum, [ecundum quod diverfi antiquit us opinati funt. | Quod probat. <Adart. fecundum he faith, that the Creatures bad no being in God from eternity, but improperly good men have fo fpoken, becanfe he knoweth them, and can produce them, - |
And ad art.3.q. whether it be true, that Rofa e.g. mon exiftens, concipitur aut intelligitur? he reciteth twelve arguments for the affirmative, and then réciteth the negative as the opinion of others: And though he fay not which fide he taketh, yet he confureth the arguments for the affirmative, and bringeth nine arguments for the negative 3 which he faith
nothing againft.
Thomas's opinion of the queftion you may {eé in his Interpreters in 1.4.36. @4.g-14. 47.9. Ruiz de Scient.d, 17. Valent. 1.9.14. puné. 7. 7 — I. ad, 2. qu, 8, dub, 8, Gran, 1. p. Cont. 244. 5. Aluiz. trea. a9. | oo ee
506. Yet let it be ftill remembred that all this Controverfie is not properly de re, but de modo loquendi; or of the extrinfick denomination of Gods Will, and not of his Will asin ic felf; which is his Effence, and but One. But yet heredenominations muft be carefully ufed. |
507. And by the way, that you may underftand what I mean by deno2 minations, from tonnotation and relation to the terminating objed, note what Ockam faith in Quodlib. 5.q.25. that Conceptus eft vel 1, Abfolutus e.g. hominis, 2. Connotativus, e. 9. albi, 3. Relativis, ut patris: Cy deferunt in boc: 1. Conceptus abfolutus omnia [ua fignificata: henifcas 2yu2, primo, cr uno modo, 32. recto—_——-9. Nomen Connotativum proprie fignificat primo inum, cr alind fecundario, G unum in reito GF aliud in baal all Conceptus relativus maxime concretus habet omwes pradittas conditiones quas habet connotativus : fed differunt ix hoc quod guandocunque conceptus connotativus vere pradicatur de aliquo, convenienter poteft fibi a —_ abfolutum , in aliquo folum: quia nihil eff atbum nift fit albim albedine: fed Relativo poteft addi cafus obliquus qut non eff ejus abfolutum——ut fervi dominus givus eft Connotativus: at none Converfo. oe r
$08. If any hall chink that he hath any advantage againft what I have faid by Scotus his opinion, that Voluntatis objettum non eft Bonumtantams fed & Ens; G&.Voluntas poteft Velle ina Malum 3 and that the Will hath other objects, preter finem & media, viz. Entia abfoluta not fo related inthe apprehenfion, and confequently that there may be a Nolition of Non Entia, and notonly as Atala, And the likeot Ocksm in 3. d, 13. 9413. ad dub. 3. Gabr.Gregor.crc. Let him remember thac the greater part of the Schoolmén are againft this opinion,. And that the owners of it,affert not this confequence of Divine Nolitions,commonly bac
ome
~— Omnis Gonceptus Rela-
+
Lad
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
its own acts or fufpenfions, wherea non-agency will do the fame thing.
An Additional Explication of Divine Nolitions,
fF Eft all this feem not clear enough in fomyfterious a bufinefs, and becaufe I have oft infifted on it, I will yee add this further explication
of my thoughts in thefe following Thefes.
- Under flanding and Willin God being nor the fame thing asin man, we
muftnot think that we have any other conceptions or expreffions of them
than Metaphorical or Analogical, :
2. Therefore we muft not fay, Thus and Thus God underftandeth and
willeth, bur After the manner of men we mutt thus conceive of it. _ 3. Bue there are feveral degrees of impropriety of fpeech: and in a ereater degree repentings, wrath, hating, gricf, ce. are in Scripture fpokea of God; but in ftrict difpates the Jefler degree muft be chofen, that is, fuch
conceptions as have leaft of imperfeétion. pS oO
4. Inmanthe will is an Appetite, and eflentially connoteth the want of
what ie have an appetite to, or a felf-infufficiency : but fo it doth not
5. And Wolitions inman‘yct fignifie greater imperfe€tion, vez. that there
is fome evil or hurtful thing which is at enmity to him, or againft his
good, and which he would be delivered from, or overcome: and itisin the
will che beginning of a war, or refiftance: Bue it isnot foin God.
6. Thatwhich 1s Goédd we wf, and that which is Evil we wi/, and
that whichis neither, we neither #/# nor will, Accordingly we mutt after
the manner of men afcribe to God, 1.Volitions of Good, 2, Nolitions of
Evil, 3.A Non-velle and Nox-nolle of that which is neither. >
2. The works of God fecondarily and derivatively as the glory or {plendour of his perfections.is found in them, and as they are the products of
his will: 3. And the 47s, or works of his creatures in a thirddegree.
‘ 8. Fhe Goodnefs of the creature being effentially relative to Gods
will, that is, ‘Its conformity to it as its product, the creature is eo zomine
Good becaufe it is chat which God willeth,
"- g. Hence the grand difficulty is refolved, Whether God could have made the World Better? No: not in the firft and propereft fenfe of created Goodnefs, becaufe he cannot make it any other than what he willeth it co ‘be: Buthe might make it otherwife and might diverfifie it, and make par: ticular creatures Better to themfelves and one another, which is a lower fenfe ‘of Goodnéfs: But in all divérfifications they would be ftill perfeétly Agreey ‘ableco his, and fo be ftill equally Good or Bef... a ae - 10. The Goodnefs of the third rank of beings ( The Adts of Free- — ) is their Conformity to his Law or Governing Regulating lil. as Pages? a _ it cae. iy ‘ ‘11. God hath as Creator and stotor become. the Voluntary Root or ‘Spring of Nature and ‘natoral motion, and accordingly’ ftablifhed all fecond caufes as narural agents under him, and doth by them operate in a natural neceffitating and conftant way: And this is antecedent to his Laws. = tO
and Decrees of God, &c.
to free agents: And this natural courfe of agency we muft not expect that
he fhould alter, bdtrarely by miracles, | | ;
12, Nothing is at enmity and Actively opponent to Gods natural
agency or motion: for elfe there fhould be fomerhing befides God and his
works which he muft overcome: Though fome natural motions may oppofe each other, yet allconcurr toone end. , 4 :
13. Non-entity or Nothingne/s, isnot contrary to God as an opponcnt,
14. Therefore feeing * Noile is not a mcer Non velle, but a Velle-non,
which is the war of the will againft an opponent, and the root of oppofition
adextra, it isanunmeet phrafe to fay thac God doth Nel any Non-entity,
or any meer Natsral oppofitiontohim : or that he willeth any natural
entity or motion which he effecteth not. |
15. But God being fecondarily the Rector of free-agents, and making
them Laws to Rule their own Volitions and actions, he doth by chofe
Laws oblige their reafon and will, to reftrain and refit fome natural or
fenfitive appetites and inclinations, and fo to refift fome natural: motions
of God in nature, in which he is pleafed co operate by fecond caufes but
tn tantom and refiftibly (as a ftronger natural motion may relift a
~ 16, And God doth by his grace and help internal and exterrial, affift
them in that refifting agency which he obligeth them to. |
17. Therefore God may two wayes be faid to refift his own natural j
motion, by his Laws, and by his affifting grace: ( But his Laws contradict not one another.) 7
*Saith Alliac. Cameracs 1.q. 12. a1.B. [ Repras batio fecundum aliquos eft non-propofitum dandé vitam eternam. . Et ille di-
_chtur Reprobatus fecundum
aliquos cus Deus non propofast dare vitam eters nam. |
Et poftea oe ef de multi quod Deus non vult quod in bonis meritoriw perfeverent —_— Et non vult quod conditio imp!leatur; Quia fi vellit utig, implevetur -y But he faich not { Vult non impleré, &c. |
. Gregorins non debutt it
erre quod non miferert eft effectus Reprobation:s, cum it ipfa Reprobatiold ibid,
18. To Godas meer Rector thereforetwo'things may be faid to be op: ponent, 1. Such fenfitive and natural inclinations and actions 46 ‘are by -
Grace to be refifted; 2. And all moral evil. ; 19. And therefore as God may he -faid to Refift chefe; fo alfo firft co Nill them: And fo to have Decrees againft them. ae a ae a
20. Gods Volitions and Nolitions here-are his effentiat will denomi-—
nated from the effects and objects. And that ‘effect of God’ from which
he is faidto i both thefe,isasis faid, t. His Laws,’ 2. His erace or
help. And in this we are agreed, 1. That he forbiddeth fin:‘and com: mandeth usthe reftraint of appetites and fenfes, cc. 2. And that he helpethus fo to do: Thereforethe reft of the Schoof-Controverfies here that.
' trouble the world, are but logomachies, about
Nolitive Decrees, eee, vy.
- a1, Thething properly willed by God m a Lavy, is but che debitum, the
duty of the fubject to do what is commanded, and not to do what is forbidden. | ee a ee a
29. Icis not a meer won-agency ‘that is-rheant by a prohibition, buta
pofitive * nol:tion of the fubjedt, reftraining him from the forbidden aé :
And all proper moral obedience or difobedience, Good or Evil, is primatily in the will, and no further fecondarily in: the exteriour att or rethe-Names of Wolssions and ee : eal oh
ftraint, than as they are Voluntary,; and in non-agency but in a third ©
fenfe or inftance as the confequent of nolition and the refraining ack.
23. If any therefore will fay inthis fenfe, chat God doth pofitively |
Nil the forbidden AG, and fo will a non-entity fub ratione mali morale in this remote fence, we will not contradict him butfayashe.-
24. And accordingly wemay fay that God hath pofitive Decree of
non-entities, or agaimt moralevil , where non-agency is loco materie, that
is, iz tantuus, {0 far as to do all thathe. doth againft ic; but not abfoluté
25. But we may not therefore {peak fo unaptly-as to fay that he apse
° wal
=
=
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
BrunlS Ih Ws Jo2Ze es He.2%c. confefleth that the fenfe of all this queftion is but which way God, who Is one pure a&t, unvaried about all varierics, 1s moft conveniently to be mentioned by us: and that Deus re- Shetin culpe que tl erat in reprobis non babuit actam voluntatis affirmativam quo voluerit effe peccata, aut éllos peccaturose (Whence it followeth thac All futures or ex!- fients are not ‘sean willed: Even the formale peccati 18 quid futurum.) Buche thinks it moft fit to fay that God pofttively willcth the permiifion of fin, 1. Becaufe it 1s Good. Anfw. Nothing 1s neither Good nor bad. 2. Becaufe elfe the difference between the predeftinate and reprobate would not fall under providence. Anfw. As if giving that grace to one which is not given to another, made no difference. 3. Becaufe elfe {nm would come by chance as to Gods foreknowledge. Anf. Asif
‘nothing would nor be nothing without a pofitive decree that it fhall be nothing? or God could not know a nothing, or a crime, as fuch, fo far as It 1s quid intellettui perfectéline inteligibile, without pofitive willing It: How then knoweth he the formale peccati? + Ariftoe ad = Nichom. ingait, Eft hominis moderath non majorem in dé sputando certitudinem ant Subtilitatem explicationis defiderare, quam res ipfius de qua diffevitur natura patitur. Hane fludsofis in méimorsam revocosne quis fit nimis avgutus in differendo contra Ecclefie dosirinan de caufa peccati, & contingentie. Strigelius in Mefancth. Loc. pag. 297. Qsifqur plus ysito non fapit, iste [apite
eth pofitively all or any zon-entity or non-futurity of meer naturals that are non-futurs.
26. Therefore we may much leis fay it of his own Natural rmpeditions, that he pofitively willeth non-tmpedire ubi non impedit : For he is not to be thought of asa reftrainer of himfelf by Law or felf-oppofition. It is enough to fay that xon-vult tmpedire. | ; 7
27. Much lefs may we fay that pofitively uult non velle-impedire, \eft we make another Welle neceffary to that Velle, and {0 iz izfinitum.
28, It is proper to fay that Deus non vult permittere peccatum, ubi id non permittit ; and that vmlt permittere aliquid indifferens quod per levem pofitive permifum eft : quia permiffio ifta eft quid Fables
29. After the manner of men it may be faid that confequentially he willeth or decreetha thing, when he willeth or decreeth that from which ic neceffarily followeth, though ic could not be proved that the will of God is directly terminated on that confequent thing ic felf : And fo ie may be faid, that Qué vale quid majus, confequenter vault minus illud quod in majore includitwr, And fo as when God commandeth duty he doth more than politically permit it, he may be faid eminenter to permit ir, and fo he may be faid to wll or decree his own permiffion of it : But that is not formaliter as permiffion, oF a negative non-impedition, but eminenter, becaufe he formally willeth the guid majus, viz, the command.
. 30. So God maybe {aid exsinenter to will his non dare gratiam, aut Gloriam, when he penally as a Judge, denyeth it to a finner. But here the thing formally willed is a pofive judicial denyal, rejection or exclufion of the finner, which the privation followeth.
And now for the application of all thisto our cafe it may be perceived, 1. That the very Controverfie is fuch, as a fober Chriftian fhould be afraid to refolveon either fide. + Itis a tremendous thing to poor finful worms, who know not the nature of one arenulae or pile of grafs, or the foul of an infe&t, nor how the perceptions of a poor Bee is ordered in gathering her Honey and Wax, and making her Combes, cc. to determine infolently and contentioufly ia what order God conceiveth of things, or willeth them ¢ which firft and which fecond,and what reafonsmove him ¢ and for what ufe andend each thing is willed? and whether he have pofitive Volitions of every won-entity that it fhall not exift then? cc. I am afraid left my very oppofing and rebuking of this prefumption fhould be found guilty of bold prophanenefs, while I fo aah meddle with fo unfearchable a mn which I fhould avoid, had not difputers and railing cenfurers made it neceffary.
2, That though while we talk together familiarly and popularly, men may leave each other to liberty to fay that God Decreeth non-entities, or willet that Infinite (pecées and individual sothings fhall never be, yet to make this the matter of a Church-difpute, and cenfure thofethat fay not as they fay, and calumniate them as favouring fome perillous errour, feemeth to me no better than diabolical. 7.
3. All men that have the brains, hearts and faces of Chriftians who hold that all thefe diftinGions fignifie no true diverfity in Gods will ex parte fi, fhould openly tell the world in the beginning, middle and end of fuch difputes, that J¢ i but about words that we difpute, even what Logical cerms Artifts muft ufe in diftinguifhing of thac which hath no real diverfity ¢ even about the dreadful Majelty of God and what Names to put -on his {imple volition ¢ _ 4. And they fhould well bethink them how far it is f2fe, to think of that as divers which is notdivers; and to multiply conceptions and diftin-
. ee Etions
and Decrees of God, Kea
ions of Gods fimple effence beyond true neceffity: .and whether then to contend about the priority of fuch conceptions be more holy or prophane ¢ : a | cue
’ 5 For all che reafons before given, If they will fay that God Decreeth penally co deny or wot to give Grace or Glory or any good thingto them thae forfeit it, there is reafon for the expreflion according to Scripture, after the manner of man : But if they will fly higher and fay that Gods
Simple effential will, isto be called A pofitive Decree or Volition that Fx- | das, e.g. fhall noc be named Fobn, Thomas, &c. that there fhall be milli- -
ons of diftinét non-entities, @c. or that any pofitive Volition is of neceffiry tonon-fucurities or non-exiftences in meer phyfical refpects,-where no pofitive action is neceflary, (fave only that by confequence he that decreeth and willech to make fuch and fuch finite creatures, may. confequentially andimproperly be faid to wéf that there fhall in general be no more, in that he willeth nor that there bal be more,and they cannot be without his will, ) I fear fuch are over-bold with God. And fo are chey that fay that he hath a Pofitive Decree or Will, 202 dare Chriftum ante lap(um Adami, non dare fidem, non impedite peccatums, in fuch inftances or cafes wherein the [ dare] is no Actof 4 Reétor, nor the [ xegare } the pofitive Law, judgement or penal denyal of a Judge; but only the dere belongeth to a free Dominus-benefaitor. | |
Penal permiffion ot non-impedition of fin, arid denying or not-giving grace, may be {aid to be decreed or willed, becaufe God threatned them ancecedently by a Pofitive Law, which fhould make them due, and chat Law was the product of Gods will. Though ftricly itis but the Pofitive Law and che Debitum pene here that God willeth, which the non-impedire non-dare gratiam follow, | ae
But Gods not making men Angels, or Stars;or Sans, and his making us
‘men, free and defectible, and his permiicting the fir fis, and his giving
men no more grace antecedently ( before forfeiture ) as free benefactor co dominus fuorum, none of thefe have che fame reafon on which to found fuch denominations of Gods will and effence. - -
And feeing Nolstions in man are the refules of his Infufficieney and war againft noxious evils, we muft not afcribe fuch Imperfections to God; but only fuch Aolstions as his Actions as Rector per Leges & Fudicis have made to fignifieno imperfection, as beingnot. contra nocumenta, but only contrainjurias as againtt himfelf, & contra nocumentaas againtt his crea- Pures, 1. ¢. contra peccatum, — = | 7
And now I may anfwer the folitary argument of Vefysez, mentioned in the Adargin (that non entid, non dare gratiam, non impedire peccatum, &c. may have aliquamrationem boni Cy amabilitati, and {o may be Willed, Loved ot Decreed.) : 7 Anfo.t. Inmeer Naturals, Negations ace not properly any way good or evils but Privations are Natural Evils, andnot good.
2. To be cccafto fine qua non of good, (as ficknefs is of the Phyfi- -cions honour, and fin of dods, ) is not any true ratio boni vel amabilis: "The bonum c> amabile is only the good that on that occafion is done : The occafion is neither efficient, conflitutive or final caufe of any good,
‘ mor any caulal proper mediums.
3- In Morals, meer Negatéions areneither good: nor evil, nor have any Morality, but only Pofitives and Privations, — |
4. In morals God judicially doth that whence Penal privations follow, andhe may penally non agere, non dare gratiam,to execute his Law, and
demonftrate his truth an
words
Jaftice on finners, and occafion the ai apr nee, SE TS) QS Sacer es
Bannes ubi fap. pe 47925 argueth ( Omne ordinabile in bonum finem quod snvenitur exiftens, eft volé- tam a Deo: fed Permiffio peccaté eff, Sc.) Anf. Permiffio lla que nibil eft, neq; exieftens eff neque ordinabile: De permiffione autem activa verum eft. So Rubz de Predef. Tract. 2. disp.12. copioufly proveth a pofitive will or decree of Permitting fin: Buc then he definetl Permiffion fo as to include both Produdtion of circumftances and generalconcurfe; And who denyeth that fuch pofitive beings muft have pofitive Caufes? But what’s that to meer nonirapedjtion? ( Thus ftill are the matter of our quarrels.) Yt /ed.7. he confeffeth that he findeth none of the ancient Sehoolmen that exprefly fay that the Permiflion of fin is fore-decreed, nor that the Larer deliver 1 fub sifdem wero,
Adrian in q. de Clav. fol. 982. | Reténere nibil pofitivi adicit, fed folum non
folvere : G& ergo non oportet Claves effe, ficut nec
Deum caulam effedivam
eft me before cited fhewing that Lombard took Permiiicn of fin to be no A, either Yelle or Nolle, but a non-velle & . non-efficerc, which he hime (elf contradicteth Nt
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
of his mercyto others. Andhere the #on-agere, zon-dare, permittere, being Jeco materie volite, may after our mode be {aid to be Volita few de. creta, cv bona. But properly it is not the non-entity, that is boxum or Volitum, but the pofitive Law and Fudgement, and the relatio dediti pene, and the ratio pene in the privation, and the demonftration of truth, juftice, holinefs, cc, therein.
——-4§. But finful privations, chat is, finful Volitions, nolitions, or non-Volitions of the Creature, are not properly per fe or per accidens, propter fe vel propter alinud good or amiable, or willed or decreed of God. And they that provethat God cannot be the Author of fin, becaufe he cannot scp deficiens, mutt mean as much, or {peak impertinently and deccitfully. | It is not impertinent which Judicious strangins faith, Lib. 3. ¢.13. p. 677, 678. If Scientia Media be an ulelefs conceit, how much more cum exXtenditur ad ejufmodi infinitas cy Vaniffimas Connexiones rerum difparatarum que nunquam future fant? (He inftanceth in many, and addeth [De hac re Ariaga difp, to. 1.d.21. fect. 7. dicit, non file Videri in Deo effe [cientiam barum, qua talis fesentia videtur plane impertinens: Ad quid enim nofceret Deus quid Chimera effet factura (wh talé conmditione impoffebili, &c.\ Et ipfe D, Twilfus de Scient. Aled. p. 472. St plures Angelos Deus condidiffet certe decreviffet ut etiam illi agerent aliquid in Gloriam Det: Nec tamen decretum aliquod huju{modt Deo decenter tribut poteft, &c.
I know the cafeisnot juft the fame with that before ws: but the reafoui is the fame for both. i But ftill I profefs thae If ic be not an injurious imputing imperfection to
God to affign him pofitive Volitions of every negative, I {hall concurr wich
FP Bradward. 1, Y. Ce 13s Cor. Ic, 11. brings in - (too profoundly like one of Thom. Anglus hrs Er-
_go’s ) that God 1s the
Canfa prima of every nothing (non effe) becaufe he 1s foof negations: As if Nothing could be an effect and have a Caufe: or as ifa negative conception or propofition were. mot fomething, wx a Thought or a Word, as well as an affirmative: ‘Such workmen make the world with words.
. volo
them that do, and extend Gods Volitions as far as ever the objcét and his perfection will allow; And fay of chem as Judicious Blank doth of Gods knowledge ( De Concord: lib. cumdecret. 1.0.64.) [Saltem ille minus periculofe errat qui putat Deum (cire ea qua forte {cibilia non [unt, quam qui negat Dems [cire qua revera (cit, G que intra Divine omnifcientie objectum continentur.\ So here; fo beitthat God be noe feigned to will fin, 1 contend thelefs againft them that fay He pofitively willeth In. finite numerical Nothings, andhis ownnon-acting, + 4 |
RE afraid of wearying the Reader I pafs by other School-con- LL) wooverfies here, and only propound to each mans Confcience, whether 1, He that isthe affirmer of unproved actsof God, 2. And that about his fecrét unfearchable Volitions, 3. And of fuch aéts as make the difficulties inextricable about Gods being the Cau(e of fin, be not on the far unfafer fide, than he that only faich, ~~ fupra mos nihil ad nos? If thefe be not certainly falfe, they are certainly anproved, and therefore not to be here received. | 510. AndI fay here as Buridane faith about the forementioned nature of Liberty, Echic. li. 3. qu. i. p. 152. Simpliciter ce firmiter credere quod Voluntas cateris omnibus eodem modo fe habentibus, potest in actus oppofitos Et nullus debet de via communi recedere proptcr rationcs fibi infolubiles, [pecialiter in hu qua fidem tangere poffunt aut mores: Qui enim credit [e omnia feire, cy in nulla opinionum {uarum decipt, fatuus ef, De fefluca enim tibi fenfibiliter prefentata, formabuntur centum rationes, vel quaftiones, de quibus contraria Sapientillimé doctores opinabuntur: propter quod in qualivet barum deceptus
‘Communion. “4, Tobe uncapable of the Rec
and ‘Decrees of Gad, &e. oa
ceptus erit alter ipforum Vel ambo: {deo non miror ft tn hac altiffima
. materia non poffum per rationes cp folutiones [atisfacere mibi ipft.]
511. To proceed in the application, * Reprobation is commonly looked at in the two moft notable parts Cas called, )° 1. Gods Reprobating men co wabclicf and impenitency 3 2. His Reprobating men to fizal damnation. ‘The laft of chefe alfo is confidered in the execution, 1. As Privative, 2. AS Pofitive, called Pana damni cy fenfus. And both (elpecially the Przvative part) areconfiderable, 1. As cxecuted by man himfeef on himlelf freely. 3. Or asexecuted by God: Concerning each of thetic obferve, |
512. 1. Notto Believe and Repent isnorealentity: And not to Give faith and Repentance (as is{aid) is no real entity : And to Permit Infidelity ind Impenttency isno real entity (asis proved: )) And xot to De: cree the Giving of faith, and the hindering of unbelief is nothing : And (moft clearly) befides thefe fosr nothings, nothing can be proved either exiffent or needful. Allithat cometh to pafs, will come to pafs without any more ado. Therefore.
513. As faras any mortal man can prove God hath no fuch 44 of Reprobationat all, as is, 1. Either a Decree that a man fhall not eventually Repent. 2. Or aDecree act to give him Repentance. 3. Ora Decree to Permit his Impeniteuce, 4.. Nor can we prove an after Volttion of his own former nou Volition whichis afferted by Scotws. But the three firft we have great reafon to lay by ; and fo not only to fay as Davenant that this part of Reprobation is an 4c megative quoad objectuns, but that it is we Act, and there is no other Reprobation as to chis part fave, 1. Gods wot decreciug to give faith, 2. And his not givtne tf.
. 14. 2. And as to Démmuation, fo much of it as confifteth in fix # self, God no otherwife ca#/esh than as he doth aif fin, which is properly, not at all; Itbeing but the Act 2 an aétwhichhecaufeth as the Caafe of Nature, and not as finfully qualified: and fo no more decreeth this than other fin. | |
515. And moft men litle think how much of damnation lyeth in fin
ic {clf, andthe privative confequents which need no othercaufe. 1. To
be ignorant of God and Goodnefs. 2. To be.void of the Love of God
and Holinefs, and Holy perfons, and ail the Holy.employment of Heaven,
3. To be thereby void of allthe Delights of Holy ones, which confift in
fuch Knowledge, Love and Employment, Praife, Obedience, and hvly
ion of Divine complacency; ashethac maketh himflelf 44nd is uncapable of the Jight, or he
thac maketh himfelf sslovely is uncapable of immediate Love. 5. To
be defiled and difeafed with all kind of finful lufts, and malignity, and
made like the Devil. 6. To have all forts of Zujfs in violence when
lufts, To haveextream fel/fijbwefs and Pride, when they have caft them-
{elves into the utmoft fhame and mifery. 7. Fo fee that no Creature
can deliver them, and to defpair of ever being better; a8 having no hope
from God or any other, 8, To fee or know that others enjoy the Glory - and everlafting feliciry which they’ have loft. .9. To think how eafily
* Vafquez in 1.Tho.q.22. Mell Tromifle qui tam fevere bane jequuntar opinionem ut afitrment, enn dim ordinen ferv2le Des in verrobatione qtim in ferl. ut ante previla percsta jola fua Voluntate decréverit quo{dam a rigio Caloriom excludcre, licet nok ad penam finfus dePinae verit.———. Deinde qisos valust excludere permiferit lavé in peccatim ea inte: tione ut eos excluderet a reeno ficut decrevtrat.
Ft Cc. 2. Pariun ab haz fententia differt Scotus, qxi qu.t. d.41. afferit in D:o duplicem effe Keprova- ‘ionim 3 altcram = v~ocat
Punitivam, alteram per
miffivam Et punitive dari caifam, & ex pre~ifis peccatis faltam fuiffe s Permiffive non daré canfim, quia quod homo permittatur Labs in primum pescatum, nulla ex parte illius datur cava s hujus enim folum nititar
Scotus caufam negare—-—
Hinc ordinem hurc in mente Diving afignat > (coc. wt alto. ) Scotum fequantur Baffolis, Corduba,&c. | Objicit Bradward. Privationes ut eclinles, mors, Oc. habent pofitiv.as canfass To which what I have fuid is a fifficienc anfwer. And 1. Sometimes they have nor 3 but only the ceffation of a caufation: 2, They never have a pofitive effi: cient of themfelves, (for nothing 1s not made ) but only a pofitive re- Mover of the caufe of that which the fubject is deprived of, or an interpofer or hinderer of the caufation of it, ¢ g. of Light or life; And death hath no caiife but that which ceafeth the caules of life.
once they might have attained it; and how it was offered freely. to their -
choice. 10. To think of all the folicitatioas of mercy that imporcuned them, and allthe time andmeans they ads 11. .To think. for how bafe a vanity they loft it, and thac mifery was their wilful choice; 12. : 0 — _ be
ae ks BE GE gy eM ee 6 Se Geert! Sa! ee pte: “A ee £ ae —_ ae SS 6 a ‘ : : .
* Befides all before cited againft Volitions de mbilo, tee Ruiz de Vol. Der, di P.6.§.1- po 360 ( ae tiquorum graviffime fentiunt Deum nonomnia Velle, fed ea duntaxat bona que én aliqua differentia temporis exijkuut : proinde Polfidilia que nunquam fue tara funt nonamaré a Deo, neq, Mala: & inde Deum non e[fe omni-volentem : & nullam creaturam a Deo amavé néctffario: Ita Albertus, Alexand, Bonavent. Kichard.Gabr.Banney, Zumel, Deolina, Valentéa, Scotvs Againft which he bringeth frivolous rcafons, and afierteth, that God willeth as a material objet, the Goodncfs_ which the Creature would have if
It were made, and this’
as toall Creatures which never will be. What | pee contradidtions are
rere? ta will Goodnefs which Is no Gocdnefs, of aJl Creatures which are no Creaturcs, as material objets, which are nothings 2? God willeth his own Power, whence man calleth chat Pofi.ble which is nothing. Eur was there from Eterntty any Pofiibles not-futurcto be willed? What was there from Eternity but God? And are all the’e Nothings God him- & Ji?
fore.
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will be tormented with envy and malice againft God that forfaketh them, and againft his Saints; And to feel confcience awakened fetting home all - their former folly; Allthis is nothing but fin and its own effects, which hath no Caufation at all from God, but to continue the nature which he gave them, and.is not bound to deftroy. And how great a part of heli
516. Nay we knownot how much fenfible Pain may be the confequent of their own fin, without any other A& of God, than his common continuationof natureic felf: Asamanthat cateth Arfnick, or unwhollome meat, is tormented by ir, without any other act of God, than as the univerfal Caufe of Nature. |
517. All this much of Damnation then being meerly the work of the finner himfelf, fo far as there is no A& of God inthe execution, fo far no man can prove any Pofitive Act of Volition or Decree,
518. Bue 1. As God in thefe is the waiverfal caufe of Nature, and fo of watural adits, 2. And as in other inftances he adtually further — punifbeth them, 3. And as he attually made that Law which made thefe penalties the fianers due’; fo: far God hath a Poftive Decree and Volition, that thefe perfons fhall be damned : And moreover, as improperly or morally his sot fexctifying them, and not faving them is called his At, and isreally thesr penalty, even fomay his zot-willing to fave or glorifie them be called his Decree and wi to damn them, if you will. A t : |
519. By this time weare ready to an{wer our firft queftion, what are the objects of thefe feveral acts of God, {o far as connotatively we mutt call them feveral. : | , ;
And 1. *Gods zot giving the Gofpel to any perfons, is no 4é,and fo hath x0 object. But reduétively or improperly the object is, Asan finning again{t the grace of the firft edition of the Law of Grace: that is, Thele eat fubject de guo, of which it is truly faid, They are without the Golpel. ee oe |
ne 2. Gods not converting effectually fome that have the Gofpe}, is no Act, and hath no object: Butthe fubject of the Privation, called the Object, is, Some part. of thofe men whohave forfeited the helps of fpecial Grace by their abufe or neglect of the Gofpel and the Commoner arace which was given them.
521..3. Gods not Pardoniny, Fal if7ire> Adopting and Sanitifying men, is no ct and hath xo objec? : But the f#sjec# of the Privation, and object of the Laws contrary fentence, is, Jmpenitent, Unbelievers, or the xon-performers Of the condition of Fuftification, &c, in the Covenant, |
522. 4. Gods wot Glorifying men, is no AG, nor the damnation which confifteth in fin as. aforefaid, is none of Gods act: But the fen tence of condemnation is Gods A&, and no doubt fome other Po/- tive Execution. And the object of theleis, 42 finally Inspenitent Unbelievers ,- and unholy ones, that is, who performed nit the Condt- ‘tion of that Edition of the Covenant of Grace which they were wnder, | |
523. And it being paft all denyal that thefe are the objeéts of the Executive Adis, we muft fay that thefe alfo are the objects of the Decrees accordingly, where a Decree is proved, and when we {peak of them only jaxta ordinem executionis, and not Intenti:nis, which I laid by beand Decrees of God, &c.
524. And left you recurr to it, once more I will recite ( more of )
Davenants woras de ordine Intentionit, De Pred, & Reprob. cap. 1. p.
107, [1. Sciendum cy tenendum eft fi Dei naturam c&} perfeitionem in (e confideremus,illumnon prins unum Videre, deinde alnd, megane prius hoc decernere aut velle, deinde ilud ; fed unico Gy fimplicifimo atte, &C, —a~ 2. Ex parte tamen Rerhm que decrevit figna quedans prioritatis cy pofterioritatis diftingui poffunt, Hic tanten obfervandum eff, inter ipfos Scholafticos non admodum certam o conftantem effe hanc doiérinam de hifce fignis few inflantibus prioritatis —- Scotus, qui primarius eft ad hac figna fabricsanda artifex, videtur nonnullis non folum eadem pofuiffe priora G& pofteriora fecundum noftrum intellizendi modum, fed etiam flatuiffe unum effe in ipfo Deo prius naturd alio. (But from this he vindicateth him.} Ex adver(a parte Occamus nofter hac figna quocunque modo confiderata negavit, in 1.d.9. q. 3s Et Biel ejus fententiam amplexus hac figna, oppugnavit. in3.d.2.q.1.
dub.3. (Prioricates, in Divinis non funt ponendz, ficut nec pluralicates ©
actuum ordinatorum. , Unus eft enim Actus in Divinis, re & ratione indiftinctus, qui eft ipfa effentia Divina. ne fecundum noftram quidem confiderationem talem ordinem Prioritatis & pofterioritatis concipi poffe in decretis Divinis, ut talis confideratio non fic
falfa {peculatio.] If this hold, our Controverfie of the order is at an
cnd.
525. And he added the words even of a rigid Thomift [ Doniin. Bannes, quamvis non omnino explodat hac Signe cum Biele, perpendens tamen difcordiam Theologorum in his affignanas ( Animadvertendum eft, inguit, quam pro libito in negotio pradeftinationis ce reprobationis multiplicentur saflantia a Theologu, cr quam parum tlle conferant ad affigwandaim rationem differentia inter pradeftinates & reprobos. Liceat staque hic paucis monere, non effe nimis confidendum, aut certo dogmati adharendum, ulli certo ordint decretorum divinorum, five a Proteftantibas, five a Pontificiis affignato, cum difficile fit duos reperire, five inter noftros, five inter adverfarios , qui ad amufims per omnia confentiant in hac ferie decretorum divinorum defcribenda, Caveat itaque wnu{qui(que ne talem confiderationem pradeftinationis c reprob. inducat qua vel Déwine juftitie, vel gratie gratuite adverfetur, Cr tum non multum refers
940 ordine privritatis, Kc. |
Will ledge, Natur e, Kno
Of the
: In; villing i and 7 fom: Caufi Thal ghee Gods rfics, are {G ove here to 1ding? © ontr ich t not avoid hefe C whic free re our. the of C bout re {o red y fe it vd reafon. hewill unobfer hat pa orere ry of tha. ats of though u a | 6 : geen that no pee: oo eevee 52 re par Hobbs ) n te enti and ithout the fir; cauton a dwt Opinions. = as ae es res any i. sib bel fea Of S It Ne, Dit ted, the’ WS ‘dia ith Li fet da th cr wen 8. fit I. 1108 noc 16 A done imme nt au an feth wih der ate ceffi fee eiiens fairies aes eae Wit vay sae # nt ne fe be ne who e Do can cien ndet t he CCcatt Df Or C ta d; Credei repereu lves, Som free q) effi his {ta d tha; le pe fin, n; bu thing, nimis nehi imatso {e: 2. a] Or hyfic hart 7 An Lerta of atufe P | 1S no oft Lum, termina oe 27 tur P tt is A hor bate ni houg m2 pe in yélis: 5 na ds ye fie 1h ut Ch fi Ct im: Lie ee tad Oe 3 é& fGo - But er ott A Ce nd for m Mee Omn ee 04a O ét: incent het the 0 effi > A here in hi Ob). 1 oft Deo ‘a fiunt n ination hata nating ndt is not ths ét: idt ot j he roy ") } ; a 1S ha a an n fe dti. fisnt 0 om pundit min of t tia ¢0 Ces s t he fin ed £0) Vig but becau hac | Re: Seer. om ) no in m thor, | >) d fstab ica h conti ircum ut ye fay, not der in An fay d Go | Pry Gh. eceijita iN0Te et | | 1CS Cl] h ° B hey ing iS un iS {in t the they an C= lan yilis 7 4m atio ‘ a) auntet.T be od it 1 08 S d, ich r Mel Cave A: ment es in cau {e I ‘ noc, feG th, but time Go thic tO fuente, eft satin {inner earn iS esi do of fins a. law ilo iaeacs. 5 A mal Je 3 3 IC yr at fe A t Te S: : ee ‘unt, imped oe hic] Woe th aus; to he ta Ul rm bone La fis seg n- fs Ct, W action. inos he ¢ 3 icy Ct bu Wi? ee eae i tent, ivatio thing is t W. rmi ae ) the {- bus ie te ma temy Cc pr. me he 5 : Las nfo but 5 fin th U Coen ante sod m ul a 1a t his i{co d, In A fate dca a Hie ears buc the olkot, t by Ed nce ot fi celfi d Go vel ta tem, : he (ait it Jatio ircum (et fin. Neé “ tev {ter pre a hy ela ir u r e ct, Sup Sf th ae cman eae ind God of peer the Intell ay gm an er ae Om rm ole An t a t cer. bre y S VEMes Me oC ‘ fo h en C te mp Att, an d a Striecl, my Thom {in is he bis 4 ifhm 10) fica Te N as n | WE: ti in t: nl Re ce c 0 ct A n =e a isn Sama from ma by, ts een micecth: — te ely, make of a§ 6. oe n t {e eAS age pea pn fulcet o hers emnpta d per ly as cau act vou meets 1. q. ‘nallo ie p Glory, Ot dt, an d only ts, oc enV rye their lum cae, ae 3° an Sy. Go en rn m al f ie ae daa 8. ects d Law hat Il ag ct 0 cw th m uc O u- Aes Dens m2) valts a Objec an t 04 to a he kn caule od o ay S Deas 1 Bese nd the ects fay, ryt Ifo hich | ce g9 fin is, a cp f i. o the owe ata see ee. that pe vers mittis fe: € is r ‘fics | Tag a a Cina = Wo dh Aare ch ei Ruz 13. ee unju tan An -W nda 5. O ca cae han a ‘(p, Cc é Ze bi & ’ n 4) C are prone. : sin ers, ey fica fel fhe td y sather eae BG al f: G a O i it fe th @) be sate anes teth us 5 rern f the re a it of nd here ¢ G mee ee Heth h Gor 0 a fin r i ings her on to ane ae whic fion fins he: Cor th. hing flary not the ee a ca ns in co t OV Mes | & dtru ret ce re of oa §. > cS he Occ me S he ft bje ce fiv is ne ies a r - sae cee a ) b S Aries ou nepee ich wich Pau nde rte That the Re sets ae di F his eee evils site Fo t; m un fo: ’ Go of or are CV nt, S be d, I as d eri fin f af:on {ing rine iufhme thi to (eda, re An p of its Ca cau no nifh uct take eno hey ad ° the hor. l Ag d out in for! oe abo ion I ore b tt {ee 7) be Aut Lab 4 an ee it ‘ ee it sg oa ich we God an no nq 7 rent, da nid his Le ye W ew to dem al © An t 530. — rtbev tally ae yec hath ma telleéku lone, bie cy Cain tot t the 4A. eato an {enfe tA far CCi {pect Tha In s Cr and of n0 as uin refp Aaliheve das Cr )5 anc ns cf or hat d en in ds 3 Ile S. Go im); oa A nt an “d rted; d all lar hac ch ercep r to tha fed ated alle Id, an rucu int unde he p owe ther ledg mcrat orld, ¢ par erta ( th a Pow a owl a 9 531. fore a ff CO there rtoc ( whicl 7 ere: ot nd O ‘tons ee d th sn a f fe, lition an re 1 cnt, refu Pols efor g Ag Or ry her ling ole effa t -n? cho is Wee ak th with i con i
A
and Decrees of Ged, &c. *
unjuftly accufe Gébiexf of confufion and unskilfulncfs in the managing of
532. II. Ie is certain that as totus vel Actio ts quid Naturale, it is
of God as the firft Caufe of Nature: *And fo when a finner aéferh, it is
not without this Univerfal firft Caufe: Whether God do it only,as Durandus thought, by the meer continuation of the nature of all chings, Active
and Mobile, or by any fuperadded concurfe befides, ‘is nothing to our pre?
fent bufinefs; which only fheweth that God is the Caute. eae
533. LIL. It is certain that Governing Providence by doing good doth
fet before men that which they make an occafion of all cheir evil: Every
thing is turned into fin by finners, + and to che unclean all things are unclean, through the uncleannefs of their own minds and confciences: As to the pure and holy all things are pure and fanctified. Bad ftomachs corrupt the wholfomeft food. All Gods mercies are abufed to fin, | — -§34. Icis certain that God fore-knew this: And yet that he is no way ovliged to deny men life, or take ic away, left they abufe ic, or deny men all thofe mercies, or removethem, which he forefceth that they will curn to fin, _ |
535-1V. Ic is certain that God often concurreth to the caufing of the very fame effect which fin alio caufeth ; and fo is as a concaaje of it with fin: And this effec is fo near to the A& of fin, as that the fin it fclf is oft called by its nameas if it were its neareft matter (which it is not. ) And this is the occafion of the Great miftake of men in this cafe, that canno: diftinguifh, Ofwhich more anon in theinftances, |
$36. V.Andiris certain, that God as the Governour of the World, doth domuch good by the occafion of mens fin. But chi$ isnot to turn the fin it felf into good. | _ |
537- VI. Andto thee five operations of God, I add, as to his Volitions, that all chis which he doth, he wélleth ordecreeth to dc. Andhe hathno contrary will ac all. | : |
538. Bue chat which we deny is, that He as any proper caufe of the fin at felf, efficient or a culpable or not culpable, Phyfical or Moral, For the opening of which we muft enquire what fiz i, and what gocth to its being or conflitution, - . . |
539. All granc thac God is our Ra/er by a Law, and alfo our altimate End as he is Optimus ce Amabiliffimus, and that he is our abfolnte Owxer: And that as rational free agents we that are bés oz, are allo his Subjects and Beneficiaries, and made capable of Loving him as our ultimate end, and of obeying his Laws: And that fin is our Difobedience tp thefe Laws, wich our denying God our felves as his Ow, and withholding or perverting the Love which we owe him as our End. maar ae
$40. AsLogick hathconfounded us in moft other cafes by arbitrary unfuitable fecond notions (making us.a Shoo not mect for the Foot, ) fo that it’s eafier to know Things withour thofe unfit notions than with them; fo hath it donehere. Men may more eafily know what fiz #, and what it is to difobey a Law, and that either by dotmg what we fhou:d not, or by xot doing -what we are commanded, than they can know by what Logical or Metaphyfical name it fliould be called: Whether a privation, Or a relation, an ac# or no aét, crc. But it is not only for Logicians that God made his Laws; nor is itonly a Metaphyfical Confcience that will accufe men or condemn them, ‘and torment them for their fin. |
* Vid. Greeor, Arvin. in aig. 8. cH 12. whole jndgement many School+ men follow: bajqux thus abbrcviatcth and reportethhim ing Tho, qe 23. d.go.c.4. [ detionim Des ordine cane préavem elfe co-nrer'ates.¢ Cc determinatione ne iit in
opevivus bonis: atc oie -
ribus peccaté 5 etfam [kit dum Jubftantiam & fics ifa malitea prigvcm bfe mae firam determinationem: todim ordins hec inter fe comparark In atirvttatce ——Ex avo in erust Lee wm prefinilfe orert bora ante diterainationom noflr.oa ullo modo precvifan 5 fed mala fecandim fisojtantiim onequaqiam 4 nif precogyita dctirminatione notre voluntitsse
Vid. Atarfile dt 16s 48e
ar. 2. poll 4. conclu.
Ex ea vere quod Deus corcarrae nobijeum ad actum peccaté, prout f2eultss libere arbitris poltulat, five prins, five poflertas, five find, mom fequituy malitee am Deo elfe tribuendam, cim ills folum ex modo operandé creature fequatur. Vafquez in 1 ‘Tho. q. 23. d¢9.Cap. 4.
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
541. No A@ meerly as az Act im gencre is forbidden of God. For the foul is an 4étive mature, and can no more ceale all action, than to be: though it can forbear a particular act as to this object, and at ths time, And God is the Cant of Acts as fuch, :
542. [have thewed before that as Aéfion it {elf is no fabfrance., but the mode or motion of afubitance, fo to choofe this object rather than that, hath nomore of Action in it thanto have chofen the other, or than. the general nature of action when exiftent hath: So that this Moral {pecitication addeth not to the natural generical entity,
543. It istherefore 1. ACting, 2. Not acting, 3. Moral difpofition, which are Commanded and Forbidden by God: And not any one only : and thefe notin themfelves, but about the Materials commanded or forbidden Objectively, inthe Law. To Ac# on.a forbidden objec& ; Not to AG on an object when commanded, and to be wvicioufly difpofed to either, is a fin. | | |
544. You may fee then, that fiz is a Connotative notion, yea, and a Relative notion; Ic connoteth a Ruler, a Law, an End, a Subje@, and is
thus varioufly Related.
545. As Subjection isthe Root of Obedience, and all obedience Virtually, being 4 Confent to obey, and, Love is the Root of benefits; fo to forfake God fimply as our Recfor or our End, or our Owner, is Atheifm practical, and all fin inone: But to violate only a particular precept de mediis, is but a particular fin. :
546. God is the Caufe of the Zaw which commandeth and forbiddeth, and God is the Caufe of Nature, and Objects, and Action as Action: That therefore which he hath made mans part is to Love God and Holine(s, and not to over-love the creature, nor to love ic as our End or in his ftead: and to do all that he commandeth, and not to do the particular acts aboue fuch particular objects as he forbiddeth, |
547. The remote fubject or relatum then of fiz, is the perfon finning But the xeareft isthe Ad, Omiffion or difpofition, The fundamentum or ratio referendi is the {aid Adts, Omifions or difpofitions, as fuch or fuch, about {uch or _ objects, commanded or forbidden, which is a Relatior; And the form of fin isthe Moral Relation of Difobediénce , or Dilconformity tothe Law. So that if youmuft needs have it in Logical notions, Sin is 4 Moral Relation, refulting from a Phyfical relation of ACttie OmifSions or dt{pofitions of Gods fubjects, which are modified contrary bo pts Law.
548. It is a Aforal Relation as it is Difobedience ; found in a Moral agent againft a Law and Rector as fuch, It is a Phyfical Relation as the Act, cc. is prius natura quid naturale, about an obje@ that is quid naturale. ts fumdamentum ( of bothrelations: And one Relation may be founded in another ) is the Azode of the At, Omiffion or difpofition, as to an undue object, ¢xc.°asit is forbidden by the Law. Of the fubjects and relatum 1 have {poken before.
549. So that the form of fiz being Relative can have no Caufe but that which caufeth its fusdamentum: and cannot poffibly but refult when chat is laid, .
550. It were an injury to God to feign him to make fuch a Law as fhould fay, [ Though thou hate me, fee that that hatred be not Related formally as a breach of my Law, or (J forbid thee not to commit Adultery, but only forbid that thy Adultery be quid prohibitum or 4 fin. For if God forbid not the aét, it cannot be a fin: and if he forbid it, ic mutt nceds be fin, And fo of omiffions, ~~ | Oo
551. They
— SEE
and Decrees of God, Ke, ‘87
51. They therefore thac tell us, chat fin is nothing, but a Privationy
{peak noc fatisfactorily, nor altogether truly. cis nofubftance indeed;
nor any fuch Reality as Man cannot Caufe without Gods Canfing ie
( fuppofing his Univerfal Natural Support and Concurfe.) But the thing
forbidden is often Ac#s and Difpofitions as well as Omifftons: and the form
of fin, is a Moral Relation, which hath fo much reality as a Re/ation hath
(if thacbeany ), And that Relation hatha pofitsve names Ic is notonly coo pr, watiisapaintt the
a meer Non-conformity , but alfo a Difconformity, becauled founded in Lord Brooke of this, very
Actual Volitiens and Nolttions as forbidden, and not only in Omil- ¥¢!
fions, ee
552. Subtile Ockam Quodl. 3.9.15. difputing Utrum rectitude c deformitas actus differant 2 fubftantia a¢tus ? denyeth it, and after a Confutation of the common faying., that Deformétas eff carentia rectitudinis
debite, c diftinyuitur ab atin, quod in peccato Actus eft materiale , &
carentia juftitie debite ineffe eft formale, concludeth, [ Quod deformitas
non eft carentia juftitie vel rectitudinis debita ineffe actui, fed eff carentia rectitudinu achite ineffe voluntati: Quod non eft aliud décere, nifi
quod Voluntas obligatur aliquesm attum elicere fecundum praceptum Divinum quem non elicit ; cp ideo rectitudo aitus non ¢ft alind quam qui
dcbuit elici fecundum reitam rationem. | But I conceive; 1. That the
‘recticude of the ws can be nothing elfe but the rectitude of its ats, fu/-
penfions and difpofitions,; 2. That Ockam here defcribeth only fins of omifions, whereas the Reétitude of the weil is ofren alfo materially in not dotag or willing what is forbidden. And wich thefe two animadverfions Tam reconciled to Ockam: who addeth, [4d alind dico, Quod illud ditum de Materiali cy Formali eft falfum, Quia aut eft peccatum commiffronts aut omiffionis: fi primo modo, eff Materiale fine formali: quia ibé non eft carentia rectitudinis, debttae ineffe attui: fi fecundo modo, tunc ef? — thi carentia que eft formale fine materiali.|. Refp. 1. To the firft Ladd, that Ic had been true; if ic had been the 4c# as an act that had been for- Lidden, or elle the fpectes of the act as quid naturale, But it beingthe — Ac not as anact iz genere, but as this att thus modsfed or {pecified by an undue object, that At with its Relation as guid phyficum are prefuppofed as the re/atum to the moral relation of Pravity or Difconformity. Andto the fecond I fay, that it’s true that Omiffion is not Materia Phyfica; but it is an inadequate firft conception of fin, and{o is materia moyaliter diitta vel loco materia, And the Omiffion being confiderable, | 1, Quatenus Non-agere, 2. Qua privatio naturalis, °3. Qua cy Privatioicr dilconsormitas moralis, thefe three inadequate conceptions take up the whole nature of the fins of omiffion. oy a a 553. The fame Ockam Quodl. 1.92.20. Utrum attus exterior habeat roprians bonitatem vel malitiam moralem? .’even as dependent on the Will? And hedenyeth ic againft Scotws who affirmeth it:. I will not trouble the Reader with their reafonings3 not doubting but Ockaw erred, and that it’s true, 1. That no exterior act is Morally good or evil primarily, 2, But that fecondarily and participatively as it as voluntary;. there is a. morality in theacts. words,and deeds, and pafsions are under Law next to the wil, and in dependance on it. Asthe body conjunc with the foul is a fecondary part of che man, fo are our exterior acts of fin. : -§54. The conceit thac making fin a meer nothing, doth feem to juttilic God asnot Caufing it, is a meer vanity, For, 1. It juftifiech the finner mores; whonomore is the Caufe of wotbing thanGod. 2. Eicher man is able to do that Somethiny or A which fin is the privation of, without aay other Power thanhe hath, or not. If he be, then even =
* Ie is not only Dr.Twe/fe
( after confited ) that
fuppofeth fin to be willed of God as conducible
to the perfection of the
World , bur even Ruz
the Jefue de Provid.
dif. 2. fect. ge BD. 27%
maintaineth thae Aus
perfectus evafiffet Mundus
(é nulla pevmitterentar pec-
Cita 3 mune autem evaftt
perfectior occafione peccatoran: anc creth Aquin
VAlecand, Albert. Borytu.
Ferrar. Marfil. for the
fame. But 3. An occafion 1s no caufe ror medium, as fuch, and therefore never the more wil-
Iced, if that were truce.
2. But I have bcfore
brictly confured the
Schoolmen on both fides
about this qucflion, 777.
Particular Creatures
would be to thenitclves
better,were there no fin:
but whatever pollible altcrations were made by
God, the Univerfe would
be neither worfe nor
better than it is, as to
that proper Goodnefs
which muft abfolutely
denominate it: For the
Goodnefs of all Creatures
1s tG be conform to the
Creaters Will, which Js
the denonmnating meafure or fundamintum;, And
fo they are, and fo the
would be, were they Hd tered: But fin 1s difform to his CommandingWIl, and not conform ro_ his Conplacence or Effictent Will. He arpucth, Had there been no iin, there had bcen no fuch excrcife of Liberty, no Saviour, 2x¢c. 4niw. And are te Angels worfe than man? And had not all this been as good, if Ged had willed it?
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
Act of fin is not imputableto God: Ifhe be nor, then every fin is like our not making of a Sun, or Moon, or World: whichif it be a culpable defect, they make God the firft deficient.
555. Hethat would fee more of this queftion of the effence of fin, ma read Rada lib, 2. contr.16. (who firt ingenuoufly confeflech chat Tho
oO and Scotus differ but in words and not in fente, and then layeth down eleven
conclafions of little ufe.) And aztarins Scribonius Cofmo. difp. 18. Scotusin
2.4.37. Bonavent.tn 2.4.35, dith.6. Henric. Quodl. 1. qu.25. Almatn,
2.9.94. memb,2. Durand, 2, dtf. 31. 9. 2. Medin, 12. 4.71%. ar. 6, Specially Va/quex 12. di/p. 95. cap. 9. Guil. Camerar, Scot, Difput, Philof. Part.1. Mor. 4.3. pag. 162, exc. Argentina 1.4.35 .4.1.47.2.Gabricl Biel 2.4. 36.9. unica, Valent. 1.2.4, 2.9.14.p. 35 76. Suarez 1. 2. tract. de act. bum. d. 2. feck. 2% Axor, li. 4.6.24, Tanner. 3.2. difp. 2. 9. 5. dub. 2.¢> 3. Cr difp. 4. 4%. dub, 1. Vegain Trident.6.¢. 39. @li.14.c, 13. Cordub. l. 3.9.10. cr Cajet. Zumel, Curiel, cp alios in ¥.2. 9.19. ared. eq.71. ar.6, And, who isufually founder than moft of them, Lombard himfelf Diff. 35. & Ripalda opening him and citing others ds/?, 34, 35.
But the ordinary Chriftian chat underftandech but what Difobedsenee fia. nifieth, needeth none of them all. | |
556. * Though the five acts of God forementioned about fin, are as far as we need to go, to the common Ends which we agrce in, yet many objections are made againft this much as not fufficient, but God muft have a greater hand in fin: And x. They object, that to make God but an Univerfal Cawfe, is to put fomething in being, vez, the A& # fpecie moralt, which God is not the Caufe of; And fo, 1. To make Him idle and unactive as tothat: 2. Todeifie man by making him a firft Caule of thac moral fpeciess To which I fhall lay down fuch anfwers as I think will fatishe the confiderate, to this ObjcGion which is indeed their All: ButI am forry thac che fubject occafioneth me to repeat what | faid before. —
557. Remember that even an A in genere is not a (ubftance s And that the moral [pecification is lefs as to natural entity chan st ; indeed making no addition of Evtzty to it, aswas fhewed. And Dr. Trwifs opi > that this moral {pecification is not a proper fpecification of acts. , |
558. 2. Nore that few dare ok that God is sot Able to make a free agent with Power to choofeor refute without Gods further predetermining premotion, And ifGod cax do tt, wehave no reafonto debafe his work, and think he didnot. | }
$59. 3+ Note, that for God to make a [elf determining agent that fhall act without bis predetermination, is but to put forth his own Active Power with limitation or fufpenfion, that is, To Will and Act or Operate, fo far and no further.
560. 4 Andnote, that this reftriction of the Divine operation is not from any fizttene{s of his power, as if he cow/d do no more, but from the freedom ot kes wall, and the Conduct of his wifdom, who fecth it good to do no more,
561, 5. Above all nore, that as all Divines agree, that God doth not 4c ad altimum poffe, as natural agents do, fo the truth is moft evident in the frattenefs Of the world, and the effects of his Power: For God doth not make as many men or other creatures as he cowld do: He doth not make every man as f{trong, or wife, or good, or long-livedas he eou/ddo: He doth not make every: Stone,or Clod, or Tree as _4cfive as he could do, nor move every thing as /x#/t/y ashe could do, Now all that is wxdene which God centd
and Decrees of God, Kc.
do, all pofibles which are not exiffent or future, do tell us plainly thac God doth freely [u/pend the a&ion or operation of his Power, totafy as to them: which is much more than to fufpend it but és part with free agents, and to give them a Natural felf-determining power, without further pre-moving predetermination of them. If all the World tell us, = ry hath Zz far greater fafpenfion, why fhould we think the ée/s ablurd ¢ : oo ae eee 562. 6. And Reafon telleth us ( what the Schoolmen oft fay ) that
_ God who fheweth us that he delighteth in wonderful variety of his creatures, doth very ficly thus beautifie the Univerfe by a middle rank of creatures, that ftand between Confirmed Angels, and the Brates, viz. Intelletual-free-agents, left toa natural Power of free choofing or refufing, without neceffitation, in the midft of various objects, to prepare them by tryal for a better ftate. ee eee ee - 563. 7-Andnote too, that we fay not that Gods predetermination of mans will deftroyeth its Jef? Liberty: Godcan predetermine the will to Good as he doth the Angels, asa great bleffing and felicity: To predetermine the will phyfically, is to evd that Liberty to that particular sdf,
which configed partly in being ssdetermined: But that Liberty. which ~
confifteth in deliverance from all tre evil, is increafed by fuchaGracious predetermination: And therefore amfenbus pleadeth only for theneceffiry of predetermination to Good by. medicinal Grace 5,and not to Evil, or, meer Natural actions. Yet we A, that even coGood, God can procure the will to. determine it [elf, by moral means, which infinite Wildom can fufficiently improve. But itis anly 1. 4 naturel power to att without predetermination from God or Others, .2. Anda Liberty of Condition, from all predetermination 4b extra, to evil ( from God or Creatures) which-I here affertand plead for inthis caufe., i, 564.8, Much lefs do we take the will from under the Power and Government Of God: . For, 1, It could have. no felf-determining Power but of — God, one moment. 2. He giveth it this power, to make us capable fub- - jects of Moral Sapiential Government. 3. He giveth us Governing. Laws.
accordingly. 4. And he attaineth al] his Eds and fulfiljeth, all bs will, as perfectly in confiftency with our power and freedom as if we had none fuch at all: fo that God hath his proper Will; whether men will or
not. vee bat ne 4 ee a ee bod! on pte _ §65. But the turning poine of difficulty here is, Whether God is ever Caufa partialic? and it we fo make him, is it not injurious to his perfect.
operations? All our Controverfies tam upon the decifion of thisone que- See she End:
ftion. For if we may conceive of God, as Scotus fpeaketh, like one that draweth at the fame Ship wich another; and the. ac of both:muft concurr to the effec; then all is cafie,, and we may fay when men LovenotGod,
repent not, believe not, ¢c. that God did his part, but the finnerdid not. -
his, and fo the effe@ failed. As if a Father did refolve that he will help 1 remember one deri:
‘his little Child to liftup a weight , and will put to nine hundred ninety this:
obx Goodwin for milisude or the
nine parts of the ftrength thac isneceffasy, but no more, becaufe the Child like, ( Mr. Roberongh. )
fhall do fomething ( one part ) to thew. his willingne/s and obedience; Here if the thing be done, it isthe Father that deferves nine hundred ninery nine parts of the praife: If it be undone, the Child only doth deferve the blame. But we have more to fay.
y | 7 = Note therefore, 1. Thac here the Child hath in himfelf a Power in
ependent on his Father, and therefore the whole effect is not to be afcribed to the Father, Butman hath no Power but of God, and what he
boldeth, yea, and #feth in dependence on him. And therefgre the ~~
* Afolina maketh God Gafam partialem %. po 4 li. 2. Phyf. dijpate de cane fis denyeth it ; And Zumel difputeth againft it in Difp.in 1,2. Thom.p.4 30 Concl. 2. And fo do many others ; And great diverfity here rs among them while fome affirm and fome deny, but none of us underftand the myftcrie of divine concurfe. + Sofay Ockham and Gabriel Biel though Zumel call ica moft rmproper mode of {peaking , becaufe fo no one Caufe could be called Total : And why fhould it, if it be not ? ( except that God isabove our order, and fonot a Part. )
Eonavent. int. dif. 38. q. 2. ingquity Futuram trepire eft: Quoddam eft cxins Deus et tota Canfay nt Creatas Quoddam ci qs Creaturd, aut Voluntas ¢F Tota Canfas at funt defects co peccata ¢ Luoddam cxjus Deus C Creatuva fimul funt Caufa, ut fit opera naturals & movalias qs Deus Coorevatar creature 2 Ke- Speci prime fatari D3cima prefckerti2 ef totd crafts fecunde non caufa ¢ rertsé eft Caufa fed non tot 2. Gab. Biel in 2. dy 37bringcth in Scotus faying | Licet Deus Volendo canfit omnia que caufat, non tumen ideo eff Caula tota- Liss quia vult etiam fecum concurvere aléas Cau fasy eo utrumque vult, & effectus effe, && fecum concurrere Canfas fecundas,.
non diverlis, fed una Volitione, nec unum plus also,
fed eque utrumzse & fi,
mub Et nulla Creiteva Of Caufa totals——— Hula fomper
Canfa partials product astum malum
Grigor. Arin. his words are(in2. ds 34. a 3.) Aétus mali quem efficit Veceator, Deis eft immediataCaufa: Partialis tamien, co-efficiens aftum eune dim. Ot Greg. Ari, fee miore in the conclufion of chis Chapter.
‘God is Pars Entitatis, nor yee thatthe
concurret’ Dens.ut Caifa paytialisn—! “Non fic tmacinando quod D; Ariine Nobifcum tanquam: pay fi f lade Jade roducit unam P artcm effe ikus 9 O” Cres-
Lanai a)
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will ‘of aff his Power and his Afts as Acts areduetoGod. 2. Andallth Inclinations of his will, and allthe Laws, promifes, perfwafions, ay
nings, mercies, afflictions, examples; convictions, which tend morally to
turn his will, are from God ; fo that in every good Volition or actio
doth nomore than God did both enable him, nad him, paras him and help him todo, and fo procure the a¢tual determination of his will So that de re we fee how much God doth alwayes (befides that Grace may fomecimes for ought I know otherwife predetermine :) And we fee what man doth: ‘And all that you can defire more is, that no man that doth
any eo fhould be 26/e at that inftant not to do tt, of to do otherwi/e + and then it muft follow that no man that omitreth 4 good aét, or that finneth, could do otherwife: which are falfe. *So chat here is only the “4 de ‘nomine left, An Dews-fit Caufa partialis? I think ic ficteft to fay, thae he isCaufa totalis of his own Act, and of the effect as itis an Act, and
‘Of all that is Zamdable in it too, forthe reafons aforefaid. Buc yet he is
not the Caafa fola, norin that fenfe totals of the Moral fpecification, as if when he giveth his Creature a Power of choofing or refufing freely 3 ic could not be done, without his further phyfical predetermination., .
567..And (under favour ) Itakethe name Caufa partsals, tobe improper, and rhat ic flionld properly be called Pars Caufe: For when divers concurr in efficiency, allmake but one proper efficient Caufe. + Now
‘I fuggeft to che Learned Reader that is againft'me, How he will decide
the forementioned hard queftion, whether there be more Entity inGodand the Creature than in God alone? Xt is ‘dangerous {aying Tea or Nay = andwe know not well what to fay: Buc for my I as I faid, F will not fay thac Gor | reature /s not it is God: But the folution muft be either from the ple stl ei 5 ie or from the Creatures /nexiffence in God, or from fomewhat rather which I knownot. And Juttfo here; the queftion is, whether Gods Caufation and Mans be more than Gods alone? And willnot fay that Gods is a Part; nor yet that Mans is wove, nor that it is the fame with Gods - Buc thac. Gods acting and concurle. are quite above the reach of Mortals 568. But here again note what I faid even now, 1. That it isno more fign of ‘fizxitenefs inGod, nor difhonour to him, to be a émited or Partial Caufe, than to be‘n0 Caufe, and limited totally by fufpenfion of the whole act: And yet fo he is as to all Poffbles which he doth not make re pie p - And that a his own free will only that thus limiteth him 5 ‘As it doth from giving all men more gr matter of fatisfadtion. ; | oo ee ee 569.. Though he offend me by making. God the Caufe of fin, I will here cite the words of our Countrey-man, Holkot QuodL lib.2. qu. 1.[ Ef fententia omnium Theologorum quod Deus. eft Canfas immediata omnis reé producte, fic quod omni creature agenti hoe fit Natura five Voluntas, Deus coagst: cy fic imaginandum eft quod in omni attione creature que. aliquid product, Deus & Creature [int due caufe Partiales illius producti:
tura aliam, ¢y 0b hoc dicatur Caufa partialis fed tdeo quia concurrunt in agendo vel caufando Unde tam caufa univer falis quam particularis dicttur communiter caula partialis: cy tdeo etiam Sol ¢ Home funt dua caufe partiales hominis generandi; ce fimiliter Vir cp Malier: Quia ad hoc quod aliquid dicitur caufa partialis fufficit quod fit tale quod proper ipfum cr quoddam alind vel quedam alia res ponatur in effe, fic quod illis pofitis res eft 5 Ce aliquo iftornm ablato res non fiet.J
570, Further.
and Decrees of God, &c.
70. Further I defire that icmay be fpecially noted, that God is our Creator in order of Nature before he is our Raler, And that Nature is before Asorality, ( obedience or fin.) - Andthat God as Creator firlt (etled the order of Nature fo, as that the Alteration of that Law or fetled Order fhould not be ordinarily expe&ted by us, though he cas alter it: And therefore that manisman, and hath a Natural Power of Self-determination, and that God upholdeth him, and concwrreth as an Univerfal Caufe, belongeth to this, fore fetes natural order, and is prefxppofed to moral determinations and fpecifications, either as from God or man.
571. And note, that to Good -Ac#s we have need of more Help from God, than this meer Natural Caufality and Concarfe. And therefore God affordeth us more accordingly, but notto allalike, §72. It is further objected, againft chis way, that our making Reprobdtion to Infidelity, Permifiton of fin, not-giving faith, crc. to beno Acts of God, cometh all to one as to mens fim and damnation; becaufe man cannot believe , nor avoid fin, without thofe Acts of Grace which God svithholdeth ? a
Anfw. I confels ic were all one if the pi pean were true, as it is not: For we have proved after, that san bath power without thofe acts of Grace which God y ey by that Commen Grace which he giveth, to go ‘more good afid forbear more evil than they do: Of which im due
ace. | eae 8 | 7 . 573. It is objectedalfo, that while we make. Gods Providence to fill the World with occafions of fin, which he fore-knoweth men will take to their damnation, yea, aslong as God comld prevent all fin, and {ave all fouls, and yet will not, ic cometh all to one which way foever you go in thefe Controverfies. a | omar — Tanfwer, 1. Undoubtedly Gods Judgements are unfearchable. Bue when we come into his Light, we. fhall be perfectly reconciled to them
all. 2.And undoubtedly God doth whatfoever he will, and all thar he
thought meet to Decree or Will, thall come to pafs in defpight of fin. 3. And when we have faid all, fleth and blood will bé unfatisfied, ill faith and the will of God do fatisfieus. 4: But yet be it known to you, that there is a great difference between Gods permitting fin ( after great means againft it’) and his cawfing it: Between the making of a free agent, and purting life or deathin his choicé; and his wep we unavoidably to fin, and then to damn them for it., The Holinefs of Gods Nature will ftand with the Being of fin, by mans caufing; byt nor with Godscaufingic, Andthe Truth of Gods Word mutt be confidered.
574. If thiswere all one (to Damn men unavoidably and to give |
them their free choice of Heaven or Hell, in the means ) it is ftrange that fo many Learned men as among the Fefsits, Arminians, Lutherans and Greeks, do hold no other Grace at al] , buc what leaveth man to fuch a free Choice, could ever be fo fatisied: ( when others hold chat ché Ele& have more.) an | oS
N 4 SECT;
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
Bortveits in Ve de 450 Js 3 refolveth this queftion very, plainly and truly [tala freré nullatenus bonum effe pote: fed bene occatio bond: And fhewing the difference between Cala, Cafes & Occafio, he faich that Caufz e@ procedens & intendens: Cafus privat Intentioncm fed non operationem: Occafio pré- vat utranque. And he diftinguifheth Occafion into that which hath raté- onem Atlivi G excitat agentenm; and that which hath but ratéonem palive, as one by anothers evil exciteth himfelf to do good. And alfo between the evil and the ordinability to good. And faith the evil 1s bue the occafio paliva of the good, and the ratio bow quod fubflernitur, Is occafio alsquo modo active Vide locum.
SECT. XVIII. | _ A Confutation of Dr. Twifle’s Digr. 5. J. 2. fect. 1. Vind. Grat.
575. W Comenowto confider of what is faid by them that go further
about Gods will or Caufalityasto fin. And becaufe Dr. Tn ffe hath a peculiar Digreffion (Vindic. Grat. li. 2. p. 1. Digr. 4.) T wall fomewhat animadvert upon it. He beginneth [ Sententia noffra hee eft, Deum bhattenus dici poffe Velle pectatum quatenus vult mt peccatum frat—__— viz. ipfo permittente: And fohe maketh the queftion, 42 Dens Velit ut peccatumeveniat iplo permittente? Arminius thought God willed only hu own Permiffion of the fin: Tweffe faith, that he willed that fin fhould come to pals, God permitting it. Arminius Kis conceffion cannot be proved ( as E have thewed;) But Twz/fes muft be difproved, And 1. I will give youour Reafonsagainftic, 2 7
576. Letthe Reader remember, that what thé Author faith of Gods
willing, he alfo in the point of Predetermination faith of his working :
viz, that he Casfeth asmuchas he willeth: But I pafs that by now becaufe
Thave largely confuted ic elfewhere. And to {peak to Ove is to {peak to
577. 1. All fober Chriftians are agreed, on what fide foever, that
God is not the Caufe of fin, except fome odd prefumers who are condemned by the generality: One ortwo {poke fome hard words that way
in Belcia, whom the Synod of Dort reje&ed: Mr. Archers Book was
burnt for it by the Parliament or Weffminffer Synod. Beza himfelf (72
Rom, 8.28. c& palfim: ) abhorreth it, as intolerable blafphemy. . But this
Doétrine in. queftion plainty maketh God the willer and Caufe of fiz:
Yea more, very much more than wicked men or Devils are: which is noc
578- For they make Men and Devilsto be but a fecond pre-moved predetermined Caule of the Aét ( of Volition and Execution ) whence the formal obliquity neceflarily refuleeth : But 1. God is certainly the Caufe of the Nature whichisthe Agent: 2. Heis che Caufe of the Law which maketh the aét in /pecie to be fin : His faying, Thou fhait not commie Adultery or Murder, maketh Adultery and Murder to be fin, when they are committed, which they would not be without the Law. 3. God caufeth and orderethall the objeé#s and octafions. - 4. And now they alfo fay that God willeth ut peccatum fiat, ( and is the firft predetermining Caufe, even the total Caufe, of all that is in the a@ and all its circum- {tances, without which predeterminationit could not be.) Sothat man doth but will what God firft willeth, and act what God firft moveth him - unavoidably toact, asthe penin my hand. 5. And the Zam andthe Ad - being put in being, the Relative obliquity is but the neceflary refulc, and hath no other caule. |
579. And note here what E/fias before cited (after Aquinas) faith that to will that peccatum fit vel fiat, isall that the Sinner himfelf doth, when he willeth fin. And therefore it’s a vain thing here to diftinguifh between willing fin, and willing the event, futurity and exiftence of it, wt peccatum fiat vel eveniat : ( Though I confefs I was long detained in fufpenfe if not deceived by that diftinction,) For he willeth fiz, who willeth the exiftence of it, or that it de or come to pats.
580. And
and Decrees of God,
580. And note, that ic is both matter and form, A@ and: obliqnity
which they-fay God willeth #¢ fiat: Forit is fin: And forma dat nome.
Icis not fiz, butby the form of, fin. Bucif they had faid otherwite, ic
381. Thereis nothing left to be faid then, but that Ged willeth thar
fin be done, but not (ia. or becaufe it w fiz; But this is nothing. For,
1. Eithernone or few of the Reprobate do will fin becaufe it ws Sin, but
becaufe of the pleafure of fenfe or imagination, or for teeming good.
3. And if a man of Devil do malicionfly will fiz as fix’ becanle it is
againft. God, fo doing is but one of their fins, which they fay God willetty
ut fiat before they willed ic (and prederermincd them to it: ) fo that here
is nothing in it bie what is firft and chiefly of’ God. a
58a. If they fay that God willeth it for the Glory of hu Fuftice, and {o do
not wicked men, but for wicked ends or in enmity to Gols I anfwer,
That proveth that God hatch will which the wicked have not, but not
that the wicked have any will which God hath‘not: For. that w7/l and
that Exmity to God ftillis but one of their fins which they fay God firft
willeth wt fiat. - fe ae oo ae |
583. Obj. Bucit isonly wt frat i? 0 permittente, non faciente, Dees
Anfw. The hypocrifie of that addition maketh it but the worfe in the
affertors. For 1. Fhey ufually make Gods will effect7ve’ of the thing
willed. 2. They maintain that thereis nothing in the act as circumftan-.
tiated which God isnot the total firft efficient Caule of. 3: “They contels
that the formal relation neceffarily refulteth from the act and Law: And
why then dothey put in the word [ permitrente?] Would not that ceceitfully infinuate to, the Reader that the finner doth fomething whicn
God doth not do, but only permit, when they mean no fuch thing? For
that is my fecond reafonagainftthem, se teatacns ios oe
584. 2. By theirdoétrine God never permitteth fin (which is falic sy
For thac which he willeth and Canfeth asthe firft total Canfe, he cannot
be {aid to Permit: To do a thing, and move anotier to do ic; will not
ftand with proper permiffion. | - a
585. Obj. Bat God preferveth our own Liberty in aiting.
Goddoth not make mens Willing to be a willing or contra in the fame
aa. Which is but to fay that God caufeth me.co will fiz, and not to
will-nill-it ¢ 2. If youmean more, I deny that ever God gave Power to the Will, to will or Will contrary to the Volition and phviical premoving predetermination of the firft caute, 3. But if all this were fo, it’s nothing to the prefent cafe; and dothnot prove that God is not the Caute of the fin, buc only that manis a Caufealfo, caufed by the. tnft Cau‘e 5
‘and that God Willcth and Caufeth usto fin willingly and freely.
586. 3. By this means they make God equally to will and Caufe our Holinefand our fin: Forthey cannot poflibly tell as what he doth more ro Caufe our Holinefs, than to will it, and to predetermine the will of gman to it, (befices commanding it, which is a moral act,.ahd we {peak
or bounty that buildeth ic. an ainplicity of modeft fouls with a holy fife would honour him. proprie dicendum éffe materiam manifeftande De five mifericordiz, cati midium effe eis manifejtande proprie
sniffion it felf is nothing ( being hue zon-impedire. ) And fs nothing, or non-ager?, a proper sicans?
Sach Twi fle ViadieGrat leet. Poa. Site To Pe 137e | Vafito quod velit pofectiones Lbas maitfe'tayz, nes Cele eft non geineddat ine evefiam peccati, (24 permttat.| 1. Asif he had proved that Ged was not able to maniicft his Mercyand Jufice by Laws, and Illuminating men to know them, without ex- | ecution by the occafion of fin? 2. Yeedoth he make Chrifts death unnecefary and his fan ~ faction to Juftice fo far as that God could have accomplithed our pardon and falvariun another way if he would: And 1stin better or moze
, neceffary than Chrifts t1tisfadion? 3. And methinks they that lav fo litle on Moral means and operations of Grace in comparifon of Phytical, fhould not give fo muchto fin, which were It a Means (as itis nor, but a Paflive and oppofire occafion ) 1s but a moral means.
And himfelf faith pzge 136. | Permiido peccate proorie medium eft aljzquindé finem a Deo pr.efixun: At peccatun non et Mediam proprie dicum, five manifeltande Dei mi-
' fericordie, five julitie s — Media enim ejus (unt nam
ture, ut ad ea facienday moveatur ques ex intentione finise.\ Would the
Reader have a_ better confuter of him than hinfelf 2? Bue he there addeth that it is Matiriz ets non medium, as ftone and Timber to an Houte. And yet fin they fay hath no matter befides the fudje& and objed, but 1s a meer Privation of moral Re@itude. Bue it ic be to the Devils Kingdom /oco materie, it isrot foto Chrifts. Rather, if a beggar junta houfe. 1s that wazt the Materia doms? no nor the Mazteréa of his mercy
Thus the defectivenefs of the fubtileft wits abufeth God and his Church, when the Chrifti- So [email protected]. pag. 137. Peccatum mibi videtur five puBrtie potius quam medium: , dicium. Bue 1. how oft elfewhere doth he forget and contradi& this? 2. Per-
Permilfionem vero pec
Eut efpeci-
. : sete. : sit eer oats ally 1 intreat the Reader to obferve thacin that very place Twi(fe and Arminius are herein saaaetaed pene ey ‘ the Permiflion of fin, and not the fin, that is the Divine medium (only one faith Predé?znationss, and Ue providentia:
And yetthey will differ while they agree:; And I that differ from both, would agree with beth.
only
— Way.
Of the Nature, Kuowledge, Will
only of proper efficiency.) He doth but wi// thar Holinef be, and caufe all that hach any entityin it; And fo they fayhedoth about fin, = == . 587. Obj. Helveth our Holine[s for it felf, and fo he doth ap _ Anfw, The firlt is denyed by themfelves, if you {peak of Gods end: For they confefs that God only is his own end, for which he Joveth aj} things: 2, Andhis Love is either his efficient or complacential Volition. 1. The effcient which is all that is now in queition they maft confefsis equal to both, if he equally will the exiftence of beh, an Objet, But he hath a Complacence in Good ne 4 Anfw, 1. He hath a Complacence in the ful lling of his own wid ag efficient. Therefore if fin be the fulfilling of his Will, he hath a com: placencyinit. The formal reafon of 2 pleafing objectto God is, asit is the fulfilling of his own Will, And to break his Law they make to be fuch: ergo, pleafing. 2. But if it were not fo, that’s nothing to our
_ Cafe, of the efficient Will.
588. 4. Toavoid tedioufnefs, in fum, This Opinion feemeth to me} to leave very little or no place for the Chriftian Religion: For 1. It orenrheoheti the formale objeitum fidei, which is Veracitas Divina, and Jeaveth no certainty of any word of God : For if he do will and predetermine by premotion, #t fit omne imenhacinms, quod fit, then we have no way to know that he did not fo by the Prophets and Apoftles. 2, It maketh the Scripture falfe, which faith {o much of Gods hatred and unwillingnefs of fin. 3. It obliterateth the notion of Gods Holinefs, which | ys made the great reafon of our. holinefs. 4. Ie maketh mans Holinefs. to be no Holinefs, but a common or indifferent thing. 5. It maketh fin {0 little odious (as being a Divine off-{pring ) as will deftroy the hatred of itand care to avoid it. 6, Ic will thereby nullifie all our Godly forrow, repenting, confeffion, and all practice of means againft any fin: 7- Ic will hardly lec men believe that Chritt came into the world, and did and fuffered fo much to fave men from fin, and to deftroyir. 8. Or thac it is the work of the Holy Ghoft to fan@ifie fouls and mortifie fin’ 9, Tr will hardly let men believe that there is any Hell, and that God will damn men for ever, forthat which they did sigs his prevolition and predetermination, unavoidably, 10, It feemet God, and more, For Satan canbut a us co fin, butthey make God abfolutely to will that it be, and phyfical] fo Chrift thac came to deftroy the work of the Devil, the father of lies,
malice and murder, fhould come to deftroy the work of God. It. It taketh away the reafonof Church difcipline, and purity, and of our lovin the Godly and hating wickednels. 13. It would tempt Magiftrates accord: ingly to judge of vice and vertue, good and bad inthe Common-wealeh. 589. Now to their arguments. 1. Rey, 17.17. [God put it into theip hearts to do his will, andto agree to give up their Kingdoms to the bea: Anfm,1. He that readeth Dr, Hammonds expofition applying this to Alaricus facking Rome, with the effeéts, will {ee that the very fubject is {o dubious and dark as notto be fitto found fuch a doctrine on. 2. It was
the effect of the fin chat God willed, and not the fin. 3. He is not faid _ to pur che fin into their hearts, whether pride, covetonfnels, cruelty, cee.
but only to do pis el seb and agree (or make one decree) to give UP cc, which he could moft eafily do by putting many good and lawful thoughes into their hearts, which wich their own fins, would have that effec which he willed: If a thief have a will to rob, God may put itinto his heart to go fuch orfuch away, wherea icked man to be punifhed will be in his
590. Buc
_ wand Decrees of God, &c.. —— OF
590. But for brevicy, befides what is faid, I fhall farther dirc& the
impartial Reader, how co anfwer all fuch objections: And. withall lec the
confounding cavillers againft diftinguifhing, fee, what blafphemy -and {ubverfion of Religion may enter, for want of one of two diftin€tions which
confufed heads = not. — beet a. ke
1, Be fure todiftinguith the same of fin, from the matare.. 2. And
remember that no outward act is finany further than it is Pp/sstary (by
privation or pofition of Volitions.) 3.. Diftinguith between the 4 as ic
is Agentis, and asitis ix Paffo. 4. And between the Acfand the effect.
5. Between the effed#.of a fixgle caufe and-of. divers caufes, making 2
compound effect. 6. And between a forbiddes objett compared with the.
contrary, and one. forbidden object. compared with azothers. 2 2
s91. And then all this fatisfying Truth will lye naked before you. Ly
x. That the fame nameufually fignifiech the fs and the effcc# of fiz, or,
the Adé as Adtedand as Received. Adultery, Murder, Theft, nfually.fig-.
nifie che “Aé#s of the Adulterer, Murderer, Thief, as done and as received
gn Paffo, and aséffecting. SO | ae eee a
' @, Thacthe former only is the fiz, viz. fir the Volition,‘ Nolition, or.
Now-Volition, and fecondarily the imperate act as animated by the wills
And.no more. The reception of this act in Paffo is not fin (asfuch 5 >
nor the moft immediate effect of this at: It isbutthe effect of fix. |. '
3. And you will fee thae the fame effe@ may have feveral caufes : a!
Good andbad; And fo God may be a caufe of that effect,’ which mank
fin alfo concurreth tocaufe: And God doth nor therefore Will or Cau(e:
i And you will fee that God may morally caufé the effe@ as it is
on this object rather chan another forbidden, though both make the a&
pared with fuch as.are not forbidden. cee es a |
592. Andyou will here plainly fee that God hath many wayes to Case £9
the effect without willsmy or Caufing the fin. As for inftanct,... r, _He
can do it by adding (as Ifaidbefore) a good ac# co the finners bad one.
— the jealoufie of the Romans over the Jews, and the. vifible dan- ’””"*
ger they are in if they fhould be thought to have another King =: which
thoughts in themfelves are true and good: So he can put into: Phéraah’s
thoughts the lofs of the Ifraelites fervice, which was aot. infil of ir: ;* irapartially receive
felf, _ ey 4 | ere ae car, ees ee + truth without refpedt of
553. And 2. Godcan fer that objet before.a finer which heis moft Peron, may, ima men
inclined to abufe : Which is not to Will his fin: But: may:préceed from li ay fe go de provident
Gods Willing the Efec?. Asif dbfalombe by Pride and Luft enclined ed: 10 his anfiecring al! thefe
Adultery, his Fathers Wives may be.in his eyeand'way.! : Amd God may: mitexpounded by fome:
will to: punifh David by their palfive pollution, without willing his a@ of: And his moderate opifin at all, interior or-exterior. oa ne ae 2 ha anes end of Hee
" 594. 3. AndGod can remove other objeés:out of the way, fo that Se&ion, how far dothis obje@ -thall be folicary, or moft obvious: to the finner.: :As if a: tines are or are nut
3 ae ; eh: damning which fubverrc drunken man were réfolved to killthe. next he-met, God can:keep Peters: the unladen. laud
The wile Reader that
Fohn, oc, out of his way,and fo Fudas fhall be thenext:>.: ~~ —_.. ble, and his reafon ver
595. 4 Yea God can fufpénd his own incrinfick concurfe a¢ ta fome pee Mees
one finful aét by which ic will follow thac ic will :fall upon another ob- vail wich the will and _
ject. & Many other. fuch wayes God hath, which are unkndwneto us. ee effcatu-
596. Andif you fappofe aman fo intlined co'Murder or Adultery 45° aland_ praétical, and not
that he will exercifeit on thenext moft provoking objec, iff God now did. # 4 dead spinon is
Caufe the Act, as exercifed on a forbidden object, compared with another: as he doch.
Of the Nature, Knowledge; Wil
it were to Cdufe the fin. But if he only be the moral Caufe that he
e.g. kill fades ratherthan Peter, this isnotto Caule fin: For to choofe
Fudes rather than Peter for the object, isno fin : For, as I faid, God can
do it only by removing Peter, and Willing that he hall bepreferved. _.
597. Suppofe a King that hath made Laws againft Murder foreknow
that a Robber is waiting ia {uch 4 Road for a prey, and that a ‘Traytor
broke out of Prifon will go that way, and fo will be rob’d and kill'd, He may
will or.defire the Death of the Traytor as a punifhment; He may reftrain
fome that would travail that way before him; and may reftrain f6mé that
would lay hold on che Robber, or drive him away, that fo this Traytor may
be killed: And yet only Permit, andnot Will at all, che Robbers wi or AG
asit is Aventis, but punifh him for it, and hate tc, and 7722 only the effect.
598. The next Text cited is; 1 Pet. 2.8, whereuhto alfo they were appointed Cviz. to fumble on the rock of offence.) Refp. x. This hath re:
{pedt-to. Luke 2. 34. [ be i fet {* the fall of many, &c. } and of Chritts
own words, that he that falleth on thu ftone {ball bé broken in pieces.
no more can hence be gathered, but chat God hath decreed thac as
a.Punifhing Judge, 1. He will leave the rejecters of Chriff to go on in
their own finful way, 2. And chactheir oppofition to him fhall be theis
ruine. So that 1. He doth not {peak this of any buc the rejecters of
Chrift that deferved it. 2. He fpeaketh nor at all as wéding cheir fin,
but only as one thar penally denyeth them further grace. 3. Buccthe thing
that he is faid to Ordain chem to, isnot fiz, but Ruwine.the confequenc of
§99. The next Text is, 2 Thef.2. God hall fend them flrong deluzons (orthe acting of deceit) that they fbonldbelteve a lye. Anfw. Here
is nothing fignified, buc 1. That God fhall permit Magicians and falle
Teachers to vent deceits, 2. And permit wicked men to believe them:
which is mentioned as a permitted confequent, andnot as anend.intended by God: And the word fending is uied becaufe the permiffion was
Pexal for their fin. And his punifhing-providence might morally caafe
the deceivers rather co go towards thefe men than towards others. |
- 600, The next is Rom. 1. 24,26,28. God gave them up to uncleavwef, to vile affections, to areprobate mind, &c. | |
Refp. Here is nothing at all faid but a Penal defertion and permiffion,
’ and no Will or Caufe of fin in God. :
6o1. The next is Act. 4.28. To do whatfoever thy hand and thy
connfel determined before tobe done.
Ax{w. Here is nothing faid of fin at all, but of the effec? of it: AN that was dowe on Chrift, even all the effec in paffo God fore-determined fhould be done: But the Act #t volentis G agentis he neither willed nor
.caufed as on this forbidden obje&. And though elfewhere the Door deride this anfwer (that God decreed Chrift thould dye, or be facrificed,
and yet decreed not that che Jews or any one elfe fhould do it,) It is a great and rg truth: He that willed the effe&t, and did much him- {elf to caufeit, willed not che murderers finful a& : And permitting and foreseeing it_ was enough. |
602. The next is 7/4.10. 6. and{o Amos 16:17. Prov.22.14. 2 Same 12.1%, I King. 11. 31. G 12. 24. God fends the Affyrian as his rod. Thy Wife thall commit Adultery, and thy Children fall by the fword, J They that are hated of God fhall fall therein——} David was foretold his Wives fhould be vitiated: The ten Tribes fell from Rehoboam: Ic was
_ of Godthag he cook not gogd counfel : Pharaohs heart was hardened by God,
Anfy. °
and Decrees of God, &e.. 67
od can fend afflicters by the wayes before mentioned, withouc willing their fin. Thechird f{peaketh only of a.penal permiffion of fin. And the reft all {peak only of Gods penal permiffion of.the fin, and his de-: crecing and foretelling the effects of ic, and his occafioning the finnerto take one finful obje& (not asfuch, but:) rather thananother..
603. As the Wind hath its natural courfe, and; fo.hath the Water, and. the Miller Caufeth neither of them, but fuppofing them, doth fo fet his- Mill to Wind and Water that by the meer receptive qualification of the.
patient, they fhall fulfil his will, and heis the Caufe of the effect, viz. ore Vaffe int tho. 4.
that they turn his Mill and grind his Corn: fo is it eafie.for, God to ufe.23.d.49.c.8+ pag. 758.
mens fins ( permitted) to his ends without wéding them *.: faich that Of mens a no 604, Next the Doétor cometh with Reafons; And the.firlt is, be. j/2omee vocation]
- : ete 18 Caula per accidens, ut caufe + Permiffion is afignof wilkngnef as well as command: And what. removens probibens , dum is permitted (and that for good ) infallibly.cometh topafs, : |, MEME aauélium efcar . cer aT, eo of Congruume But 1s 1S
_ Anfw. All this is before confuted. * It’s falfe that son sespedire effi- -buta Controverfie about
caciter is a fign that one wis the thing. The King that only torbiddeth Frauds Vanier drunkennefs.qr murder by a Law with penalties, could alfo:lock. up or dius and many others
guard fomemen, and effectually keep them from the fin. And doth He: 40 with as good reafon
will it becanfe he doth not fo ¢ And ir’s falfe that all cometh to paff, thar per PE pipelines
sf ‘ble to God, as to mans iS wot hindered. : fin,
605. His fecond argument is.fpoken, very. plainly. and. grofly, viz. 7 : oe Peet (Both fides confef that the fubftrate act is done, God not only willing it; ward. & alios qui tenet but effetting it, v. g. Abfalom's congref— with his Fathers Concubines : ae a ae mala cif Tea not only the congreff as an exercifed smperate ab, but that the Voli- eels iit ae th, tion of congref, the internal elicite act, was efficiently and Principally of. nec babet folum non velle 5 God : why then foould it be denyed that the very evil and deformity of Dis ™ mH paar ae the ait was done, God willing it, though not effecting it, or any way fail-- fed ideo {ccundum bunc moing of his duty ? Efpecially when the Malice and Deforsmity, doth neceffa.. 0 eae hove rily follow the fubftrate att, in refpett of the Creature though not of ssid eg she cum poffet God, | | > ; -——- fed fecundum Magi-
Ano. Hobbes could defire little more: . But we vehemently:deny that [iirnenuie te nnn fa the fubftrate. act.is of God as it is morally [pecified, thatis, as. it is ex- vult ea non fier’; se (é ercifed on this forbidden objeét rather than. another lawful one ex parte: eee nan pereel Hea ole
: nee: Past: if" non uult ¢ & per confeeligentis: God did not as a principal efficient caule, Abfalom to will that quens non babet iftum v0- Congrefs with his Fathers Concubines, nor to Actit., The nature of the, *atss repettu bujus quod
; ee. 2 | eft malum culpe ficri—— | Wind and Water, and God as the Caufe of Nature, caufe.the wizd and Saith Bonaventure, (that water to. act, and to ac as they do, on their own part: But that they. a va sagt ea turn this wheel and milftone, and run in this..Channel rather than ano-- >." pi-ndan me ian of ther,.is longof the Miller. 4falom’s Motus qua motus, and qua cupido fignnm quod Devs velit
ordinate, was natural from God: but not as acted hic > nunc towards ee veel saad 3 fe this objet: And the Reception of the A&@ by that Object fuppofing his, wicituw. =~ Jaft and action, might be morally and penally from.God.._- . eave Fe rae 606. If you here bring forth the common Afedwfa’s head, ,and tell cipit, nec a ail bl me, that It is injurious to God thar his act be determinable by a Creature, . i sp ad and fo dependent; I confidently. anifwer you for God, 1. No man is in~ ive bes | see vir jurious to himfelf: And God did not wrong himfelf, when by making. quem aitum finificst in fic a Creature with free felf-determining Power, he refolved fo far ( parti-. pg tae war pe—— 2. Permittit fieré
°
quia nec habet Velle, nec habet nolle, fed folum non Velle ut fiat: Et talis Permiffio non eft fignum Divine A sted 3 quia nulum. acten
Volendi fignificat in fic permittente: G ifto modo fecundum Mag. Deus permittit mala culpe. * If hereally hold with Bradward. li. 1. 633. that God willeth all that he permittech, why is ic denyed that he willeth the formate peccats as ouch as the materiale, feeing he permitceth it? But his citation of Bradwardine I think not my felf obliged to regard 5 nor do I comfent any more to that doctrine in Bradwardine thaninhim. See Aiiaco before of Bradward. ——,
O | ally)
-
= Of the. Nature, Kyowledge, Will
ally ) to fafpend his own operation, foas not to neceffitate the will: no more than he wrongcth himfelf by a Greater fafpenfion, in making nd. more Worlds or Creatures. arr a aan "2. You quite miftake: We do not at all alte or limit Gods Adts or influx, nor determine it, but terminate it, and determine of chat efeck which requireth beth Caufes, God and Afan, and cannot be (ordinarily ) by, ove alone, becaufe God hath etherwile appointed. © And again I befeech the adverfaries to note, How great and innumerable changes are nade in thé world; by the various Difpofition of Recipients? The Rofe _ and Vineand Weed and Dunghill; donot at all Changethe Action of the’ Sun: bue cheir various Reception and co-operation ig the Caufe, that its A& hath fach various effects. And itis the Millers work in making a various and {pecial Receptivity in his Channel, Wheels; cc. which cauteth _ the variety of effects, And God hath enabled men Varioufly and freely to Recesve his Inflax: | Pie ee iat 3 607. His third Argument is, God giveth not that effettual Grace, without which he fore-knometh fin will not be avoided: ergo he willing thét it be dome, i | | i es —_ Anfo: Udeny-the Confequent: It only followeth chat he doth not Abfolutely and effeGtually avsd/ é#. If the King have feveral fubjects inclined to eat a lufcious poyfon; And his Children he effeCtually keepech from ic 5. one he locketh up, another he committeth to a Keeper, another he keep-' eth the poifon from: But toa Frayctor he faith, (1 once forgave thee, and. faved thy life, and Inow command thee that thou avoid this poifon, and if thou do not, it will corment and Kill thee 5 ‘but if chow wile take no warning, take what thou getreft by it-} Can you prove chatie is his 772 hae this man eat the poyfon prohibiced? — ek on — 608, Next he citeth Augu/ines thred-bare fayings, and blameth’ Aquivas and Arminius for denying his Authoricy, and commendeth the greater ‘reverence of Bellarmine: And {o Anfelm, Hugo, &c. | Anfo. 1. We ftick not on ane mans Authority; God holdeth not his. Holinefs and che Church its Religion on Angeles authority. 2. Aaguftine hath ten times more plain enough for what I hold: See the places cited in Pawl, Eiren, Triad, Patrum, 3, He knewit’s like that E/fivs and ‘many more expound Aagaftines wordsas terminating Gods Volition on his own permiffion, and not on the fiz, or feri. 4. 1 think plainly chac Anguffine there fpake not of inward Volitions, but ontward ffs, and-that not as Agentisbutin paffo or the effects. Andfoit is true, that no mur- | : der, theft, treafon, or other effect is produced in the world, but what God *So Twill. contv. Armin. pofitively decreech fhall be produced, either by doing fome effects himfelf | pre Junio pag. ot. | cu, Cas crowning the world, ) or permitting finners to do them, while he apa Funine that. Contech not their aa but the Receprivicy of the Peffer, and fo the efuniver i facere per ial fect, Cre. : — | pg ese Gta 609. Pag. 194. Retorting on Agquin. he thus argueth Becaw{e God doth ducibile effe per fe ad borum will bis own Goodneff, therefore st ss neceffary that God will that fin be wiht preg ondicit’ done, be permitting it. For it is not to will his effential Goodnef, which ne majeftatis radios needeth no acquifition, but he willeth to manifeft his GoodnefK. But the te poe remut per Se evil of fin ss not oppofite to the manifefting of Gods Goodneff: Yea no- Good. Yet centr. Corvin, thing is more * conducible to it than. this; If fay to the manifefing of he fach, thet Noort Gods Goodneff by way of mercy in [paring or by way of Fuftice in pufan tal that 1A 18 "fh: medium of the executi- nifbing. a ia ‘ ; on of Reprobation, but Anfw. Horrefco recitans, 1. Gods Volition of his Effential Goodnefs only the Permiftion of is his Neceffary Volition, 2. God hath no Exd to acquire, but alwayes in. Reconcile them that, : P -_ ; : can. hath his end, and is never without it, 3. If God had aeceffarily ~ 3 CO the
>
and Decrees of God, ee.
"the particular way of manifefting his Goodnefs, then he doth all things _ peceffarily, and could do no otherwife, and ic feems by you could noc
manifeft ic without fin, 4, Doth he not manifett his Goodneff as much
to the Innumerable Glorious Angels, who never finned ¢ And would ic
nothave been as much manifefted to usif we hadbeen as they? 5. The
very indetermination of the will, and its mediate Liberty, is mot the higheft excellency of his Creatures: It is better than the fenfitive Neceffity of Bruits, and lower than the confirmed Neceffity of the bleffed: I is our. defectibilicy. And the excellenceft or Beft of his works moft honour Gods Goodreils, 6. Is ic not the ftrongeft temptation that men have in this world ro doubt of or difhonour the Geoduefs of God, co think how he permitceth the world to be drowned in wickednefs, and be fo tike to hell ¢ 7, Doth not Chrift urn the Prayers of all Chriftians againft your do- ¢trine, viz. thagGods name may be hallowed, his Kingdom come, and his will done on earth as it is in Heaven ( which is not by any fin ¢) 8, Do not your words. tempe mento be indifferent to fia, if not to love it, if notching be more conducible to honour Gods Goodnefs’ 9. Is not that conc as being no more condacible to manifeft Gods Goodnefs than finis? 10. Ie is not true that finis any Casfe, or true Adeans at all of glorifying God or doiag any good, it is but a prefuppofed Evil, by delivering us from
a great wrong to Chrift, Scripture, Miniftry and Holine(s,
which God is glorified. As your eating poyfon may occafion the ho- ’
nour of an Antidote and Phyficion: Ic is no Caufe or proper medium of it, butonly an occafion, and mifchief fixe quo non; But if God had sot faved us from fin committed, he could have glorified him(elf ia {avin
usgrom committing it : God loveth and is glorified moft in thae whic
is moft like him as his Image, which is, the Holieft finlefs foul. To be a medinmto Gods gory is to be good: To be as conducibleto it as any thing, is to be as good as any thing fave God and his glory. But fin
hath no Good, much lefs fach es ste elfe doch not God equally deche wicked,
light in fin, andin the death o asin holinefs, repentance and our lifes feeing, all things are for himfelf, and that which glorifieth him imoft,is beft.. 11. Here: alfo confufion caufeth mifchief: one diftmétion
might have fcattered thismift, wiz, Between fim izdeed and finin notion, —
Sin indeed, ox effence and exiffence never did good nor honoured God,
Siz in potion Or im effe objectivo is wo fix, but the Matter of Vertue and Holinefs, and doth much good, When you fay God kxowerh fin from eterpity, youl fay with Scotus, that és ff cogwete fin was in God from Eternity: But fo fimis not fin. David faith, Aty fin wu ever before me, Pfal. 51. And we daily Repent of se, and confeff it ¢ But this is but to have the Idea or conception of it in thé mind, and fo it 1s not fx indeed but the notion of it, which is is ope objedtive. Elfeit would defile us to think of it, and repent of it $ whereas thus fm objectively is the matterof the grace and duty of Repentance, Hatred, fear, watchfulnefs, praycr, _ on, cre. And fo fin in effe objective as a grace may storike Go a. ,
- 610. To Aquin. that faith Afalum wok eft appetibile he faith, that Ataium moris quod opponitur bono, eff proprinms uminfexjufaue ; meum malam
bono we Though the fin of 2 man willing that which as forbidden bins be his fin, ——-yet it followeth not that God may not will tha
So Fob. 2 Combis compend. Theol. 1. 3. cv Ie: tells us that fm is profitable three wayes, 1. “ft bene ordinatur, wt far in patibulg. 2. Propter co-actionem, Cr améritudinem. 3. Propter mali confiderationem: And many poaa Books fay the like:
t this is but abufive language rend? ceive: As if fin did good, becaafe punifhing fin, and repenting of it, and hating it do good: As if hating fin were fin, Thus unhappily 1s the world troubled by abufed words.
Evil of another: The Reafon is, becaafe it not forbidden to God towill
as: wherefore though it be evil and difboneft in. man to will it to whomit &s forbidden, yet wot to God And feeing that Moral Evilor fin is (umme conducibile, chiefly or moft conducible to make way to fe i ad, O2 | Go
TOO
Of which vid. Gibieuf at laige. 5
Augiuft. de Nat. & Grat. c. 25. fol. 314. Non hoc eis dicimus quod fibé sfte ( Pelagius ) oppofuit, ut effet Caufa Mifericowlia Dei, necef[arium fuilfe peccatum: utinan non fuilfet miltvia y ne cfta effet mifevicordia necef[arid.
Id. ibid. cap. 31. Et altius Dei confilinm fiteor me enorare 4 cur etiam Zpfam fuperbiam 4 que in retle factis animo infidiatur bumano, non cita Deusfanet, pro qua fananda illi pie anime cum lacrymis Ce magnis gemitibus fupplicant, ut ad tam fupsrandam t& quodawmodo calcandam & ovtcrendam dextram Conantibus porrigat.
Even Vafquex Hep a ite faith of Gods deny-
Ing men grace, and of
non-entities that God willeth them, thus[\Noreffe alicujus vei fecundum ¢ quatenus malum quoddam ip(ius ves eft, nom placet Deoo—Sed fub alia ratione placere poteft; nec enim in eo eft omnis ratio ‘malic - Nam in non-effe alicajus réiy poteft compae vatione ad veliquim uniwerfum, vel ad juftitiam vil ad potemiamDeialiqua ratio bonds apparerejob qua non tantym poteft placere
Deo, fonplicé complacentéia, .
Jed etiam efficacé voluntate, qua difcernat vem illam non facere : Séimiliter cum Deus alicui negat gyatiam futn ast gloriam non pla
(Of the Nature, Knowledge; Wil
Gods Goodne|s; this abundantly fufficeth to prove tt defirable to God-—_— we fay that the evil which we affirm to be willed of God, is not at all evil as it is objebted to the will of God, but as tothe will of the creature, being forbidden the creature, but not forbiddenGod, a
Anfw. Shall we preach thus to the people? Will this Dodrine convert fouls to repentance or faith in Chrifte 1, Fhe queftion is not, Whether to will fin be fiz in God? Buc Whether he will and canfe the fin of man? which youfadly affer, .. | i z
2. Gods Glory is our End, and to forbear things prohibited is but the means: ¥€ fin.conduce as much as Chrift and Holine{s to Gods Ghry, why may we not defire it zh ratione medit, though'not as preceptum? We muft defire that whichismoft conducibleto GodsGlory.. = ss
3.. Fhough God be under noLaw, his Perfection of Nature axd willis the fountain of all Laws, and inftead of aLaw to him. Aad we muftbe Holy becaufe our Ged is Holy. _—s . -
_ 4 It is ftill falfe that fin is any Medium to Gods Glory, or defirable, or
hath any good. a | _—
5- God is Good and delighteth to dogeod, Andhe is the Juft Ruler of the World And I would not have Kings take fuch Juftice fora pattern — as you defcribe, as if God vehemently forbad fin , and fent his. Son, and Spirit, and Minifters as an Army againft it into the World, and willdamn men for ic for ever, and yet willeth and canfeth it, as famme condacibile to his Ends, and faith [ It isnor evilto me, though it be to you: Fle torment you for doingit, though ic was by my Will and predetermination. } And what Juftice fhould Xzzgs rather imitate than Gods ? |
6. Sia is not malam Deo {0 as to Hurt him, or make him Gailty: Gat ic is, fo as to be aVéolation of his Laws, andacontempt and difhonourto his wifdom, Goodnefs, Greatne[s, Authority, Fufticey Mercy,’ Truth, crc. If all che World joynedin hating and blafpheming God that made them, though you fay, that this isnot ssalum Dei, but malum noftri, and therefore God may will it #t fiat asa defirable thing, we catmot be content with fuch confufion, AZa/uem is either Phyficum vel morale, .and either in al quo or contra aliquem. God isnot capable 1. OF Phyfical Evil in him: {elf, and therefore we cannot hurt him: 2. Norof Aforal Evil, and ctherefore he can have no fiz or malignity. 3. But heis capable. objectively of Injury, we can wrong him when we cannot burt him. 4.And weare capable of being 7 eee vel moraliter Hurters and deftroyers of God, whom we cannot hure: Becaufe the fmner doth it quantum in fe, and thereforeis calledan Enemy toGod, Itis no thanks to the wicked thac there isa God, who would have none (as to his Holinefs and Juftice ) if it were in his power. — |
Moreover, God is Good and doth good. And though he made Man - freely, yet fappofing that he will make him 422” (a Rational free agent in his Image to Kwow and Love him): it ‘neceflarily followeth that he muft make him Holy. God cannot make a man in the Image of the Devil, and call ic his own: As Parents generate Children in their own likenefs, fo God doth — his own in his Image: He that thought it a good argument, { Wat Commmnion hath light with darknefs, Chrift with Beltal, exc. | would fure have taken our part in this, thac God cannot be the Author or Caufe of the Image of the Devil, and of the works of darknefs. 611. Therefore where he addeth, chac God wiHeth Malum effe that fin be, as the Matter of exercifing his mercy and juftice, not as his fin, but tantum vult feri malum alterius, 1 deny ic with horror as a reproach of Gods holinefs, The serménus a quo is not the Adeteria mifericordie vel So —_ — | juftitia
fot
and Decrees of Ged, &t..
jaftitie excrcende, God willeth the glory of his Mercy and Juftice, in pardoning and punifhing forefeen pretuppofed fin: But he willech not the
fin, but only our deliverahce from it, or punifhment for it, Suppole (per
impoffibile) that the King had power. to reftrain all men from offending him, and yee faith, [I will do only what is Congruous to the Rational free nature of my fubjects as fuch, and not all thac I can do, and therefore will reftrain them only by Laws, except fome few beloved oncs; but I will honour my Mercy and Juftice on offenders. J] Can you herice prove, that he willeth, decteeth or loveth wt appetibilia all the Treafons, Rebel: lions, Murders and Bla{phemies that are committed? It is not thefe that he willeth wt afateriam, but deliverance from thefe as from the malum
a quo. If your, prodigal Son be addictedto Robbing, and you could lock
him up, but yourefolve that you will try him once more, and if he rob you will let him. fuffer icnprifonment and come to the Gallows, and then beg his Pardon, that fuffering may hereafter be his warning; Hercif'you choofe rightly it is not his Robbing thac you will, no not w# fit vel fat ¢ for you had rather he would forbear: ) . But only his forfaking is, arid is fuffering to that end, on fuppofition that he rob again. - | _ 612, Pag. 105. He faich chat [ By the fame reafon as God might not will the being of fin, by his permifsion; he might not permit it. | . Anfw. A rawunproved atlertion: God might not make an Indifferent free-will, left to its own liberty, with a thoufand warnings and helps againft fin, unlefs he may allo Detire them tofin. Prove this, elfe you fay Mot. | i. Ses, Niet a. ie ge ae ~ : ‘ oie He addeth that fin be or exiftis notonly Bosum per accidens, becapfe God. will make it the matter of glorifying his mercy and juffice; but ic is ex natura [ua quoddam ordinabile ad Gloriam Dei, Cr confequenter Bozum. eft ex natura [ua in zenere conductbilis— ‘ | | An(o. All unproved and fale. . 1, Sin is not fo muchas Bonum per accidens. 2. God doth not make it che Matter of glorifying himfelf, buc only glorifyeth his Mercy and Juftice againf? it as the terminus 2 qué, and not 4y ¢¢ asthe matter, though it may be called an Occajion fine qua non, as to this particular aét.and way of his faid glorification.. 3. Much Iefs is ic conducible hereto, which implyeth a A¢edivm that hath fome satural or moral caufality, 4. And leaft of all is ic ex fa natura condactbile. It isnot fiz, but r. Some effects or cinfeqaewts of fm, 2, Our deliverance from fin, and the punifhing of fin, which are¢onducible to'Gods glory, — ~ 614. Next heinfulteth over Aquinas twice, as anbappy. and vain in his cenfures, with a Afagna eff Veritas ce prevalebit: labarare’ poteft, vinci yon potefi: And argueth that becaufe ex permiffione infallibiliter fequifur peccatum, therefore to permit fin isthe fame as to will that fin [ball Ze ipfo permittente. a a ee ashes ah Anfw. 1..Ic's pity that fix fhould have fo good:an Advocate, and Gods
. Holinels fo good an Adverfary, through miftake. And that founhappya
Caufe fhould be managed fa confidently and triumphantly, though it’s well that it’s done fo weakly. 2. The falfhood of his: affertion about
rmiffion as general I have-opened before, 1. Three forts of things may E. faid.to. be. Not hindered ‘( which is all that: Permiffion fignifieth. } in. the Air to de(cend) 2. Orby Aforal Vitiofity, as the Will of.a wicked man. 2. Things meerly indifferent, (1. Naturally, as:fome think the Air is to motion:.2. Aforally: as fuppofe a Will fuch, to Goodor Evil. ) 3. — ayerfe to that Motion _ (as. 1, Naturally a Stone to afcend, 2.Mora
ly, as the will of an Angel or Saint to hate God, or the will Pe apioielenceon
cet ut malu quoddan infius (ft, Quis ficut now difpie Cob peviors, fre mee macan gllins ut illins ef placer s
Jed placet fb alio refpecin,
Jud quo etiam non pore? non placere: quia foiliert Oferditur in en potentis Der, mifericordia im €le- (fos,exc. | By this he will teach mento fay fa of fin: Butr.He confeficth that this controverfie 1s not ofany thing real in God, (as if he had diftiné real a&s ) ; but only of the extriniccat denomination of Geéds Fffencée. 2. Hecah give no reafon why the malum pene of a crctture as fuch may not be willed of God, as much as non-eritity, though not finally for it (clf. 3. Non-entity hath not omnzm rationem mal’, bute itis enough that it hath nullam vrationem ‘bani, 4g. Ieis the: imperfect conception of man that taketh Nothing to be ay Good. A nega- NP fubseclé ad negatiomem modi valet areumintum + Not-entities arc Ho true modes of the Univerfe. Ie is improper to fay that Gods Power, Wifdom or Mcrcy is glorified by any nothing OY non-cntity: Iris by forhe being that God 15 glorified, 5. It’s a contradidion to fay Voluntate cfficack vult aliquid non efje: How is that efficax que nibil ee —— Eut God doth efficactoufly hinder man Inclined agents to a according to their inclination. Andthac impeae may be a Pofitive act. So difp. 95.0.9 he faick that the end of Gods Permitting fin, is oftendeve divitias gratie fue ec liberalitatem qua ufus fuit erga predeftinatos: de megan$ congrua$ vocatioenes reprobis, oftendit praq deftinatis, eafdem vocationes, quibus fuerunt ad gloe riam preparati, gratis omnino ipfis fuiffe dondtas. Buc 3. Matis a& cone himfelf with another 18 quid realé, ee volitum a Déo: And the propofition [( that the other hath ho grace | 1s quid reale, OF ens rations. Bue nothing declareth 2.1f Gods will
102 Of the Nature, Kuowledge, Will ly diverfly ae prer a wicked man to Love him.) Alfo ie tg diftingaith between Avet-hin. how can nothing denomi- dering at all, and not hinder mg effectua Je aor Pe nate it but as nor-efici- © And fo it’s clear, 1. That in the firft cafe , the Motion will be if it be ie Arie miei te Ba not hindered, But that it is not caufed by wor-hindering it, but by its nate a Nolition exifter- Proper moving caufes. In the fecond cafe the confequence of Sfuturity
‘ta, if an_ Ad of Gods is falfe: And where the inclinations to good and evil ( that iS, CO fuperiwere neceffary to hin-
+ alae our and inferiour prohibited good) are equal; yea, though antecedently cae a "e. fomewhat unequal: Yet bare permiffion aifcertainech not fucurity, nough. ce >. 3eMuch lJefsin the third cafe; where the foul muft have pofitive help or Antonine better faith, /.1. .
.
§.17. bse Seo bu cis — Sure he did not think that all or any ungodly men would in- Oseks, coc. ut, quantum ad fallibly Love God, if God did but Permit them, ut, aii ifpraion) —, ButGods Permitting or not hindering fin may refpedivers ads. 1,1 ab ipfis profectas, nibit God continue not his natural fupport, man will be no man, but be annihi-
‘jste mature preforpam ated, and fo will neither do good nor evil. 2. IF God uphold mans we: contin vivam. nif igft tre, im its Integrity as it was in Adam, and give him not Moral means
+ in culpa fi i d helps of G Pe d his natural concurfe, Adams {in would have necef. bandém +n culpa fim, axe and helps © yacéy afd nis natural Ie, would.
Deora = pus farily followed. 3. If i — aneep a a td Prionts, nentiquam obfer~ ftand, and do no more, Gods se ion would not have inferred the cerveMe in. tainty of Adams fin, when he fell, any more than before: For God filet ets ae wa withdrew no grace from him which was neceffary to his ftanding, 4. If ifteth not,on his own Wi. ch was Nn MSH - , 4. Tt ee oP at es God give a lapfed finful man Nature and common grace, it followeth noe peels eternal neceflarily becaufe God dothnio 7 that he op — ved 7 — caufe, which is God: he isnot further hindered from: but it’s certain that he will note do the And he ee willediaige ae, the fit that rage fm the Holy Spirit, and continue his influx neceflary to the continuation of Poon hats femeth the Power and Habits of holy actions, wich nccéffary means, atd dono
ronger than all the reft, : : d fk il, ard though h b
-if the antecedent were more, this man will do fome good an ome evil, arid though he may be are hen pee musht. equally faid to be Permitted to do this fm as another, yet he may do one pigs aga of fin is and wot another. 6.God total — - “ta to — Sea he God : For nothing is chem many wayés, though he hinder not all alike. 7. It's poffible for eternal but God: But two mento have equal he ps co duty and equal hinderances to fini’ (orthe the futurity of the form ; donee othe di ikea ae of fin ( according to fame man at feveral times,) an yet ior one Co do the duty an or ear the mete men ) is eternal fin, andthe other to commit’ the fin and omit the duty ; As many School- (or ab eterno): Ergoit ~~?
lent Le Blank de Con- thing toboth. cord. lib. cum decret. a
m — But if you ufe the wotd [ Ferssiffion} as connoting the Event, then in2 ¥.N. 55, 56. Prefertim: : 7 nullo modo probare poffum deed youmay {ay that the ‘event (from another caufe > will follow. And quod Gu. Twiflus pluri- Code non-impedition will ab events attionis be extrinfecally denomibus locés afferét, Decretum: ‘ 4 ath hy ee Dei c ejusVoluntatem efe nated Pernsiffion-in the one. cafe and not in the other, Butthis is bue fram jimcam Casfam from your arbitrary ufeof the word, | a bi hae Boyes 615. Next the Doctor affauleeth Durandss who thus argueth, Gods will
Adami 8cC. At enquit do follorveth only bis approving K nowledge. But he knoweth not fin approvpip piguaes fait, mutta P8209 + being of purer eyes, &e, He anfwereth “1. God approveth that Canfa mf poet t gue eb “ fiz be, though he approve not if - 2. Ged willeth the manifeation 0 eterno non fuit. o Hoc ccz- cuBiras ’ : ; Vipeae tutarinianie fe cbs mercy and juftice: Ergo, be willeth the exiftence of fin as that which aliquid reale dre ipfa di- “ts weceflarily gpl to tt,
fee er ny Yo which Treply, 1. The firft an(wer is unproved ind falfe. God apipfa futura: At boc falg¢. PrOveth not that fnbe, Hf he did, few wicked men do more, as Eftins fimin? Nem fet ml faith: For it is not fia as fin or evil that they will, but that é¢ be for suidan tea SES ones ends which feem good. 2, He phrafech it with his [ 2d: quod feca denominatio rei future ~~ che, 7J as if God firft willed this manifeftation of oe ed
Recte ponstur argue : | mitum, Ab eterno nibs 2 the end, and then fins exiftence as the means ( yea, the neceffary
Suit preter Deum: Ac pro. Means ) : But this is falfe, as I have fully fhewed. 1. And hisown Opini- |
inde fauititio que a on fhould confute it, that maketh one Decree only de mediis: And this : a - , particular
tks to which fpecial grace is néceflary. 5.1f God give tothe faichful.
tata
and -Decrees.of God, Ke... 1o3:
particular Manife/tation being fome Aéts of God, and not.God himfelf, eterno fuiffe dicitur vet nor the Complacency of his #si, mult needs be parc of the mediaad finens.. RA es ee ultimum, 2. And indeed fins exiffence is nota neceflary mcsnsWil! for..caufa cur res in tempore. Gods glory: but it isa prefuppofed mifchief, our Deliverance from-which ‘*//''> #dem plane Caufe ee; ? le RS pa | eff cur res ab eterno extior punifhment forit, is welled for his glory: Ye-is indeed neceffary y bute tara furit. . sicut quod only xeceffitate exifentia in effe praceguste as a forefeen evil, akd:fo pre.¢ — eft quod res ali~ {xppofed to thofe acts of God which are the Means of his glory: ee tee Therefore his affertion. of a Notstia-approbationis vei tanquam Bona in. vita — = Ad Uffectum futw. a oe, vam fifficit Caufa fatura,
genere Comducibilis, eth nun beneffi, is decettable. 9. _ - . Gb dd pratiiin tsk
616. lbid.p. 196, He again {aich, that Though st be dilboneft in the fcit Caxfa ee
creature. to fin, becanfe forbidden, it isnot-difbonéfin God to will’ thas be This is plan and cafe
de it by bis permiffion, tt _being-unice canducibile to bis - glory. cea
Anfw. 1. Fie upon this conductbile and anicé too. 4. Bie upon this off
repeated [ permsittente non efficiente ;"\ Ie is utterly: lufory' or: immodeft :
For aman that maincaineth that no finner doth any thinginfianing, but
what God as the firftcotal caufe predetermined his:will to, evén as to all.
the entity in act and circumftances imaginable $ ‘arid that in all dmiffions,?
it was a natural Impoffibility to have done one omitted aét without this
predeccrmining premorion :- And for che man-thae jn the next faich that
Malum non eft Objeciam Volcutisxant facienth, bar ipfe effectio ret, I
fay fot this man yet to fay, that the creature effecteth fis, and-God effeiteth
it not, 1s too too grofs. The common evation is, that fin is not anything, and therefore not + gt ee But why then do they fay, that. the
creature effeéteth ic? when they have faid arid defended, thae the erea- ©
i doth nothing bac what God doth, and whac he unavoidably maketh
’ 617. Darandus argueth, that Si cennot be judged convenient by 4
right underflanding: Ergo, aot ky Ged. The Ddétor anfwereth, That
ones own fin cannot be judged convenient, but anothers may. He inftanceth 1. When 2man willeth that an-Ufurer lend him. moneg'on ufury:
2. when a Chriftian Prince willeth 4 Turk to fwear to a League -by Ma- |
homet: 3. when God willed that Ablalom fhould defile his Fathers Concubines. And he addeth, that for us-to fin, is contrary to our right resfon, becaufe tt is forbidden and hurtful to ws: But for God to will that +
we fin, is not contrary te his vight reafen, as mot forbidden or hartfut
Repl.. No man fhould will exlewfas afury: He that willeth to Borvow, though he cannot have it withent wfury, doth not will the wfar7,
but che money x0n-obftante wfura, As he chat chooferh to travell wich
a Blafphemer, rather chan to go alone in danger, he doth not will his
Blafphemy, but hiscompany, son obfante blafphemia, 2, The fame isto
be hid of {wearing by Adahomet: It is only the Gash as an Oath that is |
to be willed, and not 4s by Atshomer, that is not willed but unwillingly ‘.
endured. 3. Abfatoms inftance is anfwered before: God willed only:
Davids ponithment, and the Paffive Conftupration as an effec of fin,
on a — of Abfalems a&tive Volition and fin , and not as willing
this at all, . er :
And we have hitherto thought that Gods holy Wifdom and will is the
Canute of his holy Law, and much mare againft finthan mans is: And chat
God willeth not, and caufeth not the finof man: Andis it now cometo
this,that fin is contrary indeed to our right reafon, but not to Gods, becaufe
is _ {ubject2 Youmay next fay, that Ho/ine/$ is mect for man, but not
- Fa atl
104 | Of tbe N ature, Knowledge, Will ss a
618., Pag. 197. Again he is at it, Bonum effe ut fint mata: Quta bo num eft ut Dens finem fibt prafixum aljequatur : At boc fine interventu mali 3 peccats nullo modo poteft. 7 car a eG
Repl. 1. It is wou! peccatum ut medium, though not fine peccato. 5. Interventus therefore implyeth a falfhood. — For ém effe cogaito {in is
. antecedent or prefuppofed to the vie be glorifying Faftice and Afercy upon finners; finnersare the obje&: Andconfequently you muft take ic ( as before proved ) for antecedént to the Volition or fimultaneous. _ a ~ 629. He urgeth, Oportet herefes effe, wt qué probats unt manifefie Ante <= riot ao 0s ~ $3 oe sow cd a ee ee ee a f Axfw, That neither meaneth that men ought to be Hereticks, nor yes, that God loveth, willeth or approveth that there be herefies: But only,, 3, God decréeth to manifeft che difference ‘between the found Chriftians _ andthe reft: 2. And he forefeeth thac there will be herefies.. 3. Therefore he decreeth to try them by, the occafion of thofe herefies which he forefeeth (and hateth. ) “The fame is the cafe of all — by perfecutions: And God willeth not the fin of aétive perfecution, but only the. ef- - fed or paffive part, Sothat the oporter ( by your own confeffion of it ) Gonifieth no more than a Logical neceffetas confequentia, which foreknowledge without Volition will inferre wc) ' 620. Headdeth [ Obj. se fufficeth that. God permit fin, (aad not will it) Refp. But either the exiftency of fin infallibly followeth the Permifiton of it, or not: If not, ne A Intention may rd fraftrate 2. If yeas. o. What matter is it, whether Godwill that fin foall be, he permitting, or [0 ” permit it as that infallibly it will be 2, fo we obtain either of thefe J st’s all one to our caufe of predeftination.| — .. ee er ee. Repl.t. If it be all one; cake up with chat agreement, and make no further difference with them that grant you enough. 2. In cafeof vehe-, ment Inclination to a fin, ,it would foliow upon Gods total permiffion = ( but God.never totally permicreth fin.) But in other cafes, it will nog follow: that is, Ic isnot agood confequence, that This or that fin will be done, becaufe God doth no more to hinder it, than that which fometime hindereth isnot. And yet, Gods Intention is not fruftrate: For fin -, will infallibly come to pafs, from its proper caufe, which God foreknoweth: And theconfequence is good from, his fore-knowledge. And is not that all one, as to the certainty of Gods interitions? 3. You phrafe it as if fin followed Gods permiffion, as a deficient caufe, or as that which casnot be otherwife, unlefs God do more to hinder it, and fo were neceflary thence neceffitate confequentis (or asothers call it necefitate antecedente ) which is falfe, and oft denyed by your felf. 4. The very truth is, Permi(sion is a word of fo great ambiguity and laxity, as relating to fo many forts of Impedition, that it is but delufory withouc much diftinguifhing, to fay fix will or will mot follow it. If you reftrain it to a mon efficaciter impedire, as is ufual, it taketh not away the ambiguity much. For ftill the queftionis, What muft make it effectwa/, unlefs you _ any impedition effe@tual meerly 4b events, whatfoever it be in AC Lelt. . . 621; He faith that the Univerfe would not be perfect, if there were perfect holine[s and no fis, and {0 po perdon or panifbment. But he giveth us no proof, buc confident affertion, at all. I need not fay, thac It would be more perfect if there were no fin, Yc fafficeth me to fay, that it would be as perfect: And fothat it is not Neceffary to the Worlds perfection, that there be fin or Hell. God could have freely willed the contrary. And Gods Goodnefs could have been as fully manifefted if ic | oO - had
and Decrees of God, Ke.’
had fo pleafed him, and his Holinefs too, without fin or Hell. Tes uns pleafing tc me, that this good man pleadeth fo hard againft a mecefsity
of chrifts fatisfaction for fin, (in another digreffion) and yet pleadeth
as hard for a nece/sity of fin; Asif it wert more neceffary to Gods Glory thanChrifR 622. It is very obfervable in all this controverfie; that he, afferteth
A
pag, 498. [That it’s paft all controverfie, that neither God, nor the moft -
finful creature, -dowtll any thing, but as Good. Andthat xo man canbe inftigated to malice Cor evil) bat only tothe Att which is evil: becaufe
he-that is infligated; is inflixated to do a - Bat to the evil-of * ly, }. How far this is.
trae of falfe, I have-opened before. Fhere‘only note, that he confefleth - |
un-act, no efficiency is necefjary, but deficitace on
man) cauferh all that is eaufable. - .
— 6236 Yet p. 199. he faith, six is of sees as the tate, whe ‘he, ddo 3
— that man doth nothing bat what God doth to caufe. it. ( yea, ds
he firlt cotal caufe ): and that as to Defictency, man can do no.more thar — he doth without predetermination, which if God withhold, man can no more help ie, chari make a World: So that all che myfterie of his lanbuage isthiss that becaufe man is asdey a Law, and God és wot,,therefore mart doing the fame aét as moved by God, muft be called the only
canfe of fin, becaufe it is no fin ix God, But, if we fpake as plain ment | ought todo, fhould it notracher bethus expreftby you [God is the chief.
caufe of fin in man; but not ‘in himfelf ¢
624; Pag. 260, c20t. he Hath tlie fame over and over again, thde:
Wen abhorret aretha rétione Dei velle peccatim fieri ab homintbus——
Quod ex fe haber quod condacibile cf ad bontim tanquam Materia [cilicet, nin tantum idonea , fa ch neceffaria ekércende divine juftitia o prifcricordia: and that this manifeftation conjunc with fin is Deo multd
apperibilins; than that Goodwhich fin dbpriveth us of (that is; Holinefs: )
Becasfe this Holinefs is only the. Creatures Good, and the other is the Creators Good: Anfm. But as the affertion is all falfe, fo che réafon is vain: For if he diftinguifh the Creator and Creature as fabjeéts, he is quite miftakea: Forboth is che Creatates good; andneitherthe Creators: For to.
gnmanifefe-Fuftice and Mercy is not Gods Effence asin itfelf; buc his work of “Panifoment aid Mercy, Andthe glory of this, isbuc che refplendent excellency of it asic is che appearance or ImageofGod, Aind all this is
‘in the Creatures Holinefs : The Holinefs of Chrifts Humane Nature, and of -
‘Angels and Saints‘: Heaven is as much’ the Creators, as is his Works of Mercy and Juftice ; And Gods plory fhineth asmuchinthem: And ic is the glory of his Goodnefs, if hot of Mercy which preveriteth fin and mifery: yea, and of Afercy too: For though mercy relate to mifery, it is
as well to pofsiblemifery prevented, as to exiftent mifery removed: And
af-he {peak nov of Subjects, bur Proprietors, the Bonwis Creature is allo
E SECT:
pn "406 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
| — - SECT. XIX. The fame dottrine in Rutherford de providentia confuted.
' 62. Have beén too long in confuting this Digreffion of Dr. Twiffe The flimm of their opi- whichis contrary tothe commoneft doétrine of Proceftants 5 and
nion. Ichink foundeth not wellin Chriftians ¢ars: The fumm of which is this: * Nec omnine negaré potelt
Voluntatem Dei effe Caw- (Neithet God nor Devil do will fin as itis evil; but God is the firft wiley
fan rerum omnium quas Of its exiftence, becaufe it is in its own nature fumme cr unive conducibile ee Rerut ” to the manifeftation of his Juftice and mercy: And willing and Loving Prov.c.1s.p.186. being allonein God, he thus fingularly Loveth the exiftence of fin, above Sce all their Reafons for its contrary (holinefs ) for thisend: And:by Predetermining premotion Gods a te oe anfwer. (Which he much more largely writeth for elfewhere ) he caufeth as the ed by Ruiz de Vel. Dé firft coral Caufe all that man Caufeth; Buc it is fin mn man becaufe foraifp. 26, b 26% 263 bidden hit, but not in God, becaufe not forbidden him 5 And therefore God Asalfo againft Gods pre- i$ fiot to be faid to caufe fin ( though he caufeall that iscaufed ) butto aa a EAD permic it,bécaufe he caufeth it notin himfelf; aor is he to be called a Deficé- dif. 27. p. 270, ec. emt cause of our omiffions, becaufe he isnot bound to Actuate us;' but man us poet 292 & 30> is to be. calléd the efficient and deficient caufe, becaufe he is. under an obreser conitaba (aie liging Law, Though God made that Law-: And though he can no more
tha God willeth not fin than a ftoné act without phyfical predetermination, nor forbear actin as fin; all men will confefs ( Dr. Twiff. often ) when fo acted, yét he is to be called free, becaufe he is adtually willing that neither dothawick- ( or his will doth a&) and becaufe he is predetermined by none but God. }
ed man do fo. Pecans "This is the true fence of their opinion as opened by themfelves. I thal ut fic non intendit peccatum - .
quoad illud quod oft for- NOW briefly confider what Rutherford faith to the fame fence, | | male in peccato, ftw carer- 626, Cap. 15. pis: 186. To Annatus charging Twilffe as denying Gods
ee aa ps permiffion of fin, becaufe he maketh him the *Caufe of the.4é#, the Zimere movis, inquit Aure- berty and the Prohibition, and to Canfe is not to Permit; he hathno betos in 2.d. 42. 4.3-P48- ter anfwer than to fay, that God doth mot permit the AG, nor the Evil o will not conceal a more the Abt, but he permitteth the evil act: and 2. To fay that the Dompbdifficult argument than nicans and Jefuits hold che fameashe. Which isto je/t with holy things, ' moft of theirs,which may
occurr to others: God and motto argue. Asif he faid, God made neither the foul nor the body,
caufed (tg. in Natha- and yet he madetheman. What! is it ( asit’s faid, that son anima fed nael, Peter, xc.) this a& -
re taith before Chrifts 722 ff vita} {o. Doth God permit the Union of Adfum and Adalum ¢ coming; { the Mefiah is No, that he pretendeth not.
brat eae 627. To prove thatGod willeth the exiffence of fin, he bringeth the was falfe, and fo evil: inftance of Fofeph’s cafe, Gen. 45. To which I fay that the text faith not ac
Therefore he caufed an the Venditio paffiva or effect and the confequents; Nay only the con{euntrue belief and evil, quents are mentioned in the Texts: His replyes tothe anfwers prove no and that f{upernaturally. : ° . Bur Lantw.-God canted more than the fivethings which I before afferted about fin. Nothing fo
the habit of their faith, much decéiveth chem, as not diftinguifhing between the finful a@, and the
and the aét. The nature effect or paffion, when they are called by the fame name (as Selling, of the habit was in gene- 5
ral A belicfof all divine Killing, cc.) | revelations: and in fpe 628. His next inftanceis of Chrifts death, of which I faid enough befed Mefliah-The termina. 0F€: Buc t. He underftandeth his adverfaries as afcribing only the contion of the a& on the Mef-
Viah as future rather than as Incarnate, required nothing pofitive inthe Habit: The fame Habit ferved to both aés, unlefs the __ darter being for the nobler a& had fome addition; but the former needed none. 2. And that this Habit might bring forth the
aét in that circumftance, no more was necefiary but 1. Gods word (Chriftus venturus ¢ft.| 2. And Gods intiux on the habited faculty to caule it to act according to that habit: Sothat when God had reverfed that word ( Chriftus venturus eft | he was
no longer the cauie determining the mind to believe that word; but only the cairfe that the habit of faich was ftill towards
Chrift: Eut notacall (ub ratéone venturi, For the determining word was called in, and it wasan imperfeétion not to know fo much, where it was not a fin,
fequents
— -gpilleth. the event Poe fin.
and Decrees. of God, Ke...
fequents of Crucifixion to Gods will; which-is his miftake: It is Crucifixion it felf paffive fumpta which they afcribe to it (fome of them ae leaft.) And letmen too wile againft God deride it as much as they will, .
God can willand Love that Chrift be Crucified, and yet hate and not will
the will and ac# of the Crucifiers, but only forefee it,.as aforefaid, And letthem jeer God as Idle or afleep, if he neithér we nor effeually xill the fin; we will believe it to be his perfection and liberty, which they fo _ deride. 2. And whereas he addeth that Attive Verbs are uled as Gen. 45. Mifit me Deus, a. 53. Deus voluit ewm conterere, Lech. 13. Ego. percatiam Paftorem: and God delivered Chrift to death: .Ian{wer, Ic is too too grofs to perfwade us hence that any.of thefe Texts fay that
God wileththe finners will. or Ad. ‘(God fent me] {peaketh Gods act,
that is, his difpofal of the effe&s and confequents of them:: But doth this fignifie, [ God willed your malice or your ack? | God did bruife Chrift; which fignifieth thac he was a concaufe of his death: but.not that he willed.or Caufed the Jewsto will or acthis death. Andfoofthereft..
629. Thereft of his inftances. are fuch as I have. an{wered before, or as the former anfwers fully invalidate ; And therefore 1 will not weary my, felf and the Reader with them. | fw, ; _ 630. Cap.18. pi230. he affertech, that [Sis is 2 Medium to Gods
Glory, and that not per accidens but per f; Becaufe fin by how- much the
worfe it 1 is genere malt inhoneftt, by fo mach the better and fitter means it is, in genere boni utilis cy conducibilis toGods glory, ec. | All which I have before confuted: and think not his defence of ic worth re-
631. Many affertions he hath cap; 18. which all depend-on the falfe {uppoficion that Sin is a medium per fe of Gods glory, and the, unproved {uppofition that.God poftively willeth the Permiffion of it (which is no-
‘thing: J whence he inferreth that God: Jtendeth in in this and that order;
and much other vanity. And ftill they confound fin in effe realé which is wo medium, with fiz in effe objective which may. be a parc of holinefs, and wo fiz atcalle 632. Cap.19. he argueth, God ufeth men. and devils in the very. aét of finning as bis inftruments, viz. to punifb, to try, to humble, Sc. ergo,
Refp. Here is deceitful ambiguity in the words [ inftrumexts] and
' Eafeth.] Properly an Inftrument is..an efficient caufe moved by the principal to an effe@ above its proper virtue. And{oa finner in and by the A of finning is no Inftrament of God. For God moveth: him not to that Actas {pecified, or circumftantiated fo as is prohibited 5 And, being. not at all fo zovedby him (as David to murder Urias, and to vitiate his Wife) he is not properly thus his Inftrument. . But fometimes.the word Inftrument fignifieth a prefuppo‘ed Agent, whofe Aion another can improve to his own.ends: Asthe wind and water. are improperly called the Millers Inftruments of turning his. Mill.;. and che fering -and. euife
are the Clock-makers Inftruments of moving his.Clock or Watch3 and. a Maftiff Dog is my Inftrument.to keep away ‘Thieves; -and'aGreyhound is my {nftrument to kill a Hare, and a Ferret to catch a. Rabber, and a Hawketo catch a Partridge, gc. And yet we caufe not at all che Nature or Motion of the Wind, or Water (but we.can hinder the Water,). nor the.#i/ws of the {pring; nor the gravitation shah poife-( but fer che re-. cipients fo as thatthe fea fhall be:done as we would have it:). nor caufe. we thefiercenefsof the Maftiff, the inclination or motion of the greyhound, ferret, hawk, cc. but only cye chem up and let chem loofe as our.ends re-, eS Be alts
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will quire. But zeal maketh fome men deride that God fhould be faid to be no more the caufe of finning; and they cannot alluw him the skill of every dull Artificer, or at leafta willto ule ic, without walling and caning the thing which he forbiddeth. . | a ' g, Andthe word fufngy fignifieth, fometime ufing by motion, as I do my pen; and fometime by ordination, and adjoyning fome concanfe, or fitting the receptivity of the patient to the effect as aforefard 5 as we n/c,
svind, water, dogs, hawks : Thus only finners by finning are Gods u/ed
inftrdments: fappofing his natural concurfe and fupport. | _ And they are not his //truments thus neither in the fame fence as thefe creatures are ours: For their ferceneff, craft, thclination, acticn, is ood, and we do and may will it for our ends: Bat fin is not good; And theréforé God willeth not ir at all, bur only che confequent of it, or effe&: And that Effec# is-not Good, as it is the effect of fin, but as God fetteth in, and caufeth che fame effect which a finner caufeth ( as in gcneration per concubitum illicitum..) But when God willeth and — the effect, and forefeethand permitceth che finful Volition and act, which coricurreth to that effect, fuch a fiz is improperly called his #fed inftrament or medium, but properlyisnone. oes | 633. To Gibieasf and others faying that God aéteth not by fin as an inftrument, and willethit stor, but the effects, he anfwereth that It’s abfurd, becaufe the fin it felf ts ca/tigatory, and hath fuch like effeéts s and therefore God need not will thateffe@t as afteric. But all this is from the fore-noted confufion: It is not only the diftane effect, but the very immediate effect, which is the Act it felf af récipstur in paffo, which God | fometime is faid towill. As he willed that fobs Cactle were taken away, and thar Chrift were killed, and that Aalchus eare be cut off, and thac Paal be fcourged, and {mitten on the mouth, and chat the Apoftles werc oft imprifoned” cyc. And yet God only forefeeth bue willeth not thar will and ai#of the agent, whichhe forbiddeth, | |: 634. And here note, that when the name of thé Effect or Paffion’ connoteth the finfulnefs of the Ac, then icis lefs meet to fay that God willethic: As to fay. that he willeth that we be perfecated, murdered, Jlandered, belyed, &c. Bucif any will fo big they muft meanonly the Paffion, as diftinct frqm the action: And then the differenceis but t modo loguendi. — _ ; ) | '. 635. Tothofe that objec that thus he maketh God the chief author of - fin, the effect being more to be afcribed to the Principal Caufe than to the inftrument,: he firft ill-applyech fome frivolous diftinétions, and inftanceth thus: [The hangman as the Fudges inftrument hangeth a man in malice or revenge: Ergo, the Fudge mach more,in revenge: Non fequitar.] Putting in Revenge which is but a Caufe, ‘as if ic had been the Effect, which wasinqueltioh, aa — | | And thus [The Sword that kileth 2 man is not culpable: ergo, nor the’ Striker:, Non fequitur.] Asif the queftion had been of the Negation of an effeé, and not of the pofition of it. a nd thus ‘(If two fervants role a fone, one being commanded and one forbidden, one being father to the other; The Son (forbidden) roleth it wnlawfully: ergo, the father (commanded ) much more: non fequitur.] Refp. 1. As if theactof che Father and the Son were the fame aa@, becaufe the effect'is the fame, which is notorionfly falfe: unlefs de fpecie. z.. Whofe Inftrument do you fuppofe the Son to be? If the Fathers, it is becaufe the Father commanded him contrary to the Mafter; Andif {o, the argumentis good: The Sons act was 2 fault who obeyed: ergo, the fathers | morc
and Decrees of God, Kc. more who commanded him: faving that commanding tnaketh another no neceflary Inftrument, becaufe he can difobey: But Gods premotion is fup-—
pofed by youunavoidably to predetermine us. | 636. But pag. 255. he giveth the er,
the true anfwer, thac the confequence holdeth, not of a metaphorical improper Inftrumenc, who hath fomewhat of his own which he hath not from the principal agent, yea {uch have fomewhat of Principal Caufality, and fomewhat mixt of their own which they have not of God, befides the nature of apareinfirument: [uch are finners to God. Therefore it holds not, that the horf{e balteth: ergo, the rider halteth (nonorcaufethit.) Thus in{cioufly he unfaitt what laborionfly he writeth a Book to prove: and the very fame-that I fay. The Rider
doth not caufethe halting asitishalting atall,. bat only asic is Afotionin
genere: fo doth God by finful a¢ts: Thae they are exercifed onthe fore ‘bidden object rather than another, is not at all of Ged, but that they are Actions in genereisof God. et ees 7 637., So p. 256. he well fayeth that, the faw/t of the pen is not to be afcribed to the writer, nor the effect as from that fanlt; nor of the Saw to the Sawyer; And fo of the Sabeans robbing fob: And he affercech, p.257~ that Diabolus cy Imptihomines funt can[e principales in actu peccandi. And whatneed we more ¢ Remember then.that fin is az effect, and hath 4 Caufe, and to make mana Principal Caufe in acta peccandi is not todeifiehim: And he faith p.256. that if peer as 2 principal agent, he were the principal caufe of fin, .. Bucif you mean by moral impulfe, only commandiny it, let others judge whether Phyfical premotion be noc much more than command: And whether I caufé not my pen to write, though I command irc not: And guoad terminum, to impel aman phyfically to moraé aéfs,ismoralimpulfee © =. — 638, But che plaufibleft argumenc is Cap. 20. p. 261. viz. ‘God willeth fin as it 1s a Panitbment of fin: * ergo he willeth that the fin come to pafs or be. And indecd Auguftine faith much contr. Falian, to aflert Gods willing of fin as a Punithment of fin, But’ I anfwer this, 1. Even thefe men them(élves oft fay that God willeth not the formdle peccat?, but'the matertale: And forma dat nomen: ergo he willeth not fin as a punithment, improper fence, 2. Sinit felf (though denyed bytany Arminians ) is verily a Panifbment, andmore to the Sinner himfelf than to any other. + And it is the moft dificult part of the. queftion, how God maketh fin a Punifhment to the finner himfelf., which yet I have plainly opened before, and bere repeacic, To be fi# or difobedience and to: Punifbment are ao abfolute entities, but are two Re/ations of one and the fame Act; but not as referred to orie and thefamé correlate. God is not ‘at all the Caufe of the 4é which is fxfw/, mits forbidden mode and circumftances’ ( as Claudicatio equé before faid) but only in cewere aftus, or hujus attus when two fins are compared: But that the Aét when done is fiz and is punifbment, God is the-Caufe of both: That is, he maketh mans matare firff, and in that and by. revelation, his Law: by which he firft maketh mans daty, and telleth him what fhall be fis if he do it: And next he doth by his threatning tcll him, that this fis it felfthall be the finmers own miferyif hedoit: As if:( as aforefaid ) God firft made man of fuch anature asthat. poyfon would torment him ex satura vei: And thencommandeth him to avoid it s And thea threatneth that it fhall torment and kill him if he eat ir. Here now God maketh the 2/4” and the Laws God maketh not the Act of fin as modified or oblique, or as.chat circumftantiated a@&. But when the ad is caufed by Man, God by his Law cau‘ech two Relations to rst
God were the moral tm-_
* Vid. Aurtol, in 3. ds 37° pi 300, 30% fhew- Ing 1x wayes how fin 1s a punifhmert of fin, without God’s willing the fin: But if we make It fin, he will make it be a punifhment.
{ Gab. Bil.in 2. de 36. concludeth, 1. . Omne peccatum eft pena. 2. Now omnis culpa eft peccats ale tevéus pana (Viz. + non prima.) 3. Omne peccan tum pofterius pena eft price tis, & caufa (nif nltie murs fuerit ) -pofterioris. And Bonavent, there clted by him fheweth how fin bringeth panam damn & fenfis. ‘And he thewe eth there how each fin is | Its own punifhmenc, the formale peccati being firft, and the formale pene nexe in the fame act: And how the latter fin 1s the punifhment of the fors. mer, as being an effect of it 3 For when we have caft away the Intention of the right end, there ts nothing (ufficient to hins der more fin. Biel. éb,
In a word, God antecedently fo formed nature, that if we will fin, thac Gin fhall be our mifery, and as a voluntary felfwounding,caufe our pain, and let out cur blood and life.
IIo
©, Whether things be good becaufe God willeth them? or he will them becaufe they are good?
* Dens -non poffet obligare nos ad hoe quod tencatur fibi non ovedire s Quero enim an tenttur obedive, an non? fi ficy babetur propofitum 3 guts tinctuy & non tenetur, quod et impoffebsle Lowfequentia patety Quia tenevé non obsdére, eft teneré ad aliquid, Pet. de Alliacol. q.14. 7.
Yet after he thinketh te poffible for God to have made a Reafonabte creature not obliged 3 As if his very ‘nature were not obligatory: His inflance of the Mad 1s vain; for they are not actually Reafonable.
Ockam prefumptuoufly concludeth that God could command a man to hate God and make it Meritorious, it being ne contradidtion: -His follower Gree. Arim. confuteth him; And Cameracenfis ° mvalidateth the confutation, and leaveth it doubtful.Bur it 1s a contradiction to be a man, and not cbliged by Nature to Love God; And a contradi@ion to be bound by nature to Love him, and yet flante natura bound to hate him:. And a contradidion to hatc God and-be good or
happy. ,
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
firft that of fix, and thenthat of -pusifbment. So that man firft caufech the finful a@, andthen that it is quid prohibitum, and quid penale refule from Gods will and Law made before. | a
~ Now if Ged caufe noe that fin which is 2 punifhment to our felves, he caufethnoc that which is a puni(fbment to others, And yet fuppofing it, he maketh it a punifhmentto us and chem, on feveral accounts. | ~ 639, But though God caufe not the fin, yet when he hath before in his Law threatned to withhold his grace and (pirit sf we fiz, without which grace and fpirit we wf fin, If God now for former fin do deny us, or withhold chat grace or help which we need to keep us out of it, he is morally and improperly {aid tocauie that fin as a puxifbment, becaufe that penally 7 refufeth or forbeareth.to fave us from it, and fo permitteth is (asisfaid.) | es | 640. The Arminians grofly erce, if he cite them jultly, Remonft. in Script. Synod, art, 1. p, 202. faying that God may predetermine and pre-ordain the obftinate and rebellious to fin by his penal judoement, and yet ip fins are not be reckoned to them for fins, norincreafe their guilt: unlefs che word [fiz] be ufed equivocally: Fortohave fiz and wo -/in, are contraries. Whether God determine Ideots and Madmen to thofe aéts which
would be fin in others,-as he doth Bruiss, f leave to others.
641. Iam weary of purfuing chis ungrateful difpute. As to his controverfie againft Camero cap.22. Whether God will Fuffice and holineff becaufe it good, or whether it be good becaufe God willeth it ? Yc troubleth me to a bitter and tedious difputes about that. which one eafie diftinion putceth. paft all controverfie, Of things ad extra Gods willis firft the efficient, and thenthe wltémate end, as is oft faid: Gods sill as efficient giveth firft the Being and then the Order to all things: or elfethey could fleverbe whac they are. All created Juftice and Holinefs is fuch, that is, Good (for Goodnefs is their effence) becaule Gods efficient will made thei fo: Andthen Gods fizal will taketh complacency inthem or Loveth them becaufethey are fo. Buc if they talk of Goodne/s or Fuftice, &c. as it is in God,there is in him w#o effect and fo no caule of bimfelf or any thing inhimfelf. , ee | |
642. But fome things God maketh moral duties by the very work of Creation, and Ordination of the World, without any other Law: And thefe are called Duties by the Law of Nature, becaule the very Natars rerum isa Law, that is, a fignification of Gods will confticuting mans du- 6 Ic is. mans effence to be an Intelle¢tual-free-agent ; Ic is impoffible that fuch an agent Created of God fhould not be Gods Creature, and Gods own, and difpofitively a Moral governable agent, and that. he fhould nor owe God all that he is and hath and can do, and that God fhould not have the Fus Dominti cy Imperii over him, and Fus ad fummum ejus Amorem *, Ic is a contradiction to beaCreated Man, and not Gods Own, and his obliged Subject and Beneficiary, Therefore it is a contradiction: that fubmiffion, obedience and Love fhouldnot be his Aforal duty and good, and aay felf-alienation, rebellion, or difobedience and hatred fhould be no ins. |
.. 643. To difpute then (as he doth with Camero and his. followers) Whether it be good ex natura rei, or by Gods meer free-will? is a ftrange difpuce, and of moft eafie refolucion, Either they fpeak of Gods creating will, or of fome other fubfequent Volition. Man is made man by Gods free creating will.: And the forefaid Relations, and duties are made by making him Man. Andthe duties of Love and Ju- {tice to others are mace fuch by his Creators placing him ina world where
his
épfiem vel aliud.) An Ad without its <a
ther Juftice ce. be eterrially good ¢ Or.An-dentur-'rationes boni mali.
his Neighbours are about him, who are dué objects; as apart of the fo-. This he himielf cénfels ciety, like a Wheelin a. Clock: The Creators will is before Natare, and.‘ ?: 329) 330 therefore before matwral duty, as the Caufe before the efec#. God. could:
. have made bests inftead of men, who had owed him no more than’ beafts
can do. But from the Natwre of a Man coexiftent with God, his {aid du: ties to God fo neceffarily refule, that ic could. not be otherwife.; nor did there need any fubfequent act of Gods willto make thatduty: .-.* oe
644. Butrhofe, chat are not Dutiesby Nature, muft have moreover a : vid. putard. te 38. i
furcher act of Gods will as fignified to make them fo 3 As:the Mofaieal: 4- Me GAO, IIs Stet. Ze
Ceremonies, our Sacraments, cc. .S 2 ee, ee ee sate _ Leen
. 645. And rag Natural Laws and: duties are mutable,: towards one Ia. C15. Aquine 1, 2s
another, becaufe the very Nature and Natural Locationor Order of the: 194: % °F % 100 ade
Things from which they did refult, are mutable; And a word: of God
can make a change : when yet before’ {uch antecedent mutation, the dury
muft be ducy ftill.. a ee ee
646. As to Mr. Retherfords oft faying that Owmis actus entitativus
Gmplex eft moraliter de fe in eb neque bonis neque malas ; And
then that per actum fimplicem he meaneth fuchas include not the objeét;
Ic is ludicrous or vaintalk. Therexno fuch Ac as hach not an objedt, any
morethao phyfical form without matter. Quitunque movet, aliquid movet; Quicungqge intelligit, ant vault, ap inteliigit ausvult, (vel fejec¥ is. but apartial or swadequate:
Generical conceptas of that AG which hath an object, or an abftraSt par-: . tial notion of ana&. Why thendoth he talk of: that whichisnor ¢ Hadi; he faid thae every act. 18 in the firft inftanc rationis; ot abftract-partial: conception,an Act tn genere, before it be intelligible as this or that act, about. this or that object, he had fpoken intelligibly as other mendo, . .
: other queftion many called_Arminians.much ufe, Whe- Whether Juttice &2, be 647. Such ait q y a Whe eternally pet or have rationem boné aternam >?
eterna ie? which needs.no other folution than this laft: There is no fuch thing as an Univerfal, exiftent per fe and not in fome Individual: And {fo no fuch thing as Love, Juftice, hc. Bonum, Malum; which is not alicujus Faffitie, Bonum, crc, There was no Creature from. Etemity being Jaft or unjuft, good or bad. But Gods perfect Nature’ purthat Gods own eter: night be called Eternally Fuft, in.chac he muff neceffarily be Fa/f, if he- nal perfedion hath in ic had been agovernour: And neceffarily was Fuft;when he freely became. Vive (truth, jar a governour, And alfo this propofition was Eternally true, (if there. &c..)_ which ‘therefore were eternally propofitions) [sz Homines exifferent, Fuflitia in ipfis de- Asian ae ne bita foret: cy quandocunque Horpines fuerint, Fuftitia in ipfis debita fue- nels being Gods Image ) vit. | But when all the fenfe of thefe queftions is no more; but what * — oe ass Duties are natural, and what fuperadded (called Pofitive,) and what. anaes Eosue Ce we natural duties are émsstable and what matabie, it’s an unhappine(s chat. have no certainty that — the world muft be troubled with fach untouth forms of fpeech as make $?ss wore eerie: or the queftion unintelligible, till unravelled. ue 7 . that God cannot lye. But 648. Asto petberfords charge of Cimero and his followers in France, 7a a aioe | Amyraldus, Gc. with Semipelagianifm and Arminianifm and filthy opini- ¢ta. and if he have not ons, it is but the effect of the good mans overweening, and conceitednefs that which 1s eminenrer: : . ; Fuftice, mercy, rc. how of his own apprehenfions, which muft be allowed or endured in moft of dn: we prove that he chefe contenders; Andthe fruits of {uch difputesis like tobelittle better, bath Veracity§- But the worthy praifes of Blondel, Dalleus,Placeus,Capellus, Amyraldus, Tefrardas, cee. {hall furvive fuch reproach. . And athoufand pitties it is, to read agood man Voluminoufly proving God to be a Witler of fins extfrence, and a prime-predetermining Caute of alt prohibited Volitions and acts, and reproaching the Jefuits, Lutherans, Arminians and Socinians
512 __- | Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will as the great enemies of Gods Providence for denyisig this; Asifhe would tempe the World to think that Socéviens were in the right, and that Fe/sites, Lutherans and Arminians were the only defenders of the Holinefs of God, whilft ca/vinsf's made him the Lover of all the fin inthe World, ag the moft appetible conducible Medium tohisGlory, |
649. But (to proceed.) hisnext Argument is, cap. 23. Sia-conferreth
See Bonavent. well a. fomething to the fplendor, ornament, and plenitude of the Univerfe.: Errs ee ei ae 90, God willeth sts exéftence: This is anlwered before. The antecedent tenus bom fe > Sid is utterly unproved, Sin addeth nothing to the ornament or perfection of fene eccafia bate she World. Hisword is noproof. ee me ‘ ~ 650. Afterwards he heapeth up many'frivofous arguments againft chat which he calleth reproachingly, The idle Permiffion of fin; and faith, chat it frufrateth the prayers of the Saints, and their patience, their gratitude, truft, hepe, fear, joy, alloweth the arrogance of the perfeeutors, bteth with Gods wifdom, Clemency, Fuftsce, Providence, with the Mint~ ry of the Word, the Promifes, Threatnings,; with Minifters confirming men againft fisfferings, and tt is elapremaay injurious to God,.and contrary to the order of pa i the world, that be {boutd permit fir, and not will the being of it. 5 Refp. What is it chat a man, yea, 2 _= mass in a blind zeal of God and (elf-conceit, may nor pour out confident words for? What a cafe is the poor Church ia, when thé unlearned people maft be on both fides charged by their Teachers with blafplemy, what way ever they go? ‘Fhis nee man will tellrhem that they are * Alefphermons, and overthrow alk reafon | and Religion, if they fay that God only Permitteth fiz, and doth not himelf will the betzg of #, and move anavoidebly all wills, and tongues, and hands, to. all the blafphemies, perfecutions, and murders that aré done, and damn men for. ic when he. bach done. And others will as confidently fay that be is a Blafpbemer, for charging God to be much more the caufe of all forbidden aéts of wickednefs than Devils and men are, and then damning them for it, and for putting God: into the fhape of the Devil, and painting him odiovs. to humane nature, that maa may not love him: What fhall poor people think when they are thus torn and tormented by. their rg! Guides? But all his 9 rg are before anfwered, when F fhewed him how many wayes God hath to fecure the Effects and Eveats in the world, and attain all his Ends, and yet only Permit, and. neither - will, nor Levey nor Cau/a the fin, | | a 651. Cap. 26, he cometh to plead for PredeterminationS and fai p- 385. God predetermineth us (to the ALE of hating God) in linea mere Hyfica, ce nom morals, Meer — words. He maketh ic by the w of Nature a fin to bate hin, and then he maketh men bate bine ix —bines phyfica G non morali | as if che moral finfulnefs refulted not from the Law and‘a&s that is, here from Nature ic felf, véz, of the Man and act, both which Godmade. oe: 3 652. Pag. 386. he faith, that [ Diretta co expreffle Ge efficax Dei Volt- Kconfels Gab. Bil i 2.. tio, qua Vult at fit fen, fiat actus Dei. odts, nom facit Deum Malitie qua rah aes atheologi. PE” accédens fequitur. altum, avtherem. | Refp. But that per accidens is cal affertions; asdo mae No reafon of the denyal, if God. caufe chat accident alfo, as the firft caufe. ‘gy others... If hemake a Law, andmake the forbidden. a@, the relation of fiz ol is an Accident indeed, but arifeth from the faid fundementuns {0 neceflarily that ic cannot be otherwife. But. it fhould have made a holy Divine to tremble to have faid, that God dérec#ly, exprefly and effettually willeth mens Ack of hating God, vik that itexift or be.
653. And
and Decrees of God, Ke,
653. And icis falfe chac he faich, that Ged 4s equally the Caufe that
men hate him, if be will the Ait hypothetically, ineffectsally and determinably by anothers will, as if he willed it efficactoufly, And fo when he
maketh che Doétrine of Univerfal Concurfe and Caufation, as guilty as
his predetermining pre-motion, As if God could not makeman a /ree= willer and agent, and asthe {pring of Nature, enable him and concure to his Ac& asan AQ, én yemere, without caufing it to terminate on the forbidden object es
As if it wese impofible for the Sun to be |
CC. an ansverfal canfe of the ftinking of a Dunghill and Weed, without being - the fpecial: or asif God muftbe made the caufe of every blafphemy, unleig —
he will make the blafphemer. fpeechlefs, and.of every villany, unlefs he
will ftrike men dead to prevent it. This is not reverént and holy judging
of the moft holy God the Judge of all, 2 pe | 654. The fumm of all his Vindication of God from: being the chief
Author of all fin.( pag. 387. ce paffim ) is but this one reafon, God is
under no Law. But if this be all, why do you not {peak out what you
mean, but hold chat which you dare not name, viz. (That God w the chief
infuperable caufe of all the f of Devils and men for which he damneth
them, and that beth as tothe matter and form ; but yet thus to dois no
_ fin in God himfelf, becaufe he is under no Law. \. Thisis your moft
plain undoubted fenfe, or elfe your Book is non-fenfe; What need we
then any further enquiry what you bold ¢ It-is delufion to pretend that
you are accufed for making God a finner. We charge tio. ich thing on
you: But only for making him the chief infuperable caufe of all the fins
of men and Devils. ree |
655, Pag.400. he plainly profeffech that- the wi as a plyfical agent
as the caufe of the att as phyfical, and as under a Law, and that ack is
aysinfl the Law, fo he +s the. canfe of the Malitia atfasy and culpable.
So that God sasfisg by his own confeffion both 4% sad Law, there is
no modeft fubterfage left for his not openty profeffing that he aflerteth God
to be che ezufe of all fin, the principal aaa both as to mater and form. ©
656. The reft of char Difputacion ftriketh me with fuch* horror in
che reading, that I confefs I have not the patience to proceed any further
in it, nor thall further thus exerci(e my Readers patience.. The cafe is
plain. Eicher Hobs, or Free. will permitted, mutt carry the caufe in the
cafe of fin: There isnomiddleway. He that will read Raz and Retherfords an{wer impattially, needech no more of mine for the confutation of his vainrefponfess = —
657. But cap.29. p. 484; he falleth alfo on our moft Learned and
Judicious Dr. Fze/d, . becaufe in his 46. 3. ¢. 3. of the Church he contradicteth his opinions and it muft move juft indignation in the Reader that he
addeth C idgue probare conatur contra veformatas Ecclefias..| Unworthy
injury to che Reformed Churches, more than to the worthy Dr. Field!
How falfly are they interefled in your unhappy caufe! See the Synod of
Dort, where there is nota word for it: Is one Twé/s with his Ratherford,
_ Or Maccovins, or a few fuch, the Reformed Churches? Let the Reader
perufe the Articles of the Churches of England, Scotland, France, and all
the reft, and fee where he can find your Doétrine of Predetermination
unto fin. Even Fanfenius himfelf is againft ic among che Papifts; when
his Domstnican Predeceflors are the Fathers of it; | Nothing more common
with Exyli/b Divines than (as you did before your felf ) toexplicate
Gods caufing the atts of finners, by the fimilitude of the Riders {purring
the caute which we call univerfal, and isthe very thing which we =
ps 270,271. Voluntas hominis mala Vd quia ex= ercet alum odis Dei fine regula vationis 5 émme contra legem Des 3 Dexs axtem bona vol untate valt
fievé illum atium, permittens defettium Canfe fecundae inipfo, ut inde aliquod majas bonum faciat = which is true of the act in genere, but nor as it 1s Odium Dei. For fo if he will ic and caufe it, he doth more than permic: and the defeftus Caufe fecunda \s that vcr odium as againft God. And doth God caufe the greateft fin that he may do good by it? He can do as much good with: out caufing the evil,
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Wi : 14 -
aT and. magifterially 4 Chair and Mag rfatune €, to get “e ae minime fe is: Mi vourily done, im bts contr over fi ‘ppe non fatis & yt it is moft unfav 1m 1bS Cont eHivit, quip Armintani d it is moft unfay wi dott us, aty intelity ulam A. a [ Fleidus vir -~ umelems* non | ce feriplit re penne to overvafay a (én miaharum is it for da Mr. Rs _ effe p7 erfiarum } Bue valae the pi | other | meet). hiohly va b hear ol. mil in Dilp. i. sas controver haberen ¢ I hig ¢ Bue when ree sae St Se il Cnc sai #1 hy ayers Te Be 219,220. Rao; 5 an ‘fit arb: scious than m ion to de: id aa alls ie him(clf; and yam no dicious t tation = Neus non iy k caute- 10 ds Letters. ‘ ‘as more Ja s I find no temp Carlton, Mor though he ge other ther for hat one Field w 1 writings nant, Uber, rt of Proloufly and Ss, yet con- men fay t ing their fevera fequently Dave far greatcft pare aintt mens rolainiy > that by reading old and’ COR: eq E think the a & ) who are ag: cludeth pla the Caufa u- fels fhould Fie and dred for one ouch from Ce ata. Aad why Synod of De if not an hun ing not far enc for a difee fpecify- Hall, sarah ole fifty i fition of being a take it for a dif thac man 1300 caufe, fon, ; I verily c he {uppofi; nd Ruther for: ich the Domtcaer ee C ious by the fup iffe and Rach (5, which the D ing niverfalem de- de odio faccovins, Tw ods Holine(s, Inquifition, Te aA ea be made han Mace init Gods of the Ing; ninat ad fpeciem con ou, Bt r tha ne ainit rs O Albiestes fe Arminia Id che fame a ap ag ne vor waldener and lb: F met Z 10 have teftamts. page Brace, to hold, who fand Protettz i favoured AeA high Tho §U Fryars hold, ry tbhoufa when the Court fav Yet this aceaee of ab- yican dered {o manny. gn dts ing when the orthy of fo pull and dctends.¢ and mur Se ek, aR Fields writing uations unwo before + Thue wopilerialy as emlese which he faith - - and {uch infin e printed a Anhad rand: Peis (ls And: is ——_ . Fields Mire éfch Book was gy oe the (cae aw )as en Di Arminianifm, the {peaktr.” F And his fifd ted before. d King Sonin-law holaftick Di- da man as ther in Fols ue he third prin Ifo; An 2 skilled in Sc ere both £00 inted toge gee dareint fate 1619. a 2 fix Di-. inity, who wel d ere pri ‘ords' cite | d fare five or! vinity, nt ne men, an they W he wor $ 618. an; and fent P S. Pet. moft excelle reconciling 160. and t ied Am, 1¢ intani{m, - rles his daye aw hit upon the oft in theit x0 f Dort' was cali eflor of Ar ae: in King Cha he Arminian truth,above his Difcourfe Synod or De lous {uppr d long after ou, that t fon, 5 Dif Zcalous An Il tell you, and How/fin, age. Shed 1S ames Wasa hac end.: Land wi age y Corbet not ee eee James hither to ¢ hbifhop, Backertage, hey durft s thither’ tO Arc ud: B at they Se Found Sipaeaed pena in the life te five, —_— i Saadea: adh ' aro Judicious ° i e x re ‘ a. : : sh i moft worthy of gree Bifhops pare wigs iain ‘Field = | tradittion to; . a oO id iS, ey contr: efteem. 0 whom Caufe with a iality hath {ai ith that z2’s 4 tertale serie r Cau artiality hath he faith that 22’s a the 244 raft thei sar when p ¢ Why. Ic 4 ) which is foul er- Dyas ne pe dagen ftate, ) ble, A f ese And a rater Cin ae which is i He ea geo tape | . Atle formale, he (uoje 2 hat he c y thaS God _ ot: the eth che om and tha gfe fay # and erg that he that ear the ne: i it se og Oe ea num Cate ack canfe d line, the CG, ; termin blac ooke ’ ror indec ndandi African d the cr: MNARN ite and an ‘ Rule an vationem fi ropean Whit e ftraight fe fuch dhe har ath he ag ech ihr, oe ih and fo Law, and the eflity requireth f ed the Reader, econ- ‘forbidding Law, the necefliry I had injur fferc fure 1 ey it moc ehae ‘think fo alic for 659. he on hands, crap Books, ae of that Book ( Books are in tm; k iS not to C f tion of the: For my wor ‘ife the confuta much: iths. Orherwife ciling truths,
fing all forbidden atts in the aad th
Gi line and Can
Gods wi
A
SECT:
and Decrees of God, &c. .
The old Reconciling Dodtrine of Auguitine, Profger and Fulgentius. And firfé Profper ad Gallorum Qu. _
660. {T is a ftrange thing to me that when Pelagius, Fulian, Faufhus, orc:
thoughe Auguftine.a Novelift, and (as Uber afferteth)‘ would have faftned the title of Predeftinatioa-Hereticks on his followers, and al-. moft all.confefs, chat Asgu/fine was, if noc the farft, yet che moft notable publick Vindicator of abtolute Predeftisacion and Grace, yet the Judgement of Aujtin, with his Dilciples Profper and Falgertius, doth not ferve
turn to quiet, if not to end thefe controverfies, among thofe whoprofefs —
to be their followers! when as they have fo copioufly and plainly wricten uponthecafel os, , 661. I intrear the Reader that is inclining to.any, extreams, but to read over firft thofe thore anfwers of Profper ad Capitula Gallorum. and ad Objectiones Vincent. And moft of the Sententie de Capit, I fhall chink ic worthy my labour to recite, to force them on the Readers obfervation, and let him fee the higheft old Doctrine of Gods Decrees. 5
“ Sent.1. Whoever faith, chat by Gods Predeftination, as by fatal ne- “ cefficy, men compelled into fins, arc conftrained to death, is noc a Catho- “lick, For Gods Predeftination doth by no means make men bad, nor is “rhe caufe of anymans fin, | es ve ~ Sent. fup.2. He that faith, that the Grace of Baptifm received doth “not take away Original fin from them that are not predeftinated to life, <Cis not_aCatholick. , For che Sacrament of Baptifm, by which all fins <* are blorted out, is true evenin them: who will nor remain in the truth, ‘¢ and for them that are not predeftinated unto. life. |
“© sent. fup.3. He that faith, that they that.are not predeftinated to ioufly and juftly, it profiteeth them nothing, buc they are fo < long, referved till chey fall coruine, and they are not taken out of this <¢ life till rhis happen to them, as if the ruine of ach men were to be <¢ referred to Gods conftitution, :is not a: Catholick. For God doth nor << cherefore prolong the time. of asy mans age, that by long living he <¢ (hould: faJl to ruine; and jnhis loag living, fall. fom the right faich: << feeing long life is to be numbered with the giftsof God, by whicha man “¢ fhould be better and notworfea so; |
. Sent. fup. 4 We that faith, that all are not called to Grace; if he &fpeak of fuch as Chrift is not. declaréd to; is. not to be reprehend- < ed a.
<¢Jife,. though they were in Chrift regenerated: 2 Baptifm, and have berthed. _ “lived nioufl:
Sent. fp. 5. He that faith, that they chat are called,. are not equal- “ly called, buc fomethat they mighe believe, and fome that they: might’ “not believe, 4s if to any. man iE: | “‘ believing, faith not right. For though faith be not but by Gods Gift, “and Agans Will, yet Infdelityisby manswillalone, ©: © °C © Seyt, 6, He that-faich, that Bree-svéll in Man is: Nothing, bat ir’s <““Gods predeftination which worketh inimen, whether. it be to good: or to “evil, is nat a Catholick: For Gods Grace doth not abolifh mans choice <“ (or free-will:) bue pesfeð ir, and: revoketh and reducethit into the “way from ersor, that that which was bad by its own liberty, may by “| the operation of Gods Spirit be made:right. ‘And Gods predeftination < js alwayes in Good; which knoweth: how either to’ pardon wich the ES pil
e Vocation were the caufe of his not’
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
<¢ praife of mercy, or punifh with the praife of Juftice, the fin which is <¢committed by manswill alone, — -
“ Sent.7. Hethat faith, that God for this caufe giveth not Perfeve- ¢€ rance to fome of his Children whom he regenerated in Chrift, to ‘¢whom he gave faith, hope-and Love, becaule by Gods fore-knowledge “and predeftination they were not differenced from the mafs of rerdi- “tion: If he mean that God endowed thefe men in Goodnefs, but would’ <¢not havethem remain in it, and that he was the caufe. of their turning ¢¢ away, he judgeth contrary to the Juftice of God. For though Gods. ‘¢ Omnipotence could have given the grace of ftanding to them that will: ‘¢ fall, yet his grace doth not firft forfake them, before they have for-' “¢ faken it, And becaufe he forefaw that they would do this by a Vo-- ‘¢luncary defertion, therefore he had them nor im the Election of Pre-- “Cdeftination. . | a 2 3 . 7
“© Seat. 8. He that faith, chat God would not have all men faved, bur: a certain number that are predeftinate, {peaketh hardlier of the alti- “tude of Gods unfearchable grace, than he fitould {peak; Who would’ <¢ have all men to be faved, and to come to’ the acknowledgement of. “the eruth; and fulfillech the purpofe of hiswill on them, whom being “foreknown he predeftinated, and being predeftinate he called, being cal-. “led he juftified, and being juftified he glorified. Lofing nothing of ‘she fulnefs of the Gentiles, and of all the feed of #/rael, for whont ‘¢ the eternal Kingdom was prepared in Chrift before the foundation of <¢the World. For all the World, is chofen out of all che World, And’ “Count of all men, all men are adopted —So that they that are << faved are therefore faved, becaufe God would have thém faved: and’
“they that perifh, do a becaufe they deferve to perith.
© Segt.-g, Hethat faich, that our Saviour was not Crucified for the’
‘6 Redemption of the whole World;. looketh not to the Virtue of ehe Sa-
<¢ crament (that is, Sacrifice } but tothe part ( or participation) of the
‘€Cunbelievers : When as the blood of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is the Price '
“cof the whole World.. From which Price they aré Alien$ who being ei-
_ “ther delighted in their Captivity, will not be redeemed or when they
‘Care redeemed return: again to the fame Captivity; For the Word of” “the Lord falleth not, nor is the redemption of the World evacuated: “For though the World in the veflels of wrath knew not God, yer the ° ‘World in she veffels of mercy knew him. Which God without thei’ “* preceding Merits, rook-out of che power of darknefs, and tranflated into “the Kingdom of the Son of his Love. - © sent, 10. He that faith, that God fubfteacteth from fome the preach- ‘ing of the Gofpel,. left perceiving the preaching of the Gofpel they’ “ fhould be faved, may decline the envy of the objection by the patro- *¢nage of our Saviour himfelf, who would not work Miracles with fome, ‘¢ chat he faich would have believed had they feen them: And he forbad ’ ‘¢ his Apoftles to preach:to fome people 5 and now faffereth fome Nations “to jive without his Grace———— , ' “¢ Sent. 11. He that faith, that. God: by his Power compelleth men to’ < fin, is: defervedly- reprehended: -For God, who is the Author of Juftice ‘* and. Goodnefs, and: all whofe Statutes and Commands are againft fin, is’ “(not ‘tobe thouglit to compell any to fin, and precipitate them from’ ‘Finnocency into crimes: But if there be any of ‘fo protound impiety, as ’ “‘ chat-they- are reckoned to be beyond-the remedy of correction, they re-’ *€ ceive ‘nor an increafe of their iniquity from God, but are made worle “by chemfelves:- becaufe they deferved tobe left. of God, and given up to 6 ax: a $6 CHO
and Decrees of God, &c.: | ne
“ themfelves and co deceivers, for their former fins: that fo their fin fhould “be a punifhment of their fin, _ : . © Sent.12. He that faith, . tha€ obedience is withdrawn from forme that & are called and live pioufly and righteoufly, cthac they may ceafe to “© obey, doth think ill of Gods Goodnefs and Juftice, ds feeming to con- “¢ftrain the godly to ungodlinefs, and to take away good mens innocency ¢¢ from them 3 When as He is the Giver and Keeper of godlinéfs and inné-+) ““cency: He therefore that adhereth to God, is ated by the Spirit of God; “but he chat departeth from God, doth fall from his obedience (or ceafe it) “¢ by his own will, | | trtee i, Po
“ sent. 13. He that faith, that fome men are not made by God to this
‘ ¢€ end that they might obtain eternal life; but that they. might be: the
<‘orngments of their times, and for the good of otbers, would {peak <¢betcer if he faid, that God who is, the Creator of all men, maketh noc’ “them invain, whohe forefeeth will not.be partakers of life erernal. : <Becaufe even in bad men, nature is Gods good work, :and Juftice im> “their damnation is laudable. But he cannot wellbe blamed that faith; 2 st ¢chat even bythe condition of fuch the World isadorned-*, and thatthofe * Bur not by their fir: it <¢ that hurt themfelves by their own iniquity,are born for the good of others: “l£ <S For che multitude of: the ungodly though innumerable is not difgraceful “¢(or adeformity ) to the World, or unprofitable co the Kingdom of God> “foeing that by their propagation cometh the generation that. is to ‘be’ “reoenerate; and.by tolerating and loving them, Gods people become’ “¢ che more illuftriqus, —— ee re ee aes ~ &sent.14. Hethat faith, that they that believenot the preaching of’ <¢ che Gofpel, are unbeli¢vers by. Gods predeftination, and that God fo de- “* creed, that they that believe not be unbelievers by his appointinertt’:( or ’ <¢ decree ) isnota Catholick: For as Faith which worketh by Love is’ “¢ Gods gift, fo unbelief is none of Gods conftitution: .Becaufe God know- <ech howto ordain Punifhment for fin, but not fin it felf. And ic fol <¢ loweth not, that what he remitteth got, hecommicteth: The predeftinate” | therefore liveth by the faith whichis — him: The non-predeftinace pe- ° €¢ rifh by Voluntary and not conftraine — Te ee eee Sent. 15. He that faich, that Foreknowledge is. the fame with pre?! <¢ deftination, doubtlefs in our good works; conjoyneth ( ormixeth) chofe “Srwo: For what we have of Gods gift, and is faid to bé foreknown, muft << needs be. predeftinate: And what is {aid td;be predeftinate, muft needs: “¢be foreknown, . But.in our;evil, works 3,| only the foreknowledge ’ <¢ of God muft be underftood. Becaufe as he foreknew and predeftinated:” “che things which he doth himfelf, and giveth,us todo:- fo he FORE- “KNEW ONLY and DID NOT PREDESTINATE the things > <* which he neither doth himfelf, nor requiteth.usto do.
8 al 7 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
SECT. XXIL — Profpér’s anfwers ad Objed. Vincent:
662, F Will crave the Readers patience while I add the fumm of his - Anfweis alfo to fome of the Objections of Vincentins. : “Obj. 1. That Chrift died not for al——_——_. | | | & Refp, Hisdeath is a remedy in it felf fufficient to profic all; bur if ic be Knot taken itwillnothea = = we ee | & Obj. 2, That God would not have all [aved, though they would. 7 — & Ref, We mutt fincerély believe and profefs that God would have all “ faved: ‘Fhat many perifh, is by the merit of them that perith: Thac “many are faved, is the gift of him that faved them. . For that the guilty <“aré damned is Gods inculpable juftice , thac che guilty are juftified is <€ Gods unfpeakablegrace. . a Ke oe “Obj. ¢. That God made moft of mankind that wey mixht perifb for | Cover, oo | - eee pefp, God isthe Creator of all mens but No man is made by him —
>
éSthar he might perifi: For the caufe of being born is ane, and the caufe <Sof perithing is another. That men are born is Gods gift, that they “ perith, is the finners defert: He maketh men, that they may be men—— “ Obj.4. That the mof of men are made of God, not to do Gods will, but “ the Devils. | Ce a ee ee ee _& Refp, Icismadnefs, and againft reafonto fay that it is by Gods will that Gods will is not done: and that the damner of the Devil and his <¢ fervants would have the Devil ferved.- Sieg % o *. , “Obj. 5. Phat Godse the. author of our fin, inthathe maketh mens wills “evil, and maketh a [ubftance which by natural motion cannot but fin. “ Refp. This objection ra make becaufe we hold original fin and mi- <fery But.we hold that whatever is of Nature is of God, and none “of thac which is contrary to Nature. But fin is contrary to nature,’ “from whence cometh death, and.all thacis of: death: ————God is “the author of no mang fin, but the Creator of his Nature, which ¢¢ voluntarily finned, wheh it had Power not to fins and by his own will “man {ubjected himfelf to’-the deceiver, And it is not by Natural buc “hy Captive. Atotion that he liveth in fin, till he die to fin, and live tq © God; which without grace he cannot do. | | 4 Obj. 6. That-God maketh in men fuch will as % in Devils, that o ses ans: motioncan and will do nothing but evil, : <¢ Refy. The whole world lyeth in wickednefs But even very bad ‘¢men may be reconciled, and Devils cannot. . And God put not ¢ evil affections inmen. | Obj. 7. That it s Gods will that agreat part of Chriftians neither will “* yor can be faved,
Ref>, It you {peak of them who forfaking the Godlinefs of a Chri- “ ftian converfation and faith, do irrevocably pafs over into prophane er-. “frours. and damnable manners, it’s doubtlefs that having fuch a will, “they will not be faved, and as long as they w#// not be faved, they can- “not befaved. Butit is by no means to be believed that fuch men fell “into this defperate cafe by the will of God, when rather God liftesh up €° all chat fall For no man is raifed or eftablifhed but by his Grace. STs therefore Gods will chat they continue in a good will; And hei
“faker
and Decrees of God, &c. HQ)
“(akecth no man before that man forfake him, and converteth many that. “do forfake him. dice eH ee Jon co ne a Ue Obj. 8. That God will not have all Catholicks to perfevere.in the “cCatholick faith, but will have a great part of them to apoftatize “¢ from it. oe ee hee oe er ga a ee ee “© Refp. The fame anfwer ferveth to this blafphemy as to the for- “mer, ae a ee ene eee " “Obj. 9. That God would have a great part of the Saints to fall from ue ee ce (sof boli x: * The Reader muft not? & she purpofe of holiness. * ee eee ee 7 that their common opi. “ Refp. This madnefs alfoneedechno other anfwer, . |: , ion then ‘was that fome
_ “Obj. 10, That Adultértes and eile gs | confecrate Virgins do come to true Saints do fall away “pals becaufe God predeftinated them to fall. = tug
Ref, It is a deteftable and abominable opinion, which. believeth -
“Godto be the author of any mans evil willor evil action: whofe pre-. | | _ deftination ( or decree ) is never without Goodnefs and Juftice +... For all + ‘phat ic,Cof nothing but “the wayes of God are pel and truth: Adulteries and Corruptions of good and juft. }
<¢ Virgins God knoweth not how to inftitute, but to damn;.nor.to di-... - | | <¢ fpofe *, but to punifh, Whichevils when men commit, they ferye their.* That iss wt fmt “ own lufis—————_ Gods predeftination neither exciteth, per{wadeth.
“or impelleth the fall, malignicy, or lufts of finners; but plainly pre- “ deftinatech his own Judgement, by which he will reward every one ac-. * cording to what he hath done, whether ee or evil: which Judge- “ ment would never be, if men finned by the will of God, But be ic. <¢ will: And every man whom the difcerning of Gods knowledge thall fer. <car his left hand, fhall be damned, becaufe he executed not Gods will,
< but his own: 7 a Ae oe “3 Obj. 11. when inceft is committed between Fathers and their Daugh- ¢< ters, Mothers and their Sons, it 1 therefore done, because (0 God fore-de- _ creed that it fhould be done (or come to pafs. |
“ Refp, + If it were objected tothe Devil himfelf, that he is the author. + Let the Dominicans nord © and incenter of fuch villanies, I chink that with fome. reafon he might. <difcharge himfelf of the envy; and overcome the committer of fuch
&¢ wickednefs by his own willing of them. , Becaufe though he be delighted with the madnefs of finners, he can yet prove that he forced them:
< notto fin. With what folly and madnels then isthat afcribed to God,
€ which may not be wholly a(cribed to che Devil, who is but the ad- <¢jutor of the baits. of.fid, and mot the _Caufer ( Generater,) of €¢the Will ¢ God then fore-decreed not that any fuch bufinefles thould “be done, nor prepared that foul to asiy fuch end, who will live wick- “edly and filthily. Bue he was not ignorant that ic would be fuch, and ~*. €6 he fore-knew that he would juftly judge of fuch; So that to his fore-
<¢ decree nothing elfe can be referred, bac either 1. That which belong-
<* eth to the die retribution of Juftice, 2. Or to the wot due beltowing: ESOL erates gi 2 eg Ee, ae, wage ed aes le Oho
“© Obj. 12. That by Gods fore-decree men are made of Children
€¢ of God to be. children of the Devil; and of Temples of the Holy:
©¢ Ghoff, the Temples of Devils , and of members of Ghrift, members of -
- & Ref>, Gods Predeftination, though to us while we are in the perils. << of this life it be uncertain, with him is unchangeable-____—._ Bur << thofe of whom it is faid, They went out from ws becaufe they were not
<< of us—_—— did willingly go out, and willingly fall away. And be-:
€< caufe they were foreknown to be fuch as would fall away, they were. Serie, ee otra tae eS ee Fae ee ey gece bn,
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will “not predeftinate. Bur they had been Predeftinated, if they had becn <‘fuch as would have returned, and remained in holinefsand truth. So “€ that Gods fore-decree isto many acaufe of ftanding, and to none a caule “of falling. - | a
<€Obj. 13. That all thofe faithful and Saints who are fore-decreed “ to eternal death, when they return to their vomit, feem indecd to doit “by their own vice: but the caufe of that vice is the fore-decrce of God,
_. “which fecretly withdraveth from them good wills.
* Note this you that are for his firft predetermining all forbufden Volitionsand aso
“ Relp, Indeed to allchat relaple from faith to infidelity, from “* Holinefs to filthinefs, and are not purged by emendation before the “end of their lives, nothing bur eternal death is due: But itis wicked-
-“nefs to afcribe the caufe of fuch mtines to God : who though he fore-
€ know by his eternal knowledge; what reward he will give to every “mans deferts, yet this his Impoffibilicy of being deceived, doth nor “bring into any man either a necefty ot a will * of fining. If there- “fore any man fall from Godlinefs, he is carryed headlong by his own < will; he is drawn by his own concupifcence; he is deceived by his “own pet{wafion. There the Father doth nothing s the Son dothno-
“thing, the Holy Ghoft doth nothing: nor doth any thing of the will * of God intervene in fuch a bufinefs; by whofe help we know many “ are kept from falling, but none impelled to fall.
Obj. 14. That this great part of Chriffian faithful Catholicks and <¢ Saints who are fore-decreed to ruine ana peraition, tf they bey of God “ verfeverance in Holinef, [ball not obtain tt, Becanfe Gods decree can- “ yor be changed, by which he fore-ordained, prepared and fitted them 49 fall away, | |
<Refp. To the breach of the Law, to thenegleét of Religion, to the ‘€corrupting of difcipline, to the forfakmg of the faith, to the perpetra-
“ting of any fin whatever, there is no predeftination (or fore-decree )
“Sof God at all. Nor can it be that men fhould fall into fuch evils by
—- him, by whom men rife out of fuch. If therefore men live in holift N. Be
“nels, if they profit in virtue, if they remain in good ftudies, it is the “manifeft gift of God, without whom the fruit of no good work is ac- * quired. But if men fall away from thefe, and pafs over to vice and “fin, God there fendech chem no evil temptation, nor doth he forfake “him that will full away, before he be forfaken byhim. And for the moft part he keepeth men from forfaking him, or if they depart doth “caufethemto return. But why he upholdeth one and not another, it is “neither — to comprehend, ¢ nor lawful ro fearch; feeing it may fuf- “ ficeto know, both that it is of him that men ftand, and ic is not of him “that they fallaway. - | ; ~ ©Obj.15. That all the faithful and Saints who are predeftinated to “eternal death 3 whew they fall ave fo difpofed of by God, that they
“¢ neither car nor will be delivered by repentance. © Refp, Falfly faidand foolifhly: For they that fall away from faith “cand holinefs, as they fell by their wills, fo by their Wills they rife. “not: But God taketh the way of amendment from none; nor “‘depriveth any of the poffibility of good: For he that turneth him- “felf from God; taketh from himfelf both the will and the power of “sood. It’s no good confequence, as the Objecters think, that God “taketh: away repentance from men, becaufe he giveth ic them not 5 “and that he cafteth down thofe that he taketh not up. For it is “one thing co adt the innocent into a crime ( which. God a een as TaD oe aig MEE gra a
and Decrees of God, &c.
“ do 3) and another not to pardon the Criminal, which is the defert of C fin, | | | - | . | “Obj. 16. That this great part of the faithful and holy, which is fore- “ decreed to eternal death, when they pray to God in the Lords prayer, © Let thy will be done, do only pray againft themfelves, viz. that they may “fall and be ruined; becanfe it w the will of God that they peri{h by eter- “nal death. | | ae a. — & Ref, The Truth faith notthis, shat it is the will of God that the ‘¢ fairhful and Saints do fall from faich and innocency and -‘perifh. Bur * Truth faith, This is the will of the Father that fent me, that of all thac he hath given me Ifhould lofe none-—————But if by the generality “ of Vocation, arid the abundance of Gods goodnefs, even thofe that will “© hot perfevere are mixt with the perfevering, when thefe fall away from Goal “ their own wills: nor are impelled to fall, nor caft off that they may “forfake, but yet are fqre-known to fall away by Him thatcannotbe *¢ deceived: And when they pray, Thy will be done, they pray not that “they may fall———_—— Which God will not do ( or Caufe) _ way, “by any means: For this by their own naughtinefs, their own liberty will i But this they pray againft themlelves, (which doubtlefs is <* Gods will) thar whenthe Son of man fhall come in his Majefty, &c, “they thac will not do Gods will, and yet pray, Let i will be done, are © heardin thae which is Gods will, that the imicaters of the Devil be judgefs, they fall not (or are not forfaken) of Gods help, but of
“ed withthe Devil. For they chat have defpifed Gods inviting will, fhall -
“¢ feel his revenging will.
SECT. XXIL The words of Fulgentius to the fame fence, :
66 3 r Muft crave of the Reader that he remember that my reciting ] the Judgement of thefe Fathers for the falling away and perithing of many that were in a ftate of Life, is not ac all as declaring my |
own judgement, but Theirs; none then that I read of thinking otherwife *. I thall (forthe End fake ) be yet a little more tedious in citing fome of the fayingsof Falgentius, . tees cane. ao? | © Kyle. L.1.de Verit. predeft. cap. 6. To good men Gad giveth what ‘<¢ good they have, and keepeth it: But to the wicked and ungodly, Gad <¢neicher ever could prepare or give evil works; which they fhould ‘€¢damnably ferve: rior did he ever put into them evil wills by which they fhould cdlpably will things unjaft: buc he prepdred for them <¢ the punifhmene of Hell, that they might feel revenging juftice in <Cendlefs fire. An evil will is riot of God: And therefore the juft €¢ Judge doth punifh ic in men, becaufe the good Creator findech not cin it the order of his Creation. And perfeverance and contumacy ¢¢ in fin and pride, becaule it is not of Gods giving, is condemned by God <revenging, : |
Et 1.1. ad Monim.c.26. He will punith in the wicked, that they are bad, which he gave not, nor did he predeftinate them to any ini- “€quity: and that they willed unjuftly was none of his gife. And be- “caufe che perfevering iniquity of an evil will, ought not to remain: ys eT Se R ter
*Exce oe
accufed by. Hierome, the
brevity and.ob{curity of whofe accufation and -confutation, leaveth us very uncertain what ic was that Jovinian held. But weare fure that the fpirit of uncharitablenefs and contention ( though In a good and learned
sage nal 3 in the ftigraatizing of him and Vigilanting as Hereticks,
ee unpunithed,
_ Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
<unpunifhed, he predeftinated fuch to deftruction, becaufe he prepared é¢ juft punifhment for them————— Oblerve that God predeftinated €¢ wicked and. ungodly men, to juft punillmenc, not to any unjult work: “Cro the penaley, notto the fault: to che punifhmenc, not to the ¢cranfgreffion: to the deftruction which the anger of a juft judge <¢ requiteth finners with; not to that deftruction (cr death ) by which ‘che iniquity of finners provoketh Gods wrath againft them. The | © Apoftle calls them Veffels of wrath, not Veffels of fin. ,
— © Cap. 27. The wicked are not predeftinated to the firft death of the ¢foul, but tothe fecond death they are: That which followeth
<¢che fentence of a juft Judge; noc that which preceded in the evil concu-
€¢ pifcence of the finner. ae “ rbid, c. 23. It befeemeth believers to confefs that the good and jut €God, fore-knew indeed that men would fin, ( for all things to come <¢ are known to him. Forthey were nox future, if they were not in his <¢ fore-knowledge:) But not that he predeftinated any tofin. For if he <¢ predeftinated man to any fin, he would not punifh man for fin. For <¢ Gods predeftination prepareth for men, either the godly remiffion of © t¢their fins, or the juft punifhmenc of them. God therefore could never <¢ predeftinate manto that, which he had refolved both to forbid by his <¢ precept, and to wafh away by his mercy, and punifh by his juftice. “¢ God therefore predeftinated to eternal punifhment, the wicked who he <¢ foreknew would perfevere to the death in fin. Wherein as his fore- “knowledge of mans iniquity is not to be blamed, fo his predeftination ‘<Cof juft revenge is to be praifed: That we may acknowledge, that he’ <¢ predeftinated not man to any fin, whom he predeftinated to be punithed <'defervedly for fins | | — And ad Monimum li. 1, pag. Cedit, Bafil.) 68. reciting Adcufines ¢¢ words he faith [ Hetaughte that only pride was the caufe of mans ini- é¢ quity, and that God predeftinated not men to fin, but to damnation 5 ‘and that they. are not helped by God, -the caufe is in themfelves and “not in God.] The fame he reciteth again ex lib. 2. Aug. de baptif. < parval, [that their wills be not ~_ by grace, the caufe is in them- é¢felves andnot inGod.J The fame he again repeateth pag. 69. 70,71, cé72, and (that Augaftine’s mind was that good works God both fore- <¢ knew and predeftinated:——— But evil works, that is, fin, he foreknew indeed, but didnot predeftinate (or decree.) For there is noc Gods. work, but his judgement. Therefore in fin Gods work isnot, becaufe <¢chat fin fhould be done was not decreed by him: But therefore there is. .his judgement, becau(eit is notleft unrevenged, that an evil man work-
_ ech without God working. ]
© And ib, lit. pag. 15. {That which is noc in his work, never was. in predeftination. Therefore men are not predeftinated to fin, ] Sop. 29. “* €€ And p.31. and forward. <¢ And p.29. [No man jaftly finneth though God juftly permit him to fin: For he is juftly forfaken of God, who forfaketh God. And ~ -becaufe man forfaking God, finneth, God forfaking man keepeth ju-
© tice.) ar | | | 664. Tam loth to weary the Reader with more. Should Ido the like
by Anguftines words it would be too wearifome. His judgement is the
very fameastheirs. Iwillonly cite one paffage out of him, about mans
| ..and Decrees of God, &c. 1230
" Tract. 53. in Foban. having fhewed that God only foreknoweth meng fin, and foretelleth it (as the Jews) but caufechicnot, hecometh to an- {wer Fohn 12.39. They could not believe. che. If they could not how. ~ was it their fin? faying, “{ You hear the queftion, brethren, and fee “how deepit is: Buc weanfwer as we can.—— * Why. could they not “believe ¢ If you ask me, I quickly anfwer, Becaufe tkey would not, “¢ For God forefaw their evil will, and foretold it. bythe ‘Prophet=-—~Hg << blinded their eyes, cc; And I anfwer that their own wills deferved “thisalfo, For Godblindeth and hardéneth, by forfaking and.not help- “ing; which. he may do by a. judgement fecret, but not ynjuft. . This all “religious piety ought to hold unfhaken. | Far be it from us then to — €¢ fay thae inte is iniquity wich God: If he help, he doth ic mercifully; “if hehelp not, hedothjuftly.$} ee 665. By all thisthe Reader may fee paft all doube, that Auguftine. and his two difciples, (chan whom none knownto. us in the whole world then went higher for Predeftination and Grace)did plainly take up with this, char 1.GOD NEITHER CAUSED.-OR.WILLED SIN}
no,no ITS BEING, ortheforbidden ACT... °°
3. That ALL GRACE andperferverancewas. OF GOD. .
4. That ELECTION was. ABSOLUTE of .GOD's
meer will, and not upon his foreknowledge of any merits of mans. —
5- That God predeftinated none to fin, but predeftinated men. to Pyeee ONEY ON THE FORESIGHT of their wil-
6. Thathehardenedmen but by deferting them?) se
Ks a he never forfook themill they forfook him firft,. and. deferved it by fin. rr ee ee ee ee ee oe
In a word, that mans deftrnétion is of himfelf,.buc his help of Gods who refolvedly choofeth fome to falvation, and helpeth them accoxdingly wich that effectual ce, and efpecial perfeverance, which he juftly giveth
fot to others, though if he wouldhe could.
)
a Mer ” - es { a 274. & \ f 1, Qrery i 3 ff Rs SEPM, -g oe Be = OT ’ ea rae: o ws e = £ { f: \ oes ae 4 ray 9 . a.. ye oe atte ™ Y fe. - R§ oe SEC ri Ss a) os ’ beewe en: 3 sae aie 4 / , . : ] a | ? — . ; . a
Begone. =
Of the Natare, Knowledge, Will
SECT. XXIII. | Fe aling Principles and Concelfrons of she Synod of Dort, &c: 666. r Koow not How to conclude this difcourfe more {uitably to my | | ends, than by opehing to the Reader who is fenfible of the
Churches fin, mifery and danger by our contentions and divifions, how much the patties whom I endeavour to reconcile, are agreed in judgemenc
abouc thefe matters, and that in their own words: Remember fill char ic
isnot fome few chat runfarcher than the reft (eithet Epiftopine, Curcelleus, &c. onone fide, or Maccovint, Rutherford or Dr. Twiffe, or Alvarez and othet Predetternimants on the other fides) whole particular opinions I cannoe undertake torecoticilé: But only the generality of che Calvinifts who onoferther than the Synod of Der# (which is my ceft of the party) and moderate Arminians, Lutherans, and Jefuits: (in thefe points ) on the other fide. And letnone reproach me for putting in che Fefwires, for as t know that very few Calvinifts. Ay near fo high: for Prederermination _as the Dominicans.do¥. fo I know thae (though Ardsinios himfelf was a fober man, and £pifeopine is cryéd up: by fome, as-Volkelias and other Socinians are by others, a5 mofé cleanly: rational, yet ) there is none of them all that equal in accuracénefs of fearch and cleatndls of reafon, either many of ‘the ancient Schoolmens Ot Saaresy Ruiz, Vafgwer, Atbertinus, and many otherlatterSchoolJeftits; =. ee, 667. The firft thing that I wiltdefixe Of the Reader isto’ perufe thofe ‘fnany healing concefftons contained: im the writings, elpecially trenicons, of many Learned Calvinifts already extant: Efpeially Davenants two ‘diffetcations, Dr. Sisrs:: wards Works's the Judgements of Devenant, Morton; Hal,to Dry sdsout'this: Bithop Robert 4bb0t's, and Bithop car/- ‘gons works oft dn the by: Bilhop Hjber of Redemption, oc. Mr. Feaner of wilfal Impenitency, and Hidden Manna, Fob. Bergins for Reconcil, Ladov, Crocti Syntag. Conrad. Bergii Praxis Can, Funii Irenicon and of predeterm. Para Irentcon. Amyrald. Defenf. dott, Calv, & Irenicon.Teftard, de wat, Cr Grat. Hotton. de toler, Thefes Salmur. but above all Le Blexks Thefes, Wolfst Thef. cr Hiftor.Pelag, Mufculi Loc.Commun, And the geral Jrenitons, as all Durie’s, Hal's Peacemaker and Pax terris, Burroughs dren, Acontii firatagem, Satana ( anexcellentbook) crc. | 668. Next I will infert fome words to this end, in the Synod of Dorf. _T. About the firft Article (of Predeftination ) they open free election, but mention no orher Reprobation but Gods not-electing, or paling by, fome whom he found in fin, andinthe mifery in quam fe (ud calpi precipitarunt, &c. and not giving them effectual grace of Converfion, but leaying them in their fin. And canany doubt of this¢ ordo any Jefuits or ‘Arminians deny it ¢ | | Where alfo they declare thae God is no canfe of mens fin, bur themfelvess And thac the Children of the faithful areby Covenant fo holy, “that their falvation who dye in infan¢y is not to be doubted of: And chac thofethat find not faving grace in themfelves, but yet ufe the means, have
ao caufe to be caft down at the mention of Reprobation.
669. II. About Chrifts death they fay, that His fatisfaGtion is of infinite value and price, abundantly fufficient to expiate the fins of all the world; And that the promife is that whoever believeth fhall not perith, which is to be preached to all : And that many yet repent not, believe
“MOL,
X. Etpl. “God inthe decree of Election preparet
| “and Decrees of God, &c.
not, bue.perith, is not through any defect or infufficiency of Chrifts {acrifice, but by their own faulc. And that others believe is of undcferved race. | .
: 670. III. In the third and fourth drt. (ec?. 8, 9. they fay that the
fault is notin Chrift or the Gofpel, thac many thatare called are not converted and come not, norin God that calleth them and givech them many
‘pifts, but in the called themfelves.that receive.not the word of life, cc.
And chat you may fee that they hold a conditional will or decree not only
of future but of nin-fetare continyents, they. fay that [ ‘¢As many as <¢ are called by che Gofpel are ferioufly called, and God ferioufly and truly © theweth by his word, what would be acceptable to him, vz. chat the €¢ called come to him. So that here is a ferious declaration of Gods will to
thofe that never will come co Him conditionally if they would come. .
-Thefe kiad of notions pleafe or difpleafe men, as the intereft of their opinionsrequirethe 2 >. 2, 4 a2 & 0 - 671. And the: conkeffion of Per, Atolizews received by the Synod, is worthy obfervation pag. 290,291. where he faith [ ‘*Sinis the Meritdrious Caufe of ‘Deftination to punifhment | And [Though natural cor-
‘ruption be caule fufficietit for Reprobation.(as we kill new (pawned.
!
Not only of punifhuniettt t {elf. ~ 4
Serpents before they hurt any ) yet thereis no doube-but that for what. e
.* canfe God damneth men, for the fame he decreed to dagin them: But he
<¢damneth reprobates for fins committed , For they _ in hell not only -6¢for original fin, bac for all actual fins ; whence is the inequality of pu- © nidhment: ‘Fhertfore God Decreed to damn them for the fame fins: For
nothing hindereth bat that God who confidereth men in natural corruption Cand pravity may confider them-alto polluted inthe actual fins which they. “will thence Commi. And among the fins for which any one is Deftinated to - * punifhment no doabt, is unbeliet and rejection of the Gofpel——L— No
€¢ reafon fuffereth, that he fhould be Reprobared for rejecting of the Gd-
. € fel w whom the.Gofpel was nevét revealed ‘ That God
cc eftinated any to eternal punifhment; without confideration of impeni- “tence and unbelief, weneither faynor chink— — And rhough God © predeftinate che Blect co faith,
doth. not predeftinatei the Keprobate:
“6co unbelief; For we muft diftidguith the media which God findeth in ©
men, from thofe. which he maketh. He findeth in sen unbelief the ‘means of damnation: But faich he findeth not, but maketh. Therefote
he pfedeftinateth to faith, butnot co uribelief: For he predeftiniatech but. _. “ta thae which hedecreed tomake. Laftly, Impenicence ifi order goeth'
Isnot hereenoughtoreconcile? _ Andnextof Chrifts death he faith thae [* It is abundantly fufficient <q (ave all men in the world, if they would believe: And:thae all are. <¢ not faved by it isnot through the infufficiency of Chrifts death, but of <¢ their pravity and unbelief. de ne. oe
672. And pag. 295. he faith that Arminius holdeth itrefiftible grace, <¢ and that the Elect are drawn of God by effe@tual grace, whofe effect is €¢ moft certain and infallible ( by Congruity.) .
673. The Brittifh Divines in their Suffrage 7 that [ Pag II. T, b. ae 9. tt.
, ) Glory, and effectual “Corace, intending thac it fhall be effectual: This he doth not for the’ Re- “ probates.and befides this negation, they know no aé of Reprobation, << as oppofite to Election. J |
- mercy on faln mankind, fent his Son, who gave
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
“unworthy (finners,) And that God damneth none, nor deftinaceth
“ncne to damnation, but out of the conficeration of fin.}
674. The Hafian Divines ‘bid. Par-2. pag. 34.fay [The juft Judge
( God }) doth not for one caufe Decree to punith, and for:anocher execure
“icon the guilty, but both have the fame caufe: that is, both original
675. The Helwetian Divines there fay, p. 37.9. 12. [ Which is the
Order and Number of Gods Decrees, feeing Gods thoughts and wayes
“Care not as ours, and none of us are of his Council; we leave to Him
€¢ alone whofe underftanding is infinite, } Lar em
676. The Bmbden Divines tbid.p.75. fay [“ No one is predeftinated
“by God to fin] which they there prove. aoe oe
677. Onthe fecond rt. the Brittifh Divines fay (p..78.)) [**God haviag
hitnfelt a price of Redem-
<¢ ption, for the fins of the whole world. - :
| Thef. 4. In this Merit of Chrifts death is founded: the: Univerfal Go-
<¢Th.5. Inthe Church, where for this Gofpel-promife falvation is offer-
‘ed to all; there is chat adminiftration of Grace,: which -is enough to
“ convince all the imipenitent and unbelieving, thac they: perifh and lotethe
‘¢ offered benefit, by their voluntary fault, and negleét’ or contempt of the
€ Golpel.] | | | aa eee 678, On the fecond.4rticle p. 103, 104, ec. there is the fuffrage of
the famous Matthias Martinins,in 26 Thefes of univerfal Redemption, and
feven Thefes of {pecial Redemption, and feventeen Errours rejected, fo
‘found; fo full, fo accurate, that I know not whither to referr the Reader
to fee the whole controverfie more fhortly yet clearly and. foundly opened:
And therefore intreat him to perufe it, feeing 1 may not be fo tedious as to -tranf{cribe it all, and know not howto leave out any. :— '
679. Tothe fame fence have /felbarge and Lud, Crocius adjoyned. their
| fuffrages, the laft being both brief and full... ;
-more ofthis, ic had been never the worfe..
Pétavius chideth Gerfon, < : | : , they are capable of doctrine, we determinethat they are beloved of God,
Liel, Cayetan, Catherinus for their found opinion ‘ of Infants falvation withe_ eut Baptifm.
mation of —_—]
680. The fame Breme Divines fayno.more of Reprobation but thefe three Thef. 1. Thatthere is a Decree of preterition as to fpecial faving
“grace. 2, Thatnone are condemned but juftly, for.their fins. 3. Thac
others as unworthy are converted in Mercy : And if-others had faid no
And of Infants they fay [ Of only Believers Infants, who dye before
and faved, as holy by Covenant-relation : ‘which Baptifm is a Confir-
= os esheets eS ee
and Decrees of Ged, &c.
SECT. XXIV. .
On the other fide.
681. # ¥N the other fide read bur Swarez and Ruiz to fave me tran-
WJ {cribing, and fee what they grant (belides that Ariminenf. and many old Schoolmen go as far asthe Symodi/fs,. as the Dominicans do much further.) Petr. 2 S. Fofeph, Suav. Concord, writing for Scientia Atediay
fummeth: up the difference between them and the Thomiffs (thatis, the _ Arminians and Calvinifts) {o briefly as is worth the reading: In which
he granteth,
1. [ That God from eternity antecedently to any abfolute forefight of
“‘abfoluce forelight of fin, did abfolutely decree to exclude. any from —
= glory; or toaddi¢t chem to erernal punifhment:.or that the Creation of
eprobates, and all natural or fupernatural good conferred onthem, are -
“ 2. He granteth that { the Decree of Predeftination is certain and im- —
“movable in three refpeéts: 14 In that jut fo many hall certainly be faved ‘€ as God hath predeftinated. 2: in thacthe fame f{pecies of men fhall be ‘faved whom God predeftinated to glory: fo that both materially “¢ and formally, che number of the predeftinate is certain. 3. In that by “the force of Predeftination, anteceding all Merits*, yea, and Caufing *< them, God givethito the predeftinate, effectual helps of grace, by which ‘they (hall infallibly cometo glory. J ae 7 | And is not here a fair conceffion for peace? And muft not the remaining differences be only 1. About words, 2. Or unfearchable Orders of Gods Decrees and Modes of operation’ Read him further, andfee. . 682. Dion. Petavius the Jeluite is too largeto tranfctibe. Vol. 1, Theol. Dogm, lib. 9. of Predeftination is worth the reading, efpecially.to know what the Fathérs held of Gods Decrees, who generally aorecd, thar God decreed none to Hell, but upon forefight of their owa fin. Though he himfelf doth furioufly rail at Calvin, and Amyraldus, yct he {9 far acquitteth all other Ca/viniffs {ave Beza and ke and a few that he callech meer fools, that he faith, They have all forfaken his opinion, and inftanceth in the wholeSynod of Dort, who he faith defere him. Andhe profeffeth that Asguftines judgement may fafely be held, which is it in. deed, that thofe now called Calvini/ts own; except inthe point of perfeverance. Seehis /ib, 10, ¢. 169, 10,11. | a But what a plague, livor and faétion is to the Church and the owners fouls, let but thefe ugly words of his be witnefs, 4:5, 10. cap. 14.9,728. [ Calvinus nocentem nullum, innocentes omnes damnari ftatuit | When he had made myrald an impudenc lyer, for proving Ca/viz to think
. otherwife. O take heed of the {piric of a Sea.
683. Suarez de Auxil, 1. 3.cap. 6. about fufficient and effectual grace, (into which all the other controverfies fall, )confeffech chat [ Sufficient grace is that quod fatis eff ad efficiendum fupernaturalem aitum , quod tamen non factt, non ex infuffictentia anxilti, fed ex libertate Voluntatis: But effectual grace is called fuch not only 46 eventu. c effeitu, [ed etiam
guia vires prabet efficaciffimas Voluntati , C fingularem vim habet ad
a
agendum, J
*That is,Rcwardable a&s | of man,
which he largely fheweth in cheir own words 3
better than any thatever
I faw, and may fave the Reader much labour 11 the inveftigation of the fenfe of the Antient§ herein.
See Zumel reciting the opinions of Molina, Bellarmine and Suarex de Gratia ¢fficact, Paré 33 Paks $y $15 Ce
T am told to my face that our Lodrine of AbfolureReprobation we have learned from the Papifis; Another profeficth that the Jefuics ten of them for one favour the at.folute irrefpedive decree, follow herein, as they think S. An(tix, but efpecially their S. Thomas and Scotus, with all the rabble of rotten Schoolmen, and the whole tribe at this day of the Dominicans, who are bufie Zealots for the Caufe, of whofe confent fome among us are not afharoed to brag. Twiffe agamft Hoard li.t. gue. Se This reporter maketh us at one with Fefuites and Dominicans. And yet may we not be fo with Proteftants?
of faith as a condition, though the firft be abfolute, he oppofeth
Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
azendum. | And is here no ground for Chriftian Concord %n. this
: But of chi fubje&, I mutt {peak more particularly in che Third Part,
684. Bellarmine himfelf hath enough I think to convince any man,
that he muft have a fubtile contentious wic, that can find any great intolerable difference herein between him and the Synod of Dort: (I write
“¢ Grace fufficient be given to all, yet no reafon from us ( or our part )
“can be given of Gods predeftination,— By which we exclude noc
‘€ only Metits properly fo called, but alfo the good nfe of free-will, orof
“‘ srace, or both as forefeen of God, though it be not called Merit, buc
“qua non pradeftinaretur. | (And whatelfe would you have excluded? )
And he goeth on in divers Chapters at large to prove from Scriptures,
Anguftine, Tradition, Reafon, that there is no forefeen Caufe or Condi- —
tion of predeftination in ourfelves _. 4
685. Amd I defire the Reader to note his Order of the Decrees ¢ for they
muft all be medling with the Order of Gods inward aéts, But hedoth ic
moft briefly and plainly thus ) #.cap.9. : |
“T According to oar modé of underftanding, this feemeth to be the
“Order of Predeftination in Gods mind: 4. God forefeeth that if he
¢¢ make man he will fall with all his pofterity ; And withal he feeth chac
‘¢ he can deliver all or fome as he pleafe. 2. He detreeth ( or willeth )
“fome of the number of the fallen, leaving others juftly in the mafs of per-
‘dition. 3. He contrived apt remedies for thé faving of the ele@t: In
“© which the incarnation and paffion of our Saviour hath the firft place.
<¢ 4 He approved thofe remedies,and then chofe Chrift and us in him, before
“ the Conftitution of the World. 5.Hedifpofed, ordained, and in a fore
“*commanded that fo it fhould be done. J |
Is not this as high as the Synod of Dort goeth? yea, more rigid than
many of the Suffrages ¢ For he mentioneth no giving of Chrift, or any
remedy at all to any but the Elect, nor carrying the reft any further than
the common mafs of perdition, before they be forfaken; contrary to
what Martinins; Crotius, Molinans, the Britti{b Divines, and others delive- ©
fed to or in that Synod: And indeed it is unfound.
686. If you fay, that he begins with a Scientia Condttionalis. Tan- {wer, It’s nomore chan what all fober mon will grant de re, that is, that God knew from eternity that if he fo made man as he did, he would fall or, if there were eternal propofitions, God eternally knew che truth of this hypothetical propofition, [If ¥ fomakeman, he willfall.] If this was guid intelligibsle, no doubt but God knew it. But de ordine cy de nomine, whether it be fit to parcell out Gods knowledge (and Volitions ) into fuch fhreds and atoms, and fo denominate them, let them look to it on both fides that troable us with their diviffons,
687. And note Bellarmines further explication [Of thefe acts\, (faith
he) “the firftis of the yet age 4 the fecond of the will, the third of
“the underftanding, the fourth of the will, and the fifth of the under- ¢ ftanding - |
; and in thar laft the effence of predeftination efpecially con- <¢ fifteth.
688. Yea, cap. 15. whereas many diftinguith predeftination to faith or grace, from election toglory, and we that the latter is upon the forefighe them
and
and Decrees of God, Sc.
and copioufly Jaboureth to prove **chat election.to glory is abfolure with:
“out any forefcen condition in us, as well a$that to grace: Though wirh- “* out fomething in us, we have nat a Riglit to glory: Evén‘( faith he ) “6 as if a Phyficion were fure chat by fuch a Medicine he can;cure a mani “Sand fo rcfolveth to give ic him, the Medicine is the Caufe thac he “ is = but noc thac ie was afcertained by the decree’ of thé Phyficion “ before. - 8. i 7. ee ~ 689. And c.15. ad obj. 2. he proveth. Gdds cértain foreknowledse herein, becaufe [ “Though all have pro bco ¢ tempore fufficient grace << eg be converted if they will, yet indeed no man is converted, and no man ee = but he thac hath the fpecial gift of Repentance and Per-
“‘feverance, which is.not given to ally but.to bole only for. whom God —
689. And to rhemthat fay, the Elect can refufe grace , fhe‘anfiwereth chac {| “6 They can indeed 5 but. it’s certain chat they will hoe, becaulfé
©€ God will call chem foas he feeth fo congrnous , thac they may not ré-
'* fue hiscall ¢ For thus true grace is refufed by tio hard hearty beeaufe ic- “Cis givén with a purpofe to mollifie ic. Andthere is no danger left acl aie
& fhould want skill Gr arguments, to perfwade agy man to what he pleafe. J.
690. And indeed before de Gratia efficasé li, ¥,cap.12. hetellsus, thac = ‘there are three Opinions wherein the efficacy of grace confiftett : The... firft is, that it js called effeCtual only from tlie event, through mans cori-" - - fent: which he difprovech. The fecond, that icis only efficacious by n¢- ceffitating phyfical predetermination, which he thinks to be anerroron the other extream : And thethird which he defendeth is (that it is efficacious by Gods will chat ic fhall be fo, and by the Congruity or moral . .
apticude of inward and outward perfwafions and means which God ufech
with a decreé co turn chewill. J, Aad who can fay that God canmot do
this? or if hecan, that he doch not? Ishere yetany room left for quars
rclling and bitter cenfures in this point? * © 0 : 691. Lib. 2.-cap,16; he, maketh two acts of Reprobation the very
{ame that almoft all the fuffrages in che Sytiod.of Dort affign, and the
fame doctrine that Davenant, and the Synod deliver. His firft a& of unrefiftible Grace
a
Reprobation is Negative, the fecond Pofitive, [% 1:. Nom babes Volunta- berit Ded operantin
S€ tem eos faluandi, 2. Habet Voluntatem cos damnandi: \ And as tothe “ firft, [ Walle datur ejus canfa ex parte hominum, - ficut neque prede- < Hinationts: Pofterioris io eff previfio peccaté. |] ‘They are unmerciful contenders that this much Reprobation will not fatisfie. |
692; He proveth as the Calvins/ts dos [ “thac it was not fo mitch is 7
“* for original fin forefeen, that God is faid to hate Efaw, becaufe then he would have hated Facob aifo: but it muft be referred to the meer will “of God, that one was loved to falvation, and the other fo. hated as not to be faved. ] Juft asthe Synod of Dort faichh | 7
693. Franct{c.a Santte Clara, alias Davenport, 4Leamed Stotift in his Deus, Nat, Grat. Probl. 1. pag.3. defcribing Predeftination out of Asgsfiine, Arriba; Scotus, Suarez, ec. faith. [ “* And with all thefe agreeth che ‘*defcription of Predeftination Art.17. of the Exgli(b Conteffion. ]
634. And Probl. 2, of the Canfes of Predeftinaticn he notech that
{‘<we mean not the Gaufes of Gods will, ex parte attns volendi, fed ex “* parte volitorum, in quantum Dens Uult unum effe propter alind..| And on that fuppofition how eafie is icto agreez i a
695. Buc he addeth [°*If you had rather fay 48 swarez 1. p.i.2. de “< pred.c. &. that allo ex parte aie diviné (there is a Caule, ) it re
ond
eae Oe
-
“be, met as Gods ack is:abfolutely confidered, for fo it is his eflence-thac “hath no caufe; but as terminated on the Creature. } - ee
696, Pag.7. he himfelf profefleth;. that when the: Proteftants fay that [ ‘on the part of the.Predeftinate there is not fo much as any meritori- “ous Caufe,; Difpofition. or:'Condition, ‘they {peak but the common opi- “€ nion of all:the School -Dodtors, taking ic properly.and in Scripeure{en‘e, c+ And what A¢ontague and the Armiacans {peak of forefight , he difowneth, ‘as contrary to Pawl; Aaguff. Aquin. 1,ip. g. 23.4.5 )o°6. Scotus, Bradwardine, Eftins; Smifings, Yea, he rejeteth Abbor Joachim who denying any, Canfe of predeftination in God, yet ‘aflerted a caufe of it by an aptizude,im the ‘Predeftindte andthe Reprobace ; one being forefecn more hurnble. and: prepated for. Grace ;: and the other more. proud and
ftuiz de Predefin. tr.2. unprepared} pag.5,6: ee | difp.6. fet, 2. p.BO:87- 697. Yeh. (orderingGods Decrees after the dfual préfumptiort ): he ria patra euciter affertech. 5.4 that Gad firft intendeth our. bleffednefs-as the end} before he caufare liberas ad ile hd ‘“ineendeth us grace, :faitby:cvc, as che-means: And thereforé, cannot ila previdertt at ‘aifee © do it fpr-forefeen faith,.cc. Yea; that he firft decreed to giveus blef- Pa oo “fednefs, before he decreed.to create. pe eee re 3. 7“ ao alibeleter Jequetir sbide-GuQ:'he-2~ ¥e2:: that God wmillerh all this, ‘before he knoweth thar arbitrit operatio (necef- — 84F re cas “” ee oe oo pemene tate confequentie: ) ©jrwill be, as. Scosws:ts 4.39. And chat feeing all Gods Volitions of Pag.87. 1. Scriptura fi- ¢¢ giving anv: good, are:free, without any precédent Caufe in man, it dem, fantitatem & quod- - giving. y'§ > ; ? | fs t aby libet difcrimen fanctorum “mut needs: be that the Decree: of glory and not of grace only, muft be @ reprobisy reducit ad <withontiMerit, sAnd:he concladeth p.13. that — have no quarrel a Ex uifortin, ke. 3.Di- © here with the Dodrine of the Articles of the Church of England, vind oe tl iit. 6 98. : Probl. 3.. he. xrefolveth with: . Smifings, that the idem Sh Ba ritis eh caufa que alj- ae oa; swith free-will,:is becaufe that Go h os ‘aiic, abfolute decree of God:confilteth-with free-will,:is be a ot cernit s ab impiis. #V*V, aay, be rng Cn) liberum not only decree the event,:.bue alfo-ehe mode, that it fhall be freely done: cual fie freee And therefore ‘his dearce doth not only chaff with Lrberty, but maketh l 2 Pe. 3 : LA ae Pa qua potuit refitere vel Mepeceffary,, so i a: il renee a 699. His feigned order of thedectees is paz.27. that ** 2, God decreepees in Deum at “eth to glorifie,2. Togive graceand amerits go obtain it; and that defi- _primariam cexfam Jacvite “ nitively: 3. Then he forefeeth chat they will concurr with grace. dchnientem. Ex Tvs 2. ¢ oe eee: | eee nate! 3% 4. Then he decreeth the execution, that olory fhall be given them by che
Ed mevita nibil obfune ‘© means: of. their Operations. ae | | quidditaté Bt din And. ofReprobations.° 1. That God effectually decreeth to do fo much rh Pi as e e, of ne ae gratia “© aS he doth, om hispart to give them glory, 2. And alfo fo far to give data abfgut wllo provfas “chetm-graces 3. Then.he forefeeth that they will not co-operate with Hea nina & re. “that graces. 4: He decreeth to permit them ‘to fall into fin, 5. And. morifimum meritum de “then detreeth their damnation.| I would not cite this man if he were hal red ae a Thomift Or Dominican: (who are known to go higher than the ba illud datur, obeffe quiddi- Of _Dort, though their reputation at home with their party tempt themto fal; gratia? 2 Ca, vam rail at the Ca/véniffs:). But as. he is a Scosift, and fo of a middle profefan eres inte fion. (Though Dr. Twiffe perceived how much their founding Gods fore- Liparata 4 merito, impara- Knowledge ih his Volitions, advantaged him, ) ae ct ne shies ) gra. 700. Suppofing yowk so semember the es of his Mafter Scotre: quoniim adbuc ma- us before cited, I adjoyn. the order Doctoris tluminati ( viz. Franc. neret debitum connaturali- oy cog: <o. ee ee bat batis, quamuls abeffet de- Mayronts ): tn tis 1d At. 9.4. Sunt —_ figne: Eft ergo prinure bitum objequiis sh Judas cr Petxus.offeruntur é yr es cc! ut mewtri: Lg tui | “Voluntas Divina ordinavit Petrum ad gloriam: nillum antem aitum po- “fitivum habuit circa Fudamy, fecandum Auguftinam. Secundum fignum oft “in quo ordinavtt Petrum ad ratiam: Cy tune circa Fadam ull act ume “ par dabmt.:.Tertiam fivnum eff in quo relinguuntar fits ipfise’ i atergque.cadtt ix peccatum, .. Quartum figuum eft ta que Petrus refur- ‘ r’,
git
7 a and Decrees of God, KC
< git, Quia non poteft permancre: quia pradeftinatus intelligstur ex pris “mo figno, Fudas autem non refurgit; co quod nonhabet relevantem in “Deo: ideo reprobatur, J i a, Pa Here:you fee a Reprobation that is no Act of God, but a non-acting; or is negative q#oad aitwm and not only quaad objectum, And he before faich out of Scotus and with him [ Zdeo dico ficwt dicit Doctor nofter; Quod prins Deus videt merita quam reprobum, licet prins non videat merita quam eligat:]. which is che commoneft- DoG@rine of the Schoolmen and other Papifts, as well as Augu/fines. or oe eo oe 70%. So D'Orbellis in 1,d.41. (Et, ditunt quidam quod non eff alia ratio quare Deus iftum elegit, tr non illum, wifi quia place--——Eo enim ipfo quod placet, sdeo rectum eft, propter {ummam ipfins Voluntatis reititudinem! predeffinationis a parte pradeftinatt, aliquo mpdo prior pradeftinatione s Reprobationis tamen eft aliqua ratio, propter quam feilicet ifta actio terminatur ad hoc objectum & non ad illud:— Cum Reprobare fit Velle Damnare, Reprobatio habet ex parte objectiy rationem, [cilicet peccatum finale pravifum——Non videtur autem dicendum ay aged de Pradefinatione cp Re robatione, Quis Bona Deo principaliter attribuuntur | Male autem nobis, Quia tamen Apoftolus videtur totam hoc imperferutabile relinguere, Rom.g9. O altitudo, &c. ideo digit Scotus quod eligatur opinio que magis placet, Dum tamen fervetur Libertas. Diviva,. abfque injuftitia. Hoc autem debet fiers abfque affertione pertinaci. Rationes namgue particulares’, propter quas ex parte diverjorkm Divina inferuntur judicis, funt me if Polo Ae |
Butnote, thar asco the firft part of Reprobation, 2 velle dare vratiam Scotus, Mayro, et. hold it to be nothing, ‘or no act atall. 2 ar, A
702. And what D’Orbelis next addeth of Bonaventure fetteth us at no
further odds, [ Bonav. dicit quod licet won fit aliqua.ratio Céufalis; fen me.
vitoria, predeftinationis 2 parte predcftinati, ( quis fiquis poffet de condigno mercri primam gratiam, tuncGratia non effet Gratin) . Poteft tamen efje aliqua ratio congruttatis Cr condecentia pradeftinationss., . Non guantum.ad fignificatum gued off Volitio Divina, fed guantum ad Connoratum quod eff Gratia.c> Gloria. | Poteft enim dics quod Deus predeftinat iffum proper pravifionem bonorym opera at aliquo modo funt a. libera arbitsto: Licet enim Gratificatiovel Fuftificatio fo principaliter 2 Divina Voluntate, hoc tamen eff cum cooperatione cy preparatione liberi arbitrii quia ut Aug, Qui fecit te tg te non jaftificabit te fine. te. Ubde cum peccator facit quod in [e, eft, meretur de comgruo juftificari, few: fecundam guid, ex condecentia Diving Uiberglitatis.) =, 1° >, cot
Bur. the true meaning of this is ito more than Proteftarits commofly hold, that God giveth (pectal Grace wfually to fuch only as are prepared for st by. more common Grace; and fo this preparation is gaid previfum. itt
Gods decree, bur no Caufe of his Act of Volition. or decree. |
903. And in the next words he granteth, that eveh this Preperation (0 {pecial grace, is.not alwayes necellary, [ Dews tamen fine aliqua praparatione cy cooperatione aliquos jxftificat., at patet ‘de fanckificatis. tn atero, cy de parvulis poft baptifmum ad calam evolantibus.; aliis fine baptifmd decedentibus-—— &c. a oe a
that he maketh all capable. of falvation, and fp. far helpeth'them 5
that the failing fhall noc:be on his part. For 0 Bomevent. abi fupric
i 1. d. 47. 4. Ts gide_ explaincth it, plainly adding, chat he Cor. Be 2 ay.
Sic dscit Scotus , quod licet nom videatur aliqua ratio
inde. ae
132 Of the Nature, Knowledge, Will
: will connoteth not falvation it felf,. but only. the faid Capacity and
helps. ae ae
| aad. obj. But many fay,that Predeftination doth not neceffirate the event,
An|w. Twiffe told you before that we are agreed all inthis; Ic inferreth
a Logical Neceffity Confequentie, though not aphyfical Confequentis: As
Bonavent.1.d, 40, 9:2. Ex parte rei evenicntys nnllam: ex parte Dei
prafcientis aliquam ; fcilicet tmmutabilitatis cersitudinem : Yea; as to |
grace and falvation it is certainly Canfal as chey confefs, : | |
706. Obj. Many wt , that a predeftinate perfon may be damned.
Anjw. Even as D’Orbelis in 1.4.40. 4.2. [ [fa propofitio, [, Pradeftinatus poteft damnari eft fal[a in Fens sompofito, cr vera in fen{a divifo]
| Wide explrat. Xt isunchriftian and onmanly to revile men chat fay the
fame that we do, meerly through diftafte, or becaule we will not be at the
907. Obj. we cannot be reconciled to them that vive [0 much to mans
free-will, Anj. How muchdo youmean ¢ It’s a dreadful thing to hear
fome good men ignorantly blafpheme God, as the chief caufe of every
villany in the World, meerly upon a factious prejudice and partial oppoficion to other men, whom they never underftood! Would it pleafe
you to hear chac God drageeth men into fin as by the hair of the bee
when the Devil himfelf can buc allurethem’ I-know it would not. Do
but make it plain as a granted thing, that God-doth not will or Love fin, |
and do more to Cas/e it, than the Devil, or the wickedeft finner himfelf
doth, and you can fcarce tell how to differ from the greater part of the
Schoolmen themfelves, or fober modérate Lafherans that are thought tobe
diffenters. Let it be the Devils work, and no good Chriftians, to painc
God in the fhape of the Father of. lies and all iniquity: Our God 1s Holy,
and Holinefsbecomerh: all that draw near him, andis the mark ofall thac
fhall fee his face. Dear Brethren, let not us that daily and juftly condemn oarfelves for fin, and take fuch odious ticles to our felves, make our
of fin chan were, - ee ae i
I will add one defcription of Free-#ill ont of the laff named Schoolman, D’Orbellis a Seotift, in 2. fent.d.-25. dub,2.-And tell mé what the
moft rigid oppofer of Free-will can defire more.” [°:Q2. Whether Frees
‘willbe. equally in all thac have ic ¥ 4nf. Pree-will may be compared
¢¢, To that which ix is free‘from, 9.:And-to that whichic ts freeto. 1. In
* the-firft fenfe, there is a threefold Liberty; 2. Fron conftraint, -2. Front
“fin, 3.Frommifery. Liberty from fin is not equally in good and bad 5
‘nor in man om earth and in Heaven. As 4Aug.Enchir, Thar's the
“Reeft will, chat cannovac all fervefin. And Liberty from mifery is noc
“equaliym all: Bue-Liberty from conftraint is equally in all; 'becaufe che
fwall cannot be forced, Though in God and the blefled there -be a Ne-
“ceffiry of Immutability, yet noc of Co-action: And necefity of Immu-
— “Stabilicy, repugneth riot‘Liberty = For’ the will is called Free fimply, noe
“ becaufe it fo willeth this, as thar ‘ic can will thé-concrary : -but becaufe
thac whareveric willeth, itdefireth ic by ‘ics own Empire; Becaufe ic
< fo -willech any thing, chat ic willeth-to will-ic >“. And cherefore inthe ac
| “of willing, itmoveth it felf, and ufeth dominion on it felf: And fo far Peds palate oe — though ic beitnmutably orddiried-to ic. * 2.'Bur if free- € Mamutad y orem #4 will ibecompared to that to which st is free, ‘viz. To doright (for as ee ee £° Awfelma faith, Ieis'a faculty or power to ‘keep rectitude ) fo it is not * equally in all::Forthis Power if in God of Himfelf; andin the Crea-
£¢ tures retclved from God : And it is more in the confirmed than the pa
= and Decrees of God, Kcr 3
“firmed, and in the good than inthe bad. And fecing to beabletofin,
“is adiminution of Liberty, therefore according to Axfelm, to be ablo “ro fin, is no Liberty nor part of liberty, taking. Free-will.accordisg to < che Common Keafon of ic. Butto have power as ro the Agt which des <¢formity isannext to, may well be a pare of Liberty, not. fiasp/y, but of
“ Dub, 3. Can free-will be compelled? An/w. God can celtray it, butoos “force it, for that is aContradi@ion: But. Ke can well effectually in. cline it,and make it move it felf frecly to which part God will. *]
Ithink this is as high as you can defire.-. And yet there js nothing in all this, buc what both parties may well bear wish, andi¢ hath indeed much foundnefs in it, But here he treatéth only ahaut equality of Liberty, bue
* Bur to fin he will not
oft told you how much che moft are agreed in it. oe re
7c¢8. To conclude, The heart and fumm of all our, differences is haw ta make God the total firft Caufe of all. Good, and noe to ‘make him whe Canfe of fin, and the damner of man for that which he hignfelf infaperably caufech. I hope both fides hold faft bdth the conclufions (that ous fin and deftruction is chiefly of dur felves, but in God is our help, and our good and happinefs is all fedm Him. ¥ And if chey both hold this; ic is not the difficulty of joyning chets cogeclier, and opening Gods unfearchs able methods, that mauft disjoyne us, and draw usto withdraw-our Love, as contemn each other, or difturb che Churches peace and unity. ie
709. Gregory Ariminenfis and Gabr. Biel have come fo.neas the rigid Dominicans that the Reader may. think that they plainly fay the fame. of
But Jet the Learned Reader note thefe chings’; x. That over and over they affirm -that though God Cas{e. all the AG of fin, yet. he is bur the Canfe partialiss I like not che phrafe my felf forthe reafons before given: pact by this chey.do greatly differ fromthe:aforefaid Authors 3. fee Greg. 2. d. 34, 35, 47, 3.. frequently faying, that God is Caufe partials. And. iv anlwering Aweolus ad nopnne he ites fully cyplaineth it: “Dicendum quod
S¢Gaafa dupliciter poteft accipi Tatalis: Uno made Tetales tetalitate relate
‘ad Caufam; td ef, fufecicnt Canfare V ayae ab (gue. conowr fis altering “Caule pracife canfande peut Caufat: | hi wegan ds eff ifta Confequen- “5143, Qaoniarn wic Devs ont -Créeatura eff fit Totals Caufa -achus mats. < Nangquam enim talis actus feret, p. Pees on Canfdret chm, Negus “estes fiCredture yon canfareh,' xr Dews om aliter canfarat, quam nunc &< de facko cawfait, concurrende comCrastura, Alto modo Tatalis totalitate S¢ relate, ad, efigdtuen, id: eft, totuin effectwtoccen{ans: Et cjufdem poffunt ‘Selle plures totales Caufe: ejafdem enim Volitiopis fecundan totum sf £ Capa Notttia 5, ham Voluptas). -oogh io Vad Hare note, thet.1, Heseketh not.cew/a tetelés fot the famewith So/iteria, 2. That he aflerteth only, thac God scaufech the Tews of che Ad, but nat:by 2 vsal Caufation ofsic +! Ant thacGods.way. orifort. af Cewiation -is noc: (afficienr co.cenfe.itsif maa comcurred not, which chey. 9a Q.. Sa thar-thefe mens way of; freeingGod fram heing the caufe of fin vis Hike Scotus bis’ As if Cas] -before made the--fimilisude) a Father..to try: his Qhilds ebedience;. bids him Jif’ af a Stone,-' which: he xannor do of himfelf.;. and the. Eather haldeth-:his \hand -aad joyneth his ftreneth, yet not ad sultimwn. piffe, obus-with 2 purpofed wxeltraine (> fac thar if the Child will"not put forth “his degree of ftrengch,
V Ubi fupra ad &
—buntas agat actum quam Deus, proprie lequen
tI me it fhould be
{. Eum.
Of the Nature, Knowledge; Will
it fhall nor be done. But who can comprehend the wayes of Divine concurfe? |
711. And itis to be noted, chat when Asreolds argueth, that £ if God immediately concurr, either he determineth mans act, or man determineth Gods act, or neither; which are all abfurd: } here Béed citeth Scotus ag holding the chird, and an{wering Neither , as no abfurdity, But Greg. Arim, that feemeth to go higher, yet faith, [* Fwxta wsodum loquendi arguentis dico qued Deus fequttur determinationem Voluntatis : non quod determinatio Voluntatis fit aliqua Entitas diflintta a Voluntate c adie vias quia primo fiat a voluntate—— nec si, eg quod priks natura Vo~
de priori natura: Quoniamtunc fequeretur quod poffet illum agere; Deo non coagente.- = Sed ad hunc fenfum dico Deum fequt Determindtionem Voluntatis, Quoniam tdéo Deus agit illum attum, qutat cumVoluntas agtt. Et non ideo quis Deus agit, tdeo Voluntas agit: @ tdeo mags proprie dicitur Deus coagere Koluntati in talem attum caufandt, quamVoluntas dicatur coagere Deo. } You fee that thefe Nominals do toto celo differ from Alvarez, Tyiffe and Retherford: ¢ And yet Alvares would fain be moderate in ‘that one Difputation which Dr. Fwéffe in a peculiar Digreffion oppugnerh. ) — 712. And note, that che thing which moved Gregory to go fo faras he | doth is, Left God fhould be denyed'to be the Caufe of all Natural Entity: But if you fet before the will, the Creator (or Chief Good) and — the Creature (or fenfual pleafure ) the Act iz ges#ere as a Volition is an Entity, or sodus entis: But who can prove hot comparatively as ig ‘is cerminated-on the Creature,'racher than on the Creator, it hath any Natural Entiry,, more chan the a&t iz gemere; or any modality whick God is not able to give a Creature power to caufe, or not caufe, without predetermination from God or any other ¢ en
713. Yea, Ariminenfis {eemethi tomean this himfelf, when 262d, d. 343 35.4.2, ad5, he faith [Dems poteft folus attum illum eanfare, ¢ attum odiendi, id eff, qui eft odium Dei, cr mendacinm etiam poteft caufare : Non tame poteft caufare attum odiendi Deum, few odium Dei: neque poteft Camfare Adendacium vel mentiré , xeque poteft canfare alum ma lum+ Quave gnemcunque attum caufaret folus , licet ille nunc fit Odinm Dei vel mendacinm, vel aliquis actus mealus, {s tamen Deus folws illum caufaret, fu poteft illum canfare folus, non effet actus, neque odium Det vel mendacinm.) Bur whatever he thought, I have before anfwered this
. difficulty of the Entity of the acts of fin.
TD mention. riminenfis judgement the rather 5 becaufe the Learned
Calvinifis commend him: And I remember when I once aske Arch- Bifhop Uber which. of the Schoolmen he moft valued as the foundeft, he faid Greg. Ariminenfis, . . a |
734. Isnoc all this dottrine from thefe men cited conformable to thé
doétrine of the Synod of Doyt? Who in the conclufion name many politions which shey and all the Reformed Churches with them do, toto pectove
deteffari, abhorr with all theis hearts: Arnong which ofie is, Deis xudo ‘puroque Voluntatis arbitrio, ubfaue omns peccats ullins ve[pecin:vel intaitd, maXimam mundi partem ad eternam damnationem pradeftinaffe & cre Affe. Andanother is, Eodem modo quo elettio fons eft Gy canfa fidei ac bonorum operum, reprobationem effe caufam infidelitatis Cy impictatu Another is, Adultos fidelinns infantes ab uberibss matyuhs innoxios abripé tyrannice in Gebennams pracipitari, adco wt iis nec Baptifmas, nec Ee clefia in corum baptifmo preces, prodeffe queant, |
And
eee, : : sine _ _ a ene _ . and Decrees of Ged; &e. yd oo
And it is much to be noted,‘ that'in conclafion-they defire-all men to judze of the Doctrine of the Reformed Charches;' not by Calumnies, nor by the Private fing § fome Doétors, antient or Tater >. but b the 0096 mi i of the’ Churches’, and by the Declaration’ of’ this Synod. ‘Therefore not by’thé extreams of Beza, Piféator; Spanhebnhs; Twiffe and Rutherford; but by what the Articles of the Churches fab{cribed, Mi Paftors#do contain, ' Otherwifle -we. fhall ‘be far more foolifli than’ th Papifts,-who will-not expofe their Churel? to obioquty“or, divifiont ‘by ftanding to the fayings of Alvarez or Afdlina, or any private’ Dottor -whofoever. oi 4 : : oe; ee te. BEd x im Fae o et
715. And it is notaxious to any impartiht peraler, thatthe wholé forth of the Doétrine of the Church of Exg/and, in the Articles , Catechifm, Liturgie, Homilies, and all their publick Writings, was drawn up by men of Asguftines judgement, who were for abfolute Election, and Uni-
¥
verfal fufficient Recemption and Grace 4d poffe, but for no Reprobation —
but on forefight of fin.
716, And it is greatly to be noted, with grief of heart, that among Good men, it is partly General prejudice, but chiefly the Intereft of cheir Reputation with thofe among whom they live, which is the great impe- -diment of the Churches Concord. The name of a Ca/winiff is {o hateful among the Papifts, chat even the Predeterminant Dominicans who go higher than ever Ca/vin did, (and the Fenfenifts, who go as high in the main caufe, and higher than the Synod of Dort,) do yet find it a matter of neceffity to rail ac Luther, Zwinglins, Calvin, ec. left cheic party fhould think chat they are turned Hereticks. . And che Proteftants that agrce in fome points with the Papifts, are fain to rack the Papifts words, to a worfe fenfe than is meant, left their fierce oppofers thould make men believe that they are half hs or err with them. And the moderate Ca/vinifts are fain to ftretch hard, that they may feem to differ more from the Arminians tharthey do, left a felf-conceited reviler fhould bloc their names with the fufpicion of Arminianifm. O | doleful cafe of all the Churches !} Bute where Proteftants are few and.
made odious by the Papifts, as differing from them further than they do, there Reputation is nor fo great.a: temptation ¢ And there they ‘her " confefs their concord, where they do not differ. And fo in Colloquia Torunenfi c. 4. de grat, depalf. Calum, fec#.5,6. all the Reformed Churches of Poland with oh, Bergi#s the Duke of Brandenburgs Chaplain, and others did profels, [Falfo accufamur, quali Mortis @ Meriti Chrifti pro omnibus [ufficientiam negemus y aut Virtutem imminuamus, cum potius. idem hic quod ipfa Synodus Tridentina {ef.6. cap. 3. doceamus, viz. Eth Chriftus pro omnibus mortuus (it; now omnes tamen mortis ejus benefictum vecipere, fed eos dintaxat quibus meritum paffionis ejus communicetur, Canfam etiam fen culpam, cir xon omnibus communicetar, nequaquam in merito cr morte Chrifti, fed in ipfis bominibus effe fatemur. ] Here was no partial intereft to make them afraid of being fufpefed to _ comply with Papifts, | ere Sr ee ee 717. I end with this requeft to all my Brethren who by their averfenels to the Dodtriné of Common or Univeral Grace, do keep open the Churches dangerous wounds, 1. That they will give Scripture leave to tule their judgements, and try whether it be poffible to build fpecial Grace, om any other foundation than prefuppofed comsmon Grace? and whether to deny this, be not to deny the very tenor of the Gofpel, and pull up che foundacions of our Religiong = |
2. That
Of the ACature, Knowledge, Will, &c.
2. That they will but read over Devenants two differtations, and the fecond Tome ( at leaft) of the Learned Ded/ews his Apology againft Spasheminus, that is, The words of an hundred and twenty anuent Writers and Councils, beginning at Clemens Romanas, and sagen with Theophylaét, and fixty three Proteftant Divines and Synods (to which I chink I could add as many more, chat 5 more plainly to the point, or nearit, ) And if after all this they have fo great a zeal to contract the Glory of Gods Mercy, and deny his Grace, as chat they will caft off the judgemene of all che antient Churches of Chrift, and fo many later, rather than acknowledge it, I fhall ceafe difputing wich them, and feek to quench the fire which chey kindle in the Churches of Ghrift by Prayers and Tears.
The End of the Firft Part.
THE
MORAL WORKS
WHEREIN -
Of his Laws or Covenants, of R edemption, of fufficient and effectual Grace, of Faith, Juftification, Works, Merits, Perfeverance, certainty of Salvation, @c. fo far as the Church-troubling-Controverfies do require.
LON DON: | Printed for A{evil Simmons, at the Princes Arms in St. “Pauls Church-Yard. 1 675. —
_*- of another owned, the cafe of all the fons of Adam is deplorable and defperate.
in a conteft between a young infulting Affailant,and a jocular contemptuous Defendant; in my judgment both running into extrcams; whether vetbal or real, their own explications mutt further tell us: The extreams of the former are reprehended by many: By the later, (a perfon of great wit and piety, ) I perceive that fome men have fuch conceptions of the Covenants of God, as will give occafion to fome Readers to think, that by mif-defcribing them, I have erred and mifled men, through this and many other Writings. Arid men that are not able to conquer the ob{curing and tempting notions of their Authors, are fill calling for An- Swers to every inconfiderable objection, or contradicting wotd that is fuggefted to them; and little things puzzle and ftop fuch Readers ( though otherwife pious and worthy perfons) who have not by long and accurate ftudies methodized and digofted the matter that is difputed of: Not therefore to offend any man by oppoflition, or to defend other mens extreams; but to prevent the fruftration of {ome of thefe Writings, and the fcandal or trduble of my Reader, f muft take notice 5 ee es “I. That fome think that [the Covenant of Grace muft be confidered, 1. in its Conftitution; and
““ 2. im its Execution: The Conftitution of the Covenant is God?s firm and unchangeable
S Ince the Printing of this, the World hath feen a fpecirnen of {uch coritention, as I lament!
perdi | “ faving bis Eled, to the praife of bis glorions Grace. | For the word fignifieth a difpofi
dion, ap~ “ Pointment, or ordering of matters, whether there be a reftipulation or no; (the Englith word,
“* Covenant, feduceth our underftandings): The fixed purpofe and determinate counfel of God,
“in Scripture, is called a Covenant, Fer. 33.20. II. The execution of this fixed Conftitution is
“ God’s wife and gracious managing of all things for the accomplithhent of that glorious defign
‘ which he had in the profpect of his eternal counfel, which he fteadily and regularly purfueth
“through all the viciffitudes that his mutable creatures are obnoxjous to, Ore. pag. 718, 719.
“1. On God’s part; whatever grace and mercy was in his eternal purpofe, that is given out tous
“by Chrift, @c. III. 1. Chrift cannot be the foundation of the Covenant, becaufe Chrift himfelf
“ is promifed in the Covenant as the great comprehenfive bleffing, I/z.49. 8, 9. 2. Free Grace is
“given as the true reafon of the Covenant, Hebrews 8:8. IV. The Conftitution of the Covenant in
* God’s purpofe and counfel, hath no condition at all : nor is that the Conditioi of the Covenant
“* required of us on our part, which God promifeth to work in us on his Part nor that which
“* God in Covenant beftoweth} nor that which prefuppofeth other Covenant mercies aritecedent,
“@c. V. A promife of pardon and life on condition ot believing and obeying, is no Covenant cf
“ Grace at all, and neither better nor worfe than a threatning of condemnation, é&c. 1t’s no mcre
“a Covenant of Grace than a Covenant of Wrath.-- It’s no Breat matter where it is founded.
* p: 584, 586. VI. God hath not difpenfed with one jot or title of the moral Law, bist, Do this
To deny the
~ righteoufnefs wherein the believing finner may ftand before this righteous and holy God, is to
“ afhrm the eternal damnation of all the World. VII. The Covenant mentioned juttifiech not,
“ but declareth our Juftification, which is the immediate Proper effe@ of Chrift’s righteoufnels, “ VIII. Never any man in his wits affirmed that the righteoufnefs of Chrift is the formal caufe of “our Juftification: Give us but leave to call it the material caufe, or the meritorious caufe im- “ mediately and properly of Juttification, &c. | | | Some will chink that they are great and heinous errors, which ‘either thefe words, or fome of mine that feem contrary, import: But I muft crave leave here to follow my ufual method, in {eparating the Controverties ae re & de nomine and then 1 think that even thele ftrange words Prove not him and me at fo great a diftanceas they feemtointimate. ForI grant him as followeth de re. | 1. That God hath fucha decree of Eledtion or eternal purpofe as he defcribeth the Conftitution of the Covenant. 2. That God doth wilely and gracioufly execute this Decree. 3- That all Grace and Mercy is given by Chrift: (And therefore {0 far as Mercy is common, Chrift is the common caufe of it.) 4. That Chrift himfelf isa bleffing or gift decreed, and alfo freely given by God, even from his love to the World, Fob. 3.16. 5. That God’s ele@ting A, or Decree, as in him, hath no condition: nor his purpofe to give Chrift as a Saviour to mankind. 6.On our part no condition is required, either that God may ¢lect us, or chat the firft promife of a Saviour be made, or that Chrift come into the World, or that he fulfill all righteoufnefs, or that he obey, or die, or rife, or be gloritied, or come to judgment,-or raife the dead, or that he enact ie as his Law of Grace, that [ be that believeth and is baptised, (hall be faved, and be that believeth not foal be damned. ] 7. Nor is any condition on our part nay Cabfolutely, néceffitate ssi 3 . that
, and calleth
.
An Appendix to this ‘Premonition.
that the Gofpel, or the firft Grace, yea the firft fpecial Grace be givenus. 8. That Chrift by his fuffering and merits hath procured to his ele*t, net only pardon and life if they believe and obsy him, but Grace to caufe them effectually and infallibly to believe, repent, obey, and perfevere. 9. That no man can or will believe and repent, but by his Grace. 10. That to give men a promife of pardon and life if they will believe, repent, and obey the Gofpel, is not the whole of Chrift’s Grace to any: but where-ever he giveth this, he giveth alfo much means, and gracious help, by which men may do better than they do, and fo be more prepared for his further Grace. 11. That if.God only gave men a promife of pardon if they believe, and gave them no Grace to enable or help them to believe, it would be no faving Covenant. 12. God did not repeal his Law of Innocency, (or ashe had rather call it, of Perfecton) nor did properly difpenfe with, or rclax the preceptive part of it: Nor is it abfolutely ceafed, asto a capable fubject: And therefore Chritt was bound to perfection. 13. God would not have his Law to be without the honour of the perfe performance of mans Mediator, though it be violated by us all. 14. No man is faved or juftihed but by the proper merit of Chrilt’s perfect obedience, yea, and his bzbitual holinefs and fatisfattory fufferings, advanced in dignity by his divine perfection. 15. This merit, as related to us, fuppofeth that Chrift, as a Sponfor, was the fecond Adam, the Root of the juttified, the recon-. ciling Mediator, who obeyed perfetly with that intent, that by his obedience we might be juftified; and who fuffered for our fins, in our room and ftead 5 and {0 was in tantum our Vicarins pene, as {ome phrafe it, or fubjtitute; and was made a curfe for us, that we might be healed by his ftripes; as he was obedient, that his righteoufnefs might be the reafon as a meritorious caufe of our Juftification: which fuppofeth the relation of an undertaking Kedeemer, in our nature doing this, and in our ftead {o far forth, as that therefore perfed obedéence {hould noc be neceffary to be performed by our felves: And righteoufnefs therefore is imputed to us, that is, we are truly reputed righteous, becaufe we, as believing members of.Chrift, have right to impunity and life, as merited by his righteoufnefs, and freely given to all penitent believers. And Chrift’s own righteoufnefs may be faid fo far to be imputed to us, as to be reckoned or reputed the meritorious caufe of our right or juftification, as aforefaid. am:
Thus far we are agreed de re: And then de nomine I willingly leave men to their way of {pecch. 1. If he will call God's Decree, bis Covenant in Conftitution. 2. If he will call the execution of his Decree, his Covenant in execution. 3. If he will call nothing elfe the Covenant of Grace, or at leaft nothing of narrower extent, but what comprehendeth God’s eternal Decrees, and the promife and gift of a Redeemer, (and fo of the reft,) I cannot help it; his’ Janguage ishisown- ButI {hall tell you further my thoughts de re & de nomine. a _ 1. De re: 1. God’s eternal decrees, purpofes, or election, give no one right to Chrift, Pardon
or Life; and {o juftihenoman. 7 | ch 8
2. The execution of God’s Decrecs, yea, of Ele@tion, hath many Acts befides Juftification... | : |
3. It muft therefore be fome tranfient Act done in time, & ad extra, by which God juftifieth men. . —
4. There are divers fuch a&ts concurring in feveral forts of caufality, or refpect.
5. Chrift’s meritorious righteoufnefs and fatisfaction are the fole, proper, immediate caufemeritorious of all the Grace or Mercy procured and given by him there being no other meritorious caufe of the fame kind either more immediate, or at all co-ordinate, and copartner with him. Pe es : |
6. As Chrift giveth us Holinefg qualitative and active by the real operation of his Spirit, (though he merited it immediately himfelf; ) {0 doth he give us right to impunity, to the further Grace of the Spirit, and to Glory, by. the inftrunacntality of his Covenant, as by a Teftament, Deed of Gift, or Law of Grace. Which by fignifying God’s donative will, doth not firft declare us-juftified, or to have the forefaid right to Chrift and Life, but doth firft give as inftrumentally that right , and {o immediately juftify us. (And God’s will giveth us not rigbt as fecret, or of it felf, but by fuch inftrurhental fignification.) : a
7- God hath fignified his will to us, partly by abfolute gifts and promifes, and partly by conditional : that fach there are, he that denieth, muft deny much of the Scripture. Chritt was abfolutely given to fallen mankind for a Redeemer 5 and fo was the Conditional Law, or Covenant of Graces and many other mercies But he hath made and recorded a conditional Gift of Chritt, as in {pecial Union, (to be our Head,) and of Pardon and Salvation.
8. It is Chrift’s ttated Conftitution, that [he that believeth, and is baptized, fball be faved; and he that believeth not (hall be damned, Mar. 16.16. That if tho confeft with thy mouth the Lord Fe~ Sis, and believe in thy heart that God raifed bim from the dead, thou fhalt be faved: for with the heart man believeth (Chrilt’s refurrection) unto righteon{nefs, and with the mouth confiffion is made unto Salvation, Rom, 10. That except ou repent you fhall all perifo, Luke 13:3, 5. 1bat men mutt repent, and be baptized , for the remiffion of fins, AGs 2.38. And repeats and be converted,
=
An Appendix to this Premonition.
that their fis may be blotted out, ACts 3.19. So, Revelation 22:14. Matt. 6. 14,15. Ezekiel 33:14, 16. 1 Tim. 4. 8.Godlinefs is profitable to all things, having the promife of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come.| Call thefe Laws, or Covenants, or what you will, we are agreed that all this is the word of God. 7
gs Thefe terms of life and death are the rule of our prattices, and our expetiations, by which we mutt Jive, and by which we {hall be judged: and therefore we may truly fay that they are Chrif?s Law. And they are God’s fignified determination of the conditions of life and death and his donation of our right to Chrift, Pardon and Life, is contained herein; and therefore this may truly be called Chrift’s Teftament and Covenant, in {everal refpects.-
_ 10. Though all duties be prefcribed by God’s Law, and fo each Precept is a material part; yet _ formally or {pecifically the Laws to which thefe material parts belong, muft be diftinguithed by the dijttindt conditions of life and death, |
11. God hath made more Promifes, Donations and Covenants, than one or two 3 which muft not be confounded: 1. His Law and Covenant made to and with man in ianoeency is one. 2. And his Law and Covenant made to and with Chrift, as Mediator, is another. 3. And his abfolute promife of a Saviour to the World, with the conditional promife or Law of Grace conjund, was the tirft edition of another. And the Gofpel, as after the incarnation promulgate, was a more perfe edition of it: (to pafs by Abrahams Covenant of Peculiarity, and the Mofaical Law, as fuch. ) ; :
12. Though Chrift be promifed in one of thefe, and be God’s antecedent gift, he may neverthelefs be the Author of another, (and fo far the foundation, ) as well as the meritorions canfe.
13. That may be of free Grace which is merited by Chrift} yea, and that which is annexed to the Evangelical worthinefs of a believer.
14. That may be a condition required of us, to be doxe by the help of Grace, which yet is the effect of that Grace,and givenus by God. a <_ .
15. It isa true Covenant between God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and maz, which is folemnly entred into én Baptifm: And this is a Covenant of Grace, even that proceedeth purely from Gracey and of Grace, as given by God, and by es accepted. He that will confound thefe various Covenants, Promifes, and Laws, on pretence of their nity, (though there is doubtlefs a
wonderful sity of all the parts both of God’s mora! ({ignal) means, and his phyficat works ) thal confound:much of Theology. Me ve La ae.
16. Fhe Law made to Adam never faid [ etther thon or another for thee fhall obey; | but it bound man to perfect, perpetual, perfonal obedience. ot 3 :
17. Therctore that Law, as it obliged us, is not ‘fulfilled by thé obedience of Chrift, but only as far as tt obliged him; nor can amy man be juftified by it, asa fulfiller of st, by bimfelf, or by another: nor did Chrift fulfilicin any other mans .perfon, though én bis ftead, {o far as is afore- {aid. eee Z : Z ! |
~ 48, The Law doth not command arly man fince Adam, perfedt, perfonal obedience, as the means or condition of life, nor promife any life on fuch a condition as is now naturally impofhble: but though it be not repealed by God, is fo far ceafed, by the ceffation of the fubjects capacity to be fo obliged. . a = cr ae =
19. The Laws obligation of xs to punifoment is difpenced witb, and diffolved by a pardon purchafed by our Mediator. Geis , “ae ¢ |
20. Chrift’s righteoufnefs is neverthelefs the meritorious caxfe of our righteoufnefs or juftitication, though he juttify us by the inftramentality of his donative Covenant, as giving us right to our Union, and Fultéfication and Life, and though our Faith and Repentance be the condition of our Title. . | of
21. We accept two Conceffions as containiug that truth, which theweth that we do not much differ de ve, could we more happily order our organical-conceptions :“ 1. That Chrift’s righteouf-
“* nefs isnot the formal caufe of our Juftification: 2. p. 56 | Secioe the {atisfaction was not made “IN THE PERSON of the offender, but his fubftitutes it was neceffary that TH E “BENEFIT of ANOTHEKS {atisfaQtion fhould be communicated in fuch a-way as might
_ bett pleafe that God whofe Grace was the only motive to his aoceptation of a fubfticute: It is “che undoubted priviledge of the Giver, to difpofe of his own gifts in his owri way: And it “ was abfolutely and indifpenfibly neceffary chat the finner fhould be duly qualified to receive “ fach tranfcendent favours, purchafed at fo dear a rate, and fitted to return the glory to a Re- “ deemer3_ which an unhumbled, unbelieving, unconverted and unfandtitied finner could net pof- “ {ibly be.] He that writeth this, cannot {ure much differ from me hereabouts. .
But he is charitably uncharitable, whenhe faith, | Never any man in his wits affirmed it fo, (that the righteoufnefs of Chritt is the formal caufe of our Juftification.) It’s too charitable to hide that which cannot be hid, of fo greata number; whom it feems he never read(tor all his Commiftion from all the Syitematical Divines of Germany, 6c. p. 696.) And it’s too uncbaritable to Indes
An Appendix to this Premonition.
fo many excellent men ont of their wits. The truth is, fo many {peak fo, that I have been doubeful I thould be {martly cenfured for faying otherwife. | .
Forma qua jujtificamur eft mifericordia Patris & perfetia Tuftitia filii, faith Ant. Fayus in his Accurate Thefes, Th. 60. p. 280. (And by mifericordia Patris being the form, you may fee how he underftood Imputation.) _— :
_.. The number that thus {peak, are too great here to be recited: fo that even the moft judicious
Davenant, \cit he thould go out of the road, was fain to make this the Thefes to be proved by him 5 “Imputatam Chrifti obedientiam effe caufam formalem juftificationis noftre, probatur; Cap. 28, P: 362.&c. de Injtit. habit. But let none turn this to our reproach, nor take all thefe for mad; for it is but an #wapt name, and by him and many others foundly meant: for the greater part of thefe Divines fay but that Imputatio Fuftitie Chrifti & Kemiffio peccatorum arc the form, not of Juttification, as ta #s, but asit is Adins Fuftificantis, (as Altingius, Marefius, Sharpius, Bucanus, Spanbemiu, Nigrinus, Sobniw, Beumler, and many others:. And Pareus, Job. Crocius de Fuftif. and many more exprefly deny Chrift’s righteoufnefs to be the formal caxfe: And I believe that all they that affert it, mean as the reft, though they {peak incauteloufly and unaptly.
And what they mean by [Impstation,| let Davenant (peak, ib. c. 27. p- 359. [Imputantur quando illorum intuitus & re{petins valent nobis ad aliguem effecium, aque acfi anobis, aut in nobis effent, --fiquis indignus aut ignavus ob paternam virtutem C merita erga rempublicam, in gratiam regis admittatur, — gratum & nobilitatum dicamus per & propter Imputationem virtutis paterne. | This is Brad/baw’s {enfe, but yet the fimilitude falls fhort. .
So Altingius {tates the Queftion; Loc. Com. part.2. p. 679. (An juftificatio confitet in Impya tattone Fuftitie Chrifti, boc eft in Imputatione Fuftitie per Chriftum acquifite?] And what Prote- {tant will deny this?
And Marefius (with him) faith, [Cum Paulo juftitie Imputatio & peccaforum remiffio idem Sint, prout nullum e€ difcrimen inter fatisfaGtonem Chrifti & illius meritum, non eft neceffe fubtilius inter bec duo ferepulofé diftinguere, cum. remiffio fit peccatorum tum commiffionis, tum omiffionis & per illam jus plenum ad vitam eternam babeamus.| (But this needeth fomewhat more I think,) Loe. 11. p.284. : | |
And the defcription of the effed (heweth what the Dnpstation is, which Marefius truly thus de- {cribeth, Exeg. Art. 23. p. 326, 327. Tranfit reatu (peccatum orig. ) ut non amplius imputetur 5 adberet quidem ei infeparabiliter Reatus potentialis five in alin prime 3 st fonat intrinfecum meritum pane fed ablatus eft Adiualis, five quoad altum Secundum, ut fonat jus & voluntatem Dei de pena illa adhuc exigenda: N. B.
Thyfius in (ynopfi Leidewf: Difp. 33-p- 413. faith, [Mirum bic videri non debet Chrifti juftitiamy, non meritoria folum & materials, imo & Formalis caule rationem habere, cum id fiat diverft mode; nempe qua illa eff, propter quod, in quo, feu ex quo, & per quod juftificamxr.] So he taketh Chrift’s righteoufnefs to be all three, (the meritoriows, material, and formal caxfe of our Juttitication.)
De nomine, 1 add as to our Author:.1. 1 hope few will follow him, in calling the Decrees of *
God, the Covenant, and confounding Eledion and the Covenant in Conjtitution. For ray part, I will not. oy se
2. Conftitution fignifieth, 1. aétem Conjtituentis } 2. more ufually paflively, (tatum few rem cons flitutam : God’s Eternal Purpofe is not properly the Covenant in Conftitution in either fenfe.
3- God's Eternal Decree is nothing but his Effence (for there is nothing in God but God, and nothing but God eternal) denominated, as related to its connoted obje&, (which from eternity was nothing.) And the Covenant in Conttitution is not God, nor fhall be by me fo called.
4. Nor will I call the whole execution of God’s Election by Chrift, the Covenant in Execution; nor any part of it but that which Scripture fo calleth. :
§- I grant him that cud is ufually taken fora divine difpofition and conftitution: but that is not meerly in God's Decree, but (as Grotins hath at large opened,) ( Pref. ad Annot. in Evang. ) as it is God’s fignal revealed determination of the terms of life and death; oras itisa Law and a Covenant on God’s part impofed on us, before we confent. And Fer. 33.20. doth not call God’s meer Decree, his Covenant 3 (but his created courfe and law of nature. )
6- He that will but try the Texts which his Concordance referreth him to, and cannot find a multitude of places where the word [ Cevenant’] is taken for fomewhat elfe than God’s Decrees,
and their general Execution, even fora Law with its premiant and peal fantiion, and for 2 free
donation or promife, which yet hath its proper conditions, as the moralis difpofitia recipientizune; and that cannot find divers {uch Covenants made, by God, with Chrift and us, that are really diftin@, and not to be confounded, muft not expect that I here trouble other Readers with fuch a task as his conviction.
7. I fully agree, that Chrift’s righteoufnrfs is fitly called, both the meritorious and material
caufe of our Righteoufnefs or paifive Juttification: (Though I latcly read one contending that it canmot be both.) For we mean but that it is that Matter or Zbing which meriteth it.
THE
~The Contents of.thele, Tueses cannot be well given you,. without recififig too great a part of them: he rather than none,take this imperfect
Se. I. - F many firlk State and the firfthaw,anditspenalty. Whe-
: ther Adam bed a.prowsife., of Life? and whether that Promife or Covenapt be now cétfed av toalkesen? Page 27. Sect. H. Of the firfh Edition. of the Lam or Covetant of Grica, that it. ana ‘made with all Mankind in Adam and Noahs: Of the Promife to. Abraham;. of the Termes afi. the firkt. Rdition of the Uniutrfal Covenant of Grace. How far it is a Law of Nature, How far thofe withont-the- Wyaelitith Church were sider it's Of. the Mrdelites
Covenant, pag. 31. es Set. III. Of Chrift’s Indarnation and'owr Redemption. . The' Law of Nziltas + tion, What Ohrift undertook for wr> How far he reprtfentedius 3 The true nattre of his Satisfabion.. Of hie Righteod{nefs. and Merits, pagi37-. oe meg ee ee eee Se. IV, Of the Law- of Grace’ or New Covenanted the laft-Edition, The __. Nature, Conditions, and\yet free Doustions of tt, pag. gy... 2" Sect. V. Of the giving of the Holy Ghoft: His common and fpecial Works: The extent of the New Covenant: Of the fiate of thofe that have
not the Gofpel: And what Law they are under, pag. 45.
Sect. VI. How far Chrii died for all, and how far not, pag. 51-
Sect.VIL. The antecedent and confequent Will of God, explained. Of Fuiii- — | fication by Faith. What faith it is; and what it doth,pag. 54. SeG.VIIL. Of Fuftification by Chrift’s Righteoufne/s imputed. The falfe
fenfe of Imputation opened and fully confuted. The true fenfe afferted. Whether Christ paid our Idem or Tantundem? Whether he made his satlsfatfiow to God only as to a ReGor, or as
| Dominus, vel pars lz{a, or how ¢ pag. 59.
Of Righteou{ne{s: How far it is or is not iw oxr own habits or atts. What Right the Covenant giveth the baptized to following helps and degrees of Grace. Further, what mujft bein our felues. Mans holinefs is no difbonour to Gods Grace. How far Chrift ftrippeth ws of bur own Righteoufnefs. More againft the falfe fenfe of Imsputation 5 ae “Objections anfwered, pag. 69. | Sect. X. Of Merit: The cafe plainly and briefly decided. ~ The Gofpel-Condition or Merit, is but the accepting a free Gift according to its nature. _ Whether we may trust to our own Faith, Repentance, Holinefs. The
__... daft Argument for the falfe fenfe of Imputation, anfwered, pag. 79. Sect. XI. How Faith juftifieth 2 whether as an Inflrument? pag. 82. | Se&. XII. How far Repentance is a Condition of the Covenant: And what it
ase egal Faith or it be firfi: How Faith and Love differ; pag. o3- | | _
Se XILof the degrees of Pardon and Justification : Whether lofable : And
whether future fins be pardoned, pag. 85.
Se&t.XIV. Of Juftification by Sentence of the Judge: What tt is, ibid. oa
- ect,
The Contents.
Set. XV. Of initial executive Pardon or Fuftification, in Santificati ons How far neceffary, yet imperfed, pag. 86..
Sed. XVI. Of affurance of Pardon:. Of doubting: Whether it be Divine. Faith to believe ones own i aaa or Salvation: The x salsa _. Teftimony, pag. 88.. |
| Se & XVI. Of love ta God as the end of Faiths and forctsp of Heaven,
pag. 91.
Sect. XVIII. of Perfenerance, and its certainty in le to the comfortable certainty of Salvation. Few certain of Fuftification, and fewer of Perfeverance. The words of the Synod of Dort. = he Fa-
7 thers Fadgment about certainty of perfeverance, pag. Sed. XIX. Of mortal Sin, or fuch as will not ftand with the i of God, anda flate of Fuitification, pag, 103. Sec. XX. What Repentance for particular fi ins is meceffary to pardon ,
pag. 106. Set, XXI, Some folution of all the former aifficulsies i in twenty Propofitions, 108. Set, XXIL. Few certain of Salvation. The reconciling confequents of this, 112.
| pag. Sect, XXIII. The café of Perfeverance farther opened and applied, pag. 113.
Sect. XXIV. The fins and {cope of this Difconrfe of Certainty, pap. 116.
Sed. XXV, a of “Allee ead danger, a 18. aon |
Set. XXVI. 0 of fina pall cic sea at Judgment: More of the Agreement of ul and James about Fufti fication by fet pag. 119.
SA XVI. Of the nussber of the glorified and the damned, pag. 123.
PREMONITION
| Y work at prefent is but to lay down fo much of the Chriftian Doétrine briefly, asisneceflary to be underftood for the reconciling of the Controverfies about Predeftination, - Providence, Grace and Free-will: And therefore pafs over many other weighty Points, and muft not ftand largely to prove all asI go, which carrieth its own evidence: The true nature of the firft Law or Covenant deferveth a more accurate difcuffion than I can here — ; and much paffeth as certain with fome, which hath but little roof. _ | . And here I meet with thefe different Opinions: 1, Some fay that the condition of the firft Covenant was not Innocency, but fincerity: And that Innocency was only a Duty, neceflary meceffitate precepti, but not. medi: or that it was xt medium neceflary ad melivs effe, or to {ome certain degrees of ‘felicity, whereof it was a condition, but notto felicity it felf. And that the Covenant of Grace doth herein agree with it 3 both of them damning man only for mortal fin, and punifbing them temporally only for venial fix. And he feemeth to be of this mind, who faith that, Do this and live, or Innocency or Works was the Condition only — of Afofes Law, but that Adbere and Vanquifh wasthe Condition of the firft Covenant: But thefe are ambiguous unfatisfactory terms: If the meaning be, [ Adhere to God and his Law by perfec Innocency, and vazquifh all temptations to Sin, ] thjs is the fame with that Innocency which we fay wasthe Condition. But if he mean only, [ Adhere to me fincerely by Jove as thy Ultimate End, ‘and vanquifh all temptations which would draw thee from me, toanother Ultimate End or God, ] this is" the fame with the firft opinion; which many Papis#s feem to hold. | 2. Butthe more common Opinion is that which affert, That Inno- | cency was the Condition, not only of Life eternal, but of all the. be- | nefits of Gods Covenant, and the leaft fin the forfeiture of all. oy They that are for the firft Opinion think, that if Adam had committed. but a fmall or venial fin ( asa finful thought or defire after the forbidden ° Fruit, without the act or full confent }) it had been againft Gods natural _ Goodnefs and Juftice to have condemned him to Hell for it. And con- ; fequently that Chrift died not to pardon the pains of Hell as due for fach. little fins; but only temporal {maller punifhments. a But God beft knoweth hisown Nature; And nature telleth us, That all fin deferucth punifhment: And he that finneth, fo far removeth his. heart from God, and forfeiteth his Spirit or Grace: And he that hath once fo turned from God in theleaft degree, cannot of himfelf return nor heal himfelf; and had no promife of Gods Graceto do it: And therefore it is not to be fuppofed that he fhould fin no more, but fuch a minute fin; for greater will come in prefently at that breach, unlefs God recover him,which he was not in Jultice bound todo: Aud no one knoweth fo well as God how much maiignity isin the {mallett fin;And it was as eafie for finlefs Adam to have continued finlefs, as for carnal men now to forbear grofs fin. And he that finneth deferveth not Heaven or Life: And there are divers degrees of punifhment in Hell, according to the | BD degrees
“@A ‘Premonition. —
degrees of Sin: And Chrift died for all our fins: therefore they did every One deferve death: which confifted not with a right to Life: therefore not with aright to Heaven: And an immortal Soul was not naturally to be annihilated 5 therefore to live in fome punifhment as feparated: And Romans 3:9. all were ander Sin, yet all had not grofs Sin. Rom. 6. 23. The wages of Sinis Death, Rom.5.12. Death paffed on all,
. for that all have inned. Romans 2:12. As many as have finned without Law, fhall perifh without Law. And we mutt pray for the pardon of all | Sin: And unpardoned Sin will damn men. Thefe are the reafons on this fide. -
They of the other Opinion fay, That the Gofpel-Covenant fheweth Gods Nature as well as the firft Law: That God had not been unjuft indeed, if he had permitted him to fall into great Sin, and foto perith, who committed the leaft: for he fo permitted Adam to commit the firft that was before innocent: But the Juftice of God bound him not foto do: nor would have damned a Lover of God, for a {mall Sin, no more than now: That we muft not feign a Law which we cannot prove: That God changeth not his holy Nature, and therefore not that Law, which is the expreffion of it: That Chrift died forall Sin, and all needs
ardon; but that proveth not that the leaft deferved death, much lef Fell but that by Chrift’s Death the deferved punifhment muft be remitted ; thatall, evenInfants, are guilty of mortal Sinin Adam: That Death isthe wages of that Sin which brought it, but not of the leaft: That Adam’s Law was not feverer than that by Afofes, which faith, De ~ this and live, and yet condemned not men for fmaller fins 5 That God
roclaimeth pardon of fome Sin, in the very Law of Nature as from his Nature, Exod. 34. and the Second Commandment, That Nature teacheth all the World to believe it: ‘That God faid not to. Adam, [In the day that thou thinkeft a vain thought, ] but [ That thon cates, } &c. That mortal Sinis patdonable by Chrift which elfe could not by the firft Law: but God could ctherwife have pardoned a vain thought, if he would: That no Text of Scripture faith, that every Sin deferveth Hell, nor is threatned with Death. |] | an |
And as the condition of the Penalty, fo the condition of the Promife to Adam is here alfo controverted by Divines: 1. Some fay that the condition of Life was perfonal, perfect, perpetual Obedience till his change; which God would make as he did by Hezoch when it pleafed —
him: ( which feemeth to me the probableft Opinion ).
. 2 Othersthink that Adam was to have continued ia Eden for ever under that fame conditional Law ( which islefs probable. ) |
_ 3- Othersthink, that had he over-come the firft temptation, but fo far as to adhere and vanquifb, thatis, to continue the love of God, and not to eat that Fruit, or commit any other mortal Sin, which of its nature killeth Love, he had been confirmed, as the promifed Reward. | |
4. [have lately met with an exceeding ingenious JZ S. ( written partly againft m¢ felf, after others ) which afferteth, 1. Thatthe Glory of
Juttice is theend of Gods Government. 2. That Do this ( perfealy )
and live, or Sin (at all) and die, are the conftant terms of Juftice
under every Covenant. 3. Thatif Adam had performed but cxe AG
of Obedience, by that Law, he fhould have been rewarded with confirmation, or the Holy Ghoft (as the Angels ) and with everlafting life.
4. That now all our Reward ts only the Act of Gods Juftice, giving us
life, as merited by us in Chrift on the terms of the Law that faith, Do pee
Premonition.
and live, Sin and die; in whom weare perfeCtly innocent and rewardable; and we have no rewardable Righteoufnels, nor any to juftifie us, but perfect Innocency imputed 3 becaufe as not tobe a Sinner is no merit of a Reward, fo pardon of Sinis no Title toa Reward, cc.
It is not my prefent tafk to clear up all thefe Difficulties, ( having done more towards it inmy Methodwgs Theologia.) 5 but only fo much as our prefent conciliatory work requireth: But yet becaufe I and the matter in hand are nearly coined in the 44S. I fhall briefly animadverton all the fubftance of it; having firft faid of the condition of the penalty but a few words. | -
I. Iamloth to confound the certainties with the xacertainties, in this matter, 1. It 1s certain, that Gods Law of Nature was mans firft and
principal Law 5 to whichthe fupernatural Revelations were added, and —
comparatively few.
2. Itis certain that Gods Law was perfed, and that both as the izsprefs and expreffion of Gods perfect Wifdom and Holinefs, and as the peril Perfetion to Adam: And thereforethat it obliged him to pereFion. | |
3. But this Perfection to which he was obliged, was not at frft, all that his nature would be capable of at laff 5 It was not his duty the firft hour of his life, to Know or Do as much as after the longeft time and . experience, and as much as in heavenly perfeZ%ion : But he was bound to Know, and Love, and Do at firft, as much as at that time his nature was capable of, fuppofing neceflary Concaufes and Objeds. .
4. This is fummed up in, Loving God withall the Heart, Mind and Might.. But the A//in maturity and after full experience, and in Glory, is more than the 4/ in unexperienced juniority. To know, love and obey God, to the utmoft intention of his prefent’ xatural Power, fuppofing due Objetts, media and concaufes, was Adam's duty and all defeCivenef{s herein was culpable, or fin. : | |
5- All fin of its own aature deferveth punifhment: - Therefore fo would the leaft culpable thought or word in Adam, or the Jeaft culpable defect in the extent or intention of any holy affection in him.
6. Itis certain that Adags’s eating the forbidden Fruit, or any one Such fia as confifteth not with the predominancy of his Love to God as God, in habit, fuch as is now inconfiftene with true Grace, and is called mortal, was to be punifhed with death temporal and eternal, according to the Juftice of that Law.
7. They are different queftions, 1. What God might do. 2. What he would do, (asdecreed ). 3. What he muft do, (as neceffary becaufe af ‘Fuftice or Veragity ), tothe breaker of that Law. . And ie 1sclear that God might, ‘as an AQ of Fuftice, punith the leaft culpable thought, or remifsnefs of degree of Love, with Annibilation , or with any pain-ever- —
-lafting, which tothe Sinner were no worfe than Annihilation. Becaufe,.
I. Antecedently to bis Law, he might have done that much as anaiiliction
himfelf to the contrary to a Sinner, before the Covenant of Grace.
3. And having threatned punifhment in general, he might choofe what
punifhmenthe faw fit. si
8, What God would do as decreed, the predidion or the event only
can tell us... 4 | a ewe a
9. That God suit (by neceflity of Fuftice and Truth ) punifh the
2A “Premonition.
1. And yet itis moreclear that it is varions degrees of punifhment
which are com prized in the word [ Death | or { Filiws mortis| inthe
threatning; And that we cannot fay,that Justice made it nece/fary to God to punifh the leaft vain thought orremifsnefs with the greateft punithment, or damnation. =
But (as tothe uncertainties) 1. With what degree of punifhment God in Fustice muft, or would have punifhed avainthought, orany Gn confiftent with his habitual prevalent love? 2: Or whether a vam thought muft needs have feparated Soul and Body, or caufed that which we call Hell? 3. Or whether God could in Juftice have pardoned that vdix thought, upon lefs fatisfadion than the fufferings of Chrift? Thefe with many others are queftionstoo hard forme, what ever they may be to wifer men.
But I am fatisfied that God would never have damned in Hell any Soul that had the habitual predominant love of God, though culpably remifs, and otherwife finful, while he remained fuch; yea that Hell and fuch love of God ate inconfiftent: And thereforeif any fuch fin would have damned Adam, it muft be by further quenching and expelling the Spirit of Grace, or forfeiting and lofing Divine affiftance, and fo firlt lofing that habit of love. The reft I leave to the more illuminated. |
IT. Now as to the 44.5. (faid tobe written by a young man of New England, deceafed, M4. W.) tt hath fo much accuratenefs, that in reading it, I greatly lament the Authors death, before maturity and converje had rectified fome of his notions, and he had longer improved his excellent
urtderftanding for the Church. And becanfe my Doctrine ts particularly oppofed init, Ifhall ftay to animadvert on the fubftance. of the
And it may be reduced to thefe Propofitions. _ 3
¥. The great fundamental point of it is, That san was made to glotifie Gods Fuftice for ever. | - : | |
Animad, This is a great truth, not well confidered by many: But itis
‘but a part of the trath, whichis, That wax was made to glorifie Gods Vital
Power, Wifdom and Love, and isgoverned eminently by Wifdom, making ‘ORDER, and juftly: keeping it, together with mercy, becaufe the glory of Holine/s and Love alfoistheend. WhichI have more carefully opened hereafter, - = a
§.2. M.S. The reafow of {pecial government is, That man is caufa confilio; Though as he defireth and feeketh good in general, heis but anatural
_ Agent s And therefore Twifle erreth in faying, that God may punifh at innocent man, becanfe he may <ffig a beast.
Anf. 1. By canfa confiliohe meaneth a rational free Agent, having an Intelle& aud Free-will 5, This indeed maketh and proveth'mana fabje£ made to be meray governed. But when he had laid all his {trefs on this Free-will under the name’'of cax/a confilio, he went too far in feeming with Gibieuf (whom he citeth and followeth as his great Light ) to confine the zame of true liberty to the Amplitude and Holine/s of the Will,
which is another hind of Liberty : And (as Armatys truly faith ) Grbiexf -was fitter for aferaphick pious Difcourfe (ina Platonick ftrain)) than
for fuch Controverfies. 2. As Rada and other Scotifts well prove, there is Ao: Act of the Will, everito good ingeneral, whichis not free, though fome be meceffary, and the inclination is natural and not free. 3. Yea he proveth, that there isno fach thing as a Volition of any good in gemere, faving as the gerterical nature of good is found in fome particidar (in effe cognito.} 4, Twiffe was not fo weak asto call that punifhe
ee eee +
Premonition.
ment which is not for fix, but calleth it sffittion or Cruciatum only:
And he fpeaketh not what God may do by his ordinate Will: But I think that you are m the right, and he tn the wrong, becaufe the very making ws men, and {o governed Subjects, is a declaration of Gods ordinate Will, not to make us miferable but for fin. -° fs
3. M.S. Adam’s whole man was fandified, and fo fitted to obey, and to glorifie fuftice: His oe was not an indifferency, but (as Gib.) that noble virtue of his Sonl, by which he could go above all created good, fo that Libertyand Expraxy or Obedience are all 6ne: But we cannot ftir an inch to God, above the Creature. Liberty is to imitate God, whofe Will clofeth with bimfelf, and resteth in himfelf for ever: And mutability is but an adjun& of our Liberty. a :
An. Thave better opened and diftinguithed Liberty before, 175.1. Nataral Libertyis to be diftinguifhed from moral, which you defcribe 5 and vehemently affert the former under the name of caxfa confilio that cannot be forced: But meet indifferency or mutability ts no Liberty it felf. , 7 | 4. M.8. Adam was not made with notions in his Mind, no more than
with colours in his Eyes 5 but he was made able and fit to fee God in the frame of Nature, efpecially in his own Will, as inclined to univer{al good---. .
An. Scaliger and others think, that Idea’s are boram us, which maketh the Chicken fly at the fhadow of the Kite, @¢. But I rather fay -asyou, that itis but a Difpofttion 5 which will fo eafily act, that fome
callit an Idea, and itisthe fame thing thatthey mean while they differ about the name. 7
'g.5. M.S. Do this ana live, isthe. way that Juftice will be glorified |
mm: Andthat doing wowld merit life, Adatn either knew by nature, or fupernaturally, at least was confirmed in it by fapernatural revelation. | win, Thistsalltrue, © © 2... he __ §. 6. M.S. Do this and live, as the only teres of lifeare aCatholick, and Theological axiom: Not the words; bei Bnergetick Wifsor printed on the frame. And the meaning is, clofe with the laft end 5 or with the true
Univeral God as fuch, which is the fum of the Decalogne: Thon fhalt love —
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. The Wills cloling with God: And Obedience is in the fiabordinate facalties execating the pleafare of the Will.) ~ 3 | ae
An, 1. Obedience is firft ia the Will it felf. 2. You do xot. intelligibly acquaint ws whether by [Do this) youmeanany facere clofing with God as God and onr End, above all Creatares, as the godly now do, though with culpable remifsnefs and imperfetions; or only the moft perfed Love and Obedience, without any imperfection or remifsnefs, or vain irregular —— that is culpable. But by [ Do thie] I perceive you mean, Take God for thy God, and love, adore, and trujft him. —
§.7. M.S. This was to be expreffed by cating of the Tree of Life, and not of = of Good and Evil, facraneéntally, to ackewowledge alfo the Soveraignty of Goa. 7 te: ou -_ ee | 7 Ant. All Obedience formally refpecteth Gods Soveraignty. 2. No doubt the Trees were fymbolical,: and the remembrance of them flrould yet teach us to prefer living to Goll, before afelfifh, difturftfxl, needlefs knowledge; the increafe of which increaféth forrow. 3. But that Adam was commanded to eat of the Tree of Life, I cannot prove,
unlef the general obligation to choofe the beft was as a Command.
§.8. M.S. To be naturally happy is proper to God # therefore Adam was to be led to it freely by a Covenant. -~ ‘an
| oA Premonition.
An. To be happy neceflarily, and independently, and primarily, is proper to God: But you can never prove it any contradiction or impoffible for God to makea Creature naturally happy; nor that there are not fuch. | |
§. 9. Here the 44S. citeth fome words of his Gibiexf, making our Being in God initially, and finally to be our fiate of amplitude and Iiberty, and our going out from God, tobe our particularity and ftate of neceffity; as if we were pre-exiitent in God, and our individuation ceafed upon our return into him as our End.
An. ‘But thefe are Platonick Phantafms; And Gibiexf who was a devout Oratorian, and talketh too oft of our Deification, as Bexedi&us de Beneditis, Barbanfox, Baker, and other Fryers that talk phanatically, mutt be read with caution and exception 5 and asthe Soulneed not fear too near a Union with God, as the lofs of its individuation, fo neither mutt it defire or hope for fuch.
—§. 10. M.S. Anz unchangeable flate of Happinefs in the love of God, is called Eternal Life. ;
An. No doubt but that is called Eternal Life in the fulleft fenfe, which actually endureth to eternity as to that particular Subject: And fo, 1. The life of Glory perfectively. 2. Anda confirmed ftate of Sandity here initially, are ufually called Eterzal Life. But 3. Whether the loffable ftate, which the Angels fell from,and Adam fell from,or that meafure of Grace, which the ancient Fathers thought the juftified may fall from, be never fo called alfo, I cannot prove. |
$.11. ALS. Adam's promifed Mappinefs, was, 1. Effential, in this
perfe bolinefs or love of God. 2. .Complemental, in the enjoying God in ali.the fan@ified Creatures in that Paradife, but not to be tranflated to Heaven, which Christ only procureth as...
An. Tinclined to that Opinion 26. years ago, whenI wrotethe Aphorifms which you oppofe: ButI now incline moreto the contrary, and rather think man fhonld have been tranflated to Heaven as Henoch and Elias were, upon many reafons, which I now pafs by: Though I take it yet to be {carce certain to us, i
g.12. M.S. The Holinefs of God, #s his loving himfelf as his End 3 Aud the third Perfon proceeding by a a a& of the infiniteWill and felflove of God, is therefore called the Holy Spirit. |
An. 1. This notion of Gods Holinefs ( that it is his Self-/ove ) isnot to be contemned; It feemeth to be fo, with this limitation, that-you confine not his Holinefs tothis, but take this only asthe of? eminent among the inadequate conceptions of it: For his whole Tranfcendency, in Being,
Lifeand Knowledg, as being adoreable by the Creature, andits Exd; and
the Foxntaiz of all created Goodnefs, and {pecially of Morality, is alfo Gods Holinefs. 2. But the faying that God is bis own End, feemethimproper, though tolerable if {poken but analogically: For God neither hath nor is to himfelf a Caufe nor an Efe? , a Beginning nor an End. 3. That the third Perfon proceedeth by a reflex AG of the infinite wil, many School-men boldly fay: And fo fome fay, that he is Gods adual felf-love, which is the{ame that you call his Holinefs: And fome fay, that he is the Divine Wil] or Love confidered init felf, as diftin® from Vital Power, aad Intelle& (or Wifdom.) But of thisI have fpoken more largely elfe-where. | :
§.13. 44.8: Adam's promifed Reward was, to be fixed in an unchangeable ftate of pleafing God, by this Holy Spirit: not by infufing any mew quality which fhould unchangeably fasten hint to the Rule, (for no created thing can unchangeably keep a man from falling.) . An,
aA. Premonition.
fn. 1. The promife to Adam is very obfcure: But Happinef it mutt needs be, and everlafting: 2. But it ispaft my reachto conceive how the spirit of God can fix man in perfe@ holine/s without any fixing qnality (as it’s called ) on his Soul. A conftant Ad the Soul muft have: And 1. If that A@ be caufed by any Divine Tm pull difpofing the Sonl fo to a, then that di/pofition isa quality. 2. And if there be not both difpofition and habit, then the Soul will not inGlory be habitually, or
Ger than an a@& without a 4abit Cor inclination ) the Soul will be more imperfe& in Glory, than in thisftate of Grace. 4. Operari fequitur effe: God fitteth all his Creatures totheir works. And as when he will give Immortality, he will give a Nature fit for Immortality, even - indifioluble and incorruptible; fo when he giveth perpetuity of Love, he giveth a atare or habits fit for perpetual AGton. Chrift faith, good Tree bringeth forth good fruit, and an'evtl Tree evil fruit: Make the Tree good, and his frnit good. 5. The Operations of Love in Glory, fhould be ex potentia ant violentia, ant nextra, if there were no intrinfick difpofition or inclination to them. Ina word, itis a contradiction, for a Soul to be perfeGly holy, and not have the perfettion of inclination to its AGs. : | :
3. But if the meaning were, that no holy aig alone fufficeth, without Gods Influx, that were no more than what mutt be faid of every Creature: without Divine Influx no Creature can be or operate amoment: No created thing of it felf, without God, can continue ; How then fhould it keep a man from falling: But if the SoxJ have any more gooduefs of nature or inclination in it thanthe Devils have, it muft be a created thing, or God himfelf: If only God, that proveth not a Saint to be himjelf better than a Devil, asto nature or difpofition, but only that God in him 1s better. . :
a glorified Soul, is ( §.14. M.S.) that one is anatural, and the other a
woluntary Agent: One, as Gibieuf faith, Non agit, fed agitur, the other doth agere & non tantum agitur.| - | |
An. 1. Gibiexf and you were decerved, in thinking that fuch saterals non agunt: Paflive matter doth not AQ ex principioeffentiali Cunlefs — Dr. Gliffons and Campanellas DoGrine holdtrue.) But thethree AZive Natures, InteleGnal, Senfitive and Vegetative ( and fo Fire and the Sun )
do ex principio AGivo effentali agere > but nothing doth 4& , without
an Antecedent Influx to action from the firft Caufe, in which it is paffive: Forno Creatureis Independent. 2. Voluntas eft quedam Natura;
_ gramvis libera : To move naturally only and not freely is proper to Agents
meerly zatural, diltinc& from free: But to move freely, and yet from 4 fixed principle, which fhall ixfallibly determmethe Soulto a freely, is. not a contradiction; nor that which Gibienf fhould deny to the glorified.
$. 15. M.S. Man, thongh a Creature, is the firkt Canfe of his own aFion é He moveth and fets himfelf on work: elfe he were not caufaconfilio: Bat sot intniutable: elfe ve were no Creature. ——
An. Youfet up Free-wil! and Power more grofly in terms than f dare do, though, I{uppofe, our meaning isthe fame. Had I fatd thus, what hadIheard? I only fay, that man say be acaufa prima fecundum quid, of the oral fpecification or modification of his own AGions: But he 1s _fimpliciter no caufa prima of the AZion in genere attionis: elfe he were God. But a caxfa principalis he may be called, though not priza,
2. You never proved that God ¢annot make a Creature naturally | 3 - immir
eA ‘Premonition.
‘
immutable dependently on himfelf, that is, fuchas will never change unlefs God change them 5 nor that Jefus Chrift is not fuch in his Huma- | nity. | _
: 16. M.S. This confirmation is not by being in Heaven; but by the | Holy Ghofts fpecial working on the Soul, revealing fiill Gods Perfections to it. : |
An. And doth this Operation of the Holy Ghoft make the Soul never the better, in ature or difpofition, but only in AQ? Though it’s true, that no habits immutably fix without the Influct of the Holy Ghott. . ht
$.17. M.S. Merit is the fuitablenefs of the work to the wages. 7 _ An. Merit is manifold, and needs better explication: Inthe Commutative Juftice of meer Proprietors, merit is indeed the Comparative value of things, and in works, their (uitablenefs as you fay tothe wages, that is, their equal worth. Butin distributive governing Juftice, there is no wages, but only Reward. And merit is the moral aptitude for Reward: ‘which ts as wariows as the Law is that oneis governed by: There are five forts of Law, that by five ferts or ways of Fuffice, require five forts of merit: 1. GodsLawof Innocency to Adam: where Fuftice called nothing, but perfonal perfeéé Obedience, Merit: 2. Gods Law to the Mediator, who was obliged perfectly to keep, r. The whole Law of Nature. 2. The Lawof Afofes. .3. A peculiar Law of Mediation (to die, rife,,do Miracles, ec.) The keeping of ai this was Chris's Merit. 3. There is Chrift's Law of Grace to fallen man (inthe firft, and in the perfec Editions, ) where our keeping of it, is by Gofpel-Fuitice called in Scripture éfie, our worthinefs or merit, thatis, in tantum, fecundum quid, inrelationtothat Law. That isto repent and believe, to. love God and obey him fincerely. . 4. Thereisthe Law. of J4ofés, peculiar to the Jews, which hath its peculiar required merit. 5. And there are the Laws of Men appointed and allowed of God, which have their peculiar Juftice and Merit. All thefe are not tobe confounded, much lef all denied, as if there were no merit but between Proprietors 1n Commutative Juftice; In which fenfe no Creature can merit of God.
g.18. M.S. According ito that Covenant, any one AE of Obedience in Adam would have merited confirmation and eternal life; that is, one ak of holy love. te |
An. Ubelieve it not, becauwe itis not written, nor naturally revealed, that Iknowof. My reafons againft it are, 1. It isdangerous to add to Gods Word. 7 _ 2. The words [ Iv the day that thou eateft thon shalt die"] feemeth to look furtherthan to one firft a& or day, and is as much as whenfoever thon eateft; though he fhould obey till that time.
3. It is utterly improbable that Adam did not perform one Ad of
Love or Obedience before his Fall. For, 1. We are uncertain how
long he ftood; However confident fome Rabbins, and Broughton and
fome others are, that it was the fame day in which he was created.
2. You confefs he was made with powers fanéfified and fitted to obey.
3. Gods Law of Love was written in hisheart, and as old as himfelf;
and could not but oblige ‘a fit fubje& tothe a&. And he muft fn all
and affedions all that while 3 which were finful if not animated by hoiy
Love, and done in Obedience to God. 5. He {pent fometime, which
was finfully {pent, if not fpentin Love and Obedience. 6. God {pake
tohim, and fo had fenftble Communion with him, which muft ei
- @AA ‘Premonition.
‘oblige.him to fome love. . 7. He had a Law given him to’ drefs.and
keep the. Garden, which if he accepted not by. confent in Obedience to
God;.he-finned.. 18. He gave names to all the Creatures upon Gods
bringing them to,hims which mutt be done obediently or finfully. 9.He
had the Law: of. Marriage given him, with the Woman; which if he
received not. in:love and obedience he finned. .10. He had all the
World before him:to fhew him Gods Perfeétions,. and if yet he had not
one actof léve.to.Gad'as God, ‘he hainoufly finned. 11. He had the
Law of Love and Obedience given him by way of Covenant, that is,
binding him prefently to cozfent 3 And he could not delay a willing con-
Jent one minute or hour without fin? And consent is Lave and Obedience in the firlt act:: 12. He loved himfelf, and his Wife, and other
Creatures before his Fall : But if he /oved not God before, then he all that
while loved himfelf, his Wife, and all the Creatures mese'than God,
yea without God:. And then they were his Idols. 13. Elfe he never
ufed one Creature holily before his Fall, and therefore finfully,
14. Youmake Adam to have had lefs aual good befare ‘his Fall than
the weakeft Chriftiannow ; If not than many wicked men; who have
{ome moral good; fecundam quid, though not fimpliciter.. 1 S,
4. Ido not think that the Reward which Cbrift was to have for his
fulfilling the Law was immutability or confirmation : For I think he had
that in his very nature, by the Unity of the Divine and Humane in one
his Reward, Phil. 2..7, 8, 9. Hebrews 12:23, &c. . And therefagre that Glory
hath much more init, than confirmation in Grace: But it’s plain in the Gofpel, that ‘it was not only ove: AZ of Obedience, which was pig ch condition, in order. to his recetving the Fruits or full Reward of his Merits: But it was perfe% Holinefs.ot'Nature and Efe to the end of his courfe onEarth. Elfe you muft fay that Chrift’s firft A& of Obedience was his performance of his Covenant-Condition, and all the reft for fome other purpofe only 5 whichis abfurd. —
God cut off our life as foon as that a is done: Perfeverance tothe end.
is part of our Condition of Glory. And we know of nofuch difference between Adam's Covenant or Cafe and ours, as will prove it otherwife with him. a | — 6. Elfeit would make the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace to, be much harder and feverer than of the Law of Innocency 5 which is. not likely: To perform one a& of Love and Obedience, isnot fo hard as to do it to the death, though we lofe ourlivesin the expreffions of it. : a Object. But our firft Faith giveth ws Right to the Spirit of Confirmation and Immutability, though more muft be done for Perfedions — , Anfw. 1. It appeareth then that Perfection and Glory'1s more than Confirmation. 2. It is certain, that the Regenerate are mutable as to. the degrees of Grace, and are far from Perfection at the firft. 3. The, generality of the Fathers and ancient Churches thought that true Juftifi-. cation, and Right to Heaven, and true Loveto God, wasloftby many: And 4uftin himfelf and his Followersfo thought. 4. And they that think otherwife yet know, that Glory is ftill given us (qwoad jus in the. Promife)) on condition of our perfeverance: And we fhould hardly
find fo many Threatnings again{t them that fall away, if all.might fo, ~
eafily know that the firft a& of Obedience doth fo fix us, and give us in juttice a Right to Immutability. Cc $19.
ee een
‘Premonition.
§.19. M.S. The Arguments to prove that any one AG had the promife of immutability and Glory are thefe, Argument 1. If God were to declare bis rewarding ig coe then he muft reward one a. Thus Bradwarding alfo chideth his Mafter Lombard, as inclining to Pelagiws, for holding that ‘Adam could have forborn Sin by his Free-will, without Gods {pecial Grace, thatis, his Will that fo it fhould be: which he faith was neceflary before the Fall as well as fince: and thatelfe Adam by once inot finning, when tempted, had merited Confirmation, as he faith the Angels did, being tempted by Leviathan, lib. 2. ¢. 10.
. An. 1. God was not obliged to any Reward, but according tothe tenor of his Law. Prove that his Law promifed Glory or Immutability for on¢at? 2. Bonum.eft ex caufts integris: one actis but a fmall part of a mans life. The Promife was to the whole courfe only. 3. God did reward every a&: His acceptance, and the continuance of all the bleffings of that Paradife, and the comfort of his Love, was a great Reward. :
§.20. M.S. If one a& of Obedience deferved unchangeable Happineft, then God muft beftow it. But, &c. ]
An. Udeny the minor: Oneact deferved it not. No a& deferved in Commutative Juftice: And no a& deferved it of governing Juftice, but fch as the Law antecedently made it due to.
§. 21. M.$. Merit, it is a fuitablenefs of the work to the wages. They
that pleafe God areunder bis good pleafure; the fruit of which muft be the
enjoying of his Spirits infinite affiftance. This Adam gright have claimed of
Fuftice, and gloried: for one até deferveth a Reward.']
An. This is fufficiently anfwered 5 1. Wages {tri@ly taken is Aerces given by a Proprietary commutatively: It's blafphemy to fay that God can owe any Créature fuch; for he can receive nothing but his own. The word when ufed tous, is improperly taken: But premiam aReward we have 5 but no work deferveth that, but by the ordinate ‘Justice of the Law. Some few Papiftstalk of a dignity ex proportione operis, but the Scotifts and the wifes of them deny any but, 1. Ex congruitate. 2. Ex pa&o. Your fwitablene/s may fignifie either, 1. A congrnity ad fines regiminiss or elle ad premium qua promiffum: And thusit’s true: But it'’snot proved that any one a& was fuch. 2. Or it may fignifie a
- Suitablenefs in proportion ex fimplici dignitate operis, obliging the Governor antecedently to hisLaw. 2. Or obliging God as Proprietor to compenfation; And foit is untrue, that Merit is a fuitablenefs of the work to the wages, here. |
2. It's unproved that Gods pleafednefs muft ever be fhewed by the Spirits infinite affiftance : or that one act deferved this. It’s unlike that the Angels that kept not their firft {tate, did never one act of Obe dience, nor were never under Gods approbation; Prov.16.7. When a mans ways pleafe the Lord, he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him: God faith, This jis a Reward: You fay lefs than eternal lifeis none; 1 King. 3. 10. The fpeech of Solomon pleafed the Lord: And yet one would think by his filthinefs, and Idolatry, and forfaking God, that he was not glorified‘, nor made immutable. With the Sacrifice of Alms God is well pleafed, Hebrews 13:16. Phil.4.18. and with Relation- Duties, Col.3.20. And yet all that did them (even fincerely ) were not glotified then, nor abfolutely immutable.
§.22. M.S. Arg. 2. Unchangeable miféry would have been the reward of one fin: Ergo, Ge. |]
: @A Premonition. a Il
An, I deny the confequence: Mifery was threatned to one fin 3 Glory was not promifed to one act of Obedience. Obedience, during life, is |certainly due from Manto God: He that denieth it him in one at, denieth him his due: But he that giveth it him in one a@, giveth him but little of his due. Your a is like thefe: The Souldier that isa Traytor in one act, deferveth death: Therefore he that watcheth or fighteth but once deferveth all hiswages and honour. The Son that curfeth his Father once, deferveth punifhment: Therefore he chat obeyeth him once deferveth the Inheritance. He that is bound to pay an hundred pound forfeiteth his.Bond if he leave a penny unpaid; Therefore he forfeits it not if he = but,a penny: The Servant that is hired for a day or year, doth forfeit his wages if he be idle or rebel an hour or aday; Therefore he deferveth his wages, if he do Service but. an hour ora day: Thedifeafeof one part may kill a ‘man: Therefore the healthof one part only will keepa man alive. He that ishired to build a Houfe or aShip well, forfeits his wages for one hole, or grofs defect; Therefore he deferveth his wages if he lay but one Brick of Board. But bonus eft ex caufisintegris. | §. 23. M.S. His Sin is more his own than his Obedience. Ant. The | eee of the Spirit could not take place inthe firft ad, becaufe not deo | . ferved: And his Obedience would have been as much bis own as'bis Sin. - An. Thisis quite beyond the fefsites: 1. It’s true that the rewarding ift or help of the Spirit (for confirmation )'was not given Adam to Es firfta@: But it's not true that he had xo help of theSpirit: If you will not call Gods neceflary Grace, which you faid did fanéiffe all his powers, by the name of the Spirits belp5 you.muft fay, Itwas the help. | | .of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; without which he could have | done nothing. 2. But can youthink that God did as muchto bir Sin, as to his Sanctification; and caufed it as much ashe was teady to caufe his firft Obedience? Should he have been no more beholden to God for, his Holinefs than for his Sin? This is too indifferent a Liberty, and not | Gibiexfs Amplitude. It is not poffible fora Creature to have any thing that’s good but of God, nor any good from God but by meer free Gift,as | tothe Good or Value; though it be by rewarding Juftice quoad ordinem conferendi, and comparativély, why this man hath it rather than that. : : . . $.24. M.S. There is wo flinting or determining, unlefs you ftop bere (at the fir a. ) | | .. = | An. I deny it: There are three Opinions more that areall more pro bable. The firft which fuppofeth the Reward of lifeeternal dueupon _ the over-coming of the Devils firft temptation, which would have drawn from the Love of God3 And fo [ Lave and Conquer once | was the Condition.. The fecond which fuppofeth that the Condition was the Conquelt of this particular Temptation, to eat of the forbidden Fruit, and the after eating of the Tree of Life. The third which fuppofeth the only Condition of life eternal to the perfonal, perfed; perpetual Obedience, or perfeverance., till God of his own pleafure thould tranflate Adam, and end his life of trial. I take this Jaft to have far moft probability, for all the Reafons before given: I am fure that tHe tenor of the Law of Nature made it Adam's Duty ftillto love God, and obey him, and refift all that was againftie: And I find ne Promife that his Nature, or the Law of Nature fhould be changed, for this or that ac, or for conquering fome one — I phere 2 | rift's
#qnal ‘helps far wucqual Effects are of anvnequal Canfe. But Adam and the
| @A Premonition. Chrift’s own Covenant-Condition was more than one att: And the Condition of our Glory is overcoming, and being faithful to the death, and continking in Cbrift. And I will not add to the Covenant of God. |
§.25. M.S Arg.4. From the nature of ant obediental ad: which includeth the approving of the whole Law.
witkedhefs, Row.2. But I will fuppofé you to mean a full confent to
the Covenant of Innocency. But 2. How prove you that fuch confent
wasthe whole condition of life, and that it might not be fallen from >
and that Adam never did confeat before his Fall? and yet not fia.
3. Allthe godly approve of Gods Law, and confent toit, and loveir,
and yet merit not as keepers of its for they break it, Rom. 7. 4. Yea
Covenant- keeping to the laf, as well as Covenant-confent the firft moment,
is now to us the cosdition of immutable Glory. |
- -$.26. M.S. Adam would not obey at firft, bat fifpend while. he looked
about the World, to fee if there were any good fafficient for bit below God :
Therefore he, finned not then. :
An. This is before confuted: He could aot in that Integrity, and after fuch divine Revelation, be unrefolved one hour whether he mu firft lové and obey his Maker, without fin. : ot. $. 27. God cannot freely give eternal life toa Creature without Reward for doing, becaufe the reafonable Creature was made for the Glory of
ice. : } | . Ant. You may fay, that God will not toman, but not that he cannot, nor that he doth tot to any Angel: For man was not made vzly for the Glory of Fuftice, but of Power, and Lowe, or Goodnefs allo. 2. It’s cer-
6 a Reward for doing: As 1. He fo freely made all things'good in the Creation, ahd gave than all his antecedetit pood: He fo gave Adem lis primitive Holinefs, and Helps, .and Paradife, and all the Creatures. 2. He fo gave Chrifttothe World, without defert : and fo fat pardotied the firft fin, as that cometh to. 3. He fo far:gave man the Covenant of Grace.: 4, He fo gave all Chrift’s Miracles, RefurteGion, Doétine, the Scripture, @e. 5. ‘He fo gave Apoftles and Miniftry to the World. 6. Hefbfendeth the ‘Gofpel to fome Nationsand Perfons
above. others. .7.‘He fo giveth to many the firft fpecial'Grace, as he
did to Paxil. 8. He fo giveth tomany Kingdoms and Perfons Wealth, and Health; and Strength, and fuch ‘other metcies above others. 9. He fo giveth greater meafures of Grace to fomethan to others. ‘10. And it feemeth ‘that he fo (‘in part) gtveth the fame Glory to fome that came in but atthe laft hourof theday. It 1s certain, that all ix quantum tale, 1s ‘from God only as a free Benefactor, or as the Amor primus: And the order of diftributing it is'two-fold: Some antecedent to matis merit of acts, and‘independent on it: ‘And thisis no Reward, ( though fometime ig -is an antectdent act:of Fuftice, fiach as is the making of 4 good Law. of Promife.) And:fome cdnfequent juxta morman legis 5 And
_ thefe are Rewards: And though God hath affured us now, ‘that no
man {ball have Heaveh but by rewarding Juftice, yet that may be, becaufe he thought meet to:place mab firft on Earth ina life of ttial, and undetermined Liberty: But that he hath no Angel that was made Immu- _ table, or that Clirift was not made immutably holy, let them fay that _ can prove it, for cannot. mo:
§. 28. M:S. It’s like that the Angels that flood and they that fell had un-
Devils
>
Devils had fufficient Grace, and God forfeok them not till they forfook An. 1. This Iaft ¥ accept as true, and more than fome will grant.
2. The fitlt is above our reach: only we can fay, both that God giveth more Grace to fome than to others freely. 3. And yet he himéelf is imple and immutable in caufing of various and mutable Effedts.;. §.29. M.S. By Christs palfive. Obedience imputed we are pardoned and juftified, and by bis akive imputed me deferue the Reward, and are under Gods approvieg Wil, _ | | e An. 1. By the merit of his babiteal, a&ive and paffrve, that is, of his perfortitig all bts mediatorial-Covenant with the Father, we are pardon ed, and juftified, and adopted to eternal life, principally as a Reward te Chrit (not to ws as meriting by him) and fwbordinately , according to Gofpel-Juftice or Order, as a Reward to Believers for their Faith and Obedience § by him who will Reward. every man according to his Works,
and will be glorifted in his Saitts, and admired in Believers, becaufe they
believed, 2 Thef. 1.6,t012. We are wader Gods approving Will, prin cipally as xnited to Chrift, reconciled, fuftified, adopted 3 and fubordinately as fanified and obedient. For the Father loveth we, becaufe we bade loved Chrift and believed, Joh. 16.27. Aad itis life eternal to know
thé Father and the Son; Joh.17.3. And becaufe we do thofe things that
are pleafing in his fight, what-evér we ask we receive, 1 Joh..3.22. —-.. §. 30. M.S. By Chrifls ineputed fuffering we are bat where we sere: For the Law to have nothing againft we will not juftifie wt, anlefe it kane — Wo ean ee ee: An. ‘This great queftion ncedeth dittincer bandling.: Adam's Law doth not juftifie us, but condemn-us, nor. 2vfes's neither; not any but the Law-of Grace. Your foundation is umifound, 2. The smpusing: of Chrift’s Suffering, is not Gods Language, bat. your own,: and may. be well or ill underftood. 3. if the Law have nothing-agaiaft ub, i hath © Sinof Oniffion agairift us: Therefore not our omi Obedience. And! then we are.reputed fich as had pérfat Love ‘and Obedience. 4. But indeed # -is hot fo. . By the deeds of the Law nb Fleth can be jultified: The Lave ftill hath this againft jis, that we. bave Feaned; which he that denieth és called! x Lyan, 2 Joh. x. The’ Restus
Culpa in fe, or the Reality of this; that we have fneed,.1siinpoflibleto |
be done away. But the Reader pane, & culpe ut adpenan is dane away / But wot by the Law,’ bat by the Redeemer and new Covenais. The Law doth hot fay, We ave files, or defervery of lifer But the Gofpel faith, We are pardoned, and adopted, and fandifed, through Chrift’s,par- £e€. meritorious Righecoufnels. Sips wade ae, Io x "nena, < i aE $631. MLS. EUR Sia and Puaifomend fooutd be the canfe of life's for Bind the cane of Suffering; dad that of Pardon. pe eee _ Ans This ¢-the’ groffeft paffage ia this: Book; A palpable fallacy. You may as well fay that Lasarws's dying and being. beriad were the daufes -of ‘his reviving 4 Kecaufé aitecedene evils from which he was. revived 2 Orthat the Sewy' killing Chrift: were the caufes of his Refurrection;s'Or
Orthat Peter's denying Chriftwasithe caufe chat Chrift. perdoned’ him. ‘Sin déferveth Panithments but Puntfhment 4s fach deferveth not Pardon or Life: They in ‘Hell deferve not Heaven... If God had threatened but a temporal Punifhment; Asa. years ficknefs,; Orc. this had not deferved the following tmpunity, or peace, but only interrupted peace, the Sin deferving this and no more, A Malefattor's Courging deferveth al
nof Lovean
@A Premonition.
hisafter peace. And Chrift's Suflering merited not our Pardon as reputed onr fiffering, not meerly as fuffering 3 For had we fuffered, we had not been pardoned. But the voluntary Suffering of {0 glorious and innocent a Perfon, to demonitrate Fuftice, deferved our impunity and more, becaufe God would have it fo, and it wasa means moft apt for this excellentend, to fave loft man, and to vindicate and glorifie the Wifdom, Truth and Fxftice of the Univerfal Kmg, and to demonftrate the Goodnefs and Love of our great Benefactor. But fufferings as fnchdo merit nothing; even Chrifts own Sufferings merit but as they are the fruits of Obedience and voluntary confent, on the forefaid accounts; much lefs do the fufferings of the Sianer merit: For he is {uppofed involuntary in them; and itisGod the Judge that isthe Author of them as fuch. §.32. M.S. Elfe the Law fhould be laid by, and life given without it. _ '- Aw. The root of all yourError 1s, That God giveth us life by the Law of Innocency or Works, and that we are juftified by that Law; which is not true. God laid none of it by 5; but man by fin made the promiffory part ( which gave life on condition of perfe Obedience and Innocency) to beimpoflible, or null: Itceafed ceffante capacitate fubditorum, by mans mutation, and not by Gods: But the preceptive part remaineth ftill, as far asit reacheth materially the ftate of Sinners. Butman having made it impoffjble to be juftified tby the deeds of the Law, God made usa new Law or Covenant, according to which he judgeth Sinners, and by whichhe firft giveth Righteoufnefs, and then according to it fentenceth men as Righteous. | — $.33. M.S. Fuftification of the Posterity of Adam should have been the fame for fubStawce as of Believers by Chrift. Adam's one AG& fhould have ‘confirméd all bis. Pofterity in him as a publick Perfon: The Covenant of Works and of Grace agree in juftifying by imputed Righteon{nefs: but one - ‘of 4 Head by Generation, the other by adivine Perfon.| _ ‘"- Jin. Thisis prefumptuous adding to Gods Word, inthe very fub-
‘Scripture telleth us, That all Adam's: Pofterity fhould have been con- ‘firmed ‘in immutable Holinefs, if he had obeyed?
-a. What Scripture faith, That oze 4@ fhould havedone this? <3. What Scripture faith, That his Righteoujnef fhowld have been im- ‘puted to all bis. Pofterity 2? and they all accounted to have fulfilled the Law in bim 2? TheScripture tes us nathing of Gods purpofe to make fo fuddain a change of his Law, asif he made it but for ome man, yea for one ' A@, and then would make another to Rule the World by ever after: The Law faid (im fenfe ) | Obey perfectly and live; Sin and die}. Now if the Condition had been performed by one A@, or one man, for all the ‘World thatever fhould come of him to the laft, and they all be born ‘inthe fixed poffeffionof the Reward, then the Law which giveth that - Reward {till but ‘conditionally hath no more place. As ix Hell, .God doth not fay.tothe damned, Obey and. live, fo neither doth he fay to
them in zwmutable Glory, I. give you immutable Glory: if you will obey. The means ceafé{o far as the end is either attained, or defperately lost. He
that faith, Run well, and you fhall have the prize: Fight well, and you
foall be crowned 5 Overcome, and Iwill give you a Kingdom will not fay the fameto them, whenafter running, fighting, overcoming, they have received the Prize, the Crown, the Kingdom, (though pojfrbly they may have the continuance on condition’ {till if that continnance was not alfo - promifed on the firlt condition alone.) So that you feign Gods Law to be incredibly mutable, if God faid by it to Adam, Obey in one. AG —
obey
Premonition.
sbey thy jelf) aad thou and all thy Polterity for that (hall have tha
Reward: Forthenhe cannever be fuppofed to fay the fame again ta Adam, or to any man: And yet you think you ftand fo much for the immutability of that Law, as that we mutt.all be juftified by it to the end. | : os
Nay it feemeth that after one AZ of Obedience, all the World fhould
' have been under 70 Covenant any more; or no promiffary conditional
Law, but only fixed by meceffitating Light and Lave, asthofe in Glory are: For when this Condition was fully performed, this Law or Covenant as conditional muft needs ceafe: And youimagine not, I fuppofe Cat sleaft mention not) any other conditional Covenant that fhould ucceed it. And neceffitation is not a Moral Law, fuited tofuch as you call canfe confilio inthis life. You would make allthe World after one att, to beif not lawlefs, yet Comprebenfors and not Viators; Profeffors of life eternal, and not feekers, ma life of trial. | |
But I find not but that all 4daz’s Pofterity fhould havebeenborn and
lived under the fame Law that he was madeunder: And all of them fhould ftill have heard, [ Obey and live, or Sin and die]. And if Adam had obeyed till his tranflation to Glory, or confirmation in the Reward, I find not in Scripture any Promife that this fhould have been imputed to his Pofterity, as the full performance of the Condition of their Life or confirmed Happinefs: but that {till their own fioning would have been a poffible thing, and death would have been the wages of their Sin. |
higher than Chrift's.s And Iamtoo fure that the juftified Members of Chrift do fiz, and muft 2 pardons; And whether or not they be confirmed againft total Apoftafie, I am fure few if any of them are confirmed againft the poflibility, or exiftence, or futurity of Sin, And if you fay that Adem's Polterity, though confitmed, thould have finned too, but fhould have been pardoned as we are 5 It would be another prefumptuous addition and contradidtion of Scripture, toaffert Pardon without a Saviour and a pardoning Covenant.
3. Adam's Obedience would have juftified his wext iffve from this fatfe Accufation, {You are bora of a finfal Parent, .or not of a righteous Parent’). But it would have jultified no man againft this Accufation, { You are perfonally 4 Sinner, or have not perfonally loved God and obeyed bim’].. Therefore it would have juftified any man againft this Charge, { Tou areto be condemned for Adams fin}. Butit would have juftitied no man againt{t thefe Charges, [You are to be condemned for your own perfonal Sin or, you have no right to Glory by Gods Promeife to the adult, svbich maketh their perfonal Obedience the Condition }.
4. And (though I cannot again here have time todeal with Confounders, who think that Imputation or Fuftification are words which ‘have but one fenfe,) I muft fay that even fo, Chrift's Righteomfac/s 1s not {0 imputed to any man, as to be to him m ftead of his perfonal Obedience to the Law or Covenant of Grace whichhe is under : But it will juftifie any
Believer from thefe Accufations, [ You muft be caft into Hell for breaking
the Law of Innocency, or you mujt be fhut ont of Heaven, becaxfe you de- Served it not by perfect obedience s or you bave no perfect or fufficient Sawionrs or you are fuch as God cannot pardon without wrong to his Truth, W ifdom or Justice.|. It will juftifie no man from any of ‘thefe Charges, F You are Sinners: you deferve condemnation by the ferfé Law: you are Ems penitent, or Unbelievers, or Hypocrites 5 or bave not performed the conditions —
You feem not to fet Adam's Merits and imputed Righteoufne(s any
orang
@AA ‘Premonition.
tions of life in the Law. of Grace. | The two firft we mutt confess, at not jultifie our felves by: a denial: And againft the laft we. muft be juftified by our own Repentance, Faith and fincere Obedience. He that will fay to the Accufer, that chargeth him with final Infidelity, Impeni-
_ tency or Unholinefs; Lam juftified by the imputation of Chrift's Righteoufnefs, will but add to his fin. |
.§. There are all chefe differences between our Juftification according to the firft Law ( had we been capable of it.) and that which we now have. 1. One would have been by God as Creator and Legiflator to the Innocent: The other by Chrift as Redeemer and Legiflator to the finful World. 2. One would have been for perfonal, perfed, perfevering Obedience: The other for Chrif?’s Merits, as purchafing a free Pardon & Grace to penitent Believers,and upon our own Faith and Repentance,as the Conditions of the new Covenant. - 3. One would have been without pardon; and the other chiefly or much by pardon: In one, if our Publick Root had perfe@ly obeyed, we mutft alfo have perfectly obeyed, or die. In the other, bécaufe our Publick, Root did perfeétly obey, Faithand finceeré Obedience to the end, isall that is required of us to our Glory. 4. In one the perfonal matter of worthine{ or merit, muft have been all that perfection which'God in jutice could require of man: In the other, it isonly, The acceptance of a free Gift, according to its nature and ufe, and after the thankful nfe and improvement of it: with other fuch differences. | | |
$- 34. M.S. What Chrift did as furety is imputed tous; but not his Suretifbip, or being a publick Perjon. J |
‘ Anf. This is true, if you underftand Imputation in Scripture fenfe, or foundly, and not in their fenfe who prefumptuoufly fay, That God reputeth us to have done‘all by Chrift, whichhe did for us in his ObediencetotheLaw. . - . oS
‘$35. M.S. Chrift did wot all that he did as Surety; but only that which anfwered the Law. ] 2 _ 3 |
An. I fuppofe you mean, that whitch the Law requireth of us: But the word [ Surety } is ambiguous, and after here explained, and whether you underltood it fano fenfe Iknownot. He did all that he did asthe Mediator and Sponfor, for mans Redemption: And we are pardoned and juftified by the merit of all his own Covenant-keeping with the Father 3 even of fuch acts as the Law required not of us: And fome which the _ required of many, he did not, becauf it required them not of
im. : ' §-36. M.S. The Law faid not, That Chrift mut be a holy Hushand or Father, &c. The Imputation of one AE of €hrift’s obedience is Jafficient ( to our Juftification and Merit of life) though it need not be curiowfly fet in this or that part of bis life. ]
§. Stl more prefumption; 1. Where faith the Scripture#o? 2. You muft not affert abfurdities or prefumptions, and then think to put off the detection of them, by calling it curious? If this be true, doubtlefs it was Chrifts Jirt a& of Obedience which merited Gloryforus. And foit is that firf? only that mult be imputed tous, to thatend. And who - ever thought fo before you? The Fryars have fome of them faid, That minima guttula fanguinis Chrifti, One drop of his blood was enough to ree deem all the World: And our Divines fj Why then was the reft fhed > So I afk you, 1. Why did Chrift do all the reft of his Obedience after the firft A@> Hath none of it the fameendandufe? 2. How fhall we be fure that a Sinner mutt not pkead or traftoany of Chrift’s Righteouf
nefs,
@A Premonition,
nefs, but the firlt ac for his Juftification and Reward? or muft he
truft for it to that which was never by Chrift intended for it?. 3. This is contrary to the Scripture, which layeth our Juftificationon his whole Righteoufnefs as meritoriows, and on his Obedience to the Death, and on his rifing again, and on other parts firlt, Romans 4:24. @ 5. throughout, @c. 4. Sure they that are fo curious, asto tellus which phyfical a& of Faith juftifieth (in fpecte G numero) ( for fome fay only the firft inftantaneousa@ doth juftifie, ) will not think it curiofity to enquire which one AE of Christs Obedience juftifieth us? when according to your DodGrine, it is evident that it muft be the firft: And they that fay, Ic is Juftification by Works, to be juftified by any actof Faith in /pecie, befides the recumbency on his Righteoufnefs to be imputed to ws, or by any numero befides the firft, will likely fay that it is Juftification by another Righteoufnefs thanthat which the Scripture faith isimputed to us, to be juttified by the Imputation of any but the firft A& of Chrift’s Obedience. Or elfe that (if all be imputed) we have a redundancy of Righteoufnefs, and deferve many Heavens, or one oftenerthan needs, But
when men have received fome unfound Principles, all things muft be forced to comply with them. | .
§. 37. M.S. Towardstheend, the 44S. fummeth up my Affertions, . and fetteth down fome as contrary to them. In reckoning up mine, he fheweth candor and ingenuity,’ and a good memory, having not the Book at hand: But I muft advertife his Readers, 1. That he taketh all from my Aphorifms, the firft Book I wrote, in my youth, when my Conceptions of thefe things were Iefs digefted; wherefore I have above twenty years ago retracted that Book, till [had leifure to corre it, and have fince more fully opened my judgment in my Confe/- fion, andinmy Difput. of Juftification and other Writings, and moft fully in my Methodws Theologig unpublifhed. 2. That he over-looketh my aflierting our Adoption to be by the Merits of Chrift’s A@ive Obedience, yeaand our Juftification too, as well as by his Paflive. 3. That reciting my words, that it is by Gods Will in the form of his Donation or Covenant that Faith hath that ufe to Juftification which is zearcft it, wiz. the formal Reafon of a Condition, he leaveth out my other affertion, that Faiths material difpofition or aptitude to this form or office, is the very ature of it, as fitted to that ufe about its Obje@, Chrift, which Gods defign and our cafe required. a
His Affertions as againft me areasfolloweth.
g.28. M.S. 1. There is no way to Life but by Doing: Itis not enough that the Law be not difhonoured, but it muft be glorified.
An. Doing is a word of doubtful fenfe: It’s one thing to Do all that the Law of Innocency required 5 and another thing to do all that the Law of Grace maketh neceflary to life: It’s one thing to Do all our felves, and another thing fora Mediator to merit Pardon and Life (to be given conditionally by a new Covenant) by Doing all in kind € and much more than all that we fhould have done) for us (though not in out perfons). The way to Life now hath many parts,’ 1. Chri(t’s perfect, habicual, aftive and paflive Righteoufnefs, ( fulfilling the Law of Innocency, and the Law of Mofes, and the peculiar Law of the Mediator, ) to merit Pardon, Spirit, Adoption and Glory to be given by the New Covenant onits terms. 2. The faid New Covenant as the donative Inftrument and Law of Life, and Pardon, and Adoption by it. 3. Our doing or performing the Conditions of the New Covenant by Grace. But our perfonal Doing all according to the Law of Innocency
really
eA ‘Premonition.
really or reputatively, to be juftified by that Law, is none of the way of
Life, which youthink the only way. (And{hope we fhall both meet there).
$. - M.S. It’s clear as the light of the Sun, that their fundamental diftindion is abfurd, to make finning and fuffering equivalent to doing: becanfe he that hath born the utmoft penalty, hath done no more towards living, than he that never finned or fuffered: elfe Adam in Innocency fhonld have been fentenced worthy of life. If 4 Servant inftead of his Service fteal, and reftore it, he meriteth not bis wages, Kc. |
An. 1. It’s certain that you miftake and wrong us: I never put og among the things that are equivalent to doing or meriting: Of this before. 2. I doubt you noted not fufficiently that no Creature can merit commutatively as a Proprietor of God, as a Servant doth his wages; nor can have any thing of God but what (inrefpect of fuch merit and the value of the thing) is an abfolute free Gift: free as tocommutation s And that all Gods Laws of Life, are but a prefcription of the wife order in which he will give his free benefits; Asa Father will give Lands to the Son that will behave himfelf decently and thankfully, and not to the contemptuous Rebel: So that as to commutation no Man or Angel hath other merit, than mot tocommerit the contrary ( perdition ): God is never the better forourDoing. If youdream of meriting commutatively from a Proprietor by work for wages, I can foon tell you what we fet up inftead of fuch merit: Ihope you had no fuch thoughts, but want of due diftinguifhing. But asto Doimg and Merit inrefpe& to Paternal fuftice, that which I fet inftead of fulfilling the firft Law is as aforefaid, (not fixning and fuffering, but) 1. Chrift’s Satisfaction, and
. the Merit of his compleat Righteoufnefs. 2. The Giftof Pardon and
Life by a new conditional Covenant merited and made by him. 3.AQual Pardon of all finthereby. 4. Aciual Adoption. 5. Our fulfillingthe Condition of that Covenant, that thefe may be ours. :
And thus the Law was difhonoured by our Sin, but 1s glorified by Christs Obedience and Satisfaction; And Gojfpel-Juftice, but fpecially Mercy, glorified in our perfonal Obedience to the Gofpel: without fach Doing indeed (Chrift’s as Principalin fulfilling the Law in the Perfon of a Mediator, and vsrsas fubordinate in obeying the Gofpel, ) there is no Glorification. And I think this 1s plain truth. :
But in your inftance of a Servant deferving his wages, you feem to look at Commutative-fustice, when we have to doonly with governing (Paternal) Justice: And you fhould have remembred that if the Servant do not his Work, in order of governing Justice, it is his crime: And if he have zo fault, he hath no fault of Omifsion: And he that hath xo Sin of Omifsion hath done all his Duty, and {fo deferved the Reward. As for Adam, 1. In the firft inftant of his life he was bound to no prefent Duty, before he could do a moral A&. 2. But afterward I think he merited iz tantum © pro tempore; and had not the Condition of the Promife been of further extent than one act, he had merited life: But a Reward fora years Duty is not merited by an hours.
§.4c. M.S. There is amcdium between juft and unjuft: He was nonjultus 5 He was not acfually just, though habitually: He had done nothing for which the Law could juftifie him: elfe why did he not live for ever?
An.\. Habitual holinefs fits a Soul for Glory, whereno more is due
Cas if one die immediately.) And fo it would have done Adu,
had God tranflated him inftantly, and made him no Law of actual Duty. 2. But afterward that Adam in Innocency did that for which: the
eA Premonition.
the Law would juftifie him a tantun, for that time, He fulfilled all
the Law for fo long: elfe he had finned by Omiflion. : 3. But that Law giving life eternal only to Obedience to the end of his time of trial, he merited not that life by initial Obedience, _ This was initial imperfect
Righteou{ze/s, wanting perfeverance ; but not a medium between Fu/2
and Unjxjé, except as, Fuft fignifieth the, merit of Life by perfevering Righteoufnefs to the laft: Andfo I never denied but ina difobliged subje there isa medium; Adam was not bound to do a years work the. . firft hour 3 and fo was neither jx/f nor privatively unjuft as to the.
future years work: but as to what he was prefently obliged-to, he was either Righteows ot a Sinner. Here you come fhort of neceflary accuratenels. Perfeverance is a part of oxr Condition of Glorification:. Yet he that is not dead ts juft, if he be a Believer and obedient: And if God now call him by death, he fliall be glorified: But he hath not now done all that isto be done till his death, if he live longer: So that
his Right to the prefent poffeflion of Glory before death isnot juftifiable, but his Right in cafe he now die, is. 7 ae | . $41. M.S. Faith, credere cannot be put in exchange for fac hoc 3 and therefore juftified only as it relateth to him who hath fuffered and done for all that will receive him. : a. Ser ee An.i. Exchange is an ambiguous word: Here is no proper exchange. Faith is not a fulfillgg ofthe Law of Innocency, nor fo reputed by
God: Chrift did both fatisfie for our not-fulfilling it, and alfo by that |
and by fulfilling it himfelf ( not én our perfons, but his ow) did merit the free Gift of Life tous to be ours, upon new Covenant terms, and Faith and Repentance are the Conditions of that New Covenant, and fo are that Duty which 1s laid on owr felves to do inftead of perfect Obedi. ence, fuppofing Chrift's Satisfationand Merits, which areinftead of it quoad precinm or principally, as our faid acts are inftead of it as to what zs neceffary in our felves: And the Apoftle who fo oft faith, Faith is imputed to ws for Righteoufrefs, doth neither by Faith, mean Chriff, nor —
mean that Faith is imputed as a fulfilling the Law of Works: But that having no fuch merit of our own, Cor Righteoufnefs ) our believing in him that hath fatisfied and merited for us, 1sreckoned to us inftead of a Righteoufnefs or Merit, as being all that now ts xeceffary to our Fustifi-; cation in our felves,. (our perfevering Obedience being afterward neceffary to our Glory. ) a +84 | 2. Nodoubt Faith relateth to Chrift, and here conmoteth him as its Object: It were not Chriftian Faith elfe: But itis alfo related to the New Covenant as its Condition, and inthat form hath its place to our Juftification, which cannot be denied:. Therefore you untruly fay, [ Only as relating to Christ, | aud your words confute your felf: You fay, |. Who hath fuffered and done for all that will receive him. ] You. {peak e1ther of fecret Decree (and that giveth no Right ) or of Covenant Domation: And to fay, He and his benefits are given in Covenant to all that will receive him,’] isall one as tofay, The Covenant giveth them on condition that we-receive him’|: which 1s true. 7 $42. M.S. 3. Ibis imepoffible that the terms of the Covenant of Grace can be any other than they are: becaufe nothing but receiving him can make him mine. | 2 | | An.¥. That proveth not that Faith is not the Condition, but that it needs muft be fo. 2. Itis impoffible, now the Covenant is fomade, viz. ex necelfitate existentie: Butthat God could have made it no otherwile, isnot athing for wan to fay. 3. Confound not pafsive Reception with | _* D 2 activg
eA Premonition. a
aive moral Reception: FJaftificari 1s palfively to recezve Justification 5 and tobe firft related to Chrif? as mine, or tobe one that he is'givento, is paffively to receive Chrift: Adive moral receiving is the Wills confenting thus tohave him on all his terms, and is the means of the other: It is this and not the-other that ts Farth: And could not God poffibly have made Ebri/t onrs; by ary alteration. of the terms: fure they that confine Faith to the receiving of Chrifts imputable Righteoufnefs, will grant. . that God could pofflibly have put one a& more of Faith into the Condition, or ond att of Gratitude, Defire, Love or Repentance? And Dr. Twiff thinks he could have given a mana Right to Life without Chrift’s Satisfaction, and to Chrift without Faith, and that fo he dath to Infants. — _ |
$.43. M:S: There is no Righteon{nefs in point of Juftification, but only in conformity to the Rule, Do this: that only brings aman under the ape proving Will of God. | , —
An. 1, But whatis the Do this that you mean? Adam's Law faid, Do this and live: — Law faid, Do this aud live: The Law given to
Chriftfatd, Do and fuffer thie, and I will give thee Power over all Flefh, to
give eternal life to as many as Fgive thee,and believe}. The Law of Chritt
to Sinners faith, Do this and live : This is the work of God that ye believe,
&c. But dll thefe Doirigs ate different, for all that; It’s an unknown Faith of Repémtdnce which is no A& ot Duty. 2. 6Thereis no Righteouffrefs but the conformity to the Rule of Righteoufnefs, if you {peak only of that Righteoufnels which is of that /pecies: But there is another fort. He that is jutifiable is juft fo far. If Satan fay, Thom art condem~ tandus, tobe damned to He I, and fit ont of Heaven, for breaking the
Lew of Works : ¥ muft deny its not by faying, I did not break it, but
keep it by another, or I did not deferoe damnatiox 5 but by alledging, He that i+ pardoned, is not to faffer any pain of fenfe or lofs: I am par~ dined by be Newb Covenant, through the Merit of the Satisfaion and. perfedd Rightéoxfnefs of Chrift. Adars's Law will not juftifie you; nor Mofes's Law neither: The Law requireth perfonal perfec Obedience: It
uiever faid, [ Thox or another for thee fhalt obey - | It knowethno Surety :
Fo givé a Surety; and to accept his furetifhip, is the a&t of the Law- Giver as above his Law, not fulfilling that Law, but fecuring the ends of Government (and of it ) by another way: To pardona Sin and _ Penalty is not to fulfil the Law that threatened it, but to difpeafe with it; which Juftice can do upon a valuable confideration, fecuring the ends of Government: And Veracity is not impeached by it. For 1. The fenfe of filiss mortis is, Death fhall be thy dues and foit was. 2. And death was a€tually inflicted on waa himfelf, though not all that which he deferved: Ifthe Law of Innocency juftifie you, you need no Re-’ deemer, you heed no Pardon, youneed no New Covenant to jultifie you, nor can it doit: | |
3. We are juftified by Domg, though not by our fulfilling the Law of Works, by cur felves or another. We are jultified by two forts Of Doing: Principally by the Merit of Chritt’s perfed Righteoufnels 5 and fubordinately by our fulfilling the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace, ( which Baptifm ctlebrateth. ) |
4. Gods Will approveth of all that is good, {0 far as itis good: It approveth of habitual Holinef$ in dem, and would have done in his Infants had he ftood 5 and doth {0 in all Chriftians now: And I will believe that Chrift, before he actually obeyed, was under Gods approving Will, But notasonethat had serited by Obedience: For God doth nec
fup-
‘Pr €monition. | ee | fuppofe any to dothat which they do not, nor oblige them to do to-nzorrows work to-day. | :
§.44. M.S. The iffue in aword is, 1. Suffering for Sin is not doing, nor equivalent in point of Justification, 2. Nor can God, having fatis- | faction for what was done crofs to his Law, lay afide that ix order to the conveying of Life, and fubjtitute believing inflead of it. ‘iherefore Faith juftificth raione objetti only. Now we [Do] in another, Chrift, infread of doing in ow own perfons. | 3
An. (doubt thisis another Gofpel than the Apoftles delivered us; though I hope that pra@ically we meetinone. 1. Tothe firft I an(wer, k'strue 3 but you do ill to mtimate that we think otherwife. Sufferixg by the Sinner never fatisfieth, becaufe it muft be everlafting: Suffering by Chrift fatishech not sseerly as fuffering, but asthe volantary fuffering of: God- Man, aptly glorifying fuftice and Love, and fecuring the ends of Go~ vernment. This Satisfaction 1s not]equivalent to doing in Jultification: For Doing all required, would have juttified us againft this Charge, { Thon art a Sinner, by Omiffion and Commiffion, and thou hast deferved Death, and hast not deferved Life, according to the Law of Works. } Againft this Charge, I look forno Juftification, but confefs it is all true. But Chrift's Satisfaction jultifieth us againft this Charge, [ God muft damn thee (by paine of lofs and fenfe) or elje he is not juft, becanfe thon baft deferved it..| And Chrift’s perfe% Righteoufnefs alfo juftifieth us again(t this Charge, | God must damn thee and deny thee life, becanfe show didft not merit it by perfec Obedience}, The: Juttifier fays, No: becaufe Chrift’s Merit in Doing and Suffering hath glorified the Law and Juttice or God inftead of my Merit, and hath procured us Pardon and Life given by the New Covenant. = =
2. To the fecond I anfwer, 1. Goddid not Jay afde his firft Covenant, but wan by fin did lay it afide, by making the Condition impoffible.
2. Youoverturn the Gofpel too much, by thinking that the Law is sos
‘Rule of Life continues: }) To fay thae the fenfe of Adam’s Law was,
f Thox or another (Chrift) for thee, fhalt obey..| Andthat we are juftifed by that Law, isto confound Law and Gofpel, and make a Gofpel of that
Law, and make the Covenant of Works not to condemn us; or bothto
condemn and juftifie, andto feign man to /ive and be judged by the Covenant that is ceafed. God faith nowtonoman living, [ Be innocent,
and fo merit life, that thon maift live..| And God doth not repute ws innocent at all.
3. Tothe third I anfwer, It tsnotorioufly untrue, that Faith juftifieth only ratione objedi, unlefs you mean that efficiently it juftifiech not at all, whichistrue. For we are juftified by it alfo ratione federis, becaufe that which is materially Faith in Chrift (a juttifying Saviour) and fo connoteth its Obje% as the meritorious Caufe of the free Gift and Pardon, is ( by reafon of this aptitude ) made the Condition of that New Covenant or Gift, which is its #eareft tntereft or reafon of our being juftified by it. And it 1s the Law of Grace by which we muft be judged and juftified. And atthat Bar, the queftion which Life or Death dependeth on, will be’ ( fuppofing Chrift's Merits) whether we are penitent Believers,or impenitent Unbelievers,and {® have part in Chrift or not : Andif Satan accufe us as being impenitent Unbelievers, and the queftion be whether we have true Faith or not? my Opinionis, that we cannot be herein juftified by pleading the objed, when the & is queftioned, . and faying, That Chrift fulfilled that Law: tnlefs you could prove —
¢
22 mrey Ee
-_ os owwwlng ae
eA ‘Premonition.
Peed
he juftifieth impenitent Infidels, and (as Saltmarjh faid ) repented and believed for us. 7 | es But the grand Cafe remaineth, Whether we are juitified by the Law of
‘Innocency , by fulfilling it, and meriting in another, without any fort of
doing of our own by our felves 2? — | cee ee Mr. Wotton, Mr.Gataker, and abundance more, have long ago faid much to confute your-Error, befides Mr. Brad/haw, whom you name: But I add, I. Ihave before proved that by the deeds or fentence of the Law of Adam or Mofes, no man can be juftified: 1.. He that hath finned again{t it cannot be juftified as not having finned: For fadum infedum freri is impoffible to God himfelf. 2. The Law that condemneth us doth not jultifie us. 3. What Pesl, Rom. 3. & 4. frequently faith
— againft Juftification by the Law of Mofes will hold here a fortiori : And
Chrift keeping Asofes Law (as far as he was capable of Obligation ) that alfo would elfe have been imputed, and fo we fhould have been juttified by that Law alfos which the Scripture copioufly denieth. He that faith, He hath no fin, deceivethimfelf, and is a lyar, and the truth is not in him. And the Law of Adam juftifieth no man that hath fin. | |
ll. We did. not fulfil it and merit in Chrift: But Chrift did in the Perfon of a Mediator, Voluntarily undertaking it, on his Fathers terms, and not asourIoftrument, or in our Perfons. [have elfe-where given abundance of Arguments againft that, which I muft not here repeat. This Author took notice of my Obje@ion, that he that is reputed perfedly Innocent and Obedient, is uncapable of Pardon, and needeth no fatisfaction,.or remitting, or rewarding Covenant, befides that which he kept, but anfwerethit not. This fubverteth the Gofpel and Religion. Qyer. If there be no Reward nor Life but of Juftice, and no Reward but for Chrift’s Merits, and all Believers equally merited in Chrift, as fulfilling all the Law; 1. Whence ‘cometh the inequality of Grace and Glory? 2. How come any Believers to be left long under fins and weaknefs of Grace, and temporal punifhments?
Il. The Merits of Chrift have procured us the New Covenant € fealed in Baptifm)) by. which we have a mp Rule offiicii judicii, € for fuch is every Law) Chrift is not the only Subject of God: He made us not lawlefs or Rebels. God ftillruleth the Church by aLaw or Covenant: This is the Law or Covenant of Grace: Deny this Covenant, and you deny the Gofpel: This Covenant or Law obligeth us to Duty: Andit promifeth and giveth Pardon and Life in and with Chrift: Fhis Covenant hath Conditions; various conditions of various Benefits; Our firlt true confent ( which Eaptifm celebrateth ) that is, Our firft believing and repenting is the condition of our firlt Uzion with Chrift, and our Pardon, and Adoption, and the Spirit. Our fincere Love and Obedience to the end, and over-coming, isthe further condition of our final Juftification at Judgment, and our Glory. This Covenant we are now under, and by this we mutt be finally judged, jultified, or condemned. No man {hall be faved, unlef Cif at age) he perfonally perform the conditions of this Covenaat: And every one fhall be faved thatdoth. Faith, Repentance, Love to our Redeemer, Gratitude, Prayer, fincere Obedience, are all {ach Doing, as by this Covenant are made the neceffary means of Glory: But not fuch Doing as Paul oppofeth to the Jews, as maketh the Reward not of Grace, but of Debt. The Author of this Law is jult: His “Juftice will give to the performers of the Condition all that he hath promifed., °
The
@A ‘Premonition.
———$ $$$ $$ A ane The Scripture oft ufeth all thefe Titles; 1. That of Reward, as being the {tate of the benefits retributed. 2. That of Fuftice, as being the
principleof Reward. 3. Thatof Works, as being the matter rewarded 5
even our perfoxal Works wrought by Grace, and not only thofe which Chrift did. 4. That of wortbine/s or merit, as being the relution of the Work and Perfon to the Reward. 5. That of Righteon/ne/s, as Being the ftate of the Perfon performing thefe Works, as pronounced by the New Covenant. If I provenot all thefeby exprefs Scripture, believe your new Goflpel.
I. It is Reward, Heb.11.6. He that cometh to God, muft believe that Gad is, and that be is the Rewarder of them that diligently feck him. It’s the fecond Article of Faith, Proverbs 13:13. Mat. 6.4. Himfelf fhall Reward thee openly, and verf.6.18. Prov.25.22. Mat.16.27. Then fhall
be reward every man according to bis Works 5 even Chrift when he cometh in Glory with his Angels: If you fay, He meaneth his Works done by Chrift, read Afat. 25. and believeitif youcan. So Rev.22.12. 2 Fob. 8. Hebrews 11:26. Colossians 3:24. Te fhall receive the Reward of the Inheritence. Col.2.18. 1Cor.9.17,18. 1Cor.3.8,14. Luke 6:35. Mat. 5.12, 46. G'0.41,42. Proverbs 11:18. Pfal.ig. 11.58.11. Heb. 10,
Il. Gofpel paterxal Fuftice rewardethmen (fuppofing Chrift’s Merits } 2Tiw.4.8. ACrown of Righteou{nefs, which the Lord the righteous Judge Shall give me, and xot to me only, butto all them that love his appearing. Romans 2:5. The righteous Fudgment of God, who fiall give to every man according to bis Works. To them that by patient continuance in well-doing, Gen, 18. 23, 24, &c. And multitudes of other places, Heb. 6. 10. God is sot unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love. 1 Joh.1.9. I swe confefs our fins, he is faithful and juft to forgive our fins, &c. Ia. II. The thing rewarded is called Works done bt man ( not lepally juttifiable, but evangelically ) Afct. 16.27. Kev.2.26. Rev. 14. 13. 8,15. Hebrews 6:10. Revelation 22:12. 1 Cor. 15. laff. And it’s called Doing, 2 Theff. 3.13. and Gal.6.9. Romans 2:7. 2Cor.§.10. Hebrews 10:36. Mat. Colossians 3:23,24. Heb, 13.20. Revelation 22:14. And keeping his Word or Commaudments, 1 Job. 3.22. and 1 Fob. 2.3. and Fob. 15.10. G 14, 15,
48.21, &e. And Obeying, Hebrews 5:9. He is the Anthor of eternal Salvation to all thee that obey him. Atts 5.22. Romans 6:16. Obedience unto
Righteon{nefs, Ke. | IV. The Relative aptitude of the Work for the Reward is called Worthinefs, or Merit, andthe performer Worthy (evangelically not legaly ). And <i primarily fignifieth that which preponderateth in the ballance 5 but cannot note here any worth or merit by commutation, but that aptitude which refulteth from the goodnefs of the aion as related to the Promife, Revelation 3:4. A few---which have not defiled their Garments, and me fball walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 2Theff.1.5, 6. The righteous Judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdon of God, for which you fuffer. Seeing itis a righteous thing with God to recompenfe---to you that are troubled, reff with ys---. 11. That God would count you worthy of this calling. Luke 20:35. They which be counted worthy to obtain that World----. 21, 36. That ye may be accounted worthy bo
oA Premonition.
V. Thetitleof Relation given tothe Works and Perfons evangelically is Righteoufnefs, or Fuftice, 1 Joh. 3.7. He that doth Righteou/ne/s is righteows. Matth. 25.46. The righteows into life eternal: 21. Well done good and faithful Servant 3 v.35. For Iwas hungred, and ye, &c. Mat. 13.43. Mat. 10-41. Ezek, 18.20, 24. @ 33.12,13,18. Romans 6:16. &8, to. 1Cor.15.2¢. Epbh.§.9.@% 6.14. 2 Tim. 4.8. Hebrews 11:33. 2Cor.9. 9. And the godly are called Righteows, inrelation to their Hearts and Doings near an hundred times (if not much more ) in Scripture, though but in fubordinationto Chrift’s meritorious Righteoufnefs, and but fecandum quid, and not fimpliciter.
See the Texts further recited in my Confeffion of Faith.
And now he that (confidering all this ) believes, 1. That Chrift 1s no King, 2. OrwenoSubjeds, 3. Or that he hath no Law of Grace or Covenant which we are under, 4. Or that this Law, or Covenant, will not juftifie them that perform that Condition, (from lega]-executive damnation, by giving them Pardon, and Rightto Life, for the Merits of Chrift}): 5. And that Faith, Repentance, and perfevering holy Obedience, will not materially juftifie any man that hath them from the charge of having no part in Chrift, becaufe of Infidelity, Impenitency, Unholinefs or Apoftacy 3 6. Or that he that performeth the Gofpel-Conditions fhall not be judged rewardable, or evangelically worthy of the promifed Reward; 7. Orthatthe fame thing which as Good and a Benefit is aGift abfolutely free againft commutative Merit, is not yet guoad ordinem conferendi @ recipiendiatrue Reward. 8.And fo that we have no Reward for any Works but what Chrift did in his own Perfon. 9. And thatthe Judgment-Day willbe to try whether Chrift did his part or not, and fo tojudge him, and not to try whether we have part in him, and did our parts or not, by repenting, believing, loving, obeying and overcoming, and foto juftifie ws, primarily by his Merits and Covenant, and fubordinately by our performance of the Conditions; And ro. He that believes that inftead of all this, we our felves did by Chrift as our legal Perfon both keep all the Law of Works from firft to Jas, and merit Life, and alfo fatisfie Gods Juftice for not keeping the
‘Law, and fo redeem our felves, or fuffer in Chrift for our own Sins, and
purchafe Pardon and Salvation for our felves: 11. Or that God accounteth us fo to havedone, what we did not: 12, And fothat it is the Law of Works and Innocency by which we our felves are juftified: 13. And that for meriting in Chrift we are fixed prefently in the immutable fiate of eternal life, whichis the Reward: 14. And that this is not. a Reward to Chrift only, but to ws as Meriters in him 5 Hethat can believe
all this, with abundance more of the Libertine new Gofpel-Dodtrine
Ccommonly called Axtinomian.) which dependeth on it; doth quite. differ from my Faith, who believe that Chrift fuffered, fatisfied, fulfilled the Law, and meritedin the Perfon of a free Mediator only 5 fulfilling all his own mediatorial Law or Covenant, and receiving his Reward, and freely upon thefe Merits, and his Power received, making a Deed” of Gift of Himfelf and Life (Pardon, Adoption, Spirit and Glory) to all that truly confent to his Covenant, and overcoming do perfevere therein, and perform fincere Obedience to the laft: by which Law or Covenant he will judge men at laft, that is, will juftifie or condemn them: And this foort and plain Dodrine of Faithisitr, which Iam con. {trained by the full and plain teftimony of the Scriptures to embrace: 7 And
oA “Préinonition,
And I never yet (aw dny thing againft it, whichis not eafily confuted,
though fy life is ndt like to be long enough, ‘nor am I idle enough, to
write againft all that have written againft me.
’
td GOD; and the order of tt ¥
n refpect to
aith, Repentance , the
love of our felves' and our erate and. our Jove to Creatures, ec...
which [ pafs by in this ‘Treatié,'as having fpoken with fome care of them jn my’ Chriftide Dire@ory, ih the Appewdixto the Chap, Of loving. God, it Tom. ‘1. Andif that {eeM'tod intri¢até to any, as being too long 3 m' brief, [-fuppofe that the Thomists grofly err in_ placing -beatitude ‘chiefly in the’ Incellect, aid their Reafons ¢ efpecially as Medina ufeth them ) are Very weak 3 and the. Scotifts are more found, who place ‘it in the Will," and ‘thofé other moft found who place it in the’ perfection of the whole man attively 3 but objectively in God: And mott plainly that very plaix judicious School-man Zgidiws Romanws Quodlib. 3. 2H 18, p. 187, 188. who faith in fhore, 1. That God is the final Object fimply; 2. That the love of God (or velle) is the final at; or beatitude formaliter: 3. That beatitude ( or rather the ratio fizis) is principally in the Obje&, and next in the AG: 4. That fubferviently or quodam genere the vifto Dei is the Obje&, and the velle videre Denm the A&. See alfo Agidivs, Quodl.4. qu.11. clearly proving three ways that we muft love God above our felves, yea and not (properly) for our felves, but for himéelf, and our {elves and all things for him. : But 1. I think he miftaketh in faying that the 4& of the Will is
not the Obje% of the Will, and fo that Vifio and not Amor are felicity objedive: For as Amefivs faith, Dicimws omninm gentinm confenfie volo velle; and one AZ may be the Volition of the ext. and a complacency in that paft: And what doth a Believer will more than perfeétly ‘to love God, next to God himfelf? And Amo Amore is an AG that we have full experience of. 2. And I am patt all doubt, that Beatitudo noftra qua talis 1s not the principal end of man, but God, 1. In his own Perfeion or God-head; 2. The
fulfilling or pleafing of the Divine Will; 3. The Glory of Gods
Image ot Perfedions as fhining, 1. In the Univerfe, 2. And therein mioft emitently in the glorified Society, 3. And therein moft eminently in the Perfon of Chrift, 4. And next in all thofe that are mott excellent in their, Order, 5. And among them in our felves, our holinef and felicity: And this but in our own rank and place: For our PerfeGion and Unity with Chrift and the glorified, will end all that narrow corrupt felfifhnefs, which now maketh men dream that they are chiefly their own ends, (that is, their own gods ) and that their Beatitude is the higheft final notion, as 1f God were to be loved chiefly for our felves, as the means of our Beatitude: It being worth the confidering, whether it be not a wrong to God to love him at all fib ratione medii to our felves as an end, though we muft love him as the firft Efficient of all our Good, and our Great Benefactor, our felves and benefits being but means to Him; though yet (not He, but) many of his Gifts, may be loved as means to our Happinefs, and that and all things for God himfelf.
E _ Among
In coticlufion, I mutt give notice to the Reader, that there.are’ many. great and weighty, Points of Brpat. ee ee ou LOVE.
eA Premonition.
es nna sin ess enh ee eee ne ene
Among the Scotiits, Rada well openeth this Cafe; and the worft of them ‘all (iz 4. Sent. de Beatitud.) 1s far better than Dr. Sterz, the Dublin Phyfitian, in his A¢edela Anime, and too many more novel immature Difputers, who would make our Happine/s the chiefeft end both of our felves and God, meerly becaufe that God can have no addition of Felicity: A reafon y-age excluding fuch other refpedts, as men that write of fuch Subjects fhould not be ignorant of:.efpecially when they reproach the Schoal-men, and fave themfelves the labour of underftanding them 5. (when though they are too prefumptuous and curious, yet) one Rade, one gid. Column. Rom. one Fofeph Angles, &c, hath more clear explication of fuch Difficulties as they prefumptuonfly tamper with, than an hundred of our late Oratorical Novelifts, who are proud of their undi- | gefted new Philofophy, and their unripe daring Wits.
THE
The firs Law: | I. GC: the free Creator, Lord and Benefactor of the world, was
pleafed to make his Creatures of various ranks 3 and among
the Rational to make Man a free undetermined felf-determining Agent, not fixed by Neceffity inLoveand Obedience, but left with a Power of Loving and Obeying, which he could ufe or not ufe 5 that fo he might bea fit fubje& of Gods Moral Government by Laws, and perfwafions in this world, in orderto a more fixed {tate of holinefs. Not but that Angelical Confirmation had been better for us5
But it pleafed not God to compofe the univerfe of Creatures only of
the nobleft order. , | | 2. When God exercifeth only a Moral not-determining operation upon this world of Free Agents, it isnot any difhonour to his WZ or
Power asif he could donomore 3 Butit is his Delight thus to govern the
creature according tothe nature andrank which he hath made it in5 and his non-volitions and non-operations of a higher fort, are agreeable to his Perfe@iion, Wifdom and Liberty; Higher action being ufed on higher creatures. | -
3. Yet hath God placed and kept thefe free Agents, not only under his Moral Government, but alfo under his Dominion and difpofal 5; fo that he will do with them as his own, what he lift,and none fhall fruftrate his difpofing Will. ~ | |
4. It pleafed him firft to make man perfect under a Law of Perfection, making innocency or perfection the only condition of Life, and the contrary of Death. 3
5. When Man had fufficient Grace tohave kept this Law (not fufficient to afcertain the event, but fufficient Power to have ftood, that is, as much Grace as was neceflary tohis ftanding, fine qua non effe potuit,
ec cum qua effe potuit.) he broke it, and finned againft that fufficient
Grace, before God either denyed him any thing neceflary, or withdrew any from him. |
Of God's Government,
6. From whence it is clear that the Nature of Man's will is fuch, as
that it ismade to ufe a Power which doth not receflitate , or determine
it elf, or is determined neceflarily, but freely: And that it is no Deifying of the Will, nor extollgng it above its Nature, to fay that it can aét or determine it felf, wstkeut Gods pre-determyating premotion; or by that fame meafure of hefp which at another time doth not determine it.
' Though its Nature, and its A& as fuch be of God, yet fo is its Liberty
too; and therefore by the Power and Liberty given by God, the Will
can a& or not act, or turn it felf to this object or to that, without more
help than the faid natural fupport and Concurfe : And this Power and
_ Liberty is its Nature, and Gods Image.
od) 4s Grace Neceffary called fufficient, which is not effe@tual. For God took no Grace away from Adam kefore he finned, nor let out any temptation upon him which he was not able to refift; nor did he fin for
- z- From hence alfo ic is evident that there # {gch a thigg (ar operation O
want of neceflary Grace; bue by that fame degree of help might have
8. God pafling Sentence on faln Man for fin, would not forgive him the temporal death, nor common calamities of this life, but curfed the creatures which he was to ufe, as part of his penalty. |
g. But the Great evil which fin brought on man, was the lofs of Gods approbation and complacency, and of his Spirits faving Communion and help, and of Gods Image on man’s Seal, and of Communion with God herein; and alfohis right to life eternal. All which man’s own
fin caft away, and maa was both the Deferver and Executioner, with
- 10, Yet was all this privation penal, in that God made Maa fuch a creature, asthat his qwn fin fhould become his punifhment or ruine if he committed it, fothat all Punifhment is not determinatively of God, though Gods Antecedent Will did make that which by man is made a Caufe. Asinargument, God faith antecedently [If thoufin, thy own fin fhatl be thy torment and mifery] and man faith [1 wil/ fin] Therefore it is Man that is the determining Caufe of the Conclufion (3% own fin, Shall be my torment and mifery]: So itisin Caufation, God antecedently tomans fin, doth refolve [Iwill make Man fuch aCreature, with fuch a Mind, Coufeience and Will, as that bis Holisefs fhall be his Health, and Foy, and his immediate Receptive capacity of my favour and of his Communion with me, and of bis title to my fpirit and Glory : And that if he forfake me and bis Holinefs, in the very Nature of the thing , be fhall lofe all this Life, Light, and Love, Joy and Communion, and title to my Grace, and fhall feel the torments of bis own Conjcience telling hime of his JSin and lofs.] ThisisGods Antecedent Law : Nay, this is Gods Antecedent Creation, tomake manfuchaCreatsre. Now if man fin, his ows Jin doth ipfo fatto become his mifery, and yet isnot caujed at all by God. But yet that his Nature was made fuch as fn fhould prove amifery to,
_ was Gods Work.’ And fromthat Aatecedent Creation or Conftitution the
Relative form o€ a Punifhment refulteth to the Sinner. Even as God.
faith (If thou Murder it fhall be thy fiz or [Thou shalt not Murder) And
man doth Murder: Here the AG thatis fin is of man; but that the Relation of finbelongeth to that att, refalteth partly from: the Law which forbiddeth it; and yet Godisnot the Caufe of fiz; though he Antecedently decreed, (Aturder fhall be ix if thou commit it.) Sois it alfo with
this fort of Pxxifhwent whichis either finit (If, or the effect or refult of fin immediately.
-
aod Adoral W orks,
By which we fee that when fin and puwijhment are found in one thing,
God is the Caufe (Antecedently) of the formal Relation of a Punifhe ment, without being a Caufe of the fz: yea, antecedently is fome caufe of the formal relation ofthe fia, by his Law, without caufing any of the fin it felf, as the author of it. | As if God make manof fuch atemper, asthat furfetting, drunkenneG, uit, will make him fick, and hazard his life; Here God did no otherwife punifh him than by making hum fach a wan5 which he turned to hisewn deftruction by hisfia, If aman makea thorn Hedge about his Garden, that men may not fteal his fruit, and thofe that will thall prick themfelves, it is they that prick and punith themfelues. If God fay, He that will leap into the fire fhall be burnt, or into the water fhall be drown'd; it is they that dot that caus the evil; and yet fome formal relation Of penalty may refult to it from Gods conditional antecedent Law. [fay not that God executeth no other kind of punifhment: But thefe are the maft common. | : 1x. Man having thus caft away Gods Image and his Ianocency, could beget a Child no purer, holier or better than himfelf: For he could not communicate that which ke had loft. So that our Nature is vitiated with Original fin, and unhappy in the miferable effects. Bradwardine hath a fhift which ferveth them that fay man could do no good in Inno-
-cency without fupernatural Help, viz. Making that Help ta be Gods Will
thatit fhall be done: But ia not Gads Will called our natural Help when it is the fountain of Nature, working by natural means? It's true
_ that free will without Gods Will could do nothing.
42. The promifory part of the Covenant or Law of fanocency became null or ceafed with man’s firft fin, ceffamte fubditorum capacitate 3 and fo the Condition which is its modys. Sothat no manever fince was under the Obligation of that Law as a Covenant of life, faying (Bs Perfed or
Innocent and Live’}, nor obliged to perfed perfonal perpetual obedience.
as the condition af Life; for it was become naturally impoffible. And God maketh not Promifes and Covenants upon Natural impoflibilities, whatever we fay of Moral ones. If the Devilsbefore their fall were uoder this Covenant [ Be Perfe aud Live."] Yet now they are not under it. : . .
Here fome worthy Divines go into both extreams: Some fay that all the Law of Innocency is ceafed, Precept, Promife, and Threatning. Others fay thar all {till are in force or being. The Truth I think is between them as followeth. | | :
1, God ftill commandeth perfe& obedience, fo far as that the leaft violation of his Law is fin.
2. This Law bindeth us asthe Creator’s Law: but not as meer Crea- Zor: But as put with Nature into the hand and power of the Redeemer, to whom all Power or Government 6 committed, and fo all Laws are now both the Creators and Redcemers. i |
3. Thefe Precepts biad us nat now in fo full a fort as they did Adam, evento obedience; Though the Law be as perfect :'Becaufe there 1s fome Difpoftio Recipientie neceflary to the effecting an Obligation upon us: And where any Natural Impoffibility hath befaln us, though by fin, it will make {ome alteratian in the abligation.
4. The Commination of the faid Law % fo far ftill in force, as to make Puni(hment (even perpetual) to be our defert for every fin, and fo far to oblige us to Punifhment, that if we ar¢ not pardoned, we fall not efcape; for it is natural for fin todeferve Punifhment. — s. This
Of God's Government,
5. Thisobligation isnot only Remediable or pardonable, but conditionally (as well as by the Fundamental Merit of Chrift) Remedyed and pardoned to all men immediately ; and atiually pardoned to penitent Believers,
6. The Promiffory Covenanting part was not (properly) Abrogated by God: For he was not the Changer.
7, The Promiffory part ts now really ceafed, and 1s No Promife, nor No Covenant of God: And this was done by Afan’s cealing to be a capable fubje& ; which becaufe fome few worthy Divines deny, I prove.
4. If it be yet aPromife, it is Abfolute (which none faith) or Condjtional: And if fo, either the Condition is quid preteritum, quid prafens, vel quid futurum: But none of thefe; 1. A Paft and Prefent Condition are not proper Conditions of the thing, but forms of {peech: And eci- — ther that Condition already is, or is not; If it be; the Promife
‘as abfolute in fence : If it be wot 5 the Promife is No Promife in
fence, but equivalent to a Negation, as common reafon as well as the — civil Law confeffeth. If it be quid Ignotum, the notice may be Conditional till, but not the proper Dozation. But here it 1s quid notiffimun, and God is feigned tofay, If Adam and his Pofterity have no fin, I will
- juftifie and blefs them 5 which is equivalent to [121 ot]. If the Condition be fuppofed Fatwre, e.g. [If Adam and bis feed fin no more, they are juft| itis falfe, becaufe they are already guilty.
2. Theeflence of a Condition isto fufpend the effect, till performed. But here the effect is #ot fufpended: Ergo there is no conditional promife. Total lofs is no fufpenfion.
3. When the Condition is once totally violated and become impoflible, all fence and civil Law faith, Res tranfit in judicatum, G Lex in Sententiam; and the Promife ceafeth Ceffamte capacitate Promifjarii : And fo it is here. | | | ' 4. That which is a Promiféis alfo a Law, and is effentially the Expreflion of Gods Will for the Government of bis Subjects, and for a conditional Rule of Right to the thing promifed : Thisis its very definition. But it is unworthy of God, to fay that he doth ever fince the fall, tell the world, [If you are not faln or Sinners, you hall be juftified] or [on condition that you be fuch as never did fin, you fhall live]. This were to threaten or condemn us ironically or with derifion, under the name of a Promife, or Covenant, or Law.
Yet the change as I faid ismade by man, who hath made himfelf uncapable to be the object of fuch a Promife, or fubje& to fuch a Law.
And I know that it isa Queftion of no {mall Difficulty, whether any proper promife of life was made to 4dam himfelf, andfo whether this was properly a Promifing Covenant? ButI can prefume to fay no more thanI can prove; whichis, 1. That as Nateral there feemed to be in it an intimation of the Will of God, to give Adam perpetual felicity if he obeyed, 1. Inthat God made his Soul Immortal: Not fuch as could not ceafe to be; but fuch as in its Nature was fitted to perpetuity. And a perpetual Soul muft be perpetually happy or unhappy: And God would not fubvert the Nature of Spirits, nor make Souls unhappy for nothing.
2. Becaufe Holinefs it {elf would be and infer Happinefs toa perpetuated
voluntarily become man’s ReCor, that Juftice which confifteth in doing as a Rector ob fines regiminis, fecundum mores fubditorum, feemeth to ‘be avirtual Promife, that it fhall go well with the obedient. 4. Becaufe God put into man’s Soul a natural inclination to its own perpetual | felicity.
felicity. 5. And alfo 4 =r!
firft Covenant was made with Adam as the Father of Man
and. Moral Werks.
adto knowhim. 6. 3od:commanded Man in the very Law of Nature (and pofitively) certain means tobe ufed, no doubt in order to fuch felicity as the end which man by nature was obliged to intend. And doubtlefs God would not-do all this in vain 3 His command to feek Life, is.a kind of Promife, shat faithful feekersfhall obtainit. 7. And as Nature made Punifiment dueto the finner; fo it feemeth implyed in that vory threatning of Nature, that the obedient fhall {peed better. "
. Whoever is angry with me for it, 1 tuft fay, that thefe Natural Evidenoes are no inconfiderable perfwaders of my judgment, and directors
a
of it about the certainty and nature of the Promifeto Adam. 2, But befides thefe, though the Scripture be very filent here, yet the fame feemeth implyed, 1. In the threataing of deathto Adam. 2. In the titles of [Redemption Reconciliation Remiffion, | &c. given in the Gofpel tothe a@s ofiour Salvation by Jefus Chrift: which feem to import that they reftore usinto that {tate of Heavenly hope, which we fell from in Adams 5 when we all finned and came fhort of the Glory of God, Kom, 3. |
andto knowhim. 6..And
ee - SECT. I. Tbe firft Eats ion of the Law of Grace.
a3. When God -jadged maa for fia, at once he promifed hima Saviour, and through hima as promifed, made a new Law of Grace wath man. - _ 7
14. This Law giveth pardon of the Spiritual and Eternal Punifhment, aod of ail fave what was excepted in the Sentence — But pardon, not to be abfolutely and mmediately received, but by degrees and upon certain terms: Aad with pardon a free gift of Life Spiritusl and Eternal, and {oof the spirit and Communion with God, onthe faid conditions. — : 3 |
ts. The Promife Genesis 3:15. 1s plain as to Szercy atid Salvation, and
darker as tothe promifed feed, and his mediation; and dark as to the Condition on man's part! But (by Sacrifices, ce.) itis like that Adam had it more explained to him, than thofe thort words make it to us: But this is clear that by chis new Covenant God becometh man's Afercifel ‘Redeemer and Pardener, and Ruler on terms of Grace in order to recovery and Salvation; And that man was to Believe in God as fuch, and accor-
_ ingly wodevote himélf in Covenant to him.
16. This Law or Covenant wes made with J Mankind in Adam: For all were in hisloins; and God hath given us.no more ‘Beg that the ind, thanthat
the fecond was fo made. ; 17. Gods dealings with Mankind are a certain confirmation of this truth, and anexpofition and promulgation oF this Law and Covenant of
Grace as-extended to all Mankind. For God doth not wfe them according to the rigor of the violated Law of Innocency, but giveth them abundant mercies and means which tend to their Repentance and recovery, and obligeth them allto Believe that he is merciful and their cafe is not defperate, and co Repent and ufe his means and mercies 1 order to
their return to God and their Salvation. There are no Nations in oe | wor
Inclination perpetually to Love his God,
‘Abrabam’s Promife.
Of God's Government, |
world that even to this day are not under fuch mercies, means, and sbk-
' gations 5 and therefore none that are left asthe Devils in Defpair, under the unremedyed Covenant of Innocenty alone." : Wie
18. But though the Law of Grace made td Addm be it which the
_world wasthen put under, and to be Ruled by, and the tenor ‘of’ it
extended to all Mankind 5 yet thofe that would partake of thie Sleffrvgs of it, were to confent toit. as Covenanters with God, and to Believe in and obey God their Redeemer patdoner and feftorer, in the thaénkful fence of all this — which becaufe the ungodly did not, ‘they ‘and their pofterity fell under a double guilt and curfe, both as vitlatets
of the Law of Innocency and of Grace: and therefore incurred a {peéctal
nalty: Cain and his off-/pring being firftthruft out further fromthe Pelieving obedient people of God, and at laft the whole world except eight perfons perifhing in the deluge. | Ss 19. Noah with his houfe being faved to be the Root of all Mankind
that fhould fucceed him, God renewed with him'and Aankind in bint,
the fame Law or Covenant of Grace which’he had made with us iniAdaw, with fome additionals: To thew us that though the wicked and their feed had forfeited the benefits, yet the Covenant was not altered, but
ftood in its firft fence in force to all, and would pardon and fave all true
Confenters. ae oe we’ & |
20. Cham for his tranfgreflion brought a new Curfe on himfelf and his pofterity ,. befides the meer fruit of: Adam’s Sin.'- So that though God altered not his Law of Grace, yet they became‘a curfed Generation.
a1. Bymultiplyed tranfgreffions, the Sons of men did ftill more degenerate and revolt from God, aH Nimrod and others by. wickednes and
prefumptions brought down the new and grievous penalty of confounded
tongues, (the great hinderance of the propagation of the truth to :this
day) And at laft, the moft fell to odious Idolatry,, not knowing the true God, but given up tofenfuality and wickednefs. _ oo faithful and offs ping the Idolatry and wickedne
of the world, was eminently favoured and beloved of God, ahd believing and trufting God in his promifes and in the great tryal of his Son, is honoured with the name of the Father of the Faithful : And God renewed with him the Covexant of Grace which he had made to all mex ix Adam and Noah, with {pecial application to his comfort 5 and addeda
Special peculiar Promife to him, that his Seed fhould be a holy Nation
chofen out of all the world to God, and that of him the Adeffiah thould come, of both which Promifes (the common and the fpecial) Circimcifion was a Seal. . Pe | a 23. Yet this was no repealing of the Law of Grace which had been made toal/ the world, nor wasit an excommunicating or rejeding of all others, or a confining of Gods Grace and Church to hiss and his pofterity alone; but only an exalting them above all others in thefe peculiar digaities and priviledges. For at that time holy Sem was living, and long after, who inall likelyhood was a King, and its like that the Pofterity of him and Faphet were notall faln away from God 5 and Aelchizedek was fuch a King of Righteonfnuefs and Peace and Prieft of the most high God as was a great type of Chrift'sown Heavenly Priefthood, and therefore it’s like had fome Subjects that feared and worfhipped God. The Scripture giving us the Hiftory of the Jewi{h Nation, and affairs as the principal, and of the reft of the world but a little on the by, we cannot know by it the full ftate of all other Nations, nor what Religion and
and SMoral Works.
and Worfhippers of God were there. But the Hiftory of Fob and his
Friends, the probability that all the Children of Imael; of Keturah, of
Efau, forfook not God (for they were Circumcifed and therefore were
Covenanters) with the Cafe of Nimeve afters and Abraham's thoughts
that even a Sodom had at leaft had fifty righteous perfons in it, @c. affureth us that the Jews were not God's only Cherch, but a peculiar people,
and a Nation holy above the reft. And asthe Covenant of Grace was:
ftill the Governing Law to the reft of the world, (though moft rejected it
by rebellion) fo it isnot to be thought that zone ‘conjented to it and
24. The fpecial promife to Abraham of the Meffiah to be his feed, which
was more than was made to Adam and Noah, as it belonged not to Mankind in general, fo wasit not promulgate or known tothem, but only to
the ews, and the few that converfed with them. Therefore the
reft of the world, were not ob/iged to know and believe it, who sever
25. What Conditions of pardonand life were neceflary to all Mankind then in general, is moft probably gathered out of thefo Texts of
Scripture. Exod.34. 6, 7. And the Lord--proclaimed the Name of the Lord--
The Lord, the LordGod, Merciful and Graciows, long fuffering and abundant in Goodnefs and Truth, keeping Mercy for thoufands, forgiving iniquity, tranfgrelfion and fin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, vi-
Siting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children; and to the Childrens
Children unto the third and to the fourth Generation. This isthe defcription of God given by his own mouth, as he isto be Believed in, and as
The termsof the Unie verfal Covenant. |
they were to be fubje@ and devoted to him: And what mouth can fure- -
fier revealhim. And Hebrews 11:6. Without faith it is impofible to pleafe God; for he that cometh to God must believe that God is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. AG. 10. 34, 35. Of atruth I perceive that God is uo refpecter of perfons, but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteoufnefs is accepted with him. And Fobn's and Chrift’s Preaching were, Repent And Except ye Repent je foall all perifo: And Chrift'wasa Prince, and.a Saviour to. give Repentance to Ifrael and Remi{feon of Sins. : | oo
26. The belief of the pardoning Mercy of God to the penitent, and the recoverable {tate of Souls, and the duty af Repenting, and feeking pardon and mercy of God, in order to Salvation , in oppofition to defpair and wegleG of all endeavours for recovery, is fo common toall Mankind, that (though felf-love may make them hope inordinately for that which
they would havetobetrue; yet) it is moft apparent that it proceedeth
from fome Natural notion of God, and isto be numbred with the Notitie Communesswhich are paft controverfie with al) Mankind.
27. Therefore though the Law of Innocency was the Law of Nature in the first and eminent fence , yet this Common notice of Gods pardoning Mercy, and man’s duty to Repent, hope and {eek Salvation’ may well be called, The Law of lapfed Nature, as the other isthe Law of Innocent Nature. For the Nature of God, and the nature of Man, with all circumftant Natures, and the courfe of natural Providence running fo much in the way of great reftoring mercy, do certifie mankind of the forefaid hopes and duties. | | | "28. For itis not (as fome have faid) an abfurdity, buta certain Truth, that the Law of Nature is as far mutable as Nature it felf ismutable. For the Law of Nature (commonly mif-defcribed) is nothing elfe but the Nature of Jax and aff other Creatures of God, {0 far as per modum figni
they
they pi to ws Gods Will appointing what fall be Due frowe us and To us, asthe inflrument of Gods Goverument of Mankind. Now this Notification is moft by the Refultancy of duty fram the Natyre of Man compared with God and all the Creatures that he hath to do with. . And the very variety of circumftances (asinthe cafe of Adane’s Childrens Marriages and ours, ¢e.) may alter Nature's fignification, obligation
2g. That which is called the Cowenaxt of Nature or Innocency, was in
the Main the very Law of Innocent Nature in all the parts of it. 4. Nature being perfect, revealed Man's Duty perfedly to obey. 2. Nature
declared Punifhnzent to be due to fix 5 yeatoall fin. And this pugifhment
tobe fuitable to the nature of the Offerder compared with the God
offended, andthe injury dope. Efpecially that if men will undoe themelves, by forfaking Life and Love and Joy, and catting themfelves into
darknels, difeefednefs and mifery, when it is forefhewn them, God is not
bound to hinder or recover them. 3. Nature telleth man that God
whomade his Soul a fiweple Intellectual fpirit, and Life it felf (though
created and dependant) antended not to gynfhilateit 5 and thatits noble
faculties, fitted to know God, and Love him, and Live tohim perfealy
invain. And that he that Naturally maketh it mans duty to hope and feek
for Imeortal happinefs, hath not made this hope or duty in vain : Nor
will fail or fruftate or deftroy them that forfeit not their hopes. So
that the Covenant depends not elone upon fepernatural Revelation..
- 30.But that which Natsre revealeth about the penalty, is 1. Not that
God of #eceffity aust puxi(h the lo&.of Ianocency as highly as he may do.
2. But that he aay justly punith the Sinner in rigour, by temporal, {piritual and eternal miferies. 3. And that the Ends of Government (the
honour of his Wifdam, Goodnefs, Power, Trath and Fuftice, and the
order of the humane world) do require that fin cape zot free, but fome
exemplary punifhment be a Vindication of God, and a warning to
Man: which aur death, afflidions , and /piritual fufferings manifeft in
part, and the fufferings of Chrift more fully: Sothat pardon, and di/-
penjing in part with his Right to punifh us according to the Law firft
broken, is no falfhoodin-God, nor any injustice , nor any violation of
his Law. of |Nature. ‘
31. The Law which God put 22 mankind under after the fall , and the world without the Church is wader till, isthe Preceptive part ofthe Law of Innocent Nature as de f joke the promife of it being ceafed, and the penalty not totally nullifyed,but made remedyable by an act of oblivion or Conditional Covenant of Grace. q.d. [Thon fhalt perfely obey me, for
the time to comes and every fin fall deferve everlasting punifhment, fo far
as that I might justly inflit it, and will do it if it benotremitted: But all thy fin Jhall be forgiven thee, and thon fhalt have the free gift of pardon and Salvation, if thon Beliewe in me thy merciful Saviour, and repent and give up thy felf to me to be faved, and to be Mine by fincere obedience andLove.] ° a 7 32. The deliverance of the I/raelites.from Egypt by Mofes, and their imbodying into a new Common-wealth, with a Theocratical Government ina peculiar manner, and a new body of Divine Laws, were all done in performance of Gods Covenant.with Abraham, Ifaacand Jacob, feparating their feed as Holy from allthe world. Not as if noother were Holy inthe world; but asthe Prieftsand Levites were fan@ified to {tand rearer to God than the people, and.fo {pecially Holy 5 even fo Ifrael
“and Moral Works Bs
Ifrael was a Holy Nation, as being #earer God by feparation than the
re{t of the Nations of the world. | | 33. Theentire Law of God which the I/raelitifh Nation was under
had all thefe parts. 4. The remaining preceptive and direétive part of
the Law of Nature. 2. The Uniyerfal Covenant of Grace made with
all mankind in Adam and Noah, arid perfonally renewed to Abraham for
himfelf and his pofterity. 3. The fpecial promife to Abraham and
his feed as a peculiar people of whom the Mefliah fhould come. 4. The
body of the Law of Mofes as a Law for that Common-wealth or Politie
(which was not fo given to any other Common-wealth or Nation.) * * Leg. Suarez de Leg.
1. The firft of thefe indoabendty is {till in force. | hgatiedh oF the Lae
2. The fecond is turned into the perfect edition of the Covenant of ftridly taken, and foie
Grace, to thofe that have the Gofpel: And it continueth to the reft of fat not {laith he) prothe world unrepealed, as tothe fubftance of the mercies of it, (further and the Lawas including
than men deprive themfelves of them by forfeitures, as wicked men here {Pe Promile to the Fa.
do as to the mercies of the Gofpel) Butas it isa promife of Chrift’s fu- fach promifes. But thofe
ture incarnation, it ceafed by his coming. arenas ie a on 3. The third ts ceafed by performance and by the Fews apoftacy: the Fous have ever been
Though fome think {till that it 1s in force, and that a national converfion Si anlebinabiea ri
fhall perform that promife to the full. But Mr. Calvert(a Learned young" “cls
man ) hath lately written to prove that no {uch national converfion is to
be expected, but only fuch additions of particular mens converfion to
the Catholick Chriftian Church, as are of that kind which hath been
more fully done on the Jews already. oe 4. As to the reft, it hath troubled Divines how far Mo/es’s Law is
abrogated or ceafed 5 partly as to the Judicials, and chiefly as to the Decalogue. And that we may not be.too forward to call one another Legatifts or Antinomians for this difference (thofe now called Antinomians
being rather Libertine denyers of the Law of Chrift) I will notifie te
thofe that know it not, that it isas much a difference among the.Papifts
greateft Doors, who yet bear with one another in it, and the Pope de.
cideth it not. Some fay that the Decalogue now obligeth not asthe Law
of Mofes, but only as the Law of Nature, and of Chrift : So Soto de
Inftit. li. 2.4.5. ar. 4. concl.2. Medina. 2. q. 103. ar. 3. quem aliqui
To whom Sxerez joyneth himfelf; confefling (pag. 764,765.) thatif
. (asfome hold) ofes Law had been only a Declaration of the Law of
Nature, and not de novo preceptive, it could not be faidto ceafe. But he truly holdeth it to be con/titutive or preceptive alfo to thofe that it was by Mofes delivered to: Andof this opinion! profefs my felf (notwith- {tanding all that on other points I have written againft the Antinomians) Believing that Chrift now ts the Univerfal Law-giver; and that the very Law of nature (as Natureit felf) is now H#s Law, and that be hath taken it into his Gofpel adminiftration, and fothe Decalogueis wsaterially 10 force, but not formally as part of the proper Mofaical Law, {ave only that as Declarative aud ex paritate rationis, we may colleG@ that God who for fuch reafons fo bound them, doth bind us to the fame things by the {ame natural Reafons.
But there are other Papift Doors that hold that as to the Morals Mofes Law as i ae is {till in force, evenas then by him delivered, and that to all Chriftians,fo Belarm. de Juftif. li. 4.c. 6. Lorin, in AG.AS. Vafquez who with Durandus Paludan. Paul. Bergen: And Saaresx faith ‘ph
~~ OF God's Government,
Alph. a caftro and moft fo fpeak: And Vafquez denyeth the Law of Nature as fuch; to have properly a Divine Obligation, faith Suarez, which. he confuteth de Leg. I. 9.c. 11. p. 764, 765. But this controverfie when examined, containeth not much more than verbal difagreement, and fo. their mutual forbearance doth confefs. — .
34. The fews inftead of excelling in Holinefs proportionably to their priviledges, did grow carnal and proud,and 1, Much neglected the Law of Nature. 2. Much over-looked the fpiritual Covenant of Grace, made. withthem and all the world. 3. And mifanderftood the chief part of
the fpecial Promife made to Abraham, not under{tanding commonly the
high, fpiritual or univerfal Office and Kingdom of the Mefliah, but dreaming that he was but to be thetr Monarch, to make them great, and to fubject the world to them. 4. And they mifunderftood the Law-of Mofes or Covenant on Mount Sinai 5 as if the defign of it had been but by its fpecial holy excellency to juftifie the doers of it, by and fer the doing, and to pardon ali the {pirieual and perpetual punifhment of Sin, upon thofe terms which it appointed for a Political pardon, and to give life {piritual and eternal, upon thofe bare condittons on which their Law gave them Political benefits. Over-looking the great caufes of Jultification and life in the Meffiah, and the common Covenant of Grace, and Promife of the Mefliah madeto Abraham. And this is the errot which Chrift and his Apoftles found them in. Yet proudly boafting
. of their Law and Political priviledges, and defpifing all the reft of the
‘world, as out-ca{ts in comparifon of them. . |
35. Though the behaviour of all the reft of the world, till Chrift’s coming be little notifyed tous, yet this much is fure, that they were commonly more Ignorant and Idolatrous than the Jews, that yet they retained the common notices of nature; that they remembred by Tradition thofe intimations of the neceflity of propitiatory Sacrifice, fo asto keep up the cuftom of Sacrificing among them : That many of
them with exceeding diligence fought'to find God, or know him in the ¢
‘works of Nature and Providence, and attained to great and excellent underftanding, efpecially in Greece and Rome > And many ofthem lived very f{tri& auftere and laborious lives, in great Juftice and Love, and in the practice of many-excellent Precepts towards God : For the Heavens aeclared the Glory of God, and the firmament fhewed his handywork: Dayunto day uttered {peech, and night uxto night fhewed knowledge ;
went through the earth, and their words to the worlds end, Pfal. 19. 1,2,3,4. “For allGods works do.praife him, and the Lord 1s good to all, his tender mercies are over all bis works: Pfal. 145.9, 10,17. He is King in all the earth, He was not the God of the Fews only, but of the Gentiles alfa. ‘Romans 3:29. Becaufe that which may be known of God was manifeit in Cor to) them, for God had fhewed it to them. For the invifthle things of hiu
_ from the Creation of the world, are clearly feen , being underftood by the
things that are made: his Eternal power and Godhead, (0 that they are without exenfe, becaufe that when they kucw God, they glorified him not as ‘God, neither were thankful, Romans 1:19, 20,21. God left not bimfelf
‘Without witnefs, in that he did good and gave men rain from heaven and
fruitful feafons, filling their hearts with food and gladnefs, AG.14. 15,16. Seeing he givethto all life and breath and all things, and hath made of
one blood all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their
bubitation , that they fhould feck the Lord, if happily they might feel after
’
ae. ¢. a ST eae eee ~via
There was no fpeech or language where their voice was not heard: Their lize.
oo and &N4oral Works.
him and find him: though he be not far from every one of ws: For in him we live aud move and have our being 5 For we are alfo his off- {pring,
AG. 17. 25, 26,27, 28, 29. For there is no difference between the Few and the Grecks Forthe fame Lord over alfis rich unto all that call upon bin.
For whoever fhall call on the name of the Lord fhall be faved : But have they not heard 2 Yes verily, their found went into all the earth , and their
words unto the euds of the world---Rom. 10. 12, 13,18. Defpifeft thon
the riches of bis goodnefs avd forbearance and long fuffering, not knowing
! that the goodnefs of God leadeth thee to Repentance? Who will render to | every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in
well doing feck for Glory and Honour and Immortality, Eternal life---
Glory, honour and peace, and tq every man that worketh Good, to the Few
firft and alfo ta the Greeks For there is no refped of perfons with God--~
For not the hearers of the Law are juft before God , but the doers of the
by Nature the things coutained in the Law, thefe having not the Law area
‘Law unto themfelues 3 which fhew the work of the Law written ia their
while acculing or elf excufing one another. Inthe day when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by Fefus ChriSt according to my Gofpel--If the xncircumcifton keeps the righteou{uefs of the Law, fhatl not his uncircumcifion, be
counted for circumcifion 2 He is a few which is one inwardly, and circum=
cifton is that of the beart, in the Spirit, and not inthe letter whofe praife is
not of men but of God, Rom. 2. > |
36. In the fulnefs of time Gad fent his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem thens that were under the Law. Rom. 4. 4. But “not them pnly 5 for God fo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him fhould not-perifh, but have everlasting | life. Joh.3. 16. He.was made fin for us, who knew no-fin, that we might be wade the righteon{nefs of Godin him. Heredeemed ws from the Curfe | of the Law , being made a Curfe for ws. For he 1s the Saviour of the | world, andthe Lamb of God that taketh away the fins af the world. He ) _ is .the Propitiation for our fins, and not for oprs only, but for the fins of | the whole world : 1 Joh, 2.2. Forbe tafted Death for every man, Heb. 2. being the Saviour of all men, but efpecially of thofe that believe, Tim.4. 10. | For if one dyed for all, then were all dead 5 And he dyed for all, that they | which live fhould not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him that dyed | for them.and rof,again, 2Cor. 5.14, 15. 7 3 . 37. Asthe eternal Word and Wifdom of the Father in his Divine nature only, was the interpofing Redeemer by undertaking, before his Incarnation, and governedthe faln world by the fore-defcribed Law of Grace ; fo upon his Incarnation initially, and, upon his performance plenarily all things aré delivered into his hands; even all the world 0 far as it was defiled and curfed by Man’sfin; Afanas the Redeemed, the Creatures as his wtenfils, and goods, (and Devils as hisand our Enemies :) All
Power in Heaven and Earth was given him, Matth. 26. 19. Joh. 13.1, 3. .
and 17.2, 3. <All judgment was committed to him 5 and the Father judgeth | no man (but by him): But hath given him to have life in himfelf, and to
raife
38 Of God ) Government,
raife the dead, Joh. 5. 22, 23, 24,25. For he hath made bim Head over all things to bis Church, Ephesians 1:22, 23. And forthis end he dyed, rofe and revived that he might be the Lord of the dead and the living, Rom.14 9,10. For God hath exalted him and given him aname above every name, thatin the name of ‘fefus every knee fhould bow, Phil. 2. 7,8. And asin Adam
all die, even foin Chrift fhall all be made alive, 1 Cor. 15.22.
38. Chrift upon his Incarnation performed but what God had De-
- creed, before the foundations of the world, and had obfcurely and ge- |
nerally promifed after the fall, at the firft making of the Covenant of
Grace. Which Decree of God, is after the manner of men called by
fome a Covenant between the Father and the Son; efpecially becaufe the
Prophets have fometimes (as J/a. 53.) defcribed it by way of prediction
as a Covenant between the Father and Chrift incarnate. If we conceive
of it properly under the notion of a Decree firft, anda Promife after
uatothe world, fothe Will and Mercy of God the Father and Son (with
the Holy Spirit) are the caufe ef mans Redemption, Pardon and Salvation, even the fundamental Principal total Caufe : And the Promife was
man’sfecurity ; and Chrift as promifed was the primary great Means,
which was to procure us the reft, by doing that, upon the fore-/ight and
fore-decree whereof, God did before-hand pardon and fave Sinners. But
if you had rather mention it as in the form of a Covenant, (which before
the Incarnation, muft be improperly taken, being only of God to himfelf, or a promife of and to Chrift as to be incarnate) then the undertaking of the Father, and the Son herein muft be carefully diftinguifhed
. and defcribed. The Father giveth up to Chrift as Redeemer the whole ©
— curfed reparable world, (the feveral parts to feveral ufes) and
efpecially his chofen to be eventually and a pongicd faved, and promifeth
to accept his Sacrifice and: performancé, and to make him Head over all _
and world, andto Glorifie him for this work with himfelf for ever.
And the fecond perfon undertaketh to affume man’s Nature, to do and
-fuffer all that he did, in perfect obedience to his Fathers Will, and Law
' of Redemption, to fulfill all Righteoufnefs, conquer Satan and the
world, tofuffer in the flefh, and be a Sacrifice for fin, and to conquer
Death, and teach, and rule, and purifie, and raife, and juftifie and gloae id J 39+ Before the Incarnation, Chrift’s future death and obedience being
dernts qui alio modo crede- NOtexiftent, were no real exiftent Canfes in themfelues of men’s Juftifibant in ipecialta & alte cation: But that Wifdom which P hile sacd them, and that Will of God
saad cidbane quod which Decreed them, as fuch Cand not they without that fore-/ight and
aunc eft falfum. Alliaco Decree as exiftent) were the caufe.
ae 40. Nor were they either before or after the performance a proper
Caujfe of Gods will which pardoned us; For Gods Will in it felf can
have no caufe. But they were Caujes, 1. Of the Thing willed, and 2.Alfo
of the extrinfecal denomination of Gods will from the object and effet
(of whichanon), |
41. Chrift did not take upon him ftri&ly and properly, the Natu-
‘ _ ralor Civil perfon of any Sizner, much lefs of ail the Elect, or all Sinners: But the perfon of a Mediator between God and Sinners: (Of
which more afterwards). | :
42. Chrift was not our Delegate, Deputy, Minifter or Inftrument to
_ do what he did in our names, by reprefenting our perfons as a man’s
Servant payeth his Mafters debt by bis command, or doth fome —
whic
faxlt. in it
Of Sizners, to fatfie Gods Wifdone, Truth, and Fiftice, andto procure pardon and life for Sinners, to be given out by ‘himfelf, oni -his terms, andiahisway. 0 44. Much lefs did Chrift in our perfons, and we inand by him, ina civil fence, hecome habitually holy, and'pérfe@ly fulfill all righteoutnets: Nor.doth God ever repute bes have sur felvesiin our own civil perfons, thus fulfilled the Law, and beén holy in and by Chrift, or will jultifeuson fuchafuppoftion, A5- Chrift is faid to be made fin for w, inthat he'was made a Sacrifice forfin: Buthever w is a Sinner indeed, or in Gods efteem: For\God judgeth pat Pie Nor did he ever take to himfelf the Guilt of fad, or it felf, but the panifoment and the guilt only in relation to punifhgment,; the Reatum pene, non culpa qua. talis. But if ahy will ¢all the Reatua pene by thename of Reatus enlpe quoad penam tantwn, ‘becaufe of therelation and connotation, ‘| ftrive not'againft the Name, {6 we agree of the thing: But fafeft words are beft; efpecially feeing that -obligatio ad pena is tt that is molt ufually and ethinently called guilt: ,But Chrift never undertook tobe reputed of God one that was truly and,tormally wicked or a fixner’s but only'one that was 4 fponjor who _confented to faffer for Sinners, that they might’ be delivered. And they are ill words of them that fay, Chiift was by imputation the moft wicked man, the greateft Thief, Adulterer, Murderer, or Sinner in the world; Though fuch men may mean Well, it Were better fpeak in the Scripture phrafe, and not fofarovergoe it. in sae
_, Had God imputed our fins fo ta him as to have efteemed him a Sin-—
ner or guilty of our habitualand adual fin’ as fiz (even our batred of God, and dll our wigkedze/s) God mult neceffarily from the perfection of his Nature; have hated hin as a wicked enemys yea, more than he: hated any other man, as being guilty of a world of wickednefs. Wheteas God was. ftill well’ pleafed mitt bin, and never ‘bated im.
and perfect; and {0 was his merit by his perfe# Righteonfnefs. =
47., Lhe perfectipn of ose charge confifteth not in its being . an
_in f{tead of ‘AL the’ fufferings due to all for whom he' dyed, fo that
none fhould thereforé be ever due to the — themfelves. For death, afflidions, and the waut of Grace, and withholding of the Spi-
* sits further help, dc. muft be fufféred even by the Eleé& : But it confifteth inits full fufficiency to thofé. Ends fot which it was defigned by the Father and the Son: ee
48. The
46. The Satiefattion which Chrift made to the juftice of God was ful |
_ Claiming them Hereticks,
4@ So - Of God's Government,
48, The very Nature and Reafoz of the fatisfaorine/s of Chrift’s fuffertngs, was not in Being the very fame either in Kind or in Degree, which: were due to all for whom he fuffered : For they were not fuch : Of which more afterwards. | | |
49...They could not be the fame which was due by the Law: For the Law made it dueto the Sinner himfelf. And anothers fuffering for him, fulfilleth not the Law (which never faid, Either thou or another for thee
_foalt dye) Butonly fatisfied the Law-giver as he 1s above his own Law,
and could difpenfe with it, his Fuftice being fatisfied and faved. Dums
: alins Solvit, alind-folvitur. 2. And fin it {elf (though not as fiz) as is
' before opened, was the greateft part of the Sizners punifhment (Tobe
_ alienated from God, and not to love him and delight inhim, but to be corrupted and deluded and tormented by concupifcence). 3. And the immediate unavoidable confequents refulting from fin it felf, were punifhments which Chrift did never undergo. (As to be Hateful or difpleafing to God, as contrary to his Holy nature 5. to be related as Criminal, to lofeall Right to Gods favour and Kingdom, &c.) 4. And none of the further punifhments which fuppofed real faultinefs could fall on
the fenfe of Gods hatred of usasreal Sinners. 5. Much lefs the defertions.of the Spirit of Holinefs, to be left without goodne/s, in a {tate of
- fin, and to hate God for his juftice and holinefs,; which will be the
- damneds cafe. The blind zeal of them that think they wrong the
- fufferings of Chrift, if they make them not thus of the fame kind
- withall that we deferved, doth lead themto the intollerable Blafphe-
— of our Saviour; which if underftood , they would themfelves
-. §0. Nor could. Chrift’s /afferings be equal in Degree, ote sage and
extenfively, to all that was deferved by the world: Asis eafily difcernible by perufing what is now faid, feeing our deferved fuflering lay in
things of fuch a Nature, as to ‘be left in fiz it felf, deftitute of Gods
_ Image, and Love and Communion , under his hatred, tormented in Cone
Science 5 befidesthe everlafting torments of hell, which are more than
thefe, uponall the millions of Sinners which weré redeemed.
51. Yet did Chrift fuffer more i Soul than in Body, being at the pre-
If in any of thefe fent deprived of that kind of fenfe of Gods Love, and ‘fog therein, which
rte not there. Dis Soul the deep fenfe of Gods difpleafure with Sinners and of his hatred
fore the old way of pro- of fiz, though no fence of Gods hatred to himfelf. For itis conceiveable
till you have tryed how HOw Chrift being the Lover and furety or Sponfor for Sinners, and unfar ‘they erre indeed. dertaking to fyfteras a Sacrifice for their fins, and in their {tead, might
te 2 aie ald have on his own Soul the forrowful fenfe of Gods hatred of fin and
be made Hereticks for Wrath againft Sinners, though not properly terminated on himfelf;, and
Mant of Skill in Me de- fo he bore the forrow of our tranfgreftion , and was fo far forfaken of
or not allowable by the God for that tive, and not further. |
Communication of id’ 52. The true Reafonof the /atisfadorinefs of Chrift's fufferings was,
ccararenehs taultbe che toatl they were a moft apt means for the demonftration of the Governing
Soe oir omaani be part of Chrift, or Chrift be compounded of a Divine Nature and Humane, &c. Many
would affirm it, chat mean well. Buc faith Alliac. Camerar. 3.4. (Neque perfona neque natura divina eff compofita 5 nec Chrift us
eft compofitus ex duabus natwris, divina fcilicet & humana 3 five ex tribus rebus, Corpore jctlicet, anima & divinitate: fed tantum,
ex duabus, fecundum bumanitatem, [citicet corpore & anima effentéaliter, & ex infinitis partibus quantitativis integraliter. Idee
non ef concedendum quod humanitas fit Pars Cbriffi. Nam ficut bomo non eff compofitus ex albidine, cy fubltantia, fic nec Chriftus
ct Compofitus ex bumanitate & perfona divina. How many have gone for Hereticks for want of the Language of Ariftorle and the Schoo!men? | ae Fuftice,
“and Moral Works.
Fuftice, Holinef?, Wifdow and Mercy of God, by which God could attain
the ends of the Law and Government, better than by executing the Law on the world in its deftrudion, (asin general was before intimated. )
53. The meafure of the fatisfa@ion made by Chrift was, that it was a full falvo to Gods fuftice, and demonftration of it, thathe might give Pardon and Life to. Sinners, upon the new terms of the Covenant of Grace, and give what he after gave. ,
54. The matter of Chrilt’s méritoriows Righteon{nefs, was his perfec
fulfilling the Law given him as Mediator, orthe performance of the Conditions of his mediatorial Covenant: From which refulted the. Arerit,
of Chrift for man, and hence arofe his Aserit for ws. |
55. The matter of his Law of Redemption required of him was threefold, 1. That he fhould by habitual and atinal perfe& Holinefs fulfil the
_firft Law of Nature or Innocency which Adam broke not juft as it obliged
to the Jews. 3. That he fhould performthe great things peculiar to
bimfelf as Mediator 5; which wereto bea Sacrifice for Sin, to do his Attracles, to teach the Church as its Head: to Rale it, and to appoint Orders and Officers for it, to rife again, to conquer Satan, Death and Sin, @c.
56. That Chrift did not fulfil all the Law in our perfons, fo as that we did it in and by bimfelf, and are thereby juftified, is further evident, in that he did not allthe Daties which the Law bound us to perform, and for not doing of which we are truly Sinners. He did not do any of the proper Officesof a Husband toawife, or of a Wife toa Husband 3 of a Father to Children; of a Servant, or a hired day-labourer
to a Matter; of a Magiftrate (King, Fudge, &c.’) to Subjedts: of a
Captain to Souldiers, or Souldiers to their Captain; of a Landlord to
Tenants; of fuch,as have great riches towards the poor: ofthe fick, the ~
imprifoned, and abundance fuch like. Befides the perfonal Laws given
to Adam inthe Garden, to Noah, to Abraham, to David, to Solomon,
the Prophets, and fuch others. Chrift did not thefe fame things for’ us3 nor we fulfilled not;thefe particular Laws in him.
37. The Difputes whether it be Chrift’s Divine, his habitual, hig ;
alive, or his paffive Righteonfnefs, that is made oursto our Juttification,
- feemeth to be but the Off-fpring of the error of the undue fenfe of
Chrit’s perfonating or reprefenting us in his Righteoufnefs: And the parcelling out the ufes and effeéts, ( that one 1s imputed to us inftead of habitual Righteoufnefs, another inftead of actual, and the third pardoneth our Sins, § is from the fame falfe fuppofition. (It’s well that they:
{uppofe not that his Divine Righteoufzefs 1simputed to our deification. ) But the cafe is plain, 1. That Chrift’s whole Humane Righteou{nefs, habitual, ative and paffive, are meritoriows for us, (not as being the very fame things, all which we fhould have done, and fuffered, and had; asif
- wehad, did and fuffered them our felves by one that had, did and /fiffered them in our perfons (ina Law-fenfe.') Butas being the parts of
that one Righteou{nefs of Chrift as Mediator, which confilteth in the full
performance of the Law of Redemption, or of his own Covenant with his
Father, undertaken for our fakes. Having been, and done, and fuffered what he promifed, heisRighteous. © 2. And his Divine Righteoufnefs, by virtue of the hypoftatical Unton, dignifieth his Humane to tts meritorious value. 7 G 58. By
Of God's Government,
58. By his Satisfadion or Sacrifice, and this Merit, Chrift did procure all that Pardon, Life and Benefits, whatfoever that confequently are given us of God: And foisthe true meritoriows canfeof all,
59. That Sacrificeand Obedience, Righteoufuefs and Merit, which: was directly given to God, for wan, by performance of Chrift’s undertaking, may yet be confequently {aid to be given unto wax 5 In that it was-given to God for man, andin that the Benefits merited are given to man 5 and fo relatively as to thofe Benefits, the Sacrifice, Obedience, Rightean{pe/s and Jderit, maybe faid tobe given: ws. Asthe Ranjomis given tothe Captive which is given for bist, becaufe the Jiberty purchafed:by it is given him. ¢ Of which more after. )
SECT. IV.
Of the N ew (Covenant, or the Law of Grace | oir the Second Edition.
6o. The New Covenant is Chrifts Law of Grace 3 his os plaid by which he giveth Title or Right to the Benefits promifed, and. conveyeth Rightto the Fruits of his Sacrifice and.Merits; And his Law by which he governeth the Church asa Saviour, in order to Recovery and Salva tion. |
It hath greatly fcandalized the Papi/ts againft us to find fome ald Proteftants deny Chrift to be a Law-Giver, and in his Gofpel to have a Law. The cafe is fad, that any in oppofitiom to others fhould run into fuchi an Antinomian extream: They are unlike to be good Preachers of Chrift’s Law, who maintain that he hath no Law: And there can be no fin again{t it, nor expeCation of being judged by 1t, 1f he have none. And he is no King and Ruler, if he have no Law. But yet let the Papifts forbear infulting, and remember that the true meaning of moft of them isnomore, than to affért what Swarez himfelf propugneth, viz. that befides Revelations, and the Duties thence naturally refulting., ( by natural Law ): and the Sacraments, Chrift hath no other Laws. And both swarez and they are here to blame (forthe Papifts that are by fome accufed for calling the Gofpel a Law, do alfo give too little honour to Chrift's Laws )5 It befeemeth none of them to.ufe fuchill Language, — what-ever they mean. If they fhould fay that the King is no Law- Giver, and hath no Laws, they would wrong him by. that Language (as denying his Royalty }). how well foever they fhould interpret: it. For the Legiflative-Power isthe principal effential part of Soveraignty. But if any really deny Chrift to be a Law-Giver, and’ when. he hath done reproacheth the Papifts. and. Arminians for contradiGing it 5 it is but as the blind reproaching the purblind’ for feeing'; whenthey that give moft to the Laws of Chrift (among thefe Contenders) do give too little.
The Baptifmal-Covenant, is a Law as impofed, andas impofing the Covenant-Duties, and as determining the conditions of Life and‘Death, according to which men muft live re fhall be judged: yea it is the moft famous Law, which Confcience hath to do with 5 Though tt be a Covenant as confented to, inthecontract: That Sinners have terms of Life
and Death, and offered Remedies againft all their Guilt and greateft
Punithand &Moral Works. '
Punifhments, and Means prefcribed, and Duties commanded in order ©
to their recovery, when the Law of Innacency condemneth them; efpecially the obeying of the Miniftry, and Word, and Holy Spirit of Chrift, prefcribing them his way of cure as their Phyfician, all this is a Law of Grace; even the Law of Liberty, and the Law of the Spirit of Life, which frecth us from the Law of Sin and Death. Chrift’s Law coafifteth of two parts: (as is faid ) 1. The Law of Nature (called by many moral ) as commanding the love of God and its attendent Duties, not now to an tnnocent man, but to a condemned-recovering Sinner, as the health to which his Phyfician doth reftore him. %. And the remedying Law which is more proper tothe Redeemer called the
Law of Faith ; which appointeth us the terms and means of our recovery :
which is, 1. S#pernataral as to the Revelation of the ssatter and reafons. of it, and the foundation of all in Chrift’s Work of Redemption and his Legiflation: 2. But asto the obligation or efficiency of mans duty,
it is both zatsral and fupernateral at once: that is, whenitis prefup- .
pofed that Chrift hath done, fuffered and offered to our acceptance, all that is fo afferted of him inthe Gofpel; 1. Nature obligeth us to believe 1¢ (upon evidence of credibility ) and to accept it, and thankfully improve its: 2. Chrift as the Fathers Adminiftrator, and our King, hath pofitively commanded us the fame. . | :
Wereit not for wearying the Reader, and my felf, I would here an- {wer all that Saarez faith, (de Legib. li. 10. c. 2.) to prove that no preceptum pofitiunm morale is added by Chrift: AndI would eafily prove that as fome parts of Natwre are unalterable, and accordingly natural Duty, fofomethiags of Natwre are mutable, and fo is that natural Duty which is founded on them: And Chrift hath by fupernatural Performancesand Revelations made fuch changes in the nature of things, as inferreth new natural Obligations. Werethe Devils redeemed, and Grace now offered them, nature would make it their duty to accept It. a | !
{a (um, it 1s a fuficient confutation of all S#arez's Reafons, to fay, that they run upon this fale fuppofition, that Natare and fupernatural Precept may not both oblige man to the fame duty, and that God cannot lay two Obligations on us to the fame action. For all that he laboureth, is 0 prove that fuppofing the Revelation, Nature bindeth us to believe all
* the Chriftian Articles, to preach, and hear, and pray to God by Chrift, tolove our Redeemer, and be thankful, @c. and that the Gofpel is thus - fitted to lapfed Nature, as the firft Law wasto innocent Nature. All
which I like very well, and take it for a great honour to Chrift and the Gofpel, that it ts fo fuited to the natural neceffity and {tate of fallen and miferable man, and may be called the Law of finful Nature. But Suarez himfelf had before proved that Mofes's Decalogue was both a Declaration of what Nature bound mento, and yet alfothe matter of anew
Precept of God: And why could he not fee the fame of the Gofpel, it being fo evident, that it containeth Chrift’s Commands? And the very fum of our Miniftry is, 1. To difciple and baptize all Nations, cc. 2. And then toteach them to obferve all that Chriftcommanded. And indeed Suarez, confeffeth (p.816.) That Chrift did by new commanding add new Obligationsto the duties of Nature, though he deny that Chrift added any pofitive Precept as to the moral matter commanded by the Law of Nature---.
And by this inftance you may fee how near fome men agree, that feem
much to differ, But asto them that infifton it, that the Gofpel and.
G 3 New
(4) That Chrift is truly a King, and fo a Law. Giver, and hath proper Laws, and not only Dodtrines Cand how great an myjury fome Proseflants have done the Church by denying (befides the Antinomzans.) See Suarez, de Leg. l. to, c.t. whofe proofs of the _ thing are unanfwerable ; And I have long ago proved ic in other Writings.
Buc Suarez affercing that Chrift’s Law is only Moral and Ceremonial, (in the Sacraments) and not judicial, doth plainly confefs thac God never inftituted the Papacy and their Difciplire: Yea he faith, (¢.2.p.812. [ Chriffus in fua lece nihil de preceptis judictalibus fatuit: etiam fi in Ecclefia Chrifti ut talis eft, alique leges judiciales fiat neceffarie ad politicum regimen Ecclefiafticum, quod
fuo modo fprrituale ef? 3 nibilominas noluit Chri- (2us dominus per fe ip(am allas leges ferre, fed id Vicariss [uis commifit, poheflarem ad illas ferendas e1s tribuendo: Et ideo ille Leges non [ub Lege Divina, fed fub canonica computantur: Proprie igitur loquendo de Lege divina nova, inillanoninuee niuntny precepta judicialia. | So that Chrift never made the Papacy, nor any of its Laws. Buc indeed he appointed Bapcifm as eur Churchentrance,and more than a Ceremony: and the fiate of Clurch- Officers, and their work and difcipline, Mat.18. And what his Spirie did in the Apoftles, he did in another force than he doth by any crdinary Minifters thar have but the Spirits ordinary help.
(5) Aquinas and many other Parzfts joyn with fome late Se&aries, and fay that it’s the Spirits Operation on the Heart, that is the Lex nova, and
Gift as received: It is a removens prohibens.
Of God's Government,
New Covenant are no Laws, and that we have none from Chrift but the Decalogue and Old Teftament; were I to write againft them to purpofe, [ would plentifully prove them Subverters of Chriftianity it felfand give full evidence againft them, to any that believe the holy Scriptures, And contrarily I would prove, that there are no Divine Laws but what are truly the Laws of our Redeemer, now inthe world, and that all Infidels are ruled, and fhall be judged by a Law of Grace, though not of the laft evangelical Editions andthat he that feareth not breaking the Laws of Chrift, fhall hear at laft; Thofe mine Enemies that would not that I flould Reign over them, bring them hither and flay then before me, Luk. 19. 27. (a) | |
(>) As to the queftion, Whether Chrift’s Law be exterior in fignis (vocal and written ) or inthe Heart by the Spirit, Swarez truly faith, That lex imperans is in fignis (in Scripture words ) but lex impellens is the Spirit 5 which though here the chief, yet is not properly but metaphorically. calledaLaw, (pag. 819. Gli. 1. in principio. ) Though he add, that it was eight years before the Gofpel was written by Matthew, and longer by the reft, and that all that time and fince it is written in the Heart. But memory may retain a vocal Law, before the Heart C by love and fubje@ion ) do receive it.
61. In this Law or Covenant is made a free univer fal Deed of Gift of
Chriff firkt, and of Pardon, Spirit and Glory in and by him to all Mankind without exception, who will believingly accept it in its true nature, asitis offered therein 5 Or [ If they will fo accept it as Believers. 1 _
62. This Covenant is to be preached by Chrift’s Minifters, and me invited to believe and confent : And all that fo do, are to profefs that confent by a folemn Covenant in their Baptifm, and So to give wp themfelves devotedly to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; renouncing the Devil, Flefhand World.
63. For Faith in Godthe Father is as effential a part of that Faith
which we muft profefs in Baptifm, and is called commonly justifying, as
Faith in Chrift is > And fo is Faith inthe Holy Ghotft in its place. For it is not poflible to believe in Chrift, without believing firft in God, to whom he is the way,and with whom he is our Mediator; nor to believe in him fully as Chrift, unle we believe in him, as giving usthe fandifying Spirit. : :
64. This Covenant is neverthelefs free (as to the donation of the Gifts, ) for being conditional: For the Condition isnot the purchafe, pro= curement by efficient caufality, or any way a proper cauje of the Gift as given, but only a difpofitive caufe of our reception of it, and of the The Condition as impofed, andas the mode of the Promife, is only a Jufpenfion of the Donation and Right till it be performed : The Condition as performed is a removing the
Jufpenfion: And fo it is a receiving caufe; which is but difpofitio materiz
receptive (of which more in due place. ) 65. And the Gift is neverthelef free, becaufe the Condition is but
{uch as is morally-antecedently-neceffary to the reception of free Gifts.
that it is nor written: For though phyfical Donation oft make its own way, and pre-require
Bue he could nor deny ‘ bur chat vet the Gofpel is Lex mova Scripta : Bue
not fuch Conditions as thefe at leaft ; yet moral Donation by Deed of Gift, {uppofeth that the perfon wil/ receive tt, and de/pifing, or unthank-
Aon emme aeth ful refufal, or turning it again{t the Donor, nullificth fuch a Donation
this buce for the {econ- 4
dary fenfe of the Ler: In the Civil Laws of men.
which is the firft, and
that rhe obliging Law 3 and the other the effe&s of it as various as perfons are that have it, and nor the Rule of Obligation: And eile-where I have Miewcd allo de Lege natura.
66. And
and &\Aoral Works. _ 66. And the Zenefits are neverthelefs conditionally given, though. the Spirit of Chrift cauje ws to perform the Condition: For they are called
conditional fromthe mode or form of the Covenant, which giveth men Right to Chrift and Life exprefly on condition of believing.
67. Though this believing be fometimes defcribed as the affent of
the Intellect, and fometimes as the confent of the Wi, and fometime as a pradical affiance, trufting Chrilt asa Saviour, to fave us, with Soul and: Body, tothe renouncing and letting go all othertruft ; Yet when ever
Justification and Life is promifed to Faith, all thefe three are the effential —
parts of it.
68. The clearett difcovery of the true nature of Gods Covenant ;
with man, and of that Faith by which we partake of the benefits of ‘it; is in Baptif/m it felf, which hath ever been the entrance of men into Gods Covenant as confented to, and mutual, and fo intoa.viffble ftate of Chriftianity and memberfhip of Chrift and the Catholick Church. .. And therefore it ishappy for us, that Chrift foexprefly delivered the form of the Baptifmal Covenant, and the Univerfal Church hath fo fafely io her practice kept it. a, oe be
69. This Baptifmal Covenant which is conditional, and the confent to which doth make w4 Coriftians, mutt be {till diftinguifhed from the Coves nant between the Father and Christ, or his Law of Redemption: And God promifeth not to #s, allthathe promifeth to Chris for ws 5 nor giveth all to ws which he giveth to him. | a3 |
ing his Elect ( that he will callthem, renew them, and fave them, or if thofe PrediGions run in the form of a Promife, either asthey are promifes to Chrift concerning the Elect, or as promifesto the Church in gene-. ral, how God will perfeé it, {till they give no mana Law-Title or Right to any of the Benefits, till he isa Believer: They jultifie and pardon no man: And fo they muft not be confounded with the Baptifmal Covenant, which is Gods fated Inftrument of Fuftification and of Government, and the Law by which he will Judge usat the laft. :
71. This Baptifmal Covenant is the charader and teft, by which we
muft judge who are Christians, and members of the Catholick Church. of Chritt, and not by their Subjection to a pretended vicarious univerfal Monarch. Aad this is the character ( with confent to his relation there ) by which every mans fitnefs for memberfhip in a particular Church mutt
be judged of; And not by other Covenants (belides that confent) and
proofs of Converfion, nothereincluded. And this containeth the true Charaéters, by which every man may know himfelf whether he be a true Chriftian, and muft judge of his fincerity and right to Chrift, Juftification and Salvation, ashe ts or is not a fincere confenter to it truly underftood in the effential parts.
SECT. V. Of the Gift and Works of the Holy G bolt. 72. There are three forts of Operations of the Holy Ghoft, one common, and twoproper to them that flail! bave, or already have Jultification. , |
1. The
46 | Of God's Government,
nel oe
fpecial Grace, which yet they may have that perth. The ‘Thomifis makethe 2. The fecond is that.Grace of the Spirit by which we perform the ee and firft AG of {pecial Faith and Repentance, called commonly by Divines aed iohone Jufti- Vocation, which goeth before any fpecial habit; but not before any holy fication, which is with eg; Becaufe the very influx of the Spirit on the Soul isasa feed, which
thy Ga aera yen et exciteth the firf? ad before a habit, though not.ordinarily before fome
from that habit 5 And if preparations. This Faith is commanded us as our duty firft, and made the diftin&tion of Alva- “23 : ' ie Dipdiaus (oy 16k. weceffary tous, as the Condition of the Covenant; And when we know it
& paffim be not contra- to be thus required of us, and hear in the Gofpel the Reafons which oleh underftand it (hould perfwade us, then the Holy Spirit moveth us by his Influx to bcie at a difpofitio lieve and confent, where God and man are conjunc Agents; but man fub qua elt ultima at/poft ’ ? a
saife watts aatcrdit CFU tBate CO GOK. jllam, in genere tamn * 3 Lhe third fort is the Spirits Operation of the habit of Divine Love, ie erate eficien- and all other Graces in the Soul, which is called his In-dwelling, and are ded ae SanGification 3 Thisis that Gift of theSpirit (befides Miracles of old ) gratia. | g é 2
which is the effe& of which is promifed to Believers : To this, Faith is the Condition : Tothis,
BE ened ae upon believing it isthat wehave Right given us by Gods Covenant; and
and Comforter is given us. ;
73. This third Gift or Work of the Spirit eminently fo called, 1s in the fame inftant of tiwe given us asthe hovad, C but not of nature) or at leaft immediately thereupon when we believe: But yet they are not to be confounded on many accounts.
74. Butyetthoughfome degree of the Spirit be prefently given to every Believer, it is ufually buta fpark at firft; And there are further means and conditions appointed us for the z#creafe, and actual helps from day today: And hethat will not wait on the Spirit in the ufe of thofe means, doth forfeit his help according to his neglect. —
75. Henceitisthat mo/t, if not all Chriftians have lower meafures of
. theSpirit than otherwife they might have, and that judicially as a punith- ' ment for Sin; However God is free herein, and if he pleafe may give more
is wziverfal in the tenor or fenfe of it; It is of all Mankind without exception that Chrift faith, If thou confefs with thy month, and believe ix thy heart, thou fhalt be faved: No perfon antecedently is excluded in the
world. Matth. 28. 19, 20. 77. And as to the promulgation of it, Chrift hath commiffioned his _ Mark 16. 15, 16. Minifters to preach this Gofpel to all the world, and to every Creature: So
that to the utmoft of their power they are to offer and publith it to the
whole world. And Princes and people are all bound in their feveral
places to affift them, and to help to propagate the Gofpel throughout
all the Earth: So that the reftraine of it is not by the texor of the
Law. '
78. Thofe Nations which defpife and refufe the Gofpel are juftly deprived of it, penally for that rejection.
79. Thofe Nations that live inhumancly and wickedly againft the
means and mercies which they have, do forfeit their hopes of more.
€o. As God in all Ages hath vifited the fins of the Fathers on the
Children, as the inftances of Cain, Cham, Nimrod, and others common-~
ly (hew, and hath proclaimed it as his Name, Exod. 34. and put itin
Tables of Stonein the Second Commandment (and not only of Adam's
fin); fo may he juftly deal by the Pofterity of the Dcfpilers of the pee
1. The firft is preparing comoton Grace, which maketh men fitter for |
and Moral Works. AT pel, ia denying it them. Though he may freely give it the unworthy when he pleafeth. | bo. et teas
8. All che reft of the world who have not the Gofpel, and the Co- The flate of thofe thar venant of Grace in the laft Edition, are left by Chriftin. as good a ftate dea away .no mercy fromthem, which they had. :
82. Fherefore, asit is before proved. that before Chrift’stime, none of zuinglis’s Opinion of of the world were left defperate, under the meer violaced. Covenant of tie Stlvation of Hea- Innocency, but that the tenor ofthat New Covenant, as made to Adam Toslens Sontdiee ae and Nosh, extended:to-them all, fo.are they {till under all the Grace of Artigonus,Nama, Camitis, that Edittan of the Covenant, farther than they are pesally deprived of LI el dadaa ae it for violatingin. EheLaw of Grace in that firlt Edition ts {till ix force, Ecclel. 1.Se&.4.c Twifand the Law. by. which: the world hall be gowermed and judged; They Petia aaa areal] Pofleffors of Mercy mbich leadeth:to Repentance, and hound.to ule Onnium temporumuna eft the means aflorded:them.tmorder to. Repentance and. Salvation, and it 1s ag tea Lasik their finthat they-do: not: For which itis ultimately that they, are con- Rexuneratorem fperantium demned. Though wickedhefs harden men againft the Law of Grace, Fe aces ies that changeth not Geds.Lamto them, but bringsthem. under the pesalty. gem, jub lege, fub gratia: Not that any are bound’ to expecta Ghrift: to come, but to perform the Nema rium lipients common Conditionsof than Covenant before defcribed. fine ifla nemo unquam ine .
83. Therefore no man is now condemned for Original Sin alone; sf fis Fs Ehoughitis pardoned: to no man, tillhe. perform the condition of it, in pies oh aan Avidl. BOL the pardoning Covenant, For God.having brought all:men under terms Peucer Hift. Carcerum aof mercy tending to- recovery, they hall be judged asthey ufe that reco- 8" cn ee vering merey,, according to. thae Law of Grace which. they are under, nec ad Ethnicos ante nawhether of the frfborlathEdition, dest poh saton Corin
84. Fhe exception which fome make. of Isfusts is vain: Becaufle ag mift fingulares miniltros s fsr as:God hath revealed:his.mind about them to us, he efteemeth them Heald eal and: ufecs ehem.as pantsof their Parentsand Owners, and.if he condemn tempore :” Hoc modo co them, it isnot for Adaas's fin enly, but.alfo ultimately for their Parents 2dbu: fonat, ut Utah rejeilion of recovering Grace, azd: not devoting them to God in his Cove- judas : “Nee le ae naxt. And though God will not condemn the Children.for the Parents 94am exclufi prorfus a grafim; that is, when. they them/felves repent and turn taGod. But theScrip- 4, a dicalas ae tare is molt plain and:frequent in exprefling our guilt of our nearer Par £ quibus innumeri ex ompents fins.againft Grace, which:isa pant of our Original Sin: and ought 7” ee. Libba not to. be fo {lighted as ufually itis. However, 1. It is anincredible fam natum \udzi: Pas- Opinion, That God fhould rule and judge all the reft of the world by a “reste his tamen. Law of Grace, and leave only poor Infants without any mercy, under the | meer Law of Innocency, and judge: them.only by another Law, than he doth all che world. 2. Add) it ts the trick of a Deceiver to argueab _ dgxotiore, and carry his Caufe into the dark, And Infants.Cafe is left to ‘us i Scripture much-darker than that of the adult.
85. Fherefore it feemeth plain.to me, that though Chrift’s Church be now 1acomparably happies than the Jewifh Cherch was, ( in magnitude, light; and grace, and excellency of priviledges, ) far aboveall the reft ot the World, and fo-excelleth the {tate of Heathens far more than the Jewifh Church excelled them; Yet the reft of the world ftand now in moch like relation to God and the Chriftian Church, as before Chrift’s Incarnation they did to God and the Fewifh Church, who were his peculiar (but not his only }peoplesthe fadws pecaliaritatis was theirs only 5 but not fedws gratig: Soarewe much more, asa holy Nation, aroyal Priefthood ta ftand nearer God than the reft of the world: But whether the ‘Jews were all Gods people ox Earth I have béfore difcuffed, and proved
4d Of God's Government,
a
85. But certainly inno Nation under Heaven, there is no coming to
Heb. 11. 5,6. God, or pleafing hive without Faiths nor fecing him without Holinefs 5
Heb, 12. 14. nor any Name given under Heaven by which men can be faved, but by Chrift; Sy: nor any Sandification but by Chrift's Spirit; nor any coming to the Father Joh. 14. 6. but by the Son; nor any Pardon and Life but by a Covenant of Grace, and
1 Joh. 5. 10, 11, 12, by the Merits and Furchafe of Christ. But how far he giveth this Spirit and Grace where he is not known himfelf‘as Incarnate, is all the difficulty :
( As to Infants and Adult ). | oS 86. Though God hath faid lefs to us of their cafe that hear not the er ee Gofpel, than of Believers and Unbelievers (privative, * that hear it) perule Gataker’s Preface Decaufe it lefs concerneth us to know it, and to be bufie in judging to fitasinns of the the Servants of another, yet in this point are mens confidence and oppofition moft vehement. ‘‘On one fide fome fay, [ Before I ‘¢ would believe that God hath fhut all the millions of the Earth, from ‘* Adam's days till now, fave a few Jews and Chriftians, out of all pofli- ‘‘ bility of Salvation, fo that they are left asthe Devils without help, ‘‘hope ormeans , and perifh Infants and all meerly becaufe God will ‘‘ have it fo, and that in everlafting fire; I willeafilier believe that the ‘* Gofpel isnot true, as having lefs of Natures light to condemn me, than ‘“‘for receiving fueh thoughts of the infintely Good and merciful
“God. On _ other fide, if Ido but openthe undeniable Mercies of God to all, which all the world hath experience that they poflefs, and that Govenant of Grace which the whole current of Scripture proveth them under, {ome men that are fo very wife in their own eyes, as hardly to fufpe& any thingtobe anerror which they have long held, and that _ build much of their Religion and Theological Reputation, in adherin
tothe Opinions of thofe whofe communion they think moft eee them, and out of a blind zeal for that which they account @rthodox, will prefently without impartial confideration, or friendly debate, maifterially pafs their judgment among thofe that reverence them, and _ backbite thofe that they cannot confute, and fay, [ ‘* Such a man hold- ‘‘eth dangerous Opinions, that Infidels may be faved, ] and it’s like falfly reprefent my words. Whenyet the fame men perhaps will main. tainthat all the Ele are justified before they believe, and fothat Infidels, even privative, are juftified, fo they be but eleé: And this feemeth to them no injury to Chrift: fo powerful is prejudice, and pride, and
partiality. | | 87. The queftion whether any befides Chriftians are put into a poff/zbi- Subit me certe fubinde (ita Lity of Salvation 1s eafily and certainly refolved in the affirmative from ifta dum lego, affeéium me What is faid: But the queftion whether any or how many are adwally hs ee tupor duntaz. J2ved, doth depend onthe refolution of the queftion, whether any of at, {ed horror etiam, com them are truly fanified, that is, [ do traly love God and Holinefs, above siete Sse the Pleafures, Profits and Honours of this world.’| For nothing is more n, certainin Gods Word, thanthat ai that do fofhall befaved: For aman
ferto apud me reputantem, quam longe tx maltis 40 tg live in Hell with the predominant Jove of God, is as great a contraco abjimquod de fe vir tie, u.rt ad [alutem per- \ duccntis tramitis ignarus, de fe profitetur, mec quin vere & ingenuem, ambigt pole videtur: wt proinde te Marco & Epiiteto altins affurgens Hymxum illius vil maximo majorem CG praftantiorem decantare jugiter debeam Gataker Prolog. ad Antonixam. Read the multitude of Teftimonies of the Virtues of atonine, collected by Gataker poft opera. Fait Micus Antoninus, tir omninm cirtutum & fandtitate vite pracipuus, celcelti/q; ingeat?. Sebaft. Munficr. Cofmcgr. li. 2. Bonitatis ac faprentre nomine ab omuibus dum viveret inea eflimatione konoreq, habitus, qua nomo unguam vel ante ipfum, vel quod xovirens polt tpfam fuerit. ——Nunauam ita conipirarunt feriptores, in tribucndo curquam quesung; potcrant bonitatis, integritatrs, tnaocentia, Cujafurs deniq, titalt apud ethnicos [pectofifomi gee ftimonia: Celibrant illum non tantum ut priacipem optimum, [ed finplireter & abfolate ut bominesn ogtimsm & potlojophum optimum omnium qui unquam extitcrunt. Etg, boc ipfius peculiare encomium, gid ila predicctuy, cetra exctptionim ullam predicatur. Mer. Caufabon. Praf.in Verf. Angl. at citat. per Gacaker, a diction,
and SMoral Works:
-diQion, as for a man to be fick in health, and both in the greater degree. God cannot damn or forfake a Soul that loveth him and is holy, (ix fenfe compofito. ) - ae ee " 88. And whether any or how many without the Chriftian Church,
| do truly /ove God, isa queftion which dependeth as to probability upon
__ the forefaid grounds, but as tothe certainty of the tec upon that beartkxowledge of othermen)) which belongeth to God only., 1. How can
I that live in an obfcure corner of Exgland, know whether any love
God in Siam, China, Japon, or Perfia, or at the Antipodes. 2. If | were
with them all, and acquainted with every perfon inthe world, I could —
have but a probability of the affirmative of any one, becaufe I4m not acquainted with the heart. But when the Scripture affureth us that it 1s the Law of Grace, and not only that of Innocency, which all the world is governed by, and thall be judged by, and fo that their Sanctification and Salvation is poffible; there is fo great a probability, that this Covenant, and the mercies of it, are not in vain to af of them that are
under it alone, and that the thing that is pojfibleto fo many millions,
doth come to_pafs with fowe, that an impartial confiderer of Gods
Nature and Government, may eafily fee what to think moft probable.
89. Thofe therefore that teach the Church, that itis a certain truth,
that 70 one in the world (Infant or Aged) is faved from Hell fire, but
Chriftians only, and that this is not only certaiz to {uch great underftandirigsastheir own, but sexf# be fa to all true Chriftians,, do but difcover that they over-value their own underftandings, and.that fiding
hath contracted their thoughts and charity intoa fioful narrownels, a
that the Opinions of men, counted Orthodox, prevaileth more with
them than the evidence of truth, and I'think that they areto be numbred with thofe that by over-doing, do dangeroufly undermine the
96. The Texts urged by them for this pretended certainty, are all
abufed fome of thefe ways: 1. Either fome one difficult Text is expounded contrary to the current of the whole Scripture. 2. Or the
words that are fpoken only of privative Unbelievers who hear the Gofpel, are expounded of negative not-Believers who never heard it, nor
coulddo. 3. Orthat which is faid again{t Usbelievers in general, 1s exxpounded as againft the non-Believers of the Articles of the Chriftiaz Faith which are fuperadded fince Chrift’s Incarnation in {pecial; As if -all the Apojtles before they believed Chris#’s Sacrifice,Refurredion, Ajcenfron, &c. were Infidels in a ftate of damnation. 4. Or elfethey fuppofe (without proof) that the Spirit and Grace of Chrift can extend it felf to none that know him not as incarnate, crucified, rifen, glorified, &c. (and fo that the Apoftles had no Grace till the Refurrection ), Some fuch fallacy is in‘all thefe particular textual arguments, eafily difcernable. _ | - : gt. Wereit not evident in a. that the world is wader the Law of Grace as the sorma ie Ce judiciz, (as it is) yet could no man truly ay that he is certain, that no one of them fhould be faved. Forif they were all under the Law of Inwocency, yet there is this great difference between it, and the Law of Grace, that whereas the fentence of the latter is peremptory, excluding all hope of Difpenfation and Pardon, to the final Rejecters of its Grace, for ever; yet the former was a Law whofe penalty was remifftble, and it did not paf$a peremptory fentence of difpair: Though it gave no hope of Pardon, yet it took
hot away the hopes of it: that is, It had a sia pee : : ae
Of God's Government,
(as Dr. Twiffe and many other fay, Without a Saviour had God fo pleafed And as others fay, Through the virtue of Chrift's Sacrifice even to them that know him not.) For the comminationof that Law (which threatened _ not the death of a Sarety, but of the Sinner,)) was actually difpenfed
with in our Juftification. And what God caz do, they ought notto fay, that they are certain that he never will do it, unlefs he had firlt {aid fo him-
— felf. i.
- g2. If in all Humane Judgments Nature dicateth that in doubtful
cafes, the Judge thould rather propend to the better interpretation,
and favourable Todemencs why fhould it not be foinourjudgment of |
God andman?. The Nature of God is infinitely good 5 He hath proclaimed his Name, as aforefaid, even in the terrours of Mount Sizai, to
be a God gracious, merciful, long-fuffering, pardoning, &c. He hath
protefted or fworn, that he hath xo pleafure in the death of the wicked, but
rather that he repent and live: and fo that he firft feeketh the Glory of his
Mercy 5 and exercifeth juftice in mans deftruction , but as his fecond
work: He that faved no man ( but Chrift himfelf glorified }) upon the
terms of Innocency, but all by Grace, and never elfe took one Soul to
Heaven, who had not firft deferved Hell, doth furely firft feek the Glory
of his Grace. And we know that 1. Al Fudea was a {mall Country,
like England; An inconfiderable point or {pot of the Earth, as to its
magnitude. 2. That moft of the worlds incite in likelihood was
over (as Bithop Wjher reckons, 40c0 years) before Chrift’s death, and
the fecond Edition of the Covenant... So that jf none but Fews were
faved all that while, the number was comparatively next to none.
3. That no man that I know of hath prefumed to fay, that before Azo/e’s
time, none but the Seed of Abraham were faved. 4. That the Covenaot made by Méofes at Mount Sinai, and the inclofure of the ems, was
no cafting off the reft of the world intoa worfe condition than they were
before. 5.-That none yet have prefumed to fay, they are certain that
all the Seed of Keturah, of I/bmael, of Efan were damned: much lefs
that Sew and all his Subjects, fapheth and all his Subjeds (and Pofterity
till chen} or that Joband his Friends, and Adelchizedec and all his Sub- |
jets, were certainly damned. 6. That the Jews themfelves were for
the moft part fo wicked, that feeing few even of that little Country
were faved, if you are fure that #0 others were faved, they were but a
fewinthe world indeed. 7. That the Apoftles (asis {aid were in a
{tate of Salvation, when under Chrift’s own teaching, they believed not
together, will tell us, that the conclufion of the certain damnation of all
without the Fewifh and the Chriftian Church, feemeth not very defirable
eitheras to the Glory of the good and gracions God, nor asto the good of
Mankind; And therefore we fhould not propend that way ina cafe of
doubtful arguing. And I defire the Reader impartially to confider,
though Abraham knew not till God told him how bad Sodom was, yet
when he afketh of God to {pare it if there were but fifty Righteous init,
whether he donot imply that he thought moft other Cities of that bignefs had at leaft fifty righteous, if not more? For when God told him,
that he would deftroy it for the cry of their fins, he muft needs judge it
worfe thanordinary > And was Abrabam more ignorant than we? the
Father of the Faithful? a Prophet that faw Chrilt’s day and rejoyced?
93. It 1s acertainirath, that as God the Creator, fo Christ the Redeemer
doth extend his mercy farther than he himfelf isknown: And as the Sun
fendeth fome light to the world before it rifeth and is feenit felf, fo doth
and Moral Works. : 7 Si
Chrift fend many excellent Gifts of his Grace, tothofe that know him not asIncarnate. And when all the world is delivered into his hand, we have reafon to believe that the mercies which Philofophers, and all others in‘ the world had, were communicated by him, (asthe f{econd _ Perfon,. or Wifdom and Word undertaking mans Redemption, firft, and as the Word Incarnate after. ) _ | |
_ 94: Thofe ancient Fathers of the Church, who lived near the Apoftles times, (as Clem, Alex. &c.)) who believed that fome without the Church were faved, were never condemned for it as Hereticks, no not by the bufie condemning Ages. |
SECT. VI. Of Oniverfal Redemption.
95. By what hath been faid, it appeareth how far Chrift may be faid
to have died for all. Certainly (de re) all that Chrilt giveth to all,
which is the fruits of his Death, he procured for: all by his death: whatever we fay of conditional Intentions, he certainly intended to give all
_ that he giveth. But all thefe following particulars are given by, Chrift,
1, The Humane Nature,common to all, is advanced and brought nigh
to God, in Chrift’s Incarnation. 2. Chrift’s Sacrifice for Sin, and his
perfect Holinefs, are fo far fatisfaory and meritoriows for all men, as
that they render Chrift a meet Object for that Faith in him which 1s commanded men, and no man {hall be damned for want of the {atisfato-
_ Finefs of Chrift’s Sacrifice, or for want of a Saviour to die for him, and
fulfil all Righteoufnefs, but only for the abufing or refufing of his Mercy.
3. Chrift's conqueft of the Devil and the World, hath made man’s conquefts of them the more eafie or poffible. And his Vi@ory over Death
and his Refurrection, hath procured a Refurredtion to all, the World.
are under his healing, faving kind of Governuient. 5: Aclearer revelation of Life and Immortality, ts made by him, even to thofe that
perith. And they have far greater helps than elfe they would have.
had, to fet their hearts on a better World. 6. Efpecially a Lawof =.
Grace is made by Chrift for all the world; (Inthe laft Edition to all se ee ees
~ that hear the Gofpel, and in the firft toall the reft.) By the Promife 1Joh.'s, io, re.
of which, as by an A& of Oblivion, or Inftrument of Donation, God
hath Enacted and Given a full Pardon of all Sin to all Mankind, with
Reconciliation, Adoption, and Right to Chrift and Heaven, on condition of their acceptance of it, asoffered them. So that men are pardoned and juftified by that Inftrument or Gift, if they will believe, and
will not unthankfully reje& their Mercies.. 7. Apoftles and ordinary
Minifters were appointed to preach this Gofpel to allthe World, and Mank..¢. x9,
make the Offer of Chrift and Life to all men without exception. 8. The Mark 16:16.
execution of the violated Law of Innocency is forborn to all men, in
the greateft part; Judgments kept oi; and they kept out of Hell,
while they have time and means to prepare for their Salvation. 9. Many
and great Mercies which fignifie Gods goodnefs, and lead towards Repentance, are given to all the world; even mercies forfeited by fins
again{t the Law of Innocency, and given by the Grace of our Redeemer. H 2 10. It
10. Itis made all mens duty, to believe ( the Revelation made to them )
to repent, ‘to accept 'more mercy, and to feek their own Salvation.
And fuch duty 1s not the fmalleft mercy. 11. He hath recorded his
Word and'Gracein the holy Scriptures, which all are allowed to ufe
for their good. He hath filled his Doctrine or Gofpel with fach powerful convincing Reafons and Perfwafions, which have a tendency to con-
Pre __ vine men, and convertthem. 12. He fecondeth his Word by many
33, © 2% fich Providences (in his‘ Works, his Mercies, his Afflictions, ) as greateee dy tend te win'mens Souls. 13. He hath left ‘hisexcellent Example to
— the world, which greatly tendeth to mens Conviction and Salvation.
14. He hath appointed feveral Church-Ordinances, which are mercies
to more than the Elect; as is the vifible communion alfo which they
Bie have with the Upright, and their examples, prayers, @c. 15. To all
thefe he addeth an obligation on all Chriftians, ‘to do their beft to convert and fave all others, 16. And the Office of Magiftrates under
Chrift, is appointed for thefe favmg'ufes, to promote the Salvation of
the people. 17. Death it felf is now turned into a medicinal means, b
the pro{pect of it to convert and fave men. 18. Ufually Gods patitience alloweth men time of Repentance, and taketh them not at the
firft-denial, that they may confider and correct their former error.
19. Remedies are offered men fetcht from Satan and Sinit felf. The
Tempter (‘by the malice of his temptations ) oft detecteth his own
fraud and mensdanger. A natural enmity again{ft Devils, and al! that
is known to be of them, is put into all Mankind: And Sin hath a fting
tothe Flefhit felf, and ismadefucha mifery to Sinners even in this life,
as may much tendo alienate and deter them from it. And the world
it ‘{elf ismade fuch apalpable vanity, and fmart vexation, as tendeth to
drive men to look out for a better, and not to love it above God,
20. Laftly, To all thefe means, there are certain isternal motions, and
ftrivings of the Sprit-of Chrift, which he commonly vouchfafeth men
in fome degree, and which irritate Confcience to do its office; and
whichif men will but fo far yield vo as they can,have a tendency to their
recovery. All thefe twenty fortsof means and mercies Chrift giveth to
- all, or to more than the'Ele@, :
96. It being certain de re that Chrift fo far died for all, asto procure them all fuch Benefits as he giveth them, the queftion remaining is de nomine, whether it be a fit phrafe to fay that Chrift died for all? And this is put out of queftion bythe Scripture, which frequently ufeth it, asis proved by the fore-cited Texts. We may well {peak as God ordinarily there {peaketh. ,
97. There are certain fruits of Chrift’s death which are proper to the
Rom. 8. 30,31. Elect, ( or thofe that are ina ftate of Salvation). As 1. Grace evence vii, tually effectual working them to true Faith, Repentance and Converfion. Joh. rah 2,6. 2 Union with Chrift the Head, as histrue living members. 3. The ate 23 ~——attual forgivenefs of fin, astothe grand {piritual and the eternal punifh- Eph. 3. 17. ment, Romans 4:1.7. G 8.1.33,34. 4. Our actual Reconciliation AG. .31. & 13. 38, with God, foasto be beloved as his peculiar people. 5. Our Adoptieine er on and Right to the heavenly Inheritance, Pfal.4. 6. @8.16,17, 18. Rom. 5. 1, &c. 6. The Spirit of Chrift to dwell in us, and fanGifie us, by a habit of | ee ae Divine Love, Rom. 8. 9, 13. Gal. 4. 6, Colossians 3:10. 1 Pet. 1.16. e Pal. $0. 15. & 46.1. 2 Pet. 1.4. 1 Fob. 4.1§. Fob.3.5,6. % Cor. 6. 19. Gal.5.17,18, 22. | at ae 2Cor. 6.1. 7. Imployment in fincere holy acceptable Service, where Oe they and their duties are pleafing toGod, Heb. 11. 5,6. 1 Pet. 2. 519+ 8. Accefs in prayer, with a promife of being heard in all that’s good for |
(
and Moral Works.
for us (in Gods meafure, time and way, ) through Chrift, ‘Job. 14. 13, 14. Heb, 10.19, 20,22. 9. Well-grounded hopes of Salvation and peace of Confcience thereupon, Row. 5. 1, 2,3,4,&c. 10. Spiritual communion with the Church-mnyftical in Heaven and Earth, Heb. 12. 22, 23,24. Ephesians 2:19, 20, 21,22. 1Cer.3.22. 11. A fpecial intereft in Chrift’s Interceflion with the Father, Romans 8:32, 33,¢%c. 12. RefurreCtion unto Life, and Juftification in Judgment; Glorification of the Soul at Death, and of the Body at the Refurrection, Philippians 3:20, 21. 2Cor. 5.1, 2,3 45 5,6, 7- Rom. 8. 17, 18, 30, 32, 35, 36, 37, Cre.
— All thefe Benefits Chrift hath made a conditional Deed of Gift to all the world: But only the Ele& accept them, and po/fefs them. From whence we certainly infer, that Chrift never ab/olutely intended or decreed that his death {hould evextuaZy put all men in poffeffion of thefe Benefits: And yetthat he did intend and decree that by hisdeath all men fhould have a conditional Gift of them. (As Dr. Twiffe doth frequently affert.
a. Crit therefore died for al, but not for all equally, or with the fame intent, defign or purpofe: Sothat the cafe of difference in the matter: of Redemption, is refolved into that of Predeffination 3 and is but Gods different Decrees about the effects of Redemption.
99. The particle [ For] when we queftion whether Chrift died [For] Allis ambiguous: 1. It may mean [ In the firit reprefemtation of the perfons of all as feveral, fo that-they may be faid to have died or fatisfed an and by him, as civilly in their gwn perfons, though not naturally], And thus Chrift died not for afl, or for any man: which yet is in fome meas conceits, who thence fay that Chrift died not for al, becaufe he did not fo perfonate all. 2. It may figuifie [ to die by the procurement of all guens fins, asthe affumed promeritorious canfe.| And thus Peres himfelf in his Irenicon faith, That the fins of all men lay on Chrift; and fo he died for all, that 1s, for all mens fins asthe canfe of bis death: And you may tell any wieked man, Thy fins killed Christ ( what-ever the deniers fay to excufe them). 3. Or itmceneth, that Chrilt died fixally for the good of all men. And thatis true, as afore explained. He died for the good of all; but not equally; thatis, not with the fame abfolute Will, Decree or Intention of attaining their Salvation. ssi
100. But the conditional New Covenant, without any difference in the tenor of it, doth equally give Chrift, Pardon and Life to all Mankind ( antecedently to mens rejecting the offer) om condition of acceptance.
And Chrift equally fatisficd Gods Fuftice for all the lapfed Race of Adem, fo far as to procure them this Gift or Covenant, and the other forefaid comrhon mercies: But not equally as to his Decree of the fuccefs: For there Election differenceth.
101. It is a thing fo contrary to the nature of Chriftianity, and the Spirit of Chrift in his Saints, to extenuate Chrift’s Merits, Purchafe, Intereft or Honour, or rob him of his due, that doubtlefs fo many fincere Chriftians would never be guilty of fuch injurious extenuations, and narrowing of Chrift’s fucceffes, but that they cannot reconcile /pecial Grace with sviverfal, and miltakingly judge them inconfiftent : Nor. durft opprobrioufly reproach his univerfal Grace, as they do, by calling it vain, lame, fag a mockery, &c. if the conceit of their defending fome truth by it did not quiet and deceive their Confciences. Whereas indeed univerfal Grace and fpecial, do as perfectly and harmontoufly
confift, as Natwre and Gracedo, and as the foundation and the building, and as any generical and fpecifick Natures: And fo doth a general Decree;
Of God's Government,
Decree, that [Al who will believe fhall be faved, and that this Promife fhall be made tothe world] witha fpecial Decree that [Paul fhall believe and be
But on two accounts I pafs by all the reft about the extent of Redemp- - tion, 1. Becaufe I muft give you a fpecial Difputation or Tractate on that fubje&t. 2. Becaufe the moft Judicious of Englifh Divines (fo far asI can know them by their works) Bifhop Devezant hath {aid fo much in his two Pofthumous Differtation de Redempt. @ PredeStinat. (Publifhed out of the hands of Bifhop Usher) as might fuffice to reconcile contenders on thefe two points, were not men flothful in ftudying them or partial or incapable in judging of thefe matters. |
SEC T. Vil. The Antecedent and confequent Will of God, &.
102. The diftin@ion of Gods Antecedent and Confequent Will, ufed by Damajcene, is by many applyed to this controverfie, but by none that Ihave read fufficiently explained, which isthe caufe that fo many good men reject it, becaufe they mifunderftand it. It’s truly faid, that by his Antecedent Will, God would have all men to believe , repent and be faved, but by his Confequent Will, he will have all condemned whom he doth condemn. But then it muft be underftood, that this diftinétion is not applyed tothe Will of God, as he is meerly an Abfolute Proprietary, or Benefador, but as he is the King or Re@or of the world; and fo his Legiflation ishis Antecedent Will, and his Fudgment is his Confequent Will. And no man of Religion can deny , either that Gods Law is the fignification of his Will, or his Will fignifyed, or that his Judgment and Execution 1s his Will declared 3 or that Gods Law of Grace doth conditio- © nally give pardon and falvation to all, 1tecedently to man’s performance
or rejection of the cundicton, orthat God condemneth Infidels confequently to their Infidelity. The Law Antecedently to Mans part aided, faith, Hethat believeth fhall be faved andthe Sentence confequently to his fact, faith, ‘Judas an unbeliever or impenitent, fhall perifh, And thus the diftin@ion hath no doubt or difficulty.
103. God by commanding faith and repentance, and making them neceffary conditions of Juftification, and by commanding perfeverance, and threatning the Juftified and Sanctified with damnation if they fall
_ away and making perfeverance a condition of Salvation , doth thereby
provide a convenient means for the performance of hisown Decree, of
_ giving Faith and Repentance and perfeverance to his Eledé ;For he effecteth
Of Juftification by -
Faith, ee.
his ends by fuitable wzoral means 5 and fuch is this Law and Covenant, to provoke man to due fear, and care and obedience, that he may be Wroughton asaman, 104. To be juftifyed by Faith in general, agrecth to the ages before hrift’s Incarnation, and thofe fince: But fo doth not the fpecial kind
of faith by which they are juftifyed. For much more is Efential to that
faith which we muft be juftifyed by to them that are under the laft edition of the Covenant of Grace, than was (or is) to them that were under the firft alone. Abraham believed not all our effential Articles of faith, |
and Moral Works: . 58 _ 105. Tobe juftified by faithin Paul's fence, isallone.as to be julti- what that Faith i fied by becoming Chriftians. Tobea Belicucr,a Difciple, and a Chriftian are all one in the Gofpel fence. oe | : 106. The faith by which we are juftified, as is aforefaid, is beft ua- The Controverfie between the Papifts an
* derftood by the Baprifmal Covenant, and is ¢ffentially a Believing Fidie- us about Juftification is
nee! : f th Ghoft,as our Reconciled Creator and Father, our Saviour and our Sandtj- eee Ljuflibention sd
fyer,connoting the forfaking of all inconfiftents. For it muft needs be the Remiffion}, As 1 faid Jame faith by which we have rigat to the benefits of that Covenant, and one € Not by which we are juftified 5 becaufe we have our remiffion and juftification qualitative change (fuch
° iQ. 1. © ° "as we call. San@ificaby the Inftrumental donation of the Covenant, it being one of the be- #* bac Remiffion of
nefits given by it: But Pradical Faith, or Believing-conjent is our condi- sin} for,they know not tion of receiving our Covenant right to all the benefits in general 5 there- What themf ves: age fore to Juftification in particular. arr ae ake _ Were a putting away
107. The Phrafes of [justifying faith] =i aith juftifying ws} are the Sin in its efience,
e hi h be humane and not Scriptural at all: And though they may be well ufed soiling war dhe” abies ;
with explicatory caution, as being well meant, yet they are more lyable for the fa& cannoc be
. | : | fon. . > Ochers fi to miflead men, than the Scripture phrafe, that {we are juftified by Faith |; a ae. a emitting
Becanfe the former phrafes are apter to infinuate an Efficiency, than the ete panlhovent avo wie other; whereas faith is no efficient caufe of our Justification nor any other won plaicly int. 2. 4.
a& of Man: And the Scripture that fpeaketh of Juftificatton by Faith 113. 4.1. and p. $67. fometime ufeth the phrafe sine which no more oes any Inftru- {ith thar Remiffion of
‘ ° ‘ | Sin is, Ablatio Reatus mental efficiency of Juftification, than ¥ ign rims ex operibws: And though culpa; at effe longe -
fometime 4< aise: be ufed, it is to fignifie no more than that God hath ap- sto ENS ee?
pointed it to be the Afedinm of our Juftification as a condition, but not a5 facit eminem non puniri, any efficient caufe. ee ee __ fed etiam nox fe Porn 108. The Faith by which we are juftified (as [touched before.) hath ¢goyam in amicitiam re- God the Father for its obje& as effentially as Chrift the Saviour 5 as the cipi, though yet no man faid Baptifinal Covenant fheweth; and that not only fecondarily ag ‘in 2 middle ftaresneque e ° . : 95 IMIMICUS, Chrift being the Mediator and way tothe Father, our faith in Chrift con- yer cogitatione poffunt [enoteth the final objects but alfo directly and primarily as the Father. js 571, ™ ieccats Remit: ss tere idem cft quod non imthe firft in Trinity, and as Creator firft related to us, and‘as the end js putare @ boc non accipias
firft in our intention: Fob. 17.3. This is life eternal to know thee the only G 0 diffsmulare, fed pro dt
: Gnere eile offenfum cum per
Bearts be troubled, you believe in God, believe ie in me. . . putante ef quafi non fucrit.
109. And as effential is it to this Faith to believe in Chrift as the Y, nic ‘Papift: a
Purchafer of Holinefs and Heaven, as to believein him asthe purchafer the fame with thofe Proof pardonsand to believe in him as the Teacher and Ruler of the Church, ‘ytan's wyam they fem
as to believe in him as the juftifyer of believers. The iafeparablenefs of hide ic: Bur, 1. It will
thefe acts is commonly confefled. - 2 | _g Pettus to cretnity the
110. Indeed it is effential to this faith, r. Tobe the a@tof the three (0, is to blame him.3 His
efichtial faculties of man’s Soul, the Vital Power, the Iztelled and the ie deferv'd death.4.The awand the nature of
Will, 2. And to have for its object God the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft 5 fin paft are the fame and thatin Chrift, allthatis efextial to hive as a Saviour beits obje& : pee eats bor ae And therefore, 1. That itbean Affent, Confent and pradical Affiance, fii aiind ob fin <6. rae 2. That it be a believing in Chrift as God and Man, and asthe Teacher, fence or difpleature is
: : : sige tT Prieft and King of the Church, revealing the Gofpel,reconciling usto God, bur Ae eicace an dene!
and Rsling us in order to Salvation. | — from the objett, : . seis eto iS Welle punire.an 111. To fay that fome one only of thefe parts of Chrilt’s office, as they jypice that mutt punih |
are Conceptusinadequati of a Saviour is the only obje& of juftifying Cacao
: ei uee-e re cd and ro more offers faith, and to fay, that juftifying faith is only ove AZ of the Soul, or many ded vis buctis: Welle ple Mire peccatorem, and not to be obliged in Juftice to punifh him, bur by his Covenant rclared to him as one that will not punih. 8. This change 's in che finner becoming not punifhable 5 9. That is, not worchy of icin the Golpel-fence, though worthy by the Law of Innocency. 10. All this is but that the Keates pane & culpe quanta ad paenam is remitted,buc noc the Reatus culpe fimpliciter in ft“ And thus we areall agreed. acts
aiid
Of God's Government,
atts of one only faculty, or to fay that we are juftified = by fuch a one, and that to expect to be juftified by Afent, Confent and Affiance, or by believing in Chrift as our Teacher and Ruler as well as Pricft, and asa. juttifying Judg, as well asa Juftifying Sacrifice, and as a fulfiller of thé Law, is to expect juftification by Works, as Panldenyeth it5. This isa vain diftinguifhing, a ——- the Dotrine of faith and jutftification, a departing from the Scripture fimplicity by corrupting feeming fubtility,
and one of thofe humane inventions which have wronged the Church.
And it is no wifer than to fay, that when we {peak of taking or receiving
of the Soul, that is meant, or about one only phyfical conception in the object, which is inadequate. Whereasall fuch Moral or Civil aés contain many phyfical aé&s, and are fuited to all thingsin the obje& which are effential to it in its moral or civil nature or relation. :
112. Andit is but the fame deluding fubtility, and vain curiofity, or a playing with deceitful words, to fay that we are juftified by faith, Quatenus recipit ir gel dig As it believeth in Chrift’s Sacrifice and perfeé obedience only, and not, Asit believeth in him as Teacher, Ruler, Santtifier, Judg, or as he intercedeth for us in Heaven, ¢c. when the
_ Scripture faith no fuch thing at all, but fimply maketh faith in Chriff({up- _ poling Faith iz God the Father.) to be that by which we muft be juftified.
113. This diftin@ion is founded in another falfhood fuppofed, which is that the effects of all Chrift’s faving works are as diftinctly to be afcri-
_ bedto feveral Receiving Ads of sac they areto the feveral procuring ads of Chrift, the object of fait
. which is another corrupting addition
Chrift's humiliation , and another by him in his exaltation: one by his
overcoming the Devil, and another by his overcoming the World; one
by his Crofs, another by his Grave, another by his Refurrection, another
by his afcenfion, another by his making the new Covenant, another by
his fending the Spirit, another by hisfending the Apoftles, another by his interceffion in Heaven, another will be done by our Refurrection, and another by his laft Judgment, and our Glorification; one by him
as an obeying-fabjet, another asa Sacrifice for fin, many by him as a Prophet, many as a Prieft and many as a King and Judge - Butto fay there-
. fore that our acts of faith as Receptive have as various refpects to the
effe&s or benefits, and that we are juftified by him only as we believe iz him as Righteous, or a Pefifsers and that we are adopted as we believe io him in another refpe, and fanctifyed as we believe in him in another refpeé. ec. thefe are the dreams of corrupting curiofity. For that Chrift who by all thefe feveral works, hath done all the office of a Redeemer to procure thefe feveral effects, is preached and o‘lered to us to be entirely as fuch a Redeemer, believed in and received, and upon the condition of fuch an entire faith only, chip and all thefe benefits conjun@ly are by one Covenant given us, and no otherwife. And believing in Chrift as Christ, who by all thofe acts hath himfelf procured us this Covenant, and thefe gifts, 1sthat by which we are juftified as it is one undivided faith; And the quatenws here as to Chrift’s own procurement of the effects hath its place, but as to the Act of our faith, and Chrift as the objec conftituting that faith, there is no fuch diverfity or order to be feigned, as if the feveral effects were accordingly to be afcribed to our feveral Believings or Receiving acts, 114. The ambiguity of the very word [Receiving] hath drawn many into this error; Receiving fignifyeth fometimes a Phyfical reception, which 3 is
— anid Moral Works.
is meerly Paffive ; or the Relation of the Patient as fuchto the Act and
Agent: And this istwofold, 1. The Reception of a real being; and fo to be fandified is to Receive Santification. 2. The Reception of a Relation, {uchasall Fus,. Right toa thing is; andfotobe pardoned, justified and adopted, and to Receive pardan, fuftification and adoption, is all one.
- 2.Sometimes it ignifyeth Azaral or Civil receiving, which is nothing but 1.. The confent of the mind, called Acceptance. 2. And as to corporeal objects, fometime, the voluntary act of the.body 5 asthe Hand, taking that. which is offered. Now if the Receiving in queftion were phyfical,
Ceicher rei uel juris adrem)) then indeed it would be fo neerly related to -
the thing received; (which as received 1s 20 obje@, becaule Receiving fo isno a.) as thatthis quatexws in queftion might beapplyedtoit. For it may well be faid I receive Justification quatenus ‘Fuftificatus fume, as I
ree ee eee oe
By this you fee the
ee: ar 1s d, anfwer to what Mr. Lave. am juftified, and I recezve Sanctification aslam fan@ified, and vice verf2, fon inhis excellent Theofor they are but various words. fignifying the fame thing. But of Agora Pontica hath (aid againft
on this point. Of
° A ° ° ‘A bet: ; : © ¢ Recezving the cafe is otherwife: For this is not phyfical Reception, but which fee fuilyer my anfwer to Mr. Warner in
only a Atoral AG, which is made a neceffary medium, or Condition to Phyis amoral means or condition of that Haviag or Poffejjizg whichis cons fequential. And this Acceptance hath relation immediately to the thing as Given only, to be made ours, according tothe Will of the Giver, and not made ours according to the order of the thivgs given: That is, 1. The
Ratio proprietatis, the Reafonthat they are ours is the will of the Donor;
and the Collation is according to the order of his Will; though the Things Given have their intrinfick difference. -_ 115. All men, confefs, that this Aforal Reception, is an Act, an
to Receive doth fuppofe a Moral Gift, which Gift maketh not the thing. ours neceffarily, as phyfical operation doth, but: on: {appofition of our voluntary Reception or Confent. And all confefs that Gods Donation’ is by his Covenant, Teftament or Promife; and this Covenant hath its’ proper nature and mode, that is, the Condition as impofed, antecedent
to our. Receiving. Therefore asthe thing. Given is made ours by the
Donation, fo according to the order appointed by it: and our Confent
no. otherwife maketh it ours than as the Condition of the Gift performed.
But Gods Covenant doth Give us.Chrift and Life; that is, Jubieation,
San@ification and. Glorification in tzthe or right, in one Gift, to be Accepted by one entire faith as the Condition, not making at all the
order of the Gifts and faiths refpet tothem in that order, to be any of the Rativ proprietatis.
116. This will be plainer by humane inftances. A Servants Relation |
is founded in his confent to be a Servant 3 a Wifes Relation is founded in her Marriage-confent to be 4 Wife, and totake that man for her Husband fimply without any more adoe. Now if the Mafter ofthat Servant, or the Husband of that Wife, bea noble man, a rich man, a wile man, a good man, and they knew all this, and by knowing it were induced to confent,. and are to have their proportionable benefits by his Nobility; Riches, Wifdom, Goodnefs, yet their titleto thefe benefits arifeth not from the a@ of their confent as it refpected thefe benefits feverally and diftinély, but meerly by coxfenttotheir Relation,. as being his Condition of Collation. The Wife is made Noble by her Husbands Nobility, fhe is made Rich by his Riches, the is inftructed by his Wifdom, @c. But fhe hath no more Right to his Riches for —— him in the notion of Rich, or for confenting to him for Riches, than for mari I rying
: 7 Dif ra _fical Reception, and thence is called Receiving 3 fo Accepting or Confenting ee of jul ‘f
Of God’s Government,
rying him in the notion or thought of his wifdom or goodnefs. On her
‘part, it wasnot confentto be Rich by him that gave her right to his
Riches, and confent to be Noble by him that gave her right ta Nobility; but confert fimply to be his Wife that gave her right to all. 117. Thisis yet fullyer evident inthat moft ufually men make cone - fent to one thing to be the condition of their Receiving or Right to another. And ufually that which one is moft backward to, 1smade the condition of their Right to that which they are moft forward or willing tohave. The Mafter doth not fay, If thou wile have thy wages, thou fhalt have right toit: Butif thou wile do my work, thou fhalt have thy wages. The condition of Marriage is conjugal Love and fidelity: g.d. I willbethy Husband, and give thee right to all that I have, if thou wilt be and do what is effential toa Wife] and not (if thou wilt have my Riches, she If a Father give a Childa free gift on any condition, it will likely be [If thou wilt be a thankful and obedient Child] and not [Ifthou wilt haveit.] Or if meer confentto have it, be put, it is ufually when it is fome gift which it is fuppofed that the perfon is not
very willing tohave: [Asif a Sick man will have Phyfick, if an un-
* Unlefs by Juftifying Inftrumental’] it is falfe,
they mean the ads o Love, Hope, Obedience calied Hoizm:/s.
godly man will have Teaching, Books or Godlinefs it felf-] But to this ufually they are induced by the Promife of fomewhat elfe which they are willing of: Asto the Sick [Ifthou wilt take this Phyfick, thou fhale have health.] Tothe ungodly [If thou wilt have Chrift and holinefs, thou fhalt have pardon and happinefs.] Now in the fence of Phyfical Receiving [He that receiveth Phyfick, hath Phyfick) and [He that receiveth health, hath health] &c. . But in the moral fence of Receiving, which is Accepting as it isthe condition ofa gift, fo (He that receiveth the Phyfick fhall have the health] and (He that receiveth Chrift and his Senibifying Spirit, fhall have Pardox, Sup ification, and Salvation | Not that his wilingnefs to have [pardon and bappinefs] is the chief or only condition of his [pardon and happinefs.] But his Accepting Chrift and his Spirit’ which menare naturally unwilling of, is the condition of that Lpardon and happine/s| which men would have.
By all which it appeareth that to fay, [Faith jaftifyeth me as tt is the Receiving of Chrifts Righteon{nefs, and not as it is the Receiving of Chrift asa Teacher, Ruler, &c.']is a confounding or feducing faying. For, 1. If it intimate that Faith Juftifyeth us as an efficient caufe [principal or
2. If it mean that [Feith isthe Condition of
juftification quatenus , as it receiveth Chrifts Righteow{ne/s only, | it hath
either ove or two falfhoods, 1. Ifit meanthat Faiths receiving a@, is the
formalis ratio Conditionis, or thatit juftifyeth not qua cunditio ‘donationis, but qua Receptio fuftitie Chrifti, itis falfe. Therefore qua here can
fignifie nothing but the Aptitude of faith to be made the condition, and
fo Quac Que hereare allone: 2, And thenthat [only the Accepting
of Righteoufne/s juftifyeth as, that is, Is the condition of our Fustification ]
118. Therefore our confent to be a Holy and obedient people, or to take
Chrift for our Teacher, Exemplar, Ruler, San¢tifier by his Word and
Spirit, and Judge, hathat leaft as great a hand in our juttification, (being principally the Condition of the Promife) as our belief in our acceptance of Chri(t’s Righteoufnefs hath.
SECT.
and &Moral Works. 59
Ped
SECT. VIIL Of Fuflification by (bri s Righteou{nefi, imputed.
ies. ois ae - Howlittle the Papifts I 19. Christ's perfonal Righteoufnefs, Divine oF Humane, habitual 4 differ from the Impura- Give or paffive (as it’s called) 1s not given ws or made ours, truly and pro- tion which they quarrel
perly in the thing it felf, but inthe effects (as was aforefaid) for neither ae eS edtig e e ° , e€ n r a the fame matter; nor the fame form is {tri@ly owrs. 1. That neither yeqbypavenant de Titi
of them isoursin a phyfical fenceisundeniable. If the Divine Righte- And Pet. a Ss. fofpb. oufnefs were {0 ours, we were Gods. AndaHabit, an Ad, anda Paj/- faith, On Biiois Ae fion (materially) cannot be removed from one fubject to another, nor mitt: non pote qaamdin the fame be indivers fubjects: Thefe are as palpable contradiCtions as - fea Paget Bos Tranfubftantiation is. And the Relative form is founded in the matter Deo: At femper averfus or fubje@, and can ho more be removed. The paternity of a Gene- p'" ihe: ah rator, and the paternity of an Adopter, are not the fame, buttwo. And yas hae per lan a Relation is an accident, alfo which perifheth when removed from the P# condonatronem fiere
: : : : : otef?, ut Jambomo nor difubject 5 and inanotherisanother. 2. If it be faid that both are ours file ile aa
Morally or Imputatively, Lanfwer, It is true: But that phrafe is of large (This is Antinomianifm, : : . and falfe; As if God and doubtful fignification. 1. If the meaning be that (The Covenant called not him aver/e
of Grace doth as certainly pardon or juftifie ws (in the way and degree who is really averfe.)
promifed by it) for the merit of Chrifis Righteoufne/s (in performing eae dati his Mediatorial Covenant with the Father) as our own merit (had it --per folam amputations. P: crit que ejb bereticorum
been poflible ) wonld have dones or our Innocency would have Fuftifyed (sng, epee ws by the Covenant of Innocency] this is true. loqui de fatto & non de 2. But if the meaning be that [Chrifts merit and fatisfattion, by per- imputatione peccatt rema~
fe& bolinefs, and obedience, and fuffering, are fuppofed or Reputed by God ole: — renifi to have been inherent in ws, or done by wsin onr civil perfon in Christ 5 or fede er Aa that in a fence natural or Legal we did all thofé things our felves, ice acho that God judgeth Us fo to have done, by Judging Chrift and ws to be the \ers deceive themfelves. fame civil perfon 5 or elfe that all the Bexefits of Chrifts Righteou{ne/s fhal Ini ee A acme as fully and immediately be ours, as if we had been, and done, and [uffered, they hold ic de pofibili merited and fatisfyedin and by Chrifé; All thisis falfe. =e eae a
120. For if this were fo, we could need o pardon 3 for he that is re- non-impuration may puc puted to be Innocent, by fulfilling all the Law , is. reputed never to fa aie have finned, by omiffion or commiffion: And he can have no pardon of which more afterof fiz, who hath xo fix to be pardoned. Therefore fuch an Impu- ¥#¢*
Age; : ; : But many others den tation of Chrifts Righteoufnefs to us, would make his /atisfadion null chat fin aeenices or vain, or certainly neither imputableto us, nor x#feful for us. by extrinfick condonapote Chrifts fufferings to have fatisfied and purchafed pardon of our nay ake Beoullen for fins, for all the Tie before our Believing, and his Righteon{ne/s to be (4,° "= imputed to us for the Time (ince our Believing: But thisis a humane fiction: For our fins after believing mult have pardon too, by Chrift’s
' fatisfa@ion.
And fome diftinguifh of our Time and State under the two Covenants; | and fay that Chrift’s fatisfaction was for the pardon of our fias under | the firft Covenant, which continued but till the premife made to Adam, Gen. 3. 15. And fowas for none but Adam’s fin imputed to ws 5 and that after that all being under the zew Covenant, 1t condemneth none but the fizally impenitent (who {cape not) and fo that Gods pardoning men fince the zew Covenant is but his preventing their weed of pardon, or elfe pardoning temporal punifhments only: But this is contrary to the si ' - [2 whic
Of God's Government,
which tells usthat Chrift dyed for our fins, even al that ever are forgiven, and that a are forgiver to believers, (and not the zeceffity of forgivenefs prevented) and not only Adam's fin as ours: Nor only the semporal, but the perpetual punifhment. And even temporal punifhment is not due to the innocent.
122, Some diftinguith only of AGions , and not of Time, and fay Chrift’s Sacrifice fatisfyed for al! onr fins, that they may be forgiven, and his righteon{ne/s is imputed tous, that we may be alfo accounted jufts But this is but either ambignity, or the fore-detected grofs contradidion. Forif by fustice they mean Reputed finlefsnefs, or perfetion, then thefe two cannot f{tand together: For he that is{uppofed a Sixzer, is fuppofed not finle/s or perfect; And he that ts fuppofed fizlefs cannot be fuppofed pardoxable. | |
123. Some think to avoid the contradidion, by diftinguifhing only the moments of Nature, and double refpett of the fame mans an They fay that we are firff in order of Nature fuppofed to be Sinners, and pardoned , and then to be fuchas moreover need the reputation of Inzocency or Righteoufnefs which is added topardon. But, 1.He that is pardoned all fins of omiffion and commiffion, is accounted Innocent and Righteoss as to any Guilt of punifhment, either of fence or Lofs. 2. And he that is after accounted Innocent and Juft from his firft being to that hour, is judged never to have needed pardon: And fo they make God come with an after att, and condemn his own foregoing a@of error andinjury; or at leaftto contradict it, and in the firftinftant to fay [I pardon this Sinner] and inthe fecond to fay [7 now repute him one that never finned or needed pardon.]| |
124. But the commoneft way of fuch Divines is, to fay that Chrifts Righteou{nefs is firft imputed 5 that is, we are reputed to have perfectly . obeyed and been habitually holy in Christ, and then fin is next pardoned as a fruit of the merits of this. But this is {till but the oft detected contradiction, that we are firlt accounted finle/s, and therefore our fins are forgiven us.
125. Some fay that the Law fince the fall obligeth us both to obey and to fuffer, and not to one only; elfe a Sinner bound to fxfer , fhould not — be bound toobey. Therefore Chrift muft do both for us: Bue this is too grofs for any mantoutter that ever knew what Law and Government is. Dothey mean that as tothe fame A& and time, the Law bindeth usto obey and feffer 2 or for divers ads and infiants oftime ? Do they mean that the Law bound man both to perfedion and fuffering for perfeQion, orto fuffering for fin? No man doubts but when one fin iscommitted, and punifhment deferved, the Law is ftill the Law, and bindeth men ftill to obey or fiffer more the next moment, and again to obey or fxffer more the next moment. But this concerneth not our
ueftion. Did the Law bind Adam to obey and to fuffer before he inned? Did it bind him both to obey and fufter for his new finthe next inftant > It's true it bound himto fuffer forhis old fin? but not for the zext before itiscommitted. And the obligation to duty goeth before the obligation to pxnzjhmwent for that fame action; becaufe the adion cometh between; and the firft is an act of Gods antecedent Will, and the fecond of his confequent will, thatis, of the Retributive, and not the Preceptive part of the Law.
And they note not that the queftion is not, what obedience amanis bound to, but what he performeth or muft be reputed to have performed. If they will {peak fo unaptly as to fay that the Law commandeth
Lapfed
to have committe
and <Mooral Works:
ne eee, cS Ere ¥
Lapfed man, not to have fin, or imperfed man to have been perfect 3 that is, that the Command to day bindeth Adam ad preteritum not to have finned yefterday, or bindeth to Impoflibility in nature, that exiftent fin fhould not beexiftent, (in all which I leave them to their liberty of words) yet it is certain that no man hath perfedly obeyed for one year orday. And therefore if Chrift’s perfe& obedience and holinefs be imputed tothem from their firft being, then they are reputed not-lapfed, nor-finners from the beginning and, fo not pardonable. But if it be only for the time after fm that Chrift’s perfection is theirs, after what fin muttit be? If after Adam's, then we need no pardon of any but Adam's fin. If _ converfiow, then we need no pardon for fins after Converfton. If after our laft fin, then Chrift’s perfeGion is not imputed co us till after death.
126. Others would come nearer the matter, and fay that we are reputed Righteous as fulflers of the Law, and yet reputed Sinsers as Breakers of the Law: and that though there be no medium in naturals between light and darknefs, life and death, yet there is between a breaker of the Law, and a fulfiller of it, viz. anon-fulfiller ; and between jai and wnjuft, that is zot-jxi# : But this is a meer darknefs : There is a medium negative, ina perfon as not obliged; but none between Poftive and Privative in one obliged as fuch. A {tone is neither jaf? nor privatively unjust > Nora man abouta thing never commanded or forbidden him: But what's this to the matter ? God's Law is pre-fuppofed : we talk of nothing but Aforal ads : The Law forbiddeth Omi(fons and Commi(fions + both are fin. Do thefe men think that he is not reputed Pofitively inf and not only #ot-xxjxft) who is reputed never
a fin, nor left undone a duty in his life. Can Law be fulfilled more than fo? Whac is Righteoufnefs if that not? :
Obj. Adam was neither juft nor unjuft in his firft moment; nonor till he finned fay fome, becaufe rill then he was not obliged to obey, or at leaftto any meritorious a&, that is, tolove God.
Anf. 1; Adam was in his firft inftant but Habitually juft, and not by Ac, becaufe not obliged to impoffibilities any more than an Infant or a {tone: But we {peak only of obliged perfons. 2. It is not truethat Adau was not obliged to obey and Love God before he finned, or that he never Loved God as God. : |
Obj. At leaft Adam merited not the Reward, though he finned not till chen. 3 a = ;
Anf. 1. He merited what Reward he had, viz. thé continuance o his bieflings firft freely given: but not an immutable ftate. 2. It is yet unrefolved what that was by which Adam muft merit Immutability and Glory? whether, 1. Once obeying or confent to his full Covenant. 2. Oronce loving God. 3. Orconqueringonce. 4. Or eating of the treeof Life. 5. Or perfevering in perfect obedience to the end; that is, tll God fhould tranflate him, whitch is moft likely. His not Meriting Insnietability before the time, was no fin, we confefs. 3. And we maintain as wellas you, that Chrift hath not only fatisfied for fin, and merited pardon, but alfo Merited Immutable Glory. But confider, ry. That Adam's not doing that which was tomerit Glory, was his fin of omiflion, and to pardon that omiffion, ‘is to take him as a meriter of Glory. ,2. Therefore it muft be fomewhat more than he forfeited by that omiffion and his commiffion, which cometh in by Chrift’s merit above forgivenefs.. 3. That Chrift merited all this, both by his —
62 a Of God's Government, paflive and habitual Righteoufnefs, by which he merited pardon. 4. That it was not we that merited it inhim, but he, to give it us only onthe terms of a Law of Grace.
127. Yet fome comenearer, and fay that, To punifh and #ot-Reward are notall one: And fo the refpe& that Sin hath to the deferved panifhment needed pardon and fatisfaction : But our deferving the Reward needed Christ's perfec Obedience to beimputed. In thisthere is fomewhat of truth. But you muftavoid the errors that Jie in the way, and are by moft fuppofed truths. 1. Remember that man can have nothing from
God, but what ts a weer Gift asto the matter, thoughit be a Reward as to the order and ends of collation. And in this cafe, punifhuent is damni as well as fenfus; And fo the lofs of the Reward is the principal part of Hell or Puxifhment. So that 1f Chrift’s death hath pardoned our fins of Omiffion, we are reputed to have done all our duty; And if fo, we are reputed to have merited the Reward: And if he pardon our fins as to all punifhment of fenfe and lofs, he pardoneth them as to their forfeiture of Heavez as a Gift, if not asa Reward,
128, But,fay they,remiflion of fin is but part of Juftification,becaufe a man may be forgiven, and yet not reputed never to have broken the- Law. To put away guilt, and tomake one righteous are two things.
-Anf. Still confufion. Guilt is either of the faslt as fuch, or of the punifhment, and of the fault only as the caufe of punifhment. If all guilt both culpe & pene were done away, that perfon were reputed pofitively righteous; thatis, neverto have omitted a Duty, or committed a Sin = But indeed wicn only the Reatus pene (C culpe quoad penam) is done away, the Reatus culpe in fe remaineth. Andthis Chrift himfelf never taketh away, no not in Heaven, where for ever we fhall be judged, once to have finned, and not to be fuch as never finned.
Of this fee wottoy de 129. And this feemeth the very core of their error, that they think
Reconcil, av large. we mu(t be juftified in Chrift by the Law of Innocency, which juftified
Christ bimfelf'; aad that we are quit or wathed fimply fromall guilt of fault, as well as obligation to punifhment: which is a great untruth, _ contrary to all the {cope of the Gofpel, which affureth us, that we are vultified by the Law of Grace or Faith, and not by the Law of Works: That Chrift freeth us from the curfe and penalty of the Law: which he could not do, if we were reputed never to have deferved it, as never being Sinners. If we are reputed fuch as fulfilled the Law of Innocency ( by another in our civil perfon, or as fully reprefenting us,) all the Gofpel is over-turned: There isnoroom for Repentaxce, none for the fats fadion of Chrift, none for Faithin his blood, nor for Pardon, or prayer for | Pardon, or any Grace, Ad, Duty or Ordinance, Sacraments, Confelfion, or any thing which fuppofeth siz. __ To fay that Adam's Law meant, [ Do this, by thy felf or by Chrift, and thou fhalt live,’| is a Humane fiGion, not found in Scripture, confound- - -ing the Law of Innocency with the Gofpel: And to {ay that the New Covenant maketh us one Perfon with Chrift, and then the Law of Adavz doth juftifie us, isa double error. Weare not reputed one Perfon with Chrift; nor doth the firft Covenant juftifie any but the Perfon that performethit. But we maintain as well as they, that the fame Righteoufnefs of Godin himfelf, is manifefted in both Covenants, andthe fame holy love of perfect Obedience, and the ends of the firft Covenant are fecured by thefecond. But the tenour and terms are not the fame, nor the Righteoufue/s of the fubje as denominated from thofé.terms. It is not the fame Law which condemneth us and juftifieth us, nor that juftifieth a. Chriff
: eer ee nena he and SMoral Works. _; 63. Chrift.and us 3 nor is it the fame Habits, or A&ts, which are the immediate fandamentum of the Relation of righteows in Chrift ard in us, though his Righteoufnefs be the meritorious caufe of ours. And there- - fore not the fame with the thing merited. aa ' 130. The Truth which they grope after, and muft reconcile them | all, ts as followeth. Chriftin his Sufferings did ftand inthe room of Sinners as their Sponfor, and {atisfied Juftice as was faid before: And — God had other ends yet to accomplifh: It was meet that the perfe@ion of his Law fhould be glorified by a perfed fulfilling of it by Chrift, when we had failed, aa was hereby confounded: God pleafed and honoured: Man fhewed what he fhould havebeen, and yet fhould do: Mans nature in Chrift was thus actively and habitually perfe@&ed: By all | : this Chrift performed his Obedience to the weediatorial Law, and his Herveus Natal. quodlib. 4. Covenant of Redemption; and fo acquired a right firlt to himfelf of giving fuch ce ee out the parchafed Benefits to Sinners,by a new Law or Covenant of Grace ProteBants. ( Sicut meand according to it; By which Covenant, only as hisInftrument, the (¥, AEA eller Father and Son give us Right to them, inan Order there eftablifhed. tranft in alios s tranfe All thatis there givento us, Chrift purchafed forus, by performing his ifillum illies laste own Covenant firft with the Father, by perfect Holinefs, and Obedience, qui applicantur ad chrieven in his Sacrifice on the Crofs, and by all that he undertook to doas phil ee ot a Redeemer, antecedently. The Purchafe was madeforthis Donation propria; Qui quidem efas its end, and is commenturate #o it: juft fo much as Chrift hath given fu ef ie he ff w$, astO matter, manner, terms, degree, time, &c. he did — and sniping ene desin merit forus, andnomore. Had he antecedently doneall that he did 2# tena: ta etiam int owr perfon, and we ix him, in Law fenfe, the thing # felf, with its nb ra pad aie infeparable er oes effets, had been all ours ipfo facto, beforeand 44 aétum quem exercuit, without the donation or conveyance ofa new Lawor Covenant; nor 77, ie i eee A had they been ever given usupon terms and conditions, whenthey were que ef contraria gratia, oxr own before, without thofe terms. But now whatis given us by the % "adil dignum pana New Covenant, we have title to on this account, becaufe it was pur- eterna: How doth this chafed by the perfe% Merit and Saerifice of Chrift, and fo given us by sl from the cp him, and by the Father. Sothatitisonrs as fure as if we had’ merited it aha of Chrift’s onr felves, but not ours in the fame erder, and meafure, and time, and Righteoufnels to us, or terms, as if wehad merited it our felves ( in our natural or legal per- 44" "™ fons). Forthenit would have been all ours at once ipfo fado, even, the merit it felf, and the fore-faid effed#s. We deferved punifhment, and Chrift was punifhed in our ftead, that we might be forgiven 5 not. immediately, but on Covenant-terms: wehad forfeited Life by fin; And Chrift merited Life for us by his Perfection, ( not in osr perfons, but in ‘the’ perfon of a Mediator, ) which Life was to be given to us by the faid. Covenant: The antecedent benefits ({uch as the Covenant it {elf} he: giveth abfolutely, and antecedently to any a& of ours. God reputeth all this Satisfadion and Merit of Chrift to be as mect and effeQual to procure us all thefe Benefits,to be thus given,as if we our felves had done and faffered: And iu this fenfe Chrift’s Righteon{ne/s 1s given us,and made ours, in that it is given for ws, and wehave the faid benefits of it: Not that. God doth give us the very habits of Holinefs which were in Chrift, nor the tranfient as which he performed, nor the very Sufferings which he underwent, nor the Relation of righteous fatisfaéory and meritoriows, as it was that numerical Relation which immediately refulted from Chrift’s own Habits, A&sand Sufferings 5 For fuch a tranflation of accidents 1s a contradiction. But God giving us all the effects, or Salvation merited, _init felf properly, is faid alfo not unfitly to give us the Aferit or Righteoufzefs which procured them; thatis, as it was paid to God for. us, to pro-
=
OF God's Government,
procure them 5 even ashe is faid to give Chrift himfelf ( antecedently to our Faith) to the World as a Saviour. And thus Chrift’s Righteoufnefs, Merit and fatisfaction may be faid to be imputed to us, in that it is thus given ws, and thus truly reputed ours. = 2
131. But when the Text faith, Romans 4:24. Righteoufnefs is imputed to
®4s, the meaning isno more, but that God repateth or judgeth as righteous,
though we have not the Righteoufnefs of Innocency, or of the Law of Works; which indeed is done for Chrift's meritorious Righteoufnefs procuring it:. But the Text fpeaketh not of Chritt’s perfonal Righteonfnefs in matter “a ji imputed to us as being it felf our own. Imputing Righteoufnels to us, isa canfequent Act (after Faith }) of God as Judge, and not an antecedent donation. _ |
132. And itistrue that forwaliter, non-punire @ premiari , not-topunifhb, and to Reward are not all one: And in fome cafes a man may be freed from punifhment, who isnot rewarded : But it is as true as is aforefaid, 1. That Gods Salvation, and all his Benefits, are ever free Gifts as
tothe matterand value firft, and then therelation of 4 Reward is but
fecondary as tothe Order of collation, and the reafon comparative, why one man hath them rather than another (as athankful Child hath the Gift which the Contemner goeth without). 2. Andthat here, Not to have this Gift (forfeited by our fiz) is to be punifhed: And fo here non-donari, 1s puniri materially though the relations differ. 3. And
that it is the fame Righteou{nefs of Chrifé which meriteth our Impunity
quoad damnum CG fenfum, and which meriteth our Right to the Gift of Life, both fub ratione doni asa Gift, and fub ratione condonationis as a forgivenefs of the forfeiture, and of the pena damni: So that hereis no room for the conceit, that Chrift's death was only to purchafe Pardon, and his Righteoufnefs to merit Life. That which confoundeth men here is, their taking the divers Refpe@s, and Connotations, and Conceptions of one and the fame thing, to be divers {eparable things: The
fame Law hath the Preceptive part ( to do and wot do) and the Retributive
part (penal and rewarding ). The fame Obedience of Adam was a doing what was commanded, and a deferving what was promifed. But more was promifed to perfevering Perfection than tothe firft ad& of Obedience. One Sin deferved deaths but one a& of Obedience deferved not immutable Glory. And as the fame Actis formally Obediemce related to the Command, and formally meritorious or premiandws, as related tothe Promife. And the fame AQ 1s fin and punifbable, as related to the Precept ( or Prohibition ) and Threatening ; fo the fame Glory is a free Gift in one refpe& (as related ut bonumto God as Benefactor ) and a Reward in another (as related quoad ordinem conferendi to God as Reéfor.) And the fame o/s of Glory is pena related to the Threatening, and it is the lofs of a Reward as related tothe Promife. And fo the fame Merits of Chrift’s ative, and paflive, and habitual Righteoufnefs, do caufe our Glory, both by giving us pardon of our forfeiture, and by Covenant- Donation, and as a Reward to Chrift, and to us when we perform the conditions of his Gift. _ 7
133. And it is certain, that Chrift’s Sufferings are firlt fatisfadory, and then meritorious, being a part of his Active, that is, volentary Obedience. And Chrift’s Holine/s and Obedience are meritorious of pardon of Sin, as wellas of Salvation.
134. If there be (as there is) any thing which is givenus through Chrift, more than our own Innocency or Obedience would have merited, the Gift of that is more than remi{fion of Sins Andis to be afcribed
| accordingly
juttified Chrift. 2. The Law or Covenant ma
and Moral Works. . 65 accordingly to,the Purchafe of Chrift’s Arrits. But yet both his Holjnefsand Sufferings ( though not as fifferings) did merit it: And that was not a fulfilling of ‘the Law in our ftead. | oe _ 135. This {uperadded Gift ( what-ever itis) feemeth in Scripture to be included in Adoption, and not in Fuftification: But yet it may in’ this. fenfe be called Fustification, in that when our Right to that Gift is” queftioned, that Right muft be juitified by the Covenant-Donation, and by Chrift’s meritorious Purchafe of it. But this is only de nomine: Weareagreed of thething, © © 2 : 136. Itis greatly to be noted, that as a Reward isinthe formal notion
more than sot punifhing ( where materially they are the fame) fo Chrift
hath not at all merited that eternal Life fhould be o#rs, by way of Reward for our fulfilling the Law in him, butthat it fhould ours by bis free Gift, as a Reward to Christ for his own Merits. Sothat the Relation of a Reward for Perfedion, belongeth only formally td Chrift, (who taketh it as his benefit that we are faved through his love to Souls) but not at all tous. And to fay (astoomany hold) that Heavenis o”r Reward for our perfection of Holinefs and Obedience in and by Chrift, isa Humane Invention,, fubverting Chrift’s Gofpel; or unfit fpeech, if better
meant.
137. Yet a Reward it is to us, tobe glorified ; but that isnot for our fulfilling the Law of Innocency by Chrift, but for our believing in Chrift,
and performing the conditions of the Covenant of Grace: which giveth
us Life as‘a free Gift; but yet in the order of the condition it hath the relation, and name of a Reward tows,intheScripture. 3° > 138. Sothat here are three rewarding Covenants before.us: 1. The
Covenant or Law of Innocency rewarding man:for perfection to the end 5
And this rewarded none but Chrift: And it is falfe that: we are rewarded by that Covenant, or juftified by zt, motel fulfilling it. But it att the ftir of the Ps. e only to and-with Chrift Pils isto prove that we
: ‘ . ae on Wave inherent Rightethe Mediator: And this Covenant further rewarded Chrift as Mediator, ou(ne(s as well a3 “par.
giving hiv all that it promifed to himfelf and us, for his performing the 40", which Protefants: : ne he aati aT tee. are as much for as they. mediatorial conditions.. And fo our. Life is Chrift's Reward. -3. The the cet is de nomine
Covenant ‘or Law of Grace'(for itis the’ fame thing in {everal refpects yftifcationis, Malder. 1, ; ° ee ° oQ-113. a. 2 p.
that’s called the Law and the Covenant) , which giving Life on the con- ‘gysfioiie? 2 Cor. een dition of Faith,doth juftifie and reward Believers, -And'we are juftified aiid vult quam Crim i: , Cal nhllum acbedatur -
and rewarded by no other Law. - 4 a — plicinm, factum fuif be 139. When Rom. 4. oft faith ( and other Texts ) that weare jxftified ftiam pro roftro peccato,
by Faith, it connoteth and includeth that we are juftified by Chrift and Si ee his Sacrifice, Merits and Covenant re{pectively, believed in : But yet it cum, juptitia Dei feremus : ' : : : in iplo id eff, pratis fine isnot Chrift, nor his Sacrifice, or Merits, or Promife that is meant by the sah is apni ae a
word [{ Faith. ] It wasa grofs abufe of the Text foto expound it: Faith remar per ipfins merita juconnoteth the Object, but it is not Chrift that is called Faith. : fiitiam coraw Deo.|Whac
‘eae | aa. ; eg. dorh thisditter from th 140. But the meaning’ is, that man having forfeited Life, Chrift’s pogrine of the Refor.
Righteoufnefs (habitual, active and paflive, ) hath merited, that it thal} med Churches. | be gi free Gift, but larly under a Law: But the Law 142214 Quando Apoftogiven usasa free Gift, but yet regularly undera Law: Bu AW. fas dick miles cdi. . fufhos per wnius obedientiam firnificatur caufa\meritoria, won autem formalis: And fo fay we: But fome call Chrift’s Righteoufnefs the cau/a materzaizs, Meaning no more but thar it is the matter of that Merit, for which we are juflified; As if Adam had perfedly fulfilled the Law, his fulfilling ic, had been meritorious of his fentencial Juftificacion, and yer the matrer of his conftitusive Juftification 5 that is, of his Rightcoufnefs, Andfome umaptly call ic the formal caufe: But an unape Jogical ndtion ts not anerror in Faithor Theology. ~ Idem ib. p. $73. Quamvis ex omnino rigida jutitia folus Chriflus Dominus fatisfsciat 5 de cogdizna tamen, ata ut merces ori bono dibeatur poli Dei promiffionem, meretuy juftus coronam jafti'ie quam reddet in illa Wie jaftus jatex: E® nofia ae tota, totum meritum, tota fatisfactio depencens a merito ee fatisfattione Chrifti. Still here is a wordy Controverfie. |
K 7 maketh
Of God's Government,
maketh nothing but belieeing acceptance the condition of our Right, and
he thar doth that much, fhalJ, without perfection, beefteemed and ufed _ asrighteous for the fake of the faid Righteowfnefs of Chrift. So that an point of Aferit, as to the value of the thing, Chrift’s Righteon{ne/s
as inftead of our Jenocency: Butas tothe arder of collation, fomething being {till to be required of ws as a condition of Right, {o our Faith now is inftead of our Leocency, as being all that is laid on ws inftead of it, that we may have right to Juftification. And to afiign this condition on our part, Pani faith, That Faithis imputed tows for righteon{xe/s. To deny this fenfe, is to ufe violence with the Text.
141. Chrift’s Righteou{mefs is made ours, asomr Sis were made bis : which is not i# themselves, asisaforefaid: God forbid we fhould think that Chrift was ever reputed by God to be a Sinner, a Biafphemer, a Murderer, an Enemy to God and Goedrefs, one that had Satan's Image, and was his Servant, a Perfecutor of bimfelf, éc. But only our fin was imputed to him asto the punifhment deferved : that is, he affumed the Reatum pene, the punifhment, and a dsenefs occafoned by our fins but made bis own by his voluntary [eafon’ But never had he the reatane culpe inits elf, but meerly as aforefaid refpeftively to the punifhment. Even fo we have the Righteonfnefs of Chrift, not in its felf, as Proprietors of it, but inrelation to the effeds; that is, we have the effeds,
even our Justification, and other benefits as perchafed by it, and for its
fake: Andas our guilt, or obligation to punifhment, was not Chrift’s, till
his voluxtary {ponftox or coafent did make it {o; Even fo his Righteon/nefs is not ours in the effeds, tillour voluntary confent accept it: Becaule it is not a watural, but a contratied Relation that is between Chriftand us. And as itis not a ftrid propriety in Chrift’s Righteonfwejs that we have, {o it is much lefsa plenary and abfolate propriety: nor have we it in the Relation of a seritorions caxfe to all wfes, as if it had been fully owr own, but only limitedly to thofe ufes which God accepted it for, and hath afligned to it in the Gofpel s thatis, it is but a certain fort and meafure of mercies that are given us from it in Gods time and way.
142. To the afferting of the rigid fenfeof Imputation, they are neceffitated to fay that, which fuppofeth Gods repute of the matter to be falfe; that is, thathe reputeth usto have done that in andby Chrift, which we never did by him: But God judgeth nothing to be otherwife than it is ? that he judgeth Chrift to have been the Sponfor and Mediator, and 1a that perfon to have done and fuffered ashe did, is becaufe it 1s true: But he judgeth him not to have been the fegal Perfon of the Sinner, and as sany perfons as there be redeemed Sinnersin the world, becaufe
that is not true.
143. They fay that what the Swrety doth, the Debtor doth in Laws
— fenfe, and to judge fois nottoerr. But there are feveral forts of Swreties, much more of Infiruwents in paying a Debt. 1. There be free Sureties, whoare not obliged to the Debtor as his Dependents 5 and thefe either by conster-fecurity, or by right of the thing, may recover all of the Debtor again. And therefore the Law fuppofeth not the Debtor to have payed the Debt by them 3 but that the Creditor made them both ‘Joynt- Debtors for his own fecurity. 2. There are Sureties antecedently, and Sureties confequently: One that before the Debt doth conditionally make himfelf 2 Joynt-Debtor, in cafe the Principal pay it not; And
-th€re is a Surety more properly called an wadertaking-Friend, who after
payeth the Debt, being difobliged before. Chrift was not a Surety of the firft fort, in Law-fenfe; And if you call Gods Decrees, whichare, his
and Moral Works. 69 his Ejfence, Suretifbip, your liberty of words changeth not the cafe. 3. There is aSurety who payeth the Debt in the mame and perfor of the principal Debtor 5 ( And he isnot properly called a Surety, but an Agent or Subftitute: ) And Chrift was none fuch 3 noris any proper Surety fuch. And there is a S#rety which, by the Creditors confent, doth pay the Debt in his own name, agreeing that the chief Debtor fhall have no benefit by it but from him, ashe fhall give it, on certain terms: And this was Christ's cafe. 4. There is a Surety that payeth the fame debt that was due from the Principal: And there is a Surety or Friend that undertaketh only to make the Creditor fatisfa@ion, becaufe the Debtor cannot pay. Andthisisthecafe. 5. Laftly, There isa pay-mafter that is the Debtors Inftrument, whether Servant, Delegate, or whoever at his command or requeft doth pay it in his zame and perfor: And this is not the cafe. And there is a proper Surety, whois a third perfon and no InStrument, aad payeth it in his own name though for another. This, as I faid, isthe cafe; and therefore it is not we that paid it. Ss
Therefore to the Objection I fay, that to judge Chrift fuch an Inftrument or Delegate of ours, or Surety that did all in oar legal perfon 3 is to misjudge and err, asis proved, which God cannot do.
144. Chrift did and fuffered in the common natureof man, though not in the perfor of each Sinner. And wavs natureis fo far redeemed by him, that for the meer Original Sin of nature alone, noman fhall perith,
| unlef$ he add the rejection of Grace; (of which fomewhat is {aid be-
| fore.) But yet as Natwre exifteth only in perfoxs, fo itis al perfons, who
| have this much benefit and more. Butthat he merited and fatisfied in
| our Nature, is a proper {peech, and truer than that he did it in osr
| perfons. . ae ef a
145.But all this fimilitude ofa Creditor and Debtor,is to be limited in. the application, according to the great difference of Si and Debt, which will infer a great diverfity in the confequents ; which may eafily be collected by the Reader. At ad
146. As to the great and weighty queftion, whether Chrift died for How far Chrift died for fins againft the New Covenant, or only for thofe againft the old : I an- fits againlt the baw i {wer, Diftinction is here notorioufly neeeffary. . 1. If by the old Cove-
) nant, or firftCovenant, you meanthe conditional Promife, [ Be perfed! and live | no fin fince Adam's is again{t that conditional Prozife, becaufe: it ceafed through mans incapacity, wpon the Fall; And Chrift died noe | only for the firft fiz. | | | 2. If by the firs# Covenant you mean, the bare command of perfed | perpetual Obedience, Chrift died for fizs againft that command which is ) ftillin force, but not asa Covexant of Life given on that condition.
3. If by the firff Covenant , you mean the punitive part of the Law of Innocency , faying, | Thou fhalt die if thou obey not perfedly.| So Chrift died for all our Sins in the flrideft fenfe, even as we_are condemnable for them by that Law. And that part alfo of the Faw continueth to make puzifhment our due in primoinftanti, though withan ad-
4. If by the New Covenant , you mean the meer preceptive part of
Chrift’s fupernaturally-revealed Law, or of the forefaid Law of Nature,
asin the hands of Chrift, fo Chrift died for fins againft the Law of Chrift.
2. If by the New Covenant or Law you mean, the Promife and Threatening of Chrifts Law, oreithers fo Sin may be faid to be againft them in
formally is only again{t the Precept, and Chrift ~— forit. 2. Or as ren
‘
Chrift not capable of ©
Of God's Government,
Sin hath punifhment threatened by the Sanéion, and no pardon given ly the Promife: And fo Sin is intwo fenfes alfo againtt the {aid Sanion: that is, 1. Whenit is fuch a Sinas the Promife giveth no pardon to conditionally, And fach as the commination peremptority condemneth the Sinner for to remedilefs mifery. And this Sin is the fixal non-performance of the Gofpel-Condition (Faith and Repentance). And fuch only are filly obliged to fuffer Hell by the commination of the Law of Grace: And for fuch Sin Chrift never died: not becaufe he never died for the perfon as to any other (in, or for any benefit, asfometeach: But becaufe, 1.He refolved never to die for that fin it felf,(of fizal Unbelief, Imperitence and Unholinefs..) 2. And becaufe he never died to fatisfie his own Law of Grace,and to take off its proper fal obligation to final punifhment 5 but only to fatisfie God inftead of mans fuffering what the Law of Works obliged him to. | |
a. Butthere is alfo a mediate or conditional duenefs of punifhment,
according to the Law of Grace: whichis when a man by not believing
and not-repenting at the prefent, and by neglecting and refifting Grace,
doth fo far forfeit all Grace and Salvation, asthat God we cut him off,
and cast him into Hell if he will; not having peremptorily faid, that be
will doit; nor givenmenany affurance that he wil’not. Thisman is not
immediately and fully under the duenefs of Hell fire, but on fuppofition
that God fhould firjt cut hime off, and then his Impenitence would be
final, which is the firft cafe: But this perfon is under all this guilt.
4. Guilty of punifhment not forgiven againft the Law of Works. 2. He
is fo far guilty of punifhment, according to the Law of Grace, as
1. Thatno pardonis given him,or due to him. 2. And God may juftly
take away his Spirit and forfake him. 3. And God may juftly cut him off.
4. And if God fhould cut him off, Hell will be his full immediate due.
147. By thisit further appeareth, that we cannot be juftified as perour kind of Ovedience. (mally fulfilling all Rightconfrefs in Chrift: Becaufe we are all our life
The Idem or Tantundem.
time principally under thofe great Duties of the Law of Grace, which Chrift neither did nor could do for us. We are bound all our days to accept a Saviour, to accept pardon of Sin, and mortifying Grace, to confefs our Sins, to repent of them, and forrow for them; to labour in the ufe of all Means and Ordinances to mortifie them; Todoall our duties as Simmers, inthat manner as thofe muft do that are in a Phyficians hands for Cure; To receive and apply Chrift’s Merits to that end 5 to beg his Interceflion and daily pardon; To labour that imperfect Grace may be ftrengthened: Ina word, Sia, and a defire of healing, fo affect all that the Gofpel commandeth us, that Chrift wasnot capable of any of this. And if all this was undone till our Converfion, and much of it undone after our Converfion, and yet Chrift never didit for #s, nor we inhim; How canit be faid that weare juftified by fulfilling al the Law in and by Chrift 2 yea the Law of Natare {till commandeth us, to obey the Law of Grace, fuppofing it made and revealed to us.
148, The queftion whether Chrift payed the Idem or the tantundem, is hence alfo more fully refolved: By payment is meant, either Holinefs or Suffering. And 1. This fheweth that Chrift’s obedience was not saterially the fame with ours (as aforefaid ), 2. And I before proved thata great, and the far greateft part of our puxi/hment was fuch as Chrift could never fuffers either permitted Sin it felf, or defertion by the Spirit of Holinefs, or divine difpleafare and hatred, or accufations of Confcience, &c. 3. And the Law binding only the Sizmer, and not any Surety to
Suffer, and every man perfonally to obey , molt clearly it 1s not Iden quod | | debetur,
and NAoral Work
debetur, were it but meerly becaufe it is not ejufder or. per exndem.
149. Indeed folution of the Debt, and /atisfadion ftridly taken thus
differ, that /atisfetlion-is folutiotantidem, vel equivalentis alias indebiti,
And if Chrift be faid to have patd. the very fame duty and punifhmeint
150. Kt is not properly the Eawwhich is /atisfied, but the Lew-giver
as above Eaw asis{aid: Butyet improperly the Law may be {aid to be
fatishied in chat the ends of the Law-gtver in it are obtained. |
15.1. Fhough F owe much thanks to God for what, near thirty years
ago, I learned from Grotiws de fatisfa%. yet | muft fay that inthis great
queftion, whether Chrift /atisfed God for Sin as Domino abfoluto, vel
fhort of accuratene/s and foundnefs; And that this is the truth.
fupremus. 3. Amicus, Benefa#or: vel Pater & fiuis. Sin is againft
God inall thefe three Relations > 1. As our Owner,. it isa denying him and alienating bis own qnoad xfurm. 2. As ReGor, itbreaketh his Law. 3. As ony Lover and End, ttis a departing fron bins. For t. As our Owner, we owe him foetal refignation and #feasfuch. 2. Asour Ruler, weowe him SubjeFion and Obedience asfuch. 3. As our Friend ( pps bed eo Amabilijfimus.) we owe him Gratitude and Love as fach ( which yetis part of Obedience too.) Now Sin being the priyation of aif this, God is to be fatisfied for tt as fuch, in all thefe three Relations;' And is pars Lefa in all thefe three Relations, thatis, he ts izjxred, though not hurt. . It js true, that Government and panifbing Juftice, formally as fuch, belong to God only as Rector. And fatisfa@ion is made him eminently in that Relation; yet alfo to compenfate the injury done by fin to him in the other two Relations alfo. , | : is
SECT. IX Of the nature and distinttions of Fuftification.
“152. Juftification isa word of many fignifications, the Scheme where- And 1. Of conftitutive
of fhould I give them all, would feem to moft Readers a troublefome di- Juftification.
{tinguithing. Therefore I take up with thefe three moft notable fenfes. * The Papifts are cOn- 1. Juftification conftitustive / 2. Sentential: 3. Executive. | founded in the point of
The firlt is to wake a man righteous 3 The fecond isto judge his righte- apoio maine fain
ows 5 The third is to #/¢ him as righteous. 1. By Ivepunity; 2. Reward.™ they talk of Fufification
- | Z — aie and cae of fin but
cannot tell menintelligibly what they mean. They {ay that Bemiffion is 2 puruaog away che Gn it felf, and not only the
Reatum pene, and yet fay cae that it may be done without any phyfical change of the Sinnef. 1. By fin they mean,
not the Habit 3 for thaccannot be removed without a phyfical change. 2. Nor the a&: For that is paft as foon as done.
3. When they fay it is macula movalis habitualiter remazexs 3 they talk gibberifhand play wich a metaphor, and the word
babitualiter ; ] A true habit is quzd pby/icum, and what macula is they can tell no man befides a habit, difpofition,: privation
or relation: ff they mean that it is the Reatus culpe, or culpability that isdone away, and not only the Reatus pene, they hold
the fame ching which they oppofe in thofe ProteBants that gotoo far from them. And icis noc found: For the pardoned Sinner will be culpable, though not punifhable for ever; thatis, will be really the mam thac finned; and it will be an everlafting truth, This man finned, though he be pardoned: See Pet.aS. Fafeph. Theol. Speculat. |. 46, 10. Pag. $09, § 10, Sit.
The Papiftsfay, Horo eft formaliter sults per formam gratia ipfsextrinfecam, & non tantum per juftitiam Coviftt ilit imputatam :
And yer | Nullus attws quantumvis perfe tus [ove fit contritio,fve Amor Det fuper omntaelt canfe formalis juftificationis : Patres dicentes charitatem effe perfeckam juftitiam, intelligendi [unt difpofitive,non autem formaltter, Becaufe it is in the Habit, and not in the
&AQ&, of rather as others of chemt fay in fome internal inclinacion ancecedent ro the habits of Faith, Hope and Love, that they
place Juftification, or as wé call it, Sanctification, Pet. aS. Fofepb. The]. untverf. de grat. Hab. pag. 88, 89.
153. God
OF God's Government,
153 God never judgeth a man righteous (either by fecret efteem or open fentence) till he have sade him fuch. | .
154. To be made righteous, isto be justified in Law-fenfe; which is, To be juftifiable (or juftificandus ) by fentence.
155. A manis righteous, 1. Particularly, fecnndum quid, as to fome
particular caxfe that heisaccufableof. 2. Or sniverfally as to all canfes,
3. Or eminently, as to all thofe caufes that Heaven or Hell depend
. 156.. 1. No man is usiverfally righteous, really or reputatively. God judgeth no Saint in Heaven to be one that xever jae And he that hath once finned, is unavoidably under the Relation of one shat finned, tocternity, ex neceffitate exiftentia: which Relation is the very Reatus ipfius peccati; though all the il/ effeds be remitted.
157. 2. Every man hath fome particalar righteoufne(s. For the wort
man may be falfly accufed, and be righteous as to that fale accufation.
But this will not {ave him. |
158. 3. That eminent Righteoufnefs neceflary to our Salvation, though
it be not wziverfal or perfec ( elfe we fhould never be afflided by chaftifements or denials of Grace, or permiffions to fin} 3 yet is it at leaft perfect as to its proper ufe, and to our glorious perfection; And may be
called our univerfal Righteoufnefs, becaufe it is allthat wehave, And it
confifteth not of any one or two Canjés, but of many: Of which no one
muft be excluded or fet againft the reft. As there are feveral Allegations
or Acchfations againft us, fo there muft be feveral parts of the matter
of our Juftification.
159. Not only an aifmal Accufation, but a poffblée or a virtual One,
‘which we ‘are Hable to, fufficeth to denominate Justification as its cone trary, inthe firlt Law-fenfe of Juftification. -
160. Itisour Right to Impunity, andto the heavenly Glory, which is
tobe juftified finally in Judgment; and our perfons asthe Subjeds of that.
Right: And our Adions but mediately in order to that end.
161 It is only at the Bar of Chrift as Redeemer, that we areto be judged and juftified, and not by God only as aCreator. Thercfore it is by the Law of Grace that we mult be judged to life or death, finally, and not by the fole Law of Innocency. | |
162. Therefore no man is juftified by the Law of Innocency, either by the preceptive or retributive ee But we are juftified only by the Law or Covenant of Grace, again{t the Accufation which may be brought againft us fromthe Law of Innocency : Againft it 5 not by it.
163. Weare liable to all thefe following Accufations,which will open to us the correlate ppifications, and the zatter of each part.
1. It may be {aid by the Accufér of the Brethren, [ Thon art a Sinner, againftthe Precepts of Nature and Grace.) Hethat denieth this is a Lyar: Again(t this Charge there is no Justification for ever. But we mutt in Heaven confefS that we have finned: but Glory be tohimthat wajhed us from our fins in bis blood ( by Pardon and San¢tification, ) —
164. 2. Next itmay be faid, that [ We did deferve Hell by our Sin.) This alfo is to be confeffed for ever. | |
165. 3. It may befaid, that by Gods Law of Innocency Hellis our due, and therefore we are to be condemned toit. To this, wedeny the confequence 5 becaule we have right to Impunity and toGlory, freely given ts by God our Redeemer by a Covenant of Grace, merited for us, by the Obedience and Satisfattion given for us by Christ our Saviour, Where note, that here in this firft part of our Juftification, there are all thefe
: cone
eens. ofan ee —
“and Moral Works. — i 71
conjund neceflary Caufes. 1. Gods Love and Mercy giving: 2. Chrift's
Righteonfnefs and Satisfation meriting. 3. The Covenant inflrusentally,
giving. 4. Right to Impanityand Glory (by Fuftification and Adoption;
conjun&) the thing given: which Right is our very Righteox{nefs again{t
this Accufations thatis, arelation, whence the other relation of jaft and
juftifiable refulteth : ( For if you will not here fee relations refulting from
relations, pretend not to true accuratenefs tn your fearch, ) so
166. Thefe four Gaufes now were enough to conftitute, and (6 prove
us righteous again{t the Charge of being Uamnandi, if we were queftionable nofurther. But the turning point of the day is yet behind; 1. Our
allegation of Juftification by Chrift and the Covenant may be denied.
It may be faid by the Accufer, that the Covenant juftifieth none but
penitent Believers, and giveth plenary Right te Glory to none but Saints
and perfewering Conquerors, and that we are wove fuch. Againft this Acculation we mutt be juftified or perifhs e¢lfe all the reft will be uneffectual. And here to fay, that # is true, I died an impeninent Perfon, |
an Infidel, Hypocrite, or Ungodly, but Chrift was a penitent Believer for ot own perfonal
mee, or fincere and boy for me, or that he died to pardon this,’] allthis will cums, how far eon
be falfe and vain. Chrift's Merits and Satisfaction is not the Righte= fry to our Juftification,
oufnels it felf which mutt juftifie us egainft thie Accafation 5 But our ota
erfonal Faith, Repentance, fincere Holinefs and Perfeverance, | purchafed |
Chrift, and wrought by the Spirit in us, but thence, our own atin Mt. Thomas of ‘ubiey,
fanitified perfevering Believer muft be condemned aid perifh. Thus pag. 42- part. 2. [ This
Faith and Repentance are our Righteoufnefs by which we chuft thus far * 32°! Popifh trick to
be juftified. : — arine of the St Fama
167. But this is but a particular mediate fubfervient Rightéoufnefs, 02 Maken interpreand part of our lication fubordinate to Chait Merits. | the Dodtrinc of $y Pail,
_ 168. Yet this being the Condition on our part for out Participation A ee
in all the free Gifts of the Covenant; Scripture ufeth to defcribe Gods fer and ae
udgment as enquiring after this. The great thing to be glorified in Faith ay alae of
Merits and performance in our Redemption; But the pteat thing qteffio- as Believers.) This is
ned, accufed, tried and judged will be or performance of the Covenant aia eel saa
of Grace as to our conditions. The day is not to try God whether be be
“juft, or Chrift, whether his Merits and Satisfaition were fifficient 5 and
whether he have done his part: But to try man whether, 1. He have
_ true Right to Impunity and Glory. 2. Whether he have performed the
Condition on which the Covenant giveth that Right, and be indeed the
‘true Receiver of it. The Devils hope cannot hte at all, in provirig
Chrift or the Covenant faulty, or defective on their part; but in proving
us to be none of the perfons that have Right. This therefore is the
Righteoufnefs mentioned, Aéstth. 25. and of Faith swpnted, Rom. 4,0%.
169. But if we will {peak of Righteou/ne/s and dafiifcation entirely,
as that which containeth ll itt Ganfes, we muft {et all the five fotementioned together, giving each one its propet place, and no one the.-
place or office of the reft. And give leave to the felf-coneeited, pievith, *
ignorant, blindly to revile you, for fayihg that you joyn your Faith and
Holinefs to make one Righteou/ze/s with that of Chrift, as if it were not
fufficient. And tell him, that Chrift’s Righteoufnefs is not oars abfolntely
init felf, but to and in the proper effeds: And that it ts perfed as to its
proper ends; Arid that he never intended it to thisend, to be inftead of
F aith and Holine/s in us; nor to make them needlefs to our Salvation. sad
What right the Covenant giveth to the after-
Of God's Government,
170. Noman mutt afcribe any thing to his own Faith or Holinefs in
the leaft degree, which 1s proper to, 1. Gods Mercy or Grace. 2. To
Chrift, or his Righteoufnefs or Merits. 3. Or to the Covenant; nor any thing but its proper part: And that muft be granted it.
171. It isa vain Fidtionin them that think our Right to Justification or Impunity, and our Right to Salvation, have not the fame and conditions,. but that our ow” Repentance and Obedience isa condition of our Right to Salvation, but not to Impunity or forg:vencfs. Whereas our very Juftification isa jultitying of our Right to Salvation, andthe fame Covenant giveth them conjun@ly on the fame conditions.
472. But our Right to both as begun, hath lefs for the condition than our Right to them as continued and perfeded. For our believingconfent tothe Baptifmal-Covenant putteth us into zwmediate Right to all the benefits of the Covenant which we are then capable of, but not to all that we fhall be made further capable of hereafter 3 we are pardoned,
and fhould be glorified, if we prefently died: But as we have more
Grace to receive, fo we have more Duty to perform asa means, yea a
condition, of obtaining it. 7 173. This (over-lookt by many ) ismuch to be confidered, both as
tothecafe of = baptized, andthe Adult. Many wonder that the
helps and degrees of Children of godly Parents prove oft fo bad, as if by the ‘Baptifmal-
Grace,
Covenant they had received nothing from God. But the Synod of Dort, Art.1. §.17. wellconcludeth that godly Parents have no canfe to doubt of the Election or Saluation of their Children dying in Infancy, they. being holy and inthe fame Covenant with their Parents. But the continuance of GodsGrace hatha continued condition and means to be ufed on our part. The cozdition which the Covenant requireth to an Infants firft Justification, is, {that he be the Child of a true Believer, by him dedicated toGod }. Andasthe firft Conditionisto be found in the Parent Cor Owner) fo muft the Condition of continued Grace as long as the Child continuethanInfant. And that tsthe continuance of the Parents Faith, and his faithful performance of his promife made to educate his Child in the way of God: But if the Parents fhould prefently both turn Infidels, and fo educate their Child, and give him up asthe fanizariesare, toan Infidel toeducate, [know God may neverthelefs give him Grace above his Promife if he pleafe ( fora Benefactor as fuch is free): but I know of no affurance of it by Promife. For in Baptifm both Parties were obliged for the future, and not ove only. And if when the Child cometh to the ufe of Reafon he wilfully reje& and refift Gods Grace, and break his Covenant,he forfeiteth Gods further Grace. And I have noted, 1. That moft Children which I have feen very early wicked, have been fuch whofe Parents grofly neglected their Duty and Covenant asto a holy ‘prudent careful Education of them 3 as if God mu(t. needs fave their Children, becaufe they were the Children of Believers, whothusbetrayedthem. 2. And thofe that were well educated by their Parents, ufually fhew hopeful figns at firft, till their own lufts grow up, and deceive, and overthrow them. The zature of the mutual Covenant, and the fad experience of the cafe of many baptized Children, maketh me incline to this Opinion 5 which I do not peremptcrily aflert, but humbly propofe to better judgments with fubmiffion: ut What-ever we fay of the Parents, I doubt not butto the perfon at
age, future benefits have future conditions. 174. Though Gods Decree 1s that his Elect fhall perfevere, yet I conceive ( with fubmiffion to better information ) that the Baptifwal- ‘Covenant
Covenant as fuch doth not abfolutely promife or give right to fo much Grace as hall certainly caufe the baptized to perfeveres that is, all that are rightfully baptized ( even coram Deo as well ascoram Ecclefia)) have not perfeverance fecured tothem by baptifm. But only the Holy Ghoft is given to them by Covenant to be their Sanctifier, and carry on his work to their Salvation, if they will ufe thofe meazs which God hath appointed, and doth enable them to ule, in attendance on his Spirit.
Though Ele@ion infer the certainty of perfeverance, F never faw their aflertions proved, who fay, 1. That if Adam had once obeyed ( fay fome ) or overcome that one Temptation ( fay others ) God promifed confirmation to him and all hisPofterity. 2. That the Baptifmal- Covenant promifeth confirmation and certain perfeverance to all the baptized, regenerate or juftified. What God doth, I am not now queftioning; = what in that Covenant he promifeth to do.
175. It is plain in. the Scripture, that when men are converted and baptized, the particular belps of Grace are promifed them upon further particular conditions: And that the continuance of Pardon and Right © to Life, .is promifed them upon the continuance of their Faith, and ufé of means; And that afual Glorification is promifed them on condition of overcoming and perfevering: And therefore that we mutt ufe and take all thefe as conditions. , | '
176. It is ordinary with fome Writers and Preachers to tell men, What muft be ia our that 20 part of their Righteou{nefs is in themfelves 5 and with others, that — at leaft none which they are justified by in any part is inthem 3 and that it is all in Chrift only: And that nature is loth to yield to this, but think- . eth it a fine thing to have fome little part of the honour to it felf:
And as to the honour of a good Action,.if.it be but. 999 parts that it afcribeth to God, and taketh one part of.a thonfand to our felves, — it is a dangerous arrogation: we mult have zone..] This well explained,, may be made found: But thus grofly delivered, it is but a popular cheat under the taking pretence of felf-abafement and giving Chriff all. The Devil is as willing asany one, that you fhould have nothing honourable or praife-worthy in you: and beas vile as he can make you. It isGod who honoureth thofe that honour him, and praifeth his Saints as the excellent on Earth, and his fewels and peculiar Treafure, adorned. with hisown lovely Image, and partakers of the Divine Nature, and members of Chrift, as. bis own Flefo: And it is Satan and wicked men that vilifie and difhonour them. And I have oft lamented it, that thefe very menthat hold this kind of DoGrine of felf-abafement, as having no part of Righteou/nefs, nor (hare at all in azy good work, are yet toooft fo proudly conceited of their own goodnefs ( even for holding that they have none for which they are praife-worthy ) as that their pride is no {mall trouble to the Churches and all about them.
177. What-ever is of God is good: and what-ever is good is laudable or praife-worthy, and meriteth to be effeemed as it is.
178. Allthe regis are inherently righteows : But with an imperfed righteou{nefs, which will no further juftifiethemin Judgment, fave only | againft this Accufation, that they are uaboly.
179. Thereiso Righteox{nefs which will not juftifie him that hath It, in tantum, {o far as he ws righteows: For the contrary is a contrae didion. - For to be jet is to be juftifiable: He that gave but fix pence to the poor is juftifiable againft this Accufation, that be did not grue ite
cL 180. All
74 _ Of God's Government, : — 181. All the Righteoufnefs which formally jultifieth us, is our owx ot wa geld here cite the oy or felves where it juftifyeth us: For tobe sade juff or juftified in thie Dr. Field, Bonbaus, Bul- firlt fence con/titutively, is nothing elfe but to be made fuch as are per- BP MEI ete late fonally themfelves just. Pardon of fiz is made our own 3 Right to Chritt Brentiut,’ Confels. Anzu. and Glory is made our own 3; Though Cbrift's Righteou/nefs was the only fitiitcs rion] nee that meritorious caufe of allthis; which therefore is and may be called out as Sandification inScrip- Material Righteou/nefs, as that which meriteth it is the matter. | wth 2 and thar plenary 182. He that is no caufe of any good work, is no Chriftian, but adamparts, 1.Pardon. 2.Ac. Hable wretch, and worfe than any wicked man I know in the world: cepting us into favour And he that is a Caufe of it, muft not be denyed falfly to bea caufe of it : the Holy Ghott, ‘or in Nor a Saint denyed to be a Saint, upon a falfe pretence of élfherent ze earn bee denyal. | ie dee as, 183. AsGod is feew here inthe Glafsof his works; fo he is to be Pacific loved and praifed as{o appearing: Therefore he that difhonoureth his 2 Thef. 1.910. . work difhonoureth God, and hindereth his due love and praife 3 And his moft lovely and honourable work on earth, 1s his boly Image on his Saints: And as Chrift will come to be adpsired and glorified in them at faft, fo God mutt be /eex and glorified in them here in fome degree. And to deny the Glory of his Image is the malignants way of injuring him, and that in which the worft will ferve you. He that will praife God as Creator and Redeemer mutt praife his works of Creation and Redemption: And is it the way of praifing him asour Sanéifyer to difpraife his work of Sanctification ? |
184. Thofe poor Sinners of my acquaintance who lived in the groffeft fins again{t Confcience (as Drunkennefs, Whoredom, @c.) have been glad enough of {uch doG@rine, and forward enough to believe, that there is nothing in man that in any part can juftifie him, or that is any part of righteoufaefs, butitis all ont of we in Chrift, and therefore they are as justifiable as any : But Confcience will not let them believe itastheydefire. 2
185. It is arrogant folly to divide the praife of any good a& between God and Man, and to fay God isto have fo many parts, and Man fo many: Forthe whole is due to God, and yet forse is due to Man: For man holdeth his honour only in fubordination to God, and not dividedi in co-otdination: And therefore 2#/is due to God: For that which 1s Adans is Gods, becaufe we have nothing but what we have received. But’ he that arrogateth any of the honour due to God or Chrift, offendeth. a
186. If all had been taken froxs Gods honour which had been gives tothe Creature, God would have made nothing, or wade nothing Good ;-- Heaven and Earth, and all the World would derrogate from his honour ; and none of his Works fhould be praifed: And the better manis, the more he would difhonour God 3 and the wickeder the lef But he made all Good , and is Glorious ia the Glory, and honourable in the honour of all: And to juftifie the holinefs of his Servants
' 1s to juftifie him.
187. If thefe Teachers mean that 20 max bath any power freely to Specifie the ABs of his own will, by any other help of God, befides neceffitating predetermining premotion, and fothat every man dothall that he cando, and no man can do more than he doth They difhonour God by denying him to be the Creator of that Free-power, which is effential to man, and which God himfelf accounteth it his honour to create. And they feign God to damn and blame all that are damned and blamed, for as great Impoflibilities, as if they were
damned
ene eee ©
ead
damned and blamed for not making a world,or for not being Angels, 188. Thus alfofuch men, teach that Chris (frippeth a Christian of | two things, His Sins, and his Righteou/nefs: Or that Two things muft be " That all thar are faved: ; ave inherene Righrecaft aw1y, for Christ 5 Sins and Righteou/nefs - But they fhould peak oulnefs or Holinefs. none better, if they would not deceive 5 nothing is to be cait away as evil of us all deny: nor yee
but Sin. Righteoufuefs, truly fuch, is Good, and never ta be caft away. Rishieous by it: Nor If it be 20 Righteou/nefs, why do they falfly fay that we muft caft away ees our Righteoufnefs, To cat away a falfe conceit of Righteonfnc/s, is not adheres Ny, to calt away Righteonfnefs, but Sin only. Indeed belides S77, we are Hypocrite, oc. muft be faid juftly to caft away that which would be the Objed and Matter of }/hited by pleading all
the contraries in himielf, .
Sin : And the phrafe is fitlyer applyedto a thing Indifferent, thanto orelfe perith: Andail
a thing weceffary, leaftitfeduce. There is nothing fo Good, which may 28*¢ce that this inherene aw ' ee eile Righreoufnefs is impernot be made the object of Sin, not Chrift or his Righteoufnefs, or God fed, and ‘in us found
himfelf excepted; But we mult not therefore fay that we must cast away With fia: and therefore ° a? _ thatnoman can be jufti- God or Chris#, becaufe we mult not thus objeCtively abufe them: So fied by ic without’ par-
Holinefs and true Righteoufnefs Inherent or imputed) may be objects don of fin; nor.ar all
ae gas inft the charge of beof finful pride and boafting 5 But it is not edifying Doctrine therefore to i so ea Leds
fay that we muftcaft away Inherent and Imputed Righteoufnefs : But yet demnable by the Law of
true felf-denyal requireth that we deny our Righteoufre/s (Inherent or [rrocency., And whac
Imputed) to be that which indeed #t is not. And fo when men accoun- trouble the world with ted the Jewith obfervations to be a Juftifying Righteoufnefs in compe- hone ieee tition with, andin oppofitionto Chrift, pax! counteth it as lofs, and Righteoufnefs hall be dung, and nothing in that refpe& : whenyet elfewherehe faith, I have Caled Righteoufaetssand lived in all good Confcience to this day. And Chrift himfelf fulfilled chat juftitying or aalene us Law and Righteoufne/s. So if a ‘man will conceit, that his common righteous fo far? Grace will juftifie him without Holinefs, or his Holize/s,. without Par- |
don andthe Righteoufnefs of Christ, he mult deny this Righteou/ne/s 3 that
is, he mutt deny it to be what it is not, and muft caft away (not it, but)
the fal/é conceits of it : And {o if any Libertine will fay that Chrifts Righteoufnefs imputed to him, will juftifie him, without faith, or be inftead of
Holinefs to him, he muft deny Imputed Righteoufne/s thus, to be what indeed it is not.
189. When we tell them, that, If we had fulfilled all the Law reputa- More again{t the wrong
fence of Imputcation 5
tively by Chrift as our Legal perjon, we could not be bound to further obe- confuing many Sodience toit, They anfwer, that we are not bound to obey to the (ame ends philms.
as Chhist, thatis for Righteoufnefs, or Juftification or merit, but in Gratitude. But this is but to give us the caufe, and ignorantly todeftroy' 4: ca ee e ey ‘ Dace: P 2 708 per jallttram Chriftt
theirown. For, 1. Thisis buttofay, that when aman is reputed to sa humane loa ie
have fulfilled all the Law, yet it isto bereputed unfulfilled as to certain. (ificari, afferuit? Prideends. As if he fulfilled all the Law that fulfilled it not to all due ends - 48% Le. 5 40 Fult.cap.g. 2. Or as if the Law obliged one man to fulfill.i¢ twice over for the. | fame lifes time 3 once fimply and inall its. obligations, and another time. for other ends. 3. Or as if the Law required any more. than abjolute perfed jon. 4. Orthat abfolute perfection had not been in Chrift’s holy. The Papifts concur
obedience, 5. Or as if there were any obedience whofe end,is.not Righte- With them thar feign a c middle ftare berween
2 . : : , ‘ onfnefs and Fuffification , again{t the change of the contrary difabedience. :Juft and privatively un-
Do not thefe men obey that they may be fo far righteous > Or isnot eve- J! + 4% nor jult_nevy man fo far Rich he doth Righ {nefs> I patively, fo Brianjon ry man fo far Righteous as he doth Righdteouinels 2 Is not every man ing. 9.2. cor.3. fol. 146. | _ | es Sd _ at large: Bur chey, cas give us no inftance buc in a ftone or other incapable creature,‘thar is not obliged’: And we confefs thac if aman can be found that is noc obliged to be jJuft, he is neither juft nor (Privatively, buc Negar:vely) unjuft: Bue what’s this ro our c2fe? And che Papifts commonly joyo with them, chat fay thac God remicteth nor only the Reatum vel Opligationc™ ad penam, bur alfo the Reatum culpe in fe; But when they come co open it, they mean bur char God is nor difpleafed with, Or harh nota _panifhing 77d! againft the Sinner: As if they knew not that as Gods Love is our chiefreward, fo his difpleafure is our chief punifhmenct; And that Remifiion doch make no change in God, but by taking away Guilt of Gods larred and Ocher punithment, God then is reconciled becaufe they are not ob jes of hishatred: And to take avay the Keatum pare @nd che Keatum culpe, non in fe, fed quoad penam is all one, and all that both fides mean if they underftard whac they fay. But to all eternity it will be true, that we once finned, which none deny. L 2 | that
Of God's Government,
that Joveth God juftifiable as a Lover of him for fo far as he loveth him?
6. And is not Gratitude an end, and athing commanded by the Law? If
we obeyed perfectly in Chrift, we were perfectly thank ful in Chrift.
7. Butif they fay that Chrift fulfilled only the Law made to Adam for
us, and not hisown Law of Grace, and therefore that he obeyed for
us, only tothe ends of that Law 3 Ianfwer, 1. Ifthe ends and matter of
that Law be fulfilled by usin him, our obedience to any other muft be
needlefs: For he that is {uppofed never to have finned, need not ufe any ~ means for pardonor remedy. 2. By this rule Chrift only fulfilled the
Law for Adam, and Eve, and forus only as we were in them, which is
only Virtually and not Actually at all; but not at all for us according to any obligation that ever fell upon our perfons. For, 1. We were never perfonally bound to perfec perfonal perpetual obedience as the Condition of life; For that Covenant as to the promife and condition ceafed | before any man was born. 2. And all the duty in the world which we are bound to, isto be done for Evangelical ends 3 for recovering Grace, and unto Gratitude, @c, To fay therefore that we are perfectly Righ- ‘teous, as having perfectly obeyed all Gods Law in Chrift, and yet that we are bound to obey all that Law that ever we were under to another end; and that Chrift obeyed forusonly as to that which we were never under perfonally but virtually in Adam,thisistofay and unfay. 8. Laltly, they fee not that their own an{wer implyeth the truth of what we affert 5 and is the fame that we give; which their caufe is uncapable of: vz. We fay, ‘that Chrift did indeed moft perfectly obey the Law of Inno- ‘“‘cency, fo far forus and in our f{tead (though not in our perfons) as ‘* that he hath vindicated the truth and glory of God and his Law, by ‘ doing that which we fhould have done and did not: And hath merited ** for us a better Covenant, ‘ which obligeth us not at all to obey for the “ends of the firft Covenant, zv/z.that our perfection might be our Righte- “‘oufnefs, or the condition of life; but only to obey for the ends of the ‘“new Covenant,for the obtaining and improving of Recovering Grace, ‘* and Salvation by Chrift freely given us: which we our {elves muft do “‘ or perith. | : Ig9c. And whereas they tell us that [We may as well fay that man mult not dye becaufe Chrift dyed for us, as not obey becaufe Chrift obeyed for us,
| They ftrangely ufe our reafon againft themfelves andknowit not. For
we fay that we mujft dye becaufe we did not perfectly either obey the Law | or fuffer all its penalty by Chrift as our legal perfor: But he fuffered only to fatisfie Juflice ia tantum tothis end, that man himfelf fuffering death and temporal afflictions, and obeying the Law of Grace, might be faved | from all the reftof the punifhment. Butif we had fo fulfilled the Law as aforefaid, by Doing or fuffering, we could not have dyed nor fuffered the leaft afflidion as a penalty. For all punifhment in the effence of the Relation 1s for fin. 4
- 19t. And when they fay that [ft is vo more inconvenicnt to fay that Christ was perfect in our perfon, than that he fatisfied in our perfon and we by him. | Tanfwer, 1. Both are falfe and fubvert the Gofpel, as aforefaid.
_2. But yet we may fitly fay that Chrilt fuffered in the perfon of a Sinner §
but mark the fence. 1. Suffering as penal belongethtoa Sinner as fuch: But Satisfaction is an Effect of Chrift’s fuffering, which refulreth not from the meer fuffering, nor from the perfon of a Sinner:. but fromthe Will and Covenant of God made tothat excellent perfon who was God and perfeé Man. Sothat itis not fo aptly faid, He /2tisfyed, as it is that he Juffered, in the perfon ofa Sinner. 2. Note that it is not any other man’s
” perfen
and Moral Works.
perfon that we mean that Chrift fuffered in, but his owz. And wemean
that be tookupon him the perfor of a Sinner himfelf, in as much ashe con-
Jented to fuffer for Sin. And {0 perfonating here is not meant becoming any | other man's perfon in Law fenfe, fo asthat other legally fuffered what he did 5 But it is only his ows perfons becoming a fufferer in the ftead of Sinners tor their Sins: Asthe Apoftle faith, He was made fin for ws, fo he might astruly have faid, He was made amet’ for ws 5 that 13, fo far by i putation, as that he undertook to fuffer as Sinners fyffer, and for their ins. 7 |
But becaufe wordy controverfies feeming real, are the great troublers of the world, left any fhould think that we differ morethan indeed we do, I would fain bring the matter as far from under the ambiguity of wordsas poflibly Ican. To whichend I further add, x. That as we hold that Adam was the Natural Root or Parent of Mankind; fo alfo that Chrift was the Federal Root of all the faved, and in feveral re{pects (though not all) a fecond ddam.
2. Adam was but one fingle Natural perfon, nor did God (by error or arbitrary reputation) e{teem or account him tobe any other than he was. Noneof our perfons were diftin@ perfons in Adam, .nor thofe perfons that now they are: Therefore we were not fo perfonally in him at his fall: But all our perfons are in time and ‘mediately by our Progenitors derived lineally from him (yet we deny not all Souls to be from God, and all Bodies an accretion of the common Elements ); not as _having been Per/ons exiftent in him; but being Perfoms canfed remotely by him. Our prefent Perfons were feminally or virtually in him; which is as much asto fay, thatnot the Perfon, but the Semen Perfone vel virtus canfalis was in him : To be only Virtually,or Caufally or Seminally in Adam, is in proper {peech for that Perfon not really to have been in hini: For Caja non eft effed us, C Virtus generativa non est Perfona generata: Tobe — Virtually in Adam's terminius diminuens,as to perfonal inexiftence, anddenyethit. And as Dr. Twiffe hath oft well afferted, It is our natural relation to Adam fuppofed in Gods Law, which is the reafon of our participation in his Sin, and not any Will or Judgment of God, without or beyond our Natural intereft: For elfe it fhould he God moft properly who by his arbitrary imputation fhould either make us Sinners, or repute -usfach when wearenone. But yet when we become Perfons, itis by Derivation from Adam, and fothe effe& c4n be no better than the caufe, and as {oon as we are Perfons we are Guilty perfons, having Guile with perfonality from him, though we were not perfons in him.
* 3, So Chriftis, though not the Natural, yetthe Federal Adam or Root of Believers : whenhe fatisfied and merited, we were not in him
either asin Adam feminally, asin a natural Generator, nor as exiftent-
Perfons, nor did God falfly fo repute us to be: But he was then the Canfe (materially) or’ had that Dirtue effefiva, which would Juftifie, and Sanftifie, and Glorifie usin due time. It was the Nature of Sinners, though not a finful Nature which he aflumed.; But that Nature which he undertook was.exiftent in his Individual perfon: and no other Individual perfon was exiftent in his exiftent perfonal Nature: So.that when we fay it was the common Nature of Man, we meanonly jpecifice, that
Nature whichis of the fame Species with all other mens, but not that ’
which exifted individually in any but himfelf; and a species extra indiwiduum is nothing but an exsrationis, or a notion. But it was indivic. dual Perfons in whofe ftead or place Chrift faffered, and whom he undertook to Juftifie, Sanctifie, and Save, and gather intoa holy ——
. that
~~ Of God's Government,
thatend; and tothat end he undertook and performed his office, and merited all this by his perfect righteoufnefs: So that hereby he made Himfelf a Federal Head and Root of a holy Society (his Church): And whenever any perfon doth Believe and is united federally to him, he then receiveth the effects of that which was before in Chrift as a The Law made to Adam or to us, did not affign Chrift to this office, nor oblige him to fuffer or merit for finners according to it: Therefore by fo doing he fulfilled not the Law asit obliged us; thatis, by that obligation, nor fuffered by that obligation which bound us to fuffer; But by the obligation of his own Confent, and that Law which was, peculiar to himfelf as to the formal obligation, though materially he. was bound by it to fulfill the Law of Nature and of Ado/es. The Law of Innocency then or Works, took not Chrift for the Civil: or Legal Perfon of fuch Sinner, or Believer, no more than it made himfuch. Se te Law of Grace doth quoad jus G Relationem give to every true believing Covenanter; firft, Chrift himfelf in union to be their federal Head, and with him title tohis Grace, Spiritand Glory. And now they are Perfonally and actually his federal Subjects, Friends, and Members; .and have right toall his conferred gifts. a gs. But this right floweth not immediately to them, from what Chrift did or fuffered forthem; but from his Law or Covenant of Grace, by which as his Donative and Ruling Inftrument he conveyeth that tiletothem. —S | Te 5 "6, And therefore they have no right before the Tive, nor any but on the Conditions and Meafure {pecified in that Covenant or Law 3 {0 that Righteoufnelsis not theirs becaufe it Chrifts, nor in the manner or meafureand to the ends of the donation. ~ | | 7. This much containeth the matter of this Doctrine of the Collation and Imputation of Chrift’s righteoufnefs, {till remembring that as no. one till he was a Perfon,: could be a perfon-guilty of Adam's fin 5 nor when he was a perfon, ay fooner than he was alfo guilty of his ow” inherent pravity, and none that had the ufe of Reafon was guilty of either or both thefe only, withoutthe guilt of his own Adfual Sin, and all three together, ,(1. Adam's fin juftly imputed to us, 2.And our innate Pravity, 3. And our actual Sin) are the parts which conftitute our plenary guilt; even fo noone tillhe isa Belzever isrelated as a Member of a Perfectly Righteows Saviour 5 and that ts done no fooner (intime) than he hath the Inherent Righteou{nefs of his perfonal faith and federal ‘con- Jfent; and that obligeth him tothe further a@ive righteou/nefs of a boly life, andallthefe three conjan (though not co-ordinate) make up the total Righteoufnefs of a Saint;viz. 1. Quy Relation to Christ in Union as to a perfectly Righteous Head, who fulfilled all righteou{nefs for ws to merit our ‘Faftification (whichis called Chrift’s Righteoufnefs imputed ta us, as being thus far reputed ours). 2.And our penitent believing confent to his Covenant, which is the. condition of the forefaid Relae. tion to Chrift. 3. And our after Sanctification’ and obedience to.
.Chrift’s Law. 7
8. And when we are commonly thus far agreed of the Matter, ifany. will contend for their felf-coyned phrafes and words, and not being cone. tent to call Chrift our Redeemer, Saviour, Teacher, King, Prieft,Head,. Lord, Teftator, Sponfor or Surety, Ranfom, Price, Sacrifice, dc. as, _ ane. : Ena eee he’
the Scripture doth, will needs plead that he is or was our Perfon, or was holy, obedient, faffered ix ovr Perfons, Legal or Civil, or was our Subftitute, Delegate, Inftrament, @c. his contention will be both corrupting and dividing: Aad yerl will acknowledge that among Lawyers the word [Perfox] hath fo many fenfes, that in fome of them (were they our way of fpeech here) it might be {aid that Chrift did in fome things perfonate each Sinner, or each believer, limitedly, ix tantum & ad boc, & won fenpliciter, antad omnia: And all verbal quarrel I would thug even with them that {peak ineptly, and dasigeroufly, and injurioufly,to the truth and Church, fo they will but by a found and neceflary expli-
- cation vouchfafeus an Antidote againft the hurtful tendency of their
fee, Le
9. Obj. If Chrift’s perfon be given us, then his perfonal Righteoufnefs is given us with it. 40 Yes, as his Perfon is: He is not given us as Proprietors and Lords to become our Own at our difpofe: Nor is his Pern made one Perfon with each or any of us: His Peron is not turned into ours, nor oursinto his: Asthe Husband is not the perfon of the Wife, nor the King of each Subjeé ; But as one that hath a Great, Wife, Learned, Bountiful, Holy King er Husband, hath alfo his Greatnefs, Wifdom, Learning, Bounty and Helinefs , as they have dim 5 that is, As his perfedions for their good as far as bis Relation binds him, but not as if bis endowneents, were removed from him to them , or falfly reputed to be in them, or bis perfon to be their perjoxs 5 fo here, as we have a chrift fo we have a perfedd Righteous Chrift given us to be our federal Head when we believe 3 and the Righteoufnefs which is not in us but in him is ours, fo far asto be for our Good, as far as his Office and Couenazt do ob+ lige him: Sothat a Righteous Chrift, and therefore the Righteoufnefs of Chrift are ours, Relatively themfelves , quoad jus a , fo ag that we have right to thefe Benefits by them, which we thall poflefs ¢ and for the merits of +his Righteoufnefs we are conditionally juftified and faved before we believe , and actually after : But are not ac- | counted to be Chrift, nor the Legal Actors of what he did, nor Chrift accounted tobeeach of us. - 7
SECT. V. Merit.
192. The great Controverfie about humane Aerts, which hathmade |. {o great a nofia in the world, is of fo eafie folution,, that [ can fcarce - Aaguh Art.
: : er fentiendum eR, nos think but almoft all fober underftanding Chriftians in the world are cos/eqst remifionem peccar
agreed in fence, while they abhor each others opinions as ill expreffed in, gal laatrasl ae
: ant ae. ciavi Juftam id eB accepor mifunderftood. Diftinguifh but, 1. Of Commutative Fuftice, and tai, phe propter Chri-
Diftributive Governing Juftice. 2. And of Governing fuftice according ee Legis pbc to Gods feveral Laws, of Innocency, Mofaical Works, and of Grace. erga legem, & reputari 3. Aad of Fuitifying and Meriting fons, and comparatively; And the ee eee 2 @, cafe ts{o plain, that few things are more plain to us, that Chriftians con- gx Are. de Bon. operib
’ a Duanquam hac nova obetrovert, Vi%. . Fon ep eienr abel? a per-
| . feione legis, tamen ef. Fulstia & meretur pramia, ideo quia perfona reconciliate fant.
Ita de operibus judicandum cff qua ampliffinis landibus ornasda (unt quod fht weceffaria, quod fint culeus Dei, o> Sacrificia Jpivia
tualia Cm mereantur premia.
Ib, Exercitatio uoftra & canfervat ea, G meretur incrementum.uxta illad Habenti dabituy: & Auguftinus preclare dixit, Dileétia meretur incrementum dilectionis,cum viz exercetat.Mabent enim ben) .apera Pramia cums in bac vitatum polt banc vitam in vita #EETN Ae
So OF God's Government,
A ape a 1. To dream of meriting from God by any Creature, Man, or Angel,
in point of Commutative Fuftice, is blafphemy and madne(s; that is, That we can give him any thing that thall profit bim, or whichis not abjolutely bis own, asa compenfation for what he giveth us. He maketh himfelf
fave Chrift, doth merit ofGod in point of Governing Fuftice, according to the Law of Innocency, is a falfhood: And hethat faith, He hath no fin, isalyar. 3. Tofay that we can merit pardon, or Juftification, or. Salvation meerly by obferving Mo/es Law, wasthe Jews pernicious error.
4. ‘To fay that our faith and performance of the conditions of the new
Covenant, doth merit by the retributive Sentence of the old Covenant 3
or that it is in whole or part any meritoriows Canfe that God gave the
world a Saviour, orthat Chrift freely pardoneth and juftifieth us all conditionally by the new Covenant, or that it fuppofeth not Chrift’s Righteoufnefs tobe the total fole meritorious Caufe of that pardoning Covenant, and all the bevefits as thereby conditionally given; All this is grofs contradiction. 5. Todeny /ubordinate Comparative Merit, or Rewardablenefs, as from Gods Governing diftributive paternal Fuftice according tothe
Covenant of Grace, confifting in the performance of the conditions of
that Covenant , and prefuppofing Chrifts total merits as aforefaid, is —
to fubvert all Religion and true Morality, and todeny the fcope of all the Scriptures, and the exprefs afertion of an Evangelical wortbine/;, which is all that this [Aéerst}) fignifyeth: To fay nothing of contraditing Catholick antiquity, and hardening the Papifts againft the truth.
193. This Comparative Merit, is but fuch, as a thankful Child hath towards his Father who giveth him a purfe of Gold on condition that he put off his hat,.and fay, I thank you, who deferveth it in Comparifor of his Brother, who difdainfully or negle@tfully refufeth it. This laft being 2b/olutely {aid to Deferve to be without it; but the former only comparatively {aid to deferve to have it asa free sif'-
__ 194. And thofe that reje@ the faying of fome Papifts who iz this fence, fay that Chrift merited that we might merit, placing our Evangelical merit inameer fubordination to Chrifts, do but fhew what prejudice
and partiality can do, and harden thofe who perceive their errors.
Whether faithbe not + 195Some man may think that the high things required in the Gofpel, the meer Acceptance of felf-denyal, forfaking all, running, {triving, working, loving,overcom- Ae Acainf Me. ing, Cc. are more than the meer Receiving of a freeGift. But, 1. Ifit ric, read of Papifts wal- were fo, yet our Pies faith wouldbeno more, by which we are Jutftiaed fmm U'© fied from all the fins of our unregeneracy. 2. But upon confideration, q. 1. & 2 Durand, 1.d. it will all appear to be no more materially: For, 1. When we fay that ie ee Vee isthe Receiving of the free Gift, we mult mean According to the Nature kinsin Centur.de Predeft. and to the ufe of that Gift. Asif you be required to take food, the meaning Ey innate Fr 4 Sande is, to Eat it, and not to throw it away: If you be required to take fuch ara Deus, Nat. Grat. - ° : : p- 138. tribuitwr tian a Manto be your King, your Mafter, your Tutor, your Husband, your: cain. nec an aifet Phyfician, Ore. the meaning is, As fuch, totheuje of bis proper office. ee: Suaies in ap. rin, And fo Accept of God as God, thatis, our Abfolute Owser, Ruler, and DUP Jes Se 73: End, and Chrift as our Saviour, Prophet, Prieft and King, and the Holy ee Ghoft as our Sandétifyer to Illuminate, quicken and renew us, is the fum Compind. 1. 2 4.23. art. Of allthe Pofitives of the Gofpel. 2. For this very Acceptance of 5 i them in this Nature, and tothis Uf, includeth the ufmg of them after: accordingly: And if we do not foxfethem, we thereby rejed them, and -lofe our own benefit of them 5 ashethat eateth not his meat, refufeth _ and lofeth it; and he that weareth not his Cloaths 5 and he that learneth
wot ofhis Teacher. 3. And then Self-denyal, and forfaking contraries,
and
and Moral Works. = BL
and refifting impediments, is but the fame motws ut a termino a quo; And
he that refufeth to come out of: his Prifon and. Chains, refufeth his Liberty; and he refufeth the Gold, that will not caft away bis handful
of dirt totake it. Sothatreally-all is but a Thawkful Accepting of the
mercy of the new Covenant according toits nature and ufe asitisoffered. 2
196. Itisa great queftion whether a man may Truft to his own Faith, Seite tour ores
Repentance or Holinefs. But fome men ftill trouble the world with unex- ne&ec
plained words, where no fober men differ. No wifemancan dream |
that we may Tres to thefe for more than their proper part 5 as that we:
may Tru? them todo any thing proper to God, to Chrift, to the Spirit, —
to the Promife,.@c. And to ufe the phrafe of Traffing to our own faith
or Holinefs when it foundeth abfolutely, or may temptthe hearersto © - 7 -.
think that they may Irs them for Gods part, or Chrift's part,.and ue in
not only for their own, is a dangerous deceiving courfe. But that revit Hails Malis
really. they:may be Trafted for their own part, and muft- be fo, no fober 7" 44od omaino nihil aperfon will deny: For foto believe, obey, pray to God, ec. and not age
to Tru? cto them in their place 5 that is, not to think that we hall be ever /vmms 4 perfectione. Methe better for them, is unbelief and indeed diftrufting God, and faying, ib. ath, i —
It is in vain to ferve hive, and what profit is it that we. call upon him 2 And — a
fuch diffidence and defpair will end all endeavours:. Let every man prove. Gal. 6,
bis own work, and fo fball he have rejoycing in himfelf and not in ano- ie
ther: ‘This is our Rejoycing the teftimony of or Conjciences that in fim- 1 Cor. 1.13,
plicity and Godly fincerity we have had our Converfation in the world. lf
we are Juttified by faith, we may Trujt to be Fuftifyed by it. -But the
rare ufe of fuch a phrafe in Scripture, and the danger of it, muft make
us never ufe it without need. (As if we were difputing. whether the ae
Popith or Proteftant. Religion be that: which a man miay-traf? for his | ok.
Salvation) or the like.. And.when ever it’s ufed, .it implyeth our Truft 9-7 "°°"
in God and our Saviour only fortheirpart.° =p Vt a
- 197. To conclude this great point of Imputed and Inherent Righté- The laft objedtion of
oufnefs, it may be objected, that The fame. mate may well he judged a ‘he miltakers of Impu-
Sinner deferving hell, never fulfilling the Law, nor fatisfying ‘fuftice, mor To fave the chat mitch
deferving Heaven, in bimfelf; thatis, in bis Natural perfon, and yet be stir aa aie defudged one that never finned, but fulfilled the Law, is perfely holy and Gul. Forbes. confiter
righteoks,.and merited. Heaven in bis Legal or Ciwl perfon, in and by Paific. the Conceffions
4 : of Vega, Pighix a Chrift ; To which anfwer, One.man is but one, and hath but one perfor. ton, and cher Papits
. But if you take the word [Perfox'] equivocally, as fignifying another about Impuration of
; : ae he Chrift’s Righteoufnéfs. that is made like bi in fome refpects, or that hath his Nature, or doth granting map ee pes
fomewhat in hisftead and for his benefit, as,a fecond perfon, fay fo, teftanes mean (as Bellare and we will ftrive with no man about words: If you will fay we are Div caPterly doth), as now on earth in our Natural perfons, and are.in Heaven in Chrift 5 or that Crocim, and many ochers we are Redeemed in our Natural perfons, but Redeemed onr felves in Mveoblerved. Chrifé; or that you are fick in your Nataral perfor, and well.in your per- =< fon ix Chrift,&c. Llike not your language 5 but there are {carce any words. fo:'bad, which aman may not put a good fence on. But we would: be wnderfiood, and plainly ask, whether Chrift was properly every fintiers or believers perfon in Law-fence, fothat ipfo fad#o God account-. eth ugto have been habitually and actively perfect in Him, and to have merited and fatisfied in him? If fo, the Law can look on one man but. as ones: And hethat paid a debt by his Servant or any other as his Legal
perfon, cannot be required tog it again in his Natural perfon, unlefs you
will fay that God loveth our Legal perfoz, and will fave it; and thay hate
Our Natural perfor and damnit. The Scripture ufeth no fuch contraditory fubtleties asthefe, ee M SECTS
on | OF God's Government, ro SECT. XI.
How faith Fustifieth.
a ae 198. The common faying that faith juftifeth as an Infirument might
Note, thar when we: ° - : call faith an Aecep. Palas tolerable, if roo many did not {train it toa wrong fence, and raife
ting it relateth to the unwarrantable Doctrines from it, and harden the Papifts by unwaran- Donation of the Co- table Anfwers. A Justifying Infirwment properly is an efficient Infirnvenanc and the Donatum, : f ‘ | which is a Jus ad benfi- montal caxfe of Juftification, which I have elfewhere too largely proved
cia: Renovation is effe- that faith is not, either Gods Inftrument or ours, Phylical or Moral, nox Ged by faich as a fecond: ae i ees; - ° : caufe, but Pardonis Ac- any Way effciently jultifieth us. But juftifying, is one thing 5 to Receive
cepted by it: And we jyftification is another thing, and ta be jesfified isa third. Faith is
ft See no juftifying a&: But faith is in its Effence the Acceptamce of an offered don go together , what- God, Chrift, Spirit, for Life: This Acceptance is by the Covenant made ae pe eae the condition of our paffive true Reception and Poffeffion of Right (before fpeak juft as we ce Kemi, pened): Ta be fuch a Condition performed, isto be aremovens probsbens font & Macula, which of che {aid Reception : whichis ftrictly to be Difpofitia materie recipieutis 3
others are confounded: or about, Vid.wotton’sena- And fo it may be called, §. A Receiving Caufe. 2. And a ediumar
tions out of che School- 1: oe, ; ‘ : . : en Gein de. difpofitive Canfe of the effect, Fauftification as Recezved, but not as Given s
concil. pec. And Brianfon (AS I faid-Dr. Twiffe choofethtocallit) But this caufa Di/pofitiva is part ra ie ae ba ee. of the vaufa Adaterialis, viz. Qua difpofta: A caxfe, or more properly guilt, is (Tantum quadam & Condition why Ireceive juftafication, and by recetuing it am ‘Justified 5 Relatio rationts, inquan- which ts their meaning who.call it 4 Paffrve InSfrument, that is > 4 he o vie icine tS cesving a aoe i> . oh ee
Quia poftquam commifit — 499. The'plain eafie truth is, that Faiths Nature which isto be [2 Be- Precatym Det uoluntas O- liewing Accepsance of Chrift, and Life offered on that Condition | being its
dinat iplum ad pesum cor- J; : : fs isda fee & very effence is but its Aptitude to.the office it hath to our Jultification 3 by oe dpi rroon- which the Queftion is amfwered, why did God promifé us Chrift and Life on bita fit foluta. Videre the Condition of faith rather thaw another ¢ Recaufe of the congruity of fey ee its Nature to that office. But the formal Reafon of its office as to our Jultif, ad paean non re{er- fication is Its Resag the penformed Condition of the Covenawt. And if God. a pT a had chofen another condstton,a condition it would have been. Now the tie Mite ints ace UE ion in ing 2.Condition, Logicians would call this tmprotem precatis offen(s, Ma, tBu Notion in Law being 2 Condition, Log is tmpr cule, Yeatus, nifi ss re perly a Receiving canfe, and more properly A Receptive Difpofition of the Ordingio adj anam weg matter, reducing it to Phyfcal motions. But the moft proper term is the difconveniens ipft anime, phaineft, [We are juftified by that faith, which is the Believing Pra@ical Ac- Br riper ti ceptance of God the Father, ‘Son and Holy Ghost, as Given us on that come liter ad iftam penam dicis dition in the Baptifmal Covenant, becanfe (or as) it is made by God the contur Reatus: Et ut eB die jeg: Pa: - ‘ ° ° we. ae # dition of bis. Gift thereby}. Uladerftand this plain doctrine, and you have citwy Offenfa:Nil (n | alrad the plain: truth. -
*
cH Oltendi vel Irafci 2-200, They that fay contrarily that Faith juftifieth proximately as ie is
co,quam utlle Vindicare ai ; i Se ee
ifta pana |: But he afrer 20 Iveftrument, ora Receiving Accepting a#, and not as a-Condition of the
owneth i i culpa is Covenant, do evidently choofe that which they vehemently oppafe,
pa viz. that the w credere juftifieth: For the very * credere or the effence of Faith, is to be an Acceptance of Christ given. But if they will to.avoid: this, fay that By Faith they mean (Chrift believed in, | thenthey fay that: by Receiving Chris# they mean not the receiving of him, but Christ hime felf > And why then do they not fay fo, but trouble the world with {uch unintelligible phrafes: But to oper the fenfelefsnefs and confeguents-of that Do@rine would but offend. All know that Chrift-as the
obje@ is connoted as effential to the act of Faith. |
SECT.
a
and NAoral Works.
SECT. XI.
— How Repentance i joyned with Faith.
201. Repentance is a Difpofitio materia recipientis too, anda part of the condition of the Covenant: And fo fara Material or difpofttive Receiving Caufe: But not an Acceptance of the Gift formally, in its averting act. | oO
202. Faith and Repentance are words ufed in Scripture in divers fig-
Saith Malderns , Gu
nifications. As Faith isfometimes taken for bare Afext, as fam. 2. and Amefius perce recedit ab
antique Calvini(mo, quia
ufually for Affance or Traft, and always when it denominateth a Chri requrit ad juftitiam bona {tian or Juftified Believer as fuch, it effentially includeth all the three °?** ey pa conditioner
parts, Affent, Confent, and Affiance, but yet denominateth the whole b
a word which principally fignifieth Onze a@ Cwhich commonly is Affance as including the other two); fo Repestance is fometime taken comprehenfively for the whole Converfion of a Sinner to God, the ‘Father, Son and Holy Ghoft; and fo it ixcludeth Faith in the narprerequi
am, quod etiam extendit ad ipfam electienem. | See here how little the Papifts underftand us,
rower fence, and is the fame thing as Faith in the larger fence, but.
exprefs'd under azother formal notion. Sometimes it is taken more narrowly, and that 1.Astothe 4@. 2. Astothe y dant
1. Asto the Act; and fo the word Repextance fignifieth only the |
Averfion of the Sonl from evil, by forrow and change of mind: And this
is the {tri& formal notion of the word, though x/wally it be taken more
largely, asincluding alfo the Converfion of the Soul to Good 5 which is the ufual Scripture and Theological fenfe; though the word it felf do chiefly fignifie the Avertingat. si | a. As tothe Obje#, 1. Repentance fometime fignifieth the Turning of. the Soul from Siz and Idolsto God asGods And fo Repentance towards God, is diftinguifhed from Faith towards our Lord ‘fefus cori. 2. And fometimes it fignifieth only the turning of theSoul and life from fome particular Sin. | | = te = “4, “+ 203. Repentance as it is the turning of the Sonl from fin and Idols to God, 1s the fame with Faith i2 God in the large Covenant-fence, -and includeth Faith in God in the marrower fence. Repentance as it is our Turning from Infidelity to Chriftianity:is the fame with Faith
Chrift 1n the arrower fence (as it, is meer Affent). Repentance as it is a Turning from the Flefh to the Holy Ghost as our SanGifyer, is the fame thing as our Faith in the Holy Ghoft in the large Govenant fence, and includeth F aithin the Holy Ghoft in the xarrdwer fence. But when they are the fame thing, the ratio nominis or formal notion is not the fame. As man’s mind is notfo happy as to conceive of all things that are one by one entire fingle Conception; {o we are not fo happy in our language, as to have words enough to exprefs things entirely by ove name’ but we muft have feveral words to exprefs our inadequate conceptions by. And fo that 1s called Repentance as the
* The Papifts take Repentance it felf to be arc of the: Remiffion of Sins: And let che Reader note, for the fuller opening of what I have
in Chrift in the large Covenant-faving-fence, and includeth Faith in faid of their darknefs
thereabours, thac fasfentus Aug. To. i. It. §. ¢. 23. p. 326. maketh four things to be infeparably conteined in Re- ‘miffion, though diftinguifhable. 1. The Converfion ofthe Soul te God. 2. The abfterfion of the Macula or® filth. 3. Reconciliation or the rem'flion of Gods offence. 4. The relaxation of the zrernal punifhment: Thar all thefe are then ag once
given us, we are all agreed: Bue wherher the name Remiffion or -Pardox of fin te meet for chem all we difagree. Is
it noc vifible chen how unhappily we ftrive about words, when we ralk like men of feveral Languages.
But all i$ buc
renovation and remitting the penalty of which Gods offenfe is the firft pare. And Macula is either the fin ic felf, or the
M 2 Souls
sclative confequen:s.
Of Goa Government,
Souls motion from the Terminus 2 quo, which ts called fometimes
Faith or Affiance, and fometimes Love, from the motion of the Soul
to the Terminus ad quem, though the Afotws be the fame. But when
Faith and Repentance are diftingnifbed as feveral parts of the Condition of the new Covenant, the common fence 1s, that Repentance
fignifieth the Converfion of the Soul from Sin and Idols to God as God,
which #, or includeth Faith in God : And Faith fignifieth {pecially
Faith in Christ asthe Mediator and way to Gods; And fo Faith is below
Repentance, asa means of it. _ ae -
204. By this the queftion whether Faith or Repentance be firft,
may partly be refolved, and partly cas# owt as founded in confufion.
As they are both ove thing, neither can be firft, any otherwife thaw
the fame Motus ut a termino a quo, G ut ad terminum ad 5 iis
But as they fignifie divers things, they have each of them divers
ads, and in refpect of each, are before each other. The Affenting ad —
of Faith in general muft needs be always before Repentance, as it
is an A of the Will. But the confenting AG of faith 1s allo part
of Repentance, and muft follow that part of Repentance which is a
change of the pip or But whether the Repentance as towards
God, or Faith in Chrift be firft, or Love to God, and Faith in Chrift,
I have difcuffed as accurately as ‘I can, in my Christian Diredory,
Par, 1. cap. 3. pag. 182. and therefore thither refer the Reader.
7 205. And how Fasth and Love differ I have there alfo opened,
aocon and Love and therefore {hall now only fay , that Faith as it fignifieth meer
Affent, differeth from Love, asthe at of the Intelled, from Volition -
And Love formally taken prefuppofeth the.4/ext, anddoth not con-
- tain it: But Faith taken largely in the fence of the Baptifmal Covenant, containeth in it Confent, which is the Wills Volition, and
therefore muft needs have fome izitial Love in it as it a@eth in
Defire. This Faith in God hath fome Defire and Volition of God, |
and Faith ix Chrift, which is the Souls Praéical Affiance in him, —
hath fome Love to Chrift in it. But the denomination is not from
the fame ratio formalis in each. It is eminently called Faith, when
giving up our Souls to Chrift to be faved in practical Affiance is the
great work of the Soul, though it have fomething of Love effential
to it. And it iseminently called Love (morally) when the Compla-
— of the Soul in Chrift thus trufted, and in Goa our end, is the great
* work or bufinefs of the Soul. — |
206. This Holy Love as .a fixed habit and employment of the Soul, and
our Relation to the Holy Ghoft to work it in ws, is it that is pro-
_mifed and Given quoad jus in the Baptifmal Covenant, of which
Faith, thoughit have fomewhat of actual Love or Volition init, isthe
antecedent condition, which alfo I have fo fully opened as afore cited,
ge sg the Reader to it forthis alfo, And fomewhat was {aid of
it before.
SECT.
and Moral Works. oo 35
SECT. XI Of the degrees of Pardon or Fuftification.
_ 207. Some men left they fhould yield that Fuffification is not one per- St finifhed a& done but once, do feign that itis only the firft a& of Faith ° by which a man i juftified. Indeed it is omby the fir 24 by which he is changed from an xnrighteows to a righteous flate: But to think that therefore we are mever after juftified by Faith, and fo have no a&ually juftifying Faith all our lives, but for one inftant only,is fitter for a Dreamer
than a theological Difcourfer. , a
— 208. Our firlk conftitative Fuftification, being in its nature aright to
Impunity, and to Life or Glory, * i9 a Relation which muft be continued * 74/quz tells us, that to the end, and therefore muft have the true caufes and condition con- Rr pay cea tinued, = = = any of them ceafed. | iM Regeneration and
209. As to the queftion therefore whether Fuftification be lofeable, and INUNCann’ Oo pardon reverfible , t anfwer, that the grant Pil inthe satan is a arn ep gs unalterable; But mans will in it felf is mutable, andif he fhould ceafe {!ves,as a geet sn believing by Apoftacy, and the condition fail, he would loft his Right, inean not, orelfe -they and be unjuftified and unpardoned, without any change in God. But mean feveral things in that a man doth not {0 de fatto ts tobe afertbed to EleFion and fpecial °° me Grace, of whichafterward. — 3 | : : ato, Though all our paft fiasare pardoned at our firft Faith or Converfton (or asthe Ancients fpeak in Baptifin ) yet it ismoft certain that Pardon or \Fuftification is not perfe& at firft, honor on this fide death : And the faying of many that Fuftification is perfed at first, and SanGification only by degrees, isa palpable ertor, as C have elfe-where oft (hewed. Forthat isnot perfect, 1. Which is not cogtinued and brought on to its
end, but upon continued conditions, and diligent uf¢ of means to the |
laft. * 2. Which leaveth many penalties usremsoved, which have further ° Ns enim peccati fai means to be uféd for their removal, and further Right to to beobtain- sta morte temporali, im? ed: Tohave moreand more Grace, and lefs and lefs Sin 3 and to have *#*s¢fe. Twill. contr. nearer communion with God, are bleflings as to the degrees, which we “Oo P*® 343 ee muft by degrees attain a further Right to, and the privation of them aré
fore penalties to be removed. 3. We have new fins to be pardoned
everyday. 4, Qur remaining Corruption is fuch as needeth a continued
not come, for which the molt perfect Jultificatiom is referved. "ees
| * SECT. XIV. Of Fuftification by Sentence of the F _ 241, The fecond fort of Juftification, which is by Sentence, is dort se by Chrift as Fudge, and fo is an att of his Kingly Office. | cue A 212, Therefore were it true (as it is not) that juftifying Faith were opty the receividg or believing in Chrift asa Juftifier of us, it would not bea believing in him in his Prieftly Office only but in all; For he
merited our Juftification as a humbled Servant, and a Sacrifice ie _ giveth
¢
56 _ Of God's Government,
giveth it us in Right by his Covenant or Law of Grace as King and Benefador: He promulgateth it as Prophet; He paffeth the Sentenceas King and Judge; He executively taketh off the penalty, and glorifieth us as King and Benefa%or. There is no Juftification by a partial Faith.
213. Though the eftimation of a man as juft, called the Sententia
_ judicis concepta, as diftin& from the Sententia prolata, be faid to be an immanet a of God, and therefore from eternity, yetit isa miftake: For though it be not tranfient effective and do nibil a ad extra, yet
‘it is tranent objective, and doth prefuppofe the exiltence of the qualified Object: For though Gods Knowledge and Will ingenere, oras fuch, arehiseternal Effence, yet Gods Knowledge and Love of Fobn or Peter as Believers, are terms which fignifie not his Effence as fuch, but as tranfient and terminated on thofe exiftent perfons relatively: So that the extrinfical denomination from the exiftent Objet 1s temporary as it is. |
214. As the Angels rejoyce at a Sinners Converfion, and therefore know it, fo the notifying of Gods acceptance and pardon to the Angels, may be called /ome fort of fentential Juftification.
215. And the notifying our conifitutive Righteoufne/s to our Con/ciences, 1s fome kind of fentential Juftification.
216. But this Juftification called in foro confcientie isnot the Fuftifcation by Faith fo much {poken of in Scripture: For that ever gocth before this. .A man is ever made ju{t, before he can be efteemed, judged, or known tobe fo. And this iz confcience is an uncertain mutale thing, according to the weaknefs of the man: And oft he that is juft before God, doth moft doubt of it, and condemn himfelf: This jultiffcation may ceafe when we fleep or think of other things; and may
+ 5 Core gas rife and fall daily, if not be often loft. And it is not of that grand importance to our Salvation, as juftification by Faith is. —
7 SECT. Xv. | a Of initial executive Pardon or Fustification..
__ 217. But the moft notable juftification by way of fextenceis, 1. By
Gods initial Executions here. ‘ 2. By the publick Sestence and Execution
at the Day of Judgment. - |
| 218. God /peaking not by Voice, that iscalled his sentence which deciftvely declareth his Judgment. But the Execution mott notably declareth that: Therefore though they be two things with men, and
fometimes with God, yet sentence being oft pafled principally by Execstion, they are then both one. |
219. In this fexfe to fandiffe a man, is to jnfipfe him executively, and fo
JSententially. For executive Justification and Pardon isthe adual Impunity,
removing of deferved Punifhment, and aéual Siving poffelfion of Life
and Salvation; which conftitutive Juftification gave us Right to. And
oe my Epi before 2° OUF Privation of the Spirit and Holinefs, and to be left in fin, isa
Mr. Hotchkis Book of Zreat punifhment 5 fo tohave the Spirit and Holinef{s given us, is execn-
Forgivene/sand his Book. tive Pardon and Juftification 5 And {o will Glorification much more.
220. Executive Pardon and ‘fuftification therefore, though the faft of
three forts ts the xoblei, as {uppofing both the other, and being their end
and the perfecting of the whole work.
| fay qithoutany change in God...
and Moral Works. ne:
221. Non-punire.isnot always Pardon, becay{e it may refpean innoeent and xncapableObjeQ. But the Rulers 202 -punire fontemis pardon, | in what degree foever. But a son-panire as the execution of an AE of — , or Gift of Right te Impunity, is the fulleft executive
rdon. | eens gee) tee ges e 222. The fame muft be faid of mole punire; which is no pardon as to the Inxocent, nor toa fore-feen Guilt not yet exiftent; no more than to aftone: But when the perfonbecometh gsilty and obliged to fuffer, then Gods zolle punire becometh de novo a pardon denominatione extrin-
" 923. For God perfedly to forgive fin, while any fin remaineth in the More of that imperfedi- Soul (epecially see) is Sorin Siw > For finit lf though not ort ree as fin, nor as effected, yec as permitted and not healed, is the greateft — | punifhment as was faid. And there isno perfect pardon of the punithment, while fach punifhment is continued. And Ockam's great fubtilty failed, when Quodlib. 4. q.1. he determined that per potentiam abfSolutam Dews poteft falvare hominem fine charitate creata, unlefs he meant
that he can charitatem dare aliter quam creando: For to fave aman without Grace or Love 1s a contradiction. | |
His firft Argument is, [ God can do that immediately which he can do by o.4 they tell us intel any fecond Canfe efficient or fixal: * But Love or Grace ZiVCN 15 an effict= ligibly how the fin of ent or final fecond Caufes Therefore God can fave aman without it. Minbelies and not-loving
Anj. The minor ts your miftake: Love here is Salvation it felf, begun ons zan be really pur 2
‘ ee : one ons can be really put ain this life and perfected m the next: And to give it, and’ not to give it way,wichout the aie
are contradi@ions. All the reft of his arguments go upon the fame "), alt Oran? Sati miftake, asif Love were but 2 meritorious caufe of Salvation, and not go the fame way upon cbethngi fle nn! Ma OO Bee ope _ And as erroneoufly, 9. 4. he determineth that per potentian abfolu- one of chem, is vo contam, God can remittere peccanti culpam CO penam fine infufione gratia mee pliant Jee ify ereate, unlefshe had put the queftion only de modo conferendi gratiam, what fay Original sin is an alio modo fine infufione Dews illam poteft effcere? But who knoweth frsiven in Bapritm, as
. ~- en: eo ' . to the whole culpabz/1t what imfufion is diftinc& from other Divine efficience. Or unlefg he had and penalty (as Perabing
fpoken only of Gods giving the jus ad rem, @ non rem ipfam, Viz. Ipfam in Elench.Theriac Vincent. impunitate. For sag the pena damni ( properly pena) is et Aa ae the Ea of the Souls re&itade, health and bappinefs, which all err: For 1. Yc cannot confift in the love of God: And to pardona mans forfeiture of Happi- eee ota nc a
‘5 ‘ se; : : . mans will fhould not be nefs execytively, without giving him the happinefs which he forfeited, culpable? 2. And the
_ or to gtve man happmef$ without giving him love to God, are both "mining of that pra.
grofs contradiatons 5; unlefs equivocally you meant, making a man fome Geena the a other thing, and giving him the happinefs of that otherthing. © Ae Gahih foetal
His firftargument hereis, [| Whowfoever God can by his abfolufe power fariste them) that tothe accept as worthy of life eternal withant infufed Grace, to him he can forgive "ly baprizedor heareall {in without infufed Graca: But, @rc. For proof he referreth us to that sana: Original Sin and whichI now confuted, adding, That God conld accept aman in his pure #1 Sr 's pardoned as to naturals to th eternal, If Ae ‘Feisa fidtion that ever man had fuch eee, Pe naturals made by God, as were not indued with the principle and difpo- not ab‘olurely and_perfition of holy love, the fame thing which imfufed Grace firft reftoreth; ae much more that Adam lived without the acting of thislove. But if ment:Noris all theeut it were (0, yet ta accept man to life eternal, is to accept him to the Paility ceatea.
Jove of God 5 fo that if he did’ prove that a gracelefs man might be 'predeftinated to Glory, he did but prove that he is predeftimated to
perfe& holinefs andthe love of Ged; And though without this he may
be predeftinated, or might have hada prosmife, and right by promife, yee
without it he could never have the thing promijed, for that were to
have
88 | Of God's Government,
have God and not to have him; nor yet his neceffary difpofition for fruition 5 for without holinefs he is not a capable difpofed recipient of Salvation. The reft of his arguments run all upon this error, as if love and holinefs were only the means, and not the end and Salvation
SECT. XVL 3 te 3 Of affurance of Pardon, Justifi cation and § alvation And whether it be Faith =
_ 224. The Faith by which we are juftified isnot a believing that we are
juftified, but a believing that we may be juftified: Nota believing -that
Chrift is ours more than other mens , or that we fhall be faved; but a
believing in Chrift that he may be ours, and we may be faved by him. |
225. There is af#rance in this Faith; not affurance that we are fincere, or fhall be faved: But affurance that Gods Promifes and all his
Words are trae, and that he will perform them; and that Chrift is
the Saviour of the world, and that the love of God is our End and
- Happinefs, and that all this is offered tousin Chrift, even Pardon and
Life, as well as others; which offer Faith accepteth truly ; But the
Believer is oft uncertain of the fincerity of hisown belief; and {0 of his
3 Salvation. oe ee — _ Iknow that thé learned 226, Howmuch certainty we have of Divine Revelation and Scripiggy peer nat ture verity, I have fo fully opened in many Traéfates, and laftly im one charge them as guilty of Called {( The certainty.of Chriftianity without Popery "| that I will not here confufion, who place repeat it, further than tofay, that it isnot a perfect apprebenfion which
it Fiducia. But I doubt as will carry a man on confidence. of Gods Word toa boly Jift, and to
saan meio ad his the forfaking of all other hopes, even /ife it felf, forthe bopes which are confufion, by nordiftin- given us by Chrift: which yet may have feveral degrees in feveral per-
See nar ple fons. But objeive certainty, which ts the evidence of verity, is more “litical, whichis madeup full than our fubjeCtive certainty ( for want of our-due receptivity. in cg er thes us) and is {till the fame in it felf,though not equally brought or revealed Geor. Dewname, Camero, CO all. - 2 _— 5. of 7.
or any thargotharway) 227. Even doubting of the truth of the Scripture and Chriftianity se see phy fical 2@ may ftand with faving Faith and Salvation, when itis not predominant, they will confine Chrifti nor fo great as to keep us from the faid forfaking all for Chrift and an jultikying raith to, a
ancy would have found Heaven. ae - | . ,, Bias them(elves in confufion: 228. Doubting of mans own Salvation, is not always from. weak-
Te fy; Ic isaffent,den™ nefs of Faith directly, much lef is it the want of Faith it felf. For be an affent to many fometime aman may doubt, meerly as doubting of the fincerity of his
eae as a own Faith, and not at all doubting of the truth of the Word of God. belief that God is true, But whenit is the doubting whether the promifes be fare, which maketh and that thisishis word, aman doubt whether he fhall be faved, this doubting is the debility of and that this word 1s: é
true. He thar faith, Ie Faith. | ;
is a belief of the aflerri- a7 : Bae | on for the credibiliry of the Affertor, can fcarcé prove that he nameth but one A&: And I know no fuch affene which doth
nor effentially concain a trufting to che word of the Affercor or. Teftifier, called Fidwcra. Can you believe a mans word to be crue, becaufe he is credible, and not truft his credibility fo far as believing him importeth: It is a contradifion? Fides eredentis is nothing but atruiting to the Fides dicentis, and they are Relatives, as A& and Objet. Though grant thar there is alfo a quietting applicatory Truft or Fiducia, which is but the exercife of Faith as fuppofing me to (ee my intereft in the Prom.fe, which cometh after our firlt believing, in which we fee but our receptive capacity that che Promife includcth me widh the reft of Mankind, and the thing promifed ts offered co me. :
and SMoral Works,
229. The fame may be faid of difpair: That difpair is from the weaknefs or want of Faith, which cometh from an xxbelief of the truth of the Promife: And that alfo 1s pernicious difpair which ( from what Caufe foever) ts fo great as to take men off the ufe of neceflary means, toattain Salvation. But that difpair which cometh from overmuch felf-condemning, anda conceit that a mans heart is falfe, and not that Gods Promife ts falfe, may ftand with true Faith and Salvation, if it be not fo great, asto take him off the ufe of neceflary means. |
230, Noman ordinarily can be affured of his Salvation or Fuftification without extraordinary Revelation , but by being affured firft of the truth of Gods Promife, and of his own fincerity in believing: For his affurance is of the conclufion of this argument, [ Whofoever fincerely belieweth and repenteth is juftified: But I fincerely believe and repent 5 therefore Iam juftified. ] And the weaknefs of the apprehenfion of either of the premifes is ever in the conclufion, which always followeth parteme . debiliorem. | :
231. There are therefore but two forts of men who can believe that they are juftified by a Faith properly called Divine , that 1s, which is a belief of Gods Word herein ; 1. Thofe that God revealeth it toby prophetical or extraordinary Revelation (if there beany fuch.)) 2. Thofe who are more certain of their own a Faith, than they are that Gods Word it felf is true Cif any fuch there bein the world.) For with all others the certainty of the fincerity of their own Faith being weakeft, the conclufion followeth it.. : | |
232. If any man can poffibly doubt more of the truth of Gods Word, than of the foundnefs of his own Faith; though that mans Faith may be called Divine,itis no honour to it, becaufe it hath fo much doubting of Gods Word mixed with belief: And it’s like his greater affurance of his belief of it, is but his error, or infirmity.
233- Ordinarily therefore no Chriftians can believe fide Divina, that
they are juftified and fhall be faved 3 that is, this’ iso Word of God, but.
a conclufton, of which one of the premiifesonly, and that the ftronger is
234.To fay that he that believeth {hall be faved, is equivalent to this, [ 7 ha
be faved | is not true nor reafonable, feeing [_ I belseve] is not Gods Word,
-nor fo certain as Gods Word:And one of the premifes is not equal to both.
245. When they fay, That #'s all one, when Iam furethat I believe.]
' T grant it, if 1. This be init felf as evident. 2. And as certain to me
, a8 Gods Word is 5 otherwife I deny it. | |
236. Obj. Aman cannot believe, and not know that he believeth.
Anf. Buta man may fincerely belreve, and yet through ignoranceeither
of the Scripture or himfelf, be uncertain that indeed his Faith is fixcere,
and not fuch as is common to the juttified. ,
237. Some Proteftants by erring in this point, and faying that juftifying Faith tsa certain per[wafton or belief that we are justified, and that. it is Gods own Word that I or you are atéually juftified, or are fincere Be-
_lievers, and that the believing it is properly fides Divina, have greatly {candalized and hardened the Papis#s, to our difgrace. - .
238. And fohave thofe that fay that in the Creed, the meaning of [ 1 believe the Remiffion of Sin] is, ( I believe that my fins are remitted a&ually.| And that all muft thus believe. :
239. Some fay that the Spirit within them faith, that they are fiscere Believers, and the Word of the Spirit is the Word of God, and to believe st isto believe God. Anf. This isthe Exthufiafts — : which if ~
a
nade
Of God "5 ( Government,
all {uch have prophetical Infpiration: Fur the Spirit tobring any mew word from God is one thing, and to give usthe Underftanding, Love and Obedience to {uch a Word is another thin.;. The Spirit dothindeed - affure us of our fincerity, but notby a zew Word from God totell us
| fo; but 1. By giving usthat fincere Faithit (cl 2. By ading it and
* Of this fee Albertinus’s Difp. at large.
increafingit. 3. Byhelpingusto knowit. 4. By giving us the love of God, andother Graces. 5. By giving usthe comfort of all. But the reception and perception of thefe internal Operations, isnot properly called a Belief of the Word of God. Elfe when we make Gods Word the adequate Object of Faith, we fhall be ftill at an uncertainty what that Word is. :
240. Yet this perfwafton, that we are fincere and justified is divine, where the spirit caufeth it; but nota divine Faith. Yeait is participatively of divine Faith, becaufe Gods Word is one of the premifes, though the weaker muft denominate the conclufion. * | |
241. Obj. A Reprobate or Devil may believe all the Articles of Faith without application : but juftifying Faith applieth Chrift and his benefits to
_ onr felves. Anf. It’s true: But this application is not a certainty, nora
perfwafton, nor a believing that I am juftifed, no more than that J ams glorified, no nor that I fhall befo neither: But it isan accepting of Christ — that I may be juftified and faved. So that here are all thefe applying actsinit. 4. I believe that Chrift as the Saviour of the World, _ is my Saviour as he is all other mens, and is not the Deyils; thatis, that he hath done that for me which he hath done for all mankind. 2. Ibe lieve that he 1s offered to we perfonally inthe Promife or Covenant of Grace, on condition of believing-acceptance 3 and that with and for all his purchafed benefits, and fo for my Juttification. 3. I believe that if I fo accept him, I thall be juftified. 4. By true confext I do accordingly accept him to juftifie, fanctifie and fave me. But when all this is done, 1. I donot believe that God hath faid in his word that I am pupified, nor that my Faithsis fincere. 2. And my Faithis fo weak, that L may long doubt of that fincerity which I have, and fo of my Julftification. 3. And when I come to becertain of my Faith, it isnot by believing God, as faying, that Ido certainly believe; but by experience of its fincerity, upon juit trial, by the Spirits ~ . | ‘242. No man can be fure that his Feith is fincere and faving, who is not aflured that it will. help him to love God asGod above all ¢ yea already doth{o) and that it mortifieth felfifhneS, and will prevail with him to deny even life it felf, and all the world, for Chrift and Salvation. So far asa man doubteth of any of this, he muft needs doubt of
.
_ his own fincerity. ,
243. So: weak is Faith in moft that are fincere, and {0 little kept in. exercife, and foftrong is fenfe, and felf, and flefh, and worldly baits and intereft, and Satan’s temptations, that in my experience ( who.have converféd with as many that are careful of their Souls as moft have done [think ) itis a very {mall number that I could ever hear fay, Lanse certain of my Fuftification and Salvation 5 But a great number who have lived in holy confidence, hope and peace, and fome in great'joy, but moft in tollerable fears and doubting, and. fome few opprefled by thofe - doubts. So that certainty of Salvation is very rare. |
244. When BeJarmine faith, that our affurance more belongeth to Hope than Faith, and that it is but moral certainty by fignsthat we have of our Juftification, Sincerity and Salvation, he fo little differeth from the fenie of almoft all godly Protes#ants, that were it not through other
: diftances,
and Moral W orks. . 91
diftances, and partiality, we had never read in Luther's days, that, for’ this one point alone, we have caufe enough of our alienation from the Romanifts.
245. They erron oneextream, who fay, that allare commanded to believe that. they are juftified; (or any as if it were Gods Word ): And they err onthe other hand, who command doxbting or commend it, as if it were a duty or a benefit. And they fpeak the truth who fay, that our doubting of our own Sincerity and Juftification if we are fincere, is a fin of Infirmity, and a Calamity, proceeding from weaknefs of Faith, Hope, Love and Self-acquaintance, which we fhould ufe all poffible diligence to overcome. But they that arenot fiacere are bound to know it; And firft to feek and get fizcerity, and then difcern it.
246. It is by the Sp#rit that all Chriftians muft come to their affurance : But not by the Spirit as {peaking this in us as a word from God, [ Thox art juftified or {halt be faved, or art fincere]. But by the aforefaid Aas: The Spirit inus is firft Chriff's Agent, Advocate and Witnefs, to aflure us that he 1s the Saviour of the World: And next he is our Witne/s to affure us that we are Gods adopted Children 3 which he doth by being in us Gods Mark, and the Pledge, Firft-Fruits, and earneft of onr heavenly Inheritance, by effeCtual habituating our Souls to the predominant love of God, and Holinefs and Heaven. Where-ever this San@ification is, there is the Evidence and Witnefs of our Adoption. He that findeth’ by the Fruits that he hath the Spirit, findeth the certain proof of his Juftification; and earneft of Glory. : 7
SECT. XVI Of Love as the end of Faith.
247. This predominant Love of God and Holinefs , is. propér a (vi 10x unus ideng; vite fruit of the Spirit, that itis the very heart of the New Creature, the jy in 16 im one fam of San¢tification, as loveis the fum of the Law, Sothat to give potef. Nox eft fatis quod
‘Yhe Spirit of Adoption, to cry Abba, Father, and to fanédifie, and to pte sale ae work tn us the love of God and holixefs, are: three phrafes of the fame effe debeat. M. Antoninus fignification in the Word of God. eer oe a Memtodety ste pitts:
248. As Chrift as S¢ediator isthe fummary means and way to the Fat ‘ther, to bring man home to his Creator; {0 Faith in Chrift isa mediating Grace, ta workinusthe love of God: And as elfe-where I have oft faid,
The bellowes of Faith kindling Love, and Love working by holy Obedience,
Patience, Mortification, Gratitude and Praife, 1s the fubftance of all true
Religion. ee ae Ba See Tate
| 8 Love being the finel Grace, aad Faith in Chrift, but-a means to 1 Cor. 13. laft. & 13.15 it, theezd muft needs be more excellent thanthe meansasfuch. And * 2:
: . Whether the habit of thus Paul giveth the pre-eminence to Love. Love in patria be better
chan thac of Fuith and
Vifion in genere moris only, or alfo in genere rez, the School-men are utterly difagreed. ;
Cacere’s {um. Theol. 22. q.5.a.1. utrum in fola charitate (upernatnrali fit amicitia hominis ad Deum? Affirm. Quia Deus wb wie nature noneacommanicat, Qua [unt propria ejus, fed folum effe naturale & potentias que,&c. The Reafon is not fo good as the Aflertion. |
Vid, Bradward. li. 1. c. 1. cor. 30. Contraindodos artis amandi, xe[cientes Deum effe propter feipfum amandyum, & abet Propter Deum, omne{q, affus bumanos ad iplum propter fe finalitel@rdinandos, ipfumq; effe [nper omnia diligendam: and his ey eho that God is noc co be finned againft in the fmalleft of his Precepts, or in the {mall¢ft thing, co avoid the grcate Pain, of obtain the greateft good imaginable.
Of God's Government,
.250. And no wonder if he prefer it alfo for duration; For Love is Heaven or felicity it felf, yea fomewhat higher than felicity as fuch. Foras God is our End for and in himfelf, above the ratio felicitatis, fo God is our End ashe is to be loved: And God the Ultimate Objed, and Lovethe Ultimate AG, and Gods Love communicated perfectly to ws, and Gods Will pleafed in all this, are the inadequate Conceptions which make up the Ultimate End, fuppofing the perfection of Nature, and of the Intellect in the fight of God, as fubfervient hereunto. | 251. Man therefore hath a degree of fruition, or attainment of his
- Ultimate. End in this life, fo far as he hath a delightful love of Ged:
Though this be but the foretaft and Firft- fruits.
- 252. Therefore itis not by Faith only that we know what Heaven is,
and are drawn to feek it and hope for it: but alfo by this earmeft and
foretast of love; which worketh by a fpiritaal gust and {weet inward
experience. The Intellect firft hath Faith, andthe Wi hath Love; And
a promife and earneft is more a promife alone. |
253. When Faith hath wrought this holy Love in the Soul, it doth as
much if not more to keepus from Apoftacy than Faith it felf. Therefore many unlearned Chriftians, by the power of holy Love, ftand faft,
when fubtile difputing Doors may cleave to the world, and fall
a Though it be an ill expreffion of thofe School-men that fay, Love
love being the final Grace, the reft asthey are means to it, or the effeds and expreffions of it, are what they are partly in that Relation: The means ‘is a means only by its Aptitude to the end; And is never loved Cas fuch ) for it felf, but for the end: And what the effe& hath, ic hath from its efficient Caufe. And it is true, that no Faith, no Fear, no Obedience, no Praife, no Suffering 1s further accepted of God, and a part of true Holine{s, nor will prove our Salvation, than it participateth of predominant love to God. But this predominant Love is always an evidence of Life. |
855. Qu. What if aman fhould by Faith in Chrift be brought to the love
of God, and after fall away from Faith in Chrift, and yet retain his love to
God, would that love fave him? Anf. When you can prove that ever there was fuch a man, I will anfwer you. Till then fuch falfe {uppofitions are no otherwife to be anfwered, than by telling you, that if God fhould permit a man to fall from Chrift, that man would lofe the Spirit of Chrift; and the fight and fenfe of all Gods Love and Goodnefs manifefted in Chrift, and in‘all the Work of Redemption; And therefore he would lofe the Jove of God. : | |
256. How far Holine/s is the defign of Christianity, Thave opened in afmall Tradate on that Queftion ; And how far Sandtification is to be preferred before Pardon asfuch, and yet Chrift’s Glory in pardoning us, Ihave fhewed there and in my Confeffion, and therefore will not here repeat it. & mo * Bg ahs _
and Moral Works.
SECT. XVill.
Of Perfeverance, and the certainty of it, in order to certainty of Salvation, and true Comfort.
957. Nomancanbe further certain of his fizal Salvation, than he is certain of his perfeverance in Faith and Love. _
258. Therefore it jsa {mall number of Chriftians comparatively that ever were certain of their Salvation. For 1. No one that is uncertain of his fizcerity 1s certain of his Salvation. 2. Noone that holdeth this Dodtrine {, That the Saints that are juftified may fallaway, and that we cannot be {ure of perfeverance, ‘] can be fure of his own Salvation. It’s hard to conceive how he can be certain, who holdeth that no man can be certain: Now thofe that hold this Do@rine are, almoftall the Papists, the Arminians, the Lutherans, and as far as I canlearn by their Writings, all the ancient Writers for athoufand years after Chrift. And the Semipelagians and Pelagians no man will put inasan exception, except Fovisian alone; againft whom Jerome writing his fecond Book chargeth him as holding that a man truly baptized by theSpirit, could not fin: No doubt he meant, [{ to damnation or mortally]: But it's doubtful what his Opinion was. _Anguftine's report of him is of no great moment, who as Erafmus noteth (inhis Argum. in Hier. adv. fovin.) neither had feen ‘Jovinians Book or Hicorss's but {pake by report. :
And Austin, Profper and Fulgentins thought that all the Ele perfevered as Elect, being obofen to perfeverance; but that more were truly fanGifred, juftified, and inaftate of Salvation had they fo died than were |
ele: That all thefe fell away and perifhed. Thatno man could be certain whether or no he were eled, and fhould perfevere. Sothat they denied all certainty of Salvation by ordinary means. And that none of all the Greek or Latin Fathers, then, or long after, went further trom the Pelagians than Auguftine did, I think [need not perfwade any, that hath read them. |
259. This hiftorical Truth is ufeful to be known : From whence! infer, that it is poflible for Chriftiansto live infetled peace and comfort, in refpect to their heavenly Felicity, without a certainty of perfeverance and Salvation. Forto think that no Papifts, no Greeks, no Arminians, no Proteftant Lutherans, nor any of the ancient holy Dotors, nor any of allthe Afartyrs or other Chriftians of their judgment, did attain to fuch holy peace and comfort, is unreafonable, and contrary to all Church-
Hiftory, andtoexperience. | 260. And though it werea far more joyful ftate fo have proper certainty, yet reafon and experience in other cafés tellus, that without certainty aman may live a joyful and peaceable life, where probability 1s ftrong enough to remove all reafonable caufe of fearfulnefs, though there be a pojfibility of the worft. As we feethat menin youth and health, though they may poj/tbly die, or fall into torments the next hour, yet do not therefore caft off comfort, and live in fuch trouble as they would do if they had probable caufe to expe it. There is no wife living is certain that her own Hufband will not murder herthe next night; nor no Child certain that the Parents will not caft them off or kill them; nor no Friend certain that his deareft Friend will not do fo; And yet few but melancholy people will therefore take up forrow, and caft
94 Of God's Government,
away all their comfort in life and peace, and in thefe Friends: Even thefe perfons are their tras# and joy. Thereisno manfure but he may be executed among Malefactors: And yet while there is no reafon to expectit, a man may live a comfortable life. There 1s no man certain that he himfelf fhall not fall into a particular crime of Murder, Theft, Perjury, or the likes; And yet we live not therefore uncomfortably. For mens affections follow the powerfulleft caufe. |
261. Hencealfo I conclude, that certainly the denial of certainty of perfevering, and Salvation isnota thing that fhould break the love, peace or concord of the Chriftian Churches, or for which they fhould caft otf or revileeach other. For what fober man could dofo by all thofe that I have inftanced in.
262. Itisafhameful felf-delufion of fome Difputers, who think when they have once believed that certainty of Salvation may be had, that they are then certain themfelves, or next to certain of their own Salvation. Buthe that hath nomore certainty to be rich, or healthful, than : believe that Health and Riches may be got, is far from having them. —
263. Who was more full of confidence and joy than Luther, who
{peaketh more againft the Papifts, commanding men to doubt of the pardon of fin? who fpeaketh of a higher Faith than he on Galat. Yet he
with Aftelanhon and all the firlt Proteftants inthe August. Confeff. Art.
11. faith, [ They damn the Anabaptifts, who deny that thofe that are once
juftified can again lofe the Holy Ghoft. } |
264. If Adam in Innocency had neither folid comfort, or caufe of fuch, the ftate that we fell from was not fo good as we commonly believe. But Adam had no affurance of his perfeverance in that {tate: For
a he fell from it. : i Fadte. Theol Palat. 265. Noman (Casisfaid ) iscertain that he fhall not fall into fuch a LAA fe “4 hainous fin, as Peter, David, &c. did. | 266. The Synod of Dort faith, [ By fuch enormous fins, they ercatly offend God, theyincur the guilt of death, they grieve the Holy Ghoft, they interrupt the exercife of Faith, they moft grievoufly wound Con|fcience, fometimes they lofe the fenfe of Grace for a time; till by feriows Repentance ree turning into the way, Gods fatherly countenance again fhine upon them.
And the Britcifh Divinesin their Synodic. Explic. fay, [ They contrad damnable guilt, and lofe their prefent aptitude to enter into the Kingdcm of Heaven, Adding, {So that while they remain in that ftate of Inpenitence, they neither ought nor can perfwade themfelves otherwife, than that they are obnoxious to death, Romans 8:13. If ye live after the flefh, ye fhall die. For they are bonnd in a capital Crime, by the defert whereof, according to Gods Ordination, they are fubje to death, though they benot yet delivered to death, nor fhall be, if we refpect Gods fatherly love, but fhall be pluckt out of this fin, that fo they may be pluckt out of the guilt of death. Laftly, For their prefent condition, they lofe their aptitude to enter into Heaven, &e. And Thefi4. p.193. [Gods unmovable ordination requircth that a Believer thus exorbitant, do firft return into the way by renovation of Faith and the a& of Repentance, before he can be brought to the ways end, which ts the heavenly Kingdom. By the Decree of Eledion, the faithful are fo predeftinated to the end, that they can no utherwife be bronght to it, than by Gods inftituted means, as by the Kings hich way. And Gods Decrees of the means, and of theend and order of events, are as firms and certain, as thofe of the end, and of the events themfclves. If any ntan therefore goon in away contrary to Gods Ordination, as the broad way
and EMoral Works, 98
of wncleannefs and impenitence, which diretly leadeth to Hell; he can
never come that way to Heaven. Tea if death furprize him wandering in Luk: 13. 4, ¢.
that out-way, he cannot but fall into everlafting death. This is the con- Wo fant and clear voice of the Scripture. ---.As Paul faid of thofe in the Ship, 2Tim. 2. +
&e. A&. 27.31. --It is certain that David and Peter, Gods Elett ser- 44: 27-3"
vants, wereto come to Heaven; But it is as certain that if one had remained impenitent in his Adultery and Murder, and the other in his denial
of Chrikt and perjury, neither of them could have been faved. Providence anh Mercy unty this knot, by providing that no ele& perfon die in that ftate,
in which, according to any Ordination of Gods Will, he fhonld have been fbnt
out of Heaven. :
And Thef. 5. (| In that inter{pace which is between the guilt of fin contra&ed by a grievows fin, and the renewed af of Faithand Repentance, fuch a Sinner ftandeth a perfon to be damned by his own defert, but by Christ's Merit and Gods firm purpofe a perfor to be faved 5 but not before by excited Faith and Repentance, be bath obtained pardon, is he adually abfolved.
---But in fuch guilt the condition of the Faithfel and of the Wicked is not the fame. ---To the Unbelievers is wanting the inward principle of Faith, without which the remedy is as far off, and cannot be made their own and applied. ----If any would know the very moment in which a man that had contraded guilt by a bainows fin, is adually abfolued , Cyprian feemeth to have determined it clearly in thefe words, |, When {ee thee fighing before the Lord, I doubt not but the Holy Ghoft is breathing onthee: when
I fee thee weeping, I perceive him pardoning. |] a
The like you have, Fudic. Theol. Bremenf. de perfever.ib. pag. 233. 2. 9, ‘10,11. vi Mike pag. 237. F | de dhedl F
267. The Brictifh Divinesin that Synod, ‘Judic. de perfeverant. p.188. ,,, | és begin with this explication, that it nd only me perfeverance of the Adult Oe eer on that are adually Believers, (and not of Infants) which 1s intended: For | fome of them (as Bifhop Davenant and Dr. Ward) have written that an — {tate of Grace and title to Salvation may be fallen from and
268. They add, ibid. p.108. Thef. 3. [This perfwalion of perfeverance hath not that degree of certainty, which alwaysexcludeth all fear of . the contrary: but is fometime lively > fometime languid , fometime, as in greatest Temptations, uone----The fir St debility arifeth from the fundamental dependance of this perfonal affiance, which feemeth to come. below the cer- Bainty of dogmatical Faith. Forthe Articles of Faithdo affe% our affent as immediate and first principles. But the truth of fpecial Faith is not thence deduced as a neceffary confequent, bat. is. only {ubjoyned by way of affimption. Ergo the firmnefs of that conclufion which maketh this perfwafion, cannot be greater, than that which is in the weaker of the premifés. But that fumption refteth on experimental figns, weighed by mans private Confcience : which being fometime doubted of, whether they are true figns , and fometimes hid by temptations, that they cannot fhine out to onr comfort, what wonder if Believers perfwafion of their eternal Salvation be not always vegete and valide. Befides that the very Principles of the Catholick: Faith, though by revealed light clear in themfelves, yet being not known tous, bycer- | pice ah tainty of evidence, but only of Adhefion, * they beget not in ws fo firm an att Rea Affent, as mathematical dersonftrations, and common notions. But in be- adhefion (as Durand: holding them, from the relids of carnal diffidence, fome vapors, as it were, ee ct alice Sometime arife, by which the light of divine immutable verity, feemeth tons there is evidence —
to be refringed, and to waver. How much greater and dailyis the errour of th Tenfible ipfius rei 5
every Believer in the beholding of their own perfonal affiance. P ’ yet veritatis teltimoniie | 269, It
96 Of God's Government,
269. It is too certain, by fad experience, that a true Believer may lofe much of the Grace which he once had, and may die in a worfe and
weaker ftate. ieee 270. It is certain by Gods Word, that the juftified have need of Heb. 4. 1. warnings, that they fall not away, and of threatenings ifthey fall; and
Cor. 9. 27- ° ° a Heb intk2g, thatthey areobliged to fearit, by a cautelous preventing fear that they
. may efcape it. | 271, Itis certain therefore that if the thing be denominated poffrble in relation to our own power, it is not only poffible that we fhould fall
away, but toocertain that we fhould.
272. But if the event be denominated poflible or impoffible in rela- They that are too fa... : ae vourable tothe Domini. tion to Gods meer Decree or Fore-knowledge, which as fuch do nihil cant predetertminants , efficere ad extra, without refpe to his operative power, fo the Apoftacy far their Dottrine of fue Of the Ele& is impoffible logically, or their perfeverance neceffary nepersacurality pcre ceffitate confequentie in ordine probandi, it being impoflible that both arn. Carrie them apaintt all poffibiliry of thefe fhould be true, { Paw! will apoftatize'] and [ God decreeth that
knowing nor only our'Paul fhall mot, or fore-knoweth that he will not apostatize'|. But aa dag bear pofita nulia operatione divina ad extra, it would be neverthelefs poffible
ftate’ of Grace: For is re @® in canfis, that {uch aonefhould fallaway. For all poffibles are
they fay thar nominé not futeres: Therefore as God may both fore-know and decree the nonut Divine Revelation. ; :
can affure any man that furity of a thing, (if a Negative needed a Decree) and yet decree that
his acts are froma fuper- yt fhall be poffible. So God may decree the futurity of a mans perfevefaa eg oe rance, and yet decree that it fhall be poffible, as to all Caufes, that he
elites — by perfevere not. Forheis fuppofed to decree only the determination of the true difference 20 undetermined Power, but not antecedently totake it away, and make between the aéts of it no free power. fo; | : ;
ba back rantings 273. But if the Relation of poffibility be denominated from Gods Alvarer, li. 6. difp. 51. operative Grace effeding perfeverance,then God hath various Operations: Ds be pert mae” He can give his Grace by fuch an Omnipotent infuperable force, as fhall vina revelatione cognof- predetermine the faculty fo far as antecedently to take away the moral
cuntur, certo & infallibi- pgyer C though not the natural ) ad contrarinm: And hecan work in liter. Immo Bannes 4d- |
dit quod non poffant evi- Lach a compliance with the liberty of the Will as thall ogly determine the
denter cognofci {ecundam power (natural or moral) to a, and not antecedently take it away ; fuam ultimam differentian P (1 ) : y way 5
per [peciem aliquam cree- Cunlefs as determinirig it, is ataking it away as to the contrary act at the
tam propter fimilitudinem {ame in{tant, as every man taketh away his own power by a@ing)) when quam babent atkus chart-.
ag fre, OOd operateth the firft way ( antecedently taking away the power ad atis infufe & acquifste, | : apt ia a contrarinm ) tien the apoftafie of a man 1s properly called Lnspoffrble,
divina revelatione, cog- | : ; . veer infalibiliter attum relation to the impotency of all other Caufes to overcome Gog, the caufe
charitatis quem babet in Of perfeverance. But whenGod only worketh the latter way (not Fro eee taking away the moral powerad contrarinm, but determining it and the cedat effective ab habity Natural +) then it is no proper expreffion to fay that fuch a mans falling
infufo vel acquifito, axta gyay was impolfiible ante 3 ; Iti: aby potentia | Befides J P ntecedently 5 but only that 1. It is non futurum
Bannes, he cites as his 2¢ And logically imepoffible in order of arguing, that it fhould befo. And
Copeaes yee It is Ordinary with high Amtiarmsinians to fay, That Gods Decree and his Q- 62, a. 166. P1047,
Te nk & Sotus de OF ACE too, are fuch asonly determine mans power, and that neither of Grat, li.1. ¢, 22. corol, them ordinarily make our Fall iepoffibile, but only non-futurum. But Feds nie ippete 4, when God worketh by a greater force of Omnipotency, taking away that their very Do@rine the moral power ad contrarinm, and how oft, what mandare fay that we a ne Pa he can tell? the difference being in the effe@, and not in God.
very ground of their 274. Therefore though the difpute of the event as future or not fxdenying all certainty of ture have its place, yet the difpute de poffibilitate is ufually but vain, ‘to. and darkening: efpecially as managed by thofe Confounders, who only fay, It is ivepoffible that Gods decree or fore-knowledge be fruftrate, and necefary that it be fulfilled, not diftinguifhing the xeceffzty of a
confequence
- and EMoral Works. ir da aa
confequence ina fyllogifm from the premifes, andthe nece/rity of an effed as from its neceflitating caufe,. God can case without neceflitating the fecond caufe; muchmoredecreeand fore-know. 2
275. He that hath faving Grace. in the leaft degree, cannot lofe that
d 2c, without lofing all the (pecies, or all faving Grace. But it’s otherwile with himthar hatha higher degree. . - 276. There have. many. of our.ac
quaintance gone fo.far in a life of mortification, and diligence of fuffering ke Chriftians of the higheft rank, who yet have fallen (to the death) tothe denial: of the very effentials of the Chriftian Faith, .that from the, very Do@rine. of certain perfeuerance hath become a caufe of doubting and trouble to fome: wha. have. faid, (If 2 man could fall away. frowstrneGrace, I fhould nat doubt but fuch and fuch aman did fs and I fhould hope thet yet wey beart may at the prefent be fincere: But feeing no manever had true.Grace who apoftatinen, thefe vecx had mone, whoin ak proboble judgment of reafor, were ouce far better than I momane: Aud Icaw never be furethat I have true Grace, till I go further than ever they did, mbich 1 elwoft. difpair of ever doing, having intimately known them ta be no diffemblers..| Thus both ways of this controverted DoGrine have their troubling difficulties, a
, 277. If none cenfured the deniersof: certainty herein, but only thofe who them(felves ever sttate to 4 certainty of their fixcerity, perfewsrance and falvation, they.would not be.enough to make any great divifion or breach aboutit. And could we but be impartial, and bear with the diffent of Brethren herein, as well as we do of the aycient Do@ors and Churches, our peace and concord would be lefs difturbed by this Controverfie than it 1% I have elfe-where cited fome 5 Tertudian is too
[| Si vero etiam circa perfonas levem vultis intelligi quums reprobat aliquando
probatos, ant improviduss quune probat quandoq: reprobandos, quafi judicia
faa ant damnet preterita,aut ignorct futura: Atqui nibil tan bono & judici convenit quam pro prafentibus meritis & rejicere & adlegere,&c. | Yetthis -
may have a good interpretation.
7 oe el Preparat. Evangel. \i. 6. pag. 289, 290. [ Tea thafe would fight Corbe a contradiction ) that the fame man (hould both became honeft (or good }) and certainly fore-know that be fhall be boneft.| . But I am not, of
But among thofe before Axguftixe, fuch, paflages are not fo {trange as
thefe are in himfelf. De corrept.& Grat. cap. 13. pag. 539. [ Quis | - enim ex multitudine fidelinm quamdin in hac mortalitate vivitur, in numero
predeftinatoruu fe effe prafumat? Quiaid occultari opm ost in hoc locos ubi fic cavenda eft elatio, ut etiam per Satane Angelus ne extollereter —
tantws colophizaretur Apoftolws-—-Nam propter bujus utilitatem fecreti, ne forte quis extollatur, fed omnes etiam qui bene currunt tinteant dum occnltune eft qui perveniant. Propter bujws ergo utilitatem fecresi.credendum eft quofdane de filiis perditionis, non accepto dono perfer erantia nq, in finem, in fide que per dilectionem operatur incipere vivere, ac aliquandinu fideliter ac juste vivere, & poftea cadere, neq; de hac'vita priufquam hoc eis contingat auferri. Guvrum fi nemini contigiffet, tamdiu baberent omnes istum faluberrimume timorews, quo vitinm elationis opprimitur donec ad Chrifti gratiam, qua pie vivitur, pervenirent; deinceps jam fecuri nunquam fe ab illo effe cafuros. uae prafumptto in isto tentationum loco non expedit, ubi tanta eft infirmitas, ut fuperbiam port generare fecuritas.
| Ss: Et Epift. ror. ad Vitalem [ Utile eft quippe omnibus, vel pene omnibas propter humilitatem faluberrimam, ut quales futuri fint {cire nom offente--. pan fie 11. de Civit. Dei cap.12. pag. 67. [ Qyis enim primos illos homines in Paradifo negare andeat beatos fuiffe ante peccatum? quamvis de ‘fia beatitudine quam: diuturna, vel utrum eterna effet incertos? effet antems eterna nifi peccaffent. Cum hodie non impudenter beatos vocemus quos uidemus juite ac pie cum {pe smmortalitatis hanc vitam ducere, fine crimine vastante confcientiam, facile impetrantes peccatis hujws infirmitatis divinam mifericordiam? Qui licet' de fue perfeverantia premio certi fint, de ipfa tamen cena? eh reperiantur incertt? uls enim bominum (e in atione profeduq; juftitie perfeveraturum ufq3 in finem fciat, nift aliqua re- -velatione ab illo fiat certus qui de hacre jufto latentiqs judiclo, won omnes inktrait, fed neminem fallit. | | So Profper Refp. ad Gallor. cap. fent. ad fecundam. [ 9ai dict quod ab his qui non funt pradeftinati ad vitam, non auferat percepta baptifmi gratia Originale peccatum non eft catholicws. Sacramentum enim baptifmi quo omnia prorfus peccata delentur, etiam in cis verum ef?, qu non fant in veritate manfurl, & ab boc ad vitam aternam non funt preeftinatt. So He fent. ad feptimum. [ Qui dicit quod Dens quibufdam filiis fuis quos regeneravit in ot fi quibus fides, {pem, dileCtionem dedit, ob hoc per feverantiam non dederit, quia a maffa perditionis prefcientia Dei O pre deftivatione non fint difcreti, &c. Vid. cetera & fent. fup. 12. “Et Refp. ad objeét. Vincent. 12. [ Predeifinatio Dei & fi apad nos dum in prafentis vite periculis verfamur incerta est, apnd illum tamen, qui fecit que futnra fant imorutabilis permanet. I need, not tell the learned that Fulgentins is of the fame mind with Auguftine and Profper. | "4 | '- Tf this had not been. Dodrine, the predeterminant Domi. “ nicans had never maintained it as his againft the Jefuits, which you may fee in Alvarez Difput. 107. and many others. : Much lefs iat ae rag * the zealous Follower of Auguftine (fo: perfealy ya aga with his Works) have fo thought and faid, and * Yea and Bradwardin {Opropugnedit. See him at large in his Auguftin. de Grat. Chriftt, lib. Sie en ee 9. cap. 7. pag. 392,393, Orc. Orlib. 3. c.20. pag. 163,164. and yet afferteth falling © ThoughImake nodoubt but our Divines at Dort knew this to be rake ee erect Augnftine's profefied judgment, yet in their Fudic. de Perfever. I find a or Gods Will to three Sentences cited by them out of Auguftine, as making for the confave. And fanfesiut, trary, by whichI fuppofe they intended to prove him doubtful or wa- 9.126,129,928 prove; Vering. But x. Three doubtful paflagesas to the fenfe, are not to be that the difference be: fet again{t a mans open frequently profefled judgment, thus expounded Mae Ri ble ieee fez and followed by all his Difciples. 2. Let us examine the Texts. Pardon, or infufed ha- 1. Thelaft of thethree is de Correp. ec Grat. cap.9. But though Dave- Maien Coafeiied thougn, #2z¢ be that Divine whom I honour for judgment above all, or almoft 4 : e e rp ett hi with all fince “ss — days J ag mutt bd “re gu they: aa one) pe very negligently or partially: ror in that place Amguftine profelle at a rconfetfed diftinguitheth ms aan God, predeftinate aa not predeltinate and noc the neceffiry of faith, [ Nec nos meoveat quod filitis fuis guibufdam Dens not dat iftam thac actual Adjatoviam
Gratie [prcialt to keep perfeverantiam. ~ Abfit enins at ita effet fi de illis predeftinatis effent, us from future fin, and |
to do our duty, befides pardon of former Sin and infufed habitual Grace. By which it appeareth that Auguftine | and he agreed, thac Remiffion of Sin and infufed habits may be loft; and chat Auguftize laid perfeverance upon Gods Will or Election, and his a&ual help or adjatorinm confervans.
and Moral Works. & fecundum propofitum vocatys, qui vere funt filiz promilfionis. Nam iti cum pievivunt dicuntur filii Dei: fed quoniam viduri funtimpie & im eadem impietate morituri, non eos dicit filios Dei prafcientia Dei. And expounding ex nobis exierunt fed non erant ex nobis, &c. ait,[, Quid alind dicunt, nift non erant filii etiam quando erant in profelfione G nomine filicrum @ Non quit Yuftitiam fimulaverunt; fed quia in ea non permanjerunt. eq; enim ait, nam ft fuiffent ex nobis, veram non fidam justitiam tenuiffent, utiq; nobifcnm: fed ft fuiffent ex nobis, permaniffent utig, nobifcum. In bono illos volebat proculdubio manere: Erant itaq, in bono, fed quia in eo non permanferunt-----nox erant ex nobis---non erant ex numero filiorum. ---Nam non perit filius promi{fionis, fed filius perditionis. ---Filiis fuis non predeftinatis Dews perfeverantiam non dedit.---Et rurfws quos dicimws inimicos ejus, vel parvulos filios inimicorum cjus,. quofcung; corum fic regeneraturus eft, ut in ea fide quz per dile@tionem operatur, hanc vitam finiant, jaz C antequam hoc fiat, in. illa predeftinatione funt filii ejus, Cv dati funt Christo filio ejus, ut non percant, fed habeant vitam eternam.--- Quia ergo non habuerunt perfeverantian, ficut non vere Difcipuli Christi, ita non vere flit: Dei fucrunt, etiam quando effe videbantur G ita vocabantur.--- Apud
cum hoc non funt, cui notum est quod futuri funt, id eft, ex bonis mali.
Propler hoc ApoStolus cum dixiffet, {cimus quoniam diligentibus Deum omnia co-operantur in bonum, fciens nonnullos diligere Deum @ in eo bono ulq3 in finem non permancre, mox addit, His qui fecundum propofitum vocatifunt, Gc, vid. reliqua. — a
Now the words which our Divines cite are thefe afore-cited, which fay, They were not the Sons of God that fell away. When. nothing can be plainlier uttered by the pen of man, I think, than that Auguftine affrmeth them to be Sons.asto their fizcerity of Faith which worketh by Love, but not tobe Sons by: predeftination; And that not all that are fincere in Faith and Love are Sons in the moft eminent fenfe, but that
part of them who are predeftinated to perfeverance and the inherttance; and that nothing but predestination and perfeverance was wantingtotheir Salvation. Hethat doubteth whether this was Anguftine's fenfe, when he hath read him, may doubt of almoft any thing which he is unwilling to believe. . 2 a?
The next Text is cited as Cont. Adalt 3 (1 fuppofe they mean Adverfarios, andit's falfe printed, ) Legis et Prophet. 1.2. c.2. ButIcanthere find nothing of any fuch Subject, much lefs fenfe. }
The only Text therefore of all cited by them out of Auguftine remaineth, which giveth any fhew of favourto their Thefes, and that is cited contra Julian. Pelag. 1.5. c.3. In cap. 4. I find the words, viz.
{ Istorum (reproborum) neminem adducit Deus ad penitentiam falubrem
et fpiritualem qua homo inChrifto reconciliathr Deo. This is all that I find dubious in him. Now whether thefe few words better declare his judgment than.whole Chapters and Difcourfes, you may judge? And whether the conftant tenour of his Doctrine do not dire& us to conclude that this is here his fenfe, iz. that he calleth that pesitentian falubrem, which effectually bringeth men to Salvation, and _ which endureth ta. the end (as fuch.}) . And by [a@ man in Chrift ’] means not as aforefaid [ a man given to Chrift with a decree to fave him 5 and by [ reconciliatur Deo'| he mean not onethat is fo reconciled as to be a predeftinate Son, decreed to Glory. Hiftorical Truth muft not be denied, nor doth doSrinal Truth need hiftorical falfhood for its defence, nor can agree with it.
Of God's Government,
This undoubtedly was Auguftin’s mind. |
Only one more Text they cite out of Ambrofe de Jacob & vita beata,li.1. cap. 6.
But Ambrofe ts of his Difciple (Auguftine’s) mind : The words
are, Quis audeat accufare quos elettos divino cernis judicio? Nunquid Dews Pater ipfe qui contulit, poteft dona fua refcindere, G quos
adoptione fufcepit, eos a paterni affectws gratia relegare. But 1. There Ambrofe exprefly fpeaketh of the Ele& only. 2. And if he hadnoc, {uch words as thefe are ufualy fpoken by the Fathers, who affert falling away; meaning that God will not reverfeor refcind his Grace; if you caft it not away: As Proper faith, God forfaketh none that do not firft forake him. | I If any man would fee more of Anguftine’s judgment, the many Sentences cited by me in my Trad. Of Perfeverance, pag. 5, 6. 7. and all thofe cited by Voffiws Hiffor. Pelag. li. 5. pag. 559, 560, 561, &c. may eafily put him paft all doubt. See alfo VOSS IVS, — pag. 563, 564. citing more of PROSPER to the fame enfe.
That all the Fathers before Auguftine were for uncertainty Of Salvation, and falling away (de fatéo ) of fome that were in a {tate of true Grace and Juftification, in which had they died they had been faved, this great Hiftorian throughly verfed in the Fathers, ibid. pag. 565, 566, 567. & pluribus fequent. fheweth. For brevity, if you doubt, turn to thefe cited places, Ireneus, li. 4. cap. 72. ‘Fuitin. Martyr. Dial. cum Tryphon. pag. 206, 207. Clemens Alex. Strom. li. 2. pag. 162, 166. Bafil. Homil. in Pflal..114. & c homil. in Princip. Prov. Origen. meicy: li. 1. cap. 3. 13. ad Rom. li. 7. cap. 8. Macarius Homil. 14. 15. 24. 26. 28. Athanaf. Contr. Arian, Orat. 4..Greg. Nazian. Orat. 40. de Baptif. Cryfolt. in Fob. 1. Hom. 1. -& Epift. 5. G Homil. 77. ad Antioch. (ut vulgo). Et ex Latinis Tertullian. li. adverf. heref. cap. 3. C& li. de panit, cap. 6. Cyprian. de unitate Ecclef: cap. 12. @ ii. 1. Epift. 7. ad Rogat. & Ui, 4. Epiit. 7. ad Mag. <Ambrof. (ut vulgo,) in Rom. cap.9. Chronat. in Mat.5. Befides thofe after Pelagins, cited by Vojfiws, ibid. pag. 567, &c. Among whom Bernard is large and earneft againft poffibiliry and convenience of PERSEVERANCE and SAL- VATION.
Voffius in his Thef- 12. faith thus of thofe that will deny this to be the ancients Opinion, [ Quid quod Antiquitas tota indefedtibilitati adverfatur, nec quemquam quantum meminiffe valemus, veterum invenire eft qui fideles omnes omnimodam de perfevcrantia fui certitudinem habere arbitraretur. Fatentur quidem animos filiorum Dei dubitationis auxietate cruciari non debere cum fpei fiduciam bhabeant, qua JSufficienti confolatione, et lapfuros (ustinet et lapfos levets At nibilominus negant poffe quemvis exinde quud imprafentiarum fidelinm fe iz numero effe fciat, tantum [sbi de reliquo vitae tempore favorem Dei certo
pollicert, &c.~--vid. catera. Et addit ( Communen fuilfe antiquitatis —
Sententiam quam diximus, foli hodie negare poffunt, qui caters fortaffe viri funt non ineruditi, fed in antiquitate tamen plane funt hofpites: vel animum habent unins et alterius fententiis ita mancipatum, ut eorum oculis Pel malint quam fuis cnmq; tis errare preoptent quam cum alii bene entire. : |
But the weak and the ftrong or confirmed all diltinguith.
and Moral Works.
278. As Ihave cited this unanimous confent of the Ancients only to prove that all that have the profeflion of Chriftianity and Charity
_ fhould be far from thinking thisan intollerable error which may not
ftand with brotherly love and peace, fo to the fame end only [ thall tell you, that not only Calvinifts have born hereia with Lutherans, but alfo among theReformed {ome have been of Augu/tine’s mind in pase yet the reft very highly honoured. I will now inftance only in Atu/cx- Sas, than whom few have been efteemed more fizcere, impartial and found in judgment. In his Loc. Commun. (for their great efteem tranflated into Englifh) C. de Remiff. peccat. §. 6. pag. (mibi.) 621, 622,623. he faith (Difcermendum eft inter eam gratiam Dei que nullas habet adje- Zas conditiones: qualis eft quod folem funm producit fuper bonos & malos, pluitqne fuper gratos © ingratos: @ eam que conditionaliter confertur 5
ad quem modum Peccatorum remiffio nobis coutingit. Pofterior hac licet
in Deo fit conftans & firma (non enim ille mutatur ut homo) noftro
tamen vitioirrita redditur, dum conditionibys illiws non ftamus---Siquis
igiter preterritorum peccatorum condonationem per gratiam Divine Clementie confequatus, ufque adeo ingratus, & falutis fue negligens evaferit, ut instar canis. ad vomitum reverfus, ceptam relipifcentiam rumpat palamq3
_ offendat Deum fe contemnere magis quam timeres plane dignum fe effe
declarat a quo praterritorum peccatorum a quibus fuerat abfolutus, pene
exigantur.---.Hadenusigitur fieri pore & merito accidit, nt femel accepta €
gratia reddatur irrita : Verum non debetur hoc Divine Clementia inftabilitatis que locumix Deo non habet 5 fed noftre pravitati----Poffet mihi objicét: boc loco, relapfum ciafimodt per quem peccata femel remiffa reddantur —
srrita, locum in electis habere nom poffes immo ne in reprobis quidem 3 quod alli remiffionis peccatorum, capaces effe nequeant, eo quod vera viva fide
per quam illa acquiritur, prediti non fint ; ideoqne neminem effe prorfus, —
iz quo peccata femel remiffairrita fieri poffint. Verum eos qui hoc argumento ducuntur moneo, ut de reprobis quod dicunt diligentins perpendant 3 De Ele&is confentio: De reprobis vero nulla ne illis unquam peccatorum remiffto contingat, difputari pofjeintelligo. Dantur illis in Ep. ad Hebr. 6: slluminatio per Chriftum, guftus donicelefis, participatio Spiritus Sandi, guitus item boni Dez verbi, ac virtutum futuri feculi, O cap. ip. SanGi-
| ficatio qua eft per fanguinem Teftamenti, O Spiritus gratie. Et 2 Pet. 2.
Comparantur {ui, quae nbi lota fuit, rurfus in ceno volutatur. Quomodo hac illis fine omni peccatorum remiffione contingere poffint, non immerito queri potest in hac can{a. | : |
279. But Alvarez telleth us(I. 10. de Auxil. Difp. 104. pag. AYQ. $. 1)
- of fome whohold that there is a Grace of Confirmation diftinguithed
only py the degree of the fame helps, which none can fall away from; and that a confirmed ftate is never loft, is ordinarily held by the Domtnicas, though they agree not what this confirming Graceis: And many of the Jefuites confefs fuch a ftate of Confirmation, making men impeccable as to Mortal fiz. So that fome are in tatu and not only in decreto, fecured from Apoftacy, moft confefs.
280. And Voffivs ubi fupra copioufly laboureth to prove that the —
Ancients held three degrees of true Grace: One which men might fall from eafily, and oft did, though if they had dyed in it they had been faved: Another which men may lofe as tothe a& at leaft, but fcarcel as to all feeds and habits. And another ftate next to perfection, whic none fhalllofe. refer the Reader to his Collections, though I do not clearly perceive by them, that many had fuch diftin@ions of Believers:
Of God's Government,
281. But the other fide had need as much to be perfwaded to pacifick moderationin their cenfures: And firft, They fay, that zt #% an intollerable opinion which is confeffedly contrary to all the ancienteft Churches of Chriff: And by Vincent. Lerinenf: rule, (quod ab omnibus, ubique & femper.) fach fingularity or novelty muft be herefie, or certain error at the Jeaft. I anfwer, 1. They that aflert this certain perfeverance of all the juftified, do believe that the Churches planted by the Apoftles, were of their mind; whichthey gather from the Scripture. 2. The forefaid Rule holdethindeed in things fo univerfally reccived as E/fentials of Religion, and Neceffary Articles of Faith and Practice, without which men cannot be faved 3 But Univerfality of Confent in a doubtful or unneceffary opinion, or practice, may poflibly be erroneous, and may oft lawtully be deferted. It wasonce (and beyond the inveftigation of its original) the practice of the Univerfal Church, that there fhould be no Adoration by Genuflexion on any Lords Day , or on any Week day between Eafter and Whitfunday : And this commanded in the Great Council of Nice, andthe Canons of Tru// : And yet the Papifts themfelves have now forfaken it. To diftinguifh as is ufual, between fuch Canons of Pradice, and points of meer doéfrine, and to make confent of Antiquity more obligatory inthe latter, is but vanity. For where a point of Pradtice is founded in an oportet or fuppofition of Divine or Apoftolical authority, it muft needs be at leaft as obligatory as a meer DoGtrinal fo founded.’ For all Precepts include Do- Grines, and all Obedience includeth Faiths Though all Dodrine be not Preceptive, nor all Belief for immediate pradice. For every Divine Precept includeth this affertion [This God commandeth|. And that God commandeth it, is de fide; and thenit muft be obeyed for Gods Autho-
. rity, asit is firlt believed for his Veracity. All therefore that can be
faid is, that this pradice was not taken to be by a Divine univerfal Law, unchangeable; but by univerfal Cuftom of the Church: And fo may there be a confent in unneceflary and gqueftionable Dodtrinals (as there hath been for the peripatetick Philofophy almoft). The opinions of the Souls corporeity, of the Ailennium, of the luft of Demons, that there were no Antipodes, (to fay nothing of fome that Auguftime oppofed) were little lefs than univerfally owned of fome ages: AndI doubt many Texts of Scripture, for want of perfect Tranflations, and skillinthe original Tongues, were aniverfally mifinterpreted.
282. And the common objedtion which maketh the greateft noife is a meer injurious pievifh cavil or flander 3 wiz. when they fay [Tox lead mento all wickednefs, by teaching, that let them commit never {uch heinows Sin, they are fure that they cannot fall from Grace, nor lofe their ‘Juftification. | For it's commonly acknowledged, that ifany man fhould fall into a {tate of Sin inconfiftent, with the love of God, he would lofe his juftification and right to Heaven, and that without any change inGod. And they conftantly hold that Gods decree de fize C mediis is one, and that he decreeth of his Elect, that (They fhall perfewere in love and holinefs, and be faved; and not that they fhall be faved whether they perfevere in holinefs ornot: And that they are no furer to be {aved, than they are to perfevere in holinefs. _
. SECT.
and Moral Works. | F 63 SECT. XIX.
Of Mortal Sin, or what Sin will not land | with § aving Grace.
283. But as tothe queftion, How great the Sin muft be which is ineonfiftent with true love toGod, or boline/s ? that belongeth to the Controverfie about Mortal and Venial Sin: where the difficulty is as great to
one fide as another : fo great, that not only Pious Gerfon; but many
another have confeffed it too hard for them well to folve. a
284. In general, It is certain that all Sin is fo far Mortal as to deferve Poe Le Blank de Peet
Death according to the Law of Nature and Inxocency, and fo far as to” eS ee
make us need a pardon : Though not fo far as to be inconfiftent with
{piritual life and juitifcation, andrightto Glory, andtomake damna- .., 2. sisi d
tion due to us according to the Law of Grace. And Proteftants confels peccat mort. & Vex. The
the diftin@ion of Aéortal and Venial Sin, under the name of Wickednefs, deft 1 know oa the Subor Reigning Sin, and Six of rafireity in this fence 3, that Mortal Sin is
that which isinconfiftent with true Faith, Repentance, Love, Juftification and right to life, and is never pardoned till the perfon be changed by true converfion: But Venial Sin or Infirmityis that which con- _ Vid. Epi{copii Re/p. ad
eth with all thefe aforefaid,aad is prefently pardoned by the Covenant <i" #- 18. pag-t9-
4 Grace, upon the axel or habitual Repentance or hatred of. itin the
285. It is certain that the interruption of the Ad of Divine Love,
will not prove a Sin tobe Martal. For though I deteft {uch conclufions as
the Janfenift gathereth from the Jefuites Morals, that loving God once or. Davenant de Fufit.
twice in a man's life, or once.a month, may fave bim, yet it is certainthat Sach tar 3 Sukh
the love of God is not always notably acted by any: It is interrupted tn Morral in three degrees.
our fleep, and in common ftudies and bufinefies which take up the 7, Becaule it is re
whole man ; And therefore if a Sin (as finfal ftudy) interrupt it, that p ne daa
will not prove it a Mortal fin. = ee ee
286. And itis certain that a finis not therefore Mortal .becaufe it di- ea wifi apne
minifbeth the Habit of Love. Forthat may be inthofe that ftill are the fepentance. And fich
jultified Children of God. Souda eae
do more than intimate (and thofe of Bresee there): The oneis, when fin ele eset? Al ri
putteth a man into the fame ftate, asto the Love of God, which he or any 3. The dail infirmities
tion or Converfion: whichis when the Habit of Divine Love, aud all ferve death,bur =. ae
other faving Grace is {o far loft, as that Habitually the Creature is more doned by Grate,
loved than the Creator : 1f any do fall thus far (which is the controverfie)
then it's granted that their Juftification, Adoption and right to Heaven,
is loft. But while God ts habitually deareft to the Soul, and Sin ts habitually more hated than loved, there fin is habitually repented of; And
for my part Ido not think that perfon is unjuftified, or fhould be damned
288. And I believe that this wasthe cafeof David and Peter: And
its very improbable that they loft the very habits of love to God, aod
hatred of Sin.
289. The other degree of Mortality, the faid Divines take to be
fome heinous A& of Sin like David's or Peter's, which deftroyeth not
the habit, butis fogreat, thatthe perfon, though he lofe not his fuzdgmental
hemy of the Hol
Of God's Government,
mental Right, yet is put into an immediate ineptitude and incapacity of
st ea agra de Heaven, and his Right fo fufpended, as that he cannot have poffeffion
ficut lux & tenebre, ec, till that obex be removed by true repentance. |
Vid.Careres Sum.Theol, — 299, If you ask them whether that-man fhall go to Heaven or Hell if
eoetera tg hefo die; they tell you thatit is. not to be fuppofed; for God hath
decreed that he thall- not fo die, -but-fball repent (which u/tin will
fay of all the Elect) and fometime he half dreamed of Purgatory for
fome fuch.)' ao ae re 2
291. The true reafon why fuch a heinous fin muft be aaa) Repented
of before full pardon and capacity for Heaven , and the true note to
know what fins muft have fuch actual Repentance (and fo are thus far
Mortal) isthis; there are fome Sins foeafily known to be Sin’, and fo
notorioufly calling the Confcience to Repent, that to lye in them unrepented of long (when the fudden violent temptation and pafiion is
over, and aman hath opportunity to ac according to his fetled habits)
will not confift with the truth of fuch a Habit of Jove and holixefs, and
oa of hatred of Sin: So that though seceffitate praceptithe AG of Repeni tance be as neceflary as the Habit, yet mecefsitate medii ad faluter it is
the Habit that is abjolxtely neceffary in fe, and the act{fo far as the abfence
of it cannot f{tand with fuch a habit; This is my judgment of this
difficult cafe: He that ¢an open it better, deferveth all our thanks,
_ But here the difficulty is exceeding great , what love to God that is
which mortal Sin or urigodlinefs ts inconfiftent with: .or by which a man
may know that he hath faving Grace. I have contented my felf hitherto with faying that It is a loving God above al]: But that is {till dark and
fhort of {atisfadion: Adrian (after Pope 6.) Quolib.:9. 4.3. 4. fal. 45,46.
hath called me to diftinéter thoughts... He concludeth, 1. 4 aan that
loveth a friend lefs than himfelf, may yet Sin mortally for that friend. (But
* thatis no wonder, becaufe, ‘1. He loveth his friend and felf more than
God: 2. And thinketh that he hurteth not himfelf fo. much.as he pro
' ‘fiteth his friend by Sin). 2. He inferreth that a Afortal Sinner doth xot
, always love the Creature more than Gods becanfe he that loveth himfelf more
may Sin mortally in love to bis friend: For asa max may love himfelf more
than the fole end for which he finneth: Sobe may love God more. .
| _ i+ Anf. Ufappofe ie is mif-printed, for the fence fhould be [He may lowe
God more]. But, 1. Idoubt of the antecedent: That Sinner Joveth bine
jelf asthe End of his finuing for his friend: For it is to gratifie that
proud or felfifh humour by which he loveth his frtend for the Likexe/;,
Love or Ufefalne/s of that friend to bimfelf; and fo his love is finally
for or to bimjelf. 2. When he finneth he doth not practically think
_ that the hurt to himfelf or the wrongto God is fo great an evil, as the
_’ pleafure of Sin is good. | os |
’ But his inftance more pofeth me 3 viz. that a mortal Sinner (or ungode
ly man) may choofe rather to be annihilated, and bis friend too, than Chriff Should be blafphemed by all the world, or than God (perimpoflibile) fhoxld perifh, or lofe his Omnipotency, &c. (for fome Romans dyed. for their
Countrys) : Therefore he concludeth, that 7hws to love God above our.
Jfelves or all, is not enough to Salvation 5 but we nuft alfo love God above all
_ ht finem ultivium Ce qui fit ratio G menfura diligendi catera Tia, viz quod Omniareferat homo in Deum, nolitq; amare nifi quantum Deo placuerit, & cadem velit abdicare C perdere ut fatisfaciat divino beneplacito & San- Ze ejus voluntati, ut fit ez quantum ad amorcm liberum attinet Deus omnia 7 oninibus, Cr dicat, vivo jam 3 non ego, fed Chriftus vivet in mes againtt It, He mutt not only fo love God as that he would die rather than God fhould
—
fhould die or fuffer (were it poffible); but fo asto love him as the end of all our lives, and tolovethe pleafing of his blefed Will in the glorifying of him, better than all things that can fland in any competition:] —
And [ think this tobé.a neceflary truth: [dare not fay that every man is Godly that had rather die than God, ortheSun, orthe Earth, or his Country fhould perifh. God's Beingisnot, as fuch, our End: But his Will (or his Effence asitis his Will) is the Beginning, Governour, and End of alls Andit isthe Pleafing of this Will of God (in the Glory of onr-bolinefs and obedience, in which his holinefs and otker perfections are refplendent) which muft be loved above all. Asaman may choofe to die, or at leaft lofe all chat he hath, rather than his Father fhould die or be for ever tormented 5 and yet will not forbear fornication and drunkennefs
to pleafe his Father's will 5 becaufe he practically thinketh that the bare
difpleafing of his Father doth not fo much hurt him, as his finful pleafure doth himfelf good; foisitin the prefent cafe. (And I may add that, God is not loved as God, that ts, as perfectly holy and juft in governing the world and him, by any bad man: But ashe is the God and Preferverof Nature, Nature may love him; but not ashe is 4 moft holy Governour) which is effential to the Relative notion of our God:
He concludeth therefore truly [That this true fort of Loveto God doth put ws in a flate of Salvation, and Mortal Sin -confifteth not with it. | — But — not with him of the Impo/sibility of being certain that we have thisLove, though I think his words worth the reciting to prove the difficulty of 1t: fol. 47. N.O.P. [Dico quod licet poffit probabilem conjeiiuvam habere, quod atkus ille dileZionis infit; non tamen poteft evidenter cognofcere C pro certo: Quomodo enim fcire poterit, quod ita Deo fe totum infundit propter fe, 1.¢. bonitatem & SanGitatem ejus, nt nec Vitam aternam nifiin Deo © propter Deum diligat? animo paratus, Cr efficaciter volens, omnia & feipfum G alia, quam Deo placebit
perdere, ut impleatur Sana voluntas Dei? Quod etiam nulli creature nec
ipl fibi libero aliquo amore adbaret in fe in Deo G propter Deum; Que voluntas multo eft purior & laudabilior quam voluntas perferendi pro Chrifto Martyrinm pro {pe affequendi vitam aternam. Et certe longe alind e§ optare ant Velle,quam fic Deum amare, & de faGo fic affedum effe, & fic efficaciter velle, ficut opto @ defidero efficax Velle Scientia, feu ad feientiam: Sed ubi efficaciter id vellem, manum ad aratrum mittens, labori, vigiliisO’ id genus operis non parcerem----Si ponatur per Revelationem certiorari, non ego fic certum fieri poffe----Nec expedit hominem nifi valde fciens & dows
fuerit de his multum fe tentare, quoniam difficilimum eft proprias affetiomes metiri. .
But fure thefe fruits grow not on any common {tock, and the Heirs of Heaven and Hell are not fo like as to be undifCernable, nor Gods promifes fuch as no man can be fure that he hath a right to them. It is enough that thefe things do prove aflurance difficult and r are.
Pp SECT.
What Repentance for particular Sins is ——— neceffary to pardon. —
292. But the very A& of Repentance hath fuch various degrees , that thofe alfo here deferve our confideration. For he that hath the habit of bolinefs no doubt hath fome degree of Repentance fecretly {tirring in himbefore it cometh to deep repentance, and open confefsion 3 Ido not
think that David was without al] remor fe and repentance till Nathan {pake
to him, — his Repentance was not fuch asthe quality of his fin required. And it is not every remorfe nor every degree of Repentance
which is fuffcient to prove a Soul fan@ified, that is, habitually poffeffed
with that loveof God, and the hatred of Sin. And fuch at leaft the
293. In grofs known Sin, Repentance is not true unlefs it contain a
- Refolution prejently to forfake it. He that issurefolued, though he have
much remorfe and trouble of mind, is not truly penitent: Nor he that
is refolved only to forfake it fometime hereafter, or when he hath finned
oncemore, but not at the prefent. |
294. Andas this is true of anal Repentance, fo a true Habit muft be fuch asis the Habit of fuch ads: even a habicual love to prefent holinefs, and a habitual hatred to prefent Sins which in the courfe of our lives doth actually refolve us and preferve us, however a violent temptation do interrupt that courfe. _ 7 | _ 295. But whether every known Sin of the fmalleft fort in it felf, have always fuch Refolutions of prefent forfaking it in all that are truly peni- - tent, isa harder queftion, Many a godly man is frequently angry finfully, and fluggithfinfully, and daily ufeth fome idle words, and unagg and idle thoughts, and is finfully remifs in the degrees of every
uty, and knoweth all this to beSin: And if he refolved prefently to do when Petavius ourof £0 no more, he would not do {0 again {0 frequently as he doth. In Aquin, Elench. Toer. Vin- fach a cafe itis exceeding hard to judge of a man’s repentance: And yet Diftinguifherh 199 KC’ alas, whofe cafe is it not? we havea di/like of the Sin, anda wi/h that a Culpa, and faith chat we were delivered from it - But that is but a defire that we loved it lefs, aa nine vale a. and bated it more 5 and proveth not that our hatred is fufficient. For equivocal or analogical Many a man that liveth in grofs Sin, doth with that his heart were turned apa Sista atten from it, and did not love it, when it is not fo turned. And why will there is upon amifinter- the fame wilh then ferve about lefler Sins > And yet ifprefent Refolution eon) ‘ sir oe againft — et £4 Sin be neceflary to pardon (even of kvowz Sins) alas, ceive. paraoned:
296. And if the cafe muft be refolved by the material magnitude or feeallnefs of the Sin, what bounds fhall we ever be able to aflign , and what underftanding is able to diftinguifh between the Sin fo great which mult be prefently refolued againlt ex necefsitate medii to pardon, and the Sin {o fmall as may be pardoned without fuch Refolution ? whether * in fpeech every idle word be fuch? Ifnot, whether every idle jeaft, or every lafcivious word > or paflionate word ? or backbiting word (the ordinary Sin of many ftrict Profeffors) or every finful Oath, or Curfe, or Slander ? who can fay, it is this, and notthat? And (oin all commitfions and omiffions ?
297, And
297. And it will ftill remain exceeding difficult what Refolutions againft Sin will provetrue Repentance : Forasmany a child under correction, fo many an adult Sinner on his Sick bed, or under a terrifying Sermon, or conviction, not only feemeth, but doubtlefs #s , as pafsionately refolued at the prefent to forfake his Sin, as a Godly man is, if not more: and yet quickly lofeth all that Refolution, and liveth in the Sin which he refolved to forfake. | |
298. By thisit would feem that itis not true Refolution which caufeth
_ not the ordinary. forfaking of the Sin. Forto Refolveto day, and Sin
to morrow, isbut to play with Sin, and not to repent or mortifie it.
And yet if aual forfaking be neceflary (of AZ Sin) whothen is penitent or canbe faved. For there isno man.that doth good, and finneth
not: And iz many things we offend all, Who leaveth all the idle
thoughts, and words, and negligence, &c. which he koweth to be Sin?
And the oft under/tanding men then would be very hardly faved, who
know almoft all Sin, in comparifon of the ignorant, who knaow
299. And yet no doubt, thofe Sins which are materially fwsall , may
have fuch circumftances, asmay make them more malignant than fome
greater inthe matter: Aswhenthey are committed through malignant
contrivances and ends, or in grofs contempt, or negligence. So that
this alfo maketh the decifion of the cafe more difficult. —
3co. And it will be hard, not only to know which and how great
the Sins muft be which are unpardoned if lived in without forfaking, or
without refolving to forfake them prefently if kxowns but alfo how
great, and what Sins xnkzown may ftand with faving Grace. For furely
if men fhould igzorantly reproach or reject God, or Chrift, or the Holy
to be Sins, this would not ftand with faving Grace: And yet to live in
301. And it is as hard to know how oft a grofs Sin may be committed
in confiftence with true habitual Grace? And how oft the Refolution of
the will may change, without the lofs of holy habits, Thetempter will
fay to Davidor Peter, If once, why not twice? If twice why not thrice >
And who but God can fay, juft how oft? And yet to fet no bounds
confoundeth the juft and unjuft, good and bad, and maketh Sanctification but a name. And to fay that Peter's Faith did totally fail, or
that he was holy deprived of wholly love,or faving Grace, is rafhand an
unlikely thing.
302. And it muft be remembred that the Will is always in the time of
finning, more for the committing the Sin, than againftit , actually, or
elfe it would not be committed 5. And 1n omiffions, it is not prevalently
for the Duty 4 elfeit would bedone. And if it were Habitually fotoo, ©
as to aholy or a fmful life, the. perfon were unholy. And when the will (known by the pradice) is fometime actually more for a grofs Sin than againft it, and daily actually. more for fome fall Sins than again{t chem, it 1s wonderous hard here to difcern certainly that the contrary habit is our ftate. | :
303. And it addeth tothe difficulty, that itishard ‘to be fure whether the Habit of Love and Holénefs may not be predominant, and yet the very Habit of fome one Sin (as wellasthe att) be ftronger than the contrary habit: For a daily ufe of the acts feemeth to prove a prevalent Hubit. AsaHabit of Anger, of vain jeafting, ac. And if avery Habit of onc Sin may be prevalent , though not of all others, it ”
Of God's Government,
hard to fay either how great that Sin may be (and fowhethera Habit of Luft, of Pride, of Covetoufre(s, may {tand with Grace, in that prevalency) oryet, how many Sins may be {0 habitually prevalent, ina fati- Gified man. Butif 20 one, what fhall thofe think of themfelves that live inthe daily act of fmaller Sins before-mentioned > And that they erre whotell us that all Sinis equally mortified iz the Habit, common experience fully proveth. But fuch men ufe not to diftinguifh between the General habit of Love to Good and Hatred toevil (which isas the trunk of the Tree tothe branches (which may have their particular Cankers and Difeafes) and is indeed Virtually a Habit of all Good, and againft all Evil); and the particular Habits of Good and Evil whichare alfo found in every Soul. |
304. Yeathe difficulty is yet greater, by our ignorance of the very xature of a Habit of the will, or of that Inclination of it to Good or Evil which is antecedent tothe A@ : which, hethat hath read the Schoolmen and Metaphyficks, or ever well ftudyed it himfelf, will difcern to be tantum non out of thereach of our underftandings. That it is a Di/pofitive promptitude to AG, we feel: But whether that Difpofition be it felf a fecret unobferved Immanent AG, difpofing tothe more open perceptible AG 3 (forthe Soul is never out of AGion, and certainly hath at one inftant feveral A&s, of which that de five 1s oft unobferved, and yet moft powerful ? Asa Traveller that is taken up with other thoughts and talk would never hold on his way if the end were not actually intended, though he feelit not); or whether it be the Natwral Inclination of the Will corroborated ? and what that Inclination is 2 whether it lie much in a Receptive difpofition of the acted faculties, by which they are {till ready to receive the Active motion of the Agent power ; asthe Receptivity of the fuel caufeth the greatnefs and conftancy of a flame ; or the opening of the window, the fhining in of the Sun, or the compofition of the adapted wheels, caufeth the Clock or Watch to be eafily and truly moved by the poife or {pring ; or what elf it is that we call a Habit, is not fo eafily caren as unftudied confident Di- © fputers think : So that judicious Mr. Truman (Trad. of Impoten. Nat. & Mor.) feemed to defpair of clear underftanding it.
And whether an Infants Principle of Holine/s, be ‘Quid worale, which never came from any a@, nor is the particular Habit of any att, any more than the Inclinatio naturalis.ad bonum qua bonum? with abundance of other difficulties about Habits; Thefe all make our cafe the harder to be refolved. |
SECT. XXI. The folution of all the former difficulties, in part.
305. OF all thefe difficulties, I have no better folution (befides whatis aforefaid) than as followeth, 1. Thata Difpofitive Inclination of the Will to God and adtual Holinefs, is like to the Inclinatio naturalis ad bonum & felicitatem, faving that tt is not ours ab origine in our lapfed {tate, and that it is more moveable and féparable from the Soul; And fo is quiddam nature though not quedam natura, called, The Divine and new nature in ws; and isto the Soul what Health is tothe man; And is the great Aforal Principle withinus; and is acceptable to God as being
aud Moral Works. 7 iog.
the Refitude of hisnoble creature, * and virtually containing all good nae aoe actions ; and being the operation of the Spirit, by whicli he is faid to continual catuinties tat
dwell in believers. _ weccall men juft, whofe
306. 2. That this Reéfitude or Holy Nature is firft and radically Phd cee
active , in our Complacency or Difplicency, Love or Hatred 3 And that ted, and withour inhe-
; 3 ans; - ae. rent juftice, we abhor what aman Habitually loveth, that his Will is habitually inclined to: pode, confalionaad
And againft that which he habitually hatetbh. “their calumny, and di-
° ° ° ° ° P fina! ive th hi 307. 3. That yet in aing, this inclination worketh freely, and al- 4" oe
ways is _/pecified by the conduct of the Intelleé, which muft tell us hold a conditional uniwhat is Good and Evil, Amiable and Hateful. verfal pardon of all. 2. But no actual pardon
308. 4. That Loveand Hatred being practical Habits, do ever en- of the deftrudtive pugage the will in fuch Pradtical Refolutions , as are an{werable to their hmenc, nor non-impucation of Sin, till men
nature and degree. are truly converced from
309. 5. That no Refolution will prove Holy Love and Inclination, but ate: heart and life that which is fixed as proceeding froma fixed principle, which is like faith and R oe 2 |
a mew Nature in us. | 3. And then all Sin in-
310. 6. Thatthis Refolution is firft de fize: The Soul loving God Sere ee pre and its own felicity in his eternal Love and Glory, is firft firmly Refolved a holy, juft, and fober toadhere to God, and that felicity, and to profecute it to the laft, in is" ve teed all neceffary means. | micies as you call Venial |
311. 7. That next the Soul firmly refolved of the ufe of means in en paar a ana general, is refolved alfo to choofe and cleaveto Jefus Chrift, as the 1, imperfedt. SaThoich Head and Summary of all means, (as the Phyfician is as to Phyfick.) And the deftruétive punithfo refolveth to adhere to all the Effentials of Godlinefs and: Chriftia- ales mT the
nie | nueth for ever : that is,
312. 8. That all this is done by the Intelle@s difcerning of he folid: te ae cae Reafons, which proye to usthe excellency , neceflity and poffibility of 6. our pardon and our all the forefaid ends and objeé&ts. And he that knoweth not’ fixing and Aide pas holding Reafons for his Refolutions, cannot be expected to have fixed the fake of the fatisfa- Refolutions. | a | | celfon of Chats whofe
313. 9. That thefe general Inclinations, Love, atid Refolutious for perre& Righteoufaelle God, for Meansin general, for Chriit and all the Efentials of Godli- sulfilled that Law that
ao. had broken. 7. nefs and Chriftianity, are constant in the Godly 5 and virtudlly contain a which “fenfe ht ported
Love of and Refolution for every known duty, and again{t every known Buelncontnets is faid by j: ir —— - Pr n. Sin; but not aéfually: And thefe continue tb fhew themfelves in jca'to us becaufe he id
adhering practically to thefe Objetts, and inthe Practice of a Godly it and fuffered for us, . , : inthe perfon of a’ Mec. Sy. Pan. diator 5 and fo ie was 7 a bond ~ _* the Meritorious caufe of all our Jjuftification, Grace and Glory. And what ‘hath any Papdt or other wrangler againft any of this? Yea, we rejeé their loofe Dodrine thar fay as Pet. af. Fojepb. Theol. Spec. Lg. ¢. 10. p. aia a potentia abjoluta Gratia babitualis potelt fmnl effeizeodem [ubjecto (meaning ina predominant degree) cum peccato mortali five altuali five habityal: : For as I {aid before againft Okam and Scotus on that point, they are inconfiftent contraries, as life and not-living, light and darknefs; and their proofs of the contrary ate frivolous. See Scot. in 4.4.16. Aliac. ins. 99.Greg. Armin. in 1. d. 17.ge1. a@. 2. Gabr, ibid. Rada 2. Ma Cont. 19. Suarez. iM 3. aes 4. Difp. 9. Sedd. 3.7. 8. allfor this opinion. And apainft it Ayreol: int. d.9, Ruard, a, Sect. 5, That a man cannot be juft fine Fuftitiainberente per potentiam Dei abfolutam: Pet. de Lorca {aith, in 2. 2. g. 24. a. 12. d. 22. asthe Proteftants do, that Peccatam Mortale adtuale (meaning fome one a& of a heinous Sin) may confift with Grace and the Habic of Charity, bur noc the Habit of fuch a Sin (chat is in predominancy), See Malderus opinion, 1. 2.g.113. a. 2. & 8. p. §-4, &c. who faith, that Deus remittendo offenfam delet peccati maculam | and thae ( Macsla is but the privation of Grace quatenus factt bominem Deo gratum | that is, of Acceptability or Loveline(s: And accordingly he expounderh the nature of Remi{lion of Sin, as I faid before.
And Brianjfon in 4. q. 8. fol. 115. C.D. diligently enquiring what ic is that remaineth afrer the Sin committed, can find nothing bue 1. The Habit or privation of a good habic. 2. And the Guilt which he calleth Reatum culpe, que eft quadam oblizatio ad penam debitam ili cuipa. Illa (n) obligatio ef quedam Relatio realis, nom fundata fuper adtum culpe, fed fuper tffentiam anime non nift ut culpa actualts ef previa, which is juft the Proreftane opinion, who fay that the Guile is done away by forgivenefs, and the Habit by Renovarion, calling one Juftification, and che other Sandtification: But we berrer diftinguith Reatum culpe in fe, Cr Reatum pane feu culpa ut ad penam: One is the Reality of my beirg a Siriner, orone that did Sin. (This is never done away). The other is the obligation to punifiiment for that Sin, This is remitced. | |
314. 1c. That
Of God's Government,
314. 10. That therefore Sin as Sin is hateful to every true Chriftian; and Godlinc/s as fuch lovely: And that in refpet of this radical general Habit, every true Chriftians love to God and Good is more than his averfenefs, and his hatred to Sinmore than his Jove or Inclination to the created .Good for which it is loved (For no man loveth Sin as Evil). . 3
315. 15. Thatthe Inferior fort of Ateans and Good, appear not always intheir worth or neceffity to the believer: Befides his Ignorance the remnants of Concupifcence may pervert his Judgment fo far as to doubt of fome means whether they are abjolutely neceffary, or atlealt, mihi hic & nunc. And this failing of the Intelleé may emboldenthe Will to fome degrees of negligence, evenof known duties. And fo we may doubt of fome Sins whether they are Sins, and of others whether they are fo great as to be inconfiftent with Gods love and our Salvation; and by that failing of the Intelle@ tobe emboldened to commit them, while yet we adhere to God and holinefsinthe main as fuch. And fo fmall Sins are ofter committed, and with lefs reluctancy than greater, becaufe we think that their baduefs and danger is not fo great. And though at other times we be more fenfible of both, yet inthe time of Temptation that apprehenfion may be altered: For the mind of a Godly man is more mutable about the Afeans than about the Ezd, and about the fmaller {ort of Means and Sins, thanabout the greater. And when the opinion changeth not, yet the pradical judgment may change; or when it is not turzed, it may be fu/pended : Or truth may be apprehended with lefS quickening lively feeling; and then it will not fufticiently
work: Aga loud call doth fufcitate us to action, when a negligent
whifper ts neglected. And upon fome of thefe accounts keown fins when fmall may more ftand with Grace and be ofter committed, and
more dully repented of, than greater. 316. 12, And as we mutt diftinguifh of Sins as more or Iefs dreadful
and dangerows, and of duty.as more or lefs xeceffary, at leaft in our
_ apprehenfion 3 fo alfo of Sizs which are more or lefs within the - power of a willing mindtoleavethem. Some Sins are fuch, asthat the
forfaking of them requireth little more than awilling mind. sto forfake lewd Company, Taverns, Play-houfes, Harlots, Drunkennefs, Theft, Oppreflion, Perfecution, Perjury, Deceit, gc. Aseer will, though inftigated by /#5, committeth them; And a will that is but truly bent againft them, may eafily (as to power) caft them off. Whoever committeth them,.doth it becaufe be will do it. And to live in the frequent committing of thefe, 1s a greaterfign of want of Holy habits, or Grace, thanof others. For there are other Sins which befides willingnefs require great power, and care, and labour to forfake them: As to keepa juft order in our Thoughts 5 to kecp them from vain objects; to keep our tongues from accuftomed vaix words, toreftrain ftrong paffions upon great provocations; efpecially to forfake Sins of privation and omifsion; fuch as are wabelief as mixed with a weak Faith, and fears mixed with hopes and coldnefs of defire and prayer, and flugzifonefs of \abour and endeavour, gc. A man may be truly willing to be {trongerin all Grace, and to do all duty better, and to forfake all fuch Sins as thefe, when yet through the meer weaknefs of his Graces or Spiritual life, he cannot fo exactly watch, nor fo diligently labour, nor fo patiently hold out, as the cafe requircth, Though it be not a Phyfical, but a Moral power which he wanteth, and that culpablys yet fuch Mus may wore
| confift
_ prefent Refolution for great and mece
and Moral Works.
Ey confift with true Grace than the former; and therefore are called Siss of Infirmity, 7 | , - 317. 13. When Ignoranceof Truth, Duty, or Sin, cometh from an uxwillingne/s to know it, or anwnwillingne/s to ufe the known means to help us to the knowledge of it, the neglect of fuch an unknown Truth or Duty, and the committing of fuch an unknown Sin, isto be judged of according to the meafure of the forefaid willingnefs, or unwillingnefs, = ~~ oe eae, 3
348. 14. For heisnot fincerely willing to know a Truth, todo a Duty, to forfake a Sin, who is not willing to xf the keown neceffary means appointed for thefe ends. For he vilifieth God and Holinef§ who thinketh them not worthy the feeking by fuch means.° To fay, I would love God and pleafe him and be faved, if I could do it with a wifh or without thefe means, is no faving defire._ :
119. 15. And to defire to be delivered from Sin, and to hate it as Sin; and yet to loveit for the pleafure fo much more, as thatthe intere{t of God and Heaven in us, is not {trong enough to make us habitually willing both to leave it, and to avoid the temptations , and lofe the pleafure, but men had rather keep jt than leave it on thefe terms 5 thisisno fincere repentance, ‘nor fign of a holy heart ar life.
320. 16. Even the Habit of a particylar leffer Sin = of jeafting, idle words, idle thoughts, @c.’) may be ftronger than the contrary particular babit, (think) and thereby aman may habitually and aually live and die in the Sin; and yet that habit not prevail againft the radical babit of Holinefs, of Faith, Hope, Love, ‘and Obedience in the eee | ae | 3
' gar. 17.A prefént full Refolution againft Sins that are Great and of tafe defertion to a willing mind, is e ential to Repentance 3 as is alfo a ary Duties, and to-forfake fome fmaller Sins, though it be néceflary weceffitate precepti, 1 think isnot effential to faving Converfion and Repentance, and neceflary meceffitate ssedii to Salvation. | ; - oh 322. 18. He that committeth a Grofs fiz, (thatis, aSinevidently — Great, and in the power of a willing mind to forbear) {0 often as doth fhew that habitually he more loveth it than hatethit, and had rather keep it than leave it, doth fhew thereby that all his profeffed Repentance for it is unfound, and his heart unfan@ified, and that he — hath yet no actual pardon from God. | _ 323. Therefore thofe among the Papifts who abfolve fuch from their Sins, who commit Fornication or Drunkennefs once a month (at leaft) or once in many months, or often, and come between and fay, I Repent,
-. dobutdeludethem. For the nature of thofe Sins is fuch, that he that
is converted to an habitual hatred of them more than he hath a love to them, cannot return to them fo oft: And he that dothnotfo hate — them doth not truly repent. And even their Hildebrand (Greg. 7.) in a Council at Rome exprefly faith, that [either falfe Baptifm, nor falfe (a feigned and unfound) Repentance do put away Sin.
324. 19. Thechief tryal of a man’s Holinefs and Repentance is by the main {cope and. bufinefs of his life, efpecially in the pofitive part, and next inthe oppofittve: whenamanis confcious that God, and Holinefs, and Heaven, are his great end, which are dearer to him and more powerful with him thanall things fenfible, and the intereft of the flefb, and when hecanand doth deliberately forfake all, when they ftand in
Oppofition to or competition with God and Glory, and fo as to the | | | | courfe
112 | Of God's Government, courte of his life, doth live by Faith, and not by fenfe, this is the true evidence of true Converfion ; and no Sins are damning which confift with this. | |
325. 20. But becaufe the truth of this muft be difcerned, not only by prefent Senfe and Refolution, but by practice to prove that Refolutiontrue, therefore nomancan be certain of the fincerity of his own heart, and refolutions and repentance, but by the praéice of willing univerfal obedience, forfaking grofs and wilful Sinning, performing neceffary duty, ftriving to overcome lea , and heartily defiring perfect Holine/s, upon terms of Mortification, Self-denyal and diligent ufe of means.
326. Therefore much finning will at leaft breed much doubtfulne& and uncertainty of Juftification and Salvation, and till it be forfaken no fuch certainty will be had. : 4
eee
- SECT. XXII.
Few certain of Salvation : The Confequents of
this in order to our Concord herein.
327. I conclude therefore that certainty of Fuftification and fincerity is not the lotof the weakef?. or weaker fort of Chriftians, but of the ftrong confirued Chriftians only. By weak Chriftians, Imeannot thofe that have weake/? natural parts and common gifts (as Learning, Memory, Utterance, @c. ) But thofe.that have the weakeft Faith, Hope, Love, Humility, &c. ForGrace isnot certainly difcernable. 1.Inthe leaft dee
I wonder that worthy gree. . 2. When it is /ittle in alfion. 3. When it is #uch clouded and oft i thee jattroges ae Dore = 4 - contrary: But only when, 1. It # ftrong and ina good fay, pag.49,50. Notitiam, 4Egree, 2. 41D much in ad, 3. And conquercth oppofttion.
Veal eesti thins 328:. Therefore few Chriftians have Afurance at the firft (or of a vita largitur modo, men. COMpderable time 3) becaufe few are ftrong at first. .
fara, tempore quo ipfpla-; 329. Yea, therefore few ever attain to certainty who are fincere,.
Lepore becaufe mos# are (till weak, and few come to fircigth and a great
non ante mortem, certifg- degree, and to much aéfivity, and great conquest of allthe contrary
oe is ae pelea Sins, of heart and life.
Etum accipiat. 1 hope © 330- This being the cafe about certainty of Fuftifications as to the
ean ei ae certainty of perfeverance might a man judge by the conveniencies, of
many Texts cited by the truth, it would draw us tothink thatthe middle way of the Dothem, elf proveit not. minicans and fome others were the right: viz. 1. That the leaft degree {or
_ firft.) of true faving Grace is fometimes loft finally and fuch perifhs But
2. That they who obtain confirming Grace, by a greater degree do mever
lofe it. For fothe Angels and Adam fell from the firft degrees for want
Of Confirmation : And many think (though it is not proved ) that
had they overcome in the firft (or fome more) tryal, they fhould have
had confirming Grace for areward. And thé good Angels are confirmed
(whether by reward or meer gift or nature we know not). 2. This would
fave Chriftians from that uncomfortable thought [1 muff go further than
ever fuch and juch a one did who fell away, and had lived ftrifly and
Suffered patiently, or effe I cannot be faved. For ifthisbetrue,amanmay —
be faved who goeth no further, or not fo far as {ome have done that
fellaway. 3. This will keep men from fecurity and prefumptiom, in a
{tate of weakuefs, and keep them in a weceffary fear of falling ~ ;
So | tnat
and &Moral Works.
that they may avoid it. 4. And yet it providetha certainty of perfeveranceand Salvation, for {trong Chriftiens who are (and perhaps they only) fit for it and capable of it. 5. And it tendeth thereby to make men long for, and prefs towards a ftrong confirmed {tate. Ionly lay thatif this Dodrine be or were true, it hath or would have thefe conweniencies. | Oe = -_ the weakeft ot wor fort of true Chriftians, are morally unfit for it. 1. He that fieneth as much as ever will ftand with Grace, and as ever he dare for fear of lofing all, is under fo great obligations and neceflity to be humbled, to fear, to be penitent and deeply fenfible of his great ingratitude that he 1s zot fit for the joy of Affurance of Salvation; and therefore not fit for a/furance it felf: He that is certain to be faved, mutt rationally be full of Joy; which is unfeafonableto one that muft Iye in the tears of deep humiliation. 2. And fucha one that loveth God and Chrift, and Goodnefs, in the weakeft meafure confiftent with Salvation, muft have all other Graces and comforts proportioned hereto, or elfe there will be a monftrous inequality: But certainty of Salvation is a degree of applicatory Hope, quite above that very /ittle Faith, and
~ Love, and Obedience of {uch a one. 3. Andthis certainty mult be the
effe& and product of other Graces (Faith and Love, &c.) And a feeble
Caufe will not bring forth an effect fo much frozger than it felf. 4.Gods
Wifdom in Government will not encourage even a child; in fits of contempt, negle@s or difobedience by fuch Affurance. How can he gore Reward and Encourage the bef? And if every true Chriftian fhould
have certainty of Salvation, when he fioneth as fouly, as frequently, as -
grofly, and liveth as flothfully as ever will ftand with fincerity , it
would — fuch to go on in Sin, and be no better. 5. God
hath his caftigatory punifhments for finful Children: Even to death
it felf fometimes; and much defertion. And who fhould have fuch ©
corrections, but the wor§ of his Children? But the certainty of their their Salvation, ufeth not to fuit with fuch correction and defertion 5 or at Jeaftis forfeited in fuch acafe. Laftly, experience telleth us, that ic is not Gods willthat the worft of his Children (no nor any but the better fort) fhould have fuch Affurance: For, 1. De fa&o they have it not. 2. And in the nature of the thing it is quite out of their reach. |
332. But yet all this istiot enough to prove that any of the juftified do totally or finally fall away. The controverfie muft not be decided by arguments from convenience, but by Scripture affertion 3 -where the difficulty is very great, becaufe no {mall number of Texts {eem to favour both the opinions, the reconciling of which is not the work of every ordinary underftanding. Thofe that are brought for the certain Perfeverance of all the ‘uftifed may be feen in Zanchy’s Difputes with Adarbachiws, (the firft hot and high agitation of this controvetfie as a matter of great moment and neceflary aaa :
os : whic
eee, See 114 7 Of God's. Government,
which I remember to. have found among us). And thofe on the other fide, Bertixvs, Thompfon, andthe Arminians commonly have collected, My own opinion about it I have fo largely fhewed in a Book called My prefent Thoughts of Perfeverance, before-mentioned, that I neednot here again deliverit. Though between that and this laft opinion, as wife a man as I may be in doubt when he hath done his beft for a fatisfattory — refolution.
333. I take Augustine's opinion fo far as it 1s for Perfeveranceto bea certain Trath, viz. That All the Ele fhall certainly perfevere, and that the Grace of Perfeverance is the confequent of Election, and not Eledioze the confequent of forefeex Perfeverance, ( unlefs you mean only that part of Election which determineth of Glorifying, and exclude that which decreeth to give Perfeverance.) But the difficulty 1s about the non-ele. And it is moft probable that where God decreeth Per/eve- ¥ance, he decreeth to give Grace fuitable thereto; As when he decreeth the Immortality of the Soul, he giveth it a Nature apt for Immortality. And therefore that fuch have Confirming Grace. But the controverfie is, whether al) true Grace dofo confirm 2
_334.. That an Argument cannot be fetcht for Perfeverance from the
ineer Nature oF the Grace received, feemeth plain, by Adam's fall, and
probable from the Angels. x
* Vid.Mr.Georg:wal-’ 335. Some™* to avoid this, deny Adam to have been Holy, and fupker of the Sabbath. ofe him only Innocent, and Neutral, and capable of Holinefs (worfe than + Petavius in Elench. ©, : ary .
Ther. Vincent. Lens c.23. thofe Papifts + who feign his Holinefs to be a _/upernatural addition to -97- Saith that Adam his watural fate, thereby preparing mento believe that man was not ad 3. ExteriourGrace, | oe, ; ;
viz. his outward blet- Made Naturally with an Immortal Soul, for Immortal bappiness) But
fings. 2, Inceriour: And 4,1f Adam had an immediate Moral difpofition to love God as God, and
alt a atted this, he was Holy : If he had not, it muftneeds be a Privation in
Juftitia Originalis ex om- him, atid nota meer Negation: For a rational creature mutt needs be
ser alnred ea np: © pe to love his Creator; yea, this is the firft and fummary
que in mente aut Voluntate Law of Nature to him: Therefore not todo it muft needs be Sin, and one concur concer. the fum of all Sin: Therefore Adam thus is made a great Sinner ab origine fient, that is, AGualin- before his fall. 2. If Adam loved not God in his weakeft degree of eet ee recovering Grace, he was unfanttified: But if he did (as certainly fureth Vincent: for fay- he did) then it is not like that in his leaf? degree of his recover-
Se? Grace nas i" Eng Grace, he was Holyer than in Innocency (though he might ftand on but de somine tharhe furer ptourtds). 3. And this opinion maketh ##holinefs of Nature to be
swarrelisthe ona i ie 00 part of Original Sin: Becaufe it would be no Privation, but a Nega-
Health ard Food were tion: For our Nature in Infancy is not obliged to have that holinefs natural to Adam? They which it never had and loft in Adam. And fo Original Sin is almoft Raia le a auth et alldenyed, and an unholy heart is made as innocent therein. 4, We of it concreated with are renewed according to the Image of him that created us, in nature sand given ©Y wifdom,righteoufne,and true holinels, Col. 3. 10. Therefore it was holi- And yet of Grace, be- nefs which was the Image of God which we loft, and needs renewing. caule fint merite, though 336. The Argument for Perfeverance from Gods Immutability will
tum. God made all very hold as toall the Eled as fuch, but notto all the fanctified or juftified as good. In illa eum fecerat fuch, For the Angels and Adam’s fall did not prove God mutable. And qui fecerat rectum. Auguft. eu | | inee | : ; :
ab ipie citar. God can judgea thing or petfon to be changed, without being himfelf
changed 3 but only denominatione extrinfeca a relatione ad mutatum, 1s vartoufly denominated.. Andeven his Law or Covenant which faith He that believeth fhall be faved, and he that believeth not fhall be damned, will not at all be changed if it juftifie a Believer to day, whom it condemnéd as an unbeliever yefterday, and fhould condemn him again to morrow if he fhould apoftatize; or if it conclude
Se eam
and SMoralWorks, seat Se eee ee ieee an eet ewes Skee us guilty every day anew of every new Sin which we commit. 337. It is a-very hard thing to confute an Anabaptift, without oo granting that Infant Jujtification may be loft. Forexpertence proveth; Le ghee that the Children of Godly Parents too often prove ungodly: And if the taidion ay she
they had ‘Justifying Grace in Infancy, they /ofeit: And ifthey have ot, baptized Infants have ee the Ph te which they are entered doth not mon Fuflifie oe eee them. And _ if fo, thenitis either the very fame Covexant which the opinions that hold the adult are baptized into, or avother. If it be another then their Baptifm (oy, - ie is another thing: For Baptifm is but the celebration of our Covenant hath no better anfwer with God. And another Covenant in fpecie maketh another Baptifu in co ee fpecie. And if fo, it feemeth tobe xo Baptifm of Gods appointing: For findeth no figns of fuch he hath but One Coverant of Grace to be entered by us, and fealed 5 nor habits when tity ce but one Bapti(m: Indeed on man’s part, there is a Covenanting with the se racen tolus only bY Heart and withthe mouth, an outward as well as an inward oaks Faith.
ing, or Confenting: Butit isall to ome and the fame Covenant of God. aE a It is the fame fpecies of Faith in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft
which baptized Hypocrites and true Christians do profefs. And Infants
have no Faith of their own to profefs, but are dedicated by another's
will; the title-condition of the Adult is their own confenting Faith 3
but the title-condition of Infants , is nothing in themfelves, but their
Parents confenting Faith without them, which dedicateth them to God. Now we {uppofe the Parents to do this fiacerely. If then the Covenant
afcertain not prefent Juftification to the Infant, who hath all the condition required by the Covenant, how can we fay that it any more afcertaineth Juftification to the adult, it being proved tobe the very fame
Covenant and not another. But if it doafcertain it, then many lofe it.
Trun not into their error, who tell us (and. would have none of us Preach
Chrift’s Gofpel that will not fay the fame) that It # certain bythe Word (X
of God that Infants baptized dying before adual Sin are certainly faved |
without excepting the Children of any Infidels, Pagans, or Apoftates,
which I cannot prove of the Infants even of Hypocrites or unfound
Chriftians, or that the Child can he faved by that falfe Faith , which
will not fave the Parent or him that dedicateth him to God ; or that
the Children of Hypocrites or Infidels have the condition of Juftification: Andif that Word of God had been cited, that maketh the affertion
certain, it would havebeena great kindnefs to us from thofe whofe
Juftice mut go for fuch: (But we are thought unworthy of it.) Formy
part, I determine not the difficult cafe of Infants lofs of Juftification. —
Their cafe is left dark to us in the Scriptures : But my judgment is fullieft
expreffed by the words of the Synod of Dort, Art. 1. §.17. And Davenant’s Treatife on that point 1s very judicious, and confiderable, if
wherever he fpeaketh of Baptized Infants, youwill but fuppofe him to
mean the Infants of true Christians, and not al. |
338. It feemeth a hard faying thatany member of Chrift fhoald be cut
off, and become a member of Satan, and peri(h, though he were but an
Infant member. But we mutt not let the Afetaphor deceive us: It isnot
a Natural member of Chrift’s Perfon that perifheth, as if part of Chrift
himfelf fell off: But a Metaphorical Myftical Political Member. And
Chrift thoughtit no abfurdity, fob. 15. to warn his chief embers that
they fall not off, and to fpeak by way of fuppofition of his branches as
cut off, withered and burned. And Adam and the faln Angels, before
their fall, were the Beloved of God, and his Children, and yet fell from
that love. There muft be therefore ftronger Arguments than this, to turn the Scales.
Of God's Government,
SECT. XXIV.
“The fum and end of this Difcourfe of certain
Perfeverance.
339. The end and fum of all that I have faid of Perfeverance is but this, that the controverfie is neither, 1. Of fuch weight 5 nor, 2. Of fuch facility and certainty, asthat it fhould be made neceflary to our charitable converfe or Church Communion to hold either this or that: But we fhould number it with the dogmata not to be impofed on others, nor fit to make any breach in the love and concord of Chriftians ; and for my part, I profefs that I take him for the worfer Chriftian
. ceteris paribus, whom I hear with difaffe@ion blotting the names of
others with notes of unfoundnefs and culpability, for diffenting in this point on one fide or other, either as holding or as denying the certain Perfeverance of all the juftified, than thofe that differ from me in the point it felf, without any proud fupercilious confidence. And that it is to be numbred with Tolerable Opinions, | have proved by thefe Arguments, in fum, 1. That which is fo difhcult that very few of the Learned and Godly Teachers of the Church in all ages could difcern a certainty of it, cannot be a point fo great or clear, as to be made neceflary for all Chriftians or all Paftors of the Church to agree in: But fuch isthts: For my part I profefs that though my judgment incline more one way than the other, it is with no certainty
_ that Iam in the right, and I fee fo great difficulties after my hardeft
ftudies and fearch, that my inclination 1s not without much doubtfulnefs: And humility and modefty forbid me, to profefs a certainty or too much confidence for a Doctrine, which Lopenly fay, I cannot prove or find that any one Chriftian held of about 1000 fears after
*Unlefs fovinianmay the Apoftles dayes, * I have not read all Books, and therefore there
be excepted, which 1s
doubrful.
may have been fome fuch that I know not of: But I know of none, that I remember for a far longer ume. I know the Learned Bifhop Robert Abbot and others cite Augusfiue as on that fide; But it’s paft all controverfie, that it is not all the juftified but only all the elect whofe Perfeverance he aflerted. And Iam not he that would be feparated from the Communion of all the ancient Churches, and Doctors, and all the Greeks and Lxtherans of thefe times. Methinks we fhould learn of the Papiffs at leaft to be moderate in our cenfures, when — they who are fo much for Impofitions, do yet bear in part of this, with one another, in the controverfies between the Dominicans and Jefuites, | | 340. .2. My other reafon is, as to the comfort of men’s Souls, how
-Jittle 1s the: difference between thefe two conclufions. [4 am xncertain that every weak Chriftian fhall perfevere.| And [I am uncertain whether I my felf fhall perfevere.] The firlt ts the Arminians, and the fecond 1s all or almoft all weak Chriftians conclufionin the world: For Ihave fully proved elfewhere, 1. That the finfulleft and worft fort of true Chriftians-have not a certainty of their own Sincerity and Juftification, nor are they fit for it: Nay, that it 1s only firong, adive Chriftians who attain to fuch A/furance : 2. And that there are but few firong ative Chriftians comparatively in the world. 3. Yea, but few that will fay Iam certain that I am fincere and juftified] (excepting
—_ meee of
and. Moral Works.
thofe that fpeak it opinionatively or prefumptuoufly, experience fatiffieth us. 4. And that one that és uncertain that he és justified at all, cannot be certain that he fhall perfevere in Jultification, I need not prove. So that by our own common.Dodrine and Experience, it is few true Chriftians.that- are certain of their own Perfeverance and Salvation: And what doth this comfort them more than their Dottrine, who fay that it is not certain in it felf, that any befides the {trong confirmed Chriftians, and: the Elect fhall perfevere? and that we can be certain of the EleCion of none but the confirmed and the perfevering. | |
| cat confefs it is.a great comfort to dwubting fearful Souls, ifthey can foundly thus argue, in their doubtful ftate, [7 am fure I had true Grace ance, and I am fure none fall quite away that have it: Therefore I axe fure Ihave it ftill.| But, 1.Even this could be the comfort of none but thofe few that were once of the ftrouger fort of Chriftians: For no other can fay [I am fure that I had trueGrace once]. 2. And that prefent fenfe of fin which. maketh them doubt of their prejent fincerity doth ufually make them as much doubt of their paft fixcerity. 3. And though fucha comfort I think be due to a caufelefs and melancholy
doubter, (who feareth unjuftly) which is fetcht from former perceived ~
fincerity, yet it is not fit for all Chriftians that are faln into fuch doubts. For if a man be faln as fezful, as will ftand with any fincerity, (even in grofs Sin) it isnot fafe for that man to argue, [Zam fure that Ionce wus fincere in my obedience; therefore I am fure it is fo fiill] for the
' geafons which I gave before But by Repentance he muft make fure
none of thofe that thall command, commend, or encourage caujélefs troublefome fears : But preventing fear 1s the means of perfeverance :
“Heb. 4. 1. Having a promife left ws of entering into his reff, let us
fear. left any o F oy fconld feem to come fhort of it, Joh. 14.4, &c. Abide in me and I in you.---- 6. 1f a man abide not in me, he is ca forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them and caft them into the fire, andthey are burned. 7. If ge abide in me and my words abide in you, ye foall ask what ye will-----As the Father hath loved me, fo bave I loved you + Continue ye in my love. If ye keep my Commandments ye {hall abide in my love----Joh. 8.31. If ye continue in my Word, thén are ye my Difciples indeed. So Colossians 1:23. & paffim. And I will never reproach, or ceffure, or difaffe@ fuch men as holy Bernard (though I am not of his opinion) who faid Serm. 1. de Septuagey. [ Quis poteft dicere Ego de elettis fum? Ego de pradeftinatis fum ad vitam aeternam? Ego de numero fum filiornm Dei? Quis hecinquam dicere poteft, reclamante nimirum, Nefcit homo fi amore dignus fit an odio? Certitudinem igitur now babemus: Sed fpes fiducia confolatur nos, KC. .
SECT.
112 Of God's Government,
“SECT. XXV. Degrees of falling , aud danger.
343. Every degree of Grace that is true, is not to be fuppofed pro. portionable to the firongeft Temptations : But God preferveth the weak effe@tually by keeping them from Temptations too {trong forthem. And that which a ftrong Chriftian.overcometh might overcome a weak one, were he affaulted by it. Thérefore to avoid and pray againft Temptation, is the way to bedelivered fromevil.
344. Yet the weakeft true Chriftian, in choice, refolution and trial,
forfaketh all for chrift, and loveth God, and preferreth.Glory in Heaven before his Life, and is a Martyr in refolution. And yet there are
* Whar the Grace of Temptations * which are too ftrong for him: For 1. He that habitually
( , and what a j Penfitmation is, is a preferreth God to the Creature and his life, may yet fall into fuch an ad
confirmation is, 1s a d
great faa ia oc as Peter did; And by aéing contrary to his habitual difpofition and refo- Wildcast tiea 6 ution, may weaken the habit, and forfeit Divine affiftance, and dea.10. d. 1. memone ferve defertion. 2. And he that valueth Heaven and the love of God tga bara he — his tes ye a pat reali ane — reer by _ confift in extrinfick Di- violence Of lenle and pallion be drawn to alieinly lin, and thin ing that - vine cuftody. 2. That he may have the pleafure of that particular fin, without lofing Gods ceffitrated to good, burt love, he may be drawn firlt to lefs, and by degrees to greater. 3. And
the meer perfevering he that is refolved for God, and Glory, and Chrift, and Holinefs, may do it freely. 3. That con- Fry hfubtile A F Infidel ‘Senfualitt hich hes firmation is only a more meet witn 1tucn ilubtHe rguments OF inndels or joeniualits, WNic eC 1s intenfe degree of the unable to anfwer, and confequently unabletoavercome. And his Uzpereveranee is ie ordi- derftanding being deceived, his Wil] may follow; fo that perfeverance ee muft be by the avoiding of Temptations. | means, but confirma: 345+ Lhe greateft fins after Converfion, which are truly repented of, on is by Grace of itare pardoned by God: And muft be pardoned by the Church in order oannse nia to Communion, if the manifeftatton of Repentance be fuch as anfwers. That confirmation is eth the ends (the fignification of its reality ) and the removing of the by a participation of the (candal and the difhonour of Religion, of the Church, and of Chrift. ratia et charitas patria. ; :
Malderus refteth inthis 346. The Sin againft the Holy Ghoft feemeth unpardonable by the difference, that the con- Text, though the Papi/ts expound it by [hardly pardonably}. And it is firmed have fuch a mea- ; ; Rae: fure of Divine help and [ an obftinate infidelity and rejedion of Chrift as a Deceiver, upora fetled heavenlinets, as is row conceit that he did his Miracles by the power of the Devil, when they are con- Penpitions Bue che 2uced that they were aFually done 3 and foa blafphemous fathering of Gods gift of perfevcrance on- great atteftation upcn the Devil, and arejecing his laft Witnefs to the Truth, ly, is with fuch a degree hich 3 ; hole th 7 Ub ee ButI h of Grace, as would nor Which muft convince thofe that ever will be convinced. utI have wrotea ferve, if God did not Treatife of this Sin, and fo fhall pafs it by. ; soe 347. Ifa true Believer fhould be fuppofed to fall quite away from confirmation isa mid: the belief of Chrift, it feemeth hard to imagine how he can do it withdle ftare between meer. ap: ; ears ‘ rT: Perfeverance and Glory, OUt this blafpheming the Divine atteftation of the Spirit, by which be- : fore he was brought to believe. And it feemeth that therefore, Hed. 6. ¢ to. this Apoftacy 1s made the fame with the unpardonable blafphemy of the Holy Ghoft, which yet proveth not that 1t ever cometh to pals, but what it would be if it did.
348. Repentance which cometh from fear alone, without the love of God and Hoiinefs, is no fign of juftification, nor confiftent with it: noristuch attrition futhcient to forgivenefs: For the heart isnot changedto °
Cod without love.
349. Though
and Moral W orks. - 119
349. Though where there is more Jove to the Creature than to God, there is no true San¢tification (fpeaking of rational and not of fenfual love); Yet where thereis more fear of God than love to God, there may be Grace, though weak, fo be it God be loved above the Creature. .
350. A Death-Bed, or late Repentance, 1s then acceptable, and fufficient to pardon, when it is the Heart or Love that is thus turned from the Creature to God habitually 5 fo that if the perfon did recover, he would live to God : otherwife it is uneffectual ; not becaufe too late, but becaufe xxfownd : But becaufe fear is ufually the principle of fuch mens Repentance, it is much tobe {ufpeGed, though not difpaired of.
351. The day of Grace is never paft with aly man while life continueth, foasthat #f he traly repent, he fhall not be forgiven : For that is contrary tothe Gofpel-Covenant. But it is fo far paft with fome, as that after their obftinate forfeiture, the A/eans, Help, and Grace of Repentance
fhall not be giventhem, nor brought fo near them as they were.
SECT. XXVI. Of final Fustification, and bow Paul and James agree about Fuftification by Works. :
352. Having faid this much of constitutive Fuftification, and the not- Lofing of it, and affurance of it and its continuance, and touched the fecond and third forts of Juftification, (/entertial and executive) asthey are here inthe way, Ineed not fay much of themas after this life, becaufe it may be gathered from what is faid of Pardon and Juftification conftitutive: Yeta littleI will add. And 1. At death a particular doom is pafied on the Soul as feparated : But whether only by execation and felfconvittion, we know not. - |
353. The Refurrection as {uch isa common effeé of Redemption, in eyes oo to mens well or ill deferving:And therefore a// are raifed
rift. , . i 54. The Juftification of Believers at the laftday, willbe that great a to which all that went befote were but means, and imerfect. | : . 355. Chrift{will be here both Judge and Advocate, and as both — Believers: And he will be the condemning Judge of the icked. | : . |
356. Allmen fhall be then judged according to their Works or Deeds done inthe Body, whether Good or Evil. * Iris a grofsover-fight | ¥* 357. To be juftified then will not be to be judged finlefs, (as is. of BD. Petavius, Elen. aforefaid ) but to be judged one that by Gods Law (which mutt be Se Beat le the zorma judicii) isnot to'be damned to Hell, but to be glorified in other Reatus but obliga-
: : : . tion ad penam; when as Heaven, or to be fentenced toendlefs life, and acquit from this Accu- fon? i tc Rentus fatli,
{ation that we are damnandi, or tobe punifhed in Hell. And in order 2. culpe, which is the
| . violation of the Precept.
3. Ad penam,which refulrech from the threatning. And worfe,p.r1o.that xon omae peccatum eff culpa fed boc folum quod ex voluntate,
id eft libero arbitrio & electicne committitur necimputatur in culpam nift ex deliberatione & libera voluntatis eleckione procedat. A'as,
that God’s Law muft be thus denied or depraved, that fin may be made no fin, and fo to weed no Chrift or Pardon. Con.
1. Analogically it is peccatem in an Ox to go our of the furrow: But properly nothing in man is peccatam, but culpa? And all
breaking a Law is culpa, and nothing elfe is peccatum. 2. Not to deliberate is a great and ufual fin. 3. The omiffion of the
Wills eledtion or intention is fin, as well as an ill eleétion. Woe to him that repenteth nor of thefe, and isnot pardoned
Of God's Government, —
- to this, tobe fentenced fuch as have the true caufes and conditions of Right to Impunity and Life: whichare, 1. Immediately the gift of this Right by God himfelf in his Covenant, with Chrift the Fountain of it.
2. A true Right and Relation to Chrift as our Head and Saviour, and the only Ateriter of this Covenant-Gift, and fuftification, and Adoption, by his habitual, active and paflive Righteoufnefs and Sacrifice, advanced in dignity by Union with his Divine perfection, 3. True Faith and Repentance, with Love, Obedience and Perfeverance, as the title-conditions required by the donative and condonative Covenant.
358. As I have before faid, that a man muft be jultified at that Day from the charge of Infidelity by his Faith it felf (and not by
' Chrift’s Merits ) and fromthe charge of Impenitence by his Repentance it felf; So I add, that he muft be jaftified from the charge of Hypocrifie by his fincerity, and fromthe charge of Rebellion by his fubjeCion, and from the charge of mickednefs by final godlinefs and obedience, and from the charge of Apoftacy by perfeverance; But from the charge of his wickednefs before Converfion, and his pardoned fins and weaknefs fince, only by Chrift’s Sacrificeand meritorious Righteoufnefs, and the Pardon purchafed thereby, and givenin the New Covenant. And from the accufation that we are Sinners in general, we have no Juftifica- . tionatall, | 359. Judgment isthe Genus, and Fuftification, and Condemnation are the Species: Therefore to be judged according to our Works, is to be juttified or condemned according to our Works.
360. AsIfaid, that itis Gad’s Juftice and Mercy, and Chrift’s Redemptionof us, whichare chiefly to be glorified at that Day but it is ‘our perfonal Gofpel-Righteoufnefs, or performance of the Conditions of the New Covenant, which is thento be tried, and we, and not Chrift, that are to be judged 5 So I add, that the New Teftament referring to this fore-feen, doth ufually fpeak accordingly , of juftifying us by Faith, by our words, or by our works, that he that doth righteoufnefs 1s righteous, &c. And it fpeakethof that fame Righteoufnefs as conftituting us juft firft, by which we mutt be judged juft at laft.
'' + 361, Itis very eafie therefore where prejudice blindeth not men, to fee the concord of Chrift’s faying, We are juftified by our words, and Paul's by Faith, and not by Works, and James by Works, and not by Faith only, Chrift fpeaketh of a particular Fuftification, from a common great Crime, a wicked Tongte as the fign or product of a wicked Hearts And this mutt be part of the perfonal material Righteoufnefs, by which
* Tolet in Rom. 3. Annot WE Mult be juttified as true Chriftians. “ Paw! fpeaketh of our being
17, Eftius in Kom. 3. 28. juftified by being Chriftians, and not by keeping Mofe’s Law, or doing
ais fay oF falhefice, any Works which will be to us inftead of a Chrift or a free-given Partion by Fath, as the don, and Righteoufnefsby him. And James {peaketh of the full con-
Lrotelanis do. Vid. & dition of Juftification, ascontinued final and compleat, asit confifteth pletun. de Fuftif. lt. 8. ; : ;
c.ult. Ce Bellarm. de of its effential parts. ;
Jat peat ede 362. The Key of Underftanding Paxl’s Difcourfes of Juftification is,
n 29. Tapper. “it. 8. 4 to know, 1. That the grand queftion which he firft manageth is, 7e-
Jultif. p. 25, 26, 27. ther the Gentiles may not be faved without keeping the Jewih Law, as well
pene ae Each. 45 the lews withit 2 2. To provethe Affirmative, he proveth that the
pe 39% Jews themfelves cannot be faved or juftified meerly or primarily by the
Law, notwithf{tanding the divinity and great excellency of it; but muft
be jultified by a Saviour,, and free-given Pardonand Right to Life, and
to which the fincere keeping of Afoje’s Law was intended tobe but fubfervicnt. 3. That therefore it appeareth, that the Jews did fo fondly | : admire
and &Moral Wi orks... ns te |
admire the Law, and their national priviledges under it, that they thought that the exa& keeping of it was neceflary and fufficient to Juftification and Salvation: And. they thought the Meffiah was not to be their Righteoufnefs, as a Sacrifice for Sin, and Meriter of free Pardon, and the Gift of Life, but only a great King and Deliverer, to redeem them by Power from all their Enemies and Bondage. 4. Thatit was not Adam's Covenant of Innoceacy or Perfe@ion which the Jews thus trufted to, or Paw! doth fpeak.againft as to Juftification (though a w2nore ad majus, that alfois excluded.) For the Jews knew that they were | Sinners, and that God pardoned Sinas a merciful God, and that their Peravins de Leg.c& Grat. Law had Sacrifices for Pardon and Expiation, with Confeflions, &c. oe thea S aa But they thought that fo far as God had made that Law fufficient to which the Law doth or political ends, and to temporal Rewards and Punifhments, it had been doh ae Ree fufficient to eternal Rewards and Punifhments; and that of it felf, and fie cwe Bock: ie not in meer fubordination to the typified Meffiah. Therefore they, peal reading Of sie thought that he that kept the Law {0 far as to comit no fin which the Law and Gofpel a See Mra punithed with death or abfciffion, and that for all his = pardonable /c1’s Treat. of the Two
‘ : . - Covenants, with my Prefins, performed the required Penances and Sacrifices, was by this, which face; And Mr. Trpman’s
_is called The Works of the Laws that is, the keeping of the Law, a, Great. Propitiat.with the
righteous juftifiable perfon. 5. That the thing therefore which Paal. Append.
difproveth them by is, 1. Thatthe Law wasnever made for fuch an,
end... 2. That even then it ftood in fubordination to Redemption.
and free-given life. 3. That the free Gift or Covenant of Grace containing the Promife of the Meffiah, and Pardan and Life by him, was
before the Law, and juftified Abraham and others even without it.
4. That their Law was fo ftri@, that no. man could perfe@ly keep it
all. ’. s. That every Sin deferveth death indeed, though their Law pu-,
nifhed not every fin with death’ by the Magiftrate. 6. That their Law
was never Obligatory to’ the Geztile world, who hada Law written in
their’ Hearts; and therefore not the common. way of Juftification. |
* 7. ‘That their Law, as fuch, difcovered fin, but gave not the Spirit + Git dees of Grace to overcome it; Infomuch as though he Binstele defired per- ¢.4. afferteth, That the fefly to fulfil it without fin, yet he could not, but was under a capti- ¢huct diflerence between vity , that is, a moral neceflity.of imperfection, or fins of infirmity, new, is, that the old i from which only the Grace of Chrift could as-to guilt and power deli- ween in Stone and ver him. 8. That’noman ever came to Heaven by that way of merit in memory and in the which they dreamed of, but, all by the way of Redemption, Grace, nese and fo maketh the free Gift and pardoning Mercy. Therefore their conceit that they perly this Law than the were juft inthe main, and forgiven their fins, and fo juftifiable by the Scriprares as being meer dignity of o/e’s Law which they kept, and hy the Works of the. tar cccafior, Sie ig Law, and not by the free Gift, Pardon and Grace of a Redeemer, and we thankfully confefs by ‘the Faith and practical belief of thar Gift, and acceptance of it, Ci qin’ <llentials, of with thankful penitent obedient hearts, was a perniciouserrour. But, and few : may be a the true way. of Righteoufnefs was to become true Chriftians, that ‘is, emored, yerthe Creed with fuch a penitent thankful, accepting , practical belief or affiance. plained inthe Scipaie to believe in God as the Giver of Salvation, in Chrift as the Redeemer, 2"4 Pri written Reaid ‘his Spirit as our Life and Sanétifier, and to accept Chrift and all his have been pear oe procured Benefits, Juftification and Life,as purchafed by his Sacrifice and ‘erved ras experience meritorious RighteoufnefS, and given in the New Covenant on this°™ “*°" Prove condition, and fo to give up our ve es to his whole faving-work, -as to.
the Phyfician of ‘our Souls, ‘and only Mediator with God. This is the.
363. I fay againtherefore, for any man to fay that. fome one phyfical,
at, either aflent, or confent, or affiance, an particular Object
( Chrilt’s’
( Chrift’s Righteoufnefs as offered us) isthe inftrumental caufe of our Juftification; and rhatto look tobe juftified by any other a@ of Faith on Chrift, or on the Father, or Holy Ghoft, or on Heaven the final Object ( God in Glory) , or fecondarily as fubfequent parts of the condition of Salvation, by Repentance , bY praying for Pardo, by forgiving others, by Obedience to Chrift, @-c. is to Jook to be juftifed by Works in the fenfe that Pasl.excludeth them; this 1s but to abufe the Gofpel and the Church, by a fcandalous mifinterpretation of a great part of the New Teftament. Leg. Placum.in The[Sal- 364. St. James therefore having to do with fome who thought that vin, de bifee, Vol.1. & the bare profilin of Chriftianity was Chriftianity, and that Faith was Conrad. Be et eank, Te, ameer affent tothe Truth, and that to believe that the Gofpel is true, de Fuftand our Mr.Gib- and truftto be juftified by Chrift was enough to Juftification, without bon's Serm. Of full" Hotinefs and fruitful Lives, and that their’fin and barrennefs hindered the Morning-Exercifes hea : : : : at Giles inthe Fields. not their Juftification, fo that they thus believed ( perhaps mifundercoe ae 469, (tanding Pax/’s Epiftles ) doth convince them that they were miftaken, Nos imputari nobis cbriti and that when God {pake of Juftification by Faith, withoxt the Works juftitiam ut per cam for- of the Taw, he never meant a Faith that containeth not a refolution — aye ae “fiximas to Obey him in whem we believe, nor that is {eparated from actual unquam , neq ah sah Obedience in the profecution ; But that as we muft be juftified by our elo igi ape Nira Faith againft the charge of being Infidels, fo muft we be juftified by our nen minus com recta ratioe Gofpel perfonal holine/s and fiecere Obedience againft the charge, that me quam fi res injudicio We ave waboly and wicked, ot impenitent, or Hypocrites, or elfe we thall abjolutus diceret, fe clemen . iy : ied Machol tia judicis donantis ts never be adjudged to Salvation, that is, juftified by God. viram, formality Wie =~ 365. All this then is paft controverfie among conliderate underftandare ing men, r. That Works juftifie us not as perfe%, according to the Covenant of Innocence, becaufe we havethem not. 2. That the Worksor keeping of fofe's Law, as conceited Yufficient, or as fet in oppofition againft, or competition with a Saviour or free Gift, or any othenwife than as the exercifes of meer Obedience under Chrift (as Mery, Za- _ chary, Elizabeth, Simeon, John Baptift, Dawid, &c. ufed them, ) could jufifie noman. 3. That confequently no other Works fet up either in the {aid oppofttion or competition, oras any thing of Merit, or worth is _ afcribed tothem, whichis proper to Chrift, or any part of the honour of Gods free Gift, can juftifie no man; nor any other way, than as meer conditions, and exercifes of thankful obedience or acceptance, in
er fubprdination to God’s Mercy, and Chrift’s Merits, and the free G; :
But that Works are not excluded from being conditions of our jufti-
- fication, or the zattér of it in any of thefe following refpects: 1. That Faith it felf, which is our 2, and an a of Obedience to God, and is the fiducial accepting belief in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, for the benefits of the Covenant, is the condition of our firft Covenantright to thefe Benefits. 2. That this Faithis not a¢ual Obediexce to Chrift as Chrift (at firft, but only toGod asGod ). But it is the Souls. ee to Chrift as Chrift, which is Our Covenant-confent to our future Obedience, and virtually, though not wally , containeth our future Obedienceinit. 3. That there is fomewhat of love, confent or williingnefs, Of Defire, Of Hope, of Repentance, which goeth to make up this moral work Of Faith, as itis the condition; even our firlt Christianity it felf. 4. That asthe making of a Covenant is for the performing of it, and fubjection is for Obedience and Marriage for conjugal Duties, {o our faid fir/t Covenanting-Faith is for our future Faith, Hope, Comfort, and grateful Obedience and Holinefs: And thefé are the @condary parts “4 _ the
and EMoral Works. cra
the condition of Salvation: And fo are the fecondary parts of or cations, condition as continued or not-loft, and confummate: For to juttifie us, is, as is faid, to juftifie our Right to Impunity and Glory. 5. That, as isfaid, our own performance of the condition of the free Gift of Impunity and Glory, by the New Covenant purchafed by Chrift’s Righteoufnefs, is the thing to be tried and judged in Gods judgments And therefore we muft fo far be then juftified from the charge of not performing that condition, of being Infidels, unfan‘tified impenitent Hypocrites, Apoftates, and foof having no part in Chriftand the free Gift, even by our perfonal Evangelical Faith, er Repentance, Sincerity and Perfeverance. And all this juftificatign by Works St. James — is for, and it is undeniable by any thing but prejudice, ignorance, and fiding ptevithnefs. Let the Reader of quick underftanding pardon my repeating the fame thing, which others will not yet underftand. __ with all ~ a in oi A@s, and yi - Catholick Epiftles we ei ames, ude and Fobn, and Pasl's Epift. tothe Rom. Chap. 1.2. 4. 6.7.8. % med; lent + hgh 5. i 6. and a ees -of the reft of his Epifties, are greatly: pode be gr made up of this Dottriae of * Grace which I have afferted; And the Sa ae bee > reading of them will better inftrud you in the true fen of Remiffion and Angaltinus intelligentian Fusification, than moft Treatifes written on that Subje& which I have Thm & “ide ae
een. ; . : ; peruit fideltbus & ecelee 367. The perfeion of Juftification and Pardon will be by the final f+. If we thould fay,
e e e e ha P 7 executive act, the taking the jultified into Glory. ey eae bee ] | ; note of novelty and errour: was the Church
| SECT. XXVIL ok Grace ad fade
. eer Mental Verities ? Con-
Of the femne|s of the glorified,and the: many that peri(b. cr in Dodie | | in his Sermons, and the
368. Though it be comparatively but a /ittle Flock, and part of 24 ,Crurches, for 300 this world a whom God will give the heavenly Kingdom , ae the curious Writh plain. number will in it felf be exceeding great. And it’s very probable that ae Sena a
rine of
( this Earth being a very little penden of the Creation) that taking all Grace: yea even the God's rational Creatures together, the number of the damned will be #it lf containeth it. found a very {mall number in comparifon of the blefled 5 even asthe Malefattorsin the jailes areto the Subjects of the Kingdom. For the worlds above us are incomprehenfibly vaft and glorious; And the Text telleth us, Heb. 22. 22. That we are come to an innumerable company of Axgels: Though the proportions be unknown to us, I {peak this again, that miftakes tempt not men to unworthy thoughts of the infinite amia- _ ble goodnefs of Ged, or of the Chriftian Faith, /
369. And what the Saints do want in number, they fhall have in excellency, to glorifie the goodne(s of God. The little Flock which fhall have the Kingdom, hal! be all Kings and Priefts, and thall judge the world (Judgment in Scripture is much put for Government ): They thail be equal with Angels, and (hining Stars in our Fathers Firmament, and fhall fit with Chrift upon his Throne: And fhall in a word, in the perfe@ion of their Natures, perfe@ly know, love and praife, obey and delight in God, in a perfe& fociety in the fight of Chrift’s Glory, and be affared of thistoalleternity. Arsen.
And we fee in Gods Works of Nature, high Excellencies are rare. There are not fo many Sums as Stars, nor Stars, as Stones, ox Leaves, OF
Of God's Government,
Trees; nor {fo much Gold as Earth; norfo many Mex, as Flies, Fifhes, and
other Animals, nor fo many Kiags as Subjedfs; nor fomany Teachers as
Learners; nor fo many nien of learning and wifdom as ignorance. And
we fee there are not fomany goa) as ungodly. -. |
in the world, before Chrift’s Incarnation, and that the Chatholick Church
now fucceedeth them in their 4igh and rare Pecultarities and Priviledges
above the reft of the world,. and far exceedeth them in the greatnefs of
our Mercies; and that Chrift’s Incarnation hath put the zeft of the
world into no worfe a condition than they were before; and that all
the world is under a Law of Grace, and none under the Law and Covenant of Innocency onl¥: So [now add, that all fhall be judged by that
Rom. 2, Law which they were under They that have finned without a (written)
Law, fhall be judged without that Law: And what {tate each particular
Soul is in, the Judge only knoweth, and not we, who are infolently arrogant, if we will {tep up into his Throne, and judge his Subjects without his Commiffion. But this we know that God hath varios degrees
of Rewards and Punifbments (as to Infants and Adult, foto the Adult
among themfelves.)) And that he that gained but two Talents fhall be
Ruler of two Cities: And he that had but one might have improved one,
though he could not have improved more than hehad: <Avd that they
Marth, ae. aft, *2a# have done good fhall go into everlafting life,and thofe that have done evil
ac 8st everlasting punifhment. And the kinds and degrees of thcir different
punifhments hereafter , how great, and how far involuntary, they are
beyond the very miferable cafe of theit /izfulze/s it felf, are things that are
unknown to us. But certain we are, that the Judge of all the world
will do righteoufly,- and that all: wife and righteous mens judgments,
|’ ‘whenthey thall fee what the number of Sufferers, and the forts and de-
| grees of their punifhment are, .fhajl be fully fatisfied of the -Good-
" nefs, Clemency, Wifdow'‘and Fuftite-of- God,:‘and \never. once with iehad’ been otherwife. And that = Servant that knew bis Lords will,
and prepared not himfelf, nor did according to his Will, fhall be beater
a a ee ftripes : <iefd that knew not, le did hist ore worthy
of firipes, fhall be beaten with few ftripes. For unto whomfoever much
3s given, of him fhall he much required: and to whom men have committed
much, of bins will they ask the more. . es |
371. It is little underftood by moft how much man by fin ie felf is
eflectively his own Tormenter, (which tempteth man to doubt of
Hell, as if:it were Gods too much feverity fo to punifh.) How Sin
is a punifhmencit felf, and how God antecedently made mans nature
fuch, that if he would fin, it fhould torment him and undo him of
it felf (like poyfonto the Body ) I have opened in the firft Chapter..
See Gabr. Biel in 2. d. 36. that One peccatum eft pana, and the four.
Reafons of Bonavent. recited by him. os :
372. The Stoicks and Platonifts Revolution, and the. Pythagorean
Re-incorporation, are {9 like the Chriftian Doctrine of the Refurrection,
that (though we mutt not with Origiz feek to make them liker than.
they are, yet) thofe Infidels are unexcufable who take this for incredi-
See ee ble, and yet take the other for the moft rational conjecture. *
the world. For the moft me : . : :
religious and fober of Blefs, Lord, thy own reconciling Truths, tothe healing of thy Charches,
en Ge ae or at leakt of fome dif-joynted minds. And teach me with patience to.
de diver. Relig. pot Hitt. bear the Obloquy and Reproach of miftaken zealous Cenfurers: And forgive
si them that know not what they fay or do. And wherein Terr, forgive anc.
redtifie me, and better inform both the Reader and me.
The Third Part :
God's Gracin Operation’
MANS SOUL:
(OPERATIONS MANS WILL
For ie ‘ide Decificn of the aiid ce about Errecruau and Dirrerencina Grace.
LO Nx DON; | Printed by Robert VVhite, for Nevill Simmons at the Princes Arms ix S* Pauls Church-yard. MDCLXXV-
7m * abe
oo wees 2
batlieten tt 1
owe
EES ee Rea POR
~ 000 eee eee oe ee
Sce 7] E Preface. Pag. 1.
ay Se. 1. The Prefisppofed Principles briefly repeated,
ay: p-78 RSS) EY Sc&.2. The Order of Divine Operations, DP. Oe. Pockte Sect, 3. Of the Operations and Principles as compa ID eee. es p. 126 ODI TMOD Se&.4. How far God ufeth Means, p. 16. Seét. 5. Of the Cafes of the different stds of Grace ( and Means ), | oe behets oe p. 18. Set. 6. Of the Limitations of Gods Operations on the soul, Pp. 20. Sect. 7. Of the — of Grace, p. 21, Sect. 8. What is that Operation of God on the Soul, enquired of tn many
following Queftions? And whether fearchable byman? p. 22. Sect, 9. Waether Gods Operation be equal on ail? p- 31. Set. 10. whether it be Phyfical or Moral? | p32. Scat. 11, What Free-will man hath to Spiritual Good, P- 35° Set. 12. More of Predetermination by Phyfical Premotion, Pp. 37+ Sect. 13. More of Mans Power, Natural and Moral, | Pp: 43. Seat.14. Whether the giving of Faith be an att of Omnipotency and aCreation? ana 4 Miracle? p. 46. Sc&t. 15. Of the Sufficiency and Efficacy of Grace? p. 48.
Sect. 16. Of Infuled Habtts and the Holy Ghoft, even fpecial Grace, P. 53. Seat. 17, whether Man be meerly Pafiive as to the firfiGrace? 1 P-55- Sch. 18. Whether the firft Grace, and the New and Soft Heart, or Faith
it felf, be Promifed or Given abfolutely, or on any Condition to be performed by man? ibid. Se. 19. How God may be faid to Caufe the Acts of Sin, D. 57. Sect. 20. How far God, and how far man himfelf, is the Caufe of Hell and other punifbments, : p. 62.
The Conclufon.
b..1. The Conceffions of tue S ‘ynod of Dort fpectally the Brittith Divines: More of Divine Motion or Impre{s, | p. 67. Aaaa‘2 a ¢.2, Tue
The Contents.
Q.'2. The Epstome of Alvarez de Auxil, drawn ap by wale in — in Twenty Conclufions, confidered,
0: 3. Cenfure of the other three — deferibed by him, Viz, 1.T he Fe. fuits de Scientia Media, P 75 .4. 2, Durandus’s Way,
: 5. 3. That of the Scotifts and Nominals: Of Gods partial om
. The true face and Scheme of the Dominican Predeterminant way, in get Sele and — in Fifty Propofitions, and the Reafons of: my preferring any before this, p. 80.
A Summary of all, to fatisfie fober minds. | p. 100,
Additional Avimadverfons on Mr. Peter Sterrey’s Book of Free-will: msskine God the Author of Good and Evil, as be $s of Light and Darkwe [3
tre A Ure. af Janfeniua ee Dor terre
t rm.a. fiers onck Y- 89°
‘The
are ‘ HOAs <05' 1 3: Hh SOS? my PUY Bee
Byram The Third Part : fi - OF _
MANS SOUL:
MANS. WILL.
For the. Ending the Contentions about Sufficient and y Common and Special Grace, and Free- 4 4 ill.
a “The Preface, wk
mie HE firft Part of this Treatile, sisal large, and WON. fulleft of mens contentious Queftions and opinions; ray \ is furtheft from the true point of the difference and LSS: BS difficuley, which croublech che Church'; And is ro $ made large by accident, by way of di(quifi tion-and Sote— detection of the many enfnaring queftions, and vain or’ Oe or hurtful wranglingsof.the Schoolmen, The heel Part cometh nearer our “chief Controverfies, and refolvetlf many other on the by 5 and concaineth the fumm of that part of Theologie, which is moft clear, and fure, and neceflary.
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul: This Third Part which cometh upto the main Controverfie, is fhort, and roubleth you lefs with other mens opinions, and Schoolmens W ranglings about Grace and Free-will: Partly becaufe youhad enoughof them bythe way before; And chiefly becaufe I would not by tedioufnefs, and recitation of Contentions, obfcure that which I moft defire to make plain, nor difcourage the Reader by the length. oo | Ichinkif I can manifeft, thacchereis no real; or confiderablé difference among the Learned and Moderate on each fide, ( fuch asare the Synod of Dorton one fide, and even Bellarmine, Suarez, Ruiz, gc. on the other, befides the moderate Lutherans and Arminians, ¢ who may be aihamed if they go farther from usthanthe Jefuites.) befides abundance of Sclibolmen thae are of a middle ftrain, between the Dominicans and Jefuites, ) few underftanding Divines would then think that there were any confiderable difference remaining about Predeftination, or the univerfality of Redemption; Thofe differences being but refpective unto this, __ | ‘ Buc about Perfeverance I confefs that there doth areal difference remain: But that itis of lefs moment than moft on both fides fay, and fuch as is no way ficto quench Chriftian Love, or -alienace Chriftians from ‘each other, or hinder their liberties or peaceable communion, I have fully proved in _ the Second Part, and formerly ina peculiar Trearife entituled, Aty Thoughts Of Perfeverance. | ee If therefore Icantrtly difprove our pretended difference about the operations of Grace, or at leaft prove it to be but-as ig is, ‘no greater nor more intolerable than that of Perfeverance, I fhall chink that all is dome that is (thus ) neceffary. | a a | _ Themain difference (feeming or real )is about the Power of Atans will: - Of which Fhave fpoken much in the Firft-Part, and purpofely leave much to the Reconciling Praxis in the second Book, which thall diffipate the
cloud of ambiguous words: Till then it thall here fuffice to manifeft,
1. That we are agreed with them whofe conciliatioa I endeavour, that it
is not the natural Powers effential to a man ‘vhich we are deprived of,
2. Butthatthefe Powers have by our commen corruption, a finful Dit.
that all men (at leaft at age) are not depraved in the fame degree.
4. That this 24 difpofitton is called a Atoral Jmpotency, when it is {ach as
while itremaineth, che finful A&t is ever done, or the commanded a@ is
never done. There‘is rhen no ‘Moral Power. 5. That the vitious finful impotency of the will, and its Habitual or difpofitive wavillingnef to
good, and proneneffto things forbidden, is allone, 6. Thar he is Morally Able, who without any other grace than he hath, can do the thing commanded, or forbear the thing forbidden. 7. That there is no Power but of God. 8. That Watwre, common grace, and fpectal grace, give feveral powers or difpofitions. 9. That amoral power is les than a good habir, 10, That every man hath amoral proper power to domore good than he doth, and forbear more evil. ‘11. Thatevery man is commanded to ufe Aome meaas in order to his falvation, which he is morally able to ule. 1a, That God ufeth to bear long’ with the abufers of cheir Power before he forfakechem. £3. That many have many per(wafions and helps to nletheir power chat-abufeit, 14. Thacit’s juft with God to forfake fuch, 15. ‘And great mercytothe elect nor to be fo forfaken. All which will be made clearer in their duc copncxion, which I fhall now here offer you. | ° - : = ,
And the S#b-operations of Man's. Wl. we |
2 S for the five Articles: I. The Articleof Predeftination,
- II. And the Article of Redemption; contain no difference between the partics, but only as they rélate co the Articles. of Free-will and effectual Grace, as isaforefaid. For all mnft agree thar God Decreed and Chriff procured ail that Grace or Mercy for men which he giveth them: Of which the Cond:tional gift of the Love of the Father, x ‘Grace -of the Son, and che Communion of the Holy Spirit in the Covenant of Grace; with a Gommiffion to his Minifters freely co offer it to all Believing Com fenters,and to feal it and deliver it by Baptifm,isa great part : And fryany mert cies, teachings, per{waftons, and mations tending 20 draw thena td.Confene 18 another part. God decreed not to deny men thac which he giveth thent, and Chrifts Death procured them all that he giveth them. To which.add what
.
elfewhere I have opened, that thete is no neceffity of afcribing to-Godany - _ Pofitive Decrees of Nezations or nothings. . Elfe.shere muft be | again{t the exiftence of all che myriads of poffible. animals, atomes, ides; words, gc. And remember thatto Permit isnot-to hinder, ard {6 isa mee? negation, Or a doing nothing; and that wot-te-give faith, repentance, grace, the Gofpel, &c. isa negation, or 4 scthiag, and fo need no Decree, teeing a not-decreeing to give, Szc. is {ufficient: fo that che whole of the Contro- _-verfie about thefe two Articles is.clearly devalved to the Controverlies of Grace aad Free-wil, ge ee te: ILI. Andconcerning Free-willit cannot be deniyed, but that Watanat Free-will is part of that excellency or Image of God, by. whichiman is differenced from bruitss and chat it is fuch a faculty by which man ean in {ome inftances, datermine his even will to.this rather than that, without Divine predetermination 3 which is certain in the cafe of fin, yea and of fome good. For Adam's willcould without any other grace than he had, have forborn his. fin. Or elfe ftill alk is but refolved into Gods meer will. And itis agreed on ( as is {aid before ) that afl -men can do more good than they do, and forbear more évil than chey. forbear, and that withouc any more grace or help than they have when: they afeir not t fo tharit is not abhorrent fromthe nature of Free-will, for aman to make agood ufc or an ill, of thefame meafure of grace at feveraitimes, or for feveral mento make feveral ules of the fame meéafure. . Therefore ic is no unjuft anfwer to the queftion, [Why did he forbear this fia to day, and mot yefterday ] or [Why did this man forbear fin and ngt thar, firppofing them to have the {ame measure of affefting grace,"] co fay [-Becaufe, this man, ac thistime, ufed chat power which God had given him, in ftirring up his own will tocoftcurre with grace, andthe other man, of this ac another time,did not whathe could.’] sNot that this anfwer is good in all cafes, ( where more grace is neceflary to the effet, ) but in this forementiofied. Sb thacit is no er of the wilt of a-Rational free- Agent, tofay chat it ise¢ffewsidlly 4 felf-deterskining faculty, vaade by God in the Image of bis Liberty, and depending on him, and xot. able to AC without him as the firll Caufe, but yet on fwppolition of his Natural prefervation' and uniucr fal concurfe, and of his directions and Laws, tt 2 able to make choicd lic & nunc fo will or not will, to wil this rather than that, without Dis vine neceffitating predetermination, and without any more Grate or help than fometime it hath when it doth the contrary: All which fhewing the natural power of mans will, dnd ics liberty, muft be readily acknow-. Iedged by all fides, chae will not faythac Adams firft fin, and every fid of all menelfe, are all refolved into Gods caufation in cafe of cormmiffions, and Gods non<caufationin cafe of a ig into Gods will in = ; ; |
24 Decree”
I{peak not of Grace as it 1s Gods favour, but the effe& : de gratia datay non de gratia dante.
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
and thatman can nomore do any thing but what he doth, than hecan be God, or overcome God;.or live and act without God. - And as we mult chus agree that natural Liberty confifteth in a felf-de- — termining power peculiarto Rational free agents, fo we are all agreed except the Pelagians, that mans nature is vitiated by Orjginal fin, and therefore thatthe will which is naturally free from force and neceffitation (except from God, whonever neceffitateth it to evil,) is yet in fervitude to our own concupifcence, and is not free either from the enticements of fenfe, or the erroneous condué of a blinded mind, or from its own
_Nicious habits, (averfenefs to God and holy things, and pronenefs to things
fenfual, and feeming good: ) And therefore that this Holy, or Moral Liberty of che will, muft have the Medicinal Grace of Chrift to heal it 5 (of whichnext.) . . : | |
IV. And as to the Article of Effe€tual Grace, itis agreed on ( and cannor with fobriety be’ gainfayed without: fubverting the main doctrine of © the Scripenres ) that whereas befides the Preparatory or Promeriting Grace of Chrifts own performance, there is yet a three-fold Grace necel- {ary for the application or conveyance of the Benefits purchafed by Chrift; in the meafure hereafter mentioned, all this is common. "J. The firft fort of Grace lyeth inthe enacting of 4 new Law of Grace;
‘called alfo in feveral refpects, The new Teffement, the new Covenant, and
the Promife. And as to this it is agreed, 1. That God made this Law, Covenant or promife in the firft Edstion with Adam and Eve after the fall, Gen3.15. (the feed of the woman {ball break the Serpents head, ) and did by Adfwal Remiffion, of their fin, and xot-punifbing them as the firft Law threatned, yet more plainly manifeft to them the perdoning Grace of this Covenants And that he made this sew Law or Covenant to all mankindin and by them: And that he again renewed the [ame Covenant of Grace with all mankind iz Nosh after the deluge. Thofe few inconfiderate perfons that deny this, are not fo valuable as to be an exception to our Concord. It isan intolerable conceit of any to think that
- the tenouror fence of the Conditional Covenant of Grace (for I talk of
no other ) -extendeth not univerfally co all men, bue that any men are
_-yet lefc under 00 other Law or conditional-promife or Covenant, tham
that of Innocency. For if chacwere true, 1..Then God fhould be fuppofed to make men a promife of Life, on a condition of prefent natural impoffibility; And to fay to finners [ Jf you be wot finners, you fhall live.J 2. And to oblige men to the fame Impoffibilities as che means of their falvation, faying ftillco finners [ I require you finners that you be no finners chat you may be faved..}} 3. Which is indeed to fay that the cafe of all chat are under che firft Law of Innocency only is defperate, and they have no more hope or remedy than the Devils. 4. And then Chrift had miftaken the matter himfelf, whenhe commanded his Minifters to Preach - this Gofpel or Covenant to all the world, andevery ( humane ) Creature, and tellrhem that If they believe they hall be a and to offer them Baptifm if they confent. 5. And either Preachers muft preach.n untruth to many, or elfe not know what man topreachto, 6. But the a@tual force and obligation of the Covenant, puts all ouc of doubt, that the world is under a Lawof Grace: For what man, that by fiding hath not his underftanding utterly diftorted, to look only on one fide, can fay thae none but the Electare bound to Believe in Chrift, or to Repent of fin, or to curnto God¢ and this asa means of their falvation ¢ What man dare fay, thac any Heathens in the World, are under no obligation, to ufe any means at all, for the pardon of their fins, or the recovery and faving of ad their
And the Sub-operations of Alan's WAll: -
their fouls ¢ Whatman dare fay that it is’no fin inthem-not to ufe atly
_fuch means ¢ And what duty or fin can there’ be without a Law ¢ Arid what Law can. bind mento accept of Grace, arid to feek:it, and ufe meads for pardon, renovation and falvation; buc the new Covenant or Law of
Grace? Surethe Law of Innocency hath no fuch obligation, ' 7. Laftly, And Gods ufage of all the world, puts the cafe paft Controverfie: For he ufeth no man according to the meer Law of Inriucency: All'che world have a great proportion of the Mercies of the New Covenanc 3 ‘and therefore are not under the Covenant of Innocency alone ©)
Yet we maintain thac the preceptive part of the Law of Inrfocency asto the future, is ftill in force to all'men [ Obey perfectly 5) And that the penal part is fo farin force as to make ike the fit inftant due fot every fin: But we add; 1. That the Remedying pardoning Law - being in force with it, doth immediately diffolve thar obligation, and‘niake ict un: effeCtual to che punifhment of believers: 2, And that the ‘Promifixe part of the Covenant of Innocency is utterly ceafed by the ceffation-of man$ capacity: And therefore that che Preceptive part ( for perfection.) is now no Condition of Lifeto anyman, . a |
Two things I was wont in my Ignorance to fay againft-the univerfal tenour of the new Covenant. 1, That God diftinguifhed and excluded fome atthe firft making of it, under the name of the Seed of the ‘Serpent: But 1. No Scripture giveth us the leaft ground to think that men equally guilty, are fome called the Seed of the Serpent, and fome of the Woman, meerly as denominated from or diftinguifhed by Gods own will or decree, without any real difference in theperfons. 2. And if the Image of Satan in Original fin, were it that denominated the Seed of the Serpent, then allthe world fhould be excluded, becaufe all are fuch before they are regenerate. 3. Thereforeitis plainthaticis noc meer Original fin. chat denominateth any one, the Serpents Seed, in the fence of that Text, but a confequent rejection and oppofition of the Mediator or Grace of thenew Co- —
2. Twas wont inmy great Ignorance in my youth to think, chat All. men were meerly under the-firft Covenant, till Converfion, and then they came uncerthe fecond only. Butthis wasbuc Confufion. To be under a Law or offered Covenant, as the terms of life or death, is one thing ; And fo all are under a Law or Covenant of Grace, and no.man under the meer Law of Innocency ; obliged to perfection as che fole condition of life: And to be obedient to this Law, and a Confenter to this Covenant,
and {0 to bein the Covenant as Mutual, is another thing 3 And:this is the
cafeof Confenters only.
So that Imay take it for granted that we aré agreed, that asto the firft | Edition of the Law of Grace to Adam and Noe, it extendeth or is in force to all the world, at leaft, cill by enmity againft Grace, they have made -_ themfelves defperate as the Serpents feed: Yeathen, the Law of Grace is.
in force to them, though chey reject the Grace of it. | 9. And as to the laft Edition of the Covenant of Grace by Chrift, 'z. The tenour of itextendeth to all; as is vifible Afatth. 28.19. Afark 16.16. Fob, 3.16. 2. AndChrift hath made itthe office of his Minifters by his commiffion, to promulgate and offer itto all. 3. And whereas providence concurreth not to the univerfal execution, we muft dll confe(s, that Chrift came not to put the world into a worfe condition than he. found themin. If he did any no goodby his Incarnation, he would do themnoharm. Therefore they that never hear the Gofpel, are ftill undet athe firft Edition of the Covenant made with Adam and Nosh, {fo far: | | t
@
Of God's Gratious Operations on Man's Soul ;
stis unaltered. I add that word, becanfe, that fo faras the Promife was to give falvation by the Mefftah hereafter to be incamate, none is now bound to expect his future Incarnation; becaufe ic is paft; But the fame benefits thac were due co believers before Chrifts incarnation, are due fince upon the true performance of fo mach of che condition as is ftill in force, and not repealed. | 3. And wemuft needs agree, that che Ignorance of the Apoftles before
Chrifts fufferings, of his death, facrifice, and refurreCtion, doth thew, chat the faith of the Godly Jews then, was far more general, and le{s particu- Jar, than the faith new requiredof Chriftians, 2! ~ 4. Andaifo, chat more was required then, to be known particularly by
the Jews that had the Scriprnre and Tradition to acquaint chem with the Meffiah co come, than of the reftof the world, that had ‘not thofe difting difcoveries, nor Abrabam’s promifes made known unto them: And how much Gew. 3.15. might canfe them to underftand, we may conjecture by the words. Ac leaft chis much was required of all, chac they believe chat their fia deferveth punifhment, and mifery, and yet that God of his abundant mercy, by his Wifdom fecuring his Trath and Juftice, will pardon fin and grant falvation to allthaceruly Believe and Truft in that his Wifdom and Mercy, and repent of their fins, and unfeignedly give up them- {elves to God as their merciful Redeemer. Thus far we are agreed about ‘the Grace of the Covenant, ' II. And as to the fecond fore of Communicative Grace, that is, The Promulgation of this Law of Grace, and offers of the Covenant- Benefits to man, we are and mutt be allagreed, 1. That ( befides what Tradition {a- Crificing did intimate, ) the firft Edition of the Covenant of Grace ( as is
{aid ) is univerfally promulgate by Providence. For whereas by the violation of the Law of Innocency, all bleffings were forfeited, and all miferies deferved, and no man had any notice by that Law, of any hope or means of his recovery:. on the contrary, all che world hath: great abundant mercies, and are not punifhed according to the firft Law, and therefore have fenfible forgivenefs of fins and all have an inward teftimony or conviction, that they are obliged to gratitude for thefe mercies, and alfo to. the ufe of certain means (as Repentance, Prayer, cc.) in order to their farcher rdon and falvation, And all chis fully demonftrateth thae God hath fo Ee promulgared the old Edition of the Covenant of Grace, as to make it notorious that the world is not under the meer-Law of Innocency. And to believein a Merciful pardoning God, ( as he was Exod. 34. proclaimed to Afofes ) is became eventhe Law af lapfed Nature.
2. Andas I {aid, the laft Edition of the Covenane is commanded by Chrift in his Minifters commiffion to be proclaimed to all che world: Yea Magiftrates, parents, neighbours, all men, in their feveral capacities are bound to promote iz. 3. And the world hath aétually heard fo much of the Gofpel, as thar Pas in. his dayes faid, That their found went into alk the Earth and their words to the end ofthe world, Row. 10. 18. when it had gone but a litele way in comparifon of what it hath fincedone, Thus far we are agreed of the Promulgation,
JIT, Thechird fort of Grace isthe Internal operation of the Spirit of God upon mens hearts 3 And here it is char the heart of all our difference, feemeth.to lie. |
SECT;
And the § ub-operations of Man's Will. }
SECT. I
The prefuppofed Principles,
¢. 1. He way.of Gods. operation on fouls, yea, or bodies, or aiy 3 creature, is {0 unfearchable, that I had racher filence, than pretend to decide abundance of the Controverliecs long agitated about it. And had not mens audacious decifions, and furious contentions ( not yee allowing the Churches peace) made it accidentally aeceflary to reprefs their-prefumption and their error, 1 fliould reverently have paffed by much that 1 muft now meddle with. the difeafe. | | , ?.2. So much as is * intelligible herein, is divine, and honourable, and amiable; and the profpect of Gods Providence is delectable to the wife. For ‘his works are great, and wonderful, fought out of them thac have pieafure therein. i ag - 0.3. The nature or.the order of them cannot be known by the finglé
wonfideration of particular effets; but by beginning ac che original, and
—— orderly feom the fuperiour Caafes'to che inferiour, and: feeing ow every thing worketh in its proper capacity and place: which maa
But the cure mu be fuited tO |
~ phélof. which excellently
rebuketh audacity in this. cafe. :
can ‘do but very defectively ; and therefore ‘knoweth out little of in
It. ee 3 “a Tr is neceflary therefore-that I briefly. look back to the Principles of Providence and Action; which were.pardly mentioned before, where UNITY in TRINITY fhineth to us in'God and in his works. |
9.5. *GOD is ONE INFINITE SPIRIT, in THREE ESSEN- TIAL VIRTUES or PRINCIPLES, LIFE (or ACTIVE POW. ER ) UNDERSTANDING and WILL, ¢ which are wonderfally ONE in ESSENCE, yet THREE we know not perfectly how, but as the Scotifts fay, formahter , or rather as the Nominals, by connotation of their objects. and operations 4d extra, and fo by Relation, and extriafick Denomination, Not that Life, Zatelleéé and will, are formally the fame
+ Bradwardine fi. r. G74 cor. 8. p. Se Deus 6t Suba flantia ee Potentia ratio~
Lis babens inteletum
ce listran voluntatem, cage mofrens aztnaliter & zolense ;
4n God .as in che Creature, or can formally be conccived. byus, But chat. while we muft know God in a Glals, osans foalmult be this Glafs, and tte. Scriptures muft be our Oxomafficon and Logick Bocks, and we muoft ule.
fach Notions and Names of God, Gr mone. 4
0.6. * Thefe Principles as Tranfcendent in PERFECTION, are called |
GREATNESS + (or OMNIPOTENCE ) WISDOM and GOOD.-. NESS ¢ or LOVE) by names borrowed from their effects upon the creatures, | i; | Q. 7. This ONE GOD, is revealed to us in THREE PERSONS, The FATHER, the a47@-.(-Wifdom, Word andSon) ‘and the HOLY
SPIRIT. .One in Effence:. sscomprehenfibly Three, ad intus, but as-. fcernibly Threc, intheir Operations.ad extra, and Relations thereto.
?.8. As we muft conceive of GODS.ESSENCE by INADA- QUATE Conceptions, ( as.aforefaid) or not at all, fo muft we of his ‘EXISTENCE.as in the Creature we call it Modally, vz. His ES- SENCE being 2 (fubftance,) “7RTUS e PERFECTIO ( which in the Creature, is MATTER (or fubftance) FORM and DEGREE):
‘and his FORMAL V7RTUs being Potentia-Vitalu, Intellect and will ;
‘fo his Exiftence is confiderable, .1, In VIRTUE it felf, radically, (which is Potentia Activa Inclinata,) 2.Asin Ac, IMMANENT, objectively, (as Gods felf-living, felf-knowing and felf-loving.) 3. And as
+ Communiter antique Scholaticé aguit de intel lectin, Voluntate, ® Poe tentia operativa Dei quaft
. de Potentits ratione dia
ftinctis, ainftituantque de gliis piculéares tractatus cum Magif. Thom, &c. de Volws: Dei HD. 140 §. 4. pag. 158 re he odie: It faith as much, Nibélomi= minus intra eafdem \ineas cr gradus zntellectus cm voluntatis diftinguimus Potcntiam executivam wb partem earandem Potentiae runs Butlefsaptly,
a Yer aea ae eee vee a ee. en
a _ 4 8 Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
in ACTION ad extra, either objectively or effectively TRANSIENT. And in this third refpect Gods Effence is the Operator of all his works,
0.9. The Three Divine Principles ( Vital-active Power, Intelle and will) and the Three Divine Perfons, ( Father, word and Spirit ) do alwayes infeparably co-operate, But fo as that there is a Trinity alfo of their Jmpreffions or Veftizia, which are anfwerably to have a Trine attribution, each Principle being eminently apparent in his own imprefiion, though with the reft. .? 4
?. 19. Gods WORKS are CREATION, GOVERNING and PERFECTING: And foheis 1. The firft EFFICIENT OF ALL: BEING EX QUO (by ercating and continuing, which are as one; ) 2.The DISPOSING or GOVERNING Cuule PER QUEM; 3.The END, AD QUEM, & IN QUO perfictuntur. Pee _ $41. God having given a BEING to the Creatures; and their vari=
aa _, US fpecies of being, is after by PROVIDENCE to manage therf as a: Alive or Pafive intheir feveral Capacities: Andthe ACTIVE Na- 7 tures are threefold which he hath made to operate on the threefold Pa/- fives; viz, INTELLECTUAL, SENSITIVE and IGNEOUS ( or VEGETATIVE in its proper matter ) upon AIR., WATER and EARTH. | | 3 | . 0.12. GOD is fo Aétive as not to be at all PASSIVE. . All the Active Creatures are firft Paffve as receiving the Influx of the firft Caufe, anid Inferiours from the Superiour fecond Caufes: But they are Naturally Aétive in that dependence, and fuppofing that Influx. a 0.13. The works of Providence abouc the Exiftent Creatures, are MOTION caufing Afotion:‘ GUBERNATION caufing ORDER:.and: . ATTRACTION or meet objective Termination, fatistying their Appegl uanus ft explicat tices, and giving them their Ends. * on. | ’ ne ee 9.14. MAN being endowed by his Creator with his Image, in V#ra/- Patre finas, in Filio vi- Ackive-Power, Intellect, and Free-will, a Threefold Virtue iz One, asthe nals Gan ae formal Ejjence of his fout,' is peculiarly fitted for fuch acts of Providence as omnis tffintia,. Filius et he muft be under. _ ¢ | . yee eis Sanus 9.15. As the higher and Nobler Natures are under God the Imméedi- % agitator {ex motors; | : une apud Heby. nomen hae ALE 1. Movers, 2.Governours of che Inferiour; fo alfoare they, 3. Their bet Ruah> quod fien/ticst Immedsate or nearelt End; having a Goodnefs in them fitted to attract, Hai sheared terminate and fatisfie the Appetites of the Inferiour: God is not the on- Vid. Strigcl, in Melan&. ly end of Appetites. + Thold with Batwa. 16+ The Aas of Divine PROVIDENCE about MAN- exiftent, dine \tst.cu2.cor.3. Quod ave, 1. Adtion or Motion, .2. Special Government, 3. Love. From mecefft alt Deum Seroare whence God is Related to Man (the fundamental Relation of CREATOR mediatins quacunque car. (eppofed,) +1. As ACTOR vel MOTOR, 2. AS RECTOR, 3. As AMIfa ic? Et c. pies Cus, vel FINIS, Lover, Benefactor and End, 1, ACTION as fuch ts vid facere, nih Dew fe. trom God in the firftrelation, 2. Aion as ORDERED is by him in ciat illud idem immediati- the {econd. 3.Action as TERMINATEJ) FINALLY and in perfectieee aio facien': on. is in him in che third. 7 it C. 4. COr. 3. eatim ~ amen. . ’ ; . de Deo Motore; taking 17. Creation inferreth Propriety; andmaking us Good and inter bepunecianen for proxl- ya and ad bonwm inferreth that Godis our Benefactor: So that ab oriyine -miry, and fucere ce mo- ee: ; : , vive for the action as he ftanding in thefe three Relations to us, from what is paft, he is to dé (pofe Aelia ee alee of us by Providence accordingly, | : ind comparability. @- 18. Gods Omaipotence is moft confpicuons in Creation (propriety ), aud Afotion: His wifdom in Governing and Order: and his Good will in our Benefits ( efhcicntly) and our Perfection ( finally ) in mutual Love. d.19. MOTION is caufed by asoving,orce imprefied: rants a 7 so mm Oral)
-fingle perfons,
.
: And-the Sub-operations of Man's Wik. < | 9 (moral) by LAW or fignification of Gods Will de debito: And PER: ‘FECTION by attingency and union with our END. ----
¢. 20. From. the firft refulceth NECESSITY properly-fo called: Front
the fecond Aforal. RECTITUDE: In the third is. FELICITY 35'-as t0 §.2%. Fromathe firtt (vis God as for ¥- upon Many ‘of theLniver(e, arileth CO-OPERATION. orConcurfe; All!things work togecheét; ak the Wheels in a Watch. - Frortthe:fecorid -( Divite ORDERING) arifeth HARMONY -and-from che third, UNIVERSAL -PERFECTION
Motion, or paffive impedition: and its effect as fuch not free, but Nece/?
fry. Government by Law. is refiftible,- and obedience’ free, Fina)
Goodnefs or Love, do perfec and felicicate,- xeceffarily and freely, not ef+ |
fecting, (for fo. they are not now confidered*) but fatisfying fo far as
they. are enjoyed. aa Te ea 9.23. The creation being pat, and Balazs -exiftent. (excépt what Generation and Compofition make, unfzarehably ') dnd Gods fundamental
RELATIONS fetled, we fhiall confound and be confounded, if we diftinguifh not Gods after-actions according to the Relations im which he work-’
eth.them, and. their forefaid differences inthemfclves, — "4
,
SECT.. IL | pee
° dae hal
Q. 1. Gi is the Jmmediate Caufe of all things and actions, caufed * Bradwaraize ib. p. 172.
| : ae ae ‘ : feemeth to favour Averby him, as to the Pr OXt mil y of God co the effeé&t. For he vos faying that God is
"is every where pre‘ent in Effence, and as near to'every Being and Action as Forma omnis forme, o>
it isto it felf. Wemutt notconceive of Gods ufing means, as we do of forma maxime effentialis | : rs ) | Cc} principals cuyufeunque mans, where the Pen; the Saw, the Knife, Ge. is between the hand and the formati: and fo að effect: God isas near and as total a Caufe of what he doth; asif he ufed #ll things: And indeed oe when we deny him to no {econd caules:,* | ~ 2 be the form ot any crea- 9.2. They that fay God is thus Caufa Immediata Iinmediatione Gy Sup- ture, we mean that he posits feu Effentie & Virtuti; {peak true, but rot aptly, becaufe it ill in- Pal eae a dinuateth as if Gods Hértus were not his Effence: when as in God they are fitter Analogical conceall one: only as inadequate conceptions we may diftinguith /uppofttun’ puon of God, dian that 4 virtute, but not otherwile; And it isnot a$ quid creatum that welptak the foul of the owl of Virtus. - os = | , And Ce Ide 0 210. he ¢.3.-Since the Creation, in the Azotions of Providence, God who at firft ao made the Univerfe to be Ove by conjunction and co-operation of parts God. But when he faith (as truly as.a Clock or Man is one) hath fetled a courfe of fecond co oe Caufes, that one thing may a@t upon and shove another; and though he- Naturally precede Gods work upon the Higheft of thefe Caufes immediately without any other Anowcoges and caufe fubordinate Caufe, yet on-all the reft he ordinarily worketh:by fuperiour and Efeée in God gi created Caufes: which are fome of them ‘Neceffary and operate in one is too bold. conftant.courfe, anid fome of them Voluntary and Free, and operate more murably and contingently. ° - a | ?. 4. The courfe of Necefitating Caufes is commonly called NATURE, and the Influence of dzgels and other Volustary Caufes diftinguifhed from _ Natural:: But they. all operate as fecond Caufes under the Influx and Go
vernment of God,: upon us that are here on-earth.
° |. e; 9 Of God's Gracious Operatsons on Man's Soul:
?. 5. There is no Place where any Corporeal being is. where'fome Aitive created Nature is not with it: fo that confidering the proxinssty and the watures, we may well conclude, that we know of no corporal motion under the Sun, which God effe¢tech by himfelf alone, withouc any fecond Caufe. - eee - 9. 6, Fob. Sarifburienfis arid forhe Schoolmes like Gods prefence with the Creature in operation, co the fire in a red hor Iron, where you would think all were Fire and all Iron: Bue che fimilicude is too low. The SUN is themoft Notable Inftrumens in vifible Nature: And GOD operateth on all lower chings by: its virrue and influx, Gdd and the Sundo what theSundoth: and we kaow of nothing chat God mioveth bere on earth (that’s corporeal ) without it. ee | :
Q.7. But the Sun moveth nothing ( as the Cartefams dream) by 2 {ingle sotive Influx alone, but by emiffion of its Threefold Influx ¢ as every Active Nature doth, ) that is, Alotive, IHuminative and Calefafives, which are One-radically in Three-effeCtively, © 8
@. 8. This Efflux of the Sun is uaiverfal and equal e parte fet: But caufeth wonderful diverfiry of effe@sy without diverfity in God the prime Canfe, or in it felf. The fame Inflax canfeth the Weed and Danghill and Carrion to ftink, andthe Flowers of the fweerer Plants to be fweer ¢ fome thingsto ve, and fomeé to,dye¢ fome things tobe foft, and {ome hard, ¢c. Ina word, there are few changes or various aétions below (in bodies) whichtheSun is sor the Caufe of, without differencé in ic felf: But not the fpecifying Caufe. | . 9. The reafon why one equal Influx canfeth fach wonderful diverftty of motions, is the DIVERSITY of RECEPTIVE DISPOSITI- ONS and natures, —— Ad modum recipientis. So one poife maketh various Motions in aClock, ce. | _
@. t0, God operateth on fecond Canfes, as God, Omniporensly; but not ad witimum potentia, but Freely ashe pleafeth, :
@. 11. Godworketh by fécond Cawfes, according to the faid Caules aptitude; fo that the operation of Infinite power is limited according to tbe quality of the fecond caufe which God ufeth. |
Q.12, There is a fuperiority and inferiority among Spirits as well ag Boates; Aud whether God work on all our fouls by /wperiour Spirits as fecond Caufes, is unknown to ts: It is not improbable, according to the = of his providence in other things: Bue we know litle of ir certainly. |
Q.1 : But certain we aré that fuperiows Voluntary Agents, Angels and Devils, have very much to do with our fouls, and operate upon them. It is @ wonderful power, which wife obfervers perceive Satan hath upon the Imagination, or Thinking faculty; ( of whichI could give fome inftances enough to convince a rational Saddscee.) And it is noe like that good Angels have lefs power, skill, or will |
?.14. And we are fure that God hath ordained One Great Univer [ab fecond Canfé to convey his Spirie and Grace by; which is JESUS CHRIST. As the Sun is an Univerfal Caufe of Motion, Light and Heat, to Inferiour creatures, and God operateth by the Sung So is chriff fet as a Sun of Righteoufnefs, by whom God will convey his fpiritual Influxto mens fouls: and there is now no other conveyance, to be expected.
Q.15- Chrifts Humane Nature united perfonally to the Divine and Glo-
‘rified, isby the Office of Mediator Authorized, and by Perfonal Union and
the Fulne{s of tte Holy Spirit enabled and fitted to this communication of Gods Spiritual Influx to mankind. ail eae dee | 0.16. Object,
rms 4 eee
- And the Sub-operations of Man's Will.
9.16, Object. 4 Creature cannot be a Caule of the Operation of the
Holy Ghoft, who #s God the Creator , Sending is the Act of a Superiour: Bur
Chrifts humanity is not fuperiour to the Huly Ghoft,
An(w, 1. Chrift asa Creature is no Caule of any Effential or purely, Immanent A@ of God. (for that hath no Caufe,’) But 1.He is aCanle * of the Spirits operation, as it fignifieth the effec? ; .2. And fo the caute’
why his Act is terminated on the foul, and 3. Of the ordering of thefe effects; why rather on this foul than on that, and at this sme, meafore,cxc. And.2, ThisChrift doth not as a fuperiour fender of the Spirit, but a Atinifferial, anda fecond caule: Asa Matter payeth his fervants.
as his Steward deccrmineth. iets eas 0.17. Itiscertainthat Chri/t. is the Political Caufe or Head.of this fpiritual Influx on fouls: that is, As Mediator is Authorized to determine of.
the Per fons, meafure, time, conditions, of the Communication of the Spirit :
But whether he be a Phyfical Head of this Influx, by proper efficiency ; tuing’ °
the Spirit from himfelf. as the Sun giveth us its Influx, is all that is difpucable, That is, Whether the Spirit be farft given Inherently to Chrift,. and pa{s from his perfon ( as his )’ unto us, as the Spirits do from the Head to the Members ¢ | | | ie
9.18. This queftion may be put, either of all Watural Being and Af0tion, ox only of Spiritual Afotion in the foul of man, Whether Chrift
be fo the Head of Nature, 4s chat all Nature in Heaven and Earth, is fultained and actuated by him as the phyfical efficient Caufe ¢ or whether’ this be true of this Lower world which was curft for fin? or whether it be true, atlealt of Hamane mature? or whether.it be true duly of Gracious operations? rar | | a ee ~ 9,19, 1, That Chrift hath the Political difpofe of the whole Univerfe ( contained in che words Heaven and Earth) the Scripture feemeth to affert. 2. That he hath the Political difpofal of hamane nature, and of all other creatures chat belong to man, fo far as they belong to him ( Angels, Devils, Sun, Air, Earth, ec, ) is paft difpute. 3. That the real phyfical effects (actsand habits) of the Spiric on mens fouls, arecaufed by Chrifts Moral Caufation by his Merie, and-his Political Miffion, is paft difpute. 4. That befides all this, the Spiric ic felf by Baptifm is in Covenant with all the members of Chrift, and that as they are fuch, andis in a prior Covenant firft Related co Cirift himfelf, and fo by this Covenant given us in relation as we are united:to Chr-ft, is paft difpute. §.And that Chrift him{clf doth make fuch Phyfical changes on ourfouls by AZeans,.and by the forefaid Political Miffion of the Spirit, by which we are made Receptive of more of che Spirits opzrations, is paft-difpute, 6. But whether moreover, any Action of Chriftsown Humane foul glorified do phyfically reach our fouls ¢ or whether the Holy Ghoft may in its own effential Virtue ( which is evcry where } be faid to be mare in Chritt than elfes
_ where and communicated to usasfrom the root, or the Spirits effects on
the foul co come by Reflection from the firft effects on Chrift, as Light
-
for me to determine. .
and Heat from the Sun bya Specs/am or Burning-glafs, are queftions not
9.20, Chrifts fpirienal Influx on fouls is not fingle, but is ever Three in | Oxé (as the Sug’s aforefaid, ) which are according to the Threefold Di- — vine: Excellencies Communicated, and the Threefold humane Receptive
faculties; viz. LIFE, LIGHT and LOVE: or (piritual vivificarion;
Ativity and Power, Spiritual Jamination of the Intelled, and fpiritual
Converfion ox Sandtification of the will by holy Love, | Cece Z Qeare Te
T2 Of God's Gracicus Operations on Man's Soul:
?.21. It is certain that it is not only on believers that Chrift operatcth by the #irit: For he drawethmen by it to defeve: and many wicked menthat are not his elect have common, even miraculous gifts of
* Mat. 7.215 22) 23 Ga the fpirit, * which are all communicatedby Chrift. ear. AA it 0.22. As Nature it felf is in his Polstscal power, and is delivered to | him, fo far asit is reparable, and belongeth to the reparation of man; fo all gifts and operations Received by any tn the world, which are Mercies contrary to commerit, are the effects of Chrift: Even as the Sun fhineth in the night by the Moon, and in the dawning of the day by ic {elf unfeen, . and after by it felf appearing, fo Chrift fhineth to the Heathen world inv abundance of natural and providential mercies, and by the help of many Creatures and experiences; and to fome by nearer approaches, as well as to the Church by the manifeftation of himfelf. Al! which is evidenr, ¥. Becaufe the whole lapfed world in Adam and Noe were brought under his own Covenant of Grace, according to which he operateth, 2. In that fomuch mercy after fin, will not ftand with Gods regiment by. the meer Law of Innocency, violated. 3, In that Chrift is exprefly called the Saviour of the world ; and the Saviour of all meh, efpecialy of them that believe; who dyed for all, in that all were dead, that they that live foould live to him; who tafted death for every man, &c. And Joh. 1.9, 10,11,12. That was the true light which lighteth every man coming into the world (or coming intothe world, lighteth every man.) He was in the world, and the world was made by vim, and thé world knew him wot. And v.4,§. Inhim was life, and the Life was ‘the Light of man: and the Light fbineth in darkneff, and the darknef comprebended it not, &e. | | | | 9.23. This threefold Inflax of Chrifts Spirie (for LIFE, LIGHT and LOVE) is not equally effectual on all, nor equally effeétual on the fame perfon at feveral times, noreach part of the influxequally effetual onthe fame perfon atthe fame time, Fhe Reafons anone
SECT. Ill. _ Of the Operations and Principles as compared.
¢. a Bey Power, Wifdom and Goodne ff or Love, all co-cperate by thé
. fpirit of Chrift, yee in the work of 244s Recovery their Impreffions aré not equal. Buc as POWER with Wifdom and Love,
more appeared in che CRE A FION, (as is aforefaid;) fo WIS-
DOM with Power, conveying Love, appeareth more inour Redemptions and LOVE with Power and wifdom is moft ‘confpicuous and i
| luftridts in our Remewed ftate, begun indeed by San¢tification, but perfect
* Asto the Queftion be in our G LOR IFICAT {ON. * The Omnipotent Father (as is
tween the Schoolmen de faid ) Createth Nature; with the Sos and Holy Spirit, The soz, the
ia diy. the. Thonift Wifdom of the Father, is the Phyficion of fouls, and Healeth them by SKILL
err in pone it chiefly with Power and Love. . The Holy.Ghoft, called by the Schoolmen, The
ae a se LOVE of God, dwelling and working peculiarly in us to afd in perfilly reafons for it, and fettion, with’ power and wifdom, isthe PERFECTION of thé
oS Du a (of whom foul: And fo Natera, Medel, Sanita, aré the various effe&s of che
végid, Ronan briefly + 92, Therefore the SONS operation in procuring and communi:
and clearly tells us the |
truth, Quodlib. 3. q. 18. cating the SPIRIT (of Love, and Holinefs ) is eminently faprn-
Q. 3. The
pe 187. | Beatiludo eft in tial,
And the S ub- operations of Man's Will.
9. 3. The Impreffions of all the Divine Virtues are excellent, in their feveral kinds: And it’s hard for us to fay that this is fimply more excellent than that: Bue we can fay, which is more faitable to the nature of than, to be effeemed and Lovedby him. And {0 we cfteem the Jmpreffions of Wifdom and Love as moft {uitable to us. | 2
9.4. A Horfe or Oxe exceileth, Manin {trength, and a Bird or Hare or Dog in (wiftnefs 5 and a Mouitain and an Ouk in Greatnefs: And yer we account the Wifdomand Aforal Coodneffof manto be a greater excellency, and to make him the more noble Creature. a |
0.5. And God feemeth to tell ic us, 1, By calling thefe his rinage. 2. And by making za: the Lord of thefe ftronger Creatures. a
Q. 6. And among men, we take himnot for chemoft excellent who is pon gr Soa but whois the wi/e/t andthe Be/ff. And. therefore the w2/e/# and Beff are by Ari/torle faidto beborn by Nature to Rule the reft: and by all fober menarethought to-be the Fitte/t to Guide and Reale others; (how feldom foever.it cometirto pafs:) while the Robufter fort are La- - bonrers and Mechanicks. | :
é.7. Yet Idenynot but the effect is anfwerable to the Caufe; And as Pe
A ‘t--c- Power ‘cauféth. AGion, and svifdom and Government caufeth the Order and Reétitude of action, and Love and Goddnef the Perfection of it and the agent; fo Gods Vital-Power, sh sig and Goodneff; are equal, which are the Principles of all: Asthe Father, Son arid Spirit are coequal: An Godis indeed glorious inthe A¢otion of Sun and Stars, gc, as well as in the wifd-m and Hulineffof man. But befidesthe forefaid /aitablenef, this difference muft be confidered, that as Life, Intelleit and wil, Power, wif tom and Goodnefs, are poe pe aig ge of One God, fo all together are a more perfect expreffion of him, thanone of themalone. Now in all thefe the former its ftillimplyed in the latter, as tothe very fenfe of the word, butmot contrarily, Power doth not alway fignifie wifdom or Loves bit Wifdom fignifieth the wifdom of one Potent, including power, (for there is Potentia Intelleffiva.) And willor Love include Power and Act. So Adtion may be without OR DER or Reétitude, and Perfection, but the order and perfeétion of Acts, include or fuppofe the Acts, 7 @. 8. [tis therefore the glory of Gods SAPIENT IAL work of Government which emixently fhineth forth in the communications of Grace by theSpiritof Chrift: But not that Government which was fitted to the ftate of Innocency, but that which ftands nearer to the End, as more demonftrating Love, and tending more effectually tO it. _ 9.9. Therefore itis much to be noted that all this frame of Grace as tending to Glory, is ufually called in Scripture, The Kingdom of God, and The Kin: dim of Heaven,Matth. 1 3-45, rc. which containeth the whole frame.f Political Order and Goverhment, oe hee os tok _¢.10. This Kingdom is the ftate of Relation between God and the Meiator i$ *ke Head or Ruler, and Man as che Subject, as he is to be guided by Grace to Glory. God whois Phyfically neither pars nor Tota makech hin‘clf here as it were a Relative Part, being the fupream Hedd; and the Mediscor the fupream officiat Head, or general Adminiftrator: who hath ude: him a courfe.of Political means for the accomplifhment of this Hiswork, oa eS tr. As Chrit himlf is the Head Me
ans or{¢cond Canfe, fo under im are Propkers aad Anoftles. erninently qualified to make thent fic Ke
do this work to as ceadeth to iuccels;
-
cer
g.t2. Thefe
ee aléquo finaliter ¢e in a'i quo formaliter, Nin fi ipfum objecium principa'e Voluntat:s, prout babet rattonem finis, fit bratitudo, oportet quod veatitsda pring cépaltter fit in hae obrce G0 S—— & carfequenter formaliter ia actu Voluntstis, Nam Voluntas in {uun objettun tendit finaliters fed per fium adlum
tendit in obje‘twn forms liter: Ex quo aorarét quod beatitusdo fit mags in ina objecte Voluntats, quan in ais quia ratio fins off magis in objeto quain in acu. \This is clear truth, if you put but fiz/s alone for beatitudo: For Beatitudo qua talis is not the
rincipal end of man;
ut God as God in his rfe& Goodnefs, and the fulfilling of his will nexc 3 and chen ourown beatitude with that of the blefied: And he maketh Vifion ( and noc oe to be the fecondary final obje& ofall.
By sfecial Grare, fome mean two diftin@ things: viz 1.Our Loveto God and other holy Habits and a&s, or an Inclination to them. 2. Gods favour to us, and acce- - ptation of us, and chat as relating to the Glory which he will give us: fothat the firft they call the Habit of Grace, quz ens & qualit.s, &c. and the latter they call the formal nature of Grace, VIZ. quatinus Deo gratiofe feu amaté fumus. So Alvarez de Aux. disp. 6ce p- 275+ (.Gratiam augeré in effe gratia, (& fimili ter charitas in effe charia tatis,) nibil aliud eft quam quod per illam acceptetur juftus ad majorem gloriam.| By. which he decideth the queftion, whether Grace or Charity be increafed by remifs a&s, oronly by intenfe a&s, faying that [ 1.Gratia in effe gratie, & ee Charitas in effe Charlttatis flatim augentur, etiam per actus remiffos ( that is, We are made more acceptable to God, for greater glory: ) But augmentum gratie €% charitatis in effe Habitus, quod homo meretur per aftus remiffos, dabitur poftea in primo inftanté glorification nis.) And it feeins chat
fo they fometimes take Charitas too, both for the Habit and A& of our Love, and for our Amzbility or Dearnefs to God. Naw this 1s ill done: For thefe equivocal words {enifie thefe, not as one, but as two diftind things: Amor C Amabilitas or Dearnefs are two things: Though Love be mater!- ally our Lovelinefs, yet not formally: the latter being an obje@ive relation refulting from the former.
Oj God's Gracious Operations on Man's S oul :
Q.12. Thefe Prophetsand Apoftles were endued with that fpecial infallible Spirit, by which they certainly delivered Chrifts doétrine and actions, and faithfully difcharged all their cruft.
— §.13. They had the power of working Miracles many wayes to confirm their doctrine asthe Truth of God. ( Befides chrifts Miracles. )
d. 14. The Scripturesare Gods Record, which they left us to be the continual ftanding fignifier of his will.
.15. Inthele Scriptures are his Doctrine to teach, his precepts to make duty and oblige, and forbid fin ( by prohibition;) his own and fervants examples to move; his threatnings todrive, his promifesto draw, formed into a Covenant, ftrongly to exzage; the Records allo of his Fudgements and Afercies upon others, that tuey might every way be fitted to their fan- étifying ule. | ; | ; 16. He hath alfo inftieuted his sacraments by which che mucual Covenant might be celebrated the: more oblig ngly for its effects.
9.17. He hath appointed his ordinary Mint/ters as his flanding officers through all generations to preach this word, And he endoweth them
with fpecial gifts thereto; and chargerh them vehemently to preach in feafon andeut of feafon, with urgency and importunity; even to all mankind, 2 Tim. 4.1, 2% Mat.28.19, 20, whatever it coft them, and whatever they undergoe. oe oe 9.18. Hehath appointed alfo Prayer as his Means to obtain Grace by preparing the heart to a due receptivity; by the excitation of defires after it: Aud Pratfe and Thanksgiving to {weeten it to us in the review when we have receivedics! | — ,
9.19. He hath commanded excrcifes of humiliation, confeffion, bringing downthe body, to fit us co receive ic by a due fenfe of our fins, unworthine‘sand wants. 7 : | a
9.20, He hath appointed the publick affembling of his fervants, thac concur.e might augment the Sacred flame, in the performance of all this Sacred work,
Q.21. He hathinftituced the Lords day, tobe wholly employed in fuch works and helps, that ic be not neglected and lightly done.
?. 22. He hath commanded every private Chriftian co be a helper to others, by conference, exhortation, and good example,
¢.23s He hath made Paftoral difcipline a great ordinance to promote the due performance of all the reft.
?.24. He hath commanded us by fecret Atedttation, Confideration, Examination, ¢c. to preach to our felves, and night and day to think on Scripture, God, Chrift, Glory, ec. and to ftir up all Gods graces in our felves, and to reprove our felves for all our fins.
?. 25. He hath made it the duty of Parents toteach their Children diligently his word, lying down and rifing up, at home and abroad, Dewt. 6.
— @ 1. and to educate them in che nurture and admonition of the Lord, ha- . ving bound chem firft in Covenant to God and the Mediator.
_ 26. Hehath made it the duty of busband and wife to help each other herein, and of a/fersto help their fervants, and all relations to fanctifie
__ their places and opportunities to this ufe.
¢.27. Hedoth by multitudes of mercies and deliverances further all this
__. Work, to make known the more his Love to win the hearts of men.
_ 9.28. He greatly promoteth it alfoby feafonable afflictions, to humble
‘the proud, and awake che fleepy.
| "And the Sub-operations of Man's Will | a
‘ 9.99. Hemaketh it mens great duty to tame the body, and miortifie concupifcence, and make no provifin for the flefo to [atisfie the lufts thereof, Rom. 13. 23,14. & 8.13, Gal.5.a1,22. | - 9.30. He commandeth us to svord the company of the wicked, and to joynin the Communion of Saints, and walk with {uch as will be our helpers toward Heaven. — es, at
9.31. Hecommandeth us to avoid all Temptations of Satag, dnd the world and fcfh, andtolivein acontinual waragaiaf them.
?. 32. He maketh allthe world about us, the book o¢ gif in which we may fee our maker and his will, yea even out ome wataress and ewers Creature doth preach him to us; anid this holy end. a _ | cham 8 eee
?. 33. He fetteth Death continually before our eyes, affliting us of the fhortnefs of our lives, and fhewing us how we mut leave this world, that we may read Vanity upon all, and not be deceived by ic, ;
34. By allthis we fee char this Kingdoms of Chriff, is a fapiential frame of Aoral Caufes, defigaéd for the Gevernment of maxy in right or-— dering bis internal and externalacts, dad glorifyiag eminenrly the wifdow -
of our Ruler. — on. wath?. 35. And he that will think rigficly of thisexcellem frame inott have all thefe things in his confideration; 1. That Cherift himfclf is not only
2a Fufifier and Ador of us, but a Prophet, Prieft and Kiay, add thac the
Government is laid upon his (boulders, Ufa. 9.6.
_ a. That we are not only Patsenss and pardoned. franers, bit alfo Sab-—
jects, and engaged Covementers,
. Thar Chrifts Charch ig not like. 9 Statsaries oop, but a Kingdom,
and a School, where all mult armand obey. | : 4 Thac Chrift hath nos only Agotsve power but Laws, Promifes, Threatnings, Sc. to work by. ; Ss | _ §.. That his great bleffings of Glory arc his Rewards, and Hell at laft after thole here, are his pusi(bments, foretold to work on fouls,
6. That he hath aday, in which as Recfor, he will judge the world i
rightcou[uef\, according to what we have dome in the body. |
7. That faith is wrought by Preaching, and Love and Hope and obedience are the ezds and ufes of faith, *. |
8. Thatche feéciep of individuals, andinthem of the Heavenly Society in one Glorified body with Chriff, isthe end of all, where Gods Remuseyating Fuftice is tabe-glorified, and his governing wifdem and Love for ever. ; Ce ee See: : Q. 36. Fromall this I conclide, That they chat flight all this work of God by che contemptuous name of Adoral Sua(on, and take it to be 4 dininative term as tothe honour of it, to call ic Atoral, and by Adcan3, and talk of Gods work of Grace on the foul, asif chere were nd-more in it very honoittable, chana phyfical Mobion; aad God Converted {ouls but as Boyes whip their Tops, or Womenturn their Wheels, or the Spring moveth the Watch, are Cartefian blind Theologues, and overlook the very nature of that Theologie which they profes, whichis the Doéfrine of the Xingdens of God over ivan And while they (ee little but acester and 140ssen, they are ficeer mechanically co treat of or deal with Scones, or Bricks, or Timber, than mex 5 being unit to treat of bumane Government, much more of Divine:
SECT.
all things mut: be fandined, adc ufed od .
“Agid.ColumnRom.fuodl. I. (ile 2e pe § citeth Dionyf, dedive nom. 1. 3.aS holding that every order of fecond caufes is like a beam of light ftreaming down from God, as fo many cords let down to men to draw them up to God: And if a man fhould take hold of one of them and afcend to Heaven, he might 1magine that Heaven did bow down tohim, when indeed it moveth not, but he would draw himfelf up to it: fo when upon Prayer or other (econd Caufes, God doth us good, he feemeth to incline and bend to us, but itisnot fo, but he 1s unchangeable and it’s we that are drawn and movedto him, and by the ufe of means by us, we are conjoyned to Gods purpofe, that the things may be done for us which
he hath decreed : Vid.
réliq. where he confutech the contrary e¢r- Fours.
Of God's Gractous Operations on Man's Soul: | SECT. IV.
| How far God ufeth Means.
1. Hrift who isthe chief means is ufed in all the Conveyarices of Ny Grace, to any one in che world. | Q.2. God hath a doable work in’ Illuminating and Converting fouls : One by.aitivity of exterionr appalfive caufes : The other wethin us on the aculties-of the foul ,- without thofe caufes. I cannot better illuftrate ic than by the caufing of ficht, hearing, &c. The Light without us, is not only a terminating objet ( asfomedream,) buc an Active thing, or Action which opetateth by’ ppulfe upon the eye : And the Suz and ‘Aire are the cafes .af.it, Theeyeis not only apaffive Receiver (as {ome dream, ) but an Organ where the wfive fpirits, and foul are Adiive: And God worketh insernallyonthis vifive faculty by his influx, to faftain it in its Gi. vity. : And bya congrefs of thefe two fires or Adtive canfes, the fenfitive foul doth: fee, - Now we.all know that God givech the extermal light only per me ata, by the Sux, &c. But how he fuftaineth and aétuateth the Vifive facalty is more difficult. His own txflux or Cadfation is undoubted ::And that thefame Sun wt caufe wniver{alis cherifheth and moveth the wifive fpiréts : But whether God move the fenfitive faculty or foul ic felf, by any fuperiour (Pirit, or mediate caufe,in its motion or action towards and on the extertour light, is paft our knowledge: ( Though the order obferved in other cafes, oy a it not improbable. ) ‘ Even fo in the /Agmination of the mind, and conver fion of the will, we are fure that befide the terminative object, there is an external pois which by the forefaid means is made at leaft om the feafes, and smagination, whatever it do further on the Jetelleé : But in the fuperiour Influk on the foul it felf, whatufe God may make of Azgels or other fuperiour [pirits or caufes, we eannot tell, We ‘are fure (asis faid ) that if there be a fecond caufe, yet asto proximity it isnever the lefs neerly from God : And fouls being /ntelectual; and for ought we know of the higheft nature of Creatures, though notthe bighe/t Degree, neither is improbable, chac er mg us re i — 7 or that he doth ic without. 3 9.3. Bucas Chriffs fore-defcribed mediate Caufality is {till {uppofe itis certain that God doth not only work (as re Jpn me
‘with che word, but 4y2# as his /n/Frament. Though his wayes of co-operation are paft the reach of man: yetthis much isfure, 1, That he adapreththe means to do their work, both word, Minifter, ge. 2. And that his coneurfe maketh the due Impreffion on the fenfe and imagination. 3. And though no Philofopher certainly know whether the Images in the phantafie
-be meerly paffive as co the Intellect, or what ufe is made of them and the pa/-
‘fions to Intellection and Volition , yet fuch ufe as is naturally to be made of them for thefe ends, God maketh, and manageth them wane lh ta by shill
ane power 7 : [email protected] Buthere MOTION the effe& of Active force, and ORDER of motion,as the effect of GOVERNMENT, thes be well diftinowithed: For itis noc fo much the fecond Casfes of the fouls Action, as fuch, chac We are now enquiring after: But of the ORDER and Rec#itude of its eg nee is done by Government. . 5+ That God doth work Grace on man by means, ordinaril, dinarily hecauleth zatural effects by means} me Aix ears oe proved by all thefe followie ieee bane’ Misacieg are sare ) maybe ) @6. Ida
never do in vain; nor if he ordinarily worke without them that work
which he hath appointed themto do. Itisthe reafon of the Brittifh Divines in their fuffrages at Dort, HadnotGod deereed to work Grace by means, he could have done it with a fiat. |
9.7. 2. The Glory of this Kingdom or Sapiential Rule, whichis fo conftancly and largely given himinthe Scripture, P/fa/.103. to. and 145.and
119, throughout ; and Atatth.25. As the Ship-matfter or Pilot is praifed
who by a Helm can turn about the Ship as he will, Fam. 3. 4.
9.8. 3. God worketh on all things according to their nature : And this is fuitable to the zature of man: And the Cuaufation is an{werable to the effet: And ORDER is amoral effecé, whichneedeth not a Creation but a moral ordering Caufatiog, ; i . g. 4. Experience telleth us that thofe ad beft in grace that moft faithfully and diligently w/e the means : And we never knew of any man in the world, that came to Actual knowledge, faith, or Love, without means; but allby thecaufalicy of them.
9.10. 5. We find that the greatelt meglecters and defpifers of means, are every where moft gracelefs, and the worft of men.
Q.11. 6. We have ( Miniftersand people ) frequent and ftrid com
mands, to “fe means moft diligently, conftantly and carefully.
9.12. 7. We have abundance of promifes of Gods bleffing upon the
ufe of means: Akt. 26.17. I fendtheeto open their eyes and turn them. Rom. 10. How fhall they bear without Preacher, &c. \fa.55.2,3. Hear
and your fouls foull live. Matth, 28.20, I 4m with you alwayes, 8k. Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you, heareth me. Pflal. 19. 7, &c. The Law of the Lord % pure —Converting the foul. 1 Pet. 1. It % the incorruptible Seed that regenerateth us. Heb. 4. The word is and a fearcher of me heart, &c. Oo Oo 9.13. 8. When God will fave a people he fends them the Gofpel, and when he will for fake chem he taketh it away,
0.14. 9. The Devil fheweth his malice to fing the means, depriving men of from the faithful ufing of them. ae . —_
9.15. But itisnoneof my meaning that the dare means of it felf doth change the foul, or that it is the principal canfe : But only that God operateth Moral effects by Moral means , as he doth Natural by Natural ‘means, being ftillthe prime Caxfe of all himfelf,
fouls and grace, by oppothem, or keeping them from them, or
powerful —
Licet omnis taufa fecundd propréie détta, caufet effes. Elum ex natura rei, tamen quod ipfa fit caufa non eft ex natura vei quia folum ex voluntate Dei. Alliac, in 4. q. 1. F.
@. 16. If wethus conjoyn all Caufes and feparate not what God hath,
conjoyned, it will helpus the better co efcape errour in this matter,’ But if men will dream that all the honour or action that is afcribed to fecond taufes, is a derogation from God and adifhonouring of him, they forfake the truth and injure him. | So | | |
0.17. Forif this were true, that to homosr the wicaws or acknowledge fecond Cauies, and their aptitude and efficacy, is to difhonour God; then God fhould be the greateft difhonourer of himfelf, by making.and sfing fach cautes andmeans; And fo many Creatures as there be in the world, fo many difhonours are caft on God ; and the excellenteft Creatures would difhonour him moft: which fottifh conceit muft needs be joyned with szanicheifm, that an tll God was the Maker of the world, Godis Glorious in qll his works, and ghineth cous in them all. * | |
Dddd
Though God be proximsa C not as in loco) in all his operations, yet feeing h
Operateth by fecon
caufes, he doth it ace cording to them, as all experience tells us ; Therefore to end thefe Controverfies, we fhould confider more how thof¢
' caufes operate,
SECT, .
18 Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
SECT. V.
Of the Caufes of the different E iffects of Grace and 2teans,
* Gerhard, Tom. 2 de lis. 02 Te * A LI that is Good im the Difference between man and man, is arb, cap. 6. § te fuppol- willed by God, and Casfed by him: But nothing that is
eth that no caufe of the ae: ethcacy of Grace 1s Morally Evil,
found in the will of 9, 2. As in Natsre, God feemeth to Canfe Motion in genere by anequal man, as being dead and pp irey (gf Influx of the Sux, which maketh no pel ye fe, but per
; but thar f | ee ee iy é : Sei ie ae accidens 5 But the wonderful variety of motions and effects is otherwife
cally determine the caufed: So it feertieth that Chrift the San of Righteouinefs, affordeth by
will, bute fo work as 1. . ne -_T a. Avon Gea power to bis Adeans of Nature (whicli he Politically manageth ) an indiff2rent inrefit: and that refift- flux or help for Action as Action to the fouls of men: which as Dr. Twiffe
and man by nuking aS the repriving of Nature is Grace) fo far as it is meer Power to Abt s
Grace uneffedtual, becaufe it is equally indifferent to a good aét asabad, and to do ot And Georg. Calixtus was |
of the fame mind, as you NOC do. : ee bet may {ce in his words de ¢. 3° The Power of Action as fuch, being given by AR equal Nataral sae ale seni Univerfal Influx, itis the ORDER of Adtions, where we muft enquire num, 33. See reBlank Of the difference and its Caufe. | = Tih de diftinit Gratien =a, Action it feff isnot a proper fubfantial being, but a Atodus Rei: : Buc yet it’ is fucha azode as (by the Cartefians leave ) requireth more Canfation to it, than a meer nog agere doth. But ORDO Aétionum is bat a modus modi,. - ae a” |
.5. ORDO is the beauty of the world, ‘and foul, the genus of all
Relation in fundamento, and of all morality, and worthy to have had a
notable place in the predicaments: And yet we know not what to ca// St,
whether any thing or nothing. The ORDO Rerwm is not Res: And it is Rerum flatus; which we better know iz fe, than we know with whac Logical Notion to.cloth it, | = - 9. 6. This excellent Nething is the {umm of Morality in its form's and the bufinefs of frail man on earth, and much of the glory of the | Church triumphant in Heaven. It is Gods work and not oars to make new fabfiances; It is ours to keep ORDER in oar felves, asGods work, yea, in the,4/¥ions, which God by Natureenablethusto, So vaina thing
is man that can do #0 more than this, nor this but by the Power given
him of God.
2. 7 Vainly therefore-do thé Dominicans pretend chat ic isa Deifying of the Will of man to fay-thae-God can enable it to Caufe the various ORDER of mans A@ions, by meer. moral: helps, without Gods predetermining premotion to that order. For this isto caufe no Real being. And
/.t he thaviscmoved to the A@ in géneve needeth no more -premotion from "God, to the diforder and finfulnefs of the AG. | : “css 0 8. And they thaciwill call che production of faith, a Creation inthe 9, sic; | Ttact and proper fenfe,-do-not underftand, that Creatio eft Rerum, non OR- Poy... DENIS rerumjam creatarum, vel exiftentinm. An AG is of it {elf improps + perly faid'to be eveared, in ‘a pre-exiftent Agent: That is not called created. which is educed 6 potentia materie; nor that which is produced wie by the Potentia Activa pre-exiftertis forme: Faith is an A@ of the fame Natural Power or faculty which we had before: And Grace (or rather ‘ature ulually ) fufcitateth that facatty to the Ad as an AUE in gemere: | And
[| ie eee. eee
end the Sub-operations of Man's Wells +
And Grace doth caule us to ORDER that actaright, as:to.the due vé- | ject, and other ciscumftances.” But if any will callic a Creation, Icon tend wot abourthename. 2 ke ae ee i ae
%. 9. But che whole ftare of. che Wan, Habitwal, Relative and Pratticat fet weether; is called ia Scripmre, a ew Creature, and the New. 142, tropically, bue noe pofitly: Partly becaufe we ate really naw, shough not by. another Haswpity.or Species of Natural Efferce, yet by many zicsidents:: And. partly, becaufe shefe Accrents are fo. greut. aiid. make {3 great ‘a change ‘of put ftave, as chat they emllate a waterel Rffence 5 and we ufe to fay in. common zhings, chat whett.an’ unleained.man ‘is mad¢ learned, anda pdor’man a Prince, and a-dying man healthful. che is another man. eee Mess eer: a a. Pegs die, -
"@. 40. Though-Gielbe one and the fame, and Chrift the fatne, and:the Law and word and many Anrecedent means the fame to many oa whom they have different effects, This difference:may be caufcd niany’ Wayesr As.1.'By the diverlicy of. ochee ixfertour or. concomitant ‘fecond canfast 2. By the diverle Di/pofition of the Recesvers (acommon caule of varie ties inthe World: ). 3. By the diverfity of Lmpedi ments and temptations: Aad many-other wayts.. se * . = oa i pre * The preat queftion is, How far the diverfity of Receptive Dif-
The Caufes of diffes rence. |
* 1 know that Bradnarpoftions is from: God? Antw..t. God made all equal at firlt in. Adana. dint I 2. Ce 326 Core 2. All were equal in fin by hisfall. .3. Cain and Abel differed from fe- non dare’ (cientiam, gree
veral caufes, and not one alone. Abel differed from Cain in faith -and obedience, by Gods grace as thé chief caufe, and his ows will and agency
p. 612. faith chat Devs
tiam aut perfeverantiam
few quodlibet munus {usm
creature capaci, eff caufa
as the fecond caufe. Cain differed from Abel by unbelief and fin, by his 917¢ ipfa non accipit, &
own will and Satans temptatibns. .4. The:fins of later parents ( as of Cain, Cham, Efau, Achan, Gehezl, Gc, ) make a further difference, by depriving their pofterity of (omemeans, helps or grace,’ which elfc the had been equally capable of withothers. 5. It is certain that maz hat much to do about his own beart, by which he is to be the fecond cau/e bana aan Receptive difpofitios, and if he fail, is the only-canfe of his ‘4nat[pofition, — > bie; a
ra Differeiue is but Diffimilitude: And an alteration of ove of che Cubjects which fever, will malte it diffmele or to differ from thé other. When the good Angels ftood and the evil fell, if you usky he made the
difference, It was the Devils by forfaking their firft eftate: Though Comffitutively, both their fm, and the Angels obedience made the diffrnilitade,, | If you fuppofe Casm and Abel equally under grace at firft,and ask,Who made. the differerice, I anfwer, Confstutively Gains fiw and Abels vighteoufne(s
makerb, ox is, the difference: But.as to Repatative éffisiency, Catz ‘made the differerice by rejecting grate. . So if you fhould fuppofe two
-eqnaliy qualified with common grace, ‘and one of them to 4ofé it, the eth-- -cience of the difference is Imputable to bim. But if yoa {ippofe pve -
equally loft in fin; and ene converted and not the ober, rahe Contticutive -
Caufes of the difference. are omes fin and the others repentance... Bucthe
Imputable efficiency is Gods grace and mans repentance of will; that -is
‘recovered, =
* O13. Bac when:Peal doch ask, [ who made thee to differ ? | he mean- |
eth [whe gave thee that good by which thou diferest?} -and expoundeth it by (het halt thon which thom baft- net vecesved? And no doubt but all geod is received from God: And this would have held true, if
“God had by equal operation done as much on the other which had been uneffeaual by his indifpofition or rejection, — eg le es ee | Dddd a i 4 Q.14.
non habet: .c% non @ Core tra, Et(p.61g.) Que quid obex dicatur pate't tila vefpenfio corripe, cum gullus polftt bunc obicem tollere nifé Deus, vel per Deum prius pretollentem 5 co fi ipfe eum volierit tol- — lere, irve(iftibiliter tollctur; Auferam cor lapideniy
Q.14. Nature and Scripture perfwade us, that the. fame meafure. of |
help or influx is not enough to make ene repent or believe, which is enough to make a#other. For the difference of fomds, and temptations, and /mpediments plainly prove it: The fame freagth will not move a Mountain, which will move a Feather: nor the fame Teachixg make an ignorant Set to underftand which fervetha prepared perfon. 0. 15. Bodily aptitude, ox ineptitude do much to vary receptivities 5 which are ufnally Gods punifhments or rewards for Parents ations: And oft-times for mens own: Some by fornication, gluttony, drunkennefs, {ports and idlenefs, make themfelves even next toBrutes. | @.16. Bue we have great Reafon from Scripture to believe chat though Gods Laws be equal, and his Fadgements where mex do not make ah inequality; yetas afree Lord and Benefador, he dealethwsot eqaally with all that are of equal merit: Though hedono man wrong, nor deny aay what he promifed in his Word, burt perfect Fuffsce asa Gevernour, yethe may do with bis ow as he liff, and he will be /pectally goed to fome, though others fee it with an evil eye. | re ee ¢.17. Whether af that are eleé# havé at firft a greatér miéafure of the Divine help and imprefs than asy that are not converted, no man can fay (of which more anon. ) But certainly ail che elect were fore-decreed by _ Gods will to that certain converfion, which others were act fo decreed to:
SECT. VI.
Of the Limitations of Gods Operations on the Sout.
d. 1. i tem which fticks in the minds of many is, that God being ) Omnipotent, all his operations muft be equally unre fiftible and effeactoas, becanfe none can conquer God: Bat they muft.confider, that though he be Almighty, yet hedoth not all that be cas do: nordo his works equally manifeft fis Omnipotency. And there are thefe caufes, for Limiting his operations in the effects. _ © 3 7 ae ee inna: =e 3+ ¥+* The chief catife is his wifdom and Free-will. It ishis will todo | is aoe. volunta- What he doth, and todonomore: which hath no cante. via. Naturalis per occul-- 9, 3, 2, Another caufe is, that God opérateth by Fefus Chriff, whofe
pag ly soars pare Humanity is finite, being a Creature, andGod worketh according to the at incrementum. Volun- Jaftrument or medium >, As he fhineth by cheSun, Moon or Stars, acpene Le aoe a Leche ig feveral natures, and not according to his meer omnipoteneztera. Anguft. de Ge- Cy, fo € communicate Grace by Jefus Chrift. © 3 nefi ad lit. L8.cap.9. & — 9, 4, + And Chrift by Office being Xing and Prophet, will operate upon ae oi (Chrift) certain terms which in his Sepsestial Government ~ fers down. And God could thee ‘ Mn ee ™ not gee — terms, . | _s wor Au Kno - ° ° *: ; . 5+ 3.Alfo under Chrift there are many fwbordinate Caufes, These er a ice ok Wc, Snes, aad ik i cee nek ee ek es * a PB sotiyne 4, Chrift will work according to thefe means. Though he tye noc himfelf City: with many fuch from doing more or otherwife. I have proved that this is his wfsel syay. eS sade an And the effeé will be /imited according to thefe econd caufes. Pe leprigh tiie py. ©. - 6-Asthe Sun fhineth on us firft in and through theair, which abatesh fomewhat of its force; and thea through the exhalations, and then oe | 4 tne
. And the Sub-operations of Man's Will)
the glafs window, and each maketh fome alteration as to the effect on ts: fo is it in this cafe. ; vs:
%.7. 4.But the notable limitation is the forefaid Indifpofition of the. Receiver. Every eye hath a tunicle which the Suns light mutt penctrate:: But he that hath a fuffufion, or he that winketh, hath a greater impedi-: ment to limic the effect: fo is ic with the various: degrees of J:.défpofitions. or moral incapacity, which yet be nothing if God did work 4. wltimum. poffe, and did not as aforefaid; work according to his free will and {econd.
caules.
SECT. VIL |
Of the Refyftibility of Grates “eG
oe O Ref: ¢ 7 frvely *; as a ftone receiveth not the rain 4d satus 5 or as oyl refifteth water; or hard things receive not impreffionsas the foft. 2. Or Not-to-Receive- Actually; which is Receptio Morals, aS aman receiveth not a gift who cofenteth not; or ashe refifteth the light who will not
an Aétive oppofition, which is more. As amanrefifteth an Enemy; ( with:
heart or hand); or a man by Nolition, and not only Nos-volition refiftethafuiren 2. — |
Q.2. Mans finful foul Refifteth Gods gracious operations, all chefe wayes. 1, It is Paffsvely become wndifpofed to Reception© Andthus he is faid to have a hard heart of flome, and a feared con{cience, and to be dead and paft feeling, Ephesians 4:18, 19. G2.1,2. 2. It doth not do what ic can do morally to receive grace; that is, ic doth not Comari or fufcitate it fe/fto be willing of it. 3, Yea, ic doth Pofitively refit by Action, and is wawilling of Gods gracious operations: And this is twofold, 1. By wiking the contrary, and profecuting carnal in:ereft, over-loving the plea-. fures of the fiefh, and fo tarning away from the motions of grace, 2. And therefore by an camity to that grace and work, which would + convert: him, and take him off his chofen Idols, :
dir i .
§. 6.p. 187. diftinguifh- _ eth of Gods will, 1. As to its ratio. totalis Including not only che wis aut caufalitas effectiva,
2 : : ‘but alfo the formal reaopen hiseyes: The bare Wot-Confenting with the will, or not ufing the.
fon of Volitio efficax, which includeth the pre- {clence of future contingents: And fo he faith, Ivis never refifted, 2. Secundum partialem Co rationem precife ut caufa efficiens noftrorum actuum libero run, G prayt offert moté- va, & confert caxfas fee cund4s, & funn coucursumny ab/trabendo @ formalijfima vatione Volitionis efficacisy | que quidditative fupponit formaliffimam Yatzonem prefcientia, te Et ite ttiam in fenfu compoftd cum toth caafalstate illins in adie primo, ut precifus ab adie fecundo, potest non fortivé effectum. t Bradwardine lt. 1.C. ¥6
?. 3- No creature by refifting God, doth abate or retund hiseffential cor. 8. . s. proveth that
Power or Activity, normake any thing properly difficult to -him. 7 0.4. All the Elec# refit Grace before it overcome and convere them: And all our lives after we refi/# it too commonly when it exciteth us to dury, and draweth us from fin. - ate 9. 5. He that repenteth not of his Refitiag of Ged} Spirit and Gracejdoth mot underftand and well repent of his fin, ons 0:6. ‘All Refiffing is not Overciming: All Refi? grace; but 4] overcome it not, that is, do not frnftrate ic as to the due effect. 7 _ 3
Gods will 1s aniverfaliter efficax nec émpedibilis, frae trabilis aut defectibilis: witich wé grantas td his will as it 1s efficientand not meerly final and complacite: But yet the Schoolmen that fay, he 19 ‘not Omnivolens, give rca fon for ic.
9.7. There are feveral Degrees of yielding to Gods motions and opera- - rions, and fo feveral degrees of overcoming. He is fully overcome by it,
who yieldeth to it wholly ; He overcometh it in forme part, who yieldeth
to it but és pare. And becaufe Gods grace moveth us to more than we.. ordinarily yield to, therefore we do ordinarily overcome it in too great
meafure, even when we are happily overcome by it.
32 — Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
?.8. God worketh not alike on all: fometime (ason Pasi) he fo fuddenly changeth the mind and will, as that at once he both produceth the At of mans confent, and alfo taketh away even che moral (though got the natural) power tothe contrary in che antecedent inftant. So- thac no man ever denyeth confent who is fo moved, And fometimes he ptocureth Aifual Confent by fach an operation, as in theantecedent ‘inftane
might have been refiffed and overcome, there being a Moral Power cothe contrary. So that there is Adfwally- Converting Grace which was fupersble in che antécedent inftant, as to Aforal powers and there is fach aconverting Grace as no man ever doth overcome.
¢. 9. Gods grace when it prevaileth, doth not take away, but deter: mine the Natural power in it felf, but by fo doing formaliter cy relative it maketh it #0 poser ad boc to the contrary, in that inftant. Of which more anon. | ae. | | @.10. Sach = of God as cometh from his 4bfolute will or Decree of the dtie Event, is never overcome. For Gods decree is not fruftrate.
%. 1%. Gods gracious operations are never overcome by any contrary Aé but what he bimfelf is the Agent Canufe of, asan Ac: Forin Him we Live and Move and Be. Yet man is the only Canfe of the /wordinasion of that a&, by which it is fet in oppofition to Gods orher ats: For God doth not militate againft himfelf. =
@.12. The cafe lyeth thus: God antecedently to his Laws, framed Nature, that is, the Beizg atid Natwral Order of all the Worlds and{fohe became the Head or Root of Nature, the firft Canfes who by his wife decree, wasto.concurr to the end with that watwral frame, and to continue to things their proper forms and motions: And man is one of his creatures, having a Natwre of hisown, to which God as the God of Narare doth Aptecedently concurr, By this zatural concurfe of God, the fornis
-cator, the murderer, the thief, ge. aré naturally abe to do thofe aas: But being free agents that can do otherwife, God maketh them a Law to reftrain and regulate them. And when they break this Law, they refift that gractons concurfe, which {uirable to the arganical caufe, God conjoyneth with the means: But they do this by heir Natural power and atésvity ; not ufed as God requireth them, but turned againft his own
_ Law. So that if God would wichdraw his fuftentation, and deftroy mens —
Nature, they could not refit his grace. But that he wll set do, being his antecedent work: and {0 God is refifted by his own-given-power and ac, difordered and turned againft his grace.
13. The will of God whichis thus refifted, is only 1, His Preceptive On Legal will, de debito. 2.And his will of purpofe, to give man [o much _ help and #0 more by which he can and ought to believe and Repent , is faid. to be refifted or fraftrace fo far,when by mans fault it doth him not thac
* That God doth go- good which it might have done. . a, : pala a eels ¢ 14. Gods Grace and Spirit are {aid to be refifted when the word not for want of them,but and other Afeans are * refifted which call him to hisduty. For thefe chemfrom the abundance of felves are gifts and acts of grace. | : : de cna alek AL pe ea .$.1$~. But.it is not the bare word or Means alone, but the Spirét cures the dignity of cau- working in andby thofe means which is{o refed: Forthough no mortal roe Wg oe man can clearly dow juft how the Spsrit concurreth and operateth by che Alexand.1.p. 4.26. m.§ Word and Means; yet we may know, that God doth Jsauit his own opeeed ie om 7. Alle gation to the apsitwde of the means ordinarily ; and that he worketh with Tan eee 3 and by thems not according to his Omnipotency in it felf confidered, buc fe a a Agi. according to the means or organs. And as in Nature he operateth, not hi Gabritl dyrq.2 uantams poteft but agrecably to the order apd aptitude of a. c 7 a4bjess
And the Su b-aperations of Man's Will: *
wee ee
Caufes, fo inGracehe operatcth, so qeantum poteft, bat according cd the aptitude and order of che fapiential frame of Governing-meins of grace. es 9.16. When the preaching of the Word, Education, Company. ‘and other vifible Means feem egal, God hath inaumerabie ireatis, foperna!, internal, external, invifible and unknown to us, by which he can make all the difference that he makethin men: So that we cannor prove thac ever he worketh on fouls, without any fecond caule or means ar all: (though we cannot prove the costrary ncither..) And therefore he that sefifteth all means, for ought we know in fo doing refiftech all Gods gracious operations on his foul. . 2 ?. 17. Whereas Dr.Twiffe fo frequently asketh, Whether Gods condional will (and fo his operation) be [ Volo te velle, modo-velis, or credere modo credas,'\ to give us faith #f we believe, and fo maketh non credere ox non velle to be the only refiftance;_ and the Arminians to be ridiculous in making the effect antecedent tothe caufe as a condition of the caufation and ittelf: This femi-(wbtitty, though it beger yoluminots confidence, muft cry peccavi, if a little more fubrilty do but detec the defectivenels of in Weare not now enquiring of the Ratéones fidem habendi, but of the Rationes non habendi, nor are we enquiring Whether God have made a Covenant or formal Promife of giving faith upon antecedent conditions; Bur whether he deny (or give-noc) grace for actual faith ( effectual or fufficient) to any but.thoie that refift and wilfully omic the preparatory aéts which chey, were able to perform’ even Preparatory Volitions ¢ Or if you will make the queftion to be de rationtbus fidem habends ( not de caufis Altus donands) Whether God do not: srdinarily give or produce the [email protected]:faith, in that foul, which doth not wilfully ‘refift, and omit fuch preparatory déts as ic could doy even. Volitions? And fo I anfwer, outs ee 1. Iris noc £ I will give thee faich if chou wilt believe, or I will make chee willing if thou be willing of ‘the fame thing.) Bar ic is, _... £1. If by refitting common preparing: grace.,. thou fo harden thy heart, or increale the privation of receptive aptitude in- thy felf, as that. che {ame degree of grace, means, help,.imprefs, ‘will not change thee, which otherwife. ivould. have done it 5. anid will change another not fo fulf-hardened, , thy gracelefnefs and-deftruction ( both abfo- Jutely and as compared to others that are coitverted, ) is imputable offly to thy (elf. | en z. And if chou be unwilling to ufe the Means as thou art able, to hear; read, or meditate on chat which fhould affe& thee, and unwilling ( Privatively ) to hear and receive the inward thotions of my Spirit, which fhould convince and turn thee, and wile not either by previous Cogitation, Or immediate conatus and [wfcitation of thy Jnelle to Think, and of the will co its ad, actively concurr to receive my gracious motions and influx, thy gracelefnefs ( abfolutely and comparatively ) is imputable, not tome, but cto thy felf. | | <:3v Much more, if when thou canft do otherwife; thou run the contrary way, and turn thy thoughts and affections eagerly after va-
‘
* T know not how to find both fenfe and coacord in the. words of your Alvarez de Aux. l.7difp. 59. pe 264. Eadem contritio que ¢ft ultima difpoftio ad gratiam & in genere caufe mattrialis antecedit illam , In genere tamen caufe formalis & efficientis , eff effectus ejufdem gratia: & propteres quamvis non fit meritoria gratids eft tae min meritoria vétee ateyne: Et p. 265. Contritio qs penitens di{ponitur aad infufionem gratie habitualis 5 eft meritoria vite eterna, ut Thom.1. Ergo ef effectus gratie babitualis ; Nulla enim operatio bominis eft meritoria vite aterne nif procedat @ gratia habitus ali, ec ordine faltem nature fit et poftersor ; How can the Adt be the s/tima difpoftio to the Infufion of that habit which it floweth from? Unlefs he mean ¢eadem fpecie, and not numerically : which yer is falfe : For it is not eadem, or elfehe falfly fuppofeth that th¢ fame Love of God may go before Grace.
nity, and hate and oppofe my help and grace , becautle ic is againft —
thy lufts.J | | | | — 2. Or if you will take ic in the form of a half promife; or éncouragement from God; thus, | |
£1. If chou wilt noc by wilful progrefs in fin, and cuftom, fo increafe
thy
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
_ thy Privation, and obduratenefs, as that the fame meature of Gracicus
Means and Imprefs will noe convert thee as would do one that hath not fo abufed common grace: | |
2. And if alfo thou wile at the prefene do what thou canft in ftirring up thy own will to concurr , and thy Intellect to contider , and wilt but Comfent that my Grace fhall help thee, and that thou wilt waie for it inthe wfe of means : | | ' 3. And if thou wile not hate and refift my motions , as enemies to thy lufts, and curn wilfully after vanity, in fuch a degree as thou
_are even Morally able to forbear; Thou fhale find that I am gracious
and merciful, abundant in gocdnefs, and truth, and forfaking none before they forfake me, and have not appointed thee thefe means. in vain. To whom thus prepared did I ever deny the grace ef faith ¢ Name him if thou ecanft.]
Sothac [ Volo, ff velis hoc } is one thing , and [Foleo fi velis aliud, G fi ad hoc volendum quantum potes teipjum {ufcites, Cr Grati-
4m non oppugnes, nec contraria projequaris, quando pravas Volitsones franare poffis } is another thing,
d.18. That God ives Ti rackows operations fometimes in a Refiftible limited degree, befides what is faid, is moft evidently proved,
1. In that all Divines confefs , that in making the World, he hath Mot done quantum poteft, but quantum voluit.
2. In that there are innumemable Pofibilia que mon funt ant exiftentia aut futura. God could have made the World fooner , or made more
Orbs, Earths, Trees, Men, Brutes, ix fpecie, numero, and done more acts, and made more alterations than he doth.
3. There is certainly fome Divine operation with and by his infticuted means, which is limited to their inftrumental aptitude.
¢.19. And it is no difhonour to Gods Ovmpipotency to work thus /é mitedly and refiftibly: For, |
1. Elfehe fhould be the Author of his own difhonour ; who frecly di verfifieth Inftruments, Receptiyities and effects throughout the World in wonderful variety. ae
2. If the toral Non-Volitions , Non-operations, or forbearing to do what he cow/d ( as.in-all the innumerable Poffibles aforefaid ) be na
' difhonour to him, then to wz// only’ sx tantum, and t0 operate boc Ge
bactenus, \imitedly, and refiftibly, is no difhonour: being more than nos to will and work at all BO |
SECT.
&
SECT. VIIL
what that Operation of God on the foul %, which. is the fabje& of oar many queftions: (as Whether it be equal om all? whether it be refitible? whether it be moral or phyfical? whether it be fufficient, when it ts not effectual? &c.) And what the various opinions about st are;
and how uncertain they are,
Ys U may think this thould have come firft, but for fome teafons I { have referved it to this place.
9.1: Ithinkthe Ignorance of thisin a great meafure is common toall mankind: Buc the Ignorance of mens Ignorance, and prefumptuous contending about what we underftand not, pretending (even to triumphane {com of diffenters) that we do underfland it, is the very life of moft of Gur contentions aboucthefepoints. = st | .2. My own judgement is, that our om Intelleétion and Volition in the body, are Aéts that take in fo much of the fexfe, imagination, and corporeal spirits; into that of them which we perceive and denominete, as tliat we cannot tell how far the A@s even of our own feparated fouls will differ from thefe which we here perceive, and from perception call zntellection and Volition. And aan lefs do I know the difference between Gods Vital-adtivity, Intelleétion and Volition, and ogrs, Some likene ff chere is, or elfe ours were not his Image : Bucall Schoolmen and Divines agree, . chat thenames are not Univocal, and that it is not thé fame Thing in God ds innian, which chefenames fignifie, And that no man can have a foryal conception of them, Iam fatisfied that a g/ow-worns or the fire in a flint, yea orin a ftick or céod, is incomparably liker the Su, than Adan’s poor Lift, and Intelletion and Volition isliketo Gods. Andif fo, how UO- sy. ocese difficulty $33 fit are we unneceffarily.to difpute of thefe as of God with curiofity ? or what itis which we rau at all fo ds implyeth a nearer /skeme ff? The Lord knoweth that I would with conceive to go between reverence withdraw from thisconfuming fire, andno further meddle with Goes Slence and mans : oars ee : mw Weise, act or inclination given, it, than the Glorifying of God, and the pacifying of the contentious, and Dr: 7if accufethi the Jethe healing of divifions, and calling off che prefumpruous, doth require, . fuss for denying. Ince’ ¢.3. *By [Divine AGtion or operation] muft be meant; 1. Eithet be i Aas, fomething in God, or fomething caufed or Created by him. 2. If canfed pete: And ie Or created, it muftbe either fomethingin the (econd. Cawfes, or fomething se Die A aareces inthe Recipient foul, era the diftribution is fufficient. - : 3 denit to be properly mo- ¢. 4.1. InG OD, there is nothing but GOD: His Life, Knowledge Lida prpabilce end ag ahd will are no accidents, but his effesce ; And therefore invariable, ‘and {cribed qua previa motimo fubject for any of thefe queftions, To ask whether Gods Effential om ttaali, caufis {ecundit | ee ae oe ie prefertim liberis inberente, Knowledge, will and Activity, be equal or unequal, phyfical or moral, 8c. iuas applicet ad operane tS to dote. _ 7 | dum, &c. Bur it is either 9.5. But yer this Knowledye and sil of God is tranfient ot terminated Codpran thee of God Objectively, when it isnot fo Effeétively. And fo God is faid to know If aneffed, it is ( called things diferently, as a and to will things differently, as they are oe eens different objects : Butthis{peaketh truly nothing Néw or various inGod; dent to mains A, can be But qily a Relative and {0 denominative connotation of his fimple effence, 1™gined in man, where . ae motion Is an Adt, though from thefe objects, whofe diverfity giveth divers names to Immutable, moft every A& be not motion? fimple Unity. Of this all schoolmen (for fubftance ) are agreed, however Therefore they volumithe Thomifts, Scotifts and Occamifts differ about the notions of Ratio rati- ee ba rape nate otinata, formalit.cs, cp denominatio extrinfeca. | what. If we muft have. 9.6. ITI. If itbe the operation of the fecond Caufes, ex parte operanti- eet aL rere gn, and fo of God by them, that a of, the difputes would _— fre, | : eee | the
ab Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Souls
the eaficr decifion; But, this is denyed by the Dominicans, and another infufing Immediate operation is made the fubject of thefe Controverfies. . 0.7. III. Itremainech therefore thatic is on/y the effect as in the foulreceiving, which we difpute of. And if fo, this muftbe remembred, thac we dreamnot of any Controverfie about Gods Action, as ex parte azcntis, in Him, or between him and the foxt. | aoe..9.8. In mans foul, we know of nothing, bur 1. The fzflasce zx the firft notion as anfwerableto Matter in bodies: 2, The form, which is a Threefold Virtue or faculty in One, véz.The vital Power, Intellect and Wills which is atonce Virtus, Vis cy Inclinatio waturalis ad proprias actiones. Allthefe are but Inadequate conceptions of the fame {imple efience,
and not compounding parts: None of this is the thing in queftion, for the foul is prefuppoted to be a foul: 3. The Accidental and mutable
Difpofition of the faculties to the Acts, 4. The Impreffions Of fuperiozr Causes (God and means) in moving to the Acts, 5. The Avs of the foul themfelves. 6. The Habits, Tknowof nomore.
3.9. E Though All:Habits are dipofitions, yet all Dilpofitions
are not Habits: And before Habits, the foul may be many wayes predifpofed to the A@: As £.By former acts of another fort, which yet conduceto this. 2. By other bavits that are preparatory. 3. By deliverance from many Juternal and External Impediments. 4, And Jaftly, By the Divine Jmpreff it felf in the inftant of Nature, though not of time, beforethe A&. For God fo difpofeththe foultoat. . $10. This predifpoficion, is fometine but a Asoral Power, that is, in fo low adegree, as containeth only the Neceffary power to the act, with which alone itis fometime done. And fometime befidés this Aforal Power, x containcth fome further degree of accidental suclination, or propenfity. to the Act. ‘Andthefedegrees are various, in various inftances and {ubjects, oe: | . ¢.14. ‘Ik When God moveth the foul to believe or repent, we mutt conceive thatinthe infant antecedent to che Ad, the foul receiveth fome oo | Fmprefor Impulfe from the divine eflence by whichit is difpofed or mo- * Auxilium previvm non ved to adt*. And though fpirits (efpecially God) move not by fuch eee + ef: que contact and imprefs as things corporeal, yet in an unconceivable manner, niam boc nomen fignifcare fome {pirit, fome fpiritual Imprefs, Influx, or motion muft be Received, by videtur qualétatem, conft- bach faithis caufed. Andthis Imprefs and the Difpofition to the Act, twentem potentiam in act: rio primo: fed proprio voca- Caufed by it, perhaps are really the fame. | bulo dicitar motio Aun = 9, 12, TIT, The Actitfelf by this, and by the foul difpofed and exa Da site whe cited, is next caufed: not given as pre-exiftent, but given by caufal efficarium operetur actum live-. cious fufcitation of the pre-éxiftent faculty or power. Tum aéterminatin (um fb ¥g, EV. The Habit, which is a Promptitude to facile adting, is ra cm expedita facultate: i qua pote(t illam non operari. €auted by all che forementioned caufesconjunct, and not by any one alone, fi vetit.Alvarts de Auxél. jz, by God, and his Imprefs on a foul fome way pre-difpofed, and by the disp. 23 p.1c8. Motio ts foul j felf £ h dif ted d: d b h Im ( B cH bi the proper notion, he foul it urther difpoied and excited by thatImprefs. Bue of Habits thinks, between God and more anon. — | the ede er ue, And here becaufe almoft all our feeming difference dependeth on the
aptly, I think, focon- queftion, What tt w that is between Gods effence and mans ait, which is ie ad the caufe of our Aa, or may becalled grace ( fufficient or effectual, frore or lefs, Ge.) FE fhall tell you how Alzarez handleth the queftion, and | _thereby further fhew you, that it is a thing unfearchable, and paft mans |... knowledge, and chough I fatisfiemy felf with calling ic an Impulfe or Im- + prefs, or a Received energie or force or Influx, yet thefe are but general, motions, and tell us not as to a diftin® formal conception, what it us And you fhall fee that the boldeft difputers know no more. : SO Alvarez
agi,” le ally asi
=
Zod the Seb opratns of Was Wil
Alvarez de Anx. 1.3. difo.19. p.77. tells you that there aré thefe feveral opinions of it, ( What isthe previows motion by which God movech ¢¢ and applyeth fecond caufes to operate’ ) | |
<1, Some Thomifts hold that 2¢ #% 4 Quality, mot permanent, but by €¢ way of tranfient dt[pofition with operation: Cabrera 3.p.9.18. ar. 4. dub, “1. Conc. 4. 2.58. Foric muftbefome Virtws, and chat muft bea Qua- <licy: Imperfect {upernatural acts, as attrition, fear of hell, cs. are be- ¢¢fore habits, and have only fuch tranfienc virtues cr qualities, cc.
TI, Ochers hold contrarily thac Gods motion is nothing befides his <¢ own will or eflence and mans aét, bging fimultaneous, Their reafons i <¢ omit. * |
“TTI. Orhers hold that Gods previous motion is fomewhae received <Cin fecond caufes in order of nature before they operate: and when they <¢ are asked, What it isy they fay, It is really the very operation of the fe- <‘cond caule (e.g. man-) it f{elf,as it proceedeth from God —— And fo <chac Gods premotion and predetermination of our Will is not really di- <¢ ftin& from the actual determination by which the will determineth is “felf, butisthefame; The fame act being of God and man. (So that they make this motion to be fomewhar received before we act, and yet nothing but our aé& ; which is abfurd. ) | Oo
“TV, Other Thomns/s hold that It is fomewhat really diftiné from our
“operations: and that is, Qweddams complementum virtutis altiva, quo < actwaliter agat. (And hechat knoweth what predicament this complenscntuns belongeth to, and what ic i than a meer complement. ) | <¢ Aad here they tell youthat they fpeak not of Gods fimultaneous con- <curfe 5 for that d/varez confefleth is nothing befides Gods effence and <¢ mans act: But of his previous motion, which he faith, is fomewhac more. ( Asif they differed in the nature of motion. ) Andhe faith, .**ehat this is “<true both of {upernatural acts which are from Infufed habits, as faith “hope, Love: andof Imperfect fupernaturals as fear of hel! and aterition, “by which man is remotely prepased for Juftification 3 which proceed <‘not from f{upernacural habits, bac from the fpirits tpecial impulfe, nor. “ yer inhabiting, butmoving. And Alvarez thus concludet! | <¢], That which God doth ia fecond caufes, by which thefe act, is, Aliquid << habensefle quoddam incomple tus, per modam yuo colores funtin acre, oO “<virtus artis im infirumento artifice Ic is Aliguid snconspletnumn Ce “¢ tranflens cumipfa operatione, ( Are you everthe wifer for all chis? ) “CTE. Hoc ens tncompletum previnm attions cafe fecunde producstur in “ile effective 2 [olo Deo, ce nullo modo dependtt effistenter ex influxu tp- < fius caufa fecunde, And thesefore herein the will is paffive, choughnor Cin its own Adt, (as he falfly affirmeth Zasher to affere s for what can << a& and notbe active? ) | <TYI. When (econd caufes, natural or fupernatural, have by their in- .“Cherent form, fufficient Active virtue, per modums actus primi, proportia- “ned with thecftect, then Gods premotion is. not a Quality but proprio’ “¢ wocabulo dicitur, Atstio Virtuo{a, by which the univerfal caufe maketh che tecond actua!ly operate, according to its proper mode: Therefore it <Cis nota Habit or ai{pofition Or natural power, "
Ss, let him take chis opinion for more
and ic is virtually fis. ica? for whatever he willeth nor, bucccould will. But chen fo man can poffib
Ecee 3
* So Bradwardine and many others; And this would cut fhort moft of our prefent Controverfies 1f it would hold.
Dr. Twiffe faith Vind. Grat. li, 2. po 2 Crime 3s 6. 1§.§. 9. p- 348. Probabile effe nullam motionem a Deo recipi in Voluntatems fed quia Deus velit Voluntatem creature Velle aliquid; neceffe eft ut velit. Ratio hac eft; cujus folutionem mihi expediat Arminianus aliquis + Soi4 Dei Voluntate factum eft ut Mundus crearetur. Q's enim influaxus Dei pote/t fingi precedaneus qut oz4
_ cuparetuy circa nihiluny
So Amefius Antifynod. de Grat. Co 2+ p1g0255- Satis effet apud omnes pios diccre Dei Velle fine ulla Impreffione intercedente certe poffe efficere ut Voluntas confentiat splius” Vocationi. I now meddle not with the truch of this, and Twiffes argument is eafily an- {wered; ButI intreat the Reader to note into what all our controverfies are by thefe excellent men reduced, who yet moft aggravate them. What
ad credendum ? Nothi
befides Gods effe but ip(a fides. 1s faith effective of it felf? No. Is Gods effential will effeftive of it? Whoevet denyed it? What place’ is there for Controverfies of fufficiency and cfficacy, when it is buc Gods effence - and the known effe& of
which they fpeak, and hold not (as Alvarez doth) any motion or Imprefs made by God upon mind or will at all? Gods will then ts effe- Ctual, quia vale efetun: ly doany more good or
wate oF lefs 1s willed of God, which volition. 1s the firft neceffary Caufe of all things. (.ri!'.s Gertie, and the feveral forts, previous, fimultaneous, operating, co-operating, ce. e Act of man: And yet Dr. Dif
“TV. Yea
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
TV. Yea in Imperfe& fupernatural acts (as fear of hell ) which go “before habits, and by preventing grace are elevated to the aés, it is nota €¢ Quality, but Afotio Dei virtwofa by which they are done; and is of the €¢ fame fort with that which caufeth atts from habits, — |
<¢V7, This previous Motion is Really diftinct from the operationofthe © .
<¢ fecond caufe and isnot our a¢t it fclf 5 but is immediately from <¢God. (Whichhe ufech many arguments to prove. ) | :
And can all this give any man a formal conception, whatit is, which he calleth, a/iquid incompletum, and Motio Virtuofa? We know not what the Vs projectis impreffais in corporeafs: And can we tell how {pirits, and
~ how che God of fpirics maketh his Impreffions? or what the word Jmreffion ox Motion hete fignifiech? We know that we know ic not if we 5 i what we know and know-not. And why is it called Agotio Virtuofa? Virtus he maketh a quality: Itis no quality, and yer Virtuofa. Omnis motio eft Activ: sit AétioIncreata? Thenit is God bimfelf which he denycth, and fpeaketh of fomewhat between God and mans Ad. Isit Aétio creata? Thenit is 2 Atodus Aventis, for fo is every Action, as fuch, as
- diftingt from its effect in patiente, And if fo, iccannot be modus Dei >
for thenicis Jpfe Dews: And if ic be modus hominis, it is either hominis agentis vel patientis, Tf thefirft, thenit is mans Action: If the fecond, it is formally x0 aétion: For modus patientis is paffio; though many would confound a¢#ion and paffion with faying after their Mafters, that Adtio ef? iz
- patiente, which is equivocation.
- Sothac che plaintruth is, chat mans underftanding can teach no further than to conceive, 1. Thar our fowls are the termini of Gods Volition and Aétive power, 2. Thatthough God act not on us by corporeal contact, yet we muft call our felves Parsemts, and think of the 4st: gency of his Altive effence with its effects, by {ome Axalogie of Corporeal attingency, contact, and impreffed moving force. But trulyto know how God toucheth, moveth, operateth on any Creature and by what Jmpreffions, or what there is indeed between Gods effence and mans A, we know notat all. And if Chrift had never {aid, gs 3- [fo ws every one that ts bornof the fpérit] our owh expérience might have cold us chat we kzow it not.
Boldly then tell our Church-diftraéting wranglers, that contend about the nature, {ufficiency, efficacy, refiftibility of thes Act of Grace, that they know not the very fubject of cheirdifputes. And fhall we ftill fire che Church by ftriving about words that profitnor but fubvert the hearers, and tend to the increafe of ungodlinefs? ;
Yea and fhall bold blind zeal ufe che Reverend names of God, and his precious Truth to colour and countenance thefe pernicious contentions 7 T grant chat che nature of Grace; and the concord of it with Freé-will may be foberly treated of. But when men have followed the controverfie beyond
the ken of humane underftanding, and there will proceed to build greac
.
Fabricks upon unknown {uppofitions, and perverfly contend for them
-again{t Love and peace, they do’ but ferve Satan againft God, under the
colour of his facred truth and name. 3
And I think ic not amifs here to tell you what Alvarez faith to this Queftion (de Aux. 1.12. difp, 118. p..481.) 42 Concordia liberi arbitriz cum gratia poffit demonftrari naturali ratione (vel, cum Infallibilitate Pre(cientia, Providentia, & pradeftinations Diving?) Where he tells you that one opinion of fome Catholicks is, that (zt w certamm by the ao- “<¢ ctrine of faith that man hath Free-will, but tt cannot be proved iy na- “tural reafon..| The fecond opinion is contrary, that [It is nor only
“evident to natural reafon that man hath free-will, but allo the concord
“
_ And the Sub-operations of Man’s Will. - 2g
“‘of it with the infallibility of Divine prefcience and providence may ea. _ “fily and clearly be made out by Scientia Atedia:] which isthe Fefuites Way. % oe | a | . But the third opinion which he defendeth is, that [ “ Free-will may be “evidently Known and proved by natural reafon alone: But how thé “actual ule of it confifteth with the infallibiliry of the prefcience, pro- -¢ vidence and predeftination of God, and with the efficacy of the helps | “of grace; cannot be perfectly known or comprehended by natural light “alone, and thereforethe reafon of ic muft be Believed and the under- <‘ftanding captivated to the obedience of Faith. ] - he. Fr Wherenote, 1. That though he fay [perfecté]] he proveth thatit cannop be known by that which is below a perfec Knowledge. 2. Andthache denyeth not only a practical [faving knowledge, but aproper theoretical ot dogmatical knowledge. | | ee For this he citeth thofe words of Cajetén at large (in 1.p.9.22. arti
4.) which many others citeandcommend, [ zm tenorantia [ola quietem tnvenio, &C. | eae ii gd |
And there is no man befides 4/varez higher for the. Dominicans way of Abfolute predecerthination, than D. Baznes who is of Cajetans opinion (in 1.p. q.23.art.5. &2.2. q. 10, art, 1.) [°‘ Siquis non intelligit
ays
< qiomodo ufus liberi arbitrii fit Liber, & nihilominus fit effedtus jam pre- ““definitus 2 Divina providentia, oportet eum credere— Primum ‘onium debuiffet credere quod sinnt (e non poffe intelligere: Credimus <‘ enim Catholicum myflerinm Trinitate, etiam/t non intelligamw.] | _ And Alvarez citeth Galvin (lib. de etern, Dei predeft. cont. Pigh, p.’ 136.) faying [“ Siquis hoc ment fue captn juprrius effe excipiat, iden “deme fateor, Sed quid mirum, fi modulum noftrum imcomprehenlibi- “lis. immenfa Dei majeftas exfuperet? Atqut tantuns abet ut pro “€ carnis ratione explicandum fufcipiam {ublime tftud reconditumque ar- “ canum, ut quod initio prafatus fm affidue in memoriam redire velim: “‘defipere qut plus fcire a petunt, quam Deus revelaverit. Quare nos “‘ potius docta tenorantia Leletter, quam intemperans Cm ebria plus quam _ “Deus permittit curiofitas.] a - & _ What Auguftine confeffeth you may fee a little in Alvar. sh; p- 482; 483. butmoreinhimfelf often, = | _ a. oe _ What Suarez, Hurtado, Mendoz,and other the moft fubcil. philofophical Divines confefs commonly of the incomprehenfibility. of thefe things, and the darknefs and uncertainty of our conceptions, I have elfewhere partly cited, and any that readeth them may find, a i | _ Now all this being (0 notorious, and their ignorance commonly.confelled, may I not confidently inferr, 1. That then. ( feeing all muft be | reconciled by Believing ) we muft have nothing obtruded on us herein, Which is not tobe proved by the Word of God: What the Word faith of Predctermination; of the manner of Gods operation on fecond caufes,' sind influx on fouls, and of the nature of his firft effect or Vis Impreffa, &ci We will receive: But yet men muft not {natch up a metaphorical expreffion in oneora few Texts, and urge that againft the frequent and plain exprcflions of the Scripture; of the fpirirs. Operation on fouls, Chrift him- Aclf faith ( whichis more than all forecited ) [The wind bloweth where Zt lieth, and ye hear the found thereof, byt ye know not whence it com~ eth,and whither it goeth: fois every one that is born of the fpirtt. J Bue | as for the operationsof God by the word preached and other means, and _ the Holy Ghofts operation by and with thofe means, and. the Holy Ghofts indwelling and operating after in Believers, thefe are frequently afferted
eal
a Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
in Gods Word: And that all Chrifts members have his Spirit, regenerating, illuminating, quickning, faniifying them, boch as he is in Covenant with them to be che fanétifier of their fouls, and asche Love of God and all his Graces are by him caufed in us: all chisis fure.
" Bucif men will go further with us, and give us as many diftinGions of Gods Grace as 4/varez doth, and tell us that befides God himielf, one of them (j/imsltancons operation ) is nothing but mans act 3 and another (previous motion) is fomewhat elfe, burnoman knowefh what, but may be named [ ssotio Virtuofa’] though it be neither God nor a quality nor a humane a@ 3 Ard chen willditpute how much of this [ forme thing J this msotio virtuofa, will ferve to fuch an effect, and how much toanother,
and how and by what reafon itis efficacious 5 and will build on his affer- .
tions fuch afyfteme of confequents, as fhall make up the doétrines of fe& or party, which fhall fec up with this ftock to militate againft the Love and unity of Chriftians: this is che courfe chat I oppugn. ~ Oncemore, Let the Reader note that the waies of reconciling Grace and Free-will, as A/varez mentioneth them, are thefe four. : I. The Fefwits way by {cientia media, which I need not recite to the Learned, but think it meet to recite A/varez words of their defcription of Grace. [“ Supponunt gratiam prevenientem ce excitantem effe for- “ maliter altiones qualdams vitales, quas Deus in nobis fine nobis operatur: “fine nobis, inguam, libere co-operantibus, nom tamen fine nobis vitaliter “ cy efficienter coucurrentibus; co confiftere in tlluftratione cy illumina- “ tione Intellectus, atque excttatione cy fuafione Voluntatis: que effict- “enter procedunt ab intellegiw ce voluntate, non quidem xt Libera, [ed “Sut Natura eff: quanbvis antecedenter dependeant 2 Voluntate wt Libe- “yum arbitrium eft, quatenus Viz. ex ejus libertate fuit dependens, quod “homo compararet notitias myfteriorum fidet vel corum que facienda erant, “‘ accedendo ad pradtcatores, vel alio modoeos propria induftria acquirendo, “ guibus notitiis Deus fe infereret, eas elevando {uo {peciali influxu, ut juper- “paturales fint, cr quales ad falutem oportet 3 co fic fortiantur natu- “ram gratia pravenientis. Suppofita ergo Illuminatione, qua Deus ille- “€ minat Intellectum, G proponit Voluntats bonum, ut fibi conveniens, af- “ firmant, quod ftatins ab(que wlla libertate oritur meré mataraliter in “voluntate motus affectionts ad bonum fibi propofitum: quo mote allici- “tay Gy guafi invitatur ad amandum illad bonum, CG imperandum po- ““sentiis executivis, ut illud exequantur, ut V.g. ad imperandum intel- “leltui ut affentiatur rebus fidei propofitis cy explicatis. In bis ergo du- “obus motibus, Viz. in illaftratione Intelletins cy affectione voluntatis a “Deo elevatis fio fpecial influxu, confiffere aiunt gratiam prevenien- “tem cy excitantem, Liberum autem arbitrium his duobus motibus gra- “‘ tha prevenientis adjutum cy excitatwm, liberam habet poteftatem impe- “‘vandt aut non imperands alfenfim fidei: oes fi voluntas fidem am- ‘plects velit, attumane credenai imperet intellettui, influente finul nute “ gratia pravenientis quam habet, elicit in fetpla attum fapernaturalem, gus “6 idem ample(ti vult, at affenfum imperat intelleiut, fimnlque Intel- “¢ lectus motus imperio illo fupernaturali voluntatis, illuftrationéque di- “vind adjatus, elicit actum fupernaturalem affentiendi revelatis, C
“Gratia excitans few preveniens novo inflaxn, quo una cum libero ar-
“* bitrio influit in fupernaturalem attum fidei, fortitur rationem gratia adst javantis, cooperantis cp efficacis, Si autem voluntas pro {ua innata li- “‘bertate fidems nolit ampletti, gratia excitans & praveniens manet in- “tra limites gratie [ufficientis, nec eff cfficax, quia voluntas non voluit
“¢ fidem amplecti, cum potniffet. II. The
And the Sub-operations of Man's Wil, |
briel, (great Wits, if any, ) Cooperationem Divinam fe tenere ex parh, e. Concurfum Dei non determinare Volant. “tem noftram, nec aliquid in illam a ant operari, (ed immedicere tllo ipfo momento gn 2voluntis: And why faith he not, God is pediffequus hominw, becante he judge. eth men according to their wotks?} > ~ bs ve I have otherwife opened the ‘matter than is éxpreffed here of any of
thefe. Bue can the fober Reader think that the [Vth way (which ‘is
that of the Dominicans redeterminitig premotion of all acts good ‘and bad ) is fo much faret chan thefe: three; as that he’ dare venture on that fuppofition to cry down his Brethren as enemies to the Graceof God, and to his Providence, who would glddly afcribe all to both which belongeth to perfection, and are only afraid'to deny Gods holinefs, and the Chri. ftian Religion, by rcfolving all fin and damnation into. che meéey Will and Love and Irrefiftible Omnipotent efficiency of God? 7
SECT. IX.-
whether Gods Operations be equal on all?
Q.>3. TE the queftion be ex parte Déi, itis abfurd to make a queftion of it. For God is the. fame, whatever the diverfity be in his works, And Gods acts asin himfelf, are God. And there is no Virtue
or Efflux from God, but what is a creature, or effect of Gods Q. 2. If che queftion be of fecond canfes, and of Gods Operatiqn ia and
“bythem; I anfwer, 1:Some things God Giveth. and Doth as Rector of
the World, 47 2 Law, or according to a Law‘: And hereig God doth equally, till man make 4 difference ( asis aforefaid) viz. in his Legis: lation (though notin the promuleation and in his Fadgement. 2. Some things God Grveth and Doth, befides, as Owner and free-Benefattor: and here he primarily maketh a difference. So that there is a certain fort and meafure of grace given equally, till men make a difference: And there is a fort and meafure given wnequally, by the meer will of God, as he diverfificth Natural things, ‘4 ee ck
¢. 3. But if the quéftion be of the effects on thefoul, chofe effects are, 1. Mans predifpofition, 2. The divine ImprefS, 3. The Ad&s, 4. The Habits, as is faid: And asto the firft § - God equally difpofed man at firtt: But cwo Caufes have filled the World with very unequal ‘difpofitions: oe ae | | ae as —_ One
¥ So Maldevys in 1, 2: qe 111. a. 3. dub. 1. [Hic Dét conciofus quod attinet ad identitatem realem ex parte termini ( nam ex parte préncipii eft ipfe Dens, aut Dei voluntas ) eft ipfa attio Canfe fecunde quatenus eff & Déo. Nihil ponit in ipfa Voluntate, fed eft influrus Ded
zn attéonem, feu effectum. | So many others, |
' * Of Preparation for
Grace Medina noteth three degrees of it: one which Grace ever fol-
* loweth ( which is ic
that our Divines mean by effectual Vocation ) and this he faith, is never had but by Gods f{pecial help": ¢ the other two are diftant and common. -) But that the Schoolmen of the other Pee think otherwife
econfeffeth, and faith, In hac queftione Durand. Scot. & propemodum oma nes Nominales, quos fequitur Adrian, Quodlib. 7. q- 4 tenent partem affirmativam, fitice quod bomo per fuas vires fine Spectall auxilio Gratie, potelt fe ad Gratiam prea parare, fic ut confequatur Gratiam infalliviliter, ee ex merito de congruo D. Tho. tenet contrarium ¢ Medin. 75. p.§93. But then. by fufficiens prepara. tio ad Gratiam, he meaneth Converfion it felf, dimovere animum ab iniquttate, && fe in Deum convertere 5 ficut convertere
faciem ad folem, wt quis
illignénetur.
One is mans fin, corrupting themfelves and their poftcrity more than as they are the feed of Adam (and this God is 0 Caufe of.) The other is Gods free differencing mercy to fome of equal sl defert, giving them both Greater outward helps, and Common Grace, and fewer impediments, and fo more preparing them for fpecial Grace. But noman by Jndi{pofitionw is deprived of {pecial Grace, but he that hath contraéted more than hehad from Adam only. And God doth not equally repatr and difpofe all that have vicioufly wsdifpofed themfelves; Though while they are here,he giveth
fuch mercy to all, as tendeth to their recovery. | 9.4. If the queftion be of the equality of Gods Jmpulfe, or Influx om the foul, 1. There may. bea diverfity of further effects, where the Jmpre/s is the fame in kind dnd meefure; becaule of mens various Dé/pofttions to receive it, and their various coscurfe: That may convert one, chat doth not another; But yer Goddoth not make equal Jmpreffons onmens fouls = For, 3s. His own Free-mill as a Liberal benefaétor doth more for (ome (as Paul ) chan for others. 2. Mens tll deferts may fo forfeit grace and
- quench the Spirit, as co make a difference. 3. The means much differ which feveral men have: And God ufually operateth according to the
means, upon the foul.
9.5. If che queftion be either of the 4G of Habit, if is no queftion:
For that were but to ask, Whether all men have equst fash, dove and other graces? which common experience denyeth. ——- |
9.6. Whereas fome will ftick at my mentioning a Divine Imprefson the foul, in nature antecedent to Ad 4nd Habit, I would have them remember, that either there is fuch a thing or wot. If there be , I rightly mention ir. If noc, we are inftantly at an endof all this fore of Controverfies, and Galvinifis and Arminians cannot differ if they would. For chen the queftior muft be only about that which is paft queftion, wz.1. Either about Gods A& as in Himfelf, which is his fimple Effence: 2. Or aboue the Ag and Habit of Faith, Love, Ge. in Man, which all the World knoweth is ot equals For all men have not faith: For asfor pre-dsfpofttéon, the queftion will be revolved to the fame point; It is certaim that all are ot equally difpofed, and ic is cercain thar Gods Acts asin him are his Effence. __ eee
, SECT. X.
: Whether the faid Operation be Phyfical on Moral?
$. 3: His gad queftion is worthy but a few words, though ie make
coo.much ftir, . Of the fenfe of the words Phyfical and Moral having {poken before, I will not repeatit here. 4. If the queftion be de operatione ut eff attus agenti, before the effect, it were but to ask, a Gods. Effence be Phyfical or Afoyal? which is unworthy an an{wer. )
0. 2. 2. Tf the queftion be of the Action of fecond Caufes, as the Preacher, 8c. if truly As, they are both Phyfical as they are really actus naturalis, and moralas they are the acts of free intellectual agents. But the 4és of Laws and other obje@s meerly as objects (on man) are called Atoral AGs, becaufe they are but sominal ; but indeed are x0 .4é#s,
_and therefore neither Phyfical nor Aforal, For they are but figza; and
fignificare is not agere ; but is only an objective aptitude, by which aa 7 a Intelle Fuak
And the Sub-operations of Man's Will,
petellectual agent can edifie it felf. All the Books in my Library teach
me without any Action, by being figna objectively to my adive in
pelle ct.
um aiius moral#, The fameisto be faid of our own Acts and Habits; They are’ phyfical and moral accidents, And they cannot be mora/, unlels they be phyficad, | : . $4. Bue ic muftbe known that to be’ qusd matubate and quid morale, formally differ, 28 Adis qua talis, and ordo qua ordo, do ditter ab ordine ‘few Relatione ad Lezem ¢ ad finem morum: and Moralitas eft attus Phyfci, vel privationss Relatio, viz. ad Reguam & finem morum, _ 7 “9. 5. But if the queftion be not of the Adoralsty of the Act, but the Morality of the Canfe, viz, whether Grace or divine attion do caufe Phyfically or Dtorally? \ an{wer plainly, that There is no trae Cawfe which
is not Phyfical: A moral Caule, not phyfical, is but Cause reputate vel
nominalu, Objedts are ufually faid to Cafe morally: But if chey be
meerty objeits, they caufe not efficiently at all, but by termination only ©
materially conftitute the Act in fpecée. _ But’ fome things vulgarly called objects (as Light, Heat, crc. ) ‘are AGive and fo effect. And he thac doth proponere objectwm, doth indeed ‘ined by {peaking or doing: - But he doth not effeét any thing by the objec? on the mind, as it is a meet
object. But the Vox foquentis doth more than prefent an object: It doth.
by agency fufcitate the Spirits and operate on the organs of fenfation. And “many mercies, afflictions, and other means forementioned; have their feverai wayes of active operation. But it is readily confeffed, thac. nothing corporeal can by any direct i ra operate on a foul; but only AZive Spivits like it felf2 Remember therefore that Itake che word Phyfical here as the Schools do, largely, as comprehending Spiritual ‘or byperphyfical: And I plainly fay de xomine, that Gods operations of Grace are to be cals Jed Hyperphyficat in refpect to God the Agent, and Phyfrcal as they are Phyfical cffe&s on mans and Aforal as the fame are.in suftants fecando allo moral effets. And that they are called Aéoral in two ufual fenfes: 1. Io that it is Moraliry or Virme that is produced by them: 2.And in that objects -being much of the A4ceaas ‘the operation. or efficiency of objeé#s as objects, is properly none at alls They do but materially. ( asit were )- conftitute’ the: AG, and terminate it, and occafion it, as fixe quibus non,
‘which many call a Atoral Reputative, Metaphorical Caufatioa. And yet
diverfification is mach by objects. a |
9.6. IE this ftumble any who look not at the greater inconveniences on
the other fide, and occafion them to think that it is Little efficient opera-
_ro,confiderwdl- 2 ee ae
- g, That.ir isnot a Ad as. fuch in generes that is to be. caufed by Grase ¢
but the due ordering of adtsasto sight objetht,O.. -
3. That the foul as. fuch is.an active Spinit ,. not indifferent betwen
Ajiion. and, ceffatien y butas naturally, prone to. AG, ds the earth ta reff,
and as, a {tone ig the air to defer, andas the Sunto move and thine:::{0
chat it is never one minute out of AGion, even in thiseacthen tabernacle from its firft being to the laft breath, day or night: Though in different -manney. |
0. 3+ 3+ If the queftion be of the Divine Imprefs on the foul, it is | guid reale, and therefore phyficum : And it is moral as it isthe principi=.
tion which we own, in the collation of faith and converfion: Idefirethem
Cum Thomifte dicunt, Deum fio auxilio eficacs phyfice predetermsnare Voduntatem ad aétum bonum, non excludunt Motionem Moralem, fed eam prefupponunt. Alvarez de Auxil, difp. 23- p. 108. CI.
_ ‘bereally and internally ) to bring Ged and
other Natural Canfes,: ea ee ae ra a a a eta dk :
_ Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
4 That God as the God of Natsre doth uphold the foul in this Adve. Nature, affording it that Concurfe or Jnflux neceffary thereto, which in Nature he made duetoit: As hedoth to the Sz in sts aéfion, andto the fouls of Brutes. So that Activity as fuch, diftiné& from the due order of st, is givenby Godin Natare. a
5. And God hath placed the foul in the Univerfe, asa wheel ina Watch, where it muft needs have fome effects of the co-operation of Concaufes, or faperiour agents. | |
6. And Angels and Devils who have very much todo with our fouls, - do work as Voluntary Agents, in Political Order , though not without the repulation of Gods Law orm, © | 7 |
7. And God can.do what he will on fouls without any fecond canufe, though whether he do fo, or what, we know not.
8. All this being fuppofed for Effictency, obje@s duly qualified may do much for the Order if Ads, though properly they do nothing: fo that though they be but s¢ Atsteria ad formam , occafions five guibus non, yet the reafons of thegreat alterations in the World , being admirably fetcht from the various Paffve ox Receptive difpofitions of matter, no whnder if ic be fo with mans foul alfo. . “
A fpark of fire which long was unfeeri, if you put Straw, Gunpowder or other fuel to it, may bura a City or Kingdom, when yet the fuel is not an efficient canfe ( fave the fire that is im s¢ ) but an objective Matter, : | : | =
_ What work doth a Student find all his life among Books? What abundance of knowledge doth he leam by them, which he had none of in his Infancy ¢ And fo do Travellers by viewing the ations of the World. And all thefe are but fwet tothe fire. The fowl only. isthe Agent,jand all thefe are figns and objects that do nothing really onthe foul at all.
- You may lead a Beaft up and down’, and govern them by objects ;
which. yet a? othing on them. im Do
- So Satan doth by the Drunkard, Glutton; Fornicator,
7 Gamefter, Cove- — — Gc. What Reputed werk do objects make °on them: by doing wmotinng ? hanks | a ee ee ee _ Thus Verane.@: Bonuns'are faid to work, And‘the caleis this, The Aime Spirit, is uot only Naturally Aifive, but Effensially Inclined to fome certaty objects (Truth and Goodnefs): And this Inclination being theic wery Nature, when the objec is duly prefented co it, and it felf dclivered froni.all falfe objects, and erroneous Action anthem, ahd il habits thence contracted, it will Waterally work scores. And therefore duly (ex- , 1 Holy objects to the profped of the foul, is the wayofworkidgthemtoGod.) © 9 And. {ure che World would hever make fach a ftir about Preaching, to get fit men, and to perfwade them to diligence, and te keep found do- Ctrige, oe. iF thefe objective rales, as fuet co the firé, did not do mach, by occafioning the Active fowl todo its proper‘work, 9 - 9. Yet fall remember ( apain thas fe us Chrift is the Political Aead of Influx (if not more , ). who fendeth forth the ‘Spirit; as he pleafe, buc ordinarily upon his ferled Gofpel terms-, ‘to work ont foills, by his-theeefold: forc-mentioued influx, with-and by: thefe means,“according to’ them, bat‘in an unfearchable mannci's' AsGod'deth in Nattre by the Sun and
aed
deh seater de
™
; ‘And the St b-aperations of Man's Will . |
, SECT. XL what Free-will Man hath to Spiritual Good, 8c.
?, I. He underftanding of the Nature of the Power and Liberty | : of the wii, is the very key to open all the reft of the controverted difficulties in thefe matters: Bue having fpoken of it.fo much before, in the former part of this Book, and more elfewhere, I (hall no further weary the Reader, with repetitions, than to note thele few things following, = 2d, . a 9.2. If any like not the name of Free will, Libera Voluntas, \ecchem but agree, about thefe two, the Power of the will, and Free-choice 5 .* Liberum arbitrium, and they need not contend about Free-wil, $3. 1. As tothe firft, Ic is the very Effence of the Will to be xatural Power or faculty of willing Good and Nilling evil apprehended by the | Intellett; and commanding the inferiour faculties. either polttically ot defpotically, difficultly or eafily, perfectly or imperfedtly, accordins to its refolution and thetr Receptivity. a — a 0.4. 2. The Liberty of choice isnot only Libertas Voluntatis, but Libertas Hominis, when a man may have what he choofech or willeth: Here the A& of choofing is the wells s but the object is fomewhac elles cither an dmperate acé of {ome inferiour faculty, or fome extrinfick thing. So we fay truly, chat the unbeliever, or, unconverted finner, may believe, may repent, may have Chriftand life, if be wid (as Dry Twiffe frequently affertecth. ) | Sk <5 0.5. 3. But the Liberty of the will it felf, is but che mode of its felf-detcrmination, as without conftraint it is a felf-determining principle in its elicite 4:45, confidered comparatively. | 6. The Liberty of the Will is threefold, 1. Liberty of Contradiction, OL exeroitit, 2, Of + Contrariety or S98 ets in the Ac#: 3. OF objedive fpecification, which is Liberty of Competition, 1. The firft Liberty is to svill or wot will; to nill or not nill. 2. The fecondis Liberty to will or mill this. 3. Thethird is Liberty co wall This objec# or That, or to will This or That.* a ee — _ 9.7. The wil! hath not al/ thefe forts of Liberty about every objet: For it cannot will known evil as fuch, oc. But ithath 4 ethefe about feveral objects. | oe ee ee oe 9.8. By this power and Liberty, the Will is made of God, to bea kind of Caufa prima fecundum quid, of the Moral ORDER ox {pecification of its own acts: Not fimply or ftriétly a Caufe prima; For 1. It was God the firf Canfe that zave man this felf-determining Power. - 2, It is God that upholdeth ic: And fo it {till dependeth wholly on his fupporting will. 3.God concurreth by his waiverfal Inflax, to its acts. 4. God is ftill the Lord of #¢, andcan turn it as hepleafe, and over-rule it to his Ends, and hath puc no act of ours fromunder his power, But, he willingly fo forbeareth his own further operation, as chat he hath made the 7#// able,
eth ) we muft be fire that we pretend not the Controverfies de noinine to be dy re.
* Nolite effe adéo delecatiy nt abborreatis av ufx vocabuli ( Lib. arbit. | Hypocritarum — provrium ef rixare de = vocabulus Nemo offendatny hos titt!o, quia Augult. in miultis Volum, & fingulis fere pagellis ad jaftidinm Lectoris hos vocabulam dicalezt. Melan&h. Lec, Com. de libarboc.te
+ Note, that the Papifts confefs, that by Chrifts Cafe it is proved, thac Libertas fpecéfication’s inter bowum c& malum is not meceflary to merit: So Pet. aS. Jofeph. The. tniverf, Pa@sG0e > * Of the real difference of thefe three, fee Kod, Baron. Met.sphy(. | I take not that tvhich many Schoolmen call Liberty of Complacence td be another fort 6f. Liberty: Though I diftincuift Liberty of fimple Complacence, from Liberty of election 3 asbeing 2 prior diftribution: And I deny not, but thae Liberty ( of -Coniplacency {pecially ) may ftand with neceffity of immutable difpofition, , yea x and with fome fore 6 heceflitating operation} of Godsas 1s in Chriftan the Glorified: And ir this large effencial fenfé Liberum and Volantarium
are all one, fuppofing Voluntariun to be the i of a. felf-determining tuicénftrained will, So that the word [ Frees will) being fo excceding ambiguous ( as niy forefaid Scheme fhew-
But ic is tlie Indifferency of 4
Viators will that we have now to do with, amd tot that ftate of perfe& determihation; or thdt Aniplicude or
advancement of the will, which Gébéeuf and fuch others talk of : And note that by
( Poffe agere vil non agere }
which we puc into the definition of free-will, we muft not mean that Potentia moralis métta hericg, which is nothing but the wills moral difpofition or habic; but the Potentia Naturalis : And fo it miay Ke faid of Chirift and the glcrifi:
ed, that their not finving or not willing fin, is not ex smpotentia naturali, but ex perfcctiones
“Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
on fuppofition of his forefaid fupport and univerfal influx, and rule, to Determine it felf to the faid ORDER of its Acts, without Gods particular predetermining premotion. be
¢. 9. Asin the /7#tal and Intellectual faculties, it is Gods Image tobe Able to Act Vitally, and to anderfiand, fo in the will this felf-determining Power and Liberty, and Imperium over other faculties, is parc of the fame Image. And it is Gods wrong and difhonour to have his image denyed and difhonoured: And therefore to deny this Power of the willis as much a difgracing of Gods Image, as to deny man to be Rational, _
9. 10. God made man fuch an sntellectual Free Agent, that he mighr be a fit fubject for Sapiential Moral Government: and accordingly he fetled a Kingdoms in the World : And as he governeth meer Nataral Agents, by Natural motion, fo he governeth Afan as 2 Moral agent, b Laws and Moral means and motion: For ke ruleth all things according to their Natures. | | | Qo 1k, Yet as man, even his will, is quid Natarale as the fubject of his morality, and as Aquinas oft faith, ipfe Voluntas eff quedam nature; fo God doth by Natural agency and Canfation continue and actwate man as Nataral, that fo he may govern him morally in the reft, even in the moral ordering of his Ads. | a |
d.12. When men fay that the will és free from co-action, they mean not all che famething. By co-actso* (ome mean nothing, but that willing
is not willing 5 or that God doth not make é¢ to be axwilling and willing
of the fame thing, in the fame refpect, at the fame inftant, that is, God caufeth not contradictions, it being Impoffible: And fo with the Predeterminants ufually to weil, and to will freely, fignifie the very fame. And if this be all the Liberty of che Will, then to move ic as Naturally as a Stone is moved, to Pe God, to will all fin, and mill all duty, {0 as
that it can no more do otherwife than make a World, were no abatement
of its Liberty, becaufe it is Yolstion and Nolition which arethe a@s thac it is moved to, ( whether by God or Satan. ) a
?. 13. But I yet fee not why ic maynot as properly be called Cosction, to move the will by phyfical neceffitation to will or nill, as to move the Intellect to iudichenk Or tomove any xatwral agent.
9. 14. If you fay, that the word [ Coaction’] importeth reluctancy, or unwillingnefs, or oppofitions I confefs with Scotas, that Potentia paffiva is well diftinguifhzd, into satwralem, neutram, violentam: andthatthe word Coaction may be fo ffrictly taken, as to fignifie no motion but of a violated Patient: and {o it is but dis de momine: Bata Neceffitating motion Of a natural, and neutral patient is the fame thing, what same {oever you call it by. And they chat acknowledge the pravity. of the will, and its corrupt ver/me/s to God and fpiritual good, muft needs, by this tule, make Gods gracioas change by predetermination to be a coaction, as being the motion of a contrarily dilpofed patient: contrarily, I fay, #2 inflanti priore ; for the motus is {appofed to change its défpofitios and act at once : But if ftill they fay, chatiec is not contrary én eodens ea ¢t, and that’s its liberty; I fay, themif the Devil had power as eafily to cfect by phyfical premotion a hatred of God and will to fin, in all men, as I can move my pen, it were no lofs of Watwral Liberty, And{o mans liberty differeth not from a beaffs, or from a plants, indeed, but only in the Watwre of the Act: one wellerb, when the other doth but ppetere, but all by the like phyfical unrefiftible efficiency from other caufes. This is but to play with the same of Liberty, | | | d.15. We
(of felf-determination.
this World, where atl his creacures have noe the fame perfection. *
0:15. We take not this Liberty to be inconfiftent with af kend of | Neceffity, asis opened before in the Table of Liberty.
?.16, Nor do we confound the feveral forts of Liberty, (as the faid Table theweth) 1. A Polstical L:berty from Reftraine of Laws is one ching (not queftioned inthele difputess) 2.And a Aforal or Holy Liberty from vice Or finful difpofitions and acts is another. 3. But it is the Nataral Liberty of mans will on earth, thac we {peak of.
¢.17. Sofaras any manis vicious, he wanteth the Aforal Liberty of his will, and fo far as he is wirtwows and fanctified he hath it: that is, His
will is fo far freed from fin, —
9, 18. We'takenoe Liberty of will to confift in Nentrality + of difpofition +See Fr. Macedo againtt. or meer /adifferency: For the will actech freely when it acteth according ”""* to its Jackwation and habits, with tho greatelt propenfity, yea; conftancy
%. 19. We take noe the Jndetexmination of the will to be its perfection, but its Natural Imperfection: But fach asGodhath made itingin. = * Therefore we do with §. 20. Therefore though God hath thoaghe this fadeterminate, felf hinguth oe dead determining will, 10 be futelt for 4 ator in his tryal and preparation Liberty which is felffor felicity, yet perfection confiltech in the moft Determinate tate of Love, “termination acctdiig wich the greatelt wecefity which proceedeth from the — nature of berty of Indifferency, mean, and the full communication of Love from Ged, which we hope to Which 1s Picea — in Heaven forever. And he is beft on Earth who is neareft to and ferefiication. this ftace, — |
SECT. XII:
Somewhat more of Predetermination, with an anfwer to Dr. Twille. ~. 1. fy *Hough I remie the Controverfie of *Predetermination to, | ay. ‘ “ ; *Ttremit the Reader to e _a.peculiar full Difpucation on that fubject, yet this touch srrangixs againft the nein tranfitw 1 fhrall give here. | : | . ceffity of predetermina- 1. Ic is riot Gods meer Volition or Decree of the Event: that we fpeak percipre nox poffum quoof; but his Phyfical Motion. modo ftatué pofit Deum
2. + The Dominicans (the Mafters of the znquifition, and Murderers of preg red abl oee the waldenfes and Albigenfes of old, ) and therefore faulty as well asthe ce predeterminare, quin ‘Fefuits, though there are very Learned men among them both, do com- #4 jalan Die a ‘monly hold, chat No Creature natural or free can act, unlefsGod by Im- ee Thet “6. pe mediate phyfical efficient premotion predecermine it to chac act, both in Concurfi,c. the ac asfuch ( which they ‘call the aby pas of it; ) and all the modes, Lae ea ea circumflencesand order of it, | tormenting men for that
3. Auguftite and Fanfenins after him, with their true followers hold Which they hold God not this neceffity of predctermining premotion to all acts, natural, or - them, and apt aE fol; but only co fprritual good atts: which is not from the Watare, buc ee the Corruption of man, and therefore the predetermination is not made, piu 3yh 03, Runs fay they, by Gods Common Nataral Motion, but by Medicinal Grate; tat quamlibet Voluntatem
iia ad quemlibet li-
Sse es ae ee 7 | jerum aftum fuum, & celfationem ag vacationcm ab aftu 5 c& boc neceffitate naturaliter precedente: & Cor. 49. Omnis que funt, finnt reers Bet, furt, fant 2 eveniuwt de aliqua weceffitate ipfa naturaliter precedente. This 1s juft Hobbs. ie we, _ Soc. g. p. 654. that Nocreature hath fimple Jiberty of Contradiction, or Contingency, but only fecurdum quid in refpect to fecond caufes: bic only Gods ads of will ad extra are fimply free and contingent. As 1f God had given no creature Liberty to forbear fin or do good; but doing it of not doing it were from Gods neceflitation, though not from the creatures! : 7
4: Durandis
’ eer etalon
gular, but give fo little and flender reafon of t ' one the more to fufpect their caufe, Inftead of it they {carce know what to affere: But Bellarmine and the chiefeft of them, under a pretended
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
4. Dwrandus and his followers ( as Lud. 2 Dola) and Aureolus partly, do hold, thac if God do but sphold all creatures, as compaginate in the Univerfe, in the Nature he made them in, (and fo watural Inclination, and media and objects all fuppofed.) this fuffextation and Jaflux maintaining their Ad#ive Natures, and means, is fufficient to caule.an Ach, without another particular predetermining premotion ofGod. As ¢.z.in Naturals, they chink that if a Rock were violently held up-in the Air, God continuing its Watwral Gravity, and all other cércumflant Natures and Concaufes, this Rock if loofed cen fall down of it felf, : without another fe mege EF premotion of God. And that a ew. Ac& of God {fuppofing the faid fupport of Nature ) is more neceflary to the wor-falling, than to the faléng of ic: As it was to the fires not burning the Three Confeffors, Daz. 3. .And I am unable to fee the error of this Opinion, | | _ %
‘a free-will, with all cércumftants and neceffary natures, it can freely determine it felf, without another a of predetermining premotion; And doth fo in each a& of fin: Though as Fanfenius faith, by sccedental sorruption, for Converfion we netd Medicinal Grace. 5. The Fe/uéts, and all others explode this one of Derandus as fineir diffent, as would draw
oppofition, fpeak ( I think }) the fame in other words, Even an Univerfal Concurfe like that of the Sun, which operateth én [pecification according to the ature of Recipients, which {pecifie the effed?. Which Univeral Influx, no doubt, Awreolus and Derandws include in Gods fuftentation of Nature: For to faftain an-4étive Nature in all its Aive difpoption, by a fuitable aitive Influx, is wniver{ally to caufe its motion. The cifference they areunable to affign, ; 6. After thefe come Hobbs, ci and Gaffendws, with a {warm of Epicureans, (aSe& commonly delpifed even in Cétero’s time, and yec called wits in ours by men that have no more wit than themfelves ) ; and
_ fome of thefe fay, that Motion needeth no continued caufe ac all, any — more than #0s-movere: But when a thing is in motion, it will fo continue; becaufe it is its ftate, without any other continued caufe chan che motion it felf, . And fo they may as well fay (and fome do) that when a thing is in Befzg, it will fo continue till ic be pofitivély annihilated,
. without any continued caufation of sts being. As if effe c& exiffere
were nothing more than won effe; and agere were no more noble a mode of Entity than zon agere, and fo needed no more ( that is, no) Cas/e. ( For zon effe c& non agere need no Caufe: ) When this diftraction is worn out and fhamed, the next Age will reproach us for attempting the confutation of ic; And yet the ists of this delirant Age have not the wit to wnderfiand a oe
Some of them fay, that Spérsts cannot move bodies for want of Costact ( as Gaffendus). Some fay, that A¢atterand Adotion are eternal, and that of chemfelves; As if there were no God but Matter and Motion. Some fay, that there is aGod who gave matter one pufh at firft, and fo
| fet ic in chat motion by which one body by a knock will move another
ro the end. And fome fay, There is no other Z#teec#, but the wonders of wifdom and order in the World are done by fuch fortuicous motion. a ae
But
eed
=
And the Sub-operations of Mans Will. -
But Hobbes meeteth the Predeterminants ‘and faich; . thae the will ts free in thac its Act is Volztion, but that this Volition is neceffitated by upevioxr Or natural Caufes as much as any motion in a Clock or. Watch, ‘and that it is unconceivable chat any..4é or Mode of Act can. be withour a weceiitating efficient caufe. Bac he differs from them ia his confequents, and in the Notion of a Sparit, acknowledging io ‘being but Corporeal, 7 : : 4 a a
ca The Predeterminants commonly build not. their doGrine on Gods free-will, but on the Necefsity of the thing: As if it were acontradiaion, which God cannot do, for God to make a creature that can Determine it felf, ad ordinem aéFionis without his particular predetermining remotion; or to make a Stone that can fall from the Air of it felf, unefs he move it downwards, befides his fuftentation of itsnacural gravicy, and all other natures, by his Influx, or univerfal Concurfe. =. °°
0.4. * Their chief argumentis, that the moral {pecification of an AGionis an Extity; and to fay that any thing can caufe any Enticy without Gods firft caufing it, isto deifie thac creature making ica firft caufe. Anfw.1. The comparative Order of Actions, (as the terminating. chem on this object rather than that, and-at this time rather than thas, ces.) is but the modus modi entis, and fo isno properentity. 2. Orif the Name be the quarrell,. ic is no other Entity than what God is Able tomake a creature Able to caufe without his predetermining Caufalicy. 3. This power is the excellency of che creature, andthe honour of its Creator.
$.5. Asfor their argument; that there isno effec without acaufe, nor difference in effects without a difference in the caufes; and chat an andetermined caule cannot produce a determinate éffect, I anfwer, 1. Godis the caufe of all differences without any diverfityin himfelf. And he isthe Free canfe of all things weceffary in the World, 2. The fowl s Gods Image. 3.The wif when undetermined hath a aang power. Therefore this isbut petere principium. 4. But there are many {ub-caufes that are a veafon of the determination; As objects, opportunity, knowledge, the removing of. competitors, cc. - weet |
. 6. Therefore Gibieufs, Guil. Camerarins, oc. way of predetermination by the Cau/a finats3, isnothing to our queftion; that being no efficient, but a Afaterial, objective or MoralCaufttion, © +
¢
* Let the Reader nore,
$.That all the reft of
their arguments fave
this one are of no value.
2. And that Dr. Twife
affirmeth that God 1s not
alwayes the effector of
all Good either of Profit
or Pleafure which yet
he faith are Good.
Now if there be no
fuch Entity in Boum
conducibile , vel Bonum .
Jucundum, as neceffarily to require God to be the Caufe of them, tell us if you can, Why there is fo much entity in Malum morale, as that man 1s not adie to caufe it, unlefs God predetermine his will? Yea, a3 to Eatity, there is No more in Borum honeftum, than in the reft fore-named: His words are [ Nos tueré poterimus, Malum fieri, effe Bonum per fe: nempe in genere Boni conducibie lis, ad certum aliquem
finem: fed arguit adverfarins, Ergo Deus effet non modo permiffor, Jed ce effetoy ejus mali. Provfus invalida confequentia 2 Apparet enim non neceffe effe ut Deus fit effecigr omMis Boni in genere conducibilis: (N. B.) Vix enim datur aliquod peccatum, quod: now fit alscué conducibile —~.. Neque asl 6B at. Deus fit author. omnis boni jucteadi, magis quam ut fit author peceati. . Nam-certiffpmun eft, @ extra omnem controverfie aleam-poftum, peccatuysefie-banum in gencre jucundé, etiam in genere conducibitis’s poteft enim peccatum nobis cedere in falutem J Vind: Grat. li. 1. p. 1. f€&. 7. Pe 133. | _ But whereas ahe Doctor upbraideth Avmixius for confafion in -not diftinignillnng the three forces of d in this controverfie, An ali exiftentis bonum fit 2: viz,..the ponum-hoxeun, utile go yucekdam; 1 roaft defire the Reader to avoid alfo the Doors confufion,’ and to be fo much more accurate than he, as.to remember that this diflinGion is but de Bono Creature, whofe: pleafure, profit and -honcfty -are diftinguifhable * But' that above thefe God Himfelf is the abfolute and fimple Good, dnd chat things’are firft Good as related tohim, thetPrime and Ultimate Good: “And that the higheft formal notion af Goodnefs in the creature, 1s none of thofe three, .bue the conformity of chings,to the Will of God, the jabfolute- Rate of Guodnefs; And therefore When we ask, ‘An bonum it ut fit mialim? we theant not an fit borun honinis fecundum quid, but an fit bonum fimpliciter, viz. conforme Voluntaté Divine?. And if they can prove that Deus velit ee feré, we will confefs jt so be Good.’ ‘But -3. ial ea into be poxyr utile, fecing it doth the finner nu good. Of Borin jucunduin in genere is noc fin. God would have men have more Pleafure than fin bringeth, and not lefs. But it 1s boc minus jsoundum fenfibite preferred ‘before hoe magis jucuhdim forrituale, witich is fin. Now the prelation of a Lefs Pleaire to a Greater js wo-Pleafure. Se that, On is neither arte por sacundam; * And ‘the Door 1s quite our, in calling occafio a midium conducibile: and canfeffeth that fin is no orherwjfe cqndueible to Gods Glory but as occafio. Wherees occaffo, as fuch, is ne medium ac all, nd mote than ‘pofibiletas eff ens; “anlefs you take Medium very largely.
Of God's Graciow Operations on Man's Soul :
d.:7. When they. fay, that elfe God dependeth on the creature, and is determined by it, (as to his Concurfe: ) Ianfwer, 1. How can Gods free upholding the power of a free agent, be his dependence onic, when it exprefly {pceaketh its dependence on him, without whom it cannot be nor cf? 2. Nocreature determineth Gods /mmanent aéés: nor his tranfrent, as tothe meer Jmprefs and firft effed? 5 andfonot Gods Af at alls unlels Terminating be Determining. Ic is only sts own Act which the creature determineth, which is a fecondary effect of Gods aét, as procecding from the fecond cawfe, Gods Iafinx maketh all that dmprefs on the foul which God sntendeth abfolutely: But whether by that /mprefs the finner will confent, the will determineth, and is the chief determiner in Evil, :
@.8. Saith Dr. Twiffe Vindic, Grat. lib. 2. p. 2. Digref.g. [ The fe cond canfe nom agit in primam, &c. Hoc faceret vel volendo, vel alind agendo, crc. | <Anfw, I's — God is not paffive, nor doth any fecond caufe act on him as paflive: Who is his Adverfary in this?
@.9. Headdeth [° Weither on the Influx of God do we act: for an €* Act is mot the fubject of am att.) Anfw.1. If by Gods Ad and Jax: fiwx he mean not the Effect on the foul, it isa falle ree that Gods Influx or A&@ is any other than his Effence: But if the faid effect be meant, I have fhewed you that both /ds/pofition in the Recipient, and a contrary Ack may refif it. 7
9.10. Againft our Pafsive determination of the effe&, he faith, thar [ ‘* God isdenyed to act by phyfical action on mans wil—__———which if “he did, he would rather determine it, than be determined by it, because
x 45 it Cannot vefift him, &c. J Anf. I. The will doth not refift by reachicn | |
on and againft God; butby Indifpofition, and by its own not acting when
it can, ec, 2. Who dare deny all Phyfical Action of God on mans will,
when it is guedam natura? 3. The will doth not Determine Gods will,
effect. a 4 | 0.11. He faith 26, [Dorh God move only to the A in gcnere? or alfote
6 phis |pecies of action ? The firft cannot be =. For Suarez, Hurtado,
“fay that God determineth the Agent to this Individual ach, And the
“creature bath as much need of belp to the fpecies of motion ( which is
“<< perfecter than the genus,) as to the genus. AndGods Influx is fingular, “Cand not determined to Generical nature, &c,\ Anfw. Gods univerfal motion (as the Suns ) doth seceffarily make its Jmprefs.on the creature, and giveth him faffictent help ex parte {wi to AF; yea, neceffarily continueth the foul in fome Action. And that Aéfion is Fhe ae Not a non exiftent univerfal, But itis only the General Nature of a finguler AG.
_ which Gods Wateral Influx neceffarily canfeth: And the Asoral fpecies
C what need foever we have of help to it ) is caufed otherwile; not by
this common Influx of God as the root of Nature, bur by a {pecial Gracious Influx with and by fpecial fupernatural means. And this it doth on-
| “Ty to Good and not to Evil: and not alwayes with a caufally neceffitating
suflux, aS to Our act.
°" Q.12, He addeth [ “uf the will weed not Gods motion to its Act in “fpetic, st is either in genere entis, or in genere moris, The firff cangot be. aids: For the fpecial Nature includeth the General and more.
“4nd the — in genere moris are wo [pecies of ais, but only acgi- “dents of humane aks, and that only by extrinfick denomination as to
. And the Sub-operations of Man's Will, ;
“the Law, ) crc. Anfw, 1. The vanity of arbitrary Logical notions, isa * wood for youto hidethe matter in. Youare not able certainly to define what phyfically [pecifieth an Action, andwhatnot. To fay thatone isthe fpecies of an Act, and the other is but an accident and no fpecies, is but to fay that you will fay what you lift. Weufetofaythac Adts are {peci- ’ fied by their objec#s: And {fo when objects differ fpecée phyfica vel morals, the acts dofo, | But when the queftion is with Fudes, fhall I betray my. Mafter or not 2 with another, thall I be perjired'or not ¢ with ano-. ther, fhall Icommic this Adultery or not? with another, fhall I pray in. feafon or out of feafon ¢ to another, fhall I love God or the creatures. more? fhall I will or not will this ¢ fhall Iwill ic or nillice cc. Here. you are fo much at liberty that you may pleafe your felf with faying, thac to betray and not betray, to forfwear and not to forfwear, to love more or lefs in degree, ers. are phylical fpecées of entity, and fo make phyfical: {pecies of Action. ButI will not fay chae zom agere ch non ens isa {pe-. cies of Entity phyfical: Nor do I believe that. we need Gods Influx ad: hon agendumasfach- . ... a4 | And as for your Accidentsof AGtions, ‘if you mean Relations, it is their. fundamentum that weare queftioning, The extrinfick denomination is founded in Relation, or elfe it’s Caufelefs, In a wotd, Man by Common Influx can determine his own will to go chis way rather than that, and: alfo not to go, and this without a further phyfical predetermining pre-. motion of God. - re ere oe 9.13. But here let the Reader nore, chat when he maketh asoral Good. and Evil no fpectes of Actions, but an extrinfick denomination Ssgys is true, abftracting the re/ation from. the fundamental difference of the Acts); and. maketh God the Naturally neceffitating Canfe of all that is phyfical. in the acts, he maketh God equally the necefficating. prime Caule. of Good and Evil, which are but relations refulting from the fpeecified ads, es ee ee oe $14. He addeth [1 God move the will it is to that fame a which 4t doth, or to another, if to another, why fbould it be fatd that God moved it to that which is mot done rather thay that. which ws done, when we [peak not of moral, but neceffary phyfical motion? | Anfw: The Para
ticle { To] doth ‘cheat yon by ambiguicy. . 1. As [ to J. noteth, the effed, of God alone, itis [to] debe Hie pba he makesh.on the foul } which effe@ he ftill-obtaineth, : which srgeth ic. cowards its own ad. 2. The fame I {ay if fignifie an abfolutely interided end. 3..But if [ to] fignifie the xatural tendency. of Gads Impulfe as to an effec¥ pofsible and defirable, yea, and due by command from the fubordinate.caufe ( mans swill,) then it was [to ] our act of repentarice, faith, duty, chat God moved ius: That is, he gave us chat Power, and neceffary influx by whith it might and ought to have been done by us, 7 --9 is.. Ie is bat to. miake coil for the Réader to. anfwer all chefe fallacies and ‘quibbles, founded in fome falfe {uppofition: or: ambiguous word: elfe I would an{wer ‘che reft,of that Digreffion, and his Digref. 5. 4.1. p. 2: contra Alvar. Only here I mufttake notice, that in this Dégr; 9. he himfelf rejectech Greg. Arim, and Hurtado’s aflertion of Gods Determining us to this or that Numerical Act, as diftin& from another ejufdem [peciei; ut merum figmentam, G ad curiofitati hominum nimiim infelict [arifaciendum duntaxXat introductum, Whereas were it not for wearying the Reader,J might fhew,that the fame Reafons will hold for or againft this #smerical, as are for or agaitift his (pecifical predetermination: And the {pecies having no exiftence but in the individuals, and himfelf faying, thae a _ Gees Gods.
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
Gods motion is 4d adtus fingulares, if he fay. that it is not to ther f
_ ack chat ts done, rather thaw that which is not done, he gas is whole caule. |
?. 16. Burto thishe hath an an{wer that itis a f@ion and unf{ fay, chat [ “ Pofibilés que no nlound to
effe pofsbile isa fiGtion: ‘when pofibile is terminus diminuens ad effe, Hf is not pofsbile asmuch a Mee de fpecte as de numero? That as #5 mot neither is im fpecie nor in numero, Bucthere iSa Pofiibititas ny. meré as well as fpecier, Yet with this. anfwer He oft infulteth: over the Schoolmen, when at another time he would have faid that Po/sibi/e hath
S._¢.17. And I think the good man forgae that by this he uite overthrow- |< 4eth his Book de Scientia Media, wee i all hisother Books, which a <Sanimated with the fuppofition of Gods wif canfing futuritien from etern;- SY | For if only exiflestia differant mumeto, future now fant exiftentia: | ¢ And if the futurition of differentia numero be Not decreed nor eterpad Cas of this Sun, this Earth, Paal, Peter, and their fingular ats, Gc.) then. Rothing is futare from cternity: Andfo: we are brought to the Arménicns ns election Of fpecies only, and not of individuals ( f primo inftanes ) which | is rejected. “Sure God eletteth Individuals, or none: And 1 fo, it is fe _ Fure individuals, _Individuation exifteth not bus ix exiflentibus, Bur if foreknowledze and Decree maybe of futures and non-exiftents. it may be - individhals that are fach, as wellas of fpecies, ci _@. 18. Yea, he proceedeth to fay pag. 413. [ Deum [tire tara e pofsibilia quam fant, sw eft feire naianan iti pnd ta; Ay bantam fotre fe preftare pelle ae desur major wultitude rerum exiftentiums quam atin fit= Quare multitude reram trdividuarum Deo notumy eff tamum exifteminm, five ea fit mulzitudo aifuclis, five potentialis, &e, J | _ And yet the foul of his Book de Scéenti Media is [ Cenfa tranfitionss rerum 6 numero Pofsibiliam in numerum futarorum. |) And my forekid
. be faid of fursrity: And it holdeth equally of the (pecies. and de sumero, ce pafse Pri ~ ss fo pep he — grind rewm about the dance and dreain Of wotions and woshi ich I ha! gc4it
: a caufal decree of Negatives or Nothings, or of a Pofitive Volition of em.
rence. Of. fpecies, accidents: or individwals ab objectis: Andto know what
interruptions they muft be, char §0 tO cut one Immanent a@ imtorwo, or hinder unity, Bie |
_ligion,
And the Si b-operations of Man's Will.
SECT. XITI.
Of mans Power Natural and Moral,
?.1. | bs faid fo much of this alfoin the other partsof this Book that |
1, Man hath no Power whacfoever but from Gods and therefore doth not actas a prime Caufle properly, becaufe but by a derived power.
.2. That which is a Power but hypothetically on Condition of fomething not exsfent, efpecially not in our power ic felf, is no power proper: éy and er but egasvocally only, As to fay, I am able to len tO Heaven if God will Caufe it: I am able to lift a choufand pound wich
fufficient help which Ihave not: Iam able to feeif had light : or to fee
a Phoenixif there ‘were fuch athing: or Iamable to will or move with
Gods neceffary predetermining premotion (fay fome) which I have not.
‘None of this is a true Power ad hoc, But to conftitute a formal Power, it is neceffary chat I have all things, without which I sazmct do the aa. 9.3. Itisa contradiction to fay chac when man hath the true Power to believe, yet he cannot do the Act,* without further premotion: which is to ae He that can believe, cannot believe, The Power connoteth the Pofibile, : | ‘ ¢ 4. ¢ The true Watural Power of Intelleétion and Volition evety man hat all che Conditions neceffary to Objects of Intellect and Will, we have formal power tounderftand and will chem, in this Natsral fence. Whatis neceifary to the Being of an Object, and Revelation, 1 defire the Reader to feediftin@ly opened by me, in a {mall craG called, The Certainty of Chriftianity without Popery. | _ 05+ But the foul ic felf hath a vicious Indifpofition to the Jpiritwal exercife of thefe faculties or And this indifpofition is called a Aforal Impotency, becaule the foul is
— anfitted by: it tothe exercife of its satural Power.
do the act, we fay heis morally unable: And when
fay thac fuch a manis morally able. Therefore he thatis yet more §ed,is {0 More able, and ic hath various degrees, 9.7. But if aman have fo great a difpofision (skill and will) as that
he is ready tothe facile and frequent performance of theact, that Promptitudes called a Habit, and is more thana meer moral power (though a pow-.
er alfo. ) : | | , | | 9.8. Ic iscertain that men can do more than they do: not only that they could do more if God would predetermine them, or give them more grace; but that properly they can, : Sorbear more evil, than he doth 5 And fohavethe deff. e- 2. Adam had true tig hd Power, natural and Moral, tohave ftood when ‘he fell:’ He fianed not tor want of neceflary Power to haveforbornit,
. $10. They chat deny this and refolve ff fin into Gods —— nea ‘seffitating operation, or denying of power abfolately and antecedently neceffary, I think domake way forHobbes his Theologie, or fubverfion of Rea 111-2 5 Qixrs Aorab
as amaw: And when God, Chrift, Heaven are brought to us with.
wers : And this is the morbws facultatum $
¢.6. When this Jndé(pofition is fo great, as that o man in that cafe doth 4 itis not fo great, but | that wader that Indifpofition fome men do the act, in that flate of ni
foe
@
* As Fanfenias did D2,
iffe do, in me more abfdlurely _neceifary to it. |
‘f Posentia vrationalis nas
ture bumane non pore? mtnabs extrinfice, entitative, per deftractionem ali- Cujus gradus pai | eg tie; pote? tamed Minus per appofitsonem tmpedimimi, qaale eff peccatum, vel per inclinatiénem contrariam aA peccatd; que inclinatio gengratur per atus males: Neceffe ¢
eaim ex bec qued ‘liquid saclinatuy ad unum contr ariornm, qued dimintathy dxclinatio ejus ad dlind : Cum ergo petcatum fit Con trarium virtuti, et boc Spfo quod heme pectat, dihinnitur bonam natntre
quod eff inclinatio ad vir-.
Ag: eG Ait. 6. difp. 44 $. 210. fea Thom. + ra. 85 ar. 1.1n corp. ae
The worft hath Power to do more good, and
rid
‘
44 ~ | Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
Q. 11. Moral Power and Impotency are primarily {uch in the will ( the firft {cat of morality ) and derivatively or fecondarily in the Jntellect and executive Power. Andthereforeit isnot originally and radically of phy-
3. 15" geaual Grace Mans Voluntary and Involuntary Acts and Habits, as to take the firff cobe
men have a compleat directly laudable or culpable, as being not only virtuous or vicious, but in power to the Acts; but faith yet, They have ae; ‘ : ra; Bree Remotifimein have of 4 victous obftinacy and voluntarizeffin evil, the more all mankind ee at rime condemn and hate them. Whereas t2voluntary -neceffity is every-where e oe a) ° ; "Ls
sa Bee being the taken for a juftexcule: yea a neceffitas volendi in amad man of a phrebeginning, &c. 3- Yet netick or melancholy perfon, maketh them the objects of mens compaffimore by Love as the
rere ey Andhenoteth ON, And this Light and Law of humane nature 1§ not to be rejected, beadouble Impotency, #ra caufe it may feem hard to an{wer the fophifms of thofe that would cone'} ex defectu alicuyus quod | , pk: non pe quantumlivet found thefe forts of Powerand Impotency.
magna voluntate, vel forti- Q 13. Taerefore of a man that is no-ortherwife unable to Love God _
‘tur non -amblins obligatis
: tea pe or Te e ° . . | 1° “fortéter,.. volendo, imple ‘mecef[ary concaufe or object, without which this faculty is no, formal Power
aut veugtate RANA “as itis: ‘In Controverfies which exercife {o Dr cat ‘arlimafities and Carnal Viilingy plenegy,, velint.: . ‘ TRAST ae cae cae) ; Aes tp as j,.zeal as this doth in the Churches, ft ‘isan injurious ‘thing to ule feducing
buntur: ff autem noleit, 4mproper names, whenthe more plain’ arid imrelligible are ‘ac ‘hand. - Here-
Fdeoque non point, u's” after {peak plainly in ‘your ‘contendings, and ‘inftead 'of [ Cannot ‘] fay, ee Nam teeta de, At unconverted man. will yor believe, andhis will vicioufly undifpofed fictus talis potiftatis non fo. itty Dentist Sm cog it. Hold tothisthat we may under(tand each rile taluntaty de qua other; of Confels that you quarrel abouraword, © °° + fuferpta vecedere non poffe,, 'P.16, Obj. The Scripture ufeth the ward [Cannot:'} Can 4 Blackmore ie quam tenach Change his skin, &c. ae | | is - AL 3 | : 3 | dufv, 1, Thetext may as ficly (at Feat )'be tranflated [will a Black- ‘wore chanye bie skin, &c."} Yerthe werd [ cant balokn pe in the application; ‘for here ic ‘is all one’: ‘Thac‘is, rhe’ méaning is, chat fomte
“ci ftome in’ Yin doth catife fuch ‘a fesled: Wr difpofisirn ot ‘Habit, aS. without
“Special Gracé \8 never overcotne: Which: fignifiecly ro more, than 2 rooted “WhilflneB and Love of fin; ahd exmity'to’Godd: “2. ‘But the meaning is not to affirm thefe two forts of Impotency to be of the _ nature [An. Ethiopian cannot change his skin, were he never fo willing] and [he can- ; _ = : not
eA nd the Sub-operatitns of Man's Wilks
not be willizz to change it,.without Grace] But-you cannot fay that
an accuftomed finer cannot learn to do good were he never.fo willing: nor yet that he can be aseafily willing as the Ethiopian, nor as hardly. made — willing as the Leopard. -3.' Figurative fpeechrs are frequent ia Scriptures — and may alike be afed by usin the likecafes. . Bue in Controverfies a tropeis an equivocal till explained, and muft not beufed without neceflity. and explication. 4, Where the text once faith, They could not believe or-repent, .
it faich many and many times They would wor. 5..The phrafe [ They
could not believe, becanfe Efaias (aith, 88c. ]. Fob. 12.39. novorioufly ipeal- | eth but of an Jmspoffsbilitas Logica confequentie, and not of a phyical difability in themfelves, though itintimateth a fetded wilfulnefs. 6. Whea. it’s faid, [email protected]. [ Theycould fay nothing againff it, | it Ggnifieth noc.
a want of phyfical power, but medtate advantage. It’s faid of -Chrift, Mark 1:45. He could no more enter into the City - 6.5. He could there do no michty work becanfe of their unbelief. 7.24. He could not be hid. Vla.5.4. what could:have been done more to my Vineyard? Jer. 15,1. My mind could not be towards this people, Mark 3:26. They could not 0 much as eat bread. 1 Thel.3.-1. whew we could no longer forbear, &c,-_—— 1 Joh. 3.9, He cannot fin Heb. 9. 5. Of which we cannot now fpeak particularly. Act.4.16. We cannot deny tt, And 19. 36. Thefe things cannot be [poken againft, Joh.7.7. The world cannot hite you. Luk. 11.7. J cannot rife and give thee, (and yet he did.) Luk. 14.20. J have marryed awife, Pani I cannot come, Mar.2.-19. They cannot fal. Nehemiah 6:3. £ cannot come down. SoGen.34.14. 44,26. 2Co0r.13.8. Namb.32.18. co 24. 13. Fof. 24. 19. 1 Sam. 25.17. Pfal.77. 4. andother places; [think you will not fay. itis natural and utter difability that is here fpoken of: "No nor of God when itis faid that He cannot deny himfelf or Lye, 2 Tim, 2.13.: Titus 1:2. We mult therefore explain fuch doubtful words, beforé we draw comtroverted conclufions from them, as fuppofing them falfly to be univocal. a
0.17. Thefame Natural faculty may by the Alteration of objeé#s and . means, become formally a Power or no power ad hoc vel slud. And when Na- ‘ture made ita Facylty, Grace can make. it 2 formal power tothis or that with out changing it init felfatall, in many inftances or cafes... . :
. 18. Men have 4 power even moral to the ule of many means which
‘God hath ‘appointed.for che begetting of faith, before they have a moral
?: Fy. God hath. appointed. qr commanded ‘to all men; the ufz of cer- “tain daties and means for their: Recovery by /fasth and repentance. unto. ‘God: Aind there is no:man tHacis.not obliged.to ufe fuch means; norany ©
man that is to wfe them in de/pair of fuccefs: ‘The very command being
fome ‘fignification of:Gods will, that obedience fhall sios.-be in vain,
Whether the arme.:of an Leplicite Proméife. be: apt for that command, I leavetothofe that have.a mindcocoutendaboutnames. | $-280; ‘Though fai meer Indifferent faculty be (as Dr, Twiffe faith) rather:to be called tabwrd chant Grace s yet it:is Grace 1, Which givetha -gracions:-ebjectto that facalty,: though mc ip be ftill but an szdetermined Power, ’9, ‘Anditis more’ Grace which:caketh off fome victaws I- -difpefitions of the foul, and giveth it’ {ome were Défpofition co believe, though but fo much-ascommon grace doth giv...
9.21. Itis not a meer Power that God giveth men to Repent and believe:
But a Power accompanied withmany Gractoas belps and means to determine -it aright. (of whicly before, ) | |
Q.22. Hethat wih not ufe fuch Power-and means doth thereby forfeit
further
46 Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
* Brianfon in 4. 4.8.Cor.3- further grace ¥ : However God doth not alwayes take the forfeiture, and 1 Duvled obtivntimere, Will not of his elect to their deftruction, but doth pardon them. tiam nectffario ex parte bo- 9. 23 By all this it appeareth, 1, Thacall men have 2 satura! power mins precedit aliqut Ci op faculties, enabled to all that is meceffary to falvation, fo far that it is fpofitte.2.Duod talem di{poftioum homo per felpfum DOCthe want of a proper natural power that fhall neceflicate them to fin peceft B walt in fe inducerts and perifh 2. That this Power is by vice madi (pofedto believe, &c. 3. Thac prehippelis 3. Sued tas it hath fone Jndé(pofitionto all that virtue or moral good which tendeth ei oitte s artt Demi TO falvation. 4. That ic is not equally wndi{pofed to al {ach Good. sae panes g- That it's Zedi{poftion to fome means of Recovery, is no greater than ex parte Dei : fed totum fis What may be overcome by Gods commoner fort of Grace. 6. That this commere graraste Des volut, moner Grace.is not herein ever fo effectual, asthat all chat receive it, do all ate, But fecond | : . muft be done by com- th¢ good chat they can do by it, even in a moral fences nor all chat fome mon preparingGrace. others do that have no more help : But the wilful negligence of the receiver, or his diverfion or refiftance frequently fruftrareth it; though not - alwayes, 7. Thatthe right ufeof this commoner grace, in the ule of the forcfaid means, is a way appointed by God himfelf, and not in vain, by and in which men may be made fit to receive that fpecial Grace which will callchem favingly tobelieve. 8. Thatno manis denyed that (pectal grace thac deférveth it not by the sbafe of Common grace. ( How the cale of Infants dependctli on che Parents I muft not inftance as oft as the excepti- ‘ons of wranglers require it.) 9, And therefore no man is condemned for want of xatwral Power as (uch, but only for want of ftirring up his zetural power by thofe helps of grace, by which he might have done it, and for want of that further Good ( faith, love, obedience ) which by the helps rejected he might have been brought up to, had he not wilfully neglected the power and helps which he had.. ro, Yea ufually God long waiteth atient y on finners with the tenders of mercy, while they reject it, before Ane utterly forfake them. :
- SECT. XIV.
Whether the giving of ‘ffatth be an AG of Omnipotency ¢ and 4 proper Creation? asd 4 Miracle? , :
Q. 1, — Reader muft pardon me for troubling him with fuch fri-
. volous queftions about #ames, feeing unhappy Theologues
Creation is an ambigu-. have madeitneceflary. Ax Adt of Omnipotency hath feveral fenfes:
ous word: Pet. de Alli- : : oe .
acoin 4.9.1. G. teeth: %+ If the meaning be Whether Omenipetency be the Agent Principle, it
usof four Ordinary fen-‘is paft difpute. For it’s all one as to ask ‘Whether it be an Ac# of: God?
- ete la pot non Od hath no Power but re that is, perfec? power. a
effe s 2. Facere aliquid. %e If che meaning be; W er the Giving of faith be an Adequate efcle poft mon eft ab ile feck of Omaspatency, it.is alfo negatively paft doubt. Though thofe that
inti tifheee, matic take God to be but Anima Atwndi, fay that Eicher the world is. infinite
tel fubjet. 3. Facere or that Gedis. not Infinite, as thinking che World to-be his sdegwate ef-
Ope ee en Ne fect, yet Chriftians are comnionly agreed, that God: bath no adequate ofnflurn materie vel fub--fecb. Even ‘the making ‘a the univerfe, the Giving of Chrift, and. the Gh-
1 fa lle Nel vifingof the. Church, which arcthe highelt ees of his Power, Wifdem
4. Facere aliquid effe poft and Love ,are. not adequate.e fects ; For nothing but escother God can be an
non effe abjqs agente Je adequate effect of God: And another God, is acontradittion, folo caufante, & fine con- ( ae ;
curfic alterins caufe effici= - ee ay: = ca & enti, Malderus 1. 2. qu. (13-29- P. 578.ex Tho. & Auguift. Jupificarioimpii.cfh maximum opus Dei. Secundum quantitatem tam magnum eft Ange'os juftos creare: fed fecundum quantitatem proportionis majus eft impios jaftifcare —— quia major eft difproporting mpii ad gratiam quam ju'ti ad gloviam; (cut ex plebeio creare ducem quam ex duce veges. Aug, Tx. 72. in Joh. Jufes crave Ch impios jufiificare, equals potentia, hoc autem majors mifericordia he ©
9.2. 3. Buc if the fenfe of the queftion be only comparative; As, 1. Whether Ovmnipotency bé more eminent in the giving of faith chan . Wifdom and Love (or Goodnefs)? 2. Or whether Ovsripotency, be more eminent in giving fsith, than other. morks of Gad? they are both needlefs,. queftions. Andtothe firft I fay, No: To the fecond, thofe other works. of God niuft be named, and compared, by the prefumpwous that have no. fafer work to se as itis al A fish bi
~3- 4. If che queftionbe, whether the giving of faith be fo preat 4
“as shat no Power below Omnipotency et (aff to ee I a wer, ig - is a prefumptuous palery queftioaof rafhmen. Burt yet if it muft be an- {wered, it muft be negatively: Becaufe as Omnipotence is more illuftrious in the making of the world, than in caufing a man to bel#eve 3 fo Chriftians agree that che world it felf (as Ifaid ) is not an adequate effec of | Omnipotency: Which maketh fo many of the fubtileft Schoolmen conclude that God could not be proved to be Omsyipotent by the whole Creation as {uch, were it not fusther to. be gathered from she notices of his perfection, Which were falfe if by Omsnépotence they meant onlya Power that can do alt that ss dome: But they mean Ap Infinite Power; which, they fay mutt be fo feen in an Sufinite effec. But the world is apt Jnnite. oo f 0.4. As to the fecond queftion, it is either de momine or de re. If
is the right ordered Act of a fubftance, whofe natural power, which pers * Fuftifcarionn now ef formeth it, was pre-exiftenc, fa wahank: that aét and the miora di(po- proprie Cyr Vids
4S tech from Ged the firft not fo.Rareas to bea miracles Inthe {econd, the Sas and Heavens are a 5 ee greater wonderthan faith, — : | ! ghinte shat God? feth no
a. Bat as a séirasde fignifieth that which is.done by fecond Cawfes, bat Second cafe in working unknown to us, and out of Gods ordinary way of working; fo it is no moter ee fi miracle. : , _ Haga faith in ge qt. Ee
3. And as fome men call thata Miracle which exceedeth. the power of plone ag cas tony the fecond caufes, fo al! things would be Miracles that God doth : For odaf fecunda, quam fi fathey are effects of hss power as exceeding the power of fecond caufes. oe ee fe
4 AS aMiracle is chat which is done by Ged without any fecomd caufes, Gian fant parts termini + fo fome chink chat the propagation of fowlsis a miracle: But of fowls and vise aétsonis quam in
faith itis much unknown to us, how far God ufeth fecond canfes ; But bans Pie pis
‘ P ng; Dethat Generation as to one, and Preaching and al} other meams to the other, facit aliquem fue are fome fortof fecond caules, * is fure. mediante caufa Secunda, ipft
non folum facit illum ¢f-
5. And laftly,ifby a adiracle be meant that effect, which God proddceth fedums fed etiam facit
both above the power-of fecond casfes, andby a more glorious exertion of tasfam ffcundam eff canin hi a &i. Mark his own power than in his Courle of ature and Goverwment he uleth by fam ilins fet
and
*- Malderus againft the Synod of Dort and 1. 2.
e111. art. 3. dub. 8. befirs himfelf with fpecial induftry to tell what Gratia efficax 1s: And he concludeth that it is afflatus gratia prevenientis, ce fub genere gratia excitantis; & que non reshu-
Of God's Gracious Operations on-Man’s Soul: 7
and with fecond caufes, fo itis not a Miracle, becaufe in the way of his ordinate co-operation with his Gofpel, he ordiriarily pro-uccth ic.
@.6. So that as all Chriftians muft confefs that we had never believed if God had not wrought icin us by that fpirit of wifdom and Love whichis Omnipotent; {o tocontend any further whether it be a Asiracle, anda proper Creation, or an effect of Onsnipotency as fuch, gc. are fuch queftions
as prefumptuous Schoolmen heretofore, and hot-headed Sectaries in our -
times, have ufed to affli@ the Church of Chrift with, and to tempt their ignorant zealous followers into fuch employments, as moft effectually deftroy their charity, and injure others, and fcandalize the world, —
SECT, XV. | Of the fufficiency and efficacy of Grace,
Q.1. ] Have faid fo much of this before as’ thar, Jeft I be tedious by | repetition, I muft be but brief. 1. By fufficient Grace is meant
that which is wece/fary tothe effect, and without which it Cannot be, but with ir, it may be, though it fometimes be not. _ @.2, Tharthere is uch a fuffictent Grace not alwayes effectual to mans act, is before proved by Adams Cafe.“ Andthat néman hath fuch now for any means or duty in order to his recovery, as dam had to ftand
when he fell; is not to be afferted: or received, And that no prepared
sh Cum relpui polit s ra-. fowl hath fuch fufficient Grace to believe, that yet believeth not, is a thing
ther preparans voluntatem quam adjuvans: rejeti
Valentia who placeth it in the ‘Habit of Grace’ caufed by excitation 3 and 2 Lorca who takes it to be adjuvant; and thofe. that make it co-operant; and thofe that place rt in predetermination phyfical; of which he confuteth four opinions, p.so2..and faith Probabélior fententia eft que negat omnimodam gratia infallibilitaten,' adcoque efficaciam fumi: pofle ex Sola realé aliqua’ differentia, confiderata ex: partegratie prevenientis. And that foft and onjuft: have effectual grace, and therefore it differeth.not! from =: fufficient. really. And he refolveth all per. feventiam mediam, that Grace" 1s ‘effcuat he-. caulfe ex. -propofito cons vertendé Deus ita homéenem trahit frent aptum novitrut. fequatur.& certiffime fecus. turum: and fo that Grace is effeQual.er natura fua
_ that is paftour réeachto know.” 7
“9.3. This fafficcent Grace-confifteth in a Power to the a@: when the
Indifpofition of: the natural power, is {6 far altered, or reprefled, asthat by
the means and'‘helps vouchfafed by God, the aé is Morally poffible to be
done. Forhethat’trulycax do it, all things confidered, is well {aid to
* @ 4 Bat God of his bounty ufually giveth men morethan fuch a meer
moral poffibility, by many additional helps and urgenciesto thea@, which
I mentioned before. _ ee we Lh. wae
* 9:5. Butby [ fuficiert’] is not meant [As muchas is #feful, yeaor
—e tothe Aféertaining of the Event, much lefs to the meliority of the
* 9:6. IT, The EFFICACY of Grace relateth to the effe& :: And
by the effe@ it muft be defcribed, Efficacy is Aptitudinal, which:is the
a and fitnefs of the Effitient Canfeé: Or AGual, which is Efficiency it
0+ 7+ Aptitudinal efficacy is 1.In Gods 2. In the means: And 1. In
Gods Abjolute’ Power, 2. In hic Ordinate Power. 7? er oe
6. 8. 1. Gods Abfolute Power is Omutpotency, or Infinite 5 and therefore was aptitudinally efficactius to make a world before itwasmade,-
© §.9. 2. Gods Ordinate Power is the fame Effential Omnipoténcy de-
‘Nominated fromthe Connotation of thofe effe@s, which he hath decreed to
and not fo called only 4x produce, according to’ the‘limited aptitude of fecond Caufes and means, or
CUCM He +
the difpofition of the recipient, or at leaft, as limited in the effeds. by his meer free will, a e ae
-.Qe10. In thefe relpeds, though ftill Gods power in ic felf be Omni- ‘poteney, yet in the limited way of operation, it is various, r. As Gods Will quoad terminos is various, 2. And as the meaas are various, 3. And
co And the Sub-operations of Man's Will.
as the Receivers capacities are various. To one, the fame aperation ex parte Dei cy mediorum ( though not fromthe fame Decree) 415 abundantly efficactsws, and to another nor. | . 7 | Q.11. Andthus God fo limicech the effect of his Power, as that icthall be effectual fometime on 2 Condition to be freely performed by man re~ ceiving ic, even by aformer help, and wot abfolusely, _
§. 12. Thereforeall chat is Aptitudinally efficacious, is not actually efficient of every effect to which ic was thus apt.
9. 13. The aptitwdinal efficacy of the méuns being of God, with bis ordinate power, hexein, and is not the ching in queftion. ;
9.14. The effects in refpett to which Grace is called efficacious are,
1. The Giving of the Means themfelves, 2. The frft Imprefon che foul.
3. Thealtering of the fowls Difpofition. 4. The production of the 7.
5. Andof the Habst. And ic muft be fome of thefe efedts which are
called efficacions or tnefficactoue to others. Sothat bythac time the ftare
of the Queftion is truly opened, this which Dr. Twiffe faith Armsinins
durft never (peak out his opinion of, and which he and others make to be the
very heart of all chele Contraverfies, perhaps will appeartobenothing.
i 15. For what # that Grace whole efficacy you enquire of ¢ Is it Gratia operani ot operate? The efficient canfe, or the effect? IE it be Gods Gratia operans,icis either the Prime Canfe or the fecond Canfes. If it be che Prinmse Canfe, itis Gods effexce omly 5 Even his Effential Power, intellect andwill. Andis thatthe Queftion [wherein confifteth the efficacy of Gods effence? \ Why it confifteth in it ielf if you mean Aptitudinal efficacy 5 IcisGods effential Virtue. If you mean AGual effictency, that {peaketh the effect, of which more anon. -So that about Gods effeutial efficacy there is no Controverfie, ad ~
9.16. Bucif you fay chat Itis his Potestia qu2 ordigata and not gus effentialis vel abfoluta that you eaquire of the efficacy of ; Remember thatthe word Ordinara or Limited fignifiech no alteration in Gods Power at all, but only Av effect which Limited and ordinate, from whence the Power cauling it is extrinfecally fomamed. Gods effential Power is never Limited but Infixite , and to be Ordinate, is but to have ordé nate effets. So that ftill eicher che Controverfie maft be of Gods effence , ( which is paft Controverfie, ) or of fome fecond canfe, oc fome meer effect. | |
0.147. Andif you transferr che Quyeftion to che efficacy Of fecond caufes, 1. You will deny your felves, chat means and fecond caufes have any power but from God , 2. And that the very ature of thofe caules is {ufhicient to the afcertaining of the effect, becaule they caufe moftly morally: And it is ‘one of the accuiations againft rhe Arminians (right or wrong ) that they lay all on moral fuafin or caufality, 3.And fecond canfes are fo numerous, and unknown to us; that ie are uncapable of judging well of their efficacy, 4, Butic is I chink agreed between you, hat the force of Means or fecond caufesin Converfion is not fuch as neceffttateth the will, Or if fome of the Schoolmen and Fefwites, which with their Scientia Media do joyn-Gratiam per congruitatem medisrum cfficacem, do make this eficacy to be the chief caafe of the cflect, yer they deny itto caule sece[farily ; at leaft alwayes, when the effect followeth. And what if we ad l, thar objects effect not as fuch? And therefore this queftion de efficatia caufarum aly in muftextend to fome fecond effective Agents, and not only to objedts-as fuch, nor to thofe that preach, prefent and offer objects, as (uch: And what that Agent Casfe muft be; under God, by that time you are agreed, you will tind chac they are new Controverfies thac will chere rife up before you. And yer Ithink thac : a willneeds wrangle about che
falleth in
efficacioulne ff
Vafquez. in x Tho. q. 15. difp. 8c. p. 502. [Volunt.s libera Dei, et effentia Divina fignifecata per modum attus vitalis & affectus eliciti, cum revera fit ipfamet fisbflantia Dei 3 includit tumen babitudinem etiam sandam vations ad res futtae que libere Deo convenst, ficut etiam res libere future funt > Cum énitn bec relatéio confurgat 6x findamentis non neceffarts, nempe ex rebus ipfis, &H objects futuris 5 ipfe etram habitudo libere Deo convenit 5 non intrinfice; fed extrinfeca folum denominatione; quam Deo convenire, Or non convenire, zon eft abfurdum. Ergo cum Velle liberum Dei non folwm includat effentiam, fed cum tali re'pectu, etidmft lébera Volant.ss polit Deo adeffe, & abeffe, nibil fequitur abfurds, quod divine fimplicitaté <> ime mutabllitati repugnet. This hitele is all that they can tell us, what Gods free Volition of extrinfick effeds is. And can you tell us arly more? Bradwardine denying in God any executive pows er befides meer Volition (though he cat! him omnipotent antecedently to his felf-knowledge and Volition) doth make Grace ex parte Dei to be nothing but his #i/, that we fhall do the a&, and
be fuch and fuch.
a
Of God's Gracions Operations on Man's Soul
_caufe itfelfs) ~“Thereforethere is nothing left, but only to queftion, How -
cfficacioufne(s of any caufe foregoing the firft effcc# it fclf on che foul, ic mult be of the efficacy of fome or all thefe fecond cafes, or we muft que- {tion whether God be God? For I can find nothing elfeto queftion. a
¢.18, It remaineth thenthat the queftion, wherein the efficacy of Grace confifteth, muft be meant of Gratia operata, even of the effect st felf. And then either you mean, that this e/fedt is efficacious to it felf, or to fomething sife. The firftis fuch a contradiction asisnot to be imagined; ( that you fhould think chat an effeé is icsowncav/e,and ask How doth faith, e, g.
the fir/t effect of God onthe foul in ies convertion is efficacious of the fecond?
‘4 19. And here 3. Some of you will grant that as motion cauf{eth motion by conta& of bodies, fo the firft effect on the foul can caufe the fecond, Andothersof you will deny ic, and fay that Gods Actions being diverfified only by the diverfity of effects and objets, that which caufeth che fecond
effect is to be denominated a fecond Action, and notthe fame numerically
which caufed the firf; no nor fpecifically if the effects fpecifically differ. And foas fcholaftick wits here exercife their curiofiry, without refpect co a or Calvinifm, you will here fallinto notional Controverfies inthe way. = a
. 20. 2. Bue granting chat the fir effect is that efficacious Grace which muft caufe the fecond, how fhall we know what the firft effe@ is, and what the fecond ¢ Gods Grace likethe Sunis ftill fhining though we are not ftill receiving ic: When it worketh but the commoner fort of effects,
thefe tend tomore and more,. The firft Gracious effect may be forty years
before Converfion. Bucthisisnot your meaning: But I fuppole you will
~ fay thacit isthe firft pectad effect or gratia operata, that is proper to the
nar frified or Sanctified or Converted, | or, it be the firft e
* Dito x. Non certo core fiare exdivinis litcris effe hujufmodi Habitus fuprnaturales. 2+ At (bapti- .
gates) infunditur Gratia co fenfe quod efficéuntar Deo grati > corfortes dtvine Naturc, Cm rexatle 3.Concedituy Dei adyutorium ut credamus, velimusy diligamus, per in{pirationem Cr infufiontm daha Jani, 4. Ded.adjutoriun defuper inflam e't omning neceffariuam ut credamitt, Atligamis, &e. ce non tantum ut facilins credams. Medina M12. q.
1, pe 282, bcc many definitions of a Habit confuced in Medina 1. 2..p- 27%. and that which he reftcth in 1s Ariftotles, Qualitas qua ‘ele vel male afficiinur.
faved, which youmean. Butto pafs by, that Auguffine, Profper, Fulgentius (much more their. predeceffors ) held that fincere faith, Love, holinefs, Juftification, prefentrightto Life if they fo dyed, are not proper to the faved, butthat fomelofe al] thefe, If you fay: but L proper to the Faec which is proprium Fuftificands which you mean s Are we agreed what that is? .21. Eicher the fir/? effect on the foul, or the firlt Gratia operata,is the Actof:faith it felf, or fomewhat antecedent. If the 4¢ (as many fubtilly maincain ) then it were a foolith queftion toask, Whether the Ac
of faith be Effectual to caufe it felf, and How? Therefore it mutt be fome-
.what antecedent, or we can find no matter for our Controverfie de efficacia Gratia ad credendum, | | $.22. If fomewhat antecedent to the Act, itis either a Dé/pofition, or Infufed Habit, or an lmpreffion, Impulfe or Influx which is neither Di/poftion nor Habit, * | |
O23. wee er Habit of faithic isnot: Though Mr. Pemble fingularly feem foto think, yet he meaneth but a feminal difpofition, . And it’s commonly held that the Habit is given by fanttification, after the Act givenin Vocation. 2, Bucif it were otherwile, the Habit is not alwayes {afficient to afcertain the Act. For holy men oft fin againft a Habit, and believers do not alwayes exercife ic. Habits Jucline per modum nature,
but do not certainly determine to theact. 3. And of a Dé/pofition it mutt —
be fo faid much more. | 0.24. 2, Andif itbe an /mpulfe or Influxus Receptus (as I think we muft affirm ) this is bue a general notion, of which our underftanding is very crudeorfmall, A meer Motus it isnot: For ( as was faid in the beginning ) the Divine Influx is threefold, viz. From Vital-Activity ( or Power, ) Wifdom and Love, to Life, Light and Love,in.man, Now, as I
faid,
_ &c. in one of them, which ic produceth notin the other, chrough che infides of our contenders,
| Grace iseffictent of it felf,and doth ic.
And the § ub-operations of Man's Will. |
faid, if there be no fuch Impulfe, befides the Life, Light and Love pra:
duced, our Controverfie is at anend: -For thefe are not efficacious or efficient of themfelves, Butif fuch adiferent Impulfe there be; it’s hard to know whatit isin man. I conceive it beft expreffed by all thefe inadequate notions conjunét: 1. An-inward urgency to this threefold aG; which is calledin the Schools, both awxél:um, concur{e, und Influx: 2, By
_ which Urgeacy the foul is more Dt[pofedto the Aik (tn hoc ordine ) chan
it wasbetore: 3. Which Dé/pofition containeth in it a Aforal Power to that A@ ( fo ordered’) and fomewhat more; even {ome. Jnclinationto performic. If any mancan tell me better what that Divine impulfe is which is antecedent to mans Act, Lam willing to earn. oe oe
4:2 5. Nowif this be che queftion, whether this Divine Impulfe, which is the fir/t effect of Gods [pértt, be of its own mature efficacious wo produce our Faith, Love, 8c. as the fecond effect, Lan{wer, 1.Sometimes.Gods Jn pulfeis fo Great, as propria vi, doth change mind and will -and:overcome refiftance, and procure our a&t. 2. Sometimes ic is fo ftrong as’ that it prevailech againft the contrary gis pena fo far.as to give man a “ordl Power to the Act, with fome. Inclination, which yet contrary habits aid temptations do overcome, and che Act doth not follow, which yet was not for want of Power to have done it : And this is called fufficient Grace. 3. We have great reafonto éelieve that asin fome Inftances Gods greater Imprefsis the chief differencing Caule, foin. other Inftanees ai, egal Impulfe of God on wnequally difpofed fubje&s, doth produce the Ac? of faith,
capacity of the recipient. 4. Therefore there is a double degree of efficacy or Vis, One whichonly fofar moveth and helpech the will, as chac it can do the act, and fometime doth s¢ withoucmore:. Another which is
fo ftrong as that the fecond effect alwayes, followech it. -5.+But whenever the Actof faith is produced (by: force.or nmpulfe more or.le[s ) God
is. che firft and principal cau‘e of ‘it, and man-bur the fecond, andthe praife of itis accordingly due. And I chink this dec\fion accommodateth both
0.26. The forefaid popu fe or firkt effedt,-is only the work of God (and
the means) andnocours: But the Act of Faith, Lowe, &c. is Gods work
and owrs; and ours as Free-agents. Therefore that /mpalfe of God whith
is Aptitadinally efficacious on {uppofition of mans due reception and ‘Aelf-excitation, isoftnoe Acduslly effectual for want of thac Voluncary Receépei- ‘on and felf-excisation, .- .-) age:
9.27. As tothe various effects of Grace fore-mentioned; 1. As to the
preparation of.Aseans and Gracious medicine ( Chrift, the Covenant, &c. ) ! | bin Fa, Se
av Astothe firft zmpalfe o1 Zasprefyon the foul, God certainly effecterh st, infome degree, wherever his{pirit workethonthefoule 5
3. Some Urgency, and fome degree of difpoftion to the. a&;.is conftantly
- contained in this Japwdje, Avd ufually it giveth a moral power. to the. Immediate Adt-required, ) 0 MA
4. The A@of faith fomctiucs followeth this. Impulfe through its’ Fvincible force ; And fometime ic iolioweth ic through its (efficent force,
and the cue Reception ¥ ot thefubject. And fometimesit followeth it sot
at all, chrough the Recipients ¢::/1[pofition,
5. The Habit of rf
hath not a fixed Habit to prompticude and facility of believing before he
believeth, buc after, | |
—* hhh a 6.The
ith eves ‘-lowetha fpecial Ad, through the powerful - operation of the Holy Ghojf. But ufually ic goeth not before the AG: Man
According to Fanienius the firft Grace 1s Necef fary Delectation or Love in a@, before that which
isfree and full, And if -
fo, then there is no prace caufing this grace, and fo none tobe the fubje& of this queftion, Whether ic be more or lefs, fufhdient or effeual, operating Or co-operating grace, Which maketh one mian love God initially rather than another? For it 1s no Grace, but
‘Gods effencial will ; if
this Love be the firft Grace, and no received Impulfe antecedente to its
* Omne agens requirit de necefitate aliquam. dispofitionem én fuo palo: Maximée fi illnd paffum babeat ifpofstiones altions ilius Agentis contrarias, ut patet de igne &c. Ergo cumGratia non fit minus inmo magés quam naturalis fore mi; Certum eff quod Gratia requirit mayorem difpofitionem in paffo Et voco illam di ens Libertatem arbitrit [ue Deo fubmittere, & fe ad alteram partem declinare, fcilicet ad volendum Gratiam recipere,@o dolere de culpa commiffa voluntarie ee libere per attritionems Brianfon in 4.q. 8. core
. fol. 152. | j This is jufttte doétrine of our Proteftant Preache ers, fuppofing that Common Grace muft make this preparation which the Papifts grants
52 Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Sout:
6. The Habit ordinarily procureth following acts, by the way of Jaclnation : but not xece ffarily nor alwayes, For by ftrong temptations, Habits areoft borndown, = —S ee fs
Q. 28. If the queftion thenbe, hence Gods Grace is Aptitudinally and Potentially efficactows (able and fit to effect?) It is becaule God is God thathe is Able; and his smpalfe is fuch becaufe be maketh it fuch,
Andif the queftion be, whence Grace is Actually efficient of its firlt effe& (theImpulfe? ) It is becaufeGod will fo do; and his wZ hath no Caule,beingthefirftCaule. =. a
Andif chequeftion be, whence Grace is Attually efficient of mans faith? Itis by its Aaspelling mantobelieve.. 2.00 | ou
But if you ask, whence faith it felf.is, or.of what caufe isitaneflea? J anfwer, of God as the firf? caufe,and the A¢eans as his Inftrument, and of
the Belseveras:a free fecondcaufe; 2
- Andif the queftion be, Why fuffictent Grace which is Effed?ual ed Poffe
“isnot effectwal ad egere? Ic is becaufe. (being but [a/ficéent, ) mans’ Zzaifpofitton’ and wilful neglect ox oppofition, maketh him an wnfit Recerver, ‘ a oe
. 29. There being nothing. then but:Gods a and the mezns)
‘antecedent. to che reg effec? on the foul, and that effec# ever. following
where God worketh: and the fecond effec being the effect both of God
LC by the firft ): and of man:as.a free agent, the queftions, sade efficacia
' .Gratie,and wndaeffettws, ace thus healingly anfwered, , |
“5 Oe 300" Obp. Bar the impilh of God ts: the firft differencing and ejfettual
‘Caufe: And that:not as it 14 his effence, but as tt 1 terminated on the Creatureand decreeth fuch am effe. 6°06
-.. dafw. 1, Tc is 0 will but. bis jl semi fo terminated or decre-
1 give, +. ‘That.cermination maketh no :difference at all that’s real in the
- wikof God, but only in the. effect or object. 3. Whar is the difference
‘then between. Gods will firaply in i felfy and as. willing from eternity a
thing not yet exiftent? None really at all. And-that which not yet,
: being Nothing; what Relative, connotative and Denominative difference
* {uch Nothings can-makeon-the will :f God, befides the-variety of imper-
’ fe& notions in mans frail Intellect, lec the wifeconfiders 2;
> §. 31 From whence itis that School-divines after Augu/tine fay; chat
' -i ith God there is to. (fetarvm vel preteritum, 00 fore-knowledge or fore-de-
_ evees, properly, becaute no difference of time, but only kvowledge and will
lof things.asprefeny. 3; a
_ object of them, have a Greater diftinction;. becaufe to be felf-living, felf-
- knowing and felf-loving. are his.Effential Acts on himfelf the eternal o
je& (which made many Ancients account them the Trinity of perfcns )
. And alfotows#l/an extfent Creature is.an extrinfick denomination from
- dxiflence x Burto will chat svhich w not, ( that van (hall be, that ate
believe hereafter, cc.) as it is nothing really different from Gods eflence,
~ fo itis: but an extrinfick denomination of his eflence, from zothing. —
SECT.
And the Sub-operations of Man's il.
SECT. Xvi_ Of Infufed Habits, and the Holy Ghoft Given is. a. te
| 2. 1 Very operation of the Holy Ghoft is not the Gi ving 0 the Holy Ghof, whichis {pacially promised in the Golpal to believers. Forthere are 1, Many cermasx works of the Spirits 2: And the fpecial effet of faith it felf betore it. i _ ot Q.2. Thisgitt of the Holy Ghaft unto Believers, was formerly twofold, the Gift of Adiracles of wonders, and of | fpectal Hoaline ff; of; which the latter continueth to the end of theawvorld. oe 9.3. The pirit is Given to Believers in:feveral relpedts canjuna, x. In thac he is Given to Ghrift their:Head, with. whom, by Union they are Relatively oneBody. 2. -In-that:He is Given.so shegs by the Baptifmal Covenant, in {pectal Relation co their-own. perfaxs, to be sheir fanghifier: In which réfpect they are Baptized into the. name of the. Huy Ghoft, as: being now in Covenant theirs. .3. la chat he.woskethin them the g/s and Habits of Holineff, even of Love to. God.and: to-his daze 5 and -helpeth them in dll duties, and-againft all temptations, enemies and {ms, But not that his effemce is more in them than elfewhere, buc. his Operstions from _ the lations. Be. tn Be eller, @ —— This Gift-of the /piritis the great priviledge.of believers, and. of " Gotpel times-in the eminent degree, and He is the great Agent,’ Advocate “and witnef of Chrift inus, the divine matare;.and vame of God and. his mark upon us: our withefs, carne Pledge, and frft:fraits.of life eternal, ‘and the'great difference -beeween Chrift living mempbers and the unregene- ‘gate worK,; a a eee 7 %. 52 So'powerful and fixed isthis Aebituad Holineffor Love of God (for
_ thar is chefumm of it). that though it.be.no. /wflence, nor alter not mans “ty
‘ fpectes, nor. x ae not by watur mecelfstating determination, yer it ftrong!y ~ ‘and conftane yiaclineth the foul. per. wsgdum Athr ato the a of Love:
“and thee man, a —se 9.6, The greatelt Heisg ia -this. world is co. have.ssore.. of this, Spirit, “and the greatett -punifbme it, tobe forfakew. by, the pirit,.and deprived j of ' acd And believetsthenifelves mutt fear. moft, left t dhould quench ‘and “grieve the’ fpirit, and be punifhed-with any meafure- of its delertion:, And cheit preat work is co-cherifh it: carefully,:and obey ‘ic faichf ully “and conec) Caen i ie ie eee Fa fare BO Re word -B-ya 92 '}.as.to. Habits being metaphorical, is am- \ bighods: 4k (8 cr a ar Habits be fo Xnfufed as that =" theyare-cauled withoat' Means 2.-we mutt deny ordinarily. ca as Tei bey whetties hey arenovarall procured by. any coyitations, de-
2, fires, of preparatory disties of . ur owns to fic us to receive them ¢ Icis
aa Habit, astkufe of ite tuft be firmed of. the.ardinary cale.
4. If itbe, Whether the Habit ever g0 before the Ad# ?. we muft fay,
.. the 44: Butwe cannot prove that he ever doth fu, much lefs that it is his '” Ordinary way.
The Scloolimen fai
f'cak Mofli for tlie nocet
nuiagree whar wic they
are for 5 Amel eppofeth chiefly for che riche
tude tothent aid picafure inthem. And wher’ aliis faid, they give men
buc fall comfore from
them, faying (as Azreolus, Eviaufon, &e. ) that
no mancan be fure thac
he hath them, f{ecing
acquired Habits may do
the fame things that infuied do.
Uivam Beatitudo fupernae’ turalis hajus vite fit ma- 64 in Habitibus quam in
operationibus y vid. Sugrez Metaph. ditp. 44. fe&.8. n.18. & Molina I. p.q-12.ar. 5. difp. 2. ar. 2. pro habitibus. sed contra inguit cAgid. de Santa Prefentatione 1}, 4.de beatit q. s. a. 3. ps 471. Hs non obtartibus Oppofitum affirmant omnes
Theologé qui hac de ye feripferunt’: mec videtuy poffedehoe dubitari, And yet Alenf 2. p.g IC4. m. 3. Aquin, 1.2. qe gt. a. 2. ad 3. & g. 62. a. 2, ad 3. & Valentia 2, To, ip. 4. q. 3. pung. 2, rc. are for preferzing Habits,
iol 5) Iden eid, de Prafentat, ~'aind {oertulateth ature, that it is;oalled.in Scripture the Divine Nature, |
t+ 4+ Pe 443, 444. telis us that by Grace God ig Prejent in the {cul as his Temple otherwite than by lhumenfity and fuftentation; Luthis prefcntia Anititie can mean nothing but the f{pecial eftecis of Gods Luve. Noftra tempeftate non folum ef temerarium, O pericu- Lofum, fed fere bereticum havitus infufos neeave;: Nam Concil. Vienenf. &c. & univeri ‘Theoloe? uno confenfu affivmant dari. habitus infufos = Medina in 1.2. Gq. Ste a 4. 282. But Soto li.2. de nat. & Grat.c. 17, 18. faith chac the Concil. Trid. purpofely forbore to define the cafe of infufed habits. Let the Reader note that Fanferins proveth that Pelagiws tim(clt afferted infufed Habits given in bapufim, and thae without merit. fanf. Aug. Tos
_§. 8. Whence it is plain that ordinarily All Infufcd Habits are {o far alfo Acquired, as that they follow means and the Ad: But all Acquired Habits arenot fuch as are called Jnfufed. | .
0.9. Thedifferenceis inthis, that Habits are faid tobe Jnfufed when the roly ghoft doth excite the foul tothe 47, and by that 4 unto a fetlea Habit, by fucha {pecial powerful Impulfe as would not follow Gods ordinary Operation by meer natural fecond Caufes. As the feal fet home on the wax by aftrong oe maketh a deep impreffon, more than when it’s laid on Jightly bya child : foare facred objects and means and motives when fer home by he {pirit (allowing forthe differences of the things...)
?.10, Whether in every true Believer a fixed Habit of Love inflantaneoxfly follow the firft ai#of true faith, though weak: or whether in sany God only give after the fir/t é# fo {mall an increafe of the Dz/pofition, as is fhort of the true nature of a habit, ull increafed by frequent acts, is a cafe that I shink more difficule chan needful to refolve. 8
¢.11, That which God worketh in Z#fants, isa feminal fixed difpofition: Buc I cannot prove that itis a proper Habit.
Q.12, Whether Adams Natural fanity or fanctity antecedent to his firft Aét, was to be called more properly a Habit, or only a ferinal difpofition, 1 leavetoothers. Batif hs, cat Infants be vo be called Habits, you mutt fay that they are only certain General Habits, {uch as Health in the Body, and not thole particular Habits, which are ftri@ly fo called,
$.13. Thegatsre of aHabit is not well known to mortal men. We know that it is 4 /frong and fixed Difpofition to prompt and facile attion of this or that fpectal fort. But whatthat Di/pofition is, we well know not: ‘That is, whether it be the robar of the pier virtues or faculties of the: foul, (Intellection, Will, Agtivity?) And if fo, wherein that fecond Gradus Virtutis, which is not effential differeth from the firft that is? And whether it be any thing elfe than a fecret conftant Act, in and by which the foul is excited to more fenfible affs, it’s hard'to know. But certain I am that befides thofe és which taking in fomewhat of Jmagination or fenfe are ordinarily perceived by us ( which are our ordinary converfation,) the _foulhath alfo forme deep fecret fixed acts, which make no ufe of fenfe or Imagination, or none thatis obferved; and yet are the ruling ac¢s of the man. Such commonly is the Jatentio finis which. operatech conftantly without memory or obfervation in all ule of means.’ As a travailer on his journey keepeth on his way, while he feemeth wholly taken up with the occurrences, company and talk of his. way, and thinketh not fenfibly of his end: Andyet had he notan unobferved Jatention of it, he would not go on. And xight and day the foul hath this fecret snfenjible fort of Action.
¢.14. Aswhena {park of fire is blown up to a flame, and the excited Act doth tend to more; and the more it burneth. (ceteris paribus ) the more - it isftrongly inclined toburn; And yet nomancan fay thac here is any
New Matter that wasnot before exiftent, nor that the fecond degree of fire is not of che fame nature with the firft, nor that there is any thing but #- ture and actton which inclineth it,to. mote action; And yet how the fame ¢flence before not perceived is fuddenly blown up by Action’ to fuch obfervable appearance and effects, is paft che power of mano underftand aright: So fome {uch thing there isin the prefent cafe, allowing for the difference of natures, and kinds of operation... = 5 os: i
‘SECT.
And the Sub-operations of Man's Will.
SECT. XVII: whether man be meerly Paffive as to. the firft fpectal Grace.
Q.1. Axl. I. | | and therefore what ever it receiveth 5 it receiveth it asit is in thac nature, a8 Loree = . 2. But the fame foul is Pafeve as well as 4ive, and that in the prior inflant of nature; For it muft receive from God the firftcaufe: which made the Greek antient Doctors and many’ of the Latines {ay aS Damalcene in fenfe, (though in groffer words ) that the foul in refpeét to bodies was immaterial (or incorporeal ) but it was material in relpect of God. ¢. 2. Not only in its Receiving theSpirits firft Impulfe to Believe, the foul is Pafive before it is Active: but. alfo in its Reception of every fort of Divine Influx, even to every natural a@. So that in this there is no difference between Converfion and any common a@. . For the foul is fix? pafive in allj: even in receiving that Natural Influx by which we Live and Move and Be. © | i %.3. Buc the foul which is paffive in Receiving Gods Jmpulfe to bé lieve, (the firlt effect, ) is Active in the producing of its own Act of believing, “(which is the effect of many Concaufes. ) - And,.as I faid,. k is not the Habic of faith properly fo called; which ic pafsively Receiveth:
a
before. the A#.
. SECT. OXVUL |) whether the firft Grace, and the. New and Soft Heart be Promifed ann Given Abfolutely, or on any Condition on our part; And fo of faith
Anfor. ute PY -the fire Grace is méant; either fimply thie firff, or
-_ the firft [pecial renewing Geace on the foul,préper to them that fhall be Juftified.. Of the firft Grace fimply theré- is no Condition , for it is given Univerfally to all, ( viz. a Reprieval, a Law of Grace, a Redeemer,.¢xe. ) And after this: there is much common perfonal mercy
"given conditionally, and much abfolutely, to all of fonte.* -
. 2. It {eemeth to me an errot.¢ which by overfight T was long’ en: led in my felf.) to chink chat by the ew and -foft hear? ;+.is meant
_ BY firft fpecial Grace. For moft Divinés agree, thde ic iS ‘proper fanéci- _ fication which is meant by. it, .as diftin@ frorfi antecedent Vocation, Vid,
Amel. Medul.de Vocat. Rolloc. de Vocat, Billiop-G. Dovoname acainft Pemble Hookers.Souls-Vocation, Foh. Rogers of faith, and many others: Invdcation, they fuppofe the 4c of Faith and Repentance (u/citated dy the Spivit, and a Pelion a. Covenant-Relation to Chriff and to the rhly ~Ghoff,
predeft. Tre F isp. 18. 6. A> $> 5,758, Cre. .p. 227, 229, eC. . Exet’ Medina 1 2a pe ‘6. 1s fo h
“He Wature of mans foul is to be an Aéfive. Spirit, + waiteenia Voluntatis
in ordine ad auxilinum
previnm e@ indisfcrentis paliva: ceterum in ordine ad actum liberum, quem producit. predeterminata
tali motiont previa, ine differentia Voluntatis eft activa ¢ libera. Alvarez
de Aux. difp. 23. pag.
ae * And as to the firit moving inward Grace, fee how copioufly the Jefure Ruiz ( asVafquez and others ) proveth that ic hath no initiam | In us, No not an occafionor difpofition, much. lefs meric, for whichie is given: And he reafoneth from the Names, Creation, Generation by the feed of God, refufcitation and Gods _being found of. thent that fought him not, and from -the Caufe of the difference between man and man. De
efirant as to fay | E/fe
probabilem fententiam Doctorum quod facienti quod in fe eft ex facultate nature Deus, ¥% faa, mifericordia nunquam denegat gratiam, Sed dico quod probabélius eft mages confentaneum fanctis patribus, prectpne Auguftino, non effe. Legem infallibilem quod hominé
piccatond fackenti quod gn-fe. ety ex, facultaté.nature, continso conferatur gratia, Nam
effet Lex infallibilis certé inétium
ce bout pars juftification’s effet a nods, ce} Thus the Papifts herein differ as much as the Proreftants among themfelves.:. 7
pee, 8 with
“bran Qreffed, and make you anew beart, and s new {pirit
| Of God's Gracious Operations a Man's Soul: |
with Regenerating, Sanctifying Habits © be given. And I fee no reafon
to be fingular herein. |
9.3. That faith is by the Law ofGrece, made a Condition of this Sanéification, and the spirit promifed us (if we will believe, and {0 ve Spirit given to us ‘by Covewsnt in Baptifms nher we believe, is piain in Scripture, and the commonelft doctrine of all Divines. |
?.4. Therefore if ic be this spirit of Sandsficatiog that is meanc by the ew, the Tender, the Circumcifed ‘hearts it is:not promifed and given abfolucely, bat on condition of faith. |
%. 5. Let us perufe the feveral Texts where it is promiled. Deut. 30. 1,2,3,6. [when thaw fhalt call to mind among all the Nations—— and {balt return unto the Lord thy God azd obey bis veice, according to all that I command thee shis day———ahos and thy children, with all thy heart and all thy foul; thatthen the Lord thy God will turn thy capsivity And the Lord thy God wetl pes thy heart and the heart of thy feed to Love the Lordthy God with all thy heart and with all thy foul, that thou maiff live, j,
Here it is a-Grace confequent to a condition, even to much obedience, —
which is delcribed, | | And Dest. 10.16. it isa command [ Céircamcife the foreskin of your hearts, and be wo more fiiff-wecked.']
€T. 32. 34, 37, Occ. [1 wall gather them out of all Countreys whither
I have drives them and will bring them again into this place, and Iwill caufe thers 10 dwell fefely , and they foall be wy people, and J will be their Ged, and I will give them one heart, and one way, that
they may fear me for ever, ] So Ezek, 11. 16,17, 18,19,20: And
Ezek, 36. 2532627, 28,29. In all which, there is a promiflory Prophecy, how great a deliverance God would give the Nation of the fews, oth for body and foul, And their temporal seturn and liberty is promifed and prophefied in the fame manner asa zew heart is, But here
is not a fyHable to prove that this is the fir [pecéal Grace; any more than perfeverance is, which in the fame manner is:promifed in Jeremiah 32:40. [ £ will put my fear in their hearts, and they fball not depart."| To fay nothing how far in the firftfenfe this was National to the Fews, ‘nor how the performance did expound ix,,.{ For doubtlefs ic is performed, )
the Texe it felt premifech [7 wall de shir God, and they {ball be my people] with ocher mercies. And ao daule but Faith and Repentance g0 be-
- fore chis Covenaut-Reletion to God. and: therefore before che following
¢. 6. The pramiffory Prophecy. of Fer. 31.31, ere. is recited by the
- Penman of Heb, 8. 8, xc. to prove the ceffation of rhe old Fewifh Cove-
- went, and that a better fhould fucceed. And chis much is cafily proved
out of bath, 1. Thag God would certainly have a holy people among the retuming J{yae/ttes, 2.And efpecially chat he would have fach in the
a sew und tender deart. And Predeftination is well proved from the Texe. But there is not a word to prove this to be the fir/t Grace, nor
' that Gods. promife gave any man right to it, but upon condition of believ-
‘ing. For ifGods Decree, Prophecy, or general Promife faying abfolucely. [7 well do it) did prove it to be the fr Grace, .ic would prove per{e- . vance fach,-which is falfe, The words prove no more but che
hat God will
oA nid the Sub-operations of Man's Will.
0. 7- And as this is no perfonal promife giving any man a rizht tothe thing promiled, which he may claim; but only foretelling what God will do, or yive to fome: fo he hath other promifes which are part of his Law of Grace, and do give men Right to thefe fame Benefits. And fo the Spérit of Sanctification and a new. heart, is promifed on Condition of believing , which therefore is the former {pecial Grace.
. 8. If any therefore will prove that faith is given Abfolutely, they mutt not do it by thofe Texts, which {peak of Saméfification, which faith is a condition of. } |
Q. 9. But as to the queftion it felf, Whether Faith be given abfolutely or conditionally? Tantwer, 1. Phere is no bjolute promife of faith made to any perfons; but only promiffory prediftions of forme indcteriminace unnamed perfons, that God will draw them and give them to Chriit, and _ they fhall believe and live.
2. All men have means and duty appointed them, for the feeking of
that Grace which may convert them.
3. They are hereby bound to believe, that if they fodo, they thall
not lofe their labour. For God fetceth men on no unprofitable work.
4. Thofe that do this moft faithfully, and have moft preparing grace,
are the likeft to become believers, and the ordinary receivers of {pecial
7 5-Whether de somine this encouragement fhall be called a promife or
equipollent, lec them contend that lift. 7 - =
6. God can and doth fuddenly convert fome without fuch
or elfe give chem both forts of Grace immediately at once.”
SECT. XIX. _— How God may be {aid to Canfe the Alts of fin?
Have faid of this alfo fo much before, as thac chis Breviate here muft ferve. _ OO
?. x. Iemuft be well confidered, thatGod made mans Watare before he made any pofitive Laws for him: And thac the Law of Nature it felf, is in order of Nature after Neture though noc in Time: Man being firft confiderable as Man, before he be confiderable as obliged to duty. And alfo that the Law, both Natural and Pofitive, is before mans obedience and fis. So chat as man is firft in order of Nature Afaz, and then Gods Governable Subject, and then (in order of Time) obedient or difwhedient, {o God is firft his Creator, and then Nature Motor, and then 4
his Governour by Legiflation, and then his Fudge and Rewarder: |
?.2. Therefore'as Natural Being ({ubftance and faculties ) and Nateyal Motion are antecedent to Morality, {o Gods caufation of both thefe is antecedent: and therefore to be Creator, Preferver and Motor is notto be the Cawfe of fin, or of Virtuous acts, as fuch. :
?. 3. God as Creator was not pleafed to make all his creatures of one kind, nor of one degree of excellence: but in fuch variety as is wonderful to our obfervation. Befides the innumerable /pecées of beings, andthe innumerable parts of every compound being, the diffitnilicude of indviduals of the fame {pecies is admirable: fo that notwo faces are perfectly
like, no nor no two Scones in che — no. two Trees, Birds, Beafts, = : iii |
Gracious Helper, and laftly his
-
preparations 5
It is ill faid, [ Profitemur incunéctanter, prora fus impeditum iri quod wniverfi fimpliciter Bonum eft, fe impediretur peccatum: qnoniam boc patto impedivetur patefa- Gio Divine mifericordiae parcentis, yuftitie vine dicantis: Due quidem patefactio, non minus tniverfi Bonum cenfenda eft, uam quelibet alia cue juliet Dek proprittatis, én ipfo tanquam in {ecu fo relucentis. | Twifl, Vindic. Grat. li. t p.1. pag. 133. | It 1s dangerous to talk fo boldly of thefe myfteries. Here feem to me many errors and confufions. 1. It is falfe that God coutd not make known tothe world that merciful nature which now pardoneth fin, and that Juftice which now punifheth, if there had been no fin. His Laws,
q Promifes and Threats
do antecedently make them known. And God could caufe blefled Sprics to know all his perfections before there was any fin. 2. Gods Holinefs and Goodnefs 1s called Mercy and Juftice by extrinfick denomination, and connotation of fin and mifcry. And if his Holinefs and Goodnefs had been known as preventing all fin and mifery, men will think that he hath not proved that this had been Evil in the Untverfe, or lefs Good. 3. Pofita Divina Volitione asthe rule of Good, it followeth I confefs, that it were evil not to have that will fulfilled. But I deny, that God willeth fin or its eX!- ftence. Therefore it 1s not Good becaufe not VolitumaDeo. It 19 fufficient, that it is not fo far evilas tobe Abfolute Nolitum; but only evil, 1.AS prohibitum, 2. AS hurtful to the finner, and to others. Methinks they that maintain that fin js Privatio, fhould not fay, that it 1s Pofitive Volitum 2 Deo 4. All this dependeth on that _ curious queftion, Could not God have made the World better than it 1s? or at leaft as good with many alterations from whacit 1s? They that hold the firft, fay that God freely niade things no better than they are: But had there been no Devils, no Sin, no Toads, no diforder, the world had been berter, that is, a perfecter demonftration of Gods _perfeétion, Eut they that are more modeft, are content with che latrer, and fay, that God frecly made things asthey are, and not neceflarily. . Buc it had been necefiarily if no other way had been as good. And thar if ~ God had pleafed to thew lis Goodnefs by preventing all fin, 1c had been as Good, and no lofs or difparagement to the Univerfe. 5. And he doth through all his Eooks beg the queftion, Whether a meer occafion be a canducible me dium and {0 good? If he will ftretch the word
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
And therefore it is bue ccnfonant to the reft of his works, that MAN is
neither perfectly like to Angels nor to Brates: For as God made one fore
of creatures naturally cetermined to things fexfible, and another fort xeceffarily (though freely ) determined to things fpirttual, {o it pleafed him to make a middle fort, endued with Reafox and free-will, undetermined as to their choice, and able freely to determine their own Volitions, without any predetermining premotion of their Creator of any other. That fo they might be fic Lubjects to be governed in this Life, by Zaws and other moral means. | |
0.4. God as Creator maketh fwbftances, with their necef[ary Accidents, and asthe Natural Orderer of them, placeth them in their zatural order : and as Atotor ( or Actor ) he caufeth Action as fuch ; But as Atoral Rector he caufeth only the Aforal Order of Actions, as far as be'ongeth to a Rector (the reft being prefuppofed in Natwre, ) and leaveth it co
man to cause the reft.
0.5. Seeing God is not to be blamed for making fuch a creature as man (of a middle, defeétible, undetermined Will, left to his free. chaice, with neceflary helps,) it being part of the beauty of his works to be diverfified , He is not then to be blamed for any of the fias of fach a creature, becaufe he fupportcth his Being and his Active Nature, and is his firft caufe of Aétion.
Q. 6. God could prevent all future fin, if he abfolutely willed {9 to do,
either by deftroying the World, or difabling the finner, or by withholding his Moving Influx, or by fuch a change of his nature, as {hould make him indefe@tible. But he that made man in this Middle ftate, will fo continue him, and not make achange in the frame of Nature, to fulfil our wills, |
caufe either moral good or evil.
. 8. AsGod.is Related to us as our Owner, Ruler and our chief good, ( effictently as our Benefactor, and finally as our Ends) {0 to confent to thefe Relations, and to the Deties of our correlations, and to Praétife them, is the fumm of all sforal Good; even Dsfpofitively and Actually, to be Refigned and devoted to God as our Owner, to obsy and pleafe him as our Ruder, and co be Thaxkful to Him, and totelly Love Him, as our Benefactor and our ultimate End. A\\ Moral Goodnefs lyeth in this.
@. 9. By which it appeareth, that Adorality confifteth in the due or undue ORDER of our actions and difpofitions, as they are a A/oral Agent's rclated to God himfelf in thefe three Relations, andto his Adtions therein, vz. his Difpofals, his Laws, and his Attractive final Goodue(s with his Benefits. |
Q. to. In thefe,the azforalsty confifteth as frmpliciter talis inal three infeparably, (as Gods Relations are infeparable and our correlations: ) — the on of our Actions to any one of them, is Aforality fecun-
Mm Gul ®
¢.11. And among them all, our Action, ( {ubmiffion, refignation, paticnce ) to God meerly as our Owser, is Moral but in che flendereft initial fenfe. And our Actions as related to him as our Reéfor, are Moral in the fuller formal {enfe, ( And therefore by moft accoynted the cxly formal Morality,as being a relationtoa Law ): But yet our Adtions as Related to God our Bexefadtor, Lover and End, are Moral in the higheft, moft perfective notion,
=
And the: Sub-operations of Mans Van: ae 3
9, 12, It is not only fub -ratione obedientik as it is a. thing Cont ee siomaigart manded by a Lay, that. Love to God is Aforally good, bat alforin that {ope ie hips sii prea: riour fenfe, formally aS it 1S the Love of G 04, And therefore Love 1S called pofed, which. hath not the Law of Laws, and the fulfilling of the Law, not only 28 commanded Te seal cautility, ci’ hy a Lew, but as being the £ad.of the Law, and the-ftaté- of perfect® final, 1 will not rive on above it (asChrift is to the Lew of Afofes; ) and -al(o as being sai anlar apien a Law eminenter ( fomething greater) though not formaliter: Sas aaa degree of Cautility, . %. 13. But as there is an Order in thefe Relations, f0-is thére in the which fin hath not to the Morality of our Adtions as towards them: -So that ehée Laft till in- be Adare c cludeth the reft foregoing. All Love is Obedtence 5 and all Obedience is that God is glorified by : fobmiffion to our Owner i But:all Obedience is not Loves hor all sub Where eae Rgnaane mifsion or Refignation , formal: obedience to a Rector + Thotgh the¥ conducibile, but the ill mutt all concurr, and not be divided, .when they are‘fotmally diftin- Mateof the matter, withguifhed. BH he a ee aut. “e : - glorified himfelf by this ~ 9.14. I have thought it neceflary ( though I be etilty of fome ra Aa, but by fome cther petition ) to open here the Dot#rine of formal Morality: ('Virtue and * ¥* Vice, ) becaufe we cannot underftand how God is vindicated frorh being the Author of fiz, cill we know. what fiz is 3 whith: we-cannot do ‘till we know what Virtue is 5 which we cannot do, till we kiiow what Morality is: And talfo becaufe the Schoolmens moft fubtilé elaborate ené quiries into this point ( efpecially de natura peccati) -are-generally too little fubtile or accurate, as comparing it. with chis-little,-you maf perceive. | ‘fF Big . pee
?.15. From all this it is plain, t; That God a§ the meér Asthor and ‘Motor of Nature, doth not caufe usto Obey or Love him.’ And therefor that thefe muft be caufed by another fuperadded operation. 2” . @ 16. Yet when we Obey and Love him, the Genérical Nature of the Ad is from God: as the God of Nature, viz. as it is IntelleGion; | Volition, A@tion: But that thefe Actions are fo duly ordered as to be _thus terminated on God and things commanded, is othérwife caufed: For.though the Generical nature. of Action, Intellection and. Volition as fuch, be feldom found but in fome Aforal fpecies, and that be never found bur in fingalar acts, yet can one caufality procute the Generical nature, and another: the Specifical, and another che fingularity; in the fame action. As the Sun is theGenerical Caufe, and the Virtus Seminalis the ‘{pecifying, and the Jndividuatio feminis the Individuating, of Plants, Animals, ec. es ee a, oer. 9.17. As God js the God of Nature, fo-he hath fetled Nature in fuclt a conftant courfe of motion,’ as chat we have fmall reafon to expect chat’ he fhould there’ make any.ordinary mutations; Aid therefore (as the Sun aforefaid.) he doth by his Generical Influx concurr -with all Specifying and Individuating Caufes, according to their feveral natures or receptivitics, fae. Se os
9.18. They therefore’ chat fuppofe that%God asthe Caufe of all Action; mult (of natural neceffity ad effe) by phylical efficient premotion prede-' fermine every Act natural and free, to its object compared with other poffible objects,. and that in all its modes and > circumftdnces ;‘ do confound Nature and Aforality, and leave nothing for God to dditcaufing Holi; nefs,. buc what he muft needs do to caufe-all action that is caufed, (al-. lowing the difference of the fecond effets, ) yed,:but whac he doth in- . Caufing every fin: (For his Precept is not:with them the Casfing ptedetermination). |e a ee ee a
.:19. Jefus Chrift, and his.Gofpel with all the fore-defcribed frame of moral mcans, and the Spirit 0 co-operate, are the proper fecond “_ | | liii 2 : 7
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul
—_ by which Godas RECTOR will on his part ordinarily caufe Atoral Good,
and hinder sgoral Evil; andby whichas our Lever and Exdhe will draw mans fou! to himfelf in Love. Q. 20. God as Reétor ( though he vary his Laws in fome things to (¢ veral ages and places, and promulgate the fame Gofpel, with inequality,
_ on feveral accounts, yet ) according to the refpective Laws that they are _ Under, dealeth with all menin a certain equality, which is called Fuffice s
_ that is, His Laws antecedently to mans acts make not difference, and as
-Fudge he maketh none, but what mans different aitions require accord. _ ingto the faid. Laws and — But yet as Owser and as Benefe. ctor he is free (not ageinft, but) abeve his Laws, to make MARY It qualities, which are no injuffice ; they being not asof formal Goverm ment: and fo he may do with his ows ashe lif. Andthus though God give all their due according to his Law of Grace, yet he giveth to his
. Elect, fuch proportions of Grace, as he gave them no antecedent Right to
by 43s Law: (or at leaft to many of them, paffing by the controverfie now, whether he do fo tothem all.)
?. 21. God could cure and fandtifie all men, if it were his Abfoluté will; but he dorh nor, and will ser; being no way obliged: And he will be no lofer nor fufferer by che creatures fin. |
9.22. Gods ab/olute will is as fully accomplithed by mans free athe, as if they were, all neceffitated and Natural: And mans actions areas ty as if God hadmade no Abjolwte Decree of their futurity ( as in Good he hath done, if we may fo afcribe futurity:to his Decrees.)
@.23. Ic feemeth chat of fiw beginneth in the wills omifsion of what it was tie to havedone. Even when Adams appetite was to the forbidden fruir, and fome think that this was the firft _ of the fin, it feerreth thar ic was rather in the wills wet reftraining chat appetite when it could have done it: And then pofitive fins do follow thereupon,
_ 24, There is more Brutifhnefs in fin, and confequently more privesive and lefs pefitive fauleinefs of the Realm and wik, than many do confider (which Paul partly meaneth, Zow. 7.) For it is certain, x. Thae
. @ paffion, e.g. anger os fear, may be forced on a mat fuddenly as on 2
Brute, without Reafon, ( Asif you come behind one and affight him, or {trike him fuddenty: no Reafoa vaifed rhar pafkion, and confequemtly to Rational Will. ) | | |
2. Icis certain that this pafsion without Reafon cancante defpotically 2 corporal motion, as the fearful will fare, and rum, and the angry ftrike without any reafon or rational will, bur as2 Beat doth. |
3 Ac is certaia thar ic isthe office of the will to Rude this paffion, and’ thefe motions, |
4. And that is mutt have due information from the underflanding, char
fo to do is good, and beft.
5. Hf this information of the underftanding did’ never mifs of determining the ri, thea man would never fin, bat whenthe underitanding failed’ of its.neceflary, office, before: the will : which would refolve-al] i into the will of God as muchas if he dire&lly moved the will'to ie by neceflirating, un~ refiftible predetermination, For the /wteHee# as fach hath no Liberty, but is xeceffitated by. objects, further than it is onder the Empire of the +f Andithe Objed#s and stelle are: made by-God. |
6, Therefore is followech thac there s certain meafare of Intecifnat true apprehenfion, according to which the will can excite and determine it
‘fel ( without any thing which ie hath not ): and yet can forbear. And chat
this. aat- milling mbat andayher it (beuld, is the ginning of all fin. = = _ 025.
.25- God isno Efficient or Deficient caufe of this firft Omi sion of the
9.26. Mans not oclieving; not knowing, not loving, aot gis not
as of fis ‘ Which made the ware thy Bithop wi dye
fions, ( and po before fome of them ;) yc they being act finfil -as His, food Rogie cor has but a3 Dsrdered ( agdinit the Rwie an 7}
Act from which as facl the formal obliquity or fir refalierh > bat what man can do, and doth, without Gods canes the Att ts fo ordered and
fi: : $ ee pee: . 8, 30.4 They that fay, Ae camfeth all shat man canfeil, and that asthe t Bradwirdine defedl fir soe fiitating or infuperable caaft, bur yet isnot the canfe of the form Mer, Plsnly. ict
9.31. Ard they that fay, that yet God is riot the Author of fin; becaufe ie Heed eh, oF ite he is wider no Lev, do but port wieli dreadful things: And they miean sone 6 hecaee So chac God ts the chief Canfe of all mens fins in the world, but not of any fin Reouerwie.y of bis owns which isnone of the queftion. 7 4 }. 32. God doth sicher Case the fin, nox the fatarity or exiftence of $t, as fome vainly diftinguifhing, maintain: ( efpecially Dr. Twiffe and Rutherford.) For (a8 B/thws ahd others truly fay) to caafe the fin, is nothing buc to caufe the exifence of it. And fin as fin, Dr. Twiffe often faith, isnot willed by che finner himfelf. | $93. So far as God Canferh noe fin; he wileth ét net : and they that fay thaehe Loveth and welleth the exiftence of it asa mieans to his glory, abufe ’ Gods Hotinefs, and até confuted before, Par. 1. 9. 34. How God overtuleth fintiers, andrhe effets of fin; and procureth his own ends, not by the Ateans or Canfality, but — of it, I have fo largely there opened, chae I matt réfer the Reader thither. |
SECT,
62 Of God's Gracious Operations on: Man's Saul : - | on ee
a‘ ; r Ss E C 12 7 x xX, s a 7 How far God, and bow far Man himfelf, % the Canfe of Hell and other paa D Cages ay ke
nifbments.
ie pe a eee -—g- Hough fomewhat be faid of this, in the Conclufion of:the: fecond cl. 3. ( Sive aitus damna-. .@ .-Part,. Ithink meet to fay morehere, becaufe I find chat. the-ner untorum dicantur mali, culm dertanding itdoth tempt many to‘ unbelief, and -oshers to hard ‘repining
Pe i aliquen pena in. difadfeted.atheittical thoughts of, God, a sist bein flittam ratione ilorum p I.. Again here confider that God made mar_fij AS e is in Nature, afluum: Qysa non fant m+ fore either Laws or fins or punifhments had any being; fo thet if you
tutu merends ¢ demeren- : : | fie) fed addit ( Signanter can but forgive God for making you men, (that is; Ratzonal Free-Agents) de pana inflicta Toque’ 4¥e" von can have no fair pretence of quarrel with him: As will appear by chefe a culpa diftinguiturs® eyus- J ae i. foll: : a4 ; : eft reordinativa per cra-, CONMACKAtLONS LOMOW ME.. 7 oe
Ciatum, Depana tnimatta”” "9 ,. Mans Body and fenfitive foulare of fuch a waswre, -as that things non et poffibile dave iL eM rele) a ( fi; fe are 5
pim quin {uam panam ba. tnconvenient will be his pain: He that will teke poifom fhall be griped
bcat ainexam, to modo quo and tormentegby it, andhe chat will eat uawholfome meat, or. will furteic sp eat ft. \ pf hall be fick, and he thag will cherifh difeafes by floth, or excefles, or abu‘es tio, (ft pene c& mifirie of nature, will havethe pain of thems And he chat.will sound himlelf, WS aera se he.or break by bogesy will be: his ows afflicten, And he-that cubs:b throat mevendi vatio zaffat apud* OF hangeth himfelf, moult dye. - Andalighis withoug any dotag of God, bebnjiros ¢ P ie fides the makiag him aman, and continuing fuch a sature ( under.his Goer n OUP UNE 5 ; ‘8 e: ' ' quire. non Panam comme-\ ernment } in agd with the world... ; 7
rerd funt putands? Nonre?. 3. Not only pofitive hurting, but emiffions Wwillbsing rtens bodies unto oe ie. pain and deat h As.,n6t eating, ROE exer cifing, Hot keeping warm, &c. “dam Lage 2 ideique pee-.And confequently fuch.a life of predszality. or.fleth.as cendeth co fuch pee fae oe fia wants. CP Seok te PO A EP natn mevetur panam 2 . d. ; T 1€. inward | fenfes, Imagination and Paffjons are fo conftituced as ' Infins feélicet Job. ws that their saconventenges will be a para and torments.as well asthe:¢acon- Paes hae veniences of the outward [enfe S. 1. Cares and Melancholy thoughts are dos aktvs in inferno libre.) diftraGting.- 2. ° Defirgs breed fuch care, and. aréthetnfelveslike a thirff or si We ce aes gi oi hunger to the foul, 3. Fears are tormenting. 4. Soyroms if deep atid long are que. ibiden fiquantur', aS aliving death. 5.4nger is a vexatious feaver ofthe mind: And revenge ube conludie a Hraque fal malice and envy co prolong Il. 6. Defpair anticipateth eftemity of teneo fi davetuy vivo optto, 2, | | :
uel non éffe, vel efe in pero Milery, rcw.7. And Love st felf (how pleafing foever at firft>)-is the
petua flamma, quod licité-ftrengeh of them all. a.
7 7 lteru Wy eo! ae as ‘ ‘ ; ; . ty sale: ae si rontice Nam. 0-5 The fuperiour faculties, as they are more noble, are capable of
minus mala havet ratio greater mifery; and their corruption and diforder isthe worft. To have OU. an ignorant erring mind, thatcaketh evél for good, and.good for evil 3-To Sce Aurealus in 2. ds 31. } oF. en eae; © a. 2. pag. 3c1. thewing. havea carnal, malignant, wicked, obftinate, froward Will and finful Affeten_wayes how one fin ¢Fjoms, and by thefe to have mens acfions mifguided, and fo the. fenfitzve caufeth another, and for he oliohe Taro tl ne lerv: b ° multiplveth and conti- f-#/ it {elf brought into the forefaid mifery, through bed government, is nucth it {lf in the a mifery. tamanin.the Nature, and immediate effe¢ts of the thing, mies | Q.6.,Man Jiveth among multitudes of fellow Creatures in the world, ( 7 4 a: e e. . which will all be tormeztors of him if he will make them{uch. ‘As apoft will hurt himif he knock his head to ic, The fire will burn him if he couch his flefh with ic. The water will drown him if he will leap into itover-head. The Sunwill fcorch him, the froft will pain him, if he expofe. himfelf co them, A Lyon or Mattiff will tear him if he avoid them not. Hisncighbours will hure him, (likely ) if he hurt them, and crofs their intcreft: Mcn in power will hurt him if he offend them: And all things will keto himas he behaveth himfelf to them. 1 Q.7+ Adl
oD Nmeewen = ee
—
it is puni[bment as from God, whenyet Godis 20 Canfe of the fi.
this is Re/sted to man as a punifbment for the fia,in the laff place. —
For inftance,God made man, and God made meat, wine, and poyfon 3 God telleth Manin Nature, (1 have made thee (uch aCreature, as that. excel of Atcat will make thee Jil exceff of wine will make thee mad, and Poyfon will torment and kill thee: Ihave given thee felf-love, and command thee that thow avoid all thefe; and 1 will not deny thee neceffary
help; ‘But sf thor wilt not, st will be thy pain, which I will that shou fief ‘ ‘he fer for and by thy fin. | Uneed not further apply ic here; the applicg-.
9.9. Allchis I {peak only of natural punifhments which by rie Lan ee
‘
nature follow fin: whatis fupernatural is after to be confidered. - _ ?. 10. And 1. Ic isevidene that the Reatus cylpe is either the fis it felf
or its ézfeparable effect. He that hath once finnedis Re/atedto God asa finner. And an * one Relation, {uch as of a Rebel, a Rogue, a Murderer, &c. isno (mall evil, in all found mens efteem.
¢
Q.1f. 2, Sinisthe Deformity, diforder, and difease of the foul; and
its Habits are akind of Vicious Nature: Itisthe Nature.of Devils to be excceding malignant, rebellious and at enmity with God: and fpiritual Goodnefs; To have a Nature or Difpofitien, which is averfe to that which fhould be its own end, delight and happinefs. Anda wife man would rather be annihilated, than curned intoa Toad, a Snake or Adder; though their nature be not offenfive to themfelves,; . How.much more -would he rather be annihilated than become a Devil? Wicked men are
likerto Devils than they are aware of : They Love not God and Holinefs:
‘nay they havea malignant enmity to him: which maketh them fo averfe to allthacis Holy intheir lives, and to be fuch perfecutors and haters of ‘good men. So thac the Scripture calleth their wifdom Devilifh, yea and themfelves flat Devils in plain words; andthe Children of the Devil, Jam. 3.15. Joh. 8.44. Juhi 6.70. One of you ts 4 Devil. And13.2. Act, #3. ‘10. Thow Child of the Devil and enemy of all righteou{nef- 1 Joh, g. 8,10. He that commits ini ‘j the Devil—— Therefore they are adjudged to fuffer with the Devil and bis Angels, as the Saints fhall be equal with the Angels of God. For the truth is, a Saint and an Angel, anda ‘wicked man and a Devil, do differ lefs than is commonly thought on. Now what fober man would not rather be Nothing, thanbe a Devil? To have a venemous, malignant, malicious, reftlefs, rebellious nature, at en- ‘mity to Good and in love withevil¢ And who is ic that maketh men to be fuch? Not Godbut themfelves. ee | —_ |
1. Isitnota great calamity to be asad? Wicked men are fat wogfe ; ang they made themfelves fuch. | . |
2. Were it nota great mifery to have anature that had n0 Love to, or delight in, healch, cleanlinefs, dwelling, food, friends, ¢c. but hated all of them, and fer againft them? How much more to have fuch an enmity to God and holinefs and our own falvation ?
3. Were’
wit And the Sub-operations of Man's Will, 7 All this being watur a, let us now confider, what fin doch to the ~ .
finner here, and you will find that almoft all his calamity confifteth in hig: - very finit {elf andthe wateral cffc&s of it: But yetit is fiz as mansyand
¢.8. This is plain if youconfider that Gods 4d by which he maketh. fin 7°" a Punifbment, was Before the fin, though the Relation of a Punilbmenk - - — come after the redation of fin. Here are two Agents, 1, God making = Nature and a Law therein, a. Man difordering bis actions by tranforeffing. - 3." Hence Immediately followeth Gué/t or the form of fin. . 4. And withit, -— evenin the change, or afterit, the zetural pain, of lofor hurt, §. And”
64. Of God’s Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
Leg. Bradwardinel.1.c. 3. Were it noc a mifery to have a natu:e diftruftful of al! our trueft 1. Cor. 316 contra ejre”s Friends: afraid of poifon in all chat we eat and drink, and ftill chinkin dicentes omnia bors &
malis equaliter everirt, thatour own parents feek our death ¢ How much more to have a diftruttmalum aliquod impunitum, fuylne(s of God 2
aR ee 4. Were itnot a miferyto be ceceived with a thoufand errcurs, and to gentes quoque divine pit- takeevil for good, and good for evil: and to fpend ones dayes in bewiliy AA dring perplexities or fale conceits? How much more to be miftaken about nire quodcung, delictum, God, and things of greateft excellency and confequence ¢ |
Nonne (inguit) omnis pec- Wills Of all our Governours and deareft friends’ That mutt nceds have and
os fe if pe do whatfoever is forbidden us by the greaceft, wifeft and beft of men ¢ }d dy é rs e e e e Pe a Pinitajiininin Uitte: How much more, tohave a will thacis thus fet againft the will of God ¢
tem ce innocentiam & fit 6, Tt isamifery to have aviolent Appetite after that which cannot be Deo difimiléor G remotior
theo? e nome boc et Nd, or cannot fatiste. Tohave vehement hunger and chirft without meat pena pena quam magna? Or drink, crc. Wicked men have. fuch a difeafed appetite after things
co wade boc nifi aprima thar God told them would neither be fatisfactory nor continuing, All quftitia, a primo retributore omnium qui eft Devs 2 this and more isin fin icfelf, in the Habsts or Nature, which God ne- | See alfo his Corol. 38.39. ver made.
ee ns; 9. 12. The exercife of this difeafed vitiated Inclination, is an aual 358. Quod peccatum nor torment: As it ismore Joyful to #/e Grace, than meerly to Have ét; fo is
ote? non puniyvé a Deo: & - | ; : : A sf ‘Suenamfint ille pe- 1 aS £0 fin more calamitous. And 1. Mens wilful blindnels and negleé&
ne que tam arcte cum pe- Of God, depriveth them of all the excellency and delights of holy knowcuto coberent. Et Ceo de ledge. | Quod peccator én peccato
miners non pote beatus 2 Their Difaffe@ion and malignicy depriveth them of all chat holy
ao aN et Joy, and unvaluable fweetnefs, which cometh in by the exercife of the He Hi “ HI Tove of Gods Andof all the pleafuresof a holy life. Asa fick ftomach doth loath a feaft, and a-malicions man hath not the pleafares of friendthip: fo how can'that foul dedightin God that Loveth him not? |
3. Unbelief and diftruft deprive the foul of all chat quietnefs and content, which followeth faith and confidence in God. '
4. ARebellious will doth lofeall that Ref# which the obedient find in pleafing God, and in his bleffed will. | ,
5. Lasxuryand carnality and all fin deprivethe foul of the pleafures of temperance, chaftity, innocency, and a good and quiet confcience.
6. Wickednefs and floth deprive the foul of the pleafure of doing good to others, by works of charity, which is very great. Abundance (uch
-privationsareinfin, : @.13. And fin ic felf bringsthe contrary torments, 1. Sinful malignity againft God and Good men makeththe wicked eat‘ their flefhas it were - with envy, and vex themfelves with perfecution and revenge. ' 2, Sinful anger isa finners rage and pain: And though he have pleafure in revenge, itis a painful pleafure, likea troublefome itch.
3. Self-willedneff maketh a man continual vexation and difappointment, while he su/? neeas have that which he cannot have, or which will corment him when he hath ie. |
4. Carnal Love isthe root of mifery, while it Tantalizeth the foul, or longeth for its own vexation, |
7. Sinful Defires engage men in felf-afflicting labours.
8, Sinfuleaves are as thorns in amans heart,
9. Sinful Impatience and difcontent is torment it felf.
10, Sinful, confufed, unruly thoughts, are the annoyance and the fhame
a eee
=
And the Sub-operationsof Man's Will.
of thefoul. Andall chete are meas own fins, not Cauted by God, but by chemielves. |
¢.14. Next Sin it (elf, there is the watur2! confequent of it, which is cauted by the finner himiclf. As 1. That God doth vot complacentially Love him: which is no change in God, whole, Natare is to Love Good and Hate Evil; but in the finer bimfelf, who hath made himfelf ascaable, J 2. Andthat Gods Hatred is terminated on the inser, is his own doing: Evenas he that would open his naked breaft to che fcorching Sun, or coid Froft,is hurt by him(elf. When God hateth a finner and delighteth in a Saint, thereisno Diverfity in Him, but in Them.
3. The lofs of Right to Heaven and all Gods ppecial Lenefits, is theif — own work, and notby any changein God. God made a Deed of Gift of Heaven to the faichful: And if they be unfaichful, itis their own doing co caft away or refufe that righe. |
4. Abundance of temporal mercies mens finscaft away. For :
?.1§. Sindoth here torment even mens bodies. The flothful and th prodigal bring. want upon themfelves: The glurcon, drunkard, fornicator, and the idle, breed painful difeafesin their own flefh: And moft men dya by fome finfully contracted maladies, _ _ 9.16. Befides the Natural con(eqaexts, and the zatural effects on the Body, there are natural calamitous effects of fiz on the foul; As 1. The confciowfnefiof a mans fin, called An evil Confcience.
2. The fame thatarifeth from the guile.
3- The Confcience and fenfe of Gods difpleafure ( a tormenting thing. )
4. Sadnefs for our folly in hurting our felves.
5. And fear of all the after miferies, All hitherto mentioned, men do themfelves againft themfelves. |
¢.17. Yea more, men themfelves make other men their tormentors. The angry ftir up others tohurtchem, The offenders ftir up Magiftraces to punifh them. The fornicator choofeth a filthy difeafe under the name of a pleafure, and kindleth a putrid fevor inhisown foul. The covetous and " unjuft make all mentheir enemies 5 and fo do many of the prond, tyrannical and oppreffours. The froward will not give themifélves reft in cheir own families; but make Wives, Husbands, Children, Servants, and every thing to be their ownvexation, And O what work do bloody Tyrants ‘by wars and perfecution make to themfelves and othersin the world ¢ and what Calamities doth miferable mankind bring, by folly and wickednefs, on themfelves? |
d. 18. In a word, fhall we not de//eve that there is a Hell, and know much of the #atwre of it; when we fee a Hell already begun onearth ¢ and the whole world walloweth in folly, filch, impiety, and woe? As Heaven is known here by its firft-fruits of the {pirit, fo Hell may be (I think ) *ore known by its beginning, aS more notorious. Afea are almoft Devils already: conceive them but 4f turned fully into Devils by themfelves (and not by God ) and you will know much of Hell.
?.19. And for the Lifeto come, confider, that God made mans foul /mmortal before man made it finful: And whocan expect that God fhould alter or deftroy hiswork ¢ Live we muft, becaufe we have Jmmortal fouls, And mutt not men look to Live as they.arc ¢ Such then as the wicked make themfelves, no wonder if they continue. |
Q.20. And then exceeding wickednefs will make them Devils s and all thac they here initially brought on chemfelves, willbe there in eminency. Their Minds will be blind as to Good and Evil, chough not as to meer no-
Kkkk oo tional
Of God's Gracious Qperations on Man's Soul:
tional Truth. Their willis fecagainft Gods will, Their hatred of God and goodnefsincreafed: Their Intellects, memories and thoughts, will be the treafury of pain; Their wills and affections the feat of mile:y 3 And their invigorated power, will make all lively.
?.21. And amind thus blinded cannot fee God as Good, but only as bart.
ful by Fuftice. Awillchachath no Love to God and holine(s, can take no delightin them. Heaven muft be to them as a feaft to afick ftomach:
They turn their own Hearts from God and Heaven, and deprive themfelves of all itsjoyes. ‘They hate the Heavenly fociety, and fo can be none of their companions in delight. They deprive themfelves of Innocency, of Divine Love, of the Grace of the Holy Ghoft, of part in Chrift, of peace of Confcience, by wilful diverfion, oppofition and incapacity, as he that fhuts his Windows againft the Sun-light. It is chemfelves that turn themfelves thus out of Heaven. ‘
?. 22. And ic will be their own Lufts that will tantalize or torment them. For God did let them know that this world and its pleafure muft foon forfake them: They cannot expect that God fhould give then wealth, meat, drink, and carnal pleafures, after chis life: If they will needs contract a flefhly thirft, God is not bound to follow them with fatisfa@ion.
¢.23. Eventheir malignity ( like Satans}) will betheir torment, filling them with envy at the felicity of the Saints, or hatred of their holinefs. And when we are in Heaven, Devils and devilifh men will be in fubjection to the Saints, folow and bale as willencreafe their rage. |
: 24. Itis likely that their very zature or (ubftance willbe-much more bafe than thac of the Glorified, as their place and condition will be: For God is not bound to makethem Naturally Glorious, Devils dwell in the gireandearth: And inhabitants ufe to be connatural to their Regions and Elements, | |
_ However, itis agroundlefs fancy of toomany that think that che fenfitive faculcies fhall ceafe. ‘The Organs and manner or forts of fenfation may bealtered: But the foul will be ftill fenfitive as well as rational (notwithftanding their vain objection about bruits.) And therefore the condition they put themfelvesinto, will as-neceffarily give them feaftble torment, as poyfors will in the ftomach, and as defpairing men now torment and make away themfelves,, a
.2§. At leaft when they have bodies, they will have fenfe.
.26, Devils and wicked men with them, will objectively rorment them: 9.27. I deny not but befides all thefe there may be punifhments more efficiently from God, Butall this alone, which finners not only Deferve buc Inflict upon themfelves, will make a Hell of un{peakable mifery,
The
The Conclufion, |
Summing up the feveral wayes of the Contenders.
Shallconclade with a further Explication, 1. What the Judgement — of the Proteftants. was in the Synod’ of Dor? about the nature of _ Graee (befides what I have cited of theirs before.) 2. Ifhall give “you fome Animadverfions. on the Epilogue of Alvarez, 3. And of che Jefuites way of Scientia Afedia: 4. And of Aureolws and Daranduss way: 5 And of the Scotifts and Nominals ph Partialis: 6. 1 fhall fullyer give you thefumm and Confedtaries of the Dominican Pre- 4 determination, and the reafons which alienate me from their way. 7. I fhall Epicomize Faxfesius, with fome Animadverfions on his way: 8, And fumm op in few words what fober minds may: reft in. | | Wo saa se, ‘ | mS a. of @. 1. :& ND that you may fee how little difference there's even in this point of Effectual Grace, whereallthe difference feemethtobe - founded, 1. Seewhat the Britté(/> Divines fay in the Synod’ of Dort; de art 3 he Sif g:P. 124.- ©7h.1, There are certain outward works, | <¢ ordinarily required of men, before they are brought to the ftate of Re- Romo. i4. Mat. 6. 4¢1 <¢ generation or Converfion, which ufe to be fometime freely done by cher, 413-45: Pia. 58 5 <Cand fometime freely omitted: as to goto Church, to hear the Preaching “<¢ of che Word, and fuch like. | — Yt <¢ Th. 2. There are certain inward effects, which are excitedin the hearts a <¢ of thofe thacare not yet juftified, previous to Converfion and Regenera- <¢ tion, by che virtue of the word and fpiric: fuch as are, the knowledge of <¢€ Gods will, the fenfeof fin, the fear of punifhment, the thoughts of de- <¢ liverance, fome hope of pardon. To the ftate of Juftification “<Gods grace ufeth. not to bring men by fudden Enthufiafm, but prepared <“and fitted (or difpofed ) by many previous actings by the Miniftry of | cor.4 35, <¢the word. As in natural Generation there are many previous difpofi- <¢ tions before the reception of the form; fo in the fpiricaal we cometo” <¢ the fpiritual birch by many foregoing actings of Grace. If God would <¢ immediately Regenerate and Juftifie a wicked man, not prepared by any <¢ knowledge, any forrow, any defire, any hope of pardon, there were no <¢ need of the Miniftry of man and the Word Preached to do ic -—— . Th, 3. Thole that God thus affecteth by his fpirit by means of the. ¢¢ Word, chem he truly and ferioufly calleth andinviteth co faith and con- <¢verfion. We mutt judge of the helps of Grace by the nature of the of- “fered benefit and by Gods plain word, and not by the abufe. and event, — <¢ Seeing the Gofpel of its own nature calleth men to Repentance and Sal- 2 cop, ¢. 20. 2 Cor. 62: <¢ vation, feeing the excitements of grace tend toic, we maft nocchink that Gal. 1. 6. Revelation 3:2. <¢God here doth any thing diffemblingly-—— Nor can it be imagined | <¢ chat chat calling by che word and fpirit can make men unexcufeable, which €¢ is given only to that end to make them unexcufeable —— _ © Th, 4, Thole whom he thus. affecteth, God forfaketh not, nor ceafeth to promote them in the true way to converfion, before he is forfaken by “them, by voluntary neglect, or the repulfe of this initial grace. The < talent of grace once given men of God, isnot taken away from any man, Mat. as. 28, <rill he bury ic by his own fault. Therefore we are oft warned in Kkkk2 | €¢ Scripture,
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul: ¢¢ Scripture, not to refift or quench the fpirir, nor to receive the grace <¢of God in vain, nor to fallfromGod. Yeaitis rem given as the rea- <¢ fon of Gods forfaking men thac they firft forfake hi
<¢7h.6. The Ele& donot fo behave themfelves under thefe preparator <¢ workings, but that for their negligenceand refiftance, they might juft <¢ be forfaken of God: But fach is Gods {pecial mercy to chem, that though <¢for a time they may rerel or fuffocate this exciting and illuminating <¢ grace, yet God doth urge them again and again, and ceafech not. to pro- <¢move them, till he fully fubjugate chem to his grace, and place them in
<¢ che ftate of regenerate fons. | : c¢ Th, 7, Allmen refift Gods grace, and God might juftly forfake all,
——but doth not — ]
By allchis ic is evident thae they took not man to be forfaken of God inthe ftate of meer orizinal fin, orthe corrupt mafs, buc as a wilful refifter and refufer of offered Grace, and oft after the receiving of much preparing grace; and that God forfaketh none till they forfake his grace.
2. To the fame fence our Englith Divines commonly tell us how, ordinarily God prepareth, men for converfion before he convert them, and how far perfons unconverted, may go in common grace: He that readeth Mr. Hooker of New England, Mr. Fohn Rogers his doctrine of falth, Mr. Boltons infiructions for comfort— Mr. Meads Almof(t 4 Chriftian, and abundance fuch, will fee that they were of the fame mind, |
3. Henceit is plain, that thofe perfons chat refifted this further work of grace, and forfook God firft, had srwe Power to have done otherwife, and
could have gone further than they did, without any other grace than they
had: ( Though quoad neceffitatem fequentem vel confequentia, it might be
urging them sill they yield, though (asafter they open it ) Gods renewing active influx, maketh sew creatures, and is not & meer moral indetermining [aafion \eaving the will indifferent.
5. Thetruth is (as isaforefaid) no mortal man cantell of any dsference
on Gods part between his common and {pecial agency on fouls, but only on
. Divines both Papifts and Proteftants asto the generalicy, that there is any difference at all, Forthey allfay chat all Gods actions 2d extra are no-—
thing but hiseflence ( viz, his effential knowledge, will and power) which
See the Conclufion of 15 undividedly one,as terminated, effecting, related and denominated variche firft Chapter.
oufly: £.g. by one Volition he willeth divers products, but not by dsvers volitions ex parte fwi, cither confidered fpecéfically or numerically, but the /pecification and individuation is only inthe effects, and in Gods will as relatively denominated. And if this be al mens doctrine, what an unhappy cafeis che Church faln into, thatthe very fame men that fay this,
fhould yet intolerably quarrel, Whether this one Divine attingency or opevation {hall be called Creation, infufion, urgency, excitation, per[wafen,
'phyfical, hyperphyfical, moral, or what elfe, when all are agreed that all are
one andthe fame ex parte Det,
And asto the effects, I do my felf think chat a certain Impulfe received onthe foul, isthe firft effec, and the At of man (as faith) is but a fecond, and that of both Caufes: But we cannot tell well whac that Impulfe is, And therefore muft difputein the dark about the differences of it. And chis is nothing to them that own nothing but Gods effence as the catsfe of our act, as the firft effect: If cheir opinion hold crue thac as in Creation there
; was
And the Sub-operations of Man's Will. wasno mediate Impulfe between the Creator and the Creature (4 for thete was no recipient, ) fo here thereis no effect on the foul before che A@t and habit of faith it felf, then what is chat Grace whofe Ratio efficacte we can make a Controverfie of? Ad hominem at leaft [may fay that it is common acts and habits,overtopt by flefhly incereft and concupifcence, which aré wrought by common grace, and that it is (pecéal acts and habits overcoming the flefh and world, which are wrought by /pesial grace. So that thofe firemen that aré refolved that yet differ they will, andimplacably differ,and their adverfaries
fhall be enemies of Gods Grace whether they will or not, are yet defe@tivein: . .
that acutenefand pregnancy of wit whichis neceflary to pretend a real difa-' greement, and ate forced to fay that they défagree when they have not
wit enough to feemtd.prove it to any but thofe that take their cholerick
zeal and reproach for proof: For in this chere is no difference among us.
6. Obj. At leaft we can prove that we differ in this, about the effects; | that one {ide make Gods yracious habits giventa believers to be [ach as may
‘
be loft and dye, andthe other do not. | : |
Anfw. Thats no difference: You ftill want wit to make differences though you want not wi 1, For both fides are agreed that per feverance arifeth not from the mseer nature of the Habit of grace, but from Gods
fuperadded fuftentation. For Adam and the faln Angels had Gas is com- . monly held) fach kind of habitual grace as we (though objectively difs:
fering. ) | | _ - 4, Seeing there is no difference, on Gods part (asthey all conclude, ) Re.
fiftsble grace and irrefiftible, fufficient and effectual, can have no differences
but in the very effec# or event, and the cdnrioration of mans Power or fmpotency tothe contrary. Iknow (as Lhavefaid ) thatnot only the Do- . minicans and Calvinifts, but Swarez and other Fefuits, fay that Effedtual Grace isfuch ex parte principii as is forcibler for faith as che effect. Buc they contradict themfelves, who confidently fay, that befides that effect, ic
is nothing but Gods effence which hath no degrees or real differences, And
mans power of Refi/tance and hg is sone as to Gods will, and effence, but only asco the effec? ; When he con/d have done otherwife,
8, The fame Vanity they declare in the queftion, Whether the fame degree of Divine Grace, help, or operation, would Convert one man as doth another, or would Convert as dothnot Convert. When they are agreed chat the effectisnot the fame ; and thatthe cawfe hath no degrees of difference... | — |
9. And though it's paft mans underftanding to comprehend how all the various effects in the world fhould be produced without the leaft déverfity inthe Caufe ( Willor Action) ex parte agentw, and that Velle [alvare Petrum, cy velle damnare Fudam, thould be perfectly the fame Volition ex parte Volentis'; yet itis the liker to be true becaufe man cannot comprehend it; as longas he hath no evidence to prove that it isnot truce, For
10. Seeing then that we muft concent, 1. That God Decreed to do aff that he doth,and properly and abfolutely zo more ; 2. And that Chrifts death is the caufe of all that it effetteth, and properly of #0 more ( Of which the conditional gift of pardon and lifeis part, ) And fo thatall che Controverfie 1, OF Decree, 2. Of Redemption, is refolved into that of thee/cdts; 3. And feeing allthe effects are fuch whofe difference we little
differ about, if atall; and ex parte Dei agentis they agree that there is
no difference: where chen is the Difference among all che contenders ¢
%@ IL } Alvarez. his Epitome in Twenty Propofitions, confidered.
Ur that all this may more plainly appear, I will recite che Twenty | Conclufions, which A/varez. in his Epélogws giveth us as the fumm hae sradwardine con of: all bis Book ( one hundred twenty one Dé{putations.: ) And I hall cel! cludeth his Book with you how far. they are all to be confented to. thirty fixerrors, and as. J, Fyee-will in lapfed nature cannot without the help of grace do a moray nave the Church, ralwork, which by co-operation of the fupernatural End {ball be truly efpecially that of Rome, good, and awork of Virtue, {o as that by the doer it bereferred to God seca Hg aoe ial beloved fimply- above all, asto the ultimate natural End, parts oF expreffions of A#fm. It isgranted, ( and more) that though all natural men have is own judgement 5 one fort of Grace given them, yet, I chink, ts cannot be done without Whether God be the. chief neceffitating Caufe [pectal faving yrace. B- mw. 4 : of all fm, is none of J], Afgan by the fole ftrength of nature. cannot affent to all fupernatner 2 ral myfteries propounded and explained to bins, as revealed of Goa, or becaufe revealed.of God fo.as the formal reafon of his belief is Divine revelation. a Me
Anfw. It’strue: He muft have commoner grace to believe them dogmatically and wneffetinally, and {pecial faving grace to believe them praéically and favingly. er:
ILI.. Not only faith it felf, but alfo ogy beginning f faith proceedeth from the help of grace y..and not from the firength of Nature
IV. The free-will of man in lapfed Nature cannot without the help of Grace Love God above all fimply, even. as he ts the author of Nature. Anfo. Iestme = 3
V. Man iw lapfed. Natare withont. the help of Grace, cannot falfill a2 the precepts even of the Law of Nature, nor overcome any great difficulty and temptation, even for any little time, which it is nectffary to overcome, for the keeping of that Law.
_ Anfw. True: Therefore they have fomse Grace that do it.
VI. There is no Law, nor ever was made by God, of his giving the attual helps of preventing grace, to them that do all that is inthem, by re faculty of nature: nor bath Chrift merited or wonld have any uch Law... i F Anfm. True: For he giveth fome camsmson yrace to all men antecedently, without any condition on their part: And though he give to thofe that ule their common grace to the utmoft (or near it) fufficient encouragement to go on and hope that fuch endeavour fhall not be in vain as to the obtaining of peculiar grace, yet de nomine vel definitione, WN hether this encouragement fhall be called a Lew, or aProméfe, or neither,
we contend not. : VII. God by bis helping grace floweth into free-will by premoving it
that st may co-operate, and alfo truly-effciently together with the fame free-will caufeth its pious operation.
Anfw, It’s true: But all adjuvant grace produceth not the fecond ef- |
feét, which floweth from both Caufes, (of which before and after. ) VIII. when God by his exciting Grace, firiketh and toucheth the hearts of men, be doth not expect that the will by its innate liberty, begin its ’ . : snot iow,
Cally: And fo Gods Decree or will to Fuftifie and Ghrifie man, hath fomend the Sub-operaticns of Man's Will.
motion, by Confenting: But God by adjuvant grace efecteth, that it frecly 47a infallibly Confent, | ) a
info. Ics true of all that do confent: But God hath a degrce of exciting and adjuvant grace, which are Neceffary and give the poffe Velie, which cau‘e not the a@, through mans defect’: And though God expect not chat cffeé&, asone that is deceived, yet he commandeth tt, and requircth it of us, But exciting and adjuvant Grace are all onc on Gods part: And if you will difference the fame things as connoting divers effects, you mutt denominate it more hily from the effects, by words that notifie the difference. —_ | ae hes abe te:
IX. Adjuvant Grace andFree-will are not Partial Caufes of fupernatural Confent, as two drawing a Boat, fo 4s neither is premoved Sy the other, or maketh it co-operate with it, ne rere
Anfw, ‘True: For God premoveth the will of'man, though through mans fault ic be not ever effectual. And though Gods will and mans be two Caufes of the fame cffeat, the term Parsse/ is {carce fic, while man hath his whole power and activity from God, a ae
X. Scientia media is not to be afcribed to God, But all prefcience of the future co-operation of the will > even from the forc[aid Hypothefis, prefsppofeth in figno rationis rhe free decree of Gods will, by which abfotutely (or granting that Hypothefis) he will in us and with us effect that operation if Good, and permit it tf Evil. , es
Anfw, Here come in your prefumptions of things unknown or falle. 1. That God knoweth future contingents, and conditionals is certain: Buc
I think this (centia media unfitly named, and an unneceflary diftribution, and infufficient to the Fe/uits ends, :
2. And your fiction of yh rationis , and the neceffary antecedence of a decree of Gods, to his knowledge of every Volition of man, 1s a more ungrounded and perillous figment, which you have not proved, Te feemeth a denyal of Gods Omnifcience or perfection, that he cannot know an act future as future, but only as decreed to be fo,
3. You deceitfully talk- of permitting evil while you plead for the érrefiftible predetermining premotion of the will by God to every evil att
with all its circamfances: Is that but Permitting? ‘
_ 4. To permit is Nothing: no at of God; but a non-agency: not to hinder, And how prove you, that God mutt of neceffity have a Pofitic®
Decree, for every Nothing or non-agency? Is not the not-willing or notdecreeing to hinder a lye, e.g. ( fuppofing natural concurfe,) or to make more worlds, enough to the produ@tion of that lye by an ill inclined na-
— tire? or to the wot-being of more Worlds? We ate in the dark, and God
is infinitely above us, and thefe-tremendous myfteries are not tobe fo prefampeuontly handled by unproved affertions,
XI. There is on our part no Caufe, Reafon or Condition Affiznable, for which Gods fupernatural providence > tn” comparifon of this or that hath the formal reafon of predeftination > or:retaineth the common reafon o providence: but predeftination is to be reduced into the fole free-will of God,
Anfw. Toft of this is about meer words. The word Predeftination connoteta various effects and obje&s: and fo is called various Ads. There is no efficient Caufe in the Creature of any até of God: Bur the-e are objedés without which Gods Aéts have riot their Special de nominations, and thete objedfs are the termini, and called Ataterial Conftitutive Caufes of thole various a&s as denominated various, {pecially or numerithing
ject.
O; God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
*That is, of that ob thing in the objec# as a xecellary condition of it * 5 Which is not in the 4 d] 4
object of his decree of giving faith; And that hath fomething in éts object, which is not in the objec? of the decree of giving a Redeemer to the world, or making the world, cc. if you willat all diftingaith Gods decrees by their objects, or effects: But if not, there will beno matter for any Controvertie. |
And Predeftination is an ambiguous word: If it be taken for All Gods fore-decreeing, or all about man, or all of Good to us; then our Being is the firlt effect of it in us, and the making of the World a preparatory effet, de. And fo, no doubt, che firit ctfect {uppofed us no men, before, and therefore no condition in us, But if you take Predeffination for Gods decree of Giving us Grace and Glory only, then it is pre: fuppofed that we are /apfed inners,
And the decree of damning men is exercifed only on them as foreknown damnable finners, And the decree of penal denying Grace or faith to finners for fin, {uppofech them fuch parifbable finners: But the bare Negation of a Decree to give faith to one to whom the abfence is no privation, is unfitly called Reprobation, ( though men may talk at their own rates; ) And we grane that fome fuch no-decrees have no conditierw in the objects, for they have no objects: e.g. If you will feign that God decreed from eternity, tugive me no faith before the Creation,-or before I was born, Or to give Innocent Adam xno faith in a Saviour as dying for him, this were no reprobating act. But when God hath given mena Saviour with his common grace to belicve in and accept, here if he deny them weceffary grace to beleve, it is a penal act. And note that Chriff and Common grace as abfolutely givento mankind, and offered to indivi duals, ever goeth before mens accepting or refufing him: And no man to whom he is offered, refufech him for want of eceffary help, till by fin againft that grace he forfeic ir.
XII. God by an abfolute and efficacious decree of his will, antecedently to the prefctence the future good ufe of free-will, predetermined ak g00d acts, which are done in time, pecially thofe by which the preacftiwate come to eternal life,
e Anfw. The fubftance of this feemeth true: only 1. Whether you fitly denominate a decree efficacious from eternity, which effecteth nothing till the Time, I Jeaveto them that difpute of words.
2. You prefumptuotfly determine Gods Decrees.to be antecedent to his prefctence herein ; when they are neither before mor after one another. |
3. If by predetermining you mean more than predecreeing or prevolstion, as if mans will was predetermined, when it was not determined, or determined before it had a being, you {peak contradi@tions, But Gods own will was cternally determined ( if we may fofay of that which was never undetermined) to give all the grace that he giveth in time, and to caufe all the good aéts that he caufeth, as he caufeth them.
XIII. The Co-operation of free-will with the gifts of grace, is inthe predeflinate, an effect of predeftination, and cffsctently proceedeth frome God making us by the help of grace freely to co-operates, and confequently dependeth not onthe fole and innate liberty of the will. —
Anfw. I think fotoo.
XIV. we muff necefjarily diftinguifh of twofold help of Grace; one fufficient, by which man may be converted to God, or work pioufly: The other effectual, by which God effzéteth that he be actually converted, and act pioufty,
Anfw.
And the Sub-operations of Man's Wil
' An'w. Hold to that, and contradict not the terms in your defcription,
and all’s well. | |
X V. The effectual help of preventing or preoperating grace moiveth mians free-will to att, not only by per{wading, alluring, inviting, or other morally attracting, even inwardly; but alfo-efficactonfly and truly effedina, that the will moved and excited of God dctermine it felf and ak spel), : ——
Anfw. We know what mans perfwading and moral operations are (alittle): But the difference between thefe interiour acts of God named by you nomanknoweth, You cannot prove that his Jaterzoar fwafion is not tray efficient of the act: nor know you how God procureth our detcrmination, as to the mode of his interidur operation. Your arbicrary names have no fignification of your true formal conceptions of the matter. This Controverfie therefore is vain. 2 |
MVE The efficacy of the help of preventing grace, and the infallible |
connexion of it with the free co-operation of the witl, ts totally founded
and taken as from its firft roots from the Omnipotertcy of God, and from
the abfolute and efficacious desree of his will, willing that the man whom
he moveth be converted and work pioufly : nor doth this efficacy any wap
depend, no not as on # condition fine qua non, o# the future co-operntt-
3. His power effecteth it not from eternity before it is effected. 4. You
Jeave out one of the casfal Attributes; The eftet of Grace is as well from
the vifdom of God, as from his will and Power. 5.Gods aé# dependeth
“not on mans will, But mans co-operation which is his own 2d, you mutt
_ confefs dependeth on his will as the effect on the mezreft efficient.
6. The non-efficiency of {affictent Grace dependeth on the finners will. Ic
was not meerly nor princtpally from an abfolute efficactous Decree or predetermination Of God, that Adams will omitted his daty firft, or committed fin firft, And if any run to the common fhadow that fiz hath x0
efficient cafe, and man only s¢ deficient, tanfwer 1.He is the firlt Reputative Deficient (thoughnot culpable, becaufe under no Law ) who muft
be the firft efficient of the contrary and isnot: As if Adams body had never had afoul, God was the firft Non-efficient Caufe, thatis , into whofe
will and non-agency the whole ratio defectus isto be refolved. 2, Forget
not that 4/varez himfelf faith, lib, 6. difp. 45. p.2t0. [ Licet pecca-
“tum orizinale non fit pro formali aliquid pofitivum fed privativum s
“peccatum tamen attuale eff pro formali aliquid pofitivum, cr caufat in
“anima habitum vitit 7] |
XVII. Suppofing effectual Grace in free-will, it infallibly followeth,
Anfw. True, becaufe it is not called properly effectual, unlefs eichér
1. Becaufe it effectech, 2. Or as it cometh from an abfolute decrec of effecting, 3. Or is of fuch a nature and degree that ic cannot but effect.
And in all thefe cafes it is crue, But fuch Grace may be eventually umeffectual, which hada fufficiency ex parte [ui to effect. XVIII. The gift of perfeverance, as fisch, and the efficacy of it, dependeth not, mo not as on a Tre fine qua non, 0% the co-operabion
74 — Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul
tion of our free-will, but on the abfolute decree of God, effecting mans perfeverance. |
Anfw, Thisneedeth no other explication or obfervation, butas aforefaid. Only thatthe Fus ad vratiam qua ad finem perf[everemus, is given on condition, im the Gofpel, from how abfolute 4 decree foever it
roceed. ' XIX. Effectual aid and a Power. of diffenting, are compoffible in the fame fubject, and confift in the fame will,
Anf{w. True: And remember that a trae Power is that qud vere poffumus and not that faculty which could do this or that if God will predetermine st, and otherwife cannot; no more than the Sun caz fhine without him. When God wichholdeth the Jnflux neceffary to action, fucha faculty is notr#e power as to that action in chat State,
X X. By preventing Grace efficacious as aforefatd, the Liberty of the will is not deftroyed, nor the actual ufe of it hindered, but is wonderfully
tie sage He perfected and roborated. — apse yon all: Ifay 4#/. There is a Liberty that is perfected by fome even neceffitating a3 Auguft-Enchir. c. 105. predetermination of God: And there is an inferiour Liberty of Imper- Sic oportebat prius homi- ¢-& Viators, which fome efficient Divine predetermination ( feigned by nem fierk ut & bene velle: : ‘ 4 cae poffét, er male; necgratis YOU ) would deftroy. And ifGod did by that infuperable premoving infi bene, mec impure fi Aux (which omnipotently moveth all things ) predetermine all men and ae oft, Devils to all the wicked Volitions and a@tions that ever were done, with Qyia ordo pretermitten- all the circumftances, and as refpecting every obje& comparatively, fo dus non fait, in quo D'uS char no creature ever did nor can refift uch a predeterminaticn any eavoluit oftendere, quam bo- . ; num (it animal rationale, fier than make a world 3 this were to deftroy the true Liberty of that quod etiam peccare polkt s Creature, with his énnocgncy and f postin: however you may atpleafure quamvis fit melins quod peccare non porfit put the zame of Liberty on, and deny the aame of Necefity to, fuch an abfolutely neceffitated Volition and a&; and then may fay, thatthey are premoved and predetermined to do the Act of all finfreely ( or conftrained to do it without conftraint,) and fo the liberty of the will is eftablifhed. Fer I fee. not but cogere ad Volendum is as apt a phrafe, as cogere nolentem ad agendum; when a will formerly innocent is irrefiftibly
. predetermined by phyfical efficiency, to all thole comparate circumftantiate acts, which are forbidden in Gods Law, and that on pain of mans damnation. )
But note how wifely Alvarez left out the great difference , about predetermining to the acts of fin, from this fummary of his difputations,
g. LIL.
And the Sub-operations of Man's Will, |
% IIL
Of the three other wayes, and 1. Of the Jefuits way. Qrelt. | A S you have paft your judgement oz Alvarcz and his Domini- = A can way, tell us how much you think well or ill of in the
other three wayes mentioned by Alvarez, aad recited by you {cct. 8? Anfw. 1, J have {aid enough before to an{wer this: Briefly, asto the
Fefuits way de -[cientia media, 1, It iscertain, that God knoweth all that |
is a capable object of knowledge: And therefore he knoweth what conditional propofitions of future contingents are true.
2, Whether this fhould be called (cientia media or not, is a vain queftion. ;
3. Gods atts ex parte fw being but his Effence, and all one, can no otherwife be diftinguifhed, nor ordered as to the denominations of priority or pofteriority, than as the objects are diftinct , and by their order of priority and pofteriority allow us by. Connctation fo to denominate the acts. :
4. The Intelligibility and the Amability of things are in themfelves fimultaneous, though from the order of humane operations, we fay that things are firft Zntelligible, before they are Amiable. And fo we may fay of God after the manner of men; but not otherwile.
5. God doth not will the form, or the aéf of fin as circam/ftantiated, and as the form neceffarily relulceth fromic: neither for it felf, nor propter aliud, the eflence or exiftence.
6, Therefore God doth not foreknow fin as willed and decreed by him: nor therefore foreknow it becaufe he willeth it. . a =
7. God fore-knoweth ( or knoweth ) the formale peccats as well asthe materiale: yet almoft all confels, that he willeth mot the: formale : Therefore he éxoweth that which he willeth not: Therefore his Volition of it isnot neceffary to his knowledge of ir. |
8. There is wo effect in God: for all that is in GodisGod ; who is not effected : Therefore theré is no Case in God of any thing in God® Therefore Gods will or decree of Good is not the cau/e shat he toreknoweth ic, nor his foreknowledge the caufe that he wiéllesh it: But he both knoweth and willeth a\l that isGood, at once.
9. Gods inward operations on the foul are real effictencies, and ye moral, and to usunfearchable : They caufe the will to determine it fel to Good, when it doth fo, but how we know not. But we know that he ordinarily workech by means, and according to their aptitude.
10, God ufeth fuch means with. the free wills of his ele as he fore-
—mions holds. this
fimul,
Vafquer ny. Than gq. 24:099 6.6, 9. after the rejection of many opithe Only way of Concord. 1. Gods preventing operating grace 18 kocatio Ceverda with goad cozitations, and the primus motis voluntatis ante alum liberum. 2. Gods cu-operating Grace ad confenfun Libram \s nels ther before nor after our act, but concomitant cr And fo caufeth no antecedent neceffity, bur concomicant ( ex/- ftentie.) 3. This fuppofeth Gods Scientia futuré conditional. Againtt this Dr. Trriffe hath faid much in a peculiar Digreffion.
And furely God ever operateth as God, which Is ut Caufa prima. But how far he determineth is the doubt.
&noweth will prevail with them; and fetteth them in fuch circumftances |
as he foreknoweth they will freely ad aright in; But his inward grace is the principal or chief caufe: And he doth not we/l or decree to give them fuch means and circumftances, becanfe he foreknoweth they will prevail. That is,Gods will and decree as in him hath no caufe. A "zz. But the word [ becanfe] is in Scripture applyed fometimes to Gods Love or hatred, and fometimes to his ostward atts: (as John 16. 27, The Father loveth you, becanfe ye have loved me and believed ) And in the firf# cafe that which is meant, is, that the app aeweay of the object is the material conftitutive caufe of the att of God, (notas it is Himfelf, but) as relatively denominated ab extta from the object in {pecie vel
* Yctnone of the firefs ef their differences lyeth on this ; And the Jefuits wich the reft afferta Pofitive Volition de peccato permittendo 4 _ without proof : which Ileave to mens various opinions.
* No doubt but God Is guoad prefentiam Tmunecdiate in all his efficiency. and as Near to the cffea&, as if he ufed no f{ccond caufe : But yet he 1s not fo Immediate as to exclude fecond caufes, aS media: And while he ufeth them, he operatcth on us according to their kind of operations, even as if they were berween him and the effic&. And this is the fenfe of Darandus and a Do'a, and eafily reconcilerh all. | amyraldus de lib. Avbite c. 4. concurreth with Dar wdus.
Iz is conf derable that all coniefs, that af Darazdass way did held, it caf ly ended all the controverie. As ud. le riaeb noreth The 3. de Cte if Fuats bas dactores yulia ell dAificultas in cone cliaedo diving consuls con Gheotates xc. And Hisway is as confftent wich Gods cerrain dit pail ef events as predetermination it felf. .
if God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
individuo. And in the fecond cafe, It-meaneth, that the effects of God aad extra called his tranfient acts as in paffo, have their proper wfes, ani we our commanded ends in uling them: And fo Cod is {aid to tend Minifters, e.g. becaufe he would fave the hearers; chat is, the Miniftry is a caufe of mens falvation, :
12. From all this ic appeareth, that they err who think thattheir /cé- entia media is equally ufeful in the points of Election and of Reprobation, and that they run part paffe, For all Good is both willed and knows, and 10 Election fuppofeth not the forchchs of our faith or obedtence as caufal or antecedent, ( if wefpeak of that Act of Election which is to faith and obedience.) Brt Evil is foreknown and not willed at all: And therefore there is no fuch Reprobation which is a will or decree that men fhall fin: And che xon-impedition of fin being wo act, needeth x0 pofitéve act of will or decree*, But Reprobation which isthe decree of damning , ever fuppofeth the object to be aforefeen-finner finally rejecting grace,
The reft about this is fpoken to fufficiently before. |
Il, Of Durandus’s way.
II. A S to the way of. Avreolus, Durandus, Ludov. 2 Dols, orc. YT con
ceive it is commonly rejected, becaufe not szderffood, or becaule the wording of it foundeth ds(gracefully, Buc itis a.great matter chat all confefs, how eafily it would end all chefe controverfies, were it true. And by Ld. a Dola’s Explication, and what Capreol/ns {aith of Asrcolus, I conceive that they are commonly miftaken. Dwrandus thinketh, that to the motion:of the Creatyre ic is neceffary 1. That God by his continued influx continue the Jesng and the sature and properties of the agent 3. 2. And that he continue all the circumftant creatures, concaufes and objects and the media of action; 3, Andthatno powerful impediment hinder the action, Now, fay the Fe/usts and Dominicans and the reft, God doth moreover concurs as the firft caufe to the Ag it felf, by an Immediate efficient Influx, befides that by which he upholdeth the Power and fecond Gaufes. Buc I think that Dwrandss meaneth as much as they: that is, that God doth not only wphold the creature in its meer effe, but in its Nature, which is its Adobility, and its principium motus; And this Natare is not only a Power to Action, but alfo an Juclined Power, So that for God by conffant Influx to continue a Natural Power and Inclination to Action Or motion, with all neceffary concurrents, without impediments, is truly by his /aflux to concurr to the motion as the firft Caufe,; while his ‘Influx is not only as to Besaz, but asto che Adotive force, and inclination: And no more than this doth feem to me to be fimply neceffary to M0ot10n, ;
Here the Reader muft know, that che Controverfie is equally of watural and Free agents and aétion. And firft let us enquire of natural action, |
I. Fere is an Active mature, as much Inclined to Action as Earth to mon-action or relt. Yea, us APive Vertue and Inclination is its very Effestial Form, and this as to a threefold action, viz. Afotion, Light and
: Heat.
And the Sub-operaticns of Man's Will.
Heat. God thenmake Fére and continue its Nature or Effential Inclination to thele acts, and continue fuel approximate with all neceffary concaufes and media without impediments, tofay that this Fire yet cannot barn ox act, without another kind of Divine premotion befides all this, even an Immediate phyfical impulfe, belides the decribed Zn/lux, isa plain contradiction: For.Fire is eflentially an Inclined Power to act. And that which hath a true Power te aff, can act: It’s a contradiction to fay, /¢ hath power, but it cannot. act, caters paribus. — 2 26:. & |
The queftion then is, Whether it be an impoffibility for fire to burn, if God do but as the firft Cau'e of Nature, continue its burning power and inclination with all concaufes? or raher, Was it not a Miracle for the three Confeflors, Daz. 3. not to be burnt in chat fiery Furnace ¢ If you fay, that the Miracle was, in Gods withholding his additional premotion, youthen imply that God as principium vel caufa prima Natura doth ordinarsly give that additional premotion. For that is mo Miracle which is not diffonant from the common courfe of nature. But nothing can belong toGod as thecCaufe of Nature, but to continue Nature as he made it, and he actually premoveth and concurreth while by his Influx
For I have before fhewed low many wayes this is certainly done, . _ The whole experience of the world fheweth, thae God doth operate by fecond caufes according to their natures and wayes of uperation; Therefore It more concerneth us
And a Power naturally inclined to at, will hereto know, what fecond caufes do on the foul in good and evil actions, than in thefe di- {putes 1s ufually obferv- ‘ed.
Adrian, 9 s0dl.3. fol 18. Sententia Duranli G& plue rium aliovum certum tee nit, &C. Quam opsnionem ultimo traait Magifter 37- do 2. sudicium relinquens prudentis lectoris OX AMENGe;
as the firft caufe, he continueth all its Asoving Nature, both Power and Inclination, | 3 | a a | -
In the motus projectornum, fo far as the moving vis tmpreffa continaeth and prevaileth, the motion continueth accordingly; And who can prove: that though the vis émpreffa continue, e.g.in a Bullet fhot out of a Gun, and all concaufes, yet there can beno motion, unlefs God otherwife chrutt.
it on, or move it by fome other impulle¢
Suppofe a Stone or Rock hang in the Air what that hindereth its defcents If God that Rock, which is not only a power but an inclinationto defcends and if he continue all coneaufes and media, and if the thred be cut or the impediment removed that held up the ftone, yet faith the Dominican,this Stone cannot fall unlefs God moreover by another ation thruff it down, of by an efficient phyfical pages predetermine its ox as the P{wits fay, unlefs God coricurr with a further moving impulfe, A plain contradiGion:. That a Power of motion, ftrongly inclined to ait, fo as a greater
‘power is neceflary in the émpediment that will hinder it, and this in gewere Agentis, conunucd by Divine Influx, yet cannot ad, unlefs otherwife moved, | .
God worketh fo conftantly by Watwral Inclinations of fecond caules; as fully proveth to us, chat st prima Caufa Natare, he hath decreed fo to work. And how is that then but by his sufléx into Natare aé Nature? , ar |
If my houfe éaynot fall when the foundations and pillars are gone, unkelsGod otherwife thruf it down; If I cannot fall though I leap down from the houfe top, unlefs God otherwile thre me downs If the Town cannot be fired unlefs God predetérmine it or conctrr befides his continuation of Nature; why fhould we fear ic, when we knownot that God decreeth any more than the continuation of natural caufes and that a¢tion which is by thea, and by him as the upholder of them?
IT. And the cafe of Free-agents is here confefled to be the fame, The Influx into their Natures and Virtues is ic that continueth them in effé [abfantiali and in effe movente & moto: An Ad is but the modus fabfrantie, And it {urpaffech my underftanding to conceive what ic is, for
qusfs per filum, or by fomecontinue the Natural Gravity of
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man’ s Soul :
God phyfice influere in attum immediate, cr non in potentiam fen virtutem agentem: nor how he can be faid to move the faculties to act, that doth caufe the aé¢ and not meddle with, ( and therefore wot move ) the faculty. Nor know Lhow an Att immediately (andnot the agent ) canbe the terminus of a phyfical motion, Though it’s eafie to conceive how God fhould caufe an act by moral and extrinfick objective means. ‘Therefore, as God moveth things Natwral by his Influx into their movinz Virtues, or into the moving Virtues of fecond Caufes, which being Adive operate on paféve matter; fo as the Sowé and its willis quedam matura inclined to Attion in genere, and to will good in fpecial, God asthe cam/e ‘of nature moveth it by his /nflwx into the faculty, as he dothother xtural agents: But having made ita Free felf-determining Agent, his in
flax upholdeth and moveth it as iy : And the fame Jufluo is upholding
and moving, and moving as upwolding, feeing God as Motor alfo, doth: influere in naturam vitalem é liberam, Belides which fupporting and moving Influx, no other predetermining premotion is neceflary to an 4 as an At, (thatI know of.) | an
Butthe very zatures or difpofitions of lapfed man being depraved, the reparation of them is neceflary to holy actions, And here ao God operateth on the faculties, by right difpofing them, and by that grace which Auguftine and Fanfenius well call Gratia medicinals, ( his fpectal Influx caufing, maintaining, and actuating it ) he caufeth the holy aGions of believers. |
Ido verily believe, that Durandus and his followers, under the name of fupporting the zatural and free faculties, did mean inclufively that which Bellarmine pleadeth for, A General Concurfe to the Adi as an AG, And that they differ in words and not in fenfe. |
And if his dogtrine hold not true, I cannot fee how God can be {aid to Permit.mens finful Actions, or any action at all. For if neither the Inclination of natural agents, (as of Fire to burn, a Stone to defcend, ce. J nor the Inclination of the moft wicked nature, would caufe any a@, unlefs God otherwife caufe it by premotion, then there is no place for Jmpeditiom, (for we cannot be faid to Hinder a Stone from (peaking, ora Monntain from walking, aor any-thing from any act which it cow/d met do):
And permittere is non impedire. And therefore Gods moving a man to —
the Act of fin, is not a permitting himtofin; Motion being one thing, and the xot hindering of motion, another thing (or nothing, )
—— "seam? eames Eee ee
And the S ub-operations of Man's Wil.
Wed
d. V: IIT. Of the Scotifts avd Nominals Wit.
III. A Nd as to the third way, afcribed by Alvarez to the Scoti/ts and
Nominals, Uchink-that de somine it is not a proper expreffion to call God cas/a partials. But if we agree of the fex/e, we may bear with improper expreffions about God, of whom we can fay nothing without fome impropriety. Doubtlefs God and man are ttot to be accounted co-ordinate concanfes of the a: but whatever mah doth, te doth ir in fubordination toGod. But God operateth 1. As the prime caufe of Nature, ina ftablifhed way, by natural = Si And fo he giveth man his Natural vital power andthe Liberty of ufing it: and by this Power and Liberty a man caz do more than healwayes doth, So that Gods matural caufality and concurfe doth not bring all the Power which he giveth men into proportionable adequate Action: but men sg exercile the fame power fometime more and fometime lefs. 2. Andinthe like manner God caufeth gracious or holy aéts: Reétifying Our Powers, and fortifying them by boly habits, and preferving and aétuatize them, by the Holy Ghoft: Yet the Spirit isto Grace, as God the prime caufe is to Natare: Hegiv-
Vafqa. (ubi fur.) takerlt Altxe Ale Ve Po qs 25. m6, ao2. ad. Ye C Bonzvents 1. d. 40.4. 2. 9. 1. tobe for him, hecaufe they fay, Actas noftros effe liberos quia Divina wvoluntas non eff Tota Caula, fed cum libero arbitrio, quod cum fit proximaciufa modificatur concurfum prime. But if this be his opinion he joyneth with thefe Scotifts and Nominals de caufa non-totali. So Pet. aS. Fofeph. The. niv. de Deo, faith that God is Caufa totius effettus, fed nontotaCauf2, fed partia alise
eth us more Gracious Power than we wfe, and than his own concurfe al+
wayes reduceth into adequate act: So that Gods operations in Nature and Grace are not 4d wltimum poffe Dei, nor aa sltimum poffe hominis: but limited by his moft wife and holy will: And man as a free agent is not only 4é/e, but oblized, to ufe his power further, than by all Gods concurfe or premotion it is ufed.
And in this fenfe I conceive it is that. Scotas and others call God and man Ca#{e partiales, in that there is a certain proportion of premotion and bel which God as the firf caufe of Watwre and Grace, doth afford to man; And there is moreover a certain ufe of Gods help and Grace, beyoud what God predetermineth man to, (as comparative to this object racher than that, Gc.) which man can do, and is bound to do, Not independently or in co-ordination with God; but by the Power and Liberty
which God only giveth and upholdeth, and affordeth him fufficient hel to actuate. Now if man do this Part whichis left to his liberty, the etfect alwayes followeth. If he do not, it may not follow, though God
ave him that xeceffary help or grace or premotion which is commonly called fufficient. And when Scotws likenethGod and man, to two drawing a Boat, where the ftrength of both muft concurr, I believe he meant no more than I have faid.
1.All the Power is of God asthe total firft caufe.
2.All the Grace that rectifieth and difpofeth our faculties ; is of God
as the total firft canfe.
3- All the 4c as an Act in genere, is of God as the total (though not the fole) caufe,
4. All the Holinefs or Atoral Goodnefs of the A& is of God as the total
firft caufe (though not the only caule. )
5. But all che fixfulne/s or moral evil of Acts and Habits is from
6. Andthat implyeth, that mans free- will is not fo much freed from fin, mutability and infirmity, butchacit cas neglect to ufe well the power and helps of grace afforded. But of total and partial Caufality : oa | | poken
Of God s Gracious Operations on Man's Soul F
fpoken more fully inthe firft Book. And of their opinion, that Gods Influx puts nothing into the will, but only is ad actum feu effectum, if ir be true, it eafily endeth the controverfie of the difference of fuficiene and effectual grace, asto that A@: But it is tome unintelligible, and the thing quite above all our under{tandings, and very unfit for bold difputes, Or mutual cenfures,
The true face or Scheme of the Dominican predeterminant 2
to the fenfe and confequents.
Do readily confefs that, asthé fumm of all the Controverfie is, Whether man have truly any Free-will, that isnot moved as neceflarily as any natural motions are caufed; fo the arguments of Hobbes and the Dimi. nicans and Dr. Twiffe are not eafily anfwered. And had we not berter proof of all that Avorality and Religion which is inconfiftent with this opinion, 1 fhould my felf be inclined alfo to think, that we muft be contented with the naked name of Liberty; there being nothing indeed, but Volition neceffitated, and that man is an Engine moved by God and other caufes, no lefs neceflarily and phyfically than’a Clock or Watch, but only by more invifible caufes and: to us unknown and therefore our Volitions are called Contingent and free, when truly there is nothing contingent in the World. We that converfe in the body with things corporeal, are fo much ftrangers to our felvés and to all the race of Incellectual-free Spirits, that we are very prone to fuch grofs corporeal imaginations, andto think that all ation 1s like che otus projettorum, violent, and neceffitated; and that it belongeth to tie perfection of the firtt mover that it fhould be fo, yea, that he himfelf thould be in all things =~ moit xeceffary agent, and confequently all things xecefitated by im. : | But as d/varez confefleth, Free-will is proved by rs ge and many others, by zatural proofs, and no Predeterminant or Ho sf can give the tenth part fo full and certain proof, of the anece|sitation of all Volitions, as we can give of all the contrary principles. in Morality which are overthrown thereby. : | :
And therefore ( whatever fome think of the fatum Stoicorum ) the. -
Light of Nature taught almoft all the Philofophers in the World, the Freedom of mans will, and the morality there founded: of which Grotius hath collected fo full a Volume of teftimonics in his Book entituled De fato, that ic thall fave me the labour of tran{cribin any.
Yet though I chink Chriftienity inconfiftene with their Opinion, I doubr not but many of the Predeterminants are good Chriftians, and excellently learned and acute Divines, as not apprehending the inconfiftency of their own thoughts : And I confefs that there is a Religion confiftent with their fundamental error , which 1 thall therefore put into che Scheme, left any think that none bue Hob4es hath made the right deductions from ir, :
And remember, that I charge them not to fay all che words which I here Jay down, but only that the reafon why I my {elf do above all others (lun their principles, is becaufe I take this following to be the true fenfe and complexion of them, which I muft alfo believe, if I do believethcm : And
7 I {uppote
*
pC ee I furpofe the Reader to be acquainted with their own words, and to have ‘their Books at hand. * a - 1
J. Their fundamental Principle is, that ¢‘/¢ és naturally Impofsible <¢ for any agent Natural or free todo any act, or vary any, comparative- “ly or circumpantially, but by the’ Immediate Phyfical efficient adequate “<< predetermining Premotion of Gods Omnipotency, as the firft Caufe 5 be- “fides his Influx by which he fuftaineth their natures and concanfes, and affordeth them his general Concurfe or premotion to the act as an <act in genere only. And it is Impofitble for any Agent [0 predetermi- ned by phyfical premotion, not to att in all the circumflances that it & <¢ fo moved to act in. .
IJ. To fay that any creature can act without this phyfical predeter- <¢ mination to all the circumftances, or can forbear to act when fo pre- “determined, is by confequence to fay, that fuch. 4 creature, is God, the “ firft caufe. For it is as impofiible, as to be God, or to maxe a “ world. |
“III. Yea, thecreature thay will forbear anya@ which God fo pre- < determineth him to, muft be /tronger than God and overcome him, or
86 do contradictions,
<<] V. And if God had not decreed fo to predetermine by phyfical ef- ‘ficient premotion, he could not have known any future atts. No, “ though with Scotus we fay,. that he willed all thole Acts aneécedentiy to c¢his prefcience, it would not ferve, unlefs he welled fo to predetermine “the agent in caufing them. ae - ©V, Yerwe will fay, that the wll is free: but we mean only chat “to will and to will freely are words of the fame fenfe, For a man “is faid to will freely in that he willeth, and his. willing is not a <¢ Willing. | oo. )
“OWI, Free-will then is nothing but Facultas Voluntatis & rationis
ad utrumlibet agendum vel mon agendum cr ad agendum unum vel alteyum: fed tantum prout & prima caufa phyfice pradeterminatur:, That “is, it is fach a faculty as God can Ka ae to act which way he ¢¢will, by making it will: yet its Indifferency is not only objective or “‘paffive, but alfo Active, becaufeicis an Active Power of the will which “God predetermineth. | God predetermineth the will to determine
“VII. Wewill call this che wills Power, bue ic is but Aypothetically €¢ ¢ Power, viz. It can act if God phyfically predetermine it: elfe not at ‘Call, As the Wheels of the Clock can move if the Poife or Spring move < them, or rather, as the hand can move, if the will and the Spirits in the “Nerves do move it. | ue |
“VIII. The will is faid tobe free, partly. by reafon that its-active
“power is capable of being determined by God, and then by it felf ad,
€€ ytramlibet, and partly in that it isnot lyable to coaction.
“TX, The will chat is by Omnipotent phyfical premotion efficiently “predetermined by God, is not conftrained, becaufe it willeth not wn- “ willingly: that is, fo far as it is willing it is not unwilling and re- **JuGane.
“X, Yet the will that was one way enclined, habituated and acted in the precedent inftant, is oft phyfically premoved and predetermined by “ Omnipotency to the contrary act in the next inftant , which ic could not refit: As he chat in this inftant willech Chaftity, may in txe next
‘Sinftane be preetermined by unrefiftible Omnipotency to will fornica-.
“tion ; or he that Loved God may be predetermined and premoved by | oe ' Mmmm —
“ God
* At leaft that he have. read Bradwardine and. Alvarez, and Dr. Tviffe and Rutherford. dé Prove Better faith Job. Bzconin- 1; fent. d. 40. art. 2. Deus aliqua fatura non cult velle efficaci 5 fed foluxs permiffives oe vefoects fic productorum voluntas divina eft Caufa per Generae lem, tribuens agenti partie - culari facultatem agendé fic vel fic = non tamen determinat agens ad ali= quam neque efficienter vult hand vel illam s & ifto modoVoluntas divina eft caufa atluum noftrovum quantumcunque asformium 3 Talium aciuum eft caufa determinans Volune tas humana pre(uppofita , influentia generali Deis tuunde ideo pecco qusa volo peccare: ita quod actus: voluntatis mee eft yam dee terminans me ad péccars dum.
And Gab.Biel poft Scotum, Ita eft caufa effecléva reo Gtitudinis quod quantum eft de fe daret illam attui,ft voluntas cooperaretur. tniverfaliter enim quicquid Deus dedit antecedenter 5. daret etiam confequenter, qnantum eft ex fe, fi non effet impedimentum: Vee luntas autem quantum eft ex fe non dat rectitudénem attui. Gal. m 2. d. 376 a, 3.q-1edub.1. Ita om. ce feré iifdem verbis- Orbellis m. 2. d.97- &. ita Fr.Mayro 1. d. 376 Bradwardine |. C34 eth too gerd to this purpofe, with Hugs. 1. de Sacr.4, part. 13. being more careful td make people think well of his Peis vult malum | than to deny it 5 { Nox quia quod dicitur,non bene dicitur,. fed quia quod bcne dicitur, non rete tna telligitur. | And his mollification 1s that [ God willeth finonly fecundum quid; for Gods Velle fimae as it’s commony taken, 1s to Love and approve it as good, and to reward it: And bes caufe the Vulgar fo take it, we muft not before them fay. that God wil
feth fin, becaufe they too muchabhorr ir. No aét is unjuft imply, bue all juft, and all the confequents of it juft, 19 reipeet of God the Author. Theretore fimply in the Univerfe, there is no fin or deordination 3; God willeth {in as a Phyf.cion doth yfon in his medicine, Re the exercife of the good, the punifhmenc of the evil, the concempiation of the beauty of the world. He 1s not the auchor of evil as lie is of good 5 for of that he, is the fole giver of faith, charity, ec. creating it. And God conftraincth not men to fin againft their wills: nor doth he caufe it unjuftly and culpably, cc. | Js not his meer Hobbs? 1. Doth God will any thing but good? Is not fin good then if he will it? 2. Is Gods not Rewarding it, anot willing it? What if he rewarded not men for loving him? You feign God to will and caufe all fin, and then damn men for it, and then prove thac he is not culpable or did not properly will it, becaufe he damned men far it. 3. Do you not make God as much the caufe of evil habirs and aéts as of good, when you make him the toral catfe of all that ts in them? 4. Do you not
fay thar the finner dothevil for good ends, and not for evil, as well as God? 4.Js not man an agertt in Loving God as well as m hating him? 6: Is it any better to make a@ man finful and mife rable by making him willing, than to make
him fo by force againtt:
his will? Nay, could a man be made 2 finner by force without making him willing 2 Is ie not a contradiction? .7.Why call you te poyfon which God maketh a medicine
of? You meannoc thac.
there is ary evil in it whiclr God. caufed inot ( as you fay ) more Immediately than man; aid {0 that God firft made fr poyfon and then pur it into his medicine. 9. And why are you afraid of fpeaxing
Ot God "5 Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
“ God to hare him the next moment. But we will not call this irrefiftible ¢ ficiency [ coeéfion, ] becaufe it is ad Volencdum, and {0 in ipfo actw ‘¢chere is no reiuctancy or rcfiftance.
“XT, WhenCod hath given man. a Power with liberty to will or nilI, or not will, to will chis or that, and alfo giveth him all.neceffary. objects ‘Cand concautes, and alfo as the farit cau.e of natural and free action ‘giveth him all chat Influx which is neceflary to an Act as fuch, yet the “moral fpecificaticn of that Act, to this propofed odjec# rather than thar “ ( asto hate God, rather than to hate fin,) orto this Act rather than co ‘¢ chat(as to hate God, rather than to Love him, or to {peak a lye,rather thary “the cruth ) hath fo much Entity in it, chat ic is a blafphemous deifying ‘Sman to fay, that man can do it, without Gods fore-defcribed unretifts- “ble predetermining phyfical premotion.
“X JI, Ged made the Law which forbiddeth fin,. and God made mans “nature IntelleGual and free to be ruled by Law; and God made and ‘¢ ordereth all che objects, temptations and concaufess and God by the {aid “ efficient, phyfical premotion caufeth irrefiftibly every act of finin all its ¢circum{tances: ( Aswhen David was deliberating, Shall Ido this Adultery and Murder or not? God firft by omnipotent motion determined ‘Chis will co it, or elfe he could not poffibly have done ic.) And fiz in ‘its formale is nothing but the Relation of D:fconformity to Gods Law, ‘¢which can have no caufe bue thae which caufeth the fubjecdtum, frrda- " mentum cp terminum; nor canit poffib:y be, but ic muftexift per aa- “dam refultantiam, hifce pofite. And yet thouglt God make the man, “the Law, the act, the object, and all chac. is inthe world from whence fi “Cre fultcth as ameer relation, we are refolved ta fay that God is not the “© Author or Caufe of fin. | |
“XIII. Yea, though the Habits of fin are certain Entities, and there- “fore God mult needs be their firft caufe in their fall nature, according “to our principles, who account it proper co God to be the firft and prin- “cipal caufe of any fuch entity, yet we are refolved co fay, that God is ‘not the Caufe or Author at leaft of fin. |
“XIV. Yee we will fay, thac he is anenemy to Gods Providence, ‘that holdeth that man can poffibly do any wickednefs, unlefs God thus “ predetermine boch Will, Tongue, Hand, and every active part, to eve- “ ry act which he hath forbidden with all its circumftances. |
“ X V.. Sin is caufed by God as to the cércurm/Pantiated Act which isthe “materiale y but tiot as to the formale: And yee we mutt confefs, “thac the Relation is caufed by caufing the fubject, foundation and: term, ( allwhich God principally doth, ) and can be caufed no otheref we.
CON VIL. But the formale of fin is but a defect or privation, which is S nothing: Therefore man and not God is the caufe offic; For God can- “not bea deficient caulé, nor have any privaticn. And yet we cahnoc “deny buc that 1. There is as mach pofivity of Relation in asfobedience “as in obedience, incurvity aSin reitade, in difconformity as in confor- “mity. 2. Nor that God can be a Casfe of Privations ( fuch as death “is, ) though nota fubjeét of chem; even fuch a caufe as they can have. “© 3, Nor thac fome of ours ‘ even Alvarez) fay that fins of commifion “(and habits) are pofitive in thei formale. 4. And fin is {uch a Nothing, ‘as is mans milery, and he is damned for and by.
| And if it be fuch ‘Ca Nothing a8 can have no cau‘e, man can no more be the caufe of it “thanGod. 5. And that the Reafon of non-eviftences, negations, or
“ privations, i <+ notorcafly refolved into she will or non-agency of the
<3 firfé
eae See
“€ none of the queftion.
‘© and decreed the formate. peccati alfo.
a
-
& firft neceffary caufe of the contrary, as exiftences and pofitives are re- your opinion to thd
| sane Be: : : world? Is irnot becaufe “folved into his will and agency. And if'a man cannot.think a good vonage ain
‘thought by any help that God can give him, unlefs he phyfically prede- you {peas againft the g 4 ; | | doth j is aS notoriou{ly ©oMmMon principles - of <¢ cermine him to it, chen the reafon why man ott if not 18 Oro y nature, in which che vul- “to be refolved into Gods not-predetermining him to it, as the reafon gar are founder than gine: ae De See d ks ic is wich. becaufe your cif? 9. And much ** why he doth it into his predctermination’: and 4s it is nighr, 6c the Sun fhineth noc. aed: is he A aga os, oe cannot tell how God pu- " “&XVIL. Bucat leaft we can fay that God is not the caufe of fin, becaule ae pee oe of ee: : .! Wwe iM. 12aC €‘ he is under no prohibiting Law. Though it be truc, 1. That his na if by the Law of nature “ture or perfection, the root of all Laws, is more thana Law: 2. And we: ; ‘ ito b caufe of the fin of that he that is a glutton <¢ know indeed that this. proveth him notat allto be no caufec,
‘man, but only to be no finner himfelf though he caufe it : which is artnick thall corrode
; 2 __ hts bowels that eatcth it,
: | ge wigan eae wrath ther Ce and, drinking too
XVII. And from this neceffity of predeterminaticn it followeth, that rich wine fhall breed
¢¢ all that pare of our holinefs and obedience which confifteth AD Hof finning, Seo Cae sa hs <¢is notatall caufed by God, e.g. that we hate him not, nor his truth and.
| ; eat and drink too much?, << wayes and fervants, that we murder not, commit not adultery, fteal not, or is not the excefs from
<< lye riot, covet nor, blafpheme not, wrong none, dono evil, ec. weneed: them? and yer the penal
: ‘ ‘one, relation and confequents < no help of God for this; Becaufeif he will not move our wills by efficient go God?
ee so cee hematall. . , And {uitably to all thig <¢ predetermination to do them, it is impofiible forusto dod - Jon. * Pa Beep ‘¢ XIX. And though we fay that God willeth fin ta be, by vps 10%.
oe: Freewill; viz. Grace ef <¢ only and not by his efficience, yet indeed predetermining by efficiency.as fetual without which < the firft caufe, is the principal efficiency: And properly we mutt fay thag 2° one fincan be avoidi. few 3
: é hth ed) is Gods will chat it “God permitteth no fin atall ; For we fay that his permiffion proveth the frat be done: ¢ And fo
<< confequence of the thing permitted : And therefore we muft fay that he nomancan any more do
; rae -¢ any thing, than what he “¢ permitteth no fin but whatisdone. And thac which is done by commif~ aon then he cn make <¢ fion pofitively he effecteth 2 effecting the fuzdamentum; and_therefore a world. ) And free-will ) . i
| a es, . (li2.¢.1.) 18 [Potentia ra- <¢ permitteth not: And men fin by oms(fion becaufe God doth not make | 0-2. vaiomaliee dati. “© them fin, and not becaufe he meerly permitteth it. For permiffion is
candi, a Voluntavie exte on ebay i, quendé: \ fo tharro will, Snot de impoffibilibus.
i. : a8 and freely to will, is all “ ¥X, God willeth not fin, becaufe he willechic not as fea, in its for-.
! ; one. And fo. man is “¢ males which alfo we muft confefs that che wicked themfelves donot. —_. moved to every fin, by
, , neceflitating premotion “XXI. And whereas we hold that God cannot foreknow things future, to doie freely, that is, he “¢ buc ashe willeth or decreeththem, we muft confefs that the formale pec- is made willing, that is,
ages oa S's < | eae finful, “ caté as well as the materiale, was (fuch as it is ) gusd Sect aat (if ic was e
To: Soc. 32. [In omni non- “ but futera privatio: ) Andtherefore this would inferr that God willed agice peo cm creature
communt, prius naturaliter. , GEN, i Un eo ee eee ee eff Deum non-agere quam “XXII, Gods willis his Love: and whathe willeth he Loveth, ‘ipfam c quia Deas certam ‘¢ XXIII. God willeth the futurity and éxiffence of fin, not only of the as per es ae 3 : agit, ideo creatura illam
©¢ materiale, but the formale, even of all the fin that ever is done. 48
ae. non agit, & nor é a — “XXIV. The exsfence of fin is Good and Amiable, not only by accé- Sotharall omittions (of: ducibl h bry Gods Fuftice faith, repentance, Ove
“dent, but per fe, as being very conducible to the Glory of gee ae ae “and Mercy, andthercforeis per fe WilledandLoved of God. | _—_gefatved into Gods firft “XXV. It is incomparably much more fiz than Holineff which God ee ae ee
“ willeth, and Loveth, and by predetermination caufeth in mankind on ficit unum Angeli, aliam “earth: Foricis much more fiathan Holine ff thatexéfethinman: And Stelan, poset ideo: . : 4 a - 7 ’ nO JaCia JUNE § 4 Qille
“all chat exseth God caufeth as aforefaid ( the circumftantiated act, se a5; pbs ft @ cava ae “forthe refuleancy of the relative form:) And hewilleth and Loveth the g; peus out non fitvi oe © exiffence of all, and the thiag exiting (o far ashe cau/eth it. - min vult pofitéve © Scilicet
; os ' babet nolle Elud fieri ab ea. ““XXVI. God iilleth, Loveth and Caufeth fin incomparably more than Prine oh ae oe ‘© wicked men do: For they Willand Love it with a humane mutable de- caufaliter eff Deum nolle po-
; . . 7a: steve, quare & non velle & “pendent will, buc God with a Divine, primary, immutable will, Sees ie a ered haedea * cauteth the forbidien act ( whence the relation refultech ) with a Will agere, quam ipfam now =o. Mmmm 2 6Cthac agere.] This is plain
of this is becanfe you.
in Creation he ordain
84 Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul: eee dealing : All men that ** chac isirrefiftibly moved fo todoby God (as the pen writeth , only fu Love not God, and at ¢€ grodo with Volition:) But God eaufeth it as the firf? omnipotent unieeee eet have ic“ fiftible caufe, of all chat the Creature doth in finning. fo, andmake themdoa ‘CX X VII. The fame muft be {2id of God and the Devil, who can no a a ne ‘more commit one finful aét, till God unavoidably predetermine his will to and intricate difpures if © ic, by his premotion, than finful man can.
= eons ee ea “XXVIIL God by his Law, doth ftrictly forbid all chofe finful as ian Religion then? ¢€ which he principally and unavoidably caafech: And he ftrictly Conimand- : “Cerh all th Ke = ne whofe contraries he chuscaufeth us to do ‘eth all thcfe gooda ~ ‘XXIX, Though there is nothing in fin which can have a caufe, of
“¢ which God is not the Principal caufe, and though he Willeth and Loveth
all chat he caufeth, yet the Scriptare faiththat God haterh fin,and cannot ~
c¢ behold it, and hateth al the workers of iniquity, atd that it is sbomi- ¢ nation to him, thathe is as one Jaden with it, and wearied, provoked, and offendedbyit. Andthat he Loveth the Acts of obedience and hotinels, ¢ when he will not caufe them, buc doth caufe and will the contrary.
XXX. Pardomand falvation is promiftd and earneftly offered by God, “eo the Reprobate themfelves, on condition, that they will believe and “repent, when God doth eS the firft caufe, determine their wills to the contrary aés, even to disbelief and impenitent hatred of God ‘Cand holinefs.
* ¢XXXI. The Law of Godis, that alf the Reprobates fhall be damned “to hell fire; if they will not believe and repent, when h:s omnipotence. doth unavoidably premove and determine them to unbelief and impeni- “tence : andif yb will not give over thofe acts of fin, to which God ¢¢ doth chus unavoidably move and determine them. |
<6 XXXII. Gods executions are anfwerable to thefe Laws; and all fave Chriftians, and all profeffed Chriftians faving the fanctified, are to be <¢ punifhed in. hell fire for ever, only fornot doing the aéts of Faith, Love <‘ and obedience, when God as the firft caufe predetérmined them to the ‘contrary; and for doing the acts of fin, when God unavoidably moved ‘chem to it, and made them do ie: fo that confequently all that are <¢ damned, fafferin hell, for not being Gods, even the firft fuffictent age a “of cheir own acts, and for not betas above God or ftronger than he, that
is, fornot overcoming or avoiding, his invincible and unavoidable pre- ¢ determining premotion unto evil acts, |
“XXXII. The fame mutt be faid of the Devils, who fin and faffer on ‘rhe fame terms. |
XXXIV. Q. What kind of torment then will there be in Hell? Can Confcience torment men for err. that which they were unavoidably
~ madeto do by Omnipotency? and fornot doing that which without Divine predetermination they could no more do than make a world ¢ or for not doing that whofe contrary they were thus predetermined to? that is, for not overcoming God? ( when they know the cafe. )
Or muft we not more congruoufly fay, thac che ftate of Hell torments lyeth in amoft vehement hatred of God for fo ufing them, and a juftifying of themfelves¢ Or willevery mouth be thus ftopt in judgement ¢
XXXV. Q. Is not Divine Juftice the moft perfect Juftice? and the
exemplar of all humane Juftice ( allowing for difparities? ) And fhould Kings and Judges imitate this fore-defcribed courfe? And how then would they be efteemed? |
XXXVI. Q_ Is not that beft which is moft agreeable to Gods Will and Love? And therefore fi better than Ho/ine ff in all chat have fin, and
. not
that it thall bé | |
XXXVI, Q. Whether this doGtrine tend not to arcer Infidelity, as td. the Chriftian faith, by making it feem to me itictedible ¢ Ys ic credible. that God fent his Son fo wonderfully to exptatethoté firs which he fo loved and caufed as aforefaid? and to fave his people from their ftas, which God’ thus unavoidably moved them to commit ¢ did to deftroy the works of God, under the name of deftroying the works.of the Devik# Muft Chrit fuffer, bleed, die and bear Gods wrath; for that which Ged unavoidably — made man do by his principal determination’ And is it eafie for him thd¢: believeth one of thefectobelievetheother? OE A ny Ge XXXVI. 2. How will men preach aiid hear the Gofpel; if they de it in congruity with thisdodtrine? Will tNey fay [ God (ent us to befeecks and charge you, not to dothac finful a@, which youd canhot do unlefs, fe: make you do it by predetermination, and which you cantor avoid if he fo make youdoir. He befeecheth and inportimeth you td dé al} thofe éommanded acts, which you can no more dochan make 4 world anlefs he pres determine you to do them, nor can forbear them if he do/}- a XXXIX. Q, How will men Repent, confe%, refit temptations, ptdy, and ufe the means of Grace, if they believe chat all finful asin the world “4 — unavoidably Canfed, and Willed and Loved of God as good for isGlory? = XL. 2. Whether they that teach: (as Dr. Twiffe often) that fin is noe maluin Der fed noftri, do not take it to be nv snjury to God; nor difpleasing tohis will? Or is not injary atid [pleafing, evil m refpedt to God as the terminus, though it bé no bart tohim; nor his evil as the [abject or
agent? And doth not the opinion that it’s Eus/ only tO us; and Good td
Goctas condacibleto his glory, teach mento hate it only otit of felf-love, atid not ot of love to the glory of God P yeato Love it 28 condacible to Gods Glory, thore than to hate it as evil to oar felves s feting Gods Glory rut be preferred above dur elves? |
XLI. Q. Is not fin thus made a coequal with Chrifé & who is but 4 me dns to the glorifying of God, to which faith ( Dr. Twiffe ) fitt is famme tonducibile? 7 i.
XLII. @. Doth not this dodititte make the fan@ificition of thé Holy
Ghoft to beurneceffary ¢ when all chat is to be done to fave us ftom fin, is for God not to make us fm je his ptethotion? Or doth it riot make AnGi fication to be nothing bac chis ptedetermination of God, which is made as neceffaty to fin as to duty; and fo natural and gracious operations made the fame, and God to do as much to produce evil eflicietitly as Dood ¢ | : : XLII. Q., Is it not tiich worfe to matt, if God by predetermination make hirn firfta finer, ¢ and wicked by finfal Habits ) and then damn him for it, than if le fhould damm an innocent man for nothirig ¢ For fin and ain is far worfe than pain without fin, Arid to cotnpel the will unwile finaly to fin, wete it poflible, is lefs thant to make it willing. XLIV. Doth hot he that affirmeth chat the Dews/ doth but fin as effi ciently predetermined by God, and doth not force, nor determine any mans will toany finful a@, but thac God predetetminetht all men and Devilsto every finful act cotnmitted, I fay, doth he not defcribe God as wotfe than Satan ( horrefco quarens!) if fin be the denorsinating evil, and the casfing of fiz bemoré than tempting to it? Had ¥ not rathet sy will were refipiby
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul: fiftibly tempted to fin, than anrefiftibly made to fin; by predctermining efficient premotion? a.
XLV. Is notthe objective Reafonin Devils of mans implanted Enmity againft them, Genesis 3:15. becanfe they are Enemies toGed and as,as being themfelves Lovers of fin, and Tempters of us to fin and mifery? |
:° XLVI. Doth not he take the dire&teft courfeto root out the Love of Godand all Religion from the World, and to tempt men to Ate God, and fo to begin a Hell on Earth, who defcribeth God in Satans likene{s and much worfes; as muchas being the prénsipal caufe of a/l fix in men and Devils, is worfe than finning when prédetermined, and tempting others to it? | ~ XLVI. I think that the Dominican Predetermination, dire@ly and neceffarily overthroweth all certainty of Divine Revelation, by man, or Angel, and confequently all certainty of the Chriftian faich: even by overthrowing the very formal object, the Divine Veracity. For if God effciently premove and predetermine all wil/s and tongwes and pens to all the lies that ever are made in the world, then 1. To do fo, isnot inconfiftenc | with his perfections or bis will, 2. And then we can never know when he doth not fo, unlefs by the event. ‘This is grounded on thefe fuppofitions, |
1. That Gods revelations tous are not Jmmediate only by himfelf, bur
by fome Creature, Angel or Man, or a created voice or fign. 2. That the Ratio certitudinis of {uch Revelations by a Creature, is becaufe it is God that is the chief author of them. 3. That it is not conceiveable
how God can by any way of Revelation be more the author of it, than by phyfical efficient immediate adequate predetermining both will and tongue to the a¢t with allits circumftances. Callie by what name you pleafe, Infpiration, Vifion, Illumination, Impulfe, gc. itcan {peak nothing more of Gods Agent efficient Intereft than this predetermination doth. 4. If itdid do more, yet it would overthrow all certainty of our faith: Becaule if God can efficiently caufe, and that as the total principal caufe by predetermination, all the lies that ever were told in the world; we can never be fare that the other mode of his operation fo fay diftereth from this, as chat he cannot be the chief caufe off aliein this way as wellas of all lies by predetermination. 1 have driven many to fay their ucmoft, andcould never yet hear any fuch difference affigned, ascould prove any Infpiration whatfoever,to have more of Divine Caufality init, than phyfical predetermixation doth fignifie and import: nor how this principle leaveth us ay certainty that the tongues of all the Prophets and Apoftles were not predetermined to {peak falfly, (ab antecedente; and fo their ens. | : XLVIII. To fay that God is not able to make a Creature with power to determine any one Volition of its own, even as modified, comparate or
' circumftantiate, without his efficient phyfical predetermination aforefaid,
fayeth more againft Gods Ommipotency (though on pretence of a coztradiction ) than I dare {ay or think, :
XLIX. Yerafter all this I grant that if all proper free wi/Z and contingency be denyed, and every act in the world (ascomparate and circumftantiate) made as neceflary by predetermination as the motions in
hence would nullifie all Religion abfolutely, would raife falfe inferences from this principle. Much more perfwaded am I, that many that hold
OW RAO
And the Su b-operations of Man's Will.
faid.) L. The Religionrconfiftent with it I conceive muft be fuch as this: . _ 1, There is a God who movethall things by phylical neceffitation, ever mans Volitions as well asany natural actions. . | 2. This God doth all chat hedoth himfelf by neceflicy, viz. of perfecti-. on, not of co-action: And there is no contingency ta rerum natura.
3- This God hath made his Creatures of various ranks and degrees a
excellency: And mana more knowing Creature than the Bruits. |
4. Among men he maketh fome wife, fome foolifh, fame good and Godly, and fome vitious and ungodly; And as he makech the difference of men and beafts, of a Horfe and, a Toad, of the Sick. and the found, of Prince and people, rich and poor, fo doth he of godly aad ungodly, chat and unchatte, ee. | — §. Yet man being Intellectual, God will move him by means and fea cond cau‘es 5 and therefore hath made him. Laws, obliging him de sare, and commanding his ucmoft diligence tokeepthem 5 promifing aad threarning Life and death hereafter for the keeping or the breakisg of them : and appointing Minifters. and Magiftraresta.pexfwadeand drive himon,
6, Aad it’s likely though nat certain. that God wil do according to thefe Laws, in fome alae degree. |
7. Manby his Nature,and by Scripture ¢ which may he true ) is bound to Love and ferve his God above all other, as the Caufe of all the being and good that is in the world, ( whatever he do by us, ) and of all out
good. : = . 8. There isanotber life of Reward fur the goad, and pusifhment ‘for che
bad, which mutt be our hope and fear.
9. Gods Laws are called moral means, but Casfe only ‘28 phyficel Cte |
gies or tacklings, to move mans will by the faid necefittazion, 10. Gods hatred of fin, is no trae hatred or nolition’ |¢ where fin is: > bar only his prohibiting ic to us, and his punithing men for ic, -
11..If God did fend Chrift and the Apoftles, and Miracles, oc. itwas
only co be tacklings or parts, in this engine of phyfical operations. _- 7 : mi and Loveth fmas much asobedience; but he maketh ix
not {0 Good and Lovely to us, it being our difeafe and mifery. | 13. As God no otherwile hareth fin chan fickwe fi, and fianers than the
12. God cauf
fick, and looketh.an good and bad butas modal phyfical differences cauled by himéelf 5 fo muft we do alfo: and hare that-moft chat hurteth us moft.
‘14. To mourn for fin, and confefs it, and ftrive againft ie, or calk of Chrifts fuffering or (atisfying forit, any otherwife chan as a Voluntary afeafe and mifery of man, or to avoid any fin ay otherwife than as a mifery toour felves or others, is bac che errour of fuperfticious men. :
15. .Men fhould do all that ever they can to cure their fins, and live holily, fo far as increafeth nor their mifery, and no farther , and this only as a phy. fical Voluntary perfection, and as the avoiding ef a natural mifery to themfelves and others. _ @ a !
16. God will punifh many not oat of any hatred of fin ( which he wil: leth and caufeth.) but out of a differencing will, as he maketh Toads and Serpents, and caufeth Cattle and Fowl tobe killed by us, and Horfes laboured in pain: Therefore we have no reafon to fear any other mifery ia Hell, than Gods arbitrary difpofal bringech on the more wretched fort of his Creatures, withoutany finful commerit or provocation ; and perhaps little more than we voluntarily here choo.c and bring upon our felves, or a
to be, as not difcerning the inconfiitency of their opinions (as I
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
the fame kind, our fin it felf being our punifhment though it pieafeth us, (As {cratching isto him that hath the itch.)
17. Therctore the end of a mans life is the publick good and his natural felicity, befides and above which to make God our End, ashe is ho! and to be pleafed by Holinefs, is an errour , for all chat cometh to pafs whether fin or holinefs, do equally pleafe and fulfil his will, as chey are equally caufed by him, according to their feveral natures. |
If any expea that I fhould have given you their own words for all thac
ave faid. 1. Remember that I charge not all chefe words on them; buc mention their judgement with the confequents. 2. That I charge not thele confequents to be owned by the men, but upon their doctrine. And ket any man difcharge or juftifie them thatcan. 3. But I defire no more to prove that I wrong them nor, than that the Reader be acquainted with their own writings, and not to impofe too many on him, particularly, with Bradwardine, Bannes, Holkot and Alvarez, and with Pifcator, Maccovius, Dr. Twiffe, and Rutherford de provid, And Idefire him firft but to read - the words which I have before cited and confuted of theirs in this Treatife; andthe words of 4/varez and Twiffe which I have cited and anfwered in my Di/put, contr. Predeterm, in Methodo Theolog.
And I muft profefs that the Religion here detcribed in the end, is all chat I can prove confiftent wich their opinion truly underftood in it felf and irs confectaries; and chat if I held their doétrine, I think I could have no other faith: WhichI have annexed left the Hobti/ts thould think thac their principle, were it proved, would jaftifie all Immorality and Irreligion. For this muchthey might be obliged to notwithftanding it.
But he that can fee fo great evidence for the Dominican predetermination, above the other three wayes, and what I have here farther added, as for the fake of it, to admit fo great a change of his Religion, or fo great a depete: the forfaking of true Religion, he feeth not with my eyes, and I~
ope I fhall never fee with his, chough Iam not a ftranger to the pretences for their way, that make it feem plaufible to them that do refpscere. ad AUC4. — a
And if any think that I: deal too harfhly in clogging their opinion with fuch odious confequents, Lec them prove them incontequent, and 1 will recantit: Batif they cannot, civility fhallnocmake me hide and favour fo greatImpiety; and as little in Doctrine as in manners, ( as.Adulrey, perjury, blafphemy, Gc: ) becaufe he that thinketh he doth’ well, wul not Repent, and an erring mind will juftifie fin, and fight againft God and his truth in hisownname; and it’smoreto Teach men to break a command, than to do st, and confef the fin. They think it is for God chat they -erre; And I think it is for Godthat J deted st. And who itistharerreth indeed, the Light muft difcever, and the ftudious impartial prepared -Children of the Light muft diftern, and the Facher of Lights mutt faally judge.
Note chat in che firft part I {peak as in the name of the Predeterminants ; _ ull I come to the Queftions, and thence-forward I {peak as in my own
‘same, which the Reader may eafily perceive.
J Have delineated this hypothefis with its confectaries as truly as I can. I
Q. VIL.
——. . And the Sub-operations of Man’ s Wl...
. Of Janfenius his way of recosciting Graceand Freewill...
O.% BY after all thefe cometh Fan/eniie, and ju(tly blaming: Philofo:
phy as the great cccalton of our herefies and ‘errours, which
mied the Schoolmen, Jefuices and. others, he gogth to -ddgaffise, alone Cas Lombard thought he had well done before him;) and difgraceth. his
caufe by faying chat dagafine firfttaught it tg; che Church, ( as if Grade
“had been unknown ¢ Fg former ages:) And becaufe many will not be ac
the labour to know his mind by reading fo big. a volume, I fhull briefly
feleét, whet concemneth the matter in hand; and animadvert uponit, = J. His firlt Tome defcribeth the Herefieof Pedsgswe; wherein: he proveth that Pelagive held al] chis that followeth concerning grace: - |
4, The Remiffion of fins, containing 1. Converlion to God, 2. The <¢ abfterfion of the blot and filth, 3. Reconciliation, or remiflion of Gods <¢ offence, 4. And of theeternal punifhmenct. Fanfenius dog..To.1. 1.5.
<¢ 9, That Pelagins owned the, Infufioa of. habitual grace.. . And char
7 God in Baptifm did plot out all fins, purgescleanfe and expiaterhem, fave and renew the foul, reftore nature, deliver frony.the body of this death, and
.<¢ rate, Illuminate, caufe Faich, Juitiie, ( even Infants,) Sandtifie, make us “new Creatures, incorporate us inco Chrift as’ his members, give us the -©¢ anointing of the Holy Ghoft, not'oaly reftoring us to the {tacechaz we.<¢ were in in Adam, burto abetters and ‘to be adopted fons of God, and < faved, cap.24. - And 25, as:to rhe Relative effects, thar Grace Recon- -
< cileth man to God, maketh hin an adopted Son of God; and the Temple
.©¢ of the Holy Ghoft, an Heir of God, ard co-htir. with Chait: Se rhac
£¢ they acknowledge not only Habitual Isfufed Grace, but mores; even in f° Bap: As alto che Affiftiag mosionsiof ‘thei{pirioto, goodadts, making
<<. Alfo chat aften Pope. Zoxyaus had condemned the Pelagians, they
.¢ went further, and that sheir deftgn was burto Jay mens falvation or dam-
< parion on free-will::#6.6.6.7.0. ui
And when he cometh to.charatterize Pelagins, he doth it as he doth elfewhere ché. Proteftants, and as Malignants do Religious perfons, by pre- {umptions: viz, thavlie was uideet as dugujfine: faith, Temperate and of a good life, but fingular and very-proud, (which he proverh byjhis opinion,
and, becaule he was againft Sweariag, aad faids.<shat-Gods fervants months fhould veas. n0 bitter thing, brit only ehac whichis fiveecs and chat Chriftians muft be fo patienc as readily
<< from thems arid: shat gallantry. and cay cloarhing is‘ contrary ta God, and
to let go what-is taken
chat enemies muft be laved as friends,and yet net-believed, aiid chat Riches <¢ mug.be forfakeny cre.) as halding nothing mean andmoderate: that he affected novelty: Gand yet his-efrours were ald, coming from Origen, -
<¢ Ruffinus, Palledins, Evagried,:fovisian and:the)P.ilofophyys ) yhac he < affected fame, :admiration, -hypocsife, pretending to more helinefs than. others, under the garb: of poverty, orc: - overivalued Reafon, Logick,
< Syllogifmes, Philotophers, ees -Adl: which. [mention, not: ca abate any Psa | Nona mans
Of God s Gracious Operations on Man's Soul ;
mans diflike of any one errour of Pelagiws, butto thew chat itis fo ufual
_ for diffentersto make one another {gem odious, and to feign or aggravate
faults, and to vilifie or deny Gods grace in others, that he chat would noe be cempted into malice, uncharicablenefs and flander, muft take heed whae he believeth, even of men accounted moft abominable hereticks. Doubtlefs Pelagins his denying original fin, and his laying too much on mans will, and too little on grace, are things to be detefted.
II. Fanfenius afferteth thatthe Angels and.4dem had fuch Free-willas could obey or difobey, and fo could determine it felf to good, and perfevere ‘therein, without any more grace than they had when they did icnot: And ‘that by this Free-will fome Angels ftood and fome fell, and Adam fell when ‘he.might by it have ftood, and thereby fell from anobler fore of Free-will,
-which confifteth in a due fubfervience to God, and fell to the Love of
Himfelf (not praarie' of external things) inftead of God, and to felfdependency and dominion. De Grat, primi hom. c. 6. p. 40, 41, 42. &c.7, [ < Nos hic afferimus — fine dubitatione veriffimum juxta dottrinam < fantti Auguftini & ecclefie, omnia hujufmods opera adeoque Cr ipfam fi- < dem & dilectionem Det, ab co potuiffe per arbitrii libertatem fieri {ec at ea non donaret ei gratia Det.) vid. ¢.7,8, cre. The reafon of this was fanttasVoluntatis Adami,C.9, | -
“III. Yet Grace was neceflary to manand Angels both to perfeverance “and to every good a&.c, 10,11. Ande.12, 13, ¢c. this Grace'ne-- *‘ceffary toall was not Habitual Grace, (for thacthey had; ) nor general € concarfe, which none denyed: but it was Actual Adjuvant Roborating “help, Butthe Grace given to Angels and Adam was Adjutorium fine quo “ non, giving the will power to determine ic felf, but not Adjutorium quo ‘which ‘ever determineth it. One giveth the Power, andthe other the
AG. ( Thefame that is meantby the common diftin@ion of Grace fufficient and effectual by the Dominicans.) ‘Yet this Adjutorium fine quo non did with free- will procure the Act in the ftanding Angels, and Adem. whilehe ftood: Buc thatmade it not Adjstorium quo becaule ic is not -focalled ( efficax ) only 4b events: but becaufe ic fo helpeth that Zo:“prafente continuo fiat id propter quod datur; illo abfente nunquam fiat, . © b. 63. 6. 14,15. oe cand the vifive faculty 2d videndum
“the other ss ip/a vifio (fuchasall formal canfesare, and Gods fimulta-
“neous efficiency.) The difference is (c.15.) chat Adjatorium (ine “@xo non doth but yee the power, andthe chief honour belongeth to
*¢ che will chat ufech icand could choofe; But contrarily the djutortums
gue is the principal caufe of che Ad, -and leaveth not the event to the Swill, but ufeth it effectually to the act intended. Therefore’ meric and € perfeverance in Innocency were no {pecial gifts of God.
*¢1V. That without or before faith no good work is done, but lies and “fins: , 3. 4.¢. 1 p-223. mo nor without true Godlinels, p. 261.
© paffim. Tothink that Infidels and ungodly have any true virtue, is docage, 6.17. a ee | |
<CV. The firft fin had‘no necefii ' : being meer fin, and no punifhmenr,
and fo eafily avoidableand wholly voluntary: Ocher fins are allo pu- © nifhments, and fo partly-.involuntary and unavoidable and neceffary:
“ Though a finner may forbear one fin by another. cap) 22.
“VI. A rational Creature could‘not be made of God finlefs without “true Lovd to God; or at leaft a faculty moft fofficient to love him and
‘S¢cleavetohim,. De ffatunat. par l.1.¢.19. p. 323,324. Bor can God withdraw that grace of Love ftom the innocent.c, 18, |
“VIT, The
Evens 15
And the Sub
-operations of Man's Will: 7
<oV II. The erace of Adam, and of Chritt; Adjaterium fine que
<"n0n 5 G Que, do thus differ; that the firtt terverh the will, and. “‘is determined by it: The fecond ( Adjutorium medisinale ) giveth. “che ipfum velle to the unwilling: 5 which elfe. it could not have. ° “* De Gras. Chr. Sal, Li.2. c. 4. and is more than Les, feiewtia, reve-. “€ latio, remiffio peccatorum, gratia fufficiens, habitwalie, ¢. per. concrni-.
“* tatems efficax, c. 5. Alfo 1. The Adj utorium: fine quo. non giveth noc
“¢ Meret to the will, but it meriteth it felf: But the Adj utorinm wo give: “Seth us the spfums opus’ meritum. 2%. The former is meritum huma--
“<< num; thelecond moritum divinum, as given of God. 3+ Tothe firtt
“ Fife would be serces merits: To the fecondit is a free gifts Reward © << and Gift are repugnant. Angels mericed life, : 4. By the firtt and free: <¢ will Angels perfevered: but we cannot but by the fecond. 5.The fire << ( fine quo mn ) was given them that were to be. differenced by free-will:
<< Fhe fecond to chem that are to be differenced by grace. c. 6; 7,8; One SF is adjutoriums poffibilitatis, the other aétionis, ¢. 9. nee an. - “WITT. Tha fince the fall no good can be in or of man, bat by.Gods “ pift; aiid is not landable in any but God. ¢. 23. -Manhath no pard
. Sof the praife. This grace is; ever effectual, determining, rapeth the
“¢ will fo that it is fcarce perceived to a@: It ufeth the will as an ins <*ftrument, which way Godwill: It is infuperable, irrefiftible, not meer- “ly potential: Te is never uneffectual, but in all that have it infallib! y’ effedieth, 624,29. . . ae | = ae 3
“EX. There is no grace of Chrift but this ( g#o: None how fine quo' “won, or ad poffei c. 27. That ceafed with intiocency, . ‘
“X. This grace is ever effectual, but not 4d omnia: Ie giveth fome' ‘<{mall degree to fome, and more to others: And the-weakeft have not: “‘ enough to product faith, prayer, hope, obedience, but fome Velleities and ‘s Corhplacencies' only: ¢. 27, p86. 0° ; a | XT. He diftinguitheth | figficsent Grace into that Prater quod nil alind ex parte Det per modum Principii neceffarinms off ut homoVelis ant opere= tars And that Quod fatis eff ut homo dicatur pofle operari, quamvss aliwd adlouc necelfurinms eft we de fable operetur. - The later he denyech not! AAs to the former he faith, wwlgn jam dard hominibus | ifs gratia fufficiens, fe ft formal efficax, Hb. 3. ct. p.162, 103, “This Gratia- [uff ut the’ fine gwe nos, the grace of innocency and not medicinal, : and that which Pé/agiws and the zefilicnfos held againtt ugs/fine, yea, an Lratian nature pertinet, (> Lapforam re atvont ivatils' c shred es cap. 2.p.104. For it fuppofech Nataré to be. found. Quid homini "ri Jero pernictofins, quam ila gratia abundare, qua neme wnquam, fatentibas fiholafticis, sift majorens damnationem affecutus- eff? Hoc spo quippe
ann{quifque damnabilior eft, qncmiagés fifficienti kr atia- abundavit. Nemo. enim-unquams [ufficienti gratia ulus.
> aut wtttur, ant atetur in eternum;: Hut mitius puniretur ft tali auxilio caruiffet s quo Deus néminem vel damnahdorum vel falvandorum ufurum effe prafcivit. Jee dn __ Heconchudeth ¢. 4, Nullam Chrifft gratian effectw operis ad quem efficiendum vcluntati datar, ulla voluntates perbicacia fruftrari; =
X11. He maketh this to be the great de@trine of Auguftine, thar AI] °
Gods Law, both old and new, is given to convince men that they cannos
keep it, and all written precepts are ro few men their fin, which maketh. them the worfe, becaufe of the Laws reftraint and commands: And thar, -
Law and Grace this differ, that Chrifts Gracé is only Gods making us will and do, and the Law theweth chat we cannot, arid {0 driveth us from ie to Grace's 6, 4:-Fhat to Jews and Chriftians that have writers Laws,
, Nana a there
Of God’s Gracious Operations on Man's S onl :
there is no fufficient or adjuvant grace, bue what maketh them do the act. c. 5. No potential grace (that giveth the power ) is fufficient to the act, unlefs it give the act. ¢.6. Hence is the neceffity of finning, p. 126. Unbelievers wane Remote as well as Proximate fufficient help and all its principles. ¢, rr. And the Commands are to them impoflible, yec make them unexcufable, ¢. 18,19. | |
| XIII. That impotency excufeth a man, when he ffrongly wonld do the act and cannot, but not that by which he wowld wot do it, though he cannot will ic without grace. f 145,146. -
XIV. Chrifts dying for All, is meant only for all the Church, or all forts: yet as he ae to others the grace of faith and Love withouc perfeverance and falvation, fo farhe dyed forthem, and prayed for them. 6.20. p. 163, 164. .
XV. The effence of the grace of Chrift is a Heavenly Suavity or De-
Je€tation, given before our free act, by which the will is bowed to ac
what God will. Ie is a vital and indeliberate act of the foul, even of Love and Defire before Confent, and that Delight which is our Reft and Joy. 4.4.6.1. @ 11. Plainly it is a neceffitated complacency, which
is the firft act of Love; when God and Righteoufnefs, not for our felves,
but for themfelves and as fuch, are Pleafing tothe foul.
XVI. Chrifts grace is neceflary only to Love God fincerely in every act of obedience, and only this Love and Suavity is Chrifts grage, whatever other graces or acts as to the name it is foundin. &.5.¢.1. For nothing is good that is done only by Fear, and not in Love of Juftice. The Juttice Loved is not any habic or act of the foul, but God the Erermal Juftice. ¢.2. and the Juftice of his Precepts. Virtue is nothing bue the Love of God.-¢.3. The four Cardinal Virtues are fourfold Love of God: And fo all others. c. 4,5. - a
XVII. By the Love of God is not, meant only that degree by which we Love him above all, buc crue fincere Love of God for himfelf, and not ullius creature intuitw: which is either Imperfe@, not Loving him fo well as the creature, (but only to an uneftetual Velleity ) which yer how remifs and {mall foever, is the true and chafte fruit of the Love of God, even amoris ayicitie: or more perfect, which juftifiech, The firlt is quedam délectio juftitie quafi fimplex ejus complacentia, que nos co w[que increvertt, ut adverfantia iftt bona voluntati valest [uperare. This goeth ufually firft, and‘finners find a good will to goodne(s, and like it, and many years perhaps are wifhing and purpofing to leave thei fins for it, and.turn to God, till at laft Love prevaileth. And this though imperfect, is true fincere Love, not from a perfect habit, but from the excitation of the Holy Ghoft:. Ic hath the fame object as perfect Love, chat is, Juftice for Juftice, or God for God, not loved on confideration of any other reward: which proveth it fincere Love. Such with to live chaftely, temperately, -juftly, but cannot come to it. Out of this imperfect love, {prings faith; faich may be habitually many years before Juftification: -Juftification is the grace of perfect Love to God above all: Hope and Perfect Love alfo come from this initial Love. ¢. 7,8, 9. | XVIII. As Hope, fo Reward and refpe& to itmay ftand with this grace of Love: Forthe Reward is not defired.ex amore concupifcentia for our felves only, cum enim charitatis proprium fit cr unica voluptas diligere Deum, non quia hoc fibi fuave vel utile vel gloriofum eft, vel alia quacungue confideratione redundat in fe, fed quia sta eft ordo creature fish creatore, qui propter feipfum fuper omnia ( ex faperexcellenti bonisate ) diligendus eff————~ita wnicum premium eft, veritatem Cr boni- 8 Salem
WAU GS eee
wae
a
And. the Sub- perai ions of .Wan's Will. |
eee os; tatem Det facie ad factem conten:planas ardentinus amare cp lauaare Deum; non quia utile eff cr beatificuin ciligent! , fea guia aterna veritats
Sige spade: , | Tce oe: congruum, dilecto detituis, pe. Amortshic inchoatt, Amor futurus confummatus unica merces. Pramium Dei ipfe Deus eff. Quilquis delabi-’
tur ab sila charitaty puritate, ut amore concupifcentie incipiat velle eo concupt{cere fibt Deum, totum dilectionis ordinem quem natura docet, & Lex eterna pracipit, diigendi perverfitate perturbat, Nam & Deum ad fe refert, @& feiplo fruitur, quorum wtrumgque aterna & indifpen!abii bege profcriptum cjt. C. 10. ) 7
X IX. The fear of punifhmenc ( and attrition) is good, being fuze melt; an Antecedent of wifdom: It is from a certain general grace, bue not that properly calledthe graceof Chrift: The Spirit of the Old Tefta-. ment even of fear, is Gods Spirit: not ctat which Chrift dyed to give men, which is contrary (dele@tation; ) but another much inferiour grace, which after the firm belief of Gods judgement and eternal punifhment, forta(is Gratiam peculiaris cujnfdam providentia Cr operationis nom excedit. They that have but the Rightéoufnets of fear by knowing the Law, have
not Gods righteoufnels but their own: Indeed’ they have faith and that ra-.
dicated, but not Chrifts proper grace, but rhat which may come ex proprit arbitrit viribus, excited by providence, or, if you will, in{pired fear: no fin can be avoided by it, but by other fin, c. 22, 23, ge. Icisbuc of teiflove. It is Legal righteoufnefs and ourown. ¢.31,32. - ., XX, Liberty of will is either meer Voluntarine{s, whofe contrary neceflity is isvoluntarii coaétio, or that free {tate whichis the Love of God, confiftent with fimple neceffity. 425.7. a eT X XI. Gratia Chrifti eft Predeterminatio voluxtatis, fed non Dominicanorum praatterminatio. 1. Predeterminatio phyfica eft motjo nefcio qua virtuola, habens effe incompletum, ut colores in. aere, impetus in impullo: Gratia Chrifti eft veriffinus motus voluntatis, ineffabilis, viz. deleéatio, &c. 2. Préd. phyfica non eff eis actus Vitals animi, [ed aliquid cui voluntas tantum paffsve fubjacet: Gratia contra, &c., 3. Pradet. phyfica in quibu[cunque circumftantiis voluntas collocetur, omnem [uperat refiftentiam cy femper facit effectum: contra delectatio vittrix, fs alter ardensior eft, in foles inefficacibus defideriis harebit animus, 4. Prad. phyfica eft inflar concurfus cujufdam generalis Dei in ordine {apernaturali: Adjatorium Chriffi non ita. §. Prad. phyfica neceffaria ftatwitur omnibus agentibus ex vi caufa fecunde, &c. Chrifti adjutorium lefe tantum -voluntati propter vulnus neceffarium eff, 6, Prad. phyfica propter naturalem indifferentiam voluntatis exigttur: Gratia non tta ——7, Pred.,. phyfica flatui innocentia neceffaria dicitur: GratiaChriffi non ita, eryohi ( Dominicani ) magis Ariftotelict quam Augeftiniani funt. Gratia tamen eff Pred phyfica: And grace and free-will are reconcilable as Predetermination and free-will are. /. 8. ¢.2, 3,4. Summa eff, quod Gratia Amantem cp Volentem facit: G non tantum poffe velle dat, In conclufion he belyeth Calvin, 1.As denying in man boni ce mali electionem, and fo in many other points. cap. 21. os 7 oy XXII. His dottrine of Predeftination as congrious tothis 1 palshy,, only adding that he denyeth Angels to be elected of grace or to perfeve-. rance, which was but A and. they -were made to differ, not by grace, but by merits: Man is elected to merits and glory, but to glory
before the forefight of merits. The Reprobation of Angels was after the
purpofe of giving them fufficient grace, and the forefight of fin, Permiffion of fin was no effc& of it: But the Reprobation of men was by Gods
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
pofitive abfolute will, of men in original fin, and the effeét of it excecation and obduration; byt not the permiffion of the firft fin. 4b. 10.
’ This is the Epitome of Famfensus as far as concerneth our prefene bufinefs. |
The Animadver fins.
9.2. I. YT feems Augufine and Pelagizs were both pious men, that | differed in che methodizing “and wording thofe fundamental conceptions in which they agreed; by which Pe/agins raninto errors. And I doubt, he was not fo innocent as Fanfenivs intimaceth, when he maketh Anguftine to be the firfttrue Teacher of grace, and Pelayivs his Opinion to have been fo antient. And if it were not too bold to fay fo againtt one that read over all Auga/fine ten times, and all his writings againit the Pelagians thirty times, I would.fay that I think that ws owned more univerfal grace and free-will, than Fanfenivs fuppofeth him to have owned, Of Profper and Fulgentiws it cannot modeftly be denyed; whol think were of Augu/fines mind. 7 | | 7 IJ. He confefleth that felf- determining free-will and fufficient Grace, were the condition of the Angels and innocent man; and fo that it is not alien to Gods government, or prerogatives, for {ubje@s to be fo Ruled and Judged. - | | - | III. He feemeth to me to afcribe far too thuch to innocent man and
Angels in ufing fufficient grace, when he maketh their wills the chief laudable caufe of the effect: I rather think thacno Angel ever did any good, the chief praife of which was not due to Godas the principal firft caufe. God giveth them all the power, liberty, help, means, motives, by which they do it; Befides that they did nothing bue what he fore-decréed and willed they fhould ( eventually ) do: ‘Therefore there is no good but of him as the firft caufe, though not as the fole caufe.” | T'V. Whether the beft actions of Infidels or ungodly mén be properly to be called good, isbuta Logomachy: Call them but a Lefs evil, orthe abatement of evil, and actions that tend as Means to their repentance, and. falvation, and I fhall not difagree wich you in chis, | " 'V. His conceffion that the firft fin was not neceffttated is of preat moment: But ic is a great miftake, that following fins are neceffary, becaufe they ‘arepunifhiments. It ismot the exiftence of the fin that is a punifhment, but the hurefulnefs of it fuppofing the exiftence. If drunkennefs, or gluttony be themfelves noxious and penal, chat is but a confequent of their exiftence, which was not neceffitated by God as punifhing them that caufed them: = | : ' VI. The fixth I think found, and the Schools [ pure nature], as if Adams Love (in theprinciple) was not his heceflary Sanity, is unfound. _VII. Here again, 1. [think he giveth too much'to free-will in inno- —s toolittletoGod. For Gods Help did not then ferve mans will fo much’ as Gods, and God fulfilled all his will while Angels ufed their er and liberty, and they didnogood but whatGod willed aad caufed as € faw beft. And while man and Angels afed their liberty, they fulfilfed Gods will in all their duty, asmuch as if they had'been neceffitated by natural predetermination, =
2. And
- Anil the Sub-operations of Man's Will, -
a. And it isnot true that their {ufficient grace gave not Merit to che
will: For it followeth not, that becaufe they could have omitted a duty, |
therefore in doing it they did any thing of which God was not the prime caufe: He that gave chem all their power, difpofition, objects, helps and motives, did give them chat which he callech Merit. 4 _ leis his grand error that Gift and Reward are repugnant, and that Life would not have been to Adem, and was not to the Angels of free gift, chough of Reward. For it is impoffible that any creature can merit.of God as a Proprietor in point of Commutative Juftice; feeing God is the abfolute’Owner of us and all things; and no creature can give him any thing but what is his own: Therefore there is a natural impoffibilicy chac wad valorem rei, aut ipfem benchiciam a creature can have any thing bur of free gift: But God who is anOwaer and Benefactor is allo a Reitor, and fo thecaufe of Atoral Order as well as ef real Benefits; And fo that which as a Benefit is a meer gift, yet guoad ordinem conferends is iven by God per modum prémii to thofe that will Accept the Gift accoreng to itsnature, and denyed to chofe thace will defpife ic-and refu’e its Asa Father will:give a purfe of Gold to the Child thac will thank him, and humbly take it; andnotto the Child that will {pit in his face. . ig doth fo weakly open the nature of Aserit and Reward, as that alone would fhew that he was not meet for his great undertaking: ‘Though he ary a that God is our Reward himfelf, yet the Rati - ones premii he faith litde to, chat can fatisfie the judicious, Of which more ano, it eae oe oe: 4. Angels were differenced inter fe by Gods will and their own: And we confefs, that fo far as fin made the difference, it was by their own will and not by Gods: But was he fure tha¢ no fuch difference is made finee the fall amongmen? He will confefs, that when Eve finned before Adams, it was fhe that made the difference: And how can he prove, that it was not Cain who 7 fin firft differenced himfelf from Abe/ ? or the Prodigal; Luke 15. that
- fpoken of all things. ,
a
covet
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
2. The fame God who is Omnipotent, is alfo fapientiffinus Cy optimus:
And he that glorifieth his Power eminently as the Author of Nature, as
Creator, Confervator, and Motor, doth alfo glorifie his Wifdom ia rerwm
Ordine: Andhe ordereth Moral Agents eminently per Le yg ut Re-
Etor per media moraliay viz, Doltrinam, Leyes, Fudicia: And he glorifieth
his Goednefs and Love partly Antecedently (to mans Ations ) and as a
free Benefactor; partly confequently, according to the order of his Laws,
So that as his Attributes are infeparable, foare (herein ) the operations
of them. And the fame Benefit is af quid produitum the effect of Gods
Omnipotency and Dominion; and st Bonams > Bencficinm the effect of the
| Benef.Gors Love; and yet quoadordinem conferendi it is Pramium a Reétore adjndicatum, And betweenall thefe there is no repugnancy.
3. Weegrant that God Rewardeth noman now, according to the Law
of Innocency, (for that\coademneth every finner. ) | |
4. Nor according to, or for the works of the Mofaical Jewith Lav. -
5- Nor for any fincere obedience to the Lawof Nature, or any other,
6. We are agreed that the Reward is now doubly and eminently a free gift,
and the reward of Chrifts merits, It is not only free as all Benefits from Ged
to man are, as to commutation: bucalfoafrer forfeiture freely ‘given to-finners ; and it is procured by the merits of Chrift, who was freely given to be
the Saviour of the world ; and it is given us by Chrift-asfree gifts are, apon
condition of Acceptance; and aa Accepting. Will is Gods free gift, ‘and
they that haveit nor, wantit becaufe they refufed Preparatory grace, which
they were able to have-better ufed or {ubmittedto.. 9 °°
Sothatthe Reward is only (uch asa free gift, which yhoad ordinem confevendi,cy rationes adjudicandé is given by God asa Father,‘who at once ufech
‘Power, Love and paternal Juftice, according to the renour of his own Law of
Grace, which is founded in Chrifts perfect merits, and is CHrifts own Law,
VIII, and IX. 1. That qwoad eventwm the good ‘Angels grace was
Adams till he fell.) : Let us find out the difference then, - To fay chac yee
finned not; but becaule perfection canfed the right sf? of hac Povver,
To be able to fin, or not to: believe, or not to-love’ God; if it fignifieany
‘snore than the Natural power which menabufe, is an improper fpecch:: for im is frorn moral impotency, (or indetermination, ) afd: not an a@ of {other ) power. Buta Logical Pofébility of any event but what came to pals, Gods, very‘ fore-knowledze will exclude, ( and fo ‘fis Decree.) And if che queftion be Whether 4dem could not have ftood when: he fell; ie is agreed that:he could... rr i ee
It feemeth then that our Controverfie | eth plainly ai ‘thefe two things, 1. Whether any man now: ( Holy or tinholy ) have any help from God by Chrift ‘by. whichheis truly able-tb ‘do ahy -ohe.géod ation moré or other chan he doth, or to forbear any more evil? 2. Whether-all Divine caulation-or operation:be futh, as of it:felF -alorie- will inferr the’ certainty of mans Volition as the Bfle&¢ We granr that Divine prefcience doth inferr it,.'ex seceffitate infallibilitark. Diwvisie-Volitions {ome think are ever: efficieneidf all that-is' willed, anid that Ged ‘hath no other operation but Volition.('as- Bradivatdine and driers.) Othersdeny this, andfayborh that’ God hath ‘Power: operative as much difting from: Volition ‘as Inrellection is, :and alfo thac ‘God willerh inore-than he ‘opérateth or totally caufeth, Andof this:opinion muft Fzyfrins-necds be, becaufe he held ee eee: | thac
=
And the Sub-operations of Man's Will. _
thac the free-will of.44aiz before his fall, and of the good Angels caufed more obedience than God cauled as to the totality of caufation: And yee methinks hefhould be loth to fay that ic was more than God willed ot decreed. However the former is but awordy ftrife:. For if God operate only Volendo, yet his wel/as Immanenc and a meer wil (as mans;) muftbé diftinguifhed from his will as tranfienc and efficient by operation, So then the thing in queftion is, Whether Gods power or will fo far only as
it is operative be fototal acaufe, as that hac pofita ex vicaufandi neceffario fequitur effectum (viz, fidem, charitatem humanam) fecuturum?
_ And we grancthatas ex perfectione Intellectus, it followeth, Deus prefect
hoc futurum, ergo futurum eft: fo ex perfectione Voluntatu, fummo Imperio, falicitate Divina it followeth, Deus vale hoc futurum effe, ergo futurum eft: and that ex neceffitate exiffentie, no doubtitis a good confequence, Deus hoc fecit,ergo factum eft: Buc Whether from his meet adjutorium, ox primeefficiency, limited by his own will, ic be a good confequence, (God giveth as much help as is of neceffity to mans volition 5 ergo, man will content or will? '] isthe doubt. He granteth thacin Inno- ~
cency it would not have followed, but he thinks that now ic will.
We grant that God giveth not only the poffe velle, but the Sh velle to thofe that have it: His giving it being buta caufing their faculties co Act: And we grant that wherever God abfolutely willeth chat his Help fhall be fuccefsful, ic isfo:: And alfo that whereas all the efte@ cometh from our natural Power, and Gods grace conjunct, God is the caufe of
both; And is ever the total caufe quoad effecfum, that is, totins effecti. ‘And we grant that Gods caufing Imprefs an che will is {uch on fome, (and
perhaps on all in the act of {pecial fanctification) as ex vi caufz will inferr the effect, and is unrefiftible, and doth not only determine the will, but fo determineth itas overcometh all moral power or difpofition to the contrary.
Buc yet that there is a Grace or adjutorium of Chrift, which giveth a power either not neceffitating the at, or when the act followeth not, fuch ashe calleth fixe quo non, think for thefereafons: +
1. Becaufe elfeno man ca” doany more good or lefs evil, than he doth:
which I believe not.
2. Becaufe elfe All men that perifh are damned only for original fin, and its confequents which they had never power to avoid: which is quite confrary to the tenour of the Scripture.
3. And then God would judge them only by the Law of Innocency : whereas he will judge them by Chrift and by his Remedying Law,- for rejecting the remedying grace. |
4. And thenthe Confcience of the damned, would have nothing to torment them with, or accufe rhem for, but original fin, and its unavoidable confequents: And itwould give them this excufe and eafe, God never made it Poffible for me to do otherwife. | :
5. Becaufe it teacheth men great ingratieude to fay, Inever had any help of Chrit. 5 ~ | |
6. And foit ceacheth them impenitently to extenuate their fin, if they do but findthemfelves wicked, and to fay, I never finned againft any Grace of Chrift. i |
7. And it feigneth God to give men all that reprival, and mercy which —
the reprobate have, from fome other Caufe and not by Chrift, And foto make akind of grace common in the World which the Scripture knoweth
not, nor is according to che Covenant of Innocency or of Grace, 8. Becaufe God is Immutable, and-too grofs mutations are not without proof to be imputed to his Laws and roiled:: Therefore it feemeth 5 000 to
98 7 Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
to mean injurious fictionto fay as Fanfenins, that God had fuch Laws | as fuppofed mans felf-determining will, and governcd foas to ule fufficient Grace Ox adjutorinm fine quo non, to manand Angels, at the firft, and chat now he hath no fuch atall, but only a moving eficiency. I fhould fooner yield tothe Dominicans and Hobbes that no other than neceffitated Voli. _ tions are poffible or ever were, than to hold as he, that there were other before the fall, andnone ever fince. For as to his great argument ( vitiated nature) I an{wer it, 1. Manismanftill, Andtherefore God rulcch him asman; And that éz via, Andif thenman and Angels were fuppofed to have a felf-determining free-will, that could do this or not do it, we have reafon to think itis {o ftill, Why is riot grace meerly fufficient as confiftent with Lapfed as Innocent nature? (fuppofing thatit is not the | fame help that is now fufficient to falvation as then.) 2. Confider the great difference between perfeét Innocency, and fome one commanded aa. And 3. Confider that the helps afforded by grace are very greac, and that Habitual Grace dothin fome meafure heal a 5 nature, or elfe what is ic?’ He that is Habitually Prompt to Love and duty, hath fome cure, and fome ability: For.to be prompt is more thantobesble. And therefore it isan incredible thing, and a reproach of habitual grace, that Adam was more able to live and perfevere withoucany finful thought, word, or deed, | | i { | |
than a Holy foulis to think one good thought, or {peak one good word, or reftrain one blafphemy or other fin. Therefore it is as credible thar Chrifts repairing habitual Grace enableth godly men ( and his commoner grace common men) to think or do fomewhat better than they do, as that Angels and Adam had no other grace, and could without other, live without any fin. _ Therefore L take Fanfexius to do well in opening Original pravity, and the power of Gods grace, and his {pecial intent to fave his chofen, Burl think he fo carneftly ftudicd for that fide alone, that he injurioufly overlooketh the whole frame of fapiential Government, and the common grace which is pretuppofed to the fpecial, and greatly wrongeth Chrift and his grace, denying him to give to men in common, that which our experience aifureth us they poffets. dX. Whenhe maketh uneffe@ual Velleities to be Chrifts unrefiftible race, cither hethinkerh chat men are faved with fach only, or nots ( for fe {peaketh not his mind plainly in chat that I can find: ) If yea, then he ~abafeth the grace of Chrift, tothink thar ‘many are ‘faved by it, that love a Whore or any fin much better than God: and Grace and Glory. If nor (as Tthink he held) then he holdeth that moft that have the effeétual grace of Chrift are damned, and had no poffibility (properly) of efcape. And why doth he make fo harfh athing of mens aflerting a fufficiency of fome cancflectual grace, and fay to what purpofe is it; wnd yer affert that to moft men the grace of Chrift had not fo much as any fufficiency to fave them, nor pit chem into any true.poffibility of life 2 _ Ad XI, I. Ic feemeth to me acontradi@ion to fay (as inthe fecond ‘branch of ‘his diftinétion ) that Homo poteft velle, and yet that aliud adhuc adjutorinm neceflarium eff ut de fatto velit. For necefJarium eff fine quo res effe non pote? : Therefore the non poteft is prefent wherever the neceffarivmts wanting, Burif they talk only of a paffive or obediential powcr, and fay, [ Man can believe’becaufe God can make him believe, } and {o denominate man Able to do that, which they mean God is able to: make him do, this isbut to play with words, | IT. Hisfaying thatnow there isno-fufficient grace, is before difproved, and by himnot proved. “That itis the-fame with that of the ftate of In- , : _— nocency,
ie tes
And the Sub-operations of Man's Wil, nocency, is vainly faid: It is the-fame in genetal, as manisthe fame, and Intellect and will the fame: Butto be ableto live without fin, and to be able to forbear one fm or to hear a Sermon, or do one commanded act, are not, the fame. And to hold none but this with Pedagias, if noc all one asto hold thiswitch a more fpecialgrace 2: . And that itis pernicious to the lapfed is rafhly faid: Forin the repro-
.. bate it doth chem no harm but goods and in the.ele¢t ittendeth to higher
erace., Andhemiftaketh in faying that ic fuppofeth ature found: For
if ic were proved that nature without grace hath no good inclination, yet
why may not unfound nature, receive grace ad. re? Is not that grace
fome cure of its unfoundnefs? and cends to more ¢ a
ILI. Butas tohisfaying thatthe more men have of it the more miferable they are, and the more damnable, and that no man ever ufed fufficient
-grace or willdo, I anfwer, 1. The good man it feemeth forgot thatall the fame may be faid as truly of bis (pectal Grace, both in them thatcome fhort | of faith and Juftification, andthem that apoftatize from ic ( as he holdethmanydo.) 2. But itisnor true, that having it maketh them damnable any: more than having life, health and riches; but it’s the abufing ir,
3. That never any ufed fuffictent _— by his leave and the School-mens,
is unproved : viz, that no man fince the fall ever did any good, or for
bore any evil, obediently, by {uch grace as left him able to have done otherwife inthe inftant beforethe act, or asinferred not his volition.as necef-
{ary ex viillinscawfe, 4. And chat all chat which cometh fhore of the effect, isnone of the Grace of Chriftis unproved, unlefs he mean only the adequate immediate effe&. The Lawdoth make Duty, and fo hath its ef+ feet. And Gods motions mike their various Impreffions onthe foul, and fo have their effet: Buc whether a Godly mans will could not by that fame motion have produced a better effeCtin his willchan was produced by it;
_ ,he muft better prove.
Ad XI. I. Whereas Pas! oppofeth che Law of works, and the Grace of Chrift, he oppofeth, or too far diftinguitheth che Law of Chri? and the Grace of Chrift; Juft as Sir H./. in his Meditations, He: takech all
oken and written precepts or Laws, to be the Law, which is diftinguifhed
fone Grace, whichis meer Alteration of the foul. But this is confufion;
and fubverteth true com For the Law is the inftrumenc of fignifying Gods mind, and the wr worketh with and by ic on our minds: ‘And both go together both before the fall and under Chrift: And both are Grace now even as body and foul are one man: The Gofpel is oft called Grace inthe New Teftament: It’s true chaca Law meerly as a Law may be diftinguifhed from the Spirits operations on the foul:. And fo Paul and -Auga/tine oft thew that the Jewith Law as a Law could not make men righteous without grace. And wedeny not but the Law of Chrift meerly as a Law is infufficient without the SpiritsGrace. But to conclude _ hence that this is the difference between the Old Covenant and the New, and the Righteoufnefs of each of them ( of men under them ); that one is obedience toawritten Law, and the other is the effe& of the Spirit, is not found: For under each Covenant there was both Law and Spirit, though with difference, Adam had Grace as Fanjeniue confeffeth: And the Eathers before the Flood had Law and Spirit: And the Godly Jews had Law and Spirit: And all Chriftians are fubject to Chrift their King,
and obey his Laws, though by the Grace of his Spirit : And it is not two
Righteoufneffes that relate to Law and Spirit, but one as an effe&
two concaufes: The doétrine of faith and Law and promifes of Chriftare
the Means which the Spirit ufeth in operating our Faith, Love and Obedi- 00002 ence §
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul: -
ence. And it is not two Covenants that give thefe two: but as foul and body make one man, fothe Word of chrift.and his spirt make up one
- total caufe of our fanétification. The Spirit caufeth us to believe chae which the Word revealeth, andto love the good which it propofeth, and
to obey the Precepts of the Word: Therefore the Gofpel is Grace, and the Spirit is Grace, that is, a free pif of God -tomiferable finners for their recovery, and inward holinefs is the effect of both, And to feiga thae all obedience as it is performed to-Chrifts Law upon its proper ‘motives is therefore not of the Spirit, or is our own Righteon{ne(s oppoted to Chrifts, becaufe our own rcafon and free-will is exercited int it, is Phanaticifm, and fubverteth the Gofpel, and the Prophetical and Kiagly Office of Chrift. II. God never gave a Law, nonotto the Jews, only to convitice them that they could not keep its but. tobe the Rule-of their obedience;- And the Juft didkeep it in fincerity, Buc the Law of Asofes-as leparatcd by the ignorant Jews fromthe promife and grace of Chitift could not be kepe by any to Juftification, To fay that-Chrifts Laws now have no higher end chan co tell usthat we cannot keep them, is Antichriftianiry. “Are we commanded to repent, believe, love God, only to tell us that we cannot do it ¢ It’s true, chac without the Spirits help, we cannot. Burtit's as truc, that che Command is the Rule of our duty,- and all che Gofpel and Covenant of Grace, is the means of exciting usto ourduty, by which the
Spirit worketh in us faith, repentance, Jove and obedience. - Bur, faich
Fanfenius, the Law of Chrift is to humble men in the fenfe of their difability, and drive them to feek to Chrift for his grace. Ianfwer, 1. Is not humbling men, and driving them to Ghrift,a good effect? If fo, then his Lawis the means of allthat good. 2. Were the Gofpel and all the Apoftles Epiftles written only to drive men to Chrift, and not to edifie them and make them perfect to falvation.¢ Were not thé Precepts of Love and Holinefs means of working Love and Holinefs inmens Is not the Word the feed thac begetteth men to eternal life? and is not the receiving of this feed into good and honeft hearts, made by Chrift che caufe of holinefs and falvation ¢ Were not the Difciples clean. by the word that Chrift fpake to them? and doth fe not fay, that bis Word was fpirit and life, as being the concaufe of the Spirits vivification ’ He that never received more benefice by Chrifts Doctrine, Law and Gofpel, than to bé convinced that he cannot believe, repent, obey or love God, hath ngt yet che benefice which they: are principally intended for. _
_ But fuppofe chat by Zaw he had meant the meer penal part or threatning (as fome words would make a man fufpect:) 1. It’s a ftrange de- {cription of.a Law, to exclude the precept and premiant part, and include only the penal pare which is the laft.and leaft. 2. As ic is che fame Man that hath Love and: Hatred, Hope and Fear, fo it is the fame Law of Chrift which hath precept aid prohibition, promife and penalty: And it is the fame Holinefs, or New Creature which is a conformity to
call together, Of which more anon. —
.* FIL. He can never = that all unbelievers have no Power to ufe any means which tendeth to faith, by a preparatory grace; nor that che ‘ufe of all {ach means is Impoffible to them. | y.. XTTE-His diftinétion of Natural and’ Moral Impotency isgood: But then that Moral Impotency it felf muft not be made the fame with the Natural: ‘elfe there will be the fame reafon for excufing fin by ic. If ‘mans Will had been made by God fuch as could not poffibly love him or holinefs, ic would not have lefc a man unhexcufable in judgement, chat his -enmity was Voluntary: It-is reafon enough for a man to kill a Toad or: : Serpent
_—_———_———eae CS eee 0l eee 0 ee ee ee eee eee ~ —
eA nd ihe Sub-operations of Man's Wills
Seipent as malum frbi naturale, becaufe it is a hurtful ¢reature;. But this is no Moral Evil in them, nor is their death their punifhmenc:: nor yet in apy ravenous.creature, which preycth on the reft that are, inno-+ cent. And fo would it be. with bad men, if'God had made them bad: Indeed if Adam have made them all bad, and.God have given no Saviour) Grace:or Remedy, they are copdemnable and unexcufable, .as they wero virtually in Adam, if judged only by the Law of Innocency as made to) Adam: Burthey aré excufeable if judecd by Chrift by the Law of grace, which ¢ondemneth noman meerly asnot innocent, or a finner, but as 2. rejecter of grace, Thefethings are fo plain and weighty, tha Fanfenius, fhould not joya with the Antimomeans in oppofingthem. | i
XIV. While heconfeffech that Chrift fo fan dyed for all,.as to.pro4 _ cure.them all the mercy which he giveth them, I have no furcher.quarrel with him, . but coprove that a Condition pardon: of fin. and grant. of Life eternal, }with much means and:help ro make men perform the Condition, which is. but afuitable Acceptance, is indeedmercy, 2 2... 0) _ XV.L Thac Chrifts grace is Love, or Complacency ia good, is a truth which I highly value: but wich all thefe exceptions to his dorine. ‘1. Ie is che Heart of the neiv. Creature, and that which muft communicate it fel€ to all che reft, or-elfe they are lifelefs and unacceptable: Tor the will ig the man.in Gods account; And complacency,.or love, or appetite is the firft act of the will, which is ie chat he calleth with Augafline Delectas tion: Grace:lyeth principally in-a Placer. Bot the man hach more partg than his Heart: And all other parts of fanctification are g:aces of Chrifty intheir feveral places; and not love only. 1 ae
2. Though no man is to lovéhimfelf as God, nor inftead of God, not above God, nor as thenobleft ultimate object of his loves yer all men are neceflirated by mature to love themfelves; and therefore to defire their
own felicity in loving God, next to.God as the final object of that loves —
And fo our end is fxts amantis vel amscitie which includeth mutual complacency and.union, though not in equality; And co fuch an end; grace cauferh us co.tfe che. means::. And Chrift is propofed to us as our Saviour; and all. his grace as for our good, and. all Gods commands a neccflary for ourhappinels, and. fin is defcribed to us to be hated as our own evil and deftruGion, and againft our good as. well as.againft Gods wull.and honour. -Aind with us thisis denyed fcarcely by the Antinomi. ans themfelves: Much lefs by any judicious Chriftians. Oo °
3. It is paft che reach of any of us, to prove. that our actual love is the firft effect of the fanctifying Spirit on thefoul. Imean not only, Whether fome other adts ¢ as Incelletual perception , and belief) be not in order of nature beforeit, andintime wichic, and real parts of the fame _ mew creature, ‘but alfo, Whether as A/verez and others fay, therebe not fuch a divine motion or Impalfe on the foul tending to this love, and antecedent to love itfelf, innature, (love being an effect of Gods will and mans, ) which Fazfenixs denyeth. :
But.4.If ic be not fo, but reatly love be the firlt effe&t of God onthe foul, shen the concroverfies are all at an end, abouc the difference of fufficient and effectual, equal and unequal grace. for rhen it would be as Fanfenius faiths and there is no grace but the effect it felf, arid fo there would be noqueftion, but Whether all mea love God, and all alike. But I yet believe that there is fome preparatory grace of Chrift whicli tendeth ththe love of God. | | , 7 .
XVI. I believe that che will is the prime feat of Morality, and chae love or complacency is as.the fpirit of ull faving fpecial grace. But yee 8 ee it
Of God's Gracious Operattons on Man's Sout :
it is ill faid, chat Chrifts grace is neceflary only to love or delight. For the foul of man haththree faculties, which muft be conjunctly tanctified, viz. Vital adive power, Intelle& and Will, and finis inall, And che Spirit renewech them by a threefold effect, Vivification, Illumination and re esh (or love.) And hatred of fin, and fear of finning, and of God, are graces of Chrift alfo, ( as are obedience, patience, @c. ) though below love. | a
2.There isan Analogical good that is done by felf-love and fear, which hath atendency to mans recovery, though not fuch good as is crue holine{s and hath a promife of falvation,
X VIL I. Here we cometo a difficult cafe: 1. Wherher indeed any |
ungodly man or Infidel, do love God fincerely move amicitie G propter fe: The doubt is, becaufe to love him lefs chan finful pleafures and the creature, feemeth to bea loving him as lefs amiable or good. And to love him as {uch, is notto lovehim as God, nor indeed to love God, but an Idol of the imagination. I chink we muftfay, 1. Thatnoman loverh God adequately; for no man hath an adequate conception of him. 2. Buc yet that there are fome effentials of fuch true love as is neceffary and {uitable to our dark and weak condition, which all muft have thac will be faved (either diftin@ly or confufedly ): As toknowand love himas the Infinite Spirit the firft canfe and laft end of all, moft powerful, wife and good, our Owner, our Ruler and our Benefactor and chief good: Father, Word and Spirit; the Creator,Redeemer and Sanctifier; the Author of Nature, Grace, Glory, 3. That no wicked or unholy perfon truly loveth God thus, véz. As his onn Governous to make him holy, and fave him from the Flefh and World: and as the Author of thofe holy Laws, by which he governeth,and a righteous Judge according to thofe Laws. 4. Therefore Fanfenius’s little fincere Love in fenfual men is but a Jove of a/zquid Det, fomewhat of God, and not properly of God as God: {peaking of God as the obje@ of love it felf. 5. Yet the fame perfon may have
__ all the forefaid Notions of a Deity, and may notionally call them all good
and laudable; but his Practical Judgement is not {ach of God as his holy Governour, Judge and End, as to bring him: truly as fuch to love him. 6. Yet this may be called a Love of God analogically, ashe isfaid to love the King who loveth him as great and good to the Common-wealth, though not as a governing reftrainer of his lufts, By this I would have that explained which I have faid of this fubjeet in my Seéats ~ _ II. But here Tam ac a further lofs. Didhe mean that this love cat- Jed fincere, is in none but thofe chat are faved ornoc ¢ AsI faid before, If he did, thena common Drunkard, Adulterer, cc, may have this love and be faved: But I fuppofe he meant Negatively: And if fo, methinks hence all his oppofition to fufficienp Grace turneth back upon himfelf: And to him it may better be faid, Why do you feign Chrift and the Holy Ghoft to give men fuch a Grace, fuch a Love to God, as no man ever was or will be faved by, without more? Is ic any more difhonour to Chrift, to give men fome fuch Power to do fome more good ehan actually they do, as Adem had to have continued innocent, chan effectually to give fo many perfons fincere love which fhall never fave them? (Whether thefe be they chat he will adjudge to Purgatory F know not: 7 fo, s will ftretch the rank of Venial fins to thofe thar other men call ortal. )
III. Bue yer wt greateft difficulty remaineth: I amin doubt Whether he that denyeth common fofficient grace, and extendeth the grace of
Chrift feemingly but to few, do not really either make ic the fame thing
with
eaweuaeawe weer?
~~ SA OTD
ouer
with Nature, or extend it to all ¢ For I fulpect thae all or almoft all men on carth, (till they have finned chemfelves into diabolical de perate malignity ) have this which he calleth Amor amicitie and fiacere imperfect Jove toGod and Juftice. For Zstelleitus eff Entis cy veri intellettus, cy Volantas eff Boni. Good apprehended fiuch, is the wills necéffdry’ natural object. And a fimple complacency in-apprehended good, is the wills’firft neceilary act. Nature telleci man, that there is created-goodne{s, and that the Creator ‘who giveth it, muft seeds have more than all his¢reacurés: And nature tells men, that the World, or millions are better than-one
perfon, and their goodto be ed: And how can it be then, that he
thac caketh che World to be fo much betcer than himfelf, and God robe
better, that is, more amiable than all che World, fhould not have theleaft.
fimple complacency in thinking of him? All men take Wifdem and Goodnefs, and Beneficence for amiable: And they that bélieve thac ‘God hath moft of thefe, muftneeds have foe Love to him, not only as good to them, but as moft excellence in himfelf: Infomuch that as Adrian the
fixth before cited faich, in fome forta bad man may love Godbetterchan |
himfelf, and he is fcarce worthy rhe name of a man, that would not rather be annihilated, or with that he had never ‘been born, than that there were no World, or no God, (if per impofbile he fuppofed'he.could live without them. ) And if you tell every man that he hath that fmcere Jove to God which is Gratia Chréfti, who hath the leaft love to God and Juftice propter fe, though he have more love to his flefhly intereft and dinful pleafures, I doube you will not much differ from Pefegiws, and will have no way left butto lay, that: it is not of Grace by Chrift chat Natare is reprieved and fupported: Or at leaft that this is of a common fort of grace. We may prefume of many things as received from our Teachers: bucit is hard to prove, that Adams the next moment after his fin was totally deprived of all degrees of love to God, and goodnefs, and {0 was privatively as bad as. Devils; or that all mahkind are naturally fo: Though I believe that it was of grace, even Gods firft pardoning act as our Redeemer, not fo totally to execute the Law, nor take away his grace; and leave man to the ucinoft penalty of his fin, but to keep nature from being as bad as elfe it would have been. But {ure Man is Man ftill, and
- not a Devil: And I {peak with few or none that feem not tb have fome
liking of God and goodnels; or Juftice asfuch, though they love not God or goodnefs, as contrary to their fleflily lufts, nor love God as their San- Gtifier and Ultimate End. And thus the Garnal Mind is Enmity to God, being noc fubject to hisLaw, though this be confiftent with loving him
IV. 1 believe him cthae there is a faith, fuch as the Devils, which may be without Juftification, both ia habic and act: But thatthe fame Faith which after juftifieth, can be many years Habitnally before Jaftification (that is, Sandétification as he meaneth it ) I believe not: Seeing-God hath promifed that all that believe (thus) fliall be juftifiedand have his Spiric. ) | |
V. Fanfenins {cems to tne to fer coo light by Hsbitwal Grace, as if it were fome common ching in comparifon of the A@: Whereas Itakea Habit of love to God to differ from an a@, ember as a Spring or Rivolec from a drop, or as Honefty from an honeft a, or Learning from a learned exercife, or as’ a fixed friendly Inclination which is like to Nature, differeth from a friendly ation; and to be more excellent chan a particular act, _ | ee, _
XVIII. His
And the Sub-operations of Man's W ll, * 7 ;
Of Goa’s Gracious Operations on Man's Soul: -_
X VIIL His judgement of the Macter of the Reward (that it is bur
God himfelf {een and perfectly loved for himfelf ) is of great ufe: Buc
yet it is both lawful and ex individuationis principts cr ex natura hu wana neceflary that we take and defire this as our own felicity, and fo under God intend our felves. And guwoad rationem premit it is the Reward of a Rewardable ftace or work, and therefore of the free a@ ofa
creature not meerly neceffitated : It may be a gift without Refpe& to our Liberty and Obedience, but not a reward: But it is both a gift and
a Reward.
. XIX. That Fear and its effects are good, and yet not of Chrifts grace
thac they are of Gods Spirit, but noc the Spirit given by Chrift, but the
grace of fome other Providence; All this I take for unfound and injurious to Chrift and grace. Where doth the Scripture tell us fince t‘e fall, of any grace given to the World but by the Redeemer, whois Head over all things to his Church ¢ If you fay, that God can give men the grace to fear him and depart from evil without a Saviour or Mediator, how can you prove, thathe may not do fo by the reft? Either he giveth this grace as Rector according to his Laws or not: If nor, then on the fame reafon you may feign that moft men are not his fubje@s, nor under any Law of God; and fo fin not, nor'are punifhable: If yea, chen ic is according to the Law of Innocency, or of Grace, (For if agofes Law
_as Fewifb be called a third, it is notching to our cafe.) If it be by a
Law of grace, it isChrifts Law, eicher of the firft Edition, called the Promife,: or of the fecond, called the Gofpel: The Spirit and grace (in various meafures ) given by both, are of Chrift, It’s a dangerous affersion, that there is any, yea, fomuch grace, which is not Chrifts: Icprejudicech me again{t Fanfenins's Opinion, that it fhould caft him on {uch abfurdities, as to deny fomuch of the grace of Chrift, while he pretendeth to honour it, and ta fet up fuch a feigned way and fort of grace without a Saviour, and yet {peak fo hardly of the Pelagians as hedoth for wronging grace.”
2. As Fear is one of mans natural pafftons, though but fubfervient to
- love: fo the fanctifying of it is one part of the Work of Chrifts
Spirit. : | 3. Iam fure Chrift himfelf commandeth Fear, Lwke 12.4, 5. H¢b.4.¥-
G12, 28,.296 & paffim, And is it cur own Legal Righteou(nefs to obey
the commands of Chrift? Indeed if Fear were all, or had no conjuné hope and love, it would be Legal, and thew the Spirie of bondage, from which Chrift delivereth us by the Spirit of Power, and Love, anda found mind, which are the fruits of the Spiric of Adoption: For. Atofes Law feparated by the Infidel Jews from the Law of Grace or Promife ofa Juftifying Mediator, could have no better effeéts than Fear: But Abraham that belicved and forefaw Chrifts day, rejoyced in that Faith, and yer
Grace which we obey. , XX. OF Free-will 1 have faid enough before: Natural Liberty as diftinét fromthe Moral freedom from fin and ill difpofition, is fure more than meer Voluntarinefs: And I think if God gave Satan or man power, totake away from a Saint all his Habicual and A@ual love of God and goodnefs, whileft antecedently the perfon did hate fuch a change and pray againft it, by making him willing of evil, and making a Devil of im remedilefly, he would take away or crofs the Watwral as well as the Moral Liberty of his will, though ic were wiliagnefs chat were caufed. If any think otherwife, remember that it is but de — : : or
And the S ub-operations of Man's Will. : |
_for de re we are agreed , that fuch a change would be our grearc
mifery. | . | > 2 | X XI. I take ic tobe the commendation of Fanfexias, that he renoun: ceth the Do:winicans Phyfical Efficient Predetermining Premotion, as naturally neceffary to all actions natural and free. But his habitation, con: verfe and worldly intereft tempted him faétioufly to calumniate Cz/viz, left he himfelf fhould become odious with his own party, and fo mifs of his expected fuecefs; which hath prevailed aifo with Gibseuf, Arnoldws and moft other Papifts to do the like; when they differ from their Brethren. | | | | x XXII. He well faich, that Permiffion of the firft fin is no effe& of Reprobation: But his ordination of Gods as into [this Before and thac
After] and fo his differencing the Election of Angels and men, I feat
hath fomewhar in it prefumpcuous and unproved, | 7
In conclufion, I much miflike in Faxfenins, 1. His contempt of the Sacred Scriptures, as being not properly Chrifts Laws, but fome odd occafional Writings, his Laws being’only, in the heart and tradition,
2.His flighting of Habitual Grace comparatively, which yet is indeed
Chrifts Law and Gods Image in the heart. ee,
3. His feigning a new or odd fort of grace (feat) which is none of the grace of Chrift, no not preparatory to his higher work ; but a srace Of fome other Providence, |
4. Confequently that there are men ( yea, moft) who are no fubjects of Chrift, nor under any Law of grace by Chrift, and yet not ander the meer Law of Innocency ; andtherefore are under fome other Law ¢ who knows what? ) or lawlefs.
5. His damning all that perifh meerly for Original Sin, and its neceffitated confequents , whieh no man had ever. the leaft power to
6. His afferting chat Angels and dam had fufficient Grace, and Freee will, by which the Angels did, and Adam could have perfevered in Innocency and never finned: And yet that fince the fall, no ungodly man hath fuch help and free-will to any one better at than he doth, nor the holieft perfon to any better than he doth buc the beft Saint
is lefs able to do one betcer aét, than Adam was to keep all the
Law.
~ @, And fo his confeqyent, that it is properly impoffible for any man in
the World, good or bad, to do any better than he doth. —
8, That all they love God fincerely asore amicitie who love God and Juftice propter fe as amiable in himfelf , though they love their filthieft fins fo much better, and all their flefhly worldly incereft,. as thac they have buc an uneffectual with chat they could leave them.
g. That we maft not fay, that Chrift giveth men either a Power to do better than they do, nor yet that Grace of Fear which they have, (as being below him); And yet muft fay that he giveth multitudes this uneffcctually fincere love, which never faveth them. a |
10. That a Habit of true faith may be many years in a mari before it
-juftifie him: when as the word [ true] miuft mean fome other faith, or —elfe thac fame will never juftifie him which did noe juftifie him {co
long. ae |
11. His Antinomian or Phanatick diftinguifhing Law and Grace, as if Chrift had no Precepts or Laws, but Operations; or elfe his Gofpcl and Covenant é# fizwis wereno parcof hisGracen
Pppp i2. And
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
12. And thence his fiction thar all chat which is done by any Grace ad poffe, and inobedienceto Chrifts written Law, is a Legal Rightcouine{s of our own, and no part of Chrifts Righteoufnels.
Thefe with what elfe I have before ditclaimed, I diflike in Fanfenius his way: And yet think that a man that can well diftinguifh words from things, and will not be deceived by ambiguous terms, may fhew that even he and his adverfaries are not fo fardifagreed astheyfeem. E.yv. Whether Chrift dyed forall? They are agreed that hedyedto procure for all {o much Grace or Mercyas he giveththem; and that among thefe a conditional Pardon, and Gift of Chrift and Life, is one, cc. And they agree that he dyed not with any abfolute intent of giving them any more than he
doth givethem. What remaineth then, but the Controverfie de zomine,
Whether this much be fitly called, his Dying for alle which Scripture putteth out of doubt. The like I might fay of many of che reft of the ditferences.
d. VIIL
Conclude with this fammary determination of all thefe Controverfies to
| | facisfie {ober minds.
I. GOD our CREAT OUR is the Canfa prima, the fpring and Mafterand end of NATURE; and accordingly having antecedent! made the creature in {uch variety as — him, 1. He Adtively afforder them all that general Influx by which the Being given them is fupported, and
* they are fufficiently furnifhed for their feveral motions, operations or receptions,
- And his Infisite Goodnef and blefled will is their common End in which they are all finally terminated, but varioufly thereby felicitated according to the variety of their capacities. —
3. And as the Governour of the Univerfe he fapientialy ordereth all
things, and conducteth them from their Beginning to their End ; but vari- _
oufly asthey are various.
II. So GOD or REDEEMER, having in Chrift made all neceflary preparations, and Redeemed mankind asto what belonged to a Saviourto doin Perfoz upon earth, and having antecedently made an Univerfal Law of Grace, 1. Doth Revealhis Mercy to loft fingers, commonly, but in various degreesas he pleafeth; And doth concurr with his Gofpel, by vouchfafing a Common Gracious Help, whichhath an aptitude and tendency tothe recovery of loft finners. | )
2. And asthe fixsl Infinite Good he felicétateth all that are by Grace con?
ducted to him as their ead; andon the reft will have his abfolute will fulfilled, and will not -be fruftrate of his Ezd, chough finners may be fruftrate of theirs, and be unhappy. . |
3. And as Rector he fapientially conducteth man in the way to this felicitating Exd, antecedently by the Gofpel, which is the fame in it felf to all that have it : and confequently as Fudge by his Rewards; In which f{uppofing his forefaid commoner preventing Grace, he confequently giveth men fuch ie degrees of co-operating grace or help and {piritual mercy, as in the ufe of former grace, they are fit to receive: and juftlyand penally denyeth that to others which they have made themfelves immediately unapt for, or uncapable of in the way ofthis ordinary common operation.
But withall as a free Owner and Benefactor who may do with his own as he lift, (as he diverfifieth the works of Watare, though Nature keepa conftant courfc, except in Miracles, fo ) he freely diverfifieth the gtfts of his
And the Sub-operations of Man's Will, Gracé ( external and Internal;) though as Rector and the common Benes faGor of loft finners, he altef not the terms and means of Grace, which hé at firft determined of, And the equality and conftancy of his Rectoral and Judicial diftributions, is no way inconfiftent with the diverfity which as 4 free Owner and Benefatfor he maketh either in his Decrees or Géfts.
So that he is the Caufe of 4 Good, though not every way equally to All; to make All Good and pas vt And he hath made man capable of /mpro: ving his Gifts, toretutn him his own with Ufury, which he will require: But he is the Author of #0 evil of fin; nor punt(beth ahy but for fin, and as ameans to that Good which is better than the Zmpwnity of the finner: But he ruleth and caufeth the Effeé#s of fin, when he eaufeth not the fix it felf.
The order of his Productions may be much perceived by man, and dare fic for our obfervation, Of his own X#owledye and Volitions of them, we know no more, but that Itisnot formally the fame thing as Ksowledge and will in Mn; thac Icis moft perfect and incomprehenfible ; that It is his Effential Znzellecé and will varioufly named as varioufly connoting the effets and objects : chat To difpute of any other ister nal order, priority or pofteriority’
in God's Knowledge, or will, ( asifhe had particular Thoughts, Ideas and Volitions as man hath, or any thing in Him were Caufed by the object, ) and to vex the Charch with contentions hereabour, is a prefumptuous arrogance and prophanenefs, which God will punith, and good and fober men {hould tremble at and hate, and not become parties, in {uch daring medlings with the Confuming Fire, |
Notes on fome palaces of Mr: Peter Sterties Book of Free-will,
G1. FT is long fince Iheard much of the name and fame of Mr. Pe? rer Sterry, long Chaplain to Robert Lord Brooks and after to Oliver Cromwel when he was Protector (as then called.) His commor fame was, that his Preaching was fuchas none or few could-underftand ¢ which incenfed my defire tohave heard him, of which I ftill mift, though I oft attempted it.. Bue now fince his death, while my Bookis inthe Prefs unfinifhed, a pofthumous tractaté of -his cometh forth of Pree-will? upon perufal of which I find in hin the fame notions (for fo far as he meddleth with the fame fubje@s) as in Sr. H. Vane; and fomewhat of what Dr. Gibbon feemeth to deliver in his Scheme; buc all handled wich much thore ffrength of parts and raptares of higheft devotion, and great candour towards all others, than I expected. His Preface is a moft ex cellent. Perfwafive to Univerfal Charity: Love was never more extolled’,
than throughout his Book, Doubtlefs his head was ftrong, his wit ad- \ mirably pregnahe, his fearching ftudies hard and fublime; and, I think, - his Heart replenithed with holy Love to God, and gteat charity, modera
tion, and peaceablenef$ toward mien: In fo much that [heartily repent hac I {o far believed fame as tothink fomewhac hardlier or lefs charitably of
him and his few adherents than I now hope they diddeferve. Hajty dudes: ) and /
ing, and believing fame is acaufe of un{peakable hurc co the worl injury to our brethren. | '). 2. But Ifind that itisno wonder that he was underftood by few, For 1. His fublime and philofophical notions, met not wich many Auditors, fo well ftudied in thofethings asto be capable of underftanding them, Itis apreat inconvenience to men of extraordinary difcoveries and fublimity’, that they mutt {peak to very few.. 2. And though he cloud not his mat- 7 | Pppp 2 . ter
"Jin Tra&. Polit. Theol.
Of God’s Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
ter with fo many felf-made names and notions as Behmen, Paracel{us, Wis geliusand fome others, yet thofe few that he hath, do fomewhat obfcure it : 3- But above all the exceffive pregnancy of his wit produceth fo great a tuerabundance of Metaphors or Allegories, thac (about the defcription of Shit efpecially) they make up almoft all his ftyle ; fo that to any ordinary Reader his matter is not fo much cloathed in Metaphors, as drowned, buried or loft : Andthough I confefs my wit, being to his, but as a barren Defart to a florid Meadow, may be ape to undervalue thac which it artaineth not , yet Ido approve of my prefent judgement, in thinking, thae
feeing all metaphorical terms are ambiguous, ) he thac exceflively ofeth them befriendeth not the Truth and the hearers intelle@&, but while he is too much a Rhetorician, he is too little a good Logician: and as he is hardly underftood by others, I fhould fear Icft he feduce his own underftanding, and can f{carce have clear mental conceptions of that matter, which 2 utters by 4 torrent of ‘ambiguous Metaphors, if he think as he {peaketh, and his words be the direct expreffions of his mind. I had raer be inftructed in the words of the moft barbarous Schoolman, - adapted tothe matter, than to be put to fave my - felf from the temptation of equivocations in every fencence which Ihear,and to fearch after that Truth
( whichis known only naked )' under fo florida difguife and paint. | , %. 3. Bue Icannot deny, chat though my temptations before were very great, to doubt whether the Doctrine of Univer fally-necef[ary Predetermination, as delivered by Bradwardine, the Dominicans, Dr. Twiffe, Retherfordand Hobbes, were indeed to be rejected, the Reading of Mr. Sterry increafed my temptation 5 not by any new ftrength of argument which he hath brought, buc by the power of his pious florid Oratory, by which, while he entitleth God to the necefficating canfation of all fix, and mi/er7, he feemeth to put fo honourable and lovely a cloathing on them, from their relative order to God,to the Ustverfe, and to their End, as that I fele my hard thoughts of 40th to abate, and I was tempted to think of rthem’as part of the amiable confequents of the Divine Love, .and of the Harmonious order caufed by the manifold wifdomof God.
0 4. And by this I fee, of how great importance it is inthe world, not only what Doctrine is taught, and with what proof, hut who {peaketh ic, andin what manner, Foras I found the fame things reverenced in Dr. Twiffe and Rutherford, which were not fo in A/vatez, or Fanfenivs, or Thom, white ; {o | found the fame Do@trine of Predetermining Neceffitation‘almoft commonly brought into greater diflike by Hobbes and Benedi élus Spinofa's. owning it, and applying it to its too obvious ules, than all argumentations had ever before brought it ; And I fee ic as likely to recover its hononr by the pious and florid drefs put upon it by Mr. Sterry, asif {ome new demonftracions for it were found out. - )
> 5. If Ithould recite Mr. Sterries mind in his own Metaphors, the Reader may not underftand it; If I Epitomize him and change his words, ‘fome may fay that I mifunderftand and wrong him: But I will not do ie willingly, and if I do it neceffarily, his ftile is my excufe. He that would be feen muft come into the light.
' §.6, Thefumm of that which I am now concernedin, in Mr. Sterry’s Treatife is, That “the Freedom of all thingsis to a according to their €¢ natures; and {o is that of the willof mans and that in God and man, “Neceffity and Liberty concurr, and that whatever we do or will, we do “or willic neceffarily, as being moved to it by che firft caufe and 2 chained “connexion of neceffitating caufes; by which all things in the world are “*carryedon: That a will not determined by God, but left to a felf-dere | | | -‘ terminarion
- And the Sub-operations of Man's Will.
——— TOT ga I gn ee el ees — © termination without Gods predetermining caufalityyis not tobe afferted,
“as contrary to Gods Goodneis, Wifdom, power,.cc. That fin is a pri- “vation formally, and all that is pofitive in it is direétly and not by *¢ accident of; Gods pofitive caufation ( elfe withthe Afanichces we mutt <* hold ewo firft cau‘es 5) Andthaccthe formal privation is from the with-
“* drawing of neceflary Divine caufation of the contrary, and God is the’
“* Negative neceffitating caufe of ic: Even as he caufeth Light by che ** fhining of the Sun, and‘ caufeth darknefs by its fetting or not fhining: or “‘as hecaufeth fubflances and fhadows, Life and death; And thar all fin *¢ ches as neceflarily fol!oweth Gods not giving the contrary, or his leaving “¢ the defectible Creature to icfelf; as the darknefs folioweth the Lights “*removal; And this wasthe entrance of fin into the world; the Woman “being Neceflarily deceived, neceflarily finned; and all good and evilis ““chus ( asco neceffity equally) to berefolvedinto Gods caufing and not “ caufing Will; what he will caufe cannot but be,and what he will not caufe “ cannot be: And this is the beautiful variety and harmony in the Univerfe s “Ia God himfelf is nothing but perfection, but-the Creature being the “‘ fhadowy Image of God, defectibility and imperfection is effential to ic: “fo that he reduceth Morality to the frame, and neceffity of phyfical motion, and maketh Moral Good and evil co be indeed as much natura! good “Sand evil and of the fame kind (except as in another fubje&t_) as Sum-- €4meér and Winter, heatand cold, day and night, health and fickriefs, life <€ and death, animate and inanimate, the unavoidgb]< diverfifications of the “will and work of God; And that every permyjian of his willis accom- “¢ panied with a pofitive volition of the thing permitted, (And yer chat wd <¢ is not properly in God, but fo called after the manner of man:) That fin is “‘ confidered as related tothe Principle of action, which is God, and fo it is “00d; or as in the terminus Man, and fo.it is horrid, devilith, odious,
<< evil, as blindnefs, death, darknefs, caufed all by Gods defertion, or not
“© operating otherwife thanhe doth, -
<°4, 7. To the quieting of the mind that cannot digeft this, but chinkech “© God is thus difhonoured, being made more than Satan the caufe of fin, “¢ and mifery for fin, which the Scripture contradi@eth 5 and that man is “ excufable at the barr of Juftice chat could no more (in innocency ) fore “‘bear to fin, than to makea world; Tothem chat think it hard chat no one
in all che world could ever poffibly do more or lefs Good or Evil than
<¢chey do, buc that is alldone, by phyfical motion as in an Engine, gc. he “Chath a great deal to fay, andmore than ever I elfewhere met with, and <¢ with great modefty propofed.
<< $, 8. Asto the Law ( whofe tran(greffion is fin) he fappofeth, thae
<< W7hatfoever impofeth on us any thing to be done by us, as an antecedent “condition to any confequent good, is the Law oppofed to the Gofpel. Yeathat the propofal or prefling of any Truth or Goodnefs on us, ina
° ° ° @ - €Jiceral or moral way only, or the word as written in Letters, is che Law ;
‘Cand the /pirit operating the thing it felf on the foul isthe Gofpel; the <¢firft is che old Covenant and the fecond the New: That the proper Cand next ends of the Law (Cor letter) are fin, condemnation, death and “the Divine wrath: To lec in fin; and heighten ic thatit might abound 5 “and to bring on us fpiritual death; Thefe flow not from the Law of it felf s but byaccident, frem the weaknels of the flefh and creature: But both << Taw and fin are brought in ultimately for good; viz. God having a “ defign which heintended to enrich with the fulleft, the higheft glories of “ his Godhead, - brings forth in the courfe of this defign, a dark {cene of “ all evils, fin, death, wrath; Theevilin chis {cene is carryed on to its ~ - | ! mo
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul:
-€ moft extent and height ; Thusthe variety becomes more full in the whole
“defign, and the chief defign is heightnedin its greateft Glory; God in his id Infnie wifdom fo bringeth in this fcene of fin and evil, that himfelf is & perfectly pure and good in the contrivance and conduct of it. He ferteth “up a Law, good, holy and fpiricual, but fuch that fin inevitably may take ‘Coccafion from it through the frailty of the flefh and of the creature, to ‘¢ (pring up as an overflowing flood, co difplay ic telf over al] things in ics filedt fouleft birth. This Law isto convince us of the frailey and mucability inmans primitive ftate, ce. (viz. thathe is a creature. ) For ¢ man is compofed of the light of God, and his own proper darknefs; Thefe cwo the Schools call the Act and Potentiality, the form and the matter, ‘being and not being, which confticute every Creature; The darknefs or ‘¢ nothingnefs, which is the Creatures own, isthe proper ground of fin—— “The Law comes and diftinguifhech the Light from the Darknefs— “© (fo that to fee fin is to fee that we are Creatures;) God withholds his *¢ Divine prefence, appearances and influences from man, —— and fo the darknefs difcovereth it felf in man, and predominateth and captivatech ‘Chim entirely, and becomes hischoice and Lord. (fo that fin is but an nh. ? Creature, and the Law to caufe and fhew it. )
Y. Pag. 113,114, c7¢. He faith [‘ The Immediate caufe of the firft ¢* change made in the underftanding at the fall, was che Divine Glory with- ‘drawing or withholding it felf Darknefs is the privation of Light: *¢ Privations have no proper Caufes, bucaccidentalonly. Thus the Divine “¢ Glory retiring from the underftanding, or ceafing to fhine in it, is by ac- “cident the caufe of the darknels there, as the Setting or deparcing of the ‘¢ Sun is the caufe of Night; which is not a blemith to the Sun, bat its
“glory, thatinits prefence are all the beauties and joyes of light, in ies
*¢ abfence all the difagreeablenefs and melancholies of, night and darknefs : “pag. 115. Allevilis fromthe abfence of God, Ge. P. 117. The faute <¢in man is the deficiency which arifech from the defectibility or nothing- “nefs of the Creature, in its fhadowy ftate, in the purity of its firft “Creation, Pag.122, The fall {prings from the Harmony of the eter- “nal defign in the Divine mind, being comprehended in it as a part of “ic. J
@.10. And yet he makes man Guilty and wnexcufeuble, and God juft in this; becaufe [“ Guile is but our being really bad: And he that cannot de- “ ny himfeif to be bad, is unexcufeable: And the opening of this caufeth “fhame: And Jufticeis to Judge and ufe all creatures as they are. ] ~ $11. Tobe fhort, he maintaineth, * chat man can have no freedom from “ neccflitating predetermination; If he fhouldic wouldcrofs che nature of “<God, of the creature, of the foul, and the unity and harmony of all
- “things, But that God caufcth all finnegatively as neceffarily, as he cau- (eth darkne fi, or any natural privation: But then he doth with a torrene
of Rhetorick fo Praife Gods defign in it, and the beauty and harmony of all things made up.of good andevil, uaities, varieties, diverfities and contrariettes, and {heweth {o largely the glory that cometh to God by fin, and the
good to the Univerfe, and chat it’s but our narrownefs and weaknefs of fight
that maketh us take it to be any other than a part of the glory of the univerle, though bad in and to the perfon that finzeth, that I confefs I never found my felf more tempted to Love fin, or to ceafe my hatred of it, than by his florid Oratory.
d.12. And withall, as he refolveth all che reft of Morality into Phyfical conceptions, fo he feemeth to judge fuitably of Hell and of Redemption, {vppofing chat all this darkwef' chat God brings on finners, is but to a ig for
And the Sub-operations of Man's Will, —
their refurrection to a life of anity and glory; andthatit fhall go well with them in the end. | | | | ?.13. Andasto the work of Redemption, his notions are too floridly or ambiguoufly delivered for me to undertake with confidence to unriddle: But this feemeth the famm: ‘*1. That God: is the fountain of Being by <€ Emanation’as the Sun of light And that his eternal wifdom is Fe [us <¢ Chriffinthe firft inflant or mature. 2. That che fir? éreature that he made (or emaneth from him ) is a perfect univer fal mind, the: platc¢ form of all the reft of the Creation; (Auchasthe old Philofophers called the foul of the world, or an univerfal Intelligence: )- *€ And thac this is Fe- << (us Chrift in bw fecond nature and notion: which Arius knew, but did <cilldeny his divine nature. . 3. That this Usiverfal Spirit or Mind, &¢ ygaketh all the world befides, andis én them a: Aad fo the whole Crea- €<cion elle was Chrifts firft fbadowy Image, (or body.) 4. ‘Fhat the Azs<vels are the nobleft parts of this, and that the Deity firft, and Chrifts °C fuperangelical nature next, isone in them all; and they one with him, as ¢¢ che beams with theSun, and asthe lower part of the Sun-beams wich the ce partsnextthe Sun. 5. Thatthe fowl of man is the next part of Chrifts c¢ {hadowy Image, into which he defcended. -6. And fo-into all Bodies, <¢-7, And as intoa fpecial Branch, into that Body born of the Virgin ALary. 6¢8. And tx that, and in other Bodies, he dyeth, and defcendeth to his low- €< eff flate; andg9. Then, as the Sun, doth rife again, and bring all back ke rothe ftace of pure (pirituality in his' fuperangelical nature, whence all F¢ fprang: Andthis is their Redemption $ which is oft floridly fet forth. * d.13- This doctrine feemeth to reconcile Philofophy (or Gentilifm ) and Chriftianity: For what is it almoft but sames th rence? That which a Philofopher will call an ssiverfal intelligence, or foul of the world, he callech Ghrs#: Andif fucha foul there be, fo one will deny bur thacit Aoweth into all particular fouls and bodies, and is united to them, oris to individuals as the foul in the head to the foul in the hand and foot. | os - oe | ?.14. Andif I did believe that fins death, hell, andholinefs, life, Glory; are in the world but as Winter and Summer, Night and Day, and, 3s Origex,
thatthe wicked are but in a ftace of: Revolution, and thall come about again
into a ftate of hope; or, ashehere feemeth, that cheir fin and mifery is but like the dying of 2 lower in the fall, chac fhall in che Spring again be as before, (or rather another in its fteads ) and that icis but che retiring of Chrift fromthe Creature, as the {piricof the Treein Autumn from the Leaves, I fhould chen be ready to receive his Neceffitating Predetermination to fin, and fit all the reft of my opinions hereunto.
Q.15. There is (among many others} one Fob. Feffenivs 2 Feffen
hath written much to the like purpofe, fave as being a Peripatetick he differeth from the Platoniffs; viz. The world is one Animal and hath one foul and body, which all Creatures are parts of: That Stars are Intelle- étuals, or Angels, and all intuitively know each others minds, loving. the good, and hating the evil here, and are our chief friends and Keepers: Thar Death befaileth only us lower Creatures 5 Afors continoa fingulis, nullt tamen etcrna: Nam poft longiffimum temporis excirfum, quem Plato triginta cy infuper aliquet annorum milltbus determinare aufus eft, removebitur, facki iterum aliqua fecundum naturam folutione, redintegratione. And the sntellectus Agens he defcribeth as Mr. Sterry doth chrift inhis fecozd or middle nature, pag.165. Inteleitum agentem fubftantia prime atqu: Dei fulzoremeffe; Non accidens, fed fubftantiam Intelligenat are left in diffe-
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul :
tem; que primo propriéque Intellettus dicitur ayens: Prime {ubfrantia adherens, abeaexcurrens, indivifas co indivifibilis, non aliter ac Lumen 2 Liuctdo emanat: and {o in many other particulars. | ¢.16. To all this my fhort time will allow me to give you but the’e fhort obfervations following: 1. The doétrine of Redemption is fo much of meer fupernatural Revelation, as that we muft not eafily receive thac concerning it, which is not in che Scriptures; And where Chrifts perfon hath fuch adefcriptionin Scripture as he giveth, I am not fatishied: (e.g. in paz. 932. where he thus faith (“¢ The Word made fleth, isthe whole Tree of <¢ Being, Uncreated and Created, the Root, the Body, with all the Branches, <¢ putting forth chemfelves into one Little top branch, now withering, that ¢ through its death, they may renew all to a frefh and flourifhing {pring. ] Tam loth to fay that the Univerfe is Chrift: that his Divinity is the foul, and the world his body, and every Man and Beaft and fubftance part of it, and that he dyeth in allchae dye, and that his body born of the Virgin Mary, was but one top branch of the Tree, which Chrift thus animaceth, andfothatall other bodies are as truly perfonally uniced to the word, as char, | | ~ 17. I willnot deny that the Opinion of a Threefold nature in Chriit, looketh very plaufib!y; viz. that the Divine eternal word (the firft nature ) producedand united itfelfto the prime created fuperangelical Mind ( the fecond nature:) and that this fecond nature in the fulnefs of time produced and united ic felf co the humane (third ) nature. 1. There are many texts which feemto countenance it, 2. It feemeth to give Chrift
the ei honour, as ‘being the moft excellent of all Gods Creatures ,
which is not fo eafily believed of him as Man. 3. Ic feemeth to expound
thofe texts of the Old Teftament, which mention {uch appearances of God
t0 ddam, Abraham and others, which many of che Ancients fay was Chrift :
And it feemeth to fome more probable that fome pre-exiftent created nature
fhould aflume a éody, than the Divine nature only and immediately.
4. And it {mileth on us as an opinion likely to reduce gnd reconcile the
Arians, (once too great a part of the Chriftian World, (as called Chriftians) as not only Phéloftorgius, and Saudins fhew, but alfo Petavius de Trinit.) .who holding the prime-created fuper-angelical nature, and denying
the Divine, it’s like would the more eafily be brought to acknowledge the
Union of the Divine Nature with the fuper-angelical, if the {uper-angcelical itfelf were firft granted them 5 For they might the fooner be convinced
that che eternal wi/dom or word, which made that firft creature, was intimately unicedto ic. I know fome pious worthy perfons who upon fuch
rcafons incline cothis opinion of a threefold nature in Chrift; ( Though
{ome of them think that this fecond nature, was the humane foul, affuming
only a body, and others, that it affumed both foul and body.) I am not
forward to take men for unfufferable Hereticks, chat differ from me, or hold
that which feemeth to me hard and ftrange, Buc Imuft fay, 1. That I fee no
cogent proof of this fuper-angelical nature: 2. That feeming congruities and
conveniences muft not embolden usto take up adoctrine which is new and
ftrange to the Church of Chrift, in fo great a matter as the Natures and
4. Yea prefuming too boldly to conclude of unrevealed things, (fo high )
fcemeth to me dangerous temerity, curiofity, and prophanenefs, like the
oh falfefire. Let themtherefore herethus proceed that dare. For I
are not. 7
. 18. Butthis much Teafily concede, 1, That as all Being is originally from God, fo there is a continued divine caufation of them, wichoue whic they would all ceafe or be annihilated: which fome call a continued Creation, and fome an Emanation, and fome a continued Action or operation 2d
rerum effe. And it is an intolerable éerrour to hold that God hath made che’
W orld or.any part of ic (elf-fufficient or Independent as to himfelf, as to Being, Aition or Perfection. We grant therefore that all the world is fo far United to God, as to dependonhiscontinued caufality: And chat the Beamsdo not more depend on the Sun, or Light, beat and motion on the Sun and other fire, nor the branches, fruit and leaves more depend on the Tree; than che Creature on God. oe ue 4 —— 3 - $19. 2. Igranethacchus far the world may be faid to. be one, as all things are wnited in one firft caufe from which they flow, andby which they
are. | a ee eee | %. 20. 3. But yetallthefeare no parts of God, as the fruit and leaves.
. are.of the Tree, and asthe beams are of the Sun: But they are Creatures;
becaule Gods emanation or canfation is creative, caufing the whole Being of the effect: And it feemeth likeft tothe saz (orfire’s ) caufation of 10tion, Light and Heat as they are in the Recipient, diftin®t 2b effentia cp attione Agentis qua tal. -_ ; | | 9.21. 4. I grantthat ( though as to proximity of efferice God is no further from one Crearure thin from anocliet, being intimate to all, immediatione effentia, yet) he ufeth one Creature as a fecond Caufe to operateon another; and that the Higher and Nobler, operate on the lower and more ignoble: And in that fenfe we may conceive that fome Creatures aré firft from God or neareft to him, that is, of the bighe/t nature andafe. And fo we deny not, but thar it is like chac in the Creatidn God: made one nature exiftent, (¢. g. thehigheft Intellectual) as more excellent, powerful, pregnant, active, and perfect than any of the reft: that there was in the wonderful diverfity, fome one that was Bef, and above thereft. _ _ $22, 5. I grantthat it foundeth probably that the firft and nobleft Nature in fpecte {hould be found but in one Individual; Buc of this chere is
not the leaft certainty to us mortals : vz, Whether from one God firft |
flow one perfec Created Intelligence or Spirit 5 or, 4b ano plures, two, three or millions in the firft order flow from one God? Though in nature we fee
‘hae from the trunk of the Tree few great members firft arife,and multipli- . city isin the extremities, And we grancthat the greateft pom. Trad appeareth where things dwindle to litclenefs or bafenefs: One found Sheep 18 better than a rotten one that hatha thoufand Worms in his Veins and Inteftines: Anda man that hath athoufand Lice on his Head is not the Noé bler: And when the one fou] hath lefta Carkafs, ie may turn to thoufands of contemptible Vermine: And a Looking-glafs broken intc@an hundred pieces is not the better becaufe it will make an hundred images of the face: But yet we are ftrangers to Gods unfeen works, further than he revealech thém, and therefore muft confefs our ignorance.
9.23. 6. Wegrant that all Gods works have fome Union, Concord
and Harmony among themfelves; which yet confifteth with numerical diverficy: And though stem and other Apimals walk about with Bodies that touch not one another, (and therefore the ignorant conceive of them
_-astotally incoherent, and think chat cy Pears, Apples and other Fruit '
on the Tree, and Trees in the Earth, be both Atay, and Divers, and yet parts of one Tree, and of one Earth, yet itis not fo with animals, becaufe the union of fpiricual beings isinvifible:) yet indeed it is not probable that che foulsof Animals have no dependant coherence with nobler fupe-
: 7 QA gq tiouf
printed on our Minds and Hearts. ie é ior Macy i 5, ke ea ee
Of Gad"s Gracious Operations on Man's Sout: riour Spirits, Though ( becaufe we know of no nature above the Iotelle@ual ) itis utterly upcertain to us, Whether Humane fouls depend on any proper fuperiour Caufe of their Being but God alone immediately 3 For God caufeth the higheft Natures, without any mediate fecond Canfe: Though as to ORDER and helps of action and well being they may depend on others, as the feveral Wheels. or parts of the fame Watch or Clock, oras the Sheep upon the Shepherd.
. .9.24,. Augufline de Anima is put to ic, whether he willhold 1. That
fouls are A¢any andnot One? 2.Or One and not Many? 3, Or both Oxe and Adany?.. The two firft he: rejecteth:. The laft he confefleth hard to defend, but feemeth moft inclinedto: But what Union he meant, is hard to. conjecture; Whether thac chey were all the fpiritual Parts of one Univerfal, or one Greater foul (if fouls may be Parts? ) ox Whether diftin®
products of one fuch fowl ( either sag ae or hujus fyftematis ) s
‘or WhetherOxe Relatively and Politically, by making up ome fociety; or Whether ove becaufe emaning from one {pring or C4uf4 prima? The two jaft are certain: Thetworfirit are far otherwife. °
9.25. 7.1£ he could prove, that there is one Fir/t, Bef, Univer al created Intelligence, or fuper-Angelical Spirit, which God made the chief of all fecond caufes, by which he created and governeth all the reft, and chat this is Chrift in his fecond Nature, we would not deny, bytchat Chrift as the Mediator of Natare (as Mr. Sterry calleth him) is in all other Creatures as the Caufe is in the being of the effeét ; But ic would not follow, that che’ Effence of Chrift (or this Univerfal Intelligence } is any Conftitutive Caufe (or part.) of each creature: For as God caufeth them by Creativé Emanation, and not as-a Conftitutive part of them; fo we fhould rather hold, thac ¢ under God, by a Power of producing Entities received from him). this Univerfal Spirit did the fame ina fubordipate fecond place. : 7
$.26. But his Opinions which Iam now moft concerned to renounce, dre thofe about Gods Moral Government, his Laws, Juftice, our free-will, fin, guilt, and Gods Redemption, Judgement and Punifhment of man, all which I think he much fubverteth, — oe |
‘ §.27. And I. I take the root of his error to be, his overlooking and ondervaluing Gods Defign in aking and Governing free Intellectual agents, by his Sapiential Moral Directive way: He ¢uppofeth this way to be fo much below that of Phyfical Motion and Determination, as chat it is not to be confidered but as an inftrument thereof: As if ic were unworthy of God to give any creature a Meer Powér, Liberty, Law, and Moral Means alone, and not to Neceffitate him Pofitively or Negatively to Obey or Difobey. And this looking only at Phyfical Good, Being and Motion, and thereby thinking lightly of Sapiential Regency, is the {umm, as of his, fo of Hobbes, Spinofa’s, Alvarez, Bradwardines, Twiffes, Rutherfords, and the reft of the Predeterminants errors herein: And had not I other thoughts of this one thing, I fhould come over to their Opinion: For I confefs the cafe to be of very great difficulty. | - 9, 28. I think that as the Divine Life and Power glorifieth it felf eminently in the Caufation of the Being, Afotion and Life of the creacures; fo the Divine #2/dom eminently glorifieth it felf in the Order of all things, and in the Moral Directive Sapiential Regiment of Intelle@ual free agencs, And that Gods Laws and Doétrine are the Image of his Wifdom, and an admirable harmonious and beautiful frame: And that all would think fo, and be wonderfully delighted in them, were they compleatly
And the 5ub-operations of Man's Will.
9.29. 11, And accordingly I think, that che glory of his governing wi, dom, and Punifbing and Rewarding Fuftice, is a gredc arid notable part of that glory which man muft give him now and for ever. And chat this Fu/sce is not his phyfical ufing all things according to their phiyfical
aptitude only 5 But his Fudging and Executing according to that rho- | ral apticude commonly called Azerit, by Punifhments and Rewards: And —
that co deny God the glory ofall this, is no fmall error in a Philofopher or Divine,. fe, | FO
¢. 30. III. Accordingly I chink, that God made man a fiee felf-determining agent; that he might be capable of fuch Sapiential Rule: And chat ic is a great Honour to God, to make fo noble a Natare, ashath 2 Power to determine its own elections: And though fuch are not of the ‘higheft rank of Creatures, they are far above the loweft: And that God (who we fee delighteth to make up ions eg harmony ofMdiverfities J doth delight iri the Sapiential Moral Goverrfnwent of this free fort of Creawires. And though man be nor Independent, uyet to be fo far like God himfelf, as to be a kind of firft-determiner of many of his own Volitions
?.31. IV. Accordingly I take Duty to be Rewardable and Laudable; and fix to be odsous as ic.is the A& of a freeagent: And thact the Nature of Moral Good and Evil, confifteth not in ats being the meer etfect of phyfical premotion, but in being a Voluntary. Conformity or Difconformity to the Sapiential Rule of dugy, by a free agent that had Power to do otherwie. 2 . . a
. 9.3%. V. Free-will then is not only the fame with wells it {elf, of
a nicer agency according to Nature, by the premotion of the firft decermiriing neceffitating Mover. .It is not only fuch a freedom as Fire, Water, Beafts; and every moved thing hath, (tobe moved according to the firft Movers action) which is in the’ will of:man; But ic is a Power to be a firft ang of its own acts as Moral: Not that it-isnever predetermined, but thacic caz do this. 8. . 2s - , ?-33. VI. Accordingly I judge of Guslr, and Shame, andthe Accufation of Confcicnce; which will not be a bare difcerning what God made us do or be; bac what we voluntarily did or were 5 when we could do ocherwife. . aoe. ‘ Loa 1 ’ 1. ‘ bg ee ee Te te @. 34, VII. AndI am paft all doubt, thac he grofly miftakéth the nature ard diftinction of Law and Gofpel: 1. To think that Gods Law,
when it is tiot accompanied’ with phyfical predetermination; is buc to
fhew us thac we grecreatures, thac cannot bac fm., ss 2. Yea, hereby he wrongeth the plory of the Créator, that made no creature with a power to do any t phyfically thereto, oe a> ike wee | a cares s Oe oe ee ae;- Ir’s grofs to fay, that all the Dotrine of Redemption, and Faith, and Juftiftcation by Chrift, as ameer figuwm, Letter or Law, is the Law or Covenant, of Works, and fo that every Command is the Covenant of Works, and Phyfical Efficiency of Good in us is the Gofpel or Covenant of Grace. For that which we call the Gofpel is not trae, if this be true: For this Gofpel is a preached word {poken by mans mouth, which fome believe, and fome believe not, but reject and difobey; and therefore perifh: Adstth, 4.23. Gr1l.§. Cr24.14; 626.13. Mark
1 Pet.4.6. 2Theff.1. 8,10, 11. Matth:t3.t0; Adst5.7: Iisa
Law by which men {hall be judged to life or deuth, Rom,2.16. Mare - 16.15,16. 2Thef.t.8, Romans 19:16. Fohw3. 19,20, 21. CU. he:
ing but evil, unlefs prédetérmined -
Of God's Gracious Operations on Man’s Soul -
3.4. It isaword which fome pervert, Gal, 1.7. and many fin againft,
Sodom and Gomorrah, and they cannot efcape that neglect fo great fa}—
vation. Whereas by his defcription; 1. No man ever yct finned againtt
the Gofpel or Covenant of Grace: For it is not that Covenant or Go- .
{pel further than it is a phyfical effe@ on the foul, 2. And every Heathen that hath any good effect on his foul by Common Grace hath {o much Gofpel; 3. Yea, why is not then all Gods Creation, being a phyfical effect, the Covenant of Grace, if that he doth be ig ) “and.all that he commandeth as fuch be the Law of Works. ¢ 4. And how ther: can the Law of Works and Grace be two, if evcry proper Law be the Law of Works? For a Law is fb genere figni, and a produced event és another thing. 5. And what fenfe will be found poke ont the Scripture, if we muft hold, thac ie is the Covenant or Law 0 Works which telleth us, that the Law of Wérks is abolithed, and calleth us to believe in Chrift for free Juftification, and not to expect Juftification by the Works of the Law, and offereth us pardon and life in Chrift 2 “rc, Buel will add no more, feeing the plainnefs of the matter makes it needie(s.
Q. 35+ The truth is, he diftinguitheth between the Law and theeffe@
of the Law and Spirit of God, and calleth one the Law of Works and:
_ the other the.Gofpel: whereas the Scripture only maketh ic the excellency of che Gofpel, thac by it che Spirit effeGtually worketh on the foul more yfually and more excellently sand no meer Law ( of Works or Grace ) will renew uswithoue the Spirit. _ 3
- 0-36. WITT. And if Redemption be ‘nothing but Phyfical efficiency by Chrift, (who. as a creating Mediator firft giveth all creatures what’ they have, and nexe faileth them and leaveth chem in darknefs, ‘as the Sun fetteth, and thea Rifing again revolveth all things into his original pure fpirituality, -like the revolution of day and night, Summer and Winter, ) it is {ure ahorhet thing than the Scriprure defcribeth it, which maketh ic a noble part of chat Sapiential frame of Moral Government which’ fome defpite 7 a Lae RB
G37. 1X. Bur let ic be noted, chae we hold, chat as the Almighty Father is the glorious Creator; Motor and Life of Nature, and the Erer-' nal Wifdom,word and Son, the Glorious Ordinator, Rettor and Redeemer, {9° the Eferdal Love, and the ‘Holy Ghoft is the final Perfecter of believers, even of Gods Elect, and that this Sanctification and Ar acieney is by” more than Aral Saptential Regiment, even by che Real edding abroad Gods Love upon the foul, or by a Quickning, Illuminating, felscitating Communication of Divine Life, and Light, and Love, which yee maketh not. the Sapiential Regiment vain. i |
¢.38. And as to Free-wil/ I further fay, that we are far from holding
thac’i¢ is a ftate of man in which he is Above God, Or Independent and as aGod to himfelf, or that God is any way a defective or idle ( as they call it ) SpeGator of mans fins, or free a@s: But that this rank and ftare of free agents is Gods own wifely-chofen work in which heis delighted, . And that he doth truly attain his ends in all.
9.39. Therefore as Mr. Sterry magnifieth the harmony which arifeth from Moral Good and Evil as defigned and neceffitated by God, fo we firft
_ admire the harmony which arifech from Natural and free agents and their
works; which muft not be difhonoured and left our.
9.40. And more than fo, we doubt not but all Gods works are perfect, it being their perfeétion to be fuited to his own will, And the dif. ference between us and Mr. Sterry , Dr. Twiffe, Gc. isnot, Whether
ete,
cee
: Ends jn all. ot GAG Neo 273 ML om: UP: Le “% whe oo ~~ . | 7 . - + @,q2. Therefore we differ but in this, whether Gad get not: all thar
eee ee eet e
And the Sub-operations of Man's Will. | _
God be Glorious in all his works, or they be perfect: For we fay,. chat though maps fia be found upon Gads works, and’ that fin be none of his.
works, nor. any: means ( properly fo called ) of Pleafing or Glorifying.
him, nor ag all willed or caufed- by, bim,. bue hated and punifhed; yer
he lofeth pone.of his complacency or g'ory by ir,’ but notwithftanding
its malignity, fhineth glorioufly in the perfection of all his works. | 0.4%. Yea, more we fay, that.men fin under his. Difpofing: power, and
that he will make ule of their evil unto Good, and-im {hall become an
occafion of that Glory to God ¢ as ficknefs to the Phyficion ) - of which it is no Caufe.or proper. Aveans, nor, of it felf conduceth thereunto, Yea;
aad that no Act as an A&, how: finful foever, is done, but by Gods cana:
tion as he is,the fountain of natare,. and printe Voter: “Yea, more,’
thar all the Effedés and Confequents of féx that are not fire it felf, are
under’ the Cauial Government and. sae elacin who will attain his
glory which Mr. St. froridly de{cribeth, notwithftanding fin, orion Suppofttion of st as barely, permitted (negatively, but with 4 Decree or Volition of all the good confequents occafioned by it, ). rather than by fin it felf, as a willed, defigned effect of his own neceffitating Negations, and inthe
poppe part of the atts as circnomflantiated, of his determining premotion? ‘Whether mans permitted fin; be any. of Gods works?!’ And whether
Gods glory be not rather xen obfante peccato, and alfo by: occafion of it, fuppofed ca be mans work only, and. by all the good confequents caufed ‘by God, than by the finit felf asa aseans condacible, or aCaule?
. 943. For we deny not, that God could havé prevented all fin if he had {9 xefolyed, and yet we believe not that fuch a: permiffion is equivalent to a neceffitating Motion, or Privation,. as, Mr..Stexry would perlwade us: To make 4 creature no better than fuch as can do good if he will, and can be willing, (with a decree to make many willing,) is much different from making the creature bad, and then condemning him to Hell for
-being fo, as an act of Juftice. Yet we doubt not, but the Divine Light
will fhortly give us all a fuller difcovery of thac which fhall vindicate the Wifdom, Goodnefs and Juftice of God, in his Government of man, than yet the wifeft mortals have. | 9.44. Either you fuppofe thar God doth all that he cass do, Or mot. If yea, then you fuppofe that he cazmot (nor ever could ) make any One Creature, Worm, or Grafs, more or lefs, greater or {maller, fooner or Jater, or otherwife, thanhe doth: which few will believe: ( It being not for want of Power, but through perfection of Wifdom and freedom of Will that he doth no more.) Bur if God can make one creature more, Or One Afotios more, and yet doth not, I ask Whether you dare
. Call that #0n-agency by the name of Idlenefs or defictency? If not, why
fhould the Non-caufation of finful Volitions in [pecte morali, or the leaving free-will to its own determination, be fo called Not to make more creatures, or more phyfical motion, of not to give more Grace and Glory, is as much a won-agemcy as not to determine a finning Will.
¢.45. As to all Mr. Sterry’s Reafons againft Free-will, they are fo Rhetorically rather than Logically delivered, chat I think ic not meet to trouble the Reader with any Berns anfwer of them, or to fuppofe sa — any more ftrengch than chofe that other men plainlier have clivered,
Of God's Gractous Operations on Man's Soul,&c.
9:46. Iconclude with this repeated profeffion, thac I am fully fatisfied, that all the reft of the Controverfies , about Grace and Nature; and Predeftination and Redemption, as they ftand between the Synod of Dort and the Arminians, are of no greatet moment than I have oft exprefled in this Book, nor worthy any of that ftir and contention, which men that fufficiently difference not words, Methods and Matter have made-to the mifchievous injury of the Church: And that thecrue life of all the remaining difficulties, is in this controverfi¢ between the defenders of Necef[ary Predetermination, and of Free-will, that is, ( not, What free-will finners have lefr, but ) L whether ever in Angels or Innocent man, there was fuch a thing, as 4 will that can and ever did deq termine it felf to a Volition or Nolition in {pecie morali , without the predetermining efficient neceffitating premotion of God as the firft Caufe 7] or as Hobbes {peaketh , Whether ever a created will, did act, withouta neceffitating premotion? An whether to wi// and to will freely, be all one? And whether the will (except as to the kézd of action) be noe
as much necefficated to wil or wot will, as my Pen to write or not.
write? and we call not itsaéts Contingent or free, either becaufe they are what they are ( Volitions,) or through Ignorance, becaufe we fee not the moving Caufes? i a a
. 47. And if this hold, for my part I muft confefs, thac Ichink the
Religion which agreeth with it, muit neither be fo as Dr. Twiffes,
Rutherfords, Bradwardines, or Alvarez’s, nor yet fo bad as Hobbes's, or Spinofa’s; but juft fuch as Mr. Sterry’s or the old Platonick or Stotck
Philofophers: I mean not fuch as Mr. Sterry's was, ( for I hear he*
was an excellent perfon, ) but fuch ashis Book (though obfcurely ) inrimateth. And if any of that judgement have abetter or worle, tis dog in confiftency with bis own principles.
a
Catholick Theology
The Second BOOK.
- (Synopists and ARMINIANS
- (Dominicans and JESUITES |
A RETREAT TO THE MILITANT DIVINES, WHO HAVE TOO LONG WARRED ABOUT WORDS, and UNREVEALED THINGS; and KEPT THE CHURCH OF GOD IN FLAMES, and DRAWN CHRISTS MEMBERS TO HATE, REPROACH and PERSECUTE EACH OTHER FOR THEY KNEW NOT WHAT. |
a
In a Dialogue between C. (a Calvinif?) A. (an Arminian) and ‘B. (the Reconciler): and others.
By Richard Baxter.
Tim. 2. 14, 15,16. Of thefe put thems in remembrance, sharging theme before
the Lord, that they firive not about words, to no profit, but to the fubverting of the bearers. Study to {[” thy fey es shige unto God, a Workman that necdeth not to be afbamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth. But foun propbane and vain bablings 3 for they will encreafe unto more ungodlinefs: and their word will eat as doth 4 Canker.
- ewe eee e-em me Oe wom ee ee
eee Pe em cee ee-~ owe - + tot. -
—
qe v4 —— eo =e owe eee eee oe eae ee. 4 if Fs ‘iy, ‘ i ~—_ _— ’ ~ Pe? %, j ont 4 } o y: 2 _ ‘ : 4 ee ae oe re oe ‘ ae Se i oe Ped ne) \ - an | ‘ . be i: ¢ is a ee e ‘ ‘ =~ : ay ee L: ‘ ‘ ‘ 2 od a a c! ’ : ‘ Pe: % ’ s a JZ e ' fad a ‘ i. Ss ° “e ‘ > i: ‘ . ‘ ‘9 e ® . : ‘ 4. . ° s s ‘ : a. ! ; oe & ‘ a ' ’ ’ , . md ry ‘ ¢ eo? . e s; a t ry ° - \ ¢ v *y ° eae. ‘ ; ; Ms ‘ , L, ; Fi ‘ 2 & : . ’ oh; ee oF 4 ‘ ‘ > oY; - - + a v7 ' ; : ’ : | (rnc; ' 4 ’ | ‘ ! ‘ y a 3 a t ‘ n ‘ ‘ yro OU No; \. Be eo a rye” i ee: a roy Tt: Ye eT & . VV f ee. } i} 6 { a | ne es y) | ce sak eu an rn 2 Z a; , 7“ ; - 2 ie ¢ . a f > ’ sons ss “ RE ad ans ercyet-ay c A of ris a OL ny sett; cae Clo Ee SA ei ieee & 3) ic Teas: t sah oe bi tere wee ooo, ce “ewe see = = a ears oo 7. ee ee ace. Sm os 4 | oe A 8 eg: en Oye! , Vou. . ‘ = ry e Voie. re 5 8 . . ie y < i; ares a oo wes ee +2 - Oe wee 6 ee ow ow oe ~- —new ~~ ’ -_—- — po a - { } i a ‘ . co. 0 : ‘ eos ws a. } > ve -y 2 Cy ay e ° ’ ty ‘ y ’ % ’. an} ry ° . . ry °. rs vy mys eS y* "os. . ee A \ ’ i! : a4; ies ye ‘ 4 o -@ va: ‘ : ‘ as ’ ee ae dae at Sea 5.5 ie foOa ey ry ) ’ Sb > fan c es ‘ \ ‘ \ ‘ ‘ . 2 a. ’ ° 7 e “4 . ae | } i ba 3 sem wt: : eet \ Yet Wes ey ahs c, bee ees: : ‘ . a- aga. ee 8s \ : a ee 4 Vs ee eS es ease at cae pe aes ee H “s ry e “Ne _% 7 ; . : a) rs ms “4 We: ae: ee is Co ee wth. a aeee aa ee ae tat e o: t * cer e ‘ { _ ! ere. . . 4 s. os 8 ar 2 i q e 4 —- -_ - - se ew ww on en tented re. ee ed - ~-om- -— me if, t ~\ FD ' ‘ \ e. : +. ! : : BS \ t s A i NX. ° ' . ’ . . x { > . ° aa f - . ar ° 4 f: \: C1 e \ re ‘ * ¢ ee t | Rhee a © re a 6 a bd. . \ ’ ‘ 4 ee Sore ae aes Df}: > 4 ro tho > bee ‘3 ee ‘ y nF ‘e' . 1% . , : . * t + < q - Se ‘4 e nae * \ ways A ‘ | ’ f ee eee: A? ee a Se Mae a ‘ 7 ‘ ae cae ea = 3 i _- . . ote wow * - wane --@- 6 - on~e -—-— br Sa otter tenes GB mee em = we we we - == @m- + ° hae rs ow “~ = os - omen
THE
CONTENTS
OF THE
Second Book,
T be first days C “_— about Prelfinaion,
He weed of conciliatory endeavours, p. 1, 2. | What this uudertaking Hy p. 3. Predeterminatios to Siz excluded; 5 the eafe briefly opened, p. 4. The firfé Crimination bythe Arminian: Of eternal abfolute Reproba- _ tion, p.6. Whether thing not exiftest may be 2 Boral canfes or God's As have Canfes, P. 7- How far Gods Decrees may be feid to bave extrinfick Caufes, p. 8. Ibe fecond Crimination, Of God's decrecing Sin 3 either to predetermine #, orthe event, or bis perewsiffiez, p.9. . Tbe third Crimination: Necef tation of Sin by Negation decrees. Ne- '' gation of decrees opened, p The fourth Cusinaton: 3 ‘The ou Mafe sohether the objed of Predefrination, p.12. Decrees diftingnifhed, p. 13. The fifth Crimination; Do the Decrees preceed according to the order of: Intention, or of Execution, pigs The fixth Crimination; Denying all Conditional Decrees, p. 16. She feoceth Crimination 5 Of abfojute Elefion, p. 17. The eighth Crimination 5 Leading men to pr rte ge The zivth Cruntnation 5 Setting neceffity and fate, p. J The tenth Crimination; Adaking God a Refpetter of a by unequal Decrees, p.2t. .- . The eleventh Crmination 5 Making Ged and “— Diffemblers,p.22: (im. a2. oe P- 23. :
T be fecond days Conference, The (riminations | by the C abvinill.
What good this conéiliatery attempt way i Pp: 24. The firft Crimination, Denying eleZion wucowfortable. The fecond Crim. An eledion of Things inftead of Perfons, p. 26. The third Crim, Denying @ decree of the frft fpecial Grace, The fourth Crim. of Scientia Media, p.27. The fifth Cram. Denying Abfolute Reprebation. Reprokation opened, p. 29,30. Whether Gad will Sin, p. 30..0r the AG, p.31. Howfar man baucanfe.bis ag undetermined, p.32. Pretences for Gods caufing Sin, an- A 2 | fered:
_ The Contents.
fwered, How God canjeth the effed and not the Volition, p.85;, Gc. What God doth about Sin, p.37.. . 5. |
The fixth Crim. Of Conditional decrees, p. 38.
The feventh Crim. Of forefeen Merit; p.39. | “The eighth Crim. Of making many Elections, p.40.
The tenth Crim. denying an eternal canfe of futurition, p. 45. Whether futurity be any thing, and have any canfe, p. 48. |
The third days C onference, Of Univerfal and; S pectal Redemption. |
ek abipaee Of the Armin. denying Chrilt's office to the world, ‘p. 50. * TowhichI here Calvinifts for uaiverfal Redemption, what all agree in, p.54. * Did Chrift add the Church of die equallyfor all, p.55. 7
England Homil.li.2.° The fecond Crim. Denying exprefs Scripture, p.§7. The Synod of Dort — p-185.[ God fo loved vindicated, p. 59.
the world that he. : . — The third Crim. They deny the Gofpel Covenant it felf, p. 61. =n; oe Seti The fourth and fifth esl ster I falfhood the obje& did he give him? He of faith, p. 62. | ee | 7 gave him to the The fixth, feventh, and eighth Crim. Difabling Miniffers to Preach, whole world, that is leaving most men remedilefs 5 teaching Infidels impenctence, p. 63.
to fay, to Adam, The ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth Crim. Exempting men from Hell
andto all that thould sorgents 5 juftifying Ingratitude, denying Chrift's Kingdoms 3 tempting
come after him! O Lord, what had 4. “6% to Infidelity, p. 64,65. ~ dam,or any other = .§ Sa gee
_ ae - a God’s hands, thathe:. == * |: : , fhould give us his on- Tb ¢ four th days C onfer ence. ly Son? We are all we ea a eee miferable Sinners, The Calvinifts frft Crim. Making Chrift dye in vain, for them that be damnable perfons, pyew would perifh, p. 66. | Deie. eat ox. , rhe fecond Crim. An imperfed Saviour, p. 67. The third Crim. Dying cluded from Heaven, J or men in Hell, 7. 67. : | | | | and:juftly condemned The fourth Crim. To die for thofe who he would not pray for, p. 68. | toHell.SeeaLearned: - The fifth Crim. Making pet a not to purchafe faith, p. 69. Gentleman’sReafons The fixth, feventh,eighth,ana ninth Crim. Uncertain conditional Redempfor Univer{. Redemp. tion 5 no more for the faved than the damned: Christ's fheep to know bim Sh une) Mr.Pole- before he know them 3 Pardoning Original Sin to all, p.70. 7
Ha) ON Goes Decreete: = Crim. 10:3. To die for the Seed of the Serpent, p.72. .
T be fifth days C onference. Of Man's Sinfulnefs, and Impotency, and of Free-will,
The Armin. Crim. 1/f. Denying all free-will, they deny all Morality,p.73. What Liberty is here meant? largely difcuffed, top. 79. What Liberty we
| bold, p.79. Doth Original Sin neceffitate all evil, p. 82. | ‘The fecond Crim. Denying Power to believe, p.85. What (Power) (can] and (cannot) mean, p. 86. fullier opened, p. 87, de. Questions hence an-
| The: Cohtents.
fwered, p. 96, &c. The advantage of fome by denying Habits. befides Power and Atks, p.99. Habits proved, p.100, °° | Crim. 3. Making all men utterly and equally bad, p. 101. a | Crim. 4. Infants, Heathens, and most men made and neceffitated t Jin and damnation, p. 103. Of Infants remedy, p.104. Parents fin defileth them, p.105. Of Heathens Cafe,p.¥06.. , Crim. §. That none can do more good or lefs evil than he doth, p. 107.
The fixth days: Conference.
The Calvinifts Crim. 4. Denying original fin, p.109. Original fin opened,p. 111. - 7 Crim. 2. That men can ufe their Naturals to prepare for Grace, p. 113. What man can do, further opened, p. 14. Crim: 3. Holding free will to good, p.121. Amanifold Liberty evinced. by many Queftions,p.122.Whether any that ufe it not have liberty to believe pp. 124, 125. ren rr 2 & & Crim. 4. That men are not dead in fin, p.125. | s Crim. §. That man is not meerly palfive in his firft converfton, p.126.— Crim 6. None damned for Adam’s (i only, p. 128. |
| The Jeventh days Conference, ‘Of suffictent and Refettual Grace. Crim. 1. Of the Armin. meine i cient Grace they damn men for meer Impoffibilities, p. 130. Had Adam fufficient Grace,p.132. Of the 13th. Artie.
! of the Church of England, p.133.How God willeth mens Salvation, p. 134. | Crim. 2. Making Grace unrefistible, p.136. | How far they do fo.
The eighth days Conference.
Crim. 1. Of the Calv. They affert. univerfal fufficient Grace, p. 139. Queries evincing Common Grace, p.139. The greatnefs of their error that deny it, p. 141. Doth this fatisfie, while God that'can fave men will not, p- 143. WhatGrace, and what fufficient Grace is, p. 145. Whether the
fame meafure of Grace called meerly fufficient, be ever effedxal, p. 148.What the Grace in that queftion is. Whether a visimprefla? Of determination by
‘God, and by the Intelled, p. ¥§1,152,153- © |
. Crim. 2. By Grace they mean Nature as Pelagius, p.156. What Natwre 9s 2 Grace, how far, fupernatural,p.A58. |
Crim. 3. Making Grace but a Moral fwafion, p. 160. Phyfical operation what, p. 162. . a
Crim. 4. They bold faith to be acquired and not infufed, p.162. What acquired and infufed means,p. 163. Dr. T wifle abont this noted,p.167, Cc.
Crim. 5. They hold Grace given according to works or preparation,p.169.
Crim. 6. They make the Will to have no fin or Grace, p. 171.
Crim. 7. They make Grace refiftible, p.172. The cafe further opened, P-173,174,C%c. Is there any univerfal fecond canfe of Grace under God, (a5 t he Sun in Nature) which worketh ref ibly (and God by it ad modum recipicntis? p.177. Chrift how far fuch, ib. | (Crim,
pee
The Contents. se pi Sea: ‘Crim. 8. They wake mans Will to make himfelf to differ, &c. p. 180, What differing is? what the caufes? os to believing,ib. How far God worketh by univerfal Grace, p. 185. Who made thee to differ, opened, p. 186. Crim. 9. Man's will maketh Gods Grace effednal, and not Gods, p. 186. Whence Grace is effeZual, p. 189. Differencing Grace what,p.192.1s not all the queftion of the Divine Imprefs, p- 193, 194. The cafe fumemarily opened, p. 196. | | |
The ninth days Conference, Of Perfeverance.
~The Arm. Crim. 1. They make fear and care to be folly, p. 198.
Crim. 2. They cherifh all fin, p. 200. oO — Crim. 3. Their Do&rine is uncomfortable on pretence of confuting, p- 200, 201. Both fides charge cack other thus. A middle way about Perfeverance, avoiding both, p.204.
Crim. 4. They difbonour Gods Image making heinous fix confistent with tit Dp. 204. | | | |
enya Immodefty and fingularity contradiding all the ancient
Church, p. 206. | Crim. 6. Contradi&ing exprefs Scripture, p. 207.
The tenth days Conference. The Calv. (riminations abot ‘Perfeverance.
Crim, 1. They overthrow the comfort of believers, that deny Perfeve- ‘vance, p. 208. What comfort may be had by fuch, p. 211. ‘Crim. 2. and ‘3. They wake God or bis Covenant mutable, p. 212. Cris. 4, They deny the Promise of Perfeverance, p. 213. Crim. 5. They infer a fecond Regeneration, p. 214. . Crim. 6. They go againft the Delfrine of Augultine, ec. p. 215. The ju(t extenuation of this lait controverfie, p. 215.
The eleventh days Conference, with a Libertine (called Antinomian_) vindicating found ‘Dottrine againft divers accu{ations.
Chap. 1. Whether we meni call men to come to Chrift without Prepara- _ Hon, Pp. 220.
Chap. 2. Of denying our own Righteonfuefs, p. 223. Perfonal Righteousaefs wecefary, Pp. 224. Of Reward and worthine/s (or Merit) p. 225. The truth largely opened about merit and reward,p.230.Reafons for it,p.232,C*C-
' Ch.3. Whether our own Righteou{ue/s conduce to our ‘Fujtification 2 Or we are anyway juftified by it, p. 238.
Ch.4. Whether the Gofpel be 2 Law of Christ, p. 243. (CPp.245-
Ch.5.Whether Chrift (and not we be the only party in Covenant with God,
Ch. 6. Whether the new Covenant have conditions, p.247.
Ch. 7. Whether juftifying faith be a believing in Christ as Teacher, Ruler, &c. or only a receiving his Rightcou(nefs, p. 251. |
ntents.
~ Ch. o. Whether Faith it felf be imputed for Rightcoufuefi, p. 252.
‘Ch, 10. Whether it be a change in God to juftifie the (before) nnjuftied, p. 256. | f Ch, I ‘ Whether a juftified man fhonld fear becoming xnjustified? ibid. _ Ch. 12. Ofmans power to believe: and our calling the nnregenerate to Duty, pe 2 58. Ch, 13.0f the witnefs of the Spirit,and of Evidences of Juftification,p.261. The Conclufion. |
T he twelfth days (onference with a (learned )Lutberane.
Whether tie difference among Chriftians about Merit, be as great as fome
thinkit, p.263. Some Proteftants (and the late Ledurers) Reafons againft
Merit propofed,p.265. and the cafe opened. Of the Doétrine of the Council of Trent, p.e266, Gc. Of condignity, p.267. The Dodrine of Vega, Scotus,‘ Waldenfis, Eckius, Marfilius, Bellarmine, Greg, Armin. Durand, Brugenf.Cufanus, Stapleton, Bradwardine, Soto, Bonaventure {t*, Clara, and all the Schoolmen as he judgeth, Carthuf: Caffander, p. 270. — and Glory a greater gift than Glory without holine/s, p. 271. Aquinas judgment. His confufton occafioned by his opinion that the new Law is that which 3s in the heart, and not written, viz, the Spirit (asthe Quakers hold) ib. Vafquez denyeth Commutative Fuftice in God, with all the School Do&ors, (17 of them cited). He confuteth it (even astoChrift.). He denyeth proper Diftributive Fuftice alfo in God, citing Bonavent, Scotus, Durand, Palud. Gabriel, Alexand. Aquin, @c. P. 272, Gc, Aquinas fenfe, in Carbo's swords, pe 275. Many Schoolmen deny as wench as Legal or Governing Fuftice in God. Ruiz citeth for this Argent. Baflol. Suarez, Pefant: Suarez faith, God's promifes are but naked Affertions declaring his Will. Durand. that promifes fignifie not obligation: Greg. Armin. That the Crown is no Debt, but of free Ordination. Marfil. That God is no Debtor, but free Giver:Scotus, Major, Ricard. deny God to be a Debtor by bis promife, but hold that Merits are fuch by Promife. Ruiz faith (againft Suarez.) That Promifes are more than Affertions, but that God's obligation is to bimfelf, p. 276. Medina again(t Meriting Remiffion, p.277. ‘Against Preparation, p. 277. Contarenus judgment.Fifher 's of Rochefter,p.278,The words of Tolet,p.280.
Of the great errors, fin and danger which many Ignorant Profeffors fall into, on the pretence of abborring and avoiding Popery, p. 283. The fins of Such as Calumniate found Teachers as favouring Popery,p.285. Errors vended by fome Protestants through an injndicions oppofition to Popery, p. 287. It’s necefjary that we mention them and repent of them, p.288. Wherein thefe Sectaries agree with the Paps(ts while they over-oppofe them, p.289. The
great mifchief that is done by railing at Truth as Popery, and calling good
things Anti-Chrittian, and prating thws before they underftand, p. 289. More of fuch mifchiefs, with Counfel to the Guilty, p. 291, Orc. .
Horrid Lies of Papifts againft Proteftants, inftanced ont of Tympius, fhould warn ws that we imitate them not. More Objeions anfwered,
Pp: 296, CC5e
Peak, ae
DIALOGUE
THE
— Birft Days Conference
-PREDESTINATION.
lieve, that the differences between the Arminians and Calvinists, are matters of nofuch moment as they are commonly ” judged tobe, * and that the diftance is very fmall, if men |
underftood themfelves; and you would have it thought that you are ene oa the mah fit for fo great an undertaking, as the conciliation of thefe omnibus mea judicio fujdiffering Partiesis. But to deal freely with you, Itakeitto be but the Mat. deberent ‘efit effect of your own Ignorance, not underftanding the Controverfies; and svuhiatiags. foe of your Pride, in overvaluing your own Parts and Apprehenfions: Or ittime nature libertatis ei you would never dream that you can come after fuch wits as As- nai bite pr guftine, and Pelagius, and Celeftines fuch as Aquinas, Scotus, Ockame, & 410 ¢jus efficacia cum Gregory Armi. ‘Durandys, aad their Followers; even fuch as Cajetane, ee ie Bannes, Zumel, Alvaren, &c. {uch as Suarez, Vafquez, Molina, F onfeca, nulla diferta, clara ex- Raiz, &c. ftich Conciliators as Ariba, Gibienf, Guil. Cameranins Scotus, PS# ¢xtant in melas Pennottws, Petr. 4 St. Fofeph, Ludov. a Dota, Fanjfenins, and his Followers, needs be medling, he wie with abundance fuch, and do that which none. of thefe could do. Bur esthemmodefty and
de x moderation. Le Blank de you are not the firit Undertaker that hath mifcarried. _ diftincl. Grat. The/. is;
B. If have been guilty of vain boafting, cite my words, and I will
A.'I perceive hy your Writings, that you would make men betetractthem: If not, thefe expreffions {peak but your prejudice. But,
¥ pray let usf{pend no time upon fuch Impertinences, but {peak that to the matter which tendeth to edifie, that one of us may become the wifer at leaft. I firft defire you to tell me, Q. Whether the ending or narrowing this difference be not exceeding defirable, could it be attained?
‘A. Yes, there is no man doubts of that. 7 " B. Q.2. And is not de(pair the enemy of all endeavours, and will any thing be done without fome hope? | : a ' A. Andit’sastrue, that vain hopes caufe labour in vain. 7 - B. The worft then will be but the lofs of my labour: And I will tell you of what moment I judge the work. 7. Uke B I. In
1. Inregard of the fifulze/s of the Contentions: 2. In regard of the
1. The finfulnefs I take to lie, :. Inthe matter. 2. And in the manner
of profecution. - ae 7
I. Thefe things I judge tobe finfal in the weatter: 1. That many differences are pretended tobe, whereindeed are none. 2, Differences about words, and fecond Notions, aod rational Entities, are pretended to be differences about real Do@rines. 3. Little Differencés are ageravated into great ones. 4. Unfearchable things are difputed, which no mortal man can underftand. i.
a | II.. Astothe manner; tt isdone, 1. Prepofteroufly, preferring thefe
Read in Frocts Analed?. Difputes before the greater bufinefs of the Miniftry. * 2. Perverfly,
yr pe Proclus a wafting abundance of time and fivdy about them, by which the Church
a Rees might have been better ferved 5 and writing fo many great Volumes of works, eid tasiaee todi, them, in crabbed Scholaftick {tile, asmuft needs tempt multitudes to a
eae tumult in the Jamentable lofs of their precious time, before they can come to know. Fide taiseuidt ac crit, that they lofeit. 3. And, by fidings, and factions, and fharp reflections It would make one on each othet, quenching Chriftian Love, and deftroying Concord, and waumed of humane | weakening the Church. | | ae | ly the Dominians and I], The calamitous Confequents are, 1. The long, and yet unhealed pei NBD alienation of Contenders minds. 2. The forefaid time and toil which. 469. & [ape Zunil “and thofe Volumes coft. 3. The abundance of idle talk, and loft ftudies may ee and labs about them, by the generality of Students. 4. The dangerous FaQi- Gibieuf, &c.) do abufe Ons made by itinthe Churches. 5, The tempting each Party to cenfure, Catal nd Pete sea flander, and blot the Names of one another. 6. Multitudes of Pre~ believe, that they differ Jatesand Paftors have been tempted by it intoPerfecutions. 7. -Yea, from them where they wars and blood-fhed iamore Countries than one hath followed partly conor. And all throug! by this iacenfioa. 8. And hereby the poor people on each fide are. lofing their intereft in kept in bitter uncharitable thqughts of one another; and efpecially of phe’ own ropit' Parry + chofe Paltors who are againft their mind. oo nough, bur muft per- | And becaufe things neareft us are firft difcerned, beginat home, and wade the world, that try whether all this be true ornot. 1. Hearken to the Minifters and not. See but Alvarez, tig 98 on cach fide. Do younot hear that it feemeth enough to them Chane pleut. 2-422 to f{leight each other with uacharitable alienation, whenit's faid, 0 fuck rors of Calvins,as differ. 4 07¢ is aCalvinilt, or fuch a omeisan Arminian 5 yea, perhaps the Feing from him; whereas (wite {hall come in. Read over the many writings about Adonntagee’s pa eae bur a. time, on his part, aad againft him, by Yates, Carlton, Watton, Burton, ed, and the two laft no &c, But efpecially read Peter Heylin his writings on this Subjed&, and eer Cor ean ne aboveall, his Life of Arch-Bifhop Land, where he perfwadeth us that one jor more in fenfe this very Controverfie wasa grand part of the difference, which on both Se i ome a fides was profecuted, till it brought us to our doleful War. : he mayfindinhim; and 2. Go but to the Low-Consteies, and feewhat work it hath made statrel of me there, from the days of Arminays to this day 5 efpecially between Prince called by (corners) fay Maurice and the States, at the deathof Barxevelt, the imprifonment of much lefs, Grotins, &c. The Synod at Dort, and all the {trife and difcontent before and after it. |
_ 3. Perufe but the Volumes written on one fide by Swecanws, Arminins,
Grevinchovins, Corvinws, Tilenus , Epifcopius , Curcelleus, Grotivs, &c,
with many Lutheramws; And on the other fide by Gomarrws, Lubbertus,
Macchovius, &c. Molineus, Amefins, Dr. Twiffe, Rutherford, Spanbemius, &%c. and think how fad fuch Combats are. :
4. Think what a lamentable diftance to this day is kept up between the Lutherans and Calvinifts in all Countries, and much upon the account of thefe fame Controverfies: And what bitter Books the Lather<
aus have written, comparing the Calvinifts to Papifts, Turks, &ci and
how little Mr. Ducy by forty years Labour did-to reconcilé them; and
how fmall fuccefs ‘all other Reconctlers have had , though excellent
learned judicious men3 fuch as Calixtws, Johan. Bergius, Conrad. Bergins,
Ludov. Crocinws, Mat. Martinins, Iffeburg, Teftaidus, Amyraldns; Placens,
Capellus, Dalleus , Blondel, Davenant , Hall, Carlton , Abbot, Aorton,:
Preffon,&e. te getet Be | eee i.
5. Think of the great Conflicts in France and Flanders; between the |
pasion and their Adverfaries; and the multitude of elaborate Voumes between the Dominican# and the Fefuites: And of how-many Ages:
continuance thofé contefts have been. : aes
_ 6, Thenrife up tothe Time and Cafe of Fauftus Rhegienfis, Caffianns,
and the Aaffilien|es, and their Adverfaries; and the hard Characters left:
by thofe controverfies on the names of worthy men. : es
7. Fromthenceafcend to Chryfoftome and his Reproaches, and Axe.
ftin’s Cenfures on the other fide, withall the Conflicts which he and his
Abettors, Profper and Fulgentins had with the Pelagians and Semipelagians of thofe times. a: a
8. And laftly, read and pity almoft all the Fathers, efpecially of the
Greek: Church, whofe Names are now blotted with the cenfure of {peaking too like our Arminians and Jefuites 5 and after all this,’ you will fare’
think this Contention was a very ill work, if it be proved cauflefs5 and’
you will think that it’s time toend it, if it be poffible. To which end,
paitofmen. And fome, Idoubtnot, God will blefs it to, at leaft to’
tacreafe their love of peace. bso? i aa to
"A. I pray you tell me what is your Undertaking, and in what meafure it isthat you think this Work may beaccomplifhed? > a,
_ Bs My Undertaking is this, [ To prove, that in the points of Predeftination and Redemption, there is no difference between moderate’ mén of each _ a Party, “ but what is refolved into the points of Grace and Free-Will; and pep repi nee an the points of Grace and Free-Will there is noreal difference, but what is tempore, & prefinitionis refolued into the queftion of the degree of Gods co-operating influx, compa be eae pe canis red with mans agency, and with it felf as on feveral Objects which will tempore detur nobis (prima prove either no difference at all, or elfe about a thing paft mans Under ftand- Sie ee is dug: And, that only inthe point of perfeverance, there is aréal perceptible aua non, fic etiam predi[tidifferences but fuch as is not worthy to be infifted on, to the breach of sea NN oa rele or the Churches peace, but muft confift with toleration and mutual ‘epinctur,’ ii pi ihe ove. | . ut quidam dicebant, fed 4. Tknow not whether this great Undertaking look more f{milingly ee bie on the Tz#es to come,or frowningly on the Times paft. F or if this be Cruc, paratione, fiquidem nulla what thoughts, what names do we deferve for troubling the Chriftian A Se World, fo pernicioufly and diftracingly,with a feigned difference.. But, tiam, nifi per modum firis, I pray you, tell mein general, how you will manifeft all this? a Gada hee ie B. 1. Youmutt give me leave to tell you who they are that Inndertake pon mach a Fefuite grants this Reconciliation of. 2. And then, how I hall perform it. ' eth
' [. Itits not every violent Contender, that runneth into fuch palpable Errors as the common caufe needeth not, and will fay any thing rather than agree, that lam{peaking of. About thefe matters, there are two
Parties that ftand on eachextream, who are not to be called Calvinifts and Arwinians; but by other Names, for their other Opinions. ‘Fhefe I intend to confute diftin@ly, inftead of reconciling them, which is
1mpoflible, but by reforming them.
I. On the one fide, I undertake not the Reconciliation of the Predeterminants, who hold, That [ Free-will is nothing but will as related to
other Engine , or of a Bruit (though they will needs call them free, becaufe they are Volitions, as if willing and free-willing were words of the
fame fignification: ) and that. is deifying of mans Will or any Creature, to
fay, that it can move or determine it felf to this Objed rather than another,
without a Phyfical perdetermining efficient premotion by God, as the firft
total Canfe, notwithftanding God frould uphald its natural power, and as the
caufe of Nature afford his neceffary univerfal Concourfes and that to think
that a Will thus predetermined by God could have forborn its ad, is to deifie
zt alfo..} They that think that God cannot make a Creature, whofe
Will can determine it felf without his predetermination to that af as cireums
or a Contradiction, Iam to confute, and not to reconcile. |
A. How will you confute them 2
_ B, Thatis tobe the work of a Difputation on: that Point. It thall
now fuffice to mind you, that it feemeth to me very plainly to fubvert
Chriftianity, if not all Religion. For when Adam's {in,and all the fin in.
the World of Men or Devils, is refolved into the abfolute unrefiftible
Will and efficiency of God, as the firft total Caufe, and that ithad been
as impoflible to have done otherwife as to be Gods, or to Conquer God 5
it’s eafie to perceive whether God hate {uch fin, and whether Chrift died
to fignifie his hatred of it; and whether he will damn men for not being Gods; and whether he that is {aid szrefiflibly to predetermine by
smmediate efficiency the thought, will and tongue of every Lyar tocucry lye
that ever was [poken, can have any word, delivered by man, which we can
be fureistrue. Inaword, -ifthis Opinion hold, it will allow no other
Religion in the World, but this much, [ To believe that moral Goud and
Evil are but like natural Good and Evil, which God doth caufe as a free
Benefakor, differencing his Gifts in various proportions, as he fecth meet 5
as he differenceth Stars from Stones, and Men from Dogs, and equally
caufeth the wifdom of Man, and the poyfon of the Toad or Serpent 5 and fo
of Merit and Demerit that gothis way. It hath pleafed God, by permitting Hobbs to reduce this Principle of the Wills nece{fitation unto its
proper practice, thereby to caft more {hame upon it in our Times for
this Authors fake, than we could have expected, if none but fuchex-
~ cellent perfons as Alvarez * and his Brethren, Dr. Twiffe and Rather~
* And more plainly, yet ford had maintained it. Butas Davenant well faith, Itisan Opinion of
py ker os the Dominicans, which Proteffants have no mind to own.
caufe of Sin and Hell, - And there are two forts that thus fubject the Will to abfolete caufed nes
Set nore eta rat ti? celfity: 1. Thofe aforefaid, the Dominicans, who affiftthe predetermining premotion of God, as neceflary to every a@ natural and free.
2. Thofethat make the Will as much neceflitated by a train of natural
fecona Caufes, which is Hobbs his way, (and alas, the way of great and
excellent healing Camero). For they hold, That the Will is neceflitated
by the Intellect, and the Intelle& by the Object; and God made both
Wil', and Intelle&, and Obje¢, (and Law ). And fo Camerohath nothing
to refolve the neceffitating caufe of Adams fin into, but the a
=
But who neceflitated the Devil to fin 2? This will be all one, when it: ts difcuffed. And if felf-determining freedom of Will in Man be impoffible, it will be impoffible tn the Angels; forthey are not Gods. : _ ThereforeI now deal with none but thofe who confefs, that God made Maa’s Will at firtt with a natural felf-determeining power and freedom, fuited to this earthly ftate of government; and that Adam’s Will. by that fame meafure of Grace which he had, could have forborn his fin, at the inftanc when he finned. oe _ ee ee ees ee
II, The other extream which I reconcile-not, but confute, * is the eae ea a: Pelagians, who deny Original Siz, and acknowledge not the pravity of anathematizing all the. vitiated natures and confequently muft deny the need of Grace in the Datd/ayines or opmions - fame proportion, and fo far the need ofa Saviour and a San@tifier. And that I write this scant how far this alfo fubverceth Chriftianity, you may perceive. aie, via laa 9
A. But both thefe Parties havea great deal of very plaufible reafon s6,¢ sad of Cyr for their Opinions, as you may fee in the Domixicans.on one fide, and iit. (© Proclus againft Hobbes agaimt Bremball, and in Dr. Jeremy Taylor, his Treat. of Repen- Mop). a ic aati tence, on the other 5 and therefore are not to be fo flighted. ‘are worth the treading,
B. I donot flight them,: but confute them. I confefS that the cafes "fd the fore-named, are not without difficulty,yea notalittle. But Iam furer that Religion is not to be renounced, than they can be of the truth of their Opinions. And do you think that if qne of them had written for the Caufe of Fulian, Porphyrie or Celfus again{t Chrift,that they would not have {poken as plaufibly, and made the cafe feem as difficulr, at leaftto be argumentatively anfwered as they here do. ,
= Now let us here your way or. terms before-mentioned, what they are |
B. Il. I fuppofe every fober man will allow me, 4. To diftinguith | Names and Words from Things, and * nominal Controvetfies from real 5 & Vs/q. ix. Tho.g. 23. and tothat end to open the assbignity ‘of words asI goalong: And to pas Iujts conrcverfie fhew when it is an arbitrary Logical notion, or an exs rationis only that (48 riprobationis deter men contend about, inftead of a reality. 4. Imay be allowed, when ne PRET) & confufion lapeth up manf doubtful queftions in one,to diftinguifh them, : that each may have its proper anfwer. 3. I may beallowed tocaft by, ‘asunfit for contention, all thofe unrevealed and unfearchable Points, which none of the Contenders know at all, nor ever will do in this World. 4. AndI willtake leave to lay by the rajh words of particular Writers, as not to be imputed to any others, nor to the main Canfe5 or as that which I am not obliged to defend, reconcile, nor at all to meddle with. 5. And when all this is done, you fhall {ee what Attoms the remaining differences will prove. | |
A. Begin then with the firft Article of Predeflination...
_B. Remember my undertaking, that it is not to juftifie every mans
words that hath written on the Point; and therefore I will not lofe time. in citing or defending Authors: But produce you all your Accufations, as againit the Caufe of the fober moderate Calvinifts, and fuppofe me to be the perfon with whom you have to do. |
the
Tbe firt Crimination.
See the conclufion of A.T. My firft Charge 1s, That you hold that God doth from eternity
the Canons of the Synod Decree todamn in Hell fire the far greateft part of men, without re-
Charge is denied ahr {pect to any fore-feen Sin, or caufe in them, but meerly becaufe it pleadereftétion. And can feth him todoit: This is your Doctrine of Ab/olute Reprobation.
oidewan they them- B. That words may not deceive us, let usin the beginning once for all
a 1 Teileep. Fuftit. know what you mean by the word {| Decree. ] ~ |
icone Sass. A. [mean the tefplution or purpofe of his Will de eventn, that this
buitny, Deum cos fecundum (hall be. . ther? _ on “es
a oes ed B. And, I fuppofe, we areagreed’s 1. That Gods Will isnothing but
am torum dolere,irajci,ac. his Effence denominated with refpett to {ome Good asits Object. 2. And
ae oo im fom there was no Object really exiftent from eternity but God himfelf.
rire & peccare volucrit, fed 3. That Understanding and Will are not wnivocal terms {poken of God
SEG Gori,, and of man, nor of the fame formal Conception. And 4. That our.
omnia iffa peccata ea. formal Conception of Underftanding and Will is only of them as they
ee eo ear areinman, and not as in God3 and (0 this to usis the prins fignificatum.
quid alind effe poteR,quam 5 And therefore that God doth not enderftand or will in our fence forbiftrionica quadam & ggaliter, but only eminenter, 6. Andla{tly, That Mortals know not
leanica attio? jut how Gods eminent -Intellecdion and Volition differ,from the formal in
Man. All this you muft grant me, or be fingular and ignorant. .
A. All this is paft denial; but proceed to the Cafe. oo
. B. Doyou differ from us de evente,. whether there bea Hell, or yet
of the xumber of thofe that are damned 2
. A. No: orif we do about the Cafe of Heathens,that belongeth not to
--B. Doyou differ froth us about the Caufe of mens Damnation 2 We
- fay that God damneth no man, but for Sin; yea, for Sin impenitently
continued in to the laft, againft allthe mercy which tended to their
Cure. | e
A. So far we are agreed: Butit’snot the caufe of damnation which I
{peak of, but the canfe of the Decree. |
_ B. Do you not hold that what ever God doth, he willeth to do?
- A. Yes, God doth nothing without a will to do it, at leaft confequently... - - | i | |
. B. Do youthink that God willeth arly thing to day, which he willed
not yefterday, and fo frometernity >? _
A. No, we donot with Voftius make God mutable.
B.Good {till: you grant then that God damneth men; that he damneth
them for fin; that he doth it willingly; thathe willed it from eternity.
And do you think that from eternity here was any thing but God?
- B. Then-can that which is not be a caxfe3 was there any thing but God himfelf to be the Caufe of Gods will from eternity >
A. Not in effe reali, but there was in effe cognito. .
B. So: now the game begins: Thus the World is cheated and troubled by Logical Notions, and meer words. Isthat effe cognitum any thing or nothing? If nothing, itis no Caufe; If any thing, is it God or a Creature? It canbenoCreature, becaufeit is eternal: IfGod, youdo but fay, That God canfed bis own will. | ute ‘It 1s Gods fore knowledge of Sin, which caufeth his Decree or
OF “Predeftination, = H / B. 1. Even fore-kuowledge it felf, fay the Schools, is bat the fame __ | | with keowledge, and {poken (fay they) but tothe refpe& and fenfe of man. There being neither prius vel pofterins, before or after in eternity < Bat thisI now infift not on, 2. It 1s commonly taken for blafphemy, to talk of a Caufeof God, or any thingin God. If Gods Will be his Effence, it hath no Caufe. He: caxfeth not bimfélf, being no Effet. . 3. If this were fo as you fay, yet ftill you make but God himflf the _ a Caufe of his own will by his knowledge, * For Sit fore-feen. is no Sin, * Valquer int. Tho. dot: and gothing.is no Caxfe; fo that you your (elf refolve all into God. ee a And indeed, what can bea caufe of the firft Caufe, or any thing IN voluntatis nonifoluM nul aa | — < Se Ee lam effe caufamrfinalem & : * : , _ WE motivam, per modum obne ei tergiverfation, and vain words now, and tell me what a iti, led etiam null tf vetofay, oie se, Gee eis A. Athing not exiftent, but fore-feen, may bea moral Cau/é, though He ed Vata pied not a phyfical s and {0 fore-feen Sin may beto God, : | oe eee B. 1. Yet dare you talk of aCaufe of God. There is aothing in ee God but God. To be a’ caufeof his Will, is commonly faid to be a © ita/icet Deus non velit caufe of his Effence; And fhall ( bafe a thing qs:‘Sia caufe God? 2.We ae ee pase are ftill at the cheating Game, of playing with arbitrary Notions, am rem creatam ff prop- What mean you by a moral caufe ¢ If a true caufe of moral Beings, that's jet hiner eae ene thing: If any thing that isnot phyfically or properly, but by moral mut en alind fit ratto mo-
- imputation only a caufe of anyevent, that’s another thing. . The firft iia Benya Was iets
° é : : = amc © ema ut velit nos predéftinare, you dare not own, asif any thing which is nothihg ( Sin not: exiftent ) preter (aan Siaierie ae
wére a Caufe of Gods Will. The fecond Caufe is called Canfa meta- tdibeaite9 nen fi
| phorica: Ic is really no'Canfe; butthat, for which the Agent fhall have volustatis Dei_nibil
ome
fuch praife or difpraife as belongeth to one that is equivocally a Caufe, (etm ee Play bratty 3. Therefore if you ufe not the ward { Caxfe] equivocally, -yourrule jd prope aand catia tii is falfe. Nothing isno goral Caufe. “You will énftance in good defired, wt Deas. ix fine noudum exiftente,&c. But Lanfwer you, -Goed and amiable are Accidents or Mades, which are never pada but in an exiftent extity or fubject. A megatione Subjetti ad negationem accidentis, G 4 negatione eft fecundi Adjetti ad negationems eft tertii, valet argumentun. That which is wot, isnot good or amiable: Therefore that which exifteth not is no Caufe. Butif we willlet gothe toy, and cometo the matter; It is no other good, but the defre of good, or the epprebenfion of the fatarity of good which caufeth 5 fo that all the Caufe is inthe Agent. ' 4. The common reafon of man muft acknowledge, that when any man faith, That fier whichis no fie, and nothing as fore-feen is the moral canfe of Gods Will, be muft needs mean no real caufes Becaufe to be @ caufe, ts | tertinm Adjetfum, and-prefuppofeth to be: ‘That whichis not, is nota - caufe; much lefs of God, or of bis Will, ca is “Die A, 1 can fhew you, that you overthrown the Chriftian Religion by your Logick: For if this hold true, thenthe fore fight of Chrift’s Incarnation and Sufferings, gc. was no moral true caufe of Gods Willto par- |. donSin, and fave Souls, tothofe underthe Prom#fe before the Incar-. — nation. - . | B. Your diverfion turneth us from the matter, but advantageth you -~ not at all. Would you bring it to deny fo evident.a Principle asthis,that nothing can do nothing, sor canfe nothing. It was not Chrift's Body or afual © Suffering, not yet exiftent, that cdufed Gods Will to pardon Sinners. Nor had Gods Will any proper caufe: But feeing God willed one thing to be the means of another, he willed that Chrift’s incarnation and Death fhould in the fulnefs of time demonftrate his Juftice, and make i¢ agreeable tothe endsof his Government to difpence with the Law of Innocency,
cency, and to pardon Sin: And therefore (not Chrift’s Death it felf, but) God's Decree of the Death of Chrift Incarnate, was the caufe of the Promife, and of the New Covenant made with Adam, and of the Salvation of Believers then. Which Will or Decree is called by fome the interpellation or undertaking of the eternal Word. , ; A. But at Jeaft Sin fore-feen 13 caufa fine qua non. -_ a B. Callit by what name you pleafe, as long as you confefs it to be noCanje, (for caufa fine qua non, is called Canfa fatua, and 1s none.) But it: is not Sin which is Caufa five qua non; tor itis 20 fin from eternity. |
ot It is the faturity of fi that is Can(a fixe qua non.
..#. Yet more notions! what is fwtsrity? any thing or nothing? nothing certainly: For quoad ens, it is terminus diminnens 5 and nothing is nocaufe. But itis Gods knowledge that Six will be, which is to be called the Canfe of Gods Decree, as fixe qua non, ifany be. But I mutt deal moft about futwrition with the Calvinii#s,when I come to fave you from Dr. Twiffe his Ferula. | ;
A. I pray you then open me the matter as it 1s your felf. __ B. I will make your Caufe better than you have made it; But not by Predeftinatio nibil ponte Making other mens worfe, but by opening the reconciling truth. 1. [ in predifizate inquit {hall tell you in what-fenfe. Gods Will and Decrees may and mult be faid Aquia-te 4° 23.4% eo have an-extrinfick caufe, without change in God. . 1. Know there- _.. fore that Gods Effence is his Will, bat not as Effence.. Tofay that God i# -. God, and that God willeth this or that, are not terms of the fame fignt- °° fication. 2, Gods Will is bis Effence denominated from fome amiable good _ as the Obje& 5 and fo there is ever quid refpedtionm in the notion of will. .3. As God willeth himfelf, the A& being perfectly immanent, ~~ his Will is called biafelf much more properly, pha his Will of things extrinfick ( which is ever either effectively, or at leaft objeGively tranfient 3) Becaufe it is God that willeth,and that is willed or loved, (which made many Ancients fay, That this was the third Perfon inthe Trinity. 4. But as God willeth things ad extra, thoughitis his Effence that willeth them 5 yet it 1s unfit to fay fimply, that this Will is God; e.g. that to will Peter's Salvation 1s God, becaufe the name Will here incladeth thething willed. . 5. And therefore when wefpeak of Gods Will inthe univerfal notion, as ab{tra@ted from ‘all particular Objects and Acs, ie is lefs inconvenient to fay fimply, that this WillisGod, than when we {peak of his Will in act ad extra. By this time you may fee, that though
: * Alvarer himfelf faith, Gods Will, as his Effence, hath no, caufe 5-yet his Will as denominated exe
sspenit et ac trinfecally. from the Object, may have fome kind of Caufe that is * ObjeGtive condition or rea- je#ive,which is quaft materia adius, and the terminus fine quo non 3 thatis, fon of the A&. Gods Will is not denominated a complacency in Chrift exiftent, or in Peter * This isallthat Ruiz regenerate, * or his underftanding, a feeimg that the World was good, be- Heres oo: hes fore any of thefe things did exift. Sothat by extrinfick denomination, Who taich, chat thete is Without any change in God, he may and fhould be faid de xove to know more than extrinfick _ things to be exiftent, to be paft, to will things as exiftent with complatiovationis tum realis for. CeDCY, OF Will them with difplicency: But not to will the futurity of eat nae pice oh mens damnation de xovo 5 but yet his Will of the futurity of mens dammedo, tharhe knowen Nation hath feveral degrees of the Objective Caufe, from whence it is denot what to fay. nominated: As impeffe cognito, the perfon who is the Obje@ is in order of
nature firft a man, a fubject, and then a Sinner, and a Defpifer of Mercy,
Objet, or Canfe fine quibus non, or Objective material-conftituent caufes 5
not in themfelves,. but the fore-fight of them; not of Gods Will as his
Efjence,
Of Predestination, 9 Effence, noroft his Will as a Will, but of his Willas extrinfecally denominated, a Decreeto damn Judas; e.g. becaufe no otherwile is Judas an Obje& capable of giving {uch an extrinfick denomination to Gods Will. If, Both youand I hold, and muft hold, that God decreeth todamn ' all chatfhall bedamned. * Butit is falfe, that wehold that he dothie | without any refpect to fore-feen fin. For 1. He fore-feeth this Siz as the * Va/quez, in 1. Tho. 9.23. _ only meritortous caufe of their damnation; what he dothintime, that ( a ep aed - is it which he decreed to do from eternity: But intime hedamneth no dit) ef de fie confer man but for Sin3 therefore from eternity he decreed to damn no 1! ¢ foriptura miltos man but for Sin: For fin, I fay, as the caufe of damnation, which ies coe Dr. Twiffe doth frequently profefs. 2. And though this Siz can be no Tract. 2. per totam. proper efficient caufe of Gods Volition or Decree, yet it ts a prefuppo- | fed necefflary qualification in the Obje&, as fore-feen in the Mind of God, and fo, as aforefaid, isan Obje@ive Caufe as fore-feen. _ II. The execution.of Juftice, and glorification of it, and Gods Holinefs thereby is good, and fit to be the Object of Gods Volition or Decree. But inthe word Reprobation isin moft mens fenfe included much, which we hold not, which is to be opened further anon. IV. And as tothe abfolutenefs of Gods Decree to damn thofe that are dammed 5 I think you will not deny it your felf, fuppofing them to be fore-feen finally impenitent Sinners. God dothnot only will, that all the finally impenitent fhall be damned 3 nor only that, e. g. Fudas fhall be damned, if he be finally impenitent; But alfo that Judas as fore-fecn finally impenitent, fhall certainly be damned. Sothat when the conditionis fore-feenin the Recipient or Object; it ts no longer a meer conditional Decree, but abfolute, fuppofing that condition. Inall this we are agreed.
The fecond Crimination.
A. II. But that’s not all 5 But youhold, That God eternally decreed mens fin; yea, all the fin of Men and Devils; fomefay, That he decreed to predetermine men infuparably tothe forbidden A& 5 and the moderateft, that he* decreed the event, that Sin fhould come to pafs ipfo © 14, Eri/copit Re/p permittente quamvis non efficiente 5 or at leaft, that he decreed his permif= ghidicin Deurrdice fion of it. | | _— viffe ut Judzi Chriftum e B.I. The firft fort are thofe few,whom I in the beginning renounced baile gud td tive of whom the Dominicans, and good Dr. Twiffe, and Rutherford his voluntate, fatturi effent, Follower (de providentia) are the chief. I eafily confefsto you, that #70 so a God made the Law, and God made man, and God maketh the Objeds, and God caufeth the A@ as a natural A& in genere, by a natural general. concourfe: And if it could be alfo proved, that God were the chief effisient Determiner of the Will, and that by necefsitation to this AG or bje@ comparatively rather thanto that, (e.g. that David willed the Acts which were Murder and Adultery, ) I could never deny that God isthe chief Author of the Sin. _ For the formal reafon of Sin is Relative, viz. Its difconformity tothe Law of God.’ And the Relation refulteth without any new Ac& or Agent, Polito fundamento & omni abfoluto: And neither God nor Man door can do more to caufe the Relation. And Dr. Twiffe and Rutherford{o far faw this, thatthe up-fhot of all their Vindication is 3 4.. That God caufeth not fin as fin, but as a means to his Glory. 2. That God is. under no Law, (as we are ) and therefore can be no Author of Sin. But, to ~~ I wie | : C3
IO | Of Predeftination.
, It’s one thing to will Sin as Sin, and another thing to caufe Sin as Sin. Nullus eft Catbolicusqui We chargethem not, with inferring that God willeth gin as Sin 3 but udu Gachiaies if he will ic and cafe it for another end, hecaufeth the formal nature of miss etiam fi predeina- Sig, ( that we may not play with the ambiguity of Quatenns ) and that's Ai ag at fers agmuch-as man doth. For Sinners do not ail, if any, will fin as fin cum Dens caufa peccati under this formal notion, as it ts a breach of the Law of God, and he eld difpleafeth him; but as it bringeth them fome feeming good: And by ont predeftixare pogit. doing evil for that good, they are Sinners. tl eau pe Tothe fecond, we donot charge the Doainicans with making God rale, non eft effedtus pre- aSinner: But with making him the chief caufe of the fiz of man, even in deftinationts, quamvs fit seg form. . - | seetee cae IL But this is nothing to the Calainifts in general. Therefore, I Tho. tr. 4, 23. cap. 2. fay, that your felves hold the fame that theydoim this point. 9. 1.Do wee not all the ‘agian and Arminius hold, That God is the Decreer of what he is the Author of. . And that God isthe Author of the A@ as an AG natural, inthe general. See but Rob. Baronins his Metaphylicks,and Bellarmine whom he followeth, <°= - A. That is nothing to the moral fpecification of the A&. B. And Dr. Twiffe hath oft enough told. you, where Arminius faith, that God would have Ahab to fill up the meafnre of his Sin. A. That is not that he willed the fiz, but that. Ahab having made himfelf wicked, God decreed not to {top him, but Jet him go on. B. Either you mean, that the Object of Gods Decree was but his cwn permifsion (asthe Arminians ule to fay ) orelfe, that it was the Sin it felf (matter and form) permitted, (not becaufe itis fin or evil, for fo man oft willeth it not at leaft, but) as an occafion of Gods Glory. Arminius his words import the latter: And then you go as high as Dr. Twiffe or Rutherford. Butif you fay, thatit.was but 2 rajb word of Arminius, which you ftand not to; tomake plain'and fhore work with you, I.am fo far from being liable to your charge, that I charge you as prefumptuous, if not erroneous, in faying, that God decreeth or willeth to permit Six. And I affert. 7 . _I., That God doth not Decree the form of Sin as Sin. 2. Noryet the event of that form for any good end (For, Ut peccatum eveniat, is but peccatum futuram) and what isitto decree Sin, but to decree that it fhall be? Nor 3. Hath he decreed, that this Act which is the Sin, fhall. come to pafs in its comparative circumftantiated {tate, from whence it is, that Sinin its form refulteth. And fo Axguftines faying fo much de- © As Bradwardine who cattate by Dr. Twiffe and others, * isnot found, that nothing cometh to alfo tells us, That if God pafs bus what God willeth, esther efleding at, or permitting it. It cometh damn the Innocents his to pafs without Gods willing it or decreeing it; fo that he permitteth ftice and equity: But it, but decreeth not that it fhall come to pafs. Not that it ts againft Ais fetibe his that fo de- contrary abfolute Decree; but as Lombard from other places in Auftin ther think that none telleth you plainly, God neither willeth that it thall be,(becaufe it is fin) aredamned, than that nor properly and fimply willeth that it thall sot be, for his Will is not ape ence ‘of Jue OVercome. 4. Yea, he cannot be proved to decree hts own permifsion 5 ftice, whatever a meer Becaufe to permit, is but not to hinder, which ts xothing but a negation: Proprietor maydo. = And we have no ground to feign, that God hath Volitions or Decrees | of nothing, or of negations. | So that I fay, that Sin cometh to pafs without Gods Decree of the event, orof his permiffion. ( Thoughnot without his Decree of the good which cometh by it 5 of which more, when I fpeak to the other extteam. ) And of this alfo more anon. |
The
The third Crimination. —
negative decrees, as well as others by their pofitive: For you hold;
Faith and Repentance to: And no man can do any more good than God
decreeth that hefhall do. And fome fay that God decreeth, Not to
give men any more Grace than he giveth them ( which is a Decrec ob- |
doth not Decree to give them more. And {0as a {tone isnot culpable for
not flying, no more are Sinners, not elected, for not believing and obey-
B. You wholly miftake and mifreportus. If we differ from you, it Haat ie
is by going further fromthe matter of the Objection than you do your *. ae. a aera
ves. ee ee Evatia, & 1Plam primam
_ 1. Wehold, that God giveth many men power to do more than they £”##4" ( geod sdem eB
do: And confequently that he decreeth to give it them. Men do not ja Pi ale
do allthatthey cando. Indeed we hold, That no man ran doany thing; & ipfas gratia nullam
which God doth not give bine power to do, and decree to give it him. Sobjs prea” ®
And dare any af you deny this. - There is 20 power but of God. |
2. [hold not, that God hath any Will or Decree in proper fenfe, Not
to give Grace, not to give Faith, not to give Repentance, Help, Means,
<c. Butonly that he doth not decree togiveit, where he giveth it not |
indeed; But as Lowebard afore-cited, faith, He neither Willeth,zor Nilleth quin. de Repub. 4.3.
st. My Reafonsare, 1. Only Good isthe Obje& of Gods Will, and 4,7 Res ieroas;
Evil of his Nolition. But #othing is not Good, nor Faith, Repen- de poteatia reprobati<. |
tance, @&c. nor Grace, evil: Therefore God doth not will zothing, or paar oth i pau
mill the {aid good. hee be a dea a eek roe |
9. Frustra er plura, &c. It is prefumptuous to feign needlefs 7 1sinaum secundum,
giving Grace ) isvain: For nothing will be zothing, without any Decree or Volition of God, as well as without any efficiency. If God nei- |
ther make, norwil/ more Worlds, more Sons, more Men, there will be
no more, though he have no Will or pofitive Decree that there fhall be no
And to make them infinite or boyndlefs, foundeth fo prefumptoufly and
aap y, that common reafon doth difclaim it. It is poflible that there
€ asmany more fands, pebbles, {traws, cc. made as are: It is poflible to
make every ftone, or fand, an Animal, or the choice of a thoufand other
things: It’s poffible to give each man and Creature the choice of a
thoufand other names, places, circumftances: And muft we feignin
God a pofitive Will or Decree of every one of thefe poffibles that they 14. ib. ad jcunduth, Pre
fhall never be? That this Sand {hall not be a Man, nor that Bird a Stone, deftinatio e caufa & ejus
ec. It isenoughto conceive that Gods infinite Wifdom knoweth what 1404 txpedttin tn furtra,
is ficeeft to be,and that all that he willeth thall be 3 and that he willeth no Cai Saad
more; and therefore no more Creatures.will be. But he willeth to “pitw ix prefenti, (il.
ive power.to free Agents, to do or not docertain atts in fpecie 5 and won off canfe cine quod ef
therefore they can do more than he decreeth they jhall do. in prajenti, (cil. culpe, -
: es f fed eff caufa dereli Bionis 4
2. Andas tothe mecefsity. of mens fin or mifery,. you lay as much Of 5, ¢@ ramen caufa tjug
Ailtinguifheth ic well in his Aetaphyficks.) To ra the wma laa Getnen
12 Of Predeftination.
2 of neceflity which Hereboord, and many others give us, that we need
not, it ishere fuffictent to.diftingudh between meer Logical neceffitas
* — confequentie in order of argumentation; and Phyfical or canfal nece(fity
" - Gnorder of Being. God’s fore-knowledge ( which you deny not ) inferreth the former: For it is a good argument ( what ever God fore-
- knoweth will come to pafs: But God fore-knoweth the fins of all that
fin; Ergo they will come to pafs). The major is a neceflary propofition,
and fo isthe minor; therefore {ois the concluffon. But yet God’s knowledge caufeth not fin 5 nor is it neceffitated inany. Dr. Twiffe, who goeth as high as predetermmation, doth yet grant Arasinivs, that itis only
necelfitas confequentie, and not confequentis, which Gods Decree or Will
doth infer as tomens.fin and mifery 5 and profefieth, that all the Schoolmen fay the fame; and blameth- Arminius for pretending that we infer
a necelfitatem confequentis: And the other Arminiusowneth. And are
they not then agreed’ whether they will or not? I doubt not but
' predetermination: inferreth neceffitatem confequentis caulally , though
this be denied by them that hold it. But fo doth nothing which we affert. ne.. &
The fourth Crimination. ,
. A.You will make either the pure maf, or man as man,or the corrupted
_ mafs, to be the Object of Predeftination, ( Election and Reprobation ).
~ _ | And fo make God defert moft men in Adam's fin, as he did the Devils in
% Pefauer holdeth in 2. their fin, without remedy, or hope.
ie ror B. Thefeare words of confufion, which, when opened, will appear
Fledtion out of the cor- Nothing, and that we are all of a mind. -
rupted mafs3 not 4s Either you will diftinguifh Gods Decrees by the Objects, or not. If _
Eee el thar NOt, you mutt not diftinguifh between Eledtion and Rejection, willing
Paul, Eph. 1. Bog and nilling, loving Peter, and hating fadas, &c. Ifyea, then you mutt
in Civils Ke) Meg HOt take up with the unexplained words, Reprobation and Election.
inaais ila a ma{fa per- ¥. By Reprobation is meant either Gods Will to punifh men. 2. Or
ane giveitthem. Forthe firft, Itold yox before that the Object of Gods
Will to punifh men in Hell, is a Sinner fore-feen finally rejecting Mercy.
2. The Object of his Will to punh men with pofitive temporal punithments, is the Sinner fore-feen in his tmmediate capacity for them.
3. Whether punifhment by not giving that Spirit for Faith, Repentance,
| ‘and Holinefs, be decreed (being nothing but a zot-giving) is before
idem d. 95, 1. Ferrarienf. difcuft. But if it could be proved, yet the Object of Gods denying further
Dene iat ve. aut vegi- THETCy and help, ts evermore one that hath abufed former mercy, or recere a regno uo voluiff’, fufeth that as offered tohim. 4. But Gods non-Volition to give Grace is
quod ipje appellat adler no ad, and hath no Object. But we judge that all mankind are now
se a from under the meer Covenant of Innocency, and that none perifh but
for the abufe of mercy, which had a tendency to their recovery
(The cafe of Infants muft be fpoke to in its place once forall.) Bat all
this belongeth to the Cafe of Grace and Free-will. |
! ; * And 2. As for Election, we fay that 1. The Object of Gods
Fheaton and to Glory; Will to glorifie men, is man fanttifying and perfevering in an im-
Sce him, lid. 1. ad fim- mediate capacity for Glory in effe cognito. 2. The Object of Gods
Ae A ge aro Willto give the Grace of perfeverance, is a fore-feen fanctified perfon
Thomdifp. 89. cap. 6. Inthe next capacity. 3. The Object of Gods Will to juftific, fanctifie,
* How Asgaftine diftineee
Of ‘Predestinition, 113 cr! ‘and adept, is a fore-feen Believer.. 4. The Obje& ofGods Will, ‘to. -give {pecial Grace, which fhall ¢ffeGually caufe men to:repent and believe, is ordinarily a fore-feen difpofed Simmer prepared: by. hiscommon | Grace 5 but fometimes an unprepated Sianer,'whom, of his free will, hic Se | _ will faddenly convert, as it pleaferh him freely ‘to diftribute his benefits © a (all being unworthy.) 5. The Object of Gods Will, togivethehigh- -eft degrees of common Grace, ‘external (in the pureft preaching of the Gofpel, and other mercies, ) and-internal (im greater helps-of the Spitit ) is fometimes a Sinner ix effe cognito, who hath not grofly. rejected lower helps, and fometimes freely the worfer fort. of Sinners, who | have abufed former mercies. 6. The Obje& of Gods Will, to give the firft common mercy which hath a tendency im its ufe:to'mens recovery and Salvation, is all mankind fallen ta Adam: For all are under. the New Covenant of Grace made with Adz, Ger. 3. '15¢ in fome de-' gree, (and with Noab ) and all have much mercy tending'to Repentance; and none are left as the Devilsin. difpair, without any ‘offered remedy or help. 7. The Obje& of Gods wi to give man the Covenant “of Innocency, was Adam fore-feen as meer man. 8. The Object of Gods - ~Willto create man, was xothing in the fenfe that we now take an Object "an; thatis, forthe materia circaquam. Butif you will call the intended effed the Objed, then the Obje& of Gods Will here (and in the reft) is _ the thing willed. But if you will needs prefume to (eek one higher in * Man knoweth by Re- ‘the Mind of God, * you muft fay that it was man as conceived fit to be, ee i ‘as wellas poffible. For we can think no otherwife of the Divine Con- 00 Recipient. ceptions and Volitions, but as we are led by the analogy of humane as, And fowe mutt fay, that 1. Gods Power maketh it poffible for all things — ‘tobe. 2. Next God knoweth them poffible. > 3, Heknoweth what is “convenient or fit tobe made, to his unfearchable ends. 4. He willeth | ‘that they fhall be, and man among thé reft, and fo on. If you will needs have the order of Decrees, thisis all that wecan fay of them. © A. Allthis pleafethus well: but it will not pleafe your own Party, or the calvinifts that you make fo many atts of Election, which they tell you ts but one entire thing,as mentioned in Scripture: Nor yet that you lay every Decree or Will upon fore-fight. | B, Youare miftaken: No moderate confiderate man of them will deny any thing that I have faid. For 1. As to the Scripture ufe of the word Election, it isnot the meer name that we are now opering, but the = - ‘matter in queftion: Not isit the expounding of particular Texts that { ‘amiupon: And if Iwere, no man willdeny but that the word EleGion is varioufly ufed inthe Sctiptute! Sometime for Gods eternal Will to make us Chriftians of Infidels,and to favé us by Chrift 5 and fometime for “actual choofing us by converting Grace in time; and fometime for actual choofing men in time by Vocation to fome office or {pecial work, 2. And as to the diftinguifhing of all thefe Volitions of God, no man will deny the effeds to be diftin@ ; undoubtedly thefe are various “effects of God; 1. Tomakeman. 2. To give him the Covenartt of: ‘Inocency.. 3. To give him the Covenant of Grace, with all the common mercies of it. 4. To give fome Perfons and Nations the Gofpel, and other mercies above the greateft part of the World, with an{werable helps of the Spirit. 5. To give men fpecial Grace, effectual -for Faith and Repentance. 6. To give men Pardon, Adoption, and’ ‘Sandiftcation. 7. To give men Perfevetance. 8. Td give them Glory. And if thefe are various works, either you wil: aa ae c oe O
| Gods W1 is Vari ks tr * u donot | * Sive fecundum noftram of Gods willby his various works, or no If you donot, our whole
rationem diftingsames ©OUtroyerfie about the Order of the Decrees is quickly aranend (and
a dete in pluray J am content with the abreviation): For where there is no Ciftincion,
ee a eo; there is no Order. And when I diftinguifh them never ‘o much, I fay, Certum enim cf apud as Wellas any, that they are a// ome in regard of the ome I¥ 7k or Effence of fatale aia taaaie a God that willeth thew. In God there is no real diverfity } but tis will plicifime atts {ue volan- is thus varioufly dexominated extrinfecally from its refpect to the various —
tatis: Eft enim ipfius ve- Wh Oe: ; Bee Pee ee das objects to which it doth tranfire, and of the various effects which it proeperatio idem quod (x2 .duceth. And thusdoallmentalk of God. Elfe they could not diftineffentia fimplex & indivi-. enith his faving Will from his damning Will; nor Election from Rejectidua fs aliquis contenderet ae | ; effe ehh nodoin- OD,in his Decree. So that noman cantell how to differ here.
pellcaeras eff sei -..3. And asto fore-fight, you as much miftake. For 1. I fay not ee oe that God fore-feeth any good inany man, but what he giveth him, and Vafquez in 1.Tho.q-14. wiHeth to give him; But we fpeak of the Order of thofe Volitions, in
Seas ata cary the way of execution. * 2. And all men that afcribe Intentions, Vomany Controverfies. ~- litions, or Purpofes to God, doand muft make the Object of them as
* Alex. Ale. is nored by {uch to be Qyid coguzitum, or fomething which fome call an Idea in the
Vafquer, and others, as Mind of God 3 Itisnot a priws Volitum qua tale that is the Object of a
* fingular,for holding that Volition, but boxumintelledum. And therefore nothing but fore-ficht
Predeftination to the pene t ; paaag J
firft Grace was upon OF apprebenfion of the thing, needs to be putin the defcription of the
fore-fight of the fu- Object. |
d fe f ha o : Pa : ° ° ° Graceas the canfe: Bur Nor dol deny,but that we muftin our ordinary Difcourfe {peak comhe denieth thar the firft prehenfively, and dendminate E/edionx eminently from the noblett parts :
Grace is attually given For as our full Salvation includeth all, or almoft all, f our Converfion
Therefore Ya/quez thinks and Glorification prefuppofeth all that antecedeth. And therefore as
he changed his mind. Wwe may and muft talk of Salvation ia general, and not always ftand to mention all the parts of it; fo muft we eminently talk of EleGicnto Salvation, as comprehending the reft, and not always ftand to diftinguifh of the parts: But when you will make a, Controverfie of the Order and the Objed of thefe atts or parts, we niutt diftinguith. ©
) The fi fib Criminatton.
A. But you make Gods Decrees to proceed according to the Order of * Valquer.in 1.'tho, g.23. Latention,” De fine & mediis; and fo you feign God to Decree mens damdi/p. 89. ¢. 7. faith, That nation; yea, and the denying them Graces yea, and their Sin, Sup riots ttt i vatione medii, asameans to his Glory: And fo he firft decreeth to damn non fant in mente artificis them, and then to leave them in fin to that end. | a date 2, en hitatnn ee or. -B. All thisis your miftake: what any particular men fay, I now mind reipja. Butinmant not: Butthat which we hold is this; 1. Ihave toldyou, That zot to Ld ga eet oe > give men Grace, Faith, yea, and Heaven, isnothing: And nothing needmente, the firtt cirearee eth No Volition or Decree: Though both the Threatning and the
tones operandi s the fe- sentence of thefe Privations is fomething , and thofe are willed or decond ¢zrca ordinem ope- | -
randi vel cffettuum. For CF eed. ‘ : | a “ ue aa aed have told you, That God decreeth no mans fin at all: Itis no cachat next. But jn God Pable Object of Gods Volition 5 unlefsas circa quod, as he willeth what we know of no fuch Or- ufe.to make of fin prefuppofed. : : - can cxcepeRslativeand = 3, Sinisno means of the Glory of Gods and therefore is not willed effed, becaufe there is as a means: otherwife it fhould have the rationem boni qua medium, and nothing in God but Gods be elegible. But it is an evil prefuppofed 3 the curing or punifbing of it,. and not it it felf; being the means of Gods Glory: And therefore God doth not will it as a means. 4. Do
Of Predestination; . 7 : 4. Do not you your felf fay, % That God doth glorifie his Juftice | in the damnation ofthe Wicked? 2. Andthathe miHed from eternity
fotodo? 3. And that he fore-knew who would be wicked? 4. And
that he could have cured and faved them if he would? 5. And that
' he had no abfolute Will or Decree eventually or effe@ually eo cure
and fave them, but only in tantum, todo fo much towards it, which he knew would be uneflectual through theirfaule? 6. And that thereforethe Decree of damnation, upon this fore-fight, did pafs upon the individuals,and not only on the Wicked and Ithpenitentin general? All this you hold, and miuft holds and whathold wemore? -°. 2 _ §. For as to the Order of Gods Decrees, we further..hold as followeth: os oe Tt a ee, 1. That though when there is need, we muft diftinguwi(h them by their
_ Effeéts and Objects; yet we dread the prefumption of feigning thofe
Orders in the Mind of God, which we know not of, and ¢annot prove.
He had need tobe better acquainted with the Divine AQs, that fhall
venture to tell ys in what Order they lie in the Mind of God, than More |
talsare, except where God hath plainly told us. * | | 1 Valqatqin 1. Tho.g.23.
2. We hold, that God doth not intendere: finem, or eligere media a Fa a . Fae o
thereto, in the fenfe as man doths becaufe he wanteth nothing , and 4¢ inftantia rasiquis ix
therefore doth not velle defideratum, nor feck se thing which he want. it Se eh fa
eth. But that improperly God is faid to intend an end, when he doth Dean feipjun inteliexiffe,
but will to produce an effet, or elfe till perfedly enjoyeth that which is dla le
tmproperly called His end. Andinthe firft fenfe, every Creature is his quofdan ad lori ai
ends that is, the terminus or effect of his operation. Ard in the ep being hse
other fenfe, He himfelf only is his own end 3 that is, the complacency babuiffe ee in
of his own Will. qusrto vidiffe tos cafuros
3. Therefore to undertake to delineate the Order of Gods Volitions providift itis remediam
or Decrees, according’ to the way of mental intention de fixe Ce per Chrifi pafionem, &c.
mediis , isa work unfit for usto meddle with, as being beyond our |
. 4, But thofe that will needs meddle that way, can go no further than
tofay, That God is htsown end, (of the fulfilling or complacency of
his Will) and therefore that God firft willeth the complacency of his
sown Will,and then willeth all Creatures as the means thereto.. And what —
is this to any of our Controverfies? For the glorifying of his Juftice,is but - the means of the complacency of hisWill.Or if you will fay,that his Glory is his end, it is no created thing that you muft mean by his Glory, For
fatentuy uullam caufam r¢-
_acreated Glory were Gods Ultimate End 5 that 4s, the appearance OF giem Divine voluncaris
refulgence of his Image or Likene(s on the Creature: yet you. mutt cone poffe afignari, non folum fefs, that it is the Glory of God in his Conjunct Perfettions, Power, aa a aR otras 7 Wifdom, Goodnefs, aad that the Glory of his Punitive Juftice muft be compertum eft) fed negsfinaeither taken as a means.to thats orelfe that God hath his Exd contiaual- fas non folum inter abjetta; Bes tea 7 wee ~ creatd fed nec fuam bonie fy mthe Glory which is upon every Creature, and every man and at of satem, Vafg.1. Tho.q.19. a a | : eae d. 82.c.1. ( But'b
man. - | _ y 3 ae a _.. Kisd hat which. 5. Though Dr. Twiffe fo frequently inculcate, Qed priws eft inten- bart case fradli is Sione, pofterins eff executiones he faith, that it is but de five & mediis, mbes) Lapa he and not de mediis inter fe 5 and that no medium is properly Gods End own poodnets teen
So then nothing but himfelf is his End ); and he glorieth asthe dif: his aad dat oe err verer of this Truth, that all therweaxs are one to God, and therefore "4,97 erates
have but ove Decree; fo that he reduceth all Gads Decrees tatwo, 1. Of ¢ 3. Gabri. 1. dir4.g.t. isGlory ashisEnd. 2. Ofallthe meanstheretoasone, ~ ee bite _ . | | gee ge 6.And°
‘metiiomsee,:,
See this queftion handled by Va/qu. 1.Tb0.g.19. d.82.c. 4. 5. BH 6, that taftantia fecundum ordinem objectorum inter fe afignanda funt, & non ex fola Dei voluntate.
Leg. Twiff. Vind. Grat. li. 1. Digref. 1. de Elect.
Et Epifcopit Inftzt. Theol. 12.4.S¢.6.cap.6.pag. qiry 413.
* Inquit Twiffus Vind. Grat. lis. de elect. Dig. 3. p. 163. Aquinas diferte afferit, Denmvelle boc effe propter boc 5 fed mon propter boe velle boc, p.1.q.19s a. 1. Cc. Cad primam v0duntatem Dei rationabilem effenon quod aliquid fst Deo caufa volendt, fed im quantum vult unum effe - propter altud, Et q. 23.
a. §.C. Eodem modo pro-. duximus Bonaventaram, . Scotum, Dwrandum, con{pirantibus animis tad:m pir omnia quod adhunc apicem attinet profitertes. Vide qua ad-. dit ex [sare fiotbid p.r€4.
6. And. other Jearned mens Writings I have feen, whocome after him, ‘and feek to provethat the Decree de fize & mediis are but one, and confequently that thereis no fach order to be feigned among them. - 4 4 | ae
7. The plain truth is; Gods wil/ is the begianing and end -of all; And all the World are the means of accompli(hing and pleafing it: And it is always fulfilled and pleafed, though. not always by the fame means: And God loveth no Creature finally for it felf, but for Himself, as his Perfection fhineth init, and as it fulfillech his Will. And to feign any other Order of Intention and Election de fine & mediis in God, 1s prefumptuous 3 much more to lay our frames of them, and tye God hereto, and trouble the Church with contending for fuch Models: But the Order of Execution is intelligible (in part) to man: And we are {ure that God eternally intended to execute his Will in that Order in which in time he doth it. And therefore this is the only,neceffary and the /fficient method of Gods Decrees, which man can inveftie gate.
before he fore-feeth their Sin; or that he decreeth to damn any, ‘but as impenitent Sinners; or that the damnationof any man is his-End; or that he decreeth any mans fins or that he decreeth not to give them Grace 3 or that Sin, or mot giving Grace, or not believing, &c. need a Decree, being #othing 5 much more that thefe are decreed as means to GodsGlory. Butif you {peak de fine, 1. As that which man is bound to intend, 2. Or asa meer effedé 5 fo no doubt all things have their relation, ufe, and order to each other. | : | |
The fixth Crimination.
A. You deny all conditional Decrees in God, and fo make them all
abfolute, and confequently arbitrary, meerly becanfe God will do it. B. Doyouthink we differ in this? You dare not profefs your diffent from any of this following explication of our fenfe. | 1. Gods Will is the Caufe and End of the whole Creation: And what ever pleafeth him todo hedoth; whatfoever it pleafeth him thall
come to pafs, it fhallcome to pafs; and whatever he ts pleafed to make
our Duty bya Law, ismade. our Duty. All thatGod doth and commandeth is Arbitrary: His Wi/dom indeed and his Will concur 3 but his Ends are within himfelf; and his Will is the end of his Will, fo far as it may be faid to have an end. Arbitrarinefs and felf-willednefs is Gods Perfection, which is mans Sin and Ufurpation. If you will ftretchto that impropriety, as to fay that He willeth it, becaufe his Underftanding feeth it fitteft to be willed 5 and {o make Caufes and Effeds in God 5 yet muft youadd, thatthe fitne/s or goodnefs {o underftood, is the Aptitudinal congruency to his Will.
2. We affirm that God hath many Decrees which are conditional in refpe& of the thing decreed. * So Dr. Twiffe frequently tells you. He maketh one thing a means anda condition of the event of another. And we fay that God hath conditional Promifes and Threatnings 5 [If thon confefs with thy mouth, and believe in thy heart, &c. thou fhalt be faved} And we believe that Gods Will made thefe Promifes and Threats, and that they are the true figns of his Will: And that he will fulfil them. And
8. We deny therefore that God decrecth or. willeth to damn any :
Acts. mts
°
4. Sure this is your own fentitient: For you deny not that God
doth thenceforth ab/olutely Will that Judas fhall perth, though only that For that Will is no-longer fufpended on a Conch RE URAL DR 5 NG OO ORES | * To the queftion, 42
Tbe feventh Crimination. -. Gini ed eaindnia:
a a ora Preceffevit ee
2 : or ; Sei 2 : : nem meritorum. The af- A. At leaft you make EleZion abfolute, if mvt Rejedion 5 and fay, that firmative is held by ca- God eleeth men to Salvation, without re[pect to any goodne/s in* them. i = sia ae B. Thave faid enough to this already 5 1. Doyou think that men are pyrand, 4.1. 9.8. £gid. good before they are elected ? when they are not men? You do not cer- #id.g. t. av2. Major. t. tainly. 2. Do youthink that God fore-/eetb any good inmen, when he shal i i acéoing. willeth to them their firs# good? nodoubt you do not. 3. Do you think inquit ee ee that God fore-feeth in men any fecond, third, or following degrees of Ca tollen the”
goodnels, before he intend to give it them ¢ what need he purpofe to give-contrary, with Oforius, Oe is Zi; 5 os; : arvian, and Many oit them, if he fore-fee that they will have it without his Gift? 4. Doi. raaineainine hae
you think that God fore-feeth any power to do good in men, but what he Auguftine held, igo <r | gk? nem ad gloriam elfe x intendeth to give them? or any good aif, but what proceedeth from that *” é SEES
power which he giveth them, and from his concourfe, or co-operating And no doubt but God influx? Idare fay that youdonot. 5. Anddoyouthink that we ima- aati ee gine that Ged giveth, or purpofeth to give, any following mercy to him jf thar be all.
18 OF Predefination.
that hath not the neceffary antecedent mercy? Asto glorifie any that is not juttified, or to juftifie any that isnot called. 6. .You fee then that _ it’s neceflary, if you will fey that you diftinguith of EleGion as
before faid. Though Gods Willinit felf, as was now faid, have no
proper fufpending condition 5 yet 5. The effects of Gods Will have.
2. And the Objects of Gods nit have their neceflary qualifications.
3. And fome of Gods Volitions are thence extrinfically. denominated
conditional. | Pea ee ts ie
Now, 1. God giveth Salvation to no Unbeliever, but on condition of Faith. And God aftually glorifieth none but penitent perfevering Believers: And both thefe he accordingly decreed or willeth. And can you fay then that Election hath xo refped to the perfons goodnefs. It hath not only refpe& to the good intended him, but to that good which is a neceflary qualification found in him; thatis, neceffary to the benefit to which heis ele@ed. Goddecreeth to give glory to none but perfevering Saints, nor perfeverance to none but the Holy, nor juftification to none but Believers. : | |
But I will confefS to you, that wehold, 1. That God abfolutely willed to give Chrift and the New Covenant to the World; 2. That he abfolutely willeth or decreeth to give the Gofpel and common Grace in a greater degree, to many a one that isno more worthy of it than others that are paft by,and to give it to none but the unworthy. 3. That he abfolutely decreeth to give Faith and Repentance to many that have long refifted him, and areas great Sinners as thofe that have them not, and to none but the unworthy in proper fenfe. And dare you deny any of this your felf> | : |
The eighth C ritnination, |
oe es A. Thus you bring prefumption into the World, and encourage men to Certum decretam Dei ane- fin s If once they be ele, let them do what they can, they are fure to be faved 5 mine infirmari pole: Stat for they are certain that EleZion will not change.
eit tentia ‘ . : Lee oar bags B. 1. Youare leading us towards the queftion of Perfeverance, beconditum orbemelegerit, fore the time. foe ee 2. Do you think your felf that E/ecion changeth? Is not this as much
Qurm vero rejccerit, ewm non pofft falvari, eti- imputable to you as us? or do we differ here? Do not you fay that God ant ae OT eit fore-knoweth who willbe faved? And can God be deceived? or fhall fuppofiion ) which not all certainly be glorified that are fo fore-known? Nay, do you not Epleopins ciceth with fay that, at leaft, upon that fore-knowledge, God decreeth each perfons But Brentius ibid. cited certain Salvation that fhall be faved? And can that Decree which is up-
A abi ice on fore-knowledge be fruftrate? Do not you then as much encourage J a “ e e e currit ceriofitati carn, pre{umption by a certain unchangeable Eletion as we.
que folet argute magis 3. It is factious perverfenefs (reflecting on your {elves as much as us ) si ssa ie which putsin that word, [ Let them do what they will,or live how they will, pr0 {uo ingenio colligert, — or fin they never fo much3 | For it falfly intimateth that God electeth men aie Sa oie to Glory, that live. impenitently in wickednefs3 according to our Dodamnari, etiam pefime Ckrine, Whereas we fay, 1. Thatifthe word EleZion be taken partialpepe bei ume © ly, forthe a& of Gods Decree to glorifie them, none but fore-feen perfedcputatum poffe falvari, ering Saints are the Objects; And a wicked Saint isa contradiction. Hea en fa tibial f Or if it be taken for Gods Decree to convert a man, we fay that this ts uivert. true, thatlet the World live never fo wickedly, God doth decree to convert fome of them from that wickednefs, but not all: Do Pi
Of Predestination. | ig
ee ae ae em etre ane Nan nENT Een INET mE em ote ee ees queftion this? 2. Butif the word Eledtion be taken jcomprebenfively, o.. prenting iid. ted then mens Holinefs, Repentance, and Faith is part of the Salvation by the fame Marlorate, which they are elected to: And to fay that God abfolutely eleteth Peter ith, Hec fententia octo live and die aSaiut, let him ¢( after Converfion ) live and die ever on aun fo wickedly 5 this isa putid contradiction, fuch paultry dealing faction %2” reverenter de pracaufeth; what do you differ from us in all this? * | A ae ieee 4. Butasto prefumption hereupon, I anfwer you, 1. That there is no ™/am a domino advitam mercy which Satan will not tempt mento abufe, even Chrift, and the jamrar, ‘simp cipne hopes of Heaven itfelf. 2. As long as wickednefs is that evil which vivat: nuliim item a De- Election decreeth to deliver us from 5 he that is wicked may be fwre that de Pyaar itil he hath not the benefit nor mark of Election, and cannot have the leaft eiang fe te affurance that he is ele. 3. And while he thatis truly godly knoweth wat velle pro fua lididiae that he is no further eleéted to Salvation than he is elected to perfevere | in godlinefs 5 this isno rational inducement tohim to forfake godline/s, * Vid.Epifcop. 1nftit. Theo, any more than to renounce Heaven, but rather toeonclude, I ave decreed ” ATA SiC00-1-PS 41 5 to perfevere in bolinefs, thereforeI muft fo do. 4. Andtopafsby the | Controverfie of perfeverance till we come to it, itis as all confefs, {6 few of the Elect that are certain of their own Election, that this Objection can extend but toafew. 5. Laftly, None are certain of their
leCtion, but fuch as have {trong clear a@ive Grace and evidence; that believe firmly, and love God much, and obey him carefnlly : And fuch as thefe are fit to improve affurance, and tolive in the fruits of love and
titude. Did you ever know what Jove, and thankfulnefs, and defight in God, and boline/s are, and yet can you think’ that they are the way tofin? You know nothing in Religion, if you know not, that
they are the life and foul of true Religion, and the moft powerful principles of Obedience and Perfeverance. Nor do you underftand the
hi Pe if you know not, that the greateft manifeftation of the
love of God, isthe greateft means of love, and thank filnefs, and defre,. and delight in God and goodnefs, unto man. _ :
The ninth Crimination.
A. At leaft thus * Fate is fet upin the World, and all things are under * syetonius faith Tiberius neceflity, azd nnavdidable. : : was @ negleder of Reli- . B. You had this Objection about xeceffity before, and to the anfwer coeape rea of it [refer you further, 1. Immutable Election doth fet up but a con- led by fate.
folatory quietting certainty inthe World, without which mans mind muft {till be in troublefome, unquiet, if not tormenting terrours. Is it a wrong to you, if you can be {ure to be faved?. Had you rather live and
die under thefe apprehenfions, [I know not whether I (hall be in Hea- IE Oe
C.11.p 431. Voluntas ifta’
venor Hell forever?] If you have not certainty, or a hope that 18 ab/olata bominem cam ¢-
fomewhat near it; I think this conclufion, if you be awake, and in your ae earls ied
wits, muft needs. make your life a conftant bondage, and the fear of oppoftorum neceffario condeath your conftant mifery, and muft blaft all the pleafures of your ful- M7irait & dettrminat om- : er ‘ jus ata C& eventa,
e{t Profperity. Thank God that his Foundation {tandeth fure, and the st nox aliter evenire que-
Lord knoweth who are his 5 and feethat you keep his mark upon you, @¥ dae men:
profeffing Chrift, and departing from iniquity. And donot cry out a8 pjjcators Arguments fer
if you were fatally carried to Heaven againft your wills. soilgrip oc las
as Asfor the word ( Fate’] itisambiguous: Some by fate, mean but ~~?" *"” the certainty that God's Predittions thall be fulfilled; Quod fatur eveniet. Some mean only the certain connexion of Caufes and Effects.
D 2 under
LE GE O sore, Jay vets
‘AHMAD! eh ee