A PLEA FOR FREEGRACE AGAINST :  
WHEREIN Matters about Grace and Providence are plainly and fully cleared, and contrary Opinions demonstrated to be against Scripture, the Judgement of the Primitive Church, and the Doctrine of the Church of England.  
By J. GAILHARD, Gent.  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in amongst you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own Selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them Acts 20.29, 30. By the grace of God I am what I am ... Yet not I but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Cor. 15.10. 
LONDON, Printed for George Grafton in Middle-Temple-lane in Fleetstreet MDCXCVI.   

THE PREFACE.  
THE Church of God, is in Scripture, under the name of his Love, compared to 
(a) Cant. 2.2.  the Lily among Thorns, which not only make her uneasy, but also do often strike deep wounds into her sides: The two head Thorns which from the beginning pricked her sometimes to the very bowels, and will do so to the world's end, are Tyranny, whence ariseth Persecutions, and Heresy, the cause of great Disorders and Confusion, this is the worst of the two, for tho' the other destroyeth several of the members, yet it purges the dross, and makes the blood of Martyrs the Seed of the Church: But this reacheth the very vitals, lays her in a languishing and fainting condition. 
(b) Gal. 5, 20.  Tyranny, is a foreign Enemy, for though sometimes persecutions were raised by some that had been members, yet they were fallen off, and had declared open war against it: But Heresy rockoned among the works of the flesh is a Domestic Enemy, living within her pales, yet so unnatural a child to the Mother, as to divide, rent, and tear her.  
The Holy Ghost forewarned us, that such things should happen, to the end we should not be surprised when they do: Our Blessed Saviour foretell his Disciples that there shall arise false Christ's, and false Prophets, and to make the Prophecy the more to be taken notice of, he addeth in the next verse, 
(c) Matth. 24.24, 25.  behold I have told you before. After him St. Paul shows a necessity for it, and gives the reason, for 
(d) 1 Cor. 11.19.  there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. And elsewhere he saith not of himself, but 
(e) 1 Tim. 4.1  the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter days some shall departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils. St. John gives the like warning how 
(f) 1 Joh. 4.1.  many false prophets are gone out into the world. There be false Prophets that are to come in among the flock in Sheep's clothing 
(g) Matth 7.15.  to do the more mischief, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves: Wherefore 'tis a truth beyond all dispute, that Men teaching false Doctrines are to arise out of the bosom of the Church, for as Christ's love is compared to the Lily, so are the Daughters compared to Thorns.  
It would be tedious and superfluous to name those Plants which our heavenly Father having not planted, have been, or aught to be rooted out, and those Tares which the enemy the Devil hath sowed in the Field; only out of the vast number of those that have been notorious, we shall mention two Heresiarcks, Authors of abominable Doctrines, one against the Person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the other against his Grace. The first, Arrius who afterwards was followed by Photinus, and others, and of late years by Socinus, denied and opposed the Deity of Christ, and in number prevailed to astonishment, for though that pestilent Heresy had, in the days of Constantine the Great, been condemned at the first Nicene Council, yet afterwards being maintained and upheld by some Emperors, in some other Councils, as Sirmiense and Seleucense, especially in that numerous meeting of Bishops at Rimini, that abominable Heresy was approved of and confirmed. The other infamous and notorious Heresiarch which opposed the Grace of Christ to set up Nature and , was Pelagius, who afterwards was followed by the Semipelagians, Papists, and of late by Arminians; and now unhappily at this time, the Church is troubled and pestered with both Arminianism and Socinianism, and to explode this last, the true way is to begin with the first, which also once was here, and is still a Shooing-horn to draw on Popery.  
Yet herein we ought to admire at, and adore the most wise Providence of God who thereby not only tried his Church, but also out of those Heresies brought forth this great Good, that several truths which before were not so well, nor so publicly known, and in the dark, have been brought to a greater and a more universal light; for ever God raised some eminent Instruments to maintain the Truth. Thus Athanasius was raised against Arianism, and endued with such courage, and other necessary qualifications, that tho' Error seemed to triumph in number of Men, yet he stood fast for the Truth; hence it was said of him, Athanasius against the whole World, and the whole World against Athanasius. If there had never been a Pelagius, or some such a Man, very likely we would never have had those excellent Writings of Austin, which so well enlarged upon, and cleared Matters of Grace; so that after St. Paul the great Apostle for free Grace, no Man hath upon those points written better than Austin. Thus, those Rocks which once others made Shipwreck upon, are to us become Buoys and Warnings.  
It hath been, and still is God's Method, from time to time, to exerci●● the Faith of his Church, upon several and different Matters, by means of heterodox and unsound Men; so that though Truth in itself be always Truth, yet some may well be called Truths of the Times, because sometimes they were not at all spoken for or against, and at one time they were opposed more than at another, especially at that very time when old Errors were revived, or new ones invented; for afterwards, new things being brought upon the Stage, old questions did wear off, and People minded new ones, yet with this good effect, That after all oppositions, Truth appeared the more glorious, like the Sun after it hath dispersed the Clouds that stood between it and our aspect.  
Thus after the Roman blast had for a long time almost withered the face of the Church, and the Frosts and Snows of the Alps almost starved it in appearance, yet when once more the light of the Gospel began to shine, the World was made sensible how all fires of Persecution could not consume the Truths of God, nor all the Waters of Affliction drown them; that Church which seemed to have been buried under the violence and cruelties of Antichrist, and wholly overlaid with all his Errors in Doctrine, with Superstition and Idolatry in Worship, yet when God's time for 
(a) Heb. 9.10.  Reformation was come, though that light of the Truth appeared but dim in a little corner of Germany, and upon occasion only of Indulgences at first, how suddenly upon new inquiries and new discoveries, notwithstanding the rage and craftiness of those that held it in unrighteousness, did it spread abroad almost all Europe over? So that the Lily, though amongst Thorns, by the dew from Heaven, the heat of the Sun of righteousness, and the fatness of the Soil watered with the Blood of so many thousands of Martyrs, became extraordinary fruitful; Germany, Bohemia, Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, England, Scotland, Ireland, the Low Countries, France, Switzerland, generally, and for the most part, and some Persons in Italy, received it.  
But since, whilst the Protestant Reformed Churches, (though in some of their Members lying under Persecution from Worldly Powers) were undisturbed amongst themselves, and agreed upon these Points, the Enemy again sowed Tares, which out of Flanders spread into Holland, whence, not just presently, but soon after, that Poison crept over hither, where it was opposed and condemned, as contrary to the professed Doctrine of the Church as by the Grace of God, I shall clearly make it appear.  
Though, upon these Matters, several Books have been written in Defence of Truth, yet 'tis long since, so that many of them are almost out of Print, and those that remain do not fall into every one's hands, wherefore it will not be amiss sometimes, and upon occasion, for some to publish their thoughts, to assert and vindicate Matters of God's Grace and Providence, in opposition to what Adversaries do write or say against it, in their Discourses, and in the Pulpits, and upon that same account I now do bring in my Evidence.  
That which chief engages me upon this present Design, is to hear, upon all occasions, these unsound Doctrines ring out of the Pulpits, which for the most part they have been in possession of for several years, they having taken effectual care to keep those that are for the Truth from going up to such public Places; so that they would create a belief in People, that what they teach is the Doctrine of the Gospel received by the Church, and by those means infuse into common capacities, those evil Principles which do puff up Men with the Opinion of their Natural Strength, which must needs produce dangerous practices. We teach, how God from Eternity hath freely Decreed our Salvation, in the fullness of time Christ purchased it, and in time 'tis promised and offered us in the Word, and thereby we are called to come in to Christ upon his own terms; Sacraments do seal it, the Holy Ghost applieth it, Faith receives it, and Holiness, with other good Works, do bear Witness to it. In few Words, out of the whole corrupt lump of Mankind, God hath freely chosen some to be Objects of his Mercy, and hath elected them to eternal life through Faith in Christ our Lord, which Faith, and other necessary means to come to Glory, in execution of his Decree, he doth in time give us, till at last, through these means of Grace, we are brought into eternal life, and all this merely out of his Mercy, and only through his free Grace; the rest of Mankind he leaves in their Natural corruption, at last to have his Justice executed upon them. We attribute our whole Salvation to God's free Grace, and they to Natural Strength and ; which is clearly made out.  
But a further reason to engage me upon this Design, is the great affinity between Socinians and Arminians, for in some things they border so near one upon the other, and in others are so united, that specially they agreeing with Papists in most of those Points wherein they differ from us, I am afraid of the production of some new Monstrous Opinion, now when Socinians increase, come fast upon us, and even in Print, without any check, grow bolder every day: God knows what the effect of such an Union may prove, and how pernicious to the Souls of many, as some of them formerly turned Papists, so now others may happen to become rank Socinians. Once Arminianism had very near brought in Popery, and now 'tis apace ushering in Socinianism; these are great Judgements, though most Men seem not to be sensible thereat, which at last may happen to deprive us of the light of the Gospel; all this danger and evil, if it doth befall us, we do, and shall owe to Arminianism.  
Here we have a large Field to bring in the Evidence and Authority of several of the Ancient Fathers of the Church, engaged in the Defence of the same Cause with us, which have spoken clearly, fully, and to the purpose; but because the Rule, I mean the Word of God, is so clear, I think it were needless to borrow the Authority of Man, which we may believe no farther than it agrees with Scripture, after God hath declared his Holy Will and Mind; neither are there such difficulties, as do need the interpretation of most, or many Ancient Doctors: Besides, it would be tedious for common capacities, which I desire to make these Matters intelligible to, as mach as I can, and the subject will admit, to run over several passages of the Fathers, for 'tis not material, chief, for a kind of Readers, to know what Austin, Hilary, Prosper, Fulgentius, Hierom, and so many others, with Bertram, Bernard, etc. have written upon the matter, as what the Word of God saith about it; wherefore for Proofs, we shall stick chief to the Law and to the Testimony.  
The Church, like the Ship in the 
(a) Marth. 8.24, 25, 26.  Gospel, is tossed up and down with Winds and Waves, exposed to Rocks, Sands, and many other Dangers; in such a case what's to be done? In Storm time, like the Disciples, we must go to the Lord Jesus with Cries and Prayers awake him, and say, Lord save us, we perish; for our Comfort we must not go far, he is in the Ship, and though he be asleep, and to make us call the louder seems to be so, for 
(b) Psal. 121.4.  he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep, yet in good time he will awake, arise and rebuke the Winds and the Sea, and there shall be a great Calm; may the Lord do so in his due time. Yet sometime some Jonah, who is the cause of the Tempest, must be cast overboard; some are by Christ 
(c) Rev. 3.16.  spewed out of his Mouth, and 
(d) 1 Tim. 1.2.  delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. This is the end of many a disturber of the Peace of the Church, which we are sure cannot miscarry, but shall at last come to a good Harbour, for though sometimes the Body be under Water, as long as its Head is above it, there is no danger of being drowned.   

TO THE READER.  
THE following Sheets I once intended to Dedicate to my Lord Carteret, thereby to show my singular esteem for his Piety, Virtue, and Merits: But God By a late untimely Death, and much to be lamented, having taken him to himself, That design vanished and my measures were broken, and so I now leave only these few words of my respect for his Memory.   

ERRATA.  
PAg. 1. last line but one, before and what r. wait for: p. 15. in the Margin, r. Deut. 28: p. 18. in the Marg. r. Psal. 135: p. 19 l. 1. r. bow: p. 25. l. 24. after which r. Sense: p. 33. l. 7. r. that all: p. 50. in the Margin r. Isaiah 12.40: p. 60. l. 5. before question add to: p. 104. l. 14. r. Elijah: p. 120. l. 7. before looked add God: p. 128. l. 37. for naturally r. wholly: p. 135. in the Margin, for John r. Joshua: p. 142. l. 29. after but add be is: p. 170. in the Margin, for John r. Jonah: p. 217. l. 32. r. 1615: p. 222. last l. for mistake r. mislike: p. 231. for beg r. buy; besides few mistakes in the Marginal Quotations.   


CHAP. I. A Plea for Freegrace against .  
SO much, and by several hands, hath already been said upon the points I now go about to handle, that I must not pretend to bring many new lights to the matter: Only what I propose to myself is as much as I can, and the nature of the thing will give me leave, to make it clear to a common Capacity, that ordinary people may not, as often they are, be easily imposed upon by those who disguise and defame the Truth, whither out of Ignorance or Malice or both, let God and their Conscience be their Judge: all they could, they have done upon wrong suggestions, to influence a prejudice not only against the things but the very names, so that some are come to that length as to slight and leave off reading a Book if they see the word Predestination in it, as if they were frighted with the name, or there was some dangerous Poison under it: but after this rate, such must also leave off reading some places of Scripture, wherein the word to Predestinate is several times contained: I know how to write Truth upon the Mind, and the Heart is the proper work of God's own Spirit; specially those Truths that are contrary and cross to Man's natural Pride and Inclination: Only I desire the Reader to remove all prejudices so, quietly and patiently to peruse those few sheets, and what God will do for him in the discovery of these truths which the Adversaries thereof have done what they could to confine and hid in Corners, and if thereby he meets with satisfaction and advantage in the discoveries of it, let him thankfully give God the Glory.  
But this is certain, how those errors which tend to destroy Grace, and set up a strength in Nature, began some years ago to be so propagated by a sort of Men who designed to meet with, and be reconciled to the Church of Rome, that they went about (and too far prevailed in't) to corrupt the very Springs of Learning, with keeping out of the Universities those that were for free Grace against free Will, and bringing in only those whom they thought fit for their purpose; wherefore 'tis no wonder if so many Streams derived from thence, have been infected with that Corruption infused into and influenced upon them, and if the Disease is become Epidemical amongst that party, wherein to profess such Opinions, was a great qualification for Places and Preferments: But every sound and Orthodox Christian must own, that in matter of Salvation, we cannot attribute too much to free Grace, nor too little to Nature and to our own Strength, which is the true State of the Dispute.   

CHAP. II. Who Arminius was, and what are his Opinions.  
BUT before we proceed, it will be necessary for a better information of the Reader, to give some account of the Author and of his Opinions. Arminius or James Van Hermin a Dutchman, from whom they are called Arminians, though they take the name of Remonstrants, was not properly the Author, but Reviver of old Errors, with some kind of alteration. 'Tis commonly known in Holland whence we have this account of his Person, how at first (let it be spoken without any design to reflect) he was a Tapster or Chamberlain in a Publick-house, from whence by the care of some Guests, who were pleased with his Wit, he was sent to School, and there maintained out of the public Treasury of Amsterdam; where he afterwards was admitted to be a Preacher: whence after the Death of Learned Junius, he was called to Leyden, to be Divinity Professor in his place, but upon condition that before his admittance, he should have a Conference with Gomarus, etc. and in that Conference he should by an open Declaration of his Opinion, clear himself of all suspicion of unsoundness in Doctrine, and that he should promise, if he had any singular Opinions, he would not discover them to the disturbance of the Churches: Which Conference was accordingly held before the Curators of the University and the Deputies of the Synod, in which Arminius most expressly denied and condemned the Opinions of Pelagius, about Grace, , Original Sin, Perfection in this Life, and Predestination; adding that he approved all that Austin and other Fathers had written against Pelagius, promising also to read nothing different from the received Doctrine: hereupon he was admitted Professor, and for some time taught the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches in the points of Christ's Satisfaction, Justification by Faith, Perseverance in Faith, Certainty of Salvation, and such other matters as afterwards he denied; this breach of his promifes was so notorious, and he went so far on, that to remedy this evil, the calling a Synod was thought necessary, which he by means of Friends and Credit which was considerable amongst great Men, as Barnevelt who afterwards lost his Head, Vtengobard, of Grotius, etc. he did stop it as much as he could, knowing he there should be called to answer for himself: But seeing, how for all his oppositions, a Synod was like to be, he fell Sick for Grief, as generally believed, and died October 19 1609. He was so full of Envy against the reputation of the first Reformers, that one of his chief designs ever was, how to discredit their Persons and Labours, which spirit of his in a high degree is transmitted to his Sectators. For certainly no Papist can or doth express a greater Contempt, Hatred and Malice against the Blessed Memory of those Eminent instruments of Reformation, than most Arminians do.  
After his Death, his Party used the same means to prevent a Synod, nay rather than not to do it, they would have betaken themselves to their Arms, had they not been prevented by the extraordinary care and diligence of Maurice Prince of Orange, in Conformity to Orders from the States: Before this, they had so shuffled things, that with their tricks they hindered it for some Years, till the disease and danger of ruin not only in that Church, but in the State also, growing worse and worse: And King James from hence pressing strongly the State's General for a Convocatio of a Synod, at last it began in 1618., to be held at Dort: Where did meet Divines, not only within the Dominions of Holland and the Seven Provinces, but also out of England, and from most if not all other Reformed Churches. 'tis true the French did not send in any solemn deputation, for they dared not do it without leave of that Popish Court, and they chose rather not to ask than to do it and be denied; however the sense of that Church was by the French Churches gathered in those Provinces, and then by Peter Du-Moulin in his Letters and Book of Anatomy of Arminianism sufficiently made known to that Synod: and afterwards a French 
(a) Held at Ale●zon, Octob. 6. 1620.  National Synod approved of, and inserted amongst their one resolutions, the Acts of the Synod of Dort, where the Arminian Errors were unanimously condemned. This, the Arminians from the beginning thought would be the conclusion of such a Solemn Assembly, wherefore like Popes, Papists and Heretics, they were afraid to have things discussed in a free Council, where the word of God is the only Rule: and therefore they used their utmost endeavours to stop it as long as they could.  
As to Arminius his Opinions, they are part from Pelagius and part from Papists: Against the first God raised Austin, who by force of Scripture did beat the Heretic in all his Errors: yet after his Death, 
(a) Faustus and Cassianus.  those of his Sectators that remained, thinking it not fit for them to own things to the height, as Pelagius had done, abated something of it, and made alterations, and got the name of Semipelagians, whom also Austin and his Followers did write against, with the same success he before had obtained against their Founder: In the Eighth Century Semipelagians caused a great deal of trouble as we see in the Cause of Gottescalk, whereof Worthy and Famous Primate Usher, hath given so true and so good an account. About the Year 1590. Molina a Jesuit renewed the old Errors, but was opposed at Rome by Alvarez, a Dominican Friar, who followed the Principles of Thomas Aquinas, hence to this very day continues the dispute about these matters between Jesuits and Dominicans: Lessius another Jesuit at Louvain in the Spanish Netherlands, became a Second to Molina, and under the favour of the Neighbourhood, those Errors passed into Holland, where Arminius entertained them. Let those who have a mind to a fuller account of Pelagius his Errors, read what 
(a) Joh. Ger. hardi Vossii Hist. Pelag.  one hath written upon that Subject, for I mention it only by the by, and as it leads me to the Arminians, who here durst not appear during King James' Life, but in his Sons Reign under Archbishop Laud's Favour and Protection, in they came with a full Sail, and then indeed, but not before, gins our Arminian Church, but with this difference from those in Holland, that they incline more to Socinianism, and ours more to Popery, hence it is that at last some of them as Barret, Montague, etc. turned Papists.  
Now 'tis true, and to be observed, how concerning the controverted points we hold the same as did the ancient Fathers who did write against Pelagius: and Arminians assert some of the same things, if not all, which Pelagius did, so that 'tis the same Cause, and, as by the grace of God we shall see anon, Pelagians did cast on their Adversaries, the same aspersions as Arminians do upon us: But first we must set down what are their Opinions contained in several Articles which they themselves at the Hague-Conference, and at the Synod of Dort, reduced to five the Chief, though there be more: Here I will in substance set them down; but to help the Reader I must first write the Orthodox Doctrine in opposition to every Article of theirs, as an Antidote and Preservative against the Poison. Afterwards I shall endeavour out of Scripture to prove it, and so confute their Notions, and this as shortly as I can, and as far as I am able accommodating things with the capacity of the unlearned Reader, which being done, then by the grace of God I shall go on, and as far as God will be pleased to enable me, enlarge somewhat in the School way upon every point.  
First, 
Orthedox I.  We say that from all Eternity, God hath by his unchangeable Decree and Purpose, predestinated unto life, not all Men, nor any undetermined, but a certain select number of particular Men, commonly called the Elect, which number can neither be increased nor diminished: Others he hath passed by and predestinated to eternal Death.  
They say, 
Arminian I.  there is no absolute or unrevocable, but only a conditional and mutable Decree of Predestination both to Life and Death, and that not of any particular persons, but indefinitely of all Believers and Unbelievers, and that the number of the Elect and Reprobate is not so certain, but that it may be either increased or lessened.  
We say that the only moving and esficient cause of Predestination or Election unto Life, 
Orth. II.  is the mere good Pleasure, Love, Freegrace and Mercy of God, not the foresight of faith, perseverance, good works, good will, or any other quality whatsoever in the persons elected: And that though sin be the only cause of Damnation, yet the sole and primary cause of nonelection or Reprobation, or why God doth not Elect those that Perish, is the mere  and Pleasure of God, not the foresight of any actual sin, unbelief or final impenitency in the person rejected.  
They say, 
Arm. II.  the foreknowledge of Faith, Perseverance, Goodworks, and the right use of Grace received, are the pre-required Conditions, and the efficient causes of Election unto Life, not God's freegrace and mercy only without respect to these as to a cause, and that the original and moving cause of reprobation, that is of the Decree not of its Execution, is only the foresight of sin, unbelief or final impenitency in the persons rejected, not the mere freewill and pleasure of God.  
We say that the Elect do always obey, 
Orth. III.  when the time appointed for their Conversion is come, neither do or can they finally or totally resist the inward powerful and effectual call or working of God's spirit in their Hearts in the very act of their Conversion, neither is it in their own power to Convert or not Convert themselves, at that very time when they are converted.  
They say it is in the will and power of men, 
Arm. III.  either finally or totally to resist the inward call, the effectual working of God's Spirit in their Hearts in the very act of Conversion, so that they may at that very instant and all times else, either withstand or embrace their Conversion as they please.  
We say that true justifing, saving faith, 
Orth. IU.  is proper and peculiar to the Elect alone, who after they are once truly regenerated and by faith engrafted in Christ, do always and constantly persevere unto the end, though they sometimes fall through infirmity into grievous sins, yet they never fall totally or finally from the habits, seeds and state of Grace.  
They say that true justifying Faith is neither a true special fruit of Election, 
Arm. IU.  nor yet proper to the Elect alone, that 'tis often found in Reprobates: And that the very Elect by falling into sin, may and often do fall totally and finally from the very habit, seeds, and state of Grace.  
We say that Christ's death is of sufficient  merit in itself, 
Orth. V.  though not in God's intention or his holy Spirit's application, to redeem and save all mankind, wherefore he died really and effectually for none but the Elect, for whom alone he actually and effectually hath obtained remission of sins and everlasting life.  
They say Jesus Christ died effectually alike for all men whatsoever, 
Arm. V.  whether Elect or Reprobates: without any special intent to save the Elect alone, or any particular persons more than others: With a general purpose to save all men alike, upon condition of their believing and applying of his death, which dependeth principally upon every man's own actual will and powers, not of Christ's actual application of it to them by his Spirit.  
To this one thing more I shall add against one of their Opinions: 
Orth. VI.  We say there is not any such , any such universal and sufficient Grace communicated unto all men, whereby they may Repent, believe and be Saved, if they will themselves.  
They say there is an universal sufficient Grace derived upon all men since the fall of Adam, 
Arm. VI  by virtue of which, they may all Repent, Believe and be Saved, if they will themselves.  
These and several other things of that kind, as namely, the important point of Justification, which they so highly have corrupted, of Providence and others, which by the grace of God in due time we shall have occasion to speak of, are the matters we do differ about: yet to what we already said of their adhering to Pelagians, Massilienses and Semipelagians, we may add how some of them own Socinus' and Worstius his Blasphemies against the Trinity of the Divine Persons, the simplicity of divine Nature itself, etc. as King James charges them with it; and well so he might, for after Arminius' Death, they were so desirous to be headed by Worstins, that they used all their endeavours to have had him to succeed the other in his place of Professor of Divinity at Leyden: Hence it is that they openly declared they had nothing against Worstius, nor had found any thing in his Writings contrary to Truth and Piety, and that it would be most profitable for Church and Commonwealth, if his calling should go on. This account we have in the Preface of the Acts of the Synod of Dort. And it is well known how King James opposed effectually that man's promotion to that place, and whose Book De Deo & Attributis was here burnt by the hand of the Hangman, according to King James' special Order, and by advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury.  
But because it is not enough to affirm things without proofs, therefore now before I proceed, I must bring in evidence for the Articles I set down: Scripture, which in this is Judge and Rule, affordeth us a great cloud of Witnesses: And to begin with our first Article clearly proved out of that excellent place of 
(a) Ephes. 1.4, etc.  St. Paul, which hereafter I shall have occasion to make use of, but for the present omit to prove first the Eternity of God's Decree out of another Text of the same Apostle. God who 
(b) 2 Tim. 1.9.  hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began. This Text is very comprehensive, here is the Decree under the name of his own purpose, out of which are excluded any thing of our own, not according to our works, but attributed only to his Freegrace according to his own purpose and grace: The eternity of this Decree, is thus expressed, before the world began, this Decree of Election is the ground of our Salvation, God who hath saved us, the next effect is our Vocation, and called us with an holy, that is an effectual calling. We want not other places of God's word to prove the Eternity of his Decree, but afterwards we shall have occasion to make use of them, for often one and the same Text doth prove several things.  
As for the Immutability of God's Decree of Predestination, we have clear and undeniable proofs. 
(c) Psal. 33.11.  David saith, The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. As positive as this is what he saith in another place: 
(d) Psal. 89.28, 33.34.  My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. And a little below, nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth. Here we see how the Counsel of the Lord, and the thoughts of his heart which are his Decree shall stand, that is, are unchangeable, so are his mercies, his lovingkindness, his faithfulness, which the Decree of Election is grounded upon; as to his Covenant, called the thing that is gone out of his mouth, it shall not be broken nor altered, but it shall stand: All this is for its immutability. And the prophet, saith, 
(e) Isai. 14.24.  The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: Vers. 7 We have not only God's Word but his Oath for his Truth, which must needs convince us of what a high concernment it is, yet as if 'twas not enough, three verses lower 'tis added, For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul? and his hand is stretched, and who shall turn it back? This makes good the immutability of a Decree both of Election and Reprobation, so it doth the final unrefistibility of Grace and of the works of his Providence.  
St. Paul that great Preacher of Freegrace, out of a sense of the great mercy God had showed him, doth almost every where batter down Works, , and all pretences of man's strength, to set up the Grace and Power of God, specially in his Epistle to the Romans, but above all in the 9th chap. which before we have done, we shall often have occasion to make use of, for it seems to have been written to condemn Arminianism: In a place there the Apostle saith, 
(a) Rom. 9.11.  For the Children being not yet born, neither having done any good or any evil, that the purpose of God according to Election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth: any thing of works and of Faith too, (for they could have no Faith before they were born, or had done any good or any evil) are here excluded, and all attributed to the purpose of God according to Election: The same Apostle, saith in another place, that though some have erred concerning the Truth, even those who before were professors of it, such as 
(b) 2 Tim. 2.17, 19  Hymineus and Philetus, yet, Nevertheless, the foundation of the Lord standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his: 'tis no prejudice to, neither can it change God's Decree. And still to make use of the same authority, St. Paul saith elsewhere, 
(c) Ephes. 1.9.  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself: Not only that purpose in himself, but also the declaration to us of that mystery of his will, are altogether attributed to his good-pleasure, not to any thing without him, or in the Creature, and all this to the end, 
(d) Ephes. 2.7.  That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness tovards us, through Christ Jesus. Here is Grace, here are riches of Grace, yea, exceeding riches of Grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus, through whom only these graces are conveyed to us, and who is the sole dispenser thereof, and he addeth, 
(f) Ephes. 1.11.  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Here every word is a sentence against our Adversaries, and after this, 'tis an amazement to me, that amongst those who pretend to be Christians, and to receive the word of God for rule of the Truth, there should be some who go about to set up , and Man's strength to the prejudice of Grace; and forge Motives and Counselors for God, besides his own goodwill and pleasure.  
We say further, there is a certain small select number of those that are predestinated to Glory, this we speak after St. Paul, 
(g) Rom. 11.5, 6.  Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace; and if by grace than it is no more of works: otherwise, grace is no more grace; but if it be of works, than it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. Here the reason is given, why amongst the unbelieving obstinate Jews, there was a small remnant which did believe and were saved: The Faith, Grace, and Salvation of this remnant is ascribed to their Election as to the cause, and this Election affirmed to come only of God's grace, and denied to have proceeded from any of their works, not by a simple affirmation, but by a double opposition of Works and Grace, as incompatible in point of Election. Arminians must not think to blind this with saying, they do not attribute Election to a foresight of Works, but of Faith: 'Tis true their Father Arminius doth not openly assert it, this Text being so clear and so positive, however he minced the matter, for he made Election and Justification to depend upon Faith, not as an Instrument applying Christ, but as an Evangelical Work in the Gospel, appointed of God to be a saving quality in itself, as a perfect Obedience should have been under the Law: but his Followers are not so scrupulons as he: But the Apostle denies it to be of Faith as of Works, wholly ascribing it to the Election or Grace.  
But as to the point of the small number of the Elect, our blessed Saviour himself decides it, when he saith. 
(a) Matth. 20.10.  Many be called, but few chosen; and St. Paul, to show the small number of those that are elected and shall be saved, is not satisfied to call it a remnant in the place already quoted, but in another of the same Epistle, he also makes use of the word remnart, 
(b) Rom. 9.27.  Though the number of the children of Israel be as the Sand of the Sea, a remnant shall be saved. Only a remnant, and this after the Prophet Isaiah 10.20, 21. Who elsewhere calls it 
(c) Isai. 1.9.  A very small remnant, which the Apostle in the same Chapter doth call a Seed, 
(d) Rom. 9.29.  Except the Lord of Sabbath had left us a seed, which is only as much as sufficeth to sow the ground. 
(e) Heb. 12.23.  These are called the general Assembly, and Church of the first born, which are written in Heaven, in the Book of God's Election, which can never be increased nor diminished, and this 
(f) Ephes. 4.12, 13.  for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: Which meaneth that there is a fullness of the mystical body of Christ, that is so many Members, and that every Member is to come unto a degree of Stature, unto a perfect Man, as a certain number of Martyrs that shall be fulfilled, Rev. 6.9, 11. All those and those only 
(g) Rom. 8.30.  whom God did predestinate, them he also called, with an inward and effectual calling, and whom he called, all and only them he also justified, all and only them he also glorified. This is the Golden Chain of our Salvation, and the thing so certain and so sure, that though to some it be to come, 'tis represented as already past; and as if they were in actual possession of Glory: There shall be no more nor less; and though to the eye of Man in this there may seem to be some alteration, some falling from the Truth, it is only as to the outward show and profession, not as to the Election. Wherefore St. John 
(h) 1 John 2.19.  saith, They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. And this also is a strong proof and evidence of the perseverance, and against the final Apostasy of Saints, which Arminians are stiff asserters of: And that Election is the sole cause of everlasting Salvation, it appears, because into the heavenly City 
(i) Rev. 21.27.  none shall enter, but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life? In another place this Book is mentioned, 
(k) Rev. 13.8.  and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the Beast) whose names are not written in the book of the lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. This is the Book of God's Decree of Election, all that have names written in it shall enter into new Jerusalem, or Heaven; but those whose names are not written therein, and do worship the Beast, 
(l) Rev. 20.10, 12.  shall with the devil, the beast and the false prophet be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, that is Hell, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever, and in that same chap. ver. 12. again amongst the Books that were opened, a particular mention is made of the Book of Life, the opening of which Book is mentioned by a 
(m) Dan. 7.10, and 12.1: Philip. 4.3.  Prophet, and by an Apostle, speaking of some whose names are written in the Book of Life.  
On the other side, we say that as God hath elected some to everlasting Life, so others he hath reprobated, and appointed to eternal Death. The Decree of Predestination is the sentence of both, of Pardon and Absolution for some, and of Condemnation for others. See the proof of this, 
(n) Rom. 9.22.  What if God willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known to men, endured with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction? Such as Esau, whom God hated, such as Pharaoh, 
(o) Ver. 13, 17.  whom God raised for this same purpose, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. All the earth is God's, and so are all that dwell therein, and this calls to my mind a common saying we have my Lord is Lord and Master at home, where, as he pleases, he may order things as they best conduce to his honour and convenience, and if we may argue from the less to the greater, why should we not say, Heaven and Earth are God's; why then should not the Lord dispose of all things therein for his Glory, as it best seems good unto him? Scripture speaks of it, as matter of Fact, I hope no Man may or will question the matter of Right. 
(p) Judas 4.  There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, etc. So that as some are ordained to eternal life, others are to condemnation, this is a Scripture phrase, not of our making. We have a third witness for this Truth: Christ is a stone, 
(d) 1 Pet. 2.8.  a stumbling, and a rock of offence, to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed: As some are vessels of honour, appointed to obedience of Faith, so others are vessels of dishonour, appointed to disobedience; and this we do clearly see in the next verse, by the opposition he makes between some men and others: But ye, saith he, are a chosen generation, 
Vers. 9  a Royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar people. The Lord Jesus saith clearly, how at the last day there shall be two sorts of men: To his sheep at the right hand, he will say, 
Matth. 25.33, 3●, etc.  come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world. Which proveth their Election to Glory from Eternity, as blessed of the Father: In these words I think I read God's Decree of Election of those blessed ones. But Christ will say to those on the left, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his Angels. Here is a Kingdom prepared for the blessed of the Father from the foundation of the World; here is an everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, so that in that very place me may see Christ opening the Books of Election and Reprobation, of Salvation and Damnation; not only the Names but the Persons of the Elect may be seen on the right-hand, as those of the reprobate may be seen on the left. This everlasting fire is prepared not only for the Devil and his Angels, but also for the Devil and his Children, for so our Saviour calleth some Jews, 
(e) John 8.44.  Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning, etc. he is a liar, and the father of it. Thus Elymas the Sorcerer, is by St. Paul, called 
(f) Acts 13.10.  thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness: Such was Judas by our Saviour called, 
(g) Joh. 17.12.  the son of perdition, who as Peter saith, 
(h) Acts 1.25.  was gone to his own place: If there be, as certainly there is, a place for the Devils and wicked Men, prepared from Eternity, there is reason also why from Eternity wicked men should he appointed for that place, upon which account as I said before, they are vessels of wrath fitted for destruction. Now that God is the efficient cause of both Election and Reprobation, 'tis plain out of what the Apostle saith, 
(i) 1 Thes. 5 9  God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Then God doth appoint some Men to Wrath, and some to Salvation. Thus the Reader may see how strong in that way cometh the stream of Scripture, which we do but follow.  
Our Second Article is this: The only moving cause of our Election, is the mere good pleasure, love, freegrace and mercy of God: This truth we also have many proofs of. I 
(k) Exod. 33.19.  will, saith God, be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy: What can Men object against this? By the mouth of his Prophet, he saith, 
(l) Hos. 14.4.  I will love them freely. We use to say nothing is more free than Love: Yet amongst Men, some motive or pretence may happen to be assigned, but in relation to God's love to the Creature, no such thing may be pleaded for, even in this world when God prefereth a people or one person before another, there is nothing in that subject to move him to it, as in the case of the Children of Israel. Moses tells them plainly, first, not for their number 
(m) Deut. 7.7, 8.  the Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people, for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and would keep the oath he had sworn unto your fathers. Let this stop every Man's mouth, God loves because he will love, let who can go further and fathom that which is infinite: neither were they chosen and loved for their wisdom, for 
(n) Deut. 32.21.  they were a nation void of counsel, neither was there any understanding in them. Nor for their uprightness of heart, or for 
(o) chap. 9.4, 5, 6.  their righteousness, for they were a stiffnecked people. Neither was it for any power of theirs, 
(p) chap. 8.17, 18.  to do, to say, not so much as in thine heart, my power, and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. And 
(q) chap. 4.38.  the nations that were driven out before them, were greater and mightier than they: So none of the things mentioned, nor any thing else in them, commended them to God. We see how careful was that faithful Servant of God, to beat them out of the conceit of any merits of their own, to move the Lord God to do them good: Hence it is that Samuel saith to Israel, 
(r) 1 Sam. 12.22.  the Lord will not forsake his people, and the reason he gives, is this, because it hath pleased him to make you his people. Thus it is with God, upon the account of any mercy he bestoweth upon the Creature of any nature whatsoever, David declareth the same, 
(i) Psal. 44.3.  for they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. Thus we read in the Gospel, when the Lord Jesus worked a Cure of any bodily or spiritual Disease, he made it wholly depend upon his will, as in the Miracle upon the Leper, he said, 
(k) Matth. 8.3.  I will be thou clean; and in the case of working Faith, 
(l) chap 11.27.  neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. So 
(m) Joh 5.21.  the Son quickeneth whom he will. Thus as of our Election, so of our Regeneration and Conversion, there is no other cause but the will of God, for, 
(n) Jam. 1.18.  of his own will begat he us, with the word of truth. In few words, the whole work of Salvation is an effect of his freegrace: 
(o) Ephes 2. ● ad vers. 8.  When we were dead in sin, he hath quickened us, the reason he giveth there, is this, by grace ye are saved, in both verses, for he repeats it three verses lower, by grace ye are saved, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.  
We further say, there was no foresight or consideration of any work, faith, or merit in us, why God should Elect us? 
(p) Ezck. 16.6.  And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live: yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, live. What sign of Faith or comeliness in that condition was there in us? what ornaments in us there have been since, they are the work of God in us, whether repentance, faith, holiness, or any other grace: For after God said to us, live, he washed and anointed us, clothed and decked us, etc. as may be seen in the following verses. 
vers. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.  We add that sin is the only cause of damnation, as in St. Matthews 
(q) Matth 25.42, 43.  Gospel, by me quoted already: 
(r) Rom. 2.9.  Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil. In another place of Scripture he says positively 
(s) Rom. 6.23.  the wages of sin is death. But here by the by this I must take notice of, how though Damnation be the reward for Sin, it doth not follow, that Salvation should be the reward of Faith or good Works, the just reward of Sin is Death, it is its due; but the Apostle doth not say that Eternal Life is the wages of Faith or Righteousness, as Death is of Sin; 
(a) Ver. 23.  but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is a great disparity between the rules and means of Justice, and of Mercy, as hereafter we shall have occasion to show, as also why God leaves and Elects one and not the other, as in the ease of Esau and Jacob. 
(b) Malach. 1.2, 3.  I have loved you saith the Lord, yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's Brother, yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, of which no account but God's pleasure, for St. Paul makes to the same purpose, use of the place in Rom. 9 as already quoted.  
But now we must come to the proof of our 3d. Article, namely, that the Elect do constantly obey God's call when the time is come, when 
(c) Cant. 1.4.  God draweth they follow, nay, they run; draw me, we will run after thee, and 
(d) Lament. 5.21.  turn thou us unto thee, and we shall be turned: The Elect obey the call: When St. Paul heard the voice from Heaven, he said, 
(e) Acts 9.6.  Lord what wilt thou have me to do? This inward call, for St. Paul's was such as well as outward, makes a great change in Man, how willing, how ready to obey, 
(f) Gal. 1.16.  he conferred not with flesh and blood, but submitted. So did the Jailor, he said to Paul and Silas, 
(g) Act. 16, 30.  Sirs, what must I do to be saved? The new Converts willing to be directed, said unto Peter and other Apostles, 
* Acts. 2.37.  men and brethren wha shall we do; though at first all know not what to do, ye are prepared to obey, and desirous to be instructed, when the Lord said unto Paul, arise and go into the City, and it shall be told thee what thou must do; he complied and went: So Samuel, assoon as 
(h) 1 Sam. 3.4, 6, 8, 10.  the Lord called Samuel, he answered, Here I am: and though he at first did not well know the nature of the voice, nor whose it was yet he ran to the place whence he thought the voice came, disposed to obey, and when heat last was better informed, than he said, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth: For though, may be at first, God's people do not distinctly understand the call, yet God never gives over calling till we are come to him, God makes known unto us the mystery of his will, to this end, saith St. Paul, 
(i) Ephes. 1.10.  That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him: But God is never disappointed of his ends, he worketh effectually, and unresistibly, 
Ver. 19  wherefore this is called the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power: Observe the Emphasis. This dealing of God in and towards Believers, is in one and the same verse called the working of God's power; yea his Mighty Power, and in the beginning of the verse, not only his Power, but the greatness, and the exceeding greatness of his Power. The effectual preaching of the Gospel to People or Persons, is an effect of their Election, as the Cause is known by the effect; so a posteriori, Election is by a powerful preaching of the Gospel. 
(k) 1 Thes. 1.4, 5.  Knowing, beloved, your election of God, saith St. Paul; for our Gospel came not you unto in word only, but also in power, and in the holy Ghost, and in much assurance, etc. to the Elect ever it comes so, in the due time, and by its coming so, they may judge themselves to be Elect, for he saith also in much assurance.  
We add further, that the Elect neither do nor can finally and totally resist the inward, powerful and effectually calling of God's spirit in the very act of their Conversion: 
(l) Psal. 115.3.  For our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he pleased. The same in another place, we have with enlargement, 
(m) Psal. 13.6.  Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. No deeper places than Man's Heart, which no humane power can dive into, much less to frame and govern it; but God can and doth, even those hearts that are the most unsearchable and past finding out; the hearts of Kings, full of turn and wind of humane Policy. 
(n) Prov. 21.1.  Yet the King's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will, 
Ver. 2.  he makes nothing of it, and the Lord pondereth the hearts. Now in matter of Conversion, the greatest opposition lies in the heart, but God can remove it as it pleases him: Therefore let it be never so stubborn, it must fall when God will have it, and it can never finally resist Grace: 
(o) Isa. 45.23.  I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear; yea, and every heart too shall vow and swear. Who can resist the power of God, when he hath a mind effectually to work? 
(a) Chap. 43.13.  I will work, and who shall let it? What miserable wretches are those that dare assert the Contrary.  
Our 4th. Article saith, True justifying Faith is peculiar to God's Elect: St. Paul indeed calls it 
(b) Tit. 1.1.  the faith of God's elect, and it must be proper to them, because it is an effect and consequence of Election: 
(c) Rom. 11.7.  Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, saith Paul, what is it? Righteousness and Justification, they were seeking to be justified by the works of the Law, which is not the way, Faith is the only instrument of justification before God, and as true Faith is an infallible effect and consequence of Election, for they that are predestinated, are also called and justified, as appeareth 
(d) Rom. 8.30.  by the link of Salvation, so election hath obtained it. Justification is only for the Elect, and the rest were blinded, saith the Apostle in the same verse: We also in the same Article do affirm, that the true regenerate and believers never fall totally, but persevere in the Faith, we have God's word for it, the blessed and good man, saith David, 
(e) Psal. 37.24.  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, the reason is in the latter-end of the verse, and a good one two, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand: and in another place speaking of the same sort of men, he saith, 
(f) Psal. 145.14.  The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.  
Our 5th. Article is that Christ effectually died not for all, because Scripture speaking of the extent of his death, reduceth it to many. Our Saviour saith, 
(g) Matth. 20.28.  The Son of Man came to give his life a ransom for many, the same word he used when he instituted his holy Supper: 
(h) Chap. 26.28.  For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many, not for all, for the remission of sins: none could know the design of his death, and whom he died for, better than himself: St. Paul makes use of the same word when he saith, 
(i) Heb. 9.28.  Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; long before his time, a great Prophet had said so, or rather God by his mouth: 
(k) Isai. 53.11, 12.  By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, only those whom he died for are justified, for justification is the fruit of his death, and in the following verse 'tis joined to his Death and Satisfaction for sin, And he bore the sin of many. Who these many are, Scripture explains it in other places, they are called his people; the Angel said to Joseph, 
(a) Matth. 1.21  Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. In another place they are named his sheep: I 
(b) 1 John 10.15.  lay down my live for my sheep, saith the Lord Jesus. St. Paul calls them his Church, 
(c) Acts 20.28.  Have a care to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. So elsewhere he saith, 
(d) Ephes. 5. ●5.  Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it.  
Our 6th. Article saith there is not in any one, such freewill, such universal sufficient grace whereby to be saved, if they will, let a man never so much consult in his affairs, yet God hath the governing part. 
(*) Prov. 16.9.  For though a man's heart deviseth his way: yet the Lord directeth his steps. And although 
(e) Chap. 19.21.  there are many devices in a man's heart: nevertheless the council of the Lord that shall stand. And if 
(*) Chap. 20.24.  man's go are of the Lord, as certainly they be, How can a man then understand his own way? How can he be free to choose, specially in those things that concern his Spiritual and Eternal welfare: If we have freewill, How is it 
(f) Isai. 26.12.  that God hath wrought all our works in us? With freewill we could do it ourselves, and if in every one there be a sufficient universal grace, how can it be true? That 
(g) Jerm. 10.21.  the Pastors are become brutish and have not forght the Lord, therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered: Wherein is the grace here? and where the sufficiency? But we must come closer to the point, 
(h) John 6.44.  No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him. Where is here our freewill, and our sufficient grace? Our Saviour to beat us out of this conceit saith, 
(i) Chap 15.5, 6.  Without me ye can do nothing; it is not said far from me, for than we being near him, might happen to do something of our own, but without me, we must have him, or we can do nothing at all, not so much as to think a good thought, which is least of all, for St. Paul saith, 
(k) 2 Cor. 3.5.  not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, take notice of the double exclusion given to ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, there we must look for it, and expect it from. Our Saviour, to make us the more sensible how without him we can do nothing, strengthened that saying with a similitude very proper in the next verse, If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered: a branch of a Vine or any other Tree that is broken or cut off from the Tree and Root is thereby deprived of the Sap, and nourishment thence conveyed to it, so it cannot live, but is withered and cast into the fire to be burned, no sign or hopes of life in such a bough, this is the certain and infallible doom of those who abide not in Christ; 
(l) John 15.6, 7, 8.  But if ye abide in me and my words, abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Then we shall bear much fruit, and be Christ's disciples: Let us take notice that it is not enough for us to have Christ with us, but we must be and abide in him, or else he will profit us nothing. St. Paul could say 
* 1 Cor. 15.10.  by the grace of God only, I am what I am, and what I do, Yet not I but the grace of God that was with me.  
Thus much I premised at first, to make things as clear and intelligible as I could: I have been somewhat long in my Quotations, that I might lay a sure foundation, for the word of God must be judge in the case, and 
(m) See my seasonable discourse about Religion, in 1689.  Texts of Scripture are the plainest and strongest Arguments that can be used in and about such Controversies; though I omitted several which in the prosecution of this design of mine, shall be produced: I do not enter upon this Subject as acted by a spirit of strife, to dispute for disputes sake, as too many do. I thank God I am acted by a better principle: I know, and others as well as I, may, how 'tis the duty of every Christian to seek after and endeavour to find the truth, and when found out, to own and embrace it, and never part with it, give glory to God, without any thing of self ends. This truth may be found in the revealed word of God, which is 
(n) Psal. 9.7.  perfect converting the soul; making wise the simple: It must often be read, for God will be sought after in the way of his Commandments, for the understanding whereof, men are not to trust to their Parts and Learning, because without Grace that is but ignorance and foolishness, men stand in need that Christ would open their understanding, as he 
(a) Luke 24.45.  did that of the disciples, that they might understand the Scriptures: But 
(b) 2 Tim. 3. ●3.  evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving, and being deceived: But we must give God thanks, That his Decree of Election hath secured our Salvation, which if it had lain in our hands, had soon been lost and forfeited, like the Birthright of Esau, and the substance of the Prodigal Son. And all that would advise others to, or themselves stand to this trial of freewill, and right improvement of Graces, I may very well in 
(c) Job 16.2. chap. 13.4.  Job's words, say to, Miserable comforters are ye all, and ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.  
Hitherto we have given an extract of Controversies about these several points, and I hope have out of Scripture made good our assertions, so that an ordinary capacity may with the help of God be able to understand them: Now we must proceed, and by God's grace, endeavour to dive into this Subject: But before I engage further upon this important matter, I must lay down some rules that will contribute towards the better understanding of it.  
First, Nothing is done in time but what was fore-ordained of God from all Eternity. 
(d) Act. 15.18.  Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Thus 
(e) Chap. 2.23, & 4.27, 28.  Christ was delivered by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God: else you settle a contingency in relation to God, and destroy his foreknowledge.  
Secondly, what God decreed shall infallibly come to pass, or else you destroy his immutability: 
(f) Malach. 3.6.  I the Lord change not.  
Thirdly, No motive in God from without, why he should decree: neither doth the execution of the decree depend upon any condition in or from men; else you take away 
(g) Act. 17.25. Psal. 50.12.  God's independency and self sufficiency.  
Fourthly, The decree is one single act, or else you destroy the simplicity of God, when we speak otherwise, 'tis after our manner of conceiving; in God is no prius or posterius, first and last, or else you deny his Eternity. Now Eternity, Independency, Immutability and Simplicity are God's incommunicable Attributes, which no man may strike at.  
Fifthly, Secret things belong to God, 
Deut. 29.29.  but revealed things unto us and to our Children for ever: The one we must not dive into, but the other we ought not to neglect: We are forbidden to presume beyond what is written, but are commanded to acquaint ourselves with what God hath set forth in his word: That he would have us to know, or else had not declared it: What is fit and necessary for us to know, we must inquire into, and not else; so these measures must be observed about these high mysteries of our Salvation as are God's decrees; we ought to assort nothing but what we have a warrant for out of God's word.  
Another thing we ought to lay for a foundation is this: In every thing God proposeth his own glory for his ultimate end; now in two ways God is glorified, in his Mercy, and in his Justice, which include also both his Wisdom and his Power. God's mercy is manifested in his freegrace and pardon to some, and his justice in the punishment of those that transgressed his Law: God is a gracious King, the fountain of Mercy, and Judge, of the spring of Justice. Now that which is first in intention, is last in execution, eternal Happiness for some, and everlasting Misery for others, is the subordinate end: thus Heaven is prepared for the Elect, and Hell for Reprobates: And this in one word is called Predestination.   

CHAP. III. Of Predestination.  
SOme ignorant people amongst Men and Women, are well acquainted with the name, though they do not at all know the thing thereby signified; they are startled and abhor the word, as if it was a kind of a Spell, but if they were well acquainted with God's word, they would easily find it there. The great Preacher of freegrace, St. Paul, hath it no less than twice in one and the same Chapter, 
(a) Ephes. 1.5. Vers. 11.  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, and six verses lower he adds, In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will. And in another place, he mentioneth it twice in two verses, For whom he did foreknow, 
(b) Rom. 8.29, 30.  he also did predestinate: Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, etc. Thus it appears it is no Barbarous name, nor unknown to Scripture, 'tis the same as fore-ordained and appointed.  
Now I will come to the thing: Predestination is an Eternal and Immutable Decree about the everlasting future state of Angels and Men: But because we were not concerned in that which relates to Angels, and that Scripture in matter of Predestination speaks only of men, we shall consider it only as men are the object thereof: but before, I must show what a Decree is, because it entereth within our definition; now God's Decrees are the eternal and unchangeable counsels and resolutions he hath taken from all Eternity, about what he purposed to do in time, according to the first rule we have laid down: These Decrees are called God's essential works ad intra, inward, according to our capacity and manner of conceiving, which himself in his word is pleased to condescend to: We then call them Decrees after the manner of Men, for Decrees and Resolutions of Men are works or acts really distinct from Man, from his Understanding and his Will: By this way we do conceive God's Decrees or rather God Decreeing, though properly they may not be called his Works, for every act so properly called, is an effect really distinct from the Agent: But in God 'tis not so, or else his supreme Simplicity would come to nothing; when 'tis said of God are known all his works, that knowledge is nothing else but his Decree of doing all things to be done in time.  

Of ELECTION.  
PRedestination hath two parts, Election and Reprobation, the word is not restrained only to Election, as Papists and some others would have it: It is in vain amongst Hebrews or Greeks, to search the Original of the word, which is Latin: The ancient Latin Authors used the word destinare to destinate, or appoint for Pains as well as Rewards, so did the ancient Doctors of the Church as 
(a) Enchirid. cap. 100 de Civit. Dei lib. 12. cap. 24.  Austin, 
(b) Ad. capital. Gallor.  Prosper, 
(c) Lib. 1. ad Monim.  Fulgentius. Now the Election we here speak of, is not to an Office in which 
(d) 1 Sam. 10 24.  Saul and David were chosen Kings over Israel. So Mathias 
(e) Acts 1.24, 26.  was by lot chosen one of the twelve: But 'tis Election to Eternal Life and Salvation.  
Now Election is a Predestination of some Men to Eternal Life, to be obtained by Faith in Christ, only out of God's pleasure, in them to declare his Divine Mercy: Every part of which definition, we by the grace of God shall speak of: This point most of any is to be taken notice of, because it is the ground of our Hope, Faith, Holiness, in a word, of the whole mystery of our Salvation, which doth wholly run and depend upon the decree of our Election, therefore to darken it, the Devil hath stired up so many instruments to oppose it: In Scripture among many Texts we have, one specially lays open the whole matter before us, which here. I quote to be read with great application. 
(a) Ephes. 1.3, 4, 5, 6, 7.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption, through his blood, etc. The eternity of God's decree of Election is here asserted, he hath chosen us in him, before the Foundation of the World; this Election is affirmed to be the cause of all spiritual blessings which God hath blessed us with, some of those blessings are named, as Holiness, Blamelessness, and Adoption: Now Faith, Repentance, Charity, and such graces are parts of Holiness, and the fruits of the Spirit, Holiness is posteriour to our Election: All those blessings are in and by Jesus Christ: Out of this Text it also appeareth that the good pleasure of God is the only impulsive or moving cause (if we may use such a word which is improper here) to Elect us, nothing from without, all from within according to the good pleasure of his will.  
Hence between Papists, Arminians and Us (for I must say in matters of grace, they both join against us) ariseth the question, What it is that moved God to appoint some Men to Eternal Life? We say, nothing but God's good will and pleasure moved him to it. Amongst several reasons we have to prove it, I will only bring two of the chief. The first, because Scripture assigneth no other cause but that as the only, and when the word is silent we ought not to speak. The whole 9th. Chapter to the Romans, is a sentence of condemnation against the Adversaries; there St. Paul saith of Election, 
(†) Rom. 9.16, 15.  It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy: Which is but a conclusion out of what God said to Moses in the foregoing verse, 
verse 18.  I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, whence he thus concludes, so than it is not of him, etc. 'tis only of free grace. Why? three verses after the Apostle gives the reason, He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. This is very plain, if any one is willing to dispute God's right herein, let him do't: but he shall find God is a strong party. 
(a) 2 Tim. 1.9.  God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us before the world began: Here the Decree of Election is made the cause of calling, and other graces we receive in time. The other reason is, because in those that were elected was nothing at all that could move him to love them. 
(b) Ephes. 2.1.  We were men dead in trespasses and sins, unfit for any good thing, and guilty of eternal death.  
They say God hath chosen some, because from Eternity he foresaw they would believe in Christ and continue in the Faith; to which some add the foresight of some good works with Faith; but against this I say, God could foresee in sinful Man no spiritual good, but what out of his mercy he was to give him, (this none but Pelagians can deny) consequently God could not foresee Faith or Good Works as a motive to his Decree. God elected us to be holy and without blame before him: That is, to the end we should be, and not because we were such. Holiness is an effect, and not a cause of Election, Faith also is an effect of Election, as clearly expressed in Scripture. 
(c) Acts 13.48.  And as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. If so, then Faith is not the cause that moved God to elect us, we were elected to believe, not because we believed before, for than we had chosen Christ, and not he us, contrary to what he positively saith to his disciples, 
(d) John 15.16. chap. 13. 1●.  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and I know whom I have chosen. Now though Election be the cause of Faith, it doth not follow by the rule of relatives which are said to be the cause of one another, that Faith should be the cause of Election, that maxim is to be understood of the natural respect and relation of the Subjects, not of the Subjects themselves of relations, else it would a so follow, That because the Creator is the cause of the Creature, the Creature ought also to be the cause of the Creator, which is Blasphemy.  
It is the part of a wise Agent, when he doth appoint to the end, also to appoint to and provide the means: So the only wise God having predestinated us to the end eternal life, hath also predestinated us to the means, namely Faith. For saith the Apostle, 
(a) 2 Thes. 2.13.  God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the spirit, and belief of the truth: here are the decree, election chosen, the efficient cause God the Object, you the end to salvation, with the means sanctification of the spirit, and belief of the Truth or Faith. Farther I say, if prevision of Faith had been the cause of our Election, it would also be the cause of our Vocation in time, which is contrary to the word, 
(b) 2 Tim. 1.9.  God hath called us with his holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace. I bring one Argument more, which is this, if Faith and Holiness fore-seen, had been the cause of our Election, it would follow, that the object of Election had been Man already restored through Grace, and justified, which is false. Take notice that there are not two Decrees, one to Grace, the other to glory, as they say, Scripture maketh no mention of a double Election, by one and the same Decree we are elected to Glory through Grace, as the means and way; for the first in Intention, is last in Execution: We are saved by Faith, yet not elected by Faith, the reason of both being different, Election is an eternal act of God, inward and immediately, proceeding from God, but Salvation is a temporal act of God, outward and mediate, which is perfected through many other means, and second causes: if the causes of Election and Salvation be the same, than the Law of God, the Gospel, Sacraments and Ministers, are the causes of our Election, for God makes use of all these means to bring us to eternal life. We are elected in Christ, not for Christ; God was never moved by the merit of Christ to Elect us, but he decreed to save us in Christ, who is not the cause of the Decree, but a medium or means appointed in the Election, to execute it.  
We must have a care not to confound between the cause and sign of things which do very much differ; thus the Rainbow is not the cause why the world shall no more be drowned with a general Flood, 'tis only the sign of it, the cause is God's Will and Promise, thus Sacraments are signs, not causes of the things they represent, Circumcision was the sign of God's Covenant with Abraham, but not the cause which was God's Freegrace and Mercy to him; the Lords Supper is the sign of Christ's Passion, but not the cause, which is God's Freegrace and Mercy to mankind. When our blessed Saviour saith, 
(a) Matth. 16.2, 3.  When it is evening ye say, it will be fair weather for the Sky is red, etc. that colour of the Sky is not the cause, but the sign of fair or foul weather. Thus to make an Application to our Subject, I say we must take heed not to make Faith the cause of our Election, when it is the sign and effect of it, so much posteriour to it; for Election is from eternity, when Faith is given but in time, and yet serveth to prove Election, for wheresoever true saving Faith is, there is an infallible sign, but no cause of Election, which far from being caused by any grace, is the sole and only ground of all and every grace we receive, Faith itself the chief Gospel grace, is an effect of it, as it appears out of many places of Scripture, which I already quoted, so out of 
(b) Acts 18.27.  Acts, where 'tis said Apollo's helped them much, which had believed through grace: And those men who will not believe this, will have much cause to fear they are of the same sort of those whom our Saviour speak of, when he saith: 
(c) John 9.39.  For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not may see, and that they which see might be made blind: There is mercy for the first and judgement for the last; for certainly Christ came into the world both for mercy and for judgement, to make some unexcusable. 
(d) John 15.22.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin: It was said of Christ almost after his very Birth, That 
(a) Luk. 2.34.  he was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. And as the Prophet says, 
(b) Isa 3.14.  a stone of stumbling, a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to Jerusalem: And Men are too apt to fancy things to be the cause of God's actings, which are not; thus the Disciples themselves thought, because a Man was born blind, the Man's sins or his Parents must be the cause of it, but our Saviour tells them they were in an error, for 
(c) Joh. 9.3.  neither hath the man sinned nor his parents, but he was born blind, that the works of God should be made manifest in him. This place showeth clearly, how God in whatsoever he doth, in, upon, or for Men, he minds chief his own Glory, and followeth his own will and pleasure: Thus 
(d) Chap. 11.4.  Lazarus' Sickness and Death was for the glory of God and of Christ; God denied the Man his sight from his Birth, here are his Will, his Power and Justice over his Creature, the Lord Jesus gives him his sight, there is mercy, thus the works of God are made manifest in this Man, and why not so too in others, in relation to eternity as well as to time? This Man was naturally blind, but God is pleased to give him his sight; as he might without any wrong have left him in his blindness, if it had been his pleasure: So if God be pleased to leave some Men naturally dead, in that condition, and quicken others that were in the same state, what hath wretched Man to do to cavil against or find fault with it? Or presumptuously not to be satisfied with this cause, the mere will and pleasure of God, but must pry into his Secrets and forge other Motives, instead of sticking to the Rule and Word of God: To such we may put St. Paul's question, 
(e) Rom. 11.34, 35.  Who hath known the mind of the Lord; or who hath been his counsellor? Hast thou known his mind, or hast thou been his Counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, hast thou? then it shall be recompensed to thee again. Thou hast chosen him to be thy God, before he predestinated thee to the adoption of Children, thou hast believed in him before he elected thee to believe in Christ; since thou makest God as accountable to thee, be sure if he owes any thing, he will pay it, but one should know that 
(a) Job 33.13.  there is no striving against God, and that he giveth not account of any of his matters. For 
(b) Prov. 21 30.  there is no wisdom, nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.  
As to the question, whether or not the decree of Election be absolute, I say 'tis not in some respect, and in some other it is; 'tis not absolute in relation to the means conducing to the obtaining of Salvation, which are included in the decree whereof the merits of Christ and Faith are the chief, though I must say that the Use and Application of those means is the work of grace, God saith Job, 
(c) Job. 23. 1●.  performeth the thing that is appointed for me: And St. Paul, by the grace of God I am what I am ... Yet not I but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Cor. 15.10. And I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. Philip. 4.13. It is absolute in relation to any impulsive or instrumental cause, or any condition which the decree should depend upon, which is the question between Arminians and us: In the execution of the decree, Faith is the instrument and hand whereby we receive and apply Christ's merits unto us, but it is under no such Notion in the making of the decree. What I said before I repeat here, that there are not two decrees, one for the end, another for the means, but one and the same for both, because God willeth together end and means, where one can do, two are superfluous: Now God doth nothing in vain.  
Let us now speak of the matter of Election, or who are those whom God elected unto eternal life? They are Men fallen in Adam, and for sin in the sight of God, guilty of eternal death, yet God hath not chosen all men sinners, but only some few of every sort, especially of those which are low and contemptible in this world: As to the first, they are Men fallen in Adam. We think this to be the order of God's decrees about Men; First, to Create Man for the glory of his Name; Secondly, to permit they should fall from the integrity wherein they were created, and so become guilty of eternal death. Thirdly, Out of that whole lost lump of mankind, to restore some to everlasting life, thereby to show his mercy, and leave the rest in the state of Perdition and Damnation for their sins, to manifest his Justice. Our reasons why God hath chosen men in that state are. First, Because he hath 
(a) Ephes. 1.4.  elected us that we should be holy and without blame; Therefore he looked upon such as unholy and sinners. Secondly, Scripture calleth Election, 
(b) Rom. 9.15.23.  a will to show mercy, and a little lower, the Elect are called vessels of mercy; therefore considered as in misery, for misery is the Object of Pity and Mercy.  
We say in the second place, all men are not elected, only some out of all sorts, on which Scripture is positive, 
(c) Matth. 20.16.  few are chosen: Neither doth God give eternal life to all, for some are Damned, therefore he decreed not to do't; for God doth nothing in time, but what from eternity he decreed to be done, God hath not mercy upon all, but 
(d) Rom. 9.18.  he hardeneth some, neither doth he give the means of Salvation as calling by the word, Faith in Christ, Repentance, Justification by Faith, to all but only to some, so that we may say they who are not elected to the means, are not elected to the end, for God will not bestow the end, but through the means, the very name of Election signifieth a choice of some out of many, he cannot be said to choose, who taketh all promiscuously.  
The Adversaries we are now disputing against, to prove that God decreed from eternity, with an antecedent will to save in time all and every Man, do argue thus, 
(e) 1 Tim. 2.4.  God will have all men to be saved, therefore he decreed to save them all, but the consequence is not good, for in the Text the Apostle doth not mean every particular Man, but men of all sorts as Princes and Subjects, which is the scope of the place. For there he exhorteth to have prayers made for all men, for Kings and all in authority, Rich and Poor, Old and Young, Men and Women, great Men and of low degree, that is of all Ages, Sexes, Quality, Nation and People, etc. The particle all is distributive, as Schoolmen say, into the genders of singulars, not into the singulars of genders; we do not ourselves give that sense, but 'tis Scripture interpretation: The four Beasts and twenty four Elders, said to the Lamb, 
(a) Rev. 5.9. chap. 7.9. and chap. 11.9. & chap. 13.6. & chap. 14.6. & chap. 19.18.  Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Which is repeated in several other places of the same book as are quoted in the Margin, to show this is the true meaning of the Spirit of God. And the Reader may peruse them with that of Colos. 3.4.  
Again they object, 
(b) 2 Pet. 3.9.  God will have none to perish but all that should come to repentance. But there the Apostle speaketh not indifferently of all Men, but only of the Elect, as appeareth in the same verse, God is patiented, or long suffering to us ward, so, he is not willing that any of us should perish; and who those are whom he speaks to, they are the same he writes his Epistle to, and them he nameth in the first verse of the first Chap. To them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: He will have none of these to perish, but that they all come to repentance, and certainly they will: Thus the word all is taken for the Elect in the two following places, 
(c) 1 Tim. 2.6.  Christ gave himself a ransom for all, and 
(d) 2 Cor. 5.15.  Christ died for all, and not for every Man whether Believer or Reprobate, as it will be proved in its place by the grace of God. What St. Paul saith, that 
(e) Rom. 11.32.  God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all, is not to be understood of every particular Man, but of Jews, and Gentiles indefinitely, to whom he gives hopes of Salvation through Faith in Christ, for that is the scope of that whole Chapter; so the sense is this, God hath concluded under sin Jews and Gentiles, to have mercy on both in Christ apprehended with Faith, so that Jews and Gentiles may ascribe their Salvation only to God's mercy. This Text compared with another, 
(f) Gal 3.22.  Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe, doth clear the point: this last interpreting the other, for as it appeareth, that all are concluded under sin, so it showeth how special mercy reacheth only those who through the grace of God, do believe, and through Faith are elected to everlasting life.  
To say that God hath from Eternity decreed to save all and every Man under this condition, if they believe in Christ, not only they find in Scripture, nothing to ground it upon, but withal entangle themselves in two very great difficulties: First, to God they attribute a vain and imprudent Decree, for if from Eternity God hath foreseen that the condition of Faith in Christ shall not be performed by many, to what purpose to make such a Decree of Salvation to depend upon such a condition: Such a Decree doth not become the wisdom of any Man, much less of God: The Second inconveniency is this, they submit and make faith a free gift of God, to depend upon the freewill of man dead in trespasses and sins; that it is in the power of Man to believe or not believe, which is mere Pelagianism, and wholly contrary to Scripture. These considerations have so wrought upon some, that they wave off the foresight of Faith, but betake themselves to the foresight of the right use which Men would make of outward means, of Conversion and Salvation, as the serious, saving hearing, reading and meditation of the word of God, receiving of the Sacrament, frequenting of Churches, etc. But alas, the first of these, is the fruit of the Spirit, not of corrupt Nature, the saving hearing of the Word, as well as Faith, proceedeth from our Election. For 
(a) 2 Cor. 2.15, 16.  the word is a Saviour of life unto life, to none but the Elect; but to others that perish, it is the Saviour of death unto death. And if going to Church and every hearing of the word of God, could make a difference between chosen and reprobates, and was necessarily joined with Election, all those that perform those duties would be Elect, which we know to be false: Experience teacheth us how sometimes the worst of Men, most averse from hearing of the Word, or walking in the way of Salvation, are converted to God, others who seemed better and fit for the Kingdom of God being passed by and left; so calling is sometimes for those who seemed the worst, not for those who appeared the best: Farther this opinion makes the rejecting of the grace of the Gospel outwardly offered, the only cause of reprobation: What then shall we say of those who from the beginning of the world to the birth of our Saviour, were damned, whereof the thousandth part, never heard a word of Christ.  
Now we proceed and say in the third place, the lesser part of sinners is elected, and the greatest part left in their state of Damnation, which Scripture clearly affirmeth: 
(a) Rom. 9.29. Chap. 11.5 4.  Except the Lord of Sabbath had jest us a seed, 'tis but a Seed, a remnant, a little one, seven thousand amongst all the people of Israel: our Blessed Saviour who knew it very well saith, though 
(b) Matth. 20.16. Chap. 7.13.14.  many are called, yet few are chosen, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat. But, straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. They are called the little Flock, whereof the Members at certain times are so few as thereby invisible to man's eye, some times in God's not one. Fourthly, 
Kings 19.14. Ezek. 22.30.  We say, that these few one's are chief chosen out of those that are low and contemptible in the world, for which we have that famous Text: 
(c) 1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28.  For ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak to confound the mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, etc. Hence we learn two considerable things. First, Not to judge of the love of God or his special grace out of humane Wisdom, Power or Nobleness: The Second patiently to bear the lowness, meanness, weakness and despicableness before the world, for they are signs rather of Grace than of Wrath. To that purpose also is that passage in the Gospel, 
(d) John 7.48, 49.  Have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed: These learned and wise High-priests and Pharisees in their own conceit) would not go into Heaven, nor suffer others to enter into it, Ver. 47 not only they called the people cursed, but also the Officers they had sent, deceived, are ye also deceived? But upon occasion our Saviour plainly tells them the truth, ye who think yourselves so wise and righteous. are fools in comparison of those whom you despise: For 
(e) Matth. 21.31.  Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you.  
As every wise Agent proposeth an end to himself in every thing he doth, so likewise the only wise God in our Election purposed the manifestation of his mercy in his gracious Salvation of some sinners, this St. Paul speaks of, when after having said, 
(a) Ephes. 1.4.6.  We are elected in Christ, he addeth, to the praise of the glory of his Grace. Hence it is that the Elect be called 
(b) Rom. 9.23.  Vessels of mercy: Which mercy, when God gives us grace to depend upon, than we are grounded on the rock of Eternity, but Man's Pride makes him desire to be lose from the Rock, and stand on his own bottom, which is mere quick Sand and Mud. So at last he must needs sink into it, if God leaves him.  
Now two things belong to the Decree of Election and are inseparable from it, which do afford us matter of unspeakable comfort, they are, Eternity and Immutability, for our Election is eternal and unchangeable. First, Eternal, 
(c) Ephes 1.4. chap. 3.9.  God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, which in the same Epistle is called the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God. And in another place, 
(d) 2 Tim. 1.9.  Grace was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began. And in another, the same Epistle calls it 
(e) Rom. 16.25.  the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began. And in another Epistle, 
(f) Colos. 1.26.  The mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints. 'Tis named 
(g) Tit. 1.2.  the hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began: Because our hope of it is grounded there upon, which place proveth also the immutability and certainty of it, for God cannot lie: And St. Peter calleth Christ 
(h) 1 Pet. 1.19, 20.  the lamb without blemish, and without spot, who verily was fore-ordained, before the foundation of the world. All which Texts do point at our Election in Christ from all Eternity; so we need no longer to insist upon this, but to proceed to the unchangeableness.  
When we say Election is unchangeable, we mean that none of those that are elected to everlasting life can perish, and be damned, which is the same as to say the number of Elect is certain, and can neither be augmented nor diminished; so that the Elect ever remain Elect, and are never reprobates. Several places in Scripture do prove this immutability of God's Decrees, as the following, which are so clear that there is no need of enlargement or exposition. I 
(a) Mal. 3.6.  the Lord change not, not in his Nature, which is always the same, that was, that is, and that is to come, Eternal, immortal, etc. Nor doth he change place, because he always is every where, filling all with his infinite Being, nor is his Mind and Will, which is the question in hand, he is not as men who often altar their resolutions, but God being most and infinitely wise, the only Wise, is unchangeable in his Decrees: So that 
(b) 2 Tim. 2.19.  the foundation of the Lord, standeth sure, having this Seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. His chosen, 
(c) Rom. 11.29.  The gifts and calling of God, are without repentance, for 
(d) Numb. 23.19.  he is not a man that he should lie, neither the Son of Man, that he should repent.  
I know our Adversaries cast a slanderous aspersion upon this Doctrine, as thus, let a Man walk, continue and obstinately persevere in sin, and do all the evil he can, if he be unalterably elected to eternal life, he needs not care what he doth, for he shall be saved, which, say they, is an encouragement to sin; so a Man that is a reprobate, let him do all possible good things, 'tis in vain, he can never be saved: But those that say so, must either have a great deal of gall and malice in their Heart, and be in the bonds of iniquity, or be very ignorant of God's ways, and of the workings of grace upon the heart, What an injurious opinion have they of God? as if he knew not what he doth, to bring Men into Heaven by the way of Hell, or into Hell by the way of Heaven, hath the Lord forfeited his wisdom, as to separate the means from the end? Is it not blasphemy to think, nay, which is more, to say, that God who so strictly forbiddeth Sin, and commandeth Repentance and Holiness in his word, would therein give an encouragement to all manner of vice and wickedness. We own that if the Elect would obstinately continue in sin, they should be damned, but God, who will not have them to be damned and Perish, but after they have sinned to return to him, and 
(e) 2 Pet. 3.9.  come to repentance, doth convert and with threatinngs and chastisements contain them in their duty, as it appeareth in the cases of David, Peter, etc. I add 'tis no more consisting for an Elect to persevere in sin to the end, than for a Reprobate to persevere in grace and true Faith, which he never had. They who in consequence of their Election be converted, are of another sort of temper than those Slanderers take them to be of: notwithstanding the frailty of the Elect, there is in them a fear and love of God, sin dwelleth but doth not reign in them, though sometimes they commit wickedness, yet they have not sold themselves, as 'tis said of Ahab, to commit it, they sin, but are none of those whom the Apostle speaks of, 
(a) 2 Pet. 2.14.  that cannot cease from sin: If sometimes God leaveth them to themselves, yet he returns to them with his restraining, preventing and strengthening Grace, 
(b) Psal. 68.28.  He strengtheneth that which he hath wrought for them, and in St. Peter's words, God doth 
(c) 1 Pet 5.10.  make them perfect, stablisheth, strengtheneth, and settleth them. After sin, God doth give them Checks. We read of David, that after his sin of numbering the People, 
(d) 2 Sam. 24.10.  His heart smote him, they have reality of faith though it be weak, sincerity of Repentance though it be unperfect, truth of love to God, and Charity for the Neighbour, though attended with much frailty and weakness.  
Those that have experience and some inward assurance of God's mercy to them, in Christ, have better thoughts of their duty, and will not be drudges of sin and Satan, they will be afraid of doing things unworthy of God's Children for fear of displeasing so gracious a Father, they will endeavour to work their Salvation with fear and trembling, and as much as humane frailty and the sinfulness of their nature will allow, they will avoid doing things unworthy of their holy calling; they who have such an opinion of them, have not yet tasted how good and sweet the Lord is: We who assert this true and sound Doctrine of Election, know 
(e) Ephes. 1.4.  we are chosen that we should be holy, not commit sin and wickedness; we are called unto holiness, and certainly in God's Children the persuasion of Election is the greatest motive and encouragement they can have to a good life and conversation: We know we are God's workmanship, 
Chap. 2.10.  created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Not to lead a lose and vicious life, and that 
(a) 2 Tim. 2.19. Psal. 85.8.  every one that nameth the name of Christ, let him, as much as he can, depart from iniquity: And not turn again to foll. Every one that hath a saving knowledge of God's word, which is the rule of Practice as of Doctrine, is convinced, it is against a vicious and wicked life. 
(b) Tit. 3 8.14.  This is a faithful saying, saith Paul, And these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works. And the 6th. verse following, he gives the same charge, Let ours also learn to maintain good works. We do, and so will all true Believers join with St. Peter, in a just and right conclusion of a gracious premise. 
(c) 1 Pet. 2. ●.  Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people. All this is admirable well, but what will our Adversaries conclude from hence, out of their principle, and according to their way now of arguing against us? They will say, than you are well enough, trouble not yourselves any further, live as ye will, do what ye please ye are sure of Heaven: Oh but St. Peter is of another mind, if we ask him to what purpose, and for what end are these excellent privileges bestowed upon us, in the same verse he tells us what use we ought to make of this. That ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness unto his marvellous light: Wherefore 'tis not to do the works of darkness, which can never show forth God's praises.  
We abhor such wicked Consequences and Practices, out of such an holy Doctrine as is that of the immutability of our Election. That Doctrine of Freegrace and Election is the same which St. Paul (as we proved it out of so many Texts in his Epistles) so earnestly preached and asserted, how earnest was he to put Men upon the study and practice of Holiness, Sanctification, 
Rom. 3.8.  and all good works: In his time was abroad the same spirit as now; as then upon his Doctrine, so now upon ours, which is the very same he preached, there were aspersions cast, though not by the same men, yet by the same spirit which is a liar from the beginning: That holy Man complaineth of it, 
(a) Rom. 3.8.  as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, let us do evil, that good may come: But see their doom, whose damnation is just. They were most impudent liars, for they affirmed that he said so, when there was no such thing, wherefore he reproveth such unjust and abominable consequences, 
Chap. 6.1.2.  What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbidden: Thus, shall we say? We are Elected, and let us do all the evil we can, yet we shall be saved, God fordid. Blessed Apostle from these Men, we suffer the same thou didst from those, for the same cause: St. Paul, and we after him, are for Freegrace against , and our common adversaries are for  against Freegrace.  
We have upon this matter about Election, a very considerable Text of Scripture, which I desire to be specially taken notice of: 'Tis our blessed Saviour's answer to the Mother of Zebedee's Children, who asked of him that her two Sons might sit, one on his right hand, the other on his left, in his Kingdom; which answer the Lord, doth thus conclude, But to sit on my right-hand and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father. Matth. 20.23. The meaning of sitting on the right and lefthand in Christ's Kingdom, is to be glorified with him, which is the same as to have Salvation and enjoy eternal life: By the Father's having prepared, is understood the Decree of Election, whereby some are appointed to eternal life, hence are deduced these several truths.  
First, There are places in the Kingdom of Christ's glory, That is in Heaven prepared of the Father.  
Secondly, Those places are prepared not for all but only for some.  
Thirdly, Those whom those Seats and places are prepared for, shall have them, it shall be given them.  
Fourthly, The Lord Jesus declares, it is not his, or in him to give those Seats, and to dispose of those Places, otherwise than the Father hath prepared and ordered of before.  
The first of these teaches us, how our glorification is an effect of, and depends upon his Decree of Election, which is meant by the word prepared, as if he had said, Decreed, Resolved and Ordained before.  
From the second we learn how there is a certain number of those whom these places are prepared for, and consequently it cannot be increased or lessened.  
Out of the third we are taught the certainty of Salvation, for if those whom they are prepared for, shall have those places, than they cannot tall from their Election, nor miss Salvation and come short of Heaven.  
The fourth informs us of the unchangeableness of the Decree of Election, which admits of no alteration, for if our Saviour declareth, as he doth, how those places are kept only for those whom they are prepared for by the Father, and that he may not dispose of any otherwise than the Father hath, I know not who can besides him; if there be any let him speak: Our Blessed Saviour the Mediator of the New Covenant saith, he may not reverse nor alter that Decree about some men elected to have place in Heaven.  
This also teaches us how our whole Salvation dependeth upon the Decree of Election, as the ●●●und and foundation thereof, how reverently doth 〈◊〉 of God himself speak of that adorable Decree, wh●●● some Men in the world, make bold with God, do ridicule it, and do make of it a Nose of Wax to be turned as it pleaseth the will and fancy of Men to make it effectual or uneffectual, to believe or not believe, persevere or not persevere.  
To this place answereth that other about the last Judgement, Matthew 25.34, etc. Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world. Here is Christ sitting indeed in his Kingdom of Glory, to Judge the whole World divided into two parts, in execution of the Decree of Predestination, some standing on the right-hand and others on the left, those Blessed, these Cursed; here is a call come ye, to the Elect, blessed of my Father, the spring of all Blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord; the call is, to inherit the Kingdom prepared, and foreordained, a Kingdom that imports honour and glory, joy and power, and an happy eternal life to be enjoyed in the sight of God, in whose presence is fullness of joy, and at whose right-hand are pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16.11. All these prepared for you all, (and none else) that are chosen of my Father, Yea prepared from the foundation of the world; here is the certainty of the Decree, here lies his Mercy and Freegrace, that he most graciously provided for us before we had a Being. O what a distinguishing mercy, whilst the Cursed are commanded to departed, an eternal separation from God, the spring of all Joy and Goodness, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. God hath prepared the Kingdom for the Blessed and Elect, and everlasting fire for the Cursed and Reprobates: Doth not this to the life represent Election and Reprobation, whereof God is the efficient cause, from Eternity, so before the Blessed or Cursed had done any Good or Evil to move God? Thus it doth declare the Sentence and Execution thereof.  
Hereunto, and to the same purpose may be added, that other Text of Scripture, Luke 2.32. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give the Kingdom. The Elect are here called, little flock, to show the smallness of the number in comparison of the Reprobates; Heaven and eternal life are called the Kingdom by way of Excellency, which Kingdom is not any purchase of ours, but the gift of God to give you, to the Elect, to the little Flock, and to no others upon no other motive, than God's Will and mere Good-pleasure, for it is your father's good-pleasure: 'tis not said your God, which is also true, but your Father is a more tender word to express love, for in a special manner he is Father to the Elect, whom God hath chosen and adopted in Christ Jesus our Lord, who himself is the Author of these words, and did speak them upon sure grounds, and out of his certain knowledge, thus he saith elsewhere, I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, Luke 22 29. All done by way of preordination, and fore-appointment.  
But before I conclude this matter of our Election, I must speak of the Effects and Consequences thereof, which are the means whereby to attain unto the end, for as we said before, the most wise God hath not ordained us to Glory and everlasting Happiness, and left us to seek how to come there, but also he hath appointed the way, that every thing belonging to Salvation, the grounds and beginning, the progress and end, may all be of his own, so that we may be sure of it to the praise of the riches of his Grace. Hence it is that our Blessed Saviour is called not only 
(a) Heb. 2.10. Chap. 5.9.  the captain of our Salvation, and the author of eternal Salvation unto all that obey him; but also the author and finisher of our Faith, which is the way and means conducing to it. The most Holy and Blessed Trinity did purpose and resolve it. In the execution Christ is the Captain and Leader, and he will finish it, for he will never give over, till 
(b) Joh. 17.24.11.  those whom the Father hath given him, his elect be with him where he is, that they may behold his glory: and that they may be one as the Father and he are. Now the means appointed for the execution in time of the Decree of Election, are our Vocation to and in the Church, through the ministry of the Word, our Conversion, Regeneration, Faith in Christ, Justification, Sanctification which are all grounded upon our Lord and Mediator Jesus Christ. These means that are between our Election and Glorification, are as the Chain that links it together, and spoken of by St. Paul in the place already quoted. 
(c) Rom. 8.30.  Whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called them he also justified, and whom he justified; them he also glorified. No danger of breaking or miscarrying; it is so sure that he speaketh of it not as a thing to come, but as passed and already done. The Consideration of these means, is part of the Decree of Election, as well as Glory and Salvation, for 'tis but one single, and individual act of Election to Glory by the means of Grace, for neither Glory was decreed without relation to Grace, nor Grace without relation to Glory.  
Another fruit and effect of our Election is the certainty we have of it within us, whereby 
(a) This affirmed in Roger's Analysis. Pag. 76.  we know and are sure we are elected to everlasting life: This certitude ariseth out of the sense and feeling we have of the means appointed to execute Election; every Elect after his Conversion having faith in Christ, may certainly know whether he be elected: If upon examination of himself he may say, I by the word of God, am called to the Church and to eternal life, I have the gift of Faith in Jesus Christ, that is, I believe my sins are forgiven me, for the merits of Christ the Mediator, God and Man. Furthermore with a real and sincere desire and endeavour I worship God according to the rule of his word, and I love my Neighbour; out of this he may conclude, I am elected to life everlasting: All this depends upon a true examination, and the Consequence is drawn à posteriori, where are fruits, there is a Tree; when we find heat and motion in a Man, we safely conclude there is Life: Now all this examination is grounded upon that Text of Rom. 8.30. which I quoted but a little before, but the calling is inward, proper to Believers that answer and obey the call, which our Saviour speaks of, 
(b) John 5.25.  the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live, for they were dead in their sins, the call is inward and spiritual, whereby the blind mind is enlightened by the Word, applied by the Spirit, and the obstinate and perverse will, is brought under to obedience, they who make Faith and Justification common to Believers and Reprobates, cannot have this certitude of Election, but others can according to St. Paul, 
(c) 1 Thes. 1.4.  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. Hence we conclude it may be known: This certitude and assurance of Election and so of Salvation (for if I can but make my Election sure, than I am sure of my Salvation) is no motive to softness, neglect and carelessness; he who is sure of Salvation, is sure to perform the Condition; Salvation is the end of Election, and Repentance, Faith, Holiness, perseverance are the effects thereof, Grace is the way to Glory. God promising to save the Elect, promised also to preserve them in that without which is no Salvation, and when sometimes Believers do so much forget, and are so senseless to themselves as to sin, offend, and leave Gods ways, God wants no Scourges or other means to bring them in again.  
This certitude of our unchangeable Election doth not, as our Adversaries would have it, breed in us Profaneness and carnal Security; on the contrary, as we already said, 'tis the greatest motive and incentive we have to Piety, for which St. Peter is my Witness, 
(a) 2 Pet. 1.10.  Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. If it were not possible to attain unto it, it were in vain for the Apostle to exhort us thereunto: When once Men have that assurance, they will endeavour to answer it in the study and practice of holiness, and become worthy of it with their upright walking, knowing they are elected and called thereunto. For 
(b) Tit. 3.8.  they which have believed in God, must be careful to maintain good works. And they will take care of their ways, so that they can never fall finally. For 
(c) Psal. 37.24.  God upholdeth them with his hand: St. Paul saith the same with St. Peter. For 
(d) Rom. 8.14, 15, 16, 17.  as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the Sons of God: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, father: The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, and if children, than heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. The Holy Ghost we received, which is the earnest of our inheritance, and whereby we are sealed against the day of Redemption; and having Christ's spirit we are sure to be his, this spirit makes us call God our Father, which is no lie, for it is the Spirit of Truth, it is the Spirit of Adoption, which assures us that we are the children of God, and consequently heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, which Christ is gone before to take possession of in his name, and for us, and if we may so speak after the manner of Men, God the Father trusted the Son for the satisfaction to be given to Divine Justice, till the time appointed to do't was come, in hope of the Resurrection of the Body, the Souls of the redeemed were before Christ's death received into Abraham's bosom: So for the possession of the purchase made by Christ's death, namely eternal life, if I may so say, the Son doth trust the Father, till the time of the whole and full purchased possession be come: Yet this aught to be taken notice of, how God not only hath promised, but also for our Comfort and Assurance hath given us his holy spirit for earnest of performance of his promises.  
And this holy spirit is given us, not only as security, but as a guide to direct and 
(a) Joh 16.13.  lead us, as our Saviour saith, into all truth, which he doth 1. with Illumination, and showing us the way. 2. In his giving us strength and courage to go through Dark and Thorny ways. 3. In removing obstructions and difficulties. 4. In continuing his help to improve grace. 5. In bringing us at last into eternal life. Which truths, the Soul of the Elect being convinced of, they suffer themselves wholly and only to be guided by him, with an absolute resignation unto his directions, whereby we learn not to trust ourselves, to the guidance of our own natural reason or of our heart, for in spiritual things our Light is but Darkness: And 
(b) Prov. 28.26.  he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool, for neither our Reason nor our Heart can show us a way to be delivered from sin and to give a satisfaction to God, there being none but the righteousness of Christ, which the holy spirit doth persuade us of, and through Faith applies it to us, to which end 
(c) Joh. 14.16.  he doth abide with us for ever: He is not come afterwards to leave us, but saith our Saviour, Ye know him for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Verse. 17 'Tis upon the presence of this Holy and Blessed Spirit, and the knowledge we have of him, that we do ground the certitude of our Election, which to deny, is as much as in one lies to deprive the believing Soul of the sweetest comfort in this life; and 'tis that consideration that makes me insist so long upon this point, wherein we do but follow St. Paul's steps in those Quotations we had of him just before out of those several verses of his 8. chap. to the Romans, than the which nothing can be more fu●l and to the purpose, to work an assurance, and a study how in our lives and conversations to behave ourselves as becometh the children of God; to which for greater confirmation of this we shall add the three last verses of that Chapter, where after he hath said before, by way of defiance, no body can lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect nor condemn them, nor nothing in this World part them from God's love in Christ, he concludeth in these words, 
(a) Rom. 8.37, 38, 39  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us; for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. After this, he who will believe Scripture, must believe there is a certitude of Election, though in a different degree, every true Believer hath assurance, though every one hath not a full assurance; 
(b) 1 Joh. 3.3.  Yea, every man that hath this hope, of glory, in him, purifieth himself, even as he, God, is pure.  
Yet for all the clear Evidences of this Truth, the Adversaries thereof will not be mute, but better for them to say nothing, than what they say. First they corrupt a place of Scripture, which Papists made use of against us upon the very same account. 
(c) Eccl. 9.1, 2  A man cannot tell whether he deserves love or hatred, so he cannot be sure; but according to the Original, 'tis thus, No man knoweth what either love or hatred, by all that is before them. That is, he knoweth not the causes of the things which in this world happen unto men, for this he speaks of, vers. 2. as followeth. All things come alike to all men; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the clean and to the unclean, etc. As is the good, so is the sinner, and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an Oath. So that hath no relation to his Eternal State, or his Election, and though Man cannot tell the reason, of the several dispensations of God's Providence, it doth not hinder but he may know his own Eternal State and Condition.  
They object the saying of 
(d) Prov. 27.1.  Solomon, Boast not of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Which Text forbiddeth an over confident boasting of good successes in this Life; and 'tis not to the purpose of Election or Eternal Life: As to that of St. Paul 
(a) Rom. 11. 2●.  thou standest by faith, be not high minded but fear. There the Apostle speaketh against carnal Security, and a confidence in ones own strength. Many, say our Adversaries, who think to be in favour with God, deceive themselves, consequently cannot be sure of their Election; we own there are such one's, but they have nothing of true Piety, only an outward profession, a vain name and only in appearance. So they cannot be sure of that which is not: But those who are elected indeed, do attain to the certitude of it: In time of temptation this assurance is shaken and somewhat disturbed, but when through grace we have overcome the temptation, the certainty is renewed and strengthened, for in the temptation or out of it, 'tis never utterly lost. We do not wonder some deny it to be had till the last breath, if at all, because the ordinary means of certitude, as justifying Faith, Justification, Sanctification, etc. which are only the children's Bread, they make common to Believers and Reprobates. Thus much of Election, now we must speak of Reprobation.   

Of REPROBATION.  
BUT because some of the unlearned sort of people and others have a prejudice against the word, as I have done about the name Predestination, so I must show Reprobation to be a Scripture Phrase, always taken in an ill sense. Thus St. Paul speaking of the 
(b) Rom 1.18, 28, 29, 30, 31.  ungodliness and unrighteousness of some men, against which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven; he saith God gave them over to a reprobate mind, that is, to do all the wickedness expressed in the three following verses, which are the works of reprobate and wicked Men. and in another place the Apostl speaks of some that 
(a) Tit. 1.16.  are unto every good work reprobate, unfit for and uncapable of it. Some 
(b) 2 Tim. 3.8.  are reprobate concerning the faith; so elsewhere he speaks of it in the proper sense, and to our present purpose: 
(c) 2 Cor. 13.5.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Where Christ is not, there is the reprobate, but Christ hath nothing to do as Mediator with those who lay under the Decree of reprobation; thus it appears how reprobation is a Scripture word, and consequently may well be used in its sense.  
Now to the thing; as there is Election so there is Reprobation. St. Paul speaks of both as parts of Predestination, when he saith, 
(d) 1 Thes. 5.9.  God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence it is clear, how God appointed some to Salvation through Christ, and others to Wrath, which is Reprobation. In God's work of Mercy and Salvation, ever mention is made of Christ, but not in those of Justice and Damnation, because there is no mercy from God but through the Lord Jesus, and where is no interest in Christ there is no true saving mercy: The world may be called the house of God, so may National Churches, or particular Congregations, wherein are Believers and Hypocrites; therefore as 
(e) 2 Tim. 2.20, 21.  in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and vessels of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour and some to dishonour, and as those unto honour are through grate prepared unto every good work, so those of dishonour are by nature fitted for pains and torments, the just reward of sin 
(f) Job 21.30.  The wicked, saith Job, is reserved to the day of destruction, they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath; and as 
(g) Matth. 3.7.  John Baptist said to the Scribes and Pharisees, there is the wrath to come.  
Reprobation is the Predestination of some to eternal death, to be inflicted upon them by reason of their sins, for the manifestation of the justice of God. Now God and none but God is the author of the Decree as of Election, so o Reprobation: For as in time he damneth some as scripture expresses it in several places; so God from eternity reprobated them, and appointed them to damnation, because as I said before, nothing is done in time, but what from eternity God ordered should be so: As there is Election, so there must be a Reprobation, for if all were elected, God would be all Mercy and no Justice, and if all were reprobated, than he would be all Justice and no Mercy, therefore as both these Attributes must be manifested, so there aught to be both Elect and Reprobate. 
(a) Job 9.12. & chap. 11.10.  Who can hinder him? who will say unto him what dost thou? Let men hereupon not quarrel with his Justice, but tremble at his Judgements. God, saith 
(b) Prov. 16.4.  Solomon, hath made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil; which is generally interpreted the day of Judgement, Vengeance and Perdition: Again the Lord from Eternity 
(c) Rom. 9 from 13. to 19  hated some and loved others, decreed to harden some and show others mercy; as St. Paul by the examples of Esau, Pharaoh, and Jacob, doth clearly demonstrate it in the 9th. to the Romans, where the Apostle compares God to a Potter, who of the same lump makes one vessel to honour and another to dishonour: By this making vessels to Honour, is meant Election; as Reprobation is by others to dishonour. Thus in Scripture Reprobation is represented under different expressions, as making the wicked for the Evil Day, hating and hardening some, making some vessels to dishonour; and in the Gospel our Saviour expresses it thus out of Isaiah, 
(d) John 12.40.  He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should heal them. For they who are not converted nor healed must be damned; With Job and David we must say, 
(e) Job 9.10. Psal. 36.6. Rom. 11.33.  God doth great things past finding out: Except he be pleased to reveal them. They who grumble or fret at these actings of God in matter of Reprobation, may well be asked the question which God puts to Job, in point of his Justice. 
(f) Job 40.8.  Wilt thou also disannul my judgements? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?  
To these several Texts, I shall add only one reason, which is this. If God had predestinated no Man to damnation, either no body is damned, which is contrary to Scripture, as I shown already; or else if any be damned 'tis by chance, or else out of an extemporal or sudden change in the will of God, all which are absurd and false: Though God be merciful in the highest degree, it doth not hinder its being perfectly just: He doth not use his mercy towards all, but only those on whom he will have mercy, by his Justice he doth reprobate and harden men for their sins; neither is this contrary to the goodness of God, for that perfection whereby he doth good to some, doth not hinder his Justice and Judgement against others: Neither doth it follow that because 'tis the duty of one Man to wish another Man well, therefore God is bound (for this is the objection) to wish and do good to all; God and Men are not bound by the same rule, a Man is bound to wish his neighbour well, in as much as he knoweth it not to be contrary but according to the word of God; but not withstanding any Law, God willeth all things for himself, therefore he willeth evil to the wicked for himself, that is for the glory of his Justice.  
Sin is the reason for Reprobation, if we absolutely inquire into the cause, for Man fallen and sinner is reprobated: But if comparatively there is no other cause but the pleasure of God. Hence arise two questions. The first why from eternity God hath decreed to damn some Men? The answer is, God hath so decreed for sin, which in his sight they were guilty of; and this to declare his Justice; nevertheless, sin alone is not the cause of Reprobation, the will of God doth intervene, without which no Man should be reprobate for sin, for notwithstanding sin, God without doing his justice wrong, could have decreed Salvation to all, for by means of his Son he could fully have satisfied his justice. This as to the first question. The second is, why God hath decreed for sin to damn these or such and such Men, rather than others? no other cause can be assigned, but the goodwill and pleasure of God. Sin cannot be the cause, for all Men considered in themselves, are all equally sinners, the following example will illustrate the thing. Let there be many guilty Men convicted of Rebellion, the Prince commands some to suffer, and others he gives a pardon to, if the question be put, why out of many, only some are punished? The reason is good, because they are Rebels, for the Prince being just, he puts none to Death without a just cause; but if again the question be put, why out of many these rather than those do suffer, Rebellion cannot be said to be the cause, for they all are equally guilty. Some Schoolmen in matters of Reprobation do distinguish between the negative act, called Preterition, or passing by, or the will not to give eternal life; and the positive or affirmative, or the will of damning. The first say they is Absolute. The second not so, but Relative to sin, as a necessary antecedent. But every act may in a different respect be called Absolute and not Absolute, if the question be made Absolute or Comparative.  
The Matter or Object of Reprobation are they whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb, 
Rev. 13.8.  etc. they be the greatest part of sinful Men in the sight of God, considered as fallen and corrupted with sin, wherefore they are called 
(a) Rom. 9.22.  Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction. Now God is angry against none but sinners, and appointed to destruction none but the guilty. Out of Scripture, 'tis clear that the greatest part of Men are Reprobate, for 
(b) Matth. 20.16.  few are chosen, which doth exclude the rest, therefore Reprobates are more in number, and greater is the number of those that are damned, than of those that be saved. 
(c) Matth. 7.13, 14.  Some say against this, a just Judge doth Decree equal things for those that are equal, wherefore since God is a just Judge, having elected some sinners, he hath not reprobated others, which are not worse; but this rule is meant only of a Judge, who by Law is bound equally to distribute rewards and pains, but if there be no such obligation, without acting contrary to justice, he is free to make an unequal distribution to those that are equal. Now God is not bound by any Law, and hath a most just cause of his Decrees, and 
(d) Matth. 20.15.  with his own may do what he pleases.  
Secondly, It is argued if the number of Reprobates be greater than of the Elect, than the justice of God will be greater than his mercy, which seemeth to be contrary to that place of Scripture, 
(e) Psal. 145.9.  His mercies are over all his works. The answer is, the Mercy and Justice of God are considered either in themselves, and as they are in God, or in relation to their Effects and Objects; upon the first account they are equal, upon the last it may be said that the universal Mercy of God upon all men is greater than his Justice; but in relation to his special Mercy about Salvation, 'tis lesser, or of a less extent than his Justice.  
The end of Reprobation is that the Justice of God may be made known in the punishment of sin, according to Scripture God said to Pharaoh, 
(a) Rom. ●. 17.  Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Ver. 22 And in a verse lower, God willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. God doth not appoint or destinate them to sin, for he found them in it, but to the pains of sin. 'Tis a slander in our Adversaries to say, we attribute to God a decree of Reprobation, without any relation at all to sin.  
As we said of the Decree of Election, that Eternity and Unchangableness are inseparably joined to it, the same we must say of Reprobation; there is the same reason for the Eternity of Reprobation as for that of Election, for if God from Eternity elected some, he also from Eternity hath passed by others, for there can be no Election without Reprobation. Besides, what I said before, more than once, nothing is done in Time, but what from Eternity hath been decreed to be done: Hence God is said to act 
(b) Rom. 9. 1●.  according to his purpose, as may be seen in several places of Scripture.  
As to the Immutability of Reprobation, 'tis proved out of God's Unchangeableness, for as he is Unchangeable, so are all his Decrees. 
(c) Isai. 46.10.  My counsel shall stand, and I will do all pleasure. If it be thus, will some say, then 'tis in vain for Reprobates to repent, for they cannot change their doom, yet Scripture promiseth forgiveness of sins to penitent sinners. I answer, in reprobates there is no such thing as true Repentance, as we see in the case of Judas, who repent, not 
(d) 2 Cor. 7.9, 10.  of that repentance to salvation, not to be repent of, as St. Peter's was, but of Repentance to Death, for he went and out of despair hanged himself; he saw his crime which appeared horrid to his mind, but no change in the heart. Yet if reprobates could truly and sincerely repent, they would not be damned; hereupon our Adversaries lay at a catch, and will say, than the Decree of Reprobation is changeable and can be reversed; but not so, because reprobates neither do nor can truly repent, but saith one, they are commanded to repent; 'tis true, but this Precept shows their duty, what they ought, not what they can do. Frecepts and Threaten do sometimes make reprobates to abstain from some certain sins, and though they cannot avoid eternal death, yet they have this advantage, that their condition 
(a) Matth. 11.24.  shall be more tolerable than of those that give themselves to all manner of wickedness, for as there are degrees of guilt, so there will be of pains; besides, that this abstaining from some certain sins, or having an outward show of repentance of them, puts off for a time those judgements which they are afraid of, as befell wicked Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness, for that heavy judgement which the Prophet Elijah by God's special command threatened him with and his house, upon his outward show of repentance, 
(b) Kings 21. from 17. to. 29.  was put off till his Sons days.  
Of Reprobation there are two Effects and Consequences. First, A desertion, or God's totally forsaking them. The Second, Induration or hardening; the first is a final denial of Grace necessary to obtain eternal life; thus God is said to forsake wicked Men, when he leaves them in unbelief, and denyeth them Faith in Christ, which no reprobate hath. Hardening is a higher degree of punishment, 'tis an effect of God's anger when he doth not take away the hardness and malice which is in a Man's heart; but by a just judgement, it becomes a punishment for former sins, and by outward means is so aggravated, that though God addeth no new degree of hardness, it suffereth it to spring out of the root of former evils; thus we often read in Exodus, 
(c) Exod. 4.21. and chap. 7, 3, 13. etc.  God hardened Pharaoh's heart, and the 
(d) Chap. 14.17.  Egyptians, but this hardening doth not indifferently befall every reprobate, only some notorious sinners; whence it is a particular judgement of God, which is not executed with a bare Permission and Direction, with relation to every reprobate, but with acting something within and without the wicked, whereby their malice and hardness is increased, we have several reasons to prove it.  
First, Hardening is a Judiciary act of God and an effect of his Anger. Now a Judge doth punish not only with permitting and directing, but also with actually inflicting a Pain by himself or by another. When God hardeneth, he doth something as it appeareth by the usual phrase of Scripture, which expresseth the judgement of an Angry God, with words signifying an action; now he who only permitteth, doth not act, but leaves others to act, and to call this a direction to the end, is not to the purpose, the direction is not the hardening, but a consequence of it; Furthermore, if hardening properly so called was a bare permission, it would not be a special judgement of God as it is, against notorious sinners, because no sin is committed by any sinner whatsoever but by God's permission. Moreover, if God was said to harden Men, because he permitteth them to be hardened, in the same manner he might be said to Kill, Steal, commit Adultery, etc. because he permitteth all these sins, which is most false: Therefore God's hardening a Man's heart is not a bare permission but an action, as it appeareth in the case of Pharaoh, for if God had hardened only permissively, there had been no need of so often repeating by Moses the command of letting the people go, no need of so many Miracles wrought, nor of so many Plagues inflicted upon Egypt, whereby the Tyrant was more and more hardened and more cruel: Which is the effect of those judgements of God upon some, to whom they are an occasion of growing worse and worse: Thus when 
(a) Rev. 16.9, 21.  men were scorched with great heat, and when great hail out of heaven fell upon them they repent not, to give God glory, but blasphemed the name of God, which may be they would not have done, had it not been for the smart of the Plague; the feeling of God's heavy hand makes wicked Men fly out, break into a rage and grow mad, as we read of Julian the Apostate, who in the Fight where he died, being wounded with an Arrow, took in his hand some of the Blood that came out of the Wound, and threw it up whilst he pronounced these blasphemous words against our Saviour, Galilean, thou hast overcome me. Thus God by himself or instruments works such things as make notorious sinners much worse and more desperate: This Doctrine 
(a) Lib. 5. contra Julian. cap. 3. & de great. & lib. orbit. cap. 20.21.  Austin taught out of Scripture, and by other strong reasons proveth how God doth blind the minds and hardeneth the hearts, not with patience and bare permission, but with power and action. Amongst other things in several places he saith to this purpose, how by a just and secret judgement of God, the wills of wicked Men are moved to commit those things which in relation to Men have the nature of sin. This I bring to show that as our Adversaries would have it, 'tis no new Doctrine of our own, but that some Eminent Doctors of the primitive Church have found it in Scripture as well as we.  
But the better to understand this, we must know how God hardeneth, Satan hardeneth, and reprobates harden themselves: God as a Judge, Satan as an Executioner, and the wicked harden themselves as guilty Men. First, God hardeneth, not by infusing any malice or hardness, but first leaving them in their hardness, not softening them, withdrawing and denying them his Grace. Secondly, Working something both within and without wicked Men, by means whereof out of their natural corruption, they take an occasion of hardening themselves more and more, such are several thoughts and affections, not evil in themselves as may be outward lust and desire of Honour, Riches, etc. which the corrupt mind is easily and blindly enticed by and lead unto such are also several Calamities, Precepts, Accusations, Threaten, Prohibitions. Thirdly, With delivering up to Satan and to ones corrupt affection. Fourthly, Inclining evil affections to some certain Objects as a punishment, for some times one sin is the punishment of another. The Devil having God's leave hardeneth with enticing men to all sorts of evils, blinding Reason, disturbing the Fancy, striking Fear, giving vain hopes, and suggesting evil Thoughts, when Men are either awake or a sleep: Wicked men do harden themselves with giving up themselves to their own lusts, rejecting the dictates of Right reason, despising commands, threaten, etc. Hence it appeareth how the acts of the Devil and of Reprobates side, concurring to harden, are evil for the most part, but on God's part all are good of themselves; therefore God can by no means be made the Author of sin, though he hardeneth not only with permitting, but also in acting: There is no certainty of Reprobation whilst Man is alive, except in case of the sin against the Holy Ghost which is never forgiven, and so committed by none but Reprobates, all other sins are pardonable which are common to Elect (specially to those not yet regenerated) and to Reprobates, therefore by them we ought not and cannot ground any judgement: The sin against the Holy Ghost doth not befall every Reprobate, but only some, as induration properly so called; and although the number of Reprobates be much greater than that of the Elect, yet no Man but he who is guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost, hath just cause to despair, and of that too, one is not rashly to judge; but hereafter we shall have occasion to enlarge upon this.  
Before I make an end with this point, as much conducing to our purpose, and to show that what we hold in this matter, is the doctrine of St. Paul, I must show how two Objections of our Adversaries against it, were set down and answered by the Apostle. They are contained in the 9th Chapter to the Romans, wherein are decided these matters of Election and Reprobation, now in question against Pelagians and Semipelagians or Arminians. The first objection is as if God was unjust in his absolute Decree of Predestination. The question is set down verse the 14. in these words: What shall we say then? is there unrighteousness with God? The answer is in the same verse, God forbidden. 
(a) Rom. 9.14.  The ground of the question is in verses, 11.12, 13. Wherein by the examples of Jacob and Esau, is demonstrated that there was nothing in the subject elected or reprobated to move God to choose or reject, but the only cause is, the purpose of God according to election, not of works, but of him that calleth; The circumstance of the persons doth afford us these Considerations. First no difference could be pretended from nature, they were Brothers by the same Father and Mother, nay, born at the same time, for they were Twains, so that on that account no privilege or advantage to plead for. Secondly, Not any thing of works or of Faith, for before the Children were born, neither having done any good or any evil, it was said, the Elder shall serve the younger. Mark that if there had been any natural privilege, it had been on Esau's side, who was the Elder, yet the Elder was to serve the Younger, for God loved Jacob and hated Esau, of which no other cause assigned but the will and purpose of God. What? saith carnal reason, to make so great a difference where is such an equality, to love and to hate those which had not deserved it, cannot be without some injustice: yet, ye see the Apostle saith, no such thing, God forbidden, for the Lord is just in all his ways, and the reason of this by the Apostle given in the following verse, is this, the will of God, I will have mercy one whom I will have mercy. Out of this we say, the purpose of God according to Election, is here understood of God's eternal Predestination, which Election is ascribed only to God who calleth, all works excluded, because there were none, nor could be none, the persons not yet being born. 'Tis an idle distinction to say, not for works present, but for works to come, since, if it had been necessary, the Apostle might have made the distinction, but he absolutely say, not of works. After Semipelagians, Arminians saith, not of works but of Faith. As St. Austin answereth against works, so he doth against Faith being the cause why God loved Jacob? It can be no better done then in his words. 
(a) August. de dot● je severa●ntiae cap. 7.  Did the Apostle say not of works, but of him that believeth, even this also did the Apostle take from men, that he might give all to God, saying, but of him that calleth, not with every call, but by such a call whereby we are made to believe.  
We now come to the second objection, Verse 19 
(a) Rom. 919  Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will: As if he had said, if I be reprobated, I cannot help it, 'tis not my fault if I be damned, I cannot resist his will; neither myself nor 
(b) Job 10.7.  none can deliver me out of his hands. To know the occasion of this second Objection, we must go back to the 15 verse, and so down to the 19th. St. Paul not being content to say, God forbidden there should be any unrighteousness in God, giveth a reason out of God's own mouth, for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, 
Rom. 9.15, 16. etc.  and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Which makes the Apostle draw this Consequence, So than it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy: To this purpose, he brings out of Scripture an argument concerning Pharaoh. Verse 17 For this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. The History of Pharaoh is well known; The Apostle here makes use of that example, to show how God raiseth up some to be subservient to his ends, and this particularly to show on him the glory of his power, to be manifested either in this world or in that which is to come, or in both: Hence he draweth this Conclusion, Verse 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Which giveth occasion to the question, why doth he find fault? Which puts the Apostle upon a high strain, as mightily concerned for the Right and Honour of God, which this Objection seems to strike at. Wherefore to stop the mouth of such, he saith, Nay but, O man! who art thou, that repliest against God, shall the thing form say to him that form it, why hath thou made me thus? Shall Man expostulate with God? The Creature with his Maker, as if he were accountable. Hath not the Potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour. Hereat, let every mouth be stopped, the Plea is the sovereign and absolute power of God over the Creature. The Clay is the Potters, and what hath any one to do to question what he doth with it? Let me answer such wretches in the words of the Prophet. 
(a) Isai. 45.9.  woe unto him that striveth with his maker: let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth: shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, what makest thou or thy work, he hath no hands? As amongst Men, question a lawful Princes Right is Treason, so to question God's Right is no less than Blasphemy. In Scripture when God is willing to demonstrate his Absolute Power, he makes use of the comparison of the Potter and the Clay. Thus Jeremiah is sent to the Potter's House, 
(b) Jerem. 18.2, 3, 4, 6.  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this Potter, saith the Lord? behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in mine hand, O house of Israel. The same comparison is used in another place by the Prophet Isaiah: 
(c) Isa. 29.16.  Shall the work say of him that made it, he made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he had no understanding? God cannot endure to have his Sovereign Right and Power called in Question, and good reason too: 
(d) Matth. 20. 2●.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? No say some, besides his good will and pleasure, he must give the reason why he reprobates some and not others? Why he elected Peter and reprobated Judas? Why he loved Jacob and hated Esau? To say it is according to his Will and Pleasure, that doth not satisfy us, what reason can we have above the Will of God, which is the rule of all Equity, Reason, and Wisdom? Herein we are not to presume beyond what is written.  
For all this they make two Objections, first, 'tis against the Justice of God to reprobate Men who have done no evil, though Scripture saith clearly it is so, to father injustice upon God, is certainly a great impity, God is most just in every thing he doth, though we cannot fathom into the particular causes, yet his justice is a general one, the consideration whereof ought to stop the mouth of every Creature. What shall we say to the case of the Flood, which was a great judgement, whereby the whole World, eight persons excepted, perished in the Waters. 'Tis true, the wickedness of Men was raised to an utmost degree, but withal it must be owned, that there were many Infants, new born Babes, yea several quick in the Womb who had committed no actual sins, yet were involved in that general destruction. Death, saith, 
Rom. 5.14.  Paul reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression Adam's sin was an actual sin, eating the fruit of the Forbiden-tree, it could not be Original, for he was created in Innocency; but seeing 
(a) Chap. 6.23.  death is the wages of sin, and that those Infants who had committed no actual sin, died in the Flood, we must find another sin, not after the similitude of Adam's transgression, and that is Original-sin. Now I say, that as Original-sin was a just cause of the natural Death of those Babes, so the same sin, when it pleases God to leave them in it, is a just cause of Eternal Death, in those whom he punisheth with it; for Eternal Death, as well as Natural, is the wages of Original, as of Actual-sin. And though sin be not the cause to move to pass sentence upon any, yet that sentence is passed upon none but what are sinners. Hence I conclude, that as God was just in inflicting by the Flood, Natural Death upon those Children that were unborn, or newly born, before they had done any evil, so this holds for Election as for Reprobation, in relation to Faith as to Unbelief, according to that famous place of Romans, about Jacob and Esau. It is to be observed how St. Peter calls 
(b) Pet. 2.5.  the world of the ungodly, that world which the Flood drowned, without any exception at all of Infants or others. What hath been said of the Flood, may be spoken to the same purpose of that terrible judgement upon Sodom and Gomorah, and the Cities about them, where no doubt were also Infants, new born Babes and some quick in the Womb, which as 
(c) Jud. 7.  St. Judas saith, suffered the vengeance of eternal fire, and are set forth for an example. Yet in all those things no exception against God's justice, for he is most just in all his ways. For if we must believe David, the Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works, Psal. 15.17. What shall we say as to the case of Achan, his sin was personal, he alone had committed it: yet that same sin his Sons and Daughters; nay the very Beasts, as his Oxen, Asses, Sheep as well as he, were by God's immediate command ston to death, and burned with fire: Though, in the eyes of Men, they seemed innocent, yet were guilty in the Lords eyes. Josh. 7.24, 25. So in the particular case I before quoted, of the Man that was blind from his birth, our Saviour saith, that neither the Man had sinned nor his Parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him, This was a sufficient answer to the disciples, they put no more questions about it. But Arminians will impeach God's justice for denying sight to one who had not actually sinned. Do not they do so in calling the equity of God's Decrees touching Men into question? Can any thing in Scripture be plainer than this, 
(a) Rom. 9.18, 22, 23. Ephes. 1.11.  that God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth, that he hath appointed some to be vessels of mercy to the praise of the glory of his grace, and some to be vessels of wrath, to make his power to be known, and that he maketh all things after the counsel of his own will●: Yet what more usual than to dispute how this can agree with justice? And with what reason God may punish that sin, which by virtue of a Decree is unavoidable. 'Tis strange, yet too true, how peremptory saucy and blasphemous speeches some in their Cups, and others sometimes upon other occasions break into, upon this subject, and would reduce God to such terms of reason as they fancied to themselves. After such declarations about these things which God hath given in his word, were it not better to give him Glory, and with David say, O Lord, thou art just when thou speakest, and pure when thou judgest: And if they cannot conceive how this should stand with equity, rather than to call to question God's justice, were it not better to own their weakness. And with David say, this is my infirmity. For woe unto him that striveth with his Maker, according to Solomon, 
(b) Eccles. 8.4.  'tis prudence not to control an earthly King's actions, who may say unto him what dost thou? And, O man! who art thou that repliest against God, and if in reference to Politics of Government, and Mysteries of State, the same 
(c) Prov. 25.2.  Solomon saith, the heart of a King is unsearchable, there is some secret reasons which many cannot dive into: In God's matters, as his Decrees and wise dispensation of his Providence, much more we must think it to be so, for in the same Chapter the wise Man saith, it is the glory of God to conceal a thing.  
The second Objection they make, and which we already have given a hint to, is this, if I be reprobate, and 'tis God's pleasure I should go to Hell, it is not in my power to help it, so their Damnation they father upon God's pleasure: This is too much like our first Parents, to lay the fault upon others, to excuse themselves, 
Gen. 3.12.13.  The woman whom thou givest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat: He throws it on the Woman, and she upon the Serpent, the serpent begiviled me. If God had not given him the Woman, than he would not have sinned, nor the Woman, if God had not created a Serpent; so if God had not reprobated us, say some, we had not been damned. But this is no more able to excuse them, than the fig-leaves were to cover their nakedness, though never so cunningly sewed together.  
The Apostle lays open the case, how God directeth and turneth all for his glory, even the worst of things, For our unrighteousness doth commend the righteousness of God, and through our lie the truth of God hath more abounded unto his glory. Rom. 3.5, 6, 7. Yet for all this, though these evil things are turned to the greatest good, that is, the glory of God, we are nevertheless guilty and not  when God judgeth us as sinners, and takes vengeance of our unrighteousness. The Doctrine than is this, that the sins of Men serve to the glory of God, for as skilful Physicians make poisons to be ingredients into their best Cordials, so the wise God makes Man's greatest sins to be subservient unto his glory, and draweth good out of evil. Yet for that, those poisons are poisons in themselves, those sins in themselves are sins, and God doth punish them without any injury either to his mercy or to his justice. But because 'tis natural: with Man to raise questions, to find out excuse for himself, here the Apostle doth propose one, which carnal sense and reason, are apt to make against this Doctrine, and therefore to qualify the objection, and show he doth not approve of it, he saith, I speak as a man: Well, what doth Man say, if my sin commends the righteousness of God, and becomes an instrument of his glory, than God is unrighteouss to take vengeance of me, and punish me as a sinner, besides, that I cannot avoid sinning, being a reprobate. But the Apostle saith, God forbidden, though things be so, yet there is no unrighteousness in God, thou art in the wrong to think and to say so, and he gives a reason, For then, how shall God judge the world? and as Abraham said, Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Gen. 14.15. This is a true Doctrine which by some was misconstrued, and that makes St. Paul complain, they slanderously reported of him: We have the same ground to complain against Arminians, and for the like slander: Let this Text be compared with that of Rom. 9.14.15.  
To what hath been said, we shall add that the Decree of reprobation is the sentence, and Damnation the execution of it. Sin is not the cause of reprobation, but sin is the cause of Damnation; God as Judge hath passed sentence, yet there is a reprieve, but the last day shall be Execution-day, then actual sins shall be laid to the charge of reprobates, they shall have nothing to say for themselves, why sentence should not be pronounced against them. For the sins of the Elect, they shall solemnly be declared to be forgiven in and through the Lord Jesus; and though Grace be the means appointed for us to come to glory, yet reprobates are not appointed to sin, though it be the way to eternal misery, for there is a different reason of means conducing to Salvation and those to Damnation. God is the Author of the first, which are good, because he puts into the Elect that which was not in them, namely, his Grace, Faith, Repentance, Holiness, etc. But as to the last, he infuseth nothing into reprobates, he finds in them that which is evil, namely sin, and there he leaves it, he is not bound to take it away, Mercy is free, and God is the Author of Grace, which is the way to Salvation, but not of sin, which is the way to Damnation: These two several ways all the world will go, some one way, and some another, wherefore that Exhortation of St. Paul is very necessary, 
(a) 2 Cor. 13.5.  Examine yourselves, whither you be in the Faith: prove yourselves: know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates. The reasons of God's election and reprobation differ as much as Mercy doth from from Justice: His ordaining means for one doth not conclude his ordaining means in like manner for the other.  
Against the Text about Jacob and Esau, which strikes home upon them, they say two things, first, concerning the signification of the word hated. Secondly, That 'tis spoken of temporal advantages, and not of spiritual things. As to the first, God loved Jacob, and hated Esau, mean's nothing else but that God loved Esau less than Jacob, which interpretation they ground upon that place, where 'tis said that Leah was hated, that is, as in the foregoing verse, less loved than Rachel, Gen. 29.31.  
We know how in Holy Scripture, one and the same word, hath sometimes a different signification, but the true one, is always to be deduced out of the scope of the place, and the Analogy of Faith. How often doth the word of God mention his Hatred, Anger, Indignation and Wrath against the wicked, whom he is said to abhor, and they are said to be abomination unto the Lord, when God speaks of evil men, in opposition to the good, whom he is said to love as to hate the others, must we understand that hatred, of his love only with this difference of a lesser and lower degree, this were to overthrow the whole Scripture, and the intent of God's Spirit therein. Certainly the sense of that Scripture by them quoted, doth not at all reach our case, or come within our present purpose. There it is spoken of the passion of a Husband who having two Wives, that Affection of his had two several Objects; but St. Paul mentioneth the love and hatred of God towards his Creatures, which in verse 18. of the same Chap. is represented by his showing mercy to one and hardening the other. Let the signification of a word be what it will, yet all must agree how there ought to be a vast difference in the meaning, in relation to the carriage of a Husband towards two Wives, whereof he loves one more than the other, and that of God, of a great and a just Judge towards two persons whereof he hath chosen the one and rejected the other, as may be seen in the case of David and Saul: As in that of Abel, unto whom and to his Offering the Lord had respect, 
Gen. 45 5.  and of Cain unto whom and to his Offering God had no respect. The like may be said of Isaac, that was the Son of the Promise, and Ishmael of the Flesh, and so here God loved Isaac and hated Esau.  
Besides, love and hatred are humane Passions, not really in God, though improperly attributed unto him after our manner of conceiving, and to condescend to the weakness of our Nature, they are not affections in, but effects from God; when God bestows favours, he is said to love, and when he inflicteth punishments, to hate. By love and hatred of God are meant the Mercies or Blessings and Curses of God, Come ye blessed, depart ye cursed. 'Tis called the wrath of God, which abideth on him that is the unbeliever. Reprobation is called hatred, 
John 3.36.  as Election love. Rom. 9.11.  
Now we must come to the other part of their exception, how here the Apostle speaks of temporal advantages, and not of spiritual blessings: To say that love and hatred here relate only to temporal things is not enough, those words are taken out of Malachy, 1.2, 3, 4. and there is in it also something of the worldly concernment, when God said he laid his Mountains, and his Heritage waste, for the Dragons of the Wilderness, which yet is a Metaphorical expression, whereby things of another nature may be represented as we see at the latter end of the 4th. verse, 'tis called the border of wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever. So this hatred is extended upon his Posterity.  
But as to the scope of the place, we can neither desire nor have a better interpreter than St. Paul, Rom. 9 Where we find he doth apply it to spiritual things; not only to temporal Mercies and Judgements, but also to eternal, as 'tis the whole scope of the Chap. Wherein from the beginning the Apostle showeth God's distinguishing mercy in matters of Religion between Jews, and Gentiles, to the first, beloved, the Adoption, and the Glory and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises, which our Saviour reduceth to Salvation, when he saith Salvation is of the Jews. John 4.22. All which privileges, the Gentiles were excluded from, as the Apostle saith elsewhere they were without Christ, being aliens from the common wealth of Israel, and strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. 
Ephes. 2.12.  Another great privilege of the Jews by the Apstle mentioned, is this of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is God blessed for ever. The very naming of Christ, the promised Messiah, shows, St. Paul speaks of higher things than are worldly and temporal. He goes farther, for he declareth distinguishing mercies between the Jews themselves, when he saith, They are not all Israel that are of Israel. And what also meaneth his opposition, of the children of the flesh, to the children of God, of the promise, and of the seed? Doth he not make a palpable distinction and visible opposition between Isaac and Ishmael, when he saith, In Isaac shall thy seed be called, which afterwards doth continue in the persons of Jacob and Esau, the first 〈◊〉 loved, the other he hated before they were born and had done any good or evil, the ground of which love or hatred he attributes to Election, when he saith, That the lave of God according to election might stand, not of works but of him that calleth? Hence doth it not appear how God not in consideration of any works which could not be before men were born, loved and elected Jacob, hated and reprobated Esau; and that without any injustice in the least, or the least ground in the Creature to complain, whether Jews or Gentiles, for he speaks generally of both, when he saith, Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth, and this out of his absolute power over the Creature, as the Potter hath over the Clay? Can any one without blushing, say that by making vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour, that by these words God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known to men, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and by these other words, that God might make known the riches of his glory, on the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto glory? I say can any man of sense affirm this to be spoken of outward and temporal things, and not of Spiritual and Eternal, of Election and Reprobation, whereunto in the next verse he joineth vocation of himself and others, when he saith, Even of us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles, which hath a Connexion with, and must be applied to those vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory mentioned just the verse before, amongst whom he declareth himself? The whole rest of the Chapter doth evidence and confirm our assertion, wherefore we shall no longer stand upon it, to say some few words more to the instance of Jacob and Esau.  
Esau had Temporal Blessings, his Father gave him the Fatness of the Earth and the dew of Heaven from above; he grew Strong and Mighty, so the great difference between him and Jacob, consisted not in worldly advantages, it was of another nature; in Scripture he is branded with the name of profane, who after he had sold his Birthright; yet before his Father, called himself his first Born, and would as such have inherited the Blessing, which though his Father intended for him as we see by his being so cautious to know when Jacob came for it, whether or not he was Esau indeed, yet through God's providence and Rebeckah's direction, he was deprived of, and as Scripture saith, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected. Gen. 27. Heb. 12.16, 17.  
Part of Isaac's blessing to Jacob was this, Blessed be he that blesseth thee, and cursed be every one that curseth thee; which curse lighted upon Esau, who afterwards hated Jacob, 
Gen. 27.41.  because of the blessing wherewith his Father had blessed him. 'Tis natural for one that hateth another, to Curse and wish him Evil, and Esau so hated his Brother, that he would have served him as Cain served his, being fully resolved to have killed him, which in the sight of God was accounted as if he had done it. 
Obid. 10.  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob. 'Tis not in vain, but surely for good reason that the spirit of God by the mouth of two of his Prophets, 
Ezech. 35.5. Amos 1.11.  takes notice of the hatred of Esau against his Brother Jacob, and of his Posterity against Jacob's, as if it had been entailed. Well upon this hatred of Esau, Jacob was forced to leave his Father's House, but God to show the difference he made between the two Brothers appeared unto Jacob in the way, and to him renewed the promise made unto Abraham and to Isaac, and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed, Gen. 28.13.14. Which was a Spiritual and Evangelical promise, by virtue of that choice which God from Eternity had made of him, preferably and exclusively to Esau: So than this love to Jacob, and this hatred to Esau before they were born, and had done any Good or Evil, had a relation to future Spiritual and Eternal Privileges.  
This matter of Predestination may very well be illustrated out of the consideration of the execution here, in a visible way, of his Eternal Decree. So we shall begin immediately after sin with that Divine Oracle. 
(a) Gen. 3.15.  I will put enmity between thee, the Serpent, and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. This first promise of a Messiah includeth not only that conflict and victory of his over the Serpent, but also, an enmity between their Seeds; for though the Woman's Seed and the Serpent's be only mentioned, yet the enmity is to be between the Serpent's and the Messiah's Seeds; for he, though he be the Woman's Seed, yet also hath his Seed, for saith the Prophet, 
(b) Isai. 53.10.  When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. The special Seed therein mentioned was the Messiah, but also there is contained a general, a chosen Seed, out of which by a Lineal Succession the Messiah was to come: So that from the beginning of the world, there was a beginning of the execution of the Decree, there was a preterition as an Election, God divided; of two Sons of Adam, Cain the Eldest, taking notice how God accepted his Brother's Sacrifice and not his, 
(c) Gen. 4.5, 8, 11.  Was wroth, and his countenance fell, after which he killed Abel: Whereupon he was cursed; and thereby excluded from the hope that ever the Messiah should come from him or Posterity. Here is visible the execution of that part of the Decree relating to mankind. Our first Parents had but two Sons, whereof Cain who as the Apostle 
(d) 1 John 3.12.  saith, was of that wicked one, slew his brother that was righteous. Now for the continuation of the righteous, God gives Adam another Son, Seth, so called by Eve, 
(e) Gen. 4. 2●●  for saith she, God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel. Yet at first, she thought Cain had been the man, for at his birth she said, Verse. 1 I have gotten a man from the Lord, because the promise being in general terms, might be applied to him or his Posterity, but after the Murder and Curse, he was visibly excluded, and so the promise devolved upon Seth and his Posterity, not the Eldest, but the Youngest. Here take notice how the several Restrictions and Applications of the promise, not only about the Messiah, which was to be but one individual person; but as to the rest of the Seed of the promise, the birthright which otherwise was a great privilege, was of no advantage, nor nothing else of natural consideration, but ever God himself made the difference, contrary to the opinion, and sometimes to the inclination of Parents, as we shall show it in its place. We see God's discriminating choice in the almost constant preference he gave the younger Brothers, so that the birthright, as we said just now, was of no advantage to elder Brothers, and this by St. Paul is hinted at, when he quoted that place of Genesis, The elder shall serve the younger. In few words, that whole method of God in bringing by degrees things into that Line, out of which the promised Messiah was to come, is wonderful, and doth confound all humane Reasoning and Speculation, God managing every thing so, that nothing of humane Wisdom, Choice or Power appeared in it, if it was thus in the execution of that part of God's eternal Decree, much more cause have we to say there was nothing of Man's Prerogative, Good Disposition, or any thing else of that kind in the framing of the Decree, when as yet no Creature was existing, wherefore God's Predestination ought to be wholly and only attributed to his  and Pleasure. When that great Prophet Samuel was abroad anointing one of Jesse's Sons to be King, which was an Election only to an Office, how much was he mistaken in his judgement? As 
(a) 1 Sam. 16.7.  God himself said to him in words very considerable, how much more shall they be mistaken, who in matter of relecting Men to Eternal Happiness, do fancy other motives, besides the  and Pleasure of God.  
Farther we see how by the Flood God excluded not only all the Posterity of Cain, which was wholly corrupt, but also the greatest part of Seth's, it being only reduced to Noah's Family, consisting but of eight Persons; Noah had three Sons, Sem, Ham and Japhet, 
(a) Gen. 7.1. Chap. 9.1, 25, 26.  and it seemed there was no difference, God blessed them after the Flood, yet not long after, a Curse is thundered against Ham, in the person of Canaan his Son, upon the occasion of his having derided his Father, and a Blessing is pronounced upon Shem. This Curse was so terrible, that afterwards almost his whole Posterity was destroyed by Joshua, when he put that of Shem in possession of the Land of Canaan. 
Chap. 11.27. chap. 12.1, 2, 3, 7.  Things continued in an equality, till it came to Terah's Family, who had three Sons Abraham, Nahor, and Haran. To Abram in a most solemn way, and at several times, 
chap. 21.12.  the promise was renewed and applied, so that by God's choice the promise was in Abraham's Seed. Yet not by Hagar in Ishmael, 
chap. 17.18.  but by Sarah in Isaac. It seems Abraham, before the special promise of a Son by Sarah, thought it was in Ishmael, 
chap. 21.11, 12.  for he said, O that Ishmael may live before thee, and therefore after the birth of Isaac, it was very grievous in his sight to part with him, till God said unto him, in Isaac shall thy Seed be called, so that though Ishmael was the first born, Circumcised as well as Isaac, and afterwards saved from death by means of an Angel, yet in Isaac shall thy seed be called: God and not Abraham made that distinction, so between Jacob and Esau, thus God chose the Tribe of Judah only the fourth Brother out of the other Tribes, and of the Families of the Tribe, that of David the 7th and youngest Brother: God himself chose Moses, Aaron, Joshua.  
The like example we have afterwards in Isaac's Family about Esau and Jacob, which hereafter I shall have occasion to make use of. Esau was the Elder by the same Wife, Rebeckah. 
(b) Gen. 27.4, 8, 27, 28, 29.  Isaac is fully resolved to give him his chief Blessing, yet by God's special direction sends him out of the way, and in his absence Jacob by his Mother's advice, who liked and loved him best of the two, obtained that Special Blessing, which God intended for him, and as these promises after Abraham, had been renewed unto Isaac, so afterwards they were unto Jacob.  
And although this distinctions of Persons, Families and Nations, had a special regard to the Person of the Messiah, yet there is such a relation between that Saviour and those that by him were to be saved, that both these things were a carrying on at the same time. Indeed till Abraham's time things were in a more general and indefinite way, but then his Person and Family being fixed upon, as to the extent of that, things were brought into a narrower compass, though as to the promises which before were more in the dark, God did much enlarge and give them a greater light; and to show it is so, and that this doth also relate to the Elect, I appeal to St. Paul, who makes use to this same purpose of those dispensations of God with Abraham under the Old Testament; as we may see it clearly in that place where he speaketh of Abraham's righteousness, not through Works, but through Faith, and that promise was not only to him, but also to his Seed, which also received the Seal of the Covenant, and not only to him, but he received the promise, That 
(a) Gen. 12.3. and chap. 22.18.  in him should all families of the earth be blessed, which directly pointed at the Messiah Jesus Christ, that should be born of his Seed; but also this other promise, that he should be 
(b) Gen. 17.4, 7.  Father of many Nations, and that he would be a God to him, and to his seed after him, and these promises the Apostle calls 
(c) Gal. 3.8.  The Gospel preached before unto Abraham. And to show how this relateth to the Elect and Believers, the Apostle saith 
(d) Rom. 4.16.  Therefore it is of faith, that it may be by grace to the end the promise may be sure to all the seed, not only to that which is of the law, but that a so, which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the Father of us all, That is of all Believers; so then there was a double Seed, that which is of Faith, and that which is of the Law; and accordingly a double promise, one of Temporal, the other of Spiritual Blessings which both were surely performed, and this the same Apostle enlargeth upon, and spiritualiseth the promise, with saying that 
(e) Rom. 9 ●, 3.  all the seed of Abraham are not children of Abraham, for there are the children of the flesh, and the children of God. But the children of the promise are counted for the seed: And he instances it not only in Isaac, who was the son of the promise, but also in Jacob and Esau, the first a child of God and of the promise, the other the child of the flesh, one was loved, the other hated; but there is in the Book of 
(a) Rev. 12.5.  Revelation something much to our purpose, the Woman was delivered of a Manchild, that is the Lord Jesus, for two reasons. The first, by the character therein given of him, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, a thing appliable to none but him. The second reason is the attempt of the Dragon at his birth, for that ancient Dragon, would have destroyed him in his very Cradle, by the means of Herod, 
(b) Matth. 2.19, 20.  who sought his life: So that Christ was that true individual person promised under the name of the Woman's Seed; but there is besides her the remnant of her Seed, for when the Dragon could hurt neither the Manchild nor the Woman, he went 
(c) Rev. 12.17.  to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. That is the Elect and Believers.  
This hath not led us out of our way, but all along shown us a distinguishing mercy of God upon some, which others were excluded from, and that nothing of a natural privilege moved God to do so, only out of his own goodwill, even in some places against the intentions of the good Instruments he made use of, and this hath by degrees led us to the great points of Vocation and Election, which St. Paul doth treat of in the last quoted place, all which together doth concur to the clearing and further manifestation of the truth. I could carry it on further in both branches, as to the person of the Messiah, and as to his Seed and his Chosen, and to entail those promises chief upon the Tribe of Judah, and the Family of David, and also to show how great and visible a difference there was after Solomon's death, and the renting of Ten Tribes, only Judah and Benjamin adhering to Reoboham, David's Grandson. How Jeroboam upon a Politic account altered the true worship of God, whereby he made Israel to sin, after that division, not one good King over Israel, they all generally fell into Idolatry, and all manner of wickedness, till after several interruptions in the Succession, and after the cutting short the Tribes of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh, and how by Tiglath-Pileser the people of 
(a) 2 Kings. 15.29.  Gilead and Galilee, and of Naphtali were carried into Assyria. And at last, in the days 
(b) Chap. 17.6. Chap. 25.  of Hoshea, the Ten Tribes were by Shalmaneser transported into Captivity, and about 140 years after in Zedechiah's time, Jerusalem was taken by Nabuchadnezzar, and Judah carried into Babylon, whence after 70 years' Captivity they returned, the City was newly built, and also a new Temple, but they could never recover themselves as before, Antiochus came after upon them, than they passed under the Dominion of the Romans, and then in the fullness of times, after great Confusions and Revolutions, the promised Messiah the Lord Jesus. Christ came into the World, whose coming made a new face of the Church, than the Woman's Seed bruised the Serpent's Head, the Ceremonial Law was abrogated, a new Ministry instituted, the Gospel Preached, the Gentiles called, and though the Oracles concerning the coming of the Messiah be fulfiled, yet the promises about his Seed do go on and will, till all be gathered in one, and their number perfected. So with David we must say his work is honourable and glorious. 
Psal. 111.3.   
All these things I say, I could have insisted upon, to show the wonderful and adorable Providence, according to his Eternal Purpose, 
(c) Heb. 2.10.  In bringing many sons into glory, by the way of Grace, and amidst a great variety of Dispensations; but I think what hath already been spoken is sufficient for our present purpose, and it directly leadeth us to say something about Providence.    

CHAP. IU. Of PROVIDENCE.  
GOD hath not only created the World, but he doth also govern it, this is called actual Providence, whereby he ruleth all his Creatures, specially mankind. We shall not speak of it in its full extent, for the whole world, and every thing therein is the Object of God's Providence; he takes care of, and governs great and small things, necessary and contingent, good and evil, but we shall speak of it only as much as is conducing to our present purpose, and as it chief relates to good and wicked Men, in order to their Salvation and Damnation, as much as it leadeth to the execution of God's Decree of Predestination, for this is the part of it which the Papists and Arminians do strike at, and which by the help of God, we now intent to vindicate, as far as he will be pleased to enable us. Some make a confusion of Predestination and Providence, as if it was the same thing, but there is a great difference, this last is of a larger extent, and as we already said, is extended upon every Creature of what nature soever, but Predestination regards only Men (and Angels at the most) yet such a relation they have that one is the Decree, and the other the execution of it. Whereof for the present we shall give but two instances, to show how these things which in the world seem to us to be in a Confusion, and mere accidents of Man's malice and designs, are by God's ordering most wisely directed to a good end; to the unspeakable comfort of those who observe such effects of Providence. The first instance is that 
(a) Gen. 3●. 21.  of Joseph's being sold by his Brethren, a most wicked thing in itself, which he acknowledgeth, and in it admireth the ordering of Providence, for he saith to them: 
(a) Gen. 50.20.  As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass as it is at this day, to save much people alive. For thus they were preserved from being destroyed by Famine, and this in order for above 400 years after, to bring them out of Egypt with so many wonders, and to lead them into the possession of the promised Land. But before I leave this point, some thing more I must offer to the consideration of serious and thinking men. Certainly the several degrees of God's Providence in Joseph's case, are to be admired. First, his dreams, than his declaring of them, which raised the hatred and envy of his brethren against him: his Father's sending him to them in the field, whereupon they took counsel to kill him: Reuben's preventing their design, and advising to cast him into a Pit, God at that very time bringing by a company of Ishmalites, and Judas council of selling him to them, their bringing him into Egypt and selling him unto Potipher a great Man with Pharaoh, his Wife's unchaste designs upon him, her manner of vengeance seeing herself denied: And here indeed appears a dark effect of a wise Providence, that so good an act of his should be followed with his being cast into Prison; but 'twas in order to bring him nearer to Pharaoh, for 'tis observed how the Lord was with him, giving him favour in the sight of the keeper of the Prison, as before he had found grace in the sight of Potipher whilst he was in Prison, God's Providence brought into the same place the Butler and the Baker of the King of Egypt, then followed their several dreams with their interpretation by Joseph, whose desire the chief Butler minded not, but forgot him. But two years after Pharaoh dreamt, and none of the Magicians could interpret, upon this occasion the Butler remembered him, so he was sent for by the King, and after the interpretation he was raised to be next under Pharaoh, the greatest Man in the Kingdom. Then God called for a Famine upon the Land; but as David observeth, Psal. 105. he had sent a Man before them to preserve life to jacob's Family, as Joseph said to his brethren, it was not you that sent me hither, but God. Gen. 45. In Egypt they multiplied exceedingly, though under Oppression and Bondage, till the time of their deliverance, as promised to Abraham, was come, and the iniquity of the Amorite was full: How much is herein to be admired God's wise and adorable Providence? Thus (for a second instance) the combination of 
(b) Acts 4.27.28.  Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles and people of Israel, against our Saviour, to shed innocent blood, was by God's Providence directed, to do whatsoever the hand and counsel of God determined before to be done. We must think the like of every other effect of Providence, though we cannot tell the reasons of it. I declare in the whole dispensation in time of our Salvation, nothing moves me more than the consideration of God's ordering things for the good of his people, and I therein admire and adore his Infinite Mercy, Wisdom and Power.  
And thus God overrules the evil designs of wicked men, and of devils too, for although their being evil be contrary to God's will, which is good, it doth not hinder but that they do fall under his Providence, for as a stubborn Horse is by the Rider governed and directed to a certain end and place; and as a Magistrate doth rule and compel to duty, Seditious and Rebellious Subjects; Thus with the Curb of his Providence, God doth overrule the stubbornness of the wills of Devils and Wicked Men, reduceth them to order, and directeth them to his end. We see in the case of Job how Satan can do nothing against him, without God's special leave, neither can he go a jot beyond what he is allowed. Against this truth this objection is made, God is the Author of things done by his Providence, but God is not the Author of Evil and Sin, therefore Evil and Sin are not done by his Providence. I Answer God is the Author of things efficiently (that is the true and proper effect of a Cause) done by his Providence, but sin and evil are not efficiently done, but permissively, or by permission, as hereafter it shall be explained. Evils of sin, are said to be done by Providence, because God ruleth things done by evil and wicked Men, yet is free from the evil and sinfulness thereof, Thus a Rider ruleth and maketh a lame Horse to go, yet is not the cause of the lameness, a Man writeth a good hand, yet writing with a bad Pen, what he writes is not well written, 'tis not the fault of the Hand but of the Pen; the lameness lies in the Horse, and the vitiosity of fault in the Instrument.  
Now Providence is a Divine and perpetual act, whereby all and every thing is preserved, ruled and directed to its own and proper end: There are three degrees of Providence, as Preservation, Governing and Ordering of all things; out of every one of these degrees do appear the Wisdom, Freedom, Power and Goodness of God: Hence he is said to administer every thing Wisely, because 
(a) Hob. 4.13.  every thing lies open before his eyes; all being well disposed towards good and certain ends, Causes do accordingly produce their effects. God herein acteth freely, for nothing compelleth him to this Government of the World, neither doth he without himself act any thing out of a natural necessity, but out of his own freewill, then powerfully, because out of his own Will and Pleasure he doth what he pleaseth without any trouble or disturbance, so that nothing can hinder him. Lastly, he administereth well, because he never fails in any thing he doth, out of any mistake or error in the understanding, or a deviation in his Will from that which is Right, Good and True.  
And though I am to speak chief of God's special Providence, yet before I enter upon the matter, it will be necessary for the better understanding of it, for me to go up higher and say some things in general of the acting principle in God, which is threefold, Directing, Commanding and Executing; the principle directing the Action, is the understanding which in God is the same with his Divine Knowledge and Wisdom; This is a property of God, whereby he knoweth himself, in himself, and every thing without himself, not only of things that are, whether they be necessary, contingent, passed or future, whether thought, spoken or done, whether good or evil, but even those which are not to be, and all that most truly and infallibly: This understanding is the principle directing the Action, for no intelligent Agent willeth and executeth any thing but what the Intellect hath some foreknowledge of, and proposed it to the Will. In Men are the Intellect a faculty of the Soul, Science an habit of that faculty, and Knowledge an act proceeding from the faculty, through the habit, but no such distinction in God, in whom all these are but one and the same, distinguished only according to our manner of conceiving, God by his Essence, and not by any faculty or habit doth understand all in one eternal indivisible and unchangeable Act, because every other manner of knowing, is attended with imperfection; for he is a most simple and infinite Agent, in him no Succession, no First and Last, in him is the most perfect power of understanding, the knowledge of God being nothing else but the nature of God knowing, with one Act he comprehends his whole nature, and all things besides, as the Sun at once giveth light to every thing that is capable to receive it, much more the eye of God infinitely brighter and more piercing than the Sun, doth see and know all things that can be known and are visible, which universal Science is by Scripture attributed unto God. 
(a) John 21.17.  Lord thou knowest all things, and 
(b) Heb. 4 13.  all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. God's Science of simple intelligence, or of things that can be, or of vision, of things that shall be, we wholly omit, but the conditional Science called media, because a middle between the other two, was forged by the Jesuits, and is an absurd invention of theirs, to reconcile freewill and with the infallibility of God's Prescience and Predestination. One thing more to be observed upon this is, that the will of God is in order before his Science of things to come, wherefore God hath foreseen this or that shall come to pass, because from Eternity he decreed to do●t or permit it to be done, without which will of effecting or permitting, nothing would be done, or foreseen to be done.  
Therefore the will of God is the commanding principle, as his mind the directing. These are (if I may so say) the grounds which his Providence is acted by, this will is that whereby God willeth himself, by himself, and every thing out of him for himself; that is for his glory, in Scripture this Will is attributed to God. 
(a) Isai. 46.10.  My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure, and St. Paul, 
(b) Rom. 9.19.  who hath resisted his will? And our Saviour saith, 
(c) Joh. 6.39.  This is the will of him that sent me. Now the great and ultimate end of the will of God, is his glory, which all things are and aught to be subservient unto, to that end saith, St. Paul, 
(d) Cor. 10.31.  do all things for the glory of God.  
To dive into these matters, and be able to understand the works of learned Divines upon the Subject, one must well observe some distinctions of the will of God, as secret and revealed, of the good-pleasure and of the sign. The secret properly so called, is the eternal and unchangeable Decree of God, about doing or permitting several things in time to be done, which for want of being revealed are unknown to us, of this 'tis said 
(e) Deut. 29.29.  Secret things belong to God, as of the other, But those things that are revealed belong to us and our Children. Thus there are many things relating to particular men, which except those that concern the certitude of Faith, we are wholly ignorant of. Wherefore St. James reproveth the pride and over confidence of those, who for time to come dispose of their affairs, 
Jam. 4.13, 14, 15.  though they know not what that day or next will produce, therefore he will have them to add this, If the Lord be willing. The revealed will is not properly the Decree, but a declaration made in the word, which ever is an evidence of some Decree, but not always of that which we took it to be; this declaration is made either by way of Precept, Promise or Threatening, if that be done which God commandeth to be done, that declaration of God's will, is a sign and evidence that there was a Decree of doing or permitting the things that are done, if what is promised be performed, that declaration signifieth there is a Decree of performing what is performed, so if God inflicteth what is threatened, the revelation is a sign of a Decree, to have things inflicted which are inflicted. But if that which is commanded to be done be not done, that declaration is sign of a Decree to admonish a Man of his duty by way of Precept, and oblige him to do it, thereby to make him unexcusable. And if what God promiseth under an expressed or employed condition, be not performed, the declaration is sign of a Decree of showing a Man reason why he may obtain a good promise? And why that promise is not obtained, namely, the neglect of the condition prescribed, and if that which is threatened be not inflicted, the declaration is sign of a Decree to exhort and invite a Man to his Duty and Repentance, and of remitting the punishment upon condition of Repentance; whence it appeareth that there is no contradiction between the Revelation and the Divine Decree, if one considereth well the diversity of Decrees, and the meaning of the Revelation.  
The other distinction of the good-pleasure, and of the sign doth not differ from the former, only that the good-pleasure is a Decree properly so called, which may be either secret or revealed; for some are so, the will of the sign, is the same with the revelation of the Decree, but one must have a care not to misapply a declaration to a Decree, which 'tis not the declaration of and doth differ from, which some do, and so run into difficulties and inconveniencies. Now our assertion is, that God will have nothing with his good-pleasure, but what also he will have with the sign, provided one doth not understand every good pleasure, as for instance, God in his word would have all men to be holy and obedient to his Law, but seeing the most part of the world is not holy and obedient, we draw this consequence, that God by his eternal Decree, will not make all men holy, and so will not have them to be holy, for none is holy, except he is made such by God. Here seemeth to be a contradiction between the Good-pleasure and a sign, which if so, what would become of the truth of word of God; wherefore though there be some diversity, yet there is no contrariety, for the will of God revealed in the word, or the declaration that will have all Men to be holy, is not the sign of the Good-pleasure or Decree, nor to sanctify the greatest part of Men, for here is no agreement between the sign and the thing signified, or between the Word and the Decree, but 'tis the sign of another Decree, namely, to invite and command Men to do their duty, and study Holiness: As to the other Decree of not making holy the greatest part of the world, it hath another declaration, partly in the words and partly in the event. There is then no contrariety, but that sign which doth not agree with that Decree which it doth not belong to, will agree with another of which it is the sign.  
And because this is a matter of high concernment, both as to the Decrees of God, and as to his word between which, nor in the word itself, there is no contrariety, to make the matter the more clear, I will bring two more instances; The first is out of Genesis 
(a) Gen. 22.2, 12.  God said to Abraham, take thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a  offering, etc. Here God commandeth Abraham to Sacrifice his Son, but in the 12 verse, lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him. Here God forbiddeth him to Sacrifice his Son; hence it appeareth as also the event made it good, how God would not have Isaac to be sacrificed, though before, he had positively commanded it. The second instance, God by Moses said to Pharaoh, 
(b) Exod. 9.1, 12.  Let my people go, that they may serve me, these are the words whereby God declareth he will have Pharaoh to let Israel go, and verse the 12. God hardened the heart of Pharaoh that he would not let the people go. As 
(c) Exod. 4.21.  he said to Moses he would do. I will harden the heart of Pharaoh that he will not let my people go. Which God did at 
(d) Chap. 10.20, 27.  several times, hence it appeareth that God in his Decree would not have Pharaoh at that time to let his people go, when he commanded him to let him go, for God hardened his heart that he would not let him go. This is the other instance.  
God forbidden that Scripture should attribute to God two contrary wills, a sign contrary to the Decree, or a declaration in his word opposite to his eternal purpose, which to affirm is no less than Blasphemy. What difference or contrariety seems to be here, is not real, only in appearance, arising from this, that though in Scripture, God ever signifieth, that he will have that which indeed he is willing to have, yet he doth not always precisely signify, that positively he would have that which at the first sight we conceive him to be willing to have: Wherefore to remove difficulties, to assert God's truth and show the harmony and agreement between God's Good-pleasure or Decree, and his revealed will in his word, we must go to Scripture, and accordingly proceed to a farther examination of the places.  
In the History of sacrificing Isaac, do appear two inward and different thoughts of God, partly out of Scripture, and partly out of the Event: The first was to preserve Isaac on whom were the promises, and hinder Abraham from killing him. The second thought of God was his will, by a command to engage Abraham to Sacrifice his Son, (who by virtue of that order, prepared himself to obey) and thereby give an illustrious example of Obedience, which was tried by this. For in the first verse 'tis said, God tempted Abraham, so was Job tried to be made a famous example of Patience, as in this, Abraham was both of Faith and Obedience. Now to the point, to every one of these Thoughts and Decrees of God, answered its sign, which are not to be confounded one with another. To the first, and not to the last belonged this Sign, or Declaration, thou shalt not lay thy hand on the Lad, etc. which at first was not revealed to Abraham. Not to the first but to the last answered this sign, Offer thy Son for a  offering, ye see here is no real contradiction; different Decrees, different Signs, and a true harmony between signs and things signified, which would be disturbed, if the sign of the first was attributed to the last, and of the last to the first.  
Now to the other Instance, in the History of Pharaoh, are also to be considered two different Thoughts of Good-pleasure of God. When Pharaoh was the first, second and third time commanded to let Israel go, God's will was not so soon to bring his people out of Egypt, but to harden the heart of Pharaoh, not to let them go. The second Thought was to oblige Pharaoh by a special command to let the Jews go, but not presently, for then God had miss his aim, and with hardening Pharaoh's heart had contributed towards it, which is in no wise consisting with God's Wisdom; but the end was to let Pharaoh understand that he was justly punished for obstinately disobeying God's command, and this hardness of Pharaoh was an occasion for God to make his power known through the earth. 
Exod. 9.16.  Every one of these thoughts had its proper sign, the first's and not the lasts (which at first was hidden from Pharaoh) is expressed in these words, I will harden the heart of Pharaoh that he will not let my people go. The sign of the last and not of the first declared to Pharaoh, is expressed in these words, let my people go. Thus one may see here is no real contradiction, but a true agreement between the signs and the decrees, as their things signified, and it would cause a confusion if they were not rightly applied. Thus one may see the true sense and meaning of those places of Scripture, which I have the more insisted upon, because the matter is of so high a concernment, and that by the means of those distinctions of the will of God, one may resolve the doubts and difficulties which occur upon this matter.  
But before I leave it, I must take notice of a new fangled distinction already mentioned in the Chapter of Predestination, the more because this brings us directly upon Arminians, 'tis of the will of God unto absolute or peremptory, and conditional, the former say they depends upon no condition, but the last doth. If by this they meant only that which is called of the sign, it might be allowed, for sometimes in Scripture are conditional Precepts, Promises and Threaten. But when they extend it to God's Decrees, some whereof they would have to depend upon certain conditions, which from Eternity God hath foreseen shall never be performed, as when they say, God hath decreed to save those that are to be damned, upon condition they shall repent and believe in Christ. We cannot but reject it as contrary to God's Wisdom. Amongst Men one would be looked upon as very imprudent and inconsiderate, who would seriously resolve upon a thing under a condition, which he is most sure, will never be performed. Thus if a Prince would in earnest resolve to make an old ignorant Man, unexperienced, dull, unskilful in every Art and Science, his Chancellor, upon condition he becomes a famous Orator, a great Statesman, very Wise and Prudent, versed in all manner of learning, and that he gets all endowments necessary for the Place (which comparison I look upon as very defectuous to represent what I mean) what would one say of such a Prince? And what can we say to those who would father such inconsiderable and nonsensical decrees upon the only wise God. Which of these two is more consisting with the Word and Wisdom of God? To say, I elect such a one to Salvation, if he repent and believe, or, I elect him to Salvation through Faith and Repentance, which I will give him, taking these means for condition they enter into the decree, thus when God decreed to save Noah and his Family, it was by the means of the Ark: As I said before, 'tis the part of a wise man when he appointeth to the end to appoint also to the means, these means enter into God's decree, for by them as away, he will bring men to his end; now these conditions do not hinder the decree from being absolute, that is, it doth not depend upon a condition, for God hath absolutely decreed to save a Man by Faith.  
Of the same stamp is their other distinction of God's will into antecedent and consequent, which they explain thus, God hath decreed indifferently to save all and every individual Man upon condition, if they believe in Christ, and this by an antecedent will: again he hath decreed to save only some, because he hath foreseen only some few would believe, and this is done by a consequent will. The first is contrary to the wisdom of God. The second also argueth God of Imprudence, and with Pelagius supposeth faith in Christ to depend upon the will of Men, contrary to what Scripture affirmeth positively. 
(a) Ephs. 2.8.  Faith is the gift of God, and why to make two decrees of one, when one can and doth serve. That Truth which out of Scriptures we do assert, doth stand altogether and all in good order, when the erroneous opinions of our adversaries are in confusion, and by pieces and do not well agree together.  
To answer their Objections we are to know that to every decree belongs its sign, which is conditional, the decree not so, as any ways to depend upon the condition, and though the will of the sign be conditional, and that of the decree absolute: Yet the agreement between the decree and the word doth remain, for according to the rule of Civilians and Logicians, every proposition whereunto is annexed an impossible condition to which answereth one, which for certain can never be performed, is equivalent to an absolute or Catagorical Negative, this agreeth with an absolute negative decree, not depending upon the condition. Thus the promise of Salvation to one (who by reason of his final impenitency is to be damned) under condition of Repentance, and faith in Christ, is equivalent to a Catagorical Negative of Salvation for that Man by reason of his final Impenitency. To this answereth the negative decree, with relation to Impenitency and Unbelief, as cause of future Damnation; for all this, God doth not mock those whom he promiseth Salvation unto under condition, though he hath not absolutely decreed to save them, for by this conditional promise God shows them the means of Salvation, and the just causes of Damnation, namely, the neglect of those means which go before Salvation, and he showeth it to the end they be unexcusable, and make them sensible how justly they are damned. But say the adversaries, they cannot apply those means, true, but this excuseth them not, for 'tis through their fault they cannot. Some put a question whether there be any Cause to the Will of God, not as to the Object of the Will without himself relatively to the Creature, 'tis generally granted he hath, but the question is about the will wherewith God willeth: Divines answer no Cause per se of itself properly called can be given of the Will of God, either instrumental, impulsive or final, because God is so Cause-active, that he cannot be Caused or Passive, his Will is Independent, and there is nothing greater, nor before the Will of God, in whom is not a Will of the end, and another of the means, for as with one single act he knoweth the cause and the effects, so with one single act he willeth the end and the means. They who attribute moving and impulsive causes to the Will of God, do it to condescend to Man's capacity, for men cannot represent to themselves the greatness and Majesty of God, but in low and humane conceptions.  
Now we should come to the executing principle, or the third part of the principle of acting in God, and this is his Power, but because it leadeth us to Providence, which is our present Matter and chief Subject, we omit speaking to that as not conducing to our present purpose, and reassume our Discourse about Providence, where we left it.  
There are three parts or degrees of God's Providence. First, Preservation. Second, Governing. Third, Ordering. As to the first, God's preserving Providence is extended over all his Works, 'tis a continued Creation, whereby he preserves all his Creatures; some as to their Species, others as to their Individuums. Under the first Branch come all things Mortal and Incorruptible. Under the second those that are Incorruptible, but this I omit insisting upon, to come to that which is to my purpose; namely, that special Providence of God in the preservation of his Elect in this world, from those great and imminent dangers that are brought upon them, whereof Scripture affordeth several instances, as of 
(a) Gen. 7.7.  Noah and his Family from the Flood, by the means of the Ark; 
(b) Gen. 19.15, 16.  of Lot from the destruction of Sodom; of 
(c) Exod. 2.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.  Moses from being drowned when exposed upon the River Nilus; of 
(d) 1 Kings 17.4, 10, 13. Dan. 3.24. Chap. 6.22.  Elijah, for God commanded the Ravens to feed him, and at Zarephath also provided for him; of Shedrach, Meshack and Abednego, the three young Men that were delivered from the burning fiery Furnace; and Daniel from the mouth of the Lions. But because there is no dispute about this part of God's Providence, I come to the next, which is the governing part.  
The Government of the World is an act whereby God by his Supreme Authority, Power and Wisdom, ruleth all things, and disposeth thereof according to his Will, and this is done either actively or permissively: By the first God doth act every good thing, either immediately or mediately, 'tis in the first manner when God makes use of no Instrument or Second Causes, to show he is not tied to them, thus he immediately created the world without any Instrument. When God worketh with Second Causes, and Instruments he is said to act mediately and by means, and this not out of any necessity, for he can do all he pleaseth without them, but 'tis only out of his  and Pleasure, not for want of Power, but out of a fullness of his goodness, to communicate to the Creatures a power of acting, and also to teach us how to make use of the ordinary means by him appointed. These Instruments which God maketh use of, are either good or bad, ordinary or extraordinary. Good Instruments he maketh use of when by the means of good and pious Ministers, he calleth Men to Salvation; when he ruleth People by good Kings, and preserveth Believers by good Angels: God also maketh use of bad Instruments. First to punish the wicked, when by the means of the Devil or wicked Men he destroyeth Tyrants, Witches, &c, Secondly, He chastises his Children when he sometimes delivereth them into the hands of Cruel Tyrants, to the end that being thus afflicted, they may know their sins, repent and draw near to God. Thirdly, To try the Faith and Patience of his Children; thus he makes Job's Patience known all the world over; he made use of the Devil and of the Chaldeans, and Sabeans: And although those evil Instruments which God maketh useth of, do sin, yet God doth nothing amiss, he doth not infuse any malice into them, but maketh a good use of that which in them is inherent, to execute his just Judgements. In the same work, saith Austin, God is just, and Man guilty, because in the same thing they have done, they had different ends.  
The ordinary Instruments, which God maketh use of, be Second Causes appointed to produce certain ends, thus the Sun is the usual means whereby God doth give light to the World, heat and warm the Earth, for to that same end it is appointed, and always made use of, the word of God is the usual means to convert Men to God. The extraordinary means are those which are not appointed always or for the most part, to cause such effects, but according to God's Will, they variously produce sometimes one thing sometimes another; thus God to kill a Man doth sometimes make use of a Thunderbolt; another of the fall of a House; of a Wild Beast; of Highwaymen. Hence one may see there are an ordinary and an extraordinary Providence: The first is when he observeth the order he at first settled in Nature, namely, that certain Causes acting according to the perpetual Law of Nature, shall produce some effects which hold a proportion with the strength of the Cause: Hence are the several seasons of the year succeeding one to another, rising and setting of the Planets, motion of the Stars; and the generation and corruption of worldly things. The extraordinary is when God without or besides the way and order settled in Nature above the strength of Second Causes, doth through his Omnipotency provide for things. Hence are Miracles which are Works of Divine Almightiness, exceeding the power of Second Causes. Hence it is that those Second Causes sometimes employed by God in working Miracles, in relation to the miraculous effects, are signs and Evidences rather than Causes. When God hath a work to do, and hath a mind to make use of Instruments he doth fit them for his purpose. 
(a) 2 Chron. 20.6.  For in his hand there is such a power and might, so that none or nothing is able to withstand him. Because 
(b) Prov. 21.30.  there is no wisdom nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. In point of these acts of God's Providence, let it be farther observed, how though God hath appointed certain Causes to produce some effects, yet as he is not tied to them, so he is sometimes and often seen to work such events as do not answer those Second Causes. One would think that swiftness in running of a Race should carry the Victory, that the strongest should in a Battle have the better; and that the Wisest should heap up Riches: yet these Successes are by Solomon ascribed to God's Providence, more than to such Second Causes, for he saith, 
(c) Eccles. 9.11.  the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill.  
Now we are come to the most controverted part of God's Providence namely Permission, which is a governing, whereby God doth not restrain or bring off Devils and wicked men, so prone and inclined to sin, but withdrawing or denying his Grace, suffereth them to fall into sin, yet so that he turneth their bad and violent inclinations to the execution of his just Judgements, and directeth to very good ends their wicked Designs and Purposes. In the permission of sin, God is not an idle Spectator, but a mighty, just and wise Judge: God's method herein is this. First, To men dead in trespasses and sins, he denyeth and withdraweth the effectual helps of his Grace, without which they cannot but sin. Secondly, Very often he keeps not form sinning Devils, and Men of their nature, and out of custom so prone to sin, when he could do't, but suffereth them to fall into't. Thirdly, That sin conceived in their mind, he so restraineth and ruleth, that he suffers it not to break out upon every Object; but he inclineth and directeth it to such Objects or Men whom he is willing to Punish, Chastise or Try. Fourthly, He directeth to a good end, those designs which they intent for evil ends; as for instance, if a Traveller on his way be killed by a Highwayman, God is said to have permitted the Murder. First, Because he hath withdrawn and denied him his effectual Grace, without which he infallibly was to commit a Murder. Secondly, Because he hath not kept from Murder the mind of that Highwayman, by nature and custom inclined to it, when he could easily have done it, but hath suffered him to commit it. Thirdly, because he so inclined and ruled the Highway-man's violence and design of committing a Murder, that he neither would or could indifferently kill any Man, but this Man rather than another, hence by a just Judgement (which for the most part Men know not the cause of) he hath exposed to the Highway-man's fury this Traveller, rather than another. Fourthly, Because that which by the Highwayman was committed for a bad end, as may be to get money to bestow upon his own lust, God directed it for a good end, as may be the Robber's punishment, or of him that was killed, or to hinder him from executing some evil design he was going upon, or some other end unknown to us.  
In the Sins of Men, about which Divine Permission is exercised, four things are to be observed. First, The act itself as 'tis a natural act physically taken. Secondly, The vice inherent to the fact, or the morality of it. Thirdly, The directing of the bad Instrument and evil Act to a certain Object. Fourthly, The end of this direction is that God executeth his just Judgements by the sins of Men. The first, third and fourth of these are of God, and he is the Author of them, for every act as such is good, the motion of the hand, stirring of the body are good, the direction of the feet is good, and the execution of God's judgements is very good. But the second, wherein properly sin consisteth, is not of God, but only of Man; wherefore Man alone is the author of sin as such. Arminians accusing us to make God the author of sin, do but follow the steps of their Elder Brothers the Papists. Calvin and Beza, etc. falsely aspersed by slanderers, speak well of this matter. The first in his Treatise of Predestination, a piece much worth reading, the 
(a) Beza contra Castellinem.  other as quoted in the Margin, are both 
(b) De gratia & lib. arbit. cap. 20, 21.  St. Austin's followers against Pelagius. They who in this permission attribute nothing to God, but only that he leaves the wicked to act according to their mind, or to turn themselves to this or to that Object, make God an idle spectator of things; and one of these two things they must own, either that God doth not execute his just. Judgements by the sins of the wicked, which is false and contrary to Scripture, or else that many of God's Judgements are executed accidentally, or by chance, so that God decreed to punish David by his Son Absolom, because he did foresee Absolom would go about rebelling against his Father, and to punish Israel by the Kings of Assyria, because he foresaw the Assyrian would make War against Israel, a thing absurd and altogether contrary to Scripture, which expressly saith that Tyrants are called God's 
(c) Isai. 13.3.  sanctified; the Medes and Persians to execute his Judgements: and in the same verse, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger. They are called 
(d) Isai. 10.5, 6, 15.  the rod of God's anger, and in their hand is the staff of his indignation, as the Assyrian, which is also called the Axe, the Saw, the Rod, and the Staff in God's hand, vers. 15. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give charge to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire in the street. God sent him, and he had God's Commission for what he was to do. He is called 
(a) Jerem. 50.23.  the hammer of the whole earth, and in the following Chapter, the King of Media is called God's battleax and weapons of war, etc. Certainly all this is more than a bare permission, 
Chap. 51.20.  whence we conclude there is an effectual acting of God, and directing wicked Instruments to a certain Object against which God is pleased to execute his Judgements.  
We have so many more Texts of Scripture to prove the effectual concourse of God with bad actions of Men against those who assert only a bare permission and a direction of evil to a good end. The expressions of Scripture upon this subject, are so full, so clear, so significant, and so much to the purpose, that Men must be blind who will not see. Here we will produce only some few. God saith to David, 
(b) 2 Sam. 12.11, 12.  I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun; for thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the Sun. By Absolom 
(c) 2 Sam. 16.10.  the Lord hath-said unto Shimei, curse David. 
(d) 1 Kings 22.22.  God sent a lying spirit in the mouth of all his (Ahab's) Prophets. 
(e) Jerem. 15.8.  I have brought upon them a spoiler at noon day. 
(f) Ezech. 14.9.  I the Lord have deceived that Prophet. The falling off of the ten Tribes is the work of God. 
(g) 2 Chron. 11.4.  Ye shall not fight against your brethren, return every man to his house, for this thing is done of me. 
(h) 1 Kings 12.15.  And Roboham harkened not to the people, for the cause was from the Lord. 
(i) 2 Kings 10.32, 33.  God stirred up the heart of the King of Assyria to carry a way some of the Tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh.  
The destruction of Ahaziah was of God, by coming to 
(k) 2 Chorn. 22.7.  Joram. 
(l) Chap. 25.23.  Amaziah would not hear, for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hands of their enemies, because they sought after the Gods of Edom. Besides; what we said before of God's hardening Pharaoh's heart. God 
(m) Josh. 11.20.  hardened the hearts of several Kings, that they should come against Israel, as he had done before to Sihon King of Heshbon. 
† Deuter. 2.30.  For the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into thy hands; Must all this be understood of a bare permission? Farthermore God by Deborah said to Barak, 
(a) Judg. 4.7.  I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon, Sisera the captain of Jabin's army, and deliver him into thine hand. 
(b) Psal. 78.49.  He sent evil Angels amongst the Egyptians. And 
† Judg. 9.23.  God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. 
(c) Isai. 19.14.  The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of Egypt. 
(d) Jer. 13.13  God will fill the Kings that sit upon. David's throne, and the priests and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness. In another place 'tis called 
(e) Isai. 29.10  a spirit of deep sleep. 
(f) 1 Sam. 2.25.  The Sons of Ely harkened not unto their Father, because the Lord would slay them. God saith by the mouth of his Prophet. 
(g) Isai. 45.7.  I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. 
(h) Amos 3.6.  Is there any evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? Hence it is that 
(i) Psa. 17.13.  the wicked is called the sword and hand of God. David prays to God, 
(k) Psal. 141.4.  not to incline his heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity. And also, 
(l) Psal. 15.25.  God turned the heart of the Egyptians to hate his people. 
(m) Psal. 69.27.  Add iniquity to their iniquity, saith David. 
(n) Isai. 54.16.  God hath created the waster to destroy. And the same Prophet saith, 
(o) Isai. 42.24.  Who gave Jacob for a spoil? and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord? 
(p) 2 Chron. 21 16, 17.  God stirred up against Jehoram the heart of the Philistines and of the Arabians, that are near Aethiopia, and they came up to Judah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the King's house, and his Sons also, and his Wives. And three Chapters after 'tis said, 
(q) Chap. 24.24.  For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers, so they executed judgement against Joash. Hence it is clear out of the very words, how by some men God doth execute judgement upon others. Thus also a Prophet said to Amaziah, when he refused to hear, and repulsed him. I know that God hath determined to destroy thee. Neither would he hear what Joash sent to him, For it came of God, who would, as I quoted before, deliver him into the hands of his enemies. Furthermore, Shishak 
(a) 2 Chron. 12.2, 3, 4.  King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord. Then the Lord brought him up to punish them, and took their fenced cities in execution of God's Judgements; and again the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the King of Assyria, 
Chap. 33.11.  which took Manassch amongst the thorns, and bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon. Why should we any longer insist upon a thing so clear, by God's Order and appointment? 
(b) 1 Kings 15.29.  Baasha destroyed Jeroboam's Family. And 
(c) Chap. 16.12.  Zimri that of Baasha. And 
(d) 2 Kings 10.17.  Jehu that of Ahab. And all along in the Old Testament God takes upon himself to be the Author of all punishments inflicted upon his people by cruel Princes, and upon all other Nations, Assyrians, Syrians, Chaldeans, Moab, Ammon, Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, Philistines, etc. in so many Chapters of the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. Not only whole Nations, but also individual, though public persons were made sensible of God's working in and against them, as in the Case of Saul, 
(e) 1 Sam. 16.14.  The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord trouble him. The most excellent and glorious work that ever was, managed by the worst men in the world, namely, the death of our Blessed Saviour, yet Judas, Herod, Pilate and the Jews and Gentiles concurred in't, did nothing but what the Hand and the Counsel of God had determined before to be done, and fulfiled all that was written of him. So that we see this truth contained in the 
† Acts 4.27.28. and chap. 13.27, 29.  New Testament, as in the Old. God gave some to 
(f) Rom. 1.24, 26, 28.  vile affections, and to a reprobate mind and to uncleanness, and to Idolatry. 
(g) Acts 7.42.  So as to worship the host of heaven. And God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. Thus we see how God as a just Judge doth inflict not only bodily but also spiritual punishments upon men. 
(h) 2 Thes. 2.11.  And if all these places were heaped one upon another, and many others we could bring, do not fully and clearly express the effectual concourse of God in and upon Men, than all actings of God mentioned in Scripture must be explained of a bare permission, and I dare say that those who amidst so great a light will not see, must be in that darkness which comprehendeth not the light, and there is cause to suspect 
(f) Psal. 81.12.  God hath given them up to their own hearts lust, and to walk in their own counsels. And sometimes God 
(g) Deut. 28.23.  smiteth with madness, blindness, and astonishment of heart. St. Paul speaks to the purpose of this universal and special actual Providence of God (when he saith, 
(h) Rom. 4. 3●.  For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, none excepted, good and evil; not evil of sin which God abhorreth and 'tis Blasphemy to say it, but evil of punishment upon the wicked, and of chastisements and afflictions to try the Faith and Patience of his Elect: God threatneth to punish them that deny it. 
(i) Zeph. 1.12.  And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with Candles, and punish the men that are set on their Lees: that say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil: Though they speak it not with their Mouth, but say it only in their Heart; and he will so strictly search into it, that they shall be found out. These Effects and Workings of Providence come from him, and do serve his Ends; 
(k) Job 37.13.  For, saith Job, He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy And in another place he saith, 
(l) Chap. 5.6.  Affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground.  
That signal Plague of Egypt, that is, the Lice, came out of the Dust, which became Lice: Yet the wicked Magicians of 
(m) Exod. 8.17, 18.  Pharaoh perceived God in it, for they said, This is the finger of God. And the holy Man, Job, though the Sabeans, or Arabs and Chaldeans had plundered and rob him of his Oxen and Camels and killed his Servants, yet he said, 
(n) Job 1.21, 22.  The Lord gave, and the Lord, not the Sabeans or Chaldeans, hath taken away. Here some will be apt to say, Why doth he attribute unto God those Actings of Men? Job is to blame for fathering upon God the Actings of wicked Men. But as the Spirit of God knew there would be those so pragmatical as to cavil thereat, so in the following Verse he doth clear him from such Imputations, when it is said, in all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly, in saying that God had taken away. So God, speaking of himself in relation to his deal with Men, declareth, how because of the Sins of Israel, he had given them Laws as a Punishment. So he saith, 
(o) Zech. 20.24, 25.  Wherefore I gave them also Statutes that were not good, and Judgements whereby they should not live. We know all God's Laws are good, but the meaning is, they shall do them no good, nor be profitable to them. Thus the best things can do no good without God's special Blessing, nor the evil harm with-it, his sanctifying grace makes a difference; yet both 
(p) Job 2.10.  good and evil we receive at his hand.  
This Doctrine, as we see, is strongly grounded upon the Word of God, yet by some it is aspersed with the abominable slander, that it makes God the Author of sin, which we call Blasphemy, and in our Minds and Hearts, we abhor, detest, and pronounce a Curse against, and appeal to the Judge of the World to vindicate our Innocency against so notorious, false, and impudent Aspersions. They make God the Author of Sin, who call Sin a positive Being, as doth one of their great Men, Dr. Pierce, in several places: For God is the maker of every positive Being, but sin is a negative Being, which God never was the Author of. In the New Testament the name of Sin is with an Alpha privative, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'Tis a nonconformity to God's Law: Wherefore he that calleth Sin a positive Being, makes God the Author of it. We sufficiently declared, how tho' God doth concur with the natural and Physical part of the Act, he hath nothing to do as Author of the Moral, or of the Deviation, no more than the Sun when it shineth upon, and stirreth Filth and Corruption upon Earth, and draweth it, but is not thereby in the least defiled, the Corruption and Sin lay in the Subject. The wicked is like the Spider, which is wholly venomous in itself, and turneth into Poison every thing it eateth; contrary to the Bee, which makes Honey out of every Flower. However skilful Apothecaries make Vipers, and other such things Ingredients of their best Cordials. Thus God's Wisdom draweth good out of evil, and light out of darkness: He makes use of the Malice and Wickedness of Men to bring his Purposes to pass, and to execute his Judgements, ever remaining as he is, most Pure, and a most Holy God. Absolom's Incest, as it is a Sin, we attribute to Absolom and to Achitophel as 'tis a punishment for David's sin of Adultery, we attribute it to God. The numbering of a people as a sin we attribute to Satan, and as a punishment to God as a just Judge of the whole Earth. Thus by several causes concurring to produce one and the same effect, one may be pure and just, and the other impure and unjust according to the different motives and ends of acting, so an act in one relation and under one notion may be good, yet be evil in and under another.  
The ways of God are rather humbly to be adored, than presumptuously searched into, only we ought not to neglect as much as he hath been pleased to reveal in his word. When Men will measure God's proceed with the line of weak and shallow humane reason: 
(a) Rom. 1.22.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. But if we harken unto, and follow the Word which is the Wisdom of God, than we have a sure and certain rule 
(b) 2 Tim. 3.15.  which is able to make us wise unto salvation, and will bring 
(c) Gal. 6.16.  peace to those who walk according to it. It teaches us how God dealeth not only as a gracious Father, but also sometimes in spiritual as in temporal matters, doth act the part of a just Judge, which quality I hope none will dare to deny him, as a gracious Father he doth pardon and show mercy, as a just Judge he doth condemn and punish in those ways that are best suitable with his Wisdom and Holy Will. 
Ezech. 16.50.  God saith, I took them away, the people of Sodom, as I saw good. There are Spiritual Judgements as well as Temporal. There is 
(d) Amos 8. 1●.  a famine not only of bread, but also of the word. As a Judge, God sometimes punishes one sin by another, 
(e) Hos. 8.11.  because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. He delivereth them up to themselves, and their corrupt affections become the executioners of God's Judgements; Ephraim is joined to idols, 
Chap. 4.17.  let him alone. And not only one Judgement is the effect of another, for David saith 
(f) Psal. 69.27.  add iniquity to their iniquity, a very strong expression, to show how far God sometimes worketh upon the wicked, but also his very mercies are to them turned into Judgement, for except common graces be attended with a special Blessing to sanctify them, they are Curses, and shall one day be brought in as Evidences to condemn the unthankfulness and want of a right use made of them, if what God gives us to supply our necessary occasions and relieve the wants of others, we bestow it upon our Lusts and sinful Pleasures, we become guilty of the abuse of such things, and without pardon of sins, shall be called to give an account of those Talents. We have David for a witness of this truth in the very same Psal. we quoted last. Verse. 22 Let their table become a snare before them, which St. Paul doth enlarge upon thus, 
(a) Rom. 11.9.  Let their table be made a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them. Nay, 
(b) Psal. 109.7.  let his prayer become sin. He suffereth them to go on, and gives them time to fill up their Measure, and this not only for private persons and particular men, but also for whole Nations; there is a famous Instance of it, 
(c) Gen. 15.16.  For the iniquity of the Amorites, saith God to Abraham, is not yet full, and when it was, destruction came upon them by the Hands of the Children of Israel. To this purpose our Saviour speaketh to the Jews, 
(d) Matth. 23 32.  Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers: In a word, God when he pleases, 
(e) Deut. 28.28.  doth smite with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. And all this in a way of Judgement; and is there any one to prescribe or advise to other ways the Judge of the whole Earth? God saith it is so, and may any one question his Truth? God doth so, may any one question his Justice or his Wisdom? God in the act concurring with Men and Satan, is pure and undefiled, whilst Men and Satan are guilty and impure: The same thing is to them night and darkness, to God is day and light. 
(f) Psal. 139.12.  The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. And as in outward and temporal things we depend upon the Will and Providence of God, as we see it in the success of Abraham's Servant about a Wife for Isaac, 
Gen. 24.50.  the thing proceeded from the Lord; So in inward and spiritual, the same effect is to be attributed to the same cause, God openeth and shooteth the eyes of Man's understanding, he softeneth and hardeneth the hearts, either to yield obedience or to disobey his commands; and also those of bad Men to be favourable unto his people, thus 
(g) Psal. 106.  he made them (Israel) to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. Yea, restraineth and curbeth them as he did 
(a) Gen. 31.24.  Laban in relation to Jacob. The same command he hath and exercises over all, good or bad in the good actings of bad Men, and in the bad actions of good Men. Thus as 
(b) Esra 1.1.  he stirred up the heart of Cyrus to build the Temple of Jerusalem, so 
(c) 2 Sam. 24.1.  he moved David to number the people. This was after the Adultery and Murder, and for what we know a punishment for it, after so many that went before. Arminians would have it to be Satan that moved him, but except the Lord and Satan be the same, the Text affords them no ground at all, for what they say, for there is not one word of Satan in the whole Chapter, nor in many before: The third person, he is related to the Lord, expressed before in the same verse. We know what ground they go upon, in another place 'tis said 
(d) 1 Chron. 21.1.  Satan provoked David to number Israel, but God made use of Satan as in the case of Job; and of Judas, so of Herod and Pilate, instruments in God's hands against our Blessed Saviour; 
Acts 4.26, 27.  but this excludeth not God, for 'tis said they were gathered together to do whatsoever the Hand and Counsel of God had determined before to be done; so in this place it is expressly said, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David to number the people. To this subscribes that famous Primate Usher, in his Body of Divinity, Pag. 112.  
Numbering of the people was not a thing evil in itself; by God's command 
(e) Numb. 1.  Moses numbered them in the Wilderness. They were a second time numbered in the Plains of Moab, only upon such an occasion a Poll was to be paid for an offering to the Lord half a Shekel a Head, for want whereof they were threatened with a plague, 
Exod. 30.12, 13.  and there is no mention made that this was performed upon this numbering, whereupon they incurred the penalty, and the plague followed; but no doubt this desire and curiosity of David was mixed with Pride and Vanity, which we are most sure God had no hand in. This Satan raised in his heart, which made him reject Joab's wholesome advice. In some circumstances this case may be parallelled with that of Hezekiah, 
2 Kings 20.  who shown all his Treasures to the King of Babylon's Ambassadors. In itself it was no evil thing, but the Pride and Vanity that attended, marred it and made it displease God: then the good of our actions is of God, the evil of ourselves.  
This matter being so important, to clear it the more, we must briefly answer some objections made against it. First, He who denyeth sinners his help, without which they cannot avoid sinning, is partaker to the sin; but God doth so, wherefore he is partaker to the sin. I answer he who denyeth it when bound to help, is partaker to the sin; but upon God there is no obligation as upon Men to help one another. God is most free in all his workings, therefore he is not in fault, as to the guilt of sin. Secondly, They say if the wicked do execute God's judgements, yet so that their designs by God are directed and determined to certain objects, it followeth that either they sin not, or else 'tis not well in God to be angry against those who cannot resist his power. We answer with a denial of the Consequence, for neither of the two things do follow; wicked Men do sin, for what they do is not with a design to execute God's Judgements, but to satisfy their own lust against God's Law; wherefore God without any evil, may make use of their sins; but they are unexcusable, because they sin against the Law of God, and do that which is forbidden, though God doth by them that which is just and lawful; neither is it ill in God to be angry against them, because they sin freely and without compulsion; and by their sins they study to serve themselves, not God; neither do they, consult with Providence, but only their own Malice. St. Paul's Objection, why doth he yet find fault, for who hath resisted his will? Is by him answered; But O man who art thou, etc. whereof we have before given an account. Now that Tyrants cannot execute their injustice and cruelty, and ought not to promise themselves impunity, though they be God's instruments, it appeareth out of that Scripture we made use of not long before. O Assyrian the rod of mine anger, etc. Though God had sent him to chastise his people, he had his own private ends, and went on upon his own score; wherefore 'tis added by the Prophet verse 7. 
(a) Isai. 10.  How be it he meaneth it not so, neither doth his heart think so, but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.  
They farther object, he who directs and inclineth Men to this or that sin, and makes use of them as instruments, is author of their sins. We answer thus, He who inclineth and directs men not sinners to this or that sin, as it is sin, and makes use of them as instruments to commit sin, as it is sin, is the Author of those sins; but God, as a wise and a just Judge, doth not infuse sin, but doth incline and direct Men, not unwilling, but willing and ready; not free from, but corrupt with sin, to this or that sin, not as sins, but as Acts whereby as a just Judge he executeth his Judgements in and against Sinners, according to his eternal Decree; and, as I said before, is no more guilty of their sins, than the Horseman that rideth a lame Horse, is the cause of his lameness; he sets him on, thus he is the cause of the motion, but not of the lameness. And except we admit this, the Blasphemy of making God the Author of sin, will fall upon the Word of God itself. For in the forequoted places, it calls wicked Men, Instruments, Rods, Axes, Saws, Staffs, Battleaxes, Hammers, and attributes their Works to God. 
Isa. 5.26. & chap. 7.18.  I will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the ends of the earth; and they shall come with speed swiftly. And the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in Egypt, and for the be that is in the land of Assyria. And he calls, 
Joel 2.25.  the locusts, the canker-worm, the caterpillar and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you.  
They say we affirm, That God hath predestinated Men to sin; but 'tis no fair dealing to charge our Doctors in general: They should quote Names and Places, because out of the consideration of some Antecedents and Consequents, one can more easily know the Doctrine of Authors. Now, the better to answer most Objections against this truth, That Man sinneth with God's Will and Appointment, we are to take notice of the following Observations. First, The Will of God is either Effective, Permissive, or Directive, as we already have spoken of. Secondly, Sin is considered either materially, as an Act, or formally, as a Transgression of the Law: Or Lastly, as it is a Punishment of God. These things thus premised, to remove from our Adversaries all occasions and pretences to blame us, we here set down our belief as followeth. Sins materially considered, are from the Effective and Approbative Will of God, for an Act as an Act is a Positive Being, and so is Good, and from the chief Good. Sins formally considered are not from God's Effective, Preceptive or Approbative Will of God; yet are committed by Divine Permission and Direction; the fault is of Men, not of God. Sins considered finally, in relation to the end of Punishments and Divine Judgements, are from God's Effective and Approbative Will: Hence it appears we do not make God the Author of sin as such, and formally considered. Farther they object, that some of us say, some Men are predestinated to the causes of Damnation as sin, and so make God the Author of it. Some may happen to say so, but we are not sworn to any private Man's words or opinions; but we say that Men sinners are predestinated to Damnation, neither doth Man sin because he is appointed to Damnation, but is appointed to Damnation because a sinner. They who are of the opinion here argued against, yield the Thing, but deny the Consequence, thereby God to be the Author of sin, though he made Man in a condition to fall into sin, and decreed to permit him to yield to the temptation, and commit sin to manifest his Justice in the just condemnation of Man sinner: Then say the Adversaries, God hath not found a guilty Man to be punished, but hath made him such, which is not true, for God made him not so, but permitted him to be made so; he who through his own fault became guilty, is justly punished by God: Lastly, they object thus, that which is the cause of the cause, is also the cause of the effect, which is only true of the necessary cause called per se, not of that per accidens: but say they, you say that reprobation is a necessary cause of sin, which is a mere untruth and slander, none of our Authors ever said or hath written so, for 'tis Blasphemy, except it be through an abuse of the name: Sometimes 'tis usual to say causa sine qua non, a Cause without which a thing is not, but 'tis improperly so called, for every true Cause doth influence the Effect. Thus we have answered their most plausible Objections, and given them their best and most advantageous light, to make the matter more intelligible.  
It is time to come to the third degree of Providence, Ordination or ordering of things, whereby God according to his wonderful Wisdom and Power reduceth every thing into Order, constituting good and certain ends; disposing means to those ends, and ruling things thus disposed: About these degrees of Providence we must well observe, how in the effectuating, permitting and ordaining, there is about every act of Creatures not only an universal but also a particular and special influence of God, which is proved out of Scripture. First, In general, 
(a) Psal. 113.5, 6, 7, 8, 9  Who is like unto our God, saith David, who humbleth himself before the things that are in heaven, and in the earth; he raiseth up the poor out of the dust, etc. He maketh the barren woman to keep house and be a joyful mother of children. And in another place, 
(b) Psal. 146.6, 7, 8, 9  God made heaven and earth, the sea and all that therein is, which executeth judgement for the oppressed, which giveth food to the hungry; the Lord looseth the prisoners; the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind, raiseth them that are bowed down, preserveth the strangers; he relieves the fatherless and widows. Nehemiah saith, 
(c) Nehem. 9.6.  thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their hosts; the earth and all things that are therein, the sea and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all. And in the New Testament 
(d) Heb. 1.3.  God upholdeth all things by the word of his power. Secondly, The particular Providence is proved out of the following Texts. 
(e) Matth. 6.25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.  Take no thought for your life, saith our Saviour, what ye shall eat or drink, nor for raiment, for your heavenly father feedeth the fowls of the air, etc. even the smallest things God takes care of, 
(f) Chap 10.29.30.  one sparrow shall not fall on the ground without your father, the very hairs of our head are all numbered. This providence is extended over contingents, nothing seems to be of chance, so much as casting of the Lot, yet saith Solomon, 
(g) Prov. 16.33.  The lot is cast into the lap: But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. But the special providence of God was ever extended on his people, as I shown before in the cases of Noah, Moses, etc. how admirable was it in relation to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Children of Israel, in and out of Egypt, as it may appear out of the 
* Gen. 15.7. & 16.10. & 17.2.4.16.20. & 21.13. & 28.13.14. Exod. 1.20. & 12. 3●. Deut. 10.22.  Texts quoted in the Margin: Not only the Psalms and the Prophets are full of this, but also whole Scripture containeth abundance of evidences of special divine influences upon every particular act of Creatures; and this not only upon those that are good, but also them that are evil, for God doth specially rule both, though he be not the Author of evil, as such, that hindereth him not from being the Rector and Ruler thereof: For, as we said before, he is not an idle Spectator; for at his pleasure he overrules corrupt Instruments, turneth them which way, and to what end he pleases, his Holiness and Justice ever undefiled; and the end of his Providence is ever the Glory of God, and Salvation of the Elect, which all things are subservient unto. And in every thing it is most true what is said, 
Jonah 1.14.  For thou Lord hast done it, as it pleaseth thee.  
In relation to the wicked, how wonderful God's Providence is in bringing his ends about, we may see it in the Case of Ahab; God by the Prophet Elisha, for his abominable Idolatry, and other Sins, had threatened him and his whole Family with utter ruin: But because upon his outward Repentance, 
(a) 1 Kings 21.29.  God had said he would not execute his Judgements during his Life, but in his Son's days, Ahab must be the first taken out of the way: In order to it, he must begin a War against the King of Syria, though there had been none for three Years before: The occasision, or pretence of the War, is to recover the Town of Ramoth in Gilead; an encouragement for him to go on in his design was, Jehosaphat King of Judah being come to visit him, promiseth in Person to assist him with his Forces. But further to engage him in his Design, his Prophets, about 400 Men, must promise him a Victory. They come to a Battle, before which the King of Syria commanded all his Captains to fight with none but the King of Israel, who, not to be known, disguised himself in the Fight. Jehosaphat is taken for Ahab; so the Syrians fell upon him, but perceiving he was not the King of Israel, they turned back from pursuing of him; For God helped him, and the Lord moved them to departed from him, 2 Chron. 18.31. Here is Providence! All this while it seemed to Ahab he was safe enough; but God, who had sent Jehosaphat to visit and join with him, who had put a lying Spirit in the Mouth of all his Prophets, and put in the Heart of the King of Syria to command the 32 Captains of his Chariots to fight only against Ahab's Person; 
Chap. 22.  who thinking himself in some measure free from danger, when behold, God doth his work: a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the King of Israel between the joints of the harness. Certainly, though the Man shot at a venture, the Arrow was guided to the place where it did wound him: The Blood ran out of the Wound into the Chariot, wherein he was carried dead to Samaria: The Chariot is washed in the Pool of Samaria; and whilst it was a washing and his Armour, the Dogs licked up his Blood, according to God's Word by Elisha, in the same place where they had licked up the Blood of Naboth. How, what remained of God's Judgements, was afterward executed upon Jezabel and the rest of Ahab's whole Family, Scripture makes a large mention of, and therein God's Providence is visible and wonderful. One thing more to be observed is, that there is no other account given of the success of the Fight, as if that part of the Chapter had been written only to relate Ahab's Death, the manner of it, and nothing else: Because at that time the chief work upon the Wheel of Providence, was the beginning of execution of God's Judgements upon Ahab's person, which were next to follow upon his Son Ahaziah, who died of a fall: Jehoram was killed by Jehu, who destroyed the whole Family.  
All Dispensations of God's Providence are attended with Wisdom, Power, Holiness, and Immutability. Every thing that happeneth doth so according to the same wonderful Providence, God from eternity having unchangeably decreed to do, or to permit every thing that happeneth in time; and whatsoever he hath decreed and appointed shall infallibly be. For if it were not so, God would be mistaken in his Prescience. Divine Providence cannot be hindered, seeing there is nothing more potent than God; for, who hath resisted his will? or who can resist it, he being Almighty? 
Rom. 9.19.  That makes him put a Question with Defiance, Is there any thing too hard for me? 
Jer. 32 27.  which in that same Chapter 10. verse before, the Prophet answers in the negative, there is nothing too hard for thee. ver. 17 God for the things he purposeth to himself, hath appointed fit, sufficient and effectual means to obtain the same, or else he could be frustrated of his ends, which is contrary to his wisdom and power: Some deny this immutability of providence under pretence that it takes away Contingency and Liberty; but it doth not, for in the disposition of providence, many things are done by Causes which God would have in themselves to be Contingent and Free, for such he made and preserveth them; whence their effects are well called Contingent, that is happened by Chance and Accident as to Second Causes; though in relation to Divine Providence they be unchangeably done. And 'tis much to be observed how this Contingency is wholly and only on the side of near, Second, and particular Causes, for in relation to the first and Universal, nothing is Contingent, but all necessary, not of a necessity of the Cause, but of the immutability.  
Against this 'tis objected, if all things be out of an unavoidable necessity of God's Providence, than Counsels, Precepts, and Prayers of godly Men are of no use, for Counsels are taken to obtain a good success of our undertake, and avoid bad ones, prayers are made to get good things and avoid evil ones, but if all things be done by an unchangeable Providence, these are in vain; which we deny for this reason, that Counsels and Prayers are means subordinate to God's Providence, whence God granteth prosperous success to prudent Counsels and pious prayers; God in his word bindeth us to these means; thus the forgiveness of sins is an Article of our Creed, 'tis matter of Faith, for we believe it; yet in the Lord's Prayer we are commanded to pray God to forgive our trespasses. And if sometimes he doth not hear us, yet our Counsels and Prayers are not altogether in vain, for they who use the means which God hath prescribed, do perform their duty and serve God, not without benefit one way or other, and the same thing we pray for, though not granted for the present, yet often 'tis so in God's due time. 
(a) Dan. 9.2, 3, and Rev. 22.17, 20.  Saints pray for those things which they know will be infallibly. They which use this argument against prayers, dispute like those who deny the world shall be consumed with Fire, because by an unchangeable Decree it is to be consumed. Now these Counsels and Prayers are not made use of as lets thereby to change the Decrees and stop the course of Providence, but to the end that yielding obedience to God's law, and following the usual course of providence, we may obtain a good Conscience and be filled with good hope, leaving the success of what we pray for, to the most wise God. A last Objection is this, if God's actual Providence be immutable, than none of God's precepts or promises are conditional, for a condition doth imply a possibility of change to the contrary, according to the performance or no performance of the condition; but it doth not follow, neither is the proof universally true, but false in particular as to the condition of God's precepts or promises, it is uncertain only on Man's side, for on God's side, it is most certainly decreed and determined.  
Though already we sufficiently declared we ought not to separate the means from the end, yet because about these disputes it is a fundamental truth, I cannot forbear for confirmation of it, here to insert two Instances, one out of the Old Testament, the other out of the New. The first is concerning King 
(b) 2 Kings 20.  Hezekiah, after God had sent him word by the Prophet Isaiah to prepare for Death, and (here by the by, take notice how the last message differed from the first) given him a Reprieve for fifteen years, though without any means God might have cured him, yet he is pleased to make use of some, and the remedy prescribed was proper for the Disease, for a lump of Figs which are a great drawer is laid upon the Boil which thereupon broke, and so the malignant humour came out. The other instance out of the New Testament is very remarkable: 
(c) Acts 27.  Amidst the great danger of Shipwreck which Paul and other Men in the Ship, were under, God promised him not only his life, but also of all them that were with him in the Ship, which made him assure them, there should be no loss of any Man's life, though 276 were in it. Yet after so positive a promise, though God could have saved them all, to show how means must be used, when he saw the Seamen under a pretence of casting Anchors, were about to flee out of the Ship, Paul said to the Centurion and to the Soldiers, Except these abide in the Ship, Verse. 31 ye cannot be saved.  
Now all that remaineth for me to say upon this whole matter, is to observe how many a good use may be made of the Doctrine of Divine Providence, and so conclude with it. And first out of the administration of all things, we must own the infinite Power, Wisdom and goodness of God. Secondly, We ought to put our trust and confidence in God, as a Father who takes a special care of all his. Thirdly, In adversity we must not look so much upon Second Causes as upon the first; and whatsoever we suffer, we must own it to come from the hand of God; and in prosperity, we must acknowledge and praise God as the Author of every good thing we enjoy: 
(a) Job. 2.10.  For at the hand of God we receive both good and evil. Then we ought to fear and reverence so potent a God in whose hands is every Creature, which he can arm all against us. David saith, Fire, and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind fullfilling his word. Psal. 148.8. So we may say of every other Creature, they all are his Servants. Psal. 119.91. Further more we must love God who out of his Fatherly care, watcheth for and promoteth our good; and hereby aught to be excited a mutal love amongst us, who are Children of the same Father. This also lays an obligation upon us, when there is occasion, to make use of the means God hath prescribed, yet not so as to put our trust in them; neither are we to despair in case they fail us, knowing how God is not so tied to them, but that he may help us without, so that upon all occasions of whatsoever nature they be, we ought to submit, to trust and depend upon God's providence, and in conformity to God, we ought to follow our Work and Duty.  
The Psalmist in the whole 107. Psalms, having exhorted the redeemed of the Lord to praise God for his manifold providence, as over Travellers, Captives, Sick-men, Seamen and several other varieties of life, in the last verse of all, to bring them into a serious consideration of the right use they ought to make of it; saith, Who so is wise, and will observe those things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. We must not be as idle and unconcerned Spectators; for such are not wise. But it is a part of wisdom in us to take a special notice of all effects of God's wise, mighty and gracious Providence.   

CHAP. V Of GRACE..  
WIth corrupt Men, 'tis natural to have too good an opinion of themselves, and too mean of God; therefore they are pleased with what exalteth humane strength and , though Freegrace be thereby abased; the more a Doctrine is suitable with Holy Scripture, the less 'tis acceptable to humane affections. People must not dispute about these matters as some do, to try their Wits and make a show of their Parts, but to find out the truth as revealed in God's word, and then receive, adhere to and profess it. About this important matter of grace several parts are controverted between Arminians and us: As first, About Resistiblity of it. Secondly, About the Amissibility. Thirdly, About universal grace. Fourthly, About Faith the chief Gospel Grace which hath several branches. By the grace of God we intent of every one of these to speak in its due place; but in order thereunto we must endeavour first to beat down  opposite to grace. Here I put them together, not by reason of their affinity, but of their contrariety; about this matter, though in some different degrees, we have for Adversaries, Pelagians, Papists and Arminians.   

CHAP. VI Of .  
THE Word , doth properly denote the faculty of the Soul, called the Will, but in the present Question, the Understanding, and other faculties of the Soul, are also understood thereby, in as much as the Will is enlightened by the Intellect, and followeth the last Dictates of it; so that it is the guide of Will and Affections. Now the Question is about the power of all Natural faculties of Man; how far they may go in promoting of his own Salvation. This is called , and we are to see how much Nature, which here is opposed to Grace, can promote or hinder our Salvation. Pelagians do say, that by Obedience to the Law of Nature, through the direction of right Reason, Men may be saved; that is, by Nature without Grace. So that the right use of Nature, by infallible dependence, draws the Grace of Regeneration, which is to settle a soundness of Nature so contrary to what is expressed in the whole course of Scripture. But these I pass by to come to others, (Papists) who go not so far, yet in matter of Salvation give Nature too much, for in part they attribute it to Nature, and in part to Grace. Sin, say they, hath not taken away the Power of the Understanding, and of the Will of Man, to obey God, and to believe, but only the exercise of that Power; that the power of Man's Soul, to all good Works, is not dead, but only chained up, and bound, and in the act of Conversion, the effect of it doth depend part upon Grace, and part upon Man's own Strength. About this part of farthering our Salvation, Arminians do mince the matter, and are sometimes on and off, if not wholly, yet in part; but as to the other point of Man's natural power to hinder Grace and Salvation, they highly, and altogether, are for it, as it will appear when we speak about resistibility of Grace.  
But as neither , nor any natural faculty, hath any power to purchase the beginning, or progress of our Salvation, for both Grace and Glory, as after David, I said before, 
Psal. 84.11.  come from God, who alone quickeneth Nature dead in Sin, so Nature cannot hinder the Almighty power of God in the Conversion of Sinners, except one will affirm the power of Men to be greater than that of God; which is downright Blasphemy. We say, First, That Man, through his Fall, is so corrupt, that by Nature there is not in him any power at all to any Spiritual good, rather a propensity and inclination to all kind of Spiritual evil; so that our Will, instead of being free, is a Servant and a Slave to sin. The consideration whereof, made Luther give a Book he did write upon this Subject, the Title de Servo Arbitrio, the Will Slave or Servant. The first Part, that is, our unableness, is clear. 
(a) Joh. 6.44.  No man can come to me except the Father draw him: 
(b) Jer 13.23.  Can the Aethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are used to do evil. St. Peter speaks of those who 
(c) 2 Pet. 2 19  promise others liberty whilst they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same he is brought in bondage. How far this Text is appliable to those who boast of a Power of  in themselves, and promise it to others, I leave it to God and their Consciences; sure I am, the best of us 
(d) Eph. 2.3, 5.  are by nature Children of wrath, even as others and dead in Sins. This Natural and Moral impotency, is by St. Paul clearly set down, 
(e) 1 Cor. 2.14.  The natural Man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Our most blessed Saviour speaks home and positively upon the matter, 
(f) Matt. 12.34.33.  O generation of Vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things, after he had said, in the foregoing verse, either make the tree good and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt, for the tree is known by his fruit. The words of Austin upon the matter are excellent, 
(g) Mea bona nec mea sunt nec perfecte bona; mea mala & mea sunt & perfeste mala.  The good I do is neither mine nor perfectly good, but the evil I do is both mine and perfectly evil.  
But this is not all, for not only there is an impotency to all Spiritual good, but also a propensity and inclination to all Spiritual evil, through a perverseness that is in our nature; 
(g) Gen. 6.5.  God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually. The Text is very full and comprehensive in every word thereof, if any thing can be added to it, elsewhere we find it thus: 
(h) Jer. 17.9.  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? We sometimes find, by experience, how a Man desperately in love with a Daughter of Belial, I mean a Woman without any Fortune, Honour or Virtue, will confess he is in an error, and overruled by a Passion, yet though to the ruin of himself and Fortune, he must have her, or else he cannot live; and is not a Natural man's Will desperately wicked? So that though he hath checks and convictions of Conscience about his evil courses, with his being so fond of the World, and so much in love with Sin, and though he knows better, yet he neither can, nor will leave it; where is here ? where sufficient Grace? If it is not to be found in those Natural and Temporal things, much less in Spiritual and Eternal; O, let every one lay his hand upon his Conscience, and seriously examine himself.  
Another thing we assert, is, That whatsoever good or spiritual working is found in any Man, it comes from God, who worketh it in Man; nothing of Nature, but all of Grace. Our being Enlightened, Conversion, Repentance, Holiness, Faith, etc. come all from God alone, 
(a) Isa. 26.12.  for he works all our works in and for us; and 
(b) Eph. 2.10.  we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Also, 
(c) Phil. 2.13.  It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It doth not lie in our freewill, nor is it in our power, to receive or reject Grace; neither do we thereby destroy the natural liberty of the Will, which doth not consist in indifferency, that is, to choose, or to reject this or that, but in a freedom from compulsion; neither doth the immutability of the Decree take it away, that which God hath Decreed shall indeed necessarily be, but a thing may be done voluntarily and necessarily too, for necessity and liberty in one subject do very well agree. Thus God is necessarily good, yet most freely good; the Devil is freely evil, yet necessarily evil. Saints in Heaven do necessarily praise God, for they can do no otherwise, yet they do it most freely and voluntarily; nothing but a necessity of coaction, a forcible necessity, takes away liberty, and this the Will of Man is free from. Wicked Men do necessarily, yet freely sin with pleasure and delight; 
(d) 2 Pet. 2.14.  they cannot cease from sin. These are Scripture words, yet our Adversaries, as before, clamour thus; then, after this, all Precepts, Promises, Threaten and Exhortations to make Men abstain from Sin, will be in vain, if they cannot forbear sinning. But, I say, though some be not the better, rather the worse for these things, yet such things are not in vain, for thereby they are taught their Duty, and commanded and exhorted to perform it; and thereby unpenitent and unbelievers become unexcusable, for they cannot pretend ignorance. Neither is it in vain, in relation to the Elect, who enjoy these outward means together with Reprobates, because through the inward working of the Spirit, the Preaching of these things becomes effectual in them, and puts them upon avoiding of Sin.  
In few words, the better to understand this matter of , two things ought chief to be considered: First, What a state Man is in when we speak of his . Secondly, The nature of the things which he doth exercise his  about. There are four states of Man, which Schoolmen call Institutus, Destitutus, Restitutus, Praestitutus; that is, to be more plain, of Innocency, Nature, Grace, and Glory. The things are either necessary or natural, indifferent, mixed or spiritual. The state of Innocency needs not to be spoken of, 'tis lost and gone in Adam; of whom Divines say, Habebat posse quod veltet. He had  and Power to do what he would, though at last he wanted the Will to do what he could, for he would not continue in his Integrity.  
In the other three states, the Will is free from compulsion and coaction, else, instead of being voluntas, it would be noluntas, not Will, but Vnwill; God himself never offers such a violence, whereby its nature would be destroyed So then, in the state of Nature, the Will is free only to Evil; in that of Grace, part to Good and part to Evil, yet so, that the Evil is wholly from ourselves, and the Good only from God; in that of Glory only to Good. 'Tis to be observed, how, in the passing out of the state of Nature into that of Grace, that is, at the time of our Conversion, God, by his holy Spirit, works in us against us, I mean, our natural corrupt inclinations. But afterwards he works in us and by us; that is, he guides, inclines, and turns our faculties to that which is good and acceptable in his sight. But to come nearer, We say, in the state of Nature, in Natural and Necessary things, as to eat and to drink, which are natural and necessary to preserve Life, yea, this or that kind of Meat and Drink, man's Will is most free; so 'tis in indifferent things, as to Walk, Stand, or Sat, to Game, Sing, or the like. The Will is very free even in those things that are of a mixed nature, and which seem to imply a violence; as when a Man gives his Purse to a High-way-Man to save his Life; when, in a Storm, Merchants and Seamen cast the Wares into the Sea, to save the Ship and themselves. Though, in such cases, there be an unwillingness and a repugnancy to the thing, yet the Will determines itself, of two Evils to choose the least; but our Question, concerning , is not about such Objects, but about Spiritual things, in this state of Nature, and before Conversion.  
Hereupon, we say, the Will is free only to do Evil, most willing with greediness. In this case, with Scripture, we call it a Slave, a Drudge, and a Servant to Sin, for it cannot cease from Sin; wise and willing enough to Sin, but without knowledge and willingness to do good: 
(a) Rom. 6.16.  Whom man doth obey, his servant he is to whom he doth obey. That Will that obeys Sin in the lusts thereof, as every Will in its state of Nature doth, Sin, saith the Apostle, reigneth in it as in the Mortal body; such Will is in the snare of the Devil, and 
(b) 2 Tim. 2.26.  taken Captive by him at his Will, saith the same Apostle. In this unregenerate state, the Soul, and consequently the Will, is dead in trespasses and sins; the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2.14. And the carnal Mind, and Will too, is enmity against God; before our reconciliation to God we are his enemies, Rom. 5.10. both in Soul and Body, in every faculty of the one, and in every member of the other. In short, the whole stream of Scripture runs strong that way, to show how, in the state of Nature, there is no more possibility for our Will, of itself, to be carried to good Spiritual objects, 
Jerem. 13.23.  than there is in the Aethiopian to change his skin, or in the Leopard to change his spots.  
Now, in the state of Grace, as to , in relation to spiritual things, for those of another nature come not within the question, though the Will remaineth free from compulsion, yet we ought to consider it in a twofold respect, according to the two different Principles that are in us, the Flesh and the Spirit, the Old and the New Man, of a quite different and contrary nature one to another; the Flesh hath her Lusts, which must be Crucified; the Old Man hath his Deeds, which ought to be Mortified, all by degrees, and after a fight, wherein the Spirit of God, through Christ's Blood, giveth a regenerate Man the Victory, not the Israel after the flesh, 
1 Cor. 10.18.  but to that after the spirit and the promise.  
What this New Man is, St. Paul mentions to the Galatians, 4.19. My little Children, of whom I travail in birth until Christ be form in you; that is, the Image and likeness of Christ in Righteousness, Holiness, and every Christian Virtue; of this formation, the Apostle, by the means of the Ministry of the Word, was the Instrument, but the Holy Ghost, not the Will of Man, the Efficient Cause; it is that Wind that bloweth where it listeth, and though one heareth the sound thereof, one cannot tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth, Joh. 3.8. In some kind we may say of it, what David speaks of his Body made in secret, at first imperfect, but in continuance fashioned, Psal. 139.15, 16. This puts a new or spiritual Life in us, so that every one, in that blessed condition, may with St. Paul say, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, Gal. 2.20. I know, I will, I love, and I do, yet not I, but Christ by his holy Spirit, knoweth, willeth, loveth, and doth in me; and even as after the birth of our Body, to preserve and strengthen it, food must be given it, and Milk is the first, so must the New Man be fed with Milk till it be able to bear Meat, 1 Cor. 3.2. but this forming, feeding and digesting, is the Work of God, and not an effect of the choice of our Will. Thus much I could not forbear taking notice of, as to that Spiritual Principle within us.  
Well, both these Principles retain the Nature whence they come: The first of the earth, earthy; the second is the Lord from heaven, heavenly, 1 Cor. 15.47. Now that first and Old Man answereth, The Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her Children, but Jerusalem which is above is free, Gal. 4.25, 26. We then must say, that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. 3.17. where that Spirit is not, there is nothing but bondage; so then, in the twain Man are both liberty and bondage upon different accounts. What Paul doth, he alloweth not, for, what I would that I do not, but what I hate that do I. He delighteth in the Law of God after the inward Man, but the Law of the Members bringeth him into Captivity to the Law of Sin, which he desired to be delivered from, and obtained it through Jesus Christ, Rom. 7. Wherefore, in that state, though the corrupt principle would pull back and misled our Will, yet, by the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost, our Will is made tractable, inclined, and, without any violence, turned willingly to Spiritual things. Thus we are made a free, willing People, in the day of God's Power, to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought, and every desire too, into Captivity, to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. As to our  in the State of Glory, I pass it by, there being no question made about it.  
The Controversy about  is a large Subject, yet, I think, we said enough to our present purpose; what remains to be spoken about it, shall be under another head, which, that we now leave, doth directly lead us to. Arminians are stiff sticklers for a  in Man, to receive or reject Grace, when offered by the Preaching of the Gospel, as the outward means appointed for that end. Now we proceed.   

CHAP. VII. About Resistibility of GRACE..  
TO understand this well, it must be well stated; the Question is not whether Man can, and doth resist Grace, when offered in the Preaching of the Word, or even some good motions of the spirit of God; we are all agreed it can, and doth. But the true state of the Question between Papists with Arminians and us, is this, Whether, when God doth offer men Grace, with a design to have them thereby converted? Whether or not, I say those Men shall actually be converted? Or, Whether the  and Corruption of Man, shall overcome the motions of the spirit of God, when he purposeth actually to convert? We say, at that time, God works irresistibly and invincibly; that is, they shall be converted; they say no.  
To prove this, we have many Texts of Scripture: There is in God 
(e) Philip. 3.21.  a power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself; so that, when he is willing, he cannot miss of his aim. If the difficulty lies in the Understanding, he can bring light out of darkness, and enlighten the eyes of our Understanding; if in the Will, 
(g) 2 Cor. 4.6. & Ephes. 1.18.  he can make us willing in the day of his power; if we be unwilling, he maketh us willing, and able to do too, 
(h) Psal. 110.3.  for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. And how so? 
(i) Phil. 2.13. 2 Pet. 1.3.  His divine power gives unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge (here he works upon the Intellect) of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. If he gives all things, than nothing is wanting; if so, how can it fail of a success? Doth not St. Paul, as plainly as can be, assert this, 
(a) Rom. 9.19  who hath resisted his will? Surely this concludeth negatively, and ab impossibili: As if he had said, 'tis not possible for any Man to resist his Will. What then? his Power: no, for 'tis 
(b) Ephes. 1.19, 17, 18.  a might, power, a power of exceeding greatness: And he saith in the two foregoing verses, that God gives the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; and as we said before, enlighteneth the eyes of our understanding, etc. Now that power of God working in us, is no less effectual and mighty than it was, Verse 20 when it raised Christ from the dead. Which is confirmed when the Apostle saith in another place, As we were buried with Christ in baptism, so also we are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God. Doth not our Saviour himself say? that 
(c) John 6. 3●.  all the father giveth him, by the decree of Election, for in him they are elected, shall come to him. Verse. 45 And that every man that hath heard, and learned of the father cometh to him: And shall Men attempt to break that link of Salvation? 
(d) Rom. 8.30.  Whom he did predestinate, them he also called: Whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  
If God be willing, the thing is done: Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean, the answer and effect, is I will, be thou clean. The will of Man not only doth ever obey effectual calling, but it must do so, for the effectualness of God's calling consists in the removing of all stubbornness and perverseness that is in the will, and giving a new heart soft and pliable to the call. 
(e) Luk. 5.12, 13.  A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart and give you a heart of flesh: And ye shall be clean, etc. And who shall hinder him. 
(f) Ezech. 36.26.1.25.  
(g) Prov. 21.1.  Are not the hearts of men in the hand of God, be turneth them whithersoever he will? But how doth the Lord make that great change in the heart? In the same chapter of Ezechiel, and the next verse, it is thus expressed, I will, it is my pleasure, and it shall be so, put my spirit within you, 
Ezech. 36.27.  and cause you to walk in mystatutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. If God speaks truth, we shall do all these when he will have it to be so, and nothing shall hinder it. The Creature cannot hinder its own Creation; nor the Dead his own Resurrection; nor the Child his own Generation; nor Darkness its own Illumination; nor White-paper writing on itself. Most of these Comparisons are taken out of Scripture, to represent the act of the spirit converting a Soul: Moreover if the evil Man could overcome the effectual working of the spirit of God, then could the decree of our Election be made altogether uncertain, and often void and null; so God could be disappointed of his ends, which how injurious it is to God's Wisdom and Power, let every one judge. But 
(a) Isai. 14.24.  surely as God hath thought; so shall it come to pass, and as he purposed so shall it stand. So many other Texts we have to this purpose, some of which I already made use of in the very beginning: If I would make use of Man's authority in this matter, how many places out of Austin and others could I quote to this purpose. This only I shall be content with. 
(b) Depredest. sanct. cap. 8.  Essicacious grace cannot be rejected by any hard heart, because God softeneth the heart, and no will of any man resists God's, when he hath a mind to save. The rest I omit, for the matter is very clear: However let us hear what they can say for themselves.  
Arminians as well as papists are of a contrary opinion, they assert Conversion to depend so much upon Man's freewill, that there shall be no efficacy of Grace, no effect of God's Mind to Convert, all things used towards it shall be in vain; if Man doth not answer God's end, and therein he hath his Free will, so far as not to answer if he hath not a mind, and wholly disappoint God's design to convert him, thus converting grace may be resisted, and in vain God will attempt, if Man be not willing to it, which is to make God depend upon Man, and not Man upon God. In effect they own no other converting grace but a moral persuasion, whereby out of God's words, unregenerate Men are preprevailed upon to believe, to repent, hope, just as one Man bringeth arguments to persuade another; thus Conversion is not wrought in Man but by Man, which is mere Pelagianism.  
This they endeavour to prove out of Scripture, and bring examples of some whom God would have Converted, towards whose Conversion he made use of means, yet to no purpose, because those people would not be Converted. The first, Is from the Gospel. 
(a) Matth. 23 37.  Jerusalem, etc. How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not? The Second is this, 
(b) Acts 7.51.  Ye do always resist the holy ghost: And another is, 
(c) Isai. 65.2.  I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good. To this I answer, there always hath been some who obeyed not the outward Call and Precept of God; but God never intended the Conversion of such, because he did not bestow upon them true Converting Grace, which consisteth in the working of the Holy Ghost upon their hearts: As to the place about Jerusalem, Christ would have gathered them with the will of precept; that is, he commanded them to come and be gathered to him, to show them their Duty: But Christ would never gather them with the will of the Decree, whereby he is willing to Convert the Elect, who are the only Men actually to be coverted. As to the Second Text, those Men are said to resist the Holy Ghost who refuse to obey what he doth command, and these Precepts are directed either to Reprobates or to the Elect, to the former, Converting Grace is never given, so they are never Converted but ever continue disobedient: As for the Elect, though sometimes they reject the outward vocation, yet at last by the inward calling, they are all converted, so that the inward grace is not bestowed in vain upon any of them. To the third, I answer, if they to whom God spread out his hands be not converted, the hands of God were not spread for their Conversion; and this spreading out of hands is nothing else but the outward calling, which true converting grace is not always joined with, so that the end of it is not the Conversion of Reprobates but their Conviction; and to leave them without excuse; out of another place of Scripture they object how God made use 
(d) Isai. 5.1, 2, 3, 4.  of all necessary helps towards the Conversion of the Jews, yet they were not converted: As to Reprobates amongst those Jews, 'tis false, that all necessary helps to Conversion were afforded them, but say they, if all such means had not been afforded, how could God have said, what could have been done to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it? But all this is said only as to outward means, which if the Vineyard had not been bad, might have been sufficient to make her bear fruit; God compareth himself to the Husbandman who hath performed his part, when he hath taken all the outward care that belongeth to him; but again, say they (for I am willing to give their arguments their whole strength) looked that it should bring forth Grapes, which is a sign he manured it in hopes to have fruit by it; but a looking for and expectation are improperly said of God, so that here that expression signifieth only that God required of the Vineyard to have done her part and performed her duty; this is just as if one should say, God hoped for that to be which shall never be, which is to father ignorance or great imprudence upon God, for he that hopeth for that to be, which shall not be, either he cannot foresee that which is to come, or if he knoweth that shall not be, he is not wise to hope for it.  
In few words to conclude this, a general rule to answer most or all objections is, that all means afforded Men for their Conversion if they be not effectual, are only outward means, never intended of God for their Conversion, for else God had applied the inward means, without which the outward are uneffectual, and so they had been converted.  
We must answer an objection more of theirs, and endeavour by the grace of God to beat them out of their strong hold, as they take it to be, but are mistaken in the meaning of the place, and so misapply it. The words are these, 
Chap. 18.31, & 33.11.  why will ye die, O house of Israel, contained in Ezechiel, whence they would conclude, if they will 'tis in their own power not to die, whereby their Life and Salvation is lodged in their own hand, and wholly depends upon their will.  
In order to an answer, we are in our way to take notice of several truths conducing to the point, asserted by the Prophet. As first, that God punisheth not one Man for the sins of another, according to a common proverb among them. The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge, but God declareth positively against it when he saith, The soul that sinneth it shall die. The people, as all Men are apt to do, would have excused themselves, as if they had born the iniquities of their Fathers, but God in most part of the Chapter doth vindicate his deal, how he neither absolves the Guilty nor punishes the Innocent, a most infallible truth and effect of God's Justice, which yet some, apt to wrest Scripture, would gainsay out of the 4th. Commandment; God visiteth the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children, Exod. 20.5. Which our Blessed Saviour explains thus, when Children commit and continue in their sins, and fill up the measure of their Fathers: fill ye up the measure of your fathers: This I point at, 
Matth. 23.32.  to show how cautious we ought to be, in the Exposition of Scripture, not to go against the Analogy of Faith, and make the word of God contradict itself, which our Adversaries become guilty of in this place.  
A Second truth, which is a Conclusion from the first, here asserted, is this; The Lord's way is equal, but the people's ways are unequal. Thus God must be owned to be just in all his ways, and every Man and People guilty in theirs, wherefore let every mouth be stopped before God. A Third truth, is this: As the Father shall not suffer for the sin of the Son, nor the Son for that of the Father; so, to encourage Men to repentance, both Son and Father or any one else that leaves his wickedness and truly reputes, God will pardon his former transgressions, and they shall not be imputed. So likewise, they who for a time have morally and seemingly lived well and avoided sin, if they fall into wickedness and follow evil courses, they shall be punished for the same without any regard to their former behaviour.  
Here before I proceed, I must remove a difficulty arising out of the words righteous and righteousness, upon which the Adversaries would ground one of their Errors, as if a truly righteous Man that is elected and justified, could fall from true saving grace and be damned, which is against Scripture, as I clearly demonstrate it in a Charpter of this Discourse of mine: however some few words I must say in relation to this Text. The word righteous hath in Scripture two different senses. First, When one is really and truly such, as whensoever the name is given to the Lord Jesus, 
Isai. 53.11. & 1 John 2.1.  my righteous servant and Jesus Christ the righteous: But here the question being about men, of so many places we shall produce but one to our purpose, if the righteous be scarcely saved, 
1 Pet. 4.18.  where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? The truly righteous Man is meant here, and therefore opposed to the ungodly: But Scripture sometimes calls those righteous who are such only in show and appearance, and that's the signification of the word in this place; for, a truly righteous man doth not finally turn from his righteousness, nor do according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth. And for a farther confirmation of what I say, it cannot be denied, that a legal righteousness is here spoken of, as verse 19.21. to keep all my statutes. But the question between us is about Evangelical righteousness, which is through Faith, and not by Works, and this legal righteousness here spoken of, must be owned to be impossible, and not to be found in any Man. Now that it is the stile of God's word, to call righteous and righteousness that which is not really, but only seemingly so, it's clear: thus our Saviour saith in the Gospel, 
Luke 5.32.  I eme not to call the righteous, that are such in their own opinion, but sinners to repentance: 
Matth. 23.28.  And to the Pharisees he saith, Ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity; and except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot be saved, Matth. 5.20. This Pharisaical righteousness was not really such, but hypocritical, only in show and for ostentation, men do sometimes fancy themselves to be righteous, when they are not. Thus Solomon adviseth, be not righteous over much, that is in thine own conceit, such was the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, 
Eccles. 7.16. Rev. 3.17.  who said, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, when he was wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.  
Now to come just to the point, God having declared unto the people their transgressions as the Cause of his Judgements; he commandeth them to repent and turn from all their sins; having showed the distemper doth propose the remedy and presses the use of it; herein God revealeth to them their duty, what they ought, but not what they can do; they may not pretend ignorance, for here is a warning, and thereby they are acquainted with the Masters will, and if they do not what they are commanded, Death lies at their door, and they are without excuse. Here, as Moses had done before, are set before them life and death, 
Deut. 30. ●●.  but being like not to choose well, God expostulates with them, why will ye die, O house of Israel? No Man, but very few wretches whom God leaves under a fit of despair, is willing to die of a natural death, but would gladly live a day longer, even those that are most submissive to God's Providence, much less is any willing to die of eternal death; wherefore we must observe that the question doth not directly tend to show the house of Israel is willing to die; but rather that the ways of the house of Israel tend to death. Death itself is no good nor desirable thing, 'tis a deprivation of life, the best thing in nature, and destruction for a time of a strict union, and of a noble Being; but often that which men desire not, befalls them, because they fall into a way conducing to it; 'tis not the end they propose to themselves, but 'tis the event that happens unto them. A man who is very prodigal of his Estate, fallen into great excess of intemperance, and debauchery, may very well be asked, Why will you ruin and kill yourself? though he intends no such thing; but is engaged in a course of life that will lead him to it. Thus upon such a bottom, is grounded this expostulation of God with the house of Israel; as if he had said, the way ye are in shall bring you to death and destruction, therefore turn from it if you will live, and avoid judgements temporal as spiritual, for we see the former, are meant as out of Ezech. 33.21.  
A thing here chief to be taken notice of, is that all this doth wholly run upon the Covenant of works, the Law of Moses, for 'tis said, Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness, 
Ezech. 20. ●0, 11.  and gave them my statutes; and shown them my judgements, which if a man do he shall live in them. And consequently doth not reach our question about the Covenant of Grace and receiving of Christ, when offered upon his own terms. Now Christians do not or must not stand upon that old Covenant which was not faultless, 
Heb. 8.6, 7.  or else no place should have been found out for the second, which is a better covenant, established upon better promises. Now as Perfect Obedience, the condition of the old Covenant, was impossible for Men to perform, so is Faith under the new Covenant, a condition impossible for Men of themselves to attain unto, 'tis not found in Nature, nor amongst Works, but 'tis a gift of God, and none have it but those whom he is pleased to bestow it upon: The house of Israel is willing to die, and the reason is, because naturally they are so inclined; darkness, ignorance and blindness are the natural portion of humane nature. 
John 14 10.11.  When he that was and is the life and light of men, came into the world, and that the light shined in darkness, yet darkness comprehended him not: The world was made by him, and the world knew him not: He came to his own, and his own received him not, because Men loved darkness more than light. This is the reason why people will die, because they love not life, there is a natural impossiblity. 1 Cor. 2.14.  
How can Men, naturally dead in trespasses and sins, be willing to live? What will is left in them, tends not to spiritual life, but for death; if there be such strong inclinations in a good Man, what must it be in the wicked? Though the Angels had assured Lot they were come to destroy Sodom, and hastened him out of it; yet he lingered, had no mind to come out, till they to save him, were forced to lay hold upon his hand, and as it were force him out of it; they certainly might have put to him the question, why wilt thou die? Seeing he stayed as it were to be involved in the destruction of the place; and his Wife how unwilling was she to leave it, and contrary to the Angel's order, she must needs look behind, either out of curiosity, or a desire to go back. So the Children of Israel had preferred to have continued under bondage in Egypt; 
Genes. 19 Numb. 11.5.  if they might but eat their Leeks, Onions and Garlic, than being in the Wilderness free from Slavery. 'Tis an amazement to think and see how averse Men are from their good, and prone to their own mischief; we must conclude those Men to be willing to die, that are unwilling to live, which will not turn from the paths of death. There are in the world those that cannot cease from sin. 
2 Pet. 2.14.  There are those that cannot recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 
2 Tim. 2.26  And who are bend upon and willing to die, in whom is a repugnancy to their good and reluctancy to their happiness, because born and bred under slavery. I say a thing which to some will seem strange, yet to my certain knowledge 'tis very true, how in some parts of Italy, chief in the State of Venice, there are those men who sell themselves to be Slaves in the Galleys, some for a shorter, some for a longer time, and some for life, and undergo the same Drudgery as do those who are put in there for great crimes: Nay, there be those, who having as Malefactors continued there for a long time, after their time was expired, of their own accord returned thither. This Paw I produce only thereby to judge of the Lion: how corrupt is man's nature, and how willing and naturally inclined they are to ruin and destroy themselves? far from a Free will to receive good as evil.  
This I shall conclude with an observation upon the remedy which God proposeth, to prevent their death and ruin; namely, to repent, v. 30. and to make them a new heart and a new spirit. Here God speaks as one who insists upon performance of Articles, thus, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, 
Deut. 6.5.  and with all thy might. But, saith God, that ye have not done, wherefore make you a new heart and a new spirit, to enable you to perform what hitherto hath been wanting, for why will ye die O house of Israel? He commands them to do't themselves which they are able to do, no more than to repent, because all is a gift of God, 
Psal. 51.19.  which David knew well when he prays thus, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Let us take notice of two different methods of God upon this account; here God commandeth things to be done as they ought, as performance of conditions, but he promiseth nothing: Do your duty, which for them 'tis impossible to perform; wherefore he hath another way of speaking for those whom he is graciously pleased to favour, he doth not command to do, but promiseth himself to do for them: 
(a) Ezek. 11.19.  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you: and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and I will give them an heart of flesh. Which is repeated with this addition, 
(b) Chap. 36.27.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them. To the same effect speaks another Prophet, 
(c) Jer. 32.39.  And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever. Here are the most gracious promises of a Gospel-Covenant, what we cannot do ourselves he will do for us; he will give us that heart and that spirit, whereby we shall be enabled to keep, and do his judgements, and fear him for ever; hereby we are secured from the danger of a final Apostasy. The same Prophet just the Chapter before, saith, 
(d) Vers. 33.  I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people, and they shall not teach, etc. and that this is the true Evangelical sense of the place, it appears out of the application of it made by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, who doth quote the very same words, and concludes all in these, 
(c) Heb. 8. from 6. to 13.  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. This is God's way with those whom he is pleased to save from dying and perishing, as all must do whom he leaves to make themselves a new heart and a new spirit; for Man's Will, far from being free and able to contribute to Conversion, the new Creation and Salvation, is a perfect Slave to Sin, till God be pleased to work upon and turn it, which once being effected, there is no danger of a final Apostasy, for thereby we are secured against a total falling from grace, and that is the Subject of the following Chapter.   

CHAP. VIII. About Amissibility of GRACE..  
AS one depth calleth to another, so doth one Error to another; our Adversaries are not satisified to make Man, if he be wilful and obstinate, stronger than God, when he hath a mind to take possession of a Soul; but they go farther, and assert, That after God is actually in possession of that Soul, he may be turned out of possession; which is their true sense of the point we are now going upon. The Question is, Whether a Man truly converted and regenerated, can to the end persevere in the state of Salvation he is actually in? And whether it be possible for such a one who is Elected in Christ, called with an effectual Calling, totally and finally to fall from God, and be Damned? This is the true state of the case; and not whether the Elect and true Believers can fall into great sins, which they do too often, as it appeareth out of Scripture and Experience.  
We say, That God makes to persevere and go on to the end, all the Elect and true Believers, whether their Faith be strong or weak, provided it be true, that when once they are in the right way of Grace, they shall infallibly come to Glory, it being not possible for the Elect to become Reprobates, to Apostatise, and finally, fall to Damnation. Our Adversaries affirm the contrary, though Arminius himself finding the stream of Scriptures and Fathers run so strong against the total and final Apostasy of Saints, durst not openly declare for it, yet his Followers have strongly set themselves against this Article, which is the chief ground of all the comfort the Soul hath in this World; to know, 'tis not in the power of the Devil, or any other creature whatsoever, to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  
Now to prove this Doctrine, we can begin no better than with that place of St. Paul's, who in 
(a) Rom. 8.30. ver. 31.  that Chapter, from verse 28. to the last, giveth us the greatest grounds of assurance that can possibly be expected, grounded upon our Election, Calling, Justification, etc. whence he proceedeth to a defiance to all: 
(b) Vers. 33, 34. which is taken out of Isai. 50.7, 8, 9  If God be for us, who can be against us? And 
(c) Ver. 32.  who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? Now if Christ hath loved us, which is clear in that he hath given himself for us, and 
(d) Ver. 35.  God delivered him up for us all. After this, the Apostle argueth from a thing impossible, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
(e) Vers. 37, 38, 39  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors. Take notice with what assurance he speaketh in the two next verses, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: I would be loath to lose one word of these, wherein the Apostle speaks so fully, so clearly, and so much to the purpose; that if to confirm this Doctrine, we had had the penning of the words, we could not have done it with so good effect, to prove that God's Elect, and Believers, cannot finally fall, and totally be separated from Christ; and we know, 
(f) Joh. 13.  whom Christ loveth, them he loveth unto the end. Christ prayed to the Father 
(g) Luk. 22.32.  that the faith of his believers fail not, as we see in the case of Peter, and the success showeth he was heard, for St. Peter came again to himself, and Christ saith to the Father, 
(h) Joh. 11.42.  and I know thou hearest me always; but our Saviour's Prayer was not for Peter only, and the other Disciples, but 
(i) Joh. 17.20.  for them also which shall believe on me through the Word: So that he prayed for all Believers. Now for Believers, and Elect, naturally to fall from God, and 
(k) Mat. 24.24.  to be seduced, 'tis not possible, for the expression if possible, importeth an impossibility, not for all the Wonders of Antichrist, the most pregnant means that Men and Devils can use to make the Elect fall away do not prevail.  
Christ saith, 
(f) Joh. 10.28, 29.  He giveth his sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of his hand: no man is able to pluck them out of his father's hand, who is greater than all. Nothing can be more positive upon the present Question, christ's Sheep are those who believe, he assureth them all of life Eternal, and they shall never perish, because kept by his strong hand, the Father having put them in the hand of the Son to be kept, and the Father's hand is also about them; so they cannot miscarry, except there be some enemy stronger than God. If such a thing were possible, for the Elect to perish, what would become of God's truth, when he saith, by the Prophet, 
(g) Jer. 32.38, 39, 40.  I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not departed from me. Here God promiseth to all whom the new Covenant is made with, that is, Believers, that he will give them an heart to fear him, not only for a time, but for ever, that the Covenant shall not be broken of either side; he assureth not only for himself, that he shall never change, but for them also, for he will put his fear in their hearts, that they shall never leave or departed from him. So that we are sure on both sides, for God saith, 
(h) Heb. 13.3.  He will never leave us, nor forsake us; the reason is by Malachy, drawn from his Immutability, I 
(i) Mal. 3.6.  the Lord change not. Not only in his Nature, but also in his Gifts, such as Effectual calling, for 
(k) Rom. 11.29.  The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. One Text more I will make use of, which can afford us a reason against any instance out of Scripture of any said to be fallen from the Truth, or to have denied the Faith; this is it. 
(l) 1 Joh. 2.19.  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would, no doubt, have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be manifest that they were not all of us. Who are those that do not persevere, but fall away from Truth and Grace? They who never had it, for if they had been true Members of Christ, they certainly would have always continued so, but God let them go, to let Men know they were not sound, nor build by Faith on the Rock, for if they had been, they would have continued steadfast amidst temptations, and the Gates of Hell could not have prevailed against them; like those fiery vapours in the Air, which the Eye would take to be Stars, but by their fall they show what they were. Thus God not only publicly punisheth those Hypocrites, but makes them an example for others to take warning by; and let this be a rule, that they who fall so, either they never were Elect, nor had true Grace, or else they are not fallen finally, but God will restore them again. 
2 Tim. 2.19. Ephes. 1.13. Jer. 32.40. Ps. 37.23, 24. Joh. 6.14.39.40. 1 Joh 3.9.  Many other places of Scripture I could bring to confirm this Doctrine, but because I already made use of some before, which would be sit for our purpose, I omit it, only I set some in the Margin to be perused by the Reader.  
Against this Truth 'tis objected, If the Elect cannot perish, than they need not forbear sinning to avoid everlasting Death, let them take what course they please they are sure of Heaven. This Argument is grounded upon Impiety, 'tis rather of a Reprobate than of an Elect; if the Saints should, against their conscience, obstinately continue in sin, no doubt but they should perish; but God, who will not suffer his chosen to perish, doth not leave them to continue in impenitency, but through repentance brings them again to himself, and restraineth them with putting them in mind of their Duty, for a final obstinacy in sin and impenitence; do no more consist with Election, and true saving Grace, than a final perseverance in Faith doth consist with Reprobation. In the 2d place they object the examples of David, Solomon and Peter, who fell into abominable sins of Adultery and Murder, of Idolatry, and the denying of Christ. We ever granted corruption to be so strong in the best of God's People, that if for a while he withdraweth the exercise of his Graces, they are apt to fall into the worst of sins; however, we deny that the three named did wholly and totally fall from Grace, only for a time, Grace did still continue in them like fire under Ashes. Two reasons we have to believe they did not finally fall; the first, Because they sinned out of weakness and human frailty, not with a full consent of the Will. Secondly, Because they seriously repent, which is a true sign of Faith. As to the repentance of 
(b) 2 Sam. 12.13. & Psal. 51 Mat. 26.75.  David and Peter, it is expressly set down in Scripture; as to Solomon, most Divines are of opinion, that for a token of repentance, he did write his Book of Ecclesiastes.  
They argue farther, our Saviour saith, 
(c) Luk. 8.13.  Some for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away; therefore some may fall from the Faith. The question is not about temporal, but saving and justifying Faith, which temporal Faith is not: Now in this place 'tis clear our Saviour speaks of temporal Faith; They believe but for a time. And out of the Parable it appears, that of the four several sorts of ground which the Seed falls into, there is but one that is good; so of four kinds of hearts, there is none good but the honest and good heart, which having heard the Word keepeth it, and brings forth Fruit. Now such hearts as these keep Grace, do continue and persevere in it, and never lose it totally. The temporal Faith spoken of here, is only an outward profession, and not the power of true Religion; in this same sense is to be taken what St. Paul saith, 
(d) 1 Tim. 1.19.  of some who concerning faith have made shipwreck. They made an outward profession of the Gospel, which at last they fell from; so that whensoever mention is made of falling from Grace, from Faith, from the Truth, 'tis only mentioned of the outward profession of it, or of a temporal Faith, but not of true saving Grace; when 'tis said, 
(e) 1 Cor. 10.12. & Rom. 11.20.  Let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall. The Apostle doth not say that any fall from the Faith, but he teacheth them how they ought, and can prevent falling from it, namely, to have a care not to run into Carnal security; such warning are effectual means whereby the Holy Ghost keepeth Believers upon Duty, and doth preserve them from falls. Though our first Parents fell, it doth not follow the Saints should do so too, the reason is, God gave them only the Grace whereby they might continue in Innocency if they would, but the Will he gave them not, but to Elect and Believers is given Grace, whereby not only they can, but also they are 
(f) Philip. 2.12.  willing to persevere. But St. Peter speaks of some 
(g) 2 Pet. 2.21.  who have known the way of righteousness and departed from it; but there is a great difference between turning from saving Faith and Grace, and turning from the way of righteousness, which the Apostle in the same verse calleth the holy commandment; that is, the Doctrine of the Gospel.   

CHAP. IX. About Universal Sufficient GRACE.  
NOW we must proceed to another Head, wherein also Arminians join with Papists against us; this Universal Sufficient Grace, the whole Fabric of Arminianism, doth centre upon. Though several Sects are combined to assert such a thing, yet they somewhat differ when they come to say what it is; to Pelagians it is Nature, to Papists , to Quakers the light within, to Arminians 'tis a general influence superadded to the Natural faculties of every Man whatsoever, whereby, without any particular concurrence of God's Spirit, and without any special Grace, they are sufficiently enabled to embrace Jesus Christ, and apply his Death and Merits to themselves in a saving manner, which are offered alike indifferently to all Men, to convert, regenerate, and to save their Souls, if they will themselves, which is merely  baptised with the Name of Grace, a thing unknown to Scripture; but if it be Grace in Truth as in Name, how is it equally derived unto all Men, and in the same measure? When Grace is that which maketh one Man to differ from another. Mercy distinguisheth one from another; for 
(h) 1 Cor. 4.7.  What hath a man more than another but what he received?  
There is much to be said upon this matter, but I will endeavour to restrain it within as narrow bounds as I can; and I state the question thus: Whether there be any such Universal Grace indifferently given to all Men, at all times, and in all places, sufficient to convert, to regenerate, and to save? We say no, they say yea: Let us examine who is in the right, and let Scripture be the Judge. The Word of God, not in one, but in many places, taketh away from an unregenerate Man the power of doing good, and of being converted: 
(a) Jer. 13.23.  Can the Aethiopian change his skin, and the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. 
(b) Mat. 7.18.  Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 
(c) ch. 12.34.  O generation of vipers, how can ye being evil speak good things? 
(d) Joh 3.5.  Except a man be born of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 
(e) Joh. 6.44.  No man can come unto me except the father which hath sent me draw him. 
(f) Joh. 15.5.  And without me ye can do nothing. 
(g) Rom. 8.7.  The carnal mind is enmity against God; it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Farther, 
(h) 1 Cor. 2.14.  The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 
(i) 1 Cor. 12.3.  No man, saith the same Apostle, can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 
(k) 2 Cor. 3.5.  We are not sufficient of ourselves to think (much less to do) any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. All these places are so clear and positive to show there is no such a power in Man as to convert himself, that it were needless to make any enlargement upon them; therefore we proceed, and say, how can there be such a power in men dead in trespasses and sins? for such were the Gentiles before God had quickened us together with Christ: Nay, 
(l) Ephess. 2. ●; 5, 12.  we were strangers from the Covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. 
(m) Ephes. 2.3.  And we are by nature children of wrath even as others. Therefore, what Will and Power to do good is in us, it comes from God, and those whom he is not pleased to bestow it upon, they never have it; this is the reason assigned, why the People of Israel had not well seen and perceived the great things God had done for them; 
(a) Deut. 29.4.  Yet, saith Moses, the lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. If without the gift of God they could not well know and perceive things obvious to their senses so palpable and visible to them, how could they, or any other, see and understand things of a Spiritual Nature of an eternal concernment, to be seen only with the eye of Faith? 
(b) Joh. 3.12.  If I have told you earthly things, and you understand and believe not, how shall ye believe and understand if I tell you of heavenly things?  
This they must own, Men cannot be saved without a Saviour, than they also must grant there is no other Saviour but Christ, no means to come to him but by Faith, what then will become of those who never heard of Christ? as the wild and ignorant Americans, before the discovery of that Country, and of so many Millions both before and after, but chief before his coming, who never heard one word of a Saviour, and so could not believe in him; for 
(c) Rom. 10.14, 15.  how shall they believe in him of whom they never heard? and how shall they hear without a Preacher? and how shall they Preach except they be sent? Before Christ's time, we do not hear of any general Mission; indeed, after his Resurrection, he gave his Disciples Commission, but their number was but small, they could not at once Preach all the World over; then they died, the Candlesticks were removed from the places where at first they were placed. We see, by experience, the Gospel to be ambulatory, from one place to another; Asia, which first received it, is at present, and hath, for these many years, been overspread with Heathenism and Mahometism, where is then this Universal sufficient Grace? For at this very day, in the greatest part of the World, there is no sign nor step of it, so that there is no such Universal Grace as to Persons, Places, and Times; besides, Experience and Scripture runs against it, there are but 
(d) Mat. 20.16.  few elected to salvation, they are but 
(e) Rom. 4.27.  a remnant, 
(f) Rom. 9.29.  a seed, 
(g) Luk 12.32.  a little stock, 
(h) Mat. 7.14.  a very small number in respect of those that perish, 
(i) 2 Pet. 2.5.  one Noah amongst a World of ungodly, 
(k) 2 Pet. 2.7.  one Lot amongst a multitude of unclean Sodomites, 
(l) 1 King. 18.22.  one Elijah amongst four hundred and fifty false Prohets one 
(a) Joh. 6.23  Rahab in all Jericho and Canaan; one Nation of the Jews amongst all the world, and in that Nation sometimes but 
(b) 1 Kings 19.18.  seven thousand chosen ones, to many hundred thousands, sometimes 
(c) Isa●. 1.9.  a lesser remnant, and sometimes 
(d) Jerem. 5.1.  hardly one, this scarcity we met with after the Ascension of our Lord as before his coming, Christ had but a 
(e) Rev. 3.4.  few names in sardis: Few are the names 
(f) Chap. 15.8.  written in the Lamb's Book of life, when all the world runs after the beast to worship him: 
(g) 1 Cor. 1.26.  not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called and few are chosen: Christ's people in respect of others have been always few, yet none but these are elected, adopted, effectually called, justified sanctified, glorified or endued with any grace sufficient to Salvation; and if this be true, as it is, can there be any universal grace? to prove this paucity or few-in the judgement of all Protestants, rather than multitude and universality, hath, Being comparatively taken, been a Character of Christ's Church.  
Thus far we have considered this pretended universal sufficient Grace in the extent thereof, as to Times, Places and Persons, which doth relate to the means conducing to Salvation afforded unto men. Now we must consider it in Man himself, as it is in the Soul: I would find to know how it cometh in there, is it a natural inherent faculty of the Will? If so then 'tis no grace, for in relation to spiritual things and to Salvation, Nature and works are opposed to Grace; by Nature we are Children of Wrath, but through Grace we are Sons of God, and to make it natural is mere Pelagianism (which our Adversaries dare not openly to own) for Pelagius used to cloth Nature with the name of Grace. If this universal grace be not natural than it must be adventitious or accidental, either acquired, derived or infused: If acquired by any art or industry of our own, than it becomes particular, and cannot be universal, it being originally proportionable in none. If acquired, 'tis only in those who seek after and take pains to purchase it, which certainly whole mankind doth not, if not acquired than it may be derived: but it must either be so from our Parents, and so from Adam the first Parent; but if from Adam 'tis nature and not grace, or if not from Adam, then if from any 'tis derived from Christ and from his Spirit the spring of all graces, but they derive grace only to their believing and living Members, not generally to all Men, and this not by immediate inspiration from Heaven, but by the word and means of grace which are neither common nor effectual to all. But if they say this universal grace is infused by a divine immediate influence, let us have some Scripture to prove it, or else no body must believe it, but as there is no word for it, let them show when and how this is done? This universal sufficient grace of Arminians is the Quakers inward light and the reason of Socinians.  
But to forge an universal sufficient grace without a power of doing good, without Christ and without God, without a 〈◊〉 by the word of God, as without heart to understand, eyes to see, without a faculty to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, and without knowledge and sense of our misery, is to set up a defficient not a sufficient grace: That cannot be called sufficient to act, which hath not every thing necessary to acting; and that Cause which hath all things necessary to act must needs produce its effect, for in vain is that Power to act, which doth never act, so that pretended grace supposed to be sufficient to convert a Man, and bring him into the way of eternal life, and yet never doth it, is but an insufficient power and an imaginary grace. They would have Christ to have made God reconcileable to mankind, procured a possibility, which not being reduced to an act signifieth nothing, and derogateth from the power and efficacy of his death; for he hath by his death made a real and perfect reconciliation, and all those he died for, he actually reconciled them to his Father, and all they and none else shall be saved.  
They would ground their opinion upon what the Apostle saith of the Gentiles. 
(a) Rom. 1.10.  That which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them. Therefore they have a sufficient grace; but the knowledge of God spoken of there, is such a one as the Devils have as well as they, and I hope no man will dare say the Devils have a sufficient grace, that the knowledge which St. Paul speaks of was not saving, consequently not sufficient, it appeareth because they did not know God as Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, neither did they know Christ as Saviour of the World, without which not saving nor sufficient knowledge. But however say they, 
(a) Rom. 2.14.  They do by nature the things contained in the Law. But they must take notice how the Apostle doth not say they do, not by grace, but by nature; so that except they will have nature to be their universal sufficient grace, the Text saith nothing to their purpose. Besides, we own that some amongst the Gentiles had great and extraordinary parts and natural gifts; great Philosophers, great Orators, etc. Yet for want of Faith the virtues of the Heathens were, saith Austin, shining sins, splendida peccata. But we deny those gifts to have been an universal sufficient grace, the same may we say in that, 
(b) Acts 14.17.  God left not himself without witness amongst them, not in that there is a God, for, as 'tis said in the same verse, He gave rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. But all these are common mercies, though great, which come short of saving and converting grace; 'tis not every manifestation that there is a God, which must be called a sufficient grace; amongst the Devils themselves, God hath not left himself without witness.   

CHAP. X. Of Universal Calling.  
AND now we are upon this, let us view another branch of this universal grace, for they say God according to his Decree doth universally call all Men, Reprobates as well as Elect, to receive and believe in Christ, and this by the means of the word preached to every Man: What we already said may also serve in answer to this; namely, that before and after the coming of Christ, millions of Men are dead, who never heard Christ preached unto them, yet we may charitably believe that God shown some of them mercy; for though they were deprived of the outward ordinary means, God who is not tied to second causes, might by the inward call of his spirit have revealed unto some of them his saving knowledge. We may say of this Ordinance of the Word, as is said of Baptism, which is another: 
(a) Mark 16.16.  He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned: He doth not say, and is not baptised shall be damned; so he that heareth the outward preaching and believeth shall be saved, we may say that though the outward hearhing of the word be the usual means to breed Faith, yet he that wants it may be taught inwardly, and believe and be saved. However things be, those are secrets of God which we ought not to dive into. Our Blessed Saviour is positive against universal calling, when he saith, 
(b) Matth. 20.  many are called, he doth not say all, but many, we may say very many or the greatest part are not called; for as we see he comes to narrower bounds, if few be chosen, many are called, so by a gradation we may say, if many be called, more are not called. Indeed David saith 
(c) Psal. 47.1.  Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in are and O clap your hands all ye people: shout unto God with the voice of triumph. But this is no such an universal vocation to all the Inhabitants of the World as the question is about: all the earth, besides the reason of saving grace, hath cause enough to fear the Lord and to praise him: All the world could not hear what David said and did write; but the question is to have Christ offered to every Man in the Gospel, by the ministry of Men.  
This leadeth us to another question between Remonstrants and us; namely, supposing every Man in the world had been called by the preaching of the word, yet it doth not follow, they should have been converted and saved without God's special saving grace, because in Adam men lost the power of believing the Gospel. This question, these innovators started up to show how God is bound to give every Man a sufficient grace to believe in Christ if they will. So they say the grace of believing in Christ was not given to Adam, therefore he could not lose it, and so God may not justly require of Man faith to believe in Christ, except he giveth him sufficient grace to believe: But we say, God gave Adam that grace, and he lost it: For whatsoever Adam received from God for himself and Posterity, that same through his fall, he lost for himself and Posterity too; now that with other privileges he received also the power of believing the Gospel, it appeareth, for he received for himself and Posterity the power of loving God and believing his word, whatsoever it might be in time to come, this is proved because without this power the image of God had not been perfect in him, neither had he been, without it, provided with a sufficient grace to avoid all manner of Infidelity: In the state of innocency God might have revealed him future things, and in case of a fall, have promised him a gracious restoration by the means of his Son. Who can deny but that Men in the state of Innocence might and ought to have believed such a promise of God.  
Let us hear what they say for themselves. Adam in the state of Innocency stood in no need of Faith in Christ, therefore God gave him not power to believe in Christ; but though in the state of innocency he had no need of Faith, it doth not follow but that God might give it to him; strength and power is not always given to nature for use, but sometimes for perfection: In this sense 'tis said, 
(a) Matth. 3.9.  God is able of these stones to raise up Children to Abraham. Yet there is no need of doing it; God had given Adam strength to travel all the world over, which he never did; neither was there any occasion for him to do it. Again they object, God gave Adam the Law, therefore he was not bound to believe in Christ, because Faith is not commanded by the Law, but though the Law was given unto Adam, yet he was bound to believe in Christ, for although Faith be not expressly commanded in the Law, yet 'tis implicitly, because by the Law a Man is bound to believe every word of God which in time to come should be revealed unto him.  
We have already shown there is no such universal vocation as they are for: However it is granted several Reprobates have an outward calling, but seeing they are not converted, the question is put, to what purpose, and for what end are reprobates thus called? Our Adversaries say, 'tis to the end they should be made partakers of everlasting life. This we cannot agree to, because they do not attain to it. Whence necessarily followeth, that (as I said heretofore) God is frustrated of his end, which is a sign and effect of want of Power and Wisdom; which must needs be so, if in what God doth, he proposeth to himself an end which he foreknoweth he cannot and shall not attain unto, no Man of sound mind will do so, and of God it cannot be affirmed without blasphemy. This consideration is so pregnant that they think to shift it off with a distinction; God doth not absolute, say they, intent they should be saved; but upon condition they shall obey and come in at the call, and persevere therein: now this condition not being performed by Reprobates, they say, God is not disappointed of his end: but what a pitiful coming off is this, shall a Man not deprived of his wits, make an end, which he in earnest aimeth at, depend upon a condition which he is sure shall never be. God forseeth Reprobates will not obey the call, much less continue in obedience. I farther say, no Man who hath his wits will make an end which in earnest he proposeth to himself, depend upon such means, as none but himself can procure, and which he is resolved never to procure: But to incline to obedience the hearts of those that are called, and to turn stony hearts into hearts of flesh, none can do't but God alone; but experience teaches he will not do it in Reprobates, a sign he hath decreed not to do it. And let the nonsense of their Hypothesis and Assertion be taken notice of, which is thus. God in calling reprobates intends to save them, in case he giveth them effectual grace to obey the call, which he resolved never to do. God doth not intent the effectual calling or conversion of every one whom the Gospel is preached to, and have only the outward means of Salvation, as it appearet out of the forequoted places. 
Ezech. 2.5.  For sometimes a Prophet sent to a people or to a person, is a stumbling block to that people or person; so of some other Providence. 
John 15.22.  And this is God's own doing for he saith, 
Ezech. 3.20.  when I lay a stumbling block before a man, whether righteous or otherwise; or when God's own Son came into the world, 'twas, as said before, to take from unbelievers all manner of excuse, to make them unexcusable, for saith the Apostle, as to them that believe he is a chief corner stone, elect and precious, so unto those that are disobedient, he is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence. 
1 Pet. 2.6, 7, 8.  And this is the Lord's doing, 
Psal. 118.22.  saith David, wherefore it is marvellous in our eyes. 
John 8.43.  Our Blessed Saviour said to the Jews, Why do you not understand my speech? In the same verse he gives the reasons, even because ye cannot hear my word. His word they heard, and the meaning they understood, but it did not work upon them, neither could they effectually understand it of themselves, they could not do't, neither did God intent they should, or else it had been effected. Gamaliel spoke well the truth, 
Acts 5.39.  when he said, if this counsel be of God ye cannot overthrow it: For 'tis beyond any Man's power to disappoint God, of his ends, wherefore, whensoever he intends by preaching of the word to convert any one, he shall certainly be converted, but if he be not, it is a certain and infallible sign, that God thereby never intended his conversion, or that he should believe.  
To what end then, are Reprobates called? I answer, to know their duty, and at last to own they are justly punished for having neglected it, and herein God doth attain to his end. 
Rom. 9.7. out of Exod. 4.21. & 9. 1●. & 1●. 20.  St. Paul showing how God called Pharaoh, not to the end he should obey, but that he should be hardened, and should not let the people go. In several places, Holy Scriptures show how God in calling and offering means of grace to wicked and reprobates, doth not intent their Conversion, but to make them unexcusable, and to have Witnesses and Testimonies against them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that at the last day every wicked man may hear this, Thou art unexcusable O man. When God gave Ezechiel his Commission, and commanded him to go to the people, he gave him no hope of success, nor seemed to intent their conversion, for saith he, 
Ezech 2.34.5.  they are a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me; they and their Fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day, for they are impudent children and stiffnecked, to what purpose then doth God send him to them? God declares it, and they whether they will hear or forbear; et shall know there hath been a prophet amongst them. There is an Evidence and a Witness against them, I have given them warning, and they cannot pretend ignorance or any ground of excuse. God doth not declare to the Ministers at first whether or no they will hear, but to do and obey what is commanded. When our Blessed Saviour sent his Disciples to preach the Gospel, he gave this charge, 
Mark 6.11.  and whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you, when ye depart thence shake off the dust under your feet, for a testimony against them. St. Paul did it, for he shook his raiment and said, let your blood be upon your own heads: To the Jews that opposed themselves and blasphemed, 
Acts. 18.6.  as a testimony against them, for verily it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorah in the day of Judgement than for such. And elsewhere, but upon the same argument doth beforehand tell his Disciples, and ye shall be brought before governor's and king's for my sake; but to what end and purpose? 
Matth. 10.18.  to convert them? not: for if it was to that intent they would be converted; for who hath resisted his will? 
Luke 10.11.  but for a testimony against them and the gentiles. And according to another Evangelist, the Lord directeth them what to say, even the very dust of your City which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you; notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you: As if he had said, this shall be the ground of the charge against you at the last day, and this dust shall rise in Judgement and as a witness against you. Our Saviour saith, how before the end of the world, this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, 
Matth. 24.14.  not with an intention in God to convert the whole world, for then God would be disappointed of his purpose. For Scripture and Experience teach us the contrary, that all shall not answer the call and be converted: In the Text the Lord Jesus declares, why the Gospel shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations.  
At the last day, shall be the general Assize, where every Man shall be called to an account for his sins; the Causes shall not be between Man and Man, but between God and Man, and the Lord Jesus shall be the visible Judge, for by him God will judge the World: Now as matters of fact do require proof by Evidences, so God makes sure of Witnesses to convince and confound the wicked, for as St. Paul and Barnabas said, to those of Lystra, God left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain and fruitful seasons. 
Acts 14.17.  These mercies though common will be Evidences against those that abused or remained unthankful under them. So shall the outward means and offers of grace against those that neglected and rejected them, though God never intended they should thereby be converted, for God's secret will was unknown to them, and the revealed they ought to have obeyed, as Abraham did when commanded to Sacrifice his Son, so ought all when commanded to repent and believe. Now those witnesses of God are of two sorts: First, those that are of his own immediate appointment, as were the Lord's Disciples, to whom he said, 
John 15.27.  ye also shall bear me witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning, which he repeated after his Resurrection, Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria: 
Acts 1.8. & 13.31.  Of whom 'tis said in the same Book, who are his witnesses, unto the people. And as they were witnesses unto the people of what they had seen, so on the last day they shall be God's witnesses against the people of what they had done and preached to them.  
The second sort of witnesses are from or within men themselves that are guilty. Wherefore saith our Saviour to the Jews, ye be witnesses unto yourselves that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 
Matth. 23.31.  And with the Gentiles, their conscience also bearing, 
Rom. 2.15, 16.  and shall bear, witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another. I a word, God can never want witnesses, for if these held their peace, saith Christ, the very stones would speak, and be witnesses according to what Joshua said, 
J●sh. 24.27.  This stone shall be a witness. Thus to our present purpose God doth outwardly call reprobates, and commands them to repent, not with an intent they should do so, for he denys them the grace of repentance and faith, without which they cannot repent and believe: For if God would effectually have it so, it should infallibly be according to what we have in a place of the prayer book. Whose power no creature is able to resist, grounded on St. Paul's saying, who hath resisted his will: But God doth it to show them their duty and leave them without excuse, seeing they had Christ offered to them. Here they object a place I answered before about Jerusalem, but because they lay a stress upon the comparison, as the Hen gathereth her Chickens, a sign, say they, that Christ intended their Salvation; to what I said I shall add, that Christ doth use the comparison of his being willing to gather Jerusalem as a Hen gathereth her Chickens, 
Matth. 23.27.  not in relation to the end and intention, but as to the effect if their affection had been answerable. They say farther, if when Christ calleth Reprobates to come to him, he doth not intent thereby to save them, than the outward vocation doth differ from his inward purpose, which we deny. For by the outward calling God actually doth with Reprobates what in the call he proposed within himself, for God purposed to call reprobates, to promise them Salvation upon account of Obedience; to the end they should learn the way to Salvation, to know their Duty and at last confess they are justly Damned, and he obtaineth the end he aimed at. But here followeth a high charge. God promising Salvation to reprobates upon an impossible condition, which he is not willing to give them grace to perform, doth but mock and deceive them. We answer the promise of Salvation made to reprobates upon an impossible condition, is no delusion, but a denial of Salvation, for want of performance of the condition, without which no Man can be saved even according to God's Decree; for as in time God denyeth reprobates Salvation by reason of impenitency, so from eternity he decreed to damn them for impenitency, the end of the Promise and of the Vocation are the same. When God commandeth all men every where to repent, 'tis not meant the end of the declaration; as if it was God's purpose it should be so, but 'tis the thing commanded, and which those who are called aught to do. We must in this matter have a care not to confound the intention of the Minister with that of God, who from eternity knows every individual reprobate, the Minister not so, for being not able to know reprobates from the elect, he must have a real intention in his station to save every one that heareth him, and if he be mistaken and disappointed of his end, he being neither Almighty, nor All-knowing, there is no absurdity therein; but here we speak of the end of the vocation of reprobates in relation to God.  
Two things more I am to answer. First, That God is not an hypocrite, though he doth not intent the Salvation of all those whom he calleth to't, an hypocrite would seem to be what he is not, but there is no such intention in God, only he points at and sheweth reprobates the cause why he denyeth them Salvation. The second thing I am now to do is to show that God in his outwardly calling of reprobates is not unjust, though he requireth of them impossible things: But before, I must answer an Objection I had omitted, to show that 'tis in Man's power to save himself if he will, 'tis taken out of St. Paul's words. 
(a) Philip. 2.12, 13.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling: But this goeth from the state of the question, which is about Conversion before it be effected, but in this place the Apostle speaks to regenarated Men, for he saith, they always obeyed; now as in the act of Conversion we are merely Passive, after it is effected, and there is the new Man created in us, we are not like Stone and Stocks, we move as we are acted by the spirit of God. This is an Exhortation to Holiness and every good Work, but to show how the Apostle doth not think it is in their power to work their own Salvation of themselves, in the next verse, he addeth, For it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure: This explantation he giveth, for fear they should misunderstand what he said about working their Salvation, and we see how to keep them from Pride and Presumption, he saith, work it with fear and trembling. But now I must return where I left, and say, of things impossible, some are so, absolutely and of their nature, others are such only in some respect and accident, that obedience which God requireth of Men, is not of absolute impossibility, for if there was any injustice in the case, here it would lay, but what God requires of Men was once possible, but man through his own fault lost that power, what in the state of Innocency (namely obedience) was possible for Man, is by his fall become impossible to him, yet for all this, he still is bound to do his Duty, the more because he hath no excuse to plead for in relation to God, who neither enticed him, nor commanded or compelled him, but rather expressly with threaten did forbid him to sin, so that God is most just in calling for his own. This is as if a Man had lent me Money, when it was lent I was able to pay, but since through my own ill management I ruined my whole Estate, and made it impossible for me to pay the Debt, must my Creditor suffer for my evil Courses, after I am become a prodigal Son? Is he unjust to call for his Money, and make me pay the Debt? No surely, as you see the 
(b) Matth. 18. from 24. to 35.  Lord did by that servant of his, who had no mercy upon his fellow servant, for though it was impossible for him to pay the ten thousand talents, yet he delivered him to the Tormentors, till he should pay all that was due, that is forever, for he could never do't; here the torments of Hell are meant, so God may justly do with every Man, whom he hath no mind to be merciful to. I do add one thing more, how the Law promised life upon impossible conditions of a man's own perfect obedience; yet we do not read that any of the Jews ever said the Law was unjust, on the contrary we find the Law was confessed to be holy just and good, 
Rom. 7.12.  and let some men say what they will, we all know and must own, that faith the condition upon which eternal life is promised in the Gospel is impossible for men, because 'tis a gift of God. Let therefore God be owned to be just in all his ways, 
2 Thes. 2.12.  though all may be damned who believe not the truth: God sent them strong delusions to believe a lie, that they might be damned, as if he had said that there might be a just cause of their damnation.   

CHAP. XI. Of FAITH.  
NOW we must come to the chief and most excellent Gospel Grace, which is Faith; concerning which also, Arminians do teach many unsound things, we intent, by the Grace of God, to speak of every one of them in order, Satan ever raised his strongest batteries against this 
(a) Ephes. 6.16.  shield wherewith we are able to quench his fiery darts.  
To have a right understanding of this matter, we must know Scripture doth mention four kinds of Faith. First, Historical, whereby we believe the Word of God to be true as 'tis revealed in Scriptures, and God to be the God of Truth; the Devils have this Faith, 
(b) Jam. 2.19.  for they believe and tremble. Secondly, The Faith of Miracles, which at first was granted; thereby to confirm the Doctrine of the Cospel; for 
(c) 1 Cor. 14.22.  tongues a sort of Miracles a●● a sign not to believere, but to unvelievers; 'tis a certain persuasion grounded upon some Revelation, or a special Promise of some miraculous work to be done: Our Saviour granted it to the Apostles, but it ceased long ago. Thirdly, Temporal Faith is a knowledge and assent to Truth contained in God's Word, but only for a time, hence called Temporal, attended with some joy arising out of the consideration of some worldly advantages, or of the thoughts and bare notion of a future happiness, which at last vanish away: Some Reprobates have this Faith. This our Saviour speaks of, when he mentions that part of the 
(d) Matth. 13.20, 21.  Seed which fell into stony places, where it is received with joy. Thus 
(e) Mark. 6.20.  Herod heard gladly John the Baptist; and went farther, for he did many things, and observed him. Whether this, as 
(f) Acts 26.28.  Agrippa's being almost persuaded to be a Christian, may be said of Temporal, or only of Historical Faith, I will not dispute, it being nothing at all material for my purpose; but this I say, that this Temporal Faith sometimes goeth so far, that they who have it, are said 
(g) Heb. 6.4.  to have tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the holy Ghost. The spirit of God sometimes bestoweth grace upon some, which graces are not common nor saving neither; our Saviour saith to the man in the Gospel who had discreetly answered him, 
(h) Mark 12.34.  Thou art not far from the Kingdom of Heaven, for a man may go far on the way, and yet fall short of it: All that came out of Egypt, though they went far into the wilderness, nay, some came within sight of the Land of Promise, yet never entered into it, so, many 
(i) Matth. 7.14.  strive to enter in at the strait gate who cannot find it. We read of one 
(k) Mark. 10.20, 21.  who observed all the commandments from his youth, and in part he spoken the truth, for 'tis said, our Saviour beholding him loved him, which he would not have done if he had told him a lie. This I insist the more upon, to make this temporal Faith better known and how far it bordereth upon true faith, because our Adversaries do confound it with the true faith, which is the fourth kind of Faith.  
This is the only true faith otherwise called saving and justifying faith, which doth consist not only in knowledge of things necessary to Salvation, and also in an assent to all truths revealed in God's word which reprobates may have, but also in a trust and confidence and relying upon Christ and in a special way applying unto the Soul the general promises of God, without this there is no true faith, and here we are to do two things. First, To show the difference between temporal and justifying faith, and then prove that assurance is essential to true faith without which it cannot be such: As to the first, saving faith is attended with a real spiritual joy, not arising out of any humane consideration, but only out of the sense of God's mercy; this, temporal faith hath not, nor the following signs of saving faith. Secondly, True faith hath a love of Christ overcoming all difficulties, which love is attended with a religious fear of offending God; and with a studying how to promote his glory. Thirdly, A sense of a future happiness amidst the greatest troubles and calamities. Fourthly, A hope of glory which maketh not ashamed, raised within us by the spirit, 
(a) Rom. 8.15.  which beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Lastly, A special unmoveable trust and confidence in the mercy of God, and an application of Christ's merits. Temporal faith hath nothing to do with these, but they are proper to true saving faith. Hence may appear, the error of our Adversaries, or rather of the truth, who would have temporal and saving faith to be the same in nature, and to differ only as to duration of time.  
Now as to the other thing, that a trust and confidence in God is of the nature of faith, it doth appear from the names given faith in the word of God. 'Tis called boldness and confidence. 
(b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 3.12.  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence: by the faith of him, or a strong persuasion: A liberty of confidence. 
(c) And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 3. & chap. 10.19. and 1 Joh. 5.14.  If we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. A full assurance, 
(d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.22.  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. A 
(e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H● 11.1.  substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Also confidence, 
(f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 16.33.  This is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; 
1 John 5.14.  which confidence doth not leave those to whom God hath given the earnest of the spirit, that is believers: 
(g) 2 Cor. 5.6.  we are always confident, saith St. Paul, which argues it to be essential to faith. St. John also calleth it boldness, 
(h) 1 Joh 4.17.  herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of Judgement. Such a frame ariseth out of faith, without which no true and well grounded boldness and confidence, nor being hearty and cheerful as our Saviour saith to his disciples, they ought to be. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Peter as St. John saith, makes certitude and assurance go along with Faith, for in his name and of the disciples he declares thus, 
(i) Joh. 16.33. John 6.69.  We believe, and are sure that thou art that Christ, the son of the living God; to believe and be sure is the same, neither could they or any other believe, except they were sure it is true, but it is more or less, for as there are degrees of faith, so of assurance which is an essential part thereof. 
(k) Heb. 6.11. & chap. 10.22.  As Scripture speaks of a full assurance of hope, so it doth of a full assurance of faith; we are fully assured there is a promise for those who do their duty, and the promise is from the God of truth, of all this there is a full assurance he heareth us. These words certainly go beyond common knowledge and assent, and let this be the first reason.  
Farther Christ is received by Faith. 
(l) Joh. 1.12.  But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name, bare knowledge and assent are not enough; or else Devils and Reprobates could be made Sons of God. Again, they who truly believe in Christ, know they have eternal life. 
(m) 1 Joh. 5.13.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, out of bare knowledge and assent, no man can know he hath eternal life, for despair may consist with both, 'tis so in all Devils, and in many Reprobates. Lastly, 
(n) Habak. 2.4.  By faith we live. 
(o) Rom 11.20.  By faith we stand. 
(p) Rom. 5.1.  By faith we are justified. 
(q) Eph. 2.8.  By faith we are saved, and through faith we obtain forgiveness of sins, heavenly Blessings, Adoptions, Victory over all spiritual Enemies, in a word, Christ and all his benefits we receive by faith, which cannot be an effect of bare knowledge and assent. Several other Texts I omit, which are much to may purpose, but this is sufficient.  
Now followeth the question between Papists, Arminians, and us: Whether saith be common to all, Elect and Reprobates, which they affirm, but we say, 'tis given only to believers, and 'tis proper to them. But still we mean true justifying faith. Scripture speaks clearly for us in the case, for it is called 
(a) Tit. 1.1  the faith of God's elect, God's Elect and Christ's Sheep are one and the same; but none believe but Christ's Sheep, he saith to the unbelieving Jews, 
(b) Joh. 10.26.  but ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. Faith is an effect of Election, for it is said, 
(c) Acts 13.48.  as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, as many and no more. And seeing 
(d) Rom. 8.30.  only the Elect are justified and glorified, they only have faith, because believers only are justified, and they only that are justified, are glorified; none but the Elect are members of Christ, and we become such only through faith: Now God hath 
(e) Eph. 1.5.  predestinated none but the elect unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. There must be a certain mark of distinction between good and bad, or else the one could not be known from the other. Now faith is the characteristical note of God's children, and our election is known to us a posteriori only by the effect, whereof faith is the chief, and it is so essential that it gives a general denomination, the whole world being divided into believers and unbelievers, this is of so high a concernment that St. Paul earnestly exhorteth the Corinthians to 
(f) 2 Cor. 13.5.  examine themselves whether they be in the faith, prove your own selves, know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates. Now Christ is in us by faith, for 'tis the instrument whereby we receive and apprehend him, and not otherwise. Against this they would have something to say out of that Text where St. Paul 
(g) Rom. 11.17.  speaketh of some branches broken off the tree, whence they conclude that some reprobates had been engrafted in Christ through faith; but if any for unbelief were ever cut off from the tree of life, we deny that ever they were in Christ indeed by true faith, but only outwardly they seemed to be so, they are said to be broken-off, when by reason of unbelief and hypocrisy, either they are fallen off themselves, or have been put out of the society of the Church, as it formerly happened to the Jews, whom the Apostle speaks of in that place. Let this be observed, that when in Scripture faith is attributed to reprobates, 'tis not meant true saving faith, which they never had, but only historical or temporal, an outward and hip critical procession of faith, or of the doctrine of the Gospel, and this calls to my mind that place of Scripture about the parable of the talents, the talon was taken from the man, when 'tis said, 
(a) Matth. 25.29.  from him that hath not shall be taken away, even that which he hath. How can that man have that which he hath not, or that be taken away which he hath not: The matter is explained by another Evangelist thus, 
(b) Luke 8.11.  whosoever hath not shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have, he had it in appearance, but not in reality, so reprobates have faith but in a show, and when they have lost it, 'tis only that which they seemed to have, but never had it really. They lost the outward show and profession.  
Another point concerning faith, wherein we differ is this, about the certitude of faith: They deny believers can know whether or not they have true faith, we say they can know it, and begin to prove it, with that Text already quoted. 2 Cor. 13. Upon examination they may find and know whether Christ be in them; he would not have advised them to that examination, except they could have found out the truth of it: Which truth we are a●●ured of by our Saviour, when he saith to his Disciples, 
(c) Joh. 14.20.  ye shall know that you are in me and I in you. Seeing then we are in Christ and Christ in us by faith, and they can know it to be so, than they must be sure of their faith; that is, have a certitude of it. In the case of the two blind men, 
(d) Matth. 9.28.  our Saviour asked them, believe ye that I am able to do this? they said unto him, yea Lord. When believers are seriously asked whether they have faith? They may well and do confess it in conscience to the Lord himself, which must arise out of a certitude of it. Then, 
(e) 1 Cor. 2.11.12.  the spirit a man which is in him knoweth the things of a man, and in the next verse, he addeth, we have received the spirit of which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. And we can distinctly perceive the proper acts of faith, as when one out of a sincere and pious affection findeth himself ready to deny the world and himself, to serve and obey God according to his holy will.  
To the question, how can a man know when he is elected? And how see he hath Faith? I say, Election is evidenced by effectual calling, by Faith and Repentance, so is Faith by the fruits and effects thereof, as are good works, as certainly-as one may conclude where a fire is there is heat, and when the Sun shineth, it is daylight: Thus the cause is proved by the effect, and the effect by the cause. Where is motion either natural or spiritual, we may confidently affirm there is life accordingly. Thus we need not to go up to Heaven to dive into the secret Council of God; nor to turn the leaves of the Book of Life, to see whether our names be written in it, but to search into our own souls and examine our own Thoughts, Affections and Actings, if there be holiness, love and other fruits of the spirit.  
Now they object, that this certitude must be expressed or employed in the word, and thence drawn by a consequence, but we say, it doth not arise out of the letter of the word, but out of the inward testimony of our understanding being enlightened by the holy Ghost, which beareth witness to our spirit that we are the Children of God, and consequently that we have true faith: This is not written in the Book of Scripture, but in the Book of our Heart with the very finger of the Holy Ghost; hence it is that we do not believe we do believe, but we feel and perceive it, as we do not believe we think of God when we do't, but we know and feel it in our minds. One thing here I must take notice of upon the matter, in relation to that Exhertation of St. Paul to the Corinthians, to examine themselves; that it is a great deal of pity that many (I dare say good people) do not set themselves upon that trial, but do either wholly or in part neglect it, but if they be of God's Elect, at one time or other they must come to't, the sooner the better, and the more often to known what progress they made in faith, what degrees of strength it hath gotten; and for neglecting this so necessary a duty, they thereby deprive themselves of much comfort which would accrue to them. To make an end of this matter, I shall add that this certitude is very much improved, when we can clearly make out we have an interest in Christ, and are Christ's: For saith the Apostle, 
(a) 1 Cor. 3.22.  Ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. To know whether we be Christ's, we have a certain rule to know it by; that is, if the spirit of Christ be in us: 
(b) Rom. 8.9.  For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his. How then to know whether the spirit be in us? St. Paul giveth a rule, by 
(c) Gal. 5.22, 23.  the fruits of the spirit, as love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, etc.  
Now we are come to a great question, why of so many that hear the word of God, there are so few that believe? What may be the cause of it, at the same word, and under the same Ministry, so different and contrary effect is produced, some like Wax at the fire are softened and melted when others at the same time like Clay and Dirt are hardened, whilst some believe others continue in unbelief, and harden themselves, some are the better, others the worse for it: Like 
(d) Joh. 13.27.  Judas, into whom the Devil entered after our Saviour had given him the sop. The word is a wholesome Physic to some, and as deadly poison to others; the Lord Jesus is a 
(e) 1 Cor. 23. & 2 Pet. 2 8.  stumbling-block and a rock of offence and foolishmesses to some, and the 
(f) 1 Cor. 2.6, 7.  wisdom of God in a mystery to others, so that this word and they that preach it, are unto some (those that are saved) 
(g) 2 Cor. 2.15.16.  a Savour of life unto life, and to others (to them that perish) a Savour of death unto death. All this is truth, Scripture teaches, and Experience confirms how all that hear the word of God, do not believe, for all men have not Faith, 2 Thess. 3.2. Now we are to inquire into the reasons of it.  
First, 'Tis not for any Dignity, Merit, Natural Capacity or any other quality in the hearer, seeing the 
(h) 1 Cor. 2.14.  natural man (such we are all by nature) receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them. Which the same Apostle doth confirm in another place. 
(a) Rom. 8.7.  The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Neither is it for any depth of knowledge, learning, eloquence, or other abilities in the Minister who preacheth the word. 
(b) 1 Cor 3.6.  Paul may plant, Apollo's may water, but neither of them can give the increase: 
(c) 2 Cor. 2. 2 Cor. 4.7.  Who is sufficient for these things? For saith he in another place, this treasure we have in earthen vessels, that the excellency be of God, and not of us. The most fervent and excellent Servants of God commonly complain of the hardness and impenitency of their hearers; and let Isaiah speak for all, 
(d) Isai. 53.1, 16.  Who hath believed our report? And our Blessed Saviour should (if any) have had cause to expect a good success of his outward teaching; yet how often doth he complain of the hardness, stubbornness, impenitency and unbelief of his hearers? How few of the great multitudes he taught were converted to him? So that we must not seek in the dispensers of the word for the cause, why some believe and others do not. The cause why all do not believe, is not, as the Adversaries would have it, because they do not all they can, and do not make use of all the power remaining in them out of their natural corruption, that they do not go to Church, do not hear, nor read the word as often as they ought; that the spirit of God is ever ready to give faith to all that do these things, which is most false, for though we own men are in the wrong to neglect those Christian duties; yet though they would perform, all that and more, it would not do, for God giveth faith to none but to those whom from eternity he decreed to give it to: How could God have decreed, by the word to give faith unto every man? when as experience showeth, and we already have proved it, he doth not afford every man that outward call. We own that usually God doth not give men come to years' faith without hearing or reading of the word; but Scripture and experience do teach, God doth not give it to every one that heareth and readeth it; so that 'tis false to say the neglect of the word is the only cause, why God gives not every one faith; for several do read, hear, meditate, preach and write Commentaries upon the Word, who yet never have true faith. Yet we own how God blesseth the Ministry of some more than of others.  
Now to come to the true cause of it, 'tis because God hath decreed to give it only to the Elect, for faith is an effect of our Election: 
(a) Acts. 13.48.  As many as were ordained to eternal life believed, as I quoted before, and our Saviour saith, all that the father giveth me (hath elected in me shall come unto me, and none else, 
(b) Joh. 6.37.44.  for no man can come to me except the father draweth him. The good pleasure of God is the cause of the decree and of Faith too, wherefore 'tis called the gift of God, nothing more free than what is given. Our Saviour saith plainly to his Disciples, 
(c) Eph. 2. ●.  It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to them it is not given: Grace puts a difference between them. After his resurrection our 
(d) Matth. 13.11.  Saviour opened the understanding of his disciples that they might understand the Scripture, without which they could not do it, as afterwards was 
(e) Luke 24.45.  opened the heart of Lydia, and this made her attend unto the things which were spoken of by Paul. So that to believe or not to believe, 
(f) Acts 16.14.  is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. 
(g) Rom. 9.16.  God prepareth the heart of the humble, saith David, without it nothing can be done, 'tis his work. First, In relation to those that believe, for our Saviour saith, 
(h) Matth. 11.25.26.  I thank thee, O father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes. If in this God had been accepter of persons, or had been moved by any qualification in the persons, he would have done the contrary of what he acted, he would have revealed it to the Wise and Prudent, and hide them from Babes: This to a carnal reason seemeth strange, yet 'tis true; and in the next verse, our Blessed Saviour assigneth God's will as the only cause, and aught to be sufficient for any one. Even so father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight. They who are become the Sons of God, and believe on his name, 
(a) Joh. 13.  are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Here our Coversion and Regeneration are attributed to the will of God, exclusively to the will of the flesh or of man.  
Now God doth act on both parts, not only he maketh those believe who do, but also others cannot believe, because 
(b) Joh. 12.39.40.  he hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts and be converted, and I should heal them. In consequence of this, they are delivered up to Satan, who acts his part upon them in the way exressed by St. Paul. 
(c) 2 Cor. 4.3, 4.  If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God, should shine upon them. Of these speaketh the Prophet, 
(d) Isai. 43.8.  Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears: they shall continue blind and deaf, no Faith for these: On the contrary side, 
(e) Isai. 32.3.  The eyes of them that see shall not be dim; and the ears of them that hear shall hearken; these shall have Faith. After this we adore the actings of God; and with St. Paul cry out, 
(f) Rom. 11.33.  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out? Now as begetting of Faith in us, is an effect of God's Election, and of his good-pleasure, so is the increase and improvement of it; for the more it feeds upon Christ, the stronger and the more lively it groweth: There are degrees of Faith, so that though all Believers have the same Faith, as to the substance, and to the parts, yet there is a great difference as to the degrees, upon which account we are said 
(g) 2 Pet. 3.18. Ephes. 4.15.  to grow in faith, or grace: There is weak Faith and strong Faith, yet both true; that Man's Faith who said to our Saviour, If thou 
(h) Mark. 9.22.23.  canst do any thing have compassion on us, was a weak and languishing Faith, and seemed to doubt whether Christ could cure his Child; after Christ had said to him, 
Mark 9, 22.23.  If thou canst believe, all things are possible to the believer, as if he had said to him, I can do it, but canst thou believe? whereupon the Man prayed for supply and strength of Faith. Lord I believe, but help thou mine unbelief; he was much weaker in Faith then he who said, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, Luke 5.12. And then the Centurion of whom our Saviour 
(a) Matth. 8.10.  saith, I have not found so great a faith, no not in Israel; and that of the Woman of 
(b) Matth. 15.26.27.  Canaan, who for all the repulses which our Saviour did outwardly give her, even comparing her to a Dog, yet she would not give over, till our Saviour had said to her, 
(a) Matth. 8.10.  O woman, great is thy faith, and cured her Daughter; so of the woman who had the Issue of Blood for 12 years: If I may but touch his , 
(c) Mark 5.28  I shall be whole; all effects and signs of a great Faith, the increase whereof we ought ever to pray for, thereby in time of trial to be able to resist the temptation. Now as Christ is the true and only object of our Faith, so 'tis a hindrance to't when we look upon any thing in the Creature, when we seek amongst men that which we can find only with God, this makes our Saviour say, 
(d) Joh. 5 44.  How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Thus we have done with this great Subject as much as relateth to our present purpose.   

CHAP. XII. Christ died not for All.  
WE are now come to another Point, about the extent of our Saviour's death: This is a matter of very great importance, both in itself, and in the consequence thereof; and because the deciding of a question doth sometimes much depend upon the right stating of it. I will endeavour so to do in this, in order to it in few words, I here lay down what Papists and Arminians say, 'tis thus: They teach that Christ by his death intended the universal redemption of all and every particular Man, whether Elect or Reprobate without distinction, that by his death he actually obtained for all, the grace and favour of God. That the application of these graces thus obtained, dependeth only on the freewill of Man; some according to their liberty making use of that purchased gift, others to whom that Grace and Salvation was alike purchased and intended on God's part, do by their own contempt and neglect according to the same liberty of their will, reject it. But we say that the Lord Jesus did not give his Blood and Life for all, only for the Elect, his Members, and that by his death, he hath satisfied God's Justice, only for those who get good by it, that is all Believers before his death, in the time of or after his death, to the world's end.  
In the beginning of this Treatise, I made use of a kind of argument, which here I shall not repeat, only say that Scripture reduces it to many: and who are to be understood by the many, I instanced out of several Texts of Scripture. Now we proceed to other proofs, and argue thus: He who will not do the least thing for one, will not do the greatest for him. He who will not speak a good word for a man, surely will not die for that man; but our Saviour would not pray for the world, for Reprobates, therefore he would not die for Reprobates. Our Saviour is plain upon this, 
(a) Joh. 17.  in that Prayer of his, which makes up a whole Chapter, just before he was taken, where after he had prayed for himself, he prayed also for them whom the Father had given him out of the world, for his Elect and Believers. He solemnly declares he excludeth the wicked from his Prayer. 
(b) Verse 9  I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me out of the world: This he saith, (if I may so say) upon his death bed, when he was about going to die, 'tis as good as if he had said, I die not for the world, the world of Reprobates, for that's the signification of the word in that place, as anon by the grace of God we shall make it appear.  
Again, those for whom Christ died, he loved so as that he could love them no more for he saith himself, 
(c) Joh. 15.13.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends: But it cannot be said that Christ loved Reprobates, so, that he could love them no more, therefore he died not for them. I say farther, surely Christ would not die for those whom he will never own nor suffer to come near him: but he saith, and we ought to believe him, how at the last day, 
(d) Matth. 7.23.  He will profess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me ye that work iniquity. 'Tis not to be supposed he would die for those whom he will use so at last; as to deny he ever knew them, with that knowledge which is joined with special love and favour. Farthermore, 
(e) Rom. 5.10  They for whom Christ died were reconciled to God by his death, and being reconciled shall be saved by his life. But it cannot be said that Reprobates were reconciled to God, or shall be saved; therefore Christ died not for them: Now, sins are not imputed to those who through Christ's death are reconciled to God, but sins are imputed to all that are damned, wherefore none of those that are damned were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. The major or first part of our argument is grounded upon Scripture. 
(f) 2 Cor. 5.19.  God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their sins unto them. Neither doth the Lord Jesus as we said before, cause his death to be preached to all; for 'tis said in relation to this, 
(a) Eph. 2.12.  That the Gentiles were without Christ, aliens from the common wealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. If so, then certainly he died not for all, if his death was not published to all, and it was not to those that were without Christ; and there can be no benefit by Christ's death for men come to age except that death be preached; but it is much less and more easy to have a death preached to one, than to die for him. Lastly, I say if Christ be dead for all and every man without exception; then he died for those that were in Hell long before his death, and to whom he knew his death would do no good: And do we take that precious Blood of the Covenant to be so slight a thing as to be shed in vain, for those who could not be the better for it? Nay, for 
(b) Heb. 10.20.  those who had trodden, or should tread, under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing. This were too much to profane it, that this holy blood should be shed for Judas, who, as our Saviour said, 
(c) John. 6.70.  was a devil, 
(d) John. 17.12.  the Son of perdition, against whom he pronounceth a woe, 
(e) Luke. 22.22 & Matth. 26.24  Woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed, it had been good for that man if he had not been born: Christ then had died in vain, if for those that were in Hell, out of which there is no redemption, and this with an intent to procure them Salvation. What an Opinion is this? How injurious to the wisdom of Christ? So the word all is to be restrained, as when John's Disciples said, John 3.26. of Christ, all men come to him, surely not every individual man.  
All the Arguments whereby they endeavour to oppose this doctrine, may be reduced under two Heads, for they lay a stress chief upon two words in Scripture, the first is the word world, the other the word all: Under the first come in several Texts of Holy Scripture, as these, 
(f) John 1.29.  Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. And 
(g) John 3.16.16.  God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should have everlasting life. And this, 
(*) 1 John 2.2.  He is a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Again, God sent his son into the world, not to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. And some others to the same purpose, whereof these are the chief, whence they would conclude that the Lord Jesus died to take away the sins of every man in the world.  
In answer to this, we are first of all to observe, that the word world and whole world have several significations in Scripture, which I reduce chief to four First, it is taken for the whole work of Creation. 
(a) Heb 1.2.  By his Son also God made the worlds, in the plural, so 
(b) John 1.10.  the world was made by him, Jesus Christ. Heavens, Earth and the Sea are meant by this. Secondly, It signifieth all men, whether good or bad: in this sense 'tis taken by David. 
(c) Psal. 33.8.  Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him, of God; in the beginning of the verse 'tis called the earth, as it is also in another place: 
(d) Psal. 96.13.  The Lord cometh to judge the earth, he shall judge the world with righteousness, and in the Gospel 'tis so taken, 
(e) Matth. 13.  the field is the world, the good seed are the Children of the Kingdom, but the Tares are the Children of the Wicked one. So in several other places; but these two significations are not very much to our purpose. Thirdly, 'Tis taken restrictively, and only for the reprobates and wicked of the world: As thus, 
(f) Luke. 16.8.  The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light, where you see the opposition between bad and good: so in that place, 
(g) John. 1.10.  and the world knew him not, Jesus Christ, we are to take notice that commonly when the word world signifieth the wicked, the particle this is joined to it, as in the fore quoted Text, and in the following, 
(h) Rom. 12.2.  be not conformed to this world. 
(i) 1 Cor. 1.20. Chap. 2.6.  Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world, and in the next Chapter, We speak not the wisdom of this world, nor of the Princes of this world: And therefore the world is opposed to God. 
(k) ●am. 4.4.  Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? etc. And the Apostle saith, the spirit 
(l) 1 John. 4.3, 4, 5. Chap. 5.19.  of Antichrist is in the world. And again, They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. And in the next Chapter he addeth, the whole world lieth in wickedness. Take notice, it is called the whole world, yet only of reprobates; for to lie in wickedness is not by Scripture attributed to the Elect; so when the word whole is used to represent the world of Believers, it is to be restrained to them as here it is to the wicked. But fourthly, The word world in Scripture signieth only Believers, and is more strictly taken, either for the whole universal number of the Elect and Believers in all Ages dispersed all the world over, divided into Jews and Gentiles: Or for a particular company of them in some particular Ages or Places of the world, and in this sense only it is used in all the objected Texts of Scriptures.  
Thus the word world is sometimes used in the same sense as 'tis taken in that place quoted before: 
(a) 2. Cor. 7.19.  God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Surely none but Elect and Believers are reconciled to God, and to them alone their sins are not imputed. In the same sense 'tis also taken, when Abraham is called 
(b) ●om. 4.13.  the heir of the world: And the following too in St. John's Gospel, Christ faith he is 
(c) cha. 9.5. Chap. 14.31.  the light of the world, not the world of wicked which lay in darkness: But of the Elect, and the world may know that I love the father, they, only they, 
(d) John. 17.7, 8, 23.  have known that whatsoever the father had given Christ was of the father, and they have known surely that the son came out from the father. 'Tis that same world that knows that thou hast sent me; in that same sense also 'tis taken by St. Paul, 
(e) Rom. 11.12, 15.  The fall of them (Jews) is the riches of the world, and the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world. And in his Epistle to the Colossians 'tis very full, 
(f) Colo. 1.5.  For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, is come unto you as it is in all the world. The word all is in too. Neither can the same expression be understood in any other way than this, in that other place. 
(g) 1 Tim. 3.16.  Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifested in the flesh, etc. believed on in the world. It must be then the world of Believers, for it cannot be believed in the world of Unbelievers. So then in Scripture the word world is taken for the whole world, the greatest part, the worst part, or the best part of the world.  
Now after this it is easy to answer their Objections out of the forequoted Texts of Scripture, for in them by all are not understood all and every singular man whether Elect or Reprobate; but only the Elect dispersed all the world over, who at last receive the gift of Faith, and through the application of Christ's satisfaction, are saved. And I hope this is made clear enough to any who impartially desireth to be informed of the truth. However, because they lay a great stress upon that place of 1 John 2.2. I shall now say in particular something to't, we already have taken notice how there is a world of Believers taken out of the general world, who by these means is divided into the world of Believers and of Reprobates: hence it is that our Saviour saith, 
(a) John. 15.19.  I have chosen you out of the world. And this number of chosen men though comparatively small as to the wicked world, yet it is great enough to deserve the name of world which is a Scripture phrase restrictive as we read it in the Gospel. 
(b) Luke. 2.1.  There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed: Not every part and corner of the world, for many either never heard of or had any thing to do with the Roman Empire; and the Pharisees said of our Saviour, Behold the world is gone after him! 'Twas but a very small part of the Jewish world. Thus in this place of St. John is to be taken, 
John. 12.19.  the word the whole world, as in the other, all the world. The Church, which is thereby meant, is a world by itself: Hence it is called Catholic, or Universal, having a King and Laws by herself; but because this would engage me too far, I turn again short upon our Text, whereof the words confirm what we say; for 'tis said, that Christ is the Advocate and the Propitiation, not only for the sins of the Believers he writes to, for the word our sins imports thus much, but also for that whole world of Believers, for Christ may not be called the Advocate and Propitiation for the wicked: So that if the Lord Jesus be equally Advocate of Elect and Reprobates, and Propitiation for the sins of both sorts, we must conclude that either the Elect shall be damned or the Reprobates saved, for all whom Christ hath undertaken for, shall certainly be saved, so that in consequence of this opinion there shall be but one place, all Heaven, or all Hell. Cyril of Alexandria, Beda, and other Ancient Orthodox Authors give the same interpretation of the place, as we do, by the whole world of Believers.  
Now I come to the other branch of their objection, which runs upon the word all, but before I give a particular answer to the several places of Scripture to prove that Christ died for all, I must say something in general towards the clearing of the point: No man can deny but divers Scriptures which are conceived in universal terms must be expounded with restrictions, as when 'tis said, They shall all be taught of God. I will pour my spirit on all flesh. 
* Jerem. 31, 34.  When I am risen I will draw all men unto me; God is 
(a) Joel 2.28. Joh. 12.32.  all in all: they shall all know me from the highest to the lowest. 
(b) Matth. 3 5.  All Judea went to John: All men seek for thee. Mark 1.37. Surely not every man in the world. Children are commanded to obey their parents, and servants their masters, in all things. Certainly in all these and many more which I could quote, there may and must be a restriction, as in this last just and lawful things, for Children and Servants if bidden to Kill, to Steal, etc. must not obey. This truth being so clear that it may admit of no difficulty in all the foregoing Texts, there is the same reason for those which they object against us. We say then Christ died for all; that is, the 
(c) Colos. 3.20.22.  brethren of whom he is the first born. 
(d) Rom. 8.29.  For those whom he begat with the word of truth. 
(e) Jam. 1.38.  For the seed of Abraham according to the promise. The chosen 
(f) Rom. 9.8, 9 Gal. 3.29.  generation, a Royal Priest hood, and Holy Nation, a peculiar People. 1 Pet. 2.9. All these are usually styled Saints, Believers, God's People, etc. But he died not for the 
(g) Matth. 13.25.  Tares, 
(h) Math. 3.12.  the Chaff, 
(i) Matth. 25.33.  the Goats, 
(l) Psal. 119.119.  the Thorns, the Stones, 
(k) Matth 13.20.22.  the Dross, 
(m) 2 Sam. 23.6.  the sons of Belial, 
(n) John. 17.1.12.  the son of Perdition, 
(o) Matth. 7.6.  the Dogs and Swine.  
Now we come in particular to answer some of the Texts they bring against us with the word all. 
(p) Pet. 3.9.  God is not willing any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Here the Apostle speaks of the Elect; the occasion is, in the latter days some shall come questioning the promise of Christ's coming, because things continue as from the beginning, but saith he, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, but is long suffering to us ward: That is to us Believers, and towards us he is patiented, allowing them time of repentance, for he is not willing that any, of us Believers, should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Certainly by the word us, he means himself and those he doth write to, and who are they? See the 1. verse of the 1 Chapter. Them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, but those who have not that precious faith, etc. Neither doth God stay for their repentance, nor did Christ die for them, the long patience of God is towards the Elect; and God stays till their number be filled up, 
Rev. 6.11.  for the world subsists only for their sake, when all are come in, it will presently come to an end; but God doth not wait for the repentance of wicked, for he knows they shall never come to it, for he hath decreed not to give it. As to the Elect, it is not the will of your father that any one of those little ones should perish. Matth. 18.14.  
Another place is this, 
(b) 1 Tim 2.6.  Christ gave himself a ransom for all; and 
(c) Heb. 2.9, 10.  he tasted death for every man, therefore he died for all, the word all is meant for all Elect and Believers and those that are saved, as Verse 10. or brought unto glory. And to show it is not our own Exposition, but of the spirit of God, we read it 
(d) Rev. 5.9  Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nations.  
And Nations, which is confirmed chap. 7.9. agreat multitude which no man could number of all Nations, and Kindred's, and People, and Tongues stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, etc. And on the contrary side, I mean of the wicked, by the word all or every one, are understood the several ranks and qualities, as we read, Rev. 6.15, 16. thus, and the Kings of the earth and the Great men, and the Rich men, and the chief Captains, and the Mighty Men, and every bondman and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks, etc. In the same sense it is expressed Chap. 13.7. and power was given him (the beast) over all Kindred's and Tongue's, and Nations: And again, the Angel had the everlasting Gospel to preach to every Nation, and Kindred, and Tongue, and People. Rev. 14.6. So that in relation to good or bad, by the words all and every one, we must not understand all and every individual person. So that we must not understand every individual person in the world; but men out of every Quality, Sex, Age and Nation, as Rich and Poor, Great and Low, Men and Women, Old and Young, and in this sense with Scripture we own Christ died for all, not singula generum, as Schoolmen say, but genera singulorum. This same interpretation is of St. Austin, 
(a) De correp. & gratia cap. 14.  whose words I shall here turn into English, By all men, saith he, we understand all kinds of men divided by whatsoever distinctions, Kings or private persons, Noble or Ignohle, High or Low, Learned or Unlearned, Whole or Sick, Wise or Simple, Foolish, Rich, Poor, Indifferent, Men, Women, Babes, Children, Youths, Old Men, of all Languages, of all Dispositions, of all Trades, of all Professions, and according to their divers inclinations, innumerable ways diversified. I am not used to quote Authorities of the Fathers, though I could easily show that the Orthodox Men amongst them, do about all these controverted points speak as we do, but besides that those Quotations would fill too much Paper, we must give them no farther credit, than as they agree with the infallible rule, the word of God, therefore we keep close to it, only this passage is so much to our purpose that I thought fit to set it down. However we shall hereafter have occasion to make use of such Authorities.  
The same answer may be returned to this, God will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; that is, Men of all sorts and qualities, and that the Apostle meaneth it so, in this place it appears out of the scope very clearly, for St. Paul exhorteth 
(b) 1 Tim. 2.1, 2, 3, 4.  prayers, supplications, etc. to be made for all men. He proceedeth to the distinction, when he saith, for Kings and all that are in authority, and giveth the reason, That we may lead a quiet life in all godliness, under their Government; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be Saved; that is, of the several states and conditions, whether they be Kings or any in Authority, as well as those that live under them. The Adversaries themselves must own how restrictions must be made of those general terms, as in the last Text, God will have all men to be saved, they will not deny that's expressed under condition of Faith and Repentance, and yet the Text doth not explain itself, so the like we may say of other places which tend to the same effect, if men could but part with prejudice which they are prepossessed of, and seek after truth, for truth's sake, there would sooner be an agreement. They Object farther, 
(a) 1 Cor. 15.22.  As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive: therefore by his death he hath obtained life for all; we deny the Consequence, the scope of the place is not to show the extent by way of parallel, of the number of those that were dead or alive; but the ground of death or life, for the sense of the place is (and St. Austin explains it so) as all those who die, die in Adam: So all those that are made alive, are made alive in Christ, out of him there being no Salvation. 
(b) Acts. 9.12.  Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given amongst men, whereby we must be saved. It is most clear out of Scriptures, how all dead in Adam are not quickened by Christ, but some are left in the state of death, for 
(c) Math. 7.14.  few find the way to life. This very comparison between Christ and Adam was by Pelagius urged against Austin. But say they, if Adam hath more destroyed than Christ hath restored, than Adam had more power than Christ, which is a gross mistake, for the restoring to life one dead Man, requireth a greater power than to kill a Million.  
Another place of Scripture they bring, 
(d) 1 Tim. 4.10.  God is the Saviour of all men, but there St. Paul doth not speak of deliverance by way of Salvation, but of Preservation, and of God's Providence in this world extended upon mankind; and to show it is so, 'tis added in the same verse, specially of those that believe, in matter of redemption there is no speciality, God takes care of preserving all men in general, but Believers in a special manner.  
They make use of another place, 
(e) Rom. 14.15.  Destroy not him with thy meet for whom Christ died. Therefore Christ died for those who may be damned, but the Apostle doth not say that he may be damned for whom Christ died, but his scope is to forbid giving offence or matter of scandal to a weak Brother with eating things which he thinks to be unlawful and unclean; neither is one destroyed upon any occasion of offence, though his Conscience be thereby wounded, for the hand of God doth uphold those whom his Son hath redeemed. Of this same nature is another place they bring against us. 
(a) 2 Pet. 2.1.  Some deny the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. But this Text is not about true redemption from eternal death, but only a deliverance of the error and ignorance of the times, by the means of the light of the Gospel, which happeneth sometimes to the false Prophets which the Apostle speaks of, not that they were so in truth, but only in appearance, they lived in the Church with them that were truly redeemed whose number they seemed to be of, but were not really so.  
I now come to the last Objection, which is that all to whom Christ's death is preached are bound to believe Christ died for them, or else they would be bound to believe a lie; but, as many Reprobates are hearers of the Word, so they ought to believe that Christ died for them: But 'tis not true that all those whom the word is preached to, ought absolutely to believe Christ died effectually for their sins; but only in a qualified and restrictive sense, if God enableth them by his grace to repent and believe, not that repentance should be the cause of that death of his; but a most certain and infallible sign of it, Scripture doth indeed bind all the Faithful and Elect to believe that Christ effectually died for them, because it is so; but for those who are yet out of Christ there is no such Precept, they must first really be engrafted in Christ, and then believe it, not first believe it, and then be engrafted, else they should believe a lie in believing their sins are actually purged; because a Man must be first in Christ before his iniquity can actually be washed away. Then Scriptures enjoin no reprobate and unregenerate Man to believe at first that Christ effectually died for his sins, only as I said upon condition of Repentance and Faith, which the reprobate shall never have, and the unregenerate who is Elect, is not absolutely bound to believe it, till the time of his conversion be come. And suppose every private Man were obliged to believe Christ effectually died for his sins; yet it doth not follow therefore that Christ died effectually for all Men, because knowing nothing to the contrary, every Man may be bound particularly to believe for himself, but not for all besides, 'tis not well argued to say, every Man must particularly believe he is Elected, therefore he must believe all are Elected, or he must believe particularly he shall be saved, therefore he must believe all shall be saved; this Argument from the individual to the species doth not hold: The revealed will of God obligeth Man to believe such things as God in his secret will never intended to accomplish. So Abraham was bound to believe, as also he believed it, that God surely intended the Sacrificing of his Son, because he commanded him to do it. Yet God intended to try his Faith; The Ninevites were bound to believe and so they did, the Prediction of Jonah. 
(a) Joh. 3.4.  Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed; yet God intended their repentance not their ruin.  
It is a mistake to think that every one whom Christ is preached unto, is bound to believe that he died for him, which not being he is bound to believe a lie, which to understand the better, one must know the several degrees of Faith in this case. Upon hearing the Gospel preached, there is a general Faith required, namely, that the Lord Jesus came into the world to save sinners; the next thing for a Man to believe is, that if I repent and believe, Christ came into the world to save me; so this is but conditional and many a wicked Man can believe thus far, but the third and last degree is proper only to the Elect, and 'tis this, when upon self examination and inquiry, a Man finds that he reputes; as thus, formerly I delighted in sin, now I hate it, heretofore I did eagerly run after the occasions, now I avoid them, and also doth find and feel that he believeth, thus I know and am sensible of the desperate condition I am in by nature, and see there is but one way to come out of it, namely, through the Lord Jesus, for there is no Salvation in any other, wherefore I hope and trust for mercy in him, I lay hold upon and believe in him, and do feel within me a comfort and inward assurance in the holy Ghost whereby I am sealed, and which is the earnest of the Inheritance, and assures me that I am the child of God. Now a Man in such a condition is bound to believe that Christ died for him, and believes it, and so believes the truth; according to this method, St. Paul makes this declaration, 
(a) Tim. 1.15, 16.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief; how be it, for this cause I obtained mercy. Ye see he hath the general notion wherefore Christ came into the world, than he proceeds to apply it unto himself: Lastly, he is sure and believeth he obtained mercy: This is the case of every Elect and Believer, for there is for all but one way to Salvation.  
Some go another way to work, and say, all are bound to believe Christ died not effectually, but sufficiently for all, if thereby be meant that the death of Christ as to the value and Merit, be sufficient to save all, we agree to it, for if there had been ten thousand worlds, Christ's death had been a sufficient value and price to save all; but that distinction of effectually for the Elect and sufficiently for Reprobates, doth not well become the dignity and merits of Christ's death, wherein the design and wisdom of God and Christ are concerned, to die for one is properly so to die on his behalf, as that he thereby may be delivered from death, and this as our Saviour saith, 
(b) Joh. 15.13.  Implieth the greatest love that can be: Now to say that Christ died sufficiently not effectually, is as good as to say, Christ out of his infinite love for Reprobates died in their stead, that they should be sufficiently delivered from death, but noteffectually, that is, that they should never be actually delivered.  
To say that Christ died for Reprobates, not to the end they should actually be delivered, but only put in a possibility of being so, 'tis in a manner to imply (or else what they say is to no purpose) that it lays in their power to receive Christ by Faith, seeing without it they cannot be saved, which all comes to this, that God decreed from Eternity to save all and every Man upon condition they shall believe, which smells of Pelagianism and Semipelagianism: These are a new late sort of Arminians, who would have minced and mitigated things; but did not God from Eternity foresee many would not believe, and decreed not to give them Faith, which except he doth, they can never have? Why then should God have made a decree upon a condition, which he knew shall never be performed, having decreed never to grant the means to do it? when a wise Man will not become guilty of so much imprudence. But let this be enough upon the matter which in our hands is swelled beyond what we at first intended, but 'tis so copious that 'tis almost unavoidable, and yet how many things more might have been said. Now we will proceed to something else.   

CHAP. XIII. That the Doctrines we hold concerning these Points, are the same as Austin and other Orthodox Doctors maintained against Pelagians and Semipelagians.  
WE have been at the Spring of all Truth, and out of it, I hope clearly and, sufficiently proved all the Doctrines in question. Now by the grace of God only to satisfy some, we will come to something of humane Authority, which indeed, after God hath in his word passed a sentence, is not necessary nor much material. However, 〈◊〉 show we are not singular, and that those high truths are not our particular opinion; we shall make it appear how many hundred years ago some Heretics having published their corrupt fancies against these truths, God raised those who powerfully and successfully stood up in defence thereof. Our Adversaries like prostitute Women, which in a scolding fit, hasten to call Whore first, are gone about falsely to asperse us with innovation, giving the points controverted between us, the name of Calviaian Doctrines, as good and as fit for them to call a Calvinist, Austin, who lived much above a thousand years before Calvin, which in effect is to overturn the world, and make last first, and first last. Hence it is that in a fit of rage, some of them broke lose upon that worthy Servant of God, who hath been an Eminent instrument in his hand to beat down the strength of that Roman Anti-christ, to which so many pious and learned Men have given their Evidence: Yet no Papist, though never so violent, spoke against him more unbecomingly, and with greater fury than some Arminians have; but we must not wonder at it, the Cause he fought against, is common to Papists with them, and so they look on him as their Common Enemy. However amongst Enemies, if there be any sense of Christianity and Humanity, there should be something more of Moderation and Generosity, if they were capable of it. Cannot we dispute about the things we differ in, and let persons alone? Forbear making reflections upon the Dead, who in their Generation were better Men than we are in ours, we should mind the merit of the Cause, and not pick an unjust quarrel against the person.  
And here before I proceed farther, I have an occasion to say something on the behalf of that faithful Servant of Christ, in whose Written Life, the world hath such a Character of him, as becomes a Pious, Laborious and learned Man; and though I am not sworn to his or any Man's words; yet for truth's sake, I shall speak some few words relating to us here in Queen Elizabeth's days, a Convocation at Oxford approved the Book of calvin's Institution, and appointed it by Tutors to be read to their Pupils, an infallible sign of a perfect agreement of our Church with the Doctrines therein contained, which was to join it with our Articles: That Book indeed is a Masterpiece, and deserves well the Commendation following given it by a learned Pen.  
Praeter Apostolicas post Christi tempora chartas,  
Huic peperere libro secula nulla parem.  
Whereof the sense is: Since the birth of Christ, no Age hath after the writings of the Apostles produced so excellent a Book, as is Calvin's Institution.  
Johannis Stormius an Eminent Divine of Strasbourgh, who with his Brother, through their singular Prudence and Eminent Piety, did by the grace of God, prevail without any Tumult, to have the true Religion at the beginning of Reformation received in that City, gives the following Character of Calvin.  
John Calvin, 
Joannes Calvinus homo acu●issimo judicio, sum maque doctrina & Egregia Memoria praeditus est, etc.  a man endowed with most acute judgement, of very great learning, and of an excellent memory, in his Writtings are variety, plenty and purity, witness whereof is his Institution of the Christian Religion, which having first began, then enlarged and enriched, and at last finished, he hath published this year. Neither do I know in this kind any thing better or more perfect to teach Religion, to Reform Manners and remove Errors: And let any man think himself to be therein very well settled and grounded, who hath attained to the things contained in that Book.  
Beza saith, he read it one and twenty times, and at every time, out of it he learned something. Our first Reformers had a great respect and value for him; amongst the several opinions about the Lord's Supper, they received his as the true; and they sent over for three Men that had been influenced by him, Martyr, Bucer, and Fagius, to help them in the Work of Reformation. Archbishop Cranmer did kindly write to him, and desired his assistance in things tending to a farther settlement of the Church, and acquainted him he could do nothing more profitable than to write often to the King. Bucer at Cambridge, where he was Professor in Divinity, hearing his Letters prevailed upon the Protector Duke of Somerset, desired him to write to that Noble Lord concerning some matters. And Bishop Hooper valued him so much as from his Prison to write to him, calling him vir praestantissime, and subscribing himself pietatis tuae studiosissimus, Jo. Hooperus. When Calvin did write to the Duke of Somerset, it was very kindly taken: 
Mr. Thomas Rogers in his Analysis of the 39 Articles doth speak honourably of him in the 2d page of his Preface.  and the first Letter he did write to the King, was very well received, and the whole Council whom the King shown it to, was well pleased with it. This showeth at that time he was not such a monster in the eyes of great and good men, as Arminians have since traduced him; he was a Man of great and good fame, for all the malice of his enemies and of the truths, who from first to last thought they might write or say any thing against him. I shall instance only one who called him a pragmatical Fellow, etc. who died Bishop of 
(a) Parket.  Oxford, but such a Man's standers strike no blow, for after he had by Mr. Malvile been reduced to a nonplus, and to have nothing more to the purpose to say for himself, in our struggling here against Popery, made himself sufficiently known to the world before his death. Such virulent Pens and Serpentine Tongues, must spew out their venom against the Works and Memory of Pious Learned and Extraordinary Men, whose Books, they never were worthy to carry.  
But we must not wonder that sort of people doth speak so ill of the Eminent instruments of Reformation, which they were and are enemies to, and to friends of Reformation. 
(b) Heylin Histay of Reformation, Preface, page 4.  Doth not one of their chief Men, abominably say, whose death, Edward 6th. I cannot reckon for an infelicity to the Church of England, for being ill principled in himself, etc. None but Papists can account it an infelicity that so good a Protestant Prince should die so soon, if so then it was no infelicity to England, that he was so soon succeeded by such a Bloody Persecutor of Religion as Queen Mary was: After that, they are licenced to speak ill of any Man. The most pious hopeful and knowing Prince for his Age that ever sat upon an English Throne, comparable to Josiah in his Zeal for the glory of God; his loss the more to be pitied that he did not go off the Stage without suspicion of being poisoned, which very reason should have stopped such foul-mouths, for fear of being thought to approve of such abominable courses, which were not only suspected at home, but also reported and credited abroad as mentioned by an 
(a) Sleided.  Author of very good reputation, who gives a worthy and deserved Character of that young King, which an English Man will not afford him. The Court intrigues in his Reign are well known, how at first through the Division, than the ruin of the two Brothers, his Uncles, he was laid open to the attempts of his Enemies. As a violent Arminian attempted to tread upon the memory of that Excellent King, 
(b) john Goodwin.  another stiff that way hath in print justified the death of King Charles, they spare no body: Hear how the same Heylin in his quin-quarticular History, speaks of that worthy Primate Usher, the Irish Articles, saith he, were drawn up by Doctor Usher a professed Calvinian, who not only thrust in the Lambeth Articles, but also made others of his own, etc. But let us return to our immediate Subject about Arminians.  
Pelagius was their Grandfather, whose Errors Austin overthrew with Scripture and Reason, God at that time having raised him up to be Champion for Grace, who in this matter handled the word of God so powerfully and like a wise Master-builder, and in so successful a way that the unsound Tenets were beaten down, and the upholders thereof highly discountenanced: But after Pelagius his death his Sectators appeared, but under another shape, not altogether so hideous, for they did not positively deny Original Sin, but so had however, that the same Doctor took up the Cudgels against those Semipelagians. Arminius in his days renewed the dispute on the behalf of the Semipelagians, in a time when all the Reformed Churches both here and abroad quietly and without disturbance taught the truth of all those Doctrines: The truth was then in possession of the Pulpits, of Divinity Schools and of Presses, but what when this Man appeared, the most Famous and Learned Protestant Divines at home and abroad opposed him, and did write against him: If any one hath a mind to know the shifts and tricks of that Party to strengthen themselves and undermine their opposers, and to prevent the calling of a General Synod which was sued for as the best way effectually to maintain truth and oppose falsehood, let him read the Acts of the Synod of Dort, with the Preface to it, where they had all the fair play that might reasonably be wished for. But because about these matters in the eighth Century, disputes did break out again, as it appeared in the case of Gottescalk, wherein Hinemarus of Rheims and Remigius Archbishop of Lions with the Churches of his Diocese were highly engaged; these last for, and the other against Gottescalk, which if any one desireth to be well informed of, let him read the Honest and Excellent account of it given by that worthy and Eminent private of Ireland, James Usher, which I quoted before.  
A thing much to be taken notice of in all these disputes; and which is the chief Subject of this Chapter, is this, that Arminius and his Followers do hold the opinions of Pelagians, and Semipelagians; and that Calvin, whom they make the head against their opinions, and we, hold the same with Austin, Hilarius, Prosper, Fulgentius and other Orthodox Doctors of the Primitive Church; we hitherto have sufficiently declared ours; what remaineth is for me to show what those Fathers of the Church did hold about these points; but that shall be briefly, because the trouble of proving it hath been saved me by others, who make good out of the writings of those ancient Fathers, the things now in question.  
First, As to Predestination, 
(a) Justin. Martyr. dialog. cum Triph. Sect. 2.  God elected us, and was made manifest to them that sought him not. And do you think O man! that we could ever have understood these things in the Scripture, except we had received grace by the will of God, of which grace ye (Jews) being destitute have understood none of them. Another saith, 
(b) Cyprian. de Mort. num. 2.  there is no need of Money, Industry and Man's Hand, but it is the free and ready gift of God, as freely as the Sun shineth, the Fountain watereth, the shower moisteneth, so doth the heavenly spirit power itself into us. The great asserter of Christ's Divinity speaks thus, 
(a) Athanas. count. A●●●●n. 4. Pag. 175.  The Apostle James hath taught, of his own will begat he us, with the word of truth. Therefore of all the regenerate, yea and of all that by creation were generated, it is the will of God, by the word of God that doth create and regenerate whatsoever pleaseth him. Let us hear what saith another, 
(b) Ambros. in Psal. 118. Serm. 10.  Perseverance is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth; for it is not in the power of man, but in God that showeth mercy, that thou shouldest be able to accomplish that which thou hast begun. Another saith, 
(c) Hieron. ad Ruff. lib. 1.  Paul and those that are like him, are not elected because they were holy and unspotted, but they are elected and predestinated, that afterwards in their lives in good works and virtues they may be unspotted and holy. These Doctors attribute it to grace, to the free gift of God, to his own will and pleasure; perseverance is not in the will or power of man but in God's mercy, neither were we elected for our Faith or Holiness, but to be unspotted and holy, all this is the sense of the forequoted Doctors, which agreeth with what we said.  
But because in Austin's days chief, that Heresy sprung up, and that he was the man who most laid it to heart, and made it his main business to oppose it, he hath written against it more clearly, and most to the full of any. Out of so many Treatises he hath written about it which are so well known, we shall quote only one or two places. 
(d) August. de praedest. & great. cap. 13.  Out of those to whom the severity of Justice adjudgeth punishment, according to the unexpressible mercy of his secret dispensation, he chose out vessels which he might fit unto honour, both delivering some from wrath to come, and leaving others to the sentence of Justice. 
Enchirid. ad Laurent. cap. 99  And in another place, he hath mercy with goodness, he hardeneth without injustice, so that he that is freed, may not boast of his merits, neither he that is damned may complain of any thing but his merits, for grace alone maketh a difference between the redeemed and the lost, whom one common cause derived from the root, had united together in one lump of destruction. With this concurred another, when he saith, 
(e) Prosper ad except. genu. resp. ad dub. 9  Austin by a godly and constant doctrine hath abundantly proved that predestination was to be preached to the Church, in which it is the preparation of grace, and grace is to be preached, in which is the effect of predestination, and the foreknowledge of God, wherein he foreknoweth before all ages on whom he would bestow his gifts. Which preaching whosoever is against he is a most open defender of Pelagian Pride. And in another place he saith, from himself, No Catholic doth deny the predestination of God. The faith of predestination is established by many authorities of holy Scriptures; yet unto it, 
Ad capit Gall. cap. 1.  it is not lawful to attribute any of the sins of men, who came to their inclination to sin, not by God's Creation, but by their first Father's transgression, from the punishment whereof no man is free, but only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ prepared and predestinated in the eternal counsel of God before the foundation of the world. An excellent testimony about all these Doctrines by Austin asserted, is given by Hormisda a Bishop of Rome to a Bishop of Africa, who desired his advice about the Books of Faustus the Semipelagian, in these words. 
(a) Epist. ad Possessor.  They know how not only the Roman and African Church, and all the Sons of promise through all parts of the world do agree with this man's, (Austin) Doctrine; as in the whole Faith, so in the confession of Grace. But let us come to another, 
(b) Fulgent. de incar. & great. in fine.  God who made man, by his predestination, fore-appointed to whom he would give the gift of illumination to believe, and the gift of perseverance to profit and persevere, and the gift of glorification to reign; who no otherwise performed indeed, than he hath ordained in his unchangeable will: The truth of which predestination by which the Apostle witnesseth that we are predestinated in Christ before the foundation of the world. If any man refuse to receive with the belief of the heart, or to speak with the confession of his mouth, if before the last day of this present life, he doth not cast off the stubbornness of his error, whereby he rebelleth against the true and the living God; it is plain, he doth not belong to the number of those whom God hath freely chosen in Christ, and predestinated before the foundation of the world.  
There is a two fold predestination, saith one, 
(c) Isidor. Hispalensis.  either of the Elect unto rest, or of the reprobate unto death, both are done by the Judgement of God: So that he ever causeth the Elect to follow heavenly and inward things; and by forsaking the reprobate, he suffereth him to follow earthly and outward things. Another speaks thus: 
(a) Anselm. de cencor. praes●. & praedest.  Predestination is not only of good but it may also be said of evil, as God is said to do the evil he doth not, because he permits it, for he is said to harden a man when he doth not soften him, and to lead into temptation when he doth not deliver; therefore it is not unfit that he should thus predestinate, whilst he doth not amend evil men nor their evil deeds, but yet he is said more specially to foreknow good things; because in them he makes that they be, and that they be good: But in evil things he makes but their being, not the evil of their being. The same Author saith farther in another place to this purpose. 
(b) In Rom. 9  God did not therefore take mercy on Jacob, because he willed and runned, but therefore Jacob willed and runned because God had mercy on him. Let it be enough for thee who yet livest by Faith, and not seeing perfectly, but knowing only in part, to know and believe that God doth save none but by free mercy, nor damn none but by most righteous justice. But why he saveth or saveth not, this man rather than that man? Let him search who will look into the great depths of God's judgements, but withal let him take heed that he doth not fall down headlong. But to come to lower times, let us hear what saith Bernard a good and famous Writer, 
(c) Bernard. in Cant. Serm. 14.  My right is the will of the Judge, what more just for merit? What more rich for reward? May not he do what he will? Mercy indeed is showed to me, but to thee is done no injury; take that which is thine, and go thy way: If he hath decreed to save me also, why wilt thou destroy me? take what thou wilt of thy merits, extol thy labours, the mercy of God is better than life.  
If we descend to the Schoolmen, we can hear them speak at the same rate, first the Master of Sentences, 
(d) Pet. Lombard. lib. 1. dist. 41. lit. d.  God elected whom he pleased by free mercy, not because they would be faithful, but that they might be faithful, and he gave them grace not because they were faithful, but that they might be, for the Apostle saith. 1 Cor. 7. I obtained mercy that I might be faithful; He saith not because I was faithful: grace is indeed given to the faithful, but it is also given first that he might be faithful: So also he reprobated whom he pleased, not for any future merits, yet by a most true justice, though hidden from our eyes. The next saith, 
(a) Thom. Aquin. part. 1. quaest. 23 Art. 5.  It is manifest that grace is an effect of predestination, and that cannot be put as a cause of predestination which is shut up under predestination: God would show his goodness on some whom he predestinated, in sparing them by way of mercy, and on those whom he reprobateth in punishing by way of justice, and this is the reason why he chooseth some and reprobateth others, but why he chooseth these unto glory and reprobateth those, there is no reason to be given but the will of God. Another speaketh thus, 
(b) Bradward. de causa dei lib. 1. cap. 39  There is no such cause either forbidding the will of God or causing it, by which an answer may be given, why he loved this man, or hated that man. Two or three more I shall add, than I have done with this. He concludes, out of St. Paul, 
(c) Gorran. in Rom. 9  That both Election and Reprobation depend on God's good-pleasure, saying therefore he hath mercy on whom he will, because he hath freely loved Jacob and rejected Esau, he hath mercy on whom he will by giving grace, and he hardeneth whom he will, not by imparting wickedness, but by not giving grace; whereupon St. Austin, as the Sun in departing far from the earth doth harden Ice not by imparting coldness, but by not giving heat. The next saith, I 
(d) Thom. Campensis de imit. Christ. lib. 2. cap. 63.  am he that made all Saints, I gave them grace, I bestowed glory, I knew all their good works, I prevented them in the blessings of my sweetness, I fore-knew my beloved before all ages: I elected them out of the world, and they did not pre-elect me; I called them by grace, I drew them by mercy, I led them through many temptations, I poured into them glorious consolations; I gave them perseverance, etc. I am to be blessed and honoured in them all, whom I have so highly glorified and predestinated without any foregoing good works of their own. The last is one whom some of our Adversaries do set a high value upon, his words are these, 
(e) Cassand. consult. art. 18.  The grace of predestination is so greatly commended in the word of God and Ecclesiastical writers, that those who are endued with faith in Christ and with good works springing from that faith, may not ascribe these things to themselves, but unto God and to the grace of his divine predestination and election, and so may glory in the Lord and not in themselves.  
Surely all these men were Calvinians, 
Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 24. ad 38. ad lib. 3.33. Hiliar. in Psal. 48. Pet diacon. de incarn. &. great. Christ. Gregr. mag. moral. in Job lib. 29. cap. 15. Beda in Rom. 9  and may be by a Metempsychosis he had the Soul of some of them transmitted into his body, if so, that of Austin was the likeliest, for both were great asserters of these truths; yet Dr. Taylor saith, Austin is the first that stirred the mud, if instead of Austin he had named Pelagius he had spoken the truth, but 'tis usual for the Wolf to say, the Lamb hath troubled the waters. However 'tis but an idle notion, but withal spiteful and malicious to give these Doctrines the name of Calvinism▪ But we have with us men of all Ages, and they very considerable: To the same purpose we could bring in others whom for brevity's sake we quote, in the Margin and if I went about to make use of more quotations on this point I should weary myself, and I am afraid, the Reader too: Besides that I make this the least part of my plea, but because I promised it I must perform and that in two parculars more I shall do, first about freewill, to show the judgement of ancient Doctors agreed with ours therein, the Second shall be about Perseverance.  
As to the first we begin with Cyprian, 
(a) Cyp. cap. de orat. domin.  When we pray that we do not enter into temptation, we are admonished of our own infirmity and weakness by this prayer, lest any man should insolently exalt himself; Lest any man should proudly attribute any thing to himself: 
Epist. 1.  And else where, it is God's, it is God's I say, all that we can do, thence we live and thence is our strength. Another saith, 
(b) Basil. de vita solitar. cap. 17.  We must take heed that whatsoever is well done of us, our soul doth ascribe the causes of our virtue unto the Lord, attributing nothing to our own power. A third one speaks enough to this purpose, but I shall mention only this, 
(c) Greg. Nyssen. de or●t. demin.  Because humane nature being seduced by subtlety, erred from the true judging of good, and inclined our will to the contrary, all mischief invaded the life of man, and brought it into the power thereof, etc. And again, man changed the freedom and power of himself and his own will, with the heavy and noisome slavery of sin. The next saith, 
(d) Ambros. in proaem. Lucae.  The will of man is prepared of God, and it is God's grace which causeth that God is worshipped of a Saint. It is added by another, 
(e) Hieron in 6. Joh. 44.  When Christ saith, no man can come unto me, he breaketh the proud freedom of will, which if it should go unto Christ, unless that be done which follows (except my heavenly Father draw him) it shall be in vain and strive in vain. St. Austin is copious upon this point, yet let this be sufficient: 
(a) August. Enchir. ad Laurent. cap. 30. de correp. & great. cap. 12.  Man abusing freewill, lost both it and himself, etc. And in another place, Their will is so much kindled with the holy ghost, that therefore they are able to work because they will; and therefore they will because God worketh that they will. And much more to that purpose, 
(b) Fulgent. de incarn. & great. cap. 19  When sin reigneth man hath freewill, but free without God, and therefore miserably and slavishly free, because not made free by the free gift of God's mercy, this the Apostle doth evidently insinuate, etc. Again, God worketh that we work, by whose working in us, all the good that we do, is wrought, of whom it is said to the Hebrews, let him make you perfect in every good works working in you that which is pleasing in his sight. Let us hear what Prosper saith, 
(c) Prosper de voc. gent. lib. 1. cap. 9  It is most fully declared that all things which belong to the obtaining of eternal life, without God's grace can neither be begun, increased, or perfected; and any election that boasteth of freewill, that sentence of the Apostle doth most invincibly withstand, when he saith who hath made thee to differ? But we must not omit the evidence of a whole Council: 
(d) Concil. Arausic. cap. 4.  If any man do affirm that our will doth seek God, that we may be purged from sin, and doth not confess that by the infusion of the holy ghost and his working in us, it is wrought that we should will to be purged, he resisteth the holy ghost, saying, by Solomon, The will is prepared of the Lord, and he resisteth the Apostle wholesomely teaching, It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his pleasure.  
God saith Gregory the Great, 
(e) Gregor. in Job. lib. 18. cap. 22.  Coming to an unworthy Soul, makes her worthy by coming to her; and worketh in her those works which he may reward, though he found nothing in her but that which he might punish. He is not alone of this opinion, 
(f) Isidor. sent. lib. 2. cap. 5.  The profiting of man is the gift of God. Neither can any man be amended of himself, but of the Lord, for man hath not any thing of himself that is good, whose way is not in his power as the Prophet witnesseth, I know Lord that the way of man is not his own. What Bernard saith is very well: 
(g) Bernar. de lib. arbit. & great.  they are not my words but the Apostles, who attributes all the good that may possibly be unto God and not to his own will; even to think, to will and to do, if then God worketh these three things in us (that is to think good, to will it, and to perform it) he worketh in us, the first indeed without us, the second with us, and the third by us, for by sending in a good thought, he preventeth us; by changing our wicked will, he joins it to him by consent, and by giving power to our consent: This inward worker showeth himself outwardly in our manifest work. A Great Schoolman speaks very well upon the matter. 
(a) P. Lombar. ex. Hug. de Sanct. Vict. lib. 2. dist. 25. grand lib. 2. dist. 26. A.  After sin and before the restoring of grace, the will is oppressed and overcome by concupiscence, and is weak in evil, and hath no grace in good; and therefore it can sin and it cannot choose but sin, and that damnably. Again, working grace is that which preventeth the good will, for by it the will of man is freed and prepared that it may be good, and that effectually it may will good: But co-operating grace followeth the will when it is good in helping it. This Point we conclude in Cassander's words. 
(b) Cassan. consult. art. 18.  By which grace there is not created a new will, neither is the will forced being unwilling; but the will being sick is healed, being depraved is rectified, and is changed from evil into good, and by an inward kind of motion is drawn that of unwilling it may become willing, and may freely consent to the divine calling; and afterwards the same grace co-operating it may obey the will of God, and by the same grace persevering in good works, may also through the same grace enter into the inheritance of the heavenly Kingdom; this Doctrine of grace and freewill, the sounder Schoolmen strongly defended against the Pelagians, amongst whom was Thomas Bradwarden, called in his time, the profound Doctor, who wrote an Excellent work, which is called A Sum against Pelagianism, etc. But I am almost tired out with these Quotations, whereof all the Authors are for freegrace against freewill, which is our Plea. They who have a mind to see more about it may do it out of the Quotations in the 
(c) Trenaeus lib. 3. cap. 19 Tacianus Assirius Orat. cont. gentes Chrysolog. Serm. 114. P●●. diacon. de incarn. & great. cap. 6. Anselm. in Rom. 8. Bradward. causa dei lib. 1. cap. 40.  Margin.  
Now we must come to the third thing, The perseverance of Saints, and certainty of Salvation, wherein we do agree with the Doctors of the Primitive Church. That 
(e) Trenae. lib. 5. cap. 9 & 10. & 11.  the Temple of God which is inhabited by the Spirit of the Father, and that the members of Christ should not be partakers of Salvation, how is it not a most great blasphemy, etc. 
(a) Cyprian. de m●r●. lit. & de ●rat. domin. nam. 6.  It is written, saith Cyprian, the just shall live by faith; if thou art just and livest by faith, if thou truly believest in God, why since thou art to live with Christ, and art sure of the Lords promise? Dost thou not rejoice that thou art called, by death unto Christ? And elsewhere, He that hath believed in his name, and is made the Son of God, from that time must begin, both to give thanks and to profess himself the Son of God. Another saith, He 
(b) Clemen●. Alex. paedag. lib. 1. cap. 6.  that believeth in the Son hath eternal life, if then we who have believed have eternal life, what remaineth beyond the possession of life eternal. Again, He saith thou art no more a Servant but a Son, if a Son, than also an Heir, through God; what then wanteth to a Son when he is an Heir? This certainty of Salvation worketh an assurance and comfort, which makes one say, 
(c) Hilar. de trin. lib. 1.  The soul knowing her own safety, resteth in quietness, rejoicing in her hopes, so much not fearing death, that she accounts it as the way to eternal life. Let us hear what saith another upon the matter: 
(d) Ambr. in 2 Cor. 1. & Serm. 15.  He hath sealed us, by giving his spirit to us for an earnest, that we may not doubt of his promises, for if when we were in the state of death he gave us his spirit, it is not to be doubted but that to us being made immortal, he will add glory. And in another place, He saith well I am confident, for confidence is the strength of our hope, and an authority of hoping: Therefore hope still, and no man can make thee ashamed of thy expectation. Our expectation is life eternal.  
As for Austin, he hath written at large upon this Subject in his Book, De Perseverantiâ Sanctorum, & De Correptione & Gratia: But here we shall only quote few words, 
(e) August. in Psal. 122. & 123.  For we are saved by hope; but because our hope is certain, it is so spoken of us, as if it were already done. Hereunto we do join what another saith, 
(f) Bernard. Epist. 107.  O man thou hast the justifying spirit for a teacher of this secret, and in the same witnessing to thy spirit that thou also art the Son of God. Take notice of the counsel of God in thy justification, for the present justification of thee, is both a revelation of God's counsel and a certain preparation unto future glory. The Doctor called profound, having argued and proved perseverance to be a free gift of God, concludes thus: For these and the like motives it seems more probable to me, and more to agree with reason and Catholic Doctrines, that perseverance is not given to merits, but is freely given of God according to his free grace, free-predestination and free-purpose, as the first working grace that justifieth a sinner. Lastly, to make an end of this, one having spoken of the Elect and Believer saith, 
(a) Ferus in 1. Joan. 5.  Satan cannot touch him: He may indeed dare to tempt the godly; so likewise he durst to tempt Christ. Yea, sometimes he drives just men unto a fall, as we see in David and Peter. But finally, as in Christ he could have nothing, so neither can he prevail over the Saints, for none can take Christ's sheep out of his hands, wherefore going to his passion, he recommended all that believed in him unto his Father. The words of others I omit to quote, only their 
(b) Basilus de Spiritu. Sancto. cap. 15. Prosper in Psal. 114. Cyrill. Alex. Comment. in Isa. lib. 3. & in Joan. lib. 9 cap. 44. Gregor. in Job lib. 11. cap. 20. & lib. 16. cap. 2. A●selm. in Rom. 8.  Names and places I set down in the Margin.  
I think I have done enough in this kind to prove that in the matters of grace, we have the Doctors of the Primitive Church with us, and others in some of the late Ages; and consequently Calvin is not the Author of such Doctrines, and that we brought no Innovation into the Church, which aspersion we may justly retort upon our Adversaries. And to show the more that conformity, we have with the ancient Catholic Church, I must say in short, how the very same aspersions by Arminians cast upon us, were by Pelagius and his followers laid to the charge of St. Austin and they are these. First, That they take away freewill and bring in a Stoical fatality. Secondly, That the make God the author of sin. Thirdly, They open a gap to despair and slothfulness. Fourthly, They take away all use of Precepts, Promises, Threaten; yea and Prayer itself. Fifthly, That they make God an Impostor, seeing he commands men to repent and believe, yet doth not seriously will their repentance and faith, nor their Salvation, unto which only faith and repentance can entitle them. Sixthly, That their whole opinions are against the stream of Antiquity. These were falsely fathered upon the Doctrine of Austin and other Orthodox Doctors of the Church, as easily I now can and upon occasion shall ever be ready to prove out of their own writings; but this I now omit, not to fill up so much Paper with Quotations, neither thinking it so material to know what those Fathers believed, as what the word of God which we have not been wanting to make use of, doth declare upon the matter. Nay, to go up higher, I have showed how it was against St. Paul's Doctrine objected, 
Rom. 9  and the Objections by him answered of making God unjust, and men excusable, out of the necessity of God's Decree; and as these were falsely fathered upon St. Paul's, afterwards on Austin's Doctrine: So with the very same, the truths we teach are aspersed by our Adversaries, who are men of the same Principles as the others were. Indeed 'tis very sad, that whilst a considerable Body of Papists followers of Jansenius Bishop of Ypres, joined with us in defence of those matters of grace, a Party of our own should make a desertion and join with Papists against us: And some of them with as much gall in the Heart and bitterness against us in Tongues and Pens, as if we were the greatest Unbelievers and Miscreants in the World; and all this for no other cause than our asserting of the truths plainly and fully, contained in God's Word.   

CHAP. XIV. Of the absurd and dangerous consequences necessarily arising out of their Doctrines.  
AFter they have done their worst against us; they must now give us leave to retort upon them, but on much better and truer grounds.  
First, Their Doctrine of Predestination doth quite overturn the Eternal and Unchangeable decree of God, about Election and Reprobation; for if every man may believe, repent and be saved if he will himself, than it unavoidably followeth that every man is left unto himself without the bounds of any decree set unto him; then there can be no eternal, immutable, positive decree binding either way, Election or Reprobation.  
Secondly, It makes the unconstant will of man the ground, of all God's Eternal and Unchangeable Decrees concerning man: Whereas God only 
(a) Ephes. 1.11.  works all things after the counsel of his own will, not according to the natural inclination of our will, whereby God is subordinated to man, and his will made to depend upon the will of man.  
Thirdly, This makes the Creature Absolute, Independent from the Sovereign disposing and overruling Providence of the Maker, and makes God a bare Spectator, not an orderer of humane Actions. Hereupon God must wait upon Men and not Men upon God, so God is deprived of all disposing Power and overruling the wills and works of men: His absolute Supremacy over them to save or not, will be abolished; thus men may save themselves when God will damn, and damn themselves when God would save: This is to constitute an absolute independent eternal Being in the wills of men pre-existent to the eternal will of God, both in Nature and Time, for if the foreknowledge and Decrees, do result from the will and inclinations of men, than man's inclination and will, doth necessitate and predetermine the most absolute and most free Decrees of God, and raiseth a self dependence, which is to make a god of the will of man.  
Fourthly, It takes away from God the Praise and freedom of his grace, for if every man may thus convert and save himself because according to them, those only are saved who take care to improve the general common grace derived equally upon all men; what thanks to God then for any special favour, man may thank himself not God who doth no farther save him than he saveth himself. This indeed destroyeth the nature of the grace of God, in that it doth indifferently communicate it to all. Hence Election, Vocation, Adoption, Justification, Sanctification, Faith, Conversion, Repentance, Charity are called graces, because bestowed upon few, and that without any merit of the person. Thus when a Prince bestoweth freely a Place, an Office, a Pension upon a man, it is grace and favour, because not bestowed upon all or upon some other man; farther this maketh Grace and Heaven a purchase of our own, and not a free gift of God, and makes it subordinate unto our will confining the receiving or rejecting of it to times and seasons of our own: When alas 
(a) John 3.8.  the spirit doth breath when and where it listeth, and subjecting it to several alterations at our pleasure, whereas it is perpetual and unchangeable in itself.  
Fifthly, It suspendeth the fruit and application of Christ's death, the effectual working of the spirit, the saving power of God's Ordinances, with the beginning and progress of Grace; so by these means, our whole Salvation is in our hands. It gives man liberty to make all inward and outward means of grace either void or effectual at his pleasure, which overthroweth the whole foundation of Scriptures, which attribute our whole Salvation to God alone, and giveth the lie to God's word, which saith, 
(a) Ephes. 2.1, 5.  we are dead in trespasses and sins, and so cannot exercise any functions of life; 
(b) Joh. 15.5.  That God hath quickened us, and not we ourselves; That without Christ we can do nothing, that is without his special grace: And 
(c) Philip. 2. 1●.  God worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure, and not according to our will and inclination. That it is 
(d) 1 Cor. 4.7.  God that makes us to differ one from another. And that we have nothing but what we did receive: That 
(e) 1 Cor. 15.10.  by the grace of God only we are what we are; and so many more places to the same purpose, which wholly overthrow universal sufficient grace.  
Sixthly, This puts mankind in as good if no better condition after fall than before; Adam had only a possibility not to fall, but not to rise after the fall; but we though naturally born in sin, may after this rate rise, if and when we please; he had a free will not to sin, yet he did sin, and was not born in sin, but we who are sinners from the Womb can save ourselves if we have a mind to it, if so, no hurt is happened to us by his fall: On the contrary we are put in a better condition than before, for thereby Election, Vocation, Conversion, Faith, Repentance, and every other saving grace are put in our power, that all these divine soulsaving graces do depend upon our corrupt wills, and contrary to Scripture are not the 
(f) Matth. 13.11. Rom. 5.15, 16, 17. & chap. 11.29.  gifts of God, and doth not this give men just occasion to boast and glory in themselves, whereby the chief end of grace is destroyed, which is to 
(g) Rom. 3.27.  take away boasting from men, and have 
(h) Ephes. 1.12, 14. Philip. 1.11.  all things to the praise of the glory of God. Another evil effect of these errors of theirs is, that they frustrate our Prayers and Thanks-givings and make trifles of them, for in vain we beg of another that which comes from us, and is in our own power; in vain we give thanks to another for that which we have, without him; so we need not thank God for any of his graces, seeing it is in our power to receive or reject them.  
In the next place this avoidable draws many inconveniencies with it. First of all, it brings in all manner of profaneness and licentiousness, for what needs a man to care how wickedly he liveth for the present if it be in his power to believe and repent when he will, is not this an encouragement for profane men to continue longer in sin? Secondly, These opinions are able to engage a man that hath no truth of grace in him, in any villainy and desperate attempt; he that wants true grace within to restrain him, will quickly run upon any evil act or course, upon this false presumption that he may presently of himself repent and be saved after all his sins. Thirdly, This encourageth men to delay and put off repentance, and for the present to neglect the means of grace and all Christian duties, for what is the chief ground of the common neglect both of means and works of grace? But this unhappy delusion, that they may undoubtedly be converted, repent and be saved when they have amind to it; thus this doctrine of freewill, universal sufficient grace openeth the door to all such profane and wicked licentiousness and security, as the hearts of men can admit.  
Farthermore, this makes all men equal, puts them in the same condition whether Elect or Reprobate, Heathen or Christians, Godly or Ungodly, since all of them may be saved or damned if they will, for thereby their Salvation is laid in their hand. Now what can be more derogatory to God's special grace and love, more uncomfortable to all good Christians, more acceptable to all licentious persons, more advantageous to Satan and pernicious to mankind, than to remove the bounds of God's all limiting and immutable decrees, and throw down the walls, hedges and partitions he hath made himself of his special love, and to lay them common unto all without distinction, and as much as in them lays, to ruin the order which God hath settled and thereby bring in a general confusion?  
Again, this takes away repentance and salvation itself, also the hopes and possibility of repentance, for if our conversion, grace and Salvation, depend upon our unsettled corrupt wills, who can be saved? If Adam in a state of Innocency could not preserve himself from falling, when he had power not to sin, how can we who since his fall, lay under a necessity of sinning, even in a regenerate state, by any sufficient universal grace or any power of our own, raise, convert, or save ourselves? St. Paul in whom the grace of God did abound, thought he could not do't: 
(a) Rom. 7.14, 15, 17, etc.  To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not: for the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not that I do. If our Salvation was in our own hands it should soon be lost and forfeited, but thanks be to God 'tis in sure hands: 
(b) John 10.28, 29.  My sheep shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Our saving graces cannot be lost, for they are 
(c) Acts 13.34.  the sure mercies of David. This also doth exclude Infants from Salvation, for they want knowledge to discern, and will for to desire it, because they know not what it meaneth.  
Moreover, this revives the old Pelagian Error, that a man may live and keep himself without sin, for if men have such an ability of will, of universal grace to convert themselves when they are in the state of nature, much more shall they in the state of grace, when they enjoy the help of God's spirit, keep themselves free from sin; if once through their strength men have mastered sin, much more may they totally suppress it being wounded; but Scripture teacheth there is no perfection to be attained to in this life, no perfect man in the world, 
(d) Jam. 3.2. & chap. 2.10.  for in many things we offend all, and though we should offend only in one, he who offendeth in one is guilty of all. The beloved disciple of Christ and in whom his grace aboundeth, saith, 
(e) 1 John 1.8.  If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Their opinions do cross one another, for to put in man's will to keep himself from sin if he willeth, doth not agree with their doctrine against perseverance, for 'tis to be supposed no man is willingly damned; the desire of well being is in the Creature, and to be against perseverance doth continually bring a servile fear upon men, and always keeps them under uncertainty as to their future state, contrary to that of St. Paul, 
(f) Rom. 8.15  Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear: Now saith another Apostle, 
(g) 1 John 4.18.  Fear hath torment, he that feareth is not made perfect in love, for perfect love casteth out fear.  
This also maketh grace of a larger extent than the decree of God's Election and the inward or outward means of grace; That is, the effect is more general than its cause, which is a very great absurdity, God hath not actually decreed to save, nor by a call to offer soulsaving means of grace to all men; for if it were so as they would have it, I see no reason but that all men should be converted and saved, because God's decrees and his words are always true, and never fall to ground for want of execution; but Scripture and Experience teach the contrary. Wherefore either we must admit an universal Election of all men to life, which necessarily implieth an universal Salvation of all Men, or else we must, disclaim a Chimaera of universal grace which may well be called a Monster in Divinity. Another ill consequence of this universal grace is, that it makes this pretended grace (which is not sufficient to Salvation, seeing it doth not produce it) Mother to true saving grace which is of a quite different nature; but such is the cause, such the effect. 
(a) Matth. 7.16.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Either this universal grace is saving grace which cannot be, for all men would be saved by it, or else it cannot be the Mother or Author of true saving grace, which so far differeth from it in kind or nature: We own there are God's common temporal favours, whereof Reprobates are made partakers, because living in the visible Society of the Elect, they thereby receive some outward benefits which in that respect may be called universal graces; but the question is about effectual and saving grace, such as inward calling, Conversion, Justification, Sanctification, Faith, Repentance, etc. which are peculiar to God's Elect and not extended to Heathen and other Infidels, who are no part nor members of the visible Church, much less of the universal Church which, promises and saving graces do only belong to; so that without the Pales of it, no true saving grace to be had: to the end that universal grace be sufficient it must contain other particular graces as Faith; if it be Faith it ceases to be universal, for it doth not belong to all, or else what our Saviour saith, 
(b) Luke 18.8.  when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith in the Earth? Were but a tale, if it be not faith it signifieth nothing, and will do no good; 'tis not sufficient, for 
(c) Heb. 11.6.  without faith it is impossible to please God.  
If this be a true universal grace, it must be a grace for every thing, or else 'tis not universal, it must unfold to us all the mysteries of God's proceeding's, specially those which relate to Salvation: as for us who do not believe it, when we inquire into things, the last reason that can be given us, is the will of God; no higher can be assigned, therewith we are satisfied and do acquiesce, we go no further, for thereby a stop is put to all our queries: But for them, that universal grace giveth an apparent cause even in men themselves, besides the absolute disposing will of God; namely the prevision of their Faith, their perseverance, their good use of grace received, their original and actual sins and final impenitency; why one man is predestinated to salvation not another? So it unveils to them those high and unsearchable mysteries of God's decrees which put St. Paul to a nonplus, or else he had not been strucken with such amazing admiration as made him cry out, 
(a) Rom. 11.33.  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding-out. Surely he wanted that universal grace, or else he would not have thought those judgements so incomprehensible, though I would have the Adversaries of the truth to know, that St. Paul wanted no grace, he had a sufficient grace, 
(b) 2 Cor. 12 9  My grace is sufficient unto thee: But that sufficient grace in Paul was for another end, it never went so far as Arminians pretends theirs doth; yet they must give us leave to think, he was inferior in grace to none of them, nor David who saith, 
(c) Psal. 36.6.  thy judgements are a great deep.  
I shown how Arminians have renewed several of Pelagius his Errors; but I did not fasten upon them his denying Original Sin, which I must now do. 
(d) Contra Tilen. pag. 388.  Corvinus one of their great men saith, that, with Arminius, orginal sin hath not the nature of sin or fault properly so called, and Arminius himself affirmeth that it is wrongfully said, 
(e) Pag. 174.  That original sin makes a man guilty of death. And one of our own, who is highly esteemed by his own Party in his Book Vnum Necessarium doth expressly deny original sin and the imputation thereof, and takes a great deal of pains to answer arguments drawn out of Scripture, and experimental reasons to prove it; and what he had written, he goes about to justify in his answer to the then Bishop of Rochester's Letter which he had written to show him his Error.  
Here and there I shown how about these matters Arminians do join with Papists and Pelagians against us: Now I say, they do so with Socinians; so no wonder if they have and still usher in Socinianism: For both Arminians and Socinians do affirm that the causes of predestination are not in God but in us: That he doth not predestinate to Salvation any certain or particular persons, and that predestination may be changed and frustrated; also that the●e is a freewill to good in us. And as to Providence, that God hath not determined contingencies, nor foreseen future contingents and such others as Arminians have borrowed from Socinians, as in the mistakes concerning the high point of justification, Christ's satisfaction, etc. Then they deny the knowledge and confession of the mystery of the Trinity to be absolutely necessary to Salvation, and that the Doctrine of the three persons of the Godhead, specially of Christ's being God from Eternity, are not a fundamental Article of our Faith, as affirmed in their Apolog. Vindic. & Respons. ad except. Leyd. nay in vindic. cap. 7. lib. 1. pag. 37, 38. With Socinians and some Anabaptists they falsely say that the Doctrine of the Trinity began in the time of the Council of Nice, and they are so good friends that in the same Apol. & Vindic. they affirm Socinians to be Pious, nay most Pious Men, whom all Protestants ought to take for example of Piety; wherefore no wonder if they say we ought to keep Communion with them; that is, Socinians: Some of them say the Father to be Essentiantem and the Son Essentiatum and subordinate to the Father. In few words that most of the Arminian Doctors do in the Article of the Trinity, which they make to be of no great moment go hand in hand with Socinians, hath clearly been made out by Vedclius, Part 2. Arcanorum Armin. and what I have here charged them with and other things too, I am able to make good out of their public writings, as the Apology, Vindic. and out of the works of their most approved eminent Authors, as Worstius, whom they would have had promoted to be Divinity Professor at Leyden after Arminius' death, Episcopius the chief manager of their Affairs in the Synod of Dort, Curcelaeus, etc.  
But all these and more too, ill consequences in matters of Doctrine, I now must conclude with the bad influence it hath upon life and conversation. It is too true as we find it by experience, that there are multitudes of wretches kept in their carnal security, by a persuasion that there is an universal grace offered unto all, by which they may repent and believe when they will; this makes them resolve to enjoy the pleasures of sin a little longer, and then they will receive and entertain grace, and so, easily get to Heaven, which is a great encouragement to all wickedness; but it suits with the nature and desire of wicked, presumptuous and profane sinners, who though they were not fully persuaded of it, yet for them 'tis a pretence to continue in sin. 'Tis said of one Thompson, a great propagator of Arminianism, that when he was in his fits of intemperance, if any one minded him of the wrath of God threatened against such courses, he would answer, I am a child of the devil to day, but I have freewill, and to morrow I will make myself a child of God. Jansenius hath made this general observation, that the Pelagians were generally lose in their lives which he taketh abundance of good Pains to prove; and I conceive it cannot be too much considered in this controversy, because Pelagius urged nothing more vehemently than this, that the extolling of the grace of God and lessening the liberty of man's will, is the readiest way to destroy all Piety. By those that for a considerable time have conversed amongst Papists, 'tis observed how the Jansenists are the best moral livers amongst them, of a much better life and conversation than the rest; so it cannot but be taken notice of that amongst us the greatest sticklers for Arminianism, even amongst some of the Clergy, are the proudest most vicious, Ambitious, Voluptuous, Drunkards, profane, livers of any, making little or no conscience to seek the glory of God, to feed their flocks, amongst which they seldom are resident, except in shearing time, for to feed they care not so much as to fleece the Flock, making not much conscience of performing Pastoral Duties, being more for wealth and preferment, than for the good of souls: If their Doctrine be good, why are their lives and actions so vicious? I speak for the generality, their practice contradicteth what they would have us to believe of their Doctrine; their bad lives they would shelter under the notion of a good Doctrine, the goodness of their Religion must be a cloak; but we with a good life would, as much as the frailty and corruption of our nature can permit, endeavour to credit the doctrine we profess, and because we will not run into the same excesses as others do, we presently are by them branded with the name of precise and morose Puritans. If they do well, they attribute it to themselves, to the right use they make of their freewill, to their own will and inclination: But if in us there be any thing better than in others, we wholly (as 'tis most due) attribute it to freegrace, the glory of all we return to God and not to any will of ours, for no good is done in or by us, but what comes from God's freegrace, to which, specially in matter of Salvation, we can never attribute too much, nor too little to our own strength: So that whilst their principles lead them to looseness and licentiousness, ours, or rather Gods in us, lead us to holiness and virtuous practices, and if through the corruption of our nature they do not as it should, we confess it ought so to be. Let them show us their faith by their works, for by the fruit we judge of the Tree. Now bad actions and a vitiout life do naturally and necessarily flow from their principles, and whilst, as I said before, 
(a) 2 Pet. 2.19.  they promise others liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption.  
Now if there be such an universal sufficient grace imparted to all men, whereby they may be saved if they will; why then from the Creation till now have not the effectual means of saving grace been imparted alike? which if so, than all or most had been saved; which not being it must proceed from a want either of will or of power; I cannot believe it is for want of a will, for though people, out of their own corruption, be willing enough to procrastinate repentance, and like Samson, be lulled a sleep in their Dalilah's bosom, yet when they hear or see the Philistines, 
(b) Judg. 16.19.  the approaches of death, dangerous sicknesses, heavy afflictions and terrors of Conscience are coming upon them, surely none are so prodigal of their own Souls, or so desirous of damnation, but would unfeignedly desire to be saved, 
(a) Numb. 23.1  let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his, was the desire of that wicked false Prophet, Balaam. And as Samson would have drawn up together all his forces, to have overcome his Enemies, he found his strength was gone; The Lord was departed from him. So those sinners who were lulled a sleep with those pretty fancies of a power to repent, believe and be saved, when it comes to the push, they find there is no such thing in them as they were made to believe. In Samson, his strength was gone, for once he had it; but that freewill and power which Arminians do brag of, no man ever had: Therefore at last they must be convinced how in man is no such a power whereby to be saved when he will.  
Now to sum up all in few words: Horrible absurdities follow on the Arminian opinions, some whereof they acknowledge, and others are bound on their back by unavoidable consequences: Namely that the fruit of Christ's death doth absolutely depend upon the accidental assent of man's freewill, that notwithstanding his death, it was possible and very contingent that all men had perished, That no soul had been free from Hell by his Blood; That God should never have had any Church at all; That now by virtue of his death, true grace is given to all; That all Pagans as well under the Law as the Gospel, who never heard of Scripture, are truly reconciled to God by the death of his Son; That all Infants, even of Heathens, who die before the years of discretion are saved by Christ; That in no man is any original sin, but every one when he is born is put in the state of Innocency; That Baptism is not necessary, for no sin is therein remitted, because there is none then to be remitted.   

CHAP. XV. How Arminianism is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England.  
WIth a sort of men, namely, those that are zealous, for the Religion of their Fathers, and true Sons of the Church of England, I make no doubt but that this will be a weighty and prevailing Argument, which for their sake and information before I have done, I hope by the grace of God to make good, and thereby to show the disingenuity and design of those who to impose upon several people, have the face to affirm Arminianism to be the Doctrine of the Church of England which is so contrary to truth.  
To understand this well, it must be explained what is meant by the Doctrine of the Church; 'tis not the opinions of some corrupt Members of the Church, whom that Mother disowns as spurious, because fallen from her Principles and having set up Errors of their own, which she never taught them, though they would father them upon her; she hath fed them with pure and sincere milk, which their own ill constitution hath turned into Poison. But what we call the true Doctrine of the Church is that which was received, believed and taught in the very beginning of the Reformation from errors and abuses of the Church of Rome, and without alteration by herself, lasted for above threescore years after, till a party here combined to bring in erroneous innovations of their own: In few words we call that the Doctrine of the Church of England, which concerning these controverted points is contained in the 39 Articles, in the Common Prayer Book, the Book of Homilies, and the Catechism of Edward the 6th. These are the general, public, and authentical Records and Evidences of the Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England; and we shall not want the Testimony of the most Eminent and famous Doctors thereof to prove what we say. So then we shall make it appear, how Arminiamsm is contrary to all this, I mean, in every one of these we shall find Testimonies against it.  
First of all, to begin with the Articles of Faith. We have the 17th. about Predestination in these Words. Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby before the Foundation of the World was laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us, to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ, and to bring them unto everlasting Salvation, etc. Let the whole be read with Attention, and what we have asserted about that Point will be found therein to be contained; as the eternity of God's Decree, everlasting Purpose, its immutability hath constantly decreed, etc. But because, if I should point at every Word confirming what I am about proving out of this Article, it would take up too much time. To do it more effectually, I shall make use of another Man's Pen, I mean of Mr. Thomas Rogers, a Man beyond exception in the Case, who was a Chaplain to Archbishop Bancroft. He hath written an Analysis upon all the 39 Articles which he doth dedicated to the Archbishop, and the Book is licenced and printed by Authority. The Doctrines contained in every Article, he reduces under several Heads and Propositions, which he proves out of Scripture; and these Propositions he, in his Epistle Dedicatory, affirmeth to be maintained by the Church of England; which, if it had not been true, he would not have had the Face to have said so in Print to the Primate of the whole Kingdom. To add a greater weight to what he writes, I must warn the Reader he was no Puritan, nor Friend to them, as it appeareth out of his Book, and so no Calvinist, to make use of their Words. He out of this 17th. Article draweth ten Propositions; the 1st. That there is a Predestination of Men unto everlasting Life. 2. Predestination hath been from everlasting: Here is the eternity. 3. They which are predestinated unto Salvation cannot perish: This is Perseverance, and against the Apostasy of Saints. 4. Not all Men, but certain, are predestinated to be saved: Here is a certain number of Chosen and Elect 5. In Christ Jesus, of the mere Will and purpose of God, some are elected, and not others, unto Salvation: Here are Election and Rebrobation, and no outward Motive in God but his mere Will and Purpose. In the 6th. and 7th. Propositions, he makes the outward Calling by the Word, and inward by the Holy Ghost, the Justification by Faith of those that are predestinate, their Sanctification by the Holy Ghost, and Glorification in the Life to come, to be infallible Effects of free Election. Take notice also, how in his Proofs of the first Proposition, he makes use of the Examples of Abel and Cain, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, as Examples of Election and Reprobation. And amongst those whom he condemns as Adversaries to this Truth (for of the Truth he asserts in every Proposition, he names those that are against it,) he expresses those that say, how some are appointed to be saved but none to be damned. And upon the 4th. Proposition he condemneth those who say, no certain Company be fore-destined unto eternal Condemnation. Upon his 5th. Proposition he condemneth of Impiety (that's his Word) those who say, that Man maketh himself eligible for the Kingdom of Heaven; those who say, that God beheld in every Man whether he would use his Grace well, and believe the Gospel or no, and as he saw a Man affected, so he did predestinate, choose, or refuse him. And those that say, that besides God's Will, there was in him some other Cause why he chose one, and cast off another. O Arminians! here by a true Son of the Church, according to the Doctrine of the Church, you are charged with Impiety for your Opinions. More of this is to be seen in the Book, which for Brevity's sake I omit. One Evidence more of a true Son of the Church, I shall make use of upon this point, which also proves our 13th. Chapter in the very Words: 
(a) Reply to Fisher, p. 275.  Although our Tenet concerning predestination, be no other than St. Austin and his Scholars maintained against the Pelagians, saith Dr. Francis White, Dean of Carlisle. As to Mr. Rogers' Book, something else I shall add, how therein in matter of Predestination he saith, as do all the Churches Militant and Reformed with a sweet consent testify and acknowledge. Then all such Churches agree against Arminians in these points.  
For  we must read the 10th. Article. The Condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural Strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasing and acceptable unto God, without the Grace of God preventing us, that we may have a good will and working with us, when we have that good will. This is plain enough as observed by Rogers, how Man cannot do any good Work before he be regenerated and converted: And he declares Adversaries to this Truth, all such as hold, that naturally there is freewill in us; and that Man hath freewill to perform spiritual and heavenly things. Again, that Men believe not, but of their own : That it is in a Man's  to believe, or not to believe, to obey or disobey the Gospel of Truth preached. This is the Doctrine we assert, in as plain and proper Words as can be expressed. And on his 3d. Proposition upon the same Article, he brings in the very same Texts we make use of for that purpose: As, 
(b) Acts 15. ●.  God purifieth man's heart; 
(c) Phil. 2.13.  works in us both the will and the deed; 
(d) Rom. 8. 2●.  the Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray for as we ought. 
(e) 1 Cor. 6.7.  Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, etc. All this against , and for God's free effectual Grace.  
As to the certainty of Salvation and for Perseverance, 'tis contained in the already-quoted 17th. Article, where 'tis said, God hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us, to bring those he hath chosen in Christ and by Christ to everlasting Salvotion. Whence it doth follow, that certainly and infallibly such shall be brought to Salvation, or else God could not execute that which he hath decreed to do, which is Blasphemy. Now the Adversaries are for Mutability and in constancy of Salvation, which certainly this Article doth cross; for it induceth a certain and constant Salvation, and a constant Decree of Election, constantly bringing to Salvation; which must be by way of Perseverance in the State of Grace: But they by inducing this Apostasy, and that Men, though elected, may have leave to fall from Salvation if they will, make an Election which followeth a Man upon condition of his fore-seen Perseverance, a strange Election that waits upon Man; to see whether he will give to himself a final Perseverance by his own ; an Election by which no Man is actually elected until he be no more, that is, after his death. In this Article the Church hath another way to teach the certainty of Salvation, which is, to go upon the same Grounds St. Paul doth, when he saith by Particulars to make the General sure. 
(f) Rom. 8.29.3.  Whom he did foreknow, them he also did predestinate to be made like to the Image of his Son. Whom he did predestinate, them he also called; whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. According to this Foundation in the said Article are these Words: Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose, by his Spirit working in due season, they through Grace obey the Calling: They be justified freely; they be made Sons of God by Adoption; they be made like unto the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ; they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's Mercy, they attain to everlasting Felicity. Here are also the Particulars by which that general bringing to Salvation is perfected: so that to join both together, it is but one and the same; and from first to last there is such an indissoluble Connexion, that he who is elected to eternal Life shall infallibly have it. Upon this certitude and assurance it is, that St. Paul concludes nothing can deprive us of eternal Life, because nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is the Ground of our Happiness. Wherefore he defieth any thing or person to do it, though Arminians undertake to accept of the Apostle's Challenge, not caring how they come within his Defiance: For they seem to answer, that there are many, or some things, that can separate us from the love of God in Christ; tho' after and before a long Enumeration, St. Paul concludes, In all things these we are more than conquerors: And Job will trust in God, 
John 13.15.  though he kill him. Now that which maketh us to Conquer is not our own , but it is God that loved us. In conformity to this, in the same Article it is said, The consideration of Election doth greatly establish in the Saints, and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ. And the same Interpreter upon the 17th. Article, in his 3d. Proposition, out of the Words constantly decreed, doth infer this; Wander then do they from the truth, which think that the very Elect, totally and finally, may fall from Grace and be damned, etc. I think this is very clear for us. And in the latter end of his 8th. Proposition, he condemneth those who call the Doctrine of Predestination a licentious Doctrine.  
As to the point of Justification, which is a Fundamental Article of our Religion, and much corrupted by Arminians; the xi. Article of the 39 saith, We are accounted Righteous before God, only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by Faith, and not for our own Works and Deservings. These last Words do reach Arminians as well as Papists; for free Will, Faith, Perseverance, right use and improvement of Means, do come under the Word Deservings. There is then nothing of Man; and Rogers, in the Proofs of his 1st. Proposition, explains it thus, By his only Righteousness we are justified. It expresses only Christ's Righteousness, and excludeth any thing else. But I must not be too long upon this. Out of what hath been said, I hope it doth appear, how of the 39 Articles, those which speak about these Matters, are clearly for us against Arminians.  
Now we must come to the Liturgy or Common-Prayer-Book, which now and then, and in several places, doth strike against those Errors, and for the Truth. And as the Church teaches us those Doctrines by Articles of Faith, so in the Liturgy she doth confirm it by Practice. But before I come to it, I must take notice of some Passages in the Catechism, which is also a public Record and Evidence of the Doctrine of the Church: Know this, that thou art not able to do these things of thyself, nor to walk in the Commandments of God, and to serve him without his special Grace. See also the Answer to the first Question about the Lord's Prayer, I desire, etc. Read the Answer to the 4th. Question, and by God's help so I will, etc.  
Now to come to Particulars out of the Prayer-Book. In one place we have thus: 
(a) Collect on Christ's Nativity.  Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy Children by Adoption and Grace, may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit. Those Benefits we receive as effects of Grace, not of our ; and our being renewed is by God's Holy Spirit, not by our Will: If it be by one, it is not by the other; because in Matters of Salvation, Grace and natural Strength are opposed. In another place. 
(b) Collect upon Ash-wednesday.  we beseech God to create and make in us new and contrite Hearts. Then we cannot have it of ourselves; and the Word to create, showeth it to be beyond the power of any Creature, it is the Work only of the Creator. Elsewhere we own, 
(c) Collect on 2d. Sunday in Lent.  to have no power of ourselves to help ourselves. If we have a  we have a Power. Again, 
(d) Collect on Monday and Tuesday in Easter week.  As by thy special Grace preventing us, thou dost put into our Minds good Desires, so by thy continual help, we may bring the same to good effect. This is plain and full against Arminians: If there be good Thoughts in our Mind, good Desires in our Heart, it is God alone that puts it therein: By what Motive, and upon what Account? Not for any thing in us, but by his Grace; nay, his special, not a common universal Grace, not for our Faith, Repentance, good Works, right use of Means, but by his special Grace, preventing Grace, before we can think and desire. But this is not all; for as the beginning is from God, as are Desires, so is the Progress; for we pray for his continual help, so also is the end, that we may bring the same good Thoughts and Desires to good effect: Without that help nothing doth, or can come to any good. We have more than this to show: 
(e) Collect on 4th. Sunday after Easter.  Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly Wills and Affections of sinful Men, grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou command-est, and desire that which thou dost promise. We are all sinful Men, even God's People: Our Wills and Affections are unruly; where then lays their Freedom? They are obstinate Slaves to their Passions, therefore called unruly: None but God can order them; nothing under a Divine Power can influence them to what is good; nay, in things that are natural to them, as to love, and to desire. Nothing seems more natural than Love and Desire, nothing more free; yet here we see our Wills cannot love that which God commands, or desire what he promises, except God makes them do it. Surely these are mortal Wounds to . Furthermore, we cannot so much as to think any good thing but by the Spirit of God: For St. Paul saith, of ourselves we cannot have a good Thought; so the Church which believeth his Doctrine, saith to God, 
(f) Collect on 5th. Sunday after Easter.  Grant to us, that by thy holy Inspiration, we may think those things that be good. This is of Grace, and not by Nature; therefore, 
(g) Collect on 1st. Sunday after Trinity.  we can do no good thing without thee; grant us the help of thy Grace, that we may please thee both in will and deed. God puts into our Hearts to do Duties and to perform them well: 
(h) Collect on 3d. Sunday after Trinity.  Thou hast given us a hearty desire to pray. We pray God to grant 
(i) Collect on Ascension day, and Collect on Annunciation day, in the Prayer in time of War and Tumult, amongst the Thanksgivings.  that we may in Heart and Mind ascend into the Heavens. Surely 'tis to deny those Prayers, if one denieth the effectual Power of God on the Will of Man. In another place, Almighty God, etc. whose power no Creature is able to resist, in Spirituals as in Temporals.  
But I must not much longer stand upon this, for the Stream runs strong that way: only few places more I shall quote; as that wherein we own 
(k) Collect on 4th. Sunday after Trinity.  God to be our Ruler and Guide, and beseech him to be so. In another we say, 
(l) Collect on 6th. Sunday after Trinity. and Collect on 7th. Sunday after Trinity.  Pour into our Hearts such Love towards thee. And we pray 
(m) Collect on 14th Sunday after Trinity.  for increase of Faith, Hope and Charity. And almost in every Collect we pray to God to rule our Hearts; and in one place to work upon and move our Wills, in these Words: 
(n) Collect on 25th. Sunday.  Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the Wills of thy People. They are not free, nay they are asleep and dead to every good thing, except thou be pleased to stir them up. The Question is about the Will, and here the Will is named. God may well rule the Heart; for 
(o) 2d. Collect on Good Friday.  by his Spirit the whole Body of the Church is governed. In the Church-Prayers we own he ruleth the Hearts of Kings: 
(p) 1st. and 2d. Collect on the Communnion.  Rule the Heart of thy Servant the King: The Hearts of Kings are in thy Rule and Governance, and thou dost dispose and turn them as it seemeth best to thy godly Wisdom: We humbly beseech thee to dispose and govern the Heart of thy Servant, our King, that in all his Thoughts, Words and Works, he may ever seek thy Honour and Glory. If Men have  and Power to do those things, as to purify themselves, why do we pray for them? 'Tis in vain for us to pray to God to do for us that which we can do ourselves. But if therein we want his Assistance, than we must need want that Power. I shall conclude with two or three places out of the Litany; where 'tis prayed for the King, That his Heart may be ruled in the Faith, Fear, and Love of God. In another place, That the Church may be called, and universally governed in the right way; and, That God would bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived. Here the Church doth plainly acknowledge the Efficacy of God's Grace on the Wills and Hearts of Men; for when we pray that God's Grace may work such Effects, 'tis owned such Effects to be the proper Works of God's Grace. One thing more I shall take notice of, and it is this: In a Prayer are these Words; We beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of Men, that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them. Hence we see, how Men cannot of themselves know God's Ways, but it is God that makes them known unto them; therefore we therein beseech God to do it: Which if it were not proper for God alone, the Prayer would be in vain. Hence we also learn the Sense of the Church, as to the signification of the word all used in Scripture, as it ought to be the Object of our Prayers, and then by a consequence apply it to those for whom Christ died, against an universal Redemption in their way; for in the Collect it is not said, for every single and individual Man, but for all sorts and conditions of Men.  
Now to proceed. We should bring something out of the Book of Homilies, and of the authorised Catechism of Edward the 6th. As to the first take notice of the following places out of the Edition quoted in the Margin. 
London, 1623. Part. 1. pag. 8. Ephes. 2.  St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our own Colours, calling us the Children of the Wrath of God when we were born: Saying also that we cannot think a good Thought of ourselves; much less can we we say or do well of ourselves, etc. And we be of ourselves of such Earth, 
Pag. 10.  as can bring forth nothing but Weeds, Nettles, Brambles, Briars, Cockle and Darnel; we have neither Faith, Charity, Hope, Patience, Chastity, nor any thing else that good is, but of God; and therefore these Virtues are called there, the Fruits of the Holy Ghost, and not the Fruits of Man.  
In another place: Of ourselves and by ourselves, we have no Goodness, 
part 1. p. 11. and Part 2. p. 181, 182, 183.  Help nor Salvation, but contrariwise Sin, Damnation, and Death everlasting— Our Salvation comes only by Christ: We are all become unclean, but are not able to cleanse ourselves, nor to make one another of us clean. We are by nature Children of God's Wrath, but we are not able to make ourselves the Children and Inheritors of God's Glory, etc. He is the God, who of his own Mercy saveth us, and setteth out his Charity and exceeding Love towards us, in that of his own voluntary Goodness, when we perished, he saved us, and provided an everlasting Kingdom for us: And all these Heavenly Treasures are given us, not for our Desert, Merit, or good Deeds, which of ourselves we have none, but of his mere Mercy freely. Doth not this wholly and only attribute our Salvation to the free Grace of God in Christ, and consequently excludeth any thing in or from us, to move God to be so gracious to us?  
As to the great point of our Justification before God, in the Sermon of the Salvation of Mankind by only Christ our Saviour from Sin and Death everlasting, are these Words: But our Justification doth come freely by the Mercy of God of so great and free Mercy, that whereas all the World was not able of themselves, to pay any part towards their Ransom, it pleased our heavenly Father of his infinite Mercy, without any our Deserts, to prepare for us the most precious Jewels of Christ's Body and Blood, etc. And further, to show there is nothing of ours, 
Part 2. p. 172.  it is said elsewhere, It is of the free Grace and Mercy of God, by the Mediation of the Blood of his Son Jesus Christ, without Merit or Deserving on our part; 
Part 2. p. 81, 82.  that our Sins are forgiven us; that we are reconciled and brought again into his Favour, and made Heirs of his Heavenly Kingdom. And as to the Certainty and Immutability of our Election, it is said in another place, Let us by such Virtues as aught to spring out of Faith, show our Election to be sure and stable, 
Part 1. p. 28.29.  etc. And elsewhere we read this: The holy Man, Simon, saith, 
Part 2. p. 152.  that Christ is set forth for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. As Christ Jesus is a fall to Reprobates, which yet perish through their own Defaults; so is his Word, yea the whole Book of God, a cause of Damnation unto them through their Incredulity, etc. Furthermore, Christ Jesus, the Prophets, the Apostles, 
Pag. 16.  and all the true Ministers of his Word, yea every jot and tittle in the Holy Scripture have been, is, and shall be for evermore the Savour of Life unto eternal Life, unto all those whose Hearts God hath purified by true Faith, etc. God of his mercy and special Favour towards them whom he hath appointed to everlasting Salvation, hath so offered his Grace especially, and they have received it so fruitfully, that altho' by reason of their sinful living outwardly, they seemed before to have been the Children of Wrath and Perdition; yet now the Spirit of God mightily working in them, unto the obedience to God's Will and Commandments; they declare by their outward Deeds and Life, in the showing of Mercy and Charity, which cannot come but of the Spirit of God, and his special Grace, that they are the undoubted Children of God, appointed to everlasting Life, etc.  
For a further confirmation of this, 'tis said, The reasonable and Godly, as they must certainly know and persuade themselves, 
Part 2. p. 172.  that all Goodness, all Bounty, all Mercy, all Benefits, all Forgiveness of Sins, and whatsoever can be named good and profitable, either for the Body or for the Soul, do come only of God's Mercy and mere Favour, and not of themselves. So, etc. p. 199. we have thus: It is the Holy Ghost, and no other thing, that doth quicken the Minds of Men, stirring up good and godly Motions in their Hearts, which are agreeable to the Will and Commandment of God; such as otherwise of their own crooked and perverse nature, they should never have— Man of his own Nature is carnal, corrupt, and naught, sinful and disobedient to God, without any spark of Goodness in him, without any virtuous or godly motion, only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds; as for the works of the spirit, the fruits of faith, charitable and good motions, if he have any at all in him, they proceed only of the holy ghost, who is the only worker of our sanctification, and maketh us new men in Jesus Christ. And page 219. his power and wisdom compel us to take him for God Omnipotent, having all thing in his subjection, and will have none in Council with him, nor any to ask the reason of his doing, for he may do what liketh him, and none can resist him, for he worketh all things in his secret judgement, to his own pleasure, yea even the wicked to damnation, saith Solomon .... David would make answer for all, know ye, for surely even the Lord is God, he hath made us and not we ourselves .... Not to us, O Lord! not to us, but to thy name give all the thanks, for thy loving mercy .... Verily the holy prophet Esay beareth record, and saith, O Lord, it is then of thy goodness that hath wrought all our works in us, not we ourselves .... St. Paul bringeth in his belief, We be not, saith he, sufficient of ourselves as of ourselves once to think any thing; but all our ableness is of God's goodness, for he it is in whom we have all our being, our living and moving. And pag. 228. It is he that preventeth our will and disposeth us thereunto: That is, as said before, Faith, Charity, and Repentance. And p. 229. For without his secret and lively inspiration, can we not once so much as speak the name of our mediator ... It is he that purgeth and purifieth the mind by his secret working .... He lighteneth the heart, etc. And p. 263. We must beware and take heed, that we do in no wise think in our hearts, imagine or believe that we are able to repent aright, or to turn effectually unto the Lord by our own strength ... For this cause although Jeremiah had said before, If thou return, O Israel, return unto me; yet afterwards he saith, Turn thou me, O Lord and I shall be turned, etc.  
Why should I longer insist upon this which is so full and so clear; let those that have a mind to know more of it read the First and Second Parts of the Homilies of the misery of Man, with the Homilies of Christ's Nativity, Passion, and Resurrection. The first on Whitsunday, the First, Second and Third part of that on Rogation-week; and the First part of that of Repentance. And as to the points of our Election, Vocation, Justification, Sanctification and Salvation, besides the foresaid, let them read the First, Second and Third parts of the Homilies of Salvation and Faith. And out of all they shall find that there is an eternal and immutable predestination of certain Men unto eternal Life out of mere grace and free-mercy; and a passing by or reprobation of others to eternal Death out of God's mere pleasure. That there is no freewill or sufficient grace communicated unto all men, whereby they may convert and save themselves if they will; on the contrary that Man without the special help of God's spirit, and grace is so weak that he can neither think any thing that is good, nor prepare his heart to seek for grace. That Christ died intentionally and effectually for none but the Elect, that God's grace and spirit do always work effectually in the hearts of the Elect in the act of their Conversion, which they can never totally nor finally resist; and that the same Elect do never, nor can wholly and finally fall from the state of grace. In these Homilies which for the most part were compiled by the learned Martyr Cranmer, doth appear the spirit of our first Reformers to have been wholly for freegrace against freewill, or any thing of merit or strength in man.  
Another Authentic proof, of the Doctrine of the Church against Arminianism is taken out of a short Catechism published in the time of good King Edward 6th. It was Composed by John Ponet Bishop of Winchester, and before its publication was presented to the King, who committed the perusal thereof to some Bishops and other learned men, who assured his Majesty it agreed with Scripture and the Statutes of the Kingdom, whereupon by his special command it was not only Printed in Latin and English, in the Year 1553, The next after the first publishing of the 39 Articles: So that we may well look upon it as a perfect Comment on them, but he also prefixed his own Epistle, wherein he did command all Schoolmasters within the Kingdom, carefully and diligently to teach it in all their Schools: There in one of the Scholars answers to the Master, 'tis said, But as many as are in the faith steadfast were fore-chosen, predestinate and appointed to everlasting life before the world was made. And in another thus; The first, principal and most proper cause of our Justification and Salvation, is the goodness and love of God whereby he chose us for his before he made the world, after that he granted us to be called by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, when the spirit of the Lord is poured into us by whose guidance and governance we be led to settle our trust in God ... From the same spirit also cometh our sanctification, the love of God and our Neighbour, justice and uprightness of life, finally, whatsoever is in us or may be done of us honest, pure, true and good, that altogether springeth out of this most pleasant Rock, from this most plentiful fountain the goodness, love, choice and unchangeable purpose of God, he is the cause, the rest are the fruits and effects .... It is meant thereby that faith or rather trust alone, doth lay hand upon, understand and perceive our righteous making to be given us of God freely: That is to say, by no desert of our own, but by the free grace of the Almighty Father .... For not by the worthiness of our deservings were we either heretofore chosen or long ago saved; but by the only mercy of God and pure grace of Christ our Lord, whereby we were in him made to do these good works, that God hath appointed for us to walk in ... And fol. 68 Immortality and blessed life, God hath provided for his chosen, before the foundation of the world was laid.  
To what hath been said, out of fol. 7, 8, 12. I shall add few words more. The image of God in man by original sin and evil custom was so obscured, that man himself could not sufficiently understand the difference between good and bad, between just and unjust, etc. And from these and other actions of Christ two benefits do accrue unto us, one that whatsoever he did, he did it all for our profit; so that they are as much ours if so be we cleave fast to them with a firm and lively faith, as if we ourselves had done them ....  
Out of all this I made it appear Arminian Tenets to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Church, and upon occasion I shall be ready to make enlargements not only out of all the same Springs and Authentic Records; but out of others too, which now for brevity's sake I do not mention, tho' they be considerable; however before I make an end of this point, I must not omit taking notice of the Catechism of Predestination or some certain Questions and Answers about that matter in opposition to Arminianism, and as a preservative against it when here it began to appear in the Year 1607, they were Licenced by Authority, and Printed by Robert Barker, which then were bound up and sold with the Bibles. I shall take notice only of three or four things in it, The answer to the question, What is the reason why men do so much vary in matters of religion? Is this, Because they only believe the Gospel and Doctrine of Christ, which are ordained unto eternal life. And to the next question, Are not all ordained to eternal life? The Answer is, Some are vessels of wrath, ordained unto destruction, as others are vessels of mercy prepared to glory. And to the question, How standeth it with God's justice that some are appointed to damnation? The Answer is, Very well, because all men have in themselves sin which deserveth no less, and therefore the mercy of God is wonderful, in that he vouchsafed to save some of that sinful race, and to bring them to the knowledge of the truth. And to the following question, If God's ordinance and determination must of necessity take effect, then what need any man to care? For he that liveth well must needs be damned if he be thereunto ordained. And he that liveth ill, must needs be saved if he be thereunto appointed. The answer is this, Not so, for it is not possible that either the Elect should always be without care to do well, or that the Reprobate should have any will thereunto, for to have either good will, or good work is a testimony of the spirit of God, which is given to the Elect only; whereby faith is so wrought in them, that being grafted in Christ, they grow in holiness, to that glory whereunto they are appointed, etc. And as to another question, Cannot such perish, as at some time or other feel these, spiritual motions within themselves? 'Tis answered, It is not possible that they should, for as God's purpose is not changeable, so he repenteth not of the gifts and graces of his adoption: neither doth he cast off those whom he hath once received. If we had had the penning of these words, we could not have set them down otherwise than they are.  
Hence appeareth the sweet and perfect harmony between these public Records of the Faith and Religion of the Church of England; let those that have a mind to look farther there into among the 39 Articles, to peruse the 9th. about Original Sin, the 11th. of the Justification of Man, and the 18th. of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the name of Christ: With Mr. Roger's Exposition upon every one of them, specially the 17th. about Predestination.  
I hope we hitherto have out of Public and Authentic Records, sufficiently demonstrated Arminianism to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Church: We ought to take notice how these 39 Articles, Common-Prayer-Book, etc. were compiled before Arminius and his errors were heard of here, for I make no doubt but if they had been spread before, we should have had other things more directly and positive against them: for certainly the spirit of the first Reformers was altogether for freegrace against freewill; wherefore to prosecute my Argument I now must show how strongly and generally Arminianism was opposed here when it first appeared: Which can more and more confirm it to be against the Doctrine of the Church. But this affordeth matter enough for another Chapter.   

CHAP. XVI. How Arminianism did meet with a strong and general opposition here, when it began to appear.  
HEre the sparkles of that unhappy Fire, did at first (except once which I shall have occasion to mention) break out in Cambridge, where one Doctor Baroe a Divinity Professor, and one Barret in a Sermon of his, having published some Arminian Tenets, a speedy course was taken to suppress it; for the Vicechancellor and Heads of the University-Colleges met together, and declared those opinions to be Innovations and contrary to the Doctrine of the Church professed in that University. Whereupon they sent up Doctor Whitaker and Tindal, two Members of their own, to Archbishop Whitgift, who forthwith called to him several learned and worthy Divines, amongst whom were the then Bishop of London, the Elect Bishop of Bangor, and others in and about the City, and upon due Examination and Debate upon the matter, on the 20th of November 1595, drew up unanimously the 9 Articles, called the Lambeth Articles, wherein they also had the concurrence of the Archbishop of York, and of several Divines of that Province; which Articles are a sentence passed against Arminianism, as the fit and proper remedy for the Disease; the Antidote was specifical, and composed against the Poison, which because they are few, short and altogether to our purpose, I shall here set down in English as they were in Latin.  
I. God from Eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life, certain men he hath reprobated to death.  
II. The moving or sufficient cause of predestination unto life, is not the foresight of Faith, or of Perseverance, or of Good works, or of any thing that is in the persons predestinated; but only the good will and pleasure of God.  
III. There is a predetermined and certain number of the predestinate, which can never be augmented nor diminished.  
iv Those who are not predestinated to Salvation, shall necessarily be damned for their sins.  
V A true living and justifying Faith, and the spirit of God justifying, is not extinguished, it falleth not away, or vanisheth not away in the Elect, either finally or totally.  
VI A Man truly faithful; that is, such a one, who is endued with a justifying Faith, is certain of the full assurance of Faith; of the remission of his sins, and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ.  
VII. Saving grace is not given, is not communicated, is not granted to all men, by which they may be saved, if they will.  
VIII. No Man can come unto Christ unless it shall be given him, and unless the Father shall draw him: And all Men are not drawn by the Father, that they may come to the Son.  
IX. It is not in the will or power of any Man to be saved.  
These Articles upon serious debate and mature deliberation, having been agreed on by the persons before named very Eminent and Considerable Men, were afterwards sent to the University of Cambridge by their Deputies, where they were received with the unanimous approbation of the whole University, with such success, that of the two Arminians, Baroe not long after left the University and went away, and Barret was forced solemnly to recant, which recantation was Registered. Thus a full stop was put to those Innovations; and since that time till Laud's Faction got the upperhand, this and no other contrary Doctrine was taught there as being the true Orthodox according to Scriptures and the Church of England's; but since that time, the Party have done what they could to suppress and discredit it. Yet though sometimes truth be driven into corners, we doubt not but at last it will prevail notwithstanding the opposition of Men and Devils, as it happened in the case of Arrianism. An Heresy against the person of Christ, as Arminianism is against his grace: though to our great grief we see Arrianism revived in Socinianism, as Pelagianism is in Arminianism.  
But we must go on in our design: In these 9 Articles we see the true Sense and Doctrine of the Church explained by those that by their office and learning are the fittest Interpreters thereof, so we may conclude that to be at that time the Doctrine of the Church which we have asserted. But we have farther proofs, which to bring in I must skip over some passages, but with an intent to make use of them in due place; the reason I have to do so, is because what I am going upon, carries along with it the stamp of Public Authority and Influence, I mean the confession of Faith and Articles of the general Convocation of Ireland held in Dublin 1605; That is 20 years after the Articles of Lambeth. By the grace of God I shall here set down those Articles of that Convocation which are to our present purpose, and so shall begin with the Eleventh.  
XI. God from all eternity did by his unchangaeble Counsel, ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass, yet so as no violence is offered to the wills of the reasonable Creatures; and neither the liberty nor the contingency of the second causes is taken away, but rather established.  
XII. By the same eternal Counsel, God hath predestinated some unto life, and reprobated some unto death, of both which there is a certain number known only to God, which can neither be increased nor diminished.  
XIII. Predestination unto life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid, he hath constantly decreed in his secret Council, to deliver from Curse and Condemnation, those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting Salvation as vessels made to honour.  
XIV. The cause moving God to predestinate unto life, is not the foreseeing of Faith, or Perseverance, or of good works, or of any thing which is in the person predestinated; but only the good pleasure of God himself, for all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory, and his glory being to appear both in the works of his Mercy and his Justice: It seemed good to his heavenly wisdom, to choose out a certain number, towards whom he would extend his undeserved mercy, leaving the rest to be spectacles of his Justice.  
XV. Such as are predestinated unto life he called according unto God's purpose (his spirit working in due season and through grace they obey the calling, they be justified freely, they be made Sons of God by adoption; they be made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ; they walk religiously in good works, and at length by God's mercy they attain to everlasting felicity: But such as are not predestinated to Salvation, shall finally be condemned for their sins.  
XXV. The condition of Man after the fall of Adam, is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God, wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable unto God, without the grace of God preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will.  
XXXII. None can come unto Christ unless it be given unto him, and unless the Father draw him, and all men are not so drawn by the Father, that they may come to the Son: Neither is there such a sufficient measure of grace vouchsafed unto every Man, whereby he is enabled to come to everlasting life.  
XXXIII. All God's Elect are in their time inseparably united unto Christ, by the effectual and vital influence of the holy Ghost derived from him, as from the head unto every true member of his mystical Body; and being thus made one with Christ, they are regenerated and made partakers of him and of all his benefits.  
XXXVII. By justfying Faith we understand not only the common belief of the Articles of Christian Religion, and a persuasion of the truth of God's word in general. But also a particular application of the promises of the Gospel to the comfort of our own souls; whereby we lay hold on Christ with all his benefits, having an earnest trust and confidence in God, that he will be merciful to us for his Son's sake; so that a true believer may be certain by the assurance of Faith, of the forgiveness of his sins. and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ.  
XXXVIII. A true, lively, justifying Faith, and the sanctifying spirit of God is not extinguished, nor vanisheth away in the regenerate, either totally or finally.  
The members that composed the Convocation which passed these Articles, were for the most part English Divines of great learning, who had made their studies in our Universities, true members of the Church; so that 'tis the same as if they had been agreed here, and the Lambeth Articles were inserted; withal we look upon the Church of England and Ireland to be but one and the same. The famous and for Piety and Learning eminent James Usher, afterwards Primate of that Kingdom, was present at the Convocation and had a hand in penning the Articles which were approved of by King James, Licenced and published here by Authority. Our 39 Articles agreed upon in the Reign of Edward the VI by the Convocation in 1552, several years before Arminianism was broached and appeared abroad, could not be so plain and so full against it as are those of Lambeth and of Dublin: For then the evil being broken out, a fit and proper remedy was applied against it. Hence it is that in both we see those Errors so clearly and fully condemned, that if we had been the Penmen thereof, we could not have drawn them otherwise than they are.  
I must now return to my more ancient proofs, but not generally public as this last, the first that broke the Ice, as far as I have read, upon these matters was one Samuel Harsnet, who upon the 27th of October 1584., having at Paul's Cross preached a Sermon concerning those points, his Sermon was censured and condemned, and he at last declared his sorrow for it. The ground of the complaint was that he had preached contrary to Truth and to the Doctrine of the Church. About this time something having appeared abroad to favour those Errors; amongst others one Veron did well handle the points in a Book called A Fruitful Treatise of Predestination, with the Apology for the same, against those who appeared in Cambridge, and he Dedicated it to the Queen, and it was received with approbation and applause: But why should I stand upon naming of persons? Seeing all our first Reformers sufficiently expressed their judgement in the 39 Articles, the Common-Prayer-Book and Homilies, which they compiled: So we must name Bishop Cranmer, Latimer, Hooper, Jewel, Ridley, Grindal, and Martyr, Bucer (who though Foreigners were Divinity Professors, one at Oxford, the other at Cambridge, and were made use of in the work of Reformation) Tyndal, Friths, Barns, etc. and since that time Edwin Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Chichester in 1576, John Bridges, Bishop of Oxford, Babington Bishop of Worcester, the forenamed Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury, and Hutton of York. The Bishops of London, of Bangor, Dr. Will. Whitaker, and since that time Perkins, not excepting Mr. Hooker, and who not? Which it were too long to number, we can bring a List of 300 English, Scotch or Irish, yet most English, or thereabouts, with whom in the controverted points agreed all the Considerable and Eminent Instruments of Reformation as others beyond the Seas, Zuinglius, Luther, Calvin, Beza, Bullinger, Zanchius, Piscator, Chamierus, Paraeus, Vrsinus, Junius, Molinaeus, Rivetus, Gomarus, Scultetus, Macovius, etc.  
But we must not go abroad, we have enough at home to carry on the argument, which I shall reduce within the time of King James' Reign, and maybe go little after: Every one may know he was a learned Prince, and a true England Churchman, during his life the Arminian Sect durst not appear here at least publicly: For a Sermon in the year 1616 having been preached at Royston before the King, concerning points of Arminianism, a recantation was imposed upon Mr. Sympson, who had preached it, and he recanted; and about six years after at Oxford, one Mr. Gabriel Bridges having in the University Church preached a Sermon against the absolute Decree of Predestination, he was accused for preaching contrary to Truth, and to the Articles of Religion established in the Kingdom, and was ordered to maintain in the Schools the contrary of what he had preached in the Pulpit, which he did.  
Now we will come to a Royal Evidence, and that is King James in his own writings; at the conference at Hampton-Court about predestination, he delared against the Arminian opinion, and was approved and applauded by all present: He said how Predestination and Election depend not upon any qualities actions or works of Man, which are mutable, but upon God's Eternal and Immutable Decree and Purpose: And before we leave off, we shall by the grace of God show his judgement about Arminius and his Errors. First he calls Arminius a seditious and Heretical Preacher; an Enemy of God; the first in our age that infected Leyden with Heresy, a man whom all the Reformed Churches of Germany had with open mouth complained of. An●n we shall see what he saith of his Followers. But let us see something of what he writes against his and their opinions.  
As to Predestination he expresseth thus much: 
(a) Meditation the Lord's Prayer.  God hath two wills, a revealed will towards us, and that will is here understood; he hath also a secret will in his eternal Counsel, whereby all things are governed, and in the end, made over to turn to his glory: oftentimes drawing good effects out of bad causes, and light out of darkness, to the fullfilling either of his mercy or his justice, etc. The first Article of the Apostles Creed teacheth us that God is Almighty, however Vorstius and the Arminians think to rob him of his eternal Decree and secret Will, making things to be done in this world whether he will or not. And in his Declaration against Worstius, he saith, 
(b) Protestatio Antivorstiana.  We do not doubt but that their Ambassadors, of Holland, which were with us about two years since, did inform them of a forewarning, that we wished the said Ambassadors to make unto them in our name, to beware in time of Seditious and Heretical Preachers, and not to suffer any such to creep into their State. Our principal meaning was of Arminius, who though himself were lately dead, yet had he left too many of his disciples behind him, which he mentioneth in what he addeth. We had well hoped, that the corrup seed which that Enemy of God, Arminius, did sow amongst you some few years since, (whose disciples and followers are yet too bold and frequent within your Dominions) had given you a sufficient warning afterwards to take heed of such infected persons; seeing your own Countrymen already divided into factions upon this occasion, a matter so opposite to unity (which is indeed the only prop and safety of your State next under God) as of necessity, it must by little and little bring you to utter ruin, if wisely you do not provide against in; and that in time.  
As to the point of free will and effectual grace, he expresseth his mind thus: The only way for enabling us for to do it, 
Meditation on the Lord's Prayer.  (namely the will of God) is by our earnest prayer to God, that he will enable us to do it, according to that of St. Austin da domine quod jubes, & jube quod vis. And upon the petition against temptation, and lead us not into temptation, the Arminians, cannot but mistake the frame of this petition, for I am sure they would have it, and suffer us not to be led into temptation, etc. St. Austin is the best decider of this question, to whom I refer myself. And indeed he quoteth in the Margin of his Books de Praedesi inatione Sanctorum, and de Dono Perseverantiae, contra Pelagianos & passimalibi, this is a proof of what I asserted in another Chapter, how our doctrine about these points is the same with that Doctors of the Church. In the same Book of his Meditation on the Lord's Prayer, that King says, It is enough for us to know that Adam by his fall lost his freewill, both to himself and all his posterity, so as the best of us all, hath not one good thought in him, except it come from God, who draws by his effectual grace out of that tainted and corrupt lump, whom he pleaseth, for the work of his mercy. And elsewhere he declareth thus. 
(a) Protest. Antivorst.  The nature of man, through the transgression of our first parents, hath lost freewill, and retaineth not now any shadow thereof, saving an inclination to evil, those only excepted whom God of his mere grace, hath sanctified and purged from this original leprosy.  
For certainty of salvation and perseverance against the Apostasy and falling away of true Believers, his mind he declareth thus. 
(b) Protest. Antivorst.  About the same time one Bertius a Scholar of the late Arminius, (who was the first in our age that infected Leyden with Heresy) was so impudent as to send a letter unto the Archbishop of Canterbury, with a Book entitled de Apostasia Sanctorum; And not thinking it enough to own the sending of such a Book (the Tittle whereof only were enough to make it worthy to be burnt) he was moreover so shameless as to maintain in his Letter to the Archbishop, that his Doctrine contained in his Book, 
(c) Our Arminians are this man's Disciples.  agreed with the Doctrine of the Church of England. Let the Church of Christ then judge whether it was not high time for us to be stir ourselves? when as this gangrene had not only taken hold amongst our near neighbours, so as non solum paries proximus jam ardebat; not only the next house was on fire, but it also did begin to creep into the bowels of our own Kingdom. O the care care of a Prince, Nursing-father to the Church, never enough to be commended, would to God the like was now taken to oppose Socinianism as was then to prevent the coming in of Arminianism. But that Prince goes on thus: It is true that it was our unhappiness not to hear of this Arminius, before he was dead, and that all the reformed Churches of Germany, 
See how all Protestant Churches opposed Arminianism.  had with open mouth complained of him: but as soon as we heard of that distraction in your State, which after his death he left behind him, we did not fail taking the opportunity (when your last Extraordinaray. Ambassadors were here with us) to use some such speeches unto them concerning this matter, as we thought fittest for the good of your state, and which we doubt not but they have faithfully reported unto you, for what need we make any question of the arrogancy of these Heretics, or rather Atheistical Sectaries amongst you, when one of them at this present remaining in your Town of Leyden, hath not only presumed to publish of late a blasphemous book of the Apostasy of Saints, but hath besides been so impudent as to send the other day, a Copy thereof as a godly present to our Archbishop of Canterbury, together with a Letter wherein he is not ashamed (as also in his Book) to lie so grossly as to avow that his heresies contained in the same Book do agree with the Religion and Profession of the Church of England. For these reasons therefore have we cause enough very hearty to request you to root out with speed, those Heresies and Schisms, which are beginning to bud forth amongst you, which if you suffer to go on any longer, you cannot expect any other issue thereof than the curse of God, infamy throughout all Reformed Churches, a perpetual rent and distraction in the whole Body of your State. And all this was his Majesty's special order, backed with the earnest and frequent solicitations of his Ambassador in Holland, where they have been since so sensible of the spirit of that Party, that though they have given them an indulgence, yet are not admitted to have a hand in the Government.  
Hence it clearly appeareth how earnest that Prince was to have Arminianism suppressed, and what opinion that wise and learned King who had studied the points, had of their Errors which he calleth Heresies and Schisms, and them Heretics and Atheistical Sectaries, specially upon the occasion of Bertius his Book, the title whereof he saith makes it deserves to be burnt; he calls it a blasphemous book, and by his Ambassador saith to the States, not to suffer the followers of Arminius to make their actions an example for them to proclaim to the world that wicked doctrine of the Apostasy of Saints.  
And as herein we see that King's opinion about Arminian Tenets, so by him we are informed how false it is to say that they agree with the Doctrine of the Church of England, which after him, we may speak to the Arminians, that to say Arminian Heresies agree with the Doctrine of our Church is a gross and impudent lie, and that King knew very well what is the Doctrine of the Church of England; and a third thing we learn hence is, the dangers that arise from this kind of Doctrine, in three particulars. First, The Curse of God. Secondly, Infamy throughout all Reformed Churches. Thirdly, A perpetual rent and distraction in the whole body of the State, where it is tolerated, for Arminius left behind him a great distraction in the state, out of which considerations we see that King took a good resolution; when he saith, it was high time to bestir ourselves, when as this Gangrene had not only taken hold on our nearest neighbours, but did also begin to creep into the Bowels of our own Kingdom. Arminian Opinions he compareth to a Gangrene, but he is not satisfied to take good Counsel himself, but he also gives it to the Hollanders; therefore for these respects, saith he, we have cause enough very hearty to request you to root out with speed these Heresies and Schisms which are beginning to bud forth amongst you. We must not omit giving the King the due commendation he deserveth for the pains he took to write against Worstius.  
After all this, let Arminians for shame leave off the Plea that their Errors are the Doctrine of our Church, which is as true and no more than when Papists do pretend their Religion to be the true Apostolical Faith, even in those Articles that are so contrary to it; but farther to show how persuaded King James was of the mischief of those unsound opinions, he was very active in suppressing them, to prevent those evil consequences that might happen thereby, and this not only at home but also abroad, upon this account he did write to the States general, and ordered his Ambassador there to be instant and to follow the business close; and we may say, the meeting of the general Synod of Dort, is in a high degree, due to the King's earnest solicitations: So to encourage and countenance it, he sent thither Divines from hence, whereof Dr. Field, Bishop of Landaff was the chief, Dr. Davenant afterwards Bishop of Salisbury, Dr Hall was there at first, but upon account of indisposition of health he came back, Dr. Ward, Dr. Goad and balcanqual instead of Dr. Hall, in all they were five who signed the Acts of the Synod, of Condemnation of Arminianism.  
We have more witnesses to bring in, if we would, but we want them not, though they be men of note, but what need bringing in particular men after the whole body have declared against our and the truth's Adversaries: We might bring in 
(a) Exposition on the Creed.  Dr. Babington Bishop of Worcester, 
(b) Certainty of Salvation against Dr. Bishop.  Dr. Abbot Bishop of Salisbury, 
(c) Answer to the Rhemish Testam. on Rom. 8.  Dr. Fulke, 
(d) Of the Church lib. 1. cap. 3. and cap. 17. and in his Digres. 41 and 43.  Dr. Field, 
(e) Reply to Fisher.  Dr. White, 
(f) Descript. & Eccles. Thes. ●.  Dr. Reynolds, though some may happen to except against him, yet what he saith in the quoted place is approved by the forenamed Dean of Carlisle, Dr. White. Nay in this case we have for us 
(g) Discouse of Justification.  Hooker, with some a man without exception, all whose evidence is much to our purpose, but to quote all their words it were too long after so many other Quotations, yet they who have a mind and leisure may peruse them as quoted in the Margin.  
So then during K. James' time Arminianism had nothing to do here, and continued so in Charles Reign, till Laud came into favour and was made Archbishop, and yet at first those Errors were ill looked upon, for Mr. Richard Montague in his Appeal, having written for Arminianism, his Book was answered by five or six of the most considerable men in the Nation, all agreeing he had departed from the Doctrine of the Church; he was thrice about it before the Parliament, and his Book condemned as contrary to the Articles of the Church. Under his Hand and Seal he renounced his Errors in a letter of his written to the Archbishop of Canterbury, he thought he stood in need of a Pardon, which King Charles gave him for all his writings, and at last called in his Book as the great occasion of many unnecessary troubles. After him, Dr. Thomas Jackson came upon the Stage, but for those Arminian Books of his, was censured in Parliament, and excepted against by the Convocation and in the following Parliaments, Complaints even by some of the best Sons of the Church were made against those Innovations and Errors in Doctrine, under the name and notion of Arminianism: Yet under the favour of Bishop Laud and his Faction being encouraged with Protection and Preferments, got much ground and corrupted many members of the Clergy, who became rotten branches of a sound and wholesome tree, yet for all the violent stream, some had the courage and zeal to appear in writing against it, though they smarted for it, they charged Arminians of being favourers and maintainers of Popery; of renouncing the Doctrine of the Church of England, of being pestilent Heretics, Enemies of God and of his grace, for the most part licentious, proud, vicious and bitter Enemies to the practical power of godliness, whereof some turned Papists, Innovators, and disturbers of the Peace of both Church and State: And any impartial Reader that will take the pains to read some of those Books may find the charge well proved.  
Indeed the serious consideration of these things, doth afford matter for sad thoughts, and sufficient cause of grief to those who love the glory of God, and the good of his Church, after so much pains taken by the first instruments of our Reformation to remove abuses in Doctrine, and bring things into the true Primitive Channel, who left us Articles and other Works in writing, according to the true Apostolical Doctrine contained in the word of God, believed and professed by the Orthodox Primitive Church, which these first Reformers sealed with their own Blood; for they were Martyrs not only for refusing to join with the Church of Rome in her Idolatry, but also for the testimony of the grace of God in Christ to exclude all humane help, power, strength, abilities from working our Salvation by means of any dispositions, freewill, improvement of graces and merits of our own; these things they laid down their lives for, and to maintain that our whole Salvation comes from the free grace of God alone, and from nothing at all of our own. For to believe one is and may be saved by his own merits and workings, or by those of another, or even in part through grace, and in part through our care and endeavours, in the bottom 'tis all one, for thereby Salvation is divided between God and Man, when God alone will be owned to be the sole Author and Finisher of it; Well, those directions for our Faith left by those eminent instruments of Reformation were 
(h) Dr Abb●● 〈…〉, in his Discourse De Perseverantia Sa●ct. in the Epistle dedicated to King Charles the 1st than Prince of Wales, complaineth of some of our Divines that, foll wing the by-paths of Arminius, Dogmate etiam nunc destruunt articulos Religionis, quos ●●sus propria manu confirmerunt. They destroyed those very Articles of Religion which they had subscribed before.  subscribed by those who in and about the time I mentioned before embraced and promoted Arminianism, and by those who now own it, in as much as they could wresting the Sense of those, thus doing what they could or can to poison the very Springs. But let them do their worst, the Truth and meaning of those Rules of our Faith is still the same; but they are bad Children of a good Mother, from whose Counsels and Directions they are degenerated, and about things in Question apostatised: So that in this respect they have cruelly divided, rend, and torn Mother-Church; which, if we should look only into that rotten part of it, we might well say of it, with the Prophet, 
(i) Isa. 1.21.  How is the faithful City become an Harlot? and apply to it what is spoken of the Church of Sardis, I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead: be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. Thou hast the name of the Church of England, but thou art not, as to that thou art dead, thou art such only in a Show: Soundness in Matters of Grace is one of the Vitals of true Religion, and of a true Church: There are some things remaining in thee, thou art not altogether Pelagian, thou art not a thorough-paced Papist, thou mincest the Matter, and ownest something of Grace; but have a care, 
Rev. 3.1, 2.  for those things are ready to die, if they be not strengthened.  
Though the Corruption in these points of Grace be very Epidemical, and too far spread amongst those who pretend to be the Sons of the Church: Yet Thanks be to God, all are not infected; all along there have been, and still are, some who receive the Mother's Counsel, and follow her Directions, in the same sense and meaning thereof, and continue obedient Children, which others do not: For by what I already said, it doth appear, how Arminianism, far from being the Doctrine of the Church, as constituted in the beginning of Reformation, and long after, is contrary to, and condemned by it. One thing more I shall add, to show, as I said but just now, that for all the great and general Corruption crept amongst the Members in those and late Days. There are, and have been, some eminent Members of the Church not ashamed of the Truth, nor afraid to own it: And for the truth of this I appeal to the Author Anonymus, and nameless, of the Book called, Several Conferences between a Romish Priest, a Fanatic Chaplain, and a Divine of the Church of England. His Evidence must be the more received, that he is no favourer of Dissenters, but declares himself an Enemy to them, and to Puritans, in that he most undecently traduces the Chaplain for a Fool, and doth ridicule him to such a height, as if he wanted common Sense and Reason, and could speak nothing but Nonsense for himself.  
Well, he saith thus, P. D. for he makes himself the Protestant Divine: 
(a) Pag. 76. at the latter end.  Very wonderful Proofs; as though many of our Church against the Puritan Party, had not been inclined to Calvinism in the point of Predestination, specially in that moderate way wherein R. Abbot asserted it; as though it were not possible for Men to be zealous for our Liturgy and Ceremonies, if they held the Doctrine of Election and Perseverance. But we do not want those of the highest Order in our Church at this day, who are eminent for Learning and Piety, and Zeal for the Church, who would take it very ill from T. G. upon the account of those Opinions, to be thought Enemies of the Church of England, as the Puritans were. So that although that Truth of late Years was much opposed and abused, God never left it without Witnesses. Here, besides the eminent Doctors and Prelates we named before. Amongst those that have successfully taken great pains in Latin to vindicate this Truth, we must reckon Dr. Ames and Dr. Twysse, and beyond Sea Peter Molienaus, in his Anatome Arminianismi, Wedelius' Arcana Arminianismi, with the Acts of the Synod of Dort, etc. All which, as to matter of Fact, as of right, do give impartial and reasonable Readers, a full satisfaction.  
In the mean time, seeing Matters of Grace are Fundamental to our Salvation, we are highly concerned to mind them. Let this Question be put to any, or to every Man, Would you go into Heaven, or into Hell? I think there is none so desperately wicked, but that if the thing depended upon a Wish, without wavering he would answer, Into Heaven. Then, if he hath the least sparkle of Reason, he must grant, he cannot go without a Way, and a Guide to lead him through; for the Way is thorny, and full of Difficulties. In the choice of a Guide let him come to this Dilemma, choose either God or Man: Surely he may easily determine, I had rather to trust to God than to Man. About Means and Ways the Arminian saith, if you have a mind, you can go to Heaven; you have within you a sufficient Grace and Light to carry you thither; you have a free Will, you can go if you please; for you can repent, believe, make a good use of Means, and persevere if you will. But on the other side, let us hear what God saith: Thou canst not see, for thou art blind; thou canst not hear, for thou art deaf; thou canst not speak, for thou art dumb; thou canst not walk, for thou art impotent and lame; thou canst not move, because thou art dead. In prosecuting of this Argument, I shall not do as Arminians, who frame in their Heads some pretty and pleasant Notions, and deliver them in as plausible a manner as they can, and take us to be so credulous as to take their bare Word for it, without any Scripture Proofs. But first, in general we say, in matters of temporal Deliverance or Salvation, much more as to eternal Salvation, God reserveth it only to himself: For, 
(a) Psal. 3.8.  Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; and 
(b) Jon. 2.9.  Salvation is of the Lord; and 
(c) Isa. 26.1.  Salvation will God appoint; for 
(d) Luk. 1.69.  he hath raised up an Horn of Salvation for us. We know who said, 
(e) Psal. 37.39.  The Salvation of the Righteous is of the Lord; and 
(f) Rom. 6.23.  the Gift of God is eternal Life; which is the same with Salvaion: That is a Gift of God, not a Word of Man in it. God is the only Physician of the Soul; that is his Right and Property, which no Man may invade or encroach upon, without making himself liable to the Curse of God.  
But let us come to Particulars. I need not to prove a thing granted, that there is Blindness, Darkness and Ignorance in the Mind; Hardness, Stubbornness and Deadness in the Heart, with Perverseness and Rebelliousness in the Affections: But I am to show how to cure these is the proper Work of God. 
(g) Psal. 119.125.  God, and no Man, gives us understanding to know his Testimonies; and when he is pleased to 
(h) v. 144.  give us understanding we shall live. Thus Christ 
(i) Luk. 24.45.  opened the understanding of his Disciples, that they might understand the Scriptures: 'Tis 
(k) Psal. 146.8.  the Lord, and none else, that openeth the Eyes of the blind, and raiseth them that are bowed down. Here also he upholdeth, and strengtheneth the weak: 
(l) Isa. 35.5.  The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Here is a Promise and a Remedy for the deaf, as for the blind: Not only so, but he will be a Guide to the Blind: 
Chap. 42.16.  And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in the Paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things strait: these things will I do unto them. I know this may also be understood of Miracles by our Saviour wrought on the Bodies; but it is chief meant of the spiritual Cures upon the Souls of Men: 'Tis not so much of the Eyes of the Body, but as St. Paul explains it, 
(m) Ephes. 1.18.  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. To this relateth the Eyesalve by the Lord Jesus, mentioned in Scripture; who in the same place offereth poor Sinners Riches, Raiment, and Eyesalve. 
(n) Rev. 3.18.  I counsel thee to beg of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine Eyes with Eyesalve, that thou mayest see. So then, no Remedy but in God for the blindness of our Understanding; 
2 Tim. 1.7.  for God alone can give the Spirit of Power, and of true, 
Chap. 2.7.  and of a sound Mind and understanding in all things.  
As for the Heart, God is also the sole Physician thereof; 
(o) Psal. 10.17. and 86.11.  God doth prepare it, and causeth it to fear his Name. Take notice of God's working upon the Heart: 
(p) Jer. 32.39.40. and chap. 24.7. & chap. 31.33.  I will put my Fear in their Hearts, that they shall not departed from me; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they shall fear me for ever. Moreover, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their Hearts. And by the Mouth of Moses God promiseth, 
(q) Deut. 30.6.  And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine Heart, and the Heart of thy Seed. But God goeth beyond, for he gives a new Heart, and a new Spirit; 
(a) Ezec. 11.19, 20.  and I will give them one Heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an Heart of flesh, that they may walk in my Statutes, and keep mine Ordinances, and do them. God, and none else, must give, or else we cannot have it. See how positive and full Moses is upon this: 
(b) Deut. 29.4.  Yet the Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive, and Eyes to see, and Ears to hear unto this day. They had it not because God had not given it; it did not depend upon their free Will to have it, for than they had not wanted it. God reneweth, changeth, and restraineth the Heart: 
(c) Ezec. 39.7.  I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: And when it is wounded and 
(d) Psal 147.3.  broken, he healeth it, and bindeth up the wound. And when 'tis in a good Frame, he doth 
(e) 1 Thes. 3.13. Psal. 27.14. and Psal. 31.24.  establish it unblameable in holiness before God; he strengtheneth it. Out of these, and many more Texts which we omit, appeareth the absolute power, disposal of, and ruling, which God hath over the Heart: How can, after this, Arminians deny it? when they say, 'tis free to obey or disobey, to reject or receive that which God offereth; in few Words, to disappoint God, and do what it will in spite of God: Is not this to make a God of it? To this I add, we cannot so much as mind or attend unto the Word of God preached, except he be pleased to open our Hearts, as he did that of 
(f) Acts 16.14.  Lydia.  
As to our Lameness and Impotency to walk in God's ways, we must depend only upon God to be cured of it. Wherefore David doth beseech him, to order his steps, 
(g) Psal. 25.4, 5.  to show him his ways, to teach him his paths, to lead him in his truth, and to to teach him. And God saith, 
(h) Hos. 11.3.  I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their Arms: For they could not go of themselves, they wanted a Guide and a Helper: 
(i) Jer. 10.23.  For the way of man is not in himself, he cannot direct his steps. 
(k) Psal. 63.8.  'Tis God's right hand that upholdeth us: Than every thing else conducing to our Salvation God doth it for us; 
(l) Psal. 143.10.  he teaches us to do his will; he draws and turns us when we go astray, when we are dull, slow, and weak he quickeneth us. How many times doth David in that 119th. Psalms, pray God to quicken him in his ways, in his Righteousness? etc. but the great Work is to 
(*) Ephes. 2.  quicken us when we were dead in trespasses and sins.  
Let us in very few words with admiration and thankfulness take notice of God's way and method in his gracious actings for us. First, He begins and prepares, 
(a) Isai. 57.14.  Prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people, than 
(b) Chap. 26.12.  he works in and for us, afterwards he 
(c) Psal. 68.28.  strengtheneth that which he hath wrought for us, 
(d) Psal. 3.5.  he 
(e) 145.14.  sustaineth and 
(f) Psal. 57.2.  upholdeth, 
(g) Psal. 138.8.  he performeth all things for us. But God is not content to do so, he also 
(h) Heb. 13.21.  doth perfect that which concerns us, and as the Apostle saith, he 
(i) 1 Pet. 5.10.  makes us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight. St. Peter is full upon the matter, he prays God to perfect, establish, strengten and to settle believers. In a word, God, saith David, is the God of our salvation, from whom we receive blessing and righteousness. 
(k) Psal. 24.5.  I must not omit that admirable Text wherein God promiseth to plant the Gospel, which is concluded thus. 
(l) Ezech. 17.24.  And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it. God alone hath done it all.  
To conclude these Evidences; it must be granted how without faith and repentance we cannot be saved, but with them we shall surely be: For the substance and declaration of the Gospel is repent and believe. Now 'tis easy out of Scripture to show how both repentance and saith do not depend upon the will and power of man, but they are the gift of God. As for repentance 'tis clear: 
Acts 5.31.  Jesus hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a prince and a saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Repentance and forgiveness of sins which go together, are not in the power of any man, but God alone can give it, which in another place is confirmed, 
(m) 2 Tim. 2.25.  If God peradventure will give them, that is men, repentance: And as repentance is merely a gift of God, so is saith, if we must believe St. Paul, 
(n) Ephes. 2.8.  For by grace ye are saved through saith and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Our salvation here is not attributed to freewill or any thing of our own. The Apostle is not satisfied to say by grace ye are saved through Faith, but he excludes himself and all, and that not of ourselves, but that Faith which is the Instrument whereby Christ is received and applied is a gift of God, not of Nature or any Parts. Abilities or  in us. And another Apostle comfirms it very much with a general rule he gives how not only the gift of Faith, but 
(a) Jam. 1.17.  every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights. We must not look for any grace to grow here below, no such thing to be found upon Earth, but what doth originally come from Heaven: We must not seek for any in Man, in any faculty of his Soul which is a bondslave of sin, and naturally dead in sin till God hath been pleased to quicken it. 
(b) 1 Pet. 1.9.  The end of our faith, saith an Apostle, is our salvation. And Jesus 
(c) Heb. 12.2.  saith another, is the Author and finisher of our faith. Thus our whole Salvation comes from Christ alone exclusively to any man.  
This work I thought fit to conclude with the several Proofs drawn out of Scripture, to show how our Salvation not only as to the general, but also as to particulars in every part and degree thereof doth wholly and only depend upon God; and in case there be any good in or done by us, we must own God to be the Author of it, through the immediate and effectual working of his holy Spirit: to trust upon himself or in any thing in himself, 
(d) 2 Kings 18 21.  'Tis to trust upon the staff of a bruised reed, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it. To seek for salvation and power to repent and believe within himself, in his Mind, in his Will, in his Heart, it is 
(e) Luk. 24.5.  to seek the living amongst the dead. By God's command we are 
(f) Rev. 18.4.  come out of the Roman Babylon, if we are God's people; so that except we have a mind again to be partakers of her sins, and so to receive of her Plagues, we must return thither no more. When God had brought his people out of Egypt, by the mouth of Moses, he gave this command, 
(g) Deut. 17.16.  Ye shall hence forth return no more that way: This command is addressed to and concerns us; for we know Rome is the great City, 
(h) Rev. 17.8.  which spiritually is called Egypt and Sodom too. 'Tis called Babylon by reason of her Idolatry, Egypt upon the account of slavery, and Sodom for her abominable wickedness, thence God hath graciously brought us out, why should we like some of the Children of Israel or Lot's Wife, incline and desire to return thither? we read as of the sin of the punishment of those that did so, for their carcases fell in the wilderness, and the Woman became a Pillar of Salt, which we are commanded to remember. 
Luk. 17.32.   
Now I say, that the Arminian Errors do lead men back into the Church of Rome, I hope I sufficiently demonstrated how in these matters of grace they join hands and agree together against us, that when Arminianism began to settle here, a design was carried on to meet with and be reconciled to that See. If then we be not willing to return to it again, we must avoid falling into the way that leadeth to it, to escape the danger. These points about grace are not indifferent and inconsiderable, but of the highest nature and concernment that can be, for our eternal Salvation doth wholly depend upon God's freegrace, I mean our Election, Vocation, Faith, Repentance, Conversion, Justification, Sanctification and at last Glorification: These are such fundamental truths as no Martyr can lay down his life upon a better account; wherefore no man ought to be ashamed or afraid to own and suffer for, if called to it. But self-denial is a hard thing to be obtained, and self-love so deeply rooted in man's corrupt heart, that they will not part with boastings, they are pleased with the thoughts of their own worthiness, and are fond of an imaginary power and abilities which they fancy to be in themselves, instead of giving God the glory. Yet, O Lord, to thee belong honour and righteousness, 
Dan. 9.7.  but to man nothing but shame and confusion of face.   
FINIS.