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 NON
CIRCULATING
r
~jwK«i;:;;uim:iiim:;HijUia^
-■ •••iuimm^i * ■~~~~~ —
(Farewell VAJNE WORLD. as thou hast bin to me
DUST and a SHADOW, those if leave with tliee:
WTho vnseen VJTALL SUBSTANCE ff cemmitt,
1 j To him that} SUBSTANCE LIFE LIGHT LO^E to it.
\^7he LEAVES SrTKUITare droirtforsoule %Jeed,
^tfscaveru heirj to generate.to heale and -feed:
'Them also thou, ivut flatter and
igjlff'ButJhah not 6eej> from £verlajiing Reft
i^nMinpii H|ii||iiiHiHiiiHiiiiiimimiiiiw
 Richard Baxter/ s

Catholick Theologie i

PLAIN, PURE, PEACEABLE:

FOR

PACIFICATION

Os the Dogmatical

WOR D-W ARRIOttRS,

Who, i.By contending about things unrevealed or not underjlood , 2. And by

taking VERBAL differences for R E A L, and their arbitrary Notions for neceJJ'ary
Sacred Trufhs, deceived and deceiving by Ambiguous unexplained WORDS, have long
been the shame of the Christian Religion, a Scandal and hardning to unbelievers, the In
cendiaries, Dividers and Distracters of the Church, the occasion of State Discords and
Wars, the Corrupters of the Christian Faith, and the Subverters of their own Souls > and
their followers, calling them to a blind Zeal, and Wrathful Warfare, against true Piety,
Love and Peace, and teaching them to censure, backbite, slander, and prate against each
otheo for things which they never understood.

In Three "BOOK^S.
I. PACIFYING PRINCIPLES, about Gods Decrees / Fore-Knowledge,
Providence, Operations, Redemption, Grace, Mans Power, Free-will, Justification,Mcrits,
Certainty of Salvation, Perseverance, &c.
Ii. A PACIFYING PRAXIS or Dialogue, about the Five ArticlesJustifica
tion^ &e. Proving that men here contend almost only about Ambiguous words, and un-
reVealed things.
III. PACIFYING DISPUTATIONS against Come Real Errors wh\dihmd&
Reconciliation, viz. About Physical Predetermination, Original Sin, the extent of Re
demption, Sufficient Grace, Imputation of Righteousness, &c

Written chiefly for Posterity, when fad Experience hath taught men to hate Theological
Logical Wars, and to love, and seek, and call for Peace. ( Ex Btllo Tax. )

LO W.®0 K>

Printed by <B$hertWbiie , for Wevill Simmons at the Trinces

Ams 'mS'- Tauls Church-yard. MDCLXXV.

 THE

AGAINST

Clergie Mens Contentions j

AND

> Church-distracting* Controversies.

i
"x

si '. . • >
HAT the Churches of Christ are '
dolefully tempted and distracted by
Divisions, no man will deny that
knoweth them : That the Clergie is
not only greatly culpable herein, but
the chief cause, cannot be hid. But
tvhich part of the Clergie it is, and
what be their dividing Errors and
Crimes , and how they mould be
cured , is in4eed easie for the truly faithful and impartial
Spectators to perceive, but exceeding hard ( as experience
tells us)to make the Guilty throughly know,and harder to do
much effectually for the cure. For the error and fin which
is the true cause, js its own defence, and repelleth and fru-
strateth. the Remedies. And so each party layeth it from
themselves, on others, and hate all that accuse them, while
they ave the sharpest ( and perhaps most unjust ) accusers of
the rest. ^ , •■' , '■ -\
I shall here: freely tell the Reader the History of my
own Conceptions of these matters, and then my present
(a) thoughts

i
 The T resace.

thoughts of the Causes of all these Calamities , and the

Cure.
L I was born and bred of Parents pioufly affected, but
of no such knowledge or acquaintance as might engage
them in any Controversies, or difaffect them to the present
Government of the Church, or cause them tofcrupleCon-
formity to its Doctrine, Worship or Discipline : In this way
I was bred my self, but taught by my Parents and God
himself, to make conscience of sin, and to fear God, and
to discern between the Godly and the notorioufly wicked :
For which my Parents and I were commonly derided asPuri-
tans,the Spirit of the Vulgar being commonly then fired with
hatred and scorn of serious godliness , and using that name
as their instrument of reproach , which was first forged
against the Nonconformists only 5 And the Clergie where
I lived, being mostly only Readers of the Liturgie , and
some others that rather countenanced than reproved this
course, I soon confined my Reverence to a very few among
them that were Learned and Godly ( but Conformists ) and
for going out of myPajifli to hear them, my reproach in
creased : About eighteen or nineteen years of age ls&ll ac
quainted with some persons , half Conformists and half
Non-conformists, who for fear of severities against private
Meetings, met with great fecresie only to repeat the publick
Sermons, and Pray, and by Pious Conference edifie each
other. Their Spirits and Practice was so savoury to me,
that it kindled in me a distaste of the Prelates as Persecu
tors, who troubled and ruined such persons, while igno
rant Drunkards and Worldlings were tolerated in so many
Churches, yea, and countenanced for crying down such
persons, and crying up Bishops, Liturgie and Conformity :
Before I was aware, my affections began to solicite my un
derstanding, to judge of the Things and Qtufts by the Persons
(where the difference was very great). But yet my first
Teachers kept my judgement for Confwmity as Lawful, though
not Vefirable had we Liberty , till I was ordained. But soon
after anew acquaintance provoked me toadeeper study of
the whole Controversy than I had undertaken before } which
left me peri waded , that the use of Liturgie and (jrtmmm
wai lawful in that cafe of necef&ty, except the 'Baptismal use of
the Crojs, and the Jubfcription to all things, &c But in 1640.
the Oath called I Et Quera'] being offered the Ministry,
forced me to a yet more jearch'mg Study os the case of ouf
 The Tresace,

VioccsantTrelacte (which else I had never been like to have

gainsaid.) At a meeting of Ministers to debate the cafe, it
fell to Mr. Cbriftopher Cartwrights lot and mine to be the Di
sputes- and the issue os all (that and my studies ) was,
that I ietled in the approbation of the Epij£opacy asserted
by Ignatius, yea, and Cyprian, but such a dissent from the
Englijh frame, as I have given account of in my 'Disputations of
Church Government.
My genius was inquisitive, and earnestly desirous to know
the truth : my helps for Piety were greater than my helps for
Learning, of which I had not much besides 'Books : sickness
helpt my seriousness , keeping me still in expectation of
death. All my reverenced acquaintance ( save one ) cryed
down jirminianijm as the Pelagian HctcCk, and the Enemy of
Grace : 1 quickly plunged my self into the study of
Dr. Twijfe, zn&Amefius, and Camero, and Pemble, and others
on that subject: By which my mind was setledin preju
dice against Arminianifm , without a clear understanding of
the case : whereupon I felt presently in my mind, a judge*
ment of those that were for jtrminwnjm , as bad. or dangerous
adversaries to the Church • and specially of the then ruling Bi
shops : which yet I think I had not entertained , had 1 noc
taken them withal for the great Persecutors of Godly able
Ministers, and serious Christians, not only for Ceremonies,
but for holy practices of life. i
Being under these apprehensions, when the Wars began;
though the Cauje it self lay in Civil Controversies, between
King and Parliament, yet the thoughts that the Church and
Godliness it self was deeply in danger by Persecution and
Arminianifm, did much more to byassmetothe Parliaments
side, than the Civil interest (which at the heart I little re
garded ) : At last ( after two years abode in a quiet Garri
son) uoon the Invitation of some Orthodox Commanders
in Fairfax's Army, and by the Mission of an Assembly of Di
vines, I went (after "Hafeby Fight) into that Army as the pro
test Antagonist of the Sectaries and Innovators, who we all then
( too late ) saw designed thole changes in the Church and State
which they after made. I there met with some Arminians,
and more Jntinomians : These printed and preached as the
Doctrine of Free Grace, that all men must presently believe
that they are Elect and Justified, and that Christy/wise*/
and 'Believed for them (as Saltmarjh writeth ). I had a little*
before engaged my self as a Disputer against Universal (2(e*
(aij demotionj
 The Treface*

\demption, against two antient Ministers in Coventry ( Mr. Qra*

dock and Mr. Diamond ) that were for it. But these new no
tions called me to new thoughts : which clearly fliewed me
the difference between Cbrifis part znd Mans f the Covenant
of Innocency wit£ its required (fjjgbteoufnej?, and the Qftxnant of
Grace with its required and imputed righteousness: 1 had never
read one Sociniatij nor much of any Armenians $ but I laid by
prejudice, and I went to the Scripture, where its whole cur
rent, but especially Mattb. 45. did quickly satisfie me in the
Doctrine of Jujlification : and I rcmembred two or three
things in Dr. Twijfe ( whom I most esteemed ) which in
clined me to moderation in the five Articles: i.That he
every where professeth, that Christ so far dyed for all, as to
purchase them Justification and Salvation conditionally to
be given them, if they believe. 2. That he reduceth all the
Decrees to two ,de fine is* dt mediis^s the healing way. 3. That
> he professeth, that Arminius and we and all the Schoolmen
are agreed, that there is no necessity cor>jequentis laid on us by
God in Predestination, but only necessity consequents or Logical
( but in Election I shall here suspend. ) 4. That the %atio
${eatus in pur Original Sin, is first founded in our Natural
propagation from Adam, and but secondarily from the po
sitive Covenant osGod. 5. That Ftfit/j isbutGw/d difp'ofitiw
Juftificatioms, and so is Repentance. These 2nd such things
more I easilier received from him, than I could have done
from another: But his Doctrine of Termiflion and Predettr*
minationy and Cauja Mali, quickly frightned me from assent.
And though Camero's moderation and great clearness took
much with me, I scon perceived that his Resolving the
cause of fin into necessitating objects and temptations, laid
it as much on God ( in another way ) as the Predeterminants
do. And i found all godly mens Prayers and Sermons run
quite in another strain , when they chose not the Contro-
versie as pre-engaged.
In this cafe I wrote my first Book called aphorisms of Jttfli*
fication and the Covenants , &c. And being young, and unexer-
cised in writing, and my thoughts yet undigested, I put into
it many uncautelous words ( as young Writers use to do,)
though I think the main doctrine of it sound. 1 intended it
only against the Jntinomians j But it sounded as new and
strange to many. Upon whose dissent or doubtings, 1 print
ed my desire of my friends Animadversions, and my jujpen*
swnot the Book, as not owned by me, nor any more to be
printed,
 The Treface.

primed, till further considered and corrected : Hereupon I

had the great benefit of Animadversions from many, whom
I accounted the most judicious and worthy persons that I had
heard of : First my friend Mr. John Warren began : next came
Mr. G. Lawfons, (the most judicious Divine that ever I was
acquainted with, in my judgement, ( yet living ), and from
whom I learned more than from any man) : next came
Mr. Christopher Cartwright's (then o{~York j the Author of the
Rabbinical Comment, on Gen. chap, i, 2, 1, and of the Defence of
King Charles against the Marquess of Worcester). Answers
and Rejoinders to these took me up much time: next came
a most judicious and friendly MS. from Dr. JobnWallis • and
another from Mr. Tombes . and somewhat I extorted from.
Mr. (Surges : the answers to which two last are published.
To all these Learned men I owe very great thanks : and I
never more owned or published my aphorisms (but the
Qambridge Printer stole an Impression Without my know
ledge ). And though most of these differed as 1much from
one another ( at least ) asfrbm me y jet the great Learning
of their various Writings; and the long- Study which I was
thereby engaged in, in answering and rejoyningtb the most;
was a greater advantage to me, to receive accurate and di
gested conceptions on these subjects than private Students
can expect.
My mind being thus many years immerst in studies of >
this nature, and I having also long wearied my self in search
ing what Fathers and Schoolmen have said of such things
before us, and my Genius abhorring Confusion and Equivocals^ j
I came by many years longer study to perceive^ that most of
the Doctrinal Controversies among Protestants ( that I fay
not in the CbristianWorli) are far more about equivocal words,
than matter ; and it wounded my foul to perceive what work
both Tyrannical, and unskilful Disputing Glergie-mcn had made
these thirteen hundred years in the world ! And experience ,
iince the year 1 645. till this year 1675. hath loudly ca^e^ to
me to Repent of my own prejudices, sidings and ceiifurings of
causes and persons not understood, and of all the miscarriages
of ray Ministry and life, which have been thereby caused ;
and to make it my chief work to call men that are within
my hearing to more peaceable thoughts, affections andjwtctj*
ecs : And my endeavours havenot been in vain, in that the
Ministers of the Countrey where I lived, were very many
of such a peaceable temper (though since cast out), ( and a
great
 The T resace.

great number more through the Land by Gods Grace ( ra

ther than any endeavours of mine ) are so minded. ) But
the Sons of the Coal were exasperated the more against me,
and accounted him to be against every man, that called all
men to Love and Peace, and was for no man as in a contrary
way.
And now looking daily in this posture, when God cal-
leth me hence, ( summoned by an incurable Disease to
hasten all that ever I will do in this World,) being uncapa-
ble of prevailing with the present Church disturbers, I do
apply my self to posterity, leaving them the sad warning
of their Ancestors distractions, as a Pillar of Salt, and ac
quainting them what I have found to be the cause of our
Calamities, and therein they will find theCure themselves.

II. T I-tave oft takenrhe boldness ( constrainedly ) to fay.

Jl that I doubt not but the Contentions of the Clergie
have done far more hurt to the Christian World, than the
most bloody Wars of Princes. And I must reduce the Causes
% to these three Heads :
I. The Abuse of <POWE(^, H. Of WISDOM, 1 1 1. Of
G OODNESS[ • or qf the "Names of these : the three great
Principles of Humanity.
That is, I. By Clergie TY^AK NT, 1 1. By OT IKIO*
TWISTS or Dogmatists, III. By SU? E^STITIOK
AndHYfOC^lSlE, or PRACTICAL <BLIHD
ZEAL.
. But among all these sorts, selfish T^WE, IGK0>
(Z^NCEand UHCHAVtlTABLEHESS or want of
LOVE are the great effectual Causes. And departing from
CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY, in Doctrine, Worship,
Church-government, and Conversation, is the grand instru*
mental means of most of our Schisms, Distractions and Cala
mities.
I. Only by Pride cometh Contention, Prov. 13. 10. The Church*
l TYRANT is Proud of his Superiority and Wealth : The
OVINLUNIST is Proud of his supposed Knowledge and
Theological Wisdom i on which account the Gnofttcks trou -
bled the Church os old. The HYPOCVJTE and the
(honester) ignorant Zealot, is Proud of his supposed Holt*
neft orGoodnep : And for an eminency and precedency and
praise in each of these, they all conspire (while they dis
agree
 The Tresate,

agree among themselves ) to trouble the Church of Christ :

In a word,$elfijhneflj Ignorance and want of Love, are the Causes
of mens personal mine and damnation, and the feme are the
Causes of the Churches divisions, and all the miseries of the
World.
1 I. And that IGNO KCB is a Common cause even irt
the Onojlick Vognatijls that cry down Ignorance, llrror and He-
resie, needs no other proof, than the diversity of Opinions
which such contend for : Every side pretend, that it is 0
THOVGXHESS, FAITH or the Great Truths of
God, which they defend And in one Countrey or with
one Party, one thing is Ortbodoxnefl and the Truth, and ano
ther thing in another Countrey or Party, and another thing
with athird,0*c And did they all but know what is Truth
and the Will ofGod indeed, they would cease their Conten
tions, and all the Sects would meet in Unity. ' j
1 1 [. And did men but L 0 VE their neighbours as them*
fefoes, and were as easily perswaded to think well of, and
deal gently with their neighbours as themselves, and as
hardly drawn to condemn, hate, hurt or injure them , 1 need
not tell you how easily, tjaiekiy and universally we should
be healed.
But before I speak of the hjirumental Means, I will fullier
open the three forementioned Causes. j
I. Religious Clerge*T t%_A N NT hath so notoriously, so
lowg, and Co greatly made havock both of Ttety, and Teace, that
he that is not an utter stranger to Church-History cannot be
ignorant of it. I need not tell any Learned man, how ma
ny even moderate Papists , much more Protestants have
thought, that Conftantine and other Emperours that over-ex- !
alted the Clergie, poured out Toy/on into the Qturcb : making
great preferments a bait to invite all the worst of rrien, to be
seekers and invaders of Church Offices and Power, and to
corrupt those that otherwise would have been useful men : ;
especially when f Christians having first made them their I
Arbitrators, in obedience to St. Tauls counsel ) they were made
the Legal judges of the Causes of all contentious Chrijlians, and sa
set up Secular Magiflratical (ourts. I need not tell them what
work almost every General Council ( as those of one Em
pire were called ) did make 1 what work even the first at
Nice had made, had not Conjiantine burnt their Bills of accu
sation against each other, and personally lamented their di-
visions,and driven them on to ptact ! what work was made in
 The Treface*

that at Qxdcedon, and thutztEphesus, and so of others! what

a horrid scandal the case of John and VioJ corns was, and the
murder of FlaVianus , and many others ! nor yet how th e
controversies against the Neflorians, Eutycbians, and Monothelites
were managed ! I need not tell them, how soon Kiffo/began
at %pme7 nor what Socrates and others say osCyn/and Tbeo*
philus at Alexandria •, nor yet how TSiazjanzene was used at
Constantinople } nor how copiously and vehemently he ac- »
cuseth the Bishops, andwisheth that there were no such in
equalities among them, as gave them advantage to do hurt j
nor what he faith against their Councils : nor yet of the
quarrels of 'Basil and Antbymius , nor of 'Basils sharp com
plaints of t\it%oman and other Western Prelates : I need not
tell them of the Usage of Cbrysostome, even by such men as
Ibeopbilus^Epipbanius and their partakers ; nor of the dividing
of the Constantinopolitan Christians thereupon j nor how the
violent Prelates made Separatists and Non- conformists of
Cbrysostoms adherents, by the name otjoannites -y and how un
likely that Schism was to have been healed, had not wiser
Bishops succeeded , who restored Concord by honouring
Cbrysostoms Name and Bones , and dealing kindly with his
followers : I need not tell them of the fad work made at
ufrim'mum and Syrtnium, and oft at^me, Constantinople and eve
ry great Episcopal Seat : nor of the bloodshed between
Competitors, at the Election of Va?nafus . nor of the sepa
ration of St. Martin from the Synod of Bishops led by Itbacius
an&ldacius; nor of the difference of him and Ambrose from
the rest about the complyances with Maximus. The World
knoweth of the doleful Rupture that hath continued be
tween the (Roman and the Greek Church about a thousand
years } And of the many Schisms at <Rpmeby various Anti-
Popes, even at once above forty years together ; And of the
reason os the calling os the Councils of Constance and Basil to
end them } And how the King of (Rome keeps up his King
dom to this day ; what work he hath made with Frederick,
the Henries, and other German Emperours 5 what divisions
this caused among the Clergie 5 what blood he caused to be
Shed for Jerusalem, and how many thousands of the Waldenses
have at divers times been slaughtered what work the
Inquisition hath made in Spain and Belgia and elsewhere ;
and the flames of Persecution in England, and almost in all
Christian Lands ; what work the Holy League did make in
France, and the Englijh Bishops in many a War with their
Kings j
 The Treface.

Kings • besides the cafe of (Becket and such others } By whose

instigation two hundred thousand Protestants were lately
murdered in Ireland, and many again in Piedmont* I lay to
tell luch things'as these to those that are acquainted with
Church History, is vain. And I would those that yet think
cruelty the best way to set up themselves (or Religion if
that must bear the name) and to repress their adversaries
(or SchismsJ would but (among many others) read the
Epistle of great Tbuanus before his Works to Henry King of
France.
But is it only the old Bishops, Greeks and Tapifls, that have
made such havock in the Churches ? Even those that pre
tended to moderation did by the Germanhterim make many
hundred Churches desolate. And the ten years imprison
ment of Caspar Teucer (>vid.HiJlor. Career. ) and the silencing
of many and many faithful Ministers, and the baniflimenc
of many, doth shew with what Spirit, many of the Lutbe*
rans carryed on their work. And doubtless, had the Calvinists
in 'Belgia been as wife and peaceable as the EngUJh Delegates
were at the Synod ofDort, and been as far from Tyranny
as they should have been, matters had never come so oft to
Blood or Tumult among them as they have done, nor
Grotius zndthtjm'mians had so much to say against them,
f will not meddle with the matters of this Island in our
times, feeing they sufficiently speak themselves.
But how cometh this Clergie Tyranny to be so common, so
long and so powerful in the World, to make Parties, and draw
Princes into Wars ?
1. It must beremembred, that true GodlirieJ? is not com
mon in the World : Too many take up Christianity, as in
the Eastern parts the posterity of the old famous Christians
are now Mahometans.
2. The Goftel and true Spirit of Christianity is contrary to
the minds and worldly interests of carnal, ambitious, cove
tous, voluptuous men. So that they profess a Religion
which their own hearts abhorr as to its serious practice.
3. Every unrenewed man hath such a worldly fleshly na
ture, and is voluptuous, proud and covetous : And none of
them love to be reproved or crossed in their way*
4. Church Honours, Dignities and great Revenues , and
Clergie-ease in an idle life, are a great bait or temptation,
-to a carnal mind: And the worse men arc, the more they
will desire and /eefc Church preferments, and make all the
(b) friends
 The Preface.

friends they can to get them ; And the more self-denying

men will not do ib, (but perhaps avoid them. )
5. The diligent seekers are liker to obtain and find, than
the ncglecters and avoiders : And so the Churches to be
usually in the power of theworser sort of men, and Reli
gion to be under the Government of its enemies.
6. Men in power, and the Major Vote , have great advantage
to execute their own wills, and to put Laws on others, and
bring them under what Characters they please ; and so to
affix the names of Hereticks or Schismaticks on them, if they
fulfil not all their wills : yea, to silence them, and suppress
their Writings, and make them to be little understood in
the World, yea, or by their neighbours round about them.
7. The Vulgar ( as they are for the Conqucrour in the
Wars, so ) usually are for the upper and stronger side in
peace, that have Power to hurt them, and have the Major
/Vote ; And also easily believe them, and think men that
suffer, are like to be guilty of what they are accused.
8. Gcdliness being against a worldly mind and interest,
and the Rabble usually for it, hence ariseth a Conspiracy
of carnal Clcrgie-men> and the Rabble, against those that
are most seriousty Godly, as if they were their enemies, and
a surly, proud, intractable sort of people. As Sulpitius Se*
yerus describeth Jtbac'ius and his followers, ( and even
Mr. Booker out of h im Eccl. sol. Prœfat. )
, 9. Such men in Power never want flatterers at their ears,
to praise all that they do, and to exasperate them by flan-
dering and reviling sufferers.
10. The long possession (since the day es of Qonjlant'me )
of Great Places and Power by the Clergie, within the <3{pman
Empire ( now the Greek and Latine Churches,) doth seem to
justifie mens Usurpations and Tyranny, and make all dissen
ters seem singular and Schismatical, (which was and is the
Papal strength against the Reformed. )
it. Too many of the Secular Rulers of the World, have
much of the fame Spirit • And find also their interests ib
twisted in shew with the Papal Clergies, that they dare not
cross them.
n. The faults of those that suffer by them ( in doctrine
and imprudent carriages ) use to give them great advantage,
and make all their odious characters and names of them be
lieved and received, (as the cafe of the Waldenfes and of the
Lutherans and Cahinifts in Germany too fully prove. )
* II. The
 The Treface.

II. The second Rank of Church-disturbers are 'DOGMA*

T1STS or men that profess exceeding zeal for 0T{TH0*
J) OX Opinions, or Theological Knowledge. And thus
three instances tell us of the Cause of our Calamities,
1. That of Gnojikk and Heretical persons , who account
every new Qmceit of theirs , to be worthy the propagating, :
even at the rate of Theological Wars and Church Contusions-
and cry out \jBuy the Truth, and fell it «of3, when it is lome error
of their own, or some unprofitable or unneceflary notion i
2. The cafe of the ^manifls ( to fay nothing of all the
old contentious Bifliops and Councils, and the controversies
about (persona and Hypojiafis ; and about many words and
forms of speech ). What do the %oman Councils for many
hundred years last, but on pretence of preserving the faith
uncorrupted, multiply divisions and new Articles of faith
( quoad nos ) * And while they cry down most of Christs
Church as Heretical or greatly erroneous , they have run
themselves into the grossest errors almost that humane na
ture is capable of, (even to the making it necessary to sal
vation, to deny our own an<A all the sound mens fenses in the
World in the case of Tranfubstantiation ).
2. The cafe of the Schoolmen, and such other Diluting Mdi*
tanttloeologues : who have spun out the Doctrine of Christia
nity into so many Spiders Webs ; and filled the World with '
so many Volumes of Controversies, as are so many Engines
of contention, hatred and division : And I would our Prote
stant Churches, Lutherans and Calvinifls, had not too great a
number of such men, as are far short of the Schoolmens lub-
tilty, but much exceed them in the envioujnefi of theirs/,
and the bitternej? and reviling of their disputes, more openly
serving the Prince of hatred against the Cause of Love and
Peace. O how many famous Disputers, in Schools, Pulpit
and Press, do little know what Spirit they are of, and what
reward they must expect: ofChrist,for making odious his Ser
vants, destroying Love, and dividing *his Kingdom ? How
many such have their renown as little to their true comfort,
as Alexanders and Q&fars for their bloody Wars ?
But how cometh this Dogmatical Zeal so to prevail ? Con
sider,
1. Nature it self is Delighted in Kriowing much : Else Satan
had not made it Eves temptation.- Without Grace,even The
ological Speculations may be very pleasing to mens minds.
Morality and Holiness is principally seated in the Will.
(b 2) 2. Satan
 The T resace*

2. Satan hath here a far fairer bait, thah worldly Wealth

and Pleasures and Honours, to tempt men, and steal away
their hearts, from that Love and Practice which is Holiness
indeed. All men are bound to Love Gods Word, and his
Truth must be precious to us all : and now it iseafie for
the hypocritical Dogmatist to take up here, and make him
self a Religion of Zeal for those opinions, which he entitleth
God to. And O that I could speak this loud enough to awa
ken the Learned World of Difputers, to so much jealoufie of
their own hearts, as is necessary to their own safety, as well
as to the Churches peace \ This thing called Orthodoxtiefi
Truth zndftjghtsbelieYmg ( precious in it self, if it be what it is
called, ) is made by Satan an ordinary means to deceive
Learned men, and keep them from a holy and heavenly
mind and life, when grosser cheats would be less effectual:
Theologie is valued by many as the Mathematicks are, as a
pleasant sort of knowledge ; and by others as the Jews were
zealous of their Law, by a formal fort of Religiousness } one
fort being zealous for 'their Opinions, and another for their
Qremonies from the like principle of formality.
3. Yet Nature that would know much, is dull and slothful^
and loth to be at that great and long study and labour necel-
sary to obtain it.
4. And it is but few that are born with a quick natural
capacity. (
5. And it is not the most that have the happiness of very
wife, experienced and throughly Learned Teachers: but
most are instructed by half witted men. And young per
sons know not how to choose the best for themselves, nor
their Parents neither ordinarily.
6. Ease and Interest, or the Veneration of certain persons,
maketh men fall in with those Opinions that are in best
esteem in the places where they live, and among the per
sons whom they most value.
7. Reason is mans noble faculty, and therefore that which
man is aptestto be Proud of: And though few have much
knowledge and wisdom,almost all would be thought to have
it, and arc too proud to endure to be accounted ignorant or
erroneous.
8. The Dignity of the Pastoral Office,and Academical De
grees, maketh men think that the Honour of knowledge is
their due, and necessary to their work. And therefore they
will expect and claim it that deserve it not : and it shall
be
—■ "' ' - —■ - . -- ■ ■ ■■— !■ ■ i ■■ i i. ■■ ... i —■ ... , . , „ mltmm,i mm uniw
The 'Preface.

be taken for Pride and Singularity for any man to convince

them of ignorance or error.
0* Many of them are godly men and excellent Preach
ers, and cryed up ( deservedly ) by good people : And
therefore they take the reputation of more knowledge than
they have, to be their due • and the people are ready to
joyn with them in reproaching all that differ from
them.
10. Great knowledge being rare j vthe half-knowing •

men are still the major part by far ( alas how far ) And so
if Synods be called,or most Voices heard, these will still pass
for the Orthodox men , and a more judicious man will
scarce be heard among them. , .
11. Learning is of many ages got into certain forms of
words 5 and he that hath got some organical arbitrary No
tions , passeth for a Learned man ; or he that can speak
many Languages : while true real wisdom (which con
sisted! i. In knowing the Greatest Things, and 2. In fitting
words to things ) is much neglected : whereby as hypocrites
deceive themselves and others with forms of piety, so do Scho
lars with forms and notions instead of knowledge.
12. These humane formalities of wisdom have prevail
ed to bring the Scripture, and the best part of wisdom, into
discsteem } as a dull and low kind of knowledge ; as if
Logical, Physical and Metaphysical trifling, were a higher
matter. , .
1 j. No man is sufficiently apprehensive, of the greatness
of the Curse in the confusion of Tongues: whereby as we
can preach but to few Nations in the World, so we cannot
intelligibly converse with one another. All words ( being
arbitrary signs ) are Ambiguous j And sew Disinters have the
yaloufte and skill which is necessary to discuss equivocations,
and to agree of the meaning of all their terms before they
use them in disputing : And so taking Verbal differences for
Material, doth keep up most of the wretched Academical
and Theological Wars of the World. . . ,
14. And nothing here undoeth all the World in point of
wisdom, so much as over-hasty judging orprefidence: 1c
is natural to almost all to fasten presently upon the first
appearances , and to be confident before they have half
tryed : In cafes where seven and seven years serious study
is necessary to a through digested knowledge , every No
vice will presently conclude as if he were sure. And then
. . as
 The "Preface.

as every one is apt to be confident, so to be tenacious . every

error leading on more , and the reputation of the person
being concerned in it, mutability being a shame : And so
it becometh a very difficult thing to unlearn the errors once
learned ; as white Paper is easier written on than that
which is written on before.
13. And then no man knowetb his own error ( else it were
no error ), nor knoweth what another mans perceptions
are, nor what any other man knoweth more than he.
16". And lastly, the odious names of dissenters ( the
common usage) doth quickly affright even beginners from
thinking well of their Opinions, (yea, or of their persons and
piety usually ). And by all these means almost all are of
the opinion of the Countrey where they live , or of those
that they most reverence, or which are most for their inte
rest ; and boldly condemn the rest not understood.
III. And the pretence of HOLINESS or a blind pra
ctical Zeal, and Superftitious Religion, both in Hypocrites and
many honest ignorant people, hath not a little hand in the
distractions of Christs Church.
It was the appearance of more Spirituality and StriSlnefi
which drew Tertullian to the Montanifts, and which promoted
a great part of the Heresies which have torn the Churches.
This bore up the Cause of the VrifciUianifis, and of those
that (Bernard and Cluniacenfis so much inveigh against, ( I sup
pose Manicbees with some better persons mixt :) This kept
up the Donatifis j but above all the Novations long in great
reputation : This was the strength of the jinabaptifls in Ger*
many and the Low Countreys , as their adversaries confess.
Saith G. Wiceliws Metb. Concord, c. it. p. 41. Z%etintlores bac
maparte duntaxat sapiunt, tenentes dofirinam Ecclefiœ Catbolic<t]
speaking of the necessity ofa holy life : This is the strength
of thc$uakers among us now, and of almost all the sepa
rating and Censorious Sects : And were not Ib [excellent
a thing as Godlinej$ the Motive , abundance of good people
durst never have done the great evils which we have seen
done in this age , to the great sliame of our profession,
and the fad calamities of Church and State. ( And if I
my self have formerly in my unexperienced youth , pro
moted any dividing or unwarrantable wayes, it was- up
on this and the former mistake ; which I beg daily of
God to discover to me to the full , and beg the pardon of
the miscarriages which I know , and which yet I know
not of. ) And
 The 'Preface.

And if you Consider these things following, you will not

wonder that mistaken Godliness should cause divifioos :
\. Holiness and Gods Love or well-pleasedness with rriari;
is the best thing in this world, or that man is capable of.
And therefore is most Definable, and most Honourable.
2. Therefore all good men prefer it before all other
things - And arc justly more averse to any thing that is
against it, than to any worldly loss or suffering.
3. Yea it is Gods Interest more than their own : And all
-good men are against all that displeaseth God, so far as it
is known.
4. We all know but in part, and as in a glass and darkly i
Even the most of Teachers take abundance of things for
True and Good that are False and Evil, and for False and 'Bad
which are True and Good • Much more are Godly vulgar peo
ple ignorant, and consequently erre in many things. Even
they that cry out against the vulgar Ignorance, and insuffi
cient Teachers, know far less than they are Ignorant of
themselves.
5. He that mistakmgly thinks any thing is Good or 'Body
Ttttty or Sin, whiphis not so. will be zealous in pursuit of
his mistake, if he be serious for God : A good principle
will hasten him on in a wrong way, whatever it cost him.
6. Ignorance and timeroufness cause superstition, which is
a conceit that God is pleased by overdoing in external things,
and observances and laws of their own making, and so
they that make part of their own Religion superstitioufly
(as .most good people do in some things through ig
norance,) will censure all others as Good or Bad, by the mea
sure of their own mistakes.
7. He that thus mistakingly thinks that men fin when
they do not, will have a proportionable dislike of them,
and aversation from them : And will be ready to speak as
he thinks of them, and so will be guilty of calumny, and
calling Evil Good, and Good Evil.
8. The World will abound still with real evil and scan
dals And all parties will be faulty : And usually the
greater part of the Clergie in the Christian World will be
guilty of so much Ignorance, pride, contentiousness, world
liness and sensuality, as will greatly grieve and offend good
people. And this will occasion alienation and separations
even with Godly persons : The sacrifice of the Lord was
abhorred through the sins of Bit's sons : The cafe of the
Glcrgie?
 The Treface.

Clergie at this day in the Greek Church in Moscolue, Armenia,

Syria, Abafiia, &c. yea among too many of the German
Churches, is very lamentable, by Ignorance and scandal :
And the corruption of the Roman Clergie was it that facili
tated the revolt from the Papacy , at Luther's reformation.
He thatreadeth Cornel. Mus, Ferns, Efyencœws, Erasmus, AtVan
Pelagius, Cltmangvs and such others describing their own Cler
gie, and Jos. Acofta of them in India, Crc. will fee much of
the Cause of the Divisions in the World : And all the old
Writers that write against the Waldenjes, do make us under
stand that the ignorance and wickedness of the Clergie then,
was it that drove them from the Roman Church. Saith
Wicelius Meth. Concord, c. H. p. 39. Quum tales adnullumho*
nejlius vitœ injlitutum idonei sunt, mirurn jit si bonos facerdotes prœ*
ftabunt : sic itaque procedente tempore regetur Ecclejia ab afinis, er
prœdicabunt imperittjsimi miftro populo , quod nunquam didiccrunt
ipfu Adolescentes optimi quique abhorrent propterea abinjl'uuto illof
quod nolint juam libertatem fibi eripi,isrc. I have oft laid, what
caused St, Martin to separate during life from the Synodical
Bishops about him : And what Gilda-s faith of such, that no
excellent Christian will call them Minijlers : And it's very ob
servable not only as Dr. James in the Margin of Wicelius hath
cited, that there are many Canons against wicked Priests ce
lebrating and Mailing, but Wicelius himself faith ( p. 17.)
3S(on admittantur Jacra concubinariorum, quos Veus pejus odit, atq-t
manifejlarios incejlus : Meminerimus in Vecretis Tontiscum pie caVeri,
TSle quis Mijfam ems Tresbyteri audiat quern feit mdubitanter con*
cubinam habere, aut subintrodutlam muliemn. (And yet there
are now men pretending to piety among Protestants, that
speak of, and use those Godly persons rnore hatefully who
refuse to hear suchwicked Priests, than they do those Priests
themselves.) Light and Darkness have no Communion:
And the Church will alwayes have bad Ministers and Mem
bers : And many good people through Ignorance will think
that they sliould go further from them than they ought :
And will not distinguish between that private familiarity
which is in their own power, and that publick Church Com
munion which the Church Pastors are the guides and judges
of. And so the honejly and the ignorance of these good men,
meeting with the <vulgar wickednefl will be as the congress
of fire and water, and will occasion ruptures and parties in
the Churches.

9- The
 The Treface.

<>. The carnal Clergie will usually hate and persecute

Godly zealous Preachers : ( As even the cafe of <P/>. Nerks
and %ermim at ^wMlieweth, which had almost madt di
sturbance : ) And then Jufferings will be a stronger tempta
tion to hard thoughts andtoomuch alienation than most-are
able well to overcome.
i o. And the Godly people will adhere t6 their Godly suffering
Teachers, and run further in bitterness against the tartial and
persecuting party^ than their suffering Leaders do desire.
II. Yet interest and temptations will prevail with too mahy
of the sufferers to connive at the bitterness and alienation of
the people, ( if not to cowitenanci it, ) which they do not ju*
stifie : And so the rupture will grow still greater.
Ut And all men have some Pride: And GoMintfi being
the best thing may become the object of Pride as well as
Knowledge and Tower* And so many Will affect to have1 their
Piety Confticuous, and therefore to be singular or of Votntstnall
party that is eminent j and so by separation to stand at a rtiore
conspicuous dtttance from the vulgar sort of Christians, than
Christ would have them : And so many a good man hath
more of Tride in his profession arid separation than fie is
aware of.
i}. And because Gods Word, arid his last judgement and
Heaven and Hell, do make so great a difference between the
Godly and ungodly , it occasiorteth rfjahy to thirik that they
must difference men by their own confutes arid separations
farther than indeed they olight. . '* J
14. And it greatly promdteth Schtsihs tlriat good pedpltf
are unacquainted with Church*histbry, and krioW not hoW just
such Opinions and Schisms as their owhhzvt in former ages ttfeni
and how they have miscarrjed and dyed, and what have betfrt
their fruits. J
15. And few men have that humble1 fense as they ought,
of their own Ignorance and badnej?} which would keep their
suspicions and Censures more at home, and make them
more compassionate to others.
16. And few love their Neighbours as themselves, nor
consider while they hate mens sin, what is lovely in theft
TSlaturei and Capacities of grace.
17. And the Piety of almost aU Setts of Christians ori
Earth is- already corrupted with so many humane superstitious ad*
dit'vms, that few can escape the temptation of Censuring ac
cordingly.
(c) i8.And
 The ^Preface.

18. And the Church will alwayes have many hypocrites ,

who quiet their Consciences by adhering to the jlrtUeji M\*
nijlers and Churches, instead of a mortified, holy and heavenly
heart and conversation.
19. Andlastly, Persecution and hatred from others, and
the due Love of Godly persons, tempteth too many Mini
sters to over-run their own judgements, and follow the more
censorious fort of persons further than they ought ( at least
by connivence,) and to be ruled by those whom they should
rule. And thus Divisions are occasioned even by 'Piety it self.
IL But yet were the Principles of Division never so ma
ny and pernicious, Interest might have led more of the world
to Quietness and Concord, had not Satan, the great enemy
of Love and Peace , seduced them to that Instrumental Means
and way, which will never consist with Concord. It is that
which Christ and his apostles have done very much to prevent,
but the Devil ( even with all the forts fore-mentioned ) hath
much prevailed against their precepts.
The Grand cafe of the Christian World is, WHAT IS
TUB' T%UB CBNTBGL and %ULB OF CON-
QOPiJD ? Could they find out this, it would hold men of
various tempers to it.
[. Christ first laid down the Description and Measure of
Christianity, in the Baptismal Covenant ; and ordained that all
should be accounted Qhrijlians in soro Eccleftœ who by Baptism
were solemnly devoted to him, in a professed Belief and
Covenant, Dedication and Vow to God the fathr, Son and
Holy Ghosh : These he would have called Qmslians or his
Dijciples, and this is their Qmflening, and so ever called in the
Church, l. And next he made it his new ( that is Laji )
and Great Command, that All his Disciples should Love each other,
and live in eminent Unity and Peace : which he accordingly
wrought them to by the first pouring out of his Spirit, Aft.
2.^3.^4.
1 1. The Apostles founding the Church in this 'Baptismal
Votv or Covenant, and mutual Love, exhorted accordingly all
the Baptizgdto Love each other, and to Receive even the weak
in faith, but not to doubtful deputations, Rom. 14. & 15. Ofc
vehemently charging them to be of one mind and live \nLoVe
and peace, and to beware of them as not serving Christ but
' their own bellies, who were for Divisions, 1 (or. i.io, u.
17. And though they came with pretences of 0<3^
DEVt, WISDOM or PIETY, such Good words, and fair
 The Trefave.

speeches were noted to be engines to deceive the hearts of the

simple, Rom. 16. 17.
And whereas the objection seemed unanswerable, How
can they /o agree , »/;o <tre 0/ federal ■judgements about- Good and

Evil? Paul often warneth them to hold fast xht fonnoi found
word*, and fummeth up (as 1 IV. \y 1, 1,3,4.) the ^Articles
of their faith, and chargeth them that so far as they had at*
tamed, they should walk by the fame rule, and mind the fame things <,
and */ in any thing they were otherwise minded, stay till God re
vealed the matter to them, Vbil. He oft chargeth them to
be of one mind and judgement (thus far) and to live in Love
and PtMce, and to do nothing by strife and <vain glory, but in
honour to preferr others to themselves ; and not to strive
about words that profit not, nor about unnecessary Questi
ons, seeing such disputings and strivings gender to ungodli
ness, and fret like a Canker, and pervert the hearers minds :
Yea he directeth the Pastors to edifie fouls, rather by uTeach*
ing than a disputing way, and td convince gairifayers, by
meek instructing oppofers, to fee if thus God will give them repeiu
tame to the acknowledgement of the truth: for the Minister or/er-
rvantofthe Lord must not strive; Love is their work to be effect
ed in others, and LoVe must be their (Pn'wd/)/^ and LoVe must
betheir mode and mean's, even Loving others as themselves :
Oft are they called by Christ and his Apostles from masterly
opinions, aspirings and endeavours, and to be as little Children,
and the servants of all, and as stewards of Gods mysteries and help*
ers, not Lords of the Churches faith, and not to domineer over the
pick of Christ, but to oversee them not by constraint but wolun*
tartly : And what cannot be done by Light and Love, is not to be
done by them at all : she Magistrate and not they, must use
the Sword ; but not to make men believers ( for he cannot. )
And though Vostius and others have rendred Reasons
enough to perswade us that the story of the twelve Apostles
making each one an Article of the Creed, is not credible,
nor that they (hapeditin every word to the present form,
yet it is to me a certainty, that the Apostles made and used
die Creed for sense and substance as the very summary and
test of Christianity, long before any Book of the New Te
stament was written (about twelve years, and almost sixty
six before the whole. ) For 1. It is certain that all Christi
ans were Baptized : 2. It is certain that they then professed
to Believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and to Cove
nant accordingly, renouncing the flesh, the world and the VevU.
(c 1) 3. It
 The ^Preface.

3. It is certain that the Apostles and Pastors laboured to

make men understand what they did9- and would not delude
them by taking the bare faying of these three words. 4. And
it is certain that the Pastors altered not the Christian faith,
but taught the fame for substance to all that were baptized.
5. And it is certain that should men have taken much liber
ty to use new words or forms at Baptism, in opening the faith,
it might easily have corrupted the faith and introduced a new
doctrine. 6. And it is certain by Church History that
(though some variety of little words was used, yet) this
fame Creed for substance ( except the two or three clauses men
tioned by Ufter and Vofiius ) was commonly used at Baptilm
from the dayes of the Apostles. 7. And we find yet that this
Greed is nothing else but the explication of the three Baptis
mal Articles ; of which fee Sandford and Parker (two Learn
ed Non-conformists) in their very Learned Treat,, de Vefcenfu
Cbrifti at large. 8. And it is certain that if the Apostles did
take this course so many years before they wrote any of the
New Testament, they did this ( as welt as that ) by the
Holy Ghost : and so that the Holy Ghost seconding Christy own
Baptismal Law, or Instituted test, did make$% Creed to be the
summary of the Qhristian (Belief, twelve years before we had
any Book.oi the New Testament, and about sixty six as is
said before we had them all. And then it will appear what
is Gods appointed test of Christianity , Qommwnion and fyecial
JLove.
All which considered, though I think it 1$ tjie truth wh.ic}i
I long ago wrote against a Treatise <>f a ' Learned man
( Mr. jjhweU ) in the Append, to the second Edition of my %e*
formed Pastor, yet I publish my Repentance that ever I wrote
it, as fearing lest it occasioned the turning of mens minds
from this great truth which he and 1 agreed in, and which I
find few consider as it deserveth.
But the Gnostich began the corrupting game, and i>y pre
tences of higher knowledge, spoiled men by vain Philosophy,
which engaged the Apostles to cry them down, and to
warn all Christians to take heed of being so spoiled, and
to vilifie arbitrary Philosophical notions, tricks and vain
janglings, as likely to draw them from the simplicity of
Christianity.
And the certain truth is, that he knoweth neither the Inte
rest nor the Ignorance and weakness'of man, nor the nature of
Knowledge, who doth not know, that the frailty and employ*
ments
 Tie TrefdCi.

tnents of mankind are such as that there never will be an universal

Concord in very MAUY, or UNCERTAIN, UNNEi
CESSAG^Y things j And O that I could write it on all
mens hearts, or doors at least, that The Christian world will never
have Concord, but in a FEW, CEQJAIN, N£CfiS*
S J ^Y things. :
Therefore Paul said to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. it. 2,3. 1 am
jealous of you with Godly jealoufie : For 1 have espoused you to one
husband, 8cc. But I fear lest by any medns, as the Serpent beguiled
Eve through bis subtilty, so your minds Jhould be corrupted from tht
simplicity that is in (or towards) Chrifl.
O mark these words all ve contentions Church -TY*
%JHTS, DOGMATISTS and SMPE%ST1TU
OUS ones. Read and study them welL
God laid down the terms of the Churches Concord in se
ven Unities, i. Ont 'Body or Church Catholickj 2. One Spirit
or Holy Ghost, as the soul os that Church ; 3. One Hope, or
Heavenly felicity hoped for ; 4. One Lord of the Qhurch, our
Head and Saviour «' 5. One Faith, or Creed, or Symbol of our
belief, and Belief thereof ; 6. One- Baptismal Covenant •
jr. And one God and Father os us all, who is above all,
through all and in us all. 4. 3., 4,5, 6\ And it is the
unity oi the spirit in the bond of peace, that on these terms we are
charged to keep, v. 2, 5. with all lowliness and meekness^ with
long*jujsering, forbearing one another in loVe.
But now cometh the Serpent (note i.The author,) and
by fubtilty ( l. Note the means, ) even as he beguiled Ervi
( j. Note the precedent ) which was by promising her more
knowledge and exaltation to be as God j and he corrupteth mem
minds, ( 4. Mark the effect ) though it is knowledge and ad*
rvancement of mind that he promiseth and pretendeth : Even
by drawing them (as to higher POWE^, KJHOW*
LEDGE or HOLINESS) from the Cbrifoan simplicity,
( 5. Mark what the Corruption of Religion is. )
And what is this Christian SIMPLICITY which they
forsake, and how are they thus Corrupted from it ?
I. The Church-Tr^NT departeth from the SIM*
(P LI CITY of Church Government first; and will not hear
Ch rifts vehement charge, Luk. 22. With you it shall ?iotbe jo:
He cannot understand such Texts because he would not: Hencei
how unlike is the Secular »Papal and Patriarchal state to the
Ministry appointed and described by Christ.' To reduce
them to that, they think is to be enemies to the Church ;
(c 3) And
 The 'Preface,

And do they not then take Christ for their Capital enemy ?
because they are enemies to humility , mortification and
the Cross, Wl 3. 18. ( To cros bearing not to crop making.)
The Papists think that Greg, the seventh that took down
Princes was the most glorious instrument of the Churches
exaltation : And by turning all to corporeal Glory, they lose
hearts, and destroy the fouls whom they profess to
save.
And having first corrupted G0VE1ZJNM ENT from the
Primitive simplicity, and made Princes their titlors {zsGrotius
speaks in that excellent Epistle newly translated by Mr/Barks*
Ut) they next corrupt T> 0 CTQJNE, and WORSHIP
consequently. ForTTfl^NTS musthave their Witts in
every thing: and numerous and needless Laws and Canons
must be made to shew their power and fulfil their wills,
that they may be Law-givers and a Rule to all .the World.
And when they have made a seeming "Necessity of doingthings
unnecessary, then to plead the Necessity which they have
made, is the lumm of all their arguments.
And they that are againststrict and precise adhering to the
Scriptures, or observance of Gods own commands, are yet so
strict for obedience to their prpud imperious wills, that they
perswade themselves and others, that without it there can be
no order, no unity, no peace, but rebellion and confusion :
And so they cry up Obedience,Obedience, that their Idol wills may
be bowed to by all without controul ■ And when they are
meer Usurpers, and use no Power given them by God, they
yet get the advantage of making all odious that obey them
not in the least and greatest matters, by the names of fcbis?n9
unrulinef or such like. O say the Papal Usurpers, fflie Qburch
must be obeyed, or there will be no order : pij obedience in small matters
is no (matt firi] when they have setup an Idol power against
Christ ; asif todifobey him, whose Laws they make void by
their Traditions and Usurpations, were a lesser fault. And
when they have departed as far from the Christian simpli
city, in Votlrine, Government andWorJhip, as their voluminous
Councils and Decretals, and Missals differ from the ancient
simple Christianity, and have made as many snares and en
gines to divide and tear the Church of Christ as there are tioxt*
ous (that I fay not Needles) Laws, Canons, and Decrees imposed
as necessary to peace and concord, then no mens mouths
are more opened against schism, when they have unavoida
bly caused it, yea are the greatest schismaticks } And no
men
 men call so loud for Unity arid Qoncord, as they that have first
made it a thing impossible. ■ .
Let none think that I am speaking against any true
Church -Government, or faithful Pastors : But I appeal to
the Consciences of these Papal Tyrants, 1 . Whether it would
not be far easier for Christians to Agree, in A FEW,
PLJIH and 2{ECESSAG(r things, of Christs own in
stitution, than in a multitude of humane decrees and articles ,
composed in words more ly able to Controversies Will not
more subscribe to the Creed, than to all the Councils ?
Have they not room enough to shew their ^ouw^and
wiork enough to do, in seeing to the; execution of Qhristswn
WiuMtrjal Laws, and preserving meer Order and Decency in
undetermined circumstances^ that all may he done to edifica
tion ? y Doth not every needless Oath and Subscription by
which they would tye men faster to themselves incontro
vertible cafes, plainly tend to undermine themselves, and
keep up still a conscientious party against them ? For
while men have nothing to do but live quietly under a
Government, they will be glad of peace; But when they
are put to Subscribe,J)eclare, Qoyenant and Swear that all this
is good or lawful, or that they will never be againfl it,
it lets men unavoidably on the deepest studies of the cafe,
and so all the people are set on trying and judging of that,
which else they would never have meddled with : For
what honest man will (ay , swear or promise he knoweth not
what ? Even as some crafty Rebels would undermine Prin
ces, by drawing them to put the controverted parts of
their Prerogative into the Subjects Oaths, that so they may
make all the people Students and Judges of the caule, and
unavoidably make factions and dissenters, that else would
have lived quietly if they might : so do the Papal
Clergie ruine themselves by such over-doing impositi
ons.
I remember Lampridius tells us that Alexander Severus
(that great enemy of injustice) was so severe, that he
would have made a Law to regulate mens Apparel :
But Wpian changed his mind by telling him, that Ma*
ny Laws cause Dirvifims, and make occasions of disobe
dience.
They cry o\KyTberewillbe m order if Minijlers and people be
left to their own discretion in such and such circumstantials *
But do they dream of ferfetl Concord on earth ? and that
men

r
 The Treface.

men of such various Interests,' tempers, educations, con

verse and degrees of knowledge should not differ in a word,
or gesture ? Our English Rulers make no Laws, what Ge
sture shall be used in singing <Pfalms, or in Hearing Ser
mons, and there is no division or great disorder in them :
But is on pretence of nearer Concord, they should tyeall
to one Gesture, this or that, we should presently find it an
engine of division. And O how many such Engines have
the Papal Clergie made and used long ! and to what pur
pose ? To silence faithful Ministers, to torment faithful
Christians in the Inquisitions, to brand the best men with
the* names of Hereticks and Schismaticks, to gratifie all
profaneness and malignity, to quench brotherly love, and
to tear the Church into pieces j And no experience will make
them wiser.
II. And the DOGMATISTS also have done their:
part, by departing from the Simplicity of the Qhristian Do»
Urine , to set the Christian World together by the ears.
Of which Hilary hath written sharply against the Making
of new Creeds, not sparing to tell them that even the 2fy»
cene Fathers, led others the way : And Hierome wonders
that they that were for the word hypoftasts questioned his
Faith, as if he that had been Baptized had been without a
Faitb or Qreed which all at Baptism do profess. But this
will not serve turn to these Corrupters. Councils , Doctor and
Schoolmen have been led by the temptation of more subtle"
knowledge, to be Wife and Orthodox overmuch, till the Chur
ches Faith is as large as all the Decrees of General Coun
cils de fide at the least, and the Churches Laws a great deal
larger ! And what abundance of dubious Qonfejiions, De*
clarations or Decrees are now to be subscribed or believed
and justified, before a man can have his Baptismal birth
right, even the Love, peace and Church-Communion be
queathed to him as a Christian by Christ !
And now controversal writings fill our Libraries by
Cart-loads : And a Use of Qonfutation is a great part of
most Sermons among the Papists , Lutherans and many
others ; And men are bred up in the Universities to a
Militant striving kind of life , that their work may be to
make slain Christians seem unlearned dolts, and dissenters
seem odious or suspected men, and themselves to be the wife
and Orthodox persons, and triumphant over all the erroneous,
that were it not for these Contenders would destroy the
faith.
 Ihe Tresnee.

And so Ministers are armed against Ministers, Churches

against Churches, Christians against Christians, yea Princes
against Princes, and Countreys against Countreys, by wran
gling contentious Clergie men- And (O what in injury is
it!) Young Students are almost necessitated to waste much
of their lives ( which should be spent in preparing them to
promote faith, holiness and Love) in reading over multi- .
tudes of these wrangling writers, to know which of them
is in the right : And most readers catch the disease hereby
themselves ; And those few that at. great cost an,d labour
come to the bottom of the differences <k> perceive, that the
Proud Opiniators have striven partly about wrevealed or
unnecessary things, but chiefly about meer ambiguous words and
arbitrary humane notions ± and multitudes condemn and
revile each other , while they mean the fame things ,
and do not know it. Onewrketh a Learned Book against
such a party, and another confuteth such an Adversary
jf especially about Predestination, Redemption, Free-will,
Humane Power, Grace, Merit, Justification, Pardon, Im
putation, <?c.) and then many read and applaud all as excel
lently done ; (Alas, for the low estate ofthe Clergie that
while I ) when a truly discerning man perceiveth that it is
but a striving about unexplained words, for the most part :
And thus being Qrver*wije in pretences of Zeal for Truth ,
and undinwise in understanding it, and departing from Qmjiian
simplicity of dotlrine, and even deriding the t-hripan Creed, hath*
made even some honest men become dividing Engineers , and
thei r Articles, and Controversies the Churches calamity.
III. And what Trattical mijguided zeal about uw/7?zf;hath done,
almost all Sects, JS^oyatiansyAnabapttJls, in Germany and here, and
the various fort of. Churches that refuse Communion with
one another, and that condemn, or cast out dissenters from
them, and preach and talk and backbite their brethren into
the odium or distaste of their seduced auditors •, the bitter
invectives in Pulpit, talk and press of the several Pastors and
people against each other ( and worse than words where they
have power :) all these soeak so loud, as may spare me the
labour of any further discovery } and calls us all to make it
the matter of our lamentation.
And what mail I fay in the conclusion, now I am near to
my departure from this contentious world ? but found a Re
treat to all these unhappy militants, that will not let Holiness
prosper by the necessary advantage of <Pe<*ce.Ceafe your Proud
contendings,
 Tbt T&face.

contcndings, O vain-glorious Militant Clergic ! Learri of

the Prince of peace and the holy Angels that preached him,
to give Glory to God in the highest, who gtveth Peace on Earth, and
welUpleasednefi in (or towards) men. Did Christ or his
Apostles make such Work for Christians as you do? The
great Shepherd of the flock will take your pretences of
O^VER, OQtTHOVOXHESS ( or Truth ) and
PIETY, for no excuse, for your corrupting OPJDER
FAITH and PRACTICE by your IYRA^y]
SEL^COtiCZttEVKESS and blind ZEAL and
SUP ERSTITIO^ ; and for using his name against him
self, to the destroying os that Love, and Concord and Unity
which he hath bequeathed to his Church ; and for serving
his enemy, and dividing hispeople,and hardning Infidels and
ungodly ones by these scandals. Return to the primitive
simplicity, that we may return to unity, Love and peace. Dream
not of them upon your own corrupting terms. And read
and read over again and again Jam. which doth describe
you, condemn you, and instruct you.
If you say, Pkystcion heal thy Jelf : Who hath wrote more of
Controversies ? I answer, peruse what I have written, and
you will see, it is of (ontroyerfies , but against (ontroverjies
tending to End and reconcile. If any thing be otherwise
( except necessary defence of certain necessary faith or duty )
I retract it, and condemn it : Let it be as not written. I have
meddled much with Controversies in this Book : but it is to
end thcm.The God of Peace giveWisdom and peaceable prin
ciples, mmds and hearts to his servants, that (though I flialinot
live to fee it) true Love and Piety may revive in the Christian
world, by the endeavours of a healing Ministry, and the slia-
ming,restraint and reformation of the C 0 I B TS^TIO U S
CLERGIE, whether TY^AI^HICJL, VOGMATh
C AL, or SUPERSTITIOUS. Amen.

Jan. if.
i*7t-

Of
 Of DIVISIONS and CONTENTIONS ambng Christians, Consider
. The Devils.
fl. PERSONS: V. i . A Contentious Clergie.
[ENT. .Men:<2. Unwise and wicked Rulers instigated by them.
£3. The deceived people that follow them. 1
T 1 . Selfishness in Carnal hypocrites, who prefer worldly iriterest.
I. Remotely :<J 2. Slothsulnefs in Students, in seeking truth.
< 1 3. Hastiness in Judging, before digested conceptions and,proof.
II. QUALI II. Near- C 1 . Humility and self-acquaintance : Pride.
TIES, viz..
ly-.Want«^2. Knowledge : Ignorance and Error,
The. of C3 . Love to others : Envy, Malice and Bitterness.
1. In General: Corrupt departing from Christian Simplicity.
III.Instru-( I
1-1 C 1 • From Simplicity of Doctrine, by DOGMATISTS Words & Notion's i
ments, or< 2.Particularly,^ 2. From Simplicity of Practice, by SUPERSTITIOUS additions.
L Engines,
C 3 • From Simplicity of Discipline by CHURCH-TYRANNY.
•DISCORD, [ 1. In JUDGMENT of things necessary, i.Privative^by denying
due Communion.
II. CONSTI
By Contention.
TUTIVE Cau-, 'ALIENATION, [ 2. In WILL and AFFECTION ,
Malice.
ses, viz*
DIVISION, C 3. In Necessary PRACTICE, ( ^7 ^"hoS.^ "*
I. On THINGS, 1. Doctrine & Preaching, and Writing, turning it into vain and hurtful wrangling.
viz,, on Church- 2. Worship, Prayer, Sacraments,corrupting them by faction, partiality and wrath.
3. Discipline, corrupting it into Secular or factious Tyranny, or a dead Image.
" 1 . Themselves , C 1 . The Guilt and Deceit of false Religious zeal .
2. Their fol-<2. The Death of true Holiness and Heavenly Conversation,
lowers .• C 3 . The Death of Love, and Life of Wrath and injuries.
H Corrupting them by factious clamours against their Subjects,
CJ Tempting them unto persecuting Laws and Executions.
si. Particu Engaging them in bloody Wars abroad.
i lar, By censures,fianders,backbitings,making them hated.
<u
Denying them due Love, Communion and help.
Persecution, silencing, and other mischiefs.
2 Prin-^ * • Weakning and grieving them by the Subjects discord*.
[ I. On 2 . Dishonouring them by defaming Excommunications.
PER 3 . Urging them to be the Clergies Littors or Executioners.
SONS, 5 . Enemies and Strangers, scandalizing and hardning them in Infidelity & sin.
viz* < i . Corrupting
Cor them in Doctrine,Worship and Order.
i. Chur j2.Weeakning them*y discord and division.
ches \ 3 . Shaming
Shai mem before the World.
<4.Mal Making them less fit for Gods Love and Communion.
II. Kingdoms : Weakning them, dishonouring them , and drawing them into the
Guilt of Feuds, Wars and Persecutions.
. . Christ the Prince of Peace, and the Churches Head and Center.
2 . Wise Princes, who understand the Interest of 1 .Christ, 2 .Their people, 3 . ThemsclvesJ
in si. Persons,, 3 . Able, Wise, Holy and Peaceable Pastors.
4. The Mature, Experienced, Mellow, Peaceable fort of the people.
q
Ui Diligent Study under wise Teachers. C 1 • Humility.
• S1
w II. Qualities.
tes, 2. Sincere Holiness : A dying life : . Knowledge.
3. Deliberate Judging upon tryal. d 3 . Love, to others as our selves.'
In Doctrine .• The antient Creed, &c*
Returning to Christian Simplicity 2. In Worship.
> C3. In Discipline.
III.Means,
Magistrates forcing the Clergie to keep the peace, and forbear strife.
Subjects obedience in all lawful things required by Authority.
V HEALTH ^ 1 ' ^u^ers» Past°rs and people ofone MIND, 2. One HEART in Love, 3 . One MOUTH
oi Cure j an<^ Pra(^'ce' m tmngs Necessary^ in Communion and mutual help : And mutual loving for-
Q bearance in Infirmities and things unnecessary ; edified in Love.
1. In the Hallowing of his Name, and Hononr of Religion.
h GLORY^ 2. In the increase of his Kingdom, and Conversion of the World.
to God, 3 . In the Doing of his Will on Earth, as it is done in Heaven.
VI. The EF f I. Increase of Holiness, Heavenliness and Love.
II. Peace on 2. Mutual Delight herein : The Joy of Health and Concord.
FECTS hereof.
Earth .
^3. The Churches Strength and Glory.
III. Gods WELLPLEAS-CHis Church will be meet for his Love, Delight and Com-
EDNESS in MEN : i munion, and be liker to Heaven, and enjoy its foretastes.
 /
/
 The First Part :

OF THE

Nature ? Relations > Knowledge

AND

DECREES

G 6 D;

AND OF

FRE E W I L L

PR OVID EN CE,

- As the Objects thereof.

Such selected Verities as are needful to reconcile the common

Differences about Predestination, Providence, Grace and Free-will, be
tween the Synodijls and jirrmniams, QtlVmiJis and Lutherans, Dominicans
and Jesuits, &c.

By Richard Baxter.

LO 3^T> 0

Printed by %obert White , for SVevill Simmons at the Princes

drmsin Su Tauls Churchward. MDCLXXV-
 T H E

CONTENTS.

Sect. i.K^rWcHz?3iL&!'>trf3BtH AT Knowledge of God is here to be ex

pected, Pag. t ,
Sect. 2. Of mans Soul as the Glass- -os'-
Image in which God muji he seen, p. 3.
Sect. 3. The [everal inadequate Concepti-
9ns which together make up the most
exact and orderly Knowledge of God , '
p. 4.
Sect. 4. The Relations and Denominati
ons of Gods ACtive Power, Knowledge and will, as to the Creatures,
p. 6.
Sect. 5. Of Futurity, and the pretended Eternal Causes of it, and Gods
Knowledge of it, p. Si
Sect. 6. Of the Co-exifienee of the Creature with God in Eternity , and
ofGods Knowledge of them as existent, p. 1 3 .
Sect. 7. Of the presumptions and uncertainties of many Scholastic k Di- '
sputes about Gods Knowledge , which should moderate our censures of
Dissenters in such matter s, and check our sinful curiosity, p. 1 5.
Sect. 8. More of Gods knowing things future, and of Permission of fin,
p. 24.
Sect. 9. Of Predetermination, Universal Causation, Humane Power , and
the Nature ofLiberty ofmil : Distinguished in a Table, p. 2 7.
Sect. 10. Of Natural and Moral Power and Impotency : Their difference,
p. 3$.
Sect. IX. More of the -same • and whether God hind man to Impossibili
ties? p. 39.
Sect. 1 2 . of Scientia Media, p. 42 .
Sect. 13. Of the will and Decrees of God in general. Their simplicity and
diversity, supposed priority and posteriority. OfNegations, ofNoliti-
ens and Volitions of Negatives, &c. p. 45 .
S&StS/fc Several distinctions of Gods will explained , 1. Positive ails,
and non- agency. 2. Positive and Negative as to the object. 3 .Posi
tive and Oppoffive, Volitions and Nolitions. 4. Immanent and Tran
sient. 5. Efficiently Transient and Objectively Transient. 6. Natural
and Free. 7. Efficient and Permissive. 8.Bcneplaciti & signidc even-
tu & de debico, Decretive andLegistative. where the true nature of
Laws

i
 The Contents.

Laws is opened. 10. Absolute and Conditional. .11. Effectual and un-
effeitual. i%. Antecedent and Consequent, P- 49.
Sect. 1 5 . whether Gods Decrees must be said to be diversified and proved,
according to the order osIntention, or Execution, whether God do In-
tendere finem i and what is his End. The Order and Objects opened,
. P- 57-
Sect. 1 6. what Election and Reprobation are ? The order of the Decrees
called Reprobation, and of the Objects: Of Negations ofDecree, p. 6<5.
An Additional Explication of Divine Nolitions, p. 76.
Sect. 17. whether God will. Decree or Cause Sin. Five Acts ofGod tn and
about Sin. what Sin is. Many wayes God can cause the same thing that the
(inner causeth, and so fulfl his Decrees, without willing or Causing the
S'fi. Objections answered. God freely ( not idlely or impotently ) re
strained his own possible operations, sometimes that he do not Juch or
such an act at all, and sometime that he do but so much towards it,
and no more, whether God be ever Causa partialis ? p. 84.
Sect. 18. A Confutation of Dr. Twisses Digress. 5. li. 3. sect. 1. Vindic.
Gratiar, where he ajserteth that God Willeth the existence of Sin , and
that fins are a medium sua natura summe & unice conducibile to tlte
Glorification of his Mercy and Justice, p. gr.
Sect. 1 9. The fame Doctrine in Rutherford de Providentia confuted, whe
ther things be good, because God willeth them, or witltd'by him because
good< resolved, whether there were eternal rationed boni 5c mali.
j)r. Field vindicated, p. 106.
Sect. ao. The old Doctrine ofAugustine, Prosper and Fulgentius, thought
by some Jesuits too rigid, but indeed Conciliatory, {for absolute Election
to Faithy and so to Salvation, and for no reprobating Decree, but only
ofPunishment for Sin foreseen, but not decreed. ) Prosper ad Cap. GalJ.
Scntent. transtated, P- 1 » 5 .
Sect. 2 1 . The surnm of Prospers Answer to Vincent. 1 6. Object, p. n 8.
Sect. 22. Fulgentius words to the fame fense, p. iar.
Sect. 15. The healing Doctrine and Concessions of many called Calvinists,
of the Synod of Dort, Pet. Molinaeus, rjrc. p. 1 24.
Sect, 24. And ofPetr. aSancto Joseph, Suarez, Ruiz, ejrc, on the other
fide, especially Beljarmines at large, and others, p. 1 3 7.

ERRATA.
 I intreat the Wrathful, Conten

tious, Zealous Dogmatists conscientiously*

to study these Texts of Scripture :

A T T H. 28. 1 9, 20. Go, Teach all Nations, Baptiz

ing them into the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost ; Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever J have commanded you. Mar.16.l6;
He that believeth and is Baptized [ball be saved. Acts
ii. 26. The Disciples were called christians.
I Cor. 15. 1,2, J, 4. / declare to you the Gospel
which I preached toyou, which also you have receive d, and whereinyestand,
by which also yC arc saved, q ye keep in memory what I preached to you,
unless ye bav* believed in vain —That Christ dyed for our fins, ■
and that he was buryed, and that he rose Again the third day
2 Tim. 1. 13. Hold fast the FORM of found words, which thou hast
heard of me, in FAITH and LOVE which is in Christ Jesus.
1 John 4. 1 j. whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God
divelieth in himj and he in God.
Rom. 1 o . 9, 1 o. if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and be
lieve in thy Heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved : For with the Heart man believeth unto Righteousness, and with the
Mouth confession is made to salvation.
Acts 8. 3 7 . If thou believest with all thy heart thou maist ( be baptized)
And he said- 1 believe mat Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Rom. 14. 1. 1^, 18, 1 £. Him that is weak in the Faith receive, but not
to doubtful disputations- For the Kingdom of God is not meat and
drink, but Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost : For he that in
these things ierveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men: Let
us therefore follow after the things which make for peace , and things
wherewith one may edifie another. Rom. 1 5. 5, 6, 7. Now the God of pa
tience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another ( or ,
mind the fame thing one with another ) according to Christ Jesus 5 That ye
may with one mind and one mouth glorife God —wherefore Receive ye one
another as Christ also received us, to the glory ofGod]
I Tim. 1. 3,4, 5. Charge some that they teach NO OTHER dotfrine,
nor give heed to fables and endless Genedlogiest which minister Questions,
rather than godly edifying, which is in faith : Now the End of the Com
mandment is Charity, cut of a pure heart and of a good conscience, and of
faith unfeigned: From which some having svpefved, have turned aside tst
vain janglings.
A 2 t Timi
 1 Tim. 6. 3, 4, 5, 6. if any man teach OTHERWISE, and consent not to
wholsome words, the words ofour Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which
is according to Godliness, he is PROUD; KNOWING NOTHING but
DOTING about Questions and STRIFES of WORDS, whereof cometh en
vy, strife, railings, evil furmiftngs, perverse dijputings of men of corrupt
minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness, ( or think-
ing that godliness is advantage ;) from Juch turn away.
2 Tim. 2. 22,23,24. Follow righteousness, sai:h3 charity, peace, with
them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart: But foolish and unlearned
Questions avoids knowing that they do gender strifes : and the servant of
the Lord must not strive. V. I 5, 1 6, 17. Study to jhew thy self approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed^ RIGHTLT DIVIDING
the word of truth : But jbun profane and vain bablings: fortLey will in
crease to more ungodliness, and their word will eat as dtth acanker.
2 Tim. 2. 14. Charging them before the Lordj that they STRIFE not
about WORDS, to no profit} to the subverting of the hearers.
1 Cor. 8. 2,3. If any man think that he knoweth any thing , he
knoweth nothing as he ought to know : But if any man LOVE GOD, the
fame is KNOWN. OF HIM.
Jam. 3. 1,13, &c. My Brethren, Be not Many Masters , knowing that
we shall receive the greater condemnation who is a wife man, and
indued with knowledge among you ? Let him shew out of a good conversa
tion his WORKS withmeekness ofwisdom. But if ye have bitter zeal (or
envying} and strife in your hearts,Glory not, and Lye not against the truth.
This WISDOM descendeth notfrom above, but is earthly, sensual, dcvil;fb ;
For where envying andstrife is, there is confusion andevery evil work z
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace able, gentle, ease to
be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits , without partiality , and
without hypocrifie : And the fruit ofRighteousness is sown in Peace ofthem
that n?ake Peace. , ■ ,
n .L .k» ^chiirrh-Ty- ^ts I 5. 28. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us * to lay upon
uftinui; Una. ym m greater burden than these necejjary things-—►
Phil. 3. 15, 16, 17. Let us as many as be perfect be thus minded: axd
if in any thing ye be otherwise ( or diverfly, or contrarily ) minde^ God,
fhail reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless whereto we hxve alrea
dy attained , let us walk by the fame rule , let us wind the fame
thing' . V
Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3,4-. if. there be any consolation inChrist, 'is any comfort
of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit , if any bowels And mercies ? fulfil
• ye my jay. that ye be like minded , having the fame Love } being of one
accord, of one mind: Let nothing be done through strife , or vain glory -
but in loveliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themfe I'ves :
Look hot every man on his own things, but every man also on, the iking s
jf others a Let this wind, be in you , fvhich was. also in Christ "fefus ,—.
whe-—-t—^made himself of no reputation, ,
" I Corsi. 10, 1 1 3, 14. Now I beseech you brethren by tjjc name of
dur Lord.Jcpts Christ that ye speak tl>e fame thing, and that there be no
divisions among you : but that ye be perseilly joyned together ip the fame
mind, and in the fame judgements .\\For it hath been declared io n. e of
you brethren that there .are cpntentitns amon? you-^- —t%at
every one of.you faith, I am d/PauL, ,*wd I of Apollos, and I ''/Cephas,
and I of Christ : 'is. Christ dividea\? Was Paul crucified for you? or rvere
yen h*ptix>cd into the name o/Paul ? ' / thank God, that I baptised none
of you, &c. •.
>■ ■'. 'iCor.
 1 Cor. 3. 1, 2, 3,4. / could not speak to yon as unto spiritual , but ,a'f
unto carnal^ as to babes in Cbrijl — For whereas there is among pp .
envying, and strife, and divisions , arc ye not carnal and walk as men? '
See Eph. 4. 1, &c. aster. . ... . . ) , 1 .y
John 17.26, 21,22,23. / pray for them which frail believe on
fire that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and IinsTbce\
that they also may be One in us, that the world may believe that ihstt.
haft sent me. And the glory which thou gavcjl me I have given them,
that they may be one3 even as we are one : I in them, and thou in me,
that they may be made perfect in one ; and that the world, may know
that thou haft sent me, and hafl loved them as thou haft loved me?, •
Match. 5. p. Blessed are the Peace-makers^ for they frail be called the.
children of God. . ■
Rom. 12. 1 8. If it be possible, as much as in you lycth, live peaceably
with all men. . i
2 Cor. 12. 20,21., / fear lest when I come I frail not find you suet).
as I would lest there be debates , envyings, wraths, strifes, back-,
bitings, whisperings , swellings, tumults — Left Cod will humble me
among you, and I jball bewail many, &C •. - -
Gal. 5. 19, 20. The works tf the ftefr ares manifest hatred, vari
ance emulations, wrathj strife, seditions, heresies, envyings
1 Cor. 14.33. God is not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace, as in
all Churches of the Saints.
Acts 20. 30. Of your own selves frail men arise , speaking perverse
things to draw away disciples after them.
p/iiJ. Z. IJ, 16. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife,
and some also of good will : The one preach Christ of contentions not sin
cerely
Rom. 16.17, 18. Now I beseech you brethren , Mark them which
cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learn
ed, and avoid them : For they that are such, serve not our Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own bellies : and by good words and fair speeches , de
ceive the hearts of the simple* , . x
Luke 9. 55. Te know not whit manner of Spirit ye are of
The Angelical Gospel of the Ends of Christs Incarnation, Luke 2.1 p.'
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST : ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD
WILL TO MEN( or WELL-P LEASEDNESS IN MEN. )
John 20. 26. Peace be unto you. Grace, Mercy and Peace, with all
that are in Christ and Love Gal. 16. Eph. 6. 23. 1 Pec.
1.2. &5.14. 2 Pet. 1.2. 1 Thcss. 5. 13.
2 Cor. 13. II.. Finally, brethren, farewc(l : be perfect, be ofgood com
forts be of one mind : Live in Peace • and the God of Love and Peace
frail be with you.' Amen." '"'1 ■
> . .r. ..: : : :..-u - i ik/i f tt...:

I. Assert, He BAPTISMAL COVENANT expounded

X . m.che aqtient'C B.EE^D is jhe summ and Symbol of
Christianity \ Dy which' Believers were to be- distinguished from unbe
lievers, and the. outward P«tfessioi) off ftjwgs mens Title to Church-com
munion, and the Heart- convene was their Tic^e-condition of Pardon and
Salvation-, And to these chdsf ic'w£as apa^Uy. Mirist himself. Matth. 28.

2. Ail
 2. All that were baptized did profess to Believe in God the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost, and devoted themselves to him, with profession of
Repentance for former sins, and renouncing the Lusts of the Flesh, the
World and the Devil, professing to begin a new and holy life, in hope
of everlasting glory.
j. This form of Baptismal Covenanting anJ Profession begun with
Christianity ( and called our Christening, or making us Christians ) hath
been propagated and delivered down to us to this day, by a full and certain
tradition and testimony and less alterations than the holy Scriptures.
4. The Apostles were never such formalists and friends to ignorance
and hypocrisie, as to encourage the baptized to take up with the saying
£ I believe in the Father; Son and Holy Ghost ] without teaching them to
understand what they said. Therefore undoubtedly they expounded those
three Articles: And that exposition could be no other in fense than the
Creed is. And when Paul reciteth the Articles of Christ, 1 Cor. 15. and
mentioneth the Form of found words, we may be sure that they all gave
the people one unchanged exposition as to the fense : Christianity was one
unchanged thing. ' .
5. Though 1 am not of their mind, that think the twelve Apostles each
one made an Article of the Creed, or that they formed and tyed men to
just the very fame syllables, and every word that is now in the Creed 5
yet that they still kept to the fame fense, and words so expressing it, as by
their variation might not endanger the corrupting of the faith by a new
senre, is certain from the nature of the cafe, and from the Agreement of
all the antient Creeds, which were ever professed at baptism, from their
dayes- that cited by me ( Asfend, to the Reformed Pastor) out of Ire-
rucus, two out of TertuMan, that of MarceUus in Epiphanius, that expoun
ded by Cyril, that in Ruffinus, the Nicene, and all mentioned by limber
'ivAVefius agreeing thus far in fense-, And no one was baptized without
the Creed professed.
6. As Christ himself was the Author of the Baptismal Creed and Co
venant, so the Apostles were the Authors of that Exposition which they
then used and taught the Church to use : And they did that by the Holy
Ghost as much as their inditing of the Scripture.
7. Therefore the Church had a Summary and Symbol of Christianity
( as I said before ) about twelve years before any Book of the New Testa
ment was written, and about sixty six years before the whole was writ
ten : And this of Gods own making: which was ever agreed on, when
many Books of the New Testament were not yet agreed on.
8. Therefore men were then to prove the truth of the Christian Reli
gion, by its proper Evidences arid Miracles, long before they were to prove
that every word < or any Book ) of the New Testament was the infallible
perfect Word of God.
9. Therefore we must still follow the fame Method, and take Christs
Miracles to be primarily the proof of the Christian Religion, long before
the New Testament Books were written.
lc. Therefore if a man should be tempted to doubt of the certainty
of this or that Book, words or reading, it followeth not that he must
therefore doubt of the Christian Faith.
11. A thousand Texts of Scripture may be not known and understood,
by one that is Justified : but all the Baptismal Articles and Covenant must
be understood competently by all that will be saved.
12. Those church-Tyrants, Dogmatists or superstitious ones, who deny
the sufficiency of this Test and Symbol (made by Christ and his Spirit)
 ro ics proper use, (to be the Symbol of such as in Love and Communion we
are to take for ChristUns} do subvert the sumin os Christs Gospel and
Law, and do worse than they that add to, or alter the leller parts of the
Word of God.
13. Therefore our further Additional Confessions must be only to ether
subordinate ends t, As I. To satisfie other churches that doubt of our right
understanding the faith : 2. To be an enumeration of Ferities which
Preachers mall not have leave to preach against (though they subscribe
them not. )
14. Object. Here ticks may profess the Baptismal Creed. Ansrv. i.And
Hereticks may profess any words that you can impose on them, taking them
in their own sense. All the Councils are not large enough to keep out
subscribing Hereticks. We must not make new Symbols, Rules and Laws
as oft as Knaves will falfly profess, or break the old ones : there being none
that may not be falfly professed and violated. 2. Many subscribe to the
whole Scriptures, that yet are Hereticks. 3. Church Governeurs are for
this, to cast out those or punish them, who preach, teach and live contrary
to the certain and sufficient Rule which they profess. Judicatures are not
to make new Laws, but to punilh men for breaking Laws. A heart-He-
retichconly is noHeretick in foro Eccleft*. He that teacheth Herefie must
be proved so to do, and judged upon proof : which may be done without
new additional Symbols, Rules or Laws of faith. So that all this contra
dicts not the sufficiency of the Baptismal Creed as the Symbol of Christi
an Love, Communion and Concord. I thought meet to add. this more
fully to what I said in the Epistle, to convince men of the true terms of
Union, and of the heinous fin of all the forts of Adding and Corrupting
everdoers, that divide us.

THE
i
 The First Part : •

X
OF THE

Nature, Knowledge, Will

AND

Decrees of GOD,

As far as is needful to the intended Conciliati on

and Concord.

SECT. L

Of our Knowledge of God, at here attainable.

tHough it be about the Knowledge, Will and Decrees of

God, that our Controversies are agitated, yet because
the consequent Verities are scarce ever well under
stood, without the understanding osthe Antecedents,out
of which the Consequents arise , and without the just
order, place and respect which the later have unto the
former, and unless things be understood in their true
Methods I will therefore expose my self to the oblo
quy of those, who will call it Over-doings so far as to premise somewhat
of the Deity itself \ But not what is necessary to the full explication of
the Divine Attributes ( as we are capable ) as must be in a Method of The-
ologie (which I have attempted elsewhere); but only so much as lyeth
under our Controverted Subject : And when I have done that, I (hall leave » john 1?> ^
the rest. ... Bradward. I. i.e. it. p,
Thes. i. To Know thedniy true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath jgjjjj %
sent, is Life Eternal. * God, and the first com-
a. To f know G O D is to know his Being, Nature, and Relations : For g**
though those Relations that are to Man be noteslential to his Divine Na- £'not to Us" the
iitre, yet are they essentially contained in the signification of the name cognitm.
B C G O D ~] f Exodus ao;
 Of the ystature^nowledge, Wdl

[GOD] as he is the object of our Faith, and Religion. For to be

OUR GOD doth speak his Relations to us, as well as his Nature • As
the name KING and FATHER doth among men.
3. We neither have, nor can have here in flesh any one proper formal
Conception of the Divine Nature, that is formally suited to the truth in
the object : But only Metaphorical or Analogical Conceptions ; borrowed
from things better known.
4. Yet nothing beyond fense ( at least ) is so certainly known as G O D,
so far as we can reach, though nothing be less perfectly or more defective
ly known , or less comprehended. Even as we know nothing Visible
more certainly than the S»»,and yet comprehend nothing Visible less.
5 . It is not true which many great Metaphysicians assert , that the
_ Quiddity of God is totally unknown to us : For then it could not be life
eternal to know him "nor would a meer Negative knowledge cause in us
a sufficient Positive Love, or Joy or Trust, &c. But to know that we cannot
know him, would but inferr that we cannot Love him : For we Love not
an unknown Good.
6. Nor is it true that Pet. Hurtado de Mendoaa ( in fine Difpttt. ) and-
some others fay, that the Notions of Life and intellect are all that we have
of the Quiddity of God, and that the Divine will is not a Quidditative
notion.
7. God is here seen in the Glafi of his works, with the Revelation of
wcftd°wtksS,"rnod- hts wrdmd spirit. ; And from these works we must borrow our con-
fiethe perfect God: And CeptionS. *
JlnSnabiedffi11 8' Tnere*°re though the Thing intended when we speak of God , be
ty*yVk?tZr God twU tranfeendently and only in Him, and not in the Creature, yet the first use
have made the world , .or 0f the words is to signifie something in the Creature. And therefore the
7? ^youClipaTdJi Creature is the famosiusanalogatum, though Nothing to God.
me for making that casie, 9. In the use of these notions we must still profels that we apply them
' 1 allsvve^VSd- to God no farther than to signifie his perfections : And all words must be
reft is primitive ( that as little as may be used of him in strict disputes , which imply imperfe-
whkh1oni°r U^mCtaL &M*> w^cn Detter mav De nac* '■> But trte highest are to be preferred,
turcs? This M\s forms- i°. And wc must still profess, that we take none of these words to be
ty Good, as it is Related formal proper univocal terms, lest the concealed Metaphor or impropriety
theÆe GcSfafks occasion false conceptions of God, and unworthy of Him; and also tempt
Rule: To be a n)o Voii- men to run them further by false inferences.
orcreat'edSI^And GocJs Nature is most s'mPle> And so must an 'adequate
so the worid is perfect, .conception of Him be : But Man can have no such conception of Him ;
andean be no better, but must know what he can know of this One G O D by many partial
because
icth it it •fird
iyas God wil- . , .
yet.Gpdri'^^M'-.conceptions. * < 4
cari make, particular 12. Vet must »we be verycareful that these inadequate analogical Con
sole?,' ^d^ options be Orderly, and not asT I will not fay how commonly Jit is done
ther -,' He can make any by feme, a confused heap : For the Mind that so conceive th of Him.3 greatly
man more wife , more injureth it self and Him: and the Tongue and Pen that so describesh Him,'
holy, &c. But bomim sibt dt. in a J 1 l l t r 1. * 1 t r •
is no further properly diinonoureth Him : And though the Ignorant , for whom Catechisms are
i'mi •t,ThereLre//sod written> cannot ty together a full Schemed the Divme Attributes rh.just:
can make the^vorfd far method-, yet thosefew which they can understand and remcmbjerjthey would
otherwise than it vis j as well and better understand and remember in the true methpd, were they
SjSc?" F^Wi lauJ.nt ir> than in an heaP- ^or Method is a great help. to understanding
would be but as God and memory. We would not give a Prince his Titles so confusedly nor
th£kmattex° «id S°rwate ^raw ^ic^ure monstrously, with the arms where the feet should be, and
Goodness might a^ft the feet where the arms, or the back before, and the face behind, unless
Gc^tnrsstwou!d°'",'l''0f We exP°k^ mm PurP0fety 10 scorn. Every man knoweth the difference
;Xh7seme0as how. 1 betwtea a Clock or Watch in order, and the fame in confused parcels on a
' heap;
 and ^Decrees of Qod, &c. \ )

heap ; and between an Army and a Rout , &c. Shall Order be the beauty
of the World and every Creature in it $ and (hall we deny it only to the
God of Order { I crave the pardon of Divines for intreating them to amend
this in their Dots r ine , but especially in theit Catechisms > yea, in their
Understandings first.

SECT. It

Of mans Soul as the Glass in which rve must fee God.

1 3. '"1""sHe principal Glass in which we must fee God, in his Nature^

J_ among all his Creatures here, is the Soul of man', which is
said to be made after the Image of God-, And which being our selves, we
can best perceive.
14. The Soul ofMan beareth Gods Image in three parts of it, or re
spects: 1. In its Nature it is the Image of the Divine Nature: 2. In its
Rectitude it is the Image of the Divine Holiness and perfection : .3 . In our
Dominion over the inferiour Creatures, and eminently, in Superiours over ^
Subjects, it hath the Image of his Majesty and Supereminence. .
15. I We have no one adequate Conception of the Nature of our own
fouls ; but must think of them by partial inadequate Conceptions. And
that by many Cnot feigned or forced, but ) real and neceslary Trinaries
in Unity. .
16. And first the Three Inadequate Conceptions of its Being are the Ge-
ncrical,t\\Q Differencial, and the Proper-inseparable Occidentals viz. that ^
i: is, * Qi«*,rit*, Proprietatibus fuis prxdtta. The first notion is fubstan- Jfu ^^'ucTmot*
tia abstralte a forma concepta : The second is the Conceptus . formalts : rU ; Ægid.Rom. faith
The third its Accidents, not acquired, but natural. By L I F E I under- . P' l8*
n 1 1 ■ 1 1 1 • • 1 •/• r 1 1 1 r tit moterio m Angi'
stand not Relatively only, that it is the Life oi the body or Compojitum ; Us: bm tamen eft aii-
But essentially as in its nature it is Life it self, or a Livin? substance for- 1"'dr loco m*Urix •'
i/J'' 11 1 ,• ■ „ • • / • i J TL * J jJ r- „ • • -1 non font ARm punts , (ed.
ma/ly, as well as the ZwMg Principle in the man. The word Q 5/>/r// ] hoblm aliquom potentioii-
as commonly used by us , comprehendeth all this 5 butwhatao//r/>is,we totem., odmixtom .- unit
know but by these partial Conceptions. . ll/^Æ/SS
1 7; To pass by the Three Vital Faculties, Vegetative , Sensitive and /««« »A«*x»r, i. c. frum
Intellective, (because I describe it but as the Speculum Dettatis ). 2. This mfr'td!f;. f.**/?
_ # • • / T t t-> t- • • / # , • ../i«< volant tlliqut in Angelis
Oik Formal Principle, LI FE,«s it is /W, must be it felt known taxtoim pommt cum
by us by these Three inadequate Conceptions, as making up. the Form of \?sm^% "j*fjiam il-
the foul, 1 . Vital Activity ( or Power ), 2. An Intellect, 3. A Will, t o^sTmmJnL corpVl
1 8. 3 . And the EXISTENCE of these Formal Principles cannot l'um [ soikm ergo in ver-
justly be understood by us, but in these three gradual inadequate or partial ^l:&,u&^Ttbi
Conceptions, 1.. As in Potentia-acfiva feu Vtrtute : 2. As inAttuimma- aiiquol materiaie poni-
nente : 3. As in ABtone tranfeunte ; ( Not as it is in Pajfo, but as it is f^Jmtbuh 2> d
Status vel Modus Agentis. ) that in separated subl
19. II. The Moral or Holy Image of God on the soul, is the Holy ^^J^0^^^
Perfection or Qjalificacion ofthese Faculties, as they are Intrirtute by Inalkctand wlih
Holy Depositions • As in Actu immanente , by Holy Intrinsick Acts and w»h whom s%tot\ and
Habits; And zsio Action ad extra, by * Holy ReBittide : And this Image «™ny«iie»doagrte.
co/ifisteth in the fouls Holy filtocity or Activity , and its wisdom and Good
ness, or its Holy Liveliness, Light and Love.
20. III. The Image osGods Majesty or Supereminence consisteth in
1 . The Sub propriety which we have in Inferiour Creatures 5 2 . The Sub-
government ; 3. That we are under God Their End ( and Benefactors).

B 4 SECT*
 Of the Stature, iQurnledge, Will

SECT. III.

The several inadequate Conceptions which in order make up our Knowledge

of God.

21. Y the Knowledge of our own ABs we know our Powers and the
\^N*t*rt of our own fouls ( though imperfectly ) i And by the
Knowledge of out fouls, we know the nature of other Intellectual Spirits;
And by the Knowledge of our selves and them, and the Scripture exprei-
sions of his Attributes, we know so much of God as we can here know. And
accordingly must speak of Him, or be lilent or We have nO hiohrr nnri
ons, than such as are thu<
an unconceivable eminen
fie that which is formally
22. And so we must o
Conceptions, confessing
Essence of God3 who in
o Spirit 2 is necessarily cor
2. Vita, 3. PerseBio. H
a Spirit , and the third
properties and accidents .
* It is a great dispute with PerseBive Attributes: vi
th<J S(\mlmin , Whether to use Concretes or Adjet.
Gods Power be any
tli nig hut liis Mel.'ec I and Matter in Materials, an
will : that is, a necessa Spirits, so doth thesecor;
ry distinct nnctttvs in-
a ice^ntss of God? (For there is no Composition
he is one simple es 23. II. And the soy
sence. ) Durtnd.i. rf.28. ceived of in this Three
q. 1. justly affirmeth it :
t^tsqu. '* uttm. ?-23. 2,IntelleBusj $.Votunta. \
d. 102. c. 2. faith, Hxc cretes, and to signifie, th
ftntintii n»nn*Uis rt:entio-
ribia mirm in mtdum tia-ABiva is not an idle i
fnbitur : yet he is that Act is a most Power
against it ; f though alone, but both togethei
Suxre^ be font). But
it is partly by miscon the Deity. And I take '
ceiving of the Voteitia tia-Vitalis ABiva, their,
Vital* in man , as if it
were only Executive ad dents , but the formal e
extra, or in the inferior better fay ; And I have J
faculties ; and partly on here upon it.
such frivolous reasons as
tend also to a denyal of 24. III. And the l
his Intellection and Vo by us in this Gradual Tht\
lition. Methinks, they
that acknowledge Gods tia) 2. In ABu Immal
Understanding and Will shall fay no more, butw
to lie analogically so cal
led,(mans being the first own most perfect Efienc^ . _ . J__r,„*tiLtft cxiriniiCK effeB or
wliich the word fignifi- objeB. By the third, I mean not the Creature or the Divine Action ut
eth , though Gods infi recipitur in pajfo , or the effect : But the Divine Essence it self in the
nitely more excellent )
should on the same sea state of Agency ad extra ; which the Schools conclude to be Eternal,
son grant, that Vita & though the effect be but in Time. Yet if any will call this a free , and
Vntentia aefiva are terms
as applicable to Gcd : not a necessary state of the Divine Essence, I contend not. #
For which denominati 25. IV. The Essential Immanent ABs of God are Three: 1. SI B I
on many reasons and co
gent may be given : And VI FERE, or tobe Essential Active Life in Himself-, 2. SE INTEL-
I am sure the language of L/GERE, to know Himself 3. SE AMAREy or to be Amor fui.
the Scrip-' re and our 2 5. V. The Triniry of Divine Subsistences or Persons al ib must be here
Creed vs.Hl warrant this
conception. acknowledged } i.TheFATHERj 2. The WORD orSON*
3. The

>
 and Decrees of (fed, &c. |

3. TheHOLY SPIRIT: Of which the School-men have said so

much, ( if not far too much ) as that I may turn the Reader to theim
27. I have elsewhere {hewed that many of them, and other Divines, dd
take the Three last named Immanent Acts in God, to be the fame with the
Three Persons or Subsistences • Even the Three Divine Principles (Poten--
tia-Atfut, Intellectus &Voluntas ) as in Atf thus Immanently • But of-
these great Mysteries elsewhere. All that I say here is, that seeing the Tri
nity of Divine Principles ( or formal Essentialities ) and the Threefold
Acs, are so certainly evident to Natural Reason it self) that no understanding
person can deny them, we have no Reason to think the Trinity of Eternal
Subsistences incredible, and a thing that the Christian faith is to be suspected
for, but the quite contrary ^ though they are mysteries above our reach, ( as
all of God ^s, as to a full or formal apprehension ).
28. Though God have no Real Accidents, we are fain to conceive of
Him with some Analogie to Accidents : where, I . The Universal Conce
ption is PERFECTION, which comprehended all. 2. The Di
vine Principles considered in PERFECTION denominate Gdd>
I . Potentijjimusy 2 . Sapientifftmus, 3. Optimus.
2 p. The Attributes of the Divine Persons are, i. Distinguishing^ viz,
i.GENERANS, Patris ; 2. G E N I fUS, Fil/i : 3.PROCE-
D ENS, Spiritus Santii. 2. Common to all, such as '£r*<*©-, 'O^im&i

30. The particular Attributes, analogical as to Creatures, Comparate,

Relative and Negative, are very many : But yet in Order to be conceived of,
and not confusedly ^ which elsewhere I offer to the Readers view.
31. VI. Gods Causal Relations to his Creatures, are in General those
named by S, Pad , Rom. 11.36. OF HIM and THROUGH
HIM and TO HIM are all things. And he is, I. The first EF
FICIENT, 2. The fupream DIRIGENT , 3. The Ultimate
FINAL Cause of all things.
31. Gods EFFICIENCY is terminated , 1, On the Things in
their Being, 1. In their Action and Operation. 1. And in the first respect,
he is the Cause, 1. Of their Existing tfferice, 2. Of their Order, 3.0s
their Goodness or Perfection 1 And so he is> 1 . The CREATOR, and
Conserver, 2. The O R D IN ATOR, 3. The BEN EF ACT OR
cf all the world.
And in the second respect * ( as to Action ) he is, 1. The Acsor or.
Motor of all things ( by his Active Power ) 2. The Governor of all (ac
cording to their several Natures ) ( by his wisdom ) 3. The Perfetter of all
things in their attingency or fruition of their proper End , ( by his
Goodness. )
33. V 1 1. As to M A N in special God is now Fundamentally Related
to him as his CREATOR, his REDEEMER and his RE-
GENERATER or SANCTIFIER-, eminently ascribed di-
Itinctly to the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT: Frorri
whence Howah, N A Til R J, MEDELA, SALUS,or N ATUR E,
REDEEMING GRACE, and RENEWING GRACE
(HOLINESS and GLORY) (that is, LOVE begun here and
perfected in Heaven. )
34. V 1 1 1. From CREATION there refulteth a Threefold Mdr
tal Righc and Relation of God to Man : 1. He is our Absolute OWNER
or L O R D to dispose of us, and ASk us by his Power. 2. He is our su-
pram RECTOR, Morally to Rule us as Intellectual free-agents, emi
nently by his friJXoM. 3. He is out L O V E R and Ultimate END;
as

1
 as he is Goodness and Love it self 5 To Love Him and be Loved by him
perfectly for ever, being Amantissimus dr Amabtliffimus in his Goodness.
35. He that leaveth out any one of these Relations of God to man,
to be Our Owner, Ruler and Lover and End ) leaveth out that which is
Essential to Our God, as the word is Relatively used in the Precepts and
Promises of the Holy Scripture,

SECT. IV.

Of Gods Relations to the Creature and denominations ( thereupon ") in his

Power. Knowledge and will.

36. 'TpHe Three Divine Essential Principles, Related to the Creature,

JL ad extra are denominated, 1. His Omnipotence, 2. His Om
niscience or Knowledge of them, 3. His Volition and Love of them. He
who is Potentissmus, perfectly Powerful in Act, in Himself is denominated
That Gods Power is In- Omnipotent , because he can do all things ad extra which belong to
finite, quia ipsa infim- ptVper . 2. And he who is Intellect™ fe Intelligens ad intra, is denomi-
ti Effentja, is past doubt: , ... . n ■* e \. •<•„
But whether it may be nated Omniscient or Knowing all Creatures , from the exterior objects :
called infinite, asrespe- o. And he who is Voluntas fe Volens, ox Amor fe Amans ad intra , is also
denominated willing of exterior things.
prove the affirmative, by 37. But ( by the way J how the Creature is called exterior to God who
BmGng^Ar *s essentially every where and in all, and how God is not a Part ot Univer-
42,. q.2. hath reasons'too sal Being, and how GW *W fAf Creature are /zo «?fr? than 6"W is
subtile to be here re- elsewhere somewhat explained, but transcendeth mans Understanding to
cited : One of them u j
raft, useth in 1. 7U comprehend. .
9. 25. i. i.c?. t. 2. . 38. Gods Transient Acts are of two forts: i. Effectively Transient (as
disf. ?°4- v'd;0Pin'°n" creation, Regeneration, arc.) which do m*/J» somewhat without. 2. o£-
Gabwl. Scoti & V09M* . , ' V' r l- u r I- 1 c /• 1 /-vi • %
de ratione nominis Ora- jeetively only Transient ; which nothing, but iuppole the Object.
nipotcntia-Livin*. ( ^ jt js a dreadful thing to be over-bold, rash and presumptuous, in
speaking and asserting any thing without clear proof, of Gods Knowledge
and will ; especially to reduce them to all the Modes and Methods of a man,
even as to the order of his Acts: seeing we are forced to confess, that even
D'Orbelhs 1. d.40. in- j„tef/etfi0„ ond Volition are spoken of God with exceeding great impropri-
<juit s Licit in Veo non . , r D 6 r I
sit proprit mbitus, tftta- cty, and mansActs which are the />r/«/ fignificatum , are further below
a\ 'mium Gods, than a Worm is below a Man. Therefore were it not that thepre-
bibitHS, fiqiUdlm feitntia sumption of the Schools and Polemical Writers , hath made that Necessary
in nobu tft Habitus ad aS defensive, which clfewould not be so, I should scarce dare to fay this
J bahtus aJ optrandum. ^ foxing: . ,„,..,
cognitiavivina cum sem- 40. 1. The Power of God is denominated Relatively Omni-potency in three
tet mt*eat, cmtfut sign*- ^slants to Three several Objects : 1. In the first instant, as to M things
tur p:r modum bibituu J . , , , „ A c „ , . . _ .. ?. , . «-.
v which belong to Power : And lo God can do all things, which are hence cal
led Possible. 2. In the second instant, to All things meet or Congruous to
the Divine Intellect to be willed and done : And lo we say, that God can
do A/I that is meet to be done, and nothing that is unmeet. 3. In the
third instant ( of reason ) as to All things which he willeth to do : And
Co we fay, that'GW can do whatsoever he will do. And io Possibility hath
various fenses.
,*gid.Ksm.quodi.7,.q.i' 41. 1 1. Gods Intellect is Relatively denominated Omniscient, in respect
ktWe\nowfe^e?sCbe- to three sorts of Objects also in three instants: i.In the first instant he
sore his vtUt -, but his knoweth all Possibles, in his own Omnipotence : For to know things to be
Practical determines Prffibk, isbltt toknow what He can do.
conceive ©fit?*** 3. In second Instant he Knoweth all tilings,' as Congruous, eligible
and
 and ^Decrees of (/ed, &c.

and VoUmIa, fit to be willed : And this out of the perfection of his own tvif- ■
dom : which is but to be perfectly Wife, and to know what perfeft wisdom
mould offer as eligible to the will.
3. In the third instant he hnoweth All things willedby him as such faS
stiffs ) : which'is but to know his own willy and so that they will be.
42. In all these instances we suppose the Things thcmlcives not to have
yet any Being : But speak of God as related to Imaginary beings, according
to the common speech of men.
43. These therefore are not properly Transient Acts of God ; because it
is but Himself that is the object indeed, viz,. His own Power, Wisdom And
will, though it be de creaturis in that which is called his Idea's.
44. It is usual with Divines to ascribe idea's to the Divine Intellect, af
ter the manner of men, against which I quarrel not, but am my self afraid
of presumption.
45. From what is said, you may see, that the Common School distin
ction of all Gods Knowledge , into scientia fimplicis Intelligentu, <jr pur*
VifionU, is not accurate, and the terms are too arbitrary and dark to no-
tifiethe thing intended •, and that the scientia ?nedia added doth not mend
the matter: And that a fitter distinction is plain and obvious.
46 . III. Also the mil of God as Related to things not yet existent, hath
in several instants a threefold object, (as we may conceive of God after the.
manner of men. )
1 . The Possibility of things , which God is said to will, in willing bis
own Power as respecting them.
2. The Congruity, Goodness and Eligibility of tilings, as in his own Know
ledge • which is but to will the perfection of his own Understanding.
3. The Future existence of things Good and Eligible^ to be produced in
their fittest season. '■ . •
47. They that say God can do no more than he doth, must mean only in
the second and third instants or fense •, or speak very presumptuoufly if
«ot blasphemously.
48. That God doth not all that he Cando, is no note of imperfection in
his wisdom or will, but is from the perfection of both.
49. Nor doth it hence follow that he hath either a Vain or an Unactive
Tower. For his Power is his perfection, and therefore not Fain : And it
is ever essentially Active in himself, as he is the Living God : And was nei
ther Fain nor Unallive when there was yet no Creature.
50. Gods Power doth not therefore Create or operate ad extra meerly as
Power ; For then it should do so ad ultimum pojse, and from Eternity :
But as it Voluntarily puts forth the effect. .
5 1 . Gods Knowledge meerly as Knowledge, or as the Knowledge of Con-
giuities, Future things, yea, or things Existent, is not Efficient, nor yet as it
concurreth with his will ut finis ( or his Will of Complacency ) But on
ly as it concurreth with his Efficient will.
5 2 . Gods Knowledge and will effect nothing ad extrajom. by and with his
Active Power, as efficient. \
53. Therefore Bradwardine and many other Schoolmen, do not congru
ously fay, that Gods meer Volition without any Effective Power is all his
Causing Influx : Unless they thrust two Conceptions into one word , and
mean a powerful aftive Volition. For, 1 . By the fame reason that we must
ascribe to God Intelletfion and Volition, we must also ascribe Active Power n
These being three principles in his Image. 2 . And in Man Meer willing ef
fects not. 3. And they that fay God .willeth ut eveniat peccatum
ipso non efficiente , fed permittente , suppose that he willeth something
which
 8 Of the feature, Knowledge, Ifill

which he effecteth not. But agiinst them in this Suarez, and others have
said enough.
54. Though Gods Nature hive no Real Accidents^ but simple essential
perfection, yet Relations , or Relative Accidents are not to lie denyed of
*?™ix™™uTimul "im- For indeed ( as Odum hath copiouay proved ) * Relations have no
a** prater *b{ohtitm , real Entity, or are nothing besides the Absoluta and the Act of Reason
ocAiwin many disputp about them. + Relation is but rerum Comparabilitas, which Reason useth by
in lib 3»tiUb. Iheweth. c . . r . * '
•f Relation is but cmfi- actual comparmg-conceptions of them.
rdilitu. 55. Thcugh the Thomists fay, that man only is Related to God, * rclati-
i*A™i?afanZ?I£ cne rationis, and not God to man, yet Pet. Hurt ado de Mendoza and others
atitar,DtKjntts, && a]- strongly assert, that God himself hath not only Relationes rationis and
Sbf.T.A*3o?5?s™D^ rranfsenie'ttAK bx& predicamental Relations also j as Creator, Dominits,
rand.' q. 5. Marsil. 1. Rector, &c. which the Scriptures constantly ascribe to him 5 And which
q.?2.a. 1. Grcg-Ani. indeed are no way notes of Imperfection. For if it be no Imperfection in
Uunii. wcttJ'i Tho- God to Create, Redeem, Sanctifie, Rule, cjrc. it can be none to be related
mirtis: seitjius dt no- to us as a Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier, Ruler, &ct For it is nothing
mint %t mat Vasquez in
1 Tho. q. 1 j. a. 7. V*/- morc' ■
/;<* fwMi jundammiim 56. AsGods Immanent Atfs are his Essence, bm nzt simply as Essence $
t^WS£& but « * MinBAfisdi selfliving, [eff-kmwhg, selfl^
related to Himself': so his Actions ad extra are his Essence as Related to
the era/*/-*-, but not simply as Essence, but 2& Essence-Acting.
57. Gods mil asmecrly Ordinant oxDirigent effecteth only Onkr and
Direction , but not the Substances ordered.
fBormcnt. in ,. d.45. 5g, His ^ ^ F^ isnot Efficient, t
q- 2. Rclol. Dtiunondl- ... ... * «
c/r,r omu-v'.m , /7«r 5 J>. His qua Finn is his w/7 as pleased by being Fulfilled.
Omnifxm dr omiseuu, 60. All that is Good is Pleasing, to God. and so is the final fulfilling of
a fMtiont lam'itatis , dr ms }vlu-
a rttimt tuft. Sec his 6 1 . God tvilleth efficiently all that w Good, which cometb to pass ^ For
S£P"S!l. a11 Gock} that is ever d"one> fe done by him, though not by him only.
At c contra tratfosrd. 62. But he willeth the various production of things , as they are vari-
10.cw.pag.197. o«/7y produced-, some solely by Himself, and some by Creatures and means 5
nough tho^b^sccTO f°mc necessarily by necessitated agents, and some freely by free agents.
but lu dt nmiju. 63. As Gods Efficient mil cattseth the thing willed ( w hether iubstance",
accidents, rule, order, dre ) so his Final mil or Complacence supposeth the
Pleasing tiling in Being : That is, If it be the Thing it selfb that he is
Pleased in, it is supposed Existent ; If the thing as Past, it is supposed
Past, or that it rvas existent $ If the thing as future, or fore-known , or
fore-willed, it is not the thing it self that is in that . instant properly said
to Please him, but his own Knowledge and Will concerning it : Though we
use to call this, The Thing in ejje Cognito aut Volito.

SECT. V.

of Futnrin , sec Btna- Of Futurity and its pretended Causes.

v;ntms distinction of
fSk nrHe Polity and Futurity of things are not accidental noti-
dimm umf wdk ad *m- J_ ons, or relations of the things themselves $ but are termini di-
" minuentes, as to the Things, and are spoken of Nothing. To say that a
with the application, /»,. ' . „ .0 » , r, , p
1. Ust. ?8. dub. 2. Thing May be, or mU be, which now is not , is to fay that now it
Vid. hUnl^dt Cmmd.li'o. nofhi/jg
sowrit^'is* nothing but <?5 . Nothing is no Effect \ and therefore hath no cause: Therefore things
r#/.7*j rtthnk , and possible and Future as such, have no Cause.
rfto thin?&!rc!C diat Therefore Possibility and F^wjf as they are taken for any attribute
 and"Decrees ofCjocI, &c.
9
or accident or mode of Creatures, as objects, are mistaken 5 Though they
may be conceptions in the mind of Creatures, concerning that which is
nor.
67. Therefore also God is no Cause of any Eternal Possibility dr futu
rity.
68. Therefore the Possibility and futurity of things ("conceived as art
effect ) hath no Eternal Cause : For there is nothing Eternal but God.
6 p. Though mm imagine Things which are not, and then thirik that
they can be, and mil be, because that Is, which Can or mil Cause them, and
thence frame notions and names of Nothing, and call it Poffible and Future ;
we must be very fearful and not unreverent and rash, in ascribing such a
dance or lusus of notions to God, unless as used with great impropriety
after the manner of weak man;
70. Go&kxiQWzt\\n\sownPowet, Knowledge and Wii\ And so know
eth what he c*/* do, what \& knoweth to be eligible, and what he vpill do.
And if anywill*call this knowledge of God, by the name of the Possibility
or Futurity ofthe thing known, or will denominate1, Nothing, (asanlma-,
ginary something ) as Poffible and Future , relatively from Gods Power,
mil or Knowledge, Let them remember , 1. • That Nothing hath no rela
tion. 2. That properly they should but give, the denomination to than
-which if, that is, to Gods Power, will and Knowledge and fay God Can,
i. g. make a World, or mil do it > and not to that which is not : And
when they fay that e. the world is eternallypoffible or future, they can
justly mean no more, but that God can and wiH make it. 3. And than
this is but Us de nomine, and not a real difference ( whether futurition be
thus from Eternity )i
71. And especially let them remember that nothing in God is caused:
There are no effects in God: Therefore as there is nothing from Eter
nity but God, and therefore possibility and futurition must needs be names
of God himself, or some Divine perfection or conception Y which is him
self} if they be said to be eternal • so such Possibility and futurity can
have no eternal cause. For God hath noCauffc, nor any thing in God.
72.. If the Futurity os sin must hive an eternal cause, then God causeth Vennot. I4; citrtfi
many Fathers saying,that
the futurity oi all sin: But that is not so. For none is the Cause thatj?/; things are not future be
will be, but he that ("mediately or immediately ) causeth the being of it cause fore-known , but
fore-known because fu
when it is. ture : And Auguftintt
73. Imagine (perpoffibile vel impoffibile) that a thousand years hence Greg. M. Boetitis, *4nfiimy
a free created agent (that can do otherwise) will cause such an act; It Lomb. & Aquin. saying
the contrary. And he,
may be denominated Future without the taking in of a#y antecedent cause citeth the four wayes of
into the notion. It is called Future because it wHi be, and not because the Schoolmens recon
ciling them, and con-v
Ehere is at present existent any cause from whence it will be mediately or im- cludeth that in regard ot
mediately< . the Creatures being, the
first is true •, and in re
74. Thongh Futurity be Ndthing, yet this Proposition is something,
gard of free acts, the se
F_ This or that mill be. 3 And to know the futurity of a thing, is most pro cond. I think that in
perly to know the truth of that proposition [it will be."] regard of sin neither is
true. Unless [Because]
75. God knoweth not />y Propositions (for that is the imperfect mode of signifie only ntionemde-
man ) But he knoweth Propositions when they are existent, as humane in nominations objicliyam ;
And even if so it is du
struments or conceptions: And therefore he knoweth the truth of all true bious, whetlier they be
propositions offuturity. - not simultaneous as Re
76". What man knoweth by Propositions, God knoweth otherwise by lations arc.
a more transcendent perfect, but incomprehensible way ; Therefore God
knoweth that every thing will be, which will be.
77. There werero Propositions from Eternity : (For man that ufeth
them, was not ; And God ufeth them net, though he know them as used

•
 io Of the feature, Knowledge, Will

by man) : Therefore this proposition \_Hoc futurum est~\ was no:,from

Eternity ; Because non entis non sunt ajfeffiones. .
78. But if there had been such Propositions from Eternity, as, \_The
world will be made, Chrifi will be incarnate, &c. ~] they would have
been true : And so the eternal Futurity of things, as commonly disputed
of, can be nothing but the Eternal Verity of a Proposition de ftituritione,
,w (; thatv/m.
*lknow the \"Ad. wnicn vvaS no proposition ( because then there was none ) 5 only in tinta
28°U?. a. tig. i22, &t> mans brain Imagineth or feigneth that then there might have been crea-
affcrteth these sour fures who might have used propositions de futuritione rerum, which if they
things: 1. That altqmd u . \ iju u *
potts nfmi rtaiittr ad had, they would have been true.
non ens: 2. Non ens po- ypm All Verity is either, i. Rei, a. Conceptus, Expreflioni* ; And
f^vlSlauier I- titi non ejl Res, ibi non eft, Veritas Rei : The thing which was not
rtftrOititr ad enaturam from Eternity, wasnot a True Thing from Eternity. 2. The Divine know-
q»t mn erat : 4. «&od fcj lh £ j ^ ^ thjnpS was True from Eternity, by an
Veus realiter rejertur ad .■ t> * . • 1 ri o 5 - , , . /» /
creaturam extempore. And incomprehensible way afyove propositions. 3. It there had been any
fid -rSienSsore threeC°of *roH°sni0ttSt Mental or /^r£<i/ rum futuritione, they would liavc been,
them: But as ra "these- true.And tHs is all that can truly be laid of the Eternity offuturition.
cond which concemeth 80. Only this being added, that so far as Gods will was the first
ri?fiSfriafo„, thTt Causc &termining of any thing that will be, so far he was eternally the
relations are ever mutu- Cause of the truth of this proposition. Hoc erit, when such a proposition.
al or convertible, I de- ftjall be. ■ "'* •
to the w4%of^'e're- 81. But where Gods Will is not the first cause of the Thing which will
lation. 2. And thatw be, there it is not his causing the truth, of the proposition that is the cause
^■fJtScl[a%l e% that. " ) (Though. his Knowledge be a. medium from whence ic
2. And remember that may Logically be inferred ti>at it will be,*)
he mstanceth only in g2> ftforeover, whatever is from eternity, must be Res, or modus rei. or
things as cauled or lore- _ . T.rJ_ . , . '' . ' , " 7
known : sin therefore Reiatto. BQt trom Etemjty, there is no Res futura, no modus rei future,
can be called future but rj0 Relatio rei future, <* For non entisnonest Modus, vel Relatio. If
memberthat'his Master you ^ ,that it is Denominatio extrtnfeca, I answer it must be then God
ockam hath oft ( in himfeIfonly, as denominated Knowing, or willing th&tThis or that /hall be,
USL artothiS C^ichis not property the futurity of the thing). For otherwise it must
. besides the quid abfoiu- be a denomination of Nothing.
^"A* fa'r<£&ÆftJ& 83: Obj. The Objecix before the Act of Knowledge. Therefore a thing
r3iiit.ts, all is but to ** future before God kmweth it to be future,
wf't^wouid1 bT ^nd **• T° ^ f**?*? 1S a word whose sound deceiveth men, as if ic
thereforehad there been signified some beings which is not so. 2. God cannot know that a thing
such a proposition from will be, unlessit will be ; But this signifieth no more but that he cannot
be^harbEeltrue!1'1 kn°wthis proposition be true \Tkis or that will be"] unlessit betrue;
vtd. Aqxin. 1. p. d. 38. But i. there were from eternity no propositions. 2. And thepropofi-
J r '^iS'rJ' tion is noc true before it is a proposition. 3. And therefore not before
38.4. t. W ii. </! 1! it ^ conceived in the mind, whence it hath its first being. 4. But if you
cajet. names, Rip. zu- might suppose God to have eternal propositions, their Being is considerable
^u^&^u p.. ??£ beiose their ^rif/ ; and the Ferity hath its Cause. But that cause is no-
a. 8. Gr^. w* us. d. thing but what is in God himself, which is either his Decree of whac
Slj£. li\SiAm'M ^e ^ CanieVqr his foreknowledge of what will be caused by a sin-
snatt^de Attxii. t.ij.i^ niig Creature : And neither of them as a cause of the truth of the
«^&sorite^i Jf t°rttmr causeth that the Tifeig w/^Z : nor yet is any other existent
^,\ej&c.'' ' Cause supposed; but only that God knowing that Ke will make the free
, • . agent, knoweth also that this agent will freely sin: In all which thefv-
turity is Nothing, nor is any existent cause of it necessary : But only the
truth of the proposition would result from the Infinite perfection of Gods
knowledge.
84. Obj. The futurity of things ts True whether God or man know it
•r think of it or not. Answ. 1. Futurity being Nothing is neither true
 and Decrees of Cjod, &c. ii

nor false. * 2. Bac all that you can truly mean is but this, that whether * According to Gng.
it be thought on or not, this is a true proposition, Hoc vel ill*A futurum est. Khd^Sre^
Which is true when there are propositions, extrinsecal, which no man ted, two Nothings may
thinketh of. But 1. God hath no propositions ; 2. Much less extrinsecal ^i"01^crbe0nRcl"ed ro
from Eternity. But if he had any, they would be nothing but the acts of mre Cause, and another
his own knowledge. 3. And they have no Cause. 4. If they had been ?S a effect = And
uttered by words, they needed no Cause but his perfect knowledge. 'L^MeL^cZ
85. Obj. Futurity is the Object o( Gods knowledge • and the object isa, impflibiu ) 3 Being
+ cause of the acs. God knoweth things to be future, because they are fu- f0"1? arise, of ,ic ,sdf'
1 J J 1 1 w a * 1 r\t >a J J J it is future though there
ture ; as he knoweth exijtents, because they exist. • be none to know it. But
Answ. Still I fay, i. Futurity is Nothing $ and Nothing hath no Cause. ^f/T"^ "°
2. Nothing is eternally in God but God: and God hath no Cause nor is more, but that diifp™
an Effect. 3 . At least that which is Nothing cannot be the Cause of God. position, hk nit, would
4. It is not true that God foreknaweth things, becamse they will be 5 but JnySconceS were
only that he fore-knoweth that they will be. t To the Question, a*
86. Gods meer fore-knowledge, nor his meer Will without efficient f^inim? 'iLuvntM
Power or Action, causeth not the thing future, and therefore is not the swereth ( in t.M. ti.
Cause that It will be. But where Knowledge and mil with Active Power ?• »« a- »•) Pr*jhiia cms*
cooperate, they are true Causes of the thing. And nothing is a proper Zsffi"%
Cause that It will be, but what will Cause its being. rndi, aut vimii
87. By allthisit is evinced that God Causeth not the futurity if ftnh %c^Z7po?Zffcai'
And that there needeth no Decree of God to make Sin pass e numero sa aiiqumm p4citorumi
fofjibilium in numerum futurorum ; And consequently that the Learned j^*? omino : fed mUo
and pious Dr. Twisse his Achillean argument, which is the strength of dim rJimtmT\nfm7d\
his Bookie Scientia Media is but delusory : As the excellent Strangius al- s""t mutuo cause, qu/a mu-
so hath, fully manifested. And his admired Bradwardine is as weak in his %nlT:tZt^dmfi
attempts on the fame subject, and proveth God the Cause os all futurition causa consequentu. seem-
bv no better reasons than he provech, that without him there would be no dm rat,fm victadi, fu.
impossibles * yea that non pojjet ejje tmpojfibile : When it were impossible tU, & mn ? converse .-
any thing should be, were there no God ; and yet that impossibility is nothing ff frtsciMia, dicitur
and needeth no cause. It's strange how some Learned men confound \\&\**<Timprtat C°»fdt
Things and Nothings, and the Notions and Names of Nothings with the No- »* aA softenus .- & sf
things named. So Bradwardine I. i.e. t8. p.2zx. will tell us how God e^^%llfZ\ '
knoweth complex objects, and distinguisoeth those that are antecedent to ftimit.
Gods Intellection from those that aie consequent : The former sort are ^^'rj^^j^
such as these [&d is God, is eternal, omnipotent,- 8r.c.~] These he faith called Approbation con-
are the Causes that God knoweth them, being before his knowledge of them: w^&tfsetium&bom-
The other about Creatures are after it and caused by it. Yet doth the 3kd 'st^lu N$titla*
good man thus humbly Preface s_ Non proprie & diflinfte fed fmilitudi- it connoteth only the
narie balbntiendo vix tenus possum vel scio, igmrus homumio, excelsa rSH^S^^t
fcientU Dei mirabilis resonare.~\ But fee how the world is trou- Connotation and relation
bled with this prophane * presumption, and how justly Paul cautioned us ™Jfadm™Jh ™g^J"
against seduction by vain Philosophy : and what danger the Churchisin iedgeandwiij.° n°'v*
of losing Faith, Religion and Charity, and peace in a game at words. * ffn-w* in his4W//j.
What is this Complexe object \_Deus est!, ? Is it any thing or nothing- ifb?ST>SS
If nothing, it is not before Gods knowledge and the Cause of it. If any sin in a Divine to omit
thing, Is it God or a creature ? ^Creature is not before God, nor a JJ&'S&TbS
cause of his knowledge, which is God himself If it be God is it his Essence he was tooguiltv himself
as or his Essential properties, or the Persons ? None of these : For tomswr it » plainly »
Gods essence is the prime Inconiplexe Being, and not a Complexeproposition,
\_Deus ejh~\; His Properties, primary, are Omnipotent-vital-power, Intel
lect and will ; But these also are the same Incomplexe ejsence,*and not
propositions : And his Intellect as an object of it self is not before his In
tellect as an Actual Knowledge of himself, nor the cause of it : All the
"Ca sense
12 Of the feature, Knowledge, Will

sense he can make of it is, that this proposition \_Deuseft, &est<Ættr-

nus, &c] if it had had an eternal being, would in Older of nature have
been conceivable fc> us before this \_Veu* fat fe ejje"] or before hu know
ledge it self: or that if man had been the Knovver, it had been first a true
proposition that He is, before he knoweth that he is. But God knorveth mt
himself by propositions. Words ( in mente vel ore) are but artificial or
gans for blind creatures to know by. And doth Gcd need such to know
himself? Doth he know by Thinking and by Artificial means, as we do i
Hath he Entia rationis in his Intellect, as man f Cas Propositions arej. And
'had he an Intellect and these Entia rationis cr propositions in his Intellect
(Deus eft, &c. ) before he knew them? yea, and his self-knowledge
( which in Act is his pure, eternal, necessary Essence ) caused by these i Ail
that you can say is,that poor creatures know by Propositions, and phantasms,
and diverse thoughts j and that God kn6wethw4», and therefoie knoweth
all our propositions and thoughts as ours: but not that he had the like eter
nally in himself, and knoweth them in himself $ and that Himselfas zfro-
pofttim, is the Cause of himself (or self-intellection) as in Act. He can
know that you fee by Spectacles, and yet not eternally use Spectacles him
self as the Cause of his sight.
But Bradwardine faith , that God knoweth ilia vera complex* quœ vo
luntatem divinam prxcedunt, per folam fuam effentiam , ficut alia vera
incomplexa ; ilia vero qu.c voluntatem ejus fequuntttr, non scit Dem per
ilia complexa ntque per a!iquid aliud a voluntate ejus femota, Jed per
fuam voluntatem , vsl per fuam fubftantiam cum voluntate , &c. More
presumption still ! He faith God knoweth complexa fed non complexe •
And who knoweth what sense those words have i What meaneth he by
complexahm Notions, that is, names andpropofitions , jts distinct from the
Things ? And what is it to know propositions complexe, but to know them
as they are ? And what is it to know them incomplexe , unless it be to
know quid phyficum a proposition is, or to know that it is no proposition,
that is, to err? If God know aComplexum or a proposition, that Proposi
tion is in being : And where was it in being before God knew it i If in
God ( or no where) i.God then is a proposition-, i. And God is before
he knoweth himself; 3. And a proposition being in intelleclu an act of
knowledge, it is to iay, that £God knoweth that he is, before he knoweth
that he is: and his knowing that he is, causeth him to know that he is].
If it be said, that by complexa he meanetli not organical notions, words
nor propositions, but rhzVerityoi Gods Being, Eternity, cjrc I answer 5 To
know things, is said to be £ to know some Truths because by knowing the
thing, we can make this proposition f_ This is ~] or [ This truly is. ~] But
Gods knowledge ot Things is not as ours, but by pure perfect intuition, and
so maketh not propositions in himself by knowing things : But if it be the
. Truth of this proposition \_Deus est~\ that you mean, it fupposeth that
proposition to exist (for, quod non est, non verumeftj; and lo to exist in
God ; w hich is denyed : And it is that proposition that Bradwardine
speaketh of.
Bik if by Truth, you mean nothing but Gods Essence ; that is not a
Complex object, which he speaketh of: And he faith not, that God know
eth fuam effentiam^ cjr creata vel futura, but that he knoweth per fuam
effentiam quod Deus est, c'estOmnipJtens;tÆternus,3cc. & per fuam ef
fentiam cum voluntate quod mundusfuturus eft. So that it's a proposition
that he calleth complexum incomplexe cognitumby contradiction ; when he
cannot prove that Gods Intellect made propositions in itself, and that ante
cedently to themselves, and the Causes of themselves.
 and Decrees of (jod, &c.

And all this which men talk in the dark about God is non-lenle, to
trouble themselves and the world with, on false suppositions that Gods
knowledge is such as ours, or that we can have formal conceptions and de
scriptions of it : when we should tremble to read men thus prophanely take
Gods Name in vain, and pry into unrevealed things.
I have purposely been the larger on this instance^ to warn the Header to
take heed of the common cheat of Scholastick Word-mongers , who
would obtrude on us humane entia raiionis , or Thought s, as real Divine
entities , and would perfwade us that every nothing which they make a name
for, is therefore something, yea, some of them God himself.
What I have said of Divine Intdietlitn , I say of his Volitions, of
which cap. ao, 21. Bradrvardine faith, that Volma prior*, viz. Deumejse,
omnipotentcm ejfe, bonum, cognoscentem, dec. s/tnt Causa. But, I. It is
too bold to fay, that Gods Will is an Effect. 2. If it were so, it must be
his Essence, Omnipotence and Intellect that is the Cause of his mil, and noc
a Complex verity, as \_Deus est, omnipotens , bonus efl, &c. ~] For Gods
Will is not caused by Propositions. 3. If you fay that his Volition as ter
minated objectively on his Essence, Goodness, &c. is his mil in aft {fe Vel-
le ; which some call the third Person ) yet here would be no Cause and
Effect, but our distinct partial conceptionsof that incomprehensible simpli
city, which hath no real diversity or priority.

SECT. VI.

,Of Gods Knowledge, and the Co-existence of the Creature\

88. A Ugustine well and truly faith, that fore-knowledge in God, is

£\ the fame with the Knowledge of things present : Past, present
and future, through his Insiniteness and Eternity, being alike to him, even
all as present.
89. But this dependeth upon the Indivisibility of Eternity : in which all
the things of time are included, and co-exist.
90. Thus faith Augustine li. 2. ad Simplic. q. 2. Quid est pro-feientia .
nisi feientia futurorurn? Quid autem futurum eft Deo qui omnia fupergre-
ditur tempora ? Si enim in feientia res ipjas hdbet , non sunt ei future,
fed prxsentcs: ac per hoc non jam præfeientia fed tantum feientia diet * viJ u ^ ,
potest Si autem ficut in ordine temporalium creaturarum, ita & ar.i. & pluri'mos Scho-
apudDeam, nondum sunt qiM futura sunt, fed ea prevents sciendo , his last.ini.d.8. wj^Thd.
ergo ea fentit ; uno quidem modo secundum futurorum prxscientiam, altero Bannez. Nazar. Gonzal!
verb modo secundum prxsentium (cientiam : Aliquid ergo temporaliter Arrubal. q. 14. hac lin.
accedit feientia Dei ^ quod abfurdifjimum atque falftjjimum est. ia?de AuxiU. 2. disp.
Thus with Augustine Nothing is suture to God, lest the after-knowledge 8.8c$i.Navarrct.Cent.52!
of things as present, seem an addition to the first* And if this be true, Suar.i.i.deSacnt. c.7.
.or...' 1 /-> r «8. Ruiz, etc ocient.
then futurity had no eternal Caule. disp. 28. Albert. To. 3.
91. Sec more ibid, in August, tothefame purpose* And//. i^.deTri- ^^\4'c^lf'l'q\2'
nit. cap. -j. Et in Psal.iot. And Gregor. Moral, li. 20. cap. 2 3 . that Pre- punct.^.fc&.i.Ahrcomt
science is not properly in God, nor any thing future to him. So Anselm. p. tract. 2.d.2.c.8. Tan-
opufe. de Concord, cap. I . See also Arriba Concit. li. 3. c. 1 1, 1 2, 1 3, 14. J^uS 1. 1\ 3c Essem.'
and Boetius and Aquinas there cited. And a cap. 16. ad cap. 26. the whole Dei, tract. 10. 0 15, 8tc.
Controversy handled of the co-existence of all things with God in eternity. * A.rnba In CoDC"' l*r
it-, t /• j 1. plura cap. cum multis
92. But because Scotus,Durand.GabriH. Greg. Molina and many others ar,js. Lychec.in i.p. d.
digest not this notion , I soallopen it to you in a moderate and un- S^'jj^^^?"0*'
denyablc fense, how thingsmay be said to co-exist with God in eternity. ^,%'.828.&Vcorol.p.iao.
When
 14 Of the ZhQtture, Knowledge, Will

When temporary Creatures are the subjects of Relation to God, then

God is denominated by extrinsecal denomination as the terminus of that
Relation: But when God or Eternity is the subject of Relation to Creatures,
then temporary creatures are denominated as the termini of the Divine
relation. And so Eternity (being as Divines conclude indivisible and
tota fimul quia fine partibus ) being one and the fame , communicateth
somewhat of its Name to the multifarious fluid creature, as its terminus :
And as the Mutations of creatures in existence and operation thus commu
nicate, various denominations to the actions ( knowledge and will ) of
* card. Sarnan. Concil. God 5 so Gods Unity and Constancy giveth various denominations to the
r^&ve^pir%m'Jn- creatures. * And so,because things rvben they exist, do co-exist with eter-
nluttm Cm aiiqua sucuf- nity, and eternity hath no prius tfr posterius , and the Prepositions [ ab ]
fmefrust omnibus ^ [ad] cjr [ante! dr tpoft] have there no true signification, there-
fens : fed non fm -fuceffi- TL. J \. r-j L -m :alt 11
Me mum. ideoque m- fore it may be laid, that as Indivisible Eternity co-extjteth votth the crea-
nia qu<e fat, futrunt & tttre f0 tnc creature co-existeth with and in indivisible eternity, and so
trunt,coixiftunt m teternt- . *_ .n . . . ''
tate , & habmt etiam mth Jll eternity, and not with apart. ,
tffecognitHm in menu di- 93. Hence you may see how both sayings may be true ; both that Eter-
"7m & ThotL*™ £■ ***> (.<*G«d and bis Knowledge ) ever co-existeth With creatures, and al
ms, so that it doth de novo begin to co-exist ; viz,. As God is extrinsecally de-
nominated from the real mutation of the creature related to him ; or as
the creature is denominated extrinsecally as related to the indivisible God
and Eternity : even as God and the creature are variously considered to
wards each other, as the Relate, or as the Terminus.
94. To clear it by a low similitude 5 When a Rock in the Sea is the
Relatum, and the Sea the Terminus, it may be said, [ This Rock is the con
stant Companion of the Sea"]: And also thence, that [The Sea is the con
stant companion of the Rock] the title of Constancy being thus mutually
+ Thissu oseth swith ^Ut in a various ^e. ^0 wnen tne Sea ls tne Rectum, Sfid the Rock
ret. Hartal and other is the Terminus, it may be said, that [The rolling waves pass by the Rock
Nominate,) that God is as its unconstant companions'] And consequently, that [The Rock is an
\n£tL?s™?u?KK™- inconstant Companion of the waves.] So you may say, that [the Eternal
swer to Aquinas resting God or Eternity doth indivifibly co-exist with the temporary creature, or
donl^t^Miyth^cra- vvith time'>] andthence that [ the temporary creature or Time doth co-
ture' is Related, is there- exist with indivisible eternity. ] And yet that Q the transient creature
fore vain. ^ doth transitorily co-exist with God] and so that [God doth but temporari-
q7|!pag"i3^7^M h co-exist with the transitory creature] ; as the reason of the denomination
whs mum tjt Deo pr*- is varioufly fetcht in.
faL:ur-!%e%Cne%"r7- 95 > Ist ^ manner quoad Ucum it may be said, that [ the finite crea-
um five contingent : cm ture doth limitedly co-exist with God 3 and so, that [ God as the Terminus
*V^^S*SJt
nittonis non aet reoiis ne- of the. creatures
. t —existence,
, » j jdoth limitedly
r \ co-existn with the creature . But
11/- —1
cesttatem, me toiiat i con- also that f_thc 1 nhnitc God doth immentely co-exist with the finite creature J
tingentibuscontingentum: anc| Q the finite creature doth co-exist with Immensity. 3
fcfemU^vinl'Xc.***' 96. t Butnote 1. That as the denominations of a universal may bebet-
For this co-existence, sec ter distributed and restrained by its relation to particulars , than particulars
&d.il%\\ijfc'apr'efi. can be denominated like the universal* so it is here unfitterto give the
i.i.36. q.i.a.2. &d. attribute of God relatively to the creature,' than to (peak of God as Rela
ys Gwr.i'.f'^c!^.' ^vety lirnited to the creature. And therefore it is more unfit to fay that
1.^14. a'ij. bn the ihe creature co existeth [eternally and immensely] with God, than thac
contrary, (eeAieif. i.p. God co-existeth [temporarily and limitedly] with the creature in relati-
Ten^.'ud.\o. «. 2.4*9. on' a,Triat the most proper expression is to fetch the attribute from the
scot. ib. q. 1. dht. q.i. Nature of the subject, rather than borrowedly from the correlate : And
elbr. , a\ 2. fo ic is fittest t0 soy' that CThe Eternal and Immense God doth co-exist Eter-
Marsd.in '-fliom. Vt'fqu. in nally and Immenlely with the Transttoryfinite creature]SAnd that sjhe crea-
i-Ti>»-q- 14. ?• d. 54. ture doth rmnsitorily and finitely co-exist with the Etern.il immense God ].
s'3,4, ?7.As
 and Decrees ofCjod, &c» . ' J ik

97. As Time is no Real being, but the Duration of Beings, which is no-' 1 ■ . • ••
thing but their Existence not ceasing ^ fo£ttr«/>/is nothing really distinct'-
from God himself ; but it is Gods existence considered as having no
measure of duration, no beginning, no middle, no parts of duration and •>
no End. .\ * . _ x
98. Eternity therefore is a Notion which may be called Indivisible arid1 •'• » •
Divisible in several respects. It is Indivisible properly and in it self gor-j
iidered ; for it is nothing but God himself as existing fine mrnsura tern- ".
foris perfectly and indivisibly : But it may be called Divisible Inteltitftiio ■
ally (by humane, partial or inadequate conception not by partition /> 4§ 1 '
it is eompared to transitory time $ and because as mans nafrdw head must
know one God fuo tnodo by many inadequate conceptions, or Hot at all, so
must he know Eternity [no modo , by conceptions drawn from partible'
Time. • «J •
99. By this much the great Objections of the Scotists may be satisfied
by a Conciliation : They fay, 1. That which existethnor* doth n<k co-exist-
nor God with it. a. That Eternity indeed includeth afl Tkne successively
as present in it $ but not future Time. To the first I answer , 1 . That it is
granted that Time hath successions, and only the present Instant is : And that
which // not, co-existeth not with Eternity : But yet feeing Eternity is In
divisible, it is not part of it that co-existeth with one of our Instants and
part with another-, but All indivisibly with each instant, a. And when ic
is said, That the Creature existed not ab &terno, if you intellectually di
vide Eternity into fast and present and suture , like Time, it's true : But
speaking properly, it is fallacious : For \_ Ab"} <tterm implyeth a divi
sion of Eternity, and a preterition of one part, which is commonly sup
posed false; But if the denomination be fetcht from Eternity, seeing it \i
Indivisible, you cannot say that to day it co-existeth with this day, and not
with tomorrow^ for if ever it co-existeth, it alwayes co-existeth: For,
ab & ad, & ante dr p°st3 & fat & erit, are words of falshood spoken;
properly of Eternity ( according to the commonest doctrine. )
100. And to the second the same answer serveth • Denominating Time
in it self, you may say that some is future, that is, Is not, but mil be, and
so that it is not In Eternity till it come. But fetching the Name from
Indivisible Eternity, Future there is a word of false importance : There
is no Futurity in Eternity* And it Indivisibly inclddeth all successions of
our Time.
1 or. Yet we lay no stress on any of this as necessary to reconcile oilr
Controversies : And we readily acknowledge and maintain, thatby£jr-
trinstek denomination from its Relation to cm successive Instants, Eter
nity and God himself may have new and various denominations ( of which
more anon ).

SECT. VII.

Of School Curiosities and Uncertainties about Gods Knowledge]

1 02. \ Bout Gods Knowledge Scholastical presumption hath gone so sar^

X\ as that I Ihbuld racher with trembling fly from their questions,
than seek to solve them, if the opposition of their curiosity and the defence
of truth, were not by them made necessary to others, and consequently some
consideration of the thing.
103. Some presume to tell u$> that Godknoweth Creatures only in his
own
 16 Ofthe feature, knowledge, Will

Attaint in caprioi. i. own Eslence, andnotin themselves, which must needs be false, iftheCrea-
difi-v- turcs are in themselves Intelligible: Because Gods perfection importeth the
knowledge of all that is intelligible.
yii.Rad.iUx. cm. 29. 104. Others tell us on the contrary, that God knoweth the Creatures
vid * *'anner\ d 2 m^ m t^emseJvesi anc^ not m his ow n Effcnce : But doubtless so far as
8.1 dubT^vliel't. p. 1.' d'. they may be said to be in his Essence, ( which is at least Virtually ) they are
1. q. 14. p. 3. star, dt there intelligible*
Tad.'ib. \ 453,' %t I05'ScotM with his followers hold that Gods Intellect hath two Objects,
nt.' Aquil. 1. dis. 35. one Primary, immediate, and motive, by virtue of which all other things are
i^i. Zfj'ijfi Hm' kn°vvn > an^ th*s lS Gods EflCnce. The other secondary, mediate , and
Greg'.Arim.uq. i.Gabl'. not motive, but terminative , and such is the Creature $ known only in
1. q. 3. Rvz.\j£o. Gods Essence t as fer aliud print cognitum in quo continetur, & non per
Aiinon.\l.'t.di$2. c.2.'. propriam speciem. But here they are at the greatest loss.
&c. Grtmad. \. p. contr. \o6. Tor to the Question, Hove the Creature is in Cod, their necessary
3. tr. 3,4. Ignorance bewrayeth it self by their divisions. It is agreed that all things
were eternally in God as in the first cause virtually and eminently. Bue
say some, The same numerical perfections are in God, as in the Creatures,
viz-. Infinitely in God, and finitely in the Creatures : But this makethGod
and the Creature to be One, and deifietb Creatures^
107. This they are put to , for the solving of that great difficulty,
whether God and thellni'verfe conjunct contain more Entity or perfection!
intensively or extensively than God alone , and the Worlds Being add any
Entity besides Deity *
108. They that are for the Negative:, judge it blasphemy to say, that
God alone is Less than God and the World > For he seemeth not to be of
Infinite Entity to whom any thingean be added. The question is not Whe
ther the World add any Divine Being to God, but any Being at all be so,
superadded, as that God is made a Part of the Universe. And I confess
that Pars, and Mo minor, are words that I dare not apply to God.
ubi supr. p. 4^.455' lo9- On the other side, faith Rada, Though Intensively nothing is ad-
So bradwardim is hard ded to God, yet Extensively we must fay, that entity and perse tlion in the
put to answer msSemi- „ • / jj j i iz-> f ' J 1 1
nator vtrbirtmJi. i.e. 7. Creature is lo added, as that God and the Creature are More than God
number rfth toGod a^one*' because else we mufi say, either that God and t/x World are onc7
hfinite : and^tofinite 0r etfe f^at world is Nothing, ar hath no Being : ' which is false,
somewhat may be added: no. Who dare venture on either of these dangerous consequences^
^hSy^addS either that God isbmz Part of Entity and Less than All, and so not Infi-
( which drove Vasqui^ .nite ; or that the World is God or Nothing ? If we should fay, that the
to assert infinite inteiii- Enttty 0f tne Creature being but Analogical Entity , is no Addition to
giblcs.) Eut plainly Gcds 1 •, . ■• . °, . ,* , J ' ■ ._
knowledge is infinite in Gods being, Ens non diciturllnivoce deDeo & Creaturis ; as xhtScottsts
n^as^ttrmina^OT^ ^Cn^ ^ antece(knt> *° ic narcNy fatisfieth the mind: Because even this
nitc'crcaturcs. 0" AnalogicalEntity is real positive Entity and not nothing : And therefore
though it add not Deity, it seemeth to add Entity ; and both sorts to be
more than One alone.
Kfydtetfffrf ' And ifwe should fay, that the world is an Accident ofGod, ( as
the amid, faith it is alt- a mans hair is of a man, supposing it were voluntarily Caused by him)-
quidvti; and so do all And that it is no imperfection in God to have Accidents, as long as his
men that confess a God: rrr . * • 1 »iajtl i_ «xr u • 3
and Yet. Hurtado and £JJence is1*00 Accident, nor Compounded ; And lo that the World is nopart
many urters prove that of God, Essential ot Integral; but being an Accident it is no Addition of
to 'ha™ ftebtiont ***** ttG*d '* Because as the word [Man} or [Peter} includeth not only,
which we call Accidents' his Parts* but his hair as an Accident , so the word .[_ God} may include
as is afore noted. t^Q mr/jas an Accident ; This would be judged novel, bold, presumptuous,
and is not fully satisfactory, had it no ill consequents.
112." The only way therefore is to confess our Ignorance, and that it
must needs be that the mind which cannot comprehend Gods Immense
Ete/naJ
 and Decrees of (sod, &Ci tj

Eternal Essence , must be unable to solve such questions as imply such

a comprehension : And it were well if mens experience of their utter inca
pacity to understand some such Cases, would warn them more cautelously
to meddle with others.
i i 3. Thescotists doctrine is laicj down by Rada in these Conclusions,
l.Deus cognofeit alia, a fe. 2. Cognofeit omnia perfectiffime. 3. Non
cognovit alia a fe per reprxfentationem dr motionem quxm ipsa de se faci-
unt. 4. Creatura non est objectum primarium & tmmedtatum Divina
cognitions. 5. Zed tale eft Divina efjentia. 6. Distinctam tamen olio- Vasqucz in t. thorn, q;
rum habet Cognitionem. 7. Detts cognovit creaturas in fua effentia. *t ^{tintu'vei'i
S. Cognofeit res in fe ipfts & propriis earum naturis, fi fiat determinatio qU* alias cognitil
coznitionU ex parse ret cogniu. In all this it seemeth to me to be over- eft MfiM'-.
. °, 1 - Pi _i ^ 1 1 .1 > am> tddtto refpeffa film
bold prelumption to conclude , 1 . That God knoweth not the Creature rœini* ad res fxturdsi
immediately: And the reason he giveth is as bold, quia tune vilefeeret q«"rum dititur fiimU:
Divinus intellect/**. None of this can be proved, though I presume not ^(udm "dtcjjet
to assert the contrary. Yet it seemeth to us that the Creature is Quid p*fi'mtia , fid non fii-
intclligibile in fe immediate, and that it is the perfection ofGodtoknow mU.L f Kn! $f?«
all that is intelligible, and not a viluving of him. As it is no vilifying vto 1tiera Volmas, qu*
of his Power to make every thing as it is. The Creature no doubt is not c!Mtftl
the Primary intelligible object: But whether it be not Immediately Intel- vtlmtttu 'amfUeatU ,
ligible in fe is the doubt. W* viz. tffmia divisd
3. And it seemeth to me a presumption to say > that else the creature pe%^s."%,
would move the Divine Intellects and that God as the object moveth his ^Ferrarientc. 7$.
own Intellect as agent ^ Por Moving signifieth Causing, and there is in
God ( fay all Divines ) no Effects, and therefore no Causing of them ; and
so no such moving.
114. It is also an agitated Controversie with them, Whether it be
Gods Ejfence as such which the Creatures are Represented and known in,
or in his Knowledge it self as such ? They that are for the former say, that
the Creature is represented in the Divine Essence before it is known ( as in
a glass J because the object is presupposed to the act: faith Cajetan, the cajet.i.p.q.14. art-y
Ruder ignorant sort thus imagine. The second opinion is thus delivered
by Rada, Res non continentur in Divina Effentia ut prior est cognitione Kad' mtu 2?* arii
a Ciit dr formaliter ; nee ibirepra-fentantur actu dr distincte. 2 . Creatu- s,f,1{'4 °'
r<e in Divina Effentia non prius babent ejfe repr&fentatum actu dr forma-
liter, quam intelliguntur. 3. Creatura (formaliter loquendo secundum scot.im.d.i. q.i. t/t.iq
quod aliquid dicittir formaliter intelligibile ) non prius habet intelligibi/e
qaam intelligatur ; fed per intelleftionem habet primum ejfe actuate df
formale, dr proprium exprejjum dr reprafentatum. And their similitude
is, that as mans mind doth not presuppose second notions (Genus,Jpecies,drc.)
but make them, so doth God the Creature as intelligible intelligendo.
115. This lcadeth them to another doubt, Whether the Creatures have
from
, . , Eternity
, J an, e[fe
•» reale distinct from
t rr Gods
■ Essence ? -a
Where ■ Henric.
i_ c _ ' ( refor.
Him. . Scoto.
. . , in
» ti
iaith that they have a true ejje reale ejjentu, at non exijtentu, became d.^6.) quodiib.i.q. 9;
emne pcfsibile est ens reale ; & est in generej drc. Thus do men play &q.A. i&^
with the notions of their own brains. Scotus eonfuteth this by seven ar- f b*" ?(5,\, r j ,
, . , . r. , , 1 Vid. 7fc. waldenfi dt an*
guments, which is easily done. tiq.fid.i.i.c.i.cmiMicitf.
1 1 6. But their next doubt is greater, whether the Creatures have from
eternity an esse intselligibile & cognitum distinct from Gods ejfence ?
What the ejfe Cognitum is, whether it be ens reale or rationis or quid
medium ? Scotus is the Author of this notion of ejfe cognitum as an ejfe
fermale dr proprium quod creatura habet distinction ab ejfe fua Causa 5 in
quo inDivim intellect* creatur* ipfc per intelleftionem producuntur ;e.g.
L.Apid;m in ejfe cognito productst ftcut intelleftus noster fecundas intenti-
D 9HtS
 18 Of the Stature, Knowledge, Will

tiones facit,ejr ita rebus ifsis effe cognitum tribuit : nam ftcut Usis vifus
per vtfionem ha bet effe vifum, ita lapis cognitus per cogniticnem efje cog
nitum babet fed ut primum ejus ejfe, per quod cjfe formale habent
Scot. l.d. 43./. d.& d. Imoeffe rerun* Poffibile in effe cognito fundatur. Who can read such
fJ^3?M«/,~C*,lfc presumpn»ous aflertkmsof the unknown mode of Divine Intellection
without dread? And what a dance and shew is here made of mecr words,
while a Creature that is no Creature, is said to have an effe which is no
effe (ot them) and so confessed < For ( though Cajetan and others mistook
yid. Rad. ib. him, ) Scotus confeffeth that this effe cognitum non est ens reale, nec me-
dium inter ens reals ejr rationis, fed est ens rationis purumy & omnino
nibil, contra ens reale distinefum, ita, quod nuUatenus aliquidrealitatis ba-
scot. u d. & q. unic. bet. And is not here then a presumptuous play with words < Scotus thus
ut. g. ' explaincth it. If Cafar were annihilated, and the statue of him remained,
Ctfar would have an Effe representatuyn in the statue, which is neither
Rjd.ukisnp.pii.461. an effe effent'u vel exiftentU total or partial. And faith Rada7 Ex bis
mantfeste colligitur effe cognitum Creature in Deo secundum Scotum effe
omnino nibil-, prout nibil opponitur enti reali five effenti* five existent/a,
ejr non magis ejfe nibil chimxram quam hominem in effe cognito,
quia utriq; inest negatio totius entu. And indeed the effe repr^enta-
tum Cœfaris is nothing but the modus status, which per modum stgni is
apt to bring the shape of c&far to the beholders imagination. And
1. Can they prove any such Modifications of God ? a* And if they
can, should they so abuse words as to call that modus IntelleBus Divini,
an effe primum formale creatur* distinct from God ? The sum of the
ib.p. 468. Scotists opinion is thus expressed by Rada Effe cognitum creature est
ens Rationis, folum habens ejje in intelleclu Divino objective, stcut fecun-
dœ intentiones in inteHeclu creato fed res in effe cognito non est ob-
jeflum motivum fed terminativum fecundarium. 1. As if God had any
objefinm motivum! 2. Or as if we poor mortals knew that God hath
entu Rationis / Though we confess that we may so speak of him after
the manner of men ; if we confess the great impropriety of the speech.
117. From hence ariseth another Controversy, Whether to Gods un
derstanding the Creatures, there be necestarily pre-required in him distinct
relations to the objects < which I will not trouble you with their agitati
on of.
118. But the great Controversie is of the Divine Idea's 1 especially
whether the Creature as in Esse cegnito be a Divine Idea ? Aquinas denyeth
* Aq. 1. q. 1$. art.u it, * and faith that an idea is the Divine Essence as imitable by the Crea-
t scot. iJ.i$.q.uniu.& ture. Scotus; Gabr. Ockam,Gerfon} &c. affirm it. Aquinas his opinion
tf.Gabr.i. d.i$. q. 5. IS tslUS opcnccj by Cajetan, Rada and others, 1. idea non fcnificat folum
Gerfon I. vtt.Jpir. animx. r . r ' J <=> J ,.A
Lta. 2. corol. 12. jundamentum tmttabtlitatts. 2. Nec tantum refpectum imitabilitatis.
Sec in fr"n0faJfo%Tc'd$' Se~d utrumque. 4. Effentia Divina cognita ut imitabilis a Creatura
fferenc' opinions about I- f£r modum exemplaris est idea. 5. In Deo est idearum multitude.
dca's, and die doubtful- 6. Multitude idearum in Deo non est multitudo rerum reipfa inter fe, ejf
ness of them. ay e^entiA AjstiatJarum. 7. Nec multitudo rationum formalium, five re-
rum formaliter distinciarum. 8. Sed est multitudo rationum intelletla-
rum. 9. Non distinguuntur ratione per at~lum intellectus creati. ide
arum multitudo est multitudo rationum a Deo intelleftarum.
August. *>u*!l. I. 83. q. up. The Scotists think Augustine of their mind, and give us their
46. scot. 1. d. 35- 1- fence in these conclusions, of Rada, 1. ideas, hoc cst} rationes in menteDi-
ca. Rada I. I. cont. 29. „ „ „' . , 11 1 a -r. •
m. <>.p. 497,498, vina eollocatas tarn Grxci quam Latint tradtderunt. 2. idea non est Di~
• vina effentia secundum fe & absolute fumpta. 3 . Non eft quid iggre-
gatum ex effentia & refpecfu imitabilitatis. 4. Non includit in fua ra
tione refpetf/tm rationis nec tanquam aliqitid fibi ejjentiale, nec tanquam
modum
 and Decrees of (jod, 6cc. 1a

modum intrinfecum. 5 . idea in mente Divina eft iffames creatura cog-

nita. And Scotns his definition is, Idea, est ratio aterna & incommuta-
bilis in mente Divina, secundum quam aliqutd eft formabile extra tan-
quam secundum propriamrationemejus. Dltr^j^H * \£ &
is o. By this you ice how widely they arc disagreed what an Idea is*in l'm mav.x, d!tf. 'q"i.
Cod: And yet they conclude (zsRadaib.p. 480. ) neminem nisi his in- xicbod. mi. y. 35. 4.
telUais sapientem esfe : Nam quamvis Deus Opt. Max. ex cognittone ?lf £
ejjentiœ fit Infinite sapiens, ac proinde ex cognitionc /dearurn nen ef- oiousofhis Masters do-
ftciatur fapientior intensive, attamen ft Ideas, quartim ratio incommn- „?^Jag'ftA?'&?'
rr -r ■ • 1 r 1 2" t^'de diverfitatem dpi-
tabilis eft, tgnoraret, non ejjet Omnijcius. Et Art. 3. p. 470. lie faith, nimum dt qu. Quorum
\_Deus effe nequit fine ideis."] We all grant that without the Knowledge
of all things Intelligible, God cannot be, nor be Omniscient. But the
name of Ideas is fetcht from mans mode of Intellection, which is ever
conjunct with somewhat of Imagination or sense $ which also feemeth in
cluded in our notion of Ideas, which therefore are usually called Images
or Species. And as we are most certain that Intellection in God both in
the form and mode doth so Infinitely transcend and differ from humane
Intellection, as that it is not the fame thing so we are very unfit in
this wosul darkness to talk so peremptorily of things unknown, and to
conclude that God hath not a more perfect knowledge of things, than by
Idea's, or any thing fitly so called. The world therefore mould not be
troubled with such presumptions.
iai. The next doubt among them is ot Future Contingents, whether
and hove they are known of God. That they are known of him is past
doubt : But how is the great difficulty. Aquinas his mind is thus expressed by Rad. ibid. an. 3. 454;
Ha da, Cone1. 1 . Futura Contingentia prout funt in fitis caufis indeterminx-
tis, solum conjecturali cognittone cognofei posj'unt. 2. Futura contingentia
in jeipsis pojjunt certa & infallibili cognittone cognofei. 3. Deus non cog-
noscit precise futurum contingent, prout eft in suit caufis indeterminatis. *
4. Deus cognofeit futura contingentia ut prasentia in ftta realt tjr actuate
exiftentia, qua eis convenit extra fuas causas. 5. Deus certa & infalli
bili cognitione prascit futura contingentia.
122. The mind of Scotus he thus expresseth, after many notes and
distinctions. 1. Deus cognofeit omnia futura contingentia quoad omnes id. ib. ad. pig. $04}
condit tones exiftentia eorum, sic, quod quacanque ets in tempore contingenter
insunt, perfette ab aterno attingit. 2. Deus noncognofeit certo ejr de
terminate futura contingentia per hoc quod sunt stbi in aternitate pra-
sentia. { Should I here recite you the reasons by which he and other Sco-
tifls and Dr. Twisfe do propugn this assertion, and those by which Ca-
jetan and many Thomifts do oppugn it, I should tire you. It shall suffice
to say that both fides talk in the dark of that which is utterly above mans
reach ). 3. Certitudo Divina ejjentia respettu omnium quantum ad om-
nes condittones exiftentia, non habetur per ideas. ( This also is on both
sides tediously disputed in the dark ). 4. Qui nosfet canfas naturales fu-
turorum, etiam eorum qua necesfarias causas habent, ut Soils, Lunaq-tde-
feittones, non proinde infallibilem eorum notitiam asfequeretur, nift deter-
minationem divina voluntatu circa hujusmodieventus cognosceret. ("That's
true, because they are all but dependent second Causes ). 5. Deus cog-
nofeit futura contingentia certo & infallibiliter ; quia Divina esfentia ut
ratio cognofeendi reprajentat divino intellettui rem determinate futurant
ex determinatione divina voluntatis. And this is Scotus his way, which
Dr. Twisfe propugneth.
123. Here Scotus supposeth things to lye in this order in the Divine Scot, guodtib. q.14. 1%
Intellect, [1. The Divine Essence moveththe Divine intellect to know it tlT'
D 2 - self,
 1

o0 Of the Stature, Knowledge , JPMf

/c^, and all that is' formally in it. 2. To the simple Intellection of all
that is intelligible, as abstracting from existence, or any order to it. 3. To
the knowledge of all necessary copulations, which are known by connexion
of terms, and this naturally and neceslarily before the wills determination:
betfause they are not True because God willethit, but antecedently formal
ly of themselves. But not so to the Knowledge of contingent copulations,
s.3 How casie were it to open much uncertainty and figment in thele bold
V\d.Rad. ^.»-497> 49*« assertions f*
Mo. 16. fiti. 5. h m- 1 2 4* And here a great deal of dispute there is about the Liberty of Gods
citing abundance of w^ and the #4/«r<? of contingency. Some Thomists^ (whom our west-
^Um^Spoh M iwmJMt Assembly follow, butitfliould not have been put into a Confession
^arf ut non yoluerit Mt 0f faith) say that nothing is to be called Contingent in respect of God,
SfftSdfaM ayiS But the s»fj/fr contrarily fay that there could be no contingency if ic
yet more, »«« »#'- were not first from Gods free will : and that he freely and contingently
pr S}ftr!t£rl mac*e all the world : All Actions being cither naturally necessary or con-
S2t/f "dt fxtri* p«* tingent > And if God had made all of natural necessity, they had been
cpniuHs. isnoctiiisprv eternal
Ssth^S ? thc 1 2 5'. And herethey soy that Gods will hath first a Liberty of contra
diction, (to will or not rvill.) 2. And a Liberty to divers objects,
( which I call of competition or comparison ) yea and to will contrary*
objects by the fame act. 3. But not a Liberty to contrary Acts ( Velle
ejr nolle ) because that would be mutability.
1 a 6. And here many maxims are used by them as sufficient to answer
all objectors, which yet are ambiguous or uncertain themselves. i.One
is, that God receivetb mt the certainty of his Knowledge from the Crea
tures: And therefore if their present coexistence in eternity were provedj
it would no whit clear the doubts, ot help the Thomists, who are here at a
loii for a sufficient answer. My business is to side with neither, bnt to
deterr the Reader from the presumption of both parties -3 and to thac
* s the marginal cita- to open the uncertainty of what they fay. And so it is enough to
tion,e/>st? 16. out of pet. answer, that As the Creature in being is no addition to Gods being or
AMiccim. who giveth perfection, so to Know the Creature is not any addition to Gods Know
5wt/« hhroakingGods Ud&* or perfection ; but only the terminative acting of his perfect Know-
VoUtiM to be the reason ledge ad extra. And that their word £ Receivetb "} hath a false suppo-
^M^Bmft it sition- For Go<J Receiveth 00 Knowledge ( though mans knowledge be
fidfly suppose* priority partly Receivings but the Infinite Light of his Intellect is emitted Know-
and Escufcit makedi *n§ty t0 tnc Creature. So that Gods knowledge may be terminated on
Gods intellect in primo Creatures, and thence denominated This or That knowledge without Re-
inflanti to be neutral dt ception.
t£"Sh« imtw ml- la7« Another maxime is that of Augustine^ Non aliter faila. quam
dim in contriditiione. fenda novie, and no new mode of Knowledge is to be imagined in God :
3' ISf^ Aa J God which both sldes maKe use of- To which 1 »y> that nothing can be called
to be a medium & ratio Gods Knowledge, but either his EjJ'ential Intellection, or the termination
hcooncludeth ^That °^ ic °n the Creature. The first is never changed : But the second, say
the case i> unsearchable, the Nominals, is but an extrinsick denomination of it from the various
2. Eut most probably m- Terminating objects : And whether you will call them terminations, or
*Sfc%ZiTZS!u Relations, or denominations, they may be New and various (of which
ma immediate super qiam- more anon ) without any change or variety in God: even as the Sun is
mtiaUt^Snu'm % ^ changed by the various Receptions or terminations of its influx here
mulfirtur : ideo tarn circa below.
fa'.^fqjjsljgZ 128. * Another maxim is, that God knoweth things even Intuitively
w'lhTvnitttTm ca turn eternally in himself (his Will) when they exist not. Anfw. As Abstra-
bdtt iUhtm 1 & Hyi- ctive and Intuitive are words signifying the divers modes of Gods knowing
BtfajlticiL. things j they are but presumptuous figments, for ought I fee-, It being past
mans
 and Decrees of (jod, &c. 2i

mans reach to know the mode of Divine intellection, more than above
the reach of a bird or beast to know the mode of ours. But as we may
more easily and safely distinguiih and denominate Gods Knowledge frorri
the objects, so we may well lay, i . That he knoweth not that Creature to .
exist in nunc ternsoris which doth not so exist. 2. And that cjje Volitum
is not ejje existens. And therefore to know the former is not formally
to know the latter.
iap. Yea ic is here disputed Whether there be indeed any contingency Rcad th^ dispute of ph.
or not ( which die Doctrine of Hobs and the Dominican Predetermi- JTJ'jj cÆ
nants must needs exclude, which make all events to be necessitated by *»»"« and o\*ms and his
God ). The Reasons against it are, f, Whatever God fore-knoweth SfiSKTrf <S5 not
must necessarily be : but he fore-knoweth all that will be: ergo knowing what he know-
a. AH things future are from eternity determined in Gods will to one ^^/^e c *S inthe
part of the contradiction : ergo neceffario erunt. 3. AH the acts of the S^God not to hare
Creatures will is to be done, by the physical efficient necessitating infupera- known them, and much
ble predetermination of God the first cause : there is noplace in such i^S^Jdf^
necessity for contingency ( which is a posse tendere ad effe vel non effe.) die failed but) the hid-
130. Many and different answers are given to these* and thole of the J^^p£cjfi»pfeIriof
Thomists and Dominicans are mostly shuffling arid vain : But plainly and they are propiiaue.03""8
briefly, 1. Gods fore-knowledge, 2. And his mcer will, when they are
not joyned efficiently with power, or a will de effiriendo, do no whit at
all Cause or necessitate the effect or event, or ponere aliquid in objetfo.
Ttis
_ only
. J a Logical
p. y neceffitas
. rn \ con sequentU
• x.1 • in ordinejrprobandi
ifithat ariseth
rr YjP'j ?'0^
^n. dub. ? 4
l.Bonavtntur.znd
from them, which consisteth with contingency, and not a physical necessity (saidi Dr. tw/?; all the
in ordine esfendi as from a cause, called consequentis$ or ejsccJi. And, Schoolmen fay the fame,
2. Gods Knowledge zadtrill rather prove contingency 5 For he doth not
only know and will hoc futurum, but hoc centingenter futurttm : There
fore it will be. 3. And the last argument from necessitating predetermi
nation I fliali elsewhere confute, and shew their contradiction who say
that God doth predetermine the thing contingently to come to pass.
131. But it cannot be denyed but that Gods will is from Eternity de
termined about every contingent event : And therefore that Necessitate
existentia the determination of it is eternally necessary : And therefore
that which we call Its Liberty is but the perfect manner of its determina
tion, as Bradrvardine COnfesseth.
132. But what is all this stir about"? The great business of all is to
shew how God fore-knoweth Jin, For faith Radd, Iss eafie ( from Gods ibid. ar. 3.;. 503.
Volition ) to shew how he knoweth things that are not fin : but how
knoweth be fin from eternity, feeing this was never in effe volito ? And Sjjff//' 3f f l'<uT£
here the way of the Scotists proveth utterly insufficient. DuTwiffe and rm7.)l'q.'uc\%.iiu'
Rutherford and some Dominicans fay, that God fore-knoweth it, because zumi.Kifafion\aU
he Decreed to Cause all the Entity of the Act with all its circumstances fffijjlffi^iffi
from which the form of sin is but a resulting relation. But this sub- 10. ftawr.i. p.dJf.x
verteth Religion. Radaibid. andTw/p oft say, he Decreeth to permit it, £cL?t'J/5.G M
( and that // shall come to pass ipfo permittente, faith Twifsi) Qjj* per-
mijfio ( faith Rada ) non accipitur in communi, fed pro eo quod est per' ibid. art. 3. j. 5034
mittere de facto deficere dr in pe centum rue re fubtrahendo efficacia
jtuxilia qitibus p fitit non foret peccatum. Qjtdre hue eft bona conse
quentia quantum ad iHationem precise ; Dens permittit aliquem peccare hie
dr nunc de faCio : ergo, peccat: ergo, valet consequentia,Deus voluitab
dterno permittere ut Petrus peccaret de facto tali & tali oceafione oblata : * vid Ru!^ dt r(iatt ^
ergtpeccabit : Dixi quantum *d iUationetn precise. Quia quantum ad C'au- 17. Gr.Faint, f. 1. dip.
falitatem non e(l bona ilia consequenta *. But to pass by their supposition »• «• '4- P'f- 7.
r J ,1 ■ 1 .. » r „n ■ con. 1. f. ir. 2. ai\p- a
of Gods knowing consequences by argumentation,! shall confute all this anon. * 4.
133. And
 22 Of the Feature, Knowledge, Will

vid. Afun. i. p. q. 14. 133. And here the Thomijls and Scotifis have another skuffle, on- the
«*. 1 %. ti sieudtm. qUe(tion whether this knowledge of future contingents and the conditi-
Scot. in r» a. 39. q. 4. » .^,11 • 1 • r 1 • ^-1
Rad. u. 1. cont. jo.«t.$. onsof exist ency in God, beNeceJJary in him, or free and contingent i The
ftf. 310, 311, ^ Thomists thus conclude, 1.5/ futurum contingent secundum fe, dr sttam
See iwte. Confutation of / I, J ~. ,Y J ■ " ■ J n
cajttan and ockam at propriam naturam confideretur , necejjitas nullatenns et convemre potcjir,
large in i.^p.i. 39. fed sola contingentia. 2. Si futurum contingens confideretur secundum
Lq.vtmrt.^li.i. r. 11 quod subest Divin<escienti<e,est necessarium absolute. 3. Hæcpropofitio, Dem
& 12. p. ii83 H9) scivit Antichristum futurum, est fimpliciter dr absolute necessaria : fed bec
consequens, s_ Ergo Antichristus erit j non est absolute necessarium fedcan*
tingens, fi secundum se confideretur*. At ut divine scientU subest, est ab
solute necessarium. 4. Scientia Dei re specif*futurorum contingentium prout
jam ad ipsa estterminata, est fimpliciter necessaria. And they prove the
affirmative thus, i.Gods knowledge is Immutable: therefore necessary.
2. To know future Contingents is Perfection : therefore neceflary in God.
3 .This Can be in God : therefore it necessarily is in him.
134. The Scotists thus express their fense, ( after much explication )y
I . Futuro contingenti secundum suam propriam naturam considerato nufla.
necejjitas ctnvenire potefi. 2. Futura contingentia , etiam ut fubjunt
<. ■ Divinœ scientU3 non sunt necessaria. 3. Futurum contingens , etiam ut
j subest Divinæ scientU3 eft quoad esse fimpliciter contingens, dr secundum
quid necessarium. 4. Propofitio bac f_ Deus scivit Petrum futurum 3 five fit
de prœsenti, vet de praterito, non est fimpliciter necessaria, fed exsuppo
sition. f.Prasata propofitio dromnia futura contingentia, sunt necessarian
necessitate immutabilitatis. 6. Scientia Dei respetfu omnium creaturarum
'< quoad esse existentU earum est contingens , & ex suppofitione necessaria.
I recite the words of Rada only, that I may not weary the Reader by refer
ring him to peruse too many Authors, and because no man better discusseth
the differences. See also his answers to the Thomists arguments, pag. 514.
'Aitx. Aims. j.j. q. 23. ne tna|. wouy peruse more, may see them named in Ripalda lib. i.d.iS.
mtmb. 3. ar. 4. Thorn, cont. , 37. and. may*read, Aqum. i.p.d.10 * t 1. d.10
Gent.c.66.Francisjuayro. cr 38. q. i. ar. •). Aureol. 38. ar. 1.
i.p.d. 38 &$9. Lychet. Qckam dr Gabri. ib. q.unic. ar. 2 & 3. Greg. ib. q. 3. Durand. ib.q. 3.
1.4.39.4.1. Fab. d. 54. Cajet. Naz. Bannez, Zumel, Gonzal. Arrub. Molin. Vasq.
Fafol.m.i.p. q. 14. ar. 3. Tanner, i.p. d.i. q. 8. dub. 3. Valent. i.p.
d.l. "a. 14. p. 3. Suarez li. 3. de Attribut. c.2. Ruiz d. 10. Bonavent.
l.d. 39. Aquil. scotell. i/ii.d.39. q.z. And on the same a multitude of
other known Scotists, &c.
135. Should I proceed to open to you all or half the questions about which
if you would fee what the Scboolmens acutest wits do but dream, concerning the Knowledge and
the rhomifts-fay of-these, Decrees of God, I should weary my self and the Reader to little purpose 5
Ktpalda will direst you - , „./.• ■ rt ,. J r , rr . „/rr r „ .
" whereto find them. And luch as, An scientia aclualis aliorum fit de EJjentia Dei ? An Ejjentta Dei
the smi^m&xminah fit Motivum ad.aqu.ttnm ejus scientU ? An Deus cognoscat creaturas ex
found. °°n sg*ffi) aut ex ?er discurfum? An dr quomodo scientia Dei pojjit di-
•vidi in plures ? An dr quomodo Deus cognoscat Mda ? An cjr quomodo Deus
>.• cognoscat negationes dr privationes ? AnDetts cognoscat Entia rationis ?
An babeat in fe Entia Rationis f De scientia Media. An scientia VifionU
•- fit causa futurorum ? An futura causa scientU ? An scientia fimplicts in-
teUigentia fit causa futurorum & pratfica ? An Deus cognoscat futura.
compenendo dr dividtndo ? An Deus cognoscat pr&sentia eadem indivifibili
cognitione , qua ipsa pranovit futura ? An Deus noverit Infinita scientia,
fimplicis intelligentU ? An eadem cognitione fe dr creaturas cognoscat?
An exiflente objefto pro solo imperio Voluntatis Divinæ poffit non esse in
Deo aliquis atfus scientU divino intellect™ pofjibilts ? drc. with a multi-
\ tude of lesser questions which arise in the handling of these-, And with
as many more about Predestination, Gods Decrees or Volitions , Pre
determination,
 and Decrees of (jodt &c. 23

determination, &c. I think rather your patience is put lo it sufficiently

already.
136. If you fay that by reciting the!e difficulties , I do but confound
mens understandings, rather than elucidate the things in hand, I answer, If Nic. D'Orbellis in U
you are lost m them, I have my end, which is to make you sensible howun--^ rtfyvtsio etmaLs
meet it is, that the Peace of the Church, and the Concord and Comrnu- «<* qnxfUim mpm*
nion of Brethren should at all be laid on such multitudes of difficult and i%lut£^s mfkfUt^ai
unsearchable things which are many vain, and others past mans understand- indagandm abyfim jud;-
ing. Shall we
11 r call
1 one another
ir tby the
j names
r of Sects,
- iand reproach
i our MiTIUH! CUM da pUilllW 101
brethren, as for the truth of God, and as if it were lor his Glory, till all vsiemiu cognofemmodh*
these Controversies are cleared to us all? >I who profess them to be beyond her!J* s«. minimi vtrmi*
• , r r r r r i l c"'< preprietatem.
my reach, and protels my Ignorance or very many ot them, am yet cen- The very fame hath
sured by my Brethren as too Scholastically curious for so much as naming BJS^rA'w' tl^^)it
them, or medling with them 5 yea, and for deciding cafes which may ana Pran^mPmous Cl0°"
must be decided: And of all our present Ministers , I am confident there See also v^wk in r.
is not one of fifty sis of a hundred; that hath either throughly studied ^'*^f^Kte
them, or ever will do. Now if the Church must have Love and Concord, sully and freely confes-
how will it be had < Of those few ( one of a hundred that study them «» ^^S*
throughly) six men it's like are of three opinions. And what foall the S^k Gods L&<»ty of
ninety nine dothat never so studiedrhem t Either they must know what they will as related to things
never studied, and be in the Right where they understand not what they ^dm^m'u ilfoinbii^
fay : Or else they must unite by an Implicit faith. And in whom (hall that ■, vix aik vitm pas
te• < i If the
Tr Church,
r i r,whati Churchi is .ii
it? Are not many
* iChurches i of
• i many
r L fefs^^'S
W*1 • Ctrtt/Jtma ran-
minds? It ot the Papal Church, it hath more wit than to decide tuen m imtp&m fojsmus
Controversies t so that their Doctors are almost Sectaries by divisions to V?d:Jin h" n & 1
• . , 7 J•, Quid vtro fit, verbo IX-
tlUS day. . >■■ pli'cari difstcillimm, aut
137. And if any will dream that the Controversies between the Calvi- tnhcfiat*imp»ipbuttst.
nifis and Lutherans (or Arminians) and the Dominican's and Jesuits can ^ZZxtlSqt
be resolved for either side without medling with these questions , he is a tms prinetpim Ubmm
person too ignorant to be fit to speak confidently in the Cause. Let him f ff*nn*> . imge dhtr
but try a dispute with any able adversary, and he sliall be carried to these snl bifet rttaini*
whether he will or not. ' fcilftodie ftmcCu?
138. But if it be one that is so confident on either part, as to think that pose. "And this is the
his side or opinions are so great and clear, as that the contrary are unfit for confession of diem all;
our toleration, and communion, I must be so free with him as to fay, that cfwhich more after,
he bewrayeth so great ignorance and Pride, as make his own fitness for com
munion much more questionable. For is it not most odious ignorance, fdr
a man not to know his <rx>n Ignorance of so many mysteries which no mor
tals know i And is it not loathsome Pride, for men to be so confident of
these false conceits, and arrogate to themselves a knowledge which mans
earthly state is uncapable of i
139. And itfiileth mewithsliametofind, that ( though some stir hath
been lately made against the Jansenists) yet all these Sects ( Dominicans,
Jesuits, Scotists, Nominals,&cc. ) can live in communion notwithstanding
their differences, when yet the Protestants have prosecuted the same dif
ferences with all that bitterness, which you may find in the Germans Hi
storians and Divines, ( such as Schlujselhurgius, Calovius, and many more )
and in the fad History of the Love Countreysi and in Heylins Life of Arch-
bidnp Laud, and which you may still hear in all parties, in their ignorant
censures of one another, by the names of Cahinijts and Arminians. And
yet the Church of Rome is justly condemned by us for its uncharitable Cru
elty against Dissenters, when thus we thereby condemn our selves.

SECT.
r ~
24 Osthe Mature; Knowledge, Will

SECT. VIII.

More of Gods Fore-knowledgej and of Permission of sin.

140. T)Ut to leave this Wilderness, and speak more of things certain^
JlS °r such as belong to us in our measure to know : It is certainly
unknown to mortals, formally, what knowledge is in God ( as is aforesaid;,
and much more in what Manner he knoweth either Futures or Contingents,
or any Creatures, ex parse [cientts.
1 41 . If any particular manner therefore offer it selfto your minds, as that
which probably feemeth to be the right, it may afford you reason therefore
to suspect that it is not the right : Because it is certain that the Manner
is past our reach. And what man can comprehend is infinitely below
Cod.
142. If the Cafe of Aarons Sons, the Bethjbemites}Uzzah^ Uzziah, and
others that presumed too boldly to meddle with holy Rituals and Ceremo
nies was so dreadful 5 what is theirs that profanely toss Gods own Name,
and pretend to know that of himself, which they know not, and turn his
secrets profanely into matter of Contention against the Churches of
Christ <
143 . Either Futurity as such, is Intelligible in it self to God, or clse the
things future are Intelligible as in Eternity j or else futurity is intelligible
only in its Causes : We can think of no other way ( but God hath more
than we can think of. ) If it be Intelligible in it self, or as things are In
Eternity the Controversie is mostly ended : The perfection of Gods un
derstanding then is proof enough that he knoweth all that is intelligible.
But if it be only in the Causes , it is either as those Cases necessarily
Ttmttttu propug*. 1. 3. e. will Cause, or clse as freely and contingently. The first Cause rcacheth.
evnVe reconcili'i ^of not our Controversie : Forfinhathno neceffit Cause, but free. The
thcn«rra'iMy°nof rfvine second is the fame difficulty with that in question, viz.. How God knoweth
prc-scicr.ee with contm- that a free undetermined Cause ( mans Will ) will this or that way deter-
powr mam pndcr- mine it self? Nothing is knowable to us as certain from an uncertain cause;
standing in this life, in which hath no antecedent reason to prove its future self-determination to this
the opinion of these sub- mnrPrrVm rnrhir
tile Schoolmen, Gabriel more tna" 10 tnar-
1. d. 28. q. 1. a. 2. oc- 144. If we go to the Jesuites Scientia Media ( as it deferveth not that
l>in /*/^w,jm^r^^ name, so ) it is insufficient to this use. For all those circumstances in which
difficult will it be to re- God sore-knoweth that the will shall determine it self, are such asneces-
lu^ofGa^hisCrrcrnaf *'tate tncwi^ *°t0 ornot: If they fay the first, they giveaway their
on° i( preJ«crmhi?ng mvn cause, and the cause of Religion (speaking of sinful Volitions ). If
with contingency ? the latter, the cafe is still as difficult ( and the lame ) as if they had ne-
Sm^wcm* fofeJ ,vcr mentioned those circumstances or conditional knowledge : -viz. How
words, in 1. d. 37. q. 2. God knoweth that a will still free and not necessitated will choose sin ra-
nivinewitit vi* in thcr than duty < For from non-necessitating circumstances it follow-
m* Caulatur, nec dependtt, . * o
idea pat'tfi c(fc arta de re Ctll not.
emingmi. 145, If we go the way of Scotusy and fay that he sore-knoweth it in
the determination of his own will de rerum futuritione, cither that will is
supposed to be a Causing efficient will ; or not < If it be, it reacheth not
the case of sin, seeing Gods will doth cause no sin. But if not, then still the
difficulty is the fame as before, How God that willcth the Event, but
caufeth it not, dorh know that his Will sliallbedone? For it is not from
the Cause to the Effect. To say that his own Jmmntalilitj proveth it, is
no proof : For if his immutability Cause net, the Effect arileth not from
it: And to say that his Omnipoier.cy or Absoluteness inferreth it, is no
proof,
 and]<Decrees of (jod^ &c. 2^

proof, unless his Omnipotency Cause ir. And to say that it followed!
Logically Necessitate Consequents , though not Causa/lv necessitate cffcfti
vel consequents , that what GoA willeth to k3 (ball be, is most certain :
And so is it from his fore-knowledge ( which medium yet the Scotists fay
is here insufficient. ) But that is because it is here supposed that what God
so knoweth or willeth to be future, he willeth to be future by the causation
of some Cause : for he willeth not any thing to be without a Cause. Be
sides that still sin is not willed by him to be future at all. * thenotai?Jsfl aftcr cired
146. And here I am to confute the foresaid reason of Rdda ( recited whkhlhe \5S mt
Thef. 130.) God, faith he, fore-knoweth sin, in that he knoweth that he Sc*u* ,n *b opini- ,
decreethto permit it. And Dr. Tw/ often faith, that all confess, that ?S!^d7sSm^'.
Permission certainly inferreth the event of the thing permitted. I answer-, faith did first.invite him
+ There is not so much as any great appearance of the Truth of the conse- School-divinity. ) .
quence unless limited. To Permit is nothing but non-impedtre, not to hinder. £ ^Jul^SliS. '
And if a thing will come to pass because it is not hindered, then the world grameth himw;.5.§.i.
would have been made without God, and man saved without God, if J^tabftSE
he would not hinder it. Try if your work will be done meerly by your ticaiconnontion, Because
not hindering it. ' we usc.chc w°rd Per,mi[-
- ,b , , . 1 _ .g» , . e r 3 • -.lion about that which
147. Indeed the word Permission isott uled as a complicate notion, fig- dijadt will be if per-
itifying both the permission and the event permitted : But that's nothing fitted. So that it is, a
't_ 0 . r1 _l •{<• . t if , ' • Compound notion, when
to the nature ot proper permission it ielt. thU5 used.
148. A man may be hindered, x. Morally j and that 1. By Commands,
2 .By Threats, 3. By Promise and perswasion j 4-By Gifts •, 5 .By terrifying
stripes on himself or others. In all these respects God permitteth not sin,
but hindereth it by them all. • - *R*i*Jt yttiA.Tt.iJisb.
149. 2. Or a man may be hindered Physically. And that 1. By total drfneWpmifeioo4^ 1
restraint and disabling, z. Or by Jester impediments which make not the confess so it is positively
act impossible, but difficult.- God doth not alwayes thus hinder sin, and decreed : vlz- (nuru-
. rr J • t - it j l. j /// l r tm pirmiffloum Pens non
therefore thus he permitteth it. He doth not disable the sinner, e.g. to prtdefinit ) emu 1 tit
he: And he doth not alwayes render it difficult to him. But itlbllowcth 9^\J^A r "mJllcli T
not necessarily, that this will be done, because it's postihle-, no nor because atommt& tfsrmmm
it is eafie or not difficult to be done. ntgitiomm., quibus pofurs
150. *ButtheCasedifferetha$ to permitting of a propense agent, and Tbs^Zn they
an indifferent agent, and z.contrarily disposed agent. To permit a stone will mean quid ptptivui,
to ascend , will not make it ascend. To permit the. Air to move, will not "Tst aLP°si"ve
■ . n . n ■ • ri *• riiTi'i -i will and Cause ; but
make it move. But to permit a stone in the Air to fall, I think with Du- what's that to die Nega-
randui, is enough to make it fall, supposing the continuation of the Nature /^^ÆS^"*^r'?
of it and all circumstances. And so is it in permitting some sinners to sin. wUshaii be°butWabonc
151. But yet here we rriust distinguish, 1. Between a necessary and a free ambiguous words.) His
agent, 2. Between Ajtms sinning and ours 5 3. And between the sin of 0f£nf;2g^.PTS?°
a man strongly inclined or but weasly, or that hath many disswasions or but thVtiiti$u* tfficuk qui
few. 1 . Though a bad man be under a moral necessity of sinning in the JJJ/JJ'JJ, ^'Zl
general, that is, of not living innocently, yet he is not under a necessity of miffi, iumata is not de-
committing every sin that he committeth : nor is it a valid consequence, creed- ) a. wr«r/« m-
He is a bad man: Ergo he will do this, and that, and the other Sin : Be- n?0ru& CMstJmU th.
causc a free agent oft acteth contrary to his habits. 2. And some Sinners cu/njiantiarm. 4. g«(.
have so great impediments in sinning, that they stand long in <*mlibru ^b^oodi'iiS
before the act. 3. And Adam had no more propensity to his first fin, than Negations are Nothing,
to the contrary: So that bare permistitn will notinferr the Certainty of all fc^jr uS?Duy4
sin, at least., and therefore will not here serve turn. anl restraints) are somc-
152. But faith Rada, it is not common permission, but also a withdraw- d,ip^a"^veanda"^'
ing ofeffectual helps against fin. Anjw.i. God did not so by Adam at first. ^'r/w are something and
2. But are sufficient or necessary helps also withdrawn, as as effectual? haveaCause^
If so, then Adam was as much necessitated to sin by God, as he was to dye
E by mill.on.
 Of the Stature, Ifyiovpkdge, Will

by Gods withdrawing his Vital influx or sustentation , and it would have

been as naturally Impossible for him not to sin, as to live without God. Bjc
if not so, then while Necessary Grace, called sufficient , is continued, die
withdrawing of any other inferreth not a necessity of sinning. But indced
it is an unproved and improbable fiction, that God withdrew Æom Adam
any Grace which he had given him, till Adam cast it away.
It is therefore no good Illation, Dem permittit aliquem peccare : ergo
feccai: unless by permitting you mean withholding necessary he/p; which
is more than proper permission.
153. And it must beremembred that God is far from a total permission
or non-impedition of sin : He alwayes hindereth it so far as to forbid it, to
threaten damnation to affright men from it, to promise salvation and all fe
licity to draw men from it 2 He tells men of the vanity of all which would
allure them to it; And his daily mercies, and corrections should withhold
men from it. Only by doing no more, nor effectually changing or restraining
sinners, but leaving them to their own choice under all these moral restraining
means, heper mitteth sin.
154. But it is also confessed, that when by great sin these means them
selves are forfeited , some of them are oft-times withdrawn or not given:
And so some are without that Teaching, those mercies or those correcti
ons which others have : But yet they are still under a Law of Grace.
155. And it is still supposed that God as the first Cause of Nature, up-
holdeth man in the Nature which he gave him ^ and concurreth with it as
the first Mover and Universal Cause : And therefore that mans Inclination
to Felicity, Truth and Goodness which is Natural, doth continue. Other
wise it is confessed, that Permission would inferr sin materially, but no
fin formally, if by permission be meant Gods withdrawing Reason, Free
will, or executive power.
* Or Brtdwardims Eft- I56- But 1 ea^v con^i tnat »f the Dominicans predetermining Pre-
eiive volition as necefla- motion * in sinful actions could be proved, that would certainly inferr the
iy and produaive of aU cvestt Qc fm . And if God decreed so to pre-determine the will, sin may be
thatcomet to pas. f0re- known in that decree. And if Scotus or the rest had been of that
mind, they had never omitted that casie solution of the Case , How God
forc-knoweth sin i But this I have elsewhere confuted t and shall add a
little here.
. 1 57. But first (having disproved all these presumptions of Gods way
of fore-knowing future sin ) I shall in a word tell you the answer which may
40» and must satisfie us ; which is, {That Gods Understanding is Infinite, and
therefore extendeth by its own perfection unto all things intelligible • But
How his understanding reacheth them , what idea's he hath of them} how
they are Intelligible to him, with such like, aresinful presumptuous questions
of blind men, who know not their own ignorance. And no manner of un
derstanding is properly Divine, which mortals can comprehend. ]

SECT.
 , SECT. IX.
(
Of Predomination and Free-will ( of which fee more Sect. 20.
.-^r. Rutherford. ;

158. -^TT^Hoogh Pre-determination belong to Gods Execution , and be

J_ after his Volitions in order , yet because I am now only to'
speak of it, as a pretended medium of his knowledge of sin, and as quid
decretum, I /hall touch it here. It is confessed that there is ho substance
which God is not the Maker of ( besides himself ) 5 Nor any Acsion of which* •
he is not the first Cause.
159. God may well be called the perfect first Cause of humane Actions,
in that he giveth man all his Natural faculties;', and a Power to Acs Or
not alt at thistimC, or to choose this or that, and as the Fountain of Na
ture and Life and .Motion , doth afford his Influx necessary to this free
agency. So that when ever any Act is done, as an Aft in genere, God is
the first Cause of it : For it is done by the Power which he giveth and
continueth, and by his Vital Influx^ And there is no Power uied to pro
duce it which is not given by God.
160. An Act as such, hath no Morality in it, but is quid naturale 5 And
so it is from God as he is sons natura. But the Morality of an Act is for
mally the Relative Recfitude or obliquity of it , referred to Gods Govern
ing will or Law-, and to his amiable. Goodness or will as it is mans End;
And Materially it is (not the Act as such, but) the Act as exercised on
an unmeet object rather than on a meet one , or to an undue End rather
than a due End, or else the Omission of the Act as to the due End and Ob
ject, which is the fmb and the fundamentum of the finfulnefs • and so
e contra".
\6i. This Comparative mode of exercise addeth no proper Phypcal En
tity at all to the General nature of the Act as such. In Omissions ( of
Loving, Trusting, Fearing, Serving God) there is no Natural Afi, but a
privation of it. In committed sins, to Love this Object rather than that,
hath no more Natural Entity than to Love that rather than this-, and no
more than is in the general nature of Love as such. A modus Entis is not
Ens : But this Comparative choice, is but the Modus Modi entis : For an
Aftiw is but Modus Entis, and this is but a modus aclionis.
161. It is therefore an invalid argument which is the All of the Domini
cans, that Man mould be a Causa prima, and so be God, if he could deter
mine his own will without Gods pre-determining pre -motion •, and there
should be some being in the World which God is not the Cause of : For this
morality and modality is no proper being above the Act as such.
163. If any will litigate de nomine entis, let them call it Being or no-
being as rhey please 5 but it is such as God can make a Creature able to
do. And he that dare fay that God Almighty who made all the World, is
not Able to make a Creature that can determine his own will tothisobject
father than to that, under Divine Univefsal Influx, without Divine pre-dc- J^wfae rfDn^S
ttrmlning pre-motion, on pretence that his wit doth find a contradiction in who oft faith, that God
it, is bolder against God, than I (lull be. Andif God cando it, wehaveno denyedto^tenogracc
r , P . . . . . ad poUt, but he denyed
reason to doubt whether it be done. him grace nectflary ti
164.. Men seem not in denying this, to consider the signification of the g»rf: F<^{j^^J* BOt
word * [POWER] when they confess that God giveth man the Power \£t wWchVncceflary to
to choose or refuse, and yet say that it is Impossible for him to Act by it, the ad.
Without the said pre-motion. If so, Ic was only a tmet to choje when %9i
E a pre-
 2g Of the Stature, Knowledge, Will

predetermined to it. He that hath a proper Power to choose, is Able to

choose, and Can Choose, by that Power.
165. God therefore is truly the first Cause of the Act by Giving the
Power, and doing all that belongeth to the sons nature to the exercise.
And he is the first Cause of our Liberty in making us free-agents- and
he is the first Cause of the Moral Goodness of our actions, by all that he
doth by his Laws, Providence and Grace to make them good. But he is no
way the first Cause of them as evil.
* KUaminh Universal 1 6 6. When we say that God causetii the Act of iin as Causa univer-
cause, seemeth the fame raju^ tfe fenfe 0f thiswordmust needs be opened by this distinction. A
m«netl^And™r Cause iscalled[Umvwfc. I.J»tfMu&, Logically; And CoArtifex
tits
opinion,
p.2I2. I
ter fequatu _
nimt i"! .^Jj^fa many effetfs. And this is two-fold: l. When it is the cause of sorae-
mSpS'ut piJo,eArl- what common to all those effects, but not of all that u proper to each, un-
stot. agnovmnt mum pi- lesS itS causalitv be otherwise ( as by the difsofttio recipients ) determined.
Ttfmf™"™Hm And so the Sun is causa unhersalts of the sweetness of the Rose, and the
istui primim principium stink of the Dunghill, (jrc. And so God is the Causa universalis ut sons
tjft .tiifm immdhum^ nAturæ^ by fcs COmmon sustaining and moving Influx, of all sinful actions.
^cl'ndarm. *** ^. When it is the Cause of thole actions, not only as to that which is
common to them all, but as to that which is proper to each by which they
differ from one another, and that of it self, and as determined by the
dispofttio recipientis, or by any other cause. And so God is the Universal
Cause of all that is meerly physical in all beings and, actions ; As in
Generation, Sec. which is properly to fay that he is at once, both Causa,
universals, particulars & singularis. And how far he is thus also the
Cause of all the moral Good, of all Actions I must open to you more di
stinctly in the third part. But of the sinful morality of Actions he is
not such a Cause} but only ameer Universal as aforesaid.
167. They that denying our self-determining power, do make Volition,
ex?efiient5TtesesZ<//xS anc* free-Volition to signifie the fame, and Cogency to be nothing but to
mbitrh abfoht. ' make men willing and unwilling both at once in the fame act, do seem
wofdftœriwmis fiib rat^er 10 iea^> l"an leriouÆy dispute. And to define Free-will, to be
arbitriMM^ji julluu vt- only Lubentia vel Volitio secundum rationem, is no other. For Velle
imatis & ratimis ad juxta rationem, is no more than Velle • the Will being the Rational Ap-
ZeTdm&lglZmtZ P«ite distinct from the sensitive. _ And if Velle and Libere Velle be all
■vei aiterum ~) which Ri- one, why do we blind the World with words, and do not plainly put the
wrenethin,andfitttth ^wnether man hath any will, and not whether his WilU* frees And
tile doctrine ot necelt:- . .■ T s n • • t l. J it
tation-, but i think ex- u to take awayits Liberty or constrain it, be nothing else but to make the
Krfa"htaken- it raT'be *"ame nume"ca^ ac^ which is a Volition simultaneously to be no Volition,
ad Jtrmubet if^atan or n°t the Volition of another thing, the question whether the will may
had a power to movejt be constrained is ridiculous. If the will be not forced aslongzs it willeth,
»Btrm^sv^}b. arb. °K )uxtA rationem, then to question whether it can will by con-
eji mm potestas ex bis strains, is to question whether it can at once will and not will ; f yet is this
dlamt wtm ^Tluolii description only of Liberty and constraint too common with some.
gtndi, "r/w"^ 168. But if this were so, then A5* 1. The suspension of the will might
idem ntyuendi^vei^ acre- be nevertheless by force or restraint: which is anon velle 5 And so when
ffd mgnamveTtiZt they fay Voluntatem ab ipso Deo non cogi posse, because when it acteth
am mceffa^ which pa- it acteth willingly, (that is, when it willeth, it willetb ) the consequence
Ite&SkS holcJeth not» because ic may be forced from 41 *aim : (un,ess they
till the ambiguous word mean that it cannot nolle ejr non agere at once ). 2. And if this were
erand'ttle'sense acrord" tbcD meast ^ cannot naturally necessitate the will
ingly variously slated, to act, or that such a natural necessitaiim consisteth with its Liberty. If
the
 and Decrees of (jod, &c. ^ 29
— 1 1 ——1 1
the first, they destroy their doctrine of Predetermination : For what is that
but Gods Physical irresistible efficacious promotion, determining the will
to act < And what is natural necessitation if this be not < If the latter,
then they contradict their own definition of Liberty, which they oft give
US, that it is Liberty from natural necessity ( which Twist calleth Liber-
tas naturx distinct from Libertas conditions, vel civilis. ) And what
more natural necessity than that which resulteth from that premotion of
God as the first caule of all action, without wliich no agent natural ot
free can act, and which none can resist <
1 69. Their opinion of Liberty also leaveth no difference between bruitifb
appetite or spontaneity, and free-will, save only that this doth follow rea
son : which indeed is a difference of Guides, but not of Liberty.
170. And according to this opinion, if God gave Satan power to
Tmve any mans will to (in by as true a physical motion and as unresisti*
ble as I move my pen, it were no constraint, nor loss of natural Liberty,
because it is moved to be willing.
171. And if they lay all on the Acts congruity to the Habit or Incli
nation, then if Satan could infuse unresistibly into the will, an Inclina*
tion to hate God or to any sin, and then physically determine it accord*
ing to that inclination, it were no force, or loss of natural liberty. 'V . '
172. But I think he that by irresistible efficiency makes a mans will
wicked both in its Inclination and Afls, doth incomparably more against
him and his liberty, than he that could force his tongue or hand against his » ■ •1
wills or he that only tempted and perfoaded him.
173. The grand Reasons why we cannot receive the Dominicans -. .
doctrine of predetermining premotion, are elsewhere given 5 1 now name
but these three, f. Because ("whatever vain talk is used to blind men} *SdnrMt • d a >
itmaketh God the sole- total-first-necessitating cause of all the sin that is 1. 'vtjdntit 'm
committed in the world, or can be. a. It unavoidably destroyeth the nbns ntceffita-
Christian faith: For if God be really the said determining Cause of all Tm£S&eSL^
Jyes and other sins in the world, then his Veracity which is the formal ob- fat Duplex est w
ject of faith, is gone: And no mortal man can tell whether Prophets and J&c^SS/^S
Apostles are predetermined to speak true or false, nor when God moveth m mastas enfamta :
them to the one or the other : For to Call their motion by the name of In-
fpiration, will satisfie no man, that Gods Inspiration can do any more mopp*Jt*rcntiw>iti£.
(at least to interest himself in the act J than his necessary physical pre- ut fi atod*>**fm —.
moving determination. 3. Because it fcignethGod to damn most of the llsabflu" ftd'fdm
world for not-conquering God, who insuperably predetermined them to the consequents.
forbidden act* that is, for not being Gods, or greater than God : And KfS^it'iS
that he sent Christ to die only for those sins which he thus pre-moved US fitas, Consequentii & con-
to irresistibly, and it was as impossible to forbear, as to touch the ; ^
•km 1 necessitate conf-quenti* ,
MOOn. , Dais novit me eras ftffu-
174. In the issue of all these Controversies, the flurpest con- r>"»> irgtstdtbt: ens*
tenders seem agreed, whether they will or no i Arminius granteth that ]™ ttmt* ^fZTur-
all events of sin or damnation are from eternity necessary necessitate con- rit, ergo Mtutmr.
sequent**, * which is (as is said ) but a Logical necessity in ordine fro-
handi : that is, It is a good consequence, s_ This God fore-knoveeth, ergo Ubnum tjji ab omni ne-
it will come to pasts] And it is only the neceffitas consequents which he «f »»*
denyethj (which Rob. Baronius Metash. calleth neceffitas caufata, and I umitium sj*^™
had rather call neceffitas effetti ) which is in ordine produtfionis. And vu rii}ea» vivinx ordi-
Dr. Twist doth sharply reprehend him for feigning that he or any w",?*™.
others do afiert any more than neceffitas consequents : And bringeth in Itrm. twnit.
the testimony of many Schoolmen professing concordantly that there is no. phJfiod^SaJ
n".ore than this, which also fore-knowledge it self will inferrj It's worth ty,no doubt.
the
 go Of the future, l^nowledge, Will

the reciting: Vindic. Grat. Li. 2. p. t. Digres. 5. [Q«id quodaberuditis

eadem statuitur necefsitas ab utraq; profiuens , tarn a prtfcknti* Dei
quam ab ipfuts Voluntate. Nam licet Arminitts voluerit necejsitattm a
Dei voluntate profetsam ejfe Hecefsitatem Consequcntis , a pr&fcientia
verb promanantem duntaxat Consequents ; allter tamen vijum eft
magnis Tbeologis. Sic enim Durandus f_ Non bene dicunt ill* qui dicunt
quod omnia de necessitate eveniant per comparationem ad Foluntatem di-
vinam ; quia omnia rejpeltu Voluntatis Divinœ eveniunt libere ; & idea
1. i absolute loquendo pojjunt non evenirei] Expreffitts Bonaventura [Dei vo
lantatem abfolutam neceffe eft impleri ^ conditionalcm verb minime : fed
advertendum quod est necefsitas consequently, ficut pr<edi£fum est ac prœ-
feientia: Ipsa enim non habet necesfitatem consequents Jed con/quinti* ;
Quia necefjario infertur & fequitut , Detts pra-fcivit hoc ; Ergo hoc
erit : Sed tamen non necefjario prœfcit : quia in aciu prœfciendt frequen
ter notatur effeefus contingens. sic intelligendum eft quod Foluntas Dei
abfoluta connotat eventum rei, & idea est ibi necefsitas conj'cquenti* ;
fed non consequents ; quia non mutat eventum rei. ttnde fuut pr<c-
feientia quia neceffario insert effectum} non potest falli : sic voluntas abso-
Anniua de feient. Mid. /uta qujA aeces\ario insert ( that is, in arguing ) non vote(I impedtri.l
coil. Twiji de ubertate r^ * . r ■» . r ■> ' , „ 7 rb.A' ' ■ J A r , . r1. , -
cap. 6. femeth not to Ita Trigofius in sum. Theol. Bonav. [Ejfeftus contwgentes & libers fi
understand him, as to comparentur ad feientiam, providentiam, ejr Voluntatem Dei dicuntur ne-
2£ Sf"» «kS ceffarii secundum quid, five ex supposition , qtu neceffitis vocatur tondi-
Causal of the event, but tionalis ejr consequently non tamen abfoluta ejr consequcntis. ■ Qi£<>-
of the Conclusion m ar- ■ ;a consequents stint optima s Deus prascivtt hoc futurum, Erao
guing •, Leaving it out, J J 1 ,. A r * r r i ■ t ■ t &,
from whence the event erit : Detis vult altquid pert j Ergo pet eo mtdo quo voluerit, & quando
**• voluerit • Quia non fiat dart antecedens verum & confequens fat-
sum. 2
ifiis ad amufjim congruentia stint Aquinatis ilia [Quamvis Voluntas
Dei fit immutabilis & invincibilis, non tamen fequitur quod etiam effeCtus
fit neceffarius necessitate abfoluta - fed folnm Conditionata, ficut & de
prdscientia dictum est.~] But the word [effectus~\ here is moie than the
rest lay.
And more fully ibid. sect. 1 8. pag. ( Vol. min.) 230. {Quid quod ScJro-
laftici, nominatim vero Aquinas dr Durandus ( nec quenquam noxi aliter
sentientemy N. B. ) non a Ham agnofount necefsitatem rerum, ratione Vo-
luntatis Deiy quam qiudici potest necejjitas consequent;*.']
And yet plainer ibid. sect. 18. pag. 332. c. 2. [At ea necefsitas quam
juxta noftram fententiam oriri putat Arminitts ex Decreto Dei, revera.
non tarn ex Deereto Dei suit, (quod monuit Perkinfius, cjrverej quam ex
suppositione decreti divini, in Argumentative scilicet : quoties scilicet po-
fito decreto Dei de re aliqua futura, legitime infertur neceffe ess: ut fuo
tempore futura fit. At hujufmodi necefsitas nibilo minus evinciturex sup
positione aclns liberi cujufcunque quam ex suppositione decreti Divini :
etenim posito quod existat aitus liber? neceffe est ut existat. ~]
175. We are all agreed then what Necessity it is that fore-knowledge,
decree, and providence inferr as to the actsef sin : viz. of Logical conse
quence. Let them now but make it good that their Physical efficient
predetermining premotion causeth no other, and I will contradict it no
more.
• 76. But whereas they constantly fay that God predetermined: mans
will to the mode as well as to the act, that it be done freely as well as
that it be done ^ if Willingness^and freedom were all one, I would grant it,
on their grounds. But if an Immediate- Physical-predetermining-^/^'
; premotion, and an invincible causation of Habit and Act byJ the first Cause,
bring
 and Decrees ofCjod, 6cc. 3 1 j

bring no ether necessity but of Looted sequel, and be no real cause os the
thing it [elf, I confess I understand not what they mean, nor know what
Liberty is, if the will have not a Power to act without such a Predeter
mination.
177. The fame I fay of Camero's and others way of predetermining by JtUlu dt lib-
a chaw ot necej/itatingCaufes,viz. that God by ihc object necejfitateth the vuM.p^.u.tl?e.ii.
ait of the Intellect inspecie. 2. And that the Intellect neceffitateththe mil. h 46» 47. &c.scot. z.d.
For all cometh to one, if all sinful Volitions be necessitated. Nor will it \t^,l\Tl^il\X.
satisfie any man well that camera doth resolve all mans sin into the De- dub. 2. com. i.iux'.m.
vils temptation as a necessitating cause, till he know into what to resolve q'\9'J'c1^6' VahM^ u
the Devils sin: And he may turn Manichee in time that can believe that h ' *4'
God gave the Devil power to necessitate innocent man to sin, and bring
all sin and misery on the world •, much more he that faith, that God did
all this himself.
178. As there is Libera Voluntas, and Liberum arbitrium, or Libertas
Voluntatis,dr Libertas hominis, ib there is a coaCtion or constraint of the Co-actionin fas* co^a-
wtll and of the Man. I should take my will to be constrained, if by an gd gJ^fi^ta?n*
unresistible power it were suddenly made impious in aft and habit, or ei- in fpfa divifo ; to be
ther. But the man is not said to be constrained* so long as he hath his forcibly or by unrefisti-
.- ° ble power made willing
Wi of unwilling.
. 179. The unhappy descriptions of free-will, which I mentioned, Janfe- Yet in a large sense 1
nius luth To. 3. 6. de Grat. Salvat. cap. And Annatus de In- c™{£ ^ji£^Urim
coatfa Libertate confuteth them at large : As [Implicat contradiclionem qMtaUefi 1 *"*
ut Voluntas feu Volitio non ft libera, scut implicat ut Volendo non ve-
limus. Latet Contradiftto in eorum dictis qui dicunt Voluntatem^ id esty
Volitionem effe posse qua non Jit libera. Apud Auguflfntim ejse liberam,
ejr effe aliquam hominii dr Angeli Voluntatem feu Volitionem pro iifdem
frorfits usurpantur, Voluntasfeu Volitio, & libera Voluntas idem eft,ficut ejr
Velle dr Hbere Velle : dr Impofjibile est ut Velle non fit liberum 3
Lege etiam Annatum dr Petaviam Cont. Vincent. Lerinenf. ; & Pennoti
fropugnacul. hoc plenius trail:ans.
180. The Liberty of the will consistethnot in such an Indifferency as Leg. Guil. camtrtr. scot;
Icavethit in aquilibrio equally inclined to this or that ( As Macedo against fi^miof. Moral. ?«.4.
Tho. white confesseth with others'§) For then all Habits or Inclinations ZmtiUS^te
to this rather than that, destroyed Liberty : But in an Indetermination sectibiiicy.
with a Power of self-determining : which power is called Indifferent,
because it is a Power to this or that, and not because it is equally
inclined, no nor equally a Power to either. For there may be ine
quality. ...
' i8i.WhenDr.f Twiffe with Bradtvardine* about the definition offree- fstw'M* scimjutd.u.
will, (which pofitts omnibus ad agendum requifitispotest agerevel non *gere) cj*£26/'
limiteth [omnibus} to second causes, Annatus playeth upon his oversight, w«. i. c 6?£?ZL f^t
as if he said that {Agere posset voluntas fine requifitis ex parse cause pri- *vid. Bradyard. 1. g
ma. } But no doubt Dr. Trviffe meant the limitation as to the mn-agere l0'
only : and that with the explication [non quasi motto Divina fit inter ejuf-
modi pra-requifita qua voluntatem creatam indifferentem relinquat.}
Though indeed we cannot imagine that the causa fecuntU should operate
and ponere omnid. ad agendum requifita fine prima. And we may well
fay indeed that Voluntas potefl non dgere, if the second cause only do its
part, when non potest omnino agere, This therefore lhould be better
opened.
182. If by [omnibus requifitis"} be meant only [mere neceffariis fine
quibus agere non potest Voluntas} this taketh not away the Moral
( much less the Natural ) Power ad agendum vel non-agendum, nor
necessarily
 32 Of the J^atttrey Ktioitoledge, Will

* That August. Arfdme , neceflarily determineth it. But there may be such an effectual of * potent
l^lLsttem™- operation on the will, as (hall Certainly and Constantly determine it, by
fstent fcith neceslity, see caulingit to determine it self: and antecedently take away its Moralpower
thfjWtfr<JSftedba.P,8 contrarium, though not its Natural. Of the difference between the
A^VdotiM/pU caftr. Natural and Moral power, I shall somewhat 'insist, and elsewhere more
advtrs. vt1)' at large.
nadTvoLi. n»st aces- 183. The Natural Liberty os the Will must be distinguished from its
ntely. Moral Liberty ( from evil dispositions ) and its Political Liberty ( from
t $»idf;t wbnteu, vidt restraining Laws. )
Ockam QuodL 1. q. if. 184. The Natural Liberty scemeth tot consist in these three things -
fc&St'S'tjiS'ii 1 -That the Will as a finite dependent Creature, be a Power given and
& waldc'ns.Bort.fid.an- upheld by God of self- determining or morally specifying its own acts,
tiq.h.i.c. 25. & Media, without any necessitating pre-determiner (Divine or humane.) Where
]'. p. q. 83. art.7. dub.2. notc that all Divine Predetermination taketh not away that Liberty : But
cohcL 2. prob. 4. and „0f to be able to determine it self without Divine Physical Efficient Pre-
rennotfus 7.\. c'&fjl determination, is inconsistent with its Natural Power and Liberty. 2. Li-
vid. vtmtt.1. 1. r. 5. five berty containeth the Wills Empire over the inferiour faculties (respective-
SnoS perscct^istrfbuti- 1 ^ with variety, Despotical or Political. J 3 . To be from under the power
on. And whereas eap.14. °f any creature, asto neceffitation.
1« miketh only Ele- xgr the Posse Velle hoc vel illitd, velle aui non velle ( in quibuf-
dion as distinct from , .' - •«•'*'»»«' ■ r 1 • l. \xr\\- »,
Volition ( in four re- dam) jine divwavel alia extrwsica pradeterminatione, is the Wills in
spects) to be the formal tural Liberty, so not to be p re-deter mined to (in, ( in acs or habit) by
i^a^meK^Smals ox creatures, is the wills Political Freedom, or Libert as Conditknu, as
tiken in the narrowest Dr. Twijse calleth it: which God himself hath given it, and never taketh
fense , as isabove
Em there TsiSdora ^ay from it.
also of 'all' "volitions".' 1 86. And to be Habitually and Actually Holy, is the Wills Ethical Li-
And tliere is One com- forty ; which all men have lost so far as they are corrupted byfin ; and all
Xh^enttoS ^nh^c recovered, so far as they arc sonified by Grace. This is the
And he confefleth that Free-will which Grace restorethto us.
the win adsjim is free lg_ m^tS Qt determine the Will infallibly per ntodum natur^
quoad exercitium aans. ' ™ . „t» r r r> l ul-
*Aug.dcNat.& Grat.cap. or necessitate its act. Became a man oft actetn contrary to habits.
tf. PtrqMOM absurdm tft 188. There are some things which Natural Inclination infallibly
lire ad ^ZatmJjham causeth the Will to determine it self to, without the loss of its primary
quod beati ijft -columns, natural Liberty.
flUt TIIH Tdhm 1 8*■ For aI1 Libcrty ]ycth not in such ,an Indifferency as Morally may

He that would fully fee qua tails. y , medii unset, nott,

3. As to a Volition J I ubi nihil
" repugnat.
7"".

^tdlÆ& i*>. And yet here, I mean but quoad specifcationem atlus : For quoad
iibt) t. with least labour, exercitium it may be omitted. 2. I confine it to simple Volition, which
i^ff^i^jS ma>' consist wUh+ Ctm?drate Volition of the fame thing.
Trias Vatrurr. 191. Some Habits are so strong, that ("with the Concurrence of conve-
dut1Eicct^n°ordcomriae nicnt anc* circumstances, ) the Will doth never act against them }
rare Volition is oni^ and though they do not absolutely necessitate, nor take away the Natural
y.tdih, is false: No one p»Wer ad cotitrarium, yet do they constantly procure that power to de-
end? GodTrefused°S termine itself well orUl according to them, as resembling a Natural Incli-
the wicked : Felicity nation in some degree.
com SitimfCwi!hPUubD I92' Thatwn»ch is commonly called Liberty is not the greatest excel-
lick good or Gods win. ^ncy of the will or felicity of man An indifferent and undetermined state,
He is a Beast that would a middle state between that of Brutes and Angels, and is fitted to a Via-
hiltted, rasher than the tors condition. But so far as Grace and Holy Habits fix the will toacon-
worid or Kingdoms slant certain self- determination to Good, so far is it set in [ach a Liberty
U«ihe fimSJTvjS of excellency as C7/^/describeth, above our state of loose indifferency.
litre is r.cctf.ary. 193. Because
 and decrees of (jod> &c.
33
193. Because Order is necessary to a clear and full understanding, and all
our controversies are indeed resolved into this of Free-will, I will here de
lineate it, as I understand it.
... ■ '•»• < • .' .'• • >. . •■
I. FREE-WILL as to the Quid nominii is ambiguous as to the Object, and is

L Libertap proprie diesa : Qa* semper est Libertas ab aliquo Malo,

•* „ • ■f
"I. A malo Ejfetfo T 1 . A Peccato 1 . Altuali 2 . Habituali.
viz. *-2. A Miseria i.Privativa 2. Pofitiva.

II. A Mali j" I. Supra nos: (Devi Optimus Malumpeccati nonefficit.)

Ejficiente \ 1 1. Jntra nos: Ab indinatione Naturali determinate ad
malum.
f I . Perso- r 1 . Angelts f 1 . Bonis 3 qui net
\ nis. \ ) volunt nec pojfunt»
[I. Thy- j 1 1 1. Extra J , J • \t. Malts: qui non
sice. j nos, viz.a] } ( pojsunt.
C2. Hominibms : qui non pojfunt.
i . Rebus : Objeffu, 8cc.qu* non neceffitant.

pi. Supra nos : ( Deus peccatum non Caufat moraliter. )

1. Abipfi-rj. Prava Indinatione.

tts Folun-ii . Malis Habitibus. ,
II. intra) tatit c 3. AUlibus,(adpejusdm•enttbus.)
nos ii.Ab ignorantia & errore Intellettus.
$»;Ab inferiorurn facttltatum (fenfus, phan-
taj$*38cc.) tentatione.

II. Mo- y I. Bonis: Qui neminem ad ma-

[raliter. ' \ 1. Angelts £ *Um "M^iunt.
\ ' * 12. Malis: 1.Quoad tentationum
species : 2. Gradus.
til Ex
1 . Ne Tyrannide 1 . Bona vetent,
tra nos, 5
2. Mala prxcipiant.
viz.
2. Homini~ h. Nefalsa dotfriaa Inte Helium
ab
bus, viz. y . corrumpant.
3. Ne practice nos tentent iJlle-
cebris 2. Nocumentis,
3. A Rebus 1. Terrorem incutientibtts? &c.
[ z.Allicientibus.

distinguenda , ut ante
I III. A Causa Mali
de Causa efficiente
I Veficiente ? viz.
videreest.

1 1, liitrtts
 Of the Wjtture, Knowledge, Will
34

1. Quod Majus quid eft , ut Do-

1 1. Libertas Improprie dicta : minatio.
cum HIltd dicitur Liber tas 2. Quod Minus : utpote Boni nihil
continens :

i . A Dei Gubematione , per Leges <jr judicium.

[I. Ad supra, viz. J 2. A Dei Attraction & Determinajtione Gratiosa

Li berths S & finals.

3. A Dei Dominio & dispofitione arbitraria.

\l. A Voluntatis Inclination naturali ad Bomm na-

\ tttrale.

2. A Voluntatis Habitu Confirmato 9 &> Perfection,

1 1. Adlntray\ Inclinante ad bonum spiritual, Deum scilicet,san-
Liberia* ^
ititatem) ccelestia. .

3. Air Intellectus Luniine, specifcante atfum per Bo-

>tl ni intuitum. . .
. . i ■ •-

I. Libertas ab Angekrum Gubernatione dr Auxiliis.

. <III.
%. Al »m**mC ^^neceS^fefUges.
Instructionc per doitrinam. j

tra, viz. j )J. Auxtlivs amtets { tn fpiHtu-

C alibus, &C.)

3. -4 BonitatU objective determinante attractions. 1

I mention all these Objective Distinctions, as about the Common use and
abuse of the ivfaw* of LIBERTY or Free-mil, that you may be
able to examine mens words that (hall mention it.

104^ II. As
 and'Decreeso/Cfoe/, &c.
35
19*. Ih As to the thmg it self: passing by our, i. Moral Liberty
from Sin. 7. Our Political Liberty from restraints of Rulers, s I
shall speak only of the Natural Liberty in hand i And there mew

I. Voluntatem ejse sub Deo principium propria de

terminations, ejr attuum suorum Dominant) poten-
tem se pradeterminare fine necessitate pradetermi-
I. Essential/- <i natione, Diyinct velextrinfeca'.
ter. i. Imperare cuterk facultatibus (fed diverse. )
j. Absolute, diretfe <jr proprie, milt fubjici prater
Dettntf " .
f i . Non Angelts velDamonibus.
I. Ab extra.} 2. Non Hominibus, imperantibusjaadentibusjkz.
■ —«
3. Non objeftis, (ficut estappetitus brutorum.)
'I. Non fenfibus vel pbantafia, dune object*pra-
fentant.
II. Abintrx.^i. Non Paffhnibus 5 (tametfi molefitam ei fa-
ceffant.) 5.
J. Non IntelieEtui : Quidirigit; nonimperat.
g\. Imprintere ei malas Inclinations*)
\X.Lnvolun\ n'TferretT»L't
tote : Hint)'1' ?®"ri mal°* Hab'tus> *»* *»ftrre
nihdpotefi ) (neceffano.^
* J Determtnare earn ad Actus malos ne~
\ ceffario.
1 1. Confe- 'J 1 1 jn perr0. Bonum vel Malum moraleposse age-
'Mer'
quenter. 1 m1": Etita\ re,sivelim.A,
Persona Li J1 ' Poffe Meren f veUm, & malum non
berumArbiS commereripojfeinvitum.
trium est,Me(^?Wfœbcem W fi™ltm3 & non In-
\. feelicemni(*Foluntariopeccantem.

II. Qujtlis stt f Est*\ Libertas Voluntatis,

rl Conjun&a ( 1 ' *n fr°b^one ?mt}lct ft* -Amore
propria farlicitatis, , .
cum necessi
2. InVolitione fimplici feu Amore\.Quoad Atfus jj>e~
tate conveni-t
Bonifenfibilis, f cificationem.
ente natura-
3. In Volitione Medii unici fœiici\
tatis, omnimode boni, '
I. In Subjectione dr Amore erga Caafam primam
( Creatorem.)
\z. Inpolitione (impliciDci utfinis^&Boni fpiritualis.
11. Separata^ ^ ^ ^(^m Finis uyi ^ures pr^fentantur.
a necessitate 1 Jn Eieftione Mefcorttm ubi averfa oferuntur.
naturalism, j inActuIntendendifinemelettum,quoadExercitiuml

6.In Ufu Mediorum,&facultatibusfubditis imperandis.

III. Qu»tuplex fit Libertas Voluntatis \

ri. Libertas Contradictions, vel Exercitii, viz. Felie aid Non-veUe\
•j>\ Nolle aut Non-nolle.
<g <a. Contrarietatis,feufpecificationis quoad Actttmiv\i.Velle out Nolle. ^
CmpetitioniSf Comparationis, vel Contrarietatis^ vel specification
C nis, quoad Objetfa : viz. VeHe am Hoc ant Illud ; Noh Hoc vel iBud.
 36 . Ofthe Feature, Knowledge, Will

y\A.VorbeUit n. 2. d. ipj. If any man will dispute about Free will named and not defined or
U .distinguished, nor tell us in what fense he taketh it ; or if Divines will te
diously and fiercely dispute An fit, before they Agree or prove, Quid Jit,
they are fitter to be pittied, than to be read or heard.

SECT. X.

Of Natural and Moral Power as fore-seen.

■f J
t§6. \ Nd having here anticipated the Doctrine of Free-will, I will
_/"\ ( as fittest for the Readers use ) connex the Difference of the
Natural and Moral Power of the will or Man , as it cometh under Prefci-
flion, whether bomo lap- enee and Decree
sm fine auxiiio patu Power is called Natural in all these respects : i . Because it is in our Na-
pftt rifistm gravi wta- ture$ ^ we f,ave it rrom mr yirtf,t 2> Because it is essential to the soul.
ttom? Vel Anpolsit eft- n r . J, . » f* . _ ,
caeiter diligere Deum sme 3. Because it operateth per modum mer* nature quantum iff fe, and noc
grati* §^dLff^Z freety- Mans soul hath three Powers called Faculties , The Vital-Atfive,
will ordinarily fay? No™ The Intellective, and The Volitive Power: Of which the two first axe na-
as well as Protestants, tural in all these' three respects, in themselves considered: But the will is
vid. ctrtris sum. rbuL naturAi oniy in the /wo first respects 5 And so are the other two so far as
22. cap. 1. p. 11, \z->&c. , . 1 11 titmi C * ■ • ■••it'
they are imperate by the Will, being, as imperate, paracipatively Free.
1 97. Power is called Moral, 1 . Because it is it selfMorally Good or Evil,
as a Disposition of the soul. 2. Because it is a Power to Moral Actions,
3 . Because it is not called A POWER in the strict physical fense, but
Morally; that is, Reputatively, called Quasi Potentia.
198. Two things are called a Moral Power: 1. The Natural Powers
.
t Natura bumana , ejufqut themselves,
.,. 7i ,.f,rnot. simply
f *. asi „
Natural,
. , * but as. thus Morally
y qualified.
* 2. The
potentu Naturaies, quam- Moral disposition of the Natural powers, f
vis mere naturaies fint, i pp. Morality is first seated in the will, and from it our Power is first
fmiZV&TJE, "lied Moral: But yet it is secondarily in the other two faculties.
immoetiamptentiamam- 200. As co Dr. Twiffe his faying, that Potentia non fundatur inPoten-
vam exse aptam utsimul f- {Moralti scilicet in Naturali, and as others fay, Accidens non funda-
cumdtvmo auxilio vitali- '.N . •* _ . 7 , r3'..„ - ,J
ter producat supernatura- tur m accidente:) 1 anlwer i . Potentia umvoce fic dicta non fundatur tn
imaaumjdei,cbaritatis, petent ia: But this is not such. 2. It is false that accidens non fundatur
c" u! ' in accidente, as the instance of Relation proveth : The term Q Accident"]
is indeed so ambiguous, as proveth that the distribution of all things first
into Substance and Accidents is not genuine and congruous, but inept. If
you will call calor, Lumen, or Motus Accidents, and call Gradus also an Ac
cident, and then fay, that Caloris, Luminis, Motus, non dantur diverfi
gradus, because Accidentis non est accidens, you are not to be believed.
And if you will say that Ordo is an Accident, and that Qgalitatum , Actio-
num, &c. non datur ordo, it is false. 3. But the worst ot the error is, that
the Natural Powers are called Accidents, which is a falshood of very ill
tendency in many respects : They are the very formal Essence of the soul.
And surely the soul may have ifs Good or Evil Dispositions.
201. There is in the very Essence of the Natural Power or faculty, be
sides the Vis -vel Virtus agendi , , a certain Natural Inclination to some
things, which is Inseparable from it, from which the Schoolmen say even
of the will that it is quadam Natura, & tondus anima. So the soul is
Inclined or propenfe ( and not only Able) to Activity as such, to Intelle
cticn as such, to Volition as such5 and objectively to Truth as such, and
to Natural dwdzixd felicity as such. And there is an Inclination of the
soul,
 and Decrees of (jod, cScc. oj

soul, which is not essential and inseparable, but is much under the povVer
of the Wiilj and may be got and lost.
202. This adventitious Deposition, is sound in the soul in various De
grees : 1. When it is in such a Degree only,as that immediately and pro
perly without any other power added, the will maybe said to oz Able * xa
Act thus or thus, then it is called & Moral Power : But when it is in such
a degree, as that we are Disposed to Act promptly and easily', it is called
a Habtt.
203. He therefore that is so far disposed to any Good act,, and whose in
disposition , ox disposition to the contrary, is but such, as that in his present
state, without any more help than * he hath, he can move bis own will to the * Yet the faults them-
said act, and the difficulty is not so great,, but that, such Power sometime ^J^f^nmch f^the
doth overcome it, is said to have a Moral Power. But he that wanteth not necessity ofpredVpositi'
Natural force or power, but only a right Disposition of h\s mU, and so on, but that they confess
far wanteth it, as that none in his cafe do ever change their own acts to SSrfdSp^S
good, without more help and power than he hath, is said to be Morally or indifferent , yea, of
unable ox impotent: and not only to want the Habit. . ... And^t'the^bSnS
204. Whether the Natural Powers be properly called A Power to Be- ofjustification (^Sanft£
lieve, Repent, Love God, &c. without the Moral Power or right difpositi- S^Sl Is fj°m
on ? though it be a question of some use among the Contenders about these 0f nature, but from
matters, yet it is chiefly de nomine , and therefore of the less moment. Grace he largely proveth
.This is to be granted of all dete,\ that Unbelievers want not that Natural '^h^ifuar^k
Power ox faculty, which can Believe and Repent if duly fufiitdted and di* other UuiuM> do.
fpofed : But through an ill Disposition and contrary course of action, and want t of *U faMnThHMrt
of due excitation, that Power will net Act , without Gods special Grace. Mora" impotenqr, and
Which £ trill not 2 fignifieth, i.The Undifpofednefs, a. The Non-agen* yir.wiUim Ftmrs no-
cy: And in strictest speech, the former is best expressed hy\_Tbe wiO. is ?£^^uÆ£
undisposed and averse to Believe, ejrc.'] and the latter by [_The will doth nitency.
not. consent. 3 But the first may be expressed by [_ it cannot] because it
will not come to pass : Though it is ho fueh [Cannot ] as is distinct from
{_ will not ] but the very fame. And as [_ Power ] is distinct fom £wils\
and a man is said to be Able to do that which f_ he can do if he will"}, so
no doubt but he that will Believe and Repent , can do it, so far as he is
willing. And this is it that Augustine so much pleadeth for , when he
would have us distmguisli [Cannot ~\ and f_ will not"], and when he faith,
that Posse Credere ejl Omnium ; Credere autemfidelium.
205. To the fuller opening of this, note the following Gonclufions.
No man doth that which he cannot do, at that instant. . I • .. \
206. Humane ( and all created ; Power is dependent, and is not properly
a Power to do any thing, but on supposition of Gods Emanant support and
concur seT as he is the first Cause of Nature.
207. Humane Power is finite, and is not a Power ad omnia, but ad
hue: which therefore are called Possible to us.. '
2c8. Power being a Relative word, it may be said to be nullified dd hod
by an alteration of the Object only : As if you double the weight, that man
may be Unable to bear it, who Could bear it when it was less : when the ob
ject is changed, and not the power indeed. . > •
205>. Power fuppofeth the due object and ks due proposal oif state. We
have no Power to fee invisibles, to understand things not intelligible , td
will things not apprehended to be good, and not so revealed, &c. ■ r
2 1 o. The three Conjunct Powers of the soul suppose each other, though
they are not formally the same : We have no Power to will objects not un
derstood, nor to understand, will or execute without Vital-activity 5 no^-
to understand most things without the wills determination ad exercitium.
211. The
 Ofthe Stature, Knowledge, Will

an. The due qualification also of the Inferiour faculties ( the Senses,
and Phantasie, and Organs ) is supposed to the being of true Power. We
never had Power to fee without eyes, no more than without Light. This
Power of the Inferiour faculties some call Potentta fecunda, as to the acts
of the Superiour.
212. It is no true Power ad hoc, which is put to overcome a Greater
pppostngPower. We never had Porver to overcome God, or to act against
his pre-movingpre-determination ( as Bradwardine truly faith. )
213. A man may be Able mediately to do that which he is not Able
Immediately to do : I mean he that can write with a Pen , or move things
with an Engine, and so act but as a partialsthou%h Principal Cause, may
not be Able to write without a Pen, nor to do the fame atone as a Total
Cause.
214. Andaman may have Power to do that Mediately and Hypotheti
cally hereafter, which he Cannot do Immediately, that is, at the present time.
He can learn to write , and after can write , who cannot write till he
hath learnt. Thus Infants have a remote Power ot speaking, and Infidels
. 1 . of believing.
215. NomanPorÆ all that he is truly and properly Able to do.
216. No man doth all that he is Disposed and Habited to. Sudden ob-
. jects oft carry us against strong Habits.
2 1 7. A man ordinarily willeth and Afteth according to the predominant
Habits of his soul, if he have objetfs and means.
218. A man alwayes willeth that which he is solely disposed to will, or
most disposed to will, at that moment; and which he apprenendeth sub om-
"\ ; nimoda rationeboni: Much more if he were perfectly Habited to it, in his
'n: Vitality^ Intellect and wilL i.
,/ No man acteth without the Essential fundamental Inclination to
Good and to Natural felicity : But a man may by sudden instigation and
occasions will that which before he had no particular disposition to : A
Power may be without a Habit.
. ■ %%o. No Good mans Habits here are perfett in goodness.
221. No Bad man here is at the worst ; nor destitute of all Moral Power
to all things commanded him ofGod.
222. A bare Moral Power which cometh not up to be an Inclination or
Habit, determineth not the mil of it self.
223. Habits tend to the wills determination per modum nature, utappe-
titus ; But they are not sufficient to it , or necessary determiners de
eventu.
224. weak Habits are oft born down : Strong ones rarely , yet
sometimes.
a 2 J. An unholy foul is much moire Impotent as to the great Internal
Acts of Loving God, delighting in him, &c. than to any meer external Act:
which the Natural Power extendeth to : And so are the regenerate in that
measure as they are unrenewed.
%l6. But we are more able to Love or will aright, than to work and Bo
aright; because here both mustconcurr, which requireth more Power than
one alone. E. g. to Rule the Thoughts aright requireth more Power than to
be willing to rule them.
227. Yet ih that measure that a man is Willing to do Good, he is Morally
Me, ( and more than able ) Because Morality being first seated in the
it is no farther Morally Good or Bad, than it is Positively or Priva-
tfaely; Voluntary. He that is sincerely willing, is sincerely Able, and he
that is Pxrfeftly willing, isperfectly able ( and more, j
r I . : 4 228. Every
 and Decrees of (foci, &c. 39

228. Every mans Natural faculties may be called Moral Powers as to

the Obligation, as being obliged by God to Moral Good.
229. And because obligation presupposeth some true Power to obey,
mediately or immediately, present or former when the Law was made, there
fore mans Natural faculties, though undisposed, are thus far called a moral
power to the commanded act.

SECT. XI.

whether God bind Men to Impossibilities.

130. * ' I *His leads us to the question, Whether God bind men to prtceptum super-.
1 things imposiible. Where we must needs distUguilh i. Of Jf fiaf
disability Antecedent to the Law, and Consequent. 2. Mediate and Im- ltd abfque auxilio gratia.
mediate . 3 . Between Impossibles as such, and as Things Hated or Nilled. ^Ver^iHde JJS
4. Between Primary and Secondary Moral acts. And so I answer, iiisp.83.
231. 1 . No Law of God (or just men ) birtdeth to things Naturally im- AMu.cmerac. 1. <?. 14.
fofoble before the Law was made and broken, by an Immediate obli- £e boundtoafirapieUn-
gation. possibility : 2. We may
232. A just Law may antecedently bind us mediately to that which is impombUity^asThllhTs
immediately impossible. So he that cannot Read, may be bound to Read fin past had not been,
mediately that is, first to Learn, and then to Read. And Paul requireth ^^hedo^tofthis.)
1 1 • 1 1 • t 1 1 *.t . 1, , • 1■ v , 4. He may be bound to
men to rvork with their hands, that they may have to give to htm that need- 3ut which is not in his
eth, ( and then to give ; ) which yet before they have got it. is im- power, to do of himself:
possible ■ ■ So every one isjxmnd
233. The obligation of aLawceaseth, when the thing commanded be- ubeT^Tor^fidein Hfu-
cometh Impossible without the subjects fault. , . f» ■ &JTt*%FJ*
234. Every sin is Voluntartum-prohibitum .* And so far as Imposiible
things may be Voluntaria-prohibita (which is all the doubt) so far they
may be sins; . .-. ,
2 3 j. Gods Law is Antecedent to our practice, and mediately ex parse
fri bindeth us at once to all that we must do to the End of our Lives. As
if a Master in the Morning command his servant his work till night.
Therefore as if that servant purposely break his Spade or other Tools that
he may not work, he is not therefore so disobliged as to be guiltless ; even
so when man by sin difableth himself to his commanded duty,the Law is not
changed, but is still the fame, nor is he thereby excused.
236. Here the Primary sin is that which contracted the Impotency :
The Secondary sin is the Impotency it self, thus wilfully contracted and seat
ed in the will. The third rank is the not doing of all that was first com
manded, and the doing of all that was forbidden.
237. But if it be not only a Moral Vicious Impotency that is contracted
( such as the habitual unwillingness in question j but a Physical Impotency
( as if a man drunk himself stark mad, or blind, cjrc ) this is a sin ( and the
consequent acts and omissions ) not simply in it self considered, but secundum
q*idy arid participatively, as it partaketh of the first sin, which is described
it self to be s_ a Voluntary forbidden atf disabling us tofuture duty , and That a necessity contra-
virtual containing a sinful life to the end ^ISSSftS
230. But it it be this Physical Impossibility that is contracted, then though seth not from guilt , fee
the Law change not, yet the Subjects capacity being changed, strictly and i***^ l: d'™ur-' f
properly God is not laid after to Oblige him by that Law, because he is 4.^50.5.2.4.1.
not Receptive and Capable of such new obligations ; And yet he is not
disobliged as to his benefit. For no man getteth a right to any benefit by
. ' . his
 40 Of the 3\(aturej Knowledge, Will

his fault. What then i Why, the Precept to that man is past into a
Virtual Judiciary sentence, condemning him as disobedient -7 even as it is
with those in Hell.
239. Therefore since the fall, the Law of Innocency in it self is the
fame, which once said [_Thou {bait continue perfectly innocents] but it
doth not properly oblige us as a Law to that Innocency or ferfeftiori which
we were born without, because we are become uncapable subjects: Much
less is that Innocency now the Condition of any Promise or Covenant of God ;
as if he still said s_ Be personally and perpetually Innocent , and thou jhalt
„« • at
via. Beunrmin. j r
brat. live *\ and .that
, _thou
, maist
. J live. 1J But the. Law
, . being
, still the
■•• 1 same,
1 we that
&Ub. orb. u.$. fir to- are uncapable ot the duty, are not uncapable ot the gmlt and condemnation:
mm, & cio.de difi. m- y^nj therefore the Law and Covenant are now become a Virtual Sentence
ofCondemnation for not obeying personally, perfectly and perpetually to. the
death. Fo»he that hath once made Innocency Naturally Impossible to him,
is Virtually in the cafe of one that hath persevered to the death inJin
240. But if the contracted Impossibility be not Physical but Moral, the
cafe is quite different. For then the . thing is a threefold sin in it self as
I aforesaid 5 1. The disabling fin. 2. The vicious Disability or MMignity
of the Will. 3. And the aftersin thereby committed, and omission of duty.
More of Physical and Moral Impotency.
241. 1. No righteous Law sorbiddeth Physical Impotency as such, nor
Br^rdint plainly sakh c^^^mmPhyGc^lm^m^, as is said , But Gods Laws/>ri-
tf.3. c.9. p. 6?$. that manly forbid the malignity of the WiH, which is its Moral Impotency.
[Null,!* atius nosier tip 242. 2. Rulers use not to make Punishments for Physical Impotency*
jB?ft &2&£ But for the mils Malignity God doth.
sblutely and indepen- 543. 3. Rulers use not to propound Rewards for Physical Impossibili-
dcntiy ) fid tatmjt- ^ ■ gut for the fruits of Moral Sanctity or Habits, and for themselves,
crnidum qiad, reffectu Cau- ^" » , , - ' ' 'J '/
ficundarim. Ni- GOd dOth.
w 244. 4. No just Judge condemneth men for Physical Impotency. But for
ottos &sHbfirviente nt- Moral God and man do.
cejsario,necesitatinatura- 245. 5 . No Good man hateth another for Physical Impotency • But for
KE.t ^/malignity God and man do.
in nostra dhitur po- 246. 6. An inlightned Conscience accusetb and tormentetb no man for
^td'^aUm^vohnTiHe mccr Physical Impotency and Impossibilities : But for the mils Malignity
%&7iminviti. "so that Conscience will torment men. So that it is evident that one fort oi Im-
by hirano creature wu potency maketh an act no sin ( in its degree ) and the other maketh it a
lesi^han^rdoA™except greater sin. For Nature and common notices teach men to judge that the
you call him able to do More willingness, the more culpability. But he that hath AcJualznd Ha-
God^akTh^dok" bitualwilfulness, and is as some Adulterers, drunkards, revengeful per-
but that is not to be able sons, proud, covetous, ejrc. who are so bad that they say, I cannot choose,
Soused* " ^ the worst of all the sorts of sinners, by such disability.
notc,K' Cl u ' 247. It is most probable that God overcometh Moral Impotency, and

giveth Moral Power,by Moral Means, and Operations: For though God
can give it by a proper Creation without Moral Means., and we cannot
£ay that he never doth so, nor how oft he doth or doth not • yet it is most
probable that his special Grace, doth by his Trine Influx of Power, wisdom
and Goodness, Life, Light and Love, sufeitate the natural faculties of the
soul to the first special Act, and by it cause a holy Habit, which he radi-
cateth by degrees ; And this is Metaphorically a Creation.
248. This is certain , that since the fall we have the fame essential
faculties that Original fin is not as Illyricus so long and obstinately main
tained ( though an excellently good and Learned man) a Substance, though
it be the Pravity of a substance : And that sin changed not the humane
species} Nor doth Grace change our species. It is certain that the Acts of
these

1
 and Decrees of (jod, \ y,

these same natural faculties are commanded to all men , even the unrege-
ncrate, under the names of Faith and Repentance ; And so these are their
duties. And it is certain, that a Course of Moral means ( preaching,
. reading, meditating, conference, threatnings , promises, mercies, afflicti
ons ) are appointed and used to the procuring the said faculties to perform
these commanded acts : It is certain that theie Means have an Aptitude to
their end: And that God worketh by his own means : And appointeth
not man to use them in vain 5 And that in working Grace, God preserv
ed and reformeth Nature, and worketh on Man as Man: and according
to the Nature of his means.
* 249. Awl I think nonfe dare deny, but that God is Able by his Spirits
powerful operation, without any Antecedent new Habit or deposition, to
let home these fame means so effectually on the Natural powers of the
foul, as {hall excite them to the first Acts of Faith and Repentance : And
by them imprint a Habit, as is said, and Hull be said again in Part 2, And
if he Can do so, and Can do otherwise, which then is likest to be his ordi
nary way, I leave to the observers of Scripture and Experience,
450. This is the Common sense of Divines, who place Vocation, ex
citing the first act of Faith and Repentance, before Union with Christ,
and before Sanctification , which giveth the habit, till Mr. Pemble Find.
Grat. taught otherwise, whom J&faop CDowname confuted in the Appen
dix to his Treatise of Perseverance.
251. As to the question, How this Grace is called, Infust'd, and not Na
tural ? I answer. It is called Infused and Supernatural, because, 1. It is
not wrought by any Natural-moral means only, but by Supernatural-moral
means, viz. Revelation , in and by the Gospel of Christ. 2 . And this super
natural Revelation cannot work it , without the special extraordinary ope
ration and impression by the Holy Ghost, above the common concurse of
God with all his Creatures, as he issons nature. This the Schools have
Metaphorically called Infusion.
252. But it may be called Natural, 1. In that mans Naturalfaculties
receive Gods Ipflux, 2. And perform the act: 3. And ateperfected by it
as the Natural body is by Health.
253. And what the difference is exparte Dei agentis (&ex parte effe-
c~lus ) between Gods Natural and Gracious operations, I shall after open
in the third Part.
254. The Schoolmen, especially the Scotists and Ockam, and many Fran
ciscans, Benedictines, and other Fryers, (yea, such OratoriansasGibieuf)
have fled so high in making Grace supernatural, ("feigning a state ofpure
Naturals that nad none ") and talk so phanatically of the Deification of
the soul, as I think hath ensnared some Sectaries among us to imitate
them , feigning that the first Covenant is Moral as 2. Law, and the second
Covenant is the very in-being of a Divine Nature , which they ( though
obscurely ) seem to describe as somewhat above all Habits and Inclinatu
ons, put into our own nature, like anotherform or foul: Which over-doing
tendeth to tempt men to Infidelity, by doubting whether mans Nature was
made by the Creator to enjoy God in Heaven or not, when it must be made
another thing to attain it.
 42 Ofthe Stature, Knowledge, Will

SECT. XII.

Of Scientia Media.

455.
A Fter this Digression about our Will and Powers as the objects
^\ of Gods Knowledge and Decrees, I return to the Doctrine de
Scientia Media. And that God knoweth from Eternity the truth of all
conditional propositions that are true, is past all doubt,, If we may sup
pose that God had eternal propositions. No doubt but he knoweth no\f
that such propositions are true [_lf such Causes be put, they will or will
not produce this or that as the effect. ]
256. But if it be an Imperfection to have mental propositions to know
by, and God knoweth not by them, but only knoweth them as the instru
ments and way of humane knowledge, ("For no doubt but he knoweth all
that's ours, ) Then it must be said that he had from eternity, but the fore
knowledge of the Creatures conditional propositions. And who can well
determine this 1
257. And this will lead the arrogant disputers to other enquiries no
less difficult, Whether it be only or primarily the Proposition it self as
ens rationis human* or as the Thought of mans mind which God knoweth,
or the res ab homine cognita, that is, futnrition itself i And if the for
mer, How God knoweth them to be True? If the latter, How he knoVeth
futurition ?
258. And here inextricable difficulties will still arise 'before them,
Whether to have the notion of futurity, be not a part of the Creatures
imperfection ? Whether God know not all things as present ? Whether
[Nothing"] be properly Intelligible in it self ? Whether it be not only
Propositions de nihilo that are known, and not the ipsum nihil, (such as fu
turition U ?) Whether to ascribe such knowledge of [Nothing"] and such
notions or propositions to God, be to ascribe perfection or Imperfection to
him?
2 jp. If we may or must say that God frem eternity fore-knew our Pro
positions of future contingent s} which are Conditional, yet we must not say
*MV. VorbtUU faith, 0r think that his knowledge quoad attum is conditional, so as that the Cxcz-
cllnitioD^y-l tures state is the condition of Gods Knowledge in it self: But only that
apprebttionis, vifionis. & the object is a conditional proposition, speaking the Condition of the event
p%*SS%>C^»2« l£ fore-known : From which Gods Act is denominated conditional only de-
mrum: cognith Vifionis nominatione extrinseca, not as an AB>but zsThtsatf.
tdZmt^coSrinli 26°' We deny not DUt'Goc* mav be said as truly 10 know the truth
ligmuftu simpiicis'Lti- of hypothetical as of absolute propositions $ If one be the object of his
tia,eji omUm qug fojfunt Knowledge, the other is: Which proveth the hypothetical proposition to be
tiomZm^ct ^siperfeB than an absolute, but not Gods knowledge of it to be lesi per-
dm ft ; ftd jtcundum di- fe£l.
SStaSe^^'S. Nor doth Gods fore-knowledge that Adam will (in in such cir-
dub. 3. vicendumqiiodi'n cumftances, make his understanding depend on the Creature, but only
™o%rTtn%$tdicM t0 be terminated on tne Creature as an object : And so it doth in at
divtrfas cogni'io'nesT& A&* where the Creature is the object: This objection therefore belongeth
divnfos modos cognosces also to the dispute, Whether God know any thing but himself i or out of
di A Deo autem ,» *
uru tantum cognitio est. mrnlclr •
std ilia unafacit muu 262. The feigning God to have in himself so many acts of know-
tS mZaMd%iur kd&> really and to lye in such an order, is intolerable, seeing
(ignifiett— God is most simple. But by extrinsecal denomination, his Knowledge
may
 and ^Decrees of Cjod, &c. ^

may by us, through our weakness and necessity, be distinguilned accord

ing to its respect to diversity of objects, by inadequate conceptions : But
on that pretence to feign many needles distributions, is profane,
263. They that think it a good confutation of scientia media that Non
decreta non sunt futura • therefore no futurition can be known but as
Decreed, do err much in the antecedent, ( For it is false that sin is
Decreed) and are either erroneous or uncertain in the conclusion, (For
God fore-knoweth sin so far as it is intelligible.)
264. The sense of the question de Scientia 'Media, is not de conditio- vide Pit. i santi. Jos.
natis necessarits, as s_If the Sun set, it will be night j Nor yet of such »'7M- seti.i. p.tfi$.
conditionals as are meerly disparate, and have no kind of dependence or "
connexion, as [if Peter dye quickly , John will live long s\ But of such
conditionals, as have some reason of the Connexion, and yet leave the
will in an undetermined /tfnwtoactornot. But we know no difference
between these ex parse Dei Scientis, but only denomination extrinseca ex
parte objecJi.
265. Much less dare we conclude with them that Gods knowledge See all this modestly and
of Conditionals is in God before his mil to concurr, or that they exist-, 2?^5,„,5SaSf7S
For we are not acquainted with such priorities and posteriorities in God, especially his con-
except by such denomination. f'a21' hndt%\aen
266. Methinksit is but fumbling to fay with Pet. a S. Joseph suav. lirimfii. %\. «. 2. "a
Concord. Disp.t,. p. 484. A nemine dubitari quin ad cognitionem futuro- Gabr.Bielib. q». i.a.i.
rum sub conditione, necesfarium sit ah quo modo decretum divinum cum ^d&iZ '
nihil pojjit esse futurum five absolutejive sub conditione, nisi Deus ut pri-
ma Causa aut absolute, aut sub conditione velit ad ijla concurrere. At Seethe short answer in
the first look this scemeth to be spoken of the cause of futurition, or of **' \ S' ?ffb' Shsv'
the knowledge of it : And if not, the Decree seemeth mentioned to no cm*r '?'57 '
purpose : For futurum tantum sub conditione, is not as such futurum ;
For the condition suspendeth the futurition : A conditional proposition
de futuro is as true of that which will never come to pass as of that
which will'. And if they mean that God Decreeth e. v. that Judas shall
sin if he be so and so tempted, it will lay the cause of Judas lin more on
God in their own apprehension, than their Cause or the Truth will bear.
For if God Decree that unnecessary Causes (hall certainly effect the thing
( sin ) let them take heed os the consequence.
257. I could never see how the Doctrines scientia media doth at all vtnnot.1.4. 23. faith,
serve their turn: seeing they use it to lhew how God knoweth that De- yjf'^ZSiZtTde'.
terminates, which he soreseeth but inConditionibus sine quibus non, Or in fendi poffe. 2. Hunt mo-
unnecessary and not determining causes. And their own answer sienifieth dm (dt-
... - ,° 1 1 r ° entorum cm Libertut)
nothing more to the purpose, but that God can know future contingents principdiur & immediate
fey the Infinite perfection of his understanding, which is most true. But tminiti sdatu midi*,
that he knoweth them ever the mow: for the supposition of circumstances, %nc%7itni£iLff.
they never prove. Therefore the doctrine of Gods knowledge of such tur in veo ad tmilitnitm
Conditional propositions, and contingents as so circumstantiated, seemeth dm,^'
True materially, (that They are the Objects of Gods knowledge-, ) but vide&'fapitntiffimeomm
false efficiently as if they were any Causes of his knowledge, ( which hath ^ £h™££t
no Cause 5 ) but only extrinsecal denominaters of it in that act : And it Ti'lpufineV. '
scemeth ufelesiand needless to their purpose.
268. For I confess I think that we need no more, and are capable of no
more to satisfie us, how God knoweth any thing Intelligible, than to fay,
By \m Infinite perfection. Man knoweth by Reception ab extra, but so
doth not God. And if the Quest. How doth God know this, suppose ex-
trwsick efficiency or reception, it is blasphemous I And I confess I hear
men dispute How Cod knoweth ? with horrour as I hear men curse and
G 2 swear
 44 Of the Mature, Knowledge, Will

swear and blaspheme : knowing how uncapable such Moles as we Mortals

are of understanding the intrinsick manner of Gods knowledge , And I
detest the very question, and am but perfwading others to detest it thus
understood.
269. Much more do I think it arrogant presumption in those
Ab omnibus conceffum eft, that dispute pro scientist media to say that God Can no otherwise
jiuUamveritatemfeere in- k„0iv faure contingents. As Annatus de fcient. med. p. 85. contr.
pSSTprÆ^ fcfr Twiss. D. 1. c. Seclusa Scientia Media non remanere in Deo prtscienti-
mis contingentibus, &c. am absolutam futurorum contingentium. Et cap. 6. Seclusa Scientia Me-
E'mkbecretisnCi0r Thefi ^A nm f*ffe pr*definiri a Deo liberas creau voluntatis .acliones. O
49?5o,C5ie—— ' ' Manl O Worm ! Who art thou that in cafes so unsearchable darest

assert a non posse upon the Almighty God thus in the dark !
270. And it is no less arrogant in the adversaries of Scientia Me-
Kida ubi supr, (who was dia, such as some of our own, and the Scotifis who dare fay that God
one of die Congregation CAnnot ^novp future contingents, but in the ^redefinition and decrees of
where it was disputed .. „ J a ■c Pis- n is- » j \J
before p. cim.s. and was bts oven will. As if we had leen into all his Powers and Alls, who
against it ;as m. a s.jo- dwelleth in the unacceslible light. Whereas we know little of the
fe* and otherstell us.) fœaJlcst of his WQrks
271. And as audaciously do the Dominicans plead that God cannot
otherwise know our future free acts, but by decreeing by immediate iden-
tificate premotion to predetermine them as the total first efficient cause*
Nothing can be more certain than that we know not Hove Cod knoweth,
who scarce know How we know our selves.
272. He that hath read but one half what is said upon this subject by
Zumel, R/pa. Conzal. Fasol. Arrub. Aluiz,, Alarcon, Alvarez, Tinner,
Ruiz, Greg. Patent, Suar. Molin. Cantarel. Navar. Curiel. Cabrera, Mas-
caren. Verdu, Tonseca, Mendoz. Leffius, Diotalev. Moncaus, Theophil. in
Theolog. Natur. cÆgidius Conink, Pennottus, Petr, a S. Joseph, Annatus,
Nm dtfunt ex noftrh qui Twifte, &c. yea or but any two Contenders, and is not convinced thac
fcientiim medium aliqua- they talk presumptuously of things which are unknown above their reach,
aULSt^l ti't doth not think reverently enough of God, nor knowingly and humbly
675. naming even Go- enough of man : And he that doth but weigh the difficulties which D»-
mirms.waitm^ LuL ra„e{us his third opinion castethinthe way, and doth but try to solve well
Crocucs, as also Jacob. .. *>» n. _ 1 , o ' . r
MaxtMws and other u- all Lud. a Dola s iiue/tions, Parti, cap. 9. p. 9o-)91-> &c. and to answer
therms : and are we fur- well all his arguments against the usefulness of Scientia Media, Part 2. and
tZJn7wt7n"iS against the truth of immediate physical Predetermination, Part. 3. and
against Identificate Concurfe (as to evil atfions) Part$. may soon find that
much of these matters are so far above us as to be nothing to us, and un
fit to be thought nectflary to our Peace and Concord.
273. The old doctrine of Gods Prevision, and this de Scientia MediA,
in all that is within our reach come all to one : And they erre that hold ic
to run pan pasfu, equally about Good and Evil. God fore-knoweth noc
evil Ails because he willetb them, ot the futurity of them, nor because he
decreeth to predetermine the will to the act in specie which is sin: But he
willeth to effect that which is Good, and may so far know it.

1 SECT.
 and Decrees of (jod> 6cc. 45
, 1 — .... 1 - .i , . — ... ■ ^ ... ,ii ——»

SECT. XIII.
Of Gods mil and Decrees in General. j

274. y^>Ods Decrees de futurts and his mil de prasentibus are in them-
\J selves the fame, save as to the extrinsick denomination from the
divers state of the connoted objects.
275. Gods Decrees are not his work* in themselves considered, but only That G<^% Decrees are
, J . j , ./ rot to be taken for a
when with his executive power\ they operate ad extra : and then his thing past and ceased, but
knowledge and will are his working, being productive of the effects. as a thing still doing,
376. As in point of simplicity Gods Acts are all One andjy^ many, l&TLX&Lhnto
that is, One ex parte agentts as his Acts are but his Essence 'f and yet reconcile them with Ii-
many ex parte effect & object cjrinde denominate exirinfeca ; so also ^lJtli^ml
as to their Eternity Gods Acts are all Eternal as they are his Essence, ex be denominated past ■,
parte apentis ; and yet some of them new and temporary, some past, some fhough without change
1 r 6r c er n j i ■ i- j ■ j j r • • in God. Of this Dr.
preient, lome future, ex parte esiectus, & objects dr tnde denominations Twi(fe hath animadvert-
extrinfeca. 1 , ' cc*.
277. Yet I confess that it palleth my understanding to conceive how
it is, that the fame Act is Eternal ex parte agentts, and yet but tempo
rary ex parte patientis ejr effeiti : that God should from eternity do all
that ever he doth ex parte fui to create the world, so redeem, sanctific,
justifie, ejrc and yet that nothing should be done by it till lately. Which
drew Ludov. a Dola {demodo conjunct. Concurs, par. 1. c. 2.^.20.) to say,
s_ I'robatur Actionem Dei externam feu Concurfum in actu secundo effe
actum ab ipso Deo dijlinctum ex natura rei, ante opus intellectus. Qjuia,
Deus non folum poterat nihil agere ad extra, fed de facto per aternitatem
nullnm producebat effectum, ejr de novo incepit operari in principio tem-
poris. Jgitur aitio Dei eft omnino distincta ab ipfo Deo : Neque dici po
ttjr aflionem quidem Dei fuijfe ab xterno, fed effettum hon fuijfe nisi in
tempore Quia tametst Virtus, ejr Potentia agendi-ejr Principium operationis, '
ejfe pofjit antequam Causa actu agat ; tamen Actio efje non potefi quin
Causa vere agat ejr producat. Ac impoffibile efl Causam vere Agere ejr
prodaccre, quin effeefus aliquts ab ea producatur ejr agatur. Null/is an
te??* effectus producebatur a Deo ab aterno : ergo non habebat Actionem
ab œterno (loauimur de productione ad extra ejr tranfeunte.) Sane non Ktim f*tm nr°-
n .n ■ (t r j tr r-t r t r-,- n -/j /1 ftram ubtrtatm cum Vo-
potejt Altto ejje (me termino dr ejfeclu juo. Sed ACtio ejjentialiter eft imtitt mi fadlim conci-
fui termini productto ant confervatio, ejr ne concipi quidem potejl sine u?ri i"**a . mum /****■
Mo : Esiq; prorfus inintelligtbile dariproductionemaut confervationem ali- ^Undf1 &U\ntMgindl
Cujus rei, ejr non dari actualtter ipfam rem ; Esiq; Omnis atlio intime con- 'JT' optrdtitntm im-
juncta cum ejfaiu^qui per ipjam formaliter producitur, aut confervatur ; ZmlldtumW tj£
nec fjungi ab ilia potesi. ~] And so Aureolus. tut quam ft dicamusejfe
278. In this also we we must confess that the matter quite transcend- i^am liberum
eth our capacity : And as rhis is ralh in a Dola, to afnrm so conhdently modo conandum. vasqu. in
a thing above him, so we must not be rash to affirm on the contrary more jjjy-ij?*^! J£jf/*
than is certain. But so far as we may venture, the common way feemeth easie,eafieTtmustbe:For
the far safer : Because God is unchangeable not only Morally, but Natu- Gods free volitions and
rally. And this Action as distinct from the Effect, is made by him, to fr-n£dgaereof S0niy
be neither the creator nor a Creature, but a Creating, or moving Ad, said to be no real addi-
between both which is not convenient. And as it is intelligible that *)om t0 his effcnee, but
God can relleot Decree ab <tterno, mundum peri, Petrum juftijtcari, &c. tsUlm, plura, & muff
in hoc tempore • so we are not sure that God cannot do all that Act from wu feu ««fcjfi^te»
Eternity, which shall effect only in Time, by the concurrence of his ^ denominated by reia->
will. Though I confess that the cafe much differeth, between an * Im- tion and connotation
manent Aft, ( such as ttuda Votitio, ) which doth nihil efficere, and an ^sSifrom ******
Effecting
 a6 Of the Stature, Knowledge, Will

Effecting Aft. But many conceive that God causcth all things meerly by
■willing them. ("Though I fee not but thax.mll must be a Powerful ema-
nant operative will, which is more than meer wilL ) And we are lo
unacquainted with God, and all Active natures, as that we cannot fay that
Action exparte agentis may not be fine termino^ objecto & effecJis. And
all Philosophical Divines agree that God hath no Power out of AB ; but
an Active pwer alwayes equally in act, ex parte yiw, and so is a pure
act. Let us (per pofftbile vel impojstbile ) suppose the Sun to be what ic
is, and no other Creature to be with it in being : This Sun would in
vacuo emitt its motive, illuminative and calefactive radios by Action. And
yet nothing would be moved, illuminated or heated by it : There would
be no Terminus, and no effect. And suppose afterward all other Crea
tures to be made $ then the»divers Termini and Recipients would make a
diversity of effects, and the various disposition of the Recipients would
make that one Action of the Sun, to produce motion in one, light in
another, heat in another, sweetnest from the Rose, and stink from Weeds,
and so of other effects. I do but tell you why we must not perempto
rily deny much more of God.
That the votmU txecu- 279. Prescience with Predefinition or Decree do not inferr causally
abn'te V™ximum%ridi ^at neceu"y °f tne event as predetermining premotion doth : Because
aimrll^vnnou i. 3. they do ( alone } nihil ponere in objecto.. So that if it could be proved
f.13. n.v. & Aquin. 1. that God doth eternally Decree or will the event of fin, and mens dam-
d. 45.*. i.ad. 2. nation absolutely, it would not prove (alone) that he is therefore the
cause of them. It is not therefore the Predetermination of bare Decree
which we lay those consequences on, but efficient predetermination.
Bradwardine i. 3. f. 50. ?• 2 80. Lombard, d. 45 . well concludeth That even that free-will of God
809. argueth that Gods by which he willeth, decreeth, and loveth the Creature, is his essence :
1IS*!£s£l& 3 £ yet the Name O*" **** H«"'> 3 GffuSeth HOC his
concomitantly and con- Essence as such, but his Essential will as denominated from the created
&hn?nimuÆryVra6m 0r humane °b)ect-
Eternity!"1" 3 281. Therefore it cannot be inferred hence, that God is a Creature, he-
cause he mllethor Loveth the Creature: Because his Loving it denomi-
nateth his Essence as terminated on or connoting the object, and not as
in it self simply.
282. It is not fit or lawful to ask after any Cause of the Will of God5
Because it is the first cause of all things else, and hath nothing Superiour
or antecedent to Cause it And GocUs absolutely independent, and is not
nui\ who faith that Gods to be called the Cause of himself. *
aLffteAuS 28 3. Even the Acts of Gods free-will or Decrees, have no Cause
jCftT as he confeffeth. even in God himself t no more than those called Necejjary. For we
k- TenTauscoflhTTer- must not saY ^ any thing in God is an effetf.
nnnatio?ofCthe Suns «- 2 84. Yet as Gods Acts are oft denominated by Connotation from the
lefacient act^and^of the object, (which in man is a constitutive Cause of the Act, loco materU, )
not rf the aft «"*!**< *° extrm^c^ objects may be called The Causes ("but rather the Objects)
folk. of God mil, Love or Knowledge, not as his Essence, but only as so deno
minated by that Connotation of the object.
285. These distributions of Gods Volitions in Number and by speci
fying objefts, and individuating objects, which are called material consti
tutive causes of the act, are all according to humane weakness ; in us
who know God but enigmatically, and in a glass : But yet if any
man use such words in a broader manner than we think fit, before we
' censure and condemn him we must hear his fence explained. For all that
).'; ever we can fay of God is improper, analogical, yea metaphorical ; And
• sit is but in degrees of impropriety that all words about Gods attributes
:: " • M and
 andDecrees of (sod, <3cc. 47

and actions differ ; For ( as is oft said ) no man hath formal proper con
ceptions of any thing in God. If God should not speak to us in this im
proper language of our own, he must not speak intelligibly to us, Unless p^0^*2'[f"k& 2f" 5"
he create another understanding in us. And he himself in Scripture using^ &T9". I^GaL 4. rf.Epli.'
such language of himself , allowcth us to use it, while we profess to 5- 1 Sam. 28. m
disclaim ascribing to God any of the imperfection which it seemeth to fc^a^^kiM.Vc.lc!
import. achron. 34. 27. psil.
286. On these terms not only Various Volitions are ascribed to God |pfJ^w u .
in Scripture, andexteriour causes of them,' ( as John 16. 27. the Father p. 235. "confidently ar-
Loveth you, because ye have loved me, 'and believed^ &c. ) *But also ^"L^h^03^0^
Fear, Affliction, Grief, Hatred, Repenting, Rejoycing,&ic. Deut. 32. hlted or Loved not , he
Ifa. 63.9. Gen. 6.6. Psal. 5.5. Gen. 6.J. I Sam. I 5 . 1 1 . Joel 2.13. can therefore Predesti-
Jer.i>>.6. Hos.n.S. Zeph.3. 17.^.32.41,^. and exteriOuf causes J™£ £
of them. decrees without any
287. That which is to be understood by all these, is i.That mart is ^J?Jg » t^'that
so far the Cause of the Effects of Divine Voliti6ns,as the Difpojitio receptiva, GoFcan 'iovfTVaint
may be called a Cause. And I before shewed in the instance of the effects of ^j^**13**! as a sin-
the Suns Influx,how great a hand the various Difpofitiones materia receptiva Jlaring him' widroutany
have in the diversifications of effects. 2. And that Gods Volitions them- change save relative and
selves are hence relatively denominated ^SttK
288. Therefore we must fay, that Gods electing Peter and his rejecting rence seemeth to me
Judas, his Love to Peter and his hatred oi Judas, are not in specie the false and dangerous, un-
i- 3 rt r 1 • -ii i • t • « 1 1• t • „>»!_/-• less he had meant it of
fame act of his will nor his Loving Peter, and his Loving Paul the fame executive Election and
Numerically ■ As his knowing of Peter to be a Saint , and his knowing Reprobation which he
Judas to be a Saint, is not the fame numerical aaoiknowledge ; Though JoveTnd Hatred cS
as they are Gods Essence, all are but one. And we must fay that he Lov- an object as existent,
eth one because he is good, and hateth another because he is evil ; and are nam^-^A^'his
he justifieth men because they believe, and condemneth men because they fourth supposition is
believe not • that he forgiveth a sinner because he repenteth; &i. Though [aise,that Love is nothing
Gods Will have no efficient Cause. " * ^Sfg^Sffi
289. Those Volitions of God which are but Immanent as to Effici- For the formal Act of
ency, ^Transient Objectively, are some of them to be denominated as ^iSPSE;
before the thing rviUed,2.m some as after. The Will ofeffecting is before the another thing, as 1
thing willed: The Will ut finis, ox Complacency andDisplicency fas also think an effect of Love i
°. . . . c 1 \ • - -A n.- . ir t 1 or at the most another
Intuitive Knowledge ot the thing as Existent, estimation, approbation, rc- act of Love. And we
probation of it ) the Will of Continuing, modifying, altering, perfecting, A^y thac any absolute
destroying, suppose the existence of the thing willed in ejfe objetlivo. And S
so many Volitions may be denominated as beginning in time , as connoting cence be changed : Be-
the objects, t And it is no more wrong to Gods Immutability so to name "a^SfilSelS
them, than to his simplicity to name them many and diver?. son why die said Decree
290. And in this fense it is no more wrong to Gods Immutability, to ^Vosinoa nfabfoJatt
speak of Him as being before in Potcntia only as to such Relative denonti- denominated "hanged is!
nations. As the Rock in the Sea hath not yet that proximity to the Wave becailfe it make* its
which a twelvemonth hence will touch it, and yet is not therefore mutable: Petflf'n^prtSi-
Or as you are yet but inpotentiato the termination of his Relations who stem, anddependeth not
will pass about you, before and behind, on the right hand and on the left. %JjJSnT^Su
So God was but Potentially the Creator and Redeemer of the World from inferr God to be muta-
Eternity. Though as to any real passion God hath no passive power. ^'not soothe other*
291. In this sense of relation to the objects and effects , it is that we which as to the Relation
conceive of Gods acts of Knowledge and Volition in a certain order of na- and Name foitoweth the
turc, as one being before and one after another; Though not as they are do"™Gwis^o^edge of
Gods Essence. present existents and
292. Yet because the use and truth of words or names, is their signi-
fication of Things as indeed they are, and we should put no name on any on. ,
creature,
48 Of the SSsature, Knowledge9lViU

creature, but what is adapted to notifie it aright tomans understanding -

we must much more be afraid of putting any causeless, unmeet, unneceslary
names of reality or distinction on the will or Acts of God.
293. Gods Will is not Appetitus rei desiderata 5 for he wanted} no
thing.
294. God willeth efficiently all that be effecleth ; and finally by com-'
placence, all that is Good.
295. Gods willing or Loving Himself, is Himself; or an inadequate
Conception of Himself as he is. But his trilling or Loving Creatures » is
(as is oft said) a relative connotative Conception of Himself asextrinse-
cally denominated, and not as he is himself.
296. Gods Will extra is Free $ And therefore it cannot be said that
he willeth or Loveth ad ultimum potentU^ all that by Power he is Able to
will, or Love, or do : or that he doth all that he is Able to do.
297. Therefore it cannot be denyed that there is in God a Negation of
Volition : that is, that he willeth not some tilings which he Could will.
As to have made the World sooner, greater, with other sorts of creatures :
to have made some men better, wiser, richer, &c* • The exterior objects of
Gods Will are finite, and contingent beings.
298. Therefore to ascribe to God a Negation of some Possible Volitions
cannot be charged as making Gods Will to be Idle, or Neutral, or as any
Imperfection : feeing it is but his free-negation of his own Act, through
his perfection. •
299. Nor can it be said, that hereby we make God Finite in that his
will is made Finite in Act, which is Himself. For his will is Infinite as it
is his Essence, and as it Aftcth upon Himself; though as it afteth ad extra
on finite temporary Creatures, it must needs be relatively, andconnotatively
as to the terminus denominated finite : which all must hold de re, that think
not the World is Infinite. If the Sun were alone in Vacuo, it would be as
Great as now it is, and as perfect : And yet as its beams are terminated on
this or that recipient Creature , they are more limited.
300. We cannot prove that really God hath any Positive Decrees or
Volitions of Nothings as such.
301. Therefore none such mould be asserted by Divines, much less pre-
• tended necessary to be believed, to our Concord.
302. It seemeth more allowable to hold the Negative, that God hath no
such Decrees because Nothing is not a capable terminus of a Divine
aft : And therefore it is a fiction of Scaliger, that f_ Omnipotentia agit in
non ens, ut fat ens, ~\ Exercit. l6^.n,$. pag. 1074. And fi entia non
sunt multiplicanda sine necessitate , much less Divine afts. p\\{o Non-vo
lition is enough to a non-existence or a Nothing ; Therefore a Nolition
need not be feigned to it: & frustra fit per plura, quod,tkc.
. .303. Yet knowing so little of God as we do, I dare not boldly assert the
contrary: But it's enough to know that this must not be asserted, and built
on in our disputes.
304. How God willeth suture Contingents troubleth the Schools with
many needless difficulties as well as how he knoweth them. About his
knowledge of them, before created of, there are besides the Dominicans that
lay it on Pre- determination as decreed, and the Scotists that lay it cx\De-
cree or will alone, several other opinions: OneisofAmbr. Catharines de
Prœd. Sanci. who holdeth that God knoweth not future Contingents, certo
sub conditicne causali, but only by conjecture : Because the object is not
otherwise scibile. 2. Vajquez, faith, that God cannot know a future con-
- : tingent meetly contingent, as being not determinate: And that the Pro-
| polition
 and Decrees of Cfcd, &C; \0

position hereof is ever false, because it is spoken by way of Causality and

Consequence, when there is none. 3. Suarez, and others fay , thac God
knoweth future contingents, even when the Condition is disparate or of
no Causality, a true Connexion of the terms sufficing. Albertinus Princ. 4;1
To. 1. qu. 4. dub. 1. p.292. pretendeth to a middle way, viz,. i.Thac
future contingents sub conditione are certainly known of God, whether the
condition be Causal or meerly Conditional. 2 . But quando Conditio ejl di-
fparata, non potest futurum Contingens sub ilia Conditione cognosci a Deo.
3. But because there is a Concomitancy between the terms of the propo
rtions, such a disparate Proposition may be known of God, sub ratione
Concomitantia.
And accordingly they diversifie Gods Deerees. To the question, Whe- t
ther conditional future contingents may be known of God in his Decree, he
first telleth us of a threefold Decree, 1 . Conditional quoad Atfum dr- Obje-
tfum, ut \_fi difeernerem concursurum cum voluntate creata, si talis occa-
Jio occurreret, hoc futurum ejset. ] 2. Ex parte objelti only, ( being abso
lute ex parte acJus.) 3. Absolute on both parts-, I refer you to him
f. 29^,297. if you will fee the decision, lest I perplex and Weary you:
And for the fame reason pass by a multitude ot other controversies of
these men. i

SECT. XIV.

Of several Distinctions of Gods will.

30 j. A yfAny distinctions of Gods will are used about these Controver-

JVl sies: As, 1. The Positive k€ts of Gods Will are distinguish-
ed from his not-acting ( or not-willing. ) a. The Positive objectively,
from the Negative-quoad objeflum. 3 . The Positive from the oppositive.
4. The Immanent and the Transient atfs. 5 . The Transient efficienter , and
the Transient only objectively. 6. The Natural and the 7. The Ef
ficient and Permissive acts. S.Beneplaciti & figni. 9. Absolute and Con
ditional. 10. Effectual and uneffedual. 11. The Decreeing will and th.6
Preceptive Will. 1 a. Antecedent and Consequent. And because you will
meet with all these, I shall tell you in what sense only they must be received.
306. I. Os the first I have said enough before. Godsfree-nvill hathitS
free-not- willings, that are no nolitions.
* 507. II. 1 he meaning of the second is, that God doth positively will
some Beings^ and some Negatives. If they mean Negative propositions,
it's true, bur inept-, Because those are Positive Beings. If they mean in
the second branch £ Nothings J they cannot prove that God Positive
ly at all vcilleth them. But he oft willeth their Antecedents and
consequents, and occasions, and he willeth all creatures to be Limited and
Imperfect, and so Negations must needs consequently pass upon them : And
in that he willeth not-more> and willeth causes which may be deficient, men
improperly and consequently say he willeth negatively, ne ftnt plurx, and
the defects. But this is not strict speech.
•JC 8. Yet in a Moral fense God is oft said to will NothingsQc/t Negatives
quoad e (fe : ) ( As that men shall not have grace, that they shall not live, or
not be pardoned, or saved, dre. ) 1 . Because he doth properly and positively
will and make that Law which condemneth them to these penalties ; 2 . Be4 .
cause he will have Christ positively Condemn them to Privative punish- •
ments $ 3 . Because he doth positively take away some of the mercies which
H tend
 jo Of the Stature, Knowledge, WiU

tend to save them -7 4. ' And he doth freely and penally not-give them that
which they are deprived ofc So that this Language is not unfit while
we speak of Moral Subjects, and of God after our manner. But in strict
speech it cannot be proved that any £ Nothing 3 is the proper object of
a Volition of God.
309. The opinion of scotus and his followers is known this way. And
See after die Additions futile Albertine To. t.princ.4. qu.^. p. 297' faith, that Congruentius
of Divine Noiitious. dicitur Deum non aitupofitivo velle negationes, & Refp. Dcum non
habere actmt positivum non concurrendi, fednegationcm actus Volendi dare
concursum efficacem : ejr ]*xta bum tnodum metius intelligitur quomodo fe
babet Foluntas Dei circa peccatum. Nam Dew non vult peccatum acttt
pojitivoi fed tantum negative fe habet circa concursum efficacem dandi re-
media ilia per qua efficaciter impediretur peccatum Vid,ca*t.
310. III. T,he third distinction is between Gods Love and Hatred, his
Volitions and Nolitions ; And this must be used. But Hatred and Nolition
in man have more of imperfection,than Love and Volition, importing some
what contrary to us, and either hurtful, troublesome, feared, or that possi
bly may be so. Therefore we must confess here, that we speak of God with
greater impropriety, and must disclaim the imperfection in the sense.;
311. But if you would not be abused into many errors, swallow not the
name Love 2 and [ Hatred"} without distinction h Lest the fore-cited
season of Pennottus cheat you \ viz,. \_ God Loveth a man converted whom
he Hated while wicked : Ergo he can decree or predestinate a man to salva
tion, whom before he decreed and reprobated to damnation. ] And all rose
from this falshood, that £ Love is nothing bui the willing ef salvation to
us ] and so the same with Decree : Whereas Love is also, yea, most pro
perly a Complacency in Good as Godd, and Hatred a Difplicency in Evil as
Evil. Benevolence is sometime Antecedent and sometime an effect of this
in man.
D'Orbeiiis mi. A. 4. 312' I V. The Immanent and Transient acts, I need fay no more of.
Qundo quxritur utrum 3 1 3. V. But Divines use to omit the next distinction (of Transient
EMhvd Rtpobatio ra- afa\ so much, that few of them let you know, whether that which is bus
iionemMeritoriam baoeant, , . %, .. /. . . ■
hoc non intelligitur quan- Objectively Transient, be numbred by them with Immanent or with Tran-
^m'aust'usa^m id ^unt a^S' briefly, X. As Gods will is the first efficient , and with his
tstDttu -'"fid quantum ad wijdom and Executive Power doth effect ad extra, it is effectively Tranfi-
tranjitum ejus super obje- ent, ( though Essentially Immanent in itself.) a. But as Gods will is (as
tulnt'T^mvlL aforesaid) Final Canfe or End of all things, and willcth things only
tatm. Complacentidly, supposing all that is Complacent to be Existent ( in effe
reali, vel in effe cognito) so is it only Objectively Transient, and not ef-
o^MwrSSfref^the fe^ivel)'! ana" therefore by many is numbred with Immanent acts. And
subtiiest confess to be un- asGodmaybe said to know and will the creature in himself, and to Love
^rfffn'i t^Su ^ * l^e/^a °f ic i» himself, the phrase is not to be blamed: But as the Crea-
5^80.7. 5°4- f'ite* ture m 11 ^ considered by tore-knowledge or present knowledge ( if we
ajignemut in Deo uberta- may so distinguish ) is the object, it feemeth unfit to call the act Immanent,
Si&S though itdo mhilponere ^vel efficere) in objeejo.
tit , tamen non astgna. 3 1 4. But Gods will asit effecteth Relations ad extra, is even effective-
ms fifficientem rationem iy j-ranfient, as well as that which altereth qualities : e.g. his Pardoning, Ju-
ex parteVei cur nunc aftu J., . J ., . _ r ... * * 6' / -
iibtro efficaci referatur ad stUJf^gj Adopting acts Ot Will.
s7!idem qTdmad mnin 3 1 5' ^ * Goc*S Natural ^itio>ts a'e those which ex natura rei, could
mmnsln fe [^pte'ratw not be otherwise •, that is, All his Volitions of his own being and perfections 5
non veiie quu vult : To which some number natural necessary objects, in the creatures : As his
SZlonteZlmZfdif- Volition that Contradictions sliall not be true-, that two and two shall
sicuitatem prudiciam no- be four, ortwomore than one, c^c. His Free Volitions are those which
dm n* pojfumus.-] Sec raighc have been otherwise as to the nature of the thing, and as to the
more of him before. 0
power
 and Decrees of (jod, &c. 51

power of the Divine will. Such is the Volition of the being. 6f all the
Creatures.
316. The Schoolmens contention whether the Son be freely begotten,
and the Holy Ghost freely proceed, ariseth from the ambiguity of the word
[mfree;~] which I will not trouble you with.
317. Yet all agree that Gods Volitions are all eternall, and therefore
eternally necessary necessitate existentU.
318. And some think it best to lay that they are respectively to be
called both Necessary and Free • Because Gods will chafe that which his
wisdom saw was Best, and he must necessarily choose the Best. But we must
not be here too bold in our Conclusions.
3 ip. VII. The distinction of an efficient and permissive mil is no bet
ter, nor other, than that of a Volition and no Volition. But to distinguish
the Efficient and Permissive Act, implyech a fallhood, That Petmtffion as
such is an Aft.
320. Yet Gods Law may be said to have i permissive Aft, that is, He
may declare [This Ipermit you to do, or leave indifferent^ as to political
permission. And as to Physical permission, I have shewed before, that some
positive removal of Impediments, are sometimes called non impedire, ot
permission: But/><?rmifslon it self as such is no act.
3 j 1. VIII. The distinction of Vol. Beneplacili <jr signi is old and
common : But not a distinguishing the Ails of Gods will, but rather his Vo
litions from the signs ot them, for it is his Voluntas benepheiti that there
jball be such signs.
322. The five signs commonly named by the Schoolmen are Pr&cipit
ac prohibet, permittit, ccnfulit, implet. And the older Schoolmen lay
that these are called Gods Will Metaphorically only, yea by a remote
fort of Metaphor, they being not mans will properly but metaphorically p^**^/9* f*' u'l%
only when applyedto man, and accordingly called Gods will. But some yiimas mi f*mti»r pr*
of the latter fay that they are proper signs of Gods real will. The truth frit ■, & tune signal di-
is, they that first used this distinction ieem to have'intended only Gods SjSjS^'S
Government, if not his word alone with the performance of it, by Vo- id voim. 2. impropra
luntas figni, (of which next.) Indeed the whole sensible world and all Z£tj£s£.ft' *iH
things in it, is some way or other a sign of Gods will : especially the na- '1M'

ture of man himself, with the nature of all creatures about him, and . the
order in which he standeth to them 5 which is therefore called, The Law
of Nature.
323. Physical Permission is no positive sign, nor of a positive will ( as Klfod^S
afore opened :J But Legal permission may be. his citation of Gngor.
324. The distinction bet ween pracipit andconfulit would be vain, but ^\^a^mhintvM'
that Aqt*. and some others expound consulit by Perswading. For God tit, fr^tmhat fug'st
counselleth to nothing but what is Best ; and that which is Best, precept ^'M}'* . comUanti*
( even natural) maketh it our Duty to choose: But Precept going before vmpJt^ctmtJitum
and Making Duty, Perswading- counsel may come aster and urge us to
perform it.
325. Gods Voluntas figni dr Bene-placiti are never contrary pro
perly taken : Nor doth he give us any false signs of his Will • And
therefore his word is alwayes true : But there are many things which
ignorance mif-judgeth to be a sign of some Divine Volition, which
they signisie not 5 and some dark signes which are riot easily
understood. If men mistake Gods works or word, the sign was not
false, but their exposition of it. But os this next.

325, IX.
 52 Of the a ture, Knowledge, WtU

326. IX. Dt.Twijse usech instead of this the distinction of Voluntas

Voluntas figni /« pr*ce- Beneplaciti dr Prxcepti. His fence is Right, but the terms are too nar-
ptum, impini dkiut i»> roiv% xiiC trUe Distinction is of Gods will of Natural Thwes and Events
bits modis. 1. s>uod ita . <?„ ...
fit quod per tale fignum vet
<tt Juch, and his Will de Debito vel Jure as such : His will as it is the
pr*ctftm fignatur ad in- puUntajn 0f Nature, and as it is the fountain of Morality or Right : Or
tentionempractpientis : Et ..... r ■— 1 , J ' 0
sic simper impietur. Nam his mil ot Natural hvents and his Law.
per tale præceptum fignifi. 237. This distinction is of Greater and more Necessary use to us than
SSLSm? *E Jf?- any of the rest S yca so grcat that ic is incIuded in the hrst P»nciple of
Alittrtaie 'signmnon ijset Religion and morality-, and is understood ( distinctly or more darkly,
verm. i ^od itafitvei fa u ; b all Christians and moral agents.
fiat ficut per tale prace- Jf J . , . 0 ,, . , ,
pm fignatur dtbere fieri : 328. The distinction is fetcht from the o/yrtf* : The common object
& fiction semper impietur. 0f the Me being Nature as such, and of the other Debitum or Jus as
Pet. de Alliaco 1. q. 14. .- , » 3 /
f. such.
329. As Gods wtf <k Naturaltbus is his Æf/w placitum } and the f/^-
/f#.f of it are the figna subsequentia, and prophefie a prognojlick of the
effect 5 so Gods will de Debito is his Beneptaciturn, signified by his
Law and Judgement.
330. Though the word \_Law~] be usually taken more narrowly for on
ly s_ Statute eminent Laws ~] yet I here take it generally 5 And it is
\_The Governing mil of a Retfor signifi-d^ constituting or confirming
Right ( or Duenefi ) from and to the Subjefl; or A Rectors constitutive
Determination of Right ; or. The sign of a Reftors will constituting
Right."]
331. God being most Great and Wife and Good, and mans Crea-
c- vivim voluntas tor' and tnence our Absolute supream Rector, his Will must needs be
in genere cause efficients the fountain of all Morality and Right.
ift prima tffirftns causa, ^ 3 2. jt lS not t)ie mll in it self that is a Law, nor doth any Im-
%'£k'srr!m^!x'fn manent ail oblige us, or constitute Duty: But it is Gods will as signified.
Reguia. 2. shut divina And therefore Lex sterna is an improper speech.
^TZifjS^d'tf^ 333/ Tileityt and others who think it fitter only to distinguish Quid
'fieri :fie ipsa est iex obii- Deus ipfe vult facere, and Qwd a nobU vult fieri, do but hide and not
edaii ' uaisterfire ulm °?tn £'ie tn"h : For the terms seem to express the Event in both, and
t{sttmri!%sicut divina distinguisli not of Event and Duty. Whereas if God Willed the Event of
voluntas est lex perfetiif- what he commandeth us, as he doth of what he effetfeth, it would be
fic'totoistsTil A«d he doth also by his Absolute Decree, Will many things to be
tirinaest fignum perfetiis- done by us, which his Law commandeth not. Such as are many meer No*
&l^m£œT*''. tttrd aatons> iuas * nobts vdt fierL
sent. prircip. 334- Morality being but Modality and Relation of Natural Entities ,
1. voiunt.ts nei figni mm tjie jtfs or jjabits themselves commanded and forbidden are quid Na-
iMtL 'bmplaciti antect- turale in themselves considered, and so far are under Gods will de natu-
dtm, non semper impietur. rahbus • But it is only the Debitum or "jus thatis constituted by his Le-
2. Volunt.is btmplaciti
Infers semper ilplttur.&lfattVeW[U' , „ , , , ^
Prohibitu vet nm fignat 335. Though Gods will de Naturaltbus must operate by real efficient
iTfieriXodtohilnf. #"*>yahis midi Debito efefteth by meer signification or notification
tri. Idem 1. q. 44. F. to the subject.
Qtu'aTet &u^dbibuilibtt Le&em facere v*l sig»»m dare is an act of Gods will de quo-
tmtJ'fi tclnformart unl ^am naturali vel eventu : ( For the fignum is aliquid naturale. ) But
versaiittr tali Vohntati— per fignum facere Jus is that which is proper to the Governing or Letsal
lmpleri ohligatimtm, non \..:n J S 1. 0 . °
estproprieloquendo tftBnt *' . . .
tbiigationis active fed 337. It we will denominate Gods will here ab origins, It is, i. An-
iZr'effifiJy!ldZ if tececient t0 tfie Creature , ( supposed • ) And that is his Creating will.
C.H. ' '2. Supposing the Creature in Being; and that is, I. His will as Propri
etary and Acsor of all things 5 And that is his Moving and Disposing will,
of
 and Decrees ofCjod, 6cc. • 53

of Events. 2. His will as Covernour (Morally) And that is his Mo

rally Ruling will. 3. His will ut Amator <jr Finis ; And that is his
Beneficent and felicitating will. And among these it is his Regent will
w hich I am treating of. And though his Law as making Jus, be the first
and chief part, yet his Judgement as it dcadeth, and his Execution as it
givetb every Man his Right and is included.
338. It is not Gods will without the sign ( as is said ) nor the sign
without his will, but the fign as notifying, and his will as notified that
is a Z,4»v, and jus the £j^# : <jods will is the principal Cause, and
Anima Legts • and the^a* is the instrumental Cause; and 97*4/? Corpus.
339. The S/fiT* re;pecteth these things, 1. The matter due. 2. The
duenest or right. 3. The j*>*7/ 0/ GW concerning or constituting it.
4. The mind a^d will of man to whom this issignified.
Or, 1 . w'// as the Efficient of . 2 . The matter and/J»t» 0/
Right as Constituted. 3. Ihe mind and will oi man us the terminus.
340. These of Gods will are, 1. Natural, called the 0/ iv*-*-
f#rc i which is the Natura & ordo rerum, especially ipfius hominis as before
described. 2. By extraordinary Revelation. The latter have the great
advantage of plainness, fignificandi rem praceptam. The former hath the
fuller evidence of its Author and Original that it is indeed of God. Both
are his Laws to man.
341. Law, Judgement and execution (the three parts of Government)
differ in that, 1. Law maketh the Debitum or Juss 2. Judgement determi- It is of great use for a
neth of it by decisive application j 3. Execution distrituteth according gft^JfiiH
tO it. the nature of Laws vugt'
342. The Jus vel Debitum, instituted by the Law, is twofold. l.A JJL^a^I2/!?^<
Subditu : What shall be Due from the Subjects : the Debitum Officii. look is one of the best
2. Subditis: what shall be Due to the Subjects: viz. I. Antecedently to on thac Subject that i&
their merits (which is 1. The act of our Governing Benesailor, a. Or a excanc vaong us';
Divider : such was the Law for dividing the Israelites inheritances. )
2. Consequently ; which is by the Retributive part of the Law Q com
monly called the Sanftion,) which is i.By the Premiant part, what Æ<f-
>v/?r^ lhall be due : 2. By the Penal^ what Punishment.
343. Accordingly Laws have several parts : 1. precept and Prohibi
tion, making Duty : 2. Retributive, 1. Premiant, 2. Pom/ ; called Gods
Promises and Threats : 3. And subservient or accidental ; 1. Narra
tives Historical, Chronological, &c. 2. Pure Donations : 3. Prophesies^
4. Doctrinal, 5. Exhortatory, 6. Reprehenfive,8tc.
344. Though Debitum vel Jus facere, be the formal operation "of a
Law ^ ( which is to be Fundamentum Relations ) yet the Ail of the chief
parts {preceptive ot penal) is commonly called Obligation : And so many
lay that obliqare aut ad obedientiam aut ad pœnam is all the attion of a
Law. But Obligare is a Metaphor, and therefore in dispute to be laid by,
or to give place to the proper terms : And the Premiant act is not pro
perly called obligation 5 nor the penal act, save in a secondary notion, as
he is (bl'.gatus ad pœnam ferendam, if judged, who is first Reus pœnx, or
to whom it is made Due by the Law.
345. The obligation aut ad obedientiam aut ad pœnam is not of equa
lity in the . disjunctive. As if God were indifferent which we chose : But
it is primarily ad obedientiam, and but subserviently ad pœnam as a
means against future disobedience, and a securing the ends of Government,
in cafe of sin.
346. But the P receptive and the Premiant parts, are each chief ox final
in several respects : God Commandeth us a Course of Duty or Right
atfion
 54 ' Of the Stature, Knowledge, Will

action to this end, that we may be Happy in his Love. And he promt-
seth us first, and giveth us after in foretaste, this Happinest, to draw us
to Duty.
' 347. But here is a wonderful inseparable twist ; and in the main an
Identity. Cod Ruleth us as a Father^ or Regent Benefactor : All his
Benefits are Free-gifts, as to the Thing and Value 5 But given 1. In an
Order. 2. And the rest as 07140; to the ultimate. In which respects
they are a Reward, or means to it. His very Law is a Gift and a greae
Benefit. Duty is the means to keep his first Gifts and to receive more.
The very doing of the duty is a receiving of the Reward • the object of
duty being felicitating. ( As iffeasting or accepting offered wealth or 00-
were our work. ) Holinest is happiness, in a great part. And in our
End or state of perfection all will be one : To Love God, Rejoice in Him
and praise him, will be both our duty and felicity, means and end, as it
were, in one.
348. Whereas some fay, that if there were no Law, sin would deserve
°'f ct!onsC fnotc'""1these Pun^iment> lt IS an errour : F°r lt IS due only by Law. But it's true
words!? 'm*mt. int. that it's due by the meer Law of Nature, without any superadded Positive
rf.47. M.I. q.U Volm- LaWS.
%™JLZ"$m 34* Gods iris called Legislative, or Governing is ever fulfilled in strict
eft hot impieri : —at con- fence, that is, So much as is Gods part and the Laws part to do, is ever
ITS* %tcmdmmi>li- done ; e'&' God soith [perfe!* obedience, &C 4* duty]
maft.Uv'oimtae"bt%iaciti and it is done : lt is his Duty whether he will or not. He faith [ To
tft dupl. Anteadins feu steal shall be fm] and it is fin. He faith f_//<? that believe th shall have
^^Ittantmt right to lu/lificati,* and Glory, and he that believeth not shall be Fitim
ft eji omnium faiutem;& mortis, that is, Death and Hell shall be hu Due] and so it is. Thus
strict'y all Gods Will is done.
Iwiwoit ™rtitud'ildi- 3 5 o. But in the secondary remote fence every sin violateth the Will
ter tvenire. meUigendum 0f by breaking his Law : For when he faith f_ Obedience {hall be
tiffZflriZ'cfffs thy duty > ] we use to fay, // is Gods will that we {bouldobey him : And lo
Aliquant tamtn fop non when we do not obey him, we are said to Violate his will. But this is
'T'iJVVlt^l
Aliquant ut conjequentim but metonymically : For that which , is Gods will indeed aji is but that 1we
impostbile eft non impieri, shall be bound to obey ( whether we do or not : ) And the event, whe-
^mfliiliii 'ehvoiwu t^cr ^ve wa^'or not de fa^°-> IS not at a^ determined by the Law.
unTvei calfari : "nm a 5 i. ■ Therefore if it were proved that God did Decree one thing, and
cajfum dicitur aiiquid command the contrary, it would not prove two contrary wills in God j
ptfrit asqurn efttrl nor is tncre any grcat lliew °f a contradiction in it. For to fay [ / for-
luntM antm nulio priva- bid Judas to hang himself] and [] / decree that he shall hang himself]
%prfeilUNaam qloTdM- arC 110 contradictions •, It is but to lay, \_lt (ball be his Duty to preserve hit
m quod vein vult ornms life ] and f_ Eventually he {hall not preserve it. ] All that is a mans
f^/^iffX/rltorJ Duty ^otn not come t0 Pa*"S : ^nc^ t0 deterrnme °^ Duty, is not to fay,
tn™nmnota\fahtemT'ruc I* PJa^ ccme t0 Pafl- Otherwise Gods word were false -whenever man
proprie eft ad efftdum fa- sinned. Nay in reality, Augustine (truly) judged that by Gods Law Hell
ltllm!Z£T%?f£ wa* DneT0 Paul inverted, and yet then lie was a chosen Veslel, and
ram trdimbiiem ad fain- God Decreed to save him. He thought that Perseverance was the Duty
t;m. unde mb, i pins eft 0f fomc tjiat aftcr fe]j avvay ancj tnac Heaven was their Due on conditi-
dirrre Dem vult tlumfal- _ .11 i Vn » 1 1 r 1 1 r
vum fieri quanta* 'in fe eft, on of perseverance till they fell away, (though not presently to be pos-
q:umneo fUmt dm ip sesscd ; ) and yet that God decreed that ft permittente eventually they
naturam per quam posses per- n 1 j r 11 j •n IJ 4 y *'
-.mire Id fa'mm ; & ^oM fall away and perish.
quod cent pirate effet ju- 352. If a King made a Law that no man stiall murder another, and yec
d&%$Irit"«Ti knowet!l that a certain Traytor that hath broken Prison, is like to fall
pinenH.-} Therefore it into the hands of some Thieves or Enemies that will kill him, If he be
hcr^v^if^od^rd0 *ecret'y w^ing tflat he be killed by them, it is no contradiction : The Law
cdiPraen."C ' ° ° maketh it their duty not to Kill j But it faith net, that they {hall not de even
s'^ by way of Prognostication. $53, Buc
 and Decrees of (sod, &c. 55

353. But yet indeed God never doth command an atf ox forbid an acf^
and yet Decree that the same Act immediately commanded shall not be
done, or that the act directly forbidden shall be done. Because fin is a thing
that God cannot decree or wills ( of which anon. )
354. But the effect of the commanded or forbidden act is sometimes said,
to be commanded or forbidden : And this may be contrarily decreed of
God. And men that think not truly oi the matter, think that this is to
Decree a thing forbidden, and so they err by such confused thoughts. E.G.
Gods command is that I shall relieve a poor man , and not let him fa
mish 5 and that I shall heal the sick, eye. and yet God may decree that this
poor man shall be famished, and this sick man dye ; And yet no contra
diction. For indeed [Relieving'] in effect, is but the End of the Act
which is commanded me, and not the act it self: I am bound to offer him
relief: But if one tomtit take it, and another mil not; yet I have done
my duty : And so in the other instance. So God commanded Abraham
to sacrifice his Son, and yet decreed that he should not be sacrificed And
this without any contradiction. For the act that under that name was
commanded Abraham, and made his duty, was not actual eventual sacri
ficing. ( For then it had been a duty to resist the Angel and do a thing
impossible. ) But to consent and endeavour on his part to sacrifice his
Son : which he did. So the preservation of our own and others lives is
commanded us by GocJ, and yet at the fame timemens death decreed : Be
cause the thing indeed commanded, is not Preservation as it significth the
effect and success , but only Preservation as it signifieth our true endea- * of which fee Amyrddui
•vour. So the Jews were forbidden to kill Christ, and yet God decreed a8a.insl■s?<t»bem. dt oat.
that Christ should be killed: For the thing forbidden them was their own ""ZvJl conditional!, &
Consent and wicked atf: But the thing that God wiled and decreed was mboritatibns & rationi-
only the effetf, without any Will of their Act that caused it sunless in de voÆdK"1^
genere atfns, ) but only a permission of it. Men of gross brains that But his assertion °that
cannot distinguish and judge accurately, may blaspheme God in their ig- [«« cn*t»* tjt
norance, in a case that to a discerning judgement is very plain. mLilnTfi^ndartfjZ
3 5 5 * * The next distinction of Gods iViU^s into Absolute and Conditional j vm utit dim poduce-
which some Divines use and others condemn, and fay that God hath no J.3^" ti^rese^S
Conditional Will; The common answer which most Schoolmen and other about the $ri» dumo-
Papists agree with the Protestants in, is, that there are Conditions ret voliu JjjJJf *J||H Isd^
of the event of the thing Willed, but no Conditions of the act of Volition cause or move'^odlo
in God. As Aquinas faith of Causes,! Deus vulthoc esse propterhoc ; non *^ . Theft are Rati°n*
autem propter hoc vult hoc. I. There are both Causes and Conditions of nh^bw. none of tKeeP
the event willed of God. 2* Denomination extrinseca ex connotatione ^cient Acts of God ia
tbjetft his Will is hence called Conditional; meaning but a Volition of JD£rdro £y, th* God
Conditionals. had no Reason to wi5
356. That God willeth Conditions, and Conditional Propositions, and tithce^0°°fI^^t!rli
Grants, is past all controversies. For he willeth his Own word, which is answer, That is an Act of
his work: But his word huh conditional promises and threats ; And as ^^foifitort,
his word 3.K0 may be called his »>/tf,hehath ^Conditional will, because a Reasons°frorn the object
Conditional word. and thereby to be moved"
357. Gods eternal Omniscience proveth, that at no instant he had a will gjjfffcg ^STttS
properly conditional quoad attum : Because he that at the same instant foning properly is be-
fore-knoweth whether the Condition would be done or not, must needs have ^Tm™^ bCTtrinfick
his will to be thereby absolute. But yet if it had pleased God to suspend objective reasons : Yet
the Act of his own Volition, upon a humane condition, it would not 0^^^^r[^'. ^
have exposed him at all to the charge citfier ot mutability or dependence : ^ n4n'may draw twenty
which is very clear. For 1. It is presupposed his Will as Voluntasdr Es Schemes ofGods Reason
sentia is unalterable, andisnotthat of which we speak. 2. But only his jg» thcy variottsl>
Volition
 56 Of the J^ature, Knowledge, Will

Volition as terminated on this or that object, and- so as hxc vo'ieio\ab

, objctfo demminata. 3. And his efficient Fclttion, and Power is termina
ted on objects in time, without mutation in God. 4. And N. B. that God
doth suspend his own Possible Volitions in many cafes 5 Asrhe doth Not vtilL.
to make more Worlds, more Men, more Suns, more Laws, &C. than:^
facto he will make. 5 . And it is no more defectiveness in God to suspend
a Volition for a time, than thus to do it for ever. 6. And it is no more
Dependence on the Creature to Terminate his Volition only on a qualified
subject ( performing the Condition ) tl;anto terminate his Efficient ptrver
and mil on such or such a qualified subject. As e. g. He termmateth
his Omnipotent Concurse for Generation *only on the materia femtnalis
rette difpopta • He concurreth to burn by fire, <jrc. And if his Acts ef
fectively Transient may be terminated only and temporarily on disposed ob
jects, If he did so in acts Objectively Transients and did freely not-rvitf.
the damnation of man till he had actually sinned, but suspended his will
freely till then, and then de novo terminated it on the said qualified ob
ject, I see no (hew of Dependence or Mutability. For I oft cleared it be
fore, that the termination os Gods Knowledge, Will or Power on any parti
cular Object, is in him no addition to its eilence And doing ic de novoy
is no change in him but in the Creature only 5 no more than it would be a
change in the Sun or its active Emanations, if a thousand new creatures
newly receive its Influx and are moved by it vat iousty according to their se
veral Conditions. Yet I have before given reasons why inciperejamprœde-
fiinare is more incongruous language. - -
358. I put in this only to deprecate the blind uncharitable censures of
diflenters in this point, who think that Gods Volitions are New and Condi
tional and suspended, quoad afium bunc ad hoc vbjetfuw • and cry out, It is
blafphemy,and maketh God mutable and dependent. I am against their opini
on as w ell as you as to Conditional Acts : But false charges prove you noc
to have more truth, but less love and sobriety than others.
359. XI. The next distinction of Gods Will is into Effectual and Un
essential. And here he that would fee a great deal said on the question,
Whether God haveany uneffectual Will, and whether mans will can fru
strate it, may fee too much in a multitude of Schoolmen on 1 Sent, q. 45.
U^-a. i.scot.q.un. vii- & ^6. Some answer (as D'Orbellis^&c. ) that the Voluntas Beneplaciti is
%)l?TVwt*ar. 5. ever e#ectual5 but not the Vol. ftgni h which yet seeing he well explaineth to
p,w^/.4.V.22. Ah«r. be only the making of Duty, he might well have said is still effectual to
Pfr'ffi'it Gran'd'i its Pr0Per Primary effect. Greg.Arimin. ( and many others) distinguish
llLrini! Trln. or~ »iew/// of Complacency and Difplicency, and that Profecutionis &fog* ;
Xu4tffl.A.di?r^tf.hi. and say the latter is effectual, and not the former: which others lay of
K^Æ'£?f*£ thc Absolutc Will as distinct from the Conditional. The plain truth I
Ktvur. Gptyl. , Matin, have oft opened before : Gods Will is the first Efficient , the chiefDiri-
^tiiinMmb%lfoi mdihe Final Cause-, ( in which the three Principles, Power, Wisdom
rtid'Jyic. n'orbrt.i.d.tf. and Goodness are eminent. ) i.His efficient will is ever effectual, and
and i^ny other Scotisis, never frustrate. Whatsoever pleased the Lord (to do ) that he did, in Hea

.•I.: ven and in Earth, in the Sea and in the depths, Pfal. 135.6. And who
-5v '. hath resisted (this) his wills Rom. 9. 19. 2. His Directing will, is ever
•*r. effectual as to the, making of the Law or Rule, and of Due or Right there
W -1 by: For so far it is efficient of that effect : But it is too oft violated by
5:7 our sin. 3. His final mil ox Complacency is Gods being pleased with
" ■ . the Being, or Action , or relation of the Creature, and supposing it, is
. . riot efficient, and therefore not effectual. And I know no need of more
upon this question.
3 60. XI I. The last, now to be named is, The Antecedent and Consequent
' •• • * mit..
 and Decrees of Qod7 &c. -57

will. This also is handled by many Schoolmen, and much Used by the
Jesuits and Arminians. To pass by others, Pennottus handleth it pro-
pugn.l. 4.C.21. having first (hewed, c. 20. ^225. that chrysoftom and c&ys. in E}b. Hm.i.D*
Damascene first used it. His explicatory Propositions are, 1. Vol. Antec. mase.fid.ortbod.L,2M9.
dr Cons, non est in Deo respefiu omnium Volitorum, fed soIurn reffetU et- *'<***' fi"**
rum qua aliquo modo pendent ex lib.arbitrio ereatura. 2. Voluntas ante-
cedens est ilia qua Deus vult bominis salutem quantum in ipso est, &
qua ilium ad salutem ordinat , & media ad salutem necesjaria prapa-
rat , quibus nisi per ipsum hminem fteterit , salutem ajsequaturi
%.Non semper Voluntas antecedens (sr Consequens circa objelfa contraria
versantur, fed potest idem objetfum esse Volitum a Deo Voluntate turn ante-
tedente
. . .turn. consequente.
J i1 / 4. Voluntas
> antecedens
1 in Deo est
1 Voluntas
n r be- .„. camerac.i. a. 14.
AlUaco
neplactti, eynon folum voluntas stgnt. 5. Voluntas antecedens est forma- p. E. tells you the fense
liter dr proprie in Deo existens, tjr non (olum per metaphoram ad eum mo- otTbom.scotus,ocl-am,&
, r ./ , . . a i r Crtgor. of this distinct 1-
dum, quo Voluntas signs. • on 7 and that of
361. I tell you their sense, that I may the better open the plain truth to and oci^m is to the fame
you, which is as followeth. 1. This distinction ot Vol. antec. & cons, is E^.wjJÆIIJS
not applyed to God as he is cur Creator , or End, nor as he is meer Pro- antecedent Grace which
prietor or Benefactor ; but only as he is Rector, or Moral Ruler -of man. cfv1e^fficicnc
2. As Government hath an Antecedent and Consequent part, viz, Ltgifla- raen to consent". °
tion and Judgement ( with Execution ) so Gods Antecedent Willis nothing The Schoolmen are dis-
but his Legal mil, or his Will as Rector signified by his Laws: And his £rtrc„a^s^a,!d
Consequent will, is his Judicial mil, or expressed in Judgement 5 One An- not understanding it,
tecedertt to Mans fart ( obedience or disobedience ) and the Other Con- c°™™f abowt)tdr Sce
sequent to it. 3 . It is most certain that God willeth Antecedently all that h ^'jffciyjfijtf,'
is in his Law, that is, that all that believe and repent (hall be saved: And **•
that he willeth Consequently that Judas e. g. and every finally impenitent
unbeliever shall be damned. For what God doth, that he willeth to do : *£T)ec\id ■* Take
But God doth himself make such a Law, and pass such a judgement : Ergo v4%nt(i as in i. q.
he is willing of it.
f_ 1 • Vrxvidtrit Dens om-
~ ties in Mafia peditionis
SV f* T "V\T ptecato obnoxios proptcr
tv A V. tranfgrejjionem Aaami :
2. Hoc non obfiante, voliiit
Of the Order of Cods Decrees by *ay of Intention and Execution.
adultos ad beatitudinem ■
362. >' I ^Here is no part of this Controverfie more contentioufly and I P^^&ad hoc media
X fear presumptuously and too audaciously handled , than this quamvis'efficaTa&'Ln-
of the Intentional order of Gods Decrees. Of which many have said £r*a ugavtrit ; n»n in-
much, but no man hath laid so great a stress on it as those two very good Ztfid^stelS dlt
men Dr. Trvifse and his follower Samuel Rutherford. * But on this iupposi- tias fas in visa mifiri-
tion we have had many very bold Schemes of Gods Intentional Decrees ^^uti aufaanau
given us 5 of which you may sec some in worthy Mr. Perkins Golden deaden','' J'^okU "est-
Chain, and in Beza, and out of him in English his Tractate published with torevtrit ifsu ex-
Mr. Gtlbies of Predestination, and in Pifcator, and others. f )£,
3$3.By this way the Anti arminians are fallen into the distinct parties,of deflinaverit, ex quoquar-
Suhlapjarians, and Suvralapfarians ; And these into tmparties , one mak- t^i%J3Z
ing manas not existent in effe cognito, the other man in innocency, the aiiosveroparvuios quibus
object of Predestination. 1 \7m7iaoSlindiviL
3 64. 1 . The common way is to distribute the Means among themselves, prxfchntia& mum nprt
as any of them are subservient to others, as their end, and lo to make a J mittim gratu
great many of Decrees or parts of the Decree, first of the ultimate end, and Jyn^ thatta"wStlS
then of the next, and the next to that, and soon, till you come to the first these for distinct thoughts
means which is no end j as the Writer imagineth them to lye. ^
I 365. 2. The aii.
 58 Of the 3^aturey Knowledge, Will

365. 2. The second way is indented as Conciliatory by Dr. Tmjse ( and

so it is ) viz. that God hath but two Decrees, onede fine, and theocher
de mediis, and that all the media are the objects but of one Decree, and
so that we need oot trouble the Church with disputing which of them
is first or last.
366. 3 . A third opinion I have long ago read in a MS.ofAnimadverfions
on Dr. Trvijse by a Learned Judicious ard Godly Doctor ( yet living ) who
proveth that God hath but one Decree de fine & de mentis , which cast-
eth away all the matter of the Controversies about the priority and poste
riority. And it were well if the Controversy were so ended.
367. 4. Many Arminims write as if the order of Intention and of Exe
cution were the fame, and so begin at the other end, and give us a Scheme
just contrary to the first sort, ( Beza, Perkins, &c. )
368. 5. Some hold that Intendere finem is proper to the imperfect crea
ture, and not belonging to God and therefore that he hath no order of In
tention in his decrees at all, because no proper end.
369. 6. Some hold that the whole business of the order of Intention is
utterly beyond our reach: And therefore that we should meddle only with
the order of Execution : Thus faith the most judicious Bishop Davenant
soundly, Dijsert.de Pradeft.&Reprob. cap. 9. pag. 2 op. Bm argumenta-
tio ( Corvini ) vocat nos ad fpeeulationem valde dijficilem & dogmatic*
Theologi* fundand/t minime accommodatam. Nititur enim consideratione
Prioritatis & Posterioritatis in Mis duobus Voluntatis Divin* decretis de
dande Mediatore & de Elcfiis fervandis, qu& utraque ab aterno sue fe con
cepta & constituta. Ad me quodattinet, ficio ordinem Executionis, secun
dum quern Deus voluit beneficia ad homines pervenire , nullo negotio pojfe
delineari : At quo ordine Deus confignata ea tenuit ab œterno in mente ac
voluntate sua, is solus enarrare pr<efumat, qui fe Deo ab arcanis & Aternit
confiliis etiam afflrmare audeat. Fatemur Deum ab œterno constitute^ up
omnibus [alvandisChristus primo in loco proponeretur ^ dein per fidem ap-
prehenderetur, bine ut eorundem jujlificatio fequeretur , turn fiantificatio,
•3* cjr demum Glorificatio. Sed ftquis minime consensus hoc ordine exequutionis
velit etiam nobis deferibere feriem Decretorum Divinorum ordine concepti-
onis in mente (jr Voluntate Dei quasi distinctam^ atque urgeat cum Arminio
Divinam jujlitiam impugnari nifi hoc confideretur ut Mo prms, is mthi vi-
detur nimium ingenio fuo fidere.
And heciteth Gabr. Biel in 3. d.i. q. dub. 3. saying Prioritates illas
inDivinis hisce decretis non ejse ponendas , ficut nec pluralit ates aiJuum
ordinatorum. Ac proinde ftquis considerare velit talem ordinem horurn de
cretorum ut ponat Chrijli incarnationem eletlicne priorem, vel e contra^
hanc considerationem else falsam spectflationem.
rvifs.inViniit.Grict.il. 370. Dr. Tmjpt who reduceth them to two, excludeth mans salvation
Mrl'grf¥*£' Vol'mi' fr°m tne Decree de fine , and thus eoumcrateth the decreed Means :
u'" 5" 5?' s_ 1. The Permission of sin ( of which more anon. ) 2. The gift of a Sa

viour. 3. The grace of Vocation, Faith, Repentance and Perseverance.

4. The Salvation of persevering penitent believers. 3 And so as to the ulti
mate end only \_quodPrius est intentione, postertus est executione."} But
that the order of execution only is to be observed among the Means.
371. The matter it self ( or at least my thoughts of it ) I shall open as
plainly as I can with brevity. First premising that their own doctrine
ihoula take them off their confidence and contention about this order of in
tention. For, 1. They oft tell us that all Gods Decrees are eternal with
out any order of Time. And should we not then be afraid of boldness abcuc
any other order i
372. a. They
 and Decrees of Cjod, • &c . rd

372. 2. They oft tell us, that Prescience and Science, Predestina
tion and Destination are all one in God, and not to be thought of as acts
past and ceased.
373. j.They oft tell us, that God is one, and his Will is himself, nlifm/J° ™'efm&
and his Decrees are his will, and therefore are all but one. fail. AlHacf'caracn m
374. 4. They cannot deny but that all our conceptions ofGodareim- I**.12,0:
proper, and analogical or metaphorical more or less ; and that what Know- diffH£ how' £y "re
ledge and Will in God is formally, no mortal knoweth. And mould we di- confounded about the
soute then audaciously about this Order < .", . . • ordering ofGods decrees
375. 5. None can deny, but that these Mysteries require the highest tentkmand Execution:
reverence, and that it's dreadful to take Gods Name in vain, and dally with jjj* s°!u"0"^"p^°^
the Consuming fire. And yet mall we presume < ^ S'demmJnai's '%
376. 6. They all confess that our Lord Jesus, his Prophets, Apo- «Uarmvtlitimum:Vfhca
sties, or Scriptures, lead them not this way, and decide not these Con- ^ OttTvosidoJTlnd
troversies, so as that they can stand to their decision alone. , thathath no cause-, and
377. 7. They cannot deny, but that desiring arrogantly to be as Gods the3at'0a\lT^ecenmi
in Knowledge, was our first Parents sin , that ruined them and us , and am I8U°U$ . r '

that this was Satans first successful game. And that our disease is like to
be such as its original.
378. 8. Lastly, They cannot choose but know, that it is the troubling
of the Church with new Articles, and new practices , and leading them
from the simplicity that is in Christ, even as the Serpent beguiled Eve,
( with the promise of more knowledge, ) which hath been the great plague
and divider of the Churches in all Ages though the Apostle foretold them
that It was this that he seared of them. And are we not self- condemned,
if after all this, we will censure and reproach one another,and foment divisi
ons for that which most certainly no mortal understandeth?
3 jp. I. And first your very foundation is uncertain, that God doth pro
perly Intendere finem. Nay, it is certain that ( as Aquinas afore-cited Pi#*^&idi, that Gods
faith ) though Vult hoc ejse propter hoc, non.tamen poster hoc vult hoc. ^ cause"of hisvditi-
He piefcribeth Ends to Man, and setteth£»<k to Means which are fines on ; supposing that mo
oseris 5 But that he Intendeth an End Himself, must be said very improper- ^gfi E^lH^.m ntdij-
ly, or very uncertainly, or not at all. The truth is, that we must fay that beneth the3 contrary *
God doth finem intendere, because we must speak of him after the man- ^'"g final Causality ro
ner of men, or not at all. But it is not true in the fame fense as we speak ^J* ftsjjj £
it of man, and as the word properly signifieth- but equivocally. - strive about artificial no-
380. For, 1. To Intend an End, is to make that End a Cause why we d%2 _ . rf<
choose the means fas most fay:) But Gods Election or Actions have no vtu>ti,i.il §!i.p$9.
Cause. All deny that there is in God cause and Effeels ; or that propter But ** nothing is the
1 1 l Ratt0 Volndi but his
hoc vult hoc. own Goodness , see
381. 2. In man to Intend an End, doth imply that a man yet rvanteth Albert.i.f. tr. 20. q. 19.
his end 5 and that it is somewhat that 'he needeth, or at least doth not yet ^]'^'B^'
obtain. But God needeth nothing, and hath no end that is desired or q. i$'.Gabr.i.d. 14.?. 1.
wanting, nor but what he continually possefieth or enjoyeth, as well now *"^'^q^f^^settu
as hereafter. i.d.^.Moiin.i.q.19.1.5.
382. 3. We know no such thing as Jntenderefinem where the Act and
the End are the fame. Jntendere is not the fame with Fin*. But in God
they are the fame : He that is most simple hath no Intention , which is
not Himself\ and no £W which is not Himself, and so both are one. . -
383. 4. Our Intendere finem is nor the fame really with Eleclio medi-
erum. But God hath no Intention but what is really the fame with Electi
on, though not denominatively, connotatively and relatively.
384. 5. Divines usually say, that Nothing below God himself cm be
his End. But where there is no means, there is no End or intention of ic.
I 2 But
6o Ofthe Stature, knowledge, Will

But to God there is no Means. He is not a Means of himself; And no

creature can be a means of him ; If we lay, that any thing can be a means
ut Dens fit, vel ut fit Maximus, SapicntiJsimus^Optimus, it were no better
than Blasphemy. God then hath not an End like man.
385. Yet necessity constrained! us to use the phrase, but these things
must still be understood when we use it. 1. That no creature can be Gods
End; unless you will call an object as terminative, an End j or else an
Effect.
385. 1. That it is not Gods Essence and perfections that is an end as to
any medium; But it is his mil: For his Freewill is the Beginning, and
the Complacency of that will is the End of all things. But if you call God
his oven Object, and so call the final Object an End, so we must consider
God as Loving Himself ; and Himself is the End or final object of his own
Love or Complacency 5 and he himself as Loving himself, is said to Act
on that End or Object. And indeed eternal self-knowledge and fe If- Live
( which some of old ventured to call the second and third Persons ) are
the Great Immanent Acts of the Divine Essence, (with the 61* vivere.')
And it seemeth the chief Notion of Holiness in God , that he Lovcth Him
self in primo infianti, and that he is most Amiable to his Creatures in fe*
cundo infianti, and that he is the Cause and End of all that is good in them.
Thus a final object of his own and our Love or Complacency , God is
past all doubt. And secondarily his Will is pleased and fulfilled in all
his works.
387. 3. Yet by that Complacency we mean not that God is passive, or
receiveth any Delight from the Creature, or hath any addition by it to
his felicity: But as he is a Communicative Goodbywzy of Efficiency as the
first efficient Cause, so is he a felicitating Good to the Creature as its End,
and he is Love taking the creature into its nearest Communion with him :'
which is his Complacency, and the End of all things. And hence it is
that God is said when he had finished his works, to Rest complacentially in
all as very Good.
388. 4. As the Complacency of Gods Will is his End , in the formal
notion (so far ask may be said of God ) so his Glory is his End in the
Material notion.
389. That his Glory is not Formally his End, is confessed by all Di
vines who fay that nothing below God can be his End. But by his Glory is
meant something below nimself 5 some creature, or action of the crea
ture. Ergo, &c* For if by his Glory be meant Himself there is no Means
to such an end.
390. Therefore by Gods Glory is meant the shining lustre of his Image ;
or the Appearance of God in his works : And not only mans Praising and
Glorifying thoughts and words of him : which though they are our highest
duty, are unfit to be Gods End, alone* Yet are they part of that Glory
which is materially his End, though not the whole.
391. This Glory or Appearance of God , which is materially his End,
is, 1. The perfection of the whole Creation. 2. Next that the Glory of
the Celestial Kingdom, containing chrifl and all the holy ones. 3. Next
that the Glory ofchrists own person alone. 4. Next that the Glory of the
Holy ones alone, &c. t
392. Because this perfection of the Universe is not yet accomplished,
but shall be, improperly we may fay that God hath not yet attained his
End, that is, his Material End.
393' 5- But properly and formally Gods End is never unattained: Be
cause his will is never unfulfilled, though the things willed not yet per
fected.
 i .7_7_I
and'DecreesofCfod, &c.

fected. For when e. g. the first dayes work was made, all was done which
he then willed to be done, and so for the second day, &c. And now all
is done which he would have now done : And his Will is ever perfectly
pleased ; And he wanteth nothing. So that an End not attained,is not to be
ascribed to Cod, except materially.
394. Thus God is said to have made all things for himselfcVt&J. 16. 4*
Because for Hts Pleasure they are, and were createdy Rev. 4. 1 1 .
395 . For his Decreeing disposing Will is fulfilled by all, even the wick
ed that are for the day of Evilr Though his Commanding Will being not
fulfilled by sinners, according to that he is said to have no pleasure in them,
but to hate them, Psal. 5.5. Heb. 10.38. Mai. 1. 10. £^.18.32.
23.^33. 11. Jer. 32.28. (^48.38. Eccles.-y.^. Psal.1). 4, tjrc.
396. And lest any think that thus God misseth of his End, let it be
well noted, 1. That this phrase of Gods taking no pleasure, is objectively
both Positive, Privative and Oppofitive, that is, It signifieth that God will
deprive the wicked of felicity, or the Communion of his Love, and will
load them with sorrows, and will set himself against their Comforts. But
1. As to Gods own Complacency of will, it is but equal to a negative:
His felicity lyethnotin theirs: And so as Gods will hath no actual Com
placency in Nothings ( as in more Worlds, or Creatures, than ever will
be) and yet his Complacency is perfect; . so though he havenoCompla- Hence they dispute ;
cency in the Holiness or Salvation of those that are never Holy or Saved, whether Gods Provi-
... {. \ • c n dence alwayes attain Ut
yet his Complacency is perfect. Ends: an(J KwX cjteth
397. There is no doubt but Man hath Ends and Means, because God for the affirmative, cajiti
hath so appointed it, and made him not in a state of perfection but in ^
via : Yea, Angels have an End and every creature, because defective de- h*™*«, miedo 5 and
pendent beings j even in a formal fense. .. ^rw*c fgjjjjjf »j^5£
398. God is this Ultimate End of man, as he is to be perfectly Loved capreoi. vmir. & com-
dnd Pleased 1 to which all are means: And the means are ordered as Ends mniter nentimsi Mo
ra one another fi* zmtU Vt^' SMr"*
to one an°"Jcr' ,/..«.,» Vdœ. mam, Sirens*
399. Usually Where the Scriptures and Preachers do speak of God as the Pemottus, Ambai, &c.
End, and of Intention of Ends, they mean Mans Intention and End, pre- ^"^it^'nan^rTnd
scribed him by God. But if they speak ofGods, they mean only, formal- words. And km\ is for
ly the fulfilling of bis will, and materially his Glory, or theperfecting #/rthc ^J^J,^ \ttm
his works. put Dens int indie voliti-
400. The finis operis as distinct from the finis 'operantis is nothing bat m conditional , & m
the aptitude and tendency of tte work to the Authors intended End, or to '^Z&t,
some effect: Not that the opus qua opus finem intendit. th conditional & inef-
40 1 Jf all these difficulties lye in the way,Whether and how far God intend ^Zd!\dt tf^xuu
an End at ali,( judgehowfarit is fitto contend about the Mental Order of qua conjenfm hominis rid'
his Intentions, and whether Tudicious Davenantwzs not in the right. dmpojjibiiem , vti bomi-
t t Tf • j -l- /n j • a . . ° a :. mm Uciunt potentem ? Et
403. II. If it were granted, that Quodprtns ell intenttone, poflertus M volitio b*c dictndt tfc
eft executione} nothing would follow to gratifie either party in these Con- mtentio finis ? For he
troversies. For all would -be but this, that {_God intended Himself, and ESJ^SSfSlS
the Fulfilling or Complacency of his own Will , before he willed any thing dence is never frustrate,
else that ever cometh to pass. 3 And what's this to the business c £S2i£r^uag
403. But they say»/f is his Glory that he first intended: \ answered done against it absolute-
before, His Glory is, 1 . Himself ( and then it's the fame which I assert- ly, or against its total ad-»
ed:) or 2. a Creature sand then it is not formally his End.) 2. His equatc n '
Glory as it is his Compleat Image on the whole perfected World, is his
End indeed Materially : But that is but to be the Compleat Means :
The perfected means may improperly be called his End : But form*
denominat.
404. When they fay, that it is the Glory of his Mercy and Justice,
i.They
 62 Of the Stature, knowledge, Will

i. They say but che same and need no other answer, a. They speak
* Kui^deVohi.vtiditb. very defectively : For it is to ascribe to God a defective Decree or In-
15. §^4.;. 16 prettily tention, which is not for the glory of all his revealed perfections : Doubt-
SJS rS ilsiTJu- less whatever is materially the persecl means of glorifying God, must glo-
tionk divin*, fed ftiiui rifie his Greatnef and Active Power or Life, his wisdom and his Good-
tSSStJSuti «Æ and therein ** Kericity fetftettd hisi fl^/, his
t», /"^«;t«r ww« # Benignity and zwfrrj, his Immutability; Independency, &c. All this muft

Zid^vS^vtutimm] 405. If Mr. Perkins, Beza,Gilbie and many other good men had west
pojiquam inter iUos conjtat considered this, they had never made the glorifying of Gods Mercy and
lmVldiZTo^tlfJm Justice in the salvation of some and the damnation of others, Gods ulti-
txttnu objetia inter fe. mate end Thereby committing many palpable errours. 1. Making quid
The consequent is true. Crettumvel Crcatura to be formally or properly Gods end, which is but
They are vain indeed, •. / IT Z ,/ * , ,
though he deny it. a Means. 2. Making one parcel or that means, to be the end.
Andalihisreasons^.1^1, ^f /„serting two acts or parts only of that which they themselves confejS
daxtm- inmstwrTmiimei to be but Means. For what should the* names of Salvation and Damna-
pndes moventes divinam tion do in the description of the end i Are they any part of the end i
fl£3 th^mbigu!" Why is not Redemption, Justification, Sanctification, Preservation, Resuf-
tiesofthe word Raf/oand rection, ejrc as well put in i Is he not Glorified in them as well as in
abuses ofthe word cas*, fin4i station or damnation ? Yea and in Creation and the frame of
having before confessed ■* J _, ... • 1 r . / jul ij
that there is no Real nature too i Yea why is not the glory of Angels, and all the world put
Cause. And are there as part of the fame means to his end i
r'we^ra'nt the M 4°6' If " be said that ic is 0nly Gods GI°ry °f MerV ™d J"fi" *
ture is an object of Gods mens salvation and damnation which is the end of Redemption, Conver
ts anduhI ub)ect is Preaching, Ordinancesi Sanftification, Adoption, &C I. I deny it:
by some called the mate- J ' 6' ' , o~ r \ ■ r r ? , r% » - '
rial cause of the act in His. Power, wisdom and Goodneji, and his torementioned lubordinate at-
fptrie vti numero. 2. it tributes are thereby Glorified also. 2. It is an injury to God unworthy
^mSTeVivfneTn- of a Divine, to make God to have as many distinct ultimate ends, as they
flux. 3. it may there- think there are particular aptitudes or tendencies in the means,
sere be causa, matenaiu of .Q- por undoubtedly we must feign in God no more ultimate ends
the diversity of the «- , ^ ' , ■ . ' ,, . o r r . ,
sects of Gods influx as than one. And undoubtedly the means consisting ot innumerable parts,
Received in Pf£'«". « make up one perfect whole, in w hich Gods Glory sttineth so, as it doth
4. Sutafts may bTthe not in any part alone. And he that will cut Gods frame into scraps and
effects of Gods voliti- flireds, and set up the parts as so many wholes, will more distionour him
sccond5Caises of'othS than he that would so mangle a Picture, ora Watch, or Clock, or House,
effects. 6. Those other or the pipes of an Organ, or the strings of a Lute, and tell you of their
effects may be said to be beauty and Harmony only distinctly. Well therefore did Dr. TwiSfe
Gods nearer ends, speak- , ' .. . ' . * .. . ' t> 1 1 • JJ
ingofhimaftertheman- reduce all the Decrees de medits to one : But they are one in their apt
ner of imperfect, man. composition {or one end: And the Glory of Sun, and Stars, and Aneels,
Lt^uses^they'mayte an® tnc whole Creadon is apart, and the Glory of our salvation and dam-
conditions [we quibits nation is but another part.
act; qLTenieaL^(t 4°8- The order therefore of Gods Decrees in respect of the Execution
sm is of punishment at is only fit for our debate : ( Any farther than that we may moreover fay
s efts Gods3" vdikion that Go£k or Himself is aJ1 nis ulcimate c°d, and his Glory shining
which is one in itself, m tne perfection of his intire works is the perfect means.) And there is
may and must be deno- nothing else thatwe can reasonably controvert. And about this our Con-
dSttd^^ troversie is next to none at all. Here we may well enquire what is prius
and objects,which there- vel postertus, quid fuperius, quid inferius, dec. and that to our edifica-
fore are tlie Ratio nomi- jion.
»/<• : And he that would ' c • 1 1 , . , 1, . . .
prove any other Ratio ot 4°9. seeing then that we are agreed (as is laid ) with Aquinas that
Cause of the first Cause> * j)eus mn propter hoc vult hoc3 fed vult hoc esfe propter hoc. that which
the will of God or any 11 ' i jj r r »
of his acts as in him- "C
self, must first renounce
all natural and Scholastical Theolcgie at least. He citeth Durand. Major, Richardus, Sec. But Vmandas l.d. 41.4. 1. doth
but fay that Gods Acts art thus to be reckoned secundum rationem, as likening Gods reasoning or thoughts to ours, \ut 9,7.) and
DOC
 and Decrees of Cjod, &c. 63

not juxta rei veritatem. Richard, is full for what I fay; i. d.45. Voluntas five voltns de Deo secundum tjfentiam dicitur:
nnn t'i aliad Vellt, alikd L[fe : But yet his Ve'Je hoc fpeaketh not his effe qui ejse ; and therefore he addeth that
when God is said fciri aut velle; it is his Esience$ but tp fay, Hoc aut Mud frit aut vult is but t6 fay. Hoc aut Mud est sub-
jeclum fcientia vel voluntatis aim iffe Dens est. Et Voluntas Dei est frima & summa causa omnium ; cujut Causa run est
quxrenda ; & non est diversa Voluntas, fed diversi locutio de ta in Scripturis. And Richardus in Iocs. 141. faith
but this, that Ipftus divini VtUe nulla est rath motiva , cum realitcr idem fit quodptus : Tamtn Ordinationis qua e(l inter
iivinum vt'Jt & ipsum yolitum bent est ratio aliqua refpeftu alhujusvoliti. Which is no more than I have said. And as td
Major, tVu\ did ill to cite him, who there profesleth that Predestination and Volition is bwcRelati'o rations & dtnominatio ex-
triiisut as to God. And his ordo stgnorum inmtnte divina is but the Scotists assimilating Gods acts to mans.

we have to do is but to enquire, I. Here, how one thing is a Cause ot

ether means of another 5 2. And so how God Decreed, it to work
and be.
410. And 1 . It is agreed that the creation was Gods first work (that we
know of or have anything to do with: ) This had (as to the first part)
no Antecedent Object, but produceth its effetf, which some call its object.
B it the latter dayes works had an antecedent object, and also a pro
duced effect. And accordingly God Decreed from Eternity that this
should be his first work. From whence by connotation that may be
called, his first Decree.
411. That fin or the Permission of (in-, or other meer Negatives, arc
not to have place among the asserted Means and Decrees, I am anon in
due place to manifest.
412. 2. God having made man, did give him a Law both Natural
and Positive : This was next done, and therefore decreed to be next
done.
413. 3. Man having broke this Law, God judged him, and laid ori
him some indifoensible penalties. This was decreed, to be done in the
third place.
414. 4. At the fame time God promised Man the victory by the Wo-
mans Seed, and giving him pardon of the destructive penalty, became his
Redeemer, and .put him under a Covenant of Grace 5 first given to man
kind in Adam, and afterwards in Noah. And this was decreed to be so
done* . m \
415. 5. Though all were thus put under this Covenant, and God for
sook none that first forsook not him, yet did he give more Grace to some,
than to others, to Ahel^e.g. than to Cain, so that those thatdid actually
repent and believe and live to God, were justified and adopted and made
heirs of life. And thus he decreed to do. :
415. 6. Perseverance also was the effect of his special Grace, which
accordingly is Decreed to be given.
417* 7. The Cainites, Canaanites and others that were the wicked
Seed of wicked Parents, who forsook him and his Grace, he accordingly
judged, punished and forsook : And so decreed. . • •. -
418. 8, The Seed of the faithful he eminently blessed, especially of
Abraham whom he took {" by reward ) into a further special Covenant,
superaddedtothe common Covenant os Grace, taking his Seed into a pe
culiar political and gracious relation to him, promising the multiplication
and prosperity of them, and that the Saviour should come out of them: All
which was so decreed to be done.
4 1 p. 9. The Messiah came in the fulness of time, and did and suf
fered all that is mentioned in the Gospel : And gave us a more perfect
Edition of the Covenant of Grace, and greater grace with it, even more
of the Spirit, with a better Ministry,Ordinance* and Church-state : Which
jYvere so decreed to be done.
 42 o. 10. To some Nations of the Earth this second Edition of the
Covenant of Grace, ( that is, the Gospel) is freely promulgate or Preach
ed, who deserved it no more than others, while others for sin are left un
der the first darker Edition, and under desertions and grievous punish
ments, for their fore-fathers and their own violation ofit.
421. 11. Where the Gospel cometh among many that all deserve re
jection for the resisting of grace, God giveth to some that grace which in
fallibly Converteth them, and consequently justifieth, adopteth and sancti-
fieth them. All which he decreed.
42 2 . 12. Giving also Perseverance as aforesaid, he finally justifieth all
such in Judgement, and Glorifieth ( Christ first, and ) them with Christ r
singly and conjunctly at the final consummation. And he Decreed to do all
this accordingly.
423. If the Decree of God be called but One, for the Reasons before
given, the Controversie is then at an end : But if it must be distinguished
and called Many Decrees or parts, it must be either from the EJfefts or
from the supposedobyzdts.
424. i . II from the Effects, there will be no Controversie about the
Decrees but what is first about the Effects themselves. And most of them
now named are uncontroverted.
425. 2 . And we cannot well denominate and distinguish the Decrees
from any thing else but the Effects, ( even as we do his operations, as
Creation, Redemption, &c,~) But the objects then are past doubt such as
follow.
426. Ftz. 1. The object of the Decree of Creation as such (distinct
from the Effect ) is Nothing : that is, There is no object.
427. 2. The object of the Decree of Legislation is man considered
meerly in his Being and Naturals as such.
428. 3. The object of the Decree of the first Judgement, was man
newly fain.
429. 4. The object of the Decree of the giving of the Promise of
Christ, the New Covenant in the first Edition and pardon and grace by it,
was fain man first judged.
430. 5 . The object of the Common grace of that Covenant from first
to last, is fain judged man brought under that Covenant of grace (»/ nor-
ma offieii-) judieii & benefieii.)
431. 6. The object of the special grace of God fat first ) viz. for ef
fectual Conversion, to men under that Covenant, was the fame as last
mentioned, Man brought under the Covenant of grace ; of whom 1. Some
were prepared and disposed by Common grace for Special. 2. And it's
like some net, but suddenly surprized by mercy.
432. 7. The object of Abrahams special promise, ( besides the Com
mon Covenant of grace ) was Abraham eminent in faith and self-denying
obedience to God: And afterward his Seed for his fake.
433. 8. TheObject of theactual giftof Christ incarnate, and the per
fect Edition of the New Covenant by him, was the sinful world that had
transgressed both the Law of Innoccncy and the first Edition of the Co
venant of grace, and the Jews that had broken Moses's Law.
434. 9. The object of the gift of the Gospel as promulgate or pub
lished is the fame, adding, the world as now Redeemed by the Actual sa
crifice, Merits and Resurrection of Christ incarnate.
435. 10. The object of the Commonest grace of the Gospel Cove
nant, is Redeemed man brought under this Covenant as the Norm*
cjficii, judieii ejr beneficiorum ( quoad jus ; ) or, subditi obligati.
 and Decrees of Cjod, &c. ; £ «*

436. 11. The object os the grace of this Covenant proper to the
Visible Church, and common to it S memberjjite risible christians•, or Ba
ptized Profejjours.
437. 12. The object of the first effectual grace of saving Conversion-
( faith and repentance) is certain persons Redeemed and. brought under
the obligation of this new Covenant ; Of whom some are prepared by
common grace, and fit's like J some are not; .-•/_.
438. 13. The object of the gift of pardon, justification,- adoption, the. •
spirit of sanctification and right to life, (and all this in Christ by union" ) .'.
is a Penitent Believer^ and the feed of flich dedicated in Covenant to God., -
439. 14. The object of many acts of auxiliary grace, and of higher ;
degrees of grace is, ( ordinarily ) iuchas have Well used former degrees
of special grace : But also, who God is freely pleased, to give it to.
446. . 15. The object of the grace of Perseverahce.is the same last men
tioned: If not all the Justified > which, I reserve as almost our only re
al Controversie to handle in its proper place in the next Chapter. . •
441. 16. The object of the Act of Raising the dead is all the worlds as -
appearethinj^. 5.2 2.t0 324 ; : , ,'«.-.
442. 17. The object of the Justification of the foul alone dt the first: -
appearance is, the foul of a member of Christ, or one faithful and perse- August, ad simpliciL r.
vering in his Covenant : or a Saint. ... • ' . . . I"-2- *******
443. 18. The object of the final justification of the whole man, is a JE^fEi tumpi
Saint risen from the dead. pofitum japficathnis ipft-
444- i* The object of Glorifying Grace, is a member of Christ, - }$gtiS£?E}
or a Saint thus hnally Justified ( either in loul first, or in soul and body immt opera qu*jtmtiu
after as is said. ) ■ . evad reemm
445. 20. The object of Gods greatest felicitating cornslatency is the •
Glorified Church of all the holy ones : And the object of his utmost uni
versal complacency in the Creaturej is the Glory of his image shining on
the whole Universe in perfection : ( As the object (as we may call it) of his
Essential Volition, Love or Complacency, is Himself.)
And as these are the objects of the. grace thus distinguished by the ef
fects, so are they of the will or Decree of giving it, as denominated ac
cording to the order of Execution. Besides which Vaven&nt on one ac
count, and Trvijse on another grant that quoad media there is no other for
man to know. . . •
446 . By this it appeareth that the Corrupted Musi simply considered was
the object of no one of all these graces. But the Corrupted Mass as v *
Judged first, and after as Redeemed, and after as under Covenant, cfcw
Much less was it any effeft of God, as corrupt. :
447. The corrupted Mafl judged, was not as such the object of Gods
discrimination by Election of some, and rejection of others : For they
were commonly brought all under the Covenant of Grace, and had a com
mon sort of grace, befpre the discrimination.

SECT.
 Of the Nature> Knowledge, Will
66

SECT. XVI.

Of the Order of the Decrees catted Reprobation. And of Election and Re

probation in themselves.

448. A Ccordingly in the order of execution we must reckon the ob-

D'Orbeiik, in 1. i. 40. ^\ jects of that which some call Reprobation, answerable to what
%!t%w?,%%&*\ is before laid of Election : But order requireth that I first speak of Ele-
popfttum, tieaio, difyo- ction and Reprobation as in themselves, what they are. '
»lL%1*^"d$rM 44?1 Action as to the etymologie I need not explain. It is taken
secundum rttiottm, licit U For a Temporary actual Taking one rather than another by way of
si tsSutit"^ti !fi cm* choice- Which is i. By meer Volition, or Election of the will. i. Or
c'ogni'th 'omnium p*tnt also by manual Apprehension or Executive Election ( As a man taketh a
torum, prafentium, future- woman to wife. ) 2. Or it is taken for An Eternal Electing Decree of
rum, fieriq;pojstbilium tam *- j
bonorum quam malerun. *J"a» , < • ' . , . ■ , • r . , ,
2. prtfiientia est futuro- 450. Gods Executive Election in Time is twofold 1. By giving one
Z/vtTilropiX. man inverting effectual Grace which he giveth not to another. 2. By
eumur vrifciti Pro- taking consequently that Converted person to be one of his Adopted and
IwoTm i^lSm Justed ones, as his choice peculiar treasure.
A prtcfrfente in finem or- 451. Gods Mental Election being an Act of his tvitt, is either his
dinabiiia 3. pro- meer Decree of the Event, 2. Or his Decree as efficients 3. Or else his
vflZf/m%ec?IfZi complacency. The first is eternal. The second is eternal ex partc Dei, but
rum agendorum, qum ptr- not ex parte effecti*t. The third is eternal as it is Gods elsence, but is
^uprTprZskumAaddit%l denominated Temporary by connotation of the object 5 as also may the
cretionm eiecii afuo con- second be : About these there needs no quarrel.
trario,scii.boniamaio. p. 4^3. All the special grace which Godgiveth in Time, he decreed from
fJSSrm, rffpicLTfi- Eternity to give : And though some decrees have special objects in effe cognito
eri ni, & cognitionem -, supposed, noneof them have a proper exterior cause,
ficut proving respicit . lt is not possible that any Creature can have any good which
tut ret poftqum iatta , ~' J C , . . r J _0 ,
ist 6.pr*destinatio is not a pure gift of God, however he may require of man Conditions of
tst propofitm divin* vo- Reception, in the order of Collation. Therefore the Decree must needs
luntatis, conferendi gratt- , s
am & glori'am predestini- be free.
tis. 7. Reprobatio est 454. As to the question whether God elect men upon foresight of any
Pfr^"i; £ goodin them, enough is said before to answerit. If the question mean
durations finaii, & retri- whether Gods Knowledge or Volition be first in themselves < I answer,
bp7nlm, ZoLTmm^ni- wither >' For nothing in him iS before or after other. But if God might
quitatm.] ' ' bespoken of as man, we must fay that hisUnderftanding is the first spe
cifying principles and the will the first quoad exercitium attus. And there
fore that the Divine understanding represented to his will, the object in
its Eligibility. If the question be what is the objects represented eligt-
brirty in effe cogmto vel /deali, it is answered, I. We must distinguish
of the Divine Volitions called Elections by the divers effects : i. (To pass
by the rest ) It is one thing to Elect to clory^ot Velle Glorificare ; And
here the object of Actual Glorification, is a persevering Saint : And you
must distinguish Gods Volitions by his executions, or not at all ( which
you had rather. ) 2. It is another tning to choose one to the first grace of
faith or true Conversion. And here the object of the execution is, as is
aforesaid, sometime one prepared by common grace (though without merit, )
sometime one extraordinarily wicked : Look over what I said of the ob
jects, and the question of foresight is answered, as farasitbelongethto our
enquiry.
455. Thoe that deny all special arbitrary Election, must deny all spe
cial arbitrary effectual differing grace : which I shall prove elsewhere t>y
ic
 andT)ecree$ofCjod) &c. . 67

it self-, And nowreferr such to Davenants Dissertations pra&cst. where

it is fully proved, and defended.
456.. One thing which deceiveth such men is, that they forget that God
standeth to man, not only in the Relation of a Rector per Leges, ( for so
hedealeth equally with all that make not the inequality themselves:) But
also as a Proprietor and a Benefactor, in both which Relations he is free
to do with his own as he pleaseth. And free Lords and Benefactors use
not to distribute equally their gifts. Nor do they consider that de facto
God visibly maketh wonderful inequalities 5 He makethnotmen as great
or good as Angels, nor Stars as glorious as the Sun : The whole sheweth
us admirable variety , arbitrarily made by the great Benefactor, who
giveth not to us a Reason of his wilL
457. The word [iJi>u^&r] Reprobusfva Scripture is used no where that J«.$.
1 remember, but Rom. 1.28. 1 Cor. 9. 27. z Cor. 13. 5, 6,j. iTim.
3.8. Tit. 1. 16. Heb. 6. And the word [Reprobation] is not used at all,
as any act of God. But predestination and election are oft used on the
better side, and rejecting, bating, forsaking oaths other side. And elect
ing implyeth that some are not elect. I 1
458. About the object of that1 which many call Reprobation, be sure
to distinguish, between a true object of any Act, circa quod versatur^
and which is stibjettum inhxstonis, and a meer object ofspeech, or sub-
jectum prxdicttionti : Else you will with many be ensnared to think
that every subject or object of a predication which in the series of Gods
judgements you meet with, is the object of some positive act of God.
459. And though we would quarrel with no man about meer words,
yet lest words deceive you I add, that as the word Reprobation scemeth
to sigriifie a positive Act, and yet a great part of the desertion of the Re
probates is by Gods preteritions and not-acting and privations ; there
fore it is not the whole series that the word Reprobation aptly expresseth,
but only some particular Acts*
460. The word Predestinate used Rom.ti. 19,30. and Epbes.t.5. The presumption of the
ICor. 2.5. (it's *v»v.ni though not spoken of persons) ^#.4.28. Schoolmen in defining
(translated \_fore- determined]} when applyed to persons is ever taken in htr^nEleeZ"
Scripture as an act of mercy : And the ancients ^Augustine, Proper and de povid. difp. fen. 9.
Fulgentiui use the words iPrtdefiinati & Prtsciti, the predestinate and ^Pred^AmatiSis^
the fore-known] of late men use among us the words Elect and Reprobate. Act of Gods intellect,
461* Though men differ as their opinions lead them in the exposition ?nd * ?n£'laA act>.*»d
such texts as *Rom.9. a 8, 29,30. Ephes. I. 8,9,10, 11. and titlmm mm temmm
some take them to speak of predestinating Individuals, and others only of dt finih,tS rtrm & m'
tfeeies, that is, of believers, sufferers, Lovers of God,&c. yet as to the JS£/fiW?i»JS
matter it self node that is judicious can or doth deny but that God eter- media, &c. it knot thi*
nally Predestmateth individuals ; The Jesuits commonly confeft it, g but the knowledge
though they differ on the question, how far it is on fore-sight of faith: *vid. Be%m in Rom.8j
But that foreseen Believers individually are eternally elected to salvation, a8, *J*W'«
thev cannot deny. And the Learnedst Jesuits maintain that God giveth
faith in time; and electeth Individuals to faith it self from eternity : That
is, eternally decreed to give them faith, or to give them that Grace by
which he fore-knew that in the advantagious circumstances in which he
decreed to put them, they would freely, and he decreed should infallibly,
believe.
462. The conceit and supposition of many, that Election and Repro-'
bation are such perfect contraries, as that they run part pafsu, and that
God willeth in the one just as he doth in the other, End and means, for
matter and order, is a gross mistake. Augustine, Prosper, Fulgentins
K a and
 68 Osthe Stature, Knowledge, Will

Leg. Daws, vijftri. it and Davenant of late , with many more have (hewed , that Cod pre-
ZtfrtbS^Bt Czmd destinateth men to Faiths perseverance,and to Glory^nd not only to Glo
wer. 5. §.5. /.335. & ry upon the foresight of saitn and perseverance : But that he p edefhnateth
^%&&c lUl° 01 deCreethmento damnation, only on the foresight of final impenitence
and infidelity, but not to Impenitence or Infidelity it self.
465. The Grand difficulty that occasioned! all our Controversies here
in is, How to discern that God is the Author of all our Good, and yet not
the Author of Sin, nor of Damnation saving for stn. And both parties
are very desirous to hold and fee that both these are true : Nay, both
believe them: But they differ only in the way and method of manifest
ing. it. . •
464. There are three opinions about Reprobation : 1. One is, thatf Cod
Positively decreed from eternity to glorifie his Justice in the damnation of
the most, and to that end to occasion and permit their hardning and unbe*
lief ; so that Reprobation is Positive both as to the Act and Object*
%. The other is the opinion of the Synod of Dort ( as expressed) defended
at large by Davenant and many others, that Reprobation is Gods Positive
Decree not to give faith and and repentance to the fame men , and to
damn them for impenitence and infidelity : and so is Positive quoad
Act um , but Negative quoad ObjcBum, ( as to the first part, not gtving
faith.) 3. The third is the Opinion of subtile Scotus and his followers)
So Alkrtim before cited, that in primo instanti Reprobation is Negative quoad Actum & Objectum^
that is, It is no Act of God at all, but only a Non-ele£tion or preterition :
which is I suppose the meaning of Dr. Sterne of Dublin Co.ledge, who
hath written a Latin Tractate maintaining that God Reprobateth none, that
is, by any Act.
Set. 1. A. 47. 465. The method laid down by Scotus is this, f_ Offertur Voluntati fit*
Vid. s/£iu Aiayronis tn yimc ^eCcaturum vel peccare : Primo voluntas ejus circa hunc non habet
Against scotus his foun- Velle: Velle enim ipfum babere pe centum non potefi. i.Potest intelligere
dation, that God know- roifmtatem ruam „0„ volentem hoc : & tune potest velle Voluntx-
eth future contingents J . Y ,,/'/• ,
only m F»lita, faith ai- tern Juam hon velle hoc : & tta dicttur Volens finere , ey vo-
lucin uq.u.x.[Sid i(ia [u„tnric permittere : ficut ex alia parte prafentato fibi Juda, primo Deus
%J!t uL'fii- bahet non Velle fibi Cloriam , & non primo Nolle ejr potest tune
flantia & prmitattm & ft cundo reflecJere super ifiam negaticnem act us cy- Velle earn : & ita V»-
m^m^jS! kns five voluntarie noneligitjudamfinaliter peccaturum, & non nolitionem
impoftbile
f.' yfl™'* tjt tfscompu-
quod pro ali- vilona,66 fed
It non-volitionem
is notabie thatgloria.
both Dr. Twffe and Bishop Davenant. do dis-
i/o di futuro ft ncutra - . . » * '
■ Alias po tune daretur claim this opinion or Scotus without offering us any one aigument against
.mtdium in contradictiont.^ lt . which is so unusual a course with one of them, as would perswade one
\mMm l&'iJilmm cog- to think that they had not much to say against it, but (what they inti-
mfandi in vhino imd- mate) the harsh sound ofthe words, that God should be here a non-agent.
467. The truth feemeth to me, that as Davenant faith, scotus was the
first artifex of this ordering of various Acts in the mind of God: So here
- . he faith too much, and is toobold> and feigneth a subsequent Volition of a
former non-volition without cause or proof, meerly to scape the censure
which yet he now incurreth, of making God too little active. . • <
. 468. So far was Scotus from being the first Author of this Opinion, of
Lunbard. i. d. 47. a Negatio volendi peccatnm in God, that their common Master Lombard
most exprcfly afieneth it, and that more plainly and soundly than these
over- subtile men. Upon which his Commentators copiously dispute An
in Deo prffit ejfe pura omiffio absque volitione dr nolitione positiva f. of
which besides the Scotists and Nomtnals, you may fee ^»/'#. 16. a. z.Dtt-
rand. 1.^.47.7.1. Ruiz, de Volunt. dijp. 8. sitf.%. concl. 2. Albertin.
T0.4. princip.^. q. 4. dub. Vajquez 2. p. I. dijp. 79. num. 17 , eye.
. . 1. Suk'rck
 ■ ~- • iii i — — ■ • ,, , ' ' " ■ ■

and 'Decrees of (sod, 6&

1 ! • • .
Sudrez Metapb. difp. 30. fees: $.n. 55?. Fonfec. Metap: It. 7. c.S. q. 5;
feet. l. AluizTracJ.i. difp. 6. fect.%. Montepil. 1. p. difp. 33. a.S. c.i.
barandus distinguiiheth ot contra & fritter roluntatem, and faith
thac Voluntas etiam beneplaciti antecedens, qua est folum quxdam Velleitas^
may be such as many things are prater & contra earn. But Foluntas be-
ncplaciti consequent is such as nothing is contra earn ^ but fin is prater
earn-, etiam mala fieri. Neque enim vult fieri , nec vult non fieri. I
like not what he addeth : idem forte diceret aliquis de quibufdam bonii
que fiunt mere a Ubero arbitrio^ fed non de omnibus-^ viz. qua fiuntapra-
destinatiSj&cc. .,
469. And it is to be noted, that Durandus with other Schoolmen argue,
that if sin were willed by God, God would be the Author of it : Gods Vo
lition, fay they, being efficient. And Estius ( a yet plainer Schoolman than
Purand ) faith, Qmcquid fit DeoPolente, fit Deo authore: who also citing
Aquinas % consent, faith, Omnimode tenenda est in bac parte dotJrina ma- Afun.i. q. 19:0:9.04
gistri,mala nec effe nec fieri Deo Volente. And against the vain distinction of ti&&
[Deus non vult malum, fedvult malum fieri feu evenire~\ he faith that
[Vellemala, &ve/lemala effe feufieri"} idem eft. Voluntas enim ad rent
stmpliciter , est ad rem ut fit.- Qui vult virtutem, vult virtutem
effe ? Qui vult peccatum^ vult peccatunt effe neque aliud fit velle
mala., & velle mala effe aut fieri, i.d. 47. sectj 7.pag.2 2 8. ( It ieemeth
there were some then of Dr. "twiffes and Rutherfords opinion;) ' ... ; - . • .
470. And that you may fee Estius mind further in this, and also fee all
the Objections now used answered, I will here annex (though out ofplaces 1
his answer to them. -I , ■ , 0 . :
Obj. 1. Sin is not committed Dcd nolente : ergo Deo volente fit.
Resp. Neque nolente', neque volente Deo stunt, fed permittente. Aqutn, q. i?. m, 9i aj
471. Obj. 2. Mala effe aut fieri bonum est I; Ad perse clionem uni- 3. answereth in the sea*
H)ersiy 1 . Ad decorem^ &c. Ita August. Enchir. 1 o. & 1 1 . efr. c. 96. Bonum raanncr"
est ut (int mala. * ... , v. • > •• ' \
Rcsp. Neg. Major : Et I. Mala funt Uhiverfi non ornatus ejr perse* '
Eltone fed id deformant, &C. 2. August, non aliudvult, quam Bonum effe
mala permittii . ... 1 ■■■
472. Obj. 3. They cannot be, unless God will them to be; August. *
Enchiri 95 * Non fit aliquid nisi Omnipotent fieri velit.
Resp. The reason allumet h.a salsliood. And Augustine is interpreted as : '•
speaking only of the Permission as willed, and not the Event. . ■ . .• .v .' .
473 . Obj. 4. Omne verum est 3 Deo 1 ejfcdr fieri malum verum est : **M#*fc t**47** aJ
Ergo. ■ \ 'y i: ,V.'-" 1 1 ■ - I *■* -
Resp, NonHugonis fed fophistarnm est: Nam verum qua verum est a
Deo: De rebus molts funt conceptus mentis veri. ( Indeed malum qua
cbjeftum scientist non eft. malum. )f • i 1 : h;
474; Obj. 5 . Aug. Bnchir. 1 00. Peccatum hon fitprater Dei voluntatem,
quod fit contra. '..\ y-:..-' . a \: .*
Rcsp. Loquitur de permifjlonis voluhtate, non ipfiut mali. - -
Albertinus words to. i. Princip. 4. q. 4. dub. 2. pagt 29J. I cited before
for a Negation of Will. . ;.. !. 'V. ■• x.. . ..[:•"} .-
47 5 . Juarez distinguiiheth of Gods Will Vobintariiy determining to g'o ***h ' /to 94
no further, and a will suspended without such a determination: And the nm,*9t 1

first he denyeth riot, biit the latter' he denytth in God as imperfection :

But upon reasons so weak, likening God to man, that I think them not worth
the reciting. ': * '■<'.'•. *.;',.*." .'.)'.-
- 476. No mortal man can prove, that God must needs have actual Vo^-
Utions
7

jo Of the feature, Knowledge, Will

Yet let the Reader note, litions of Nothings as such. And consequently that he hath any such : And
STnit Jroveda £ *at his perfection excludeth them not.
fitive volition or Noliti- 477. Yet I grant that he willetn the Truth of humane Negative Propo-
°m osa^°icast8S f °ln<Mo ^tions: For those are something though about Nothing. •
would shorten the"con- 478. That such Decrees or Volitions de nihilo are not necessary, appear-
iroversie, vet myConci- eth, in that i. Either they are necessary \wAll instances de nihilo, or only
SstSd^bSfliflpS 'UP"1"- Notin All: Ergo, not qua tales: For if onJyin/***, it mult
cccd sufficiently if you be from some singular accidental reasons : A quatentts ad omne valet con-
wiktT his dNoNwiUing Ps******* That they are not necessary in all, is granted in that no roan
and his Permissions. ( that I know of ) ever asserted it. And to assert it, is great presumption:
For then there must be infinite Negative- Positive Decrees: As*.*, that
there (hall not be innumerable more Worlds, more Suns, more Atoms, that
this and that and every particular atome or sand shall not be a Sun, a Star,
an Earth, a Man, a Dog, a Fish, &o. And infinite Decrees, about every
• . .. Stone j as many about every pile of grafs, and as many about every crea-
. tare, what they (hall not be. And infinite Decrees about infinite ( or in
numerable ) Possibles, that they shall not be exisknts, that they shall not
be thus or thus named, &c. Who can prove or dare affirm, that all
these Infinite Nothings , have Positive acts of Decretive Nolition from
Eternity in God i
47P. 2. We must not feign unnecessary Acts in God : But such Positive
titttdm Vol. 1. U. 9. Nolitions of Nothings seem unnecessary : For Nothing will be nothing ,
Tbioi. dogmat. depr*dejt. without a Nolition, as well aiwith it : What need God Nill the Being of
defcribetrTthe^ ra0K Worlds, more Creatures, more Names, &c. when it is not possible
on of our Countrey-man that ever they should be, unless he positively will and make them < Yea,
John. Bigena scotus , jf (per impoffibile ) there were no God, Noshing would be Nothing still.
^$nMHytt\um iff it To feign or call for a Divine Nolition* to keep Nothing from becoming
d.o, qiueuctas adater- something is too presuming. .. . " ~ .<) .:. .
3£tf2S"Æ5i 480. 3.A11 those Schoolmen and Divines who tell us, that every mil of
tjst dmnttimm. How God, except his complacency and displicence , is effective, must needs be
rT 1 sS/°pi °s« a8ainst a Pofitivc Nolition of Nothings : For that effecteth nothing. If
what Bishop u(htr faith they say that, they mean it only of Volitions and not ot'Ntlitions, I answer,
of scotus Erigenaaad x . iS not Gods Nolition a FeBe non ? What is it, but a will that this or
tlTTidm K enar shall not be ? 2 . And in man as Volitions are for some Good, so No
ah) untcediUtiuserat.'] litions are for the depulsion of some Evil : But Indifferent-Nothings, that
^x^%loiTclrt^.m[n *re in ^imaginatd atithet Good aor £f//,have no Volitions or Nolitions
contra Gotefcbaicm, in even in man. 1-
em. iokiL^aitk.f\6S. . ^ Gods Will is his Essence, variously denominated as variously
terminated on the objects: buz Nothing is no objetf, and so no terminate
on of Gods Will $ and so no object to constitute an act in specie velindi-
viduo by connotation or. extrinfick denomination: Therefore God is not
to be said to Will it, or Decree it. If you lay, that it is something in
<the Ids* of Gods Intellect 5 I answer, It is presumptuously asserted : Who
can prove, or ought to feign that there is in God Idea's or Conceits of
such nothings as never will beany thing, in the forms of somethings? For
Nothing as nothing, hath no form to be conceived of.
482. Object. Thus you deny Nothings as such to be known of God,
• •:•'!> $or if they cannot be the objects of his Nolitions^ then neither of his
Knowledge. \
: Ansft. Properly Nothing as such, is not an object of Knowledge at alU
But a Proposition de nihilo is: But of this more anon.
483. 5. Certainly God doth freely suspend ox limit the Acts of his
■sower-. Therefore he may for ouj^it we know ( that I fay not, It is cer-
* . tain
 and Decrees of (jod7 &c. 71

tain that he doth ) sufpend'or limit the Acts of his will. <}od doth not
make more Worlds, nor mare Men, Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Plants, Stones,
Sands, Atoms, Names, &c. than are and will be : He doth not fantfifie
more than are and vpi/l he sanctified •, nor give more grace to the sancti- * Again let the Reader
fied than ever they will have : when he Could if he would. And when "°[c0tniatjli7y^1,sc lyeth
the Principles of the Divine Nature are Co-equal, why should we say, that i°have said so much"of
he who undenyably fuspendeth thepossible acts of one, freely, fuspendeth ic> 1 think meet to take
not the actsof the Free Principle ( the will) itself? or isit like thatone SsiSaS^^f
sliould be here active, and not the other ? ■- {. ... q*t\i* i.7U.qs.i$.
484. 6. Positive Nolitions olEvil do seem in man to come from the Im- confute f«Land
perfection of his created nature 5 As being Passive, and Capable of, or affirroeth, that Gods win:
obnoxious to evil , or in danger of it, and so needeth defence agdinst is not to be conceived cf
it, and his Nolitions are the defensive and depulsive principle. And though abc^a^y Negadvesfb*
we must speak of God according to our mode, we must sky nothing need- that he hath a positive
lesly which importeth weakness or pafflveneft or danger in him. rf T,ry
o * t-u u • /1 ti j • X. c t_n 1 non-entity and mwjvt*-
485. * They that are against this, are moved with a fear, lest we make r#», and so (ut aiibi )
God an idle Spectator, and not the Governour of the World. But they ^finite t*f™w°Mne
consider not, i.That the suspension of his Powerful Operation'wkneihno himself confuteth their
such thing : God is not Idle^ because he Caufeth not, or maketh not insi- reason that say, God is
nice Nothings (or possibles to exist:) Nor is he the less Governour of
the World: And yet Idleness and Government are words that more di- But he layeth all lus
rectly signifie non-operation and operation , than any mcer Volitions or
Nolitions. Men may thrust out words , but no rational answer against it a very useful doctrine
this argument. fi&^fttatjbi
486. 2. And note well, that Gods not- knowing, or not- nilling nothing aSqu mm ift cwggrm
is from his Perfelfion 5 and not any privative Ignorance or Negligence : uimvufu rtfari poteft
For he knmeth all that is an object of Knowledge . and mltetb all that aJ J^JfJ'"
his Wisdom judgeth meet to will ( or nill respectively ) : So that to tell qui ipf* vtttt fast \
God that he is Ignorant if he know not an unintelligible object, or Idle JpSJKj*
if he will or Nill not at our direction, is as much blasphemy, as to tell him ut'7katurne%ive fib'-
• : ■ 3 opus est variatif
mm aliquam intrinfecam effe nut in Deo, aut in rebus non futms : At not, 8rc. Voluntas mten Dei non necesiario negative ft
debit habere, qttia Mud non effe eft apptti.bile : Thesuram is, Cod can Positive will non-entity, ergo he doth. And this is
his AU, to which elsewhere he oft referreth us. But let the sober Reader consider, i. He confesieth, that Gods Will is
his immutable and simple Essence, and in it self is not at all diversified to or by objects, but only extrinsecally denorai4
nated diversly : so that all this is but dt rtUtioni & nomine, 2. And is it not presumption to frfrae a Logick of second
notions, and fay, This and not that is applicable to God, as if it were to man, when their Logical notions as to man him
self are so arbitrary ? 3. He answereth none of the arguments to the contrary which I use. Nil fruflra must be feign*
ed of creatures : much less of God. 4. We being agreed that whoever be in the right, it, inferreth no difference in
God, but in our denominations of his Will, the seven cases here granted him, may fully satisfie them that will so deno-
initiate Gods Will. 5. But in a Physical and proper fense I deny his supposition, it is no Nonentity tliat is properly
bonum & appttibile, though it may be Malum. Bowwaswcll as mum & Vetm are affeUiones feu modi entis. Et Mi non eft
Ens non ejl modus. That which is not, is not Good ; or appetibile.^ Morally we fay improperly, It is good not to be sick,
not to have an enemy, not to dye, &c. But we mean but 1. It is Good to live, to be well, to have all that good which
an enemy would deprive us of, and 2. That it is Evil to dye, to be sick, to have an enemy* We fay, Its Good not to
be erroneous, wicked, deprived of Heaven, &c. that is, It is Good to know- truly, to be godly, to be glorified, and it is
Evil to err, to be wicked,^. _ 6. Gods Will is considered cither as 1. Efficient, 2. Or as finally fulfilled and pleased.
As Efficient it cannot mil nothing : for nothing is not made or caused. And impeditio r,e res fiat, may be by effecting
the hindering Cause. And as final, or, as fulfilled and pleased, Non-entity can properly be said to be but the not dij'
pleasing of k. Nothing is no object of the Will : though a Propolition or in men an oppofftive thought be somewhat.
It seemedi to me a presumptuous playing with the Majesty of God to affirm, that we must ascribe to him infinite Positive
Volitions tliat infinite Atoms, Names, &c. shall not be : when even to men we only ascribe reductively and morally, the
nolition of things evil. 7. It is certain that God fuspendeth his Ville & satire about non-entities ? And why not as well
his Nolle ? or Velle non effe ? as aforesaid. Eut here after others a late philosophical Phyfcion faith, that Nothings may
be Bona Moralia, though not Naturalia. I answer , It is not true save by a reductive improper speech. Morality is Mo
dality. The negative Commandments forbid evil, and commapd the nolition and resisiance of it : To murder, &c. is
evil : and to rustic and positively resist and subdue all in us that tendeth to it, is good : Eut the bare non occidtre is not
moral Good. All moral Good is radically in the Will , and no farther in any forbearance of an act, than a positive act
of the Will makes it Obedience : And yet here I go not so far as Oc^am, as I have said elsewhere. I grant that wheu
the positive nolition and restraint of an act to which we are inclined ox tempted, is the good of obedience, the not-doing
of the Act is loco naterijt circa qum, and so must goto an adequate conception of the duty , although it be no proper
J&rc, nor good in itself: But Ockam goeth further, and rriaintaineth that the external act of duty with die internal Voli
tion hath no more moral goodnesi than the Volition alone : Eut I think that the action is a subject ( or l»c« subjects j ot
a derived secondary goodness, as Scotus ailertedu
that
 Of the Stature, Knowledge, Will

that he is Impotent if he cannot fin, or cause Contradictions to be true :

The cafe is the very fame.
487. Object. But Scripture oft ascribeth both Nolitions of Nothings,
and Knowledge of them unto God.
Answ. And so must we in that fense as the Scripture doth : We will fay,
and must fay of some Nothings, that God Nilleth them. I hope the Lear
ned will not take it amiss, if I speak where the Schoolmen are too si
lent, as well as desire silence where they unprofitably speak, as long as
the cafe is, 1. Weighty, 2. And made plain , 3. And I go the middle
healing way.
488. In all these cafes and respects we ascribe Nolitions unto God:
t. He that by a Positive operation causeth a limited cause, may be said to
cause the limitation of effects by consequence. And he that positively
willeth realities with such limitations , from whence the consequence ne
cessarily followeth £ Nothing else will ever be "] is said Morally, or re
putatively or by Consequence to will that Nothing else shall be. And he
that knoweth all things that belong to the perfection of knowledge , is
improperly said to know ^Nothingj,in that he knoweth that Nothing more
is or will be. And so as knowing Beings is by consequence reputatively
or morally called the knowing of Nothings by men, we are fain to use such
terms of imperfection even of God, lest we seem to make him Idle or Ig
norant. When we fay, thatGo^ is the Cause that there is no more crea
tures, we mean but that he causeth not more creatures. And so to fay,
that Godwilleth that there shall be no more Worlds, meanethbut that God
willeth not that there shall be more.
489. 1 1. This Interpretative consequential Act, which is but morally
so called, is fitlier expressed in the gross of universal Nothings, than of
millions of imaginary particulars. It is fitter to fay, that by willing a
limited or finite World, God willed that there should be nothing morey
than to say, He willed that there should not be a Sun in every mans
pocket, ot Heaven and Earth in every mans $?,&c. Though as to the truth
all is one.
490. III. When God positively willeth the Positive hindering of a
thing, he may morally be said to Nill the thing, or to will that it shall
not be. That there are Positive Impeditions of God ( by Dr. Twiffes
leave J I have elsewhere proved : But then you must suppose that as the
fountain of Nature, as it were by a Decree, he hath resolved to continue
the Nature of things and his natural Concurse: which supposed, their Na
tures may incline them to such Aflion as needeth Positive Jmt'edition. So
God hindered the fire from burning, and the Lyons from Killing Daniel
( it's like ) Van. 3. & 6. Certainly if zman can stop a Cart-wheel with
a Stone, or bind a man in chains, God can do the fame. And mens In
clination to sin needeth a positive Impedition. Now though non-agere is
nothing, and hath no cause, yet he that destroyeth or hindereth the Cause
of Action, is morally said xo be the Cause that there is no Action : Though
strictly it be but destroying the Cause of Action, and so preventing further
action. And this moral language even of God is the fitter, because it is
ofMoral things.
49 1 . IV. And here Gods Law being called his Will, though it be
formally but de debito, yet being materially dt re ipsa, a double reason
will thence arise. For when God forbiddeth and condemneth sin, drc.
1. He doth very much to hinder it, and that positively ( and so he doth
by his graces, 2. And his prohibition may be called his Nolition sig
nified. , . -
 and Decrees of (jod, dec. 73

492. V. And God properly willeth the Being and Truth of Negative
p repositions, s_viz. This or that rvill not be 2 and knoweth them (J as made
by man at least ). And as I said, sin as the subject of a proposition is not
fin, or hath no harm in it. As sin repented ofo or the object of repen*
tame and hatred maketh up ^.Virtue, and is not fin indeed, but the know
ledge of it : So here. But yet hence the phrase may be borrowed, and ic
may be said, that God Nilleth the existence of such Possibles, because he
willeth the truth of the proposition, They shall not he. . .
493. VI. But here note, that when God is Morally and most fitly said
to Nill such Nothings, it is not as Nothings, but as Possible Evils : For
only Evil is the proper object of Positive Nolition : so that it may be
spoken fullier ot sin , than of other Nothings , evert fitly in a Moral
fense.
494. VII. Lastly, Acts os will are ordinarily ascribed to God, when
it is meer operations or privations that are meant ; and so the phrase is
as they fay ab cffcftu ad afecJum. When a man 1. Denyeth his aid,
2. And actually hindereth, it is a sign of nolition. And so from Gods
1 . Not causing, 2. And his hindering, he is said to Nill that Nothing (that
never shall be. ) So much of the phrase, ,
49 5 . Now for application. 1 . Non-dare fidem, aut gratiam, not to con
cert , is Nothing ; Therefore it is not Positively willed or decreed of
of Gcd : or at least no man can prove it so to be : So not-to give the Gospels
the Spirit-, &c.
496. Yet note, that when mans fins have so forfeited such gifts that
they are penally withheld, this non-agency hath the denomination of a
Moral Ail. And also that the making of the Penal Law, which maketh
this Privation due as a punishment , was a positive aft of God, and had
a positive Volition. But Negations not-penal are not so.
497. 2. Not to hinder sin, or to Permit fin (barely as permission ) is
Nothing : ( As elsewhere I have proved. ) Therefore it hath no Positive
Decree or Will ; save that when it is penal, and the execution of a Law, that
Law being a real natural being, and the Jus thence resulting a real relation
and the executive Privation quid Morale, they are Willed and Decreed
answerably as they are. To permit a man to be spiritually Dead is Qnot-
to make him alive :] To permit his Darkness or Ignorance, s_is not-to give
him Light or knowledge : 3 To permit his unbelief is s_ not-to cause him
to believe. ] Topermit his want of Love, is Q not-to give him Love. ~\
To permit his positive sins of Malignity or Carnality, is but {_ not-to cure
and hinder them by Grace or Providence, 3 supposing the Natural sup
port and concurse, whith the Author os Nature giveth toallthings.
498. Therefore when Gods Acts in themselves are his Essence and all
one, and are diversified but by connotation of divers objects, relatively
and denominatively$ when he knoweth all things uno intuitu, and wil-
leth all that he willeth unica Volitione 5 when nihil phyficum is no deno
minating terminus, of a physical act, ( though so far as it may be called
Moraliter) id est, Reputative aliquid, as a Privation, it may be said to de
nominate reputatively, as a quasi aliquid • ) and that which is moraliter
vel imptitative nihil, cannot morally denominate ^ when both Non dare
fpiritum, gratiam, fidem, vitam, &c. and permittere infidelitatem, pec-
catum, &c. are truly Nothing, and even in Reputative Moral fense, are
nihil morale, when they are not penal ^ ( And as antecedent tofin, they
are not penal -J Judge now impartially whether 1. Those men deal not
presumptuously with God, 2. And troublesomely with his Church, who
assert the Being of Positive Decrees and Volitions in God about such NuL
L tities
 Of the ZN^atHreyKpowledge, Will

lities, and raise Controversies about the Reasons and the Order of them,
yea, unto dangerous inferences 5 when as 1. They can prove no such thing
in God as they assert, a. Nay, when we fay so much to prove the
contrary*
And here consider, whether Scotus himself assert not without all
heed or proof, that God hath a positive knowledge and reflexive Volition
of his ovm Non-Volition? and so that a Nullity as to his own act, must be
the terminus of a positive act i When that Nullity is neither God, nor a
Creature, nor illiquid vel Dei vel Creator* ; and so seemeth to be no
denominating terminus of a distinct act. Yet no doubt, God is noc to
be called Ignorant of such Nullities or idle ; for those are terms of pri
vation : If God be said either not to Know nothings or not to mU or Nill
them, it is because it signifieth his Perfection : And no part of perfection
is wanting to him. But we must not place his perfection in a conformity
to our imperfect mode of knowing or willing.
5 co. For we dare not here presume peremptorily to determine Negative
ly, that God doth not positively Will his own non-agency or non-voliti
ons • because we know now dark we are and distant from God, and unfit to
say any thing but certainties of him, as certain truth : But we abstain from
the contrary assertion, as utterly unproved, and we will impute no needless
acts to God as his Perfection : Though we yield to reputative moral deno
minations.
501. And sol contradict not the language of Aquinas 1. q. 14. $. wha
faith, that God knoweth such non-entities as never will be, ut poffibilia.
And ejse in potentia quamvis non in aftu is more than nothing. But re
member that effe in potentia speaketh the ejse Potentia, but the pofjibile is
a pure nothing. So that this is but to know the Potentia, and not any
thing else. Yet no doubt but God knoweth all things as they are in him
self ; that is, he knoweth that he can do all things, and knoweth what he
knoweth and willeth but this is no else creatum but God himself, at least
as to that which never will be. But if any will call it a knowing of things
possible which are nothings, .when God knoweth his own Power to make
them, we quarrel not with words, while the fense is known.
502. But remember that it is not the Knowledge, but Decrees and Voliti
ons of God that our enquiry now is about : And Aquinas and his followers
commonly fay, that Gods will goeth not so far as his knowledge ; and that
he knoweth indeed mala ex bono of which they are the privation ( as no
doubt he doth so far as it is not imperfection to be said to know them, or
as they are objects of knowledge ) but yet that Mala neque vult, neque no-
lit, fed tantum non-vult, as Lombard said.
503. OckamQuodlib.$.q.6. hath the question, Utrum Cognitio intui-
tiva potest effe de objefto cognito? And he I. concludeth that per poten-
tiam divinam poteft ejse de objecJo non existente ; but he meanetn only
quod suit vel fuerit. "2. That naturally it cannot be. And faith that Con-
tradifiio eft quod vifio fit, ejr tamen illud quod videtur, non fit in effectu
nec effe poffit: ideo contradictto eft quod chimara videatur intuitive:
fed non eft contraditfio quod illud quod videtur nihil fit in atfu extra cau-
fam fuam, dummodo poffit effe in effeclu , vel aliquando fuerit in rerum
natura Unde Deus ab &terno videt omnes res faclibiles , dr tamen
tune null* fuerunt— By which it is plain, that he meaneth as Aquinas,
that it is not as Nothings, but as Possibles and Futures they are known even
by God, saving that Aquinas and his followers judge that they are from
eternity fore-known in their proper existence, by reason that all times and
things are present in Eternity. Now to know a Possibility of a thing, is
~noc
 and Decrees of God, &c.
75
not to know the Thing : Bat to know the Power. For Popbile is nihil.
And as Ockam proveth, that Univerfale is qualitas mentis, znA'is nothing
else, nor any where else existent, so we may much more clearly say de Pos-
fibili that besides Potenti* it is nothing but the Conceptus mentis what
that Power can do.'
504. And if an Artificer get the/^ of a fabrick or frame which ne
ver was in the World, and Resolve to make such a real thing, that which
is in Ms mind, is but his own Thought or Imagination, and nothing else :
And to call it Domus velNavis Poftibilis, signifieth nothing else, or it is «,
delusory.
505. Holkot Quodlib.li. 2. qu. 2. lit. C.D.E. ad primum dicit £D/V*
■plane quod alu res a Deo nullum ejfe habuerunt ab aterno diftinttum a
l)eo : Neque ejfe quidditativum, neque ejje Potentiate, neque ejfe repra-t
fentativum, secundum quod diverfi antiquit us opinati funt. 2 Quod pro-
bat. Ad art. secundum he faith, that the Creatures had no being in God
from eternity, but improperly good men have so fpokent because he knoveetb
them, and can produce them.
And ad art.^.q. whether it be true, that Rosa e. g. non exiftens} con\ ~'y
cipitur aut intelligitur ? he reciteth twelve arguments for the affirmative,
and then reciteth the negative as the opinion of others : And though he
fay not which side hetaketh, yet he confuteth the arguments for the af
firmative, and bringeth nine arguments for the negative > which he faith
nothing against.
Thomas's opinion of the question you may fee in his Interpreters in
i.d.36. dr 1. q- i4.4r.9- Ruiz, de scient.d. 17. Valent. 1. q.iq.puntt.
7. Tanner. 1. d, 2. qu. 8. dub. 8. Gran. 1. p. Cont. 2. d, 5. Aluiz,i
tr. 2. d.$.
•)b6. Yet tet it be still remembred that all this Controversie is noc
properly de re, but de modo loquendi ; or of the extrinsick denomination
of Gods Will, and not of his Will as in it self, which is his Essence, and
but One. But yet here denominations must be carefully used.
507. And by the way, that you may understand what I mean by deno
minations, from tonnotation and relation to the terminating objetf > note
■whit Ockam faith inQuodlib. 5.q. 25. that Conceptus eft vet i.Abfolu- ,
tus e.g. bominit, 1. Connotativus, e.g. albi, 3. Relatives, ut tatris :
<jr differunt in hoc : 1 . Conceptus abjolutus omnia sua fignificata pgnificat
xque, primo, crunomodo^ —*—~in retfo 2. Nomen Connotativum
proprie signifcat primo unum , & aliud fecundario, & unum in redo rjr
aliud in obliquo 3. Conceptus relativus maxime coheretus habet om-
nes prœditfas conditiones quas habet connotativus : fed differunt in hoc quod
quandocunque conceptus connotativus vere pradicatur de aliquo , convent-
enter poteft fibi addifuum absolutum , in aliquo solum 1 quia nihil eft al
bum nisi sit album albedine : fed Relativo poteft addi casus obliquus qui
non est ejus absolutum ut fervi dominus- ;— Omnis Conceptus Rela
tivus est Connotativus : at none donverfo.
$08. If any shall think that he hath any advantage against what I have
said by Scotus his opinion, that Voluntatis objetfum non est Bonum tantum,
fed ejr Ens ; & Voluntas potest VeUe Malum qua Malum ; and that the
Will hath other objects, prater snem dr media, viz. Entia abfoluta noc
so related in the apprehension, and consequently that there may be a No- , „-.*«■■»
lition of Non Entia, and not only as Mala ; And the like of Ockam in
3. d. 13. £0. 13. ad dub. 3. Gabr. Gregor. crc. Let him remember thac
the greater part of the Schoolmen are against this opinion 5 And that the
owners

1
 j6 Of the Stature, Knowledge, WiU

Leg. Guil. caura. dift. fay zsGuil. Comerar. ibid. p. i. q. i.pag. 158. that between Volitions
TT*L U<5 &?'&th?i. Nolitions there is this order, that Volitions go first, and we nill
fi&i'.iVtfM- cap '2. things only, because they consist not with what we first Willed. And
&q.4.e. 7. scot. 1. d. (}0CjSwilJ need not to rife up with an actual opposition especially against
i£i.£p.i£&i£ us own acts or suspensions, where a non-agency will/ do the fame thing.
q- 1. &dt Animaq. lp,
so, 21.

» An Additional Explication of Divine Nolitions.

LEst all this seem not clear enough in so mysterious a business, and be-'
cause I have oft insisted on it, I will yet add this further explication
of my thoughts in these following Theses.
1 . Understanding and Will in God being not the fame thing as in man, w e
must not think that we have any other conceptions or expressions of them
than Metaphorical or Analogical.
2. Therefore we must not fay, Thus and Thus God understandeth and
willeth, but After the manner of men we must thus conceive of it.
3. But there are several degrees of impropriety of speech ; and in z
greater degree repentings, wrath, hating, grief, tfre. are in Scripture spoken
of God 5 but in strict disputes the lesser degree must be chosen, that is, such
conceptions as have least of imperfection.
4. In man the mil is an Appetite, and essentially connoteth the want of
what we have an appetite to, or a self- insufficiency ; but so it doth not
in God. ' " " •
5. And Nolitions in man 'yet signifie greater imperfection, viz. that there
is some evil or hurtful, thing which is at enmity to him, or against his
good, and which he would be delivered from, or overcome : and it is in the
will the beginning of a war, or resistance ; BHt it is not so in God.
• 6. That which is Go6d we wiff, and that which is Evil we Nill, and
that which is neither, we neither mil nor nM. Accordingly we must after
the manner of men ascribe to God, \. Volitions of Good, 2. Nolittons of
Evil, 3. A Non-velle and Non-nolle of that which is neither.
'• 7. Nothing is Good, but i.God himself simply and primitively, and
1. The works of God secondarily and derivatively as the dory or splen
dour of his perfections is found in them, and as they are the products of
his will: 3. And the Alts or works of his creatures in a third degree.
8. The Goodness of the creature being essentially relative to Gods
will, that is, Its conformity to it as its product, the creature is eo nomine
Good because it is that which God willeth. "*
9. Hence the grand difficulty is resolved, Whether God could have made
the World Better i No: not in the first and properest sense of created
Goodness, because he carmot make it any other than what he willeth it to
"fee: But he rmght makelrSfforw/yZ- and might diversisie it, and make par
ticular creatures Better to themselves and One another, which is a lower fense
of Goodness- : Bur in all diversifications they would be still perfectly Agreer
able to his will, and so be still equally GoOd or Best.'
• to. The Goodness of the third rank of beings ( The Acts of Free-
agents ) is- their Conformity to his Law or Governing Regulating
wiii. : v-. v:";i ■ . f
*• • 11. God hath as Creator and Motor become the Voluntary Root or
Spring of Nature and natural motion, and accordingly stablifhed all se-
xond causes as natural agents under him, and doth by them operate in z
TUtural necessitating and constant way: And this is antecedent to his Laws
• " ' to

1
 and Decrees of (joe/, <3cc. 77

to free agents : And this natural course of agency we must not expect thac
he should alter, but rarely by miracles.
12. Nothing is at enmity and Actively opponent to Gods natural
agency or motion : for else there mould be something besides God and his
works which he must overcome : Though some natural motions may op
pose each other, yet allconcurrtooneend.
1 3 . Non-entity or Nothingnessj is not contrary to God as an opponent.
14. Therefore seeing * Nolle is not ameer Nonvelle, but He-no*) *Saith AUiac. Cameras
which is the warot the will against an opponent, and the root of opposition \'Jf' 12'r*' ^/Æ*
ad extra, it is an unmeet phrase to say that God doth Nil any Non-entity, t}Zn-pnp0\tmdLT-°l
or any meer Natural opposition to him : or that he willcth any natural torn ettrium. Et Me di-
^or^vvhichheeffectethnot. , % Z^tZ^
15. But God being secondarily the Reefor of free- agents, and making pofiit dan wW*«r-
them Laws to Rule their own Volitions and actions, he doth by those ™*'\la r cmm ta &
Laws oblige their reason and will, to restrain and resist some natural or nJtu quod pm non vult
sensitive appetites and inclinations, and so to resist some natural motions iMf ta bonis fttma
of God in nature, in which he is pleased to operate by second causes but £^T^ emtith imph*
in tantnm and resistibly fas a stronger natural motion may resist a <*r ; J2*/<* si ™iiet utiA
r , . imfltmier :] But he faith
weaker.; , , ~n not [Vult non impleri,
,16. And God doth by his grace and help internal and external, assist &c.~\
them in that resisting agency which he obligeth them to. - &<gorim not debuit fa
-t-lt % J L/--J /-n.L-; 1 sf« quod non mijerert est
17. Therefore God may two wayes be laid to resist his own natural tpaM Reprobations cuk
motion, by his Laws, and by his assisting grace : (But his Laws contradict /tt ipft Reprobatio.id\b\d.
not one another.)
18. To God as meer Rector therefore two things may be said to be op
ponent, 1. Such sensitive and natural inclinations and actions as are by
Crace to be resisted ; 2. And all moral evil.
15?. And therefore as God may said to Resist these, so also first to
Nillthem: And so to have Decrees against them. - Al -
20. Gods Volitions and Nolitions hercare his essential will denomi
nated from the effects and objects. And that effect of G6d from which
he is said to NiH both these, is as is said, f. His Laws,' 2. His grace or
help. And in this we are agreed, I. That he forbiddeth sin and com-
mandeth us the restraint of appetites and senses, &c. 2 . And that he help-
eth us so to do : Therefore the rest of the School-Controversies here thac
trouble the world, arc but logomachies, about the -Names of Nolitions and
"Nolitive Decrees. * ■
21. The thing properly willed by God in a Law, is but the debitum^ the
duty of the subject to do what is commanded, and not to do what is for
bidden. 5 ' '
22. It is not a meer non-agency that is. mtant by ^prohibition, but a
positive nolttion of the subject, restraining him from the forbidden act :
And all proper moral obedience or disobedience, Good or Evil, is prima
rily in the will, and no further secondarily in the exteriour act or re
straint, than as they are Voluntary, ; and in non-agency but in a third
fense or instance as the consequent of nolition and the refraining act.
23. If any therefore will say in this fense, that God doth positively
Nil the forbidden Act, and so will a non-entity sub ratione mali morales in
this remote fence, we will not contradict him but fay as he.
24. And accordingly we may fay that God hath a positive Decree of
non-etititieSyQt against moral evil • where non-agency is/w materi*, that
is, in twtutu^ so far as to do all that he doth against it 5 but not absolute
ne eveniat, ubi evenh.
25. But we may not therefore speak so unaptly as to fay that he reill-
<th
 y8 Of the Us(aturey Knowledge* Will

eth positively all or any non-entity or non-futurity of mcer naturals that arc
non-futura.
16. Therefore we may much less fay it of his own Natural impe-
ditions, that he positively willeth non-imfedire ubi non impedit : For he
is not to be thought of as a restrainer of himself by Law or self-opposition.
It is enough to fay that non-vult impedire.
27. Much less may we fay that positively vult non velle- impedire, lest
lots ft 1. q.ix. we make another Felie necessary to that Velle, and so in infinitum.
ffrcsOTse Ta?thfs otc- a8- *c is proper to fay that Deus non vult permittere peccatum, ubi id
stion is but which way non permittit • and that vult permittere aliquid indifferen t quod per le-
^unvaried about^U tem pfitlve permistum est : quia permijjio t/la est quid pojittvum.
varicrics^if moist conve- 29. After the manner of men it may be said that consequentially he
niendy to be mentioned willcth or decreeth a thing, when he willeth or decreeth that from which
%Bm Xt^lfS* ic necessarily followeth, though it could not be proved that the will of
nat in reprobis no« iabuit God is directly terminated on that consequent thing it self : And so it
attum vohnutU affirm- ^ fa j ^ ^ }j • co„reauenter vult mintu iSud
tivtun quo volurnt ejfepic- J .» pc. it jrJ i-J2>j jlj i
cm, aut iiios ftecawos. quod tn majore tncludttur. And lo as when God commandetn duty he
that' AYrfuwres'orTxl1 m0re tnan P°l'tlcafy Permit lts ne may DC kid eminenter to permit
stems are ™trepositivdy is> a°d so he may be said to will or decree his own permission of it : Buc
willed : Even theformate that is not formaliter as permission, or a negative non-impedition, but
But he tWnSVSVt eminenter, because he formally willeth the quid majus, viz,, the command.
to fay that God positively . 30. So God maybe said eminenter to will his non dare gratiam, aut
willed, the permission of Gi0rjam wjlcn he penally as a Judge, denyeth it to a sinner. But here
fin, 1. Because it is , ,. 3 c ,. r ,• , J 5 ? , .
Good. Answ. Nodiing the thing formally willed is a positive judicial denyal, rejection or ex-
is neither Good nor bad. elusion of the sinner, which the privation followeth,
ren^ab^"eenddiedprc- And now for the application of all this to our cafe it may be perceived,
destinate and reprobate i. That the very Controversie is such, as a sober Christian should be afraid
would not fall under t0 ref0ive on either side, t It is a tremendous thing to poor sinful worms,
providence. Any*. As , . l e 1 -t 1• r l r 1 r
if giving that grace to who know not the nature ot one arenula or pile or grals, or the foul ot an
one which is not given to infect, nor how the perceptions of a poor Bee is ordered in gathering her
renœ"' TEecaTfe else Honey and Wax, and making her Combes, &c. to determine insolently
s:n would come by and contentiously in what order God conceiveth of things, or willeth them i
ImowfcdY0 As°if wn^ch first and which second, and what reasons move him ? and for what
nodiing would not Le no- use and end each thing is willed t and whether he have positive Voliti-
dcc'rœ^dut^it3 Æalt'be °ns of every non-entity that it shall not exist then? &c. I am afraid lest
noThing?1^ God œuid my very opposing and rebuking of this presumption should be sound guilty
not know a notbhig, or a of bold prophaneness, while I so much meddle with so unsearchable a
k'iM^S^p- lhin§> which I stiouW avoid, had not disputers and railing cenfurers made it
stetistmo inuuigibiit , necessary.
ttvtL ^ef knoweth 2- That thouSn whiI« we talk t°g«her familiarly and popularly, men may
lie the jormdt peccati ? leave each other to liberty to fay that God Decreeth non-entities, or willeth
/»Aw-st0t atominVmode tnat ^nvte fpec'es a°d individual nothings shall never be, yet to make
"sHmnmi^nmTnAi^u- this the matter of a church-dispute, and censure those that say not as they
unit certiudinem aut fay, and calumniate them as favouring some perillous errour. feemeth to me
I^JSSfigL »o better than diabolical
dt qm dijsmtur natms 3. All men that have the brains, hearts and faces of Christians who
f!mmlm hold that a11 these distinctions signifie no true diversity in Gods will exparte
n/ma argutiu in dijferen- fiu, should openly tell the worldin the beginning, middle and end ot such
i°i"T\s^sd^mttf% di^Puces? tnat 11 * ^ut a^out that rve dispute, even what Logical
r^/J«f;^.StrTgeiius terms Artists must use in distinguishing os that which hath no real diversity i
' Meiannh.Loc.pag. 257- even about the dreadful Majesty of God and what Names to put on his
X%"$Li4tUHi*' simple volition ?
4. And they should well bethink them how far it is safe, to think of
that as divers which is not divers and to multiply conceptions and distin-
• " ctions

1
 and decrees of (jodi &c*
79
ctions of Gods simple essence beyond true necessity : and whether then to
contend about the priority of such conceptions be more holy or pro
phane i
5. For all the reasons before given, If they will fay that God Decreeth
penally to deny or not to give Grace or Glory or any good thing to them that
forfeit it, there is reason for the expression according to Scripture, af
ter the manner of man : But if they will fly higher and fay that Gods'
Simple essential will, is to be called A positive Decree or Volition that "ju
dos, e. g. shall not be named John, Thomas, &c. that there mall be milli
ons of distinct non-entities, cJrc or that any positive Volition is of ne
cessity to non- futurities or non-existences in mccr physical respects, where no
positive action is necessary, ( save only that by consequence he that de
creeth and willeth to make such and such finite creatures, may consequeri--
tially and improperly be said to will that there (hall in general be no more,
in tnat he willeth not that there /ball be more, and they cannot be with
out his will,) I fear such are over-bold with God. And so are they that
say that he hath a Positive Decree or Will, non dare Christum ante lassum
Adami, non dare stdem, non impedire peccatum, in such instances or cases
wherein the \_dare~\ is no Act of a Reftor, nor the \_negarc 3 the posi
tive Law, judgement or rjenal denyal of a Judge3 but only the dare belong-
cth to a free Dominus-benefaCfor. Bannis ubi sup. p. iiii
Penal permission or non-impediiion of sin, and denying or not-giving J-£j^
grace, may be said to be decreed or willed, because God threatned them an- invenime^sten^estlou-
tecedently by a Positive Law, which should make them due, and that Law turn a vm : fed permijsto
was theproductof Gods will. Though strictly itis but the Positive Law %$%a^S*!st\
and the Debitumpœh* here that God willeth, which the non-impedire & xtq-, tsUstm est mqut
non-dare gratiam follow. dinabile : vt ptrmffiou
„ „ °. i. ai c c j »• ^ autem aana verum est.
But Gods not making men Angels, or Stars,- or Suns, and his making us So dt pr*dtf. Trait.
men, free and defectible, and lus permitting the first fin, and his giving ^^•I2,^.Piouslypro*
men no more grace antecedently (before forfeiture) as free benefactor decree oTphrittte fa:
dr dominus fuorum, none of these have the same reason on which to But then he definetii
found such denominations of Gods will and essence. SSK&tSÆ
And seeing Nohttons in man are the results or his Insufficiency and war circumstances andgene-
against noxious evils, we must not ascribe such Imperfections to God 5 "e1ncocnth1ir^a[ £5
but only such Nolitions as his Actions as Retfor per Leges & Judicia have utey beings^must1 nave
made to signifie no imperfection, as being not contra nocumenta, but only ^^jh5auses ? Buc
contra injurias as against himself, & contra nocumenta zs against his crea- J^dic»o™sl^astUl
lures, i. e. contra peccatum. words are the matter of
And now I may answer the solitary argument of fasifvez, mention- h^rqco^sefcu\Ythat'ct'he
ed in the Margin ( that non entid, non dare gratiam, non impedire pecca- findeth none of the an-
tum,Scc. may have aliquamrationem boni dr amabilitatU, and so may ciencn Schoolrnen that
, Tl,.„ . _ 1 , 2,n 1 expresly say that the Per-
be Willed^ Loved Ot Decreed.) mission of sm is fore-de-
Anfw.i. Inmeer Naturals, Negations are not properly any way good creed, nor that the Lat-
or evil i but Privations are Ndtural Evils, and not good. " ****
2. To be occafio fine qua non of good, (as sickness is of the Physi- Adrian in q.deCUv. sol.
cions honour, and sin of Gods,) is not any true ratio boni vel amabilis: j^fTaf ^infm
The bomm & amabile is only the good that on that occasion is done : foivtre : & ergo non 0-
The occasion is neither efficient, constitutive or final cause of any good, Portet chv" 'ft'fc* mc
r , y. 3 J J 1 w 7 Dem caufm effefit-jm
nor any causal proper medium. tlst. ]
3. In Morals, meer Negations are neither good nor evil, nor have any &«^^*»J^fi*caK^
Morality, but only Positives and Privations. took P^rsnHicn of (into
4. In morals God judicially doth that whence Penal privations follow, be no Act, cither or
and he may penally non agere, non dare gratiam,to execute his Law, and ^^^SSSA
demonstrate his truth and Justice on sinners, and occasion the perception self conoradictech not.
of
 8o Osthe y^ature^owledge, Will

of his mercy to others. And here the non-Agere, non-dare, permittere, be

fe vel propter akud good or amiable, or willed or decreed of God. And
periculofe errAt qui putat Deum feire eA qua forte feibilia non funt, quam
fsraiwiird. i. r. 13.
car. 10, 11. brings in
(mo profoundly like orie
of Thorn. Anglits hh £r- .
go's ') that God is the
Caitfa pima of every «o-
thing {non tijse) because
it ffi/^co^d'bean ef
seftffandhaveaCausen:or
as isa negative concepti- the difficulties inextricable about Gods being the Cause of sin, be not on
ing loco materU volitx, may afeer our mode be said to be Volita feu de.
creta, dr bom. But properly it is not the non-entity, that is bonum or
Volitum, but the positive Law and Judgements and the relatio debiti pce
nt, and the ratio peena in the privAtion, and the demonstration of truth,
justice, holiness, drc. therein.
5. But sinful privations, that is, sinful Volitions, nolitions, or non-Vc-
litions of the Creature, are not properly per fe or per accidens, propter
they that prove that God cannot be the Author of sin, because he cannot
be CAufa deficiens, must mean as much, or speak impertinently and deceitr
fully.
It is not impertinent which Judicious strangitu faith, Lib. 3. c. 13./».'
677, 678. If Scientia Media be an useless conceit, how much more
cum extenditur ad ejufmodi infinitas dr VAnijJimas connexiones rerun*
difparatarum quæ nunquAm futura funt ? (He instanceth in many, and
addeth \_De nAC re AriAga difp. to. i.d.21. fect.y. dicit,non fibi
videri in Deo effe fcientiAm hArum, quiA tAlis scientia videtur plane im
portinens : Ad quid enim nofeeret Deus quid Chimœra effetfaclura sub tali
conditione impojjibilii &c. 3 Et ipfe D. Tveiffus de Scient. Med. p. 473.'
Si plures Angelos Deus condidiffet certe decreviffet ut etiam illi agerent alt-
quid in Gloriam Dei : Tiec tamen decretum aliquod bujufmodi Deo decen-
ter tribui potefl, &c.
I know the cafe is not just the fame with that before us : but the reason
is the fame for both.
But still I profess that If it be not an injurious imputing imperfection to
God to afllsn him positive Volitions of every negative, I ihall concurr with
them that Jo, and extend Gods Volitions as far as ever the object and his
perfection will allow 5 And fay of them as Judicious Blank doth of Gods
knowledge ( De Concord, lib. cumdecrer. 1. n. 64.) [saltem ille minu*
qui negat Deum feire qua. revera feit, dr qu-e intra Divinœ omniscient
t he objectum continentur. J So here 5 so be it that God be not feigned to
will (in, I contend the less against them that fay He positively willeth In-
finite numerical Nothings, and his own non-acting. +
° ' °
. _ ^
T")Eino afraid of wearying the Reader I pass by other School-con-
* * ° r i "j t j t_ r-> r ■ !
JJ troverhes here, and only propound to each mans Conscience,
Aether 1 ■ He tnat is tne affirmer °f unproved acts of God, a . And that
about his secret unsearchable Volitions, 3. And of such acts as make

Thought or a Word, as If these be not certainly ftlfe, they are certAinty unproved, and therefore
well as an affirmative: nottobe here received.
Such workmen make the » , -r 1 . i /• • 1 1 1 r . 1
world with words. 510. And I fay here as BuridAne faith about the iorementioned nature
of Liberty, Ethic, li. 3. qu. 1. p. 15a. Simpliciter dr firmiter credere
volo quod Voluntas etteris omnibus eodem modo fe h.ibcnttbus,
potest in aclus oppofitos Et nullus debet de via communi rece-
< dere propter rationcs fibi infolubiles, fpecialiter in his qua fidem tangere
poffunt aut mores : Qui enim credit fe omnia feire, dr in nulla opinio-
mm fuarum decipi, faturn ejl. De fejfuca enim tibi fenftbiliter prafen-
tata , formabuntur centum rationes , vel quaftiones , de quibus contrarix
fipientiffimi doCfvres opinabuntur : propter quod in qualibet hArum de-
k. ceptus
 and 'Decrees of Cjod, &e. 8 1

ceptus erit alter ipforum Del ambo : ideo non miror si in hac altijjima
materit non possum per rationes cJr solutionsS jatisfacere mihi ipfi.~]
511. To proceed in die application, * Reprobation is commonly looked "Vafourtjn l.Tho.q.^.
at in the two most notable parts ( as called, ) i. Gods Reprobating men ^sn X%'%l'S"nl
!,■/•!■ ■ ,,. „ . rr i , mttl ™*lst* qm tarn
to unbelief and impemtency > 2. His Reprobating men to final damna- severe bine jtquuntirr opi-
tion. The last of these also is considered in the execution, 1. As Pri- "Js""^ 'fi™"*' tm'
native. 2. As Positive, called Pœna damni dr senftts. And both (clpe- innp»ytuit q'mm'Tn
daily the Privative part) arc considerable, 1. As executed by man him- fy*dtftinath« mult ■,
seism himself freely, z. Or as executed by God: Concerning each of fffSStS*.
these Observe, crtvtrlt quofdim a ngm
512. 1 . Not to Believe and Repent is no real entity : And not to Give- Cxlttrf»i^»/m, licet not
r ■ 1 1 * • r ■1 s ■ 1 a j ~ • ad f<**** fins"' depwa-
faith and Repentance ( as is laid ) is no real entity : And to Permit in- vtrit nekde auos
fidelity and Impenitency is no real entity ( as is proved:) And not to Be- ™|*'*{ txctudtn pimismt
crec the Giving of faith, and the hindering of unbelief is nothing : And "imlt ^m^mhimt'h
("most dearly,) besides these sour nothings, nothing can be proved either ficut dmtvtrat.
existent or needful. All that cometh to pass, will come to pass without ^t^^dismseetfs
any more ado. Therefore. qu. 1. d. 41. ajserhTn
51?. As far as any mortal man can prove God hath no such Ms of J>a difiiam tfsi Rtproba-
_ / . M r- L. tV l 11 n Umm ; altirim vocaC
Reprobation at all, as is, 1. Either a Decree that a man jball not even- p„nithm, tdtiram pn-
tually Repent. 2. Or a Decree net to give him Repentance. 3. Or a rnifliyam — Et punitive
Decree to Permit his Impenitence, 4. Nor can we prove an aster soli- ^"eat^'f^iam fifft''-
tionoi his own former non Volition which is asserted by Scotus. But the ——Pmufiv* non dari
three first we have great reason to lay by ; and lo not only to say as *"* ,Vloi. mo
„ 1 u- c r> u • • ' .<-t ■ 1 it piwt'tur Ubt in pri-
Davenant that this part or Reprobation is an Act negative quoad ob- mum peccaium, nuBa ex
jeclum, but that it is no Act, and there is no other Reprobation as to Par.te ilti«s <l**r c**s* -
this part save, I. Gods not decreeing to give faith, 2. And hisnotgiv- 'sJZ/Z^'l^
ing it. nine ordinem hur.c in menu
514. 2. And as to Damnation, so much of it as consisteth in fin it JJ*V&g," ! i&c' *
self God no otherwise caufeth than as he doth all fin, which is properly, titfso't*, cwiHba^K. "*
not at all j It being but the Act as an act which he caufeth as the Cause *r*dwird. tri
es Nature, and not as sinfully qualified 1 and so no more decreeth this Sw^™!
than other sin. To which what 1
515. And most men little think how much of damnation lyeth in sin Jnswc? And i?SwS
it self, and the privative consequents which need no other cause. 1 . To times "they have not ;
be ignorant of God and Goodness. 2. To be void of the Love of God J^&J? cdfcdooof
and Holiness, and Holy persons, and all the Holy, employment of Heaven, ver have a positives
3. To be thereby void of all the Delights of Holy ones, which consist in cicnt of themselves, ssor
luch Knowledge, Love and Employment, Praise, Obedience, and holy Kr^^iS? M
Communion. 4. Tobeuncapable of the Reception of Divine compla- mover of the cause of
cency; as he that maketh himself blind isuncapable of the light, or he hdepTSof^o/Sff
that maketh himself unlovely is uncapable of immediate Love. 5 . To terposer or h'hiderer of
be defiled and diseased with all kind of sinful lusts, and malignity, and ^f"^0" j£ ic' ^*
made like the Devil. 6. To have all sorts of Lusts in violence when deaaftathso cause Uxt
they can have no fewel or satisfaction, and so to be tormented with these that which ceaseth the
lusts. To haveextream selfishness and Pride, when they have cast them- causesof hse-
stives into the utmost stiame and misery. 7. To see that no Creature
can deliver them> and to despair of ever being betterj as having no hope
from God or any other. 8. To see or know that others enjoy the Glory
and everlastings felicity which they* have lost. 9. To think how easily
once they might have attained it and how it was offered freely to their •
choice. 10. To think of all the solicitations of mercy that importuned
them, and all the time and means they had. ti. To think for how base
a vanity they lost it, and that misery was their wilful choicei 12. To
M be
 82
* Besides ail before cited
against volitions it nibi-
lo, ice Ru\ dt Vol. Dei,
diip.6.%.1. p. 7,6. [ An-
tiquorum gravifimi senti-
S Del"VrL?t!*
in aliqua differentia tern-
^okbiuTT* nm Imt
.mafunt mnamarYTvco]
Ms-, Mala : & inde v>eum
tion'£ TeituriTTmo
nnUam * .
amxri necijsario : Ita Al-
tew*, Aiexand-Bonavent.
J\tchard.G.abr.hannex, Zu-
met, Molina, Valentia,
scotns Against which
he bnngeth frivolous
reasons, and afierteth,
that God willeth as a
Goodness °2h d£
Creature would have if
it were made, and this
as to all Creatures which
never will be. what
jnjtid contradictions are
whfdiirnoGoodnefe,^
ail creatures which are
aTob™ which a^ni'
things ? God willeth his
own rower, whence man
calleth that Poil.ble
which is nothing. Eut
was there from Eterni-
rle^be w£? wta 5^ j- And it being past all denyal that these are iheobjects of the 2-*-
was there from Eternity ecutive Acts, we must fay that these also are the objects of the Decrees
the eNotlincs'Gorhim accordingIy, wnere a Decree is proved, and when we speak of them on-
fclf? ° "m" ly juxta ordinem executionis, and not Intcnticnis, which I Jaid by be
Ofthe JA( ature, Knowledge, Will
be tormented with envy and malice against God that sorsakcth them,
and against his Saints ; And to feel conscience awakened setting home all ■
their former folly-, All this is nothing but sin and its own effects, which
hath no Causation at all from God, but to continue the nature which he-
gave them, and is not bound to destroy. And how great a part of hell
is this?
516. Kay we know not how much sensible Pain may be the consequent
of their own sin, without any other Act of God, than his common con
tinuation of nature it self : As a man that cateth Arsnick, or unwhoUome
meat, is tormented by it, without any other act of God, than' as the uni
versal Cause of Nature.
517. All this much of Damnation then being meerly the work of
the sinner himself, so far as there is no Act of God in the execution, so
far no man can prove any Positive Act of Volition or Decree.
518. But 1. As God in these is the universal cause of Nature, and
so of natural ails , 2 . And as in other inflames he actually further
punijheth them, 3. And as he actually made that Law which made
these penalties the sinners due • so far God hath a Positive Decree
and Volition, that these persons shall be damned : And moreover, as
improperly or morally his not sanctifying them, and not saving them
is called his Act, and is really their penalty, even so may his not-willing
t0 save or elorifie them be called his Decree and will to damn them,
:fvnnw:il 0
" vou W11)-
519. By this time we are ready to answer our first question,* what are
the oble[i$ °f thefe feveral aBs °f G°d, so far as connotatively we must
call them several.
^nc* *' *Gods not &vm$ f^e Gospel to any persons, is no Ait, and so
natn no object. But reductiveiy or improperly the object is, Man finning
against" the grace of" the first
" edition of the Law of" Grace : that is, These
~'
are .the sub)ect de i**> of which it is truly said, They are without the
Gospel.
52Q< 2< Gocls mt convertino effectually some that have the Gospel,
■ A n 111 1 . „ r■ . r 1 x> . . 11 1*1
is no Act, and hath no object : But the subject of the Privation, called the
Object, is, Some part of those men who have forfeited the helps of special
_ / • sr i-±ri^r i ii~
Grace by their abuje or neglect of the Gospel and the Commoner grace
which was %iven them.
3.' Gods not Pardoning, Justifying, Adopting and Sanctifying
men, is no Ait and hatn no object : But the subject of the Privation,
ancj object of the Laws contrary sentence, is, Impenitent. Unbeliev-
' 1 r c I ,.- . r■ „ Asr 1
ers-> or tne non-performers ot the condition ot Justification, &c. in the
Covenant.
5*2. 4. Gods not Glorifying men, is no Act, nor the damnation
which consisteth in sin as aforesaid, is none of Gods act : But the sen-
tence '/ condemnation is Gods Act, and no doubt some other Post-
Ww Execution. And the object of these is, All finally Impenitent Un-
believers, and unholy ones, that is. who performed net the Condi-
„• , _ ... ' * , r J t it
tton °t tnat Edition of the Covenant of Grace which they were
under.
fore.
524.
 and Decrees of (jod, &c. m 8j

5 24. And lest you recurr to it, once more I will recite ( more of )
Davenants words de ordine lritentionii. De Præd. & Reprob. cap. I. p.
107. f_ 1. Sciendum dr tenendum est ft Dei naturam dr perseLlionent
in fe consideremus^illum non priits unum videre, deinde aliud, neque pri-
us hoc deccrnere aut ve/le, deinde illud ; fid unico dr fimplicijjimo aclu,
&C. —-—i-1— 2. Ex parte tamen Rer4m qua decrevit figna quœdam
prioritatis & ptsterioritatis distingui pojfunt, >— Hie tanien ob-
firvandum estt inter ipfos Scbolasticos non admodum certam dr constan
tsw ejje bane docirinam de bisce stgnis sea instantibus prioritatis •
Scotusy qui primarius eft ad h<sc figna fabrieanda artifex, videtur non-
milis non jolum eadem pofuijje priori dr posterior* secundum nostrum in-
telligendi modum^ fid etiam ftatttiffe unum ejfe in ipfo Deo prius natu
re alio. ( But from this he vindicaceth him. ) Ex adverfa parse Qcca-
mus noster bac figna quoeunque modo constderata negaviti in i.d.5>. q. 3*
Et Biel ejus fintentiam amplexus hac figna oppugnavit. in^.d.7. q. I.'
dub. 1. £Prioritatcs, in Divinis non Cunt ponendæ, sicut nec pluralitates
actuum ordinatorum. Unus est enim Actus in Divinis, re & rati-
one indistinctus, qui est ipsa essentia Divina. ne secundum
nostram quidem considerationem talem ordinem Prioritatis & posteriori-
tatis concipi posse in decretis Divinis, ut talis consideratio non sic
falsa speculatio. ] If this hold, our Controversie of the order is at an
end.
525. And he added the words even of a rigid Tbomift [Domin*
Bannes. quamvis non omnino explodat bac figna cum Biele, perpendens
tamen difeordiam Tbeologorum in his ajfignandis s_ Animadvertendum est,
inquit, quam pro libito in negotio pradeftinationis df reprobationis mul-
tiplicentur instantia a Theologts, dr quam parum ilia conferant ad affig-
xandam rationem differentia inter pradestinatos df reprobos. Lkeat
itaque hie paneis monere, non ejfe nimis constdendum, aut certo dogma ti
adbarendum, ulli certo ordini decretorum divinorum, five a Proteftanti-
lus, five a Pontificiis a{Jignato} cum difficile fit duos reperire, five inter
Ttostros, five inter adverfarios , qui ad amujjim per omnia conjentiant in
hac ferie decretorum divinorum deferibenda. Caveat itaque unnjquifque
nc talem considerationem pradeftinationis dr reprob. inducat qua vel Di
vina justitia, vel gratia gratuita adversetur, dr turn non multum refers
Quo ordine prioritatis, &c. 3

Mi sect;
 ■ m
84 Of the Stature, Knowledge, Will

SECT. XVII.

Of Gods Causing, and Decreeing sin.

$z6. T>Ut because it is the avoiding of Gods causing zsA mBn- tin
of too many such en- j< whkh {$ a son of these Controversies, I stall fay lome-
quircrs it may be laid . o . A. ... ' * v ,uu*
mthAȣujlm, it utilit. what more particularly of that. About winch there are various
emfor,*/ 18. d«« Opinions.
»§ *• Some think (as H«Ms} that no acts of the will are so free as not to
' be necessitated, as the motions in an Engine, though unobserved by our
SSL^ÆSS* selves> wh0 see noc the ConcatenfioD °* Caus«- ,
©»»/\* j?«»t dio dnermi- 5 27. 2 • Some Dominicans, and our Dr. Twijje and Rutherford held, that
name Erg* omma fiunt no ^ natura] or free can be done by any creature, without the Predeter-
tmmutabihter. Rclpondet . , _ , — .* f. _ ' , . _ _ .
Meiancth. ^ »«/. mination of Gods Physical efficient immediate Premotion, as the first total
immutabiiu mce^utumy Cause of that act : But yet that this standeth with Liberty,becaufe God cauf-
vismius est determinate eth contingent ia contingenter ferU And that he so cauleth every Act of sin
in bonis & mdis atiioni- in all its circumstances 5 and the totum materiale peccati • and all that the
iZ/cieTJ&Zn impfdi- fmner Causeth : ButVet thaC he isn0t the Author °f titt> n0r Causeth ^
ente, non autem adjuvan- form j Because i . They fay, that fin hath no efficient cause , but a defi
es vei impeUente : item, c^ent which God is not, being not obliged to act : And sin is nothings
Deo Mentante naturam . 1 . _7 r % , . P T jur 1 °,
& sum opus : item, Deo but a privation. 2. Because God is under no Law : and therefore though
eventus cems decimente : he7 do the fame things that man doth, it is sin in man, but not in him :
Smgei. m Meiancth. pag. M fafo Holkct, he is the cause of Jin, hut not the Author, because he
CarboCompend. Thom. commandeth it not by his Law. 3. At other times they fay , that
L'?*19'nullo
mal.m » appetitu potest
w.** sin is
_ .formally
. /. a, Relation .of• difeonformity
, ' to the Law
, of God, and
1 . . God
appeti nisi per atcidens. causeth the whole a6t as circumstanced , but not the relation, which re-
veus nuiio modo vult ma- fulteth from it. 4. AndGod caufcth not fin as fin, but as a means to
faC3£Zæ£ Glory, or as a punishment of former sin.
fed pmitti. 528. 3. Others lay, asCamero, that the Intellect necessitated the tvill^
difct. s^fj*. would and the 0bjects and temptations necessitate the Intellect, and Godcaus-
prove a decree to permit eth the Objects and Laws, and permitteth the Tempter,
mortal fin in the unjust . 2 „ 4> Others fay, that God only as the Cause of Nature, 1 . By Sup-
and just ex destitution 1 r rr 11 ti u i_ a a I r. *
«^ circumUtntiis. And and Concurfe necellary to 4i7 agents, cauleth the Act as an Act in
d.16. §.3. hetelieth us general, 2. Andgiveth Power also to act or not act freely, 3. And as
tSdSSTSSS. Governour of the World doth that which he knew men would make an
casion of his Grace with- occasion of their sin, 4. And also by his Providence caufeth many effects, of
S ?nUform °or nS vvhicn mens sins arc aIsoacausc> 5 -And after bringeth good out of their
matter. evil : 6. But as to the fin it self he is no cause of it, either as sin or pu
nishment, either of the form, or of the Act as morally specified, that is, as
it is about this Forbidden object (or End) rather than another. And
this opinion I take to be the undoubted truth.
530. Let it here be noted, 1. That the five things here granted are all
certain rruths, 2. And that they are as much as is necessary on Gods part,
in respect to the events which we fee And unnecessaries are not to be
asserted ; 3. That they fully (hew God to be the perfect Governour of the
World, and all therein • 4. And yet to be no Author of sin: Let us con
sider of the particulars.
531. I. It is certain that God as Creator hath made man a vital Agent,
and therefore a [elf-atlor ( under him!) ; and an Intellectual Agent, and
therefore is not tyed to follow the perceptions of sense alone-, And a
Free-willing Agent, and therefore hath a Power to Acl or not Act hie dr
mne, or to choose or refuse, or to choose this rather than that as far as
consisteth with his Necessary Volitions ( which I acknowledged and enu-
L merat ed
 and Decrees of (jod> &c. 85

merated before : which is part of Gibicufs and Guil. Ctmerariut Scot, mean
ing by their fervato ordine finis : Though I think that Annatus doth not
unjustly accuse Gibieuf of confusion and unskilfulnefs in the managing of
that matter. )
532. II. I c is certain that zsMotttsvel Atiio is quid Naturale, it is *Vid. Gmw. Arm. i*
of God as the first Cause of Nature: * And (o when a sinner actethjx. is 2. d. 22. ?. t\ a. j.' ad
not without this Universal first Cause : Whether God do it only,ns Ditran^ fA'b. & I2* c^0^
, , , , . . . c . r u l- /» « ■ ■ lUslgcnient many School--
das thought, by themeer continuation ot the nature ot all things, Active men follow : v*faHt\
and Mobile, or by any fuperadded concurfe besides, is nothing to our pre- ^W»c?iiitcth and
sent business ; which only slieweth that God is the Cause. . d.^c^^Me-
533. HI. It is certain that Governing Providence by doing good doth Uomm va mdim cam*
set before men that which they make an occasion of all their evil: Every; ffiZriLim
thing is turned into sin by sinners, t and to the unclean all things are unclean,' opribm bonis at'i-.i
through the uncleanncfs of their own minds and consciences: As to the ^Jm^}'^
pure and holy all things are pure and sanctified. Bad stomachs corrupt the mditu frhrm ejt'L-
wholfomest food. All Gods mercies are abused to sin. frm Attnminaihnm :
5 34. It is certain that God fore-knew this : And yet that he is no \^„"ri '''In'lnniLt;.
way obliged to deny men life , or take it away , lest they abuse ic, or —ex quo infmnt vt-
denymen all those mercies, or remove them, which heforcseeth that they ™ spiffs "/^JT
„' _ * ' «■ anil actiriHinztirriiin tio-
Wlll turn tO lin. Jtram ullo mode prxvifm;
5 3 5 . IV. It is certain that God often concurreth to the causing of the very s{d mals swdm subjtM-
fame effect which fm aho causeth and so is as a concause ot it with pT*cogmla ditimimtiom
sin : And this effect is so near to the Act of sin, as that xhz sin it self is voimtau.
oft called by its name as if it were its nearest matter ( which it is not. ) J,^.'^ weiuf!' 45"
And this is the occasion of the Great mistake of men in this cafe, that can- -j- Ticu6 1. 15, 16.
no; distinguish. Os which more anon in the instances.
536. V. And it is certain, that God as the Governour of the World,
doth do much good by the occasion of mens sin. BucthiS is not to turn
the sin it self into good. ,
537. VI. And to these five operations of God, I add-, as to his Volitions,
that all this which he doth, he willcth or decreeth to dc. And he hath no
contrary will at all.
538. But that which we deny is, that He is any proper cause of the fin
it self\ efficient ox deficient, culpable or mt culpable, Physical or Moral;
For the opening of which we must enquire what fm is, and what goeth tci /
its being or constitution.
53P. All grant that God is our Ruler by a Law, and also our ultimate
Xnd as he is Optimus dr Amabilijfimus, and that lie is our absolute Owner :
And that as rational' free agents we that are his oven, are also his Subjefh
and Beneficiaries, and made capable of Loving him as our ultimate end,
and of obeying his Laws : And that sin is our Disobedience Xfi these Laws,
with our denying God our selves as his Own, and withholding or perverting
the Love which we owe him as our End. .'• ^
540. AsLogick hath confounded us in most other cafes by arbitrary
unsuitable second notions ( making us a Shoo not meet for the Foot, )
so that it's easier to know Things without those unfit notions than with
them •, so hath it done here. Men may more easily know what fm is, and
what it is to disobey a Law, and that either by doing what we fliou d nor,
or by not doing -what we are commanded, than they can know by what
Logical or Metaphysical name it sliould be called : Whether a privation,
or a relation, an aft or no ail, (jrc. But it is not only for Logicians
that God made bis Laws; nor is it only a Metaphysical Conscience that
will accuse men or condemn them, and torment them for their sin.

". . 54i. No
 S6
f^K^iad'aSm
ftetati, prut)'icKitislibe-
ri trbitrii Mat, siyc
frws, Svt ftStrins , five
/im^nmfiquitHr miiiti-
am Dtt $gt tribuendam,
'rtrrnti cnttxt* %$Zt*r. and these not in themselves, but about the Materials commanded or sor-
vasquez in 1 Tho.q. 23. bidden Objectively, in the Z,<m>. To Ail on a forbidden object
d.$9.cap.4. on an 0bject when commanded, and to be viciously disposed to ei
Of the Mature, Knowledge, Will
541. No Act meerly as an Alt in genere is forbidden of God. For
the loul is an Active nature, and can no more cease all action, than to
be: though it can forbear a particular act as to this object, and at this
time. And God is the Cause of Acts as such.
542. I have shewed before that as Action ic self is no substance , but
the mode or motion of a substance, so to choose this object rather than
that> hath no more of Action in it than to have chosen the other, or than,
the general nature of action when existent hath: So that this Moral specifi-
cau0n addeth not to the natural eenerical entity,
. , - An.- vt r- w 1 «•/• r •
543. It is therefore 1. Acting, a. Not acting, 3. Moral disposition,.
which are Commanded and Forbidden by God: And not any one only :
Not to
ther, is a sin.
544. You may fee then, that fin is a Connotative notion, yea, and a
Relative notion 5 It connoteth a Ruler, a Law, an End, a Subject, and is
thus variously Related.
545. As Subjection is the Root of Obedience, and all obedience Vir
tually, being A Consent to obey, and. Love is the Root of benefits so to
forsake God simply as oxxx Rector or our End, or our Owner, is Atheism
practical, and all sin in one : But to violate only a particular precept de
mediis, is but a particular sin.
546. God is the Cause of the Lave which commandeth and forbiddethy
and God is the Cause of Nature, and Objects, and Action as Action : That
therefore which he hath made mans part is to Love God and Holiness, and
not to over-love the creature, nor to love it as our End or in his stead :
and to do all that he commandeth, and not to do the particular acts about
such particular objects as he sorbiddeth.
547. The remote subject or relatum then of fin, is the person sinning ;
But the nearest is the Act, Omipon or disposition j The fundamentum or
ratio referendi is the said Acts, Omifiions or dispositions, as such or such,
about such or such objects, commanded or forbidden which is a Relati
on j And the form of sin is the Moral Relation of Disobedience, or Dif-
consormity to the Law. So that if you must needs have it in Logical no
tions, Sin is a Moral Relation, resulting from a Physical relation ofActs-
cns,Omipons or dispositions of Gods subjects, which are modified contrary
to his Law.
548. It is a Moral Relation as it is Disobedience , found in a Moral
agent against a Law and Rector as such. It is a Physical Relation as the
Act,e2-c. is prius natura quid naturale, about an object that is quid na^
turale. \ii fundamentum ( of both relations : And one Relation may be
founded in another ) is the Mode of the Act, Omission or disposition, as to
an undue object, ei'C.'as it is forbidden by the Law. Of the subjects and
relatum I have spoken before.
549. So that the form of fin being Relative can have no Cause but
that which causeth its fundamentum : and cannot possibly but result when
that is laid.
550. It were an injury to God to feign him to make such a Law as
should say, [Though thou hate me, fee that that hatred be not Relatedfor-
mally as a breach of my Law,'} or [I forbid thee not to commit Adulte
ry, but only forbid that thy Adultery quid prohibitum or a fin.} For
is God forbid not the act, it cannot be a sin : and if he forbid it, it must
needs be sin >} And so of omissions.
551. They
 andDecrees of (jod, <3cc. «87

551. They therefore that tell us, that fin is nothing, but a Privation,
speak not satisfactorily^ nor altogether truly. Ic is no substance indeed ;
nor any such Reality as Man cannot Cause without Gods Causing ic
( supposing his Universal Natural Support and Concurse. ) But the thing
forbidden is often A£fs and Dispositions as well asOmistions: and the form
of sin, is a Moral Relation, which hath so much reality as a Relation hath
sis that be any J. And t\ut Relation hath a positive name-, It is not only see Dr. wiWx against the
a meer Non-conformity , but also a Difconformity , becauied founded in Lord Brooke of this, very
Actual P'oliticns and Nohtions as forbidden , and not only in Omis- "eU*
iions.
552. Subtile Ockam Quodl. 3. 15. disputing Utrum reilitudo ejr de-
formitas actus dijferant a subfiantia aftus ? denyeth it and after a Confu
tation os the common saying , that Deformitas est carentia retfitudinis
debit*., & difiinguitur ab adit, quod in peccato Actus est materiale , &
carentia justiti* debit* inejfe est formate, concludethj \_Quod deformitas
non est carentia Justiti* vet reclitudinis debit* inejfe atiui, fed est caren
tia rectitudints debit* inejfe voluntati : Quqd non est aliud dicere, nisi
quod voluntas obligatur aliquem a Hum elicere secundum pr*ceptum Divi-
num quern non elicit ; & ideo reilitudo aclus non est aliud quam qui
debuit elici secundum reclam rationem. ] But I conceive > 1 . That the
'rectitude of the will can be nothing else but the rectitude of its alls, sus
pensions and dispositions 5 2. That Ockam here deferibethonly sins of omis
sions, whereas the Rectitude of the*r/Y/ is often also materially in not do
ing or willing what is forbidden. And wi:h these two animadversions
I am reconciled to Ockam : who addeth, s_ Ad aliud dico , Quod illud di
ctum de Materiali ejr Formalt est falsum 5 Quit ant est peccatum commis
sion!s ant omiflionis : fi primo modo, est Materiale sine formali : quia ibi
non est carentia reclitudinis, debit* inejfe acini : fisecundo modoy tune est
ibi carentia qtt* est formale fine materiali.'] Resp. 1 . To the first I add,
that It had been true, if it had been the Ait as an aft that had been for
bidden, or else the species of the act as quid naturale ; But it being the
Act not as an act in genere, but as this alt thus modified or specified by
an undue object, that Act with its Relation as quid pkyftcum are presup
posed as the relatum to the moral relation of Pravity or Difconformity.
And to the second 1 say, that it's true that Omission is not Materia Physi-
ca ; but it is an inadequate first conception of sin, and so is materia mo-
ralitcr dicta vel loco materi*. And the Omission being considerable ,
1. Onatenus Non-igcre, 1. Qua privatio natural/s, '3.Q** dr Privatio irfr
difeonsormitas moralis, these three inadequate conceptions take up the
whole nature of the sins of omission.
559. The fame Ockam Quodl. i.qu.io. Utrum aItus exterior habeas
prepriam bonitatem vel rnalttiam moralem ? even as dependent on the
Will 1 And he denyeth it against Scotus who affirmeth it : I will not trou
ble the Reader with their reasonings 5 not doubting but Ockam erred, and
that it's true, 1. That no exterior act is Morally good or evil primarily,
2. But that secondarily and participatively as it is voluntary j there is a
morality in the acts, words, and deeds , and passions are under Law next
to the milj and in dependance on it. As the body conjunct with the soul
is a secondary part of the man, so are our exterior acts of sin.
554. The conceit that making sin a meer nothing , doth seem to
justilic God as not Causing it, is a meer vanity. For, 1. It justifieth the
sinner more-, who no more is the Cause ot nothing than God. i. Either
man is able to do that Something or Alt which sin is the privation of,
without any other Power than he hath, or not. If he be, then even the
4:1
 p ■■ wm in ■■ — ■■ — —\ —
88 Of the Stature, Knowledge, Will

Att of sin is not imputableto God : If he be not, then every sin is like our
not making of a Sun, or Moon, or World : which if it be a Culpable defect,
they make God the first deficient.
555. He that would fee more of this question of the essence of sin, may
read Rada lib. 2. contr. \ 6. ( who first ingenuously consefieth that Tho.
and Scotas differ but in words and not in senle, and then layeth down eleven
conclusions of little use. ) And Marias Scribonius Cosmo, difp. l 8. Scotus in
t. d. 37- Bonavent.in i.d. 35. dub. 6. Henric. Quodl. I. qu. 25. Aimatn.
Moral. trail. 3. cap. I J. Richard. in 2. ^.34. ar. I. qu. 7. Alex.Alens.
2. q. 94. memb.z. Durand. 2. dis. 31. q. 2. Medin. 12. q. 71. ar. 6.
Specially Vasquez 12. disp. 95. stf/>. p. (?»//. Camerar. Scot. Disput. Pbrlos.
Part. I . ^/fr. ^. 3 . 162, ere. Argent.in i.d.tf.q.l .ar. 2. Gabriel Biel
3. d. 36. q. unica. Valent. l.i.d. 2. q. i^.p. 3, &c. Saarez 1. 2. fr^c?.
<*r?. hum. d. 2. /fc7. 2. Azor. li. 4. c. 24. Tanner. 1.2. af/j^. 2. 5. dub.
3. &disp. 4. J, I. I. regain Trident. 6. c. 39. dr/i.iq.c. 13.
s'aftSB«mfimsdl),n^ Cordub. I. 3. q. 10. ejr Cajet. Zumel. Curies dr alias in 1.2. £.19. ar. 4.
suppose* rfc to be wil- &q>7i- ar. 6. And, who is usually sounder than most of them, Lombard
led ofGod as conducive himself Dist. Rtpxlda opening him and citing others dist. 34, 35.
world rrbufSrcrs5 But the ordinary Christian that understandeth but what Disobedience sig-
the jesuke it Provid. nifietb, needeth none of them all.
dis. 2. ft0. 4.■ ?• 27. r r6 * Though the five acts of God forementioned about sin, are as far
maintameth that Minus >> * c .
p»r//ct«» r^/srt as we need to go, to the common Ends which we agree in, yet many ob-
f, null* ttrmitttrtntxr pc- jections are made against this much as not sufficient, but God must have
f^intuafim ftecato- * greater hand in sin : And 1. They object, that to make God but an
mm : and auAiAquin. Universal Cause , is to put something in being,- viz. the Act in specie
liiSSt H$i TSjZ. mstrali> which God is not the Cause os; And ib, 1. To make Him idle
Fmar.' Marfti. f&r the and unactive as tothat: 2.Todeifie man by making him a first Cause of
f.on' no" cause r"r°me' l^az mQra^ specics« To which I mail lay down such answers as I think
drum, as such, and there- will satissie the considerate, to this Objection which is indeed their All:
fore never the more wii- But I am sorry that the subject occasioneth me to repeat what^ said before,
a. Bus I have^befbre 5 57* l* Kemcmbcr that even an AB in genere is not a substance 5
briefly confuted the And that the moral specification is less as to natural entity than it ; in-
SuTSl^TeSioi, decd making no addition of Entity to it, aswas shewed. And Dr. Twiss
Particular Crea'turcs asserteth , that this moral specification is not a proper specification
would be to themselves gf 3^5.
but whatever1 pottibk a"-' 5 5 8. 2.Note that few dare say, that God is not Able to make a free
tcrations were made by agent with Power to choose or refuse without Gods further predetermining
be^nethc^^se^ premotion. And if God can do it, we have no reason to debase his work,
better than it is, as to and think he did not.
S"ichPZst aSefy 559- 3- Note, that for God to make a self- determining agent that
denominate it : For thc mall act without his predetermination, is but to put forth his ow n Active
Goodness ofail creatures p0Wer with limitation or suspension, that is, To Will and Act or Opc-
is to be conform to the r r 1 r i_
creators will, which is rate, lo far and no further.
the denominating mea- 5 Co. 4. And note, that this restriction of the Divine operation is not
baStSS"so thel from any fni*tn<si of his power, as if he could do no more, but from the
would be' were they at freedom of his will, and the Conduct of his wisdom, who seeth it good to
tered: Eutsn is difform do no mQre
to lusCommandingWill, , . ,
and not conform to his 5 6 1 • 5 • Above all note, that as all Divines agree, that God doth not Act
wT'JH™ar ucfhffiCHad ttltlm,tm ?pfse> as natural agents do, so the truth is most evident in the
tiKrebccnnogs!nV there fi"ttf**fi of the world, and the effects of his Power: For God doth not
had been no such excr- make as many men or other creatures as he could do : He doth not make
wN^b^Sd« wcry man as stron8' or vvife> or good> or long-lived as he could do : He doth
t' e" Angels worse than not make every Stone,or Clod, or Tree as Aclive as he could do, nor move
this" beu"as 'good*? If thin§ as'he could do. Now all that is undene which God could
Gcd had willed it ? . . do,
 and Decrees of (jody &c. 89

d«j all possibles which arc not existent or future , do tell us plainly that
God doth freely suspend the action or operation of his Power, totally as
to them : which is much more than to suspend it but in part with free
Agents, and to give them a Natural self-determining power, without fur
ther pre-moving predetermination of them. If all the World tell us,
that he hath the far greater suspension , why mould we think the less
absurds' ,
562. 6. And Reason telleth us (what the Schoolmen oft fay ) that
God 'd whosheweth us that he delighteth in wonderful, variety of his crea-
cures, doth very fitly thus beautifie the Universe by a middle rank of
creatures, that stand between Confirmed Angels, and the Brutes, viz. in-
teUeElual-free-agents, left to a natural Power of free choosing or refusings
without necessitation, in the midst of various objects, to prepare them By
tryal for abetter state. v .
563. 7. And note too, that we fay not that Gods predetermination of
mans will destroyeth its best Liberty : God can predetermine the will to
Good as he doth the Angels, as a great blessing and felicity : To prede
termine the will physically, is to end that Liberty to ,that particular ail,
which consisted partly in being undetermined : But that Liberty which
consisteth in deliverAnte from all true evil, is increased by such a Graci
ous predetermination: And therefore Jansenius pleapeth only for the ne
cessity of predetermination to Good by medicinal Grace 5xand not to Evil,
or - meer Natural actions. Yet we lay, that even to Good, God can pro
cure the will to determine it self, by moral means, which infinite Wis
dom can sufficiently improve. Bnt it is only i. A natural power to
act without predetermination from God or Others, . 2. And a Liberty of
Condition , from all predetermination ab extra , to evil ( from God or
Creatures) which I here assert and plead for in this cause.
5 6\. 8. Much less dp we take the will from under, the bower and Govern
ment of God: For, i» It could have no self-determining Power but of
Cod} one moment. 2. He giveth it this power, to make us capable sub
jects of Moral Sapiential Government. 3. He giveth us Governing Laws
accordingly. 4. And he attaineth all his Ends and fulfiljeth. all his will,
as perfectly in consistency with our power Andfreedom as if we had none
such, at all: so that God hath his proper Willj whether men will or
not. , . . . . .
565. But the turning point of difficulty here is, Whether God is ever
Causa partialii ? and it we so make him? is it not injurious to his perfect
operations c* All our Controversies turn upon the decision ofthis one que- See the end.
stion. For if we may conceive of God,, as 5w/«j speaketh, like one that
draweth at the same Ship with another- and the act of both must concurr
to the effect', then all is easie, and we may fay when men Love not God,
repent not, believe not, &c. that God did his part, but the sinner did not
his, and so the effect failed. As if a Father did resolve that he will help ^feJwÆ
his little Child to lift up a weight , and will put to nine hundred ninety this; similitude or the
nine parts of the strength that is necessary, but no more, because the Child Uke» ( Mr* RobmHei>' )
sliall do something ( one part ) to shew his willingness and obedience -
Here if the thing be done, it is the Father that deserves nine hundred nine
ty nine parts of the praise : If it be undone, the Child only doth deserve
the blame. But we have more to say.
56*5. Note therefore, i.That here the Child hath in himself a Power
independent on his Father, and therefore the whole effect is not to be
ascribed to the Father. But man hath no Power but of God, and what he
bildctb, yea, and useib in dependence on him. And therefore the praise
N of.
 90 Os the Mature, Knowledge, Will

of all his Power and his Alts as Acts are due to God. 2. And all the good
Inclinations of his will, and all the Laws, promises , perfwasions, threat-
nings, mercies, afflictions , examples, convictions , which tend morally to
turn his will, are from God ; so that in every good Volition or action man
* Molinx maketh God doth no more than God did both enable him, command him, perswade him
ctnfk* firtitiim t. p.q. and help him to do, and so procure the actual determination of his will.
u\2.%fa.dd$i£: £ca- So that dere we fee how much God doth alwayes (besides that Grace
si's denyeth it ; And zu- may sometimes for ought I know otherwise predetermine : ) And we fee
inD^nTi rS W^at man ^0t'1 *" a^ l^at C3n ^e^re m0re *S' l^at n0 mast t^at' dot^
cne'Ci. Andiso do ma- any good 4c7, should be able at that instant not to do it, or to do otherwise ;
ny others •, And great an£j tnen jt mufl. follow that no man that omitteth 4 good act-) or that fin-
fhern^iiefome^Xm fcth, could do otherwise : which are false. * So that here is only the lis
and some deny, but none de nomine left, An Deus (it Causa partialis ? I think it fittest to say, that
nc^^ he *CauJa totdis os his •»» A& and of the efe# as Lt fe *nAa> an<*
t So fay ockm and Ga- of all that is laudable in it too, for the reasons aforesaid. But yet he is
anSta'iwstro roper not &t Causa sola, nor in that sense totalis of the Moral specification, as
models spcakingP,r0be- if when he giveth his Creature a Power of choosing or refusing freelyy
cause so no one Cause lt mt ye £one) without his further physical predetermination.
AnawhyftoX^fit 567. And ( under favour ) I take the named*/* partialis, to be im-
be not ? ( except that proper, and that it mould properly be called Pars Cause : For when di-
an°ddso no^Vpart!;0rder' vers concurr in efficiency, all make but one proper efficient Cause, t Now
Bonavent. in i.'dis. 38. I suggest to the Learned Reader that is against me, Horv he will decide
<i. 2. inquit, murm tri- tne forementloned hard question, whether there be more Entity in God and
t'ax ell •* Quoddam eft . • ■ . , / .• , _ . * ,
ctmhmt eftttt causa, the Creature than tn God alone ? It is dangerous laying Tea or Nay ? and we
Ht'cmu: 'gupddam a- know not well what to fay : But for my part, as I said, I will not say that
^nTdt- God is Pars Entitatis, hor yet that the Creature is not Ens, nor yet that
feeiu&'peccats : Q*od- it is God: But the solution must be either from the Equivocation of En-
dam m'TfaT aus™** or ^rom Creatures Inexiftehce in God, or from somewhat rather
fafwrl rutuniix & which I know not. And just so here ; the question is, whether Gods Cau-
mtrslisi T"* ctm sation and Mans be more than Gods alone? And I will not fay that Gods is
%'t 'u r^imi %mi vi- a P*rt ; nor yet that Mans is none, nor that it is the fame with Gods .
"wm ftjciemt, eft mi But that Gods acting and concurfe. are quite above the reach of Mortals.
i;S2l: p 568. But here again note what I said even now, i. That it is no more
cab. Biti in 2. d. 37. sign of ftniteness in God, nor dishonour to him, to be a limited or par-
bringeth inS^J*Lfc^ tial Cause, than to be no Cause, and limited totally by suspension of the
sjHmiaqLclfa/m whole act; And yet so he is as to a\\ Pojfibles which he doth not make
tamm ideo tst causa ma- 0r move. 2. And that it is his own free will only that thus limiteth him 5
'cm jStZfeSrJE As * doth from giving a11 men more grace> &*• Sothac really here is
/.«, & utrumque viitt, & matter of satisfaction,
tOm 'uuft s'seZda?, 5 69- ,''T<hough he offend me bX making. God the Cause of sin, I will
run diverse, fed mt Viil- here cste the words of our Countrey-man, Holkot QuodL lib.2. qu. i . f_ Est
tione, m umim tjHS sententia omnium Theologorum quod Deus eft Causa immediata omnis rei
mil01" g^tw^/^^J quod omni creatur* agenti, five fit Natura five Voluntas,
■a 0 causa totalis*—^ Deus coagit : ejr fic imaginandum eft quod in omni aflione creature qua
»fZ<t^f%mhi£E- iHlM* producit, Deus & Creatura sunt du* cause Partialesilliusprodufii :
Et ad dub. 2. ex Greg. jVo» fic imaginando quod Deus producit unam partem effeclus, & crea-
Ariin. Kobifcumtanquam: turA a/iam & 0y hoc dicatur Causa partialis fed ideo quia con-
Causa parttalis producit - ' ^ , J * , J . J
aHnm maim. currunt tn agendo vel caujando UnAc tarn cauja untversalts quam
Gregor. Mm. his words particularis dicitur communitcr causa partialis : cjr ideo etiam Sol ejr Homo*
Æ^mli que'm "'efficit sunt Aus cause partiales hominis generandi • & (imiliter Fir & Mulier :
Veccitn, Deus ejl immedi- Quia ad hoc quod aliqnid dicitur causa partialis stifficit quod fit tale quod
Z^tefiJJIalmelt ProPter ¥um & ^oddam aliud velquadam alia res ponatur in ejse , sic
dem. 01 Greg. Arim. fee quod iHis pofitis res eft , & aliquo iftorum ablato res non fict.~\
more in the conclusion
of this Chapter. • _ ,
570. Further
 andDecrees of Qody &c. 91

5 70. Further I desire that it may be specially noted , that God is our
Creator in order of Nature before he is our Ruler $ And that Nature is
before Morality, ( obedience or sin. ) And that God as Creator first sctled
the order of Nature so, as that the Alteration of that Law or setled Or
der should not be ordinarily expected by us, though he can alter it : And
therefore that man is man, and hath a Natural Power ofSelf-determinati-
on, and that God npholdeth him, and concurreth as an Universal Cause,
belongethto this fote-fetled natural order, and is prejkppofed to moral de
terminations and specifcations, either as from God or man.
571. And note, that to Good Atfs we have need of more Help from
God, than this meer Natural Causality and Concur[e. And therefore God
aftordeth us more accordingly 5 but not to all alike.
572. It is further objected, against this way, that our making Reproba
tion to Infidelity> Permission of fin , not-giving faiths &c. to be no Acfs
of God, cometh all to one as to mens Jin and damnation ; because man
cannot believe , nor avoid fin} without those Ails of Grace which God
withholdeth ?
Anfsv. I confess it were all one if the supposition were true , as it is
not ; For we have proved after, that man hath power without those acts of
Grace which God suspendeth, by that Common Grace which he giveth, to
do more good and forbear more evil than they do ; Of which irt due
place.
573. It is objected also, that while we make Gods Providence to fill
the World with occasions of sin , which he fore-knoweth men will tak£
to their damnation, yea, as long as God could prevent all fin, and save all
souls, and yet will not, it cometh all to one which way soever you go irt
these Controversies.
I answer, i. Undoubtedly Gods Judgements are unsearchable. Buc
when we come into his Light,, We shalfbe perfectly reconciled to them
all. a. And undoubtedly God . doth whatsoever he will, and all that he
thought meet to Decree or Will, shall come to pass in despieht of sin*
3 . And when we have said all, flesh and blood will be1 unsatisfied, till faith
and the will of God do satisfie us. 4. But yet be it known to you, than
there is a great difference between Goispermitting fin ( after great means
against it ) and his causing it : Between the making of a free agent, and
putting life or death in his choice 3 and his causing men unavoidably to sin,
and then to damn them for it. The Holiness of Gods Nature will stand with
the Being of sin, by mans causing • but not with Gods causing it. And the
Truth of Gods Word must be considered.
574. If this were all one (to Damn men unavoidably , and to give
them their free choice of Heaven or Hell, in the means) it is strange that
so many Learned men as among the Jesuits, Arminians , Lutherans and
Greeks, do hold no other Grace at all , but what lcaveth man to such
a free Choice, could ever be so satisfied : ( when others hold that the
Elect have more.)

SECT.
 92 Of'the Feature , Knowledge, Will

SECT. XVIII.

A Confutation of Dr. TwisseV Digr. 5.]. 2. sect. 1. Vind.Grat.

575. T Come now to consider os what is said by them that go further

v about Gods will or Causalityas to sin. And because Dr. Twijfe
hath a peculiar Digression (Findic. Grat. li. 2. p. t, Digr. 4. ) I will
somewhat animadvert upon it. He beginneth s_ Sententia nostra hoc esty
Deitm battentts dici pojse Velle peccatum quatenus vult ut peccatum fi
at viz. ifso permittente : And so he maketh the question. An Dens
Velit nt peccatum eveniat ipjo permittente ? Arminitts thought God willed
only his own Permission of the sin: TwiJJe faith, that he willed that fin
should come to pass, God permitting it. Arminitts his concession cannot
mmim.inx.'L ifi.\%. be proved ( as I have shewed 5 ) But Twijfes must be disproved. And
vef"fainl^XS" 1 * 1 Wl11 §lVe 0Ur RcasonS aSainst ic-
[m'l/fieri nnBate>uts bo- 576. Let the Reader remember, that what the Author faith of Gods
mm else pttift : willing, he also in the point of Predetermination faith of his working :
the^difference between w*. that he Caufeth as much as he willeth : But I pass that by now because
causa, ufiu & occajio, he I have largely confuted it elsewhere. And to speak to One is to speak to
faith that Causa est proce- UntU
divs & intendtns : Cafus ° • .«. i i n % <- ,
privat immiontm fed nm j 77. i. AU sober Christians are agreed, on what side soever, that
operationem : o«^w£ q0£ IS not the Cause os sin, except some odd presumers who are con-
h{[]'ngu\(imh occafio'i \n- demned by the generality: One or two fp.)ke some hard words that way
to that which hath rati- ia Belgia, whom the Synod of Dort rejected : Mr. Archers Book was
J««fand L wS burnt for it by the Parliament or Westminster Synod. Bez* himself ( m
hath but rational pajjtvi, Rom. 8/28. & passim ) abhorreth it. as intolerable blasphemy. But this
as one by Mothers evil Doctrine in question plainly maketh God the wilier and Cause of sm :
exciteth himself to do 7 . , " ' . .11 ., ,■* ,J
good. And also between Yea more, very much more than wicked men or Devils are : which is noc
the evil and the ordina- [rue. .- ( ,
riKCTU if but the Recall 57%' F°r they make Men and Devils to be but a second pre-moved pre-
pafstva of the good, and determined Cause of the Act ( of Volition and Execution ) whence the
tn£l hmLlfifJt» formal obli<luity necessarily rcsulteth : But t. God is certainly the Cause
modo adivi vide of the Nature which is the Agent : 2. He is the Cause of the Law which
locum- maketh the act in specie to be sin : His faying, ? hou shalt not commie
Adultery or Murder, maketh Adultery and Murder to be sin, when they
are committed, which they would not be without the Law. 3. God
caufeth and ordereth all the objects and occasions. 4. And now they also
fay that God willeth ut peccatum fat , ( and is the first predetermining
Cause, even the total Cause, of all that is in the act and all its circum
stances, without which predetermination it could not be.) So that man
doth but will what God first willeth, and act what God first moveth him
unavoidably to act, as the pen in my hand. 5. And the Law and the Act
being put in being, the Relative obliquity is but the necessary result, and
hath no other cause.
5 19. And note here what Estius before cited ( after Aquinas ) faith
that to will that peccatum fit vel fiat, is all that the Sinner himself doth,
when he willeth sin. And therefore it's a vain thing here to distinguish
between willing fin, and willing the event, futurity and existence of it,
ut peccatum fiat vel eveniat : ( Though I confess I was long detained
~ in suspense if not deceived by that distinction. ) For he willeth sm, who
willeth the existence of it, or that it be or come to pass.

580. And
 and Decrees of (jod3 <5cc, ^^

580. And note, that it is both matter and form, Act and' obliquity
which they fay God willcth ut fat : For it is sin : And forma., dat nemeir:
It is not fin, but by the form of fin. But if they had laid otherwise, it
had been all one : For he that willeth the fundamentum, relate and corre? Saith swifft viniicGrat.
late, willeth the Relation. . ■• • [f- «• ?• «• *.7. 7.;. 137,
581. There is nothing left to be said then, but that eW- willeth that L«{ff^S5f^
_/?;7/-<f done, but not j?/^ or becattfe it is fin-. But this is nothing. For} cefieest ms imftdiaiii-
if Either none or few of the Reprobate do nv/Z jfo because it is Sin, but IT&^'/he ffi
because of the pleasure of or imagination, or for seeming good, proved that God was not
2. And if a man or Devil do maliciously will fin as fin" because ir is '^S^ft*
against God, so doing is but one of their sins, which they fay God willetlt and iUuminMio/menttj
ut fiat before they willed it f and predetermined them to it : j so that here know them' without ex-
is nothing in it but -what is first and chiefly of Gad. ^ b*
5 82. If they fay that God willeth it for the Glory of his Justice^ and so da make christs death un-
not wicked men, but for wicked ends or in enmity to Gad 5 I answer, &a^^ juluJeVo far
That proveth that God hath a will w hich the wicked haSfc not, but not as that God could have
that the wicked have any will which God hath not : For that mil and' dc0Cn'a^!llfafv;1^rn par*
that Enmity to God still is but one of their sins which they fay God first' ther way if tewoM:
Willeth Ht fiat. ...j -. And is fin better or more
583. Obj. But it isonly ut fiat ipfo permittente, nonfacknte. ' < ggK f^t-
Anfw. The hypocrifieof that addition maketh it but the worse in the thinks they that lav so
assertors. For 1. They usually make Gods will effective > of the thin? S on f-5oraI rTans
... 1 —1 . ' . t ' 1 . ... -V rt . n ° and operations of Grace
willed. 2. They maintain that there is nothings in the act as ctreumstan- in comparison of Physi-
tiated which God is not the total first efficient Cause of. 3. They confess ,8've fo
that the formal relation necessarily resiilteth from the act and Law: Arid1 "c 3° means '(last is "not,
why then do they put in the word \_permittente ?~\ Would not thatde- but a Paff.ve and oppo-
ceitfully insinuate to. the Reader that the sinner doth something which mora^ean°s"^ " bUt *
God doth not do, but only permits when they mean no such thing? For And himself faith page
that is my second reason against them. I3%^*5T f/T'/r'
584. 2. By their doctrine God never permitteth fin (which is false :) PqTndi fiTmiDiopr'fx'
For that which he willeth and Caufeth as the first total Cause, he cannot um: At ficctum nan e?
be said to Permit : To do a thing, and move another to do ir. Will nor! ffZJglL fe
stand with proper permission. ' fericnii*, Jhi juHti* :
585. Obi. But God preferveth oar own Liberty in atfm*. fdt'a ™*/m™t «*■
* a ., * 1 .. , »o - . , tun, ut ad tt fac/enda,
Anfw. 1 . By Liberty you mean nothing but Willingness as such, that mmam aus « intati'
God doth not make mens Willing to be a willing or contra in the fame R^der havW°U'b the
act. Which is but to fay that God caufeth me to Will fin, and not to confuter of him k rtian
mll-nill-it f 2. If you mean more, I deny that ever God gave Power to himself? But he there
the Will, to will or Nill contrary to the Volition and phvjical premoving JJ** tdi^Zli
predetermination of the first cause. 3 . But if all this were io, it's no- and Timber to an House,
thing to the present cafe ; and doth not prove that God is not the Cause ^ ma"tefCbesid7
of the sin, but only that man is aCausealso, caused by the first Cause 5 the subjea and object,
. and that God Willeth and Caufeth us to sin willingly and freely.( 1 of moral "ecV Pjiva"°n
586. 3. By this means they make God equally to will and1 Cause our °f j™" to the Devils
JJoli nefl'and our fin : For they cannot possibly tell as what he doch more Kingdom iKomatnU, it
to Cause our Holiness, than to will it, and to predetermine the will of SjJjjJ^*
man to it, (besides commandingh, which is a moral act, and we speak house, is that want the
Materia damn? no nor
the Mater/a of his mercy
dr bounty that buildeth ir. Thus the defectivenefs of the subtilest wits abuseth God and his Church, when the Christ i-
an simplicity of modest souls with a holy Ike would honour him. So Sect. 9. pag. 137. Yeccatum mihi vidttur
proprie dictndum (fft materiam manifejlanda Dei five mifcricordi*, five infinite potii-f q:um miditm : Fermiflioim vero pec
can midiitm e(fe tu'f maniscflandte priprii dictum. But 1. how oft elsewhere deth he forget and contradict this? 2. Per
mission it self is nothing ( being but non-impedire. ) And is nothing, or nan-agin, a proper -means ? Cut especi
ally I irttreat the Reader to observe tint in that very place Tiviffe and Armivi:is are herein professedly agreed, that it is
the Permission of sin, and not the sin, that is the Divine medium (only one faith PrxdtRinitiovs, and die O&exprnidtntim :)
And yet they will differ while they agree : And I that differ from both, would agree with both.
only
94 Of the Mature, Knowledge, Will

only of proper efficiency. ) He doth but will that Holincsi be, and cause
ail that hath any entity in it And so they say he doth about sin.
587. Obj. He loveth our Holinessfor it self, and so be doth notfm.
Answ. The first is denyed by themselves, if you speak of Gods end :
Tor they confess that God only is his own end , for which he loveth all
things : 2. And his Love is either his efficient or complacential Volition.
1. The efficient which is all that is now in question they must confess is
eqtial to both, if he equally will the existence of both.
Object. But be bath a Complacence in Good only.
Answ. 1 . He hath a Complacence in the fulfilling of his own mil as
efficient. Therefore if sin be the fulfilling of his Will, he hath a com
placency in it. The formal reason of a pleasing object to God is, as it is
the fulfilling of his own Will 5 And to break his Law they make to
be such: ergo, pleasing. 2. But if it were not so, that's nothing to our
Cafe, of the efficient Will. .
588. 4. To avoid tediousiiess, in sum, This opinion seemeth to me,'
to leave very little or no place for the Christian Religion. . For 1 . Ic
overthroweth the formale objeitum fidei, which is Feracitas Divina, and
leaveth no certainty of any word of God : For if he do mil and pre
determine by premotion, ut fiat omne mendacium, quod fitS then we have
no way to know that he did not so by the Prophets and Apostles. 2. Ic
maketh the Scripture false, which faith so much of Gods hatred and un
willingness of sin. 3. It obliterateth the notion of Gods Holiness, which
k made the great reason of our holiness. 4. It maketh mans Holiness
to be no Holiness, but a common or indifferent thing. 5. It maketh sir*
so little odious ( as being a Divine off-spring ) as will destroy the hatred
of it and care to avoid it. 6. It will thereby nullifie all our Godly sor
row, repenting, confession, and all practice of means against any sinJ
7. It will hardly let men believe that Christ came into the world, and did
and suffered so much to save men from sin, and to destroy ir. 8. Or that
it is the work of the Holy Ghost to sanctifie souls and mortifie sin. 9. Ic
will hardly let men believe that there is any Hell, and that God will damn
men for ever, for that which they did upon his prevolition and predeter
mination, unavoidably. 10. It seemeth to give Satans description to
God, and more. For Satan can but tempt us to sin, but they make God
absolutely to mil that it be, and physically to predetermine us to it. And
so Christ that came to destroy the work of the Devil, the father of lies,
malice and murder, mould come to destroy the work of God. 11. It tak-
eth away the reason of Church discipline, and purity, and of our loving
the Godly and hating wickedness. 1 a . It would tempt Magistrates accords
ingly to judge of vice and vertue, good and bad in the Common-wealth.
589. Now to their arguments. 1 . Rev. 17. 17. [Godput it into their
hearts to do his will, and to agree to give up their Kingdoms to the beasts
Answ. 1. He that readeth Dr. Hammonds exposition applying this to
Alaricus sacking Rome, with the effects, will fee that the very subjeft is so
dubious and dark as not to be sit to found such a doctrine on. 2. It was.
the effect of the sin that God willed, and not the fin. 3. He is not said
to put the sin into their hearts, whether pride, covetousness, cruelty, &c.
but only to do hu pleasure and agree ( or make one decree) to give up ejrci
which he could most easily do by putting many good and lawful thoughts
into their hearts, which with their own sins, would have that effect which
he willed: If a thief have a will to rob, God may put it into his heart to
go such or such a way, where a wicked man to be punished will be in his
way.
590. But
 . m and Decrees of (jod, &c. . ■ ' ^ <j

590. But for brevity, besides what is said, I shall farther direct the
impartial Reader, how to answer all such objections: And wichall let. the
confounding cavillers against distinguishing, fee, what blasphemy and sub-
version of Religion may enter, for want of one or two distinctions which
Confused heads regard not. 1 ... . . .
T. Be sure to distinguish the name of sin, from the nature, 2. And
remember that no outward act is sin any further than it is Voluntary ( by
privation or position of Volitions. ) 3 . Distinguisti between the Ad as ic
is Agentis, and as it is in Paffo. 4. And between the Act and the effect.
5. Between the effect of a single cause and of divers causes, making a
compound, effect. 6. And between a forbidden object compared with the
contrary, and one forbidden object compared with another. . ' ;.
591. And then all this satisfying Truth will lye naked before you. ^
i. That the fame name usually signifieth the sin and the effect of sin-, or\
the AB as Acted and as Received. Adultery, Murder, Theft, usually sigj:
nifie the Acts of the Adulterer, Murderer, Thief, as done and as received
in Paffo, and aseffecting. , 1 •/.
2. That the former only is the sin, viz.. first the Volition, Nolition, or.
Non-Volition, and secondarily the imperate act as animated, by the mtiha
And no more. The reception of this act in Paffo is not sin ( as such 5 );
nor the most immediate effect os this act: It is but the effect of fin. *.. »
3. And you will fee that the fame effect may have several catuses : a!
Good and bad-, And so God may be a cause of that effect, which mans;
sin also concurreth to cause : And God doth not therefore Will or Causer
the sin.
4. And you will see that God may morally cause the effect as it is
bn this object rather than another forbidden, though both make the act
sinful, and yet not Cause it as ic is exercised on either of those objects com
pared with such as are not forbidden. j ;V
592. And you will here plainly fee that God hath many wayes to Cause *Cd
the effect without willing or Causing the sin. As for instance,.- 1. He
can do it by adding (as I said before ) a good act to the sinners bad one.
As when Catashas is willing to kill Christ, God can put into Caiaphas's. De ** Ocfym ubi
thoughts, the jealdusic of the Romans over the Jews, and the visible dan- 'upra'
gcr they are in if they should be thought to have another King : which-.
thoughts in themselves are true and good : So he can put into PharaoJ/s
thoughts the loss of the Israelites service , which was aoc .sinful of it: cTahne TmparSifreceive
self. v .•. s ■'*.'» truth without respect of
593. And 2. God can set that object before a sinner which he is mofr, JJjS&J^Sf X?
inclined to abuse : Which is not to Will his sin : But ; maypriceed from )is£fia. 4. J1 fr'ovidut.
Gods Willing the Effect. As if Absalom be by Pride and Lust enclined t6t iatos answring allthese
Adultery, his Fathers Wives may be in his eye and way. . And God mas misixpoundedryfome;
will to punish Davidby their passive pollution, without willing his act oft And his moderate opi-
fin atall, interior or exterior. \ ■ • ^ V; ^J^g
594. 3. And God can remove other objects out of the way, so that Section, how far do-
this object shall be solitary, or most obvious to the sinner. As if a* ^SLTwhfch subvert
drunken man were resolved to kill the next he met, God can keep Peter,. tjiTfoundation, ishuda-
Jobn, &c. out of his way, and so Judas shall be the next; 1. -. ■ .> He, and his reason very
595. 4. Yea God can suspend his ownintrini?ckconcurse as to some fa7a\XyCaX'aiiy'pre°
one sinful act by which it will follow that it will fall upon another ob- <"aii with the will and
ject. e. Many other fitch wayes God hath, which are unknown to us. Faith ifsavin^effcctu'
596. And if you suppose a man so inclined to Murder or Adultery as aland practical, and not
that he will exercise it on the next most provoking object, is God now did S^SJjK01!^
Cause the Act, as exercised on a forbidden object, compared with another as lie doth.
it
96 Of the 3S(ature, Knowledge, WiU

it were to Cause the sin. But if he only be the moral Cause that he
e.g. kill fudas rather than Peter, this is not to Cause sin: For to choose
Judas rather than Peter for the object, ii no sin : For, as I said, God can
do it only by removing Peter, and Willing that he shall be preserved.
597. Suppose a King that hath made Laws against Murder foreknow
that a Robber is waiting in such a Road for a prey, and that a Traytor
broke out of Prison will go that way, and so will be rob'd and kill'd, He may
rtill or desire the Death ofthe Traytor as a punishment ; He ma}? restrain
some that would travail that way before him • and may restrain some that
would lay hold on the Robber, or drive him away, that so this Traytor may
be killed : And yet only Permit, and not Will at all, the Robbers will or Act
as it is Agentis, out punisli him for it, and hate it, and will only the effect.
598. The next Text cited is,' 1 Pet. 2.8. whercuhto also they mere ap
pointed f viz. to stumble on the rock of offence.) Resp. 1. This hath rc^
spect to. Luke 2. 34, s_ he is set for the fall of niany> &c. J and of Christ t
own words, that he that fallcth on this (lone shall be broken in pieces.
And no more can hence be gathered, but that God hath decreed that as
a Punifting Judge , 1. He will leave the rejecters of Chriff to go on in
their own sinful way, 2. And that their opposition to him shall be theft
ruine. So that 1. Fk doth not speak this of any but the rejecters oX
Christ that deserved it. 2. He speaketh not at all as willing their sin,
but only as one that penally denyeth them further grace. 3 . But the thing
that he is said to Ordain them to, is not fin, but Rtrine the consequent of
their sin : The word [Jlumbling and falling'] signifying their destni-
clion.
The next Text is, aThes.2. God {hall fend them strong deluft-
ens for the offing of deceit*) thai they should believe a. lye. AnJrv.Hcre
is nothing signified, but i. That God fliall permit Magicians and false
Teachers to vent deceits, 2. And permit wicked men to believe them :
which is mentioned as a permitted consequent, and not as an end . intend
ed by God : And the word sending is used because the permission was
Penal for their sin. And his punistring-providence might morally cause
the deceivers rather to go towards these men than towards othefs.
600. The next is Rom. 1. 24,26, 28. God gave them up to unclean-
ttef, to vile affetfions, to a reprobate mind, &c.
Resp. Here is nothing at all said but a Penal desertion and permission,
and no Will or Cause of sin in God.
601. The next is Act. 4. 28. To dt whatsoever thy hand and thy
counsel determined before to be done.
Answ. Here is nothing said of fin at all, but of the cffet~l of it : All
that was done on Christ, even all the effect in passo God fore-determined
should be done : But the Act volentis & agentis he neither willed nor
caused as on this forbidden object. And though elsewhere the Doctor
deride this answer ( that God decreed Christ should dye, or be sacrificed,
and yet decreed not that the Jews or any one else mould do it, J It is a
great and necessary truth : He that willed the effect, and did much him
self to cause it, willed not the murderers sinful act : And permitting andfore-
feeing it was enough.
607. The next is isa. 10. 6. andkAmos 16. 17. prov. 22. 14. 2 Sam.
12. 11. 1 King. 11. 31. dr 12. 24. God fends the Assyrian as his rod.
Thy Wife shall commit Adultery, and thy Children fall by the sword. 3
They that are hated of God mall fall therein ~} David was foretold
his Wives mould be vitiated : The ten Tribes fell from Rehoboam: Ic was
of God thaj he took not good counsel : Pharaohs heart was hardened by God
Anfve.
 — — - —*■ - - - -« ~ "*
Answr The first is only ZPropbefte, and a penal effect of sin, and no
thing of Gods Willing or Causing sin. And so is the second : Though
Ciod can send afflicters by the wayes before mentioned, without willing
their sin. The third speakcthonly of a penal permission os sin. And
the rest all speak only of Gods penal permission of the sin, and his de- ;
creeing and foretelling the effects of it, . and his occasioning the sinner
to take one sinful object ( not as such, but ) rather than another.
603. As the Wind hath its natural course, and so hath the Water, and.
the Miller Causeth neither of them, but supposing them, doth so set his
Mill to Wind and Water that by the meer receptive qualification of the
patient, they shall fulfil his will, and he is the Cause of the effect, viz. »Even Vir,ini^)0A
that they turn his Mill and grind his Corn: so is it easierset God to use ^.d.^.ti. 'pag."n\z.
mens fins ( permitted ) to his ends without willing them saith *at of mens [ «m
604. Next the Doctor cometh with Reasons : And the first is, be- u9^!,TS&ti
cause -f Permission is a sign of willtngnejt zswtM as command: And what ruwmt probibens , dam
is permitted (andthat for good ^ XJ^fS £%
Ansrv. All this is before confuted. * It s false that nonimpedire effi- butaContiwersie about
caciter is a sign that one wills the thing. The King that only forbiddeth .^^"^^hG/-
drunkenness Qr murder by a Law with penalties, could also' lock up or foiffand many others
guard some men, and effectually keep them from the sin. And doth he <jo with as good reason
mil it because he doth not so i And it's false that dl cometh to fas, that rjK& »T JttS
is not hindered. <. x M-
605. His second argument is spoken, very plainly and grofly, viz. \JXf£Si&
[Both fides confess that the substrate act is done, Cod not only willing it, ward. & alias qui tenent
but effetfinz "1 v. g. AbsalomV congreR with his Fathers Concubines : quad Dem vult mala cuip^
~ J i t 0 r j ■ 1 rt A—' It * *.L /• & quodrefyttu cutMibet
Tea not only the congreji as an exercised tmperate act, but that the Volt- rtthtbtt Vtllt vei nolle,
thn os congress, the internal elicite aft, was efficiently and Principally of rite habit salum nan vtlie ;
Cod : why then should it be denyed that the very evil and deformity of SmAs^'Æ
the act was done, God willing it, though not effecting it, or any wayfail- fed idea feundum bunc ma
in? of his duty ? Especially when the Malice and Deformity doth necefsa- dum dicituT {•"■*»■»»
■?■>»# i /• 1 r> rt • ' n <-* /» 1 1 1 JJ r I*1* **" approbat ea,nec
ruy follow the substrate act, in respect of the Creature though not of imfedit ta peri cumpojset
Codj\ fed fecundam Magi-
An(w. H-obbes could desire little more." But we vehemently deny that %"Zt^7fifi, m
the substrate act is of God as it is morally specified, that is, as it is ex- « non fieri-, quiafi
seised on this forbidden objeci rather than another lawful one ex parse
tligentis : God did not as a principal efficient cause Absalom to will that qutns nan habet atlum vo-
Congress with his Fathers Concubines, nor to Act it. The nature of the . JJJJjffi ffiJOjl
Wind and Water, and God as the Cause of Nature, cause the wind and Saith Banaventure, (that
water to act, and to act as they do, on their own part : But that they pi™ and honest Sch<fi-
turn this wheel and milstone, and run in this Channel rather than ano- JJi£i£ qfjl'sn"eji
ther, is long of the Miller. Absalom's Motus qua motus, and qua cupido fignm quad viw vtUt
crdinata, was natural from God : but not as acted hie dr nunc towards %lit\1tTuTd%adexto
this object : And the Reception of the Act by that Object supposing his eiicitur.
lust and action, might be morally and penally from God. ^pemitt'it %J»k
606. If you here bring forth the common Medusa's head, and tell )lpi"n7c"r'LTet, mem>
me, that It is injurious to God that his act be determinable by a Creature, fuiit,fedinduiget : & ta.
and so dependent., I confidently, answer you for God, 1. No man is in- KSÆeY? %7dl
jurious to himself : And God did not wrong himself, when by making qutmactum signifies in fie
a Creature with free self-determining Power, he resolved so far (parti- 'JJ^JJjJj^^1^
pt 2. Permittit fieri
quij. nee habet Velle, nte habet nolle, fed [alum nan Velle ut fiat : Et talk Permilsio nan eft fignm Divin* Volmtatis ; quia nutlum tSum
Voltndi significat in fic permittente: &• ifto modo secundum Mag. Dem permittit malaculpt. * If hercally hold with Brad-
•ward. li. 1. c-3,%. that God willeth all that he permkteth, why is it denyed that he willeth the formats peccati as much as the
materitle, seeing he permitteth it But his citation of Bradwardine I think not my selfobliged to regard ; nor do I consent
any more to that doctrine in Bradwardine than in him. See Altittco before of Bradward.
O ally)
 ^8 Of the Stature, Knowledge, Will

ally) to suspend his own operation, so as not to necessitate the will : no

more than he wrongeth himself by a Greater suspension, in making ntf
more Worlds or Creatures.
i. You quite mistake : We do not at all alter or limit Gods Acts or.
influx, nor determine it, but terminate it, and determine of that effeCf
•which requireth doth Causes, God and Man, and cannot be ( ordinarily )
by one alone, because God hath otherwise appointed. And again I be
seech the adversaries to note, How great and innumcra'ble changes are
made in the world, by the various Disposition of Recipients ? The Rose
and Vine and Weed and Dunghill, do not at all Change the Action of the
Sun : but their various Reception and co-operation is the Cause, that its
Act hatK such various effects. And it is the Millers work in making a
various and special Receptivity in his Channel, Wheels, &c. which cauteth
the variety of effects. And God hath enabled men Variously and freely to
Receive his Influx. - '
607. His third Argument is, God givetb not that effectual Grace] without
which he fore-knmeth sin will not he avoided i ergo he is willing that it
be done. ' ", . / v ;
Answ. I deny the Consequent t It only followeth that he doth not Ab-;
solutely and effectually Nill it. If the Kine have several subjects inclined'
to eat a luscious poyson 5 And his Children Tie effectually keepeth from it 5
one he locketh up, another he committeth to a Keeper, another he keep- '
cth the poison from : But to a Traytor he faith, s_I once forgave thee, and
saved thy life, and I now command thee that thou avoid this poison, and if
thou do not, it Will torment and kill thee 5 but if thou wilt take no warn-'
ing, take what thou gettest by it.3 Can you prove that it is his Will that
this man eat the poyson prohibited t
608. Next he citeth thrcd-bare sayings, and blameth Aqui
nas and Arminius for denying his Authority, and commendeth the greater
reverence of Bellarmine : And so Anselm, Hugo, tec.
Ansrv. 1 . We stick not on one mans Authority ; God holdeth not his
. Holiness and the Church its Religion on Augustines authority. 2. Au
gustine hath ten times more plain enough for what I hold : See the places
cited in Paul. Eiren. Triad, Patrum. 3 . He knew it's like that Estius and
many more expound Augustines words as terminating Gods Position on his
own permission, and not on the sin, or fieri. 4. I think plainly that
Augustine there spake not of inward Volitions, but outward Acts, and that
not as Agenttsbut in paffo or the effects. And so it is true, that no mur
der, theft, treason, or other effect is produced in the world, but what God
*S*Twifs. m». Ami* positively decreeth shall be produced, either by doing some effects himself
po jmo Pa*' 9\- Mj; (as drowning the world,) or permitting sinners to do them, while he
^\if)cmm Urttiomm caufeth not their act but the Receptivity of the Passum, and so the ef-
univer[i facm per aceidexs, sect, frc.
it^TJZmZ 6°9> **• m- Retorting onAquin. he thus argueth Because Cod doth
AKibiltejseptrst adbomm will his own Goodnest, therefore it is necessary that God will that sin be
'aTLSSvtJStS- Permitting it. For it is not to will his essential Goodnest, which
n* mijejiatis radios needeth no acquisition, but he willeth to manifest his Goodnest. But the
And if so, it must ptr ft evu 0f rm „ not 0pp0Gte t0 the manifesting of Gods GoodneR : Tea no-
be Loved of God as . . :J „ ''t it •„ ^ £? m r i tr ai
Good. Yet com. corvin. thing ts more * conductble to it than this ; J fay to the manifesting of
he faiths d^No ***** Gods Goodnest by way of mercy in sparing or by way of Justice in f>u-
medium of the executi- IHr***^' t
on of Reprobation, but Answ. Horresco recitans, I. Gods Volition of his Essential Goodness
smyR^c>nPdie™ncmtha[ is his Necessary Volition. 2. God hath no End to acquire, but alwayes
caii. hath his end, and is never without it. 3. If God had necessarily willed
' the
 and Decrees rfCjod, <5cc. 99

die particular way of manifesting his Goodness, then he doth all things
necessarily, and could do no otherwise, and ic seems by you could not
manifest it without fin. 4. Doch he not manifest his Goodnefi as mudi
to the Innumerable Glorious Angels, who -never sinned < And would ic
not have been as much manifested to us if w e had been as they i 5 . The
very ^determination of the will, andks mediate Liberty, is not the high
est excellency of his Creatures : It is better than the sensitive Necessity o£
Bruits, and lower than the confirmed Necessity of the blessed : It is our
defectibility. And the excellentest or Best of his works most honour Gods
Goodness. 6. Is it not the strongest temptation that men have in this
world to doubt of or dislionour the Goodness of God, to think how he
permitteththe world to be drowned in wickedness, and be so like to hell S
7. Doth not Christ turn the Prayers of all Christians against your do
ctrine, viz,, that Gods name maybe hallowed, his Kingdom come, and
his will done on earth as it is in Heaven C which is not by any sin i)
fc. Do not your words tempt men to be indifferent to sin, if not to love
it, if nothing be more conducible to honour Gods Goodness < 9. Is not
that conclusion a great wrong to Christ, Scripture, Ministry and Holiness,
as being no more conducible to manifest Gods Goodness than sin is i 10. Ic « *
is not true that sin is aoy Cause, or true Means at all of glorifying God
or doing any good. It is but a presupposed Evil, by delivering us from
which God is glorified. As your eating poyfon may occasion the ho- '
nour of an Antidote and Physicion : Ic is no Cause or proper medium of
it, but only an occasion, and mischief fine quo non ; But if God had not
saved us from sin committed, he could have glorified himself in saving
us^rom committing it : God loveth and is glorified most in that which
is most like him as his Image, which is, the Holiest sinless soul. To be
a medium to Gods glory is to be good : To be as conducible to it as any
thing, is to be as good as any thing save God and his glory. But fm
hath no Good, much less such good. Why else doth not God equally de
light in sin, and in the death os the wicked, as in holiness, repentance and
our life t seeing all things are for himself, and that which glorifieth him
most, is best. ii. Here also confusion causeth mischief : one distinction
might have scattered this mist, viz. Between (in indeed and fin in notion.
Sin indeed, or essence and existence never did good nor honoured God. So^ hcmhU -ttmL
Sin in notion or in effe objefiivo is no fiu, but the Matter of Vertue and Thai. 1. 3. ui. tells ut
Holiness, and doth much good. When you fay God knoweth fin from eter- Jjj^, f™ * Y.°ufbmt
nity, you'l fay with Scotus, that in ejse cognito fin was in God from ordinatur, ut fur instil*
Eternity : But so Cm is not Cm. David faith, My fin is ever before me. bul0- *■ Pr°Pn f-fp'f
Tsal. 5 1 . And we daily Repent of it, and censes it : But this is but to 3. vroptir mtii considira-
have the Idea or conception of it in the" mind, and so it is not ftn indeed limm '■ And many po-
but the notion of it, which is in effe objective. Else it would defile us ff^5 S'Jbusfve
to think of it, and repent of it > whereas thus sin objectively is the mat- language tending to de
ter of the grace and duty of Repentance, Hatred, fear, watchfulness, pray- blcauseA pun\^1ne8^l,,
er, confession, &c. And so sin in ejje objetfivo as a grace may glorifie and repenting of it, and
Cod. ' - . hating it do good : As if
610. loAqnin. that tilth Malumnon est appetibile he faith, that Ma- ^happilyIfdie world
lum morts quod opponitur bono, e(l proprium uniufcujufque ; meurn malum troubled by abused
bono meo ■ Though the fin of a man willing that which is forbid- worcl5,
den him be his fin3 ■ yet it follorveth not that God may not wilt this
Evil of another : The Reason is, because it ts not forbidden to God to will
it : wherefore though it be evil and dishonest in man to will it to whom it
is forbidden, yet not to God And feeing that Moral Evil or fin
is fumme condtteibile, chiefly or most conducible to make way to represent
O 2 Gods
 100 Ofthe frtature9Knou>ledge; Will

Gods Goodness, this abundantly sufficeth to prove it desirable to God :

we say that thts evil which we affirm to be willed ofGod, is not at all evil
as it u objected to the will of God, but as to the will of the creature, being
forbidden the creature, but not forbidden God.
Anfw. Shall we preach thus to the people < Will this Doctrine con
vert souls to repentance or faith in Christ t t. The question is not, Whe
ther to will fin be (in in God? But Whether he will and cause the fin of
man ? which you sadly assert. ,
2. Gods Glory is our End, and to forbear things prohibited is but the
means: If sin conduce as much as Christ and Holiness to Gods Glory, why
may we not desire if. sub ratione medii) though not as pratesturn ? We
must desire that which is most conducible to Gods Glory.
3.. Though God be under no Law, his Perfection of Nature and will is
the fountain of all Laws, and instead of a Law to him. Aad we must be
Holy because our God is Holy.
4. It is still false that sin is any Medium to Gods GlOry, or desirable, or
hath any good.
of which vid. Gibiirfai J. God is Good and delighteth to do good. And he is the Just Ruler
l«ige. % of the World r And I would not have Kings take such Justice for a pattern.
as you describe, as if God vehemently forbad sin , and sent his Son, and
Spirit, and Ministers as an Army against it into the World, andwilldamn
August, de Nat. ^Gran men for it for everj and vet rvilletb' and causeth it, as sttmme conducibile
%2%clmuVq'itod"sibiiste to hisEnds, and faith Qlt is not evil to me, though it be to you. I'letor-
QvtUgius) oppofuit, ut ment you for doing it, though it was by my Will and predetermination. J
& And what Justice sliould Kings rather imitate than Gods *
cam: utimm run fuifset 6. Sin is not malum Deo so as to Hurt hint, or make him Guilty: £11:
mijhia, m ijh ejjtt mi- jc -lS so as t0 be a. violation of his Laws, and a contempt and dishonour to
tirir.ordta necflfaria. ,. .».»/■_ J_ • , rr a- ' ^ #j>
Id. ibid. cap. 31. Et his Wisdom, Goodness, Greatness, Authority, Justice, Mercy, Truth, &c.
aitiusvti confilium fttt- if a\\ the World joyned in hating and blaspheming God that made them,
tIl0u&h y°u say> thac isnot m-dtiTn Df^h]it mdum noflrh aad thcresor.s
refle>, fafiis animo infidi- God may will it utfiat as a desirable thing, we cannot be content with
atur bmano,
I. non atoDe- q c^ confusion. Malum is either Phyficum vet morale » and either in ali~
xmy pro quafanan- . r^C „Lr..., :„
d/liii pi*" an'im!t cum quo or contra aliquem. God isnot capable 1. Of Physical Evil in him-
lurymis & magnis gt- {c\c an(j therefore we cannot hurt him ; 2 . Nor of Moral Evil, and there-
mittbus pippl/cant, ut ad r ', . r ,. . * _ , . li #• «• i f
tam fmrlndam & quo- fore he can have no sin or malignity. 3. But he is capable 0bjectively of
dammodo aicandam & injury; we can wrong him when we cannot hurt him. 4. And weareca-
tZttmporrfgTm '* Pable °f being Hesitative vel moraliter Hurters and destroyers of God,
Even v4que\ the ]esii- whom cannot hurt : Because the sinner doth it quantum in fe ; and
be men grace^^ndof tneref°reis called an Enemy to God. It is no thanks to the wicked thac
non-entities that God thereisaGod, whowould have pone ( as to his Holiness and Justice ) if
w/lk£?/em?Jhs«S«« ic were in his p°wer*
se\VJ(I'us mdumquld- Moreover, God is Good and doth good. And though he made Man
dam ipsuu m f/z, non freely, yet supposing that he will make him Man (a Rational free agenc
t'Z^L^foist /mc in his Image to Know and Love himj; it necessarily followeth that he must
turn in to tst omnis ratio make him Holy. God cannot make a man in the Image of the Devil, and
aut'usnT piufreomfi ca^ ic his own : As Parents generate Children in their own likeness, so
ration's- ad'reiiqLm uni- God doth regenerate Iiis own in his Image : He that thought it a good a r-
I'tttd' V'!ttiamJt^dJ^ 8ument' L^taf Communion hath light with darkness, Christ with Belial,
"rath !oZ%pamwbqlj &c- 1 would sure have taken our part in this, that God cannot be the
non tantm poteji piame Author or Cause of the Image of the Devil, and of the works of darkness.
^tS%ZfZnuntt 611 ' Therefore where he addeth,that God wiHeth Malumesse that fin
u, qua disarm rim iliam be, as the Matter of exercising his mercy and justice, not as his fin, but
ntm factrt: similiter cum tMtum VHlt farf ma/,fm alterius, I deny it with horror as a reproach of
Vein alicui mgat grat/am _ , ■ , .. ■ T . * . J c , . .. . r ,. ,
fuam am ghriam non pit- Gods hoJiaels. The termtnus a quo is not the Materta misericords* vet
 hndDecreesofCscd, &c: . * toi

justitu excrcendœ, God willeth the glory of his Mercy and Justice, in at ut mit quiddam ipsuli
pardoning and punishing foreseen presupposed sin : But he willeth not the *h $Sfd fcf m d'lW*
J- i ^ i r j i- • r i -/i c ■ • r c t nt perlo»a, sic me maHm
im, but only our deliverance from it, or punishment for it. Suppose ty^Mua hum eft placet':
impojfibile) that the King had power to restrain all men from offending fid t1*1* /«*•«//» r^taA,
him, and yet faith, [I will do only what is Congruous to the Rational free Z fZn"(c!uct
nature of my subjects as such, and not all that I can do , and therefore hftn&itir in h potinta
will restrain them only by Laws, except some few beloved ones ; but I ^.f^^i"^ 'nf*
will honour, my Mercy and Justice on offenders. ] Can you heiice prove, win teach men c6 fay so
that he willeth, decreeth or loveth ut appetibilia all the. Treasons, Rebel- ^i^0*
lions, Murders and Blasphemies that are committed < It is not these that verf;e ;S nor 0fa„y ,}™s*
he willeth ut Materiam , but deliverance from these as from the malttm real in God, (as if he
h quo. If your, prodigal Son be addicted to Robbing, and you could lock ^SSf^^M
him up, but you resolve that you will try him once more, and if he rob cai denomination of
you will let him suffer imprisonment and come to the Gallows, and then Gods Essence, a. He can
£». t»i- trie- l r i i • tt ■r 8lve no rcaso" W,1Y t,le
beg his Pardon, that suffering may hereafter be his warning •, Here it you mdm pœn* of a crei-
choose rightly it is not his Robbing that you will, no not ut fit vel fiat ™™k™^ch may not be
( for you had rather he would forbear: ) But only his forsaking it, artd avS' n0n°rttity ' though
fus suffering to that end, on supposition that he rob again. not finally for it self.
• .f1?' ,Pag- X°5, He feUh that the fame reason as God might not ^XXS, Z
will the being offin, by his permi/iion, he might not permit it. J it is enough that it hath
Anfw. A raw unproved aslertion : God might not make an Indifferent js ™{jcm^ ^jjX
free-will, left to its own liberty, with a thousand warnings and helps conception .of nwndisit
against sin, unless he may also Desire them to sin. Prove this, else you fay tal<eth Nothing to be
° ».„. 3 J ' J J aiu|teay Good. A mgi-
notnUTSg. , . . , . • MtFfubjicli admgatio-
613. He addeth that sin be or exist is not only Bommper accidens, be- «» modi niltt arghmn-
causeGod will make it the matter of glorifying his mercy md. justice ; but tn^medes ^ the
it is exnatura Juaquoddam ordinabile adGloriam Dei, & confequenter Bo- Universe, it is impro-
niim est ex natura. fit* in genere conditcibilis—. . Power^wisaom" G°dS
Anfw. All unproved and false. i.Sin is not so much as Bonumper ac- cy^giorifad™ by^ny
cidens. 2. God doth not make it the Matter of glorifying himself, but **bi*g or m-t*titj :
only glonsyeth his Mercy and Justice against it as the terminus a quo, S^^^ofifeA'lS
and not by it as the matter^ though it may be called an Occasion fine qua non, a contradiction to sey
as to this particular act and way of his said glorification. 3. Much less is ^7»ff"fflf^owtsthac
it conducible hereto , which implyeth a Medium that hath fame natural tfaix*^** nibil tpcitf
or moral causality. 4. And least of all is it ex sua natura condncibile. —; God^doth effi-
It is not fin, but 1 . Some effects Or consequents of mi, 2. Our deliverance locUmd agents tcT^t
from sin, and the punisiring of sin, which are conducible to Gods glory. according to their incii*
614. Next he insuketh over Aquinas twice, as unhappy and vain in his rnfy"^'"Positive
censures, with a Magna est Veritas& prxvalebit : labarare potest, vinci act.
non potest: And argueth that because ex permifsione infallibiliter fequi- Jj^j^'^f^f fSft
tur peccatum, therefore to permit fin is thefame as to will that fin shall Permitting sin , Mosttn-
he ipso permittente. . 1 •'. im divitias gratia su*
Anfw. 1. It's pity tbat> should have so good an Advocate, and Gods fJ%fp\%^aJdl
Holiness so good an Adversary, through mistake. And that so unhappy a ngm cnngrmti vocatio-
Cause should be managed so confidently and triumphantly , though it's %Z%\$^ZZ
well that it's done so weakly. 2. The falihood of his. aslertion about »«, qnib,<sfiur*nt a gio-
Eermission as general T have opened before. 1. Three sorts of things may Jjj*
e said to be Not hindered ( which is all that Permission signifieth. ) tat, 1 mt 1. Nhfls tSt
X. Things bent to a certain motion, 1. By Natural inclination (as a Stone comparing himself with
in the Air to descend ) 2. Or by Moral ritiofity, as the Will of a wicked Xffi And'tte
man. 2. Things meerly indifferent $ ( 1. Naturally , as some think the proposition [ that the
Air is to motion: 2. Morally: as suppose a Will such, to Good or Evil. )
3. Things averse to that Motion ( as 1. Naturally a Stone to ascend, But nothing deciareth
2.Morally, as the will of anA^gel or Saint to hate God, or the willof $g$^J^X.
a wicked
 l0 2 Os the 3S(ature, Knowledge, Will

Wdiverfly denominated a wicked man to Love him.) Also you must distinguish between Mot-hin-
Jom effects and objects, j ■ ^ j fofideriltg ejfetfuafly.
how can nothing denorni- A° i r -\ i t-l - ccn.fi l Mt # ■/• • /'
nate it but as non-efici- And so its dear, I. That in the first caie , the Motion will £<r // it he
m or "ff/"^'^e?0^j" not hindered. But that it is not caused by not-hindering it3 but by its
rate aNoinion txiftai proper moving causes. In the second case the consequence of futurity
tix, if an Act of Gods is false: And where the inclinations tO£<Wand evil ( that is, to superi-
to'e^toc? but 'not our and inseriour prohibited good) are equal; yea, though antecedently
where non-tffictrt is e- somewhat unequal : Yet bare permission afcertaineth not futurity.
v?ugh: u
Antonm better r-u , 1. 3.
siith,/. -> Much . less inc the third
, ,. cafe;
, » ,where
. , , the ,.foul must have positive
r help or
§. 1 7. i'r« Sro» «w to7i provocation. Sure he did not think that all or any ungodly men would in-
Mtt&e. ut, quantum ad faUibly Love God, if God did but Permit them.
dgS^SfSSS JSxxtGoisPermttmg or not hindering fin may respect divers acts. *,!£
ab ipfis pofiaas , mhii God continue not his natural support, man will be no man, but be annihi-
22 *SZ &$Z latcd> and so wil1 neither do g°od nor cvil* 2- If God uPhold mans **i
conftftim vivam , nisi ipse tare, in its Integrity as it was in Adam, and give him not Moral means
tadtminailp* fim, qui and helps oS.Grace^ and his natural concurse, Adams sin would have neces-
tlntm no7Tara7Sfr*ee- ferily followed. 3. IfGodgive Adam both such support and means to)
stilus , nmiquam obfer- stand, and do no more, Gods permission would not have inferred the cer-
I marvel the Doctor in- o{ Adams fin, when he fell, any more than before : For God
lisleth not on his own withdrew no grace from him which was necessary to his standing. 4. If
t^ewnai'*andFtf*ere^ God give a lapsed sinful man Nature and common grace, it followeth noc
fore hath 'an eternal necessarily because God dotrruo more, that he will commit every sin that
And VWthathwiiiedL!rbi ^e *S not furtner hindered from : but it's certain that he will not do the
futurity0 of^n'/wlifc works to which special grace is necessary. 5. If God give to the faithful
the fin, that is, that fin the Holy Spirit, and continue his influx necessary to the continuation of
iwrthSi fteSt Power and Habits of holy actions, with necessary means, and do no
. if the antecedent were' more, this man will do some good and some evil, and though he may be
""ve dasthe fat ™t8of C(lua^y ^aid t0 be Permitted to do this sin as another, yet he may do one
Sic Vveryatforro of fi« h and uot another. 6. God totally permitteth no man to sin, but hindereth
God : For nothing is them many wayts , though he hinder not all alike. 7. It's possible for
IHrwity rflhtfiSi two men to Iiave equal helps to duty and equal hinderances to sin Cor the
of sin ( according to fame man at several times,) and yet for one to do the duty and forbear the
these men ; is eternal r and the other to commit the sin and omit the duty ; As many School-
s or ab tttrno j : Ergo it 1 , n , . r _ .iy,1 ... * , „
is God. Butfaidi excel- men have copiously proved. Yet in this case Permission would be the same
cord fsbB/tfcumddecret t0'X)t;^*
j?n. 55, 5<5CUnpr*/m/» But if y°u the word [_Permiflion~\ as connoting the Events then in-
mUo mode proban poffum deed you may fay that the event (from another cause ) will follow. And
tnioSTa]ntv£mm Gods ^-impedition will tk eventu aclionts be extrinsecally denomi-
vti & e'pis Foiuntatm e/ft nated Permission in the one case and not in the other. But this is but
Uu^ton^cu^mef^- fr°m y°Ur arbitrary Uk °f the WOrd'
untLTelg!7nobedemtu ^ 1 5 • Next the Doctor assaulteth Durandus who thus argueth, Gods wiS
Adamite. inquit dt- followeth only his approving Knowledge. But he knoweth not finapprov-
^ZabtWMfrtTtM* fw0 '> being ofpurer eyes, Sec. Heanfwereth, " i. God approveth that
causa dari potest qme ab " fin be> though he approve not fin. 2. God wi/leth the manifestation of
ffl^feS % *»djustice: Ergo, he wiUeth the existence offin as that which
liquid naie an ipfa di- tc is necessarily required to it.
£mLtatqu°tTsZ To which 1 reP7> J» The first answer is unproved and false. God ap-
"ipfTfutma? At he stiff- proveth not that sin be. Is he did, sew wicked men do more, as Est'mt

quidamrJon^&fxult ot^er cnds wnich scem good- 2- He phraseth it with his [ ad quod
jeca dmmhitio reifutur* necejsario, &c. ~] as ifGod first willed this manifestation of his Justice, &c.
i«i%SX ^ c"e md> and then f** existence as the means ( yea, the necessary
fuitpr*i(ri»Hm: Ac pro. means) : But this is false, as I have fully shewed, i. And his own opini-
indt ****** ^ on mould confute it, that maketh one Decree only de mediis : And this
particular
 and Decrees of (jod, &c< . • xozi

particular Manifestation being some Acts of God, and not God himself , ater"» ["'J' dieitar vd
nor the Complacency of hisMrtff, must needs be part of the media adfinem Jjgff S££?iS*S
ultimum. 2. And indeed sins existence is not a neceffary means willed for ..cm/"* «r r« inumpm
Gods glory: but it is a presupposed mischief, our Deliverance from which 'i^' UmJlmt Caft
°. n ' c • ■ n j r i- i - ¥ • j , rf- i est cur res ab aterno txtt~
or punishment tor it, is willed for bis glory : U is- indeed neceffary s DU&^W/t. s/«t
only necessitate existentU in effe pr/ecognito as a foreseen evil, and sopre* ■ # r" 4/'-
, supposed to those acts of God which are the Means of his glory.. ~ ^J^lSJrZ
Therefore his assertion of a Notitia approbations rei tanquam Bom in riu - - Ad tftkim fan-
rtenere ConducibilUy etsi non honesty is detestable. . > .■' ™»c4f««,
616. Ibid.p. 196. He again iaith, that Though it be dishonest in the kficit causa wftmta-
creature to (in, becauseforbidden, it is not dishonest in God to will- that he This is plain and easic
dt it by his permission , it being unice condudbile to his glory ru
Anfw. 1. Fie upon this conducibiie and unice too. 2. Fie upon this off
repeated [permittente non efficiente -s] It is utterly lusory or'- immodest t-
Por a man that maintaineth that no sinner doth any thing in finning, but
what God as the first total cause predetermined hiswill to, even as to all
the entity in act and circumstances imaginable ; and that in aft omissions,
it was a natural Impossibility to have done one omitted act without this
pfedecemtining promotion : And for the man that \n the next foith that
Malum non est Objefium Volenth ^ut facientk , but iffa effeBio rei, 1
fay for this man yet to say? that the creature ejfe Bethfini, and God effeBtth
it not, is too too gross. The common evasion is, that sin is not any
thing, and therefore not effeBible : But why then do they fay, that the
creature effecteth it i when they have said and defended, that the crea- .j*
jure doth nothing but what God doth, and what he unavoidably maketh
him do. ;v..,'. . .* .
617. Durandus argueth , that sin cannot be judged convenient by a.
right understanding : Ergo, not by God. The £>octor answereth. Thai
cues oven fin cannot be judged convenient , but anothers may. He in
stanced* I. when a man rvilleth that an Usurer lend him money on usury:
3. when a Christian Prime rvilleth a Turk to [wear to a League by Ma
homet : 3. when God willed that Absalom should defile his Fathers Concu
bines. And he addeth, that for us to fin, is contrary to our right rea-
son, because it is forbidden and hurtful to us : But for God to will that •
we fin, is not contrary to his right reason , as not forbidden or hurtful
to htm. . .* ■
Rest. 1 . No man fliould will unlawful usury : He that willeth to Bor
row, though he cannot have it without usury, doth not will the usury ,'
but the money non-obstante usura. As he that chooscth to travell with
a Blasphemer, rather than to go alone in danger > he doth not will hi$
Blasphemy, but his company, non ohstante blasphemia. 2. The fame is to
be laid of swearing by Mahomet : It is only the Oath as an Oath that is
to be willed, and not as by Mahomet ; that is not willed but unwillingly %
endured. 3. Absaloms instance is answered before : God willed only
Davids punishment, and the Passive Constupration as an effect of sin,
on a foresight of Absaloms active Volition and fin , and not as willing
this at alt . .
And we have hitherto thought that Gods holy Wisdom and will is the
Cause of his holy Law, and much more against nnthan mans is : And that
God willeth not, and causeth not the sin of man: And is it now come to
this,that sin is contrary indeed to our right reason, but not to Gods, because
he is no subject i You may next say, that Holiness is meet for man, but not
for God.
 Osthe 3^ature,Kfl(M>iedgey Will

6 1 8. Pag. 197. Again he i$ at it, Bonum ejse ut fat mala : Quiabo-

num est utDeus finem fibi prafixum asfequatur : At hoc fine interventu
mali & peccati nutlo modo potest. . ...
Repl. 1. It is not per peccatum ut medium , though not fme peccatol
2. Intervenes therefore implyeth a falfliood. For in ejse cognito lin is
Antecedent or presupposed to the way of glorifying Justice and Mercy up
on sinners; sinners are the object: And consequently you must take it (as
before proved) for antecedent to the Volition or simultaneous. .
619. He urgethj Oportet hxreses esse , ut qui probati funt manifesto
font.
i Answ. That neither mearteth that men ought to be Hereticks, nor yet;
that God loveth, willeth or approveth that there be heresies : But only,
1. God decreeth to manifest the difference between the found Christians
and the rest : 3. And he forefeeth that there will be heresies. . 3. There
fore he decreeth to try them by the occasion of those heresies which he
forefeeth (and hateth. ; 'The fame is the cafe of all tryal, by persecuti
ons: And God willeth not the sin of active persecution, but only the ef
fect or passive part. So that the oportet ( by your own confession of it )
signifieth no more than a Logical necefsttas consequents , which fore
knowledge withont Volition will inferr. ,•„,.'•. ...
1 610. Headdeth [Oh\. It sujsiccth that God permit sin, .(and not will
it ) Resp. But either the existence of sin infallibly followeth the Per?
mistion of it, or not: if not, Gods Intention may be frustrate ifyea;
what matter is it, whether God will that sin shall be, he permitting, or so
permit it as that infallibly it will be I so we obtain either of these}
it's all one to pur cause of predestination."] . ..
Kepi. 1. If it be all one, take up with that agreement, and make no
further difference with them that grant you enough. 2. In case of vehe
ment Inclination to a sin, it would follow upon Gods total permission :
( but God never totally permitteth sin. ) But in other cafes, it will not;
follow : that is, It is not a good consequence , that This or that fin will
be done, because God doth no more to hinder it, than that which some
time hindereth it not. And yet, Gods I mention is not frustrate: For sin
will infallibly come to pass , from its proper cause , which God fore-
knoweth : And the consequence is good from, his fore-knowledge. And"
is not that all one, as to the certainty of Gods intentions i 3. You phrase
it as if fin followed Gods permistion , as a deficient cause, or as thac
which cannot be otherwise, unless God do more to hinder it, and so' were
necessary thence necessitate consequents ( or as others call it necessitate an
tecedents ) which is false, and oft denyed by your self. 4. The very
truth is, Permission is a word of so great ambiguity and laxity , as re
lating to so many sorts of Impedition, that it is but delusory withouc
much distinguishing, to say fin will or will not follow it. If you restrain
it to a non efficaciter impedire, as is usual, it taketh not away the ambi
guity much. For still the question is, What must make it effectual, unless
you call any impedition effectual meerly ab eventu, whatsoever it be in
it self.
621. He faith that the Universe would not be persett, if there were
perfect holiness and no fin , and so po pardon or punishment. But he
giveth us no proof, but confident assertion, at all. I need not say, thac
// would be morepersett if there were no fin h It sufficeth me to say, thac
// would be as perfect : And so that it is not Necessary to the Worlds
perfection, that there be sin or Hell. God could have freely willed the
contrary. And Gods Goodness could have been as fully manifested if it
had
had so pleased him, and his Holiness too, withouc sin or Hell. It's un-
pleasingtc me, that this good, man pleadeth so hard against a necessity
of Christs satisfatlion for fin-, (in another digression) and yet pleadeth
as hard for a necessity of fin-, As if it were more necessary to Gods Glo
ry than Christ: - . - "V';. 'I. . ' ...

an all, no efficiency is necessary, but deficitnee only. ] How far this is ■, .-o-.j
trOe or false, I have opened before. I here only note, that he confesseth '» • ' ' ■
that he that causeth the Act of sin, (which he faith God doth more than . .". , ''J'-''-
torn) causeth all that is causable; • .: f : '' "
613. Yet p. 199. he faith, Sin is of man only as the cause, whest hfi' . t'
profeffeth that man doth nothing bat what God doth to cause it ( yea, as , .'. . .
the first total cause ) and that as to Deficiency3 man can do no more than . •
he doth without predetermination, which if God withhold , man can no
more help it, than make a World: So that all the mysterie of his lan
guage is this* that because man is under a.Law} and God u not „ there-',
tore mart doing the fame act as moved by God, must be called the only \ • ,
kause of fin, because it is no fin in Cod, But, if we spake as plain men*
ought to do, should it not rather be thus exprest by you f_ God is the chief
cause of fin in man, but not in himself f\
624. Pag. 200, dr tot. he hath the same over andoVcr again^ that
fjen abhorret a reft* ratione Vet velle peccdtttm fieri ab hominibus ->
Quod ex fe habet quod conducibile est ad bonum tanquam Materia scili
cet', non tantum idonea , fed & necessarid. exercend* divina justitia & ,
miserieordi* : , and that this manifestation conjuntl with fin is Deo multb
appetibiliusj than that Goodwhich fin dtpriveth us of ( that is^ Holiness:)
Because this Holiness is only the Creatures Good, and the other is the Crea
tors Good. Jnfw. But as the assertion is all false, so the reason is vain :
For if he distinguish the Creator and Creature as subjects, he is quite mi
staken : For both ft the Creatures good, and neither the Creators : For to
manifest Justice and Mercyis not Gods Essence asin itself, but his of
rumfoment and Mercy. And the glory of this, isbutthe resplendent ex
cellency of it as it is the appearance or Image of God. And all this is
inv the Creatures Holiness : The Holiness of Christs Humane Nature, and of
Angels and Saiatsiri Heaven is as much the Creators, as is his Works of
Mercy and Justice 5 And Gods glory sluneth as much in them : And it is
the glory of his Goodness , ifnot of Mercy which preventeth sin and
misery: yea, and of Mercy too : For though meprelate to misery, it is
as well to possible misery prevented, as to existent misery removed : Ariel *
if he speak not of Subjells, but Proprietors, the Bonum Creatura is also
<Creatoris.

II 4 SECT.
, >e|V
• io 6 Osthe ffi(ature9Kp(wkelge, WiU

SECT. XIX.
f >
fthe fame docirine in Rutherford de prdvidentia confuted.

• '6 T Have been too iong in confuting this Digression of Dr. Twijse
Thestimrarf their opi- J. which is contrary to the commonest doctrine of Protestants \ and
nion. I think foundeth not well in Christians ears: The fummof which is this:
vS"JaumSDT$rSl CNeither God nor Devil do will sin as it is evil; but God is the first mMt?
fam rmm omnim quss of its existence, because it is in its own nature fumme & unite conducibile
t*L V'tlm RuAerfrfdc *° manifestation of his Justice and mercy : And willing and Loving
prov. c.\ <,. p. 1 26. ' being all one in God, he thus singularly Loveth the existence of sin, above
See all their ReasonsJbr jts contrary (holiness J for this end : And by Predetermining prpmotion
^k?exh^nce\ns*er- (which he much more largely writeth for elsewhere) he caufeth as the
ed%r Kuix, de yd. Dei first total Cause all that man Caufeth $ But it is sin in man because for-
2£ j£ f' 262' a6?' bidden him, but not in God, because riot forbidden him 5 And therefore God
as also against Gods pre- is not to be said to cause sin C though he cause all that is caused ) but to
nStott^rWrwL^ permit it,because he caufeth it not in himself ; nor is he to be called a Defici-
diif. 27. fi'tyoT&t. ent cause of our omissions, because he is not bound to Actuate us but man
dxp. 28, & 29, & 30, is t0 be called the efficient and deficient cause, because he is under an ob-
Mto^ecoramonVaying liging Law, Though God made that La\y : And though he can no more
that God wilieth not fin than a stbne act without physical predetermination, nor forbear acting
sefirbf SS^ft when so actcd'7et he is 10 be called free> because he is actually willing
that neither doth a wick- ( or his will doth act ) and because he is predetermined by none but God-3
ted rran do fo. p««w This is the true fence of their opinion as opened by themselves. I shall
qJad"iUul qncl'efsfr- now briefly consider what Rutherford faith to the fame fence.
male in picatojeu cmn- 626. Cap. 1 5 . tag. 1 86. To Annatus charging Tvpijse as denying Gods
uZAmTejtfn % permission of sin, because he maketh him the * Cause of the ASt\ the Li
me m>n is, inqut Aure- berty and the Prohibition^ and to Cause is not to Permit ; he hath no bet-
olusin2.d.42.a.3.pag. ter anfwer t]un t0 fay, that God doth not permit the Act, nor the Evil of
1 "win not conceal a more the AB, but he permittetk the evil aft: and 2. To fay that the Domi>-
difficult argument than nicans and Jesuits hold the fame as he. Which is to jest with holy things.
o^rfSSSf g3 and not to argue. As if he said, God made neither the soul nor the body-
caused (e.g. in Natha- and yet he made the man. What! is it ( as it's said, that non animated
rfi&fthffbS atA'*"4 efi viu>> 'so Doth God ?ermit the Unitn of A£ittm and Md(tm 5
coming; [the Meffiah is No, that he pretendeth not.
ucome hereafter.] when 6i~, j0 prove thatGod rvilleth the. existence of ftni he bringeth the
Christ was come, this . n ' r ct r /> c *r> l- r t r t J l r .&i
was feise, and so evil: instance of Joseph scase, Gen. 45. To which I fay that the text faith not ac
God still caused the faith all that God willed the will or AU or Sin of Josephs brethren ; but only
ThSforehf«ufedTn the r™***'" ?<ffiv* os effect and the consequents; Nay only the conse-|
umrue belief and evil, quents are mentioned in the Texts : His replyes to the answers prove no
Bm laftS'KSSd more thanthe five things which I before aslerted about fin. Nothing so
the habit of "their faith, much deceiveth them, as not distinguiihing between the sinful act, and the
and the aa. The nature effect or passion, when they are called by the fame name (as Selling,
of the habit was in gene- v.ti. 5. » ' '
ral A beliefof all divine billing, &C.)
revelations: and inspe- 628. His next instance is of Christs death, of which I said enough be-
W r^S^S fore: But 1. He understandeth his adversaries as ascribing only the con-
tion ofthe act on the Mes-
i ,ah as future rather than as Incarnate, required nothing positive in the Habit : The same Habit served to both acts, unless the
latter being for the nobler act had some addition ; but the former needed none. 2. And that this Habit might bring forth the
act in that circumstance, no more was necesiary but 1 . Gods word {Christies venture eji.] 2. And Gods influx on the habited
faculty tocauie it to act according to that habit : So that when God had reversed that word [Chrijiut venturtes efij he was
no longer the cause determining the mind to believe tliat word ; but only the cause that the habit of faith was stilstowards
Christ : Eut not at all sub ratione venture. For the determining word was called in, and it was an imperfection not to know
so much, where it vvai not a sin.
sequent*
 and Decrees of Cjod> &<V toy

sequent* q£ Crucifixion to Gods will ; which is his mistake : It is Gruci-r

fixion it self passive sumpta which they ascribe to it ( some of them ac
least.) And let men too wise against God deride it as much as they will, \
God can w///and Lovexhat Christ be Crucified, and yet hate and not will
thetv/Æ and of the Crucifiers, but only foresee it, as aforesaid. And
let them jeer God as Idle or asleep, if he neither will nor effectually nilL
the sin 5 we will believe it to be his perfection and liberty, which they so
deride. 2. And whereas he addetn that Atfive Verbs are used as Gen.
45. Misit me Betts, Isa. 53. Betts voluit eum conterere, Zech. 13. Ego
percutiam Pastorem : and God delivered Christ to death :. . I answer, Ic
is too too gross to pcrswade us hence that any of these Texts say that
(Cod willeth the sinners will Or J{f. (God sent me~\ speaketh Gods aily
that isj his disposal of the effects and consequents of them : But doth this
signifie, (God willed your malice or your attf ~\ God did bruise Christ ■
which fignifieth that he was a concause of his death : but not that he
miledot Caused the Jews to mil ox att his death. And so of the rest.
619. The rest of his instances are such as I have, answered before, or
as the former answers fully invalidate 5 And therefore I will not weary my,
self and the Reader with them.
630. Cap.i%. p. 230. he asserteth, that (Sin is a Medium to Gods
Glory1 and that not per accident but per fe. Because fin by bow- much the
worse it is i» gencre malt inhonesti, by so much the better and fitter
means it is, in genere boni utilis & conducibilis to Gods glory, ejrc. ~] All
which I have before confuted : and think not his defence ofit worth re-;
peating. •:' '.< ' ■
6$i. Many assertions he hath cap. 18. which all depend on the false
supposition that Sin is a medium per fe of Gods glory, and the, unproved
supposition that God positively willeth the Permission of it ( which is no
thing: J whence he inferreth that God Intendeth it in this and that orders
and much other vanity. And still they confound fin in esse reali which
is no medium, with sin in esse objeclivo which may be a part of holiness,
and no ftn at all.
632. Cap. 1 p. he argueth, God useth men and devils in the very act of
finning as his instruments, viz. to punish, to try, to humble, &c. ergo, he
vpilleth the event that they fin. \ ., ;
Rest. Here is deceitful ambiguity in the words [instruments'] and
\usetb.~] Properly an Instrument is an efficient cause moved by the prin
cipal to an effect above its proper, virtue. And so a.sinner in and by the
Act of sinning is no Instrument of God. for God moveth him not to
that Act as specified or circumstantiated so as is prohibited $ And being,
not at all so movedby him ( us David to murder Urias, and to vitiate his •
Wife ) he is not properly thus his instrument. But fometimes.the word
instrument signisieth a presupposed Agent, whose Action another can
improve to his own ends: As the wind and water are improperly called
the Millers Instruments of turning his Mill ; and the spring and. poise
are the Clock- makers Instruments of moving his Clock or Watch j and
a Mastiff Dog is my Instrument to Jteep away Thieves 5 and a Grey
hound is my Instrument to kill a Hare, and a Ferret to catch a Rabbet,'
and a Hawke to catch a Partridge, &c. And yet we cause not at all the
Nature or Motion of the Wind, or Water (but we can hinder the Water,J>
nor the,nistts of the spring, nor the gravitation of the poise (but set the re
cipients so as that the effect shall be done as we would have it : ) nor cause,
we the fierceness of the Mastiff, the inclination or motion of the greyhound,'
ferret, hawk,^. but only tyethem up and let them loose as our endsrc-;.
p'l '"" " " quire?
io8 Of the 3\(ature7 Knowledge, WiU

quire. But zeal maketh some men deride that God should be said to be no
more the cause of finning ; and they cannot allow him the skill of every
dull Artifices, or at least a will to use it, without willing and causing the
thing which he forbiddeth*
i 1. And the word {using} signifietb, sometime using by motion, as I do
my pen; and sometime by ordination, and adjoyning some concause, or fit
ting the receptivity of the patient to the effect as aforesaid ; as we use,
windy water, dogs, hawks : Thus only sinners by sinning are Gods used
instruments : supposing his natural concurse and support.
And they are not his Instruments thus neither in the fame fence as
these creatures are ours : For their fierceness, craft, inclination, action, is
good, and we do and may will it for our ends : But sin is not good And
therefore God willeth not it at all, but only the consequent of it, or ef
fect: And that Effect" is.not Good, as it is the effect of sin, but as God
setteth ki, and causeth the same effect which a sinner causeth ( as in ge
neration per concubitum illicitum.') But when God willeth and causeth
the Effect, andforefeethand permitteth the sinful Volition and act, which
coricurreth to that' effect, such a sin is improperly called his used instru-
ment or medium, but properlyis none.
633. To Gihieuf, and others saying that God acteth not by sin as an
instrument, and willeth it riot, but the effects ; he answereth that It's ab
surd, because the sin it self fa castigxtory, and hath such like effects 5 and
therefore God need not will that effect as after it. But all this is from the
fore-noted confusion : It is not only the distant effect, but the very im
mediate effect, which is the Act it self ut recipitur in passo, which God
sometime is said to will. As he willed that Jobs Cattle were taken away,
and that Christ were killed, and that Malchus eare be cut off, and that
Paul be scourged, and smitten on the mouth, and that the Apostles were
oft imprisoned,^. And yet God only forefeeth but willeth not that
will and a£t of the agent, which he sorbiddeth.
I 634. And here note, that when the name of the Effect or Passion
connoteth the sinsulness of the Act, then it is less meet to fay that God
willeth it : As to fay that he willeth that we be persecuted, murdered,
siandered, belyed,8t.c. But if any will so speak, they must mean only the
Passion, as distinct frqm the action : And then the difference is but in mo-
do loquendi.
< 6$ 5. To those that object that thus he maketh God the chief author of
sin, the effect being more to be ascribed to the Principal Cause than to the
instrument, he first ill-aprMyeth some frivolous distinctions, and instanceth
thus: \The hangman as the fudges instrument hangeth a man in malice or
revenge : Ergo, the Judge much more, in revenge : Non sequitur. ~\ Put
ting in Revenge which is but a Cause, a$ if it had been the Effect, which
was in question.
And thus [The Sword that kiReth a man is not culpable : ergo, nor the'
striker: Non sequitur.} As if the question had been of the Negation of
an efsett> and not of the position of it.
And thus f_ If two servants role astone] one being commanded and one
forbidden, one being father to the other • The Son (forbidden ) roleth it
unlawfully ; ergo, the father (commanded} much more: non sequitur .1
Resp. 1. As if the act of the Father and the Son were the fame act, be
cause the effect is the -fame, which is notoriously false : unless de specie.
2. Whose Instrument do you suppose the Son to be? If the Fathers, it is
because the Father commanded him contrary to the Master ; And if so, the
argument is good: The Sons act was a fault who obeyed : ergo} the fathers
more
 and Decrees of (jcd, &c. 109

more who commanded him : saving that commanding maketh another no

necessary Instrument, because he can disobey : But Gods premotion is sup
posed by you unavoidably to predetermine us.
636. But fdg. 25 j. he giveth the true answer, that the consequence
holdcth, not os a metaphorical improper Instrument, who hath somewhat of
his own which he hath not from the principal agents yea, such have some
what of Principal causality, and somewhat mixt of their own which they
have not of God, besides the nature of apure instrument : such are (inner$
to God. Therefore it holds not, that the horse halteth : ergo, the rider
halteth ( no nor causeth it. ) Thus inscioufly he unsakh what laboriously
he writeth a Book to prove : and the very same- that I say. The Rider
doth not cause the halting as it is halting at all ; but only as it is Motion in
genere: so doth God by sinful acts: That they are exercised on the for
bidden object rather than another, is not at all of God, but that they are
Actions in °enere is of God. .
637. So p. 256. he well sayeth that, the fault of the pen is not to be
ascribed to the ivriter, nor the effect asfrom that fault ; nor of the Saw
to the Sawyer; And so of the Sabesns robbing Job : And he asserteth,
^.257. that Diabolus & Jmpiihomines sunt causa principals in aclupec-
candi. And what need we more ( Remember then that sin is an effects
and hath a Cause, and to make man a Principal Cause in aclu peccandi
is not to deifie him : And he saffh />. 256. that if God were the moral im
peller as a principal agenty he were the principal cause offin. But if you
mean by moral impulse, only commanding'^ let others judge whether
Physical premotion be not much more than command: And whether I cause * Vid. Aurtol. in 2.
not my pen to write, though I command it not : And quoad ttrminnm, to 37- p- 300, 301. stiew-
impel a man physically to moral acts, is moral impulse. ing six wayes how sin ia
\i n *> ri 1 1 ;-t 1 n . *■ ,.<,., .isi, . '.■„. m a punilnment of fm,
638. But the plaudblcst argument is Cap. 20. p. 261. va. kjod wiueth without God's willing
sin as it is a Punishment offin: * ergo he willeth that the fin cbmeto pass or ^l\^Xc^l\lm^\t^.
be. And indeed Augustine faith much contr. Julian, to assert Gods wil- a punishment.™* C
ling of sin as a Punilhment of sin. But I answer this, 1. Even these t Gab. ud.ia 2. d.tf.
men themselves oft fay that God willeth mt the formile peccati, but the ^SSj'^'aÆ
materiale : And forma dat nomen : ergo he willeth not fin as a punifli- •**« culpa est peccati a!-
menr, in proper lence. ' ' ■ :i '-, • C yo. -. »«
c- • ,-ir , 1 i_ j 1 ij , " • '% i.- ... ' _ : ../»• prtma.) a. omnt pteca-
2. bin it lelt ( though denyed by tnany Armmians ) is verily a Puntjb- turn pofterius tarn tft pno-
mentj and more to the Sinner himself than to any other, t And it is the f*» & «*Æ ( *f <*£
most difficult part of the question, how God maketh sin a Punishment to JJ3 mmm, f&m"d*
the sinner himself which yet I have plainly opened before, and here re- ted by himsheweth how
peat it. To be sin or disobedience and to be Punishment are no absolute J^Kii
entities, but are two Relations of one and the fame Act 5 but not as referred «h there how each sin is
to one and the fame correlate. God is not at all the Cause of the Act g^jElSS&S
which is sinful, in its forbidden mode and circumstances fas claudicatio and thesorma'iepæn* nexi
eqm before saidJ tot only in gemfi actus, ot hujus altus when two sins are jjM11*^* act ! And
compared : But that the Act when done is fm and is punishment, God is pwishment of 'the5 for-
the Cause of both : That is, he maketh mans nature first, and in that and mer, as being aneffeaof
by revelation, his 1*» i by which he first maketh wans duty, and telleth ^ Fa£ ^ ^enht^
him what (hall be fin if he do it : And next he doth by his threatning of the right end, there is
tell him, that this fin it selffaaW be the sinners own misery if he do it: ^^tallutUb^
As if C as aforesaid ) God first made man of such a nature as that poyfon in a word, God 'antece-.
would torment him ex natura rei : And then commandeth him to avoid dently s°£0£mfdsij}at™j'
it * And the)* threatneth that it shall torment and kill him if he eat it. fi„ ^ te our
Here now God maketh the Man and the Law : God maketh not the Act and as a voluntary sdf-
of fin as modified or oblique, or as that circumstantiated act. But when "^S^vSISl
the act is caused bv Man. God by his Law causeth two Relations to result, life.
* •- first
 110 Of the Jfyture, J^nmledge, Will

first that of stn, and then that of punishment. So that man first causeth
the sinful act, and then that it is quid prohibitum, and quid pantile result
from Gods mil and Law made before.
Now if God cause not that sin which is a punishment to our selves,
he causeth not that which is a punishment to others 5 And yet supposing
it, he maketh it a punishment to us and them, on several accounts.
639. But though God cause not the sin, yet when he hath before in
his Law threatned to withhold his grace and spirit if we sin, without
which grace and spirit we wiS sin> If God now for former sin do deny us,
or withhold that grace or help which we need to keep us out of if he is
morally 2x16. improperly said to cause that sin as a punishment, because that
penally he resuseth or forbeareth to save us from it, and so permitteth ii
I as is laid.) '
640. The Arminians grofly erre, if he cite them justly, Remonst. i*
Script. Synod, art. i.p. 202. faying that Godmay predetermine and pre-or
dain the obstinate and rebellious to fin by his penaljudgement, andyet those
fins are not be reckoned to themfor fins, nor increase their guilt: unless tns
word [fin"] be used equivocally : For to have fin and no fin, are contra
ries. Whether God determine Ideots.and Madmen to those acts which
would be sin in others, as he doth Bruits, I leave to others,
4>. whether things be 641 . I am weary of pursuing this, ungrateful dispute. As to his con-
fh^m?TheG^rlhem troversie against Camero cap. 22. Whether Bodwill Justice and holinesi be-
becausc they are good? cause it ts good, or whether it be good because God willeth it ? It troubleth
me to read bitter and tedious diiputes about that which one easie distincti
on putteth past all controversie. Of things ad extra Gods will isfirst ths
•mt** tftMigm and then the ultimate end, as is oft said: Gods will ^efficient
nosadhocqnodtentatursibi giveth first the Being and then the Order to all things: or else they could
Ttumlrobid^Tm im? ^everbe what they are. All created Justice and Holiness is such, that is,
fi pe, Mttur 'freffftum ; Good ((ot Goodncst is their essence ) because Gods efficient will made them
quidtmtur & wn tenttur, so: And then Gods final will taketh complacency in them or Loveth them
StfifftSt^ because they are (o. But if they talk os Goodness or Justice, &c. as it is
uhpi nan ok/ire, est temri in God, there is in him no effect and so no cause os himself or any thing
ioutilf. dC A1U" i« himself.
Yet "after he t'hinketh it 642. But some things God maketh moral duties by the very work of
rade'aRMson^iecrea0 *~"reat*on> and Ordination of the World, without any other Law: And
turenot obifged; Mit" these are called Duties by the Law of Nature, because the very Nature
his very nature were not rerum is a Law, that is, a signification of Gods will constituting mans du-
pttSBi is^a'in? for tv- Ic is. mans essence t0 he an Intellectual-free-agent It is impossible
they are not actually that such an agent Created of God should not be Gods Creature, and Gods
S^p^ptuouny own> and difpofitivcly a Moral governable agent, and that^ he should noc
conclude* that God owe God all that he is and hath and can do, and that God should not have
tohale^od^n^rnakeT ^ ^>omin'1 & Impe*** Over him, and Jus ad summum ejtts Amorem*,
meritorious,3 it being6 no ^ *s a contradiction to be a Created Man, and not Gods Own, and his ob-
contradiction : His foi- liged Subject and Beneficiary. Therefore it is a contradiction that fub-
Shi^X^^S mission, obedience and Love should not be his Moral duty and good, and
cinsis rn'vaiidateth the that self-alienation, rebellion, or disobedience and hatred should be no
confutation, and leaveth {^15.
itdoubtful.Eutitisaeon- I _ , , . , . . . , .. _ ,,
tradiction tobeaman, 645. To dispute then (as he coth wnh Camero and his follow-
turcto^ovt'God^A^d WS ^ whether it be good ex naturarei, or by Gods meer free-will {'.is a
a"r contradfction 'to be strange dispute, and of most easie resolution. Either they speak of Gods
bound by nature to Love creating will, or of some other subsequent Volition. Man is made man
£^S£h£; by Gods free wiU : And the fordaid Relations, and duties
And a contradiction to are made such by making him Man. And the duties of Love and Ju-
hatc God and be good or fticc l0 ot"hers are made such by his Creators placing him in a world where
' [ V" ' his
 and Decrees of (jod, 5cc* n%
—• : ■—:— « . *
his Neighbours are about him, who are due objects ; as apart of the so- This he himself confek
ciety, like a Wheel in a Clock : The Creators will is before Nature, and scth m' w' 3?0'
therefore before natural duty, as the Cause before the efseft. God could
have made beasts instead of men, who had owed him no more than beasts
can do. But from the Nature of a Man coexistent with God, his said du
ties to God so necessarily result, that it could not be otherwise. v nor did
there need any subsequent act of Gods will to make that duty. . . . '
644. But those, that are not Duties by Nature, must have moreover a v&aAu&t. d. 38. £
further act of Gods will as signified to make them so j As the Mofaical :,f*> P»,0i"J' W?;
Ceremonies, our Sacraments .^l'?J$&£
645. And many Natural Laws and duties are mutable, towards one M*™- i>2-
another, because the very Nature and Natural Location or Order oS. the' frP'M-s-*'* ico.*.4*
Things from which they did result, are mutable ; And a word of God
can make a change : when yet before such antecedent mutation, the duty
must be duty still.
646. As to Mr. Rutberfords oft saying that Omnis aftut entitativus
simplex eft moiraliter de se indifferens, neque bonus ncque mains ; And
then that per aftam simplicemae meaneth such as. include not the objects
It is ludicrous or vain talk. There k no such Act as hath not an object, any
more thin physical form without matter. QuUunque movet, aliquid mo
ves ; Qjticunque intelligit, aut vult, al1 quid intelligit aut vult, ( vel se-
ipsum vel aliud. ) An Aft without its objeft is but a partial or inadequate*
Gcncrkd concept us of that Act which hath an object or an abstract par- ^
tial notion of an act. Why then doth he talk of that which is not i Had:
he said that every act is in the first instant rationit) ot abstraft-partial
conception, an Aft ingenere, before it be intelligible as this or that act, about
this or that object, he had spoken intelligibly as other men do.
647. Such another question many called .Arminians much use, Whe- whether justice &c. be
tter Justices, be eternally good < OtAndentur rationes boni & mali ^mmbAZmT*
aterna <jr indispenfabiles ? which needs no other solution than this last.
There is no such thing as an Universals existent per se and not in some
Individual: And so no such thing as Love, Justice, &c. Bonum, Malum,
which is not alicujus Juflitia, Bonum, &c. There was no Creature from
Eternity being Just or unjust, good or bad. But Gods perfect Nature But that Gods owneteN
/night be called Eternally Just, in that he must necessarily be Just, if he ml perfection hath in it
had been agovernour : And necessarily w<u 7«/2,when he freely became ^Orul
a governour. And also this proposition was Eternally true, (if thereof..) which therefore
.were eternally propositions) fr* Homines existerent,Justitia in ipfs de- S^Sle (ou? hols-
bita foret : & quandocunque Homines fuerint, Justitia in ipsts debita sue- ness being Gods image)
rit. J But when all the fense of these questions is no more, but what.ij™™ Pg£Jg *e
Duties ire natural, and what superadded (called Positive,) and what r"s0" B^usceffc we
natural duties are immutable and what mutable, it's an unhappinefs that have no certainty that
the world roust be troubled with such uncouth forms of speech as make Si^urcmaintyKhence'
the question unintelligible, till unravelled. that God cannot lye. But
648. AstoWherfords charge of Camero and his followers in France, ^'^"jj!
Amyraldus,&c. with Semipelagianifm and Arminianifm and filthy opini- that.' And if he have not
ons, it is but the effect of the good mans overweening, and conceitedness ^J^J 5J^S
of his own apprehensions, which must be allowed or endured in most of jf^'we prove that he
these contenders ; And the fruits of such disputes is like to be little better, hath veracity i
But the worthy praises of Blondel, DaU<eus,Placeus,Catellus, Amyraldus, Te
stardus, drc. iball survive such reproach. And a thousand pieties it is, to
read a good man Voluminoufly proving God to be a wilier of sins exi
stence, and a prime-predetermining Cause of all prohibited Volitions and
acts, and reproaching the Jesuits, Lutherans, Arminians and Socinians
 ll2 . ~. Of the Stature, ^nonledge, Will

as the great enemies of Gods Providence for denyirig this ; As if he would

tempt the World to think that Socinians were in the right, and that Jesu
ites, Lutherans and Arminidns wac the only defenders of the Holiness of
God, whilst Calvinists made him the Lover of all the sin in the World, as
the most appetible conducible Medium to his Glory.
60.9. But (to proceed; his next Argument is, cap. 23. sin conferred
wishing to the splendor , ornaments and '
5o, God willeth its existence : This is anfi
is utterly unproved. Sin addeth nothing 1
the World. His word is no proof.
650, Afterwards he heapetn up many frivolous arguments against thac
which he calleth reproachingly , The idle Permission of fin ; and faith,*
that it frustrateth the frayers of the Saints, and their patience, their\
gratitude', trust, hope, fear, joy, alloweth the arrogance of the persecutors}
fighteth with Gods wisdom, Clemency, Justice, Providence, with the Mini^
firy of the Word, the Promises, Threatnings, with Ministers confirming mem
against sufferings, and it is blasphemously injurious to God, and contrary
to the order of things in the world, that he should permit fin, andnot will
the being of it.
Resp. What is it that a man, yea, a pious man in a blind zeal ofGod
and self-conceit, may not pour out confident words for i What a cafe is
the poor Church in , when the unlearned people must be on both sides
charged by their Teachers with blasphemy, what way ever they go? Thisi
man will tell them that they are * blasphemous , and overthrow all reason
*P4f. 3703 and Religion, if they say that God onh/Permitteth fin, and doth not him
self will the being of it , and move Unavoidably ail wills, and tongues^
and hands, to all the blasphemies, persecutions, and murders that are done,
and damn men for it when he. bath done. And others will as confidently
fay that he is a Blasphemer, for charging God to be much more the cause
of all forbidden acts of wickedness than Devils and men are, and then
damning them for it, and for putting God into the stiape of the Devil,1
and painting him odious to humane nature, that man may not love him:
What shall poor people think when they are thus torn and tormented by,
their holy Guides i But all his arguments are before answered, when I
sliewed him how many waves God hath to secure the Effects and Event*
in the world, and attain all his Ends, and yet only Permit, and neither;
will, not Love, nor Cause the sin.
Cap. 26. he cometh to plead for Predetermination J and faith'
p. 385. God predetermineth us (to the A0 ofhating God) in linea mere
physica, ejr non morali. Meer delusory words. He maketh it by the
Law of Nature a sin to hate him, and then he maketh men hate him in
linea phyfica & non morali ! as if the moral sinfulnefs resulted not from
the Law and act > that is, here from Nature itself, viz, of the Man and
act, both which God made. .'
652. Pag. 3 86. he faith, that [ Directa & exprejja ejr efficax Dei Volt-
I confess Gab. till tio, qua Vult ut fit feu fiat actus Dei odii, non facit Dettm Malitia qttx
riJs' se^rS^atliajlog^ fer Mci&ens f^quitur actum, authorem.~\ Resp. But that per accidens is
al Unions : as do ma- no reason of the denyal, if God cause that accident also, as the first cause.
oy others. If he make a Law, and make the forbidden act, the relation of sinfulnefs
is an Accident indeed, but ariseth from the (aid fundamentum so necessa
rily that it cannot be otherwise. But it mould nave made a holy Divine
to tremble to have said, that God directly, expresty and cjfetfually willeth
mem Act of hating God, f/s.that itextst or be.

^53. And
 and ^Decrees of God, &c. 112
■ ■ ifii
653. And it is false that he faith, that God is equally the Cause that
men hate him, if he will the Alt hypothetically, ineffectually and d,e termi
nably by anothers wills as if he willed it efficaciously. Aud so when he
maketh the Doctrine of Universal Concurse and Causation, as guilty as
his predetermining pre-motion. As if God could not make man a free-
wilier and agent, and as the spring of Nature, enable him and concurr
to his Act as an Act, in genere, without causing it to terminate on the
forbidden object in [pecie. As if it were impossible for the Sun to be
an universal cause of the stinking of a Dunghill and Weed, without being
thespecial: or as if God must be made the cause of every blasphemy, unless
he will make the blasphemer speechless, and of every viliany, unless he
will strike men dead to prevent it. This is not reverent and holy judging
of the most holy God the Judge of all. •' •
654. The fumm of all his Vindication of God from being the chief
Author of all sin ( fag. 387. & Passim ) is -but this one reason, God is
under no Law. But if this be all, why do you not speak out what you SoEams!ni 2» j»
mean, but hold that which you dare not name, -viz. [_That God ts the chief ,f. 27c/, 271! VolmtJk
insuperable cause of all the fin ofDevils and men for which he damneth wminis m*la^j. q£jfen„~t
them, and that both as to the matter and form ; but yet thus to do is no ritionh "'*«»
fin in God himself, because he is under no Law. J" This is your most contra, legtm Dei vm
plain undoubted fense, or else your Book is non-iense What need we %TnhmlauTprlt
then any further enquiry what you bold < It delusion to pretend that ttnsdtftztm cuts* item-
you are accused for making God a sinner. We charge no such thing on in # > ^J^A^lf'.
you : But only for making him the chief insuperable cause of all the fins which ^"true of the act
of men and Devils. ' •< »* gtiurt, but not as it is
6 55. Pag. 400. he plainly professeth that the trill as a physical agent JfSfc1^ cause k,
is the cause of the aft as physical, and as under a Law , and that act is he doth more than per-
against the Law, so he is the cause of the Malitia actus? and culpable. J"*- J£l,$a£&
So that God causing by his own confession both Aft and Law, there is odium as against God.
no modest subterfuge left for his not openly professing that he asierteth God And dn* „ °tha?he maC
to be the cause of all sin, the principal cause, both as to matter and form, fcfgood by it ?' He'can
656. The rest of that Disputation stnketh me with such' horror in do as much good with*
the reading, that I confess I have not the patience to proceed any further out causmg dlc cvlL
in it, nor lhall further thus exercise my Readers patience. The cafe is
plain. Either Hobbs, or Free- will permitted, must carry ,the cause in the
case of sin : There is no middle way. He that will read Ruiz and Ru~
therfords answer impairtially> needeth no more of mine for the confutati
on of his vain responses.
657. But cap. 29. p. 484; he falleth also on our most Learned and
Judicious Dr. Fields because in his lib. 3. c. 3. of the Church he contra-
dicteth his opinion • and it must move just indignation in the Reader that he
addeth [_idque probare conatur contra reformatas Eccle(ias.~] Unworthy
injury to the Reformed Churches, more than to the worthy Dr. Field'
How falsly are they interested in your unhappy cause ! See the Synod of
Dort, where there is not a word for it. Is one Twifs with his Rutherford,
or Maccovius, or a few such, the Reformed Churches i Let the Reader
peruse the Articles of the Churches of England, Scotland, France, and all
the rest, and fee where he can find your Doctrine of Predetermination
unto sin. Even Janfenius himself is against it among the Papists, when
his Dominican Predecessors are the Fathers of it. Nothing more common
With English Divines than ( as you did before your self ) to explicate
Gods causing the acts of sinners, by the similitude of the Riders spurring
a halting Horse, or the Suns making a Dunghill stink ; which only speak
the cause which we call universal, and is the very thing which we assert.
~ " Aod
 ii4 Os the Mature, Knowledge, Will

And it is most unsavourily done, to get into the Chair and magisterially
say \_Fieldtts vir alioqni doilus, in hts centroverfiis mtnime fe "versa turn
*z*™i in nifp. i. Thom. tff* prodit- dr Zumelem* non satis intetligit, qu'ppe non satis gna-
di VoUaut. Bam. & lib. r/fs controverfiarum Armimanarurn , & [cripfit dum aulam Armiman't
T)mmi %9cjus°piuatf, ft*s *1U0 faventem habermt. But how ealie is it for aman to overva-
tiiough he speak caucc- lue himself, and contemn another ? I highly value the piety in Mr. R-.t-
njem names*5 yet°con- iforf0*^ Letters. Jam no fit arbiter ingenhrum : But when I hear other
dudeth plainly , that men fay that one Field was mare Judicious than many Ratherfords, I con-
Swrse//bUrf^CC4*^' *d ^S ^ rea^'ng tncir several writings I find no temptation to deny it.
that man i°s the specify- And why should Field and consequently Davenant, Uj/jer, Carlton, Mor^
ing determining cause, ton, Halt, the Synod of Dort, and I think the far greatest part of Pro-
ZrtMatfirifJTct tcrtarKS (l v£riIy think fifty ifnoc an hHndrcd for onO whoareagainrt
airsus/raciHs itfiis, fivi you, be made odious by the supposition of being not far enough from
^mTimttCdtm* &"c ^rmintM^ rather than Maccovius, Trviffe and Rutherford take itforadis-
Yet this is a high Tbi- grace, to hold the fame opinions againlt Gods Holiness, which the Domi-
soiate nd dcfcnder of ab" Fryars hold, who have been the bloody Masters of the Inquisition^
t Thus raristerWly aid and murdered so many thousand Protestants or waldenfes and AiU-
gobd Vr.Twijji censure genfes ? ■ - >• ■ ,
fintnVaw^^fmen.S And thac which he saith oi Fields writing whtt the Court favoured
skilled in Schoiastick Di- Arminianifm, is notoriously false, and such insinuations unworthy of so
vmity, who were both g00cj a man as tjie fpcaker. Fields Works were printed singly before
most excellent men, and D, . , rL •• * , l. rr l t» i • *? ' . „
hit upon the reconciling tney were printed together in Folio, And his fifth Book was printed An-
truth,above most in their n0 1 6 to. and the words cited are in the third printed before. And the
ofVSt^minDatbnris SYnoi of was called An. 1618. and fate 1619. also And King
one of the first that ever James wasazealous suppreflbr of Arminianifm, and sent five or fix Di-
1 fount! tliat excellency vines Either t0 thac end. And lone after inKvnzCbartes hisdayes, Pet.
in, and with his lremcon. ... . • , M.n 0 . • ... • „ 0 , . / * .
is most worthy of great Heylm in the life of Archbilhop Land will tell you, that the Armtmaft
esteem. Bishops then were but five, Neale, Laud, Buckeridge, Corbet and Howfon^
to whom Learned Montague was after added : So that they durst nos
trust their Cause with a Convocation. Field then shall be a most Judicious
worthy Divine, when partiality hath said its worst.
658. And what is his error i Why he faith that it's a contradiction t9
fay that God cause th the AH (in all ks state, ) which is the Materials
petcati, and caufeth not the formale, -which is inseparable. A foul er-
lor indeed, to tell you that he that caufeth the fubjetfum, fundamentum^
rationem fundandi & terminum caufeth the relation 5 and that he thae
maketh an European white and an ^/r/c*# black caufeth the dissimilitude,*
and so doth he that maketh the straight Rule and the crooked line, the
forbidding Law, and the forbidden act.
6 5 p. Were it not that the necessity requireth such work, because such'
Books are in mens hands, I should think I had injured the Reader, by this
much: For my work is not to confute Books, but to assert sure recon
ciling truths. Otherwise the confutation of the rest of that Book ( for
Gods willing and causing allforbidden ails in theirfullstate^ and the ex
igence offm ) is most easily answered.

sect;
m
and Decrees ofCjod, &c.

sect. xx. .

The old Reconcil/n"Dotfrine of Augustine, Prosper and Fulgentius. And.

first Prosper adGallorum Qu. • •

660. IT is a strange thing to me that when Pelagius, Julian, Faustus, &c.

J thought Augustine a Novelists and (as Ufber aflerteth would
have fastned the title of Predestinatioa- Hereticks on his followers, and al
most all confess, that Augustine was, if not the first, yet the most notable
publick Vindicator of absolute Predestination and Grace, yet the Judge
ment of Austin, with his Disciples Prosper and Fulgentius, doth not serve
turn to quiet, if not to end these controversies, among those who profess
to be their followers ! when as they have so copiously and plainly writ
ten upon the case !
661.I intreat the Reader that is inclining to any extreams, but to read
over first those short answers of Proffer ad Capitula Galiorum and ad ob-
jetfiones Vincent. And most of the ScntentU de Capit. I shall think it
worthy my labour to recite, to force them on the Readers observation,
and let him see the highest old Doctrine of Gods Decrees. _
"Sent. 1. Whoever faith, that by Gois Predestination, as by fatal ne-
" cessity, men compelled into sins, arc constrained to deaths is not a Catho-
<c lick, for Gods Predestination doth by no means make men bad, nor is
*c the cause of any mans sin.
" Sent. sup. 2. He that faith, that the Grace of Baptism received doth
" not take away Original sin from them that are not predestinated to life, „ . ' i,
«is not aCatholick. For the Sacrament of Baptism, by which all sins IStSeiy covenant
**■ are blotted out, is true even in them who will nor remain in the truth, ed wkhGod in Baptism,
« and for them that are not predestinated unto life. ,
" Sent. sup. 3. He that faith, that they that are not predestinated to of them fell away and
cc life, though they were in Christ regenerated by Baptism, and have f€ri(hcd'
«c lived piously and justly , it profitteth them nothing, but they arc so
<e long, reserved till they fall toruine, and they are not taken out of this
"life till this happen to them, as if the ruine of .such men were to be
" referred to Gods constitution, is not a Catholick. For God doth noc
" therefore prolong the time of .any mans age, that by long living he
should fall to ruine 5 and in his long living, fall from the right faith :
"seeing long Use is to be numbered with the gifts of God, by which a man
" should be better and not worse. ■ . *■
Sent. sup. 4. He that faith, that all are not called to Grace , if he
** speak of such as Christ is not declared to , is not to be reprehend-
«ed
, "Sent. sup. 5. He that faith, that they that are called, are not equal
ly called, but some that they might believe, and some that they ' might
"not believe, as if to any man the Vocation were the cause of his not
" believing, faith not right. For though faith be not but by Gods Gift,
<£ and Mans will, yet Infidelity is by mans will alone. 1
"Sent, 6, He that faith, that Free-will \r Man is Nothing, but it's
"Gods predestination which workethin men, whether it be to good or to
"evil, is not aCatholick: For Gods Grace doth not abolisli mans choice
" (or free-will ) but perfecteth it* and revoketh and reducethitinto the
«' way from error, that that which was bad by its own liberty , may by
" the operation of Gods Spirit be made right. And Gods predestination
*f is alwayes in Good ; which knoweth how either to pardon with the
1 16 Ofthe feature, Knowledge, Will

ce praise of mercy, or punish with the praise os Justice, the sin which is
^committed by mans will alone.
«< Sent. 7. He that faith, that God for this cause giveth not Perscve-
" ranee to some of his Children whom he regenerated1 in Christ , to
cc whom he gave faith, hope and Love, because by Gods sore-knowledge
"and predestination they were not differenced from the mass of perdt-
" tion : If he mean that God endowed these men in Goodness, but woukf*
"not have them remain in it,' and that he was the cause of their turning
"away, he judgeth contrary to the Justice of God. For though Gods
'* Omnipotence could have given the grace of standing to them that will
u fall, yet his grace doth not first forsake them, before they have sor-
cc saken it. And because he foresaw that they would do this by a Vo-
4t luntary desertion , therefore he had them not i» the Election of Vtz-
^destination. .
" Sedt, 8. He that faith, that God would not have all men saved, but
" a certain number that are predestinate , speaketh hardlier of the alti-
" tude of Gods unsearchable grace, than he should speak ; Who would*
<c haVe all men to be saved , and to come to the acknowledgement of .
" the truth 5 and sulfilleth the purpose of his will on them, whom being
"foreknown he predestinated, and being predestinate he called, being cal
led he justified, and being justified he glorified. Losing nothing of
" the fulness of the Gentiles , and of all the feed of Isrdel, for whom'
u the eternal Kingdom was prepared in Christ before the foundation of
" the World. For all the World, is chosen out of all the World 5 And
"out of all men, all men are adopted So that they that are
"saved are therefore saved, because God would have them saved ; ancf
*' they that perish, do perish because they deserve to perilh.
"Sent. p. He that faith, that our Saviour was not Crucified for the
" Redemption of the whole World, looketh not to the Virtue of the Sa-
u crament ( that is, Sacrifice ) but to the part ( or participation } of the
"unbelievers : When as the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the Pried
"of the whole World. From which Price they are Aliens who being ei-
"ther delighted in their Captivity, will not be redeemed 5 or when they
"are redeemed return again to the fame Captivity ; For the Word of
" the Lord falleth not, nor is the redemption of the World evacuated .-
" For though the World in the vessels of wrath knew not God, yet the
" World in the vessels of mercy knew him. Which God without their '
"preceding Merits, took out of the power of darkness, and translated into
*c the Kingdom of the Son of his Love.
" Sent. 10. He that faith, that God substracteth from some the preach
ing of the Gospel ,. lest perceiving the preaching of the Gospel the/
" should be saved, may decline the envy of the objection by the patro
nage of our Saviour himself, who would not work Miracles with some,
" that he faith would have believed had they seen them : And he forbad'
" his Apostles to preach to some people 5 and now suffereth some Nations
to live without his Grace
"Sent. 11. He that faith, that God by his Power compelleth men to
" sin,- is deservedly reprehended : For God, who is the Author of Justice
" and Goodness, and all whose Statutes and Commands are against sin, is
"not to be thought to compell any to sin, and precipitate them from
tc innocency into crimes : But if there be any of so profound impiety, as '
"that they are reckoned to be beyond the remedy of correction, theyre-
* ( ceive not an increase of their iniquity from God, but are made worse
g by themselves r because they deserved to be left of God, and given up to
. " ■ "I " "them-
* m Ik
 and Decrees of (jod, dec. 117?
•i ' ■ '• «— m a—1 ->•*
"themselves and to deceivers, for their former sins: that so their sin should
"be a punishment of their sin. ■
, " Sent. 1 2 . He that faith, . that obedience is withdrawn from some that
" arc called and live piously and righteously s that they may cease to
tC obey, doth think ill of Gods Goodness and Justice , as seeming to con-r
" strain the godly to ungodliness, and to take away good mens innocency
<f from them ; When as He is the Giver and Keeper of godliness and inno-^
" cency : He therefore that adhereth to God, is acted by the Spirit of God ;
" but he that departeth from God, doth fall from his obedience ( or cease it)
2 by his own will. . . ". :>
* "Sent. 13. He that faith, that some men are not made by God to this*1
• " end that they might obtain eternal life, but that they might be the i
<f ornaments of their times, and .for the good of others, would speak
,«< better if he said, that God who is the Creator of all men, maketh not
"them in vain, who he forefeeth will not be partakers of life eternal :
" Because even in bad men , nature is Gods good work, and Justice in
f* their damnation is laudable. But he cannot well be blamed that faith, .
<c that even by the condition of such the World is adorned *, and that those * But not by their fin H
u that hurt themselves by their own iniquity,are born for the good of others:
<c For the multitude of the ungbdly.though innumerable is not disgraceful
or a deformity ^ to the World, or unprofitable to the Kingdom ofGod^'
" seeing that by their propagation cometh the generation that, is to be
" regenerate arid by tolerating and loving them, Gods people become '
2 tfiemore illustrious. —— .. . .■''«.
" <iseni.i^. He that faith, that they that believe not the preaching of
ce the Gospel, are unbelievers by Gods predestination, and that God fode-
€ex ejeed, that they that believe not be unbelievers by his appointment / or
^decree ) is not a Catholick : For as Faith which worketn by Love is"
K Gods gift, so unbelief is none of Gods constitution : Because God know-
*^eth how to ordain Punishment for sin, but not sin it self. ' And it sol-'
loweth not, that what he remitreth riot, he committeth : The predestinate
*? therefore liveth by the faith which is given him : The non-predeslinatc pe-
rim by Voluntary and not constrained^infidelity. . j \ ..i . , . \
u Sent. 15. He that faith, that Foreknowledge is the fame with pre^
"destination, doubtless in our good works; conjoyneth ( orimixeth) those
«« two : For what we have of Gods gift, and is said to be foreknown, must
c< needs be predestinate: And what is said to be predestiriate, must needs
"be foreknown. But in pur evil works y\ only the foreknowledge
^ of God must be understood. Because as he foreknew and predestinatedi"
" the things which he doth himself, and givethus to do : so he FORE-
«KNEW ONLY and DID NOT PREDESTINATE the things
£ which he neither
" doth himself, nor requireth.us" "to do*
. .. ; ...
.■. . " . .' , '»>

sect;
 Of the ^ature>^novpledge> WiU

SECT. XXL

Prosper'* answers ad Object. Vincent.

66i. T Will crave the Readers patience while I add the summ of his
J_ Answers also to some of the Objections of Vincentius,
"Ob), i. That Christ died notfor all ■
" Resp. His death is a remedy in it self sufficient to profit all } but if it be;
£<not taken it will not heal.
** Ob). 2 , That God would not have allsaved, though they would.
Mefa, We must sincerely believe and profess that God would have all
j" saved: That many perish, is by the merit of them that perish : That
" many are saved, is the gift of him that saved them. For that the guilty
fare damned is Gods inculpable justice 5 that the guilty are justified is
^ Gods unspeakable grace. _
" Obj. J. That God made most of mankind that they might peri/h for
*[ever.
uResp. God is the Creator of all men? but No man is made by him
"that he might perish : For the cause of being born is one, and the cause
fl of perishing is another, "that men are born is Gods gift 5 that they
£ perish, is the sinners desert : He maketh men, that they may be men
fObj.4. That the most of men are made of God, not to do Gods will, but
tftbeDevils. , 4.
" Refp. It is madness, and against reason to say that k is by Gods will
"that Gods will is not done: and that the damner of the Devil and his
** servants would have the Devil served.-
"Obj. 5. That God u the author of ourfin. in that he maketh mens wills
"evil, and maketh a substance which by naturalmotion cannot butstn.
" Refp. This objection they make because we hold original sin and mi-1
<c (cry But we hold that whatever is ofNature is of God, and none
** of that which is contrary to Nature. But sin is contrary to nature,
" from whence cometh death, and all that is of death : —*-God is
"the author of no mans, sin, but the Creator of his Nature, which
" voluntarily sinned, when it had Power not to sin > and by his own will
"man subjected himself to the deceiver. And it is not by Natural but
" by Captive Motion that he livethin sin, till he die to sin, and live tQ
*S God ; which without grace he cannot do.
"Obj. 6. That- God maketh in men such a will as is in Devils, that of
£ its own motion can and will do nothing but evil.
"Resp. The whole world lyeth in wickedness But even very bad
"men maybe reconciled, and Devils cannot. And God put not
5* evil affections in men.
" Obj. 7. That it is Gods will that agreat part of christians neither will
unor can besaved.
{iResp. If you speak of them who forsaking the Godliness of a Chri-
" stian conversation and faith, do irrevocably pass over into prophane er-
'frours and damnable manners, it's doubtless that having such a will,
"they will not be saved 5 and as long as they will not be saved, they can-
"not be saved. But it is by no means to be believed that such men fell
u into this desperate case by the will of God, when rather God Jiftethup
"all that fall' For no man is raised or established but by his Grace.
fc It is therefore Gods will that {hey continue in a good will ; And he for-
« saketh
 and Decrees of (jod, &c. 119

u saketh no man before that man forsake him, and converteth many that
"clo forsake him. „,-,...
Obj. 8. That Cod will not have all Catholtcks to persevere in the
tc Catholick faiths but will have a gf'eat part of them to apostatize
(ifrom it. ..".*, i '
" Resp. The same answer serveth to this blasphemy as to the for-
" mcr.
u Obj. 9. That Cod would have a great part of the Saints to fall from • ...
« the purpose of holiness. * *Jhe Reader mst not;?
>* , ■ _ * J . .J a ir'-ii ' \" ' y that their common ow-
" Resp. This madness also needeth no other anlwer. v( •. , . likmthen was that some
"Obj. 10. That Adulteries and corrupting consecrate Virgins do come to true Saints do fall awaj
« pass because God predestinated them to fall. . ; . . and Pcri(k
"Resp. It is a detestable and abominable opinion, which believeth-
,c God to be the author of any mans evil will or evil action : whose pre-
*' destination (or decree ) is never without Goodness and Justice f... For all f That »fofnothing bu$
"the wayesof God are mercy and truth: Adulteries and Corruptions of good and just.]
<4 Virgins God knoweth not now to institute, but to damn j nor to di-,
'e ipose *, but to punilh. \ty hich evils when men commit, they serve their * That is> ut Wl
"own lusts r—- Gods predestination neither exciteth, perswadeth
«" or impelleth the fall, malignity, or lusts of sinners 5 but plainly pre-
" destinateth his own Judgement, by which he will reward every one ac-
'* cording to what he hath done, whether good or evil : which Judge-
"ment would never be, if men sinned by the will of God. But be ic
" will : And every man whom the discerning of Gods knowledge shall set
ic at his left hand, shall be damned, because he executed not Gods will,
,<<rbut his own. ,
u Obj. i i . ivben incest U committedbetween Fathers and their Daugh-
uters, Mothers and their Sons, it ts therefore done, because so God forc-de~
*c creed that it should he done {or come topass.") .«..„..
"Resp. t If it were objected to the Devil himself, that he is the author iUt^evmJnicaiis'rmi
" and incenter of such yillanies, I think that with some reason he might this*
<1 discharge himself of the envy, and overcome the committer of suqh
"wickedness by his own willing of them. . Because though he be delight--
"ed with the madness of sinners, he cap yet prove that he forced them
" not to sin. With what folly and madness tnen is that ascribed to God,
"which may not be wholly ascribed to. the Devil, who is but the ad-
"jutor of the baits of .siri, and riot the . Causer ( Generater ) of
te the Will < God then fore-decreed not that any such businesses should
<c be done, hor .prepared that soul to any such end, who will live wick-
^' edly and filthily. , But he was not ignorant that it would be such, and '',
€i he sore- knew that he would justly judge of such. So that to his fore-
"decree nothing else, can be referred, but either i. That which belong-
*'eth to the due retribution of Justice, z. Or to the not due bestowing
*'of grace. ,, ; 1 . ..> ■
" Obj. 12. That by Gods fore-decree men are made of Children
God to be children of the Devils and of Temples of the Holy
C( Ghost, the Temples of Deviis 5 and of members of Christ^members of 4.
^Harlot. s ■»','...
" Resp. Gods Predestination, though to us while we are in the perils
" of this life it be uncertain, with him is unchangeable —, But
*l those of whom it is said, They went out from us because they were not
Ciof'us — did willingly go out, and willingly fall away. And be-'
i( cause they were foreknown to be such as would fall away, they were
 120 Of the Mature, Knowledge, WiH
m i I. - ■ - ... . .
" not predestinate. But they had been Predestinated, if they had been
n such as would have returned, and remained in holiness and truth. So
" that Gods fore-decree is to many a cause of standing, and to none a cause
« of falling.
"Obj. 13. That all those faithful and faints who arc fore-decreed
u to eternal death, when they return to their vomit, seem indeed to do it
tc by their own vice 1 but the cause of that vice if the fore-decree of God,
" which secretly withdraweth from them goodwills.
« Rcjp, Indeed to all that relapse from faith to infidelity, from
cc Holiness to filthinefs, and are not purged by emendation before the
rcendof their lives, nothing but eternal death is due : But it is wicked-
ce ness to ascribe the cause of such urines to God : who though he fore-
" know by his eternal knowledge; what reward he will give to every
" mans deserts, yet this his Impossibility of being deceived, doth not
* Ufcte thh yon rtiat arc a bring into1 any man either a necessity or a will * of sinning. If there
for his first predetermi- « fore any man fall from Godliness, he is carryed headlong by his own
SSJSdSf*"1 " wil1 5 K is drawn his own concupiscence $ he is deceived by his
" own perswasion. There the Father doth nothing 5 the Son doth no-
" thing • the Holy Ghost doth nothing : nor doth any thing of the will
" of God intervene in such a business • by whose help we know many
r* are kept from falling, but none impelled to fall.
"Obj. 14. That this great part ef Christian faithful Catholicks and
u Saints who are fore-decreed to ruine and perdition, if they beg of God,
uperseverance in Holinest, shall not obtain ttj Because Gods decree can-
" not be changed, by which he fore-ordained, prepared and ftted them
* to fall away,
"Resp. To the breach of the Law, to the neglect of Religion, to the
tr corrupting of discipline, to the forsaking of the faith, to the perpetra
ting of any sin whatever, there Is no predestination (or fore- decree )
<c of God at all. Nor can it be that men mould fall into such evils by
fC him, by whom men rife out of such. If therefore men live in holi-
<f ness, if they profit in virtue, if they remain in good studies, it is the
** manifest gift of God, without whom the fruit ot no good work is ac-
" quired. But if men fall away from these, and pass over to vice and
<esin, God there sendeth them no evil temptation, nor doth he forsake
«c him that will fall away, before he be forsaken by him. And for the
"most part hekeepeth men from forsaking him, or if they depart doth
t y. b. * cause them to return. But why he upholdeth one and not another, it is
u neither possible to comprehend, t nor lawful to search 5 seeing it may suf-
tc sice to know, both that it is of him that men stand, and it is not ot hin>
^ that they fall away. • •
" Obj. 1 5 . That all the faithful and Saints who are predestinated t9
^eternal death ; when they fall are so disposed of by God, that the}
^neither can nor will be delivered by'repentance.
tc Resp. Falfly said and soolislily : For they that fall away from saitfo
"and holiness, as they fell by their wills, so by their Wills they rise
"not: But God taketh the way of amendment from none 5 nor
tc depriveth any of the possibility of good : For he that turneth him-
" self from God, taketh from himself both the will and the power of
"good. It's no good consequence, as the Objecters think, that God
" taketh away repentance from men, because he giveth it them not -
•* and that he casteth down those that he taketh not up. For it is
*c one thing to act the innocent into a crime ( which God cannot

1
 and Decrees of (jott, dec. 121

" do i) and another not to pardon the Criminal, which is the desert os
«lm.
"Obj. 16. That this great part of the faithful and holy, which is fore-
" decreed to eternal deaths when they pray to God in the Lords prayeri
a Let thy will be done, do only pray against themselves^ viz. that they may
"fall and be ruined- because it ts the will of God that they perish by etcr-
"nal death.
"Rest. The Truth faith not this, that it is the will of God that the
"faithful and Saints do fall from faith and irmocency and perish. .But
a Truth faith, This is the will of the Father that sent me, that of all that
" he hath given me I should lose none But if by the generality
u of Vocation, arid the abundance of Gods goodness, even those that will
a not persevere are mixt with the persevering, when these fall away from
" Godliness, they fall not ( or are not forsaken ) of Gods help, but of
*c their own wills : nor are impelled to fall, nor cast off that they may
"forsake 5 but yet are fqreknown to fall away by Him that cannot be
" deceived : And when they pray, Thy will be done, they priy not thai:
"they may fall : Which God will not do ( or Cause ) anyway,
" by any means : For this by their own naughtiness, their own liberty
<cwill do: But this they pray against themselves, ( which doubtless is
" Gods will) that when the Son of man shall come in his Majesty, &c.
"they that will not do Gods will, and yet pray, Let thy will be done, are
" heard in that which is Gods will, that the imicaters of the Devil be judg-
" ed with the Devil . For they that have despised Gods inviting will, mall
*« feel his revenging will.

SECT. XXII;

The words of Fulgentius to the [ame fenck.

166$, T Must crave of the Reader that he remember that my reciting

X the Judgement of these Fathers for the falling away and perish
ing of many that were in a state of Life, is not at all as declaring my
own judgement, but Theirs 5 none then that I read of thinking otherwise *. *Exceotjovinian be truly
I shall (for the End sake) be yet a little more tedious in citing some os Sd^S'i f5
the sayings Of Fulgeniiu*. Whose accusation and
« Tulg.Li.de Verit. prtiest. cap. 6. To good men God giveth what confutation, kaveth us
" good they have, and keepeth it: But to the wicked and ungodly, God \^S^^Jnhdl
"neither ever could prepare or give evil works, which they should But we are sure that the
"ddmnably serve: nor did he ever put into them evil wills by which IKSSSyaSS
ec they should culpably will things unjust : but he prepared for them in a good and learned
« the punishment of Hell, that they might feel revenging justice in ™nt^ehastinn^u hia^
" endless fire. An evil will is not of God : And therefore the just him* and u
"Judge doth punish it in men, because the good Creator findeth not Heretkks.
" in it the order of his Creation. And perseverance and contumacy
"in sin and pride, because it is not of Gods giving, is condemned by God
" revenging.
" Et 1.1* ad Monim.c. 2(5. He will punish in the wicked, that they
" are bad, which he gave not, nor did he predestinate them to any ini-
" quity : and that they Willed unjustly was none of his gift. And be-
fc cause the persevering iniquity of an evil will, ought not to remain
R " unpunished,

\
122 Ofthe Wjiture,K?iow>kdge) Will

u unpunished, he predestinated such to destruction, because he prepared

" just punisliment for them Observe that God predestinated
" wicked and ungodly men, to just punishment, not to any unjust work :
"to the penalty, not to the fault : to the punishment, not to the
et transgression : to the destruction which the anger of a just judge
" requiteth sinners with* not to that destruction (or death ) by which
" the iniquity of sinners provoketh Gods wrath against them. The
"Apostle calls them Vessels of wrath, not feffels of fin.
"Cap. 37. The wicked are not predestinated to the first death of the
"foul, but to the second death they are : That which followeth
"the sentence of a just Judge 5 not that which preceded in the evilconcu-
" piscence of the sinner.
" ibid. c. 23. It beseemeth believers to confess that the good and jast
" God, fore-knew indeed that men would sin, ( for all things to come
" are known to him. for they were not future, if they were not in his
" fore-knowledge : ) But not that he predestinated any to sin. For if he
" predestinated man to any sin, he would not punisli man for sin. For
" Gods ptedestination prepareth for men, either the godly remission of
" their sins, or the just punishment of them. God therefore could never
"predestinate man to that,, which he had resolved both to forbid by his
"precept, and to wash away by his mercy, and punish by his justice*
" God therefore predestinated to eternal punishment, the wicked who he
"foreknew would persevere to the death in sin. Wherein as his fore-
" knowledge of mans iniquity is not to be blamed, so his predestination
"of just revenge is to be praised : That we may acknowledge, that he
"predestinated not man to any sin, whom he predestinated to be punished
" deservedly for sin.
" And adMonimum li. 1. fag. {edit. Bajil.) 68. reciting Augustine*
" words he faith s_ He taught that only pride was the cause of mans ini-
" quity, and that God predestinated not men to sin, but to damnation ;
" and that they are not helped by God, the cause is in themselves and
"not in God. j The fame he reciteth again ex lib. 2. Aug. de baftif.
"par-vul. Qthat their wills be not helpt by grace, the cause is in them-
" selves andrnot in God. 3 The fame he again repeateth fag. 69. 70, 71,'
"72. and Qthat Augufline's mind was that good works God both fore
knew and predestinated :—— But evil works, that is, sin, he foreknew
" indeed, but did not predestinate ( or decree. ) For there is not Gods
"work, but his judgement. Therefore in sin Gods work is not, because
" that sin should be done was not decreed by him : But therefore there is
"his judgement, because it is not left unrevenged, that an evil man work-
" eth without God working.]
" And ib. li. t. fag. 1 5. [That which is not in his work, never was
"in predestination. Therefore men are not predestinated to sin. ] So f. 29.
"And/>. 31. and forward.
" And/>. 29. f_No man justly sinneth though God justly permit him
" to sin : For he is justly forsaken of God, who forsaketh God. And
" because man forsaking God, sinneth, God forsaking man keepeth w-
. "slice. 1'
664. Iam loth to weary the Reader with more. Should I do the like
^ by Attgustines words it would be too wearisome. His judgement is the
1 very fame as theirs. I will only cite one passage out of him, about maas
Power to believe.
 and ^Decrees of (sod, &c.

Trtct. 53. in Johm. having (hewed that God only foreknoweth men*
sin, and forecelleth it fas the Jews) but causeth it not, hecometh to an
swer John 12. 3p. They could not believe . &e. If they could not hoW,
was it their sin < saying, " [ You hear the question, brethren, and see
"how deep it is: But we answer as we can. • 1 Why could they not
« believe i If you ask me, I quickly answer, Because they would not.
"For God foresaw their evil will, and foretold it bythe Prophet—-Hf
« blinded their eyes, &ci And I answer that their own wills deserved
"this also. For Godblindeth and hardeneth, by forsaking and not help-
« ...u-.-l j. . ■- .1 - • This all

len to
mercifully j
if he help not, he doth justly. ] „
66j. By all this the Reader may fee past all doubt, that Augustine, and
his two disciples, ( than whom none known to us in the whole world then
went higher for Predestination and Gracejdid plainly take up with this, thac
i.GOD NEITHER CAUSED OR WILLED SIN,'
no,notlTS BEING, or the forbidden ACT.
2. ThatOUR SIN was of OUR SELVES,
g . That ALL G R A C E and perferverance was OF GOD.
4. Thac ELECTION was ABSOLUTE of GOD'S,
meer will, and not upon his foreknowledge of any merits of mans.
5. That God predestinated none to sin, but predestinated men to Pu
nishment, ONLY ON THE FORE SIG H T of their wiL-
ful sin.
6. That he hardened men but by deserting them*
7. Thac he never forsook them ciil they forsook him first, and deserved
it by sin.
In a word, that mans destruction is of himself, but his help of God ,;
who resolvedly chooseth some to salvation, and helpeth them accordingly
with that effectual grace, and especial perseverance* which he justly givetn
not to others, though if he would he could.
 Of the Mature , Knowledge, Will

SECT. XXIII.

Healing Principles andcon<effronsof the Synod of Dort, &c!

$66. T Know not how to conclude this discourse more suitably to my

J[ ends, than by opening to the Reader who is sensible of the
Churches sin, misery and danger by our contentions and divisions, how
much the parties whom I endeavour to reconcile, are agreed in judgemenc
about these matters, and that in their own words; Remember still that ic
is not some sew that runfurther than the rest ( either Epifcopitts, Curcellaus,
&c. on one side, ot Maccovius, Rutherford or Dr. Trtijje, or Alvarez and
other Prcdeterminants on the other fide,) whose particular opinions I can-
liot undertake to reconcile: But only the generality of the Calvinistswho
go no further than the Synod of Dert (which is my test of the party ) and
che moderate Arminians, Lutherans, and Jesuits ( in these points j on the
other side. And let none reproach me for putting in the Jesuites^ for as
1 know that very few Calvinists fty near lo high for Predetermination
as the Dominicans do 5 so I know that {though Arntinitti himself was a
sober man, and Epifetpitols cryedup by some, as vdkeltas and bther So-
cinians are by others, aS most clearly rational, yet ) there is none of them
all that equal in accurateneft of search and clearness of reason, either many
■of the ancient Schoolmen* or snare*, Ruiz, ykfpfez, Allertinus, and
many other latter School Jesuits.- . > ,
667. The first thing that 1 will desire of the Reader is to peruse those
many healing concessions contained in the writings/ especially Irenicons,
of many Learned Calvinists already extant .* Especially Davenants two
diflettadons, Dr. Sim* mtrd* Works ; the judgements of Davenants
Morton Halt-, to Dury about/this: Bifop Robert AMois, and h\(hop Carl-
tons works oft on the by : Bifliop Usher of Redemption, &t. Mr. Eenner
of wilful Impenitency, and Hidden Manna, Joh.Bergitts for Rtconcil. l*-
dov. Crocii Syntag. Conrad. Bergii Praxis Can. Junii Irenicon and of prede-
term. Par*i Irenicon. Amyrald.Defenf. dotf. Calv. cjr irenicon. Testard. de
mat. & Crat. Hotton. de toler. Theses Salmur. but above all Le Blanks
Theses, yoffiiThej.ejr Histor.Pelag. MusculiLoc.Commun. And the ge-
ral Irenicons, as all T>urie\ Halts Peacemaker and Pax terris3 Burroughs
Iren. Acontiistratagem. Satana ( an excellent book) &c.
66$. Next I will insert some words to this end, in the Synod of Dort.
I. About the first Article ( of Predestination ) they open free election,"
out mention no other Reprobation but Gods not-electing, or passing by,
some whom he found in sin, and in the misery in quam fe fita culpa præci-
pitarunt) &c. and not giving them effectual grace of Conversion, but leav
ing them in their sin. And can any doubt of this i or do any Jesuits or
Arminians deny its
Where also they declare that God is no cause of mens sin, but them
selves; And that the Children of the faithful are by Covenant so holy,
4 that their salvation who dye in infancy is not to be doubted of : And thac
those that find not saving grace in themselves, but yet use the means, have
no cause to be cast down at the mention of Reprobation.
669. 1 1. About Christs death they fay, that His satisfaction is of
infinite value and price, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of all the
world ; And that the promise is that whoever believeth shall not perish,
which is to be preached to all : And that many yet repent not, believe
not,
 and Decrees of (jocf, &c. 125

not, but perish, is not through any defect or insufficiency of Christs sa

crifice, but by their own fault. And that others believe is of undeserved
grace.
670. III. In the third and fourth Art. feel. 8, 9. they say that the
fault is not in Christ or the Gospel, that many that are called are not con
verted and come not, nor in God that callech them and givechthem many .
gifts, but in the called themselves that receive not the word of life, &c.
And that you may fee that they hold a conditional will or decree not only
of future out of non-future contingents, they fay that ["As many aS
" are called by the Gospel are seriously called, and God seriously and truly
" fheweth by his word, what would be acceptable to him, viz. that the
M called come to him/] So that here is a serious declaration of Gods will to
those that never will come to him conditionally if they would come. : ,•
These kind of notions please or displease men, as the interest of their opi
nions requireth. . . .".
671. And the confession of Pet. Molintus received by the Synod, is
worthy observation fag. 250, 291. where he faith ["Sinis theMerito- ' ..
" rious Cause of Destination to punishment ~\ And [Though natural cor- Not only of gunislimeflt
"ruption be cause sufficient for Reprobation (as we kill new spawned icsdf'
"Serpents before they hurt any) yet there is no douhroutthat for what .
"cause God damneth men, for the fame he decreed to damn them : But he
" damneth reprobates for sins committed $ For they suffer in hell not only
ctiot original fin, but for all actual sins ; whence is tne4nequality of pu-
«* niihment : Therefore God Decreed to damn them for the fame fins : For
te nothing hindereth but that God who considereth men in natural corruption
"andpravity may consider them also polluted in the actual sins which they
" will thence commit. And amongthe sins for which any one is Destihated to
"punishment no doubt, is unbelief and rejection of the Gospel Lu No
"reason suffereth, that he should be Reprobated for rejecting of the Gd-
«spe[____ to whom the Gospel was riev& revealed . That God
"destinatedany to eternal punishments without consideration of imperit-
"tenceand! unbelief, we neither fay nor think . And though God
" predestinate the Elect to faith, he doth not predestinate ; the Reprobate
"toufibelief- For v« must distinguish the media which God findeth m
"men, #om those which he maketh. He findeth in men unbelief the
ec means of damnation : But faith he findeth not, but maketh. Therefore
« he pfetteffmateth io Faith, but not to unbelief: For he predestinateth buc
" to that which he decreed to make. Lastly) Impenitence in order goethv
" before Reprobation ^ but faith is after Election as being its effect-- ] ...
Is not here enough to reconcile? . . . ,
And next of Christs death he faith that ["It is abundantly sufficienc
" to save all men in the world, if they would believe : And that all are
"not saved by it is not through the insufficiency of Christs death, but of
" their pravity arid unbelief. J > • ■ ' 1
672. And fag. 295. he faith " that Arntinius holdeth irresistible gracc>
" and that the Elect are drawn of God by effectual grace, whose effect is
" most certain and infallible ( by Congruity.)—
673. TheBritti/b Divines in their Suffrage fay that [ Pag.n, Th. Rom. p. it. 15.21}
»I "God in the decree of Election prepareth Glory, and effectual JjJi"' 26'
"grace, intending that it shall be effectual: This he doth not for the Re- ' 4
" probate 5 and besides this negation, they know no act of Reprobation,
" as opposite to Election.]
u And they fay that [the Gospel and grace, are denyedto none but the
ff unworthy
 126 Of the Mature, Knowledge, Will

"unworthy (sinners,) And that God damneth none, nor destinateth

(C ncnc to damnation, but out of the consideration of sin/}
674. ' The Haffian Divines ibid.Par.-z. pug. 34. fay f_ u The just Judge
( God ) doth not for one cause Decree to punisti and for another execute
"it on the guilty, but both have the same cause: that is, both original
"and actual sin.3 > »
675. The Helvetian Divines there fay, p. 37. li. [_cc Which is the
a Order and Number of Gods Decrees, feeing Gods thoughts and waves
" are not as ours, and none of us are of his Councils we leave to Him
<c alone whose understanding is infinite.] ) j '
67 6. The EmbdAnDivia.es ihid.p. 75. fay [_"No one is predestinated
<c by God to sin 3 which they there prove.
Act. to. 43. Rom. 3. 24, 6-77. On the second Art. the Britcish Divines fay (/>. 78.) f_"God having
2 5. Mark 16. 1 5, 1 6. (c mercv on fa]n manlund} sent his Son, who gave himself a price of Redem-
ct ption, for the sins of the whole \vorld. .' . .- ■ - .
" Thefi 4. In this Merit of Christs death is founded the Universal Go-
."spel Promise -
isa. sp. uit. 2 cor. 3. t. u Th. 5 * In the Church, where for this Gospel-promise salvation is offer-
Luk.io!?,'!!2. ]oh.i55.2='. "e£* t0 * r^ere is l^at administration Grace, which is enough to
Heb. 2.3.V4. 3. '&d.4i " convince all the impenitent and unbelieving, that they pertfh and lose the
^ IO* " offered benefit, by their voluntary fault, and neglect' or contempt of the
« Gospel.] • '
678. On the second Article p. 103, 104, &c. there is the suffrage of
the famous Matthias Martinius, in 26 Theses of universal Redemption, and
seven Y-bests of special Redemption, and seventeen Errours rejected, so
soundj so full, so accurate, that I know not whither to referr the Reader
to see the whole controversy more shortly yet clearly and soundly opened :
And therefore intreat him to peruse it, seeing I may not be so tedious as to
transcribe it all, and knoW not how to leave out any. • . '
679. To the same fence have Ifelburge and LuA.Crocim adjoyned their
suffrages, the last being both brief and full. i. 'jy
680. The fame Breme Divines fay no more of Reprobation but these
Rom. 9. 12, 1 9, &c three Thes. 1. That there is a Decree of preterition as to special saving
Mac. 7.21. Deut.4.34. gracei 2 , That none are condemned but justly, for their sins. 3. Thac
others as unworthy are converted in Mercy : And. if others had said no
■ more of this, it had been never the worse.
ntaiius chideth Gerfon,: And of Infants they fay [Of only Believers Infants, who dye before
Bui, cajeuv, cttbtrinus . they are capable of doctrine, we determine that they are beloved of God,
SÆL&yS .and saved, as holy by Covenant-relation .- which Baptism is a Confir-
©ut Baptism. mation of 3
 and Decrees of (jcd, <3cc.

SECT. XXIV.

On the other fide.

68 i. the other side read but Snarez and Ruiz to save me trari-
V/ scribing, and see what they grant (besides that Ariminenf. and
many old Schoolmen go as far as the Synodists, as the Dominicans do much
further. ) Petr. a S. Joseph. Suav. Concord, writing for Scientia Mediae
summeth up the difference between, them and the Thomijls (that is, the
Armenians and Calvinists ) so briefly as is worth the reading : In which ,
hegranteth,
" i. £ That God from eternity antecedently to any absolute foresight of
" merits ( or preparation in us ) did freely and of meer mercy elect all those
'* to Glory that are saved: ] But denyeth f_that God antecedently to the ':
"absolute foresight of sin , did absolutely decree to exclude any from
"glory, or to addict them to eternal punishment: or that the Creation of
"Reprobates, and all natural or supernatural good conferred on them, are "" :
" the effect os reprobation. ~]
w 2. He granteth that £ the Decree of Predestination is certain and im-
" movable in three respects : i . In that just so many (hall certainly be saved
* as God hath predestinated. 2. tn that the fame species of men shall be
<c saved whom God predestinated to glory : so that both materially
te and formally, the number of the predestinate is certain. 3. In that by
"the force of Predestination, anteceding all Merits*, yea, and Causing *Thatis,Rcwarclattcacts
*c them, God giveth to the predestinate, effectual helps of grace, by which of aai>-
5* they (hall infallibly come to glory. ]
And is not here a fair concession for peace * And must not the remain-i
ing differences be only i. About words, 2. Or unsearchable Orders of
Gods Decrees and Modes of operation i Read him further, and fee. .
682. Dion. Petavius the Jesuite is too large to transcribe. Vol.\.Theol,
Dogm.lib. 9. of Predestination is worth the readings especially to know Wn-,ch ne iar ej fl,ew-
what the Fathers held of Gods Decrees, who generally agreed, that God eth in their own words';
decreed none to Hell, but upon foresight of their own sin. Though he better than any that ever
himself doth furiously rail at Calvin, and Amyraldus/ya he so far ac- "tThS^
quitteth all other Calvinists save Beza and Pifeator, and a few that he cal- the investigation of the
leth meer fools, that he faith, They have all forsaken his opinion , and {jjjj^ of thc Anuent*
instanceth in the whole Synod of Dort, who he faith desert him. And he
professeth that Augujlines judgement may safely be held, which is it in
deed, that those now called calvinists own, except in the point of perse
verance. See his lib. 10. c. i.<^-9, 10, 11.
But what a plague, livor and faction is to the Church and the owners
fouls, let but these ugly words of his be witness, lib. 10. cap. 14.^,728.
£ Cahinus nocentem nu/lumy innocentes omnes damnari stamis'] When,
Ix had made Amyrald an impudent Iyer , for proving Calvin to think
otherwise. O take heed of the spirit of a Sect.
683. Suarez.de Auxil. I. 3. cap. 6. about sufficient and effectual grace, ^JSA^S S
(into which all theother controversies fall, )confesieth that [Sufficient grace /Lx and snJe\ dt
is that quod satis est ad efficiendum supernaturalcm acsurn , quod tamen GmU ffi™* part 3i
non facitj non ex infufficientia auxilii , fed ex libertate Voluntatis : But 5°' 5 '
effectual grace is called such not only ab eventu & ejfetfu, fed etiam
quia vires prabet efficaciffimas Kolwtati , cr singularem vim ha bet ad
agendum. ~\
 1^8 Of the feature, Knowledge, Will

agendum. "} And is here no ground for Christian Concord %i this

point {
But of this subject, I must speak more particularly in the Third Part.
T am told to my face that Bellarmine himself hath enough I think to convince any man.
our Doctrine of Abso- , ,~ * . • • l c j ~ •
luteReprobationwehave that he must have a subtile contentious wit, that can hnd any great mto-
ieamed from the Pa- lerable difference herein between him and the Synod of Dort : ( I write
£ ' fhOrfuStJrf not for them that will revile Gods truth, if BelUrmme do but own it. )
them for one favour the DeGrat.& lib. arb. li. 2. cap. 9. this is his proposition f_ Though a
absolute irrespective de- « Grace sufficient be given to all, yet no reason from us ( or our part J
cree, follow herein, as ,' . c bj j n.- ■ a u- u 1 I '
they think S. Austin, but "can be given ot Gods predestination, By which we exclude noc
especially th^s.rtffww "only Merits properly so called, but also the good use of free-will, or. of
rabbie5rf'rotten School- " grace, or both as foreseen of God, though it be not called Merit, buc
men , and the whole *3? cvnvrut^ and though it be not called a Cause, but a Condition {we
«L?'Sdawhof a're " 1»* *>» p^destinaretur. ] ( Andwhatelfe would you have excluded-)
busie lealots for the And lie goeth on in divers Chapters at large to prove from Scriptures,
cause, of whose consent Justine, Tradition, Reason, that there is no foreseen Cause or Condi-
some among us are not . o-/. ' , . . ■ e■
ashamed to brag. Twijse tion of predestination in ourlelves. , •
Thufe^rtf/ maCth us * ^ 5 ' ^ 1 ^tc ^eac^er t0 note ^'iS °r^er 0I" tne Decrees ( for they
at memth/^v" and must all be rr.edling with the Order of Gods inward acts. But he doth ic
vominiuns. And vet most briefly and plainly thus ) ib. cap. 9.
ProiTT bC "[According to our mode of understanding, this feemeth to be the
"Order of Predestination in Gods mind : i. God soreseeth that if he
" make man he will fall with all his posterity j And withal he feeth thac
" he can deliver all or some as he please. 2. He decreeth (orwilleth)
<c to create man , and to permit him to fall ,• and mercifully to deliver
"some of the number of the fallen, leaving others justly in the mass of per-
''dition. 3. He contrived apt remedies for the savine of the elect ; Iri
" which the incarnation and passion of our Saviour hath the first place.
Cc 4. He approved those remedies,and then chose Christ and us in him, before
u the Constitution of the World. 5 . He disposed, ordained, and in a sort
fc commanded that so it should be done. ]
Is not this as high as the Synod of Dort goeth ? yea, more rigid than
many of the Suffrages <t For he mentioneth no giving of Christ, or any
remedy at all to any but the Elect, nor carrying the rest any further than
the common mass of perdition, before they be forsaken ? contrary to
Vi\\zx.Martiniusidxotlus, Molintm, the Brittifb Divines, and others delive
red to or in that Synod : And indeed it is unsound.
686- If you say, that he begins with a Scientia Conditionals. I an
swer, It's no more than what all sober mfcn will grant de re^ that is, that
God knew from eternity that if he so made man as he did, he would fall :
or, if there were eternal propositions, God eternally knew the truth of this
♦ hypothetical proposition, f_ If I so make man, he will fall. ~] If this was
quid intelligibile, no doubt but God knew it. But de ordine & de nomi-
whether it be fit to parcell out Gods knowledge (and Volitions ) into
such shreds and atoms, and so denominate them , let them look to it on
both sides that trouble us with their divisions.
687. And note Bellarmines further explication [Of these atls], (faith
he) "the first is of the understanding, the second of the will, the third of
" the understanding, the fourth os the will , and the fifth of the under-
" standing- and in that last the essence of predestination especially con-
"sisteth.] 1
688. Yea, cap. 15. whereas many distinguish predestination to faith or
grace, from election to glory, and say that the latter is upon the foresight
of faith as a condition, though the first be absolute, he oppofeth them
and

1
 ami 'Decrees of (jody &c. ^ 12^

and copiously laboureth to prove "that election to glory i$ absolute witH^

"out any foreseen condition in us, as well as that to grace: Though with-
4t out something in us, we have not a Right to glory : Even ( faith he )
"as if a Phyficion were sure that by such a Medicine he can, cure a manj,
" and so rcsolveth to give it him > the Medicine is the Cause that he
w is cured, but not that ic was ascertained by the decree of the Phyficion
*c before.
689. And c. 15. ad obj. 2. he jJroveth Gdds certain foreknowledge
herein, because s_ " Though all have pro loco ejr ternsore sufficient grace
<c to be converted if they will , yet indeed no man is converted, and no mart
<{ perfeveieth, but he that hath the special gift of Repentance and Per
severance, which is. not given to all, but to those only for whom God
11 decreed it."] A ..-*',
* 689. And to them that say, the Elect can refuse grace, he answereth "
that s "They can indeed j but it's certain that they will not 5 because •
«e God will call them so as he seeth so congruous , that they may not re"- ;, -r ,
"fuse his call r For thus true grace is refused by. rio hard heart, because ic
<c is given with a purpose to mollifie it. And there is no danger lest God
*c should want skill or arguments, to perfwade asy man to what he please, j .... ,
690. And indeed before de Gratia efficaci li. i.eap. 12. he tells us, that ;
'there are three opinions wherein the efficacy of grace consisteth t The. % •>;
first is, that it is called effectual only from the event, through mans con-
sent: which he disproveth. The second, that it is only efficacious by ne- "...
ceffitating physical predetermination, which he thinks to be an error on
the other extream : And the third which he defendeth is s_ that it is effi
cacious by Gods will that it shall be so , and by the Conaruity or moral . \
aptitude of inward and outward perswasiorts and means which God useth
with a decree to turn the will. ] And who can say that God cannot do
this? or if he can, that he doth not* Is here yet any room left for quar* ;„,.■ • 1 j.,
relling and bitter censures in this point i * hoidetii, that Gods voh-
691. Lib. 3. cap. 16. he, maketh two acts of Reprobation the vefy "on of mans act alone
fame that almost all the suffrages in the Synod of Port assign, and the fSdM
same doctrine that Ddvenant, and the Synod deliver; His first act of unresistiwe Grace t»
Reprobation is Negative, the second Positive •, 1: Nonhabet Volunta- *"* Dii
tern eos fdvandi, 2. Habet VolantAtem eos damnandi : ] And as to the
** first, \_Nulla datur ejus causa ex parse hominum, ficut neque prœde-
"stiridtionis : Pofterioris causa est pravijto peccati,"] They are unmerci
ful contenders that this much Reprobation will not fatisfie.
692; He .proveth as the Cahinists do> \\ u that it was not so mttth as
" for original Jin foreseen * that God is said to hate Esau $ because then
" he would have hated Jacob, also : but it must be referred to the meer will
."of God, that one was loved to salvation, and the other so hated as not
•c to be saved. 3 Just as the Synod ofDort faith*
693. Francifc.a Santf*Claray alias Davenports a Learned Scotist in his
Deus, Nat.Grat. probl. i.pag.3. describing Predestination out of^*^*-
stine, Arriba^ Scoius^ Suarez, dre faith [_ " And with all these agreeth the
<' description of Predestination Art. 17. of the English Confession. ]
6^4. And Probl. 2. of the Causes of Predestination he noteth that
£"*f«f mean not the Causes of Gods rviUy ex parse atfus volendi, fed ex
" parse volitorum, in quantum Deits vult unum ejfe propter aliud. "} And on
that supposition now easie is it to agrees
695. But headdeth £c<If you had rather fay as suarez \. p.l.x. de
(ipr*d. r. 1. that also ex parse aftus divini ( there is a Cause, ) it must
- s — "
 130 m Osthe ^Stature, Knowledge, Wtll

"be, mt as Gods acs is absolutely considered, for so it is his essence that

" hath no cause ; bur as terminated on the Creature. ]
696, Pag.7. he himself profeileth, that when the Protestants fay that
f_ "on the part of the.Predestinate there is not so much as any meritori-
•■'ous Cause;, Disposition or Condition, they speak but the common opi
nion of all the School Doctors, taking it properly and in Scripture sen:e.
Ci And what Montague and the Armintans speak of foresight , he disown-
ethj as contrary to Paul, August. Aquin.i: p. q.i*$. a. 'Sy&c. Sco'tus, Brad-
tvardine, Eftius, Smifings, —Yea, he rejectetb Abbot Joachim whd
denying any Cause of predestination in God, yet asserted a cause of it by
an aptitude in the Predestinate and the Reprobate , one being foreseen
more humble and prepared for Grace > and the other more proud and
Huiz dc Pndefin. tr. 2. unprepared} p*g-5>6. ":-r
f^^i^fl'- fi97> Yea (ordering Gods Decrees after the usual presumption ; he
emit ab atsrno efficaciter asserteth > f that God first intended! our blessedness as the end; before he
SS^JirXSS :;feodsethf ^,m>*fr. *** ™ans : And therefore cannot
ms frMvidtret ut abso- " do it lot foreseen faith, &c. Yea, that he first decreed to giveusbles-

l^nmmmTlJd-
met diferimen fantiomm
mfm/n' 1'atuitam<li-
2.Exvistrtis\toci.vi-
■vim eleaio obfqui mt-
Smt ^fkisJ'imfL
iwwi (n) liberum
voitrim sit fcmJoris
cauja Jetpjum ttijcermns ,
qua patuit risisttrt vri
^libtrta'rbitrii1*™ tort
m*t*m h vtmm 'in
pimariam causam ftavittr
l^fS^^JZA'.
Ed inirita. jiibii obfunt
quiddiuti grati* qu*
ttnqum ex primi radice
tiafeuntur ex prims gratia
data dfqut uUo prorjus
Uttaia mistm?mq& re-
mti'qimm merit™ dt
r^gLu^eifZ
iiiud datur, obtjse quiddi-
&*^'*cMSi£,'
ratio, ill occafio prorfiis
separata a mtrito, impttra-
t/ont & difpositione, adhuc
repugnant (prim* ) gra-
tit: quoniam adimc ma-
ZZfl^-sC%«t
bit-m objequii.
"giving any good, are iree, without any precedent Cause in man, in
"must needs be that the Decree of glory and not of grace only, must be
" without Merit, And he concludeth p. ij. that they have no quarrel
M here with the Doctrine of the Articles of the Church of England,
<?q8. Probl.i. he refolveth with Smiftngs, that the reason why this
absolute decree of God consisteth with free-will, is because that God doth
not only decree the event, but also the mode, that it shall be freely done :
fad therefore his decree doth not only ctnsili with Liberty, but maketh
, j j* ✓
it necejjary. . : ■ .•■'•-{ ' < ■ '-
699' His feigned order of the decrees is/wj. 27. that Goddecree-
"ethto glorifie, 2. To give grace and .merits to obtain it> and that defi-
"nitivelyi: 3. Then he foreseeth that they will concurr with grace.
"4- Then he decreeth the execution, that glory (hall be given them by the
cf means of their operations.
And pf Reprobation. " i . That God effectually decreeth to do so much
l j l 1 • • 1 1 ' ■ 1 ir r r
.as he doth, on his part to give them glory • 2. And also so far to give
"them grace; 3. Then he foreseeth that they will not co-operate with
"that grace*. 4. He decreeth to permit them to fall into sin ^ 5. And
<« then decteeth their damnation. 3 I would not cite this man if he were
* Domini*** (who are known to go higher than the Synod
01 Dortr though their reputation at home with their party tempt them to
rail ac the 0 But as he is a Seotisty and so of a middle proses-
sion. ( Though Dr. Trviffe perceived how much their founding Gods fore-
knowledge in his Volitions, advantaged him. )
V- r . .. f , D , . r r ,. n
700« Supposing you to remember the ordo signorum of his Master Sco-
tus before cited, I adjoyn the order Dotforis illuminati ( viz. Franc.
M*yronU) inji.i.d. 4f. S*U quatuorsign*: "Eft ergofrimum
^ in quo Jftdas & Pctms offeruntw Voluntati Divinœ ut neutr'f: & turn
"foluntasDivina lordinavit Petrum ad gloriam : nullurn antefit a[iumfo-
c ' fitivum ha buit circa Judam, secundum Augustimm. Secundum fignum est
* c in quo ordinavit Petrum ad gratiam : cjr tune circa Judam nullum afturn
u fosuivumhabuit. Tertium signum est in quo relinquuntur fib's ipsisk ' cr
userque cadtt in peccaturn. Quarttm signum est in qm P'etrtti resur
 and Decrees ofCjod, &c.

"git j Quia non potest permanere ; quia pradestinatus intelligitur ex pri*

" mo fi&n°- J"*** autem non resurgit • eo quod non habet felevantem in
" Deo i ideo reprobatur.~\
Here you sec a Reprobation that is no Act of God , but a non-actingJ
or is negative quoad atfum and not only quoad objeclum. And he be
fore faith out ot Scotus and with him . sj ideo dico ficut dicit Dotlor noster.
Quod prius Deus videt merita quam reprobum ; /feet prius non videat
merttaquameligat which is the commonest Doctrine of the Schoolmen
and other Papists, as well as Augustines. » . '
701. So D'OrbeUis in i.d.41. [Et dicunt quidam quod non est alia ra~
tio quareDcus ifium elegit, dr non ilium, nisi quia placet '—Eo enim
ipfo quod placet, ideo recium est, propter fummam tpftus Voluntatis recli-
tudinem Sic dicit Scotus , quod licet non videatur aliqua ratio
predestinations a parse pradestinati , aliquo modo prior prkdestinatione *
Rcprobationis tamen est aliqua ratio, propter quam scilicet ista utto ter
minator ad hoc objeclum dr ton ad illud : Cum Reprobare fit Velle
Pamnare, Reprobatio habet ex parte objefli, rationem, scilicet peccatum
finale prxvifum Non videtur autem dicendum conformiter de Prkde
stinatione cr Reprobatione $ Quia Bona Deo principaliter attribttuntur ,'
Mala autem nobis. Quia tamen Apostolus videtur totitm hoc imperferu-
tabtle relinquere, Rom. 9. O altitudo, &c. ideo dicit Scotus quod eligatur
opinio quamagis placet ; Dum tamen servesur JLibertas Divina, abfque
injustitia. Hoc autem debet fieri abfque assertione pertinacr. Rattones
namque particulares", propter quas ex parte diverjorum Divina infe-
runtur jndiciay sunt imperscrujabiles."]
But note, that as to the first part of Reprobation, mnveHe dare gratiam}
^Scotus, Mayro, &e. hold it to be nothing, or no act at all.
702. And what D'OrbeUis next addeth of Bonaventure setteth us at no
further odds. [Bonav. dicit quod licet non fit aliqua ratio Caufalis, feu me-
ritoria, pradejtinationis a parte pntdefiinati , ( quia fiquis posset de con*
digno mereri primam gratiam, tune Gratia non esset Gratia ) Potest ta
men esse aliqua ratio cohgruitatU dr condeeentu predestinations ; Non
quantum ad significatum quod est Volitio Divina, fed quantum ad Conno-
tatum quod est Gratia (jr. Gloria. Potest enim diet quod Deus pradestinat
istum proper pravifionem honorurn operum *t aliquo mo do funt a libero
arbittio: Licet enim Gratificatio vel Justificatio fit principaliter a Divina)
Voluntate, hoc tamen eft cum cooperatione & pfaparatione liberi arbitrii*
quia ut Aug. Qui, fecit te fine te non justtficabit te fine te. Unde cum
■peccator facit quod in fe,ejt, meretur de congruo justificari, seti fecunduni
quid, ex condecentia Divina\ tiberaUtatis.~] ; ,: •;
But the true meaning of this is no rpore than Protestants common! y
hold, that God giveth special Grace usually to such only as are preparedsot
it by more common Grace* and so this preparation is quid prjevifum ist
Gods decree, but no Cause of his Act of Volition or decree.
703. And in the next words hegranteth, that eveh this Preparation td
special grace, is not alwayes rieceflary, £ Deus tamen fine aliqua prapara-
tione dr cooperatione aliquos justificat, ut patet de fanfitscatis in utero*
dr de parvults post baptifmum ad cœlum evolantibus 5 aliis fine baptism*
decedentibus &C. ~) ■ ; : .; , ■ <!;-.•, s
704. And though they oft fay, that God would have, all .men saved
quantum in fe, they mean not, that God doth all to it that he can, but
that he malteth all capable of salvation , and so far hclpeth them ,
that the sailing (hall not be on his part. For so Bonavent. ubi fuprk
in 1. L'ayj, a. it q.i. explaincth it , plainly adding, that here Gods
. S % ~~ ' will
 132 Ofthe 3\(ature, Knowledge, Will

will connoteth not salvation it self , but only the said Capacity and
helps.
705 . obj. But many say,that Predestination doth not necessitate the event.
'jinsw. Twsse told you before that we are agreed all in this ; It inferreth
a Logical Necessity Consequents, though not a physical Consequents : As
Bonavent. 1. d. 40. ^.2. Ex parse ret evenientts nullam: ex parte Dei
pr&scieniis aliquant ; scilicet immutabilitatis certitudinem : Yea, as to
grace and salvation it is certainly Causal as they confess.
706. Obj. Many fay , that a predestinate person may be damned.
\Ansvp. Even zSD'Orbelfts in l.d.40. a. 2. £lsta proposition [_Prœdestina-
tus poteft damnarf] est falsa in sensu compojito- & vera in sensu diviso~\
Vide explivat. It is unchristian and unmanly to revile men that fay the
fame that we do, meerly through distaste, or because we will not be at the
labour to understand them.
707. Obj. we cannot be reconciled to them thai give so much to mans
free-mil. Ans. How much do you mean * It's a dreadful thing to hear
some good men ignorantly blaspheme God, as the chief cause of every
villany in the World, meerly upon a factious prejudice and partial op
position to other men, whom they never understood ! Would it please
you to hear that God draggeth men into sin as by the hair of the head*
When the Devil himself can but allure them ? I know it would not. Do
but make it plain as a granted things that God doth not will ok Love Jin,
and do more to Cause it, than the Devil, or the wickedestsinner himself
doth, and you can scarce tell how to differ from the greater part of the
Schoolmen themselves, or sober moderate Lutherans that are thought to be
diflenters. Let it be the Devils work, and no good Christians, to painc
God in the shape of the Father of lies and all iniquity: Our God isHoly>
and Holiness becometh all that draw near him, and is the mark ofallthac
mall fee his face. Dear Brethren^ let not us that -daily and justly con
demn ourselves for sin, and take such odious titles to our selves, make our
selves yet HoKer than God, and make God a far greater Lover and Causer
of sin thap we are. - '» v **
I will add one description of Freewill out of the last named School
man, D'Orbe/lis zSMijt, in i. sent. d. 25. dub. 2. And tell me what the
most rigid opposer of Free-will can desire more. s_" .^Whether Free-
" will be equally In all that have it ? Ans. Free-will may be compared
To that which it is free from, 2. And to that which it is free to. 1. In
" the first fense, there is a threefold Liberty 5 1 . From constraint, 2 . From
*csin, 3. From misery. Liberty from sin is not equally in good and bad 5
c< nor in man on earth and in Heaven. As Aug. Enchir. That's the
^"rVeest will, that cannot at all serve fin. And Liberty from misery is noc
"equally mall: But Liberty from constraint is equally in all, because the
«f-will cannotbe forced. Though in God and the blessed there be a Ne
cessity of Immutability, Vet not os Co-action. And necessity of Immu-
*5 tability, repugneth not Liberty ; For the will is called Free simply, noc
*5 because it so willeth this, as that it can will the contrary : but because
*cthat whatever it willeth, itdesireth it by its own Empire - Because ic
" so willeth any thing, that it willeth to will it: And therefore in the act
"of willing, itmoveth it self, and useth dominion on it self ; And so far
• But k were not fojf ic *4t is'called Free, though it be immutably ordained to it. * 2 . But if free-
^iSTS^' " wil1 becompared to that to which it is free, viz. To do right (for as
ed ana moved to lin. „, . r . f T . - , 3< if. , o \
r Anselm faith, It is<a faculty or power to keep rectitude) so it is not
iS equally in all: -.For" this Power ft in God of Himself * and in theCrea-
# tures received froMG^d : And it is more in the confirmed than the noncon-
<< firmed,
 . , and Decrees of (jod, 6cc, • k;) i j3

"firmed, and in the good than in the bad. And seeing to be able to smv
"is a diminution of Liberty ^ therefore according to Anjelm, to be able
*' to sin, is no Liberty nor part of liberty , taking Fr,ce-wt|l .according to
f' the Common Reason of it. But to have power as to the Act which de-i *
"formity isannext to, may well be a part of Liberty, not,simply-, but of
Cf Created Liberty. And so the deformity in the Act more agteeth with
<c free-will as it is aCreature, or as it isofjvothing, than ,a$:icis Free.-A-. . .
"Dub. 3. Can free-will be compelled t Anfrv. God can destroy it.butnot
«* force it •, for that is a Contradiction : But he can well effectually in-* , ,,-
feline it,and make it move it self freely to which part God will. *] &incline k.1* Wl° **
I think this is as high as you can desire. And yet there is nothing in
all this, but what both parties, may well bear With, and it hath indeed much
soundness in it. But here he treateth only about equality of Liberty 5 but
how much of it the Unsanctisied have, he elsewhere flieweth > and I have ' -
oft told you how much the most are agreed in ir* , ' ,
708. To conclude, The heart andsumm of all our differences is how ta
bake God the total first Cause of all Good, and not to make him the
Cause of fin, and the damner of man for that which he hifnself insuperir
bly causeth. I hope both sides hold fast both the conclusions ( that oub
sin and destruction is chiefly of 6ur selves , but in God is sour help, and
bur good and happiness is all frdra Him. ) And if they both hold this>
it is not the difficulty of joyning them together, and opening Gods unlearctu
able methods, that must disjoync us, and draw us to withdraw our Love, or
contemn each other, or disturb the Churches peace and unity. . '. . ,
qo'g. Gregory Ariminenfis and Gabr. Biel have come so near the rigid
Dominicans that the Reader may think that they plainly say the same of
Gods Causing all .the Act of sip> as Alvarez Tuvijse and Rutherford sayi
But let the Learned Reader note these things ^ i . That over and over
they affirm that though God Cause all the Act of sin4 yet he is but the
Causa partialis: I like not the phrase my self for the reasons before given ■
bat by this they do greatly differ from the aforesaid Authors ; fee Greg. j.
4. 34j 35 1 *r. 3. frequently faying, that God is Causa pirtialu. And ia
answering Aureolus dd nonum Jie thus fully cxplainetb it ; M,Dicendum quod
iC Cat/ft duplieiier safest acciipi Totalis : Uno mode Totdis totalttate rel.it\t
<cad Caufam •, ul eft, sufficient Causare efetfum absque concursu altering
"Cause praise causmdo scut Causat : & fic neganda est ista Consequent
tia : Quoniatn ntc Delfts npecreatura eft fie Tstalls Causa attm mali.
Nunquam er.iim talis acfus'fa'r.ety fi' Reus jjpn Cauptret eum^ Neque
x<-etiam fiCredtura \ton causare rh n& Dew hpn dliter causartt-, quam nttnc
.lt de fittto caup.u, foneurrendo cuntCreatura. Alto mpdo 7otalts totalttate
" reiafa ad" effi'ctufsl, id est} totjttn effeffytto .cattfanf : Et ejusdem possunt
tlejfe plures to.iales Cause : ejusdem enmVolitionU secundum totmn est
V; Causa jfotitia & etiam PolupfASi . .: ": Siih/-:^ -V; 1 u 1 . ■ ;
. Hprc note, that .1,. Hetaketh not caHjdtttitlh for the feme with soli-
t*f-ia,\ That rhe pflerteth only 1 that God iCaufeth the Totmi of the
Act, but not by* total Causation of it : ! And that Gods Way or fort of
.Caw'ation is not sufficient to €«4?fe it ,if man concurred not, which they
lay l\e freely doth-, And could . do' otherwise, l.a : •. . , ;V ?. > • .
- i?5lo. So tha$ |hese mensw&y of freeing God .from being the cause of
flu -is- like £cotusx&s $ As if XasJ before made the similitude ) a Fa
ther to try his Childs obedience, bids him Mt' up a Stone, which he
JCajinos do of himself,^ and the Father hokleth his hand and joyneth
his strength, yet not ad ultimum posse , but with a purposed restrains;
so far that if the Child will not put forth his degree of strength
- ,
" " ----- - -
; :'
 Ofthe Feature, Knowledge> Will

it shall not be done. But who can comprehend the waycs ofJDivine
eoncurse <
711. And it is to be noted, that when Aureo/us argueth, that f_ if God
immediately concurr, either he dctermineth mans act, or man determineth
Gods act, or neither ; which are all absurd : 2 here ~Biel citeth Scotus as
holding the third, and answering Neither , as no absurdity. But Greg.
* ubi ftp* dL 8. Arm. that seemeth to go higher, yet faith, s_* Juxta modum loquendi ar-
guentis duo quod. Deus fequitur determinationem Voluntatis : non quod,
determinate Voluntatis fit aliqua Entitas distinct* a Voluntate dr atfn
ejus, qui*primo fiat a voluntate nec intelligent quod priks natura Vo-
luntas ag.it aftnm qnam Deus, proprie loquendo de priori natura : Quoni-
am tune fequeretur quod posset ilium agere Deo non coagente.~ ■
Sed ad hunc fenfttm duo Deunt fequi Determination*tn Voluntatis 5 Quoni-
f I think it should be am ideo Deus agit illftm acturn , quia\ cumVoluntas agit. Et non idea q/fis
L£m'i Deus agit, ideo Voluntas agit: dr ideo magit proprie diciturDeus coagere
Voluntati in talem acJum canfinds, quam Voluntas dicatur coagere Dco.~\
You see that these Nominate do toto carlo differ from Alvarez , T^jffi
and Rutherford^ ( And yet Alvarez, would fain be moderate in 'thac
one Disputation which T)r.Trvif[e in a peculiar Digression oppugneth. )
712. And note, that the thing which moved Gregory to go so far as he
doth is, Lest God mould be denyeef to be the Cause of all Natural En
tity : But if you set before the will, the Creator ( 0/ Chief Good ) and
the Creature ( or sensual pleasure ) the Act in generc as a Volition is
an Entity, or modus entis: But who can prove that comparatively as ie
is terminated on the Creature* rather than on the Creator, it hath any
Natural Entity , more than the act in genere ; of any modality which
God is not able to give a Creature power to cause, or not cause,- without
predetermination from God or any other i
713. Yea, Ariminenfis seemeth to mean this himself, when ibid. d.$$
35. a. 2. ad 5. he faith [Deus sotest solus afium ilium caufare, dr allurn
odiendi, id est} qui est odium Dei , dr mendacium etiam potest caufare :
Non tamen potest caufare atfum odiendi Deum , feu odium Dei : neque
potest Caufare Mendacium vel mentiri , neque potest caufare aclum md+
lum ; Quare quemeunque affum caufaret solus , licet ille nunc fit Odium
Dei vel mendacium) vel aliquis actus malus , ft tamen Deus solus ilium
caufaret) ficut potest ilium caufare solus, non ejjet acJus, neque odium Dei
vel mendacium. ~] But whatever he thought, I have before answered this
' . difficulty of the Entity of the acts of sin.
I mention Ariminenfis judgement the rather because the Learned
Calvinists commend him : And I remember when I once askt Arch-
Bishop Ufber which of the Schoolmen he most valued as the soundest, he
said Greg. Ariminenfis.
714. Is not all this doctrine from these men cited conformable to the
doctrine of the Synod of Dort f Who in the conclusion name many positi
ons which they and all the Reformed Churches with them do, toto pectdre
detestari, abhorrvvith all their hearts: Among which one is, Deum nudo
puroque Voluntatis arbitrid, abfque omni peccati ullius refpecJu vel intuit/t,
maximam mundi partem ad aternam damnationem pradestinaffe dr cre
ate. And another is, Eodem modo quo e/ecJio sons est dr causa fidei ac bo-
norum operum , reprobationem ejse caufam infideiitatis dr impietatu :
Another is, Multos fidelium infantes ab uberibus matrum innoxios abripi
drtyrannice inGehennam pracipitari, adeo ut Us nec Baptifmus, nec Ee^
elefia; in eorum baptifmo preces, prodeffe queant,

Aq4
 , i ;—_ ;—; • ^gt

- , and "Decrees of Cjcdy &c. ' l v ' igtj

And it is much to be noted, that in conclusion they desire all men to

judge' of the Doilriiie of the Reformed Churches not by Calumnies , nor'hy
the Private sayings «fsome DoUm, antient or laser j but ' by the pubiiek
Confessions of the Churches , and by the btclaration os', this tytidet.
Therefore net by the extreams .of Beza, Pifcahr, Spanbemiu^Twfie and
RusherfirA but by what the Articles of the Churches subscribed bythe.
Pastors ;do contain. Otherwise we shall be far more foolish than tnb
Papists, who will not expose their Church' to obloquy -or , division by
standing to the sayings of Alvarez, or Molina j or any ^nvare Doctor
-whosoever. .'.<
715. And it is. notojious to any impartial peruser, that tht whole sorm
of the Doctrine of the Church of England, in the Articles , Catechism,
Liturgie, Homilies, and all their publick Writings,, was drawn up by
men of Augustines judgement, who were for absolute Election, and Uni
versal sufficient Redemption and Grace ad pojfe, but for no Reprobation
but on foresight os sin.
716. And it is greatly to be noted, with grief of heart, that among
Good men, it is partly General prejudice, but chiefly the Interest of their
Reputation with those among whom they live, which is the great impe
diment of the Churches Concord. The name of a Ctilvinist is so hate
ful among the Papists, that even the Predeterminant Dominicans who go
higher than ever Calvin did, ( and the Janfenifis, who go as high in
the main cause , and higher than the Synod of Dor/,) do yet find it a
matter of necessity to rail at Luther , Zuingliui , Calvin, &c. lest their,
party should think that they are turned Hereticks. And the.Protestants
that agree in some points with the Papists, are fain to rack the Papists
words, to a worse sense than is meant, lest their fierce oppofers (hould
make men believe that they are half Papists, or err with them. And
the moderate Calvinifts are fain to stretch hard, that they may seem to
differ more from the Arminians than- they do, lest a self-conceited re-
viler sliould blot their names with the suspicion of Arminianifm. O
doleful cafe of all the Churches 1 But where Protestants are ferv and
made odious by the Papists, as differing from them further than they do,
there Reputation is not so great' a temptation And there they freely,
' confess their concord , where they do not differ. And so in Colloquia
Torunenfi c. 4. de grat. depulf. Calum. fetf. 5, 6. all the Reformed Chur
ches of Poland with Joh. Bergius the Duke of Brandenburgs Chaplain, and
others did profess, {_Faljo accufamur, quaft Mortis & Meriti Christi pro
omnibus fufficientiam negemus , aut virtutem imminuAmus, cum potius
idem hie quod ipfa Synodus Tridentina sef.d. cap. 3. doceamus, viz. Etfi
Chrijlus pro omnibus mortuus fitj non omnes tamen mortis ejus benefci-
um recipere , fed eos duntaxat quibus meritum paffionis ejus communica
te, c'aujam etiam feu culpam , cur non omnibus communicetur, nequai
quam in merito & morte chrifli , fed in ipfts hominibus ejsefatemur. 3
Here was no partial interest to make them afraid of being suspected to
, comply with Papists.
717. 1 end with this request to all my Brethren who by their averse-
ness to the Doctrine of Common or Universal Grace, do keep open the
Churches dangerous wounds, 1. That they will give Scripture leave to
rule their judgements, and try whether it be possible to build special
Grace , on any other foundation than presupposed common Grace ? and
whether to deny this, be not to deny the very tenor of the Gospel, and
pull up the foundations of our Religion {

2. That
136 % .. Ofthe ${ature, Knowledge, Will, dec.

j. That they will but read over Davenants two dissertations, and the
second Tome ( at least) of the Learned DslUus his Apology against spa»~
hemius, that is, The words of an hundred and twenty antient Writers and
Councils, beginning at Clemens Romanus, and ending with Theophylatf,
and sixty three Protestant Divines and Synods ( to which I think I could
add as many more, that speak more plainly to the point, or near it. )
And if after all this they nave so great a zeal to contract the Glory of
Gods Mercy, and deny his Grace, as that they will cast off the judge
ment of all the antient Churches ofChrist, and so many later, rather than
acknowledge it, I (hall cease disputing with them, and seek to quench the
fire which they kindle in the Churches of Christ by Prayers and Tears.

The End of the First fart.

! THE

Second Part

g o° d s

GOVERNMENT,

AND

MORAL

WORK S-

WHEREIN

Of his Laws or Covenants, of Redemption, of suffici

ent and effectual Grace, of Faith , Justification,

Works, Merits, Perseverance, certainty of Salva

tion, &-c. so far as the Church-troubling-Contro-

versies do require.

j ' LO 3\CD 0 3^:

Printed for 3\£evil Simmons, at the ^Princes <*Arms

in St. TWr Cburcb-Tard. 1675.

■
 ■"N.

K 4

V. j1
 ($J[n Appendix id this Premonition^

Since the Printing of this, the World hath seen a specimen of such contention, as I laments
in a contest between a young insulting Assailant,and a jocular contemptuous Defendant* in
my judgment both running into extreams > whether verbal or real, their own explications
must further tell us : The extreams of the former are reprehended by many : By the la
ter, Ca person of great wit and piety, ) I perceive that some men have such conceptions of the Co
venants of God, as will give occasion to some Readers to think, that by mif-defcribing them,
I have erred and misled men, through this and many other Writings. And men that are not
able to conquer the obscuring and tempting notions of their Authors, are still calling for An
swers to every inconsiderable objection, or contradicting word that is suggested to them \ and
little things puzzle and stop such Readers ("though otherwise pious and worthy persons) who
have not by long and accurate studies methodized and digasted the matter that is disputed of:
Not therefore to offend any man by opposition, or to defend other mens extreams j but to pre
vent the frustration of seme of these Writings, and the scandal or trouble of my Reader, t
must take notice s ,
"I. That some think that [the Covenant of Grace must be considered, i.in its Constitution ; and
*c 2. in its Execution: The Constitution of the Covenant is God's firm and unchangeable Purpose of
"saving his EleS, to the praise of his glorious Grace.~] For the word signifieth a disposition, ap-
" pointment, or ordering of matters, whether there be a restipulation or no ; (the English word,
tC Covenant, seduceth our understandings) : Tht fixed purpose and determinate counsel of God,
" in Scripture, is called a Covenant, Jer. 33. 20. II. The execution of this fixed Constitution is
" God's wife and gracious managing of all things for the accomplishment of that glorious design
u which he had in the prospect of his eternal counsel, which he steadily and regularly pursueth
"through all the vicissitudes that his mutable creatures are obnoxious to, &c. pag. 7 1 8, 7 1 p.
** 1. On God's part ; whatever grace and mercy was in his eternal purpose, that is given out to us
" by Christ, &c. III. 1. Christ cannot be the foundation of the Covenant, because Christ himself
" is promised in the Covenant as the great comprehensive blessing, Isa. $p. 8, p. 2. Free Grace is
u given as .the true reason of the Covenant, Heb. 8. 8. IV. The Constitution of the Covenant in
a God's purpose and counsel, hath no condition at all : nor is that the Condition of the Covenant
" required of us on our part, which God promifeth to work in us bn his part > nor that which
" God in Covenant bestoweth, nor that which presupposeth other Covenant mercies antecedent,
** &c. V. A promise of pardon and life on condition ot believing and obeying, is ho Covenant of
" Grace at all, and neither better nor worse than a threatning of condemnation, &c. It's no mere
"a Covenant of Grace than a Covenant of Wrath.-- It's no great master where it is founded.
*' p. 584, 585. VI. God hath not dispensed with one jot or title of the moral Law, but, Do this
** and livejs as strictly exacted as ever : so that unless a Surety be admitted, and the righteousness
of another owned, the cafe of all the sons of Adam is deplorable and desperate. To deny the
" righteousness wherein the believing sinner may stand before this righteous and holy God, is to
"affirm the eternal damnation of all the World. VII. The Covenant mentioned justifieth not,
*c but declareth our Justification, which is the immediate proper effect of Christ's righteousness*
K VIII. Never any man in his wits affirmed that the righteousness of Christ is the formal cause of
** our Justification: Give us but leave to call it the material cause, or the meritorious cause im-
" mediately and properly of Justification, &c.
Some will think that they arc great and heinous errors, which 'either these words, or some of
mine that seem contrary, import : But I must crave leave here to follow my usual method, in se
parating the Controversies dere & de nomine ; and then I think that even these strange words
prove not him and me at so great a distance as they seem to intimate. For I grant him as follow-
eth de re.
1. That God hath such a decree of Election or eternal purpose as he deferibeth, and calleth
the Constitution of the Covenant. 2. That God doth wisely and graciously execute this Decree.
3. That all Grace and Mercy is given by Christ : CAnd therefore so far as Mercy is common,
Christ is the common cause of it.) 4. That Christ himself is a blessing or gift decreed, and also
freely given by God, even from his love to the World, Job. 3. 16. 5. That God's electing Act\
or Decree, as in him, hath no condition : nor his purpose to give Christ as a Saviour to mankind.
<S.On our part no condition is required, either that God may elect us, or that the first promise of
a Saviour be made, or that Christ come into the World, or that he fulfill all righteousness, or that
he obey, or die, or rife, or be glorified, or come to judgment,or raise the dead, or that he enact it
as his Law of Grace, that [he that believeth and is baptised, (hall be saved ; and he that btlievtth
notshall be damntd.~] 7. Nor is any coaditionon our part necessary (absolutely, necessitate medii)
*e that
 An Appendix to this Premonition.

that the Gospel, or the first Grace, yea the first special Grace be given us. 8. That Christ by his suf
fering and merits hath procured to his elect-, not only pardon and life if they believe and obey him,
but Grace to cause them effectually and infallibly to believe, repent, obey, and persevere. $>. That no
man can or will believe and repent, but by his Grace, i o. That to give men a promise of pardon
and life if they will believe, repent, and obey the Gospel, is not the whole of Christ's Grace to
any : but where-ever he giveth this, he giveth also much means, and gracious help, by which men
may do better than they do, and so be more prepared for his further Grace, ir. That if .God
only gave men a promise of pardon if they believe, and gave them no Grace to enable or help
them to believe, it would be no saving Covenant. 12. God did not repeal his Law of Innocency,
(or as he had rather call it, of Perfection) ; nor did properly dispense with, or relax the precep
tive part of it : Nor is it absolutely ceased, as to a capable subject And therefore Christ was
bound to perfection. 13. God would not have his Law to be without the honour of the per
fect performance of mans Mediator, though it be violated by us all. 14. No man is saved or
justified but by the proper merit of Christ's perfect obedience ; yea, and his habitual holiness and
satisfactory sufferings, advanced in dignity by his divine perfection. 1 5. This merit, as related to
us, supposcth that Christ, as a Sponsor, was the second Adam, the Root of the justified, the recon
ciling Mediator, who obeyed perfectly with that intent, that by his obedience we might be justi
fied i and who suffered for our lins, in our room and stead ■ > and so was in tantum our Vicaritu
poenœ, as some phrase it, orsubstitute ■ , and was made a curse for us, that we might be healed by
his stripes ; as he was obedient, that his righteousness might be the reason as a meritorious cause
of our Justification : which supposeth the relation of an undertaking Redeemer, in our nature do
ing this, and in our stead so far forth, as that therefore perfect obedience should not be necefiary to
be performed by our selves : And righteousness therefore is imputed to us, that is, we are truly
reputed righteous, because we, as believing members of Christ, have right to impunity and life,
/ as merited by his righteousness, and freely given to all penitent believers. And Christ's own
j righteousness may be said so far to be imputed to us, as to be reckoned or reputed the meritorious
cause of our right or justification, as aforesaid.
Thus far we are agreed de re : And then de nomine I willingly leave men to their way of
speech. 1. If he will call God's Decree, his Covenant in Constitution. 2. If he will call the ex
ecution of his Decree, his Covenant in execution. 3. If he will call nothing else the Corenant
of Grace, of at least nothing of narrower extent, but what comprehendeth God's eternal De
crees, and the promise and gift of a Redeemer, (and so of the rest,) I cannot help it> his lan
guage is his own. But I (hall tell you further my thoughts dere& de nomine.
1. Ve re: 1. God's eternal decrees, purposes, or election, give no one right to Christ, Pardon
or Life i and so justifie no man.
2. The execution of God's Decrees , yea, of Election, hath many Acts befides Justifica
tion. ,
3. It must therefore be some transient Act done in time, & ad extra, by which God justifieth
men.
4. There are divers such acts concurring in several sorts of causality, or respect.
5. Christ's meritorious righteousness and satisfaction are the sole, proper, immediate cause-
meritorious of all the Grace or Mercy procured and given by him j there being no other meri
torious cause of the same kind either more immediate, or at all co-ordinate, and copartner with
him. ) . ;.
6. As Christ giveth us Holiness qualitative and active by the real operation of his Spirit, (though
he merited it immediately himself i ) so doth he give us right to impunity, to the further Grace of
the Spirit, and to Glory, by the instrumentality of his Covenant, as by a Testament, Deed of Gift,
or Law of Grace. W hich by signifying God's donative will, doth not first declare us justified, or
to have the foresaid right to Christ and Life, but doth first give us instrumentally that right ; and
so immediately justify us. (And God's will giveth us not right as secret, or of it self, but by such
instrumental significations
7. God hath signified his will to us, partly by absolute gifts and promises, and partly by con
ditional that such there are, he that denieth, must deny much of the Scripture. Christ was ab
solutely given to fallen mankind for a Redeemer > and so was the Conditional Law, or Covenant of
Grace ; and many other mercies But he hath made and recorded a conditional Gift of Christ,
as in special Union, (to be our Head,) and of Pardon and Salvation.
8. It is Christ's stated Constitution, that [he that believetb, and is baptized, shall be saved; and
he that believeth not jhall be damned, Mar. 16.16. That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Je
sus, and believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou Jhalt be saved: sr with the
heart man believeth (Christ's resurrection) unto righteousness, and with the mouth consfion is made
unto Salvation, Rom, to. Ihat exceptyou repent you Jhall all perish, Luke 13.3,5. ^hat men mt$
repent, and be baptized, for the remijfion of fins, Acts 2.38. And repent and be converted,
that
 An Appendix to this Premonition.

that their fbtt may be blotted out, Acts 3. i£. So, Rev. 22. 14. Matt. 6. 14, 15. Ezek. 33. 14, 16.
1 Tim. 4. 8. Godliness is profitable to all things, having the promise of the Life that how is, and of
that which is to comei] Call these Laws, or Covenants, or what you will, we are agreed that all this
is the word of God.
9. These terms of life and death are the rule os our practices, and our expectations, by which
we must live, and by which we (hall be judged: and therefore we may truly say thtt they are
Christ's Law. And they are God's signified determination of the conditions of life and death
and his donation of our right to Christ, Pardon and Ltfe, is contained herein , and therefore this
may truly be called Christ's Testament and Covenant, in several respects.
10. Though all duties be prescribed by God's Law, and so each Precept is a material part * yet
formally or specifically the Laws to which these material parts belong, must be distinguished by the
distinct conditions of life and death.
11. God hath made more Promises, Donations and Covenants, than one or two ■, which must not
be confounded: 1. His Law and Covenant made to and with man in innoeency is one. 2. And
his Law and Covenant made to and with Christ, as Mediator, is another. 3. And his absolute
promise of a Saviour to the World, with the conditional promise or Law of Grace conjunct, was
the Hrst edition of another. And the Gospel, as after the incarnation promulgate, was a more
perfect edition of it : (to pass by Abraham's Covenant of Peculiarity, and the Mofaical Law, as
such.;
12. Though Christ be promiftd in one -of these, and be God's antecedent gift, he may neverthe
less be the Author of another, Cand so far the foundation,^ as well as the meritorious cause.
13. That may be of free Grace which is merited by Christ > yea, and that which is annexed to
the Evangelical worthiness of a believer.
14. That may be a condition required of us, to be done by the help of Grace, which yet is the
effect of that Grace, and given us by God.
1 5. It is a true Covenant between God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and man, which is
solemnly entred into in Baptism : And this is a Covenant of Grace, even that' proceedeth purely
from Grace \ and of Grace, as given by God, and by us accepted. He that will confound these va
rious Covenants, Promises, and Laws, on pretence of their unity, ("though there is doubtless a
• wonderful unity ofz\\ the parts both of God's moral (iigcal) means, and his physical works.) shall
confound much of Theology. >;- '
id. Th« Law made to Adam never said [either thou or another for theeshall obey\]b\itit bound
man to perfelt, perpetual, personal obedience.
17. Therefore that Law, as it obliged us, is not fulfilled by the obedience of Christ, but only
as far as it obliged him ; nor can any man be justified by it, as a fulfiller of it, by himself, or by
another : nor did Christ fulfil it in any other mans person, though in his stead, so far as is afore
said.
1 8. The Law doth not command any man since Adam, perfect, personal obedience, as the means
or condition of life ; not promise any life on such a condition as is now naturally impossible : bus
though it be not repealed by God, is so far ceased, by the cessation of the subjects capacity to be
so obliged. • " "■• >■• 1 '■ -■:
1 p. The Laws obligation of us to punishment is difpemed with, and dissolved by a pardon pur
chased by our Mediator.
20. Christ's righteousness is nevertheless the meritorious cause of our righteousness or justifica
tion, though he justify us by the instrumentality of his donative Covenant, as giving us right to our
Union, and Ju(tification and Life •, and though our Faith and Repentance be the condition of our
Title. ■
21. "We accept two Concessions as containiug that truth, which fheweth that we do not much
differ de re, could we more happily order our organical conceptions : *: 1. That Christ's righteous-
" ness is not the formal cause of our Justification : 2. p. 596. [Seeing the satisfaction was not made
"IN THE PERSON of the offender, but his substitutes it was necessary that THE
" BENEFIT' of ANOT HEB.S satisfaction should be communicated in such a way as might
*' best please that God whose Grace was the only motive to his acceptation of a substitute : It is
" the undoubted priviledge of the Giver, to dispose of his own gifts in his own way : And it
" was absolutely and indispensibly necessary that the sinner should be duly qualified to receive
.*' such transcendent favours, purchased at so dear a rate, and fitted to return the glory to a Re-
** deemcr i which an unhumbled, unbelieving, unconverted and unsanctified sinner could not pos-
*' libly be-] He that writeth this, cannot sure much differ from me hereabouts.
But he is charitably uncharitable, when he faith, [Never any man in bis wits affirmed it so, (that
the righteousness of Christ is the formal cause of our Justification.) It's too charitable to hide
that which cannot be hid, of so great a number \ whom it seems he never read(fbr all his Commis
sion from all the SyUematical Divines of Germany, &c.p. 6p6.) And it's too uncharitable to jud^e
 An Appendix to this Premonition,

so many excellent men out of their n its. The truth is, so many speak so, that I have been doubt
ful I mould be smartly censured for saying otherwise.]
Forma qua justistcamur eft mifericordia Patris & perfeQa Juftitia filii, faith Ant. Faytts fai his
Accurate Theses, Tb. 60. p. 2 80. (And by mifericordia Patris being the form, you may fee how he
understood Imputation..)
The number that thus speak, are too great here to be recited : so that even the most judicious
Davenant, left he should go out of the road, was fain to make this the Theses to be proved by
him ; Imputatam Chrijii obedienttam ejfe caufam formalem justifications nojir£,probatur ; Cap. 28.
p. 3 62. &c. de Injiit. habit. But let none turn this to our reproach, nor take all these for mad i for
it is but an unapt name, and by him and many others soundly meant : for the greater part of these
Divines fay but that lmputatio Jujiit'u Chrijii & Remiffio peccatorum arc the form, not of Justifi
cation, as in us, but as it is ASus Justificantis, (zsAltingius,Maresius, Sharptui, Bucanus, Span-
hemius, Nigrinut, Sohniits, Eeumler, and many others : And Pareus, Joh. Crocius de Jujlif. and
many more exprefly deny Christ's righteousness to be the formal cause : And I believe that all
they that assert it, mean as the rest, though they speak incautelously and unaptly.
And what they mean by [Imputations let Davenant speak, ib. c. 27. />. 3557. [Imputantur
quando illorum intuit us & reJpeBut valent nobis ad aliqwem effeGum, <r que acft a nobis, aut in nobis
effent, —fiquis indignus aut ignavus ob paternam virtutem & merita erga rempublicam, in gratiam
regis admittatur, — gratum & nobilitatum dicamus per & propter Imputationem virtutit paterntTj
This is Lradfhaw's fense, but yet the limilitude falls short.
So Altingius states the Question i hoc. Com. part. 2. p. 679. \_An jujiificatio consijiat in Impu
tation JujiitU Chrijii, hoc eft in Imputation* JujiitU per Christum acquisitæ f] And what Prote
stant will deny this ?
And Maresius swith him) faith, [Cum Paulo jujlitie lmputatio & peccatorum remiffio idemsint,
prout nullum e(l diferimen inter fatisfaQionem Chrijii & illius meritum, non eft necejje fubtiliuf in
ter bee duo fcrupulofe dijiinguere, cum remiffio fit peccatorum turn commiffion'n, turn omiffionis & per
Mam jus plenum ad vitam aternam habeamus.~\ ("But this needeth somewhat more I think,) hoc.
1 1, f. 284.
And the description of the efeS sheweth what the Imputation is, which Marefm truly thus de-
seribeth, Exeg. Art.2$.p. 326, 327. Transit reatu (peccatum orig.) ut non amplim imputetur \ ad-
beret quidem ei infeparabiliter Ream potentialis five in aUu prime ; ut fonat intrinfecum meritum
poene > fed ablatus eft AUualys, five quoad a&um secundum, ut fonat jus & voluntatem Dei de p&na
illj adhuc exigenda : N. B.
Thyfius in fynopfi Leidens.Dijp. 33. p. 413. faith, [Mirumhic videri non debet Chrijii justitism\
non meritorix folum & materialist, imo & FormalU cause rationem habere, cum id fiat diverfi mode ,
nempe qua ilia est, propter quod, in quo, feu ex quo, &per quod juftificamur.~] So he taketh Christ's
righteousness to be all three, Cthe meritorious, material, and formal cause of our Justification.)
De nomine, I add as to our Author : 1 . 1 hope few will follow him, in calling the Decrees of "
God, the Covenant, and confounding Elefiion and the Covenant in Constitution. For my part, I
will not.
2. Constitution tymfiesh, 1. aVtum Constituentis ■> 2. more usually passively, (iatum feu rent con-
stitutam : God's Eternal Purpose is not properly the Covenant in Constitution in either sense.
3. God's Eternal Decree is nothing but his Essence f-for there is nothing in God but God, and
nothing but God eternal) denominated, as related to its connoted object, fwhich from eternity
was nothing.) And the Covenant in Constitution is not God, nor (hall be by me so called.
4. Nor will I call the whole execution of God's Election by Christ, the Covenant in Execu
tion i nor any part of it but that which Scripture so calleth.
5. I grant him that a-ur^i is usually taken for a divine disposition and constitution : but that
is not meerly in God s Decree, but Cas Grotius hath at large opened,) (Pref. ad Annot. in Evang.)
as it is God s signal revealed determination of the terms of life and death > or as it is a Law and
a Covenant on God's pirt imposed on us, before we consent. And Jer. 33. 20. doth not call
God's meer Decree, his Covenant > (bat his created course and law of nature.)
6. He that will but try the Texts which his Concordance referreth him to, and cannot find a
multitude of places where the word [Covenant] is taken for somewhat else than God's Decrees,
and their general Execution, even for a haw with its premiant and penal fanition, and for a free
donation or promise, which yet hath its proper conditions, as the moralis dfpofitio recipientium ;
and that cannot find divers such Covenants made, by God, with Christ and us, that are really
distinct, and not to be confounded, must not expect that I here trouble other Readers with such
a task as his conviction.
7. 1 fully agree, that Christ's righteoufnrfs is fitly called, both the meritorious and material
cause of our Righteousness or passive Justification: (Though I lately read one contending that
it cannot be both.J For we mean but that it is that Matter or Thing which meriteth it.
THE

»
The Con t .e.n-'t s c&utMe T# j: s e s v cannot be

well given you,, without reeifirtjg too great, a par^

of them : But rather than nohe^takethis imperfect

summary ^

Sect. I. F waiw /r/2 and the first ijtw, and ifapenalty. whe-
. ■ *for Adam bad a premise , of Xife.s and whether that
Promist or Covenant be mwet^sed at toaU.men <? Page 27.
Sect.IL Of the first Edition- of the ham or Cvvenant of GWfctt, that it was
made with all Mankind in Adam and Noahs. Ofkibe Promise to
■ Abraham ; Of the Terms' ofjhefirU. Edition ofthe Universal Cove*
nant of Grace. How far it is a Law of Natures How far those
without th& Israel itish Church were under it : Of the" Israelites
Covenant, pag. 3 1. ...1 .-■ft
Sect. Ill* Of Christ's Indamation and our Redempfhn. The LaM ofMedia*
■ tion. What Christ undertook far us: How far he repHfentkdrns i
The true nature of his Satisfa&iom . Of his Righteousness and
Merit's, pag, 37. ■• '• ■*• w ».,'.'. V v \')A SiJ*.
Sect. IV. Of the Law of Grace or Neny Covenantin the last Edition. The
Nature,.Conditions, andyvtfree Donations of <f, pagk4.V_' . 1 ; A
Sect. V. Of the giving of the Holy Ghost : His common andspecial Worlds :
The extent of the New Covenant : of the state of those that have
not the Gospel : And what Law they are under, pag. 45.
Sect. VI. How far ChriSt diedfor all, and howfar not, pag. 5 1.
Sect. VII. The antecedent and consequent Will of God, explained. Of Justi
fication by Faith. What faith it is 3 and what it doth,$ag. 54.
Sect.VIII. Of Justification by Christ's Righteousness imputed. The false
sense of Imputation opened and fulls confuted. The true sense
asserted, whether Chrill paid our Idem or Tantundem ? Whe
ther he made his Satisfaction to God only as to a ReUor, or as
Dominus, vel pars læsi, or how .<? pag. 59.
Sect. IX. Of the forts of Justification : And first of Constitutive Justification.
Of Righteousness : How far it is or is not in our own habits or aUs.
What Right the Covenant giveth the baptized to following helps and
degrees of Grace. Further, what must be in ourselves. Mans holi
ness is no dishonour to Gods Grace. How far Christstrippeth us of
our own Righteousness. More against the falsesense of Imputation 5
tibje&ions answered, pag. 69.
Sect. X. Of Merit : The cafe plainly and briefly decided. The Gospel-Condi
tion or Merit, is but the accepting afree Gift according to its nature.
Whether we may truU to our own Faith, Repentance, Holiness. The
last Argument for the falsefense of Imputation, answered, pag. 79.
Sect. XI. How Faith justifieth .<? whether as an Instrument ? pag. 82.
Sect.XII. Howfar Repentance is a Condition of the Covenant : And what it
is: Whether Faith or it be first : How Faith and Love differ,
pag. 83.
Sect.XIII.0f the degrees of Pardon and Justification : Whether lofable : And
whether futurefins be pardoned, pag. 8 5 .
Sect.XlV, Of Justification by Sentence of the Judge : What it is, ibid.
Sect,
Sect. XV. Of initial executive Pardon or Justification, in SanUificati on :
Howfar necessary, yet imperfeB, pag. 86.
Sect. XVI. Of assurance of Pardon : Of doubting : Whether it be Divine
'. . Faith to believe ones own purification or Salvatiom The Spirits
... Testimony, pag. 88* ■ ■ , -
Sect. XVII. Of love to God as the end of Faith'? and foretaji of Heaven,
pag. 91.
Sect. XVlII. Of Perseverance, and its certainty in order to the comfortable
certainty of Salvation. Few certain of Justification, andfewer
of Perseverance. The words of the Synod of Dort. The Fa-
thers Judgment about certainty of'perseverance, pag. 93
Sect. XIX. Of mortal Sin, or such as will not stand -with the love of God,
and astate of Justification, pag. 103.
Sect. XX. What Repentance for particular fins is necessary to pardon,
pag. 106.
Sect. XXI. Some solution of all the former difficulties in twenty Propositi
ons, 108.
Sect. XXII. Few certain of Salvation. The reconciling consequents of this,
pag. 112.
Sect. XXIII. The cafe of Perseverance further opened and applied, pag. 113.
Sect. XXIV. Thesum andscope of this Discourse of Certainty, pag. 116.
Sect. XXV. Degrees offalling, and danger, pag. 118.
Sect. XXVI. Offinal Justification at Judgment: More of the Agreement of
Paul James about Justification by Works, pag. 119.
Scct.XXVII.qf the number ofthe glorified and the damned, pag. 123.

A Pre-
 A

PREMONITION-

MY work at present is but to lay down so much of the

Christian Doctrine briefly, as is neceflary to be understood
for the reconciling ofthe Controversies about Predestination,
Providence, Grace and Free-will : And therefore pass over
many other weighty Points, and must not stand largely to prove all
as I go, which carrieth its own evidence : The true nature of the first
Law or Covenant deserveth a more accurate discussion than I can here
make 5 and much passeth as certain with some, which hath but little
proof.
And here I meet with these different Opinions : 1. Some fay that the
condition of the first Covenant was not Innocency, but sincerity : And
that Innocency was only a Duty, neceflary necejjitate pracepti, but not
medii : or that it was ut medium neceflary ad melius effe, or to some cer
tain degreet of felicity, whereof it was a condition, but not to felicity it
self. And that the Covenant of Grace doth herein agree with it ; both
of them damning man only for mortal Jin , and punishing them tempo
rally only for venialfin. And he seemeth to be of this mind, who faith
that, Do this and live , or Innocency or Workj was the Condition only
of Moses Law, but that Adhere and Vanquish was the Condition of the
first Covenant : But these are ambiguous unsatisfactory terms : If the
meaning be, £ Adhere to Cod and his Law by perfeft Innocency, and van-
quist)z\\ temptations to Sin, ] thjs is the fame with that Innocency which
we fay was the Condition. But if he mean only, £ Adhere to me sin
cerely by love as thy Ultimate End, and vanquish all temptations which
•would draw thee from me, to another Ultimate End or God, ~] this is
the fame with the first opinion 5 which many PapiSis seem to hold.
2. But the more common Opinion is that which I assert, That Inno
cency was the Condition, not only of Life eternal, but of all the be- j
nefits of Gods Covenant, and the least sin the forfeiture of all.
They that are for the first Opinion think, that if Adam had committed
but a small or venial sin ( as a sinful thought or desire after theforbiddea
Fruit, without the act or full consent ) it had been against Gods natural
Goodness and Justice to have condemned him to Hell for it. And con
sequently that Christ died not to pardon the pains of Hell as due for such
little sins 5 but only temporal smaller punishments.
But God best knoweth his own Nature; And nature telleth us, That
all fm deserveth puniflment ; And he that finneth , so far removeth his
heart from God, and forsciteth his Spirit or Grace : And he that hath
once so turned from God in the least degree, cannot of himself return
nor heal himself 5 and had no promise of Gods Grace to <lo it: And
therefore it is not to be supposed that he should sin no more, but such a
minute sin 5 for greater will come in presently at that breach, unless God
recover htm, which he was not in Justice bound to do : And no one know-
eth so well as God how much malignity is in the smallest fin^And it was as
easie for sinless Adam to have continued sinless, as for carnal men now
to forbear gross sin. And he that sinneth deserveth not Heaven or Life :
And there are divers degrees of punishment in Hell, according to the
B degrees
2 <?~Z Premonition.

degrees of Sin : And Christ died for all our fins : therefore they did
every one deserve death : which consisted not with a right to Life :
therefore not wjth a right to Heaven : And an immortal Soul was not
naturally to be annihilated 5 therefore to live in some punishment as se
parated : And Rom. 3. 9. all were tinder Sin, yet all had not gross Sin.
Rom. 6. 23. The wages of Sin is Death. Rom. 5. 12. Death faffed on aUy
for that all have finned. Rom. 2. 12. As many as have finned without
Law, fl)aH perip without Law. And we must pray for the pardon of all
Sin : And unpardoned Sin will damn men. These are the reasons on
this side. •
They of the other Opinion fay, That the Gospel-Covenant sheweth
Gods Nature as well as the first Law : That God had not been unjust in
deed, if he had permitted him to fall into great Sin, and so to perish,
who committed the least : for he so permitted Adam to commit the first
chat was before innocent : But the Justice of God bound him not so to
do : nor would have damned a Lover of God, for a small Sin, no more
than now : That we must not feign a Law which we cannot prove :
That God changeth not his holy Nature, and therefore not that Law,
which is the expression of it : That Christ died for all Sin, and all needs
pardon 5 but that proveth not that the least deserved death, much less
Hell 5 but that by Christ's Death the deserved punishment must be re
mitted 5 that all, even Infants, are guilty of mortal Sin in Adam : That
Death is the wages of that Sin which brought it, but not of the least:
That Adam's Law was not severer than that by Moses, which faith, Do
this and live, and yet condemned not men for smaller sins 5 That God
proclaimeth pardon of some Sin, in the very Law of Nature as from
his Nature , Exod. 34. and the Second Commandment, That Nature
teacheth all the World to believe it : That God said not to Adam, [la
the day that thou thinkest a vain thought,] but [ That thou cateft^
&c. That mortal Sin is pardonable by Christ which else could not by
the first Law : but God could otherwise have pardoned a vain thought,
if he would ; That no Text of Scripture faith, that every Sin delerveth
Hell, nor is threatned with Death. 3
And as the condition of the Penalty, so the condition of the Promise
to Adam is here also controverted by Divines: 1. Some fay that the
condition of Life was personal, perfect, perpetual Obedience till hjs
change , which God would make as he did by Henoch when it pleased
him : ( which seemeth to me the probablest Opinion ).
2. Others think that Adam was to have continued in Eden sot ever
under that fame conditional Law (which is less probable.)
3. Others think, that had he over-come the first temptation, but so
far as to adhere and vanquish, that is, to continue the love of God, and
not to eat that Fruit, or commit any other mortal Sin, which of its
nature killeth Love, he had been confirmed, as the promised Re
ward.
4. I have lately met with an exceeding ingenious M. S. ( written part
ly against mf self, after others ) which aslerteth, 1. That the Glory of
Justice is the end of Gods Government. 2. That Do this (perfectly)
and live , or Sin ( at all ) and die , are the constant terms of Justice
under every Covenant. 3. That if Adam had performed but one Aft
of Obedience, by that Law, he should have been rewarded with confir
mation, or the Holy Ghost (as the Angels) and with everlasting life.
4. That now all our Reward is only the Act of Gods Justice, giving us
life, as merited by us in Christ on the terms ofthe Law that faith, Do this
 and live, sin and die j in whom we are perfectly innocent and reward-
able } and we have no rewardable Righteousness, nor any to justisie us,
but perfeU Innocency imputed ; because as not to be a Sinner is no merit
of a Reward, so pardon of Sin is no Title to a Reward, dfc
It is not my present task to clear up all these Difficulties, (having
done more towards it in my Methodus Theologiœ) 5 but only so much as
our present conciliatory work requireth : But yet because I and the
matter in hand are nearly concerned in the M. S. I shall briefly animad
vert on all the substance of it 5 having first said of the condition ot the
penalty but a few words.
1. I am loth to confound the certainties with the uncertainties, in this
matter. I. It is certain, that Gods Law of Nature was mans first and
principal Law 5 to which the supernatural Revelations were added, and
comparatively sew.
2. It is certain that Gods Law Was perfeft, and that both as the im
press and expression of Gods perfect Wisdom and Holiness, and as the
Rule of Perfeftion to Adam : And therefore that it obliged him to per
fection.
3. But this TerfeUion to which he was obliged, was not at firsts all
that his nature would be capable of at last 5 It was not his duty the first
hour of his life, to Know or Do as much as after the longest time and
experience, and as much as in heavenly perfection : But he was bound to
Know, and Love, and Do at first, as much as at that time his nature was
capable of, supposing necessary Concauses and Objects.
4. This is summed up in, Loving God with all the Heart, Mind and
Might. But the All in maturity and after full experience, and in Glory,
is more than the All in unexperienced juniority. To \now, love and
obey God, to the utmost intention of his present natural Power, supposing
due Objects, media and concauses, was Adam's duty and all defective-
ness herein was culpable, or sin.
5. All sin of its own nature deferveth punishment: Therefore so
would the least culpable thought or word in Adam, or the least culpable
defect in the extent or intention of any holy affection in him.
6. It is certain that Adam's eating the forbidden Fruit, or any one
such sin as confisteth not with the predominancy of his Love to God as
God, in habit, such as is now inconsistent with true Grace, and is called
mortal, was to be punished with death temporal and eternal, according
to the Justice of that Law.
7. They are different questions, 1. What God might do. 2. What
he would do, ( as decreed ). 3. What he must do, ( as necessary because qf
Justice or Veracjty ) , to the breaker of that Law. And it is clear that
God might, 'as an Act of "justice, punish the least culpable thought, or re-
missness of degree of Love, with Annihilation, or with any pain-ever
lasting, which to the Sinner were no worse than Annihilation. Because,
1. Antecedently to his Law, he might have done that much as an affliction
without sin. 2. And after he did no way ( that I know of) oblige
himself to the contrary to a Sinner , before the Covenant of Grace.
.3. And having threatned punishment in general, he might choose what
punishment he saw fit.
8. What God would do as decreed, the prediction or the event only
can tell us. , .
9. That God mutt ( by necessity of Justice and Truth ) punish the
leaU sinful thought or remissnesi , with some degree of punishment, ac
cording to that Law, seeraeth to me somewhat clear.
B 2 1. And
 <$ji ^Premonition.
4
i . And yet it is more clear that it is various degrees of punishment
which are comprized in the word [ Death 3 or Q Filius mortis~] in the
threatning } And that we cannot say,that Justice made it necessary to God
to punish the least vain thought or remissness with the greatest punish
ment, or damnation.
But (as to the uncertainties) i. With what degree of punishment
God m Justice must, or wouldhavc punished a vain thought, or any sin
consistent with his habitual prevalent love? 2;- Or whether a vain
thought must needs have separated Soul and Body , or caused that
which we call Hell ? 3. Or whether God could in Justice have par
doned that vain thought , upon less satisfaction than the sufferings of
Christ? These with many others are questions too hard forme, what
ever they may be to wiser men.
But I am satisfied that God would never have damned in Hell any Soul
that had the habitual predominant love of Cod, though culpably remiss,
and otherwise sinful, while he remained such j yea that Hell and such
love of God are inconsistent : And therefore if any such sin would have
damned Adam, it must be by further quenching and expelling the Spirit
of Grace, or forfeiting and losing Divine assistance, and so first losing
that habit of love. The rest I leave to the more illuminated.
II. Now as to the M. s. ( said to be written by a young man of New
England, deceased, As. W. ) it hath so much accuratenesi, that in reading
it, I greatly lament the Authors death, before maturity and converse had
rectified some of his notions, and he had longer improved his excellent
understanding for the Church. And because my Doctrine is particu
larly opposed in it, I shall stay to animadvert on the substance of the
Book. *
And it may be reduced to these Proposition's.
f. The great fundamental point of it 19, That man was made toglotifie
Cods Justicefor ever.
Animad. This is a great truth, not well considered by many : But it is
but a part of the truth, which is, That man was made to glaripe Cods Vital
Power, Wisdom and Love, and isgoverned eminently by Wisdom, m:iking
ORDER, and justly keeping it, together with mercy, because the
glory of Holiness and Love also is the end. Which I have more carefully
opened hereafter. -
2. M. S. The reason ofspecial government is, That man is causa con-
silio; Though as he defireth and seeketh good in general, he is but a natural
Agent ; And therefore Twifie erreth in faying, that God may punifi an in
nocent man, because he may afflift a beatt.
Ans. I. By causa confilione meaneth a rational free Agent, having an
IntelleB and Free-wilt 5 This indeed maketh and proveth'man a subjett
made to be morally governed. But when he had laid all his stress on this
Free-will under the name of causa confllio, he went too far in seeming
with Gibieitf( whom he citeth and followeth as his great Light) to
confine the name of true liberty to the Amplitude and Holiness of the Will,
which is another kind of Liberty : And ( as Arntatus truly faith ) Gibieuf
was fitter for a scraphick pious Discourse ( in a Platonick strain ) than
for such Controversies. 2. As Rada and other Scotifis well prove,
there is no Act of the Will, everi to good in general, which is notice,
though some be necessary, and the inclination is natural and not free.
3. Yea he proveth, that there is no such thing as a Volition of any good
ingenere, saving as the generical nature of good is found in some parti
cular (in ejse cognito.) 4, Twifse was not so weak as to call that punifi-
ment
 <$jt 'Premonition.

ment which is not for fin, but calleth it AffliSfion or Cruciatum only.
And he speaketh not what God may do by his ordinate Will: But I
think that you are in the right, and he in the wrong, because the very
making us men, and so governed SubjeUs, is a declaration of Cods ordi
nate Will, not to make us miserable but for sin. ,
M. S. Adam's whole man wasfanftified, andso fitted to obey, and to
glorifie Jitfiice : His free-will was not an indifferency, but ( as Gib.) that
noble virtue of his Soul, by which he could go above all created good, so
that Liberty and Eupraxy or Obedience are all one : But we cannot sir an
inch to God, above the Creature. Liberty is to imitate God, whose Will
clofethwith himself, and relhth in himself for ever : And mutability is
hut an adjunft of our Liberty.
An. I have better opened and distinguished Liberty before, Lib. t.
natural Liberty is to be distinguished from moral, which you describe j
and vehemently aflert the former under the name of causa confilio that
cannot be forced: But meet indifferency or mutability is no Liberty it
self.
4. M. S. Adam was not made with notions in his Mind, no more than
with colours in his Eyes 5 but he was made able and Jit to fee God in the
frame of Nature, especially in his own Will, as inclined to universal good—.
An. Scaliger and others think, that Idea's are born in us, which ma-
keth the Chicken fly at the shadow of the Rite, &c. But I rather soy
as you, that it is but a Disposition 5 which will so easily act, that some
call it an idea, and it is the fame thing that they mean while they differ
about the name.
5. M. S. Do this and live, is the way that Justice will be glorified
in : And that doing would merit life, Adam either knew by nature^ erJit-
pernaturally, at leali was confirmed in it bysupernatural revelation.
An. This is all true. '
jj. 6. M. S. Do thk and live, as the only terms of life are a Catholics
and theological axiom : Hot the Words , but Energetics Wisdom printed
on thefame. And the meaning is, close with the laji end 5 or with the true
Universal God as fitch, which is thesum of the Decalogue : Thou suit love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. The Wills closing with God : And
Obedience is in the subordinate faculties executing the pleasure of the
Will.')
An. 1. Obedience is first in the Will it self. 2. ton do not intelligi
bly acquaint us whether by [Do skis'] you mean any sincere closing with
God as God and our End, above all Creatures, as the godly now do,
though with culpable remifsnefs and imperfe&ions 5 or only the most
perfeU Love and obedience, without any imperfection or remifsnefs, or
vain irregular thought that is culpable. But by [^Dothk'] I perceive
you mean, take God for thy God^ and love, adore, and trust him.
$.J. M. S. this was to be expressed by eating of the tree of Life, and not
of that of Good and Evil, sacramentally, to acknowledge also the Soveraignty
of God.
An. 1. All Obedience formally refpecteth Gods Soveraignty.
2. No doubt the Trees were symbolical, and the remembrance of them
should yet teach us to prefer living to God, before aselsijh, dislurfiful,
needless knowledge } the increase of which increaseth sorrow. 3. But
that Adam was commanded to eat of the Tree of Life, I cannot prove,
unless the general obligation to choose the beji was as a Command.
$. 8. M. S. to be naturally happy is proper to God : therefore Adam was
to be led to it freely by a Covenant. \
 ^Premonition.

An. To be happy necessarily, and independently, and primarily, is

proper to God : But you can never prove it any contradiction or impos
sible for God to make a Creature naturally happy, nor that there are not
such.
9. Here the M. S. citeth some words of his Gibieuf, making our
Being in God initially, and finally to be our fiate of amplitude and liberty ,
and our going out from God, to be our particularity and jlate of necessity 5
as if we were prc-exiiient in God, and our individuation ceased upon our
return into him as our End.
An. • But these are Platonics Phantasms 5 And Gibieuf who was a
devout Oratorian, and talketh too oft of our Deification, as BenediUus
de Benedi&is, Barbanson, Baker, and other Fryers that talk phanatically,
must be read with caution and exception 5 and as the Soul need not fear
too near a Union with God, as the loss of its individuation, so neither
must it desire or hope for such.
10. M. S. An unchangeable fiate of Happiness in the love of God, is
called Eternal Life.
An. No doubt but that is called Eternal Life in the fullest sense, which
actually endureth to eternity as to that particular Subject : And so ,
1. The life of Glory perfectively. 2. And a confirmed state of Sanctity
here initially, are usually called Eternal Life. But 3. Whether the Ion-
sable state,which the Angels sell from,and Adam fell from,or that measure
of Grace, which the ancient Fathers thought the justified may fall from,
be never so called also, I cannot prove.
jf. II. At S. Adam's promised Happiness , was , 1. Essential, in this
perfeS holiness or love of God. 2. Complemental, in the enjoying God in
all the sanctified Creatures in that Paradise, but not to be translated to Hea
ven, which Christ only procuresh us.
An. I inclined to that Opinion 26 years ago, when I wrote the Apho
risms which you oppose: But I now incline more to the contrary, and
rather think man should have been translated to Heaven as Henoch and
Eliaswere, upon many reasons, which I now pass by ; Though I take it
yet to be scarce certain to us.
5$. 12. M.S. The Holiness of God, is his loving himself as his End $
And the third Person proceeding by a reflex aU of the infinite Will and self-
love of God, is therefore called the Holy Spirit.
An. i. This notion of Gods Holiness ( that it is his Self-love ) is not to
be contemned ; It seemeth to be so, with this limitation, that you con
fine not his Holiness to this, but take this only as the mojl eminent among
the inadequate conceptions of it : For his whole transcendency, in Being,
Life and. Knowledg, as being adoreable by the Creature, and its End, and
the Fountain of all created Goodness, and specially of Morality, is also
Gods Holiness. 2. But the saying that God is his own End, seemeth im
proper, though tolerable if spoken but analogically : For God neither
hath nor is to himself a Cause nor an EffeU , a Beginning nor an End.
3. That jhe third Person proceedeth by a reflex Act of the infinite Will,
many School- men boldly lay .• And so some say, that he is Gods atfual
self-love, which is the fame that you call his Holiness : And some fay,
that he is the Divine Will or Love considered in it self, as distinct from
Vital Power, and Intellect {ot Wisdom.) But of this I have spoken more
largely else-where.
13. M.S. Adams promised Reward was, to be fixed in an unchange
ablejlate of pleasing God, by this Holy Spirit : not by infusing any new quality
which fliould unchangeably fallen him to the Rule, (for no created thing can
unchangeably keep a man from falling.) An-.

/
 An. i. The promise to Adam is very obscure .• hut Happiness it must
needs be, and everlasting : 2. But it is past my reach to conceive how
the Spirit of God can fix man in perfect holiness without any fixing qua
lity (as it's called) on his Soul. A constant AU the Soul must have .*
And 1. If that Act be caused by any Divine Impulse, disposing the Soul
ibtoatf, then that dispositions a quality. 1. And if there be not both
disposition and habit, then the Soul will not in Glory be habitually, or
qualitatively holy, but only a&uaUy. 3. And a habit-aUing being per-
fecter than an act without a habit (or inclinations the Soul will be
more imperfect in Glory, than in this state of Grace. 4. Operari sequi-
tur ejse : God fitteth all his Creatures to their works. And as when he
will give Immortality, he will give a Nature fit for Immortality, even
indissoluble and incorruptible j so when he giveth perpetuity of Love,
he giveth a nature or habits fit for perpetual Action. Christ faith, A
good Tree bringeth forth good fruit, and an evil tree evil fruit : Make the
Tree good , and his fruit good. 5 . The Operations of Love in Glory,
should be expotentia out violentia, aut neutra, if there were no intrinfick
disposition or inclination to them. In a word, it is a contradiction, for
a Soul to be perfectly holy, and not have the perfection of inclination
to its A&s.
3. But if the meaning were, that no holy quality a/<7»esufficeth, with
out Gods Influx, that were no more than what must be (aid of every
Creature : without Divine Influx no Creature can be or operate a mo
ment : No created thing of it self, without God, can continue 5 How
then should it keep a man from falling : But if the Soul hate any more
goodness of nature or inclination in it than the Devils have, it must be
a created thing, or God himself: If only God, that proveth not a Saint
to be himself better than a Devil, as to nature or disposition, but only
that God in him is better.
His reason why the Sun is naturally fixed to its Operations, but not
a glorified Soul, is (£.14. M.S.) that one is a natural, and the other a
voluntary Agent: One, as Gibieuffaith , Non agit , fed agitur, the other
doth agere & non tantum agitur. 3
An. 1. Gibieuf and you were deceived, in thinking that such naturals
non agunt: Passive matter doth not Act ex principio effentiali (unless
Dr. Glijjons and Campane Has Doctrine hold true. ) But the three Æive
Natures, InteUe&ual, Sensitive and Vegetative ( and so Fire and the Sun )
do ex principio Aftivo ejjentali agere : but nothing doth AB , without
an Antecedent Influx to <action from the first Cause, in which it is pa£
five : For no Creature is Independent. 2. Voluntas est quædam Natura,
qnamvis libera : To move naturally only and not freely is proper to Agents
meerly natural, distinct from free: But to move freely, and yet from a
fixed principle, which shall infallibly determine the Soul to act freely, is
not a contradiction 3 nor that which Gibieuf should deny to the glorified.
$. 15. M. S. Man, though a Creature, is thefirft Cause of his own aBion .*
Hemovcth and sets himself on veorhj else he were not causa consilio : But
not immutable : else he were no Creature.
An. You set up Free-will and Power more grofly in terms than I dare
do, though, I suppose, our meaning is the fame. Had I said thus, what
had I heard? I only fay, that man may be a causa prima secundum quidy
of the moral specification ovmo&\hca.t\onof his own Actions : But he is
ftmpliciter no causa prima of the AEtion in genere aUionis : else he were
"God. But a causa principalis he may be called, though not prima.
1. You never proved that God cannot inake a Creature naturally
immu-
 ^Premonition.

immutable depepdently on himself, that is, such as will never change

unless God change them 5 nor that Jesus Christ is not such in his Huma
nity.
$. 1 6. M. S. This confirmation is not by being in Heaven 5 but by the
Holy Ghosts special wording on the Soul, revealing still Gods TcrfcUions
to it.
An. And doth this Operation of the Holy Ghost make the Soul never
the better , in nature or disposition , but only in Act ? Though it's
true , that no habits immutably fix without the Influct of the Holy
Ghost.
$. 1 7. M. S. Merit is the suitableness of the worb^ to the wages.
An. Merit is manifold, and needs better explication : In the Commu
tative justice of meer Proprietors, merit is indeed the Comparative value
of things, and in workj, their suitableness as you fay to the wages, that
is, their equal worth. But in distributive governing Justice, there is no
wages, but only Reward: And merit is the moral aptitude for Reward:
which is as various as the Law is that one is governed by : There are five
sorts of Law, that by five forts or ways of Justice, require five sorts of
merit: I. Gods Law of Innocency to Adam: where Justice called no
thing, but personal perseff Obedience, Merit : 2. Gods Law to the
Mediator, who was obliged perfectly to keep, r. The whole Law of
Nature. 2. The Law of Moses. 3. A peculiar Law of Mediation ( to
die , rise , do Miracles, &c. j The keeping of all this was chrisJ's
Merit. 3. There is Christ's Law of Grace to fallen man ( in the first, and
in the perfeft Editions, ) where our keeping of it, is by Gofpel-Jutfice
called in Scripture au, our worthiness or merit, that is, in tantum, secun
dum quid, in relation to that Law. That is to repent and believe, to love
God and obey him sincerely. 4. There is the Law of Moses, peculiar to
the Jews, which hath its peculiar required merit. 5. And there are the
Laws of Men appointed and allowed of God, which have their pecu
liar Justice and Merit. All these are not to be confounded, much less
all denied, as if there were no merit but between Proprietors in Commu
tative Justice 5 In which sense no Creature can merit of God.
1 8. M. S. According 'to that Covmant, any one AU of Obedience in
Adam would have merited confirmation and eternal life ; that is, one a&
of holy love.
An. I believe it not, because it is not written, nor naturally revealed,
that I know of. My reasons against it are, 1. It is dangerous to add to
Gods Word.
a. The words £/# the day that thou eatest thou fialtdie'] seemeth to
look further than to one first act or day, and is as much as whensoever
thou eatest j though he should obey till that time.
3. It is utterly improbable that Adam did not perform one Act of
Love or Obedience before his Fall. For, 1. We are uncertain how
long he stood 5 However confident some Rabbins, and Broughton and
some others are, that it was the lame day in which he was created.
2. You consols he was made with powers fan&ified and fitted to obey.
3. Gods Law of Love was written in his heart, and as old as himself5
and could not but oblige a fit subject to the act. And he must fa all
that while that he loved not God as God. 4. He had many thoughts
and ajseSions all that while 3 which were sinful if not animated by holy
Love, and done in Obedience to God. 5. He spent some time, which
was sinfully spent, if not spent in Love and Obedience. 6. God soake
to him, and so had sensible Communion with him, which must needs
 remomtion*

oblige. him to some love. 7. He had a Law given him to dress. and
keep the.Garden, which ii\he accepted not by consent in Obedience to
God; he sinned. *8. He gave names to all the Creatures upon Gods
bringing them to him j which must be done obediently or sinfully. 9. He
had the Law of Marriage given him, with the Woman; which if he
received not in love and obedience he sinned. 10. He had all the
World before him to shew him Gods Perfections, and if yet he had not
one act of love to God as God, he hainoufly sinned, n. He had the
Law of Love and Obedience given him by way of Covenant, that is,
binding him presently to consent 5 And he could not delay a milling con-
sent one minute or hour without sin: And consent is Love and Obedir
encein the first; act:.. 12. He loved himself and his Wife> and other
Creatures before his Fall : But if he loved not God before, thert he all that
while loved himself, his Wife, and all the Creatures morelthan God,
yea without God:. And then they were his Idols. 13. Else he never
used one Creature holily before his Fall , and therefore sinfully,
14. You make Adam to have had less actual good before his Fall than
the weakest Christian now 3 If not than many wicked m$n 3 who have
some moral good secundum quid, though not ftmpliciten, „ ,v
4. I do not think that the Reward which Christ was to have for his
fulfilling the Law was immutability or confirmation : For I think he had
that in his very nature, by the Unity of the Divine and Humane in one
Person. But I think that the perfeSt Glory of his Humanity was part of
his Reward, Vhil. 2. 7, 8, 9. Heb. 1 2. 23, &c. . And therefore that Glory
hath much more in it, than confirmation in Grace : But it s plain in the
Gospel, that it was not only one: AS of obediewe , which was christs
condition, in order to his receiving the Fruit9 or full Reward of his
Merits: But it was perfeS Holiness of Nature and Life to the end of his
course on Earth. Else you must lay that Christ's first Act of Obedience
was his performance of his Covenant-Condition, and all the rest for
some other purpose only 5 which is absurd. , . .,
5. One act of our Obedience now is not the fulfilling of all the Con
dition of the Covenant of Grace, norentitlethus alone to Glory, unless
God cut off our life as soon as that act is done : Perseverance to the end
is part of our Condition of Glory. And we know of no such diffe
rence between Adam's Covenant or Case and ours, as will prove it other
wise with him.
6. Else it would make the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace to.
be much harder and severer than of the Law of Innocency j which is
not likely : To perform one act of Love and Obedience, is not so hard
as to do it to the death, though we lose our lives in the expressions
of it.
Object. But ourfirst Faith giveth us Right to the Spirit of Confirmation
and Immutability, though more must be donefor YerfeUion.
Anfw. I. It appeareth then that Perfection and Glory is more than
Confirmation. 2. It is certain, that the Regenerate are mutable as to
the degrees of Grace, and are far from Perfection at the first. 3. The.
generality of the Fathers and ancient Churches thought that true Justifi
cation, and Right to Heaven, and true Love to God, was lost by many :
And Austin himself and his Followers so thought. 4. And they that
think otherwise yet know, that Gloryis stillgivenus (quoadjus'va. the
Promise) on condition of our perseverance: And we should hardly
find so many Threatnings against them that fall away^ if all might so,
easily know that the first act of Obedience doth so fix us, and give us in
justice a Right to Immutability. C £.19.
 <*A ^Premonition.

$.1$. M. S. The Arguments to prove that any one A& had the promise os
Immutability and Glory are these, Argument I. Is Cod mere to declare his
rewarding "justice, then he must reward one aft. Thus Bradwardjne
also chideth his Master Lombard, as inclining to Velagivs, for holding that
Adam could have forborn Sin by his Free-will, without Gods special
Grace, that is, his Will that so it should be: which he faith was necessa
ry before the Fall as well as since : and that else Adam by once tnot sin
ning, when tempted, had merited Confirmation, as he faith the Angels
did, being tempted by Leviathan, lib. 2. c. 10.
- An. 1. God was not obliged to any Reward, but according to the
tenor of his Law. Prove that his Law promised Glory or Immutability
for one act? 2. Bonumest ex cousts integris : one act is but a small part
of a mans life. The Promise was to the whole course only. 3. God
did reward every act : His acceptance, and the continuance of all the
blessings of that Paradise, and the comfort of his Love, was a great
Reward.
20. M. S. if one aU of Obedience deserved unchangeable Happiness,
then God must bestow it. But, &c. ]
An. I deny the minor : One act deserved it not. No act deserved in
Commutative Justice : And no act deserved it of governing Justice, but
soch as the Law antecedently made it due to.
$. 21. M.S. Merit, it is asuitableness of the worh^to the wages. They
that please God are under his good pleasure ; the fruit of which must be the
enjoying of his Spirits infinite assistance. Thk Adam might have claimed of
Justice, and gloried : for one alt deserveth a Reward. "]
An. This is sufficiently answered; 1. Wages strictly taken is Merces
given by a Proprietary commutatively : It's blasphemy to say that God
can owe any Creature such, for he can receive nothing but his own.
The word when used to us, is improperly taken.* But premium a Re
ward we have ; but no work deserveth that, but by the or dinate jutfice
of the Law. Some sew Papists talk of a dignity ex proportione opertst
but the Scotists and the wisest of them deny any but, 1. Ex congruitate.
2. Ex paUo. Your suitableness may signifie either, 1. A congruitj ad
fines regiminis 5 or else ad præmium qua promt/sum : And thus it's true .•
But it's not proved that any one a& was such. 2. Or it may signifie a
suitableness in proportion ex fimplici dignitatt operis, obliging the Gover
nor antecedently to his Law. 2. Or obliging God as Proprietor to
compensation 5 And so it is untrue, that Merit is a suitableness of the
work to the wages, here.
2. It's unproved that Gods pleasedness must ever be shewed by the
Spirits infinite assistance or that one act deserved this. It's unlike
that the Angels that kept not their first state, did never one act of Obe
dience, nor were never under Gods approbation; Prov. 16.7. when a
mans ways please the Lord, he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him :
God faith, This (is a Reward •• You fay less than eternal life is none ;
1 King. 3. 10. The speech os Solomon pleased the Lord: And yet one
would think by his filthiness, and Idolatry, and forsaking God, that he
was not glorified , nor made immutable. With the Sacrifice of Alms
God is well pleased, Heb. 13. 16. Phil.4.18. and with Relation- Duties,
Col. 3. 20. And yet all that did them ( even sincerely ) were not glo
rified then, nor absolutely immutable.
22. M.S. Arg. 2. Unchangeable misery would have been the reward
fif one fin : Ergo, &c. ]

An,
 An. I deny the consequence : Misery was threatned to one fin \
Glory was not promised to one adt of Obedience. Obedience, during
life, is |certainly due from Man to God .- He that denieth it him in one
act, denieth him his due .• But he that givethithim in one act, giveth
him but little of his due. Your Argument is like these / TheSouldier
that is a Tray tor in one act, descrveth death : Therefore he that watch-
eth or fighteth but once deserveth all his wages and honour. The Son
that curseth his Father once, descrveth punishment : Therefore he that
obeyeth him once deserveth the Inheritance. He that is bound to pay
an hundred pound forfeiteth his Bond if he leave a penny unpaid e
Therefore he forfeits it not if he pay butNa penny ; The Servant that is
hired for a day or year, doth forfeit his wages if he be idle or rebel an
hour or a day ; Therefore he deserveth his wages, if he do Service but
an hour or a day : The disease of one part may kill a man.- Therefore
the health of one part only will keep a man alive. He that is hired to
build a House or a Ship well, forfeits his wages for one hole, or gross
defect .• Therefore he deserveth his wages if he lay but one Brick or
Board. Embonumest ex caustsjntegris.
i. 23. M.S. Hk Sin is more his own than his Obedience. AnC. The
assistance of the Spirit could not take place in the first aft, because not de*
served: And his Obedience would have been as much his own as his
Sin.
An. This is quite beyond the Jesuites : t. It's true that the rewarding
gift or help of the Spirit (for confirmation) was not given Adam to
his first act: But it's not true that he had no help of the Spirit.- If you
will not call Gods necessary Grace, which you laid didsanftifie all his
powers, by the name of the Spirits help 5 you must soy, It was the help ,
of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit ; without which he could have
done nothing. 2. But can you think that God' did as much to his sin,
as to his Sanctification ; and caused it as much as he was ready to cause
his first Obedience ? Should he have been no more beholden to God for:
his Holiness than for his Sin? This is too indifferent a Liberty, and not
Gibieufs Amplitude. It is not possible for a Creature to have any thing
that's good but of God, nor any good from God but by meer free Gift,as
to the Good or Value 5 though it be by rewarding Justice quoad ordinem
conferendi , and comparatively , why this man hath it rather than
that.
$. 24. M. S. There is no stinting or determining, unless you stop here
(at thefirit a&.)
An. I deny it.- There are three Opinions more that are all more pro*
babie. The first which siippofeth the Reward of life eternal due upon
the over- coming of the Devils first temptation, which would have
drawn from the Love of God; And so [ Love and Conquer once"] was
the Condition. The second which fuppofeth that the Condition was
the Conquest of this particular Temptation , to eat of the forbidden
Fruit, and the after eating of the Tree of Life. The third which fup-
poscth the only Condition of life eternal to the personal , perfeft ,
perpetual Obedience , or perseverance , till God of his own pleasure
should translate Adam, and end his life of trial. I take this last to
have far most probability, for all the Reasons before given: I am sure
that tfie tenor of the Law of Nature made it Adam's Duty still to love
God, and obey him, and resist all that was against it .- And I find no
Promise that his Nature, or the Law of Nature should be changed, for
this or that act, or for conquering some one temptation^ I find that
C 2 Christ's
 <*A 'Premonition.

Christ's own Covenant-Condition was more than one act: And the
Condition of our Glory is overcoming, and being faithful to the deaths
and continuing in Christ. And I will not add to the Covenant of God.
£.25. M. S: Arg.4. From the nature of an obediental aft: which in-
cludeth the approving of the whole Law.
An. 1. Approving the things that are excellent, is made consistent with
wickedness, Rom. 2. But I will suppose you to mean a full consent to
the Covenant of Innocency. But 2. How prove you that such consent
was the whole conditionof life, and that it might not befallen from?
and that Adam never die! consent before his Fall ? and yet not sin.
3. All the godly approve of Gods Law, and consent to it, and love it,
and yet merit not as keepers of it 3 for they break it, Rom. 7. 4. Yea
C oven ant- keeping to the last , as well as Covenant-consent the first moment,
is now to us the condition of immutable Glory.
j*. 26. M.S. Adam would not obey at first, but suspend while he looked
about the World, to see if there were any goodsufficient for him below God:
therefore hefinned not then.
An. This is before confuted : He could not in that Integrity, and
after such divine Revelation, be unresolved one hour whether he must
first love and obey his Maker, without sin.
$f. 27. God cannot freely give eternal life to a Creature without Reward
for doing, because the reasonable Creature was made for the Glory of
Justice.
An. 1. You may soy, that God will not to man, but not that cannoty
nor that he doth not to any Angel. For man was not made only for the
Glory of Justice, but df Tower, and Lotoe, or Goodness also. a. It's cer
tain, that Godasa/ree Benefa&Or giveth many good things freely, and not
as a Rewardfdr doing: As 1. He so freely made all things good in the
Creatidnj and gave man all his antecedent good : He so gave Adam
his primitive Holiness, and Helps, and Paradise, and all the Creature9.
a. He so gave Christ to the World, Without desert : and so far pardon
ed the first sin, as that cometh to. 3. He so far gave man the Cove
nant of Grace. 4. He so gave all Christ's Miracles , Resurrection,
Doctrine, the Scripture, &c. 5. He so gave Apostles and Ministry to
the World. 6. Hesosendeth the Gospel to some Nations and Persons
above others. 7. He so giveth to many the first special Grace, as he
did to Paul. 8. He so giveth to many Kingdoms and Persons Wealth,
and Health, and Strength, and such other mercies above others. 9. He
so giveth greater measures of Grace to some than to others. 10. And
it seemeth that he so ( in part) giveth the fame Glory to some that
came in but at the last hour of the day. It is certain, that all in quantum
tale, is from God only as a free Benefactor, or as the Amor primus :
And the order ot distributing it is two-fold: Some antecedent to mans
merit or acts, and independent on it : And this is no Reward, ( though
sometime it is an antecedent act of Justice, such as is the making of a
good Law or Promise.) And some consequent juxta morman legb 5 And
these are Rewards: And though God hath allured us now, that no
man shall have Heaven but by rewarding Justice, yet that maybe, be
cause he thought meet to place man first on Earth in a life of trial, and
undetermined Liberty : But that he hath no Angel that was made Immu
table, or that Christ was not made immutably holy, let them fay that
can prove it, forI cannot.
£.28. M;S. It's like that the Angels that flood and they that fell had un
equal help ■; for unequal Etfefft are of an unequal Cause. But Adam and she
Devils
 I

<$^d Premonition.

Devils had sufficient Grace, and Cod forscok^ them not till they forsook
hint. i \.
An. I. This last I accept as true , and more than some will grant.
2. The first is above our reach : only we can (ay, both that God giveta
more Grace to some than toothers freely. 3. And yet he himself is
simple and immutable in causing of various and mutable Effects.
^.29. M.S. By ChriSis passive Obedience imputed we are pardoned and
justified, and by his a&ive imputed we deserve the Reward, and are under
Cods approving WiU.
An. 1. By the merit of his habitual, a&ive zad passive, that is, of his
performing all bis mediatorial Covenant with the Father, we are pardon
ed, and justified, and adopted to eternal life, principally as a Reward to
Chrift ( not to us as meriting by him) and Jubordinately , according to
Gospel-Justice or Order, as a Reward to Believers for their Faith and
Obedience 5 by him who will Reward every man according to his Works,
and will be glorified in his Saints, and admired in Believers, because they
believed, 2 fhejs. |. 6, to 1 2. We are under Gods approving mil, prin
cipally as united to Christ, reconciled, justified, adopted j and subordi
nates as sanBified and obedient. For the Father loveth us, because we
have loved Christ and believed, Joh. 16. 27. And it is life eternal to know ' •
the Father and the Son, Joh. 17. 3. And because we do those things, that
are f leafing in his fight, what-ever we ash^we receive, 1 Joh. 3. 22.
30. M.S. By Christs imputed suffering we are but where we were:
For the Law to have nothing against us will not justifie us , unless it ham
something for us, /
An. This great question needeth distincter handling : Adam's Law
doth not justffle us, but condemn us, norAfo/e/s neither 5 nor any but
the Law of Grace. Your foundation is unsound. 2. The imputing of
Chist's Suffering, is not Gods Language, bit your own, and may be
well or ill understood. 3. If the Law have nothing against us, it hath
no Sinof Omission against us : Therefore not our omission of Love and
Obedience. Arid then we are reputed such as had perfect Love and
Obedience. 4. But indeed it is hot so. By the deeds of the Law nd
Flesh can be justified .* The Law still hath this against us, that we. have
'$faned$ which he that denieth is called «, Lyats 1 Joh-t* The Rcatut
Culp& in fe, or the Reality of this, that mhave finhed, is impossible to
,be done away. But the Reat us peertt, & 6ubpe tft ad patiam is done
away .-' But not by the LaW,1 but by the Redeemer and new Covenant.
The Law doth not fay, We are sinless, or defervertof life t But: the Gospel
faith, We arc pardoned, and adopted, andsan$ijled, through Christfspex-
fect meritorious Righteousness. ;•' • 1 1 » )di li
tf.gl. M.S.-Elfe Sin and runijhmcnt should he the cause of life : fir
Sin h the cause of Sufferings arid thai of Pardon. ii< -j .1 .i . .U :\i
An. This is the grossest passage in this Book 5 A patyabie feUatfjr.
You may as well fay that Lazarus % dying and being buried were the dauses
of his reviving \j because antecedent evils from which he was reviived :
Or.that the "jews killing Christ were theeausesof his Resurrection.*: Qr
that Peter's cutting off Malchus Ear was the caose that Christ cured iota ;
Orlthat Peter's denying Christ was the cause that Chris! pardoned him*
Sin deserveth Punishment 5 but Punishment as such deserveth not Pardon
or Life: They in Hell deserve not Heaven. If God had threatened
but a temporal Punishment ; As a years sickness, &c. this had not deser
ved the following impunity, or peace, but only interrupted peace, the
Sin deserving this and no more. A Malefactof*« scourging deserveth not
hit
 q^A. Premonition,
_ •
his after peace- And Christ's Suffering merited not our Pardon as re
puted oursuffering , nor meerly as suffering } For had we suffered, we bad
ftot been pardoned. But the voluntary Suffering of so glorious and inno
cent a Person, to demonstrate "justice, deserved our impunity and more,
because God would have it so, and it was a means most apt for this ex
cellent end, to save lost man, and to vindicate and glorifie the Wisdom,
Truth and "justice of the Universal King, and to demonstrate the Good
ness and Love of our great Benefactor. But sufferings as such do merit
nothing ; even Chrifis own Sufferings merit but as they are the fruits of
Obedience and voluntary consent, on the fore fa id accounts 5 much less do
the sufferings of the Sinner merit : For he is supposed involuntary in
them 5 and it is God the Judge that is the Author of them as such.
£.32. M.S. Else the Lawshould be laid by, and Use given without it.
An. The root of all your Error is, That God giveth us life by the
Law of Innocency or Works, and that we are justified by that Law 5
which is not true. God laid none of it by 3 but man by sin made the
fromiffory part ( which gave life on condition of perfeU Obedience and
Innocency) to be impossible, or null .• It ceased ceffante capacitate subdi-
torum , by mans mutation, and not by Gods .* But the preceptive part
remaineth still, as far as it reacheth materially the state of Sinners. But
man having made it impossible to be justified ;by the deeds of the
Law, God made us a new La w or Covenant, according to which he
judgeth Sinners, and by which he first giveth Righteousness, and then
according to it sentenceth men as Righteous.
$. 33. M.S. justification of the Posterity of Adam Jhould have been the
fame for fubSiance as of Believers by Christ. Adam's one AB jhould have
confirmed all his Posterity in him as a publics Person : The Covenant of
Works and of Grace agree in justifying by imputed Righteousness : but one
of a Head by Generation, the other by a divine Person."]
'■ An. This is presumptuous adding to Gods Word , in the very sub
stance ofthe Covenants j yea and a flat .contradiction of it 1. What
Scripture telleth us, That all Adam's Posterity should have been con
firmed in immutable Holiness, if he had obeyed ?
a. What Scripture faith, That one Aft (hould have done this ?
3. What Scripture faith,. That his Righteousness stould have been im
puted to all his Posterity ? and they all accounted to have fulfilled the Law
in him? The Scripture tells us nothing of Gods purpose to make so sud-
dain a change of his Law, as if he made it but for one man, yea for one
AS, and then would make another to Rule the World by ever after :
The Law said ( in senses [ Obey perfeUly and live--, Sin and die"]. Now
if the Condition had been performed by one AU, or one man, for all the
World that ever should come of him to the last, and they all be bora
in the fixed possession of the Reward, then the Law which giveth that
Reward still but conditionally hath no more place. As in Hell, God
doth not fay to the damned, obey and live, so neither doth he fay to
them in immutable Glory, I give you immutable Glory' if you will obey.
The means cease so far as the end is either attained, or desperately loll. He
that faith, Run well, and you stall have the prize : Fight well, and you
stall be crowned 5 Overcome, and J will give you a Kingdom 5 will not fay
the (a me to them, when after running, fighting, overcoming, they have
received the Prize, the Crown, the Kingdom; ( though pojfiblj they may
have the continuance on condition still if that continuance was not also
promised on the first condition alone. ) So that you feign Gods Law to
be incredibly mutable, if God said by it to Adam, Obey in one- AU (or
obey .
 obey thy self) and thou and all thy Posterity for that shall have the
Reward : For then he can never be supposed to say the same again to
Adam, or to any man: And yet you think you stand so much for the
immutability of that Law, as that we must all be justified by it to the
end. ..•!
Nay itseemeththat after one A& of Obedience, all the World should
have been under no Covenant any more ; or no promissory conditional
Law, but only fixed by necessitating Light and Love, as those in Glory
are : For when this Condition was fully performed, this Law or Cove
nant as conditional must needs cease: And you imagine not, I suppose
(at. least mention not) any other conditional Covenant that should
succeed it. And neceffitation is not a Moral Law, suited to such as you
call causa confilio in this life. You would make all the World after one
act, to be if not lawless, yet Comprehensors and not Viators j Professors
of life eternal, and not seekers, in a life of trial.
But I find not but that all Adams Posterity should have been born and
lived under the same Law that he was made under : And all of them
should still have heard, [ Obey and live, or Sin and die ]. And ifAdam
had obeyed till his translation to Glory, or confirmation in the Re
ward, I find not in Scripture any Promise that this should have been im
puted to his Posterity, as the full performance of the Condition of
their Life or confirmed Happiness : but that still their own sinning would
have been a possible thing, and death would have been the wages of their
Sin.
You seem not to set Adam's Merits and imputed Righteousness any
higher than Christ's. And I am too sore that the justified Members of
Christ dofin, and must ask, daily pardon j And whether or not they be
confirmed against total Apostasie, I am sure few if any of them are con
firmed against the possibility, or existence, or futurity of Sin, And if
you say that Adam's Posterity, though confirmed, should have finned
too, but should have been pardoned as we are 3 It would be another
presomptuous addition and contradiction of Scripture, to assert Pardon
without a Saviour and a pardoning Covenant.
3. Adam's Obedience would have justified his next issue from this
false Accusation, [Tou are born of a sinful Parent, or not of a righteous
Parent But it would have justified no man against this Accusation,
\sTou are personally a Sinner, ox have not personally loved Cod and obeyed
him }. . Therefore it would have justified any man against this Charge,
£ Tou are to be condemned for Adam's fin But it would have justified
no man against these Charges, [ Tou are to be condemned for your own
personal Sin 5 or, you have no right to Glory by Gods Promise to the adult,
which maketh their personal Obedience the Condition ~\.
4. And (though I cannot again here have time to deal with Con-
founders, who think that Imputation or "justification are words which
have but onesense,) I must fay that even so, Christ's Righteousness is not
so imputed to any man, as to be to him instead of his personal Obedience
to the Lavp or Covenant of Grace which he is under : But it will justifie any
Believer from these Accusations, [ Tou must be cast into Hell for breaking
the Law of Innocency, OT you must be shut out of Heaven, because you de-
served it not by perfeU obedience 5 or you have no perfect or sufficient Sa
viour oxyou are such as God cannot pardon without wrong to his Truth,
Wisdom or Justice. ] It will justifie no man from any of these Charges ,
£ Tou are Sinners : you deserve condemnation by the first Law : you are Im*
penitent, or Vn believers, or Hypocrites j or have not performed the condi
tioni
 <*A Premonition.

tions of life in the Law of Grace. ] The two first we must confess, and
not justifie our selves by a denial : And against the last we must be
justified by our own Repentance, Faith and sincere Obedience. He that
will fay to the Accuser, that chargeth him with final Infidelity , Impeni-
tency or Vnholinessj I am justified by the Imputation of Christ's Righte
ousness, will but add to his sin.
5. There are all these differences between our Justification according
to the first Law (had we been capable of it) and that which we now
have. I. One would have been by God as Creator and Legislator to
the Innocent : The other by Christ as Redeemer and Legislator to the
sinful World. 2. One would have been for personal, perfeS, persevering
Obedience : The other for Christ's Merits , as purchasing a free Pardon
& Grace to penitent Believers,and upon our own Faith and Repentance,^
the Conditions of the new Covenant. 3. One would have been with
out pardon 5 and the other chiefly or much by pardon : In one, if our
Publick Root had perfectly obeyed, we must also have perfectly obeyed,
or die. In the other , because our Publics Root did perfectly obey,
Faith and fmceere Obedience to the end, is all that is required of us to our
Glory. 4. In one the personal matter ofworthiness or merit, must have
been all that perfection which' God injustice could require of man: In
the other, it is only, The acceptance of a free Gift, according to its
nature and use* and after the thankful use and improvement of it : with
other such differences.
34. M. S. What Christ did assurety is imputed to us j but not his Surc-
tifhip, or being a publick Person."]
Ans. This is true, if you understand Imputation in Scripture sense, or
soundly, and not in their sense who presumptuously say, That God re-
puteth us to have done all by Christ, which he did for us in his Obedi
ence to the Law.
£.35. M. S. Christ did not all that he did as Surety j but only that which
answered the Law."] :.
An. I suppose you mean, that which the Law requiretb of us : But the
word [surety 1 is ambiguous, and after here explained, and whether
you understood it sano sensu I know not. He did all that he did as the
Mediator and Sponsor, for mans Redemption : And we are pardoned and
justified by the merit of all his own Covenant-keeping with the Father 5
even of such acts as the Law required not of us : And some which the
Law required of many, he did not, because it required them not of
him.
36. M.S. The Lawsaid not, That Christ mull be a holy Husband or
Father^ &c. The Imputation of one Aft of Christ's Obedience is sufficient
(to our Justification and Merit of life) though it tneed not be curiovsty fit
in this or that part of his life. ]
jj. Stijlmore presumption } 1. Where faith the Scriptures? 2. You
must not assert absurdities or presumptions, and then think to put off
the detection of them, by calling it curious .<? If this be true, doubtless
it was Christsfirfi aS ofObedience which merited Glory for us. And so it
is that first only that must be imputed to us, to that end. And who
ever thought so before you? The Fryars have some of them said, That
minima guttulasanguinis Christi, One drop of his blood was enough to re
deem all the World : And our Divines fay, Why then was the rest shed ?
So I ask you, 1. Why did Christ do all the rest of his Obedience after
the first Act? Hath none of it the fame end and use? 2. How shall we
be sure that a Sinner must not plead or trust to arty of Christ's Righteous
ness,
 <*A ^Premonition.

ness , but the first act for his Justification and Reward ? or must he
trust for it to that which was never by Christ intended for it } 3. This
is contrary to the Scripture, which layeth our Justification on his whole
Righteousness as meritorious, and on his Obedience to the Death, and on
his rising again, and on other parts first, Rom. 4.24.^5. throughout,
&c. 4. Sure they that are so curious, as to tell us which physical act
of Faith justifieth (in specie & numero) ( for some fay only the first
instantaneous act dothjustifie, ) will not think it curiosity to enquire
which one Att of ChriUs Obediencejustifieth us? when according to your
Doctrine, it is evident that it must be the first : And they that fay, It
is Justification by Works, to be justified by any act of Faith in specie,
besides the recumbency on his Righteousness to be imputed to us, or by any
numero besides the firjl, will likely fay that it is Justification by another
Righteousness than that which the Scripture faith is imputed to us, to be
justified by the Imputation of any but the first Act of Christ's Obedience.
Or else that ( if all be imputed ) we have a redundancy of Righte
ousness, and deserve many Heavens, or one oftener than needs. But
when men have received some unsound Principles, all things must be
forced to comply with them.
$. 37. M.S. Towards the end, the M.S. summeth up my Assertions,
and setteth down some as contrary to them. In reckoning up mine,
he sheweth candor and ingenuity, and a good memory, having not the
Book at hand: But I must advertise his Readers, 1. That he taketh all
from my Aphorisms , the first Book I wrote, in my youth, when my
Conceptions of these things were Jess digested 5 wherefore I have
above twenty years ago retracted that Book, till I had leisure to cor
rect it, and have since more fully opened my judgment in my Confes
sion , and in my Disput. of Justification and other Writings, and most
fully in my Methodus Theologiæ unpublished. 2. That he over-looketh
my asserting our Adoption to be by the Merits of Christ's Active Obe
dience, yea and our Justification too, as well as by his Passive. 3. That
reciting my words, that it is by Gods Will in the form of his Donation
or Covenant that Faith hath that use to Justification which is nearest it,
viz. the formal Reason of a Condition, he leaveth out my other asser
tion, that Faiths material disposition or aptitude to this form or office, is
the very nature of it, as fitted to that use about its Object, Christ,
which Gods design and our case required.
His Assertions as against me are as followeth.
?8. M.S. 1. There is no way to Life but by Doing: It is not enough »
that the Law be not dishonoured, but it must be glorified.
Ah. Doing is a word of doubtful sense : It's one thing to Do all that
the Law of Innocency required ; and another thing to do all that the
Law of Grace maketh necessary to life : It's one thing to Do all our
selves, and another thing for a Mediator to merit Pardon and Life (to
be given conditionally by a new Covenant) by Doing all in kind
sand much more than all that we should have done) for us (though
not in our persons). The way to Life now hath many parts, 1. Christ's
perfect, habitual, active and passive Righteousness, ( fulfilling the Law
oflnnocency, and the Law of Moses, and the peculiar Law of the Me^
diator, ) to merit Tardon, Spirit, Adoption and Glory to be given by the
New Covenant on its terms. 2. The said New Covenant as the dona
tive Instrument and Law of Life , and Pardon , and Adoption by it.
3. Our doing or performing the Conditions of the New Covenant by
Grace. But our personal Doing all according to the Law of Innocency
D really
 <^A Premonition.

really or reputatively, to be justified by that Law, is none of the way of

Life, which you think the only way. (And I hope we shall both meet
there ).
£.39. M.S. It's clear as the light of the Sun, that their fundamental
dijlin&ion is absurd, to make finning and suffering equivalent to doing ;
because he that hath born the utmost penalty, hath done no more towards
living, than he that neverfinned or suffered : else Adam in Innocencyshould
have been sentenced worthy of life. Is a Servant instead of his Service
steal, and restore it, he meriteth not his wages, &c. ~]
An. 1. It's certain that you mistake and wrong us : I never put finning
among the things that are equivalent to doing or meriting : Of this be
fore. 2. I doubt you noted not sufficiently that no Creature can merit
commutatively as a Proprietor of God, as a Servant doth his wages 5
nor can have any thing of God but what ( in respect ofsuch merit and
the value of the thing) is an absolute free Gist : free as to commutation :
And.that all Gods Laws of Life, are but a prescription of the wise Order
in which he will give his free benefits j As a Father will give Lands to
the Son that will behave himself decently and thankfully, and not to
the contemptuous Rebel : So that as to commutation no Man or Angel
hath other merit, than not to commerit the contrary (perdition): God
is never the better for our Doing. If you dream of meriting commuta
tively from a Proprietor by work^ for wages, I can soon tell you what
we set up instead of such merit : I hope you had no such thoughts, but
want of due distinguishing. But as to Doing and Merit in respect to
Paternal Justice, that which I set instead of fulfilling the first Law is as
aforesaid, ( not finning and suffering, but ) 1. Christ's Satisfaction, and
, the Merit of his compleat Righteousness. 2. The Gift of Pardon and
Life by a new conditional Covenant merited and made by him. 3. Actual
Pardon of all sin thereby. 4. Actual Adoption. 5. Our fulfilling the
Condition of that Covenant, that these may be ours.
And thus the Law was dishonoured by our Sin , but is glorified by
Christs Obedience and Satisfaction ; And Gospel-Justice , but specially
Mercy, glorified in our personal Obedience to the Gospel : without such
Doing indeed (Christ's as Principal'vx fulfilling the Law in the Person of a
Mediator, and ours as subordinate in obeying the Gospel,) there is no
Glorification. And I think this is plain truth.
But in your instance of a Servant deserving his wages, you seem to
look at Commutative Justice, when we have to do only with governing
(Paternal) Justice : And you should have remembred that if the Servant
do not his Work, in order of governing Justice, it is his crime : And if
he have no fault, he hath no fault of Omission : And he that hath no Sin of
Omission hath done all his Duty, and so deserved the Reward. As for
Adam. 1. In the first instant of his life he was bound to no present
Duty, before he could do a moral Act. 2. But afterward I think he
merited in tantum & pro tempore 5 and had not the Condition of the
Promise been of further extent than one act, he had merited life: But a
Reward for a years Duty is not merited by an hours.
£.40. M.S. there is a medium between just and unjust ; He was non-
justus j He was not a&uallyjuli, though habitually : He had done nothing
for which the Law could jujiifie him : else why did he not livefor ever ?
An. I. Habitual holiness fits a Soul for Glory, where no more is due
(as if one die immediately.) And so it would have done Adam,
had God translated him instantly, and made him no Law of actual
Duty. 2. But afterward that Adam in Innocency did that for which
the
 <?yf 'Premonition.

the Law would justisie him in tantum^ for that time, He fulfilled all
the Law for so long : else he had finned by Omission. 3. But that Law
giving life eternal only to Obedience to the end of his time of trial, he
merited not that life by initial Obedience. This was initial imperfed
Righteousness, wanting perseverance 5 but not a medium between Just
and Vnjuji, except as. Just signifieth the. merit pf Life by persevering
Righteousness to the lajl : And so 1 never denied but in a disobliged Sub-
jeSt there is a medium : Adam was not bound to do a years work the
first hour 5 and so was neither juji nor privatively unjust as to the
future years work : but as to what he was presently obliged to , he
was either Righteous or a Sinner. Here you come short of necessary
accurateness. Perseverance is a part of our Condition of Glorification :
Yet he that is not dead is just, if he be a Believer and obedient : And
if Cod now call him by death, he shall be glorified: But he hath not
now done all that is to be done till his death, if he live longer : So that
his Right to the present possession of Glory before death is not justifi
able, but his Right in case he now die, is.
£.41. M.S. Faith, ™ credere cannot be put in exchange for sac hoc;
and therefore justified only as it relatesh to him who hath suffered and done
for all that mill receive him.
An.\. Exchange is an ambiguous word : Here is no proper exchange.
Faith is not a fulfilling of the Law of Innocency, nor so reputed by
God: Christ did both fatisfie for our not-fulfilling it, and also by that
and by fulfilling it himself ( not in our persons, but his own) did merit
the free Gift of Lise to us to be ours, upon new Covenant terms, and
Faith and Resent.wee are the Conditions of that New Covenant, and so
are that Duty which is laid on our selves to do instead of persect Obedi
ence, fupposmg Christ's Satisfaction and Merits, which are instead of it
quoad precium or principally, as our said acts are instead of it as to what
is necessary in ourselves : And the Apostle who so oft faith, Faith is im
puted to us for Righteousness , doth neither by Faith, mean Chrijl, nor
mean that Faith is imputed as a fulfilling the Law of Works: But that
having no such merit of our own, (or Righteousness) our believing in
hiiji that hath satisfied and merited for us, is reckoned to us instead of
a Righteousness or Merit, as being all that now is necessary to our Justifi
cation in our selves, ( our persevering Obedience being afterward neces
sary to our Glory. ")
2. No doubt Faith relateth to Christ, and here connoteth him as its
Object ; It were not Christian Faith else : But it is also related to the
New Covenant as its Condition, and in that form hath its place to our
Justification* which cannot be denied; Therefore you untruly fay,
£ Only as relating to chrilt, ] and your words confute your self: You fay,
£ Who hathsuffered and done for all that will receive him. ] You speak ei
ther of secret Decree ( and that giveth no Right ) or of Covenant Do
nation : And to fay 4 He and his benefits are given in Covenant to all
that will receive him, ] is all one as to fay, The Covenant giveth them on
condition that we receive him 3 : which is true. .
$f. 42. M.S., 5. It is impossible that the terms of the Covenant of Grace
can be any other than they are : because nothing but receiving him can make
him mine.
An. I. That proveth not that Faith is not the Condition, but that it
needs must be so. 2. It is impojjible, now the Covenant is so made, viz,,
ex necessitate exiflentiæ : But that God could have made it no otherwise,
is not a thing for man to fay. 3. Confound not passive Reception with
Da a&ive
a&ive moral Reception : "jujiificari \s passively to receive "justification j and
to be first related to Chriji as mine, or to be one that he is given to, is
passively to receive Christ : AUive moral receiving is the Wills consenting
thus to have him on all his terms* and is the means of the other : It is
this and not theofAer that is Faith: And could not God possibly have
made Chriji ours; by any alteration of the terms : sure they that confine
Faith to the receiving of Christs imputable Righteousness, will grant
that God could possibly have put one act more of Faith into the Condi
tion , or on« act of Gratitude, Desire , Love or Repentance ? And
Dr. Twijje thinks he could have given a man a Right to Life without
Christ's Satisfaction, and to Christ without Faith, and that so he doth
to Infants.
5$. 45. M.S. There is no Righteousness in point of justification, but only
in conformity to the Rule, Do this : that only brings a man under the ap
proving Will of God.
An. i. But what is the Do this that you mean? Adam's Law said, Do
this and live : Moses Law said, Do this and live : The Law given to
Christ said, Do andsuffer this, and I will give thee Power over all Flesh, to
give eternal life to as many as Igive thee, and believe The Law of Christ
to Sinners faith, Do this and live : This is the work^of God that ye believet
&c. But all these Doings are different, for all that j It's an unknown
Faith or Repentance which is no A£f ot Duty. 2. "There is no Righte
ousness but the conformity to the Rule of Righteousness, if you (peak
only of that Righteousness which is of thatspecies: But there is another
sort. He that isjustifiable is Just fo far. If Satan fay, Thou art condem-
nandus, t&be damned to Hell, and shut out of Heaven, for breaking the
Law of Works : I must deny it : not by faying, I did not breaks it, but
keep it by another, or I did not deserve damnation 5 but by alledging,
He that is pardoned, is not to suffer an} pain ofsense or loss : I am par
doned by the New Covenant , through the Merit of the Satisfaction and
perfeft Righteousness of Christ. Adam's Law will not justifie you 5 nor
Moses's Law neither .• The Law requireth personal perfe& Obedience : Ic
never said, {_ Thou or anotherfor theeJhalt obey : "] It knoweth no Surety .•
To give a Surety; and to accept his suretiship, is the act of the Law-
Giver as above his Law, not fulfilling that Law, but securing the ends
of Government ( and of it ) by another way : To pardon a Sin and
Penalty is not to fulfil the Law that threatened it, but to dispense with
it 5 which Justice can do upon a valuable consideration, securing the
ends of Government : And Veracity is not impeached by it. For f. The
sense offilius mortis is, Death shall he thy due 3 and so it was. 2. And
death was actually inflicted on man himself, though not all that which he
deserved. If the Law of Innocency justifie you , you need no Re
deemer, you heed no Pardon, you need no New Covenant to justifie
you, nor can it do it.
3. We are justified by Doing, though not by our fulfilling the Law
of Works, by our selves or another. We are justified by two sorts
of Doing : Principally by the Merit of Christ's perfect Righteousness j
and subordinates by our fulfilling the Conditions of the Covenant of
Grace, ( which Baptism celebrateth. )
4. Gods Will approveth of all that is good, so far as it is good : Ft
approveth of habitual Holiness in Adam, and would have done in his
Infants had he stood 5 and doth so in all Christians now : And I will be
lieve that Christ, before he actually obeyed, was under Gods approving
Will. But not as one that had merited by Obedience : For God doth net
sup
 ^yi^Premonition.

suppose any to do that which they do not, nor oblige them to do to-mor
rows vpork^ to-day.
$. 44. M.S. ihe ijjite in a word is, I. Suffering for Sin is not doing,
nor equivalent in point of Qualification, 2. Nor can God, having Jatis-
fatiion for what was done cross to his Law, lay aside thai in order to the
conveying of Life, and substitute believing instead of it, '1 herefore Faith
justifieth ratione objecti only. Now we £ Do ] in another, Christ, in
stead of doing in out own persons.
An. I doubt this is another Gospel than the Apostles delivered us 5
though I hope that practically we meet in one. 1. To the first I answer,
It's true but you do ill to intimate that we think otherwise. Suffering
by the Sinner never fatisfieth, because it must be everlasting : Suffering
by Christ fatisfieth not meerly assuffering, but as the voluntary suffering of
God-Man, aptly glorifying Justice and Love, and securing the ends of Go
vernment. This Satisfaftion is notJ equivalent to doing in Justification :
For Doing all required, would have justified us against this Charge,
f_1'hou art a Sinner, by Omijfion anel Commission, and thou halt deserved
Death , and haSi not deserved Life , according to the Law of Works. 3
Against this Charge, I look for no Justification, but confess it is all true.
But Christ's Satisfa&ion justifieth us against this Charge, [God must
damn thee (by paine of loss and fense) or elje he is not just, because thou
haft deserved it.*] And Christ's perfeU Righteousness also justifieth us
against this Charge , £ God mult damn thee and deny thee life, because
thou didji not merit it by perfeft Obedience']. Thejustifier fays, No.*
because Christ's Merit in Doing and Suffering hath glorified the Law and
Justice of God instead of my Merit, and hath procured us Pardon add
Life given by the New Covenant.
2. To the second I answer, 1. God did not lay aside hi9 first Cove
nant, but man bysin did lay it aside, by making the Condition impossible.
2. You overturn the Gospel too much, by thinking that the Law is not
laid aside as a Covenantor Promise, ( though I grant that the Precept as a
Rule of Life continues ) To fay that the sense of Adam's Law was,
\sthou or another (chrijf) for thee, Jhalt obey.] And that we are justi
fied by that Law, is to confound Law and Gospel, and make a Gospel ofthat
Law, and make the Covenant of Works not to condemn us 3 or both to
condemn and justifie, and to feign man to live and be judged by the Co
venant that is ceased. God faith now to no man living, f_ Be innocent,
and so merit life, that thou maiji live. ] And God doth not repute us in
nocent at all.
3. To the third I answer, It is notoriously untrue, that Faith justifieth
only ratione objefti, unless you mean that efficiently it justifieth not at
all, which is true. For we are justified by it also ratione fœderis, be-
caufe that which is materially Faith in Christ ( a justifying Saviour) and
so connoteth its ObjeU as the meritorious Cause of the free Gift and Par
don, is ( by reason of this aptitude ) made the Condition of that New
Covenant or Gift, which is its nearest interest or reason of our being
justified by it. And it is the Law of Grace by which we must be judged
and justified . And at that Bar, the question which Life or Death de-
pendethon, will be ( supposing Christ's Merits) whether we are peni
tent Believers,or impenitent "Unbeliever j,and fb have part in Christ or not ;
And if Satan accuse us as being impenitent Unbelievers, and the question
be whether we have true Faith or not ? my Opinion is, that we cannot
be herein justified by pleading the QbjeEf, when the a3 is questioned,
and say ing, That Christ fulfilled that Law : unless you could prove that
he justifieth impenitent Infidels, and (as S al'imarst said ) resented and
believed fox us.
But the grand Case remaineth, Whether roe are justified by the Late of
Innocettcy , by fulfilling it, and meriting in another, without any fort of
doing of our own by ourselves <?
Mr. IVotton, Mr. Gataker, and abundance more, have long ago said
much to confute your Error, besides Mr. Bradfiiaw, whom you name j
But I add, I. I have before proved that by the deeds or sentence Of the
Law of Adam or Moses, no man can be justified : i . He that hath sinned
against it cannot be justified as not having sinned : For fa&um infe8um
fieri is impossible to God himself. 2. The Law that condemneth us doth
not justifie us. 3. What Taut, Rom. 3. & 4. frequently faith
against Justification by the Law of Moses will hold here a fortiori : And
Christ keeping Moses Law ( as far as he was capable of Obligation ) that
also would else have been imputed , and so we should have been
justified by that Law also 1 which the Scripture copiously denieth. He
that faith, He hath no fin, deceives h*himjclf, and is a lyar, and the truth
is not in him. And the Law of Adam justifieth no man that hath
sin.
II. We did not fulfil it and merit in Chriji : But Christ did in the
Person of a Mediator, voluntarily undertaking it, on his Fathers terms,
and not as our Instrument, or in our Persons. I have else-where given
abundance of Arguments against that, which I must not here repeat.
This Author took notice of my Objection, that he that is reputed per-
feUly Innocent and Obedient, is uncapable of Pardon, and needeth no
satisfaction, or remitting, or rewarding Covenant, besides that which
he kept, but answereth it not. This subverteth the Gospel and Reli
gion. Stytr- Is there be no Reward nor Life, but of Justice, and no
Reward but for Christ's Merits, and all Believers equally merited in
Christ, as fulfilling all the Law; 1. Whence cometh the inequality of
Grace and Glory ? 2. How come any Believers to be left long under
sins and weakness of Grace, and temporal punishments?
III. The Merits of Christ have procured us the New Covenant
(sealed in Baptism) by which we have a nt w Rule offiieii & judieii,
(for such is every Law) Christ is not the only Subject of God: He
made us not lawless or Rebels. God still ruleth the Church by a Law
or Covenant : This is the Law or Covenant of Grace : Deny this Cove
nant, and you deny the Gospel: This Covenant or Law obligeth us
to Duty : And it promiseth and giveth Pardon and Life in and with
Christ; This Covenant hath Conditions j various conditions of various
Benefits 5 Our first true consent ( which Baptism celebrateth ) that is,
our firji believing and repenting is the condition of our first Vnion with
Christ, and our Pardon, and Adoption, and the Spirit. Our sincere
Love and Obedience to the end, and over-coming, is the further con
dition of our final Justification at Judgment , and our Glory. This
Covenant we are now under, and by this we must be finally judged,
justified, or condemned. No man shall be saved, unless (if at age)
he personally perform the conditions of this Covenant: And everyone
shall be saved that doth. Faith, Repentance, Love to our Redeemer,
Gratitude, Prayer, sincere Obedience, are all such Doing , as by this
Covenant ;ire made the necessary means of Glory : But not such
Doing as Paul opposeth to the Jews , as maketh the Reward not of
Grace, but of Debt. The Author of this Law is just: His 'Jujiice will
give to the performers of the Condition all that he hath promised. '
The
 remonitiorii 23

The Scripture dft useth all these Titles $ I. That of Reward, as being
the state of the benefits retributed. 2. That of Justice, as being the
principle of Reward. 3. That of Works, as being the matter rewarded 5
even our personal Works wrought by Grace, and not only those which
Christ did. 4. That of worthiness or merit, as being the relation of the
Worh^zxsA Person to the Reward. 5. That of Righteousness , as being
the state of the Person performing these Works, as pronounced by the
New Covenant. If I prove not all these by express Scripture, believe
your new Gospel.
I. It is Reward, Heb. II. 6. He that cometh to God, must believe that
God is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently Jeek^ him. It's
the second Article of Faith, frov. 13. 15. Mat. 6. 4. Himself stall Re
ward thee openly, and vers.6. 18. Prov. 25. 22. Mat. 16. 27. Then stall
he reward every man according to his Workj 5 even Christ when he corneth
in Glory with his Angels : If you fay, He meaneth his Works done by
Christ, readÆfaf.25. and believe it if you can. SoRev.22. 12. ijoh.
8. Heb. II. 26. Col. 3. 24. Te stall receive the Reward of the Inhe
ritance. Col. 2. 18. I Cor. 9. 17, 18. I Cor. 3. 8, 14. Luke 6. 35. Mat.
5. 12,46. d» 10. 41,42. Prov. II. 18. Psal. 19. 58. II. Heb. 10.
35-
II. Gospel paternal Justice rewardeth men ( supposing Christ's Merits )
a Tim. 4. 8. A Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge
shall give me, and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing,
Rom. 2. 5. The righteous Judgment of God, who stall give to every man
according to his Works. To them that by patient continuance in well-doings
&c. 2 Thef. 1. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, io, 1 1. Psal. 67. 4. & 46. 10. Psal. 1 1. 7.
Gen. 18. 23, 24, &c. And multitudes of other places, Heb. 6. 10. God if
not unrighteous to forget your worh^ and labour of love. 1 Joh. 1.9. If
we confess our fins, he is faithful and just to forgive onr stns , &c. Isa.
45. 22. 4
III. The thing rewarded is called Works done by man ( not legally
justifiable, but evangelically ) Mat. 16.27. Rev. 2. 26. Rev. 14. 13.
€^20.12,13. Jam. 2. 21, 24, 25, 26. Rev. 2. 2, 9, 13, 19. #-3.1,2,
8, 1%. Heb. 6. 10. Kew. 22. 13. I Cor. 15. last. And it's called Doing,
2 T/bc/. 3. 13. and G*/. 6. 9. 2. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 10. He£. 10. 36. Mat.
25. 21, 23. 12. 50. & 7. 22, 23. &6. 1, 2. LukfB. 21. jftfA. 13. 17.
Cp/. 3.23,24. He^. 13.21. Kew. 22. 14. And keeping his Word ox Com
mandments, 1 jfo£- ?• 22« and 1 2-3* and jM1- *5« io- ^* *4> I5»
16. Dd». 9. 4. Eccles. 12. 13. Pnw. 4. 4. E,xW. 20. 6. Deut. 5. 29. £z.ea.
18. 2 1, 8cc. And Obeying, Heb. 5.9. He is the Author of eternal Salva
tion to all them that obey him. Acts 5.22. Rom. 6. 16. Obedience unto
Righteousness, &c.
IV. The Relative aptitude of theJFor^for the Reward is called Wor
thiness^ or Merit, and the performer Worthy ( evangelically not legally").
And primarily fignifieth that which preponderateth in the ballance 5
but cannot note here any worth or merit by commutation, but that apti
tude which refulteth from the goodness of the aUion as related to the Pro
mise, Rev. 3.4. A few—which have not defiled their Garments, and they
shall walk, with me »* white , for they are worthy. 2 Thefli 1. 5, 6. The
righteous Judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom
of God, for whichyou suffer. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to re
compense— to you that are troubled, rest with us— . II. That God would
count you worthy of this calling. Luke 20.35. They which be counted
worthy to obtain that World-— . 21, 36. That ye may be accounted worthy
to
 Premonition.

to escape- — and stand before the Son of Man. So Eph. 4. 1. Col. 1. 10.
I Thefi. 2. 13. Mat. 10. 37,38.
V. The title of Relation given to the Workj and Persons evangelically
\s Righteousness, or Justice, 1 Joh. 3. 7. He that doth Righteousness is righ'
teous. Matth. 25.46. The righteous into life eternal: 21. Well done good
and faithful Servant ^.35. for Iwashungred, andye, &c. Mat. 13.43.
Mat. io>^i. Ezek. 18. 20, 24. 33. 12, 13, 18. Rom. 6. 16. &8. 10.
I Cor. 15.2 s. E/>&. 5. 9.^*6. 14. 2 7/«. 4. 8. Heb. 11.33. 2 Cor. 9. 9.
And the godly are called Righteous, in relation to their Hears/ and Doings
near an hundred times (if not much more) in Scripture, though but in
subordination to Christ's meritorious Righteousness, and but secundum
quid, and notstmpliciter.
See the Texts further recited in my Confession of Faith.
And now he that ( considering all this) believes, 1. That Christ is
no King, 2. Or we no Subjects, 3. Or that he hath no Law of Grace
or Covenant which we are under, 4. Or that this Law, or Covenant,
will not justifie them that perform that Condition, (from legal-execu
tive damnation , by giving them Pardon, and Right to Life, for the
Merits of Christ ) : 5. And that Faith, Repentance, and persevering
holy Obedience , will not material/y justifie any man that hath them
from the charge of having no part in Christ, because of Infidelity, Im-
penitency, Unholiness or Apostacy 5 6. Or that he that performeth the
Gospel-Conditions shall not be judged rewardable, or evangelically
worthy of the promised Reward 5 7. Or that the same thing which as
Good and a Benefit is a Gift absolutely free against commutative Merit,
is not yet quoad ordinem conferendi & recipi$ndi a true Reward. 8.And
so that we have no Reward for any Works but what Christ did in his
own Person. 9. And that the Judgment-Day will be to try whether
Christ did his part or not, and so to judge him, and not to try whether
we have part in him, and did our parts or not, by repenting, believing,
loving, obeying and overcoming, and so to justifie us, primarily by his
Merits and Covenant, and subordinates by our performance of the Con-
ditions5 And 10. He that believes that instead of all this, we our selves
did by Christ as our legal Verson both keep all the Law of Works from first to
latt, and merit Life, and also fatisfie Gods Justice for not keeping the
Law, and so redeem our selves, or suffer in Christ for our own Sins, and
purchase Pardon and Salvation for our selves: 11. Or that Godac-
counteth us so to have done, what we did not: 12* And so that it is
the Law of Works and Innocency by which we our selves are justified :
13. And that for meriting in Christ we are fixed presently in the immuta
ble state of eternal life, which is the Reward : 14. And that this is not
a Reward to Christ only, but to us as Meriters in him ; He that can believe
all this, with abundance more of the Libertine new Gospel-Doctrine
(commonly called Antinomian") which dependeth on it; doth quite
differ from my Faith, who believe that Christ suffered, satisfied, fulfilled
the Law, and merited in the Person of a free Mediator only j fulfilling
all his own mediatorial Law or Covenant, and receiving his Reward,
and freely upon these Merits, and his Power received, making a Deed
of Gift of Himself and Life (Pardon, Adoption, Spirit and Glory)
to all that truly consent to his Covenant, and overcoming do persevere
therein, and perform sincere Obedience to the last : by which Law or
Covenant he will judge men at last, that is, will justifie or condemn
them: And this Jbort and plain Dostrinc of Faith is ir, which I am con
strained by the full and plain testimony of the Scriptures to embrace:
And
 c*A Premonition. i<

And I never yet saW &af thing against it, which is not easily confuted^
though fny life is nbtjike to be long enough, hor am I idle enough, to
write against all that have written a'gainst me.
In coticlusiob, I must give notice to the Reader, that there are' many '
great and weighty. Points of great difficulty concerning our LOVE
to GOD, and the 6rcler of it ih ^respect to Faith, Repentance, the
love of our selves and bur felicfcjv and pur love to Creatures , &c.
which I pass by in this TreatiseAi'jas having spoken with some care of
them jd my Christidn1 Qireftory, in the Appendix to the Chap. Os loving
Cod , \VL i?qtti. i. ^ridif thatse£m<to6 intricate to any, as being too
long ; in^rief, I suppose that tliefhomiSfs grofly err in placing beati
tude chijbffy in the Intellect, and their Reasons (especially as Medina
useth them) are very /weak 3 and the Scotists are more sound , who
place it in the Will, and those other most sound who place it in the*
perfection of the whole man actively 5 but objectively in God .• And
most plainly that very plain judicious School-man Ægidiut Romanus
Q^odlib. 3. $u. 18. p. 187, 188. who faith in short, 1. That
God is the final Object simply j 2. That the love of God (ox velle)
is the final act, or beatitude formaliter : 3. That beatitude (or ra
ther the ratio finis) is principally in the Object, and next in the
Act,: 4. That subserviently or quodam genere the vifto Dei is the
Object, and the velle videre Dcnm the Act. See also Ægidius ,
guodl.\. qu. 11. clearly proving three ways that we must love Gotf
above our selves , yea and not ( properly ) for our selves , but for
himself, and our selves and all things for him.
But 1. I think he mistaketh in saying that the AB of the Will is
not the ObjeS of the Will , and so that Visio and not Amor are feli
city objeffive : For as Amestus faith , Dicimm omnium gentium con-
sen/it volo velle 5 and one AU may be the Volition of the next$ and
a complacency in that past: And what doth a Believer will more
than perfectly to love God, next to God himself? And Amo Amore
is ah Act that we have full experience of. 2. And I am past all
doubt , that Beatitudo nostra qua talk is not the principal end of
man, but God, 1. In his own YerseUion or God-head; 2. The
fulfilling or pleasing of the Divine Will\ 3. The Glory of Gods
Image ot Perfections as shining, 1. In the Universe, 2. And therein
most eminently in the glorified Society, 3. And therein most emi
nently in the Person of Christ , 4. And next in all those that are
most excellent in their Order , 5. And among them in our selves ,
our holiness and felicity : And this but in our own rank and place :
For our Perfection and Unity with Christ and the glorified , will
end all that narrow corrupt selfishness, which now maketh men dream
that they are chiefly their own ends, (that is, their own gods) and
that their Beatitude is the highest final notion , as if God were to
be loved chiefly for eur selves, as the means of our Beatitude: It
being worth the considering, whether it be not a wrong to God
to love him at all sub ratione medii to our selves as an end, though
we must love him as the first Efficient of all our Good , and our
Great Benefactor, our selves and benefits being but means to Him^
though yet ( not He , but ) many of his Gists , may be loved as
means to our Happiness, and that and all things for God him
self.

E Among
 <aA ^Premonition.

Among the Scotitfs , Rada well openeth this Case 3 and the worst
of them all (in 4. Sent, de Beatitud. ) is far better than
Dr. Stern, the Dublin Physitian, in his Medela Animœ, and too many
more novel immature Dilputers, who would make our Happiness
the chiefest end both of our selves and God, meerly because that God
can have no addition of Felicity: A reason vainly excluding such
other respects , as men that write of such Subjects should not be ig
norant of: especially when they reproach the School- men, and (ave
themselves the labour of understanding them j ( when though they
are too presumptuous and curious, yet) one Rada, one Ægid. Co-
twin. Rom. one Joseph Angles , &c, hath more clear explication of
such Difficulties as they presumptuously tamper with , than an hun
dred of our late Oratorical Novelists, who are proud of their undi
gested new Philosophy, and their unripe daring Wit».

1 ■

THE
 THE

Second Part

O F

GODS GOVERNMENT.

AND

MORAL WORKS

; —■—— 1 —' 1 W '

SECT. I.
i
The firtt Law; i

i. ^^Od the free Creator, Lord and Benefactor of the world, was
■ _, pleased to make his Creatures of various ranks ; and among
^.Jt the Rational to make Man a free undetermined self-deter
mining Agent, not fixed by Necessity in Love and Obedience, but left
with a Power of Loving and Obeying, which he could use or not use 5
that so he might be a fit subject of Gods Moral Government by Laws,
and perswasions in this world, in order to a more fixed state of holi
ness. Not but that Angelical Confirmation had been better for us 5
But it pleased not God to compose the universe of Creatures only of
the noblest order.
2. When God exerciseth only a Moral not- determining operation
upon this world of Free Agents, it is not any dishonour to his Will or
Tower as if he could do no more 5 But it is his Delight thus to govern the
creature according to the nature and rank which he hath made it in 5
and his non-volitions and non-operations of a higher sort , are agree
able to his Perfection, Wisdom and Liberty 5 Higher action being used
on higher creatures.
3. Yet hath God placed and kept these free Agents, not only under
his Moral Government, but also under his Dominion and disposal 3 so
that he will do with them as his own, what he list,and none (hall frustrate
his disposing Will.
4. It pleased him first to make man perfect under a Law of Perfection,
making innocency or perfection the only condition of Life , and the
contrary of Death.
5. When Man had sufficient Grace to have kept this Law ("not suffi
cient to ascertain the event, but sufficient Power to have stood, that is,
as much Grace as was neceflary to his standing, fine qua non ejse potuit,
& cum qua ejse potuit) he broke it , and sinned against that sufficient
Grace, before God either denyed him any thing neceflary, or withdrew
any from him.
E 2 6. From
 Of (jod's (sowernment,

6. From whence it is clear that the Nature of Mans Will is such , as

that it is made to use a Power which doth not necessitate , or determine
itself, or is determined necessarily, but freely: And that it is no Deify
ing of the Will, nor extolling it above its Nature, to fay that it can act
or determine it self, without Gods pre-dctermmating premotion j or by
that seme measure of help which at another time doth not determine it.
Though its Nature, and its Act as such be of God, yet so is its Liberty
too ; and therefore by the Power and Liberty given by God, the Will
can act or not act, or turn it self to this object or to that, without more
help than the seid natural support and Concurfe : And this Power and
Liberty is its Nature, and Gods Image.
7. From hence also it is evident that there is such a thing (or operation
ofGod) as Grace Necessary called sufficient, which is not effectual. For
God took no Grace away from Adam before he sinned, nor let out any
temptation upon him which he was not able to resist j nor did he sin for
want of necenary Grace 5 but by that fame degree of help might have
overcome.
8. God passing Sentence on fain Man for sin, would not forgive him
the temporal death, nor common calamities of this life, but cursed the
creatures which he was to use, as part of his penalty.
9. But the Great evil which sin brought on man, was the loss ofGods
approbation and complacency , and of his Spirits soving Communion
and help, and of Gods Image on man's SpuJ, and of Communion with
God herein 5 and also his right to life eternal. All which man's own
sin cast away, and man was both the Descrver and Executioner, with
out any change in God.
10. Vet was all this privation penal, in that God made Man such a
creature, as that his own sin should become his punishment or ruineif
he committed it, so that all Punishment is not determinatively of God,
though Gods Antecedent Will did make that which by man is made a
Cause. As in argument, God faith antecedently [If thou sin, thy own
sin shall be thy torment and misery] and man faith [J willfin] Therefore
it is Man that is the determining Cause of the Conclusion {My own fin,
stall be my torment and misery] : So it is in Causation, God antecedently
to man's sin, doth resolve [I will mak$ Ma* such a Creature, with such a
Mind, Conscience and Will, as that his Holiness JhaU be his Healths and
"joy, and his immediate Receptive capacity of my favour and of his Com
munion with me , and of his title to my spirit and Glory : And that if
he forsake me and his Holiness, in the very Nature of the thing , he JhaU
lose all this Life, Light, and Love, Joy and Communion, and title to my
Grace, andstallfeel the torments of his own Conscience telling him ofhis
fin and loss.] This is Gods Antecedent Law : Nay, this is Gods Antece
dent Creation, to make man such a Creature. Now if man sin, his own
fin doth ipfi fa&o become his misery, and yet \s not caused at all by God.
But yet that his Nature was made such as sin should prove a misery to,
was Gods Work. And from that Antecedent Creation or Constitution the
Relative form of a PuniJIment resulteth to the Sinner. Even as God
faith [Ifthou Murder it stall be thy fin] or [Thou stalt not Murder] And
man doth Murder : Here the Act that is sin is of man ; but that the Rela
tion of sinbelongeth to that act, resulteth partly from the Law which
forbiddeth.it 5 and yet God is not the Cause offing though he Antece
dently decreed, [Murder foall be fin if thou commit it.] So is it also with
this sort of Punistment which is either sin it self, or the effect or result of
sin immediately.
By
 and <£Adoral IVorfy. 20

By which we see that whensm and punishment are sound in one thing,
God is the Cause (Antecedently) of the formal Relation of a runifh*
mcnt , without being a Cause of the sm : yea , antecedently is some
cause of the formal relation ofthe sin, by his Law, without causing any
of the sin it self, as the author of it.
As if God make roan of such a temper, as that (insetting, drunken
ness, lust, will make him sick, and hazard his Use , Here God did no
otherwise punish him than by making him such a man j which he turned
to his own destruction by his sin, If a man make a thorn Hedge about
his Garden, that men may not steal his fruit , and those that will (hall
prick themselves, it is they that prick and punish themselves. Jf God
say, He that will leap into the fire shall be burnt, or into the water shall
be drown d , it is they that do it that cause the evil 3 and yet some for
mal relation of penalty, may result to it from Gods conditional antecedent
Law. I fay not that God executeth no other kind of punistiment : But
these are the most common.
1 1. Man having thus cast away Gods Image and his Innocency, could
beget a Child no purer, holier or better than himself : For he could not
communicate that which he had lost. So that our Nature is vitiated
with Original sin, and unhappy in the miserable effects. Bradwardine
hath a shift which serveth them that say man could do no good in Inno
cency without supernatural Help, viz,. Making that Help to be Gods Will
that it (hall be done : But is not Gods Will called our natural Help
when it is the fountain of Nature, working by natural means } It's true
that free will without Gods Will could do nothing.
1 3. The promisory part ofthe Covenant or Law ofInnocency became
null or ceased with man's first sin , cejfante subditorum capacitate 5 and so
the Condition which is its modus. So that no man ever since was under
the Obligation of that Law as a Covenant of life, faying (Be ?erfe& ot
Innocent and Li»e], nor obliged to perfeU personal perpetual obedience
as the condition of Life j for it was become naturally impossible. And
God maketh not Promises and Covenants upon Natural impossibilities,
whatever we fay of Moral ones. If the Devils before their fall were un
der this Covenant (Be Terfeft and Live.'] Yet now they are not
Jundcr it.
Here some worthy Divines go into both extreams : Some fay that all
she Law of Innocency is ceased , Precept , Promise, and Threatning.
Others fay that all still are in force or being. The Truth I think is be
tween them as followeth.
1. God still commandeth perfect obedience, so far as that the least
violation of his Law is sin.
2. This Law bindeth us as the Creator's Law: but not as meet Crea
tor : But as put with Nature into the hand and power of the Redeemer,
to whom all Power or Government is committed, and so all Laws are
now both the Creators and Redeemers.
3. These Precepts bind us not now in so full a sort as they did Adam^
even to obedience j Though the Law be as perfect »' Because there is
some Dispositio Recipients necessary to the effecting an Obligation upon
us : And where any Natural Impossibility hath befaln us , though by
sin, it will make some alteration in the obligation.
4. The Commination of the said Law is so far still in force, as to
make Punistiment (even perpetual) to be our desert for every sin, and so
far to oblige us to Punistiment, that if we are not pardoned , we shall
not escape 3 for it is natural for sin to deserve Punishment.
r 5. This
2o Of (jocts governments

5. This obligation is not only Remediable or pardonable, but conditio

nally (as well as by the Fundamental Merit of Christ) Remedied and par
doned to all men immediately 3 and a&ually pardoned to penitent Believers.
* 6. The Promijsory Covenanting part was not (properly) Abrogated by
God : For he was not the changer.
j j The Promissory part is now really ceased, and is No Promise, nor No
Covenant of God : And this was done by Mans ceasing to be a capable
subject 3 which because some few worthy Divines deny, I prove.
1. If it be yet a Promise, it is Absolute ("which none faith) or Condi
tional: And if so, either the Condition is quid prœteritum, quidprœfens,
vel quid futurum : But none of these 3 1. A Paji and Present Condition
are not proper Conditions of the thing, but forms of speech : And ei
ther that Condition already is , or is not 3 If it be 5 the Promise
is absolute in fence : If it be not 3 the Promise is No Promise in
fence, but equivalent to a Negation , as common reason as well as the
civil Law confesseth. If it be quid Ignotum, the notice may be Con-
ditional still, but not the proper Donation. But here it isquidnotisjimum,
and God is feigned to fay, If Adam and hk Posterity have no fin, I will
jufiifie and bless them 3 which is equivalent to [itriB not]. If the Con
dition be supposed Future, e. g. [if Adam and his feed jin no more, they
arejuJT] it is false, because they are already guilty.
2. The essence of a Condition is to suspend the efseit, till performed.
But here the effect is not suspended: Ergo there is no conditional promise.
Total loss is no suspension.
3. When the Condition is once totally violated and become impossi
ble, all scnce and civil Law faith, Res transit in judicatum , & Lex in
Sententiam 3 and the Promise ceaseth Ceffante capacitate Promiffarii : And
so it is here.
4. That which is a Promise is also a Law, and is essentially the Ex
pression of Gods Will for the Government of his SubjeUs, and fora con
ditional Rule of Right to the thing promised : This is its very definition.
But it is unworthy of God, to fay that he doth ever since the fall , tell
the world, [If you are not fain or Sinners , you shall be justified] or
f_on condition that you be such as never did sin, you shall live]. This
were to threaten or condemn us ironically or with derision , under the
name of a Promise, or Covenant, or Law.
Yet the change as I said is made by man, who hath made himself un-
capable to be the object of such a Promise, or subject to such a Law.
And I know that it is a Question of no small Difficulty , whether any
proper promise of life was made to Adam himself, and so whether this
was properly a Promising Covenant } But I can presume to fay no more
than I can prove •, which is, 1 . That as Natural there seemed to be in it
an intimation of the Will of God, to give Adam perpetual felicity if he
obeyed, 1. In that God made his Soul Immortal : Not such as could not
cease to be 5 but such as in its Nature was fitted to perpetuity. And a
perpetual Soul must be perpetually happy or unhappy : And God would
not fiibvert the Nature of Spirits, nor make Souls unhappy for nothing.
2. Because Holiness it selfwould be and infer Happiness to a perpetuated
Soul. To love God perfectly is to be perfectly happy. And God would
not have taken away man's holiness from him. 3. Because God having
voluntarily become man's Rector, that Justice which consisteth in doing
as a Rector ob fines regiminis, secundum mores fetbditorum, seemeth to
be a virtual Promise, that it shall go well with the obedient. 4. Be
cause God put into man's Soul a natural inclination to its own perpetual
felicity.
 ana ivioral Worfy.
felicity. 5. And also a holy Inclination perpetually to Love his God,
and to know him. 6. And God -commanded Man in the very Law of
Nature (and positively) certain means to be used, no doubt in order to
such felicity as the end which man by nature was obliged to intend.
And doubtless God would not do all this in vain ; His command to seek
Life, is a kind of Promise, that faithful seekers maH obtain it. 7. And
as Nature made Punishment due to the sinner 5 so it scemeth implyed in
that very threatning of Nature, that the obedient fliall speed better.
Whoever is angry with me for it, I must lay, that these Natural Evi
dences are no inconsiderable perfwaders of my judgment, and directors
of it about the certainty and nature of the Promise to Adam.
2. But besides these, though the Scripture be very silent here, yet the
lame seemeth implyed , 1. In the threatning of death to Adam. 2. In
the titles of [Redemption Reconciliation Remissions &c given in the
Gofpeitothe acts ofour Salvation by Jesus Christ : which seem to im
port that they restore us into that state of Heavenly hope, which we
fell from in Adam 5 when we all sinned and came short of the Glory
of God, Rom. g.

SECT. II.

Tbefirft Edition of the Law os Grace.

13. When God judged man for sin , at once he promised him a
Saviour , and through him as promised, made a new Law of Grace
with man. '
14. This Law giveth pardon of the Spiritual and Eternal Punish
ment, and of all save what was excepted in the Sentence foregoing :
But pardon, not to be absolutely and immediately received, but by de
grees and upon certain terms ; And with pardon a free gift of Life Spiri
tual nod Eterttat, and so of the spirit and Communion with God, on the
laid conditions.
1 5. The Promise Gen. 3. 15. is plain as to Mercy and Salvation, and
darker as to the promised feed, and his mediation; and dark as to the
Condition on man's part : But (by Sacrifices, &c.) it is like that Adam
had it more explained to him, than those short words make it to us : But
this is clear that by this new Covenant God becometh man's Merciful
Redeemer and Pardoner, and Ruler on terms of Grace in order to recovery
and Salvation j And that man was to Believe in God as such, and accor-
ingty to devote himself in Covenant to him.
16. Thk Law or Covenant was made with aU Mankind in hdzm: For
all were in his loins 5 and God hath given us no more proof that the
first Covenant was made with Adam as the Father of Mankind, than that
the second was so made.
17. Gods dealings with Mankjnd are a certain confirmation of this
truth, and an exposition and promulgation of this Law and Covenant of
Grace as extended to all Mankind. For God doth not use them accord
ing to the rigor of the violated Law of Innocency , but giveth them
abundant mercies and means which tend to their Repentance and recovery,
andobligeth them all to Believe that he is merciful and their case is not
desperate, and to Repent and use his means and mercies in order to
their return to God and their Salvation* There are no Nations in the
world
 ^2 Os (jo£s (government,

world that even to this day are not under such mercies, means, and obli
gations j and therefore none that are left as the Devils in Despair, under
the unremedyed Covenant of Innocency alone. ■
"• 18. But though the Law of Grace rhade td Addm be it which the
world was then put under, and to be Ruled by, and the tenor of it
extended to all Mankind ; yet those that would partake of the Blef/wgs
of it, were to consent to it as Covenanters with God , and to Believe
in and obey God their Redeemer pardoner and restorer, in the thank
ful senceof all this mercy ; which because the ungodly did not,' they
and their posterity fell under a double guilt and curse, both as violarers
of the Law of Innocency and of Grace : and therefore incurred a special
penalty: Cain and his off-spring being first thrust out further from'- the
believing obedient people of God, and at last the whole world except
eight persons perishing in the deluge.
19. Noah with his house being saved to be the Root of all Mankind
that should succeed him, God renewed With him and Mankind in him,
the same Law or Covenant ofGrace which he had made with us in Adant,
with some additionals : To shew us that though the wicked and therr
feed had forfeited the benefits, yet the Covenant wa9 not altered , but
stood in its first sence in force to all, and would pardon and save all true
Consenters. ,\\ .'. .'.J:
20. Cham for his transgression brought a new Curse on himself and
his posterity , besides the meer fruit of Adam's Sin. So that though
God altered not his Law of Grace, yet they became a cursed Gene
ration.
2 1. By multiplyed transgressions, the Sons ofmen did still more dege
nerate and revolt from God, till Nimrod and others by wickedness and
presumptions brought down the new and grievous penalty ofconfounded
tongues, (the great hinderance of the propagation of the truth to this
day) And at last, the most fell to odious Idolatry, not knowing the
true God, but given up to sensuality and wickedness.
Abrahams Promise. 22« Abraham being faithful and escaping the Idolatry and wickedness
of the world, was eminently favoured and beloved of God, and belie
ving and trusting God in his promises and in the great tryal of his Son,
is honoured with the name of the Father of the faithful : And God re
newed with him the Covenant of Grace which he had made to all men in
Adam and Noah, with special application to his comfort $ and added a
special peculiar Tromise to him , that his Seed should be a holy Nation
chosen out of all the world to God, and that of him the Messiah should
come, of both which Promises (the commonandthe special) Circumci
sion was a Seal.
23. Yet this was no repealing of the Law of Grace which had been
made to all the world, nor was it an excommunicating or rejeSing of all
others, or a confining of Gods Grace and Church to him and his poste
rity alone j but only an exalting them above all others in these peculiar
dignities and priviledges. For at that time holy Sem was living, and
long after, who in all likelyhood was a King, and its like that the Po
sterity of him and Japhet were not all fain away from God $ and Melchi-
zedek^ was such a King of Righteousness and Peace and Priest of the most
high God as was a great type of Christ's own Heavenly Priesthood , and
therefore it's like had some Subjects that feared and worshipped God.
The Scripture giving us the History of the Jewish Nation, and affairs as
the principal, and of the rest of the world but a little on the by, we
cannot know by it the full state of all other Nations, nor what Religion
 and S\/Coral Worfy. 33

and Worshippers of God were there. But the History of Job and his
Friends, the probability that all the Children of Ismael, of Keturah, of
E/S*, forsook not God (for they were circumcised and therefore were
Covenanters') with the Case of Nineve after j and Abraham's thoughts
that even a Sodom had at least had fifty righteous persons in it, &c. assu-
reth us that the Jews were not God's only church, but a peculiar people,
and a Nation holy above the rest. And as the Covenant of Grace was
still the Governing Lav? to the rest of the world, (though most rejected it '
by rebellion) so it is not to be thought that none consented to it and
were faithful.
24. Thespecial promise to Abraham of the Mejjiah to be his feed, which
was more than was made to Adam and Noah, as it belonged not to Man
kind in general, so was it not promulgate or known to them, but only to
the Jews , and the few that conversed with them. Therefore the
rest of the world, were not obliged to know and believe it, who never
heard of it.
25. What Conditions of pardon and life were neceilary to all Man- Thctermsof thciini-
kind then in general, is most probably gathered out of these Texts of versai Covenant.
Scripture. Exod. 34. 6, 7. And the Lord-proclaimed the Name ofthe Lord—
The Lord, the Lord God, Merciful and Gracious, long suffering and abun
dant in Goodness And truth, keeping Mercy for thousands, forgiving ini
quity, transgression andsin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, vi
siting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children , and to the Childrent
Children unto the third and to the fourth Generation. This is the descrip
tion of God given by his own mouth, as he is to be Believed in, and as
they were to be subject and devoted to him : And what mouth can sore- •
lier reveal him. And Heb. 1 1. 6. Withoutfaith it is impossible to please
Cod 5 for he that cometh to God muft believe that God is, and that he is the
Rewarder of them that diligently seek, him. Act. 10. 34, 35. Os a truth I
perceive that God is no respe&er of persons , but in every Nation he that
feareth him and workt th righteousness is accepted with him. And John's
and Chiist's Preaching were, Repent 5 And Except ye Repent ye jhall all
perish: And Christ was a Prince, and a Saviour to give Repentance to
Israel and Remijfion of Sins.
26. The belief of the pardoning Mercy of God to the penitent, and
the recoverable state of Souls, and the duty ofRepenting, andfeeing par
don and mercy of God, in order to Salvation , in opposition to despair
and negleU of all endeavours for recovery, is so common to all Mankind,
that (though self-love may make them hope inordinately for that which
they would have to be true j yet) it is most apparent that it proceedeth
from some Natural notion of God, and is to be numbred with the Notit is
Communes'iV/hich are past controversie with all Mankind.
27. Therefore though the Law of Innocency was the Law of Nature in
the firfl and eminent sence , yet this Common notice of Gods pardoning
Merty, andman'sduty to Repent, hope and seek Salvation may well be
called, The Law of lapsed Nature, as the other is the Law of Innocent Na
ture. For the Nature of God, and the nature of Man, with all circumftant
Natures , and the course of natural Providence running so much in the
way of great restoring mercy, do certifie mankind of the sorefaid hopes
and duties.
28. For it is not (as some have said) an absurdity, but a certain Truth,
that the Law of Nature is as far mutable as Nature it self is mutable. For
the Law of Nature (commonly misdescribed) is nothing else but the
Nature of Man and all other Creatures of God, so far as per modum figni
F they
 Os (jocl's (government,

they notifie to us Gods Will appointing what shall be Due from us and so
us, as the injirutnent of Gods Government of Mankind. Now this Noti
fication is most by the Refultancy of duty from the Nature of Man com
pared with Godand all the Creatures that he hath to do with. And the
very variety of circumstances (as in the cafe of Jdam's Children? Car
riages and ours , &c. ) may alter Nature's signification , obligation
and Law.
29. That which is called the Covenant of Nature or Innocency, was in
the Main the very Law ofInnocent Nature in all the parts of it. j. Na
ture being perfect, revealed Man's Duty perfectly to obey. 2. Nature;
declared Punijhment to be due to (in j yea to all sin. And this punishment
to be suitable to the nature of the Offender compared with the Gp4
offended, and the injury dope. Especially that if men will undoe them
selves, by forsaking Life and Love and Joy, and casting themselves intq
darkness, difeafednefs and misery, when it is forestiewn them, God is not
bound to hinder or recover them. 3. Nature telleth man that God
who made his Soul zsimple Intellectual spirit, and Life it self ("though
created and dependant) intended not to annihilate it 5 and that its noble
faculties, fitted to know God, and Love him , and Live to him perfectly
in Immortality, were made for this employ ment in Immortality ? and not
in vain. And that he that Naturally maketh it mans duty to hope and seek.
for Immortal hkppiness, hath not made this hope or duty in vain : Nor
will fail or frustrate or destroy them that forfeit not their hopes. So
that the Covenant depends not alone upon supernatural Revelation. .
30. But that which Nature revealeth about the penalty, is 1. Not that
God of necessity muSl pu*ifh the loss oflnnocency as highly as he may dp.
a. But that -he may juUly punish the Sinner in rigour, by temporal, spiri
tual and eternal miseries. 3. And that the Ends of Government (the
honour of his Wisdom, Goodness, Power, Truth and Justice, and the
order of the humane world) do require that sinscape notfree , but some
exemplary punishment be a Vindication of God , and a warning to
Man : which our death, asfli8ions , and spiritual sufferings manifest in
part, and the sufferings ot Christ more fully. So that pardon, and dis
pensing in part with his Right to punish us according to the Law first
broken, is no fsljhood'm God, nor any injuliiee , nor any violation of
his Law of Nature. ,
31. The Law which God put all mankind under after the fall, and
the world without the Church is under still, is the freceptive part of the
Law of Innocent Nature as de futuro, the promise of it being ceased , and
the penalty not totally nullifyed,bxit made remedyable by an act of oblivion
or Conditional Covenant ofGrace, q. d. [Thou fialt perfectly obey me, for
the time to come ; and every sin shall deserve everla&ing punishment, so far
as that I mightjuSily infli& it, and will do it if it be mt remitted : But all
thy sin Jl)all be forgiven thee, and thoustalt have the free gift of pardon and
salvation, if then Believe in me thy merciful Saviour, and repent and give
up thy self to me to be saved , and to be Mine by sincere obedience
and Love. ~]
32. The deliverance of the Israelites homEgypt by Moses, and their
imbodying into a new Common-wealth, with a Theocratical Govern
ment in a peculiar manner , and a new body of Divine Laws, were all
done in performance of Gods Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
separating their seed as Holy from all the world. Not as if no other
were Holy in the world j but as the Priests and Levites were sanctified to
stand r.earer to God than the people , and so specially Holy ; even so
Israel
 and S\Æoral Worhg% 3 5

Israel was a Holy Nation, as being nearer God by separation than the
rest of the Nations ofthe world.
33. The entire Law of God which the lsraelitifl) Nation was under
had all these parts. I. The remaining preceptive and directive part of
the Law of Nature. 2. The Universal Covenant of Grace made with
all mankind in Adam and Noah, and personally renewed to Abraham for
himself and his posterity. 3. The special promise to Abraham and
his seed as a peculiar people of whom the Messiah should come. 4. The
body of the Lave of Moses as a Late for that Common-wealth or Politie
(which was not so given to any other Common- wealth or Nation.) * * Suarez it ng.
1. The first of these undoubtedly is still in force. . LfcJ*V tÆr
2. The second is turned into the perfect edition of the Covenant of strictly taken, and so it
Grace, to those that have the Gospel : And it continueth to the rest ^^mSSaSR
the world unrepealed, as to the substance ofthe mercies of it, (further and the Law as including
than men deprive themselves of them by forseitures, as wicked men here J^J10^ ^ ^^Hd
do as to the mercies of the Gospel) But as it is a promise of Christ's fu- soch promises. But those
ture incarnation, it ceased by his coming. promises being the soul
,. 1 . /-ji r & jiL«t /v of the Law should not by
3. The third is ceased by performance and by the jews apottacy : the Jmt have ever been
Though some think stiU that it is in force, and that a national conversion fep«j*^ 6"? *« rest,
shall perform that promise to the full. But Mr. Calvert(i Learned young 1 c,r 0 1 1
manJ hath lately written to prove that no such national conversion is to
be expected, but only such additions of particular mens conversion to
the Catholick Christian Church, as are of that kind which hath been
more fully done on the Jem already.
4. As to the rest, it hath troubled Divines how far Moses's Law is
abrogated or ceased 5 partly as to the Judicials, and chiefly as to the De
calogue. And that we may not be too forward to call one another Le
galists or Antinomians for this difference (those now called Antinomians
being rather Libertine denyers of the Law of Christ) I will notifie to
those that know it not, that it is as much a difference among the Papists
greatest Doctors, who yet bear with one another in it, and the Pope de .
cideth it not. Some fay that the Decalogue now obligeth not as the Law
of Moses, but only as the Law of Nature, and of Christ : So Sot ode
Jnjiit. It. 2. q. 5. ar. 4. conch 2. Medina 1. 2. q. 103. ar. 3. quern aliqui
moderni sequntur, faith Suarez , de Leg. L 9. c.ii.p. 761. and Tolet. in
Jlom. 3. Anot. 15. S timer, ad Rom. 7. difp. 6. ViUor. KtliU.de Matrim,
1. p. n. 3. Barrad. To. V. It. 2. c. 21. Valent. To. 2. difp. 7. q. j.punc. 7.
To whom Suarez, joyneth himself, confessing (pig* 764, 765.) that if
(as some hold) Moses Law had been only a Declaration of the Law of
Nature, and not de novo preceptive, it could not be said to cease. But
he truly holdeth it to be constitutive or preceptive also to those that it was
by Moses delivered to : And of this opinion I profess my self (notwith
standing all that on other points I have written against the Antinomians)
Believing that Christ now is the Universal Law-giver 5 and that the very
Law ofnature (as Nature it self) is now His Law, and that he hath taken
it in to his Gospel administration, and so the Decalogue is materially in
force, but not formally as part of the proper Mofaical Law , save only
that as Declarative and ex paritate rationis, we may collect that God who
for soch reasons so bound them, doth bind us to the fame things by the
fame natural Reasons.
But there are other Papist Doctors that hold that as to the Morals
Moses Law as preceptive is still in force, even as then by him delivered,
and that to all Christians,so Bel/arm. de "jujlif. li. 4. c. 6. Lorin. in AU. I 5.
Valquez, who with Ourandus Faludan. Paul. Burgens. And Suarez, faith that
n Fa Alph.
 OfCjois (government,

Alph. a Castro and most so speak : And Vasqucz, denyeth the Law of Na
ture as such, to have properly a Divine Obligation, faith Suarez. , which
he confuteth de Leg. I.9.C. 1 1. f. 764, 765. But this controversie when
examined, containeth not much more than verbal disagreement, and so
their mutuarforbearance doth confess.
34. The Jews instead ofexcelling in Holiness proportionably to their
priviledges, did grow carnal and proud,and if Much neglected the Law
of Nature. 2. Much over-looked the spiritual Covenant ofGrace, made
with them and all the world. 3. And misunderstood the chief part of
the special Promise made to Abraham, not understanding commonly the
high, spiritual or universal Office and Kingdom of the Messiah , but
dreaming that he was but to be their Monarch, to make them great, and
to subject the world to them. 4. And they misunderstood the Lawof
Moses or Covenant on Mount Sinai ; as if the design of it had been but
by its special holy excellency to justifie the doers of it, by and for the
doing, and to pardon all the spiritual and perpetual punishment of Sin,
upon those terms which it appointed for a Political pardon, and to give
life spiritual and eternal , upon those bare conditions on which their
Law gave them Political benefits* Over- looking the great causes of
Justification and life in the Messiah , and the common Covenant of
Grace, and Promise of the Messiah made to Abraham. And this is the
error which Christ and his Apostles found them in. Yet proudly boasting
of their Law and Political priviledges, and despising all the rest of the
world, as out-casts in comparison of them.
35. Though the behaviour of all the rest of the world, till Christ's
coming be little notifyed to us, yet this much is sure, that they were
commonly more Ignorant and Idolatrous than the Jews, that yet they
retained the common notices of nature 5 that they remembred by Tra
dition those intimations of the necessity of propitiatory Sacrifice , so
as to keep up the custom of Sacrificing among them : That many of*
them with exceeding diligence sought to find God, or know him in the
works of Nature and Providence, and attained to great and excellent
understanding, especially in Greece and Rome : And many ofthem lived
Tery strict austere and laborious lives, in great Justice and Love, and
in the practice of many excellent Precepts towards God : For the Hea
vens declared the Glory of God , and the firmament stxwed his handy-
work^: Day unto day utteredspeech, and night unto night pewed knowledge 5
There was no speech or language where their voice was not heard : Their line
went through the earth, andtheir words to the worlds end, Psal. 19. 1,3,3,4.
For all Gods werkj do praise him, and the Lord is good to all, his tender
mercies are over all his workj : Psal. 145. 9, 10, 17. He is King in all the
earth. He was not the God of the Jews only , but of the Gentiles also.
Rom. 3.29. Because that which may be known os God was manifest in (er
to) them, for God hadjhewed it to them. For the invisible things of him
from the Creation of the world, are clearly seen , being understood by the
things that are made : his Eternal power and Godhead , so that they are
Without excuse, because that when they knew God, they glorified him not 0s
God, neither were thankful, Rom. 1.19,20,21. God left not himself
without witness, in that he did good and gave men rain from heaven and
fruitful seasons, filling their hearts withfood and gladness, Act. 1 4. 15,16.
Seeing he givethto all life and breath and all things , and hath made of
one blood all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,
and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation , that they Jlwuld seel{_ the Lord, if happily they might feel after
him
 and S\doral Worhg,

him and find him : though he he not far from every one of us : For in
him we live and move and have, our being 3 For we are also his off- spring,
Act. 17. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. For there is no difference between the Jew and
the Greeks For the fame Lord over all is rich unto all that call uson him.
For whoever stall call on the name of the Lord Jhall be saved : But have
they not heard .<? Tes verily, their found went into all the earth , and their
words unto the ends of the world— Rom. 10. 12, 13, 18. Defpifeji thou
the riches of his goodness andforbearance and long suffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thep to Repentance <? Who will render to
every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in
well doing feeh^ for Glory and Honour and Immortality , Eternal life—
Glory1 honour and peace, and to every man that worketh Good, to the few
first and also to the Greeks For there is no refpeft of persons with God—*
For not the hearers of the Law are juji before God , but the doers of the
Law stall be justified. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do
by Nature the things contained in the Law, these having not the Law are a
Law unto themselves j which shew the work^ of the Law written in their
hearts, thtir Conjcienees also bearing witness 5 and their thoughts in the mean
while accusing or elfk excusing one another. In the day when God shall judg0
the secrets of men by Jesus ChriSf according to my Gospel— '■Ifthe uncir*
cuptcision keeps the righteousness of the Law, stall not his uncircumcifion, be
counted for circumcision $ He is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circum
cision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter whose praise is
not of men but of God, Rom. 2.

SECT. m,.,. ,

Of Chriffs Incarnation and our Redemption.

36. In the fulness of time God sent his Son made of a Woman, made
under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law. Rom. 4. 4. But
not them only 3 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whoever believeth in him stould not'perijh, but have everlaliing
life. Joh. 3. 16.' He was made Jin for us, who knew noJin, that we might
be made the righteousness of Godin him. He redeemed us from the Curse
of the Law , being made a Curse for us. For he is the Saviour of the
world, and the Lamb of God that taksth away the fins of the world. He
is the Propitiation for our fins, and not for ours only , but for the (ins of
the whole world : 1 Joh. 2. 2. For he tasted Death for every man , Heb. 2.
being the Saviour of all men, but especially of,those that believe,\ Tim.4. 10.
For if one dyed for all, then were all dead 3 And he dyed for all, that they
which live should n ot henceforth live unto.themselves, but unto him that dyed
for them and roft. again, 2 Cor. 5. 14, 1 5.
37. As the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father in his Divipe
nature only , was the interposing Redeemer by undertaking, before his
Incarnation, and governed the fain world by the fore-described Law of
Grace? so upon his Incarnation initially, and upon his performance plena-
rily all things are delivered into his hands ; even all the world so far as
it was defiled and cursed by Man's fin j Man as the Redeemed, the Crea
tures as his utensils, and goods, (and Devils as his and our Enemies :) All
Tower in Heaven and Earth was given him, Matth. 16. 19. Joh. 13. 1, 3.
 38 OsCfod's (jovernment,

raise the dead, Joh. 5.22,23,24,25. For he hath made him Head over ail
things to his Church, Eph. 1.22,23. And for this end he dyed, rose and
revived that he might he the Lord os the dead and the living, Rom. r 4 9, 10.
For God hath exalted him andgiven him a name above every name, that in
the name os Jesus every kjiee should how , Phil. 2. 7, 8. And as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ shall all he made alive, 1 Cor. 15.22.
38. Christ upon his Incarnation performed but what God had De
creed, before the foundations of the world, and had obscurely and ge
nerally promised after the fall, at the first making of the Covenant of
Grace, Which Decree of God, is after the manner of men called by
some a Covenant between the Father and the Son 5 especially because the
Prophets have sometimes (as isa. 53.) described it by way of prediction
as a Covenant between the Father and Christ incarnate. If we conceive
of it properly under the notion of a Decree first, and a Promise aster
unto the world, so the Will and Mercy of God the Father and Son (with
the Holy Spirit) are the cause of mans Redemption, Pardon and Salva
tion, even the fundamental Principal total Cause : And the Promise was
man's security and Christ as promised was the primary great Means,
which was to procure us the rest, by doing that, upon thefore-fight and
fore-decree whereof, God did before-hand pardon and (ave Sinners. But
if you had rather mention it as in the form of a Covenant, (which before
the Incarnation, must be improperly taken, being only of God to him
self, or a promise of and to Christ as to be incarnate) then the under
taking of the Father, and the Son herein must be carefully distinguished
and described. The Father giveth up to Christ as Redeemer the whole
lapsed cursed reparable world, (the several parts to several uses) and
especially his chosen to be eventually and infallibly saved, and promiseth
to accept his Sacrifice and performance, and to make him Head over all
things t$ his church, and by him to establish the Law of Grace (in its per
fect Edition)and to give him theGovernment respectively ofthe Church
and world, and to Glorifie him for this work with himself for ever.
And the second person undertaketh to assume man's Nature, to do and
suffer all that he did, in perfect obedience to his Fathers Will, and Law
* of Redemption, to fulfill all Righteousness , conquer Satan and the
world, to suffer in the flesh, and be a. Sacrifice forsin, and to conquer
Death, and teach, and rule, and purisie, and raise, and justifie and glo
rifie all true believers.
* Eadtm fuit fides h Before the Incarnation, Christ's future death and obedience being
anttqitu patrtbus & mo- .n r • 1 r, r > t r^-P
dims qui alio modocredt- notexiltent, were no real existent Causes in themselves of mens Jultin-
ntd/bUu'imltf*immo catIon J But that Wisdom which foresaw them, and that Will of God
"liquid **?dtbut' qUld which Decreed them, as such ("and not they without that fore-sight and
nmc ift faisum. Alliaco Decree as existent^) were the cause.
10 *' q" 11 40. Nor were they either before or after the performance a proper
Cause of Gods Will which pardoned us 5 For Gods Will in it self can
have no cause. But they were Causes, 1. Of the Thing willed, and 2. Also
of the cMtm&cdX denomination o£ Gods Will from the object and effect
(of which anon).
41. Christ did not take upon him strictly and properly, the Natu-
• . ral or Civil person of any Sinner, much less of all the Elect, or all Sin
ners : But the person of a Mediator between God and Sinners : (Of
which more afterwards).
4.2. Christ was not our Delegate, Deputy, Minister ox Instrument to
do what he did in our names , by representing our persons 3 as a man's
Servant payeth his Masters debt by his command, or doth some work
. which
 and Moral Worlds.

whicl} he was to do by himself or by another. Nor did God or his own

consent put him into any such Instrumental Relation, in our Civil
persons. ...,„.'•.
43. Yet did he in the person of a Mediator, not Only merit and suffer
fro ftobk &jipstro bono , but also voluntarily as part of his Mediator
Xial y/pifk , ^ffer tfie penalty, ncstroloca, in our stead: Not by a full
representation ofour perfin} 5 nor as if we could hence truly fay, that we
did QnsensuLegk Del Civilt). Suffer in Christ, or satissie Gods Justice
purselves by (Christy nor that God or the Redeemer do reckon it to us,
,or ever will, to be a f$ifg done by us in our own Civil person, though
by Christ s "Naturvl perjiny pqr will eyer give us all the fruits of it, on
thaj reason and account, as supposing *r so by Christ to have fatisfyed
for, or Reo^emed our selves. But he suffered in' the stead and place
of Sinnc.rs, to satisfe Cods Wisdom, truth, and Justice, and to procure
pardou and life for Sinners, to be given out by irimself, on his terms,
and.jn his way.
44. Much less did Christ in our persons, and we in and by him , in a
civilscnce, become habitually holy, and perfectly fulfill all righteous1
ness- : Nor doth God ever repute us to have our selves in our own civil
persons, thus fulfilled the Law, anct been holy in arid by Christ, or will
justifie us on such a supposition. .. . , f .
45. Christ is said so be madestnfor y«, in that he was made a Sacrifice
forsin : ButWver was a Sinner indeed, or in Gods esteem : For God
judgeth pot falfiy : Nor did fife ever take to hinxselF the Guilt offaU, or
fault in it self, but the punishment and the guilt only in relation Xopunish-
fffSnt j the Reatum peena, hon culps qua talisi But if any will call the
Reapiw pœn£ by the name of Reatus eulpæ quoad pœnam tantum, because
of the relation and connotation, 1 strive riot against the Name, so we
agree of the thing : But; safest words are best; especially feeing that
obligatip ad pœnam is it that is most usually and eminently called guilt :
,Byt Christ never .undertook to be reputed of God one that' was truly
and formally wicked ox a sinner-? but only one that was a sponsor who
consented to suffer for Sinners, that they might be delivered. And
they are ill words of them that fay, Christ was by imputation the most
wicked man, . the greatest "thief, Adulterer, Murderer, or Sinner in the
world ; .Though such men may mean well, it were better speak in the
Scripture phrase, and not so far overgoe it.
.Hqd God imputed pur sins so to him as to have esteemed him a Sin
ner or guilty of our habitual and a&uatfin as Jin (even our hatred osGod,
and all qur wickedness) God must necessarily from the perfection of his
Nature ; have hated him as a wicked enemy 5 yea , more than he
hated any other man , as being guilty of a world of wickedness.
Whereas God .was" still well pleased whit him , and never hated
him.
•46. The satisfa&ion which Christ made to the justice ofGod was full
and perfect ; and so was his merit by his perfeU Righteousness.
4?. The perfeSion of Christ's fatisfaaion consisteth not in its being
in stead of Ail the sufferings due to all for whom he dyed , so that
none should therefore be ever due to the persons themselves. For
death, afiliftions, and the want of Grace, and withholding of the Spi
rits further help, &c. must be fullered even by the Elect : But it con
sisteth in its full sufficiency to those Ends for" which it was designed by the
Father and the Son.

48. The
 Os (jod's (governments

48. The very Nature and Reason of the satisfaUoriness of Christ's suf
ferings, was not in Being the very fame either in Kind ot in Degree, which
were due to all for whom he suffered : For they were not such : Of which
more afterwards.
49. They could not be the some which was due by the Law : For the
Law made it due to the Sinner himself And anothers suffering for him,
fulsilleth not the Law (which never said, Either thou or another for thee
shalt dye) But only satisfied the Law-giver as he is above his own Law,
and could dispense with it, h\s Justice being satisfied and saved. Dnm
altus folvit, aljud folvitur. 2. Andstnit self ("though not as sin) as is
before opened, was the greatest part of the Sinners punijhment (To be
alienated from God, and not to love him and delight in him, but to be
corrupted and deluded and tormented by concupiscence). 3. And
the immediate unavoidable consequents resulting from sin it self, were
punishments which Christ did never undergo. (As to be Hateful or dis
pleasing to God, as contrary to his Holy nature 5 to be related as Crimi
nal, to lose all Right to Gods favour and Kingdom, &c.) 4. And none
of the further punilhraents which supposed real faultinefs could fall on
Christ; as the torment of an accusing Conscience for rejecting and offend
ing God, for casting away our own felicity, and running into hell, &c.
the sense of Gods hatred of us as real Sinners. 5. Much less the deser
tions of the Spirit ofHoliness, to be left without goodness, in a state of
sin , and to hate God for his justice and holiness, which will be the
damneds case. The blind zeal of them that think they wrong the
sufferings of Christ, if they make them not thus of the fame kind
with all that we deserved, doth lead them to the intollerable Blasphe
ming of our Saviour; which if understood , they would themselves
abhor.
50. Nor could Christ's sufferings be equal in Degree, intensively and
extensively, to all that was deserved by the world : As is easily discer
nible by perusing what is now said, seeing our deserved suffering lay in
things of such a Nature, as to be left in sin it self, destitute of Gods
Image, and Love and Communion, under his hatred, tormented in Con
sciences besides the everlasting torments of hell, which are more than
these, upon all the millions ofSinners which were redeemed.
5 1. Yet did Christ suffer more in Soul than in Body, being at the pre-
if in any of these fcni deprived of that kind offense of Gods Love, and Joy therein, which
points men of less accu- was no part of his holiness or perfe&ion, (but no other) and having on
words take"l\hS his Soul the deep fense of Gods displeasure with Sinners and of his hatred
fore the old way of pro- of fin, though no sence of Gods hatred to himself. For it is conceivea ble
tSyoÆtJyeThow how Christ bei°g the Lover and surety or sPonsor sor sinne", and un-
far they erre indeed, dertaking to sutler as a Sacrifice for their sins, and in their stead, might
SLfÆrSwouid have on his own Soul sorrowful sense of Gods hatred of sin and
be made Hereticks for wrath against Sinners, though not properly terminated on himself; and
want of skill in the de- fo ne Dore tne sorrow of our transgressions , and was so far forsaken of
nominations allowable _ , - , • . J J J"'J 'X VJ
or not allowable by the Goa tor that tme , and not further.
Communication of idi- 52. The true Reason of the satisfaftoriness of Christ's sufferings was,
oms, if the Schoolmens , ~ , J - J . . J a , _ . 0 . 1
accuratenessmustbethe that they were a most apt means for the demonstration of the Governing
test. e. g. If the question
were whether the Humanity be part of Christ , or Christ be compounded of a Divine Nature and Humane, &c. Many
Would affirm it, that mean welt . But faith Alliac. Camerar. 3. q. [Nequc persona ntqut natura divina est compofita ; net Cbrtstu*
est compofitus ex duabus notaris, divina scilicet & human* ; five ex tribits rebus, Corfore scilicet, anima & divinitate : ftd tantum
exduabus, jecundm bmavitatem, fciticit corpore & animx effentialiter, & ex infinitis panibus quantitathis intefralittr. Idei
non est conccdcndum quodbumanitas fit Pars Cbristi. Nam ficut homo non est compofitus ex albidine, & substantia , sic nec Christies
est Compofitus ex hmanitate & persona divina. How many have gone for Hereticks for want of the Language of Aristotle
and the Schoolmen ? ' •

Justice,
 and ^Kdor'al tVorfy.

Justice, Holiness, Wisdom and Mercy os God, by which God could attain
the ends of the Lave and Government, better than by executing the Law on
the world in its destruction, ( as in general was before intimated. )
53. The measure of the satisfaction made by Christ was, that it was a
full salvo to Gods "justice, and demonstration of it, that he might give
Pardon and Life to. Sinners, upon the new terms of the Covenant of
Grace, and give what he after gave.
54. The matter of Christ's meritdrious Righteousness, was his perfeU
fulfilling the Law given him as Mediator, or the performance of the Con
ditions of his mediatorial Covenant : From which resulted the Merit ,
so the Dueness of all the Benefits which God had promised in that Cove
nant as to Christ, though mostly for men. This was the Righteousness
of Christ for man, and hence arose his Merit for us.
5 5. The matter of his Law of Redemption required of him was three
fold, 1. That he should by habitual and aUual perfect Holiness fulfil the
first Law of Nature or Innocency which Adam broke 5 not just as it obliged
Adam, in every point, but as it was common to man, and belonged to
Christ as Man. 2. That he should fulfil all the Law of Moses given only
to the jews. 3. That he should perform the great things peculiar to
himself as Mediator ; which were to be a Sacrificefor Sin, to do his Mira
cles, to teach the Church as its Head: toKw/eit, and to appoint Orders
and Officers for it, to rife again, to conquer Satan, Death and Sin, &c.
56. That Christ did not fulfil all the Law in our persons, so as that
ire did it in and by himself, and are thereby justified, is further evi
dent, in that he did not all the Duties which the Law bound us to per
form, and for not doing of which we are truly Sinners. He did not
do any of the proper Offices of a Husband to a Wife^ or of a Wife to a
Husband 5 ofa Father to Children 5 of a Servant, or a hired day-labourer
to a Master 5 of a Magistrate (King , Judge , &c. ) to Subjects : of a
Captain to Souldiers, or Souldiers to their Captain 5 of a Landlord to
Tenants j of such as have great riches towards the poor : ofthe ficl^, the
imprisoned, and abundance such like. Besides the personal Laws given
to Adam inthe Garden, to Noah, to Abraham, to David, to Solonton^
the Prophets, and such others. Christ did not these fame things for us 5
nor we fulfilled not these particular Laws in him.
57. The Disputes whether it be Christ's Divine, his habitual, his
aftive, or his passive Righteousness, that is made ours to our Justification,
seemeth to be but the Off-spring of the error of the undue sense of
Christ's personating or representing us in his Righteousness : And the par
celling out the uses and effects, ( that one is imputed to us instead of ha
bitual Righteousness, another instead of actual, and the third pardon-
eth our Sins, ) is from the fame false supposition. (It swell that they
suppose not that his Divine Righteousness is imputed to our deification.)
But the case is plain, 1. That Christ's whole Humane Righteousness, habi
tual, aftive and passive, are meritorious for us, ( not as being the very
fame things, all which we should have done, and suffered, and had j as if
we had, did and suffered them our selves by one that had, did and suf
fered them in our persons ( in a Law-sense. ) But as being the parts of
that one Righteousness of Christ as Mediator, which consisteth in the full
performance of the Law of Redemption, or of his own Covenant with his
Father, undertaken for our fakes. Having been, and done, and suffered
what he promised, he is Righteous. •
3. And his Divine Righteousness, by virtue of the hypostatical Union,
dignifieth his Humane to its meritorious value. 1
G 58. By
 Of (jo£s government,

58. By' his Sat isfaUion or Sacrifice, and this Merits Christ did pro
cure all that Pardon, Life and Benefits, whatsoever that consequently are
given us of God : And so is the true meritorious cause of all.
59. That Sacrifice and Obedience, Righteousness and Merit, which was
directly given to God, for man, by performance of Christ's undertaking,
may yet be consequently said to be given unto man ; In that it was given
to God for man, and in that the Benefits merited are given to man ; and
so relatively as to those Benefits, the Sacrifice, Obedience, Righteousness
and Merit, may be laid to be given us. As the Ransom is given to the
Captive which is given/<?r him, because the liberty purchased by it is given
him. ( Of which more after. )

SECT. IV.

Of the 3\£en> Covenant, or the Lam of (jrace

in the Second Edition.

60. The New Covenant is Chrijis Law of Grace ; his Instrument by

which he giveth Title or Right to the Benefits promised, and conveyeth
Right to the Fruits of his Sacrifice and-Merits ; And his Law by which
he governeth the Church as a Saviour, in order to Recovery and Salva
tion.
It hath greatly scandalized the Papists against us to find some old Pro-
tenants deny Christ to be a Law-Giver, and in his Gospel to have a Law.
The case is fad, that any in opposition toothers should run into such
an Antinomian extream: They are unlike to be good Preachers of
Christ's Law, who maintain that he hath no Law : And there can be no
sin against it, nor expectation of being judged by it, if he have none.
And he is no King and Ruler, if he have no Law. But yet let the Papists
forbear insulting, and remember that the true meaning of most of them
is no more, than to assert what Suarez himself propugneth, vi&. that
besides Revelations, and the Duties thence naturally resulting, (by
natural Law ) and the Sacraments, Christ hath no other Laws. And
both Suarez, and they are here to blame ( for the Papists that are by
some accused for calling the Gospel a Law, do also give too little honour
to Christ's Laws); It beseemeth none of them to use such ill Language,
what-ever they mean. If they should say that the King is no Law-
Giver, and hath no Laws, they would wrong him by that Language
( as denying his Royalty ) how well soever they should interpret it.
For the Legislative- Power is the principal essential part of Soveraignty.
But if any really deny Christ to be a Law-Giver, and when he hath
done reproacheth the Papists and Arminians for contradicting it ; it is
but as the blind reproaching the purblind for seeing ; when they that
give most to the Laws of Christ ( among these Contenders ) do give
too little.
The Baptismal-Covenant, is a Law as imposed, and as imposing the
Covenant-Duties, and as determining the conditions of Life and Deaths
according to which men must live and shall be judged : yea it is the most
famous Law, which Conscience hath to do with ; Though it be a Cove
nant as consented to, in the contract. That Sinners have terms of Life
and Death, and offered Remedies against all their Guilt and greatest
Punish
 and S\doral IVorfy.

Punistitnents, and Means prescribed, and Duties commanded in order

to their recovery , when the Law of Innocency condemneth them ;
especially the obeying of the Ministry, and Word, and Holy Spirit of
Christ, prescribing them his way of cure as their Physician, all this is a
Law of Grace $ even the Law of Liberty, and the Law of the Spirit of
Life, which frecth us from the Law of Sin and Death. Christ's Law
consisteth of two parts: (as is faid^ I. The Law of Nature (called
by many moral ) as commanding the love of God and its attendent
Duties, not now to an innocent man, but to a condemned-recovering
Sinner, as the health to which his Physician doth restore him. 2. And
the remedying Law which is more proper to the Redeemer called the
Law of Faith } which appointeth us the terms and means ofour recovery :
which is, 1. Supernatural as to the Revelation of the matter and rea
sons of it, and the foundation of all in Christ's Work of Redemption
and his Legislation : a. But as to the obligation or efficiency of mans duty,
it is both natural and supernatural at once : that is, when it is presup
posed that Christ hath done, suffered and offered to our acceptance, all
that is so asserted of him in the Gospel 5 1. Nature obligethusto be
lieve it ( upon evidence of credibility ) and to accept it, and thank
fully improve it: a. Christ as the Fathers Administrator, and our
King, hath positively commanded us the fame.
Were it not for wearying the Reader, and my self, I would here an
swer all that Suarez. faith, (de Legib.li. lo.c.i.) to prove that no pra-
teptunt pofitivum morale is added by Christ : And I would easily prove
that as some parts of Nature are unalterable, and accordingly natural
Duty, so some things of Nature are mutable, and so is that natural Duty
which is founded on them : And Christ hath by supernatural Perfor
mances and Revelations made such changes in the nature of things, as
inserreth new natural Obligations. Were the Devils redeemed, and
Grace now offered them , nature would make it their duty to ac
cept it. *
In som, it is a sufficient confutation of all Suarez's Reasons, to fay, that
they run upon this false supposition, that Nature and supernatural Precept
may not both oblige man to the same duty, and that God cannot lay
two Obligations on us to the fame action. For all that he laboureth, is
Jto prove that supposing the Revelation, Nature bindeth us to believe all
* the Christian Articles, to preach, and hear, and pray to God by Christ,
to love our Redeemer, and be thankful, &c. and that the Gospel is thus
fitted to lapsed Nature, as the first Law was to innocent Nature. All
which I like very well, and take it for a great honour to Christ and the
Gospel, that it is so suited to the natural necessity and state of fallen and
miserable man, and may be called the Law of sinful Nature. But Suarez,
himself had before proved that Moses's Decalogue was both a Decla
ration of what Nature bound men to, and yet also the matter of anew
Precept of God : And why could he not seethe fame of the Gospel, it
being so evident, that it containeth Christ's Commands > And the very
sum of our Ministry is, 1. To disciple and baptize all Nations, &c.
1. And then to teach them to observe all that Christ commanded. And
indeed Suarez confesseth (p. 8 1 6.) That Christ did by new command
ing add new Obligations to the duties of Nature, though he deny that
Christ added any positive Precept as to the moral matter commanded by
the Law of Nature—.
And by this instance you may fee how near some men agree, that seem
much to differ. But as to them that insist on it, that the Gospel and
G a New
 New Covenant are no Lares , and that we have none from Christ but the
(7) That Christ is truly a Decalogue and Old Testament; were I to write against them to purpose,
Giver TndhShVop" 1 wouId plentifully prove themSubverters of Christianity it sclf,and give
laws.'andnot only Do- full evidence against them, to any that believe the holy Scriptures,
fn'ln'ur "some* gp" ^nc* contrar>ly * would prove, that there are no Divine Laws but what
«V»Tnavc0doae the are truly the Laws of our Redeemer, now in the world, and that all
fideT'he'SiSj Infidels are ruled, and (hall be judged by a Law of Grace, though not
Sc&sulre^di'u'l'i'io. of the last evangelical Edition, and that he that feareth not breaking
c.i. whose proofs of the the Laws of Christ, (hall hear at last ; Those mine Enemies that would not
And VhaTr" long ago that I ftonld Reign over them, bring them hither and flay them before me ,
proved it in other Writ- Luk. ICJ. 27. (jt)
Bm5ta»t asserting that CO As to tne question,Whether Christ's Law be exterior insignk (vocal
Christ's Law is only and written ) or in the Heart by the spirit, Suarez truly faith, That lex
(m the SacrSmre) ™pfr*'»r ls ** hnis C in Scripture words ) but lex impellens is the Spirit 5
not judicial, dorh plain- which though here the chief, yet is not properly but metaphorically
ly confess that God ne- caued a Law g gro. &U.I. in principio.) Though he add, that
ver instituted the Papa- . •, rtr 7*>/*i • 1 - - .1 11
cy and their Discipline: it was eight years before the Goipel was written by Matthew, and longer
r rtr/l si%w '/ < Vihii re^» anc^ l^at a^ t^iat t'me anc* ^nce *c 's wrltten *n tne Heart.
de pTtctftL %dlfirtibL But memory may retain a vocal Law, before the Heart ( by love and
statuit : etiam si in ec- subjection ) do receive it.
diql* ims jritidtsfi*t 6 1. In this Law or Covenant is made zfree universal Deed of Gift of
ntaffm* ad politicum re- chrijl firIt, and of Pardon, Spirit and Glory in and by him to all Mankind
j£r*«Sfei&se*?1 without exception, who will believingly accept it in its true nature, as it is
nihilominus noluit chri- offered therein 5 Or [J/ they willso accept it as Believers, "]
m?t7flm!e$7d 62' rhis Covenant is to be preached by Christ s Ministers, and men
VicarOs fat commipt, po- invited to believe and consent : And all that so do, are to profess that
ttstum ad iius fmndas c0„rent DV a f0lemn Covenant in their Baptism, and so to give up themselves
ets tributndo : Et tdeo tl- . J . f J . . . , * f '•. „ ■> © r J
u Leges non sub uge vi- devotedly to God the Father, Son, ana Holy Ghost ; renouncing the Devil,
vint, [ed sub canonic* Flesif and World.
"'''uqundodt 'ugt'dtvi- 6%. For Faith in God the Father is as essential a part of that Faith
na nova, in ilia non inve- which we must profess in Baptism, and is called commonly justifying, as
SoWS?Christ"Z Faith in Christ is .• And so is Faith in the Holy Ghost in its place. For it
ver made the Papacy, is not possible to believe in Christ, without believing first in God, to
rn0d"edy0hVl%^poinSd wh<>m he is the way,and with whom he is our Mediator; nor to believe
Baptism as eur church- in him fully as Christ, unless we believe in him, as giving us the san&ifying
im ranee,and more than ciwrj*
a Ceremony : and the * ; . .
state of ciurch officers, 64. This Covenant is nevertheless free (as to the donation of the
cMineeir^trki8andAnd Gifts,) for being conditional : For the Condition is not the purchase, pro-
what his Spirit did in curement by efficient causality , or any way a proper cause of the Gift
another°stsort 'tha^hc as ^ut on^ a dispositive cause of our reception of it, and of the
doth by any crdinary Cist as received : It is a removens prohibens. The Condition as imposed,
Minister's that have but and as the mode of the Promise, is only a suspension of the Donation and
help. Sp'rits or mary Right till it be performed : The Condition as performed is a removing the
(b) Aquinas and many suspension : And so it is a receiving cause ; which is but difpofitio materis
teel&SS.^d receptive ( of which more in due place. )
fay that ifs the Spirits 65. And the Gift is nevertheless free, because the Condition is but
SS^SS^iSSd such as is ^oraUyanteccdtntly-necepry to the reception of free Gifts.
that it is not wriaen : For though physical Donation oft make its own way, and pre-require
But he could nor deny not such Conditions as these at least; yet moral Donation by Deed of
bur that vet the Gospd - r , , 3. ' . . Vr * ' , *
is Lexnova Script* : Eut Gijt, luppoleth that the perlon will receive ft, and despising, or unthanks
aS^m^&tb^f^ refusal, or turning it against the Donor, nulJifiethfuch a Donation
dary fense of the ux intheCivil Lavvsof men.
which is the first, and
that the obliging Law ; and the other the effects of it as various as persons are tTiat have it, and not the Rule of Obliga
tion : And elsc-where I have shewed also de Lege natura.'
66. And
 and SKdoral Worlds.

66. And the Benefits are nevertheless conditionally given, though the
Spirit of Christ cauje us to perform the Condition : For they are called
conditional from the mode or form of the Covenant, which giveth men
Right to Christ and Life exprefly on condition of believing.
67. Though this believing be sometimes described as the aflent of
the Intellect, and sometimes as the consent of the Will, and sometime as
a practical affiance, trusting Christ as a Saviour, to save us, withSouland
Body, to the renouncing and letting go all other trust j Yet whenever
Justification and Life is promised to Faith, all these three are the essential
parts of it.
68. The clearest discovery of the true nature of Gods Covenant
with man, and of that Faith by which we partake of the benefits of it ,
is in Baptism itself, which hath ever been the entrance of men into Gods
Covenants consented to, and mutual, and so into a visible state of Christi
anity and membership of Christ and the Catholick Church. . And there
fore it is happy for us, that Christ so exprefly delivered the form of the.
Baptismal Covenant , and the Universal Church hath so safely in her
practice kept it.
69. This Baptismal Covenant which is conditional, and the consent to
which doth make us Christians, must be still distinguished from the Cove*
nant between the Father andebritf, or his Law of Redemption : And God
promiseth not to us, all that he promiseth to Christ for us 5 nor giveth all
to us which he giveth to him.
70. And it must be distinguished from Gods meer Prediftions concern
ing his Elect (that he will call them, renew them, and save them, ) or
if those Predictions run in the form of a Promise, either as they are pro
mises to Christ concerning the Elect, or as promises to the Church in gene
ral, how God will perfetf it, still they give no man a Law-Title or Right
to any of the Benefits, till he is a Believer : ' They justifie and pardon no
man : And so they must not be confounded with the Baptismal Covenant,
which is Godsstated Instrument of Justification and of Government, and
the Law by which he will Judge us at the last.
7 1. This Baptismal Covenant is the chara&er and test, by which we
must judge who are Christians, and members of the Catholics Church of
Christ, and not by their Subjection to a pretended vicarious universal
Monarch. And this is the character ( with consent to his relation there )
by which every mans fitness for membership in a particular Church must
be judged of. And not by other Covenants ( besides that consent ) and
proofs of Conversion, not here included. And this containeth the true
Characters, by which every man may know himself whether he be a true
chriliian, and must judge of his sincerity and right to Christ, Justifica
tion and Salvation, as he is or is qot a sincere consenter to it truly under
stood in the essential parts.

SECT. V.

Of the Gift and Worh^ of the Holy (jhofi.

72. There are three forts of Operations of the Holy Ghost, one com
mon, and two proper to them that stall have, or already have Justifica
tion.

1. The
 a6 . Of (sod's government}

i. The first is preparing common Grace, which maketh men fitter for
special Grace, which yet they may have that perish.
The Tbtmists make the 2. The second is that Grace of the Spirit by which we perform the
ict of contrition and ffrjj; 0sspecial Faith and Repentance , called commonly by Divines
»4t/dIspofitionto Just'- Vocation, which goeth before any special habit ; but not before any holy
fication, which is vh^Jeed j Because the very influx of the Spirit on the Soul is as a seed, which
JhfysiK Sit floleth exciteth the first aU before a habit, though not ordinarily before some
from that habit And if preparations. This Faith is commanded us as our duty first, and made
m, b/?!S2f*°yjI?Sf!' vecejfary tous, as the Condition of the Covenant ; And when we know it
& pajjim be not contra* to be thus required of us, and hear in the Gospel the Reasons which
diction, i understand it fi^id perfwade us, then the Holy Spirit moveth us by his Influx to be-
not , [ Etdtm cenMtio r > J t m J
qua tst ultim difpfttio lieve and consent, where God and man are conjunct Agents ; but man lub-

Yulm ^TintrFuMM 3- The third sort is the Spirits Operation of the habit os Divine Love,
ctu^ formdis & tfptitn- and all other Graces in the Soul, which is called his In- dwelling, and
San&ification ; This is that Gift of the Spirit (besides Miracles of old )
which is the effect ot which is promised to Believers : To th\s,Faith is the Condition : To this,
b"Cthf &j§drfL22 uPon believing it is that we have Right given us by Gods Covenant ; and
ther act. thus it is that by Baptism our right to the Spirit, as an in-dwelling Sanftifier
and Comforter is given us.
75. This third Gift or Work of the Spirit eminently so called, is in
the seme instant of time given us as the second, ( but not of nature) or
at least immediately thereupon when we believe : But yet they are not
to be confounded on many accounts.
74. But yet though some degree of the Spirit be presently given to
every Believer, it is usually but a spark at first 5 And there are further
means and conditions appointed us for the increase, and actual helps from
day to day: And he that will not wait on the Spirit in the use of those
means, doth forfeit his help according to his neglect.
75. Hence it is that most, if not all Christians have lower measures of
the Spirit than otherwise they might have, and that judicially as a punish
ment for Sin ; However God is free herein, and if he please may give more
even to them that forfeit it.
The extent cf the New 7^. This Covenant ofGrace,being a conditional pardon of all the worldt
ov<jn"nt' is universal in the tenor or sense of it; It is of all Mankind without ex

ception that Christ faith, If thou confess with thy month, and believe in
thy heart, thou Jf)alt besaved : No person antecedently is excluded in the
world.
Matth. 18. 19, so. 77 • And as to the promulgation of it, Christ hath commijsioned hk
Mark iS. 15, 16. Ministers to preach thk Gospel to all the world, and to every Creature : So
that to the utmost of their power they are to offer and publish it to the
whole world. And Princes and people are all bound in their several
places to assist them, and to help to propagate the Gospel throughout
all the Earth : So that the restraint of it is not by the tenor of the
Law. •
78. Those Nations which despise and refuse the Gospel are justly de
prived of it, penally for that rejection.
79. Those Nations that live inhumanely and wickedly against the
means and mercies which they have, do forfeit their hopes of more.
80. As God in all Ages hath visited the sins of the Fathers on the
Children, as the instances of Cain, Cham, Nimrod, and others common
ly shew, and hath proclaimed it as his Name, Exod. 34. and put it in
Tablesof Stone in the Second Commandment (and not only of Adam's
sin); so may he justly deal by the Posterity of the Despisers of the Gos
pel,
 and Moral Workg. 47

pel, in denying it them. Though he may freely give it the unworthy

when he pleaseth.
81. All the rest of the world who have not the Gospel, and the Co- JJ^^Jf jJ th°[e that
venant of Grace in the last Edition, are left by Christ in as good a state *vc not 1 c ° pe '
(at leafy if not better) than hefound them at his Incarnation. He took
away no mercy from them, which they had.
82. Therefore, as it is before proved that before Christ's time, none of ui*gii*\ opinion of
of the world were left desperate, under the meer violated Covenant of |}£ f v*ti0" of,rHca*
Icnocency, but that the tenor ofthat New Covenant, as made to Adam nt(n^socrMs,Anstid"'t
and Noah, extended to them all, so are they still under all the Grace of Antiinm^uu,camim,
that Edition of the Covenant, further than they are penally deprived of CnlMMontacaM\xmiL
ft for violating^ The Law of Grace in that sirftEdition is still in force, E«ks. i.seft.4.* rwj-
andthe Law by which the world shall be governed and judged ; They fc^Sf."*""'**
are all Possessors of Mercy which leadeth to Repentance, and bound to use omnim tmporum um est
/Aewe<«»/arTorded'them inorderto Repentance and Salvation, and it is §'^£""^5/"^'
their sin that they do not : For which it is ultimately that they are con- Rtmmurattrm {strum*
demned. Though wickedness harden men against the Law of Grace, [f ^ir'Mf'*fltVT.trii'
o . t> * tis rejpondentem, ante It-
that changeth not Gods Law to them, but brings them under the penalty, gem,fubtege, [A gratia:
Not that any are bound to expect: a Christ to come, but to perform the NtH,Mi.."?** W.nti
common Conditions ot that Covenant before described. fm istt nemo unquam »-
83. Therefore no man is now condemned for Original Sin alone 5 ^^^Æ^gJ^
Though it is pardoned to no man, till he perform the condition of it, in Crit. dVnlgis'curiai.vZi.
the pardoning Covenant. For God having brought all men under terms feucer Hist, ctrctmm a-
of mercy tending to recovery, they shall be judged as they use that reco- grndst
vering mercy* according to that Law of Grace which they are under, me ad Etbn'icos ante na-
whether of the first or last Edition. £C£&? cti/m
84. The exception which some make of Infants is Vain I Because as mi(it fingnlarts minifiros :
far as God hath revealed his mind about them to us, he esteemeth them ^^''mSmu *****
and useth them as parts of their Parents and Owners, and if he condemn umpn • * hm modo &
them, it is not for Adam's fin only, but also ultimately for their Parents *** ftf^"?^^
rejection of recovering Grace, and not devoting them to God in his Cove- judæis : Vtc sutrunt un-
nant. And though God will not condemn the Children for the Parents !*"» witfpnlm a gra-
sin 5 that is, when they themselves repent and turn to God. But the Scrip- &Cb$"m°rihnUi\
tare is most plain and frequent in expressing our guilt of our nearer Pa- £ quibw immeri exm-
watssms against Grace, which is a part of our Original Sin: and ought SJ5!S:ft!rtlf!
not to be To flighted as usually it is. However, r. It is an incredible flumnatum judæi: p««-
Opinion, That God should rule and judge all the rest of the world by a <'<""'*i>» <"»">■
Law of Grace, and leave only poor Infants without any mercy, under the
meer Law of Innocency, and judge them only by another Law, than he
doth all the world. 2. Add it is the trick of a Deceiver to argued
ignotiore, and carry his Cause into the dark. And Infants Case is left to
us in Scripture much darker than that of the adult.
85. Therefore it feemeth plain to me, that though Christ's Church be
now incomparably happier than the Jewish Church was, ( in magnitude,
light, and grace, and excellency of priviledges, ) far above all the rest
of the world, and so excelleth the state of Heathens far more than the
fewifh Church excelled them 5 Yet the rest of the world stand now in
much like relation to God and the Christian Church, as before Christ's
Incarnation they did to God and the Jew/Jf) Church, who were his pecu
liar (but not his 0»/jvpeople$the fædus peculiars atis was theirs only $ but
not fœdus gratis : So are we much more, as a holy Nation, a royal Priejl-
hood to stand nearer God than the rest of the world : But whether the
Jews were all Gods people on Earth I have before discussed, and proved
the negative.
86. But

\
 48 Of (sod's (government}

85. But certainly in no Nation under Heaven, there is no coming to

Heb. 11. 5,5. God, or pleasing him without Faith j nor seeing him without Holiness j
Heb. ii. 14. nor any Name given under Heaven by which men can be saved, but by Christ 3
RomVp nor any SanSification but by Christ's Spirit j nor any coming to the Father
joh. i4. 6. but by the Son j nor any Pardon and Life but by a Covenant of Grace, and
1 Joh. j. io>ii,i». fy ffc Merjts and Fur chafe of Chrilt. But how far he giveththis Spirit
and Grace where he is not known himselfas Incarnate,is all the difficulty :
( As to Infants and Adult ).
86. Though God hath said less to us of their case that hear not the
* 1 desire the Reader o Gospel, tnan °^ Believers and Unbelievers (privative, * that hear it)
peruse Gatatyr's preface because it less concerneth us to know it , and to be busie in judging
to Antoninus of the the Servants of another , yet in this point are xnens confidence
and opposition most vehement. "On one side some fay, [Before I
*' would believe that God hath shut all the millions of the Earth, from
" Adam's days till now, save a few jfms and Christians, out of all poffi-
tc bility of Salvation, so that they are left as the Devils without help,
"hope or means , and perish Infants and all meerly because God will
"have it so, and that in everlasting fire 5 I will easilier believe that the
"Gospel is not true, as having less of Natures light to condemn me, than
" for receiving fueh thoughts of the infinitely Good and merciful
"God.]
On the other side, if I do but open the undeniable Mercies of God to
all, which all the world hath experience that they possess, and that
Covenant of Grace which the whole current of Scripture proveth them
under, some men that are so very wise in their own eyes, as hardly to
suspect any thing to be an error which they have long held, and that
build much of their Religion and Theological Reputation, in adhering
to the Opinions of those whose communion they think most honoureth
them, and out of a blind zeal for that which they account ©rthodox,
will presently without impartial consideration, or friendly debate, ma
gisterially pass their judgment among those that reverence them, and
backbite those that they cannot confute, and fay, [ " Such a man hold-
" eth dangerous Opinions, that Infidels maybe saved, "] and it's like
falfly represent my words. When yet the fame men perhaps will main,
tain that all the Ele& are justified before they believe, and so that Infidels^
even privative, arejustified, so they be but eleU : And this seemeth to
them no injury to Christ : so powerful is prejudice , and pride , and
partiality.
87. The question whether any besides Christians are put into a pofjibi-
subit mecertt(riindi(itt Ity of Salvation is easily and certainly resolved in the affirmative from
istd dm.ltpt tfftSum mi what i9 said: But the question whether any or how many are actually
ty^Tff'LtZs*™*** doth depend on the resolution of the question, whether any of
at, fed honor ttiam, cm them are truly fanUified, that is, f^do truly love God and Holiness, above
SSSiS&ilfflZ the ^asures, Profits and Honours of this world. ] For nothing is more
ferh apud me reputanteml certain in Gods Word, than that all that doso shall be saved : For a man
qHimionge in mnitji ab to ylve ln pjen wjtn t^e pre(Jominant love of God, is as great a contra-
eo absm quod de ft vir r j » o
isle, v, ri ad [alutem per- ^
ductntis tramitis ignarws, de fe profitetur, nec quin vere & ingenuem, ambigi posse videtur: ut proinde & Marco & Epifieto al-
titti afsurgens Hjmnum illius vet maximo ma)orm & praflantiorcm decantan yagiter debtam Gataktr Proloq. ad
Axtonhum.
Read the multitude of Testimonies of the Virtues of Antonine, collected by Gata^erpost opera.
Fuit Mfrcus Antoninus, vir omnium virtutum & fanctitate vitt prtecipuus, cœlcflifq; mgenii. Stbast. Wunflcr. Cofmcgr. li. ».
Bonitatisac [apientix nomine ab omnibus dum viveret in ea testimatione konortq; habitus, qua nimo unquam vel ante ipsum , vet
qind rovirrus post ipfum fuerit. Nunquam itt confpirarunt scriptores, in tributndo eiiiquam qmecvnq; potirant bonitatis, integrita-
tis, innocents, cu'pfvis dtnif, tituli apud tthnicos jpeciofiffimi^fflimonia : Celebrant ilium nan tantum ut piincipem optimum, fed
fimpliciter & absolute ut homintm optimum & pbilosophum optimum omnium qui unquam extittrunt. zfiq\ hoc ipfius peculiare encomium,
quod it a p'icd;cetir, utra exceptions ullam pradicatur. Mer. Causabon. Præf. in Vers. Angl. ut citat. per Gatakcr.
diction,
 and <&vLoral PVorty.
» ! ! | ;— ■ —. . j- " 1
diaion , as for a man to be stck in health , and both in the greater
degree. God cannot damn or forsake a Soul that loveth him and is holy,
(in scnsu compofito.)
88. And whether any or how many without the Christian Church,
do truly love God, is a question which dependeth as to probability upon
the foresaid grounds, but as to the certainty of the faff, upon that heart-
knowledge ofother men ) which belongeth to God only. , i. How can
1 that live in an obscure corner of England, know whether any love
Cod in Siam, China, Japon, ot Persia, or at the Antipodes. 2. If I were
with them all, and acquainted with every person in the world, I could
have but a probability of the affirmative of any one, because I am not
acquainted with the heart. But when the Scripture assureth us that
it is the Law of Grace, and not only that of Innocency, which all the
world is governed by, and (hall be judged by, and so that their Sanctifi-
cation and Salvation is pojfiblej there is so great a probability, that this
Covenant, and the mercies of it, are not in vain to all of them that are
under it alone, and that the thing that is possible to so many millions,
doth come to pass with some , that an impartial considerer of Gods
Nature and Government, may easily see what to think most probable.
89. Those therefore that teach the Church, that it is a certain truth,
that no one in the world (Infant or Aged) is saved from Hell fire, but
Christians only, and that this is not only certain to such great under
standings as their own, but mutt be so to all true Christians, do but dis
cover that they over-value their own understandings, and that siding
hath contracted their thoughts and charity into a sinful narrowness, and
that the Opinions of men, counted Orthodox , prevaileth more with
them than the evidence of truth, and I think that they are to be num-
bred with those that by over-doing, do dangerously undermine the
Christian Faith,
96. The Texts urged by them for this pretended certainty, are all
nbufed some of these ways: 1. Either some one difficult Text is ex
pounded contrary to the current of the whole Scripture, a. Or the
words that are spoken only of privative "Unbelievers who hear the Gos
pel, are expounded of negative not-Believers who never heard it, nor
could do. 3. Or that which is said against Unbelievers in general, is ex
pounded as against the non-Believers of the Articles of the Christian
.Faith which are soperadded since Christ's Incarnation in special ; As if
-all the Apostles before they believed Chri[i's Sacrifice,Refurre&ion, Ascen-
ysion, 8cc. were Infidels in a state of damnation. 4. Or else they sup
pose (without proof) that the Spirit and Grace of Christ can extend
it self to none that know him not as incarnate, crucified, risen, glorified,
&c. ( and so that the Apostles had no Grace till the Resurrection ),
Some such fallacy is in all these particular textual arguments, easily difc
cernable.
91. Were it not evident in Scripture, that the world is under the Law
of Grace as the norma offieii &judieii, ( as it is ) yet could no man truly
lay that he is certain, that no one of them should be saved. For if they
were all under the La w df Innocency, yet there is this great difference
between it, and the Ldw of Grace, that whereas the sentence of
the latter is peremptory, excluding all hope of Dispensation and
Pardon, to the final Rejecters of its Grace, for ever; yet the former
was a Law whose penalty was remijfible, and it did not past a peremptory
sentence of dispair. Though it gave no hope os Pardon, yet it took
not away the hopes of it : that is , It had a threatening- dispensable i
H (as
 Of (jod's (government,

( as Dr. Twijse and many other soy, Without a Saviour had Godso p leased ;
And as others fay, Through the virtue os Chriji's Sacrifice even to them that
know him not.) For the commination of that Law ( which threatened
not the death of a Surety, but of the Sinner, ) was actually dispensed
with in our Justification. And what God can do, they ought not to fay,
that they are certain that he never will do it, unless he had first said so him-
■ v
>2. If in all Humane Judgments Nature dictateth that in doubtful
a,, the Judge should rather propend to the better interpretation,
cases
and favourable Judgment 5 why should it not be so in our judgment os
God and man ? The Nature of God is infinitely good , He hath pro
claimed his Name, as aforesaid, even in the terrours of Mount Sinai, to
be a God gracious, merciful, long-suffering, pardoning, &c. He hath
protested or sworn, that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but
rather that he resent and live: and so that he first sceketh the Glory of his
Mercy 5 and exerciseth justice in mans destruction , but as his second
work : He that saved no man ( but Christ himself glorified ) upon the
terms of Innocency, but all by Grace, and never else took one Soul to
Heaven, who had not first deserved Hell, doth surely first seek the Glory
of his Grace. And we know that 1. All Judea was a small Country,
like England 5 An inconsiderable point or spot of the Earth, as to its
magnitude, a. That most of the worlds duration in likelihood was
over ( as Bishop Vjher reckons, 40CO years ) before Chrijl's death, and
the second Edition of the Covenant. So that if none but Jem were
laved all that while, the number was comparatively next to none,
a. That no man that I know of hath presumed to say, that before Moje's
time, none but the Seed of Abraham were saved. 4. That the Cove
nant made by Moses at Mount Sinai, and the inclosure of the Jews, was
no casting off the rest of the world into a worse condition than they were
before. 5. That none yet have presumed to say, they are certain that
all the Seed of Keturah , of ijfmael, os Esau were damned : much less
that Sem and all his Subjects, Japheth and all his Subjects (and Posterity
till then ) or that Job and his Friends, and Melchizedec and all his Sub
jects, were certainly damned. 6. That the Jews themselves were for
the most part so wicked, that seeing few even of that little Country
were saved, is you are sure that no others were saved, they were but a
few in the world indeed. 7. That the Apostles (as is said) were in a
state of Salvation, when under Christ's own teaching, they believed not
many great Articles, now essential to the Christian Faith. So that all set
together, will tell us, that the conclusion of the certain damnation of all
without the Jewijh and the Christian Church , scemeth not very desirable
either as to the Glory of the good and gracious God, nor as to the good of
Mankind 3 And therefore we should not propend that way in a case of
doubtful arguing. And I desire the Reader impartially to consider ,
though Abraham knew not till God told him how bad Sodom was, yet
when he alketh of God to spare it if there were but fifty Righteous in it,
whether he do not imply that he thought most other Cities of that big
ness had at least fifty righteous, if not more ? For when God told him,
that he would destroy it for the cry of their sins, he must needs judge it
worse than ordinary > And was Abraham more ignorant than we > the
Father of the Faithful > a Prophet that sow Christ's day and rejoyced >
93. It is a certain t ruth, that as God the Creator, so Chrili the Redeemer
doth extend his mercy farther than he himself is known : And as the Sun
sendeth some light to the world before it riscth and is seen it self, so doth
Christ
 and Moral Workg. 51
Christ send many excellent Gifts of his Grace, to those that know him
not as Incarnate. And when all the world is delivered into his hand,
we have reason to believe that the mercies which Philosophers, and all
others in' the world had, were communicated by him, ( as the second
Person, or Wisdom and Word undertaking mans Redemption, first, and
as the Word Incarnate after. )
94, Those ancient Fathers of the Church, who lived near the Apo
stles times, ( as Clem, Alex. &c. ) who believed that some without the
Church were saved, were never condemned for it as Hereticks, no not
by the busie condemning Ages.

SECT. VI.

Of Vniversal Redemption.

95. By what hath been said, it appeareth how far Christ may be laid
to have died for all. Certainly (de re) all that Christ giveth to all,
which is the fruits of his Death, he procured for all by his death : what
ever we fay of conditional Intentions, he certainly intended to give all
that he giveth. But all these following particulars are given by Christ,
either to all, or to more than the Elect.
1 . The Humane Nature,common to all, is advanced and brought nigh
to God, in Christ's Incarnation. 2. Christ's Sacrifice for Sin, and his
perfect Holiness, are so far satisfactory and meritorious for all men, as
that they render Christ a meet Object for that Faith in him which is com
manded men, and no man (hall be damned for want of the iatisfacto-
rinelsof Christ's Sacrifice, or for want of a Saviour to die for him, and
fulfil all Righteousness, but only for the abusing or refusing of his Mercy.
3. Christ's conquest of the Devil and the World, hath made man's con
quests of them the more easie or possible. And his Victory over Death
and his Resurrection, hath procured a Resurrection to all the World.
4. All men are his SubjeHs by obligation, as he is the Redeemer, and so
are under his healing, laving kind of Government. 5. A clearer reve
lation of Life and Immortality , is made by him, even to those that
perish. And they have far greater helps than else they would have,
had, to set their hearts on a better World. 6. Especially a Law of
Grace is made by Christ for all the world; (In the last Edition to all J0^*1^
that hear the Gospel, and in the first to all the rest. ) By the Promise \ joh.'$.9io, u.
of which, as by an Act of Oblivion, or Instrument of Donation, God
hath Enacted and Given a full Pardon of all Sin to all Mankind, with
Reconciliation, Adoption, and Right to Christ and Heaven, on con
dition of their acceptance of it, as offered them. So that men are par
doned and justified by that Instrument or Gift, if they will believe, and
will not unthankfully reject their Mercies. 7. Apostles and ordinary
Ministers were appointed to preach this Gospel to all the World, and Matth. 18. re
make the Offer of Christ and Life to all men without exception. 8. The Mark 16.16.'
execution of the violated Law of Innocency is forborn to all men, in
the greatest part; Judgments kept off; and they kept out of Hell,
while they have time and means to prepare for their Salvation. 9. Many
and great Mercies which fignisie Gods goodness, and lead towards Re
pentance, are given to all the world , even mercies forfeited by sins
against the Law of Innocency, and given by the Grace of our Redeemer.
H 2 10. It
 52 Of (jo£s governments

i o. It is made all mens duty, to believe ( the Revelation made to them )

to repent , to accept more mercy , and to seek their own Salvation.
And such duty is not the smallest mercy, n. He hath recorded his
Word and'Grace in the holy Scriptures, which all are allowed to use
for their good. He hath filled his Doctrine or Gospel with such power
ful convincing Reasons and Perswafions, which have a tendency to con-
-vincemen, and convert them. 12. He secondeth his Word by many
a : 14. 17. & jj7. *7. fucn providences (in his Works, his Mercies, his Afflictions, ) as great-
Rom. 1. \9,n. ly tend ro win mens Souls. 13. He hath left his excellent Example to
Rom' ** the world, which greatly tendeth to mens Conviction and Salvation.

14. He hath appointed several Church- Ordinances, which are mercies

to more than the Elect 3 as is the visible communion also which they
j-.' have with the Upright, and their examples, prayers, &c. 15. To all
these he addeth an obligation on all Christians, to do their best to con
vert and save all others. 16. And the Office of Magistrates under
Christ, is appointed for these saving uses, to •promote the Salvation of
the people. 17. Death it self is now turned into a medicinal means, by
the prospect of it to convert and save men. 18. Usually Gods pati-
tience alloweth men time of Repentance, and taketh them not at the
first denial, that they may consider and correct their former error.
19. Remedies are offered men fetcht from Satan and Sin it self. The
Tempter (by the malice of his temptations) oft detecteth his own
fraud and mens danger. A natural enmity against Devils, and all that
is known to be of them, is put into all Mankind : And Sin hath a sting
to the Flesh it self, and is made such a misery to Sinners even in this life,
as may much tend to alienate and deter them from it. And the world
it 'self is made such a palpable vanity, and (mart vexation, as tendeth to
drive men to look out for a better, and not to love it above God.
20. Lastly, To all these means, there are certain internal motions, and
strivings of the Spirit of Christ, which he commonly vouchfafeth men
in some degree, and which irritate Conscience to do its office; and
which if men will but so far yield to as they can,have a tendency to their
recovery. All these twenty sorts of means and mercies Christ giveth to
all, or to more than the Elect.
96. It being certain de re that Christ so far died for all, as to pro
cure them all such Benefits as he giveth them, the question remaining is
de nomine, Whether it be a fit phrase to fay that Christ died for all ?
And this is put out of question by the Scripture, which frequently useth
it, as is proved by the fore- cited Texts. We may well speak as God
ordinarily there soeaketh.
97. There are certain fruits of Christ's death which are proper to the
Rom. 8. 30,31. Elect, ( or those that are in a state of Salvation ). As 1. Grace even-
f joh.6'.Xn 11 tually effectual working them to true Faith, Repentance and Conversion.
joh. 15**1, i,".' 2. Union with Christ the Head, as his true living members. 3. The
loL* *' *** *3' a&ual forgiveness of sin, as to the grand spiritual and the eternal punish-
EPh. j. 17. ment , Rom. 4. 1. 7. & 8. 1.33, 34. 4. Our actual Reconciliation
Act. $ 31. & 13. 38, with God, so as to be beloved as his peculiar people. 5. Our Adopti-
coi. 1. 13, 14. on and Right to the heavenly Inheritance, Psal. 4. 6. & 8. 16, 17, 18.
Rom. j.i,'&c. 6. The Spirit of Christ to dwell in us, and sanctifie us, by a habit of
iftbi!*'*' Divine Love, Rom. 8. 9, 13. Gal. 4. 6. Col. 3. \o. iTet. 1. 16. &
Mi. soil 5. M*. »• a Pel. 1,4. IJ. jM>.3-5>6- 1 Cor. 6. 19. Gal. 5. 17, 18, 22.
Heb "'4!' *Cor. 6.1. 7. Imployment insincere holy acceptable Service, where
they and their duties are pleasing toGod, Heb. 1 1. 5, 6. 1 Pet. 2. 5, 9.
8. Access in prayer, with a promise of being heard in all that's good
for
 and <£\foral Worfy. 52

for us ( in Gods measure, time aud way, ) through Christ, fob. 14. 13,
14. Heb. 10. 19, 2G, 22. 9. Well-grounded hopes of Salvation and
peace of Conscience thereupon, Rom. 5. 1,2, 3,4, &c. 10. Spiritual
communion with the Church-mystical in Heaven and Earth, Heb. 12. 22,
23, 24. Eph. 2. 19, 20, ai, 22. 1 Cor. 3. 22. 11. A special interest in
Christ's Intercession with the Father, Rom. 8. 3 2, 3 3 , &c. 1 2. Resur
rection unto Life, and Justification in Judgment ; Glorification of the
Soul at Death, and of the Body at the Resurrection, Phil. 3.20,21.
2^.5.1,2,3, 4,5»6>7- Rom. 8. 17, 18,30,32,35,36,37,^.
All these Benefits Christ hath made a conditional Deed of Gift to all
the world : But only the Elect accept them, and pojjess them. From
whence we certainly infer, that Christ never absolutely intended or decreed
that his death should eventually put all men in possession of these Benefits :
And yet that he did intend and decree that by his death all men should
have a conditional Gift of them. ( As Dr. tvoisse doth frequently
aslert. )
98. Christ therefore diedfor all, but not for all equally , or with the
same intents design or purpose : So that the case ofdifference in the matter
of Redemption, is resolved into that ofPredestination 5 and is but Gods
different Decrees about the effects of Redemption.
99. The particle Q For 3 when we question whether Christ died [For]
All is ambiguous: K It may mean [In the Jlriff representation of the
persons of all as several., so that- they may be skid to have died or satisfied
in and by him, as civilly in their own persons, though not naturally ]. And
thus Christ died not for all, orfotanyman : which yet is in some mens
conceits, who thence fay that Christ died not for all, because he did
not so personate all. 2. It may signifie £ to die by the procurement of all
wens fins, as the assumed promeritorious cause.'] And thus Par&us him
self in his Irenicon faith, That the fins of all men lay on Christ 5 and
so he died for all, that is, for all mens fins as the cause of bis death : And
you may tell any wi#ked man, thy fins killed chrifi ( what-ever the
deniers fay to excuse them). 3. Or umcaneth, that Christ died final
ly for the good of all men. And that is true, as afore explained. He
died (ot the good of all j but not equally'5 that is, not with the fame ab
solute Will, Decree or Intention of attaining their Salvation.
100. But the conditional Nero Covenant, without any difference in the
tenor of it, doth equally give Christ, Pardon and Life to all Mankind
( antecedently to mens rejecting the offer ) on condition of acceptance.
And Christ equally satisfied GodsJustice for all the lapsed Race of Adam,
so far as to procure them this Gist or Covenant, and the other forefaid
common mercies : But not equally as to his Decree of the success : For
there Election differenceth.
10 1. It is a thing so contrary to the nature of Christianity , and
the Spirit of Christ in his Saints, to extenuate Christ's Merits, Purchase,
Interest or Honour, or rob him of his due, that doubtless so many sincere
Christians would never be guilty of such injurious extenuations, and
narrowing of Qhrist's successes, but that they cannot reconcile special
Grace with universal, and mistakingly judge them inconsistent : Nor
durst opprobrioufly reproach his universal Grace, as they do, by calling
it vain, lame, imperfeB, a mockery, &c. if the conceit of their defending
some truth by it did not quiet and deceive their Consciences. Where
as indeed universal Grace and special, do as perfectly and harmoniously
consist, as Nature and Grace do, and as thefoundation and the building,
and as any generic*! and fpecifick Natures : And so doth a general
Decree^
 *4 Of Cjods (government,

Decree, that [All who will believestall be saved, and that this Vromisestall
be made to the world] with a special Decree that [Paul stall believe and be
saved.]
But on two accounts I pass by all the rest about the extent ofRedemp
tion, i. Because I must give you a special Disputation or Tractate on
that subject. 2. Because the most Judicious of Englist Divines (so far
as I can know them by their works) Bishop Davenant hath said so much
in his two Posthumous Dissertation de Redempt. & Trœdetfinat. (Pub
lished out ofthe hands ofBishop Vster) as might suffice to reconcile con
tenders on these two points, were not men slothful in studying them or
partial or incapable in judging of these matters.

SECT. VII.

The Antecedent and consequent Will os (jod, &c.

102. The distinction of Gods Antecedent and Consequent Will, used

by Damascene, is by many applyed to this controversie, but by none that
I have read sufficiently explained, which is the cause that so many good
men reject it, because they misunderstand it. It's truly said, that by his
Antecedent Will, God would have all men to believe , repent and be
laved, but by his Consequent Will, he will have all condemned whom he
doth condemn. But then it must be understood, that this distinction is
not applyed to the Will os God, as he is meerly an Absolute Proprietary, or
2enesaUor, but as he is the King or Retfor of the world j and so his Le
gislation is his Antecedent Will, and his judgment is his Consequent Will.
And no man of Religion can deny , either that Gods Law is the signifi
cation of his Will, or his Will fignisyed, or that his Judgment and Exe
cution is his Will declared 5 or that Gods Law of Grace doth conditio
nally give pardon and salvation to all, intetcduntly to man's performance
or rejection of the condition, or that God condemneth Infidels conse
quently to their Infidelity. The Law Antecedently to Mans part affed,
faith. He that believeth stall be saved $ and the Sentence consequently to
his fact, faith , Judas an unbeliever or impenitent, stall perist. And thus
the distinction hath no doubt or difficulty.
103. God by commanding faith and repentance, and making them
necessary conditions of Justification , and by commanding perseverance,
and threatning the Justified and Sanctified with damnation if they fall
away 5 and making perseverance a condition of Salvation , doth thereby
provide a convenient means for the performance of his own Decree, of
giving Faith and Repentance and perseverance to his EleU 5 For he effecteth
his ends by suitable moral means 5 and such is this Law and Covenant, to
provoke man to due fear , and care and obedience , that he may b©
wrought on as a man.
of Justification by 104. To be justifyed by Faith in general, agreeth to the ages before
Faith, &c. Christ's Incarnation, and those since : But so doth not the special kind
of faith by which they are justifyed. For much more is Essential to that
faith which we must be justifyed by to them that are under the last
edition of the Covenant of Grace, than was (or is) to them that were
under the first alone. Abraham believed not all our essential Articles
of faith.

105. To
 and <£K£oral Worfyl ■_. 55

105. To be justified by faith in Paul's fence, is all one as to be justi- what that FHith iu
fied by becoming Christians. To be a Believer, a Disciple, and a Christian
are all one in the Gospel fence.
106. The faith by which we are justified, as is aforesaid, is best un- ^ *he™^Vfst*Can5
k derstood by the Baptismal Covenant, and is essentially a Believing Fidk- LTabout JustXatioa^s
cial consent to oar Covenant relation to God the Father, Son, and Holy agitated h vaint^t^
Ghost,as our Reconciled Creator and Father,our Saviour and our Sanctj- woTds^Vusti/cTtfon and
fyer, connoting the forsaking of all inconfistents. For it must needs be the Remission], as i said
same faith by which we have right to the benefits of that Covenant, and o^stiSn^o^
by which we arejustified ; because we have our remission and justification quaiitati»e change (such
by the Instrumental donation of the Covenant, it being one of the be- tiSonybuf1Rem"ffionCof
nefits given by it : But PraUical Faith, or Believing- consent is our condi- sih ) for, they know not
tion ofreceiving our Covenant right to all the benefits in general ; there- wrh" themselves : H10**
r« t n±f • • • 1 Of them talk as it it
fore tO Justification in particular. were a putting away
107. The Phrases of (Justifying faith"] and (Faithjustifying us] are ^^'"^"^"^""f
humane and not Scriptural at all : And though they may be well used nothin^butthe^abit0}
with explicatory caution, as being well meant, yet they are more lyable f°r the fact^
to mislead men, than the Scripture phrase, that [we arejustified by Faith"]-, (otake* it for remittfng
Because the former phrases are apter to insinuate an Efficiency, than the the punishment also with
other ; whereas faith is no efficient cause ofour Justification nor any other J^gJ -*'!d™
act of Man: And the Scripture that fpeaketh of Justification by Faith ug.it. i. and p. 567.
sometime
1 /r*ufeth
- the phrase u*** 1which no more signify
nTn.T ° -1 eth a any1 Instru-
i_ 1 S**" SSSftL£
s,n IS» Ablatio Reatus
mental efficiency 01 Jultihcation, than '«! ??y»v ex opcribus; And though eulpæ ; At ej]e longe a-
sometime <»w *>w be used, it is to signifie no more than that God hath ap- lifd iHim Nolle ilIud Pu'
. ^ 1 . , . . , ,. - S. n.r «•'•.■ j. ■ 1 * nire ; non entm tantuvt
pointed it to be the Medium of our Justification as a condition, but not as fMit umurn non puniri,
any efficient cause. * 1 f'd 'tiam llse Pœna
108. The Faith by which we are justified (as I touched before.) hath $*n™ -n SSmS
God the Father for its object as essentially as Christ the Saviour , as the cipi, though yet no man
said Baptismal Covenant fhewethj and that not only secondarily as
Christ being the Mediator and way to the Father,our faith in Christ con- yet ctptttim poffunt je-
noteththe final objects but also directly and primarily as the Father is Zf^t^sZfm'.
the first in Trinity, and as Creator first related to us, and as the end js putan si hoc non accipias
first in our intention : loh. 17.2. This is life eternal to know thee the only ?:° ti&**ff',s*4 F» dt-
_ ■ |P( - t -n t t in/- tl '- J fintre isle offenfum cum per
true Cod, and Jesus Chrrjt whom thou haft Jent. Jon. 13. 1. Let not your Remifmem, Deo non m-
hearts be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. hii^ 'ern^nu^see
109. And as essential is it to this Faith to believe in Christ as the ^«\hese°PapXyhoid
Purchaser of Holiness and Heaven, as to believe in him as the purchaser the fame with those Pro
ofpardoned to believe in him as the Teacher and Ruler of the Church, reSSnS
as to believe in him as the justifyer of believers. The iufeparablenefs of hide it : But, 1. it will
these acts is commonly confessed . tSlSS^tiS
1 10. Indeed it is essential to this faith, 1. To be the act of the three so, is to bUmt him. 3 His
essential faculties of man's Soul , the Vital Power, the Intelleft and the {jJSfrtJSjjJJ
IVitt, 1. And to have for its object God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost j fin past are the same
and that in Christ, all that is essential to him as a Saviour be its object : af^"q™^5 Y°rc"
And therefore, I. That it be an Assent, Consent and practical Affiance, hit mind of sin°^God»
2. That it be a believing in Christ as God and Man, and as the Teacher, ossence or d|spl"surc is
Triest and King ofthe C\\xvcch,rcvealing the Gospel,reconciling us to God, but hireisence^^cno'
ana Ruling us in order to Salvation. im'na.ed from the object,
1 1 1 . To fay that some one only ofthese parts of Christ's office, as they ^25S£S
are Conceptus inadæquati of a Saviour is the only object of justifying ?• ForGodtobeappca-
faith, and to fay, that justifying faith is only one A3 ofthe Soul, or many g^ftS Ki/f;""
nire ptecatorem, and not
to be obliged in Justice to punish him, but by his Covenant rcb'ed to him as one that will not punish. 8. This change is
in the sinner becoming not punishable ; 9. That is, not worthy of it in the Gospel-fence, though worthy by the Law of Inno-
cency. 1 o. All this is but that the Reatus pxrne & culpa q:u»tuv ad pœnam is remitted,but not the Reatus culptc [implicittr in ft--*
And thus we are all agreed. acts
 Os God's government9

acts ofone only faculty , or to fay that we are justified only by such a one,
and that to expect to be justified by Assent, Consent and Jsjiance, or by
believing in Christ as our Teacher and Ruler as well as Priest , and as a
justifying judg, as well as a Justifying Sacrifice, and as afulfillerof the*
Law, is to expect justification by Works , as PWdenyeth it;. This is a
vain distinguishing, a falsifying the Doctrine of faith and justification, a
departing from the Scripture simplicity by corrupting seeming subtility,
and one of those humane inventions which have wronged the Church.
And it is no wiser than to fay, that when we speak of taking or receiving
a Man to be a Husband, a Physician, a King, it is but one physical act
of the Soul, that is meant, or about one only physical conception in the
object, which is inadequate. Whereas all such Moral or Civil acts con
tain many physical acts, and are suited to all things in the object which
are essential to it in its moral or civil nature or relation.
in. And it is but the seme deluding subtility, and vain curiosity, or
a playing with deceitful words , to sey that we are justified by faitb,
guatenm recipit Chrijiijujiitiam, As it believeth in Christ's Sacrifice and
perfect obedience only, and not, As it believeth in him as Teacher, Ruler,
Sanctisier, Judg, or as he intercedeth for us in Heaven, &c. when the
Scripture faith no such thing at all, but simply maketh faith in Chrift(sup-
posing Faith in God the Father) to be that by which we must be justified.
113. This distinction is founded in another falshood supposed, which
is that the effects of all Christ's saving works are as distinctly to be ascri
bed to several Receiving AEts offaiths they are to the several procuring
affsof Chrijl, the object of faith, which is another corrupting addition
to God's Word. One part of the work of our Salvation was done by
Christ's humiliation , and another by him in his exaltation : one by his
overcoming the Devil, and another by his overcoming the World-; one
by his Cross, another by his Grave, another by his Resurrection, another
by his ascension, another by his making the new Covenant, another by
his sending the Spirit, another by his sending the Apostles, another by
his intercession in Heaven, another will be done by our Resurrection,
and another by his last Judgment , and our Glorification; one by him
as an obeying-fobjeft, another as a Sacrifice for sin, many by him as a Vro-
phet, many as a Prieji and many as a King and Judge : But to fay there
fore that our acts of faith as Receptive have as various respects to the
effects or benefits, and that we are justified by him only as we believe in
him as Righteous, or a Jufiifyer, and that we are adopted as we believe
in him in another respect , and sanctifyed as we believe in him
in another respect , &c. these are the dreams of corrupting cu
riosity. For that Christ who by all these several works , hath done all
the office of a Redeemer to procure these several effects, is preached
and o.iered to us to be entirely as fitch a Redeemer, believed'm and received^
and upon the condition of such an entire faith only, chriji and all these
benefits conjunftly are by one Covenant given us, and no otherwise. And
believing in Christ as Chrill, who by all those acts hath himself procured
us this Covenant, and these gifts, is that by which we are justified as it
is one undivided faith ; And the quatenus here as to Christ's own procure
ment of the effects hath its place, but as to the Act of our faith, and
Christ as the object constituting that faith, there is no such diversity or
order to be feigned, as if the several effects were accordingly to be ascri
bed to our several Believings or Receiving acts.
1 14. The ambiguity of the very word [Receiving] hath drawn many
into this error : Receiving signifyeth sometimes a rhyjicul reception, which
is
 arid Moral Worfy.

is meerly P<tjjive , or the Relation of the Patient as such to the Act: and
Agent. And this is twofold, i. The Reception of a real being $ and so
to besantfified is to Receive SanUification. 2. The Reception of a Rela
tion^ such as all Jus, Right to a thing is •■, and so to be pardoned, justified
and adopted, and to Receive pardon, Justification and adoption, is all one.
2.Sometimes itsignifyeth Moral or Civilreceiving,v/hich is nothing but
1. The consent of the mind, called Acceptance. 2. And as to corporeal
objects, sometime, the voluntary act of the body 5 as the Hand, taking
that which is offered. Now if the Receiving in question were physical,
(either reiveljuris adremj then indeed it would be so neerly related to
the thing received, (which as received is no ohjeU, because Receiving so
isno<*#J as that this quatenus in question might be applyed to it. For
it may well be said I receive purification quatenus ^ultificatus sum, as l„JSy ™j* ,you.sec thc
• r-c 1 jr „ <y.,--V t r aij J • r answer to what Mr.Law-
am jultined, and I receive Sanaipcatton as 1 am janUipea, and wre t/er/j, in his excellent rbeo-
for they are but various words, signifying the fame thing. But of Moral ^th ^m8*' of
Receiving the case is otherwise : For this is not physical Reception, but which fee fullyer my an-
only a Moral AB, which is made a necessary medium, or Condition to Phy- ^crD[° uMr" ^jT. Lri
steal Reception, and thence is called Receiving 5 so Accepting or Consenting Nation. PU CS °
is a moral means or condition of that Having or Possessing which is con
sequential. And this Acceptance hath relation immediately to the thing
as Given only, to be made ours, according to the Will of the Giver , and
not «/<«/e tf»rj according to the Order ofthe things given : That is, 1. The
Z?<if/0 proprietatis, the Reason that they oar; is the will of the Donor,
and the Collation is according to the order of his WiU$ though the
Things Given have their intrinsick difference.
115. All men confess, that this Moral Reception, is an Act, and
therefore hath an ohjeft (which Physical Reception is not). And that thus
to Receive doth suppose a Moral Gift, which Gift maketh not the thing
ours necessarily, as physical operation doth, but on supposition of our
voluntary Reception or Consent. And all confess that Gods Donation
is by his Covenant, Testament or Promise 5 and this Covenant hath its * j.
proper nature and mode, that is, the Condition as imposed, antecedent
to our Receiving. Therefore as the thing Given is made ours by the .
Donation, so according to the order appointed by it : and our Consent
no otherwise maketh it ours than as the Condition of the Gist performed.
But Gods Covenant doth Give us Christ and Life 5 that is, Justification,
Sanctification and Glorification in titfie or right, in one Gift, to be Ac
cepted by one entire faith as the Condition , not making at all the r.
order of the Gifts and faiths respect to them in that order, to beany of
the Ratio proprietatis.
1 1 6. This wil 1 be plainer by humane instances. A Servants Relation
is founded in his consent to be a Servant 5 a Wises Relation is founded
in her Marriage- consent to be a Wife, and to take that man for her Hus
band simply without any more adoe. Now if the Master ofthat Ser
vant, or the Husband of that Wife, be a noble man, a rich man, a wise
man, a good man, and they knew all this, and by knowing it were in
duced to consent, and are to have their proportionable benefits' by his
Nobility, Riches, Wisdom, Goodness, yet their title to these bencfit9;
arifeth not from the act of their consent as it respected these benefits se
verally and distinctly, but meerly by consent to their Relation, as being
his Condition of Collation. The Wife is made Noble by her Husbands
Nobility , she is made Rich by his Riches, she is instructed by his Wis
dom, &c. But she hath no more Right to his Riches for marrying him in
the notion of Rich, or for consenting to him for Riches, than for mar-
I rying
 58 OfCjo&s governmenty

rying him in the notion or thought of his wisdom or goodness. On her

part, it was not consent to be Rich by him that gave her right to his
Riches, and consent to be Noble by him that gave her right to No
bility 5 but consent simply to be his Wife that gave her right to all.
1 1 7. This is yet fullyer evident in that most usually men make con
sent to one thing to be the condition of their Receiving or Right to
another. And usually that which one is most backward to, is made the
condition of their Right to that which they are most forward or wil
ling to have. The Master doth not fay, If thou wilt have thy wages,
thou shalt have right to it : But if thou wilt do my work, thou {halt
have thy wages. The condition of Marriage is conjugal Love and fide
lity : q. d. 1 will be thy Husband, and give thee right to all tha.t I have,
if thou wilt be and do what is essential to a Wife] and not [if thou wilt
have my Riches, &c] If a Father give a Child a free gift on any con
dition, it will likely be [If thou wilt be a thankful and obedient Child]
and not [Ifthou wilt have it.] Or if meer consent to have it, be put, it
is usually when it is some gift which it is supposed that the person is not
very willing to have: [As if a Sick man will have Physick, if an un
godly man will have Teaching, Books or Godliness it self.] But to this
usually they are induced by the Promise of somewhat else which they
are willing of: As to the Sick [Ifthou wilt take this Physick, thou shalt
have health.] To the ungodly [If thou wilt have Christ and holiness,
thou shalt have pardon and happiness.] Now in the scnce of Physical
Receiving [He that receiveth Physick, hath Physick] and [He that re-
ceiveth health, hath health] &c. But in the moral scnce of Receivings
which is Accepting as it is the condition ofa gift, so [He that receiveth
the Physics shall have the health'] and [He that receiveth Christ and his
san&ijying Spirit, (hall have Pardon, Justification, and Salvation ] Not
that his willingness to have [pardon and happiness"] is the chief or only
condition of his [pardon and happiness.] But his Accepting Christ and
his Spirit which men are naturally unwilling of, is the condition of that
[pardon and happiness] which men would have.
By all which it appeareth that to fay, [Faith ynstifyeth me as it is the
Receiving of Christs Righteousness, and not as it is the Receiving of Christ
as a teacher, Ruler, &c] is a confounding or seducing faying. For, 1. If
it intimate that Faith Justifyeth us as an efficient cause [principal or
* unless by Justtfyi^ Instrumental] it is false. * 2. If it mean that [Faith is the Condition of
Lc^e^oFe. obedience Justification quatenus , as it receiveth Christs Righteousness only,] it hath
cilicd H»H*?/r. either one or two falshoods. 1 . If it mean that Faiths receiving aft, is the
formalis ratio Conditionis, or that it justifyeth not qua conditio donatio
ns, but qua Receptio Justitiæ Christi, it is false. Therefore qua here can
signifie nothing but the Aptitude of faith to be made the condition, and
so Qua & J%uœ here are all one : 2 . And then that [only the Accepting
of Righteousness justifyeth us, that is, Is the condition of our Justification]
is a falshood.
118. Therefore our consent to be a Holy and obedient people, or to take
Christ for our Teacher, Exemplar, Ruler, Sanctifier by his Word and
Spirit, and Judge, hath at least as great a hand in our justification, (be
ing principally the Condition ofthe Promise) as our belief in our accep
tance of Christ s Righteousness hath. .

SECT.
 and aSAdoral Worfy.
59

sect. vm.

Qffufiification by (hritfs Righteousness, imputed.

no. Christ's personal Righteousness, Divine or Humane, habitual, a- How little the Papists
? rr r • > it j\ • r . / 1 j differ from the Imputa-
a/z/e or pajjive (as it s called} is notgiven us or made ours, truly and pro- tion which they quarrel
perly in the thing itself, but in the effefts (as was aforesaid) for neither Jjjjjk ^ee m
the same mattery nor the lame /orz» is strictly ours. I. That neither nAhyDnmuadtji^t,
of them is ours in a physical fence is undeniable. If the Divine Righte- And Pet. a, s. Joseph.
ousoess were so ours, we were Gods. And a tf^if , an AU, and a Pas ggj gg£ p'j^1*
^/<?» (materially) cannot be removed from one subject to another, nor mini nm potefl qamdui
the same be in divers subjects: These are as palpable contradictions as h'ZZTTZ^sji
Transubstantiation is. And the Relative form is founded in the matter d« : At semper aversus
or subject, and can ho more be removed. The paternity of a Gene- Z'l* D"J"*
rator, and the paternity or an Adopter, are not thefame, but two. And ntmmoniem,quapir(oUm
a Relation is an accident, also which perisheth when removed from the ^""^j'*'"B^*
subject j and in another is another. 2. If it be said that both are ours feJ„' ^dv^s^T^oll.
Morally or Imputatively, I answer, It is true : But that phrase is oflarge ^'^^'^"[""q^ '
and doubtful signification, i. If the meaning be that [The Covenant bailed" no't him' averse
of Grace doth as certainly pardon or jujlifie us (fin the way and degree who is really averse.)
promised by it) for the merit of Christs Righteousness (in performing ^ggXSZ UkS
his Mediatorial Covenant with the Father) as our oven merit (had it -per soiam imputatimn
been possible) would have done 5 or our Innocency would have Justifyed fytJ£ RrfpSS?*
us by the Covenant of Innocency] this is true. Uq»i dt 'stUo & non dt
2. But if the meaning be that [christs merit and CatisfaUion , by per- ™P"tatiJ>»1 p'""irema-
sea hohnejs, and obedience , ana Juffering, aresupposed or Reputed by God nos de pofltbiU & de vert
to have been inherent in us, or done by us in our civil person inChriSj or rtlgfafu°V f£ ifow"aw
that in a fence natural or Legal we did all those things our selves j tfr case is turned and°wrang-
that God judgeth usso to have done , by Judging Chrifl and u» to be the lers deceive themselves.
same civil person h or else that all the Benefits of Christs Righteousness M^^A^^
as fully and immediately be ours, as ifwe had been, and done, and suffered, they hold it deposMli
merited and satisfyedin and by Christ ; All this is false, "J ^ jg
120. For if this were so, we could need no pardon 5 for he that is re- non-imputation may puc
puted to be Innocent, by fulfilling all the Law, is reputed never to 2?»'Ih,emver? bcing of
£ r J U cT (T a a u u j "n, a™t may save men.
have finned, by omijjion or commijjion : And he can have no pardon of which more after-
offin, who hath no fin to be pardoned. Therefore such an Impu- wagySt'man 0,^5^
tation of Christs Righteousness to us, would make his satiifaUion null that7in"c!m be "mined
or vain , or certainly neither imputable to us, nor useful for us. t'on""^"^): co?(iona"
121. Some to avoid this do divide the Time of our Lives, and sup- r°" ilq e". They op
pose Chrijis sufferings to have satisfied and purchased pardon of our narily take Remiflion for
sins, for all the lime before our Believing, and his Righteousness to be £jJr0-vinS the fin
imputed to us for the Time since our Believing : But this is a humane fi
ction : For our sins after believing must have pardon too, by Christ's
satisfaction.
And some distinguish of our Time and State under the two Covenants^
and say that Christ's satisfaction was for the pardon of our sins under
the fir(I Covenant, which continued but till the premise made to Adam,
Gen. 9. 1 5. And so was for none but Adam's Jin imputed to us , and that
after that all being under the new Covenant, it condemneth none but the
finally impenitent (who scape not) and so that Gods pardoning men since
the new Covenant is but his preventing their need of pardon, or else par
doning temporal punishments only : But this is contrary to the Gospels
I 2 which
60 Os (job's governments

which tells us that Christ dyed for our fins, even all that ever are for
given^ and that all are forgiven to believers, (and not ihe necejsity of
forgiveness prevented) and not only Adams sin as ours : Nor only the
temporal, but the perpetual punishment. And even temporal punifii-
ment is not due to the innocent.
122. Some distinguish only of Actions , and not of Time, and fay
Christ's Sacrifice satisfied for all our fins , that they may be forgiven,
and his righteousness is imputed to us, that we may be also accounted
just •-, But this is but either ambiguity, or the fore-detected gross con
tradiction. For if by Justice they mean Reputed stnlefsnefs, or perfection,
then these two cannot stand together : For he that is supposed a Sinner,
is supposed notsinless or perfects And he that is supposedJ?»/e/x cannot
be supposed pardonable.
123. Some think to avoid the contradiction , by distinguishing only
the moments of Nature, and double respect of the fame mans actions:
They fay that we arefirst in order of Nature supposed to be Sinners,
and pardoned , and then to be such as moreover need the reputation
of Innocency or Righteousness which is added to pardon. But, i.He
that is pardoned all sins of omission and commission, is accounted In
nocent and Righteous as to any Guilt of punishment, either offence or
Loss. 2. And he that is after accounted Innocent and "just from his
first being to that hour, is judged never to have needed pardon : And so
they make God come with an after act, and condemn his own fore
going act of error and injury 5 or at least to contradict it , and in the
first instant to fay [I pardon this Sinner] and in the second to fay [I
now repute him one that never finned or needed pardons]
124. But the commonest way of such Divines is, to fay that Christs
Righteousness is first imputed j that is , we are reputed to have perfectly
obeyed and been habitually holy in Chriff, and then fin is next pardoned
as a fruit of the merits of this. But this is still but the oft detected
contradiction, that we are first accountedsinless, and therefore ourfins are
forgiven us.
125. Some fay that the Law since the fall obligeth us both to obey and
to suffer, and not to one only ; else a Sinner bound to suffer , should not
be bound to obey. Therefore Christ must do both for us : But this is
too gross for any man to utter that ever knew what Law and Govern
ment is. Do they mean that as to the fame AU and time, the Law bind-
eth us to obey andsuffer .<? or for divers acts and instants oftime ? Do
they mean that the Law bound man both to perfection atidsuffering for
perfection, or to suffering for sin } No man doubts but when one sin
is committed, and punishment deserved, the Law is still the Law, and
bindeth men still to obey or suffer more the next moment , and again
to obey or suffer more the next moment. But this concerneth not our
question. Did the Law bind Adam to obey and to suffer before he
finned } Did it bind him both to obey and suffer for his new sin the next
instant > It's true it bound him to suffer for his oldsin > but not for the
next before it is committed. And the obligation to duty goeth before
the obligation to punishment for that fame action j because the action
cometh between 3 and the first is an act of Gods antecedent If'ill , and
the second of his consequent Will, that is, ofthe Retributive, and not :he
Preceptive part of the Law.
And they note not that the question is not, what obedience a man is
bound to, but what he performeth or must be reputed to have perfor
med. If they will speak so unaptly as to fay that the Law commaqdeth
Lapsed
 and 3\/foral Worfy.

Lapsed man , not to have stn , or imperfeU man to have been perfeif ;
that is, that the Command to day bindeth Adam ad præteritum not
to have sinned yesterday, or bindeth to Impossibility in nature, that
existent fin should not be existent, (in all which I leave them to their
liberty of words) yet it is certain that no man hath perfectly obeyed
for one year or day. And therefore if Christ's perfect obedience and
holiness be imputed to them from their first being, then they are re
puted not-lapsed^ nor-finners from the beginning and, so not pardona
ble. But if it be only for the time after Jfn that Christ's perfection is
their after what fin must it be ? If after Adam's , then we need no
pardon of any but Adam's sin. If after conversion , then we need no
pardon for sins after Conversion. If after our last sin, then Christ's per
fection is not imputed to us till after death.
126. Others would come nearer the matter, and soy that we are
reputed Righteous as fulfillers of the Law , and yet reputed Sinners as
Breakers of the Law : and that though there be no medium in naturals
between light and darkness, life and death, yet there is between a
breaker of the Law, and a fulfiller of it, viz,, a non-fulfiller j and be
tweenjust and unjust^ that is not-juSt : But this is a meer darkness : There
is a medium negative , in a person as not obliged 5 but noae between Posi
tive and Privative in one obliged as such. A stone is neither just nor
privatively unjust : Nor a man about a thing never commanded or for
bidden him : But what's this to the matter } God's Lave is pre-supposed :
we talk of nothing but Moral aUs : The Law forbiddeth Omijstoni
and CommiJJions ; both are sin. Do these men think that he is not
reputed Positively just;, (and not only not-unjust') who is reputed never
to have committed a sin, nor left undone a duty in his life. Can
the Law be fulfilled more than so ? What is Righteousness if that
be not ?
Obj. Adam was neither just nor unjust in his first moment 5 no nor till
he sinned fay some, because till then he was not obliged to obey, or at
least to any meritorious act, that is, to love God.
Ans. I; Adam was in his first instant but Habitually just, and not by
Act, because not obliged to impossibilities any more than an Infant or
a stone : But we speak only of obliged persons. 2. It is not true that
Adam was not obliged to obey and Love God before he sinned, or that
he never Loved God as God.
Obj. At least Adam merited not the Reward, though he sinned not
till then.
Ans. I. He merited what Reward he had, vi%. the continuance o
his blessings first freely given : but not an immutable state. 2. It is
yet unresolved what that was by which Adam must merit Immutability
and Glory ? whether, 1. Once obeying or consent to his full Covenant.
2. Or once loving God. 3. Or conquering once. 4. Or eating ofthe
tree of Life. 5. Or persevering in perfect obedience to the end ; that
is , till God should translate him, which is most likely. His not Meriting
Immutability before the time , was no sin , we confess. 3. And we
maintain as well as you, that Christ hath not only satisfied for sin, and
merited pardon , but also Merited Immutable Glory. But consider ,
I. That Adam's not doing that which was to merit Glory, washissinof
omission, and to pardon that omission, is to take him as a meriter of
Glory. , 2. Therefore it must be somewhat more than he forfeited by
that omission and his commission, which cometh in by Christ's merit
above forgiveness. 3. That Christ merited all this, both by his active,
passive.
 'od's governments
62
passive and habitual Righteousness , by which he merited pardon.
4. That it was not we that merited it in him, but he, to give it us only
on the terms of a Law of Grace.
127. Yet some come nearer, and fay that, To punifi and not-Reward
are not all one : And so the respect: that Sin hath to the deserved punifli-
ment needed pardon and satisfaction : But our deserving the Reward need
ed chriSi's perfett Obedience to be imputed. In this there is somewhat
of truth. But you must avoid the errors that lie in the way, and are
by most supposed truths. 1. Remember that man can have nothing from
God, but what is a meer Gift as to the matter , though it be a Reward as
to the order and ends of collation. And in this case , punijhment is
damni as well as fenfus 5 And so the loss of the Reward is the principal
part of Hell or Puniflment. So that if Christ's death hath pardoned
our sins of Omission, we are reputed to have done all our duty ; And if
so, we are reputed to have merited the Reward : And if he pardon our sins
, as to all puniflment of fense and loss , he pardoneth them as to their
forfeiture of Heaven as a Gift, if not as a Reward.
128. But,say they,remission of sin is but part ofJustification,because a
man may be forgiven, and yet not reputed never to have broken the
Law. To put away guilt, and to make one righteous are two things.
Ans Still confusion. Guilt is either of the fault as such , or of the
punijlment, and of the fault only as the cause of puniflment. If all guilt
both culpæ & pœnæ were done away, that person were reputed positively
righteous 3 that is, never to have omitted a Duty, or committed a Sin ;
But indeed when only the Reatuspœnæ (& culpæ quoad pœnam) is done
away, the Reatus culpæ infe remaineth. And this Christ himself never
taketh away, no not in Heaven, where for ever we shall be judged ,
once to havejinned, and not to be such as neverfinned.
of this fee mtton dt 129. And thisseemeth the very core of their error, that they think
Rcconcil. at large. we must be justified in Christ by the L<m> of Innocency, which justified
ChriU himself5 and that we are quit or washed simply from all guilt of
fault , as well as obligation to punishment : which is a great untruth ,
contrary to all the scope of the Gospel, which assureth us, that we ate
justified by the Law of Grace or Faith, and not by the Law of Worhj :
That Christ freeth us from the curse and penalty of the Law : which he
could not do, if we were reputed never to have deserved it, as never
being Sinners. If we are reputed such as fulfilled the Law of Innocency
( by another in our civil person, or asfully representing us,) all the Gospel
is over-turned : There is no room for Repentance, none for thesatkfaBi-
on of Christ, none for Faith in his blood, nor for Pardon, or prayer for
Pardon, or any Grace, ASt, Duty or Ordinance, Sacraments, Confejfion,ot
any thing which supposeth Sin.
To say that Adam's Law meant, [_ Do this, by thy self or by Christ, and
thoufialt live,"] is a Humane fiction, not found in Scripture, confound
ing the Law of Innocency with the Gospel : And to say that the New-
Covenant maketh us one Person with Christ, and then the Law of Adam
doth justifie us, is a double error. We are not reputed one Person with
Christ 5 nor doth the first Covenant justifie any but the Person that per-
formeth it. But we maintain as well as they, that the fame Righteousness
of God in himself, is manifested in both Covenants, and the fame holy-
love of perfect Obedience, and the ends of the first Covenant are secu
red by the second. But the tenour and terms are not the (ame, nor the
Righteousness of the fubjeft as denominated from those terms. It is not
the fame Law which condemneth us and justisiethus, nor that justifieth
Christ
 and cSArforal IVorfa. 63

Christ and us ; nor is it the fame Habits, or Acts, which are the immedi
ate fundamentum of the Relation of righteous in Christ and in us,
though his Righteousness be the meritorious cause of ours. And there
fore not the fame with the thing merited. * ,"
130. The Truth which they grope after, and must reconcile them
all, is as followeth. Christ in his Sufferings did stand in the room of
Sinners as their Sponsor, and satisfied Justice as was said before : And
God had other ends yet to accomplish : It was meet that the perfection
of his Law should be glorified by a perfect fulfilling of it by Christ,
when we had failed. Satan was hereby confounded : God pleased and
honoured : Man shewed what he should have been, and yet should do :
Mans nature in Christ was thus actively and habitually perfected : By all
this Christ performed his Obedience to the mediatorial Law , and his Hervt^ Vtttl. quodiib. 4.
Covenant of Redemption 5 and so acquired a right first to himself of giving muVii better tha^many
out the purchased Benefits to Sinners,by a new Law or Covenant of Grace Protestants. [ shut me-
and according to it; By which Covenant, only as his Instrument, the KHPjSSm
Father and Son give us Right to them, in an Order there established, trnft in aihs; transit
All that is there given to us, Christ purchased for us, by performing his tSSaiStaSSim
own Covenant first with the Father, by perfect Holiness, and Obedience, mi applicants ad cbri-
eveninhis Sacrifice on the Cross, and by all that he undertook to do as st** sacra-
_ . > 1 V r- if • < mtntis vtl medtantt fide
a Redeemer, antecedently. The Purchase was made tor this Donation propria; 4>w qmdemif-
as its end, and is commensurate to it : just so much as Christ hath ^iwtt Gr*j'* 9£ e£
us, as to matter, manner, terms, degree, time, &C. he did purchase and nMiTbomhem' dignum
merit for us, and no more. Had he antecedently done all that he did •«« *tema-. ita ttian
ill our person, and 0* in him, in Law sense, the thing it self, with its JSStJS!
inseparable consequents and effects, had been all ours ipfo fa&o, before and ad a&m aam exercuit,
without the donation. or conveyanceJ of a new Law
j or Covenant;
, nor ftctm
£2™ 'Zf?culpæ 221tt.it
ortgtnalis,
had they been ever given us upon terms and conditions, when they were ?** est contraria gratia,
our own before, without those terms. But now what is given us by the &. redd'J *'t?m t"!"1
—- ■* ' ■ . ., . « . 0 - . * sterna, & indtgnum vita
New Covenant, we have title to on this account, because it was pur- How doth this
chased by the verfe& Merit and Sacrifice of Christ, and so given us by diff« from the soundest
,. j 1 ^i1 J .t e ..u «.-..• r -c r j- j Protestants as to the Im-
him, and by the Father, bo that it is ours assure as it we had merited it potation of Christ's
our selves, but not ours in the fame order, and measure, and time, and Righteousness to os, or
terms , as if we had merited it our selves ( in our natural or legal per- **
sons ). For then if would have been all ours at once ipfo fafto, even
,rthe merit it self, and the fore- said effefts. We deserved punishment,
and Christ was punished in our stead, that we might be forgiven 5 not.
immediately, but on Covenant-terms : we had forfeited Life by sin 3 And
Christ merited Life for us by his Perfection, ( not in our persons, but in
■the person of a Mediator,) which Life was to be given to us by the said
Covenant : The antecedent benefits { such as the Covenant it self ) he
giveth absolutely, and antecedently to any act of ours. God reputeth all
this Satisfaction and Merit of Christ to be as meet and effectual to pro
cure us all these Benefits,to be thusgiven,as if we our selves had done and
suffered : And in this fense Christ's Righteousness isgiven us,and made ours,
in that it is given for us, and we have the said benefits of it: Not that
God doth give us the very habits of Holiness which were in Christ, nor
the transient atts which he performed, nor the very Sufferings which he
underwent, nor the Relation of righteous fatisfaUory and meritorious, as
it was that numerical Relation which immediately resulted from Christ's
own Habits, Acts and Sufferings ; For such a translation of accidents is
a contradiction. But God giving us all the efsetfs, or Salvation merited,
in it self properly, is said also not unfitly to give us the Merit or Righte
ousness which procured them ; that is, as it was paid to God for. us, to
pro-
 OsGocts (governmenty

procure them} even as he is said to give Christ himself (antecedently to

our Faith ) to the World as a Saviour. And thus Christ's Righteous
ness, Merit and satisfaction may be said to be imputed to us, in that it is
thus given us, and thus truly reputed ours.
131. But when the Text faith, Rom. 4. 24. Righteousness is imputed to
*us, the meaning is no more, but that God reputcth or judgeth us righteous,
though we have not the Righteousness of Innocency, or of the Law of
Works j which indeed is done for Christ's meritorious Righteousness
procuring it: But the Text speaketh not of Christ's personal Righteousness
in matter ox form, imputed to us as being it self our own. Imputing
Righteousness to us, is a consequent Act ( after Faith ) of God as Judge,
and not an antecedent donation.
132. And it is true that formaliter, non-punire & pramiari , not-to-
punifh, and to Reward are not all one : And in some cases a man may be
freed from punishment, who is not rewarded : But it is as true as is afore
said, 1. That Gods Salvation, and all his Benefits, axe ever free Gifts as
to the matter and value first, and then the relation of a Reward is but
secondary as to the Order of collation, and the reason comparative, why
one man hath them rather than another (as a thankful Child hath the
Gift which the Contemner goeth without ). 2. And that here, Not to
have this Gift ( forfeited by our fin) is to be punished : And so here
non- donari , is puniri materially though the relations differ. 3. And
that it is the fame Righteousness of Christ which meriteth our Impunity
quoad damnum & fenfum, and which meriteth our Right to the Gist of
Life, both sub ratione doni as a Gift, and sub ratione condonations as a
forgiveness of the forfeiture, and of the pœna damni : So that here is
no room for the conceit, that Christ's death was only to purchase Par
don, and his Righteousness to merit Life. That which confoundeth
men here is, their taking the divers Refpefts, and Connotations, and Con
ceptions of one and the fame thing, to be divers separable things : The
fame Law hath the Preceptive part ( to do and not do) and the Retributive
part (penal and rewarding). The some Obedience oi Adam was a
doing what was commanded, and a deserving what was promised. But
more was promised to persevering Perfection than to the first act of Obe
dience. One Sin deserved death 3 but one act of Obedience deserved
not immutable Glory. And as the some Act is formally Obedience re
laxed to the Command, and formally meritorious or pr<emiandus, as
related to the Promise. And the some Act is fin and punishable, as related
to the Precept ( or Prohibition ) and Threatening 5 so the some Glory
hafree Gift in one respect (as related ut bonum to God as Benefactor)
and a Rewardia another ( as related quoad ordinem conferendi to God as
Retfor.) And the some loss of Glory is pœna related to the Threatening,
and it is the loss of a Reward as related to the Promise. And so the some
Merits of Christ's active, and passive, and habitual Righteousness, do
cause our Glory, both by giving us pardon of our forfeiture, and by
Covenant- Donation, and as a Reward to Christ, and to us when we
perform the conditions ofhis Gift.
133. And it is certain, that Christ's Sufferings are first ftkfatfory,
and then meritorious, being a part of his Active, that is, voluntary Obe
dience. And Christ's Holiness and Obedience are meritorious of pardon of
Sin, as well as of Salvation.
134. If there be (as there is) any thing which is given us through
Christ, more than our own Innocency or Obedience would have meri
ted, the Gift of that is more than remission of Sin ; And is to be ascribed
accordingly
 and Moral Worhg. £^

accordingly to.the Purchase of Christ's Merits. But yet both his Holi
ness and Suferittgs ( though not as sufferings) did merit it : And that was
not a fulfilling of 'the Law in ourstead.
135. This superadded Gift (what-everitis) seemeth in Scripture to
be included in adoption, and not in Justification : But yet it may in this
sense be called Justification , in that when our Right to that Gift is*
questioned, that Right must be justified by the Covenant-Donation,
and by Christ's meritorious Purchase of it. But this is only de nomine :
We are agreed of the thing.
136. It is greatly to be noted, that as a Reward is in the formal notion
more than not punifinng ( where materially they are the lame ) so Christ
hath not at all merited that eternal Life should be ours, by way of Reward
for our fulfilling the Law in him, but that it should ours by hi* free Gift, as
a Reward to Christ for his own Merits. So that the Relation of a Ke-
ward for VerfeUion, belongeth only formally i 6 Christ, (who taketh it
as his benefit that we are saved through his love to Souls ) but not at all
to us. And to fay ( as too many hold ) that Heaven is our Reward for
our perfection s>£ Holiness and Obedience in and by Christ, is a Humane
Invention subverting Christ's Gospel 3 or unfit speech , if better
meant.
137. Yet a Reward it is to us, to be glorified 3 but that is not for our
fulfilling the Law of Innoccncy by Christ, but for our believing in Christ,
and performing the conditions of the Covenant of Grace : which giveth
us Life as'afree Gift 3 but yet in the order of the condition it hath the re-
Jat ion, and name of a Reward to its, in the Scripture.
138. So that here are three rewarding Covenants before us : 1. The
Covenant or Law of Innocency rewarding man for perfection to the end 5
And this rewarded none but Christ : And it is false that we are rewarded
by that Covenant, or justified by it, for Christ's fulfilling it. But it ah the stir of the p*.
justified Christ. 2. The Law or Covenant made only to and with Christ ^J*-^^* ^" wc
the Mediator : And this Covenant further rewarded Christ is Mediator, oasixseas well as8par-
giving him all that it promised to himself and us, for his performing the a°e^,s^^ichhf0JW^<,',f,
mediatorial conditions. And so our Life is Christ's Reward. 3. The Th^^ h^Vmil'e
Covenant or Law of Grace (for it is the lame thing in several respects )*fiifttims, Maider. r.
that's called the Law and the Covenant), which giving Life on the con- Apftobaix'cm.^ln
dition of Faith,doih justifieand reward Believers. And we are justified atiudvuit quam cbripm
and rewarded by no other Law. :■ . ?L?.*\i»llZA
139. WhenKtftf/. 4. ott laith ( and other Texts ) that we arejustified fHam pro noiiro peccato,
by Faith, it connoteth and includeth that we are justified by Christ and ^'"£^^(*ib^
his Sacrifice, Merits and Covenant respectively, believed in : But yet it <j»m, jufistiavei fie remus
is not Christ, nor his Sacrifice, or Merits, or Promise that is meant by the ** # » j^ft 1™*SJ™
word [ faith. ] It was a gross abuse of the Text so to expound it : Faith umrftr iffiZmmu %
connoteth the Object, but it is not Christ that is called Faith. doriuhTs differ Whac
140. But the meaning- is, that man having forfeited Life, Christ s Doctrine of the Refor-
Righteoufness ( habitual, active and passive, ) hath merited, that it shall med churches,
be given usas a free Gift, but yet regularly under a Law : But the Law S^^ÆS
justos per nniiit obediiiti-
am fignificatur causa ]meritoria, non anten {ormalis : And so fay we: But some call Christ's Righteousness the causa
mawialis , meaning no more but that it is the matter of that Merit , for which wc are justified ; As if Adam had
perfectly fulfilled the Law, his fulfilling it, had been meritorious of his sentential ]ustificacion, and yet the matrer of
his constitutive justification; that is, of his Righteousness. And some unaptly call it the formal cause: But an unapt
logical ndtion is not an error in Faith or Theology.
Idem ib. p. 57?. Quamvis ex omnino rigida jujiitia solus Cbristm Domimu {atisfaciat ; de ctndigft\ fatten , it* ut mercee
oj>;ri bono debtatur post Dei promifliomm, meritur )%stn* corona* jufHi* quam reddet in illa\ie Justus )uiix : Ell nostra
pstitia tota , totum mtritum, tota fatif-aclio -deptndens a meiito e> jatufaclione Chrijli. Still here is a wordy Contro
versy.

K maketh
66 Of God's (government,

maketh nothing but believing acceptance the condition of our Right, and
he that doth that much, shall, without perfection, be esteemed and used
as righteous for the fake of the Hud Righteousness of Christ. So that
in point of Merit, as to the value of the thing, Christ's Righteousness
is instead of our Innocency : But as to the order of collation, something
being still to be required of us as a condition of Right , so our Faith now
is instead of our btnocency, as being all that is laid on ^instead of it,
that we may have right to Justification. And to assign this condMon on
our part , Paul faith, That Faith it imputed to us for righteousness. To
deny this sense, is to use violence with the Text.
141. Christ's Righteousness is made ours, as our Sins were made his:
which is not in themselves, as is aforesaid : God- forbid we should think
that Christ was ever reputed by God to be a Sinner, a Blasphemer, a
Murderer, an Enemy to God and Goodness, one that had Satan's Image,
and was his Servant, a Persecutor of himself, &c. But only our fin was
imputed to him as to the punishment deserved : that is, he assumed the
Reatum peenœ, the punishment, and a duenest occasioned by our sin 5 but
made his oven by his voluntary sponsion 5 But never had he the reatum
culpœ in its self, but meerly as aforesaid respectively to the punishment.
Even so we have the Righteousness of Christ, not in itsself, as Proprie
tors of it, but in relation to the effeSs 5 that is, we have the ejfe3st
even our "justification, and other benefits as purchased by it, and for its
lake : And as our guilt, or obligation to punishment, was not Christ's, till
his voluntary sponsion or consent did make it so 5 Even so his Righteousness
is not ours in the effects, till our voluntary consent accept it : Because it
is not a natural, but a contracted Relation that is between Christ and us.
And as it is not a striU propriety in Christ's Righteousness that we have,
so it is much less a plenary and absolute propriety : nor have we it in the
Relation of a meritorious cause to all uses, as if it had been fully our or»n,
but only limitedly to those uses which God accepted it for, and hath
assigned to it in the Gospel 5 that is, it is but a certain sort and measure
of mercies that are given us from it in Gods time and way.
142. To the asserting of the rigid sense of Imputation, they are ne
cessitated to fay that, which fupposeth Gods repute of the matter to be
false j that is, that he reputeth us to have done that in and by Christ,
which we never did by him : But God judgeth nothing to be otherwise
than it is > that he judgeth Christ to have been the Sponsor and Mediator,
and in that person to have done and suffered as he did, is because it is
true: But he judgeth him not to have been the legal Person of the Sinner,
and as many persons as there be redeemed Sinners in the world, because
that is not true.
143. They fay that what the Surety doth, the Debtor doth in Law-
sense, and to judge so is not to err. But there are several forts of Sure
ties, much more of Instruments in paying a Debt. I. There be free
Sureties, who are not obliged to the Debtor as his Dependents 5 and these
either by counter-security, or by right of the thing, may recover all of the
Debtor again. And therefore the Law fupposeth not the Debtor to
have payed the Debt by them 5 but that the Creditor made them both
Joynt- Debtors for his own security. 2. There are Sureties antecedently,
and Sureties consequently : One that before the Debt doth conditionally
make himself a Joynt-Debtor, in case the Principal pay it not } And
th€re is a Surety more properly called an undertaking-Friend, who after
payeth the Debt, being disobliged before. Christ was not a Surety of
the first sort, in Law-senses And if you call Gods Decrees, which are
his
 and £Adoral Worfy.

his Essence , Sttretijhip , your liberty of words changeth not the case.
3. There is a Surety who payeth the Debt in the name and person of the
principal Debtor ( And he is not properly called a Surety, but an Agent
or Substitute : ) And Christ was none such 5 nor is any proper Surety such.
And there is a Surety which, by the Creditors consent, doth pay the
Debt in his own name, agreeing that the chief Debtor (hall have no be
nefit by it but from him, as he (hall give it, on certain terms : And this
was ChriSi's cafe. 4. There is a Surety that payeth the fame debt that
was due from the Principal : And there is a Surety or Friend that under
takes only to make the Creditor satkfatfion, because the Debtor can
not pay. And this is the case. 5. Lastly, There is a pay-master that is
the Debtors Instrument, whether Servant, Delegate, or whoever at his
command or request doth pay it in his name and person : And this is not
the case. And there is a proper Surety, who is a third person and no
Instrument, and payeth it in his own name though for another. This,
as I said, is the case 5 and therefore it is not we that paid it.
Therefore to the Objection I fay, that to judge Christ such an Instru
ment or Delegate of ours, or Surety that did all in our legal person 5 is to
misjudge and err, as is proved, which God cannot do.
144. Christ did and suffered in the common nature of man, though not
in the person of each Sinner. And m*nt nature is so far redeemed by
him, that for the meer Original Sin of nature alone, no man shall perish,
unless he add the rejection of Grace 5 (of which somewhat is said be
fore. ) But yet as Nature existeth only in persons, so it is allpersons,, who
have this much benefit and more. But that he merited and satisfied in
our Nature , is a proper speech, and truer than that he did it in our
persons.
1 4 5. But all this similitude ofa Creditor and Debtor,is to be limited in
the application, according to the great difference of sin and Debt, which
will infer a great diversity in the consequents j which may easily be col
lected by the Reader.
146. As to the great and weighty question, whether Christ died for How far Christ died for
sins against the New Covenant, or only for those against the old : I an- £°*caflinst thc Law of
swer, Distinction is here notoriously neeeslary. 1. If by the old Cove
nant, or first Covenant, you mean the conditional Promise, (] Be perfect
and live ] no sin since Adams is against that conditional Promise, because
it ceased through mans incapacity, upon the Fall j And Christ died not
only for the first fin.
2. If by the firSi Covenant you mean, the bare command of perfect
perpetual Obedience, Christ died for Jins against that command which is
still in force, but not as a Covenant of Life given on that condition.
3. If by the first Covenant , you mean the punitive part of the Law
of Innocency , faying , [_ Thou fialt die if thou obey not perfectly. "] So
Christ died for all our Sins in the Jlritfejl fense , even as we are con-
demnable for them by that Law. And that part also of the Dlw conti-
nueth to make punishment our due in primo instanti, though with an ad-
joyned remedy.
4. If by the New Covenant , you mean the meer preceptive part of
Christ's supernaturaUy-revealed Law, or of the forefaid Law of Nature,
as in the hands of Christ, so Christ died for sins against the Law of Christ.
2. If by the New Covenant or Law you mean, the Promise and Threaten
ing of Christs Law, or either j so Sin may be said to be against them in
two senses: 1. ObjeUively, as they are negle&ed by us : And so that Sin
formally is only against the Precept, and Christ died for it. 2. Or as the
K 2 Sin
 58 Of (jo£s (government,

Sin hath punishment threatened by the Sandion, and no pardon given by

the Promise : And so Sin is in two fenses also against the said San&ion :
that is, I. When it is such a Sin as the Promisegiveth no pardon to con
ditionally , And siich as the commination pertmptority condemneth
the Sinner for to remediless misery. And this Sin is the final non-perfor
mance of the Gospel-Condition ( Faith and Repentance ). And such
only are fully obliged to suffer Hell by the commination of the Law of
Grace : And for such Sin Christ never died : not because he never died
for the person as to any other {in, or for any benefit, as some teach : But be
cause, i.He resolved never to diefor thatfin it felf,(offinal Vnbelief Impe
nitence and Vnholiness.) 2. And because he never died to fatisfie his own
Law ofGrace,and to takeoff its properfntt obligation to final punishment }
but only to fatisfie God instead of mans suffering what the Law of Works
obliged him to.
• a. But there is also a mediate or conditional dueness of punishment,
according to the Law of Grace : which is when a man by not believing
and not-repenting at the present, and by neglecting and resisting Grace,
doth so far forfeit all Grace and Salvation, as that God may cut him off,
and caff him into Hell if he wiU'-i not having peremptorily said, that he
will do it ; nor given men any ajfurance that he will not. This man is not
immediately and fully under the dueness of Hell fire, but On supposition
that God should first cut him off5 and then his Impenitence would be
final, which is the first case : But this person is under all this guilt.
i. Guilty of punishment not forgiven against the Law of Works. 2. He
is so far guilty of punishment, according to the Law of Grace , as
1. That no pardon is given him,or due to him. 2. And God may justly
take away his Spirit and forsake him. 3. And God may justly cut him ofK
4. And if God should cut him off, Hell will be his full immediate due.
Christ not capable of 1 47. By this it further appeareth, that we cannot be justified as per-
ourkindof obedience. f0„ally fulfilling all Righteousness in Christ: Because We are all our life
time principally under those great Duties of the Law of Grace, which
Christ neither aid nor could do for us. We are bound all our days to
accept a Saviour, to accept pardon of Sin, and mortifying Grace, to
confess our Sins, to repent of them, and sorrow for them 3 to labour in
the use of all Means and Ordinances to mortifie them; To do all our
duties as sinners, in that manner as those must do that are in a Physicians
hands for Cure ; To receive and apply Christ's Merits to that end 5 to
beg his Intercession and daily pardon 5 To labour that imperfect Grace
may be strengthened : In a word, Sin, and a desire of healing, so affect all
that the Gospel commandeth us, that Christ was not capable of any of
this. And if all this was undone till our Conversion, and much of it
undone after our Conversion, and yet Christ never did it for us, nor
we in him 5 How can it be said that we are justified by fulfilling all the
Law in and by Christ? yea the Law of Nature still commandeth us, to
obey the Law of Grace, supposing it made and revealed to us.
■h-»j- ■■ * , I4^« The question whether Christ payed the idem or the tantmdem,
Jbe Idem ot Tantmdem. - t ir rn c 1 j o * • l rr 1 ■ r
is hence also more fully resolved : By payment is meant, either Holiness or
Suffering. And 1. This sheweth that Christ's Obedience was not materi
ally the fame with ours ( as aforesaid ). 2. And I before proved that a
great, and the far greatest part of our punishment was such as Christ could
never suffer ; either permitted Sin it self or desertion by the Spirit of
Holiness, or divine displeasnre and hatred, or accusations of Conscience,
&c. 3. And the Law binding only the Sinner, and not any Surety to
suffer, and every man personally to obey , most clearly it is not idem quod
debetur^
 and S^forai Won\. fy

dcbetur , were it but meerly because it is not ejufdem or per eundem.

149. Indeed solution of the Debt, and satisfaction firi&ly taken thus
differ, thatsatisfaction is solutiotantidem, vel æquivalentis alias indebiti.
And if Christ be said to have paid the very fame duty and punijlmeni
which the Law required, he is denied to have satisfied for our non-pay-
went: For a Law that is folly performed can require no more, nor the
Law-giver neither : And therefore both Satisfaction and Tardon are fimt
out.
150. It is not properly the Law which is satisfied, but the Law-giver
as above Law as is said : But yet improperly the Law may be said to be
satisfied in that the ends of the Law-giver in it are obtained.
151. Though I owe much thanks to God for what, near thirty years
ago, I learned from Gratitude fatisfaB. yet I must fay that in this great
question, whether Christ satisfied God for Sin as Domino absolute, vel
ut parti kefs, vel ut ReSfori, which he aflerteth alone, I take him to come
short of accuratenefs and soundness'-) And that this is the truth.
God is to man, 1. Domitrws abfolutut, that is, our Owner. 2. ReStor
supremus. 3. Anticus , Benefa&or: vet Vater & finis. Sin is against
God in all these three Relations : I. As our Owner, it is a denying him and
alienating his own quoad ufum. 2. PisRe&or, it breaketh his Law. 3. As
our Lover and End, it is a Acs arting from him. For 1. As our Owner, we
owe him 10tal resignation and use as such. 2. AsourK«/er, we owe him
Subjection and Obedience as such. 3. As our Friend (BenefaQor & Ama-
bilijstmus) we owe him Gratitude and Love as such (which yet is part
of obedience too. ) Now Sin being the priyation of all this, God is to
be satisfied for it as such, in all these three Relations; And is part Ufa
in all these three Relations, that is, he is injured, though not hurt. It is
true, that Government and punifimg Justice, formally as such, belong to
God only as Rector. And fathfaBion is made him eminently in that Re
lation j yet also to compensate the injury done by sin to him in, the other
two Relations also.

SECT. IX.

Of the name and diHinUiom of Justification.

/\ 52. Justification is a word of many significations, the Scheme where- And 1. of constitutive
of should I give them all, would seem to most Readers a troublesome di- Justification,
stinguishing. Therefore I take up with these three most notable senses. _ _. „ ..
t n. c ■ a Z * 1 *• * The Vtpiftt are con-
t. Justification conjtitutive i 2. Sentential: 3. Executive. founded in the point of
The first is to make a man righteous ; The second is to judge him righte- ^^soundi by ^icking
ous j The third is to use him as righteous. I. By Impunity 5 2. Reward.* They taslt of^ifif«ti«
and remission of sin, but
cannot tell men intelligibly what they mean. They fay that Remission is a patting away the fin it self, and not only the
Reatum pan*, and yet fay (many) that it may be done without any physical change of the Sinner. 1. By fin they mean,
not the Habit ; for that cannot be removed without a physical change, z. Nor the act: For that is past as soon as done,
a. When they fay it is macula mo^alis habitualittr rmatins ; they talk gibberish and play with a mctaphpr, and the word
f habitualittr ; | A true habit is quid pbyficum, and what macula is they can tell no man besides a habit, disposition, privation
or relation : If they mean that it is the Reatus culptt, or culpability that is done away, and not only the Reitws pan*, they hold
the fame thing which they oppose in those Protestants that go too far from them. And it is not sound : For the pardoned Sin
ner will be culpable, though not punishable for ever ; that is, will be really the man that sinned; and it will be an ever
lasting truth, This man finned, though he be pardoned : See Pet. a S. Joseph. Theol. SptcuUt. I. 4. c. 10. pag. 509, % 10, $11.
The Pap/fishy, Homo tst formalitn jullns per formamgratite ipft extrisfecam, & non tantum per jullitiam Christi Mi imputatam :
And yet [ NulUu actm quantumvisptrfeClta fivesit contxitio,sive Amor Dei super omniajst causa formalis justifications : Vitrts di-
ctntes chiritattm tffc perfttlam )u(litiam, inttlligendi [unt difpofitive,non autem jormalittr. Because it is in the Habit, and not in the
Act,-* rather as others of them fay in some internal inclination antecedent to the habits of Faith, Hope and Love, that they
place Justification, or as v\ c call it, Sanctirkation, set. a S. Joseph. Thes. urivtrf. di grat. Hab. pag. 88, 8j>.
153. God
 153 **at* never j«dgeth a man righteous ( either by secret esteem or
open sentence) till he have made himsuch.
154. To be made righteous, is to be juBified in Law-fense 3 which is,
Tolejustifiable (or justificandus) bysentence.
155. A man is righteous, 1. Particularly, secundum quid, as to some
particular cause that he is accusable of. 2. Or universally as to all causes.
3. Or eminently, as to all those causes that Heaven or Hell depend
upon.
156. I. No man is universally righteous , re<*//f or reputativelv.
God judgeth no Saint in Heaven to be one that never finned ;
And he that hath once finned, is unavoidably under the Relation of one
that sinned, to eternity, ex necessitate existentiæ : which Relation is the
very Reatus ipftus peccati 3 though all the /// effeBs be remitted.
157. 2. Every man hath some particular righteousness. For the worst
man may be falsty accused, and be righteous as to that false accusation.
But this will not save him.
158. 3. That eminent Righteousness neceOziy to our Salvation, though
it be not universal or perfeU ( else we should never be afflitfed by chastise
ments or denials of Grace, or permissions to sin ) 5 yet is it at least per
fect as to its proper use, and to our glorious perfection 3 And may be
called our universal Righteousness, because it is all that we have. And it
consisteth not of any one or two Causes, but of many : Of which no one
must be excluded or set against the rest. As there are several Allegations
or Accusations against us, so there must be several parts of the matter
of our Justification.
159. Not only an aUual Accusation, but a possible or a virtual one9
which we are liable to, fufficethto denominate Justification as itsa>«-
trary, in the first Law-sense of Justification. •
160. It is our Right to Impunity, and to the heavenly Glory, which is
to be justified finally in Judgment, and our persons as the subjects ofthat
Right : And our AU ions but mediately in order to that end.
i6r> It is only at the Bar of Christ as Redeemer, that we are to be
judged and justified, and not by God only as a Creator. Therefore it is by
the Law of Grace that we must be judged to life or death, finally, and not
by the sole Law of Innocency.
162. Therefore no man is justifiedby the Law of Innocency, either by
the preceptive or retributive part : But we are justified only by the Law
or Covenant of Grace , against the Accusation which may be brought
against us from the Law of Innocency : Against it 3 not by it.
163. We are liable to all these following Accusations, which will open
to us the correlate Justifications, and the matter of each part.
I . It may be (aid by the Accuser of the Brethren, f_ Thou aft a Sinner,
against the Precepts of Nature and Grace."] He that denieth this is aLyar :
Against this Charge there is no Justification for ever. But we must in
Heaven confess that we havefinned: but Glory be to him that wajfjed us
fiom ourfins in his blood ( by Pardon and Sanctification, )
164. 2. Next it may be said, that f_ We did deserve Hell by our Sin. ~]
This also is to be confessed for ever.
165. 3. It may be said, that by Gods Law of Innocency UeW'is our
due, and therefore we are to be condemned to it. To this, we deny the
consequence 3 because we have right to Impunity and to Glory , steely given
us by God our Redeemer by a Covenant of Grace, merited for us, by the
Obedience and Satisfaction given for us by ChriSi our Saviour. Where
note, that here in this first part of our Justification, there are all these
con
 and £\Æoral Worlds. j i
■ - -—-— * • - . - - - ,
conjunct neccflary Causes. I. Gods Love and Mercy giving: 2. Christ's
Righteousness and Satisfa&ion meriting. 3. The Covenant instrumentally
giving. 4. Right to Immunity and Glory ( by justification and Adoption <
conjunct) the thing given : which Right is our very Righteousness against
this Accusation $ that is, a relation, whence the other relation of just and
justifiable resulteth ; ( For if you will not here see relations resulting fiom
relations1 pretend not to true accurateness in your search* ) ,. ■
166. These four Causes now were enough to constitute, and so prove
us righteous against the Charge of being Hamnandi, if we were questiona
ble no further. But the turning point of the day is yet behind $ 1 . Our
allegation of Justification by Christ and the Covenant may be denied.
It may be (aid by the Accuser, that the Covenant justineth none but
penitent Believers, and giveth plenary Right to Glory to none but Saitits
and persevering Conquerors, and that n>e are none such. Against this Ac
cusation we must be justified or perish 3 else all the rest will be un-
effectual. And here to say^ that it is truet I died an impeninent Person,
an Infidel, Hypocrite, or Vngodly, but Christ was a penitent Believer for performa°Wn pc-sona*
me, or sincere and holyfor me, or that he died to pardon this, ] all this will oufotf™ h"ow sa/nects-
be false and vain. Christ's Merits and Satisfaction is not the Rights &nr to our justification,
oufness it self which must justifie us against thk Accusation , But our own
personal Faith, Repentance, sincere Holiness and Perseverance^ ] purchased
by Christ, and wrought by the Spirit in us, but thence, our own aUs. ?*r- *; thoms of 'iAUj%
He that cannot truly fay, The Accusation k false, lam a true Penitent, 'sfitdthc^j^r^S,
sanSisied persevering Believer must be condemned and perish. Thus?^-4a- t*n.x.\ This
Faith and Repentance are our Righteousness by which we must thus far IrXm^ofu^Do^
be justified. ctrinc of the St. Jmts
167. But this is but a particular mediate subservient Righteousness, StfotJ^Si to haste
and part of our Justification, subordinate toChrists Merits. the Doctrineofst.pL/,
168. Yet this being the Condition On our part for our Participation jjJJJji'*8, "J**? thc?
in all the free Gifts of the Covenant 5 Scripture useth to describe Gods ther, and ascribed
Judgment as enquiring after this. The great thing to be glorified id Faitb thejustification of
Judgment, is Gods Love, Wisdom, justice andtrut^ and Christ's great
Merits and performance in our Redemption 5 But the great thing quest io- as Believers. ] This is
tied, accused, tried and judged willbewr performance of the Covenant EcxJtorS!* **"
of Grace as to our conditions. The day is tiot to try God whether he be
"just, or Christ, whether hit Merits and SatkfaUion were sufficients and
whether he have done his part .* But to try man whether, 1. He have
itue Right to Impunity and Glory, it Whether he haVe performed the
Condition on which the Covenant giveth that Right, and be indeed the
^rue Receiver of it. The Devils hope cannot lie at all i in proving
Christ or the Covenant faulty, or defeUive on their part 5 but in proving
us to be none of the persons that have Right. This therefore is the
Righteousness mentioned, Matth. 2 5. and ot Faith imputed, Rom. %,&c.
and else-where.
169. But if we will speak of Righteousness and Justification entirely,
as that which containeth all its Causes, we must set all the five fore-
mentioned together, giving each one its propet place, and no one the
place or office of the rest. And give leave to the self- conceited, pievifb, :'
ignorant, blindly to revile you, for saying that you joyn your Faith and
Holiness to make one Righteousness with that of Christ, as if it were not
sufficient. And tell him, that Christ's Righteousness is not ours absolutely
in it self, but to and in the proper ejsetts : And that it is perfeti as to its
proper ends j And that he never intended it to this end, to be instead of
Faith and Holiness in us, nor to make them needless to our Salvation.
170. No'
 170. No man must ascribe any thing to his own Faith or Holiness in
the least degree, which is proper to, 1. Gods Mercy or Grace. 2. To
Christ, or his Righteousness or Merits. 3. Or to the Covenant .• hor
any thing but its proper part : And that must be granted it.
171. It is a vain Fiction in them that think our Right to Justification
or Impunity, and our Right to Salvation, have not the fame causes and
conditions, but that our own Repentance and Obedience is a condition of
our Right to Salvation, but not to Impunity or forgiveness. Whereas our
very Justification is a justifying of our Right to Salvation, and the fame
Covenant giveth them conjunctly on the fame conditions.
172. But our Right to both as begun, hath less for the condition than
our Right to them as continued and perfeBed. For our believing-
consenttothe Baptismal- Covenant putteth us into immediate Right to
all the benefits of the Covenant which we are then capable of, but not
to all that we ILull be made further capable of hereafter 5 we are pardoned,
. and should be glorified, if we presently died : But as we have more
Grace to receive, so we have more Duty to perform as a means, yea a
condition, of obtaining it.
what right the Core- ,73' ^n's ( over-lookt by many ) is much to be considered, both as
nant giveth to the after- to the cafe of Infants baptized, and the Adult. Many wonder that the
Grace aDd dC8reCS °f Cm,dren °f godty Parents prove oft so bad, as if by the Baptismal-
"u" Covenant they had received nothing from God. But the Synod of
Dort, Art.i. $.17. well concludeth that godly Parents have no cause to
doubt of the EleBion or Salvation of their Children dying in Infancy, they
being holy and in the same Covenant with their Parents. But the continu
ance of Gods Grace hath a continued condition and means to be used on
our part. The condition which the Covenant requireth to an Infants
first 'justification, is, £ that he be the Child of a true Believer, by him dedi
cated to God "]. And as the first Condition is to be found in the Parent
(or Owner) so must the Condition of continued Grace as long as the
Child continueth an Infant. And that is the continuance of the Parents
Faith, and his faithful performance of his promise made to educate his
Child in the way of God .• But if the Parents should presently both
turn Infidels, and so educate their Child, and give him up as the Jani
zaries are, to an Infidel to educate, I know God may nevertheless give
him Grace above his Promise if he please ( for a Benefactor as such is
free) : but I know of no assurance of it by Promise. For in Baptism
both Parties were obliged for the future, and not one only. And if when
the Child cometh to the use of Reason he wilfully reject and resist Gods
Grace, and break his Covenant,he forseiteth Gods further Grace. And
I have noted, 1. That most Children which I have seen very early wic
ked, have been such whose Parents grofly neglected their Duty and
Covenant as to a holy ' prudent careful Education of them j as if God
must needs save their Children, because they were the Children of Be
lievers, who thus betrayed them. 2. And those that were well educa
ted by their Parents, usually shew hopeful signs at first, till their own
lusts grow up, and deceive, and overthrow them. The nature of the
mutual Covenant, and the fad experience of the case of many baptized
Children, maketh me incline to this Opinion $ which I do not peremp
torily assert, but humbly propose to better judgments with submission:
■ut what ever we say of the Parents, I doubt not but to che person at
age, future benefits have future conditions.
174. Though Gods Decree is that his Elect (hall persevere, yet I
conceive ( with submission to better information ) that the Baptismal-
Covenant
 and Moral Worhg-

Covenant as fitch doth nor absolutely promise or give right to so much

Grace as (hall certainly cause the baptized to persevere? that is, all that
are rightfully baptized ( evencoramDcoas well as coram Ecclefia) have
not perseverance secured to them by baptism. But only the Holy Ghost
is given to them by Covenant tobethe\rSan&\fier, and carry on his work
to their Salvation, if they will use those means which God hath ap
pointed, and doth enable them to use, in attendance on his Spirit.
Though Election infer the certainty of perseverance , I never saw
their assertions proved, who fay, i. That if Adam had once obeyed
(fay some) or overcome that one Temptation ( fay others) God pro
mised confirmation to him and all his Posterity, 2. That the Baptismal-
Covenant promiseth confirmation and certain perseverance to all the
baptized, regenerate or justified. What God doth, I am not now
questioning 5 but what in that Covenant he promiseth to do.
175. It is plain in the Scripture, that when men are converted and
baptized, the particular helps of Grace are promised them upon further
particular conditions : And that the continuance Of Pardon and Right
to Life, is promised them upon the continuance of their Faith, and
use of means 5 And that aUual Glorification is promised them on con
dition of overcoming and persevering : And therefore that we must use
and take all these as conditions.
176. It is ordinary with some Writers and Preachers to -tell men, Wh« nwst be in our
that no part of their Righteousness is in themselves 5 and with others, that e vcs*
at least none which they are justified by in any fart is in them 5 and that it
is all in Christ only : And that nature is loth to yield to this, but think-
eth it a fine thing to have some little part of the honour to it self:
And as to the honour of a good Action, if it be but 999 parts that
it aseribeth to God, and taketh one part of. a thousand to our selves,
it is a dangerous arrogation: we must have none."] This well ex
plained, may be made sound : But thus grofly delivered, it is but a
popular cheat under the taking pretence of self-abasement and giving
Christ all. The Devil is as willing as any one, that you should have
nothing honourable or praise- worthy in you : and be as vile as he can
make you. It is God who honoureth those that honour him, andpraifeth
his Saints as the excellent on Earth, and his Jewels and peculiar Treasure,
adorned with his own lovely Image, and partakers of the Divine Nature,
and members of Christ, as his own Flejh : And it is Satan and wicked
men that vilifie and dishonour them. And I have oft lamented it*
that these very men that hold this kind of Doctrine of self-abasement,
as having no part of Righteousness, nor share at all in any goodwork^, are
yet too oft so proudly conceited of their own goodness (even for
holding that they have none for which they art praise-worthy") as that their
pride is no small trouble to the Churches and all about them.
177. What-ever isof God is good : and what- ever is good is lauda
ble or praise-worthy, and meriteth to be esteemed as it is.
178. All thefan&ified are inherently righteous : But with an imperfeU
righteousness, which will no further j ustifie them in Judgment, save only
against this Accusation, that they are unholy.
179. There vsjto Righteousness which will not justifie him that hath
it, in tantum, so far as he is righteous : For the contrary is a contra,
diction. For to be just is to be justifiable: He that gave but six pence
to the poor is justifiable against this Accusation , that he did not
give it.

L 180. All
 74 Of (jod's (governments

1 8 1. All the Righteousness which formally justifieth us, is our oven of

JlTSfJSfÆS onour selves where it justifyeth us : For tobemadejust orjustified indie
Dr. F/fW, Wte, b»/- first sence constitutively, is nothing else but to be made luch as are per-
li2h f*?"*' lMlhh sonally themselves juSt. Pardon of ftn is made our own ; Right to Christ
Brentiw, confess. Auy*- and Glory is made our own ■> I hough Chrijt s Righteoujnejs was the only
fi'i-bc. Averting that meritorious cause of all this; which therefore is and may be called our
[Justification] is oft used , . , r r i_ • • i_ ...... . '
as Sanctification inScrip- Material Right eoujnefs, as that which meriteth it is the matter.
lostifiaH thha h't)"?^ 1 ^e *s *' caH^ °* an^ &00^ wor^-'> *s Christian, but a dam-
parrs.T'pardon. *. ac- nable wretch, and worse than any wicked man I know in the world :
cepting us into favour And he that is a Cause of it, must not be denyed falfly to be a cause ofit :
AeSSy Ghlst'^in- Nor a Saint denyed to be a Saint, upon a false pretence of self-
herent righteousness] buc denyal.
hSe^dine'7r?o?jS 1 83 ' As God is /ce* here in the GIass of his Works \ so he is to be
"Pacific. loved and praised as so appearing : Therefore he that dishonoured! his
1 Thcst *• 9» IO' work dishonoureth God, and hindereth his due love and praise 5 And his
most lovely and honourable work on earth, is his holy Image on his Saints:
And as Christ will come to be admired and glorified in them at last, so
God must be seen and glorified in them here in some degree. And to
deny the Glory of his Image is the malignants way of injuring him, and
that in which the worst will serve you. He that will praise God as Crea
tor and Redeemer must praise his works of Creation and Redemption : And
is it the way of praising him as our SanCfifyer to dispraise his work of
Sanctification ?
1 84. Those poor Sinners of my acquaintance who lived in the grossest
sins against Conscience ("as Drunkenness, Whoredom, &c.j have been
glad enough of such doctrine , and forward enough to believe , that
there is nothing in man that in any part can justifie him, or that is
any part of righteousness, but it is all out of us in Christ , and therefore
they are as justifiable as any : But Conscience will not let them believe
it as they desire.
185. It is arrogant folly to divide the praise of any good act between
God and Man, and to fay God is to have so many parts , and Man so
many : For the whole is due to God, and yetsome is due to Man : For matt
holdeth his honour only in subordination to God, and not dividedly
in co-ordination: And therefore all is due to God: For that which is
Mans is Gods, because we have nothing but what we have received.
But he that arrogateth any of the honour due to God or Christ,
offend eth.
186. If all had been taken from Gods honour which had been given
to the Creature, God would have made nothing, or made nothing Good
Heaven and Earth, and all the World would derrogate from his ho
nour j and none of his Works should be praised : And the better any
man is, the more he would dishonour God j and the wickeder the less.
But he made all Good , and is Glorious in the Glory, and honou
rable in the honour of all : And to justifie the holiness of his Servants
is to justifie him.
187. If these Teachers mean that no man hath any power freely to
specifie the A&s of his own will, by any other help of God , besides ne
cessitating predetermining premotion , and so that every man doth all
that he can do, and no man can do more than he doth 5 They dishonour
God by denying him to be the Creator of that Free-power, which
is essential to man, and which God himself accounteth it his honour
to create. And they feign God to damn and blame all that are
damned and blamed , for as great Impossibilities , as if they were
damned
 and SKdoral Worfy. j5

damned and blamed for not making a worId,or for i.ot being Angels.
188. Thus also such men, teach that chriSi firippeth a Chritftanof
two things, HkSins, and his Righteousness : Or thatTwo things must be ha^inhwnt'R'dlte
castaway, for Christ j Sins and Righteousness : But they should speak ouiness'or Hoiiness!none
better, if they would not deceive ; nothing is to be calk away as evil of n» all deny: nor yet
but Sin. Righteousness , truly such, is Good, and never to be cast away. RigWous*hw*itT Nor
If it be no Righteousness, why do they falfly fay that we must cast away that a man accused as
our Righteousness. To cast away a false conceit os Righteousness , is not ^SSSf££SS^
to cast away Righteousness, buti'i« only. Indeed besides Sin, wear* Hypocrite, must be
said justly so cast away that which would be the Objeff and Matter cftl},fiedhy fjffil?
' . J• . J * S ■ r \ 11 «■ J t rr i J tne contraries in himself, .
Stn : And the phrase is htlyer apply ed to a thing Indifferent, than to or else perish: Andaii
a thing necessary, least it seduce. There is nothing so Good, which may ^"^g^1 j^in^T
not be made the object of Sin, not Christ or his Righteousness, or God sect ,"and -in us sound
himself excepted ; But we must not therefore say that we mull call away *ith fi«: «nd therefore
Cod or ChriJt, because we must not thus objectively abuse them : So fied by^it^ihouVp^r-
Uolinefs and true Righteousness (Inherent or imputed) may be objects daa.^t^a LTe" a'1
of sinful pride and boasting ■> But it is not edifying Doctrine therefore to fng " sinner , and con-
fay that we must cast away Inherent and Imputed Righteousness : But yet demnabk by the Law of
true sclf-denyal requireth that we deny our Righteousness (Inherent or r"m°2 b„th*
Imputed) to he that which indeed it is not. And so when men accoun- trouble the world with
ted the Jewish observations to be ^justifying Righteousness in compe- g«J"
tition with, and in opposition to Christ , raul counteth it as loss , and Righteousness sliall be
dung, and nothing in that respect : when yet elsewhere he faith , I have ^^Iv^of ^'''Sned
lived in all good Conscience to this day. And Christ himself fulfilled that Justifying or making us
Law and Righteousness. So if a man will conceit, that his common r'ghteous so far?
Grace will justifie him without Holiness, or his, Holiness, without Par-'
don and the Righteousness of Chrilt, he must deny this Righteousness 3 that
is, he must deny it to be what it is not, and must cast away (not it, but)
thefalse conceits ofit : And so ifany Libertine will fay that Chrijls Righte
ousness imputed to him, will justifie him, without faith, or be instead of
Holiness to him, he must deny Imputed Righteousness thus, to be what in
deed it is not.
189. When we tell them, that, If we hadfulfilled all the Law reputa- jg£ ^^JUJJJJ
tively by Chrijl as our Legal perjon , we could not be bound to further obe- confuting many So-
dience to it, They answer, that we are not hound to obey to the fame ends Pmsms-
as Chhist, that is for Righteousness, or justification or merit, but in Gra
titude. But this is but to give us the cause , and ignorantly to destroy Atqutun^um t nostris
their own. For, i. This is but to fay, that when a man is reputed ^ZZJf^Z^'t
have fulfilled all the Law, yet it is to be reputed unfulfilled as to certain- sti'stc*n, afltmit ? Pride-
ends. As if he fulfilled all the Law that fulfilled it not to all due ends : aux *** * <W«M-
2. Or as if the Law obliged one man to fulfill it twice over for the
fame lisestime; once simply and in all its obligations, and another time
for other ends. 3. Or as if the Law required any more than absolute
ferfeftion. 4. Or that absolute perfection had not been in Christ's hohy . The Papists concur
obedience. 5. Or as if there were any obedience whose end/isnot Righte- ^Mte stac^Veroee*
oushess and justification , against the change ofthe contrary disobedience. ;]ust and privativeiy un-
Do not these men obey that they may be so far righteous ? Or is:not eve- •^iv'cl*'^ "ot ^ ffnc"
ry man so far Righteous as he doth Righteousness? Is not every man m^qJt.ctr.^sJi"^*.
, .at large : Bur they, can
give us no instance but in a stone or other incapable creature, that is not obliged : And we confess that if a man can be
found that is not obliged to be just, he is neither just nor (Privatively,' but Negatively,) unjust : But what's this toourcasc?
And the Papists commonly joyn with them, that lay that Godremitteth not only the Rtatum vtt Q\)l'tga.Uontm atlpœv<im,b\it
also the Rtatim cnlp.t in ft;' Hut when they come to open ir, they mean but that God is not displeased with, or hath not a
punishing lpM against the Sinner: As if they knew rot that a? Gods Love is oar chief reward , so his displeasure is our chief
punishment ; And that Rcmistion doth make no change in God, but by takiog away Guilt of Gods 1 atred and other punish
ment, God then is reconciled because they are not objects of his hatred : And to rake a*- ay the Rtttum pan* and the R'atum
cklpie, non in fe, fid quoad fænamh all one, and all that both fides mean if they understand what they fay. But to all eternity
it will be true, that we once finned, which none deny. L 2 that
v \
j6 / Of'(sod's governmenty

that loveth God justifiable as a Lover of him for so for as he loveth him >
6. And is not Gratitude an end, and a thing commanded by the Law ? If
we obeyed perfectly in Christ, we were perfectly thankful in Christ.
7. But if they fay that Christ fulfilled only the Law made to Adam for
us, and not his own Law of Grace, and therefore that he obeyed for
us, only to the ends of that Law ; Ianfwer, 1. If the ends and matter of
that Law be fulfilled by us in him, our obedience to any other must be
needless: For he that is supposed never to have sinned, need not use any
means for pardon or remedy. 2. By this rule Christ only fulfilled the
Law for Adam, and Ewe, and for us only as we were in them, which is
only Virtually and not Actually at all 5 but not at all for us according
to any obligation that ever fell upon our persons. For, 1. We were
never personally bound to perfeft personal perpetual obedience as the Con
dition of life j For that Covenant as to the promise and condition ceased
before any man was born. 2. And all the duty in the world which we
are bound to, is to be done for Evangelical ends for recovering Grace,
and unto Gratitude, &c. To fay therefore that we are perfectly Righ
teous, as having perfectly obeyed all Gods Law in Christ, and yet that
we are bound to obey all that Law that ever we were under to another
end , and that Christ obeyed for us only as to that which we were never
under personally but virtually in Adam,this is to fay and unsay. 8. Lastly,
they see not that their own answer implyeth the truth of what we assert ,
and is the fame that we give 3 which their cause is uncapablc of : viz.
We fay, " that Christ did indeed most perfectly obey the Law of Inno-
"cency, so far for us and in our stead (though not in our persons) as
" that he hath vindicated the truth and glory of God and his Law, by
" doing that which we should have done and did not : And hath merited
" for us a better Covenant, which obligeth us not at all to obey for the
" ends ofthe first Covenant,a/z;.that our perfection might be our Righte-
" oushess, or the condition of life ; but only to obey for the ends of the
"new Covenantor the obtaining and improving ofRecovering Grace,
" and Salvation by Christ freely given us : which we our selves must do
"or perish.
190. And whereas they tell us that [We may as well fay that man mu(l
not dye because Christ dyedfor us, as not obey because Christ obeyed for u*,"]
They strangely use our reason against themselves and know it not. For
we fay that we must dye because we did not perfectly either obey the Law
orsuffer all its penalty by Christ as our legal person : But he suffered only
to satisfie Justice in tantum to this end, that man himself suffering death
and temporal afflictions, and obeying the Law of Grace, might be saved
from all the rest of the punishment. But if we had so fulfilled the Law
as aforesaid, by Doing or suffering, we could not have dyed nor suffered
the least afflidtion as a penalty. For all puniflment in the essence of the Re-
lation isfor (in.
191. And when they fay that [it is no more inconvenient to fay that
Chrifl was perfeB in our person, than that hesatisfied in our person and we by
him."] Ianfwer, 1. Both are false and subvert the Gospel, as aforesaid.
2. But yet we may fitly say that Christ suffered in the person of a Sinner 5
but mark the sence. I. Suffering as penal belongeth to a Sinntr as such :
But Satisfaction is an EffeB of Christ's suffering, which resulteth not from
the meer suffering, nor from the person of a Sinner : but from the Will
and Covenant oi God made to that excellent person who was Cod and
perfcB Man. So that it is not so aptly said, Hesitisfyed, as it is that he
suffered, in the person ofa Sinner. 2. Note that it is not any other man's
person
 and (SKioral Wor^s.

person that we mean that Christ suffered in, but his own. And we mean
that he tookjupon him the person ofa Sinner himself', in as much as he con
sented tosufferfor Sin. And so personating here is not meant becoming any
other man's person in Lavesense, so as that other legally differed what he
did ; But it is only his own persons becoming a sufferer in the stead of
Sinners for their Sins : As the Apostle faith, He was made finfor us, so he
might as truly have said, He was made affnner for us j that is, so far by
Imputation, as that he undertook to suffer as Sinners suffer, and for their
sins.
But because wordy controversies seeming real, are the great troublers
of the world, lest any should think that we differ more than indeed we
do, I would fain bring the matter as far from under the ambiguity of
words as possibly 1 can. To which end I further add, i. That as we
hold that Adam was the Natural Root or Parent of Mankind; so also
that Christ was the Federal Root ofall the saved, and in several respects
(though not all) a second Adam.
2. Adam was but one single Natural person, nor did God (by error
or arbitrary reputation) esteem or account him to be any other than he
was. None of our persons were distinct persons in Adam, nor those
persons that now they are : Therefore we were not so personally in him
at his fall : But all our persons are in time and mediately by our Proge
nitors derived lineally from him (yet we deny not all Souls to be from
God, and all Bodies an accretion of the common Elements); not as
having been Persons existent in him j but being Persons caused remotely by
him. Our present Persons were feminally or virtually in him ; which is
as much as to lay, that not the Person, but the Semen Persona vcl virtus
causalis was in him : To be only Virtually ,or Causally or Seminally in Adam,
is in proper speech for that Person not really to have been in him : For
Causa non eji cffe&us, & Virtusgenerativa non eU Persona generata : To be
only Virtually in Adam is terminiui diminuens as topersonal inexistence,
and denyeth it. And as Dr. Twiffe hath oft well asserted, It is our natu
ral relation to Adam supposed in Gods Law, which is the reason of our
participation in his Sin, and not any Will or Judgment of God, without
or beyond our Natural interest : For else it should he God most properly
who by his arbitrary imputation should either make us Sinners, or repute
its such When we are none. But yet when we become Persons, it is by
Derivation from Adam, and so the effect edn be ho better than the cause,
and as soon as we are Persons we are Guilty persons, having Guilt with
personality from him, though we were not persons in him.
3. So Christ is, though not the Natural, yet the Federal Adam or
Root of Believers : when he satisfied and merited, we were not in him
either as in Adam seminally, as in a natural Generator , nor as existent
Persons, nor did God falfly so repute us to be : But he was then the
Cause (materially) or had tha,t Virtus effcftiDa , which would Justifie,
and Sanctifie, and Glorifie us in due time. It was the Nature of Sinners,
though not a sinful Nature which he assumed ; But that Nature which
he undertook was existent in his Individual person : and no other Indi
vidual person was existent in his existent personal Nature : So that when
we fay it was the common Nature of Man, we mean only specific e, that
Nature which is of the fame Species with all other mens, but not that
which existed individually in any but himself j and a species extra indi-
viduum is nothing but an ensrationis, or a notion. But it was indivi
dual Persons in whose stead or place Christ suffered, and whom he under
took to Justifie, Sanctifie, and Save, and gather into a holy Society to
 Of (jod's governments

that end; and to that end he undertook and performed his office, and
merited all this by his perfect righteousness : So that hereby he made
Himself a Federal Head and Root of a holy Society (his Church) :
And whenever any person doth Believe and is united federally to him,
he then receiveth the effects of that which was before in Christ as a
Virtus effective.
The Law made to Adam or to us, did not assign Christ to this office ,
nor oblige him to suffer or merit for sinners according to it : Therefore
by so doing he fulfilled not the Law as it obliged us j that is, by that ob
ligation, nor suffered by that obligation which bound us to suffer ; But
by the obligation of his own Consent , and that Law which was,
peculiar to himself as to the formal obligation, though materially he
was bound by it to fulfill the Law of Nature and of Moses.
The Law of Innocency then or Works, took not Christ for the Civil
or Legal Person of such Sinner , or Believer , no more than it made
him soch.
4. As Gods Law to the Mediator made him this office, so Christ's
Law of Grace doth quoadjus & Relationem give to every true believing
Covenanter , first, Christ himself in union to be their federal Head, and
with him title to his Grace, Spirit and Glory. And now they are Per
sonally and actually his federal Subjects, Friends, and Members 5 and
have right to all his conferred gifts.
5. But this right floweth not immediately to them, from what Christ
did or suffered for them ; but from his Law or Covenant of Grace , by
which as his Donative and Ruling Instrument he conveyeth that
title to them.
6. And therefore they have no right before the Time, nor any but on
the Conditions and Measure specified in that Covenant ot Law j so that
Righteousness is not theirs because it is thrifts, nor in the manner or mea
sure and to the ends of the donation.
7. This much containeth the matter of this Doctrine ofthe Collation
and Imputation of Christ's righteousness, still remembring that as no
one till he was a Person, could be a person-guilty of Adams sin 5 nor
when he was a person, anysooner than he was also guilty of his own
inherent gravity, and none that had the use of Reason was guilty of
either or both these only, without the guilt of his own Aftttal Sin, and
all three together, ,(i. A\dam\ sin justly imputed to us, 2. And our innate
Pravity, 3. And our actual Sin) are the parts which constitute our ple
nary guilt 5 even so no one till he is a Believer is related as a Member of a
TerfeQly Righteous Saviour ; and that is done no sooner (in time) than
he hath the Inherent Righteousness of his personal faith and federal con
sent ; and that obligeth him to the further aSive righteousness of a holy
life, and all these three conjunB (though not co-ordinate) make up the
total Righteousoess of a Saint,w'z;. 1. Our Relation to Chritt 'm Vnion as
to a perfectly Righteous Head, who fulfilled all righteousness for us to merit
our justification Cwhich is called Christ's Righteousness Imputed to us,
as being thus far reputed ours). 2. And our penitent believing con
sent to his Covenant, which is the condition of the forefaid Rela
tion to Christ. 3. And our after S"ahctification and obedience to
Christ's Law. . 1
8. And when we are commonly thus far agreed ofthe Matter, if any.
will contend for their self- coyned phrases and words, and not being con
tent to call Christ our Redeemer, Saviour, Teacher, King, Priest, Head,
Lord, Testator, Sponsor or Surety , Ransom, Price, Sacrifice, &c. as,
the

v1
 and <&Aoriil Worfyr.
7S»
the Scripture dorn, will needs plead that he is or was our Person, or was
holy, obedient, suffered in our Persons, Legal ot Civil, or was our Sub
stitute, Delegate, Instrument, &c. his contention will be both corrupt
ing and dividing : And yet I will acknowledge that among Lawyers the
word [Person] hath so many senses, that in some of them (were they
our way of speech here) it might be said that Christ did in some things
personate each Sinner, or each believer, limitedly, intantum & ad hoc,
&non fimpHciter, apt ad omnia : And all verbal quarrel I would shun
even with them that speak ineptly, and dangerously, and injuriously to
the truth and Church, so they will but by a sound and neceslary expli
cation vouchsafe us an Antidote against the hurtful tendency of their
phrases.
9. Ohj. If Christ's person be given us, then his personal Righteous
ness is given us with ir. Ans. Yes, as his Person is : He is not given us as
Proprietors and Lords to become our Own at our dispose : Nor is his
Person made one Person with each or any ofus : His Person is not turned
into ours, nor ours into his : As the Husband is not the person of the
Wife, nor the King of each Subject 5 But as one that hath a Great, Wise,
Learned, Bountiful, Holy King or Husband, hath also his Greatness,
Wisdom, Learning, Bounty and Holiness , as they have him 5 that is,
As his perfections for their good as far as his Relation hinds him, but not as
if his endowments, were removed from him to them , or saljly refuted to
be in them, or his person to be their persons j so here, as we have a Christ,
so we have a perseft Righteous Christ given us to be our federal Head
when we believe 5 and the Righteousness which is not in us but in him is
ours, so far as to be for our Good, as far as his Office and Covenant do ob->
ligehim: So that a Righteous Christ, and therefore the Righteousness
ot Christ are ours % Relatively themselves , quoad jus benefick , so as
that we have right to these Benefits by them, which we (hall possess i
and for the merits of his Righteousness we are conditionally justi
fied and saved before we believe , and actually after : But are not ac
counted to be Christ, nor the Legal Actors of what he did , nor Christ
accounted to be each of us.

SECT. V.

Merit*

19a. The great Controversie about humane Merits, which hath made ^ ^ Art ^
Ib great a noise in the world, is of so eafie solution, that I can scarce $e«wr /«f«)X« net
think but almost all sober understanding Christians in the world are unftqn nmijjtanm puts
agreed in sence, while they abhor each others opinions as ill expressed ^^fu^m'iTtl'lufp;
or misunderstood. Distinguish but, 1. Of Commutative Justice, and ten, pixi» propmehru
Distributive Governing Justice. 2. And of Governing Justice according J^^ffiS
to Gods several Laws, of Innocency , Mosaical Workj , and of Grace, trg* itgm , & nputari
g. And of Justifying and Meriting simply, and comparatively j And the X^ZJS^** *
Cafe is so plain, that few things are more plain to us, that Christians con- Et Art. de Bon. op«rik
trOVert, ?i%,. [^anquamhtcnovaobe'
ftiliont Ugis , umtn tjt
jsnliilia & ntretvr prttmia, ideo quit person* mtncil'ttt* suit.
1H de optribtu judicandum tstqv* ampliffi'M laniibta orntndt [unt quodsine necejfarid, quod Jtnt culm t>ei, & Stcrificit lP*i*
tutlit & mereantur prumia. ,
Ib. Exinitttio noflra & conjtrvtt et, & merttur incrementum .uxtt ilind tiibenti dabitur : & Augustinus pmcltrt dixit, PH'"'*
mtrttur inaemtntw diltilhnis,cum vhjxtrcetur.Hibtnt inim btn] apert Vrtmi* cum in but vit*,tum po/l bane vitm in vitt aterna»
I. To
 So ' Of'(sod's government,

i. To dream of meriting from God by any Creature, Man, or Angel,

in point of Commutative Justice, is blasphemy and madness 3 that is, That
we can give him any thing that (hall profit him, or which is not absolutely
his own , as a compensation for what he giveth us. He maketh himself
a God that asserteth this of himself. 2. To say that any since Adam
save Christ, doth merit ofGod in point of Governing Justice, accord
ing to the Law of Innocency, is a falshood : And he that faith, He hath
nofin, it a lyar. 3. To say that we can merit pardon, or Justification, or
Salvation meerly by observing Moses Law, was the Jews pernicious error.
4. *To fay that our faith and performance of the conditions of the new
Covenant, doth merit by the retributive Sentence of the old Covenants
or that it is in whole or part any meritorious Cause that God gave the
world a Saviour, or that Christ freely pardoneth andju^ifieth us all condi
tionally by the new Covenant, or that it supposeth not Christ's Righte
ousness to be the total sole meritorious Cause of that paedoning Covenant,
and all the benefits as thereby conditional/y given 3 AU this is gross con
tradiction. 5. To deny subordinate Comparative Merit, or Rewardable-
ness, as from Gods Governing distributive paternal Justice according to the
Covenant of Grace, consisting in the performance of the conditions of
that Covenant , and presupposing Christs total merits as aforesaid , is
to subvert all Religion and true Morality, and to deny the seope of all
the Scriptures , and the express assertion of an Evangelical worthiness\
which is all that this [Merits signifyeth : To fay nothing of contradi
cting Catholick antiquity, and hardening the Papists against the truth.
193. This Comparative Merit, is but such, as a thankful Child hath
towards his Father who giveth him a purse of Gold on condition that
he put off his hat,, and fay, I thank you, who deserveth it in Comparison
of his Brother, who disdainfully or neglectfully refuseth it. This last
being absolutely said to Deserve to be without it 3 but the former only com
paratively said to deserve to have it as a free gift.
194. And those that reject the saying of some Papists who in this
fence, fay that Christ merited that we might merit, placing our Evangelical
merit in ameer subordination to Christs, do but shew what prejudice
and partiality can do, and harden those who perceive their errors.
whether faith be not 1 9 5 Some man may think that the high things required in the Gospel,
the meer Acceptance of self-denyal, forsaking all, running, striving, working, loving,overcom-
*tsfrNature >fglSc- ing» &e- are more than the meer Receiving of a free Gift. But, 1. Ifit
rit, read of Papists mt- were so, yet our first faith would be no more, by which we are Justi-
Grtgof'/m?n.m'i. Til'. ^ec* &om tne "ns °^ our unregeneracy. 2. But upon consideration,
q. 1. *. v'urand. \.i it will all appear to be no more materially : For, 1. When we fay that it
»$ffirpaPsJ1' \d Ec- ls tne deceiving of the free Gift , we must mean According to the Hature
feu hi cmJ.de Vr'ttdist. and to the use of that Gift. As ifyou be required to take food, the meaning
Et inquit Fr. a Sana* \s to Eat it, and not to throw it away : If you be required to take such
Cltra Dtus, Nat. Grot. ' v. \ , n. ~w ttli
p. i?8. tribmtur ttiam a man to be your King, your Master, your Tutor, your Husband, your
Sta^letonus *'% ' P0)'"^30* &c. the meaning is, As such , to the uje of his proper office.
* * st* And so Accept of God as God, that is, our Absolute Owner, Ruler, and
Dr/f. 10. seei. 7. q %.End^ and Christ as our Saviour, Prophet, Priest and King, and the Holy
ul^ll^nl Ghost asoux Sanctifyer to Illuminate, quicken and renew us, is the sum
compend. 1. 1. q.i}. art. of all the Positives of the Gospel. 2. For this very Acceptance of
4' *4°' them in this Nature, and to this Use, includeth the using of them after
. accordingly: And if we do not so use them, we thereby rejeSt them, aud
lose our own benefit of them 3 as he that eateth not his meat, refuseth
and loseth it 3 and he that weareth not his Cloaths 3 and he that learneth
not of his Teacher. 3. And then Self-denyal, and forsaking contraries ,
and
 and Moral Worty. 8 1

and resisting impediments, is but the seme motus ut a termino a quo ; And
he that refuseth to come out of his Prison and Chains, refuseth his Li
berty and he refuseth the Gold , that will not cast away his handful
of dirt to take it. So that really all is but a Thankful Accepting of the
mercy of the new Covenant according to its nature and use as it is offered. ■,
196. It is a great question whether a man may trust to his own Faith, fa°t[1Trust!n8 inonr owil
Repentance or Holiness. But some men still trouble the world with unex- wss,'<£.Peota^ce, hdi*
plained words, where no sober men differ. No wise man can dream
that we may Trull to these for more than their proper part ; as that we
may Trust them to do any thing proper to God, to Christ, to the Spirit,
to the Promise, &c. And to use the phrase of Trusting to our own faith
or Holiness when it soundeth absolutely, or may tempt the hearers to <
think that they may Trust them for Gods part, or Christ's part, and mf[iserf FalA1"0" ^
not only for their own, is a dangerous deceiving course* But that nuit pgtu utrhtm
really they may be Trusted for their own part, and must be so , no sober **" fj*ijmi*' *ihit fi
person will deny : For so to believe, obey, pray to God, &c. and not fLmmitg^&mJtal
to Trust to them in their place 5 that is, not to think that we (hall be ever " f/' Me-
the better for them, is unbelief and indeed distrusting God, and saying, !Erhbii;I^Ccktli
It is in vain toserve him, and what profit is it that we call upon him .<? And
such diffidence and despair will end all endeavours: Let every man prove Gal.*,
his own work., and so Jhall he have rejoycing in himself and not in ano
ther. This is our Rejoycing the testimony of our Consciences that infim- i Cor.
plicity and Godly sincerity we have had our Conversation in the world, if i
we are Justified by faith , we may Trust to he Justifyed by it. But the
rare use of such a phrase in Scripture, and the danger of it, must make
us never use it without need. (As if we were disputing whether the
Popish or Protestant Religion be that which a man may trust for his , -
Salvation) or the like. And when ever it's used, . it implyeth our Trust " *'
in God and our Saviour only for their part. ' ■ ■ j \ * ■ • o .
197. To conclude this great point of Imputed arid Inherent Rjghte- The last objection of
ousness, it may be objected , that The same man may well be judged a 2ffal.istakm of Impu"
Sinner deserving hell, never fulfilling the Law, nor satisfying "justice, nor To save me that touch1
deserving Heaven, in himself? thatis, in his natural person, and yet be fireJhe^eadCTtoVee^
Judged one that never'sinned, but fulfilled the Lav , is perfectly holy and Guti. Forbts" c°onsidtr.
righteous , and merited Heaven in his Legal or Civil person , in and by ^cjfc' t,lc ^onceflrions
Christ 5 To which I answer, One man is but one, and hath but one person. °tony and other' Pa'prfk
But if you take the word [Person] equivocally, as signifying another about imputation of
that is made like him in some respects, or that hath his Nature, or doth ^SSlmSSS/i
somewhat in his stead and for his benefit, asc a second person, fay so, testams mean (as str
and we will strive with no man about words,: If you will fay we are n«.flt?t^-y doth; as
t_ • f , 1 ., .. . . .nJ 1 vtvenant, Ntgrtnus, Job.
now on earth in our Natural persons, and are.in Heaven tn Christ ; or that crotim, and many other*
we are Redeemed in our Natural persons , but Redeemed our selves in h»vcooserved.
Christ; or that you aresick, in your Natural person, and well in your per-
son in christ,Sic. I like not your language 5 but there are scarce any words
so bad, which a man may not put a good fence on. But we would -
be understood) and plainly ask, whether Christ was properly every sin
ners or believers person in Law-fence, so that ipso fa&o God account-
eth us^to have been habitually and aUively perfect in Him, and to have
merited and satisfied \w him ? If so, the Law can look on one man but
as one : And he that paid a debt by his Servant or any other as his Legal
person, cannot be required todo it again in his Natural person, unless you
will fay that God loveth our Legal person, and will save it, and may hate
our Natural person and damn it. The Scripture uscth no such contradi
ctory subtleties as these.
M SECT*
 82 Of (jo£s (governments

SECT. XI.

How faith JuHifietb.

... .;'
. • • - 1 98. The common laying that faith justifietb as an Instrument might
ca?0faithh\VVAcce7- as tolerable> if 100 many did not strain lt to a wrong sence,and raise
ting it reiateth to the unwarrantable Doctrines from it, and harden the Papists by unwaran-
Donation of the Co- t b] Answers. AfuSfifying Instrument properly is an efficient Instnt-
venant and the Downturn, " ret nÆ • L- u ¥ L ir u 1 1 J j
which is a Jus ad bmfi- mental cause of Justification, which I have elsewhere too largely proved
cLa \ R"0^'0" j? effe; that faith is not, either Gods Instrument or ours, Physical or Moral > nor
cted by faith as a second ' . n-r 1 J D .. • ar- : ^u- ■ ^ „ .
causc/bm Pardon is Ac- any way efficiently Jultiheth us. but justifying, is one thing 5 to Receive
ful?tCd rant ' the ^ IT j0^031*011" another thing , and to be justified is a third. Faith is
tha^Renovationapd par- 1)0 justifying act : But faith is in its Essence the Acceptance of an offered
don go together , what- God, Christ, Spirit, for Life : This Acceptance is by the Covenant made
soie'o/thenjse^dl the condition ofour pajfive true Reception and Possession of Right (before
speak just as vve ce KtfiA opened) : To be such a Condition performed, is to be a removens prohihens
Serfarf confounded ofthe said Reception : which is strictly to be Difpositio materiæ recipients *
about. vid.woWscrta- And so it may be called, I. A Receiving Cause. 2. And a medium or
tions out of the School- dispositive Cause of the effect, 'justification as Received, but not as Given :
men de Macula: dtRi- ,{r j J » J .r y . » - .
And Br/a»/os ( As I said Dr. fwijse chooseth to call it) But this causa Dijpositiva is part
faith On4.fr «./»/. 1 id. of the causa Materialis, viz. Qua difpofita : A cause, or more properly
that fin as iemitted or .. . J . ■ ■ 1 ai3 j u ■ • *•/ rtLc j
guilt, is [Tantm qu*dam a condition why Ireceive jujttpeation, and by recetvmg it am justified 5
Ktiatiorationis, inquan- which is their meaning who call it A Pajftve Instrument, that is, ^He
ra/n est
* objefinm intelltClus
ft/MM* AiM -ceivtng . ■ Instrument.
, a * <• . -
4>«<i ^a^w wmw/^t 199. Theplain easie truth is, that fdiffo Nature which is to be
SS.SitS»- /<w*« ^mce ofChrist, and Life offered onthat Condition} being its
uspondmm peccato , aery essence is but its Aptitude to the ojpfe it hath to our Justification $ by
iHtmmprwfapnoy- whic^ the Question is answered, n>£> God twwiÆ «j cAritf life 0*
ni temptrt dome pan* de- . 7>- , ' ^ , , „r .J *•
>Tf r»sl'<r< the Condition of faith rather than another $ Became or the congruity ot
ficuu, -Dd, est ad pmam ltS Nature to that office. But the formal Reason of its office as to our Justi-
immurt: Auerlerefaeum, r ■ ■ » . 1 , r 1„ v.» „ « 1 ■ .
eft, ad. patam nut njtr- ncation is ks Being the performed Condition ot the Covenant. And li God
VTit^l^'a'mriVli ^a<^ ck°**en anotn*r conddtk>n,a condition it would have been. Now the
umpiuaiji *tgm[a\ Ma- true notion in Law being a Condition^ Logicians would call this impro-
cuia, ruius, nist ifa n- perly a Receiving cause, and more properly A Receptive Disposition of the
o&S% *3 ***** reducing it to Physical notions. But the most proper term is the
dilumveniens ipft anim*, plainest, [We arejustified by that faith, which is the Believing Practical Ac-
ISlU^liffk'^^^ Cod the Father, Son and Holy GhoSt, as Given us on that con-
liter ad Mam pttnam did- dition in the Baptismal Covenant, because (or at) it is made by God the. con-
'Jn* sinus's \t at dition °f^is **er**/3* tlnderstand this plain doctrine, and you have
crtHrOffin[a:Nil\nsaliud the plain truth.
1st offendi wi irasci in 2qo. They that say cootrarilv that Faith iustifieth proximately as it is;
Dia,q:iatn ville Vmdtcare _ n J J> . '• / 1 ^ . j... « c l
ista fmal: But he after an Instruments or a Recewtng Accepting au, and not as a Condition 01 the
owneth ti'at^ie nipt is Covenant, do evidently choose that which they vehemently oppose,
anot er t nig? ^ the ^ credere justifieth : For the very *> credere or the essence
of Faith, is to be an Acceptance ofChriSi given. But if they will to avoid
this, fay that By Faith they mean [chrifi believed in,~] then they fay that
by Receiving ChriSi they mean not the receiving of him, but ChriSi him
self : And why then do they not fay so, but trouble the world with
such unintelligible phrases : But to open .the senselessness and conse
quents of that Doctrine would but offend. All know that Christ as the
object is connoted as essential to the act of Faith.

SECT.
 and ctAdoralWorfy. 83

SECT. XII.

How Repentance is joymd with Faith.

201. Repentance is a Difpofitiomaterisrecipientis too, and a part of

the condition of the Covenant : And so far a Material or dispositive Re
ceiving Cause : But not an Acceptance osthe Gift formally , in its avert
ing act.
202. Faith and Repentance are words used in Scripture in divers fig- Saith Mtldtm , Gu:
nifications. As Faith is sometimes taken for bare AJJent, as Jam. 2. and iS&£l$ffil&
usually for Affiance or Trust, and always when it denominated a Chri- nqmit td justitim lout
stian or Justified Believer as such, it essentially includeth all the three frri taaumttnditiiuu
parts* ^/e»f, Consent, and Affiance, but yetdenommateththe whole by extauHttiifstm tuah-
a word which principally fignifieth Owe act ("which commonly is .d/Ti- her; how,1*-
, j.r / 6 » r „ \ . ^ . 7 tie the Papists under
let as including the other two^ 10 Repentance is sometime taken stand u8, r
comprehensively for the whole Conversion of a Sinner to God , the
Father , Son and Holy Ghost 3 and so it includeth Faith in the nar
rower fence, and is the same thing as Faith in the larger fence , but
expressd under another formal notion. Sometimes it is taken more
narrowly, and that 1. As to the A3. 2. As to the Obje&.
1. As to the Act 5 and so the word Repentance fignifieth only the
Aversion of the Soul from evil, by sorrow and change ofmind : And this
is the strict formal notion of the word, though usually it be taken more '
largely, as including also the Conversion of the Soul to Good 5 which is
the usual Scripture and Theological sense 5 though the word it self'do
chiefly signifie the Averting act.
2. As to the ObjeS, 1 . Repentance sometime fignifieth the turning of
the Soul from Sin and idols to God as God ; And so Repentance towards
God, is distinguished from Faith towards our Lord Jefw Christ. 2. And
sometimes it fignifieth only the turning of the.Soul and life from some
particular Sin.
203. Repentance as it is the turning of the Soul from fin and idols *The Papisti take
to God, is the fame with Faith in God in the large Covenant-fence, J^Pth" Remissions
-and includeth Faith in God in the narrower fence. Repentance as it Sins: And let the Rea
ls our Turning from Infidelity to Christianity is the fame with Faith ^£S*Uml{Si
in Christ in the large Covenant-favitrg-fence , and includeth Faith in said of their darkness
Christ in the narrower sence (as it is meer Assent). Repentance as it £^a^Sytfth"
is a Turning from the Flefi) to the Holy Ghofi as our San&ifyer, is the p,''\ 2£ 'maketh
lame thing as our Faith in the Holy Ghost in the large Covenantfence, fouryh"0?ster^e^ inse"
and includeth Faith in the Holy Ghost in the narrower fence. But when mission though distil
they are the fame thing, the ratio nomink or formal notion is not the guishabie. i.TheCon-
same. As man's mind is not so happy as to conceive of all things that Go^i^Thc atSe*
are one by one entire single Conception , so we are not so happy in fion of the Macula or*
our language , as to have words enough to express things entirely ^J.1^ ^SonosGod*
by one name 5 but we must have several words to express our in- offence. 4. The reiax-
adequate conceptions by. And so that is called Repentance as the pU'°"n,m^IKt,!c T^J^||
these are then at once
given us, we are all agreed : But whether the name Rtmiffioti or Vvitn of fin be meet for them all we disagree. Is
it not visible then how unhappily we strive about words, when we talk like men of several Languages. But all is but
renovation and remitting the penalty of which Gods offense is the first part . And MuuU is either ti e sin it self, or the
relative consequent.
M 2 Souls
 84 Os (government,

Souls motion from the Terminus a quo , which is called sometimes

faith or Affiance, and sometimes Love, from the motion of the Soul
to the Terminus ad quern, though the Motus be the fame. But when
faith and Repentance are distinguished as several parts of the Condi
tion of the new Covenant, the common fence is, that Repentance
signifieth the Conversion of the Soul from Sin and Idols to God as God,
which is, or includeth faith in God : And faith signifieth specially
faith inChriU as the Mediator and way to God'-) And so faith is below
Repentance, as a means of it.
204. By this the question whether Faith or Repentance be first,
may partly be resolved, and partly caSi out as founded in confusion.
As they are both one thing, neither caQ be first , any otherwise than
the fame Motus ut a termino a quo , & ut ad terminum ad quern.
But as they signifie divers things , they have each of them divers
atfs , and in respect os each, are before each other. The Assenting a$
of Faith in general mult needs be always before Repentance , as it
is an AU of the Will. But the consenting A& of faith is also part
of Repentance , and must follow that part of Repentance which is a
change of the understanding. But whether the Repentance as towards
God, or Faith in Christ be first, or Love to God, and Faith in Christ,
I have discufled as accurately as I can, in my Chriliian Directory,
Tar, I. cap. 3. pag. 182. and therefore thither refer the Reader.
205. And how Faith and Love differ I have there also opened ,
differ* Fa'th *nd L°TC anc* f nerer*ore (haH now only fay , that Faith as it signifieth meer
' cr" Assent , differeth from Love, as the act of the Intellect, from Volition :
And Love formally taken presiipposeth the Assent, and doth not con
tain it: But Faith taken largely in the fence of the Baptismal Co
venant , containeth in it Consent , which is the Wills Volition , and
therefore must needs have some initial Love in it as it acteth in
Desire. This Faith in God hath some Desire and Volition of God t
and Faith in Christ , which is the Souls Vra&ical Affiance in him^
hath some Love to Christ in it. But the denomination is not from
the (ame ratio formalis in each. It is eminently called Faith, when
giving up our Souls to Christ to be saved in practical Affiance is the
great work of the Soul, though it have something of Love essential
to it. And it is eminently called Love (morally) when the Compla
cency of the Soul in Christ thus trusted, and in God our end, is the great
work or business of the Soul.
1Q>6. This Holy Love as a fixed habit and employment ofthe Soul, and
our Relation to the Holy Ghost to work^ it in us , is it that is pro
mised and Given quoad jus in the Baptismal Covenant , of which
Faith, though it have somewhat of actual Love or Volition in it, is the
antecedent condition, which also I have so fully opened as afore cited,
that I refer the Reader to it for this also. And somewhat was said of
it before.

SECT.
1
 and SKdoral Worbg. 85

SECT. XIII.

Of the degrees of Vardon or Justification.

207. Some men lest they should yield that Justification is not one pet'
fe& finished a& done but once, do feign that it is only the first a& of Faith
by which a man isjustified. Indeed it is only the first aU by which he
is changed from an unrighteous to a righteous state : But to think that
therefore we are never after justified by Faith, and so have no a&ually
justifying Faith all our lives, but for one instant onlyjs fitter for a Dreamer
than a theological Discourser.
208. Our first constitutive Justification, being in its nature aright to
Impunity, and to Life or Glory, * is a Relation which must be continued * P'/wtelh us, that
to the end, and therefore must have the true causes and condition con- l^u^Tml^h
tinued, and would cease if any of them ceased. by Regeneration and
209. As to the question therefore whether Justification be lofeable, and K^by
pardon reversible , I answer, that the grant of them in the Covenant is they cannot tell them-
unalterablej But mans will in it self is mutable, and if he should ceafe Jg^'jj
believing by Apostacy, and the condition fail, he would lose his Right, m°eannot[ or8e!se they
and be unjustified and unpardoned, without any change mGod. But mean several things in
that a man doth not so de faSo is to be ascribed to E/e#/<ra and special onc word"
Grace, of which afterward. 1
210. Though all our past sias are pardoned at our first Faith or Con
version (orasthe Ancients speak in Baptism) yet it js most certain that
Pardon or\Justification is not perfect at first, no nor on this side death :
And the saying of many that Justification is perfeS at firSi, and SanUifi-
cation only by degrees, is a palpable error, as * have else-where oft shewed.
For that is not perfect, 1. Which is not continued and brought on to its
end, but upon continued conditions , and diligent use of means to the
last. * 2.1 Which
, a 1 J- leaveth
• many penalties
*JL(* • 3 a.unremoved,
.l n- 1 which
. ii have
11 further
• *vtnu*
f1? tmpttrtvttAdam,
&
means to be used tor their removal, and further Right to it to be obtain- uta mmt temporal/, ru
ed : To have more and more Grace, and less and left Sin, and to have "*£^Trt« Twiffcco3""'
nearer communion with God, are blessings as to the degrees, which we orTm pafr 343> co • *•

must by degrees attain a further Right to, and the privation of them are
sore penalties to be removed. 3. We have new sins to be pardoned
every day'. 4. Our remaining Corruption is such as needeth a continued
Pardon, till its be perfectly done away. 5. The Day of Judgment is
not come, for which the most perfect Justification* is reserved.

* SECT. XIV.

Of Justification by Sentence of the Judge*

• ■*
211. The second fort of Justification, which is by Sentence, is dorie"
by Christ as Judge, and so is an act of his Kingly Office.
ai2. Therefore were it true (as it is not) that justifying Faith
were oajy the receiving or believing in Christ as a Justifier ofus, it woul<f
not be a believing in him in his Priestly Office only but in all: For he
merited our Justification as a humbled Servant, and a Sacrifice / He
giveth
 86 OfCfod'sCfovernmenty

givcth it us in Right by his Covenant or Law of Grace as King and Bene*

faftor : He promulgateth it as Prophet $ He paffeth the Sentence as King
and "judge j He executively taketh off the penalty, andglorifieth us as King
and BenefaBor. There is no Justification by a partial Faith.
213. Though the estimation of a man as just, called the Sententia
judicis concepta, as distinct from the sententia prolata, be said to be an
immanet a& of God, and therefore from eternity, yet it is a mistake :
For though it be not transient effective and do nihil ejstcere ad extra, yet
it is transient objective, and doth presuppose the existence of the quali
fied Object: For though Gods Knowledge and Will ingenere, or as such,
are his eternal Essence, yet Gods Knowledge and Love of John or Peter as
Believers, are terms which signifie not his Essence as such, but as transient
and terminated on those existent persons relatively : So that the extrinsical
denomination from the existent ObjeS is temporary as it is.
214. As the Angels rejoyceat a Sinners Conversion, and therefore
know it, sothe»0f;^/>fgofGods acceptance and pardon to the Angels,
may be calledsomesort ossentential Justification.
215. And the notifying our constitutive Righteousness to our Conscien
ces, is some kind of sentential Justification.
216. But this Justification called inforoconscientiæ is not the Justifi
cation by Faith so much spoken of in Scripture : For that ever goeth
before this. A man is ever made just, before he can be esteemed,
judged, or known to be so. And this in conscience is an uncertain muta
ble thing, according to the weakness of the man : And oft he that is
just before God, doth most doubt of it, and condemn himself: This
justification may cease when we sleep or think of other things 5 and may
x cor. 4. 4.' rise and fall daily, if not be often lost. And it is not of that grand im
portance to our Salvation, as justification by Faith is.

1 SECT. XV. • •
* 1 *

Os initial executive^Pardon or purification.

217. But the most notable justification by way ofsentence is, 1. By

Gods initial Executions here. 2. By the publick Sentence and Execution
at the Day of Judgment.
• 218. Godspeaking not by Voice, that is called his Sentence which de
cisively declareth his Judgment. But the Execution most notably de-
clareth that : Therefore though they be two things with men, and
sometimes with God, yet Sentence being oft pasted principally by Execu
tion, they are then both one.
219. In this fense to sanQifie a man, is tojustjfie him executively, and so
sententially. For executive Justification and Pardon is the aSual Impunity,
removing of deserved Punishment, and affual giving possession of Life
and Salvation, which constitutive Justification gave us Right to. And
See m Ep/ff before 3S °Ur P"vat*on °f tne Spirit and Holiness, and to be left in sin, is a
Mr. Hotekkis Book °of grcat punishment ; so to have the Spirit and Holiness given us, is execu-
f«r£iv«f/i,and his Book, five Pardon and Justification 5 And so will Glorification much more.
220. Executive Pardon and Justification therefore, though the last of
three forts is the nobleSi, as supposing both the other, and being their end
and the perfecting of the whole work.
# *
, 221. Non-
 221. "Non-punire is not always Pardon, because it may respect an inno
cent and uncapable Object. But the Rulers ncn punire sontem is pardon,
in what degree soever. But a non-punite as the execution of an AU of
Oblivion , or Gift of Right to Impunity , is the fullest executive
pardon.
222. Thesime must be said of noise punire $ which is no pardon as
to the Innocents nor to a fore-seen Guilt not yet existent 5 no more than
to a stone : But when the person becometh guilty and obliged to suffer,
then Gods nolle punire becometh de novo a pardon denomination extrin-
fica, without any change in God. .
aa?. For God perfeUly to forgive Jin.> while any fin remaineth in the JJ*^jfiPSS
Soul ( epecially habitual) is a contradiction r For fin it self, though not ockam and others.
as Jin, nor as effected, yec as permitted and not healed, is the greatest
punishment as was said. And there is no perfect pardon of the punish
ment, while such punishment is continued. And Occam's great sub
tilty failed, when guodlib. 4. q.i. he determined that per potentiamab-
folutam Dent potejisalvare hominem fine charitate creata, unless he meant
that he can charitatem dare aliter quam creando : For to lave a man with
out Grace or Love is a contradiction.
His first Argument is, f_ God can do that immediately which he can do by * Can thcy ^ us [nKj4
any second Cause efficient or final : * But Love or Grace given is an effici- ligibly how the fin of
ent or final second Cause t therefore God can save a man without it.'] U"dd and mher' rivatf
Ans The minor is your mistake : Love here is Salvation itself, begun ons canV°rea!iy pat*
in this life and perfected in the next : And to give it, and not to give it way.without the contra-
are contradictions. All the rest of his arguments go upon the fame ?iffiffi?5iXS
mistake, as if Love were but a meritorious cause of Salvation, and not g° the fame way upon
+U~+\ii«r. it- MF- ••■> ■' ' ■' .1 the fame false suppofiti-
thc thing It lelf. * ons. And to anfftte
And as erroneously, g. 4. he determineth that per potentjam absolu- one of them, h to con-
tarn, God can remittere peccanti culpam & pœnam sine infufione gratia ^"nd'so'the ftfffh
creatœ, unless he had put the question only demodo conferendi gratiam, that fay Original sin is
an alto modo sine infufione Dem Mam potefi efficere i? But who knoweth JjSJ^JaJSM
what infusion is distinct from other Divine efficience. Or unless he had and penalty (as "tettitoiiti
spoken only of Gods giving the jus ad rem, & non rem ipfam, viz. Ipsam in zimcb.nnm.Vincinf.
tmpnnttatem. hor undoubtedly the pæna damm ( properly pœna) is * lu. f.z7.)do grofly
the privation of the Souls reUitude , health and happiness , which all err : For r. lr cmnot
consist in the love of God : And to pardon a mans forfeiture of Happi- ^jn« will shoSdnw be
ness executively, without giving him the happiness which he forfeited, culpable ? i. And the
or to give- man happiness without giving him love to God, are both '^Tifdtf&Si
gross contradictions; unless equivocally you meant, making a mansome punishment of the fin
other thing, and giving him the happiness of that other thing. S* f^ftX
His first argument here is, {Whomsoever God can by his absolute power satisfie rhens) that tothe
accept as worthy of life eternal without infused Grace, to him he can forqtve m\ baPtÆcd>°r heart-
» r . 1 J . V r• 1 „ n -7 r? o\ r i J i comcmers to Gods Co-
all Jin without infused Grace,: But, &c. h or proof he referreth us to that venanr, original Sin and
which I now confuted, adding, That God could accept a man in his pure a11 ^njs££^
naturals to life eternal. I answer, It is a fiction that ever man had such ciourpnnssnment TEiit
naturals made by God, as were not indued with the principle anddispo- noLabsoa1"do1yej,ldcrpe^
sitionbf holy love, the same thing which infused Grace first restoreth; an degrc«Cof puHish^
much more that Adam lived without the acting of this love. But if menu Nor is ail thews-
it were so, yet to accept man to life eternal, is to accept him to the Pab,llty ceastfd-
love of God 3 so that if he did prove that a graceless man might be
predestinated to Glory, he did but prove that he is predestinated to
perfect holiness and the love of God 3 And though without this he may
be predestinated, or might have had a promise, zndright by promise, yet
without it he could never have the thing promised, for that were to
have
 88 Os (jod's (government,

have God and not to have him 3 nor yet his necessary disposition for
fruition 3 for without holiness he is not a capable disposed recipient of
Salvation. The rest of his arguments run all upon this error , as rf
love and holiness were only the means, and not the end and Salvation
given.

SECT. XVI.

Os assurance os Pardon ? funification and Salvation :

And whether it be Faith.

224. The Faith by which we are justified is not a believing that m are
justified, but a believing that we may be justified: Not a believing that
Christ is ours more than other mens , or that we shall be saved 3 but a
believing in Christ that he may be ours, and we may besaved by him.
225. There is assurance in this Faith 3 not assurance that we are fin-
cere, or fi)all be saved : But assurance that Gods Promises and all his
Words are true, and that he will perform them 3 and that Christ is
the Saviour of the world, and that the love of God is our End and
Happiness, and that all this is offered to us in Christ, even Pardon and
Life, as well as others j which offer Faith accepteth truly 3 But the
Believer is oft uncertain of the sincerity of his own belief, and so of his
Salvation.
1 know that the learned a 2 6, How much certainty we have of Divine Revelation and Scrip-
conciliator Guiiei. Per- ture verity, I have so fully opened in many Tra&ates, and lastly in one
charge them at guilty of called £ The certainty of Christianity without Popery ] that I will not here
confusion , who place repeat it, further than to say, that it is not a perjett apprehension which
SnhoSe^ wecall our certainty, nor yet an unefeSual doubtful one 5 But such a we
it Fiducil But i doubt as will carry a man on confidence of Gods Word to a holy Use, and to
r^whichTendeth'to the forsaking of all other hopes, even life it self, for the hopes which are
confusion, by not distin- given us by Christ : which yet may have several degrees in several per-
guifhing ameer physical fQQS But 0f,jetfjve certainty, which is the evidence of verity, is more
aft from a moral or po- c .. . Jr t- a.- • sr c j • •
litical, which is made up full than our subjective certainty (tor want ot our due receptivity in
AndMf' heh}o"B?ihop us ) anc* is ^ ^ ^ime la lt felfchough not equally brought or revealed
Gear. Vevnamt, Camera, tO all.
or any that go that way) 227. Even doubting of the truth of the Scripture and Christianity
what one physical aft mav stand with saving Faith and Salvation, when it is not predominant,
they will confine christi- nor so great as to keep us from the said forsaking all for Christ and
an justifying Faith to ueaven
they would have found neav^n' ... 01 • 1 c 1
themselves in confusion: 228. Doubting of mans own Salvation, is not always from weak-
Tosay,it i"ssent,deni- nesi cf Faith directly, much less is it the want of Faith it self. For
eth not but that it must . I» it. c \. r ■ r 1•
be an assent to many sometime a man may doubt, meerly as doubting ot the sincerity of his
sent^s/nifieth at once a own ^a^» anc* not at a^ doubting of the truth of the Word of God.
belief that God is true, But when it is the doubting whether the promises be sure , which maketh
»nd dm this is his word, a man doubt whether he shall be saved, this doubting is the debility os
and that this word is ■ , * J 9 ° J *
true. He that faith, It raitt).
is a belief of the asserti
on for the credibility of the Assertor, can scarce prove that he nameth but one Aft : And I know no such assent which doth
nor essentially contain a trusting to the word of the Assertor or Testifier, called Fiducia. Can you believe a mans word to
be true, because he is credible, and not trust his credibility so far as believing him iraporteth : It isa contradiction? Vidts
credtntis is nothing but a trusting to the Fides diemtis, and they are Relatives, as Act and Object. Though I grant that there
is also a quietting applicatory Trust or Fiducia, which is but the exercise of Faith as supposing me to see my interest in the
Promise, which cometh aster our first believing, in which we see but our receptive capacity that the Promise includcth me
v i J> the rest of Mankind, and the thing promised is offered to me.
2if. The
 and <S\doral IVorty.

229. The seme may be said os dispair: That dispair is from the
weakness or want of Faith, which cometh from an unbelief of the truth
of the Promise : And that also is pernicious dispair which ( from what
Cause soever) is so great as to take men off" the use of neceslary
means, to attain Salvation. But that dispair which cometh from over
much self- condemning, and a conceit that a mans heart is false, and not
that Gods Promise is false, may stand with true Faith and Salvation, if it
be not so great, as to take him off the use of neceslary means.
230. No man ordinarily can be assured of his Salvation or 'justification
without extraordinary Revelation , but by being assured first of the
truth of Gods Promise , and of his own sincerity in believing : For his
assurance is of the conclusion of this argument, £ Whosoever sincerely
believeth and repentetb is justified : But Isincerely believe and repent 5
therefore I am justified. ] And the weakness of the apprehension ofeither
of the premises is ever in the conclusion, which always followeth partem
debiliorem.
231. There are therefore but two sorts of men who can believe that
they are justified by a Faith properly called Divine , that is, which is a
belief of Gods Word herein j 1. Those that God revealethit toby pro
phetical or extraordinary Revelation ( if there be any such. ) 2. Those
who are more certain of their ownsincere Faith, than they are that Gods
Word it self is true (if any fiich there be in the world.) For with all
others the certainty of the sincerity of their own Faith being weakest,
the conclusion followeth it.
232. If any man can possibly doubt more ofthe truth of Gods Word,
than of the soundness of his own Faith 5 though that mans Faith may be
called Divinejt is no honour to it, because it hath so much doubting of
Gods Word mixed with belief: And its like his greater assurance of
his belief of it, is but his error, or infirmity.
233. Ordinarily therefore no Christians can believefide Divina, that
they arejustified and shall be saved 5 that is, this' is no Word of God, but
a conclusion, of which one of the premises only, and that the stronger is
Gods Word.
234. To fay that he that believethshaUbesavedjs equivalent to this,[lshaU
besaved] is not true nor reasonable, seeing f_ I believe"] is not Gods Word,
nor so certain as Gods WordrAnd one ofthe premises is not equal to both.
245. When they fay, That it's all one, when I am sure that 1 believe.]
' I grant it, if 1. This be in it self as evident. 2. And as certain tome
. as Gods Word is 3 otherwise I deny it.
236. Ob). A man cannot believe, and not k»ow that he believeth*
Ans But a man mayfineerely believe, and yet through ignorance either
of the Scripture or himself, be uncertain that indeed his Faith is sincere,
and not such as is common to the justified.
237. Some Protestants by erring in this point, and saying that justi
fying Faith is a certain perfwafion or belief that we are jullified, and that
it is Gods own Word that I oryou are aBually justified, or are sincere Be
lievers, and that the believing it is properly fides Divina, have greatly
scandalized and hardened the Papitis, to our disgrace.
238. And so have those that say that in the Creed, the meaning of
Q 1 believe the Remijston of Sin ] is, [ I believe that my sins are remitted
actually. ] And that all must thus believe.
239. Some fay that the Spirit within them faith , that they are sincere
Believers, and the Word of the Spirit is the Word of God, and to believe
it is to believe God. Ans. This is the Enthusiasts conceit : which if true,
N all
 90 Os (jod's government,

all such have prophetical Inspiration: Fur the Spirit to bring any new
word from God is one thing, andtogi v*; us the Vnderstanding , Love
and Obedience to such a Word is another thing. The Spirit doth indeed
assure us of our sincerity, but not by a new Word from Cod to tell us
so •■, but I. By giving us that sincere Faith it self. 2. By acting it and
increasingit. 3. By helping us to know it. 4. By giving us the love
of God, and other Graces. 5. By giving us the comfort of all. But
the reception and perception of these internal Operations, is not pro
perly called a Belief of the Word of God. Else when we make Gods
Word the adequate Object of Faith, we (hall be still at an uncertainty
what that Word is.
240. Yet this perswafion, that we are sincere and justified is divine,
where the spirit causeth it j but not a divine Faith. Yea it is participa-
m* «r
Ot this lee Altvfttnut I « J of
u- r .• . tively J . divine nFaith,
% because
• Gods
t Word
i r is one
j, ofthe premises, though
vifp. at large. the weaker mult denominate the conclusion. *
241. Obj. A Reprobate or Devil may believe all the Articles of Faith
without application : but justifying Faith applieth Christ and his benefits to
our selves. Ans. It's true: But this application is not a certainty , nor a
perswafion, nor a believing that I am justified, no more than that 1 am
glorified, no nor that I (hall be so neither : But it is an accepting of Chrift
offered that I may be justified and saved. So that here are all these ap
plying acts in it. 1. I believe that Christ as the Saviour of the World,
is my Saviour as he is all other mens, and is not the Devils 5 that is, that
he hath done that for me which he hath done for all mankind. 2. I be
lieve that he is offered to me personally in the Promise or Covenant of
Grace, on condition of helieving-acceptance 5 and that with and for all
his purchased benefits, and so for my Justification. 3. I believe that if
Iso accept him, I (hall be justified. 4. By true consent I do accordingly
accept him to justifie, sanctifie and lave me. But when all this' is done,
i. I do not believe that God hath said in his word that I am justi
fied, nor that my Faith+is fincere. 2. And my Faith is so weak, that I
may long doubt of that sincerity which I have, and so of my Justifica
tion. 3. And when I come to be certain of my Faith, it is not by be-
HevingGod, as faying, that I do certainly believe 5 but by experience of
its sincerity, upon just trial, by the Spirits help.
242. No man can be sure that his Faith is sincere and saving, who is
not asiured that it will help him to love God as God above all ( yea al
ready doth so ) and that it mortifieth selfishness, and will prevail with
him to deny even life it self, and all the world, for Christ and Salva
tion. So far as a man doubteth of any of this, he must needs doubt of
his own sincerity.
243. So weak is Faith in most that are sincere, and so little kept in
exercise, and so strong is fense, and self, and flesh, and worldly baits
and interest, and Satan's temptations, that in my experience ( whahave
conversed with as many that are careful of their Souls as most have done
I think ) it is a very small number that I could ever hear say, I am certain
of my Justification and Salvation ; But a great number who have lived
in holy confidence, hope and peace, and some in great'joy, but most
in tollerable fears and doubting , and some few oppressed by those •
doubts. So that certainty of Salvation is very rare.
244. When BeBarmine faith, that our assurance more belongeth to
Hope than Faith, and that it is but moral certainty by signs that we have
of our Justification, Sincerity and Salvation, he so little difiereth from
the fense of almost all godly Protestants, that were it not through other
distances,
 and SKdoralWorfy. yi

distances, and partiality, we had never read in Luther's days, that, for'
this one point alone, we have cause enough of our alienation from the
Romanists.
245. They err on oneextream, who (ay, that all are commanded to
believe that they are justified $ (or any as if it were Gods Word):
And they err on the other hand, who command doubting or commend
it, as if it were a duty or a benefit. And they speak the truth who
fay, that our doubting of our own Sincerity and Justification if we are
sincere, is a fin of Infirmity, and a Calamity, proceeding from weak
ness of Faith, Hope, Love and Self- acquaintances which we should use
all possible diligence to overcome. But they that are not sincere are
bound to know it 5 And first to seek and get sincerity, and then dis-
cern it.
246. It is by the Spirit that all Christians must come to their assurance :
But not by the Spirit as speaking this in us as a word from God, [Thou
art justified or shalt he saved, or art sincere "j. But by the aforesaid Acts:
The Spirit in us is first Christ s Agent, Advocate and Witness, to assure
us that he is the Saviour of the World : And next he is our Witness to
assure us that we are Gods adopted Children 5 which he doth by being in
us Gods Mark, and the Tledge, First-Fruits, and earnest of our heavenly
Inheritance, by effectual habituating our Souls to the predominant love
of God, and Holiness and Heaven. Where-ever this Sanctification is,
there is the Evidence and Witness of our Adoption. He that findeth'
by the Fruits that he hath the Spirit, findeth the certain proof of his
Justification; and earnest of Glory.

SECT. XVII.

Of Love as the end of Faith.

247. This predominant Love of God and Holiness, is so propeV a Cui non mm idm^vhd
fruit of the Spirit, that it is the very heart of the New Creature, the T^ffm
fom of Sanctification, as love is the som of the Law. So that to give n*» f situ v**
>he Spirit of Adoption, to cry Abba, Father, and to fin&ifie , and to
work in us the love of God and holiness, are three phrases of the lame tftdtbiat. m. Antoninus
fignification in the Word of God. : Æh. sed. ». P.uj.
248. As Christ as Mediator is the summary means and way to the Fa«
• ther, to bring man home to his Creator 3 so Faith in Christ is a mediating
Grace, tct work in us the love of God: And as else- where I have oft (aid,
The bellowes of Faith kindling Love, and Love working by holy Obedience,
Tatience, Mortification, Gratitude and Traife, is the substance of all true
Religion. •' ' • ' '
249. tove being the final Grajce9 and Faith in Christ, but a means to 1 Cor. 1*. last. & 13. 1.
it, the end must needs be more excellent than the means as such. And *' whether the habit of
thus Paul giveth the pre-eminence to Love. Love in puna be better
than that of Faith and
Vision /'* gentrt moris only, or also in gentre rti, the School-men are utterly disagreed.
Cacere's sum. Theol. zi. q. %. a. i. Utrum in sola cbaritatt (upernawali fit amicitia beminis ad Vtumt Affirm. £hia Dews ut
awbor nitara non ea communicat, qu* funtpropria ejusjfd [aim e][e naturalt & pottntias qu<e,%cc. The Reason is not so good as the
Aflertion.
Vid, Bradward. li. i. c. i. cor. 30. ContraindoUts artis amandi, nefcientesVeum e(se propttr siipfnm aWandnm,& tturi propttr
Deum, omn>sq; ttttU bumanosad ipjum propttr ft finalitiQrdinandos, ipsmntp, eft snpir omnia diligendum : and his following proof
that God is not to be finned against in the smallest of his Precepts, or in the smalltst thing, to avoid the greatest pain, of
obtain the greatest good imaginable.

N 2 250. And
92 Of (jo£s government;

250. And no wonder if he prefer it also for duration; For Love is

Heaven or felicity it self, yea somewhat higher than felicity as such.
For as God is our End for and in himself, above the ratio felicitatis^
so God is our End as he is to be loved: And God the Ultimate Objeft,
and Love the Ultimate AU, and Gods Love communicated perfe&ly to us,
and Gods Will pleased in all this, are the inadequate Conceptions which
make up the Ultimate End, supposing the perfection of Nature, and of
the Intellect in the sight of God, as subservient hereunto.
251. Man therefore hath a degree of fruition , or attainment of his
Ultimatet End in this life, so far as he hath a delightful love of God:
Though this be but the foretastand First-fruits.
252. Therefore it is not by Faith only that we know what Heaven is,
and are drawn to seek it and hope for it: but also by this earnest and
foretaSi of love 5 which worketh by a spiritual guH and sweet inward
experience. The Intellect first hath Faiths and the Will hath Love 3 And
a promise and earnest is more a promise alone.
253. When Faith hath wrought this holy Love in the Soul, it doth as
much if not more to keep us from Apostacy than Faith it self. There
fore many unlearned Christians, by the power of holy Love, stand fast,
when subtile disputing Doctors may cleave to the world , and fall
away.
254. Though it be an ill expression of those School-men that fay, Love
•is theform of every Grace, that which I suppose they mean is true: that
love being thefinal Grace, the rest as they are means to it, or the effeQs
and expressions of it, are what they are partly in that Relation : The
means <is a means only by its Aptitude to the end-, And is never loved
( as such ) for it self, but for the end : And what the effect hath, it
hath from its efficient Cause. And it is true, that no Faith, no Fear,
no Obedience, no Praise , no Suffering is further accepted of God ,
and a part of true Holiness, nor will prove our Salvation, than it par-
ticipateth of predominant love to God. But this predominant Love is
always an evidence of Lise.
%5 5. Qu. What if a man should by Faith in Christ be brought to the love
of God, and after fall awayfrom Faith in Christ, andyet retain his love to
God, would that love save him 2 Ans When you can prove that ever
there was such a man, I will answer you. Till then such false suppositions
are no otherwise to be answered , than by telling you , that if God
should permit a man to fall from Christ, that man would lose the Spirit
of Christ, and the sight and sense of all Gods Love and Goodness mani
fested in Christ, and in all the Work of Redemption j And therefore he
would lose the love of God.
256. How far Holiness is the design of Christianity, I have opened in
a small TraUate on that Question 5 And how far Sanctification is to be
preferred before Pardon as such, and yet Christ's Glory in pardoning us,
I have shewed there and in my Consejjion, and therefore will not here
repeat it. .

SECT.

1
 and £Kioral Worhg.
93

| SECT. XVIII.

Of Perseverance, and the certainty of it, in order to

certainty of Salvation, and true Comfort.

357. No man can be further certain of his final Salvation, than he is

certain of his perse verance in Faith and Love.
258. Therefore it js a sinall number of Christians comparatively that
ever were certain of their Salvation. For 1. No one that is uncertain
of his sincerity is certain of his Salvation. 2. No one that holdeth this
Doctrine £ That the Saints that are justified may fall away, and that we
cannot be sure of perseverance, ~\ can be sure of his own Salvation. It's
hard to conceive how he can be certain, who holdeth that no man can be
certain: Now those that hold this Doctrine are, almost all the Papitfs,
the Arminians, the Lutherans, and as far as I can learn by their Writings,
all the ancient Writers for a thousand years after Christ. And the Semi-
pelagians and Pelagians no man will put in as an exception, except Jovi-
nian alone 5 against whom Jerome writing his second Book chargeth him
as holding that a man truly baptized by the Spirit, could not sin: No
doubt he meant, Q to damnation or mortally "] : But it's doubtful what
his Opinion was. Augustine's report of him is of no great moment, who
as Erasmus noteth ( in his Argum. in Hier. adv. Jovin.) neither had seen
Jovinians Book or Hieorm's but spake by report.
And Aullin, Prosper and Fulgent iu-s thought that all the Ele& perseve
red as EleU, being chosen to perseverance 5 but that more were truly saniti-
fied, justified, and in a state of Salvation had they so died than were
eleU : That all these fell away and perished. That no man could be
certain whether or no he were elect, and should persevere. So that
they denied all certainty of Salvation by ordinary means. And that
none of all the Creels or Latin Fathers, then, or long after, went further
from the Pelagians than Augustine did, I think I need not perfwade any,
that hath read them. t
259. This historical Truth is useful to be known : From whence I in
fer, that it is possible for Christians to live insetled peace and comfort,
in respect to their heavenly Felicity, without a certainty of perseverance
and Salvation. For to think that no Papists, no Greeks, no Arminians,
no Protestant, Lutherans, nor any of the ancient holy Do&ors, nor any of
all the Martyrs or other Christians of their judgment, did attain to such
holy peace and comfort , is unreasonable , and contrary to all Church-
History, and to experience.
260. And though it were a far more joyful state to have proper cer
tainty, yet reason and experience in other cases ten us, that without
certamty a man may live a joyful and peaceable life, where probability is
strong enough to remove all reasonable cause of searfulnesi , though
there be a pojsibility of the worst. As we see that men in youth and
health, though they may possibly die, or fall into torments the next hour,
yet do not therefore cast off comfort, and live in such trouble as they
would do if they had probable cause to expect it. There is no wife
living is certain that her own Husband will not murder her the next
night 5 nor no Child certain that the Parents will not cast them offor kill
them •■) nor no Friend certain that his dearest Friend will not do so 5 And
yet few but melancholy people will therefore take up sorrow* and cast
away
 94 Of (sod's (government,

away all their comfort in life and peace, and in these Friends : Even
these persons are their truU and joy. There is no man sure but he may
be executed among Malefactors : And yet while there is no reason to
expect it, a man may live a comfortable life. There is no man certain
that he himself shall not fall into a particular crime of Murder, Theft,
Perjury, or the .like 5 And yet we live not therefore uncomfortably.
For mens affections follow the powerfullest cause.
261. Hence also I conclude, that certainly the denial of certainty of
persevering, and Salvation is not a thing that should break the love, peace
or concord of the christian churches, or for which they should cast otf or
revile each other. For what sober man could do so by all those that I
have instanced in.
262. It is a shameful self-delusion os some Disputers, who think when
they have once believed that certainty of Salvation may be had, that
they are then certain themselves, or next to certain of their own Salva
tion. But he that hath no more certainty to be rich, or healthful, than
to believe that Health and Riches may be got , is far from having
them.
263. Who was more full of confidence and joy than Luther, who
speaketh more against the Papists, commanding men to doubt of the par
don of sin ? who speaketh of a higher Faith than he on Galat. Yet he
with MelanUhon and all the first Protestants in the August. Confess. Art.
11. faith, £ they damn the Anabaptists, who deny that those that are ones
justified can again lose the Holy Ghost. "]
264. If Adam in Innocency had neither solid comfort, or cause of
such, the state that we sell from was not so good as we commonly be
lieve. But Adam had no assurance of his perseverance in that state : For
he fell from it.
vra. judh) ibeoi. PtUt. 265. No man (as is (aid ) is certain that he shall not fall into such a
hainoussin, as Peter, David, &c. did.
266. The Synod of Dort faith, [ By such enormous fins, they greatly
offend God, they incur the guilt of death, they grieve the Holy Ghost, they
interrupt the exercise of Faith, they most grievousty wound Conscience, some
times they lose thesense of Grace for a time j till by serious Repentance re~
turning into the nay, Godsfatherly countenance again Jliine upon them.
And the Brittifh Divines in their Synodic. Explic. fay, [They contrast
damnable guilts and lost their present aptitude to enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven. Adding, [_So that while they remain in thatstate of Impenitence,
they neither ought nor can perswade themselves otherwise, than that they are
obnoxious to death. Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.
For they are bound in a capital Crime, by the desert whereof, according to
Gods Ordination, they are fubje& to death, though they be not yet delivered
to death, nor pall be, if we respeff Gods fatherly love, but stall be plucks
out of this Jin, thatso they may be plucks out of the guilt of death. Lastly,
For their present condition, they lose their aptitude to enter into Heaven,
&c. And Thef 4. p. 193. [_Gods unmovable ordination requireth that
a Believer thus exorbitant , do first return into the war by renovation of
Faith and the aU of Repentance, before he can be brought to the ways end,
which is the heavenly Kingdom. By the Decree of Election , the faith
ful are so predestinated to the end, that they can no otherwise be brought
to it, than by Gods instituted means , as by the Kings high way. And
Gods Decrees of the means, and of the end and order of events, are asfirm
and certain , as those of the end, and of the events themselves. If any
man therefore go on in away contrary to Gods Ordination, at the broadway
 and S\doralWorhg: y<>

of uncleantiess and impenitence , which dire&ly leadeth to Hell ; he can

never come that way to Heaven, lea if deathsurprize him wandering in Luk.- 1^. ^,
that out-way, he cannot but fall into everlasting death. This is the con- uS^i^f" 1
. slant and clear voice of the Scripture. —As Paul said of those in the Ship, » Tim. 2. 19'.
&c. Act. 27. 3 1. —It is certain that David and Peter, Gods Ekft Ser~ Act* *7
vants, were to come to Heaven 5 But it is as certain that if one had re
mained impenitent in his Adultery and Murder, and the other in his denial
of ChriSi and perjury, neither of them could have beensaved. Providence
and Mercy unty this hjiot, by providing that no eleS person die in thatslate,
in which, according to any Ordination of Gods Will, hejhould have been shut
out of Heaven.
And TheC5. [In that interspace which is between the guilt ofJin con
tracted by a grievous Jin, and the renewed a& of Faith and Repentance, such
a Sinner Jlandeth a person to be damned by his own desert, but by ChriWs
Merit and Gods firm purpose a person to be saved 3 but not before by excited
Faith and Repentance, he bath obtained pardon, is he actually absolved.
—But in such guilt the condition of the Faithful and of the Wicked is not
thefame. —To the Unbelievers is wanting the inward principle of Faith,
without which the remedy is asfar off, and cannot be made their own and
applied. —if any would know the very moment in which a man that had
contrasted guilt by ahainous Jin, is actually absolved , Cyprian seemeth to
have determined it clearly in these words, Q When I see thee sighing before
the Lord, I doubt not but the Holy Ghost is breathing on thee : when
I see thee weeping, I perceive him pardoning. 3
The like you have,Judic. Theol. Bremens. de persever. ib. pag. 233. n. 9,
1 0, 1 1 . -did. & reseda, pag. 2 37.
267. The Brittilh Divines in that Synod, "judic. deperseverant. p. 188. ....
- f- * ■ t • • 1 VB r jf *i . 1 f vid. MWMMf toft Wtfd
begin with this explication, that it is only the perseverance of the Adult dt Grot. Baptssmati.
that are aSually Believer*, (and not of Infants') which is intended : For
some of them ( as Bishop Davenant and Dr. Ward) have written that an «
Infant state of Grace and title to Salvation may be fallen from and
lost. s v
268. They add, ibid. p. 108. TheC 3. {This perfwafron of perseve
rance hath not that degree of certainty, which always^excludeth all fear of
the contrary : but is sometime lively , sometime languid, sometime, as in
greatest Temptations, none— The Jirli debility arijethfrom thejnndamental
dependence of this personal affiance, which seemeth to come below the cer
tainty of dogmatical Faith. For the Articles of Faith do affect our assent
as immediate and firit principles. But the truth ofspecial Faith is not
thence deduced as a necefjary consequent, but is onlysubjoyned by way of as-
Jumption. Ergo thefirmness of that conclusion which maketh this perfwafton,
cannot be greater, than that which is in the weaker of the premises. But that
sumption refieth on experimentalfigns, weighed by mans private Conscience :
tvhich being sometime doubted of, whether they are true Jigns , and some
times hid by temptations, that they cannot Jhine out to our comfort, what
wonder if Believers perfwafton of their eternal Salvation be not always ve-
gete and valide. Besides that the very Principles of the Catholics Faith,
though bi revealed light clear in themselves, yet being not known to us, bjeer- . ,_.
- Z. r J l m 1 r aJL r * *L 1 * * • re * Here 1 leave them
tainty of evidence, but only of Adhesion, * they beget not in us so firm an with thc Sci,0oi-men.
assent, as mathematical demonjlrations, and common notions. But in be- Adhesion (as wand:
holding them, from the relids of carnal diffidence, some vapors, as it were, ^fft^g^jwhere
Jontetime arise, by which the light of divine immutable verity, seemeth to us there is evidence: and
to be refringed, and to waver. How much greater and daily is the errour of j£h ^J^ipp^t,
everj Believer in the beholding of their own personal affiance, yet wimii uflimtnh
269. It
 96 Of Qod's governmenty

169. It is too certain, by fad experience, that a true Believer may

lose much of the Grace which he once had, and may die in a worse and
weaker state.
Luk. ii. 4, $. 27°* k *s certam Gods Word, that the justified have need of
Heb. 4. 1.' warnings, that they fall not away, and of threatenings ifthey fall 3 and
H«b°ri 1. 18 19 tnat l^ey are °bl'gecI tofear it, by a cautelous preventing fear that they
may escape it.
271. It is certain therefore that if the thing be denominated pojfible
in relation to our own power, it is not only possible that we should fall
away, but too certain that we should,
too f 272' ^ut ^ tne event DC denominated possible or impossible inrela-
vouwbk to the Domini" "on to Gods meer Decree or Fore-knowledge, which as such do nihil
cant predeterminams , efficere ad extra, without respect to his operative power, so the Apostacy
KÆrinToffc of the Elect is impossible logically, or their perseverance necessary ne-
pematuraiity of Grace cejfitate consequentj£ in ordine prohandi , it being impossible that both
gaiJstTpdsiMi™ of thcse ^°^d be true» lPaHl win apostatize] and £God decreeth that
knowing not only our Paul sliall not, or fore-kpoweth that he will not apostatizes. But
perseverance and Salva-.^/4WW^ operatj0„e divj„a ad extra, it would be" nevertheless possible
tion, but our presents J . * r ~» rf
slate of Grace : For m re & tn caujts, that such a one should rail away. For all pojjibles are
buty Divine1 Revdation n0t futures ! Therefore as God may both fore-knOW and decree the WOW-
can assure any man that furityof a thing, (if a Negative needed a Decree ) and yet decree that
his aas are from a super- it shall bepojjible. So God may decree the futurity of a mans perseve-
that only by^he'beati" ranee, and yet decree that it shall be pojfible, as to all Causes, that he
cai vision which is by persevere not. For he is supposed to decree only the determination of
thnrCi,trJeSPdiftrence an undetermined Power, but not antecedently to take it away, and make
between the acts of it no free power.
acquired and infused a - But if the Relation of possibility be denominated from Gods
habit* be known. So to r Ji J .
Mvarn^ li. 6. disp. ji. operative Grace effecting perseverance,then God hath various Operations :
p. zy. ttjMwTMKtm jje can give hjs Grace by such an Omnipotent insuperable force, as shall
viut'rtvttttint c*g»s- predetermine the faculty so far as antecedently to take away the moral
cmkt, cirto & infMto- power ( though not the natural ) ad contrarium : And he can work in
ldit'quodTon p!ffwt tvi- &ch a compliance with the liberty of the Will as shall only determine the
dmur cognofei fiandam power (natural ot moral) to act, and not antecedently take it away 5
spTf?/ci?rJfZTu- ( unless as determining it, is a taking it away as to the contrary act at the
tam proptn [tmiiitudinm fame instant, as every man taketh away his own power by acting ) when
tSSt i$$ &%qvsit*, God operateth the sitsi way ( antecedently taking away the power ad
non pot cit qiiis , ftcufa contrarium) then the apostaiie of a man is properly called Impossible,
dhixa rtwiatione , cog- m relation to the impotency of all other Causes to overcome God, the cause
noceretnfallibtUttr attm _ r J J J
churititis qum babtt in ot perseverance. But when God only worketh the latter way (not
via ((ft inpernamaum,nec taking away the moral power ad contrarium, but determining it and the
difctrnire certo utrum pro- °i . / . * n- _' - , - , 0 - „.
ttdat cffetihe ab b/biu natural ) then it is no proper expression to fay that such a mans falling
infu[o vii tequtot^utt arvay was impossible antecedently 5 but only that 1. It is non futurum.
Lsmj^'hc ate* as hi! a* And logically impojfible in order of arguing, that it should be so. And
consemers,D. stow.fi. it is ordinary with high Antiarminians to fay, That Gods Decree and h'xs
q.6ua'l'C&rso'w''dc Grace too» are suchasonly determine mans power, and that neither of
6rtt.fi- 1. c »*. coroi. them ordinarily make our Fall impojfibile, but only non-futurum. But
Andb^ th^itappea^'eth wnen ^od worketh by a greater force of Omnipotency, taking away
that their very Doctrine the moral power ad contrarium, and how oft, what man dare fay that
of mfus,™ and supma- he can tell > the difference being in the efteft, and not in God.
turality in excess is the _ , . . 0 f \ -
very ground of their 2 74- Therefore though the diipute of the event as future or not fu-
lust^a3" Cand'naWaf '*re ^aVe *tS P'ace> 5et tne di*Pute ^e pojfibilitate is usually but vain,
tion! Ca i0n an 3 Va a°d darkening : especially as managed by those Confounders , who
only lay, It is impojfible that Gods decree or fore- knowledge be fiujirate,
and necejfary that it be fulfilled, not distinguishing the necessity of a
, consequence
 ml<£MoralWorfy.

consequence in a syllogism from the premises, and the necessity of anejseg

as from its necessitating cause. God can cause without necessitating the
second cause ; much more decree aadfore-know. .
275. He that hath saving Grace in the least degree, cannot lose that
degree, without losing all thespecies, or all saving Grace. But it's other
wise with him that hath a higher degree.
276. There have many of our acquaintance gone so far in a life of
mortification, and diligence of suffering like Christians of the highest
rank, who yet have fallen ( to the death ) to the denial of the very
essentials, of the Christian Faith, that from the very Doctrine of certain
perseverance hath become a cause of doubting and trouble to some :
who have said, [i/ a man could fall annoy from true Grace, I foould not
doubt but such and jttch a man did sa, and I Jhould hope thatyet my heart
may at the present be sincere : But seeing no man ever had true Grace who
apostatrueth, these men had none,, who in all proboble judgment of reason,
were once far better than I now am : And I can never be sure that I have
true Grace, till 1 go further than ever they did, which I almost dispair of
ever doing, having intimately known them to be no dissemblers.^ Thus
both ways of this controverted Doctrine have their troubling difficul
ties.
277. If none censured the deniers of certainty herein, but only those
who themselves ever attain to a certainty of their sincerity, perseverance
and salvation, they would not be enough to make any great division or
breach about it. And could we. but be impartial, and bear with the
dissent of Brethren herein, as well as we dC of the ancient D08ors and
Churches, our peace and concord would be less disturbed by this Con-
troversie than it is. I have else rwhere cited some; tertullian is too
harsh in conceding a mutability in God, Contr. Marc. li. 2, cap. 23, 24.
f_ si vero etiam circa personas levem vultis intelligi quum reprohat aliquando
frobatos, out improvidum quum probat quandoq^ reprobandos, quasijudicia
Jua out damnet prœterita,aut ignoresfutura : Atqui nibil tarn bono &judici
convenit^quam pro prœfentibus mentis & rejicere & adlegere,8>Lc. ~] Yet this
may have a good interpretation.
Eufebius Fræparat. Evangel, li. 6. pag. 289, 290. [ Tea these would fight
(or be a contradiction) that the fame man Jhould both become honest (or
good ) and certainly fore-know that he Jball be honest. "] But I am not. of
his mind.
But among those before Augustine, such passages are not so strange as
these are in himself. De corrept. & Grat. cap. 13. pag. 539. [guts
enim ex multitudine fidelium quamdiu in hac mortalitate vivitur, in numero
prædestinatorum fe ejje prœfumat $ guia id occultari opm eSi in hoc loco :
ubi stc cavenda eji elatio , ut etiam per Satanæ Angelum ne extolleretur
tantus colophi%aretur Apostolus—Nam propter hujus utilitatem fecreti, ne
forte quit extollatur, fed omnes etiam qui bene currunt timeant dum occnU
turn est qui perveniant. Propter hujus ergo utilitatem fecreti credendum eft
quosdam de filiis perditionis, non accept0 dono perfex erantiæ ufy infinem, in
fide qu£ per dileUionem operatur incipere vivere, ac aliquandiu fideliter ac
jutfe vivere, & postea cadere, ntq^de hac^itapriufquam hoc ek contingat
auferri. Quorum sinemini contigijset, tamdht haberent omnes ilium falu-
berrimum timorem, quo vitium elationk opprimitur donee ad christi grati-
am, qua pie vivitur, pervenirent 3 deinceps jam securi nunquam se ab illo
ejje casuros. U.u£ præfumptto tn illo tentationum loco nan expedit, ubi
tanta est tnfirmitas, utsuper biam pojjitgemrarefecuritas.

O Et
 Of Cjotis governments

Et Epist. 101. ad Vitalem [Vtileest quippe omnibus, vel pene omni

bus propter humilitatem faluberrimam , ut quales futuri sint scire non
poffint—.]
Et lib. II. de Civit. Dei cap. 12. pag.67. [_2jtk enim primos illos
homines in Paradifo negare aitdeat beatos fuiffe antepeccatum .<? quamvk de
fna beatitudine quam dittturna, vel utrum sterna ejfet incertos 2 ejfet antcm
sterna nifi peccajfent. Cum bodie non impudenter beatos vocemus quos
indentusju&e ac pie cumJpe immortalitatis bane vitam ducere> ftne crimine
vaffante confeientiam, facile impetrantes peccatk hujus infirmitatis divinam
mifiricordiam $ gui licet de fits perfeverantis prsmio certi finty de ipfit
tatnen perseverantia Jita reperiantur incerti .<? Q$ls enim bominum fe in
aBione profeSnq'-, juftitis perfeveraturum ujq$ infinem sciat, nifi aliqua re-
velatione ab iUo fiat certus qui de bac re justo latentiq^ judicio, non omnes
infinity fedneminemfallit.
So Prosper Resp. ad Gallor. cap. sent, ad secundam. dicH
quod ab his qni non fitnt prsdestinati ad vitam , non aujerat per-
cepta baptifmi gratia Originate peccatum non efi catho lieus. Sacramentum
enim baptifmi quo omnia prorfus peccata delentur, etiam in eis verum estt
qui non funt in veritafenranfitrit & ab hoc ad vitam sternam nonfunt prs
destinati.
Et sent, ad septimura. f_ gut dicitquod Deus qnibnfdam filiis fuis quos
regeneravit in Chrijio, quibus fidemy spem, dilectionem dedit, ob hoc per-
feverantjam non dederit, quia a mafia perditionis prsfcientia Dei & prs*
defiinatione nonfint difcretit &c. Vid. cætera & sent. sup. 12.
Et Resp. ad object. Vincent. 12. [PrsdeHinatio Dei & si apud nos
dnm in prsfintis vita periculis verfamur incerta eft, apud ilium tameny qui
fecit qusfutura fitnt immutabilis permanet.
I need, not tell the learned that Fulgentius is of the fame mind with
Augustine and Prosper.
If this had not been Augustine's Doctrine, the predeterminant Domi
nicans had never maintained it as his against the Jesuits, which you may
see in Alvarez. Disput. 107. and many others.
Much less would Janfent us * the zealous Follower of Augustine (so
perfectly acquainted with his Works ) have so thought and (aid, and
* Tea and trtdvardine so propugned it. See him at large in his Augustin. de Grat. Chrifii, lib.
iSSnÆf*Aiv7£ 9- cap.j. pag.392,S93,&c. &M.3. c.20. pag.163.164.
and yet afserteth falling Though I make no doubt but our Divines at Dort knew this to be
away from true Grace, Augustine's professed judgment, yet in their Judic. de Perfever. I find
though not Predestma- . d 0 r • • / P c . «. t_i r i_
tiom, or Gods win to three Sentences cited by them out or Augustine^ as making for the con-
fave. And jansniust, trary, by which I suppose they intended to prove him doubtful or wa-
f.it«ji»7,i»8. proVe& *wiog. But i. Three doubtful passages as to the sense, are not to be
that the difference be- set against a mans open frequently professed judgment, thus expounded
/^U^ aÆr« *«d followed by all his Disciples. 2. Let us examine the Texts.
Pardon, or infused ha- f. The last of the three is deCorrep.&Grat.cap.y. But though Dave-
Si^«d(tt*^bc**t Divin<! whom I honour for judgment above all, or almost
many charge him with all since the Apostles days 5 yet I must fay that in this they all dealt
derstand^tm'not1; But vei7 negligentty or partially : For in that place Augustine professedly
that vtUgiiu •confessed distinguisheth of sons of God, predestinate and not predestinate : and
that ^ivaA^lterUm **'th ' ^ Nec nos moveat *~u's q^bujHam Deus not dat iftam
Gratia fpecialu to keep perfever antiam. Abfit enim ut Ha effet fi de illis prsdeftinatis effent ,
us from future sin, and
to do our duty , besides pardon of former Sin and infused habitual Grace. By which it appeareth that Augyftine
and he agreed , that Remission of Sin and infused habits may be lost j and that Auguftim laid perseverance upon
Gods Will or Election, and his actual help or adjavrium conftrvvts.
 A

and SvLord Worlds.

& secundum propofttum vocatts , qui vere funt filii promijfionis. Nam
ijii cum pie vivunt dicuntur filti Dei : fed quoniam viUuri funt impie &
in eadem impietate morituri , non eos dicit filios Dei præfcientia Dei.
And expounding ex nobts cxierunt fed non erant ex nobk, &c. ait, £ Quid
aliud dicunt , njft non etant fdii etiam quando erant in profejjione &
nomine filicrum i Non quih Justitiam fimulaverunt ; fed quia in ca noh
fermanjerunt. Neq\ enim ait, nam ft fuiffent ex nobk, veram nonfiftam
jusiitium tenuijjent , utiqj nobifcnm : fed ft fuiffent ex nobis , per-
maniffent uti% nobifcum. In bono illos volebat proculdubio tnanere :
Erant itaq\ in bono, fed quia. in eo non permanferunt non erant
cx nobis— non erant cx numero filtorum. —Nam non peritfilius promijjio-
nk, fed films perditions. —Ftlik fuis non prœdestinatis Deus perjevc-
rantiam non dedit.—Et rurftts quos dicimut inimicos ejus, vel parvulos
filios inimicorum ejus ,. quofcunqj eorum sic regeneraturus eft, ut in ea
fide quæ per dilectionem operatur, hanc vitam finiant , jam & ante-
quam hoc fat, in ilia pridesinatione funt filii ejus, & dati funt ChriSio
jilio ejus , ut non pereant, fed habeant vitam æternam.—^uia ergo non
habuerunt perfeverantiam, scut non vere Difcipuli Chrilii , ita non vere
flit Dei fuerunt, etiam quando effe videbantur & ita vocabantur.—~Apud
cum hoc non funt, cut notum eli quod futuri funt, id eji , ex bonis malt.
Tropier hoc ApoUolus cum dixifet, scimus quoniam diligentibus Deum
omnia co-operantur in bonum, fciens nonnullos diligere Deum & in eo
bono ufqj in finem non permanere, mox addit , His qui secundum pro-
positum vocari funt, &c, vid. reliqua.
Now the words which our Divines cite are these afore-cited, which
fay, They were not the Sons of God that fell away. When nothing can
be plainlier uttered by the pen of man, I think, than that Augustint
affirmeth them to be Sons as to their sincerity of Faith which worketh by
love, but not to be Sons by predestination; And that not all that are
sincere in Faith and Love are Sons in the most eminent sense, but that
part of them who are predestinated to perseverance and the inheri
tance ; and that nothing but predeiiination and perseverance was want
ing to their Salvatipn. He that doubteth whether this was Augustine's
sense, when he hath read him, may doubt of almost any thing which
he is unwilling to believe.
The next Text is cited as Cont. Adult •■, ( I suppose they mean Adverft-
rios, and it's false printed, ) Legis et Vrophet. 1.2. c.2. But I can there
find nothing of any such Subject, much less sense.
The only Text therefore of all cited by them out of Augustine re-
maineth, which giveth any (hew of favour to their Theses, and that is
cited contra Julian, rriag. I. 5. c. 3. In cap. 4. I find the words, viz.
Q Ifiorum (reproborum) ncmincm adducit Deus ad peenitentiam falubrem
et fpiritualem qua homo inChristo reconciliathr Deo."} This is all that
I find dubious in him. Now whether these few words better declare
his judgment than. whole Chapters and Discourses, you may judge?
And whether the constant tenourof his Doctrine do not direct us to
conclude that this is here his sense, viz. that he calleth that peni-
tentiam falubrem , which effectually bringeth men to Salvation , and
which endureth to the end (as such. ) And by [a man in Christ']
means not as aforesaid f_ a man given to Christ with a decree to save him 3 5
and by \_reconciliatur Deo'] he mean not one that is so reconciled as
to be a predestinate Son, decreed to Glory. Historical Truth must
not be denied, nor doth doiirinal Truth need historical falstiood for its
defence, nor can agree with it.
O a This
 Of (fod'f (government,

This undoubtedly was Auguftin's mind.

Only one more Text they cite out of Ambrose de Jacob & vita
beata,l\. I. cap. 6.
But Ambrose is of his Disciple (Augustine's) mind : The words
are , guts audc.it accusare quos eleQos divino cernis judicio ? Nun-
quid Deui Pater ipse qui contulit , potejs dona sua rescindere , & quos
adoptione fuscepitt eos a paterni affeftus gratia relegare. But I. There
Ambrose exprefly fpeaketh of the Ele& only. 2. And if he had not ,
such words as these are ufiialy spoken by the Fathers, who aflert falling
arvay-t meaning that God will not reverse or rescind his Grace 5 if you
cast it not away : As Prosper faith, Godforsaketh none that do not first for
sake bint.
If any man would see more of Augustine's judgment , the many
Sentences cited by me in my Traft. Of Perseverance , pag. 5, 6. 7.
and all those cited by Vojsius Histor. Pelag. li. 5. pag. 559, 560,
561, &c. may easily put him past all doubt. See also VO S S IV Sy
ibid. pag. 563, 564. citing more of PROSPER to the same
sense.
That all the Fathers before Augustine were for uncertainty bf
Salvation , and falling away ( de faUo ) of some that were in a
state of true Grace and Justification, in which had they died they
had been saved , this great Historian throughly versed in the Fa
thers, ibid. pag. 565, $66, 567. & pluribus sequent, fhew^tb. For
brevity , if you doubt , turn to these cited places , Irenœus , //. 4.
cap. 72. Justin. Martyr. Dial, cum Tryphon. pag. 206, 207. Clemens
Alex. Strom, li. 2. pag. 162, 166. Basil. Homil. in Pfal. 114. &
& homil. in Princip. Prov. Origen.m^itx' li. 1. cap. 3. 13. ad Rom.
li. 7. cap. 8. Macarius Homil. 14. 15. 24. 26. 28. Athanaf. Contr.
Arian. Orat. 4. Greg. Nazian. Orat. 40. de Bapttf. Cryfoli. in Job. I.
Horn. I. & Epift. 5. & Homil. 77. ad Antioch. ( ut vulgo ). Et
ex Latinis Tertullian. li. adverf. hares, cap. 3. & li. de pcpnit. cap. 6.
Cyprian, de unitate Eccles. cap. 12. & li- I. Epist. 7. ad Rogat. &
0.4. Epift. 7. ad Mag. Ambros. (ut vulgo) in Rom. cap.y. Chro-
nat. in Mat. 5, Besides those after Pelagius , cited by Vojsius , ibid.
Pag- 567* &c* Among whom Bernard is large and earnest against
possibility and convenience of PERSEVERANCE and SAL
VATION.
Vojsius in his Thesi 12. faith thus of those that will deny this to be
the ancients Opinion , [ guid quod Antiquitas tota indefeSibilitati
adverfatur , nec qutmquam quantum meminiffe valemut , » veterum
invenire est qui sideles omnes pmnimodam de perseverantia sui certitu-
dinem habere arbitraretur. Fatentur quidem animos filiorum Dei dubi-
tationis auxietate cruciart non debere cum spei fiduciam habeant , qu£
sufficients consolatione , et lapjuros fuftinet et lapfos levetj At nihilomi-
nus negant posse quemvis exinde quod imprœfentiarum fidelium fe in
numero effe fciat , tantum fibi de reliquo vitæ tempore favorem Dei certo
polliceri , &c. —vid. c&tera. Et addit Q Communem fuijje anttquitatk
fententiam quam diximus , soli hodie negare pojjunt , qui c&tera fortasst
viri sunt non ineruditi, fed in antiquiiate tamen plane sunt hospites : <vel
animum habent unius et alterius fententiis ita mancipatum, ut eorum ecu Us
videre malint quam fuk cumq\ iis errare praoptent quam cum aliis bene
fentire.

278. As
 and SVLord Worths.

278. As I have cited this unanimous consent of the Ancients only to

prove that all that have the profession of Christianity and Charity
should be far from thinking this an intollerable error which may not
stand with brotherly love and peace, so to the fame end only I shall
tell you, that not only Calvinists have born hereia with Lutherans, but
also among theReformed some have been ofAugustine's mind in this,whom
yet the rest very highly honoured. I will now instance only in Muscu-
imr, than whom few have been esteemed more sincere , impartial and
sound in judgment. In his Loc. Commun. (for their great esteem tran-
flated into Englisti) C. de Remiss, peccat. $. 6.pag.(mihi) 621,622,623.
he faith [Discernendum est inter earn gratiam Dei que nullas habit adje-
Sas conditiones : qualis est quod folem suum products super bonos & malos,
pluitque super gratos & ingratos : & earn que conditionaliter consertur 5
ad quern modum Peccatorum remijjio nobis contingit. Posterior hec licet
in Deo fit constans & firma (non enint ilk mutatur ut homo) nostro
tamen vttio irrita redditur, dum conditionibus illitts non stamps—Siquis
igitur preterritorum peccAtorum condonationent per gratiam Divin£ cle
mentis consequutus, usque ideo ingratus, & faintis site negligent evaseritt
xt inUar canis ad vomitum reverse ceptam refipiscentiam rumpat palamq$
oifendat Deum se contemnere ntagis quant timere 5 plane dignum fe ejse
declarat a quo præterritorum peccatorum a quibus fuerat abjolutus, pœne
exigantur.—-Haffenus igitur fieri potest, & merit0 accidit, utsemel accept a
gratia reddatur irrita : Verum non escbetur hoc Divine dementia insta-
bilitatjf qu<e locum in Deo non habet 5 s$d noflre pravitati—Posset mihi
objici hoc loco, relapsum ejusmodi per quern peccata semel remijsa reddantur
irrita, locum in eleUis habere non pojse 5 immo ne in reprobis quidem 5 quod
illi remijjionis peccatorum, capaces ejse nequeant, eo quod vera & vivafide
per quam ilia acquiriturt prediti non Jint 3 ideoque neminem ejse prorsw,
in quo peccatasemel remijja irritafieri pojjint. Verum eos qui hoc argument0
ducuntur moneo, ut de reprobis quod aicunt diligentius perpendant^ De
EleSis cbnsentio : De reprobis vero nulla ne Hits unquam peccatorum re
mijjio contingat, disputari pofie intelligo. Dantur illisinEp. adHebr.6;
illuminatio per Christum, gustus donicœleliis, participatio Spiritus SanUi,
guHus item boni Dei verbi, ac virtutum futuri seculij &cap.ip.San&i-
ficatio que est per sanguinem Testamenti , & Spiritus gratie. Et 2 Pet. 2.
Comparantur sui, que ubi lota suit , rursus in ceno volutatur. Quomodo
bee illis (me omn't peccatorum remijjione contingere pojjint, non immerito
queripotejt in hac causa.~\
279. But Alvarez, tellethus(/. 10. de Auxil. Dijp. lo^.pag. 419. js. 1.)
• of some who hold that there is a Grace of Confirmation distinguished
only by the degree of the fame helps, which none can fall away from 5
and that a confirmed state is never lost,* is ordinarily held by the Domi
nicans, though they agree not what this confirming Grace is : And many
of the Jefuites confess such a state of Confirmation , making men im
peccable as to Mortal fin. So that some are in statu and not only in
decreto, secured from Apostacy, most confess.
280. And Vosstm ubi supra copiously laboureth to prove that the
Ancients held three degrees of true Grace: One which men might fall
from easily, and oft did, though if they had dyed in it they had been
saved .• Another which men may lose as to the act at least, but scarcely
as to all seeds and habits. And another state next to perfection, which
none shall lose. I refer the Reader to his Collections, though I do not
clearly perceive by them, that many had such distinctions of Believers :
But the roeab^ and thestrong or confirmed all distinguish.
. 281. But
 Of (jo£s (government,

281. But the other side had need as much to be perswaded to pacifick
moderation in their censures : And first, They say, that** is an intolle-
rable opinion which is confessedly contrary to all the ancienteji Churches of
Christ : And by Vincent. Lerinenf. rule , (quod ab omnibus, ubique &
simper) such singularity or novelty must be heresie, or certain error
at the least. I answer, I.They that assert, this certain perseverance of
all the justified, do believe that the Churches planted by the Apostles,
were of their mind j which they gather from the Scripture. 2. The
foresaid Rule holdeth, indeed in things so universally received as Essen
tials of Religion, and Necejsary Articles of Faith and Practice, without
which men cannot be saved ; But Vniversality of Consent in a doubt
ful or unnecessary opinion, or practice, may possibly be erroneous, and
may oft lawfully be deserted. It was once (and beyond the investiga
tion of its original) the practice of the Universal Church, that there
should be no Adoration by Genuflexion on any Lords Day , or on
any Week day between Easter and Whitsunday : And this commanded
in the Great Council of N/fe, and the Canons of trull : And yet the
Papists themselves have now forsaken it. To distinguish as is usual,
between such Canons of Tra&ice , and points of nteer do&rine , and to
make consent of Antiquity more obligatory in the latter, is but vanity.
For where a point of Practice is founded in an oportet or supposition
of Divine or Apostolical authority, it must needs be at least as obliga
tory as a meer Doctrinal so founded. For all Precepts include Do
ffrines, and all Obedience includeth Faiths Though all Do&rine be not
Freceptive , nor all Belief for immediate pratfice. For every Divine
Precept includeth this assertion [This God commandeth]. And that God
commandeth it, is de fide 5 and then it must be obeyed for Gods Autho
rity as it is first believed for his Veracity. All therefore that can be
said is, that this pra&ice was not taken to be by a Divine universal
Law, unchangeable 5 but by universal Custom of the Church : And so
may there be a consent in unnecessary and questionable Doctrinals
(as there hath been for the peripatetick Philosophy almost). The opi
nions of the Souls corporeity, of the Millennium, ofthe lust of Dæmons,
that there were no Antipodes, (to fay nothing of some that Augustirfe
opposed)' were little less than universally owned of some ages : And I
doubt many Texts of Scripture, for want of perfect Translations, and
skill in the original Tongues, were universally misinterpreted.
282. And the common objection which maketh the greatest noise
is ameer injurious pievish cavil or slander ; viz,, when they say [Tou
lead men to all wickedness, by teaching, that let them commit never such
heinous Sin, thty are sure that they cannot fall fiom Grace, nor lose their
Justification.'] For it's commonly acknowledged, that ifany man should
fall into a state of Sin inconsistent , with the love of God, he would
lose his justification and right to Heaven, and that without any change
in God. And they constantly hold that Gods decree desine & mediis
is one, and that he decreeth of his Elect, that [They stall persevere in
love and holiness, and be saved}] and not that they shall be saved whe
ther they persevere in holiness or not : And that they are no surer to be
saved, than they are to persevere in holiness.

SECT.
 and<£AdoralWorly. to%

SECT. xix.

Of Mortal Sin , or what Sin will not stand

with Saving (jrace,

283. But as to the question, How great the Sin mufl be which is incon
sistent with true love to God, or holiness ? that belongeth to the Contro-
versie about Mortal and Venial Sin : where the difficulty is as great to
one fide as another : so great, that not only Pious Gerson , but many
another have confessed it too hard for them well to solve.
284. In general, It is certain that all Sin is so far Mortal as to deserve }fyltnK^[ v"f
Heath according to the Law of Nature and Innocency , and so far as to 1 D™'
make us need a pardon : Though not so far as to be inconsistent with
spiritual life and justification, and right to Glory, and to make damna- ,,..„.„ . ,
tion due to us according to the Law of Grace. And Proteltants confess pWMt Mm. & Vtn.Vnt
the distinction of Mortal and Venial Sin, under the name of Wickedness, best i know op the Sub-
or Reigning Sin, and Sin of Infirmity in this sence 3. that Mortal Sin is, JC
that which is inconsistent with true Faith, Repentance, Love, Justi
fication and right to life, and is never pardoned till the person be chan
ged by true conversion : But Venial Sin or Infirmity is that which con- VM. Bfifafii Rtfp. ad
sisteth with all these aforefaid,a*d is presently pardoned by the Covenant ^wM* i- »«•
of Grace, upon the atiual or habitual Repentance or hatred of it in the
Sinners. ;
285. It is certain that the interruption of the Aft of Divine Love,
will not prove a Sin to be Mortal. For though I detest such conclusions as
the Jansenist gathereth from the Jesuites Morals, that loving God once or Davenant it fistit.
twice in a man's life, or once a month, may save him, yet it is certain that ^f*sfn My'be caSed
the love of God is not always notably acted by any : It is interrupted in Mortal in three degrees,
our sleep, and in common studies and businesses which take up the 1 jr^cjse a" t'hen|["
whole man 5 And therefore if a Sin (as sinful study) interrupt it, that phemy of the Holy
will not prove it a Mortal sin. Ghost, a. Those which
286. And it is certain that a sin is not therefore Mortal because it di- tisfed nmiffiblum upon
winifheth the Habit of Love. For that may be in those that still are the repentance. And such
justified Children of God. fcttStSfi!
287. There are two Degrees ofMortality in Sin, as our Divines at Dort ed, t cor. 6. andGu/.y.
do more than intimate (and those of Breme there): The one is, when sin pahpTsli^aiihMoJa"shiC
putteth a man into the fame state, as to the Love of God, which he or any ?. The daily infirmities
other was in, in the next degree before true Justification, or Sanctifica- J**J fa™[
tion or Conversion : which is when the Habit of Divine Love , and all serve death,but are pa£
other saving Grace is so far lost, as that Habitually the Creature is more doncd bv 0racc-
loved than the Creator : If any do fall thus far (which is the controversie)
then it's granted that their Justification, Adoption and right to Heaven,
is lost. But while God is habitually dearest to the Soul, and Sin is habi
tually more hated than loved, there sin is habitual/y repented of j And
for my part I do not think that person is unjustified, or should be damned
if he so dyed.
288. And I believe that this wa9 the case of David and Peter: And
its very improbable that they lost the very habits of love to God, and
hatred of Sin.
289. The other degree of Mortality, the said Divines take to be
some heinous Act of Sin like David's or Peter's , which destroyeth not
the habit, but i« so great, that the person, though he lose not hisfunda
mental
 1 04 Os (jo<ts (governments

mental Right, yet is put into an immediate ineptitude and incapacity of

SiS" G£nt^ril°£l\ Heaven, and his Right so suspended, as that he cannot have possession
sum lux & ttntbr*,&c till that obex be removed by true repentance,
mcareres Sum.Thcoi. 3^ |jf vou them whether that man shall go to Heaven or Hell if
..Pag. ,.c. he so die 5 they tell you that it is not to be supposed 3 for God hath

decreed that he shall not so die, but (ball repent (which Austin will
say of all the Elect) and sometime he half dreamed of Purgatory for
some such.)
291. The true reason why such a heinous fin must be aftuaUy Resented
of before full pardon and capacity for Heaven , and the true note to
know what sins must have such actual Repentance (and so are thus far
Mortal) is this ; there are some Sins so easily known to be SinS, and so
notoriously calling the Conscience to Repent , that to lye in them un-
repented of long (when the sudden violent temptation and pallion is
over, and a man hath opportunity to act according to his sctled habits)
will not consist with the truth of such a Habit of love and holiness, and
of hatred of Sin: So that though necessitate pracepti the AS of Repen
tance be as neceflary as the Habit , yet necessitate medii ad salutem it is
the Habit that is absolutely necessary inse, and the act so far as the absence
of it cannot stand with such a habit. This is my judgment of this
difficult case : He that can open it better, deserveth all our thanks.
But here the difficulty is exceeding great , what love to God that is
which mortal Sin or ungodliness is inconsistent with : or by which a man
may know that he hath saving Grace. I have contented my self hither
to with saying that It is a loving God above all: But that is still dark and
short ofsatisfaction : Adrian (after Pope 6.) guolib.?. q. 3. 4. sol. 45,46.
hath called me to distincter thoughts. He concluded], ,1. A man that
loveth afriend less than himself, may yet Sin mortally for that friend. (B«t
that is no wonder, because, 1. He loveth his friend and self more than
God» 2. And thinketh that he hurteth not himself so much as he pro-
fiteth his friend by Sin) 2. He inserreth that a Mortal Sinner doth not
always love the Creature more than Cod 3 because he that loveth himselfmore
may Sin mortally in love to hisfriend: For as a man may love himself more
than the sole end for which hestnneth : So he may love God more.
Ans. I suppose it is mis-printed, for the fence should be [He may love
j God more']. But, 1 . 1 doubt ofthe antecedent : That Sinner loveth him*
self as the End of his sinning for his friend : For it is to gratisie that
proud or selfish humour by which he loveth his friend for the Likeness,
Love or Usefulness of that friend to himself•-, and so his love is finally
for or to himself. 2. When he stnneth he doth not practically think
that the hurt to himself or the wrong to God is so great an evil, as the
pleasure of Sin is good. • *
But his instance more poseth me 5 viz. that a mortal Sinner (or ungod
ly man) may choose rather to be annihilated, and his friend too, than Chrift
pould be blasphemed by all the world, or than God (per impoffibile) Jhould
serif), or lose his Omnipotency, &c. (for some Romans dyed for their
Countrys) : Therefore he concludeth, that 'ihus to love God above our
selves or all, is not enough to Salvation 3 but we must also love God above all
<ktsincm ultimum & qui sit ratio & mensura diligendi cœtera 3 lia, viz.
quod Omnia referat homo in Deum, nolitq^amare nisi quantum Deo placuerit,
& cadem velit abdicare & perdere ut satisfaciat divino benepla'cito & Saw
Sæ ejus voluntati, ut fit ei quantum adamorem liberttm attinet Dem omnia
in omnibus, & dicat, vivo jam 3 non ego,fed Chrifius vivet in me 3 against
it, He must not only so love God as that he would die rather than God
should
 and 3V£ora\Wor\%.

should die or suffer (were it possible) $ but so as to love him as the end
of all our lives, and to love the pleasing of his blejsed Will in the glori
fying of him, better than all things that can fiand in any competition fj
And I think this to be a necessary truth: I dare not (ay that every man
is Godly that had rather die than God, or the Sun, or the Earth, or his
Country should perish. God's Being is not, as fitch, our End: But his
Will (or his Ejsence as it is his Will) is the Beginning, Governour, and End
of all •■) And it is the Tleafing of this Will of God (in the Glory of our holi
ness and obedience, in which his holiness and other perfections are resplen
dent) which must be loved above all. As a man may choose to die, or
at least lose all that he hath, rather than his Father should die or be for
ever tormented •-> and yet will not forbear fornication and drunkenness
to please his Father's will ; because he practically thinketh that the bare
displeasing of his Father doth not so much hurt him, as his sinful pleasure
doth himself good j so is it in the present case. (And I may add that,
God is not loved as God, that is, as perfectly holy and just in governing
the world and him, by any bad man : But as he is the God and Preser
ver of Nature, Nature may love him 5 but not as he is a most holy
Governour) which is essential to the Relative notion of our God.
He concludeth therefore truly [ That this true fort of Love to God
doth put us in a fiate of Salvation, and Mortal Sin conftfieth not
with itJ]
But I agree not with him of the In/possibility of being certain that we
have this Love, though I think his words worth the reciting to prove
the difficulty of it : sol. 47. N. O. P. [pico quod licet poffit probabilem
conjeQuram habere, quod a&us ille dile&ionis in/it j non tamen potefi
evidenter cognofeere & pro certo : Quomodo enim feire poterit , quod ita
Deo fe totum infundit propter fe, i. e. bonitatem df Sanftitatem c'jus,
ut nec Vitam aternam nifi in Deo & propter Deum diligat ? animo para-
tus, & efficaciter volens , omnia & feipfum & alia, quum Deo placebit
perdere, ut impleatur SancJa voluntas Dei ? guod etiam nulli creaturs nec
ipfiftbi liber0 alt quo amore adharet in fe in Deo & propter Deum j ^u<e
voluntas multo eft purtor & laudabilior quant voluntas perferendi pro Chrifio
Martyrhtm projpe ajsequendi vitam æternam. Et certe longe aliud eft optare
ant Velle,quam ftc Deum amare, & de faftosic affeSum ejse, & fie efficaciter
velle, fuut opto & defidero efficax Velle Scientiæ, feu ad feientiam : Sed
ubi efficaciter id vellem, manum ad aratrum mittens , labors , mgiliis &
id genus operis non parcerem—Si ponatur per Revelationem certiorari, non
nego sic certum fieri pofie— Nec expedit hominem ni(i valdefeiens dr doUus
fuerit de his multum fe tentare, quoniam difficilimum efi proprias affeSio-
nes ntetiru
But sure these fruits grow not on any common stock , and the Heirs
of Heaven and Hell are not so like as to be undifcernable, nor Gods
promises such as no man can be sure that he hath a right to them.
It is enough that these things do prove assurance difficult and
rare.

P SECT.
 o5 Os (sod's governments

SECT. xx.

What Repentance for particular Sins is

necessary to pardon.

292. But the very Act of Repentance hath such various degrees ,
that those also here deserve our consideration. For he that hath the
habit of holiness no doubt hath some degree ofRepentance secretly stirring
in him before it cometh to deep repentance, and open confession j I do not
think that David was without all remorse and repentance till Nathan spake
to him, though his Repentance was not such as the quality of his sin re
quired. And it is not every remorse nor every degree of Repentance
which is sufficient to prove a Soul sanctified, that is, habitually possessed
with that love of God, and the hatred ofSin. And such at least the
act must be.
293. In gross known Sin, Repentance is not true unless it contain a
Resolution prejently toforsake it. He that is unresolved, though he have
much remorse and trouble of mind, is not truly penitent : Nor he that
is resolved only to forsake it sometime hereast er , or when he hath sinned
once more, but not at the present.
294. And as this is true of aUual Repentance, so a true Habit must be
such as is the Habit of such aUt : even a habitual love to present holiness^
and a habitual hatred to present Sin 5 which in the course ofour lives doth
actually resolve us and preserve us , however a violent temptation do
interrupt that course.
295. But whether every known Sin of the smallest sort in it self, have
always such Resolutions of present forsaking it in all that are truly peni
tent, is a harder question. Many a godly man is frequently angry sin
fully, and sluggish sinfully, and daily useth some idle words , and un-
governed and idle thoughts, and is sinfully remiss in the degrees ofevery
duty, and knoweth all this to be Sin : And if he resolvedpresently to do
wheBP««i* out of so no more» he would not do so again so frequently as he doth. In
Aqvin. EUnch. Tbtr. yin- such a case it is exceeding hard to judge of a man's repentance : And yet
DSineuishet^' Putitm alas> wno^e cal^e is " not ? we ^ave a °f tne Sin, and a wish that
4 cuts* and faith that we were delivered from it .• But that is but a desire that we loved it less,
bbuta wifl5ngCwfthan anc* hated it more and proveth not that our hatred is sufficient. For
equWoort or analogical many a man that liveth in gross Sin, doth wish that his heart were turned
fence of Pe"*H*'- from it, and did not love it, when it #• not so turned. And why will
thereTs^ponamiXter- the fame wish then serve about lesser Sins ? And yet \fpresent Resolution
pretation i which the aeain(l every small Sin be necessary to pardon (even of known Sins') alas,
Srm^Mfilypcr- who is pardoned?
296. And if the case must be resolved by the material magnitude ot
smallness of the Sin, what bounds shall we ever be able to assign , and
what understanding is able to distinguish between the Sin so great which
must be presently resolved against ex necessitate medii to pardon, and the
Sin sosmall as may be pardoned without such Resolution ? whether '
in speech every idle word be such ? If not, whether every idle jeast, or
every lascivious word ? or passionate word ? or backbiting word (the
ordinary Sin of many strict Pjofessors) or every sinful Oath, or Curse,
or Slander ? who can fay, it is this, and not that? And so in all commis
sions and omissions ?

297. And
 V

and <£AdordWorfy. IO7

•297. And it will still remain exceeding difficult what Resolutions
against Sin will prove true Repentance : For as many a child under cor
rection, so many an adult Sinner on his Sick bed, or under a terrifying
Sermon, or conviction, not only feemeth, but doubtless is , as passio
nately resolved at the present to forsake his Sin , as a Godly man is, if
not more : and yet quickly loseth all that Resolution, and liveth in the
Sin which he resolved to forsake.
298. By this it would seem that it is not true Resolution which causeth
not the ordinary forsaking of the Sin. For to Resolve to day, and Sin
to morrow, is but to play with Sin , and not to repent or mortifie it.
And yet if aftual forsaking be necessary ("of All Sin) who then is peni
tent or can be saved. For there is no man that doth good, and sinneth Jam; 3. *.
not : And in many things we offend all. Who leaveth all the idle
thoughts, and words , and negligence, &c. which he hpoweth to be Sin ?
And the most understanding men then would be very hardly saved, who
know almost all Sin , in comparison of the ignorant , who know
it not ?
299. And yet no doubt, those Sins which are materially small , may-
have such circumstances , as may make them more malignant than some
greater in the matter : As when they are committed through malignant
contrivances and ends, or in gross contempt , or negligence. So that
this also maketh the decision of the case more difficult.
300. And it will be hard, not only to know which and how great
the Sins must be which are unpardoned if lived in without forsaking, or
without resolving to forsake them presently if known 3 but also how
great, and what Sins unknown may stand with saving Grace. For sorely
if men should ignorantly reproach or reject God, or Christ, or the Holy
Ghost, or live in Murder, Adultery, Perjury, &c. not knowing them
to be Sins, this would not stand with saving Grace: And yet to live in
some unknown Sin may.
301. And it is as hard to know how oft a gross Sin may be committed
in consistence with true habitual Grace ? And how oft the Resolution of
the will may change, without the loss of holy habits. The tempter will
lay to Davidor Peter, If once, why not twice .<? If twice why not thrice }
And who but God can fay, just how oft ? And yet to set no hounds
confoundeth the just and unjust, good and bad, and maketh Sanctifi-
cation but a name. And to fay that Peters Faith did totally fail, or
that he was holy deprived of wholly love,or saving Grace, is rash and an
unlikely thing.
302. And it must be remembred that the Will is always in the time of
sinning, more for the committing the Sin, than against it , actually , or
else it would not be committed j And in omissions , it is not prevalently
for the Duty 5 else it would be done. And if it were Habitually so too,
as to a holy or a sinful life , the person were unholy. And when the
will (known by the practice) is sometime actually more for a gross
Sin than against it, and daily actually more for some small Sins than
against them,it is wonderous hard here to discern certainly that the con
trary habit is our state. *
303. And it addeth to the difficulty, that it is hard to be sore whe
ther the Habit of Love and Holiness may not be predominant, and yet the
very Hahit of some one Sin (as well as the act) be stronger than the con
trary habit : For a daily use of the acts seemeth to prove a prevalent
Habit. As a Habit of Anger, of vain jeasting, &c. And ifji very Ha
bit of one Sin may be prevalent , though not of all others , it will be
P 2 hard
 Of (jod / (government,

hard to say either howgreaf that Sin may be (and so whether a Habit
of Lufi, of Pride, of Covetousness, may stand with Grace, in that preva-
lency) or yet, how many Sins may be so habitually prevalent, in a san
ctified man. But if no one, what shall those think of themselves that
live in the daily act of smaller Sins before- mentioned ? And that they
erre who tell us that all Sin is equally mortified in the Habit, common
experience fully proveth. But such men use not to distinguish be
tween the General habit of Love to Good and Hatred to evil (which is as
the trunk of the Tree to the branches (which may have their particular
Cankers and Diseases) and is indeed Virtually a Habit of all Good, and
against all Evil) 5 and the particular Habits of Good and Evil which are
also found in every Soul.
304. Yea the difficulty is yet greater, by our ignorance of the very
nature of a Habit of the will, or of that Inclination of it to Good or Evil
which is antecedent to the Act : which, he that hath read the Schoolmen
and Metaphyficks, or ever well studyed it himself, will discern to be
tantum non out of the reach of our understandings. That it is a Difpo-
sitive promptitude to A&, we feel: But whether that Disposition be it self
a secret unobserved Immanent AS, disposing to the more open perceptible
AB 5 (for the Soul is never out of Action , and certainly hath at one
instant several Acts, of which that define is oft unobserved, and yet
most powerful ? As a Traveller that is taken up with other thoughts
and talk would never hold on his way if the end were not actually
intended, though he feel it not) 3 or whether it be the Natural Inclina
tion of the Will corroborates 2 and what that Inclination is <? whether it
lie much in a Receptive disposition of the acted faculties, by which
they are still ready to receive the Active motion of the Agent power 5
as the Receptivity of the fuel causcth the greatness and constancy of
a flame ; or the opening of the window, the shining in of the Sun, or
the composition of the adapted wheels, causcth the Clock or Watch
to be easily and truly moved by the poise or spring; or what else it is
that we call a Habit, is not so easily known as unstudied confident Di
sputes think : So that judicious Mr. Truman (Tra&. of lmpoten.
Nat. & Mor.) seemed to despair of clear understanding it.
And whether an Infants Principle ofHoliness, be $uid morale, which
never came from any act, nor is the particular Habit ofany act, any more
than the Inclinatio naturalis.ad bonum qua bonum ? with abundance of
other difficulties about Habits 5 These all make our case the harder to
be resolved.

SECT. XXI.

The solution of all the former difficulties} in part.

305. Of all these difficulties, I have no better solution (besides

what is aforesaid) than as followeth. 1. That a Dispositive Inclination
of the Will to God and aUual Holiness, is like to the Inclinatio naturalis
ad bonum ejf fœlicitatem, saving that it is not ours ab origine in our lapsed
state, and that it is more moveable and separable from the Soul j And
so is quiddam nature thou$\xiOX.quædamnatura, called, The Divine and
new nature in us and is to the Soul what Health is to the man 5 And is
the gtcat Moral Principle within us j and is acceptable to God as being
 and Moral Wor\\s- 109

the ReUitude of his noble creature, * and virtually containing all good „ As m ^ p
actions; and being the operation of the Spirit, by which he is said to continual caiumnies,thac
dwell in believers.
uuicvci-,. . , „ wc ca" menwickedness
continued jusl» whose
is
306. a. That this ReUitude or H*(r Nafwe is first and radically but hidand noat i^l
active in our Complacency or Visplicency, Love or Hatred 5 And that ted, and without inhe-
What a man Mftthuty fotrert, that his Will is habitually inclined to : BSJ^^
And against that which he habitually hatetb. their calumny , and di-
307. 3- That yet in aUing, this inclination worketh freely, and al-ffiy«&^ wj
Ways is specified by the conduct of the Intellect , which must tell us hold a conditional uni-
what is Good and Evil, Amiable and Hateful. ~« Jj-
308. 4. That Love and Hatred being practical Habits, do ever en- of the destructive pu-
gage their/// in such framed Resolutions , as are answerable to their Jjjjjgj* >f ««■
nature and degree. are truly converted from
. 20Q.
~ 7 . J. . That
„ no
. Resolution will prove /-Holy
j Love
• and
• 1 Inclination,but
i_- u • 1:1.- atowicked
the loveheart and life
J of God, bv
that which isfixed as proceeding from a fixed principle, which is like Faith and Repen^ncl
a »en> Nature in us. £ ^"d then all Sin in-
310. 6. Thatthis Resolution is first define: The Soul loving God SSferfcSS
and its se//«7y in his eternal Love and Glory, is first firmly Resolved a holy, just, and sober
toadheretoGod,andthat felicity, and to prosecute it to the last, in jfr 7tff5bJE
all neceflary means. mitiesas you call Venial
311. 7. That next the Soul firmly resolved of the use of means in Sf^SS'^
general, is resolved also to choose and cleave to Jeius Cnrnt , as the biy imperfect. s.Thoueh
Head and Summary ofall means, (as the Physician is as to Physick.) And ^^'"f^Jj"^
soresoiveth to adhere to all the Essentials of Godliness and Christia- R™m Jplhftlomt
jjjjy nueth for ever : that is,
312. 8. That all this is done by the Intellects discerning ofthose solid Si'^^fCS
Reasons, which prove to us the excellency , necessity and possibility of 6. our pardon and our
all the foresaid ends and objects. And he that fcpowrtWS?Jxing and ^nTbv S«J*S
holding. Reasons for his Resolutions , cannot be expected to have fixed the fake of thesatisfa-
_,/•»?. « ction,. merits, and inter-
Rejoluttons. cession of Christ, whose
313. o. That these general Inclinations , Love, and Rejoluttovs tor perfect Righteousnesse
God, for Means m general, for Christsand all the Essentials of Codli- U.Wth.tL.w^t
ness and Christianity, are constant in the Godly j and vtrtnMly contain a which sense his perfect
Love of and Resolution for every k.nown duty , and against every k"ow» ^^^J^J
Sin j but not aUually : And these continue tb shew themselves in ted to us because hTdid
adhering practically to these Objects, and in the Practice of a Godly ;t and suffered for us,
Life. diator ; and so it was
the Meritorious cause of
all our Tustification, Grace and Glory. And what hath any Papist or other wrangler against any of this?
Yea, we reject their loose Doctrine that lay as Pet . as. Joseph. Ibeol. Spec. La. c. 10. p. jij. \pi potentia absoluta Grate*
babitualis potest fimul effeineodem sub'jeclo (meaning in a predominant degree} cum peccato mortale five actuate five babetualt :
For as I said before against Oi\am and Scotttt on that point, they are inconsistent contraries, as life and not-living, light and
darkness ; and their proofs of the contrary ave frivolous, gee Scot, in *.d. 16. Aleac. in 1. 99- Greg. Armin. in 1. d. 17.3.1.
a. %. Gabr. ibid. Kada i. p. Cunt. 1 9. Smut, in 3. f. To. 4. Defy. 9. Seel. 3. n. 8. all for this opinion. And against it Ameol:
im.d. 17. Ruard. a. Sett. 5. That a man caHnot be just fine Jusiitia inhtrente per potentiam Dee abjoiutam : Pet. de Una faith,
inx. ^. q. 14. a. u. d. 11. as the Protestants do, that Petcatm Mortale aftuale ('meaning some one act of a heinous Sin)
may consist with Grace and the Habit of Charity , but not the Habit of such a Sin (that is in predominancy.!.*
See Malderm opinion, 1. x.q. 113. a. a. & 8. p. 5-4, &c- wh° faith, that Vetes remivendo tffex[m delet peccati maculam]
and that [Macnla is but the privation of Grace quatenus facet bominem Deo gratum~\ that is, of Acceptability or Loveliness :
And accordingly he expoundeth the nature of Remission of Sin, as I said before.
And Brianfon in 4. q. 8. sol. 115. C. D. diligently enquiring what it is that remaineth after rlie Sin committed , can find
nothing but 1. The Habit or privation of a good habit. 1. And the Guilt which he calleth Reatum culpa, qua eft
qutdam ebliratio ad pxnam dtbitam iUi culp*. Ill* (») obligatit est qutdam Relatio realis, nort sundata super altum culp* ,
fed super ijfentiam anima non nisi ut culpa aclualis est preevia; which is just the Protestant opinion, who fay that the Guile
is done away by forgiveness, and the Habit by Renovation , calling one ]ustification, and the other Sanctihcation :
fcut we better distinguish Realm culp* in [t, & Reatum ptn* feu cuts* ut adpœnam: One is the Reality of my bang
a Sinner, or one that did Sin. (This is never done away). The other is the obligation to punishment for that 5:n.
This is remitted.

314. I c. That
i ib x governments

314. 10. That therefore Sin as Sin is hateful to every true Christian,
and Godliness asfitch lovely : And that in respect of this radical general
Habit, every true Christians love to God and Good is more than
his averfenefs, and his hatred to Sin more than his love or Inclination to
the created Good for which it is loved ( For no man loveth Siri
as Evil).
315. 11. That the Inferior sort ofMeans and Good, appear not always
in their worth ot necessity to the believer : Besides his Ignorance the rem
nants of Concupiscence may pervert his Judgment so far as to doubt of
some means whether they are absolutely necessary, or at least, mihi hie &
nunc. And this failing of the Intelle& may embolden the Will to some
degrees of negligence, even of known duties. And so we may doubt
of some Sins whether they are Sins, and of others whether they a re so
great as to be inconsistent with Gods love and our Salvation 5 and by
that failing of the Intellect to be emboldened to commit them, while
yet we adhere to God and holiness in the main as such. And so smalt
Sins are osier committed, and with less reluctancy than greater, because
we think that their badness and danger is not so great. And though
at other times we be more sensible of both, yet in the time of Temp
tation that apprehension may be altered : For the mind of a Godly man
is more mutable about the Means than about the End , and about the
smaller sort of Means and Sins, than about the greater. And when the
opinion changeth not, yet the practicaljudgment may change 3 or when
- it is not turned, it may be suspended : Or truth may be apprehended
with left quickening lively feeling 5 and then it will not sufficiently
work : A? a loud call doth fuscitate us to action , when a negligent
whisper is neglected. And upon some of these accounts known fins
when small may more stand with Grace and be ofter committed, and
more dully repented of, thzn greater.
316. 12. And as we must distinguish of Sins as more or Jess dreadful
and dangerous, and of duty as more or left necessary, at least in our
apprehension , so also of Sins which are more or less within the
power of a willing mind to leave them. Some Sins are such, as that the
forsaking of them requireth little more than a willing mind. As to for
sake lewd Company , Taverns , Play-houses , Harlots , Drunkenness ,
Theft, Oppression, Persecution, Perjury, Deceit, &c. Meer will ,
though instigated by luB, committeth them 5 And a will that is but
truly bent against them, may easily (as to power') cast them ofE
Whoever committeth them , doth it because he will do it. And to
live in the frequent committing of these, is a greater sign of want of
Holy habits, or Grace, than of others. For there are other Sins which
besides willingness require great power, and care, and labour to forsake
them: As to keep aj ust order in our Thoughts 3 to keep them from vain
objects ; to keep our tongues from accustomed vain words, to restrain
strong passions upon great provocations , especially to forsake Sins of
privation and omission 5 such as are unbelief as mixed with a weak Faith,
and fears mixed with hopes and coldness of desire and prayer , and
sluggishness of labour and endeavour, &c. A man may be truly-
willing to be stronger in all Grace, and to do all duty better, and to
forsake all such Sins as these, when yet through the meer weak
ness of his Graces or Spiritual life, he cannot so exactly watch,
nor so diligently labour , nor so patiently hold out , as the case
requireth. Though it be not a Physical , but a Moral power
which he wanteth , and that culpably 3 yet such Sfns may more
consist
 —1~
and Moral Worlds. iii
confist with true Grace than the former ; and therefore are called
Sins of Infirmity.
317. 13. When Ignorance osTruth, Duty, or Sin, cometh from an
unwillingness to know it, or an unwillingness to use the known means
to help us to the knowledge of it, the neglect of such an unknown
Truth or Duty, and the committing of such an unknown Sin, is to be
judged of according to the measure of the foresiud willingness , or
unwillingness.
318. 14. For he is not sincerely willing to know a Truth, to do a
Duty, to forsake a Sin, who is not willing to use the known necessary
means appointed for these ends. For he vilineth God and Holiness who
thinketh them not worthy the seeking by such means. To fay,
I would love God and please him and be saved , if I could do it
with a wish or without these means, is no saving desire-
119. 15. And to desire to be delivered from Sin, and to hate it
as Sin, and yet to love it for the pleasure so much more, as that the
interest of God and Heaven in us, is not strong enough to make us ha
bitually willing both to leave it, and to avoid the temptations , and
lose the pleasure, but men had rather keep it than leave it on these
terms j this is no sincere repentance, nor sign of a holy heart or life.
330. 16. Even the Habit of a particular lesser Sin (as of jeasting,
idle words, idle thoughts, &c.) may be stronger than the contrary par
ticular habit, (I think) and thereby a man may habitually and aUually live
and die in the Sin 3 and yet that habit not prevail against the radical
habit of Holiness , of Faith , Hope , Love , and Obedience in the
main. 1
321. 17. A present full Resolution against Sins that are Great and of
eajk desertion to a willing mind, is essential to Repentance 3 as is also a
present Resolution for great and necessary Duties , and to forsake some
smatter Sins, though it be necessary necessitate præcepti, I think is not
essential to saving Conversion and Repentance, and necessary necessitate
medii to Salvation.
322. 18. He that committeth a Cross Jin , (that is, a Sin evidently
Great , and in the power of a willing mind to forbear) so often as
doth shew that habitually he more loveth it than hateth it, and had
rather keep it than leave it , doth thew thereby that all his professed
Repentance for it is unsound , and his heart unsanctified, and that he
hath yet no actual pardon from God.
323. Therefore those among the Papists who absolve such from their
Sins, who commit Fornication or Drunkenness once a month (at least)
or once in many months, or often, and come between and fay, I Repent,
do but delude them. For the nature of those Sins is such, that he that
is converted to an habitual hatred of them more than he hath a love
to them, cannot return to them so oft : And he that doth not so hate
them doth not truly repent. And even their Hildebrand (Greg. 7.)
in a Council at Rome exprefly faith, that [neither false Baptism, nor false
(a feigned and unsound) Repentance do put away Sin.
324. 19. The chief tryal of a man's Holiness and Repentance is by
the main scope and business of his life, especially in the positive part,
and next in the oppojitive : when a man is conscious that God, and Ho
liness, and Heaven, are his great end, which are dearer to him and more
powerful with him than all things sensible, and the interest ofthe flesb,
and when he can and doth deliberately forsake all, when they stand in
Opposition to or competition with God and Glory , and so as to the
course
 ii2 Of (jo£s (government,

course of his life, doth live by Faith, and not by sense, this is the true
evidence of true Conversion j and no Sins are damning which consist
with this.
325. 26. But because the truth of this must be discerned, not only
by present Sense and Resolution, but by pra&ice to prove that Resolu
tion true, therefore no man can be certain of the sincerity of his own
heart, and resolutions and repentance, but by the praSice of willing
universal obedience, forsaking gross and wilful Sinning, performing ne
cessary duty , striving to overcome infirmities , and heartily desiring
forfeit Holiness, upon terms of Mortification, Self-denyal and diligent
use of means.
326. Therefore much sinning will at least breed much doubtfulness
and uncertainty of Justification and Salvation, and till it be forsaken
no such certainty will be had.

SECT. XXII.

Fen? certain of Salvation : The Consequents of

this in order to our Concord herein.

327. I conclude therefore that certainty of justification and sincerity

is not the lot of the weakest or weaker sort of Christians, but of the
strong confirmed christians only. By weak. Christians, I mean not those
that have weakest natural parts and common gifts (as Learning, Memory,
Utterance, &c. ) But those that have the weakest Faith, Hope, Love,
Humility, &c. For Grace is not certainly difcernable. 1. In the least de-
I wonder that worthy gree. 2. When it is little in aUion. 3. When it is much clouded and oft
peoddte, and TroHcbhus conquered by its contrary: But only when, I. It* strong and in a good
ftyJ^MpI^iitSS degree, 2. And much in aft, 3. And conquercth opposition.
snsum,cmitndi>itmiliius 328. Therefore few Christians have Assurance at the first (or of a
SÆSC 1£?H considerable time 5) because few are strong at sirIf. .
sura, umport quo ipsi pu- \ 329. Yea, therefore few ever attain to certainty who are sincere,
tet-.Ncc uiiusifitiuiut, because mofi are dill weak, and few come to strength and a great
qui utatt rattonu ctptce ,J A r ** i
non ante mortim, ctrtiffi- degree, and to much activity, and great conquest ot all the contrary
ToumtZ tmlumfat Sins> ofheart and life.
am aedpitt! i hope 330. This being the cafe about certainty of Justifications as to the
th^e«ivd ce aV-she certa'ntJ °f. severance might a man judge by the conveniencies , of
many Text?"^ by the truth, it would draw us to think that the middle way of the Do-
them, else prove it not. minicans and some others were the right : viz,. I. That the least degree (or
first) of true saving Grace is sometimes lost finally and such perish ; But
2. That they who obttain confirming Grace, by a greater degree do never
lose it. For so the Angels and Adam fell from the first degrees for want
of Confirmation : And many think (though it is not proved ) that
had they overcome in the first (or some more) tryal, they should have
had confirming Grace for a reward. And the good Angels are confirmed
(whether by reward or meergift or nature we know not). 2. This would
lave Christians from that uncomfortable thought [/ must gofurther than
ever such and such a one did who fell away , and had lived striUly and
suffered patiently, or else I cannot besaved. For if this be true, a man may
be saved whogoethno further, or not so far as some have done that
sell away. 3. This will keep men from security and presumption, in a
state or weakness , and keep them in a necessary fear of falling away 3
that
 and <£\dord JVorfy. 1 15

that they may avoid it. 4. And yet it proyideth a certainty ofperse
verance and Salvation, for strong Chrrjlians who are (aod perhaps they
only") fit iox it and capable of it. 5. And it tendeth thereby to make
men long for, and press towards a strong confirmed state. I only lay-
that if this Doctrine be or were true, it hath or would have these con
veniences. , ,
331. And I will boldly say, that (as I before said, The weakest Chri
stians are not ordinarily capable of present certainty of Salvation, so)
the weakest or worSi sort of true Christians , art morally unfit for it.
i. He that Jinneth as much as ever will stand with Grace, and as ever
he dare for sear of losing all, is under so great obligations and necessity
to be humbled, to fear, to be penitent and deeply sensible of his great
ingratitude that he is not fit for the joy of Assurance of Salvation, and
therefore not fit for ajsurancc it self: He that is certain to besaved, must
rationally be full ofJoy j which is unseasonable to one that must fye in
the tears of deep humiliation, a, And such a one that loveth God
and Christ, and Goodness, in the weakest measure consistent with Sal
vation, must have all other Graces and comforts proportioned hereto,
or else there will be a monstrous inequality: But certainty of Salvation
is a degree of applicatory Hope, quite above that very little Faith, and
Love, and Obedience of such a one. 3. And this certainty must be the
effect and product of other Graces (Faith and Love, &c. ) And a feeble
Cause will not bring forth an effect so much stronger than it self. 4. Gods
Wisdom in Government will not encourage even a child 3 in fits of
contempt, neglects or disobedience by such Assurance. How can he
more Reward and Encourage the best? And if every true Christian should
have certainty of Salvation, when he sinneth as fouly, as frequently, as
grofly, and liveth as flothfully as ever will stand with sincerity , it
would tempt such to go on in Sin , and be no better. 5. God
hath his castigatory punishments for sinful Children : Even to death
it self sometimes 5 and much desertion. And who should have such
corrections, but the wor& of his Children ? But the certainty of their
their Salvation, useth not to suit with such correction and desertion 5
or at least is forfeited in such a case. Lastly , experience telleth us,
that it is not Gods will that the worst of his Children (no nor any
but the better sort) should have such Assurance •• For, 1. De faUo
they have it not. 2. And in the nature of the thing it is quite out
of their reach.

. SECT. xxm.

ghdbre neceffary Cbncejfions.

332. But yet all this is not enough to prove that any of the justi
fied do totally or finally fall away. The controverfie must not be
decided by arguments from convenience , but by Scripture assertion %
where the difficulty is very great, because no small number of Texts
seem to favour both the opinions, the reconciling of which is not the
work of every ordinary understanding. Those that are brought for
the certain Perseverance of all the justified may be seen in Zanchy's Dis
putes with Marbachi us, (the first hot and high agitation of this contro
verfie as a matter of great moment and necessary determination ,
which
 1 1a Os (jod's (government,

which I remember to have found among us). And those on the other
fide, Bertius, Thompson, and the Arminians commonly have collected.
My own opinion about it I have so largely shewed in a Book called
My present Thoughts of Perseverance, before-mentioned, that I need not
here again deliver it. Though between that and this last opinion, as wise
a man as I may be in doubt when he hath done his best for a satisfactory
resolution.
333. I take AuguSline's opinion so far as it is for Perseverance to be a
certain Truth, viz. That All the Eleft stall certainly persevere , and that
the Grace of Perseverance is the consequent of Eletfion, and not Eletfion
the consequent of foreseen Perseverance , ( unless you mean only that
part of Election which determineth of Glorifying, and exclude that
which decreeth to give Perseverance.) But the difficulty is about the
Hon*elett. And it is most probable that where God decreeth Perseve
rance, he decreeth to give Grace suitable thereto; As when he de
creeth the Immortality of the Soul, he giveth it a Nature apt for
Immortality. And therefore that such have Confirming Grace. But the
controverfie is, whether aS true Grace do so confirm ?
334. That an Argument cannot be fetchtfor Perseverance from the
meer Nature of the Grace received, seemeth plain, by Adam's fall , and
probable from the Angels.
* v\dMT.Gtorg'.mi- 335. Some * to avoid this, deny Adam to have been Holy, and fup-
^Prtfltf^in' E/«Bfb P0^ on'y Innocent, and Neutral, and capable of Holiness (worse than
Tber. Vincent, unis c. 13. those Papists f who feign his Holiness to be a supernatural addition to
Sad ?' ExtVourGra'cr natural slate, thereby preparing men to believe that man was not
«\. 'his outward bies- rnade Naturally with an Immortal Soul, for Immortal happiness). But,
sings, z. interiour:And |.jf Adam had an immediate Moral disposition to love God as Godt and
lhasr,£"«,hS this, he was Holy : If he had not, it must needs be a Privation in
justhit originaiis ex om- him, and not a meer Negation: For a rational creature must needs be
jj^jjJiS naturally obliged to love his Creator 3 yea, this is the first and summary
qu*in menteautVoiuntate Law of Nature to him : Therefore not to do it must needs be Sin, and
F^iUST\ tST- tn€ som °^ 3,1 Sin ; Tnere*°re A<iam tnus is ma<le a 8reat Sinner ab origine
dent, that" is,' Actual in- before his fall. a. If Adam loved not God in his weakest degree of
flux or inspirations. Eut recoverjn„ Grace, he was unsanctified : But if he did (as certainly
whereas he bitterly cen- , « K 11A • • ± «•■ l. • l- 1 n 1 rV«
sureth Vincent : for say- he did) then it is not like that in his leajt degree ot his recover-
somercs ^natura? it in& Grace-> ne WaS Holyet than in Jnnocency (though he might stand on
is bu/ wn»w°»rtim he surer grounds). ,3. And this opinion maketh unholinefsoi Nature to be
quarrelleth. And itisas no part QfOriginal Sin : Because it would be no Privation, but a Nega-
Heafthdand Food we" H°n ' For our Nature in Infancy is not obliged to have that holiness
natural to Adam ? They which it never had and lost in Adam. And so Original Sin is almost
mSSSS a11 denyed> and an unholy heart is made as innocent therein. 4. We
of it concreated with are renewed according to the Image of him that created us , in
"hecreato3"MSlJei wisdom,righteousness,and true holiness, Col. 3. 10. Therefore it washoli-
And yet of Grace , be- ness which wasthe Image ofGod which we lost, and needs renewing,
causes ^ though 036. The Argument for Perseverance from Gods Immutability will
not as now, contrumtri- . ry . , ,. P , /• » 1 ti t -r- rs-r- ■ . ■
turn. God made all very hold as to all the Elect assuchy but not to all the sanctified or justified as
W3hJmnStnJL such' For t1ie AngeIs and Adam\ fall did not prove God mutable. And
abi/socittt. m' " U Cod can judge a thing or person to be changed, without being himself

changed 3 but only denominatione extrinjeca a relatione ad mutatum,

is variously denominated.. And even his Law or Covenant which faith
He that believeth stall be saved, and hethatbelievethnotstaU.be damned,
will not at all be changed if it justifie a Believer to day, whom it
v condemned as an unbeliever yesterday , and should condemn
him again to morrow if he should apostatize 5 or if it conclude
us
 and (SMoralWirhs. 115

us guilty every day anew of every new Sin which we commit.

337. It is a very hard thing to confute an Anabaptist, without
granting that
graining IIMI Infant "justification mmtj
trijurir jmjrijnwviw may be »u«i
lost. aFor experience pu
ui tApimitc proveth
vein c£*'$"j*
TVj X Handling
that the Children of Godly Parents too often prove ungodly: And if ,hT q'£stion why
the question why 'he
.be
thev had 'hSiifying Grace in Infancy, they /0/e it : And if they have nots baptized Infants
infants have
. ' . ,y Jy °. ,.11 ■ .■' ■ ' r 1 1 _ _ » ;nfns#.j Hahirs of Grace.
then the Covenantln which they are entered" doth not certainly Justisie ^t\i^l&xh\^T
<Ae«t. And if so, then it is either the aery y2r«/e Covenant which the opnions that hold the
adult are baptized into, or another. If it be another then their Baptism rKffiSa'ivefhe
is another thing : For Baptism is but the celebration of our Covenant hath no better answer
with God. And another Covenant in specie maketh another Baptism in to them ttotu-bieiLe,st
* a 1 -f r ■ r l l L +-r j? ^ i ■ J \J penence , which ottelt
specie. And it lo, it leemeth to be no Baptijm of Cods appointing : For findeth no signs of such
he hath but One Covenant of Grace to be entered by us, and sealed 5 nor t'batscw^an^hacThey
but one Baptism : Indeed on mans part, there is a Covenanting with the Le known to us only by
Heart and with the mouth, an outward as well as an inward Covenant-
ing, or Consenting : But it is all to one and the fame Covenant of God* Eph^.i,^'
It is the fame species of Faith in God the Father , Son and Holy Ghost
which baptized Hypocrites and true Christians do profess. And Infants
have no Faith of their own to profess, but are dedicated by another's
will j the title-condition of the Adult is their own consenting Faiths
but the title-condition of Infants , is nothing in themselves , but their
Parents consenting Faith without them, which dedicateth them to God.
Now we suppose the Parents to do thissincerely. If then the Covenant
ascertain not present Justification to the Infant, who hath all the condi
tion required by the Covenant, how can we say that it any more ascer-
taineth Justification to the adult, it being proved to be the very same
Covenant and not another. But if it do ascertain it, then many lose it.
I run not into their error, who tell us (and would have none ofus Preach
Christ's Gospel that will not say the same) that It is certain by the Word /C
of God that Infants baptized dying before aUual Sin are certainly savecT]
without excepting the Children os any Infidels, Pagans, or Apostates,
which I cannot prove of the Infants even of Hypocrites or unsound
Christians, or that the Child can he saved by that false Faith , which
will not save the Parent or him that dedicateth him to God 3 or that
the Children of Hypocrites or Infidels have the condition ofJustifica
tion .• And if that Word of God had been cited, that maketh the assertion
certain, it would have been a great kindness to us from those whose
Justice must go for such : (But we are thought unworthy of it.) For my
part, I determine not the difficult case of Infants loss of Justification.
Their case is left dark to us in the Scriptures : But my judgment is fulliest
expressed by the words of the Synod of Dort, Art. 1. $.17. And Dave-
nant's Treatise on that point is very judicious, and considerable, if
wherever he speaketh of Baptized Infants, you will but suppose him to
mean the Infants of true Christians, and not all.
338. Itseemeth a hard saying that any member ofChrist shoald be cut
off, and become a member of Satan, and perish, though he were but an
Infant member. But we must not let the Metaphor deceive us : It is not
a Natural member of Christ's Person that perisheth , as if part of Christ
himself fell off : But a Metaphorical Mystical Political Member. And
Christ thought it no absurdity, Joh. 15. to warn his chief Members that
they fall not off, and to speak by way of supposition of his branches as
cut off, withered and burned. And Adam and the fain Angels, before
their fall, were the Beloved of God, and his Children, and yet fell from
that love. There must be therefore stronger Arguments than this , to
turn the Scales.
C2 SECT.
 Os (fod'f (government,

SECT. XXIV.

The sum and end of this Discourse os certain

^Perseverance.
•
339. The end and sum of all that I have said of Perseverance is
but this, that the controversie is neither, 1. Ofsuch weight) nor, 2. Of
such facility and certainty, as that it should be made necessary to our
charitable converse or Church Communion to hold either this or that :
But we should number it with the dogmata not to be imposed on others,
nor fit to make any breach in the love and concord of Christians }
and for my part, I profess that I take him for the worscr Christian
cœterk paribut , whom I hear with disaffection blotting the names of
others with notes of unsoundness and culpability , for dissenting in
this point on one fide or other , either as holding or as denying the
certain Perseverance of all the justified , than those that differ from
me in the point it self, without any proud supercilious confidence.
And that it is to be numbred with Tolerable Opinions, I have proved
by these Arguments, in sum, 1. That which is so difficult that very
sew of the Learned and Godly Teachers of the Church in all ages
could discern a certainty of it, cannot be a point so great or clear,
as to be made necessary for all Christians or all Pastors of the Church
to agree in : But such is this : For my part I prosess that though my
judgment incline more one way than the other , it is with no certainty
that I am in the right, and I see so great difficulties after my hardest
studies and search, that my inclination is not without much doubt
fulness : And humility and modesty forbid me , to profess a certainty
or too much confidence for a Doctrine, which I openly fay, I cannot
prove or find that any one Christian held of about 1000 years after
* Unless joviniinmiy theApostles dayes, * I have not read all Books, and therefore there
oubtfuL^' WhiCh 18 may have becn some fuch that 1 k.now not of : But I know of none,
that I remember for a far longer time. I know the Learned Bishop
Robert Abbot and others cite Augustine as on that side; But it's past all
controversie, that it is not all the justified but only all the elect whose
Perseverance he asserted. And I am not he that would be separated
from the Communion of all the ancient Churches, and Doctors, and
all the Greek/ and Lutherans of these times. Methinks we should
learn of the Papists at least to be moderate in our censures, when
they who are so much for Impositions , do yet bear in part of this,
with one another, in the controversies between the Dominicans and
Jeluites.
340. 2. My other reason is, as to the comfort of men's Souls, how
little is the difference between these two conclusions, [i am uncer
tain that every weaf^ Christian shall perseveres And {j am uncertain
whether I my self Jhall perseveres The first is the Arminians, and the
second is all or almost all weak Christians conclusion in the world: For
I have fully proved elsewhere, 1. That the sinfullest and worst sort of
true Christians-have not a certainty of their own Sincerity and Justifi
cation, nor are they fit for it : Nay , that it is only strong , a&tvc
Christians who attain to such Assurance : 2. And that there are but
few jirong aUive Christians comparatively in the world. 3. Yea, but
few that will fay [lam certain that lam sincere andjustified'] (excepting
thole
 and Moral Worfy.

those that speak it opinionatively or presumptuously, experience satis-

fieth us. 4. And that one that is uncertain that he is justified at all,
cannot be certain that he Jhall persevere in Justification , I need not
prove. So that by our own common Doctrine and Experience, it is
few true Christians that are certain of their own Perseverance and Sal
vation : And what doth this comfort them more than their Doctrine,
who fay that it is not certain in it self, that any besides the strong
confirmed Christians, and the Elect shall persevere ? and that we can
be certain of the Election of none but the confirmed and the per
severing.
341. I confess it is a great comfort to ctoubting fearful Souls, ifthey
can soundly thus argue, in their doubtful state, [Jam sure I had true
Grace once , and I am sure none fall quite away that have it : Therefore I
am sure I have itftill-~\ But, I. Even this could be the comfort of none
but those few that were once of the Jironger sort of Christians : For no
other can fay [lam sure that I had true Grace once']. 2. And that pre
sent sense of fin which raaketh them doubt oftheir presentsincerity doth
usually make them as much doubt of their pajl sincerity. 3. And
though such a comfort I think be due to a causeless and melancholy
doubter, (who feareth unjustly.) which is setcht from former perceived
sincerity, yet it is not fit for all Christians that are fain into such doubts.
For if a man be fain as sinful, as will stand with any sincerity, (even
in gross Sin) it is not safe for that man to argue, [lam sure that I once
ivas sincere in my obedience 5 therefore I am sure it is so JiilQ for the
reasons which I gave before But by Repentance he must make sure
that he is truly obedient, that he may be sore he was so.
34,2. For my part I will labour as earnestly as I can to make sore
both that I am sincere and justified and (hall persevere, and I will be
none of those that shall command, commend , or encourage causeless
troublesome fears : But preventing fear is the means of perseverance :
Heb. 4. It Having a promise left us of entering into his rest , let us
fear left any of you Jkould seem to come Jhort of it , Joh. 14. 4, &c.
.Abide in me and I in you.— - 6. Is a man abide not in me , he is cast
forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them and cast them
into the fire, and they are burned. ?. If ye abide in me and my words
abide in you, ye shall ask, what ye will As the father hath loved me,
so have I loved you : Continue ye in my love. Ifye keep my Command
ments ye jhall abide in my love- — Joh. 8.31. Ifye continue in my Word,
then are ye my Disciples indeed. So Col. I. 23. <fr pajjim. And I will
never reproach , or censore , or disaffect soch men as holy Bernard
(though I am not of his opinion) who said Serm. I. de Septuages.
L-S?^ fotefi dicere Ego de eleStk sum .<? Ego de prœdejlinatis sum ad vi-
tam dternam .<? Ego de numero sum filiorum Dei .<? guis hæc htquam di
cere potefi , reclamante nimirum , Nefcit homo si amore dignus fit an
odio .<? Certitudinem igitur non habemus : Sed Jpes fiducia confolatur
nos, &c.

SECT.
 1 18 Of Cjotis (governments

sect. xxv.

Degrees offalling 9 aud danger.

343. Every degree of Grace that is true, is not to be supposed pro-

portiottable to the-strongest Temptations : But God prescrveth the weak
effecttuall y by keeping them from temptations too strong for them. And
that which a strong Christian^overcometh might overcome a weak one,
were he assaulted by it. Therefore to avoid and pray against Tempta
tion, is the way to be delivered from evil.
344. Yet the weakest true Christian, in choice, resolution and trial,
forsak^th all for Christ, and lovethGod, and preferreth Glory in Hea
ven before his Life, and is a Martyr in resolution. And yet there are
* severance and what temptations * which are toostrong for him : For 1. He that habitually
confi7mat!on' fs , *a preferreth God to the Creature and his life, may yet fall into such an ah
great comroverfie a- as refer did $ And by ailing contrary to his habitual disposition and rest'
M/^erxf i» ii.Tfc** "j fation, may weaken the habit, and forfeit Divine assistance , and de-
a. !o. d. 1. memioneth serve desertion. 2. And he that valueth Heaven and the love of God
KKu^dbesorehislise, may yet by the nearness os an alluring Object, by the
consist in extrinfick Di- violence of sense and passion be drawn to a fleshly sin, and thinking that
vine custody, z. That fe m ^ave pieafure Gf tnat particular sin, without losing Gods
the confirmed are ne- J s r r > &
cessuated to good, but love, he may be drawn hrlt tolels, and by degrees to greater. 3. And
doCit frl" PTha7con- he that is resolved sor God> ancJ Glory, and Christ, and Holiness, may
firmatlorMsoniy a more meet with such subtile Arguments of Infidels or [Sensualists, which he is
intense degree of the unable to answer, and consequently unable to overcome. And his Z)n-
perseverance is by ordi- derstanding being deceived, his Will may follow 3 so that perseverance
mry Grace with Gods must be by the avoiding of Temptations.
ÆCÆffi! 345 • The greatest sins after Conversion, which are truly repented of,
on is by Grace of it are pardoned by God: And must be pardoned by the Church in order
tnoughTo^necessn^n1g., to Communion, if the manifestation of Repentance be such as answer-
<. That confirmation is eth the ends ( the signification of its reality ) and the removing of the
3«Mtt Stril fcandal and the dishonour of Religion, of the Church, and of Christ.
Mddtrm resleth in this 346. The Sin against the Holy Ghost seemeth unpardonable by the
difference, that the con- Text though the Papists expound it by s hardly pardonably 1. And it is
firmed have such a mea- r » , & . 'J , r r~i a r , ,
sure of Divine helpand (_ obstinate infidelity ana rejection of Christ as a Deceiver, upon a fetlea
her VthrnCtheaSstronr°est conce^ ^at ^e Miracles by the power of the Devil, when they are con-
Temptations : But"the vinced that they were aSually done j and so a blasphemous fathering of Gods
gift of perseverance cm- great attestation upen the Devil, and a reje&ing his last Witness to the Truth,
os' Grace"13 u woold^not which must convince those that eier will be convinced. J But I have wrote a
serve, if God did not Treatise of this Sin, and so shall pass it by.
tK£^*K 347. If a true Believer should be supposed to fall quite away from
confirmation is a mid- the belief of Christ, it seemeth hard to imagine how he can do it with-
Pasev^^ the Divine attestation of the Spirit, by which be
fore he was brought to believe. And it seemeth that therefore, Heb. 6.
& 10. this Apostacy is made the fame with the unpardonable blasphemy
of the Holy Ghost, which yet proveth not that it ever cometh to pass,
but what it would be if it did.
348. Repentance which cometh from fear alone, without the love of
God and Hoiinefs, is no sign of justification, nor consistent with it : nor
is such attrition sufficient to forgiveness : For the heart is not changed to
God without love.

349. Though
 and £K£oral WorJ\s. 119

349. Though where there is more love to the Creature than to God,
there is no true Sanctification ( speaking of rational and not of sensual
love ) j Yet where there is more fear of God than love to God, there may
be Grace, though weak, so be it God be loved above the Crea
ture.
3 50. A Death- Bed, or late Repentance, is then acceptable, and suffi
cient to pardon, when it is the Heart or Love that is thus turned from the
Creature to God habitually 5 so that if the person did recover, he would
live to God : otherwise it is unessectual ; not because too late-, but be
cause unsound: But because fear is usually the principle of such mens
Repentance, it is much to be suspected, though not dispaired os.
351. The day of Grace is never past with any man while life continu-
eth, so as that if he truly repent, he Jliall not be forgiven : For that is con
trary to the Gospel-Covenant. But it is so far past with some, as that
after their obstinate forfeiture, the Means, Help, and Grace of Repentance
(hall not be given them, nor brought so near them as they were.

SECT. XXVI.

Of final Justification, and how Paul and James agree

about Justification by Worfy.

352. Having said this much of constitutive 'justification, and the not-
losing of it, ana assurance of it and its continuance, and touched the
second and third forts of Justification, (sentential and executive) as they
are here in the way, I need not fay much of them as after this life, because
it may be gathered from what is said ofPardon and Justification constitu
tive : Yet a little I will add. And 1. At death a particular doom is
pasted on the Soul as separated : But whether only by execution and sel£
conviction, we know not.
353. The Resurrection assuch is a common ejfeft of Redemption, in jon. $ llf a$> lSf 1?<
right antecedent to mens well or ill deserving:And therefore all are raised
by Christ.
354. The. Justification of Believers at the last day, will be that great
Justification, to which all that went before were but means, and im
perfect.
355. Christ[will be here both Judge and Advocate, and as both
iustisie Believers: And he will be the condemning Judge of the
Wicked.
356. All men shall be then judged according to their Works or Deeds
done in the Body, whether Good or Evil. * it is a gross over sight
* 357. To be justified then will not be to be judged sinless, (as is of d. Pttavius, e/«.
aforesaid) but to be judged one that by Gods Law (which must be SfaSilSKS
the norma judicii) is not tobe damned to Hell, but to be glorified in other Rtatus but obiiga-
Heaven, or to be sentenced to endless life, and acquit from this Accu- wh«n"
lation that we are aamnandt, or to be punilhed in Hell. And in order ». cuip*, which is the
violation of^he Precept.
3. Ad panam,\\hkh resulteth from the threatning. And worse,/».i io.that xon omni ptecatum est culpa fed hoc folnm quod ex voluntate,
id eQJibero arbitrio & election! committitur nec imputatur in culpam nisi tx deliberation & libera voluntatis ileclione froctdat. A'as,
that God's Law must be thus denied or depraved, that fin may be made no sin, and so to need no Christ or Pardon. Cont.
1. Analogically it is peccatm'm an Ox to go out of the furrow : But properly nothing in man is peccatum, but culpa : And all
breaking a Law is culpa, and nothing else is ptecatum. i. Not to deliberate is a great and usual fin. 3. The omission of the
Wills election or intention is sin, as well as an ill election. Woe to him that repenteth not of these, and is not pardoned
them.
to
 Os Qocts (government3
1 20
to this, to be sentenced such as have the true causes and conditions of
Right to Immunity and Life: which are, 1. Immediately the gift of this
Right by God himself in his Covenant, with Christ the Fountain of it.
2. A true Right and Relation to Christ as our Head and Saviour, and
the only Meriter of this Covenant-Gist, and Justification, and Adoption,
by his habitual, active and passive Righteousness and Sacrifice, advanced
in dignity by Union with his Divine perfection. 3. True Faith and
Repentance, with Love, Obedience and Perseverance, as the title-con
ditions required by the donative and condonative Covenant.
358. As I have before said, that a man must be justified at that
Day from the charge of Infidelity by his Faith it self (and not by-
Christ's Merits ) and from the charge of Impenitence by his Repentance
it selfj So I add, that he must be justified from the charge of Hypo-
crifie by his sincerity, and from the charge of Rebellion by his subjeUion,
and from the charge of wickedness by final godliness and obedience, and
from the charge of Apostacy by perseverance 5 But from the charge of
his wickedness before Conversion , and his pardoned sins and weak
ness since, only by Christ's Sacrifice and meritorious Righteousness, and
the Pardon purchased thereby, and given in the New Covenant. And
from the accusation that we are Sinners in general, we have no Justifica
tion at all.
;V359. Judgment is the Genus, and Justification, and Condemnation are
the species : Therefore to be judged according to our Works, is to be
justified or condemned according to our Works.
360. As I said, that it is God's Justice and Mercy, and Christ's Re
demption of us, which are chiefly to be glorified at that Day 5 but it is
our personal Gospel-Righteousness, or performance of the Conditions
of the New Covenant, which is then to be tried, and we, and not Christ,
that are to be judged So I add, that the New Testament referring to
this fore-seen , doth usually speak accordingly , of justifying us by
Fdith, by our words, or by our works, that he that doth righteousness is
righteous, ckc. And it speaketh of that same Righteousness as consti
tuting us just first, by which we must be judged just at last.
361. It is very easie therefore where prejudice blindeth not men, to
see the concord of Christ's saying , We are justified by our words, and
Paul's by Faith, and net by Works, and James by Works, and not by Faith
only. Christ speaketh of a particular Justification, from a common great
Crime, a wicked Tongue as the sign or product of a wicked Heart 5
And this must be part of the personal material Righteousness, by which
* Tout in Kom Annot We mu^ oe justi^eci as true Christians. * Paul speaketh of our being
17. Ww h Rom. 3. 28. justified by being Christians, and not by keeping Mose's Law, or doing
Z&V soy'offÆa- an}r Works which will be to us instead of a Christ or a free-given Par-
tion by Faith, as the don, and Righteousness by him. And James speaketh of the full con-
?rott(ian:s do. F,d. & ditionof Justification, as continued final and compleat, as it consisteth
Stipletoit. dt Justif. It. 8. ~ . ~ J . , ' r '
c. nit. & Beiiam. dt or its ellential parts.
lun'l'it er** 1t 10* lU 362, ^ne y °^ Understanding Paul's Discourses of Justification is,
r. 19.' Tapper. 'ari i.ii to know, i. That the grand question which he first manageth is, Whe-
34'f- t- 17, *her the Gentiles may not besaved without keeping the Jewish Law, as well
t/^VLVr^^Ewfer," art^e Jews w/fA if ? 2. To prove the Affirmative, he proveth that the
f- Jews themselves cannot be saved or justified meerly or primarily by the
Law, notwithstanding the divinity and great excellency of it , but must
be justified by a Saviour, and free-given Pardon and Right to Life, and
to which the sincere keeping of Aloje's Law was intended to be but sub
servient. 3. That therefore it appeareth, that the Jews did so fondly
admire
 and (SMoral Worhg. , . 1.2 1

admire the Law, and their national priviledges under it , that they
thought that the exact keeping of it was necessary and sufficient to J usti:
fication and Salvation : And they thought the Meffiah was not to be
their Righteousness, as a Sacrifice for Sin, and Meriter of free Pardon,
and the Gift of Life, but only a great Ring and Deliverer, to redeem
them by Power from all their Enemies and Bondage. 4. That it was
not Adam's Covenant of Innocency or Perfection which the Jews thus
trusted to, or Paul doth speak against as to Justification ( though a mt-
nore ad majus, that also is excluded.) For the Jews knew that they were
Sinners, and that God pardoned Sin as a merciful God, and that their Pitavius.de ug.& Grot.
Law had Sacrifices for Pardon and Expiation, with Confessions, &c. ^h';^ jjrious sen^J
But they thought that so far as God had made that Law sufficient to which the Law dothor
political ends, and to temporal Rewards and Punishments, it had been {?* Proraise 1 fc
sufficient to eternal Rewards and Punishments 3 and that of it self, and his two Eooks ifmuch
not in meer subordination to the typified Meffiah. Therefore they, worth the reading of the
thought that he that kept the Law so far as to comit no sin which the Law ^Gospel °&e Mr.*/-
punilhed with death or abscission, and that for all his other pardonable fortTVMt. of the Two
sins, performed the required Penances and Sacrifices, was by this, which /STSff^ffiK
is called The Works of the Law j that is, the keeping of the Law, ^ Great. Pi^tiir.whhthe
righteous justifiable person. 5. That the thing therefore which Paul APttnd-
disproveth them by is, I. That the Law was never made for such an, •
end. 2. That even then it stood in subordination to Redemption. .
and free-given life. 3. That the free Gift or Covenant of Grace con
taining the Promise of the Messiah, and Pardqn and Life by him, was
before the Law, and justified Abraham and others even without it.
4. That their Law was so strict, that no man could perfectly keep it
all. . 5. That every Sin deserveth death indeed, though their Law pu
nished not everjr sin with death by the Magistrate. 6. That their Law
Was never Obligatory to the Gentile world, who had a Law written in
their Hearts 5 and therefore not the common way of Justification.
* 7. That their Law, as such, discovered sin, but gave not the Spirit * jt»ftnm Au
of Grace to overcome it: Insomuch as though he himself; desired per- e.± afserteth, That the
fectly to fulfil it without sin, ye
vity , that is , a moral neceffitj
from which only the Grace of C — t Tabie
ver him. 8. That ' no man ever came to Heaven by that way of mqnt .in'memory'and'ln °the
which they dreamed of, but all by the way of Redemption , Grace, h*yj>andsotnakeththc
free Gift and pardoning Mercy. Therefore their conceit that ttyey c£f\y ±i% u^hwPthe
were just in the main, and forgiven their sins, and so justifiable by the Scriptures, as being
meer dignity of Moses Law which they kept;, and by the Works of t^»ffJ5^^JJ*JJ
Law, and not by the free Gift, Pardon and Grace of a Redeemer, and we thankfully confess
by the Faith and practical belief of that Gift, and acceptance of it, ^fcst?hc. d*™™'* of
J- , , , r 1 ■ uj- i_ r- » ... r > Christianity are so plain
with thankful penitent obedient hearts, was a pernicious errour. But, and few as may bere-
the true way of Righteousness was to become true Christians, that is,,membred? y«thecwi
with such a penitent thankful, accepting , practical belief or affiance pWnedinthe Scripture"
to believe in God as the Giver of Salvation, in Christ as the Redeemer, and w»l'out written Re-
and his Spirit as our Life and Sanctifier, and to accept Christ and all his £ve be?n K^aTpS
procured Benefits, Justification and Life,as purchased by his Sacrifice and served > as experience
meritorious Righteousness, and given in the New Covenant on this and reason Pre
condition, and so to give up our selves to bis whole saving- work, as to
the Physician of our Souls, and only Mediator with God. This is the
sum of Paul's Doctrine on this; point. . • ,;
363. I fay again therefore^ for any man to fay that some one physical
act, either assent, or consent, or affiance, upon one particular Object
R (Christ's
 1 22 Os t/od's government,

( Christ's Righteousness as offered us ) is the instrumental cause of our

Justification 5 and that to look to be justified by any other act of Faith
on Christ, or on the Father, or Holy Ghost, or on Heaven the final
Object ( God in Glory ) , or secondarily as subsequent parts of the
condition of Salvation, by Repentance , by praying for Pardon , by
forgiving others, by Obedience to Christ, &c. is to look to be justi
fied by Works in the sense that Paul excludeth them j this is but to
abuse the Gospel and the Church, by a scandalous misinterpretation of
a great part of the New Testament.
ug.?Uctam.inTbt[.Sti' 364. St. James therefore having to do with some who thought that
mb. dt tola. Vol. 1. & the bate profession of Christianity was Christianity, and that Faith was
l7btt&ulunlS. ameer assent to the Truth, and that to believe that the Gospel is true,
dt ^«/ij»nd our Mr. G/£- and trust to be justified by Christ was enough to Justification, without
the* MoraiM-E^&s Holiness and fruitful Lives, and that their sin and barrenness hindered
at Giturn the Fields, not their Justification, so that they thus believed ( perhaps misunder-
m£* {iJtmS Ending Paul's Epistles) doth convince them that they were mistaken,
Nos impMt'm' nobis cbnlli and that when God spake of Nullification by faith, without the Works
pstitim*jtr cam for- 0f the Law, he never meant a Faith that containeth not a resolution
&l%us,neq*°mdh^Ms to obey him in whom we believe, nor that is separated from actual
wiquam, ntqs fmtimus, Obedience in the prosecutions But that as we must be justified by our
'L'-qid""im "4f faith against the charge of being Infidels, so must we be justified by our
nn minus cm naa ratio- Gospel personal holiness and sincere Obedience against the charge , that
aSZi^jtSmi we are *nkoly and or ^penitent, or Hypocrites, or else we shall
tit judieis donantis hi never be adjudged to Salvation, that is, justified by God.
fif"&c. 'ffr 3^5* ^ t*ien *sPast controverfie among considerate understand-
' ing men, 1. That Workt justifie us not as perfeB, according to the Cove
nant of Innocence, because we have them not. 2. That the Works or
keeping of Mofi'% Law, as conceited sufficient, or as set in opposition
against, or competition with a Saviour or free Gift, or any otherwise
than as the exercises of meer Obedience under Christ ( as Mary, Za-
chary, Elizabeth, Simeon, John Baptist, David, &c. used them, ) could
justifie no man. 3. That consequently no other Works set up either in
the said opposition or competition, or as any thing of Merit, or worth is
ascribed to them, which is proper to Christ, or any part of the honour
of Gods free Gist , can justifie no man 5 nor any other way, than as
meer conditions, and exercises of thankful obedience or acceptance, in
pure subordination to God's Mercy, and Christ's Merits, and the free
Gift.
But that Works are not excluded from being conditions of our justi
fication, or the matter of it in any of these following respects : K. That
Faith it self, which is our 08, and an aU of Obedience to God, and is
the fiducial accepting belief in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, for
the benefits of the Covenant, is the condition of our first Covenant-
right to these Benefits. 2. That this Faith is not aUual Obedience to
Christ as Christ ( at first, but only to God as God ). But it is the Souls
sttbjeffion.to Christ as Christ, which is our Covenant-consent to our future
Obedience, and virtually, though not a&ual/y , containeth our future
Obedience in it. 3. That there is somewhat of love, consent or willing
ness, of Desire, of Hope, of Repentance , which goeth to make up this
moral work, of Faith, as it is the condition 5 even our first Christianity it
self. 4. That as the making of a Covenant is for she performing of it,
and subje&ion is for Obedience and Marriage for conjugal Duties, so our
said first Covenanting-Faith is for our future Faith, Hope, Comfort, and
grateful Obedience and Holiness: And these are the secondary parts of
. the

r
 and <£Adoral Worlds. 123

the condition of Salvation : And so are the secondary parts of our Justifi
cations, condition as continued or not-lost, and consummate : For to
justifie us, is, as is said, to justifie our Right to Impunity and Glory.
5. That, as is (aid, our own performance of the condition of the free
Gift of Impunity and Glory , by the New Covenant purchased by
Christ's Righteousness , is the thing to be tried and judged in Gods judg
ment) Ana therefore we must so far be thenjustifed from the charge of
not performing that condition, of being Infidels , unfanctified impeni
tent Hypocrites, Apostates, and so of having no part in Christ and the
free Gift, even by our personal Evangelical Faith, Holiness, Repentance,
Sincerity and Perseverance. And all this justification by Works St. James
is for, and it is undeniable by any thing but prejudice, ignorance, and
siding pievishness. Let the Reader of quick understanding pardon my
repeating the fame thing, which others will not yet understand.
266. Christ's Sermons, Maith. 5. &6.7. & 10. & 13. & 18. & 21.
and Luk.6.& 11.&12.& 16.& 19. and Job. $.&6,1kc.
with all the Sermons in the A&s, and all the Catholick Epistles of Peter,
James, Jude and John, and Paul's Epist. to the Rom. Chap. 1. 2. 4. 6. 7. 8. * Mc-thinks jaUmm
12, &c. Gal. and a great part of the rest of his Epistles, are greatly wrongeth* his
made up of this Doctrine of * Grace which I have asserted; And the r^Vc^^Priii
reading of them will better instruct you in the true sense of Remission and Auguliimu ixtUiautim
Justification, than most Treatises written on that Subject which I have jjjjjf3£ „t^s\
seen. . ptruit fidtltbus & tcclt-
967. The perfection of Justification and Pardon will be by the final fa ? w.e to™1* fry.
3 , o 1 i- jT 1 n.-r-' 1 1 ^>t J thats Primus Lutbtml
executive act, the taking the justified into Glory. they would take it for a
note of novelty and
_^ ,—.—-~ 1 . 1— 1 erronr: was the Church
CI?r T YYVii *°r years ignorant
StCT. XXVII. of Grace and funda-
_ /» j» 1 I •/» f • I i 1 /t HIei,tal Verities? Con-
Of the fewness of the glortfied.and the many that ferijh. p,s lvlJ?tatl
in his Sermons, and the
368. Though it be comparatively but a little flock, and part of ^ffiS&S
this world to whom God will give the heavenly Kingdom , yet the curious writings, plain-
number will in it self be exceeding great. And it's very probable that "tf
( this Earth being a very little punSum of the Creation) that taking all Grace: yea even the
God's rational Creatures together, the number of the damned will be selfcontained it.
found a very sinall number in comparison of the blessed 3 even as the
Malefactors in the Jailes are to the Subjects of the Kingdom. For the
worlds above us are incomprehensibly vast and glorious 5 And the Text
telleth us, Heb. 22. 22. That we are come to an innumerable company of
Angels : Though the proportions be unknown to us, I speak this again,
that mistakes tempt not men to unworthy thoughts of the infinite amia
ble goodness of God, or of the Christian Faith. /
369. And what the Saints do want in number, they (hall have in
excellency, to glorifie the goodness of God. The little Flock which
shall have the Kingdom, (hall be all Kings and Priests, and (hall judge
the world (Judgment in Scripture is much put for Government):
They (ball be equal with Angels, and shining Stars in our Fathers Firma
ment, and (hall (it with Christ upon his Throne : And (hall in a word,
in the perfection of their Natures, perfectly know, love and praise, obey
and delight in God, in a perfect society in the sight of Christ's Glory,
and be assured of this to all eternity. Amen.
And we see in Gods Works of Nature, high Excellencies are rare.
There are not Ib many Suns as Stars, not Stars, as Stones, ot Leaves, or
R 2 ' Trees 5
 _I . , — .... — —
"trees , nor so much Gold as Earth j nor so many Men, as Flies, Fishes, and
other Animals , nor so many Kings as Subje&s 3 nor so many Teachers as
Learners 5 nor so many men of learning and wisdom as ignorance. And
we ^ee there are not so many g<K#* as ungodly.
370. And, as I told you before, that as Israel was not all Gods peof le
in the world. before Christ's Incarnation, and that the Chatholick. Church
now succeedeth them in their high aad rare Peculiarities and Priviledges
above the rest of the world, and far exceedeth them in the greatness of
our Mercies ; and that Christ's Incarnation hath put the jrest of the
world into no worse a condition than they were before 5 and that all
the world is under a Law of Grace, and none under the Law and Cove
nant of Innocency only" : So I now add, that all shall be judged by that
Rom. t. ^aw which they were under 3 They that have finned without a (written )
Law, shall be judged without that Law : And what state each particular
Soul is in, the Judge only knoweth, and not we, who are insolently ar
rogant, if we will step up into his Throne, and judge his Subjects with
out his Commission. But this we know that God hath various degrees
of Rewards and Funiflments ( as to Infants and Adults so to the Adult
among themselves. ) And that he that gained but two Talents (hall be
Ruler of two Cities : And he that had but one might have improved one,
though he could not have improved more than he had : And that they
Matth * last have done goodshall go into everlasting life,and those that have done evil
att 5. a ^0 everlalling punishment. And the kinds and degrees of their different
punishments hereafter , how great, and how far involuntary , they are
beyond the very miserable case of theirsmfulness itself are things that are
unknown to us. But certain we are, that the Judge of all the world
will do righteously, and that all wise and righteous mens judgments,
j1 "when they shall see what the number of Sufferers, and the sorts ami de
grees of their punishment are, .shajl. be fully satisfied of the Good
ness, Clemency, Wisdom and Justice of-'God , *and never once wish it-
had been otherwise. And that the Servant that knew his Lords Will,
Luk.ix.47,48. an<^ PrePare^ noi himself; nor did according to his Will, shall be beaten
with many firipes : But he that kpew not, and did commit things worthy
• of firipes , pall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much
is given, of him shall be much required : and to whom men have committed
much, of him will they ask, the more., , , . ' . • ■
371. It is little understood by most how much man by sin it self is
effectively his own Tormenter, (which tempteth man to doubt of
Hell, as if: it were Gods too much severity so to punish.) How Sin,
is a punishment it self, and how God antecedently made mans nature
such, that if he would sin, it should torment him and undo him of
it self (like poysonto the Body) I have opened in the firsts Chapter.
See Gabr. Biel in 2. d. 36. that Omne peccatum efi pœna, and the four
Reasons of Bonavent. recited by him.
372. The Stoicks and Flatonists Revolution, and the Pythagorean
Re- incorporation, are so like the Christian Doctrine of the Resurrection,
that ( though we must not with Origin seek to make them liker than
they are, yet) those Infidels are unexcusable who take this forincredi-
* Such as are most of ble, and yet take the other for the most rational conjecture. *
the sober Heathens in . '
the world. For the most
religious and sober of Bless, Lord, thy own reconciling Truths, to the healing of thy Churches;
^Z%ePl^fylZmor ** lea^ °f s0me disjoynted minds. And teach me with patience to-
dt divers. Reitg. post Hill, bear the obloquy and Reproach of mistaken %,ealousCensurers : And forgive
ft"1' them that know not what they fay or do. And wherein I err, forgive and.
reQifie me, and better inform both the Reader and me.
 Catholick TheoJo

The Second BOOK,

Synodists and A Pw m i n i a hs ^

The^C a l v i* i s r s and L u T.rti r a tf s>K^penciled :

Do m i n i c an s and J e suites j • ' ~ •

OR,

AN END OF THE CONTROVERSIES ABOUT GODS DECREES and

GRACE, and MANS FREE-WILL, MERIT, &c. If men are willing.

A RETREAT TO THE MILITANT DIVINES, WHO HAVE TOO

LONG WARRED ABOUT WORDS, and UNREVEALED THINGS 5
and KEPT THE CHURCH OF GOD IN FLAMES , and DRAWN
CHRISTS MEMBERS TO HATE, REPROACH and PERSECUTE
EACH OTHER FOR THEY KNEW NOT WHAT.

In a Dialogue between C. (a Calvini/l) A (an Arminim)

and 3?. (the Reconciler) : and others.

By Richard Baxter.

Tim. 2. 14, 15, 16. Of these put them in remembrance , charging them before
the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, but to the subverting
of the hearers. Study to Jhen> thy self approved unto Godi a Workman that
needeth not to be ajbamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth. But stun
propbane and vain bablings'-> for they will encreafe unto more ungodliness : and
their word will eat as doth a Canker.

L0 3^D0fr£:

Printed for J\(evil Simmons , at the Trinces <$Arms

in St. <Paids Cburcb-Tarl 1675.

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 THE

CONTENTS

OF THE

Second Book.

The first days Conference\ about Predejlination.

THc need of conciliatory endeavours, p. I, 2. What this undertaking

is , p. 3. Predetermination to Sin excluded 3 the cafe briefly
opened, p. 4.
Thefirst Crimination by the Arminian : Of eternal absolute Reproba
tion,^, o. Whether a thing not existent may be a Moral causes, or God's
ASshave Causes, p. 7. How far Cods Decrees may be said to have ex-
trittfick^ Causes, p. 8.
2 besecond Crimination , ofGod's decreeing Sin 5 either to predetermine
it, orthe event, or his permission, p-$. . ,', .
The third Crimination : Necejfitation of Sin by Negative decrees. Ne
gation of decrees opened, p. n.
The fourth Crimination 5 The pure Masse whether the objetf of Prede
stination, p. 12. Decrees distinguished,^ \%.
The fifth Crimination 5 Do the Decrees proceed according to the order of
Intention, or ofExecution, p. 1 4. •
The sixth Crimination j Denying aU Conditional Decrees, p. 16.
Theseventh Crimination ; Of absolute Election, p. 17.
The eighth Crimination 3 Leading men to presumption hereby, p. 18.
The vinth Crimination 3 Setting necessity andfate, p. 19.
The tenth Crimination ; Maying God a Respe&er of persons, by unequal
Decrees, p. 2f. .
The e/ez/e/^Crimtnatiojn .5 Making God and Ministers Dissemblers,p. 2 1»
dim. 12. Of a main power given, p. 23.

The second days Conference, The Qriminations

by the Calvinift.

What good this conciliatory attempt may do, p. 24. Thefirst Crimination,
Denying cleSu»tttua>jnfvrUtbk. The second Crim. An eleftion of Things
instead of Persons, p. 26.
The third Crim. Denying* decree of the first special Grace. Thefourth
Crim. ,0/Scientia Meclia, p. 27.
'1 he fifth Crim. Denying Absolute Reprobation. Reprobation opened,
p- 29, 30. Whether God will Sin, p. ^o. or the A&, p. 3 1 . Howfar man
van cause his au undetermined, p. 32. Pretences for Gods causing Sin,an-
A 2 Jwered.
 The Contents.

swered. How Cod causeth the ejfeft and not the Volition, p. ^%,&c. What
God doth about Sin, p. 37. » \ 4
Thesixth Crim. Os Conditional decrees,]). 38.
T/feseventh Crim. 0/ foreseen Merit; p. 39.
7#e eagÆfA Crim. 0/ making many EleSions, p. 40.
T/Se ninth Crim. Ordering the Decrees according to Execution, p. 41. H*jp
GW </<>f/> Velle finem. The Cafe opened, p. 42.
The tenth Crim. denying an eternal cause offuturition , p. 45. Whether
futurity be any things and have any cause, p. 48.

The third days Conference, OsZJniversal and

Special Redemption.

Thefirst Crim. Of the Armin. denying Christ's office to the world, p. 50.
* To which I here Calvinists/or universal Redemption, what all agree in, p. 54. * Did Christ
add the Church of die equallyfor all, p.55.
England Homil.li. 2. rhe second Crim. Denying express Scripture, p. 57. Tfo Synod of Dort
/>.i 8 5.[God so loved vindicated, p. 5 9.
ave his onl Son rk ***** Crim' T^ ^ G<,-Æe/ O**""1*' H self* V-6*-
e!-c.] But'to whom The fourth andfifth Crim. Making an impossibility, or faljhood the objeSt
did he give him > He os fai*h, p- 62.
gave him to the Tfo J«cf£ , seventh , and eighth Crim. Disabling Ministers to Preach,
whole woild, that is leaving moU men remediless j teaching Infidels impenitence, p. 63.
to fay , to Adam , jfje ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth Crim. Exempting men pom Hell
and to all that should torments ? iustiiying Ingratitude 5 denying Christ's Kingdoms 3 tempting
come after him / O . r z"j /•/
Lord, what had A~ men *° W» P- 5*> 65-
</<n» , or any other ,
man deserved at
' The fmth <h* Conference.
ly Son We are all
miserable Sinners, The Calviniitejfr/2 Crim. Making Christ dye in vain, for them thatht
damnable persons , tyen> p^fa p. 55.
ffliscIV'u1stl)Utex rhesecond Cxm' An imPerfeB s*vioHr> P- 67- third Crim. Dying
cMh^^^,f^m^jnHfU*?'6l' . r , r , , ,j . to
ind justly condemned Thefourth Crim. To die for those whom he would not pray for, p. 68.
to Hell.See a Learned Thefifth Crim. Making Christ not to purchase faith, p. 69.
Gentleman's Reasons The fixth,feventh,eighth,and ninth Crim. Uncertain conditional Redemp-
for Vrivers Redemp. %ion • no morefor the saved than the damned : Chri&'s Jheep to know him
(yet living) Mt.Pole- he ^m them . Vard0ning Original Sin to all, p. 70.
bill, ofGods Decrees. Crim> r§ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Serfe„^ p> 72>

The fifth days Conference, Of Mans Sinfulnefs, and

Impotency, and of Free-will.

The Armin. Crim. iji. Denyingallfree-will, they deny all Morality ,p-73.
What Liberty is here meant .<? largely discussed, to p. 79. What Liberty we
hold, p. 79. DtffA Original Sin necessitate all evil, p. 82.
Thesecond Crim. Denying?ower to believe, p. 85. ff&if £Powers [can]
and [cannot] mean, p. 86, fullier opened, p. 87, <£r. gueltions hence an
swered,
 The Contents.

swered, p. 96, &c. The advantage ofsome by denying Habits besides Powcf
a»Mcts, p. 99. Habits proved^ p. 100.
Crim. 3. Making all men utterly and equally bad, p. 101.
Crim. 4. Infants, Heathens, and moif men made and necessitated to
sin and damnation, p. 103. Of Infants remedy, p. 104. ParentsJin defiletb
thew, p. 105. Of Heathens Cafe, p. 106.
Crim. 5 . lhat none can do more good or less evil than he doth, p. 107.

The sixth days Conference,

The Calvinifts Crim. I. Denying original Jin , p. 109. Original sift

opened, p. 1 1 1 .
Crim. 2. That men can use their Naturals to preparefor Grace, p. 112.
What man can do, further opened, p. 114.
Crim. 3. Holding freewill to good, p. 121. A manifold Liberty evinced
by many J>hteftions,p. 1 2 ^.Whether any that use it not have liberty to believe^
P- 124, 125.
Crim. 4. That men are not dead inJin, p. 125.
Crim. 5. That man is not metrly passive in hisfirfi conversion, p. 1 26.
Crim 6. None damnedfor Adam's (in only, p. 1,28.

The seventh days Conference, OfSufficient and

EffeBual (jrace.

Crim. 1. Ofthe Armia. Denying sufficient Grace they damn men for meet
Impossibilities, p. 130. Had Adamsujpcient Gra-e,p.i32. Ofthe 13th. Artie,
efthe Church 0jsEngIand,p. 1 33. How Godwilleth mens Salvation, p. 1 34.
Crim. 2. Mahjng Grace unreJiHible, p. 136. Howfar they doso.

The eighth days Conference,

Crim. I. Of the Calv. They assert universal sufficient Grace, p. 139.

gueries evincing Common Grace, p. 139." The greatness of their error that
deny it, p. 141. Doth thissatisfie, while God that'can save men will not,
p. 143. What Grace, and what sufficient Grace is, p. 145. Whether the
fame measure of Grace called meerlysufficient, be ever efseUnal, p. ufi.What
the Grace in that question k. Whether a vis imprefla .<? Ofdetermination by
God, and by the Intellect, p. 1 5 1, 152, 153.
Crim. 2. By Grace they mean Nature as Pelagius, p. 156. What Nature
is ? Grace, howfar\supernatural,^! 58.
Crim. 3. Makjng Grace but a Moral Jwasion, p. 1 60. Physical operation
what, p. 162.
Crim. 4. They hold faith to be acquired and not infused, p. 162. What
acquired and infused means, 163. Dr.Twifle about this noted,p.i6j ,<&c.
Crim. 5 . They hold Grace giten according to works or preparations. 169.
Crim. 6. They make the Will to have no sin or Grace, p. 171.
Crim. 7. They make Grace resistible, p. 172. The cafe further opened,
p. 1 73, 1 74,C^r. // there any universalsecond cause ofGrace under God, (as
the Sun in Nature) which worh$th resiftibly (and God by it)&d modum reci-
pientis ? p. 177. chrift howfarsuch, ib. Crim.
 The Contents.

Crim. 8. They make mans Will to make himself to differ,&c. p. 180.

What differing is .<? what the causes .<? as to believing,ib. Howfar God worketh
by universal Grace, p. 185. Who made thee to differ , opened, p. 186.
Crim. 9. Man's will makethGods Grace effectual, and not Gods, p. 186.
Whence Grace is effectual, p. 1 89. Differencing Grace what,p. 1 9 2. 7/ not all
the question of the Divine Impress , p. 193, 194. The cafe summarily
opened, p. 196.

The ninth days Conference, Of Perseverance.

The Arm. Crim. 1. They make fear and care to befolly, p. 198.
Crim. 2. They cherish all sin, p. 200.
Crim. 3. Their Do&rine is uncomfortable on pretence of confuting ,
p. 200, 201. Bothsides charge each other thus, A middle way about Per
severance, avoiding both, p. 204.
Crim. 4. They diponour Gods Image making heinous Jin consistent with
'it, p. 204.
Crim. 5. Immodesty and singularity contradi&ing all the ancient
Church, p. 206.
Crim. 6. ContradiUing express Scripture, p. 207.

The tenth days Conference. The Cah. Qrimina-

tions^hout Perseverance.

Crim. I. They overthrow the comfort of believers, that deny Perseve

rance, p. 208. What comfort may be had by such, p. 2 1 1 .
Crim. 2. and 3. They make God or his Covenant mutable, p. 212.
Crim. 4. They deny the Promise of Perseverance, p. 2 13.
Crim. 5. They infer a second Regeneration, p. 214.
Crim. 6. They go against the DoStrine ofAugustine, &c. p. 2 1 5.
Thejuft extenuation ofthis latf controversy, p. 215.

Hoe eleventh days Conference, with a Libertine scalled

AntinomianJ vindicating found Do&rine againjh

divers accusations.

Chap. 1. Whether we mutt call men to come to Christ without Prepara

tion, p. 220.
Chap. 2. Of denying our own Righteousness, p. 223. Personal Righteous
ness necessary, p. 224. Of Reward and worthiness (or Merit) p. 225. The
truth largely opened about merit and rewardfis.i^o.Rcasonsfor ityp.2% 2,&c.
Ch. 3. Whether our own Righteousness conduce to our justification .<? Or
we are any wayjustified by it, p. 238.
Ch.4. Whether the Gospel be a Law of chritt, p. 243. Cp.245.
Ch.5. Whether Christ (and not we)be the only party in Covenant with Godr„
Ch. 6. Whether the new Covenant have conditions, p. 247.
Cb. 7. Whether justifying faith be a believing in ChriSt as Teacher^
Ruler, &c. or only a receiving his Righteousness, p. 251.
Ch.8. Of Faiths Justifying Instrumentallytp.351. Ch.9.
 Ch. 9. Whether Faith itself be Imputedfor Righteousness, p. 252.
Ch. 10. Whether it be a change in God to jnfiifie the (before) unjusti-
fed, p 256.
Ch. 1 1 . Whether ajustified man shouldfear becoming unjustified 2 ibid*
Ch. 12. Ofmans power to believe : and our calling the unregenerate to
Duty, p. 258.
Ch. 1 3 .Ofthe witness ofthe Spirit,and ofEvidences oj'Justification ,p. 261.
The Conclusion.

The twelfth days Qmserence with a (learned^Lutherane.

Whether the difference among Christians about Merit, be as great as some

tkinkjt, p. 263. Some Protestants (and the late Le&urers) Reasons against
Merit proposed,p.26$. and the cafe opened. Ofthe DoUrine ofthe Council
of Trent, p. 266, &c. Of condignity, p. 267. The DoBrine o/Vega,
Scotus, Waldensis, Eckius, Marsilius, Bellarmine, Greg. Armin. Durand.
Brugen(Xusanus,Stapleton,Bradwardine, Soto, Bonaventure sta. Clara,
and all ihe Schoolmen as hejudgesh, Carthus: Caslander, p. 270. Holiness
and Glory a greater gift than Glory without holiness, p. 271. Aquinasjudg
ment. His confusion occasioned by his opinion that the new Law is that which
is in the heart, and not written, viz, the Spirit (as the Quakers hold) ib.
Valquez denyeth Commutative Justice in God , with all the School Dolors,
(17 of them cited). He consuteth it (even as to Christ). He denyeth proper
Dijiributivejujlice also in God, citing Bonavent. Scotus, Durand. Palud.
Gabriel, Alexand. Aquin. &c. p. 272,^. Aquinas sense, nvCarbo*
words, p. 275. Many Schoolmen deny as much as Legal or Governing Justice
in God. Ruiz citethfor this Argent. Baflbl. Suarez, Pesant ; Suarez faith,
God's promises are but naked Assertions declaring his Will. Durand. that
promises ftgnifie not obligation : Greg. Armin. That the Crown is no Debt,
but offree Ordination. Marsil. That God is no Debtor, butfree Giver:Scotus,
Major, Ricard. deny God to be a Debtor by his promise, but hold that Merits
aresuch by Promise. Ruiz faith (against SuarezJ That Promises are more
than Assertions, but that God's obligation is to himself, p. 276, Medina a-
gain(i Meriting Remijfion, p. 277. Against Preparation, p. 277. Conta-
renusjudgment.Ftiher's o/Rochester,p.278.The words ofT0/ef,p.28o.

The thirteenth days Conference, with a Sectary.

Of the great errors, (In and danger which many Ignorant Professors fall
into, on the pretence of abhorring and avoiding Popery, p. 283. Thefins of
Juch as Calumniatefound Teachers asfavouring Popery,p.28$. Errors vended
by some Proteliants through an injudicious opposition to Popery, p. 287. IVs
necessary that we mention them and repent of them, p. 288. Wherein these
Setfaries agree with the Papists while they over-oppose them, p. 289. The
great mischief that is done by railing at Truth as Popery, and calling good
things Anti-Chri&ian, and prating thus before they understand, p. 289.
More offitch mischiefs, with Counsel to the Guilty, p. 291, &c.
Horrid Lies of Papists against Protestants, instanced out of Tympius,
stould warn us that we imitate them not. More Objections answered,
p. 296, &c.
I
 I

DIALOGUE

BETWEEN

A. (an <*ArminianJ and B. ( the Conciliator.J

THE

First Days Conference

ABOUT

PREDESTINATION

< A . I perceive rjy your Writings, that you would make men be-
* f\ lieve, that the differences between the Arminians and Cal-
i % vinifts, are matters of no such moment as they are commonly > i,
judged to be, * and that the distance is very small, if men
understood themselves ; and you would have it thought that you are #M«*
, r r r j i • i_ -i- • r i /■> bl"m vocant, Christums
the man fit for so great an undertaking, as the conciliation of these omnibus mo judidtfuf-
differing Parties is. But to deal freely with you, I take it to be but the ^Jj.icffbZf''t dfne
effect of your own Ignorance, not understanding the Controversies 3 and invejhgatiine^'tm
of your Pride, in overvaluing your own Parts and Apprehensions: Or 1^ttmm*^tt^* libtrutis
eiCe you would never dream that you can come after such wits as Au- ™?uln timtmfur
gufiine , and Pelagius, and Celefline ■> such as Aquinas, Scotus, Ockam, & quo e)us eflkacU cm
Gregory Armi. burandus, and their Followers 3 even such as Cdjetane, Z^anZ%!'d7qlLs
Bannes, Zuhiel, Alvarez,, &c. such as Suarez, Vasquez, Molina, Fonseca, nuiu diserta, cUra& ex-
Ruiz, &c. such Conciliators as Ariba, Gibieuf, Guil. Cameranius Scott/s, BuVff £y wm
Tennottus, Petr. a St. Joseph, Ludov. a Data, Janfenius, and his Followers, needsbemedling.he w{.
with abundance such, and do that which none of these could do. But sl>« thein modesty and
1 r n.TT j 1 u l u -r • j moderation. Le Blanf-de
you are not the first Undertaker that hath miscarried. distinct. Gnt. This. 83.
B. If I have been guilty of vain boasting, cite my words, and I will
retract them : If not, these expressions speak but your prejudice. But,
I pray let us spend no time upon such Impertinences, but speak that to
the matter which tendeth to edifie, that one of us may become the wiser
at least. I first desire you to tell me, Whether the ending or narrowing
this difference be not exceeding desirable, could it be attained j?
A. Yes, there is no man doubts of that.
B. Q^2. And is not despair the enemy os all endeavours, and will any
thing be done withoutsome hose ?
A. And it's as true, that vain hopes cause labour in vain.
B. The worst then will be but the losi of my labour : And I will
tell you of what moment I judge the work.
a- B 1. In
 Os Predestination.

i . In regard ofthejinfulness of the Contentions : 2. In regard of the

Calamitous consequents.
I. Thesinfulnefs I taketolie, 1. Intheraatter. 2. And in the manner
of prosecution.
I. These things I judge to be sinful in the matter : 1. That many dif
ferences are pretended to be, where indeed are none. a. Differences
about words, andsecond Notions, and rational Entities, are pretended to
be differences about real Doctrines. 3. Little Differences are aggrava
ted into great ones. 4. Unsearchable things are disputed, which no
mortal man can understand.
II. As to the manner •■, it is done, 1 . Preposterously, preferring these
*R"djaPurw/^"fft7; Disputes before the greater business of the Ministry. * 2. Perverfly,
pg. 646. the Epistle of J. , , o * J»
cyrii Aitx. to vrodusA- waiting abundance of time and study about them, by which the Church
gainst the censuring of might have been better served ; and writing so many great Volumes of
Tbiodor. Mopfutft. and his , & . ,. , _ , , , Z-t n. j z. j
works, lest it tend to di- them, in crabbed Scholastics stile, as must needs tempt multitudes to a
churches1 mmult "tfw 'amentab^e 1°^ °f tnc,r precious time, before they can come to know
3^iruMmcbm 'iic\rii tnat they lose it. 3. And, by sidings, and factions, and sharp reflections
it .would make one on each other, quenching Christian Love, and destroying Concord, and
ashamed of humane ,„ML-»«;«« *uLru,„~U
mture.to read how base- weakening the Church. .
ly the Dominitns and II. The calamitous Consequents are, I. The long, and yet unhealed
sXC.°?g? ,C,tT£? aliena»°n of Contenders minds. 2. The forefaid time and toil which
469. & f*ft z»mti and' those Volumes cost. 3. The abundance of idle talk, and lost studies
many more, and faitfe- aDOut them, by the generality of Students. 4. The dangerous Facti-
ntus, Arnoldus, &c. yea, . . '. / . & / J* o
G/*r«f, &c.) do abuse ons made by it in the Churches. 5. The tempting each Party to censure,
f^tomakeottopT^sts ^ant^er> anc* b'ot tne Names of one another. 6. Multitudes of Pre-
b^heve,2 that^hey dfffer lates and Pastors have been tempted by it into,Persccutions. 7. Tea,
from them where they wars and blood-shed in more Countries than one hath followed partly
awMi fanctioul£Uff by tnis iacension. 8. And hereby the poor people on each side are
losing their interest in kept in bitter uncharitable thoughts of one another ; and especially of

rough, but must per- And because things nearest us are first diseerned, begin at home, and
swade the world, that try whether all this be true or nor. I. Hearken to the Ministers and
we differ where we do ' , . . _ . , ,
not. see but Atom?* people on each side. Do you not hear that it seemeth enough to them
l ii. D//p.iiT.;«.49i. to sleight each otherwith uncharitable alienation, when it's said, 0 such
where he citem six Er- . ^>i--n_ r i *■• l i_ <-*
rors of aivinsfs differ- a one *s * Calvinilr, or juch a onctsan Arminian j yea, perhaps the je-
the fo^&Strttau m fe'te come in. Read over the many writings about Mountague's
one \yz variously word- tlme> on hispart, and against him, by Tates, Carlson, Watton, Burton,
ed, and the two last no &c. But especially read Peter Heylin his writings on this Subject, and
)SSI&'Saw ab.oveall, his Life of Arch-Bijhof Laud, where he perswadeth us that
one jot more in fense this very Controversie was a grand part ofthe difference, which on both
ttewzXvtZri0* sides was prosecuted, till it brought us to our doleful War.
he may find in him; and 2. Go but to the Low-Countries, and see what work it hath made
the generality of the there, from the days of Arminius to this day ; especially between Prince
Calvinilts ('as they are . ,, ' i i i /» 7 , i • -r n
called byscomers) fay Maunce and the States, at the death of Barnevelt, the impnlonment or
much less. Grotius, &c. The Synod at Dort, and all the strife and discontent before
and after it.
3. Peruse but the Volumes written on one side by suecanv*,Arminiusy
Grevinchovius, Corvinus, Tilenus , Epifcofim , Curcellætts, Grotiw, &c.
with many Lutherans ; And on the other side by Gomarrus, Lubbertus,
Macchovius, &c. Molin&us, Amefttn, Dr. Twijfe , Rutherford, Spanhe-
mitu, &c. and think how fad such Combats are.
4. Think what a lamentable distance to this day is kept up between
the Lutherans and Calvinisms in all Countries, and much upon the ac
count of these fame Controversies : And what bitter Books the Luther*
 Of ^redeUindwn. %

ans have written, comparing the Calvinists to Papists, Turks, &c. and
how little Mr. Ducy by forty years Labour did to reconcile them j and
how small success all other Reconcilers have had , though excellent
learned judicious men 5 such as Calixtus, Johan. Bergius, Conrad. Bergius^
Ludov. Crocius, Mat. Martinius, Ifleburg, Testaidus, Amyraldus, Plxceus,
CapelJus , Dallœus , Elondel , Davenant , Hall, Carlton , Abbot, Morton,
Preston,fkc. ■ 0 ' "; "■• .-*"•■
5. Think of the great Conflicts in Trance and Flanders, between thfc
Janfinists and their Adversaries j and the multitude of elaborate Vo
lumes between the Dominicans and the Jejuites : And of how many Ages
continuance those contests have been.
6. Then rise up to the Time and Case of Faustus Rhegienfis, CaJJianus,
and the Alajjilienfes, and their Adversaries 5 and the hard Characters left •
by those controversies on the names of worthy men.
7. From thence ascend to Chryfojionte and his Reproaches, and Ah-
ftin's Censures on the other side, with all the Conflicts which he and his
Abettors, Prosper and Fulgentius had with the Pelagians and Semipelagi-
ans of those times.
8. And lastly, read and pity almost all the Fathers, especially of the
Greeks Church, whose Names are ndw blotted with the censure ofspeak
ing too like our Arminians and Jejuites 5 and after all this, you will sure
think this Contention was a very ill work* if it be proved cauflefs 5 and ;
you will think that it's time to end it, if it be possible. To which end,
an attempt is not diseommendable,ifit should prove lost as to the greater
part ofmen. And some, I doubt not, Cod will bless it to, at least to
increase their love of peace.
A. I pray you tell me what is your "Undertaking, and in what measure
it is that you think this Work may be accomplished ? y
B. My Undertaking is this, [ To prove, thai in the points of Predestina
tion and Redemption, there it no difference between moderate' min of each
Tarty, * but what is resolved into the points of Grace and Free-Will^ ^yfl?JSfS
in the points of Grace and Free-Will there is no real difference, but what is tempore, & prxfinitionis
resolved into the question of the degree of Gods co-operating 'influx, compa- ^ffff^f h
red with mans agency, and with it self as on several Obje&sj which will tempon detur nobis Qrim*
trove either no difference at all, or else about a thing past thans "Understand- tff") P"' ullf. W«
, t 1 , t y r 1 ■ .» 11 Ttttni, tut condition! fine
ing : Ana, that only tn the point of perseverance, there is a real perceptible quf notiyfic etiam prtedist:-
differencej but such as is not worthy to be insisted on, to the breach ofJ^"r'J^t'f'^'lum "'?-*ri
Charity, or the Churches peace, but must consist with toleration and mutual distinctJ? diivmnn,
love. ] ' • W quidam dicebant, fed
A. I know not whether this great Undertaking look more smilingly fg^Jjg^
on the Times to come,or frowningly on the Times past. For if this be true, paratione, fiquidem nuiu
what thoughts, what names do we deserve for troubling the Christians JJJ ^ff^g^
World, so perniciously and distractingly,with a feigned difference. But, tiam, nisi per modum finii.
I pray you, tell me in general, how you will manifest all this .<? Dis1""' c" 7' rl°™'
B. I. You must give me leave to tell you who they are that I undertake bow much a Jesuitt grant'
this Reconciliation of. 2. And then, how Ifl)aU perform it. «*■
• I. It is not every violent Contender, that runneth into such palpable
Errors as the common cause needeth not, and will fay any thing rather
than agree, that I am speaking of. About these matters, there are two
Parties that stand on each extream, who are not to be called Calvinists
and Arminians j but by other Names , for their other Opinions.
These I intend to confute distinctly, instead of reconciling them, which is
impossible, but by reforming them.

B 2 1. On
 Os Predestination.

I. On the one side, I undertake not the Reconciliation of the Prcde-

terminants, who hold, That [Free-will is nothing but will as related to
Reason, Lubentia juxta rationem 5 and that all its aUs are as truly necessi
tated by the efficacious premotion of God, as is the motion of a Clock., or
other Engine, or of a Bruit ( though they will needs call them free, be
cause they are Volitions, as if willing and free-willing were words of the
some signification : ) and that is deifying of mans Will or any Creature, to
fay, that it can move or determine it self to this Ob'jeU rather than another,
without a Phyfcal perdetermining efficient premotion hy Cod, as thefirst
total Cause, notwithstanding Godshould uphold its natural power, and as the
cause of Nature afford his necessary universal Concourse 5 and that to thinly
that a Will thus predetermined by God could have forborn its aft, is to deifie
it also.'} They that think that God cannot make a Creature, whose
Will can determine itself without his predetermination to that aU as circum-
Jiantiated, though God uphold all its powers , and all natural concurrents
else, and that aself-determined, not predetermined by premotion is a God,
or a ContradiUion, lam to confute, and not to reconcile.
A. How willyou confute them 2
B. That is to be the work of a Disputation on that Point. It shall
now suffice to mind you, that it seemeth to me very plainly to subvert
Christianity, if not all Religion. For when Adam's (in, and all the sin id
the World os Men or Devils, is resolved into the absolute unresistible
Will and efficiency of God, as the first total Cause, and that it had been
as impossible to have done otherwise as to be Gods, or to Conquer God 5
it's easie to perceive whether God hate such sin, and whether Christ died
to signifie his hatred of it ; and whether he will damn men for not be
ing Gods , and whether he that is said unrefiffibly to predetermine by
immediate efficiency the thought, will and tongue of every Lyar to every lye
that ever wasspoken, can have any word, delivered by man, which we can
be sure is true. In a word, if this Opinion hold, it will allow no other
Religion in the World, but this much, [To believe that moral Good and
Evil are but like natural Good and Evil, which God doth cause as a free
Benefa&or, differencing his Gifts in various proportions, as heseeth meet 5
as he diff'erenceth Stars from Stones, and Men from Dogs , and equally
caufeth the wisdom of Man, and the poyson of the Toad or Serpent j and so
will make such differences in this World, and the next (if there be any)
as pleafeth him , as he doth here between one Horse that's pampered, and ano
ther that is tired out with labour. ~] Well may they cry down the Doctrine
of Merit and Demerit that go this way. It hath pleased God, by per
mitting Hobbs to reduce this Principle of the Wills necejjitation unto its
proper practice, thereby to cast more shame upon it in our Times for
this Authors fake, than we could have expected, if none but such ex
cellent persons as Alvarez, * and his Brethren, Dr. Twijje and Ruther-
b k^adint whonmayet ^or^ ka<* mamtame(^ **« But as Davenant well faith, It is an Opinion of
kethThe necessitating tne Dominicans, which VroteUants have no mind to own.
cause of Sin and Hell, And there are two sorts that thus subject the Will to absolute caused ne*
nl^™S&c<SsaJ: *• Those aforesaid, the Dominicans, whoaffistthe predetermi
ning premotion of God, as necessary to every act natural and free.
2. Those that make the Will as much necessitated by a train of natural
second Causes, which is Hobbs his way, ( and alas, the way of great and
excellent healing Camero). For they hold, That the Will is necessitated
by the Intellect, and the Intellect by the Object j and God made both
Witt, and IntelleU, and Objeft, (and Law ). And so Camerohath nothing
to resolve the necessitating cause of Adams fin into , but the Devil.
But
 .. Of' ^Predestination, k
• . 1—i —i , 1 _—.— i . , .»
But who necessitated the Devil to sin ? This will be all one, when it is
discussed. And if self-determiningfreedom of Will in Man be impossi
ble, it will be impossible in the Angels 3 for they are not Gods.
Therefore I now deal with none but those who confess, that God
made Man s Will at first with a natural self-determining power and free
dom, fuked to this earthly state of government ; and that Adam's Will
by that fame measure of Grace which he had, could have forborn his
sin, at the instant when he sinned.
II. The other extream which I reconcile not, but confute, * is the ^teSd^ilJrf"
"Pelagians, who deny Original Sin, and acknowledge not the pravity ofanathematizing all the
vitiated nature i and consequently must deny the need of Grace in the SfSSSStSSS?
fame proportion, and so far the need ofa Saviour and a Sanctifier. And that I write this against,
how far this also subverteth Christianity, you may perceive. ™ ichsc°urse5h? , ■
A. But both these Parties have a great deal of very plausible reason $.6,&c. and of cjrit.
for their Opinions, as you may see in the Dominicans on one side, and 4^ ^^ThtaTr ^
Hohbes zgamft. Bramball, and in Dr. Jeremy Taylor, his Treat, of Repen- mp° ^ProctiAniua.
tance, on the other 3 and therefore are not to be so slighted. arc w°rth the reading,
B. I do not slight them, but confute them. I confess that the cafes befides {oK'M^
are not without difficulty,yea not a little. But I am sorer that Religion
is not to be renounced, than they can be of the truth of their Opinions.
And do you think that if one of them had written for the Cause of Ju
lian, Porphyrie or Celfits against Christ,that they would not have spoken
as plausibly, and made the case seem as difficult, at least to be argumen-
tatively answered as they here do.
A. Now let us here your way or terms before-mentioned, what they
are>
B. II. I suppose every sober man will allow me, f. To distinguish
Names and Words from Things, and * nominal Controversies from real 3 * Wit in st"j*"a*^
and to that end to open the ambiguity of words as I go along: And tOp'Js' bus™ miner}*
(hew when it is an arbitrary Logical notion, or an ens rationis only that (** "probations dam i
men contend about, instead of a reality, i. I may be allowed, when rtpm'J dt
confusion lapeth up mans doubtful questions in one,to distinguish them,
that each may have its proper answer. 3. I may be allowed to cast by,
as unfit for contention, all those unrevealed and unsearchable Points,
which none of the Contenders know at all, nor ever will do in this
World. 4. And I will take leave to lay by the rajh words of particular
Writers, as not to be imputed to any others, nor to the main Cause? or as
that which I am not obliged to defend, reconcile, nor at all to meddle
with. 5. And when all this is done, you shall see what Attorns the re
maining differences will prove.
A. Begin then with the first Article of Predestination.
B. Remember my undertaking, that it is not to justifie every man3
words that hath written on the Point 3 and therefore I will not lose time
in citing or defending Authors : But produce you all your Accusations,
as against the Cause of the sober moderate Cafoinijlt, and suppose me to
be the person with whom you have to do.

Tht

V
 6_ Of ^PredeHination.

The firH Crimination,

See the conclusion of A. t. My first Charge is, That you hold that God doth from eternity
ateDors0"htret^his3ve°rd decree to damn m Hell fire the far greatest part of men, without re
charge' is denied'Uth7 soect to any fore-seen Sin, or cause in them, but meerly because it plea-
dou^U better what men ^ mni to ^° 11 '' ^n'S 1S yoUT D°&riQe or~ Absolute Reprobation.
ho"/ than "hey them™ B. That words may not deceive us, let us in the beginning once for all
selves. Episcop. ju(iit. know what you mean by the word [Decree. ]
™ioi£?t*e&%l A- I mean the resolution or purpose of his Will de events that this
tuitur, Dtum cos stcundum shall be. 'M: ; " - ■
V^jf^nJ , B. And I suppose, we are agreed; i That Gods Will is nothing but
*m mm doierejrajcific. his Ejsence denominated with respect: to some Good as its Object. 2 . And
dtmnan, fee. cm umn tf,ere was no object: really existent from eternity but God himself.
non modo ablolutt cos ft- _. 1 ** 1 i n • § • f 1 _ _ ,
rirt&peccartvoi»erit,std 3. That Understanding and Will are not umvocal terms ipoken or God
ttftaoimki }fectrit^lnde anc* °^ raan> nor °^ tne *ame *°rma* Conception. And 4. That our
"mit'isttficettd'fu- * formal Conception of Understanding and Will is only of them as they

qMdlu tfepottf^um 5« And therefore that God doth not understand ox will in our fence for-
bistrionica qu*dm & maliter, but only eminenter. 6. And lastly, That Mortals know not
Jctnict taio ? -ust how Godg eminent iutelleUion and Volition differifrom theformal in
Man. All this you must grant me, or be singular and ignorant.
A. All this is past denial 5 but proceed to the Case.
B. Do you differ from us de events whether there be a Hell, or yet
of the number of those that are damned ?
A. No: orifwedoabouttheCaieofHeathens,thatbelongethnotta
. . this Point. ss% •: . \ '
B. Do you differ from us about the Cause of mens Damnation? We
fay that God damneth no man, but for Sin ; yea, for Sin impenitentJj
continued in to the last, against all the mercy which tended to their
Cure. •
A. So far we are agreed : But it's not the cause of damnation which I
speak of, but the cause of the Decree.
, B. Do you not hold that what ever God doth, he willcth to do >
A. Yes, God doth nothing without a will to do it, at least conse
quently. ■ •
B. Do you think that God willeth any thing to day, which he willed
not yesterday, and so from eternity ?
A. No, we do not with Vostius make God mutable.
B.Good still : you grant then that God damneth men; that he damneth
.' them for sin; that he doth it willingly ; that he willed it from eternity.
And do you think that from eternity here was any thing but God >
A. No. \
B. Then can that which is not be a cause ; was there any thing but
God himself to be the Cause of Gods Will from eternity ?
A. Not in ejse reali, but there was in esse cognito.
B. So : now the game begins : Thus the World is cheated and troubled
by Logical Notions, and meer words. Is that esse cognitum any thing
or nothing } If nothing, it is no Cause ; If any thing, is it God or a
Creature? It can be no Creature, because it is eternal : If God, you do
but fay, That God caused his own Will.
A. It is Gods fore- knowledge of Sin, which causcth his Decree or
Will.
 Of ^PredeHinatim

B. I. Even fore-knowledge it self, fay the Schools, is but thp some

with knowledge, and spoken (fay they) but to the respect and fense of »
man. There being neither prius velpofierius , before or after in eternity .
But this I now insist not on. a. It is commonly taken for blasphemy,
to talk of a Cause of God, or any thing in God. If Gods Will be his
Essence, it hath no Cause. He caufeth not himself being no Effect.
3. If this were so as you fay, yet still you make but God himself the
Cause of his own Will by his knowledge. * For Sitt fore-seen is no Sin, *Ptyf«*ifl
and nothing is no 5 so that you your self resolve all into God. GodsDccrei
And indeed, what can be a cause of the first Cause, or any thing i&vtinwhnt
him? . ' ^(k l™tivmM^
Use not tergiversation, and vain words now, and tell me what™ u yai^dafam 'mdim'fse
have to fay. " J* 1uof ..
»i - -n t r r 1 t f \ \ fWDhefft ratio volendt
A. A thing not existent, but tore-seen, may be a moral Cause, though, atjgd, fed s»Umsu» bw
aot a physical $ andsofore-scenSinmaybetoGod. '« tatm-. vojft umnmm
B. i. Yet dareyou talk of a Cause of God. There is nothing in & uMsam attmtsi
God but God. To be a' cause of his Will, is commonly said to be a &iu ])c"s non z'cllt
cause of his Essence 5 And shall so base a thing as Sin cause God ? 2. We JJ3
are still at the cheating Game, of playing with arbitrary Notions, unamrimetietmtffeprop-
»w . 0 _ _ * J 0 _ ^ ■ .* f/r rilirim rtui r. unit fit runs
What mean you by a /war*/ Cause / If a true cause ofmoral Beings, that's t^*t?ffittir£%Wr
one thing : If any thing that is not physically or properly, but by moral an aliud fit rath no-
imputation only a cause of any event, that's another thing. The first TvtTt^l"pTJdmZZ
you dare not own, as if any thing which is nothing ( Sin not existent ) prater saminimm ni-
were a Cause of Gods WUl. The second Cause is called Causa met a- uAMtiwAifrai
phorica: It is really no Cause ■-, but that, for which the Agent shall have vo'Lntatis mi nibii
such praise or dispraise as belongeth to one that is equivocally a Cause. trlmm 'dc/,ufWj">
-r>u c -c r ^iP j r- ~ - s1 ., J . & ratio ntltnii aliqmd y
3. lneretoreit you use not the word \^Cauje j equivocally, your rule ftdprtpttrfui tatir* tjjt
is false. Nothing is no moral Cause. You will instance in good desired, DlgS-
in fine nondum exiflente, &c. Bnt I answer you, Good and amiable are
Accidents or Modes, which are never found but in an existent entity or
subject. A negationefubjedti ad negationcm accidentis, & a negatione eft
ficundi Adjedi adnegationem eji tertii, valet argumentum. That which
is not, is not good or amiable : Therefore that which existethnot is no
Cause. But if we will let go the toy, andcometo the matter 5 It is no
other good, but the defire of good, ot the apprehension of the futurity of
good which caufeth 5 so that all the Cause is in the Agent. : 4. The
common reason of man must acknowledge, that when any man faith?
That fin which is nofin, and nothing as fore-seen is the moral cause of Gods
Will , he must needs mean no real cause 5 Because to be a cause, is
tertium Adje&um, and prefupposeth to be : That which is not, is not a -
cause j much less of God, or of his Will. u ri. ;
A. I can shew you, that you overthrown theChristian Religion by
yourLogick: For if this hold true, then the fore sight ofChrist's Incar
nation and Sufferings, &c. was no moral true cause of Gods Will to par
don Sin, and save Souls, to those under the Promise before the Incar
nation.
B. Your diversion turnethus from the matter, but advantageth you
not at all. Would you bring it to deny so evident a Principle as this,that
I nothing can do nothing, nor cause nothing. It was not Christ's Body or aBual
Suffering, not yet existent, that caused Gods Will to pardon Sinners.
Nor had Gods Will any proper cause : But seeing God willed one thing
to be the means of another, he willed that Christ's Incarnation and Death
should in the fulness of time demonstrate his Justice, and make it agree
able to the ends of his Government to dispence with the Law oflnno-
cency,

V
 8 Os 'Predestination,

cency, and to pardon Sin : And therefore ( not Christ's Death it self,
but ) God's Decree of the Death of Christ Incarnate, was the cause of
the Promise, and of the New Covenant made with Adam, and of the
Salvation ofBelievers then. Which Will or Decree is called by some
the interpellation or undertaking of the eternal Word.
A. But at least Sin fore-seen is causasine qua non.
B. Call it by what name you please, as long as you confess it to be
no Cause, (fox causa sine qua non , is called Causa fatua , and is none.)
But it is not Sin which is Causa sine qua non $ for it is nosin from eter-
my.
SSfi It is the futurity ofsin that is Causasine qua non.
Yet more notions! what is futurity? any thing or nothing? no-
thing certainly : For quoad ens, it is [terminus diminuens j and nothing is
no cause. But it is Cods knowledge that Sin will be, which is to be cal
led the Cause of Gods Decree, as fine qua non, ifany be. But I must deal
most about futurition with the Calvinitfstwhen I come to save you from
Dr. Twijse his Ferula.
A. I pray you then open me the matter as it is your self.
B. I will make your Cause better than you have made it j But not by
trtdtltinatit nihil ponit making other mens worse, but by opening the reconciling truth. 1. I
in pr*dt(li*ito ittquit (hall tell you in what sense Gods Will and Decrees may and must be (aid
Aquin.i. q- 13. a. 1. to have an extrinfick cause, without change in God. i. Know there
fore that Gods Essence is his Will, but not as Essence. To fay that God if
God, and that God willeth this or that, are not terms of the (ame signi
fication. 2. Gods Will is his Essence denominatedfromsome amidhle good
as the Object , and so there is ever quid rejpetfivum in the notion of
Will. 3. As God willeth himself, the Act being perfectly immanent,
his Will is called himself much more properly, than his Will of things
extrinfick ( which is ever either efsettively, or at least objectively tran
sient 5 ) Because it is God that willeth,zx\d that is willed or loved, (which
made many Ancients fay, That this was the third Person in the Trinity.)
4. But as God willeth things ad extra, though it is his Essence that so
willeth them 5 yet it is unfit to fay simply, that this Will is God 5 e. g. that
to will Peters Salvation is God, because the name Will here incladeth
thething willed. 5. And therefore when we speak of Gods Will in the
universal notion, as abstracted from all particular Objects and Acts, it
is lels inconvenient to fay simply, that this Will is God, than when we
(peak of his Will in act^ extra. By this time you may see, that though
* Alvaxn, himself faith, Gods Will, as his Essence, hath no Cause j yet his Will as denominated ex-
that by a Cause he trinsecally from the Object, may have some kind of Cause that is * Ob
meaneth also any ob-
jective condition or rca- je£five, which is quasi materia aUus, and the terminus (we quo non \ that is,
son of the Act. qocjs js not denominated a complacency in Chrisi existent, or in Peter
* This is all that Rw\ regenerate, * or his understandings afeeing that the World was good, be-
d<S°"S Ps«°cte °e sol' *°re anv °^ tlie^e tnin8s did exist. So that by extrinfick denomination,
who' uhbTthat therVis without any change in God, he may and should be said denovo to know
dTnomjnltion "e^u l^*n8s to ^e existent, to be past, to will things as existent with compla-
thmilnV'emriaiu'for- cency, or will them with difplicency : But not to will the futurity of
butsh'" bButhcdoch mens damnation de now 5 but yet his Will of the futurity of mensdam-
«U»^/thatyhe'Lw«h "a»on hath several degrees of the Objective Cause, from whence it is de-
not what to fay. nominated : As in/esfe cognito, the person who is the Object is in order of
nature first a man, a sobject, and then a Sinner, and a Defpiser of Mercy,
and then a damnable Sinner. And so these are indeed conditions in the
Object, or Cause (we quibmnon, or ObjeBive material-constituent causes j
not in themselves, but the fore-fight of them j not of Gods Will as his
. I Essence,

*
 I—-—— hM l+m 1 ■ ■ - ' ; j .
Of ^Predestination. 9

Essence, nor of hisfT/// as a Will , but of his fFi// as extrinsecally deno

minated j a Decree to jf«*/<# 5 e. £. because no otherwise is Judas an
Object capable ofgiving such an extrinsick denomination to Gods Will.
IL Both you and I hold, and must hold, that God decreeth to damn
all that shall be damned. * But it is false, that we hold that he doth it
without any respect to fore-seen jin. For* 1. He fore-seeth this sin as the * Vajqmjn i.m*.aj.
only meritorious cause of their damnation j what he doth in time, that r'j/i^09i/'w "
is it which he decreed to do from eternity: But in time hedamneth ho *J) est dt fil'"mjl»'
man but for Sin j therefore from eternity he decreed to damn x\o,nim!xl",Vt*ramlt<'*
man but for Sin : For sin , I fay , as the cause of damnation , which Rqa dcpwdc'fin.' '
Dr. Tvpisfe doth frequently profess. 2. And though this Sin can be no Tract, i.per totm.
proper efficient cause of Gods Volition or Decree, yet it is a prefuppo- '
fed necessary qualification in the Object, as fore-seen in the Mind of
God, and so, as aforesaid, is an Objective Cause as fore-seen.
III. The execution of Justice, and glorification of it, and Gods Ho
liness thereby is good, and fit to be the Object of Gods Volition or
Decree. But in the word Reprobation is in most mens fense included
much, which we hold not, which is to be opened further anon.
IV. And as to the absoluteness of Gods Decree to damn those that are
dammed ; I think you will not deny it your self, supposing them to be
fore-seen finally impenitent Sinners. God doth not only will, that all
thefinally impenitentpall be damned 5 nor only that, e. g. Judas shall be
damned , is he be finally impenitent } But also that Judas as fore-seen
finally impenitent, shall certainly be damned. So that when the condi
tion is fore-seen in the Recipient or Object 5 it is no longer a meer con
ditional Decree, but absolute, supposing that condition. In all this we
are agreed.

The second Crimination*

A. II. But that's not all 5 But you hold, That God eternally decreed
mens sin j yea, all the sin of Men and Devils •-, some fay, That he de
creed to predetermine men inseparably to the forbidden Act 5 and the
moderatest, that he* decreed the event, that Sin should come to pass ipso * Vtd- ztifotii Resp.
permittente quamvts non efficiente 5 or at least, that he decreed his permis- ubuldu Dium dun^2'
sion of it. vise ut Judæi Christum t
B. I. The first sort are those few,whpm I in the beginning renounced 3 ptuffi'/fiSZl
of whom the Dominicans , and good Dr. Twisfe, and Rutherford his vhmtttt, safari tjsent,
Follower (deprovidentia) are the chief. I easily confess to you, that ^Jif,."
God made the Law, and God made man, and God maketh the Objetfs,
and God causeth the Act as a natural Act ingenere, by a natural general
concourse : And if it could be also proved , that God were the chief
efficient Determiner of the Will, and that by necessitation to this AU or
Object comparatively rather than to that, ( e.g. that David willed the
Acts which were Murder and Adultery, ) I could never deny that God
is the chief Author of the Sin. For the formal reason of Sin is Relative^
viz. Its disconformity to the Law of God. And the Relation resulteth
without any new Act or Agent, Postto fundamento & omni absoluto :
And neither God nor Man do or can do more to cause the Relation.
And Dr. Twijse and Rutherford Co far saw this, that the up-shot of all
their Vindication is 5 I. That God causeth not sin as sin , but as a
means to his Glory. 2. That God is under no Law, (as we are)
and therefore can be no Author of Sin. Bur, to the first I answer 5
G hs

e
 io Of ^Predestination.

It's one thing to mill Sin as Sin, and another thing to cause Sin as Sin.
mius est catbolicusqiii We charge them not, with inferring that God milleth sin as Sin j but
7ffttim™*dTfitotio-? if he mill it and cause it for another end, he causeth the formal nature of
nit ; ithm si pr*destina- gin, ( that we may not play with the ambiguity of <$iiatems ) and that's
%Z?fjl'V«" ™» asmuch-as man doth. For Sinners do not all, if any, mill sin as fin
cum Dm aiisapecuti under this formal notion, as it is a breach of the Law of God, and
££pt\£ZrSi- displeaseth him 5 but as it bringeth them some seeming good: And by
one prgdeflinare posit. doing evilfor that good, they are Sinners.
lrt?$lndlm To the second, we do not charge the Dominicans with making God
rale, non est egeitm pn- a Sinner : But with making him the chief cause of thefin ofman, even in
dtflinationh , qumvis jit |(j form.
vlCiu7mife\^qaez'7n H. But this is nothing to the Calvinists in general. Therefore, £
Tho. i. q. i3. cap. j.. soVj that your selves hold the fame that they do in this point, g. \ J}0
1 p' 93' not all the Jefuites and Arminius hold , That God is the Decreer of
what he is the Author of. And that God is the Author of the Act as an
Act natural, in the general. See but, Rob. Baronius his Metaphyfickj,z.n<\
Bellarmine whom he followeth.
A. That is nothing to the moral specification of the Act.
B. And Dr. Tmijfe hath oft enough told you, where Arminius faith,
That God mould have Ahab to stilus the measure of his Sin.
A. That is not that he milled the fin, but that Ahab having made him
self wicked, God decreed not to stop him, but let him go on.
B. Either you mean, that the Object of Gods Decree was but his
cmn permission ( as the Arminians use to fay ) or else, that it was the
Sin it self ( matter and form ) permitted, ( not because it is fin or evil,
for so man oft willeth it not at least, but) as an occasion of Gods
Glory. Arminius his words import the latter : And then you go as
high as Dr. Tmijfe or Rutherford. But if you fay, that it was but a rajb
mord of Arminius, which you stand not to 5 to make plain and short
work with you, I am so far from being liable to your charge, thap
I charge you as presumptuous, if not erroneous, in saying, that God
decreeth or willeth to permit Sin. And I assert.
t., That God doth not Decree theform of Sin as Sin. 2. Nor yet the
event of thatform for any good end ( For, Dt peccatum eveniat, is but
peccatumfuturum-,') and what is it to decree Sin, but to decree that it
shall be? Nor 3. Hath he decreed, that this Act which is the Sin, shall
come to pass in its comparative circumstantiated state, from whence it
is, that Sin in its form resolteth. And so Augufiines saying so much de-
* As Eradwardint who cantate by Dr. Tmiffe and others, * is not sound, that nothing cometh to
also tells us. That if God pass but mhat God milleth, either effeBing it, or permitting it. It cometh
th£ In"oce?t' his to pass without Gods willing it or decreeing it; so that he permitteth
Will is the rule of ju- - si 1 i_ • n?n ir u • • • n. » .
slice and equity : But it, but decreeth not that it inall come to pass. Not that it is against hts
scribeVis Tustice dora contrarv absolute Decree; but as Lombard from other places in Aujiin
ther think thaT'none™" telleth you plainly, God neither willeth that it shall be,(because it is sin)
thciamnCd' thanthac nor properly and simply willeth that it shall not be, for hi9 Will is not
rnrybe^raVact'ofJu- overcome. 4. Yea, he cannot be proved to decree his own permission 5
slice, whatever a meer Because to permit, is but not to hinder, which is nothing but a negation :
Proprietor may do. And we hayc nQ ground to seigr,5 that God hath Volitions or Decrees
of nothing, or of negations.
So that I fay , that Sin cometh to pass without Gods Decree of the
event, or of his permission. ( Though not without his Decree of the
good which cometh by it 5 of which more, when I speak to the other
extteam. ) And of this also more anon.
•
The
 Of 'Predestination., 1 1

The third Crimination.

i
. . A. III. You make God necessitate mens fin and damnation by your
negative decrees, as well as others by their positive : For you hold j
That no man can believe and repent, but such as God decreeth to give
Faith and Repentance to : A nd no man can do any more good than God
decreeth that he (hall do. And some (ay that God decreeth, Not t6
give men any more Grace than he giveth them ( which is a Decree ob
jectively negative de non dando ) $ And you and others fay, That he
doth not Decree to give them more. And so as a stone is not culpable for
not flying, no more are SinnerSj not elected, for nor, believing and obey-

B. You wholly mistake and mifteport us. If we differ from you, k gnmethfe i! rbil^H^j
is by going further from the matter of the Objection than you do your ^'^^^'/e^
felves. - - gratis, & ipjam prmam
i. We hold, that God giveth many mender to do more than they *1L
do: And consequently that he decreeth to give it them. Men do wot ficJ&fVJmi^fnt*
do all that they can do. Indeed we hold,That no man can do any thing; * 'pfagrati* mium
which God doth not give him sower to do, and decree to give it him. ^PfSJSu *
And dare any qfyou deny this. There k no forcer but of God.
a. I hold not, that God hath any Will or Decree in proper sense, Not
to give Grace, not to give Faith, not to give Repentance, Help, Means,
&c. but only that he doth not decree togive'it-, where he giveth it not
indeed; But as Lombard afore-cited, faith, He neither lVilleth,nor Nilleth ^l"'"- deRipub. *. 3. •
it. My Reasons are, 1. Only Good is the Object of Gods Will , and
Evil of his Nolition. But nothing is not Good , nor Faith, Repen-^ potenua rtprtbtti.
tance, &c. nor Grace, evil : Therefore God doth not mil nothing, oi^^J^^
still the (aid good. gratiam adipifci non est
a. Frutlra fitter slura, &c. It is presumptuous to feign needlefi ^ffi^J"^*!
Decrees and Volitions in God: But the Decree of nothing (of not fed condititnuam.
giving Grace ) is vain .• For nothing will be nothing, without any De
cree or Volition of God, as well as without any efficiency. If God nei
ther make, nor will more Worlds, more Sons, more Men, there will be
no more, though he have no Will or positive Decree that therestall be no
more. , ■
3. No man knoweth where to bound the Doctrine ofDecrees de nihilo 5
And to make them infinite or boundless, soundeth so prefumptoufly and >
profanely, that common reason doth disclaim it. It is possible that there
be as many more(ands,.pebbles,straws, &c. made as are: It is possible to
make every stone, or sand, an Animal, or the choice of a thousand other
things : It's possible to give each man and Creature the choice of a
thousand other names, places, circumstances: And must we feign in
god a positive Will or Decree of every one of these possibles that they jL u feMj, pr#
fliall never be > That this Sand (hall not be a Man, nor that Bird a Stone, dtsthath est oust & <j«
&c. It is enough to conceive that Gods infinite Wisijom knoweth what tj£ ^fS*^^
is fittest to be,and that all that he willeih (hall be 5 and that he willeth no Gloria & e)us quod pr<c.
more; and therefore no more Creatures, will be. But he willeth to j^*f»
1 ' - « • a. . ■ r . j Grille : Reprobatio vero
give power, to free Agents, to do or not do certain acts ;« specie? and „on ejt tuji tjm qnodest
therefore they can do more than he decreeth they (hall do. , r"» pr</M«, fcil.
a j i_ r- e r 1 L r [ed est canst dereliuiom) 4
a. And as to the necessity of mens sin or misery, you lay as much ot 'D,fl efl ,'tmtn Caujaejm
it upon God as we; that is, no causal necessity at all, (as Rob. Baronius quodnddimr in fauu
distinguisheth it well in his Metaphysics) To omit all the Distinctions ™'P"
C i of
 12 Of 'Predestination.

'u of necessity which Hereboord, and many others give us, that we need
not, it is here sufficient to .distinguish between meer Logical necejsitas
consequents in order of argumentation 5 and Physical or causal necessity
in order of Being. God's fore-knowledge (which you deny not) in-
ferreth the former : For it is a good argument ( what ever God fore-
knoweth will come to pass : But God fore-knoweth the sins of all that
sin 3 Ergo they will come to pass ). The major is a necessary proposition,
and so is the minor •■, therefore so is the conclusion. But yet God's know
ledge causeth not sin 3 nor is it necessitated in any. Dr. Tveisje, who go-
eth as high as predetermination, dothyet grant Arminius, that it is only
necejsitas consequential and not consequents, which Gods Decree or Will
doth infer as to metis < sin and misery and prosesieth, that all the School
men fay the fame 3 and blameth Arminius for pretending that we infer
a necejfitatem consequents : And the other Arminius owneth. And are
they not then agpeed whether" they will or not? I doubt not but
predetermination inferreth neeejfltatem consequents causally , though
this be denied by them that hold it. But so doth nothing which we
assert. ■ • ■ •: .' .

The fourth Crimination. . -4

A.You will make either the pure mass, or man as man,or the corrupted
mass, to be the Object of Predestination, ( Election and Reprobation ).
. . And so make God desert most men in Adam's fin, as he did the Devils in
«^/^hold«hf» 1. their fin, without remedy, or hope. *
Tbo.q.iz."a.iJ.9-iA-c-1" b. These are words of confusion, which, when opened, will appear
SSKt^S?. Nothing, and that we are all of a mind.
rupted mass; not as Either you will distinguish Gods Decrees by the Objects, or not. Zf
S^Efeft^Andthtt not> you 'must not distinguish between Election and Rejection, willing
Paul, Bpb. 1. V E/fgtfHw and nilling, loving refer, and hating Judas, Sec. Ifyea, then you must
in cbristo, ace] hum aot ta^e up wjtn ^ unexplained words , Reprobation and Elc&ion.
nomine clecttonii,qu* 'V „ r» i .• • • i_ <-> j tar-ii \ ■ n. ^
ftparatio iiu « mt(sa ftf I. By Reprobation is meant either Gods Will to punuh men. 2. Or
ditionis h q»a multi his Will to give them no special saving Grace. 3. Or his not-willing to
rthBtfrt. give it them. For the first, I told you before that the Object of Gods
Will to punish men in Hell, is a Sinner fore- seen finally rejecting Mercy.
2. The Object of his Will to punish men with positive temporal punish
ments , is the Sinner fore-seen in his immediate capacity for them.
, 3. Whether punishment by not giving that Spirit for Faith,Repentance,
and Holiness, be decreed (being nothing but a not-giving) is before
idem d. 95. 1. Ferrariens. discust. But if it could be proved,yet the Object ofGods denying further
tint indicat vium nt- mercy and help, is evermore one that hath abused former mercy, or re-
minm damnare, aut reji- J rj , . . ■»>
ten a regno [ho voiufse, fuseth that as offered to him. 4. But Gods non-Volition to give Grace is
mMff'&Mf^f™'* no act, and hath no Object. But we judge that all mankind are now
as • from under the meer Covenant of Innocency, and that none perish but

for the abuse of mercy , which had a tendency to their recovery

(The case of Infants must be spoke to in its place once for all. ) But all
i this belongeth to the Cafe of Grace and Free-will.
* how Augustine distin- * And 2. As for Election, we fay that i. The Object of Gods
SalnSoGior'y. Wil1 to glorifie men > is man sanctifying and persevering in an im-
See him, ub. u ad sm- mediate capacity for Glory in esse cognito. 2. The Object of Gods
l'lhtq'v'Jq\iez*m!° Will to give the Grace of perseverance, is a fore-seen sanctified person
Thom.disp. a?, cap. 6. in the next capacity. 3. The Object of Gods Will to justifie, fanctifie,
and
 Of ^redeHmhUon, 12

and adopt, is a fore-seen Believer. 4. The Object of Gods Will, i00

give special Grace, which shall effectually cause men to repent and be- '
lieve, is ordinarily a fore-seen disposed Sinner prepared by his common
Grace , but sometimes an unprepared Sinner, whom, of his free will, hte . .
trill suddenly convert, as it pleaseth him freely to distribute his benefits
( all being unworthy.) 5. The Object of Gods Will, to give the high
est degrees of common Grace, external ( in the purest preaching ofthe . •
Gospel, and other mercies, ) and internal ( in greater helps of the Spi
rit) is sometimes a Sinner inejfecognito, who hath not grofly rejected .*.'■>
lower helps, and sometimes freely the worser sort ofSinners, whp
have abused former mercies. 6. The Object of Gods Will, to give
the first common mercy which hath a tendency in its usetomens reco
very and Salvation, is all mankind fallen in Adam : For sril are under
the New Covenant of Grace made with Adam, Gen. 3. 15: in some de
gree, ( and with Noah) and all have much -mercy tending to Repentance,
and none are left as the Devils in difpair, without any offered remedy
or help. 7. The Object of Gods Witt to give mata the Covenant
of Innocency, was Adam fore-seen as meet man* 8. The Object of Gods
Will to create man, was nothing in the sense that we now take an ObjeU
in ; that is, for the materia circa quam. But ifyou will call the intended
effeB the ObjeU, then the Object of Gods Will here (and in the rest) is
the thing willed. But if you will needs presume to seek one higher in * Man knoweth.to fte-
the Mmd ot God, * you must say that it was man as conceived fit to be, ETCood She
as well as possible. For we can think no otherwise of the Divine Cori- no Recipient,
ceptions and Volitions, but as we are led by the analogy of humane acts.
And so we must fay, that 1. Gods Power maketh itpojjible for all things
to be. 2. Next God knoweth them possible. > 3. Heknoweth what is
convenient ox fit to be made, to his unsearchable ends. 4. He willeth
that they shall be, and man among the rest, dnd so on. If you will
needs have the order of Decrees, this is all that we can fay of them. ' '
A. All this pleaseth us well : but it will not please your own Party,
or the Cahinijis 5 that you make so many acts of Election,which they tell
you is but one entire thmg,as mentioned in Scripture : Nor yet that you
lay every Decree or Will upon fore-sight.
B. You are mistaken : No moderate considerate man of them will de
ny any thing that I have said. For 1. As to the Scripture use of the
word Eleftion, it is not the meer name that we are now opening, but the
matter in question: Nor is it the expounding of particular Texts that I
am upon : And if I were, no man will deny but that the word EleUioH
is variously used in the Scripture : Sometime for Gods eternal Will to
make us Christians ofInfidels, and to save us by Christ 5 and sometime for
actual choosing us by converting Grace in time 5 and sometime for
actual choosing men in time by Vocation to some office or special work,

2. And as to the distinguishing of all these Volitions of God, no

man will deny theefie&s to be distinct j undoubtedly these are various
effects of God 3 1. To make man. 2. To give him the Covenarit of
Irmocency. 3. To give him the Covenant of Grace , with all the
common mercies of it. 4.. To give some Persons and Nations the
Gospel, and other mercies above the greatest part of the World, with
answerable helps of the Spirit. 5. To give men special Grace, effectual
for Faith and Repentance. 6. To give men Pardon, Adoption, and
Sanctification. 7. To give men Perseverance. 8. To give them
Glory. And if these are various works , either you will distinguish
1 ■ ' of
 Ia Os VredeHination.

* • , , of Gods Willby his various works, or nor. * If you do nor, our whole
mlntm 'tiftin&uuu* Controyersie about the Order of the Decrees is quickly at an end Cand
ittuA decntum in piurt, \ am content with the abreviation) : For where there is no Distinction,
fi*5mfmSmi there is no °rder. And when 1 distinguish them never so much, I say,
cerium tnim id apd as well as any, that they are all one in regard of the one Witt or Ejjcncc of
&93to£ God thitmlletktbe*. In God there is no real diversity > but his mil
piicifltm aiusu* voi»n- is thus variously denominated extrinsecally from its respect to the various
itntas Z^ivoimaUth°~ objects to which it doth tranfire, and of the various effects which it pro-
tftratu idem quod [hi duceth. And thus do all men talk ofGod. Else they could not distin-
fentu simplex & indivi- gui(h his saving Will from his damning Will 5 nor Election from Rejecti-
dut si aliquis contenderet «• r-v o « n 1 i-rr i
tfit ttiam noftrt modo in- on, m "is Decree. So that no man can tell how to diner here.
telligendi efi micum 3. And as to fore-fight, you as much mistake. For 1. I lay not
hnutts^i'glnoTZ^b'o. tnat God fore-seeth any good in any man, but what he giveth him, and
Vasquezin i.Tho q.14. rbiUeih to give him 5 But we speak of the Order of those Volitions, in
no!3ih1ssa' short end of tne way of execution. * 2. And all men that ascribe Intentions, Vo-
many Controversies, litions, or Purposes to God, do and must make the Object of them as
* Alex. Ms. is noted by *"cb to be Qjtid cognitum, or something which some call an Idea in the
Vasquer^ and others, as Mind of God 5 Itisnota prius Volitum qua tale that is the Object of a
PreiÆstiMiiSwl^ha': Voli"on> but bonum intelletfum. And therefore nothing but Jcre-fight
first Grace was upon or apprehension of the thing, needs to be put in the description of the
fore-fight of the fu- Object. ;
Gr7cega°theUcaase-ia£ut Nos do I deny,but that we must in our ordinary Discourse speak com-
he denieth that the first prehensively, and denominate EleUion eminently from the noblest parts :
onTVSfcauseT Forasourfull^/^^«includethall, or almost all, so our Conversion
Therefore r</?*f^ thinks and Glorification presupposefh all that antecedeth. And therefore as
he changed his mmd. we mav an<j muft ta]kcf Salvation in general, and not always stand to
mention all the parts of it 5 so must we eminently talk of Election to
Salvation, as comprehending the rest, and not always stand to distin
guish of the parts. But when you will make a. Controversie of the
Order and the Obje& of these acts or parts, we must distinguish.

The fifth Crimination.

A. But you make Gods Decrees to proceed according to theOrder of

* Vafaurjn i.Tbo. f15. Intention,* De fine & mediisj and so you feign God to Decree mens dam-
the'tote'' 7- saith'Thac nation; yea, and the denying them Grace; yea, and their Sin, Sub
\tntfni!^it"dtxuu\Vnis ratione medij, as a means to his Glory : And so he first decreeth to damn
ma /*»; h mtnte mificis them, and then to leave them in sin to that end. , .
%^"mStxTin B' A11 this is y°ur mistake ; what any particular men fay, I now mind
reipfa. But in man I not: But that which we hold is. this, 1. I have told you, That not to
th^boin^!? bbes/id' &ive mm Grdce-> F&b* J«h **d Heaven, is nothing : And nothingnced-
mente, the first \irara- eth no Volition or Decree: Though both the threatning and the
tionesopemndii these- sentence of these Privations is something, and those are willed or de-
cond circa ordtntm opt- , J 0
randi vet tfftdhum. For creed.
wiii dothb first saith,! 2* Ibavetoldyou, That God decreeth no mans sin at all: It is noca-
that n°itt.ISBut in^od Pable Object of Gods Volition 5 unless as circa, quod, as he wxlleth what
we know of no such Or- use to make of sin presupposed.
c5£%*foi^ 3- Sinisno meanso? the Glory of Godh andtherefore isnocwilled
effect, because there is as a means : otherwise it should have the rationem honi qua medium, and
nothing in God but God. be eiegible. But it is an evil presupposed 5 the curing or punijlnng of it,
and not it it self, being the means of Gods Glory : And therefore God
doth not will it as a means.
4. Dor
 Of VrtdeHinatiom, 15

4. Dq not you your self say, i. That G<«/ doth glorifie bis Justice
in the damnation of the Wicked ? 2. And that he willed from eternity
so to do? 3. And that he fore-knew who would be wicked? 4. And
that he could have cured and saved them if he would } 5. And that
be had no absolute Will or Decree eventually or effectually to cure
and save them, but only in tantum , to do so much towards it, which
he knew would be uneffectual through their fault ? 6. And that there-
sorethe Decree of damnation, upon this sore-sight, did pass upon the
lndividuals,and not only on the Wicked and Impenitent in general ? All
this you hold, and must hold 5 and what hold we more >
5. For as to the Order of Gods Decrees, we further hold as fo\-
Ioweth: - • *
1. That though when there is need, we must diftinguijh them by their
Effects and Objects; yet we dread the presumption of feigning those
Orders in the Mind os God, which we know not of, and cannot prove.
He had need to be better acquainted with the Divine Acts, that shall
Venture to tell us in what Order they lie in the Mind of God, than Mor
tals are, except where God hath plainly told us. * * ^»jqae\in 1. tbi. f 13.
2. We hold, that God doth not intendere fimm, or eligere media i't'lig'^uSuti^
thereto, in the fense as man doth 3 because he want eth nothing , and *« '"ftmtta rati^nit >«
therefore doth not veils desideratum, nor seek any thing which he want- KfiS^f &Jr?vi~
1 « 1 iJ 1 • r?>j • I 9 v 1 » 1 aemadi]panet: to prime
eth. But that improperly God is laid to intend an end, when he doth oem [eipfa mdiixiffi,
but will to produce an efe3, or else still perfectly enjoyeth that which is
improperly called Mk end. And m the tint lenle, every Creature is his ad gioriam
end'-, that is, the terminus or effect of his operation. And in the faffP"iam
other sense, He himself only is his own end 3 that is, the complacency ftbtbJffi mgltht' in
of his own Witt. lumo m "A™
3. Therefore to undertake to delineate the Order of Gods Volitions pSS^mtV
or Decrees, according to the way of mental intention de fine & H* chnfti ptpnt*, &c
tnediis , is a work unfit for us to meddle with, as being beyond our
reach.
4. But those that will needs meddle that way, can go no further than
to fay, That God is his own end, ( or the fulfilling or complacency of
his Will ) and therefore that God first willeth the complacency of his •
own Will,and then willeth all Creatures as the means thereto. And what
fe this to any of our Controversies? For the glorifying of his Justice,is but
the means of the complacency of hisWill.Or if you will (ay, that his Glo
ry is his end,it is no created thing that you must mean by his plory. For
nothing created can be Gods Ultimate End. Or ifyou could prove that SchoUfliciomis uno 6n
a created -Glory were Gods Ultimate End j that is, the appearance or
refulgence of his Image or Likeness on the Creature : yet you must con- P'J' *lfy**ri, nonfoim
fess, that it is the Glory of God in his Conjunct Perfections, Power, J^^K"^*1
Wisdom, Goodness, and that the Glory of his Punitive Justice must be comptmm tft)ftdmf,^t.
cither taken as a means to that 5 or else that God hath his End continual- f?™/*^'^*
ly in the Glory which is upon every Creature, and every man and act of mm, v*q.i. Tho.q."^".
man. . Msfei0' But,by
5. Though Dr. Twijfe so frequently inculcate, guod print eft inten- imh ttottlji f**»iit is
tione, pqfterirts eft executioner he faith, that it is but de fine & mediis, »»'W»«0 But c*p.~i- he
and not de mediis inter fe f and that no medium is properly Gods End own goodnessh(oniy) Sis
C and then nothing but himself is his End ) ; and he glorieth as the dis W*R*« voitndi,[td »«*
coverer of this Truth, that all the means are one to God, and therefore h^^^^fj-
have but one Decree } so that he reduceth all Gods Decrees to two, I. Of q- 3. GaM. 1. d. 14.3.1.
his Glory as his End. a. Ofall the means thereto as one, t w^flS'f

6. And
 16 Of TredeHination.

6. And other learned mens Writings I have seen, who come after
him, and seek to prove that the Decree de fine & mediis are but one,
and consequently that there is no such order to be feigned among
them. ! j .
7. The plain truth is, Gods Will is the beginning and end of all:
And all the World are the means of accomplishing and pleasing it r
And it is always fulfilled and pleased, though not always by the seme
means : And God loveth no Creature finally for it self, but for Himself!,
as his Perfection fhineth in it, and as it fulfilleth his Will. And to feign
any other Order of Intention and Election de fine & mediis in God, is
presumptuous ; much more to lay our frames of them, and tye God
hereto, and trouble the Church with contending for such Models;
But the Order of Execution is intelligible ( in part) to man : And we
are sure that God eternally intended to execute his Will in that Order
in which in time he doth it. And therefore this is the only necejfary
and the sufficient method of Gods Decrees, which man can invests

8. We deny therefore that God decreeth or willeth to damn any

Sec th's ucst on hand before ^e fore-seeth their Sin ; or that he decreeth to damn any, but as
led by'^/^«. i°.Tfco!f.i9. impenitent Sinners; or that the damnation of any man is his End; or
d. 8i.c. 4. & $. &6. that he decreeth any mans sin; or that he decreeth not to give them
^mZa^tZu Grace 5 or that Si"> or "0* i™* Grace> or not Mievi**, &c. need a
tjjignanda sum, & non ex Decree, being nothing ; much more that these are decreed as means to
ftUDti votmtatt. Gods Glory. But if you speak de fine, 1. As that which man is bound
to intend, 2. Or as a meer ejfe8 ; so no doubt all things have their re
lation, use, and order to each other.

The fixth Crimination.

A. ton deny all conditional Decrees in God, and so make them all
absolute, and consequently arbitrary, mecrly because God will do it.
Ltg. Twijf. ipnd.Gr*i^ j D0 vou think we differ in this > You dare not profess your dissent
ihili. 'Ee from any of this following explication of our sense.
EtEpifcopii infiit. Tbtoi. (< Gods Will is the Cause and End of the whole Creation: And
h.4.sta.6.cap.6.Pag.4ii, wnat ever pleaseth him todo he doth; whatsoever it pleaseth him (ball
come to pass, it stall come to pass j and whatever he is pleased to make
our Duty by a Law, is made our Duty. All that God doth and com-
mandeth is Arbitrary : His Wisdom indeed and his Will concur ; but his
* m it tviffus VhL Ends are within himself; and his Will is the end of his Will, so far as
GrMAi.i.^detua.Dig.i. it may be said to have an end. Arbitrariness and sclf-willedness is
p. 16$. Aquinas dt/me qQ(^s Perfection , which is mans Sin and Usurpation. If you will
affent, Vtumvellt hoc tflc ~ , , . 7 . - , ... , 1
propttr hoc fid non prop- stretch to that impropriety, as to lay that He willeth it, because his Vn-
:erhocveiuboc,<p.i.q.i9. derstanding fieth it fittest to be willed $ and so make Causes and Effects in
^taum^tUatin^Um God ; yet must you add, that the fitness or goodness so understood, is
e(fe,non q»od aitq»idsit the Aftitudinal congruency to his Will.
^ummvuhtm^* 2. We affirm that God hath many Decrees which are conditional in
propter aiiud, £tq. x?. respect of the thing decreed. * So Dr. Twijse frequently tells you. He
%ximJ^Bovavmur?Im maketh one thing a means and a condition of the event of another. And
scotum, Dumdum, we soy that God hath conditional Promises and Threatnings ; [if thou
Zfm^rtmi'fmd confefi *fy tnouth, and believe in thy heart, &c. thou Jbalt besaved].
'«d imJ [puem luinct And we believe that Gods Will made these Promises antl Threats, and
profiintis. ft* fM »i- tnat they are the true signs of his Will : And that he will fulfil them. And
dit tx [uari powd.p.\(^. ■ jo
 ——I———1 ip ' '' ,' " ■'' - • ■ ' ——■
Of ^Predestination* fj

so far he hath a conditional Will, and conditional expressions of his

Will.
• - 3. But as to the Act: of Volition, we believe that his Wills are eternal,
and have no proper condition of their exigence, or not existing 5 because
being existent , they are Necejffary necejfitate exilientiæ j e. g. God ne
ver had such a Will as this, [ If thou repent, I will purpose or will to
pardon thee if thou repent:, or to make the pardoning conditional pro
mises But £ If. thou repent I will pardon thee, and whether thou re
pent or not, I will conditionally pardon thee, or make that Covenant
which faith, I will pardon thee if thou repent, 3 our Acts are the Condi
tions of Gods Gifts and Acts, but not of his Will, as suspended on those
Acts. • r-j ' - •.
4. Sure this is your own sentitrient: For you deny not that God
knoweth from eternity whether the condition of each Event mil it self
be or not ; And if so, it must be only the condition of the Event, and
not of his Decree : For he that e. g. willeth absolutely that all shall pe
rish that repent not, and knoweth certainly that Judas will not repent,
doth thenceforth absolutely Will that Judas mail perish, though only that
he perijh conditionally. For that Will is no longer suspended on a Con
dition, but it is the Event only that is suspended. At least you must
fay, that it is pasted into a certainty, equal to an absolute Will.
: 5". But we will come as near as truth will lead us. If by a Condition
you mean only that Condition of the event which is not a suspender of
Gods Decree, but only a constituent qualification of the Objeft 5 so I
grant to you, that though Gods Will as it signifieth his Essence, or his
essential Principle of operation, in it selfj have no cause or condition 5
yet as it is extrinsically denominated, the Volition or Volition of this ox
that, the Object hath its Conditions 5 that is, qualifications, without
which Gods Will is not so denominable. And so Gods Will hath its
Conditions of complacency or difplicency in the Creature, without which
he cannot truly be said to be pleased or displeased in them j yea, I told
y OU? that these may oriri de novo, without change in God. And whe
ther his judicial Wifl to condemn men as Judge, have the fame conditi
ons, we shall enquire further hereafter. I have already manifested,that
the Objects of it have their proper qualifications.

* To the question, An
The seventh Crimination. • elittio ad biatitudtnem
prtcejserit fr*dtstinatio-
. . rt ■ ■1 t tt 1r1 -r . rr if i mm mtritorum. The af-
A. At least you make Election absolute, ij not Rejection 3 andsay, that firmativc is held by a-
Cod eleUeth men to Salvation without respecl to any goodness in * them. fr"sjf '
B. I have said enough to this already i i. Do you think that men art j>vand', f.'* Ijeiu.
good before they are elected ? when they are not men ? You do not cer- «■ 2- MaPr- «•
tainly. 2. Do you think that God fore-seeth any good in men, when he ind^AL^!!\^6MU^.
willeth to them theirfirtt good .<? no doubt you dp not. 3. Do you think risque^'" t. tbt.
that God fore-seeth in men any second, third, or following degrees of ^^'^hoWeth'the01
goodness, before he intend to give it them .<? what need he purpose to give contrary, with o/»««,
it them, if he fore-see that they will have it without his. Gift ? 4. Do ^•jJJEJJ,
you think that God fore-seeth any power to do good in men, but what he Atiuftiu held, EUciio-
intendeth to grvethem > or any good aft, but what proceedeth from that "*,^^,>"r£V*
power which he giveththem, and from his concourse, or co-operating And no doubt but God
influx > I dare fay that you do not. 5. And do you think that we ima- decreed Glory to be
, „_ , . J J _ J . J . . given per modum prtma-
gine that God givesh, or purposeth to give, any following mercy to him if tiiat be au.
D that
 Os Predestination.

that hath not the neceslary antecedent mercy ? As to glorifie any that is
not justified, or to justifie any that is not called. 6. , You see then that
it s neceslary, if you will quarrel, that you distinguish of Election as
before said. Though Gods Will in it self, as was now said, have no
proper suspending condition 5 yet? 1. The effects of Gods Will have.
2. And the Objects of Gods Will have their necefiary qualifications.
3. And some of Gods Volitions are thence extrinsically denominated
conditional. ■ .- . ,
Now, 1. God giveth Salvation to no Unbeliever, but on condition
of Faith. And God actually glorifieth none but penitent persevering
Believers : And both these he accordingly decreed or willeth. And can
you fay then that Election hath no respeU to the persons goodness. It
hath not only respect to the good intended him, but to that good which
is a neceslary qualification found in him 5 that is, neceslary to the benefit
to which he is elected. God decreeth to give glory to none but perse
vering Saints, nor perseverance to none but the Holy, nor justification
to none but Believers*,
ButI will confess to you, that we hold, 1. That God absolutely wil
led to give Christ and the New Covenant to the World 5 2. That he
absolutely willeth or decreeth to give the Gospel and common Grace in
a greater degree, to many a one that is no more worthy of it than others
that are past by,and to give it to none but the unworthy. 3. That he ab
solutely decreeth to give Faith and Repentance to many that have long
resisted him, and are as great Sinners as those that have them not, and to
none but the unworthy in proper sense. And dare you deny any of this
your self?

The eighth Crimination.

M£riorut,z%hovRCrt. ^ Thus you bring presumption into the World, and encourage men to
wzr,saith,i*B Job. 15. i. r * t t 1 «+ 1 1 1 1 t r r /> 1
cmm ieaetum Dei a nt-Jin : Is once they be elect, let them do what they can, they are sure to besaved 5
minei^rmanfojje^stat for they are certain that Election will not change.
1^mculqs 1 dm "ante B. i. You are leading us towards the question of Perseverance, be-
conditum orbem elegerit, fore the time.
e^cm°viro^wcerit, 2- Do y ou think your self that Election changeth ? Is not this as much
tum non poft faivari, eti- imputable to you as us ? or do we differ here ? Do not you fay that God
Z?af™*/7 a7"i sore-kpoweth who will be saved > And can God be deceived? or shall
supposition ) which not all certainly be glorified that are so fore-known ? Nay, do you not
mlT"5 C'teth W'th ^ay t'lat' at *ea^> uPon l^at fore-knowledge, God decreeth each persons
But Brentiut ibid, cited certain Salvation that shall be saved ? And can that Decree which is up-
by the fame Maritrati, on fore- knowledge be frustrate ? Do not you then as much encourage
writ emosuati camk, presumption by a certain unchangeable Election as we.
^Tamuvi^nt"dTfJ ?* 16 ^a^ous perverscness ( reflecting on your selves as much as us )
d^n21w'difftrm*& which puts in that word, Q Let them do what they will,or live how they will,
pro fa hgt*i$ t$tiipre, or fm they neverso much'-s] For it falsly intimateth that God electethmen
"attrnam 'uBm ptft" to Glory, that live, impenitently in wickedness; according to our Do-
damnari , etitm/i ptftme ctrine. Whereas we fay, 1. That if the word Election be taken partial-
r;/^^riy>fort^act°f Gods Decrees glorifie them, none but fore-seen perse-
dtpuMum pojje siivari, vering Saints are the Objects, And a wicked Saint \s a oontradiction.
ttiamfi optim vivat ft Qr lt fe taken for Gods Decree to convert a man, we fay that this is
Utfi vellt pro fmlibidtnt . , t_. , ' » , / .
viun. true, that let the World live never so wickedly, God doth decree to
convert some of them from that wickedness, but not all : Do you
question
 Os ^Predettindtiom

question this? 2. But if the word EleHion be taken (comprehensively, Bu[ mntim iWidted
then mens Holiness , Repentance , and Faith is part of the Salvation by the fame Mtrinttt,
which they are elected to : And to fay that God absolutely electeth Teter
to live and die aSaiut, let him ( after Conversion) live and die never /,/« „gtU miy*
so wickedly 5 this isa putid contradiction, such paultry dealing faction *gJS22fflt 1
causeth j what do you differ from us in all this ? fro /«» tngmo atugere,
4. But as to presumption hereupon, I answer you, i. That there is no j^jjjA*.
mercy which Satan will not tempt men to abuse, even^nrilt, and the 4murif ctiamft pfyml
hopes of Heaven it self. 2. As long as wickedness is that evil which »«//»» turn a Di
rection decreeth to deliver us from $ he that is wickfdnxy be fire that E£SSK
I
he hath not the benefit / of Election, and
nor wwr^ —J cannot have
U... the
.L least
I /L ttttmft optmevivat
assurance that he is elect. 2. And while he that is truly godly knoweth nf* v'Utp* s»* tibidiu
vivert.
that he is no further elected to Salvation than he is elected to persevere
in godliness j this is rio rational inducement to him to forsake godliness, *yid.Sfifttf.mstit.TU$.
any more than to renounce Heaven, but rather to eonclude, I am decreed *,s(*"7"'** 41 S'
to persevere in holiness, therefore I must so do. 4. And to pass by the
Controversie of perseverance till we come to it, it is as all confess, so
few of the Elect that are certain of their own Election, that this Ob
jection can extend but to a few. 5. Lastly, None are certain of their
Election, but such as have strong clear active Grace and evidence ; that
believe firmly, and love God much, and obey him carefplly : And such
as these are fit to improve assurance, and to live in the fruits oflove arid
gratitude. Did you ever know what love, and thankfulness, and de
light in God, and holiness are, and yet can you think that they are the
way to sin ? You know nothing in Religion , if you know not, that
they are the life and soul of true Religion, and the most powerful prin
ciples of Obedience and Perseverance. Nor do you understand the
Gospel-design, if you know not, that the greatest manifestation of the
love of God, is the greatest means of love, and thankfulness, and desire,
and delight in God and goodness, unto man.

The ninth Crimination.

A. At least thus * Fate is set up in the World, and all things are under * SMtonwhhhTiberias
necessity, and unavoidable. wa* ■ neglccter of Reli-
. b. You had this Objection about necessity before, and to the answer ^SSStt^t
of it I refer you further, I. Immutable Election doth set up but a con- led by fate,
solatory etuietting certainty in the World, without which mans mind must
still be in troublesome 3 unquiet, if not tormenting terrours. Is it a
wrong to you, if you can be sure to be saved } Had you rather live and . .
die under these apprehensions, [I know not whether I shall be in Hea- S^^ji.wSSwi/i'
ven or Hell for ever ? ~] If you have not certainty, or a hope that is absoi»u btmnm c*m es-
somewhat near it; I think this conclusion, if you be awake, and in your f£^«
wits, must needs make your life a constant bondage, and the fear of opposnomm mefsmo con-
death your constant misery, and must blast all the pleasures of your sol- 'u^tfr&'muZ
est Prosperity. Thank God that his Foundation standeth sore, and the ut non aliter evenire que-
Lord knoweth who are his ; and see that you keep his mark upon you, anl I"1"? tve»iant:
_ rr ^i -n. . ■ _■ c . J . \ji r ' wncre hc confuceth
professing Cnrilt, and departing from iniquity. And do not cry out as nsmors Arguments scr
if you were fatally carried to Heaven against your wills. such nccess"at^ Dc*
2. As for the word f fate "\ it is ambiguous : Some by fate, mean but crees'^ 4}a' c'
the certainty that God's Predictions shall be fulfilled ••> J£uod fatur eve-
niet. Some mean only the certain connexion of Causes and Effects-
D 2 under
 20 Of ^Predestination.

~^7> under Gods sapiential Government of the World. (As Campanel/a

1 t*1, maketh Necessity, Fate, and Harmony, to be the result of Power, Wisdom,
X ^ and Love 5 but not accurately enough.) And some say, ( but how truly
\^ I know not) That the Stoickj took Fate for some primary necessitating
^ > Cause, which did necessitate all Acts of the Gods and Men. It is a
^ I word that we have no need of5 they that will play them with it
J * may.
jj^ 1 3. But as to Necessity again, I fay, 1. Election maketh no mans (in or
^ ! Thus Ttwbornim in misery necessary, nor tendeth to it. 2. It maketh no mans Salvation
vk 1!SS^sSi7t£^ necejjary against his will inserts* composito. 3. The more it maketh our
) V menu, contra smtntiam Salvation necessary , that is, certain and insuperable, the greater is Gods
k <<; cdviniintm dt fatah & mercv the greater our happiness, and cause os gratitude and Toy. The
^ ^ simthcittr ntcejsario tir- sl."TT& rœ ■* \ l • c ^ • r
\\ mim viu, (quasi ,vw Saints in Heaven are not offended at the certainty ot their persevering
ex abfolto &simplicidt- blessedness.
ca%fiecunlas physical, If you shall Object, That it necejfitateth the periling os all others, be-
& voiuntarus rifpeth, cauje nom can ye saved who are not Ele8. Remember that this was your
ZflmZlrtUprlsixcrat.) third Crimination, and is answered before. I say again , 1. necessity
And all upon the en- and Impossibility are either Logical in ordine probandi ; or Phyfcal in
SK3Xnd worts ordine cansandi. The first sort followeth upon your own Doctrine:
otPi[cator, who is most HethatGod fore- knoweth (hall fin and perish, it necessarily followeth
"Ihls^rnSnVof hthcC Necessitate consequents 5 and it is impossible but it should follow, that
Calvinists fense com- he will sin and perish, but not by Gods fore-knowledge,
moniy, who hold that Causal necessitating either taketh away the true power os escaping, or
sin is only fore-seen.and ° t - n /* j l l m'o.™
not decreed : but all depriveth of such power by prevention : But so doth not the Election or
true means are decreed Decree of God.
Decree ; therefore re- 2. ThoughWQ hold such absolute Election as hath been opened to
spected as decreed. you, and that God decreesh to cause men to believe, before he fore-seeth
that they will believe, (in order of Nature, according to humane Con
ception,) yet we hold as you do, that Reprobation doth not so pro
ceed, but that God decreeth men to Hell only on fore-(igkt of final
wickedness, which he never caused or willed. And if in this we agree
with you, you must accuse your selves as much as us. *
3 . God doth both Decree to give, and actually give men power to do
more than they do ; And his decreeing that another man shall well use
that power which he hath, doth sure take away no power from
you,
4. Yea, Gods not decreeing to cause you to use your own power
well, doth take none of it from you 5 But includeth that such power
you have : much less his Decree to do more for others.
5. All the World acknowledgeth, that a Benefactor as such is free to
give his own benefits as he pleases, unequally. And giving more to
one taketh nothing from another. Suppose that God had for 4000
years, till Christ's Incarnation, but willed and given his mercy equally
to all the World, even so much as might leave the matter meerly to their
wills ; and after that had given greater mercy to the Christian Churches,
taking nothing from the rest : Had this been any injury or diminution
to the rest > Suppose now God should fetch half the damned out ofHell,
is this any more hurt or wrong to the rest than if he had delivered none.
But all these things are here anticipated, and cannot be fully answered
till we come to the Article os Grace 3 where we must shew how God
doth differ his Operations on mens Souls : For none can deny, but as he
differences them, so he decreed to difference them, and no otherwise.
 Of <Predenination, 2 1

. The tenth Crimination.

A. At leastyou make Gods Decrees and Ways unequal, and make him a *a!* '* l- f"-
RespeQer of persons, as decreeing ^tosave one, and not another; or to give K»iu'm'dari calfam
more Grace to one than to another, of equal demerit. KtdUntv laud it"'
B. You may shew your ignorance about this your self; but this is no d.\i,q, i.t'.^lcng.
difference between the parties. For, I. No man can deny but that f^>-q> u *• con.
Cod standing towards us in a three-fold Relation, as our Owner and fon,'^-.' mlaTu'f.'
the Lord of all, as our Ruler, and as our Benefactor, so he is free in the concord, c 3. cox. \.&
first and third Relation. A Proprietary may do with his own as he list : 5^£2£tifir.
And TiBenefaUor may unequally give his benefits as he seeth meet: For c. \6i.Aquin.\.q.z^.a.%.
he is supposed to give only that which is no mans Right, till he give it ri&-fa^«u&*
them ( by promise or collation). But as God isa ReUor, and governeth myand. non dicunt ab-
Mankind by a Law , which hath Rewards promised, and Punishments tfuUi Km»bitionisnui-
; ~ . * Vki_ j- j i. m f j- J 1 lum dart caujamtx pane
threatned to promote Obedience, and as he is Judge according to that ujrobi -. fid null**\ tffk
Law, and as he is a Benefactor already obliged by promise 5 thus God f***^ hircJ*ti'
doth keep an equality in his Judgments and Executions, and ever pro: idmtststvm
ceedeth according to his Word or Law. He will in just equity and tr*dtMntt»rndiscentbif
equality forgive, Justine and adopt all penitent Believers, and no others,
how great soever. He will glorifie all persevering Saints, and no others, rtjrobttm, rid* utcra. '
just according to his Word 5 Because his Law is Norma judieii, or that
which he will observe in judging. If God forgive and save one penitent
Believer and not another, you may say that he ruleth not in equity and
equality. But in cases of other disposals and benefits, which no man hath
right to by any Law or Covenant, the cafe is otherwise.
• a. And full experience tells us this. God made not every Man an
Angel, nor every Stone a Star, nor every Star a Sun, nor every Beast a
Man, nor every Toad a Bird, nor the Dirt and Water Fire. Wonder
ful is the Variety of his Works through all the World : No two Birds,
Beasts , Men , Stones , Trees , are perfectly equal and like. No two
mens Faces, Constitutions , Parts, Dispositions, Virtues, are perfectly
equal. With what various temperaments come we into the World ?
And is God a Respecter of persons for , this ? or are his ways unequal >
As a free Owner and BenefaUor he will diversifie his Gifts, and do with
-his own as he list, though Sinners quarrel at it. You dare not fay that
God giveth his Benefits equally to all, that are ofequal demerit.
3. The sin of respecting persons belongethtoa^K^e, obliged by rules
to equal distribution : By a Judge, I mean any judging and executing
Governour, or obliged distributer of Rights. And it confisteth in par
tiality and injustice, because of something in the person, ( as Greatness,
Riches, Learning, Relation, Flattery, &c. ) which is no just cause of
that inequality. But this is nothing to God, who regardeth no mans
person for any such thing , nor denieth to any man his proper
due.
 22 Os TredeHinatiom

The eleventh Crimination.

* Both sides charge this A. * Toumake God play the Hypocrite, to send abroad Ministers to in-
on each other. Maidews, %nat ntCH to repent and be saved, when he hath decreed that theypall be
Vacant ilUsirii hmfi9' damned, and not repent. And youmak§ all the preaching, andnkans that
taiem patiam f»$cmtm are usedforsuch mcns Conversion, a meer mockery.
%?ffic% ^TiÆ'pE *• No more than y°u do 5 F<>r there is no difference as to this. i.Do
phanene'se thus to yen- not you fay that God fore-knoweth from eternity that Judo*, e. g. will
S255SstS!Sif not repent, or be saved? yea, that upon such fore-knowledge he hath
ail be not done by him decreed before he was born to damn him ? And doth this make God play
SiDd$.saiisfyin8 °f °ur the Hypocrite, or his Word to be a mockery > We fay but the very fame
of all that perish.
2. To help you to rescue both your selves,and us from this accusation,
consider, that Gods Decree hath several parts. As, I. That the lapsed
World shall have a Covenant of Grace, and be intreated to be saved.
2. That Judas, one of this world, shall have his part among the rest.
3. Whereas Judas will not receive this offered Grace, for rejecting it he
shall be condemned : These are the material parts ofGods Decree ; And
is there any hypocrisie or mockery in this ? God decreed not to con-
demn Judas, but for rejecting offered Grace: And this prefupposeth the
offer : He cannot reject that which never was offered him.' What
would you have had God rather fay, £ I fore-fee if I offer Judas Grace,
that he will not accept it, and therefore I will offer him none, but con
demn him, because he would have refused it, had it been offered. "] By
this rule, the fin of all the World against mercy and means of life,
should have been prevented by offering them no means or mercy 5 and
yet men perish and be damned for that which they never did, because
God sore-saw that they would have done it. Are not these ways unequal,
' in comparison of Gods, which vain men quarrel with.
2. But again, I tell you that your feigning to hold, that God decreed
that Judas should not repent, is not true of those that you now talk with:
It is enough that Cod did not decree that Judas Jhould eventually re
pent.
* The Jesuites them
selves as well as the Dt- . i . . -
minicans deny as much
runCSXtT The twelfth Crimination.
(of being saved) ; And
absoiute^rbftrary Ve- A. * Though you fay that Cod decreeth to give wen more power than they
probation as jhe^hfeh- nfey yef you add, that none of that power will ever be well used, unless before-
vinist but Antlnomian, decree it j For youfay that God absolutely willeth or decreeth every good A&%
▼id. Kv^dt fradtf.Tr. 3. as well as the Power. And so nosuch AS followeth any Power, where God
&c. And this upon the decreeth it not : And what good doth that Power do them.
irrational Doctrine, that b. Still you anticipate those Controversies which belong to the point
cwS«rfWieste of Grace- But Ianfwer, i. You must answer thisforyour selves first,
persons shall be con- for it as much concernct k you as us. For you teach that what ever
PareS didhthe8J best Power G.od giveth men> " wil1 never be exercised, unless he foreknow
w procure it, and so that it will be so: Yea, unless upon fore-knowledge of mans due co-
thTcause° ^AncT s'n °Peration witn Gox^ " be decreed. For you fay that God fore-know-
Rodiy * persons" luv" eth all the Acts of Grace and Power that will be exercised 5 yea, and
Merits to spare for souls decreeth them on th# laid fore-fight, as your Doctrine de scientia media
in Purgatory, and none • c u
for their own Children, Mterretn.
2. By
 Os ^PredeHination. 25

2. By this Objection there is no way to reconcile you to Cods Provi

dence, unless he will be ignorant of allmens future sinful Omissions, 'or
unless he will not be before-hand willing of all the good that is in the
World, or at least not decree it, and be the Author of it y Or else un
less he will cause all nfeti equally to- liftstheir powets, and do good alike.
Now you dare not fay, that ever any of these (hall come to pass. You
see and confess that all men do not use their power equally , nor do good
alike. And you know God will hot be before ignorant of it. And you
shall never abate Gods goodness so, as to keep him from willing and
workjng too all the good that is the world. And will you therefore be
unreconciled to him }\-; \
3. And where you fay, what good then doth such power ■> I. I pray you
mark that you confess that we hold, that they bad power. And if they ,
had power to do good, they could have done it. For what else is power,
but that by which Icati dothe Actv 2. The power given was a propor
tionable demonstration of Gods Tower, Wisdom and Mercy, and therefore
it didgood. 3. That it was not used to their own Salvation, was their
own fault for which they suffer. And in all this we are agreed.

And now I appeal to your considering Reason, whether there be any

difference hitherto left in the point of Vredeliination between you and
me ? And I again mind you, that were it not for the importunity and
prejudice of contenders, all that I have said of this had been needless.
For it is obvious, that while we are all agrtfcd of these generals,
1. That God decreeth to give all men just so much Grace or Mercy as
in time he giveth them. * 2. And that he absolutely decreeth not to * Af>d vttn" tulip*.
give them any more but what he giveth them. All this Controverfie f£££jf" *?iff
of Decrees or Predestination , depends on the Controverfie of Grace , gratis, & Pr*aeki»atit>-
how much it is that God givejh unto men. ZZLTrtf?: , Vas"
a rr 1 i ll 1 rir t J <JUCZ ID l.lno.q.ij.a.j,
A. I confess that you have indeed proved your stlf reconciled to «*e;disp. pag. *j8.
But that is because you are an Arminian, and do not know it : For you
grant me all that leanjustly desire. But the Cal vinists will not be therefore
reconciled to you, or give you thanks.
B. Except the few Predeterminants afore- excepted, and some odd
words that drop from passionate or injudicious men;! am past doubt that
the generality of sober moderate Calvinists will stand to what I fay, or
may do it I am sure, in consistence with their main cause. And I am
confident that these are the healing-terms that must unite us. And re
member, that you confess, that thus far we differ not.
Had you but this following Doctrine from one ofthe greatest Jesoites,
Vafqne%ini.tho> q. 23. difp.gi.c. II. p. 659. it might put you to your
study to be able to disagree. Catholica sententia e3 nnllam causam, nul-
lumve initium% aut occasionem exparte prædetfinati excogitari posfe,ob quam
Dem aut in tempore gratiam ipsi donaverit, ant inprœscientia dare decreve-
rit. DoSrina hæc non solum intelligenda eji de initiosidei, orationis, ant S^J^A by him to she
volnntatis confequendisalutem , vel de aliis operibus qu£ circa Deum versan- end of the 18th Chap.
■fur ; qnali. 1 Junt religions* verum etiam de quovis opere moralk virtutk ,
qttodinipsum sohtm bonum hon estum refer atur. Et non solum excludimus
initium, quod fit meritum condignum, Jed etiam meritum congruumfeu im-
petratorium, out difpofltionem, & quamlibet causam & occasionem, ob quant
Devshuic potius quam alteri gratiam donaverit, aut donare præfinierit j Ita
Ut totaratio praparandi huic potius gratiam quam illi, fuerit beneplacitum
divinœ vohm tatk , nihil autem vel minimum ex parte prædejlinati. Ita
Thorn. Marsil. Gregor. Armi, &c. Andyet must we disagree.
THE
 2£
7ty. llo$dtTM*vlrt-
tar[er.tentiarum & opini-
«>c<i naturam &
tT^Tlcmtdum'!
quo in animis bominum
tcT)cllVcVwan*s
txtrctt, arytit rm cjfe
P?JS-, tSdiffiti-
mibm (cittt ■. Nec Ipes
trim cotitentionm fintm,
nip curtofitatt modus
atiquis jtatuatur, & omit-
tamur qu*stiones nit* &
ftBT$S™s£wfr
ut, & put ac pietati
Christian* conducibilius
nxM**Mn*&v*-
stionibm abftinere, quam
f,M ftSi \ lil
qiue difficultttt J»a tngt-
rkm bumanm thrums,
fl/'ottst tollsJ"/*"*
Pr'J[triim q»4stiontsiU*
mS* */"'&cfn'cTonibus
ZnTan'tkm nuiit turn
/r*ct«. )td maximo f*pt
dZ pmplicnTtMmU
inpciuntm wit ftrupkii,
TtifXtuTi'7*"
diktat non ph'.ist.
And he mentioned!1 the
tliings which he would
have us take up with ,
WwKhJ>*Vld*bin7*tb %
7n%,&Tntbisfl\vi" volumnious Contentions, what Snares laid for young Students 5 what
vin*grri* itbni : Dim factious Oppositions toeach other among Pastors and People,throughout
nlbVopVlwfmcWtfkt
& Ipirim mitu auxiiio
um^ZZTnZ [n»
qucquim pojse, &c. vrm
umnficperiratum jHm
in noois optrari,ntlibcr- .
tati nolirx nihii duidat
vnpios qui male apnt
fn!lam tccaptntm nibert
it Dto quxrtndi, &c.
THE
Second Days Conference
O F
predestination:
Between C. ( a Cahiniff) and B. (the Conciliator. )
N ✓ x y
• /A«r undertaking to manifest the smallness of our Dijfe-
■ rences in the long controverted Articlts of Predestination, Rcdcmp-
^ *ion,Grace and Free-will. * Bus these Reconcilers do but halt
between two Opinions 5 and while they will be of neitherfide, they are liked
and loved b ""tier.
B. Blessed are the Peace-makers, for they pall be called the Children of
q0(j \ye wju fe^ to please all men for their good to edification } and
_ , . r i__fc_ r> j : 5* 1 V-
yet seek to please no man before God, nor m Un, nor place any of our
happiness in their favour, nor think much to bear their displeasure or
contempt: For if we (so) seek to please men, we are no longer the
Servants of Christ. If Gods favour were not enough for us, he were
r>„ J
not our God, , „
C. Iam afiaidyour study of Syncretism or Concord wilt tempt you to warp
and turn half an Arminian, andforsake the truth.
J » J cH j r
B. I thank you for your care ot me, and I wonder not at your fears,
as ^on8 as you mifta^e one another as you do. As all persecution of
Gods Servants is raised by mis-reports, and misapprehending them to be
verY an<^ dangerous persons, and as all sinful Schisms and scparati-
ons in Churches arise from metis thinking one another to be very bad and
unfit fOT communion j Even so these faUions, and Church-dividing Con-
tensions, come from a false conceit that each fide is so dangerously erro-
neous, as that all good men must stir up their zeal, and with all their
d^puting-slsill and contending-fervency must arm, to defend the Truth
against them, and to save the Church and the Souls of men from the in-
fectjon 0f their Errour.Since I saw the nature of these present Controver-
_ . . -in • • t • 1 * rr , v#",■xv",-,'
sies,it nlieth me with lname and pity to think, what fierce and fiery work
tfiere ^atn ^onB been, Wslat natred> slanders, scorns, persecutions 3 what
much of the learnedst part osthe Christian World; and all ina dream,
for the most part about meer names and words, or things, that none
of them at a11 understood, nor ever will do in this World. O subtile
Tempter! O foolish men! even wise and learned men! O lamentable
Churches ! O miserable World !
_ .
C / pray you tell me what good you lock, far by this attempt .<? Doyou not
fool* bow M.wy such have come to notbivii ?
v * J 0 '
s. lie
 Os ^PredeHination. 25

B. l ie tell you what good I expect:. I expect: that here and there
an impartial sober Divine ihould search into and find pacificatory truth :
And that divers Students, not yet engaged in any Faction, should discern
it : And that most of the idle, ignorant and factious, who find it most for
their intereji, ease and honour, to be fervent for the Opinion which that
party holdeth, with whom they do embody, will reproach myself and
these attempts, and call me a Calvinijl or an Arntinian , or one that
holdeth dangerous Opinions, and self-conceitedly over- valuing my own
apprehensions, do trouble the Church, and strengthen the Adversaries
by pretended Reconciliation. But I look that those that receive the
Truth, should themselves be saved from the guilt of all that uncharita-
blenesi, faction and injury to others, which is caused by mens mistakes :
And also that they should be a seed of Peace-makers , to propagate
Truth to Posterity, till the Age come when God will heal the Churches,
and banish contentious Error from among them. And in the mean time,
I look for peace of Conscience in the Service of God, and in his appro*
bation. And it will be reward enough to live out of the fire of Con
tention my sel£ and to escape the Feaver of that zealous Wisdom which
is earthly, sensual, and devilish, and with envy and strise doth bring in
confusion, and every evil work : And to feel the sweetness of some of
the Wisdom from above , which is first pure , then peaceable, &c.
'jam. 3. 14, 15, 16, 17.
And I am the more resolved not to omit my Duty through disoair,
for the experience which I have already had. I remember the time
when in the Country where I lived, Sacraments and Discipline were
neglected , through the distances of the Episcopal , Presbyterians and
Independants^ about the way of Administration,and we looked strange
ly at each other. I thought it our Duty to joyn in love and practice so
far as we agreed, and pals by the rest till we could better see our way.
But many years I thought I should be but scorned if I attempted it, and
so forbore it in disoair. But at last attempting it, almost all consented
with whom I did endeavour this way of Concord, and I found no con-
derable opposition , and many other Countries began to follow our
example.
After this I sow that whilst Ministers only preached publickly, and
soake but now and then occasionally with the people personally, they
were ignorant of their own Flocks, and edified them but little, and oc
casioned Disputes about examining them before a Sacrament, and many
other inconveniences , And I earnestly wistit that they would set up the
course of Catechizing and familiar Conference with all, from Family to
Family in order through each Paristi. And I thought that if a few Mi
nisters should attempt this without the consent and concurrence of the
rest, they would but be contemned by the people : But if all the Mini
sters of Reputation would consent,it might happily go on : But to moti
on such a thing I thought as vain, as to attempt that which seemed next
to an impossibility. But when I did attempt it at last, I found little or
no opposition } but the Ministers readily consented, and other Coun
tries began the like j In so much that some Ministers of Helvetia sent to
me their desires,of setting on foot the fame course there. These instances
confute disoair, the great Enemy of all good, and make me resolve to
do my part in any good Work, and leave the issue to God. I confess,
and its too well known, that some attempts since these for concord be
tween Church contenders in EnglandyWevc without fuccessrBut they have
afforded my Conscience that peace, which doth abundantly compensate
E all
 26 Of 'Predestination.

all my sufferings. When I pray, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in

Heaven, I mean, Let its with the moll holy alacrity perform thy preceptive
Will and do our Duty , and then with confidence expeS, and with compla
cence reU in thy disposing Will, what ever be the event.
u C. I have read your Undertaking, and whatyou havesaid to A. before,
" and I think_you favour them too muchyand make their Errors toseemsmal-
" ler than they are.
B. Do you follow the fame method that he did. Begin with the
fame Point, and suppose mean Arminian for this time, and tell me the
worst that you have against their Opinions, ( not medling with the Pela
gians, who deny Original Sin 5 nor with the rash or odd sayings ofpar
ticular men, ) and let us try how wide you can prove the difference
here to be, and whether all be not resolved into the Controversies of
Grace and Free-will.

The firft Crimination.

* Episcop. ubi postea, «« C. I. They destroy the comfort of the Faithful, by * denying that God
" did certainly and immutably cleft individualpersons to Salvation,
prim fuerant tUQi, qum b. You mistake them : They hold that he did certainly and imrau-
crtdtmt. tably elect particular persons to Salvation. They hold that he fore-
knoweth what motions means and circumstances will eventually take
with mens Wills, without such neceffitation as is inconsistent with their
liberty 3 and that to certain persons he immutably decreeth to vouch-
%sZtaXZ&ad°rZ safe them all those means and motions 5 and that he then fore-feeth that
opinionem atbarini & these will prevail, and that they will believe, yea decreeth that they
SgfKSkt*** stMl1 thus Prevail» .and so decreeth that all those persons shall be
justified: And in like manner that he fore-seethwhat means and mo
tions will prevail to their perseverance 5 and that he decreeth to give
them those means and motions 5 and that by them they shall eventually
presevere, and shall infallibly be saved. The moderate Jefuites, and
Arminians, and Lutherans do maintain, and will grant all this. And all
this is from eternity. And is not here then an eternal ascertaining im
mutable Election of individuals.

* Jg»i babt' gutiam tffi-

ctcem ad conversionem ant _ - .
fidm pyordinatm t(i ad / fog econa Crimination.
conversionem et paem.Mal- J
items, 1. 2. f. ill. a. 3.
Pi yfd. Episcop. mstit. " C- U- * neJ> fei&n an ele3ion os t Things, instead of an eleUion of
TbtoL. U. 4. [td. 5. cap.6. " 'Persons 3 andsay that Election is Gods Decree to make Faith the condition
f-Vl- "ofSalvation : Andso they bring in an indefinite Election of Universals or
" Species ofperfons'-jthatGod decreeth toJaveBelievers,& damn Unbelievers.
* Rtstater out vtiunta- B' Doth any Christian deny any of this? * 1. That God hath de
teseii/anturfedvoiutttas fatfo, made Faith the condition of lise, is visible in the Gospel: And
'p^d%faefi°CTnviM wnat **od ^ ra "me> ^rom etern*ty he decreed to do. Therefore he
mmm mvmnuiu ' decreed to make Faith the condition of life.
modopotest: hoc antem 2. That God hath in his Covenant made a Deed of Gift of Christ
V^f<s*tu*m£ afld Lise to a11 true Believers, and of Heaven to all that so persevere,
iiW.i.aisj«»?/Kij«.q.i. and that he hath promised to perform this Covenant, is visible in the
Scripture. Therefore God decreed to do this from eternity, even to
justifie Believers, and glorifie persevering Believers. Make not the world
believe that any of us question this. But
 Of ^Predestination. 27

But if you mean that they deny all other Decrees of Election, arid
extend it not to individual persons, you mistake them. Read but Mo
lina, Suarez,, Vasquez, Tenottus, and other Jefuites, and you will see it :
And so you may in Arminius himself. They hold an Election of Indivi
duals, as I last described it, in the way of their fcientia media , besides
the Election of Believers in general. See also our Tlayfaire on the
Point.

The third Crimination.

C. III. They deny any Decree or Will of God to give men the firstspecial
Grace, effeBually to make them believe and repent , but only that he dc-
creeth to give them sufficient Grace , which their own Wills must make
effetfftal. * ' - " * They commonly ic-
M -k. i ... i ,it^> r c i n- knowledge a preventing
B. Did not I tell you that all the Controverlie ot Vredejtination is re- operating Grace, :quam
solved into that of effectual Grace? Such Grace as hegiveth men, such DeM «»»*«£« *»&
he decreed to give them. This all confess. But what it is that denomi- b«"the Ratio tfficaci* is
nateth Grace ejfetfual, we are to consider in its proper place. Only let ^"^°verted aœon*
me here tell you, that all will grant you (of whom I now speak) that c
God decreeth to give men that special Grace which shall cause them to
repent and believe. But on what terms, and in what manner it so causeth
it, isafterward to be handled. * * Sce dt pteii(.d.6.
/irct.4,5. proving Faith,
Perseverance, dec. to
~ come from Gods De-
cree.
The fourth Crimination.

C. Their DoUnne de * fcientia media on which they ground their Opt- „ , , . ,

/.„»_ . ... . ~ J L,J • j?xt • * 0f t"'s see more in the
mons oj Gods Decrees, ts many ways injurious to God--) ana is a fiction not first Book.
to be made good.
B. 1. I doubt all sides are over temerarious in their distribution of
Gods Decrees and Volitions. But, 1. All are agreed that ex parte Dei
Volentis, there is no real difference in his Volitions 5 not ex parte Dei sci-
erttis , in his knowledge : For so his Knowledge and Will are his Essence.
2. All agree, that ex parte objeUi cogniti & deercti there is a real diffe
rence. 3. All must agree, that in Gods Intellection and Volitions as
denominated ab extra,v\z. ab objeUk, there is a relative or denominative
difference. 4. Ex parte obje&i, there is no man can question, but that
this Proposition [ If John have such and such means, and helps, he will
believe,! doth differ from this Proposition, [it is convenient and good
that John stall believe'] and'from this, [John will believe"]. 5. If you
are against mincing Gods Knowledge into such scraps as these various
objective Propositions do infer, you must be against the old distinction,
into scientiam fjmplicis Intelligent! æ, & fiientiam puræ vifionis. For no
doubt but God knoweth all things, how various soever, uno intuitu,
with one simple knowledge, ex partesui, though it be by our weakness
denominated many, even innumerable, ex relatione objeUiva, veltermi-1
natione rei in quam transit. Doth not God with one Act know Conve
nients, Desirables and Futures ? And cannot I here copiously rhetoricate
against you for yourfirtf and second sort of Divine Knowledge, as well
as you do against them de fcientia media. 6. It is agreed that God
knoweth all things to be what indeed they are, and not otherwise.
E a 7. Ic
 18 Os Predestination.

7. It is agreed that God knoweth not as man doth, by Names, Tropofi-

LbM'cSw^S.10 tiims, or Syllogisms 5 And yet that God knoweth all Names, ,Notions, Pro-
am tiecrttis 1. thts. »$. positions and Syllogisms, with their modes} as they are the measures, or-
ttelrmvTvvordta"8 gans or actings of Humane Understandings. 8. t It is therefore unde-
largc, he proveth that niable to all Christians, that the thing which they call * fcientia media,
resolute AMiTmtnUns *s ascertainIy m God, as is thefcientia (implicit Intelligently & Furœ vi-,
were for this fcientia ftonis 5 that is, [that God knoweth the truth of all true conditional
media conditional, viz. 'Propositions, and knoweth what would be done , by such and such
Fr. Gomarrus ( Armm- £ ' - . 1^11 • •r \ 1 r~v 1
w's chief Antagonist) causes, or upon luch and luch alterations, it they were put j. Doth
inMtt.il. — %u An- any Christian doubt of this? 9, Whether this should be called fcientia
tonrus H'aUus loc. com. 'j. • n.- j * t ^ • j
de [cunt. Dei, pag. 160. media, is a queltion de nomine, and that or no great importance, and not
I'auius verritu Scboia}. at all de re $ io. Whether it be of any necessity or use in this Contro-
xw.'.^Bda'i^Bgn^ VCffic» is a question only about the order of argumentation, as long as
nius Autaph.sea.i%.diff. the thing it self is confefled to be true. 11. Some that cashier it as an
hisUstd^Vwas^ewst useles"s Engine in this matter, do go as far from you as the Jesuites and
to the Arminians, as ap- Arminians who use it ; As you may see at large in Ludov. a Dolay and
phyfeks!) ^And'/a3' Dh™^hs himself. 12. Iam one that sear Presumption both in their
strangius,i.i.c.\s.p61$. and your distributions of the Knowledge and Decrees of God, and
j) ™d(caXdXd°it'ud' Cr°ci'a ^rea<^ the ta^'ng °f his Name in vain 3 And one that think that we
' ' need not the notion offcientia media for our satisfactory explication of
£ Cowswef*"ovedhat ^36C^ mattcrs- ^ut 88 tne trHt^ °f the tmng ls confessed, so if it be ap-
rhe°peSrmfssionrofetheiaC plied only to the Doctrine of Reprobation (as it is commonly called)
first fin is an effect of and not ( at least always ) to the Doctrine of Election, I see no untruth
wSnfrfnl' (taafc that " M»ferrctn> nor no real difference that it will prove between
and ordinary fense) they US.
would do more to
overthrow the Doctrine ,
de fcientia media circa
malm, than is yet done. _ _ , t m'
But they fail in their at- J fa fiftf? CnmiMtlOn.
tempts of proving this : J J
Of which after. •
C. they deny absolute Reprobation at least, and say that Cod reprobateth
no men, but uponfore-sight of fin$ Andfothathe hath no Decree that men
full fin, nor that he will permit them to sin, nor that theyJhall do the a&
in particular which is fm : As if God had not decreed the hardening of
Pharaohs heart, the fm o/Sihon, o/Rehoboam, of the Jews in killing
Christie.
B. 1. I told you before, Reprobation is a word that signifieth several
acts : You dare not but grant them, that God decreeth or willeth to
damn no man but for ftn, and as a sinner: And this is the fame thing
that they mean.
a. If by Reprobation you mean Gods Decree to give them no Faith or
Repentance. 1 . You must prove that God hath such a Decree or Will, for
ameer negation, where not-decreeing or not- willing to give them Grace,
will do as much. 2. All Christians must needs confess that God made a
Covenant of Grace with fallen Mankind in Adam and Noah , And that
no man is now under the meer Obligations of the Law and Covenant of
Innocency , which faith [Be perfect and live, sin and die for ever]:
And that there is some common mercy extended to all the World, which
obligeth them to repent in order to Salvation. He subverteth Scripture,
and all experience, that denieth this. Therefore all must grant, that
* Thus our Britt fh ^OC* ^en'etn no fpec"al Grace to any, but the abusers of this common
Divines au^rfHn their Grace. And he decreeth to do but what he doth. * Therefore the
suffrage on Ar. 3. at persons whom he decreeth to deny special Grace to, are none but the
rfic' abusers of common Grace, or the rejecters of that special Grace, when
offered. 3. If
 1 ■ J .-t ■■ —sr 1 I ; • .i- i - ■
Of fredeHination. 29

3. If by Reprobation, you mean Gods Will or Decree to permit them

to sin and perish willfully 5 1. You can prove no such Decree or Will •
Because permijfion being a negation or nothing* needs it not, but will be
as certainly without it, upon a bare not decreeing to hinder them from sin.
2. And you mistake in laying that Arminius denieth it : , For he * faith *Armmu himself ex-
with you, That Cod decreeth his own permission, a. You must take the'F2L JKf*ft thac
" j-/v *su i_ 1 it ■ *: in cale God permits a
pains to distinguish between negative and privative Vnbelief, and be- man vtiu peuatm, «-
tween negative and privative not-hindrinv Sin, or not-givine Faith. Ne- est ut nuilt "FT*
gative Unbelief is meer not-behevmg : And fa none or us did believe from ad voimdm ■ Exam.
eternity, or before we were born : He that is not, believeth not ; nor p«k-pag.> 5?- Vr.Twifi
yet in the first instant that the Promise and Law of Faith was given us. *&«n*»rdj,.i.two.
Our unbelief is not (in, or privative, but on supposition that we are men,
and have reason, and have a Law and Qbjeft of Faith. And Gods per-
mining us in this negative Non-belief is not to be called a privative, but
only a negative permijfion. For God did from eternity so permit me to
be no man, and no Believer, and yet this was not Reprobation. So God
did negatively not hinder Adams first sin, but not privatively 5 because
not penally for any evil done, nor yet by denying him any thing that was
naturally or morally his due:Therefore this was not anAct ofReprobation.
But when the New Covenant of Grace, and the common Grace of the
Covenant are once given men, and they are obliged to believe, then
sometimes Qod penally denieth them Grace, and that is all which the Ar-
minians put against absolute denial, because this denial is only for mens
fore-going sin. But he also still negatively only, and not privatively or
penally deniethsome Grace to some, yea to all; And that is only such * rT. . ,
: -jd ., . * M , J * [ Though fin be ac-
Orace as is neither morally thetr due, nor naturally due ornecellary to knowiedgedto be the
them. And the denial of such is no Act of Reprobation. Godein°Rhc ^b?1 °f
4. If by Reprobation you mean meerly Gods Yreterition% that is, his nttiru^ittt, fath,
not-willing or not-decreeing to give men Grace. 1. Not to Will or De- in aspect of the punifh-
cree, is nothing 5 And how can you call nothing absolute or conditional .<? SShSSSt^^e
These are the modes of ^#/,and not ofnot-a8ing, or ofnothing.'All grant absoluteness of repro-
that Gods non-agency,non-volition,not-decreeingha.th no causey much less a ^p^banth'f And"
cause in man, least of all in man when he is no man. unless we understand
5. The word Condition, either refpecteth, 1. The thing or event J^F'*™ ^"cich
willed 3 2. Or the Will as relatively denominated with respect to that anOpinion, which
event ; 3. Or that Will radically considered in it self. I opened this tn^tisb°!d toProse»s
before, but think of it again 3 for the reason of the distinction is very r0 mad as to a^rm/hr!]
plain. And, 1. God damneth no man but for sin, (nor privatively de- against He«tf,ii.i.
nietb any neceflary Grace, but for sin.) Therefore the event no doubt Burj4?.' The aam rtpro-
xs before-hand conditional ; that is, dependeth on a condition : God *««« as really distinct
decreeth to damn them if they live and die impenitently, and not else. JJJJ but Gods' Est^e
2. The Act of Gods Will as denominated from the said Effect or Object And who faith that fin
particularly, may be called, A conditional AU or Will. But if any J**SSSftfU.
think otherwise it is but de nomine. 3. The radical essential Will or probation, as it is said
Act of God as in himself can have no cause or condition. * Dr. Twifse ]? be,a .D""eJ?oc to.
• . . #■ 1. JJ give Faith ori Grace is
denieth none Ot this, nothing : and therefore
6.That God willeth ot decreeth not sin formalIy,all the Christian world f^^-j*^^ 9?"
almost confess. And what loveliness is there in that only odious thing, cyaiiy detromiJt^Gads
that should tempt good people to father it on God, or attribute the be- wni or Essence as an
ing of it to his Will, or to be zealous Reproachers of those that fay a fair agreement ?
OtherW ise } Kuh^.de prtedtf.d^.f. r 50.
7. And if God mil and decree the Act not only as an Act in general,
but with all its modes and circumstances, he undeniably willeth or de- ad prmiffbnm pucati fi-
treeththe/tfr/wofsin, or the immediate necessary cause of it j which stjJ^JfiSA* r#"
the case of efficiency will more evidently appear.- G.God
 Os Vredeftination.

C. God willeth not the Form, that is, sin asfin, andyet he willeth the
AB with all its circumstances.
E. I have told you before that a wicked man may will (in in matter
and form, and yet not will it asfin. To will it asfin, is to take the form
os (in as such to be good, and so to be the ratio volendi 3 which few if any
Sinners ever do. But to will both matter and form in one, not as the
formal reason of Volition, but making total fin, the matter chosen as a
; means to some other desired end , this is possible for a very wicked man
to do : But I think the ordinary case of Sinners, is not at all to will the
form of sin, but cast that by, and to will the matter of it, for the carnal
pleasure or inferior good which it scemeth to tend to. Now this ex-
cuseth not their will from wickedness, that they will not malum sub ra-
tione mali, or sin because it is sin, but for another end. And shall we
charge God of willing (in as the wicked do ?
C. Godwilleth it to a good end, and they to an evil end.
* Sure Aminm grant- *• . ALS evtf "nust not be done, that good may come by it, so neither
eth enough, and that must it be willed to that end. Man may need luch a * means to his ends,
School men den"1 anT ^ut ^° cannot Go<*- ^ea> men nave°ft good ends for evil Acts : Many
for my part I cannot lye to glorifie God, and sin for his Cause and Church, and for their
grant, whenjw sekh, ovvn an<j other mens Salvation. Much of the Blood, and Cruelties, and
est It maim fiat, "'propter Superstitions in the World, have had good ends 3 which yet excused not
vti sapintitm, bonitatm the things from sinfulnesi.
%fmveHs*xptscato*matt- C. God is under no Law, and therefore cannot fin : But man is.
rUmgioriafnxiiiustriindx b. i. That proveth God no Sinner 3 but not that he caufeth or willeth
^SaSS'mSS!ffi not the sin of man- 2- Gods natural essential Perfection is his La w,and
iiiustrunde Gloria Dhi- more than a Law to him : And from that Perfection all Laws in the world,
njeifedoccafioumm,n<»i tnat are ;ust and good, haVe their Original 3 that is, Gods own Laws
tktainbuncpnemneq;na- , > .„ &/-L- • , r n. i, j i«, ' ,
turafta ad aim auom- are the exprejjions or his nolyperiect Will and "Nature 3 and Mans Laws
& dwJm i/rf" u are autnorizecl by, and subservient to, and derived from the Laws of
ia»dib *; abufu "[urpata.] God, in Nature and Scripture : So that when the Apostle would describe
^7'n'or\ae^caiionamia^e^&a^ likest unto God, he faith, That the Law is not made for
ulf indeed tnbuTl wd° ^e Righteous. 3. If Gods Holiness and Wisdom make man a Law, for-
not grant that ixptua-to bidding sin on pain of Hell, the same Wisdom and Holiness, with his
^Gtort?^ttetf5^'« a"d Mercy, will not will the sin so forbidden, nor cause it 5 nor
accident it is good ut consist with so doing.
cTtemm pecan aim C. Itis not the form or essence ofstns that God willeth, but the existence,
fecundm ratwmm mail- and futurity or event 3 not sin, hut that sin be.
let m*«?*\m?ql!mii. B' 1 many a year studied thinking to prove that true : But I doubt it
vint prtdestiiatio virsa- is but a game at words, and groundless distinguishing, for a false conclu-
tonitmf^vtc'^to " ^on* For> *' Sm lS 3 ^-elation formally 3 even a disconformity of an
1. Tho.q!i3.a, 5.d sp" j. Act or disposition, and so of the person to Gods Law. It can no other-
c- *• wise be caused, but by making the Law, and causing the AB in the circum
stances disconform. God maketh the Law, and God maketh man and his
faculties, and God causeth the Object, and God permitteth the tempter :
If God also cause the AU in the prohibited circumstances, he doth all
that can be done in the causation of sin : And so of his Volitions or De
crees. As for the essence of sin in notion, without the existence, more
may be said that God indeed is some cause of that, without culpability,
yea by his Holiness and Power. For as the Relations of Curvitude and
Dissimilitude result from the Relate s fundamentum, as compared to the
f.r- Correlate, or terminus 3 so he that causeth any of them^ hath some hand
in causing the Relation as a Relation : And so God by forbidding Adul
tery, Lying, &c. by his Law, doth by Institution make those a&s to be
fin 5 that is,He layeth down the rule from which they are so denominated
when
 Of VredeUination. 3 1

when committed. That Adultery is committed is long of man: that it

is a (in when committed is long of God and man 3 God by his Law, and
man by his Act. So that when you fay God caufeth not the essence, but
the existence or futurity, you are so far out, as that left of causality is to
be ascribed to him, as to the exigence, than the essence.
2. But whatistheex//?«?se but the essence existing, or extra causas ?
And what is it to causestn, but to cause it to exist t And what is it to cause
it to exist, but to cause it, or give it a being > And what is it to will that
sin shall exist, but that the essence of it mall exist s? And what is it to
will the event oxfuturity, but to will that (in stall be £ And what more
can man will or do about it, to shew himself to be bad, (as£/fc«f and
others iuiiy
uuicis fully LUJiuitu.
manifest. j)
" C. J cannot but thinks that God may will that Act which is sin, so he do * wtf. vini. u. u ui-
" not will it * as fin, (andso may cause it) QuodQuod peccatum, but not Qua P'O'- 4- r- *oi. T*ii*m
,. '/» pecctiutn fieri ab bo-
peccacum. mine ut tst peccatum. Licet
B. Here are three things before us : t. The common substratum or fa ;««t«*i *t fit *b bom-
matter of the Jin, which is the Faculty, andtheOtyetf, and the ^5 only Ye\t\\™tmXoc™%
ingenere aUm, or as not cloathed with the forbidden . circumstances, rationt futati. S^m»
2. The Act thus circumstantiated. 3. The Relative form offinfolnefs. Tatmla^-ZmltXt
I. No doubt but God doth cause all the first, the Faculty, Object, hkmtJumttMtatm
and the Act as an Act j e. g. In David's Adultery and Murder, and Peters
denying Christ, God gave them the Faculty by which they did it: He
upheld their natural power 5 and as the Fountain of Nature concurred
with it in and to the Act as an Act , But, 2. The Act as thus circumstan-,
tiated he neither caused nor willed, but permitted only 5 that is, that
David should hie & nunc lust after her that was another mans wife, that
he mould vitiate her, that he mould choose ouv Uriah to the Sword, that
Peter should speak those particular words, &c. In the first sense, God
willeth the Act which is sin, and the Faculty which is sinful 5 but not in
the second as sinfully circumstantiated.
And as for your ^ua peccatum, I tell you again, few Sinners, if any,
Will it qua peccatum.
** C. Whatsay you to this undeniable Argument : IfGod will not that A&
'•which is fin, he willeth almost nothing that men do'} Forwesininall
" someway or other. And so God hath little to do in the world.
B. The last answer fully scrveth to this. If we sin in every Act, yet
all that is in every Act, is not sin, or prohibited. All that is good in the
Act is of God, and willed by him. But it is the prohibited circumstan
ces of the Act, which God doth not cause or Will, which morally speci
fic it as sin. As when I pray, I sin in praying coldly, unbelievingly, with
vvandring thoughts: God causeth riot these, though he cause the
Prayer. Or to come from compound Acts to simple : Those wandring
thoughts are not my sin as they are thoughts, but as they are upon an un
due Object. A lye is not a sin as it is a word, but as this word which if
false 5 And so in all others.
" C. "But some AUs are (imply forbidden in themselves, and not only in
*' their circumstances : Therefore ifGod there cause the Aft,he causeth the Sin.
B. No Act as an Act is forbidden, but as circumstantiated, by Ob
ject-, Time, Mode, Place, &c. Mr. Capell * chooscth lying only as an * Lib' of T""p:'
instance of prohibitum per se. But I answered before, that all the Act
in lying is Volition, IntelleUion and Speech j And these as such are not
forbidden.- But only these particular words which are false. The com
mon instance is Odijse Deum ; But here hatred in it self is not the sin, but
as unduly terminated on God as the Object. And this God willeth not.
C. By
 ^2 Of Predestination.

1 ' C.By this you deifie man : For you make him the cause ofsomething which
God is no first cause os. And jo man is made a firfi cause , that is a
God. For the particularizing ofthe OhjeB, and the circumstantiating of
" the A&> is aliquid, something, and must have somefirSi cause.
B. The truth is, this one Objection is all that is considerable in the
whole cause of the Dominican Predeterminants : Which I have answered
thauDr! Trijsi soith' m due place 5 and here briefly tell you, I. That when two Objects are
[ Non Btufli ijfe m vita before me, a commanded and a forbidden one, there is * no more true
ftStaanShf"ix natural entity in my choosing the forbidden one, than in my choosing
enim datur aliquod pecca- the commanded one. To hate God, and love sin, hath no more natu-
X^dmtik~nf\m4t raIentitv> tnan to Iove Goc* arK* nate &a : To speak an Oath or Lye,
"it ut Dm sn Aucior than to speak Truth and Holily : To will a forbidden Act, than to Nill
emnis Bnij»c^,Migij jt) ancj to will agood one. So that it is no deifying man to make him a
At^these have al much first cause, of that which hath no natural entity 5 that is, of an Act, not
entity as sonum ztima- as an Act, but comparatively as rather this way than that way exercised.
GrJUi. p. * /<ct.*7- And Dr. twisse hence faith, That moral specification of A8s, is no true
It is i??.
f«g> true that the specification
J of
J them 7j And it's true that it is not a Physical
SJ soecifica-
t
is free ad a£lnm utile & aua-
pcundm, in many in- 2. If you lay that we have a Liberty ad exercitium as well as ofspecifi-
tethlhe o\ft&°?™~ cation^ or °f Contradi&ion as well as of Contrariety ; Even to will or
Honey, or evis fruit ; not will, do or not do .• And in this case to do or will when forbidden,
and ^God m^keth^the is more than not to do or will j I answer, i. The Soul is naturally an
making Nature1 God an- active vital power, and it is as natural to it to be in act, as to a stone to lie
tecedently maketh the stjij • And the Cartesians will tell you, that Aftion needeth no more cause
ifthou wdt ea^oney ' than Rest : But I rather fay, that God never forbiddeth Action in general
it shall be sweet or plea- to the Soul j but only this or that Action upon this or that Object, at an
Stettethjou'wiit eat undue time. So that no man ever sinned by meer Action as such, whe-
ir, he hath left free : so ther Vital, IntelleUual or Volitive. The Action which God commandeth
that if God also caused h W1netn ; The Action which he forbiddeth is but this or that upon an
that determinate act, lie # , r r
caused all. And so it is undue Object. Adam had this liberty of contradiction, to will or not
maketh' the Law G°he to tn's Particu^ar Act, of eating the forbidden fruit 5 but not to
object, and the man : or not will simply. Now for Adam to will to eat thatfruit,instead both,
tha fhthouy Tcause °^ ni^in& **» an^ °? billing to please God by nilling or refusing it, had
such anVctVso'dTsoVde- no more natural entity in it, than if he had not willed it, but willed
red, it (hail be thy sin somewhat else at the same time.
Go^vouid ass muchlf 3- An Action it self is not properly Res, but modus Rei 5 and if any
cause the Act also he did should say that God is not able to make a Creature, that supposing God
Seft£S!fefe the Act the cauf<: of its Power continued, shall be the first cause of its own Act
in fui modo to him, as- or exercise of that Power, he faith that which no mortal man can prove.
mtim^'A**^010^0^0^ Works, is their likeness to Himself* And aslntel-
nameth it Bomim ccndu- lection and Free-will are parts of this likeness, we know not just how
cnfajfo£m2im&^c ^oc^ can &° *n^ucn Communications. I fee no contradiction in it,
interituu . But it is not to fay that a faculty maintained by God in its natural force, with necefsiry
%u)1tdb»> C ^ai'ad* ^ though not determining ) concurfe, can determine it self without any
fi/nm'itimm"' Fo/aii more causation. And if it be not a Contradiction, God can do it.
is not profitable that 4,. But this is all prevented by considering, that mans Soul is never
SSSIi?A!^OTt9^\ftst' Its active force is never idle 5 though it act not always the
is the Author of all true fame way, nor with the fame extension or intension so that to reduce
profit to us. -t mto a^ jg not to re£iUCe it from a meer potentia in attum, but from a
power acting one way , or slowly , to act another way , or more in
tently.
5. Yea, this is all answered by considering, that as I said, while God
continueth the Soul in its nature, it continueth a naturally atfiveforce or
power ; inclined essentially to activity : So that though, I fay, that Action
needeth
 Of ^Predestination. ^

needeth more cause than non-action, that is, here done , in God still
caufcth the active disposition. But supposing that upheld, 1 fay, that
there is oit more need of other causality or strength to keep it from Dr ^jf5?2«red
Action, than co cause it to act. Whatever the world talketh against in * the fust BookWCHis
Durandus, they are never well able to answer a Dolt (though in sense g'^A^**/?*
they that factioufly oppose him mean the same as he. ) And if a Rock diYciffeththc' P'<~£.' An
hanged in the Air by something that might be cutoff or removed fas a « f"" »*stra catifa
threed), supposing God to continue the nature of it, and all things dudeth that [Reprtb^i$
else, there is more strength and causality needful to hold it from falling, fuDtmfatutandae*
than to make it fall, when the threed is cut. It was a work of Gods gfiSSSS?^
Power to keep the fire from burning the three Conseflbrs, Dan. 3. and non est conditionala fed ti
the Lions from devouring Daniel, Dan. 6. and the Sea from flowing on K^r^f^£m-
the Israelites, and the Sun from moving in Jojhuah's fight. tonm ip/ius reprobi. 2. 1*
6. And yet consider that it is not so much as an Action, which is but l4Htft$Sdtfi^f'
tnodus ret, that is in question, but only the comparative circumltantia- nu ex tone ip/orum quan
ting of that action so that it is but modus modi rei. *™ ™ ('nH
7. And lastly, The denial of the matter of our power and liberty in M pinnU$rnm cTmparlti-
this I have else- where proved, overthroweththe certainties and funda- & de "Mt".
mentals of all our Religion. Now whether any man should deny all fed *t*„ **bs$e*bqu£
our Religion , and certain necessary Truths, for such a metaphysical un- d°, utit diur tu[* re-
certain notion as this, that God is not able to make a Creature, that can where
cause a modus modi, in determining its active nature to this Object ra- note , that he grameth
ther than to that, without Divine predetermination, let sobriety be SSe^J^ST*
judge. to some effects, tn\. pu-
"C. But thus you make man the specifier of his good aUs , without ?ifh™cntiIl,or by a cause
„ . 1 T . * ^ ,. - ,jr /. J 6 ' c • hemeaneth any prere-
'* Cods determination, as mil as of the evil. quisite conditioner no
B. Janfenius is in the right in this : we have more need of Divine help 2°tul£$"0cf isa"° ^ci"
to the willing and doing of good than of evil. We cannot do evil fnOod-ADdainiis stress
without his natural support and concurse : But we cannot do good, espe* <* on this, that the
cially spiritual saving good, unless we have moreover his medicinal fye- F,n™tn™first effect *oi
cial Grace. To the specifying of good actions, there must ever con- Reprobation, and this
cur Gods natural help, Gods gracious help, and mans free-mil or self- JSS?J£jg£
determination. It is not two or three determinations of the Will, which on quoad omnes tgtSm
are made by these several Causes 5 but one determination. So that un- j"*" ™ ™J
derGod, man is the specifying determiner of his Will to good j or else man may put* such a
he were not a Believer, nor rewardable or punishable. And that he gjj *
cannot determine his Will to good as well as to evil, proceedeth not what he please? Buck's
from the Original nature of the Will, ( for with that such a determination for Godt
was consistent) but from its Travityat Corruption. But how Grace and J deprive them »s '['mt-
Free-will concur is after to be handled. v,bat necessary to their[aj-
« C. Dr. Twisse Vindic. GraU lib. a, p. 190. ( Vol. rninork) hath afull Jgj£ Ta^'Xoht
"digression (4) to prove that £God willeth that sin (hall come to pals, on, 2. And privative,
« he permitting it, and faith, Nostri Theologi affirmant : Arminiani Von- t^&SitxfTt
" tificii ncgant. "] * which is objectively ne-
B. I wonder not that Dr. Tn>i£e holdeth that Godwillethit, when he jSSl?ISS2?
1 extend it to that which
is negatioaltui, no Act, that is, to nothing. And so a man that will play with words, may fay, that i. Gods noa-agtre, mn-
tligire, is an Act. i. That his non-imptdire is an effect, which is nothing, and therefore no tffeft : And Alvari\ utterly failcth
in his proof,either that non-eligert is an Act.or permitteri vel ion impedirt an effectjor that it is fitly called Riprobation,vihich hath
no privation bnt a negation for its Object-^.f.that Judas stiall not be an Angel,nor impeccabilrbut have natural frre-will,is no
act
* of - his Reprobation
». !-.: J.AndÆ-L.t
so of the 1permission
...*r—lt r 1 of -the.. first
_ • fin.
-. Armimus
- • •himself exam. ?trltjn(. pig. $<?8. faith, s Vole-

uiam naoowum aa jeevocare.) wnicn ur. twijje uietn tnrougn all m» writings agajnlt rum ad hommm,\n iteaa ot argument.
Me-thinks this concession should seem enough which is too much. And I conjecturc,that Arminius wrote it by over-fight, and
would have said, that God permitted Ahab to kill Naboth, because he would permit him to fill up the measure of his sin :
making permission the res Voiiti. But all their assigning Causes of Gods Decrees are too bold j God being above all
causes.
F hold-
 Os ^Predestination.

holdeth that he efficiently premoveth and predetermineth the Will to

every forbidden act, clothed with all its circumstances. That which
God causeth, he must needs will. But when he faith , Neilri Tbeologi
affirmant, he must mean but some few, such as Maccovius, Spanhemius ,
Rutherford, ( and perhaps Piscator or Eeza, ) of his pwn mind. But the
generality of Protestants either are against him, or meddle not with it.
He that will read Davenant, and such others, (hall find the difference. I
remember but few English Divines at all that own it, besides the sore-
named and Mr. Norton. But having written both an answer to this
Digression of Dr. twisse, and to his and Alvarez,, and other mens Do
ctrine of physical predetermining premotion I may pretermit that
here.
" C. But by this they make God an idle Spectator offm in the World:andso
" deny a great part of his Providence or Works*
B. 1. This belongeth not directly to the Point of Reprobation, but
of Gods Works. 2. Take heed of such unreverent words of God : Who
will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain. Dare you re
proach God as idle, if he do not all that your (hallow thoughts will cut
out for him?
" C. The blasphemy is theirs that give the cause by their unsound DoUrine,
'* and not mine that do but denominate their consequents.
B. Let us try that. Do you believe that God doth as much as he can
do ? that he made the World as soon as he was able, and coulcshave done
it no sooner ? or that he is able to make no one Man or Beast, or Plant or
Atome more than he hath made ? nor to do any one action more than he
doth?
"C. No: I hold no such thing: For God if Omnipotent and Free.
B. I pray you then study it, and tell me, if God be not to be blasphe
med as Idle, for such a total Non-agency or Frte-suspenfion of his own Acts
as to allsuch possibles ; why should you call him idle, if by the same Wis
dom and Free-will he only suspend some degree of his co-operation wit^h
man in the case of sinning > And if God freely decree that man shall be
made.a free Agent, able ( by Gods common generical concurfe as the
cause of nature) to determine or suspend his own Volitions,, without
any predetermining efficiency of God. If God will delight himself in
making such a Creature, will you dare to say that he is idle, because he
moveth him not in another manner ? you will not so reproach a Watch
maker, for not moving the Watch all day with his finger.
" C. I confess I cannot answer that : But how then is God the Governor of
" the World, ifso much fin be done without his Will and Operation.
B. The Work of a Governor, as such is only, 1. By Legislation, to
make the Subjefts Duty. 2. Andby Judgment to try and decide the case
of each Subject, whether he do that Duty. 3. And to see to the exe
cution of that Judgment. But not to be the determining cause ofall the
Subjects Volitions and Actions.
" C. It is so with man, because he can do no more : but not with
" God.
B. Indeed God governeth all meer Naturals and Bruits, by physical
motion, as Engins are moved (as a Clock or Watch ) by natural necef-
sitation: And so he doth the meer naturals of man 5 (As his Concocti
on, Pulse, circulation of Blood, generation in the Womb, &c. ) But
God having made man an IntelleUual free Agent , ruleth him as such,
agreeably to his nature ; even by moral Agency, by Laws and Judgment :
And this is that Regency of which we speak. If you believe not that
God
 Of 'Predestination.
35
God is thus the moral Ruler of Mankind, or King of the World 5 you
deny him to be God, and overthrow all Religion and Morality.
" C. But whatsay you to all the Texts that tell us, that Cod willed and
* * caused that which wicked men did 5 as in the cafe of Pharaoh, Sihon, Re-
M hoboam, Absolom, the death ofChriH, and many others.
B. Oneof the greatest over-sights of them that thus Object, is, that
they distinguish not between the Jin, and the ejseft of the fin ; or the
forbidden Will and A0 of the Sinner as of him, and the reception of this
Act in pajso, in the recipient. God can many ways concur to the causing
of the reception arid the efseft , without causing the Volition or A9 as
Agentsby a specifying determination. Especially When: Custom com-
prizeth/wfA in one name 5 dull wits are easily here deceived; As the
words, Mtirdcr, Theft, Adultery, Drunkenness, &c. do signisie both the
Volition and A& of the Agent, and the Reception or EffeB. Now God
can many ways make the sinful Volition and AB of every such Sinner, to
produce that effect which the word Murder, Theft, Adultery, Drunken-
Mess, &c. connoteth or includeth , without causing the Volition or Act
forbidden determiningly.
" C. Iprayyou Jhewmehon)?
B. 1. He can by Providence order or set the Object in their way.
2. He can fit the Receptive disposition of the Patient to the effect : Most
of the wonderful Varieties in the World are a diverfa recipientium difpo-
ftione. That Act will produce an Effect on a disposed matter, which will
not on another. 3. He can rule the Sinners Instruments ofAction. 4.He
can remove other Objefts out of the way. 5 . He can remove Impediments.
6. He can put in some goodthought or dejire into the Sinners mind, which
stall determine the Effect. 7. He can suspend some concnrfe of his own,
which will tend to this effect rather than another.

B. You need no other than the instance of the Murder of Christ :

1. When his time was come, he that before oft retired into the Wilder
ness, and Jived in Galilee, came up to Jerusalem in their way. 2. He
was willing himself to die for man, and so did not avoid it. And he
went into the place where Judas could find him. And he spake the words
which he knew that they would call Blasphemy, &c. 3. God directed
the Souldiers Spear to the Region of Christs heart, which their intent or
aim alone else had not done. And he provided a Cross, and a Simon to
bearir, &c. 4. God did not open to them effectually those Reasons
which should have moved them more to desire the death of Barrabhas.
5. Abundance of Impediments God could have set in their way (as the
peoples tumult, P//<*fe's resistance,e£r.)which yet he did not. 6. God put
into their minds ( by moral means at least ) the true apprehension of the
probability that the Romans hearing of a King of thejews, would turn
their jealousie and fury against them, and take away theif place and Na
tion. 7, He suspended that preserving operation by which he could
have kept Christ alive on the Cross, and healed his Wounds, and caused
him to come down from the Cross, when they promised him then to be
lieve in him 5 and he restrained the Souldiers from breaking his bones,
&c. And in all this, there is no Decree, Volition or Causation of their
sinful Wills or Deeds.
Sointhecaseof Absalom's Incest ( or any sinful Generation,) I. God
order'd it so, that his Fathers Concubins were just in his way. 2. They
had an inviting pulchritude 5 and an impotency of resisting. 3. The
state of his affairs was such, as that the action had an appearance of
F 2 tendency
 Os Predestination.

tendency to bis ends, by making him seem unreconcileable to his Fa

ther. 4. And for Achitophel and Absalom to know the truth of this,
wasnosio. 5. Other diverting Objects and occasions are kept out of
the way, &c. Yet in all this God neither wiUeth nor causeth that Will and
AU of Absalom inspecie j but the esseft.
" C. Bui by all this yon do describe Cod as plotting and doing the fame
" thing that they do. And (but for different words) this cometh all to
" one. *
F. 1. If you think this enough, why doth it not fatifie you? while
it is granted by them that you oppugn. 2. It is not the fame thing.
Is it the fame thing for Christ to be killed, and for the Jews to will and pa -
form his Murder > Is mans mil and Attend Chritfs Death the fame thing >
3. God did fore-know their sinful and Atfion, and permit it only,
but did not cause it, but was a concause of the Effect.
So God may to a Drunkard, 1. Cause strong Drink or Wine to be
in his way. a. And remove some smaller Drink, that would have sa
tisfied him. 3. And remove Dislwaders and many impediments. 4.And
give him money, and facility of obtaining it. 5. And cause him truly
to know that the Drink is pleasant to the tast, exhilerating, spiritful.
6. And cause it when he hath drunk it, to make him drunken. And
none of this is quid prohibitum, or sin in man : But his sinful Will and
A£f, which are forbidden, are presupposed or fore-seen.
" C, J cannotfee but that it cometh all to one, for Cod to permit that
" which hefore-feethy and could easily hinder if he would.
B. i. Your conceits that it cometh all to one, must not over-rule our
certain knowledge of Gods Holiness, and his true and holy Word, and
all the certainty of Religion in the World. 2. We are sure that God
is Holy,a hater ofall sin,and a righteous Judge, &c. And are you as fore
that it cometh all to one ? And must all men else fay that they are sure of
it too , or else be back-bitten, and called Arminians , Jefuites , &c.
3. Do you consider what Gods permission is } It is far from a full permis
sion. He doth all that belongeth to a Rector to hinder it. He strictly
forbiddeth it by Laws : He openeth the malignity of it. He threatneth
misery here, and everlasting damnation hereafter to them that will not
forbear it or forsake it. He promiseth all blessings in this life, and end
less Glory in Heaven hereafter, to them that will. He fend eth his Mini
sters, first with Miracles, after with sealed Doctrine and Gifts, to pro
claim all this to the World , and to perfwade them : He gave his
own Son to condemn sin in the Flesh, on the Cross, and by his holy
Life, and Doctrine, and Suffering, to declare the malignity, and hateful-
ness, and hurtfulness of it to the World : He sets up all his Ordinances,
Magistracy, Ministry, Sacraments, Worship and Discipline to this end :
He warneth the World by many Judgments 3 and especially by the Mes
sengers of each mans death j and the constant Afflictions which are the
fruits of Sin: He obligeththem to Obedience, by multitudes of Mer
cies : He sets Heaven and Hell before them daily 5 and is this permitting
it } He doth indeed in this fense permit it, in that he doth not all that he
can against it, or doth no more than as aforesaid. 4. If this permitting
be all one as loving or causing it, then when God made man a free Agent,
and resolved to rule him by moral means, and leave Adam to his own
Will, itwas a loving awda causing sin. And is every King or Parent a
lover of Vice, who doth not all that he could do to restrain it ?
" C. We do not hold that God loveth sin, though he will the event, and
" cause the act circumstantiated.
B. I
 B. I know you soy that neither God nor man loveth fin as sin : But
whether Dr. twijse & Rutherford Cay not in equipollent terms, that God is
the greatest Lover of Sin in all the world, judge by their confuted words
in the former Book. I. They deny not (nor can do) that Love and Voliti
on in God are all one. Gods Love is not a Pajfion, but his Will. 2. They
fay ,fthat God willeth that sin exist. 3. And that asfumme & unice condu
cive to his Glory. 4. And that this great conducibility is a great good.
5. That God is pleased finally in what he willeth antecedently. 6. And
that as God is infinitely above man in his Being, so is he in the great
ness, and power, and efficacy of his Volitions. 7. And that man loveth
nor, nor willeth not evil as evil, or fin as sin; but for inferior good in
finitely below Gods Glory, for which he willeth its existence. And is
not this to fay that he is the greatest Lover of it that is ?
" C. "set itflicks with me, that God should be the Omnipotent Governor
* 1 of the Worlds and all Sin which is the common work^ of the Worlds should
" he without or against his Will : Providence t> wronged by this.
B. You mistake the matter : 1 . That he decreed to leave any men or
dinarily to their Free~mli, under moral Government, was not from im-
potency, as if he could have made mao no better, or more necessary an
Agent: But of his Wisdom and Freedom , by which he made the Bruits
without Reason, and Stones without Sense.
3. All sin is done against the Law or commanding Will of God,which
determineth only of Duty, and not directly of Event. But it is not done
against his absolute Will eventu : For God is not overcome nor fru
strate of his Decrees.
■ 3. 1 pray you once for all remember what I have told you in the first
Book, that Gods Providence doth about maos sin, and then you will
not fay that he is Idle, or neglecteth his Government, unless fae cause
Sin.
I. It is God that made man an Intellectualfree Agent in his own Image,
and the Lord of his own Acts, as a Creature morally governable by
Laws: And so all his free power is of God, who still upholdeth it.
II. As God is the sons Naturæ he is the Principium motus, and hecon-
curreth as the first cause to all Alston as Affion in genere, and so to all that
hath a physical entity and reality in sin : And I do not believe that Aureo-
lus, Durand, or Lud. k Dola thought otherwise, though they differ in ex
pressing the mode of concurse.
HI. God giveth men all the mercies which they turn to sin, and is the
cause of all those Objects which they inordinately love and abuse.
IV. God himselfconcurreth with Sinners, in causing the fame effefts
which they cause also by prohibited Volitions and A&ions ( as in genera
tion, &c. ) even when custom giveth one name to theJin and the effeU :
And that by all the ways fore-named, and many more. .
V. God as the Worlds Governor and Benefactor, maketh mens sins
the occasions of much good, and ordereth and over-ruleth all Wills and
Events, so as not to miss of any of his ends : But will attain all his ends,
while the Sinner seeketh his own.
VI. All this that God doth he decreeth to do. And all that Sinnera
do he sote- knew. And neither his Wisdom, Goodness, or Power, is ever
over-come by sin, or defective in any thing about it. And is not all this
enough for you, but yet God must be the chief wilier of sin.
" C. I confess that God can govern thesinful World by this much.
B. Take in but one thought more, which I afterward suggest. Ockam
laboriously endeavoureth to prove, that the outward Act hath no pecu
liar
 38 Of 'Predestination.

liar sinfulness in it self distinct from that of the Will. I have told you
my Opinion of his tenet : But this is granted him, that no outward
Act hath any sinfulness, but secondary and participative, as animated by
the Will : and that sin is primarily in the Will alone. Now in abundance
of the Scripture Texts alledged by Dr. Twijse and Rutherford, it is not the
Will of the Sinner that God is made the Author of, but seemingly of the
Act, C indeed of the Effect. ) Now God cannot be the cause of any
mans sin, unless he cause the sinful Volition.
But I have anticipated our Dispute of Providence in all this, because
it is here usually handled as the matter decreed. And therefore when we
come thither, you must excuse me from repeating it, or pardon what you
put me to do. (. „.. .

The sixth Crimination.

C. My next offence againjl them is, that they make Gods Will and De-
* «•**»• *Jt' " crees conditional, andso make God dependent upon man.
In 'dilin* CUpT*istinl B. This is opened in the Second Book. * Indeed they differ not from
turn detur causa ? qu. tne Synodists ( or Dr. twijse himself, I think, ) in this. That is, I.They
JSÆ> Md that God hath made cooditiojaal Donations, Promises andThreat-
sa ejjmia 'divina, & res nings in his Word. 2. And that God may truly be said to Will and
u^Tom^ZJml^creeUs own Word, and all that is in it, with its conditional mode.
rim est divine prudejli- 3. And as Aquinas and Twijse, and all lay, Dem vult, hoc ejfe propter hoc 5
lim^itstXmS.M^ hoc mlt •#» propter hoc. Gods Will doth not depend on the Con-
sennit 'efiquOrere taw- dition 5 but Gods Will is, that the Effeft or Event (ball depend on the
sum frtdistinatinh ex Condition. When the Condition is performed, it is not a medium of
cSq'uaZ »'(;?'5£ Gods Volition, but of the Effect. 4. But yet this all must confess, that
pr*dePinationis as to the bare extrinsick denomination from the Object, as Gods Will is
%?annfmrabl'%Samfi variously denominated from things paft, present and future, Co it may be
quidpiam ponitur effe- from absolute and conditional Grants and Promises : which you will not
f^rÆSt#deny but God h«h made. 5. And in case of sin and damnation,/*
cait[a totitis effeCius. —in foreseen is an objective condition, disposition or qualification sine qua
V\)\awefaTnu"a'dnon-> °f ^ucn as Gods velle damnare is immediately terminated on fas
res cognitas et volitas: Hie they confess at the Synod at Dort, and Molinaus there openeth in his
TunTSuttltuIr judgment at large.)
teitnr poyim eye can *. n Q But this decreeinguponfore-fight of somewhat in man, makethGod

" to follow the Creature, and depend upon it.

B. It maketh him no way dependant at all : For the Creature neither
causeth any Act of God, nor hindreth him from any thing which he
would do. It is his own Will that this (hall be the Order. But as to Gods
Acts or Volitions following mans, 1. They no way follow mans but as
Objects j which Objects in their natures and qualifications, relatively ter
minate , or by connotation denominate Gods Volitions. 2. And do
yOu or any man deny that ? Doth not Gods Knowledge Vreteritorum
& Exijlentium suppose the preterition or existence of Objects. Doth not
Gods complacential Volition of the holiness and glory of his Creatures,
presuppose that holiness and glory? Doth not Gods hatred of past or
existent sin presuppose it ?
" C. But what can Godfore-fee in man, till hefirst decree to cause it, or at
*•' leali decree that itJhallexist $
B. Sin: He decreeth neither, and yet fore-seeth it, (of which, lib.i.j

The
 Of 'Predestination*
39

The seventh Crimination.

" C. , * But some of them say, that the Gospel it self, yea and the first special Al'1u fooUstta minus
us, - - . J J y ■' « J it'll. . c J/ ■ cime dt emhvd loauun-
M Grace, is given to men upon merit of congruity, though not of condtgmty, tur. Vttm tturat
andjb is decreed on that fore-seen. • meritum causam & oca-
B. I We mind not what some odd persons soy, but what the moderate tSZffltfSSZ
and sober soy, whom we are reconciling. 2. But I pray you wherein p#i**i*umfm omi*»
do you differ from these ? Is it in words, or fense also. f'ff*/*' im"
_ 1 ,., ./• /•» 1 nobisdonm, Vasq. m i.
^. J/z twf« : J»o/ct noJuch merit,jore-ltght, or decree. Tho.qu.23 disp.91.c10.
B. Do you hold that there is such a thing as common Grace, distinct:
from special > ...*-. * * •
" C. Yes : so do all Protestants: '"■ • '
B. Is it not every mans Duty to make a good use ofthe common Grace "
or Mercies which he hath, as in order to his Repentance and Salva
tion?
" C. tes : He that had but one Talentshould have improved it.
B. Is not a man that doth this as far as common Grace will go, more
disposed and prepared to receive special Grace, than one that hath long
abused it, andderideth God and godlinesi ?
• ;M C. Tes, no doubt somesuch are not far from the Kingdom of God.
B. Have not * Mr. Jo. Rogers, Mr. Tho Hooker, Mr. Rob. Bolton, + and * Dost, of Faith,
abundance of other Protestants written much of Preparation to Converft- tjnstruft. for Comfort.
on ? And is it not our common Doctrine ? Read 'fa/p in 1 . no. qu.
" C. Tes : but what's that to Merit of Congruity ? St*" roJin' rhaJpreS'
■ B. What dri you think they mean by it more than you by Prepara- sttoauoT'to1 the "first
tion? ; *;> J j ' .' " • Grace is not upon fore-
" C. They meansuch Merit as it is decentfor God to reward. amfan^eaCnk^
B. The greater part, I think, by faros the School-men soy, That the qmnon, no nor conditi-
first special Grace is riot given upon any Merit at all. And the learned °gnaift SJJ^SdS
and sober that thus talk of Merit of Congruity and Decency, mean no Mastiien/es , and the
more but this, i. That God who commandeth men such use ofhis com- f.^J^l^l^- thJi
mon Grace, as a means to lpecial, doth command no Duty, and appoint prtdefHnmonis \% «x
no means in vain. 2. That such prepared persons are fitter for special [r°™ ou£ {n*f™ms:*£
Grace than the unprepared, and malignant Enemies of it. 3. That it is Grab'rhi, ca)tt. Richard.
Gods usual way to prepare men by common Grace, before he give them Durand- PMt»[- &c. as
• t r> a j r t_ . 1 s> 1 r i_ coming too near the
special Grace. 4. And many lay that v/e cannot prove that God uleth to Maflmtiju : Tea, and all
deny special Grace, where he giveth the highest degree of preparing thac h°'d th« stand
common Grace. And which of these are you against > Jg£
*c C. But doth not God give special Grace also without Juch prepara- grttiam.
«* tion ?
B. I. Ourforesoid practical Protestants seem to think not (to men at
age.) For they oft say, that it cannot be conceived that a man can
value Grace, and come to Christ truly, that hath no preparatory sense
of sin and misery. 2. But I find not that the Papists usually deny it, but
that God may give special Grace to the unprepared on a sodden. 3. But
Papists and Protestants are agreed that this is not his ordinary way. And;
where do we differ in all this ?
*' C. But wefay not that there is any Merit in all this.
B. Phy on that word Merit ! I thought it was but the name that we
differed about. 1. And many of themselves dislike the name, and soy,
It is unapt: And I think so do the Lutherans and Arminians more com
monly. 2. And others soy, that by Merit they mean nothing but a
moral
 4<d Of Predeftinttion.

moral aptitude for Reward. And they say, that they can find no one
fitter name for that than this, which all Christians without known op
position used for many hundred years after the Apostles. And that the
Scripture word £b&, worthy, is the fame in sence. 3. And they usu
ally (ay, ihztspeciaf Grace is called a Reward to the prepared, (if not
unaptly, as many or most (ay, yet ) but in a lower Analogical sense,
and not as Heaven is the reward of Holiness : Because, of the latter,
there is a. Oat Promise, and premiant Law or Covenant made by God 5
but of the former they can fay no more than as aforesaid, that God ap
pointed no Duty and means in vain.

The eighth Crimination.

* These are but contcn- C. " They make many Elections or Decrees where God makgth but one. *
tions it nomine i as Va{- « jfs an Election to Glory, and another to Justification, and another to Faith
tmJ&^L^l " and Conversion, and another to have the Gospel, and another to be re-
1. £41. |.». n. ii. con- « deemed by ajkjficicntsatisfaction of Christ, and another to be made men.
SJ-^t " AMifi v«j tfoijd,.
question decauft fr*dt- b. Some of these are Decrees oi common Grace, and not called
fHnationi,,h meant: only £/^. . that j jinow Qf except as some fay, God chose Man and
ijfeff*, « [«/i«t »»«♦ not Dew/x to have a Saviour. But all that I lpeak of are agreed with
tfftHu tovffygjfc you, that Gods decreeing Will is his Essence, and that it is but one God or
th/rein, on the supposi- JT/Æin the notion of Essence or Principle, or Act as it ismeerly Agent*:
tion that glorification is gut they (ay, that if we distinguish not Gods Decrees by connotation of
tlonfbS the monTo the various Effects or Objects, our Controversies are at an end. And I
it. And that because aftr, Gf vou Do not you distinguish them when you dispute of their Or-
Prcdeslitution is as pru- j__ j n^A— ?
GTlSS^SS der, Priority and Posteriority ?
is only tint me^which C. " les : There is no Order without distinction.
SfSSfiS 5£ * w^ you not distinguish Election from Reprobation >
qststioest. C. "Tex.- Though both be Gods Decree.
I^'dife STSteS *• Win y°u DOt distinguish the Election of Peter, both from the Re-
and sey, that pr*dtsti- probation of Judas, and from the Election of Paul .<?
Tmtmmm »«S C* " r<?'» * connotin& various Obje&s and EffeBs.
ix ZxHhgratu."^ its F. Is there not then the fame reason for distinguishing Gods Volitions
wo?derwhikethebo take aDout one an£l tnc ^me person as to various effects ? As Gods Will
Predestination attach- that Paul be born, that he be redeemed, that he be endured in his sin,
paseveranc^andGio^* tnat ne ^ converte<l> that he suffer, persevere, be glorified >
fication"Dand others C " T"ej .• B«* though these be various Decrees, jet not EleBions.
take it as extending also These names and words are our unhappy Difference. 1. Remem-
« y^nMo xmteth', ber then that you agree to call them divers Volitions or Decrees j and, I
disf. 9 <■ ">P- 5- ' think, no sober man will fall out with you for the name EleBion. a. But
what reason is there in the nature ofthe thing, why you may not as law
fully and decently fay, that to choose David to be a Saint, a King and a
Prophet , to choose Paul to be a Christian, a Preacher, and a Martyr, are
various EleBions, as well as various Decrees ? 3. But my own Opinion
is, that the denomination should follow the Object : And therefore
where the Objects elected, or the Termini of the Relation are various,
we may call them various Elections : But when they are diversified
but as parts, we should call them various acts and parts of one Election.
And no doubt but our election to have the Gospel, to Conversion, to
Justification, to Perseverance, to Glory, to the Ministry, to Martyr
dom, &c, may in several jefpects be named many , and parts of one
Election. C.
 C. " I confess- J am convinced that it is a shame to make a quarrel ofthis :
" because it is about .j word, and really there is no difference. But why
" mak£ they various ObjeUs in one man ofthese Decrees
B. What is it but diversity of Objects that doth diversifie them ? In
the execution the case is plain. Paul uncreated and creandus was nothing,
or no man. 2. Paul before he heard the Gospel, was a Pharisee that had
not heard it. 3. Paul before Conversion and convertendus, was a per
secuting Infidel. 4. Pauljamjuftijicandus was a Believer. 5. Paul jam
vocandus adsacrum MiniSierium was a Christian. 6. Paul persevering,
and ready to overcome finally, was a faithful holy Christian and Apostle.
7. Paul jamjustificandus perjudicemjinaliter & glorifcandus^ was a per
severing over-coming Christian, Saint and Apostle.

The ninth Crimination.

C. * " But that's my next offence : that they order Gods Decrees ac- * Bjnm in x ^ g a
" cording to the order of Execution, and not according to the order of Inten- p*g. 164. Juundm m-
" tion : when as Quod prius est intentione, posterius est execUtione. J'fj^ ftt^mtn£s""£
B. Dr. Twijfe hath that word, I think, many score, if not hundred vims omiajm fimi&
times: But it is no fit matter for contention. Do you believe that ia*jj>ilFi***tfaimin
God himself there is Priority and Posteriority of Decrees ? n»tittrabZio%hamt
C. " Not in time : but in order of Nature or Intention. **» *** rtUtims
B. How can there be difference of Order, where there is no diver- ffitZjLffiZfiu
Jtty £ 1 * impnfeBt nos cognofci-
G. "Though in God there be no diversity, yet you confess there is the Re-y%"™(l*/£tf«&
** lative connotation and denominationfrom the Objelts 2 of Authors and Reasons
B. True: Therefore the Order also must not be denominated ^SIK^-^™?
any feigned diversity in God, but from the Order of the divers Objects, most simple volition?Ta
as one is first or last, in time, or nature, or use. That which is first, God w^/y**- D"
decreed should he first: That which is propter aliud, God decreed should 5* ' ' *',?4,
be propter aliud : And that which is the endofi another thing, God de
creed should be its end.
C. " But even in God himself we must, as men, conceive, that his velle
finem, and velle media are not all one, but must distinguish them.
B. As men, we must not judge falfly of God, when we know that it
is false. If velle finem & media be certainly one without any diversity
in God, saving what is in the connoted Objects, and the relation or de
nomination j how can we without sin destinguish where there is no diffe
rence? But I pray you tell me, what mean you by Gods intendere i
finem ?
C. " I mean that as every wife man dothfirtt will an end, and then do all
'■''for it, so doth God.
B. We call nothing to man an end, but something which he wanteth,
or at least is without : But God wanteth nothing, nor is ever without his
end, or the accomplishment of his Will. But of this I crave leave to re
fer you to the first Book, where I have fully shewed that God willeth an
end improperly, and not as man doth. But tell me, what take you tobe^ Cn^a wju
strictly Gods end ? prtdeflintitioms non tfe
C. " His Glory. tnfm mtim fiu
B. What mean you by his Glory ? nation GtorU (m f,jsa
C. " Our Knowledge, Admiration and Praise of his PerfeSion. • # ht" wR?
B. * These are Acts of men, and can mans Acts be Gods chief™"™0m*disp ofc 2
End? G C.
 42 Os Predestination.

C. " I know some say, It is the objective Luster, or Demonstration of

* If any man will say, <c g^j Perfections : Take that if it pleaseyou better.
topnmedln^ncsec'ond B. That Luster or Demonstration objective is a Creature : Andean a
and third persons , are Creature be Gods Ultimate End ?
iSptfon £S«r in- C. " No : God who is the Beginning is the End alone.
to a dispu e of it: Bur b. God is no efficient Beginning of himself or any thing in himself:
in' God i.\&dty S For in God there " "° Caufe 01 EfeSs 5 hoW then Can he be his OWn End
a Creature, nor his Es- Or final Cause ? *
fence by himself. c (( He k nejther Beginning nor End, efficient nor final Cause of him-
t i«A order is thus,, . bttt °f his Work' °\ Creatures only.
q.ti.t.2fag.i66.[Mitu B. Therefore not of his Volitions, or Decrees which are himself, nor
qm nos po!fmm imHi- Qc an Gf his Actions meerly zsAeentk? because they are himself: but
nan tjji ik mente aivtna ■> , _ _ r( t _ . J . —
tim communes qmm pro- as they are in the effects. But how can God be the Creatures end ? 1 he
Vi°[Hnt"C\s*hf*D°Js Creature is no means , either that God be God, or that he be perfect, or
omnes homints poftbiie"; that he be glorious in himself or that he be just or merciful : It is the
ix qtiimjMsdtm diitxit highest blasphemy to lay it.
*« what mm: tx*qu- " Ton know all our Divinessay, That Gods end in decreeing, is the
bm adbuc quofdam diitxit " Glory of his Mercy in the Salvation of the Elcif, and of his justice in the
ad fintm fupo naturalem, j A- r .1 t>.». L * j j -j
qJdivinatunioduiur, damnation of the Reprobate. *
quitemts ex aim quos en- b. Here are a multitude of Errors or Ineptitudes together, i. That
sibi T&tn^'bZluSt thenameof themeans ( Salvation and Damnation) is put into the end.
pr*de{iinivitlhoc tst,pro- 2. That one little parcel of the means only is put, as if it were the whole.
V'^dmmflTtern!t"- If we must speak so low, as to ascribe anE^toGod, we must say, that
miter efficaciter firvmi- Ultimately he hath but one : And that one must needs be more than the
mt in fine* fupernatura- glory Gf his Mercy and Justice towards man. Is all the rest of the world
That nothing but God Angels and Men, Heaven and Earth, and Christ himself, no means in
himself can be the eh- which he will be glorified ? 3. That quid creat urn is made Gods Vfti-
vit?s« L?*?w! ™ate End : For this Glory of his Merc; and 1Hftice is no other> but a crea-
vei difp.ii.[eit.6. p. 16%. ted demonstration or apprehension of it. 4. And why are Mercy and Ju-
fftt^reSckfb \o fiice only named, as though the glory of his Power, Wisdom and Good-
more accurateness than nefi it self were here no part ?
SSSSS^SS. c " re of *£ teli meyour TH of f , -
Denying with others ail B.I. I suppose that Intendere finem is spoken or God only in a tran-
reaidistinction.butasser- seen dent sense, and not at all as it is of man. And, 2. I suppose that
ting a distinction stem- _ , .1? r> • • ' o j l- 'a- w/»
dam rationem ratiocini- Gods Betnghzxh no Beginning or Lnd, nor any thing in him. 3. I sup-
usThat heTnotethswhat P0^ tnat Go^s by communication of Essence, and of Perfecti-
that1 is (what the funda- oos, is the Original/ree Cause of all things. He necessarily is what he is :
mentum in re is) he refu- but hefreely made what he made. 4. Therefore I suppose that the same
onshA?KS°PZ irM which is the Beginning of all, is the End of all : So that Gods Will
lint's Vi]qut^, zumel , as efficient is the Beginning, and Gods Will as fulfilled and pleased is the
V£e1l^\S^l endof all his Works. 5. This may becalled/*;, Dei improperly after
Qeci.t,r)x\\ix.interdivinis the manner of men, but tollerably and with the least impropriety, and
JZh'kn^s^qZi sochas we must use. 6. This is more properly the commanded and
umis aiius sit requisites ad appointed end of the Intellectual Creature, and analogically the end
wl SSB?"Se con- that 3,1 thin8S tetld t0> 7' G°d is "eVer without his end ; For his W»H >S
fesseth all these to be ever fulfilled and pleased 3 For pro hie & nun c he willeth nothing but
fictious,andthat there is what is. 8. But there are degrees of Perfection in Gods Works, and
no real diversity, ( and 0 '
dijp. 11. ftol- 1. on the
qu An in Deo jit proprie libtra Vilitictffisax) dicit sltdtiM animus trtnquilla poet quitscit solutionibut bu ufoinventis, net ali'u
le jitufacijfe putat, qm nee sibi [ttisfecerit.) Yet against Oe\am he would have these fictions thought to be of very great use:
when as all hisprophane tremendous presumptions are but enquiring after a cause of the first cause, under the name of
Ratio vet conditio, while he denieth that indeed there is any cause. Their question is, why Gods Will is terminated on this
Object rather than on that ? And is not this to ask a cause of it (of the first causes > say but that Dm volitiont mica vult di
vert diversimode ordinala, and you have said enough? Had they meant only the Ratio receplivi increatis, &■ ratio confcitutiva
allionum divinarum ut in tffiffisvet pa([o & ut extrinttem dwnrinatarumjK had been sense. But in God himself there is divtrjitas
rationum voltndi.
the
 Os Predestination.
43
the narrow Creature hath lower ends besides the Ultimate , inseparable
from it. And so man must intend his own felicity, and above that the
perfection of the Universe, and above that the complacency of Gods
Will. 9. And because all the parts are to contribute to the perfection
of the whole, and so all the parts of the means do make up one perfect
Universe, in the state of Glory, and there and then the whole world
shall bear the liveliest impress of the Divine Perfections, this Impress or.
objective Splendor and Image of God, together with the active Vision,
Love and Praise of the glorified (which is part of the said Image or
Impress ) is called Gods Glory : which shineth in part in every part, and
perfectly in the whole perfected world. 10. So that in a word, the
perfection of the Universe being the medium compleated, is called Gods
End in the lower material notion : And the fulfilling and pleasing of his
Will in the perfected world, is called his End in the formal and higher
notion. And we can fay no more of Gods Vellefinem.
C. " Iconfessyour explication of Gods End and Intention seemeth to be
" ntoU agreeable to the Principles of Theology.
B. And do you think that it is wife and Christian-like dealing to fill
the Church with Contentions, and make others odious to the people,
about the Order ofGods Decreessecundum intentionem, while men know
not whether God do Intendere finem or not .> or what his End is ? or
what his Intention is } or while they mistake all ?
Will you make as manyfines operantis and Intentions in God, as there
are fines operis, and as the means or Creatures are made for one another as

C. *' Ton kpove that in that our Divines do differ. Some that write »f the
" Order of the Decrees^ make Gods Glory the end of Salvation and Damna-
"tion, and these the end of Grace and permitted Sin, and these the end of
" Creation, &c. But Dt. Twifle writeth against them (even Perkins and
" Beza,e£v.,) maintaining that God hath but two Decrees 3 one de fine, and
" the other de mediis 3 and that his End is but one.
B. If you are no better agreed, bear with others that differ from you.
But either you diversifie Gods Decrees by their connoted Objects, or as
divers intrinsick real Acts in God. Ifyou fay the latter, your own Party,
and all the School-Divines, will fay you blaspheme, by making God di
visible or compounded, and will call you Vorftians. Ifthe former, how
innumerable must you make Gods Decrees ? And why may not the Order
as well as thespecies and number of them be so denominated from conno
tation > And then you will fay that God first intended to make man as the
end of inferior Creatures, and after decreed to make them for man.
And he first decreed that there should be fruit, and then that there
should be a Tree to bear it, and then that this Tree should be rooted in
the Earth, and then that it should be planted, and then that there should
be Earth and Water to nourish it, &c. And if poor man be but a little
part of Gods Creation, unless we could anatomize the whole frame of
the Universe , how should we know just what place and order our own
interest hath in such a frame among so many millions of millions of Crea
tures, of which Angels and the superior World are nobler than we ? Is
he to be numbred with the Churches Friends, who will make us such
work, and lay mens love and peace upon it ?
C. " But what have you against the simpler way of two Decrees 2
B. In God those are not two but one : But I fee not, but speaking after
the manner of men it may pasi, as the safest distribution by connotation
and extrinsick denomination, if he had but rightlier described those
two. Of which I said enough before. G 2 C.
 Of 'Predestination.
44
C. tl How would you then denominatively order the Decrees according to
" the order of Intention t
B. According to Dr. Twijse's own rule and method, all that you can
by that Order infer, is but this, that the infinite Creator first intended
the pleafing and fulfilling of his own Free-will as his Ultimate end, and
next decreed to produce all things as he produceth them to that
end, and so is pleased in all things in their proper time and place $ but
further to bring all this Universe finally to perfection, and in that per
fection his Glory or Image shall be perfect, in which he will finally be
pleased : And the glorification of man is a little part of that Perfection.
And what will this do to the promoting of your Opinions ?
But I further ask you, Is it not certain that God decreed to make all
things in the Order in which he maketh them in time?
C. ** T$s : Ifyou speaks of the Order of Execution.
B. And is not this Order of Execution needful to be observed ?
C. «* Test no doubt.
B. And is not this Order of Execution easier to be understood ?
C. " Tes j for we are little disagreed about it.
B. If then this Order be plain, and sore, and needful, and that which
we are all agreed in 5 and your Order of Intention be either none, or
uncertain, and past the reach of mortal man, judge you what Order we
should treat of, and who are the wise and peaceable men ?
C. " let the School-men before us have treated of that Order.
B. Davenant tells you, That Scotus was the first Artificer of that In
vention. Whether that be so or not, it's sore that you use to declaim
against the School-mens prophane curiosity and audacity : And where
( except about the Trinity) hath it been greater than in this? And you
know that few of them that give you the ordinemJignorunt, as they call
it, do agree in the fame Order 3 ( As I have shewed in some instances,//*.
9.) And if you will condemn your selves in condemning them, why
should we think that you have hit of the right Order any more than
they ? We have seen Beta's, Cilbie's^ Terkinsy and we have seen Twijje's
( much better, ) and we have seen the Lutherans and the Arminians, and
we see little agreement. Do you think that the Synod of Dort> that
leaveth out such things, was not as wise as any of you all? Or was not
Davenant as judicious as any of you in these Controversies, who openly
and largely profefleth, that he is not one of those Privy-Counsellors of
God, who know in what Order things lie in his Mind, and can assign
each Act its proper place 5 but he thinketh this Order of mental Intenti
on in God to be utterly unsearchable, and the Order of Execution only
fit for us to treat of. See his Dissert, de ftadest.

Tbe
 Of 'Predestination.
45

The tenth Crimination.

C. " They scent to err much, in that they deny the eternal Cause of eter- Vajqu. i.tho. q.iA.d.g^.
" nalfuturition 5 (while they make Cm that is eternally future, yet not to H-*«nlv &itM»f fud
... „ in j 1 11 1 1 r \ f " inumverhm est objectum
" be eternally willed or decreed by God to befuture.) How can things pass intellects non ttntum tft
** without a cause e nutnero posfibiliura, in numerum suturorum > " K'witm &'poMileWSr
B. Alas I what men, and what Engines must the poor Church suffer qwd'f!Zr»nt tfJiqnid,
and be tortured by > sure Paul fore-law these things, when he feared lest ™™*ry 10 h cominon
as the Serpent beguiled Eve, ( with a promise of being as God in Know-
ledge J so he Jhoulddrawus from the simplicity that is in Chrifl. And ">s That which
when he warned us to beware leSi any beguile us with vain Philosophy, ac- no!yindeed,r Z'rulTidll
cording to the rudiments ofthe world ; And when he teller, h us ofa Wisdom m a mans mind de satm,
which is foolishness with God> and of some who profejfing themselves wife, *4^"SdfoUdS
became Fools. Proposition, Hoc suit, vd
Your Doctrine soundeth so unlike to Christ's and his Apostles, that I Sa sAnd.•he"cc mcn
n. ¥ jn.ii_/» "Illy sa3'> that fuwuw is
mult crave your Interpretation of it, that we may understand before ttifodi when it is only
we wrangle. I pray you what is it that you call Futurition <? ■a^ffeition that aiiquid
C. 1 ' The name tellsyou what it is. Tou know what we mean by it. So also Afanu faith,
B. I know that it is Grammatically a Noun Substantive, but doth it *A&*4- * *•»*•
fignifie something or nothing i Vat^Z^X
C. ** Itsignifietb that something will be hereafter. pomtia r>« vti creatm*
B. Now you turn it to a Verb : But isfuturity any thing or nothing ? Jgjf ["£$g%t
C. '* Suppose,Isay, It issomething? *</ ammq\ mdo fignifi'
B. If it was eternallysomething, it is God: For nothing else was eter- abutmSwiAword?
sat & P^ay with the equivo-
C. "Suppose, isay, It is nothing? SS'S
B. Wit be nothing, it is no effeS, and therefore hath no cause, and r», fee! are some^ng*-
therefore no eternal cause. j*™ 'beJ'^SS ■D8 thcr(?"
C. " Suppose, Isay, that it if neither something #0r nothing '. TOU kjlOW question n^ttrunffcientia.
"there are five forts that Bureersdicius placeth between Res and Nihil. and ^"J1, »«m«Am»: And
cc .c*.
"futurity may bel one ofr them.
+l ». if proyethc
t0 he had no^S?*better way
Æ. Five sorts of what ? You cannot tell. If you take Ens or Res than by faying that no-
limitedly for less universal than Aiiquid, or a Species of it, you may fay t^mS^Hi tt
that Datur medium inter Rem & Nihil. But sure ejse and non ejse are con- Vafon. ibid, confesseth,
tradiUories. And taking Aiiquid, Ens or Res in the most universal no- i^umSSmS
tion, kisa contradiction, and a denial of the first principle of Know- dtnrmstfiati eft: u*dt
ledge, to feign a medium : Burgerfdicius'es five Non-entia qiiœ non funt V^s^f' *** *^'c/f*r
nihil, are Privatio, Denominatio externa, ensRationis, Relatio, modus en- And here the Schooi-
And all this cometh from the pittiful narrowness of mans mind, ^t^t^)n^n Dm
that 'can know nothing at all by one simple Conception, but by parts 5 fi^ifa& %twa
And then it frameth several names, according to all its inadequate Con- c^tui^lir' Boni,v.Ri-
ceptions, as if they all signified several somethings. I. Privatio is it affirm^DarfS/^
self a compound notion, including, 1. The absence of the form. 2. The and many later deny it.'
debitum inejfe. 3. The matters capacity of it. The first is Nothing: the K£™&V£tS
second is a Relation (of which after): the third is the nature or mode that futurity may be with
of the matter, which is an inadequate Conception of Ens. tcmSe^g'en?- fS
sin is so,;.?, hating God,
blasphemy. And that Dr. Twiffe ill maketh Gods Decree the sole cause of futurity. As to the presumptuous question.how God
knoweth future things, besides that there is no time to measure Gods Acts by, there need no other answer than that Gods in
finite Understanding knoweth all that is intelligible. But futures as such are intelligible. — Qritdivrims intellects infinite
virtutit eft : quitquid intelligibilc est ntceffarie dtbet amplecti & intelliiere:At sutura contingentia intelligibtlia (unt,eo quod funs deter
minate veritatij,Va(q. i.Tho.q.i4.d.tf5.cap.4. But whereas he himself also defendeth that futures are known in decretis divinis,
he is forced to fay thar sin is known in Gods Decree of the materialt peccati : where yet in his Doctrine of Simultaneous
Concurse, he maketh Gods concurse to be but part of the determining cause, which would not without mans free co opera
tion do it. Therefore the Decree of a half causation is not enough to infer the effect.
2. Deno-
 Os VredeHimtion.

2. Denominatio externa, signifieth, I. The Denominabilitas. 2. Or

the aUual denomination. The first is considerable, i. guatalis. 2. Or
in causa velratione. Denominability inse is nothing else but an inade
quate Conception of ens rationis : For I can call nothing by a Name.
Eut the Ratio denominandi may be something 5 and as now intended is
Relation. 2. And the aUual denomination is Res, that is, Verbum vel
mentis veloris.
3. Entia Rationis takenejse8ive & subjeSive are confessed to be real
Entities: but objective it is denied. All Objects are so called, 1. As
aptitudinal. 2. Or actually apprehended. I. As aptitudinal they are not
entia rationis, butsomething antecedent. 2. As aftual, they are rc-
ale : For they are conceptus humanus inadequate expreffus, sub ratione ma-
teria. A thought or conception is an Act which is quid reale : And every
Act consisteth of the modus agentis and the ObjeS, which as such is quasi
materia, and is essential to the Act : so that even- Genus and Species, as
in mans thoughts are quid reale. And out of mans thoughts, they are Re
lation or nothing.
4. Relation is a something or nothing, which keepeth an exceeding
room in all our Sciences. But when anatomized, it is considerable,
1 . As in extrinsick Objects. 2 . As in the mind ofman considering them :
I. In the Object there is, 1. Quid absolutum, that is, the subject, the
terminus, thefundamentum, cum ratione fundandi. 2, The formal Re
lation. The first is quid reale, as is confessed. The second is nothing
besides the first. It is nothing but rerum comparabilitas : And that com
parability is nothing, besides the quid absolutum, or thing it self. When
an Egg is new laid at the Antipodes, an Egg here is newly related to it
ut smile: But nothing is added to this Egg 5 But only now the mind of
man can compare it with that at the Antipodes, and consider, that in
quantity, figure, colour, &c. they are like : which likeness as in ovo is
nothing besides the fame quantity, figure, colour, &c. themselves. But
by those Realities, it is capable of being compared, and the mind can
raise an universal notion of both, as compared. 2. But this comparing
AU of the Vnderfianding is quid reale. So that Ockam in his guodlibets
hath weLLproved in many questions, that Relation is nothing besides the
quid absolutum in re & in mente humana. And though his Gregor. Armin.
at large dispute that non-entia may be related, yet it is on this supposition,
that non'entia may be imagined, and be the matter of a thought or con
ceptus, and as such they are entia rationis realia 5 that is, that coticeptus is
quid reale. But besides that, the Rtlatio non-entis is nothing but non-
ens, and ameer *ȣ//.
Yet I confess that 2?mtm* ordo is the sum of Relations and of morality j
and that this Ordo is existent whether we think ofit or not : But this Ordo
is nothing distinct ab abjblutis & rebus ordinatis, cum omnibus fitis modis
& circumftantiis realibus. Things are wonderfully diverse by diversity of
quantity, quality, distance, d"c But this diversity is nothing besides the
laid absolute quantity, quality, distance, &c.
But I must not write a Logick for you : 1 am by this much remembred,
that, as David faith, manwalkethin a vain shew or Image } when multi
tudes of nothings go forsomethings, and fill up so much of his thoughts
and life, and constitute so much of his Learning which he glorieth
in.
C. "Butyou have said nothing yet of the fifth, which is Modus Entis.
" And futurition may be reduced to that.
 Of 'Predestination.

B. A true modus entis is quid abfolutum & rcale, and the fame that we
call an Accident : And Gajjendus choofeth to call Accidents, Modes or
Qualities : And they are not really distinct from the ens cujus modi funt,
if they be intrinsical Modes or Accidents, (as quantity, quality, action,
dtc. ) But they are small inadequate conceptions of the thing modified :
not conceptions of its constitutive chief denominating part , but yet
conceptions of quid entis , so that an entire perfect conception of the
thing, would comprehend or include the conception of the Mode or
Accident. So that they that deride the name of Tars accidentalis as put
for Accident, speak not always so good sense as they think they do.
But such Accidents or Modes as are extrinsical to the thing, (as Cloathg
to the Body, Servants, Lands, Riches, Honours,) are not properly Modes
and Accidents at all, but AdjunUs.
C. 41 Apply this to the point in question, (of Futurity.)
B. If Futurity, as is said, be an eternal Being, it is God : If nothing it
hath no cause. If it be called guid medium, the very Jguid is a contra
diction to it. To begin backward, i. If it be Modus Entis, from eter
nity, it must be Modus Dei : For there was no ens ab œterno but God :
If it be Modus Dei, it is Dens : For all in God is God.
2. If it beRelatio, it is abfoluti alicujus relatio. If so, either of some
real Being, or of nothing. If of a Being from eternity, it must be a
Relation of God to the thing future, in that he either veil/ed or fore-kperv
it. For nothing was eternal but God. And if so, that Relation of
God to the thing future is something or nothing. Ifsomething, it is God
himself, and so hath no cause. If nothing, it is no effect, and so hath no
cause. But if it be the Relation of nothing, viz. of the thing future,
( to an Intellect possible or real that could know it future) than it is no-
thing it self: For the Relation of nothing cannot be something, a real ac
cident without a real Subject.
3. Iffuturity was from eternity ens Rationis, it was Ration'ss Divinæ$
for there was no created Reason ah aterno :- And if so, either Aptitudinal
or AUual. If Aftual, it was God : For all his idea's and entia rationis
(for I suppose you one of the bold men that affirm entia rationis to be in
God,) must needs be God himself, and so have no cause. If Aptitudi-
nal, and not yet in mente divina, but objeUa pojfibilia j either they were
something or nothing. Ifsomething, then there was something eternal
besides God, which is not said by any of us. If nothing, to call them
future, fignifieth no more, but that Gods infinite knowledge extendeth
to things that are not as if they were, which is true : But futurity it self
being nothing, hath no cause. *
4. If you fay that they are extrinsical Denominations, it is something or
nothing that is denominated future. I know you will fay, It's nothing.
If so quatenus extrinsical to God, it was from eternity nothing, which
you call a Denomination. But if you mean the Act of God denomina
ting, it was quid reale, that is God himself, who hath no cause. But yet
this is the true foundation of the notion. Because Gods Knowledge of
all things, and his Will of all good things, extendeth to all intelligible and
amiable Objects to all eternity 5 therefore we first justly denominate God
to be an Intellect that knoweth what will be, and a Will which willeth all
that he will do j And thence we fay that the thing was future from eter
nity. And so from an extrinfick Denomination of Gods Mind and Will
we run on to give names to numberless nothings,and then talk, and write,
and make Sciences and Disputes of them in our dreams, as if they were
somethings. And this is the work of the fantastical World. And then
 Of Vredettimtion.

we confound poor Scholars with the names of Entia Intentionalia, &

Species, & Entia rationis, & Vniverfalia. And with Aristotle, Themifli-
us, &c. lay that the Intel/e& is all things that it knoweth, &c. O what
work have vain notions, and be-fooling Philosophy made not only in
the World, but in the Church, and among those that call themselves
Orthodox, and cry up the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures (The no
tion of Privations, I need not here apply. )
C. " But things future are future, whether any one thinks of them or
" not.
B. And some men will trouble and deceive themselves and others,
what-ever is said to them. It is certain, that pojfibile and futurum are
termini diminuentes & negantes quoad existentiam. That which only will
he is not. Therefore the name signifieth nothing, but that the thing will
he without any connotation of any cause of it j but it implyeth that
there is some fundamentum vel ratio, which might warrant any perfect ex
istent Intellect: to soy, It will be. And there needs no more to that, but
the eternal perfection of Gods own Intellect. But I have said more of
this /z^. i. and theforehere will add no more.
C. " But how is it possible for God to fore-kpow that fin will be, unless
" hefirst Will or Decree that it shall be (by his permission) .<?
B. I abhor the question and supposition. That such worms as we,
who know not what Gods Intellect or Will is, stiould presume to con
clude that he cannot fore-know sin, unless we can understand how he
fore-knoweth it 5 yea, unless it be by a way that a man could fore-know
it. When it is a wiser way of arguing, to fay, [ This is the way that man
knoweth by, and that man can comprehend: Ergo it is not like to be the way
of Godsfore-knowledge. 3 But remember one thing, that here you plain
ly make God to will theform of Sin as well as the matter ? For is not the
form future?
C. "Tex.
B. And is not Gods Will his Love?
C. "Tex.
B. And do you not make God then to love the very form of Sin,
which yet you fay that no wicked man loveth ?
C. " No : It is but the existence of the form that he willeth or loveth.
B. O excellent distinguishing ! He willeth not the form of Sin, but
only willeth that it be, or exist. The form is the Essence : He willeth
that the Essence exist j but willeth not the Essence, which is nothing, but
as existing 1 But do wicked men will any more, or so much, as that the
form exist ?
C. "'Dr.Twisse faith, No.
B. And if it were but the Act that existed, doth not Gods Law make
it sin, by forbidding it, and so cause the Essence ? .
C. "Tes.
B. And if you fay that God willeth the existence of the form of Sin,
why fay you that he doth not cause it ? Is not his Will effective ? or is it
any more contrary to his Holiness to cause it, than to will or love it ?
C. " He caufeth the existence, but not the form or exigence.
B. What jugling is this in such tremendous matters? 1. What is it
to cause the form, but to cause that it exist. To cause it to be, is all the
causing that it can have. 2. And you confess that Gods Law, by forbid
ding it, makethit sin in specie when itexisteth. Remember that you
fay that it is not only the matter, but the form of sin, which God willeth
andcauseth to exist. And is it not a contradiction to call it evil, and
yet
 Os Predestination.

yet say that God willeth it? when his Will is the Rule of Good
ness ? - .
C. "If is not evil to God, but to us.
B. So Dr. Twijfe faith : And to be evil to us (even mans sin or damna
tion) is not evil to God. And so God is the great Lover of Sin and
Damnation. But why then is he said to hate it > And is it not an Ene
my to God, and contrary to his Holiness ? Why did Christ die for that
which God so loved ? *\ -' > , cv> '«
C. " Sin is nothing, and therefore God caufeth it not.
B. i. Relations and Privations have their Causes, and so hath Sin.
2. Else man cannot be condemned for causing it.
The Synod of Dort and Reformed Churches teach no such Doctrine :
But it is such as you that tempt the Arminians to revile them, and fay,
that you describe God in the shape of the Devil, and much worse, as
loving and causing sin and misery more than he : that so the love of God
may be extinguished.
C. " Ithinkjoe ntuji leave these Mysteries to God.
B. But, good Brother, though I have stopt your mouth and censures
of your Brethren, in this and such matters, do you expect that every
honest Christian must be able to discuss all your Logical Fallacies, or else
go with you for unsound and heterodox ? And have you dealt fairly by
the Church of God, to borrow from the School-men such shares for
mens Consciences ? And must every man be perfwaded that God is the
greatest lover and wilier from eternity of every wicked Act, that is not
able to answer ybursmoaky Sophisms about futnrition and its eternal
cause, with such like. I tell you the Serpent hath beguiled us as Eve,
and turned men from the simplicity that is in Christ. ,
C. " Ipray briefly give me thesum of whatyou drive at.
The sum is, That though every Party, and almost every person of
each Party, have odd notions of his own, and peculiar weapons, to
wound his Brothers Reputation with, and militate against Love and
Concord, and manifest the Pride of his self-conceited Understandings
yet all sober Christians,I think,are agreed in all this Controversie ofGods
Decrees, in all that is truly necessary to our brotherly love and peace.
That is, AH grant that God decreed to do all that he doth, and to give all
the Grace and Mercy which at any time he giveth, whether to all or some.
And that he absolutely and properly decreed no more. ( But improper
ly he may be said to will an event in tantnm, when he willeth only to do
so much, or so much which naturally conduceth towards it, though he
know that it will never come to pass. ) But what it is that God actually
doth or giveth in time is all the controversie, which is to be spoken of in
the third Chapter. And were it not for your tenacioushess ofcontenti
ous notions, I needed to have said no more than these few words here of
Gods Decrees.

H The
 5°

THE

Third Days Conference

( With an <$J 2{ £M I <zj <9\£ )

Of Universal and Special

REDEMPTION

A. " Thesecond Article of our Difference ifsofundamental and momen-

" tout , and our distanceso great, that I cannot believe thatyou cats
"say any thing sufficient to reconcile us.
B. They that study Controversie as such, are apt every where to find.
matter of Quarrel, and weapons of Contention, but they that fee^
peace do find out the terms and means of peace, as sure and ea(ie in them
selves, which Contenders cannot fee.
Tell me, in a word, Are not all Parties agreed, that Christ by his Me
rits and Sufferings, procured for men all mercies which he giveth them :
and no more, ( but as he may be laid to procure them that which he ofFer-
eth and bringeth to their choice j which is properly to procure them
that offer, or the benefit as offered ? )
A. " Tes, I thinly both fides willgrant this, that he purchased all that
M he giveth, and absolutely orfully no more.
B. Why then all the Controversie is, what he giveth men : and that
belongeth to the third and fourth Articles : And so I might dismiss this at
the beginning, but for your expectations.
But what is it that maketh you think the difference so great >

The firH Crimination.

A. I. " Ti&eCalvinists^w^Synodists deny Christ's very Office, as he is

+ Maldtrmin i.vf.ni. ilthe Saviour of the World, and the second Adam, the Redeemer of
a. 3. d. ?. m.i. p, 487. « Mankind, and the Mediator betxpeenGod and Man. And all this they
Non txifttmo opimonem ' r 11 * /.t m U *
Him caivinisticm, qua confine to a Jmallpartoj the World. *
nigat pro omibm & [m- g. Have you never read what Musculus hath written in Loc. Commun.
*ls"t*UrMdam efllTnfc and Bullinger in his Decades for universal Redemption > Have you not
inur (ludiojos vtmatis read the plain words of Calvin, cited by Amyraldus in Defenf. DoU.
*hnmqu\tT\!n7Jnd] Cal™n- ( though Petavim rail at him for it most furiously ) ? Have you
admittunt quod omnibus not read the writings of Joh. Bergius, Conrad. Bergirn, hud. Crocius, Ca-
%ztTl^ttfaa7pHol lixtm> ,of Ctmero, and his Followers at Sautters, of Tejtardut, Dallæus,
fibiin pir cbriftum & Blondcl's Preface, 8cc. for Universal Redemption ? Have you not read
qudMiMt per cbristm m t^e writings of Bishop Rob. Abbots, Bishop Carelton , Arch-bishop
in ailu primo piratum, vel rt o r » . r > r
in Ailujnimdo datum fuffi- Vjher, Bishop Hall, Dr. Sam. Ward, Sec. their judgments for it? Have
cjtns iuxiihm gratis, quo vou not rea(j Bishop Davenant s excellent Dissertation for it, de morte
(ititmmtdia-t-MvdTipot- i,i .n - ■, wr i_ , ■ . . ■% r r> <rt
fat &c. Chmtt <? Know you not that it was the judgment of Dr. Preston ,
Mr.
 Of Redemption. 51

Mr. IV. IVhatelcy, Mr. IV. Rentier, and many excellent Divines among us ?
Know you not that Dr. Twijse himself, I believe twenty, if not forty
times over in his Works, faith, That Christ so far died for all, as to pro
cure and give them Pardon and Salvation, on condition they will
repent and believe j but he died moreover for the Elect, to procure and
give them Faith and Repentance also ? Know you not that Paræus in his
lrenicon faith , That the Sins of all the World lay on Christ on the
Croft, as the cause of his Death ? Know you not that it is the common
est Doctrine of the Protestants, That Christ died for . all men as to the
sufficiency of his death, but for the Elect only as to the efficiency of Sal
vation ? And what can you fay more or less than those few words signi-
fie ? Know you not that the Synod at Dort it self faith, " That Christ's
** satisfaction is of infinite value and price, abundantly sufficient toex-
*' piate the Sins of all the World, and that the Promise is, That tvhojb-
** ever believeth flail not perijh. And this is to be preached to all. And*
" that many yet repent not, believe not, but perish, is not through any
" defect or insufficiency of Christ's Sacrifice 5 but by their own default.
Musculus his words for Universal Redemption, are ( hoc. Commun. c. de
Rcdemp. Gen. hum. p. (mihij 326. &c.j f_ Redemptio e$t generis humani :
Genus humanum Comple&itur non unam ant alteram Gentem, fed ntundum
Hniverfum, omnes viz. totius orbis nationes, cunllos homines a primo ufq\
ad novijjimum. --—Generaliter eji omnium. —Scimus non omnes Redemp-
tionis hujus fieri participes : Verum illorum perditio qui non fervantur, baud
quaquam impedit, *■ quo minus Vniverfalis vocetur, Redemptio—Refolutio T Ic,.see™S there were
i„ \ ,, . 1 ^ ,-n 1 ■ j a . r1 ■ * _ , . but few in Bradwarain's
ilia telluris qua pajjim omnia ad germinandum æjtate Jolvuntur, recte Vm- days , who were of
•verjalis dicitur, etiamji multœ arbores—non germinent—&c. Anno Jubi- |j*J mind> in confessing
lao Generalis omniumjervorum liberatio erat, etiam(i multi inservitute ma- Impossibility ofany ones
nentes,gratiam liberations refpuebant. Ad eum modum habet & Redemptio Salvation, or any good
ifiageneris humani— Jfrtod illam homines reprobi & deplorate impii non ptf^k^g")*™
accipiunt, neq^defe&ufit Gratiæ Dei, neq--, jullum eji ut ilia propter filios c. 29.^.735.) he anfwer-
perditionis Gloriam ac titulum VNIVERS AL1S REDE MP TI 0- £ht!'e"! th" sa?' ^
* r rf. . jus o . /• should the Opinion of a
NIS amittat, cumJit parata cunais, & omnes ad tllam vocentur, ttc.—Jic few, trouble the Church,
en'tmeavebimusne Catholics Gratia Gloriam objiuremus & in ar&umCon- *"d fr"„f[ "tum'
Jiringamus, vel cum phanatick hominibus neminem prorfus damnari dica- byVeferringfhemtothe
tnns—]. Bullinger— • ' • • * • paucity of wife men and
" A. You may spare your labour of citing Bullinger and Musculus, thafTrVch^must^bi!
cc or Melanchthon, or Bucer, or such moderate men : But what are they preached for the sew
to the rigid Oto.i**i— RB?S?SS
B. Calvin fauh, in Rom. 5. 18. [_Communem omnium gratiam facit, how Aristophanes con-
quia omnibus expofita eji : Non quod ad omnes extendatur reipfa : Nam &ft appofmed^by Vre/<?»w;
paffus eji Chrijlus pro peccatis totius mundi atqj omnibus Indifferenter Dei did adjudge the Crown
benienitate offertur, non tamen omnes apprehendunt.l to tint Poet that the
a j- <-> r it j /v»i % people hkt d worst.
And in I Cor. 8. 11. (_ Dictum memorabile quo docemur quam (CharaJ
ejfe debeat nobk fratrum salus j nec omnium modo, fed Jingulorum, quando
pro unoquoq'-, fttjus ejifatiguk Cbrisli.']
And in 2 Vet. 2» I. [Non immerito dicuntur Chrijium abnegare a quo
redempti sunt, —*].
And in 1 Job. 2. 2. He faith , That qui dicunt [ Chridum suffeienter
pro toto mundo pajjum ejje, fed pro elects tantum effjcaciter,~] say true, and
that which commonly obtaineth in the Schools, though he otherwise ex
pound that Text.
" A. You need not cite Calvin : Grotius said truly that he had his Lu-
" cidaintervdlla 5 and though Amyraldus seek to defend him fromfelf-
44 contradiction, Petavius calls him all to nought for it : But what can
H 2 • " you
 Os Redemption.

** you say for your high Antiarmimans, such as Paraus, Molinœus ,

"&c.
B. Faraus, ( let all mark it ) faith, Irenic. cap. 24. pag. 142. [gitod
ChriiJuipro folis ele&isfatfrfecit,*'VM*x*e$f, vel falsa accusatio : Omnium
peccata Chriflus portavit, diffolvit , expiavit , £ magnitudinem pretii, fat
\irr*fufficientiamfpe&emus : N<?« omntumfed tantumfidelium,ft \e*t*t ejfica-
ciam, frustum, applicationem.'] To which he citeth Ambrose, Innocent,
Lyra, adding £ Juxta hunc intelleUum nulla eft diffenfio.
Art. 6. itidem eji vet falsa accusatio. Fromijfiones Gratis stint
Vniversales, pertinents ad omnes, quoad prœdicationem, invitationem,
& mandatum credendi. 1
And on 2 Pet. 2. I. \Erant Redempti refpe8ufufficientiæ\iTi*,&c.~\
Molin&us Anatom. Arminianif. faith,c4p. 27. fed. 8, 9. £ " When we
" (ay that Christ died for all men, we take it thus, that the Death of
"Christ is sufficient to save whosoever do believe 5 yea, and that it is
" sufficient to save all men, if all men in the whole World did believe
" in him : And that the cause why all men are not saved, is not in the
" insufficiency ofthe Death of Christ,but in the wickedness and incredu-
" lity of man. Finally Christ may be said to reconcile all men to God
" by his Death, after the fame manner that we fay the Sun doth enlighten
" the eyes of all men, though many are blind, many sleep, and many are
" hid in darkness, &c. "} . »
" That mosj^ethodical acute Divine, Georg. Sohnius, faith, Tom. I.
Thef.de JuStific. (wihij pag. 104. [Satnfatfio iUa& jujiitia pro omni
um temporum hominibus, & omnium hominum peccatis , & peccatorum
omnium cum culpa turn pœna fufficit , quia ab infinita persona dependet,
Matth. 18. 11. &12. 31. Rom. 5. 18. & 8. 32. 2 Cor. 5.15. 1 Tim. 2.
6. 1 Joh. 1. 7. & 2. 2. Tit. 2. 14. Errant igitur qui Chrijlumpro omnibus
hominibus paffum effe negant. 3—
" A. But such violent men as Zanchy ( the grand Patron of the im-
" possibility of falling away ) talk not at this rate.
B. Zanchy faith, (Thef Vol. 3. fine , Thef. 13.16. de Volunt. Dei) Ea-
dem de causa dici non poteji Dei voluntatem proprie & simpliciter fuiffe, ut
Chrifius pro salute omnium morer^etur^idefi, ut omnisper ejus mortem fer-
varetur, ac proinde Christum 'fecunftum propdsitum patris pro salute omni-
um mortuum effe 3 fed tantum, ut loquuntur, fuffeienter. — Cstcrum dam-
nari etiamiUi non poffunt, qutfpe&ata revelata vqluntate Dei docent, &
Deum veUe omnes homines salvosfieri , & Chrijlumpro salute omnium ho
minum mortuum tffe, & nentrum vellepeccatum } cum hœc omnia (mt veris-
fima.
And de Relig. Christ, fid. cap. i2.Thes. 2. [Credimus (Mar. f6.i6.)
licet omnibus hominibus per Evangelii prœdicationem Gratia Redemptionis,
falus ac vita sterna a Deo difpenfandaferio proponanturf^quod cnim permulti
hujus nanstunt participes,ipforum fit vitio & culpa reipfa tamen non commti-
nicari nift'—eleUis, vocatk'—']
"A. What ever these hold, I amfureyourEngUJf) Calvinists hold other-
" wife.
B. Have you not read Bishop Vjher's Tratf, for Vniverfal Redemption ?
Have you not read Davenant's Dissert, de morte Chritfi, so oft mentio
ned ? Have you not read the Life of Dr. Preston , and how in the
Dispute with Dr. White he maintained Universal Redemption > Mr. Wil
liam Fenner in his Hidden Manna brings in Cain faying, f_ Christ died
not for me, d?^.] and answereth, [Menthis Cain, Christ died for thee.[]
It would be too long to cite all .
Dr.
 Os Redemption. 5^

D. Rob. Abbot demerit. Grat. Chrijii,pag. 35, 36, 37. [Buic difputati-
oni dabit initium—Ambrosfs Sententia in Luc. c. 7. 1. 6. s_Ef// Chrijius pro
omnibus pasftts eft, fpecialiter tamen pro nobis pajjus eji—] Quibus verbis
aperte fignificat ita Chrijium pro omnibus moriuum,ut tamen in mortt Chrisii,
baud omnes pares exist imandifuut. Communiter quidem pro omnibus mor-
tHum— viz. pro omnibus satisjacere voluijje dignitate pretii— ejio ChrtBum
in promifcuo sensu generis humani , fe aliquo modo pro Juda dediffe, &c.
— JSSeq^ enim Chtilius qua homo partitionem hominum vel discretionem ullam
iniiituit ut quemquam dici poffit d mortis fuœ beneficio excepijje, qui hac
quidem rationc pro persequentibus & crucifigentibus promifeue patrem togat,
noflro quod fit exemplo— guod certe dolere nonpotuiflet, nijipro illis quoqj
quantum ex homine, crucem obire Jiatuijfet—~]
I told you before what Dr. Twijjc faith twenty times over, That
[Christ died to purchase Pardon for all if they will believe (conditional
ly) but for the Elect to purchase them also Faith it self. ~]
"The Annotations called the Assemblies, fay, on Heb. 10.29. f_ San-
" Uified by the Blood J £ By which their sins were pardoned in regard of
" that meritorious sufficient Satisfaction purchased by it.
Abundance more I could easily cite. *i$nitdntinitu£nti*
..a tii it 1 1 1 ■ 1 1 r & potenttam fretn , &
A. But they do butjuggle and cheat the World with the Vt%or of a Do- qWd ad mam pertfatt
" Urine that cannot endure the Light : For by sufficiens pretium some say f»/«* Igfj*',|n~J£'»
M they mean but sofficiens si pretium fuiflet, and no price at all. uoKotimmndi : 'std'qli
B. Those be but a few odd conceited persons, driven by you into ex* hoc secutum fine fide chrija
treams : They profess that Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all, and J^'JRSg?, &
purchased them effectually a conditional Pardon. They call not that a demptionis *tim sum.
»•sufficient
Ji price and fatisfaUion
I J J which is none at all. naturam, omnium 1!SZ
caujam
A. But we agree not as to Gods intent of the benefits to all. a Domino nostro in veri-
B. 1. That concerneth the Decrees. 2. The sober * Papists agree, \tdimfti
, - .01 f ,„ ir« r-t 1 rttlt omnes dicantur, non
and lay ;ult the very lame as the Synod. See Films in 3. Sent. d. 19. tamen omnes aptivitate
fetf.Z. Tapperus, Art. 6. Malderus Antisynod, p. 23, 24. Fr. Sonnius de- lm* .tmi teitmptinit
' a „ V „i -n 1 ~. - 1 l r J7r x j „ J + propriety baud dubium
monjtr. Relig. Chrjjt. I. 3. c. 19. f Rivet citeth these, Dijp. 6. de Redempt. tms nios tst—qd sum
And he himself makes Christ's death even partly effectual for all. And ™',**™f^["^-J
will you be more contentious and violent than all the sober Papijis and proveth^*of'i;//.I'".arff
Calvinitfs ? Remp.p ioo.But it's cleap
Know* you not how excellently our Britist Divines in the Synod of & R£T*aZT
Dort have opened this, and as well the three Breme Divines, but above meaneth actual liberati-
all, most clearly and briefly the learned Matthias Martinius there ? But I Xh^doubTis'prV-
will name no more, when it is the whole of the famous Dallœus his Apolog. per to the Elect.
Cont- Spanhem. Tart. 4. To. I. to shew the consent of Protejlants herein :
And when his whole Second Tome is to cite the very words of an hurt- * "
dred and twenty Fathers and Councils, for Universal Redemption and
Grace, (Theophylatf being the last) and sixty three Troteitant * Sti\!\\V*{qmjnv.Tbi.
Churches and Writers that speak for it, to whom I could add many qCli^'om^s' fi\lf&m\'s
more. eodem modo in primo pa-
" A. If this be so, how cometh it to be a Controversy .<? d'mtti. *
J J ' J [cntentiam, jubitsirt , non
omms fed quidim ex ilia
communi maffa fuimtB [ipirau, gratia consul & ifficaci n[q; ad finem vitic : tr%p qnidam fiiimus pr*' aliis eletti : Jed gratia qua
fuimus feparati ne cum aliis dmnati mancremus suit per chnstw. ergo per Christum a communi maffi tletli [umut. £hod si ita in
timport faclum £/?, nemo ambigat in prœfcicntia todem modo fuijfe decretm.
Ntq; vert ut quilpiam fit causa eligendi aliquem ex miiltis damnatis, opus 1st ut ipft ita fit causa rtlinquendi alios obnoxios pœi*,&c.
Cbriflus cau[a'suit nojlrtt el(clionis,ut non-nnlli pot110 eligerentnr quam alii : £>jia peculiari ratione merita sua ipfis applicavit, &
pro eisoravit—ex Us qui pod incarnationem ejus suermt ego non dubit'o ChriHum ptculianoratione & voiuntati merita [uaillis appli
cant qui predestiHati & tletli sucrunt, ac pxop'.erea. eos potius quam alios eltBos & predeflinatos stij/i.
Dequibitsdam hoc certiffimvn tst Luc. n. Cbridus oravit pro Petro, &c. Et ]o'i. 17. Non pro mnnd" rogo, [ed, &c. Quis autern
negate audeat Christum hac oralim vat merurjft Apostolis gratiam congruam & iffisacem) qua »/f» in finem psfcvtra* nt ,
fcc.

B. A
 -

Of Redemption.

B. A few particular men on each fide that run into extreams, when
once engaged run on further, and make a great noise, while sober men
in silence pity them j And so with some the greatest and the lowdest are
taken to speak the common sense. And thus Spanhemius, Maccovius,
and a few much inferior to them in learning here in England, have kept
up the Contention. And several of the Jefuiies, Lutherans and Armini-
ans, have run out into the contrary extream and so the difference hath
been made and maintained. So that with most Christians, the contro
versy is not whether Christ be the Saviour of the World, or died for all
men, but how far, and in what fense he did so, that this Article may
agree with the rest of our Theology.
A. " The fense is all: If we agree not infense, we agree in nothing.
B. The few extream Contenders agree not in sense : But the generali
ty of Christians, much more may I fay Protestants, do, in all that is
necessary to our common concord. If really you differ, tell me your
self, What doyou hold that chri& purchased for all men, more than the Sy-
nodifls do <? Name me one benefit if you can.
A. " You would perfwade me that we differ not indeed, i. We hold thai
te Chriji procured and made thefirU Covenant of Grace with all Mankind in
" Adam and Noah : andso do not the Synodijis.
B. I think you can name few Protestants that deny it. Be%a himself
in that Edit, of his Annot. in Eph. 2. 12. which H. Stephanus printed
1588. faith, QThis Covenant was made in the beginning, Gen. 3. 15.
with Adam, and all that should be born of him 3 and afterwards, Gen.
9. 10. withNoah, the other Parent of Mankind 5 as we have else-where
noted, ] plainly, they fay that it is made to all men as a Law, then pro
mulgate to Adam and Noah 5 even a Law of Grace, which Mankind was
put under 3 And as an offered Covenant, and conditional Promise:
But as, i. A mutual Covenant. 2. And as giving right to Life, it is
made, only with Consenters. Tell me whether you differ from this
sense ?
A. "N03 this fense is according to the Scriptures. But moreover ,
1. We hold that thesecond Edition of the Covenant also is made to all.
B. It's granted you, that it's made to all that hear it,as far as aforesaid 5
and that Ministers should do their best to preach it to all : And do you
hold any more ?
A. "No: But, 3. We hold that this Covenant pardoneth all mens fwsy
tc on condition of Faith and Repentance, and, not only the EleB.
B. So do they, unanimously: I told you TwiJJc twenty times over
faith the fame. No man can deny that which is the very plain scope of
the Covenant it self, to pardon all if they will repent and believe.
A.4. " But, We hold also that Chriji purchajedfor all mensufficient Grace
" to enable them to repent and believe.
B. I told you that is the Controversie of the third and fourth Articles;
what Grace Christ giveth all, he procured for all, which is not here to
be anticipated, but opened in due place : And if I then manifest that in
that point also you differ not, I shall prove that you differ not at all in
these Points of Christ's Death and Universal Grace.
A. "But they say, That Chriji died only for the ElcU , effectually and
" with a purpose tosave them, and purposed tosave no other.
B. You carry back the Controversie to Gods Decrees, which
we dispacht before. Tell me, r. Do you hold that all are saved by
Christ?

A,
 Of Redemption. ^

A. " No-, that's none of the Controverfie.

B. Why then quarrel you with them that say, He died but for the
Elect effectually, when they mean but that he saveth no other ?
A. " But his death effected something for them viz. the neve Covenant
" and common Grace, though it effeU not their, Salvation.
B. Who denieth any of this? not the Synod of Dort.
But, 2. Do you hold that God absolutely purposed to save any by
Christ that never are saved ?
A. "No: but conditionally he purposed it.
B. Have we not before proved, that your quarrel about conditional
Decrees, is but a strife about words in the dark.
A. t4 But they say Chrijl died not equally for all.
B. Do you, or dare you, fay otherwise your selves? i. You confess
that his Death doth not equally save all : 2. You confess that from eter
nity God fore-knew who would believe and be saved, and who not.
Now the question is of equality of benefit (before denied) and
equality of Intention : And can you think that Christ, as God, at the
time of his Death ( or before ) did equally intend or decree to save
those that he fore-knew would neither believe nor be saved, and those
that he knew would believe and be saved ? You cannot, you do not
imagine this.
A. "We do not: But we say that as to Gods antecedent Will, he both
64 elefted and redeemed all alike $ and the inequality is only in his consequent
tc Will. But the SynodijisJay otherwise.
B. 1. If you understand the distinction aright, they fay the fame as
you : that is, If you thus distinguish only of the Will of God as Rector,
or his governing Will , and by the Antecedent Will mean only the
legislative which making our Duty, goeth before our doing or not-
doing it, and by the consequent Will, mean only the judicial which fol
lowers Duty and Sin. God dealeth equally by all men in the first, (as
to the tenour of his Law, though the different promulgation make a
difference of Obligations,) but unequally in the second.
2. And if you distinguish thus of his eternal Decrees, either they re
spect Damnation or Salvation. And by his Antecedent Will, you mean
that which goeth before the fore-fight of mans Will, and by the confe-
quent, that which followeth this fore-sight. Now, 1. Have I not said
enough to convince you that as it is A&us Agentis in God, we cannot
prove any diversity or priority $ But only ex connotatione obje£fi»
2. And m to Damnation, I have proved that they commonly agree with
you, that God decreethnot Sin, butfore-seethit, and decreeth Damnation * Vtk». and many Jt-
only asforfore-seen Sin. What-ever Viscator and a few more fay, this is Grabs' gi5™ SS
the common Doctrine of Proteftants and Fathers. 3. But as to EleUion out any cause, condition
dare you fay yourself, that God decreeth to change no mans Will, but 9» ?cc*{,°a in mm. And
3r r i 1 • r u- f \C mi it 4° 1 • n * »r saith Mildms in u.Tbo.
upon fore- light that the person himlelt will first change it ? * It man ?.iio.4.i.f«£.4<Sp. Dm
change it first, God need not to come after to change it : IfGod change '"j'^jjff*** «
it first, then he decreed first to change it, and did not first fore-fee it diuai'nm'mlvutur%7t
changed. voluntas bminis btru-
A. "Neither: But he fore-Jeeth mans concurrence or not-concurrence turapmimt tx voluntut
" with his changing AU of Grace. D«. ?« *"at e" f** »»«
B. But can you think that he equally operateth on all, and that all the fiJ^SoA^g
inequality is in their concurrence .<? Doth he do as much on every Perse- will of Beneficence is
cutor ( equally prepared ) as he did on Saul t Doth he call all to follow ftj£j£j!^
him as effectually expartefui, as he did Peter, Andrew, fckc. who present- first God maketh us
ly left all and followed him ? Did Christ himself preach to all Nations > <hcn lovcth Ui
or
 56 Os Redemption.

or only to the Circumcision? Were not the sins of the Jews as much
aggravated as those of Tyre and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah .<? or the In
dians .<? why else should it go worse with them in the day of Judgment ?
and why else would Tyre and Sidon have repented if t«hey had but had
their means, were they not then as much prepard for mercy ? Doth God
equally send the Gospel to all Nations and Persons equally unworthy?
Can you confute St. Paul .<? Rom. o. Or can you give any reason why
* Rah a jesuite con- God must shew equal mercy unto all ?
fesseth" dt Vol. Dei Mjp. A. i( Tcs : because else he is a respecter of persons. *
io.fiq.6. f. %x6. That Bt I fully confuted this before, I. Respecting persons is the fault of a
according to Augustine _ rt J , r . .. — , uts ^-r i ■ 11 J ,, J. .
Christ so died for all, as Ketfar as such, especially as jfwdgc: And so God dealeth equally; his
that he had a special in- Law being Norma officii & judieii as to all. But no man ever yet took
—- of laving h« Elect, a ~ s~ - in ^ \
forvvhVs7seL'asbdng
whose sat-e as being eftner,
either, i1.. A rroprtetor
Proprietor (Domtnus
(Dominus abjolutus)
absolutus) ; 2. Ox&BenesaUor, to be
among the rest.it is that obliged to equality to all. Must you needs use all your Grounds,Trees,
all inœmrnonf^S Goods^ Cattel> &c- equaI1y ? Must you needs make a11 men
Traci.ii. in Joan. c. 7- your bosom-Friends, your Heirs, your Beneficiaries, who are equally
Vli*Mvl*nJTiVfm worthy in themselves? Must you needs give equally to all the poor, that
pe'ndens dignatut est oran are ofequal need and merit ? All this is contrary to the common sense
Vid,bu fa^Ms'um and useSe °f Mankind. ■•'
petebat venim a quibiu 2. And in a Judge, respecting persons, is the vice of them that deal
adbuc aedpiebat injuriam: unequally with men for some by-respect unworthy of soch a difference;
T$?£"e?J»?Td A* for Birth, Beauty, Wealth, Power, Eloquence, Parts, Wit, Kindred,
quia pro ipsis moxiebuw. or any selfish interest, to pervert Justice, or deal partially. But God
%£> Kd taX maketh no difference on such accounts. Yea a Judge himself, or a King,
may find it fully in Jan- when he acteth not as a Judge, but as a King above Laws, or as a Bene-
[enim , or m\ Ate Mm factorj may reprieve or pardon one Thief rather than an other, yea and
atrm egra a, . ck00fe t^X3Lt which is the most learned, strong, wise, and capable offuture

Service to the Common- wealth.

A. " Thisseemeth a wrong to the rest that are notso used ?
B. Would it do the Thief that is hanged any good, to have the other
unpardoned ? Would it ease their pains in Hell, to have the company of
all those that be in Heaven ? Ifit be no wrong to them to soffer them
selves, nothing but envy can call it a wrong to them, to have others
escape. Had they love to others as themselves, it would be some comfort
to them to think that others are in Joy and Glory ?
A. " At least this is a real difference between the Parties.
B. i. The School-men and many learned Jejuites ( as I have proved,
Lib. i. ") make it not a difference. And will you called Arminians or
Lutherans go further from your ProteSJant Brethren, than the learned
FapiSts and Jejuites themselves go ? Are you not ashamed ofthis ?
2. The PapiSts can bear with one another in these Points, and live in
communion in one Church, (though the Janjenists Case hath had more
than ordinary heats and stirs ; ) And yet the Dominicans go higher and
further in the Controversie of Predetermination from the Jesuites, than
the Synodists do : And are you more fierce or unpeaceable than they ?
3. But remember here once for all, that you were notable to name
any one benefit which Christ's death procured for all, other than the
Synodists hold as well as you : But only you charge them as asserting more
to the Elett. They give more (you sayJ to some, but not less to all.
4. And all this liethin the point of Intention and Divine Decrees,
which was sufficiently reconciled before.
But you have by all this entised me to mingle various Controversies,
and to anticipate that ofGrace and Free- will, which is to be handled by it
self in due place.
But
 Of Redemption.

But I have a word more to give you, by way of caution, if you will
think on it.
A. " What's that ?
B. What will you fay if Episcopius, Arminius, Corvinus, are the men
that deny most Universal Redemption, while the Synod maintaineth it ?
How can Christ die for the sins of any Infants in proper fense, if they
have noJin, and deserve no punishment > Or be a Saviour to save them
from sin and punishment that have none ?

The second Crimination.

A. " By denying common Redemption, they deny the express words rfl/theKr^loU^'^
** Scripture, whichsaith, That Christ tasted death for every man, Heb.1.9. M,ttaweirayimcitau
M That he is the Saviour of the World, Joh. 4. 1 2. That he is the Lamb of our s!-!veS b^ consonnd-
"God, that taketh away the sins of the World, Job. 1.29. That heSS/"djf[sTC
ec died for all, that they which live, should live to him that died for **s«"r iinef't> orfor
cc them, 2 Cor. 5. 14, 1 5. That God wasin Christ reconciling the world aSkSl^L of a
to himself, 2 Cor. 5. 19,20. That he is the Saviour of all men, espe- different nature: where-
" cially of them that believe, I Tim^. 10. That the Grace of God which c°df 0s°£e cond.tSiy"
bringeth Salvation to all men, hath appeared, Tit. 2. II, 12. That he Cth°ugh for christs sake)
" is the Propitiation for our Sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins ^aW«o°"
*l of the whole World, I "joh. 2. 2. with much more to the fame purpose. These God doth confer
" And do these men deal sincerely with God and the Scripture, that can ofIyFa^hthandCOReiti0n
distort all this to their ownfense ? And do they not use such violence with tancerNo^iam^eady
u Gods Word and their Consciences, as that on these terms they may make 1° Pr°fess» and that, I
" their own Religion, and believe what they list ? Do they not plainly Jfiew mouth6 of* °m ow d£
" that they take not their Faithfrom God, but from their Teachers, and be-v,nes> tnat cvery one
" lieve as the Church believeth which they joyn with? Had it been but one ^TdistSctSÆ
" or two Texts, or had they been obscurely uttered, a good man might have twe«i Elect and Repro-
" thought that he mutt reduce their sense to the many and more plain. Iut\^ tL^chrV^ied
" to oppugn the plain Gospel itself hath no exeufe. for him.so far as to pro-
JS.You are sharp against other mens Errors,and other men against vours. £l?ere,:both th? Ha,rdon of
t>*i- j l lo i ji_ i- i~«-7r, n,s "ns> and Salvador,
But I have proved to you that the Synod, and the generality or the Pro- incase he believe and
testant Churches in their Confessions, deny not any thing which these re?ent : ,But ,tllerc are
t-> r tu l u d j ■ 11 oti,er benefits that
Texts lay. They hold a common Redemption as well as you : our very Christ merited for us,
Children are taught in their Catechism distinctly to believe, s i. In God Faith and RePen'
the Father, whomade them and all the World, 2. In God the Son, who 'Zd^J^T^
redeemed them and all Mankind. 3. And in God the Holy Ghost,who
sanctifieth them and all the Elect People of God. "1 This is the good old
Doctrine, plain and true, and that which Austin taught.
A. ** law sure mtny of their Writers exprejly oppugn common Redempti-
" on 5 and even Jasenius the Papist who joyneth with them denieth it, and
"faith, that Augustine denied it : Therefore we stand not to his autho-
" rity.
' B. i. As for Augutfine and some Trotestants, they oft deny that Christ
redeemeth any but the Faithful, because the word Redemption is ambigu
ous, and sometimes taken for the price or ransome paid, and often for
the very liberation of the captive Sinner. And when ever Austin denieth
common Redemption, he taketh Redemption in this lad sense, for aBual
deliverance. But he asierteth it in the first sense, that Christ died for all.
Yea, he thought his death is actually applied to the true Justification and
Sanctification of some Reprobates that fall away and perish, though the
I Elect
 58 Of Redemption.

Elect only are so redeemed as to be laved. Read your self Augustine,

Prosper and Fulgentius, and you will see this with your own eyes.
2. I have oft told you, it is our Protestant Conseflions, and not some
singular or private Writers, that you must know their Doctrine by.
g. Even those few Writers differ more from you in terms than in
sense. For, i. Many ofthem will confess all the fame benefits by Christ
to men in common which you assert. Few of them will deny that Sal
vation is tendered to all mens acceptance, and brought to the choosing or
refusing of their own Wills. And you seem to them to fay no greater
matters as for the Elect. But they fay that Christ purchased Faith it self
for the Elect only, of which in due place. 2. And so with them the
Controversy is, i. About Gods Decree or Intent of saving men by
Christ. 2. And of giving them Faith.
Tell me one word that you except against in the Synod in this Ar
ticle.
A. " I except againU sect. 8. where they fay that [ Fuit hoc Dei patris
cc liberrimum confilium, & gratiofijjima voluntas atq; intentio, ut mortis
cc• pretiofijstmæfiliisuivivifica& salvificaefficacia seseexereret in omnibus
i
tt' ele&is, ad eossolosfidejustificante donandos per earn ad salutem insal-
libiliter perducendos : hoc est , voluit Deus , ut Chrijlu* per sanguinem
" crucis, quo novumfœdus confirmavit, ex omni populo, gente, tribu & liw
*' gua, eos omnes & solos qui ab æterno adsalutem ele&i & a patre ipfi dati
"sunt, ejficaciter redimeret, fide donaret, ab omnibus peccatis sanguine suo
" mundaret, adfinem ujq$ fideliter cujlodiret, tandem absfi omni labe &
" macula gloriosos coramfefitferet. 3
B. Very good : This is all in the Canons that you can except against.
And, i. You see that this is only about Gods Intention or Decree: And
so you differ not at all by your own confession, in the Article of Re
demption, as distinct from that ofthe Decrees.
2. Is it the inclusion of the Elect in this Intention that you except
against? So will no sober Jefuite. Do you think that Christ was resol
ved certainly to justifie and glorifie no man at all ? The Semipelagians
will not fay so. You fay not so your selves. Only some ofyou fay, it is
but upon fore-fight of Faith, and by the consequent will, of which I
have said enough before. But do you think that Christ when he was on
* Episcopius in ustitkt. the Cross had no full purpose to save those infallibly * who he fore-knew
7hui.ti.jj:tp $ft£4'°- would believe, yea and to cause some men to believe ? Those that come
ST.rf Election 3J' to him a" drawn by the Father, and Fahh is the Gift of God, Ephef.2.8.
consist with that of uni- Who giveth us all things pertaining to life and godliness, 2 Pet. r. 3. Even
propped.' " Ch hC to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2. 13. To some it is given to
believe, Phil. 1.29. But ofthis enough before.
3. But, I suppose, it is only the word [ Solos ] in all the Canons that
you except against. And dare or will you fay, that God did absolutely
intend and decree to fanctifie and glorifie all men by Christ } or any one
that is not glorified ?
A. " But their meaning is, that all the rest which are most of the World,
" are left out of Gods EleSion, even unto fin and damnation, mecrly because
+ ufrtt.lhul. t+ eap.% "' Go^vpouldfohaveit, and not from any ill desert of theirs any more than
f<a.$. p.410. ' " was in the EleU : which appeareth in that (as Episcopius noteth). t They
* The ft' u thatfay the Fall or Sin is quid prævisum, fore-seen in Reprobation, yet
selves,' s« »tl and " ^9 that it is any * cause of Reprobation : And then all comet h to one,
many othen) ordinarily whether God reprobate a Sinner or an innocent person, as to the
lay,that nothing in man cc rMMr. ■ J
can be any cause of
«bds Decrees.
B. You
 Of Redemption. ^

B. You have nothing about Redemption, I perceive, still to contro

vert, but about Gods Decrees : If we must go back to them, review
your words, and fee how you cheat your selves into distast ofyou know
not what, by meer confusion, for want of accurate Scholastick Heads,
(I except not Episcopius himself, notwithstanding men of his own mea
sure think otherwise.)
1. Whereas you talk of £ leaving out 1 either you mean non-Eleftion,
or positive exclusion. If the last, it's false : not only the Scotists, but
some Protestants ( as Ferrius in scholast. Orthodox, and others, ) assert but
a negation here 5 And Davenant and the Synod aslert but a negative
Decree quoad objecturn 5 which is but as much as Arminius propugneth,
who while he maintaineth that God decreeth not sin, but only his own
permijjion of sin, ( which is the Synods sense) yet hereby confesleth that
he veilleth or decreeth that permission. You fay then that he decreeth to
permit mens unbelief, and this is all that the Synod faith of non-Eleftiont
or leaving men out of the number of the Elect.
2. If you your selves believe all this, with what face can you oppose
the fame in others ? If you do not, either you believe that none are In
fidels and damned, or you believe that God doth not permit it to be so,
but it is done by conquering his Omnipotency,or else you know not what
you believe : choose which you will.
3. Do you really differ (as Epifiopius pretendeth) about the cause
of Reprobation ? As to the cause of Damnation, all are agreed that fin
is the true meritorious cause. The question is only of Gods Will or De
cree of it. And it is not of his sententiaprolata, or Decree pronounced
by Christ in Judgment : for of that also it is agreed that sin is the merito-^
rious cause. Your oft recurring to your Objections, when they have
been folly answered, puts me on the tedioufhefs' of repeating the lame
Answers. Gods * Will is considered either ex partevolentis essentially, * ^ avik ^ Goii
or as extrinsically denominated from the connotation of the Object. In will in reprobating,
the first sense, you have not yet declared your selves to deny the com
mon Doctrine of the Christian World, that Gods Will is his undivided
most simple Essence 3 and that God hath no cause, and so his Will in it
self hath no cause ; that in God there is nothing but God. Dare you fay
that a Creature made God > yea, that so base a thing as Sin made him >
How then doth it cause his Will which is himself? Is Gods Will such
a mutuable thing as mans ? And is it not the first cause of all things >
And shall men pretending to Learning reproach others, for not assigning
a cause of the first cause, and that Sin, which is bases than d Creature,
causeth the Creator }
But if you speak of Gods Will as denominated by connotation of the
Object} mark what we grant you, viz. that as thus only Gods Will or
Volitions are denominated diverse, so are they denominated to be ofthis
or that sort, and numerically also distinguished 5 And so they may be
laid to have a cause, but not an efficient cause,but only an * objeUive cause ; ^J}^ as
And what Cause is an Object To let pass the Error of many Logicians, fc^'ttatFrith^'nw the
it is only (as an Object) a material constitutive cause (at least here : ) ««fcj>f G°dilfcction
And so sin is the objective material cause of that extrinsical denomination dltion in\hc object*011"
and relation of Gods Will, called Reprobation to damnation. It is that
dispositio objetfi which is essential to the Object. And so as Gods Will
may any way be said to have a cause, we will fay freely, after the manner
of men, that sin is the objeUive cause of the Decree of damnation. And
speak now with shame, can you fay more or less? Do you or any of us
that arc sober and understand our selves, differ at all in this ?
I a 4. And
 Os Redemption.

4.rAnd you cheat your selves and others more, in faying, [_ Not from
any ill desert of theirs more than others']. When if you would speak
congruously, you should only lay, that when all deserved to be utterly
forsaken, £ Cod effectually prevaileth with the Wills of his Ele£t, not for any
good desert of theirs above others. "] You would insinuate, that God must
punish no man, unless he deserve worse than every man whom hefor-
giveth 5 which is false. Do you not your selves believe that all have
finned, and come short of the Glory of God ? and that God might
justly have let them perish ? Do you not hold your selves, that all men
are guilty of resisting or sinning against Grace it self as well as against
Nature? and that i God may justly with-hold his Grace from the Re
jecters of it ? and if he did so by all he did not wrong them ? If God
then leave not all, as he might do, but resolve to prevail with some in
fallibly, do you represent this mercy as if it were cruelty to others ?
What if it be apparent that you your selves charge God with as much
of that which you call cruelty to all the World, as the Synod doth to
the Reprobate alone ? ( or as many of us do ? ) For they do but fay
that God leaveth the Reprobate to their own free Wills : And you fay
that he doth so by all the World. You lay that God giveth all men
that hear the Gospel so much Grace, as that they may have Christ and
Salvation, if they will 5 And they fay so too as confidently as you do.
Tell me if you can then what Mercy or Grace you plead for as com
mon more than they ? you cannot tell me : And will you wrangle as if
you differed when you do not. Only they lay and think that they
give more to Gods Grace as to the Elect than you do, which is to be
examined anon.
And then you will quarrel about the Cause of the first Cause, the
mil of God, and dream of it as if it were like the Will of Man, which
is an effect and that of many Causes. Is it not enough for you that sin
is the cause of all punishment, but it must also be the efficient cause
of Gods Will which is God ? Yet again I tell you that all sober
1 men will agree with you, that Gods Volitions of extrinsic^ Obje&s,
viz,. Reprobations , denominate not Gods Essence as such $ ( for we
use not to fay, [God is Reprobation or Election : "J but only his Essence
as termi nated ad extra. ) And (to gratisie you to the utmost) we distin-
guish an operating efficient Cause, from a recipient Cause; And we main
tain that a Sinner is the recipient Cause of Gods damning Volition or
Reprobation : As (hutting the Windows is the cause that my Room is
dark, and opening them is the cause that they are light, not by causing
the Sun to shine, but by receiving (or not receiving) it, so man is a
receiving Cause of the Effects of Gods Will and Operation, and of the
Will and Operation it self, as extrinsically denominated and diversified
by the Effects. But this recipient Cause , is nothing but causa ntate-
rialfr obje8iva> which hath two parts, the ipsa materia and the
ntaterU dispofttio. Take not on you still to differ , where you do
not.

The
 Os Redemption. 61

The third Crimination.

A. "* By denying Vniversal Redemption , they deny that Vniversal ^^fas™^ %

" Grace, which is the very express Covenant of Grace it self, that all men liuo i. q. 14.' f. i. p«-
" are already through Chrijis satisfa&ion reconciled to God , and par- u\st1lT!t
" doned if they will believe or that a conditional pardon is already given viro'btigat%L,f2*s?ex-
" to the World. And to deny this, is to deny the Gospel, and Christianity it f**'1.* dt vtlmtatt btm-
"self and to be no Christians. 'dt Vol. mttuintt :
B. You would make your selves and others believe that they deny ?• sidtVoi. bnipiaciti
that which they never dreamed of denying. Like him that dreamed ffiJjS&£$^
that he was wounded, and call'd out for something to stop the blood. »*///' [alvantur nisi q*os
Do not all Protestants profess to believe that Covenant and conditional Vd^Z%ufi^uiA'm[ld
Pardon as well as you ? Do they not preach it constantly, and administer at singuiisgtntrm.
Baptism in the lame terms as you do> who denieth that all are recon*
ciled, if they will believe >
A. " But by that they mean only exclusively that all are not reconciled or
"pardoned, because all believe not; And not inclusively that all men are
" conditionally pardoned already.
B. You mistake and slander them : Do they not read the very express
pardon made already in Gods Word ? That [ Whoever believeth shall not
perijh,'] &c. Joh.3.16. Mari^\6. 16? Do they not all acknowledge
that this is a Law of God,an Act of Oblivion,Enacted longago byGod >
And is not this visible written Promise or Law ofGrace an existent condi'
tional pardon os all i No man of sense, and understanding, and faith
denieth it. * • '
A. "But they say that in making it Gods secret intent, was, that none but „ what say others ,esi ?
" the Ele£f stould have anysaving benefit of it. * Maidirn< in 1. *.f 1 1 i.
B. I. Still you are returning to the dispatched Controversie of the £|"f $'^^( Cm
Decrees 5 which is a confession that you differ not otherwise about Re- tlnfthlffitt"ut stctnmt
demption. 2. Do not you your selves hold the fame which you quarrel ?*•* titgit, —««
with ? 1. Inclusively they hold that the Elect shall be saved by Christ. ™?
And do you deny it ? 2. As to the exclusion of others, they hold that a miquis diftmumtm,
God decreed not any mans Infidelity and Sin, but fore-feeing their Inside- ffljfc tnm^Jt
lity and Sin, decreed that they should not be saved by Christ, but perish, btri arbitrii nfiam, ad
And do not you say the same ? Away with these contentious dreams. vita* *ff"am . P^'P'-
... 3r 3 1. t r 1 -r ntvit;talmq\ns grattarn
A. ' lamJure I can name you divers that Jay otherwije. dtcrevit cu<* qua ctrtifftma
B. It is the Synod still, and the common Confessions and Doctrine of&infMiitenidrtpuim
the Churches which you have to do with: Tell not me of singular ^"mq^txiiUnmTotn
men. (unt, rcli/fuit non quidtm
The Doctrine of the Church of England, I told you out of the Cate-^y^^#'/«^'T'
cliisin. The Synods words I recited. And remember ( as Dallæus tells Ai± ptccatum , fed cum
Sfanhemius) that Davenant with the rest ofthe British D\vines,Martinius Jg'J fp}"s'dJzZ%
and the other Breme Divines , who all gave their suffrages , and writ /'» ordint ac cnrsu mum
for Universal Redemption, did yet all subscribe in the Synod 5 Andfe^tt^Æ
therefore undoubtedly understood that no words of the Canons Were vitam pnirt,rcprebavit ids
contrary to their sense of Universal Redemption. The later famous &. H'"'1 " """"ff"'
i f cr f• t r 1 lit 1 t . n /• 1 -a ntrt & a reP10
Helvetian confeluon laith, y\Ve teach ana believe that this jeJusChriJt our Thus the ftsuita orrii-
Lord is the only and eternal Saviour ofManhjnd,yea and of the whole worlds ^^^^^^
( upon which words the English Collector of the Confessions giveth us from the Synod of do ni
a ridiculous Observation, that he thinks they meant the restoring of the l( th*e"™elh0J {*fr"c7s
world at last 5 contrary to the context : As if he had not known that Gratit tffLax\i
Mustulus, Bnllinger, &c. were for Universal Redemption. ) p#, ^ «Jl " cndcd-
But
 Os Redemption.

But that I be not over-tedious, I pray you peruse in Dallai Apolog.

To. 2. the citations out of the Confessions and Catechisins, and Litur
gies of the Reformed Churches, viz. Of Berne, August. Bohem. Helvert.
Saxon. Anglic. Palatin. Synod. Dord. Colloq. Torun. with a multitude of
Trotelfant Divines.

The fourth Crimination.

A. "They make it impossible for any man to believe in Christ at firft,

' by a. rational and true Faith : For hit dying for men, being the ObjeS of
" Faith, must be before the A&. And no man by their way can know that
** ChriB died for him till he is a Believer , and yet they fay that our firfi
"saving Faith must be a believing and trusting in Cbritf, as one that diedfor
" us. So that men muSistay till they believe that Christ died for them, that
" they may have reason to believe that he diedfor them. For before the first
" Faith, or belief of it, they can have none.
B. You still make the world believe that men hold that which they
do not. This concerneth not the Churches, but some singular men. The
common Protestant Doctrine is, That Christ by his Death hath procured
the universal conditional Gift of Pardon and Life , contained in the
Covenant of Grace, Mark 16.16. Joh. 3. 16, &c. And that his death
was thus far efficient, by which it is sufficient for the actual Justification
and Salvation of penitent Believers. And that this is it that men must
first believe, and so accept of an offered Saviour for Justification and
Life, and give up themselves to him in the baptismal Covenant : which
when they do they are justified and adopted, having right to and union
with Christ , and in him right tb the Covenant-benefits. And then
Christ's death which wzsjufficient by its efficiency o{ Satisfaction, Merits
and the Covenant-grant , becometh efficient of Justification, &c. And
are not you and they agreed in this ? I confess that many singular Divines
have given you this occasion : But what's that to the Churches ?

The fifth Crimination.

A. '* They tell men that they must believe a Lye, or an unrevealed thing,
" that by believing it, it may become true, and they may be saved, and else
"they stall be damned. For they say that Christ died for none but the
" Ele& : And yet that others also are bound to believe that he died for them:
" And because they believe not this Lye God will damn them : But if they
" did believe it, it would be true : As if the Objective Truth were not be-
"fore the belief of it.
B. This also is but your quarrel with singular men, and not with the
Churches, unlels you wrong them. Their common Doctrine is, that no
man in his first act of Faith is bound to believe that he is Elect, or that
Christ died for him any more than for lost Mankind. But that he must
first believe that Christ by his Death hath so far satisfied and merited for
Mankind in general , as to procure the universal conditional Gift of
Christ, Pardon and Life, And that they must believe that this is pro
cured for, and offered to, themselves as well as other Sinners. And
hereupon they are to accept this free Gift, and so it is theirs. What lye
or
 Of Redemption. 63
or unrevealed matter is in this ? or what difference about it, among the
Churches.

The sixth Crimination.

A. " They disable Ministers rationally to preach the Gospel, for ifChrist
" died for none but the EleU, and no Minister knovo the Ele83 they kjtow
" not whom to offer and preach chrili to j For the objeUive Gift nmfi go
** before the offer : And that which is to be offered to every Sinner is,A Christ
" that hath already died andsatisfiedfor him 5 and not one that is to die and
1 '■satisfie for him yet, if he will believe. Therefore the very offer is as much
* ' as tofay, [ Accept Christ as one that hath satisfied for thee ]. And so
" they make the very preaching of the Gospel, a lye, to most.
B. I will not answer you as some that fay, they tell not men that they
are Elect,and that Christ died for themjbut that if they will believe, then,
it is a sign that they are Elect, and Christ died for them : And they may
offer him to all, thatsome may accept him. For I fay as you do, that it
is a Christ that hath already made satisfaction, and thereby is become a
sufficient Saviour, who is to be offered to men. And the being of the
Gift is before the osier of it in nature. But I fay again that you fight
against straglers, in a Cause which the Churches are not concerned in :
They fay that it is a Christ who died for all as tosufficiency, who is to be
offered to men, that he may efficiently save them.

The seventh Crimination.

A. *e They leave most men in the World as remediless as the Devils, who
" had no Redeemer : whereas God judgesh the wicked at la&as RejeSers
" of his remedying Grace. If Christ died not for them, what differ they
"from the Devils in point of hope 2
B. I will not answer you as some, that though Christ died not for them
yet they know it not, and the offer differences their Case : For still, I
confess, that none is to be offered to men, but a Christ that was already
offered to God for them, and hath made satisfaction. But again I tell
you, that you fight with a shadow, and feign the Churches to differ
from you, because some singular persons do so.

The eighth Crimination.

A. " They harden men in impenitency for the most damning fin ; even
" denying the Lord that bought them : For they tell all the Reprobates that
" they never sinned against a ChriSi that diedfor them.
B. All this is the old fiction 5 and concerneth only some singular
men.
64 Os Redemption.

The ninth Crimination.

k
A. " They would exempt the Infidel Worldfrom much of the torments of
" Hell: For he that in Hell knoweth that Christ never died for him (ejpeci-
" ally adding that God unreststibly predetermined him to fm and unbelief)
" cannot rationally have an accusing Conscience for his not accepting a Gift
** that never had a Being.
B. I will not repeat the same answer as oft as you call for it by the
fame false supposition. Let them answer it that are concerned.

The tenth Crimination.

A. " they teach the World abominable Ingratitude, and reproachfully

" deny agreat deal of the Grace and Mercy of Christ, and the fruits of his
" Death and Sacrifice. For they teach men, that all the Mercies given to
" any besides the EleU, were no fruits of the death of Chtist for them, nor
"were at all by him purchased for them j yea, that they are no Mercies to
" them at all, because God eternally decreed that they should turn them into
"stn, and suffer the more for the abuse of them for ever. And so all the
" re$t of the World may say that they are not at all beholden to the death
" of Christ , for their Lives , Liberties , offers of Grace , and all other .
" Mercies.
B. Let them answer you that are concerned in the Charge. The
Reformed Churches hold, That Mercy is to be judged of by its nature
and tendency in it self, and not by mans abuse ; and that God decreed
no mans abuse of it 3 and that all the Mercies given to Mankind, since
the forfeiture of all by Adam's sin, are procured and giver* by Christ as
the Intercessor and Redeemer of the World ; and that wicked men just
ly are deprived of lise for rejecting it, and suffer Hell for abusing Mercy
and refusing Heaven.

The eleventh Crimination.

1. .. • .

A. " they are Anti-christian half- Infidels. For they deny Chritfs
" Kingdom as to its far greatest part : For when the Scripture telletb us,
" That to this end he both died, rose and revived, that he might be Lord
" both of the dead and living, Rom. 14. 9. And that the Father hath
** committed all Judgment (that is Government) to the Son , Job. 5. 22.
" And given him all power in Heaven and Earth, Matth. 28. 18. And
" that his dying for all, obligeth all men not to live to themselves, but
" to him that died for them, iCor.^. And so that he hath by his death
" acquired a jus Dominii & Imperil over all Mankind 5 they deny him his
" Crown aud Dignity, even this Right of Dominion and Empire as Redeemer,
and deny the World to be obliged to subjection to him as their Redeemer :
" Andsomake that Rebellionfor which theystallperijih (Luke 19.27.) to be
" no fin.
B. The Protestant Churches hold all that you charge them with deny
ing. It's a pitiful work to caluminate that you may divide : Tell those
singular men of all this, that are guilty of it. tht
 \

Of Redemption. 65

the twelfth Crimination.

t • m *
A. " They make Chrijl to come on so narrow a design into the Worlds as if
" they would temp Vnbelievers to despise him : Even to die for none in all
" the Worlds for ^Gooyears, save a very few of the little Country of Judæa,
" {which was motfly wicked) ; and evensince the church was Catholics but
<tfor afew called the EleU.
B. 1. If you and they differ about the conditions of Salvation, fay
so, and tell the World the difference : If you do not, but are agreed
that it is Faith, Repentance and Holiness, what are all these Objections,
but fighting by fictions against Concord and Peace ? They never held
that none out ofjudæa were saved. And how many in the World are
holy Believers, they pretend not to judge. They believe that all that
are holy are saved by Christ, in all Ages and Nations of the World :
And that all the Order, and Government, and common Mercies of the
World, with the offers of Grace and Salvation to them that wilfully re
fuse it, are all to be ascribed to the death and procurement of Christ :
And that his common Redemption is presupposed to our Faith and spe
cial Grace. * . * Sec mv V'rZI'
And now if this be all you have to say, review it and tell me, what [omdcnvtrsion, DirV
disagreement you have found out, about the commonness of Redemp
tion.

K THE

<
 66

THE

Fourth Days Conference

(WITH z C A L r i $C i s T)

Of Common and Special

REDEMPTION

B. We are now to try what difference you can find between the
Lutheran and CalvwiOt Churches, or the Synodists and the mode
rate Arminiansy in the Article of Redemption by the death of
Christ. Name all that you have against them in this Point alone.

The first Crimination.

C, * " They mak§ Christ to have Jhed his Blood in vain 5 even for xhznt
* These Objections are " tkat he knew were to perijh for ever.
answered by Daii*us , s. How prove you it to be in vain ? and that God can have no end in
S^ÆÆ it but actual Salvation to each person for whom Christ died ?
cbristi) at Targe. And i . When the Scripture most clearly telleth us defaao^lnzt Christ died for
SfdSi" ^b?5"b *h all> even for them that Frifll» and that he bought them that denied him 5
frit ' be afraid of blaspheming God,* by telling him, [ If Christ died for any
jjge zpbrm Sin Sermon. tnat perish, he died in vain. 1 I accuse you not, but ex natura ret warn
Ambrof. in Psal. ti8. VOU- I durst «Ot tell God so.
S?t«* mus'ffi'tmiba 2" ^*ot* made man *a A&am capable of Salvation, as the very per-
Cm/», 'omnibus 'pttfui est section and end of his faculties and nature, and put him under a condi-
&omnibm refumxit fi tional Covenant accordingly. And will you fay that God made Adam
qrtristZ[ln7aiiZ%Z in in this. capacity, and made the first Promise of Life, and the Tree
ipse ji frudat. ut st quit of Life also, in vain j because Adani^ and all of us in him, did sin, and
tst/iZtl' TtdUi !* come os the Glory of God ? Nay> God made not the Devils «»
prosper it Vouu Gent, vain in a state of blessednefe, or the way thereto, though he knew that
Miumdi'est Jifm chr?- would forsake that ftate and perish. It is dangerous reproaching
stum pro imphs mon^m, the Counsels and unsearchable Works of God.
XlS^fi By your own reckoning it is not in vain: For you lay that Gods
pnomnibut B*rtHu!cbri- Justice is glorified on Unbelievers, and that this is his end. And what
sttu; [edprorfm pro m- is that Justice, but the punishing of men for rejecting a Christ that died
mtmnurtm ,st cbnstm. for ^ ^ wag procured and tendered to them >
4. But if you add all the other benefits and ends , you will fee
that it was not in vain. "God demonstrated and so glorified his
Love and Mercy to lost Mankind, in the very greatness of the Gift (of
Christ, Pardon and Glory, ) which the Impenitent do refuse. And Mer
cy is glorified notwithstanding the refusal. God giveth the Covenant
aforesaid, or the conditional Grant of Pardon and Lise to the World.
He reprieved them, and gave them time of Repentance, and exercised
Patience toward them to that end , Rom. 2. 3, 4, 5, 6. Ad. 17. Rom. 1.
 Os Redemption.

19, 20, 21, &c. Job. 3. 16, 18, 19. He governeth the World on terms
of Grace. He giveth all men .abundance .of Mercies and Means of re
covery and life. He keepeth the World in order hereby 3 and maketh
the wicked serviceable to the Salvation of Believers. In a word, he will
lose nothing by any mans sin against Nature or Grace. Where then is
the vanity of the Death of Christ , if in a common degree it be for
all ?

The second Crimination.

C. " They make Chritl an imperfeft Saviour 5 by pretending that he died cjrii.mm[»l.c<ateh.i%i
"for some, to some lower ends, whomyet he Coveth not. nmZpnT' fOZ
B. This needeth no other answer than the last. Is God an imperfect quintum h ifo tst abfc
God to Adam, because he saved him not by the way of Innocency, at wPJdimi«*». M» P*™
first made by God the way of Life ? Or was he an imperfect God and '
Salvation to the Angels, because they kept not their first Estate ? Or is
the Holy Ghost an imperfect Sanctifier, because he giveth some but such
common and temporary Grace and Faith, as is mentioned in Heb. 6. 5, 6.-
Matth. 13, dv. Or dare you fay that no man that perisheth had any
Grace or Gifts of the Holy Ghost, when some prophesied, and cast out
Devils in Christ's Name ? Must Christ do all that our muddy brains will
dictate to him, or else be reproached as an imperfect Saviour? O take
heed/

The third Crimination.

C. " They cast that absurdity on Christ, as to die for those that were in August, dt Symbol, ddc*>
"Hell when he was dying for them, am to'mak§ a Medicinefor the dead iJ'Sjji Jfi hh*
<e and desperate. " • wounds to shew the
B. 1. As you would state the Supposition, it would be as liable to fi&fjSrJ%^
your charge of absurdity, to say, That he died for them that were long tis vulr.tra qn<e infixistis:
ago pardoned and saved, and to purchase Heaven for them that had Utv quod p$-
posseffion of it long before. 2. But when we speak of Christ's Death
as a Sacrifice for the Sins of all the World, we mean no more, but that in tm 'st,ntf,tamtn intrm
ejse cognito & volito, the undertaking was so far for all, as that all should V9lm®'-%-
have the conditional Promise or Gift of Life by the Merits of it. And
so as all that were saved before Christ's Death, had actual Salvation by
it before-hand, as undertaken 5 so all that perished had a Gist of con-
ditional Pardon and Salvation, and perished for refusing it. But at the
time when Christ was dying, we fay that he was not then intending to
offer the second Edition of his Covenant, either to those in Hell or in
Heaven: But only that he purposed to do what he from the beginning
undertook, for the undertaken ends.

K 2 The
 58 Of Redemption.

The fourth Crimination.

C. " They make Chritf to die for those that he would not prayfor, Job. 1 7.
" I pray not for the world* but for those that thou hast given me out of
" the world—
B. He maketh himself to die for them. It is osier and plainer said
that he died for all, than it is, that he prayed not for all. And many
plain Texts, yea the scope of the Gospel, must not be reduced to your
feigned sense ofone obscurer Text.
2. But doth the Text tell us, that he died not for the world, as it
tells us, that he prayed not for them ? Or doth it tell us, that he died
for no more than he then prayed for ? Or rather are not these your own
Inventions >
3. But where doth the Text say,that Christ never prayed for any but
the Elect > yea, or that he prayed not at all for the world, though he put
not up that particular prayer for the world ? Look on the Text, and you
will see that he fpeaketh there only of the Disciples that followed him
on Earth 3 And that he prayed not in that Petition for all his Elect only ;
And therefore he after addeth, vers. 20. Neither pray I for these alone,
hut for them also which shall believe in me through their word.Aud what was
the prayer ? {That they may be one, and kept jrom the evil of the world, ]
which is a blessing peculiar to his Disciples. But it is manifest,that Christ
had Other prayers for the world, even for many ungodly men 5 yea,
for Reprobates. For, 1. On the Cross he prayeth for his Persecutors,
Father, forgive them : And it is mens own invention to fay that he mean-
eth none but the Elect: We must not unnecessarily limit where the Word
limiteth not. And Stephen made Christ his Pattern. And it is gflols
fiction to fay that Stephen prayed for none but the Elect.
C. " Dqth not Christ say, That his F other heard him always £ and can
" you imagine that he prayed for that which God denied him .<?
^vtwlt^nH^t^t B' 2* ^ next An*"wer should have prevented that Objection, which
omL%vosmsaZt fslu-}s, that what God giveth to the World for Christ'-s fake, that Christ may

tffTfrwft? ^^^'^^'^ Vrayfori For it is the fruit of his Mediation. But God
"mtaum :& "idto 1% giveth much Pardon, and many Mercies to the World, for Christ's fake.
poditurm dtbuit petal- t. He giveth them an Act of Oblivion of conditional pardon of the
^UlTSSSii3» cternal punishment 5 which Christ purchased,and therefore prayed for. *
frodimis fui, servtnda- 3. He giveth them much Actual pardon of temporal punishments for
Sirt—SjjrS 'K fe^'S^V AUthe Life> HeaIth> Time> GosPeI> Means and Mer-
fuit ostendit omnibus quod cies, which ever he giveth them, are such as deserved full punishment
omnesvoiuit libtrtn. Ntc Would have deprived them of : And therefore they are all acts of exe-
tamtn aico quit pravari- , t• /* i >n
mitntn nefeiebat fm- cutive pardon of that punishment.
ram-. imm» quit sdtbat ' 3. And this very Chapter containeth a prayer for the World, vi%.
affero. Std non ideo pir- . Jr i t 1 it. jjt 1 1 n r
tuntis proditoris invidiam VQ»- 21, 23. That the World may believe, ana know that thou hajtsent me,
'akribemw De^L'd " If^ed them.— If you fay that by the World here is meant on-
tttf,%Uf[J'-^M * ly the E/e£? j 1 answer, I. Your word is no Proof. 2. That they are
cbryfott.Tom.^bom.9. de prayed for, to believe and know, 8cc. is no proof: For many did be-
l^Jmmihfs%t'l lieve that God fent Christ that yet were not faved- This soundeth but as
non omnium voluntas e)us a common Act of Faith. 3. And note, that here the world is contradi-
t^ltqllSr^ stingu'fhed, not only from Apostles, but those (after-mentioned) that
«i Jerusalem,^, vws should believe by their word 5 and it is prayed, That the world may
urstutfi adjtlvudm j^,^ that God loveth those that believe in him: which may extend both
hominim,noMnvoluntari- , —, r c J . , 111
M»,«f, mnvtitnttm.'] to the Conversion ot such as then are unconverted, and to the con
viction
 . Os Redemption.

viction of others, such as are the common members of the visible

Church (at least): As the Spirit is sent to convince the world of Sin,
and Righteousness, and Judgment.
4. And it is not to be granted you without proof, that by the World
is meant all Reprobates as such : For Judas is before distinguished from
the World ( as one given to Christ) when yet he was a Reprobate : But
either it may be the World of present Unbelievers, whom Christ prayeth
for else-where, though not there: Or the World offind professed In
fidels and Enemies of the Church, as distinct from both Elect and Re
probate in the Church. And several expressions of Christ's before of
the Worlds hating and persecuting his Apostles, seem not applicable to
every Hypocrite, who prophesieth and casteth out Devils in his Name,
and perhaps suffereth for his Truth, and excellently defendethit, and
hath some love to Believers.

The fifth Crimination.

C. " They make Chriji to mefit only Pardon and Salvation to 'Believers,
" hut not to have purchased Faith it self for any man. And by that way,
* ' no one that he died for would besaved 5 For Faith is the necessary Gift of
' ' God : And if Christ purchased not that, all the reis would be in vain.
B.i. Let us not here confound the Controversie de nomine & dere:
That Christ died to purchase the A& of Faith for us, is no Scripture-phrase,
so far as I know. If therefore it be only the phrase which they refuse,
you may well bear with them. But as to the matter, they do not deny
any of these things, I. That Christ is the Author and Perfecterof our
Faith, as Faith signifieth the Christian Religion, or the Objects and
Doctrine of Faith. 2. That our own actual and habitual Faith is the
Gift of God 5 (Though the controversies about the manner of giving it
are to be afterward decided ). 3. That all that Christ giveth,his Sacrifice
procured 5 and therefore it procured Faith. All this is commonly
granted by most School-men, Papists, Lutherans, and moderate Armi-
nians.
But, 2. It must be considered that Christ did not die to purchase
Faith as immediately, and on the fame account, as to satisfie for Sin,
and purchase us impunity or Redemption. The proper direct reason
of his Sufferings, was to demonstrate the Justice of God against Sin,
instead of mans own suffering for it , and thereby to procure Pardon.
We may well conceive Christ promising to the Father as it were, f I
will suffer for Sinners, that they may not suffer!] But you will hardly
describe his Undertaking thus, £ I will die, if thou wilt give men Faith, ~\
or f_ I will give thee so much of my Blood for so much Faith.'} But be
cause he knew that without Grace no man would believe and accept his
Gift, therefore he whose Sufferings were primarily satisfaUioniox Sin,
were secondarily meritorious of the means to bring men to the intended
end 5 that is, of the Word and Spirit, by which Christ causcth Sinners
to believe : so that Faith is a fruit of the Death of Christ in a remoter
secondary sense. And in all this Name me any Christian Churches that
are disagreed.
C " 'To bring it only to a mans free will whether he will believe or not, is
" not to give him Faith 5 and to purchase no more is not to purchase it.

B. Do
 yd Os Redemption.

B. Do you not perceive that here you divert to the Controversies of

the Decrees, and of effectual Grace ? Of the first we have said enough
already : of the other after in due place.

The sixth Crimination.

C. " They feign Christ to purchase only a conditional Pardon, Justjficati*

" on and Salvation, andso to leave it uncertain to the corrupt Will of man,
" whether any shall besaved or not.
B. This also concerneth the Decrees, and is fully answered before,
t. That Christ hath purchased, and God given a conditional Act of Ob
livion, or Pardon and Life to all, is the very Gospel it self, and to be
questioned by no Believers. 2. None of them all do suppose Christ to
die at uncertainties as to the success : for they suppose that he fore-knew
the success from eternity. 3. They suppose not that the success was
undecreed : For they that presuppose fore-sight of mans concurrence,
yet assert an * eternal Decree of his Conversion upon such fore-sight.
ltt!t%Tanm% And it is riot on the fore-sight of Faith, that they fay God decreeth to
pojito decreto conditionato give men Faith j but on fore-sight that the will of the Sinner will con-
7inv\umtuai°!mfVvti cur or not obstinately resist the Spirit that is drawing him to believe.
ad mortem reprobtti'retit And the Jesuites and Arminians by their Scientia media do hold God to
td'JSF&iSt'?inMU Det^e cnie^ cau^ °^ rnens believing : For they fay, That God fore-
' 1 seeing that man will believe if he have such a measure of help, and such
means and circumstances, doth freely decree to give him that help of the
Spirit, and those means by which he knoweth it will be done. So that
here is no uncertainty,but different thoughts of the ascertaining decrees
and ways. 4. And lib. 1. I have shewed you,that not only the School
men , but BeUartnine , Ruiz , Suarez, , and many of the most famous
Jejuites, do assert effectual Grace, to be such both ex voluntate operan-
tis, and ex vi operationis, absolutely. And where then is this seigned
difference ?

The seventh Crimination.

C. " They make Christ to do no more for Peter than for Judas 3 for those
" in Heaven thanfor those in Hell, while they say that he died equally for
" all.
*V%}pl'^°^?tran- B' * E^ua^fJ nere is meant either of his Intention, or of the
t'iqu't rttfitgerm sentcn- benefits given: Those benefits are of several sorts. 1. No doubt
tia qmm m catboihm but thev en^ who fejgn Q0<± equally to decree, and Christ to intend,
-cSumnobis Mtinm Zt the eventual absolute Salvation of all. 2. And they err that say ,
a Deo diiietrtmur,& pr+- tnat ne bestoweth equal benefits on all, even in this life : yea, antece-
S^gZX/S dently to mans Will. But the New Covenant or conditional Promise,
uteiigeremitr exmaffaper- doth equally, astothetenor of it, give Pardon and Right to Life, to
ditionis eledione (.rati* ,.
[u*.
/*<*. Note that he spea'"- au
ne lpcan- — •■
cthonly of the effect of Butwhois it that holdeth this equality of Intention or Benefit ? Not
Gods Decree \ and so fa „reater part Gf thc School-men, or other Papi8s,x\o not the learnedst
it is all one as to lay, o r » r »
that differencing Grace jejuites. Not the Lutheran Churches j But lome rew Arminians that
is merited by Christ : run into one extream, as you do into theother. Nay, how can they
which is that which you , .. .. ~\ • t_ t r r J\ r 3
would have. hold an equality of Intention , when they confess, that upon fore
know
 Of Redemption.

knowledge of their Unbelief, the condemnation of many was eternally

decreed } *
C. "Tes: they hold that MtfcMenflj to foxe-fight, Godt Intention is
" equal.
B. I. That fore-sight it self is from eternity. 2. Who can frame out
Orders of antecedency in the mind of God , between hisfore-fight and his
Willy without confessing great darkness and impropriety of Speech.
3. And he that first giveth man to believe and will, doth not first; fpre-
fte that he will believe and will, befcre he decree to give it him.

"*~ 1 J . - _ U MM L--JJ- — 1 L ... Jl J

The eighth Crimination,

C. " They make Christ'sstjeep to know hint, before he hpow hissheep : that
" *r, to believe before he decree to give them Faith.
B, This is but the fame in sense, with what is before answered; And
it belongeth to the controversie of Gods Decrees. They all soy that
God decreeth to give them sufficient Grace to enable them to be
lieve, before he fore-seeth their belief : And most say more, as is afore
said.

The ninth Crimination*

G. "Some of them fay that Chrlfts Death did aUually deliver * allM- tystop.K'.fp.'idii.
" men in the World from theguilt of Original Sin, andso that none perish sJÆffofXSj die
'* for Original Sin ; because what Adam did, Christ undid. in Infancy? * 1 *
B. You can name no Church that doth hold such Doctrine : And we
have nothing to do with singular odd Persons. 1 . Millions were unborn
when Christ died, and were not guilty of Original sin till afterwards,
and therefore were not capable of Pardon. 2. The Papists who damn
unbaptized Infants cannot be of that Opinion. 3. What Adam brought
upon us, Christ did deliver us from, Upon his terms, and in his way,
£&d Vy his degrees, but not immediately. He hath given all men a
conditional Pardon of Original Sin, as he hath done of Actual, and no
other. The Unregenerate are under the guilt of all Sin whatsoever.
4. But it is certain, that no man, except Infants , doth perish for Ori
ginal Sin alone ; For all men at age have other sins. And it being certain,'
that God offereth all men a recovery or remedy (mediately or imme
diately 5 ) it is certain, that Infants perish not meerly for Adams sin
imputed, as a remediless evil: but that their non-liberation, or not be
ing pardoned and saved , is long of their Parents Unbelief, and not
entering them into the Covenant of God, who is the God of the Faith
ful and their Seed.

The
 Os Redemption.
7*

The tenth Crimination.

C. " They make Chrift to have diedfor the Serpents Seed, against whom
the enmity is proclaimed, when the new Covenant was firSi made, Gen.

B. 1. Is by the Serpents Seed, you mean such as are Gods Enemies,

no doubt but Christ died for them, Rom. 5. 1. to\i,&c. What need
reconciliation else ? 2. If by the Serpents Seed, you mean Reprobates
as such, you can never prove it to be the meaning of the Text. 3. If
you mean fore-seen final Enemies and Unbelievers, Christ died not for
them as such, but as in their antecedent recoverable pardonable sin and
misery*

THE

—
 73

THE

Fifth Days Conference

WITH AN

ARMINI AN

Ofmans naturalsmsulness and impotency to good, and of

FREEWILL
* Ævm\ hath these
conclusions hereof, dt
i arbitrium
requiritur quod
libus antecedent
" there expeU thesolution of all : To this therefore we are next to come" And ^J'^lTum"' 2
"firtt about mans Sinfulnefs, Impotcncy and Free-will 5 And there all aam prareqmfitis, ftp
« these thingsfollowing offend me. TJ^Ll,
prtrequifitis, stet simul in
1 . ' ■ libero arbitriofacultas &•
pttntit qua soffit optrari
. The first Crimination. f&ZUSSl
on is , dt posse vtllt.)
> ' t t , ». Hon est dt rations aut
"Thatsome of them deny all /r»e Free-will, and others deny all Free- definition ubtri abitrii
"will to good and others to all spiritual good, by which man is «ade^%^»£
7* uncapable of being a moral Agent , /o uncapable of moral Good or tis , antecedents pr*re-
"EviL any more than a tree or Beast 3 seeing Free-will is the seat of moral wA"** optrandumta-
" Virtues and Vices, which necessitated natures are uncapable of. aam no„ optrari,in fmju
B.I hope you are willing to understand your self.and to fae understood, compofwficompofitiofiat,
t>-ii ri I i 0 -ho - inter huplmodt requisita,
Tell me then, what mean you by Free-will t & cmntiam taiis aiius,
A. "I know that the true nature of Liberty is much controverted 5 but If'» a£ium contramm.
"mean that Qua positis omnibus ad agendum requifitis, possumus agerej;^g^
" vel non agere. * ., ,• , «b. est facuim voiunta'-
B. I. Do you mean by agendum, imperate Atts only, or also Voli- ^^SSlm, "itfS,
tiOns ? agendum, & ad agendum
A. '■'■Both: All moral A&s of Body and Soul. ,, , T*^*K%t2ntr-
B. That which is requisite to extrinsick moral Acts, is, that they be miration inconsistent
commanded by a determined will : You mean then that it is Liberty for ^^^n^L2< "**
the Tongue or Hand to be able to AU when the Will forbiddeth it, and position '^Because ft 7s
not to Aft, when the Will commandeth it. f , , antecedent to the wills
, A. "I mean it only of imperate Acts * voluntary 5 for it is tk Will g'wiuT'noiTbie'^
** and not the executive power that if thefeat of Liberty. ... determine it self against
B.7. By Agere what Action of the Will do you mean > you know that m^^wu^
mans Soul is an active nature, and can no more cease all action than cease hoideth without it nei-
tp be. You may as well fay that fire with fuel can forbear to burn, as a JS'JJjJ, ^olVu^
Soul to be active. position of the premo*
tion of God predeter-
£; ^ raining.
 Os Free-mil.

A. " I mean only moral ABs, of Virtue andVxce.

B. All that a man doth by Reason is Attut humanus, a æ/oni/ either
good or bad , And a man at the use of Reason liveth among thousands
of intelligible Objects, necessarily presented to his Intellect by fense ,
and among thousands of Objects, good for us, or bad for us, desireable
or hateful , And is it possible for such a sensitive, intelligent Creature,
to live continually with intelligible, amiable or odible Objects , and to
suspend all rational apprehensions, Volitions and Nolitions of them ?
A. " Imean it not of all moral Action in general, but of this or that
"singular AB hie & nunc.
J5. I will not entangle you with an enquiry 5 whether he that can do
every particular good dB, cannot do all universally , and whether he that
can forbear every singular evil (or good) act cannot forbear all, when all
is nothing but allsingulars. But, 3. What mean you by [requisites ?~]
All things of meer necejfity to the Actfine quibus non $ Or also all things
that can possibly be put to ascertain the AB ?
A. " Of the first V am most fully resolved: Of the second there is much
" doubtfulness, if 1 include it , / know you will as\ me , whether it be
" impojjiblefor Godso to determine the Will, as to make the contrary ac's im-
" possible, without taking away its Liberty f And whether Chriji could commit
*' every Jin ? or else was notfree £ And whether Heaven take away all Liber.
" tyi if *f mAki n* impossible ? But briefly I answer you, that the Libertas
" Viatoris differeth from that in Heaven $ and that Ours still supposesh a
li possibility of the Contrary, but Theirs doth not.
B. But if it be their Liberty to be past a posse peccare, why should it
not be ours to come as near it as may be ? especially when we have the
forecasts and first-suits of Heaven on Earth, and Grace is the seed of
Glory. • ,
A. " It is our Liberty to be asfar from (In as may be: But this is another
" kind o/Liberty, and not to be confounded with that which is a meer power
" of doing or not doing.
B. 4. But that a man can act pofitis omnibus ad agendum requisite is no
wonder, so can a Stone, or Bruit; but how fay you potesi non agere,
when non-agere is not an effect or exercise of Power ? There needs no
Tower ad non agendum.
A. *' Tes 5 when Nature, or Vice, and Temptation draw us to aforbidden
" AB, it is a work, of Power to resist them andforbear it.
B. But fore Nature, Vice ot Temptation do not so draw us to love Cod
perfeBly, to hate all Sin perfeBly, to be heavenly-minded, to consent to
suffer Death for Christ, &c. as that we should need any power to resist
such drawings, or forbear such acts. How then do you make this a part
of your power ?
A. " But when the Spirit of God drawethusto love him, it is an aBof
" natural abused power to resist him. And also in this and theformer case
<c Ifay, that by [pofiiimus] here, we do not mean a moral or physical
" power always, but in this instance only a logical power : And our mean-
" ing only is, that we are not necessitated to AB or not AB 5 to love God, or
*e to hate him, or not to love him. As Privations are reduced to Entities,
" in Descriptions,so are Impotencies to Powers.
B. The word (.Posse"] then in your definition is equivocal, andsigni-
fieth both Power and No-Power. What a definition is that? But,
5. Whatmaketh you call it by the name of Liberty , to be impotent ?
or, if you will, to be able not to love God? not to live to God? not to
know God ? not to trust God ? not to repent of Sin ? not to be heavenly-
minded ?
 Of Redemption. 75

minded > what Liberty is this ? yea,or to be able to hate God, and Sin,
and damn your selves >
A. * " It is vat Liberty specifically as it is for fin or against God j and * -*rw«.t,re.aescribeth
"so »0f Libertas moralis 3 but it is only Libertas naturalis, or the inde- J* }° be that without
« termination of the Will with a self-determining power, which is the na- c are "otmcn-
" tural feat of morality, and may be used to good or evil. fvmtlis Ukrtu trhi-
xt r r 1 J j • l_ » • 1 mi r tm "tatl, non COnfiftlt
B. Now you lay somewhat, and come into the Light 3 Therefore famiittr in indiffmntu
having thus prepared the way, I add, that there is Libert® a malo, and
Ltbertas ad bonum 3 both properly : But it is improper to lay, Libertas a differentia AMtva ipsim
bono (naturali vel morali) vel Libertas ad malumqua tale. 2. As there fy%f?ttil ^"f*? *mi*'
may be a three- fold Restraint or Compulsion, shysteals Ethical, or Civil 3 pejiu"qLmvis Id'Z'-
So there is a three-fold Liberty, I. Natural, which is a Liberty from tumhabutvdprafuppo-
natural necessitate from God, or our own faculties, or extrinsic^, Itp^vlm $f^t
unto any evtl. 2. Ethical 5 which is a Liberty from vicious inclination, ti* & indifftnntUm ob-
or necejsitation by it at least. 3. Ciw/ 5 which is a Liberty from the re- ['^ as i^'p^tc!*.'
straining or constraining Laws, of any that would or might draw us to 5
evil, or keep us from good 3 and so of penalties by those Laws. To
which is reducible Liberty from the ill commands and punishments of
Parents and Masters, and from the violence of enemies or wicked men.
And Liberty is either from fin, or from misery. But the distinctions
about Liberty are so many, that I have given them you in a Table in the
Second Book, and refer you thither, that we may agree on the state of
the question, What Liberty it is that you mean i But first I shall aft you a
few more questions.
guest, i. Do you think that Liberty consisteth in the greateU indiffe- j
rency of the Will, when it is meerly in æquilibrio ?
A. " No : For then every virtuous or vicious habit should take away
*' Liberty.
B. I pray you think on it then, Whether if strong habits which do tan*
turn non necejfitare, do not at all abate or take away any part of Liberty,it y
be like, that if such a habit were so strong as per eundem inclinandi modum
to necessitate, it would not yet consist with Liberty of Will
guest. 2. Do you think that a man is not necessitated to will his own
felicity by a simple Volition ? Is he free to desire misery as such ?
A. "** No : This is not an a£f ofEleUion,and therefore not of Liberty.
B. Do you think that this certain constant neceslary act of the Will,
is not a more perfect or excellent act, than that which you call free,
which sometime is done and sometime not done,and is before uncertain ?
* Or, is it not a more excellent state of the Will to be constantly and * Poffe male aitn non est
certainly well determined, than to be undetermined, and defectible ? ti^l^SmmtSSltt-
I would know as we go on, whether the Liberty which' we plead for, be [edpotitu qu*dam est im-
good and desirable, or evil ? W*» Menaum am-
Att- i f... 11 1 r> it * t * • 1 tins ln perjona creata, &•
A. " I cannot deny but it ts incomparably more definable to be certainly qHte LUertati acciden-
*' and necessarily determined to good, than not : But it is better to be free «7*fw' &c'
"and left to our own choice uncertainly, than to be determined to evil, or ■ ' n itme'
*' to beso determined to inferior good, as pall keep down the Soul from the
** superior. I do not take this indetermination and free power, for our
" best state, butfor a middle condition, fitfor a Viator that is tried here in
*' order to his end. Beasts are necessarily determined to things inferior :
*' The glorified Angels and Saints (its thought and hoped) are necessarily
<e determined to things superior 5 andso was Christ : But our undetermined
"state of Liberty is better than one, and worse than the other, and fit for
" our trying life on Earth

* a B. You
 B. You say well. Therefore remember, that our Liberty is no fur>-
the'r good, than as it is a Liberty to good and from evil, * not from all de-
* Posse ptaire ton pent- termination : but that the nearer we draw to necessary love to God and
i;l^TlS;:!!:S^nefi, ^terrre ,...,„. r n. ,
est qn*dam imperfect™ sr- £-3-1 turther alK you, Do we not necejjartly will also bonumsensible,
uu 'to qZfwmPesttx sensible good as such, with a simple Volition? and so are not at Liberty in
nibtlo: Alvar. ib.d.u?. that point ?
P-47o. ^Jjjj/Jjf^" A. " What mean you by a simple Volition ?
'tic vhfis & cMicu™c.2%. B. That by which we will a thing bysimple complacence, considered as
eW.n.decivit.Dei,c.i. sfmplyaood, before the understanding compare it with any other good, and
«4 ?. «t fmi liirnm call the Will to an EleUton.
art. divers* etigere pos- a. " No doubt but we have an Appetite to sensible good 5 but whether *'f
tfplZa%%SC " only the sensitive Appetite, *r always the rational Appetite «0* i lam
nem libertatis e)its ; fed " /« y2»/»e doubt.
T^%Vdint%h,qmd B- When perceiveth sweetness by fatf or smell, light and pul-
</2 stum , fcoc chritude by sight and fantasie, sensual joy by internal sense, doubtless in
ticmdicftde «r an Inte'ugent Creature, the Intellect presently perceiveth Juo modo,
*r'*$.ad 2. VCT' q *4 that these are such indeed as sense perceiveth, and also that they are bona.
Volantas noHn v^t1^ sensibilia, and that bona senfibilia are vert bona in their proper order. And
Wotl\ZmnouTon°is,quam therefore as sensible good is apprehended by the Intellect, and made vo-
eikit, qnoiibet mtmento, ]ible, so the Will must needs have a complacency or simple volition of it,

ret ad aittram partem,
fed ad oppositam : nec so-
l**1™*tet,Q'C0,tin**rt>
vet aefiliere ab operattone,
9«4/» y»<fo«t » "J2"""
A. " 1 grant it you : Because I take not any simple complacency to be a
"siee a* whatsoever .-^^cxmiparative Elections.
B. It s true, quoad specificationem act us, vel libertatem contrarietatis :
But how prove you it true quoad exercitiumaUus, vel libertatem contra-
r / „r„V r j , , j-r i-
diftimts .<? May not the Will luspend a)«»j)/e complacency\ or dupheency,,

VnyoriVquo "elicit [Tam A. " Ntf* n>/>//e the IntelleU apprehendeth the appetible good,
operationem, veram rttir.et But because the Will is principium exercitii, may it not first suspend
,« £Sf«.«he act of the Understanding, either by diverting it, or by its own
fi veiit, aut etiam eiicere, onvUion in not exciting it to cogitation ? But, to be short, I grant you,
"haTdisp. TS^l tnat about sensible Objects,sensc may necessitate thetirst simple apprehen-
Here is a power Voiendi sion of the Intellect, and thereby the first simple complacency of the
faVdm votitil'nem "vei Wil1 mzy be necessitated > But, i. The comparing act of the Intellect.
aliam? z. Hath he qui 2. And the veryfirst apprehension of things altogether insensible oxJpiritualy
h!dimlib$FiSS'fV^ ^so^^CT^eP°W*rof tne Will, that the Will may suspend them.
en tpro oc mftanti . fQ the y Vill hath a liberty of exercise or contraditfion as they call it,

as to its simple complacency about things insensible or spiritual, so far as it

can sofoend the Intellects apprehension of their goodness (at least.)
The arguments of Camera and others to the contrary I know are conside
rable ; but I must not now digress to answer them.
guest. 4. But further, If the Intellect perceive that there is but one
means to a mans felicity , and that absolutely necejjary, is it not necessitated
to will that means, by its neceflary willing felicity it self?
A. " // is commonlyso concluded: But I am doubtful of it.
B. And well you may, without limitation. For, i. felicity it self
is considerable either in the complex notion, or in the incomplex matter 5
I do not think that the first is it that is necessarily desired, but the latter ;
evened it self, as existent or desired to exist : a. And this good that is
felicity is not necessarily known by the Intellect : One taketh it to bespiri
tual good, and another to be sensible good : One taketh it to be God,
another to be the Creature : One seeketh it hereafter, and another here.
Therefore the lame man may be in doubt of this, both as he doubteth
of
 Os Redemption. >yj

of the Truth, and as he doubteth of the suitableness of invisible things :

And therefore though he knew that, e. g. Christ and holiness be the
medium unicunt to that end and felicity, which he thinketh or believeth
predominantly to be the only felicity 5 yet as he hath some doubting of
it, so he may have some desire of a sensible inferior felicity, though not
predominant 5 and these may also make him the more uncertainly to
choose the means to the former. 3. And if a mans understanding were
fully satisfied, that the only true felicity is in God and Heaven, yet he
cannot but both feel ( sensibly ) and know ( intellectually ) that there
is also a present sensible good : And therefore he must complacencially
will it : And his perception and will may grow inordinate, and be en-
ftugled by it, by undue adhesion and delight : And so he may be diver-
ttd from things spiritual 5 yea and oppose the means of his true felicity,
as opposite to his lower beloved good. ' .
A. " By this, you juppose that the same man may have two Ultimate
" ends.
B. i. If by an Vltimate end you mean that only which a man habitu
ally ejieemeth, loveth andfieketh above all resolvedly as his felicity, so no
man hath but one. 2. But if you mean that which is his Ultimate end,
either in a lower sense, or as to a particular act, I doubt not but he may
have two : That is, he may sometimes by intellectual doubting waver
towards one side to day, and towards another to morrow, though not
equally j And he may also have an inordinate complacency in things
sensible, and so use means to please his fense, while he knoweth that
other things are better. 3. And the School-men oft fay, that bonum
sen(ibile ot the pleasing of sense, is oft made to be finis in this sense, in
that it is not medium, nor referred to any thing else : As a holy person
when he sinneth by sensuality, doth not love and use that Meat, and
Drink, and Ease, and Honour, and Lust, only as a medium to God and
Glory. But it is not finis, fay they, properly, so as that other things
are referred to it. But the truth is that even holy persons, may choose
and use sinful means for their fleshly pleasure as an inordinate end j and
Meat, Drink, &c. are such means : And so their Pleasure is properly an
Ultimate end 5 But not the predominant chief end, and so not to be de
nominated finis hominis, quoad vita Cursum, but only as to his odd inor
dinate act: And so Paul faith, It is not I, but indwelling sin.
So that we may fay that medium unicum ad unicam feelicitatem vel
bonum amatum, & ubi eU omnimoda ratio boni, & nihil repugnat, n ne*
cessarily willed $ ( For this is no Election : ) But otherwise not.
£ueji.$. But I also ask you, Whether you think not that some habits VlttM Annin).U5> hmU
( to evil at least, if not to good ) are so strong and like to nature, as that mm sub statu piccati Mil
the Will till it be changed by an exterior power, is always, or ^^X^^'^u^A
always determined according to them. & bine qlidm tum nuts.
A. " Ordinarily it is , as all experience telleth us : but not necejfa- » «fi ™"
rily. tolltt : Jed quit stituic
B. You see then that it is but a very little Liberty ( from necessity ) D™d ^Zmiribul"^?
which is left in case of such fixed Habits. And indeed , though you tfttnMtuiit't bomhm
may truly fay that they necessitate not by compulsion at all, nor yet by fr**d™ Fi***
inclination so constantly to every evil act, but that some evil acts may ^eq^roptr p^clmm'on-
be avoided where such evil habits are 5 yet 'you never knew the tenor gint condimnan, stdtujt
of a mans Will and Life go contrary to a strong and rooted habit ; so that %Z^7oilrlfCmt!c.
so far they necessarily incline. tauii nectfuatm & hoc
A. " ItJufficeth that no inclination necessitated to every aU of Sin, nor fjda^l 'T^\
' lfiom every Duty : For by one good act, they may be preparedfor more. Cap. u. pag. 394.
B. I. It
 Of Redemption.
B.i. It is true that you fay, as to your conclusion. But, 2. You
mistake the Antecedent. There is an inclinatio naturalis antecedent to
adventitious habits, which is inseparable and necessitating, yea essential
to the Soul ( which I am not now to handle. )
But gueii. 6. I further alk, Do you think that any man is free from
Gods Government, and subjection to his Laws and Judgments ?
A. "No: His Service is perfeUfreedom.
B. Jguelf.7. Is itfreedom to be from under the over-coming power ot
heart-melting Love, and infinite attractive Goodness ?
A. " It is only an unhappy Imperfe£tion, not to be overcome by Love.
B. gtteit. 8. Is any Creature free from Gods Propriety or Dominion,
and from his disposing Will , by which he doth as he list with his
own?
A. " No : But God as a Covernour hath told us what he will do with us.
B. Quest. 9. Is the Will free from the directing power of the Under
standing ?
A. " No : That were no freedom, but bruitijlmefs : But it it not deter-
" mined necessarily by the "Understanding.
B. I will not now dispute that. Quoadfpecificationem aUus in many
cases, at least, it cannot go against it; But supposing the Understanding
well informed, Is not that the most perfect and happy Will, that never
goeth against it >
A. " Tes : For togo against it, is tofin.
B. Qjtest. 10. Are we at Liberty from under the over-sight of Angels >
A. " No : That were an unhappy Liberty : But they necessitate not our
"Wills.
B. Qjiest. it. Are we at liberty from the rule and doctrinal Edu
cation, Admonition, Reproofs and Corrections, of Parents, Masters and
Tutors ? *
A. ''No: All this is our Good, which we are notfree from.
B. QueSf. 12. Are we at liberty from the Laws, and Judgment and
Punishments of Kings, and their subordinate Magistrates ?
A. " No : This is Gods Order 5 and they are His Ministers for our
"good.
B. QjteSi. 13. Is -any Child of Adam freefrom Original Sin, and pra-
vity, inclining them to evil, and making them averse to holy good >
A. "What ever Episcopius and Bijhop Jer. Taylor fay, I must fay No:
" For I will not fide with Pelagius against the Universal Church.
B. Qpest. 14. Is any unsanctified man free from the Dominion os this
Original pravity, together with contracted habits of sin >
A. " No : For that is the verystate of an unfanUified person.
B. §>*est'i$. Is any regenerate person perfectly free, from these sinful
Dispositions and Inclinations last mentioned ?
A: ** Not till he attain to Perfection, which is not in this life.
B. J£uetf. 1 6, Is any man free from all aUualsin <?
A. " 1 here is no man that hath not committed actual fm heretofore And
" no man that will not commit it Again if he livelong in the worlds And
" no man that isfree from the Reatus culpae 3 noryetfrom the Reatus pœnæ
" till remitted. But, I. There are many that live not in any mortal reign-
"ingstn. 2. And there are some hoursin which a man doth not actually
"Jin at all : As in a deep and dreamlesssteep, &c.
B. guett. 17. Is any man (or all at least) wholly free from the
crafty and violent Temptations of Satan ?
1
A.
 Of Free-will.

A. No : but they necejfitatc us not to fin.

B. Q 1 8. Are we wholly/ree from the temptations of false Teachers,
Flatterers, Tyrants, Persecutors, Enemies, and other wicked men?
A. "No: But they cannot necessitate us tofin.
B. i5L.i9. Are we wholly free from a multitude of objective snares,
of Prosperity and Adversity even in every Creature and way }
A. "No: but neither do they necessitate us to (in.
B. 20. Are we any further freed from the strong temptations of
our ownfenses, appetites, and jlejhly Concupiscence than Grace delivereth
us ?
A. "No : But neither do these necessitate each particular Jin.
B. Very good ! Let us come to the Application. * If we are agreed * ^od ^ulat nitursm
in all these twenty particulars ; and that in some of them we are under Mtrttth %n minor eft in
necessity, and in some next to it, and in others are under no small danger, v^lt--- iliTJmlo
and that none of all these denied is the Liberty of Will which yOu con- «« ubimT^ arbbr'a
tend
- _ for,
j ' we are very
, /_ unhappy,
\_rj » if we. do not all
. agree
o of the necessity
J tati,fed coachom tantum:
of Gods Grace, and if yet there remain any other fort of Liberty about Vtrm q%* hie est contro-
which we must needs contend. *^ ut* ■verl"llis
I pray you now tell me, What Liberty it is that you accuse your Bre- fi™m™wZ?7d
thren for denying ? Is it a Liberty to good, or unto sin > Ubmattm nmfnfficm im-
A. "Both, I. They make mans Will necessitated to Jin 5 WW^ÆS^fR
" impossible to it. And, 2. They make Gods Grace to work, so irresistibly as consistere: fed in to quod.
" to take away the liberty ofsinning. . Z's^'T f'ifsaH **■
„ ixriy r * ■ l \ * ■ t_ • 11 i vet& "g't, rattone agentt
B. !• What necessity is it that you mean ? Is it more than in all that tuttUtButi propia.-~Et
aforesaid your self hath granted. 2. And who thinketh that man obey- Uptojr\$™^l^s
eth Grace, and forbeareth resistance, or comtnitteth sin, for want of ei- film immni* etfe***™
ther Power or Liberty ) O that we could be so happy as to take away *aim> s'dneq; # ad
our own and other mens Liberty to sin, and to resist God, and to undo "JllSS^j^ „
themselves ! * m"m [tnftnmmlU drun
A. "Tell mt firSt what Liberty of Will you maintain, and then ifhdl g&
M best tellyou in what in we differ : even as 1 have toldwu what Liberty we gftes—^mm autem u.
<l dent •' ' birtas exttnditur ad attus.
, j. T „, , , '.„ ,. , "iceffarioset immutabiles,
B. The method is convenient, I. We grant that we have a WtU which famw uum ution jig-
is naturally a self-determining Principle, and Lord of its own acts, able u'n'
to determine it self with due Objects and helps, without extrinsick pre- tam versari tantum"c?rcl
determining physical motion either of God or Creatures. conungenm-~^ui contra
ot- J pretendunt Itbcrtatem op-
. ' H*h «on nadioni foium,
fed etiam nccifftuii , tonctdunt voluntatem {uoriim quormdim attnum rations babere fe mctfjario, quimvis pltrommq; refpeclu
coutingtnter—— Et in illis afhhts ad quos voluntas immutability & niceffario determinata eft effi quandam libentiamdf compla-
centiam undepattt contentionm efje vtrbalem & non realem. Ntmpe utrif, confentinnt quomodt rts je baieat. Quastio folum remanet,
An ac!as nectffarii, Libert dicendifuit i Blank de Lib. absol. Thef. 8. 9, 10, x 1, 1 z.
And Tb. 14. he citeth Estiits his words, confessing the fame of Bonaventure, that taking Volmtathm for Libitum, it is but a
difference de nomine Libtrtatis.
And Strangles de Vol. Dei L 3. c 14. p. 687- Mf> nobis videturbic de re luigandum,qitia alioqui tantum iffa Xojp^r^.- tfflt
aim negamus,fic vtctm tiberi arbitrii rttte it{nrf>aril quimquam in alto Jensu illas attunes diximus tjfe liberas.
See Blanl(_ ibid. n. 17, &c proving also that the quarrel among Protestants herein, is but about the Names of necessity and
liberty, and that they are agreed of the matter.
And Tl>ts.n,&c. That their difference about necessity, and indifferency in the matter of Liberty is but about the name,
and easily reconcilable. Andtlic fameTfc. 15. he faith of the f Positts omnibus ad agendum reqtifitis, posse agert vel non agcre.~\
And de Lib. arb. ingetereTbeJ. 3 §. he (aith the fame, fj with Strangim ) that it is a meer Logomachy between them that
fay, All voluntary acts are free, and those that deny it , while they take Liberty in several senses , one pro libentia secundum
rationem, the other pro indeterminatione & indiffertntia, &c.
That Liberty is consistent with necessity, in many Cases many of the chief School-men hold. For which let the learned
Reader peruse the Citations of them in Janfmut ; and fee specially Altx. AL 1. p. q. 7*. nmb. 3. a. 3. & Aqnin. qi. 10 de
Totent.a.i. a,di>& ejnsfiquacimFigmim lnstitut. c.%. vers. 1. ( Cumplu ib:is aliis ThomiftisJ <£■ Bonavent. n z. d. 7.
q. 3. & d.x$. q.3. And the Scottjts and some Nominals I have else-where cited. Especially Rcader,\( you would seemorcoa
the Subject, Ripalda nameth you enow, Expos. Magtst. I. a. d.j.qu. it. that go several ways.
But note ( with Jansww dt Grat.Salv.l. 6. c. 37.) that the necessity of voluntary acts, as Scotws faith, is not previous to
the Will, that the Will should be thought to fall under necessity as impelling it to, and fixing it in the act : For if it were
{otVoluntas agentur & non agetet : ntc staret intdi att» libtrtas : fed est ntci/Jitas toncomitans, itaqiiodipsa itittlligatur cadert
sub voinntate : sic quod voluntus propter firmittttm libettatis [mejibi ipsi neccsfittltm impomtjn eliciendo attm,& in perjeverando.
II. We
 Os Free-will.

II. We grant that this Will hath the command of other faculties, re
spectively j that is , of some politically ( as they use to fay ) and in
directly, or imperfectly, and of others despotically or directly and more
perfectly.
III. We hold that this Will is directly and properly subject to none
but Cod. ■ 1
IV. For instance, neither Angels or Devils can determine it antece
dently to its own self-determination, to its hurt, though Angels may help
it, and Devils may tempt it. .
V. No men by the greatest Power or Violence, nor by the fubtilest
Oratory or Deceit, can neceffitate or predetermine it, though they
may do much to induce it to self-determination.
VI. No Objects (though they neceffitate the sense and appetite, and
the first apprehension ofthe Intellect,) can neceffitate the Will to Electi
on, or comparative self-determination j nor do Objects carry us by ne
cessity as they do the 'Bruits.
VII. Neither our external or internal senses, or imagination , can
predetermine or neceffitate the said eleUive or comparative Will*
VIII. Though our passions and motions of the Spirits may much mo
lest and hinder the Will, they cannot necessarily predetermine it in the
said election and comparative acts.
IX. Though the IntelleB may direct it to that which it will determine
it self to, (in some cases necessarily ex principin nature, and in others
not necessarily 5) and being it self deceived, may mislead it to mif-
choosings and refusings, yet is it not the commander of the Will, but
the guide, ( as the eye to the Body, which causeth us not to go, but to
go the right way) : And being it self under the Wills command quoad ex-
ercitium , doth not efficiently predetermine it, nor can necessitate it to
fm or misery, unless it be first the culpable , unneceffitated cause it
self.
X. And as none of these can neceffitate the Will originally to evil
A3s, so much less can they neceffitate it to any evil habits, or inclina*
tions, nor take away those that are good.
XI. I hold that this Free-will is joyned with necessity ( not constrained,
but convenient, by its nature ox. inclination.") 1. In the specification of
simple Volition of our own felicity. 2. In the specification of simple Vo
lition or Love tosensible good as such. 3. In the specification of the Voli
tion of that which is fully perceived to be the only means of our only feli'
city, and to be only good. But that it is separated from natural necessity,
and such neceffitation as is before denied. 1. In its subjection and love
to God as its Creator or first efficient of good. 2. In its love to and
simple Volition of God, as our Ultimate end. 3. In the election of any
end, where divers things are Competitors to be our end ( besides our
felicity), whether God or the Creature. 4. In the election of means,
where divers are offered. 5. In the exercise of the act of intending our
end. 6. In the use ofthe means, and commanding the imperate faculties
therein.
XII. I hold that this Liberty of the Will is of three sorts ( though but
two are commonly held. ) 1. Contradi&ionis, vel exercitii 3 viz. Velle
aut non velle, nolle aut non nolle. 2. Contrarietatis seu fpecifeationis,
quoad Aftum 3 viz. Velle aut nolle hoc. 3. Competitions, vel compara~
tionis, i.e. Contrarietatis to*.specifications, quoad Objeffa,v'tz. Velle aut
hoc aut illud, nolle aut hoc aut illud, vel hoc potim quam illud.
XIII. Out of dlthefcfreedoms of the Will'\tfe\fy resolteth the Liberty
of
 Os Free* will.

of the PERSON, usually called, largely, Liberum Arbitrium, or

Free-choice: which is, i. That no man cau be compelled to moral good
or evil against his Will. 2. No man can deserve Rew.irds or Punijhments
of God, against hk Will. 3. No man can be happy against his Willj
nor unhappy unless it be the Cause.
XIV. All this that I have hitherto named is but mans natural liberty as
a matt, which all men have, and is part of that common natural Image
of God , which differenceth us from Bruits , and is mentioned Gen.
9.6.
XV. Besides this there is a political or civil Liberty , according to
which no Man or Angel hath power to command us to sin against God,
or to cast away our Innocency or Happiness, or undo our Souls.
XVI. And God as ourGovernour doth not only give all men leave
and liberty to be holy, but offereth them Life, and giveth every man his
choice whether he will repent and live, or refuse Grace and perish; And
much more then Liberty he giveth them, by Commands, Threatnings,
Promises, Mercies, Means, Helps,Intreaties, Afflictions, &c. urging them
to repent and live. ..
XVII. And this political Liberty containeth a freedom from all punish
ment from God, to those that cause it not by w.ilfuJ sin : And. more than
so, a certainty of the Reward of Glory.
XVIII. Besides these fore-mentioned Liberties natural and politicals
there is also an ethical or moral Liberty from sinful Habits and Atts : And
of that we hold, that every man is delivered from these sinful Habits
and Acts, so far as he bath and usethGods Grace: And so that the sancti
fied are delivered from the reign or servitude of sin. 1 1 :i . ; .
XIX. And we hold that yet the habits of Grace do not necessitate this
or that particular act of Obedience or Love, but it is too possible to sin
by Omission or Commission notwithstanding these habits*^ -
XX And we hold that the ordinary habits of Vice in the wicked do
not absolutely necessitate them to this or that sinful Commission in parti
cular, at least not to very many sins, but that it is possible for them to
do some Duties, and forbear many sins, notwithstanding Original and fu-
peradded pravity. *■ •
XXI. I add to the XI. Sect, before as an instance, that m ans Will is
not by any natural necessity, determined ton?/// its own felicity by the
comparate detiing Ad of the Will 5 but hath Power and Liberty to refuse
ornillit. This many will think strange, but I am sure that it is true.
For man was made and redeemed, and is sanctified for a higher End than,
his own felicity 5 yea more than one, even the Glory and Pleasing of
God, and the common Good. And reason telleth me undoubtedly
that I ought to love that best which is best.in it self, and that if my anni
hilation would conduce to the saving or happiness of the World, or of
one Kingdom, or of thousands of Persons, I ought to consent to it for
such ends j yea were it but to keep the Earth from perishing, and the
Sun from being useless to this World. And though God in mercy hath
so united my felicity With his jGlory and the common Good, that there
never will be use for such an option or choice, yet it followeth not
thence that 1 may not say, that hypothetically ( if I were put to it) such
a thing is possible and would be due. And as Paul said, I could wist) my
self accurst from Chritf for my Erethrenssake, the Jews (not I do wijh it,
but would this save them, I could wish it, because the salvation of thou
sands, and their Service to God, is better than Ours ) even so may we.
Annihilation is inconsistent with Felicity: But Annihilation might and
M should
 Os Free-will.

should be chosen before the Annihilation of the World, or the perditi

on of millions, if God had called us to it. Yea Christ that faith, s It
were good for that man that he had never been born, "] implyeth, that
a damned man would choose it as a minus malum , yea many a one that I
have known my self, desired it. Therefore it is a thing that the Will
may do.
XXII. And as another Instance, I need not prove, that the bonum fen-
fibile which is necessarily loved or willed by some complacency or simple
Volition, is not necessarily chosen, but may fieely be reje&ed. Otherwise
no sin scarce could be avoided.
All these sorts or Acts of Free-will we hold , and are agreed on. And
are we yet unfit for concord and coalition for want of acknowledging
the freedom of the Will ?
A. ** I mull confess that you have acknowledged much.
B. And I confess that so have you on the other side. I pray you now
tell me, where lieth our disagreement ?
A. ** Ton overwhelm me with Dijlinffions and numerous particulars, Jb
" that Ifufpe&you do but by this dust intend to blind our eyes. A man may
M make any thing good bysuch minute dijlinguijhing, and atomizing matters
*' to make them imperceptible. Did you deal plainly , 1 could answer
'■'■you.
B. Is this an answer fit for a learned or ingenuous man ? Is confusion
plainness with you ? such plainness too many plain have deceived the
Church with, and set well-meaning Christians together by the ears 5 so
that the Christian World hath long pleased the Devil, and found him
sport, as fighting-Dogs and Cocks do to men, and all by the cheats of
ignorant confusion 5 Kingdoms and Factions fight about words which
they never understood. Like the consulting Physicians who could not
agree, whether their Patients Ifchury should be cured by Succinuw, or
by EleSrum, or by Carabe, or by Ambarum, and the poor man died be-
cause they could not consent.*
If I distinguish vainly or faljly fine differentia, cannot you shew where
the vanity or falfhood is > How can you tell it is false or vain, if you
know not where the falflwod or vanity is > Will you fay, It is some'
where, but I know not where .<? Let that answer from others then to all
your reasonings seem sufficient, [Tour reason is false, and your argument
naught, but we knoxv not were thefalfhood lyeth. "] A ready confutation, fit
for our Church-troublers. I have purposely in the First Book, given you
all the distinctions about Liberty which I use, in an orderly Table, that
you may easily understand them by seeing them together : so that ifthere
be falfhood or vanity in them, they are open to your easie search and
view.
Tell me what freedom is denied you, or else for shame contend no
more.
A. I. (< they hotd that Original Sin doth necessitate all the unregenerate
" to do evil, and to forbeargood, so that they cannot possibly forbear Sins of
" Commission or Omission. II. They hold that Grace doth irresistibly necef-
Mstate the Eleft to believe and love God, andforbear Sin,so that they cannot
" do otherwise.
B. I. Stay a little, r. You must distinguish of several sorts of Good
and Evil : 2. And of several sorts of Necessity.
1. I hope you will not think it false, vain or curious, to distinguish
between, 1. An ungodly course of Life, and some one particular act of
Smi: a. The omission of the predominant Love of God, and a course
of
 Os Freewill. 83

of holy living, and special laving acts, and the omission of this or that
commanded act.
2. And I hope I may advise you to distinguish between, i. A con
strained Necessity against our Will , and a voluntary Necessity , of
diseased vicious inclination. 2. And between a necessity insensu compo-
stto and insensu diviso. 3. And between an uncurable and a curable ne
cessity. And then I answer. ,r
I. We hold that an ungodly man by his Original and superadded pra-
vity, is so strongly and fixedly inclined to a sensual ungodly Use, that in,
sensu compofitoy while he is such, he will certainly live such a life in the
main course of it. And do not you think so too ? I pray you tell
me>
A. " It is an idle question : For that is but necessitas existentiæ. He
" that is ungodly is neccjjarily ungodly while he isso.
B. II. We hold moreover that the fame man will certainly, all that
time , omit the prevalent love of God and all acts proper to the
godly.
A . " That's but thefame : else he were a godly man.
B. III. We hold also that yet this man may forbear many acts of sin,
and do many things commanded : and so is not under a vicious necessity
of committing all Sin, or omitting all Duty.
IV. We hold also that his vicious necessity of disposition is curable,
and not remediless and desperate.
V. We hold also that it is not curable without Gods saving sancti
fying Grace, proportioned to his disease or pravity. g
VI. We hold also that God hath appointed every man certain Duties
and Means to be used in order to his cure.
VII. We hold that he giveth much outward help, and some inward
commoner Grace antecedent usually to sanctifying Grace,by which much
of these Duties and Means may be used. l
Vin. And we hold that God appointeth no means in vain, nor com-
mandeth any unprofitable Duty,or which man hath not sufficient encou
ragement to use , with hope of success, and is not unexcuseable jif he
neglect.
Do you differ from us in any of this ? Or is there any thing more that
we must have to be capable of your love and concord ?
A. " Though 1 granted you a necessitas existentiæ, that a wicked mans
« life whilesuch be wicked in the main, (for that is but to say that a wicked ttffStS%^ %
** man is a wicked man) , yet I grant you not a necessitas efsecti, as if his l**t*tis human* pir ft
"pravity made his wicked life unavoidable or necessary ^^^W^^^^f^j^ij^'^Æ
** Cause. eitltitts que eccurant.
B. His wicked life is considerable, I. Asto his inward actings, or to unde. P » *£ £«f sfe"jli
.. , * A a. j u ^ asm* non soffit td tSm
his outward : 2. As to the immediate or next Acts, and as to tne remote, rtind mxiSii incline
3. And the necessity is voluntary or involuntary. Andsolfay, xln '"fy bom'a
1. He is under no natural ox involuntary necessity j but under a * VI- aii^t mj\mt4in It
cious inclination or habit, which wiil produce some effects certainly, and op""* *d jaiutem, sin
others uncertainly ; \ . S£i?J^S
2. The certain effects of the habitual privation of the love of God, & pobttm a dco tffe
and enmity to him and to holiness, is, that his Soul will not in /ftoj^ffi *fij£
præfenti immediately, ( nor till it be cured or over-swayed by a superior tim «//«* *pr*ceptum as-
cause,!) love God above all, nor love holiness, nor live a holy life : g*j^JSjS^£-
Because the Soul will not go contrary to its habitual inclination, without u0 Viu* ttiim dt fingu-
somewhat to over- power that habit. An effect will not be contrary to(ji> /«• a s. Joseph.
. r . . .. . r r . n * TneC general, de aux.
the hxed inclination of its cause. p. j1( |2> 8 j.
M 2 5. And
 84 Os Free-will.

And andther certain effect of a Soul predominantly habituated to

sensuality, is, that it will live a sensual lise, constantly as to the bent of
inward Volitions, and ordinarily as occasion ferveth in outward
actions.
4. But being not so necessitated to every Sin, nor against every Duty
and means of Cure, this Soul is not under a necessity of so continuing
uncured.
Now if it be the present voluntary ascertaining Disposition which you
deny, then, 1. You must hold that an Enemy of God can immediately
love him above all, and live a holy life : 2. And that there is some cause
in a man most habitually sensual, by which he can forbear both the in
ward desires and outward acts of scnsoality 5 which are contradictions
to him that knoweth what a prevalent fixed habit is. 3. And that all
wicked Enemies of God have in them a cause that can immediately cure
all their own enmity and pravity without Gods Spirit or Grace 5 or else
have his Spirit and Grace immediately at an instant at command. And
if all a mans Original Sin, and contracted habits, be so easily laid by at any
minute, the cure seemeth much easier than the depravation, which per
haps hath been a long time growing to that strength : which is contrary
to all the Worlds experience : As it is easier to kindle a fire in the
City than to quench it, and to catch the Plague or any Disease than to
cure it, or to wound the Body than to heal it, or to pull down a
House than to build it , to drown a Ship than to make it, &c. So
all Ministers , Tutors , Parents, Christians , yea , persons find how
wofully hard it proveth to cure one Sins To cure the Ignorant ,' the
Unbelieving, the Hard-hearted, the Proud, the Lustful, the Covetous,
the Passionate $ much more the malignant Enemies of God and holiness.
What need of the sanctification of the Holy Ghost, or the medicinal
Grace of Christ, if the very depraved Will can do all in a moment of it
self, and depose its enmity.
A. " Tonspeaks to me as if I were a Pelagian: I am not for any of this.
" But will rather yield to what youJay.
*Vid ' mt Made B' And as for your second Charge, * that they aflert unresistible
pr*definVtr\!td.8?'peer necessitating Grace, I pray you leave it to the Fourth Article, which is
m. dt necejitate vagt its proper place to avoid repetition, But here let me remember you
jeSm^l tTl by the way- That not to love God> not *° believe, not to repent,
p. 137. That all good hot to live holily, are no Acts, and therefore no Effects of power, but a
aftions arc fore decreed tiri-natintt ;
«f God , proved and P™*™*' .
multitudes cited that 2. That therefore Gods causing a man to love him, to Believe, to
defend it. Repent, to be Holy, is not to deprive him of any power, but to give
him act and power.
3. Therefore it is not a depriving him of any true Liberty : For true
Liberty is the Liberty of some faculty or power.
. 4. But if you will call a voluntary Impotency and Viciousilels by the
name of a. free-power, then God taketh away siich Power by giving us
Tower, and such Liberty by making us free. But proceed to the next
Crimination.

The
 Of Free-will. 85

The second Crimination.

A. * " They deny the Vnregenerate to have any power to believe, resent * The Aminians say
"or to do any good: And so they fden God to command men things !!iart„^°d, gimh a su"
11 rii j* j y 1 1. ■ / 11 °~ ,. Pern»tural power, even
pojsible, and to condemn menjor that as Sin vohtch they could not possibly to the win it self, and
"avoid, and for not doing that which they could no more do than make im™ediate °Pe-
"a World and so to put men under a necejsity of finning and being P- > $,&e. And they ad£
"damned. I illuminau &■
B. This is in fense the same with that about Liberty fore-going, nn»£ pSti» $Tm
though under the other notion ( of Power. ) But the truth is, it is the f" ifomtutint* , par-
very core and true sum of all our Controversies, and if I prove this to uVln^lZ fltm
be nothing but words, I (hall prove them all so, about»the four first Ar- iu<"f> Affeti** noflros &
thr\p<i *" P*rttm iltm stnptivtm
..... 1 - r , , r 1 c r bonisdefide-
I will here take it tor granted that you speak not or any meer Pafswe ™> quorm objecia mow
or Obediential Power (as it's called ) but of a proper a&ive Power, and f^^f^actiuvert
that truly lo called, and not only hypothetically on supposition of things %rt>«* tfftBii* "magis
to make it u p, which are not existent, nor to be supposed. *£g&lnirr7tiim\tda'$~
I know of nothing in the Soul of man for our enquiry, but 1. The promptior& ftcilior , «
natural-faculties, or virtues, inclined naturally to their neceflary Ob- ™™™p(dtta poflmodum
jects. 2. The right disposition, or adventitious inclination or habits mwndts phttti?
of these faculties. 3. And the Acts. Tell me first, Do you know of nn "fc «*» « *«< «-
an v more >
anymore. *"**?'*!*
Up m m 4^Um, &
mmtritktti*
A. " Not that I can remember. girmt.~}
B. It is therefore the Faculties' or Dispositions that we differ about, or £f. j '5* lum
nothing: (For it is not the Acts). • Tell me then, gueSt. 1. Do you ntctjfari* a« Uhmuutj-
-Know of any that deny all mens Souls to have the three faculties °^ulduu"uiufoVrhmx
Active, Power or Life, Intellection and Volition (which the Thornists ntctffitttt UitmU ut*.
fay are Accidents immediately and inseparably emaning from the Es- p*ymttlfj<>
sence 5 and the Scotitfs better say, are the very formal Essence of the idlm'aum'rip/lfiwnt.
Soul it self, ) without one of which a man is no man ? 1 de Libertat. Absoi".
A. *' No, none doubt of this injenfe, though some number them as three, following. SCC h'S Pr°°f
" andsome but as tw»\ '• il ■' ■ ■
B. Do we differ abrJtff the second ? Do you believe that a Drunkard
Jiath the habit of Sobriety, or a Fornicator of Chastity, or at least,
that an ungodly man hath a holy habit or disposition to love God, :4
and trust him above all, iftjH to believe in Christ, and repent of Sin, and ' •
live in Holiness.
A. " No 5 no man faith that he hathsuch a habit : But he hath a power
* ' to do them, though not a habit. . .
B. Is it any thing that you call a power besides the natural/*c»/f/a,and -t\
their habits or dispositions ?
A. "No: but the natural faculty is still a power to believe, love God,
" live holily, &c. without a habit. ' . t .'
B. Do you not believe that an ungodly man is disposed, yea habitua- ^ •
ted to the contrary, viz. To a fleshly and worldly mind and life, and.!V
against a life of Faith and holy Love ? » *
A. " Yes : at least some are : And I will not deny Original Sin, and
" therefore grant such a dispositive pravity in all, though notso much as in
"some isJuperadded : But yet these ill dispositions and habits are not ft
"strongs but that the Sinner can for all that believe and repent, &c.
B. No doubt but if he believe not, it is not for want of natural fa
tuities. He hath an InteUeB, a Will and a vital and executive power 5
And
 86 _ Os Free-will

And these all have that force or strength of natural adtivity which is ne
cessary to Faith, Love, and every holy Duty : For these are the unalte
rable Essence ( or Properties ) of man as man 5 And if Sin deprived us
ofthem, it should change our Species ; And if Grace gave them,it should
restore our Specie?,and we should be men by Grace only,and not by Na
ture. But you confess that these powers want their right disposition to act.
A. " Butyet isay that this undisposed ill-disposed Soul, is able to off con-
" trary to its accidental disposition.
B. I tell you once for all, that the (banting and ending of all the Con
troversies between the SynodiUs and moderate Arminians ( or Jejuites )
lieth in the true opening of the ambiguity of this one syllable [Ca*].
And unhappy is the Church when its Pastors have neither skjlt nor love
enough, to forbear torturing and distracting it, by one poor ambiguous
syllable, not understood by the Contenders. But to compel you to
conviction,
Quetf.i. Do you mean by \_Can~] or [Able"] or Q Tower] any
thing besides the natural faculty and the disposition $
A. "No: I mean the natural faculty at related to this AU or objctt now
" in question, e.g. believing and loving God.
B. guest. 2. Is not natural strength or power a thing belonging toman
* bha angrily calleth m mait* which Sin destroyeth not, and Grace restoreth not. And have
; im Turps istt itjrim, not all the Churches disowned Illyricus * though a very learned, labo-
Md oThTr'* usriSa of ri0US» 8oc,Iy Divine> for making Original Sin the substance of the Soul it
Mtlancbtbon have de- self?

him and such^ffcfuw, B. JUgest. 3. Therefore if Adam had natural power to love God, and
otherwa1 10° mUCh " ^e ^n^^e^ nave * yet» **otn *l not f°U°w tnat a^ ta&Q nave it ? Be-
t cr way. cause it belongeth to man as mao, and is not changed by Sin and Grace,

except in its Dispositions and A&s t?

A. " Thus you make all the wicked able to love God.
B. Yes 5 As to that sort of Ability which is but the natural faculty they
are all able $ but there is somewhat else they want.
A. "But the Name £ Power "] you confess your self is Relative to
" something that is to be done, or to an Act with Us 0bje3j And when
" the natural faculty is not changed, but is the funs in all men, yet theRe-
cLuI'^U *?£ "Utienifl Power] in it may be changed', as by a change of the Objc&,
tbertns physical motion, '* medium, helps, concaufes, &c.
f"mnJiL1incZr- B- You true ; But remember st!u that **ms is from no change in the
stonthiitribus causis,vtr- natural faculty, as you confess : For it was never in any man a power,
to, spirit* s.& votntite t% g, to aft without dependance on God. nor to act without an
bomims,agtnttbus [ho loco ° r *
& ordine viribus in bo-
mini, quamqm ex ft & nttura (ut prorsiu invalids ad Jpiritualia, rationtlibm tamtn & inter fe diffirentibus, eoq; ordine q«t
tondite funt a fp. fan eloper media verbi & (acramentorum in ordinato & Legitimo singulorum »/«, ut in auditu verbi cum attentions
& mtditationtvirtutt [*a efficaci singulis txatis liberrime, sine coaClionis i impul/u & raptn, & nova luce accenfa in mutt nova vett)
virtutt voluntati communicara, &c.
£i>ui assentiuntur & obfequuntur spiritui sanRo virtutt e)uldem id faciunt,non tamen fine ailionr,motu & annixujd.y. 712. Still note
that the Grace called sufficient is that whkhgiveth the Power without the Act:Therefore as many things concur to denominata
us able, so do they to sufficiency of Oraee : Malderus in 1 %. qu. 1 1 1.4. 3. i- 3. faith, f_ Ketle quidam eruditus annotavit, xeqi
pradicationem, aut excitationem txttrnam, ntq; internam tlluminationemintelletlui fimpliciter tffe gratiam fuficienttm, quamvis in/ut
gentn qu*q\ Sufficient did pottst,8ic. sedvountas per boni afsefliu afpirationem fupernaturali motioneexcitanda est.
Our Bradward. shortneth til the Controversie, li. 13. cor. p. zo8, 1 09. telling us,that Gods Will is the cause of every future,
( and so of the suture form of sin ) and that if there were no God, there would be no Impojsiiile : W hereas I think there
would be nothing but impossibles. For it would be impossible that any thing should ever be. But there would be no pro-
fositions de impojsibili : Nay, he talks of a non-pojje tjje impossible, and calls this mirum corrollarium. Adrian £hodl. $.fol. \6.
J§!*/j duplicitur potest credere fe a peccatis abstintrt non pop: 1. £>uj>d nonpoffet sine Jpiciali Dei gratia & ad)utorio& sic non-
tnat. 1. Abjolute
Absolute cedendo
ctedendo }ele non abstinere
abstintre posse a pecetto, out non posse
peccato, tut pope ad vitandum peccata a Deo sufficient auxilim imtttraru
impetrarr,
ttiamsisicerit quod in se est. Et hie error est species infidtlitatis opposita filei,ad quam obligatur credendo Deum juste, pie & mijericordi-
tir mundum gubernare : Mi tnim mamfestiffime repugnat, apud nunquemf, [an* mentis Dtum bomini impttare ad culpam ad quod vitan
dum n(cdedit,ntc dare paratns 1st [uffi:itntim fafultattm ; bomini inquam factmti toturn quod if fe est.

Object:
 Of Free-will.

Object in Specie, nor to act on an incongruous uncapable Object, nor

without a due medium, and necessary concauses. Now if you mean
that the change is not on mans faculties, but on the Objects, Medium,
Causes, &c. that men do not love God while unholy, you are notori
ously mistaken. For it is Sin that hindereth. And God is the fame
God, and Christ the some Christ, and the Word the fame, and oft the
preaching the lame to a Believer and an Unbeliever. So that though
outward helps and hinderances do much, the inward cause is most con
siderable. And if all were right within, it were no sin in us to be dis
abled by outward changes : It is no sin not to hear without a Preacher,
or not to fee that which is invisible, or not to understand that which is
not Intelligible, or not to love that which is not Amiable, or that which
is by distance or unfit mediums made no Object of our Acts } no more
than not to touch the Moon, or not to see into the bowels of the Earth.
Therefore though it's true that the Will is related as a power to capable
Objects, and not as a power to things that by incapacity are no Objects 5
yet the change that is made on it self by Sin and Grace, doth not make
it no power and a power in this natural essential sense. It is one thing
that is called natural power or faculty, and another thing that is called.
Aright disposition or habit : Therefore as to the first, the Soul of every
man hath a true natural power to repent, believe and Jove God, ana
they omit it not for want of natural power, but of something else.
A. " Call it then a moral power if you will.
B. We must so call it: But you must know what that is. It is not a
power of the fame fort with the natural power. The very word [ Power J
is equivocal or analogous to them. Else Grace should increase the Es
sence of the Soul, or make amari to be more a man, than he was before.
And Dr. Twisse derideththe Arminians for saying that potentia funddtnr
in potentia, viz. Moralis in naturali, which were very just if it were
sowers of the same kind that were spoken ofj but now being otherwise
it is unjust : for no doubt but potentia moralis is in potentia naturali , as
health is in the Body.
guest. 4. But I further ask you, Do you think that any men do now
in an unregenerate state love God above all, and live a holy heavenly
lise, yea or effectually and savingly believe, by the meer power of their
natural faculties, till they are changed >
A. 41 No j that's a contradictions to be unholy and holy. 1 am none of
" those Pelagians that makg Grace unnecessary to mans cure.
B. Are you not convinced then that where the natural power is ex*
istent, something is wanting without which the acts of Holiness will not
be performed ? Tell me then what that is ?
A. "That which is wanting to aman that hath sufficient Grace, isno-
** thing but his own Concurrence or Will 3 For without any special Grace
** differing from sufficient he can believe. But that which is wanting to
*' them that have it not, is sufficient Grace it self for believing, which they
** want for abusing the antecedent Gracesufficientfor preparation.
B. We speak not now of Grace as efficient, exparte Dei agentk 3 But
of Grace as it is in us, or an effect ofthe former: what is it in man that
is wanting to believing > Is it a natural Power, or a right Disposition,
or what ?
A. M till a man have sufficient Grace to believe, it is proper strength or
*' power itself that he wanteth, and sufficient Grace is such a power : But
'* when he hath it, he wanteth nothing but the Aft, which he can excite and
*« doth not. >
B. I
 Of Free-mil.

B. I confess I find Arminius, Arnoldus, Corvinus, and others granting,

that all men are unable to believe till Grace enable them, and more
than so, faith Arnoldus, There is more strength or power neceslary now
to believe in Christ, than was neceslary to Adam to keep all the Law,
partly because os the mysterioushess of Faith, and partly because we
must first be restored to a new ability, which requireth more power
than to keep what we had. ( A fly equivocation, turning the question
from the potent ia operata to the potentia operans : If it did require more
power in the efficient so to renew us, it followeth not, that he thereby
putteth more power into us than .Adam had : But Gods Power hath no
degrees.) But that which 1 alk you, is, whether this new power given
by sufficient Grace, be of the fame species with our natural powers, or of
some other.
A. " What if I fay, It is of thefamefort.
B. Then ( as I have hinted ) you must make the Soul to have either
two orders of natural powers of the (ame Species, one founded or sub
jected in the other ( which is it that Dr. Twijje derideth ; ) or else indeed
to have two Souls, (For I have else-where at large proved with the
Scotists that the faculties are essential to the Soul , J or else you must
make the specifick powers of the Soul to have degrees, and Souls to be
augmented, and so that they have more Soul that have Grace than
they that have none, and so Grace is a kind of generation or augmen
tation of Souls. ....
- - A. * ' What if Ifay that it is of another Species ?
B. Then we must consider what it is. Is it of a superior Species or
subordinates co-ordinate ?,If you say with some Fryers and Fanaticks,
that it is the Spirit of God in Essence, or God himself, it would be
Omnipotency. If it be not any- created Spirit or Substance, (which
would alter our Species, or make each one two ) it must be an Accident
( as all confess it is, and therefore not ejufdem fpeciei with the faculties
that are essential : ) And if so , tell us what this power is ?
A. " The Soul of man is it self so little known to itself that we cannot
" easily tell what its natural powers he (as the difference between Thomas
" and the Scotists jheweth : ) much less can we tell how to conceive aright
"of the quiddity of the Accidents of *Soul, who knowso little of the Ac-
" cidents of Bodies, or of Bodies themselves. Let me hear what your own
" conceptions are of the matter, if they tend to elucidate or reconcile.
B. He that will take up with the bare words, [Can'] or [Cannot "J
and confess that he knoweth not what they signisie, should not with
the blind confidence of too many Contenders, trouble the peoples ears
in Pulpits, and set them on fire against one another, and by raving di
stract the Churches of Christ, with such [ Cans "] and [ Cannot 's []
£ Able ] and f_ Vnable. ] And yet this one poor word is the Granade
or Fire-Bali. If I pretend to understand it no more than you, yet I
will be ashamed to vex and ensnare mens Souls with what I understand
not 5 but will use the easiest intelligible words. But to answer your
desires distinctly.
I. The Soul is, as you fay, so little known to it self, that no man
living, I think, hath a true formal conception of, that first accident or
effect which it receiveth from Gods Spirit, nor yet of the true nature of
a habit or disposition following it. He that readeth but what our
Metaphyftcks and School-men have said of Habits, will find this to be
true ; and that their.quiddity is past his understanding. To fay that
they are qualities by which we are prompt to act, is but to name a
general
 Of Freewill.

general notion no better understood than the quœsitum, ( Quality ) 3 and

to name the effect ( promptitude ) and not the form or thing it
self.
II. The nature of fire seemeth to be a kind of likeness to'Spirits;
And in this sensible thing we cannot tell what it is that is added by exci
tation and incension. And they that talk of generation of fire, know
not what generation signifieth : whether the production of a new simple
substance that before was nothing ? or the introduction of a new form
into a pre-existent substance,by mixture,or how ? or only a new motion ?
or if they fay, It is a generation of new Qualities, they know not what
the word £ Quality ^ signifieth. But this much is apparent, that whe
ther it be done by Collision or however, to kindle a spark or latent fire
into a flame or incendium, is to excite a pre-exijient active nature 3 And
this excitation is by motion. And as we have some (very defective)
conception what motion received is, in Bodies, and how by contact
when it cometh from foree, motusmotum caufat, & vis per motttm vim
quandam imprimis j so by some Analogy, we may conceive how Spirits
move Spirits: and such as is the ( unexpresiible ) action of one Spirit
on another, such is the thing thereby imprinted and received 3 A kind
of spiritual motus. And as in bodily motion the first thing received is
the very thing moved by contatt, qua talk, as it self in motion, or act 3 so
Spirits fno modo seem, quaagentes & attingentes transcendently, to be
the first received by the moved spirits 3 And the second thing the vis im-
prejsa , and thence followeth the ipse motus. But if it to this day
" (most certainly) surpass the wits of the greatest Philosophers, formally
to conceive what it is that adhereth to there* mota tocontiueits mo
tion, and What that is that is called Vis impreffa, and in what subject it
moveth the projeftum, &c. ( For the Cartesian fancy that motus inceptus
nunquam ceffabit nisi impeditus, either tells us nothing of the continued
cause, or uipposeth moveri to be no effect, and to need no more cause
than negatio motus, which is unworthy a confutation ) , what wonder
then if it surpass the conception of all mortal men to know what that
spiritual Vis imprejfa on a Soul is? But what- ever it is, this much is the
best notion that we can have of that which the Divine Action first com-
municateth , that it is influxus Dei Receptus 3 vel excitatio facultatum
excitata, as distinct from excitatio Dei excitans 3 It is passive excitation,
or a spiritual Vis imprejfa, whence Action followeth.
III. But it hath also a similitude to the Agent in more than simple mc^
tion, Even as the Sun or Fire doth kindle fire on combustible matter
Q which had also a latent fire before, or else it's not combustible ) 5 which
is not ( as the Cartesians feign, by motion alone, but by the operation
of a three-fold virtue in the Sun, viz. the motive, lucid and calefadive,
producing the fame in the Receiver: so the Spirit of God doth in this
excitation at once communicate to the three faculties of the Soul, an
impressed force for Vital-aEtivity, IntelletHion and Volition 3 so that the
three natural faculties by this received impress and excitation are fufei-
tated to holy A&ivity, Knowledge and Love 3 the habit of which is holy
Life, and Light, and Love abiding.
For it is certain that it is not one only, but all the faculties of the Soul
that are vitiated by Sin, and therefore all that must be repaired by sancti
fying Grace. The Vital-aftivc-povper (as it is a faculty of the rational
Soul) is as it weresleepy, dead and impotent, and must be quickened with
spiritual life and strength. The Intellect is dark, and must be illumina
ted. TheJP/Æis carnal and unholy, and must be turned from the Flesh
N to
 96 Of Free-will.

* ic is a great dispute to God by mortiscation and by /<w<?. And all this the Holy Ghost
among the Sciiooi-mcn, doth by Atiion, but not meer A&ion in genere, but by a suitable commu-
Egfc?Vinun ( fS nicarive Action, quickening, illuminating and converting, or touching the
Hope and Love,) do Sotll With love.
really differ ? fcithAW- jy -ph fisst essect of thjs reccived Influx * or w/ that We
dtTHS in i- i» Totf.tf.iio. 1 . . * jj .
a. 3. p. 472. s. Ww a- know of, is, The Aft excited itJelf. It is AUionxhzx. God doth suseitate
^"^tmlt" nnfSat the Soul tf>' and A^Jon next followeth.
AieMnd.Aiber.Richard. V. As there is a difference between a Sparks, or Candle, and a great
Gabr. Durand.vega.Eei- jMC2ndium or flaming-fire $ so is there a marvellous difference between
lml?e\%'diZe%Ts°wo'd the Souls ASions ( upon the fame Object and of the fame kind ) in the
vurandtif taut difangu degrees: As we perceive by daily experience. In a dream, the fame
cbarhaumi ififfi 2m£ thoughts stir us not up to execution, as when we are awake will do it.
diHingui sola rationt, non And a man that heareth a cold Preacher, and coldly thinketh over all
ImZL^lirimf^AM the fame Truths, and mentioneth them, and subscribeth and professeth
dient forinaiittr dtfin- them (asof the evil of particular sins, the need of Christ and Mercy,
gui, ut fintjpecus quaii- \ yet fee]etn no power in them; nor will all his knowledge over-
taiis divers* ; ttatimen ' Jr ,_ f r^L- t-v l l i t ■
ut non fiat du* res—Re- cornea small Temptation, or let him upon Duty 5 but he knoweth, and
aiiter antem "*in^™ thinketh, and talketh, as if he did it not. And at another time, when
rnæ^Eonavcnt ' vaienc. his Soul is Jufcitated or awakened to seriousness, the fame thoughts whol-
Suarez, &c. ]y take him up, and make him wonder at his former stupidity, and com-
£SST^KRE *** «■ with great facility.
stna\ cbantdti pravium: VI. Experience telleth us that usually this effectual suscitation of the
MlmVifmU limUfi Soul to more powerful lively apprehensions and Volitions is done by afit.
impUntatim ■ & quod table external means : As by a more clear and lively awakening Ministry,
virm follea disponet po- ^ f notable Providence , especially by surprizing sufferings and
ttntm secundum tnclina- * t-l- r u l • 1 - j j c • £ ,
tionem nature : & ita distress. A Thief when he is taken, or judged , a Fornicator when he
antequm chiritatis vir- js founci jn tne shame of his Sin, a Prodigal in Tail or want, a Drunkard
tute elevetur voluntas flu- ° J 7
Miter ad hunc amorem
consentanentn est ipsam animæ substantial* priiu natura eltvtri ad ejusmsdi inclinitionm per babitm aliqium n«n voluntati, fed fibi
proxime inburentem. ] Here is a venturous Conjecture, and such as may tell you that these men mate not Grace to be na
tural j when besides all the habits of Faith, Hope, Love, and other Virtucsor Graces in the Mind and Will, they hold a
general habit or holy inclination in the Essence of the Soul, and not in the faculties, which differeth from Loveand other
such Virtues, as ( they think ) the faculties of the Soul differ from the Essence (as he aster-explains it ): and is it that
is called, The Holy Ghost and the Divine Nature in us : which is the fame that Mr. Ptmblt held: An influx received from
God before our Acts I acknowledge : And that this received impress some way dispofeih the Scul to the following Act ;
arid that Inf.mts themselves may have such a holy disposition, and that th:s is some reparation or sanctification of nature :
and if there be more I oppose r.ot what I understand not : Eut the word Habit most properly belcngeth to particular habits
of this or that Act : f as Faith, Love', &c. ) And whether you will call this Grace a general Habit or a Nature, I contend
not: But I think that the founding it in the Esier.ce and not in the Faculties, falfly supposeth the Faculties not to be the
Essence ; And I think that ic differeth from the particular Habits or Graces, but as the natural power or ingenious disposi
tion of an Infant doth differ fi6m his said ingenuity when it is improved into habits ; which I think arc not another thing,
but the fame disposition advanced and perfected. Eut of this Ice each man ihinkashecan.
Bradwardine cuts short all the Controversy, and, faith, [ That as without Gods special Grace, Free-will cannot qver-come
any Temptation at all, so that special Grace is ( besides ail that is created ) Cods own Will that he shall over-come it. So
thac by this no man can do any more than he doth, or than God willeth or decreeth that he do. And so by his Opinion,
tffuhal Grace\s Gods Essence as decreeing, willing the effect; Lib. 2. c. 4, 5, 6,7. Yea he faith, that no man that is not
tempted can avoid any fin, without this special Grace, which is Gods Will that he shall avoid it. ] Eut this opinion is rare :
Gods Will is his Etfence and in it self simple and unchangeable. Indeed no good will be done but what he willeth : But
the question is, whether he doth not both will and give much true proper power to do that which is never done? and so
whether he that willeth not Good, orhatethir, do it always for want of power to do better. Gods Will as immanenr, and
considered in it self only a Will, doth not create or cause ad extra : But his Will as productive or really causing, which we
call his active or executive power ( and hedenieth it not to be productive, though he deny it to be any thing but Voli
tion, de nomine). And if this be all, then the questions of the nature and efficacy of Grace are ended; and Grace ex
iru Dei is nothing but his Will, what shall be, and a production of it by willing it; and in the effect ic is nothing but ilie
eing of what he so willeth ( Act or Habit ).
So /. i. c. 13. he faith, [_ That the Anxilivn fine quo millits ter(everat, & per quod pilibet perfeverat, est spirhus stnBus,
Vivina Sonitas & Voluntas, ] ( where he feemeih to hold that Dei Boaitas & voluntas is the Holy Ghost, the third Per
son. ) And /. 2. c. 9. p. 49S. helaboureth to prove thac no Angel or Man (in Innocency) can by the greatest Gr:ce
before his Fall persevere a moment without Gods special help, that is, G ds Will that he stall so do. So thac the necessi
tating cause why one Angel stood and another finned, and why Aixm finned, is, because G<id willed ir. And though he
holdthat Adam could not stand becauseGod willed itr.ot, yet he holdeth also that God positively willeH it; not see:ng
that he had made that needless. Read butKa;? dt Vol. Dei copiously, proving that God wiii^ch the Salvation of them tlac
art never saved, and you will see that no Protestants more differ herein than the Papists do among themselves. And thcie
is r.o reconciliation with them that hold that no;hing is possible but what is future, or no mm car, do any thing but what he
ioth.
or
 Of Freewill.

or Glutton when he is brought by it to the Gout or other pain and sick

ness, <jfc. have quite other apprehensions usoally of the folly of sinning,
than ever you could bring them to before, by any other the certainest
convictions. ...
VII.As we are certain by experience that the Acts called intellection and
Volition now, are such operations of the Soul as ever stir and.use the
Spirits, and we perceive both together as if it were a compound opera
tion, and know not by experience what any Knowledge or Volition is
which uscth not the spirits j so we find by true experience, that the
Jit/citation of the (aid Spirits (pi igneous particles) in us, much conduceth
to the suscitation of the faculties of the Soul: By which fervent speak-
ing,and awakening Providences do much : And also that they that have
clear and quick Spirits, are easiliest awakened.
VIII. We find also by experience, that the internal sensitive faculty
hath a great share in these effectual operations : For the certainest ap
prehensions of the Intellect.work but defectively on the #7#,unless they
are accompanied with, or stir up some Sense, AsseBion or Pajjion 5 either
Fear, Hope, Love, Desire, Delight, Anger, or some other proper passion.
And Volitions themselves are bat sluggish uneffectual Acts, as to the im-
ferium or command of the executive sowers or thoughts, unless they stir
up some Passion to their aid And therefore lifeless wijlies are common
with sluggish and unresormed men.
IX. The Spirit ofGod can,and we have reason to think,sometime doth
stir up the faculties of the Soul to holy Cogitations, Apprehensions and
Volitions, without any other means, known to us, than what the per
son before used uneffectually : And when means are effectual to sancti
fying Acts, it is principally by the operation of the Holy Ghost, and less
principally the aptitude of the means. .. 1
X« The first received influx ad acturn is not it which we call a Habit :
For a Habit is afixed promptitude to a&.
XI. An habit in the Intellect is skill, or intelleftual promptitude to
Act rightly and easily. An habit in the Will, is inclination, and love it
fels radicated, or aversation and rad/tcated hatred. And a habit in the
vital executive Power, is a promptitude and vivacity to the right execu-
ting of the Wills commands ( and first exciting it to act ).
XII. A habit insujed is of the fame Species with acquired habits, though,
it be otherwise caused, and of a more excellent use. And in both we
have reason to think that the Act goeth before the Habit 3 Though the
Holy Ghost can six a Habit by one Act, when acquired Habits are caused
but by custom or many Acts.
XIII. In the strict sense, as Acts so Habits are specified by their ObjeUs,
and are not found but in soch Species : But in a largerfense and less pro
per we may fay that there are more universal Habits, not denominated
at all from any sort of Objects, that is, the right Diposition of the Soul
to its due operations : But this is but an inadequate universal conception
of the same Habit, and not another thing I think.
XIV. A habit of the Intelleft about Principles is a Disposition to the
knowledge of conclusions or consequents: And a habit of thefVill ad
finem, is a Disposition to the choice and use of the known means j but not
strictly a habit to them.
XV. Motion tendeth to further motion. One Act of the Soul dis
poseth it to or furthereth another : And as water that hath got a Chanel
and is set in motion, floweth still the fame way, and fire by burning, the
more forcibly proceedeth to burn} so the Soul by acting,the more readily
holdeth on that course ofaction, N 2 XVI.
 XVI. The Soul hath at once more Acts than one, and upon more Ob
jects. As at once it underftandeth and willeth, so at once it operateth on
and towards the end, and on and in the means. But one of them ( spe
cially adfinem") is usually deep, and not observed sensibly by the Agent ;
And the other is uppermost, and using the fense and fantasie more, and
the Spirits, is easily perceived. And so a man in his travel, hath a
deep unobserved but most constant and ruling Knowledge and Volition of
his end or home 5 though yet he seem to himself seldom to think of it,
but only of things obvious in his way.
XVII. By all this its easie to perceive how hard it is to have the formal
knowledge of the quiddity of a Habit : when we have presupposed all
this before-said, 1. That the Soul is essentially of an active nature, and
as naturally contrary or averse to cessation or non-action as a stone is to
action : 2. And that it hath inseparably in its nature, an inclination to
Truth and Goodness as such, and to its own felicity : 3. And that it hath
multitudes of exciting Objects, and extraordinarily awakening Preach
ers, and Providences, specially dangers and sufferings, naturally apt to
excite the Soul into act : 4. And that it hath the use of the sense, and
sensitive passions, which things sensible are apt to excite, by which it
may be it self excited : 5. And that it hath a certain degree of necessity
of knowing by simple perception things received by the sense and fan
tasie 5 men may know much of Good and Evil, Duty, Sin, Danger,
whether they will or not : 6. And that the Will hath a natural inclina
tion to follow the Intellects apprehensions about Good or Evil, in its
Volitions and Nolitions ( though not always necessarily : ) 7. And
that the Soul excited to one Act is the more apt to another of the lame
sort : 8. And that a cursus aUionum with the fore-said inclinations, is
like a course of corporal motions, which strongly tendeth to continua
tion ; ( so that they that are accustomed to do evil, hardly do well : )
9. And that the potentiæ secundæ, the sensitive powers, and the Spirits
by custom attain the fame propensity to that way of action in them
selves, and so become to the active Intellect and Will, what the Chanel
( worn by course ) is to the Torrent or River, which with the natural
gravity causeth the continuance of its course that fame way : Or as a
Horse, trained by custom who hath got his own peculiar habit is to the
Rider: 10. And that the Soul hath its profound, or not noted Action
which is constant, and maketh so little use of the spirits, fense, imagina
tion or passion, as that it is unobserved, while it is predominant, ( such
as is the aforesaid intention of the end in the use of means : And doubt
less the Soul is never unactive an instant, no not in sleep 5 but hath this
kind of deep insensible action. It is knowing it self loving it self in
tending its own Felicity, deeply, secretly, insensibly, without using the memo
ry and imagination, to the Act 5 and this deep insensible Act is such, as
that a man may doubt whether it be not the very thing which we call a
habit:) I fay now, all these ten things being presupposed (which yet
are none of them commonly taken to be the habit of Grace, ) How
hard is it to us to know, what a habit is indeed beyond all these, and
what it is that it addeth to these ? We are sure that it is a Disposition^
Propensity and Aptitude to holy Action in Specie 5 But what that Disposi
tion and Propensity is, besides all this sore-named, it is not easie to
understand. And yet undoubtedly it is the Operation of the Holy
Ghost.
XVIII. How hard then must it be to know how much Tower, or what
kind of Tower ( and in what sense so called) it is that this' superadded
habit
 Of Free will.

habit containeth , beside all the ten fore-mentioned excitations and

propensities ? And whether it be properly called rower, znd how it difler-
eth from the potentia naturales .<?
XIX. But yet our great Disputes being more about the first act: of
Faith, which antecedeth the habit, than about any of the acts that fol
low the habit, the case will be yet harder, what that Power is which
the Holy Ghost giveth before the habit of Faith, as to the performance
of that particular act. That it sufcitateth the natural faculty to act
is certain : Therefore in order of nature it must be disposed or inclined
to that act, before it act. That the Soul receiveth the Divine influx it
certain : But no mortal man knoweth what that is. We commonly
conclude that ex parte Dei it is nothing but God himself By God him
self is meant his Act j By his Act is meant his Essence as in Act : But how
his Essence is always immutably in equal Act , and yet produceth a
world in time, which it produced not from eternity, and how the equal
Act or Agency of the Essence is natural, neceslary and eternal, and the
Effect free 3 How the Volition is neceslary in se, and yet free in every
termination and effect ad extra j How a natural-equal-eternal Agency,
can produce such wonderful diversity of Effects 5 And how Souls arc
(aid to receive Gods Influx, If it be nothing but his Agent Essence , All
these are past the reach of Mortals.
XX. And it addeth to these difficulties that we are uncertain what
use it is that God maketh of Angels in operating on the Soul. They
are ministring Spirits for the good of them that are Heirs of Salvation,
about the matters of their Salvation. It is absurd to think that Devils
( whose very powersul Operations on our imagination we surely feel,)
have more power to put evil thoughts into us, and stir up evil passions
in us, than Angels good ones. And seeing a Spirit is more active than
a Body, they that take the Sun to be a Body, and perceive that its
Beams and Virtue, of Light, and Heat, and Motion, is extended to this
Earth and incomparably further in a minuite, should not take an Angel
to be like a stone or staff, that moVeth no where but where it corporally
toucheth, and /"/ no where, but where it moveth.
XXI. And all Motion and Action hath so many impediments in the
vv«rld, and .all A&ive Natures (as fire ) have so strong a natural incli
nation to act when they are not kindred by a greater Power, that we lit
tle know how much of the action of the Soul is promoted by removing
impediments, internal and external : As they that dam up the water
all ways save one, do force it to rise, (if it be a stream ) till it flow
that one way. Embittering all other things to a Soul,doth much to turn
its thoughts towards God, and dispair of any delight or felicity on
Earth, maketh Heavtfn regarded.
XXII. Seeirfg all naturally-necesiary Concaufis, ObjeUs, Media ate sup
posed to the Ratio formalis of Power, (which is Relative ad pojjibile)
he that giveth or takgth away any vne of those necessaries, doth give or
take away Power, though he never change the Soul or faculty at all. And
this is called A moral collation or causation os Power ( not a moral
Tower). As when a man bringeth a Light into a dark Room, he enableth
us to see 5 or if he bring in a Book, he enableth me to read that which
else I could not have read : If he open the Windows, or if he cure me
of blindness , by cutting a Suffusion, &c. So he that preacheth the
Gospel to them that had not heard it, and God when he gave Christ
and the Golpel to be an Object of Faith, did make the natural faculty
to be more in sensu naturali, potentiam ad hoc, to which before it was
no power, but hypothetically only. XXIIL
 Of Free-will.

XXIII. The Will is not a Power of choostng Or willing an unknown,

good: Therefore it may be truly (aid to be naturally unable to will that
which the Intellect perceiveth n$t to be good. And he that giveth know
ledge to such a Mind, doth truly give more power to the Will, as the loss
of knowledges its Iosi of power. Though the Will it selfshould re
ceive no habitual alteration by it.
XXIV. We must not conceive of the sufeitation of an aUive nature,
as we do of the motion of dead matter, which ismeerly passive: But as
of that which is pajstve indeed from God and superior Causes, but active
in it self, and on inferiors 5 ( And I think like the Sun beams, passive
from no lower nature , lave by flop or refinance of its own acti
vity.)
XXV. As the Scotifis distinguish Passive (Receptive) Power, into
natural ( which is naturally disposed to the form received ) , and violent
(which is averse or opposite to the form) ox neutral (which is indiffe
rent), and affirm the Soul to have the first sort of pajstve power (na
tural ) to the love of God and supernatural felicity 5 16 the distinction
is sound, and their assertion is true as to the nature of the Soul in it self
considered, (for it was made to love God ). But accidentally by rea
son of adventitious pravity, it is but potentia pajfiva violenta : for the
the carnal mind is enmity to God, and neither is nor can be subject to
his Law. So that it is both natural and violent in several respects.
XXVI. As for the great question, what is a moral Power .<? I answer,
,1. Power may be called Moral ah obje&o, because it is ad mores, and
so our natural power is moral, and acsus humanus and aftus moralis are
4>ft put for Synonima's.
. 2. Power may be called moral from the way of esseUing it. And so
our natural Powers also are moral 5 not in the Essence of the SouJ, tut
in the Relative form of the power in specie vel individuo ad hoc objeftum :
For he that causeth or revealeth the Object, doth by moral causation
give us a natural power ad hoc.
3. Power is called moral, formally ^ In that of it self it is a moral
Virtue or Vice, Good or Evil : which yet could not be true if it were
but meer power: For morality consisteth formally and primarily in the
Will or Voluntary : And to be able to do Good or Evil, as such, is not
formally any moral Good or Evil, ( but natural ) : But Disposition is.
4. Tower is called Moral, Analogically and Reputatively, as causa
sinalis is said to cause, when it is called a moral cause, and the operation
metaphorical, or as he is called a moral cause who perfwadeth to the End
or Object. And so we take the word [ Moral Power "] in our question.
And so the received Impress or Influx of Divine Agency, as also the
habits of Grace in the Soul, are an Analogical Power ; because they are
necessary to the natural powers performance of the Act : And so the
sufeitation ( as received ) of a dormant active power, may be called
Analogically a Power : And the right disposition of a power may be called
a power: And the deep fore- described Aftion of the Soul, may be called
a power to other sensible Acts.
XXVII. Next to this moralpower, is potentia logica which is but the
name of Powergiven extrinfically from some other thing, without which
the effect will never be, though it be possible, and the Causes have
power sufficient. And the name of Impossibility de efeQu is oftner and
more tollerably here used,, than of impgtency as in the souse. So we fay
that whatsoever God willeth or decreeth is possible, and what he nilleth
absolutely is impossible : And thence some fay, That God can do it because
 Os Free-

be will, and he cannot do what he will not : And so we say , that in

fins* compoflto an undisposed or averse Will cannot love or will aright 5
when perhaps no more than a Logical impotency is meant, viz. That
these two Propositions cannot possibly be both true [ Judas is undispo
sed to Love and Justice] and [Judas at the same time doth exercise
Love and Justice 3 speaking of a predominant disposition. And this is
but a denomination of the fame sense, as necejfitas consequents vel logi-
cais, as distinct from necejfitas conjequentis vel ejfefti. And so we fay,
that he that is fore-decreed, yea or fore-known to be good cannot be bad ;
The meaning is not that he wanteth true power to be bad : But that in
ordinedicendi these two cannot poffibly be true, [ Peter is decreed, by
God, or fore-known to be a Saint, ] and [ Peter will not be a Saint
And this logical impossibility is meant oft in Scripture, asjoh. 12.30.
Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah faith, &c. not that
this hindered them : but logically d« consequentia, both these could not
be true [ that Esiia's Prophecy should be true, and yet that the Per
son prophesied of should be Obedient 3. And so the words s the Scrip
ture musl be fulfilled'] and [that the Scriptures might be fulfilled'] are oft
used, as to the inference. 1 ... 1 .
XXVItt. Thus by extrinfick. denomination and connotation, impotency
is oft imputed to the Agent from the incapacity of the Recipient : As
it is said, M^rkJ).^. That Christ could do no mighty work,, there, because
oftheir unbelief: When as this was not from a disability in Chriji to have
done it, if he would: But here iris first supposed that God hath ordi-
nately fore- decreed to do no such Worksi but where the persons were
ib qualified as to be capable of them 5 ' And then that the persons there
were unqualified : And so the EJseff was logically impossible, in fnsn com
posite. Thus we fay, That [God cannofsave Unbelievers, he cannot hear
the prayers of the Wicked, he cannot forsake the FaithfAl*] : *hat is, [His
Ordination and Decree supposed, logknlly such a thing cannot consist
with it in verity. 1.' ; 4; '}
XXtX, When something else, and not impotency ddtH ascertain an
event, by omijfion, or something besides Power aseertalheth the con
trary efficiently, yet the ejfcU is oft denominated pojjible or impossible,
and ascribed to foyer or Impotency, by a conjunction of this moral and
logical denomination. So we fay, That [Gods pure eyes cannot behold
Iniquity, that Cod cannot love the Workers of iniquity as such.] Not
for want of Power, but by reason of his perjeU Will and Nature. So
God cannot lye; Tit. 1 . 2 . And it is impossible for God to lye. God can
stot deny himself, 2 Tim. 2. 13. God canndt be tempted with evil, Jam. 1.
13. Sojoh. 10. 35. The Scripture cannot be broken. 1st. I. is}. Your
Assemblies I cannot away with. No wonder aMb if this be said of men i
As, I Job. 3. 9. He cannot (in, because he isb&rn of God. Not for want
of power, but partly he will not, and partly logically these cannot consist.
So of the wicked, Joh. 7. 7. The World cannot hateyou—
XXX. Oft times the word [Cannot] is taken politically, I cannot,
that is , I muff not , or I cannot lawfully : Quod turpe, impojfibile.
Gen. 19. 22. I cannot do any thing, till thou be come out. Act. 10.
47. Can any man forbid water , &c. that is, lawfully. 2 Cor. 13.
8. [We can do nothing againU the Truths] that is, by Authority from
God. » ' ;
XXXI. Oft times in Scripture the word [Cannot] is meant only of
that whicl1 a man cannot do without suffering, or loss, or diffieutly. So
4 rt 1
 Os Free-mil.

AB.\.\6. We cannotrdeny it,'] that is, without the shame of falshood.

Luk; 14. 20. I cannot come, ] that is, without such inconvenience as I
am unwilling to bear. Jer. 29. 17. They cannot be eaten,'] that is,
■without loathing. I Sam. 25.17. He is such a Son of Belial , that
a man cannot speak, to him , ] that is , without inconvenience by-
it. 2 Sam. 23. 6. They cannot be taken with hands,"] that is, with
out hurt. Gen. 34. 14. We cannot do this thing, ] that is , without
God.
XXXII. Oft times this inconvenience procuring unwillingness, this
unwillingness is named like impotency, and it is said, Men cannot , because
they will not. And so it is in divers of the last cited instances. Joh. 3.
9, They cannot fin,] that is, They will not. Luk. 14. 20. I have married
a wife, and therefore I cannot come, ~] that is, I will not, because I cannot
without this inconvenience. Neh. 6. 3. I cannot come down,'] that is,
1 will not. Gen.44.26. We cannotgo down. Josh. 24. 19. Te cannotserve
the Lord'-) for he is a holy Cod : that is,you are not disposed to do it holily,
and then he will destroy you. Joh. 6. 60. This is a hard faying, who can
hear it ?] that is, willingly. Isa. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her fuck?
rng- Child ?"] that is, will fie forget it? Jer. 2. 32. Can a Maid forget
her Ornaments? Mar. 2. 19. Can the Children of the Bridegroom
fali? Sec. Mar. 9. 39. Can ye drink of the Cup that I drink, of <**^
be baptized? &c. 39. They said unto him, we can,"] that is, Have
you Wills disposed for such sufferings, and will you go through
them?
And this unwillingness when it is habitual and prevalent, is it that is
commonly called mans moral impotency , as to believe, love, obey ,

t : . .
XXXIII. This impotency which is the moral pravity of the Will hath
divers degrees : And the fame degree of received help from God, will
not cure it in one that will in another. The godly have some of it, and
the ungodly more, and some of them more than others. But we use
to call it absolutely a moral impotency, when the indisposition of the
Soul is such, "as that none such ever do believe and consent without more
help of Grace than yet they have received. And we use to fay that he is
morally able, or hath power, whose indisposition is not so great nor Grace
so small, but thatsome in that case by that same help do believe and con
sent, though it be rarely. But that power is morally called impotency,
which no man ever reduceth to act:.
XXXIV. This moral Power is yet short both of Att and Habit ; For
a Habit is not only a power to A&, but to Act promptly, and easily, and
aright.
XXXV. By all this you may partly see how to answer the common
questions about mens power or impotency to believe , and to love
God.
Quest. 1. Is every man able to believe, and love God?
Anfw. Every man hath that natural faculty, which hath sufficient
of that sort of power called natural, to do it, supposing necessary con
currents.
Quest. 2. Is any man naturally able,without Divinesupport and concurse,
and without necessary ObjeUs, Concaufes and Media i
Anfw. No : no more than to make himself an Angel. He never had
such power in Innocency.

- Quest.
 Of Free-will'.

Quest. 3. * Is a man able to sin, if God Decree he stall not or able to * That ?otmia ptceandi
forbear (in, or obey, if Godfore- know that he will not 4 is of God, fee Aunoius
Anfw. Yes: for God is not supposed to decree or fore-see that he (hall dL*-"fcl-*M»7-
not be able 5 nay, if God fore- see that he will not do what he can, it infer- precepta suptnat*-
reth that he can. But the event is a logical impossibility 5 that is, it is not %*ff*st hTxit™"l
true that it will be. tin? iitsp. *hod r.on:
Quest. 4. Is the Intelleft truly informed, able to set right an habitually iff '//" "*"*«/™»
undijpojea Will f „ .. /jr«« vht*titm, &c. Ca-
if«/w. It is able to do that towards it which on a better disposed Will ^^J^fj10,1*
would be effectual : But not to produce the effect. have higher than his"
Quest. 5. Is a power not excited to A&, able to do that aft ?
Anfw. The question is, Whether a power not excited be a power ? Yes, 'vntmTtumdi
It is a Power, but such as will not act till excited. . . a^um fi*M 1 Mh *f
Quest. 6. Is that Grace which exciteth our Powers , another second ^rl%V^
Power .<? ]ubflantia>n, denominatio-
Anfw. It is the excitation of a Power i or a received impulse : Call it 2Æf^JJ^
Pawer or what you will, so you trouble not the Church with a needless /f«*i« f*ptrnat*rt.
wrangling about a Name, when there are others as fit. pSZum
Quest. 7. J/ 4 Habit a PoWer ? nee continetur intra vires
Anfw. It is somewhat not well known by man -? But we know that it ^ls/£"tmc^s'e,fin"
is less than the natural Power, in point of substantiality, as being but an naturatstuimm tmprJ-
Accident : But it is more than both natural and moral power, in order of ^''f*f* r P'J8- J*'
perfection to the act : For to be *£/e and prompt is more than to be meerly her^wantethsome ex-
able. plication of fupernatu-
Quest. 8. Is a hindered Power truly a Power .<? SaSiej assert s> idm
Anfw. If the hinderance be such as the faculty is not able to over- ibid. p. 39, &c.j Thac
come, it is not formally a power ad hoc : But otherwise it is. S2S£S£ fflfc
Quest. 9. C««» God make a man able without any change on himself, to do tntUlii aefiva, but only
that which he was unable for? , {S* r^tcOT«iv?rhaf
Anfw. Yes: If his disability lay in the want of extrinsick Concause^ the supernatural infused
Objects, or Media. - * <v, 1 £"acre 0J0Fai(|h J,"
Quest. 10. May a meer change of the Understanding enable the Will to facukyto°thatact,astiie
do what it could not do .<? fefculty f0 the t'fience
Anfw. Not what it had not a natural Power to do: But what it Thoigh y^they grant
wanted but a moral power or disposition to do it may in two cases, that the intellect is
1. If
tt j God
n. i-do powerfully
eii illuminate thei_ Understanding,
\k7-m s\ • and by rth»£&ftg«ft»£:
j- el'ence <s which yet can
Understanding powerfully operate on the Will : Or in ordinary cafes, do nothing but by the
if the understandings acts be clear and strong. 2. If the Will it self be And thus they
not obstinately before ill disposed. «/»»«»'*, which Dr.
Quest. 11. Is an unwilling Will able to excite or change it self? l""B'e denieth.
/V 1- • l • c 1 i- ■ • l i_ x f '• j / r , But a hard question
Lven in the point ot believing, it hath natural power and liberty troubieth some of the
to act otherwise than it doth, even to turn it self from the act of Unbe- School men, lecing faith
lief to the act of Faith: But being undisposed and ill disposed, it v>ill not £J 0$, XkT"?d
<fo that which it hath a natural self-determining /xjipw to do j till God "was so in the
affist it or turn it by his Grace. ^ fiist SIT?. Æ
Quest. 1 2. Crf« a#y believe that Will ? if that Faith continued
Anfw. 1. A man that knoweth not the Gospel, or what to believe, up- jg^Jj £CJ
on a general rumor of it, may wish that he had it, knew it, and believed whether God still cau-
it : And yet cannot believe it indeed, till he know what to believe. [e.d. " vv.hen,:'c £ffcam"
* 1 ■ 1 « *i n • • Mile 2S nc ui(i DCiorc *
2. A man that perceiveth not the evidence ot verity cr credibility in which must needs put
the Gospel, and therefore believeth it not to be true, may for the c»Wthen} l,P°" lome ex-
z ' ' J ception: They sav, How
it is silts bumana, but per
apppetitiam divintm, & Vtus omnium dominus efficere p*rt(l ut quis alim or.eidat fine ptcc.fi ( idm, ibid. ) Eut a furtl er
answer may and mull be given; which will be useful to the Case before us, when considered. Of which indue place.

O and
 Of Free-will.

and mutter wish he could see evidence of truth and believe it j And yet
is not able, till he see it. And a Believer that believeth it weakly, may
wish to believe it more strongly than he can. 3. One that consenteth
not to leave his lusts for Christ, may know so much of the wisdom and
happiness of those that can consent, as to wish he had such a ifill himself,
and that he were one of them : And yet may be morally unable, that is,
unwilling so to do. For it's one thing to will Chrrtf and Holinest for it
self and God, and it's another thing to will to have such a Will. A
mans own Will may be the Object of his Will, for fear of punishment,
and so he may wish that he had a better heart, lest he be damned -y when
yet he loveth not Holiness for it self. In a word, 1* He that willeth
God? Holiness, Christ, as they are , as better than all the World.
2. And that with a serious effectual Will, shall have what he willeth:
And he that willeth such a Willy as part of Gods holy Image, and for it
self, above the pleasures of his Flesh, shall have it, yea already hath it.
But a man may will such a Will, yea and Christ, and God himself in a
false notion, as minus malum, as not so bad as Hell, but left; amiable
than sinful pleasures , and yet be graceless , and undisposed to be
lieve.
The rest I pretermit.
XXXVI. The Intellect as such understandeth necessarily per modum
naturæ: And therefore as such, its disposition or indisposition ia not mo
rally good or evil ; And as it hath no freedom, so these habits or dispo- ,
sit ions are but the accidental perfections or imperfections of a natural
power, and participate of the natural necessity of that power : But the
same Intellect, so far as it is under the power of the Will, and imperate,
is the subject of moral acts and habits 3 and so as secondarily moral, they
are secondarily free.
XXXVII. To conclude, as Augustine faith, We use in common speed*
to distinguish Tower and Will:r and from one we say, Men are able, and
can do this or that: and from the other we fay, ihey will or will not.
And both habitual or dispositive and aUual willingness or unwillingness
is not called usually Strength or Tower, but Will: The Jf/// it self feath
its proper power to will, for it is a natural faculty : But its habits and
aUs are better known by the name of willingness and unwillingness, than
ofpower. If therefore men would do as Scripture doth, usually express
moral habits and acts by these their best known names, and when we use
the terms of Tower , Can and Cannot , would do it so rarely and ex-
plainedly as to be understood, that it is nothing but moral willingness
and unwillingness that we mean, it would do much to end all this Con-
troverfie. For he that is puzzled with the question ( unexplained )
£ Whether an Unbeliever can believe, and have power to repent : ~] would
quickly be satisfied if the question were [ Whether he be willing habitu
ally, or aUually to believe and repent. 3 And he that is stalled with the
question, Q Can a Sinner leave his Sin, and love Goodness .<? ] would easily
answer, [whether he he willing to doit ?"] Yea and [Whether he he dis
posed or inclined to it ? ] Yea and f_ Whether he have a natural faculty os
willing, which quoad potentiam naturalem can do otherwise .<? "]
A. "Tou have been so tedious and numerous in your DiUinUions and
<c Observations, that no plain man is able to follow you. Do you thinks that
"poor Christians must be puzled with all this, and lost in a multitude of
" distinUions, before they can know the truth. Whether a man can believe
*' and repent, or not }
 Of Free wiUi

B. I expected to hear y oar own mouth condemn you. jgtieji.i. lss

there any of these distigltoons which are unneceflary to the decision of
the present Controversies If there be, name it and Jay that by. 2. Is a
general and an ambiguous term better understood by the bare ambiguous
name, than by opening the particulars contained in it, and the ambigui
ties ? Than Catechisms, and Commentaries, even on our baptismal Co
venant, the Creed, Lords Prayer and Decalogue, are hurtful. , Do you
understand your self what you mean by your [Power'] and [Ca«]
and [ Cannot Repent ] without considering of the ambiguity ? 3. Will
it satisfie you, if we use your words \_Can^ or [Cannot ~\ what sense so
ever we take them in ? Is that all that you contend for ? Must the Church
be fired about a word, which neither Side much stick at, could they
have their fense of it ? 4. But the truth is, You open your own shame t
that must trouble the ears of honest plain Christians, with words which
cannot be understood without all this ado$ and will choose such terms as
have so many meanings, to confound, or bewilder men, and that with
out explication 5 and even in strict disputes, and not only in Oratory 5
when as there are plainer enough at hand, which speak the matter as we
are agreed. ; t ,.
A. " Tou tell us a great deal of habits of the Will, which are more than
*c Power (in order to ASion). But I find that some men of our Tarty
* ' hold, that there is no such thing in the Soul as an habit or disposition
" which is not mgerly a Power or an Act : They know no more.
B. The truth is, too many on the other side, who know not how
much they destroy their own work by over-doing, and use to fear but
oneextream, do harp so much upon this string, that»a wickedman is
able to repent, or hath power to believej qt can forsake his sin, that they
have ignorantly given you the ad vantage which you lay hold on, 1.T0 i
call Grace still by the name of ameer power, and 2. Then to disgrace
their Opinion, who say that God damneth men for doing that which * Mark what Pet. a. s.
they are utterly unable to do. rf'
* .. . * , , , ,. , ,. , , , ,. , pag. i$9. eie Chant. Dare
A. What is the advantage whichyou thinks we tak,e by this f , fuilitatm agendi speciat
B. * The greatest that you have against your Adversaries, t . By the ad'*,"rw'j "iff"* »«
tint you make Grace to be no determiner or the Will at all, habitual or s»hm agtndi ttttman
actual :< For Grace, you fay, giveth men but a power to believe and '"**«»'• So that prc-
a j r 1/ 1 J " •,, r 1 j Pcr habits by this are
repent : And 10 whether a man will use that power or not , and nothing but acquired
will actually repent and believe or not, is never the more ascertained which yet at other times
for Grace, if it give men but a power. For you leave it still to Free- Hatm^in ghodlib. 1.
will to -w/e that power or not use it. (I speak but of some of you.) q undetraketh to
2. And hereby you contrive Grace into this conception,' that it is but ^M^&^hToil'um
some common thing like nature, and as a man that hath power to sit, or though habitus be pour.
stand, or 20, may use that power as he will himself^ so all men where f" in a large sense as it
, •"•J1 » }. , ■ ■ r - - li l l r u taken fro omt prixct-
the Gospel cometh have a power to obey it, which they may uleas they pioaclivo&pasivo: And
will: Buttpthe Will it self Grace givethbut;this power : And if that he taketh the/»^«j4
were true that a habit of the Will were but a powtr to will, fair fall Vela* be 'more* reducible «J
giUS. *« »■' ■ potentials, and the wo./W
A. lt 'It's well you charge us not all with that Opinion 5 But I confess l am Jove's, ''the' difference
" not yet satisfied that it is false, and that the Will hath any thin? but power still in che dark. And
" and ait: But powerfaahtattth the ac7. hrger of it , and faith
J?. You may soy it facilitateth, because >it makcth itppjjibk, which is that a habit is [vi'nsi-
easier than that which is impossible ? Is that facility ? But mark. ZlTadZ?** f£
f.. Is that Opinion be true, then 1: Gods inward workings are not that it supposed! a Pw-
suitable to his outward means : For his means are TerswaQons, and Exhcr- cr not ,u^c'ent IO ric'
. • J j' * . tcrnune it I if to prompt
tations, and Mercies, and CorreU ions, which are not only to make men aod facile action.
O 2 ab'.c,
 ' Os Free-mil

able, but willing : And if they make them willing, they do in primo
instanti dispose them to be willing, and then procure actual willingness,
and then fix the Will in an habitual propensity.
2. If that Doctrine be true, then a habit hath no moralgood or evil in
it, it is no Virtue or Vice : And then there is no Virtue or Vice, that is, no
such thing as moral Habits, but only Acts. For no man should caH
meer power or in/potency, which is neither habitual, dispositive or actual
willingness or unwillingness, by the name of Virtue or Vice. It is not
goodness meerly to be able to do good, nor evil to be able to do evil 5 un
less as eating, walking may be good or bad materially by participation,
so far as voluntary.
3. If that Doctrine be true, the Will as a Will should be an unsanctified
or unrenewed faculty, further than it is found in aUion. For its dispo
sition is its holiness and rectitude.
4. And a man should have no Grace in his sleep, or when he is mind
ing natural things alone 5 unless you will fay, as I hinted before, that
sleeping and waking he hath still a Latent insensible Volition in act, which
is it that we call a habit : But if you acknowledge such a habit, ( even a
fixed latent deep constant act inclining to other holy acts ) the strife then
is but about a name.
5. It is certain, that the Soul hath in it besides power and observed
acts, a natural inseparable inclination. The form of the Soul is not only
potentia, but potentiaseu vis vel virtus inclinata^, Man is not only abit to
love good as good, and felicity as such, and sensible Pleasure as such,
but he is inclined to it. And if there be such a thing as natural inclina
tion or propensity, besides power and a&, then i. It is possible and pro
bable there may be a gracious inclination. 2. Yea and if the whole
Soul be sanctified, must not its inclination be sanctified >
6. Why else are we said to be New Creatures, and have soft and fen
der hearts, and to be made partakers of the Divine Nature ? Nature in
active things, is a principle inclined to aUion, aud not only able for it.
And surely a Divine Nature can signifie no less than an inclination to ho
liness and the love of God.
7. Whence can you imagine that a wicked man should rise every
morning so ready to go on in wickedness again ( that sleep doth not end
his sin,) yea that he is so obstinate in such acts, if besides the act he hath
nothing but a power to do evil ? If you fay that it is also a disability to
do better or forbear 5 I. You will extenuate his sin, by saying that he
can do no better. 2. Experience telleth you that his sin is sensuality i
And Appetite ( inordinate which ruleth him ) is more than Power ,
Impotencyor Act; It is also an inclination to that Act.
8. No doubt but each faculty hath Grace suited to its nature and
use : And therefore as the pttentia vitalis a&iva & executive, hath its'
power and vivacity, so the Intellect hath Illumination, and the Will
holy Love, in disposition and in act.
9. Lastly, The Scripture calleth that which is given us by the name
of the Spirit of God, (and I would the Church would hold to that
name, and fay, Men have or have not the Spirit of holiness : ) But the
word spirit cannot be judged to signifie nothing but power and *&. Yea
it isexprefiy named in reference to our three sanctified saculties,the spi
rit of Tower, and of Love, and os a found Mind, 2 Tim. 1.7. And
the Spirit of Love or Adoption (Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 18. 16,26.) is not
only a power to love : A Child hath more than a power to love a Father 5
It is a filial loving nature which is called our regenerate state. Aud if it
were only the Act also,why is it called a Spirit and Nature. A,
 Of Freewill* 101

A. 44 to confess the truth you have said much to prove that we have ill
** managed this Controverfte about Power 4»<^ Impotency, to repent and
,** believe : And for my fart I mean hereafter to use moll the common and
*' Scripture phrase, and say as to the efficient, that men have or have not
"the Spirit, and as to the efse8, that Power, Disposition, or Inclination,
*' Act or Habit, are things to us observable in the Soul, and that cannot and
" will not, muji not be confounded. And if it be moral or logical forcer
"that Ispeak of, 1 will mention it properly as it is in the effect or event,
" called Possible or Impossible, rather than as it connoteth thefaculty called
" Potent or Impotent thereto, left J deceive men : And I will let them per-
'* ceive an impossibility of consequence,from an impotency of sufficiency i
" For J know that when it's true, that logically in ordine dicendi it cannot
"be, (that is, be true, ) that \_God fore-feeth or decreeth that Peter will
** not Jin, "] and yet that s_he will fin ^5 yet it is not true that [Peter
** had not power to jin']. But Iproceed.

The third Crimination. 1

A. ** they make man so corrupted, and that by Adam's fin without his
" own consent, as that there is no good in him? But he is dead in fin: And
"so all menshould be utterly and equally wicked.
B. * The answer to the former might serve to this : fiat still I fee that * Meianct: Loc.com. <k
Names must be our quarrel. Is the question of the thing, or of the lib> arb- c.7. stfifttuy
Hame, whether it-be to be called Good } 1. As to the thing,' theydenv ZT^h^
ttot that there Ate first notices and common principles of morality in all «», ntcdtinnu m»ut
Wens understandings. 2. Nor that the Intellect is inclined to truth as f£fc£"!f£Z\ %
truth. 3. Nor that the Will is inclined to good as goods. 4. Nor that odoitt utvtm , nti de-
natural Conscience doth somewhat for God and Duty, and against Sin fi*», >.
,...... .\ »Ttni_ 1. "L ■ j ° •£f Ambros.rffVoc.Gcnt.
in bad men. k. Nor that a Heathen may have as much good as expert- l 1. c 3. Me .quit //>;-
enceproveth some of them to have had, as Antonine, Alexander D» *?r"r»
i 1 ^ .m i t . a - «u . ft libero arb. carere : qmx
rus, Cato, Ctcero, Seneca, Epiaetus, Plutarch, Socrates, Pluto, &c. 6. Not nu tme perdidit , qulnda
that common Grace when the Gospel cometh may prepare them for spe- ditbtUwUattitft didit,
cialCfrace, and make them almost sanctified Believers. In a word, al- d^avatmt^to^abu.
most all agree, that r. Nature, as now upheld by Mercy, may have'*«: No* mm b»m*vih
all the good aforesaid, a. That common Grace with the Gospel may tS2^ZStV?aSL
go further. 3. And that it prepareth for special saving Grace. If you ? ditbit [poiiaretur s cm
deny this, you accuse them contrary to the fullest evidence that you wJ-1r homr ad t"ul'*
l v» 1 -in. 1 ■ .n • it f 1 1 1 redttnon alum a crtttur
could expect, whilst our Brttijh Divines at Dort tell you so largely how substantia, sedudtm qu*
far universal or common Grace goeth in this preparing work •■, and when f"™
there are such a multitude of Treatises, written by the strictest English
u4ntiarminians on two Subjects, 1. Of preparation to Conversion. 2.H0W
far an Hypocrite ( or unregenerate Person ) may go in Christianity,
( the Title of one of Perkins's Books. )
2. But if it be de nomine, whether this may be called good, it is a
question unfit to trouble the Church with. All are agreed that is ma
terially something commanded by God, partly conformable to the Law
of Nature or Scripture, and that it tendeth towards the well- fare of him
that hath it, and of others, and is better than its contrary. But if we
must set up a metaphysical Theater to dispute de ratione Boni, by that time
(on as good reason) we have prosecuted our disputes de ratione entis,unu
its & veri also, we may fall out with all that agree not,in Suare% his Meta-
jjhysicks, or at least in Aquinas or Buridanes's Ethicks.' I pray you begin
your self, and tell me what is bonunt, goodness, iri your question J! :
Mi \
 Of Free-mil.

A. " Tou stall not tempt me into so difficult a metaphysical or moral dis-
" pute, xohichlkjtove the learned art so little agreed in : For you would but
" make use os it to insult over me.
B. And yet is this one of your Accusations of your Brethren, that they
agree not with you in the sense of such a word,as you dare not definitive
ly tell your own sense of}
Moral good in man is his conformity to the holy regulating Will of
God, by resignation of our selves to him as our Owner, subjection to
him as our Ruler, and love to him as our End, or perfect Good, with all
the exercise of these. Now, i. In the strictest sense, men soy, Bonum
e$l ex causts integrity and so where there is any sin, there is not good in
that senses that is, unmixed perfeft good : And in that (with a more
transcendent) sense Christ faith, That none is good Jave God only : I hope
you will not quarrel with him for it. And yet the Papists commonly re
proach the Protestants, as teaching that all that we do is sin, and no good,
because we fay that all is mixt with sin, and imperfectly good. I profess
for my self, that I never loved, trusted, feared, obeyed God in all my
life without imperfection : And I take that intersection of my love to
God, &c. to be the great and grievous sin of my Soul j so that I groan
out all my days ; the last dying-words of Arch-bishop Dflier, Lord, for~
give my Sins of Omijjion 5 And if the School-men almost agree, that mo
ral evil is privatio boni, me-thinks a Papitf should hardly dream that his
greatest Faith and Love have no degree of such privation.
•,a. But as the word [Good"] signifieth that which \ssincerely so though
impersectly, being more predominant in heart and life, than the contrary
evil, and proveth the persons acceptation with God, and right to Salva
tion, and is the imperfect Jtnage of Gods holiness repaired, so all and
only the fanctified are good.
3. But in the third sense, as goodness signifieth, such Inclinations and
Actions as are good but in a low degree, and bodpredominantly 5 so none
deny but bad men have some good Inclinations and Actions. And de no-
mine here Divines agree not, either ProteSiants ox Papists : some (" and
most commonly ) call all such Actions good in their degree 5 Others fay,
That quiafinis deest, none ofit is to be called properly good. It may end
all, to fay that it is good analogically, as accidens is ens : orsecundum quid,
though not simplicitcr. •*

. c '-. .

' . 'I be
 Os Free<n>ill>

The fourth Crimination.

A. * " they damn multitudes of Infantsfor Original Sin,which they could * so do the fesultes, as
" not avoid j yea and the Adult too as necessitated by it to sin, for the pre- y°u may see in Vafait.in.
" vention or cure of which they have no remedy 3 especially all the Heathen u ^ * *3' & W**
u World, in comparison of which, from Adam's days till now the rest are very
''few : so that they make the World to he made or horn purposelyfor unavoid-
** able damnation in Hell fire.
B. Here are several things which must be distinctly spoken to, I. Of
Infants. H. Of the state of the Heathen World. III. Of the necessity
of sinning. IV. Of the necessity of punishment for sin. Of these in
order. " '
1. For the case of Infants, there are three questions to be handled,
i. Whether they have Original Sin? a. Whether they are worthy of
punishment for it ? 3. Whether they are punished for it, and how many,
and how >
1. For the first, I have proved in a peculiar Disputation, that Infants
have Original Sin, that is, moral Pravity in disposition, with their par
ticipation in the guilt of Adam's fmt as being seminallyand virtually in
him. And I find you not yet denying it.
2. For the second, no Christian doubteth, I think, but that all sin
defer veth punishment 5 But the desert of Actual Sin and of Original Sin
are as different as the nature of the sin. Habitual or Dispositive Pravity
is a Dispositive preparation or worthiness' of punishment: And actual
Sin, is an actual preparation for it, but all deserve it 3 that is, are Sub
jects morally fit for it, to demonstrate holy Justice.
3. For the third, Scripture and experience put it past controversie4
that Infantssujser .• For, 1. They are deprived ofthe Spirit of Holiness, ^
as quickly appeareth by their early practice. Which privation is the
greatest punishment here. a. They are hereupon left to the power of
their own Corruption 3 which desertion is a grievous punishment.
3. They have pain and sorrow. 4. And they die.
And if they have all this suffering here, it is unlikely that they are
wholly free hereafter, ifnot pardoned : Because, 1. They have immor
tal Souls that are capable, a. And future as well as temporal death et
misery is the wages of sin.
And that their suffering is for sin , is undoubted , from Rom. 5, &c.
And the Velagians scarce deny but that Adam'sfin caused it. And if it
be proved that they have moral pravity, or sin of their own, then it is
for their own sin. And if so, it is their own punishment.
All the doubt then is, Whether all Infants are forgiven. And for that,
1. We fee that the temporal punishment is not forgiven them. a. We
see as soon as they come to action, that to many at least, the foresaid
penal desertion and privation of the Spirit of Sanctification is not for
given them: And 3. Without holiness none can see God. 4. They
that affirm it must prove it : which they neither do, nor can do. There
is no word of Scripture which telleth it us. How then should that be
part of onr Faith, which is no part 6f Gods Word >
If you fay that Christ7, being the second Adam, saveth the World from
all the fin and misery brought on them by the first Adam 5 I answer,
i. Conditionally he doth: He hath purchased Salvation to be given
men on the terms of the Covenant of Grace, and all that perform the
Con-
 ■
1 04 Of Free-will.

'Conditions shall have Salvation. But 2. His bare Sacrifice it self without
such application faveth none, any further than to bringthem under the
terms of the said Covenant. It is apparent by experience,that Christ doth
not undo all the hurt that Adam did, immediately to all, or any one
in the world, no not till death, no nor till the Resurrection. Sin and
misery is still upon us. Infants shew as soon as they come to the use of
* reason, that they were not brought to the Innocency that Adam had be
fore the Fall. You your selves distinguish the Impetration from the Ap
plication of Salvation as to the adult, and the reason is the fame as to
Infants, though the condition be not the fame. Shew us a promise of
the Salvation of all Infants, and we will believe it.
5. Indeed they are saved conditionally as the adult are 5 and the con
dition is expressed in Scripture, [That they be the Children of the
* Saith Twijse cont. cor- Faithful, dedicated to God. 3 The Parents and their Seed are in the
vh. fa. \y>. c. y. De farae Covenant. And this is all that God revealeth of them. * •
UntilJflit*%v*l ^ut whether God do also, without a Promise, save any of theChil-
nobis o&trudh ■. Neq; enim dren of the Heathen World, or of wicked Parents? and how many?
dtntlm*1* %to";orum an<^ w'tn what Salvation? and also what degree of punishment they
t>ti in inUntii dtuiatts have in the life to come, we take for unrevealed things, which we are so
uJESm fsinpZl from making Articles of our Faith, that we take it to be prefumptu-
ciat Afojloius. Et am ous arrogancy to dispute it , and meddle with the Secrets of the Al-
/SrS^Sli mighty. The Papist, themselves are not agreed whether Infants have
tur. only the penam damni as shut out of Heaven; or also pœuam sensus .<? Jan-
Biu 1 doubt he be- r d manymore (yea most) have written for the first 5 andpete-
fnenderh the Anabaptists J , , £ , ,w n r i- i i ^ i
more than he was aware vius and others for the latter. But secret things belong to God.
of, when he addeth, ^. " We cannot prove that all Infants are saved, nor do nee presume to
tnhntibL rimistonem " tell you what Salvation it is that they shall have , But we hope the best:
ptecatorm & vitam*ttr- « j am glad tofind that you take the Salvation of true Believers dying
tits adminiimu"^- " Infants to be sure (by the same Covenant which pardoneth their Parents) ,
tisinus, non tmcu&tnti- " and that you do not peremptorily condemn all the rest.
6MMro^m$^: *• You know that the S)7nod of Dort have said the fame that 1 do of
Non credituris auum nibiitrue Believers Children, Art. 1. Setf. 17. and the rest they meddle not
obfiena:tt: If so, then to
mitU
them that die in Infan- WK"' „ , , , r , r,
cy, or yet are infants A. Lut I pray you tell me your thoughts, Whether Infants themselves
anÆled by BapTis? " do Per'fi f°r Adam'S sin alone ? And what remedy is provided for
which is not sound. " them .<?
B. The whole tenor of the Scripture putteth me past doubt , that
Pafre°nUtsSmiIt0f CearCr Divines nave strangely erred, by over-looking the common Interest
Let them that reject and Communion of all Parents and Children, and appropriating our
me in this.hear Auguflint, Original Guilt to Adams sin alone : But this requireth a larger Disputa-
tm quof, pucatis pen*, tion by it self. At present consider, 1. That no Text ot Scripture
lot obligation [ohm pri- doth so appropriate it, or make Adam only the Corrupter of our Na-
JwZ ikqu^bu ippn'ti turcs : But Only maketh him the Original of our Guilt and Pravity, as he
/*«, non improbabiiiter was the Original of our Nature : And so he only is the Original of our
^?}tZiT%L Death and Punishment.
ptecata pitrm in fiUos, 2. That the whole scope of Scripture containeth Promises and Penal-
pd" %"«?tCT7d *>". 10 Children with the Parents , for and by the Parents sins, more
testamintHmnovum inapi- plainly than any was antecedently expressed of Adam's Posterity as his :
Zpapr!cZaRe&au'a Yea the vcry Moral Law in the Second Commandment , and in the
pmntm etfi non 'ita. Proclamation of Gods Name and Nature to Moses , Exod. 34. 6, 7.
poflunt mutare natitram, which nothing but prejudice and partiality can deny to be a valid proof,
reatutamm obhgant ftU- n ^ i °r»- i:/-' 1 • 1 .11 , J ... % . A \
os. nisi gra'uiu gratia & of a secondary Birth tin derived to us. And he that will read the Sacred
mij-.ncordia. divim f»b- History from the Curse on the Seed of Cain, and Cham, of the Case of
Jjlmacl , EJau, Moab , Amnon , Sauls Grand-Children hanged, and so
on
 Os Free-will. 105"

on to Matth. 23. 38. [ On this Generation stall come all the righteous blood,
&c. "] And {_Hk blood he onus', and on our Children,"] with all the Pro
mises to the Seed of the Righteous only, and Threatning to the Houses
and Seed of the Wicked, with the reason of Infant-Baptism itself, 1 Cor.
7. f_Elfe were your Children unclean, but now are they holy ] 5 will
soon be convinced that we are born under more guilt and punijfment than
what we derive from Adam.
3. And even Adam's sin could not be, or is not made ours immediate
ly, but as we derive it from our nearer Parents: For our #<«f«re is no
otherwise from him. Why am I guilty of what Adam did, but because
I have a nature that was scminally in him ? And was it not proximately
in my nearer Parents? And can they convey their part of Adams guilt
and pravity to me, and no other ?
4. And few sober men can deny, but that the Children of some Glut
tons, Drunkards, Fornicators, dfc. derive extraordinary diseased, and
vitioufly-inclined temperaments from their nearest Parents.
5. And no peculiar reason can truly be given for our guilt or pravity
from Adam, which reacheth not to prove the derivation of the like from
our nearer Parents, save only, 1. That Adam only was the Original.
2. And in Adam we sinned under a Covenant that gave no pardon : But
now under a Covenant of Grace.
A. " If this hold, it will make ease the DoUrine of Original Sin, which
I confess to you that I have been inclined to doubt of, by your Divines
it fastening all upon Gods Arbitrary Imputations rather than from the Chil-
<l drensseminal in-being.
S. Doubtless they have much tempted Arminius, Epifcopius, Arnol'
dus Corvinus, Bishop Jer. Taylor, and others, to fay so much against Ori
ginal Sin as they have done , by feigning an ( unproved ) arbitrary
Covenant of God made with Adam and his Posterity, which was no Law
of Nature,nor is made to any other since, (according to the change ofthe
Covenant ) , and by which God imputeth Adam's sin to us,not because
we were in his Loins ( for then it would extend to others ) , but because
it was his Will to do so j As if it had been God and not Adam that defiled
our Natures, and made us all Sinners, by an unneceflary, if not un
grounded imputation. By which also they have kept men from know
ing their secondary birth-sin. * The Church of England prayeth not * ta&rfh'
for the Dead, but for the Living, when it faith, Remember not our lni- re"0„ Vtheimputacioa
qttfty , nor the Iniquity of our fore-Fathers : And Nehemiah and Daniel of Adm\ fin.j
were of the lame mind.
A. " But they fay that then our Sins would increase as Ages go on, and
" the last Age would be the most sinful.
B. Men will fay almost any thing in their partiality, while they look
but on one side. 1 . The Covenant is now changed which men sin under:
Not so as not to extend to Children : But it is now a pardoning Covenants, 9
And when the sins of the Fathers are pardoned to themselves, they are
pardoned to their Infants dedicated to God in the (ame Covenant, even
by the lame. .2. But where they are unpardoned, there is a certain sort
and degree of guilt increased on the Posterity 3 and so no wonder if
many Kingdoms of Heathens and Infidels feel it. 3. But as it is not so
much to have a nature essentially derived from Parents, and to be scmi
nally in them, as it is to be a sinning person, so the guilt proportionably
differeth. 4. And there is a pardon of some temporal punishments
which God giveth some bad men in this life. 5. And as to the punish
ment in Hell, there is a certain degree, that God will not exceed in his
P exe-
 36 Of Free will.

execution, and that humane nature, as it is, is capable of no more.

And a man may have many Obligations to one and the fame punishment,
as he may to the fame duty 5 and so a man is but hanged or put to death
that hath deserved death seven times over among men: For the ends of
punishment set the bounds in all executions.
A. "Well, but what fay you U the second'? the periling Jiate of He*-
" them.
B. If. I have said so much in the First Book , that I must refer you
thither 5 Now only faying, 1. That it is first to be considered what
Law they are under 5 2. And next how they keep it 5 3. And then how
they are judged by it.
1. Undoubtedly all the World is now under the Law of Grace, as
to the essentials, as it was made with all men in Adam and Noah, though
not as to the mutable part, which bound men to expect a future Messiah.
That Law was made with all Mankind, Ceo. 3.15. and is never repealed
to Mankind. The World was under it (as to Obligation) before
Christ's Incarnation 5 And Christ took no benefit from them which they
had. Clemens Alexandrinus, and ojther Fathers, erred not in this so
much as some have charged them to do : No man is now under the Cove,
nant of Innocency alone.
2. But how all men keep or break their proper Conditions of this
Law of Grace, as they are under it, he that knoweth every mania the
World, and all their hearts and deeds can tell, but not I.
.3.And no doubt but they are judged as they kept or kept not the Con
ditions of that Law of Grace which they were under. What difference
there is, 1. Between the Conditions to the Christian-Church now, and
the Jewish of old. 2. And between the Conditions to the Jewish of
old, and the rest of the World,I have shewed partly, Lib. 1.
But because many self-wise persons are bitterly censorious against me,
or any man, that fpeaketh of any possibility of the Salvation of any,
save Jews formerly and Christians now : I beseech the sober but to think
of this one thing, that Abraham thought there had been fifty righteous
persons in Sodom, even when God had told him how much worse it was
than other places. How many then propo^tionably did he think there
was in Canaan and all other Countries of the World. By which Abra
ham's judgment about the Salvation of others is manifest, though he was
mistaken in thinking Sodom better than it was. And I desire to be a Son
of Abraham, and am not wiser than he.
A. " Thisfeemeth plain truth, h$wever the World take it : And it is a
'■ wonder to me that any good man should take it ill to have so much ofGods
■ certain Grace acknowledged. But what fay you to the thirdpoint, The
necessity hence of sinning.
B. I have answered it to you before : I now add, 1. It is not a physical
necessity from the principles of Nature, but a moral necessity from the pro.-
vity of Nafure. 2. It is not caused by God, but by sinful man. 3. It is
not a necessity of committing all fm, or every particular sin, nor ofomit
ting every duty. 4. It is not an uncurable mcejjity. 5. God of his free
Grace hath provided the remedy himself, and tendered it in some de-
what cold comfort the Srees to 6' And ne appointeth to all men certain duties and means
Papists give to infants, to be used to this end,which they can use. 7. Therefore it is no necessity
and Wh..t i.susscicnt 0f being damned.
the Adult. But what remedy
I Heathens and Unbelievers .<?

B. The
 Os Free-will. \0j

B. The same that is for their Parents : They have no sin but by their
Parents, and God hath told us of no remedy, but that they be the Chil
dren of Believers dedicated to God. It is meet that their remedy come
as their sin did. They have no Wills of their own , but be at the
will of others. They are in Infancy, as if they were members of their
Parents : And as the Hand and Heart doth fare as the Head conducteth
them, so may Infants here.
, A. " But it's fad that all Infants shall be unsaved, if the Parents consent
"not.
B. It is fad that men destroy themselves : And it is lad that they cor
rupt their Infants. But what way else would you with God to save
them?
A. " Certainly tosave all dyingin infancy.
B. i . And why not as well all at Age ? 2 . Then men would be temp
ted to think it the greatest act of mercy in the World, to go with an
Army and kill all the Children of Infidels and Heathens, certainly to save
them.
A. " So you may say by the Children of Believers then , if they be
"saved.
B. No : for they have holy Education, under Gods Promise, Ordi
nances and Blessing, and so are in great hope of being publickly ser
viceable to the Church, and also of attaining a greater degree of Glory.
But it's an hundred to one but the Children of Heathens and Infidels, are
bred up to be also such themselves.

The fifth Crimination.

A. "They suppose that no man can do any more good than he doth, nor * jjhpd Htproitit »m
" forbear any more evil, than he forbearetb $ Because he is not only predesti- ^J^^j^f^jl
" nated to dojust what he doth, and no more or less, but alfa predeteimi- imnfSHlflum kbftlitt*
* ' ned physically in the practice, so that he cannot possibly da more or less f** conditiomum , quit,
" than God predetermined him to 5 And 1. Gods Decrees having fixed all^Tde plLtUufrt
"future events, all that man can do will not alter them; Beverovicius <>*>' ■ idem dicendum est
" may tire the World of Divines with his question de termino vitæ before he tfmefefst. ?*cart£
" will everget sathfaSion, how Vhysich^ can prolong a predestinated term Thom.Compend.i.q.»3.
«« oflife.And 2.By this means Godwhofit man upon a course ofimpossibilities and some
*' or vain means, with great tand urgent exhortations, is made a dissembler, Dominicans are liable to
** and his revealed mil and hissecret supposed contradi&ory, and the latter tfc k^pfolrfants™ and
"false : And how then cansuch a God be believed ? the Svnod* of d|« *re-
B. These are but the bold effusions of a misunderstanding contenti- iectet" ic»
ous temerarious passion. Here are set together several things, which
must distinctly be considered : I. Whether man can do no more good,
and forbear no more evil than he doth } II. Whether means to
lengthen life or save Souls be vain ? III. Whether Gods secret and
revealed Will be contrary, and the revealed false.
I. As to the first, this unhappy syllable Qc AN"] by its ambiguity
is the cause of all our silly quarrels. 1. If by [CAN"] you mean
f_a physical power or faculty] man can not only do more good than
he doth, but he can repent and believe who doth not. 2. If you mean
a moral power, that is, such a degree of disposition to good as may be
excited , or such an indisposition as may be overcome as to the act,
without any more supernatural Grace than he hath 3 so all men can do
P 2 more
 to 8 Of Free-will.

moregood and less evil than they do. And therefore the Synod of Dort
rejecteth your accusation as a calumny. And men should know their
own minds best. 3. If by [Cannot"] you mean only a logical impossi
bility that these two Propositions be both true [ Judas mW believe and
be saved ~] or [Herod will not be eaten with Worms. 3 And [God
decreeth that Judas shall not be saved 3 and [ that Herod shall be eaten
by Worms] I confess your charge 3 and fay that Arminius faith the
fame upon the supposition ofGods fore-knowledge. And how are you
concerned to prove God to be either fallible in his fore-kpowledge, false
in his Predi&ions, ot mutable in his Purposes. By this rule all Prophesies
take away mens power, and make it impossible to do the contrary.
But you mistake : For they assert mans power : He that/ore- kpoweth and
fore-telleth that "judos will abuse his power, and decreeth to damn him on
ly for abusing his power, doth imply that he hath such power—. But
—Ergo.']
tÆpd. col. shtdi.Lq.1- II. Eevcrovicius ( and other mens ) question, de utilitate mediorum
vncibus J**$s*» f»«J need no very learned Pens to determine it. He did well to make that
tamtn sic, ut h<e vivinum learned and pious Lady Maria Van Scmrman one 01 his Casuists. What
'r'$ 1 1 **^CTr!t^jcan be plainer, tnan tnat means are made most necessary, and also the
YiLd TffmfrTfo%im tl liberty of our Wills in the use of means, when God doth make this one
impieant midiantibus t- Decree j e. g. [ Peter shall hear, believe, repent freely but certainly, and
jfc"i »*1JdDm$ be saved. 3 [ Noah shall make an Ark freely, but certainly, and be saved
ptsmt.—si Divha pr*- from the deluge. 3 C Noah shall plant a Vineyard, and water and dress it
tS&SiSgZ™ due season freely but certainly and it shall bear him fruit. 3 And
non )uviturprecibHn quit [fore-seeing that Judas will freely betray his Lord, I will condemn
nuiim \m*m r Such a Sluggard will not plow and sow, and therefore shall
fedfidicMt divinm pro- have no crop, j L Such a man will not use any meet remedy against his
t*ia m 'm&nJtm ^£afe» anc* "*a^ die by it. 3 Its strange that nothing can please you
taufh^n'tfitCil, 'siTpr*. unless God be ignorant, or mutable, and over-rule not all the World.
disthatio )»vu*r pmibvfi \\\% I have made it plain, that there is no shew of contradiction be-
&opmbHs[anaorum. tween Gods and revealed Will. What contradiction is it to fay,

[ Judas, I command thee do not murder thy self, 3 and [ I know that
Judas will betray his Lord, and will dispair, and do that whkh tendetn
to his own murder, and for his sin he ishall be so self-murdered 3. Or
[ Judas will betray Christ, and shall be damned for it, 3 and [ I forbid
Judas to betray Christ. 3 Plainly, 1. About punishment, Gods revealed
Will in his Late, fpeaketh only de jure (vel debito) in forbidding it.
2. Gods revealed Will by Prophesie sometime fore-telleth that this Law
will not be kept 5 and Gods Decree is, that the punishment eventually be
inflicted : so that one speaketh only de debito, and the other de eventu.
And aboutfin it is but Gods fore- knowledge de eventu, and his Law de de
bito, that seem to you contradictory, without any reason.
But this belongeth to the first Articles, where you had enough of if.
before : And mans true power to do more good, and forbear more evil than
he doth, is so far from being denied, that it is asserted in all, and your
charge denied generally by the CalviniUs, unless perhaps by some rash
contentious Disputer of a shallow brain, who cannot distinguish be
tween physical, moral, and meer logical impojfibilities. You may read
the Synod of Dorts express renunciation of it, that man can do no more
good than he doth, nor forbear more .evil And do you know their
judgment better than they know their own? And will you go on to
charge them with that which they abhor ?

THE

1
 THE

Sixth Days Conference

%
OF

Natural Corruption and Imfotency , and Free-mil

BETWEEN

B. (the Reconciler) and (C. a.Cahinitf.')

B. We come now somewhat nearer the heart of the Controverfie :

Try here your contending skill, Whether you can make this
breach seem wider than you did the former, about Predestination
and Redemption.

The firH Crimination.

C. "Some of them deny Original Sin, and so make man need noSavi* mmdo&mimtm^t
" our to pardon it, no San&ifier to cure it, no Means or Duty on our part School-men and other
"for the cure, no true 'Baptism for Infants , no true Repentance for such 53? th3fthie byalS
" Sin j andso arc true Pelagians. » upon Gods meer wn».
B. I. Those s some 1 I undertook not to prove of the fame mind with Vtymm mt. e. 18.
j r> . l i *l • l -i v. it. makethour mem-
you and me : But let us charge no more with it than we can prove ginl- berfhip of Adam , and
ty. That's nothing to all the rest : The Jesuite.s and Lutherans differ not natural derivation to be
from you herein as far as I can find, nor the generality of the Arminians. "f°h°^of "he
Those that are chiefly charged with it, are Arminim, Arnoldus, Corvinm, Hand is to the Man.
Episcopius, and Bishop Jeremy Taylor: Arminius exprefly owneth it : ZlT/JuZg.lt'n .
Thes. privat. 31. n. 9, lo, 11. pag. 299. guoniam vero ratio feederis a mm anfam quis sum
T>eo cum hominibus primis mihi hæc suit, ut ft ipfi in favore Dei & Gratia, IfW'*!* tl" *'fi f'°rd
1 J 7 *•> * 7 allus fact at, facit&tpfe.
So Contarenus, so Eftim
truly in Rom. c. 5. n. Vlcuntur omnts peccaffe in Adamo itanqaam in principio & radict , generis humani, quoniam in lumbii
ijus trant quando ptecavit : ] that is, scminally : All which, and many more such, Rivtt citeth, as concordant to us.
Cham'ur to. 3. Paustr. I. \.t- 1. fed. 9. proveth that Bellarmint Peltamis, Dtlphimts, Cuntrtts, Alvart^ ytjqui^ &c. are
of the fame judgment with the Prottstants.
See Drelincourts Synopt. Controv. Ait. 64.
Sed quid tibi inmtnttm vtnit, ut Infantes folaimputationereos tjfe profittaris? Cum non mode in Adamo peccaret omnes fui-
Vtts, a quo naturam nostram accepimus, ut rationenaturxplufquam imputation Dei, peccaffe mtrito dicamur in Adamo, fed & con-
ditiomm mifere corruptam & vitiatam ab Us haufimus: Jwis. Contr. Corvin. p. 16-) c. 2. S; ib. p. 343. Cine peccatum Ori-
ginis, ex primo Adaptccato ([ed& cx nostro quipptqui in eo ptccavimtts omnes^ fluit. Et p. 544. At sic Adami peccatum imputart
pofleris —nofiri ad unum omnts negandum contendunt, (i.e. mera imputations }. in Adamo peccavimm omnts eandemq;conttgionent
contraximus Itaq; Adami peccatum nobisimputatur fed nontantum imputatur, [td& nostrum suit, hoc tftnattr* nostrte, &c-—■
Ut fxpifsini Twissus retie.
And Rivtt in his Vtcrtt.Syn. National, de Imputat. Vrimi peccat. Adami, by express citations proveth the concord of Pro-
te!lants and Papists about the very Imputation of Adam'% fin, and among the Concordanc numbereth/4> pag. 87. As
also Baldwin, Biochmand,T>iett)icm,Hmmws, Index, Meifner, Spangtnbergius, and other Lutherans : And GeU. Snecaniit, the An
cestor of Arminius : And of the Papists, a ^fgyd. Rom. "Dion. Cartbuf. Gab Bie'l,Cajet. Clarias, Tolit. Satbour, Joan, a Bonon.
Paiorir. Contaren.Billarm. Pertrius. Soto, Mnfetss, Vifner. Zilim , Becanws a Lapidt, Catharinas, Sic. , Betides the concurrence
of the Au'guflane and other Ccnseflions: And though with theS«f/W4M he cite tlie Apol. and Cwvinmiot the contrary, it is
ro more : And it is but this parto'f Original Sin, and not the Corruption that he cireth them as denying. And it is like that
other mensill exposition o. ir, is that nhicK they nieae, or at least which tempted them to it.
per .
 Of natural CorfHftion and Imptency,

per prœcepti ijlius & aliorum ebfervationem permanerent, ad pojieros dona

in illos collata tranfmitterenturt eadem gratia divina qua Mis obligat : (i
vero Mi eorttm fe ittdignosfacerent per inobedientiam , pofleri quoq\ ipfo-
ruttt Us carerenty & contrariis ntalis obnoxii effent : Hinc accidit ut omnes
homines qui naturaliter ex ipfis propagandi fuerint , morti temporali &
sterns obnoxios evafiriftty & dono ifiofftiritus fan&ijtve jujiitia originali
vacui : qnæ peena privatio imaginis Dei & peccatum erigimah appeUari
folet. An vero prster carentiam jujlttiæ Originate aliqua contrariaquali-
tas conflituenda fa tanquam pec cat i Originate pars alter difquiriper-
mittimus: ghumquam arbitramur vero fmilius iUam folam carentiam
ipfum peccatum Originate ejfe7 ntpotc quæ folafufficiet ad quævis pec cata aUn-
alia commHtenctum & proaucendum.
C. " Mark^ that hefaiths but peccatum Originate appellari solet.
B. i. But he disowneth it not. 2. He owneththe name in the next
thefts. 3. While he conscfleth the thing, the Us eft tantum de nomine,
if he had denied the name.
AlCoitiDiJp.privaf.Thef.ij. de Bapfif. p.tfft, 33$. he is for Infants
Baptism to wash them in the blood of Christ, and give them the Holy
Ghost. And he maketh this to be a washing from sin. What else should
it be?
C. " But he tah&th it to be but Privatio Justitiae Originalis.
B. i. He taketh it to be doubtful. 2. Remember that he calleth it
not Negatio, but Privatio. 3. Almost all the School-men, and most or
very many Calvinists fay the some ( though I do not ).
C. "But in his Articuli perpendendi in fine, lib. p. 78©. col. 2. he
"faith, that Peccatum Originis non est illud actuale peccatum quo Adam
"legemdearborescientiæboni& mali tranfgreffus est, & propterquod
M nos omnes peccatores constituti fumus 8c rei facti condemnations &
" mortis.
B. 1. Mark that heexprefly maketh us by Adam's fin to be Peccatores
& rei conftituti. 2. Sq in the next Thefts. An peccatum Originis ft tan
tum carentiajujtitis Originates & fanUimonis primœvæ, cum inclinations
ad peccandum, qu£ & antea in homine suit, licet non ita vehemtns, sque
df inordinata ut nunc eft , propter amiffum favorem Dei, malediSionem
ejufdem, & amijfionem ejus boni, quo in ordinem redigebatur j An vero
contrarius quidam habitus jujiitiæ & fanUimonis infufus (vel ingreffus,
acquifttus) polt peccatum perpetratum. Dub. Here he conscfleth also
a positive Original Sin in the inordinatenefs of the sensual inclination.
3. When he denieth Adams Act to be our Original. I, He denieth not
(for no Christian denieth it) to be the Original sin, that is, the first
sin and the cause of ours. 2. And he feemeth but to mean that Adams
Sin individually was not ours : which is most certain : For the fame
Accident cannot be in two distinct Subjects : If our persons be not
every one Adam's person, it is impossible that the fame individual sin or
guilt should be his and ours, any more than the fame individual Soul.
If God did arbitrarily (meerly bepause he would do it ) impute Adam's
fact to all Mankind, and to every one personally, this would make it as
many sins as there be persons 5 One mans Original Sin would not be ano-
thers, and none of theirs the fame quoadformam numericam with Adam's.
Adams is Adams, and yours is yours, and mine is mine. We cannot
therefore be heretick men for such doubtful forms of speech, in which
we differ among our selves.
The plain truth is, the matter is not so well opened commonly among
us, as to allow us. to condemn others till we have better done our own
parts.
 and Free-will.

parts. My thoughts are these : i. That we wereseminally and virtually

really in Adam ; having the very essence of our Souls derived front
him not being in him only as the House is in the head of the Ar
chitect, but as ^essential form is in the generater-, though we call both,
essein causa. 2. That we were not personally in Adam (thoughseminally)
that is, we were not natural persons in him, when he sinned. 3. God
siipposeth no man to have been what he was not, or done what he did
not : For he erreth not. 4. God is not the Author of Sin : Therefore
he doth not by arbitrary imputing of Adam's act, and reputing us to have
done what we did not, make all men Sinners, which Adam could not
do. 5. But God doth truly repute us to have been seminally in Adam,
and to have no Essence but what is really derived from his Eslence : And
as when a man is guilty, no part of him is innocent, neq--> semen neq$
sanguis, though they have not a distinct guilt, but participative qua partes
reij so we were Sinners in that act, and guilty of that act, so far as we
were partes Adami, and in him. 6. This was not to be at that time guil
ty as ditfintf persons •■> for we were not such. 7. But we that were then
only seminally inexistent, after became real diftinit persons, and then
that guilt even of Adam's fact, adhering still to us, became reatus per
sona, because the Subjects of it are personæ. Even as if Eve had been
made after the Fall, of Adam's Rib, that Rib at first was guilty, not by
another, but the seme numerical guilt that Adam was, as part of a Sinner :
For it was a capable Subject of no more : But when that fame Rib
was made a person, it would be a guilty person 5 For it lost not the guilt
by that change. But then it is not only or chiefly our Bodies which
are from Adam (which are from the elements in our daily food) but
our Souls. And therefore the adherence of the guilt to a rational spi
rit essentially flowing from anothers eslence, is more easily understood
and defended than that of the corporal Rib could be. 8. I do ( con
trary to excellent Jos. Flaceus") suppose that in primo injlanti, this our
participation in Adam's guilt is in order before our qualitative pravity:
And that God doth therefore deny us his Spirit first, to make us originally
holy, not only because Adam, but because we in Adam (-asaforeseid )
did forfeit and expel it. 9. I think that mens assertion of a Decree or
Covenantor God, that if Adam fell, any more should be imputed to hi«
Off-spring than they were thus really guilty of themselves, is the bold ad
dition of mens invention, of greater audacity than the addition of Ce
remonies to the Worship of God, which yet some are more sensible of.
10. I think that if Adam had not sinned that fame first sin, but had sin-*
ned another sin the next hour, or day, or moneth, or year, or any time
before Generation, it would have been equally ours, as this first was, be
cause we were equally in him , and no Scripture-Covenant makes a
difference. 11. I think that whereas Adam's sin had twenty particular
sins as parts of the whole, we were guilty of all, as well as of the first
act or part ; else we should not be guilty of his eating the forbidden
fruit 5 for doubtless that was not the first : His incogitancy, and non-
Nolition and sinful Volitions were before it; Yea I doubt not biit wei
are guilty of all the sin that Adam committed, from his first sin till the
making of the New-Covenant, at least. 12. I doubt not but if Adam
had never sinned, yet ( supposing the same Covenant to stand ) if his
Sons after him had sinned, we should have been guilty of it as we are of
his sin: yea had it been but our nearest Parents. 13. I doubt not but
that we are still so guilty of our nearer Parents Sins, further than as the
introduction of the new pardoning Covenant, and the oft pardons by if,
and
 Of natural Corruption and Impteney,

and the incapacity of nature, to bear any more punishment, may make
a difference. This is not a place voluminously to prove all this. But
if any Arminians be tempted to speak doubtingly of this Original Guilt,
while they confess Original sinful pravity, I . Blame your own additions
to Gods Covenant, and your obscure writings of the thing} 2. And
fay not that they deny Original Sin, but express the matter as it is. It
seemeth that Arminius by Feccatores & rei conflituti sum us meaneth as
we do.
C. " I mull confess your explication it rational and concilatory : But how
" canyon excuse Corvinus ?
B. See but how he defendeth Arminius against "Menus, as holding our
Original Sin to be truly Sin, and a punistiment for Sin, and you will
think that he denieth it not himself: See also what Twijse fiipposeth him
to grant, Cont.Corvin.p. 252^254. Indeed he doth two much obscure
and extenuate the formalem rationem peccati in comparison of the ratio
pœne in it. But I much suspect that there is much Logomachie in the con-
troversie, and that it is mostly de nomine peccati non de re. For I per
ceive some of them conceive ofpeccatum as a word that hath only an
a&ivesignification from peccare : And becausean Infant doth not peccart
a&uakter, therefore they fay that Original Sin is not strictly called Pec-
catum, meaning that the Name properly agreeth only to an evil A&. And
can a Controversie de nomine make a heresie ? Ask them these Questions ?
I. Whether an Infant be not animal rationale liberum, as having the
fame natural faculties with the Adult ? 2. Whether he be not then ca
pable of virtuous and vicious Dispositions ? 3. And whether these are
not bofium & ntalum morale *" If he be not capable os malunt morile%
than neither of bonum morale ? And if so, then not of Holiness, nor any
moral aptitude for Heaven, any more than a Beast. This they all deny :
and therefore must needs fay that their vicious inclinations are mahtm
morale, adapting them not only physically for physical evil, but morally
for punishment. And truly if they will call Sin such a moral evil, I
will not break communion with them about the sense of Peccare.
C. "But Amesius tells Grevjnchovius , that it may be proved by good
u witnesses that he denied Original Sin : which Dr. Twifle many times over
" and over reciteth contra Corvinum.
B. As the instance of three or four single persons is nothing to my
business, so I am no judge of any such Reports, unless I had heard the
witnesses my self I have had so many notorious lyes confidently repor
ted of me by men not contemptible, that it hath taught me to be back
ward in receiving any Accusations, and judging before I hear the ac
cused. Especially a man that writeth much is more to be judged of by
his Writings, than by Back-biters Reports.
C. " But Episcopius is no way to be excused, Nor Bishop Jer. Taylor/jwfo
M copiously plead against Original Sin.
B. Therefore they are not the persons that I have now to do with}
but have else-where as copiously proved Original Sin, and confuted
such Arguments as they use; But the chiefof my Arguments they touch
not.

The
 and Free-mil.

The second Crimination.

C* " They say that man before regeneration can do that which is spiritu-
" allygood 5 and hath power to use his naturals well,fo that by degrees he may
" thereby come up to a state ofsaving Grace , or be fitted to be a Believer :
" And thatsome can believe and repent that do not. Whereas the Scripture
" maketh men dead in sin, and out of Christ we can do nothing.
B. This unhappy [CAN"] I tell you is our Cannon that battereth
our Peace and Love and pardon me if I tell you as I did them, that I
doubt whether you understand well what it fignisieth. Tell me,
Jjgueit. 1 . Have not wicked men natural life <? Or are they dead ?
C. " No man doubteth of that.
B. J^ueji. 2. Have they not natural powers or faculties for natural
Acts?
C. " Nor is that denied by any man.
B. Jguell. 5. Is it not the fame natural faculty of Intellection by which
we understand and believe things common and spiritual ? And the (ame
natural faculty of willing, by which we love or will them both } ^ _«
C. " Nor is that questioned by any.
B. Sl»est. 4. Is there not such a thing as common Grace, distinct from,
and short of true Regeneration or Sanctification? ']
C. " Tes, we are all agreed ofthat.
B. Qpe&. 5. Is there any Nation or People in the World, that are
not obliged by God to use some means towards their own Conversion,
and to forbear their Sin"?
C. " No doubt of it, but they are obliged to perfeU Obedience, and they
*c arespecially obliged to repent, and usesome means thereto.
B. Quest. 6. Is there not such a thing in the World, as a true power to
do something that never is done, and forbear what is not forborn ?
C. " J know not what toJay to that : An hypothetical power, andfecun-
" dum quid so called there is : But of proper power I doubt. Dr.Twifle against
"Hord, li. I. p. 71. faith, [Suppose all men had power to do any good:
** If Godwill not give them velle quod possunt,— it possible that they
" should velle bonum, if God will not worst it in them. ]
B. It is a logical impossibility of consequence (nothing to the pur
pose) which also fore-knowledge would infer: But as to real power,
denominating the Object possible, it is a palpable contradiction, to lay
I have true power to do an impossible thing : when to fay I have power
to do it, and to fay, it is possible to me, are all one. Else-where Dr.twisse
can say, that Gods velle eventum is not necessary ad pojjibilitatem, fed ad
eventum. Do you doubt whether Adam was able to have forborn the
sin, and so sinned for want of power to do otherwise ?
C. " An obediential and pajfive power he had, andfaculties that were
"able hypothetically if God had predetermined \hemby premotion and
M effectual Grace : But of the rest I doubt.
B. We will not be diverted with empty words: A dead man hath
an obediential pajfive power ( as the School mean it ). An hypothetical
or conditional power is no power when the condition is not existent. If
you fay Adam could not but sin, you make his standing a natural impost
Ability, and God the cause of all his sin, whom he could no more over
come therein than make a World : And will men then believe that God
Q. hateth
 j Of natural Corruption and Imfotency,

hateth that sin which he uuresistibly causeth, and sent Christ to die for it >
and will damn men for not doing natural impossibilities ?
C. "Well! suppose (as commonly we do) that Adam was able to have
"flood .<? and consequently that there is a true power in the World that's tie-
" ver aUed.
B. <£uetf. 7- h no man by Nature with common helps and GracCable
to do more good than he doth, and forbear more sin7
C. " No doubt, he can if he will ; But the doubt is of his Will.
B. Jjhtetf.8. Is no man by Nature and common Grace able to wiU the
doing of more good, and forbearing more evil, than he so willeth.
C. *' His Will hath natural power ; but it is contrarily disposed.
B. SOjfest. 9. Can no man by Nature and common Grace, notwith
standing the undisoosedness of his Will, yet so far restrain or prevail
against his undisposed ness, as actually to iri// and do more good and lels
evil than he willeth and doth.
prtcipitur nobis bmt Q, « if Adam could haveforborn all ftny I must thinks common Grace
ex'noiu iluJffum\^d " to be no Grace, if by it a man could forbear noJin, nor do any good.
qua si fadamus mum b. Quest, io. Cannot every man desire to be happy ? and to escape
quod in nobis est, (emser Tjgi] >
Deus strum sic fuere
quod in (e est. Ægid. L,. Tes : For all do it tn Jomefort or other.
coium.QuodU1.qu.30. B> guest. 11. Cannot some men without Holiness, forbear Murder,
Nostrum est enim secundum Treason, Theft, Adultery, and pass by a Tavern-door when they go
Damtscenm [equi Vinm jQ >
ITTZluivoVmemVd C. " Tes 5 for we fee many forbear such sins : and therefore more might
mditim : undt Damas. <« d0 ft. /
Mjftfi'SS * ^ **• C*™<* such a one go to a Sermon, and read good
a- sine c)us co-operatme Books, when he goeth to a Tavern or a Play-house }
fonmveiu^PfLf: C- " Hobbes will fay no, who thinks that every Volotion is necessitated
in nobis autem tX , vet " as the motion of a Watch is by the Spring : but so will not I. He cannot
pemanereinvirtute&fe. « be willing to attend Gods Ordinances as the godly do j but he can will to
qu Vem vocantem, vel r »■ -t-
recedere a virtute quod est ftjc themjomettmes in his manner.
fieri in militia. &ft qui g Quest. 1 3. Cannot he by common Grace understand the meaning
ditkolw. Idem ibid. of the wwds heard or rea£j} remember them >
C. " Tes 5 and be a famous Expofiter and Preacher too.
'■ B. Qpeft. 14. Cannot a man by common Grace know that he is a
Sinner, and miserable by sin ? and that he needeth Mercy and a Savi
our }
C. Tes 3 or else he could not despair with Judas ?
B. Quest. 15. Cannot he think of his own sinful and miserable con
dition ? yea and think how to get out of it and be saved ?
C. " Tes : despairing men cannotforget it : And a wicked Preacher, for
" common ends, canforce his thoughts, woft of the year, to meditate on Gods
" Word, and holy things.
B. Quest. 16. Can he not wish and defvre that he had mercy and a
Saviour, and so much Grace as to keep him from Hell, and so make him
happy when he must go hence > And can he not by some earnest pray
ers speak out these desires }
C. "Tes: All men have not saving Grace, thatgo but so far.
B. guest. 17. Cannot a man by common Grace do all that which our
Divines commonly fay, an Hypocrite may do, or a half or almost-
Christian <? such as Mr. Perkjns, Bolton, Rogers, Hooh$r,Meadt Bifield, and
abundance more describe.
C. " Tes 3 they that haveso much common Grace can gosofar.
\ .
B.
 arid Free-will. \ 1
5
B. Quest. 1 8. Are not the best os these.men, by common Grace, more
prepared for Conversion than some others ?
C. "Te/.- else what good did that Grace do them? and why Jhonld we
<e write (as Mr. Hooker) of the Souls preparation for Christ ? and Christ
" told one, Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God.
B. Quest. 19. Doth God command all these men to use the means of •
their full Conversion and Salvation utterly in vain ?
C. No : it k notin vain, if he bless them to whom he will.
B. §>ue(i. 20. Lastly, Then tell me, if you acknowledge-all these
f C A N S ] or Powers, what is the power which you deny ?
C. ** A power to things spiritually good. ,
B. Ambiguous words must not destroy Love and Churches. What
mean you by £ Spiritual ? "]
C. " That which is done by Gods Spirit, tospiritual ends, and in a spirt-
" tual manner.
B. Here are three things : The Efficient, the End, the Manner. 1. Is
not the Spirit of God the Author of common Grace ?
C. * * Tes, that is not denied by any.
B. 2. If by aspiritual end you mean, the foresaid saving of the Soul
from Hell, you confess common Grace may give it. If you mean loving
and intending God above all, do not the Arminiansfay as well as you,
that none but the Regenerate can do it ?
C. " I confess they do. Qtum aflutilte fidei non
B. %. What mean you by a spiritual manner? If you mean it, of do- i£ tmnaitsani-
ing all from that love to God, and intention of that end, the answer is ft****, amp
the
mt Amf>
i<iiuc. v nemo prtftarepolfitjiifiper
gratiamVei, omntsautem
C. *' Man can do nothing of himself, without God. Gratia Dei secundum vo-
B. Did ever man in his wits think otherwise > Was it ever a contro- ^^vfitu^tm
versie, whether we have any power that is not both given and still main- apud se at ætemo b*b»it,
tained by God? All the question is, but bow God giveth it ? and not {JyJJtSKjS?
whether we have it without him. One thinketh that he giveth more by Ægid. coium. Quodlib!
the way of Nature than others do: And another thinks that he giveth *■ V* 29; ■pas-J"1'
,J . ~ i»i wn. 1 Cum bona habeant duplex
more by the way of common Grace than others do : Miltakenot your tffe, fcii. Ntturaie& ]».
self : you ascribe no more to God, than any even Pelagian doth 5 but ft™ff£k\ ^^m"
only he ascribeth more to God by the way of natural conveyance than fammbat quoad
you do. I only except the Dominican Predeterminants, that ascribe $ naturaie; »«» quod
jill mans circumstantiated Volitions to God. Lay therefore the contro-
Versie Where it is. fine Gratix pofsmu facers
C. " But we can do nothing without Christ and Grace. . h" ™ b™ :
_ ri. .11 t_ • i i_ mtreri per ilia, &c.
B. I am more for that than you are. I doubt you think that we can
do the works of Nature without Christ 5 For I find that many of you
will not have so much as Magistracy to depend upon him derivatively.
But all things are now delivered into his hands, and Nature is reprived
and continued by some degree of Grace, that is, of Mercy contrary to
Merit. But tell me, do men do that without Christ, which they do by
his common Grace ?
C. " The wordssignifie, [ Job. 1 5. Out of me ye can do nothing. 3
B. And do you differ about that ? Do not you before confess how
far men out of Chrisf as to regeneration may go ? Come to the point, and
tell me where you d iffer ?
C. " We differ here 5 that they thinks that God hath promised saving Grace
u to men prepdredby common Grace, and wesay, No.
B. Very good : Is all come but to this ? Tell me what is this to the
question of mms power or impotency ? This is only about Gods Word.
 I tS Of natural Corruption and Impotency,

Quefi.i. Do you not believe that God hath made it the duty of all
the Unregenerate, to desire, and beg, and seek his special regenerating
Grace > and use means to get it > and avoid impediments ?
C. " Xes : it is their duty ; otherwise the omijjion of it were not their
" Sin.
B. ghiesf. a. Hath God commanded them to do all this in vain ?
C. " I told you, that it it not in vain, if he convert but some few of
"them.
B. My question was not, whether the command be in vain, but whe
ther the duty commanded be in vain. And how doth one mans good use
of common Grace, prepare another man for conversion, and not himself.
It isfor himself that God commandeth and earnestly exhorteth men to be
T reconciled unto God. And is this in vain to themselves if they do it }
If they repent when commanded it is not in vain > If they use common
Grace in seeking God, how prove you that it shall be in vain? If you
say to your Servants, £ Come and ask me for youfFood and Raiment
when you want them 3, they would think that Command did not set
them upon a vain asking. If an able Phy sician that could cure a Disease
at his pleasure should say, [Take this Medicine for the cure of your
Disease] or [this preparative] it would be supposed not in vain.
In this Command God is both tLettor and BenefaUor : As Re&or, the
right government of mankind is his end ; which is not done by setting
them on vain duty : As Benefactor, the good of his Creature is his end
(as we may call it,under his Glory therein). And vain duty is an e^i/,and
not a benefit to any. If the King sent^to you to come and ask him for
He this readeth the preferment, you would take it to signifiehalf a promise. Now Gods
^rfof^^Sf^Pr^sesare strictly Obligations, any further than the notification
pematuraiity, (aud info- of his WtU, and giving the subject: a right, is an Obligation 5 wnere
% m Stile rcSto Gods Perfection is instead of an Obligation. And is such & Command
say,jhat they bring them [ Ask, Seek, Accept, 3 no notification of his Will that our labour fl?a/I
T ""man-0 teoaiT not ^ ' ' ^° not ca^ a Vromife ' But Kit nGt a signification that
the °i>M^"is4»i.pC Doth God the Rector and Benefactor of the World, will not let the performer
not jtlvtrt? set ^Gface \0fe niS labour.
^we^^hen1 he faith* C. " He lofeth not his labour if he get by it but temporal mertier, arid an
ti. 7. d/ff. 69. p. ao<s. « abatement of his fains in Hell.
&iuS&!ut fit S- *• Do y°« thus paraphrase Gods Command, [Seek for Grace, and
MtHriiii tiieui Ufaxi* thou shalt have Health or Riches : or seek for Conversion and Salvation,
™m^£$1L qZ and thou fo*lt h3ve an easier Damnation. ] This is still a duty that's vain
Cbaritas, vele)m tftus, as to the commanded Fnd.
fotllvhttZtwtV?- C " t confess it were not in vain if they could do it as he commandeth :
aim. vrob. attaint, M for God commandeth them to doit in faith, and spiritual sincerity, which
Qia contra mionm « ffa ca„„of Jff
Gratia eft quod fit dibita y
nature; tx to enim gratia
dicitur, quit gratis datur & non tx debits-^. And is not a mans Being and Nairn given him gratis & non exdtbito?
Indeed had he defined Grace to be quod datur contra n?ritum, the contradiction in the terms would have allowed this
game at words to be true : But words it is, and to no purpose, or else I cannot excuse it from blasphemy, to say that
God is not able to make an Angel or a4iy Creature in whom the habits of Grace or Love shall be connatural ? Prvttstants
Hold on the contrary, that some degree of habitual Love was connatural to Adam and the Angels, though not as essential
to their Natures , and so unlosablc : And that Love is now called supernatural , because medicinal supernatural
Grace must restore it to corrupted Nature. Kada the Scotist, Cont.x. speaks better of supernaturaliry : For my parr,
that which I fear in these high strains Of supernaturaliry, in these Papists Doctrine, and Sir Henry Vane's is' i-st it
should produce Infidelity and Saduceism ; And he that to day holdeth that the Love to God is so exceeding far
supernatural to perfect Nature it self, may to morrow hold that mans Species is changed by Grace ; And the next
day that it is more credible that mans Nature was never made to love God , or to be glorified, than to believe
that God will either make him of another Species , or give him another Nature , besides the perfecting of the
Nature created : Yea that God cjnnc t make a Creature that shall naturally love his Maker.

jr. Do
 and Free-mil. i

B. Do ypu thus paraphrase the Command , [ Seek Faith in Faith,

and seek Sincerity in Sincerity] that is [You that have not Faith and
Sincerity , if you have them already, seek that you may have them. ]
Did not you confess that they that have not special Grace are bound to
seek it in the use of certain means ?
C. " They are bound to do it, but they are not able.
B. Did not you confess that they were able by common Grace to do
the works of common Grace? and that in abundance of instances?
What is common Grace for, if they can do nothing by it ?
C. " It is equal to nothing, fdr it is not acceptable to God.
B. Did not you confess that it is a preparation to special Grace,and may
bring them nearer to the Kingdom of God ?
C. " But without Faith it is impossible to please God.
B. J5ut there are several sorts of Faith, and several degrees of plea
sing God. We grant that without special Faith k is impossible so to
please God, as to have Justification, Adoption, or any Title to Hea
ven, as the members of Christ have. But by a common Faith men come
to be less displeasing to God than grosser Infidels and Rebels; and are
more prepared for converting Grace. You know that this is the com
mon Doctrine both of our praUical and polemical Divines, as you may
see in their Books, and the Synod of Dort.
C. " But our Divines against the Arminians oft fay,That a man that hath
" but nature and common Grace, cannot use them well.
B. I am resolved not to be cheated by ambiguous words. To
use them well signtfieth, i. To use them in love to God as the Ultimate
End, and so none but the godly use any thing : And do not all the
Arminians grant you that ? 2. Or it is to use them so much better than
ivorserraen, as that they draw nearer God, arid are more prepared for
special Grace ? And do not all our Divines grant that they may so far use
them well ? where then is the drfierence ?
C. " The prayer of the Wielded is abomination to the Lord.
B. By [ wicked"] is meant, either one that is yet unregenetate as such,
or one that is actually set upon wickedness, progressively, and w not
about returning to God. Arid by [abomination 1 is meant, either that
which God accepteth not so far as to pardon and save him that doth it,
though he judge him more prepared sot Grace than others ; or else that
which hfc totally abfoorreth as being no preparation to his Grace, A
man that is nnregerierate may so far seek mercy in a returning degree yet
short of saving Grace, as that it shall not be in vain. Even an Ahab had
experience of this 5 And so had Nineve and many others : And why else
do you still confess a state of preparatory Grace ? Is Gods preparatory
Grace abominable to him? Doth Christ give abominable Grace? or is
preparation to Conversion an abominable thing ? a. But the Text
fpeaketh of a wicked man as wicked : He that goeth on in a wicked Use,
and thinketh by Sacrifice and Prayers to pacifie God, and make him
amends , his Sacrifice and Prayers are abominable. But wicked men
may have somewhat in them that is better than wickedness : They may
have such a belief that God is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that dili
gentlyseeh^ him 5 yea such a Faith in Jesus Christ, as shall move them
to that sort of repentance and reformation as that they shall be almoft
true Christians, and not far from the Kingdom of God. And the wicked
man that doth this, doth it not as wicked, but by common Grace. And
though it be so far abominable as not to prove him justified, k is not so
far abominable as to be all in vain.
 Of 3\£atnral Corruption and Imptency,

C. " But when you havesaid all, yet they have no Promise. ,
' B. I* You know, I suppose, how hard it is to understand certainly
many Texts of Scripture, whether they be Promises to such or not !
Matth. 7. 8. Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth,
&c. Lam. 3. 25. The Lord is good to the Soul that seeketh him. Amos
5. 4. Seek nte , and ye shall live. Luke II. 13. God will give the holy
Spirit to them that ask him, &c. I only fay that there is difficulty in these
and such other Texts. 2. But you confess that Cod hath formerly
made Promises of Church-Priviledges, and of temporal things to un-
fanctified men : Therefore if he did make a Promise of further helps of
Grace, to them that ,well use former helps, it were no more incongru
ous. And 3. Truly I understand not what it is that moveth some men
to be so much against such a conception, that God should make any
Promise of further Mercy, to the obedient use of former Mercy, when
it is so agreeable to his Rectorship and Bounty, and to the common in
terest of Mankind. 4. But yet I assert no such Promise : All that I
plead for is, that you will state the difference aright as it is, and not tmsr
report it, as if it were greater.
C. " Hove is it thatyou would have itslated .<? 1
B. i. You are. all agreed, that by nature man can do natural aUions\
and by common Grace, he can do the a&ions of common Grace j and by
special Grace, he can do the acts of special Grace. Are you not all agreed
of this much >
C. " Ter, this1 cannot he denied.
3.2. And you are agreed that the a&s of common Grace are such as
consist in a commanded seeking of, or preparing for special Grace.
C. " Tes, that also is agreed on.
B. 3. And you are agreed, that the beststate of common Grace is in the
nature of the thing, certainly and always , a state of preparation or
greater moral aptitude for special Grace, whether it certainly follow or
not.
C. " Tes, that is not denied neither.
B. The difference then is but this. One Party faith, That £ " God
" hath signified certainly his Will, to give special Grace to them that
" so seek it , by common Grace, as to come up to the highest degree of
"preparation: And that this signification of his Willis a Promise].
" The other Party faith, [That God by commanding such to seek his
" special Grace, and beseeching and exhorting them thereto, and giving
*' them abundant means and helps, doth signifie his Will, that they shall
" not labour in vain if they do it : and giveth them so much encourage-
" ment and hope, as that none hath cause of remissnefs by difpair, but
" all are unexcufable that shall neglect such means and hopes. But
" that this is not a proper Promise, because it giveth them not a
"right.]
C. " Ton have trulystated the difference : And I confess that if I were
*' comforting an afflifiled Conscience ready to difpair, Jshould tell such, that
" a Command to seek. Mercy, itnplyeth a certainty that he that soseeketbit
'■'■pall find it And if we could but say to men, as the people to the blind
"man, Behold he calleth thee, It would be near to a promise that he will
" heal them.
B. But forget not that all this is but your anticipation of the Contro
versies about Grace, or Gods Promises, and is no part of the Contro-
verQe about mans power or corruption.
 C. "But there is a further difference yet. For they fay, That mans
" Will hath power to resist the Grace ofGod, and frustrate it, which else
" would be effectual, if man did not overcome it. ,
B. You have brought the Controversie now to a strange kind of "
power, and further confirm me that this empty £ C AN"] is the sum of
the Controversie, which is nothing but a found. This which you call
sorter is nothing> but natural power as morally corrupt and impotent. If
it be non-agendo, that you mean they can resist, as by not-believing, not
loving God, &c. What power is necessary toit> Is it an act of power,
not to love God ? Next fay, that a dead man hath power not to live, and
a dumb man hath power to be silent ; and a blind man is able not to see.
If it be agendo that you mean that they refiji, the act as an act ingenere is
an act of that natural power which God himself giveth , upholdeth,
and by universal concurse acteth : and so far it is no resistance. But as
that act hath the prohibited objeft, rather than another, so it isfin: And
your meaning is that they fay, Man can Jin. And indeed is this the
Controversie ? Have you been blaming the Arminians, advancing mans
natures Power and Will, and now do you become the advancers of it ?
Whoadvanceth or praisethman more"? He that faith, He can fin $ Or
he that faith, He cannot fin ? Even now you pleaded, that men cannot
believe, and will you now plead, that they cannot choose but believe?
Is it a power tofin, that you accuse them for asserting ?
C. " They cannot believe withoutspecial Grace ; But they cannot choose
M but believe is they have it.
B. It's true : Because it is not that which we call special Grace, if it
cause them not to believe : And so it were a contradiction to fay, That
they have Faith, and they have not Faith. But this [cannot choose*] is
not an impotency £ for to believe is an act of power "] : But it is meerly
the name of a logical impossibility that these two should consist, [ He
believeth and he believeth not. ] He that by Grace believeth, hath
that natural power which of it self is able not to believe (if you will
call it ability} : But it is power determined to believe and so Faith is
become necessary, when a man hath it necessitate exiflentia. But the
asserting power to fin, and to be an Unbeliever, I will never charge on
the Arminians, when I would blame them for advancing man.
C. * * But it is a power to overcome Gods Grace, which they ajsert.
B. Read but Dr. Twijse his judgment of Refinance, and you will call
it no more an overcoming 3 any otherwise than a weight overcometh
my strength, which I can lift up, and will not. But I tell you, I will
not be cheated with ambiguous words. 1. Either you mean an aUivt
or passive overcoming. 2. And either you mean an overcoming of
Gods utmost exerted Tower by a greater Powers or you mean an over
coming of Gods Will, and his Power exerted with an absolute Will of
efficiency 5 or you mean the non-efficiency or non-prevalency of such
an Act of God, as cometh without any Decree or absolute Will of pre
vailing, but with a1 Will of leaving the success to mans free Will : ( as in
Adam's case. )
1 . Speaking improperly, you may fay that all men that are not soften- /
ed, convinced, converted by the means which God thereto appointeth,
overcome God, in that they overcome the means.
1. Thus in not- repenting, not- believing, not-loving, &c. the less
sower any man hath, the more hepajfively overcometh : ( as a hard stone
overcometh the Hammer that breaketh it not. )

3. No
 Os 3\£atnral Corruption and Impotency,

3. No Arminian holdeth that man is stronger than God, and over-

cometh his Power by a greater Power : Out of Bedlam none have such
thoughts that are awake.
4. None of them think that any Act of Gods Power is overcome,
or is unsuccessful, which is exercised with his absolute Will or Decree of
prevailing, or of the effect.
5. But they think that in some cafes, yea ordinarily Gods Will is
freely to exert no more of his power towards the causing of a commanded
act, than what shall give man a power to obey, with some assisting mo
tives, and leave the fucceii or effect to his free Will. That God doth
so sometimes, is proved by the case of Adam. Now whether you will
call this overcoming or not, and whether you will fay, Adam over
came Gods Grace, or Gods Grace overcame not Adam's Will, is but a
Logomachy. The thing in question, is nothing but finning against that
degree of Grace, which enabled man to have done better. But all this
belongeth to the controversie of Grace, and not of mans power : unless
you think sin a powerful honourable act.
C. " At leaff in this they over-value mans power, in that they hold, That
" mans Will hath power to determine the influx of God, andso man shall
" rttle his Maker : when Gods influx or premotion full but leave it to the
" Will of man^ what Jhallbe thesuccess.
B. This toucheth physical predetermination •■> andneedeth no other
answer than is oft given. 1. You wrong them ; They hold not all ( pro
perly ) that mans Will determineth Gods Will, either as to the essence of
the Divine Will, or as to the Act, connoting the meer Object : But only
that it can determine of a common effe&, which Gods and mans Free-Will
would produce if both concur. 2. They do not think that mans Will
hath any the least operation causally on Gods Will in it self5 but only
that variations are made by variety of recipient dispositions, where the
influx of the Agent is universal and equal: And so that mans receptive
indisposition may be a cause that Gods Influx work not the lame effect on
him which it would do on a disposed subject. 3. And they fay not this
of Gods absolute Will and Power, but of his power operating restrain-
edly by his own free Will 3 when he will exert no more, than what (hall
be successful only on a free concurring and disposed Subject, and not on
a resisting undisposed one.
Itpleascth God that the Sun (hall operate but with a common Opera
tion, variable in the effects, by the various disposition of Recipients.
The Flowers spring and are sweet, and Weeds stink, Trees grow, and
Stones grow not ; humanity is acted by it in men, and not in Fruits.
God could have made the Influx of this Sun to have been causa fyecialis,
and to have turned a Weed into a Rose, or a Stone into a Tree, if he
had pleased : but he doth not. Now will you say that we are erroneous,
and over magnifie the recipient, if we fay that its disposition is the cause
of much of this diversity? and that the stone is stronger than the Sun
and evercometh it ? No : the Sun did all that was properly intended :
Its beams came down on the Stone, as well as on the Animals and Plants.
It warmed it, though it did not quicken it. So God doth his work on
the Will of Sinners : His Influx is terminated on their Will, and had he
sent it with a resolution to convert him, it should have done it. But
seeing he sent it limitedly, only to enable a man to Will, and to concur
so far as shall prevail, if he do what his own Will is able to do by self-
excitation, its no overcoming God, if the man sin. Once more, I fay,
that men that fear God should be very cautelous what they fay in all
Con
 and Free-mil. X2t

Controversies which are resolved into the nature of Divine Voliti6ns,

and their way of efficiency 5 Seeing, 1. Will in God is not the fame
thing as in man 5 an Appetite. 2. Its own determination, and the way
of its determining us are confessed by the fubtilestto be utterly un
searchable: Saith Vasque% (in Thorn, q. 19. difp. 80. p. 503.) guo
autem paUo Deus fiipfum determines ad hoc petius quam ad illud, incjfa-
bilefane ejij nisi quod noliro modo intclligcndi intelligimus ejjcntiam Dei,
qu£ eft ejus voluntas, habere circa futura peculiarem rationem voluntatii
cum refpeUu illo rationis : Et ideo dixi, in hac controversy intelligi posse
certa ratiocinations guidnot ft : gttid tamen fit, & quo paefo voluntas
determinetur, explicari non pojfe : So that what Gods Act of willing or
•working is, besides his ejjencc and the effett, they all confess that they
are ignorant. And yet shall the more ignorant contend ?

The third Crimination. . • •

C. « they hold fee-will to good : that unregenate men have free-will Æ^V3*P?osefe£
" without Godsspecial Grace ; and regentrate men have free-will to do good That all men may be-
" and forbear evil, even when Grace eWeUeth not the event. " lieve if they will ; and
B. Ihis is an English Objection. What men that write in Greeks or traCtations-. But if the
Latin deny Freewill ? Did not all the ancient Fathers and Churches hold W'H of manb? corrV.Pc
■11 . et- ' ^ r l 1 n a 1 and averse from be
lt till Augustine s time, or whom we have any notice ? And are you licving , we justly soy,
coming to turn Christ's Body into a Heresie, or the members of an Har- such a man «nnot be-
lot by your charge > Did not AuguUine, Prosper and Fulgentius hold k > potency", ' moral* only]
Who denied it for above a thousand or thirteen hutidred years after which « to be distin-
Christ ? And do you deny all free-will your self ? V jffl^KS
C. " No 5 bttt it is free-will to spiritual good* ' " standing this, it may be
B. What need I tire you with the fame things again. 1. Read but "J* s?"J?
, _ -. . ■ J .0 , -. , _ may believe if they
what! said to A. of Free-will. 2. Arid fee the Table of it in the Se- will: And herein con-
condBook. 2. And pertisVwhat I have just now said of the power of r,Kvhe ™ura' L,berty
• tiT-n j -,,V ii- rr 1 of the Will : The mo-
the Will, and you will lee that here is no more necessary. Make not rai Liberty confisteth
new wbrds to seem a new Controversie. Put but Liberty for Power, and ™**r .in a sanctified
and the answer to the last Crimination serv'eth to this. which is good^whereby
C " The tenth Article of the Church of England ftith, £ The condition !t '« freed from the
" of man, after the Fall of Adam, is such, that he cannot turn andpre- $j£ "Jc^
tc pare himself by his own natural strength and good workj^ to Faith and find that Armimans do
'* catling upon God : wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant ^'T',*?1 th.esf: Tw'^e
1 it i t 1 r 111a against Hoori >• 1. »-:.•
" ana acceptable to God, without the Grace of God by Chrijt preventing
" us, that we may have a good Will, and working with us when we have that
"good Will. '/'''■
B. I had rather you dealt plainly, and kept close to the word of God, e
and evidence of Truth, than seek shelter from the words of those in
power. But what Jcfuite or Arminian will not subscribe to this ? Who
doubteth of it ? How oft do they all maintain the necessity of this pre*
venting and co-operating Grace? But by the words [no Powers
you must not understand no natural power or faculty, but no moral
power: For I. Else man is no man. 2. It is a moral Subject which they
speak of, and must accordingly be understood.
But what Free-will is it that you deny? Tell me what you mean by
Free-will ?
C. " Ifyou kjtow what Will is, and what Free is, you need no exposition :
" the words are plain enough of themselves.
R B. Thus
 Os natural Corruption and Impotency,
122
B. Thus do men strive about words that profit not, to subvert the
hearers, and increase to more ungodliness. Answer me these Questi
ons.
guest, i. Hath not the Will more than a Liberty Political, or by
Gods Law to forbear sin, and to do all good > Doth God forbid it ?
C. " No j he commandeth it, which is more than leave or licence.
B. J&est. 2. Do you think that the Will is forced ? Is it not a contra
diction to Will unwillingly eodem refpeUu ?
C. " Tes : we aU holdfreedom from compulsion.
B. Quefi.%. Is not mans Will a self-determining faculty or principle
naturally 3 so as to be Dominafuorum aUuum under God?
C. " Tes, under God j the understanding direStingit.
B. Qneff. 4. Hath not the Will power and liberty to choose evil, or
to sin, without Gods predetermining premotion ?
C. " I dare not deny it, though many do.
B. Quest. 5. Hath not the Will a certain command over the inferior
faculties respectively, and can move or not move them ?
C. " Tes : supposing it moved accordingly itself.
B. Quest. 6. Can Angels or Devils necessitate the Will by any efficient
predetermining premotion ?
C. " No : I think not 5 for its commonly thoughtso.
B. Quest. 7. Can any man by force or flattery necessitate another man
to will any thing evil or good efficiently ?
G. "No : They maystrongly tempts but not necejJitaU.
SLy^tfe'wSf"S B' &2efi' ®' Can meer °tf*8t9s fucn necessitate the Will to a coin*
actuated sT determined parative act, that is, to choose this rather than that, (de mediis) ?
1 will set down, though C. " To good they cannot : but I doubt of it as to evil , whether Obje&s
It^iLtm, 3?f«?Viyf " do not necessitatesome men, so that they cannotforbear.
p*in, »78. a fine, & b. Who made these Objects, and causeth their nature arid exist-
ab eo quod tpprebenditur ence >
sub tmri ratione boni, vo- ~Z ' j
Lmui Activmur & Ne- C. God made all things : Meat, Drinks-, Pulchritude, Money, &c.
"E%'adAfinm Tab *' Doth God then »eceJPtate *«* efficiently to Sin by Objects.
bis qit* non appnhendun- C. " JJay notso : For ObjeUs are not efficient.
mS Taulri '""Id'm B' Truc 5 as obiects theJ are not Therefore they effect not : There-
MttMtri \°AnMo autem fore they do not necessitate properly, which is an efficiency : Indeed
ptfftviohnuri.-Adfinm they are but cause quasi materiales aftus in specie sen individuo, and Confli
ct adivando nec determi- . . J n I -» . . . ~i . n r>* ,J rr a.-
ntndosemtver.Ad ca autem tute it, and no act is without its Object : But they effect it not.
qu* Junt ad fine», fatit C. " Doth not the Sun effeft ourfight by its light ?
'ltfri£$!im!m- *• Yes: but not as a meer for so it only terminateth andcon-
vare-. Quantum ergo ad stituteth it as the matter : But it causeth it efficiently as an Agent.
fSSTfti s:te C. « Well I I will suppose that so far as a wicked man is necejjttated *
potest: aliter idem fecun- "fin, it is his pravity that doth it circa objectum ( ut sine quo non ) and
df:Zj?atmJl" " *** *** Ohje&Ustlf<ffi*»tly ^din proper speech.
voluntas per Jt & direUe
ailuat stipjum : fed bonum apprebensum est quod causal Volitionem in voluntate : & quod aClntt earn. —Sed super bujufmodi Volition!
voluntat habtt dominium quia in potistate voluntatis est sisterevil non fifitre in tali Volitione.—Libert est quit cum intellects offers
ei, c. g fornicationem sub utraq; ratione, sub mala & sub bona oporiet quod utraq; confideratio fit Volita : ^ujtmdiu enim fiat in
utraq; tamdiuvult de utraq; considerare dtterminat autem se hoc modo : £hjt est domina [iij tclufi potest tottliter dtflstere a consi
deration unites, & totaliter injistere in consideratione alterim: Vel panft non totaliter dtsisttrt tb uno, nec totaliter intendere
atiud : fed magis esfeintenta ad unum quam ad aliud. Si autem totaliter desistat velle consider»e de inerdinttione, vel notabilittr fit
ttttntt ad confiderandum de dcletlatiout, modicum autem attendat ad inordinationcm, tune fornicatio sic apprebenst aclivabit earn
& causibit in ea volitiontm~] So that he thinketh that the free omission of the Wills command of necessary thoughts
is the beginning of Sin : But what hesaithof the Wills b.ing actuated per finim & non per seipfam needeth better explica
tion. Objects actuate but morally, that is, are occasions, and quasi materia d/sposita ad atlus termination* ; but it is the
faculty or t'orm that actuareth by proper vital agency
Et postca Qi;. \6. pag. 18?. Etst entitase^ediis reducztur in entitatem causa, nontamen dtfeCius reducitur in dtfecium e)*sdtu
causx . Non deficit causa, fed effcClut ille deficit a causa. E'.si non sit voluntas in aih nisi prius sit in adu intelleilits, nin fequitnr
quod non pofftt volnntas dificire nisi prites deficiat inteUtUm : Abfq; enim eo quod intclleftus Bale proponat volunttti, potest ft voluntas
dtterminare mile—y'a.. si sit intcnttcirctdeltftttiontm, non circa tnordinationem.
J.
 and Free-will.
— —i ,—,—, «
B. Is the Will efficiently necessitated by the senses or phan-
tafie >
C. No otherwise than as by the ObjeUs which they do present i
B. gueff.io. Is it so necessitated by the Passions } : _|
C. " / kpoxt) not whether I mayfay the Passions do it, or its own pravity,
" when the passions do disturb and ternst it.
B. i^ueji. if. Is it so necessitated by the Intellect >
C. " So Camero and several others thought , and consequently by the
'* ObjeSs : But 1 have many reasons against that Opinion quoad media, in
** comparate eleUions. But the IntelleU may necessitate it circa finem 3
" 2. And quoad media, in specificatione , etsi non quoad exercitium
"actus.
B. I. Quoad finem, it is not the Intellect that necessitated, but the
natural inclination of"the Will 3 Intellection is but a previous aUftne quo
non. 2. Where there is no exercitium aUus,x^txt is nofpecification.There-
fore you can only fay, Nonspecificatur fine dutttt intelleHus 3 but the Will
can prevent that duftum intellectus, if not suspend its act also after it.
Quest. 12. Can any one but God, by force, impress ill habits on the
Will.
C. " No : we were miserable if any could mak$ us wickgd.
B. Quest. 13. Will God ever make any such evil habits in the
Will.
C. " As a habit he may cause it, but not as evil.
£• J2*ift' I4« Do you think that a Sinner is necessitated to every sin
that he committeth, or to every Duty which heomitteth, so that he
could- not do otherwise? . . . >
C. " I thinks he is under a necessity of finning: but I cannotsay it ofeve-
rysm which he committeth. *
i B. You before granted many things to be in the power of the Will:
And can you deny that power to be free, that the fame things are in its
liberty: I wrll tire you no more 3 but desire you, I. To peruse all your
former concessions about mans power. And 2. To peruse all the twenty
Concessions of A. Confer. 5. Criminat. I. where he denieth Free-will in
all those senses, and then tell me, where is the difference ?
C. '•'■They thinks that our freedom is inconsistent with necessity 3 but
"so do not we, who thinks that Decree and Predetermination do necejfi-
" tate.
B. I have forced you before to confess your concord here. A Logi
cal necejjitas consequentis in ordine probationis, Arminius and almost all
men confess doth result from meer prescience. And Dr. Twijse profefleth,
that neither the Troteftants or the School-men hold any other necessity
to result from Decree or Predetermination.
C. " But the pravity of the wicked necejjitateth their Wills to evil.
B.i. Not to all evil : For 1. Men commit not all: 2. And you be
fore confessed, that men can do more good and less evil than they do.
2. The truth is, as I distinguished power before into Physical and Moral,
so must we do Liberty and Necessity. The Will hath its physical Liberty,
and is free from physical necefsitation, in all the sin that men commit, and
in all the good they do ( I think ) though not from all Divine predeter
mining necessitation to good: Men do not good and evil as Bruits do
their acts. But the Will hath a kind of moral necessity of doing
evil, by radicated habits, and hath no further moral Liberty, than it is
freed from the power of those evil inclinations. But these habits necessi
tate not physically, but morally, and that only tofome sm, but not to
R 3 all.
 Of natural Corruption and Imptency,

all. A man can act contrary to a good or evil habit, as common expe
rience proveth. But because mens Volitions and Actions are ordinarily
or much agreeable to their fixed inclining habits, therefore we use to
fay that morally such can do no better ; meaning that they will not..
C. " But sure you would not have me believe that there is no difference
" betwein us and the Arminians in the point of Free-Will 2
B. If there be any, either you know it, and can name it your self, or
you know it not, and then may be ashamed to contend about it. Slyest.
i. Tell me plainly, Is not all the Liberty which you deny a moral Liberty
a malo, from sinful dispositions of the Soul ?
C. " There is much dispute about Liberty front Divine predetermination ;
"But I mil not meddle any further with that.- 1 never contended against
*' any Free-will, but freedom from sinful habits , as supposed to be in men
" more than it is.
B. guest.!. Do you not hold then that all men have Free-will so sir
as they have effectual Grace, and Sanctification.
C. " Tes, in that degree : For voluntas per gratiam liberata est ft-
" bera.
B. guest. 3. Do the Arminians hold that the Wills of the graceless
and unfanctified are freed from smful habits ? and so are morally fret to
holy acts.
C. No, J confess they do not : Corvinus and others oft fay, that it is
" Grace thatgiveth us the vires credendi which we had not before 5 But some
** of them deny any habits to be in the Will : But thesefay the Understanding
** must be enlightned before we are able to choose aright.
B. gueil. 4. Doth not common Grace give men a moral Liberty to
common good, from all necessitating inclinations to the contrary >
C. Igranted it before as to Power, and therefore must as to Liberty.
B. Where then is the difference between you?
C. " I take it to be here, that the Arminians and Jefoites fay that tht
" Wills of the Vnregenerate are not onlyfree to common preparatory good
" a8s, but to the special acts of Faith and true Repentance and Conver-
^stonunto God, which we deny.
B. Either you mean this of all unregenerate men, or but of some :
1. Of all they fay it not : For the Synod of Dort chargeth them but
with saying that men can use their naturals , so as by degrees to come
up to Faith. They commonly hold, that ordinarily the Will must be
prepared by commoner Grace, before it ( morally ) can believe, though
such are freely Unbelievers, having a natural liberty or power to die
contrary, though undisposed, and have a moral power and liberty to
some preparatory acts. 2. But if you mean it of those that are come
up to the highest preparatory acts, and also have Gods Grace ad posse
credere, where there is the posse morale, there is moral Liberty so far.
But whether this be really any mans case, or how many, to have Grace
to enable them to believe who yet never do believe,is a Controversie which
I find not Protestants apt to meddle with 5 And it is too hard for us to
decide.
C. "That is the very heart of the Controversie, whether ever God
" give immediate Tower and Liberty to believe to any one,who never believeth
" and ufeth it.
B. Where do you find, this Controversie much meddled with, unless
by the School-men, who assert sufficient uneffectual Grace to believe?
But this belongeth to the next Article (of Grace) though here you
anticipate it. But if this must be it,I shall briefly dispatch it. 1. Adam's
instance
 and Free-mil. 1^25

instance hath already made you confess, that such a thing there hath
been, as Grace ad posse & non ad agere, called sufficient but uneffectual
Grace ? And your confession of all the forefaid forcers that men have
by common Grace ( to do more good and forbear more evil than they
do ) yieldeth that yet such afort of sufficient Grace ad aliquid there is.
2. The course of Gods Administrations, ma keth it seem most proba
ble, that some and many have such a raeer sufficient Grace to believe and
repent: For if Adam had such a Grace enabling him to have fulfilled
the whole Law of Innocency, it seemeth proportionable that the Rector
of the World give some such a Grace to fullfil the mediate Law of be
lieving and repenting, who use it not.
3. It 6 common W\t\\X}t.Twisse to cite Augustine with approbation as
laying, Fosse credere eji omnium, credere vero fidelium, and to make this
the great difference of effectual Grace from that which is more common,
that k giveth not only the Fosse velle & credere, but the Act.
4. But yet because we can know no more of Gods secret workings
than he difcovereth, I take it to be dark and dubious: But that this is
certain, that whoever wanteth the power or liberty of Will (moral) to
repent and believe, they are penally denied it, for not using that power
and liberty which they had, to inferior preparatory Acts. And you can
carry this Controversie of Free-will no further.
Aiid is it not then a horrid lhame,to hear honest people so seduced into
Love-killing factious sidings by their Teachers, as that Boys and Women
ipeak of wiser and better persons with disaffection and reproach, faying,
O he is a Free-wilier, or he holdeth Free-will, when they know not what
they talk of: but are made believe that it is some monstrous impious Opi
nion, making a man almost an Heretick t When even you that lead
them are unable to shew me any proved ( at least considerable) difle- i
rence at all. \
C. Are thereso many Books written de libero arbitrio between Jefuites
<c and Arminians, and us, andyet is there no difference <? \
B. 1. I do not fay that no man that ever wrote of it, hath wrangled ,
himself into any words of ill signification, or taking up any more than
is defensible. 2. But if the main Controversie be not Logomachy,
why do not you tell me what the real difference is ? It is not fair-dealing
to make me ridicuous for calling to you to name the difference, and yet.
your self refuse to name it, and make it good. Will you assert what
you know not, and accuse men without proof?

The fourth Crimination.

C. " They hold that the Vnregenerate are not dead infin, and void of all
"spiritual good. * LSLflafEr
B. Do you think that they differ from you herein > This was spoken thejr objections^*°uc.
to before. 1. They hold that the Unregenerate have natural life, and ««• & «*• * 7<
so do you. 2. They hold that their faculties are honum naturale, and "nd on him'
so do you. 3. They hold that common Grace is honum morale, at least
Analogically so called, and so do you. Indeed as honum is ex caujis in'
tegris none on Earth is morally good, no nor doth any thing that is
honum morale, because it is imperfect, and so our defective holiness is
not honum morale in that sense : But as good k so called from the predo
minant Will, the godly have bonnm morale: And as it is denominated
from'
 126 Of 3\[atnral Corruption and Impotency,

from that which is not predominant, yet real in the Will, theUnrege-
nerate in their common Grace have bonum morale. For common Grace is
not meerly quid phyficum, normeerlysin. 4. De nomine, whether we
(hall call this spiritual good or not, when we have a Grammar written
from Heaven, or by Apostles, we (hall have more mind to dispute with
you. But I told you once already, that 1. As to the efficient, it is
spiritual, that is, common Grace is wrought by Gods Spirit. 2. As to
the end slightly and uneffectually wished it is spiritual 5 But as to the
truest end ( the pleasing and glorifying of God ) predominantly and
effectually willed and intended, it is not spiritual. 3. Nor as to the
manner, if the exercise of such an intention be called the manner. Tell
not men that we differ, because you can bring forth ambiguous words,
and there dream ofa difference 5 but plainly tell me, Are not you and
they thus far agreed ? and is not this all that's in your charge ?

The fifth Crimination.

C. " They hold that man is not meerly passive in hisfirSi Conversion to
' " God, which is contrary to us and to the Truth.
B. When will the.Lord give his Ministers as much skill to heal, as to
wound? to find out real concord as to make differences in their Dreams
and Fictions? Do you think indeed that you differ in this point ? *
C. '* Qr el/e J must thinks that we may be ajhamed to jhew our faces to the
* T^JlM** with thi " people, if we make them believe that we differ when we do not9 andtkre-
other School men com* T, £. P i./f rt -
monly distinguish with byJtir up they dtjtait of others.
A&ytat the Grace £. The question may have three several senses of .pafiiveness, as man
lhvJZ?i"m\™K is considered , 1. In his Nature. 2. In his Action. And therein,
which after cum nobis i. In the reception of the Divine Influx. 2. In the acting thereupon.
?Z!»lJmMlœM Aadfo the questions are, ' i." Whether mans Soul bean active nature,
co-operanum' The first or passive matter only ? 2.. Whether mans Soul be meerly passive in
prrei"!"g' th.c *c°nd the reception of the Divine Influx ad avendum .<? 3. Whether mans
con-comitant;thefirstin- c . , r , rr • • c/i T fp m d T 11
fused, the second gover- J>ouI be meerly passive in its own first act of Faith or Repentance ? 1 ell
the8se™ndr Ad^w'"8' me' Are not these tfiree distinct questions > And are they not all that
of whkh fee K^LT/n you can devise? ( unless you will make another, whether we are merly
z*' d'tt- passive in the preparatory part ? ) And are you not now ashamed to con-
Alvar. 1*11. disp. i n5. tnat you need any answer to any one of these three questions,
p. 473- in omni Mat ar- I. All the world is agreed save the Hobbifts, and Somatists, and Saddu-
bammf^i%nituTdl CCJ> tnat mans ^ou^ 's not meer P*fi*ve stature, but is an aUive nature,
qua indiffnentia ftu po- inclined to Action , as passive Elements are to non-action : And that
t!^LP£Ltc'mium when God movethit, he moveth not Earth, Water or Air, butaSpi-
altquam tationm. Nam , r . }._ . , g. * : i t /• «
1. Lib. arb. cuatum non nt, whole nature is self-moving ( as fire ) under the first mover.
tr*ffmtia*m%'v)m~' II; A11 lhe world is agreed, that the Soul and all Spirits are not so
x. Exfutnatura est je'c'. purely and meerly active as God is, but are partly and first passive '-, and
"f^r~w* Kt* & »*-.that they do and needs must be receptive of the Divine Influx before
ftdmtJaft tikit,"»««« tney can act : For all Creatures depend on the first Cause, and both
tumen avto prjus ration. Being, Nature and Attion would cease, if Gods emanation to it ceased.
Trbo'. if.Vi. Vt\ And aI1 the w?rld agreeth, that no man before Conversion or aster doth
vrima gratia non datur any act os Faith, Love, &c. no nor eating, and drinking , and going,
5^«S«?f«f,iT: &c- but heis in thefirst instants/w as^influenced by God, before he
reniibits ut difinitur, Con- IS active. Who ever doubted whether phystce recipere be pati .<? Did you
cil. Aranfic.. i. Can-j*. 5. evcr know fUcn a man ? ,
fed fedintibns tn
tenebris & umbra mortis. ■
' in. au
 and tree-will. 127

III. All the world is agreed, that man is not meerly passive when he
afteth. An Act is an Act sure ! And to-believe, repent and love is an Act,
and an act ofmans Soul. And Scotits who thinketh that immanent AUs
are qualities ( as we think of habits ) yet thinketh that the Soul is truly
active antecedently to that quality. Where now is there any room for a
Controversie ?
C. "Tou would make me believe that we are very ignorant Wranglers,
" that make a noise in our dream, and will notsuffer others to rest ! Do not
4 ' the Arminians y^y, that man concurreth with God to thefirst a& of his own
" Faith ? yea that he maketh Gods Grace effectual. , .
B. You shall not again tempt me to anticipate the questionof effetfual
Grace, though enough is said before to it as far as this Objection is con
cerned in it. Gods Influx on the Soul is one thing : mans natural facul
ty receiving that Influx passively is another : And mans Act is another.
To thrust in here a general word f_ man concurreth "] and so to run away
from clear and necessary distinction, is not the part of a man of know
ledge. Did ever man yet deny that man herein concurreth as aforesaid ?
1. Man concurreth not to make his Soul, nor to continue it in being or
power. 2. Man concurreth not as any efficient of Gods Influx on his
Soul ad agendum. 3. But man receptively or passively concurreth as a
Receiver of that Influx. 4. And man actively thereupon concurreth
to believe and repent. Is not all this true ?
But you would tempt the Arminians to fay, that it is you and not they
that are herein to be accused ? For what mean you else, by confining the
Controversie to the first act of Faith, or to our first Conversion}
Would you make men believe, that a converted man is not as truly pas-
five in believing, loving God,&c. as the unconverted is? Must not the
holiest person be passive in receiving the Divine Influx on his Soul, be
fore^ he do any holy Act? You seem to deny this? and then you are
the person that err, by ascribing too much to man. If not, shew the
difference.
C. "There is a habit os Faith goeth before the first AH: And it is in
" respeft to that habit that the Arminiansfay we are aUive procurers of it 3
* which we deny. But thegodly operatestom a habit.
B. You speak a private Opinion of your own brain, against the sense
of the Concordant Churches. Where doth Scripture fay, that a habit
of Faith goeth before the first Act ? Mr. Pemble * faith so indeed : yet * \rin&, (*1tx-{
he sometime calleth that but a Seed, which at other times he calleth a
habit. Dr. Ames in his Medulla contradicteth it. Bishop Vownante
* hath written a large Confutation of Mr. Pemble. The generality of * intheendofhisTre*.
Protestant Divines contradict it , and thus ( with Rollock. de Vocat.) use ofvtrfeveranct.
distinguish Vocation from Sanctification, that they suppose Vocation to g^Jftfiflj,*^
cause the first act of Faith and Repentance, and Sanctification to give being passive as to opc-
usthe fixed habit, the act intervening. Mr. Tho. Hooker is large upon "SgS^^^J:
it, in his Souls Vocation. Will you start one mans Opinion, which Cal- « Ktfomati a fanioribus
-vinists and Arminians are against, and feign this to dc a difference be- *[» Scff[c"is dlf"fs
tween CalviniUs and Arminians ? And perhaps Mr. Pemble himself, by ment\m fudm exprimaJ:
his first semen or habit, meaneth no more, than the Divine Influx ad JJ^ n^^Jj"™^™.^
aSum received. I have before told you how unsearchable the nature araftod of opera-
of that Influx is, and how hard it is to know the true nature of an tionsof Grace, and ail
xt Uit. are drawn by Contro-
«3DIt. verfies too near cufiosi-
C. "But Mr. Pemble faith, It is the Spirit that is given before we ty, beyond their reach.
<e believe.

B. Awaf
 128 Of 3\[atural Corruption and Impotency,

2. Away with Ambiguity. By the Spirit is meant either the meer

received Influx of the Spirit ad agendum j and so it is granted : Bad
men receive the Spirits Influx to such acts as he moveth them to. Or
else you mean, the foresaid fixed Habits and Dispositions, to a ready
and facile ordinary Operation. Or else you mean , the Spirit given
relatively by Covenant, undertaking to be the Sanctifier and Preserver
of the Soul. In both these latter senses, the Spirit is not given before
the first act of Faith, to Infidels. They have not the fixed habits of Ho
liness, Love, Hope, Obedience, &c. Otherwise they were holy Infidels.
No Scripture speaketh it: nay contrarily itpromiseth the Spirit as to
Believers, and affirmeth it given after Faith, Eph. 1. 13. Joh. 14.17.
££•15.26. Gal. 3. 14. &\. 6. Job. 7. 39. And that the Holy Ghost
is not given in Covenant to Infidels I need not prove, to them that will
not baptize Infidels.

The sixth Crimination.

* Yes, Pthu. and other C. " They hold that none are damned only for Adam's fin imputed. *
Etin haW^o £ A°d I think so do a11 Christians, or should do. 1. Of all the
medy, are excluded Ad ult there is no question. Is there any that hath no (in of his own?
gina" s!n.ryODlyf0r0ri'Ordoth God forgive all their own sin to the damned? And as to In
fants, i. Wise men should not vex Gods Church with matters no more
revealed. 2. All the Scripture maketh them members, as it were, of
their nearer Parents as well as of Adam, and as I have proved to you,
threatneth them for nearer Parents sins ( even in the Second Command
ment, and Exod. 34. ) as well as for Adam's. And all the world being,
Cen. 3.15. brought under a Covenant or Law of Grace, which condi
tionally pardoneth all sin, the not-believing of the Parent, is the cause
of the non-liberation or not-pardoning of himself and his Infant. How
can you lay then that they suffer only for Adam's sin ? 3. And sure
their natural pollution is their own fin: And the Church of England,
Art. 9. thus deferibeth Original Si« : Q " Original Sin standeth not in
" the following of Adam ( as the Pelagians do vainly talk ) but it is the
" fault and corruption of the nature of every man , that naturally is
" ingendredof the Off-spring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone
(C from Original Righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to
cc: ,evil : So that the Flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit : and
"therefore in every person born into this world, itdeserveth Gods
" Wrath and Damnation. And this infection of Nature doth remain,
" yea, in them that are regenerated, whereby the lust of the.FIesh, cal-
" led in Greek which some do expound, the Wisdom, some
"Sensuality, some the Affection, some the Desire of the Flesh, is slot
" subject to the Law of God. ] (Though I think that Text, Rom. 8.
speak not of the Regenerate. ) l
C. " Js include this Corruption when I Jpea^ of Adam's fin imputedt,
" And though the Article mention not this Imputation, Isuppose it was but
" through forgetfulness} and not that they denied it, as no part of Ori-
" gin al Sin.

E.
 S. * I have nothing to do with that, and am no judge of other j ^~ chmitr p str *
mens thoughts that are dead. All that I desire you to observe is, that to.'$'i. **'%/.fmtr
all understanding Protestants agree, that the sole Law of Innoceney stimtrn.&?tt.
[Obey perfe&ly and live} is not the Law that God governeth ^JSffS?i£SS
World, or any in it, by, since the Covenant of Grace was made, but Vol. i. & in matt.
all are under a law of Mercy : And therefore Parents and Children, t'S^S*
in and out of the Church, are judged by that haw which they were less for the impuc. of
under, and not by the Law of Innocency alone, without any remedying ^Jjjj j^AnVjWs
Law of Mercy. • enumeration of Writeis
for that imputation, Uf-
ftnf- Conat. &c.

S THE
 THE

Seventh Days Conference

Between oA. and 2?.

Os Sufficient and Effectual Grace.

s A . " Ton have made us hitherto believe that the Controversies about
£JL " Predestination and Redemption, are aU resolved into those of
*^ " Free-will and Grzce,and if there be no difference here, there can
M be none, there. Let us nono then come to the core of the Controversie, which
" is aU.

The first Crimination.

" I. 7£e Calvinists deny sufficient Grace, * and so make all men that
meant tnttby which a " are damned to suffer for meer Impossibilities, having no Grace to enable
man may be saved ,i and " them to escape Sin or Misery j And consequently that Adam's Jin onlj
tt°in q^Vafr. hu " »** avoidable , for which all the Worldis cast into a necessity ofsinning,
who. q. 23. diff.fj. a. " and none but a few eleB ones have ever had so much as the possibility
fom!°mA former " °f an> trHe rC**^- Tea m«V °fthem deV tU% Adam himsdf MAP
fin, God penally deni- " cient Grace.
eth Grace sufficient for B jne wor£j f sufficient! is sometimes taken, for all that is any
Faith and Repentance : , , K P , -". i j ^ sr • e
So Tojiat. in Mai44.11. pay needful, and 10 it is that they commonly deny sufficiency ot un-
Greg. Amin. 1. y.46. effectual Grace. More Grace might have certainly produced the Effect.
V\^effens.'centr.Lh A man is commonly laid to have enough who needeth no more. Now
tbtr.' ar.i6. Tapper, in more is here useful, needful, desirable to the facilitating and ascertaining
9udu%% Hmm' tne event. If you are not agreed with them in this, why do you pray
a.others say,ihat auxili- for more Grace, and labour for more, and take it to be a sign of sincerity
fifddeniid tJnoman to desire more- For if the Regenerate have not Grace enough, surely
ia this life, how obdu- the Unregenerate have not.
T*\^Vq^ltfj% a- But in this Controversie the Dominicans and Jesuites, bysufficient,
faith is the commoner mean that which giveth the posse agere, that is, so much as is of abso-
ftfjTial il^^Tde ^uteveceislty t0 the a&, without which it cannot be done, and with which
pœmt. so'tHstt'nat.' & alone it can or may be done. And in this sense the Protestants generally,
gra. c. 18. Driedodt Red. anci tne Synod of Dort particularly deny not that there fe such a thing
c. 3. & 5. Vtga in Cone J t J J a
Hid. I. 1 5. c. 1 a, &c.
But Vajque7^ faith, cap. That adpxnitentiam & ad {idem, it is non omnibus' momentis, fed etttis temporibus datum. They
commonly agree to Augustines words, though none know just how God changeth Wills, Cerium est nos velle cum volumm [ii
iliefacit ut velimus bonum.—Et certurn est nos facet e cum facimtu, fed Hit facit ut faciamus, prtebendo vires tfficacistimas—De
Grat. & lib. arb. 1. c. 16. & 017. Ut vilimits fine nobis operatur. These words put his Expositors hard to it. And Vtfq»t\
faith, That ut is here put finally, and the meaning is that to make us willing, he giveth us (without us ) his preventing
or operating Grace, or as Greg, his impulse : And if it mean any more it cannot be true : For doubiless man is the Agent
or Wilier when he willcth-
So //. t. ad Simplicity q. x. Aliter V itf praffatut velimus, tlittr prasttt quod voluerimus. Ut velimus enim& fuum ejfe W-
hit & nostrum : Suum vocando, nostrum fequendo quod autem volua imtu joins prxflat j id est, posse bene agere & semper beate videre,]
Where the words also are obscure : but Va[qu>\ noteth, that here the [ ut ] is not final as before; and that f' l/oluirimus]
is not preterperfect tense, but the future tense : as the following words explain it : else he should contradict himself.
BtdeEcclef.dogm.cn. Manet ad qtnertniam (tlutem ariitrii libtrtas ; (td admonentt prins Deo, & iitvittttt ed ftlttem,
nt vtl (ligat,vel [rquatur : Et inkhm ftiutis ntp* Deo mifertntt bubmus: nt acq*i(fcams faluti-fr* infpiritioni itoftr* ptttRttu tft.

as
 Os Sufficient and Effe&uai Gtact. i^i

as sufficient Grace. I have oft told you, that I. They confess it in the
instance of Adam. a. They confess it in the case of common Grace,
enabling men to common preparatory duty, which many are able to do,
and do not j as I have evinced before in many instances, and the Synod,
and specially the British and Breme Divines assert. 3. And as to the
point of Faith it self, whether any unregenerate man have sufficient
Grace to believe, which is not effectual, I find few medling much with
it. 4. But they commonly ( I think ) agree , that all regenerate men
themselves havesufficient Grace for many an act of Faith, Love, Obedi
ence which they never do. Is it not one of the Opinions which at Dort
and frequently these Divines reject, as falfly imputed to them, that a
man can do no wore good, andforbear no more evil than he doth 2 And if
he can do more,he hath power to do more : And power to aft, is that which
is called sufficient Grace.
Therefore I need not trouble you any more with this Controversie,
seeing under both the notions of Power and Liberty, it is decided, and
confessed by you to be so before.
Remember that all sufficient Grace is effieSual'-, but not effectual to the
a3 : It doth efficere potentiam, enablesh men to act : but doth not cause
the act it self, unless it be efficax ad aUum, as well as ad potentiam. How
ordinarily do they profess the pojjibility of doing more than is done, by
godly and ungodly, and that all the power that men have is not reduced
into act. Yea when some assert Predetermination it self, they fay that
it doth not destroy Liberty or Tower ad contrarium, but only deter
mine it.
A. " It is bad enough thai they deny all sufficient Grace to believe that is
** not effeSual, though not to other a&s.
t. You wrong them: They do not so: Have I not told you now,
that they commonly grant that even the godly themselves havesufficient
Grace to believe , which is not effectual as to many an act of Faith?
And as to Unbelievers, 1. They lay that all have not Grace sufficient or
necessary to believe: And so (ay the Arminians. a. But whether any
one have or no, who believe not, they rather leave it to the Searcher
of hearts as an unkno wn thing to them, than deny it. But they seem to
infer that it is most likely to be so, in that 1. It is so with the godly
themselves. a. And with all other men, as to other acts of common
Grace. And they all agree (as I said before) that no man is denied
power to believe savingly, but for not using as he could his antecedent
commoner Grace. And I think neither Party knoweth more than this,
and in this both are agreed. And he that will assert his uncertain Con
jectures, and then pretend that this is a Church-Controversie , is the
maker but not the ender of Controversies.
A. "Some of them stich^not to fay that Adam himself had not Grace
"sufficient to stand, or forbear sinning: and if so , then there is none
"such.
B. We have nothing to do with any odd persons words. Who is it
that never fpeaketh amifi > I confess Dr. Twijfe, Vind. Grat. I. 1 . par. 3 .
de Reprob. Je8. a. pag. (Vol. minor) 306. faitn , Gratiam ad peccatum
vitandum neceffariam duplicem effe dicimus 5 aliam adposse vitare peccatum?
aliam ad pecatum a&u vitandum : ilia est Gratia Regenerations—Altera
non in est homini per modum habitus, fed per modum pajjionis 5 & est mo
th qusdam gratiofa in voluntatem infiuens, & adomnemfanUam aafionem
extimulans.— And so one or two sey that Adam had Grace neceflary
ad posse stare, non autem ad affttm. But this is but a few mens odd
S 2 Opinion,
12 2 Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace.

Opinion, contrary to plain truth. I mean, If by necessary ad a3um be

meant in the proper School-sense ( not all that is conducible to ascer
tain it, but y that fine quo effe non potefi , it is a contradiction to fay
that men have the power to A&, and yet want that which is necessary to
the Act, that is, that without which they cannot Act. It is plainly,
[they Can"] and [They Cannot ~] (For we talk nox.de potentiapajfivn
which a Stone,Tree, or a Beast, or a mad Man have). This distinguish
ing of things that differ not, must be detected, as well a6 confusion
avoided. To lay a man can believe , or hath porter to believe, and
yet wants that without which he cannot believe , is palpable contra
diction.
And where he maketh Regeneration to give the posse, before the Act,
he fpeaketh obscurely or unsoundly. Gods active Influx on the Will,
exciting it to Act, is ( at least ) part of his Regenerating Grace. A
man is not Regenerate before he ever actually believed or repented 3
though he first receive the Divine Influx ad agendum: Nor can he
prove that any proper habit goeth before the first act; And whether it
do or not, most certainly the nature, faculty\ and the habit, and all toge
ther, is truly and formally no power ad hoc, to believe or love God, or
do any good , without Gods necestary Influx, Concurse or exciting
Grace : No more than a Plant hath a power to fructifie without the Sun
or Earth: Of Gods help ad bent ejfe we (peak not: But to (ay that
Gods exciting Grace is necessary ad aftum, without which the Act cannot
be, and yet that we have a power to do that Act without that Grace,
is still a contradiction. This ispotentia hypothetica & æquivoca, a term
fit to play with : But it is true power\ where nothing of absolute nece£
fityfine quo non ejfe potefi is wanting, which our Divines do commonly
confess that Adam had, and that all men good and bad have to more
* good than they do. Therefore I find not that you are in that dis
agreed.
And Dr. Twijse, as I told you, 6ft and vehemently professethj Vindre.
Grat. de Amis. Grat. Cant. BeUar. pag. (Vol. Minor) 230. c. 2.&2%7.
that man hath no neceffity of sinning exdecrtto, but logical consequents :
But if it were true that we wanted that Grace which is absolutely necefc
fary to avoid fat, it must needs follow that such are under an absolute
present neceffity consequents also of {Inning $ as much as of dyings
when God ceaieth to continue life. And if he mean that the Decree
neceflitateth not sin, but the denying of necessary Grace doth, he should
have said so.
Atidr. Rivet Difput.j. deGrat.Vniverf.p. 113. faiths [ Sednonquem*
admodum Tontisicii & alii qui eorum fententiam vel sequtmtur vel inter'
polant, nobis imponunt , ita ut plane negemus sufficients Gratia? phrafm
posse usurpari, ant dicamus nullam effefufficientem ullo modo, qua e'fficax
non ftt vel nullam effe tfficacem que ad converftonem & falutem-nonfit
efficax—id tantum dicimus, non dari omnibus talem Gratiam sufficientem,
quæ ita moveat omnium hominum voluntates, ut fit in potefiate elettionis
motioni aut obtemperare\ ant rejragari : adcoq, nnllum effe qui per talem
gratiam non pojjit ad falutem pervenire, Deumq'-, id velle omnibus & i*ten-
dere. ] You see that he will own no more, but the denial of a univer
sal sufficient Grace for Salvation, intended of God, to all men. And
you your selves confess; 1. That God intendeth not Salvation for all
. men , unless conditionally , if they believe and repent , which from
eternity he knew before he made them, that they would not. 2. And
that all men have notsufficient Grace to Salvation, no nor to believe, but
only
 Of Sufficient and Effeti%al Gtatk tjj

only to make them better, and bring them nearer it, and prepare them
for it 5 (which some call Grace mediately sufficient to Salvation 5 but
that's an improper Speech, as long as for want oftheir Obedience, they
never attain to much that is absolutely necessary.) 1
For my part I doubt not to aslertj 1. That no man in the World hath
Grace sufficient for Salvation, that is, Glorification, an hour before he?
dieth : For he cannot be saved without more 5 that is, without the Grace
of perseverance to the end. But every believing Penitent hath Grace
sufficient and effectual to give him a present Right to Salvation. And
2. I add, that there is no such thing as Grace sufficient to Salvation which
is not effectual, and doth not save. Seeing all that persevere in holiness
are saved; and they that do not, have not Grace sufficient (that is,
necessary) t&Salvation. 3. And I add; that no man hath Grace suffi-
cient to give himfa Right to" Christ, and Pardon and Salvation, which is
not effeUual^zxyd doth not procure it. For every penitent true Believer*
hath that Right to Christ, Pardon and Life : And he that is not a peni
tent Believer, hath not Grace sufficient to obtain that Right.
A. " Tes, // he have sufficient to help him to believe.
B. Not so: unless he aHually believe: For is not Faith in a&, somewhat
more than power to believe .<? When you confess that men ate damned ttiat
have the Power, but not that have the Act. '••
A. "Te/j but man causeth the Æ oft, when God hath given only the
"Power, and necessary concurse to the production os the A&*
Corvinus and others of you ordinarily confess, that Faith it self is '
the Gift of God, and that Faith is more than a power to believe. And
we denominate Gods Grace by the various effects: Therefore I may lay
that aman that Hath Gracesnfficieni to believe, yet hath not Grace'suffiti-
ent to Justification, till he nave, 1. The Grace of Faith. 2. And so the
GraceolPthe mvrkl-dbwation of the Covenants which is the justifying,
pardoning Instrument: 1
A. " Ton seem then to deny sufficient Grace yonyself. •;
B. I^flertjj liThatgodly men have power or sufficient Grace to many
acts of Faith, Love and Duty which they never do. 2. And that all men * But 1 am not able tn
by common Grace, or sufficient, are able to do better than they do4 *n ?r°^h ^ as_
preparation for special Grace. 3: And that they ase bound so to do, b."^. jj^Sf
in order to their Salvation. And so that all men have some helps atxd'occurnre mbti obiigatio-
Grace in its kind sufficient toehable them t6 seek Salvation, and tWJSJJj^Jg/Jf
God will not forfilkethem till they forsake hirtsi * tatione qua &■ bane vin-
A. "But doth notyour Church ./England, Art. 13. Jay; % fork*
t( before the Gracei>f Christ, aridihi Inspiration of his Spirit, are not plea- apt$ affirmative*, mui
«c fans W God, forasmuch as theyspring not of Faithinjesu Chriif ■> neither^ *W* *ff V*
" do they make men* meet to receive Grace, or (as the School Authors Jay) i/jus obiigttio memoru
" deserve Grace of congruity : jedrathet, for that they are not done as Got&t*™*-J^]*^"%
" hathwiBed, and commanded' theWlo btrd^^'-^lVfiM^^^^it^^ Di» «orf«
" the nature of sin.'] . , „ cogitfh,nHiUno-
B>. • Th^ Articfttt4ritendepg^^ works of r"g£
wicked tnen. AHd$PisJ£eiltaitt',-'tn^ he meant
9tt\iiÆmvintWRA istifyk***? ana in^mersefiefs, the violations fySS^'STSS
of 'the' t^r" ' r ' s "~ 40 - r- u.A\ , " ^
without'
thefame
the action must needs be sin. Butwesaynot thatit isonlyftn, or ^ally ^^^^^
Jiri* ft \s good and pleasing WUodsecundum quid, though not simpli-tuoai and wicked e-
citer : And such Actions as are fih 'by deficiency, may have a tendency Jj^jjj,£ ffluch
to*
 OsSufficient arid EffeBml Grates

to better Actions, and so to Salvation, by that good that is in them. He

that in meer love to his own Soul, will pray, hear, meditate, avoid fin,
&c. is in a likelier way to Grace and Life, than he that will do none of
this.
And 2. The Authors of the Article, by merit of congruity , meant
somewhat more than preparation for Conversion j For no English Di
vines, I think, have denied that.
3. And by \jVorks done'] they meant siich as the Papists taught men
too much to trusting as giving Alms, building Hospitals, going on Pil
grimages, &c. which went under the notion of Sacrifices and Oblati
ons under the old Law, when God (aid, He abhor'd the Sacrifice of the
Wicked, and bid them be readier to hear , than to offer the Sacrifice ef
Fools. But it is not, I think, Soul-humbling Repentance, Confession,
begging for Grace^ considering their Ways, hearing the Word , &c.
though but siich as preparatory Grace may do, which they meant by
Works. ,
4* And that is not done without Grace and the Spirit ofChrist, which
is done but by his common Grace $ And yet I could wish the Article had
been better worded.
But if you will see the consent of an hundred and twenty ancient
Writers, and sixty three Protestant Synods, Churches and Divines, for
Universal Grace, read DalUi, Afolog. part. 4.
A. "lam sure Godfaith, That he would not the death of a Sinner, but
** rather that he repent and live, aud that he would have all men to be
f *' saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth, which they deny.
B. No man denieth it , who denieth not the Scripture. And I
can hardly believe that really you differ about the meaning of the
words.
Hjieft. 1. Do you believe that God is absolutely unwilling that any
perish? and absolutely willeth that all shall be saved >
A. "No: but conditionally he is.
B. Suest. a. Do you think that he absolutely willeth the performance
of that condition ?
A. " ikjtow yon will fay. If absolutely, it mull come to pass or God
" must be overcome. If conditionally, how doth be wiB that condition ?
'* and so in infinitum? But I will fay, that he willeth it absolutely, andyet
" is not overcome or frustrate by a greater Power. For he willeth it only
*' voluntate inefficaci, or with a velleity, which is not a willing to do it all
*' himself, but that it be done by man.
B. Khewill that man repent eventually, with an absolute Will, the
Impenitent then frustrate his Will or Desire. And it is a note of infeli
city to have absolute Desires not obtained: If Gods Will be not done,
is it not for want of Power or Wisdom to accomplish it >
A. "No: it is because he willeth nottoefseft the thing, but that man
" effeS it.
)■ B. Ifyou had said, that he conditionally willeth that man effect it, the
: failure had been no frustration : But that had been but to say, that he
« willeth that man shall will if he will j or at least, if he excite his own
Will 5 and so the question would recur, How he willeth that excitation.
But seeing you fay, that God absolutely willeth that man shall will or
excite his own Will, you must needs mean that God desireth that which
he cannot obtain, and so is imperfeU 2
-„•.., A. " No: I only say, that he desireth that which he cannot obtain by
■•' " mans free agency , without exerting more of his own efficient power
t to
 Of Sttfficient and EffeSml Grace. ij ^

** to obtain it. He could obtain it, if he would do aU that he

"can.
* B. This is no more than to fey, that either properly he doth not *.Hoc vult Deus ut tmm
will that van excite his own Will to the aB (in that htwiU not do that SKSSSfifil
without which he knoweth it will not be done) } or that he willeth it rm ««*#• vtbmttt
but conditionally, [ If so much help will procure it. ] And for want ^tJZZ^Zt
of plain opening the case as it is, you do but entangle your self in un- tKr' ruamvmaufifT*
intelligible words, when you talk of uneflettual velleities of the events 'Sf^^S
which yet are absolute. thtjauriyit. Basil, m
A. " How willyou explain it better? psal l6-
B. As is sufficiently done before, i. God absolutely willeth that it
(hall be mans duty to repent and believe. Duty is the thing antecedently
willed with an absolute Will. 2. God willeth that Heaven (hall be
his due, if he perform that condition. 3. But if he will not perform •
it, that Hell be his due. This Will is conditional as to the thing willed.
4. These Volitions of God belong to him as Retior, (supposing him a
Benefactor ) giving out his benefits by a Law. And this Will is expressed
by Gods Law,which actually constituteth the absolute Debitum obedicnti&%
and the conditional debitum premii vel pena. 5. The condition being
past, Gods consequent Will is absolute de premiando vel puniendo : He
willeth the death of the Impenitent consequently. And this is but
Gods Will, quajudex, expressed by his Judgment actually. 6. Though
in strict sense, the thing that God antecedently willeth is not the event,
but the debitum veljm, man's duty, and his due thereupon 5 yet because
it belongeth not to a Legislator as such to do any more towards the event,
than command it (supposing necessary power and helps) therefore after
the manner of men, it is (aid, that God willeth the event (Repentance and
Salvation) because he willeth to do so much towards it, even all that
concerneth him to do as a meer Rector, ( besides the donation of neces
sary power or help as a Benefactor.) And this is all that you mean, ia
which both sides are really agreed.
A. " / confess we use to explain it by his Antecedent Wi\\,andfaying that
" quantum in se, he would have all repent and live. But by quantum in se,
M we do not mean that God doth as much as he is able to it : "therefore yout t
" explicationJeemeth true, as well as conciliatory, that he doth quantum in
"seas Rector per leges, supposing also his necessary help.
B. So God dclightcth not in the death of Sinners, because it is not his
Antecedent Will that they die, but only his consequent, on supposition of
impenitency which he willeth not : And also because it is the good of
Juftice, and not our death and hurt as such, or for it self that God loveth
and delighteth in. But when men return and live, they fulfil his antecedent
Will, and do that which he loveth asgood in itself.
And he would have all men come to the knowledge of the truth, and be
saved j that, is, He obligeth both Ministers to preach to them, and others to
prayfor them and help them, and themselves to obey and receive his Grace j
And he giveth them means, and giveth Christ and Life by free donation
to all, on condition they will but accept the Gist. And he that strictly
willeth this much, may be said after the manner of men, to will the
event. And this is all that both fides mean, if they understood them
selves.

the
 136 OfSufficient and Effectual Grace.

" * Okm, Gibritl, and erf r 1 f* ■'

cMbtunm do hold, that i be second Crimination,
there are three ranks of '
men in Gods Decree :
i. One of persons emi- ^. « The great difference between its, is, that they hold Gods Grace to be
who'iiGod^ni gWeiuch " unresiHible j * As if it did move man as a stone, or a dead body, and did
extraordinary Grace as « necessitate orforce the Will of man : Whereas we hold,that God worketh by
tonwloflnd^fol (tsuch moral, internal and externalswasion on the Will, astaketh not away
tion : t. Another of the " the power of resisting and doing the contrary.
nlS<e?n*o&Zji *• Iconfesitnisisthe Point thatmaketh the greatest noise. But let
sufficient Grace, and so us enquire how far indeed you differ. i
Sa?fought!0?? The* ^sistance is Paffive (as a hard block resisteth the wedge) or Active
Reprobates who are ( as Fighters do resist each other. )
fon-ktnfm 'moSS, 2 " Resiiiance is *f'8**l ( when the Resister overcometh ) or uneffeUu-
u i. rf.4i. f. i.' Gib", al ( when it is overcome. )
ibid. q. i. a. z. & dt The AU of Resistance, must be distinguished from the power of
J »V*&/*iVSo Resistance: And to overcome aUual Resistance, from the destroying of
contradiaeth them/wf. the Power.
thafin man^rceisaCny 4- PhysicaUnd moral Power of resisting must be distinguished as is afore-]
cause condition, or oc- said*
™Z$[p!%9xTCde{1'' 5- ^l and Logical Power of Resistance also must be distinguished as
Tiltnm against Camtrt afore. . .
'^"vf thc.r" A- Well: How doyou apply'these dittinUions i .
filhbiltty of Grace, but . ,. , < liJ A r *~ j -.t e i t o*
never sufficiently ex- B. i. All the gracious Operations ot God on the boul or a Sinner, are
?henetr/» h • W°rs d not only r£/7i?z^/e, but ever resisted, both pajfively and AUively, in some
?. 15. asser"S£rwLn°/«- degree^ i. Materia pajjiva qua ialis, is (aid to resist the motion of the
tirnmraim pottntian atiivz nature, in that its own pature is averse to Action, and the motw
VJiZTv^immdiau must be violentus. And though mans Soul be not material, yetasunder
invoientitmafjtrt\mod» Cod it is fubUantia, pajjiva, and so pajfively may be (aid to reÆÆ, in a
*Z£'££d%Z'& lower fort, that is, to require the exerting of the Power of the Agent
'ii6ertatempot:ntiamf,itoH to its motion : Though this putteth God to no difficulty. 2. But
nim^'irf:
Hear * ■ a
a Jesuits, «*/^ Privations and Indispositions makeajl
/-^-.j the name of passive resistance to
i the
pr*^/. d. 6. jta.4p.$i. Grace or Cod, yet more apt. 3. And the contrary operations and rem-
Voctth tfficax (uam if. tence Qf a vitious Mind and Will, are an aUive refinance. Though it be
tit^quoniamfuamtffica- above our reach to know in what lenleitmay or may not be called a
cttmmtccipit n pr*fci- Resistance as to Gods A8 in itself( God being not passive ) 5 yet that it may
m'JnSXtvt& be called ^Resistance, as to the efe£f, is past doubts (As I resist a mans
um ut ctnftntiat : — Work, if I undo what he doth, though I touch not him. ) All penitent
vZ^Tfc^pt rnens consciences tell them that they resist God in all the good thathe
po(itum est. perswadeth them to, and doth them.
t^Z^Jtc^l 2- No man aUively refsteth Cod, but by his own power : That is,
tion of all that cometh I. God as the Author os Nature, keepeth up natural Power, and concurreth
JhatPyae^inneS1iePse?ve witnit- *• Man' vitiateth and perverteth this, in morals. 3. God by
damnation, though they outward and inward motion doth Operate towards the rectifying of it.
the'lii^becauseVhrist ^an u^n8 naturfll power vicioufly against those rectifying Ope-
me7itedGJoryathat couid rations, striveth by it against Gods gracious Work, and so resisteth him
^ s'om thc'atnb? ui^ ^ '"S °Wn ^ren8tn'
of the' words! [Ca^and 3« When ever Grace effeftetb the Faith, Repentance, obedience which
Cannor]. it was not for it moveth us to, it overcometh all our actual resistance. Grace is not
S œuid Tocsin 'but always overcome, when it is resisted. To fay that effectual Grace over-
by perfection of holiness: cometh resistance, is but to fay that it is effectual.
^rpowerTter: 4- All Grace which is sufficient, that is, which giveth all that is ab-
comeGod,that he feign- sulutely necessary to the effect, is not victorious ox cffetfual', and so it is
and "amneV* S™"% reffliblc , as that signisieth superable , and that unefleSuali that is, all
necessarysufficient Grace is not effectual. 5. It
 Of Sufficient and Effe&nal Grace.

5 . It is an improper phrase to say that Gods Tower is overcome : For it

is not done by a greater Tower. But when God will put forth but a cer-
tain degree of Tower in his gracious motions ; the motions of. natural power
perverted by Vice, may be greater than them : And when they bring
forth a contrary efftft, are (aid to overcome them.
6. Therefore whether Grace be de faUo resisted or not resisted, over
come or not overcome, is no matter of controversie,seeing the event doth
decide the question.
7. Grace where it overcomes, is not properly said to overcome the
meer physical Tower or Aft as such, but as perverted, and viciously used
against God.
8 . The power offinning may be said to be overcome, when it doth not
perform the presently-endeavoured act, but the contrary.
9. The Tower may be said to be overcome, when it is destroyed, and
19 no longer a Tower ad hoc. And so the natural power is never properly
said to be overcome by Grace, but to be determined.
10. The vicious moral Tower, which is but the evil habit or disposition,
is always overcome by efseSual Grace, as to that aU where Grace pre
vailed. But not always thereby overcome in itself as a. habit, and de
stroyed ; till the contrary habitual Grace destroy it.
All this is past all Controversie on both sides : And if so, tell me what
difference about the irresistibility of Grace remaineth.
A. tc It will put a mans brains hard to it tofollowyou, as you mince the
" matter byso many distinctions and propositions. '• .': in <
B. And you put mens Consciences hard to it, to fire Gods Church, by
contending where you differ not.or can (hew no difference.
guest. 1. When you fty t\iaxGi&c&i$resiftible , do you mean that de
faSoy it is never effectual and overcometh our resistances 1 .
A. "No: then no man should besaved. ■ ' r.\,
B. guest. 2. Do you mean that mans Will is more powerful tljan God $
A. ** You need not askjmcfitch a question.
B. guest. 3. Do you mean that God never putteth forth so much power
in his work of Grace as man doth in resisting it ?
*'A. Here 1 must distinguish also: I. Power isso called either asia se,
*'in the virtue, or in the effect. 2. Tower in nan if so called either as
" meerly mans,or aj Gods thatworksth in man. Andso I answer, 1. Gods
*' Tower in it self which way ever it worksth (in man or tut of him) is the
"fame, neither greater nor less than it self, for it is God. 2. Power in
**it selfas Gods is infinitely greater than mans as such. 3. Ji power if
"so called from the effect, it is no Controversie: For the event still telleth
•* which is the greater, or prevalent therein.
• . B. You have answered well, guest. 4. You do not mean I know
that in the instant of acting, the Soul that willeth can nill the same thing
at the same time, in the fame respect, much less after the act is past, that
it hath a contrary power 'ad præteritum .<? It is, I suppose, only in the
instant, antecedent to the act that you fay Grace is resistible }
A. " Tou may easily beJure of that.
B. gueff,$. If you mean only that the natural faculty was potentia
libera aSiva ad utrumlibet,ii\\ Grace procured it to determine it self: And
Co that Grace destroyed notthe natural Tower or Liberty 3 do you know
any that differ from you in that ?
A. " No, if they may take freedom in their ownfense.
B. Enough of that,Ihope,before. guelt.6. If you mean that the moral
Pravity of this natural faculty, was such as could have prevailed against
T Grace
 Of Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

Grace, though it did not 5 do you not speak unintelligibly ? For either
you speak of a Logical possibility only\ or os a real strength or pomr $ If
of the former, you equivocates and you differ not from others: Fbt
you oft confess, that Gods meer Frejcience that it will not be, doth infer
a Logical necessity confeauentie, and so a Logical impossibility of the
contrary. But if by [_Could~\ you mean a real strength ot. opposite
power, you mistake the matter. Moral pravity is not Jlrength or power
at all 5 But the perversion or disease of strength or power.
So that the case is not unsearchable : when a man is converted, what
hath your question respect to, in the word [^RefiB"] but the AB, the
vicious habit and privation, and the natural faculty t Is there any thing
else to be considered ?
A. *' Not that I remember ; what then ?
B. The Act you confess is procured, and therefore not resisted ( ef
fectually. ) 2. The privation resisteth but passively, and so hath no active
power. And to fay thatthe privation o£ Faith could have resisted the
Grace that wrought Faith, implyeth a fahhood, if you mean it of aQtive
power or resistance. 3. The contrary habit is not a power, but the ill
disposition of a power. Therefore if it be defaUo, overcome as to the act:
by actual Grace, or init self by habitual Grace, it is on a false supposi
tion to say, that it had power to have resisted, when as it hath no power,
nor is a power. But if you speak of Logical possibility, its impertinent
equivocation. 4. All that remaineth then is, that the natural faculty in
the antecedent instant wanted not power or freedom to the contrary actj
which is true, and none of them that are intelligent deny. For Cod by
determining a free power, doth not deilroy it, but*/eit,and determine
it. And Gods change of the Mind and Will, is not by any diminution
or fraction of the power of it, but by a sapiential and loving efficacy,
acting it aright, and more advancing it. Even in our after lives,he doth
not take away our natural power to will and do evil, but he taketh away
the vicious disposition of it, that we may certainly will and do well. Tell
me yet then where is the difference ?
A. " Thoughyou over-whelm me by distinctions, you cannot so blind me,
"but I fyow a difference between these two Opinions, \_when Paul jirfi be.-
" lieved, he could have resisted and not believed,'] and £He could not
*' resist, and not believe. ~]
B. That is, you have learnt of the Masters of Confusion and Diflenti-
ontto strive about words, which you understand not 5 and having the
Foot-Ball before you, you will drive it on. But little know you whi
ther } nor how little thanks the great Shepherd of the Flock will give
you at the last. Either shew us the difference, or be ashamed to pretend
a difference.
A. " Iperceive that the Controverste about Resistance is resolved into that
"of power: [Can and Cannot resist], which was opened before.

THE
 THE

Eighth Days Conference

Between 2?. and Q

Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace.

. I now expect your sharpest Charge against your Adversaries

about the nature, efficacy and extent of Grace.
B

The firft Crimination,

C. t. "They assert an "Universality os Grace to all men, sufficient to

" their Salvation. * " ' * Maidem, in i. 1. n*
B. I hope you have no malignant desire to extenuate Gods Grace, but mentioneth five
are willing to acknowledge it to be as great and large as indeed it is, if degrees of sufficient
you can discern the proof. g^tf ™bsty
C. " God bett kpoweth how to honour himself. which Sinners may for-
. B. tyeSt. i. Do you think that all the World, or all that shall perish, jg* **a™^fr »eor«|
yea or any part of the World is under the meer Curse of the Law of In- generate by which they
nocency, as violated by Adam, without any remedy or mercy. > are a^V° furbea,r ■
/'.... 1 . » , , * , . 1 . , 1 ., mjr mortal fin: but being
C " J thinly they are without real Remedy, though not without all Mercy ; infirm wm not. 3. Adam
"for a delay of punishment is mercy. "«"ta^iSs" C°Udd
B. Suest.2. Do you think that they are only under the Gurfeof that "ut didnon^tensome
Law as the Devils are, without any possibility or offers of a remedy 5 Angels did by the fame
or that they are also ffill under the Covenant-Offers of Life, upon con- JXLtiiC\.0t-fharSt
dition of InnOCency; ' of the Predeslinate,who
C. « J cannot suppose God now to offer a man Life, on conditionhe beno ^tell^t?™-
" Sinner, whom he knoweth to be a Sinner : For such an Offer is equivalent firmed in Grace. The
to asentence of Death, or denial of Life. Nor can. 1 say that they are as Gf™^ therfarc fi«
( ' desperate as the Devils, because they know not the desperatenefs of their opinions, (of which
m cafgt after. )
J . • . •. Some Lutherans seem to
go further in this than
the Je[uitts or Armenians, and to deny the distinction of sufficient and effectual Grace, saying that 't is the fame Grace that
is effectual Jn one and not in another : but I think they differ but in words : So Gerhard, de lib. arb. c. 6. [eft. I.. Concedimtts
fane [piritui [anllo conversions opus aggrtdienti multos rtfiftere, . conftlium Dei adverfus seipfos fpernere —& hac ratione fua culpa gra
tiam conversion:! a fe repellere: [ed proptereaiplam Gratiamin [ufficilntem & efficacm dividendam cjft negamus^siquidem unaeademq;
Dei Gratia til, qua in credentibus operatur, & q;,x ab incredulis repellitur.
And he supposeth all mens Wills to be bad, and without power to convert themselves, and that God giveth them such
Grace as doth not physically constrain or necessitate them or determine them; but such a suitable operation as they can resist:
And so that the efficacy of Grace is not from the Will, but from Grace it self : but the inefficacy is from man : and the
reason why any are convened, is from Grace: but the reason why any are not converted, is from their resisting that
Grace ; and so the Will of the Wicked is the differencing cause.
■ Le Blank de dist, Grat. in [uffic. &c. 68,69. Remonstrantes mn idea Gratiam distinguunt in fuficientem & efficacem, quod putent
gratiam qutm accipiunt illi qui increduli manent & in peccatis per[everant non hxbtre vim & efficaciam necejjariam &■ prartqnisitam
ad boc,fkc.fed idet [slum gratia cu)m [uvt participes denegant efficaci.s nomen quod effeftum ad quern destinatur in Us reapse non producat
profter impedimentam quod illi ponunt —\utriq; ergo docent gratiam hanc [atit virium habere ad ip[os convertendos—nihil ergo pt)us
bach parte fmthnt Remonstrantcs illisqni Lutherani dicuntur :■ Acproinde atm Rtformati htrum commmiontm non rifugitntjed ultro
e'os ad pacem,&c.
• MagntixjbionitasDeiind/indisbtnis.corporis & anima : major est bonitas Dii in rtmitttntis peccata -magna & multa: maxima
in pattintia,Zic- Strigel. Loc, 60. pag. 301.' *
Carbo Compend.tbo. r. q. 21. a.t,. Opus divin* )ufiitia [empn'pvafupponit opus mijtrecordia; ■& in ea [uiditnr tavquam in
primo, radice quit ne procedatur in insinitum dtvtnitndum est ad aliquid quod ex [da fonisate diving voluntatk d'pendeat.
T 2 B.^eji.3.
140 Of Sufficient and EffeBml Grace.

B. guett.%. Do you think all the difference between them and De

vils lieth in delay and ignorance of their misery? Then the most ignorant
and presumptuous of them is the least miserable, though the most sinful 5
which cannot be?
Qtiejl. 4. But do you think that no Mercy is to be offered to siich ?
C. " Tes : because we know not who are Ele&, and who not.
B. guess. $. Are we to offer men mercy only as EleB <? or rather as
Sinners and miserable, under a Law of Grace ? and as Subjects of God
obliged by that Law to accept it ?
C. ' ' We offer it to all Sinners, that the Eleft may receive it.
B. QueSf. 6. Are none but the Elect under a Law of Gtace, as the rule
of their Duty, their expectation and of Judgment?
C. " Others may be under the Obligations of it, bnt not under the Grace
"of it.
B. Remember then, 1. That they are not lawless. 2. That they are
' not under that meer violated Law of Innocency, £ Be innocent and live. "]
3. That they are under the Obligations of the Law of Grace.
Qjtest. 7. Is there any of them that are not bound to use certain means
? appointed of God, in order towards their own Salvation ?
C. "ihey are bound to intend their own Salvation, and with that inten-
■ \ 11 tion to use some means : But God intends it not.
f . B. gueit.%. Doth God command men on pain of damnation to any
vain endeavours, or use of means ? ...
C. 1. " He commandeth it not in vain : for it shall make them unexcufc
"able. 2. they are not tojudge their endeavours vain, because they know
** it ftot. 3 . But in the issue all will be in vain to them.
B. guest. 0. Would it be in vain to them, if they really did the ut
most that common Grace enableth any men to do ?
C. 1. u It is not properly Grace to them, and so not common. 2. It
,** would be in vain to them.
B. guest, io. Is that vain which bringeth a man into the nearest prepa
ration for special Grace, and nearest to the Kingdom of God ?
C. " To the Ele& it is not vain : Nor to others for their fakes : Nor to
1 1 others, as to the lessening of their pains in Hell : But as to their Salvation
"it is.
B. guest. 11. Who would it be long of (or be reputed the Cause)
if it be in vain.
C. " Of themselves , who are born in fin from Adam , and are Vnbe-
" lievers.
B. You suppose it impossible for them to believe, and impossible for
them not to be the Children of Adam. They made not themselves,
and you suppose that for want of Grace they cannot believe.
guest. 12. When Death (hall acquaint them with the impossibility
that they were under, do you think, 1. That it will be the way of glo
rifying the Justice of God in Judgment, to have the World know that
he condemneth Sinners meerly because he will condemn them, for that
which they never had any more true power to avoid, than to make a
World ? 2. Or will their Consciences in Hell accuse them or torment
them for that which they then know was naturally impossible, and
Caused by God.
C. "We know not how God will glorifie his Justice, or how their Confci-
ences will torment them. It may be they shall then be as ignorant of the
* 1 necessitating cause as now.

B.I.
 Os Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace. i^I

B. I. Tioyoukpowitnow, and shall not they know it then .<? 2. God

telleth us the contrary, That all hidden things stall be brought to light*
and that God will justifie his own proceedings, by proving that mens
destruction is of themselves, that every month may be flopped, and all the
World be guilty before God : And he calleth it his Righteousness in judg
ing, to give to every man according to his Works : and that mens Con
sciences shall then excuse them or accuse them* when Cod pall judge the
secrets of their hearts, (and not when he shalltorment them, by deceiving
them,) Rom. 2. 2 Thejs. I. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Matth. 25. & 7. 23, 24. 2 Tim.
4.8,9. Rom. 14. lo. Gen. 18. 24, 25.
guest. 13. Do you believe that none but the Elect have now any
real mercy , besides a delay of their future misery , and hopes of its
abatement.
C. " I do: For all things are to bejudged of by the end: And that is
** really no mercy, which is not intended to a mans happiness, but his nti-
"Jery. As Afflictions are no evils to the Elect, because they are intended and
M work together for their good.
B. Is the offer of Christ and Life no mercy ? Is all Gods patience an4
forbearance, as a means to lead them to repentance , no mercy ? Is
all the teaching, perswading, intreating condescension of Christ, no
mercy ? See what error here you run into , and how contrary to Scrip
ture, and to nature it self }
1. You contradict Gods Word, which frequently calleth them mer
cies, Pfal. 145. 9. & 106. 7. 45. Neh.Q. 19, 27, 28, 31. "Jon. a.. 2. Rom.
a. 4. Matth. 18. 33. isa. 63. 9. Ezek: - r
3. You deny the chiefest part ofmens duty 3 even to accept ofmercy,
to improve mercy, to be thankful for mercy, to be led by Gods good
ness to Repentance, to use mercies as Gods Talents to his Glory, &c,
it you fay, They know not but they are mercies; you feign God to
bind men to duty, but by deceit : It is as mercies, and not as that which
for ought they know may be mercies , that they are to be valued,
used, &c.
3. You excuse men from the greatest aggravation of their fin : even
finning against Mercies: How can they sin against them that have
none.
4. You feign Gods Justice to be strangely glorified, by damning men
in Hell forever, for sinning against mercy, who never had any to sin
against.
5 . You will make Conscience justifie the Wicked, and condemn Gods
Judgments in Hell , instead of justifying God , and accusing them
selves.
6. You must accordingly conclude that you never shewed mercy to
Child, Neighbour, or any but the Elect your self, (because it was all
to end in misery) or else that you were tp them more merciful than
God.
7. When man is made in Gods Image, and y/e must be holy and mer
ciful as our heavenly Father is, you set all men such a pattern of mercy
and justice, as you would be loth your Prince or Parent should imi
tate.
8. You expose Christ's most compassionate tears to reproach, when,
iMkeiy. he lookt on Jerusalem and wept over it, as having had a day
of mercy; and when Matth. 23. he faith, How oft would I have ga
thered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chicks under her wings, and ye would
not.— ...
9. You
 Of Sufficient and EffeBml Grace.

9. You teach all Gods Children in the World, to acknowledge no

mercy, nor be thankful for any, till they are sure that they are Elect.
And how few have that assurance ?
10. You injure the Lord Jesus and his Covenant of Grace, while you
fay, that a conditional Gift of Christ: and Life, Pardon and Salvation,
even if they will but accept it, is no mercy to any that refuse it 5 nor yet
the blood that purchased it as such.
It. You measure and denominate Gods great Mercies, according to
mans vile abuse : As if it were no mercy, what tendency soever in it self
it had to their Salvation, unless they accept it, and use rt well, or ifthey
reject it. ,
12. You are Angular from almost all the Churches of Christ in the
World : Contrary to the judgment of the ancient Churches, and of all
present Churches of Greek, Abaffines^ Arminians, Papists, or Proteflunts :
exprefly contrary to the Synod of Dort, and the particular suffrages of
our Britijh Divines there : except a very few men that by the heat of per
verse Dilputings against Amyraldus, the Arminians, &c. have been car
ried into such extreams.
C. " What mercy is it to a man to have Pleasure here a while, and Tormenl
" in Hell for ever .<? yea to have Chriji and Life offered him to make him
" more unexcusable and miserable.
B. In all this Discourse, it is not the nature of the mercy in it self that
you deny, bnt Gods merciful Intents: It is your misapprehensions about
Predestination, which you are vending all this while, and there is the
Core of your mistake, which we have sufficiently spoken to already.
You talk as if God decreed men to Sin, to reject: Christ, to abuse Mercies,
to Impenitency1, and consequently to Hell for so doing 5 which is all
false. God 'decreed no man to these, or any other sin, nor to any punish
ment, but as for sin by them committed against his holy Law, which he
foresaw, but willed not. Yea God decreed to set open the door of Grace
to Sinners, and to tender them mercy when they deserved misery, and
to bring Life to the acceptance or refusal of their own Wills, and to in-
treat and importune them to accept it : His end in giving them mercy,
is not to make them miserable, though consequently he will their misery
for their sin. Now you feign in your own erronious Imagination, that
God first decreeth mens sin and damnation, and then giveth them all
which we call Mercies as a means thereto, and then denominate them as
bad as you have feigned them to be by such an imagination. And you
conceive of Gods Decree as that which doth transire in pr£teritum, is past
and gone, when to God all time is nothing, but eternity is one everlasting
instant.
C. " When you have talks all that you can for such kind of Mercy, it
<c will notsatisfe a mans understanding, who believesh that moji of the world
** shall be damned, and that God fore- k»ew this from eternity, and would
" not prevent it when he eaftly could. Mercy that ends in Hell is fad mercy :
c< He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy.
B. Even under the terrible Law at Mount Sinai, God proclaimeth his
Name and Nature, As gracious and abundant in Mercy. This Glory of
his which he (hewed to Moses, is more gloriously shewed to the World
in Christ. And this you study perverfly to obscure. And when you
have contracted Salvation it self out of our own brain, into a narrower
compass than God in Scripture doth, ( who in every Nation acccpteth
them that fear him, and work Righteousness, ) then you devise false
Decrees and Intents, and father them on GWto obscure the reft. And
» what
 Of Sufficient and Effeffual Grace. 143

what do you by this, but seek to render God as little comely to his
Creatures as you can. And if the love ofCod be Holiness and Happiness?
If his Amiableness be his Goodness , even Himself5 If it be Christ's
great Work to reveal God in his Goodness, and by Faith to kindle holy-
Love. And if it be the Devils majignity and work in the World to
counterwork Christ , and represent God as unlovely, judge whether
you serve Christ or Satan, and whether it be not his chief work of en
mity against God that you carry on ?
But that you may have the true prospect of Gods goodness in all this,
you must remember that Gods Work, as Creator goeth before his Work of
Governments and his Work of Government in general before his Work
of our Redemption 5 and his Work ofRedemption and the Law of Grace
before mens fin and judgment. And t. If God that hath diversified
all lower Creatures as we see, did please in the Creation to make a
rank oifree-inteUeUual Creatures here on Earth, with power and help suffi
cient to attain to an Angelical Glory, if they would not wilfully pre
fer the way of misery, is there any Want of goodness in making such a
World ? Are they not nobler than Bruits that have no such hope,though
not than Angels that are confirmed. *<•
2. And if he take pleasure having made such an Intellectual free
Agent, to rule him morally by Laws, according to his nature, and to
take it for his own great work to be his King or Rector in this sapiential
Way: That which much deludeth men in this, and wrongeth God, is
that these foundations in Nature are not well considered. The issue of
all the Atheists and discontented Unbelievers Accusations ofGod, is but
this, That he made man but man, and nothing higher. A man is a mu
table Intellectual free Agent, whose duty and happiness is left much to
his own choosing or refusing. Ana1 being so made, he is accordingly
to be governed 5 And as God sheweth his greatness of Power as Creator
and Actor of the universal frame of Nature, so he hath chosen eminently
to shew his Regent Wisdom, in his * moral Government of Men and * cusp. p««rHtf. car-
Angels j And his wondrous Love, as the special Benefactor to the Ves- .'SSst
sels of Mercy. Power, Wisdom and Love ( or Goodness ) are never sepi- mine ociojo, nibil agents,
rated; But each hath its eminent demonstration. And the Omnipotent htinttf> s'tkrt Pfi**
u, ., ' . n ■ f t 1 • • • n » A * .at pat ftmciu ad co

in his Wisdom in the Regency of the Intellectual World, by a sapiential ne & tnvnSm hmi-
way of Government by Laws and Judgment. And then steps up the 52Sft558f3ffi
physical Disputer, and prophanely blasphemeth this honourable Work (that is, the Liber con-
of God, and calleth it moral Operation in contempt, and thinks that un- cJrd'fi T p" !"{l> ft
lefs God move man to every Volition, as he doth the appetite of a jeaum satins & convex.
Beast, if not as we move a stone, or shoot an Arrow, he doth nothing, "Js£\t '(uuittxit&'^tH
and it is his reproach. And to fay thathec<t«or did make a Creature tm^bwagtr'/posit0"1'
that can freely will or not comparatively, even by the Power and general
Concurse of God, they fay is to feign him to make a God. And so
both the Honour of God as Creator is denied him, land his Honour of sa
piential Government is vilified.
It is an excellent Work of the Creator to make a free Agent in his own
Image. And it is a suitable and excellent Work as his King, to appoint
him his end, and means, and wor}^, and rule him by perfect Laws and
Judgments. In all which also he acteth as a Benefactor, while he freely
ofiereth him so glorious a Reward, to which as Re&or he would lead
him. And in that Relation will not be wanting unto him in any thing,
which perfect Regiment requireth. * 3* Con-
 128 Os Sufficient and EffeBual Grace,

* 3. Consider also that Divine Love ( the third TrincipW) as it hath

Rf^pkafcwpernfea its common demonstration and glory in the Works of the Omnipotent
very small Eook'which I Creation, and in the Works ofsapiential Regiment, so hath it also its pecu-
rntiuritn %Goisijrvt, ^iar eMimtlt demonstration on the E/efif in their Grace and Glory, or in
hemay fee more than i their Holiness and Glory begun and perfected. And it doth not follow-
must here fay, ' tnat because this Love is eminently glorified on a peculiar treasure, there-
z^w^wfiu 1. c. 3. fore there is no Glory in Gods other Works, or no reason for them. O
p. 614^ [ QuAm suite that men had the wit to be humble, and confess that God is wiser and
Zfcemfivi1 48m" t>etter than they, till they can come to more Wisdom to understand the
)H(modiquof, obtx fonitur Methods and Reason of his Works.
Zl^lTo^Z As God hath his Honour in making Stars as well as the*«», and
{erre Mt gmtitm in quo Earth , as well as Stars, and Beasts , as well as Men , and Serpents
tam and WjasvvellasB/W/, and C/avaswell zsGold-^ so hath he his Ho-
fillentem? Vet Ji Dm . . » ✓ j*.h ». <~ ~
»o» 4«r grar;a»i pro;f«r nour in making a World or mutable aejecttble Intelleuual free Agents
obicem refistentem, & if{e 'r^en) as well as in making the confirmed Angels ; and in gracious sapi-
Veus citntir &fr*ctdin- V ✓ & . jP ' & -r
*«• M«/jt buu obicem ential Government of them all, as well as in his extraordinary Beneficence
quomodo ifse Vtus no* est ancJ Lovc tQ hjs E/e##
$'sZJ%Tsi «n 4- And you must not feign the damnation of the Wicked themselves
hardly believe that they t0 De any such state as is inconsistent with the goodness of God to cast a
Sii tJbe "Shfng bS Sinner into : We know not ferfeSly what Hell is : But as we know that
the fruits of Gods good jt is the extreamest humane misery, so we know that it is not at all worse
elthe'r of them^re^io tnan mens Reserve j And that when we come to Heaven, we shall
bad as saipture doth be perfectly satisfied of the Justice of God in mens damnation.
describe them, or so ^ j though I say not melius est'pecedtori mifirumefle quant non effek
much to be hated or " ... /- P J\ • L • c irs ./r r , t. I
feared. yet I Will sp far accord with worthy Dr. TmJ/e? as to lay that mehus est
peccator,es[-miseros esse quam non else : Because else God would rather have
annihilated them. For God doth that which is best : Aud his Wisdom,
and Will, and Glory are fitter Rules of Meliority, than the Will or late-
rest of Sinners.
And it feemeth by the Devils Kingdom, and Conversation in the Ait
and on the Earth ( while yet they are in Hell, and reserved in Chaiqs of
Darkness ) that their Hell is a state consistent with all that voluntary
mischievous negotiation which they do. And it s like that though they
have no Joy, yet their Wills have some pleasedness in the misehief which
they do, as an angry and malicious man hath in revenge.
And we have no reason to believe that the Hell of the damned is any
worse or more violent or irrational than the Hell of the Devils, when
they must go to that which was prepared for the Devils, Matth. 25.
But if I should but open to you the plain evidence of this truth, how
much of Hell consisteth in theirfin itself, in which undoubtedly they are
voluntary (though necessarily so, by their own doing and desert,) it
might tend yet more to the abatement ofall disparaging and unbelieving
thoughts, of the Glory of Gods gracious sapiential Regiment of the
World.
And to say that God could have made man better, and given him
more Grace, is but as to fay that he could have made Toads to be Larks,
and Beasts to be Men, and Men to be Angels : And what if he did not ?
5. And I again repeat what I have oft said, that all this Earth is but a
point next inconsiderable in the vast Universe j And immeasurable spaces
of those superior parts of the Creation are like to have proportionable
Inhabitants for glory and number : And we know that we are come to
an innumerable Cornsany of Angels,Heb. 12. 23, 24. And for ought we
know God may have millions of blessed Spirits, for one miserable wicked
Soul. Therefore we must not talk against that which we do not under
stand. - And
 Os Sufficient and Effectual Grace. 145

And if the Saints (hall judge ( wicked ) Angels , and the World j
(judging being usually put for ruling and punishing) we know not what
hand we shall have ourselves in the execution of Gods Wrath upon them,
and how far they shall be as Slaves to Saints. '
C. "I<?k have said that (*J confess) that tendeth to reconcile us all to
" Gods Providence 5 But whether it will reconcile our oven differences I
" doubts Hqw is that Gracesufficient to all menfor Salvation, which never
" telleth most os a Christ, or of Salvation at all .<?
* B. You mistake your Adversaries. They hold not that all men * Jansen. de Grat. chri-
have sufficient Grace to Salvation: But sufficient to help them nearer tO^^JJ^f?
Salvation. I tell you again, no Saint hath Grace sufficient to his full Sal- ftan insemdos fujjkit :
vation, till he is fully saved: Otherwise what need he any more? Some f,/"f^gJ^^J^
indeed call it mediately sufficient to Salvation, but that's but Us de no- di^luati"Jtt%tm!u
mine. ' lm-
C. " If it he sufficient, what need they anymore to that which it is said
" sufficient for ? Andyet more would do that which is not done. But no
" manffould desire more than is sufficient.
B. All this is a Game at words: * By [Sufficient-] they mean only \^rn\d' d|£J™Jj
necessary help, without which the act cannot be done, and with which miflx mentions agimant
it can and may be done: They do not mean all that is needful ad certe '""J* iuibf F"}!***
effe, or ad melius ejje. Therefore I use rather to call it Alt necejjary helf rMio minus gratiam fuf-
or Grace ad effe. *t*^JiaS culjL-
C. " I pray youyet mah$ it plainer to me, what that necessary or suffici- }tJ?Zigat mr'a '"logomn-
"ent Grace is, that we may judge of it. cbiatstpqOidtm,**
B. Grace is taken either for the Favour of God, or for his Gifts. And
so either forfree Gifts without merit in point of commutative Justice :
And so all that God giveth to any Creature , must needs be Grace.
Or ejse for that which is given contrary to commerit ( of evil ). And so
all is Grace which is given to Sinners.
Grace is either, 1. Efficient-principal. 2. Efficient less-principal.
3. ObjeUive. 4. Or subje&ive, which is the effect.
I. G race as the principal efficient, is either Gods meer Benevolence or
Will to give. 2. Or his Act of Collation, as ex parte agentis. Both
these are really one, and God himself, though differently denominated,
and diversly conceived of by us. God operateth per effentiam.
II. Grace as the less principal efficient, is all those means which have
an Aptitude to effect (and so are apt to be efficients) ot-aUually do so 5
As Christ, the Gospel, the Ministry, outward Mercies, Afflictions, &c.
III. ObjeUive Grace is those means which as Objetfs are appointed for
man himself to aU upon towards his own Salvation. Asa chriji to be
believed in and accepted, An offered Glory, a certain Promise, &c. * The Scll00j men have
IV. * Subjective Grace is that effect which is wrought on mans Soul, so many sorts of Grace
J - , ; as confoundeth them
selves : when they have agreed, partly, 1. Of exciting Grace. 1. And of infused habits. 3. And of Concurse. 4. They
are all to pieces about Gratia adjuvant sir modum principii , what it is. Maldtnts tells us of sour Opinions (in It. q, in.
a.%.dub.z.) 1.That it is nothing but the infused Habit it sclf.i.That it is but gratia excitans ; 3.Thatit is auxdamqualitis infufa
transitns cum ipfo actu. 4. That God himself immediately fapplieth the absence of a habit and defect t- ower to acts super
natural. He accounteth the case too difficult to be confident in : but inclineth to this, that tins' toncomitant Grace giving
power to supernatural acts before the habits, called by them Adjuvant Gractf\% quasi fomalis terminus Jen tfftam graii* txcitan-
tis & prmmientis &'Jecundum rem non differre : Yet excitation is it self taken for an effect, and this eflecteth this power in
question. But in the justified he faith, the Holy Ghost, besides habits and powers, dwelleth. Will you lay any great stress
on such nicities as these, past humane reach, and so confessed by the fubtikst Contenders ? t■
Per ptecatum non miunitur inclinatio naturalis ad bonum ptr fubtraaionem, fed ptr oppofitionem impedimtnti quod nets, tollit nets,
minuit radictm inclinations : cum enim peccatum non diminuat ipfam naturam rationalem,minucre nonpotefl radicem naturalis inclina
tions ad bonum qu<e idintificatnr cum natures : folum ergo minuiw bu)nfmodi inclinatio ex parte termini quatenus, viz. per peccatum
pmitur imptdimtntum pirtiniendi ad terminum unde qutmtumvis in infinitum multiplicantur peccata nonpitest totaliter deflrui incli'
natio naturalis ad bonum ra£/o»/j,Alvar.de Aux.Ii.tf.disp.45. p. 110. Ita Aquin. 12. q. 8$. a. a. ad 1. & 1. p. q.48. ar. 4. ad. 3.
Veucer Hi[lor. t"ar«r.rcproveth the Lutherans,Concordi a 1. quod non dijlinguunt inter vocationtmgeneralem feu univtr{alem, com-
munem omnibus, & voetttonem tfficacem, pag. 714.
V as
 Of Sufficient and EffeBual Grace.

as the beginning of his recovery or healing, and having a tendency to

more.
C. " Now tell us which of these it is that is sufficient!
B. I. Undoubtedly there is no insufficiency iaGod. All that he willeth
to do, he doth : And if he will no more, his Will is not to be called in
sufficient as to more, but mil as to that Object: And we affirm no other
proper Will of God, but such as isfulfilled.
II. Gods means which wicked men enjoy are the (ame that the godly
enjoy, and are sufficient ex parte fui, but not ex omni parte, that is, for
as much as concerneth their own Office. So Christ's antecedent Prepa
rations, his Satisfaction and Merits are sufficient. The Covenant of
Grace is sufficient : The preaching of the Gospel is sufficient in its kind,
&c.
III. The obje&ive Grace issufficient ; that is, God as he is to be believed
in and loved, revealed in the Word and in his Works : ChriU to be be
lieved in 3 the Trecepts to be obeyed, the Promise to be trussed, &c. And
though it be doubtful to many whether Amyraldus and his Fellows were
in the right,that thought that the * >w* *• and other objective Grace
be qua obje&ive, sufficient to all Heathens for Salvation 5 yet none caa
doubt but it is in suo genere,sufficient to all those good and holy acts which
those persons may immediately exercise about them. And indeed be
that loveth God but as the light of Nature, hath taught Heathens, or may
teach men that he should be loved, if he be damned, must be a damned
Saint in the love of God. But mho do so love him, is another question.
IV. Subjective Grace is either Power, Aft, or Disposition or Habit.
1. This Power is the very thing precisely which they meant by neces
fary orsufficient Grace. All men have tme power to draw nearer Salva
tion, and do better than they do, though not immediately to do all that
is neceflary to Salvation. And he that can do it if he will, and also bath
power to will it, is said to have sufficient Grace, which if he use not, the
fault lieth in his wilfulness.
2. The AU, nor the 'just Disposition or Habit they have not. But
that is their own fault, who had those Means, those ObjeSs, and that Power
by which they could and might have attained them.
C. "Ir anyone ever converted by this sufficient Grace, or not? If not,
" frustra fit potentia, &c. Ifyea, then it is effectual Grace.
"B. Now you have brought the'Controversie to the parting point,
where the two Parties use to part: (As you may see in Dr. Sanderson
and Dr. Hamond's Letters.
I will first answer your Consequences. 1. Non fruHra fit talis poten
tia, though it never act. For 1. Itattaineth other good ends, though
it attain not their Salvation, 2. If one of a thousand should not use
their power, or if a thousand to one do use it, that varieth not the
case : For it is still as much vain to that one man, as if no one used it.
But 2. So far as it is vain, that is, to their own Salvation, they make
^* it vain themselves, and must blame themselves.
3. I ask you whether you think not your self, that 1. All wicked
men by common Grace 5 2. And all godly men by special Grace, have
power to do more good and forbear more evil than they do ? If so, Do
you hold that all that power which they never use to any of those omit
ted acts is vain ? If not , why should this in question be accounted
vain?
But to the great difficulty it self, I answer, 1. You must not forestall
the Truth by any of these false suppositions.
1. That
 Os Sufficient and Ejfe&ual Grace.

1. That there is any man to whom God giveth a meer Tower, neither
disposed, nor provokgd to the Act. For i. Mans natural faculty it self,
besides natural power, hath all these aptitudes to the Act. i. Man
hath self-love, and a desire of felicity, and an unwillingness and scar of
Hell and Misery, and of all that he knoweth doth tend to it as such.
He can seek for Glory, Honour and Immortality, Rom. 2. And there
fore God thus argueth with men, Ezek. 33. turn ye, rvhy will ye die?
And 1 Pet. 3. 10. He that loveth Use, and would see good days , &c. as
making use of a common principle.
2. Man hath reason to understand what is told him of Good and
Evil in some sort, and Nature containeth a Law written in the heart,
Rom. 3. by which the Heathens did much of that which was written in
the Scripture.
3. Man hath a Conscience to accuse and excuse.
4. He hath misery and necessity to move him : which may be known
to him by common light and experience.
5. Sin, as sin is in common disgrace in the World : And Nature teach-
eth Mankind to distinguish moral Good and Evil j so that the worst do
not love and own sin as sin : And did not Satan hide it with some vail of
goodness, he could not draw them to it. Even those that murdered
Christ, did it on a false pretence that he was a Sinner.
6. Mans nature hath an enmity to Devils, and a fear of them. And
therefore will fly from evil so far as they perceive the Devil in it ( for
the most part. ) For he is their known Enemy.
•ji Lastly, All do known that they must die, and that this World will
serve them but a little while} And they have great: experience of its
vanity and vexation : And Nature teacheth most , and the Gospel
much more, that mans Soul is immortal, 1 and therefore that there is a
Reward for the Good, and Punishment fpr the Bad hereafter.
2. And as depraved Nature it self hath certainlyj;all these advanta
ges for good ; so God addeth by his Works apd Word many vehement
Motives, Perswasions, and urgent Exhortations, Examples, Mercies
and Corrections : And all these may give the Soul much more than a
bare power to many good acts : For many such are really done by bad
men 5 And to others they are almost perswaded, when they disobey.
2. You must not suppose, that just the same degree of means or help
is neceflary to one man as to another ^ or to the (ame man ever at several
times. For one mans Soul may be more undisposed and ill disposed than
anothers : And the fame mans more at one time than at another. And
temptations and impediments may be greater at one time, and to one
man than another. Experience assureth us, that less teaching will in
form one mans understanding than anothers.
C. " Have not all men the fame degree of Original Sin ? What can besaid
** more of any than issaid of all, that they are dead in (in .<?
-B. I. The fame word [Dead"] may be used of all, if it were words
only that you plead for. But that word proveth not that all are equally
either guilty or corrupted. For though Adam's sin be the fame to all, yet
I have before told you ( and shewed you besides Scripture, Augustine's
judgment for it ) that there is also a participation of Guilt of nearer Ta-
rents sins by Infants , And consequently ofPravity: Were it but the ill
temper of body which many Drunkards and Adulterers convey to their
Children, experience telleth us that it doth much in hindering the Soul.
And all are »ot equal in this derivation of Original Sin.

V a 2. And
 ja% Os Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

2. And ^jw's sin, with all other being pardoned to faithful Parents,
is in them pardoned to their Infants dedicated to God j And we have
reason to think that where the Guilt is pardoned, the Vice is not equally
* transmitted as to others that are not pardoned in their infancy.
2. And it is not only Original sin, but much additional Pravity, and
particular habits of sin, contracted by practice, which is the impediment
of Conversion.
4. Yea, and actual sin it self, which temptations stir up, as well as thole
habits.
5. And also the great guilt which all those acts and habits do contract,
by which Gods Grace is yet more forfeited. All these are a great dispa
rity, and shew that more Grace is necessary to some than others.
C. " Well ! Go on withyour Answer to the main guettion ?
r e. My Answer is, that if you will not turn Vorliians, but will receive
the common metaphysical School Divinity about God, ( to deny which,
is commonly called by all Parties) I do not yet see any place
s for a disagreement. For the Question, £ Whether thefame measure of
U. Grace which we call meerly sufficient, if ever ejsetfual ? "] is meant either,
1. Of Gods Agency or Influx as it is Agentis. 2. Or of the Means,
3. Or of the Obje&s. 4. Or of Ejsefts in the Soul. *
l^dTow^Vr^ And 1. It is plainly the first that thelnost Contenders mean, upon a
txciunt tst ifficax & rata false supposition. They think that God puts forth one degree of strength
v!squHtmftxculu^&to one effect> and another degree to another effect 5 and so that ex forte
gum [me cons™;* ubero in Dei operantis, there is a different Operation (in kind or degree) to
hnrint pom - non <«« the producing of different effects : which is blasphemy in the judgment
potejt gratia pulfare, qmn - *. B .., , . «-< ^i. u r• /- i_ 0
homtpuiietur. of the Philosophical Divines: For though we are fain to use the name
^na1wt"S!/mG™"of A& J»/&we, yet it is nothing but Gods own Essence ( in Power,
to the Act to which it Wisdom and Will) by which heproduceth all effects. And (to say)
«cit«h)scc his Reasons, that Gods Essence is divers in kind or degrees, is contrary to his Simpli-
1 / . pug. 4 u city and Immutability, And if all Gods Operation ( from the creation
of the World to the moving of a Feather, and from the converting of
Saul to the least gracious action of a Saint,) be done by the sime kind
and degree of power, and there be no difference at all in God or his
Agency, but only as in pajso in the effect, then the very supposition of
your dispute, and the Subject being nothing, you may see how wisely
you have long troubled the World.
* 'Aurtotiu in his *>und ^" ** Stit ** ** mconce^vea^e *^at t^>ere should he variety in the Effects,
lH.2.art.7. peg.i$. (who " when the Cause hath no difference at all in its agency ex parte fui.
confidents fin8"ntaineth * **OW now Calvinifls so much stir up King James against
that there h some' can- Vorfiius, and condemn him in the Synod of Dort$ and now must we
sal Action of God -(e.g. plead against you as Vorflians 2 Did not one God, without any diversity
cssence'aS 'The effeft : in hin>self> make all the variety of Creatures in the World > Can be
because posita causa toni- not unica volitione velle plurima ? And so unica act i one plurima efficeref
X froSZ ™ A11 raultitude P""*edeth from perfect Unity.
and faith, This Action C. " But Gods Influx or Action seemeth to he somewhat else than his
is not God , and « piTenrp
yet no part of the
Universe. But i.it B. i ou must mean ex parte Dei, or you say nothing : And if so, it must
5hK^n«uiS5dBfe • be some Creature : For besides Creator and the Creature there isno-
For Action is virtutit thing.
clicujus as: in -, and that
•virtus is [Manti* virtm : Visox Altio creata subsist not of themselves : There/ore an Action that is neither God, noryec
a Creatures Action is unintelligible. %. And the difficulty will recur upon his own way : For cither that middle Action is
trie or maty, eternal or in time : If one and eternal, his own Arguments aflault it : why then is the Effect temporary and mul
1 i«'iv m :, If
tifarious j 1 it11 be many
-/M'.j Actions
nuiuui and
uim temporary,
'■ y" ■ r i itu is all one
um. for
lui one eternal
utisl^t God
uuu to
iu cause
Lauii. many
unm^ temporary
i l in y\j\ .uy Creatures,
v>n-*i u n. J, as
u j to
»~ CiUsC
many temporary Atlions. Therefore when all is done, w e must fay that Omnia funt ah uno : Though bow we cannot compre
hend. 3. And Gods Essence is an infinite power in Aft, intimately present with every effect : no other intermediate action
reed to be imagined. V
C. "WffH
 Os Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace. j^y

C. " A&ion is not Res, but modus agentis. And so it may be in

" Cod.
B. Some indeed make the three Persons to be three Modes in God,
which yet others deny : But otherwise it is commonly taken for blasphe
my, to soy that God who is most simple and immutable, hath any true
mode distinct from his simple Essence, much more that his Essence hath
diversity of modes. And if you will deny this, we must make a whole
new method of Divinity, and such as will most accommodate the Arm's
nians.
C. " But to fay that God deth Influere vel agere, and tofay that he is
" God, are not words of thefamesignification.
B. True : For they are different Conceptions that narrow-minded man
must have about God in whom there is no* difference. We have oar ge
neral conception of Essence, and Perfections, and Relation, which we
express by the Name GOD; And we have one more particular, yea our
modal conceptions and expressions : And to express the one, is not to ex
press the other. But that proveth no diversity in God.
C. *' IfActio be in Paflb, then it is not God, hut a Creature.
B. That old faying is but de nomine aUionis. Doubtless there is of
created Agents a certain modus by which in A&ion they differ from them
selves ; n.^agent and agere signifieth somewhat distinct from the effe8t
which is v that is in VaJJb, and is called Pajfion. And if it be only quid
creatum, or the effeU that you mean, we will after speak of that j But
now the question is of the efficient Causality.
C. " By this rule we mutt fay that ex parte Dei , to will Peter's Salvo*
M tion ana Judas his Damnation, are all one.
B. So all Philosophical Divines affirm: save only that the some Will
unvaried in it self, is variously related and denominated ah extra from the
diversity of objeSs and Effects.
C. " At leap then we may here denominate Gods Operations on several \
*' Souls, as various from the variety of Effects.
B. You may and must do so : But then remember that the question is ,i
but de nomine, and that you confess that there is no real diversity in all
Gods Operations on mens Souls on his part, no not in degrees. {
II. And then as to the means, (though for my part I think that a great
diversity is caused by their diversity, yet you your selves will not con
sent, that the question aboutsufficiency and efficacy be there laid. i. Be
cause it is a moral operation : and you think that some other physical »
operation causeth the difference. 2. Because many that live under the
most excellent means are not converted, when some are that had far
less. 3. Becausejyou suppose no voevassufficient of itself : and no means
insufficient when God will work by it.
But if this must be the question , it must be remembred that you
grant, 1. That means are but sufficient for their own part, and not ad
omnia: and therefore suppose somewhat in the person (disposition or
use) to make them effectual. 2. And that God is the Author ofmeans :
and that in themselves they are the fame oft to good and bad. But
3. That the diversity of mens dispositions maketh the fame left suitable
to one, which is now suitable and consequently more effectual to ano
ther. So that here is the fame Grace oft times as in the means, made va
rious by variety of Reception. And so that which you are to fay of
God herein is this, that when some wicked Parents have more vitiated
their Posterity than others, and when some wicked men by their
practices have more vitiated themselves , yet God doth not always
give
 j o Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace.

give them a greater proportion of gracious means * and helps than to

& others, but leaveth them under the common helps which convert the
l%2$<£$?tt more prepared Souls. Not that God always doth so : For oft times to
operation of the spirit his Elect he doth as he did by Paul, or the Eunuch, vouchsafe themex-
pfsts ^Yn/in some cases traordinary means. For as a Benefactor he is free, and may do with
more. his own as he list, and may make Vestels of Mercy and Honour of them
Va^i ^vtm'incl'inan tn*c deserved worst. And the cafe of the Tyrians and Sidonians, com-
Voiunutm ad aiiqmd pared with theirs of Capernaum and Bethfaida , doth prove, that less
appnendum , em tfficaci- means are proportionable to some as being less ill-disposed, when greater
ter & pbyfice pradetermi- l k ffa. i
nado'nm [ohm immtdi- to others may be uneffectual.
«te, fed etiam mediate And then as to ebje&ive Grace, it being the fame God, the fame
^iJSlf&tt'mSS Heaven, the fame Christ, and the fame Promise which is set before all
p. Tho. veus movet om- that have the Gospel, this cannot be the Controversie. Though the re-
^aTtJd'i^peTat'h- vealing means be divers withtoany, so is not the Object, not the Means
Uts, ita ut etiam quando to all.
mvet volmtaum aiiquid y M fa rernaineth then to be questioned, is the EffeU which is
imprimis it iHam per mo- - .1 » , . Jt _
dm trtnfeuntis.) Alva-snbje8we Grace : whether that Grace in one man which is but sufficient,
rez de Aux. difp. 23. fce ejfjcjent in another ? or in the fame man at several times. And here
'liJ>* .. by thisfubjeUive Grace is meant either, 1. The visimpreffa. 2. Or the
Power. 3. Or the Act produced. 4. Or the Disposition or Habit.
The two latter are shut out of the question j which is not whether
c the Act or Habit be sufficient and effectual, but whether the Grace be so
that is to cause them.
Whether this visimprejsa be always caused by means with Gods tower
set home (as the impress of a Signature by the Arm and Seal) or be
caused immediately by God, without any proper means, the word be
ing but a Concomitant, and not mediate Operator, is made a Contro
versie by some : But he that well considereth the Scripture here abours,
and the experience of man, will be likelidr to think that it is God by
. means that ordinarily maketh the impress on the Soul, and that the fame
impress is the effect of both, though extraordinarily God can do with
out means. For 1. It is most likely that God should work on man
most agreeably to his nature, and to his subject state under God his
Governor. 2. And Christ himself as our Teacher and Example, and
all his Gospel, are appointed to this use. 3. The Ministry and Ordi
nances are appointed to the fame end ; And Ministers commanded to
fit their teaching to that end. 4. No man can prove that ever any came
, to actual Knowledge, Faith or Love, but by some means. Experience
telleth Gods Servants that he worketh by them. 5. The most apt and
. powerful usually have best success and those prosper most in Grace that
use means best, and those speed worst that use them least. 6. God
1 strictly commandeth the use of the means as means for that end, that his
Grace may be wrought by them. 7. God promiscth his blessing on the
means : Æ. 26. 17, 18. / fend thee to open their eyes, &c. Rom. 1. 16.
, The Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation. 2 Tim. 4. 1 6. Thou- slialt save
\ thy self and them that hear thee. Jam. 6. last. He that conversesh a' Sinner,
saveth a Soul from death, ckc. 8. When God forsiketh a Nation, by
taking away the means, he usually forsaketh them as to further Grace.
9. The Pevil feemeth to know this by his earnest opposition to a holy
powerful Ministry, and Other means throughout the World 5 so that
We may say with Cypriam, EpiU. 69. adPupian. Vt etiam qui non crcde-
bant Deo Episcopum Qonfiitutnti , vel Diabtlo credebant Episcopum pro-

' : v • ' But

 Of Sufficient and Effellual Grace. I5I

But whether it be by means ot not, it must be somewhat different from

Cods own Essence, which is imprinted or communicated. And to get a
formal conception of it, what it is, if it be not the Power, Disposition,
j0 or Habit, is past mans reach. Whatsoever it is,this is certain, i. That
God doth not give an AS as a thing pre-existent ; but giving Faith is
but causing us to believe, or do that act our selves , which was none
till we performed it. 2. That quoad esseUum disposed Power and AB
also, are more than Power and Disposition without the act. 3. Un- £'^ollbMd^t^
doubtedly the fame degree of impress, or influx, or force, which causeth 7, &c [ Though God
one man to believe or act, is not sufficient to cause any other worse dis- ^'thau^'h sicaMb*
posed man to believe or act: nor the (ame man when he is more illVfoTiowVno^ thacVc^s
disposed and hindered. 4. If we put the case of men equally disposed, k^^"3Jb?eil,g.thai
it is impossibly to prove that any two men in the world are equally dis- nollgh^hac °God fe* the
posed 3 Nay it is most probable that they are not : Their minds having joak"jof ,,he •p10w^to
far greater variety of thoughts to cause a difference, than their counte- good? mayV^g from
nances have of particles, making the wonderful diversity which we see. him,) &c. [au that
Nor is the fame man long equally disposed. 5. Men equally disposed £°0 w
j( if such there were ) may have unequal impediments without, and in selves, to bring it forth
their bodies, and temptations, which may cause them to need unequal rfj^bgwrlo h^u*
help of Grace. 6. The lame individual Impress which causeth no more feiiow-heiper or ' pro-
than a Power, causeth not the Act also 5 For that is a contradiction ; to ^"j1^ "u^end ^
cause the Act and not to cause it. 7. But a less degree of impulse or help wards the good, with
may cause the act in one, when a greater degree causeth it not in ano" ^"^^oojp"^^
ther. 8. A wonderful difference therefore is made in this as well as in a^ves from°it"by for-
all other diversities in the World, by the diverse receptive dispositions ^^^Slrf^rf
the Patient. Which made Johan. Sarisberiensis (in Nugis Curial.) and learning , which may
many School-men to liken God (with some acknowledged difference) beget in man the urmost-
in bis Operations to the Sun, which by one inyaried efflux of motive, an^l1e"^p°hVs.Si
illuminative and calefaUive power, causeth innumerable varieties of ef- cause of it, than to give
sects, as all the particular Creatures have various Natures and receptive ^S?J5fI?5n
Dispositions. 9. But all good disposition or preparation is of God 5 But as it looks towards him ■
by such ways of operation as we are searching aster. But all ill disposi- jjftfjj SSTS
tion is from our selves. 10. To conclude, God givethmen sometimes the evil is done, as much
as much power toWiUotAft- when they do not, as they have when they ^ ?use °f the £°°A
j r> x/-tix • ' 1./- f . r- 1 J that is not done : therc-
OO. But ( usually ) not an equal predtspoptton , some having more f0re he is not the cause
indisposed themselves 5 which is to be changed by contrary acts. But
whether de fa&o men equally enabled, predisposed, helped and hindered, not'only good,Pbw"ifo
do yet without any cause but their own free-will it self act or will vari* needful: For though the
oufly, is a question that these Controversies need not come to: That wmff*2?VJf mt
such (were there such in the World) could do it, I take for granted, win not be in a wavering'
ivhaf-ever f hev do alike towards Go°d and
ii 5> J r ■ 111 u-u u u tj • u Evil, but only in a sclf-
The Controversie is well known which Habbes hath raised in the willingness to Good ;
World, who faith, That to befree and to be willing is all one j and that EjL'JJ^lj'jJ^
every act of the Will is as truly necessitated by physical premotion, as For this isa life of do-
the motions of any Engine are ; And that we talk of liberty and con- loSks^to vjS>Srd in
that to come : and thac
Is a life of rewarding as it looks back to doing or believing here, &c. ]
t Hence we may answer the old inSS" t« ? For as fin is a moral thing, &c. unbounded Wisdom and Goodness having
laid out endless happiness as a reward for Obedience, and endless wretchedness as punishment for sin ; withouc this Obe
dience there could be no Heaven : without Sin no Hell. And without a power, not to do in both, there could be neither :
So then, that God may have leave to make man happy for holiness, man must needs have power to make himself wretched
for sin : That evil should always flow from evil !n a chain of Breeders is a great misunderstanding. ]
9b)til. Then man may thank himself too for all the good he does that Being, as much of him as the other, &s. Anfv. Ic
follows not : For i. Of all the good that man doth, God is still the moral Cause, egging on to it by al!, &c. ». And the
fame Almighty Hand that barely upheld while Sin was done, doth over and above further the thing that good is by ei-
lightning the Mind, renewing the Will, healing the spring in man of that ail which inbred Sin hath brought upon it ;
and in a word, making it every way more it self,God must be more an Owner than man ; And thence the thing done falls in.
with the Divine Will, because it flowed from Divine Goodness. [ That which is good in man by way of Off-spi inj, being
soin God by way of Well-spring- j ibid. p. 10. tingency
152 Os Sufficient and Eftftuai Grace.

tingency in the dark , not that there is any such thing indeed, but
when we know not the train of Causes, we use those names, which fignifie
but our ignorance : And that the first Cause and other superior Causes do
by premotion as much necessitate each Volition, as the Archer doth the
motion of his Arrow. And the Dominicans predetermination, and Ca-
mero's necejfitation by a train ofsecond Causes is the some I think. But I
think God hath made a very good use ( by his over-ruling ordination )
of the Doctrine of Hobbes, (learnedly and timeroufly, or cauteloufly
seconded by Gaffendus, and improved by "BenediUus Spinofa, an Apostate
Jew in his Traftatus Politico-theologicus.) For the goodness and learning
of such worthy men as were Alvarez,, Twijfe, Camero, ( in all other points
moderate and admirably judicious ) hath been the grand temptation to
the Church to receive that Doctrine, which Hobbes and Spinosa having
plainly and nakedly propounded, is now detested by almost all good
men. For from thence they have plainly inferred the subversion of all
morality as distinct from physical motion, and consequently of all true
Religion.
I deny not that I find my self the Controversie in it self exceeding
difficult 3 and that I have not been without temptations to their Opinion,
nor yet am : And that indeed , all pretended middle ways between
Hobbes, his Necejfitation Physical, and true Free-will, are but fancies as far
as I can perceive.
And if I leave true Free-will, I must turn to their neceffitation. I
confess their arguing is very plausible 3 that there is no Effect without a
Cause 3 and that when ever the Will chooseth one thing, and refuseth
another, there is some antecedent Cause in the power, disposition, or
external things : and that the fame Cause in the fame state and mode,
having no difference in it self, doth always produce the fame effect:
Otherwise the diversity should have no cause : And that the Will being
in the some disposition, and having all the some objects, helps, impedi
ments and other circumstances, will have the fame acts.
All this is plausible : But 1. If I receive it, I must let go almost all
Religion ( as well as Christianity ) 3 of the truth of which I have a bet
ter proof than they can give for their Opinion. And we must not re
duce certainties to the obscurest unsearchable uncertainties.
2. And in God himself their foundation is confuted: For he that is
the first Cause eodem modo se habens fine ulla diverjttate, unicus pluritna,
' immo omnia canfat. Therefore their Principle is false.
3. And finding man made after the Image of God, not only as holy,
but as man, (Gen. 6.) I have great reason to think that Free-will is part
of his natural Image , and that as God is a causa nnica plurimorum, so
may Free-will be : And that as a God is causa prima entium, so Free-will
may be a kind of causa prima ( not aUionis qua talis, but ) of the com
parative moral species of its own acts, (as choosing this thing rather than
that ) which is no addition to real entity, but a wonderful mode of it,
which man cannot tell whether he should callsomething or nothing.
4. I soy therefore that here is no Effect without a Cause : Free-mil
may be the cause of various Effects , without a various predisposi
tion.
C. " Doth not the mil aU as it is disposed to aU .<?
B. That it acteth not always according to Habits,vih\ch are more than
dispositions, is certain by experience. For objects oft prevail against
habits 3 and habits do not necessitate.

C.
 Of Sufficient and EffeUual Grace. 1^

C. " That is because the Will is otherwise disposed by some contrary

" stronger habits : As either by the habit of sensuality, or the natural incli-
** nation to felicity assuch : which may bear down weaker particular habits
** or inclinations.
B. No doubt but the Will is qusdam natura, and hath its natural in
clination to good and felicity, which is its pondus and radical disposition
to its acts j from which every act is caused that is done. But I fay not
that ever it goeth contrary to these radical necessitating inclinations to
goodness. But de mediis it may have inferior particular habits which it ,
oft goeth against.
C. " that is because the Understanding conceiveth that another thing is
" best 5 andso it is necessitated by the "Understanding.
B. The Understanding guideth, but doth not necessitate. That we
Will rightly is caused by the Understanding ( as that I hit the way is by
my eye-sight) but not that I exercise the Act it self. Though we Will not
without or against the last strongest dictate of the practical Intellect } yet
I. Note that the Intellect hath divers perceptions at once (which is not
commonly noted ). It doth at once act a deep simple apprehension that
e.g. bonum sensible \s pleasant, and good, and amiable j and that bomtm
spirituale which cometh into competition, is yet better, may beat the
seme time perceived, with so low, dull and weak an apprehension, as
that the Will may tenaciously so adhere to the first simple apprehension
by a strong simple Volition, as that the second weak comparate appre
hension may not move it to Election, a. For we find that it is not the
objective truth of an apprehension which turneth the Will, without some
answerable clearness and liveliness : And as a Preacher that dreamingly
speaketh of great things uncontroulably, but coldly, moveth not the
hearers, so is it with the Intellect it self. And 3. The Will, being prin-
cipium exercitii can hinder the "Understanding from perceiving truth, by
hindering it from thinking of the evidence. 4. And the Will it self
can suspend its own act, contrary to the understandings sluggish dictate.
And not afting when it can ( towards God, and true goodness, ) is the
beginning of all the disorders of the Soul.
C. ilEutsaith Camero, &c. fAeVVill is appetitus rationalise And is
** it a& against reason, it aUeih not as a Will: .Andso also is itaci without
" reason : Therefore it cannot forbid the InteUeU to think, (by nolition)
" unless the Intellectfirst say, Non cogitandum est. Nor can it choose but
" velle cogitare ifthe Intelletf say cogitandum est : Otherwise the Will were
*e a bruitifh, and not a rational appetite.
B. i. The Will acteth by reason , when it cleaveth to that good
which is simply apprehended by the Intellect. The simple apprehension
goeth first j e.g. [That this Fruit offered Eve is good and desirable]:
This is true, and here the Will adhereth to it as good. Then should the
understanding think comparatively osagreater Good, and say [This is evil
vas forbidden and as it hindereth a greater Goods) And this it per-
formeth not, because the Will is here the beginner of the Sin: not per
haps by a positive nolition or forbidding the Intellect the comparing
Thought j (for that it doth not without thew of reason) but by neg
lecting or omitting to excite the Understanding ad exercitium 'j which it
is brought to in Adam and Eve, 1. By diversion, being before taken up
with the Creature. 2. By voluntary neglect or sloth. For the Will
can omit its act without reason, and yet be a rational appetite. And the
beginning of the Sin may be this omission of the Will, or its over tena
cious adhering to sensible good, apprehended truly by the Intellect, •
2. And we have not so much acquaintance with the faculties of our
X own
 Os Sufficient and Ejfe&ual Grace.

own Souls, as to be sure that sense, and passion, and phantasie can do
nothing immediately on the Willto help or hinder it. We find that the
Will easily followeth Passion, and very hardly goeth against it.
3. Nay we are not certain, but there may be more bruitishness and
less reason in many Sins, than most imagine j and that the violence of
the sensitive appetite and passion, may not prevail both with the Witt to
forbear the excitation of the Intellect, and with the Intellect to omit its
opposite Judgment, though neither Will ot Reason in the first instant give
consent. There are some also that think that we are scarce sure that the
Will and the sensitive Appetite are two several faculties, rather than one
between two guides. I fay not as they : But this I will fay, that I grow
daily more confident , that they that make the rational and sensitive
Soul in man to be two,and their Brethren, that without all shew ofproof,
magisterially face us down , that the Soul at death puts off all sense
( because it exerciseth it not by the fame Organs which were adapted to
the Bodies use ) , do both of them hainoufly wrong the Church, and
darken many Truths, and open the way to Infidelity.
C. " But you cannot lay the beginning ofJin on the Wills omission, to put
" the Intellect on the comparing thoughts ; for the Intellect can understand.
" against our Wills (as many know that which they had rather be ignorant
" of) : And therefore needs not the Will ad exercitium.
B. The Intellect may be forced : But it is not so always : Things sensi
ble, and near at hand, may force the Intellect: But things unseen and
diitant must be voluntarily thought on, and studied, or else they will
not be understood.
C. "If e.g. Eves Will had said to thelntelleU, [ Cogita Compara-
" tive ] either the Intellect mustfirst havesaid to the Will, [ Comparative
"cogitandum est] or not: If not , then that Will would have been no
" rational Will. Ifyea, then the Will muSi have consented, or else been
" unwilling againSt reason, andso be bruitijh still. Therefore Sin mult be-
"gin at thelntelleU.
B. I. The Intellect did not soy [Comparative cogitandum est"] not only
because it was not commanded so to fay by the Will j but because the
Will was so entangled before by the simple Love of the Creature, as di
verted the thoughts from the Creator. 2. Suppose the Intellect did fay
coldly [Comparative cogitandum eft"] the Will did neglect it 5 being
not necejjitated thereby, and so the Intellect went no further. °
C. " If the Will do velle bonum qua bonum neceslario, it must needs
" necessarily velle bonum cognitum, andso mustfollow the IntelleS.
B. It doth neceslarily velle bonum quando vult, i. e. von malum 5 but
it doth not necessarily velle hoc, vel illud bonum inter plurima : Nay
though the Intellect fay nothing against it, yea something for it, the
pre-engaged Will may neglect it. And yet possibly Eves Intellect did
perform one comparative act which occasioned her further sin, viz,. [ If
thou turn thy thoughts towards Gods prohibition, thou wilt lose the
pleasant good before thee 1. And this was true.
C. " But if Eve's Will first over tenacioufiy stuck, to the forbidden.
"Creature, when the "Understanding never said, It must do so? Inso doing
" it was not a Will, but bruitijh Appetite.
B. The Understanding said truly, [It is pleasant and Appetible"] and so
the Will in its initial desire sinned not. But that it looked nofurther, and
excited not the Intellect to remember, and it self to desire more to please
God, was by an abuse of its power and liberty of self-determining, and
so the sensible good prevailed, because the superior good was forgotten
and neglected* And the Will may thus suspend its act after an intel
lectual
 Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace: 155

lectual perception , without being bruitish, though it so far disobey

Reason its guide. ...
C. '* these things are exceeding intricate and difficult, for all that you
"fay.
B. They.areso: * But forget not, that the great difficulty is between * 'The fame I fay ofob-
us and the Hobbijls or Infidels, and Yatitts, and not between the true jcct>*e and intellectual
Christians among themselves, as to our present Controversies. I con- y^if-"^'™ h^Mm*
fefsthat the confuting of their Opinion, that [ all Volitions are ncceffi- truly, ufi. ■pbityHZt.
tated unavoidably by Gods Operation 3 isa far harder workthan the ''O* M> 4>6.
reconciling of the Lutherans and Calvinists, who go upon no such P tin- donarts ttfmJtr*-
ciples. 'Ji . j hitatem ad aftum- futiiH
Tell me, Is this it that you would come to or not? If you once per- S3^tES£
Iwade me that God caufeth all sinful Volitions as necessarily as he causeth Uhrtts miu (it , «»-
a Tree*o grow, and that man can no more avoid them, and that liberty JgJ' dTciL^qL'fm-
of Will signifieth no more than mile, or not nolens velle, and so that God per determinate, joh. ca-
is the prime irresistible cause of all Sin, as much as of all Good, so far as 'SSSk'J&mS*
it is capable of a Cause. ~] I must needs next believe, i. That God Heerbord,H« ptiixt&
hateth not his own Work: yea that he loveth it. 2. That he hateth bm uf'llit
no man for it. 3. That moral Good and Evil is nothing in man,' but
such as obeying or disobeying ( proportionably ) in a Horse or Dog.
4. Yea far left } because man doth but as my pen which writeth as I move
it, in respect to God : But so is not my Horse or Dog to me. 5. And
how then to judge of all the Scripture, the Ministry, of the Incarnation
and Death of Christ, of the Duties of a Christian life, of Hell, &c.
it s easie to perceive, viz. That as God differenceth Men and Toads
meerly because he will do so ; even so doth he the good and the bad in
the World : and that Sin is no evil any way but to our selves : and that
God is as much the cause of it as of Sickness j and is as well pleased with
the Worlds Infidelity and Impiety, as with the Churches Sanctity 5 And
that he will no otherwise damn men for Sin, than arbitarily to make
such baser than others, as Dogs are than men 5 Benediftus Spinofa hath
given you the Consectaries more at large.
O how heartlefly should I preach and pray, how carelesly should I
live, if once you brought me. to this Opinion, that all sin is the unresisti-
ble Work of God ( so far as it is a work ) as much as holiness is ?
C. " If there be no middle between Free-will and this Impiety (as Icon-
" j'ess I cannot disprove your Confe&aries) it's timefor us to tumour studies
" against the common Enemies of all Religion and Morality, instead of con-
" tending with one another : specially when they haveso much toJay.
B. And do you think they do well, and friendly by the Church, who
take these mens part, and own their Cause in the foundation ; and en
tangle poor Souls in such intricate difficulties 3 when we that know not
the least of Gods Creatures, or the mysteries of any of his Works, do
little know all the quick and intricate actions of our own Souls.
In a word,man hath more power to good than he useth,and that power
is called sufficient or necessary Grace to the act 5 though there be many
difficulties which no one of either side can resolve.

X 2 the
 i56 Os Sufficient and EffeQml Grace,

The second Crimination.

So Dr. Twi§t frequently C. " But Ifear many of them with Pelagius by GRACE do mean no-
repeateth that meer « Nature itself, at leall when they speak of the Heathens, who
posse credere is but Nature , * . r ... ' * Jr ^ * *
and not Grace, because " theysay havesome kjnd of Grace.
it is equally a poffe non B% Turn yOUr eyes a little from the name of Pelagius, and every thing
£»sl power reprieved else that useth to blind Disputers with prejudice and partiality, and then
by Grace, and preserved answer me these following questions.
SÆ™£m£yC!Ed «• Do y°u think that Mercy contrary to sinful Commerit is
great helps of Grace to not properly Grace ?
excite and rectifie it, tl - mufpst it 4 r i
maybe called an effect I conjejs tt ts t
of Grace. B. guest. 2. Is not the whole frame ot Humane Nature (and our Uten
sils ) put into the hand and power of Christ the Redeemer , to be
managed by him to his Mediatory ends, Job. 17. 2. Math. 28. 19,20.
Joh. 13. 3. Ephes. 1. 22, 23. Phil. 2. 7, 8, 9, 10, II, 12. For this end he
died, rose and revived, that he might be Lord both ofthe Dead and Living.
Rom. 14.9. Joh. 5. 22, 23, 24. The Father judgeth no man, but bath
committed all Judgment to the Son, &c. And is not the very reprieval
of the World from deserved ruine and misery so many thousand years aa
Act of Grace ? and Nature now continued, used and improved by Grace,
and so far may be said to be of Grace >
C. " This is plain truth, and must not be denied.
B. guest. 3. Is it not undeserved Mercy to all Mankind, that ever
since Adam's Sentence, Gen. 3. 15. they are all ruled by a Law of Grace,
and not the Law of Innocency alone, and by that Law of Grace must
all be judged ?
C. " Ifyou before evinced that any thing is truly mercy to the Reprobatet
*' I muft confess it. But I have not before so much thought of this, what
" Law the World is under, as the cafe deserveth : But I remember Camero
w in the fragments of his dispute with Courcellæus taken by Testardus,
" though he deny not that the Covenant of Grace was made with all mankind
" in Adam and Noah, yet faith, That by orfor their nearer Parents sins the
" Infants of Infidels are out of that Covenant.
B.I. It's well you note, that it is not only Auguliine (Enchir. ad Lou-
vid. Pet. Martyr in Horn, rent.) and I that are for the Imputation of nearer Parents sin, in some
5. confessing Aupstint't fort) as well as Adam's. 2. He speaketh there ofthe Covenant as mntualy
ju gmenc, and not as a !<»*>, or an offered Covenant, or Divine Disposition, tus***,
(of which Grotius speaketh at large in his Preface to Annotat. in Evang.)
And so I fay the fame as Camero : which is but this, that though it be a
Law or offered Covenant of Grace, and not the sole Law of Innocency,
which the whole World are now under as Subjects to be ruled and
judged by it. Yet no Parent that consenteth not, hath any right to the
promised benefits, nor is in it as a mutual Covenant ( unless as any coun
terfeiting consent may oblige themselves ) nor are the Children of sucfi
Parents any true Heirs of the said promised benefits for the fake of remote
Ancestors, as long as their nearest Parents are Infidels. This is all that
Camero there maintaineth.
guest. 3. Are not all the teachings, helps, means, time, and innune-
*l Bit k tells ou that ra^e ^erc'es wn*cri Heathens and Infields have contrary to their Com-
p«/*wT SstiiSJsncth merits, and consequently truly Grace? *
Grace into natural and C. " They are at best but common Grace. But I am loth to grant that
ger^ral, This. x7. « Nature jSs0 muchiif J COHld deny it.

B. I
 Os Sufficient and EjfeUual Grace* 157

B. I am sorry that unwillingness and willingness can do so much with

you about these matters. But I pray tell me, Jguetf. 4. What is it that
you mean by Nature ?
C. " I mean thatfixed order of being and operation which God put all
*' things in at their Creation at the beginning.
B. You have done as the Incendiaries of the Church have done from
the beginning of contentious Disputes : you have chosen a word unex- Medii **** desthata &
plained to make a matter of reproach of, which hath so many significa- Pbmlt [%i]^iTJlti.
tions, and is so uncertainly used, that Philosophers themselves, even in *»» j*»g? posfimlona <>
their greatest accurateness, know not what to six upon ; though there are ^hmDiu''!!Sl"t^m
sew words which they are more concerned to be agreed in,if they could, finem uutw. Armin.
But where the thing is unknown, no wonder if there be discord about Privat- Thcs.41.'
the Name. Fortun. Licetus alone de natura primo movente may suffice to
evince this. But I perceive you take not Nature for Principium motus et
quiet is, &c. nor for the ejsence of things, matter or form, ot both: nor
with Scotus de potentia for the passive power, nor in other senses usually
intended by various Writers : But for the created Jiatut & ordo rerum,
and the motus thereby alone caused. And if this be N ATI) RE with
you, you cast your self into inextricable difficulties to know what you
lay. For 1. We are very much ignorant of second Causes, and their
concatenation and co-operations 5 who ever took in pieces this great
Engine of the Universe ( as men do a Clock or Watch ) to find out the
form and compagination ofeach part? or ever understood it. 2. Who
can tell certainly what is done by this compagination of Causes and Author sidei est sphitm
co-operation according to its primitive state, whoknoweth not the ^"^Vtm #""?'"'e
whole Engine, but some parts alone ( not lo much as one land is to the turn & vutrhn
Whole Earth) feeing that it is the whole that co-operateth to the fore-
described motions ) And 3. Who knoweth how far God hath fixed the jnstrumemZl/^angeii.
state and operation of second Causes ? and how far he is pleased to alter »■ ft ***** ^\ct°X
them from their first state and course of motion , or daily doth it ) ckifto qlem spirits in-
4. And who is so well acquainted with the state of the Universe in the ttHtSu proponit &pn-
Creation, and the state of it now, as to be able to make an accurate pr1w\ Th^s^.sSx
comparison, and tell whether or how much it is since then altered } or
whether all things continue just as in the beginning. 5 . Yea it is certain,
that a great alteration was made both on mans Soul and Body, and on
,the Earth by the sin of Adam, and the Curse. 6. And it is certain, that
God maketh much use of the Ministry of fiee Agents in the affairs of the
World, even of Angels, Devils and Men, whose voluntary contingent
acts ( and consequently their effects) go not as a Watch or Clock in
one constant natural course of motion. How then can you tell here
what is natural as to a great part of the changes upon man ? .
C. " You would ma^ me believe that WORDS are so defe&ive at to
€t delude us and befool ut all, and that nothing men fay can be understood.
** Doth not all the World dijiinguijh between Nature and Grace ?
B. The vanity of speculative Sciences , and the misery of Mankind
thereby, and the reason of Paul s contempt of the Philosophy then pre
dicated, and the cause of all our love-killing Contentions, cannot be GJtfi?iSteiffi2
ulla creatura rationali
fieri est ctrtiffimm. Stdan hoc auxilium Gratia fit voluttatis Divin* volentis Hind absolute communicare, & per illud communica-
turn absolute bonum operari, est in controversy posttum Tbttlogis : ntc immerito, cum vox absolute in Scripturis non inveniatur, tec.
Aimin. exam Perkins, de præd. Sect. 6. pag. 501.
Among many others, read but Visq%t\ in 1 Tbo. & Pet. a S. Joseph de Auxil. divin. (in foe], Univtrs. spec. & moral.)
drRui-^&Billarmin.deAuxil. And you may fee how much supernaturality the Papists stand for: Indeed for more than'
the Protestants in some cases, as in asserting the supernaturality of Adam\ first Righteousness, &c. And many of the School
men speak higher of Infusion than most Protestants, Co that this notion will not prove the difference.

readilier
 i eg • Os Sufficient and EffeBual Grdce.

readilier assigned than by charging them on the lamentable defectivenefs"

and ambiguity of words next to the darkness of Humane Intellect. But
the distinguishing of Nature and Grace is needful 5 but must be rightly
understood. I. Principally as Nature signisieth the cotffiitution of man
and all things as made by their Creator, and GRACE the medela or
medicinal Operation of God, by wbich he recovereth the lapsed sin
ful and cursed World. 2. And as any Motits, AUion or Change, can
be said to be from the first natural Principles of Alfion , so far they
may be called natural : If from Nature alone, they are only natural. But
as they come from' recovering Grace they are gracious : If from Grace
alone, without Nature, they are only gracious ( whether there be any
such, or any but Miracles, I pass by. ) But as they are by and from Na
ture, either sanctified, or ordered and over-ruled by Grace, so they are
both natural and gracious in several respects.
C. " Thisfeemeth plain and true : and what do you hence infer.
B. 1. AH degrees of the medela. or recovery of Nature are so many de
grees of Grace.
2. Exparte Dei efficientis, the operations of Grace and Nature really are
all one, and differ not : That is, God doth per efjentiam operate in both,
and his operating Essence is the fame. But as the nature of a thing in
its original or constitutive Principles are one thing, and the recovery of it
from its vitiated state another j so relatively the fame God, and his Will
and Operations are to be variously denominated 5 even as he is the God
and Fountain of Nature, and as he is the God and Giver of Grace.
3. I think it is past mans skill to prove that most Miracles themselves
have no part of natural Operation in them. It is sufficient if God inter-
• pose and over-rule the matter by any other immediate Operation of his
own : yea or that he put natural Operations themselves out of that
course, in which they would have gone is he had not so altered it.
4. By this you may plainly see that though all natural Operations are
not gracious 5 Allgracious Operations are also natural, except the highest
sort of Miracles : that is, they are the Actions of some natural Principles,
ordered by Gods gracious Will to a gracious end, in a gracious manner.
I also except such Operations of God alone, in which he uscth no second
Cause, but himself immediately without any instrument produceth the
effect. But note, 1 . That this is only in the Reception of the Divine im
mediate influx it self on the Soul, antecedent to our very first Acts : For
our first Act ( e. g. of Faith ) is from Gods Influx on our own natural
faculties, and so from those faculties themselves as fuscitated by God.
2. Note that this is' no distinction between natural and gracious Opera
tions, to be so immediate : For God doth as immediately operate in the
natural: As in the Creation he made all the World by such immediate
efflux, so he still operateth immediately on the first created Cause (what
ever that is ) , and fay almost all Divines) even when he useth second
Causes, he himself is as near the Recipient and Effect , & immediatiom
fuppofiti & virtutis, as if he had used no second Cause at all : The diffe
rence being not in his distance or proximity, but in his using or not using a.
second Cause together with himself.
Vtcdtio ad communhnum 5. Moreover it is utterly unknown to us how far God operateth with
es & beneficiorm out anv feconcj Cause, even on the Sou! it self. As we know that Devils
ejiu, eft gratiofaailio Vn J '
qua homines petcatores re- . .
as condemnation!s & sub do'mhhpiecati conlitntos, ex an'malis vita condition, ex nmdi hu)us inquinamentis & corruptelis, n o~at
perverbum & ipiritum [uum ad vitam fupirnaturalem inCbrifto per pœnitentiam & fidem confequendam, ut inilto tanquam capits fuo
adeo destinato & ordinato uniri, & b'.neficiorum t)ui communione fm qntavty adgloriam T>>.i, & ipfomm falatem. Armin. DIsput.
Prirat. Thcs. 41. Sect. 1.
do
 Os Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

do much on the wicked, so we know not how far he useth the Angels
or superior Intelligences in operating on the Elect : And yet we will not
go so far as AriBotle did, in ascribing to the primum mobile* But as God
is said to write with his own Finger the Law on the two Tables, and yet
that Law was delivered by Angels ; and as God is said to appear and
speak to Adam and many others, when yet it must needs be quid creatum,
which Humane fenses could see and hear 5 Even so we know not when
God operateth on the Soul, what spiritual Ministry he may use.
And now tell me again, what it is that you accuse them of, that you
think turn Nature into Grace ?
C. " According toyour explication 1 must mean nothing else, but that the
name of Grace k given by them to Nature alone, when the natural opera*
" tion is not gracious.
B. Wherein is it that they thus err ? Instance in particulars.
C. I. " When they make Cods common Providences to be Grace : 2. When
" they make the preaching of the Gospel to be Grace. 3. When they make
" Reason and Free-will to be Grace.
B. I. Do you not believe that all Gods merciful Providences are acts
of Grace ? Are they not mercy contrary to merit, which i9 the definition
of Grace in the general? And have they not an aptitude and tendency in
medelam animarum to mans Recovery, which is the specification of Evan
gelical Grace ?
C. ^Tes, I grant all this: But we take Grace for the inward saving
" work, of GodsfanUifying Spirit on the Soul.
B. 1 . You do not only strive about words 3 but perverfly abuse words,
that you may have matter of strife. Will you confine the general name
of Grace, not only to a Species, but to one inferior Species, and then ac
cuse your Brethren for giving the name to other Species ? As if you
would accuse them for calling any besides a Philosopher oraSouldiera
man? And 2. Do you know either Jesuite, Lutherane or Arminian, that
holdeth that outward common Providences are inward Sanctification ?
C. ** Let that pass, and go to thesecond.
B. II. Do you doubt whether the preaching ofthe Gospel be Grace ?
either as to the general or special definition ?
C. ** I deny not that the definitions agree to it 5 but 1 doubt whether it be
" apt name, when use hath appropriated it to the inward Sanftification.
B. i. Here again you are convinced of striving about words : 2. And
till you are forced, you confess it not, but make it seem a material diffe
rence. 3. You confess that your Adversaries name agreeth with the
definition. 4. When you have abused the name your selves by errone
ous confinement of it to one species of Grace, you then plead your own
sinful use as a reason sufficient against Etymology, Definition, the custom
of all the Christian Churches from the beginning to this day 5 yea and
against Scripture it self. 5. For the Scripture so useth the word, as you
may see ( sometimes for merciful Providences, sometimes for the Gospel,
sometimes for Church-Priviledges , for Gifts, sometimes for Favour,
and oft for recovering mercy in the general ) Ezra 9. 8. Zech. 4. 7.
Joh. 1.16,17. 14.3. &20. 24, 32. Rom. 1.5. & 5. 2.&
20. & 6. 14. 15. & n.5,7. & 12.3.6. & 15. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 30. .
2 Cor. 8. 19. Gal. 1. 6. 4. Eph. 3.8. d»4.8. ^4.7. Phil. 1.7.
Jud. 4. 1 Pet. 4. 10. & 5. 12. Tit. 2. If. Eph. 3. 2, 7. Col. 1.6/3 dor,
6. 1.
C. «' Go on to the third instance.
1 >
B. I.
 lt$0 ' Of Sufficient and Efe&ual Grace.. ■

~~B. I. Who do you know that calleth Reason and natural Free-will in
it self considered, by. the name of Grace : I know not any such ? 2. But
1. Reason as reprieved in order to recovery, and Reason as illuminated
by common Grace, (and so Free-will) are certainly a sort of common
:'\ Grace. 2. And Reason as specially illuminated,aad the Will asfreed ftom
• Sin, arespecial Grace.
But now you see the injury of your Charge, will you search and fear,
lest even by contending, it's you that have run into worscr than the
Error which you declaim against as other mens. Is it not you that call
a great deal of Gods Grace by the name of Nature, yea sometimes of
Wrath j and as I before evinced, deny much common Grace to be any
Grace at all ? And who wrongeth God more ? He that honoureth his
Works of Nature with an undue title (ofGrace)? or he that utterly
dishonoureth his Grace, and faith that it is no Grace ? 1

The third Crimination.

C. " They make Grace to be but a moral Operation or swasion, and seem
truth of this cc t0 deny that physical operation which is eminently Grace : or at least take
* The untruth
pearah in thefoUowing "it'tb be but a physical use os moral means 5 And indeed I doubt whether
common
citations. " some. os them confess any other Grace than the Gospel and other means of
^mSn't-VxTnl'll" Grace? Andso the Spirit must work, only dn the Preacher, or on the found
miniRtriumbominm ver- " 0f words, if heworhjtot immediately and physically on the heart. *
tmproponmim> : inter. g^jj j sear h are • j of striving about words to no profit,
71a. per tperattontm jptri- . , . j o J. o r »
us l*ntti iiiumintntis& but subversion of the peoples Chanty.
^tt'ufimtSSlim *' hath usually three different senses. 1. Moral is as much as
wlt'adbibemriexutri- Reputativej As he that concealethor encourageth a Traytor or Mur-
?ttionism%xiiuCi"iTa. ^ere*> or derencleth not assaulted, is, ex lege morum, reputed and
7ist%°ut'hnt>n tft 'generis judged as guilty of the Treason or Murder. And thus causa moralis is
in species, fed touu in ufuaUy but causa exlcgemorum reputata.
udms inpirtiliesaa°i- 2. Moral is oft taken for Ethical, or that which is ex genere moris, ei-
ems, &c. Armin Dispur. ther Good or Evil, Virtue or Vice, which contain all morality.
Pr.™. Thes.4i.Sect. to, ^ Moral ^ oft opposed tQ meerly naturd ( forcecj} bruitisti, &c. ) and
Re'monst. synod, art. 3. 4. meaneth the action of a free Agent as such. In which osthese senses, or
h ^if«n!?JSf
txntbis an vet unverten- what
^ other do youJ . take
n it.
. iirr r i*
tisactio tantum moralis C. " I mean thefirst, that God doth but operate ut caula moralis per mo-
fit, fuadendo; praponendo, u $am pr0p0rjentis obiectum 3 which Dr.Twiffe faith is but in genere
mvitando, Rejpondems, rev Jr • 1 . \t . u ■
TiMfqHam moraiemeffe, & cauiæ nnalis, anaJo is but operatlo metaphorica.
si '^"'^J^fl^ B. It's pity that Christ's Disciples must be troubled with such uncertain
^«"t»jw^;"«««* arbitrary notions, without necessity. But what remedy : i. I know
fupernamaiem infadi di- no Law that forbiddeth me to dissent from Dr. Twiffe, or you in Logick
fi'™mcw?«"T*di- or Physickf. I do not believe that obJeBum qua tale is causa finalis : And
amas tam pbystcam vocari no wonder ; For 2. I hold that to be no proper cause which you call
&2tatfU£j commonly 5 And instead of advancing each Object to the
Note here their plain dignity of a final cause, I take down thefinal cause to the order or rank
^dSdGLPel!ysiCal of the Prime obiect of Volition or Intention. To be optimum is the
[ si qu*ratur an 'prater Ratio objeUiva primaria, it being most suitable to the Will. To be me-
menth iilufirationem & fcum aci 0pfjmtm iS the Ratio objeBiva fecundariai Bonum qua tale mn
effeftimmexcitationcm,& . voluntatem,
voluntatis ixvitationtm <tgit in / rjt
Jed 1
voluntas in bonum ■
cogmtum : tl l the
I hough u cogmtio
medim'rinci Yt^eTalu ^oni ^ot^ ^irigere voluntatem. When it is commonly said, [ Ob finem
adenu^'a^convlpnem, amatum volo medium, the preposition deceiveth us, as if the caufalitas
KespondemM facere , id. fi„jS Were upon the Will: But it meaneth no more «but that the Aptrtude
ibid. - of
 Os Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace. 16 1

of the meansy adjinern, is the Ratio bonitatis, and so the Ratio objeltiva
medii : I will or choose it, because it is apt or conducible to the end or
chief object; that is, That it is Goodness for which I will it. Which
speaketh no more but Rationem obje&ivam. 3. And all obje&s of the
intellect and will are causes indeed of the act in Jpeciej but what causes,
Receptive and Terminative, such as we must call Material (so far as an
act may be said to have matter) of which more anon.
And if the object be no other than a material or receptive cause,consti-
tuting the act in specie^ then the proposer of the objeft , who operateth
but in subservience to it, can be no other than a preparer and offerer of
the matter. But how great a hand this receptive cause bath in the muta
tions and diversities in the world, is little considered by the most.
2. But I pray you tell me , How many, and whom do you find that
hold that God doth no more but proponere objeftunt ? I remember none.
C. ** Whatsty they less when they call it Moral suasion, when suadere is
4t bmt proponere objectum ?
8. So then, your accusations are your own Inferences ^ and not their
words. But do they not commonly tell you of an inward suasion by
the Spirit (and Conscience) as well as an outward by the word?
C " Tes they doso\ but that inward is but suasion siill.
B. But are you sure that by suasion they mean nothing but proposing
the Object to the Intellect, and by it the Will.
C. 11 What else can they mean> if they speaks congruously .<?
B. As far as I can understand them they mostly differ not from the
Synodistsatall, in their meanings (much less do the School-men and
Luther\ivs, who use not the word [suasion"] so much as they.) For the
thing that they mean is 1. That Gods Spirit worketh on the Intellect by
objective means, (though not only propounding that object , but also
assisting and exciting the mind.) 2 That by the apprehension of the
Intellect, the wills object is offered to it: And as Camero copiously
pleadeth the act of the will is ever excited by the act of the Intellect. (Or
indeed the object is so aptly presented, as that the will shall or may ei
ther by Natural or Gracious Inclination excite it self, supposing Gods as
sistance.) But that the will is not moved , to any but an Apprehended
Good. 3. And that God doth this work on the will in a sweet con
natural manner ; like as an effectual perjwader doth , not forcing the
Will, but preserving its liberty: and as the Arminians speak, not irre-
f:(libly. or by necejfitation , leaving the act to be contingent. 4. But
'withaf, it is most certain, that God operateth on the Mind and Will it
self, and not on the Preacher of the Word only. 5. But no mortal
man knoweth how ; nor is able to comprehend his way of operati
on.
11. But next tell me what you mean by Phyfical , which is the other
branch of your distinction ?
C. ** What should I mean but Natural, by Real Contact, attingency or
** influx on the Recipient ?
B. 1. God is above Nature, and not included in your Physicks:
How then do you call his operations Physical ^ ex parte agentis. No
Phy sicks pretend to treat of God . ^'
a. Contact and proper attingency belongeth to Bodies: But God is
riot a Body ; and therefore the Contact or Influx by which he opera
teth, is utterly unknown to mortal man, any farther than that it is by
his Essence.
3. God is immense and essentially every where; and therefore such a
Metaphysical Attingency or Contact, as may be spoken of him, he hath
 1 64 Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace.

to all things in the world j and therefore must do all that he any way
doth in such attingency.
C. " Explain it and resolve it your self, is you like not my Explica-
" tion.
B. Gods operations are called Physical or Moral, I. In regard of God
the Agent. 2. In regard of the means or second causes. 3. Or in re
spect of the effeft.
The Papists who arc I" respect of God the Agent they are not properly either Physical or
nost for mecr moral o- Moral , but transeendently they are above both 5 for they are his Essence
^SSyahlwsiS and*?///, which is the transcendent Head of all operations and causey,
strange opinions about Physical and Moral.
ofC siSn» IL As to the ^/c'*'" or /e™»^ C4<" » thosc acts of God that have
Bapcisin on infants) as no such means or causes are not here concerned : And as for all those
bSSSSSSSS. that have such means, no doubt but they are to be called both Physical
des, the Miracle being and Moral : for Morality is but Modality or Relation , ex rerum ordine.
first wrought upon them And all Order, Mode and Relation , is Alicujus cut is orde. Modus &
(e.g. the water,and then . *• • • • r 1 • Jr l n. V i - .
on the receiver. Yea Rclatio. And e. g. preaching the Goipel , is luch an act of a Physical
they seem to make God ant] Moral Agent, as is it self both Physical and Moral. Man is quædan*
with^ery^cranient/ natura, and yet Intellectual and Free: And his act is quidphysicum in
genere entis ; and yet quid morale in genere moris , & imputanda juxta
legem morum.
III. And as to the Effeff, it is nb doubt, both quid physicum (for Faith
is aUus rcalis) and quid morale : For it is morale bonum, & ita reputanda.
And will any Arminian deny any of this , that understandeth words ?
Where then is your difference in this ?
C. " But when you dispute about Pre-determination , you can say it if
" not Physical : what mean you by it then $
B. We marvail that men should fay that God physically pre-determi-
neth the Will to all afts of Cm in the specifying circumstances, when as
he pre-determineth it not really to them at all, either physically or mo
rally. So that it is -here a Real efficient motion of God to the evil act,
which we deny.
C. M And it is a Real efficient motion of God , to the a8 of Faith
" and Repentance which we asserts and mean by the word Physical.
B. And this your Adversaries will not deny: and so you are in this
agreed.

The fourth Crimination.

Armhiiu prosesseth C. " i" doubt they hold not Faith to be infused, but acquired: whereas
lls^ueTLlZbTZ " Dr.Twifcsieweth the difference to beso great, that an unjnllisied person
pofle. Exam. Perk. pag. " may have an Acquired Faith about the sameobjetfs, when yet only an In-
^t^t^M^Fa^hwiUjujlifie. .
Reprobates by the Dc- B. i. Tell not me what you Doubt, but what you Prove, unless you
See\is°Lnewo0rdsCI°"f mean no more' ^nan to te^ me °f your injustice and uncharitableness :
vim Ut*it Decmo re- 1 find the Jcfuites and Lutherans commonly asserting an Infused Faith,
probathnis reprobis fidem, anci j nave met with few Arminians if any that deny it ; though the
& pœmtenttam non dare, ,, ., , . - . . , * ■> J 0
con'edo lubens Mam a\. word be not lo much in use with them.
sumpsionm, fed retie in- 2. But because you that are the Accuser are supposed to understand
teileclam. TwjUt against • r 1 • n. » ui j n. j •
Hard, p. 70. i 1. what you lpeak against, I pray help me to understand it.
guejl. 1. What mean you by Acquired Faith .<?
C. " That which we ourselves get by our use of means and consideration.
B. JHue&. 2. Is there any man in his wits thatdenieth Faith to be the
effect of consideration } Do you not think what and why you must be
lieve.

■
La
 Os Sufficient and EjseBual Grace. 163

lieve, and even believe in and by Thinking or Considering. Do you

believe, and not think what or why ?
C. " No , but it is by Infusion that we have those thoughts.
B. Infused Faith then is by Infused Thoughts: Be it so j but then it
is not without thoughts ox Consideration. But further 5
Quest. 3. Is there any Christian that denieth that Faith con/cth by
hearing, and the use of the means which God hath appointed us? I
pray you hear Dr. Twijfe against Hord, pag. 1 69. God in his Cove-
" nant of Grace requireth obedience to salvation ; but of his Free
" Grace undertakes to regenerate them , and work them to obedience :
M But how ? agreeable to their rational natures 5 that is , by admoniti-
" on, instruction, exhortation 5 that is, to work Faith and Repentance
" by exhorting and perswading them to repentance. All this he per
forms by his Ministers.] Do you not believe that the Apostles were sent
cc to open mens eyes, and turn them from darkness to light , and from the
power of Satan unto God,— Acts 26. 17, 18. And that Ministers must The Schoolmen-men
save themselves, and those that hear them , 1 7V«r.4. 16. And that he JSlSKjS^JffS
that converts a sinner doth save a soul from death: James 6. ult. And cessuy of infused Graces
that the word is the immortal incorruptible seed by which we are be- many 9s tuhem in a
.... .,.r . J -il higher fense than many
gotten again, and which remametn in us : Are you now in doubt ot Protestants dare own.
jJjjs > Even Molina himself af-
C. " It is one thing for God to work_ with the Word, and another thing ^[ry of Grwe^ttas,
" to work by the Word: The first we confess 5 But if God work, by the \gjt tafias* tihri*-
"Word, then he must operate first on the Word, which is the Preachers *ati f" «2i«/ pr«ve-
*' aU 3 and so by that Word on the soul , and not immediately : There- nimm nihil in re fit qd.
"sore I rather think that the word is a concomitants* an instrumental ™ H^Tvll Mifwr,
" Cause. • ' nonfolm tanquam ab al-
B.i. You wrong your selfand Christ in that you will not believe him, J** "jTltMm
John 3. that we mortals know not the way and manner of the Spirits ac- fid iciam tanquam a. co-
cesses and operations on the soul, any more than the cause of the wind hTprooonn^
whose sound we hear. Do you not know, that you do not know how cetii Anathema on them:
Gods Spirit moveth our intellect and wills, and how he maketh use of ,h" ?mrmsl C cnfnfm
. n r r i ■ 1 • f • 1 ij amtrn noftri Deo txct-
instruments; except secundum quid in some particles revealed. tanti &vocanti per auxi-
2. An hundred Texts of Scripture (which I omit lest I be tedious) tell Ktx**^
us that the Word is a means or subordinate cause (to God) of his infor- Æ"t 'fijs'eiicffint 'aixitil
n*ing and reforming operations on mens souls. And it's dangerous to & c+tytr*tim ejusdem
dream of any second cause that is so concomitant as to be but co-ordi- ^affthe^iE of his
nate with the first cause , and not subordinate to it. And the word is opinion about the nature
not only subordinate to God as Instituter by Legislation and Declarati- JJ^JJ]* °/T°h«cso£
on, but also to God as efficient operator. universal influx or cau-
2. God can work two ways by the Word, which are within our sat;onis necessary on our
\ r, LN A--i_jn.rj_Vi 1 •• j Wl11 10 "ake them acts.
reach (besides others) 1. As it is the act ot the speaker, by exciting and 2. That Free-wiii isthe
illuminating him. 2. As it is the species (as they call it) received by cause that they are these
0 r N / ' ' particular acts about this
object rather than another. 3. That Gods particular or special influx of Grace is the cause that they are supernatural acts.
And that preventing Grace doth give men good thoughts, and the first motion of the affections, before deliberation , and
choice or liberty (as Va[qut\ also faith) which seemeth the fame with the Doctrine of Oc^aw, Buridatte , and the rest of the
Nominals, who call it Complacency, as antecedent to Election, yea and Intention. To be pleased with the thing simply on
the first apprehension they call a necessary natural act. Though the Scotifts say that quoad extreitium aclu* vtl libtrtatem contra-
Aittionis even that is free.) And it seems the fame which Augustine and Janjetius call primam ailidationtm. But converting
Grace it self Molina takes to be a habit wrought by Gods special help in and with the word or means. His words are of
men that are hearing Gods Word or thinking on if, [lnfluit Vtu/s in ea[dem notitias ivfluxu qiiodam particulari ac lupernaturali
quo cognitiovem illam ad'juvat, turn ut res melius & dilucidiits expendatur, & penetret , turn aim ut notitia ilia jam bmites notiti*
fupernaturalis, & ad finem (upsrnaturalem in fuo ordine attingat. lnde oritur in voluntate motui afftClionit, &c. Yet no )esuite is sup
posed to go further from the Calvinifts than this man. In truth I cannot perceive but that Jesuites, Arminians, Lutherans,
and all such are willing to ascribe as much to Gods Grace, as they think consistent with mans Free-will and Gods not being
the cause of fin : which is the fame thing that the Calvinists also endeavour, though they seem not to hit on the lame names
and notions to do.the thing desired.

the
 Of Sufficient and EjseBml Grace.

the senses and imagination, which God can by his power set home to
the attainment of the due effect.
4. And yet I know not any, or many of your Adversaries that deny
that besides this Divine operation by the Word , God hath another
immediately on the soul, exciting it to operate upon the Word, as the
vis plajiica vitalis materna oppratur in semen jam receptum. But I will
here forbear to trouble you with the physical difficulties , whether the
Word heard be only objeUum intelle&us , or also causa, efficient (as
light is both to the eye.) And whether it be operative on the intellect,
or only terminative, with other such like.
C. " Well I must grans you that all Infused Fakh (at to the aUj it Ac-
" quired: But all Acquired Faith not Infused: but infusion it added to
tl our own endeavours, lihg the creation of the humane foul.
B. I am glad that we are got so far on towards peace. But
£ueit. 4. What mean you by Infusion ? Is it not a Metaphor >
C. " Yes , and we mean that immediate perfwafion of God which yon
u even confess to be besides his operation by the Word , and by our Cogt-
" tations. Even a. Creation of an aU or habit.
B. £ue$i. 5. Is it the name [infufton] or the thing that you plead
for?
G, " the name (though l confess Metaphors mnjl not be used unnecessarily
M in Disputes) is yet convenient : but that I leave indifferent.
B. guest. 6. Do you not think that the act of Faith is the act of mans
own Intellect, and Will, ot Soul, and that immediately.
C. " Yet, that cannot be denied.
B. If so, then when you fay that our aUis Infused, I hope you will
confess the term to be none of the plainest 5 and you only mean that
Gods Grace doth so operate on the faculty as to excite it so to act 5 and
consequently that the thing first and properly infused is not the act of
Faith it self, but the vis impreffa facultatem , before described , by
which the act is caused : And so in a secondary sense the act may be cal
led Infused, but not most immediately.
C. " I confess it it the habit which we commonly take to be Infused $ and
" therefore we use to diUinguifh habitus infusos ab habitibus acquisitis, ra-
" ther than actus infusos ab actibus acquisitis.
B. Is that Habit before the AU or after it >
C. " rou know that it it a Controverse among our felvet. Mr. Pemble
" faith it it before, and the common opinion it, that it it after the firH
"JpecialAtf.
B. i. I once received that from Mr. Vemble (ignorantly.) But that
cometh to us by not' distinguishing the vis impreffa or first received in
flux of the spirit from a Habit: when as Amefius well faith, it is sitter
called semen fidei vel dispositio quœdam, than a Habit of Faith. For f.
no man can prove such an antecedent habit } and therefore none should
assert it. 2. The true nature of a Habit consisteth in a promptitude to
perform that special a& with facility. But that we should have such a
promptitude and facility not only while we are Infant Christians, but no
Christians 5 as having not yet believed in Christ, is not probable accor
ding to our commonest observation. 5. All other Habits follow the
Acts, and therefore we have little reason to say it is otherwise here.
C. "Doth the Soul believe before it is inclined or disposed to it?
B. Inclination is a hard word , and belongeth both to Natural Incli
nation ("such as we have to Felicity) and to Habits, and to meer Difpo~
fitions. And a pre-difpoftion we grant: As when you spur your
Horse, you make him first the patient of your act , and by suscitating
his
 Os Sufficient and Effe&ml Grace.

his natural faculty, you dispose him to a speedy motion : though the
similitude doth not quadrare per omniu , because Gods influx is on the •
whole Soul itself. But this Disposition to the present act, is far left than
a proper Habit 3 or it's another thing.
C. " When I spur my Horse, or whip my Dog, I do but sir up a former
"faculty, or slothful power : But Cod giveth a new life and power to them
"that were dead in sin.
B. Yet, I cannot take words for matter. I. It's nothing but the natu
ral faculty or power which you suscitate in the beast: And hath not an
unbeliever the Natural faculties or power ? Is he not a man ? Why do
you not bury him, if he be not alive? 2. Death in Jn is relative, or
real: The Relative is Reatuf mortis , which denominateth men jilios
mortis , and is done away by pardon. The real is the Privation of a
holy disposition to the aU of Faith and Repentance, &c. pros the A& it
self, or of the Habit. You can name no other. Now I. the death which
consisteth in the privation of the first disposition to act (supposing all na
tural dispositions) is taken away by the first influx or suscitation of the
Holy Ghost. 2. And by the same in secunda injianti is caused the Act,
and the death gone that lay in its privation. 3. And (*inthe third in
stant , or afterward by degrees) is taken away the death which lieth in
the privation of the Habit. And this giving the Habit, is called in Scri
pture and by Divines Sanffificatton as following Vocation , and it is
wrought in us by degrees and not all at once , and that by the Spirits
power , with and by our exercised Acts. In my youth I was so prema
turely confident of the contrary, that the first Controversie that ever
I wrote on (was a Confutation of Bishop Vownam, Amesint , Medall. de
Vocat) Mr. Tho. Hooker, &c. in Defence of Temble herein 5 but riper
thoughts made me burn that Script. '
C. " But the spur or rod putteth no new power at all intoyour Horse 5 but
Gods Spirit putteth a new Power into us.
B. I have talkt long enough to you about Power before , and there
fore would not turn back needlefly to fay it over again. Gods Spirit
putteth no such thing into us, as we call a faculty or natural power : For
that is the form or essence of the Soul j and our Species is not chang'd by
Grace. But he giveth us that which is called a Moral Power , which
consisteth conjunctly in the concurrence of means and objects, and the
disposition of o\xx faculties to the act. Hear Dr. Twijfe against Hord,
fag. 12. lib. 2. He secretly maintaineth that every man hath such a power by
Grace, by which he may repent if he will : Concerning which Tenet of his,
we nothing doubt but every man hath such a power : but we fay it is nature
rather.
Page 18. Truly I fee no cause to deny this, that even the wickgd could do
good if they would : We may Jafely fay with Austin , Omnes poffunt Deo
credere & ab amore rerum temporalium ad Divina præcepta fervandafe con
verter, fivelint. (Here is posse seconvertere, id eft, velle,fi velit.)
But faith TwiJJe, pag. 170. 1. 1. [But such is the jhameful issue of
them that confound impotency moral with impotence natural, as if there
were no difference'] which he oft sheweth is but the want of aUual and
dispositive willingness. Now the rod or spur may cause both a present
disposition, and an a& of will.
C. " But is this all the new Life and Spirit , and Divine Nature that is
"given us ? Sure it is much more .<? _
B. No doubt but it is much more. But that Spirit , Life , and Nature
is promised and given to Believers, and is promised on condition of our
accepting Christ, in whom is our life : Aud therefore it is that habi
tual
 Os Sufficient and Effectual Grace.

tual Grace which tolloweth the first act: of Faith, and is a nobler disposi
tion to the following acts.
C. " Will one att of ours cause a Habit .<?
B. Not as ours only : But when the Spirit will work by it, it will.
But even that Habit 1 told you is weak at first , and increased by degrees.
But proceed and tell me, <j*uefl. 7. Are you sure that in the Acquisi
tion os Habits there is no immediate operation of God on the Soul that
causcrh them ?
C. " We all hold an immediate Influx necessary to the Being and Acfim
*' os every Creature, natural and free : but not an immediate Infusion.
B. What's the difference between Influx and Infusion ?
C. " The firli is an universal operation, the other a particular.
B. Do you mean that the difference of the acts or operations is at all
ex parte agentis, feu ad us ut eft agentis, antecedent to the effect, or on
ly in the effect it self.
C. " I dare notsay that there is any difference in Cod , for it is against
" his simplicity ; and his very will and act as in himself is his Effencey
" though variously related and denominated by connotation : Therefore I
" must needs confess that the diversity is only in the effetf.
B. Do you not see then what a delusory and troublesome stir men
make for and about meer words ? What's the Crimination come to then
about Acquired and Infused Habits ? when the difference is only in the
effects ? You confess that all proper Habits Infused are by our cogitation
and use of means, and so are also acquired. And you confes that all Ac
quired Habits are wrought besides our cogitation and use of means by an
immediate influx of God 3 so that as to the Causes you can name no diffe
rence : And yet the words Acquired and Infused signifie a difference in the
Causes, and their operation, and not in the Ejse8, by their notation. Is
not this deceit then ?
C. " Tell me what you take to be the difference your self?
B. i. I suppose that abuno omnia, God without diversity causeth all
diversity, which is only in the Creatures, and not in him. 2. I suppose
that God hath appointed natural means and second causes for common
natural effects ; and his Willis, that they shall operate according to their
aptitude : And that he hath appointed extraordinary means, even Christ,
and supernatural Revelation, for the production of saving Faith : And
it is his will that they shall work usually according to their aptitude.
3. It is his command that we use these several means (natural and su
pernatural) accordingly. 4. As these means are special, extraordinary,
and for a special end ("the production of Faith and Holiness.") So it is
the will of God that they shall have answerable , noble, special effects ;
which effects besides his operation on and by the means, the said Volition
of God it self produceth immediately operating on the Soul ; not as a
meer volition alone, but as conjunct with his Wisdom and Vital Power
or Activity by which he operateth all in all.
I could here fay that God doth concur with these supernatural means
on his Elect, with a stronger, greater, special energy , force, or influx.
But I am loth to deceive you with bare words : for this force , energy^
or efflux is either God or something created. God operateth by that
Wisdom, Will, and Tower or AUivity which are his Essence : therefore
there are here no degrees in any operation : And in the effects the de
grees are not denied. The sum of all is then but this, natural effects
are natural effects, and FaitH*is Faith: the difference we partly per
ceive; the means also are various: but in God the operator there is no
diversity. And so you may see what the stir about Infusing and Ac
quire" is come to. C. l* /
 Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace. 165

C. *' / dare not deny this, because it is agreed on by all Philosophical Di

(C vines, and I should be called a Blasphemer, if I affirmed any real diversity
"in God, at le aft besides the trinity of Persons, called by the school-men
*' Real Relations, and by some real modes of being. But it sttrpasfetb mans
" understanding to conceive, that the fame cause no way differing, ex parte
"sui, should produce variety of ejsedts. By which it seemeth , that when
there was nothing but God, his love to Jacob and his hatred to Esau, his
decree to save and to damn, his will to make the world, and to destroy
*cit, his fore-knowledge of good and evil, had no real difference at all.
" And is it not somewhat of a lye then in us, to call those atts different, or
"by different names , which really have not the least difference at all. (But
** of this before.)
B. God were not God, if mansshallow wit could comprehend him.
All this must be confest, unless you will be a Vorstian : But if our con
ceptions be not false, our diversity of names here is no lye 3 because we
intend but to denominate Gods knowledge and decrees or will, but by
the relative connotation of the things known and willed. And though
those things were nothing before the Creation , and so the difference
between Gods Decrees, &c. was really none at all , and the effe cogni-
tum was nothing but Gods simple Essence : Yet as Greg. Armin. hath
disputed, there be some kind of Relations (which are nothing them
selves) and consequently denominations which may be terminated on
nothing (as præteritu & futura are.) But if your understanding rest not
here, do as I do , rest in a necessary and willing ignorance ; and be but
so wise as not to trouble the Church with that which you know not,
nor imitate them that can shew the valour of their raging zeal , by Wri
ting or Preaching against them as the enemies of the Grace of God, which
dote not as confidently as themselves.
C. " But what fay you to Dr. Twifle'j words against Hord, (1. 1. p. 1 5 6. )
** Albeit it be not in the power of nature to believe fide infusa, yet is it in
** the power of nature to believe the Gospel fide acquisita which depends
M partly on a mans Education , and partly on Reasons considering the cre-
ttd/bility of the Chriiiian way, by light of natural observations above all
*' other ways in the world.
B.i.* Not only he,but all the School-men distinguish acquired and in- * ?*• ' s- M*f>> ™<s>
fused Faith : But though the names sound otherwise, the difference p^sf'iiLf^iquoddo'.
meant by them is in the effefts only ("and the means) and not in God. numGmUDivinitus in-
He meaneththata flight inefeUual belief may be performed by that dis>/*"'f***JP*j*
pohtion or moral power which is round before special Grace, as exci- titiuiittr permtmt: Da
ted by good Education and helps : But an effectual saving Faith must be tfjj^'fffil'jl1* jj
the product of a special impress of Gods Spirit on the Soul 5 which IS 3 Concit. Tridentin : antea
special disposition and moral power to that act. And this is true : And no tamt!t *** h?bitM
* Jr. J , {. . 1 gratia I an Itifieantit rea-
raore can be truly meant or said. uUr a cbmtm disthgui-
2. But I will tell you a mystery added oft by Dr. Twiffe, which may '"ffi^^™
much moderate your judgment about the cause of mens condemnation, tihbmi*tm'i»sta?»s*
if it be true. He holdeth that no man is condemned for want of an infu- pernatvaii, &c.
G*A Foii-K T',e Reader that will
lea r aicn. Ct^ Pwwi , H^
Career, fag. 691,69$, Sec.
may sec that the Lutherans were more for Infusion and miraculous operations ofGrace , and may fee a handfom explication
of Conrersion,and the operation of the Word and Sacraments : and fag. 698. De viribus humanis in rentjctntibut & rtnatis
dum fit converfio & deinctps ad fintm. Credo quod gratuiti bttitfieii ac meriti Chrijii salvaturis apflicath & niturx mortu* vitifi-
tatitin regeneration non fit aelitne slypea & bruta aut raptuEntbnfiastico, a»t Sttica coat~liont,aut Magico a$atu virbi, Sacramcr-
torurn & [p. sansli. Wee mtatione Phyfica ant M-gica, hyperplysica [ubllanti*, ttmperamenti & virium fe» facultatem hominit jen-
titnlis qui dem , nec moventit (t nee qtirquam agentis, [ed fujtinentit tantum imprejftenem, ut lub)eRm patient, ficut rant reviviscunt
a teport solit, &c. By this you may fee what this excellent man, Melanclbont Son-in-law suffered his ten years cruel impri
sonment for, by the instigation of Schmidelintu and other Lutherans, to their perpetual flume and who was then (as the Pa
pists still areymost for Physical infusions ex optrt operato id Word and Sacraments.

Cf How ?
 OsSufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

C. " Hovo* why no man is condemned (at leaji that hath the Gospel) but
" for want oj it : For if it be only an injufed Faith that juflifeth , then it
" is the want of an infused Faith by which men are unjustified: And if as
"youfay. Infused and effectual or special Faith , be all one, sure men are
*' condemned for want ofspecial ejfe&ual Faith.
B. His words are these against Hord, l.i. p. 156. ["Neither have I
*' ever read or heard it taught by any, that menfiallbe damned for not be-
"lieving fideinfusa; which is as much as to say, because God hath not
*' regenerated them 5 but either because they refused to believe, or else
" if they have embraced the Gospel , for not living answerable thereun
to; which also is in their power, quoad exteriorem vit£ emendationetn,
" though it be not in their power to regenerate their wills , and change
" their hearts, any more than it is to illuminate their minds : Yet I never
" read that any mans damnation was any whit the more increased for
*' not performing these acts.} And again, page 170. [Ft is true there is a
" Faith infused by the Spirit of God in regeneration.- But whoever
"said that any man was damned because he doth not believe with such a
" Faith } As much as to fay , that non-regeneration is the meritorious
" cause of damnation.
C. "Iam amazed at this, especially his supposing that no man eversaid
" that, which I thought no man of us had denied.
B. I would think that his meaning is, that men are not condemned for
want of Gods infusing actt but their own believing act; or for the pri
vation of Infusion, but for the privation of Faith; or of Faith, not
quatenu* infused, but as they ought to have believed without infusion.
But he was not so wanting in accurateness , but that he knew how to
have exprest himself, had that been his meaning : And then I know not
how his words will consist with this sense, \l never read that any mans
damnation was the more increased for not performing these alts'] where
changing their own hearts is one. [.And whoever said that any man was
damned because he did not believe with such a Faith.] Here it is the Faith
as such which is supposed spoken ofj the privation whereof is not the
meritorious cause of damnation. And indeed though the power of this
Faith would have been in us, had there been no Sin or Saviour, yet there
would have been no obligation to believe in Christ as Mediator : And
therefore if the Law of Innocency had stood alone, even the want ofan
acquired Faith in Christ would have been no sin.
But this is the unhappiness ofsuch as must read Controversial Writings:
There is no end of searching after the Writers meaning. But the thing
it self I think is plain, &c. that only an effectual special Faith will save us :
and it is such a Faith of which Christ speaketh, Mat. 16. 16. He that be-
lieveth and is baptized jhall be saved , and he that believeth not shall be
damned, ("though he believe with any other Faith whatsoever, which
hecalleth acquired.)
Perhaps this his opinion hath some dependance on what he faith before
(ibid.) " He punisheth the disobedient with eternal death. True : but
"according to what Covenant? Not according to the Covenant of
" Grace: that is only a Covenant for Salvation : but according to the
" Covenant of the Law, the Covenant of Works/] Woful error and
confusion. The Covenant of the Law is almost as bad a phrase, as [the
Covenant of the Covenant.]) 1. Gods Law of Innocency was a Law
and Covenant in several respects. 2. So was the Jewish Law, which Paul
meanethby the Law of Works. 3. So is the Christian Law of Christ,
and of Grace. No man is now condemned by the Jewish Law of Works
as such , it being ceased j and never did it bind, the Gentile world : The
Law
 Of Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

Law of Nature and of Innocency indeed condemneth the disobedient 5

but the Law or Covenant of Christ or of Grace doth condemn them to
much sorer punishment, Luke 19-27. Those mine enemies that would not
Ishould reign , Sec. Mark 16. 16. He that believeth not stall be damned,
Heb. 1 o. 2 9. Mat. 2 5 . throughout. But this confounding of the Cove
nants I mult not here rectifie. . .
But yet I hope he meant only that men suffer not for want of Gods Re
generating, Infusing Act, but for want of their own act of Faith.

The fifib Crimination. ?

C. "/ find Dr. Twifle (ibid. & alibi fæpe) charging it on them, ds
" holding that Grace is given according to Works (which is Pelagianism.)
** For they think, that God lookethat some preparation in the Receiver, and
"giveth it to some because they are prepared for it, anddenieth it to others
" because they are unprepared : whereas it is not in him that willeth nor in
" him that runneth , but in him that (of his meer good pleasure ) Jheweth
"mercy.
B. There is enough said of this after, about differencing and efseSual
Grace. But if we must fay more, I ask you,
gjteit. 1 . Do you by this phrase [according to Works'] mean to urge mgttm im ^
. the Scripture that fpeaketh in that phrase, in its proper sense, or do you quodh setst Dm «»» it-
only use the phrase in some other fense of your own. nJett. i*ttU*&
A ... r •, . - . . r y 1 e . a. . 1 turn facimt ex grott*
C "I uje Scripture phraje in ScriptureJenje,becauje Irelt-vntts Authority\ auxiih. Pet. a S.Joseph.
B. Qpejt. 2. Are we not also laved without Works in Scripture sense? Thes.Univers.deauxii.
And would it be contrary to Paul to fay we that we are saved by Works 5 pafdem. PaS. 9o. jtf
yea, or according to them in that sense that he fpeaketh of them. See iuidem w«* chri^ 0?t-
fames 2. 14, &c. tit. 3. 5- Epbef. 2. 5, 8, 9. Gal. 3. 2. 6. Lq., ABs 15: SffJS^SB
11. &c. and 16. 31. Rom. 5. 10, And yet saved according. to Works txsttjsnt vderu infi»i-
in another sense, Jams 2. 14, &c. Vkil.2. 12. Gal, 6. 4. Rom. 20. 12, ^SJJ ***** **
13. 2 Cor. 5. 10. • ... . " '<
C. "In feveral fenses of Works we deny it not. -r -
B. J$tiest. 3. At least you will grant that we are not justified by \ '.. ,r-
Works, and yet that we are justified, by Faith : yea in another sense by
Works.
Jjhtejl. 4. Is not believing and repenting in order to Justification, and
all holy obedience in order to Salvation 5 as truly opus a work., and in
a far nobler sense than preparation for Faith is h
C. " That cannot be denied. - ,tf- -
B. Then you cannot affirm that the phrase [not according to Works]
which excludeth not Faith, Repentance , holy Obedience to justification
and salvation , doth intend the exclusion of all preparation in order to
Conversion or Faith in Christ ; when by Works excluded , it meaneth
the fame thing, or sort, in alt . : '
C. " But faith Dr. Twifle, ibid, page 154* [Pardon and Salvation
* 1 God doth confirm Only on condition of Faith and Repentance : But as
1 lfor Faith and Repentance, doth God confer them conditionally also : if
"so, whatsoever be the condition let them look, to it how they can avoid the
" making of Grace, to wit, the Grace of Faith and Repentance, to be given
€t according to Works.] ■ ; \i- ■
B. I know he frequently faith the fame. But 1. I speak now only of
the sense of that Scripture, and fay, that this goeth upon a most false
and dangerous supposition, that Justification , and Salvation are given
Z accord-
 170 OsSufficient and Efse&ual Grace,

according toWorks, though Faith and Repentance be not : whereas in

the sense of Works there meant by Paul , no man can be justified by
Works. And though Christ faith, This is the work, of God , that ye be
lieve in him whom the Father hath sent ; yet it is not that which P<»/mean-
eth : Let not therefore Scripture words be abused to mislead mens under
standings.
a. But as to thewatter of the Controverfie, I spoke to it enough be
fore. No man can deny but that God usually prepareth the Soul for
Conversion by a common sort of Grace: And though he may do what
he list with his own, and extraordinarily may in an instant convert the
most unprepared malignant obdurate person ; yet that is not his usual
way : (And some that think otherwise are led into the mistake by think
ing that a man is converted, when he hath suddenly some terrifying hum-
hliag preparation , which endeth in conversion.) Whether he convert
all that are brought to the very highest and nearest degree of preparati
on, I know not, nor perhaps you neither : But that usiially he conver-
teth all such we have very great reason to think probable : And that he
hath not commanded men to seek his special Grace in vain. So that
whether it be a proper promise on Gods part , or only an encourage
ment short of proper promise , I told you before is a hard question.
But we maintain that it is not that proper mutual Covenant which ma-
keth a Christian, and is celebrated in Baptism, and giveth Salvation.
If one of old John Rogers\ Thomas Hooker's , or Robert Bolton's hear-
i ers, when they were vehemently urging preparatory humiliation, desire,
endeavour, &c. should have said to them, Sir, you play the Arminian,
andoorttradidcSt. who faith that Grace is not given according to
dm merita tym* fed tx Works : Therefore God will give it me never the more for such prepara-
nf?timd%1''»tf%ju tions : W**t woulc* vou haveiaid to him. The truth is, practical Prea-
prytir frtcidtntia piua- chers in these practical cases , are carried with full (ail into that truth
Armin. Disp.Prifat. which Disputers would wrangle out of Doors. T
Tncl.41. Sett. 10. D._. J. , T A*
jdriavi. Quoai. 5. itatas for any works meritorious in point of commutative Justice,
\th^btnt)dib^rm" y63'01"0^ any full and proper Covenant of God, giving a proper Right
£>li Metverti dm' «m£ to tne dinner , upon which he may claim special Grace as his due,sknow
rem ut nine mentis intui- of none such before true Conversion ; though Gods commands and ge-
$ ™*al Promises give men sufficient encouragement.
Mn btbet vtrbi vd mo- C " But what fay j/oh to Rom. 9. It is not in him that willeth or run*
rtm auferetur ab et natu- « netU
ralis capacitas inttlligtn- ^' . „ . _ „ , - .
d,tcc B. I do not love to expound hard Texts unsatisfactorily by scraps : I
•will give you, God willing, a Paraphrase of the Chapter together by it
self I suppose you have read John Goodwin's and Dr. Hammonds Pa
raphrase. At present it may suffice to say, 1. That the meaning is not,
that be that would have Christ, and Grace, and Holiness is no fitter for
it,than he that would not have them : nor that he that seeketh them is no
■fitter for them than be that rejecteth themmor that he that believeth is no
fitter for Justification than an Infidel nor he that is holy any fitter for
Heaven than the unholy : nor yet that he that heareth, meditateth, pray-
eth, as he can, and attaiaeth the highest degree of common Grace, is
no fitter or likelier for Faith or special Grace than he that despiseth it and
the means of it. 2. But the meaning is, that God of his free mercy
called the Gentiles that were further from him than the Jews , and may
give (both) the Gospel, (and the Grace of the Gospel) to one, and take
it from, or not give it to another, when both of them are equally unwor
thy of it by their sin. So that the first and principal cause that differen-
cetha Jacob from an Esau, is not that Jacob before Gods Grace did will
and run, desire and seek Grace j but that Mercy begun with him , and
gave
 Os Sufficient and Effectual Grace. 171

gave him , though as unworthy as Esau , both commonner and

special Grace, which caused him to will and run. And yet for all that
both are supposed to have forfeited mercy by sinning against it 5 and
it is in him that willeth not, and runneth not, that the cause of his misery,
and privation of mercy is to be found. Yea m many an instance where
mercy and helps are given by an equality, a wicked man may make him
self to differ by his sin, and wilfully become worse than others.
C. " At leaji you must here confess, that de facto we do really differ front
" each other in this point.
B. All they that hold all that Doctrine of Preparation for Conversion,
which you find in the suffrages of the British Divines in the Synod of
Dort do not (that I know of3 differ from many of the Lutherans, and
Jefuites, nor from many of the A rminians herein 5 while by the name of
merit of Congruity, used by some, and Preparation by the other, no more
is meant than they there assert : And as to the question of a promise or
no promise, I fhew'd you before how small the difference is 3 yea with
some it is but de nomine, while one calleth that a Promise , which ano
ther calleth but a half promise (with Mr. Cotton ) or a precept to use
means with sufficient encouragement ; when perhaps in the description
of the thing they agree : So that among the most and sober practical
Preachers, I yet see no real difference in sense at all , about the necessity
of preparatory Grace.

The sixth Crimination.

C. " For ought I can understand, some of them acknowledge no Cor- * The Remonstrants
"ruption»0r Grace in the Will, as having no Habits , but meer Jndiffe- ^"dr^TJtSl±^'
" rency or Liberty 5 but tbinkjhat the illuminating of the understanding is /*ptrDw inobfariumsu*
" enough to change the will. * TtiKbtterit lu*
B. i. These are a few odd persons, that differ from the generality of ciinat ptr spirit»m /**«
your Adversaries : and I am not to justifie all that every man writeth. ^"ifgusWniUmo^atf
2. But even of these I suppose the meaning of the most is,but this, that TnmnonJoiumfD^fbe-
sin began inthe Intellect, and there Grace must begin: and that God wor- dire > fed * f*<"
kethon the will but mediante Intelle&n. And these Camera held as well as J^™ \™ tx}t>tut
they } and so do many more. And these seem to differ, not about the
necessity of Grace, but the manner of its conveyance to the will j whe-
therf it be only by the intellect.
3. And as the wind bloweth where it listeth, and we hear its sound,
but know not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth} so is every one
that is born of the Spirit. We know that the will is vitiated as ill as
the understanding, and needeth Grace as much as it : and that God is as
near to the one in his operations as to the other , and giveth real Grace
to both. But because the intellect is in the natural order , the firSt ia
acting, and the will but second 5 and because the act is commonly (and
reasonably supposed to go before the Habit (though not before all Di
vine Influx ad aUum'J) therefore men are uncertain whether God who
first acteth the Intellect, do not by its act, first operate on the will. But
this dependeth much on the Physical Controversie , whether the Intel
lect determine the will ad speciem acsus, or at least really and efficiently
move it 5 or rather only present the object to it , and so work but in
subserviency to the material cause, which is constitutive indeed of the
act in specie, but not efficient : and the perception of it goeth to the
conditio object iva, without which it is no object to the will. This I in-
Z 2 cline

■
 OsSufficient and EffeQml Grace.

cline to wit Hi cot«f, and suppose that the Intellect moveth not the will
per modtim nature, by necemtat ion. But while we know not the order
and nature of the operations of our own souls , how shall we know the
unsearchable way of the operations of the Holy Ghost.

The seventh Crimination.

C. " They make Gods Grace a resijiible things which man cm frustrate 5
f Mans Ignorance of the « and so God worksth at uncertainties. *
Sysind)Sa2SdS »• 1 have said fo much of this before » that 1 need not tire y°u with
by Christ himself,' job.3. much more. Jgueji. 1 • Do you know of no way for God to work with
ihouid end fach quarrels tainty Gf success, if Grace be resistible.
and teach us all with ;u- w"4luv * ' » J . _ . . .
diciousD^MMttopro- C. "I will not fay so : I know what you have Jaid to this before.
with kdfcionT^*/: m- S' ^^y t'ien do Jou *Peak tnat WQ*cn *s not va^d m your own judg-
dei^vb.f. 174- ment? ^«ei?. 2. Dare you undertake tojustifie all the world against
(speaking of the depen- toe accusation, of having resisted the Grace of God.
MuseConfthe1Cfirst!Cand C. " No ; I dispute not on such hard terms.
the Papists digiadiations ga <%ues~i. 3. Did^you never repent your self for resisting Grace ?
S5SSS& '£ Syi O. " rex, *« somefense 5 far* « I now mean it.
Nos quidem qua reverent!a %. How is that ?
st^dSZX^t C. - To resiji the Gospel and Minify is a resisting of Grace, and theHo-
musdefipire quanta sit de- " \y Gholi, Acts 7. and so I have done. But I speak, of immediate' resist'
ptndentia cau(<e fecund* a t( ■ God.
« Dti Mamfeccamm 3. 1 . Remember that here you confess that the Gospel is Grace, even
j^S?*1 *° them that refist it. 2; God himself cannot be resisted immediately,
irismfidl *To which where he worketh not immediately. 3. But where he doth so, he is
aifotjie ve^Judgous said to be resisted ; 1. Not by any repelling of his strength. 2. Much
TfcrÆ de cntwfk,** k& by opposing a greater strength. 3. Nor by acting by any strength but
The Remonstrants what he giveth. 4. Not by causing any difficulty to him. 5. Notbyfru-
profesfthat GodTope" strating any absolute will of his : But 1. Pajjively, by being ill disposed
ration of the intellects- to the reception of that Grace which he onereth , and that operation
Sr^SiS which else might effect it. 2. And aSively, by doing that which render
ing work on the will is eth us yet more ill-disposed both naturally and morally by commerit.
more resistible than the ? As also in that we do that wnicn is contrary to Gods actions, in their
And to the question, An tendency to the effect. When he moveth us to hear, read, meditate,
converfio contains sit et pray iove trufl. ^ ancj we the COntrary ; thismay be called a resi-
in certay an vero nectfftta- *. J ' ' ' w J ' *
te cauf* tut eventus infal- ltance.
liWim Mum in to q " If God intend the efte&, it will he done: hut if he intend it not.
ant convertitur , Rtjpon- ... . / ~_ . t a ■ i j i n
dent, conversionem tjse con- how is he refuted in that which he never intended to do f
thgentemquia ubtra est-. B- You know the Scripture speaketh not at these rates; but when
q»U prtctmta it; me men will set their silly wits against Gods Word , thus they will seem sob-
stqui necessitate "»(*'fj*>t tiler than he : But it's but a dream. 1. God may be resisted when he
pmThom TfdiJfl intendeth not the effect : in that his Law is resisted, and with it that ne-
tate consequent*, &c. cessary measure of Grace, by which the effect might have been wrought.
jxjS Though his Decree be not resisted, yet his Law and his Grace and help
voiuntatem ad voiendum (which had a tendency to the effect, and a sufficiency on its part) may
tmimntmMe"§{m\ I'fc be resisted- 2- And he is ordinarily resisted in that which he doth both
ett, noK-velie, ft [xpeatiu intend and do : For he seldom doth us any good without resistance,
non-veto it Ttfisitre pa- though he overcome. But he that overcometh resistance is resisted.
tt.t ufsicuntu optrattont- ro
but. C " But I mean by Relisting, Overcoming.
B. Why then did you not speak as you meant. None dreameth that
Omnipotence is overcome by a greater strength; much less by the deri
ved
 Of Sufficient and Effe&ml Grace.

ved power of us worms. But the Case is weighty which you aud others
perilously overlook.
C. *' Let me hearyour explication ofit.
B. God doth not work like neceslary agents to the utmost that he is
able. His Wisdome hath diversified Creatures 5 and his Wifdome hath
appointed Ceven in the works of GraceJ a stablished order of second cau
ses and means which he will use for the effect. And his Wifdome and
Free will hath fixed a certain degree or proportion of his concouric, sui
table, 1. To the nature of man j 2. And to the nature and use of all
those means 5 3. And to the effect as it is to be ordinarily accomplished : '
Even as in nature, he concurreth with all causes agreeably to their sta-
bltfhed nature and use. Now though Omnipotency cannot be over
come, yet the fame creature that hath a certain stated proportion of na
tural activity, and Gods suitable concourse (e.g. to a healthful body
which hath strong appetites), and also a congruous proportion of Gra
cious means , and concurs and helps ofGrace, by which he can rule the
fbrefaid appetite, may yet by neglect ofthat help, and by wilful indul
ging of that appetite, make the appetite stronger than his ordinary de
gree of help, and so overcome the Grace of God, though he overcome
not Gods Omnipotence or Decrees. But there is yet another thing of
great moment commonly overlooked.
C. "What is that?
B. The great importance ofthat common saying Recipitur ad modum
recipient is 3 on which, had I time, I would write a Book of Instances.
Causa Receptiva is not well understood. Aristotle makethPrivatio to be
one of his three Principles in Phyficks. By Privation must be meant, not
Absentia forma, fed Dispofttio materis: And whether you will call it a
third Principle, or only the due qualification of the first ( Matter ) to
make it immediately Receptive of the form, the matter being de nomine &
nnmero is small. But it is most certain, that the wonderful diversity of
alterations, or effects of motion in the world, is very much to be ascri
bed to the diversity of Receptive Dispositions. And accordingly as in
Physicks the three Active Natures (Intelletfive, Sensitive, and Vegetative,
(which its like is Ignis) are to be defined per virtutessuas AUivas 5 so the
TaJJive Elements (Earth, Water, and Air) are to be defined by their seve
ral contextures or constitutions, which make up Difpofitionem Recepti-
vam Influxus A&ivorum, unicuique propriam 3 which is their very form.
In Physical cases, God doth first as Creator make all things in wonder
ful variety of natures, quantities, figures, and contextures. And se
condly, he causeth an Universal Cause to Influence them generally 3 such
as is the Snn for one (what other we know not well) 5 whose triple In
flux Motion, Light, and Heat, affecteth all things according to their seve
ral Natures and Receptivities. The special ASive principle in every living
thing, is both cherished, and fuseitated by this universalsolar influx. But
the diversity ofeffects is not from the Sun, but from the diversity ofReci
pients. The Sun by its influx is the cause that all things live, and move :
But that one thing hath a life and motion IntelleSive, and another Senfi-
tive,aad another Vegetative ,that by the Suns influx an Acorn brings forth
an Oak, and every Seed its own kind of Plant 3 that a Horse acteth as a
Horse, a Dog as a Dog, a Sheep as a Sheep, &c. that the Rose hath one
smell, colour, shape 3 the Carnation another 3 the Tulip another, &c.
that the Dunghill stinketh, that the Clay is hardened, the Wax softened,
&c. the innumerable different effects in the inferior creatures, are all
caused by the Sun, as to their general nature (the received Influx of a
Motive,
 1 74 Of Sufficient and EjfeBual Grace.

Motive, Illuminative and CalesaBive Virtue) but they are none of them
in specie vel gradu unde differentia qua talis oritur caused by the Sun alone,
but also by the variety of the suscitated vital forms in animals : And in
things inanimate though not the Recipient, but the solar Influx be the
efficient cause of the variety ofalterations and effects, yet the Ratio diver-
fitatk is more in the Disposition of the Recipient : The Suns Influx is the
seme in it self without any difference, on the clay and wax, on the dung
hill and the rose : Let the question then be what causeth the different ef-
havc marvelled oft fe&s-> Answ.i. The Suns influx causeth all the Motion, Light, and Heat
why "zii "a'cafied for a (which they all receives as the Efficient cause. 2. The Material Recipi-
Minstrel.when the spirit ents are the several things named, as Material. 3. The said Recipients
comeTpOT^him^And being ofdivers Natures and Shapes, &c. have their variety of Receptive
so Mufick help'd Saul. Dispositions. 4. The forma Recepta a sole, is nothing but its triplex pg-
wwtohon the minds of fi*xus,Motns, Lux, Color. 5. These are variously Received according to
Melancholy, choierick, the various Dispositions ofthe Recipients. 6. Hence follow the Variety
5fi5^!5terf^^«^«j8flEr5 B7 the motive Influx some things are moved, when
of the spirits and hu- stones and houses stir not. By the Lucide Influx the eye seeth, when the
mors,andcannotdo the ^ j j ^ not : the flowers appear in various colours according to their
fame things without . J rr ,. „ _. b
them. And perhaps the various Receptivities j and some things give little reflective appearance
sPork as heM "wVdo °f tneu* Reception of it. TheCalid Influx cheristieth the living, and
had mdm ncipinth ■, burneth by a burning-glass, when the dead stir not by it, and some unapt
and so Eii(ha'i spirits recipients are little altered by it. I call these the second effeUs which are
^mSSScKd thus various 5 For the first effectsare still the fame, viz. the Motive, Mn-
preparation , that the minative, and CalefaUive efflux of the Sun is still sent forth, and some how
S5!^«£ sJSSeS or other reacheth every capable recipient in general: But the Alteiati-
traordinary work. ons which are thereby made are diversified according to the diversity of
Receptivities.
But yet these Receptive Dispositions are no efficient Causes ofthis diffe
rence, or of any of the alterations. But they are the Receptive Material
Causes, without which the efficient doth not make them, and according to
which he doth make them.
So that the Sun, though but Causa Universals, yet is also the Univer
sal Cause Candsole efficient*) ofall these Particular motions and alterations 5
And yet the Ratio differendi is not to be given from it, but from the diffe
rent Receptivities, according to which it still produceth them.
So the Rain falleth equally on the stones, on the earth, on vessels of
various shapes and sizes : The stone retaineth none : The vessels vari
ously retain it: As they are round, square, long, great, or small, so axe
they variously filled. The efficient cause ofthe difference, is the descent
ofthe rain. The material constitutive cause, is the different quantities
and shapes of the water. But yet the Ratio differendi is to be assigned
from the diversity ofReceptive dispositions in the vessels.
And that you may see that these Receptivities are no efficients, and yet
contain the chiefRationem differendi, note that the Reason to be given
from them is, ex altera differentiumparte, still Negative or Privative, as on
the other it is Positive : E.g. Why doth the Sun make the Rose smell
sweet, and not the stone or dunghill ? Because the stone or dunghill have
not those odoriferous particles to be suscitated by it as the Rose had.
Why doth the Sun move the Flies and not the Stones ? Because the
Stones had not that vital principle to be suseitated, as the Flies had.
Why did not the rain fill the Stones as it did the Cisterns ? and thi9
Vessel as that ? Because they had not the same Receptive and Re
tentive sliapes. . •

C. # Well
 Os Sufficient and EffeSual Grace. ~~ i

C. Well / but what is all this physical Discourse to our present Contro
versy t
B. I. The constancy of God in operating according to an established
Order in the world, doth (hew us , that the God of Order delighteth so
to do.
a. Therefore we have reason to conceive that he doth some such
thing in the methods of Grace, as he doth in nature, viz. That he hath
instituted a frame of means, which are the established way in and with
which he will convey his Grace : And that he hath decreed to concur
with a certain congruous universal influx which shall afford to all such a
degree ofsuscitating, illuminating, and converting attraSive force, as his
wisdom seeth meet to be the established measure for the redeemed World.
And this universal Influx is the sole efficient of all the good that is found
in the redeemed : But i. It is but a certain convenient proportion, and
therefore will not do all that God can do 5 nor do the fame on one man
as on another 5 nor at one time as at another, on the fame man. 2 . And ,
recipitur ad modutn recipientis : The diversity Of second effects may oft
be most assigned to the diversity of receptive Dispositions.
It is a wonder to see how the fame causes variously work on mens minds Rcmonflr. Deciar. L
that are dispositively diversified but by some preconceived opinion. You 17. micju* convtr'jioni
may see two men learned, sober, pious, in doubt whether the Arminians utt&'ltrismS^t
orCalvinists, the Conformists or Non-conformists ; yea perhaps the Pa- tfiit»,obicm& imftii.
pists or Protestants, be in the right. One is before hand more inclined one !£%*V'*<r*^ *ft*n^i
way, and the other the other way 5 yea perhaps not inclined in will, but v§lntu /r^dLf/iontmZ
have received in judgment a great apprehension that some one Principle VM{£\ txttrntm "tl*
isright, which more induceth to one side than the other. They both
pray, and meditate, and resolve to read and search the Scripture and & htmini • *»t tudmn
Controversal Writings with all possible diligence nnd impartiality : m^J^nStJL
They set upon it) and one seeth all along as hegoeth, the fullest evi- *" ixrntm •, «t aii»
dense, as he thinketh for the one side and the other, seeth all go on the w'b^f&JZ™
other side , through the difference of Receptive disposition'. verhas, ntcigtt<u, utitit*
I have had sufficient notice of two Non-Conformist Ministers, that had ^SKj^fS
favoured in mind, the late cause of the Parliament in the Civil War, and vohntmm, &c.*&uL-
by the face of the dreadfulness and heynousoess of the guilt, ifit should tis f*™ fiiriLm
prove that their cause was bad, were brought to resolve to do all that &bSui^Uri*n^^
possibly they could to be resolved. They both set themselves to Fast and (*fim fW"*»
Pray, they searched the whole Scripture, read over the Statute-Book, 2J?
and all the Common Law-Books and Cases, that they could get, and all
the History of our ancient Government, and of our late Transactions 5
they read what was said on both sides , and one saw all as clear as the
light go for the King against the Parliament , wondering that any should
make a doubt of it 5 and the other, though still not fully certain , was
more confirmed in his old apprehensions the other way 5 yet both lear
ned, able, judicious, godly, and truly desirous to know the truth, and
many and many years begged it of God, and unweariedly followed on
the search 3 and no carnal interest I am fully perswaded made the diffe
rence. And what then, shall we ascribe it all to immediate operations of
God, without any more ado? No 5 as far as I could perceive the diffe
rence arose from hence : One of them was first deeply possessed with
the sense of Gods late "judgments Spiritual and Corporal on the Religi
ous party which adhered to the Parliament 5 and thought these Judg
ments indicated their sin .• Their Scandal , Divisions, Confusions, Mutual
Censures, and Errors were still before his eyes j and the Laws' of Order
and Government, and Obedience , and Patience, lay in greatest power on
his heart. The other lobkt all abroad the world , to Infidel, Heathen,
Mahometans ,<
 iy6 1 . Of Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

Mahometan, and Popist Kingdoms , and thought that tyranny was the
grand sin on the earth, which kept out the Gospel , and consequently,
Godliness and Salvation from the generality of mankind 3 that kept up
Suffrag.Thcoi.Brht. Popery, and kept out Reformation j that silenced powerful Preachers,
& Sy"«»<'fc^arfuj* anc* UP fgnorance5 tnat most served Satan , and fed the jaws of
nuns* ti cmajinm Hell. He thought of all the inhumane consequents of unrestrained Ty-
pxvhq** yimuwbi ranny : He read Politicks more than the other, and read more of the
f^Sutmc^mud. Greek and Roman History, and regarded more the Judgment of the se-
tantur ■, fiuiujuit noti- vera| Parties and Religions among mankind : and he sell upon Bilfitt and
%p^tSS\m^M^ Hooker the chief Prelatists; and he thought that Gods Judgments con-
gitatio dt Hbtratione, fpes sequential to those Wars had been incomparably less than the mercies
mditnTvtrbfftlfphi- and benefits, and that there were now proportionably multitudes more
tumjuum bunc in modiim of Godly Ministers and People than there were before the Wars: And
trfonmqtfvm& [X these different pre- conceptions and pre-posleffions , made them have
vocat & invita. j?wi quite different Interpretations of all the Scriptures, the Statutes, the Law
iu afrit pm ton deft- Books, &c. which they read. And as the Proverb is, As the Foolthink-
rit.nec dehstttjnvera ad , " ', ,, . . r o • • j c 1 /» • 11 u- « .
tonvtrponm via. pr*mo- eth,so the Bellttnketh : So it is wonderful to see m all things, how much
vtrt, pmftuam ab Mis fa divers disposition of the Recipients , doth occasion diversity of ef-
ptr negleclionem volunta- - _ _ 1 V r
riam an hu)us gratia hi- tears from the lame caule.
tiaiis rtpkijam, dt[tratur. c. *' But I hope yon would not make us believe that all diversification is
" from man : Though the Sun be but an universal cause , yet God is also a pat
" ticular cause, and a specifying ; and who is it else that caused that diver-
sity in the Creatures, which turneth the Suns universal Influx into various
" effetfs. As God created the variety of Recipients, so he doth by Grace
" diversisie mans Receptive dispositions.
, B. " These are weighty matters, and deeply to be considered , with
many thoughts and cautelous sobriety. We have two questions fallen
-before us: I. How far Gods Grace is resistible. i. How God or man do
cause diversities. Though I have been drawn on to (peak much to the
' -.last, it is here but in order to the resolving of the first. The last is to be
.' Ipoke to by it self anon. Before we come to that, these things I here
• [conclude of.
i. That the Diversity of Nature, or Receptive Dispositions , being pre-
(supposed, God hath an eliablished order of meanst and a congruous efta-
. . , blisied universal Concurse , which quantum in se, as far as belongeth to it
i . ft© do, worketh equally on all.
j . ' a. That this esiablished measure of aid, or concurse, recipitur ad modnnt
'recipients, and operateth variously as to the effects, according to the
various disposition of the Recipients : from whom the ratio diversath is
to be setcht, and not from it.
I : 3. That this ejlablisijed measure of Concurse or aid may by the great
ness of the Pajfive and AUive Indisposition and indisposition of the Reci
pient, be both resisted, and overcome or frustrate.
xhLtfvtrliTv f"7w 4* ^at as Adam did resist and overcome such Grace, so do all wicked
ImilmmntibM prod™ men in *°me safes now. And so do all godly men, in most of the sins (if
Si, rtbdiis voluntatisvi- not all) which they commit.
™ilgitC$*Z, 5- As God rarely wprketh Uirachu (and we hardly know when he
mititis foitnt: adeoutvon- violateth his established course of nature, though we may know when
ItlnZZ"^ he worketh beyond the power of any second cause known to us, and
imfrifftfut aliquaiis no- when he leaveth his ordinary way) but ordinarily keepeth to his ejlabli-
mi^Z!'?!".4',1"**??'
mmtntur plant in contra- *fled
■ coursej and use of the second causes (even n in his wonders. s) So it is ve-
rim, &c.
And even AlvaWf Disp. 18. n. ? o. faith, Si no* optratur ailionequi tH in practpto imfutabitur Mi ad cvlpam to quad fuieul-
ft fe impedivit, nt dartttr Mi tuxilium efficax quod ntctfsarium erat, ut atlualiter operaretur : ficut fi Veus imponeret homhi practf t* it
■volandi, & quantum tfl exiparce \ua tfftrrti illi alas & adjutoriumnectfsurium ut volaret, ipft autem respondent, Vomint ntc vil» alas
accipire nec voUre, mcrito reputaretkr rtm, ttiamsi non posit abfque alis, volare, quit fua culpa [e impidirit nt Mi dontrentar a Deo.
TY
 Of Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

ry probable, that in the Works of Grace, Recovery and Salvation, he

ordinarily keepeth to his efiablifl)ed order , his Ordinances, and fixed
degree of Concurse.
6. Yet as God is still above all his Work, and a free Agent , and is rib
further tied to one constant order and measure of Concurse , than he
tieth himself by his Wisdom and Free-will ; so God is free in the convey
ance of his Grace, and can when he please , forsake that order , and
work Miracles by Grace, as well as on natural things above nature. He
can strike down Saul, and convert him by a voice from Heaven ; and
in a word, can do what he will. • ■• ■ <■' .
7. And as in most wonders, itspast our power to know whether and
when God doth indeed forsake his established order, and work contrary
to it, Or without such second causes, as are unknown to us; though we
can tell when he acteth unusually : So is it in this case , about his works
Of Grace. A Comet, or Blazing Star is an unusual thing, whose neces
sary antecedent cause we know not : And yet it is but a natural essttt of
second causes , operating in their eftablified course ; so are ecclipses (bet
ter known) and unusual Tempests , and terrible Lightnings, &c. So
great and sudden , unusual and wonderful changes may be made by-
Grace oft sinners : and yet all in Gods established course of working, and
by those second causes which are to us unknown.
C. " But God is not a naturaHwf a voluntary Agent ; and Grace is his
•* immediate work, or off-spring.
B. I. He is a voluntary Agent in Creation, Preservation, and in all the.
works and changes of nature : and yet he operateth constantly in his ap
pointed course. ■"> »
2. Its unknown to us, what means he ufetb, out of our reach, in his
operations upon souls, as well as in nature. - "
, 5. We find that Grace keepeth a harmony with nature : yea- as mora
lity is but the modality of things natural, so we may conceive that God
may possibly work it, by the modifying of physical Agents and their
actions, and the recipients. r.
4. Immutability and constancy is one of Gods perfections ; and the
expression of it in the constant order of his Works is part of hia glory in
the world : Though our mutable Free-wills are better than the fixed or
necessitated appetite of Bruits, that is not, as they are mutable, and the
acts contingent, but as they have a higher object. But the fixed un
changeable wills of the Glorified (Angels and Saints) are far better than
ours. And why should we think unsetled mutability of efficiency , to
be the best discovery of Gods Immutability. \
5. But yet we grant that God is free to do what he please.
C. " But it is by fixed second causes that God kgepeth a fixed order df
'* natural productions and alterations in the world. But you can name no
"such universal second cause of Grace , affording under God a resistible
i( Influx as the Sun doth in Nature.
B. What will you say , if I name you such a second universal cause ;
(though if I could not,it followeth not that therefore there is none such.)
I think I can name you one that all Christians should know; and yet it
seems is not well by Divines themselves considered. JESUS CHRIST
as MAN , and MEDIATOR is Gods Administrator General of the
humane world; and is compared to the Rising Sun, which illuminateth
all the world, with a light suitable to it and them. So Christ is the light
of the world, the Sun of Righteousness,, that ariseth with healing Grace,
and enlightneth every man that cometh into the world : (or as Grotittf
and Hammond render it {which coming into the world enlightneth every
A a man]
 man] supposing »nA*w to be the Nominative Case and Neuter Gender,
and not the Accusative Masculine) In him was Life, and the Life was the
light of men (not only to the sanctified who received, but uneffectually
though quoad fe sufficiently) the light pined in darkness, and the dark:
tiefs comprehended it not : The world that was made by him knew himnot:
He came to his own, and his own received him not (yet he came to them)
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, John 1. 3, 10, 1 1. It is apparent in Scripture that all power in Hea
ven and Earth is given to Christ, Matth. 28. 19, 20. that allthings are de
livered into his hands, John 13. 3. and God hath given him power over all
step, John 17.2. and he is head over allthings to the Church, Ephes. I.
22,23.
C. " We all grant that Christ is an universal light and Saviour : 1. Ob-
"jeftively: 2. And as to bis Do&rine, Covenant, and Example: But
" what's that to internal efficient Grace, which is immediately/row God?
B. Great is this mystery of Godliness : there is more in Christ than you
take notice of, even the spirit which must work Grace in mens fouls, is
two ways given first to Christ : 1. In that as Administrator general , the
«. „ ...... power of giving out the Spirit to mankind is now given to Him, even in
That Grace habitual f. . &x, 0 ajl - i_- • j r r li
is faticipatio natur* di- his humane Nature. And he giveth it out in manner and measure nimble
vim, and how , and in It To himself: 2. Tous. 3. To his established means and Ordinances,
fiS^Stu u0^. by which he worketh. So that now the spirit with its aid (common or
And abundance of jesu- special) is not given toany sinner immediately from God, as Creator;
jnVngo^tr^naKl^dasit was given to Adam before his fall, but by the Mediation of
ing its fupematuraiity, Christ the Redeemer. I mean not only the meritorious and procuring
t0^scTr1st^aaYibpirno8te^ mediation, but also the powerful conveying mediation. Though God
slants do: Buc Va{qw\ the Holy Ghost be still proximately the cause of Grace, yet Christ as
?tont]Mn%ro0testanK!S Mediator is made by office , the Mediator and authorized giver of that
Lpposuig Christie spirit and all its Grace ; and so the measurer and orderer of his helps,
baVy9ournEieaionato a«d apptjinter of the conditions.
Gnice. And jetTven 2. And Christ is first silled with this Spirit personally himself, that he
there the difference js mav be a sit Head of vital Influence to all his Members, who by thepre-
words'. ' n°C °n,y m vious operations of his Spirit are drawn and united to him.
The ibomifts main- C. " How prove you all this universal power in Christ i
h2S ishaneSstrstu- *• You have heard theexpress proof: And study further, I John 5,
ment of the Deity in o- 1 1 , 1 2. And this is the record that God hath given us eternal life 5 and this
Eh^heGcsauseof the lift it in his Sen : He that hath the Son hath life, and be that hath not the
Eucharist lcadcth them Son hath net life. • . '
< 1 Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the fame is none of
his. Mark that it is, The Spirit of Christ.
John 15. 2:5. The Comforter (or Advocate) whom I will fend to you
fiomthe Father.
John 16. 7. If I depart I will fend him to you.
John 14. 26. The Comforter whom the Father willfend in my name.
Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of hn
Son intoyour hearts, crying Abba, Father.
Gal. 2. 20. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me 5 and the life which
I now live in the step, I live by the Faith of the Sen of God who loved me.
Joh n 5 . 2 1 , 2 2 . The Son quickpeth whom he will ; for the Father judg
ed no man but hath committed alljudgment to the Son.-—16. For as the Fa
ther hath life in himself, so hath he given the Son to have life in himself
And that you may see that he giveth the Spirit with and by means, he
faith, Verse 24. Verily, verily, I sty untoyou, He that heareth my word, and
btlieveth on him that sent me, hath everlafhn& ltfe-

John
 Os Sufficient and Effectual Grace. i *j&

John 6. 27, 32, 33. Labour for that meat which endureth to everlasting
life, which the Son of man will give you : For him hath God the Father
sealed 5 that is, openly owned as appointed to this Office.
He giveth life unto the world—Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my
"Blood hath eternal Life— Dwelleth in me and I in him.—My Fief) is meat
indeed— As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father 5 so he
that eateth me, even he shall live by me,—Verse 63. It is the Spirit that
qt/icfyteth, the Flesh profiteth nothing.
John 3. 34. God giveth not the Spirit to him by measure,
John 7. 39. This he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe in him
should receive.
John 1 .5. 4, 5. Abide in me and I inyou. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of it self, except it abide in the vine 5 no more can ye except ye abide in
me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. Ha that abideth in me and I in
him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit 3 for without me (or out of me)
ye can do nothing. '
Matth. 28. 20. J am with you always to thetnd.
1 Cor. 6. 1 7. He that isjoyned to the Lord is one Spirit.
2 Cor. 3.17. The Lord is that Spirit : and where the Spirit of. the Lord
is, there is liberty.
Phil. 1. 19: Through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Col. 3.3,4. Forye are dead, and your life is hid with Chriji in God :
when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with hint
in glory. : ■ #
Ephes 1.22,23. And £ave him to be head over all .things to the Church,
which is his body, the fulness of him thatfilleth all in all.
Do you need more to prove this great Office of Christ ? .
< C. " Here is more than I have well thought on. But I find more to prove
" Chriji the vital Head to his church, than to prove him the universal dis
"penser of all Grace whatever is given to the world.
B. Read them over again 5 what would you have more , than all
Tower, all things, all Judgment given or committed to him : And to be
by 0ffice the Redeemer , Saviour , and light of the world , coming as
such even to them that neither comprehend him, know him, or receive him.
I add another Text, Prov. I. 20. to the end.—-Wisdom crieth without^ she
uttereth her voice.— How long ye simple ones will you love simplicity, and
the scorners delight in their scorning , and fools hate knowledge ? Turn
you at my reproof: behold I will pour out my] spirit unto you, I will make
known my words unto you.— Because I have called andye refused , (see the
rest.) Ver. 32. For the turning away of the simple shall flay them.
And two things more I osier for your conviction. 1. That to Qiew
both his Tower, and that he will exercise it orderly by means, Christ im~
powred his Apostles and Ministers under him to give the Spirit. And if
the extraordinary Gifts were given by the laying on of their hands, no
wonder if the ordinary were given by their Do&rine.
2. That on this ground Christ shall be the universal Judge of all the
world, as he was the universal Law-giver and light to all.
But what need I more, when it is his very Office as Chriil : as Trophet
to be the universal Teacher , by Spirit and Word 5 and as TrieSi to sancti-
fie by Spirit and Word j and as King to rule by Spirit and Word.
V C. "I am amazed to think, how little we well understand of our very
* *' Fundamentals and Catechism which we teach the ignorant: Methinkj in
" this universal Light / fee morethan ever I before observed, that God in-
MiL "deed hath fit up a Sun, an universal medium, a Christ, who in our via.*
^fc'" ture is a Creature, to be the Donor and Conveyor of all Recovering
. A a 2 "Grace
 i§o Os Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

*« Grace to man, and to give 6ut the Spirit that stated order and
•'measure as is suitable to his design and Subjects. And as on earth he
" gave out much light and help which was resisted and rejetted , 1 now less
" wonder tlmt it is so now he is in heaven even as to his Spirit as well as
*' his Word: When I consider, that though God he Infinite, his Grace is gi-
**ven out to mankind finitely, by a finite Creature, Christ *f man; even
** as God siineth to us , not immediately , hnt by the Sun. J will no
" more then account it an injury to God, that he siould be said to give li-
" mited and resistible degrees of Grace by Christ , but repent that I have
Xljb much grieved and refitted the Spirit of Christ my self.
B. Proceed now to your other accusation.

The eighth Crimination.

Rcmonstr s nod ubi " ^ev make mans Free-will, and not Gods differencing Grace to
supra™"/ 'qJraturqu* " be the cause that one man by Faith doth differ from another that hatb
sit causa cur hie converti- « no Faith. Contrary to Paul's supposition, who made thee to differ >
tur, non auttm itle ? Rc- , ■» J t — -L" l
/pondemus, hie convmitur Ttlentft could not answer Camero to this charge.
quia Dm hunt non app0. I doubt here again is a Controversie about words. I will speak to
SZSXJkSEr™ as to one that would know the truth, i. Derc , as to the Contro-
wtitur qua novam con- versie. a. As to the meaning of the Text.
\ZiuThi?op°ptit Sim 1 Let us here consider. 1 • wnat ic is to Difer 2 ' What are the causes
contumteiam , alter nous of such difference r*. > .
Rlt\dppmoZ\ Sr*i£ L To D I F F E R is nothing but to be dismile, unlike. Dissimilitude
lo^opponisquiTa gratia or Difference is a Relation. This Relation (as Ockam truly and largely
movttKrnt oppontrt ^//f. -ftewethVis nothing exfr<* intel/etfum, besides its fundamenturn, subjeQum
4Wm , annon tilt qui . . J. . Sr ' ■* *
miopponit novam nutt- <T termmm, the Absoluta.
madam & per _con[tquens If. Difference then being a Relation is the dijjimilitude of divers per~
laTptila^q^m'qui'i^ f9** ****p&*d> Here the natural numerical difference of persons , and
;«»«, * consequent abundance of other differences are presupposed. And it is the Diffe-
rence between a Be/iez/er and an Vnbeliever, the Pe*zfe«* and Impenitent
venitnum gratiam aqua- as such, that we have to consider of. Now here are two Subje&s difier-
iZm'Sif^&m ing> and in each one, if not two differences from the other: So that
posterior. ' here are two , if not four several Relations of dissimilitude between
them. i. Paul is a Believer ; by which he difTereth I. From Nero as a
Privative "Unbeliever, a. Asa Positive Unbeliever. On the other side
Nero i. as a privative Unbeliever: 2. and a positive, differeth from
Paul. Now every one of these Differences or dissimilitudes have a se
veral cause, i. The fundamentum of both Paul's differences from Nero
are his own Faith ; and the Termini are Nero's Privative and Positive un
belief. 2. The fundamenta of Nero's difference from Paul are his Pr/-
vative and Positive unbelief, and the Termini are P**/'s F<*/7/& to both.
Now if the question be, what doth Constitutive make Paul differ from
Nero, it must be answered P<**/Js FdifÆ and Nero's unbelief. For dissimili
tude refulteth from the one compared with the other. And if both had
been Believers there had been no difference. And so were this the que
stion, there were no difficulty in it at all.
But the meaning of the question is not of the constitutive cause of
the dissimilitude, or the fundamentum, but of the efficient cause of that
fundamentum , or else of the diversifying Dispositio Receptiva. Now
supposing that Fatth and Vnbelief are the constitutive differencing cau
ses ; the efficient causes of both must be fought as the Ratio difcriminisy
and not ot one only.
 Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace. ig i

Qteft. I. What is the cause (efficient) of Nero's unbelief? Ans. Hw

own will or wicked heart.
guest, 2. What is the efficient cause of Paul's Faith?, Ans. I, The
Principal efficient is God by his Spirit. 2. The meritorious pause is
Christ. 3. The chief ministerial efficient is Christ as giving the Spirit
to work it. 4. The Instrumental efficient is the Gospel. 5. The Imme
diate efficient is Ya.nl : For it is he that believeth, and not God. Is there
any one that denieth any of this ? :,
C. M I doubt they thinks that mans will is more the cause than the Spirit 5
" because theyfuss end the Spiritssuccess upon mans will.
B. Accuse not men by suspicions and doubts without proof3 yea con
trary to their own profejjions. Your crime of uncharitablenefe is not
theirs 5 nor doth it follow that they are faulty because you arefujpiciom. * * Alliac Camer. hj.t.
You may read Corvinus to Tilenut exprefly assigning theefficiency of all * IA B" nullu?
, _ 7 , , , j./r r .J . P. & ' , ' rpr*distinavtt aut prude-
that Grace that maketh us to diner, principally unto Cod. Some oi st,nit (udpmdo pedt-
them only fay [man cannot effect, ("or convert himself) but he can r$- sti—timmfttMd^mdt)
sift : and so require no more of man to his conversion but not to resist : ^au»tn\am pr*vi(am
yea not to resist in an obstinacy and high degree. Others of them require i* fr*Miut$ quia *««
of man also an aSual concurse of his will by his power received, with Mm, qXn
the concurse of God : But they make God here incomparably the chief vm prim voiurit & at
efficient $ not only as to Priority of operation , but as to his causation *urno>&c'
of the effect. And they use to illustrate it some time as Scotus by the
similitude of two drawing ata Ship, sometime by a Father, that should
bid his Son lift at a heavy weight, and resolveth to put to 900 degrees
of the force himself if his Son will but endeavour , and put forth one
degree. In this case, if the Son will not put forth that one which he
can do, and so the event fail 5 it is not by the Impotency nor absolute
unwillingness of the Father. And if the child do put forth that one
degree, will you fay that he doth more to the effect than the Father
that doth 900 parts 5 and that only because that the Father would not
do all himself? But this carrieth us from the matter in hand, and is af
ter to be spoken to.
C. " But if you makeso many things go to makg the difference, the que
*Kstion, who made thee to differ ? must have a long answer.
B. Not as Paul meant it, but as our troublesome Contenders use it , in Even those that found
another sense, the answer must be suited to the question. And here note (cien'
that really it is the state of both parties compared , and not of one of Grace tTmpo^Fut
them that constituteth the dissimilitude as is said : And the efficient cau- vntuJi to be tiw cause
sesof^A states, are the causes of the difference. And so truly the cause Ji**,,^
of Nero's unbelief, and the causes of Paul's Faith ("which are many as />• s>7. 4>w tic crt'dat
aforesaid; all set together are the causes of the differences j or rather all JJ^^S;
make up one cause of it. This no Logician can deny. But yet in vul- veatit ut ucimda as.
gar speech we use to fay that that person or thing is the cause ofthe dif- 'luTwh^cMBs
ference, t. Which is the cause of the singularity. 2. Or which causeth tupt, Town 1st misa °
the state of the second person compared, supposing the state of the first D" fa-
person to be already existent. And so you will find yet several senses "I'lmltTitst^limm
of the question. ****** , m vttin w.
lints m substtjMtnr
lentem li,hi'.t:ftm tie
»» fru-
fy-
stravelit, vi sut Gratia ita fibi aptat libtrum arbitrium, ut a milt dm mit respuatur, quoddhimusprovenire ex to quod mtrit, in-
effabilibiu & occultis modis novtrit Vim ita himinis movtrt senfum ut accomodtt ajsensum —Fatemur Dei omnipotemim & Doviiniun
quod habet in vtlnntates hominum, mmiftstari in graft* e§icatia.—Et oonstnftu bominis tft dojium Dei, defsendens a V -ire lurriaum ;
itlumque con]ert\um Deus iiutt &{acit, qxia facit bominem viribws gratia sacere. Yea he yieldeth to Bradwardims Doctrine, suppo
sing him only to intend nectfuatem quondam conjtquentite,ntceffarium tffl hominem libere velU Mud ip(um quodDeus cujus omnipettntis-
quaamquevolMt f*cit) prgvoluit ipjum velle liben. Item, gratiam ifficacem dari intuitu meritomm Cbrifti, non tantum quatenm est,
sufficiens^sed etiam quatenus est tfficax dum jecundm propofitum vocat.—lt'.m cura Dti non est *qualit it omnibia.
■

C. "£*-
 Os Sufficient and Effe&ual Grace.

C. " Explain it by some instances.

B. i. As to the cause of singularity. If one man be born an Ideot or a
Monster, when we ask, what made him differ from other men , though
really the causes of the dissimilitude be to be assigned on both parts ; yet
We mean only on his part , why is he not like others. So if one Child
be unlike to all his brethren , or one Scholar in the School be much bet
ter or much worst than all the rest ; or if one in a Family be sick, he that
asketh, what maketh him differ ? doth mean, what made him sick > &e.
2. And so as to FoSieriority of State,if you suppose one of the diffimiliar
parts pre-existent, and ask what maketh the other to differ from it <? as if
you ask why the Scholar writeth not like his Copy ? why the Son is so
unlike to the Father .<? why this age is so unlike the last? &c. We mean
only what causeth the difference ex parte fubfequente. .
C. *' Apply it to the cafe in hand.
B. If you ask, what made the difference between the Devils and the
persevering Angels ? In the full and proper answer you must assign the
reason on both parts : But according to the usual sense of the question,
you must fay [The wilfulJin of theDevils made the difference.'] For the
equal state of uprightness went before the difference.
So if you ask, what made the difference between the world after the
fall, and before it ? vulgarly, we must fay, fin ; because that came last.
So if you ask, what made the difference between Noah and the world <?
between Lot and Sodom .<? Anf. Indeed, that which made one part sin
ful and the other righteous. But according to the vulgar sense of the
question, it was the Righteousness of Noah and Lot, and the causes ofthat
righteousness.
So what made the difference between Judas and the eleven Apostles ?
Anf. Judas his wilful sin and Wickedness, (though indeed the cause is
on both sides.)
So what maketh the difference between Believers and the Unbelieving
world > Really, the unbelief of the world, and the Faith of Christians
with their causes : But it's like the speaker meaneth only ex parte creden-
tium : And then the cause of their Believing is the cause of their differing.
But now, if it hold true that God giveth a sufficiency of Grace ut can-
fa universals ex parte donantis (antecedently to mens accepting or reject
ing^ equally, then if one ask, what makgth the difference $ you would
understand him (why have not unbelievers Faith, as well as others ? And
then the answer would be, wilful resisting, or refusing Grace, or the moral
special indisposition of the Recipients makes the difference ; or else all
would be alike believers.
But note, that we ask not [What maketh the 'difference between Believers
and unbelievers f\ but do particularize the subject, and ask, [what ma
keth the Believer differfromythe Unbeliever s] or what maketh the unbeliever
differ from the believer f] It is then supposed that we mean only ex parte
nominata. And thus in the vulgar sense the questions, [what makgth the
believer differfiom the Infidel?"] and [what maketh the Infidel differ from
the believes must have various answers.
C. " I understandyou thus in brief': I. Tou fay that constitutively it is
" Faith that is the difference on Paul j part, and unbelief on Nero'/. 2. The
causes of the said Faith and unbelief, are the causes ofthe difference : (As
" the causes of the whiteness of one wall', and of the blackness of the other
cause their difference.) 3. That to ask (why the Believer differeth from
the Unbeliever?) is but to ask [why he is a Believer when the other is not ?~]
4. Here you fay the two Relations of dissimilitude in two ubbjects make
the questions two in one, viz,. 1. Why or whence is Paul a Believers]
2. Whence
 Of Sufficient and EffeBml Grace. 189

3. Whence is it that Nero is an "Unbeliever s\ 5. You (ay that Nereis an

Unbeliever through his own wilsulness, and indisposition resisting Grace
(Satans temptations concurring.) And that Paul is a Believer from many
conjunct: causes : 1 . Gods Grace by his Spirit. 2 . Christs Merits. 3. Christs
donation of that Spirit. 4. The means by which he worketh. 5. The
concurse of Pauls will. To which efficients you add in most a compe
tent Receptive disposition in genere causa materialis , hath passive and
active. 6. You fay that in all this Gods Grace is incomparably the grea
ter cause than man's will. 7. But yet not the sole cause, and that some
free-not-necesiitated concurse of mans will, in the use of such Power as
he hath, is a condition fine qua non ut dispositio Gratis receptiva, ordinari
ly. 8. But that God is not tied to this,but may extraordinarily do other
wise. 9. But that this *pre-requisite disposition, and the concurse of E»* Ruiz, de prædif!
mans will is only the use of a power freely before given of God, with k^' dt/ptsitloneT pro^i'.
all neceflary helps to use it. 10. And therefore that God is from first to mas & ptofmiovatas ad
last the first cause of all that's good in man,thouah not the only caufejand fi3 **
that of himself man can do nothing. Have I not taken your meaning primaradict nafamtw «
right. fimd Patia> ?«*
„ \r r e- i_ 1• x uUadijpositiont quasi aw
B. Yes, so far as you have recited it? u est tivt$ fm uturiu
C. *• But methinkf jetyou answer not the great question , which Camero PP*'* a»9adJ^
" baffled Tilenus with. It is not why Paul believetht Nor why Nero ht-^li^tftmrmousilhU-
** lieveth not ? as singly considered : But comparatively, why Paul belie- gratia ita.
« veth rather thanNero ? 'speak to that. S^ftSM
B. Camero and Tilenus were great and excellent wits. But if you can not this enough t\
forgive the Truth, I must add that which they said nothing to , which
will prove that a few degrees more of acutenefs , might have fhortned or
better ended their dispute.
It is the Comp drat io perfinarum that is now the subject of that Contro-
versie : why this man rather than that as compared ? Here then we are
to consider, I. The Comparabilitas. 2. The Jpsa Comparatio.
I. The question as to the first is, either 1. Whether there was ante
cedently any such ratio comparandi in them, as might be a reason or mo
tive to God himself, quoad aftum ex parte agentis , why he should de
cree to give, or actually give Faith to one man rather than to another?
2. Or else whether there were any such difference antecedent as might
be Ratio diferiminis inejse&is, the reason why one received or had Faith,
and the other not.
II. And then quoad a&um comparandi, the question is, whether God
in his Decree or mind did truly compare the persons antecedently , and
fay (not only [I will cause this man to believe"] and fay [I will not cause
that man to believe] or, not fay [I will.]) But also said [I will cause this
man to believe rather than that.]
To these several questions then I answer. 1. Negatively to the first i
For Gods acts ex parte agentis are his essence 5 and as he hath no cause,
but is the cause of all things, so thus far nothing in the world is a causal
reason or motive to God. He wilieth because he willeth , or rather
without cause.
II. To the second, There are in the Creatures different capacities, for
terminating Gods will and attion objeSively , and accordingly denomina
ting his Volitions and Aftions variously : And so this question must be di
vided into three. 1. Whether always. 1. Whether ordinarily. 3. Whe
ther sometimes there be an obje&ive ratio comparabilitatis and of prefer
ring one before another, as to the ejse& of believing ? or why Gods ope
ration should effect Faith rather in this man than in that ? To which I an-
 184 Os Sufficient and Effe&ml Grace.

Ad primum, I. There are neareil Reasons in the immediate aptitude

of the receiver. Such as is the highest degree of preparing Grace in one,
which another hath not. And there are remote reasons or aptitudes. As
e. g. A man of great learning, wit, and zeal, or some other remote apti
tude, will be a fitter person for Gods work than another, when he be-
lieveth. 2. It is not known to any mortal man, what different apti
tudes in both these kinds, God the only heart-searcher seeth , which no
man can see : And therefore this question cannot certainly be answered
as to both sorts.
3. But as far as our blind eyes can reach , it seemeth most probable to
us, that God doth not always effect Faith according to the degrees of
receptive aptitude of either fort. Because we see that sometimes he sud
denly calleth very great sinners, and also some that are silly and little
serviceable in the world. But yet what special aptitudes God may see in
them we know not.
Ad secundum, £u. I answer, That it is Gods ordinary way to give
Faith according to the first sort of predisposition alone ("were there no
difference in the last) that is, To those that have the highest degrees of
moral preparation, ot Common Grace, I take to be a certain truth, r. Be
cause in all Gods Works we see that he operateth by degrees in order,
and, on predisposed matter, and that efficit juxta dispofitionem recipients.
2. But specially because he hath himself appointed a course of means for
the obtaining of his special Grace, to be used by all men? And he can-
' not be thought to do all this in vain 3 nor to set men on doing their part
in vain. And all practical Divines who preach so much for the souls
-preparation, are of this mind, that such preparation is the ordinary pre
disposition.
Ad Qu. 3. I answer, That at least sometimes it is so, is past question
with any sober man. For it is a contradiction, to call it preparing Grace,
or DispoJitton$ and yet to fay that by it no man is made ever the more
receptive or nearlier capable bf^Faith or special Grace. So much to the
* Mark what Bmts two questions de ComparabilitaU. *
gX? £t*|W^ m' But as to the third question> Whether God AUually in his mind
[Pit cndi poteft quod om- thus Compare men, and prefer one before another, and fay, I mil cauft this
fJS^m^m.lS. ™*H *° Mieve rather than that i Ianswer, 1. There is no Act in God but
q.,am strut fuptrnaturaii his Essence, which is invariable , and indivisible. 2. But because his
V^^l'JZuLi.
fiigantc ad optrandum bo- operations
F as, terminated
. and r
productive
. • ad extra
. are various
, . ,» and
. have
_
mm. ». si vtn tji opi- objective material causes of their diversity in the recipients ; therefore
dt'7!***} tmnh'uf't we u^ua^y thence denominate Gods volitions as various. And so when
fiifkttKstctptrit gratiam we fee that one man hath Grace given him to believe, when another hath
prtparantem [rtum print not, we hence fay that God mentally and by Decree preferreth one be-
jMs*r*i#*^*pimrit *. fore the other : when the difference is not at all in God, nor his Act ex
^Hotitjcmqu rtiqmpu- parte agentis, but only of and by God in the Recipients.
tri foernJvllt *prlltp- '• C. " But come yet nearer the heart of the cafe, and tell me plainly,
tttm,vtifidtiveipanim- " i. whether the difference of Effects be more from the mil and akion of
d^ftih uc^trittUaLm " Co^> orfiom mens different Receptive dispositions. And 2. Whether oil
divinm inspirations it- " these different Receptivities be not of God.
SSi^S" ' Order bids me begin with thelatter. 1. The different Dispositions
&e. immo mcefft tst ho- are ot two sorts, Good and Bad. God is not the cause of the Indispo-
mintm tangi aliqua Juptr-
niturali infpiraiionc ut nuiUm babtat txcusutionta. Wosibilt tst jtcundum Itgtm ordinariam qutmlibtt dm tst in bac vita [alvari.Veta
paratus tst dart omnibus quamdin [ant in bac vita aaxitim quo pant pottntts convtrti, immo & auxiliutn iptcialius quo ctnvtrtaitur
sivtlint. I cite this, because for his Doctrine of Predetermination , Protestants much value Banna (a boasting Author,
who thanketh God that their King burneth Protestants.) Indeed the Dominicans commonly confess sufficient Grace which is
not effectual. 7

sit ion
 Of Sufficient and Ejfe&ual Grace. 185

sitionor indisposition of any. And as to the good disposition or Prepa

ration of Souls, no doubt but he is the principal Cause of it air : but
not the sole Cause, nor (always at least) the necessitating Cause; but
oft giveth men that necessary help by which they might have been pre
pared for more, when yet they are not through their wilful resistance or
neglect. For few men will deny that men have sufficient uneffectual
Grace for some preparatory acts, though not for faith. .m
Ad. ^2. I told you that the difference in the effects, resulteth from
the Causes in both Subjects, and not in one only : That which maketh
one a believer, and the other an unbeliever, maketh them differ. And
I have told you what these Causes are. But further j I suppose as afore
said, a certain established order and degree of universal help, external
and internal, by Christ to the Soul, as the Sun affordeth to inferior Bo
dies: This stablished order osGrace, universally affordeth such a degree
of Divine Influx and help , as will cause faith in a prepared Soul, and
will not cause it in some much unprepared Souls : (For if as little help
would serve the unprepared as the prepared, to what use is preparation,
& quomodo recipitur ad modum recipients! j) In this case now the efficient
of Grace is God, and not Man 5 but *the Ratio proximaof thediffe- * That even Jesuits
rence in the event and effects is the Diverse disposition of the Recipients. 'J^irt|™aty th°cf
But here, mark well, that it is not the good disposition or preparation Ratio dijmmimv/hyont
of one party, that is, the only, and I think, not the chief reason of p^°hnatrhath" than ano"
the difference ; but the Privative and Positive indisposition of the other God, initial" and pri™
party, is as much, if not, the chiefest reason. If one man shut his eyes c'PaI'y » and not from
against the light, when another doth not, the Ratio discrimink why "e E^pro^g kTc
one man differeth from another in seeing and not seeing, is on both 'arge in 'ail his Tract,
parts, but principally on his part that shutteth his eyes 5, because the %tjtmrdit.9' So rtm
other doth but what he was made to do, and all living creatures should this is no difference be-
do : But the other absurdly crosleth nature. So that under an universal heminuineA that* "
Influx and help, the said Influx is the efficient of the action or effect 5 but fidm nibH 1st difpofith-
the disposition of the Recipients are the Occasions and Reasons to be z& '^"^a m^*im<l-
signed of the various effects; but especially the incapacity ofthe defective 24. And one would
party. As the reason why the Sun doth make a Tree bear fruits and not [^"J^" tt^lis sl,?uld
a dead stock, is because the tree is an apt recipient of its influx, but the mians!eBuVheemeTneth
stock Or stone is not. ' only that this difpofi-
2. But, (Note)that in case that God operate not by such an universal serJ.^XwiinnWef
Influx only , but also by superadded special or extraordinary degrees of see what the Schoolmen
p articular Grace, which by a difference from the universal Influx or de- 32fcPjpaLati\c Gracti
* ■ 3 1 ar n i l " t.r . ■ may find abundance of
gree, is peculiarly apt to procure the effects , here the ratio discnmwu them cited by Rui? ma.
is principally to be ascribed to that special Grace, andnotto the prepa- d'.21- ?tr ttttm> «»4
r. r / _ , JI 1 r r.. what nature can do in
rations on the bOUl. : • ,,■ - ; u preparation. Greg. Ar-
C. *e Tell me then, whatyou thinly, whether God workj by such an uni- jjUjj^
" versal Grace, or by such a special Grace. I. How far doth he work_ by the Reformed. ° ' C
" universal Grace .<? 2. Is that universal Grace ever efseSual of it self, on ^%-de bonoptrftver.c.s.
" prepared Souls .<? 3 . Bowfar doth he also use t he special particular Gract %,JZ, *™bmiZ£
*e whichyou mentioned .<? 'r *. , s: j dmur / Kt]p. *hiaDeus
B.I. To your first Qu. I answer, 1. God in the beginning made mar> *V£
kind upright in Adam and Eve, and made no difference as to the pre- fyndn, Qupniam van
sent case. * •.':..;);: "1 '^udtx e/l-
2. Eve having first sinned, did make a difference between her selfand
Adam, which God made not, nor altered first his universal Grace. ;
3. Adam next (without Gods alteration) by Sin did difference himself
from himself (as he was before). '• '
4. God then set up a new universal Grace 3 even Christ with the new
Covenant, and Recovering means, to give out universal help suited to
B b his
i86 Of Sufficient and Effectual Grace.

his Covenant and means , to be the Giver of the Spirit, and the Light of
the world (we cannot have time now to open the difference, between
Christ's administrations before and after his Incarnation). There was at
first an universal sufficiency in this Recovering help of Grace.
5. (Jain (that could have done otherwise) wilfully finned aga:nst this
universal Grace and Covenant : and so made a difference between him
and the rest of mankind, when God made none.
6. Whether Abel did osier his acceptable Sacrifice by this fame univer
sal Help alone, or by any special extraordinary Grace ex parte medioruw
vel Influxm primi recepti , is a thing unknown to us , because un-

7. The Posterity of Cain (as of Adam at first) because Seminally in

him, and personally from his very guilty essence, were justly deprived
of some of that Grace, both SubjeHive and Objetfive which Cain had
deprived himself of. Their natures were more vitiated, and so they
were made less Receptive and more disposed as to the universal means and
Influx. And by his secession from the holy seed, he was deprived of
much outward means : And having forfeited the Spirit, he had left also
of its helping Influx : And thus he and his posterity made themselves to
differ, as if a Generation of Sinners should be born bi nd, while the Sun
fhineth as it did before.
8. The Holy seed that's not yet Apostate , have great subjective and
objective Grace.
9. The seed of Cain are still under the same Law of Grace, and uni
versal conditional promise, that If they will believe and repent , they
(hall be saved : And they have some Means and some Help of Grace yet
left them, which have an aptitude by degrees to bring them back again
to God : And if they will not use that lower degree of Grace , by
returning as they can, they forfeit that and further help.
10. But yet God hath besides this Universal Grace, some special and
extraordinary ways and degrees ofGrace for some, according to bis Good
pleasure. But this with the answer to your other two questions, will
come in better anon, under the next head.
C. u Having spoke to the matter, now speaks of the sense of the Text%
" 1 Cor. 4.7. and Rom. 12. 6. For who maketh thee to differ from ano-
"ther? and what hajl thou that thou didji not receive $ Now if theudidji
** receive it, why doft thou glory as if thou hadft not received it.
B. It is most evident, that P<i«/speaketh of the Gifts or Excellencies
themselves primarily and of Differing from others , but as a refultancy
from those Gifts : And he medleth not here with the question , why
others have not those Gifts as well as they ? and so why others differ
from them. q. d. Are not all those things of which you glory, the free
gifts of God > And is it not by those free gifts that you differ as more
excellent than others ? And should you boast of that which is Gods free
Gift, of which you are but Receivers > To pass by the common answer
that Paul fpeaketh of Ministerial Gifts, and not of special Grace, what
Arminian can deny any of this, about the Grace of faith it self 1. He
must confess that we have no Grace to cause /47sA, but what we have
received 5 (For the Act which we performed is no otherwise to be said

it). 2. He cannot deny that by this Received Grace and Faith, the
believer in excellency differeth from unbelievers. 3. Nor that such a
Receiver hath no cause of boasting, as if he had not received it. Who
will deny this ?

C. "But
 Of Sufficient and- EffeBml Qrace. i$y

C. " But they leave him to boast, that by his better preparation and dtf-
" position, he was a fitter Recipient than another. And so all boosting is
44 not excluded.
jy. I. InPWsCase (of extraordinary Ministerial gifts) there is left
room for that much ; because they arc not given so much according to
preparations, as saving Grace is : For even ungodly men may have1
them. - ' 1 '• . ' '
2. The boasting which is excluded, is a boasting ofouf selves asagainst '
or without the glory of Grace, as if we had some excellency which we
had not received. But our very Receptive disposition Was received by
Gods Grace, even from his common preparing Grace : Arid that common
Grace was freely given.
3. If by boating., you would mean , an acknowledgment of Gods
grace, then all thanksgiving is boasting. Or ifa Rejoycing in the effects
of that Grace as Received and improved by us , then Paul so boasted
often, yea and to the death rejoyced in this testimony of his Conscience,
that in simplicity and Godly sincerity, and not in fleshly wisdom he had
had bis conversation in the world, 2 Cor. 1. 12. And that he tamed \\
his body, and that he suffered for Christ, and that he had fought a good
fight, a rim. 4. 7, 8. If praising Gods grace in his Servants, and that holy
use of it, in wisdom, faith, love, obedience and patience, be boasting,
God so boasteth of them and praiseth them, even at judgment^Math.is.
Well done good and faithful Servant. And Scripture throughout so
boasteth of them. And we that must honour those that fear the Lord, !
rstl. 15. 4. must so boast of them also. But this is not the forbidden
boasting. ~ - ' ; ,
And as to Rons. 12.6. 1 Cor. 12. Eph. \, 6, 7, 8.. and such like its past
question that God freely diversifyeth Offices and fuchGifts as he pleaseth;
and we know of no predisposition to which, even .ordinarily, he tyeth
himself, as to many of them. But saving Grace is given more under a
Law, and stablishcd course of means, in the use of which we must be fit
Recipients. • .

The ninth Crimination.

C. "They make the Graces/ God to be Effectual, not front the Will Armniu cohfeffcth
"of the Giver, nor from the proper force of the Grace it self, so much as 9ods. infa»;b'e °Pera-
J n r- r 1 j J J J tion,thus, Stbil malt ca-
"from the will oj man concurring : For they thinly that Gods Grace is but veri fosse niflvto impe-
•* universal and indifferent, and leaveth it to mans will whether it stall pro- f^^'fj
*' duce the a3 offaith or not : so that the posse Credere & velle is ofGod, ™ ■ anUU % 'ex in$i-
•* but the actu credere & velle is of our selves. This is the grand difference PoUni' °" a£lio»e '» v°-
' * which J have reserved to the laft 5 and as Dr. Twisse oft noteth the question, ^cundm mtthm not"*,
** Unde Gratia fit Esficax ? is it which they are loath to be brought to imptdititnu exillic
(x ■ r 1 Nectflltas ; an vero tx tali
anjwer. actione qn* agatinVi-
B. I know that this is cryed up as the great difference And where- intatem , [ectndm mo-
ever things are mysterious and hard, there Will be variety of Concep- %m^ntnt^ditTon^in-
tions and words } from whence it will be easie to pretend real differences, fakbiiittu. armin. Ex-
and make them seem great. But because order befriendeth Truth, we ^'^^^1'
must be* agreed first of the subject of the question, what Grace is it whose miriu doth mcanNe-
EfRcacf you dispute of? I take it for granted , that it is such as is to c^"y *9s«ru*it,vil
M 1 ■ - r.rr ■ 011 r a ul _i *fiOi , and confelkth
work, in genere Cause Esstcientts, But tell me first, whether you cori- ncce(rity confauenti* ,
(which here he calleih
nfallib; lity ). And Dr. Tmjfe professeth that he and all the Schoolmen hold no otTier. Andnote the unde that he rnaketh
the Infallibility to result from the operation of God, and not from his fore-knowledge only;

B 6 2 fess
 1 88 Of Sufficient' and EffeUud (jrace.

sefsornot, that there is such a thing as Universal Grace, ox Help of the

Spirit, fixedly or ordinarily accompanying or working by the means of
Grace, which operateth as the Sun, ad modum recipients± and will not
produce the fame effect on one receiver as on another.
C. " 1 cannot answer what you have said for it : And when I read
" Dallæus Apolog. and in hint almost all ancient Writers , and late Chur-
"ches for it, I dare not he so singular as Spanhemius and a few more of
late in denying this Grace of God. Though I once thought that it hud
tlheen Objective only, and with Amyrald / noted little more in the Con-
" troverfie, than between the Objective and Subjective grace ; as if there
{ ' had been no other Efficient grace to come in question. But lam convinced,
" I. that de facto there is a degree of Grace adpofle that leavesh menun-
" excusable, which is not effectual in the event : for I dare not fay that I
" could never havefinned less, or done better than 1 did. 2. And that the
"fame degree of the Spirits help k not Jkjstcient to an utterly unprepared
"Soul, as to the prepared 5 or to cause a man to believe and love God
a*mdPl^%tsincboau " a^ove is may cause him to forbear some ftn, or to use some means
retlntnjm vtliatas »*- "for further Grace : Therefore such a thing as is called sufficient and uni-
nim rtpunat : Non ettim « versal Grace or help J do confess. But (by the way) if Chriif be the
fwVi^uiVZt il universal Dispenser of this Grace, hot* reacheth it to those that know
quidim audire Evangt- " not Christ.
vtLf/JSrTi *• 1 • 1 have y°u in Cains instance and his posterity, that it
i/itationibtis. reacheth not Equally to all, no more than the Sun to the Southern and the
Loc. com. dc lib. art. Northem Nations.
2.1 have proved to you that Christ was after the fall made the Head
of the new Covenant, and that this Covenant was made with all Man
kind. And that he is the Administrator General to all Mankind, and
all things, Power and Judgment is committed to him : that he is now/
the Owner, Ruler, and Judge of all.
3. Therefore all the Light, Means and Mercies that are in any parts
of the world, are as truly from Christ as the universal Mediator , as all
light is from the Sun. (Even in Dungeons and Caverns, and where there
is least) And as the Sun sends forth some light before it arisetb, and some
after it is set, and some in the night, even by the Moon, &c. so doth
Christ enlighten all the wdrld, so far as they have light though in very-
various degrees.
4. You will not fay that Christ by his Incarnation, did put all the rest
ofthe world into a worse condition than they were in before his coming ;
and to take away from them any of the mercies of the Law of Grace,
which God had made with them in Adam and Noah.
C. " Jam afraidyou go about to confound the world and the Church,
" while you make all to be the Kingdom of ChriB 3 and to be under the
" Law and Covenant of Grace.
B. I must still call you to difference the question de re from that dc
nomine. Whether allJhould be called the church is one question ? And
how really they stand related to Christ, is another. To that de re I fay,
1. It is past doubt that Christ the Mediator, is the Owner and Ruler of
all the world dejure, evenjure Redemptions?, as all are given to him oi
the Father.
2. It is doubtless that all are under his forefaid Law of Grace,* as that
which is in force to oblige them, and to punisti them if they break it,
and to reward them if they keep it. For they are not Lawless nor
, hopeless.
3. It is doubtless that all are possessed of many and great Mercies, as
well as obliged to many duties, as tending to their recovery and salva
tion.
 Of Sufficient and Effectual (frace. 189

And thus they are so far the Kingdoms of Christ. But yet de
nomine they are not to be called the Church 3 because the church is
Regmm peculiaritatif. As the Israelites had the\fedus peculiarit atis, and
were Regnutn peculiar* before Christs coming, and yet not the only peo
ple in the world that were under a Law ofGrace (for that was universal).
So is it now with the Christian Churches and much more.
Briefly, Christ hath three sorts of Subjects in the world 5 1. Subjects
quoad obligationem 3 and so all the world are his Subjects (because first his
braeficiaries). 2. Subjects by professed Consent , which is, 1. A half
consent, as many without the Church. 2. A full consent by Baptism :
and these are the Church visible. 3. By sincere Heart-confint 3 and this
is the Church mystical or regenerate that (hall be saved. In this I think \
we are agreed.
C. " Well 3 Supposing an universal beIp os Grace , how answer you the
"question? Unde fit Efficax ?
B. Do you grant me then that this universal Grace is ever effectual?
, C. " Stay tMre. Ton told me that's the turning point where Dr. Sander-
*' son and Dr. Hammond came to a ne plus. Butt I. As to preparatory
" A8s we shall not deny it. Ifind not that our Divines do assert the necessity t-uf\j* i^ftei It
" of aspecial Grace for every preparatory A&. But of the rest I doubt. rious opinions of the
3. And then, 2. Sure you cannot deny it as to well prepared Souls, f^00^6" annad"
1. Because you granted that the fame degree of help may be effectual to c^operatmg"'^^ s
a disposed Soul. 2. And so the Help though universal , will to a pre- * in «^0Tra'
pared Soul be proportionable to the desired effect 3 and is nevertheless' tjng Grace is eachPhoiy
Grace or powerful to soch, for being universal, or uneffectual toothers, cogitation and first mo.
3. And it seems that such a kind of degree of Grace was effectual on X^GodaaTth Phy-
Adam before his fall, and uneffectual in his fall. 4. And it seemeth con- steal iy, and Man is but
gruous to Gods other works, that he give Grace suitable to his Law and mS*wh^ndn^^sti
Promise, which (hall not be always uneffectual. only Active , and Man
So that it is most probable that to prepared Souls, that ordinary esta- SfeilSsKon and^S
blifhed degree of the Spirits Influx from Christ, which is universal, but litio* (as he faith) And
uneffectual to the unprepared , is not only sometimes, but ordinarily somc Jnomisls. .
Œ-rLt»«_«r r l ai i_/* ^M a- The way of Aquin,
enectual. I think none can prove the contrary. And the fame Grace comad, cajtt.vur.An-
you confess to be effectual to preparation. who^sirTthtt GmST
But to unprepared Souls whom God will suddenly convert out of the operans'it in "he first
ordinary way, a special extraordinary operation seemeth neceflary. But free motion of the will,
.wherein the extraordinariness of it confisteth , antecedent to faith the mtSaUTSlUt
'second effect (besides the extraordinary means) I think it past mans reach dh, &c
to know. „J\ Grcg' r n rmirc'&
*~ . . _ which many follow.sup-
C. "Well, now tell us, Unde Gratia fit Efncax. posing it Augu(iinestomne
B.r Any J ordinary
■ c Logician° will
1 tell you,»- that ^wt-L the effect is- from all 1 the & «/«-.
» tatisnonfolumaDeo fieri.
causes, and not from any one alone. It is ejseaual in that it produceth fed aim a mbutanquam
a causa secunda tficiente
Phyfice product": Dam tamen sola sua virtute prim volantatem applicare ed libere votendum , non jolum earn praveniendo prttvin
Cogitatione tx parte intelleftus, & primo motu non deliberato timoris aut {pei, fed etiam earn impellendoad confenjm liberum. Hunc
impul[um putat Gregor. effe medium quid inter ipfum confenfun liberum td quern coopiratur voluntary & primm mot urn non
deliberation vtluntatu, leu cogitationem mellettus i & apptltari ab Augustine Inittum boni optrii*
4. This Va[qut\ confnteth, and asserteth, that Gratia operans Qqttam fine nob'u in nob'u bins operatur) according to Au-
gullir! is no such middle impulse, but Ip(am Sanctum cogitationem, qu* est ante conftnfum , & motm voluntatis Jubitm fine
rostra libertate ex pia ilia cogitatione ertum, quo deterremur a male (he mcaneth some pasflonj & ad bonum provocamur. ' And
that co-operating Grace is Ip[e con(ensiu, Itber in quo mtritum rtpmtur, Etiam circa finem.
Now either there is such a middle Impulse or not: If not, then besides Gods essence, there is no effect on us antece
dent to our consent, but the said cogitation and passion; Andi. These are commonly said not to necessitate the will,
i. And if they do, it must be but Morally, which is commonly held to be no way of necessitating though it may be of
ascertaining the event. And so consent or our Volition it self would be but of co-operating Grace. And if there be
such a middle Impulse, as Gregory holdeth, ic is confessed by him and the Dominican prædeterminants, to determine
the will only to act freely, and therefore not to necessitate it to consenr, but only to ascertain it, and so the Volition will
be as free as but by co-operating Grace, though the Impulse would be necessary which tendethto it.

the
 Os Sufficient and Effe&ual Cjrace.

the effect : To which each cause doth its proper part ; and one is not all.
The effect in question now is Faith. Faith is caused as is (aid, i. By
Gods will as the Original. 2. By Christ as fending the Spirit (and me
riting G race first). 3 • By the Spirit as • the Operator. 4. By the Gospel
as the Instrument. 5. By the Preacher as a Sub- Instrument. 6. But all
this eflecteth ordinarily in materia dispostta, and no other. ("Having before
wrought that preparation). 7. But extraordinarily in materia indispo-
sita, working disposition and all at once.
Now here , 1. Gods mil doth its part without any cause; Velleex
parte Dei (scut & agere) is h^ essence 5 and the termination of it in rent
Volttatant hath no efficient, but only an Objective Cause. 2. This prime
Cause is the prime reason of all the efficacy of Inferior Causes : Not qua.
voluntas simply moving them , but qua voluntas cum potentia executkta
moving them j and qua volitio inserreth the necejjitatem consequents of
the effect. So that plainly, I think that no Good cometh topass in the world,
but what Godforewilled, and nothing which he absolutely willeth, cometh not
to pass what he fore-kjtoweth is neceflary, necejjitate Infallibilitatis, and
what he absolutely willeth, necejjitate Imutabilitatis 5 and what he worhfth
from such a will is neceflary necejjitate invincibilitath. 3. Though all
the other Causes are the reason of the effect, and not only the first, yet
none of them operate on the first Cause, and put any force into it for the
act. So that its force is from it self, but theirs from it.
And having said this much preparatorily, I thus resolve your great
question.
Here are three things before us, whose cause may be enquired ofj
I. The necejjitas Logica consequent!£ , ex quo in ordine probandi necejjario
sequitur eventum suturum esse : And this is the Decree or Will of God,
(yea, and his fore knowledge) This is presupposed.
2. The prime efseit of Gods Will and A&rve power operating : And
this prime ejse& is not our Faiths or A&t but the Impression or Received
Influx of God on the Soul. For the Soul receiveth (its like) some Im
pression by the Divine Influx by which it believetb or acteth
it self : It doth not Receive its own Act, as ifthat act had been first pre-
existent in the Donor ; but it performeth that Act because it is preraoved
to it. Now if the question be ofthis first effect,ZWe operatio Gratiosasit
esficax, I answer, I. The whole efficient reason is in the operator and
operation it self. It is effectual adimprejjionem ex natura rei, because it
is an Act : If it did nothing, it were no Act transient. 2. And the spe
cification and individuation is from the terminating object. It isdeno-
minatively and Relatively, one A& which is on a Stone, and another on a
Soul, de specie : And it is numerically one which is on Peter, and another
oajohn. If the Sun did shine in vacuo, there being no other creature
to be objective or passive, it would still agere, but it would nihil efficere :
quia nihil ajficere ; So God is one Infinite act, and ex parte sui never be-
gineth to act, nor ever ceaseth, nor is divided ; But transiently he doth
nihil ajfictre vel esficere , but first by making objefts, and then aUing on
them. So that were there no mobile Gods act would not movere. This
first effect then of Impress hath an Efe&ive and an Obje&ive Cause, The
Efseftive Cause is Gods Essence 5 that is, his Active Power, Intellect ar d
Will, and nothing else : (Supposing now that it be not Gods operation
on the Instrument or medium that we speak of, but immediately on the
Soul it self). But Man's Soul is the Objetfive Recipient Cause of this sirft
which is, the Impress, or Influx received.
3. The Secondary effect is, Mans A& , Faith and Repentance itself.
If the question, Vnde Gratia jit ejjicax, mean this, (as with most it doth)
then
 Os Sufficient and EffeUual Grace.

tken it is all one as to ask, Vnde hie EffeCfus .<? For that Gods Influx on
the Soul immediately, is the sole Cause is false. Therefore the answer i?,
that this effect is from all the Causes conjunct: From Gods Will, ot Law,
and Power and Wisdom 5 from Christs mission of the Spirit (before meri
ted) j from the Spirits Impress or Influx j from the Gospel j from the Mi
nistry (usually) and from the Agent Believer 5 all these as the efficient
Causes. And it is from or on the prepared Soul ("ordinarily) as the Ma-
teria disposita, vel Causa Receptiva , Objeftiva of the Divine operation ?
And from or on God Christ, the promise, Glory, as the materiaobjetfiva
aftus human i? where I conclude the Causa finalis as the chiefobject.
Thus I have shewed you truly and plainly unde sit fides, as that is all
one as unde hie effeSlus'-, and that is all one, as unde Gratia fit estteax, as
to this secondary effect.
C. ' * But I conceive that thefense os the question rather it, which ofall
" these it the chief cause or reason of the existence of the effeU .<?
B. Pardon my impatience of Confusion. The chief cause, and the
chief reason are not always the (ame. There is no question but God is the
only and total Causa prima, from whom all the rest have all their power
and force. But by the Reason of the existence is often meant, that which
in discourse must be assigned proportionately in answer to the question,
Why is one converted rather than another $ supposing Gods Influx on them
both : And this is oft the Receptive disposition as is said 5 for Reciptur ad
modumfecipientes.
G. "Well-, But the question recurreth what if the chief Cause and Rea-
"Jon that one, not another, hath that preparatory Receptivity.
B. The chief Cause is God why one hath it : The chief Cause why
another hath it not, is himself, that is, the Moral deficient cause. The
Ratio differendi I opened to you before. The most notable, ifwe suppose
Gods Influx to be of it self universal and equal , is the Indisposition of
the Sinner , whence he doth difference himself from those that God
causeth to receive even preparing Grace. But the true Ratio effeffut is
from all the Causes conjunct.
C. "But you must come at la&, to some prime difference. And is you
" mil say that the reason of our Preparatory effeft or degree of Grace, if,
"because I used a former well, or did not refuse it, or was prepared for it,
" what will youJay of the first degree.
B. I soy that the first preparatory Grace or help was given to Adam,
and all in him : as the first natural goodness was.
C. " But where came in the first difference .<?
B. By Cain's wilful Sin, against God and his Grace.
C. '* But thoughyou do with Augustine hold a communicated guilt of the
"sins of other Parents than ourfirst, andso a difference between persons (yea
"and Kingdoms) thence arising, yetsome Children as Esau and Jacob, born
"of the fame Parents, muft have in them some other cause of difference,
" even as to preparatory Grace.
B. Suppose Gods fixed equal Influx universal, there are two Causes
of difference herein. 1. One is the meer sinful wilfulnefs of one party,
that doth not do what that Grace enabled him to do, by which a dif
ference is made.
C. " To* mean that Jacob better used his help than Esau.
B. Not so: but that Esau more abused it than Jacob. Suppose Jacob
had slept out his youth, or done no good, and Esau had rebelled against
God also , and done much mischief, Esau had hereby made a difference,
which is assignable without commending Jacob.
C. "Well, what is the other Cause
B. 3.
 1^2 Os Sufficient and EjseBual Grace.

B., 2. Gods own free differencing Will and Grace, who is a free
Benefactor, and may do with his own as he lilt : and therefore freely
loveth Jacob with the electing special love and decree which he hath
not to Esau. For though I have all this while discoursed with you of
the Ratio Fsficacia of an Universal Grace , I fay not that there is no
other.
* EUnk de Dist. Grat. C. 0 : " Now yon come to the matter indeed.
Thcs.n9. N»ir» Gra- B u Question Vnde fit Gratia efRcax, * being put of Gods special
tie (fhcacis Thomist* po- , , .7-. . . ..•» , - J* . » or i1 ,.
nunt m motions qundam Grace, by which he arbitrarily maketh a difference, andis more than his
vtrmftq** Mi* v»Un- Universal Grace, must be thus resolved, That though other Causes con-
tnt'inlt 'qim "imfiiHtn: cur to the erfect,the Great, over-ruling,differenctng, and ascertaining Cause,
Jansenius m tffepibut a- js the very quality and aptitude of Gods operation it self, as proceeding
Tests* & fttritiuUsM^s fr°m an absolute volition ofthe effect, and in the Means and Influx fitted
[uaviuT f*r[»M rapitw a- to ascertain the effect.
SSSh^Sf. . C " Wherein confifieththis differencing special Grace?
ma mintis iiiuminiikne B. Deceive not your self : No mortal man can know in v/hat it ordi-
S£VySL Vf!cl niiri,y' constantly> or consisteth. We know, 1. That though
rapit. Aih in omipo- God as KeUor per Leges, keeps one even and constant course, yet as Pro-
tenti & iffictcifimi Dei prjetor ancj Benefatfor he may vary as he please : And that a Benefactor
operations qua novum prin- 1 . J .. r 1 • a j u s- j 11 j 1
dpim sptriutiis vita may give unequally to men of equal merits: And that God really doth
wd&Zmi>7ZtVnif' k *ef*8o: And that his Will hath no Cause. 2. We know that God
tw adaOus iiicini»"q"'* nat^ innumerable ways to fulfil his Will, and make a difference between
bicpinique viridotii pro- man and man, which are beyond the search ofMortals. 3. And though
%%wS?t£2. we can name divers which he can take, we know not defaSo, which he
Even they that arc for doth take, hic &nunc.
^nSSSdSE C' " What fencing free aUs of Grace do you observe.
it is : some make it a B. None which violate Gods established order, or diminish his uni-
SSSjSfSilfS1 verfaI Grace" But such asarefuperadded specially to some. 1 As, i.To
it is only mans Act it Children of the fame Parents, he giveth to divers a temperament ofBody,
cause fSome with A%a ^S m onc mucn raore conduceth to thought fulness, tenderness, meekness,
rtr say,it is Aiiquid quod sobriety, chastity, zeal, honesty, &c. than in the other. Heisastran-
cosours In '"yhew^hz ^ l° mm ^nowetn not tn*s*
is,They know not" what! 2* He sometime giveth them various Education : One is piously edu-
and yet venture on hot cated. Another is fhatch'd away and made a Janizary. A third the
C°Zt°janjhiL'\ho Parents dying, leave to such as educate them vitiously. And some the
maketh it to be viiecta- Parents apostatizing educate in Heresie or unpiety themselves.
hhSZliu&il Heoft casteth their lot under different means for their Edifica-
detiberatm ammo, & qui- tion. One is set Apprentice to a Godly Master, and another to an un-
tXcSh ctfjfmt g°dl>' one- °ne is cast under 3 Holy abIe Minister, and another under
diuattionem Wan qu* &' an ignorant Seducer : One is cast among Godly Companions,and another
quits animi & indium among lewd Seducers, idle, wanton, voluptuous, unclean, malignant,
1.4. e. xi. Muchliketo scornful, or other such tempting persons, as that a great deal more grace
V*[qm* save that Vajq, or hejp jS neceslary to their preservation.
calls it but an indelibe- A sr 1 r r 1 • \ • • 11 1
rare prime motion of the 4* (Jnc (tor ought we lee or equal comments is impelled or occa-
caUs k Inde I)/4 ** **oned to 8° to Church, just when an apt Sermon is prepared for him:
sectL'ion^compiacen- and another occasioned to be absent. A Minister or Friend is sent ("as
cy ; which certainly is an Philip to the Eunuch, though by ordinary means) to meet with one, aud
Scotifh K« all Se sPeak suitably to his case^and not to the other.
wills Acts are free, 5. One falleth under some great affliction, which taketh him down,
n«iS.D°Bnf tnuinwe and awakenefh him to seriousness^and another swimmeth down the vio-
strive about that which lent and dangerous stream of prosperity and constant health,
none of us understand, 5. One seeth some notable "judgments on others, or some convincing
t'7. How God moveth ., , •* 0 . ,. , . \ ,n ... , C*
h;s creatures and our Providences, or hath some strange deliverance himself 3 which another
wills in special. never hath.

7. One
 Of Sufficient and Ejse&ual Grace.

7. One Nation or Kingdom of equal ill desert, hath the Gospel and
powerful Preachers sent to them $ while others are left as the most of
the world without it 5 yea, as the poor Islanders, Laplanders, Brafilians,
Soldanians, and Canibals. .
A thousand ways God hath to fulfil his Will which we know not of.
But besides all these in point of Means , we see that under the fame
Means, or Sermon, or Family helps, there is not the fame success: Not
only because the unbelievers make the difference by sinning against suffi
cient universal Grace \ but because God doth especially touch the hearts
of some, by such Grace as he giveth not to others. Thus did he open
the heart of Lidia, Act. 16.
C. " Methinkj you should lay all on this Internal changing Grace, and
" not on the difference of means.
B. Certain Experience telleth us, that most usually God giveth ex
traordinary differing means where his Grace shall work different
effects.
Christ himself who was to bestow extraordinary Grace after his Incar
nation, was himself to be an extraordinary means : He must work Mira
cles, raise the Dead, rise from the Dead, &c. as the Means.
The Apostles that were to do extraordinary things, in calling the
unbelieving world to Christ, were to do it by miracles and extraordinary
means. The 3000 A&. a. must have the Apostles miraculous gift of
tongues to be the means of their Conversion. Cornelius must have both
an Angel and Peter. P<z»/mustbe struckendown and blind , and heat
Christ speak from Heaven, and after have Ananias s Ministry. The Eu
nuch must have Philip. The Jay lor, AS. 16, must have an Earthquake i
and so of others.
And to this day we fee how little God doth where there is no Mini
stry or Means. And how much the success of able, holy, skilful Mini
sters, doth differ from that of wick,ed , or Ignorant sots : And how
usually in all the world, the success goeth according to the means 5 and
that the instances of the contrary are unusual rarities : Therefore sepa
rate not what the wisdom of God hath conjoyned.
C. " But do you thinly that God ever ascertained the EfteU, meerly bysuch
" Moral Differencing helps or means, annexed to his universal Gracious Ef-
"flux or aid, without a special degree of that Immediate Efflux it self on
" the Soul.
B. 1. We little know when God worketh Immediately, and how far
His Efflux or Action ex parte agentis I oft tell you hath no degrees being
himself: The degrees are in the Received Impress on the Soul. And it's
like this special differencing Grace consisteth in a special degree of Im
press : But when that Impress is made by the Spirit without the Instrumen
tality of Means, we know not. God can make our own Imagination,
and spirit,, and inward temperament a means undiscernably to.us.
2. If I have proved to you that even the universal Grace it, selfwith
common means, may attain the effect , and doth in many, who dare
question, whether All, yea One extraordinary or special Means added by
pod to that Common Influx, ( with a will of success) may ascertain4
the effect. It were Blasphemy to say that God Hath not Wisdom enoughs
thus to attain his ends, by a scries of adapted means, rn conjunction
with that Grace. . . _ «
i\ C. " But methinkj you spin too fine a thred, when you tdlk_ of an Impress
" ofthe Spirit on the Soul, as thefirst Effe8, (of God alone, fir God and the
*' Means) antecedent to faith or the Act o/man as the second ejfe& (of God
" and Man together). Ifind not that our Curioufest School Wits do talkjnUch
«* ofsuch an Imprest. C c ' tf.-t.!You
 Of Sufficient and Effe&ml Grace.

B. I. You will find the same fence in the Thomists and many of the
Schoolmen : And methinks it is clear in it self. The Act of Faith is done
by us : Our Souls have need of some Grace to be the Cause of it. The
Cause goeth before the Effect. This Cause must not be out of us , but
within us : Grace therefore must be first within us as a Cause, before it
is withid us as the effect of it. Yea, Action being nothing but Modus
Agentis, is not a fit recipient it self immediately of a vis imprejsa : It is
the Soul ot faculty that must Act j and to say that Gods Influx is not on
the Soul ot faculty as the recipient, but on the Act of xh^t faculty alone,
scemethto be unintelligible, if not absurd. Is it our AS, ot our Soul
that needeth help or Grace? If not the So*/, but the ^tf, then we have
need of none at all : For the Act is yet future , that is, is no act, and
nothing, and so hath no need.
a. But if really you will hold to the opinion that our Act it self is the
first Effect of Gods Influx or Will, then take notice, that all our contro-
versie here between you and the Arminians, what Grace is sufficient, and
what effectual, is at an end 5 And it.is on your part, and for the truth
that I spin that thred which you account too fine.
C. " How do you manifest, that .<?
B. Most plainly : For if we have nothing to enquire after between
Gods agency ex partesui and the Aft of Faith, it is a ridiculous question
to ask, what Grace is sufficient, and what effectual ? and what difference
between the one and the other ? and what is that which maketh efficiently
the difference ? For either your Question is of the Cause or the Effetf :
If of the Cause, it is (besides the second Causes) nothing but Gods Es
sence, even his essential Activity, Wisdom, and Will : And do you thins
that Gods essence is diversifyed, as little and great, more or less, suffi
cient and effectual? Do you enquire for Diversity in simple unity <? That
which worketh all effects in the world, is one Cause, that hath in it self
no real difference of parts, kinds or degrees.
II. But if your question be of the EffeU, it is ridiculous or past que
stion. Do you ask what Grace in us it is that makgth the Difference , be
tween a Believer and an Infidel ? Whyr your question answerethit self.
It is Faith, and that maketh the difference in one, as Infidelity doth in
theother. Do you ask what is sufficient? To what? If toSalvation it
is perseverance in Faith and Holiness : If to Justification, it is Faith , if
to Faith and Conversion 5 nothing pre-existent in us. Do you ask what
maketh Grace efseBual .<? what Grace mean you ? If Faith , it s none of
the doubt or Controversie : It is (improperly) effectual to Justification
(being no efficient of it, but a Condition, which isa Receptive disposi
tion) ex ordinatione divina, & virtute sœderis. You must recur then
and ask , what maketh Gods Essence or Spirit effectual ? As if Gods
essence had a Cause, or suffered from the Creature. But if you mean
no more but what are the Causes of Faith? that's another question oft
answered.
Choose now whether you will lay all our Controversies on that fine
thred, of Gods various Impress on the faculties in order of Nature ante
cedent to Faith (in or true habit) 5 or else confess that we have no
difference, nor (hew of any, but have many ages abhominably abused
the world.
C. " But feeing you maintain that God as a free Lord and Benefactor
" doth vary his gifts of Grace as he doth of Nature, though we know not
'■'■when he doth it Morally, and by means, and when by Immediate dif-
" sering Impress 3 yet methinks you ffould hold that by one of the two he
!* always doth it ; And that equal Grace hath never unequal effeffs
 Of Sufficient and Effectual Qrace: 1^5

" by the unequal free reception * reje&ion , or other difference made

man. , -. ; ' ■».„..
B. To conclude this whole dispute, i.* That equal universal Grace * By Grace here f
can ,end in different
c effects, in ■ the
■ r fame Man,
i rt and
i i in divers
/• men, by
J, ^-JSLÆr
yta)aln£ Gods w;//,as de-
man s own free various concourse or neglect * I have fully proved nominated from various
tO you. „ ;. , hbfef Si5:bm°dS Wl11 in
3. And when we have proved that such a Grape there is, and so it theWsts^r^manyi
can do* we have great reason to think that sometimes it doth so : And aJndthc w>li is variously
.i • m >« r J denominated virtual!*
no man can prove that it never doth so, . *mmtimt«3n
3. And </<? faUo I have proved, that sometimes it doth so : in Adam's vU if he could
cafe, andincWs making a difference, before God denyed himsuffi- ffiwiu,
cient Grace. And in all bad men and good men in the world, who man can do any thing
sometimes sinfully omit to do that which by the fame Grace they could fcdffi&tSt 1
have done and did another time. ,,',-.«
4. But de faUo : How oft, and when* and in how many * God con-
verteth men by the one way or the other, no Mortal man can tell.
And therefore forget not that when I call universal Grace * ordinary*
and the special different Grace extraordinary 5 I intend not to tell you
which God molt usually doth the work by as distinct from the other.
But I call one Ordinary because it is common to all, or more* in it self, and
also concurreth always with the other in its work, and so is never left
out : And I call the other Extraordinary* because it is above the universal
degree and way* and proper to some, as sup eradded.
C. " You did well to remember that : For I was offended that you called
•• that Different Grace, Extraordinary.
B. I say again, to conclude, I will earnestly intreat you to take heed
of these sew errors in your foundation here, that they mislead not your
understanding in all the controversie. ' / •
I. Do not think that God must needs act ad ultimum foffe in all his
operations : It s certain that as to many possible effects, he doth omnino
non agere (as to make snore Suns, more Men, more Worlds) And if he
can therein totally not act, he can act limitedly or in tantum only as he
freely will.
II. Do not think these degrees of Operation as various ex parse Dei*
for they are but his most simple essence. Nor do not Imagine that there
is a certain Vis media called Grace, which is somewhat Causal between
the Creator and the Creature. I doubt such a wrong conceit lyeth at
the bottom of all these disputes ; and men think that besides Gods
essence, and the effects on the Soul, there is some middle force or cause
called Grace, whiph is neither God, nor a Creature 5 whose kind and
degree they enquire after. * * As /intolm main-
III. Do not overlook the Glory that God designeth to himself in his taineth-
SAPIENTIAL Kingdom , Government , and operations. I doubt
some think so much of strength and Power alone, as ifthey thought.God
were Glorified by nothing else, or more in an Oxe, or Horse than in a
Man. And whatever is ascribed to Gods Sapiential operation, they
contemptuously call, A Moral Causing* and not a Physical i As if God
inust move men as he doth the air, the water, or a stone. Remember
that though Gods Omnipotent Activity, his Wisdom and his Will* do
still inseparably co-operate j yet they have each its eminent Impress,
Effect and Glory. And so the frame of nature is the Glorious Impress
of Omnipotency, with Wisdom and Love : The Kingdom of God on
earth, especially ofGrace, is the Glorious work of the Wisdom ofGod*
directly governing Man as a Moral agent by Moral means : And the
Kingdom of Glory, as foretasted on Earth, and perfect in Heaven , is
C e 2 the
 iy6 < Os Sufficient and Ejfe&ual (jrdce.

the glorious work of Divine Love. Separate not these, nor undervalue
or dishonour any one of them; But study the Glory of Gods Sapiential
Kingdom and works. And remember that Morai Means, and Moral
Operations of God , are not unsuitable to the Government of Moral
Agent7, in Moral works.
IV. Forget not the great difference between the way of operation
suitable to such a Moral Reftor as such , and to a meer Proprietor or
AUor, and Benefattor. And then you will see, that standing Laws are
; the Rectors Instruments 5 and Judgments^ and Executions equal according
; t to those Laws. And that Life Eternal and Gods Glory arid pleasure being
'••V. the ends of Government, it cannot be doubted but Gods Laws to all
the world, have some aptitude and suitableness on their part to that
I end. And therefore that the frame of Moral means and annexed help
hath a certain universal equality, antecedent to man's sinful will, which
by forfeiture and rejection maketh an inequality : And therefore it is
one of the noblest parts of your study here, to find out what hdtsGod
doth as Legislator, ("for those are first and equal) and as Judge (which
man maketh unequal^ and what he doth as Owner and free-BenefaUor S
For so he may make what difference he pleases: And the wonder
ful varieties through all the world tell us, that he pleascth to make
very much.
V. Forget not that the Humane Nature of Christ Glorified is made of
God, the VniverfalSun, or Cistern of all Grace, by whom it is to be
given out to all mankind ; to draw them to God, and to rule and San-
ctifie them further when converted. And do not think of any Reco
vering Influx ot God but by the Holy Gltost 5 nor of the Spirit given
any way but by and from Christ, who first draweth rhen to him, by
the fame Spirit which dwelleth in them as a Divine Nature when they
are united to hfcri. ■'•>'••• ~» - ' v
VI. And as Christ is the Healing Sun of righteousness , and the
universal Medium or Mediator and Administrator both of Rule and In
flux, so forget not that he giveth out this Spirit and Recovering Grace,
much by a Law or Conditional promise, which hath its terms which
must be observed. And as the measures of Christs Influx are oft re
sistible , so it is specially, by all wise Christians to be noted, that the
Giving or Denying of the Grace or operations ofthe Spirit, are the grand
Rewards and Punishments in this world , above all Corporal ones, and
those which all Christians should daily and principally respect in their
Hopes and Fears j Marking when the Spirits operations are denyed them,
that they may find out the Cause , and with David cry ( betimes ) Call
me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me>
Ps 51.
VII. Lastly, forget not , that as man is not moved as a stone but
L"bearbctcL°Cidi0ns 80v€rae^ 88 a Moral agent, * and as the wonderful changes by motion
Ntmo wait C'ai m Kt[f. ia tnc world, are made recipiendo ad modum recipientium, by the di-
Cyriilusi.4. Nonvi qua- versity of Receptive dispositions, which are no efficient causes of what
^»Xrr^'f//rf^" they receive 5 so Man and mutt do somewhat, yea much under God
tione, dottrint, reveU- to the due Receptivity of Divine Influx ; not without God, nor by any
tim: omnisqu audit & Vower which is not freely given him of God; But by a Power which
dijat a.patre vtmt ad me. . r J o ^ J
M audim , discifika, he may or may not ule. And that the neglect or what we can do, and
doClrina adest, 1bi fides .
rton vi, [ed perfuasione eritm. Non enim possum secundum Ecclefi* vvilatisq; dofmuta liberam potellatem hominis, quoi Lib. arc.
vocamus ullomodo negare. jta Aug. tr. in joh. ig. Nott trab<ris> Ora ut tnbern. dddit Sa'igcl. p. 389. Sicui noiplactntbtec
Cyrilli & August, it amet suet (omnia quoad volet,
utrumq; & credere & Velle e(l Dei quid ipse prapim Volmtattm & tiostri, fiu non fit nisi nobis xolentibn. Aug.Rctract.li.jj.

doing
 \

Os Sufficient and Effectual (jrace. 19 7

1 - — - — ' ■ — ~ T
doing the evil which we could avoid, is much at least of the daily siti
of good and bad in all the world. And that though the faithful Ser
vant be laudable, he is yet unprofitable, and hath nothing to boast of.
And even the yourig:Birds ntustvopen their^rhouths if! they will be fed:
which-, mafi mxfit'&U frtely , as* mfy\$c% tkfejsarity 'And? when God
givetH "Man not only the Gold if he will open his nand, and
the Meat if he will open his mouth, or not turn away and spit it out,
and also giveth.him* iU his Vitaft powerrby^whjich ;he can do this if he
will, and also can' will it , and* giveth him both Freedom to use this
power, and manifold perswasions and. helps to use it , All this must not
be reproached as no Grace , nor the world instructed in Ingratitude,
bfy them.vthat should Preach that_Gofpel of £lyist , which maketh
Gratitudejthe universal complexion of all oup<|uties, which must give
life -anil-beauty to them all. v- ^ ■- * - -*' J ■ jL-
And to take off your prejudice against Dissenters , remember that I
have after told you, and oft in the Margin; that even many'Jesuitsj and
Monks, and Friarsprofess, that the Efficacy bs Grace is inahd from the
Nature or Power of it, and the WiUofGod,\ and not from the free will
and co-operation of man. See BeUarm7'de^Grat. <$h lib. arb. c. il.
Vasquez oft cited. Pet. a San&o Joseph, in Suatz Concord: elsewhere cited,-;
and idea Specul. theolA.\. c. 7. Ruiz elsewhere cited, and abundance
of Schoolmen. And what fay any"€alvinists hetein morei-

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.: .'.'if > ; \ \ V, , • v.\ " » ; ■ Vi*. «iV j' '.. .« Ir.V. /j

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7 ?- ' t v, . « : • i •• 'j.: '. ■ ' •

THE
 THE

Ninth Days Conference

Between <$A. and 2?.

of

PERSEVERANCE

B. We are now come to that point, where I confess that the diffe
rence between you is real : But I maintain it to be so small, as that
no breach of Christian Love or Communion would be made for
it j but it should be taken for a tolerable difference among Brethren. If
you think it greater, lay your worst of it.

The first Crimination.

A. " By making it impossible to faff from Grace , they make fear ,

" and care, and endeavour to be folly 3 or unnecessary at leafs : For what
" use is there of fearing an impossible hurt? or of care and endeavour to
" prevent it ? And so all religious Duties and diligence%as means, are made
w to be but vain.
Ægi* Coism. Rom. b. i . You wrong them in your supposition : Except a few ignorant men
v^%%'^o2'iulmt that understand not the state of the Controversy, I meet with few or
ficut vem pxvidit : fed none that say, It is impojjible to sin or fall away ; but only de eventu
t'rei Ipro^fuofsi that lt wil1 never come to Pass* For thev sav ( ™ I remember I heard
pMdtfiiniivit & vidtt mt Mr. Vines once preachy that our falling away is not only possible, but
f'lvandm 5 verum est too easiein respect to us, and the habits of Grace which we have re-
quod ego fdvabor -. fed . , _ T . , » . r ,
hoc mn est verum, quod ceived : But they lay the certainty of our perseverance on Gods De-
ujl £ 0" "'idestiflt'tJfi cree an<^ Vronlife' Now, fay they, God did not decree that it should be
natittr \ecare, '&"potest non-pojjibile, but only that it should be non-futurum. Andso that he
Hfo™divf*ii*'JcliniL fromife* t^ie non-futurity , but not an impojjibility of falling
non imponit ei nccefshaXim: aWay.
Atumtn finaiiternon fee- 2. And yet they sometimes use the term impojjible here : But how?
mu est'autem utHml Tm Say they, There is a logical impojstbilitas consequents '-, Andso theie is
simpiMter,vifi conditions, on supposition of meer prescience and prediction. For do but make this
Tucejeet^!&f"i\ ?n.e.of* the Premises [ God fore-knoweth that Paul will persevere ] and
q»e fun prffentia prtfti- it is impossible this conclusion should be true : [ Paul will not persevere.^
%l*wnin\n'e %jj But yet this may be nevertheless true, [It is possible for Paul to fall away.]
vidit: non necessitate sw But this impojjibility of consequence in order of arguing, is nothing to
fticher, [ed quU )am fmt the imtojsibiliias rei, in respect to the Causes.
prtjentta Divin* preset- *A JJ, . V ,r . . /r>. , , , . r
mi*. 2. And also they lay, that there is impojfibilttas hypothetic^ ; suppo-
ita Maiderusin n.Tho. sinp- that man willfully reiectnot Grace, Gods Power it self issoen-
q. 103. a. 10. dub. J. • 0 ' '
Justus ftf hibet donum
pnfeerinie, excidere fivalittr pottst: fed nunquam excidit. Yet faith that quodammodo it may be said, Eum qui habet prrstvt-
rant * donum excidtre mn' ft1st: enm uttem qui non hubet non poffi non excidere. So Aug. dc correp. & grat. c. n. dicit, eos qui
frtjntram:* donum nonbab-.t non pofft \tr[cverare. So that this is but a strife about equivocal words.

gaged
 gaged to defend him against Satan and all Enemies, that it is impossible
for them to overcome God, and destroy him: But here impojjibk is re
lated to the ponder of Enemies only : It is a thing that Satan hath not
Power to do, to conquer Graces
3. But when the question is of the Power of the Person himself, they
fay, It is unfit to fay that he is to fall away, or that it is impojjibk
in respect to his own Power. . t. Because that to jfall away is an effect of
Impotency and not of Power. 2. Because God will not so operate by
his Grace, as to make a man unable to fin, but unwilling^ and actually to
keep him from it. So that Grace doth not make us impotent to resist it,
and make it really impossible to us to fall away; butmakethus able and
willing to (land, and causcth us freely de fa&o to persevere.
3. And I must tell you, that your Crimination is grounded on a lame
and faulty recitation of their Opinion ; you name but halfof it; instead
of the whole: which is, s That the sanctified never fall away. from the
due fear, and care, and endeavour of persevering, and consequently not
from Sanctification or Justification]]. And will you infer that [j a man
needeth not fear, care or live holily, if certainly he shall do so ? ] .
A. "Tes I what need I take care of that which Ipall certainly do?
B. That is , what need you take care if you certainly shall take
care !
A. " What need 1 trouble my awn hedd about that which God will do,
" what-ever I do? If he undertake to ascertain it , I may leave it to
" him.
B. You talk contradictions ! God doth not undertake to secure
your Salvation whether you will or not, or care or not, or labour or
not : But to cause you to will, to care and labour. And you fay, If God
will make me willing I need not be willing: If God will make me thinly
of it, and care and labour for it, I need not think. °f it> ov care or labour
for it. The Sun need not thine if God will make it shine 1 You need
not eat if God decree that you shall eat. Are not these weak Contra
dictions > :
A. " But as weak, asyou make it, the Contradiction is their own : For
te theyfirst make Cod to make their falling away to be impossible or certainly
** non-futurum, and yet fay, that he will mak? them fear it ; that is, to
" perform an A& without the proper ObjeU: As if God decreed that they
*«• ffiould fear Good as Good, or love Evil as Evil: No man can fear that
«c which neither is,, nor is taken to be fearful: An impojjible (or cer-
« * tainty non-future) hurt is not fearful, or an Otyeft offeart unless to a mad
. «6 man.
B. There were much weight in what you fay, but for that which you
leave out: 1. That obje&ive certainty may be separated from jubje&ive
certainty : that is, men may be uncertain of that which is certain in it
self. 2. Yea few of the Godly have a strong assurance of their sincerity
and Justification. 3. And no man in this life hath a perfett assurance, no
more than other perfect Graces. 4. And every mans faith it self in
Gods Promises and fidelity is imperfect. Therefore while all these are
imperfect, and not only so, but liable to fad aslaults, and interruptions,
and decays. 5. Yea and the person liable to such hainous sins, as look
terribly towards Apostacy, you cannot fay that fear is neediest. For
though God decree the certainty of their perseverance, that proveth
not that they are perfectly certain of it.
A. " But God willnot found our Duty on our Sint nor command men to
tcJ}ar, because throughfinful weakness they dofear.

B.God
 Os Perseverance.

B. God will not make our Sin to be our Duty, (insensu conjunQo).
I. But God will make Duty on supposition that Sin maketh it necessary.
If you sin, God will make sorrow and confession your Duty, which
would else be none. 2. Yea more, the same Act may be a Duty and a
Sin inseveral respects. And so may fear of Hell be.
A. " Stay there! Do yon not then make God the Author os Sin? For
" // he cause the Æ as a Duty , when it is caused it will prove a Sin
"too.
B. You mistake: Two Causes may cause two Modes and Relations of
the fame Act, and one not at all cause that which the other causcth.
Godcauscth every Act in genere aQu* which is sinful, andyetcauseth
not the deficiency or exorbitancy of it : As the Rider maketh the Horse
go, but not to go lamely. God knowing our uncertainty of our own
Election and Sincerity, may make it our Duty, by a wise and careful
fear to avoid our own danger : And yet thatfear may not only come also
from some ignorance and unbelief in our selves, but have sinful degrees,
and so have that in it which God is not the cause of.

The second Crimination.

* One would think that A- " rheir Do3rine tendeth to the indulgence of allftn : * For isa man
the Doctrine asserting ~* cannot fall away however he live, he may give up himjelf to lewd carnality,
by" 'mortal ^"wSc " say, I cannotfall away.
stricter than the uivi- B. ThU- is the lame shameless self-contradicting Accusation, and
Ms-. But judge by the neesjS no other Answer. As if you said, s If a man cannot fall away,
Jefmtes Doctrine, who , ^ ., _ _ . ,J. r ,c ' i« r ,, A J\
teachthacaman in mor- ne may fall away.] Togive up himieji to carnality u tofallaway 5 And
mafi" °r unconv"red you fry that he may do this, because he cannot. The Doctrine of
sti^cation^KLv 7"J*" your Adversaries is, That God will certainly keep the godly from turn-
dtst. exad' d. 1 9] ted. 4. ing from him to an ungodly fleshly life : And how doth this conduce to
p. 141. Ad mtritum con- 0 „ ji- æ>. ' ' ■ •
Wmnreqmmr perso- Ungodliness?
Bjw ejse simplicity va A. " The conceit ofsafety will make them careless.
%% \uclZ JK!S *■ Not if they coodcive that their sasety and their "^solness are
fit immicn Dei ■, nihiio- equally decreed. The bad and ignorant will abuse any thing. But I
fffÆK /V/1
qui tx side procidunt je- am _fperswaded
„. that. very
. J .many. J live the
, . more holily
' for this belief:
. ,
cundum fe, grati /*«, i. Because as Prophecies conduce to their own accomphtbment, in that
ionium fHjsicit, ut )ustifi.'whit men believe will certainly come to pass, they all promote, and
cationem de congruo mere- ... 3 . . . V i . r. 1 1
amr open namr, (rater- will not oppose: bo it is in part in this cafe. 2. And when they be-
^/ir^X'^V"6^1?' ^" ^^cve t^lat have it be, it greatly animateth their endeavours by
shit '"qJibus "vnmper iH>pe> and taketh off their discouragements. 3. And when they find
monaie pucatum amijum that GW hath in his Decree conjoyned their care and labour to the end,
*ccifrt'r&i\$L. h."si an^ hath no more decreed their perseverance, than that they shall care-
confitem:,r,scc. So that fully avoid sin and temptations, it maketh them sear that they are not
bTreJS Elect, when they find these signs of Election to be doubtful, and fopre-
. Justifiea wicked enemy, serveth them from presumption and security.
for an Alms or for Con- - ; * '
session ; Is not this an
eafic cure of enmiry ? ■ : ■
Eutthe promi'e is made
only catiris parities, to
SX&ing^ Tbe third Crimination.
ticular remiflion. ...
A. " Their Do&ritie is uncomfortable } in two respe&s, I. In that it al'
" lowcthno man to besure of his present Justification, Pardon and adoption,
M who
 Os Perseverance. 201

*' who is not sure that he goeth further, yea that he is not quite in another .
"state, than any man that ever fell away : which it is not possible that
** many, if any one at allshould be. 2. In that it affoweth no man to be
"Jure of his Justification and Adoption, till he haveso much Grace, as that
M no Temptation, how great soever, would turn him from Christ if he were
"tried by it.
B. Wherein is the uncomfortableness of these?
A. I. " I have kpown my selfsome fall to Socinianism, Arrianisin, yea
u Infidelity, denying Christ, or his Godhead, (which is his chief Essence).
and the Scriptures, (and therefore sure had no saving Grace then, and
" diedso) who hadforty years lived in as eminent Piety, Humility, diligence
" in all religious Duties, charity to others, negleft of the World, and patient
"sufferingfor their Religion oft times, as almost any men that ever I knew.
"And that they did not dissemble, not only their constancy, suffering and
" whole Conversationshewed, but my own intimacy with them assured me, by
" which I knew the very thoughts of their hearts. Some of them were not of
"judgments clear andstrong enough to discern the fallacies of Deceivers i
" Others of them were naturally too hasty injudging 5 Andsome were carried
" away by the advantages of the constant company of extraordinary able and
" insinuating Seducers. But divers of them, even after they apostatized ,
•* did continueso much Jtri&nejs of life and charity to all men, ana religious
" ness in their Theism, and Infidel way, and negleU of the World, as con-
" vinced me, that it was more the insufficiency of their judgments, than the
" hypocrifie of their hearts, which was the cause of their Apojiacy. Now by
** the Calvinists Do&rine, none of these men were ever in a (late of Grace :
«* And of the Jtriffeft Profejsors round about us, there is not one of many
M hundreds that goeth sofar as they did. And all these must be left uncertain
of their Justification, till they are certain that they went beyond them all?
"yea and certain that they are unjustified, while they are certain that they
'* came short of any one of them.
B. The case that you describe I have known, and it is sad: But We
know not the hearts of other men : There might be more sin and hypo-
crisie in them than we know of.
A. "Though God only be the searcher of hearts, yet long intimacy and
M near experience may make usso confident ofsome mens thoughts, as that
" I confess to you, you will never change my mind, if you plead against so
" great experience. I know theirjudgments were insufficient. But I will
** never believe that their hearts werefalse, as to what they knew.
B. God hath made his Word, and not other mens hearts, the rule for
us to judge our selves by.
A. •« But if you think that his Word tells us that we are the Children of
*l the Devil, till we go beyond any that ever fell, away, we mult look both to
w that Word, andtofuch Apoltates.
B. The truth is, assurance of Justification and Salvation is not easily
nor commonly attained : And it is not Opinions alone that will procure
it: And while we have that sin and weakness, which is the cause of
doubts, which Opinion soever we hold, we shall find occasion for our
doubtings : But let us hear your second part of the Accusation.
A. H. " They hold that if any manfall away, by what temptation soever;
"it is because he was never sincere : And consequently that he is not (metre,
« that would fall away by the strongest temptation that possibly may assault
« him.
Li So that every poor weak Christian, whose Infant-strength is not
** proportioned to the greatest temptations, must needs take himselfto bestill
" but an Hypocrite^

Dd *.We
 202 Uj 1 erjeverance.

B. We stand not by our own strength of habitual Grace, but by the

Carbo ex Aquin. i. a. upholding Love and Will of God. * -«.#*.
q. 137. a. 4. st pirfeu- a 1 " When we dispute against their DoUrine, it is front the immortal
lantusumatur proipjo ha- .."•*» Jf , °f . r. -' . r .f . . .■ 1 t. -' '. ^
hut, indict Joiu b»biu- "aualitj of the feed of God abiding in them, that they plead for certainty
aiis grati* , ut c«ttr* tt f perseverance. 2. Who findeth not by constant experience, that God
accipiatur pn a£t» perft- " worketh on all things according to their Natures : And Jo on man as man,
zeranti* durantt ufq; ad n an(i on saints as Saints, and on the weak, as weak., and on thestrong as
Ubi^lirgr!t1a^j!dtt^ '■'■strong. Do we not fee that he giveth men wisdom and all Intelle&uai abi-
sratuitovei auxiih con- « i3fjes before they speaks and do as such abilities must fit them to do :
— ,7r?" " When did you fee Gods Grace make ignorant, injudicious,fools, or weak.
tiamChri!ii,non[oium dt-" persons, judge, speaks and live, in equality with the wise? Do we not fee
% SJffSSSS-ft " that as man is» so is his strength aad work» operari sequitur efie : The
gustin. Per fe pettst per- "strong do as the strong, and the weak, judge and do as the weak; Why
(everarth male, ncn au- tt ,r doth God give men strength of Grace .<? sure they that thinks the habit
Bradwardine who hold- ' of Grace mist needs be before any act, will not hold that all our lives after,
eththatno temptation «c .j> (from immediate divine produ&ion) go beyond the degree of the
can be overcome with- , , w V i ^ i . / ■ r- r r ' r J n
out special help, that ir, habits. We know that God is the chief cause of our perseverance, and all
a divine Vd'rio0 <n « our.xcorhj that are good : But he caufeth them by disposing and quick^ping,
rta/The same ywiii°of strengthening, illuminating and sanffisying our faculties to do them--,
God which saveth one «< which is habitual Grace. .,
SlSBTSa^ * Whatisyourownjudgmentinthispoint? ]X ■
there by keeping temp- A. " Ourjudgment is, I. that he that truly at the present preferreth the
tations from them. ^pleasing of God, and hk Salvation, before all this World, issttuere* and
"justified. 2. That of these some have wellsetled apprehensions and refo-
"lutions', but others have such shallow Conceptions, and weak. Resolutions,
as that a very strong Temptation would chans,jheir minds, and overcome
them. 3. But if they escape such Temptation and be not overcome, they
1 shall be saved : For God will not damn men for poffible Sin and Apostacy,
1 which they were never guilty of, but only for that which they did commit.
";
:4- And that it is no certainsign of hyp ocr isle, that they would have fallen
■ ilaway, had their Temptations been gre at, but only a proof that they were
.".weak: 5. Elfejo pray £ Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
** from evil, 3 should be rather [discover not our sincerity or hypocriste by
"temptations. 6. Therefore God useth to proportion mens trials to their
"strength : And thatyoung and wea\ Believers may persevere, he expofetb
t',them not (antecedently to their provocation) to great Temptations as he
" doth the strong. Evenas while a young Tree hath little rooting, it hath
'* also but a little top : else had it the top of a great Tree, and but the roots
* of a Plant , the first great Wind would overturn it. 7. Even strong
1 christians might possibly have some Temptations , which would over-
it; match theirstrength, and turn them from Chriif, if God should not keep
" them fromsuch Temptations. 8. 1 herefore there are some Temptations so
" far above the very nature of man, by such Grace as is not ameer Miracle,
" to be overcome, as that God doth not suffer Mankind to be tried with
" them : As to be most exquifitely tormented many moneths, or a longer
" time. And in that unusual trial of the poor Christians in Japon ,
" though many endured those torments many weeks, y& nature could not
* 1sustain them to the last 5 but when they had suffered as much as many
"Smithfield burnings to death, at last almost all denied Christ , so that
" Christianity is now there extirpated. Now if Rogers, Bradford ,
"Hooper, shewed sincerity by suffering death, why should we not think.
" that these did so that suffered far more than they , though afterward the
" degree wasgreater than their strength. 9. We hold that Gods Punish*
"ments and Mercies to men in this World, are very much exer-
" cistd in either permitting or not permitting great Temptations.
* And
 Os 'Perseeverance. 203

And that for great sin, he oft delivereth men up to Satan, and give'th
•» » - ^ —i — .' — ^ . ' . i# r- />' ✓;••„«. * The sjtne Bradwar*
" him the greater power over them. Tea that the nature of sin it self'is J™ x^tÆdcrfi
as giveth greater advantage to the Tempter : As he that will with that the cause of the
"Achan look on the wedge of Gold, or that will please his tail with deli- ?am\cds obsti"aCv. in'
" cious Drtnkj and Meats, or that will permit his eyes immodest Speaacles, selves, and Gods not-
"hath thereby let in the Devil into his Imagination, and will not easily ^J18^™^ e and save
also Gods
"thence caU him out : And on the other side,j he that plea/eth
j God,
- and positive
r- - wn'tby which
"conquereth one Temptation , obtaineth that ' Grace by which he is mitch |heir obstinate wills are
"savedfrom the next, and the Tempter is the more difadvantaged and re- the actT BuTi'see*1
"strained. 10. Lastly, We therefore hold, Thatseeing Temptations do not why we should' assert
" only try our sincerity or hypocrite, (else we should desire them, for self- in^Tor*Eann
examination) but also tend to change mens minds, and make them worse, when his not-effectual'
" the way to persevere is to pray against and avoid Temptations, and refsl ^j^, 10 curc ll *
" those that cannot be avoided.
* ' This is ourjudgment : In whichyoufee that we hold that all WeahjChrisli-
" ans that are sincere , may have assurance of their present "justification,
" though they are not strong enough to stand the greateft trials* And
"that they may well hope that God will save them from over strong Tempta-
" tions, while theysincerely do his Will. .'
B. But Christ faith, That he that forsaketh not all that he hath , and
ftateth not his own life, cannot be his Disciple. And what greater trial
'can there be, than the loss of life it self?
A. " Though some taking it U be hard that none are true Christians.,
cc that would not be Martyrs were they tried, have said that this Textspeak?
< * eth de necessitate præcepti, non medii, must grow up to this
cc*at laSi, ifyou will be my Disciples']'^ yet t will not so force the Text,
" hut Jay as you do. slut I. There are far stronger Temptations than the
"love of Life: Though not from Interest, yet from false reasonings, which
" may deceive the judgment : And one that would diejor Christ while he
" believethin him, may\pofffbly have so strong Temptations to unbelief as
"stall exceed in danger, hisfear of death. 9. And all men that at the
" present would forsake Life and allfor Christy yet have not the same fix-
redness of Resolution, nor the same degree of Faith and Love. No doubt
hut the Martyrs in the fame flames had various degrees of Grace. Now a
' " less firm and fixed measure may be loosened by degrees, t?r stakgn by Sedu-
4t cers, and mutable man may after' be overcome by thaifame Temptation
" which once he could have overcome.
* " So that J acefise their DoUrine, as utterly inconsistent with true Christi-
M an Comfort, 6n both these accounts. And such is the Juccefs of those
" men that will overdo , and devise means of their own , for extraordi-
" nary comforts, which God never gave them.
'' M2J. The comfort of poor Christians it seems standeth but on slippery
terms in the Opinion of both fides, while each Party thinks that there
is no true comfort in the others way. * But doth not experience confute mo^yth"re*c ™y0ur
you? Do you not see that many have true Christian comfort that are not present Justification,^
Ofyourmind? Kmo^herWelve?
A. " 1 hat is because offafne better Principles which they hold, and be* tiellirmint and many o-
" cause theysee not the contradiUion and inconsistency mhersden" it «u *m-
B. You come near to this truth j Indeed there are Principles better rLJal^ned^Brhn-
than either of your controverted Opinions, common to both sides, /«»» i6r,l
which may afford us great Consolation, and which sound Christians mancan^know whether
live upon. And I doubt your Disputes on both sides do more disturb his Habits arc infused ?
than comfort most. But this must be granted, that Opinions are not
true, because they are comfortable, nor all false that have any thing in
them apt to trouble men , who have the sinful matter of trouble in
D d 2 thenv
 Os ^Perseverance.

themselves: no more than Physick is naught that maketh men sick.

We must take our Comforts on Gods terms. The truth is, your Do
ctrine feemeth more comfortable in the respects which you have named,
as to the assurance of present Jutfification, and theirs more comfortable in
another respect 5 viz. as to the continuance of it when they have it. But
if this Doctrine were to be chosen by the comfortableness, yea and useful
ness of it, there is a middle way (of some Schoolmen ) which would
be preferred before both. That is, that neither any of the Eleft, nor
any that have attained to confirmation or afixed degree of Grace, do ever
fall away : But that there are some not-EleU, who aresincere andjustified,
but weak and mutable ( as Adam in Innocency ") and not confirmed, who
fall away and perish : And this Vofsius thinketh was Augustine's Opinion.
And Grotius in his excellent Epistle against Molin : lately translated into
English by Mr. Barksdale, affirmeth it to be the common judgment of
the Fathers: which will be no small advantage to it with me.
And i. Thisavoideth the uncomfortable Doctrine which you charge
on them j For this holdeth that a weak Christian may have the comfort
of present Justification, that is not certain to persevere, nor that he is
any better than some that fall away. 2. And it avoideth the uncom-
fortablenefs which they charge on you, viz. that no man can be assured
of his Perseverance and Salvation : For these hold that all the confirmed
may be assured of it j And that all weak Christians may possibly attain to
confirmation. 3. And it only leaveth* weak, unconfirmed Cbriliians un
certain of Salvation, which both sides are agreed in. For they confess
that weak. Christians are seldom if ever sore of their present sincerity and
Justification: And you hold that they are uncertain to persevere: Aod
so both of you hold them to be uncertain of Salvation. But proceed.

The fourth Crimination.

A. w They do reproach the Holiness of Gods people , and his Image,

'* and encourage most horrid wickedness, while they make all the fi*
" that ever was committed by any man after his Regeneration , to he
" consistent with Holiness and Justification : not only NoahV Drunkenness,
"Lot/ being Drunk, and Incestuous two nights together, David's horrid
"Murder and Adultery, Peter'/ denying and forswearing bis Lord? but
** Cfor instance) Solomon theyfay was a Saint, andjustified, when he gave
M up himself to all manner of pleasure, and denied himself nothing, (and
*' Paul faith, The carnal mind is enmity to God, and if ye live after
" the flesh ye shall die, ) when he clave in love to many Idolatrous
h ''i^afntained 'th« " women ? having seven hundred Wives, and three hundred Concur
aiuhings come to pass "bins, and his Wives turned away his Heart after other gods, and his
by toS^udc^.ag « Heart was not perfect with the Lord— but he went after Ashtoreth, tb£
obj'c^ionTrat^hfs vliil " Goddess of the Sidonians , and after Milcom , the abomination of
fino^od^and'be^ " Antoriu*-> anc* built an High Place for Chemoth, the abomination
godly, answerelh that'll " °* Moab, and for Moi'ech the abomination of Ammon s and likewise did
win do so by none but " he for all his strange Wives, which burnt Incense and sacrificed to their
SPtS,efo,?ne05"go?,S: his Heart was turned from the Lord that appeared to him
h's Monastery did ar- " twice, 1 King. ii. i,toi2. All thisfay the Calvinists you may do, and
T^Sg£*5k% "J*1* S<»"""» ^justified and saved. * All this may stand with Gods
but that he cannot help ** Image, and true Holiness.
dcst;na7ehmenn"hatParrCc B' As to a11 tne rest> excePt Solomon, the sin being one or two particu-
reprobated. larActs contrary to the main bent and scope of their lives ( which were
holy)
 Of ^Perseverance-.
——— i j — i ■
holy ) you seem, I. To deny an evident truth, viz.. that the habitual
love of God was not extirpated by those Sins : Can, you think that ha
bitually (though the act was hindred) Noah, Lot, David, Peter, did not
then love God and Holiness better than sinful Pleasures ? And the Papists
confess, that Sin is not mortal ( that is, an evidence of spiritual death )
till it conquer the habit of the love of God.
3, You, seem to take your offence at the tyercyof Gpd himself, be
cause he will not disown men for such a particular sin, contrary to their
general will and Use. As if you provoked him to deal hardlier also
with yourself, left be deal too easily or mercifolly with others.
3, Put they are/"* these resolved that no man hath true Grace, that
loveth not God and Holiness above the World and sinful Pleasure : And
they and you are agreed in this: A,nd in the hypothesis, if you can make
them believe that any of these lost that predominant habitual love, they
would grant that they sell from saving Grace. So that thus far you
agree.
4. And as for Solomon's case, it is too hard for us all : Some think that
he had but common Grace, till that Repentance which he published in
Bocks. And that so much might produce his Proverbs, which fay they
Were but spoken by him, and written long after by others ( as some by
fiezekjah's men ). Others think that he did but tolerate his Wives Ido-
latry, and that he aggravated his own sensuality in hyperbolical words,
and so that h>s fin did stand with true Grace: Others think that he fell
iqto a state of damnation (in which had he died he had been damned)
but yet neither totally ( from all seminal Grace ) nor finally 3 and that
others may do the like. In a word, the case is too hard for us : But our
comfort liet)i not in being (fore what condition Solomon was in,either first
or last.
And also, as Means and Grace are greater under the Gospel than they
were to Solomon, and Use and Immortality more brought to light, lo
more spirituality and hea venliness is now required of us than was then
of them. As long as Christ hath fullier described to us the title-condi
tions of Salvation, we have better means to judge of our states, than
the deciding of these Difficulties about Solomon would be.
A. " This is true} bnt nothing to the purpose: we prove by Solomon that
" a man mayfallfrom Grace.
B. How will you prove it against them that think Solomon had but
common Grace, till he wrote fyclesiailes, or repented of his Fall ?
A- " Hems a pen-man of the Scripture (the Proverbs) before 5 And
u he was beloved of God, and excelled all others in Wisdom.
B.i. Whether he wrote, or only spake the Proverbs, you prove not?
2. You cannot prove that writing part os the Scripture, is a more cer
tain sign of a Saint , than speaking part of it. And Balaam spake part
of it ( what Job's Friends were, I know not. ) And if many Workers of
Iniquity did by the Spirit prophesie and cast out Devils, in Christ's
Name, how prove you that they may not write part of the Scriptures?
(To pass by that, Pilate, Festvs, Claudius, Lyflas, and other such, wrote
part of it.) And an ungodly Preacher may now speak and write ex
cellent things. 3. His Wisdom which he begged, and is magnified for*
is described objectively to be political, physical and ethical 5 but how
far spiritual the Text doth not speak. 4. God might be said to love
him, as Christ did that man that was not far from the Kingdom of God :
Complacencially, according to the good that was in him 3 And benevolent'
ly, as he purposed his future Sanctincation and Salvation.
I write not this as my own Opinion, but to tell you that ytiu cannot
prove so much as you think you can.
 . o6 Of ^Perseverance.

The fifth Crimination.

* f^who^Æwgh * A- " rhey fl™ exceeding much immodesty, I. In holding an Opinion

against Frte-wiU as Hobs, " jpJ&zcA M contrary to the Doftrineof the universal Church, from the Apo-
confidLTholdeth the "sties till of late times : neither Orthodox nor Heretics being ever known
Apostacy of Saints, " to hold it, unless perhaps Jovinian alone, till above a thousand years after
though not ofthe Elect* «c christ. No not Augustine and his Disciples, who were thought by many
and questioning what J . ° . . J J r ±L* *l
causeth perseverance in " to run towards an extream tn over-pleaatng for Grace ; Jo that they were
Glory, he confutethaii « canecl fome Predestinarian Hereticks. 2. And yet they have theface
as* sufficient " but Gods " (instead ofbeing ajhamed of their own singularity) to revile others as hete-
wili, which he calleth t« rodox, if not heretical, who will not be assingular as they, andset as light
GhoLst°:e' Æ ffi " by thejudgment of ChriSts Church.
lay it on the nature of g. I am not one of them that will cite any scraps of the Fathers, con
gress Grace or trary to tne,r current expressions, to contradict you : Vofstm hath copi-
thc fight of God. 4. or oufly related their judgments in his Pelagian History, and that as favour-
fi ^"""or'^deiight aDty *°r perseverance as there was cause ; And Dr. Twijse,who frequently
in8God? 6.r or the de- fpeaketh his distast of him , faith nothing to prove his History false,
gree of that DeUgfo Which in this, he that readeth the Fathers must confess to be true. But
sio*m God™ si" o* the- this should somewhat moderate you in your censure, 1. That the
degree of that adhesion. Writers of the first three hundred years are sew, and their Writings
^^od^wWchwf (except Tertullians, Origine and Cyprian) very short 5 (even Clements,
want. 10. or the fear Alexand. and Jufiins not long). And few os them very learned and
11. ^rerth«ytheMljoy accurate Writers; who are the common Managers of Controversies:
taketh away Free-mi nor was this Controversie started in their times, and therefore not ac-
beatitudc°?n all ^hesej! curately searcht into. 2. And if you say that this is the more for your
ah which 'he faith are cause, if it were not fomuchas made a Controversie; I add that the
^s".?^'?1 ' a?duGodi! Platonick Philosophy which then most prevailed, might do somewhat
Will is thecause.though ~ ,r J r » 6 .
using these. And so in to dispose them that way ; tor zsGrottsts de fato bath copiously proved
this life, men st™^ (outof above thirty Philosophers and philosophical Christians ) most
g'vethTme "his inward of all the Philosophers, especially Platonitfs were for Free-will, and most
Grace (for that maybe learned Christian Doctors came out of Plato's School, (and most of the
KbUuseG^ifi- learned Hereticks too). 3. And yet Laertius in Zenone tells us, That
the persevering and o- the Stoickj were against falling away, and taught that no truly virtuous
iffirV^ .~ nundid em be sudu
ther].This is over-doing 2. But above all, I would have you consider, I. That this Point was
Gra thC a^nstFr«0w7/0f not held 'by tne^ consenting Doctors for an Article ofFaith,and necesla-
cc again *> . ^ ^ Church- Concord and Salvation ; but as one of those many Opini

ons which were left free. 2. And that many or most of these Fathers
did agree in some Opinions that are not true. 3. Yea that the greater
part of them are by the Papists themselves charged with several Errors,
and some and not a few with Heresies. 4. And that therefore the holy
Scriptures being the only and sufficient Rule of Faith, we need not be so
much ashamed as you intimate, in some things to differ from the genera
lity of those Fathers, if the Scripture be more for us than them. There
is many a Text of Scripture which Papists themselves interpret contrary
to most of the Fathers, notwithstanding their Trent Oath to the contra
ry. Therefore your heavy Accusation os immodest singularity is too
keen. But as for their Cross-Accusation of you as heterodox, I now
meddle not with the truth, nor excuse any uncharitablenesi therein.

the
 Os ''Perseverance,

The fixth Crimination.

A, l\Tbey corttrailU? abundance of typrefs Scripture, which ajferteth that

" the godlymay fall'finally from true Grace.
E. And they think that you rather contradict abundance os Texts
that speak exprefly for the contrary. It is none of my work now to de
fend either them or you : I have long ago written a peculiar Tractate of
my own Opinion herein : Who is in the right I am not now determi
ning: But that you over-magnifie the difference on both sides usually, I
shall shew you in the end. No doubt but the Scripture is of it self suffi
cient* to decide all Controversies, as a Rule ot sound Doctrine, so far
as GodUtoould haye them clearly decided. :But yet he that denieth
that some things in Scripture are hard to be understood , will con
tradict not only Peters words, but his own and all mens experience.
For as it pleased God to make up the World of variety of Creatures*
so also to make up the Scripture of Truths of various degrees of necessity
and evidence. And in this, Point there are so many Texts, that both
Sides think do favour their Opinions, that we have not the fame cer
tainty as in many other Points, and therefore not the fame consent and
concord among the learnedeft Divines, and the godliest Christians:
And in my Observations most on each side are more moved to their
Opinion in this, from the congruity that they think it hath with other
Verities or the Analogy of Faith, than from the proper plain sense of
the Texts which they themselves alledge. So that though no doubt
the Truth is to be found in the Scriptures, yet not v/ith such ease and cer
tainty as will allow us to make the decision of this Point, any part of the
terms of our necessary Concord. ,

THE
 THE

Tenth Days Conference

Between 2?. and Q.

o F

PERSEVERANCE

See R»i\ it vr*def. "O ■ You have now some advantage for your censure of Dissenters
d"bSF^th andPr°vi"8 LJ where the difference is real ; But I am loth you should make it
perseverance of ""the greater than it is, or make as hot and contentious work about it
EleaRroccedfromGod* as Afarbachius and Zancfy did. How odious soever Thompson And Ber»
fn"KFin?ntnS h*ve. been made out side» and Jovinian, Calvin, and his followers
for their good, &c. This by the other (though I wish there were no difference at all) I undertake
icdgc.^sultCS acknow* to prove that the difference is not ofso great moment as is commonly on
both sides pretended ; And no greater than should consist with true Love
and Communion, even between the Members , yea the Pastors of the
fame Church, who are therein ofdiffering opinions : But first let me hear
What you have to aggravate it.

The firtt Crimination.

C. " Their Crime is that they overthrow the comfort of Believers , by de*
* Tartus himself ma- ** njing them any certainty of Salvation. *
rfjSSficSi?1?S *• To be absolutely certain ofSalvation, no doubt would be a very
lieVers as I cannot own great comfort. But let us enquire, I. What number will be by this Do-
(in BtUarm.de Amiff.Gm. g.rlne hindered from this certainty. II. In what degree this tendeth to
t.t.) Ptdts tune . . jo
dicitur Justificart quum their discomfort.

ran ITtnttT^ilTv'ro ctrines that hinder most men from concluding themselves certain of Sal-
txtmre^ottstTdes "JV1 vat,on ; and yet Perhaps be very true.
JS?!s&Ic"rnTop- These Questions therefore, I crave your answer to.
prtjsa,peccatorum empedi- r. ~ , i ■-.
bus quasi ligata :~~ju[liftiJtHs lupjts THus son imputat ptecata ; ntmpt resipisetntibus : Antt rtsipisctntiam eertt imputatjnflignd*
fccnas ttmporalts, &'imputaret etiam infligendo p'mas uttrnas nisi rtjipi[ctrtiU.—T»ac ijatm fiats in lap/is babitualittr tanttm
Manns proprit Justisicans dici, ant eoi Justificart non pottst.'] But his reason is bad : For faith is not called justifying for the
Reason which he giveth.
The like say the Polonian Protestants in Colloq. Tborun. dtGrat. Sect. z. n. it. Falso accu[amur quasi statuamua [mil juSi-
ficatos Dti Gratiam t)u[q; certitudinem & ipfum Spiritum SanClum won posse amittert, quamvis in peccatis, pro- lubitu, voluttntier. Cam
contra potim doceamttt ipfos etiam renatos quo: i is in ptecata contra confeitntiam recidunt, in iifq; aliquandum ptrftvtrent, net si.km
veram, nec Dei gratiam justificantem, ntdum e)ia certitkdintm ant Spiritum StnCtm pro ttmport retintre : ftd sovum ire ac mortis
teterna rtatm incurrere : Ac propterea nisi Speciali Dti gratia excitante (quod in eleCtii sitri non dubitamus) ad rtsipifeentiam
it trum renwcvtur, nipfa ttiam dmnindos ((fe.] This is the fame with the Doctrine of Augustine and Musiulus, or near it.
Yea, both Ursine and Pareas seem to come as far : Catecb. de Peccat. atluali [Peccatum regnant est cui peccant non rtpugnat
idtoq; sit obnstxius teterna mtrti nisi, &c. Propter quod non tanttm ex ord]ne)ustui« Dei, [ed ex rtipfa, aternarumpeenarum rent
est qui HUibabet. Talia [unt omnia ptecata in non renatis, quitdam etiam in renatis : ut error in fundmcntosidei,& lapsus contra,
confeitntiam \ cum quibtts siSucia remiflftinl* pwcnurm, & miftttttinvtra non ctmfifHtt dom rtsipi[c«nt. £>*»d wmui*mrt»*ti
po/sin cidere in peccatum regnans, [atis ostendunt tristijfimi tapsitt SanHiffiomrum hominnm, ut Aaroms, Davidis, &:. Rob. Baronius
jn his excellent little Treat, de Pec. Mart. & veniali, faith that by Mortal Sins the regenerate may, i.Be excluded from
thar Gtace and favour of God, by which he before loved them, yea he incurreth Gods hatred and displeasure, so far, eW.
i. Their Prayers, Thanks, Obedience, yea nothing that proceedeth from them, is then acceptable to God. 3. In that state
God cannot forgive them, and give them peace of Conscience and joy.
 £. i. Do not you grant that we mult take no comfort but what God
giveth us, and on his terms ; and that the false comforts of presumption
are worse than none, or not desirable ? And that all Doctrine is not true
that were it true were comfortable ?
C. " Tes, none will deny it you.
B. Q. 2. Do you not find by experience (being a Pastor who hath
discoursed with your Flock man by man about their state) that ofthose
that you account truly Godly persons, there is not one of fifty, yea of
an hundred, yea of many hundreds , that will fay that they sxt certain
of their Salvation 3 properly zx\A fully certain.
C. "I suppose your question implyeth your own observation , which I
** contradiU not.
B. Q. 3. And as for the multitude of more careless and loose Chri
stians, do not you think that (whatever they fay) their certainty is less
than these Godly persons ? (
C. " Tes, no doubt : for their evidence is less or none. '
B. Q: 4. Do you not think that it must needs be so (that certainty
of Salvation must be exceeding rare) considering that all these things
must go to it?
1 . There must be a certainty that Gods promises are true : whereas the
faith of most is weak. 1
. 2. There must be a certain underdandingboth of the meaning of the
promise, and what are the true Conditions of it, and the difference be
tween true saving Grace , and all that is but counterfeit or common.
Whereas most are uncertain and dark herein, if not mistaken.
3. There must be these Evidences in the person himself 5 not only in
reality , but in ascertaining-discernableness : which cannot be unless it be
1. Much and Jirong : for that which is small, is so like to the common
and counterfeit, that it is seldom certainly discerned. 2. It must be in
AUivity : For Grace out of Act is not discernable. 3. It must be power
fully operative without, and in the life, to conquer temptation, and keep
us in clear and sore obedience, in a Holy fruitful life : or else it will
not be certainly discerned from dead opinion. 4. It must not be clouded
and blotted by great and powerful habits of sin within , or acts of sin
without. For these will many ways hinder assurance : And how few
have all these Necessaries to make up an ascertaining evidence.
4. And it must be one that knoweth how by self examination to di
scern all this, to be certainly in themselves : That frequently and skil
fully thinketh on the matter.
5. And it must be one that is not under the power either of Melart^
choly, or other distracting passions, or Temptations.
6. And one that knoweth the true difference between a Mortal sin
(inconsistent with Justification) and a meer infirmity.
7. And one that knoweth the true nature of that Repentance which
is necessary after sinning. And alas / how few be they that have all these
qualifications.
C. " The Spirit ofGod can give them certainty without all this add.
B. What he can do is little to our case, but what he will do. If you
once take that course, to teach men to look for assurance of their Salva
tion or San&ification, without certain finding that SanUification in them
selves, you will make fad work in the Church of God. For nothing is
more certain, than that without Regeneration , Conversion, and Holi-
ness, none shall see God. And that ifany man have not the Spirit of
Christ, which must be known by his fruits, he is none of his, Job.' 3.3.5.
Math. 18. 3. Heb. 12. 14. Rom. 8. 9, 13. Gal. 5. 21. And that it is he
Ee that
 Os perseverance.

that repenteth and believcth that shall be saved. And to be sure that a
man is sanctified, and not to be sure that he hath the Graces of Sanctifi-
cation, is a contradiction 3 to be sure and not sure of the same thing.
And to say you are sure of Heaven without Holiness, is to fay that you
are sure that Gods Word is false.
C. '* But the witness of the Spirit certisteth us of all.
B. True : And what is that } As your Reason witnefleth or eviden-
ceth that you are a man, and your Life witnefleth that you are an Ani
mal, so the Spirit witnefleth that you are one of Christs 3 that is, the
sanctifying, illuminating, quickening work ofthe Spirit : For the Having
of the Spirit is your witness : And to have the Spirit is to have Holiness,
which is his works which also the Spirit, to compleat his witness , help-
eth us both to A&-> increase, discern, and take comfort in.
Q. 5. And I next then ask you, whether he that will have certainty'
of Salvation, must not also have (beyond a strong opinion) a certainty
that this Do&rine of certain perseverance is true ?
C. "Tes: Ho doubt of it.
B. And are the generality of Professors certain of it, when not only
the Greeks and Romans, but also all the Lutherans and Arminians , ana
most Anabaptists utterly deny it ? I grant that men may be confident in
the opinion which they are educated or fain into. But are the unlearned
certain, when most of the Learned are confident of the contrary > Fol
lowing our Leaders eagerly is not certainty.
C. " It''sgranted you.
B. Q. 6. I ask then, , seeing so exceeding few of your own fide are
truly certain of their Salvation, who never receive the Arminims opi
nion, whether that be it that hindereth their certainty?
II.And now let us try in what Measure their Doctrine hindreth comfort?
Q. 1 . Do you not think that many ofthose ofyour ownfide have much
comfort though they attain not to assurance.
• C. Tes : Experience tells it us.
B. Q^2. Do you not think that some, yea many of the old Christians
for a thousand years after Christ, had comfort, who yet were not ofyour
opinion of Perseverance ? All the Martyrs and great Sufferers for Christ,
and the excellent Pastors, were not comfortless.
C. " That cannot be denyed.
B. Q^g. Do you think that none ofthe Nations ofGreeks, Arminians,
Lutherans , nor any of the Anabaptists of their mind , do live in the
comfortable hopes of Heaven }
C. Tes, No doubt but many do.
B. Why then you see that comfort may be had without certainty of
Salvation. But I proceed to the Nature of the Cafe it self
Q. 4. Would not your life be uncomfortable if you fore-knew that
you should commit Murthef, Adultery, Incest, deny Christ, &c. kill
your own Father, Mother, Wife or Child 3 and lye as long as David did
in your Sin 3 (much more to fin as Solomon did) >'
C. '* Tes 3 J mutt needs be less comfortable insuch a, profpett.
B. C4 5. Would it not much grieve you ifyou knew that you should
fall from the Degree of Grace received, to the very least that is consi
stent with sincerity.
C. " It must needs be my grief 5 but yet such as would consist with greater
"comfort, because it con^steth with Salvation.
B. Q. 6. Are you certain that these two last Cases to commit such
heinous sins, and to fall so far from Grace, may not be your Case >
C. " No ; I cannot be sure of it j because it may stand with Grace.
B. C^7.
 Os ^Perseverance* 211
———— —— — A ' —m—
B. Q. 7. Tell me then, what is it that now keepeth you from those
sorrows which would befall you , if such a thing should be ?
C. " The great hope that I have that it will never be,
B. What are the Reasons of those your hopes ?
C. 1. " Because ikpowthat God is Good and merciful in himself. 2. And
*l he dealeth with man upon terms ofGrace. 3. And he hath given me expe*
lirience of his mercy to my self. 4. And I have his general promises that \
" He will not fail me nor forsake me : which though they assure me not that
" Istall not so fall , yet they assure me that he will not so far forsake me,
'* withoutsome heinous negleU of his Grace. 5. And I feel in my self a
" present detestation ofsuch heinousfins, and a fixed judgment and Refolu-
" tion against them : And though I have not power of my self to avoid
" mutation, and backsliding, yet ihae/e reason to truSt him for the keeping
" of this Grace, whdfreely gave it me. And the truth is, though man be
" mutable, he is not apt to fear the change of his own mind, when he is
" conscious that it is resolved on sound and unquestionable reason. 6. And
" it is not nothing, that I have been keptfrom allsuch fin till now. 7. And
<c that it is a rare thingfor any faithful person, so tofall : And why should I
" fear that which not one of a multitude everfalleth into.
B. And why may not all these reasons comfort others, that are un
certain of their Perseverance in a state of Grace (Allowing but the
difference of the degrees of the dangers.)
(\ 8. Do you think that your Wife or Children are certain that you
will not Murther them.
C. " Ho : they cannot be certain.
B. Qf 9. Would it not make their lives sorrowful if they knew that
you would do it ? # r . . • .
C. Tes, no doubt.
B. Q. 10. What keepeth them from ever tasting os such sorrdW9
at all?
C. <c Such reasons as I before named toyou. They kjtow that lama Bus-
*' band and father, and have natural affections, not mad, nor wichgd, but
" abhorsuch a thing, and they know that my love daily causeth me to do
" them all the good I can j and theysee nothing to make them fear the con-
**' trary 5 and such a Villany is not heard of in many Kingdoms in an
« Age.
B. But they are as uncertain that they shall not by some heinous
icrime (even the seeking of your death) provoke you.
C. " Men fear not that which their judgments and Wills are so averse to
" and resolved againli, as that there is no probability of a Change.
B. You see then upon what terms the ancient Fathers, (even Augustine
himself that denyed certainly of Salvation) and the Martyrs and other
Christians of their times , and the most of the Christians now in the
world , do hold their comforts : And that uncertainty of Perseverance
overthroweth not all solid peace.
Q. II. But doth not the exclusion of Certainty ofpresentsincerity and
justification, much more exclude Comfort , than doth the exclusion of
Perseverance alone.
C. " Tes, no doubt : For to be sure that I am at present in a slate of LizJo.GirbarJsTo.t.
"life, and to have verystrong probabilities that Istallso live and dye, must Jr1act'nI?*iePcccat'^
"be much more comfortable than to be uncertain whether I now am or ever D, difirmu 9*tnu.
«« was in a state of life. Mort- &
B. If therefore not one of many score or hundreds have a certain
knowledge of their sincerity and Justification , who are of your own
opinions, are you fit to cry out of others as the destroyers of Christian
comfort, on the foresaid account ? Eea C. " They
 Of perseverance.

C. "'They destroy it by their Doctrine, and so do not we : It is with

" Uji lKt metis ownfin and infirmity that hindereth it.
B. Q. 12. What say you to your Doctrines before objected against
you? i. That no man can be certain of Salvation, who is not certain
that if he had the strongest Temptations in the world, he should not be
overcome by them to fall away. Do not these put the comforts of the
weak as hard to it, as their Doctrine doth }
C. " These are True Doctrines, but Theirs are false.
B. That is the controverfie, which I am not determining : I only an
swer your aggravation of nncomfortableness of their Doctrine.

The second Crimination.

Pet: AHiac. Camcr. C. " Their DoSrine makgth God to be Mutable, and his gifts and calling
ai.q.i».c4>««M« ra- cc to ye , to repentance \ and that one day he loveth a man. and
ttonalts Cteatvrt a Deo , , . f. . . 7 , «•/..-/ i ,f , .
tr*de(lin»tapttji damna- the next day hateth htm , one day jujtijtetb and another condemneth
ri, & qitxlibit Reprobata « him.
tnf, SDt^sdaiifpttUm B. This charge is injurious, upon groft mistake 3 and on the like
«> gioriam libm dibit ■. grounds may be laid against your selves. For,
Ton Ze Q 1. Do you not hold that God hateth all the workers of iniquity >
licet b*c conclnjio dt vir- C. tiTes .* OS fetch.
^k$£Stt B-^' And that he that believeth not is condemned already, and
teUtUa, est falsa. Thus that all Infidels and Heathens are unjustified ?
ajujc quarrel is about C « rw 5 though God may decree to justifie them hereafter.
B. Q^3. But doth not God after Love and Justifie such as are con-
verted >
C. " Tes 3 none doth deny it.
B. Q. 4. If then this prove not God to be mutable , to Justifie and
Love such as he condemned and hated, why should it prove him muta
ble to condemn and hate such as he Justified and Loved ? I do not fay that
he doth so 3 but ifhe did, or do, it will not prove any change in God.
For as he that is One causeth all Diversity and Multiplicity of Beings 3 so
he that is Immutable, causeth innumerable Mutations : The change is
in the Creature, and not in God.
C. " Is it not a change to Hate where he Loved ? These are imma-
** nent acts.
B. No more than to Love where he Hated 3 In Man such words signifie
a change, but not in God : For it is not Gods Immanent acts as Imma
nent that are changed, viz,. His A&ivity, understanding or JP*7/init self:
But only that Immanent Act as Objedively Transient (if not effectively ) 5
so that it is only , 1 . The termination of the essential eternal Act on this
or that OhjeS. 2. The Relation of it to that object 3 3. The Extrinsic^.
Denomination ofit,from that Relation, by Connotation, which are changed
and diverfifyed 3 and this inferreth no change in God.

The third Crimination*

C. " At least they make his Covenant changeable , as condemning a man

*' one day whom it justified the day before.
B. Not at all. The Covenants Action is physically none, but only
such as some call a Repufativc Acts that is , per modum stgnij and as
 Of 'Perseverance:

the Fundamentum causeth the Relation. Gods Legislation was a real

Action : But the Law made doth not Act, at all ; But improperly,moralty,
or metaphorically is said to Act, when it doth not 3 what Action doth
the sign post perform? or the post and hand at a cross way? or all the
Letters! nail your Library which teach you the greatest mysteries ? none
at all ? It is you that are Active on them. What Action do millions of
Eggs at the Indiet perform every time your Hen layeth ? And yet they
then have a new Relation of Similitude. So Gods Law (nor Mans nei
ther) is not at all changed , while ut tnXhumentum morale per modum
figni & fundament},it condemneth the Infidel,and justifieth the Believer,
no more than when it justifieth him at conversion whom it condemned
before. The change is only ("really) inthe person.

• The fourth Crimination.

<2. " They make Gods Covenant to be but Conditional, and deny that ah-
"Joint e promise, I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart
"from me.
B. I find this Controversie (whether this promise, and that of taking
away the hard heart, &c. was Conditional or Absolute , to be harder
than sometime I thought it had been. And the determining which of
you doth rightliest expound the Scripture is not my businefs.;But, i.The
Jefuites and Lutherans and many Armenians confess, that God hathfore-
told that certain Individual persons (hall persevere and be infallibly
laved. 2. That this prediction may well be called a Promise in several
respects ; 1. In that it is de bonefuture a. As it is made to ChriSi , that
he shall see of the travail of his Soul, and that none shall take those that
are given him by the Father, out os his hands. 3. As it is made to Man
kind in general , that there shall be certain (innominate) persons ofthem
infallibly saved. 4. As it was made to the Israelites in special, that there
should be more Grace given them, so that they should not depart from
«God to Idolatry at their return from Captivity, as they had done
(which is the true meaning, I think, ofthe Text). But I ask of you,
Q. 1. Doth the promise called Absolute (of taking away the heart of
stone, &c.~) give any person a Right before- hand to the benefit ?
C. "N<tf such a K\ght as that any one can claim it as his own due, or
*' know that he is the person to whom it belongeth : But such a right as that
'** he is really the man to whom itshall be given.
B. So you may fay of Gods meer secret Decree,or ofa meer Prophecy.
2. What comfort then can any man have by that promise, before it
is performed, when he knoweth not that he is one that it belongs to ?
C. " No more than that whichyou Jay before they grant.
Is not this cited by you of the fame fort ?
C. " In respeU to thefirst part it is, [I will put my fear into their hearts']?
*' but not as to the second part [They Jhall not departfrom me"]. For men that
** have Gods fear, may kpow that it belongs to them.
• B. It is strange that all the ancient Doctors and Churches fora thou
sand years, were ignorant of this plain Promise, if it mean that none
that have Gods fear shall departfrom him. But ifone fay that it fpeaketh
only of the sews after the Captivity, not turning from God to Idols 5
and another fay, that it conjoyneth two distinct benefits promised to
certain persons, (whosoever) but doth not make them as receivers of the
'first, to he formally the Subje&s of the second ; and so doth not promise
 Os Perseverance.

to all that have Gods /ear, but to those meant in the Text only, that
they shall not depart : and if a third say that the promise is conditional 5
I am not now to decide this controversie : Augufiine thought that it was
spoken only of the Elect, and not os all that truly feared God. And as
Gods promise to the Israelites , that they should be brought out os
Egypt, and brought to the Land of Canaan, did not mean that every man
that had the first should have the second j As the promise to the Apo
stles that they should have the Spirit of Miracles or tongues, and should,
be saved, did not mean that every one that had that Spirit should be
saved 5 so doth Au&in expound, Rom. 8. 30. limiting all the following
sayings to those that Verse 28. are said to be Called according to bis pur
pose. But to decide this is not my present work.

The fifth Crimination. ■

C. " They make a second Regeneration necejsary, unless with the Uova-
" tians, they will deny pardon to those that fall aster the first.
B. Do they say so expresly 3 or is it only a consequent of their
Doctrine? •
C. " It follovpeth plainly, though they say it not.
B. 1. There will be no end of odious accusations, if the Adversaries
shall choose what Doctrine'men shall be laid to hold, as he spineth out
consequences 5 what if they think that your Doctrine unavoidably
brings in Anabaptists (the denyal of Infant Baptism, I mean).
C. " That werestrange indeed : Some wen son draw quid vis ex quo Vis.
B. Answer this series. of connexed Theses.
1. No one falleth away from a state of Justification (that's your
Ground).
2. Many Baptized in Infancy prove wicked at Age.
3. Therefore none of those were justified in or before Baptism.
4. Therefore the Justifying Covenant was not sealed to them as to con
senting persons (by themselves or Parents) who have a present right to
this benefit (else Gods Covenant should be false or fail.)
5. Therefore they received not Christian Baptism : For, 1. Christ ne
ver instituted a Baptism, to seal any other Covenant, but that which
giveth pardon and Justification. 2. Christ never instituted Baptism , to
give only a future pardon to future conjenters ; but only to invest Sacra-
mently present Consenters (or Covenanters, by themselves or ParentsJ
with present pardon. These two are certain verities , easily proved,
whatever some talk of future pardon by Baptism.
6. Therefore they are to be rebaptized.
I think I can loose the links of this chain, or confute the last conclu
sion : But I leave you to your proper work. Davenant and Ward thought
it must be done by denying your first Thesis. I assure you the trifling
distinctions, ofan outward and an inward Covenant, and of the benefit
of church Priviledges sealed to all, and Salvation only to the Elect, or
of present and future Justification sealed] will not do this difficult busi
ness. You must do better, or be Anabaptists.
2. Either it is quoad Nomen or quoad rent that they infer a second
Regeneration, not as to the Name: For they so deny it. As to the
Thing, 1 .Some hold that men indeed may totally fall from special Grace j
but that no such are ever recovered: Though other Grofle Sins, which
are not such a total Apostacy may be pardoned. These cannot be said
to
 Of Perseverance. 2i j

to hold two Regenerations. ( a. The reft fay that the word Regenera
tion (like Generation and Creation') doth not only signifie the causing of
Holiness in the Soul, but the Order of doing it, that it be Nowfirtt done,
and not before. As Christ's raising tazart/t was neither Creation nor Ge
neration. So fay they, Grace indeed is after infused <U novo ; but not,
first : Therefore it is to be called Repentance', and not Regeneration. Sq
that the change they confess, but the Name of Regeneration they reject
as incongruous.

The fixth Crimination.

C. *' They go against the VoUrine of Augustine,Profper and Fulgentius.

t. This is the rastieft charge of all the rest. Beyond all controversie
these three Fathers, held that all the Elect persevered 5 but that some
were Justified, Sanctified, Loved God, were in such a state that had they
dyed in, they had been saved, who yet are not Elect , but fall finally
away and perish, and that none can ordinarily be certain of perseverance
and Salvation , at least but strong confirmed Christians (which Vojjius
thinketh he excepted, but I cannot prove it).
If you cannot have leisure to read Austin himself, read but, i.What
I have said lib. t. 2. What I said in my Treatise of Perseverance. 3.What
Vojjius faith Hist. Pelag. de Perfever. 4. And the very words in the Jan-
fenists, Paulut Eryn. in his Trias Patrum. In a visible matter of fact,
which all the world may see , that man who will deny this (as yet many l
have done, and even Dr. Kendall till Bishop Vjher in my hearing and at
my motion satisfied him) doth but tell us how men otherwise pious abuse
Gods Church, by trusting to their Leaders, and mifreporting visible and
copious Writings, and founding bitter censures and invectives upon such
dreams, and yet thinking that all this is the Work of God. The Lord
pardon and heal his Servants hasty partial judging of things and persons,
and the bitterness, uncharitablenefs, injuries, contentions and divisions
that have followed thereupon.

The jutt Extenuation of this last Controverste.

IN all these things following , the parties are agreed (for the most
considerable).
t . That Adam fell from true Righteousness and Holiness, and lost the
Spirit.
2. That therefore we cannot argue from the Nature ofHoliness alone
to prove that it cannot be lost.
3. That as the word Pojjible relateth to man's Power to do evil and
omit good, it is not only Pojjible to fall away, but tooeasie : yea, iti*
not opus potentiæ fed Impotentite, except as Natural Power is exercised
in the meer AU, with Moral Impotency*
4. Yea, without Gods preserving Grace, it is not pojjible to persevere.
5. God hath appointed us much duty to be donethat we may not fall
away: And among the rest, to discern, and fear the danger of falling
away 5 and in that fear to depart from evil and temptations.
6. God hath promised us Salvation, on Condition that we persevere.
7. God oft threatneth the faithful with damnation, if they fall away,
and describeth to us the sin and misery of Apostates* 8. The

*
 2 j5 Os Perseverance.

8* The Justified may lose many degrees of true Grace, and dye with
far less than once they had, and so become uncapableof that Greater
Glory, which they were morally capable of before.
9. It s too possible for them to fall into heinous sin .• They are not cer
tain that they shall never commit Adultery, Incest, the Murther of Pa
rents, Wife or Children, &c. nor certain just how oft they may so fah\
or not.,
s« the 8ri«»[b Di- 1°. Such Sins make them so far morally uncapable of Glory, as that
vines Suffrages at Dm, a sound Repentance for them, and from them, and a renewal of Faith,
of perseverance. are ^^ff^y lo ftf\ rjght or moral capacity.
1 1. God doth not decree any man's perseverance, let him live never
so securely, negligently or vitioufly : For those that do so are fain al
ready : It is a contradiction,^ persevere in holiness, and to live unholily.
But Gods Decree is ever entire, that such a one shall fear danger, fly
temptations, live holily in the use ofmeans, and therein persevere unto
the end : Me never separated these in his Decrees.
u t voffi HiH*r.Tf 1 2> Except Hitrome truly^ accuse "jovinian with it, there is not (that
14% Ptrjtvtrant. I know of) any Father, Christian, or Heretick, that hath written that
., no truly Justifyed persons fall finally away from Grace aadperjJJj, for
. above a thousand years after Christ : And it's commonly granted that
generally they held the contrary : Even Augustine, Prosper and Fulgen-
tiits not excepted. .
1 3. It is confessed to be a fad clog to the contrary opinion, that it is
held against the Judgment of the Universal Church for above a thousand
years, and so seemeth to bear the imputation of novelty and singularity :
Though that be not a sufficient confutation of it.
14. It is confessed that the Gree^ and Roman Church the Lutherans
and Arminians, and most Anabaptists, are against this Doctrine. .
' .' 1 5. It is confessed that all these Fathers , and Churches of old, and
all these Churches and Christians of late, are not void of the Christian
comforts of the Gospels even offaith and hope of Glory.
1 6. It is confessed that the Scripture hath many passages, so much
seeming to favour both the opinions, as hath made the controversie thus
difficult to so many Learned Godly Men: And what the Scripture is , it
will be, to the worlds end.
- 1 7. It is confessed that none can be sure of Salvation or perseverance,
who are not first sure of.their Sincerity, and Justification.
18. And to be uncertain whether one be a true believer , and justi
fied, is more uncomfortable than to be sure of that , and uncertain of
his perseverance.
19. No man can ordinarily be certain that he is Sanctified and Justified,
that is not certain of the truth ofthe Gospel, and hath Grace somewhat
strong and active, not clouded by great Soul-wounding Sins, nor fright
ful or melancholy passions 3 nor any that through Ignorance is uncertain
of the true Nature of the conditions of the Covenant of Grace. .'
20. Certain experience of the defect of these qualifications, and of
mens own Confessions, aslureth us, that not one of a multitude of the
strict Religious sort, have that which we call proper certainty of their
Sincerity, Justification and Salvation : though they hold against thQ
Arminians that certainty of perseverance must be asserted , as that
which may be attained by them that arc first certain that they are in a
state oflife.
2 1 . Yet the sore-mentioned knowledge ofGods Mercy, Christ's Love
and Covenant, with experience and many evidences of great probabi
lity may cause even such as are uncertain of their Justification, to live in
some
 Of Terfeveravce.

some good measure of woe Christianpeace, though mixed with some' doubts
and stars : Because their Probability: is, much greater than efteitf tause'of
fear. And much more -may they do-so, that doubt only of their parsed
ranees <:': : ' ''■ \-n ■ ».« io v;,... . fcl: la\,\ 'uy.lL'j
• must be confessed that the ft©ctrine thatnone fall from (Jtastificft*
tion, fcath its temptation also to diseomfort, as in thetwoe^thtetfo^e-rriett-i
tionedpsttticulars C which- I'll notirepeat.')' ;*j ;j . i r!L) y-nivn^j o
23. Itis confessed chax if Godstioultl - condemn Jihofe -wtioiji ^ before
Justified, it would argue no change in Him or his Word^bibtiSft theni
alone.
24. It is confest that some Justified persons (who live in as much
fin, as will stand with sincerity ) are at present unfit for assurance of per
severance and salvation : For it would not stand with that humbling corre
ction which they are then most fit for.
25. Lastly, it is confest that this point is no Article of our Creed, nor
is an agreement in it necessary to Church-communion or Christian Love,
but difference in it must be accounted tolerable*

In all this the moderate are commonly agreed. On the other side*

1 . It is commonly granted that all that are elected to salvation shall

persevere (though how far that election is upon foresight they quar
rel. ) Cur ergs id quod Apifilii
2. It's granted by all that not only such eUaUn.bUt fore-knowledge of jZ%!l™ftintEL*
-, °, r * 1 i_ • , • /-rvf 1 r aims pro omnibus pradittii
salvation and perseverance, maketh it Logically Impossible, quoad consequen- iœi* ftcitftjtputiiari mo-
\ tiam, not to persevere: that is, It Neceslarily followeth, ("God foreknow- *#iicarn
i_ • tl r «•» •11 r -1 & perfmrantlam e:s obti-
eth it : Therefore it will come to pass. J nmt ? rams, mdtiMH
2. It is commonly granted that God forsaketh none till they forsake fnaUit transit cmvtrfki
• j^ 4 ntm eorum & perfeveranti-
4. And that so great is his Goodness that no willing foul, that solidly chrism pro omnibus
underilandeth the Grounds of the Christian faith and hope, and is in Love ffifj^fi Z]n$\Z.
"with God and Holiness, and willing to use means and avoid temptations, um giwitm & gratim
hath any reason to vex himself with any such fears, as consist not with a o^ifft ? vasijuez
life of greater hope and peace and comfort. And that living by faith on ^ * 23' a* 8*
Christ and his Spirit and General promise, they should comfortably Trust
him with their souls.
5. It's granted that the more Faith, Love, Holiness and obedience any
hath, the nearer they may come to full assurance of persevering : and may
live the more confident and joyful lives.
6. Many with Austin hold an Antecedent absolute special Election to
faith and perseverance : and that no such elect ones fall away.
7. Many hold that besides Election, a degree of Grace called Confirma
tion, doth settle some in a certainty of perseverance : and neither the
Elefi nor Confirmed fall away: And that the confirmed may be certain of
their own cletfion, perseverance and salvation. And this seemeth to be
the opinion of Origen, Macarius and divers Antients : Even that God
doth with Believers as he' did with the Angels, and Adam, to whom
he w ould have given confirming Grace, had he at first overcome.
And where faith hath kindled so much LOVE to God and Heaven
and Holiness, as that it is become a Divine nature in the soul, and ope
rates h as the Love of Children to Parents, above meer Reason, as a fixed
Habit, like a nature, then Grace seemeth to some Confirmed and not
loscable.

H All
2i 8 Of Terseverance.

All these Concessions laid together ( and more which I could fetch
from the most learned Schoolmen, ) do shew, that though here the diffe
rence be real, it is in a point and a degree^ where humane frailty, and
the difficulty, and the non-necessity of a fuller understanding it, do fully
! prove to all sober, self-knowing , loving believers, that it is their du
ty to bear with one another, without the quenching of brotherly Love^
or denying Christian-communion to each other : But the wicked will
do wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand : but the wife ihall
understand, Dan, iz, io.
 The Eleventh Daycs

CONFERENCE;

Of Christs Righteousness imputed : of Faith, Justification,

and mans duty ; their several parts, to a (jhriftians
Comfort. . ■ i

Speakers: Saul, Paul, a LibertineTenchet.

CHAP. I.

*l S. £^lRt 1 am »»w come to you in a greater straight than I was

{< in before : I have met with a Tiacher that tells me you are
a deceiver, and have all thts while misted me , and have
" taught me to build uson the sand of my own Righteousness,
ua»d [et me on doing to my own undoing; and that I have not built on
iC the Righteousness of Christ, and therefore all will end in my overthrow
"and ruine: 1 was not able to answer him; And I have ftevailed with
.** him to come to you, that I may hear you speak together.
P. Did not I tell you before-hand of such temptations 1 and give you
instructions for your preservation against .them i,
" S. / confess you did : But I find my self insufficient to use them
" without help when it comes to tryal.
p. The truth is, Infant Christians will still need the help of their El
ders, and of Christs Ministers, when they have been never so well fore
armed as you needaPhysicion in your sickness, after all the preventing
directions which he can give you; And you have done well to bring him,
and to hear both sides together. Had you trusted to your own understand-
ing, and only disputed it out privately with himself, you might have been
ensnared to your danger; I shall willingly conserr with him on these twoi
conditions : x. That you remember that itisTVa and not Him that I am
to fatisfie : and therefore wherj I havefatified you, I have done: For to
follow him as long as he will talk, will waste more time, than we have
to spare. 2. That when you are delivered from this snare , you will re
member that you must^rneet with many more such in the world: TheA-
"nabaptist will say as much to you for his way, and the Papist much more.
Tor his way -j And most of them will affright you with the danger of
damnation, if you turn not to them : Therefore when ever you are:
assaulted" by any of them, bring them to me, and hear us together, as
you now dou,,-- • .

, r FT i Lib, i
 220 Of imputed Righteousn. Of Faithjfustif.&Mans duty-.

Lib. / am firry to fee how you abuse poorfouls, and. build, them not on
Christ, but on themselves } what a deal have you said to <his man of'Do
ing and of Working, and horv little ofBelieving t Tou have set him on tasks
of Duty, and he thinketh notv to Do this and Live, and to be saved in
his own doings ; his repenting, his praying, his keeping the Lords day, &c.
while the poor man knoweth not Jesus Christ , and fmmitteth not to the
Righteousness of Cod. Tou will needs be aTeacher tf the Law,, andbnng
back poor fouls to bondage, that Christ may profit them nothing ; but trust
ing to their own works and righteousness for life , they may fall from
gracef and be found in their nakedness andfin.
P. Sir, these General exclamations do but tell us, that there is something
that you difler from us in, but tell us not what. If you are a lover ot
truth, and will speak to edification, tell us distinctly what are the points
of our doctrine which you dislike : and let us debate them one by one.
Lib. Among many others the chief are these, I. Thatyou must net have
wen come to Christ tiS they are prepared. I L That you set men on Re
penting* and Doing, and Working for salvation, and so teach them to trust
in a Righteousness of their own ; and do not tell them that All Christs Righ
teousness is ours being imputed to us, and that Believing is our Conversion,
to which you are to call men : ifthey Believe, they have a perfect Righte
ousness in Christ. III. That you overthrow the Gospel, in making it a
Law. I V. Andyou make the new Covenant to be made with us, when
Christ is the only party in Covenant with God. V. And you make the new
Covenant to have Conditions, and so to be thesame with the old. VI. You
make Justifying faith to be a believing in Christ as a Teacher and Law
giverf that y^u may lead in works : and not a meer Believing in him for
Righteousness. VII. Tou make Faith to justice as a condition of ourper
formance^ and not meerly an Instrument of our Justification, or apprehend
ing Christ. VIII. Tou make faith in it self to be imputed to us for
Righteousness, and not Christ only the objeB offaith. I X. That God is
made Mutable by you, and forgiveth and justtfieth them when they believe,
whom he did not justifie from eternity. X. That a justified man must be
afraid lest his fin should unjustifie htm again. XL Tou make men think
that they are able to believe of themselves. XII. Tou callmen toButies^
and to Mortification,before they believe and are regenerate. X It I. Instead
of the witness ofthe Spirit,you comfort men by the Evidence of their own holi
ness and righteousness. These with abundance more., are the errors, by
which you corrupt and deceive poor fouls.
P. Becaule Christ would have his Servants as Teachable as Children,
and not to strive by needless disputes, I pray you be you the Teacher, and
I will be the Learner, and tell me what you would have us believe in
these particulars which you have named. And first of the first.
The first Charge. Lib. I. Men must be taught to come presently to Christ without stay
ing for Preparations, and not discouraged, delayed or kept off. •
P. By [comings I suppose you mean [Believing and Accepting."} 1
pray you teach me further then : Quest, r. Must men believe in Christ be
fore they Hear of him ?
Lib. No : How shall they believe cn him of whom they have not
heard ? -oosf
P. Quest. 2. Must they Believe that he is the Mediator between God
and man, before they have learned that there is a God ? and that this God
is True, and Just Quest. 3. Or before they have leamt that man is a sin
ner > and deserveth death? and what sin is Quest. 4. Or before they have
learnt that we cannot redeem and save our selves •:
Lib.
 their several parts tod Christians Comfort-. ) . 22 i

Lib. No: That were a contradiction.

p. Quest. 1. Must men Believe tlm Christ is the Son of God>and the
Saviour of his Church, before they have learnt what it is to be the Son of
God < or what a Saviour is? and what is the salvation which he hath,
wrought, and will vouchsafe us t before they understand the Articles of the
Christian faith 5 that he was conceived, born, suffered, was buried, rose,
ascended, is glorified, and the like i
Lib. No man can Believe that which be doth not Understand. , . ,. v-
P. Quest. 6. Must men take Christ for their Saviour, before they hear
tily peiceivethat they want a Saviour, through sin and misery < and that
they are lost for ever if he save them not i and that no other; can do it i
Lib. No: this is an impossibility and contradiction.
P. Quest. 7. Must a man take Christ for his Saviour, before he is willing
to be saved i ;
Lib. Tes : tie mast come to Christ to make him willing, and not think
that he must bring willingness with hirst : This is your Legal doctrine.
P. Quest. 8. Is not Accepting Christ , an Act of the will ? a willingness
that hejhaS be my Saviour ? And do you fay, that a man must be willing Jtt
have Christ before he ts willing ? and not stay till he is willing ?
Lib. Tou would make me ridiculous: Jfay not, that he must take Christ
before he is willing • But lie must come to Christ for a will.
P. In defpight of edification you will stick in the Metaphor [Conte to
Christ }: What mean you by coming ?
Lib. Poor blind foul ! if you had been taught ofGod you would have
known what it is to Come to Christ / But you will not some to him.
P. With such exclamations you cheat the ignorant ! Cannot you tell
your own meaning < What mean you by s_ Coming to Christ"}?
Lib. / mean Believing in him, and casting my self wholly on him.
P. Still you stick in Metaphors : Can you cast your self uson him
for d willy before you are willing? Is not that casting your self, the act
of your will, which we call Trust or Affiance i
Lib. Tou would hide your Lyes with words j Tou teach that men must
have good desires before they come to Christ ; as if they must bring with
them good desires of their own, or by Preparatory Grace !
Pi Quest. $>. Can a mm Accept of Christ as a Saviour to save him frorri
fin and punishment and Gods displeasure, and to justifie, sanctifie and glo- ,
tisie him, before he hath any desire to be saved from sin or punishment, or
Gods displeasure* or to be justified, sanctified or glorified i
Lib. He that hath nosuch DefireS, must come to Christ for them, and
believe.
P. Still s_ Coming } must hide your sense : Doth Christ give these T>e-
stres to be saved, before we Take him for our Saviour by Consent i or
aster f
Lib. Tou are catching me by craft, if I say [Before,'} you will say]
Then it is Preparatory to our Consent. If I fay [After, } you will fay,
that it is impossible to consent to the Means till a Man desires the end;
and to Accept a Saviour before he is willing to be saved. But besides this,
you tell men that they must not come to Christ, till they are broken-heart-
*d, and sorrow for their fms : Tou heat the wine of the Gospel so hot, that
it shall burn mens lips, and then invite them to it,
j>. Ques. to. Is it possible for a man Heartily to perceive that he is
a heinous sinner, and hath, displeased God, abused mercy, killed Christ, un
done his soul, and Wronged others, and not be sorrowful for it < nor be vile
in his own exes, or feel that he is a lost sinner i
1 . L*}
222 Ofimputed Righteousn.Of Faith,fustiferMam duty.

Lib. No : but aU this he must come to Christ for, or Believe for.

P. Do you mean that he must first Believe that the Gospel is True, and
that Christ is an Ostered Saviour 5 or else, do you mean that he must first:
Accept him as offered for a Saviour ; or do you mean that he must first:
Believe that he is his Saviour accepted ? or do you mean that he must
, first Trust in him as his Saviour? All these are different acts.
Lib. Tou would confound us with your distinctions to keep out the light : '
This is the trick ofsuch carnal Sophisters.
P. Saul, You hear what this man hath to fay against us. You hear
that when he hath cryed out against Preparations to Believing, that here are
ten several Preparations which he cannot deny. I will now tell you what
is our Doctrine and the truth, about Preparations.
We hold that Christ is the True Light who lightcth every man thac
cometh to God ; but in various degrees, by various means : He is the Lord
ofNature as its Restorer, Rom. 14.9. All power in Heaven and Earth is
given to him, and all things put* into his hand, Matth. 28. 18, 19. John
17. 2, 3. John 5.22. He teacheth those that have not the Gospel, (and
those that have it, first ) by the Light of Nature, many Natural Truths,
as that there is a God who is Almighty, Wise and Good, that we owe him
our Love and duty, that he is Just, cjrc. As the Sun enlightneth the earth
at its rising before it appear it self, so doth Christ the world. By the
Gospel, he teacheth us more, even supernatural truths, about himself and
our Redemption, &c. Some commoner co-operation of his Spirit goeth
along with the Gospel, convincing and moving many that are not yet ( or
at all) converted : Those that Christ converteth savingly , are first in
order brought townderstand the Meaning of the word3 and next to Believe
the Truth of it, and so to Believe what Christ is, and what he hath done
and suffered for us, and what need we have of him by sin and misery, and
how freely he is offered to our salvation : And they are moved so scrioufly
to consider all this, till it prevail with their wills, first to desire not only
their own deliverance from Hell and misery, as all men may do, but also
from a state of sin; and then to desire Christ as a Saviour to effrctit, and
bring them home to God: And believing that he is freely offered to them,
they next thankfully Accept him by consent, and Trust him and give them
selves to him. And all this is Christs own work upon them : but in this
order and by these degrees. So that coming to Christ signifieth divers acts,
of which one is preparatory to the other. ...
And whereas he tells you, that we keep men offfrom christ till they are
prepared, judge you whether he speak truth or falfhood. Do we use to
call to sinners and fay [Do not believe that Christ Reconcile th God and
man till you first believe that there is a God. Do not make haste and
believe that Christ will save you from misery before you believe that you
are miserable: Or that he will warn away and pardon your sin, before you
believe that you are sinners and need a pardon : Do not consent thac
Christ (hall be your Saviour before you are willing to be saved 5 or before
you believe that he hath dyed, rose, &c. and is offered you. ] What
need we perswade men from Impossibilities? Is itjw,' or their own necessi
ty that keepeth them from Consenting before they Believe , and from be
lieving before they Understand? We do as it were intreat poor sinners who
love their dungeon, to open the windows that the Light may come in:
And these men rail at us, and fay, that we perswade men not to let in the
light till they have first opened the windows ! What need we do thit,
when it is impossible to do otherwise? We perswade men to believe thac
- they are sick, that they may go to the Phyiicion: And they rail at as for
pcrswading!
 their several parts to a Christians Comfort, 225

perswading men to delay going to the Physicion till they think they are
sick. We exhort sinners that are asleep in sin, to awake and run the
Christian race : And they rail at us, as if we perfwaded them not to run it
till they are awake.
So that the preaching of these men according to their Doctrine must
be thus: f_ Come presently to Christ stay not to hear the Gospel, or to
consider of it , or to understand the meaning of it , before you Trust
Christ as your SaviourrPrefently cast your selves upon him before you know
who he is, or what he hath done for you; antitrust him for the pardon of
your sin before you perceive that you are sinners , or feel any need of
pardon : Stay not for aw/7/, but Take him or Accept him for your Sa
viour before you are willing of him, or willing to be saved. ~] Do you
think this is the only Gospel-preaching ?
I pray you Sir, tell me your self, How would you preach to the Indi
ans if you were Mr. Eliots assistant i or to any other Heathens f Would
you at the first word call them to cast themselves upon Christ for falvati-
fin? before you taught them to know that there is a God, or a Law, or
sin, or punishment,^?
Lib. The Apostle called men presently to Believe in the Lord Jesus
without delay\ Acts 2 . and Acts 1 6. and Ads, 8. &c. And so should we.
P. i. Wnat talk you of Delay? Are we for Delay, any more than you 4
The Angel, Acts 12. that smote Peter and bid him arise and go forth, was
not for his delay, because he bid him not go forth before he arose, and be
fore his fetters were off. 2. And you forget that the Apostles spake to
Jews who had the Preparatory belief of a God, and of the Law, and of
the promise os the Messiah before. 3. And yet they first humbled therri
for sin, Ails 2. 37. till they were pricked at tie heart ; And the Jaytaf
first trembleth, and both say, What must we do? Is this your kind of
prooff And why did all the antient Churches from the Apostles dayes
teach men the Creed or Christian Doctrine, and Catechise them long be
fore they baptized them ? And I think the Anabaptists will do so now :
And I think you would be loth your selves to gather your Churches from
among Heathens, Mahometans or Infidels, till you had taught and prepa-
fed them as much ( at least ) as we require. But let us hear whether in
the second point you have any better or wiser Doctrine to teach us?

CHAP. It

Lib; I L \ 70ik should teach men to believe that all our own Righte-
j[ oujhess is as stithy rags , abominable to God, and to be
cast away with our fins : And that we are neither to trust to, nor to look
at any thing in our selves, for justification^ or acceptance with God-, or to
procure eternal Use : But that Christ hath both satisfied for our fins, and
fulfilled the Law of Innocency for us. God imputed our fins to him, and he
was by Imputation the greatest sinner in all the worlds thegreatest mur
derer, thief fornicator, perjured person, rebell and ungodly man: For the
finr of all the Elect did meet upon him, and were his : Therefore he was
forsaken ofGod, and suffered the same Hell that we deserved. And GoX
imputeth all his satisfaction and righteousness so to us, as that in Gods
account all the Elect (or at least All believers ) did satisfe andfulfill all
the Law in and by Christ : For he was our surety 5 and our Legal Person^
 224 Of imputed Ttyht.Of Faitbfaflif.and Mans duty :

thowb not our Natural person. So that what Christ was we were, and
what Christ did we did, and what Christ suffered we suffered, in Gods ac^
count or imputation: And so we are as righteous as Christ himself, because
all christs righieousnef is oUrs. And we have no other, nor need no other
Righteousness^, at least in order to our "justification i This Righteousness of
Christ ,is. it by which we are Justified by the Law of works, which faith,
[Obey perfectly,, or Do this and Live Q For we Did all that ts requirt d in
and by Christ •: in this Righteousness only God accepteth us : We have
Right to it from eternity by Gods Decree of Election : and our Consciences
ferceive our right upon our Believing 5 And to set men on Doing them
selves for Life, when they should only Do from Life, u to deceive them and
undo them. . .,. : - ; • ... .
P. If these words did offer me any Light, which we had not before re-7
ceived, I should gladly learn, and give yon thanks. But if such talk as
this, be all that must slicw you to be wiser than your neighbours, and war
rant you to rail at them as Legal Preachers, and such as teach Justificati
on by works, my foul must pitty you, and all such poor sinners as are trou
bled or leducedby you. But because this Head containeth many particu
lar doctrines, I pray you let us speak to them in order* -V , /- v . - . .
. J. And first about our own Righteousness* And seeing I am the Learner,'
I must crave your answer as fitted to my own doubts. And Quest, r . Do
you know how many times the words Just, Righteous and Righteousness arc
uscdinthe Bible?
7 Lib. No; J have, not taken such ax account as to tell you.
P, Let us fee the Concordance. Here you find it about six hundred and
twelve times used, besides the words £ Justifie, Justifying and Justification. J
Qttest. 2. ShevV me how many of these six hundred Texts do not speak of
such Inherent or Performed personal Righteousness, as is distinct from such
as you describe in your sense of Imputation.
Try whether one of tweaty or forty or an hundred have such a sencet
Lib. Not ifsuch false teachers as you must be the exjpofitor of them.
P. Let us try some of them, and be you the expositor. 1 Joh. 2. 2 p.'
ou&ess^rne«f6rRi8htC* cne ^tch doth Righteousness is born of God. 1 Joh. 7, 10. he
ou nc s is nccc . Righteousness is righteous, whosoever doth mt righteousness is not
of God. '. : ' " '■' . - " '
Lib. You choose out those texts which countenanceyour own ends.
P. My question is but, Whether Gods word talk of any Righteousness
which consisteth in any thing that is in ox of our selves i
Lib. res : that cannot be denyed : But not in order to our. Justification.
P. Of the use we must speak anon. Quest. 3 . I next ask you then Whe
ther all these texts be not True ? and whether we may not speak as they do i
Lib. Tes : fTe question not the Truth, but the meaning of them. ' - • '
\\K Qu^st'.^. Is this Righteousness as such (in that measure that we
have it ) abominable to God <i Doth not God command it ? and require us
to. obey his Laws sincerely ? And doth he hate the obedience of his Law?
Isnrt mlinesi his Nature and Image in us S And doth he hate his Image
and the Divine Nature? Is it not the mark of a Malignant to be a Hater
of Holiness i yea of the Devil himself ? And can you think that God is a
Hater of Holiness? What! he that hath said, Be holy, for I am Holy,
and Without Holiness none mall see God ! .
Lib, if you were not an unholy deceiver, you would not intimate by such
questions, as tfltook Grd to be a Hater of Holinesi.
P. Isitnoiisf/w^swhich the Scripture and we mean by Inherent Ri^h-
Uousmst? . .-■ - ' . . .•
■"J ' Lib. Bu$
 their several parts to a Chrifihns Comfort, 225

Lib. But God hateth it not as Holiness, but as mixt with fin.
P. Do you Believe, and Love God sincerely, and Love the Godly, or
not?
Lib. Better that such asyou do, or else wo to me.
p. And doth God Hate all your Faith and Love because it is mixt with
sin i If he do, What difference between it and wickedness i or between
you and a wicked man i God can but hate what they do : and doth he
ib by all that you do also? Why then may not your Neighbours imitate
God, and hate all that you dor why may they not then deride and persecute
you, for that which is hateful to God i For shame never more blame then
your scorners or persecutors.
Lib. / do not fay that God hateth my Faith, Love, Humility and patience
as such, but as mixt with fin. Thereforeproperly it ps sin that God hateth,
and not my Faith and Loire it Jelf
p. And is all come to this { -What mean you then to rail at us that fay •
the fame i We all fay that pod hateth our sin, asld the faulty imperfection
of our holiness and obedience i and what fay you more ?
Lib. Butyou fay not that God hateth your Righteousness for the sin that
cleaveth to it, though notfor it self• as we do. Your Goodnefi is like ah
Apple fain into the dirt or poyfoned ; andyou are for wiping it, and keep
ing it : but God and wife men abhor it for the filth, and cast it away.
P. Then it seems you cast away all Love to God arid man, all faith, all
honesty and obedience, chastity and temperance, because sin cleaveth to it.
Lib. By c&fting'ti. away, I do not mean, giving over to Love God and obey
him, and turning wickedly to the contrary ; but I mean that I count it
dung in order to my Justification.
P. I perceive by Teaching me, you are but Learning to [peak your self.
I further ask you, Doth not God Love the Faith, Love, Obedience and
Holiness of his servants, notwithstanding all their faults and imperfections i
Joh. 16. 27. The Father himself loveth you, because you have Loved me
and believed, &c. 2 Cor. 9. 7. God loveth a cheerfulgiver. Psal. 1 1. 7.
The righteous Lord Loveth righteousness with many the like passages.
Doth he not Love his Image i
Lib. That is, because we are in Christ ♦ and our persons and graces and
duties are accepted all in him, being perfumed with his righteousness , and
all our fins and imperfections pardoned and covered thereby : And ai o/lr
Graces are the works of the holy Ghosts and not primarily as ours.
P. Arc you come so far already i All this is held riot only by us, but b/
the Papists also. You confess then that for the merits of Christs Righte
ousness, our sins are pardoned, and not only our persons, but our faith, Love
and obedience, accepted and loved though culpably imperfect arid mixt
with sin. And so all your noise is come to nothing, and you fay as we.
1 1. But having found that we must have Inherent Righteousness, let us Of Reward and w
next consider Wnat use we may make of island how far it may and must thmcftorMcrt-
be valued and trusted to. And Qttest. i . Tell me whether God hath made
any promisees a Reward to it, or not i Turn to the word [Rewards in
your Concordance, if you remember not the Texts, and fee.
Lib. Tour Legalprinciples and spirits makes the Scripture a snare and d
stumbling block toyou, as Christ himself it f when God talketh o/Reward me-
taphorically, you take it properly, as if we could merit any thing of God.
. P. I only ask you, Whether God hath promised us a Reward i
Lib. Tes : But it is a Rewardproperly to Christ, by whose grace we live]
and notJo our felvesi

\ Gg • ti Wheri
OfimputedcRJgbttOfFaitbyfu/lif.and Mans duty :

P. When Christ faith, \_Great U your Reward in Heaven : and your

father Jball rewardyou openly,'] Matth. 5. 12. & 6. 4,6. and [_you Jball
not lose your revpardi ] and Heb. 11.26. [^he had an eye to the recom
mence of reward h 3 and Heb. 11.6. s_ God is a Rewarder of them tint dili
gently seek hip, dec. 3 is.the meaning, f_ Great is Christs Reward in Hea
ven, and God >vill reward Christ openly, and is a Rewarder of Christ only
as diligently seeking him i 81c. ~]
Lib. You would make me ridiculous, /mean that it is for christs Ale-
r'tts or Righteousness which he did himself and not for any thing in us or
done by us, that we are rewarded. ■ '
P. Say you so? Doth diligent seeking him, Heb. 11. 6. and praying
and giving alms in secret, M.atth. 6. 1,2, 3, 4. and suffering for Christ,
Matth. 5.11,12, ancIfee ding, visiting, &c. Chrift in his members, Matth.
25.&C. mean only that which Christ did, and not we■ ? Is it Christs pray-
ers,zndalmes, ana charity and sufferings that the text meanethi Look
over many such texts and judge.
Lib. Still you would make my wtrds contemptible. It is our duties that
are rewarded, but it is not for themselves or any worth that is in them ,
butfor the merits of Christ only.
P. If God have no respect to any thing in our duties in his reward, tell
me, 1. Why are they said so oft to Please him € and we are command
ed to do those things that Please him? and 1 Joh. be heareth us because
we do those things that Please him. 2 . And why then doth he not as well,
for Christs merits or Righteousness, reward our sinning, our folly and va
nity, our idleness, our dreams, or all our natural indifferent actions, as our
Love, and holiness i 3. And why do you and all men regard or reward a
loving thankful.obedient child, more than one that will scorn you and spic
in your face i And why do all Princes and Rulers make any difference be
tween the righteous and the wicked, a rogue and an honest man i And why
do Churches so strictly try the Godliness of their members < Why do you
make any difference in your Communion < What meaneth Church disci
pline < And why are you your selves so desirous to be esteemed Godly
persons, and differenced from others, if God himself do make no diffe
rence t And how is the righteous more excellent than his neighbour and
called Gods jewels and the apple of his eye, his peculiar people, a holy Na
tion, and his treasure? And why is it made the mark of a faithful man,
Psal. 1 5. 4.I that a vile person is contemned in his eyes, but he honoureth
them that fear the Lord, if there be nothing in holiness and obedience any
more than in sin, for God to reward <
Lib. Tou delight to make me seemfoolisb, by your Cavilling ! Tou might
easily understandthat I did not mean thatgood works are no more Rewarda-
ble than Idleness or Evil: But that they are not rewarded for their proper
worthiness, as being faulty and so unjustifiable with God; but it is for the
merits of the Righteousness of Chrift, imputed to believers.
\ P. When you understand what you should say, you will speak intelli
gibly ; But be not angry that your confusion is laid open to you. About
Merit and Imputation we must speak distinctly afterwards. That no works
of'ours are Rewardable till their faultinefs is pardoned, nor Rewardable
according to the Law of Innocency, nor upon any terms but those of the
Covenant of Grace, which freely giveth salvation to penitent believing ac
cepters, which freegift, and acceptance of our duties, is purchased by the
meritorious righteousness of Christ 5 all this we hold as fast as you -do.
We dream not of any access to God but by a Mediator, nor of any ac
ceptance of our selves or our duties, works or righteousness, but on the
account
 their severalparts to a Christians Conifert* 117

account of Christs merits and intercession, by which the sins of our best
works are pardoned, and life eternal freely given to obedient believers.
Of the worthiness of our works we must speak more anon.
Lib. / smell whereaboutyou Are : You make us hear the Pope that is irk
your belly : You mean as the Papists, that Christ hath merited that your
works jball be meritorious. '• .
P. Hath not Christ Merited that our holy Love and obedience be Re
warded i
Lib. Yes: but what's that to Merit? '- 1 ;
P. Hath he not by his Merit made them Rewardable i
Lib. Yej, or else how tan they be Rewarded f
P. Do you not know that by Merit the Papists themselves profess that
they mean nothing but Rewardableness ? At least do we Protestants mean
any thing else by it ^
Lib. what the Papists or you mean, you best: know your selves • but l
know what you fay: And you both talk like the ignorant enemies of Grace.
P. Do you include the Jaafenists who say that all Christs Grace now
is nothing but his irrestible efficient operation of Holy Love in the
foul : and that God moveth us to it necessarily or insuperably i and
that he now giveth no Grace mceiJy sufficient , which is not effectu
al < or meeriy effectual to make us Able, but also to make us ACi?
and that now heleaveth nothing to our Free-mBin Christs gracious ope
rations, but giveth in act all the Will and all the merit that men have f and
that Fear and obedience of a Law written, is our own Legal Righteousness^
("though it respect the new Law but Christs Righteousness which he
giveth us as distinct from our Legal Righteousness, is only his Spirit, or
Love put into the heart < .
Lib. / do not believe that any Papist is so much for free grate.
P. But if you deny it, and the book be opened, and it found there writ
ten, is it nothing to you to be found in fallhood V ■
Lib. But I fay not as Jansenius, that it is the Law written in us, but
Christs Righteousness imputed to us, which is our Righteousness.
P. Did you not even now confess an Inherent Righteousness i— y-
Lib. Yes; but not to our Justification.
P. Of that more anon : By Justification, they mean Making us holy.
Lib. But Jansenius is not a common Papist : why tellyou me of him ?
P. My business here is not to justifie the Papists but to understand your
mind : I d j not think you know what the Papists hold in it.
Lib. / am not ashamed to be a stranger to their Books : But I will bring
one when you will, that shall open the abomination of their doctrine ofmerit ;
TtH then ifs you to whom Ispeak.
P. Content: we will make another dayes work of that* Tell me then
whether it be Names or Things that you make so much ado about !
Lib. Both : we like not ill names : and worse false doctrine.
P. What are the Namesthzz displease you i Is Reward or RetfardabU->
ness one i \
Lib. No ; you wiH understand them well : For they are Scripture
words. ' ■ " .'
P. Is worthiness one of them *.
Lib. Yes ; ifyou will fay that we ate worthy of the Reward ot of sal-
nation.
. P. Do you not know that the Scripture usually so speaketh 1 Revt |4 4*
They shall walk with me in white for they are worthy : 2 theft 1. 5, 11.
Worthy of the Kingdom of God: 1 Thef.i. 12. Walk worthy of God :
Gg a I***
 Ofimputed %igbt.Of faithyfujlif, and Mans duty :

Luke 20. 35. That are accounted worthy to obtain that world
21.36. That you may be counted worthy to scape all these things, and to
stand, &c. Matth. 10. 11. Enquire who in it is worthy 13.1s
the house be worthy, let your peace remain. If it be not worthy, let your
peace return 3 7 . He that loveth Father or Mother more than me,
is not worthy of me. Matth. 22. 8. They which were bidden were not
worthy. Jets 13. 46. Ye judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life-
Is not this Scripture i
Lib. By [Worthy "} the Text meaneth not merit, but fitness to re
ceive. \ . ..
P. Our question is not now of the Meaning , but the Name you
know.
Lib. / am not against the Scripture names, if well understood.
P. Merit is a name I perceive that you are against. And we make so
small a matter of words, that you shall choose any other name of the same
signification, and we will forbear this, rather than offend you : But yet
tell me, j^i. What if the words «&©-and were translated Deserving
and Merit, would it not be as true a translation as worthy and worthinessj
when it is the very fame thing that is meant < Nay, when^mofOw-
dignity is the highest kind, which the Papists themselves mention and are
reproved for, do you not hereby imply that Condignity is a bigger word
than bare Merit ? •• -
Quest, a . And I ask you, Whether all the antient Teachers of the Chur-
chesunce the Apostles, whose Writings" are come down to us, do not fa
miliarly apply these names and Meritum to believers ? And if you*
perrwade men that all these Teachers and Churches were Papists,you will
perswade most that believe you to be Papists too. . But such is the success
of over-doing * , .-.
Quest. 3 . And I wouldknow, Whether in common speech, toward and
Merit or Desert be not Relatives, as Master and Servant, Husband and:
wife are ? Is there any Reward which is not Meriti Pr^mium^ rhe Reward
of Merit ? What mean you your self else by the word Reward?
Lib. / mean Gods free Gift without reffect to merit or desert,
P. Doth not the usage of the World distinguish between a sneer Gift
and a Reward? What if you give money to the next man you meet with
out respect to any thing in him, will you call it a Reward ? Review all
the Scripture Texts that speak of a. Reward, and see whether they have no
relation to any foregoing act in man. God gave Christ himself to the
lapsed world : Was this Gift of Christ a Reward ? God gave some Pro
phets, some Apostles, ejrc. and giveth the Gospel to Infidel Nations : Is
this Gift a Reward i or ever so called ? Your humane natureis Gods Gift ;
but is it a Reward i Nay, will you fay, that the first, Grace is a Rewards
which is said to be Pelagianifin ? •«. . . . \ ■ ,
Lib. well: but Rewards are Gods second Gifts as they follow the fir
mer, without respect to worthiness or Merit. . .■ . ..».
P. That cannot be neither : If God first Give the world a Saviour, ix\d then
give them the Covenant of Grace, sad Pardon through him, is this a Re
ward < If Christ first heal the sick man, and then cause him to walk, •
or if Peter and John first heal the lame man, and then cause him joyfully
to leap, <^s. is the second a Reward ?. If an Infidels Life be first preserved,
and then the Gospel given him, is this a Reward <
Lib. No i but a Reward supptfeth only our Fitness to receive afree
gifr> which is called our worthiness, and not oar Merit.
' ' J ', •• ... -Vi' J : • '.' .. f.-Do
 f

their several parts to a Christians '(jamsoft* 229

P. Do you mean our Natural fitness or our Moral ? A man is Natu

rally fit for his food, when he is hungry : Will you fay therefore that his
food is his Reward for being hungry i
Lib. well; Let it be then his Moral, or rather £rj Spiritual fitness.
P. Your explications are but darkning : Spiritual is either Natural or
Moral as well as corporal. The foul as a Spirit is in its nature fit to un
derstand common things here in the body Is this understanding its Re
ward for being a Spirit t But Heaven is a Reward.
Lib. well: Call it a Moral fitness ifyou will : but what is that to
Merit i
P. It is so much to it, as to tell the world that such as you, do revile
others for holding the fame which you are forced to profess yonr seif,
and wrangle about meer w ords, and know it not. For by [_ Merit ~] i$
meant nothing else but [_A moral aptitude for Reward"} or that Rewar-
dablenejs w hich consisteth in Moral Good or Evil, as freely done and had,
and so acceptable to God as our Governour.
But tell me next what word will you choose to serve instead of Meritj
that we may agree in it <
Lib. I know not what words to use that please you, when we are not agreed
about the thing signified : / hold not any Reward in proper sense , but only
free gift, and therefore how can I tell you what word to use instead ofme
rit? I think the word Reward is used but figuratively. .
J>. Christ faith, f_ Mattb. 6. 4, 6. Your Father which feeth in secret
stiall Reward you openly : col. 3. 24. Ye (hall receive the reward of the
inheritance: i/<r£. 10. 35. Cast not away your confidence which hath
great recompence of reward: Heb. 11.26. He had respect to the recom-
pence of reward : v. 6. He that cometh td God must believe that God is,
and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him .• Mat. 16.27 •
He stiall reward every man according to his works. ~] I ask you again,
What is meant here by Rewarding ?
Lib. / tellyou again, the meaning is, that as men shew their liking of
a thing that pleasesh them, by a proper Reward, so God sheweth his liking
of our duty by a free gift of some greater good, which therefore after the
manner of men he calleth a Reward.
P. If it be a Metaphor, I ask you but the Meaning and Reason of the
name. If it be because it followeth our duty, then every gift that/i>/-
loweth our duty, is a reward , without any further respect to that duty,
but the order of time : but that youdenyed before Else Christs Incar
nation, and the Apostles, and the Gospel, and all that ever followeth our
duty, should be a Reward. Bat if you mean, that it is called a Reward,
as it is a sign ofGods approbation of our duty orily, then if God should cell
men that he Approveth of their duty, it would be a reward, though he
immediately annihilate them, or should never do them any good : which 1
think you will not fay. If you fay, that all three must concurr, viz. that
it be 1. A Benefic or Gift, 2. Following duty, 3. Signifying an Approba
tion of it, you come almost up to all that is asserted by them that you
quarrell with': If God should by some benefit to one man signifie that he
approved the duty of another, or of a thousand more, and should annihi
late them all $ this were no reward to them. Therefore when you have
talkt all chat you can devise to say, you must say, that there is some
Fitness in the duty for that approbation and benefit, and that the Relation
of the Gift to that Fitn\efs, is it that dehominateth ic a Reward : And
thac chough chere be no Cause in man of any Acts of God ex parte agen-
tis, yec are chere Causes in man of our Reception and of the effects, ex
parte
 Ofimputed Right. Of Faith, ftistifsnd Adam duty :

p.irte recipientis ; And so that mans Rewardable duties are his Moral ap
titude, cause or ccndition, why he rather than one that doth otherwise ie-
cciveth that Gist, which is called the Reward.
But we are gone from our question de nomine., and have already dispatch
ed also that de re : Have you any more to lay of any Matter besides
words (in which you confess we speak as the Scripture doth) in which
wa differ ?
Lib. Seeing you like not my explications , tell me fully what you bold
your (elves; and then I shall better know whether we differ in fense or
words only,
P. It's great pity for the Churches fake, but you would have under
stood that first, before you reviled us as Legal, and not have spoken evil of
what you understand not. But it's better now , than not at all. Our
judgement is as followeth :
I. That God hath three Essential Attributes, which he expressed) and
glorifieth in his works*, His Vital sower or Activity, his wisdom, and his
mil or Love : That all these are and operate conjunctly ; but yet each
appeareth in eminency in its special effects: That Gods Power eminently
appeanth in the Being and Motion of things ; and his wisdom eminently
in the O R D E R of things and his L O V E in the Goodness and Per
fection of things: That accordingly he is, i.The fob Efficient, 2. The
chief Dirigent, 3. The ultimate Final Cause of all.
I I. That as to man, he is Related to us, 1 . As our Creator, the Cause
of our Being, Nature and natural Motion , as the Fountain of Nature :
where Power is most Eminent. 2. As our Covernour, and the God of
ORDER, and the Dirigent Caue ; where (all Attributes concurr,
but) wisdim is most Eminent : 3. As our most Bounteous Benefactor,
and most Amiable Good and End , where Goodness or Love is most
eminent.
I I I. That accordingly God is the Author of Nature, Grace and Glory .
and since the fall, of' Natttra, Medela, Sanitas,oS. our Nature, our OR
DER and Gracious Government, and of our Holiness sad Happiness •, and
so is our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.
IV. That neither Man, Angel or any Creature can possibly have any
good, but by Gods gift, any more than they can make themselves or a
Woild: And this Gift must needs be free, feeing the Creature hath no
thing that is good, but what it hath ofGod, and nothing to give him that
can add to him, or but what is absolutely his own.
V. Godis tous 1. Our OWNER, 2. OurRULER, 3. Our
BENEFACTOR antecedently. And no man can Merit of God as
he is an Owner or a mecr Benefaltor ; for so he freely disposeth as le
plcaseth os his own : But only of God as a Ruler, as is after opened.
V I. Theiefore it is blasphemy to hold that man or Angel can Merit
os God in point os proper Commutative Justice, which giveth in exchange
one thing for another, to the benefit of the receiver : For as is said, God
canr.ct Receive any addition to his perfection, nor have we any thing but
his own to give him. Luke 17. »o. we aie thus unprofitable servants as
to a Proprietor in point of Commutation ; though the unprofitable servant
be darrred, Matih.2^.^0. in another fense that is, who improveth
not his Masters stock to the benefit of himself and others, and the pleasing
os his Ruler.
VII. Mans Duty therefore meriteth only in point of Governing di
stributive Justice : And not every way neither in respect of that ; For
govern ng Justice is distinguished according to theLawthatgovernethus:
wiiich
 their several parts to a Chrijlians (jomfort.

which is either i. The Law of Innocency, or 2. The Law of Grace : And

no man since the sail can Merit of God according to the Justice of the
Law of Innocency, which exacteth personal perfection.
VIII. The Law of Grace is in its first notion, a free gifc of Christ,
Pardon and Right to Life Eternal by Adoption, to all that will Accept ic
believingly as his offered , that is, according to the nature of the Gift.
And this Gift or. Conditional promise and pardon no man can merit : For
Christs perfect Righteousness and Sacrifice hath already merited it for us
and so hath left us no such work to do : Nor is there the least place for any
humane Merit or Rewardablenefs from God, but on supposition of i.Christs
Merits and Meritorious Righteousness, 2. And of this free gift or Act of
Oblivion and Life, already made 10 us without our desert.
I X. But yet this is not a meer Gi/>,but also a true Law : God is still out
GodandGovernour, and Christ is Lord of all, Rom. 14.9. He that is a
King and Ruler hath his Laws and Judgement; That which, is a Gift in
the first respect, hath 1 . Its condition, 2. Many commanded duties, and so
is a Law of Grace in other respects. And it is only in respect to this Lavy
of Grace that man is Rewardable, or can Merit.
X. The Gift is from God as Benefactor, considered as Good and in k
self. But it is from God as Sapiential Rector quoad ordinem conferendi, as
to the Order and Reason why one man rather than another receiveth it.
So that we Merit not of God as Benefactor nor as Rector by the Law of
Innocency or works >, nor yet as to the Value or Goodness of the Benefit,
which is a free Gift : But only of as Rector by me Law of Gracey
which regulateth the Reception of his free gifts, merited by the perfect
Righteousness of Christ, and ib only as to the Order and Reason why one
more than another receiveth that free gift.
As if a Father hath many Sons, One living obediently , Others playing
the prodigals, and upon his freely- offered pardon and grace one receiveth
it thankfully, and the other refuseth it scornfully : Here both the obedient
and the penitent [on , have all upon free gist, as to Commutative Ju
stice ; but on various terms : And yet both merit in point of paternal Go
verning Justice but very differently : One meriteth of strict Fatherly Ju
stice-, The other only of a forgiving Father, quite on other terms : Andic
is a Comparative Merit, by which he is fitter for pardon than the Sons
that despise it, and spit in the Fathers face.
X I. God as a Benefactor and a Governour, giveth some benefits Antece
dently to any duty of man ; And these are never a Reward to us, { but of
Christ perhaps, in some instances. ) As Legislation, so the benefits of it,
and that attend it, are before Reward and Judgement. But other bene
fits are given by God both as Benefactor and Legislator, upon condition
of some duty of ours in the Antecedent gift , and so in the Judicial sen
tence and execution that duty is rendered as the reason of our actual Right
to them : And these are a Reward.
XII. Our first Grace is no Reward, nor merited, because it antecedeth
all conditional duty of ours.
XIII. Our first Reception of Right to Christ, Pardon and Life, being
given on the condition of penitent Acceptance in faith, may be called a
Reward, because they are consequent gists on condition : But because the
condition is so slender a thing as the thankful Acceptance of a free gift,
Divines agree not of the fitness of the name f_ Reward and Merit] while
they wholly agree about the thing. But our after-mercies and final Glo
ry, being promised on the condition of such a faith as worketh by Love,
obedience and improvement of Gods mercies in good works, and patience,
perse
Of imputed %ight.Of Fahb,fustif.and Mans duty :

perseverance and conquest of the Flesh, the World and the Devil ; there
fore they have more unanimously agreed not only<& re, but that the names
ot Reward and Rewardableness ox Merit and Worthiness arc here fit ; buc
used only in the fore explained fense.
XIV. And though the Scripture oftest use the word which most
properly signifieth wages, which sounds as more than premium a Reward,
yet we wholly grant you that this is figuratively used , and that no man
deserveth wages or any thing commutatively of God : But every Scri
pture Metaphor hath its reason 3 And the reason of this is evident.
Though God cannot be Profited , he can be Pleased. And his Will or
Pleasure is the End of all his Government and Works : And he is Pleased
most in that which doth the World, the Church and our selves the most
good, for in that he is most glorified : Now he so maketh his Laws and
Promises, as if our own and other mens good were his, and his Reward for
our Pleasing by Order , Justice and Goodness , he calleth wages meta
phorically, being instead of profiting him.
X V. By all which it is most obvious that we are not at all the less,
but the more beholden to God, for the Merit or Rewardableness of our
actions: For as all the Benefit is free Gift, so it is of his Grace that we
do any thing that is good, and that he accepteth it as Rewardable : And
if it be any nonour to a man to be good rather than bad,and the Righteous
be more excellent than his neighbour, it is an addition of mercy, that
God will honour those that honour him , and commandeth others so to
do, Pfal. 15.4.
XVI. And now the cafe is very plain, both that Reward and Rewarda
bleness ( called Merit ) there is, and why it is and must be so.
1. How can God be aGovernour, and have a Law, and be a Judge,
and Righteous in all this, if faith and godliness be not Rewardable ? It is
th* second Article in our faith , and next believing that There is a God,
that He is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11.6. And
when you would extirpate all faith and godliness on pretence of crying
down Merit j you may fee what over-doing tends to.
2. The very nature of all Gods Laws and Promises evidently inserr a
Reward : Without it there were no such thing as Faith, Hope, Desire, Joy,
Content, forsaking all: Pfal. 19. 11. In keeping them there is great re
ward. 58. II. Verily there is a Reward for the righteous.
3. There is notoriously a Reward even in this life, Matth. 19. 29.
Who would change the profit and pleasure of a holy life here, for that of
the unholy i
4. Reward and Rewardableness are found in the very Law of Nature
it self: In that we are made for God as our end, and it is God himself who
is our Reward : And holiness hath a natural tendency to happiness, yea,
is the beginning of it it self: And as God is said in Nature to make sin pu
nishable, in that he hath so formed Nature, that sin shall bring suffering
in and with it ( as poyfon brings pain and death so in Nature he hath
made our duty and holiness Rewardable, in forming man so, that health,
peace and happiness shall be in and after it. Prov.o. 12. If thou be wife,

5. The Light of Nature teacheth Parents, Masters, Princes and all Go-
vernours to take Goodness to be Rewardable , and Crimes to be punish
able : And nothing is more universally approved by the common notices
of humane nature than Justice, or abhorred than Injustice. Nature faith
as 2 Sam. 23.31. He that ruleth over men must be just : And as ifa. 1 o . r.
Wo to them that decree unrighteous decrees ; Andas/>>w. 17. if. Who
so
 their several parts to a Christians (jomfbrt, $3 j

so rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house : Con
science will rebuke him that rewardeth evil to him that deserved it not ^
Psal. 7. 4. The better any man is, the more he is for Justice, andabhor-.
rcth the unjust, (and Alexander Severusy and Antoninc , and such Just
Princes and Judges, arc honoured by all Subjects and Historians, ) And
as all Power is of God, and Rulers are but his Officers, ( Rom. 13. 4,
5,d.) so their Righteous Government is but the inferiour part of God*
own Government, ( as the King governeth by his Judges and Justices )*
And therefore it is God that Rewardeth and Punilheth by them. , And inm
deed by the fame reason that men deny a Reward to duty ( the faulti-
ness being pardoned through Christ ) they would inferr, that there is no
Punishment for sin : But God faith, Isa. 3. 1 o, 1 1. Say to the Righteous
It shall be well with him, and say to the wicked It shall be ill with him.
He will plentifully reward the proud doers, Psal. 31.23. Yea, they re
ward evil to themselves, Isa. 3. 9.
6. Holiness is Gods Image, and the product of the Holy Ghost - and
the Devil and Malignants labour to dishonour it : And contrarily God ho-
noureth it, and by his Rewards will honour it openly before the world ,
Matth. 6. 4, 6. And Christ will come in glory to be glorified in his Saints*
and admired in all them that believe, even because they have believed,
a Theff. 1.6, 7, 8,p, 10,11.
7. God will Govern man according to mans nature and capacity ? else
what need ofScripture, Ministry, &c. And man is naturally a Lover of .
himself, and God will make him know that he hath no need of him, but
it is himself that stiall be the gainer if he obey, and the loser if he sin :
even to Cain after his first sin God faith, If thou do well, shalt thou not
be accepted i but if thou do evil, sin lyeth at the door. Man is an Intel
lectual and free agent : and therefore God will set before him life and
death, good and evil, Deut. 30. 1 5 . and w hether they will hear or not hear>
he will send his word, £^^.2.5. and they shall be told of such Motives
as should suffice to prevail with men of reason.
8. Man hath many and great Temptations to overcome? And as they
work morally toward his deceit and ruine, so God will suitably give him
such Moral motives as are fittest to move him to resist them : And there
fore he will offer man so full and sure and glorious a Reward, as is fit to
disgrace all the offers of the Devil , and will make men know that his
Rewards are such, as no pleasure or profit of sin should stand in any com
petition with. Yea, he himself who is God Allsufficient wilUbe our ex
ceeding great Reward, Gen. 15. t. No wonder if Moses ( like other be
lievers ) despised the honours of Pharaoh's Court, and chose rather to suf
fer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a season, because he had respect to the recompence of reward, Heb. i z<
25,26. And Paul went towards death rejoycing in these hopes, thac
having fought a good fight, and finished his course, henceforth a Crown
of Righteousness was laid up for him by God the Righteous Judge, 2 Tim.
4. 8. who is not unrighteous to forget his servants work and labour of
love. And all believers are therefore stedfast and unmoveable, alwayes
abounding in the work of the Lord, as knowing that their labour is not
in vain in the Lord, 1 Cor. 15. 58. And they work out their salvation
with fear and trembling, laying up a treasure in Heaven, Matth. 6. 20.
and laying up a good foundation for the time to come, and pressing
forward for the prize, Phil. 3. 8,9. and laying hold upon, eternal
life.

Hh Lib.

■
Ofimpmed^gk*QfFaith,fHstif.and foam duty :

Lib. All this Ua.de th us to our own works, andsets up the Law, and
taketb down Christ and his righteousness, and is meer Popery, for humane
Merits.
P. If tills be Gods Word, and Christs own Law and Doctrine, then
you inserr that Christ taketh down himself, and his own righteousness, and
sets up man and humane merits. But give me leave to tell you, that if
you deny [ the Reward of Evangelical duty, and the Rewardableness or
worthiness ( or Merit") ofsuch duty, as it is hut our Merit or worthiness
of the free Gift of christ and Life, given by Paternal Love and Justice, to
believing Penitent accepters\ according to the tenour of the Covenant of
Grace,"] i. You do contradict so much of the most express Texts of Scri
pture, as alloweth us to suspect that really you believe not the Scripture
to be true, or that it is not it, but your own contradicting fancy, that is
the measure of your belief and you may on such terms hold the vilest ab
surdities, even what you list, as in despight of Scripture, while you pretend
that it is for you.
2. You will deny the honour of Gods Image on man, and the work of
the Holy Ghost, and the design of Christ, who came to destroy the works
of the Devil, and save his people from their fins, and purifie co himself a
peculiar people zealous of good works.
3. You will disgrace the Church of God, which Christ washeth and
sanctifieth, and render it too like the unsanctified world.
4. You will leave man no ground for true assurance of Justification or
Salvation , while the difference between the worthy and unworthy is
taken away.
5. You will harden the wicked in their false presumptuous hopes, and
teach them to fay, We are but unworthy, and so are all.
6. You will destroy the comfort of well doing, by denying the reward,
and making it seem to be in Vain.
7. Hereby you will take down all holy diligence in onr Christian race
and warfare, while you deny the prize , and recompence of reward, Heb.
11.26. We run for an incorruptible Crown, 1 Cor. 9. 25. Phil. 3. 14.
8. You will strengthen all Temptations, while you take down that which
should be sec against them. Sec Luke 12.4. Heb. 4, r. & it. 28,29.
Matth. 6.1,2, 3,4, 5,6, 19) 20, ejrc, Matth. 5. 10, 11, 12.
9. You will disgrace the Word and Ministry and all Means, if after all
we are never the more accepted.
10. In a word, you deny Gods Government, in denying his Governing
Justice and Judgements, and that is co deny God to be our God ; Yea,
you deny all Religion, all the Kingdom of Christ, all Law, all Judgement,
all Retribution, Heaven and Hell, all the true difference between Good and
Evil, Holiness and Sin, all Praise and Dispraise, while you deny the Reward
and Rewardableness of holy obedience by the Paternal Government of the
Law of Grace : and that glory, honour and peace is to every one that doth
good, both Jew and Gentile, Rom. t. 7, 10.
Lib. You would perswade us that holiness is good for nothing, if it be
not Rewardable ^ as ifyou knew ofno other use of it • so ignorant are natu
ral men of the things ofGod which are spiritually discerned : I will tell you
that which your carnal mind cannot understand; I. Holiness^ Faith, Love ,
Obediences, are Gods free Gifts, excellent in themselves without a Re
gard : 2. They are Fruits of the Spirit, and marks and signs ofour future
felicity, though they deserve it not. 3 . / told you that they are Rewards to
Christ, and Gifts to us.

P. i. That
 . ;% their severalparti to a Cbriftians Comfort.

P. i. That they are Gods Gists we doubt not : But are not Faiths
Love and Obedience alio the Acts of man by that Grace which is the
gift of God { ,
Lib. Tes, they are mans alls ^ bat it ii God that voirketh them in us. >
p. And tell me if you can, i. Why God cannot Reward. those acts
which are done by his own Grace ? Cannot God make the Promise of a
Reward to be ant Moral Means for his Spirit to work by? Nay, doth not
the scope of the Scripture tell you that he doth so <
2 . Is there ever the less worthiness in it, because God eauseth it i Tell me
without foisting, Is an honest man no more worthy of a Princes savour than
a Thief? If you are no more worthy of liberty, and protection; and life*
than Atheists and Rebels, why do you call men, Persecutors for using you
as if you were such ? Why call you men Malignants for hating, de
riding and opposing godly men, if they deserve no better than the worst ?
Lib. They deserve betterfrom men-, but not from God.
P. Do you deny Rulers to be Gods Officers , and that they are to
make this difference by his appointment, and therefore it is done by God ?
3. But without shifting tell me, Doth not every good action or inclination
deserve praise from God and man ? Doth it not deserve to be accounted and
called just as it is?
Lib. All our Righteousnesses are as menstruons rags : and what fraise
then do they deserve? Can that deserve praijet nhich deserveth Hell?
P.i . Come on then, let Conscience be a while unmuzzled : Why do you
so much praise those of your own Church or Opinion ? Why praise you
so much the Ministers and people that are of yoar way ? Why do you make
a difference between them and such as are against you ? 2. Why do you
so aggravate the sin of those that vilifie, deride and persecute you ? Why
call you the Saints, the precious ones on earth, Gods treasure and peculiar
people ? 3 Why were you lately so angry with the Ecclesiastical Politici
an^ the Debate-maker , and other such Books , which vilifie men whom
you and I have better thoughts of, if they deserve no more praise than
the vilest men ? 4. Why were you so angry lately when you heard of
one that reproached you ? and so pleased with one that proclaimed your
wisdom ana goodness, and took your part ? . 5 * And if good actions deserve
not praise from God himself, why doth he praise them so greatly in his
Word ? Why will he fay before all the world , Well done good and
faithful servant? &c. i.Dare you call God Ignorant Legalist? or charge
him with mistakes? 2. Doth not every thing and person deserve to be
thought and called just as it is ? Else lying or silence must be the
virtue i and Truth the Vice. 3, Is there no more good in a Saint than
in a Devil? If there be, doth it not deserve to be called just as it is? 4. May
not he who deserveth Hell by the Law of Works or Innocency , be yet
Morally fit for, that is, Worthy of Heaven, according to the Law of Grace,
which pardoneth his sins, and freely giveth him Christ and Life? 5. Doth
not God praise his Servants more than the Devil or wicked men do ? And
will you not please the Devil and Malignants,totell them the contrary? And
is it not the mark of a just man, that a vile person is contemned in his eyes,
but he honoureth them that fear the Lord, Pfal. 1 5 . 4, Doth not God him
self praise ^<?/, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Job,&ci
Wrangle not against the unresistible Light. Our light must so stiine before
men, that they may see our good works, and glorifie our heavenly Father,
Matth. 5. 16. Christ will come at last to be glorified in his Saints, and
admired in all them that do believe, because the Gospel was believed by
them, 2 Thesf. no, 11. No man hath seen God at any time in his Es-
Hh a fence j
 Ofimputed %ght.Of Fahhtfuflif.and Mans duty

fence-, but we see him he#e in a glass } and that is, in his Works and
Image 5 in which it is that his glory strineth : And -to-fay that Gods Works
and holy Image are not worthy ( or Morally fit ) to be praised, isio deny
God his praise and glory on earth : He that despisettt you, defpiseth me
( faith Christ ) anfl consequently him thatsent me, Luke ro. 10.
Lib. Faithj Love, Holiness, Obedience^ Patience are worthy that God
should be praised for them3 but mt Man : for they au worthy as Gods works,
but not as ours. • J ' • 1' J
p. i.They are none of Our works as the chief agents, but only feccnd
causes under God : And are not second causes to be praised in their places and
degree i Will you not praise Sun and Modn and Stars, and all Gods works,
that he maybe praised for them i Do you not praise a good Servant, a
good Horse or Dog, a good House or Land ? yea, and your Friend or
Teacher ? Do you net praise your own party, when you say that they are
wiser and better than others <
2. Believe and regard the Word of God. Do none of these Texts fol
lowing speak of Praise as due to men, in subordination to God ? Deut. 26.
18, 19. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people,
and to make thee high above all Nations, in Praise, and in Name, and in
Honour, and that thou maist be an holy people to t'he Lord thy God.
Prov. 27. 2 1 . As is the fining pot for Silver, and the furnace for Gold, so
is a man to his praise. lfa.62. 7. Give him no rest till he make Jerusa
lem a praise in the earth. Zefh. 3. 19, 20. I will get them praise in eve
ry land, &c. I will make you a name and a praile among all people of
the earth. Rom. 2. 29. Whose praise is not of men, but of God. John
12. 43. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
1 cor. 4. 5. Then (hall every man have praise of God. 2 Cor. 8. 18. The
brother whose praise is irt the Gospel, drc. Phil. 4. 8. If there be any
praise, think of these things. 1 Pet*. 2. 14. Govettours are sent by him
for the praise of them that do well. See Prov. 27. 4. dr 28. 4. dr 31.
3 0,3 1 . 1 Cor. 1 1. 2. Prov. 29. 23. Honour shall uphold the humble in
spirit. & 317.21. He findeth life, righteousness and honour. Psal. 149^.
This honour have all his Saints. Prov* 3. 16. (£4.8. or 8. t9. & *j.
33. dr 20. 3. &21. 4. EccUs.io.l. John Æft*. 2. 7, io> They
that by well doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal
life: Glory, honour and peace to every man that worketh goodi ^9.21.
& 12. 10. dr 13.7. 1 Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that rule well are account
ed worthy of double honour, dr 1 Tim. 6. 1. I Sam. 2. 30. Them that ho
nour me, I will honour. Psal. 91.15. John 12. 26. If any man serve me,
him will my Father honour. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Prov. 13. 18. Do you believe
and regard no one of all these words of God <
Lib. / grant that God will praise the good , but not because rve are
worthy of it.
P. 1. Havel told you that he himself calleth his servants worthy ? and
will you contradict Gods Word i 2. Dare you yet deny any thing to be
worthy to be called what it indeed is i Is not a Christian worthy to be
called a Christian? and a sober man to be called a sober man, and an ho
nest man to be called an honest man ? Must humility make us lyars ?
Tell me, Are you worthy your self to be accounted and called an Infidel,
a Heathen, an Apostate, aHeretick, a wicked ungodly man, that never
repented, nor did good i
Lib. That were to lye or slander, to caff one what he is not.
P. Are you not worthy then to be called contrarily,tfiat is, whac you are ?
Lib. / ought Jo to be called, but mt for my worthiness.
?.Must
 f£«r several parts to a 'Christians Qomf&rli ■ 23^

P. Must God and man account you such as you are not fit or worthy
to be accounted i And will you go oh to accuse and contradict Gods
Word < Your fancy hath ^dt some harsh conceit of the fense of the
word Q worthy 3 and that cometh still into your rpind, as if it meant a
worthiness which supposed not that all that we have is oF fticrcy and
grace: when the Scripture meaneth no such worthiness; We such as is
that of a loving,dutiful,thankful Child,of the inheritance ; A moral fitness.
Lib. well, suppose that our aitions and We are worthy of Praise , that
is, to be called as they are ; yet they are worthy also ofdispraise, that u{
to be accounted as meHstruoWs rng)s defied with pn} dim ieferwm He/I:
and is not this a pittifui praise f \ - .. v \
a P.t)id you ever hear us deriy any^ of this?Why talk ydti oF that which we
are all agreed in f But i. It is not holiness, but rhefaUftyimperfecHbhs of
it, a^d thesinthat is contrary to Ifrj which deferveth Hell., i; And the
faults of sincere believers deserve not! Hell accdrdihg td the La\4 oF Graces
by which we are to be judged, so a$ to be lyab'lc to it, but only to as to bfc
accounted condemnable, had we not been pardOrfed; \ " * • ' ^
Lib. But is our fdiih and holiness deserve foine praise, what's that to
the deserving of salvation ? or being worthy os Waveft? 1:
P. All these words your obstinacy hath put rne to life, to convince ydti
that Faith and Holiness is worthy of any thing at all , and that the Word
[Worthy ~} which God himself ufeth of them, is hot abused by Gbd,- nor
false. But what it is that God will account the righteous worthy of, the
Scripture must determine ; where I have (hewed you before that the words
are plain. They are counted worthy of God, i Thess. i'.ti. aftd of his
Kingdom, 2 Thess. 1. 5. Worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection,
Luke 20. 35. They shall walk with Christ in white, for they are worthy.'
Lib. Still J grant it in the Seriftatre fense , but not in yours.
P. To end this tedious talk with one that leetncth loth to understands
fay Yea or Nay to these two questions. 1 . Do you allow of the use of
the word £ worthy"} f
Lib. Tes : because it is in Scripture. ,
P. 2. Do you deny it to be true in the fense I have opened, rfidt' is,'
that we have that worthiness which is nothing but a Moral aptitude for that
promised Reward, which as to the worth of it is but Gods free gift, meri
ted for us by Christ, and is only a Fathers Reward as to the orderingof ic
as our Governour, even a Reward of grateful Children.
Lib. No : j cannot deny this fense to be found.
p. Then you grant both Name and Thing : Arid are not you ashamed
then to have so long traduced and reviled such as hold and fay but that
which you are forced to justific i and to make poor fouls believe that
works are cryed Up, and Christ is Injured, and mens salvation hazarded by1
it, when yet you confess that all is true, in word and fense.
Lib. But when the Papists abuse such phrases to error, though the Scri*
pture use them, we niust do it sparingly and with caution.
P. 1 . Bat is that a good reason for you to revile those that use them iri
the Scripture sense? 2. And if you will forsake ; Scripture words as oftal
men misuse them, it will be in the power of any Hereticks to drive you
from all Scripture phrase, by abusing all; 3. And how1 can you more ef
fectually promote Popery> than by forsaking Scripture language, and leav
ing- it to their possession and use ? Will not men think then, that the Scri
pture sense is liker to be with them, than with you < Were it not better
for you to hold to the Word of God, and only detect and disclaim mens
ill expositions of it*
CHAP.
 Osimputed Rigkt.Of Faitb,?ftstif.and Mam duty :

CHAP. ill.

whether our own Righteousness be any way necessary and conducible to

our Justification before Cod? Or whether rve are any veayjustified by it ?
and how far ?

Lib. 1^ Ut if I grant you, that salvation is the Reward of our own

|j faith and holiness, I {ball never grant you that we are Righte
ous by tt before Cod, or that it is any fart of that Righteousness by which
we are justified : for that is only the Righteousness ofChrist.
P. I hope you are not willing to wrangle about words not understood.
Qtgst. i. Do you think that the words [Righteous, Righteousness and Ju
stification ] have but one fense in Scriptures, and in our common use
Lib. No : you proved more before.
P. Quest, i. If the Devil, or Men, or a mistaking Conscience, mould
say that you (or any Saint) is an Infidel, or hath no faith, how must you
be justified against that charge?
Lib. By denying it, and by maintaining that I do believe.
P. Very good : Then faith it self as faith doth so far justisie you.
And Quest. 3. If you be charged to be Impenitent and never to have tru
ly Repented, how must you be justified against that charge <
Lib. By denying it, and averring that J did Resent.
P. So then, your Repentance it self must so far justisie you. And
Quest, a. If you are charged to have been an ungodly person to the last, or
not to have loved God, or your neighbour, not to have called on God, nor
confessed Christ before men, nor to have fed, clothed and visited him ( as
you could ) in his members, or not to have mortified your fleshly lusts, but
to have lived after the stem, in murder, theft, whoredom, drunkenness, cfc.
What is your righteousness against this accusation 1
Lib. / must defend my self against a lye by denying it to be true : I
must be so farjustified, that is, vindicated against Calumny by my innocency
in those points.
P. Very good : so far then you must be justified by your godliness, love,
obedience, mortification, innocency and works. And what if you be
charged as an Hypocrite to have done all that you did inmeer dissimulation,
how must you be therein justified
Lib. By denying the charge, and aspeal to God that I was sincere.
P. So then, your sincerity is so far your justifying righteousness.
And what if you are charged with Apostasie, that you fell from Grace, must
you not be justified by pleading your Perseverance <
Lib. These are none of the Justification which the Scripture speaketh
of: which is only against true accusations, and not against false ones.
. p. Say you lo C What if one be truly accused, that he hath no part in
Christ ? and that his sin is unpardoned < or That he is under the guilt of
damnation by the obligation both of the Old Covenant and the New i
or that he never truly repented or believed i or that he is unsanctisied ,
and never sincerely obeyed Christ, cjrc. Is this man justifiable <
Lib. No : I say not that all men are justifyable : But who ever
u Justified in Scripture sense, is justified only from a true Accusation.
P. What is that true Accusation <

Lib. That
 their several parts to a Christians Comfm, »

Lib. That he ts a [inner , And, deserveth damnation according to the

Lawj and that he hath no righteousness of his own. ' . : . *
P. Must he not confess all this to be True, if it be True ? And is not
confessing the Guilt which he is accused of, contrary to justifying him ?
Do you not see here what Confusion you cast your self into for want of
noting the various senses of Justification ? If by Justifying we mean
Making an unjust nun just, then it is true that he is justified from his
Guilt, that is, he is pardoned; and he is justified from the Laws con
demnation, that is, * man condemned by the Law is pardoned; and he is
justified from his reigning sin, that is, he is sanctified : Bflt this Justificati
on is not opposite to Accusation, but to Being unjust. But if you speak
of Justification by Tiea or Sentence , it is contrary to Accusation of
Guilt : And so no man is justified that is not Just, or Guiltless in the
point of which he is accused. God will by no means clear the gtfilty,
or justifie the unjust, Ex<rd. $%. 7, 8. nor stty of the kicked, Thou art
Righteous, Frov. 24. 24. I Fet. 1 . 17. ejr 23. Jer. 1 1. ao. Rom. 1.32.
& 2. 2.
But that you are quite mistaken in faying, that Scripture never men-
tioneth Justifying man from a false accusation , these and many such
Texts shew, 8. 33. Is*. 50. 8. prov. 17.15:. 1 Kings 8*31. James
2.21,24,25. Rom.2. 13. Lukey.tp. Matth. 11.19. & it. 37. lfd.q$.
$.%6. Luke 10.29. dr- 16. 15. Deut. 25. 1. 23. 7, &c.
And how widely differ you from most Protestant Divines, who fay that
Justification is a Judicial sentence of God as Judge? Though indeed it
is of divers sorts.
Lib. But it is not Scripture Justification, unless it be perfect : And ail
that we do is Imperfetf. To justifie him in some one thing , is not Justi
fication by faith, but another thing.
P. 1. No doubt but Scripture mentioneth both particular Justification
as to some particular causes, and a more large Justification from all things
that would damn him in Hell. And this latter is the Great Justification by
faith, mentioned so oft in Scripture, that is, .Upon and by believing we are
first made just, by free-given pardon and right to life, (and true soncti-
fication with it ) % and we are sentenced just, because so first made just;.
But this is not without oar Faith and Repentance. 7. And that Faith
and Repentance are a Righteousness Evangelical, that is, a performance of
the conditions on which the Covenant ot Grace doth freely give us right
to Christ, pardon and life; and so are the Constitutive causes of that sub
ordinate Justification.
Lib. But your subordinate Righteousness hath no hand in our Justi
fication.
P. This is but singing over the old Song, by one that will not consi
der what is answered. Have you thought on all the Texts even now
cited t Hath faith no hand in our Justification i Hath the performance
of a Condition, and the Moral Disposition of the Receiver, no hand in the
Reception of a Gift? What think you is the meaning of Christswords^
Matth. 12. By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou
shalt be condemned ? What meanethSt. James, that a man is justified by
reorks, and not by faith only ? Are men justified by that which hath no
hand in their Justification?
Lib. Christ meaneth [before men J dnd so doth James, and not before
God.
P. This is notoriously false, as contrary to the plain Text : Christ
speaketh of the Account to be given of our wards in the day of Judge
ments
 Ofimputedl{ight.OfFaitb0fustif.and Mans duty :

wf/tf, vers. 36. And speaketh of that which men are saved by,
vers. 14. and that Justification which Abraham had, and that in an in
stance where Man did not justifie him, and of that which was faiths, life
and perfection, vers. 17, ta. and of Gods imputing faith for righte
ousness, as to a friend of Cod, vers. 23. And is this nothing but Justifi
cation before men?
j Lib. This is not the justifying of the man, but of his faith ?
P. 1 . You contradict the Text which faith Q Abraham, Rahab, A man
is justified by works'}. 2. You contradict your self For if xhcfaith be justi
fied, the man is justified to be a true believer : For how could a man
that fulfilled the Law, as Christ (and Angels) did, be justified, but by
justifying his actions < And how can he that fulfilleth the Gospel condi
tions, be justified in that point, but by justifying that he fulfilled
them?
Lib. At least I may fay, that this is not the great and notable Justifi
cation, which is only by Christs Righteousness.
p. We are not contending for its preheminence, but its truth and ne
cessity in a subordinate place. Indeed we have one Justification by our
Judges sentence, which hath many parts and causes: God as Donor is
one cause, and God as Judge another ; And Christ as meriting is the on
ly meritorious cause of the Justifying Gift and Covenant, and Christ as In
tercessor another cause, and Christ as Judge another s And our Righte
ousness as it is our Right to Impunity and life another, and our faith and
Repentance are conditions : All this is sure.
Lib. But the Justification by faith is our Universal Justification ; and
that can be only by Christs Righteousness : And we are not to trust to a
Righteousness mixt of Christs and ours., nor doth Christs Righteousness need
to be patcht up with our menstruous rags.
P. 1. No question but Christs Righteousness is perfectj and ours imper
fect, and ours is no patch or supplement to Christs : He is not made
righteous by our righteousness, but we by his.
2. But that which is perfect in him, is not made perfectly ours 5 nor
formally ours in it self, as distinct from its merited effects. It is nor ours
as it is christs. Christ that is our Righteousness, is also made of God to
us wisdom and sanitification: And will you say therefore, that we are not
to be Wise or Holy, by any wisdom or Holiness of our own , for fear of
adding our patch to Christs ?
3. You use to say that Christs Righteousness is ours as Adams sin is
ours ; and fay some, as Adams Righteousness would have been , had he per
severed. But 1. Adams Righteousness would have indeed made an Infant
initially just by propagation, that is, the innocent Child of an innocent
Parent: But as soon as that Infant had the use of Reason and Choice, he
must also have a Righteousness of his own, or perish: And this is no patch
to Adams righteousness. And indeed in his Infancy he must have a se
minal Holiness of his own to justifie him, as well as the relation of a Son
ofAdam.
a . So also, though we are guilty of Adams sin by propagation, yet we
have with that guilt, 1 . An inherent pravity of our own, 2 . And at age our
actual sin : And both these are our unrighteousness, as well as Adams sin
imputed to us.
Even so Christ the second Adam is a Root of a righteous feed : Out
Contract by faith is as to him, what our Natural propagation is as to
Adam ; that is, the condition of our Interest in his merits : We have as
believers an initial righteousness in our relation to Christ . But we have
also
 their several parts to a Christians Qomfort.

alto from him, I. Inherent habitual righteousness $ 2. The actual righte

ousness of faith, and true obedience and love. And these have their pro
per use and office, without which we must perish.
4. And I must tell you, that the word Universal is too big to be pro-
{«dy given to any mans justification or righteousness, but Christs: Proper-
y he only is Universally justified or righteous, who hath no unrighte
ousness at all imputable to him, and is justifyable in all things : But the
best believer, 1. Was once a sinner originally, 2. Did oft sin actually,
3. Hath still sin in him , 4. And for some fan may be punished by the
Magistrate, 5, And for sin is judged and punished by enastisernents and
death by God, 6. And the earth still cursed for our sake : 7. Yea, which
is worst of all, we arc still under the penalty of some privations ( alas!
how great ) of Gods Spirit and its Grace, and our Communion with God.
And all this must be confessed ; And such a one is not Universally justi
fied or just.
Lib. But still our own Righteousness deth but snake us such as thankful
persons must he for their Justification by Christ , and is no fart of that
Justification by faith : For if faith it Jets be that Righteousness, we have
not faith -by faith, and faith is not imputed to faith, but Christs Righte
ousness is it that is imputed.
p. Of Imputation in due place 5 1. What need you talk against that
which none of us assert i Do we not all hold, that our personal Gospel-
Righteousness is subordinate to Christs, and is by his Gift, as vox wisdom
and Santtisication is? Who dreameth that our faith is any part of Christs
Righteousness? But why do you waste time in vain cavilling against plain
certain truth? Is there any thing in Name or Thing asserted T>y us that
you can deny or question ?
Quest. 1. Do you deny that Scripture commandeth us to Believe thac
we may be justified?
Lib. No.
P* Quest, a. Of that we are commanded not only Thankfully to Ac-;
cept, but Thankfully to obey our Lord, Redeemer and Saviour ? t
Lib. No.
P. Quest. 3. Dare you deny, that life or death eternal dependeth on
this as a Condition or Moral means? and that we shall be judged ac
cording to it ?
Lib. No : I deny it not.
P. Qjfist' 4* Is it not a Law that thus commandeth us, and by which
we must be judged ?
Lib. Tesy if it were no LAW , there were no duty and sin in belief
and unbelief.
P. Quest. 5. Is not a man so far just and justifyable by that Law, as
he keepeth it ? and justifyable against the charge of being one that must
be Damned, by producing the Condition of pardon and use performed ?
Lib. Tes, I deny it not.
P. Quest. 6. And doth not the fame Law virtually justifie the perfor
mer now, whom it will justifie as the Rule of Judgement at last ?
Lib. Tes, no doubt.
P. Quest. 7. And is not the Name of Righteousness many score times
given in Scripture to our own actions done by Grace, and measured by
the New Covenant ?
Lib. Tes, I cannot deny it.
P. Why then while you deny neither Name nor fhing\ what wrangle
you about?
Ii And
 Ofimputed Right. Of Faith9fujlif.and Mans duty :

And let me plainly tell you, that such men as you by indiscreet over
doing are not the least of Satans instruments to bring the Gospel under scan
dal , and harden the world in Infidelity and the fcorn of Christ ; while you
would so describe the Christian Religion, as«if this were the very heart and
summ of it s_ Believe that all the Elect have fulfilled perfectly all Gods
Law by another, and that Christ did it as personating each of them, and
therefore no crime of their own is imputable to them, nor any kind or de
gree of Goodness or Righteousness in and of themselves, isat least re
quired of God, as any means or condition, of their present or future
justification by their Judge, or as having any hand therein. ] As if God
were become indifferent what we all are, so that Christ be but Righteous
for us: when as it was Christs grand design to restore lapsed man to God,
which he doth not only by Relative benefits, but by Renewing them to his
Image in love and holy obedience.
Lib. Have you not lately and oft been told, that holiness and obedience
are necessary now ; but it is to/dtber Ends than to justifie us h (as for
Gratitude, &c.)
P. i. We easily grant it is for other Ends than Christs Merits were,"
and not to justifie us as they do • nor in that Causality. They are not
to purchase for us a free gift of pardon and life, nor the Holy Ghost, ejrc.
as Christ did. a. But again tell me, Hath not Christ a Law that com-
mandeth our obedience to those ends ( as Gratitude) which you mention t
And is not the keeping that Law a thing that the fame Law will so" far
justifie us for f Yea, a Condition that fife dependeth on i And if the
Cause in Judgement be, Have you kept it or not? must you not in that
be accordingly Justified or Condemned < Give over cavilkng against plain
necessary truth.
Lib. By this you wiU fall in with the Papists, who take Justification to
he partly by Christs Righteousness , and partly by our own', and partly in
pardon, and partly in faith and holiness.
P. Tell not me of the Names of Papists or any, to frighten me from plain
Scripture truth, i. Why may not I rather say , Why go you from all the
antient Writers and Churches, even Augustine himself, by your new and
contrary opinion I Was true Justification unknown for so many hundred
years after the Apostles 1 2 . The most zealous Antipapists do confess that
some Texts of Scripture do so take the word Justification: And multitudes
of Texts so take the words Righteous and Righteousness. And he that will
impartially consider them may find, that more Texts than are by us so con
fessed, do by Justifying mean f_ Making us Just, and so Accounting us ~] on
all these causes conjunct , 1. As being Redeemed by Christs Merits,
2. And freely pardoned, 3. And having Right to life, 4. And renewed to
Gods love and Image, 5 . And so justifyable at the Bar of Grace by the Law
of faith and liberty.
3. And the reality of all the Matter of this Doctrine is past doubt,
if the Controversie de nomine Justifications were not so decided.

CHAP.
 their several parts to a Christians Qomfort*

CHAP. IV.
* •* »
whether the Gospel be a LaUt of Christ ?

Lib. III. ~\7"0u bring in your dotfrine of personal Righteousness t»

X Justification , by feigning Christ to have made a nen>
Lave; whereas the Gospel is but a Dotfrine, History and Promise, and not
a Law, and so no Rule ofRighteousness and Judgement ; And this many
Protestants have asserted. , i
P. I have read some such sayings in some men : And some I think
meant no more, but that Christ did only expound, and not add to the Law
of Nature, called by them the Moral Law: And these I have excused for
their unhappy kind of expression. But for the rest, that mean as the
words sound universally, they subvert Christianity, and as the Arrians
denyed Christs Godhead, so do they his Office and Government, and are
somewhat worse than the Quakers, who say, that the spirit within us, is
the Law and Rule of Christ; which is better than none : I pray an
swer me,
Quest, i . Is Christ the King and Ruler of the Church *
Lib. Tes.
P. Qgest.2. Is not Legislation the first and principal part of Go
vernment i
Lib. Tet.
p. Quest. 3. Do not they then that deny Christs Legislation , deny
his Government t
Lib. res.
P. Quest. 4. Is it not essential to Christ as Christ ( the name signifying
Relatively his Office ) to be Kings .. .
Lib. res.
P. Quest. 5. Do they not then by this deny Christ to be Christ i
Lib". No : for they confess that he hath a. Law , but not that he mads
any since his birth.
P. We grant i.That the Law of Nature now is His Law; 2. And
that the first Edition of the Law of Grace to Adam after the fall, was his
Law : 3. And MosesLzw was partly his. But you will not fay that we
are under this last , nor I hope that he hath no other than the two
first.
Lib. jyhy, what other can you prove ?
P. It is the Name or theThing that you deny ; ( for you use to con
found the cases: J 1. Whether the name be fit, judge by these Texts.
Gal. 6. 2. Bear ye one anothers burdens, and so fulfil the Law of
(Christ.
James 1 . a 5 . The perfetf\ Law of Libetty.
Rom. 8. 2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jefus^ &c.
Rom. 3.27. Boasting is excluded < By what Law? Of Works < Hay^
but by the Law of faith.
Mic. 4. 2. For the Law shall 20 outofZ*<w, &c,
So /fa. 2.3. ^-8.16,20. (£42.41. The Isles mall wait for his
Law.
1 Cor. 9. 21. We are under the Law to Christ.
Heb. 8. 10, id. I will put my Laws into their minds and hearts.
James 4.12. There is one Law-giver,^. y/i.33. 22* . .
• Ii a a.For
 Osimputed Right, Of Faitbyfujlif.and Mans duty i

2 . For Name and Thing note the terms of Equivalence and Con
notation :
1. All the Texts where Christ is called a King , and his Kingdom
named, (why should I needlcfly recite them <)
a. All the Texts that mention his Commanding and Commandment the
fame which we mean by a Lave. Matth. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe
all things whatever I have commanded you.
^10.42. & 13.47.Utf* 1 0.3 3. icvr.7.10. 70/^15.14. Ifye
do whatsoever I command you. 17. These things I command you.
So John 15. ix. ^14.21,31. I Tim. 1. 1. Turn 1.3. 1 7*6*. 3. 23.
^•4.6. 7^*13.34. ijohn1).-}. &3.*4> iCtfr.14. 37.
yitfj 1.2. 17. 30. Blefled are they that do his Commandments,
Rev. 22. 14.
3. All the Texts that mention his Covenant, (<ft*s»'x» being a Legal
institution. ) Heb. 8. 6. He is the Mediator of a better Covenant,
-^8.13.^8.10. & 10.16. 12.24. ff*/. 4. 24.
4. Au those Texts that not only call him Lori of all , but fay that AH
Xpveer in Heaven and Earth is given to him ( therefore Legislative powers
X Matth. 28. 18. and all Judgement committed to him, John^.xz. The
^Government is laid upon his moulders, and of the increase of his Govern*
^ment there shall be no end, Isa. 9. 6,7.
Cs 5. De re, how can that man be a Christian, that denyeth that Christ
* hath made us any Law, and so denyeth his Kingdom and our obedience
I argue from the definition : That which hath the essential parts of a Law
K is a Lave : But Christ hath made that which hath the essential parts of a
Lava: Therefore he hath made a Lave.
The Major is past disputes, The Minor I prove: That which hath a
Precept making Duty, and a Promise and Threatning, instituting the Re
tribution by Rewards and Punishments , as an Instrument of Govern
ment, hath all the Essentials of a Law : But such is made by Christ :
Ergo
The Minor ( which only needs proof) I prove by parts and instances.
1 . There is a Command to believe in God as our Reconciled Father by
Christ: 2. To believe in Christ as Incarnate, and the Mediator, conceived
by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, fulfilling all right eousiiess,
dying, buried, for us, justifying us by his blood, rising, alcending, glorified,
interceding, that will raise the dead, and judge the world, ejrc. We are
commanded to believe alltheGospel : And to giveup our selves to Christ
in the Covenant of Baptism, to trust in him, to pray in his name, &c. We
arc commanded to believe in the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of Christ, and
to live in Communion with the Christian Church, to observe the Lords
day (the first of the Week, ) to preach and hear the Gospel, to receive
the Lords Supper, to imitate Christ, to receive his Apostles arid Ministers,
to relieve his members as such, to take Moses Law as abrogated or ceas
ed ; And do you that are so strict in condemning all humane impositions
as bold additions, believe that Christ himself hath made no Laws for Or
dination, Sacraments, Preaching, Worship t and why seas you adding,
then i can one aid to Nothing < And what a lawless sort of per
sons are you, if you will neither have Christ nor Man to make Laws
for you i
2. And as toPromifes and Threats or Penalties ( of a far sorer punish
ment, Heb. 10. ) I amiafhamed to stand to prove them to you. f_ He
that belicveth (hall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damn
ed ] is suie a Law. How shall we escape,, if we neglect so great salva*
• tion?
 their several parts to a Chriftiam Comfort-.

lion? See that ye reject not him that speaketh Heb.^. & 10.
These mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them,
bring them hither and stay them before me, Luke 19. 27. with abun
dance such.
Pardon here that my indignation sustereth me not to be longer or
colder, but shortly to tell you further, that to deny Christs Law is, 1. To
deny him to be a King, and to be Christ, 2. To deny his Kingdom, 3. And
his Government, 4. And his Gospel, 5. And his Officers power, both
Kings and Pastors, 6. And your own subjection, 7. And all duty and obe
dience to him, 8. And the being of all sin as against his laws. 9. And
^11 Judgement according to his Laws, 10. And all reward for keeping
his Laws, 11. And all punishment for breaking them, 12. And all duty
to preach, learn or meditate on them, 13. And all blame on such as silence
such preaching, 14. And indeed the very being of all Law and Govern
ment in the world : For since the Promise Gen. 3, ( or at least now) there
is no Law of God in the world, but what is the Redeemers Law : Eves
the Law of Nature now is in his hand, and is the Law of the Redeemer
to lapsed Nature. And all the world had a new Law of Grace made to
Adtm in the first Edition 5 and the Church hath it now in the second
Edition. And now what part of Christianity do you not destroy?
Choose you now whether you will come off by confessing that you er-''
red and differed from us but in a word not understood, or whether you
will allow us to take you for downright Hereticks < And bethink you
whether those rash and self-conceited Divines that have reviled Papists and
Arminians for faying that Christs Gospel rvas a Law, or that he made a
new Law, have done good service to the Christian or the Protestant Cause i
or have rather done much to harden the Papists into a more confident
conceit that Protestants are Hereticks i 1 i .

CHAP. V.

whether Christ be the only Party in Covenant with God ? and not Be
lievers, or lapsed man f

Lib. IV. ~\Jtr I*** charge is, that you feign the Covenant to hi
|V| made with us , which is made only with Christ. Do
you not remember that even the Westminster Ajsembly say in their targes
Catechism, that f_ The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ as the se
cond Adam, and in him with all the Elect as his feed * 3 Butyou feign
it to he made with the BUB, nay, to others immediately, and not only as
Christs feed, in him, nor to Christ at all.
P. I will not waste time in expounding or censuring other mens words i
but as to the matter, is knot a most shameful thing, that a man of your
profession and pretensions to knowledge, should confound those two Co*
venants which children should be taught in their Catechism to distin
guish i
By s_a Covenants here we mean, t.A Covenant offered and imposed,
which is also a Law: 2. A. Covenant consented to and mutual. And now
tell me,
Quest. 1. Was it not a distinct Law that was made tons, from that
which Christ was obliged by i I mean the Law of Grace and Faith? Was
Christ
246 Osimpttted %gbt.Of faitbfastif.and Mans duty :

Christ commanded to Repent of his sin? or accept a Saviours or pray

for pardon t or mortifie his lusts f or trust another to reconcile him to
God i or be Thankful for such mercies f or any such like Remedying
means and duties for himself i
Lib. No: that must not be imagined.
p. Quejl. 2. Is uot all this commanded by the Law of Grace <
Lib. Tes: ifit be a Live.
P. Quest. 3. Was not Christ under a Law, which bound him, 1. To
obey all the precepts of nature perfectly wichout sins 2. To obey all the
Mosaical Law as far as he was capable < 3 . To do all this a sa Mediator to
reconcile God and man, And to dye for sinners, to work Miracles, to fend
out Apostles, to gather a Church, to intercede for us, and to present us
Justified and perfect to his father < And are we obliged to do so too i
Lib. No one so imagineth.
p. Quest. 4. Did not Christ as a Covenanter undertake all this i And
do we do so too i And do not we in Baptism our selves, consent and pro
mise, to take God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for our Father, Savi
our and Sanctifier, and to forsake the flesh, the world and the devil * Is it
Christ only that is Baptized ( Nay did Christ ever receive such a Baptism
as this, to wash away his sins, and deliver him a pardon i Is it Christ
or we that at Baptilm make these promises to God i Is it to Christ or
us that Christ himself faith, If thou believe and repent thou shalt be sa
ved i Doth Christ as King make Laws and Covenants to bind himself
only? Who seethnot, that hath any sense of Scripture matters, that The
Mediators case, office and work is one, and ours another : that It is one Law
that was given him, and another to us : yea, that which seemeth the fame
was another, being not formally but materially only the fame ( and forma
denominat : ) For he was to fulfil the Law of Moses and of Jnnocency, to
such ends ( as a Redeemer ) and with such difference from our case, that
it was not formally but materially ( and that but inpart) the fame Law:
and so his Baptism was formally another thing from any ones Baptism else
in the World. It was one thwgtitiX Christ promised and undertook in his
Covenant with the Father, and it's another thing that we undertake and
promise. It's one thing that God promiseth to Christ upon his Merits
( that he shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied ) and another
thing that he promi'eth us ( that our persons (lull be Justified, sancti
fied and laved. ) In a word, by the Law given to Christ, Christ himself
is Governed as a Subject, and Justified and Rewarded by God as his
Judge for fulfilling it. By the Law given to us, we are the subjects and
Christ is the Governour, Lawgiver and our Judge, who will Justifie, re
ward, or condemn and punisli us.
I know not how that man can preach the Gospel that knoweth not the
difference between the Law and Covenant made to and with Christ as Mc-
diatour, and the Law and Covenant made to and with us, and in Baptism
solemnly proseiled ! children should not be ignorant of it.
Lib. But it is the fame thing which is promised to Christ and us, viz. that
we shall be justified and saved,; and this is promised first to Christ, and
therefore the words cited may be-justisted : Christ is the feed of the woman
who u first to break the Serpents head, Gen. 3. 1 5 .
P. i. The same thing may be promised to different persons, in different
Covenants : To promise to Christ that his elect shall be saved, and to pro-
mile Believers that they shal! be saved, are two promises. •
2. What one word do you find in Gen. 3. of a Covenant or promise
made to Christ\< It's true that he is the principal Seed thejre meant (though
not
 their severalparts to a Cbrijlians Comfort: ■ ;. , ? 247

not the only 0 But he is the Promised Seed: It's one thing for a promise;
to be made to Christ, and another thing that Christ as the 'victorious feed:
be promised to man. There is no promise in Gen. 3. to Christ mentioned -,.
(and what can be meant by a Promise of God to God himself i) but a pro
phecy and promise of a Saviour to man : But is there had, that would not
liave proved these two to be one. \
Understand the tenour and difference of these several Laws and Cove
nants of God, or pretend not to understand the Scripture : viz. 1. The
Law and Covenant of Innocency made to Adam. 2. The Law and Co-,
venant made to and with the Mediatour for our Redemption. 3. The
promise, Law or Covenant of Grace of the first Edition, made to Adam
and all in him 3 and renewed withes and mankind in him. 4. The LaW
and Covenant both of Common Grace and of Peculiarity, at once given
to Abraham, and perfected in the Law and Covenant of Works made by
Moses with the Jews. 5 . The Law and Covenant of Grace made by the
Incarnate Mediatour ( and the Father by him j in the second perfect Edi
tion, with eminent peculiarity.

11

x CHAP. VI.

whether the New Covenant of Grace have any Conditions ?

Lib. V. T^r the Covenant of Grace to have Conditions, you

wake it to be a Covenant of works.
P. Either by works you mean [_ahy humane acts And so all God*
Covenants with man ( and his Laws ) are of works 5 that is, It Is some
aft of man that they require: For what else can be commanded if Or you
mean as Paul doth, when he calls the Jews Law, a Law of works : And if
so, you falsifie his doctrine or ours. Prove if you can that by works he.
meaneth every humane Act, and that Faith it self ii either no Acs o£ man,
or the works meant by him; .. ,j :
Lib. Faith is a work, buiitisnot put in the Covenant as a work requi
redof us, but as a gift to be given to us freely.
P. Judge whether it be required of us, arid that formally as a condi
tion, by such texts as these : ( yea whether obedience be not required as
a Condition of our salvation; which is promised thereupon?) 1 Tim.
4. 8. Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is, and of that which
is to come. Mark 16. 1 6. He that believetharid is baptized shall be sa
ved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.* Rom. 16. 8, 9, 10, 13.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in
thy heart that God raised him from the dead ( N. B. this is an act di
stinct from accepting his Righteousness) thou shalt be saved. For
with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness, and with the mouth
Confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord shall be saved. Matth. 6- 14, 15. For if ye for
give men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you :
But if drc. Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that
they may have Right to the tree of life, &c. See isa. 1. 16, 17, 18. &
55.6,7. 13'. 3,5. ljoh.t.9. Atf.3.19- Heb.^.g^&c.
Lib. God promiseth a, Reward to our Adions, not as our S, but as his OY/fi
gifis. •
■P. i. Enoveh is said of Rewards before 5 We shall not by such talk as
tBs
24g Qsimputed %gbt.OfFMb,fustif.<md Mans duty ;

this believe either that God Revpardeth himself] or that heReivardeth not
us. But we easily grant that he rewardeth us for nothing which cometh
riot from his free bounty: For no creature can have any other good.
a . But if Faiths and Love, and Obedience be not commanded to us, but
only given us, then they are no Duties, but Gifts only 5 and unbelief,
hatred of God, and disobedience is no sin, nor brings no punishment.
Lib. At least they are no Conditions of the Covenant.
P. Do you think that they are any proper Means of our Justification
and salvation as their End i or not 1
Lib. Tes : / dare not fay , that they are no means at all ; Faith and
Repentance areMeans of our Pardon , and Holiness and Perseverance of
cur Glorification.
P. What sort of means do you take them to be i
Lib. They are such Gifts of God as in order must go before Salva

tion.
P. Going before, signified only Antecedency, and not any Means.
Lib. One Gift maketh us fit for a thankful improvement of another.
P. This speaketh them only to be a Means to our Thankful improve
ment, and not to our Right to the things to be improved.
Lib. / do not think that they are a means of our Right or title.
P. Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, rftae
they may have Right to the tree of life, &c.
Lib. It may be translated [ that warn their garments 3 and [ that they
may have power upon ] as Dr. Hammond noteth.
P. Line Alexandrian Copy which giveth him this occasion, is singu
lar, and not be set against all other ( though the Vulgar Latin go the same
way ). Beza who yet thinks that a transposition of two Verses hath
darkned these Texts, tbisBooJ^ being negligently used, because many for a
time took it not for an Apostolical writing, (or Canonical, ) yet laith,
that it is contra omnium Gracorum codicum fidem , that the Vulgar
goeth.
3. But all's one in fense : Tot £ to wash their Garments'] is sj to be
sanitised or purified from fin ] and not only from guilt os punisliment i
And i£wf« fignineth such a Pmer as we call Authority or Right ( usu
ally.)
But what maketh you deny Conditions on mans partis
Lib. Because, 1. It is supposed that a condition is profitable to him that
requireth it. a. It is some' Cause of the benefit. 3. It is to be done by
the performers ovenstrength : whereas God giving us Faith, that can be no
condition on our part rvhich U first a Gift from him that requireth it ;
For to give it first, maketh it m condition of ours.
P. Here we. see what it is to quarrell about ambiguous Words : No one
of these is true that you fay, of the common nature of a condition; or at
least as we mean by that word.
1. Civilians define a Condition to be Lex addita negotio, qua donee
pr-efietur evensurn suspends. As it is Required it is, only Modus pro-
miffionis, don&tionis vel contract** : as Performed it is only a Removal
of an Impediment, and a Disposition of the Receiver. So that as the
Non-performance is but the suspension of a Causation, . so the performance
of a condition as such, is no Cause efficient : But it is dispositio subjetfi ,
which you may call a necessary Modus of a Material Cause, as the Reci
pient may improperly be called j Dr. Tveisse therefore calleth faith Causa
just/ficationis dispofitiva. #

2. So
 —*
their several farts to a C/mfttans Qomforh 249

4. !5o it be an act of our own, it is no way ncccflary that it be done

without the Commanders help or gift : For he that givetb us to believe^
doth give it by this means , even by tommanding it, and making it a Con
dition of lus further benefits, that lo he may induce us as rational free
agents^ to perform it est intuitu mercedis, or by the motive of the end
or benefit. For he exufeth it by suitable means. And no doubt, but
faith, and the rest, are free acts of ours, though caused by Gods grace.
3. And it is accidental to a Condition, that it be anyway commodiousV-
to die Impofcr. What profit is it to a Father that his Child put off his
Hat and lay, I thank you i And yet he may make that a condition of his
gift. What prosit is it to a free Physicion, that the Patient observe hi$j
order in taking his Medicines < Aud yet he may give them on thac
condition. ....
But yet I will add, that as usually men make that the condition of a
Gift or Contract, which the person obliged is backward else to perform,
and that which is somewhat either for the Donor or Contracters Interest;
or the Ends of his contract : so God who takethhis Glory and Pleasure in
his Childrens Good, to be as his Interests and the End of his Gifts, and
knoweth how backward we are to our duty,, doth on tliese accounts im
pose on us our duty and conditions, his Pleasure and Glory being instead
oF his Commodity. . . ~ .1 . .
But if £ If} be a conditional Particle, and if Gods suspending by the'
tenour of his Donation, our Right to Justification upon ottr free believ
ing, and our Right to Salvation on our free obedience, do prove Conditi
onally ( as it doth all that rve mean ) then you fee that the new Cove
nant nath conditions.
Lib. Doth mt God promise us the first Grace , even to take the hard
heart out of our bodies, and give us hearts offlesh , and new hearts, &Ci
And J fray, what condition can the first grace have} unless you will run
in infinitum, to seek Conditions ofConditions ?
P. 1 . This is a Cause of great moment, of which I have my self had
darker thoughts chan now 1 have. 1. If one Benefit of the Covenant
have no Condition ( vie. the first, ) will it follow, that none of the rest
are given upon condition 1 May not God in Baptism give us a Right of
special Relation to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, his Love, Grace and
Communion, Pardon, Adoption and Glory, on condition of Faith and
Repentance, and yet himself give us that Faith and Repentance which is
the condition of the rest <
2. But upon fuller consideration it will appear, that It is not the first
Grace that those promises mean, by a new and fist heart: For whoever
will examine them, shall find that the Texts mention Conditions and also
antecedent Grace : And indeed, [^A new and soft heart 2 is but the fame
thing which the New Testament calleth Sanclification. And yet that
Sanclification is promised as consequent to Faith as its condition: And
eur ordinary Divines do accordingly distinguish of location and Sancfifica-
tion holding that in Vocation the Act of Faith and Repentance are caused
by Gods Grace, before proper Habits and that Sanctification is the Ha*
bits especially of Love and Holiness), following them, (vid.Ames.
MeduU.de Vocat. Rolloc. de Vocat. Hookers Souls Votat.&Humil. Rogers of
Faith,&c. ) And this is the»e«> and fleshy heart.: 1 »" ■"' '
But what need we more to prove that Covenant Conditional which I
mean, when it is nothing but the Baptismal Covenant ? where sure the
condition is notorious , and every Baptizing Minister prerequireth the
profession of it. [
Kk CHAP.
 Ofimputed Right. Of Faitb,fufiisand Mans duty

CHAP. VII.

whether Justifying faith be a Believing in Christ as aT>acher, Lord, &C.

or only a Receiving of his Righteousness?

p, V I. A S to this your sixth Charge, I have said so much elsewhere, in

J\ my Disputations of Justification? and in other Books, that I
cannot justifie the tiring of Readers by repeating it : And will fay now
but this little following:
I. That /W doth not distinguish between justifying faith, and saving
faith, but exdudeth the Works excluded by him, from being the causes
either of Justification or Salvation.
a. That if [Receiving Christs Righteousness'] be meant by them pro
perly and physically, it is no sort of faith at all 5 but only s_ the effect of
the donations which they call [Juftificari^ or passive Justification: But
if it mean a moral metonymical Reception, that is nothing but £ Consent
to have the offered gift ] ; And if only Consent to have Christs Righte
ousness be Justifying faith, then all the assenting part is excluded ( in
which Scripture much placeth it, and most Divines in part, and many in
whole, besides Camero and his followers ). And so also all the Affiance or
Fiducial atfs are excluded, which almost all include 5 even that which
they call Recumbency being distinct from Consent. ' '/ ; ,
3. All these acts following are essential to Justifying faith, as well as
this Consent to be Justified :
• 1. An Assenting belies in God, in the baptismal sense. 2. An Assent
to the truth of Christs Person, Office? and Doctrine. 3. A belief in the
HolyGhost. 4. Abelief of Pardon,' Sanctification and Glory as possible,
purchased and offered by Christ. 5. A Consent that God be our God in
Christ. 6. And a Consent that Christ be our Teacher. 7. And our
King, and Ruler. 8. And our Intercessor. 9. And our Judge and Justi-
fier by sentence (and as our Advocate ). 10. A "belief of his Resurre
ction, Power and Glory. 1 1. A Trusting to the Father and the Son ac
cording to these forementioned Offices. 12. A Consent to be Sanctified
by the Holy Ghost. . . • ' :
4. Plainly our Justifying and Saving Faith in Pauls sense is the fame
thing with our Christianity, or becoming Christians : And the fame thing
with our Baptismal faith and consent.'' '■ ''■ j
5. To believe in Christ as Christ is in Scripture Justifying faith : But
to accept his righteousness only, and not to believe in him as our Lord,
and our Teacher and Intercessor, &c* as aforesaid > is riot to believe in
him: as Christ. ....*.;.-... ■• .'V;'iij -wJi v.. s ■1? i.-.-
6. In my Answer ■ ( ubi sup. ) to Mr. warner, and elsewhere, I have
detected the fraud of their quibling distinction, who fay , that All this is
in faith quajustifeat, but not qua pistificat^ as supposing a falsehood, thar
any act of faith qua talie justifieth. '■
7. They that say that only our Acceptance of Christs Imputed Righte
ousness- j* the Justif ying act of faith, and that to expect to be Justified by
any other ( viz,, by Believing in God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, and"
believing a Heaven hereafter, and believing the Truth of the Gospel, and
of Christs Resurrection, Ascension, Glory, dre and by taking him for our
Teacher, Ruler, Intercessor, ejrc.') is to expect Justification by works in
Pauls disclaimed sense, and so to fall from Grace ; I say,they that thus teach,
do
 . • their several parts to a Christians Comfort. 251

do go'sofar towards the subverting of the Gospel, and making a Gospel

or Religion of their own, as that ( I must tell them, to move them to re
pentance ) not only the adding of ceremonies is a small corruption in com
parison os this, but many that in Epiphanius are numbred with Hcreticks,
had far lesser errors than this is. • '

. CHAP. VIII.

Of Faiths Justifying as an Instrument.

P. V 1 1» A Nd I have said so much in the foresaid Disputations of

jl\ Justification and other Bookspf Faiths Instrumentality and
the reason of its Justifying interests that I cannot perswade my self npw
to talk it out with you all over again 5 but only to say,
1. That I have fully oft proved from many plain Scriptures, that par
don and salvation are given ( with Christ ) in the Covenant of Grace, on
Condition os a penitent believing fiducial acceptance. And therefore thac
it is most certain that faith is a Condition of our Justification -7 and so to
be profest in Baptism.
2. The name of An Instrument given to faith , and its Justifying as an
Instrument\ are of mens devising, and not in Gods Word.
3. But as to the fense, Ic is certain that faith is no Instrument of our
Justification ( Gods or Mans, > if it be meant properly of an Instrumen
tal efficient cause.
4. But if it be taken Metaphorically, for an Act whose Nature or es
sence is An Acceptance of a free Gift, and so by Instrumentality be meanc
the -ro credere.) that is. Faiths very Essence in specie, then no doubt it is
what it is.
5. Or if by an Instrument be meant, A Moral aptitude or Disposition
of the person to be justified ( answerable to the Dijpofitio Recipients vet
materu in Physicks ) then it is such an Instrument. But how well this
is worded , and what cause there is to contend for a word both of hu*
' mane invention and metaphorical, and this as if it were a weighty Do
ctrine, I leave to sober judgements.
6. But it is certain that the Accepting Aflo£ faith is but its Aptitude
to be the condition of the Gift, and therefore that its being made by
Christ the Condition is its Moral nearest interest in our Justification.

Kki CHAP.
252 Of imputed %ight.Of Faith ^fustif.and Mans duty ;

. :':r'.';,i ' ■ CHAP. IX.

whether Faith it self he imputed, for Righteoufnesi f

VIII. Lib. r T jHat do you hut subvert the Gospel , when you put
V V f**th instead of Christ or of his Righteousness ?
when the Scripture faith thaf. we are justified by Christs Righteousness Im
puted to usi you fay it is hy faith imputed.
P. Do you think any sober Christians here really differ? or is ic
only about the Names and Notions ? Which ever it be $ 1 . Of the name,
Is it not oft said that Faith is and {ball be imputed for Righteousness ,
Rom. 4. 22, 23,24. Jame$2.23.
Lib. Tes: I must grant the words, but not your meaning.
P. Where doth the Scripture fay, that Christs Righteousness is Imputed
U us? Remember that it is only the Name that I ask you of.
Lib. It faith that Righteousness is Imputed .• and what Righteousness
can it be but christs?
■. 'PS. I tell you still, it is only the phrase or words that we are first trying.
Are these the same words s_ Righteousness is Imputed ] and [ christs
Righteousness is Imputed? "} If not , where are these latter words in
Scripture?
Lib. Grant that the words are not, and your words are.
P. Then the question is > Whether Scripture phrase or mans invented
phrase be the better and safer in a controvertible cafe And next Whether
you should deny or quarrel at the Scripture saying, that {_ faith is imputed
to us for righteousness'} and not rather confute our misexpounding it, if
we do so i
Lib. Well, Let us examine the fense then : what Righteousness if it
but Christs that is said to be imputed to us?
\ P. It is none but what we have from Christ : But the phrase of Im-
puting fupposeth it ours: And the meaning is no more, but that £we are
reputed Righteous 1 : And the causes are not included in the phrase of
[ Imputing righteousness to us~]; but in the words before and after. As
Imputing fin to us, ( and not Imputing it ) is but to Repute, reckon ox judge
us sinners, or by sin guilty of punishment ( or not guilcy j ; to is it here.
So that it is supposed, 1. That Righteousness, that is, This Relation of be
ing Righteous, is the thing imputed: 2. Christs Righteousness is the me
ritorious cause : 3. The Gospel Donation is the instrumental Cause:
4. Our Faith in Christ is the condition, and as such the subordinate mat
ter necessary on our parts. And that faith is imputed for Righteousness,
plainly meaneth but this, that Christ having merited and satisfied for us,
all that is now required on our part to denominate ( or primarily con
stitute ) us Righteous , is to be true Believers in him , or true Chri
stians.
And I further ask you, Do you thus paraphrase the words [_ Faith, that
is, christs Righteousness, is imputed to us for righteousness ? ~\
Lib. Tes : I do so : because the aft is put for the object*.
P. Were it so said but once, and otherwise oft, you had some colour for
this: But when it is never faid~£ Christs Righteousness is imputed to us~]
and so oft said [Faith is imputed for righteousness, ] how mall ever the
Scripture be understood at this rate , if still by [ faith ] it mean not
faith
 their several parts to a Christians Qomfort* • • 2^

faith at all, but christs righteousness ? And why must not all other places
that mention faith, be ib understood also <
But read the Texts, and set all together, and see what sense thus will'
be made of it.
Rom. 4. 3. Q What faith the Scripture i Abraham believed God, and
it, that is, not his believing, but Christs Righteousness, was Imputed u
him for righteousness. ] Is this a sober and modest paraphrase , or a
shameless violence < Doth not \_it] refer to £ believing Cod'} before
mentioned < ■ >■' "' ■'..•»' - .. • ■ • \ •
Vers. 4, 5. \_To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned ( or im
puted ) of Grace, but of debt : But to him that voorketh not, but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly , his faith ( that is, not his faith,
but Chrifis righteousness') is counted for righteousness.'] Is this a modest
Exposition? . : . ' ■
Vers. 10, 11. £ W* sky that faith ( that is, not faith, but Christs'
righteousness ) was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness : How then
•was it, ( that is, not his faith, but Christs righttousiiess) reckoned? ■
Jn uncircumcifion : And he received the sign ofcircumcision, a seal of the
righteousness of the faith, (that is, not ofthefaith, but of the righteousness
of Christs righteousness ) which he had being uncircumcised, that he might
he the Father of them that believe, that righteousness (that is, christs}
might be imputed to them also who walk in the steps of that
faith which Abraham had, &c. ( dothfaith here also signisie no faith ? )
Vers. 13. When the promise is said to be f_ through the righteousness
offaith 3 and Vers. 14. [_ faith made void] is it no faith that is here
also meant by faith ?
And Vers. 16. s_ It is offaith—to that feed, which is of the faith of
Abraham'} is not faith indeed here meant by the word faith?
So Veri. 1 8, 19, 20, 21. f_ who against hope believed—And being not
•weak in faith ^he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief\
hut was strong in faith—And being fully perswaded that what he had
promised he was able to perform } is it no faith that is meant in all
these words i yea, or no act of faith , but accepting the righteousness"
of Christ t
So next Vers. 22. \_And therefore it was imputed to him for Righte
ousness ~] that is, Not his faith ; but by f_7* J is meant only christs
Righteousness} though it was faith that was over and over mentioned, as
the antecedent. ) •
So Vers. 23, 24. [_It was not written for his fake only that it (that
is, not faith, but Christs righteousness j was imputed to him ; But for us
also to whom it ( that is, not faith ) shall be imputed if we believe ( is
not that faith neither on him ( that is, God the Father) that raised
up Jesus our Lord from the dead ( which is a distinct act from Consenting
to have his righteousness : ) who was delivered to death for our offences,
and was raifej again for our Justification-,] Is the meaning that we art
justified by the Imputation of christs Resurrection so to us , as that in
Law Tense we rose again in him , and by Rising fulfilled the Law of
Innocency ?
I will not for shame and weariness thus go over other such Texts : but
I must be so faithful as to fay, that if good men, and wise men, and men
that cry down the Papists and others for adding to Gods word, and cor
rupting it, and calling it a Nose of Wax, and introducing new Articles of
faith, will yet own such Expositions as these, and accuse those that own
them
Of imputed %ight.Of Faithsajlif, and Mans duty :

them not, they are as great Instances as most I remember, except the de
fenders of Transubstantiation, how far education, or custom, or humane
dependance, or faction and partiality and prejudice, may blind the reason
of profeiled Christians and godly men. And that man that dare lay his
comforts and hopes of justification and life upon such expositions of Gods
Word, mould be modest in crying down the false hopes of others , and
reproving them that build upon the sand. x
Lib. Tou have made a long discourse to make us odio.us upon a false sup»
position: we do not say, that in all or any of those Texts, by faith is not
meant faith : but only that it is not faith as faith, or as an ail of ours7
but as connoting its object, the Righteousness ofChrist.
P. i. Alas ! a great number of better men than you, have too oft and
plainly said without distinction that [Faith is not imputed to usfor righ
teousness 3. I hope they meant better than they spake 5 but I would it
could be hid from the world, that these words are not only in the Inde
pendents Savoy Confessions but even in the Confession of the Westminster
Assembly', cap. 11. Q " Not by imputing faith it self, the ail of believing
Ctor any other Evangelical obedience to them as their Righteousness : but
" by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ to them.— ~\ So
alfo in the larger Catechism [Not as if the Grace offaith or any act thereof
rvere imputed to him for his Justification. ~\ How well soever they may
mean, Gods oft repeated Word ihould rather have been expounded, than
denyed.
2. But what mean your cloudy words, [It is not faith as faith but
as connoting the objetff] They that cannot speak clearly, seldom clearly
understand what to speak. The Question is, Whether it be really and
properly Faith, that is meant in all these Texts < or whether it be only
Christs righteousness? If you fay, that It is both in several respecls,yo\x
grant then that it is faith it self in one respect, that is imputed to us for
righteousness. If it be only the object and not faith , why is it so often
called [ faiths believing, being persveaded, &c. ~]
Will you say, that // is not faith as an aft of ours only ? Whoever
dreamt it was i For a quatenus ad omne : If as an atf, then every act
( even plowing, and walking, and sinning ) would justifie us.
Will you fay, that // is not Faith as a Moral Virtue or Goodaff only ?
Who faith it is? For then every moral good at? would justifie men.
Do you fay, that It is not by faith as faith in generei It is granted
you : For else ( a quatenus ad omne ) any act offaith would justifie, even
believing that there is a Hell.
Will you fay, that it is not any other species of faith, besides our bap
tismal faith C We grant it you.
But if you will also say, that It is not this species , even the christian
faith neither that is meant, but only the object of it, then, 1. Why fay
you, that it is Faith as connoting the objects contradicting your self: for
if be not faith at all, it is not faith as connoting ; that which is not,
doth not connote. 2. And why fay you, that it is not faith it self essen
tially < Is not the object estential as an object to the act in specie1: Is it
not essential to our Christian faith to be a Believing in Christ <
3. But what sober unprejudiced Christian that readeth the Text through
out, and hath not been instructed to pervert it, can choose but see that it
is F/vth it self that the Apostle speaketh of? and that it is our personal
Relation ofRighteousness that it is said to be imputed for? And who can
believe that tins is the fense [ Abrahams faith Vrts imputed to him for
Christs
 their severalparts to a Cbrijltans Comfort'^. . • 455
1 — , . _—: .
. Cbrijls Righteousness ? ~] or this either [ His faith, that is, chrijis Righte
ousness and not his faith, was imputed to him for Chrisls Righteousnejs ? 3
Undoubtedly by faith is meant faiths and by Righteousness is meant our
own Relation. But it is most ealie to discern, that the plain sense is
[Christ being presupposed the Meriter of our Justification and Salvation,-
which he hath given the world conditionally by a Law os Grace , ( or
Covenant Donation, ) by which no w he rulcth and judgeth us, all that this
Covenant, Gift or Law required on our part to make us Righteous, and
entitle us to the Spirit , and everlasting lifcj is that asTfnitent believ
ers we accept Christ and life according to the nature, ends and uses of the
gift; ( and this also by his grate ). ] .•'.'»•., " i' v :v» v. : ;
Reader, hold close to this plain Doctrine, whichmost of the lower fore
of Christians know ( who have not fain into perverters hands ) and you:
will have more solid and practical and peaceable truth about this point,
than either Dr. Thomas Tullie, or Maccovius,oiMt.crandiu»,Oi'Dt.Crifpe^
or the Marrow of Modern Divinity * , or Paul Hobfiu:, or Mr. Salt- .*( Written by an fionest
marjh, or any such Writers do teach you in their learned Net-work ^nd'a"hudeA
Treatises, by which ("being Wife or Orthodox overmuch- , being them-' by diverw^LwrDi*
selves entangled and confounded by incongruous notions of mans inven- > vines.)
rion) they are Hker to entangle and confound you , thast to mew you
the best method and grounds for the peace of an understanding dying'
man. '■ ... I •:.!•.. - ;." i
Christs Righteousness is Imputed" or Reckoned to be as it is, the total
sole Meritorious Cause of all that Grace and Glory given as in and by
the Conditional Law Or Covenant of Grace, and of our Grace for perf6r-
mance of the Conditions, and itneedeth nothing at all of ours to make it
perfect to this use nor hath our faith any such supplemental Office. But
this condition ot our part in Christ, and ofour Right to his Covenant-gifcs, >
must be performed : and the sentence os Absolution or Condemnation,
life or death, must be passed on us accordingly- it being not Christ, but
we by this very Law, that are to be Judged^ Justified .jpr Condemned.
And this is the Condemnation that light is come into the World, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because thek deeds were evil : But to as
many as Received him, he gave Rignt to become the Sons of God, even
to them that believe in his name : And there is no condemnation to
them that a*e in. Christ jesus,< who walk not after the Flefli, but after
the Spirit : For being perfected , he is become the Author of eternal
Salvation to all them that obey him: And it is not they that cry Lord,
Lord, that malt ster into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth' the •
will- of our heavenly Father : tot Godliness hath the promise- of the life
that now is, and of that to come. ' *A *'••"• * 1 . : .
•;y '. ■• 'r. or, .' i ; ... . '• bit: v. ; I .1
256 Ofimputed %%ghtS)f Faith9fu[lif.and Mans duty :

CHAP. x.

whether Gods justifying those to day that were yesterday unjustified, fig*
nifie Any change in God ?

?. I X. this also I have said so much in toy Apologie to Dr.fo/r-

\J doll, and in the two first parts of this Book before, that I
shall now put you off with this short notice :
1. There is nothing changed, or new in God: That which on his part
is in Cod the Cause of our Justification, is his eternal simple essence.
, 2. But Gods Essence, Understanding, or Will considered simply in it
self is not to be called, Mans Justification : But the effect produced by
it ; And partly the extrinsick object as terminating Gods act, and so by
extrinsick denomination or connotation, Gods Essential Intellect and
Will is (aid, de novo to justifie. But it is only man that is really
changed.
3. The New effect in man from which God is said de novo to justifie
him, is 1. A.oew Right ot Relation to Christ, pardon and life, and to the
Father and the Holy Ghost: 2. A new objective termination of Go&s esti
mation, acceptance and complacency : And 3. A new heart hereupon at the
fame instant given us. I think none of this is from eternity : And that
as God did de novo make the world, and judge it existent, and love and
order it as existent , without any change in him, ( as also millions of
creatures proceed from his simple Unity ; so is it here. And this
needeth no more words with knowing or teachable men : And to others
there is no end. -

CHAP. XL

whether a Justified man should he afraid of becoming unjustified?

Lib. I SHis fear of losing our justification , which you teach men, it
JL most injurious to Gods free grace and immutability , and a rack
for Conscience to destroy mens peace.
P. I have said so much of this before about Perseverance and Assu
rance, as forbiddeth me tedious repetitions. Here needeth no more but
this explication of the matter which you confound :
1. Fear is either Causesul or Causeless.
2. Fear is either such as hindereth comfort, or such as helpeth it.
3. Fear is cither a Duty, or an unavoidable natural passion, or a sin of
Unavoidable infirmity, or a more deadly or heinous sin.
4. It's one thing to cause and cherish Fear, and another thing to teach
men that cannot avoid it, how to deal by it. And now I assert,
1 . Too many are confident that they are justified, who ought not only
to Fear that they are mt, but to know it.
2. Too many that are Justified fall into such decayes ofjGrace, and hei
nous sin, as that it becometh thereupon their duty tofear lest their hearts
mould
 i ■ ii ... I , i, r
their several parts to a Christians (^cmfort*

should deceive them, and they prove unjustified, till they rise by repen
tance and revived Faith. The uncertainty becoming unavoidable, ioine
Fear in an uncertain person is a duty , without which he would shew a
contempt of God and his salvation.
3. Too many Justified persons have Grace so rveak and unadive, and
fin (0 strong, as that in that cafe , both uncertainty and fears are una
voidable to them : A Certainty beyond, fear, suppoieth a very high pro
portionable degree of all other Graces t, ( For the new creature in the
chief parts useth to increase or decrease together : ) But few have such
high degrees of Grace.
4. A fear of particular great and heinous fins ( which must be Re
pented of, if you will be saved) must be moderately feared by all Chri
stians > none being certain that they (hall escape them.
5. A believing lively apprehension of the dreadsulness of Gods Judge
ment, as he is a consuming fire, and one that can cast soul and body into
Hell, with so much as is necessary to vigilancy and labour for preventi
on, is all mens duty, Luke 12. 4, 5. Heb. 12. 28, 29. And onthiscon-
sideration if we will serve God acceptably it must be with reverence and
godly fear. And we must keep under our bodies ( with Paul ) and bring
them into subjection, lest having preached or professed, we mould yet be
castavpAyes.
6. Needful cleanstng, repenting and preventing fear, doth secure and
further our comforts, by removing the sin and danger that would hinder
tha%
7. All our enemies and dangers are not overcome till the end. And
danger must be escaped by moderate fear. Gcd who brings his servants
over all their dangers, will save them by a sober fear and vigilancy, and
not by fearlesnejs of the evil.
8. But all that fear which includeth error or unbelief , or distrust of
Christ, is sinful, and to be resisted with all our care; And the moredi*
strust, the greater is the sin.
9. All Fear that driveth from Christ, and faiths and hope, and love,
and true consolation we cry down daily, as injurious to God and man.
10. We teach all Christians to contend with utmost diligence, to get
up to the highest Trust, Love, Joy, Thanksgiving and Praise, as the pros
per Evangelical excellency, nearest Heaven : and to get as fast as they can
above that fear which hath torment, which is cast out as love groweth*
perfect : and to pray and seek for the Spirit of Adoption, of Power, and
Love, and a sound mind, instead of the Spirit of fear and bondage: And
not to place too much of their Religion in that very fear which in its season is
a duty, much less in hurtful sinful fear: Butalwayes and in all things to
Rejcyce in the Lord, with Love and Gratitude, and confidently to cast all
their cares on him.
1 1 . But as all men here are imperfect in Holinefs,Faith and Assurance,and
in their doubts, some fear of the event ( besides meer reverence of God) is
their duty, so we teach men how so to live in an uncertain fearing state>
as safeliest to get above it.
12. And we know that sin, wickedness, presumption, self-deceit and
pride are so common in the world, that Fear is very needful to the most -
and we have cause to call with Paul to many proud Professors, Be not
high minded, but fear ( even lest God should cut them off as he did the
Jews) and Having a promiseof entring into his rest> let us fear lest any of
Ufcome short of it, Heb. 4. i.'And Christ thrice over reciteth his urgent
exhortatory words, Luke 12.4,5. / fay to you my friends-—Irtill teH
. LI ym
Of imputed %ight.Of Faithsujlif.and Mans duty :

you whom you (hall fear Fear him who when he hath killtd, hath
sower to cafi into Hell ; yea, I fay unto you ( the third time ) fear him :
Is not this authority full, and these words plain and very earnest,, even to
his friends ?
13. And it is not fit to make such a Doctrine a fundamental certain
ty, which we find none of all the Churches of Christ held from the
Apostles dayes for many and many hundred years (that ever I could
read or hear of, ) I mean that [_all the Justified persevere J. Be it ne
ver so clear to you, that which now is , and so long was thought so far
from clear and sure to the Churches of Christ, as it is no fit foundation,
for the Churches Concord, so neither for a Christians everlasting hopes,
to be so much laid on it, as by some they are.

CHAP. XII.

Of Mans Power to believe ; and of calling the unrcgcnerate to Duty.

P.X. & XI. the first of these I have said so much before, that
K^J I will here pass it by. And as to the second, you are
a man of pernicious principles, and downright heretical and damnable, if
indeed you would have us call no unregenerate persons to any duty what
soever. Answer me these Questions :
Qj*tfi' Would you not have your Wife, Children and Servants
taught, that it is their duty to love, honour and obey you i and your
neighbours to deal justly with you i and the Rulers to protect you
and the Judges to do you Justice?
Lib. / speak onlyj/'Religious and not Civil duties.
•P. You are indifferent it seemeth as to the Interest of Gods honour
and mens salvation : Let those alone, so be it your own interest be se
cured. Duty to you, must be preached, but not to God. ButwouW you
not have them taught to do you service as to the Lord, and as such as
from him (hall have punishment or reward ? and to submit themselves to
the-Higher Powers for conscience sake as to the Ministers of God? and
to- Honour Father and Mother in obedience to God, and that by his
Mtftard their dayes may be long ? Should not all be done to the Glory
of God? i \ '
■ Lib. Tesy it should be ; but the wicked cannot do it : Therefore they
jnstfi be firfi made Godly, and the Heart renewed, that the life may be
amended. >
I z-Pi We are as much and more for Heart- work, arid for beginning there,
than you arc: we know that God accepteth not the hypocrite, thatdraw-
jeth near him, and honoureth him with the lips, when the heart is far from
him ; The outward actions are no further Good or Bad, than they are
Vvlnriiary or from the mlL The Divine Nature, and Image of God , and
•Use of the new creature, is the new heart by the Love of God shed abroad
iipon it by the Holy Ghost. But,
: '-Quest, z. Are we to call men to no duty at all, to the getting of a
joew heart? Should we not perswade them to hear Gods Word? - '
: -lib. res : Hove shall they believe unless they hear? .
S.v» ';V ■: • • ... .1 . ..i r\i
 their several parts to a Christians Qomfort, 259
—— ■ *■ * • ■ ■■ — - » 11 ■■ ■ * ■■ . ■ ■ , —- . . . —
P. Q*est. 3. Must we call them from the Tavern, A'.e-hoose, Gaming
house, Play-house, Whore-house, yea, from their lawsuiler imployments
that they may hear in season ? and call Martha to choose Maries part*
and those that say. They cannot come because of their Oxen, Farms and
Business, to change that mind f
Lib. Tesj no doubt of k: ZKiht^muftibe ixebrifts way.
p. Qjgst.4. Must we not perswade them to take heed how and what
they hear i and to set their heart$ to all Gods Words , and to fee thac
they despise not him that speakethf but he that hath ears to hear, let him
bear j and to consider qf the truth and might of all, and to search the
Scriptures to fee whether the things be so i
Jib. / deny none tf tkk. ■ *.•.••''.. '"■ .. *•
f. S&jgst. 5- May we not perswade them to come and talk and reason
the case with Friends or Ministers, that we may convince them if
Lib. Tes no doubts as well as to hear in pitblick.
P. Quest. 6. May we 00c Catechise them, and teach them the Princi
ples of Christianity, that they may understand them ?
Lib. Tesi as to the Matter ; hut ft teach them your forms ofQuestions
and Answers., is but formality and deceit,
p. What? May we not teach them the words of Christ and Scripture?
How (hall the matter be understood without words? And what better words,
than the words of Scripture it, .
Lib. But a Form *f the f*r»e words is bat formality.
p. Hath God forbid us to use the seme ? Are Children and ignorant
people fit to understand the mysteries of God, if you speak them every
lime in new or other words f or can they fo remember them C And when the
Use of words is to signifie Things^ and the Matter is one and the fame ( fur
we have but one God,and Christ,aad Gospeljwhat wild work will you make
of it, if you speak che fame things every time in other words ? Are all those
words equally sit to signifie the (ame Things ? Certainly some particular
Words are more fitted to each matter than other : And should not the fittest
be most used? Doth not Christ deliver us zfirm ofBaptism, and a form of
the administration of his last Supper, and a form of Prayer i Are there not
forms prescribed in Gods Word,of the Priests Benediction,and what the peo
ple shall fay when they offer: Sacrifice? Arc not all the Psalms forms of Pray
er and Praise (and were indeed the Liturgie of the Jews) ? Doth not Joelput
a form of prayer into the mouths of Penitents < Doth not Paul teach us
to use Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, singing and making melody
in our hearts to the Lord i Eph.j.ig- Doubtless it is not only Davids
Psalms that are meant hy these three words ; but Hymns and Songs fit
ted to Gospel Worship : And if you would have none of them pre
meditated, nor be twice the fame words, you would soon make your self,
ridiculous to the world. If you fay that this Precept was for them thac
could do so being filled with the Spirits I answer, t . It's true that they
had their extraordinary endowments, which made a difference in the man
ner ( as also in Praying and Preaching ) i But shall we dream that therefore
the fame duties belong not to us to be performed in the best manner thac
we can i a. A man may from the Spirit pour out his soul to God in forms
of Prayer and Praise, though the words were premeditated.
In a word> if you would have all forms of Creeds, Prayer, Praise and
administration of Sacraments, and Catechisms cast away, you ire an ene
my to Gods true Worship* and the safety and edification of the Church;
yea, you must cast away all the Scriptures, which are Gods form of instru
ction, recorded for the Churches use to the end of the WorkL
LI a Quest, 6.
 Ofimputed Right. Of Faith, fujitf and Mam duty :

Quest. 6. But 1 further ask you, May we not perswade bad men to ex
amine themselves, and to find, know and confess that they are bad and un
godly and to lament it <
Lib. TfS, that cannot be denyei.
p. Quest. 7. And may we not perswade them to believe that there is
a God, and that the Scripture is his Word, and true < and that Christ is
theMessias? . .
Lib. Tes ; the Devils believe aH this.
p. Quest. 8. And may we not exhort them to Repent, and Turn to
God, and so to believe in Christ as to receive him, and give up them
selves unto him <
Lib. Tes, you may exhort them: but they cannot do it of themselves'.
P. Must w e exhort them to nothing but what they can do of themselves *
Quest. 9. Is not Exhortation Gods means to bring them to Repentance
and Faith in Christ < .
Lib. Tes i I deny none of this ; But that wfjich you abuse men ■ by\
I . Is bidding the ungodly pray, when the prayers of the wicked are abo
minable to God. And z. In that you do not first call them to believe and
come to Christy before they do any other duty.
P. 1 . You granted me before that hearing and considering and searching the
Scripture, and other things named, are to be done before Believing in
Christ, by those that are yet unbelievers. He that believeth that there
is a God, must behave himself accordingly in obeying God. 2. Men thac
believe in Christ but by Assent, that he is truly the Christ, and the Gospel
true, and that there is a life to come, surely, if they love themselves, must
do somewhat in order to a fuller Justifying Belief. 3. And are you so
much against the very Law of Nature, worse than the Seamen that bid Jonas
call upon his God, worle than the Ninevites, and than almost all mao-
kind, as that you would have no men pray but godly men ? Did nqt Peter
bid Simon Magus repent and pray, Ails 8. And doth not God command
the wicked, //i.55. to seek the Lord while he may be found, and call up
on him while he is near * Should no graceless man ask wisdom of God, who
giveth liberally to all men-, and upbraidetb not, James 1. and givethhis
Spirit to them that ask it < Must they not pray for Grace, Faith and Repen
tance, that want them < 4. But yet let me remember you, that we use not
to exhort men to draw nigh to God with the lips alone ; nor to pray
without Desire. For Praying is but Desiring, and presenting that Desire to
God. And w hen we bid men pray for Grace, we bid them desire it. And
so bid them Repent and Pray, Believe and Pray ; for Praying is a Return
ing act : And if we may not call them to pray , we may not call them
to Turn to God. Mr. Eliot in New England teacheth the Indians ano
ther lesson, whose great work is to call them to pray, and the title thac
his Converts have, is the Praying Indians. .
Lib. But without faith it is impossible to please God , or do any thing
which is not abominable to him.
P. 1. But it is not impossible for one to have a common and temporary
faith, and another a saving faith. 2. And one that believeth that God is,
and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and this not
savingly, may yet less displease God, and be less abominable than he was
before without it : and also may do something that tendeth as a means,
to that Faith by which he may please him.
1. A total unbeliever, and a wicked jman as wicked, whose prayers are
animated with wicked principles and ends, utterly displealeth God, and
his prayers and all such actions are abominable.
 their severalparti to a Chrijlians Comfort. 161

2. A convinced wicked man that doth somewhat from self-Jove for his
own salvation, and specially one that is not far from the Kingdom of
God) in the use of common grace, is less abominable , and pleafeth God
secundum quid, or less displeascth him, or seeketh that grace with which
he may please him : And Christ is said to love such a man,
Mark 10. 21.
3. But only the true Penitent believer so pleafeth him as to bean
Adopted heir of life.

i CHAP. XIII. 7
■ » *
Of the Witness of the Spirit , and Evidences of Justification.

P. X II. f Will spend no more time with you on this, than briefly to
1 open your error , and then to tell you what we hold as
certain truth. 1 ■
I. It is your gross Error to oppose Evidences to the witness ofthe Spi
rit ; for in the principal respect they are the same : as you may find by
studying these Texts well : Rom.S. 5, 6,7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 23.
I Cor. 6. 17. & U. 4, 12, 13. 2 Cor. 3. 3. ^4. 13. & 1 2. 18. Gal.4.6.
^5.5^16,17,18,25. 2 Tim. 1.7. 7^*3.3,5,6. Efb.t.lS. & 2.
18,22. & 4- 3, 4, 16,23. d*5.9,i8. %Tbeff.%. 13. iPet.i.j,22.
l John $.24. Zech. 12. 10. Rom. J. 6. Ezek. n.xp. ^18.31,
(^•36.26. £/^. I. 13, cfc.
Our having the ty/r/f, and our being sanctified by the Spirit, are the
Witness, Seal, Pledge, Earnest, and First Fruits, and the Evidence of our
Adoption and Right to life. It is not chiefly An inward voice or per-
swajion that we are Gods Children, that is the Witness.
But 1 1. As a mans Rational foul doth witness that he is a Man, so the
' Spirit of holineis witnesseth that we are Christians j and adopted 1. Con-
stitutively, making us such. 2. And thereby differencing us from all that
are not such. 3. And then helping us to discern that we are such: As
the Reasonable soul perceiveth it self. 4. And helping us to exercise
our Grace that it may be the more discemable. 5. And lastly, Comforting
us by such Exercise and discerning : As Life and the Intellectual Nature
are pleasing to themselves.

The Conclusion.

p. A Nd now Saul what think you of the Cavils that have puzled and
£\ troubled you i Have you heard any thing that should change
your mind i
S. ,c 1 have heard that from you that confrmeth and satisfiethme: But
et I have heard that from L. which grieveth my very foul9 1. To think
tc what temptations and perplexing tryals poor ignorant Religious people
iCare assaulted by, and how hard a thing it must needs he for such to
te escape deceit and fin, and great difracJions. 2. To think in how fad
£■ a condition the church of God is, that besides what they suffer from men
((of

0
o6 1 Ofimputed %ght. Of Faitb,fujiif. and Mans duty :

" ofViolence, and the flatteries of the ivorld, must be thus troubled And
"ensured by men of high profejjions of Religion , and even drawn to
" corrupt the word of God, and almost to preach another Cojpel. And,
¥ that ever men of such professions should he guilty of so much evil : ire
"to the World because of offences, and vto U them by whom they come.
P. Alas ! it is no new thing: Do you not remember that Paul had
such and worse to deal with. Read Gal. i.<jr% dr 4. Readitev.a. & 3.
Jude, ejr * Pet. 2. dr James i. dr 3 . & Acts 1 5 , &c. and you will see, that
even those purest times when they had Apostolical Gifts and Authority
to restrain and settle them, were yet thus tryed and troubled by men of
high pretensions, so that Paul wistieth that they were cut off that trou
ble them j and Christ proda'imeth the hatred of his soul against the Do
ctrine of the Nicolaitans ; and Paul tells the Corinthians , that Heresies
must be among them, that those which are approved may be manifested
amon<* them ; and the Ephefians, Alls 20. 30. that of their own selves
should men arile, speaking perverse things, to draw away Disciples after
them. And ever since in all Ages to this day, the Church hath been
as Christ on the Cross, between two Thieves, between the Tyrannical and
the Superstitious Heretical dividing sort of professed Christians. £ut bold
fast plain primitive SIMPLICITY and serious PRACTICE of
a sober, righteous, godly and peaceable life, and you will gee safe through
all such snares. . , :.■ ■ " ..." '1 ■

■v ' • . 1 ■ ■ ,

'»-**. . ■ , .' »

The
 The Twelfth Day es : ■ • '

CONFERENCE.

L. A Lutheran : A Reconciler.

Whether the Difference between Taf>i[ls, Arminians, Lutherans

and (jdvinifts about Mans Merits , be as Great as many
think it ?

L. ^TT Am greatly scandalized by a Sermon that you lately preached

a in London, in which you said ( as many good people assure me)
1 that the difference between the Protestants and the Papists was
little more than in meer words : The City ringeth of it, and it
is a common scandal, and offence.
R. Seeing you heard it not , you are unfit to receive satisfaction about
it, save only by telling you that the Report is false, and that which I said os
some particular Controversies only, they feign to be spoken of all , or
most, or others : But of this when you bring one that heard it , I will
give you a further account. ',
L. However j perceive by your words and writings, that you extenuate
our difference about Mans Merits : And what is there that we more differ
from the Papists about, than Merits; andfrom the Arminians, than their
placing our Righteousness in our own Believing and Repenting < is there
any thing that more evacuateth the Righteousness of Christ ? and destroy*
eth the honour of free grace > and justly entitleth them to the name of
Antichristixn?
R. Forget not that before I further discourse with yoU, I premise, that
I speak not a word to justifie or excuse the Papists in general, or any one
of them in particular, for any unsound word about this subject, nor to
abate your, just dislike of any of their errors : And before we proceed, I
desire your promise that you will hear and speak with as little partiality,
passion, and unrighteousness as you can, ( for to lay by all, I cannot ex
pect, ) and .that you will be true to what evidence of truth shall appear
to you. \ x' . %.. . '. .• ;' r- ■■
L. £>V'you think tljaf J love not Truth and Sobriety ? why do you so
ptjpe-0. me ? .
R. Alas, how strange arc our hearts oft to themselves 1 and how much
of our own ignorance, temerity, passion and unjust partiality is there, in
many a cause which we ( sinfully ; father upon God, and his Truth and
Grace! But in order to our better understanding , ] ask your answer to
"these Questions. , .. ; - ; .\, frvf :. .
Quest, i. Had you rather it did truly appear to you, that the Papists and
Arminiins do less differ from us, than most conceive^ or not? . -
_ . . , I . m
264 0/ the difference about many Mints

L. / had rather they did differ less, and if it be so, J had rather know
it than not ; But I would not hear that it is so, when it is not.
R. Take heed that your heart deceive you nor, and that you be not averse
to know the truth, lest it should cross your own and other mens former
censures.
Quest. 2. If it prove true, that the difference is less than most rake it
to be, is he that falsly aggravateth it to the procuring of unjust odium,
or he that truly openeth and extenuateth it , the more to be commended
or approved ?
L. if you have the Truth on your fide , no doubt but you do well, be
cause Love and Peace also are on your fide , and our fault is great that
quarrel with you,
R. Quest. 3. Do you think it is justice in any Papists to charge the
crude unsound expressions of particular Writers, on the Protestant party as
their Doctrine 1 (as Mr. Parker^ Mr. Patrick, Mr. Sherlock are blamed
for doing by the Non- conformists : ) or for us to do the fame by them ?
L. No : but where their Dotfors agree^ we may go further.
R. Quest. 4. Do you think that the bare name of Merit, is cause enough
to accuie any of falle Doctrine, who meaneth by it nothing that is un
sound < or that the name is reason enough for slwrp accusations of such
men i
L, / am willing to difference the controverfie de nomine from that
de re, and not to make a greater matter of a. name than there is cause :
But yet ill names do tend to introduce ill Doctrines.
R. Quest. 5. Do you hold that well- doing hath any Reward from
God i-
L. It is not vain : It hath that blessing freely given which is impro
perly called a Reward,
R. It is figuratively called wages : And yet this is the commonest Scri
pture title, ( and cannot you bear with Gods Word? ) But it is not im
properly called Premium a Reward : that is, A benefit given to one for
well doing. Indeed if with the new Atheistical Philosophers, you take
God but for a Physical Motor, and his Government, and Laws, and Judge
ment to be all but Motion, improperly and popularly so named, then you
may say the same of his Rewards and Punishments.
L. well : you know that Protestants deny not Reward.
R. Quest. 6. Is not Reward formally Related to some well-doing as the
moral aptitude of the Receiver ?
L. Tcs : it is such a Relation formally.
R. Quest.']. Are not they then of your judgement as to the Matter>
who hold Merit in no other fense, than as it is £ Renardable well-doings
or [a Moral aptitude for Reward?^
L. / deny not that with such I differ but in the Name.
R. Quest. 8. Do not you ksow that it is the common usage of the
word, in Civil and Ecclesiastical Writers, to take Meritum and Pramium
so far for Relatives, as that omne Premium est meriti premium ; though
omne meritum be not Pr<tmii meritum. Reward and Rewardablenefs arc
thus meant as related. 1
It's true chat Meritum is sometime taken less properly for anyDuenefi
as a man is said to Merit his Fathers Legacie, that is, hath right to it:
sometimes it is taken for any Moral Congruity : sometimes in malam par-
tern for Comment of punishment : and sometimes for a fault it self. As
Calvin noterh on the word. But still every Reward is formally relaced to
Mtrit or Rewardablenefs.
L. But
 betwn Papists, Armin. Luther, ahd Qalvinists. (%^

. L. But ( not only our late Lectures against Popery, but ) many Prote
stants say, that It is Merit, unless there be an Equality yfitw worjfy
to the Reward $ And therefore their Arguments against Merit are f as
there ) I . The Reward is meerly ofMercy and Grace ; therefore-^ nos of
Merit. 2. It is Gods Gift: therefore not deserved,. 3. Ji is by Inheri
tance. 4. We owe all to God ; and therefore cannot Merit. 5. Our works
are imperfect. 6. We need pardon* : 7. Our works are not equal m Good
ness and Value to eternal life. %.we cannot recompence God for what we
have. 9. We cannot profit God. 10 , Grace and debt are opposite. IV, Wi
may not Trust our works ( faith or love ) therefore they merit not. Sv
that the question is but of such a Merit as by equal worth maketh the
Reward due in point of Justice.
R. All these reasons sufficiently confute Merit in point of Commutative
Justice : But they go upon a meer mistake, as if this were the state of the
contrbversie between us and the Roman Church, or they took Merit in any
such sense j unless it be some rare ignorant fellow ( such as Romxus seem-
eth by some words, and some few others ) : But do you grant that you dif
fer but he nomine and not de re with those that take not Merit in any
such sense, but mean as you do de re ipsa ?
L. That I must needs grant.
JR. Before we proceed then, let me briefly and plainly open the cafe.
1. God standeth related to Man, 1. As the Owner of us and aril things :
a. As out Rector by Laws: J. As our Benefactor.
a. lo Merit, 1. Of z Proprietor or Owner, must be giving him some
what to his gain or pleasure, for the worth of which he is bound by
Commutative Justice, to. requite us. 2. To Merit of a Ruler is to do that
which he is bound to Reward in Distributive Justicey to perform his Re
warding promises, or at least for the Ends of Government. 3. To merit
of a meer Benefactor is no more than not to be uncapable of his Giftt
which is improperly called Merit r Sf, v '., •
3. All our controversie is about the second : God as our Governour
ruleth us 1 . At. first by the Law of Innocency, 2. By the Law of Grace 5
and that i. As delivered to 'the World in Adam and Noe, 2. Or to the
Jews with the addition of the Mofaical Law of Works, 3. Or as deliver
ed m die Gospel by Christ and his Spirit. ;- ' t
4. To dream of that Merit from God as a proprietor in point of Com
mutative Justice which our Arguments militate against, is tantum non
madness : and is not the Doctrine of the Church of Rome ( that I
know of. J
" 5. To astert our Meriting of God as Rector by the Law of Innocency
is dotage. A nd I know none that hold that we do so ( by our selves,though
some hold that we do so per alium. )
: Nor do any but Jews that I know Of assert.Merit after the Jewish Law
of Works.
: 7. BUt they that- hold that Christ hath Merited^ freely Given a Con
ditional pardon and right to life to all mankind, even on condition of a
penitent believing acceptance of the free gift, and this by a Law of Grace,
vehic.h' W^rPiist'now be Ruled and Judged' by, do hold that this Law hath
ittlleAVJwi> and mans acts accordingly their worth or Merit.
\ $.<;This.Mcrit hv. point of Distributive Justice, is to be conceived of
and defiftfdj according to the Regiment which it' respecteth, which is Gods
Paternal Government of freely Redeemedsinners, by z. Law of Grace freely
pardoning und saving them if they will believe and accept the gift. So
that it,is Ohly.Meriting under a Law. made by a Governing Owner and JM*
~j Mm nefatfor,
i66 Of the difference about mans M erits

nefafter, for the sapiential orderly disposal of a free Gift. As a Father

will teach a Child Obedience by telling him thac he will give him Gold
or Meat, if he will thankfully accept it.
p. It is not true therefore that it is only a, free Gift: For as it is a
free Gift in regard of the Value and quoad rent, so that Gift is a Reward
in regard of the Order of Conveyance, andtenour of theZto/y^/wr, andthc
moral capacity of the Receiver, which men call Merit.
io. That we cannot (per impotentiam volantariam moralem ) perform
the Condition, without Divine Grace, is nothing against the Tenour of the
Donation, nor the nature of the Relation of a Reward.
1 1 But Reward and Merit in this cafe are furthest from thac of Com
mutation, and leaveth least to man to boast of.
iz. Yet may he truly glory in the effects of Grace with thankfulness
to God, zsPaul did, 2 Cor. 1. 11, ra. that in simplicity and godly sin
cerity, dre and 2 Tim. 4.8. that he had fought a good fight, And
he may justifie his sincerity with Job, chap. 13.15,16. And Christ will
fay, well done good and faithful servants tfre Let him that glorieth
glory in this, that he knoweth me, ( faith the Lord, ) ejrc. Aud Paul
would rather dye, than any should make his glorying void, as to his free
preaching the Go! pel
1 3. And it is very false that in this fense a Christian is not bound to
trust to his Faith, Repentance, Love, obedience, only in their own place
and office assigned them by God 5 but no further : As we may trust to the
Bible, Preacher, Parents, so to hearing, reading, praying, ejrc for their pro
per part : else we shall take them all to be in vain. Are they Means, or
no Means ? If Means, they must be judged and trusted as they are, and
no further : And people are not to be frightned from necessary truth, by
putting an ill fense upon words.
14. And though here be nothing of Commutative Justice, yet there is
that which Justifieth the name of wages used analogically in the Scriptures:
Because Love in a Father maketh a Childs interest to be partly his own ;
and the Pleasure os his will, is that to God who is Love it self and
deligheeth in his Childrens good, which Profit is to a humane proprietor.
And now I will proceed with you in my Questions.
Quest. 9. Do you think that Papists or Arminians do believe, thac ei
ther Man, or Angel, or Christ can merit ofGod by Profiting him, in Com
mutative Justice? Or that it is possible for any creature to have any Good
which is not the free gift of God i supposing man a free agent in his
duty.
L. / have hitherto thought that they so judge : why else talk they of
Merit of Congruity and Condignity, and that say some, ex dignitate, yea,
and ex proportione operum 1
R. It seemeth you think not that you hold all this your self. Lec
us try.
1. By Merit, they still mean a subordinate Merit, which supposeth the
Benefit 1 . To be Gods Gift, 2. Meritedby Christ.
L. Horv prove you that ?
R. k is the express words of the Trent Council de Justify Can. 8.
"We are said to be Justified gratis, because nothing that goeth 'before J0-
. "situation, whether it be Faith or Works, doth merit the Grace it self
"of Justification : For if it be Grace , it is no more of Works ; else
" Grace is not Grace.
icCan. \6. Though so much be given in Scripture to Good Works^
" that Christ promiscth. him that giveth but a Cup of cold Water to one
of
 between Papists, Armih. Luther, and Caivinists.

".of the least, that he shall not lose his reward, yet sir be:it
"from a Christian to trust or glory in himself, and not in the Lordj
" whose Goodness is so great to all men, that he wills those things to bi
M Their Merits, which are His Gifts. ' •'■ .
AadAnath.C. 26. they thus open their Doctrine of Merit: ctIf any
"fay, thac the Righteous ought not to expels eternal retribution from God
" by his Mercy and Christs Merits,- for the good works done in God, if
" by well doing and keeping God Commandments they persevere to the
" end, let him be Anathema.
. ? c. j'l, 34* ff any say, that a Justified mans good works are so Gods
" Gifts, that they t>e hot also the Justified mans good merits, or that the
" Justified do not truly merit increase of grace and life eternal by the*
" good works which are done by Gods Grace and Christs Merit ( of whorri
"he is a living member) &c. Anath.stt. • \-
" C. 1 6. To them therefore that do well to the end, and hope in God,
" Life eternal is to be proposed , both as. Grace mercifully promised
rt to the Sons ofGod through Jesus Christ, and as a Reward faithfully tp
" be given by Gods own promise to their Works and Merits.
L. Tes , this ridiculous Voftrine of our Meriting by Cods Grate and
Christs Merits I have often read and heard of in them.
! K. It is somewhat bold to deride that Which Scripture, Reason and all
the antient churches do accord in. That Christ merited that We should
subordinates merit, that is, be ReWardable, as before explained, hath 'no*
less consent. And Contra Rationem nemo sobrius : Contra Scripturam
nemo Christianas: Contra Ec'clefdm nemo Catholictts. '"-'v( :
L. But if the Council of Trent deny that Justification is at all merited]
what is meant by the Papists Merit of Congriiity ?
. ~& J I. I think you hold not only as much of that as they, but ( d6
yon think it? ) somewhat more. M ' JJ
1. As much : For 1 . De nomine some of them deny that this is any merit
at all, as well as you/ And their Council aflerteth it not /'that I fee. )
i.De.re: They mean the fame thing by Merit of Conesliity , which
Mr. Rogers, Bolton, Hooker and the rest call Preparation for christ Or" for
Conversion 5 And so the Council of Trent calls it : Which triaketh a man
a more Congruous Receiver of Grace than the unprepared , but doth not
prove God obliced to give it him as a Reward. And do not you hold all
lh\sdere? • \ ■ 1
: .a. ' Yea and rhore : For the Council of Trent taketh Justification for
Remission of sin and fahctification together, as after Faith : And so hold
thac Faith it [elf doth not merit Justification. But do not you hold
more, de re , that Faith hath a flat promise of Justification (whish &
true;? And so God hath as it were obliged his fidelity to give it? which
is tt they mean by Merit,
L. But what is their Merit o/Condignity then? Is not that abominable ?
R. III. i.You know that the words [worthy} and [Worthiness"}
are used in the Scripture ? Bear therefore with Scripture words. 2. And
de re, they mean not all one things or use not the same expressions at least ;
Some ( and many ) With SiefOe fay, that it is exjpatfo, from Gods Pro
mise that the Mtrit and dactfless do result > or from Gods Decree arid
free acceptation* K '■ ■ ■ •» _ ■ •'*•*' ;! •'■ -
■ -L. / am shre ymr own friends fay, that [These are few, and too
modest, and indeed half Heretic-ks for their pains."] ' ; : -
R. I love not to perswade the World that men mean Worse than they
speak: What you mean by [too modest'} I know not 5 but it is not true
. ." Mm i either
 Of the difference about mans Merits

cither that they are fere, or taken by their Church for half hneticus.
And truth is well served by nothing but truth. But the author you mean,
doth well in not opposing those that are of this mind, nor thole that deny
all merit of congruity ; and in acknowledging thac such there are. He is
a stranger to the Popish Doctors who either taketh the Scotists themselves
to be few (or judged half hereticks) or else that it is they only that arc
of that opinion: of which more anon.
L. But what mean they that fay it is ex Dignitate, // mt as frosting
cod-:
R. i. I tell you they almost all conclude against commutative merit, and
who is so mad as to think that we profit God i 2. I tell you that you may
also ask what the Scripture meaneth by worthiness-, And how else will you
translate but worthy or deserving ? And what is but Merit ?
3. They mean £the Moral aptitude of well doing for the promised Re
ward'. ] And do you deny that i
L. But some of them fayplainly that it u of Debt <
r. Ves: they oft fay with Augustine that God by his promise hath made
himself as a Debtor.
L. But some fay that Merit of condignity u ex proportione operum to the
reward. >
r. It's impossible to know what every man meaneth, and impossible to
make all men speak cong uoufly : But as far as I can discern, most of
them that so speak, mean, that jhe most wise God doth all things in order
and harmony, and as he fuiteth natural causes and effects, so he doth gra
cious ones: And that his free grace puttethinto mans holiness, a suitable,
ness to the Rew ard, which is but a suitableness of the habit and act to
the object: And that he that Loved God much shall be much happy in that
Love, and be much beloved by him : And so every Saint enjoy Cod ac
cording to the proportion of his Love or holiness $ and Glory be varyed
according to the degrees of Grace.
L. This we all hold : But you make them founder and wiser than they are.
r. Many of them and us want skill to speak very c'carly : Contusion
and darkness is found in all our conceptions and expressions so far as we
know but in part : Those that you canprove to me are worse, prove it by
them. I take this to be the common sense of those few that talk of Meri-
'turn ex proportione: For they most commonly disclaim the word equality,
and all disclaim it as to commutation : And what else can they mean i
And here I offer you an argument for Rew ard even in this fense of pro-
portion w hich all the w orld cannot answer : supposing that God will freely
continue man in life and immortality. If the Reward be essential to or
neceflaiily inseparable from true love and obedience, then true love and
obedience have certainly a Reward ( and a moral aptitude for that Re
ward, or a Rewardableness, called Merit : ) But the former is certain*
For x, To love God is the souls health, pleasure and felicity itself /in
cluding the Knowledge of him 5 ) And perfect Knowledge and love is per
fect happiness. 2. To obey God is formally to do that which Pleaseth
him pleasedly because it pleaseth him : And to Please God is mans ulti
mate End and Reward. 3 . It is impossible but that God, by his ^rfecJron,
should Love and he pleased with every thing that is Good according to the
ropertion of its geettnejs; and therefore with the Love and obedience of
is Children. So that all those arguments of Protestants which well prove
Holine ss to be Itappinefta self, prove the Reward to be essential or inse
parable.
 between Papists, Armtn. Luther. WGalvinists.

L. is this be all that those few highest Papists mean, then they are but
mire zeahus in contending holiness than the looker forty as the Religious
Preachers with us are : And if this be indeed their meanings they are un-
hxppy in expressing themselves, or we in understanding them, and our hear
ers unhappy that upon such mt [under standing are taught to abhorr them.
R. You know i . That by Justification they mean Remission of fin and.
Holiness: 2. And that they hold that no works merit, but those that are
done by the members of Christ and by his spirit, in love and holiness :
3. Ani that they merit nothing but what is primarily Gods Gift : 4. Nor
any thing but what is merited by Christ by another fort of merit, to
w:uch ou s is but subordinate*, 5. And that they commonly fay that even
faith it self doth not merit Justification (or Holiness i) because though it
have a Promise of it, and so ex paCto it is due s yet there is in the nature
oFthe things no necessary connexion between them : And now what can they
nican afeer all this by condignity ex proportidne operu ad pramium, buc
this which I have described < Holiness is happiness and connexed to happi
ness, in its various degrees.
L. But some fay that they are so Impudent as to fay thathom the bi
tsinlick worth of the work, setting aside consideration of the promise,
it is meritorious.
R 1 ', Their commonest opinion is that the natural Aptitude of Holiness
and obedience, and the Promise of God-Xti together make them rewardable
( or meritorious as they call it : ) which is most certain. God promiseth .
not his blessings and happiness to men for things evil, or worthless and indif
ferent. But a. Some among their Doctors fay that were there no promise
Holiness would be Rewardable ; that is, that Gods perfection proveth that
he is Pleased with it and Loveth the holy: 2. And that it is happiness it
self as is aforesaid : And as this doth but .speak the suitableness of Gods
Image to be the object of his Love, arid of obedience \q be the Pleasing of
his will ; so it seemeth to me only to mean that were there no Positive
supernatural promise, yet the very Law of nature (which is Gods first
Law) concainech such a signification of his will s_that he will love, and
bless those that love him and obey him 3 as is indeed a kind of natural
promise.
And it is to be noted that all the Heathen World, who know not the
written promise d -> agree in this as a natural Verity, that God loveth aud is
pleased with Goodness, love and obedience, and that it shall go well with
them that are so qualified. And if we should forget the Papists, and
preach to religious people with us, that there is no Goodness in the Di
vine Nature and Image of God, and in Holy love and obedient fruitful
lives, for which God would love or be pleased with such as have them
( supposing Redemption and the merits of Christ ) any more than with
the wicked, if it were not that he hath promised ( as it he had been sur
prized into a promise, not suite i to the nature of the thing, ) this would be
abhorred by the fame profeflours, who in other words, as it seemeth to be
against Popery, will applaud it*
But in all this yo j must remember, that it is presupposed that mans soul
is before made Immortal by God as Creator and that he might annihi
late the most* holy Creature if he will : But he hath declared that he will
not, partly by the Nature of his foul, and partly by his natural and posi
tive revelations : so that.it is presupposed that God will continue us men 5
and then Holiness will be a proportionable Happiness.
L. But I pray you gi ve me further proof that the Papists mean fi well
sndnear m as you describe the cafe. Cite me th: Authors,
R. i. isoa
270 . Of the difference about mans Merits

R. 1. You must take nothing for their Religion but what is in their
Councils : And you must charge no errour on them but what you can
prove : For the Accuser is the prover. And I before cited to you the
words of the Trent Council.
But I justifie not all that they there fay : And one passage as it founderh
I greatly abhorr $ which is, that a Just man doth not venially fin^ much
less deserve hell in every good work. Can. 1 1 . dc Justif. whereas I doubt
not but the very culpable defect of Love to God and other holy qualifica
tions defileth our best works with sin : and every sin deferveth some de
gree of a hell, according to the Law of Innocency : But if they
mean, 1. That Good works as such are not sin, a. Or that our infirmi
ties a: e not such as to which the Law of Grace threatneth hell and will con
demn US) we are then of their mind, but we much miflike their Words :
For were there not an antecedent desert of hell, and a sinfuiness so deserving
( though not by an unremediable guilt ) there woald be no need os par
don. But to speak freely, the Council Doctors seemed not well studied
in the doctrine of the Covenants ( even Suarez de Legtbus, one of the best,
is herein short, ) and so to speak confusedly of these matters : But they seem
mostly to.take notice only of the Law of Grace, and because that accept-
eth sincerity, and condemneth none for meer Infirmities, therefore they
thence measure both fault andguilt ( which .they sliould not do :) For I
find that they still presuppose Redemption and Pardon of sin, in the pre
sent case.:. '
But to proceed to their Doctors : Vega q. 4. defineth Merit thus, {Me-
ritum est acs10 libera, acceptata ad aliquoa pr<emium.~\ And<& re, do you
deny this i
Davenport thus amendeth it £ Meritum de condigno est atfio libera ah
homme in gratia elicita^ qua ex Justitia acceptatur ad premium, (jtc."^
( meaning Justttia promifforis. j
Scotttt l. d. 17. q. 1. &c. w ill not have it meritorious because it is done
by grace, but by Divine decree, promise and acceptance. And this he
calleth Justice, ex suppofititne decreti ejr promifji : Nonigitur ex natura
affuv oritur obligatie ad premium, faith S. Clara : faffa autempatfione est
debitum ex justitia : And thus fay the generality of the Scotists.
Yet some will not yield that God is so much as a Promtser lest he be
obliged/ but only an Assertor : as S. clara noteth.
Tho. Waldensts and some others deny all merit fitly so called. De sacram.
tit. t. ■«. •' J}k-
Eckius ^ Marstl'wi BeUarmine faith S. Clara deny all merit of con-
gruity. < - -
GregrArim.\. d.\f. q. i.ai. faith that there is no merit of blefled-
ness by condignity.
Durandus i.d.z-j.q.i. faith there is no merit of condignity with God,
nisi largo mode.
SvMarsilitts in 1 d, 27. Brugensitin Psal. 35. Eckius in Cent, de Pr*-
dest. Cufanus^ Stapleson and others of whom S. Clara rcferreth you to sna
res in 3 Tho.dijp. lo.secl. 7. q. 3.
Bradrvardin* e, 39. f»l. 338. lahooreth to prove that the increase of
Grace Or Glory is not merited de condigno^ but de congrm, and that all Ca-
tholick9 so^old. And next denyeth merit de congrm? and all by reasons
which S.dara raketh to be valid.
Soto a Thomist denyeth all merit de congru^ and faith the Fathers held
it not.*4.:-^. 14. q. z. a. 5 . dr I. 2. de nat. & Grat. c. 4.
Bonaventure 2. d. 28. a.z, faith Pelagim erred I. In holding that the first
■ • k grace
 between Papists, Armin. Luther, and Calvinists* 3

grace was merited 5 2. That by the strength of Free-will We can dispose

or prepare our selves for grace.
S, Clara faith, tÆftimo effe omnium Scholasticorum, non dart ex parti
peccatoris ullam caufam meritoriam, difpofuionem, aut conditionem ad pri-
mam gratiam. For which he citeth August. P. innoc. 1. ad Condi. Carth.
Concil. Araufic. 2. can. 3,4., 5. Concil. Trident. Seff.6. c. 5. concluding;,
Et fine dubio hoc eft de fide apud omnes Catboltcos Doctor es? nec ullits un-
quam oppofitum tenuit. Et Bradveard. optimus divina Gratis propaga
tor dictt expreffe effe Pelagianifmum, lieet inteUigereturfolnmde
mcrito de congruo.
Yea Aquinas denyeth all merit de congruo as to Justifying grace, 1. 4.*.'
14. a.'], (jr in Rom. c. 4.
Pegu's judgement is commonly knowm See Carthusian in Jac. i. &c'.
I may conclude then with S. Clara, that Caffinder spake not unreasonably
when he said, f_ Quo senfu hoc vocabulo Meriti dr Merendi ufi sunt Patrei
dr Catholics objcurum non eft, nempe ut per illuV gratia Dei ex qua me
rit* omnia oriuntur, nihii detrahatur. Quare nil est cur aut Eccle-
fiaftici a loquendi forma dr [ententta in Ecclefia jam blim ufitata difee-
dant, aut Proteftantes earn tarn otiose repudient aut condemnent."}
And that Bucer said well, colloq. Ratisb. [Si fancti patres aut alii inteh
ligunt Promereri, facere ex fide gratia dei bona opera quibns Deus mer-
eedem promifit $ hoc senfu usurpare illud verbum minime damnabimus. ~\
h. Thus you seem to like the very word merit ; which in your conftffivfi
you do not.
A, 1. I like the Scripture word And they that translate it wor
thy, and account condignity the highest notion of merit, seem to allow"
that it may be translated [_ Meriting^.
a* I would fain find a word to serve instead of merit, answering Re
ward, and I cannot : What word can you find *. Premiability and Reward-
ablenefs are long and unhandsome, and I remember no other, without using
many words.
3. Yet I wish it disused> to avoid abuse and offence.
L. But when Cassander faith, It it used as not enettaching on grate, I
take all merit to encroach upon it and injure it.
. R. I ask you, Quest. 1. If you preach that fa Holy Lover of God is
fitter for Heaven and Happiness in Gods love, than a wicked man, and hath
aprfcmiseofiO and another preach, that Qthe Saints are no fitter for Gods
love and happiness than the wicked, but only it's promised them without
any fitness; 3 which would good men more dislike? I think that the first
is but the very thing that most of the School Doctors mean : And that we
at once abhorr their words, and abhorr the contrary, as they are variously
presented to men.
Quest, a. And I ask you, Whether do you think it a greater GtzCt or
Gift of God, to give a man that Holiness which shall fit him for Heaven
( or as they call it Merit it,) or to give him Heaven without such Holy fit
ness ( or merit i) .
L. Heaven without Holiness is a contradiction. BUt if Cod could make
a beast or bad man Happy without it, doubtless yet both u more than one.
I had rather God would make me here fit for Heaven by holiness than
not, and so all christians. But we all take Merit to fignifie somewhat
which profiteth God and which is our own, and not of bis gift and grace : in
which I fee we are mistaken. ■
R. Doubtless, as that God who can relieve your poor or sick friend with
out you, fheweth you a double favour if he will make you his instrument
in
in relieving him*, so if hecauleyou to work out your own salvation, it is
a greater mercy than if he would carry you afleep to Heaven : And it's
strange that men that know that all that we have is of God, should think his
grace dimonoured by giving us the greater mercy. ...
But to return to my account of the Papists. I will mention Aquinas
farther, because you know who numbreth him with the grofler sort.
1.2. q. 114. a. 1. He concludeth that man meriteth not at all os God
according to absolute or simple Justice, which goeth by equality 5 fed se
cundum divin* ordinationis quandam prafupposttionem, as man obtaineth
that as a reward by his operation for which God gave him the operative
virtue. And so that here is but modus quidam Juftitia^ as a Father hath to
a Child, and merit only secundum quid, at non (impliciter. And he addetH,
that our voluntary doing our duty is our merit, not as profiting God, but
manifesting his glory, and pleasing his will ; and so God is not a Debtor to
us, but to nis own will or to himself.
And a, 2. he concludeth that without Grace even man in innocency,
much less in sin could thus merit life eternal. When after therefore ne
speaks for merit of condignity as the acts are from the Holy Ghost, it is
such a merit as aforesaid that he meaneth. But the first Grace he faith
none meriteth. 1 .
But I desire you for the understanding of Aquinas and such others to
t3ke notice, that the foundation of many confused speeches of theirs, is
their confused notions of Gods Laws or Covenants, lor Aquin. q. 106.
a. i. doth go the way of Mr. Sterry and Sr. H. Vane and the Quakers, and
conclude that the New Law (of Grace) is not written but in the heart,
that is, that Lcxnova prtncipaliter est ipja gratia fpiritursantfi in corde fi
deHum scripta $ because unaquaq; Mud videtur ejfc quod in ca estpotiffimum i
and so that Xf'Jc scripta\% called a Law secondarily as a means to the for
mer : Now this is gross abuse of an equivocal word by a vain pretence :
For the word Law doth not first signifie another thing because that other is
most excellent ; but less excellent things ( as media ad finem ) have their
proper notions : And the world knoweth that the famofius pgmficatumhcxe.
is a Law ut fignum voluntatU imperantis conftituens debitum, as an instru
ment of Government ; And that Sanctity of heart is the effect of the do
ctrine, and a disposition to obey 5 and is called a Law but in tropical
sense.
But indeed Paul oft describeth the Gospel as in the heart, and the Law
as a thing; But that contradicts not what I fay : but U was because the
Kew Testament was not then much of it, if any, written and received in
the Churches as Gods Law : But Baptism expounded by word of mouth
( in the three Articles ) was the Christianity which Paul bidTimothy keep
and commit to faithful men that might teach it. The Christian Reli
gion was by word committed to-mens memory first, and: so to their hearts
before it was put in writing : But yet it was primarily and properly a Law,
ut ftgmm obligans, and but metonymically as the foul was holy by it.
The Law was one thing, even in the mind and memory, and the Lose of
God and it another, though called a Law. " ' :■. -"\ .1 -
But from this notion ( that the old Law was a writing, and the new Law
,yvas. the spirit in us ) no wonder if Aquinas gathered, that the word fufltfe-
.cliiefly signified to make us Good and holy persons- and" that our Holiness
Jxringour real aptitude for our Glorifying and pleasing God, and ft) for
our Happiness therein, was to be called our merit 5 meaning thereby
but that lame fitness for the End or Reward, which Scripture calleth
jWdrthiness, and all religious- Preachers and people among us jzea-
it\ Jously
 between Papists, Armin. Luther, and Calvinists. 27 j

lo. sly defend in other notions, where the Papists are forgotten*
L. It can never enter into my thoughts that so many Godly Learned Prote
stants would make odious the Papists^ ifsome ofthem at least meant m worse.
,Know you not that judicious George Major was made the head of
Hcreticks, by Gallus, Amsdorfus, &c. for but laying, Bona opera sunt m-
cessaria ad salutem : Read your Schlusselburgius of lus herelie, and judge as
you see cause.
But whereas our Divines in confuting merit, do still describe it as of
commutative justice, and not as ofpaternal Governing distributive Justice
according to the Lave of Grace, I will yet tell you what is laid by Vafquez,
the Jesuite in 1 Thorn, qu.zi. disp. 83. c. 1. & 2. <jr sequent, Which
vyhen ypu have read, I will appeal to common Reason and Christianity,
j. Whether it be not a sinful thing for ignorant Protestants to take it upon
one anothers reports that the Papists ho'.d that doctrine of merits, which
.they do not, and so to make them unjustly mqEe,erroneous and odious than
they are 1 t. Whether it be not a very sinfuNserving of the Devil, for
unlearned Divines that have read little of the Papists writings, to ■backbite
and calumniate those of us who truly state the Controveriie, and narrow
the differences, as if we made the Papists better than they are, and took
their parts, meerly because we would have no good mea belye them?
3. Whether it be not the way to harden and increase the Papists, to find
such false dealing among their adversaries 1
Cap. 1. Vasqucz, falls upon some late Doctors who fay that [ Com
mutative Justice is properly and formally in God: 3 yet they fay that it
is not in God as it is in men, nor as including any imperfection: In the se
cond Chapter he maifltaineth, that Commutative Justice .it not in God,
according to propriety of speech : and that this is the judgement of all the
former School Doctors^o a man 5 He citeth many whom I recite to shew
that he is not singular : [_Alex. Alenf. 1. p. q. 39. m. I. Scot, in 1.
d. 46. q. l. in solut.arg. Richard, art. l.qu.x. Dttrxnd.q. r. Palud.q. I.
Art. 1. Caprcol. in 1. d. 45. q. 1. art. 1. ConeI. 14.. ejr art. 3. ad arg.
S. Thorn. 1. contra g.c. 39. ejr ibid. Fcrrariens. Hofius in Confess. Polon. c.
73. Ruard.art.il. Sott 3. de nat.ejrgrat. c. 7. ejr $.dejustit. q. 5. art.
ult. ad. I. Cajet.in hum art. Jth. Bunder, in Compend. Concert, tit. 6. art.
7. Gabr. Bid supplem. in 4. d. 49. q. 4. art. 4. dub. 3. Bonavent. in Of.
d. 46. art. 2. q. 1. adz. S. Thorn. 1. 2. q. 114. art. 1. Conrad, ibid. Du-
rand.iterum in 2. d. 27. q. 2. Ferrar. cont. Gent. 3. c. 179. J Then be*
cause some words of Medina and Cajet. and Romans seem for Commuta
tive Justice, he flieweth that it was not their meaning: Next he vindi
cated^ Scotus and Gabriel as having no such meaning in some words of
theirs : Then he cometh to the case of Christs own Merits, and faith, thac
some say f_ Christ satisfed for us in rigour of Justices " But that Aquin^
" Bonavent. and such ancients use not that form of speech but only teach,
"thatChrists satisfaction was perfect, that is, needed no Acceptilation:
" but to this it is not necessary that it be according to Justice properly, but
i( that it was of equal condignity by way of Mark. And other Schoolmen
<cthat speak as aforesaid mean not that in Christ there was proper Justice
fc towards God$ but that the equality which he kept by the way and si-
"militudeof Justice in his satisfaction, was according to rigour: that is,
'< needed not Gods liberal acceptation, but was altogether of equal con-
" dignity • which is true : I except but some late ones, who contend that in
" that satisfaction there was proper justice ( whom he opposeth j) Buc
t( they speak only of Imperfect Justice, such as is found ia CreatareJ,
« which is not in God.
Nn Ib
 Of the difference about mans Merits

In Cap.^.he layeth dovvn several foundations against Commutative Justice,

and confutcth cajetan and Medina who laid that indeed between God and
man there vvasno Commutative Justice, but inter res, that is, inter meritum
& premium there is •, vyhich he stieweth is a contradiction of the former.
In Cap. 4. he difputeth against commutative Justice in God to man, and
that 1. Because there is not œqualitas dati dr accepti' and to be sliort, he
brings againit it the very fame arguments as Protestants urge against Merit,
which Ihewcth that both sides mean and oppose the very fame thing: And
he is so much against any Merit of ours from God in Commutative Justice,
that he labours to prove that Christs satisfaction was not such, nor can
any Creature so merit of God much less is mans penance or satisfaction
such : yea indeed he goeth too far in his reasons, as I think : For he ar-
gueth that where there is no Damnum (damage) in the sin against God, there
is no proper injustice, but a common fort of it; and-therefore there can no
merit in proper justice by satisfaction (by Christ or us ;) and that our sin
bringeth no damage to God, ergo^ ejrc But I deny his Major : There may
be injury where there is no Damage j and consequently injustice : Sup
pose a King or Father so far above his subject or son, as that all his disobe
dience would noway hurt or damnific him ; yet it would injure him; be
cause the father hath Right to the sons obedience ( and love,) aud "juris
denegatio est injuria. So that I confess that God cannot possibly give us
any thing by Commutative Justice, in a strict and proper lence • became we
can so give him nothing in commutation : But I fee not but that by fin, man
sinneth against proper Justice, in not giving God his Own or Due, to his
Injury, though not to his damage. But I confess the term Commutative
noting mutual Right, is improper 5 and their distinction of Commutative
and distributive "justice is narrow, ambiguous, inept, and therefore feedeth
and not endeth Controversies : The true distribution of Justice is from the
three Grand Moral Relations, Dominii, Imperil dr Beneficii vel Amicitix.
.1. God hath the true proper Right of Propriety in us, and to our service:
2. He hath a proper Right of imperium Rule, and so to our obedience :
3. By his Goodness, Love and Benefits, he hath a proper Right to our
greatest.Love and Gratitude. And he that sinneth denyeth God all these, and
iodoth violate proper Justice, denying him that to which he hath Righr.
But to return to Vasquez., having said, " That our Merit and SatissactU
" on can be no benefit to God, nor our sin his damage, nec ullainsqnalitœs
a inter ipfum dr nos constituta est, qua fit objeclum injustitt* propru, he
•" addeth that his punilhments are no parts of commutative justice in re-
u farciendis dr vindicandis injuriis, because here is no reparation of
."damage, as Thorn. 2. 2. q.ioS. art. 2.
■ And Cap. 5. he proceedeth to prove his doctrine, from the Condition
of God and the Creature, we being as Children and slaves, absolutely his
own therefore there can be no properjustice between us : And he cometh
to the great objection, that a As free, our Actions are our own, and so may
u merit of Justice : andanfwercth No: because the Value os our works
f to which the Reward is given dependeth on Gods grace, w hich he freely
" giveth and conserveth to us, though as free the actions are of us as
u Causes : And because that Liberty is only a fundamentum of merit,
"but giveth not the work its Value (or worth;) therefore we cannot
" make God our Debtor, by any meritorious work of which he himself is
" the author and Cause.
: fC And hence he is so much against this merit of Justice, as to inferr,
"that J_ Christ himself could not fatisfie God according to strict Justice
"properly,^ the works of his Humane nature ; because the whole Value
" came
 between Papists, Armin. Lutllsr. and Galvinists.

^ came from tfie Godhead it self, sanctifying the humanity and making his
u works worthy.
Cap. 6. heproceedeth to shew that though it be not true that some .saw
that full equal satisfaction may be refused, it being not the ipfum debitum,
and that, he proveth that a full equal satisfaction to proper justice cannot
in justice be refused, and if itberesuseable, it is unequal * (though it may
be equal condignitate meriti quæ ad juftitiam proprie non pertinet ■ )
Yet evert frorti Gods promise it self it is no obligation of proper justice,
that is on God to us. Confuting Sotm chat faith that Gods Fidelity is not :
to be referred to the virtue of verity, bin properly belongeth to commutative
'fustice. .
If this be not enough, Difput. 86. he.cometh to the other branch, Whe
ther God have distributive Justice to us ? and denyeth this also in proper
fence. And proveth it by the authority of Bonavent. in 4. d./\6. art. 2.
q.i. ad l. Scotus qu. 1 . D strand, ib.q. i.& in t~%. 5 3 . q. a. num. 5 . Pa-
lud. in 4. d.q.'i. q. 1. a. x. Gabriel fupplem. in 4. d. 49. q.\.a.%.dub. 3*
Alex. i.p. q. 39. inx.cjr Thorn. &c. & ex Anfelm. & Aristot.
Cap.-}, he proveth it by many Reasons. Yet Cap. 4. granteth that *
Justice distributive is in God, secundum quandam rationem gencralem-, non
autem secundum propriam >, concluding, Difiinguendum est • Aut enim
Proprie opponitur Metaphorice, aut opponitur Communiter : st priori modo,
Deo Proprie convenit Juftitia iiflributiva 3 Ji posteriori, non conveniti
If in all this you can justifie this Jesuine and all the Schoolmen who he
faith agree with him, from giving totf little to humane merit, and Gods
Justice, I suppose few Protestants wilKaccuse him of giving too much.
L. But yet this Jefuite elsewhere is one of the greatest defenders of
merit, for all that he faith in the words recited. ;
R. Do you mean the Name or Thing? If the Name 1. Sure you will
not make that a matter of much quarrel: 2. If you do, you must quar
rel also with all the ancient Fathers • even with Augustine who < as Me-
lantthon faith, Loc.com. de Lib. arb. of his use of the word free-will)
doth use it throughout all his Volumes. 3. And if be well tranfla-.
ted worthiness ox Merit, you must quarrel with Christ and his Apostles
also, ( of which before. )
L. But Aquinas his followers uje the word Merits in a worfer fense,
and many a volume they have written partly to ajfertit and defend it.
R. I hope you your self would write to defend Gods retributive Judge
ment, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. .
1 1 . 6. If you would let an Infidel carry it, that pleadeth that obedience and
patience have no Reward, the Christian cause is little beholden to you.
Justice, Reward and Merit are Relatives in their fence 5 and you must deny
All or none : For nothing can be Rewarded but a Rewardable ait, which
they mean by meritorious, ( as nothing can be Punished, but a real or im
puted faults Pœna and Culpa being so related also: ) Though as Affliction
may be without the commerit of culpability, so ameer Gift may be with-
ouc Laudable merit. And Judicial Justice is the virtue of equal Judicial
retribution, according to laudable or culpable actions.
But what Aquino* and his followers hold, it's easieto fee in himself, in
Cajetan, in Ferrarienfis and abundance such : I will now turn you but to
such an Epitomizer as Carbo, (or Vignerius,) where it's soonest found.
Carbox. 7. q.xx. art. 4. faith [Acsus hurnani habent rationem meriti &
demeriti per comparatijnem ad Deum; Quja omnes actus funt referribiles
in Deum ut eft ultimus finis, & ut regit communitatem univerfi, dr ita
de bet eis pro juflitia retribuere 3 alias non haberet univerfi procurationem.
Nn 2 4. Homo
 2j6 0/ the difference about mans Merits

2. Homo quantum infe eft, aliquid subtrahit vel exhibet Deo, cum servat,
vel non servat ordinem a Deo conftitutum. 3. Homo fic movctur a Deo
ut Instrumcntum, ut etiam move/it sets[urn i dr ideo meretur dr demere-
tur. 4. Homo non ordinat fe totum ad rempublicam, secundum omniasua •
ejr ideo non omnes ejusAfitu sum meritorii respect* reipublic* : fed to-
tus ordinatur adDeum, respeflu cujus omnis ailus eft meritorius vel de-
meritorius.
So that here is a meriting of God in the fame fense as there is a de-
meriting and a meriting of God as the Rector of the Universe : not for
any real profit to God , but for a free referring all our actions tg
him as the end, and keeping the order he hath constituted in the World,
dr quantum in nobis with a loving and honouring mind returning to him
that which is his own. And do you deny any of all this f
L. Noj not the Matter, but this is not to be called Merit.
R. If you will needs T5e the Master of Language, openly profess then
that it is the Name that you contend about.
, Indeed Aquinas defendeth that which Vazquez, feemeth to deny, that in
God there is Distributive, though not Commutative Justice ( quia a nullo
accipit. ) Ands that though God do all according to the good pleasure
of his will, yet he doth all things Righteously, because his Will is the
Rule of Justice, and he willeth what his Wisdom dictateth. And that he
giveth himself his Due , in that he doth all to the glorifying of his
goodness: and he giveth the creatures their due, in that he orderethone
for another, as its end, and the parts for the whole : yet he is not called
a Debtor to any, because all are ordinated to Him : which Justice is cal
led, The Condecency of his Goodness. And is there any thing to be flamed
in all this i I am sure that English ears are so used to hear that God is Just,
yea, that the Glory of his Justice is a great End of his Government , that
good men will hardly endure yoii to deny it : Though yet through preju
dice they hardly digest the name of that Merit or Rewardableness which
is the object of that Justice ; because of other mens abuse of the word,
and some mens hard interpretation of it. But God the Righteous Judge
will give the Crown of Righteousness ( 2 Tim. 4. 8. j not according to
Names and Logical Notions, but mens works.
L. But are other Jesuits of Vafquez'j mind , or many other Schoolmen
of Aquinas his opinion ? We commonly suppose them to give more to
Merit.
R. There are many School Doctors so strict herein, that they will not
Bnansonm4.q.8rcor. granc }hat therf is any soch thing properly as Legal or Governing Justice
3. sol. 1 52. faith [Null,* inGod. Ruiz, citeth for this Argentin. 4. d.\6. q. i.a. I. B*ffolis ibiq. 1.
UMmHoJ'\*mn filet *' *' Sm™z ( aJcMte Jdejuft. Dei sett. 4. n. 8. Pesant. i.p. q. 21. a. 1.
cTorqfo^tqTareU aiiqiii'd 1. concl. 2. But he thinketh that they differ but in words from others
condignum , vel xquiya, that aflert Gods Legal Justice ( videlicet Scotus^ Sotm, Rubellus, Lorca, Na-
J?cSSS^^ffiS varret' ) Yet a11 a8rce >'that God is (in some fense; Just. And***
But Ordinativc Justice faith that Suarez. (paffim) maintaineth that Gods Promises are but naked
SiC^rSngW)1CinVW h which he declareth his will to give the benefit. And Dh-
hc defendeth in the case randrn 2. d. 27. q. 2. n. 1 5. faith that Gods promises (ignise not any ob
ligation, but the meer disposition os Gods liberality. And Greg. Arim.
l.d.ij.q. 1.4.2. faith, that the Crown of Righteousness is not a debt,
but only of Gods free ordination. And Marfil. 2.q. 18. a. 4. absolutely
denyeth, that Go* is a Debtor, or doth any otherwise accept mens deserts,
than by the free disposition of a, gift. Scottts holdeth our acts are called
Merit as relating to G; ds free Covenant or Promise to reward them,
and not otherwise , but he absolutely denyeth yet that God 1* thereby
made
 between Papists, Armin. Luther, and Calvinists! 2^7

made our Dfbtor , q.d. 46. Major, 2. d. 27. not only followeth him>
but faith, God may deny Glory to good works * ( but he meaneth zi
the reft. ) Richard. 2. d. 27. q.%. a. 2. ad 3.. seeineth to deny even Debt
upon the title of promise. Bonavent. 2. d. 27. a. i.q, 3. faith but that
God is quodammodo, in some fort obliged to glorifie them that love him,
Ruiz who is against all this, and maketh Gods Promises to be proper pro-,
mises and Covenants, and more than hare assertions , and that God is
become a kind of Debtor by his Promise ( and so it is not his. Veracity on
ly that is our security, as Suarez, thinketh ) yet holdcth, that It is but
the Things promised that are Due or obliged to us, and that Gods obli
gation is properly to Himself : that he hath indeed true Governing or
Legal Justice, but tanquam objcclum Formale & primarium respicit uni-
versali/simum bonum & prdstantiffimum quod eft Ipse: & tanquam Mate
rial ejr fecundarium objeclum respial univcrsale bonum totius mundi con-
stantem ex omnibus creaturis, quod prxponit particularibus boms pngula-
rum creaturarum. Indeed he faith, that this Justice in God, is that
f_ Qua solo nature lumine demonftrari potest : ac- proinde nullam supponit
liberam Dei promiffionem attt paefum, nullumque supernaturalem concur-
sum aut gratiam. ~] But this is meer confusion by ambiguous words. \
These men talk as if they considered not , that Creation was a free act
of God, and made man a Law in the Nature of himself and the circum-
stant creatures ; And in this Law of Nature is a signification of Gods will
to do good to the good, and reward the obedient, and this is a Natural
promise. There could be no obedience, and so no merits, were there no
Law : And if there be a Law of Nature, ( and so God even by making us
Rational free Governable Creatures was himself our Governour ) , these
things supposed to be done by the very act of Creating,it is a contradiction to
fay that God is our Governour, and not a Just Governour, (being perfect as
he is God ( or to be Just, and yet not Resolved to use the obedient bet
ter than the disobedient. To be Governour, is to be the Orderer of Mo
ral Agents : And what Moral Order is there, where the good and bad
are not differenced in retributions ? But the Papists conceits of al! Pro
mises to Adam and his merits being meerly fupernatu^il , confound
them in many such disputations.
L. But do they not hold that a. man may merit the remission of his own
fins ? ( yea, and of t%e fins of others ? ) andjustification also ? f
R. Let Medina answer you in 12. f. I x 3* 4. 1. p. 651 • s_ Ad authorita-
tes sonantes quod non meremur Remijjionem peccatorum nec vero jufiifica-
tionem, non oportet satisfacere: Namomnes convenimus, in hanc fenten-
tiam Catholicam & irrefragabilem, quod non mertmur remijjionem pecca-
torum. ut Augustin. NuUdne sunt merita, justorum ? Sunt plane
quia justi sunt : fed ut justi fierent, merita non fuere. J None merit
Remission or Justification, with them.
L. Not by merit o/Condignity • but they say, that by merit o/Con-
gruity a man may merit Remission and Conversion and Justification.
R. Medina ibid. p. 652. s_ Sed cum Meriturn de Congruo non innitatur
Justiti* , [ed CongruentU, proprie appellationem meriti non meretur. ~]
And so say many others of them.
L. But at least they hold that we may prepare our selves for Justificati
on or Conversion without Grace, or special Grace.
R. Preparatory Grace is not the fame that the Grace to which it pre-
pareth us: But let the fame Medina answer you, q. 109. p. 592. Dew
expectat nostrum consensum .( inquit Pelagius ) ut nos convertat : ergo ex
parte voluntatis noflr* est prxparatio ad gratiam fuscipiendami Sed h*c
fententia
 Of the difference about mam Merits

fcntentia eft btretica & contra Scripturas ejr Concilia • Veritai Catbolica
eft quod Gratia Justificans datur fine mentis , & quod nemo fe valet ad
earn praparare fine auxilio speciali. Et p. 593- Ultima difpofitio adgra-
tiam ad quam infaUibiliter fequitur Gratia, non habetur ex facilitate na
ture fed tantum dono Dei speciali. Do you say any more against Pre
paration for Grace without Grace, or against mans power to prepare him
self or against merit than all this i
L.But sure Luther and bis fellow Reformers bad never so much inveighed
against the Papists in the point ofworks, Merits and Justification, if they
bad all taught no worse than these which you have cited; There are furs
many others that fay worse.
r. No question but the Ignorance of the Priests was so great, and the
carnal ends so powerful with covetous proud men, which were served by
the atjuse of the Doctrine of Merits and Good Works, that multitudes of
such 3id ordinarily abuse it: If all Protestants taught the ProtefiantDo-
ctiine uncorruptly, we should not have had so many differences and di
visions as we have had ; nor would one condemn another as you do us.
L. But though the old Schoolmen might mean better, those that Luther
bad to do with, did sure speak much worse.
R. I tell you, the Carnal and Ignorant sort of Priests and Fryers did
each man talk according .to his model, and so do all Sects : Few had the
Wit and Skill to open aright the common Doctrine : But i. Our Dr.F/e/^
(of the Church) undertaketh to prove, that (excepting the tyrannical
Papal faction, and the carnal and ignorant that served their ends, and
by violence bore down the rest ) the chief of the Doctors in the Church
of Rome it self, did hold the great Doctrines which the Protestants against
the Papists do assert. 2. -To tire you now with no more, I will cite but
two of Luthers own adversaries in his dayes. i.The first is the Learn
ed Cardinal Contacenus who lived in the time of Luthers Reformation :
Read but his Notes on Luthers Articles, and his Trail, of Justification,
Free-will and Predestination , and you will fee that he faith almost as
much for what you plead, a$ you would do your self. I am loth to tire
the Reader with the citation of his words at laltge ; Turn to them and
read them , and fee where he differeth from us. I confess the man was
moderate but never accused as differing herein from the Church of
Rome, as in an Article determined of by their Councils : But their Do
ctors variously express themselves.
The other is Fisher Bistiop of Rochester one of the chief Martyrs of the
Roman Cause, beheaded by Henry the Eighth for denying his Supremacy
in Causes Ecclesiastical : who in Opufcul. de fiducia ejr mifericordia Dei
( Printed Colon. 1556.) fpeaketh as much and plainly for the interest of
Faith and Mercy and Christs Redemption as Protestants use to do. sol. F.
Fide in Christum sola quis etiam citra quavis opera jttstificatur. Nam ft
propriis operibus quis justificatus ftterit, is habet unde glorietur apud fe :
gloriari cnim potest de operibus fuis quibus justificatus eft : Caterurn qui
non fuis operibus , fed fide juftus ejfeclus eft, huic de fe neutiquam est
gloriandum, fed de Deo qui fidem ei dedit qua justificatur Introdu
ces itaque Scripturam Paulus qua non per opera, fed per fidem Abrab* ju-
ftificationem imputat^ nimirum ut ita non fibi fed Deo totam referatglo-
riam Ecce quia credidit Abraham, ideo per fidem justificatus est :
Nam fi per opera fua justitiam fuiffet confecutus , jam non gratis ei Ju-
stitia fuiffet data, fed magii operum refpeffu. Si justificatio propter
op:ra conferatur, jam ex debito confertur potuts quam gratis, hoc est, quam
per gratiam & ex gratuita Dei liberalitate.- ■ Cxtsrum e diverso
• • quando
 between Papists, Armin. Luther, and Galviniits. 279

quando citra ofera quis ob id tantttm quod credat in Cbrijlum qui juflifi.
cat impium, jufiificattonem adept us eft, jam fold fides fra. iUi ad jitsttfica-
tionem imputatur. Ecce jam hie audts cui jam fides ad juflttiam impit-
Utur • eiv'iz. qui non opcratur [ed credit in cum qui juftific'at impium' so
li fide. ' •
r Et sol. G. passim. & H. Per fidem in ilium fic expurgarem'nr . ut
iue nojlra peccata ferret , nos ejus juflttiam affequeremur ;
Non dicit faftum fuiffe ilium Peccatorem , dr nos juftos- per ilium,
fed ilium Peccatum 7 dr nos "juftitiam Dei : See Hie rest— *2.
Nee eft at quifqitam fecum hafitet num pro fuis peccatis chriftus
feipjum tradiderit : lmmo credat , dr fecurus jit ad eorum fe
tatalogum pertinere pro quorum peccatis chriftus femetipfum donavit '■:
Nam ft iftud non crediderit, plane sejunefus eft ab eorum co'njortio: -fi
des jenim ea res eft> qua nos agglutinamur ita chrifto, lut '.meritorum ejus
fatti ftmus parttapes : d" ptr bane constitute fumus una cum eo ftHi pet
pariter dr cohere des sol. I. Hoc tu quifquis es peccAtorperjuafitfimum
habeas, quodfi refipueris ac in chrifium constanter crediderti, jam Christum *
induifti, jam ejus fpirittt donatus es j jani'^enique commimem cum illo
fatrem naefus es ' Sec the rest. Et sob I. 5. Nam satisfacitnte
pro nobis hoc potentifsimo sanguine , quotquot in Chrifium credimui a pec-
catis omnibus abluimur dr juftiftcamur, mfiti chrifto, atque in unum cum
jpfo ferruminati , fic ut omnia mala noftrd fir ipfum deleta fint, boti/i
ve'ro ipfius cunefa nobis effe&a fint comm'ania : Is not this high
enough < ' ... .. . 't-; . \
Eol. K. L. Is corde accedit quern "weteri's vita pænitet '■ ■
Quare fides in Christum ana cum refipijcentiu itevjustificat ab omni
peccato. u".. . " H ■ '. '«•
Eo}. M. Grafts' confertur nobis ista redemptio n non ullis nkritis no-
stris ■Namqiie ante quodvis Merttum jufti conftituimur, nimiruni
ut inde prodeant opera nostra justa : fiun* utique opera 'host*a' ju/la per
jitflitiam fidei Quifquis igitur peccator fueri* fiwbii moror quot
quantaque dr quam gravia peccata tua fuerint )' fi teipfum vere con-
•verteris ad Deum , teque ipfum in ejus mifericordiam totum projecerit,
eredens jefum Christum pro te mortuum , jam hiud dubie primxm istam
Justificationem adeptus es. Sed cav/ te satins; te confersum ftmulam
quum non integre convertaris. Is quidem integre convertitur , qui toto
corde peccatis renunciat, fid/tciam plene fuam collocans in Deo——'— What:
think you of all this? Do you differ from it ? -
L. / will not be so malignant as to disown the truth, because a Papist
fpeaketh it : But still yon (ball give me leave to believe that so many Pro
testants would never have said so much against their DocJrine in this
foint j if they had indeed held what these words import, which are as
much as any Protestant herein faith. And you your self in your Confessi
on cite abundance of them speaking for mans Merits.
. R. 1. 1 cited them as using commonly the term £ Merit"] which I told
you I had rather (because of mens misunderstanding) were disused, so '#
we could agree of some fitter safer word. 2 . And I told you that one Rotoaus,
foolishly plcadeth for Merit in point of Commutative Justice, which the
most reject. 3. And I told you, that the paltry phrase of Merit £ex
froportionc operum ~] is used by some, and rejected by others : And some
that use it, it's like, have an unsound meaning in it, and others mean but
that different degrees of Glory or Reward shall be given according to dif
ferent degrees of holiness, which Proteslants approve.
But as I justifie those Protestants who reprehend the unsound asserti
ons
 Of the difference about mans Merits

ons of any Papists Writers, so I must advise you ro charge nothing on

any Sect or party of men, upon the words of particular men, but what that
party owneth : nor to charge men with opinions, because others have so
done before you, without finding what you charge them with in their
own words.
L. mulct you have me so uncharitable as to suspeft Jo many Protestant
Writers of Calumny ?
R. i.It is no Calumny to charge that on some Papists, which thosesome
do hold. 2. Tt is perverse charity to receive unproved accusations of
others, for fear of suspecting the accusers of calumny. By that rule all
the false reports that now fly about in London should be received, if a good
man or woman ( specially many ) have once spoken them. 3. And tell
me whether you would have others observe the same rule towards you i
For instance, you may fee in ToUt ( a Cardinal Jesuit ) on the Romans,
that hechargeth theHereticks ( as he calleth us ) with holding that God
doth only Hide or forget our sins , and not impute them to us , but
<k>th not mortise them. Whereas we all hold, that he Remitteth actu
al sins past by Pardoning them as to the punishment ; but that he morti-
fieth the present habits of sin , and preventeth the Reign of future sin
• / called Mortal fin by them ; in such as (hall be saved. Which is the
fame in fense as they hold themselves. So he chargeth us as holding,
that we have no Inherent Righteousness after Justification (no not Imper-
jfect ) but only jChrists Righteousness imputed $ and chat we hold obedi
ence unneceflary as to our final or continued Justification : All which arc
false. And shall all the unlearned Papists believe this of us , for fear of
an uncharitable suspicion of their Teachers? Multitudes of their Writers
falfly charge us with these same errors.
L. The Papists are Lyars, And therefore to he suspected, hut so are not
our Divines.
R. If ostsie yon fall upon such Rules as those ( as that Accusations
Against adversaries are to be believed without proof\ on one fide and not
on the other ) Gods Rule against receiving evil reports will be cast out \
and Charity and Justice will be cast away $ and meer siding and faction
will pqfless the place : And then all thequestion will be, who are those
Accusers that are to he believed ? And if you think that it is your
Teachers, the Papists that have many more, will think that they have
more reason to believe them: And so the Anabaptists will believe theirs,
and the Separatists theirs, and the Quakers theirs : and what falstiood and
evil will not then be believed against all parties < and how odious will
they appeir to one another, and consequently all (Christians ) to Infidels
and Heathens <
L. A man that is set upon A sodering design , may palliate any Hereste
in the world, and put a fair sense on the foulest words ; hut God hatetb
such cloaking offin, And complyAnte with it.
R. May not Papists, Familists, Seekers, Quakers and all Se<f^s fay the
fame against Concord and Complyance with you tf
I pray you tell me what you think of these following words, before you
know who wrote them; and take heed what you fay of them, lest you
strike >ou Jcnqw not whom.
C QfA " How is Justification free, seeing faith and repentance are re
s' quired to it t Answ. There are two answers given ; One is from Au-
"guslinet doctrine Epist.io^. the summ is, As Justification is taken in
clusively, taking in Faith and Repentance as its beginning, it is free, be
cause faith is free: Bac as it is taken narrowly for Justification follow
 betntten Papists, Armin. Luther, and Calvijusts.

*' ingfrith that is, for Remission ofsin, and Reconciliation with God,tt is me*
te rited h$ fj^i^h. ,But the;, other solution I more approve, and it tecmerJi
*\morf agreeable to Scripture : to wit^ that even.- Remission os iin it. self
t< andfeconciliatioQ w^th God,. are given steely, no Merit of ours going
"before j and, that neither by faith nor sepentance we do rqerit the gift
fr os' r^his geace: For understanding ,pf which, Note,, that Faith hath not
I! of it self any efficacy as it is our act, toReejit or Reconcile?, but all
" the Virtue proceedeth from the object it self, that 'is, Christy whofd
"Vertue and Merit God hath determined to apply to a sinner, for his; jm
f'stification bj faith in him:. And what I fay of l&tlv I Xay^of Repen\
"tance, and other dispositions, as in the examples, them that" lotikcd
t( to the Brazen Serpent, who were healed by looking ; not Bhatvtooking
* 4 as it was an act of the eye had such a healing force \ but theelficacji
"was from the;Scrpent, which Qod had appointed for thsLloure., So
we soy asEai$,wmchhathnoc ift its nature and ftwh itsertucy; any. power
" to Remit a«d Reconcile, but as the Vertue asCbrist, doth (his. in W-
" lievers : And so I answer, that If Faicn justified i ib an act and ioi h felt,
Cc Justification were not face j But >so, U doth not , but i*!a Mediums
? God s good pleasure, by which che Vertue os Christ Justifies believeoi
'[ therefore faith C or repentance ) make it nc* Jkss free. &lg. SI give m
tc Beggar a gist: He puts forth his hand and taketh it : lEorte tcil fire;
"Thou gavest it not freely, because he took it, or else had not had it, it
<c were a ridiculous objection : For putting forth the hand doth not of
tc it self bring him a gift : else every time that he puts forth his hand it
" would bring in a gift : But it is from the vertue and bounty of the giver.
"So is it as to faith and the dispositions by which the vertue of Christ,
" and the free mercy of God do give Remission and Reconciliation to be-
" lievers and disposed persons : so that it taketh riot away Christs Merir,
J'normaketh Grace less free, that faith or these dispositions are asserted.
L. / know not bow much men may mean worse than they speak : but
these words are such as the best Protestants use.
R. They are the words ( tranflatedj of the ^gt&i<LFr+3&t z Jesuit
'Aid Cardinal on lom. $.p<tg. 1 57i 1 5 8, 1 52.
But still remember, that by Justification they mean the holy ejsetf of
the Spirit on the soul; and indeed by Remission of sin, they most com
monly mean the destroying or mortifying sin within us, and ceasing to
commit the act: And they are dark and confused in these matters.
L. But do not Papists hold forgiveness of deserved punishment ?
R. Yes ; but they bring it in disorderly, and on other occasions : But
if they did not, how could they hold, that any sin past from our child-
hood.iill Conversion is Remitted or pardoned? For the Act is past as
fbohias done, & fatfum infetfum fieri non potest : and so such past sins
can have no remission, but forgiving the penalty, and healing the effects.
And wrangling Papists consider not that this is the Remission that Prote
stants mean, who call their kind ofRemission by the name of mortificati
on: And so weendlefly quarrel about words, through our unhappy im
perfection in the art of speaking , and words being arbitrary signs , the
world is come to no agreement of their fense.
L. Tou confess then their confused Doctrine, and you cannot excuse ma
ny of their DocJors from gross error herein.
R. No, nor many honest pious persons that go for Protestants : What
Papists have more plainly subverted the Gospel by their Doctrine on these
subjects, than many of those called Antinomians have done by the con
trary extream i And who can justifie all the sentences and phrase* ofma
O0 ny
 Of the difference about mans Merits, &c.

ny eminent Divines among us i yea, or of many of the most wife.-and

accurate < For when all are much ignorant, who cart say, I do not err i
L. But undoubtedly you will be as bitterly censured for these your fa
vourable interpretations of the Papists in the point of Merit , as if yen
were half 4 Papist your self, and were but juch a Mongrel as Erasmus,
Wicelius, Caflander, or Grotius , or as ifyour Conciliatory designs would
carry you as far dt last as Grotius, Mikterius, Baldwin, or at least, as
Mountague, Guil. Forbes, and such others went. And others wHlthenfay,
that you are justly served for writing so much against Grotius and his
followers on this account as you have donv, ofwhich Bijbop Brafmhall and
his Epistoler have already told you.
R. Truth, honesty zndGods approbation change not as mens interestsj
minds or tongues dk>; Time will come, that Truth will be more regard
ed, when Love and Peace are to be revived unlessGod will forsake this
contentious and unrighteous World. And I am so near, so very near that
World, where there is nothing but Truth, Love and Righteousness, and
where God is All, and the Fulness and felicitating object of holy fouls,
and where the censures of men are of no signification, that l am utterly
unexcusable, if I should betray the Cause of Truth, Love and Concord, to
avoid the obloquy of men, who speak evil of the things which theyne^
Ter understood.

1 1'
 The Thirteenth Daycs

CONFERENCE.

Of the great errours, fin and danger which many Ignorant

Profcsiours fall into, on the pretence of avoiding and
abhorring Popery.

Between S. A Seftarj, and ct}. A ^Peaeemafyr.

jP. "TEighbour, I uaderstand that you are one of those that divulge
I your defamatory Lamentations of me as inclining to Popery,
I for some passages which I lately Preached in the City : I pray
: you speak that to my face which you so freely speak behind
my back.
S. Sir, the City ringeth ofyou as one that greatly verongeth the cause of
God., And my own ears heard you Jay that the difference between us and
the Papists is little more than in ambiguous words, and points unsearch
able.
p. And this I hear you are one that have divulged j and so it is by such
as you that the City is made to ring of it. But if this be An untruth of
great aggravation, do you then deserve the title you assume, or arc you a
nt defender of the truth < or can your Conscience tolerate you herein i
That which I said was this ; I distinguished the Controversies between
ilus and the Papists into such as depend on a Carnal Interest and Mind,
"and such as d$ not, hut arise from the nteer difficulty of the subject:
ci In the former sort Isaid our difference is very greats And liken be so j
" and such are the differences about their papal power and Church state,
u their Government, and worship as fitted hereunto » and many dotfrines,
" as that of Purgatory\ Indulgences, Auricular Confession abused by them,
tc Tranfulstantiation, &c. But the other fort of doCtrinals are made by
" many the matter ofgreater difference than there is cause ; such as I
" named, Predestination, Providence, the cause of strt, marts power, and
"fre-will,Gracej certainty ofsalvation, and I might have added, justifi-
ic cation and Merit as held by their church and most of the Schoolmen : not
" that here is no difference indeed ; but that long study hath ni&de me cer-
tc tain that it is more in words than is commonly conceived : And this
u Truth is fit to be spoken though the mistaken be offended byiti Tea in
ts these matters the Papists differ among themselves as much as with us.
Dare yon deny that these were my words? If you do you are a falsi
fier.

6o i §t whtH
284 Os the great Errors, Sin and Danger

S. when you speak so clowdily, who can remember every word you
fo *
P. Is not this plain Englifli i Peruse it and consider. • And dare you
carry false reports abroad on pretence of pious zeal, and then fay, rose
camot remember i Why would you report thatJ^hich yo,u. .cannot .re
member? Why would you not stay till you had hflpt your' meropry, by
speaking with me or some one that could have informed ^youH But a*eooc
we in a hard case with such hearers as you, when we must look to be as
oft belyed as your understanding or your memory faileth t because your
loose Conscience faileth with them: which is very oft.
S. J am not alone in judging thus ofyou ; City and Countrey ring of
it : what company can one come into where you are not talks of ? / daily
hear good people lamentyou : and the best they fay isy that Cod ufeth id
let those men fall fouly in some things who have been extraordinarily ser
viceable, that men may not idolize them.
P. They that know me but half as well as I know my self, will know
that I have enough to abase me before God and man : But will that war
rant a course of lying and backbiting in others i Do you partly receive,
and partly make and propagate false reports, and then plead the Common
ness for' your excuse < He .that set London on fire might so have excused
himself because the flame was common when he had caused it. The ef
fect and prospering of your sin should humble you, and not seem to justifie
you. But yet I must tell you that Backbiting Sectaries are not; thegrearet
part of London : There are many sober people that are astiarned of >your
fin and folly. - 1 ,
I will make this friendly.motion to you : Instead of backbiting, Let us
here to one anothers faces, so friendly admonish each other of that which
we take to be sin, as may help to bring each other to repentance : And do
you begin, Tell me of all the evil that you know by me. «';
S. / have nothing to accuseyou of but that your Principles are top large,
andyou vent them too freely, and thereby you harden Papists, and disho
nour the Protestant cause, and wrong free grace, an& the Righteousness of
Christ, by your doctrine of Justification and mans Righteousness ; And by
coming so near Conformity, you grieve the hearts ofgood people, and may>
bring persecution on those that cannot do asyou can, '■ ■ '
1 " P. 1. About Conformity, forbear me here, for I must deal with yon
of that by it selfelsewhere.
' ! 1. As to my doctrine of Justification, if I have not fully justified^ else
where, I (hall not new on this occasion." ' ■ ' ■^ • ' y> r*
3. But whether you or I be righter about Popery, let us now debate.
Have you read my Safe Relig. and my Key for Catholicks, and my Treatise
of the certainty of Christianity without Popery, and my Me Dialogue, and
ray Treat. against Johnson of the Fisibtlity of the Church ? and others
against Popery ? \ "•'
: ' 5. I have somewhat else to do than read all your Writings.
P. Why have you not then somewhat else to do than hear me, and
backbite me, and judge of things which you have not leisure to . under
stand i Do we not still deal on hard terms with such men as you? that
neither speaking ncr writing can make them know our minds ? Have all
your party that revile me, done more each one against Popery than I have
done ?
But if this.be all that you have to call me to repentance for, I have a great
deal more to fay against my self ; And now I will deal faithfully with you :
I be
 Which many jall into on pretence ofavoiding Popeiy.

J beseech ycu try, whether it be notnecessary that you speedily repenrof all
these following sins : ...
1. What a ihame is it for one that would be taken for a Religious man
to be so Ignorant as you are, and no.better know the ' truth of Christ, frerh
the errois.of Popery, than ( it appeareth j you do ?.
2. What a sin for one so Ignorant to be so rajb and bold in venturing to
judge os that which he understandeth not ?
3. What a sin is it for one so Ignorant to be so proud of his pretend
ed knowledge, as to venture to defame his Teachers for contradicting him
in his erroneous conceits ? Have you studied these things as long and hard
as I have done? or are you sure that you have done it more impartially,
and that God hath illuminated you lo much more , as your confidence
would import? ■ - »
4. What an unchristian crime is it, to make lyes ancUarry them abroad
of your Teachers, and then be forced to confess, that it was the sailing of
your memory as to what you heard ?
5. What a sin is it to be a backbiter? Neither you, nor any one of
your quality did ever come to my face either to know my meaning, or to
hear what I had to fay, nor to reprove my sin, or convince me of my
error.
6. Is not unrighteousness a sin, in your judging and reports, as it is iri
publick Judgements ? Should not a man be heard before he be condemned ?
especially a Minister of Christ? > ■■>':■'
7. What a sin is it to receive false retorts from others, and encourage
backbiters whom you should rebuke and frown away ?
8. What a heinous sin is it thus to destroy the Hearers souls, and as
those thac have the Plague, to carry your infection from house to house,
and kill mens Love, and breed in them false conceits and bitter injurious
thoughts of others ? J . '
9. What a sin is it with fuqhionthankfulnefs to requite Christs ser
vants that spend their dayes, and strength, and estates in labouring for
mens good ? When I take none of your money, when I have these twelve
years preached (as I had liberty.) freely without hire ; when I had been
put on to plead the jsion-cmforntifiir Cause in the costliest circumstances,
and to bear the greatest odium (ox it ; when I was I think the
first that was silenced on such/ abcounts • when I have been twelve,
or fourteen years deprived of ailEcclesiastical maintenance when I re
fused a Bistioprick ^ when I have .laboured in Writings and other duties to
the consuming of my flesti in daily and hourly pain and weakness, and
now look every Sermon for my last, and am ready to appegr before ray
Judge: to be to the very last thus calumniated and reviled by pievish-SV-
tfaries, would be a fad reward, were your favour my reward ! But is this
just ot grateful ? .or shall the unrighteous and unthankful be accounted
the best men? I know I could have been one df the highest in your favour
and applause, if I would have humoured and foliowed you: But I had ra
ther that Cod should keep me from your honour, than buy it at so dear
, a- rate.* <* i . <<■' • ' *"* V -;: " , '
•» 10. And is it no sin thus to hinder thefuccessbfour labours, by miking
■ us adtofis or fiispetfedhy them that should profit bv us?
' i*v'J& it not hypocrilie, to cry out of the Bimops for silencing us,
when you mew that you would fain do it yoat* selves ? Would not you
silence me now if it were in your power ? Yd*, I doubt not but when I
die,, some of you will rejoyce and fay, that -God did it in. judgement
on me, ' y. u
12. And
 Of the great Error> Sin and Danger

tj. And thus to make divisions among Christians, that should hold
the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, will one day be known to
be a fin.
1 3. And so it is hereby to harden the enemies of Religion, by your
clamours and the divisions which you cause-, and tempt them to hate both
you and us.
14. And it is worst of all to father all this on God, and Truth and
Godliness, and use such holy Names for so bad a Cause.
1 j. And it aggravateth your sin, that you take no more notice of all
those plain" and terrible Scriptures, which as openly condemn your sin, as
the sin of Drunkards or Swearers is condemned: were it hvxjamesi. it
would leave you utterly without excuse.
16. Yea, and that you can see the sins of such Drunkards and Swear
ers, yea, and fee,theMote in the eyes of one that doth but use a Form or
Ceremony which you dislike, and cannot see these Beams in your own.
For all these sins I admonish you presently to repent.
S. Who is it that is censorious? you or I? It is Jin rvith you to ope*
your fin.
P. I desired you to open it : But see now how hard a work Repentance
, is, when in a Professor such sins as these will not be confessed.
S. welly come to the cause it self : Is it I or you that comply with
Papists ?
p. I make that the business of this Conference with you ; It is not
you only, but some wiser men than you, that look so much at the evil
of Popery, that they forget the evil of an unrighteous opposition, and of
the other extream : And they do as one that by labouring to cure ano
ther of a Dead Palsie, eastern nimself into a Phrensie or a Feaver : or like
one that to avoid a Carrion that stinketh in the Ditch, doth run himself
into the Ditch on the other side the way. Gods Truth must be vindicated
only by Truth ; and Wisdom is best justified of her own children by
Wisdom. God hath no pleasure in fools, nor doth his Glory need oar
lye. There is a time when the Devil will seem to be against error and
sin C and so against Popery ) : but it is in a way which mall promote it :
which commonly is by ill-doing and over-doing. I tell you plainly, the
Cause of Truth and Reformation gets nothing by some men that seem most
zealous for it. For an unstudied naif- wife honest Minister or private man
to believe false reports of the Papists, and to mis-state Controversies, and
to rail on them on such suppositions, and to mix many errors of his own
in his opposition, and to backbite those that know more of the matter, as
symbolizing with the Papists, this is certainly serving the Devil, how ho
nest soever the instruments in the main may be.
S. / perceive that you have an aking tooth at the Protestant Divines
as well *s at me : Are you reiser than all they ? or are you not warping
to Grotianism which you have written against ?
P. Among the Protestant Divines there are well studied, knowing, solid
men, that understand what they fay, ( such as Bisliop Usher, Dr. chalo-
ner, Dt. Field, Dr. white, chillingworth, Morton, Davenant, Andrews,
and many such . and abroad, Camero, DalLeus, Blondell, Drelincourt, Amy-
Taldut, Placatts, Vcfftus, Junius, Martinius, Crocius, Bergius, Bucer, Mus-
culus, MeUnchthon and many others : ) and there are ignorant^ hot-headed,
feif- conceited men, that rave in extreams, s as Gallus, Ambfdorsius and
their companions did against Georg. Major, for faying [_ Bona opera, sunt
nfcessaria ad salutem }J. And it is no wonder, that the best Churches
have many such j and if such are the forwardest to judge and cry damn
 rphicb manyfall into oh pretence of avoiding P opcry a i8 7

all chac are not as ignoranc as they. And in our times, the World is
more beholden to the fewness of buyers^ and the wit of Booksellers it*
fusing to Print them, than to the humility or modesty of such men, that
the Shops do not abound with such furious Writings, as Mr. Brownes
Anticbristomacbu*, Mr. Da/wets, Mr. Bagjha w, ejrc. and that Antichrists
Antichrist, is not made in Print the Universal Confutation of sober truth,
as commonly as it is bawled out in words;
S. Is it not safest to get far enough front Antichrist and Popery YoM
study is to teach men how near they may come to sin without sin ; and
bow to dance about the brink of Hell: For my party I wiB he one oftheni
that {ball come out of Babylon^ and partake not of her sins, nor touch the
unclean thing, and that keep their garments undefined % and not one that
like you is grown Lukewarm by being over-fond ofUnity and Peace : Ton
will follow'Crotius it's doubt at last.
P. Uncleanness must not be touched, nor sin partaked of, nor lukewarm
indifferency to sin entertained ; we must go as far from sin as we can;
But, poor deceived souls run into it, under the conceit of going far enough
from it, and sometimes into greater than they avoid. '
S. what fin have fitch Protestants run into in their opposition td
Popery i
P. I will tell you some, I. In Doctrine : and II. In the consequents
and practice.
. I. It is more than one injudicious Protestant Divine that hath printed
such unsound Opinions as these in opposition to Popery for wane of
judgement.
1. While they plead against theRomijh false Tradition, they have Weak-
ned faith, by denying that necessary use of Historical Tradition of Scri-:
pture which Christianity doth suppose: ( As others have denyed the neces
sary nse of Reason unto faith. ) ■ •
2. They have wronged the Church by undervaluing the Tradition of
the Creed and the Essentials of Christianity , by many means besides the
Scriptures. i>
91 They have much wronged the Protestant Cause by denying the per* '
fetual Visibility of the Church, and almost given it away, as I have shewed
against Johnson. ■ . '
4. And their denyal of its Universality and confining it long to the
> fvaldetifis and such others , is an exceeding injury to the Church and
Truth;
5. And so is some mens over-doing as for the Scripture, who teach men
that they can be no surer of Christianity, ( as delivered many years in
Baptised before any of the New Testament was written, } than they are
that there is no one error in all the Bible , by the* carelesoess of the
Scribes and Printers, nor any humane frailty in the phrase.
6. And also their feigning the Scripture perfection to consist, in its be
ing a particular determiner of all those circumstances of which it is only
a general rule.
'v 7. And those that make every form of prayer, otCeremdny to be An- ,
tichristianj ■ • 3 ..: . . j
i 8. Arid those that make Justifying fditb to be a certainty 6t full per1*
fwasten that we are elected and pardoned and shall be saved. '
9. And those that say, that To believe that I am justified is to believe
Gods Word, or fides divint, either ( as most fay) because one of the
premises is in Scripture, or (as excellent Chamkf faith) because the Wit-
fiefs of the Spirit is Gods Wordi '• ■
T7 • to.A«4
288^- Of the great Errors, Sin and Vanger

ic. And those that say All that have true faith , are sure they have
such : ( zsKeckcrman and too many others. )
ji. Those that deny Christ to have made any Law.
it. And those also that assert Imputation of Christs Righteousness in
that fense which I have proved to subvert the Gospel.
13. And those that deny Faith it self to be Imputed for righteousness.
14. And those that deny that there is any personal Evangelical Righ
teousness in our selves that is any way necessary to our Justification.
15. And those that lay all the stress of Faiths Justifying us on the no
tion of Instrumental efficiency.
16. And those that say we are Justified by no act of faith, but its re*
te'wing Christs Righteousness 5 and all other acts of faith are the mrks\sf
which none is justinea.
17. And those that say, that Evangelical obedience is not meritorious
as it signifieth only RewardMe in point of Paternal Evangelical Govern
ing Justice, and as all the antient Fathers used that word; because we
merit not by Commutation.
18. And those that say , that man hath no free-will (at all, of any
fort ) to spiritual good.
19. And those that say, that Christ was inGodsreputation,the£/r*Ar£
sinner, or wicked man, Adulterer, Murderer, hater of God in all the wotld.
20. And those that say, that he suffered in soul Pain altogether of the
same kind with those that the damned suffer in Hell.
21. And those that in opposition tct the Popish Government, Confessi
on, Austerities, and several acts of Worship, do run into the contrary ex-
tream, against due Government, Confession, Austerities, ejrc. And those
that from dark uncertainty or a minus notis do gather many conclusions
against known truth. >
I pass by such as the Antinomians, who as I have proved , subvert the
Gospel itself, by running into the contrary extream from Popery. ;
. S. Ton are 4s fad av Parker, or the Debate-maker, that thus lay san
dal on the Reformers themselves, if these were their fault s} you jbouU
cover them, and not open them. This had been enough for a Romish
faWbakeh*. :x ouv ;
P. You know not what it is that you fay. This is to abhorr repen
tance, aadfto prefers the honour of man before the honour of God; .jjea,
to let the.ihjme. be ca# on Gods Wore! and Religion, iest the error of man.
be shamed. But all men are^lyars ( that is, fallible) and God is tend
\k. that con&sseth and fcrsaketh his sin shall have mercy , but ht xjiat
hideth it, st»H not prosper. Are there not with you, even with you al
so < faith /thejProphet ; • sins against the Lord our God i Why hath God
forded i« .Scripture the faults of so many of his servants, and forced
them to such , open Confessions f Did Paul wrong peter and Barnabas^
G«/.2?.or«he Ministry -when he said, AU seek their own things, .mi
nd#e thuhmgs ofJesmShrist? . or did the Evangelists wrongall theiDif-i
ciples, by saying, that They all forsook him and fled? ox James allChri*
Clans, .feying in many thpags vte ogtnd all ? I think the Proua/mpsxi-
j fence of many Professors, that will not confess sin, nor endure to be. cal
led to it, kst Religion be dishonoured, is that great dishonour to Reli^on
which God hath been long punishing us for. When such evils have. beeA
^and donees our age hath known* either it must be laid thatthev.*re
not fw/, or, that they are. If we deny it, and fay they are Gods Truth
and mans duty, we feign God, and Scripture, and Religion to be foraib
that evil, ( which is to blaspheme If weiay It is evil, we must fay that-
i' .*i . 1 we
 which many fall into on pretence of avoiding Popery, 289

we are the guilty causes of it. God will teach Ministers and Profellbrs
instead of Pharisaical self-justification, to take open shame to themselves
that he and Religion maybe vindicated, before he will deliver us from
shame and sorrow : And ^he that will save his honour against this shame
shall lose it, and he that will thus lose it and cast it away mail most ef
fectually recover it.
S. I think you would fain perswade us, that Protestants are as bad. as
Papists, and perfwade us into the Roman Tents.
P. That is but your pievilli inference : But little do you know how
much of Popery it self you have, while you think that you hate it more
than L ■'.*.'
S. You would make me believe any thing, if you make me think that I
have more of Popery than you. > .
P. 1. Do not you agree with them in confining the Catholick Church
to one Sect or Party i only They to their Sect, and You to yours.
2. Do you not agree with them in your vehement condemnation of
dissenters ? only they excommunicate and burn them, and you deny them
your communion and reproach them : But their charity extendeth much
further than yours, and you condemn more dissenters than they do.
3. Do you not agree with them in being superstitious, by a great deal
of self-made Duty and Sin i only theirs and yours are not in the fame
things : They fay, Touch not, taste not, handle not some things, and you
other things, while you fay that God hath forbidden forms of prayer,
and many lawful circumstances of Worship, and other suchlike.
And I now intreat you and all the servants of Christ soberly to consi
der, whether a wild injudicious calling found Doctrine and Practices An-
tichriftian, and using that name as a bugbear for want of solid argu
ment, and an injudicious running from Papists into the contrary errors and
extreams, hath not brought on many the guilt and misery which in all the
following particulars I mall open to you.'
1. Such men have corrupted the Gospel of Christ, by bringing in many
doctrinal errors, and opening a door to the heretical to bring in more.
Almost all the Libertine Antinomian errors, have come in by an injudici
ous opposition to Popery , as if they were the Vindication of Election,
Free Grace, chrifts Righteousness, Justification by faith, Perseverance,
against mans works and Merits: And it is not to bedenyed, that the said
Libertine Doctrines do more contradict the Doctrine of the Gospel, even
Christianity it self, than the Doctrine of the Papists about the same sub
jects do. I know this to be true, who ever is offended at it : Aquinas,
Scotus, Gabriel, Beliarmine, Pererius, Tolet, yea, rafyuez, Sttarez, and Mo
lina are not near so erroneous about Justification, Grace, Faith and good
works, as Richardson, Randal, Sympjon, Towne, crispe, Saltmarsh, and ma
ny such others are. Yet how many Religious people have I known, than
have gloried in these errors as the sweet discoveries of free grace !
a. Such erroneous extreams in opposition to Popery have greatly disho
noured the Reformers, and Reformation. When it cannot be denyed buc
such and such errors are found among them, it maketh all the Reformati
on suspected: asillyricus his Doctrine of the substantiality of sin, and
the non- necessity of Good works to salvation, and as Andr.Ofianders Do-
ctrine of Justification by Gods essential righteousness did ^ and as many harsh
paslages in Pifcator and Maccwius do, to name no more besides those before
named. What a stir have our later Divines still with the Papists in defend -
ing some few harsti sayings of Luther, Calvin and Beza about the Cause of
fin, and some such subjects i But downright errors cannot be defended.
Pp 3. Your
 Of the great Error, Sin and Danger

3. Your injudicious opposition greatly hardneth the Papists, and hin-

dereth their conviction : When they find some errours in your writings*
(as that all are bound to believe that they are elected and Justified; that
this is the fense of the Article, I believe the forgiveness of fin ; thac this
is fides divina, that we are Reputed of God to have fulfilled all the Law
of Innoccncy habitually and actually in and by Christ, rfr. ) and then
when they read that such men lay the great stresi of the Reformation up-
on these, as the very cause of our rejecting Rome, and the articuli ftantis
ant cadentis Ecclefu^ what can more harden them to a confidence that we
are hercticks and that they are in the right? As I have known the persons
that had been in danger of turning Papists, if the errour of Tranjubstan-
tiation and some few more, had not been so palpable, as to resolve them,
These men cannot be in the right ; even so many. Papists were like to have
turned Protestants, had they not met with some notorious errours in such
injudicious adversaries.
4. Yea we too very well know thac your extremities have occasioned di
vers Protestants to turn Papists: Yea some Learned men, and such as have
zealously run through many Sects in opposition to Popery themselves ;
( And some of my acquaintance thac went as far in the profession of God
liness as most that I have known. ) They have been so confounded to find
partly palpable errours taken for sound doctrine, and sound doctrine railed
at as Popery, and partly to fee the shameful diversity and contentions of all
the Sects among themselves, that it hath drawn them to think that there is
no prosperity of the Church and Godliness to be expected but where there
is unitsj and Concord ; and no Unity and Concord to be hoped for among
Protestants ; And therefore they must return for it to Rome : And Grotius
professech that it was this that moved him, to go so far towards them as he
did. And I must needs fay, that I believe from my very hearc, that the
shameful divisions, contentions, backbitings, revilings, censurings, persecu
tions, errours and scandals of Protestants among themselves, is a sac
stronger temptation to turn men to Popery, than any thing that is to be
found among the Papists to invite men to it: and that many are thus driven
to it, that would not have been drawn.
5. And by calling good and /awful if not necessary things, Antichristi-
an and Popilh, you have made Religious people ridiculous and a scorn to
many that have more wit than Conscience 5 as if we were all such humo
rous Novices, as would run mad by being frightned with the name of An
tichrist : And as they deride you for it as Fanatical, so they the less fear
Popery it self.
6. And by these extremities you corrupt the peoples minds with a wrath
ful and contentious kind of Religion; which is easily taken up in com
parison of a holy and heavenly mind. When you should kindle in them a
zeal for Love, and Good Works, the mark of Gods peculiar people, you
are killing Love and kindling wrath : Gunpowder may be set on fire with
out so much blowing of the coal : Long experience asiureth us that a
siding angry contentious 2ealis easily kindled, but a lively faith, a con
firmed hope of Glory, a Love to God and man, needs more ado.
S. Stay a little in the midst ofyour reproofs ; Wouldyou per[wade us ton
Union with Antichrist, and to live in Love and Concord with the members
of the Devil ? Ase not the Papists such ? Haveyou no way to reconcile us
/oRome, but by /pleading for Love and peace ? Must we not contend ear
nestly for thefaith once delivered to the Saints^ and not be Lukewarm t»
the doctrines of Jezabel that (educeth the people of Cod to idolatry ?

P. I. Were
 which many fall into en pretence of dvdiding Popery; «gi

P. i. Were you periwadable I would perswade you, not ignorantly to

contradict the truth of God, and call ic Popery • nor to set up certain false
or incongruous notions, and pretend them great and necessary verities ~r nor
to make a .stir for some odd unsound opinions, received upon trust from those
that you thought best of, and to buzz abroad suspicions of Pdpery, against
those that have more understanding and, conscience than to imitate you \
nor to fly in the faces of Gods faithfullest servants ( much less to use your
tongues to backbite them ) as if they were Antichristian, because they are
not as shamefully ignorant and deceived as you are : And I would perswade
you to study and digest well what you take the boldness to speak againstJ
and not to talk confidently and furiously against that which; you1 never un
derstood : for it is the fool that rageth and is confidents PrOV. 14.16. I
should think I had'n|t1rgreater work than to build twenty such Cities as"
London or to conquer all the Turks dominions, if I could but perswade all
that leem Religious to bridle their Tongues^ left their Religion be in vain,
ahd instead of rasti and busie talking of things that they understand nor^
and of rash judging and reviling men wiser than themselves, but to SUS*
P E N D their J U D G E M E N T S, and stay till they havd taken time
td hear, read or consider what is necessary to the true understanding of the
cafe, and not to stiame themselves, and abuse their brethren, and God him
self, and wrong and corrupt the hearers minds, by sailing at that to day,
which if they study hard and grow wiser, they tyill afterwards believe
themselves.
2. And I would not have you think It good, or lawful to bely a Papist,1
and fay that he holdeth what he doth not ; nor to pretend that they differ
in the fense and matter, when the difference is but in the words : and then to
think that all your injustice and false-dealing is excuseable, if you do but
fay that some Godly Divines, or Religious people, said so before you, and
you can prove out os their writings that you are hot the first that did the
wrong : Nor would t have you charge the unmeet or unsound expressions,
of every ignorant, railing Papist, on all that are. called Papists, no nor on all
their Church: And therefore I would have you well read and understand
their writings before you venture too far in your accusations. You would
not be otherwise dealt with your self ; nor have the Protestant Religion? (or
the Non- conformists ) charged with every unseasoned or unwarrantable sen
tence, of the many weak Writers that have self-esteem enough to obtrude
their sentiments upon the world. The Papists have too many errours, and
too great : you need not feign them to be more or greater thanthey are.
3 . And I would perswade you not to take all that live under the Roman
power and are called Papists to be of the fame mind or rank* nor to damn
any more than you are sure Christ will damn : but to consider what the
Judicious Dr. field uhdertaketh (and B. Morton in his Jpologie hath
performed) even to prove that there are no considerable doctrines which
constitute the Protestant Religion as different from Popery, which were
not before Lathers Reformation defended by the greatest Doctors in the
Church of Rome, though the defenders of them were discountenanced and
born down by the Papa! faction by power and violence.
4. And I would perswade you to believe that the name of Antichrist will
not warrant you to lay by that Love and meekness and Justice which is due
to mankind, yea and which heathens used to each ocher, and which you
would have all men use to you : The servant of the Lord must not strive,
but be gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient ( or forbearing,) in meekness
instructing oppofers, 2 Tim. 2. 24, 25. and if it be possible, as much as in
youlycth, you must live peaceably with all men, 12.18. andthere-
Pp 2 fore

1
fore follow peace with all, Heb. 10.14. At least make Conscience of rash
calumniating and slandering the worst.
5. And as to the texts that you referr to, I wish you better to study them,
and you will find that they were not spoken of the Papists then, but of the
Hereticks or Sectaries of that age : It was the Nicolaitans and such others
that are likened to Jezebel, as the text sheweth you: And it was such as
they, called Carpocratians,znd Gnoficksthztdmyed or subverted rhe faith
which Christians were earnestly to contend for : And we would have you
zealously defend Christianity, without Lukewarmness : but not to abuse
the world so much, as to feign all your dreams or opinions to be Christia
nity or the faith.
And so I still fay that though Popery must be faithfully rejected, yet
your over-doing and mistaking way of opposition to it, endangereth the "
peoples souls, by tempting them into factious .wrath and unrighteous ca
lumny, and destroying that Love and common justice which is due to Papists
themselves, and much more to those Protestants whom you ignorantly ca
lumniate. ,
7. Yea I add, that hereby you make false glasses for the people to fee
their own faces in, and cheat poor souls, with & carnal fort of Religion and
zeal, as if it were that which is true and saving. Men are loth to know
that they are indeed unholy: and therefore will be pretending to some kind
of Religion to cherish their presumption, for want of sounder comfort : And
O how many thousands are there that think that they are Godly persons, be
cause they can rise up in the dark with confident reproach against this or that
opinion or practice as coming too near to Popery ! O that they hated all thac
cometh too near to a fleshly, worldly mind and life! or to selfishness and
pride and overvaluing an ignorant understanding ! It's pittiful to hear how
many learned Preachers in Germany among the Lutherans, live in drunken
ness, and worldliness, and how little of the spirit os holiness appeareth in
their Sermons or lives, and how they make up all by a fervent preaching
against the Papists and the Calvinists. Were it as easie to get faith, hose
and Love, as to talk against other mem opinions, or to call that Popery which
is contrary to your raw conceits, how happy were it for such men 1 But
you little think that they that have a Religious zeal for forms and ceremo
nies, and they that are as zealous against them, may be of the fame spirit
and temper of Religions, being both but Formalists, though ones formality
work for, and the others against such kind of things. And you are not
aware that If you are wiser than those that you talk against, you must shew
it by your works and meekness of wisdom, and that the envious wisdom and
zeal which is not from above, but is, earthly, sensual and diabolical, may
work as well by crying down other mens opinions as Popish and Antichristi-
an as in other way es.
8. And under pretence of zeal against Popery, you turn the peoples minds
from the great matters of their salvation, which need their daily and most
diligent study, and their most intense affections and regard : And so you
starve out arid destroy true piety, by calling off the peoples minds to Con-
troversie : And when they should be edifying one another in the comforta
ble hopes of another world, they are backbiting one another with accusati
ons of Popery.
9. Yea Preaching it self is thus corrupted : And that which is appointed
of God to be the means of mens edification in Love and holiness, (Eph. 4.
14, 15, 16.) is turned to be the bellows of keeping hoc the furnace of
wrath and injury.

10. Yea
 which many fail into on pretence of avoiding Popery. 293

1 o. Yea Prayer which should be most holy is thus also corrupted and pror<
phaned by too many ; while they boldly bespeak the holy and dreadful God
against one another, and against those things, which their ignorance misre-
prescnteth to themselves.
And so Gods ordinances are made a share to souls, which are appointed for
their salvation : and the man that can kindle in his hearers a transporting
passion against this or that opinion or form as Popish, is cryed up for an ex
cellent preacher, and seemeth to edisie the people while he destroyeth them.
1 1 . And by this means you seem to just/fe the Papists lyes and calumnies
against the Protestants, by doing as they do : They'belye Luther , Zitinglius,
Calvin, Beza, &c. with just such intentions and such a kind of zeal, as some
over- doing Sectaries bclye them. And is it bad in them and good in ybu i '
12. You teach the people a dangerous and perverse way of reasoning a
minus notis, which will let in almost any errours : From a dark text in the
Revelations, or Daniels or from the supposition that the Pope is the Anti
christ, and all Papists have received the mark of the beast, you gather con
clusions against the notorious duties of Love and peace, which the light of
nature doth commend to all : Not that I am perfwading you that the Pope
is not Antichrist-, but that all things be received but according to their pro
per degree of evidence.
S. Now you open your self indeed: All that revolt to Popery begin there^
with questioning whether the Pope he the Antichrist, and telling men of the
darkness of the Book of Revelations.
P. I tell you I will abate no certainty that you have, but increase my owii
and yours if I could : but I would not have any falfly to pretend that they are
certainer of any thing than they are : And no certainty can go beyond the
ascertaining evidence : And if all Scriptures be equally plain, St. Peter
was deceived, that tells us of many things hard to be understood, which the.
unlearned wrest as other Scriptures to their own destruction. Arid if the
Revelations be not one ofthe hardest, I crave your answer to these questi
ons : 1 . Why are five Expositors usually of sour opinions in the expounding
of if. when it is those that have spent much of their lives in studying it
(as Napier, Brightman,ejrc.) who are the Expositors i 2. Why will none
of you that find it so easie at last write one certain Commentary which ma^r
assure which of all the former ( if any one of them ) was in the right t
3. Why did Calvin take it to be too hard for him, and durst not venture to
expound it? 4. And if you take it to be so necessary as you pretend, tell
me whether it was so necessary, arid so taken, by all those Churches, that
for a long time received it not as Canonical Scripture I Surely they were
. saved without believing it. ^Though no doubt but the book of Revelation
is a great mercy to the Church, and all men mould understand as much of ic
as they can. But all that I blame you for here, is the perverting of the or
der of proof in arguing a minu:inoiu. . . * ■ '.
13. And these over-doers that run things into the contrary extreams, dt>
most injuriously*^^* the Protestant cause, by disabling themselves and all
men of their principles to defend it, and arming the Papists against it by their
errors. When it cometh to an open dispute by Word or Writing, one of
these mens errors is like a wound that lets out blood and spirits, and puts,
words of triumph into the adversaries mouth : A cunning Papist will pre
sently drive the ignorant disputant to resolve his cause into his mistake, and
then will open the falshood of that, and thence inferr the falshood of all the
rest: And what an injury is that to the souls of the auditors, who may be
betrayed by it, and to the cause it self ? For instance, If one of our ovef-j
doers hold that we are reputed to have kept all the Law of Innocency ana
' 4 ~" "Pp |V *' ■ merited
 Of the great Errors% Sin and Danger

merited salvation our selves by Christ, or that no act of faith is Justifying

butthe accepting of his righteousness, or that faith Justifieth only as tha
efficient instrumental cause, or that we have no righteousness which hath
anything to do in our Justification, but only Christs imputed Merits , or
that mans faith, Love or obedience are not rewardable, cjrc how easily
will a Papist open the falshood of such an opinion to the hearers, and then
tell them that they may fee by this who is in the right. And, alas, what
work would one Learned Papist make in London by publick disputing, if we
fiacsno wiser men to deal with him than these over-doers { They may call
Truth and Sobriety Antichristian, and talk nonfence as against Popery suc-
cesisully to their own party » but I hope never to see the caule managed by
their publick disputes, lest half the Congregation turn Papists on it ax once.
If Chillingvporth had not been abler to confute a Papist than those that used
to calumniate him as Popish or Socinian, he had done less service of that
kind than he did.
14. And it is an odious injury that these Over-doers do to the ancient and
the universal Church, while in many cafes> they (ignorantly or wilfully)
reproach and condemn them, as if they were all thefavourers of Popery, and
call their ancient doctrine and practice Antichristian. Some of them igno
rantly falsific the Fathers doctrine, and upon trust from their Leaders avert
that they held that which they plainly contradict: and that which they
held indeed, they cry Out against as Popery. Such an instance we have
newly in a Souldier, Major Panvers, an Anabaptist, which I have detected.
And will Christ take it well to have almost all his Church condemned as
Antichristian ?
'\%. And hereby what an honour is done to Popery, and what a disho
nour to the Reformed Churches, when it (hall be concluded that all the
Charchesheretofore, even next after the age of the Apostles, and almost all
"the prefent'Churche^ were and ate against the doctrine of the Protestants,
andcnitlKpapifeiide f'Aniiyethowmanydousthis injury, and the Ro-
tnan Church this honour C About the nature of Justifying faith, and its
office to Justification, and about the nature of Justification it self, and Im
putation of Righteousness, and free-will, and mans Works and Merits,
and about assurance of "salvation and perseverance, how many do call that
Popery, whichthe whole current of Creek and Latine Fathers do assert, and
all the ancient Churches ■owned , and most of all the present Churches in
the world i And those that call all forms of prayer, Popery, or the English
Liturgies least, when almost all the Christian world have forms, and moll
Tuch as are much worse, do but tell men that the Christian world is on ihc
side that they oppose, and against their way. . •
16. And it is a Crime of infamy to be taken for Separatists from the
universal thurcb ; And in doctrines and forms of Worship, not only to
avoid what we take to have been a . common weakness, but also to condemn
*hem as Antichristian, or as holding pernicious errour?, is but to 'perfwade
men that we arc not of the fame body, and to own a sinful dishonourable
•sqjaratiorC '! - /.'( ■"
17. Arid t>y all these means these Over-doers do greatly increase Aiheifin
and Iriffd^l^ty andprophaneness among us, while their zeal against Truth
•and reproaches of found doctrine, do make men think that our Religion is
nothingbut proud humour and self-conceit-, and vvhile they fee us so boldly
condemn almost all the world except our selves, they will thinkthat so few;
as we deserve hot to be excepted.
; " [i8'."..&y thitS injurious extremity against the Papists, we do but kindle in
- them a bitterer enmity to us, and hatred of them breedeth harredirrthem of
 iphich many fall into on presence ofavoiding' Popery*

us , and so we sec them on plotting revenge against us,as implacable injurious

enemies when we mould deal loberly and righteously with all menj and
seek to win them by truth and gentleness. .:
19. And such dealings with them do draw Persecution on the Prote
stants that live under their Dominions ♦ and if we refuse toiijse them here
as Christians , no wonder if abroad they use stop the Protestants %%Men.
20. And by such great abuses of Reformation, men binder Reformation
for the time to come, and do their part to make it hopeless v wjjije th^ey
discourage such attempts, by dimououring the Reformation which is paft.
Even as David George, and Muntzerjnd the Mnnfier Dotages, and Rebel
lions, do hinder the reviving of Anabaptistry in the world 9 and thesljame
of their old practices and successes., is as a Grave-stone upon the Sepulehef
of their Caule 5 so do these men do their part to mak£ ic with the
whole Reformation, chat none hereafter may dare to own or meddle wkb
such work. . " .
These that I have opened briefly to you, are the real fruits 9s false, inr
jurious and ignorant zeal and over-doing against toe Papists : And if Pope
ry revive, it's like to be by such men. ,A
5. But Popery is an heinous evil; and corrupt nature so prone t?
evil, that you need not thus diffrvade men from going too far from tt,
er from over-doing against it, no more thanfrom being overmuch religioun
P. You may fay the fame as truly of the errors on the contrary ex^
tream: All of them are evil, and men are prone to evil : But I. Little
know you how common ic is in the world to spend mens zeal against the
real or supposed evil of other mens Opinions, and thereby to strength
the mortal evil of their own carnal affections and passions, and worldly
lives, and to take a zeal foe Trwfa ana Orthadpxness for real Holiness
'while usually such miss of Truth it self. 3. And you know not the wiles
of Satan, how ordinarily he betrayeth a good Cause by *fje, i\\ manager
•ment of its most zealous friends, and doth undo ;by overrdo4ng. Whefl
he will play the Devil indeed with Eve , he will seem to be more than
God himself for Knowledge of Good and Evil, and for the advancement of
mankind to be like God h and God shall be accused by him a? if he were
untrue, and envyed our perfection. When he will play the Devil indeed,
with Christ, he will seem to be more for valiantness and trusting God than
Christ was, and pleadeth Scripture sot tempting God. When he wist,
|>lay the Devil indeed in the Pharisees, he will be stricter for the Sab
bath, and for Discipline in avoiding the company of the .Publicans and
sinners . and stricter in fastings and dyet and other observations than
■Christ himself j And he will be a zealous enemy to Blasphemy, and a
zealous Royalist for Ctsar, and a zealous ;hpnwrepr of .the Tetnple and the
Law, when Christ, ot Paul, or other Apostles afe to be destroyed by it.
And when he williplay the DeVil in the Jtfipolaitans, simonians, and
Gnasttck Hereticks, he will seem to be for bigbet knowledge, and greatet
liberty than the Apostles were. And so when be would sow discord
among Christians, and would kill ttheir Lpve3iiod divide Cbrists Church,
and set them in ajroental and oral War against .each other* fie will aggra
vate the reetors and faults of others, and he will seem a more zealous friend
of Truth, andenemy 10 Popery, Heresie, Error, Superstition, false W orstiip,
•or other faults than Christ is : But he knoweth why.
6. But God telleth tu himself that he U jealous About his worship, and
'bath in Scripture more severely executed , bis Justice upon ttii corrupiers of
bismrfbip, than almost any otbeir crime, ,1.
.. ♦ ■•" .' • ■ .
296 Of the great Errors, Sin 4hd Danger /.

p. No doubt but God is jealous against Idolatry. He that knoweth

not the true God from Idols, cannot honour him. And he that wotsliip-
peth him not as a most Great and Holy God,disliofiourethor blasphemeth
him on pretence of wormippinghim. And to worship him by an Image,
is to perfwade men that God is like that which that Image doth represent -y
which is to deny him to be God. And no doubt but the Jews great tem
ptations to Idolatry from the Nations about them, were to be oppugned
by great severities of God. And no doubt but Moses Law was to be
honoured by Gods severe executions on the breakers of it.
But when you come to Christs preaching, you find how oft he teacheth
the Pharisees to go learn what that rneaneth, I will have Mercy, and not
Sacrifice. When he conferreth with the Woman of Samaria, John 4. slie
presently turneth from the doctrine of faith ( as Sectaries do among us )
to the Controversies of the times, [Ovx Fathers fay, In this Mountain, and
you fay At Jerusalem, men ought to worship.] But Christ calleth her off*
such low discourse, and teacheth her to worship God as a Spirit, in fphic
and truth, if ever flie would be accepted of him.
S. But it is a time now when Popery is striving to rife again, and how
unseasonably would you abate mens zeal against it?
P. No more than he was against his Lawyers Zeal, who grew hoarse with
senseless bawling for him, saying, I am glad he hath lost his voice, or else I
might have lost my Cause. I am so much against Popery, that I wish it
wiler and abler adversaries, than self-conceited unstudied Zealots, who
will honour Popery, by entitling it to the Truths of God, and the Consent
of the Antient or Universal Church; or would make people believe, that
it consisteth in some good or indifferent things, as in some Doctrines,
Forms or Government, which others can fee no harm in; And so teach
men to sayy If this be Popery, we will rather be Papists, than of them that
rave as in their sleep, against they know not what. Could these men be
perswaded to lay out their Zeal and diligence, in propagating the practi
cal knowledge of Christianity it self, and let things alone which they un
derstand not} and SUSPEND TILL THEY HAVE THROUGHLY
STUDIED, or at least <o fcrtbear hindering wiser men, and calumniating
and backbiting those that would by wisdom defend that truth which by
folly and rashness they go about to betray, they might be meet for their
lhare of that honour which now they forfeit.
S. You strive against Gods Judgements by which he hath oft times dis-
ovened Popery among us •, and rvould make that less odious, which Cod by
wonders hath oft called us to abhorr, - * "
P. You still mistakes It is only your strengthening them, or sinning
against God by false and ignorant accusations, and calumniating wiser men
as favouring them, that I speak against. God hath oft marvellously pre
served us from their attempts. But if you will use untruths against them,
they will repay you two for one, and with what measure you mete, it shall
z be measured to you. Little know you how odious they render us by lyes
abroad where they are believed: and I would have no honest man to imi
tate them. I will instance to you in a few of their Stories.
Saith Thorn, waldenfts ( a Learned man ) against mclelijfe, citante Tym-
pio, pag. 104 . f_ *'Iwill tell you a Story which I saw with my own eyes
" in the Cathedral of St. Paul in London : where Tho. Arundel a Venerable
"Prelate of happy memory, a Son, and Brother of Earls f the Bishop of
<{ Norwich and others assisting him ) fitting in judgement, proposed some
"questions of the Eucharist to a certain Taylor of Worcestershire taken in
yHeresiej and when he could not be moved, and would call the most
"Sacred
 ypbicb manyfall into on pretence of avoiding Popery; 2 97

ic Stored Host nothing out BlcJJ'ed Bread, at last being commanded to do re-
" verence to the Host, he blaiphemously answered, Spider is worthies'
« ofReverence. And presently a great and horrid Spider descending from
"the top of the room by his thread, made directly to the Blasphemers
"mouth, and laboured to get in while he spake* The illustrious Prince
"Thomas Duke of Oxford then Chancellor of theKingdom, faAv-rhepro-
"digie: which so confirmed them of Gods revenge, that they burnt die
" man 3 *. *
Saith the (amtTympius Theatr.p. 148. s_" OecolamPdditts an Apostate
<{ married Monk an. 1528. was strangled by the Devil in Baft, Q as
" ther reporterh in his Book of the private Mass J: a death worthy his"
"life. Luther writeth that he had proved it (^t^ploratiffimam ejse') thai
*e Oecolampadim was killed by the fiery weapons' of the Devil, jf--.- ■
^Carolo/ladius an. 1530. strangled by the cdvinian God went quickly
" to Hell, as Erasmus Abertus reporteth.
" John Calvin was consumed of the lowfie disease, the Worms eating
tc through all his body, with blaspheming words , cursed God and called
"on the Devil, and committed his foul to him, an. 1567. faith Bolfec in
<evit.Calv. c. 22. Beza writeth, that Calvin tormented four years mife-
"rably at last eaten with swarming Lice dyed unhappily and filthily.
fiPag. 154. Luther having supped daintily and gone merry to' bed, was
"strangled in the night. Th.Boz.ius de sig.Eccl. I. 23. fit. 96. c. 3. faith
*« that he was certified by a Boy that served Luther andturned to them,,
ie that Luther hang'd himself, but they swore all the house to conceal it.
Ibid. id. f_ They say ( saith Bozius ) that when Bucer was dying, a
cc horrid Devil stood by and almost frightned all present to death, of whom
" he ( Bucer ) was stricken that he might carry away his foul ; for being
" pull'd out of the bed,his bowels being scattered all about the Bed-chamber^
ct and he killed with many torments, did expire. ]
How like you such work as this t such horrid lyes , of things fully
known < Should not the detestation of them make us afraid of coming
near them by any imitation, and to take heed what we believe or fay of
others Abundance more such Stories, Miracles and Progidies you may
find in Tympius and Ctsarius besides many others. Read but those two
Books and you will fee who be the great pretenders to Prodigies and Mi
racles, and readiest to proclaim Gods Judgements on others, when they
that think they do it for the honour of God, alas, are unawares moved to
it by the interest of that Cause and Party which is so much their own, as
that it may be called Their own Interest.
S. well, for all this, I take it to be Cods Mercy to possess the unlearned
Professors themselves , with so great a zeal against nil that savoureth of
Popery • so that were it not for them, the Ministers themselves would
comply further than they do : But when they fee that it is the fenfus
communis fidelium, and they must lose aB the good people if they comply,
it holds them in. Many that cannot dispute against Popish errors and pra-
£fices3 can hate them.
P. No doubt, but the habit of Divine Love , doth hold many good
Christians much faster to God and the certain Essentials of Christianity
and Piety, than the strongest disputing Reason would do without it. Bat
If you will fay the fame of doubtful disputations, you will much mistake.
In many such things the strictet professors go with the stream of their par
ty, and follow them that carry it for the reputation of most godliness, or
those leaders orfrien:'s that have most advantage on them. And do they
hot use the very same argument as you in different Countreys for different
 Of the great Error, Sin and Danger

and contrary causes 1 In Germany the Communis senjus fidelium is one^

thing, and in England another , and in France another in such matters.
Yea, in the sameCountrey in several times. I can remember since among
the Religious stricter party, it was abominable to wear long hair, even to
cover the ears, and now these twenty years they many ofthem exceed those
that then were accounted Ruffians. It was then a crime with them to take
Tobacco, and now it is none : and thus custome changes the matter with
them. And now in some Congregations they will not sing Psalms, in
others they will not read the Scripture ; In others thtse can be endured,
but not the use of the Creed , Lords Prayer and Decalogue ; In others
that much, but no Forms of Prayer of mans devising : In others, the Mi
nisters own self-imposed -F-prm, but none imposed by Superiours : In one
Congregation they are Commonly for Universal Redemption and Free-will^
and in another commonly against it ; And why then w ould you perswade
us, that in such things as these, the common fense ot the faithful goethall
one way, when they usually are carryed down the stream of pious reputa
tion where they live i
And indeed you have small reason to be glad, that Ministers have the
temptation of popular esteem or censure to conflict with, or that so many
are conquered by it. Is it a lovely thing to hear silly women ( ever learn
ings or rather hearing, but never coming to a competent knowledge of such
matters ) to cant out against their Teachers \_Anticbristian~\ and [Poperyfr
upon words or actions not understood , which suit not with their vain
conceits i
S. 7? is one ofthe artifices ofthe Papists which you have learned: when
they would draw men to set Itght by the purity of Religion and the Wor
ship of God, to cry up Love and Concord and Peace instead of it, and so t$
tye all mens tongues and hands from resisting their wicked church-pollu
tions, by the fear of Schism, or being uncharitable to the polluters. And
so you will draw men to an indijferency in Religion on pretence of Peace
and Charity.
P. I am certain that the Wisdom from above is first pure , and then
peaceable, and gentle, drc. James 3.17. and it ever takes in both. And I
am sure that Christ first and his Apostles after him make Love the summ
of our Religion. I think it not amiss to tell you, of this, what an old
Non-conformist faith in a Latin Treatise called De.vera & genuina Jesu
Christi Religione, Authore Ministro Anglo, p. ^6,^1, 38, 39. The words
are too large to recite, but in short he laboureth to prove, that next Faith in
God and the Redeemer, Love is the Christian Religion it self, and setup
instead of Ceremonies and penal Jewish Laws , as the Great Law of
Christ, and the fulfilling of all Laws, answering his own Office, and so
his new and great Commandment and the Character of his people, and so
the Communion of the Saints is our faith and life. And that to believe
in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and Love him and one another, is
the Gospel, and our true Religion : And that when it cometh to Cere
monies, Rituals and externals, this still is Christs voice, [Go learn what
thinmeaneth, J will have Mercy and not Sacrifice. ~]
But know you not that you come up to the worser part of Poperf^
w hen you imitate the bloodiest men among them in your degree, by plead
ing for Sacrifice against Mercy> ? A cruel Religion, and burning and de
stroying men, and setting Kingdoms on fire, on pretence of keeping out
Heresie and Schism, and preserving the right Faith, and Government, and
.Worship, is the malignity of Popery. When either They or You grow
wrathfuily zealous against your Brethren on pretence of purity of Faith or
Worship
 which manyfill into on pretence of avoiding Popery. 299

Worship, and to make you a Religion which quencheth Love, you know
not what manner of Spirit you are of.
S. Is not the church of liphclus commended, Rev.2. j. that could not bear
them that were evil, and that tryedfalfc Apostles andfound them lyars ; and
are they not blamed that did bear with the woman Jezabel and the doctrine of
the Nicolaitans i And ifGod hate such doctrine, so majl we.
P. AH this is true and good but do not you misapply it to defend your
uncharitableness, or error i I am not perfwading you to IndifFcrency as to
truth and falshood, good and evil, nor to abate your hatred of Idolatry or
such doctrine of wickedness and uncleannefs as the Nicolaitans was • nor yet
to corrupt the Churches by neglecting Discipline. We would have a man
that is an Heretick rejected after the first and second admonition : Bear not
with any such evil in your Church Communion which should be cast out,
and maketh men uncapable os Communion, ( so far as it is in your power
regularly to cast out such ) But as you must not take such for enemies, but
still afford them a common sort of Charity, so you must not on this pre
tence, in your ignorance and rashness rave against truth or harmless things,'
or your Brethren that think not in all things as you do nor call that Popery
which sober wiser men than you, ( yea, almost all Christs Church on earth)
do take to be found doctrine, or laudable practice.' It is the shame of the
party among us that most indineth to separation, when sober understand
ing men ihall hear an ignorant fellow or woman with confident boldness,
rail at a controverted Doctrine, or a Form of Prayer, or Ceremony as Po
pery, and admonish their Teachers not to receive the Mark of the Beast,
when they do but shew their pride and ignorance, in overvaluing their own
conceptions and unfurnished understandings, and vilifying the knowledge
of 'others in their dark presumption. If you would bring such lesser errors
Under Church Discipline or Separation , on pretence of not bearing veith
them that are evilt it is you your selves that would soonest be found Wor
thy to be separated from or cast out, who credit Popery by placing it in
sound, good, decent or harmless things, and corrupt Doctrine and Worship
by yourjErrors and Superstitions, which you run into on the contrary extream.
S. Tour laxe and loose principles would cast out ^Disciplines of the
Church.
P. You know not how milch in your pretences to over-much strictness of
"Discipline, you agree with those Papists and Prelatifts whom you seem to be
most averse from. How hath the Pope subdued Emperours and Princes to
himself, and captivated the Worldj but by the pretence of Discipline, by
his Excommunications and Absolutions ? How else have his Prelates dir 1
sturbed this Kingdom in former Ages? And I my self had lately to do with
one of the greatest Clergie-men that hath had a hand in our ejection,filencing
and present Church- state, against whom I am fain to defend, that Kings
and Chief Magistrates are not to be excommunicated : And I find the afore
said English Non-conformist in the. said Latin "tract, de Vera dr Genuine
Jlelig.pag. z$o, 281. put upon the same task, and performing it by the
fame arguments which 1 used, I confess, the Papists and Worldly Tyran
nical Clcrgie do corrupt Discipline, and cast out the true cleansing useful
exercise of it < but for so much and such use as is conducible to maintain
the interest of their Sect and Party and Carnality, no men are more hot i
and is it not so with you t

v 1 K * &
 . I.

>

J .. ' . i

, , .. .
 The Third Part I

OF

God's Gracious Operations

On

MANS SOUL;

Their Difference, and the

OPERATIONS

O F

WILL

For the fuller Decision of the Controversies

about Effectual and Differencing Grace.

By Richard Baxter.

LO 3^T> 0 ^C,

Printed by %ot?ert VVb'iie, for ^evill Simmons at the Trinces\

Ami in Sfc Tauls Churchward. MDC LXXV-
'J■
 • V\ v. the . .

C O N T E N T S.

S(33s*g&*g if v Vreface. Pag. rl

Sect. I. The Presupposed Principles briefly repeated.

Sect. 2. The Order ofDivine Operations, p. 9.

Sect. 3. Of the Operations and Principles as compa
red, p. 12.
Sect. 4. How far God useth Means, p. 1 6.
Sect. 5. Of the Causes of the different Effects of Grace ( and Means ),
p. 18.
Sect. 6. Of the Limitations of Gods Operations on the sou/, p. 20.
Sect. 7. Of the Rejijlibility of Grace, p. 21.
Sect. 8. what is that Operation of God on the Soul, enquired of in many
following Questions ? And whether searchable by man? p. 22.
Sect. 9. whether Gods Operation be equal on alls P-3I*
Sect. 10. whether it be Physical or Moral? p. 32.
Sect. 1 1. What Free-will man hath to Spiritual Good. p. 3 5.
Sect. 12. More of Predetermination by Physical Premotion, p. 37.
Sect. 13. More of Mans Power, Natural and Moralt P-43«
Sect. 14. whether the giving ofFaith be an ail of Omnipotency and 4 Cre
ation ? and a Miracle ? p. 46.
Sect. 15. Of the Sufficiency and Efficacy of Grace? p. 48.
Sect. 16. Of Infused Habits and the Holy Ghost, even special Grace, p. 53.
Sect. 17. whether Man be meerly Passive as to the first Grace? \ p. 5 5.
Sect. 18. whether the first Grace, and the New and Soft Heart, or Faith
. it self, be Promised or Given absolutely, or on any Condition to be per
formed by man ? ibid.
Sect. 19. How God may be said to Cause the Acts of sin, p. 57.
Sect. 20. How far God, and how far man himself, is the Cause of Hell
and other punishments, p. 62.

The Conclusion.

§. 1. The Concessions of the Synod o/Dort , fpeciaUy'^ht Brittisli Divines:

More ofDivine Motion or Impress, p. 67.
Aaaa'2 £.2. The
 The Contents.

$.2. The Epitome ofAlvarez de Auxil. dravth us by himself in EpUogo

in Twenty Conclusions, considered, p. 70.
$i 3. A Censure of the other three wayes described by him, viz. i.The Je
suits de Sck-ntia Media, p. 7f.
6. 4. 2, Durandus'/ fFay, p. 76.
5. yThat of the Scotists and Nominals: Of Gods partial Causality,

6. The trueface and Scheme of the Dominican Predeterminant way% in

the Sense and Consequents, in Pifty Propositions , and the Reasons of my
preferring any before this, p. 80.
A Summary of all, to Jatisfie sober minds, p. 100.
Additional Animadversions on Mr. Peter SterreyV Book of Free-will :
making Cod the Author of Good and Evil, as he is oflight and Dark-
*efs>^nr til / ' P* lo5*

The
 The Third Part :

OF

God's Gracious Operations

MANS°SOULt

and The

s u b-o perations
w ... *

MAN S" WILL.

For the Ending the Contentions about Sufficient

and EffeBualy Qommon and Special Qrace, and

Free. Will.

The Preface*

i J t^2»kg|9&g££&HE first Part of this Treatise, though largest, and

fullest of mens contentious Questions and opinions
^ 1 is furthest from the true point of the difference and
difficulty, which troubleth the Church • And is
made large by accident, by way of disquisition and
detection of the many ensnaring questions, and vain
or hurtful wranglingsof the Schoolmen. - ■
The second Part cometh nearer our chief Controversies, and refolvetK
many other on the by } and containeth the summof that pare of Thcologie,'
which is most clear, and sure, and necessary.
Bbbb This
 Of (jocss (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :

This Third Part which cometh up to the main Controversies is short,

and troubleth .you less with other mens opinions, and Schoolmens Wrang-
lings about Grace and Free-will: Partly because you had enough of them
by the way before* And chiefly because I would not by tediousness, and re
citation of Contentions, obscure that which I most desire to make plain,
nor discourage the Reader by the length.
I think if I can manifest, that there is no real; or considerable difference
among the Learned and Moderate on each side, ( such as are the Synod of
Dor/ on one side, and even Bellarmine, Suarez^Ruiz^c. on the other, be
sides the moderate Lutherans and Arm^iians, { who may be aihamed if they
go farther from us than the Jesuites) besides abundance of Schoolmen thac
are of a middle strain, between the Dominicans and Jesuites, ) few un
derstanding Divines would then think that there were any considerable
difference remaining about Predestination, or the universality of Redem
ption ^ Those differences being but respective unto this.
But about Perseverance I confess that there doth a real difference remain :
But that it is of less moment than most on both sides fay, and such as is no
way fit to quench Christian Love, or alienate Christians from each other,
or hinder their liberties or peaceable communion, I have fully proved in
the Second Part, and formerly in a peculiar Treatise entituled, My Thoughts
of Perseverance.
If therefore I can truly disprove our pretended difference about the ope
rations of Grace, or at least prove it to be but as it is, no greater nor more
intolerable than that of Perseverance, I (hall think that all is done that is
(thus) necessary.
The main difference (seeming or real J is about the Porter of Mans wiUz
Of which I have spoken much in the First. Part, and purposely leave much
to the Reconciling Praxis in the Second. Book 5 which stall dissipate the
cloud of ambiguous words : Till then it shall here suffice to manifest,
1. That we are agreed with them whose conciliation I endeavour, that ic
is not the natural Powers essential to a man which we are deprived of.
2. But that these Powers, have by our common corruption, a sinful Dis
position, unfitting them for a due exercise for God and against sin. 3. And
that all men ( at least at age ) are not depraved in the same degree.
4. That this' ill disposition is called a Moral Intfotemy, when it is such as
while itremaineth, the sinful Act is ever done, or the commanded act is
never done. There is then no Moral Power. 5 . That the vitious sin
ful impotency of the will, and its Habitual or dispositive unvuUingneji to
goody and froneneflxo things forbidden, is all one. 6. That he is Morally
-Able, who without any other grace than he hath, can do the thing com
manded, or forbear the thing forbidden. 7. That there is no Power but
of God. 8. 'Wax. Nature, common grace, and special grace, give several
powers or dispositions. 9. That amoral sower is less than a good habit.
10. That every man hath a moral proper power to do more good than he
doth, andforbear moreevil. 11. Thatevery man is commanded to use
some means in order to his salvation, which he is morally able to use.
i a. That God useth to bear long with the abnfers of their Power before
he forsakethem. $3. That many have many perswasions and helps to
nse their power that abuse it. 14. That it's just with God to forsake such.
15. And great mercy to the elect not to be so forsaken. All which will
be made clearer in their due connexion, which I shall now here offer
you. .

$5.3. As
 t' And the Stt h-operatiotis efMaris iPtO. V- ij
—»

'.2. A S for the sjve Articles : I. The Article of Predestination,

J[\ 1 1. And the Article of Redemption^ contain no difference
between the parties, but only as they relate to the Articles of Free-will
and effectual Grace, as is aforesaid. For all must agree thar Gad Decreed
and Christ procured all that Grace or Mercy for men which he giveth them :
Of which the Conditional gift of the Love of the Father, the Grace of
the Son, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit in the Covenant of Grace,
with a Commission to his Ministers freely to offer it to all Believing Com-
senters,and to seal it and deliver it by Baptism,isa great part : And many mer*.
cies, teachings, perfwasions, and motions tendingxb draw them rdConsent U
another part. God decreed not to deny men that Which he giveth them and
Christs Death procured them all that he giveth them. To which add what
elsewhere I have opened, that there is no necessity .of ascribing to God any •
Positive Decrees of Negations or nothings. Else there must do a Decrttt '[-. ,:■,
against the existence of all the myriads of possible animals, atomes, rtamesj
words, &c. And remember that to Permit is not-to hinder, arid so is a meet
negation-, or a doing nothing ; and that not-to-give faith, repentance, graces
the Gospel, 8ic. isa negation, or a nothing, and so need no Decree, teeing
a not-decreeing to give, &c. is sufficient : so that the whole of the Coniro-
versie about these two Articles is clearly devolved to the Controversies of
Grace and Free-wilt. - . .
III. And concerning Free-will it cannot be derived, but that Natural
Free-will is part of that excellency or Image of God, by which man is
differenced from bruits j and that it is such a faculty by which man can
in some instances determine his own will to this rather than that, with
out Divine predetermination ; which is certain in the- cafe of fin, yea
and of some good. For Adam's will could without any other grace thart
he had, have forborn his sin, Or else still all is but resolved into Gods
rneer will. And it is agreed on ( as is said before ) that ail men can do
more good than they do, and forbear more evil than they forbear, and
that without any more grace or help than they have when they use it not:
so that it is not abhorrent from the nature of Free-will, for a man to make
a good use or an ill, of the fame measure of grace at several times, or for
several men to make several uses of the fame measure. Therefore it is no
Unjust answer to the question, CWhy did he forbear this sin to day, and
not yesterday 3 or QWhy did this man forbear sin and nQt that, sup
posing them to have the same measure of assisting grace,"] to say £ Be
cause, this man, at this time, used that power which God had given him,
in stirring up his own will to concurr with grace $ and the other man, or
this at another time,did not what he could. 3 j Not that this answer is good
in all cafes, ( where more grace is necessary to the effect, ) bUt in this
forementiorkd. So that it is no Deifying of the will of a Rational free-
Agent, to fay that it is essentially a self-determiningfaculty, made by God in
the Image of his Liberty, and depending on him, and not able to AEl without
him as the fr(I Cause, but yet on supposition of his Natural freservdtion and
universal concurse, and of his directions and Laws, it is able to make choice
liic & nunc to will or mt will, to will this rather than" that, without Di
vine necessitating predetermination, and without any more Grace or help
than sometime it hath when it doth the contrary : All which shewing
the natural power of mans will, ind its liberty, must be readily acknow
ledged by all sides, that will not fay that Adams first sin, and every sin of
all men else, are all resolved into Gods causation in case of commissions,;
and Gods non- causation in case of omissions, and into Gods will in both i
Bbbb a and
 4 Of (joess (jracious Operations on Man's Soul:

and that man can no more do any thing but what he doth, than he can be
God, or overcome God, or live and act without God.
And as we must thus agree that natural Liberty consisteth in a self-de
termining power peculiar to Rational free agents so we are all agreed
except the Pelagians, that mans nature is vitiated by Original sin, and
v therefore that the will which is naturally free from force and necessitati-
on ( except from God, who never necessitated it to evil,) is yet in servi
tude to our own concupiscence, and is not free either from the enticements
of senfe> or the erroneous conduct of a blinded mind, or from its own
Vicious habits, ( averscnefs to God and holy things, and proneness to things
sensual, and seeming good : ) And therefore that this Holy, or Moral
Liberty of the will, must have the Medicinal Grace of Christ to heal it >
Cof which next. )
I speak not of Grace as I V. And as to the Article of Effectual Grace, it is agreed oh ( and can-
effec?^S^7"^W^r not sobriety .be' gainsayed without •subverting the main doctrine of
ton dt gratia dantt. ' the Scriptures ) that whereas besides the Preparatory or Promeriting
Grace of Christs own performance, there is yet a three-fold Grace necef-
sary for the application or conveyance of the Benefits purchased by Christ;
in the measure hereafter mentioned^ all this is common.
I. The first fort of Grace lyeth in the enacting of a new Law ofGrace,
called also in several respects, The new Ttstament) the neve Covenant, and
the Promise. And as to this it is agreed, i. That God made this Law,
Covenant or promise in the first Edition with Adam and Eve aster the
fall, Gen'. 3. 15. (the seed os the woman shalt break the Serpents head^ )
and did by Actual Remission-, of theit sin, and not-punisbing them as the
first Law threatned, yet more plainly manifest to them the pardoning
Grace of this Covenant 5 And that he made this new Law or Covenant
to all mankind in and by them : And that he again renewed the same Co
venant of Grace with all mankind in Noah after the deluge. Those sew
inconsiderate persons that deny this, arc not so valuable as to be an ex
ception to our Concord. It is an intolerable conceit of any to think that
the tenouror fence of the Conditional Covenant of Grace (for I talk of
no other ) extendeth not universally to all men, but that any men are
yet left under no other Law or conditional-promise or Covenant, than
that oflnnocency. For if that were true, 1..Then God mould be sup
posed to make men a promise of Life, on a condition of present natural
impossibility * And to say to sinners Q Ifyou he not sinner s} you shall lives]
1. And to oblige men to the same Impossibilities as the means of their
salvation, saying still to sinners Q I require you sinners that you be no sin
ners that you may be saved. ] 3. Which is indeed to fay that the cafe
of all that are under the first Law of Innocency only is desperate, and they
have no more hope or remedy than the Devils. 4. And then Christ had
mistaken the matter himself, when he commanded his Ministers to Preach
this Gospel or Covenant to all the world, and every ( humane) Creature,
and tell them that If they believe they shall be saved, and to offer them
Baptism if they consent. 5. And either Preachers must preach .n un
truth to many, or else not know what man to preach to. 6. But the actu
al force and obligation of the Covenant, puts all out of doubt, that the
world is under a* Law of Grace: For what man, that by siding hath not
his understanding utterly distorted, to look only on one side, can fay thac
none but the Elect are bound to Believe in Christ, or to Repent of sin, or
to turn to God ? and this as a means of their salvation < What man dare
say, that any Heathens in the World, are under no obligation, to use any
means at all, for the pardon of their sins, or the recovery and saving of
theit
 And th& Sub*ope)rationi of Mans Witti $
_ ■ — - —: . "* I - -ir'iJ>fca • ■ - ■
"their souls < What mm dare fay that it is rid sin in them not to Use ariy
such means 1 And what duty or sin can there be without a Law Arid
what Law can bind men to accept of Grace, arid to seek it, and use meatis
for pawlon, renovation and salvation, but the new Covenant or Law of
Grace? Sure the Law of Innocency hath no such obligation. 7. 'Lastly,
And Gods usage of all the world, puts the cafe past Controversies For he
useth no man according to the meer Law of Innocency : All the world have
a great proportion of the Mercies of the New Covenant 5 and therefore :
are not under the Covenant of Innocency alone.
Yet we maintain that the preceptive part of the Law df Inriocency as to
the future, is still in force to air men \_ Obey perfectly $3 And that the
penal part is so far in force as to make death in the first instant due for
every sin: But we add, 1. That the Remedying pardoning Law being hi
force with it, doth immediately dissolve that obligation, and make it un-
effectual to the punistiment of believers : 2. And that the Promising part
of the Covenant of Innocency is utterly ceased by the cessation of mans1
capacity : And therefore that the Preceptive part ( for perfection ) is now
no Condition of Life to any man. "
Two things I was wont in my Ignorance to fay against the universal
tenour of the new Covenant. 1 » That God distinguished and excluded
some at the first making of it, under the name of the Seed of the Serpent :
But 1. No Scripture giveth us the least ground to think that men equally
guilty, are some called the Seed of the Serpent, and some of the Woman,
meerly as denominated from or distinguished by Gods own will or decree,
without any real difference in the persons. 2. And if the Image of Sa
tan in Original sin, were it that denominated the Seed of the Serpent, then
all the world should be excluded, because all are such before they are rege
nerate. 3. Theiesoreitis plain that it is not meer Original sin that deno-
minateth any one, the Serpents Seed, in the fence of that Text, but a con
sequent rejection and opposition os the Mediator or Grace of the new Co
venant.
2. I was wont in my great Ignorance in my youth to think, that All
men were meerly under the first Covenant, till Conversion, and then they
came under the second only. But this was but Confusion. To be under
a Law or offered Covenant, as the terms of life or death, is one thing ;
And so all are under a Law or Covenant of Grace, and no man under
the meer Law of Innocency ; obliged to perfection as the sole condition of
life : And to be obedient to this Law, and a Concenter to this Covenant,
and so to be in the Covenant as Mutual^ is another thing > And this is the
cafe of Concenters only.
So that I may take it for granted that we are agreed, that as to the first
Edition of the Law of Grace to Adam andNoe, it extendeth or is in force
to all the world, at least, till by enmity against Grace, they have made
themselves desperate as the Serpents feed : Yea then, the Law of Grace is
in force to them, though they reject the Grace of it.
2 . And as to the last Edition of the Covenant of Grace by Christ,
i. The tenour of it extendeth to all 5 as is visible Mattb. 28. 19. Mark
16.16. Job. 3.16. 2. And Christ hath made it the office of his Mini
sters by his commission, to promulgate and offer it to all. 3. And where
as providence concurreth not to the universal execution, we must all con
fess, that Christ came not to put the world into a worse condition than he
found them in. If he did any no good by his Incarnation, he would do
them no harm. Therefore they that never hear the Gospel, are still under
.the first Edition of the Covenant made with Adam and Noah, so far as
 Of Qod's Cjracious Operations on Mans Soul :

it is unaltered. I add that word, because, that so far as the Promise was
to give salvation by the Messiah hereafter to be incarnate, none is now
bound to expect his future Incarnation, because it is past. But the fame
benefits that were due to believers before Christs incarnation, arc due since
upon the true performance of so much of the condition as is still in force,
dnd not repealed.
3. And we must needs agree, that the Ignorance of the Apostles before
Christs sufferings, of bis death, sacrifice, and resurrection, do:h shew, that
thefaithof the Godly Jews then, was far more general, and less particu
lar, than the faith now required of Christians.
4. And also, that more was required then, to be known particularly by
the Jews that had the Scripture and Tradition to acquaint them with the
Messiah to come, than of the rest of the world, that had not those distinct
discoveries, nor Abraham's promises made known unto them : And how
much Gen. 3. 15. might cause them to understand, we may conjecture by
the words. At least this much was required of all, that they believe
that their sin deferveth punishment, and misery, and yet that God os his
abundant mercy, by his Wisdom securing his Truth and Justice, will pardon
fin and grant salvation to all that truly Believe and Trust in that his Wis
dom and Mercy, and repent of their sins, and unfeignedly give up them
selves to God as their merciful Redeemer. Thus far we are agreed about
the Grace of the Covenant,
I I. And as to the second sort of Communicative Grace, that is, The
Promulgation of this Law of Grace , and offers of the Covenant- Benefits to
man, we are and must be all agreed, 1. That (besides what Tradition sa
crificing did intimate,) the first Edition of the Covenant of Grace ( as is
said ) is universally promulgate by Providence. For whereas by the vio->
lation of the Law of Innocency, all blessings were forfeited, and all mise
ries deserved, and no man had any notice by that Law, of any hope or
means of his recovery: on the contrary, all the world hath great abundant
mercies, and are not punished according to the first Law, and therefore have
sensible forgiveness of sin s, and all have an inward testimony or conviction,
that they are obliged to gratitude for these mercies, and also to the use of
certain means ( as Repentance, Prayer, &c. ) in order to their farther
pardon and salvation. And all this fully demonstrateth that God hath so
far promulgated the old Edition of the Covenant of Grace, as to make ic
notorious that the world is not under the meer Law of Innocency. And
to believe in a Merciful pardoning God, ( ashewas£jr<^. 34. proclaimed
to Moses ) is become even the Law of lapsed Nature.
2. And as I said, the last Edition of the Covenant is commanded by
Christ in his Ministers commission to be proclaimed to all the world: Yea
Magistrates, parents, neighbours, all men, in their several capacities are
bound to promote it. 3. And the world hath actually heard so much of
the Gospel, as that iWin his dayes said, That their sound went into all
the Earth and their words, to the end of the world, Row. 1 o. 1 8. when it had
gone but a little way in eomparison of what it hath since done. Thus far
we arc agreed of the Promulgation.
III. The third sort of Grace is the Internal operation of the Spirit of
God upon mens hearts \ And here it is that the heart of all our difference
seemeth to lie.

SECT,
 And the Sub-operations of Mans Wtll> j
\ — —— ' »

SECT. L

The presupposed Principles.

i. ' I "^He way of Gods operation on souls, yea, or bodies, or ahf

J_ creature, is so unsearchable, that I had rather silence, than pre
tend to decide abundance of the Controversies long agitated about it.
And had not mens audacious decisions, and furious contentions ( not yen
allowing the Churches peace) made it accidentally acceslary to repress
their presumption and their error , I mould reverently have passed by
much that I must now meddle with. But the cure must be suited to
the disease.
^.2. So much as is * intelligible herein, is divincj and honourable, and * see a notable discourse
amiable j and the prospect of Gods Providence is delectable to the wife. {•^e\4owild^0^GoT
Foriiis works are great, and wonderful, sought out of them that have /" u f<.t< ^,2. cmtr*
pleasure therein. . ' . pb*i<f which excellently
3. The nature or the order df them cannot be known by the single |jbuk«th audacity in th»
consideration os.particular effects-, but by beginning at the original, and
proceeding orderly from the fuperiour Caases to the inferiour, and seeing
how every thing worketh in its proper capacity and place: which man
can ido but very defectively ; and therefore knoweth but little or in
part.
.£.4. It is aecestary therefore that I briefly look back to the Principles
of Providence and Action ; which were partly mentioned before, where
UNITY in TRINITY shinech to us in Gddand in his works.
.$.5. *GOD is ONE INFINITE SPIRIT, in THREE ESSEN
TIAL VIRTUES or PRINCIPLES, LIFE (or ACTIVE POW- + f"dvJ"dl \
ER) UNDERSTANDING and WILL, f which are wonderfully ONE pKw»fi?rS
in ESSENCE, yet THREE we know not perfectly how, but as the hail1f
Scottjts layj formalt ter , or rather as the Nominals, by connotation or .M{ctti acinaiiter & ?t>.
their objects and operations ad extra, and so by Relation, and extrinfick
Denomination. Not that Life, Intellect and will, are formally the fame
-in God as in the Creature, or can formally be conceited by us • But that ,
while we must know God in a Glass, mans /Wmust be this class, and the
Scriptures must be our Onomasticon and Lcgkk Bocks , and we must use
such Notions and Names of God, or none. j . ' i
6. * These Principles as Transcendent in PERFECTION, are called * , 1. ■. ■ ,.
GREATNESS t (or OMNIPOTENCE) WISDOM and GOOD- ^£#2L55S
NESS C or LOVE ) by names borrowed from their effects upon the itf'w,' "Mis"***** K-
creatures. fivl' h' ,•cap•I• COIoU'
7. This ONE GOD, is revealed to us in THREE PERSONS, V'commnitn gmlqui
The FATHER, the (-Wisdom, Word and Son) and the HOLY fjWtfj" urn dumi.
SPIRIT. One in thence : incomprehensibly Three, adtntm^ but di- . ttntis optmiva Dei quasi,
scernihly Three, in their Operations ad extra, and Relations thereto. ' fiJu^Wt^iT^de
£.8. As we must conceive of GODS ESSENCE by INADÆ- ,01 "miimi^fLJs
QUATE Conceptions, ( as aforesaid) or not at all, so must we os his nm. M*t$ Thom. &c.
EXISTENCE as in tlie Creature we call it Modally-, viz. His ES- ^^V^S S
SENCE being ^ ( substance, ) VIRTUS & PERFECTIO ( which in And he contradicting ic
the11
Creature,
t.^> a >isr «MATTER
r (, or. substance ,) FORM
. . and DEGREE, .,/)'^lf-J^:£t^
minus intn eajaem lineas
and his FORMAL VIRTUS being Potentia-Vitalis, Intellect and mil ; & gradus itttikSnt 6-
so his Existence is considerable, 1. In VIRTUE itself, radically, ('which JImI'm*
is Potentia Acliva Inclinata.') 2. As in Aft, IMMANENT, objective- fmim tlrmdm Potntit.
ly3 (as Gods self living, self- knowing and seIf- loving.*) 3. And as ) ««; But less aptly.
in
 ». -
8 OfQocfs (jracious Operations on Man's Soul :
*_ . — 1 ■ .—.—j
in ACTION ad extra, either objectively or effectively TRANSIENT.
And in this third respect Gods Essence is the Operator of all his
works.
y.g. The Three Divine Principles ( Vital-active Power, Intellect and
fvill) and the Three Divine Persons, {Father, word and Spirit) do al-
wayes inseparably co-operate But so as that there is a Trinity also of
their Impressions or Vestigia, which are answerably to have a Trine
attribution, each Principle being eminently apparent in his own impressi
on, though with the rest.
Y. 10. Gods WORKS are CREATION , GOVERNING and
PERFECTING : And so he is 1. The first EFFICIENT OF ALL
BEING EX QUO (by creating and continuing, which are as one-,)'
2. The DISPOSING or GOVERNING CMtPER QUEM ; 3. The
END, AD QUEM, & IN QUO perficiuntur.
.. £.11. God having given a BEING to the Greatures^ and their vari*
ons species of being, is after by PROVIDENCE to manage them as
-» • Active or Passive in their several Capacities : And the ACTIVE Na
tures are threefold which he hath made to operate on the threefold Pas-
fives ; viz. INTELLECTUAL, SENSITIVE and IGNEOUS ( ot
VEGETATIVE in its proper matter ; upon AIR , WATER and
EARTH.
1 Y. 12. GOD is so Active as not to be at all PASSIVE. . All the
Active Creatures are first Passive as receiving the Influx of the first Cause,
artd Inferiours from the Superiour second Causes : But they are Natural
ly Active in that dependence, and supposing that Influx.
£.13. The works of Providence about the Existent Creatures, are
MOTION causing Motion : GUBERNATION causing ORDER : . and
ATTRACTION or meet objective Termination, satisfying their Appe-
> typrianus jf<! explicit tites, and giving them their Ends. * V
movimur, ft y- 1 4. MAN being endowed by his Creator with his Image, in Vital-
patrt Musy in Filh vi- Active-Povper, Intellects and Free- will, a Threefold Virtue in One, as the
't™mr: %mr\$s[Z formal Ejjence of his foul, is peculiarly fitted for such acts of Providence as
emnis tffentiœ ; Filius est he must be Under. :'
Vita spirit,,* sanHus A jj As the higher and Nobler Natures are under God the Immedi-'
eft agitator jeu motor: * * d rixr- _ .. . .
unit spud Htbr. nomen ha- ate 1. Movers, 2 . Govemours of the Intenour ; lo alto are they, 3. Their
bet Ruah, quod significat jmmediate or nearest End ; having a Goodness in them fitted to attracts
prennem a^itationem ■. terminate and fatisfie the Appetites of the Infenour : God is not the oti-
Vid. Strigd. in Melanct. Jy end of Appetites.
'tltow S&S&mn i' l6- The Acts of Div'ine PROVIDENCE about MAN- existent,
dim IM.02.COT.3. Quod are, 1. Action or Motion , 2. Special Government , 3. Love. From
mcefse eft mm smart w iicnce Goc| is Reiated t0 Man ( the fundamental Relation of CREATOR
eiuimltbet creatmam im- - - , » . , . _ .
mediaiim tpuenqa can- supposed,) t I. As ACTOR vel MOTOR, 2. As RECTOR, 3.ASAMI-
%Z7mUaEm' TteTat CUS' vel FINls-> Lover;> Benefactor and End. 1. ACTION as such is
qtttd fasere, "tf Dfusf*- from God in the first relation. 2. Action as ORDERED is by him in
dat mad idem immediate the second. 3 . Action as TERMINATED FINALLY and in perfecti-

At neo Motore i taking $.17. Creation inferreth Propriety ; and making us Good and inter bt-
jSr?fS3nw^ "* ad kmm inferreth that Godis Benefactor: So that ab origine
vm for the action as he standing in these three Relations to us, from what is past, he is to dispose
such , and not for the 0f us by Providence accordingly.
meer moral specification 1 . k r> 1 _ ° n r • . %:
and comparability. Y' l8- ^^Omnipotence is most conspicuous in Creation (propriety ),
and Motion : His wisdom in Governing and Order : and his Good mil in our
Benefits ( efficiently ) and our Perfection ( finally ) in mutual Love.
1 P. MOTION is caused by Moving force impressed : ORDER
'-^oral)
 And the Sub-operatiom of MarisWtfc \u £

( moral ) by LAW or signification of Gods Will de del/ito : And PER

FECTION by atcingency and union with our END. • • • ' •
^. 20. From the first rciulteth NECESSITY properly To called: From
the second Moral RECTITUDE: In the third is FELICITY i as to
single persons.
|. 21. From the first ( viz* God as XcUfy upon Many or the Universe:,
ariseth CO OPERATION orConcurse5 All things work together,, a^ the
Wheels in a Watch. From the second (Divine ORDERING) ariseth'
HARMONY M-and from the third, UNIVERSAL PERFECTION
and Melody of the whole Creation and to man,/><?r/f# Love:
<\. 22. Motion is unresistiblc unless by ^greater or unequal Contrary
Motion, or passive impedition : and its effect as such not frtf, but Necep
fary. Government by Law is resistible , and obedicncVTFee. Final.
Goodness or Love, do perfect and felicitate, necessarily andfreely, not eft
setting, (for so they are not now considered) but satisfying fb far as-
they are enjoyed. •» J ! , '
^..33. The creation being fasti, And Brings -existent' f ex^ept what Ge
neration and Composition make, unsearchably ''} dnd Gods fundamental
RELATIONS setled, we shall confound andbeconsoundecr, if we distin
guish not Gods after-actions according to the Relations in which he work--
eth them, and their forefaid differences in themselves.
:-v J,

SECT. 11. . '

Tbs Order of Divine Operation's.1' - v'

...»• ' *. ' •
h. i. /^OD is the Immediate Cause of all things and actions, caused * sradvardine ib. p. J72.
Vj by him, as to the Proximity of God to the effect. For he Scod is
is every where prerent in Essence, and as near to' every Being and Action as Forma tmk jorm* , fi
ll is to it self. We must not conceive of Gods using means, as we do of ^Tt-^'T effcrtUlk
1 1 r, 1 c L „ •r > • 1 D ■ ■ 1 ,t . 1 1 Z * principals ciiptfcunqiit
mans, where the Pen, the Saw, the Knife, crc. is between the hand a"nd the format/: and so acteth
effect : God is as near and as total a Cause of what he doth, as if he used al! thin8s: Antl indeed
r
no second , caule;
r • .- • when
be thewe
formdeny himcrea-
of any to
§. 2. They that fay God is thus Causa Immediata Immcdiatione '& Sup- pT, we mean that he
pfiti feu Ejlenti£ & Virtutis; speak true, but eot aptly, because it ill in- And°thatw? have »ofa
iinuaieth as ifGotis4rtrt*s were not his Essence-: when as in God they are fitter Analogical œnce-
all one : only as inadequate conceptions we may distinguish suppofitut/ lno?o{?oA>, tIl3n t!13t
, 1 1 ■ 1 r a j • « -j 0 . 1 'C J he is eminently more than
a vtrtute, but not otherwise 5 And it is not as quid creatum that we lpeak the foul of the -world.
of Virtus. ' And c. 14. j>, 210. he
£4. Since the Creatidn, in the of Providence, God who at first SSst^^r^of
rnade the Universe to be One by conjunction and co-operation of parts God. But when he faith
fas truly as a Clock or Man is one ) hath setled a course of second orani^KncedSSca
Causes, that one thing may act upon and move another ; and though he" Naturally precede Gods
work upon the Highest of these Causes immediately without any orher j>n°™d foiteth^uses
subordinate Cause, yet on all the rest he ordinarily worketh by superiour and Effect^inGod, he
created Causes : which- aie some of them Necessary and operate in one *S 100 bold-
constant course, arid some of them Voluntary and Free, and operate more
mutably and contingently. ■ <-.
4. The course of Necessitating Causes is commonly called NATURE,"
and the Influence of Angels and other Voluntary Causes distinguished from
Natural: But they all operate as second Causes under the1 Influx and Go
vernment of God, upon us that are here on earth.

Cccc {.5. There

 Of (jod's Cjraciom Operations on Mans Soul :

5 . There is no Place where any Corporeal being is , whcre'|some

Active created Nature is not with it; so that considering the proximp
and the natures, we may well conclude , that we know of no corporal
motion under the Sun, which God effecteth by himself alone, without any
second Cause.
6. Joh.Sarisburiensisand some Schoolmen liken Gods presence with
the Creature in operation, to the fire in a red hoc Iron, where you
would think all were Fire and all Iron : But the similitude is too low.
The SUN is the most Notable Instrument in visible Nature : And GOD
operateth on all lower things by its Virtue and influx 5 God and the Sun do
what the Sun doth: and we know of nothing that God moveth here on
earth ( that's corporeal ) without it.
^. 7. But the Sun moveth nothing ( as the Cartesians drearh ) by a
single Motive Influx done $ but by emission of its Threefold Influx ( as
every Active Nature doth 5} that is, Motive, illuminative and Calefa-
0ive% which are O^-radically in 7^r^-essectively.
^. 8. This Efflux of the Sun is universal and equal expartesui: But
causeth wonderful diversity of effects, without diversity in God the prime
Cause, or in it self. The fame Influx causeth the Weed and Dunghill
and Carrion to stink, and the Flowers of the sweeter Plants to be sweet -
some things to live, and some to dye 5 some things to be. soft, and some
hard, &c. In a word, there are few changes or various actions below
(in bodies) which the Sun is not the Cause of, without difference in ic
self : But not the specifying Cause.
9. The reason why one equal Influx causeth such wbnderful diversi
ty of motions is the DlVERSI TY of RECEPTIVE DISPOSITI
ONS and natures. Recipitur admodumrecipientis. So one poise maketfi
Various Motions in a Clock, &c.
^. 10. God operateth on second Canses, as God, Omnipotently j buc
not ad ultimum potentU, but Freely as he plcafeth.
£.11. Godworketh by second Causes, according to the said Causes ap
titude 5 so that the operation of Infinite power is limited according to the
quality of the second cause which God useth.
$.12. There is a superiority and inferiority among Spirits as well as
Bodies ; And whether God work on all our fouls by superiour Spirits as!
second Causes, is unknown to us : It is not improbable , according to
the order of his providence in other things : But we know little of ic
certainly.
$.13. But certain we are that superiour Voluntary Agents, Angels and
Devils, have very much to do with our souls, and operate much upon
them. It is a wonderful power , which wife observers perceive Satan
hath upon the Imagination, or Thinking faculty 5 C of which I could give
some instances enough to convince a rational Sadducee.') And it is noc
like that good Angels have less power, skill, or mil,
14. And we are sure that God hath ordained One Great Universal
second Cause to convey his Spirit and Grace by 5 which is JESUS
CHRIST. As the Sun is an Universal Cause of Motion, Light and
Heat, to Inferiour creatures, and God operateth by the Sun 5 So is Christ
set as a Sun of Righteousness, by whom God will convey his spiritual In
flux to mens souls : and there is now no other conveyance to be expected.
$.15. Christs Humane Nature united personally to the Divine and Glo
rified, is by the Office of Mediator Authorized, and by Personal Union and
rhe Fulness of the Holy Spirit enabled and fitted to this communication of
Gods Spiritual Influx to mankind.
$.16. Object.
 - .sAndtbe Sub-operations of Maris Will. \ 11

fy.\6. Object. A Creature cannot be a Cause of the Operation of the

Holy Ghost, who is God the Creator 5 Sending is the Act ofa Snperiour : But
Christs humanity is not superiour to the Holy Ghost.
Anfiv. i.Christ as a Creature is no Cause of any Essential or purely
Immanent Act of God ( for that hath no Cause. ) But 1 . He is a Cause "
of the Spirits operation, as it signifieth the effect ; 2. And so the causes'
why his Act is terminated on the foul 5 and 3 . Of the ordering of these
effects ; why rather on this foul than on that, and at this //>»<?, mea
sures c. And 2. This Christ doth not as a fuperiour fender of the Spi
rit, but a Ministerial, and a second cause : As a Master payerh his servants
as his Steward determineth. ,
1 7. It is certain that Christ is the Political Cause or Head of this spi
ritual Influx on souls: that is, As Mediator is Authorized to determine of
the Persons, measure, time, conditions . of the Communication of the Spirit :
But whether he be a Physical Head of this Influx, by proper efficiency giving' '
the Spirit from himself, as the Sun giveth us its Influx, is all that is di
sputable. That is, Whether the Spirit be first given Inherently to Christ,
and pass from his person ( as his ) unto us, as the Spirits do from the
Head to the Members i
18. This question maybe put, either of all Natural Being and Mo
tion, or only of Spiritual Motion in the foul of man. Whether Christ
be so the Head of Nature , as that all Nature in Heaven and Earth, is
sustained and actuated by him as the physical efficient Cause t or whether
this be true of this Lower world which was curst for sin i or whether it be,
true, at least of Humane nature? or whether it be true only of Gracious
operations?
ip. I. That Christ hath the Political dispose of the whole Universe
( contained in the words Heaven and Earth ) the Scripture feemeth to as
sert. 2. That he hath the Political disposal of humane nature, and os all
other creatures that belong to man, so far as they belong to him ( Angels^
Devils, Sun, Air, Earth, &c.) is past dispute. 3. That the realphysical
effects ( acts and habits) of the Spirit on mens fouls, arc-caused by Christs
Moral Causation by I is Merit, and his Political Mission, is past dispute.
4. That besides all this, the Spirit it self by Baptism is in Covenant with
all the members of Christ, ana that as they are such, andij in a prior Co
venant first Related to Christ himself, and so by this Covenant given us iri
relation as we are united to Chr.st, is past dispute. 5 . And that Christ
himself doth make such Physical changes on our souls by Means, and by
the forefaid Political Mission of- the Spirit, by which we are made Rece
ptive of more of the Spirits operations, is past dispute. 6. But whether
moreover, any Action of Christs own Humane soul glorified do physically
reach our souls < or whether the Holy Ghost may in its own essential
.Virtue C which is every where ) be said to be more in (jhrist than else
where and communicated to usasirem the root , or the Spirits effects on
the foul to come by Reflection from the first effects on Christ, as Light
and Heat from the Sun by a Speculum or Burning-glass, are questions not
forme to determine. . t
£.'20. Christs spiritual Influx on souls is not single, but is ever Three in
One (as the Sun's aforesaid, ) which are according to the Threefold Di
vine Excellencies Communicated, and the Threefold humane Receptive
faculties viz,. LIFE, LIGHT and LOVE : or spiritual rivifcation:
Activity and Payer, spiritual Illumination of the Intellect , and spiritual
Conversion or s*nfi$nation of the mil by holy Lovet . / ,

.... Cccc £ b.11. It .

 12 Of (jcd's (jrackus Operations on Metns Soul :

£.21. It is certain that it is not only on believers that Christ ope-

ratcth by the Jpirit : For he drawethmen by it to believe : and many-
wicked men that are not his elect have common, even miraculous gifts of
*Mat.7.:i,i2,2?. Gal. tjie fpirit} * which are all communicated by Christ.
fcorf'i* e * *5' ' ^22. As Nature it self is in his Political power, and is delivered to

him, so far as it is reparable, and belongeth to the reparation of man $ so

i\\ gifts and operations Received by any in the world, which are Mercies
contrary to comment, are the effects of Christ : Even as the Sun fliineth
in the night by the Moon, and in the dawning of the day by it self unseen,
and after by it self appearing ; so Christ fliineth to the Heathen world in
abundance of natural and providential mercies, and by the help of many
Creatures and experiences and to some by nearer approaches, as well as
to the Church by the manifestation of himself. All which is evident,
i . Because the whole lapsed world in Adam and Noe were brought under
his own Covenant of Grace, according to which he operateth. 2. It*
that so much mercy after sin, will not stand with Gods regiment by the?
meer Law of Innocency, violated. 3. In that Christ is exprefly called
the Saviour of the world ; and the Saviour of all men, especially of them
that believe ; who dyed for all, in that all were dead, that they that live
should live to him ; who tasted death for every man, &c. And Joh. 1.9,
10, 11, 12. that was the true light which lighteth every man coming in
to the world ( or coming into the world, lighteth every man.) fk was
in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew hint
Hot. And v. 4, 5 . In h'tm was life, and the Life was the Light of man :
and the Light Jhineth in darknest, and tlie darkneft comprehended it
not, &C.
25. This threefold Influx of Chrisls Spirit (for LIFE, LIGHT
and L O V E ) is not equally effectual on all, nor equally effectual on
the fame person at several times, nor each part of the influx equally effe
ctual on the fame person at the same time. The Reasons anon.

c
SECT. HI.

Of the Operations and Principles as compared,

^. I / | """Hough Power, wisdom and Goodneji or Love, all co-c perate by the
X spirit of Christ - yet in the work of Mans Recovery their Im
pressions are not equal. But as POWER with Wisdom and Love,
more appeared in the C R E A T I O N, ( as is aforesaid j) fo W I S-
D O M with Power, conveying Love, appeareth more in our Redempti
on 5 and LOVE with Power and wisdom is most conspicuous ana il-
lustribus in our Renewed state, begun indeed by Sanctification, but perfect
* As to the Question be- in our G L O R I F I C A T 1 0 N. * The Omnipotent Father ( as is
tween the Schoolmen dt said ) Createth Nature, with the Son and Holy Spirit. The Son, the
£ubTediyM'ftj;; »*/Zfow of the Father, is the Physidon of souls, and healeth them by SKILL
err in placing it chieiiy with Power and Love. The Holy Ghost, called by the Schoolmen, The
SL& t&L&ti LOVE of God, dwelling and working peculiarfy in us to and in per-
filly reasons for it, and feUion, with power and wisdom, is the PERFECTION of the
S^/wcfha^LthTo soul : And so Natttra> MfoM*> Sanirar, are the various effects of the
are far' righter : And Divine operation.
and'd-ariT'ns Ss'Chy ^'2* therefore the SONS operation in procuring and cornmnni-
wlith. is. cating the SPIRIT (of Love, and Holiness; is eminently fapim-
f. 187. iBiatitttdo est in tial.
$• 3- The
 And the ShI?* operations of Mans Will* i

3. The Impressions of all the Divine Virtues are excellent, in their ^iqmpidlm & in 'a'U
several kinds: And it's hard for us to fay that this is simply more excel- g/SgE
lent than that: But we can fay, which is more tuitablc to the nature of r»Um»tk} front bsbtt «-
rhani
r to
e be esteemed
j „and Loved by him. 1, And so we esteem the Impres-
r J ft
oporta qxod biatitado pnn-
Jions Ot. Wisdom and iwf as most suitable to us. «ta/ftjr fe inbKtbj:.
£.4. A Horse or Oxe excelleth Man in strength, and a Bird or Hare or *" nitssjumn.
Dog in swiftness i and a Mountain and an Oak in Greatness: And yet we t^^mvo^t^^h.
account the wisdom and Moral Goodnestoi man to be a greater excellency, u»*bjtiim tinJit fhati-
and to make him the more noble Creature. . ' [I'rM/l tm fm
. . . _ . r , ... _ ■:„ , . . . ttndit m ob\idum formii-
5. And God leemetn to tell it us, r. By calling these his Image, llttr .- sx am apymt jus
2. And by making man the Lord of these stronger Creatures.
$.6. And »m, we take him not for the most excellent who is acl» -qua. ratio *fhktjt
thestrongest, but who is the wisest and the 5<7?. And therefore the wise/? objesio qum %%
and frstxttyAriJhrlemio beborn by Nature to the rest: and fj^&^fifc
by all sober men are thofight to be the to Guide and others 5 for btxtit*d» .- ForB«r;-
show seldom soever it comethtbpaft :j while the Robuster sore are La- f"f' If'/^j5 not rhc
i" . ^jw l • i_ r / principal end of nun;
DCUrerS and MCChaniCkS. but (Sod as God in his
£.7. Yet I deny not but the effect is answerable to the Cause ; And as ^cfefulfiI^dnfeu-' a"d
Active- Power caufeth Action, and wisdom and Government caufeth the next" and^hen our own
Order nxA Rectitude of action, and Love and Goodnest the Perfection of it beatitude with that of
and the agent, so Gods Fital- Power, wisdom and Goodnest, we equal, keth^sfon^and not
which arc the Principles of all : As the Father, Son and Spirit are coequal : Love) to be the secon-
Ani God is indeed glorious in th< Motion of Sort and Stars, &c. as well as final object ofail.
in the wisdom and Holinestoi man. But besides the foresaid snitablenest, By ^t:i/d Qim somc
this difference must be considered, that as Life, Intellect and will, Power, mean twodistinct 'things;
wisdom and Goodness, are Inadequate conceptions of One God, so alltoge- ™* '^jjj ^"abhs
ther are a more perfect expression of him, than one of them alone. Now and acts, or an incliruti-
in all these the former is still implyed in the latter, as to the very fense of °n » t,iem- 2- Gods
the word, but not contrarily. power doth not alway signifie wisdom or . p^on of us^andthat ai
Love • "bat wisdom signifieth the wisdom of one Potent, including power, relating to the Glory
(for there is Potentia Intelletfiva.) And Will or Love include Power and Act. jjjjgj. thhee ™J £f "all
So Action may be without ORDER or Rectitude, and Perfection, but the Habit of Grace, <px
the orders perfection of ^tf.r, include or suppose the Acts. '"f <t*tUj£> &c;. a"d
8. It is therefore the glory of Gods SAPIENTIAL work of ^S^ofGraS
Government which eminently Ihineth forth in the communications of rn-qustmu mo grati-
Grace by theSpiritof Christ: But not that Government which was fitted J/^TiSTSkS
to the state of Innocency • but that which stands nearer to the End, as 275. [Gratiam ugirl
more demonstrating Love, and tending more effectually to it. t'r'&'/J [tints'
§.9. Therefore it is much to be noted that all this frame of Grace as tatl^nMiaVud\^{Jam
tending to Glory, is usually called in Scripture, The Kingdom of God, and f*r <*•», uceptttur
TheKmzAe* of tfww*, Matin. 13.45, &c. which contained the whole wffhÆ
frame > f Pol icical Order and Goverhmenr, ^eth the question, who-
. $..id. This Kingdom is the state of Relation between God and theMe- SjSdh^iSSfiactt
diator:^ xhe Head or Ruler, and Man as the Subject, as he is to be guided or only by intense acts'
by Grace to Glory. God who is Physically neither pars nor Totam ma- ^1Dgr*?t ^&G}m%i%
keth hifn-clf hereasit vVere a Relative Part, being the fupream Heaid } and cbaritatfn i[si cbtrltltit
the Mediator the fupream official Head, or general Administrator: "who fi*'* mt**t* niampr
hath undei him a course Of Political means for the accomplistiment of this we^re'roade moleao
his WOrk. "' ceptable to God, for
. .$.1.1. As Christ MmTelf is the rie'ad Means Or second Cause, so under
Ik- r% 1 t* m t 1 si j ■ 1* mentum gratia & coiritt-
"him are Prop^.er« and Apostles, eminently qualified to make them nt to r« in ijft nabith, qMi
do this work to as tendeth to success; ho™ mtrff. ?ir a%M rl:
—■ - • mi/Jos, dabitur poftia in
. -• r r : primo injlanti glorification
•■■ J i2. These And " secms
 ia Oj (jod's Cjraciotis Operations on Man's Soul :

so they sometimes take ^.12. These Prophets and Apostles were endued with that special irt-
cbtrhM too, both for faj]i5]e Spirit, by which they certainly delivered Chrisls doctrine and acti^
the Habit and Act ofour r -* j J J
Love, and for our Ami- ons, and faithfully dilcnarged all their trust.
*;7/fyorDearncsstoGod. £.13. They had the power of working Miracles many wayes to confirm
these SoTroSb their doctrine as the Truth of God. ( Besides chnfls Miracles. )
Cgnifiethefcnotasone, h 14. The Scriptures are Gods Record, which they left us to be the
ETSaSffSr continualstanding^nifierofhiswUl.
Dearnels aretwo things : 1 5 . In these Scriptures are his Doctrine to teach, his precepts to make
Though Love be materi- £Uty ancj 0yiwe and forbid sin ( by prohibition-,) his own and servants
ally our Loveliness, yet ' , ° 7 ,. , ■ J 1 ■ l- r >. j y r
not formally : the latter examples to move ; his threatntngs to drive-, his promises to draw,formed
being an objective reia- inr_0 a Covenants strongly to engage ; the Records also of his Judgements
formers11""8 anc* Mercies upon others, that they might every way be fitted to their san
ctifying use. .
16. He hath also instituted his Sacraments by which the mutual
Covenant might be celebrated the more oblig ngly for its effects.
6. 17. He hath appointed his ordinary Ministers as his standing offi
cers through all generations to preach this rvotd-, And he endoweth them
with special gifts thereto ^ and chargeth them vehemently to preach in
season andeutofseason,v/ith urgency and importunity, even to all mankind,
2Tm*. 4. i, %* Mat. 2%. 19, 20. whatever it cost them, and whatever
they undergoe.
^.18. He hath appointed also Prayer as his Means to obtain Grace by
preparing the heart to a due receptivity 5 by the excitation of desires af
ter it : And Praise and Thanksgiving to sweeten it to us in the review
when we have received it.'
19 Heliath commanded exercises of humiliation, confessions bringing
dowrnthe body, to sit us to receive k by a due fense of our sins, unwor-
thinefs and wants.
$.20. He hath appointed the publick assembling of his servants, that
concur.e might augment the Sacred flame, in the performance of all this
Sacred work.
£.21. He hath instituted the Lords day', to be wholly employed in such
works and helps, that it be not neglected and lightly done.
£.22. Heliath commanded every private christian to be a helper to
Others, by conference, exhortation, and good example.
2$i He hath made Pastoral discipline a great ordinance to promote
the due performance of all the rest.
24. He hath commanded us by secret Meditation, Consideration,
Examination, ejrc. to preach to our selves, and night and day to think on
Scripture, God, Christ, Glory, ejrc and to stir up all Gods graces in our
selves, and to reprove our selves for all our sins.
£.25. He hath made it the duty of Parents to teach their Children di
ligently his word, lying down and rising up, at home and abroad, T>eut. 6.
ejrii. and to educate them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, ha-
. ying bound them first in Covenant to God and the Mediator.
^. 26. He hath made it the duty of husband and wife to help each other
herein, and of masters to help their servants, and all relations to sanctiiic
their places and opportunities to this use.
^. 27. He doth by multitudes of mercies and deliverances further all this
..work, to make known the more his Love to win the hearts of men.
V 28. He greatly promoteth it also by seasonable afflictions, to humble
the proud, and awake the sleepy.

g. 29. He
 And the Suk-aperations of Mans Will, ■ 1 i«

§.*9. He maketh it mens great duty to tame the body, and mbrtific con
cupiscence, and make no provision for the siejb to sitiifie the lusts thereof,
Rom. 15. 13, 14. &8. 13. Gal. 5. 31,22.
^.30. He commandeth us to avoid the company of the wicked, and to
joyninthe Communion of saints, and walk witnsuchas will be our helpers
toward Heaven. \*
£.31. He commandeth us to avoid all Temptations of Satan, and the
world mdsiesij, and to live in a continual war against them.
£.52. He maketh all the world about us, the book or glast in whfch we
may fee our wa^fr and his wills, yea even our own natures, and evtry crea*
ture doth preach him to us j and all things must be sanctified and used cd
this holy end. , . .. • .\
£.33. He ktteth death continually before otrr eyes, assuring us. of the
lhortness of our lives, and (hewing us how we must leave this world, that we
may read Vanity upon all, and not be deceived by k. .< t.
\. 34. By all this we fee that this Kingdom of Christ, is a sapiential
frame of Moral Causes, designed for the Government oi man, Uv right or
dering his internal and external acts, and glorifying eminently the wisdom
of our Ruler.
$.35. And he that will think rightly of this excellent frame most have
all these things in his consideration : 1. That Christ himself is not only
a Justifier and Actor of us, but a Prophet, Priest and King, arid that the
government is laid upon his /boulders, Isa. 9.6.
a. That we are not only Patients andpardoned sinners, bitt also Sub- t
jeefs, and engaged Covenanters.
3. That Cnrists church is not like a Statuaries stop, but a Kingdom,
and a School, where all must learn and obey.
4. That Christ hath not only Motivepower,but Laws, Promises, Threat-
nings, &c. to work by.
5. That his great blessings of Glory archis Rewards, znd Hell at last af
ter those here, are his punifiments, foretold to work on souls.
6. That he hath a day, in which as Rector, he will judge the world in-
righteousnest, according to what we have done in the body.
7. That faith is wrought by Preaching, and Love and Hose and obedi^
ence are the ends and uses of faith. '
8. That the felicity of individuals, and in them of the jieavenly Socie
ty in one Glorified body with Christ, is the end of all, where Gods Remune
rating Justice is to be glorified, and his governing wisdom and Love for
ever.
3 6. From all this I conclude, That they that flight all this work of God*'
by the contemptuous name of Moral Suasion, and take it to be a diminutive
term as to the honour of it, to call it Moral, and by Means, and talk of
Gods work of Grace on the soul, as if there were nd more in it very honou
rable, than a physical Motion^ and God Converted souls but as Boyeswhlrj
their Tops, or Women turn their Wheels, or theSpring moveth the Watch,
&re Cartesian blind Theologues, and overlook the very nature of that Theo-
logie which they professj which is the Dotfrhie of the Kingdom of God over
man ; And while they fee little but Matter and Motion, they are fitter me
chanically to treat of or deal with Stones, or Bricks, or Timber, than men 5
being unfit to treat of humane Government) much more of Divine.

SECT,
 16 Of (jois gracious Operations on Mans Soul:

SECT. IV.

• ffw far God ufeth Means.

. ! . -y •■ - - • ■ - •
t~. y^tHristwhoisthe chief means is used in all the Conveyances of
'. iK^jj- Grace, to any one in the world.
£.2. God hath a double work in Illuminating and Converting souls :
Itiii.column.'Rom^MdL Qm \yy.4tfjvitj of exteriour appulfive causes : The other within us on the
ll^dtJL^mmL^n fs^ftnnot^K soul, without those causes. I cannot better illustrate it,
holding that every order than by the causing of sight> hearing,S<.c. The Light without us, is not only
beasm rht^eamfng a tern»»*ting 0fyetf ( as some dream,) but an Attive things or Attiori,
do\vn frornf Godras so which operateth by aspulse upon the eye: And the Sun and ^Aire are the
many cords let down to caUjgS Qf lt jhe eye is not only apassive Receiver ( as some dream,) but
God? And tf™ ™n an Organ where the vifive spirits, and foul are Affive: And God work-
should take hold of one eth internally on this vifive faculty by his instux,to sustain it in its atti-
HeateT he^hTima- • And by a congress of these two sires ox Attive caases, the sensitive
ginc^that10 Heaven did foul dotlv fee. How we. all know that God givech the external light on-
^down tohim, when jy ^er wf<#4> by thes»#,&c. Buthow he sustaineth and actuateth the
butehewouW°deraw him- Visive faculty is more difficult. His own influx or Causation is tin
sels up to it : so when doubted : And that the fame Sun tit causa univerjalis cheristieth and mo-
cSS S£W<£dd<A verh the visive spirits: But whether God move the sensitive faculty ot
us good, heVeemeth to soul it self, by any Juperiour spirit, or mediate cause, in its motion or acti-
butitisnot so^buthcls on towards and on the exteriour light, is past our knowledge: ( Though
unchangeable and it's we the order observed in other cases, maketh it not improbable. )
that are drawn and mo- Even so in the illumination Of the mind, and e'onversion of the w/Æ, we
use of meansabyusy, we are sure that beside the terminatiye ohjett, there is an external motion
are conjoyned to Gods which by the forefaid means is made at least on the fenses, and imagina-
CySdo'SsoSwhKh whatever it do further on the Intellett : But in the fuperiour Influx
he hath decreed : Vii. cn the foul it self, what use God may make of Angels or other fuperiour
rtUq. where he confu- or We cannot tell. We are sure sasis said) that if there
teth the contrary er- 4f ' » . . . ' . , c ' . c „ ,
rourSt be a second cause, yet as to proxtmtty it is never the lets neerly from God :
And souls being Intellectual, and for ought we know of the highest nature
of creaturesy though not the highest Degree, neither is improbable, that
God moveth us by a second cause, or that he doth it without.
£.3. But as Chrisis fore-described mediate Causality is still supposed, so
it is certain that God doth not only work (as some think) concomitantly
with the word, but by it as his Instrument. Though his wayes of co-ope
ration are past the reach of man : yet this much is sure, 1. That he adapt-
eth the means to do their work, both word, Minister, ejrc. 2. And that his
coneurse maketh the due Impression on the sense and imagination. 3 . And
though no Philosopher certainly know whether the Images in the phantasie
be meerly passive as to the Intellect, or what use is made of them and the pas
sions to Intellettion and Volition 5 yet such use as is naturally to be made of
them for these ends, God maketh, and manageth them accordingly by skill
and power.
^. 4. But here M O T I O N the effect of Active force, and O R D E R
of motion,as the effect of G O V E R N M E N T, must be well distinguish
ed : For it is not so much the second Causes of the souls Attion, as such, that
we are now enquiring after : But of the ORDER and Retfitude of its
Actions, which is done by Government.
5. That God doth work Grace on man by means, ordinarily, (as or
dinarily hecauseth natural effects by means i and Miracles are rare ; maybe
proved by all these following evidences.
$6, i.Ia
 And the Sub-operations of Mans JVill. • 17
„ . . . : . , ■
6. 6. 1 . In that he hath made so Urge provision of means, and that in
an admirable frame, which is as it were, a Moral world. Which he would
never do in vain •, nor if he ordinarily workt without them that work
which he hath appointed them to do. It is the reason of the Brittish Di
vines in their suffrages at Dort. Had not God decreed to work Grace by
means, he could have done it with a fiat.
h. 7. 2. The Glory of this Kingdom or Sapiential Rule, which is so con
stantly and largely given him in the Scripture, Pfahio^. 10. and 145. and
119. throughout 5 and Matth*z$. As the Shipmaster or Pilot is praised
who by a Helm can turn about the Ship as he will, Jam. 3. 4.
£.8. 3. God worketh on all things according to their nature : And
this is suitable to the nature o{ man : And the Causation is answerable to
the effect : And ORDER is a moral effect, which needeth not a Crea
tion but a moral ordering Causation
$.9. 4. Experience telleth us that those pro/per best in grace that most iTim. 4. 15. Pro*, a
faithfully and diligently use the means : And we never knew of any man 2°> & 3. & 5. & 8.
in the world, that came to Actual knowledge, faith, or Love, without &I'*4'
means ; but all by the causality of them.
0. 10. 5. We find that the greatest negletftrs and defpifersot means,
are every where most graceless, and the worst of men.
1 x. 6. We have ( Ministers and people } frequent and strict com
mands, to use means most diligently, constantly and carefully.
6. t2. 7. We have abundance of promises of Gods blessing upon the licit omnU causa fecund*
use of means : Act. 26. 17. / tend thee to open their eyes and turn them. fL°frit dia*> CMfn
" n ,1 1 1 • t 1 1 o ytr ctumtx natura m, tamen
Rom. 10. How [hall they hear without a Preacher, Sec. Iia. 55.2,3. Hear qitBdipsa sit causa nm (ft
and your fouls frail live. Matth. a 8. ao. / am with you alwayes, &c. « 2«tfJ»i>ti^lS
Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you, heareth me. Psal. 19. 7, &c. ^ ™ ™,
The Law of the Lord is pure —-——Converting the foul. 1 Pet. X. It is the
incorruptible Seed that regenerated us. Heb. 4. The word is powerful
and a searcher of Hie heart, &c.
£.13. 8. When God will save a people he fends them the Gospel, and Amos8. it. Prov.29.1i
when he will forsake them be taketh it away.
. $.14. 9. The Devil stieweth his malice to fouls and grace, by oppo
sing the means, depriving men of them, or keeping them from them, or
from the faithful using of them.
$.15. But it is none of my meaning that the bare means of it self doth
change the scul, or that it is the principal cause : But only that God
operateth Moral effefishy Moral means , as he doth Natural hy Natural
means, being still the prime Cause of all himself*
^. 16. If we thus conjoynall Causes and separate not what God hath
conjoyned, it will help us the better to escape errour in this matter. But if
men will dream that all the honour or action that is ascribed to second causest
is a derogation from God and a dishonouring of him, they forsake the truth
and injure him.
17. For if this were true, that to honour the means or acknowledge though God be ftixlmA
second Causes, and their aptitude and efficacy, is to dislionour God, then C not as in /o»; in all his
God should be the greatest dishonourer of himself, by making and using such JS' ^ <S5
cautes and means ; And so many Creatures as there be in the world, so cm(e%, he doth it ac-
many dishonours are cast on God 5 and the excellentest Creatures would SpaBnS IS?**"1:
dislionour him most : which sottish conceit must needs be joyned with Ma- Therefore to end these
nich&i(m, that an /'// God was the Maker of the ivorld. God is Glorious in Controversies, we should
, . , . ■> , „ 1 ,t . 1 .i it » consider more how dww
§11 his works, and shineth to us in them all. , causes operate.

Dddd .. SECT.
 i8 Of Qod's Cjraciom Operations on Mans Soul

. • SECT. V.

Of the Causes of the different Effects of Grace and Aseans.

* Gerhard. Tom. a. di lib. fa *• * A ^ tnac 'lsGooiI'm tne Difference between man and man, is
erb. cap. 6. §. t. Vuppos- £\ willed by God, and Caused by him : But nothing that iS
i^Tte'is Morally Evil.
foundyin°the will of £.2. As vn Nature, Gbd feemeth to Cause Motion in genere by an equal
iron, as being dead and univerfd Influx of the Sun, which maketh no difference per fe, but per
VICIOUS
Grace" doth noTphysi- accident 5 But the wonderful variety of motions and <*^<rfr is otherwise
determine the caused j So it feemeth that Christ the Sun of Righteousness, affordeth by
iraveth k^s0pow°errk » his -*5?4« of ( which he Politically manageth ) an indifferent in-
rrfst : and that resist- flux or help for Action as Action to the fouls of men : which as Dt.Twffe
ance is k tlut maketh the frequently faith well, is to be called Nature rather than Grace ( excepc
difference between man *. / . . f * • . \ r r' < • _ .£
and man by making as the repnvmg of Nature is Gravf ) io tar as it is »fer Power to /tff;
Grace uneffehuai. because it is equally indifferent to a good act as a bad, and to do or
And Giorg. Calixtus was , k 4
ofthe fame mind, as you noc ao' ' . .
may fee in his words dt 3. The Poveer of Action as such, being given by an equal Natural
Mn$»v«U.* %£ * Universal Influx, it is the ORDER of Actions, where we must enquire
in Judtc. de ControverJ. rt \re j-r^r
num. a j. See uRhni^ of the difference and its Caule.
Tots, dt distinct. Gratu. £ ^ Action it [elf is not a proper substantial being, but z Modus Ret.
But yet it is such a Mode as ( by the cartesians leave J requireth more
Causation to it, than a meer non agere doth. But ORDO Actionum is
buta/»ci*j ntodi.
<}. 5. OÆ.DO is the beauty of the world, and foul-, the genus of all
fa
Relalation in fundamento, and of all morality, and worthy to have had a
notable place in the predicaments : And yet we know not what to call it,
w hether any thing or nothing. The ORDO Rerum is not Res : And it is
Rerum status ; which we better know in fe, than we know with what
Logical Notion to cloth it.
6 . This excellent Nothing is the fumm of Morality in its form ;
and the business of frail man on earth , and much of the g/ory of the
Church triumphant in Heaven. It is Gods work and not ours to make
new substances j It is ours to keep ORDER in our selves, as Gods work,
yea, in the Altions^ which God by Nature enableth us to. So vain a thing
is man that can do no more than this, nor this but by the Power given
him of God.
7. Vainly therefore do the" Dominicans pretend that it is a Deifying
of the Will of man to fay that God can enable it to Cause the various
ORDER of mans Actions, by meer moral helps, without Gods predeter
mining premotion to that order. For this is to cause no Real being. And
• Ire that is moved to the Act in genere needethno more premotion from
'. Xjod,' to the disorder and smfulness of the Act.
j 8. And they that will call the production of faith, a Creation in the
-strict and proper sense, do not understand, that Creatio est Rerum, nonOR-
..'pJNJS rerumjam creatarum, velexistentium. An Alt is of it self impro
perly said to be created, in a pre- existent Agent : That is not called cre
ated which is educed & potentia materia 5 nor that which is produced
By the Potentta Activa prxexistentis form*: Faith is an Act of the fame
Natural Power ox faculty which we had before: And Grace (or rather
Nature usually ) fufeitateth that faculty to the Alt as an Alt in genere:
And
 *. \%4nd the Suh-opcrMkns of Man s WM^ ".0

And Grace doth cause us to ORDER that act aright, as to. the doe«>£-
ie&, and other circumstances. But if any will call it a Creation, I ton''
tend not about the name. -; j ... ,,i .- ._■ -i . ; [ . ' j
^. 9. But the whole state of \b&'Man,tTabitwal, Relative and PYa&icd
set together, is called in Scripture, a New Creature, and the //en1 Man,
tropically, but noc unfitly : Partly because we are reail} n&w, though
not by another HtonK»ity or species of Natural Essence, yet tymany Ac
cidents : And partly, because these Accidents are so groat and make -ft
great a change of our slate , as that they emulate a natural. Essence \ arid
■we use to say in common things , that when an' unlearned man Is madd
learned, and a poor man a Prince > and a. dying man healthful^ 'h<? is
another man. — : .1.7 v-
£.10. Though .slWbe one and the fame, and Christ the sattie, and ihe
Lave and word and many Antecedent means the same to many on whom
they have different effects , This difference; may be caused ntorty wtiyesl Thc Caufcs of diffe-
As 1 . By the diversity of other inferiour or concomitant second coasts 1 rence*
2. By the diverse Disposition of the rc/i^/jr f a common cause of va^
ties in the World; ) 3. By the diversity of Impediments and temptations :
And many other waves. . >' S
^-iit * The great question is, How far the diversity of Receptive Dis- *i know that Bradwar-
pofituns is from God? Answ. 1. God made all equal at first in Adam. $•,£,£: p^
2. All were equal in fin by his fall. $.Cain and Abel differed from fe- non dm' setintitm , e.u~
veral causes, and not one alone. ^/ differed from c<*/>? in /i/>A • and tJaM T, ^mrmi.m
— r.« 1 r- r r j l- n J 1 • V* quodlibtt mums \mm
obediences Gods grace as the chief came, and nis oven mil and agency mtam* capaci, e[t causa.
as the second caaSe. Cain differed from ^/ by unbelief and by his itfsm>»Kcfpit,&
own will and Satans temptations. .4. The sins of later parents ( as of ™ ^xi^j 4^/*-
Cain, Cham, Esau, Achan, Gehezi, &c, ) make a further difference, by qud obex dicatur poteH
depriving their poilerity of fomeineans, helps or grace, which else they ^tt E^iS
had been equally capable of with others. 5. It is certain that man hath toiurcniji vm, vti per
much to do about his own heart, by which he is to be the second cause F'^fi'sJ
of His own Receptive disposition 5 and if he fail, is the only-cause erf his tnefistibiiittr ' ton-
indisposition. 5i '*>> Arfnm cor lapidtumJ
^.12. Difference is but Dissimilitude : And an alteration of c«<f of the
subjects which soever, will make it diffimile or to differ from the other.
When the good Angels stood and the evil fell, if you ustq who made the
difference, It was the Devils by forsaking their first estate : Though Consti
tutively, both their fin, and the Angels obedience made the dissimilitude.
Ifyou suppose Cain and Abel equally under grace at first, and ask,Who made
the difference, I answer, Constitutively Cains fin and Abels righteousness
maketh, or is, the difference : But as to Reputative efficiency, Cain
made the difference by receiving grate. So if you should suppose two
equally qualified with common grace, and one of them to lose it, the effi-
cience of the difference is Imputable to him. But if you suppose two
equally loft in sin, and one converted and not the other, the Constitutive
Causes of the difference ate ones fin and the others repentance. Bucthe
Imputable efficiency is Gods grace and mans repentance of will j that is:
recovered.
' $.12. But when Paul doth ask, s who made thee to differ ? ] hemean-
eth £ whir gave thee that good by which thou differest ? j and expound
ed it by \_what hast thou which thou hast not received?^ And no doubt
but all good is received from God : And this would have held true, if
God had by equal operation done as much on the other which had been
uneffectual by his indisposition or rejection.
- 1 Dddd i $.143
 20 Of (jod'sCjracious Operations on Man s Soul:

14. Nature and Scripture perswade us, that the fame measure of
help or influx is not enough to make cue resent or believe , which is
enough to make Another. For the difference of fouls , and temptations,
and Impediments plainly prove it. The fame strength will not move a
Mountain, which will move a Feather : nor the fame Teaching make an
ignorant Sot to understand which ferveth a prepared person.
£.15. Bodily aptitude , os ineptitude do much to vary receptivities y
which are usually Gods punishments or rewards for Parents actions : And
oft-times for mens own. Some by fornication, gluttony, drunkenness,
sports and idleness, make themselves even next to Brutes.
1 6. But we have great Reason from Scripture to believe that though
Gods Larvs be equal, and his Judgements where men do not make an in
equality 5 yet as afree Lord and Benefa&or, he dealeth not eqaally with all
that are of equal merit : Though he do no man wrong, nor deny any what
he promised in his Word, but keep perfect Justice as a Governour 5 yet he
may do with his own as he lists and he will be specially good to some, though
others fee it with an evil eye.
$. 17. Whether all that are elett havd at firsti a greater measure of the
Divine help and impress than any that are not converted, no man can fay
(of which more anon. ) But certainly all the elect were fore-decreed by
pods will to that certain conversion , which others were not so decreed tov

SECT. VI.

Of the Limitations of Gods Operations on the Soul.

1. '*Hat which sticks in the minds of many is, that God being;
X Omnipotent , all his operations must be equally unrefistible
and efficacious, because none can conquer God : But they must consider,
that though he be Almighty, yet he doth not all that he com dt : nordr>
his works equally manifest his Omnipotency. And there are these causes,
for Limiting his operations in the effects.
* Gtmint '^f°Jt?™l. *\. 2 . 1 . * The chief cause is his wisdom and Free-will. It is his Will to da
tvMs^p^**™^*-' wnac he doth, and to do no more : which hath no cause.
r/Æ. Naturaiispn occui- fy 3.. 2 Another cause is, that God operatethby Jesus Christ, whose
£jS£<S*J5hK Humanity is finite, being zCreatures and God worketh according to the
datinnmtntum. voiun- instrument or medium : As he sliineth by the Sun, Moon or Stars, ac-
uriavtn P'! cording to their several natures, and not according to hismeer omnipotea-
epera & bomnum, via. o . * , T ~p 1
caetera. Angust. de Ge- cy, io doth he communicate Grace by Jesus Christ.
"lilraU I* l'a T 9* & ^ + ^ ^hri^ by °^ce ^8 Ki*& ^ Pro?l,et> wil1 opiate upon
t Mark ll^m (Christ) certain which in his Sapiential Government ne sets down. And God
««w «fc<r« w^fcfx will not violate those terms.
M$:b"»l°? £ % 5. 3- Also underChrist there are many subordinate causes-, Theie
could not be bid : and are his word, preachers, and all the forementioned means and helps: and
)^%Jfm"inl Z Prist ™" work acco[ding ? ***s< Though he tye not Welf
cits : with many such from doing more or otherwise. I have proved that this is his usual way.
orG™teaIow«workinn And the ##wi11 according to these second causes.
rot ^Infmm^! "* 6. As the Sun sliineth on us first in and through theair, which abateth
somewhat of its force 5 and then through the exhalations, and then through
< ' the
 And the Sub-operations of Maris WtU* 21

the glass window, and each maketh some alteration as to the effect on 6s \
so is it in this cafe.
£.7. 4. But the notable limitation is the fbresaid Indisposition os the
Receiver. Every eye hath a tunicle which theSuns light must penetrate : ;
Bat he that hath a suffusion, or he that winketh, hath a greater impedi
ment to limit the effect: so is it with the various degrees of /'.disposition*,.
or moral incapacity, which yet be nothing if God did work ad ultbnum.
posse, and did not as aforesaidj work according to his free will and second-
.causes. • • :. . ; . . ..

SECT. VII. . .■

Of the Resistibility of Graci.

I. '"T^O Resist Grace signifieth, I. Either Not-to Receive it Pas * RHi^di Vol.viiJi^}
■ X sively *• as a stone receiveth not the rain adintus s or as oyl M«£ 'm'w^'^uas
resisteth water or hard things receive not impressions as the soft. 2. Or £ £ r*ti». t**u*\n*
Not-to-Receive-Actually • which is Receptio Morality as a mart receiveth eluding not only the vk
not a gift who consenteth not; or as he resisteth the light who will not. gj Z^foS™'
open his eyes : The bare Not-Consenting with the mil, or not using the son of » *Gau ,
fenses or organs, not opening the hand, &c is such a Resisting. 3. Or "!«ch inrfudeth tsic prc-
r ■ ir. ■ .° a r-n 1 J-V d 7.1 science of future con-
an Active opposition, which is more. As a man rehsteth an Enemy, ( with tingents j And so he
heart or hand ) or a man by Nolition, and not only Non-volition re- faith, it is never resisted,
sn 1 r ■ z. Secundum ptrtulem &,
llltCtn a lUlter. . . inaitauxtum rutionm
£.2. Mans sinful foul Resisteth Gods gracious operations, all these wayes. fr*cift «t causa
i. It is Passively become undisposed toReceptiony And thus he is said to ^g^mml
have a hard heart ofstone , and a feared conscience , and to be dead va' ^ conftrt tiafu ft-
and past feeling, Spk.4, 18, 19. &2.1, 2. , It doth not do what it
can do morally to receive graces that is, it doth not Conari or sttfcitate rttimVtlitimm efficacy
it selfto be willing of it. 3. Yea, it doth Positively resist by Action, and ?»* q»iddiutivi submit
is unwilling of Gods gracious operations: And this is twofold, i.By ^fdmt^&c. *zt!u
willing the contrary, and prosecuting carnal interest, over-loving the plea-- etim in finfu comofitt
sures of the flesh, and so turning away from the motions of grace, 2. And e,f* 5*J?S£r -
therefore by an enmity to that grace and wr*, which would f convert pr*cifus ab aa» fmndo,
him4 and take him off his chosen Idols. , \ X$™l™&$T™\
^. 3. No creature by resisting God, doth abate or refund his essential cor™ .pfj. proveth that
Power or Activity, nor make anything properly difficult to him. Gods will is univerfaiiur
$.4. All the £/a7 Gr^ before it overcome and convert them : f^lTd^Mu,
And all our lives after we resist it too commonly when it exciteth us to du- which' we grant as to h»
ty, anddrawethusfromsih. jjj ^"eSj?*2
5. He that repenteth not of his Resisting of Gods Spirit and Gracejdoth complacice: Butyetthe.
not understand and well repent of his sin. ""SSta? w/w£
6. All Resisting is not Overcoming : AH Resist graces but all overcome "on forTt" 81701
it not, that is, do not frustrate it as to the due effect.
7. There are several Degrees of yielding to Gods motions and opera
tions, and so several degrees of overcoming. He isfully overcome by it,
who yieldeth to \twholly • He overcometh it in some part, who yieldcth
to it but in part. And because Gods grace moveth us to more than we
ordinarily yield to , therefore we do ordinarily overcome it in too great
measure, even when we are happily overcome by it.
 22

8. God worketh not alike on all : sometime ( as on Paul ) he so

suddenly changeth the mind and will, as that at once he both produceth
the Aft of mans consent and also taketh away even the moral ( though
not the natural ) sower to the contrary in the antecedent instant. So that
no man ever denyetb consent who is so moved. And sometimes he pro-
cureth Actual Consent by such an operation, as in the antecedent instant
might have been resisted and overcome, there being a Moral Power to the
contrary. So that there is Actually-Converting Grace which was supera-
ble in the antecedent instant, as to Moral sower 3 and there is such a con
verting Grace as no man ever doth overcome.
■ 9. Gods grace when it prevaileth , doth not take away , but deter-
mine the Natural power in itself, but by so doinzformaliter & relative
it maketh it no power ad hoc to the contrary, in that instant. Of which
more anon.
10. Such grace of God as cometh from his Absolute will ot Decree
of the due Event, is never overcome. For Gods decree is not frustrate.
^.11. Gods gracious operations are never overcome by any contrary
Act but what he himself is the Agent cause of, as an Aft : For in Him we
Live and Move and Be. Yet man is the only Cause of the Imrdination
of that act, by which it is set in opposition to Gods other acts : For God
doth not militate against himself.
^.12. The case lyeth thus: God antecedently to his Laws, framed
Nature , that is, the Being arid Natural Order of all the World • and so he
became the Head ox Root of Nature ; the first Causey who by his wife de
cree, was to concurr to the end with tnat Natural frame, and to continue
to things their proper forms and motions : And man is one of his crea
tures, having a Nature of his own, to which God as the God of Nature
doth Antecedently concurr. By this natural concurse of God, the forni-
cator, the murderer, the thief, ejrc. are naturally able to do those acts :
But being free agents that can do otherwise , God maketh them a Law
to restrain and regulate them. And when they break this Law, they re-
fist that gracious concurfe, which suitable to the errganical caule, God con-
joyneth with the means; But they do this by their Natural power and
activity ; not used as God requireth them, but turned against his own
Law. So that if God would withdraw his sustentation, and destroy mens
Nature, they could not restft his grace. But that he will not do, being
his antecedent work : and so God is resisted by his own-given-power ana
act, disordered and turned against his grace.
^.13. The mil of God which is thus resisted, is only 1. His Preceptive
or Legal will, de debito. 2. And his will of purpose; to give manso much
help and no more by which he can and ought to believe and Repent , is
said to be resisted or frustrate so far,when by mans fault it doth him not that
* That God doth go- good which it might have done.

not for want ofthem,but and other Means are * resisted which call him to his duty. For these thera-
hismGoodnesiU,<so1 as to *^VCS ^ ^ a^ °* S1*^*
communicate to his cre£ But it is not the bare word or Means alone , but the Spirit
tures the dignity of cau- working in and by those means which is so refisted : For though no mortal
?<5'tf.8?e£ q.qUio^at man can clearly just how the Spirit concurreth and operateth by the
^iexand.up. q. 2$. »». 5. word and Means; yet we may know, that God doth limit his own ope-
t \'&6^'mm'l'ilbRi- ratlon t0 tne of the means ordinarily ; and that he worketh with
Ihvd'u^w.'a.z.'q.'i. and by them* not according to his Omnipotency in it self considered, but
&a\A$^a.%^.2. ^*gU. according to the means or organs. And as in Nature he operateth, not
^J'Gdiriild'.f.'q. 2. ' quantum potefi but agreeably to the order and aptitude of Natural
Causes^
 And the Sub-operations of Mans Wilt. ^ 23

Causes -, so in Grace hi operatcth, non quantum p)teft, but according cd

the aptitude and order of the sapiential frame os Govcrnlng-me.tns of
grace.
1 5. When the preaching of the Word, Education, Company and
other visible Means seem equal , God hath innumerable means, supernal,
internal, external, invisible and unknown to us , by which he can make-
all the difference that he maketh in men : So that we cannot prove chat
ever he worketh on fouls, without .any second cause or means at all :
( though we cannot prove the contrary neither. ) And therefore he that
resisteth all means, for ought we know in so doing resisted] all Gods gra
cious operations on his foul.
{>. 17. *Whereas Dr.TwJse so frequently asketh, Whether Gods condi- * i know not how to
onai will (and so his operation ) be Q solo te velle, modovelis, ot ere- find both fense andcoa-
dere rnodo credas^ to give us' faith if we believe , and so maketh non ^SvarndtA^uf.
credere or non velle to be the only rclistance ,• and the Arminians to be difr 59. f. i6a. EaAm
ridiculous in making the effect antecedent to the cause as a condition of cjTjrJ' faJ^J.
ihe causation and ittels: This femi-fubtilty , though it beget yoluminoiis inpmt cms* mtirit-
confidence, must cry peccavi, if a little more jubtilty do but detect the lh 'Mtdit Warn ■, m
defectiveness of iti We are not now enquiring of the Ratiohes jidem ha- tfa]t*tu* li"^
bendi, but of the Rationes non habendi 5 nor arc we enquiring Whether f&*» tjasdm gratia .- &
God have made a Covenant or formal Promise of giving faith upon an- J?£
tecedent conditions ; But whether he deny ( or give-not ) grace for actu- mm mritorii vita aur
al faith (effectual or sufficient) to any but those that relist and wilfully Et ?■ a5fcrCon:
omit the preparatory act> which they# were able to perform < even m J tf»fimm gratia
preparatory Volitions < Or if you will" make the question to be de ra- fyitulis , ifl ™^ri*
tionibus jidem habendi ( not de caufis Acjtts donandi) Whether God do a!*q. a. a. ad {',
not ordinarily give or produce the act. of faith , in that foul , which &g° tjfecius gratia
doth not wilfully resist, and omit such preparatory acts as it could do < ^tf0%;mJsu%
even. Volitions? And so I answer, ; . lj -- t$ria vita awn* nip
1. It is noc [ I will give thee faith if thou wilt believe, or I will gfl^
inake thee willing if thou be willing of the fame thirig. J But it is, twa fit nptstiritr: How
.. £ 1. If by resisting common preparing grace , thou so harden thy c™p? A . te $u
heart, or increase the privation of receptive aptitude in- thy self, us £^ tfthat habit which
that the fame degree of grace, means , help, impress, will not change it flowethfrom? unless
thee , which otherwise. Would have done it ) arid will change another ^Jjffi
not so self-hardened, thy gracelcsness and destruction (both abso- which yet is false : For
lutely and as compared to others that are converted, ) is imputableoh- ^n*? tadlrm\ ^liafrfT
ly to thy self. •« . siiJ KS^raaJ
2. And is thou be unwilling to use the Means as thou art able^ to go before Grace,
hear^ read, or meditate on that which should affect thee, and unwil
ling ( Privatively ) to hear and receive the inward motions of my
Spirit, which should convince and turn thee , and wilt not either by
previous Cogitation , or immediate conatus and sufeitation of thy In
tellect to Think, and of the will to its act, actively concurr to re
ceive my gracious motions and influx 5 thy gracelefnefs ( absolutely and
comparatively ) is imputable, not to me, but to thy self.
. uj.. Much more , if when thou canst do otherwise , thou run the
contrary way , and turn thy thoughts and aflections eagerly after va
nity , and hate and oppose my help and grace , because it is against
thy lusts. 2
2. Or if you will take it in the form of a half promise $ or encou
ragement from God thus, ,
C 1. If thou wilt not by wilful progress in sin, and custom, so increase
thy ,
24 Of (jois (jraciom Operations on Mans Soul:

thy Privation, and obdurateness, as that the fame measure of Gracious

Means and impress will not convert thee as would do one that hath5
not so abused common grace :
2. And if also thou wilt at the present do what thou canst in stir
ring up thy own will to concurr , and thy Intellect to consider , and
wilt but Consent that my Grace lhall help thee, and that thou wilt wait
for it in the use of means :
Si And if thou wilt not hate and resist my motions , as enemies
to thy lusts, and turn Wilfully after vanity , in such a degree as thou
art even Morally able to forbear j Thou malt find that I am gracious
and merciful, abundant in goodness, and truth , and forsaking none be-*
fore they forsake me, and have not appointed thee these means in vain.
To whom thus prepared did I ever deny the grace of faith i Name
him if thou canst.']
So that f_ Volo y ft velis hoc "} is one thing , and f_ Volo f velij
aliud, ejr fi ad hoc volendum quantum fotes teipjum sufeites, dr Grati-
am non ofpugnes, nec contraria prosequaris, quando p-ravas Volittones frx*
nare poffis} is another thing. »
1 8. That God giveth his gracious operations sometimes in a Re*
Jistible limited degree , besides what is faidj is most evidently proved,
1 . In that all Divines confess , that in making the World , he hath,
not done quantum potejt, but quantum voluit.
2. In that there are innumerable Poflibilia qua mn pint aut exist en-
tit aut futura. God could have made the World sooner , or made more
Orbs, Earths, Trees, Men, Brutes, in specie , numero , and done raoie
acts, and made more alterations than he doth,
3 . There is certainly some Divine operation with and by his instituted
meansy which is iimited to their instrumental aptitude.
i p. And it is no dishonour to Gods Omnipotency to work thus /*-
mitedly and refistibly : For, '
1. Else he mould be the Author of his own dishonour 5 who freely di-
versifieth Instruments, Receptivities and effects throughout the World in
Wonderful variety. , ,
2. If the total Non-Volitions , Non-operations , or forbearing to da
what he could ( as in all the innumerable Possibles aforesaid ) be no
, dishonour to him • then to mil only in tantum, and to operate hoc &
haefenus, limitedly and resistibly, is no diihouour : being more than not
to mil and work at all.

-.1

SECT.
 tie Sub-operations of Mans WiU. i5
- — ~

SECT. Vtll;

what that bperatibri of God on the soul is, which , is the subject of our
many questions : (as whether it he equal on all? whether it be re*
fjlible ? whether it be moral or physical? whether it be sufficient, when
it is not effectual ? 8cc.) And what the various opinions about it are}
and how uncertain they are.

YOU may think this should have come first ; butibr some reasons 1
have reserved it to this place.
I think the Ignorance of this in a great measure is common to all
mankind : But the Ignorance of mens Ignorance, and presumptuous con
tending about what we understand not, pretending ( even to triumphant
scorn of dissenters ) that we do understand it, is the very life of most of
Our contentions about these points.
2. My own judgement is, thac out own Intellection and Volition in the
body, are Acts that take iri so much of the fense, imagination, and cor
poreal spirits, into that of them which we perceive and denominate, as
that we cannot tell how far the Acts even of our own separated fouls will
differ from these which we here perceive, and from perception call Intel
lection and Volition. And much less do I know the difference between
Gods Vital activity, Intellection and Volition, and ours. Some likeneflthete
is, or else ours were not his Image : But all Schoolmen and Divines agree,
that the names are not Univocal, and that it is not the fame Thing in God
as in man, which these names signifie- And that no man can have a for
mal conception of them. I am satisfied that a glow-worm or the fire in
a flintf yea or in a stick ot clod, is incomparably liker the Sun, than Mams
poor Life, and Intellection and Volition is like to Gods. And if so, how un- ji_ ^jj^ajjtyfc
fit are we unnecessarily to dispute of these acts of God with curiosity i or what k is which we mufi
at all so as implyeth a nearer likenefi? The Lord knoweth that I would with ("Sfi*£ t0 g0 ben'cai
reverence withdraw from this consuming fire, and no further meddle with indiwdon g^cn!
it, than the Glorifying of God, and the pacifying of the contentious, and Dr. tw<? accuse* the je-
the healing of divisions, and calling off the presumptuous, doth require* . ["aonandTvo^ion'to-
^.5. * By [^Divine Action or operation"} must be meant, i. Either be instantaneous Acts,
something in God, or something caused or Created by him. a. Is caused f™e^tuAiv*nd ^ofdeth
or created, it must be either something in the second Causes, or something the Divine*Ast antece-
° °
in the Recipient foul. I think the distribution is sufficient. dent to be properly mo-
}. 4. I. In GOD, there is nothing but GOD: His Life, Knowledge ^SH^STiS
and will are no accidents, but his ejjence : And therefore invariable, and scribed qui ptvik m#i-
no subject for any of these questions* To ask whether Gods Essential om a8*aii, causis fund*
Knowledge, will and Activity, be equal or unequal, physical or moral, &C. iuas appiictt ad tyran
ts to dote. 4h*j &c. But it is either
^. 5. But yet this Knowledge and Wit of God is transient ot terminated whfchhe caJledi'l^'r
Objectively, when it isnot so Effectively. And soGod is said to know Ifan effect, it is so called
things differently,^ they differs and to wiU'things differently, as they are J^JJS
different objects : But this speaketh truly nothing New or various in God^ dent to mans Act, can be
but ffily a Relative and so denominative connotation of his simple essence, }^0n^anActnthouCh
from these objects, whose diversity giveth divers names to immutable, most every Act be not motion?
fimple Unity. Of this ali Schoolmen ( for substance ) are agreed, however Therefore they volumi-
thcThomists, Scotisis and Occamifts differ about the notions of Rath rati- ^Sr of^y know not
ficinata, formalit.ts, dr denominatio extrinfeca. what, if we must have
6. 6. II. If it be the operation of the second Causes, ex parte operanti- ? ^"ct conception of
*»,andso of God by them, that we dispute of, the disputes would have fitter.
£eee the
 26 Of (j ocfs (jracious Operations on Man's Soul:

the easier decision. But. this is denyed by the Dominicans, and another
Infusing immediate operation is made the subject of these Controversies.
£.7. II I. It remaineth therefore that it is only the effect as in thz foul-
receiving, which we dispute of. And if so, this must' be remembred, that
we dream not of any Controversie about Gods Action, as ex parte agentis>
in Him, or between him and the foul.
£.8. In mans foul, we know of nothing, but i.The substance in the
first notions answerable to Matter in bodies. 2. The form, which is a;
Threefold Virtue or faculty in One; Ws.The vital Power, intellect and
Will: which is atotice Virtus, Vis & Inclinatio naturalis ad propri.is dtfi-
ones. All these are but Inadequate conceptions of the fame simple essence,
and not compounding parts. None of this is the thing in question, for
the foul is presupposed to be a soul. 5. The Accidental and mutable
Disposition of the faculties to the Acts, 4. The Impressions of superieur
Causes (GWand means) in moving to the Acts. 5. The Acts of the
foul themselves. 6. The Habits. I know of no more.
$.9. I. Though All Habits' are dispositions, yet all Dispositions
are not Habits : And before Habits, the foul may be many wayes pre
disposed to the Act : As 1. By former alts of another fort, which yec
conduce to this. 2. By other habits that are preparatory. 3. By delive
rance from many Internal and External impediments. 4. And lastly, By
the Divine Imprest it self in the instant of Nature, though not of time, be
fore the Act. For God so disposeth the foul to act:
, $.,to. This predisposition, is sometime but a Moral Power, that is, in
fo low a degree, as containeth only the Necessary power to the act, with
which alone it is sometime done." And sometime besides this Moral Powert
k containeth some further degree of accidental inclination, or propensity
. to the Act. And these degrees are various, in various instances and sub-
... . , jects.
l„ ': ,,!.. it. iIR When God moveththe foul tobelieve or repent, we must:
conceive that in the instant antecedent to the Act, the foul receiveth some
Imprestox Impulse from the divine essence by which it is disposed or mo-
* Auxiihmjrtihm nm Ved to act*. And though spirits (especially God J move not by such
Tohmmit Lprtff* f contact and impress as things corporeal, yet in an unconceivable manner,
mm hoc nomm fignificare some spirit, some spiritual Impress, Influx, or motion must be Received, by
vidttur qniUtatem, co»sti- y/hkh faith is caused. And this Impress and the Disposition to the Act*
prma: fid fnfrh voea- caused by it, perhaps are really the fame.
Mi didtur niotio a«u-> £# I2, 1 1 1. The Act it self by this, and by the foul disposed and ex-
t,m%dtTiibnlmmbi- cited, is next caused : not given as pre-existent, but given by causal effica-
»fMM iperitw tetum //fe- cious suscitation os the pre-existent faculty or power.
T&^dltTflmUm f *3- IV. The Habit, which is a Promptitude to facile acting, is
qutpotefi iiim nonoptrari caused by all the forementioned causes conjunct, and not by any one alone,
iL^^t I08 vtz" byGod, and his Impress on a soul someway pre-difposed, and by the
t/ic'pro^c/ notion, "he soul it self further disposed and excited by that Impress. But of Habits
thinks, between God and more anon.
i,eictre°said 3rbJX And here because almost all our seeming difference dependeth on the
aptly, I tlunk, fo con- question, what It is that is between Gods essence and mans all, whkh is
saved by kin*, ^ caufeof our Act, or may be called grace ( sufficient or effectual, more
■ . or less, dre ) I shall tell you how Alvarez handleth the question, and
thereby further sliewyou, that it is a thing unsearchable, and past mans
•'!. .; '"! knowledge, and though I satisfiemy self with calling it an Impulse or Im-
' press, or a Received energie or force or Influx, yet these are but general
notions, and tell us not as to a distinct formal conception, what it is ^
.-. . And you mall fee that the boldest disputerskjiowno more.
Alvarez,
 And the Sub-operations tf'Mans WdL

Alvarez de Aux. I. ^. disp.19. p. if. tells you that there arc these se
veral opinions of it, ( What is the previous motion by which God movetli
" and applyeth second causes to operate i )
" I. Some Tbomists hold that It is a Quality, not permanent, but bf
" way of transient disposition with operation : Cabrera -$.p. q. 18. ar. 4. dub.
« 1. Cone. 4. n. 58. Fork must be some Virtu*, and that must be a Qaa-
" lity : Imperfect supernatural acts, as attrition, fear of hell, &c. are be
fore habits, and have only such transient virtues or qualities, &c,
" 1 1. Others hold contrarily that Gods motion is nothing besides his
"own will or essence and mans act, bging simultaneous Their reasons" I
tc omit. * * ^° ^r"^wir^'it an«
" HI. Others hold that Gods previous motion is somewhat received woufd0cuterftortAmosto3f
" in second causes in order of nature before they operate : and when they our present conrrover-
"are asked, What it is, they fay, It is really the very operation of the fe- g* nJstm%»i.
"cond cause man ) it self, as it proceedeth from God And so Grat.u.2. p. 2. crim. 3.
« that Gods premotion and predetermination of our Willis not really di- cClJ,'K9' ,?*348VP?"
r~ r " r _ , 1. 1 1 .11 j . -i . babile tue nuUam mottonm
" stinct from the actual determination by which the will determmeth it k did ncipi in Voiunu-
" self, but is the fame $ The fame act being of God and man. ( So that J"Jj^ *"j£2Ji S
they make this motion to be somewhat received before we act ; and yet aiiquid, aeaffe est ut vt-
nothing but our act •, which is absurd. ) R"tio bac est, cu]m
"IV. Other -tbomists hold that It is somewhat really distinct from our ^S^%£fi£
" operations : and that is, Quoddam complementum virtutis attivd, quo mi Volmtau fatinm est
« actualiteravat. ( And he that knoweth what predicament this comple- ut fej
• 1 * r v .■ ..... .rv. .. f 1 mm iipnxHS Dtt potest
mentum belongeth to, and what it is, let him take this opinion for more fingi paceimm qui oc-
than a meer complement. ) Mmur tint nihiium,
" And here they tell you that they speak not of Gods simultaneous con- soAmfms Antifynod. dt
" curse 5 for that Alvarez, confesseth is nothing besides Gods essence and Grat.c.2.pag.2$$. satis
" transact: But of his previous motion, which he faith, is somewhat more.
^ As if they differed in the nature of motion. ) And he faith, that this is m interctdtntt cent Mt
« true both of supernatural acts which are from Infused habits, as faith fAJ"»JJfj^JJJJf\
"hope, Love: and of Imperfect supernaturalsasfearof hell and attrition, now meddle not with the
"by which man is remotely prepared for Justification $ whicli proceed tnithofthfe, and Twijfes
" not from supernatural habits, but from the spirits special impulse, not sweredTsuti btreat the
" yet inhabiting, but moving. And Alvarez thus concludeth - Reader to note into what
« I. That which God doth in second causes, by which these act, \s}Aliqmd g S^fScd^rS
" habeas ejfe quoddam incompletum, per modum quo colores font in aere,ejr reduced, who yet most
tc virtus artis in instrumento drtificis- It is Aliauid incompletum <jr ■88«™tf thcm; ^hac
,, /* ■ r " /a l. ic e 11 V- ^ n Dow u the Gratia emax
" tranftens cum ipfa operatione. ( Are you ever the wiser for all this tj ai mdendum ? Nothing
"II. Hoc ens incompletum prœvium aclioni cause fecund* producitur in besides Gods ejfe bmipu
"iUeffctiive a solo Deo,& nuUo modo dependtt effioienter eoi instuxu ip- fiJ% ^f^^6^
" (ius causa fecund*. And therefore herein the will is passive, though not essential will effective of
"in its own Act, (as he falsty affirmeth Luther to assert * for what can it?whoevetdenyedit?
■ _ . . \. v * * What place is there for
<( act and not be active ! ) controversies of suflki-
"III. When second causes, natural or supernatural, have by their in- ency and efficacy, when
r r c£. • 1. q- ' . • " , ^ . ■ . it is but Gods essence
"herent form, lurhcient Active virtue, per modum aciu* prtmt, propomo- an(j tj,e i^own effect of
"ned with the effect, then Gods premocion is not a Qiality but proprio which they speak, and
« vj>cabula dicitur, Motio Virtuosa, by which the universal cause maketh £5; any imlionor im-
"theiecond actually operate, according to its proper mode : Therefore ic press made by God up-
" is net a Habit or disposition or natural power. °n mind » will « all ?
Jt I 1 Gods will then is effe
ctual, quit vult efecluv :
and it is virtually 1u'>"k icnr for whatever he willeth nor, but could will. But then no man can possibly do any more good or
less evil than lie dorli ..'.•.use no more or less is willed of God, which volition is the first necessary Cause of all things.
Aridis not all their 1 , i'- k ,s r n,ri'.i.s Gratia, and the feyend sorts, previous, simultaneous, operating, co-operating, &c.
mcerjy vain, whenir : . r.o sucii thinu as any Grace besides Gods meer will, and the Act of man.- And yet Dr. DviJJl
elsewhere faith that ' c.ttJ Jo .i.w/ pomri iitobjrtht
Eeee a "IV. Yea
28 Of (jod's (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :

"IV. Yea in Imperfect supernatural acts (as fear of hell) which go

" before habits} and by preventing grace are elevated to the acts, it is not!
" Quality, but Motto Dei virtuosa by which they are done5 and is of the
" fame fort with that which caufeth acts from habits.
"V. This previous Motion is Really distinct from the operation of the
"second cause and is not our act it self 5 but is immediately from
f* God. ( Which he useth many arguments to prove. )
And can all this give any manaformalconception,whatitis, which he
cdleth, aliquid incompletum,3adMotio Virtuosa? We know not what the
Vts projects impreffa is in corporeal : And can we tell how spirits, and
r, how the God of spirits maketh his Impressions < or what the word im
pression or Motion here signifieth ? We know that we know it not if we
know what we know and know-not. And why is it called Moth Virtuosa ?
Virtus he maketh a quality : It is no quality, and yet Virtuosa. Omni*
motto est Attio. Is it Attic Jncreata ? Then it is God himself5 which he de-
nyeth, and speakethof somewhat between God and mans Aft. Is it Attio
ereata i Then it is a Modus Agentis, for so is every Action, as such, as
distinct from its ejfett in patiente. And if so, it cannot be tnodus Dei-
for then it is Iffe Deus: And if it be modus hominis, it is either hominis
agentisvel patientis 5 If the first, thm it is mans Action: If the second, it
is formally no action : For modus patientis is paffio • though many would
confound action and passion with saying after their Masters, that Attio est m
patiente, which is equivocation.
So that the plain truth is, that mans understanding can reach no further
than to conceive, 1. That our souls are the termini of Gods Volition and
Active power. 2. That though God act not on us by corporeal contact ,
yet we must call our selves Patients, and think of the Attingency of his
Active essence with its effects, by some Analogic of Corporeal attingency,
contact, and impressed moving force. But truly to know how God touch-
eth, moveth, operateth on any Creature and by what Impressions, or whac
there is indeed between Gods essence and mans Act, we know not at all.
And if Christ had never said, Joh. 3. [_fo is every one that is born of the
spirit} our own experience might have told us that we know it not.
Boldly then tell our Church-distracting Wranglers, that contend about the
nature, sufficiency, efficacy, resistibility of this Act of Grace, chat they know
not the very subject of their disputes. And sliall we still fire the Church
by striving about words that profit not but subvert the hearers, and tend to
the increase of ungodliness i *
Yea and shall bold blind zeal use the Reverend names of God, and his
precious Truth to colour and countenance these pernicious contentions *
I grant that the nature ofGrace, and the concord of it with Free-will may be
soberly treated of. But when men have followed the controverlie beyond
the ken of humane understanding, and there will proceed to build great:
Fabricks upon unknown suppositions , and perverfly contend for them
against Love and peace, they do* but serve Satan against God, under the
colour of his sacred truth and name.
And I think it not amiss here to tell you what Alvarez, faith to this
Question (de Aux. 1. 1 2 . difp. 1 1 8 . p. 4 8 1 . ) An Concordia liberi arbitrii
cum gratia peffit demonstrari naturali ratione ( vel, cum Infallibilitate?
Prtscicntiœ, Providentiæ, ejr pradestinationts Divin*?) Where he tells
you that one opinion of some Catholicks is, that [it u certain by the do*
*' ttrine offaith that man hath Free-will, but it cannot be preved by na-
" tural reason-. ] The second opinion is contrary, that £ It is not only
"evident to natural reason that man hath free-will, but also the concert
"of
 •*——-—-—•—• — —" 1—I —-I- -—-*
.. And the Sub-operations of Man s Will. iy

tc of it with the infallibility of Divine prescience and providence may ea-

" sily and clearly be made out by Scientia Media which is the Jesuites
way.
But the third opinion which he defendeth is, that [ " Free-will may be
« evidently known and proved by natural reason alone : But how the
<c actual use of it consisteth with the infallibility of the prescience, pro-
" vidence and predestination of God, and with trie efficacy of the helps
" of grace cannot be perfectly known or comprehended by natural light
"alone, and therefore the reason of it must be Believed and the under
standing captivated to the obedience of Faith.]
Wnere note, i . That though he say [perfc&e] he proveth that it cannot?
be known by that which is below a perfecl knowledge, i. And that he
denyeth not only apratfical saving knowledge^ but a proper theoretical ot
dogmatical knowledge.
For this he citeth those words of Cajetdn at large (/'* i.p.q.22. artl
'4.) which many others cite and commend, [_ln ignoraxtia sola quietem
invenio^ &c. ]
And there is no man besides Alvarez, higher for the Dominicans way
of Absolute predetermination, than D. Bannes who is of Cajetans opini
on (in i.p. q. 2 3. art. 5. &2. 2. q. 10. art. 1.) f/c Siquis non inteBgit
<{ quomodo ufusliberi arbitrii fit liber nihilomintis fit effectus jam prœ-
" definite a Divina providentia, oportet eum credere —1 & Primuni
c' omnium debuijfet credere quod aiunt fe non posse intelligere : Credimtis
<c enim Catholicum myjlerium Trinitatts, etiamji non inteUigamus.~\
And Alvarez, citeth Calvin ( lib. de atern. Dei prxdeft. cont. Pigb. p.
136.) saying f_'c Siquis hoc mentis suœ captu superius esse excipiat,idcni
u de me fateor. Sed quid mirum) fi modulum nostrum imcomprehenfibi-
"Us .& immensa Dei majefias exsuperet I Atqui tansurn abe(I ut pro
<c carnis ratione explicandum suscipiam sublime ijlud recohditumque ar-
u canum, ut quod initio pr'afatus sum affidue in memoriam redire velim^
<c deftpere qui plus scire appetunt, quam Deus revelaveritr. Qnare nos
"potiits doffa ignorantia deletfet, quam intemperans dr ebria plus quam
ei Dens permit'tit curiofitas. ~] .. . ,
What Augustine confesseth you may see a little in Alvar. ib. p. 482?
483. but more hvhimself often.
What Suarez, Hurtado,Mendoz. and other the most subtil philosophi
cal Divines confess commonly of the incomprehensibility of these things,
and the darkness and uncertainty of our conceptions, I have elsewhere
partly cited h and any that readeth them may find. •
Now all this being so notorious, and their ignorance commonly con
fessed, may I not confidently inferr, 1. That then (seeing all must be
reconciled by Believing ) we must have nothing obtruded on us herein,
which is not to be proved by the Word of Godi What the Word faith
of Predetermination^ of the manner of Gods operation on second causes,1
and influx on fouls, and of the nature of his first effect or Vis Impressa^zi
we will receive : But yet men must not snatch up a metaphorical expres
sion in one or a few Texts, and urge that against the frequent and plain ex
pressions of the Scripture 5 of the spirits. Operation on fouls, Christ him
self faith ( which is more than all forecited ) [The wind bloweth where
it lifietb^ and ye hear the found thereof but ye know not whence it com-,
eth^and whither itgoeth : so is every one that is born of the spirit. 3 Buc
as for the operations of God by the word preached and other means, and
the Holy Ghosts operation by and with thole means, and. the Holy Ghosts
indwelling and operating after in BeUeyers,. these are frequently asserted
in
go Of (jod's Cjracious Operations on Man s Soul :

in Gods Word : And that all Christs members have his Spirit, regenerating,
illuminating, quickning, sanctifying them, both as he is in Covenant with
them to be the sanctifier of their souls, and as the Love of God and all his
Graces are by him caused in us : all this is sure.
But if men will go further with us, and give us as many distinctions of
Gods Grace as Alvarez, doth, and tell us that besides God himself, one of
them (simultaneous operation ) is nothing but mans act j and another
(previous motion) is somewhat else, but no man knoweth what, but may
be named \motio Virtuosa"] though it be neither God nor a quality nor
a humane act 5 And then will dispute how much of this \_some thtng~]
this motio virtuosa, will serve to such an effect, and how much toanotlier,
and how and by what reason it is efficacious } and will build on his asser
tions such a systeme of consequents, as shall make up the doctrines of a
sect or party, which (hall set up with this stock to militate against the
Love and unity of Christians : this is the course that I oppugn.
Once more, Let the Reader note that the waies of reconciling Grace
and Free-will, as Alvarez, mentioneth them, are these four.
I. The Jesuits way by scientia media, which I need not recite to the
Learned, but think it meet to recite Alvarez, words of their description
of Grace. £ " Supponunt gratiam pravenientem dr excitantem ejse fir-
<c maliter afliones quasdam vitales, quas Deus in nobisfine nobis operatur :
"fine nobis, inquam, libere co-operant/bus, non tamen fine nobis vitaliter
" & efficienter concurrentibus ; dr consistere in illustratione dr illumina-
*c tione inteHeclus, atque excitatione dr suafione voluntatis : qua effici-
<c enter procedunt ab intclleftu & voluntate, non quidem ut Ltbera, fed
" ut Natura est : quamvis antecedenter dependeant a Voluntate ut Libe-
ei rum arbitrium eft, quatenus viz. ex ejus libertate suit dependens, quod
ct homo compararet notitias mysteriorum fidei veleorum qua facienda erant%
" accedendo ad pradicatores, vel alio modo eos propria industria acquire ndot
" quibus notitiis Deusfe infereret, eas elevandosuospeciali tnfiuxu, ut juper-
" Maturates fint, dr quales ad salutem eportet ; dr fie sortiantur natn-
<( ram gratia praVenientis. Suppofitk ergo jlluminatione, qua Deus illu-
"minat Jntelletfum, df proponit Voluntati bonum, ut fibi conveniens, af-
"firmant, quodstatim absque nila libertate oritur mere naturaliter in
" voluntate motus affetlionis ad bonum fibi propofitum: quo mottt allici-
<c tur dr qu*fi invitatur ad amandum illud bonum, dr imperandum po-
<c tentiis executivis, ut illud exequantur, ut v. g. ad imperandum intel-
"leftuiut affentiatur rebus fidei propofttis dr explicatis. In bis ergo dtt-
ie obus motibus, viz. in illustratione Jntelleclus dr ajfecfione voluntatis a
" Deo elevatis suo specials instuxu, confistere aiunt gratiam pravenien-
" tern dr excitantem. Liberum autem arbitrium bis duobus motibus gra-
u tiapravenientis adjutum dr excitatum, liberam habet potestatem impe-
"randi aut non imperandi assensum fidei : Quod si voluntas fidem am-
" piefit velit, atlumque credendi imperet intelTcfiui, infiuentefimul nuttt

"vinU adjutus, elicit aCfum supernaturalem assentiendi revelatis> dr

tc Gratia excitans feu praveniens novo instuxu, quo tina cum libero ar-
" bitrio infiuit in fupernaturalem acs/mt fidei, fortitur rationem gratia ad-
"juvantis, cooper ant/s drefficacis. Si autem voluntas pro sua innata li-
" bertatefidem nolit amplctfi, gratia excitans dr praveniens manet in-
<(tra limites gratia sufficientis, nee est efficax, quia voluntas non voluit
Ccfdem amplefti> cum potnisset.

II. The
 And the Sub~operatiom of Mans Witt*- 1 3 1

1 1. The second is Durandus's way \_Nnllum effe necejjarium Divina

l( voluntatis concursum ad acliones fecundarum caufarum, fed satis effe
u quodDeus eas produxerit in effe, & ipfas naturas , carumque virtutes
"postmodum conserves. ] But this is a partial recitation, For this so-
stentation of their Active Virtues is the fame with an Universal Influx
or Concurfe to action as action, which BelUrmine is for. Read of this
Ludov. a Dola.
III. *The third he faith, is attributed to Greg. Arim. Scotns and (7.*-
briel, (great Wits, if any. ) u Cooperationem Divinam fe tenere ex far- Dei ememfus quod mint
« te etfestus, non Causa, h. e. Concursum Dei non determinare Volttnta- ad idmitit.int nilm '*
■"a r~ ' j - •» • • 'r a ■ r- Parte tir>*"u ( "am ex
** tern nojtram, nec altquid in illam tmfirtmere ant operari, Jed tmmedi- pane prhcipii ist ipft
** ate influere in effeBum, eumque producere illo ipso momenta quo avolun- D'HS? "** °sl volmt" )
te tate nofira producitur: ErgoDeus non determinat Volttntatem nec Fo- fundt qulunls eft i Deo.
u luntas Deum : Nam uterque concursum libere adbibet, ci" ft alter holit f*"'* »* iff* Voim*
'« concurren, opm non fiet, ficut cum dm serum ingentem lapidem . TaaLl jefeffS^
" Et licet ftmtd operentur, tamen Deus operator qiua Voluntds operatur, So many others.
te non contra : ( But this is partially recited, and it is true only of the
effect: And his confutation is that then Gratia est pediffequa Volunta
tis : And why faith he not, God is pedifjequus bominis, because he judge-
eth men according to their works ?)
I have otherwise opened the matter than is expressed here of any of
these. But can the sober Reader think that the IVth way ( which is'
that of the Dominicans predetermining premorion of all acts good and
bad ) is so much surer than these three, as that he dare venture on thac
supposition to cry down his Brethren as enemies to the Grace ofGod, and
to his Providence who would gladly ascribe all to both which belong
ed to perfection, and are only afraid to deny Gods holiness, and the Chri
stian Religion, by resolving all sin and damnation into, the meer Will and
Love and Irresistible Omnipotent efficiency of God 1
■' ' K. - * Of Preparation for
". . ; Grace, Medina noteth
- three degrees of it : one
. ' which Grace ever sol -
S V C T TY ' kweth ( which is ic
JCVili 1A, f jnat our divines mean
■'."•* by effectual Vocation )
whether Gods Operations be equal on all? and this he soith> is
1 ver had but by Gods fpe-
«♦«.*. •■ t a cial help : (the other
d. I» the question be ex parte Dei, it is absurd to make a question two are distant and com-
I of it. For God is the fame, whatever the diversity be in his £9"0 „BuLthat£hc
. ., n .. r\r v~ j K i i -J Schoolmen of the other
works. And Gods acts as m himself, are God. And there is no Virtue parties think otherwise
or Efflux from God, but what is a creature, or effect of God. he confes5eA^and^,
Q. 2. If the question be of second causes, and of Gods operation in and Sco^ &pftpmtdm m>
by them; I answer, i. Some things God Giveth and Doth as ketfor of Nominates, quo/fequi*
the World, by a Law, or according to d Lav, : And hereia God doth SSf^l
equally, till man make a difference ( as is aforesaid ) viz,, in his Legif- mativam , scilicet quod,
lation (though not in the promulgation) and in Misjudgement, i. Some hr°mi ,f ^ut...vir" f'M
• f i ~ 'i i ~ i f 6 r ~ ■ i g*tUU auxiho Gratia,
things God Giveth zndDotb, besides, as Owner and free-Benefactor : and fttestft ad Gratiam pra-
here he primarily maketh a difference. So that there is a certain fort '^^frfXi/^*4^
and measure of grace given equally, till men make a difference : And Emeriti le 'co^ut :
there is a fort and measure given unequally, by the meet Will' of God, as p. Tho. tenet contrarim :
he diversifieth Natural things. SStfifiSJ^S
^.3. But if the question be of theeffeefson thefoul, those eflicts are, tu ad Gratiam, he mean-
i.Mans predisposition, 2.Thedivine Impress, pheActs, 4.TheHa- tJST^Z^l
bits, as is said : And as to the first 5 God equally dispoled man at first : quitatt , & fe in Deum
But two Causes have filled the World with very unequal dispositions : \ M mvmm
■• - — • • --■ * * * „ jacum ad folem, ut quit
illufninttur.

t
i_— ■ ' .... 1 _
32 Of (jod's (jrations Operations on Mans Soul :

One is mans Jin, corrupting themselves and their posterity more than as
they are the feed of Adam r arid this God is no Cause of. ) The other is
Cods free differencing mercy to some of equal ill desert 7 giving them
both Greater outward helps, and Common Grace, and fewer impedimentsr
and so more preparing them for special Grace. But noman by indisposition'
is deprived of special Grace, but he that hath contracted more than he had
from Adam only. And God doth not equally repair and dispose all that
have viciously undisposed themselves; Though while they are here,he giveth.
such mercy to all, as tendeth to their recovery.
£.4. If the question be of the equality of Gods Impulse, or Influx ox*
the soul, 1. Theremay. be a diversity of further effects, where the Impress-
is the fame in kind and measure ; because of mens various Dispositions to
receive it, and their various concurfe : That may convert one, that dothi
not another; But yet God doth not make equal Impreffions-onva^s. fouls :
For, I. His own free-will as a Liberal benefactor doth more for some
(as Paul ) than for others. 2. Mens ill deserts may so forfeit grace and
quench the Spirit, as to make a difference. 3. The means much differ
which several men have : And God usually operateth according to the
means, upon the soul.
£.5. If the question be either of the Att oi Habit, it is no question:
For that were but to ask, Whether all men have equat faith, love and
other graces f which common experience denyeth.
£.6. Whereas some will stick at my mentioning aDivine Impress on tfje
foul, in nature antecedents Acs and Habit, I would have them remember,
that either there is such a thing or mt. If there be , I rightly mention
it. If not, we are instantly at an end of all this fort of Controversies,
and Calvinifts and Arminians cannot differ if they would. For then the
question must be only about that which is past question, viz,. 1. Either
about Gods Act as in Himself, which is his simple Essence : 2. Or about
the AH and Habit of Faith, Love, cjrc. in Man, which all the World
knoweth is not equal $ For all men have not faith : For as for pre- di
sposition, the question will be revolved to the fame point It is certain
that all are not equally disposed, and it is certain that Gods Acts as in him
are his Essence*

. Sect. x.

• whether the said Operation he Physical or Moral f

i ~.*'|"*His paltry question is worthy but a few words, though it

J_ make too much stir. Of the fense of the words Physical and
Moral having spoken before, I will not repeat it here. i.If the question
be de operatione ut est actus agentts, before the effect, it were but to ask,
Whether Gods Essence be Physical or Moral ? which is unworthy an
answer.
$.2. 2. If the question be of the Action of second Causes, as the
Preacher, &c. if truly Aits, they are both Physical as they are really
attus naturalu, and moral'as they are the acts oifree intellectual agents.
But the^tfj of Laws and other objects meerly as objects (on man; are
called Moral Acts, because they are bm nominal; but indeed arc no Aits,
and therefore neither physical nor Moral. For they are but figna ■ and
fgnifeare is not agere -r but is only an objective aptitude} by which aa
Intellectual

9
 And the Sub-operations of Mans IVilik . '

Intellectual agent can cdifie it self. All the Books in my Library teach
me without any Action , by being stgna objectively to my active in
tellect.
fy. 3. 3. If the question be of the Divine Impress on the soul, it is
quid reale, and therefore f<byscum : And it is moral as it is the principi-
urn aclus moralis. The lame is to be said of our own Acts and Habits 5
They arc physical and moral accidents. And they cannot be moral, unless
they be physical.
fy. 4. But it must be known that to be quid natttrale and quid morale,
formally differ 5 as Alias qua talis, and ordo qua ordo , do differ ab orJane
feu Relatione ad Legem & ad finem morum : and Moralitas est attus Phy-
fici, vel privationis Relatio, viz. ad Regulam & finem morum.
fy. 5. But if the question be not of the Morality of the Aft, but the
Morality of the Cause, viz. whether Grace or divine Action do cause Phy
sically or Morally ? I answer plainly, that There is no true Cauje which
is not Physical: A moral Cause, not physical, is but Causa reputata vel
nominalu; Objects are usually said to Cause morally : But if they be
meerly object s, they cause not efficiently at all ; but by termination only
materially constitute the Act in specie. But some things vulgarly called
objects ( as Light, Heat, ejrc. ) are ABive and so effect. And he that
doth proponere objeclum* doth indeed effect , by speaking or doing : But
he doth not effect any thing by the object on the mind , as it is a meer
object. But the fox ioquentis doth more than present an object : It doth
by agency suscitate the Spirits and operate on the organs of sensation. And
many mercies, afflictions, and other means forementioned, have their seve
ral wayes of active operation. But it is readily confessed, that nothing
corporeal can by any direct efficiency operate on a soul 5 but only Active spi
rits like it self. Remember therefore that I take the word Physical here
as the Schools do, largely, as comprehending Spiritual or hyperphysical :
And I plainly fay de nomine, that Gods operations of Grace aretobecal*
Jed Hyperphysical in respect to God the Agent, and Physical as they are Phy
sical effects on man°, and Moral as the Tame are in mstanti secando also
moral effects. And that they are called Moral in two usual fenses : 1 . In
that it is Morality or Virtue that is produced by them : 2 .And in that objects
being much of the Means, the operation or efficiency of objects as ob
jects, is properly none at all 5 They do but materially (as it were) con
stitute the Act, and terminate it, and occasion it , as fine quibus non,
which many call z Moral Reputative, Metaphorical Causation. And yet
diversification is much by objects.
fy. 6. If this stumble any who look not at the greater inconveniences on
the other side, and occasion .them to think that it is little efficient opera
tion which we own in the collation of faith and conversion : I desire them
to. consider wella,: "> .
icThat it \%nonevo substance at all that is to be produced; bat Zfre-
existent substance and faculty to be actuatedt • v i
2. That if is not an Act as such in genere^ that is to be caused by Grace \
but the due ordering of acts as to right objects, ejrc. . ' . - .:
5. That the foul as such is an Active Spirit , not indifferent between
Action and cessation \ but as naturally prone to Act, as the earth tttest,
and as a stone in the air to descend, and as the Sun to move and mine: so
that it is never one minute out of Action, even in this earthen tabernacle
from its first being to the last breath, day or night : Though in different
manner. \

ffff 4- That
 34 Of (jod's Cfrations Operations on Mans Soul :

, 4. That God as the God of Nature doth uphold the soul in this Active
Nature, affording it that Concurfe or Influx necessary thereto, which in
Nature he made due to it: As he doth to theS«» in its action, and to the
fouls of Brutes. So that Activity as such, distinct from the due order of
it, is given by God in Nature.
5 . And God hath placed the foul in the Universe, as a wheel in a Watch,
where it must needs have some effects of the co-operation oiconcaufes, or
fuperiour agents.
6. And Angels and Devils who have very much to do with our fouls,
do work as Voluntary Agents, in Political Order , though not without the
regulation of Gods Law or mil.
7.' And God can do what he will on fouls without any second cause,
though whether he do so, or what, we know not.
8. All this being supposed for Efficiency, objects duly qualified may do
much for the Order of Alts, though properly they do nothing : so thac
though they be but ut Materia ad formam , occasions fine quibus nonx,
yet the reasons of the great alterations in the World , being admirably
cm Thomista: dicum, fetcht from the various Passive or Receptive dispositions o{ matter, no wbn-
Vh7Jmr£m£vl der tf ic be so w^mans foul also.
totZemad tSumkmm, A spark of fire which long was unseen, if you put Straw, Gunpowder
tun exduiunt Motiomm or otner {ue\ t0 jCj mav burn a City or Kingdom, when yet the fuel
fuppmmu Alvarez f de is not an efficient cause ( save the /r* that is /'» *> ; but an objective
Auxil. disp. 23. p. 108. Matter.
c' l' What work doth a Student find all his life among Books ? What abun
dance of knowledge doth he learn by them, which he had none of in his
Infancy i And so do Travellers by viewing the actions of the World.
And all these are but fuel to the fire. The Joul only is the Agent,\znd all
these are signs and objects that do nothing really on the soul at all.
You may lead a Beast up and down , and govern them by objects ;
which yet act nothing on them.
So Satan doth by tnc Drunkard, Gluttons Fornlcator, Gamester, Cove
tous, drc. What Reputed wort^ do objects make on them by doing
nothing? ....... ■ \
Thus rerun* & Bonum are said to work. And the case is this, The
Active spirit, is not only Naturally Altive, but Essentially Inclined tosome
certain objects {Truth And Goodness ): And this Inclination being their
very Nature, when the object is duly presented to it, and it self delivered
from all false objects, and erroneous Action on them, and *// habits thence
contracted, it will Naturally work accordingly. And therefore duly {ex
ternally and internally ) to bring God and Holy objects to the prospect of
the soul, is the way of working them to God.
And sure the World would never make such a stir about Preaching, to
get fit men , and to perswade them to diligence, and to keep sound do
ctrines*, is these objective causes, as fuel to the/rV*,<fid not do mHch,
by occasioning the Active foul to qq its proper worfe '■
9. Yet still remember ( again ) that Jesus Christ is the Political Head
of Influx ( if not more , ; who sendeth forth the Spirit, as he please, buc
ordinarily upon his setled Gospel terms , to work on fouls, by his three
fold fore-mentioned influx , with and by these means, according to them,'
bttt in an unsearchable manner ; As God doth in Nature by the Sun and
other Natural Causes.') r„;

se ct:
 —— - • I '■> - l I
And the Subversions os Mans iVilL . 35

) , SECT. XI.

what Free-will Man hath to Spiritual Good, &c.

1. >"T"sHe understanding os the Nature of the Power and Liberty

I of the wi^ is the very key to open all the rest of the coa^
troverted difficulties in these matters : But having spoken of it so much
before, in the former part of this Book, and more elsewhere, I shall no
further weary the Reader with repetitions, than to note these sew things
following. ,
^. 2. If any like not the name of Free will, Libe-ra Voluntas) let them
but agree about these two, the Power of the will, and Free:chrice , * Li- * Mitt tjft tdii aelimh
berum arbitrium, and they need not contend about Free-will, , foitYtil" tibltTn'
^.3. 1. As to the first, It is the very Essence of the Will to be a na- pteriiarkm ' popiimli
tural Power or faculty of' willing Good and Nilling evil apprehended by the rixiri it ttcabulis:
Intellect ; and commanding the inferiottr faculties either politically ot Augusts in "mltis
despotically, difficultly or easily, perfectly or imperfectly^ according to its Vohm.^ fin^iis fen pi-
resolution and their Receptivity. , Kfflw
^.4. 2. The Liberty of choice is not only Libettai Voluntatis , but£/* «;.Meiancth.Loc.Com.
hertas Hominis, when a man may have what he chooseth or willeth ; iK!^"1^"^ fe ists
Here the Act of choosing is the wills ; but the object is somewhat else * confess thaAy christi
cither an Imperaie aft of some inferiour faculty, or some extrinsick thing. Case it is proved, that
So we fay truly, that the unbeliever, or. unconverted sinner, may believe, YerTomm&miblYs not
may repent, may have Christ and life, tthewiU ( as DuTwiffe frequent- necessary to nkrit : so
ly aflerteth.) . , Sws/'^S"
J. 3. But the Liberty of the Will it self, is but the mode of itB *oVtri?Veal difference
self-determination, as without constraint it is a self-determining principle °f these three, seeKoi,
ui its estate Acts, coniidered comparatively. \ take not that whid)
6. The Liberty of the Will is threefold, i . Liberty ofContradiction, "«ny Schoolmen call
or exercitii. 2. Oft Contrariety or specification in thejifti 3. Of obje- b^SfrSElbeS
ifk/e specification, which is Liberty of Competition, 1 . The first Liberty to: Though 1 distinguish
is to will ot not will ; to mil or not mil. 2. The second is Liberty to ^bercy rf £mpk,com.
... ... > . *_. . . . . t .1 11 1• —/ placence, from Liberty
w«/ or #/// 3. The third is Liberty to will This object or TA<*/, or of election % as being i
to 0/// T&s or That. * Yd^^bl^hitu
$.7. The will hath not 4// these sorts of Liberty about every object ■: ber^C^r'o^rripkcen-
For it cannot will known evil as such, &c. But it hath all these about cy specially ) may stand
severd t>h\eFit
jeveral ob\etts. _ Wlth ne«1Iky
uble °f i™m*~
dispofition) }Ta
£.8. By this ^r and r/fy, the Will is made of God, to be a kind and with some sort bt
of Causa prima secundum quid, of the Moral ORDER or specification of Necessitating operatioij
'r-, vt r i n -m • t- t „ , ot God;as is in Christ and
tts own affs: Not limply or strictly a Causa prima • For l. It was God the Glorified : And irk
the first Cause that gave man this self-determining Power. 2. It is God large .essential sense
that upholdeth it: And so it still dependeth wholly on his supporting will, ft ^ oW/ttsS
3. God concurrerhby his universal influx, to its acts. 4. God is still Voiuurhm to b: the act
theZ-wvf 0/ ff, andean turn it as he please, and over-rule it to his Ends, uncarulraked^r^sf
and hath put no act of ours from under his power. But, he, willingly so that the word [ iW»
forbeareth his own further operation, as that he hath made the wiUdbkS f^X^Hf0 exceed-
1 J lag arab'guouB ( as ray
» .foresaid Scheiiie fliew-
eth ) we must be sure that we pretend nbt the Controversies dt ntmint to be it re. But it is tlie Indifferency. 6f a
Viators will that we have now to do with , and hot that state of perfect deterrhihationj dr ihat Arnplitude or
advancement of the will , which Gibituf and such others talk of : And note that by [ Voffe dgert vll tion dgcre ]
which we put into the definition of free-will, we must not mean that Pottntia moralis metaphorica, whicji is nothing)
but the wills moral disposition or habit; but the Potentia Naturdis : And so it may Be said of Christ and thegie'flrH
ed, that their not finning or not willing sin, is not tx impotenti.i natnrali} but ti perfeftionti

rfff 2 en

1
 OfCjocssCjrackus Operations on Man's Soul :
l_ i ■ ,_ , ■■ ■ ■ y — r_—, _
on supposition of his foresaid support and universal influx , and rule, to
Determine it [elf to the said ORDER of its Acts, without Gods particu
lar predetermining premotion.
^. 9. As in the Vital and Intellectual faculties, it is Gods Image to be
Able to Act Vitally , Utid to understand. 5 so in the will this [elf-deter
mining Tower and Liberty, and Imperium over other faculties, is part of
the [ame Image. And it is Gods wrong and dishonour 00 have his
Image denyed and dishonoured : And therefore to deny this Tower of
the mil is as much a disgracing of Gods Image, as to deny man to be
Rational.
£.10. God made man siich an Intellectual Free Agent, that he might
be a ft subject for Sapiential Moral Government : and accordingly he
setled a Kingdom in the World ; And as he governeth meer Natural
Agents, by Natural motion., so he governeth Man as a Moral agent, by
Laves and Moral means and motion : For he ruleth all things according
to their Natures.
$.11. Yet as man, even his w/7/, is quid Naturde as the subject of
his morality, and as Aquinas oft faith, Iffa Volantas est quaiam natura •
so God doth by Natural agency and Causation continue and actuate man
as Natural, that so he may govern him morally in the rest, even in the
moral ordering of his Acts.
12. When men fay that the mil is free from co-action, they mean
not all the fame thing. By co-action some mean nothing, but that willing
is not nilling ; or that God doth not make it to be unwilling and willing
of the fame thing, in the fame respect, at the same instant , that is, God
causeth not contradi6tions, it being Impossible : And so with the Predeter-
minants usually to will, and to will freelyt signifie the very same. And
if this be all the Liberty of the Will 5 then to move it as Naturally as
a Stone is moved, to hate God, to will all fin, and nill all duty, so as
that it can no more do otherwise than make a World, were no abatement
of its Liberty, because it is Volition and Nolition which are the acts that
it is moved to, ( whether by God or Satan. )
£.13. But I yet fee not why it may not as properly be called Coaetion,
to move the will by physical necejfitation to will or nill, as to move the
Intellect to understand, or to move any natural agent.
14. If you fay, that the word [Coaetion"] iruporteth reluctancy, or
unwillingness, or opposition • I confess with Scotus, that Potentia paffiva;
is well distinguished, into naturalem, neutram, violentam: and that the
word Coaction may be so strictly taken, as to signisie no motion but of a
violated Patient : and so it is but //'/ de nomine : But a Necessitating
motion of a natural, and neutral patient is the fame thing, what name so
ever you call it by. And they that acknowledge the pravity. of the will,
and its corrupt aver[ness to God and spiritual good, must needs, by this
rule, make Gods gracious change by predetermination to be a coaction, as
being the motion of a centrarily disposed patient : contrarily, I fay, ia
instanti priore ; for the motus is supposed to change its disposition and
act at once i But if still they fay, that it is not contrary in eodem instan
ti, and that's its liberty » I fay, then if the Devil had power as easily to
effect by physical premotion a hatred of God and will to sin, in all men,
as lean move my pen, it were no loss of Natural Liberty. Andso«w/?*
liberty differeth not from a beasts, or from a plants, indeed, but only in
the Nature of the Act .* one willeth, when the other doth but appetere,
but all by the like physical unresistible efficiency from other causes. This
is but to play with the name of Liberty,
$.15. We
 nd the Sub^oferaticns of Man* WitL 37

^.15. We take not this Liberty to be inconsistent with all kind of ,

Necessity, as is opened before in the Table of Liberty,
16. Nor do we confound the several sorts of Liberty, Cas the said
Table ilieweth) i. A Political Liberty from Restraint of Laws is one thing
( not questioned in these disputes $J x . And a Moral or Holy Liberty front
•vice or finsid dispositions and acts is another. 3. But it is the Natural
Liberty of mans will on earth, that we speak of.
£.17. So far as any man is vicious, he wanteth the Moral Liberty of his
will, and so far as he is virtuous and sanctified he hath it : that is, His
will is so far freed from sin.
t8. We take not Liberty oftvill to consist in Neutrality j- of disposition f See vr.Mictdo against
or meer Indifferency : For the will acteth freely when it acteth according ,,,hlte'
to its Inclination and habits, with the greatest propensity, yea, constancy
of self-determination.
19. We take not the Indetermination oi the will to be its perfe
ction ; but its Natural Imperfection : But such as God hath made it in, in
this World, where all his creatures have not the fame perfection. * ^udido^^L^di1
30. Therefore though God hath thought this Indeterminate, self Km&tih inessential
determining will, to be fittest for a Viator in his tryal and preparation Liberty which is scis
sor felicity, yet Per section consisted in the most Determinate state ofLove, ^^tom^l
with the greatest necessity which proceedeth from the perfected nature of berty of 'indifferency ,
man, and the full communication of Love from God, which we hope to ^ ieSSS
have in Heaven for ever. And he is best on Earth who is nearest to and riecefliution.
this state.

S E C T. XI I. ,

Somewhat more of Predetermination 5 rvith an answer to Dr. Twifle.

i- ^TT* Hough I remit the Controversie of * Predetermination to * Irem-lt Ae Rea(lert(j

X a. peculiar full Disputation on that subject, yet this touch strati) against llhene-
in trans(U I shall give here. ceffity ofpredetermina-
1. It is not Gods meer Volition or Decree of the Event that we speak non p$m quo.
of ; but his Physical Motion. m»i» jtatui poijit mum
2. + The Dominicans ( the Masters of the inquisition, and Murderers ^ il^hncl mxiu ^
the ffaldenfes zndMbigtnses of old, ) and therefore faulty as well as the %e%Zdett'Z^T^
JesuitSj though there are very Learned men among them both, do com- inde fiv** Dim #
monly hold, thatTW Creature natural or free can act, unless God by Im- Klank' jhes. SV. de
mediate physical efficient premotion predetermine it to that act, both in concursu, &c.
the act as such ( which they; call the substance of it> ) and all the modes, J^^^b^SS
circumstances and ordet of it. tormenting men for that
3 . Augustine and Janfenius after him, with their true followers hold doin'^em'an^
not this necessity of predetermining premotion to all alts, natural, oxfin- them ,OIand necessitate
ful; bur. only to spiritual good affs : which is not from the Nature, but them to. See Bndwar-
the Corruption of man, and therefore the predetermination is not made, t^'quodmmd'o
fay they, by Gods Common Natural Motion, but by Medicinal Grate. tat quamlibtt Voimtttm
ertatam ad quimlibtt li-
btrm aftwn fkum, & cef
sitionm ac vicitionm ab aslu ; & hoe meiflitati naturaliter prtctdcntt : & cor. p. 6^.omnu qnx sunt, stunt ant tvtni-
it*t, flit, font & eveniiat dt aliqua luceffitatt ipsa naturalitir pracedinte. This is just Horn.
So c. 5. p. 654. that No creature hath simple liberty of Contradiction, or Contingency, but only ftcundm quid in respect
to second causes : but only Gods acts of will ad txtra are simply free and contingent. As if God had giren no crea
ture Liberty to forbear sin or do good j but doing it or not doing it were from Gods neceflitation, though not from
the creatures!
^.Durandut
38 Of (jofis C)t adorn Operations on Mans Soul :

4. Durandus and his followers ( as Lud. a Dola ) and Aureolus partly,

do hold, that if God do but uphold all creatures-, as compaginate in the
Universe, in the Nature he made them in, sand so natural Inclination^
and media and objects all supposed ) this suflentation and Influx main
taining their Active Natures, and means , is sufficient to cause an Act*,
without another particular predetermining premotion of God. As f.^.in
Naturals, they think that if a Rock were violently held up in the Air,,
God continuing its Natural Gravity , and all ocher circumflant Natures
and Concaufesy this Rock if loosed can fall down of it self, without ano
ther predetermining premotion of God. And that a new Act os Gori
X supposing the said support ofNature ) is more necessary to the not-fal
lings than to the falling of it : As it was to the fires not burning the
Three Confessors, Ban. 3. And I am unable to fee the error of tJiis
Opinion.
And so ift free agents, they think, that ifGod continue the Nature of
a free-will, with all circumstants and necessary natures , it can freely de
termine it self, without another act of predetermining premotion h And
doth so in each act of sin: Though as Janfenius faith, by accidental cor
ruption, for Converfion we need Medicinal Grace.
%. The Jesuits, and all others explode this Opinion of Durandus as sin
gular, but give so little and slender reason of their dissent, as would draw
one the more to suspect their cause. Instead of it they scarce know what
to assert : But Bellarminc and the chiefest of them, under a pretended
opposition, speak ( I think ) the same in other words , Even an Uni
versal Concurse like that of the Sun, which operateth in specification ac
cording to the nature of Recipients , which specifie the effect. Which
Universal Influx , no doubt, Aureolus and Durandusindude in Godssufien
tation of Nature: For to sustain an Active Nature in all its Active dis
position, by a suitable active Influx , is universally to cause its motion.
The difference they are unable to assign.
6. After these come Hobbs, Carteflus and Gajfendus, with a swarm of
Epicureans, ( a Sect commonly despised even in Cicero's time , and yec
called wits in ours by men that have no more wit than themselves ) ; and
some of these say, that Motion needeth no continued cause at alJ, any
more than non-movere : But when a thing is in motion, it will so conti-
nue^ because it is its state, without any other continued cause than the
motion it self. And so they may as well fay ( and some do ) that when
a thing is in Being, it will so continue till it be positively annihilated ,
without any continued causation of its being. As if ejfe & exiflere
were nothing more than non ejfe ; and agere were no more noble a mode
of Entity than non agere, and so needed no more ( that is, no ) Cause.
( For non ejfe <jr non agere need no Cause : ) When this distraction is
worn out and mamed, the next Age will reproach us for attempting the
confutation of it ; And yet the ivits of this delirant Age have not the
wit to understand a Confutation.
Some of them fay, that Spirits cannot move bodies for want of Con
tact ( as Gajsendus). Some fay, that Matter and Motion are eternal, and
that of themselves ; As if there were no God but Matter and Motion.
Some fay, that there is a God^who gave matter one push at first, and so
set it in that motion by which one body by a knock will move another
to the end. And some say, There is no other Intellect $ but the won
ders of wisdom and order in the World are done by such fortuitous
motion.

m
 "■"^■^ 1 ■" 1 *•
And the Sub-operations of Man s Will? \0 39

But Hobbes meeteth the Predeterminants and faith, that the will is free
in that its Att is Volition-, but that this Volition is necessitated by fnpe-
riour or natural Caujes as much as any motion in a Clock or Watch, and
that it is unconceivable that any Act or Mode of Act can be without
a necejjitating efficient cause. Bat he differs from them in his conse
quents, and in the Notion of a Spirits acknowledging no being but
Corporeal.
Q. 2. The Predeterminants commonly build not their doctrine on Gods
free-will, but on the Necessity of the thing: As if it were acontradicti- • f
on, which God cannot do, for God to make a creature that can Deter
mine it self , ad ordinem aclionis without his particular predetermining
premotion; or to make a Stone that can jail from the Air of it self, un
less he move it downwards, besides his fustentation of its natural gravity, and
all other natures, by his Influx, or universal Concurse.
3. But till they can prove the Contradiction, they must pass for the
denyers of Gods Omnipotency, which is to deny a God.
4. * Their chief argument is, that the moral specification of an Acti- ^ ^ ^ci^ no„e.
on is an £»f/V7 5 and to fay that any thing can cause any Entity without ,.That all the rest of
Gods first causing it , is to deifie that creature making it a first cause, their arguments save
Anjw.i. The comparative Order of Actions, ("as the terminating them on £°8? SiS
this object rather than that, and at this time rather than that, &c. ) is affirmeth that God is not
but the modus modi entis-, and so is no proper entity. 2. Or if ihcName Jithcr^ofprofit
be thequarrell, it is no other Entity than what God is Able to make a or pleasure which syet
creature Able to cause without his predetermining Causality. 3. This he faith are tood.
power is the excellency of the creature, and the honour of its Creator. ' ^ Entityerfn mm
^.5. As for their arguments that there is no effect without a cause, nor condmbiit , «/ Bonum
difference in effects without a difference in the causes and that an unde- 5*refeMGotU»"£
termined cause cannot produce a determinate effect I answer, 1 . God is the cause of them, tell
the cause of all differences without any diversity in himself. And he is the y^us^"/uchwc'ny
Free cause of all things neceftary in the World. 2. The foul is Gods tityb Mum mrait, as
Image. 3. The will when undetermined hath a self-determining power, that man is not able to
Therefore this is but petere principium. 4. But there are many sub- causes paredetermineniS wli??
tfiat are a reason of the determination • As objects, opportunity, know- Yea, as to Entity, there
ledge, the removing of competitors, &c. is "° more J° Bo™m £
9 r & ... r r •/ 1 • r 1 . ■> nesium , than in the
6. Therefore Gtbteufs, gmI. Camerartus, eye. way ot predetermina- rest fore named : His
tion by the Causa fimlis, is nothing to our question 3 that being coefficient, word!> «e C Nts t**"
but a ^mW, ^jV^or^/Catrfation. ' ' / %™m^,7 Z%
. . '"' ".'■"«» ■ ♦ .■»»,..•*•. iiw* conducibi-
1. .! . f: H.' •. « ,!.vJ .1 W'j certum aliqum
sinem : fed. arguit adverfarius, Ergo Vms tjfet non modo pemiffot, fed & effector ejus mali. Prorfus invalid* conftquentia :
Appartt erim non neceffe effe ut Deus sit efftclor omhis Boni in ginert conducibilis : (N. B.) Vlx tnim datur aliquod pecca-
tum, quod iw fit alicui conducibilt — Mque neceffe tft ut Deus fit author omnis boni jucludi , magis quam ut sit author
ftccatj. Nam ctrtifsimim f/r, .& extra omnem amtroversie aleam pofiturn, peccatum ej'e bonum in gmere jucundi, etiam in gtnere con
ducibilis,: poteft enim pecc'itym nobis. cedere in faluttm T Vans. Grat. li. i. p. i. sect. 7. p. 133. But whereas
the Doctor upbraideth Armrius for confusion In not distinguishing tlie three forts of Good in this controverfie, An
mali existentii bomm fit ? viz. the bonum hontsium, utilt & jucfindm ; I must desire tlie Reader to avoid also the Doctors
confusion, and to be so much more accurate than he, as- to remember that this distinction is but de Bono crtatura ,
whose pleasure, profit arid honesty are distinguishable r Bur that above these God Himself is theabfolute and simple
Good, and that things *re first Good as related to him, th(lPrime and Ultimate Good : And that the highest formal
notion of Good ness in the creature, is none of those three, bus the conformity of things to the Will of God , the
absolute Rule of Goodness. And therefore 'when we ask, 'An bonum sit ut sit malum ? we mean not an fit bonum homi-
nis secundum quid, but an sit bonum simpliciter, viz. conforme I'oluntaii Divine ? And if they_ can prove that Deus velit
tecentim fieri, we will confess it to be Good. But 3. Yetl de4y irito be boruffi. utilt, feeing it doth the sinner no good.
Tor n§num \ucmdum in gtnert is not sin. God would have men liave more Pleasure than fin bringeth, and not less. But it is hoc
minus yt.-wdu*: ftnsibile preferred ' before hoc magis jucuirditm fpirrtuale, wMch is fin. Now the_ prelation of a Less
PkaCurt to a' Greater is nc Pleasure. So that £m is nejcher\if/& tor fucundm. And the Doctor is quite out, in calling
nccafio a medium conducibiie : and confefseth that fin is po .othcxwjfc cqudueible to Gods Glory but as occasio. Where
to occisio, as such, is no medium at all, nd mote than, pofjhtlit3s eft tns; nhjessyou tokcMtdium very largely.
,» . _ v W, y . ' '. ' \\\<~ ' rV.ls as .\ V
t}.j. When

/
 Of (jocts (jracious Operations on Man's Soul:

£.7. When they say, that else God dependethon the creature, and is
determined by it, ( as to his Concurle : ) I answer, 1 . How can Gods
free upholding the power of a free agent, be his dependence onic, when
it expresty speaketh its dependence on him , without whom it cannot be
nor act ? i - No creature determineth God's Immanent acts : nor his tran
sients as to the meer Impress and first effect $ and so not Gods Act at all 1
unless Terminating be Determining. It is only its own Act which the
creature determineth,, which is a secondary effect of Gods acs, as proceed
ing from the second cause. Gods Influx maketh all that Imprcjs on the
soul which God intendeth absolutely : But whether by that Impress the
sinner will consent, the will determineth, and is the chief determiner in
Evil.
8. Saith Dr. Twisse Vindic. Gr&t. lib. i. p. a. Digres.9. [ The se
cond cause non agit in primam^ &c. Hoc faceret vei volendo, vel aliud
agendo,&c.~] Anfw. It's granted : God is not passive, nor doth any se
cond cause act on him as passive : Who is his Adversary in this <
9. He addeth f_ " Neither on the Infiux of God do we act : for an
(t Act is not the subject of an ail.'} Anfw. 1. If by Gods Act and In
flux he mean not the £jf<r<?? on the soul, it isa false supposition that Gods
Influx or Act is any other than his Essence : But if the said effect be
meant , I have sliewed you that both Indisposition in the Recipient, and
a contrary Alt may resist it.
10. Against our Passive determination of the effect, he saith, that
s_ " God is denyed to act by physical action on mans will which if
" he did, he would rather determine it, than be determined by tt, becauje
"it cannot resist him, &c] Ans. t. The will doth not resist by reaefien
on and against God ; but by Indisposition, and by its own not acting when
it can, c?c. a. Who dare deny all physical Action of God on mans will >
w hen it is quadam natura f 3. The will doth not Determine Gods will,
nor reject his Impress, but only determine its own Act. 4. If God would
act ad ultimum posj'e, the will would never disobey or fail of the due
effect.
d. II. He saith ib. {Doth God move only to the Act in°enere ? or a!so to
"this species of action ? The first cannot be said, For Suarez, Hurtadoy
"say that God determineth the Agent to this Individual act. And the
"creature hath as much need of help to the species ofmotion ( which is
t{ perfetter than the gentu,) as to me genus. And Gods Influx is singular ,
"and not determined to Generical nature, &c. "} Anfw. Gods universal
motion ( as the Suns ) doth necessarily make its Impress on the creature,
and giveth him sufficient help ex parte sui to Act; yea, necessarily conti-
nueth the soul in some Action* And that Action is singular,and not a non
existent universal. But it is only the General Nature of a singular Ait.
which Gods Natural Infiux necessarily causeth : And the Moral species
( what need soever we nave of help to it ) is caused otherwise 5 not by
this common Infiux of God as the root of Nature, but by a special Gra
cious Influx with and by special supernatural means. And this it dpth on
ly to Good and not to Evil: and not.alwayes with a causally necessitating
tnflux, as to our act.
£.12. He addeth s_ "if the will need not Gods motion to its Ait in
" specie, it is either in genere entis, or in genere moris. The first can-
cc not be said: For the special Nature includeth the General and more.
"And the species in genere moris are no species of aits, but only acci-
" dents of humane aits , and that only by extrinsick denomination as tt
"the
 . And the Sub-operations of Man s iVttl^ > 41

"the Law, ~] &c. Answ. i. The vanity of arbitrary Logical notions, isa
wood for you to hide the matter in. You are not able certainly to define
what physically specifeth an Action, and what not. To fay that one is the
species of an Act, and the other is but an accident and no species, is buc
to fay that you will fay what you list. We use to fay that Acts are sped- :
fled by their objects : And so when objects differ specie physica vet morali,
the acts do so. But when the question is with Judas, shall I betray my .
Master or not ? with another, shall I be perjured or not ? with ano- .
ther, shall I commit this Adultery or not i with another^ (hall I pray in .
-season or out of season ? to another, shall I love God or the creatures
more i shall I will or not will this sliall I will it or nill it < &c. Here
you are so much at liberty that you may please your self with faying, that
to betray and not betray, to forswear and not to forswear, to love more or
less in degree,^, are physical species of entity, and so make physical
species of Action. But I will not fay that non agere cjr non ens is a fpc^
cies of Entity physical : Nor do I believe that we need Gods Influx ad
non agendum as such. . . .
And as for your Accidents of Actions, if you mean Relations, it is their
fundamentum that we are questioning. The extrinfick denomination is
sounded in Relation, or else it's Causeless. In a wo*d, Man by Common
Influx can determine his own will to go this way rather than that, and
also not to go, and this without a further physical predetermining pro
motion of God.
^.13. Buc here let the Reader note, that when he maketh Moral Good,
and Evil no species of Actions, but an extrinfick denominations which is
true, abstracting the relation from thefundamental difference of the Acts)j
and maketh God the Naturally necessitating Cause of all that is physical
in the acts, he maketh God equally the necessitating prime Cause of
Good and Evil , which are but relations resulting from the spe
cified acts.
14. He addeth [If God move the will it is to that fame at~t which
it doth, or to another, jf to another , why jbould it be said that God
moved it to that which is not done rather than that which is dene, when
we speak not of moral, but neceffary physical motion ? ] Answ. The Par-r
fide [_ 7V] doth cheat you by ambiguity. iiAs [to~] noteth, the<r/-
feB, of God alone, it is [to 2 the Impress which he maketh on the foul ;
which tffect he still obtaineth, which urgeth it towards its own act.
a. The fame I fay if [to 2 signifie an absolutely intended end. 3. But if
[ to 2 signifie the natural tendency oi Gods Impulse as to zncjfeB possible
and desirable, yea, and due by command from the subordinate cause ( mans
•will,) then it was [ to ~] our act of repentance, faith, duty, that God moved
us : That is, he gave us that Power, and necessary influx by which it might
and ought to have been done by us.
15. . It is but to make toil for the Re*ader to answer all these fallacies
arid quibbles, founded in some false supposition or ambiguous word : else
I wouW answer the rest , of that Digreflion> and his Digref. 5. li. 1. p. 2.
contra Alvar. Only here I must take notice, that in this Digr. 9. he nim-
self rejecteth Greg. Arim. and Hurtado's assertion of Gods Determining us
to this or that Numerical Act, as distinct from another ejusdem speciei;
ut merum iigmentttm, & id curiofitati hominum nimium ihfœlici satis-
faciendum duntaxat introduBum. Whereas were it not for wearying the
Reader,I might shew,that the fame Reasons will hold for or against this hu-
merica% as are for or against hjsspecifical predetermination: And the spe
cies having no existence but in the individuals, and himself saying, that
Gggg Gods
42 Of(fod'f (j radons Operations on Man's Soul :

Gods motion is ad atlas fingulares, if he fay that it is not to that sin

gular atf that is done, rather than that which is not done, he givcth up
his whole cause.
^. 16. But to this he hath an answer that it is a fiction and unsound to
say, that [_ <c Poftibilia qiu nondum exiftunt do differre numero : cum aiffer-
" re numero eft tantum existent turn. 3 Answ. i . He may as well fay, that
ejfe postibile is a fiction : when postibile is terminus diminuens ad ejse.
And is not postibile as much afiction de specie as de numero ? That which
is not) neither is in specie nor in numero. But there is a Postibilitxs nu-
meri as well as speciei. Yet with this answer he oft insiilteth over the
Schoolmen, when at another time he would have said Possibile hath
an ejfe cognitum in both respects.
^ $ 17. And I think the good man forgat that by this he quite overthrow-
1 *: * eth his Book de Scientia Media, and much of all his other Books, which are
S ^animated with the supposition of Gods will causing futuritien from eterni-
\ty. For if only existentia differunt nmneto, futura non sunt exiftentia:
I t And if the futurition of differentia, numero be not decreed nor eternal
I* ( as os this Sun, this Earth, Paul, Peter, and their singular acts, &c. ) then
/ > nothing is future from eternity : And so we are brought to the Arminians
£ election of species only, and not of individuals ( inprimo inftantt') which
! I is rejected. Sure God eletfeth Individuals, or none : And if so, it is fu-
^ ture individuals. Individuation existech not but in existent ibus. But
v^if foreknowledge and Decree maybe of futures and non-exiftentsy it may
be of individuals that are such, as well as of species.
18. Yea, he proceedeth to fay pag. 41a. £ Heum fiire plura effe
possibil'u qttam sunt, non eft scire multitudinem rerum possibilium ; fed
tantum scire se prastare posse ut detur major multitude rerum existenti-
um quam atfu fit: Quare multitude rerum individuarum Deo not unt est
tantum exiftentitim, five ea fit multitudo altualis. five potentials, &C. ]
And yet the foul of his Book de Scientia Media is T Causa tranjitioms
rerum e numero Possibilium in numerum futurorum, j And my foresaid
opposition to his Eternal causation offuturity, is hereby confirmed.
2. It's true, that toknow quid possibile, is not to know it to be extftenr,
nor any more than to know what God ( e.g. ) can do ; and so to denomi
nate Nothing, quid possibile, as relating to Pmer : ( And so Arimmens.
faith Nothing may be Related. ) But the like must be said of futurity:
And it holdeth equally of the species and de numero, & possibilium ejr
futurorum'-, so that here we have confitentem reum about the dance and
dream of notions and nothings which I have before shewed they beguile
mens understandings with.
And hence also my former doctrine is confirmed, of the non-necessit^
of a cau&l decree of Negatives ox Nothings, or of a Positive Volition of
them.
£.19. The truth is, an Act of mans foul is such a thing, thatde ex-
iftentibus it's hard for any of their fubtilties to make known the diffe
rence of species, accidents or individuals ab objeilu: And to know what
interruptions they must be, that go to cut one Immanent act into two, or
hinder unity.

SECT.
 i "I - -i
And the Sh ^operations of Mans W%U. 42

SECT. XII L

Of mans Po wer Natural and Moral.

$.\. T H\ive said so much of this also in the other parts of this Book, that
_|_ a little here may serve.
i. Man hath no Power whatsoever but from God * and therefore doth
not act as a prime Cause properly, because but by a derived power.
2. That which is a Power but hypothetically on Condition of some
thing not existent, especially not in our power it self, is no power proper
ly and univocally, but equivocally only. As to fay, I am able to leap to
Heaven if God will Cause it : I am able to lift a thousand pound with
sufficient help which I have not : I am able to see if I had light : or to see
a Phœnix if there were such a thing: or I am able to will or move with
Gods necessary predetermining premotion (fay some) which I have not.
None of this is a true Power ad hoc. But to constitute a formal Power, ■•
it is necessary that I have all things, without which I cannot do the act.
It is a contradiction to fay that when a man hath the true Power to
believe, yet he cannot do the Aft)* without further premotion: which is to * As fastiUs <tad ph
fay, He that can believe, cannot believe. The Power connoteth the Pts- J^aS&utjfy ni^ef-
sibile. sarytoit.
<}. 4. f The true Natural Power of Intellection and Volition every man t Vfmia tttiHtd* rj-
hath as zman: And when God, Christ, Heaven are brought to us with . ^SIZi^ITSi
all the Conditions necessary to Objects of Intellect and Will, we have for- Uvt,fa Lpuaionm *u-
mal power to understand and will them, in this Natural feme. What is JfSjpjjte J££
necessary to the Being of an Object, and Revelation, I desire the Reader to tW ^tknm ' imped,
fee distinctly openedby me, in a small tract called. The Certainty of chri- *&.'£&*fw*>*
n. •. // ■:_ ^ ' ' * wiper tncUnmtnem con-
fttanity without Popery. trJim a ptccitd.
f}. 5. But the soul it self hath z vicious Indisposition to thespiritual ex- inciimio iuttrxbtt per
.erase of these faculties or powers : And this is the morbus facultatum% ti^tL\^dVi
And this Indisposition is called a Moral Impetency ; because the soul is inciinttur ad umtnrtentra-
unfitted by it to the exercise of its natural Power. F*f ^TT.
6. When this indisposition is so great, as that w man in that case doth Cm ereo VKCatm jit to*
do the alt, we fay he is morally unable: And when it is not so great, but trmum virtiai, t* hoc
that under that Indisposition some men do the alt, in that state of help tntiw ZmmJ*\
fay that such a man is morally Able. Therefore he that is yet more dispo- quod eft inclinath ad w -
sed, is so More able, and it hath various degrees. {."j* ^Kf*
7. But if a man have so great a disposition (skill and will) as that ita Thoro.' i.*2.V«5«
he is ready to the facile andfrequent performance of the act, that Prompti- ar.i.ineorp.
tude is called a Habit, and is more than a wrcr M^r*/ power ( though a /w-
eralso. ) , !"( .
<\. 8. It is certain that»»M can do more than they do t not only that they
[tould do more if God would predetermine them, or give them more grace ;
but that properly ihey can. The worst hath Power to do more good, and
forbear more evil, than he doth $ And so have the best.
f}.9. Adam had /r«* proper Power, natural and Moral, to Iiave stood when
; he fell: He finned not tor want of necessary Power to have forborn it.
'. f. 10, They that deny this and resolve all ftn into Gods unresijlible ne-
cejjitAting operation, or denying of power absolutely and antecedently ne
cessary, I think do make way iotHobbes his Theologie, or subversion of Re-

Gggg 1 $XI» M»rd

 44 OfCjocss (jracious Operations on Man's Soul :

$.11. Moral Power and Impotency are primarily such in the will ( the
first scat of morality ) and derivatively or secondarily in the Intellect and
executive Power. And therefore it is not originally and radically of pby~
steal necessity, but Free, as the will which is free is the Cause os it.
'* faxfm.de Grat. cbrift. i. x I2. * Nature teacheth all the world so mueluo difference between
without'dfcctSlG^c mans Voluntary and Involuntary Acts and Habits, as to take the first to be
men have a compleac directly laudable or culpable, as being not only virtuous ox vicious, but in
sakhert°etthThfy lave tneir relations to the Rule, to berirtueot Fiait self- and the more men
power, i. Rtmetifint-jn haveof a vicious obstinacy and voluntarineflin evil, the more all mankind
that they have free-will. concjemn ancj nate them. Whereas involuntary necessity is every-where
withVwc.'as^ing^he taken for a just excuse: yea a necessity volt'hit in a mad man or a phre-
beginning, &c. 3. Yet netick or melancholy person, maketh them the objects of mens compafll-
wu&l Andhenotah on. And this Light and Law of humane nature Is not to be rejected, be-
a double impotency, «w cause it may seem hard to answer the sophisms of those that woaldcon-
ePudf%ual^"J%ft found these sorts of Power and Impotency.
ZigtilToiunuu%iTferti- 13. Therefore of a man that is no otherwise unable to Love God
tnv0iindtsmltri.Tatutft {e.g.) but only because (or in that) directly or indirectly, he tvill
EjiSÆ »*. that IS, is Dtfr$th>dyyJta*œjvA Habitually Unwilling, it is more
gitndum, &c. ( This is proper and intelligible to fay that he w'tR not, than that he cannot : Though
natural impotency.)ju ■ m arfofay Jse cannot, when we mean but that be will not : But the
tali imtoUnUa verijptim J J , '
tfh quodnms nm jubet im- .most explicatory words arc belt.
pQiiu ': jto j* A. 14. No man shall be able so far to accuse God and excuse himself
quo tails Dritur imfoIJibiU- c - - -

would believe but can-

icarion. )
(or faith; if' theywiU^
F **• yet the unregenerate are 'unable to be willing.
'pJ^ffimViS impn- Anfw. By Unable you must 1. Eithermean that they want the Natu-
ritm : .taiitymodo aim tal Power ox faculty of willing it 2. Or that they want some ndturtSy-
^^^^^g^eceffary concaufe or objecJ, without which this hca\ty is no formal Power
excufrt tuk qui''adh hoc ; 3. Or that ihcfvtllis not well Disposed(o to Act.
:w» ;^K^i>gg- lt The first no man will fay that riketh an unbeliever for a Man.
Jw&ff y^dJmpM-y^hc second no man "will say that wi!'l not by fflbbes his physical ne-
- ji'Wi^' ^ J^radon; turn Religion into a w«(f ox nothing, or the natural motion di
V£$^a7dLu- % Engine called Mxn. 3 . And the third (Which is the trash; mast be named
;fffl.v£u$pt Mi$mdum-r "as it is : In Controversies which exercise so great animosities and carnal
h'4m Mri^'t^i* zeal as this doth in the Churches, it is: an injurious thinsto use seducing
iuntur": fi'.atym iwfojt, improper names, when the more plain and intelligible are at hand. Here-
Sir^M -(f a^ter plainly in your "contendings, and instead of [Cannot*] fay,
r./f, &c ? Nam rtvna dt- ^n unconverted man will hot believe^ dnd his will is viciously undisposed
feUus talk poteiiat/s non to. it, yea ill-difpofed Against it. Hold to this that we may understand each
tflZl tether; ot confess that you quarrel about a w6rd. : " ., V '
safupta recedee non posse, 1 6. Obj. The Scripture useth the word sj Cannot : ] Can a Blackmote
TrnoUtl""1 q"m tnaci"ti*nge btiskin, &c. \ ■ '.^
.Aufw. i. The text may as fitly ( at fek'st ) be translated [yvill a Black-
umbre change his skin, &c. J Yet the word f_ Cannes'} is. brought in in the
application • for here it is all one : That is; the meaning is, that some
^th/lome in sin doth cause such a fetled'Jtl%'fpofitiff/t }6f'Babit, as without
'special Grace is" never overcome : Which- signified!' rip more, than a rooted
~wilflilncp indlZ,ove of sin, and enmity to Good. "L'^ut the irieaning is
not to affirm these two forts of Impotency to be of the fame nature f_An
. Ethiopian cannot change his skin, w.ere he never so willing] and Qhe can
not
 <iAnd the Sub-tfcratkns of Mans IVilfo ';• ; » 45

not be willing to change it, without Grace.] But. you cannot lay that
an accustomed sinner cannot learn to do good were he never so willing: 1 :: '
nor yet that he can be as easily willing as the Ethiopian, nor as hardly made
willing as the Leopard. 3. Figurative speeches are frequent in Scripture^
and may alike be used by us in the like cafes. But in Controversies a trope is
an equivocal till explained, and must not be-used without necessity, and ex
plication. 4. Where the text once faith, They could not believe or repents * " •
it faith many and many times They would not. 5. The phrase [.They
could not believe, because Efaias faith,8cc.'] Joh. 12.39. notoriously! peak-
eth but of an impoffibilitas Logica consequents, and not of a physical dis
ability in themselves, though itintimateth a fetied wilfulnefs. <5.> When
it's said, Act. 4. 14. [They could fay nothing against it, ~\ it signifieth not .
a want of physical power, but mediate advantage. It's said of Christ,
Mark T.45. He could no more enter into the city- 6.$. He could
there do no mighty work because of their unbelief. 7. 24. He could not
be hid. Isa. 5. 4. what could have been done more to my pHneyard ? Jerw
15. 1. My mind could not be towards this people. Mark 3. 20. They could
not so much as eat bread. I Thes. 3.1. when we could no longer forbear^
&c. 1 Joh. 3. 9. He cannot fin Heb. 9. 5. of which we
cannot now speak particularly. Act. 4. 16. We cannot deny it. And 19,
36. These things cannot be spoken against. Joh. 7.7. The world cannot
bite you. Luk. II. 7. J cannot rife and give thee, (and yet he did .9
Luk. 14. 20. / have marryed a wife, therefore I cannot come. Mar. 2. 19.
They cannot fasi. Neh. 6. 3. I cannot come down. So Gen. 34. 14. &
44. 26. 2 Cor. 13.8. Numb. 22. 18. & 24. 13. Jos. 24. 19. 1 Sam.
25.17. Pfal. 77. 4. and other places ; I think you will not fay it is natural
and utter disability that is here spoken of : -No nor of God when it is said
that He cannot deny himself or Lye, 2 Tim. 2.12.. Tit. 1.2. We must
therefore explain such doubtful words, before we draw controverted con
clusions from them, as supposing them salsly to be univocal.
17. The same Natural faculty may by the Alteration ofobjects and
means, become formally a Tower or no power ad hoc veliUud. And when Na
ture made it a faculty, Grace can make it aformalsower to this or that with
out changing it in it self at all, in many instances or cafes. .1
^.18. Men have a power even moral to the use of many means which
God hath appointed for the begetting of faith> before they have a moral
power \o believe. '*'!., ' •/
fa fy. God hath appointed or commanded to all men, the use of cer
tain duties and means for their Recovery by faith and repentance unto
God: And there is no man that is-not obliged to use such means $ nor any
man that is to use them in despair of success : The very command being
some signification of Gods will, 1 that obedience shall riot be in vain.
Whether the name- of an Implicite Promise be i apt for that command, I
leavetothose that have a mind to contend about names.
^.10. Though ^ meer Indifferent faculty be ( as Dr. Twiffe faith )
rather to be called N-aturb than Grace, yet it is Grace 1. Which givetha
gracious objett to ihat facalty, though thereby it be still but an undeter
mined Power. 0 . A.nd it is more Grace which taketh off some .vicious Ill-
dispositions of the foul, and giveth it some more Disposition to believe,
though but so much as common grace doth give. . . '<•.' »j.
£.21. It is not a meer Power that God giveth men to Repent and believe :
But a Power accompanied with many Gracious helps and means to determine
it aright (of which before.)
£.22. He that will not use inch. Power and means doth thereby forfeit
further
 46 Of (jod's Cjraciom Operations on Mans Soul :

* tritnftn in 4. q.%.cor.^. further grace *: However God doth not alwayes take the forfeiture^ and
5^,13^; will not of his elect to their destruction, but doth pardon them.
tUm ntcejfario ex tartt ho- £.23. By all this it appeareth, 1. That all men have a natural power
^ontis^iatdmmo- or families, enabled to all that is necessary to salvation, so far that it is
jititnem homo per feipsum not the want of a proper natural power that shall necessitate them to sin
p*tst fivMixst hduetre, and perish > 2. That this Pw^r is by vice undisposed 10 believe, &c. 3. Than
ntr/Moti. ™.^ldute a natn some Indisposition to all that virtue or moral good which tendeth
diBositio tx pane hminis to salvation. 4. That it is not equally undisposed to all such Good.
7tltSaLuC^Z 5. That it's Indisposition to some means of Recovery, is no greater than
tx pane Dti : fed totm fit what may be overcome by Gods commoner fort of Grace. 6. Tnat this com-
mtri gratujt&Dti voim- moner Grace\% not herein ever so effectual, as that all that receive it, do all
tatt. cut tnc tecond . ,, , , . ,. . -
must be done by com- the good that they can do by it, even in a moral lence ; nor all that some
mon preparing Grace, others do that have no more help : But the wilful negligence of the re
ceiver, or his diversion or resistance frequently frustrateth it though noc
alwayes. 7. That the right ufe of this commoner grace, in the use of the
foresaid means, is a way appointed by God himself, and not in vain, by and
in which men may be made fit to receive that special Grace which wiJJ
call them savingly to believe. 8. That no man is denyedthat^ww/^/^
that deserveth it not by the abuse of Common grace. ( How the case qf
Infants dependeth on the Parents I must not instance as oft as the excepti
ons of wranglers require it. ) 9. And therefore no man is condemned for
want of natural Power as such, but only for want of stirring up his natural
power by those helps of grace, by which he might have done it, and for
want of that further Good (faith, love, obedience ) which by the helps re
jected he might have been brought up to, had he not wilfully neglected
the power and helps which he had. 10. Yea usually God long waiteth
patiently on sinners with the tenders of mercy, while they reject it, before
he utterly forsake them.

' SECT. XIV.

Whether the giving offaith be an Aft of Omnipotency i and a proper

Creation and a Miracle ?

1. /"T"1 He Reader must pardon me for troubling him with such fri-
J. volous questions about names, seeing unhappy Theologues
creation is an ambigu- have made it necessary. An Aft of Omnipotency hath several senses :
Z™dq. u G.Vkth « • Is the meaning be Whether Omnipotency be the Agent Principle, it
us of four' ordinary fen- is past dispute. For it's all one as to ask Whether it be an Aft of God t
scs of the word, 1 . Fa- God hath no Pmer ^m Omnipotency, that is, perseft power.
cere altquod else post non -r , f. , Jr r ■ i .1 ~
e(se : 2. Fame diquii 2. If the meaning be, Whether the Gtvtng of faith be an Adequate es-
wS % bte r!»efe^°* 0m*f*e*ty>* is negatively past doubt. Though those that
"c^au infbuH mlterZ take God to be but Anima Mundi, say that Either the mrld is Infinite
%ei subj/fii. 3. Facere 0r thatGciis not infinite, as thinking the World to be his adequate ef-
%Flc%fV£n%l s'X* y« Christians are commonly agreed, that God hath no adequate ef-
injintu materi.i ul jub--feft. Even the making of the universe, the Giving of Christt and thee/o-
Pfito snfifiuIdXfiL rifyingofthe church, which are the highest effects of his Power, wisdom
4. Facne aiiquid tjst post and Love ,2xz not adequate effefts For nothing but another God can be an
nn tjst abfr agent) se adequate esteft of God: And another God, is a contradiction.
solo causinte, & sine con- ■ • ..
cursu altni/u cause effici- . . '*
tntir. Malderus i.2.qu. nj.a. 9. p. 578.ex Tho. & August, fustificatio impii tst maximum opus Dei. Secundum quantitatm
tarn magnum eft Angelas justos creare : fed secundum quantitatem proportion* majus eji impios jujlificare quia major tjl dityro-
poninimpii ad gratim quamju'li adgloriam; ftcut ex plebeio creareducem qutm ex duct regem. Aug. Tr. 72. in Joh. JujluaMrc
& impios jujlificare, xqualis pottntia, ho: outem majoru misericordi* est.
\. i. 3. But
 sAnd the Sub-operations of Man stVilt. .) 47

$.2. 3. But if the sense of the question be only comparative; As>

1. Whether Omnipotency be more eminent in the giving of faith than
wisdom and Love ( or Goodness ) i i. Or whether Omnipotency he more
eminent in giving faith, than other works of Gods they are both needles*; ,
questions. And to the first I fay, No : To the second, those other works
of God must be named, and compared, by the presumptuous that have no
safer work to do.
£.3. 4. If the question be, whether the giving of faith he so great a
work that no Power below Omnipotency could suffice to do it? I anlwer, it
is a presumptuous paltry questioaof rasti men. But yet if it must be an
swered, it must be negatively : Because as Omnipotence is more illustri
ous in the making of the world-, than in causing a man to believe ; so Chri
stians agree that the world itself (as I said ) is not an adequate effect of
Omnipotency : Which maketh so many of the subtilest Schoolmen con
clude that God could not be proved to be Omnipotent by the whole Crea
tion as such, were it not further to be gathered from the notices of his
perfection. Which were false if by Omnipotence they meant only a Power
that can do all that is done : But they mean An Infinite Power i which
they say must be so seen in an Infinite ejsetf. But the world is not In
finite.
£.4. As to the second question, it is either de nomine or de re. If ; h •'
the former, let every man speak as he list for me, rather than I will
contend with him, whether Creation of faith be a fit name. As to the
matter, i. It is agreed on, that faith is not a substance j t. Nor an Ac-; ,'
cident con-created with a substance) 3. Nor a composition of substances
into one, done by secondary Creation, Generation or Art. 4. But that it ~
is the right ordered AB of a substance, whose natural power which per- 'tM^'j^^^Æ
formeth it, was pre-existent, though without thatactandthe moral dispo- '
sition. Therefore it being a Modus entis or modus modi that we talk of, & Brianfon. in +
the common name is Alteration and fuscitation, actuating and ordering: stng iV above* the power
But if men sober sometime call it a New creation ( as indeed the whole of a Creature te juftifie
frame of holiness together is called the New Creature in the Scriptures ) JJjJjjl noc i)roPcrly a
and sometimes the Divine nature, sometimes Regeneration, sometimes a f Many good people
Divine Artifice, Alteration, Conversion^ SancliScation.Qcc. it is the fame warid neverbeso awcli
.. 1 . J 1 u l . r 1 > against the acknowledge-
thtng that is meant by all their several names. ,, j^nt of second causes
£.5, As to the third Question, whether it be a Miracle *f I. As a if they understood the
Miracle signifieth a wonder a thing is wonderful either for the Rarity or 'JJj jJ'jJSE
for the Great appearance ot Gods power in it. In the first respect, faith is t«h from God the first
not so Rare as to be a miracle ; In the second, the sun and Heavens are a S""K ,v.
,,/-.. * We have no reason to
greater wonder than faith. think that God useth no
a . But as a Miracle signifieth that which is done by second Causesi but se?°nd cause in working
unknown to us, and out of Gods ordinary way of working; so it is np whichTft! S.M-
miraclc. faith in 4. a. 1. e.
3. And as some men call that a Miracle which exceedeth the power of JS£Jffi££S
the second causes, so all things would be Miracles that God doth : For causa faun/a, quamfis*-
thev are effects of hu power as exceedina the power of second causes. c,mt **** tpaum ft si.
' ■ r■ 3 . r . . . - . - It 1 3uia in pnma fa-
4. As a Miracle is that which is done by God without any second causes, aim pint tUm termini
+ so some think thatthe/w^4//Wof fouls is a miracle: But of fouls and <tiv>»* "ft'o™ f>» **
faith it is much unknown to us, how far God useth J&wwf j But ££;
that Generation as to <w, and Preaching and all other »w4».f to the other, /««'»
are some sort of second causes, * is sure. 7offolmM&i!7ut %
5. And lastly, if by a Miracle be meant that effect, which God proddeeth fecium, ftd ttiam facit
both above the powe r of sef<W w*s«, and by a more eloriotfs exertion of i&^Jrm&&J**
,. r, ,.J r> r c L . 7 j l 7. • si* Mark
his own power than in his Course of jY«;*rr and Government he useth by this well.
and
 48 Of (jod's (jracious Operations oh Mans Soul :

and with second causes, so it is not a Miracle, because in the way of his
ordinate co-operation with his Gospel, he ordinarily pro_'uccth it.
6. So that as ail Christians must confess that we had never believed
if God had not wrought ic in us by that spirit of fvisdom and Love which is
Omnipotent ; so to contend any further whether it be a Miracle, and a pro
per Creation, or an effect of Omnipotence as such, &c are such questions
as presumptuous Schoolmen heretofore, and hot-headed Sectaries in our
times, have used to afflict the Church of Christ with, and to tempt their
ignorant zealous followers into such employments, as most effectually de
stroy their charity, and injureothers, and scandalize the world.

SECT. XV.
)
Of the sufficiency and efficacy os Grace.

1 . T Have said so much os this before as that, lest I be tedious by

+ Maidem against the repetition", I must be but brief. *I. By sufficient Grace is meanc
5??f.<i£55?8!b£ that which is »"'/«7 tP rhe effect, and without which it Cannot be, buc
stirs himself with special with it, it may be, though it sometimes be not.
^ullfRcax isd And'he h 2- Tnatr lhere is such *s*8*i**t not alwayes effectual to mans
condudeth that it is as- act, is before proved by Adams Cafe. , And that no man hath such now
flatus gratupravtwntis, for any means or duty in order to his recovery, as Adsm had to stand
Taxis f*i«Iw# when he fell, is not to be asserted or received. And that no prepared
imr cum retj>ni pffit; n- fiul hath such sufficient Grace to believe, that yet believeth not, is a thing

vaienfm who piacethit: ^. 3. Ixm sufficient Graceconlistetn in a Power to the act: when the
caused "^'excitation* Indisposition of the natural power, is so far altered, or repressed, as that by
and aLmca who takes it the means and' helps vouchsafed by God, the act is Morally possible to be
tobe*//*w«;andthose $on^ For he that truly do it3 all things considered, is well said to
that make it co-operant$ ■ r l ' /r
and those that place it in have such neceslary grace.
fr*4itnmim*im ph^feai j- ' 4. ButGodof his bounty usually giveth men more than such ameer
frurSo5s,Mo1?and moral possibility, by many additional helps and urgencies to the act, which
faith liobabiiior ftntntid\ I mentioned before. . • '*
^afi* " b But^y t/^ff/f*0 is notmeant [Asmuchas is useful-, yea or
^Mf«t tficaciam sum), needful'to the Ascertaining of the Event, much less to the meliority of the
/>»/7> ex sola reali aliqua' aft ] fi . s •.
tSee'^/plve^: ■ b* U- The EFFICACY of Grace relateth to the effect : And
And than Just and unjust: by the effect it must be described. Efficacy is Aptitudinal, which is the
Serrforfifdiffemhnot force and fitnesses the Efficient Cause: Or Actual, which is Efficiencyxz
from >' sufficient really.' self.
And he.reforveth aiip<r A - jptkudinal efficacy is i. In God; 2. In the means : And i. In
f'unttaDt Bedtam, that l, ' , £ , ' . ,' ' "t' ■ » • >. r „
Grace- is effectual he- Gods Absolute Power ; 2. In to* Ordmate Power.
cause- w-yyjto^w*' g# , GqjS Absolute Power i% Omnipotency, or Infinite ? and there-
fMfrif |fwt <Tf*w tw"ffi fofg wa^ aptitudina/ly efficacious to make a ivor/^ before it was made. - .
sequatm.&. artiffimi (ecu-. < 9. 2. Gods Ordinate Power is the fame Essential Omnipotency dc~
SSmS&ISS% nominated from the Connotation of those effects, which he hath decreed to
and not so called only tx produce, according to thelimited aptitude of second Causes and means, or
the disposition of the recipient, or at least, as limited in the effects by his
meer free will.
10. In these respects, though still Gods power in it self be Orani-
poteney, yet in thelimited way of operation, it is various, i. As Gods
..: jffll quoad terminos is variousj a. And as the means are various, 3. And
as
 *And the Sub-operations of Mans Will. ^
- . - t
as che Receivers capacities are various. To one, the fame operation ex
parse Dei & mediorum ( though not from the fame Decree') is abundant
ly efficacious, and to another not.
And thus God so limiteth the effect of his Power) as that it shall
be effectual sometime on a Condition to be fnely performed by man re
ceiving it, even by a former help, and not absolutely.
12. Therefore all that is Aptitudinally efficacious, is not actually effi
cient of every effect to which it was -r/hus apt.
£.13. The aptitudinal effi;acy of the means being of God, faUeth in
with his ordinate power , hetein, and is not the thing in question.
£.14. The effects in respect to which Grace is called efficacious are,
1 . The Giving of the Means themselves. 2 . The firjl imprvfion the foul. ,
3. The altering of the fouls Disposition. 4. The production of the act.
5. And of the Habit. And it must be some of these effects which are
called efficacious or inefficacious to others. So that by that time the state
of the Question is truly opened, this which Dr. twiffe faith Arminins
durst never (peak out his opinion of, and which he and others make to be che
very heart of all these Controversies, perhaps will appear to be nothing.
£.15. For what is that Grace whose efficacy you enquire of ? Is it
Gratia operans or operata ? The efficient cause, or the effect ? If it be
Gods Gratia operans, it is either the Prime Cause or the second Causes. If
it be the Prime Cause, it is Gods essence only ; Even his Essential Power, Vafqucz. in 1 Tho. q.
Intellect and will. And is that the Question \_wherein constfteth the effi- \ptiut.u'ifbtr*
cacy of Gods essence ? ~J Why it consilteth in it self if you mean Aptitudinal tjsntU Dhina figtifi-
efficacy i It is Gods essential Virtue. If yon mean^*a/ efficiency, that gg $ ^/^S
ipeaketh the effect of which more anon. .So that about Gods esjential cum revert fit ipfamt sub-
efficacy there is no Controversie. ?mU. )/»cliidit m<
1 y^ r> • r r l « « mi ' \ 1-,- t ■ « v mtn oabitudinem etiam
<>. 1 6. But it you fay that It is his Potentta qua ordmata and not qua auandam rations ad res
esfentialis vel abfiluta that you enquire of the efficacy of ; Remember J*t*r<a> ?'« l&tn vtt>
that the word Ordinata or Limited signifieth no alteration in Gods Power MirTfittv?smTcm
at all, but only An effect which ts Limited and ordinate, from whence the ««* W nlttk coisurgat
Power causing it is extrinfecallv so named. Gods essential Power is never ^J^i^ff T n-"J'
..... a/. . , , ' ,. . , , •» ,. - ~ }irits,nempe ex rebus epfis,
limited but Infinite • and to be Ordinate, is but to have ordinate effects. So & objetlu future ; fpfa
that still either the Controversie must be of Gods essence, ( which is past Con- "J™Jtabitudo l.'bnf ??
troverfie, ) or of some second cause, or some meer effect. fiTlltlilfcZ £mden2
17. And if you transferr the Cjiestion to the efficacy df second causes, fUm Dti con-
I. You will deny your selves, that means and second causes have any power ^Test ^sStfJT"^*
but from God-, 2. And that the Very nature of those causes is sufficient to tmvrttlibttmvti m
the ascertaining! of the effect, because they cause mostly morally: And it is ("j** efeutiam,
c l ' •■ n. 1 „ A . : / • 1 \ l _i }id cum tah retyeclu, eti-
oneof the accusations against theArmimans (right or wrong) that they amfiiiberaVoiu*t.v ft$t
lay all on nioralsuafun or causality. 3 . And second causes are so numerous, ?fa & "bllse> "*hil
and unknown to us, that we are Uncapable of judging well of their effi-
cacy. 4. But it is I think agreed between you, that the force of Means **i*»Wtaii rtpugnet. ]
or
r rsecondrcauses
i inIIConversion
, - is
, .not such
. . ,as ,necessitated
, , . the will. Or
... ^iK,?
can ten us, "Ilw^
what Godj
if some of the Schoolmen and Jejuites, ivnicb with their Scientia Media do free Volition of extrin-
tOW Gratiam per conpruhatem mediorum csHcacem, do make this efficacy ficfe efkcts is. Andean
' }, . / r 6s.i cc r, 1 j • r rr 1 7 you tell us any more ?
to be me chief cause ot the effect, yet they deny it to caule necessarily . at trtdwtriint denying in
least alwayes, when the effect fojloweth. And what if we add, that ob- God any executive pow«
jeefs effect not as such? And therefore this question de efficacia causarum "hougSe^l^imo^
seci/ndarum, must extend to some second effective Agents, and not only to' nipotent antecedently to
objects as such, nor to those that preach, present and offer objects, assuch: vosiSn^Sfrnate
And what that Agent Cause must be, uuder God, by that time you are Grace « ftrtt mi to be
agreed, you will rind that they are new Controvedies that will there rife n3t^«g but his f^, that
6 1 r 1 a j t 1 • 1 u -r j -i ^ j i 1 l we (hall do the act, and
up before you. And yet I think that if we will needs wrangle about the be su± and such.
Hhhh efficaciousness
 50
. , £.21. 'Either the first effect on the soul, or the first Gratia operata, is
\ .the Ait offaith it self, or somewhat antecedent. If the Alt fas many
. .■
's vin 1. Mw ant eon-
flare ix'divini* littris effe
tSSllt Hi%^ti.
?itis) infmtditur- Gratia Infused Habit, or an Impression^ Impulse or influx which is neither Dispofi-
vh/haurx, "unati.
;3. concediiwr viiadjuto- larly seem so to think, yet he meaneth but a seminal disposition. And it's
dil/gamm *^in§iua!l
mm& irfufiomm friritus
K^v?ra£
nin'q ntciffarium ut creda-
mt, diligmHs, &c. &
non tantum ut \actUm ere-
Uamits. Medina in 12. q.
i l' nun* definitions ofa
Habit œnsuKdinS>j
1. 2,:p. 271. and that
tm* t^Vt
Me vd male afficimr.
Of (jod's Cjrmom Operations on Mans Soul i*
efficaciousness of any cause fort-going the first efftft it self on the soul, it
must be of the efficacy of some or all these second causes, or we must que
stion whether God be God*. For I can find nothing else to question.
1 8. It remaineth then that the question, wherein the efficacy ofGrace
constfteth, must be meant of Gratia operata, even of the effect it self. And
then either you mean, that this effeb is efficacious to tt se/f, or to something
else. The first is such a contradiction as is not to be imagined, (that you
should think that an ejfeft is its own cause, and ask How doth faith, e.g.
cause it selfc ) Therefore there is nothing left, but only to question, How
the first effect of God on the soul in its conversion is efficacious of the second?
\g. And here i. Some of you will grant that as motion caufeth mo
tion by contact of bodies, so the first effect on the soul can cause the second.
And others of you will deny it, and fay that Gods Actions being diversified
only by the diversity of effects and objects, that which caufeth the second,
effett is to be denominated a second Action, and not the fame numerically
which caused the first ; no nor specifically if the effects specifically differ.
And so as fcholastick wits here exercise their curiosity, without respect to
Arminianism or Calvinism, you will here fall into notional Controversies
in the way.
$.20. 2. But granting that the first effett is that efficacious Grace
which must cause the second, how shall we know what the first effect is,
and what the second { Gods Grace like the Sun is still shining though we
are not still receiving it : When it worketh but the commoner sort of effects,
these tend to more and more. The first Gracious effect may be forty years
before Conversion. But this is not ypur meaning : But I suppose you will
say that it is the first special effeft or gratia operata, that is proper to the
saved, which you mean. But to pass by, that Augustine, Prosper, Fulgen-
tius ( much more their, predecessors) held that sincere faith, Love, holi
ness, Justification, present right to Life if they so dyed, are not proper to
the saved, but that some lose all these, If you say but s_properto the Ju
stified or Sanctified ot Converted,'] or, it be the first ettect which is pro-
prium Justificandts which you mean ; Are we agreed what that is ?
subtilly maintain ) then it were a foolish question to ask, Whether the Act
of faith be Effectual to cause it self, and How i Therefore it must be some
'what antecedent, or we can find no matter for our Controversie de efficacia,
Gratiœ ad credendnm. , '
b 22< Is somewhat antecedent to the Act, it is either a Disposition, or
* 3 • i • A proper Habit of faith it is not : Though Mr. Pemble singu-
commonly held that the Habit is given by santtification, after the Act
given in Vocation. 2. But if it were otherwise, the Habit is not alwayes
w** ro ascertain the Æ- .For holy men ofc sin a§ainst a and
believers do not alwayes exercise it. Habits incline per modum natur*,
but do not certainly determine to the act. 2. And of a Disposition it must
. r c•1 l 3 J' *
be so said much more.
^' 24' 2- ^ ic ^e an ImtuHe or Infiuxus Re ceptus (as I think we
mu^ a^rm ) r'lis is but a general notion, of which our understanding is
very crude or small. Ameer Motus it is not: For (as was said in the be-
gnnin*U theJDivinJe Influx is ^MdWd, vi?. From Fital-Activity ( or
Power, J wisdom and Love, to Life, Light and Love , in man. Now, as I
said,
 And the Sub-operations of Mans Will. «- 1

said, if there be no such Impulse, besides the Life, Light and Love pro
duced, our Controversie is at an end : For these are not efficacious or effi
cient oi themselves. But if such a different Impulse there be, it's hard to
know what it is in man. I conceive it best expressed by all these inade
quate notions conjunct : i. Aw inward urgency w this threefold act ;
which is called in the Schools, both auxilmm, concurfe, and Influx ; 2. By
which Urgency the foul is more Disposed to the AH ( in hoc or dine _) than
it was before: 3. Which Disposition containeth in it a. Moral Power to
that Act (" so ordered ) andsomewhat more 5 even some Inclination to per
form it. Is any man can tell me better what that Divine impulse is which
Is antecedent to mans Act, lam willing to learn. . .
b. 2 5. Now if this be the question, whether this Divine impulse, which
is the first effect of Gods spirit, be of its own nature efficacious to produce According to /jvsenim
our Faith, Love, &c. as the second effeft, I answer, u Sometimes Gods Ini- *he ^S^-jL" Ncces~
pulse is so Great, as proprib. vi, doth change mind and will and :overcome bact, besore°haTwhkii
resistance, and procure our act. 2. Sometimes it is so strong as' that it pre- isfrec and full. And if
vaileth against the contrary ill-disposition, so for as to give man a Moral causing J&^JSd
Tower to the Act, With some Inclination, which yet contrary habits and so none to be the subject
temptations do overcome, and the Act doth not follow, which yet was not SheHtbe^rewte^
for want of Power to have done it : And this is called sufficient Grace, sufficient or effectual^
3. We have great reason to believe that as in some Instances Gods greater operating at co-opera-
ImfrtsiiS the chief differencing Cwky so in other Instances an, equal Im- o^^anVveJod iS
pulse ol God 00 Unequally disposed subjects, doth produce the Act offaith, ally rather than another?
&c. in one of them, which it produceth not in the other, through the in- ^"c^a?^J-f .b"f
capacity of the recipient. 4. Therefore there is a double degree of ef- this Love be the first
fcacyox Vis , One which only sojar moveth and helpeth the will, as that ^"^^M°|^?Y^
it can do the act, and sometime doth it without more : , Another which is mpu c *" eIltWlt,

so strong as that the second effect alwayes< followeth it. 5. Bur. when
ever the Act of faith is produced (i>y force or impulse more dr .kss ) God
is the first and principal cause of it, and man but the second, and the praise
of it is accordingly due. And I think this deeUion accommodateth both
fides of our contenders. > \ : . •
26. The foresaid Impulse ox first effect, is w/ythevfork of God (and
the means) and not ours: But the £ct of Faith, Love, Sec. is Gods work
and ours ; and ours as Free-agents. Therefore that Impulse of God which * - , > M ... .
.1 . ',. .1 -m . <? r• r i • J C tr 0mnt *gt9S rtqumt dt
is Aptitudinally efficacious on supposition ot mans due reception and ielt-ex- mcijsiute aliquant dispofi-
citation
_ 1 ^ j jr fcbstnoe
ir wActually effeftualiot
. • wantofthac Voluntary
f 1 Recepti- *£^J*Jy
xmi si tUndpauumbabeat
on and self- excitation. : .1 , ; - -1 dispositions dtimsiKu
£.27. As to the various effects of Grace sore- mentioned, 1. As to the ***** commas, ut pant
preparation of' Means and Gracious medicine (Christ, the Covenant, &c. ) illeZ*%EminT?J,m
fjx&cz'is efficient of ;> y?^, and doth it. . ; ,V> mmdis for-
' t.. As to the first 01 //w/>r<r/> on the soul, God certainly effetleth f.J'» c'r/.™ Qf*0**
, . r 1 1 ' J 1 • /• • • 1 1 1 r . *tqvnrit maiorem dis-
tt, in tome degree, wherever hisipmtworketh on the soul. ■ 1 . ptsitim* in pa{s<» ut
3. Some Urgency, and some degree of disposition to the act, is constantly difositionemi
, • 1. »:£ r y , . a j r 11 • ?s £L / . u t Libertatem arbitrii so*
contained in this Impulse, Api utually it giveth a wor*/ />o»wr to thelm- Df0 f^mittm, & ft ad,
mediate Act-required. ' v. . . •/•..:.',.•>. .A«\ timmfarttm dtclimre,
4. The Act of faith fasedm<* followeth this Impulse through its in- f^pSToimde
vincible force ; And sometime it followeth it through its sufficient force, adpa commiffa voiuntam
and the due Reception * of the subject. And sometimes it followeth it not * librne ftr *t*Mf**i
x n u l 1 „ j-A. r*- Bnanfon in^.q. 8.cor.
at /t//, through the Recipients 1 hspofitton. *,fA.t<i.
5. The Habit of faith eve* followeth aspecial Al~l, through the powerful This is justtHe doctrine
operation of the Holy Ghost. But usually it goeth not before the Act : Man JfftJSSSScS:
hath not a fixed Habit to promptitude and facility of believin? before he mon Grace mast make
believeth,but afeer. * which
Hhhha ^<The the Paprsts grant.
 ^2 Of (jods (jracious Operations on Mans Soul:

6. The Habit ordinarily procureth following acts, by the way of Incli

nation : but not necessarily nor alwayes. For by strong temptations, Hab/ts
are oft born down.
$.28. If the question then be, whence Gods Grace is Aptitndinally and
Potentially efficacious ("able and fit to effect?) It is because God is God
that he is Able ; and nis Impulse is such because he maketh it such.
And if the question be, whence Grace is Actually efficient of its first ef
fect (the Impulse i ) It is because God will so do; and his mil hath no
Cause, being the first Cause. . ;
And if the question be, whence Grace is Actually efficient of mansfaith ?
It is by its Impelling man to believe. „;,.':;.. ,,<...
But if you ask, whence faith it self is \ or of what cause is it an effect {
I answer, of God as the first cause, and the Means as his Instrument, and of
the Believer as a free second cause. . » „. -
And if the question be, Why sufficient Grace which is Effectual ad Posse
is not effeituafad agere ? It is because (being but sufficients mans In
disposition and wilful neglect or opposition, maketh him an unfit Re-
; stiver. .: ,\ ... . ■ •
7 ■ . a 9. There being nothing then but Gods essence (and the means')
antecedent to the first effect on the soul, and that effect ever following
where God worketh: and the second effect being the effect both of God
(by the first) and of man as a free agent, the questions, unde efficacia
Gratis and mdeeffettus, are thus healingly answered, , . ,
3G.' Objj Bat the wM<of ,God is the,fir(I. differencing and effectual
Cause: Andthat not as it is his essence, hut as it is terminatedon the Crea
ture and decreeth such an effect, i C .... < ■ 1. .;. . .
1. It is no will but his essence which is /*» terminated ot decre-
I frtv. That termination maketh no difference at all .that's real in the
wi#o£ God, but only in the effect or object. 3. What is the difference
then between. Gods will stmply in it self, and. as willing from eternity a
thing notyet existent? None really ac all. And that which u not yety
being Nothing; what Relative, connotxtive and Denominative difference
such Nothings can makconthe will :f .God, besides the variety of imper
fect notions in mans frail Intellect, let the wise consider*-.. ;
d. 31. From whence it is that School-divines after /iugustine fay, that
1 With God there is no fuiurum velprateriturn, no.fore-knowledge or fore-de
crees, properly, because no difference of time, but only knowledge and will
■■•_}Y bf things.as present ■ ■;.< ;. ■■. .. , ....j. , >
■ , ( '.: 32. YetGods Vital Activity, Knowledge and will as he himself is the
object of them, have a Greater distinction $ because to be selfliving-, self-
knowing and selfloving are his Essential Acts on himself the eternal ob
ject (which made many Ancients account them the Trinity of persons. )
Andalfotow/// an existent Creature is an extrinsick denomination from
existence r But to will that which is not, ( that man fba.ll be, that he {ball
believe hereafter, c-rc. ) as it is nothing really different from Gods essence,
so it is but an extrinsick denomination of his eiience, from nothing.

■■■<<■ ■ :. ' SECT.

. ' ■
w ' .. r
 And the Sub-oper attorn of Mans tfsill. ■." j j"

sect. xvi. k,
The Schoolmen that
. - ,. speak moli for the ncees-
Of InfusedHabits, and the Holy Ghost Given us. '■ '. sityoflnsusedHabits,ran-
not agree what use they
j, j-^Very <j/tfr4//'w of the Holy Ghost is not the Gfvmg if the chiefly for thenK
Holy Ghost, which is specially promised in the Gospv-1 to be- circumstantiating ofActs,
lievers. tor there are 1. Many common works of the Spirit.,".2.£nd the T^S^SSJ&
special effect of faith it self before it. .. sore in them. And when
d.2. This
Y' - ** &. gist of
. the
. HolyJ, Ghost unto Believers,
j c r • 1 ,,1- was formerly
t? r twofold,
i - 1" 1 jMissiid,
but small they men
comfort from
the Gift of Miracles ot wonders, and ot Holsnest ; of which the them, saying (njurtt-
latter continueth to the end of the world. '"s> f &e. j that
$.3. The j^rfr is Given to Believers in ..several respects .conjunct, g "ff",
i In that he is Given to Christ their Head, with whom by Union they are acquired Habits'iray do
Relatively one Body. a. In that He is Gwm .to thew by the Baptismal fj^™ clli"8S thatin'
Covenantt in special Relation to their oven persons, to be their fanslifer : uirm miituio foma.
In which respect they axeBaptizedixtotoe nawe ofitb.e Hdy . Qbost, as be- %%!ftZiu ^ mi'
ing now in Covenant theirs. 3 . 1 In that he worketh in them, the and optrtti<Jbw\ "vidTsul-
£fa£/As of Holinef, even of iw? so (iW and to his /-sw^<f ; ani Jjelpeth Metaph. ditp. 44.
them in all duties, and against all temptations, enemies and sins, - But not ,c. p" 8q". Jj.ar.5! £"*
that his e ssence is more in them than elsewhere, but. his Operations, from ar. 2.;™ habhiius. sd
thnfp Relations.
tnOieXfWWW. . . .... «. ' .... c ... , - i"rtr" f"*w''
Settle Presentation ij. <'«
Y. 4. This Gift of the spirit is the great pnviledge.of believers, and of 4. de hcatit. q. 5. a. ?. p,
3. pi
Gospel times in the eminent degree, and He is the great Agent, Advocate 47 H# h* wtfii tbstamibiit
and rvitnest' of Christ in us, the,divine nature, and name oi God and his ffi^J affirmint omnes
tologi qui bee de re
w<fr£ upon uss: tur witnest, earnest, p U dge,znd. first rfrmt s of life eternal ; hrijferunt*: ntc vldttur
and the great difference between Christs living members and the unregene- S^'' dubitdri- And
-1 1 » ' -O . JttAIens. 2. p. q. 104.
fate VVOrJd.- . 1 ,. , m. ?. Aquin. I<2. q. 51.
" ' 5. So*powersul andfixed is this Habitual. HolinesiOt Love ofGod (for ad3,v&. * a- 2-
that is thesumm of it) that though it be no. substance, nor alter not mans dhp."4. q.a J^JUa^J
species, nor operate not by natural nectjfitatingdetermination,y£t\\.Rron$y &c-.^ for preferring
and constantly inclineth the foul /vr modum natur* to the ,<r# of £wv ; Jt^tegid. dt vu{mm.
and so enlulateth nature> that it is.Called in Scripture the Divine Nature, a. 4. p. 445, 444. ttiis

6.' The1 greatest- in this world is to have more, of .this .Spirits Temple otherwise than
" and the greatest punishment, to be. forsaken by the spirit, and deprived,of immensity and Men-
' its And believehthemseives must fear. most, lest they should quench and 3S>BS!ism«fJ£
' ' grieve the spirit, and be puaiffied-With-any measure of its desertion :. And tiling but the special ef-
their great work is toeherifh it carefully, and obey it faithfully .and con- t^rftf^jtsma s9um
temtrarium, & pericu-
b 7.' The word ^Infusion'] as to Habits being metaphorical, is am- l<f™>std ftri b*reticum
> bigaous.' r. If the question -.be^Whether. be /«/«/^ as that 7Tc^%m%*l
J ' theyarecaufed without Means ? ■ we must deny k ordinarily. * «»/»«•/? itw/^" «*«
2.' If'rfbe; Whether-they arenotatall procured by. any cogitations, de- ffi^Mbt
" /irti', or pripraratory^dutUs of our oWn^ to fit us to receive them < It is 1.2. q. 5i. a. 4. 282.
' to bedenyed as toxno-irdMry way^-j;!: • ~-S*-/''?8laditha'
.7V/i. purpose-
to define the
infused habits.
^ t • x-ci mie Reader note that
that some Impulse disposing to it doth. And God can caule a Habit before Janfmitu prove* that
.thc^/?: But we cannot prove that he ever doth so, much less that it is his \S^^nfSm^
Ordinary Way. baptism, and that with
out merit, janf. Aug. To.
$.8. Whence
 Of (jod's Cjracious Operations on Mans Soul ;

8. Whence it is plain that ordinarily All Infused Habits arc so far

also Acquired, as that theyfollow means and the Act : But all Acquired Ha
bits are not such as are called infused.
^.9. The differenceis in this, that Habits are said to be Infused when
the //f/y Ghost doth excite the soul to the Aft, and by that Act unto a setlei
Habit, by such a specialpowerful Impulse as would not follow Gods ordinary
operation by meer natural second Causes. As the seal set home on the wax
by a strong hand maketh a deep impression, more than when it's laid on light
ly by a child : so are sacred objects and means and motives when set home
by the spirit ( allowing for the differences of the things. .)
1 o. Whether in every true Believer afixed Habit of Love instantane
ously follow the first aitoi true faiths though weak : or whether in mam
God only give after the first att so small an increase of the Disposition, as is
short of the true nature of a habit, till increased by frequent acts, is a cafe
that I jhink more difficult than needful to resolve.
1 1. That which God worketh ialnfants, is a seminal fixed disposition :
But I cannot prove that it is a proper Habit.
12. Whether Adams Natural sanity 01 sanctity antecedent to his first
Act, was to be called more properly a Habit, or only a seminal disposition, I
leave to others. But if his, and Infants be to be called Habits, you must
fay that they are only certain General Habits^ such as Health in the Body,
and not thoseparticular Habits, which are strictly so called.
13. The nature of a: Habit is not well known to mortal men. We
know that it is a strong and fixed Disposition to prompt and facile action of
this or that special sort. But what that Disposition is, we well know not :
That is, whether it be the robur of the essential virtues or faculties oi the
foul, ( Intellectionj Will, Activity?) And if so, wherein that second Gra-
dus Virtutis, which is not essential differeth from the first that is ? And
whether it be any thing else than a secret constant Act, in and by which
the foul is excited to more sensible acts, it's hard to know. But certain I
am that besides those Acts which taking in somewhat oi Imagination or fense
are ordinarily perceived by us ( which are our ordinary conversation,) the
soul hath also some deep secret fixed acts> which make no use of fense or
Imagination, or none that is observed • and yet are the ruling acts of the
man. Such commonly is the Intentio finis which operateth constantly
without memory ox observation s all use of means. As a travaileron his
journey keepeth on his way, while he feemeth wholly taken up with the oc
currences, company and talk of his way, and thinketh not sensibly of his
end : And yet had he not an unobserved Intention of it, he wduld not go
on. And night and day the soul hath this secret insensiblesort ofAction.
14. As when a spark of fire is blown up to a flame, and the excited
Act doth tend to more, and the mote it burneth ( etterisparibus ) the more
it is strongly inclined to burn ; And yet no man can fay that here is any
new Matter that was not before existent, nor that the second degree of fire
is not of the fame nature with the first, nor that there is any thing but na-
tare and action which inclineth it to more action; And yet how the fame
essence before not perceived is suddenly blown up by Action to such obser
vable appearance and effects, is past the power of man to understand aright :
So Ibme such thing there is in the present case, allowing for the difference of
natures, and kinds of operation. -. \, -;

SECT.
 And the Sub-operations of Man's Will.
55

SECT. XVI I:

whether man he meerly Passive as to the first special Grace.

\. I. Ansrv. i.'""|-*He Nature os mans soul is to be an Active Spirit, + udifftrtttit VtUrntk

and therefore what ever it receiveth , it receiveth «* ordi»e ad «»//««
it as it is in that nature. ; . i . - : « . , ., pajjtva: cuterum in oratnt
2. But the fame foul is Pajjive as well as Active, and that in the /r/or ^ tctumUhtn* , qum
instant of nature : For it must receive from God the first cause: which . fr*dtnrmiut<
i f i ■ -r^rt j .'/i • r ~ ^ f«« motion! prtvta, in-
made the G'rm'anuentDwors and many or the Lattnes fay as Damascene differentia voiuntat* ift
in fense, (though in grosser words ) that the foul in respect to bodies was & libera. Mvnez
immaterial (or incorporeal) but it was materials respect of God. *3, pag-
2. Not only in its Receiving the Spirits first Impulse to Believe, the
foul is Passive before it is Active : but. also in its Reception of every fort
of Divine Influx, even to every natural act. So that in this there is no
difference between Conversion and any common act. For the foul is first
passive in alii ; even in receiving that Natural Influx by which we Live
and Move and Be. . • • • ••
$.3. But the foul which is passive in Receiving Gods Impulse to bcS
lieve, (the first effect,) is Active in the producing of its own Act of be
lieving, '( which is the effect of many Concaules. ) And, as I said, k
is not the Habit of faith properly so called, which it passively Receiveth
before the Act. : v. .

■ , k

SECT* XVIlt , '': 1

whether the first Grace , and the New and Soft Heart be Promised and
Given Absolutely , or on any Condition on our part * And so offaith
itself? .
» - . . . •• • ; : :
Ansrv* <\. 1. T)Y the first dracedS meant^ either simply the first, ot
Jj thefirst special renewing Grace on the foul,pr6per to them ¥ And as t0 ^ , i
that fliall be Justified.. Of the first Grace simply there is h6 Condition $ moving inward Grace,
for it is gwenliniversally to all, ( viz. a Reprieval, a. Law ofGrace, a see how_ copiously the
Redeemer, &e. ) And after this there is much common personal mercy ^"ahm ; "p*romh
•given conditionally*, and much absolutely^ to all or some.* ! that it hath no initim
2. It feemeth to me an error ( which by oversight I was long en- J£'d"° Xson ^uch
led in my self) to think , that by the new and soft heart \ 1 is meant kft^em,0 T"whkhCit
.first special Grace. For most Divines agree, lh£t tt Si-wafer santti- is given s And herea-
sication which is meant by it, as distinct frorn antecedent Vocation. Fid. ^Si^GtsmiS^}
■Ames. Medul. de Vocat. Rolloc. de Vocat. Bishop G. Downame against Pemble? the seed of God, resusci
■Hookers ■Soulsr Vocation, Job. Rogers7 of faith, and many tation and Gods be-
- 1 '•',/-" 1 ^ ■ others. ,< »InVd- 'n8 sound of therd that
cation, they suppose the Act
cation. AB ofFaith
of Faith and Repentance suseit ate a'by
suseitated by'thethe Spt-
Spi sought him not , and
rit S and thereupon a Covenant-Relation to Christ and to the Holy -Ghost, ^i^LXK^xs> °£
■j .' ; . . i " •■.• ! .. ' ' , .' man and man. Vt
prxdifl.Tr.z. difp. 18. §. 4, 5, 6, 7,8, c^r. p. 227, 22?, dW. ZvetiMedihd iti'-kffS. is so hesitant as to fay ] £/s«
probabilem feiitintiam Vociorum quod sacimi quod in ft tfl ex famlutt natur* Dens, ps fua , misericordia nunquam dentgat gratiam,
Sed dico quod probabilhs efi <&• magis confentanium fantli* patribus, p>'*<7p«f Augustina, »»» effe.Ligem infallibilem quod homini
f::catori facienti qiod jnji.eji, ex. facultatiMttira, cmtimo conferaiiir gratia. Ham si ejfet Lex infallibilis cert'e initium
S- invi pars justificationis ejfet a nohs}&c] Thus the Papists .herein differ as much as the Protestants among them-
selves.* -
r •. With
 OfCjod's (jracious Operations on Man's Soul :

with Regenerating, Sanctifying Habits ib be given. And I fee no reason

to be singular herein.
£.3. That faith is by thc<£4ir ofGrace, .made a Condition of this Sancti
fy''cation, and the Spirit promised as \_if rve will believe, ~\ and so the Spi
rit given to us by Covenant in Baptijmwhen we believe } is plain in Scri
pture, and the commonest doctrine of all Divines.
^. 4. Therefore if it be this Spirit of Sanciifcation that is meanr by
the New, the Tender, the Circumcised heart* it is^not promised and given
absolutely, Uut on condition of faith.
5. Let us peruse the several Texts where it is promised. Dcut. 30*
li2ii)6- X/rixt* tho* fi^t C*M t0 among all the Nations
And shalt return unto the Lord thy Cod and obey his voice , according to
all that I command thee this ddy~ thou and thy children, with all
thy heart and all thy foul y that then the Lord thy Cod will turn thy cap
tivity————And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the'
heart of thy feed to Love the Lord thy God with alt thy heart and with alt
thy foul , that thou maift live. 3
Here it is a Grace consequent to a condition, even to much obedience,
which is described.
And Deut. 10.16, it is a command £ Circumcise the foreskin of your
hearts, and be no more stiff-necked. ~\
Ter. 32. 3^, 37, &C. £/ will gather them out of all Countreys whither
J have driven them And will bring them again into this placey
and I will cause them to dwell safely ; and they shall be my people, and
J will be their God, and/ will give them one heart, and one way, that
they may fear me for ever. ~] So Ezek. 11. 16, 17, 18, 19, lo.- And
Ezek. 36. 25,26,27, 28, 19. In all which, there is a promislory Pro
phecy, how great a deliverance God would give the Nation of the Jwj,
both for body and soul 5 And their temporal return and liberty is pro
mised and prophesied in the same manner as a new heart is. But here
is not a syllable to prow that this is the first special Grace ; any more
than perseverance is, which in the fame manner is promised in Jer. 32.40.
s_ / will put my fear in their hearts , and they (ball not depart, j To
say nothing how far in the first sense this was National to the Jews, nor
■how the performance did expound it , < For doubtless it is performed, )
*he Text it self premisoth £/ wiU he their God, and they shall be my peo
ple 3 with qther mercies. And no 4oubt but Faith and Repentance go be
fore th&Gove»a»t- Relation to God and therefore before the following
gift of the Spirit, ver.,9. aadCh. xi. 19. And Ezek. 18. 31, the fame is
commanded, \_Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have
trangreJJ'ed, and make ypu anew heart, and a new spirit —J]
fy. 6. The promislory Prophecy of Jer. 31.31, &c. is recited by the
Penman of Heh. 8. 8, &c. to prove the cessation of rbe old Jewish Cove
nant, and that a better mould succeed. And this much is easily proved
out of both, 1. That Gpd would certainly have a holy people among the
returning Israelites } a. And especially that he would have such in the
Christian churchy as mould be sanctified to him by his Spirit , and have
a new and tender heart. And Predestination is well proved from the
Text. But there is not a word to prove this to be the first Grace , nor
tlmGods promise gave any man right to it, but upon condition of teliev-
ing. For ifGods Decree, Prophecy, or general Promise saying absolutely
[/ will do it ~] did prove it to he the first Grace, k would prove perse-
ranee such 5 which is false. The worts prove nO more but that God will
do it.
7-
 nd the Sub-operations of Mans Will. *j *f

7. And as this is no personal promise giving any man a right to the

thing promised, which he may claim ; but only foretelling what God will
do, or give to some : so he hath other promises which are part of his
Law of Grace, and do give men Right to these fame Benefits. And so
the Spirit of Sanctification and a new heart, is promised on Condition of
believing ; which therefore is the former special Grace.
^. 8. If any therefore will prove that faith is given Absolutely, they
mull not do it by those Texts, which speak of Santtification, whichfaith
is a condition of.
9. But as to the question it self, Whether faith be given absolutely
or conditionally ? I answer, 1. There is no absolute promise of faith made
to any persons ; but only promissory predictions of some indeterminate
unnamed persons, that God will draw them and give them to Christ, and
they fliall believe and live. I
2. All men have means and duty appointed them, for the seeking df
that Grace which may convert them.
3. They are hereby bound to believe, that if they so do, they shall
not lose their labour. For God setceth men on no unprofitable work.
4. Those that do this most faithfully, and have most preparing grace,
are the likest to become believers, and the ordinary receivers of lpecial
grace.
5. Whether de nomine this encouragement shall be called a promise or
equipollent, let them contend that list.
6. God can and doth suddenly convert some without such preparations j
or else give them both sorts of Grace immediately at once.

SECT. XIX.

Ho w God may be said to Cause the Acts offtn ?

I Have said of this also so much before, as that this Breviate here must It ;5 in &id > j- pro/;-:
serve. mur incunBanttr , pror-
i. It must be well considered, that God made mans Nature before %iJ£/sr]tm\\'-ri
he made any positive Laws for him : And thactheLaw of Nature it self, nij|, * / impetimur
is in order of Nature after Nature though not in Time : Man being first ficeatm qnonUm hoc
considerable as Man, before he be considerable as obliged to duty. And SdTJ£%IZ%
also that the Law;, both Natural and Positive , is before mans obedience ftfentit, & jujUti* vin-
and sin. So that as man is first in order of Nature Man, and then SSait,' nmiim££
Gods Governable Subject, and then (in order of Time) obedient or dis- virfi nonm cenfeTdi est]
obedient-, so God is first his Creator, and then Nature Motor, and then tU» Cu-
his Governour by Legislation, and then his Gracious Helper, and lastly his hipt tllquJ^nfrnll
Judge and Reworder-, h niucentit.] Twiss. vin-
£2. Therefore as Natural Being ( substance and faculties ) and Natu- *J Grat- h' 1
rd Motion are antecedent to Morality so Gods causation of both these is it is dangerous to talk
antecedent: and therefore to be Creator, Preserver and Motor is not to be !? boldly °f thfe ray*
« * , ~r sr_ -* r 1 Itencs. Here seem to
the Cause of (in, or ot Virtuous aits, as such. me many errors and
3. God as Creator was not pleased to make all his creatures of one ^"f^0™" ''Ttis faIse
kind, nor of one degree of excellence: but in such variety as is wonder- kno^tothelrorid^at
ful to our observation. Besides the innumerable species of beings, and the merciful nature which
innumerable parts of every compound being, the dissimilitude ofindvidu- 3w SSb^SSl noW
als of the fame species is admirable; so that no two faces are perfectly puniiieth, if there had
like, no nor no two Stones in the Street,' no two Trees. Birds, Beasts, <jrc. £cen "° (,a- Hisiaws,;
3 t • • aj Promjfcs and Threats
1 111 And
 58 Of (jod's (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :

do antecedently make And therefore it is but consonant to the rest of his works, that MAN is
them known. AndGod neitj]e perfectly like to A/teels nono Brutes : For as God made one fort
could cause bleslert 5>pi- r / <S . r •
rks toknow all his per- of creatures naturally cetermined to things \cnsble, and another lort Af
fections before there cesfar>iy ( though freely ) determined to things spiritual -7 so it pleased
Hoiineseand Goodness is* him to make a middle fort, endued with Reason and free-will , undeter-
caiied Mercy and ju- mined as to their choice, and able freely to determine their own Volitions,
rnTr^ion,*^^ without any predetermining premotion of their Creator or any other,
tion of fin and misery. That so they might be fit lubjects to be governed in this Life, by Laws
Goodness5 had^Vcer! and 0ther m0ral meanS*
known as preventing 4. God as Creator maketh substances, with their necessary Accidents,
all fin and misery, men an(j as c[je Natural Orderer of them, placeth them in their natural order ;
™PSÆttishad and as Motor ( or Actor ) he causeth Action as such ; But as Moral
been Evil in the Uni- Rector he causeth only the Moral Order of Actions, as far as be.'ongeth
a°p»/f« 10 a (therest beinS presupposed in Nature, ) and leaveth it to
e»f as'the rule of Good, man to cause the rest.
it foiiowethj^confess, fy ^ Seeing God is not to be blamed for making such a creature as
hate 1 that^vliiVu'ifiilcd! man ( of a middle, defectible, undetermined Will, left to his free choice,
But 1 deny, that God wjth neceflary helps,) it being part of the beauty of his works tobedi-
tSS TVrefore ifis versified 5 He is not then to be blamed for any of the fins of such a
not Good because not qreature, because he fupporteth his Being and his Active Nature , and is
ficienfthant is'nwso lliS sirst Cause °f Action«
far evil as to be Abfiuti 6. God could prevent all future sin, if he absolutely willed so to do,
Helium; but only evil, either by destroying the World, or disabling the sinner, or by witliliold-
hurft\K±c\mnv,\nd ing nis Moving Influx, or by such a change of his nature^ as ihouldmak
to others. Methinks him indefectible. But he that made man in this Middle state, will so
sous 1?rtv™rmfoSll continue him, and not make a change in the frame of Nature, to fulfil
not fay, that it isPtfitivi OUT wills.
Volitm a Da. 4. All a ?> No jrf as mAit, noVitalAit 3S Vital, no Intellection, noVoli-
this dependeth on that . 1 ' , , . . ajlt r ■ - , .
curious question , could turn as such, is Virtue or Sin ; , And therefore to cause it as such is not to
not God have made the cause either moral good or evil.
w0afieastttCars gc^d'with \> 8- As God is Related 10 us as our Owner, Ruler and our chief good,
many alterations from (efficiently as our Benefactor, and finally as our End',) so to consent to
hold the first,7 fay that *~c XtUtwtt, and to the Duties of our correlations, and to Practise them,
God freely made things is the summ of all Moral Good ; even Disfofitively and Actually, to be
no better than they are: Resigned and devoted to God as our Owner, to obey and please him as
But had there been no / j l 1/ tf j ;/ '„. '
Devils, no sin, no Toads, our Rttler 1 3nd t0 be Thankful to Him, and totally Love Him , as out
no disorder, the world Benefactor and our ultimate End. All Moral Goodness lyeth in this.
l^rfectefdS \- By which ic aPPcareth , that Morality .consisteth in the due or
on of Gods perfection, undue ORDER of our actions and dispositions, as they are a Moral
Eut they that are more Agenfs related toGo^ himself in these three Relations, and to his Actions
modest , are content 1 . •. r r £■ , ■ . ~ ,
with the latter, and fay, therein, viz.. his Disposals, his Laws, and his Attractive final Goodness
that God freely made with his Benefits.
noXeasfa?fiy.^V"|! ^ to' In these, the Af<>™//7y consisteth as fimpliciter talis in all three
had been necessarily if inseparably, ( as Gods Relations are inseparable and our correlations : )
as° W And 1iwCif But the. Relation of our Actions to any one of them, is Morality secun-
God had pleased to /hew dum quid.
ventS fin \ had And amon8 thcm alI> onr Action> (submission, resignation, pa-
been as Good,' and no ticnce ) t0 God meerly as our Owner, is Moral but in the slenderest
loss or disparagement to initial sense. And our Actions as related to him as our Rector, are
heedoL!h1VtChrough a'Æ Moral in the fuller sorn>al scnse > C And therefore by most accounted
Eooks beg the question, the only formal Morality, v& being a relation to 2. Law) : But yet our Acti-
cT^TJSrt ons asRclatcd 10 God cm Benefactor, Lover and End, are Moral in the
Hum and so good ? if highest, most perfective notion.
he will stretch the word •
12.
 And the Sub* operations of Mans Wrn^ • ' 59

12. It is not only sub ratione obedientik as it is -a • thing;<orr^ -^jf*? so wide asJ°^j
mandcd by a Law, that LoVe to God is Morally goo'd, bdc atso-in thatsupir- ^"J" "cr^presup-
riour sense, formally as it is the Love ofGod. And therefore Cove is ealle'ti posed, which hath not
the Larv ofLarvs, add the fulfilling of the Larv, not- only' ^commanded ^"SSfSiiSS
by a but as being the End of the Law, and the (late of perfects- final, i will' not strive
on above it (as Christ is to the Larv of Moses ; ) ahd';alfc as' being for a word. But
. ,r .. , , ' ' ..iJ.-r,—. r ttw/f noteth some kind
a Lave emwenter ( something greater ) though not formalizes -' i- ;* and degree of causality,
13. But as there is an Order in these Relations, so is tfiere in the which sm hath not to the
Morality of our Actions as towards them : So that- *he "Last still in- fi^SoJing of fi£
cludeth the rest foregoing. All Love is Obedience , and all Obedience is that God is glorified by :
submission to our Owner : But all Obedience is not Lotos* fcor a1 11 Sub* ^herc the «*-
J M _ . r ill n r\ ri-j i vtndum is not the eo«av»
mission or Resignation , formal obedience to a Rector : Though they condutibiii, but the ill
must all concurr, and not be divided, when they ar*i formally distin- state of the matter, with -
.„ j ' 9 i- ' .out which God had not
gUllhed. '. . .. «■ ^ - glorified himself by this
£.14. I have thought it necessary ( though I be guilty of some re; Act, but by some ether
petition) to open here the Dotfrine of formal Morality (Virtue anti as
Vice, ) because we cannot understand how God is vindicated from being"
the Author of (in, till we know what fin is 5 which _ we cannot do till
we know what Virtue is • which we cannot do, till We: know what
Morality is : And /also because the Schoolmens most subtile elaborate en*
quiries into this point ( especially de natura peccati ) are generally too
little subtile or accurate, as comparing it with this -little, you may
perceive. .*».". >■
£.15. From all this it is plain, i. That God a§ the metr Author and.
'Motor of Nature, doth not cause us to Obey or Love him. And therefore
that these must be caused by another superadded operation.
16. Yet when we Obey and Love him, the Generical Nature of [
the Act is from God as the God" of Nature, viz. as ic is Intellection^ 1
Volition, Action : But that these Actions are so duly ordered as to be
thus terminated on God and things commanded, is otherwise caused :
For though the Generical nature of Action, Intellection and Volition as
such, be seldom found but in some Moral species , and that be never
found but in singular acts ; yet can one causality procure the Generical na
ture, and another the Specifical , and another the singularity , in the
fame action. As the Sun is the Generical Cause, and the Virtus semi-
nalis the specifying , and the Jndividuatio seminis the Individuating, of
Plants, Animals, &c ..*..'.*•
. {. 1 7. As God is the God of Nature, so he hath sctlcd Nature in such'
a constant course of motion, as that we have small reason to expect that'
he mould there make any ordinary mutations And therefore (as the
Sun aforesaid ) he doth by his Generical Influx concurr with all Spe
cifying and Individuating Causes, according to their several natures or
receptivities.
1 8. They therefore that suppose that God as the Cause ofall Actibni
must (of natural necessity adeffe) by physical efficient promotion prede
termine every Act natural and free, to its object compared with other pos
sible objects, and that in all its modes and circumstances, do confound'
Nature and Morality, and leave nothing for God to dtf in causing Holi
ness, but what he must needs do to cause all action that is caused, (al
lowing the difference of the second effects,) yea, but what he doth in-
causing every sin : ( For his Precept is not with them the Causing pre
determination. ) "* . "Vv-. ."
19. Jesus Christ, and his Gospel with all the fore- described frame
of moral means, and the Spirit to co-operate, are the proper second causes,
liii 2 by
 Of (jois (jracious Operations on Mans Soul:
•
by which God as RECTOR Will on his part ordinarily cause Moral Good,
and hinder Moral Evil ; and by which as our Lover and End he will draw
mans foul to himself in Love.
20. Cod as Reel or ( though he vary his Laws in some things to se
veral ages and places, and promulgate the (ame Gospel, with inequality,
on several accounts, yet ) according to the respective Laws that they are
under, dealeth with all men in a certain equality, which is called Justice :
that is, His Laws antecedently to mans acts make not difference and as
Judge he maketh none , but what mans different actions require accord
ing to the said Laws and Justice. But yet as Owner and as Beneft-
tfor he is free ( not against, but ) above his Laws, to make many ine
qualities, which are no injustice ; they being not acts of formal Govern'
ment : and so he may do with bis own as be list. And thus though God
give all their due according to his Law of Grace, yet he giveth to his
Elect, such proportions of Grace, as he gave them no antecedent Right to
by his Law: (ot at least to many of them, passing by the controversie
now, whether he do so to them all.)
£.2i. God could cure and sanctifie all men, if it were his Absolnte
will ; but he doth not, and will not ; being no way obliged : And he will
be no loser nor sufferer by the creatures sin.
22. Gods ahsolute will is as fully accomplished by mans free atfs,
as if they were, all necessitated and Natural: And mans actions areasfree,
as if God had made no Absolute Decree of their futurity ( as in Good he
hath done, if we may so ascribe futurity to his Decrees.)
£.23. It seemeth that all fm beginneth in thew/7/; omission of what it
was able to have done. Even when Adams appetite was to the forbidden
fruit, and some think that this was the first pare of the sin, it seerreththac
it was rather in the mils not restraining that appetite when it could have
done it : And then positive sins do follow thereupon.
24. There is more Brutiihnefs in sin, and consequently more prrva-
tive and less positive faultiness of the Reason and mil , than many do
consider ( which Paul partly meaneth, Rom. 7.) For it is certain, r.Thac
a passion, e.g. anger or fear, may be forced on a man suddenly as on a
Brute, without Reason. ( As is you come behind one and affright him, or
strike him suddenly : no Reason raised chat passion, and consequently no
Rational Will, >
2. It is certain that this passion without Reason can-cause despotically a
corporal motion 5 as the fearful will start, and run, and the angry strike
without any reason or rational will, but as a Beast doth.
3. It is certain that it is the office of the mil to Rule this passion, and
these motions.
4. And that k must have due information from the understanding, chat
so to do is good, and best.
5. M" this information of the understanding did never miss of determi
ning thcfFzÆ, then man would never sin, but when the understanding failed
of its necessary office* before chewill : which would resolve all fin- into the
wiH ofGod as much as if he directly moved the will to it by necessitating, un-
resistible predetermination. For the InteUeQ as such hath no Liberty, but
is necessitated by objects, further than it is under the Empire of the mis.
And the objects and Intellect are made by God.
6. Therefore it followed) that there is a certain measure of Intellect™!
true apprehension, according to which the will can excite and determine if
self ( without any thing which it hath not ) and yet canforbear. And that
this not- willing what and when it should, is the beginning of all sin.
f 2 J,
 And the Sub+oferatoms x>f Mans \ViL £\

^.25. God is no Efficient or Deficient cause of this first Omission of the

will : For efficient it hath none : And deficient God is not, who gave man
power to have done it. But man is die deficient Cause.
£.26. Mans not believing, not knowing, not loving, not obeying, not
tidiring, trusting, fearing, &c> being the far greatest part tof the jf/jj os' his . .,„ . 1 '
life*, we see by this are not at all ofGod.
\. 27. Though multitudes of positive Acts of fin do follow filch orhif- wlth *cse urtirds, «
sions, (and go before some of them-,) Vet they being not sinful as Ms, ^\flwt rt?fe
but as Disordered ( against the and and o£oa undue ■etfezc's, A«nd womiH oh. 3
especially comparatively, preferring the wrong dbject before the right! ; it"
seemeth that in their first instances they are All Omissive, and Positive '
In the fecvnd only* which mak&h the Sdioolmett so commonly fay that
sin is a Privation,
28. Yet the Moral formal Relation of sin, is not 6nty Privative, b&t
SL Positive Disobedience or Disconfbrmity • And so as Quid M&rale format
ter sin hath as much Relative being as Duty hath,' viz* 1. As contra.
Legem sighisitanteui, * . Contra Vot»nt*tem Dei significatam 5 j . Et cvhtra
Jus Divini Dominii Imperil & Amorit. 'v
$.29. If any be unsatisfied in this , it is certain that In the Petie hoc
prohibit*** potius quam hot imperatum^ there is no more fhysital entity
than in the Velle imperatum, no aOf than there is in the velle indefinitely
considered as on any object. Or if dny deny that, it is certain that there
is no such addition ofEMity sit being but ordo modi) in any such sihftl
Aft from which as such the formal obliquity er fin resulteth , bat whit
man can do, and doth , without Gods causing the Aft as ft ordered and
termiuated. So that God b no way t\ie cause of fornial sin.
h. 30* t They that fay, He causeth all that man causeth, and thitasthe f <y«ii
^st^^^jm^^ isnvtthe cause oftheform JSclSSfciSvÆ
«/ fin, contradict themselves ; feeing that form is but * Relation, which tionto be the total im-
lefulteth ipso fafto from itsfundamentum and terminus , and ne per di- j?"1"^ <?usej!1PtlJ^an
vinam ptentiam cannot but dd so; And hath no other cause but what SToaTS aTa?
Causeth them. and ski* that God w»
f 31. And they that say, that yet God is riot the Author of fin, because ffiSct.'SÆ
he is under m Law, dobutlpoft with dreadful things. And they mean don«> it is because Go4
tbatff^ Is the chiefCause ofaUmens sins ittiheworld, but net of anysin SjSSST*"*
of his own which is none of the question. '
$.32. God doth neither Cause the fin, nor the futurity or existence of
it, as some vainly distmguiming, maintain; ( especially Di.Twijfe and
Rutherford.) For ( as Estlus and others truly fay ; to cause the sin, is
nothing but to cause the existence of it. And sin as sin, pr. ftrifle often
faith, is not willed by the sinner himself.
f 3 3. So far as God Causeth Wot fin, he willeth it not : and they that fay
that he Loveth and mtleth the esttsience ofit as a means to his glory, abuse
Gods Holiness, and are confuted before, Par. 1.
34. How God ovenuleth sinners, and the effects of sin,- andprocureth
his own ends, not by the Means ot causality, but Occasion of it, I have so
largely there opened, thafe I most refer the Reader thither*

S£CT;
 Of (jod's (jraciotis Operations on Mans Soul :

'. •. i: ... 'v. •• . . ■ . ■ o .?4

.■j -4 j SECT. X X« < , • • ; ,

:';.v .! • - :. •*« • '* i ■' ' • '
Hpw far Cod} and how far Man himself, it the CausersHell and other pu-
nishments. • ■, ei;! j 1 .,
i '. i V'-v. '.'iuitt • \z • •■• ■ ■ ■ "• ■ •*■ ■ • r .\ ■?
jo.Ma]orln 4.sent. d^o. /-TpHougfi somewhat be said of this,, in the Conclusion of the; second
ct I. l's%e athls dam§- JL -$8**0 I think meet to say more here, because I find that the not un-
tmm diesntur mtli, "{-'derstandmj? itdoth tempt many to' unbelief, and others to hard repining
m«r Qf».!Coi ... \. nil lisn ' • .b d:
fitim ratiom Worm A x Again here consider that God made man siich as he is in Nature,
fjr^rSf&"d!Zil "before' cither Laws or fins or punishments had any being ; so that if yop
if] fid addit [signtnttr.czvi but forgive God for making you men, fthat is,, Rational Free-Agents)
^^"i^4/0^ '"''you
iJ culpa dtstwguttur,& epu 1 %.can
. have
. no. fair pretence of quarrel
,, r. ^- with him : As will appear
rr byJ these
1st reerdinativa per cru- considerations following. ■'• '
datum. DimtiaimaSa X '^ Mans Body and sensitive soul are of such a nature, as that things
pal tTP'ptZ t tnconvement will be' httjp^ : Heth* will take p«f« (hall be gr^
bat enntxam, to mode qut> and -tormented-by it, and he that will eat unwholsome meat, or will surfeit
sf!uctt%ctnd?Ll£. 4§all besick,and he tha$ will cheristi diseases by floth,or excesses, or abuses
th, est fxru & mistri*\ol nature, will havethe pain of them} And he that will wound himsejf,
comimatio. Nu mibifrt- ' ^^hbu faf -œh[ be his own afflicler And be that cute hu throat
babtle videtur, quod Dt-'- i ri*t'-i>ir 'n. 1 • a in l- • l~ j > ~ j i_
mtmdi rath ceffat apud-ot hangeth himself, must dye. AndaUfhis without any doing of Goi^ be-
inseros : rramhmquidem'fifcs&e making him a man, and continuing such ^nature (under his Go-
mtreri
quart nonnonvJam
pofsunticommt-\
At vernment ) in
. °andj with
. i the
_i world
t j .' > ;- . f ,. ,' , ■: j {if
ml sunt putandi ? Mm A, j# Not only positive hurting, but omissions will bring mens bodies unto
^TJty£$Z i As Mt easing, na^xercising, m keeping warm, &c
•rf*«i9?f ? idHqut pic- And consequently such a life of prodigality- or as tendeth to such

■ lat-urn. ' mretJ fosnitm '■? ^.4. The inward fensest Imagination and Passions are so constituted as
rf(^^a»cf ^"i^Est1 lbat thch inconveniences will be a />4/» and torment^as well as the //ysf-w-
^reamtutibabent mktofmt- veniences oTtne outward fenses, i. Cares and Melancholy thoughts are
to tmtii infirm ubtrir\ distracting. 2. Defires breed such c-wf, and are themselves like z thirst ox
Z ^e soul. 3.Waretormenung. 4. ^wlf deep and long are
qu* ibidem feqmntHr' , as a living death. 5.^*^ris a vexatious feaver ofthe mind : And revenge-
hbi con(Mit •[ ir*<?«£ z^,/ malice and ^w^r do prolong it. 6. Despair anticipated eternity of
tfieo si daretur vno optio, J .r , a j . ■ /•//>>• l " i V ' r . r r an • i
v»/ w» if*, w/ sjsi /» p»•->. misery, c^f. , 7 . And z^w ( how pleasing soever at ntst ; - is the
/)*f«j //«'« strength of them all. ? . . .
*gtdum\fmTefc-!Zm: ^. 5"- Ihc supcrmr faculties, as they arc ik^/«p, arc capable of
»/8w /w^s rjr/o- greater misery ; and their corruption and disorder is the worst. To have
See Ai'reohs in 2. ai an *&n6r*n* erring mind, that taketh evil for ^op</, and for evil ; To
2. ptg. ac 1. (icwing. have a carnal, malignant, wicked, obstinate, frorvard mil and sinful Asfe-
ten wayes how one (,n ftions, ztidby these to have mens ailions misguided, and so the sensitive
causcrh anotlier, and so--, r\ct • u -' "L r /• • 1 -r Di l / f J '
muitipiyeth and conti- it lclr brought into the iorelaid muery, through bad government, iS
n««edi it self in the a misery to, man in the Nature, and immediate effects, of the thing.
" l" " f ^.6. Man liveth among multitudes of fellow Creatures in the world,
winch will all be tormentors ot him if he will make them such. As a post
will hurt him if he knock his head to it. The fire will' burn him it he
toucli his stem with it. The water will drown him if he will leap into
it over- head. The Sun will scorch him, the frost will pain him, if he ex
pose himself to them. A Lyon or Mastiff will tear him if he avoid them
not. His neighbours will hurt him, ( likely ) if he hurt them, and cross
their interest : Men in power will hurt him if he offend them : And all
things will be to him as he behaveth himself to them.
.J *.7. AU
 And the Sh ^operations of Man s W(U\ 6%

$.7. All this being Natur al, let us now consider what sin doth to the
sinner here, and you will find that almost all his calamity consisteth in Iu3
very sin it self, and the natural enacts of it : But yet it is fin as maps, and
it ispunishment as from God, when yet God is no Cause of the (in. • .t
8. This is plain if you consider that Gods Act by which he maketh sin
a Punishment, was Before the fin, though the Relation of a Punijbment,
.come after the relation of fin. Here are two Agents, i. God making
Nature and a Law therein ; a. Man disordering his actions by transgressing. •
3." Hence Immediately followeth Guilt or theform of sin. . 4. And with it,
even in the change, or after it, the natural pain,of losot hurt 5. And
this is Related to man as a punishmentfor the fin, in the last place.
For instance, God made man, and God made meat, wine, and poyfon :
God telleth Man in Nature, f_7 have made thee such a Creature, as that
excel? of Meat will make theesick, excestof wine will make thee mad, and
Poyfon will torment and kill thee : I have given thee self-love, and com
mand thee that thou avoid all these ; and j will not deny thee necessary
help • But if thou wilt not, it will be thy pain, which I will that thou fits- '.
fer for and by thy (in. ] I need not further apply it here the applica
tion is obvious.
y. All this I speak only of natural punishments which by the Law of
nature follow sin : what is supernatural is after to be considered.
10. And 1 . It isevident that the Reattts culpa is either the fin itself
or its inseparable effect. He that hath once sinned is Related to God as a
sinner. And an infamous Relation, such as of a Rebel, a Rogue, a Murderer,
&c. is no small evil, in all sound mens esteem.
ir. 2. Sin is zhe Deformity, disorder, and disease of the soul ; and
its Habits are a kind of Vicious Nature: It is the Nature of Devils to bz
exceeding malignant, rebellious and at enmity with God' arid spiritual
Goodness : To have a Nature or Disposition, which is averse to that
which should be its own end, delight and happiness. And a wife mart
would rather be annihilated, than turned into a Toad, a Snake or Adder,
though their nature be not offensive to themselves. How much more
would he rather be annihilated than become a Devil? Wicked men are
iikerto Devils than they are aware of : They Love not God and Holiness :
nay they have a malignant enmity to him : whirh maketh them so averse
to all that is Holy in their lives, and to be such persecutors and haters of
good men. So that the Scripture calleth their wisdom Devilish, yea and
themselves flat Devils in plain words> and the children of the Devil , Jam.
3.?$. Joh.8.44. Joh':<5. 70. One ofyou is a Devil. And 13. 2. Act. ig.
10. Thou childof the Devil and enemy of all righteousness 1 Joh. g.
8, 10. He that commits finis of the Devil-— Therefore they are ad
judged to suffer with the Devil and his Angels, as the Saints shall be equal
with the Angels of God. For the truth is, a Saint and an Angel, and a
wicked man and a Devil, do differ less than is commonly thought on.
Now what sober man would not rather be Nothing, than be a Devil? To
have a venemous, malignant, malicious, restless, rebellious nature, at en
mity to Good and in love with evil? And who is it that maketh men to
be such t Not Godbat themselves.
1 . Is it not a gi eat calamity to be mad ? Wicked men are far worse : ani
they made themselves such.
2. Were it not a great misery to have a nature that had no Love to, or
delight in, health, cleanliness, dwelling, food, friends, ejrc. but hated all
of them, and set against them i How much more to have such an enmity
to God and holiness and our own salvation i
3. Were
 64 OsCjod's gracious Operations on Man's Soul :

leg. Bradwardinei. i.e. g. Were it not a misery to have a natme distrustful of all our truest
i.cor.31. contm efr*™ friencjS . afraid of poison in'all that we eat and drink, and still thinking
dictntis omma bonis dr r l u i-n J,5
«j/w *f««//fo- wfw'K i that our own parents seek our death < How much more to have a distrust-
malum aliquod imjtunitw, fukiess of God <
r.tratum manert — _ fi„'. 4. Were it not a misery to be deceived with a thousand erreurs, and to
genus quoque divitu pie- takeevil for good, and good for evil : and to sbend ones dayes in bewil-
vlutfy^cTn^mlt- drinS perplexities or falie conceits < How much more to be mistaken about
nire quodcunq; deiinum, God, and things of greatest excellency and consequence 1
^misrrlmdJ^iMMitTm. 5* Were it not a misery to have a mU that is perversely set against the
Vtmu Qinquit) Minis ftc- willsof all our Governours and dearest friends? That must needs have and
cans to ipjo fit mains & whatsoever is forbidden us by the greatest, wisest and best of men ?
^ittiu^iwHlibtiu- How much more, to have a mil that is thus set against the will of God i
tem & imocintiam & fit 6. It is a misery to have a violent Appetite afeer that which cannot be
ab'Jf df^TS? had' or cannot satish"e- To have vehement hunger and thirst without meat
pant &vx*m qua* magna ? or drink, &c. Wicked men have such a diseased appetite after things
& wide hoc nift a prim* ^t £0j t0\^ tjlcm w0UlcJ neither be satisfactory nor continuing. All
justitta, a primo rttrtbu- , . , ■ • r ■ r \c ■ l / ^ L l- l % i
tore omnium qui est Deus ? this and more is in tin it ieir, in the Habits or Nature, which God ne-
Sce also his coroi. 38,39. Ver made.
fiS.pSA. ugfl t ^-12. The exereije of this diseased vitiated Inclination, is an actual
358. j£uod ptecatum not torment : As it is more Joyful to use Grace, than meerly to Have it ; so is
p??%ltllLiri!}!L£ " as" fi» more calamitous. And 1. Mens wilful blindness and neglect:
m qr<* tam ante cum pec- of God, depriveth them of all the excellency and delights of holy know-
cato coherent. Rt c. 4. Jg^g^
Mttns**wrpJist status 2. Their Disaffection and malignity depriveth them of all that holy
^lini ferfum 'd^lisi"^ anc* unva'ua^^e sweetness, which comet h in by the exercise of the
dm est. 1 Vt~ Love of God And of all the pleasures of a holy life. As a sick stomach
doth loath a feast, and a -malicious man hath not the pleasures offriendship :
so how can that soul delight in God that Loveth him not if
3. Unbelief and distrust deprive the soul of all that quietness and con
tent, which follovveth faith and confidence in God.
4. A Rebellious will doth lose all that Reft which the obedient find in
pleasing God, and in his blessed will.
5. Lirxury and carnality and all sin deprive the foul of the pleasures of
temperance, chastity, innocency, and a good and quiet conscience.
6. Wickedness and sloth deprive the soul of the pleasure of doing good
to others, by works of charity, which is very great. Abundance such
privations are in sin.
$.13. And sin it self brings the contrary torments. 1. Sinful maligni
ty against God and Good men makeththe wicked eat their flesh as it were
with envy, and vex themselves with persecution and revenge.
2. Sinful anger is a sinners rage and pain: And though he have plea
sure in revenge, it is a painful pleasure, like a troublesome itch.
3 . SetfwMedneJt maketh a man continual vexation and disappointment,
while hemsift neeas have that which he cannot have, or which will tor
ment him when he hath it.
4. Carnal Love is the root of misery, while it Tantalizeth the soul, or
longeth for its own vexation.
5. Sinful fear is a tormenting distraction.
• 6. Sinful grief is a continual sickness and self-vexation.
7. Sinful Desires engage men in self-afflicting labours.
8. Sinful tares are as thorns in a mans heart.
9. Sinful Impatience and discontent is torment it self.
10. Sinful, confused, unruly thoughts, are the annoyance and the shame
of
 And the Sub-operations.of Man 's IVtll.

of the soul. And all these arc mens own fins, not Caused by God, but by
themselves.
£.14. Next Sin it self) there is the natural consequent of it, which is
caused by the sinner himself. As 1 . That God doth not cornslacentially Love
htm : which is no change in God, whose Nature is to Love Good and
Hate EvU\ but in the sinner himself) who hath made himself unca*
fable.
2. And that Gods Hatred is terminated on the sinner, is his own do
ing: Even as he that would open his naked breast to the scorching Sun, or
cold Frost, is hurt by himself. When God hateth a sinner and delighteth
in a Saint, there is no Diversity in Him, but in Them.
3. The loss of Right to Heaven and all Gods special benefits, is their
oven work, and not by any change in God. God made a Deed of Gift of
Heaven to the faithful: And if they be unfaithful, it is their own doing to
cast away or refuse that right.
4. Abundance of temporal mercies mens sins cast away. For
^.15. Sin doth here torment even mens bodies. The slothful and thd
prodigal bring want upon themselves : The glurton, drunkard, fornicator^
and the idle, breed painful diseases in their own flesh: And most men dyd
by some sinfully contracted maladies.
$.16. Besides the Natural consequents) and the natural effects on the
Body, there axe natural calamitous effects of sinm the soul j As It The
consciousnefloi a mans sin, called An evil Conscience*
2 . Theshame that ariseth from the guilt.
3. The Conscience and sense of Gods displeasure ( a tormenting thing. )
4. sadness for our folly in hurting our selves.
j. And fear of all the after miseries. All hitherto mentioned, men
do themselves against themselves.
^. 1 7. Yea more, men themselves make other men their tormentors.
The angry stir up others to hurt them. The offenders stir up Magistrates
to punish them. The fornicator chooscth a filthy disease under the name of
a pleasure, andkindleth a putrid fevor in his own toul. The covetous and
unjust make all men their enemies 5 and so do many of the proud, tyran
nical and opprefiburs. The froward will not give themselves rest in their
own families} but make Wives, Husbands, Children, Servants, and every
thing to be their own vexation. And O what work do bloody Tyrants
by wars and persecution make to themselves and others in the world i and
what Calamities doth miserable mankind bring, by folly and wickedness,
on themselves
18. In a word, (hall we not believe that there is a Hell, and know
much of the nature of it ; when we fee a Hell already begun on earth i
and the whole world walloweth in folly, filth, impiety, and woe < As
Heaven is known here by its first-fruits of the spirit, so Hell may be ( I
think ) more known by its beginning, as more notorious. Men are almost
Devils already : conceive them but all turnedfully into Devils by them
selves ( and not by God ) and you will know much of Hell.
19. And for the Life to come, consider, that God made mans soul Im
mortal before man made it sinful : And who can expect that God stiould al
ter or destroy his work < Live we musty because we have Immortal fouls.
And must not men look to Live as they .arc < Such then as the wicked make
themselves, no wonder if they continue.
20. And then exceeding wickedness will make them Devils ; and all
that they here initially brought on themselves, will be there in eminency,
Their Minds will be blind as to Good and Evil, though not as to meer no-
Kkkk tionaj
 OsCjod7 Cjraciom Qpcrations on Mans Soul :

tional Truth. Their wills sec against Gods Will. Their hatred of God
and goodness increased : Their Intellects, memories and thoughts, will be
the treasury of pain 5 Their wills and affections the feat of misery j And
their invigorated power, will make all lively.
£.21. And a mind thus blinded cannot fee God as Good, but only as hurt
ful by Justice. A mil that hath no Love to God and holiness, can take no
delight in them. Heaven must be to them as a feast to a lick stomach :
They turn their own Hearts from God and Heaven, and deprive them
selves of all its joyes. They hate the Heavenly society $ and so can be
none of their companions in delight. They dep/ive themselves of Inno-
cency, of Divine Love, of the Grace of the Holy Ghost, of part in Christ,
of peace of Conscience, by wilful diversion, opposition and incapacity, as
he that shuts his Windows against the Sun-light. It is themselves that
turn themselves thus out of Heaven. •
£.22. And it will be their own Lusts that will tantalize or torment them.
For God did let them know that this world and its pleasure must soon forsake
them: They cannot expect that God should give them wealth, meat, drink,
and carnal pleasures, after this life : If they will needs contract a fleshly
thirst, God is not bound to follow them with satisfaction.
£.23. Eventheir malignity (likeSatans) will be their torment, filling
them with envy at the felicity of the Saints, or hatred of their holiness.
And when we are in Heaven, Devils and devilisti men will be in subjection
to the Saints, so low and base as will encreafe their rage.
b. 24. It is likely that their very nature or substance will be much more
bale than that of the Glorified, as their place and condition will be : For
God is not bound to make them Naturally Glorious. Devils dwell in the
aire and earth: And inhabitants use to be connatural to their Regions and
Elements.
However, it is a groundless fancy of too many that think that the sen
sitive faculties shall cease. The Organs and manner or forts of sensation
may be altered : But the soul will be still sensitive as well as rational ( not
withstanding their vain objection about bruits. ) And therefore the con
dition they put themselves into, will as necessarily give them sensible tor
ment, as foyfon will in the stomach, and as despairing men now torment and
make away themselves.
b. 1 5 . At least when they have bodies> they will have fense.
6. 7 6. Devils and wicked men with them, will objectively torment thenu
^. 27. I deny not but besides all these there may be punishments more
efficiently from God. But all this alone, which sinners not only Deserve
but Inflict upon themselves, will make a Hell of unspeakable misery.

The
 And the Sub+operations of Marts Will. 6y

The Conclusion*

Summing up the several myesof the Contenders .

I Shall conclude with a further Explication, r. What the Judgement:

of the Protestants was in the Synod of Dort about the nature of
Grace (besides what I have cited of theirs before.) I (hall give
you some Animadversions on the Epilogue of Alvarez, 3. And
of the Jefuites way of Scientia Media: 4. And of Aureoltts and Duran-
dus's way : 5 . And of the Scotists and Nominals Causa partialis ; 6. I
shall fullyer give you the fumm and Consectaries of the Dominican Pre- *■*
determination, and the reasons which alienate me from their way. 7. I
shall Epitomize Jansenius, with some Animadversions on his way : 8. And
somm up in few words what sober minds may rest in. "*
■ • •• . 4- . . . k * s\ t M

£. 1. AND that you may fee how little difference there is even in this
£\ point of Effectual Grace, where all the difference scemeth to be
founded, r. See what the Brittijh Divines say in the Synod of Dort; de
art. 3. c^4. sujfrag-P- i*4- "Th. 1. There are certain outward works,
"ordinarily requiredof men, before they are brought to the state of Re- Rom. 10. 14.' Mdt.rf.a<
" generation or Conversion, which use to be sometime freely done by them, Act-1?46- psa< J*
"and sometime freely omitted: as to go to Church, to hear the Preaching
" of the Word, and such like. '
u Th. 2. There are certain inward effects, which are excited in the hearts Act. 2. 374
"of those that are not yet justified, previous to Conversion and Regenera
tion, by the virtue of the word and spirit : such as are, the knowledge of
"Gods will, the fense of sin, the fear of punishment, the thoughts of de-
" liverance, some hope of pardon. To the state of Justification
" Gods grace useth not to bring men by sudden Enthusiasm, but prepared
"and fitted (or disposed J by many previous actings by the Ministry of t Cor<4.I$4
" the word. As in natural Generation there are many previous disposi-
" tions before the reception of the form so in the spiritual we come to
" the spiritual birth by many foregoing actings of Grace. If God would
" immediately Regenerate and Justifie a wicked man, not prepared by any
" knowledge, any sorrow, any desire, any hope of pardon, there were no
" need of the Ministry of man and the Word Preached to do it I
{tTh. 3. Those that God thus affecteth by his spirit by means of the
^Word, them he truly and serioufly calleth and inviteth to faith and con
version. We must judge of the helps of Grace by the nature of the of-
u fered benefit and by Gods plain word, and not by the abuse and event.
" Seeing the Gospel os its own nature calleth men to Repentance and Sal- 2 Cor< . ao# 2 Cor# 4.
" vation, feeing the excitements of grace tend to it, we must not think that Gal. i.tf. Rev. 3.2.
" God here doth any thing dissemblingly ■ Nor can it be imagined
u that that calling by the word and spirit can make men unexcuseable, which
" is given only to that end bo make them unexcuseable
. <cTb. 4. Those whom he thus affecteth, God forfaketh not, norceafeth
" to promote them in the true way to conversion, before he is forsaken by
"them, by voluntary neglect, or the repulse of this initial grace. The
"talent of grace once given men of God, is not taken away from any man, Mat. 25. as.
"till he bury it by his own fault. Therefore we are oft warned in
Kkkk a (C scripture,
 £8 Of Cjocts (jraciotis Operations on Man's Sml :

Heb. ?. 7- Pror. t. 24. « Scripture, not to resist or quench the spirit, nor to receive the grace
2 chron. 24. 2c. Cc 0f q0(j ia nor to fall from God. Yea it is plainly given as the rea
son of Gods forsaking men that they first forsake him
Mit. 1 3.19. rteb.6.4* "Th.$. Many lose these beginnings ►
2 Pet. 2. 21. ct Tfjt 5, The Elect do not so behave themselves under these preparatory
tc workings, but that for their negligence and resistance, they might justly
joh.tf.37. Ter. 14. 7« " be forsaken of God: But such is Gods special mercy to them, that though
«tj2.3?. Phil. 1. a. tc for a time tnev may repel or suffocate this exciting and illuminating
ct grace, yet God doth urge them again and again, and ceascth not to pro-
"move them, till he fully subjugate them to his grace, and place them in
" the state of regenerate sons.
Rom. 9. 18. & 11. 35. " Th. 7. All men resist Gods grace, and God might justly forsake all,
Act. 28.27. but doth not ]
By all this it is evident that they took not man to be forsaken of God
in the state of meet original fin, or the corrupt mass, but as a wilful re
sister and refuser of offered Grace, and oft after the receiving of much pre
paring grace 3 and that God forsaketh none till they forsake his grace.
2 . To the fame fence our English Divines commonly tell us bow, ordina
rily God prepareth, men for conversion before he convert them $ and how
far persons unconverted may go in common grace : He that readeth
• ' Mr. Hooker of New EngUnd, Mr. John Rogers his doctrine of faiths
Mr. Boltons instructions for comfort- Mr. Meads Almost a Christian,
and abundance such, will see that they were of the same mind.
3. Hence it is plain, that those persons that resisted this further work of
grace, and forsook God first, had true Power to have done otherwise 5 and
could have gone further than they did, without any other grace than they
had : ( Though quoad necefjitatem sequentem vel consequential it might be
inferred even from Gods prescience, that it could not be. )
4. They here describe Gods effectual grace by moral titles, of Gods
urging them till they yields though ( as after they open it ) Gods renew
ing active influx, maketh new creatures, and is not a meer moral indeter-
mining suasion leaving the will indifferent.
5 . The truth is (as is aforesaid) no mortal man can tell of any difference
on Godsfart between his common and special Agency on souls, but only on
the part of the work done ; Nay it is against the doctrine of all sorts of
Divines both Papists and Protestants as to the generality, that there is any
difference At a/I. For they allfay that all Gods actions Ad extra are no
thing but his eflence (viz.his ejscntiAl knowledge, will andpower) which
See the conclusion of IS undividedly one, as terminated, effecting, related and denominated vari-
tuefiri chapter. oufly : E.g. by one Volition he willeth divers products, but not by divers
volitions ex parse fui, cither considered specifically or numerically • but
the specification and individuation is only in the effects, and in Gods will as
reUtively denominAted. And if this be all mens doctrine, what an un
happy cafe is the Church fain into, that the very sAme men that fay thi«,
mould yet intolerably quarrel, Whether this one Divine Attingemy or ope
ration shall be called CreAtion, infusion, urgency, excitation, perswAfion,
' physicaI, hyperphyficAl, morAl, or what else, when all are agreed that all are
one and the sAme ex pArte Dei.
And as to the effects, I do my self think that a certain Impulse received
on the soul, is the first effect, and the Act of man (as faith) is but a second,
and that of both Causes: But we cannot tell well what that Impulse is;
And therefore must dispute in the dark about the differences of it. And
this is nothing to them that own nothing but Gods essence as the cafcse of our
act, as the first effect: If their opinion hold true that as in Creation there
was
 And the Sub^operattorn of Mans Witt.

was no mediate Impulse between the Creator and the Creature (for there
was no recipient;, ) so here there is no effect on the soul before the Act and
habit of faith it self, then what is that Grace whose Ratio ejficaci* we can
make a Controverfie of i Ad hominem at least I may say that it is common acts
and habitt,ovettbpt by fleshly interest and concupiscence, which are wrought
by commongrace •, and that it is special acts and habits overcoming the flesh
and world, which are wrought by specialgrace. So that those firemen that are
resolved that yet differ they will; and implacably differ,and their adversaries
shall be enemies of Gods Grace whether they will or not, are yet defective in
that acutenefznd pregnancy of wit which is neceflary topretend a real disa
greements and are forced to fay that they disagree when they have not
rvit enough to seem to prove it to any but those that take their cholerick
zeal and reproach for proof : For in this there is no difference among us.
6. Obj. At least we can prove that rve differ in this, about the effects^
that one (ide make 6eds gracious habits given to believers to be such as may
be lost and dye, and the other do not. '"
Ansrv. Thafis no difference : You still want wit to make differences
though you want not will. For both fides are agreed that perseverance
arifeth not from the meer nature of the Habit of grace, but from Gods
fuperadded sustentation. For Adam and the fain Angels had £ as is com
monly held ) such kind of habitual grace as we ( though objectively dif*
fering. )
- 7. Seeing there is no difference, on Godspart fas they all Conclude,,) Re->
ftstible grace and irresistible, sufficient and effectual, can have no differences
but in the very effect or event, and the ednriotation of mans Power or
imposency to the contrary. I know ( as I have said ) that not only the Do
minicans and Calvin'tsts, but Suarez, and other Jesuits, say that Effectual
Grace is such ex parte principii as is forcibler for faith as the effect. Buc
they contradict themselves, who confidently fay, that besides that effect, ic
is nothing but Gods essence which hath no degrees ot real differences. And
mans power of Rest/lance and frustration is none as to Gods will, and essence,
but only as to the effect; When he could have done otherwise.
8. The same Vanity they declare in the question, Whether the same de*
gree of Divine Grace, help, or operation, would Convert one man as doth
another, or would Convert as doth not Convert. When they are agreed
that the effect is not the fame ; and that the cause hath no degrees of dif
ference.
9. And though it's past mans understanding to comprehend how all the
various effects in the world should be produced without the least diversity
in the Cause {Will ox Action} ex tarte agentts, and that Vellc salvarePe*
trum, & velle damnare Judam, should be perfectly the same Volition ex
parte Volentis ; yet it is the liker to be true because man cannot compre
hend it-, as long as he hath no evidence to prove that it is not true* Fof
God is incomprehensible.
10. Seeing then that we must concent, i.That God Decreed to do all
that he doth, and properly and absolutely no more j 2. And that Christs
death is the cause of all that it effeiteth, and properly of no more ( Of
which the conditional gift of pardon and life is part, ) And so that all the
Controversie 1. Of Decree, 2. Of Redemption, is resolved into that of
the effects i 3. And seeing all the effects are such whose difference we little
differ about, if at all ; and ex parte Dei agentts they agree that there is
no difference : where then is the Difference among all the contenders i
t—
70

II.

) Alvarez his Epitome in Twenty Propositions, considered.

BUt that all this may more plainly appear, I will recite the Twenty
Conclusions, which Alvarez, in his Epilogus giveth us as the summ
- j j- - of; all his Book( one hundred twenty one Disputations: ) And I (hall tell
* Thus Brdawtfrd<»f eon- . r 1 ,. , r j *
ciudeth his Book with you how far they are all to be conlentea to.
thirty six errors, and as j# free.will in lapsed nature cannot without the help ofgrace do a mo-
JKtaSdÆirf!; r'dmrk, which by co-operation of the supernatural End shall be truly
especially that of Rome, g0od, and a work ofVirtue; so as that by the doer it be referred to God
%A?S£S$ *1«*d Mb 4 natural End
parts or expressions of Answ. It is granted, (and more) that though all natural men have
his own judgement , one f0Jt 0f (}race givcn them, yet, I think, this cannot be done without
Whether God be the . o *
chief necessitating Cause special savtng grace.
of all sm, is none of j £ jtfAn fy tf,e sole strength of nature cannot assent to all supernattt-
them" i ral mysteries propounded and explained to him, as revealed of God, er be
cause revealed of God so as the formal reason of his belief is Divine re
velation.
Answ. It's true : He must have commoner grace to believe them dogma
tically and -unejseftually ; and special saving grace to believe them practi
cally and savingly.
III. Mot only faith it self, but also the frst beginning of faith pro
ceeded from the help of grace , and not from the strength of Nature
only. ■>
Answ. Very true. 1 .••. * .. .
I V. The free-will of man in lapsed Nature cannot without the help of
Grace Love God above all simply, even as he is the author ofNature.
Answ. It's true.
V. Man in lapsed Nature without the help ofGrace, cannot fulfill all
the precepts even of the Law of Nature, nor overcome any great difficul
ty and temptation, even for any little time, which it is necessary to
overcome, for the keeping of that Law.
Answ. True : Therefore they have some Grace that do it.
V I. There is no Law , nor ever was made by God, of his giving the
actual helps ofpreventing grace, to them that do all that is in them, bj
the sole faculty of nature : nor hath Christ merited or would have any
such Law.
An\w. True : For he giveth some common grace to all men antece
dently, without any condition on their part : And though he give to those
that use their common grace to the utmost ( or near it ) sufficient en
couragement to go on and hope that such endeavour shall not be in vain
as to the obtaining of peculiar grace, yet de nomine vel definitione, Whe
ther this encouragement mail be called a Law, or a. Promise, or neither,
we contend not.
VII. God by his helping grace floweth into free-will by premoving it
that it may co-operate , and also truly- efficiently together with the same
free-will causeth its pious operation,
Answ. It's true : But all adjuvant grace produceth not the second ef
fect, uhich floweth from both Causes, ( of which before and after. J
VIII. when God by his exciting Grace, striketh and toucheth the hearts
ofmen, he doth not expetf that the will by its innate liberty , begin its
motion,
 <irf nd the Sub-operations of Mans Will, ji

motion, by Consenting : But God by Adjuvant grace cffcCtetb, that itfreely

and infallibly Consent,
Answ. It's true of all that do consent : Bjt God hath a degree of ex
citing and adjuvant grace, which arc Necessary and give the posse Vclie,
which cau!c not the act, through mans defect : And though God expert
not that effect, as one that is deceived , yet he cemmandeth it, and re-
quireth it of us. But exciting and adjuvant Grace are all one on Gods
part: And if you will difference the fame things as connoting divers
effects, you must denominate it more fitly from the effects, by words that
notifie the difference.
IX. Adjuvant Grace and Free-will are not Partial Causes of super na
tural Consent, as two drawing a Boat , so as neither is premoved by the
other, or maketh it co-operate with it.
Answ. True : For God premoveth the will of man, though through
mans fault it be not ever effectual. And though Gods will and mans be
two Causes of the fame effect, the term Partial, is scarce fit, while man
hath his whole power and activity from God. .. . , .. ,
X. Scientia media is not to be ascribed to God, But all prescience
of the future co operation of the will , even from the foresaid Hypot hefts,
prefupposetb in figno rationis the free decree of Gods will, by which abso
lutely {or granting that Hypothesis j he will in us and with us effect that
operation if Good, and permit it if Evil.
Answ. Here come in your presumptions of things unknown or false,
i. That God knoweth suture contingents, and conditionals is certain; But
1 think this scientia media unfitly named } and an unnecessary distributi
on, and insufficient to the Jesuits ends.
2. And your fiction of signa rationis , and the necessary antece
dence of a decree of Gods, to his knowledge of every Volition of man,
is a more ungrounded and perillous figment, which you have not proved.
Ic seemeth a denyal of Gods Omniscience or perfection , that he cannot
know an act future as future, but only as decreed to be so.
3. You deceitfully talk of permitting evil while you plead for the*>-
reststible predetermining prentotion of the will by God to every evil ait
With all its circumstances : Is that but Permitting ? %
4. To permit is Nothing : no act of God 5 but a non-agency : mt to
hinder. And how prove you, that God must of necessity have a Positive*
Decree, for every Nothing or non-agency ? Is not the not-willing or not-
decreeing to hinder a lye, e.g. ( supposing natural concurse,) or to make
more worlds, enough to the production of that lye by an ill inclined na
ture 1 or to the not-being of more Worlds 1 We are in the dark, and God
is infinitely above us, and these tremendous mysteries are not to be so pre
sumptuously handled by unproved assertions.
X I. There is on our part no Cause, Reason or Condition assignable ,for
which Gods supernatural providence, in comparison of this or that hath
the formal reason of predestination , or retaineth the common reason of
providence : but predestination is to be reduced into the sole fret-will of
God.
Answ. M )st of this is about mecr words. The word Predestination
connoteth various effects and object; : and so is called various Acts.
There is no efficient Cause in the Creature of any act of God: But the.e
are objetfs without which Gods Acts have riot their special denominati
ons 5 and these objects are the termini, and called Material Constitutive
Causes of those various acts as denominated various, specially or numeri
cally: And so Gods D:cree otyvill to Justiste and G loriste man, hath some-
. . thing
 j2 Of (sod's (jraciom Operations on Mans Soul :

*Tlwc U, of that ob- thing in the object as a necejjary condition of it* , which is not in the
'cct* object of his decree of giving faith ; And that hath something in its
object, which is not in the object of the decree ok giving a Redeemer to
the world, or making the World, cjrc if you will at all distinguish Gods
decrees by their objects, or effects : But if not, there will be no mattes
for any Controverlie.
And Predestination is an ambiguous word : If it be taken for All
Gods fore-decreeing, or all about man, or all of Good to us •, then our
Being is the first effect of it in us, and the making of the World a pre
paratory effect, ejrc And so, no doubt, the first effect supposed us no
men, before, and therefore no condition in us. But if you take Predesti
nation for Gods decree of Giving us Grace and Glory only, then it is pre
supposed that we are lapsed sinners.
And the decree of damning men is exercised only on them as fore-
known damnable sinners • And the decree of penal denying Grace or faith
to sinners for sin, suppofeth them such punishable sinners : But the bare
Negation of a Decree to give faith to one to whom the absence is no pri
vation, is unfitly called Reprobation, ( though men may talk at their own
rates ■, ) And we grant that some such no-decrees have no condition in the
objects, for they have no objects : e. g. If you will feign that God de
creed from eternity, to give me no faith before the Creation , or before I
•was born-, or to give Innocent Adam no faith in a Saviour as dying for
him*, this were no reprobating act. But when God hath given men a 5,*-
viour with his common grace to believe in and accept, here if he deny
them necessary grace to believe, it is a penal act. And note that Christ
and Common grace as absolutely given to mankind, and offered to indivi
duals^ ever goeth before mens accepting or refusing him : And no rr.an
to whom he is offered, refufeth him for want of necejjary help, till by sin
against that grace he forfeit it.
XII. God by an absolute and efficacious decree of his will, antecedent
ly to the prescience of the future good use offree will, predetermined aS
good acts, which are done in time , specially those by which the predesti
nate come to eternal life.
• Answ. The substance of thisseemeth true: only i. Whether you fitly
denominate a decree efficacious from eternity, which effecteth nothing till
the Time, I leave to them that dispute of words.
2. You presumptuously determine Gods Decrees to be antecedent to
his prescience herein 5 when they are neither before nor after one
another.
3. If by predetermining you mean more than predecreeing or prevoli-
tion, as if mans will was predetermined, when it was not determined, or
determined before it had a being, you speak contradictions. But Gods
own will was eternally determined ( if we may so fay of that which was
never undetermined ) to give all the grace that he giveth in time, and to
cause all die good acts that he causcth, as he causeth them.
XIII. The Co-operation offree-will with the gifts of grace , is in the
predestinate, an effect ofpredestination 5 and efficiently proceedeth from
God making us by the help of grace freely to co-operate $ and consequent
ly dependeth not on the sole and innate liberty of the will.
Anjw. I think so too.
X I V. we must necessarily distinguish of a twofold help of Grace one
sufficient, by which man may be converted to God, or work piousty ; The
other effectual, by which God effecteth that he be actually con-verted, and
ait piousty,
Anfw.
 And the Sub*operations of Moris Will. j3

Anjw. Hold to that, and contradict not the terms in your description,
and all's well.
X V. The effectual help of preventing or preoperating grace moveth
mans free-will to act, not only by perfwading, alluring, inviting, or other
morally attracting, even inwardly • but also efficaciously and truly effect
ing, that the will moved and excited of God determine it [elf and a&
well.
Anfw. We know what mans perswading and moral operations are
fa little J : But the difference between these interiour acts of God named
by you no man knoweth. You cannot prove that his Interiour fwafton is
not truly efficient of the act : nor know you how God procureth our de
termination,, as to the mode of his interiour operation. Your arbitrary names
have no signification of your true formal conceptions of the matter. This
Controversy therefore is vain.
X VI. The efficacy of the help of preventing - grace '-, and the infallible
connexion of it with the free co-operation of the will, is totally founded
and taken as from its first root, from the Ommpotcrtcy of God, and from
the absolute and efficacious detree of his will, -willing that the man whom
he moveth be converted and work piously : nor doth this efficacy any way
depend, no not as on a condition sine qua non, on the future co-operati
on of the created will ; though the free act by which man persevereth de
pend effectively on his will moved by God.
Anfw. 1. I grant that all the good that cometh to pass is fore-de
creed by God. 2. But Gods meerwill effecteth it not without his Power.
3. His power effecteth it not from eternity before it is effected. 4. You
leave out one of the causal Attributes ; The effect of Grace is as well from
the wisdom ofGod, as from his mil and Power. ^.Gods aft dependeth
not on mans will. But mans co-operation which is his own act, you must
confess dependeth on his will as the effect on the nearest efficient.
6. The non-efficiency ©f sufficient Grace dependeth on the sinners will. It
was not meerly nor principally from an absolute efficacious Decree or pre
determination of God, that Adams will omitted his duty first, or commit
ted sin first. And if any run to the common shadow that fin hath no
efficient cause, and man only is deficients I answer 1. He is the firftRepu-
tative Deficient ( though not culpable, because under no Law ) who must
be the first efficient of the contrary and is not : As if Adams body had ne
ver had a foul, God was the first Non-efficient Cause, that is , into whose
will and non- agency the whole ratio defectus is to be resolved. 2. Forget
not that Alvarez, himself faith, lib. 6. disp. 45. p. 210. s_ "Licet pecca-
Cc turn originate non fit pro formali aliquid pofitivum fed privativum ;
tlpeccatum tamen actuate eft pro formali aliquid positivum, & causat in
" anirna habitum vitii j
XVII. Supposing effectual Grace in free-will, it infallibly followeth,
that free-will will consent and act piously: so that these two are incompos-
fible, that effectual Grace be in a man, and that he actually dissent.
Answ. True, because it is not called properly effectual, unless either
1. Because it effecteth, 2. Or as it cometh from an absolute decree of ef
fecting, 3. Or is of such a nature and degree that it cannot but effect.
And in all these cases it is true.
But such Grace may be eventually uneffectual, which had a sufficiency
ex parse fid to effect.
XVIII. The gift of perseverance , as such, and the efficacy of it,
dependeth not, no not as on a Condition sine qua non . en the co-opera^
L 1 11 ' tion
 74 Of Cjod's Cjracious Operations on Mans Soul :

tion of our free-mil, but on the absolute decree of God > effecting mans
■perseverance.
Ansrv. This needcth no other explication or observation, but as afore
said. Only that the Jus ad gratiam qua ad finem perfever emus. Is given
en condition , in the Gospels from how absolute a decree soever it
proceed.
XIX. Effectual aid and a sower- of dijfenting , are compoffible in the
fame subject, and consist in the fame mill.
Anfa. True: And remember that a true Tomer is that qua vere poffu-
mus-7 and not that faculty which could do this or that if God mill prede
termine it} and otherwise cannot • no more than the Sun can {bine with
out him. When God withholdeth the Influx necessary to acsion , such a
faculty is no true pomer as to that action in that State.
X X. By preventing Grace efficacious as aforesaid , the Liberty of the
mill is not destroyed, nor the actual use of it hindered, but is monderfully
perfected and roborated.
Sedbyyou alhisay Ansm.1h.ztt is a Liberty that is perfected by some even necessitating
as August. Encbir. c. 105. predetermination of God : And there is an inferiour Liberty of Imper-
su T™b%g'llJ0™^ sect Viators, which some efficient Divine predetermination ( feigned by
poftt,&mahi mgratis you ) would destroy. And ifGod did by that insuperable premoving in-
fi hem , me imfune fi flux ( which omnipotently moveth all things ) predetermine all men and
r/^Æ«T/p#/. Devils to all the wicked Volitions and actions that ever were done, with
Qui* ordo pftermitten- all the circumstances, and as respecting every object comparatively, so
dm ms hit. in v» Vtts ^ r no creature ever nor can resist such a predetermination any ea-
voluit oftendtre, quam 00- . .. 1 /? r » •; / ,
nm fit animal rationale, licr than make a world , this were to destroy the true Liberty of that
quod mam Creature, with his innocency and felicity : however you may at pleasure
MttmJiipIfit. ^" Put the nAme °f Liberty on, and deny the name of Necessity to , such an
absolutely necessitated Volition and act ; and then may say, that they are
premoved and predetermined to do the Act of all sin freely ( or constrain
ed to do it without constraint, ) and so the liberty of the will is esta
blished. Fcr I fee not but cogere ad Volendum is as apt a phrase, zscoge-
re nolentem ad agendum ; when a will formerly innocent is irresistibly
, predetermined by physical efficiency, to all thole comparate circumstan
tiate acts, which are forbidden in Gods Law, and that on pain of mans
damnation.
But note how wisely Alvarez left out the great difference , about pre
determining to the acts of sin, from this summary of his disputations.

fill.
 ' — 'III I ■ I I ill
And the Su ^operations of Mans IVill. j5
• 1 ■—— ' —■ •» i■ 1

ill.

Of the three other wayes , and I. Of the Jesuits way.

Qiest. A S you have fast your judgement on Alvarez and. his Domint-
£ \ can way , tell us how much you think well or ill of in the
other three wayes mentioned by Alvarez, and recited by you sect. 8 i
Anfw. I. I have said enough before to answer this: Briefly, as to the
Jesuits way de feientia media, i . It is certain, that God knoweth all that J?^/}^;
is a capable object of knowledge ; And therefore he knoweth what con- rejection 'of many opi-
ditional propositions of future contingents are true. ™°ns ^frAs,Q( ^nc^
2. Whether this should be called feientia media or not , is a vain i^GodrpreventingTpe-
question. "ting &.icc is Y«t*tu
3. Gods acts ex farte sui being but his Essence, and all one, can no ntmm^md theV^'*
otherwise be distinguished, nor ordered as to the denominations of priori- yoiuntutu am a-
ty or posteriority, than as the objects are distinct , and by their order J^pSng' Grac^
of priority and posteriority allow us by. Connotation lo to denominate cotferfum ukrm is nei-
the acts. t'ier before nor after °ur
4. The Intelligibility and the Amability of things are in themselves si- simU "AnT^so'causeth
multaneous, though from the order of humane operations, we fay that no antecedent necedity,
things are first Intelligible, before they arc Amiable. And so we may fay st'n™™™^ £
of God after the manner of men but not otherwise. poscth Gods sdintia f»-
5. God doth not will the form, or the aft of fin as circumstantiated, ltii'C£fS?U&
and as the form necefl'arily resulteth from it : neither for it self, nor froster much in a peculiar Di-
aliud h the essence or existence. AndTurei God ever
6. Therefore God doth not foreknow sin as willed and decreed by him : opncrateUtha^God, which
nor therefore foreknow it because he willeth it. is ut causa pima. But
7. God fore-knoweth Corknoweth; the formale peccati as wellasthe |f^rd^btfttrrain<th
materiale : yet almost all confess, that he willeth not the formale :
Therefore he knoweth that which he willeth not: Therefore his Volition
of it is not necessary to his knowledge of it.
8. There is no effetf in God: for all that is in God is God ; who is
not effefted : Therefore there is no Cause in God of any thing in God*:
Therefore Gods will or decree of Good is not the cause that he toreknow-
eth it, nor his foreknowledge the cause that he willeth it : But he both
knoweth and willeth all that is Good, at once.
9. Gods inward operations on the foul are real efficiencies, and yet
moral, and to us unsearchable : They cause the will to determine itself
to Good, when it doth so 5 but how we know not. But we know that
he ordinarily worketh by means, and according to their aptitude.
i o.God useth such means with the free wills of his elect as he fore-
knoweth will prevail with them 5 and setteth them in such circumstances
as he foreknoweth they will fieely act aright in : But his inward grace
is the principal or chief cause : And he doth not will or decree to give
them such means and circumstances, because he foreknoweth they will pre
vail. That is, Gods will and decree as in him hath no cause.
11. But the word £ because J is in Scripture applyed sometimes to Gods
Love or hatred, and sometimes to his outward aCts : ( as John 16. 27,
The Father loveth you, because ye have loved me and believed J And
in the first cafe that which is meant, is, that the qualification of the object
is the material constitutive cause of the acs of God, (not as it is Himself
but ) as relatively denominated ab extra from the ob]ct~l in specie yel
LI 11 a indivi-
 j6
■ Individuo. And in the second case, It meaneth, th.it the effects os God
* the stress
LJie^dTfcrencet lye*
on this ; And the Jesuits
with the rest irffcn:»Jfc-
sure Volition de peccato
prmimndo , without
proof.- which Heave to
mens various opinions.
* No doubt hut God is
quoad fræfemam immc-
diate in all his etticien-
cy, and as Near to the
effect, as if he used no
hTis^noTso immediate
as to exclude second
whik heaiiscththemAhe
operateth on us accord- efficient Influx, besides that by which he upholdcth the Power and second
inpto thei^kind ofope- causes. But I think that Durandus meaneth as much as they: that is,
werc^erween him awl
the effect. And this is
rhn ^'tTclwtrnn
a Do!a, ana oiiny recon-
cileth all.
.tmna'Ms dt lib. ^ bit.
r. 4. concurred!, with
iw vidm.
It is consdmble that all
fa'iwm 'did' held? it And no more than this doth seem to me to be simply necessary to
cjI ly ended all the con- motion.
K'^notethArtJ:*t * Here the Reader must know, that the Controversie is equally of Natu-
ennt's. fixta h»s drftorn
>"i'!j e't difticultis in cot-
(Hijndo d'fj/no concurs*
cm libntithSre. And
'r'1 ods ccrrai'^dT
noiii! of eVents"as pre-
dv termination ic self.
Os(jod's (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :
ad extra called his transient acts as in passo, have their proper uses* ani
we our commanded ends in using them : And so God is laid to lend Mi
nisters, e. g. because he would save the hearers ; that is, the Ministry is
a cause of mens salvation.
12. From all this it appeareth, that they err who think that their fei-
entta media is equally useful in the points of Election and of Reprobation,
and that they run part paflu. For all Good is both willed and known;
and lo Election supposcth not the foresight of our faith or obedience as
causal or antecedent , ( if we speak of that Act of Election which is to
f***^ an^ obedience. ) But Evil is foreknown and not willed at all : And
therefore there is no such Reprobation which is a will or decree that men
stiall sin: And the non-impedition of sin being no aft, ncedeth no positive
a# Qr iU decree * But ReprNation which is the decree of damning ,
J , r , . -J.
ever luppoletn the object to be &foreseen-[inner pnalfy rejecting grace,
Tne rest about this is spoken to sufficiently before.
1 *
IV.
II. Of DurandusV way.
S to the way of Aureolus, Durandus, Ludov. a Dola, rjrc. I con
ceive it is commonly rejected, because not understood, or because
the wording of it soundeth disgracefully But it is a great matter that all
confess, how easily it would end all these controversies, were it true..
And by Lad. a Dola's Explication , and what Capreolus faith of Aurcolus,
I conceive that they are commonly mistaken. Durandus thinketh, that to
tne motion of the Creature it is necessary t. That God by his continued
... . , . . J , . * <. ,
influx continue the being and the nature and properties or the agent >
2. And that he continue all the circumftant creatures, concauses and ob-
je&s the media of action; 3. And that no powerful impediment binder
the action. Now, say the "fesuits and Dominicans and the rest, God doth
moreovcr concurr as the first cause to the Act it self, by an Immediate
that God doth not only uphold the creature in its meer effe , but in its
Nature, which is its Mobility, and its principium motus • And this Nature
« not only a Power to Action, but also an inclined Power. So that for
/ -» ....
God by constant Influx to continue a Natural Power and Inclination to
4ffj0„ or motion with all necessary concurrents, without impediments, is
. , -"C / V.
truly by his Influx to concurr to the motion as the j7>/? C««/? ^ while his
.Influx is not only as to but as to the Motive force, and inclination:
rat and Free agents and action. And first let us enquire of natural
a<3}0n
_ . ,
I. st« is an Active nature , as much inclined to Action as Earth to
"on n^'on or rc^' Yea , *rs A%ive Virtue and Inclination is its very
Essential Form, and this as to a threefold action, viz. Motion, Light ani
.
 zAndtkcSub-operatknsofMarisrVilL fy

Heat. If God then make Fire and continue its Nature or Essential Inclt- For I have before flKweej
nation to these acts , and continue fuel approximate with all necessary c^Sj^^S" *" "
concaufes and media without impediments, to fay that this Fire yet cannot The whole experience of
burn pr alt, without another kind of Divine premotion besides all this, &^J£3lt]f
» j. ii- i /-j isis--ii /? • t - God doth operate by se-
even an Immediate physical impulle, beiidesthe deicribed Influx, is a plain cond causes according to
contradiction: For Fire is essentially an Inclined Power to act. And that ^ xhc^lore
which hath a true Power to ally can ad i It s a contradiction to lay 3 // jt nforc con'cerneth us
power, but it cannot. And a iPfliver naturally inclined to act , here to know, what se-
<-l . *.~.L...
4tf, f^fr* />4n£*J. . foul incauses
cond good doandon evil
the
The question then is, Whether it be an impossibility for sire to burn, actions, than in these di-
if God do but as the first Cau!e of Nature , continue its burning power ,^utes is usually obscrv'
and inclination with all concaufes i or rather, Was it not a Miracle for Adrian. Q«pAl.x. sol 18.
the three Confessors, Van. 3. not to be burnt in that fiery Furnace < satutu vurtndi & pi*-
If you fay, that the Miracle was, in Gods withholding his additional pre- l^t'Z^Zmm
motion, you then imply that God as principium vel causa prima Nature traXit Magisttf
cbth ordinarily gwe that additional premotion. For that is no Miracle ^fXllilt^U^rit
wlfich is not diflonant from the common course of nature. But nothing txamiJ. "
can belong to God as the Cause ofNature, but to continue Nature as he
made it, and he actually premoveth and concurreth while by his Influx
as the first cause, he continueth all its Moving Nature, both Power and
Inclination. <
In the motus projectorurn, so far as the moving vis impreffa continueth
and prevaileth, the motion continueth accordingly 5 And who can prove '
that though the vis impreffa continue, e.g.'va a Bullet (hot out of a Gun,
and all concaufes, yet there can be no motion, unless God otherwise thrust .
it on, or move it by some other impulse c . ,_
Suppose a Stone or Rock hang in the Air quasi per stum, orbysome-r
what that hindereth its descent.- If God continue the Natural Gravity of
that Rock, which is not only a power but an inclination to descends and
if he continue all concaufes and media, and if the thred be cut or the im
pediment removed that held up the stone, yet faith thz Dominican,tb\s Stone
cannot fall unless God moreover by another action thrust it down, ot
by an efficient physical premotion predetermine it 5 or as the Jjfsuits fay,
unless God concurs with a further moving Impulse. A plain contradicti
on : • That a Power of motion , strongly inclined to alt, so as a greater
power is necessary in the impediment that will hinder it, and this 'mge-
nere Agentis, continued by Divine Influx, yet cannot alt, Unless other-
Wise moved.
God worketh so constantly by Natural Inclinations of second causes,1
as fully proveth to us, that ut prima- Causa Nature, he hath decreed
jo to work. And how is that then but by his Influx into Nature at
Nature ?
If my house cannot fall when the foundations and pillars are gone, un
less God otherwise thrust it down ; If I cannot fall though I leap down
from the house top, unless God otherwise thrust me down ; If the Town
cannot be fired unless God predetermine it or concurr , besides his conti
nuation of Nature ; why mould we fear it • when we know not that God
decreeth any more than the continuation of natural causes and that action
which is by them, and by him as the upholder of them ?
1 1. And the cafe of Free-agents is here confessed to be the fame. The
Influx into their Natures and Virtues is it that continueth them in effe
fubflantiali and in effe movente & moto : An "Act is but the modus fub-
stant'u. And it furpasseth my understanding to conceive what it is, for
God
78 Of (jod's (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :

God fhyjice influere in attum immediate, & non in potenttarn feu virtu-
tem Agentem : nor how he can be said to move the faculties to act, that
doth cause the aft; and not medMe with, ( and therefore not move ) the
faculty. Nor know I how an Aft immediately ( and not the agent ) can be
the terminus of a physical motion. Though, it's easie to conceive how
God should cause an act by moral and extrinsick objective means. There
fore, as*God moveth things Natural by his Influx into their moving Vir
tues, or into the moving Virtues of second Causes , which being Active
operate on passive matter ; so as the Soul and its will is qu&dam natura.
inclined to Action in genere, and to will good in special, God 3LS the cause
of nature moveth it by his Influx into the faculty, as he doth other na-
tural agents : But having made it a Free self-determining Agent , his In
flux upholdeth and moveth it as such : And the fame Influx is upholding
and moving^ and moving as upholding ; seeing God as Motor also, doth
influere in naturam vitalem & liberam. Belides which supporting and
moving Influx, no other predetermining premotion is necessary to an Act as
an Aft} ( that I know of. )
But the very natures or dispositions of lapsed man being depraved, the
reparation of them is neceflary to holy actions And here also God ope-
rateth on the faculties, by right disposing themy and by that^r^ which
Augustine and Jansenius well call Gratia, medicinalis, ( his special Influx
causing, maintaining, and actuating it ) he caufeth the holy actions of
believers.
I do verily believe, that Durandm and his followers , under the name
of supporting the natural and free faculties , did mean inclusively that
which Bellarmine pleadeth for, A General Concurfe to the Act as an Act ;
And that they differ in words and not in fense.
And if his doctrine hold not true , I cannot fee how God can be said
to Permit mens sinful Actions, or any action at all. For if neither the
Inclination of natural agents, (as of Fire to burn, a Stone to descend,^*.,/
nor the Inclination of the most wicked nature, would cause any act, unless
God otherwise cause it by premotion then there is no place for Impediti-
on, ( for we cannot be said to Hinder a Stone from [peaking, or a Moun
tain from walking, nor any-thing from any act which it could not do ):
And permittere is non impedire. And therefore Gods moving a man to
the Act of sin, is not a permitsing him to sin $ Motion being one thing,
and the not hindering of motion, another thing ( or nothing. )
 And the Sub-operations of Mans WtU. 79
_ — 1 •s ' 1 " ■-■ . ■ —J

III. Of the Scotists and Nominate way.

III. \ Nd as to the third way, ascribed by Alvarez, to the Scotists and

£ \ Nominals , I think-that de nomine it is not a proper expression ' r-,-r> •,
to call God causa partialti. But if we agree of the sense, we may bear Atx!M.ut?2^wt
with improper expressions about God, of whom we can fay nothing with- td. i. & Bomvtm
out some impropriety. Doubtless God and man are not to be accounted fyf'\nm*' beauk they
co-ordinate concauses of the alt ; but whatever man doth, hie doth it in fay, Aitus nrfros ejfe ube-
subordination to God. But God operateth i. As the prime cause ofAte- m qHi*-fa'££kntri
ture, in a stablislied way, by natural causes-, And so he giveth man his Tumiibero^ybitrio-,' qlld
Natural vital poveer and the Liberty of using it : and by this Power and cum fit ftxlma unfa mo-
Liberty a man can do more than he alwayes doth. So that Gods natural K^ÆSl
causality and concurfe doth not bring all the Power which he giveth men on he joyneth with these
into proportionable adequate Action : but men freely exerciie the same Sc*jftS *n<J f.om'™l'dl
/wwvr iometime more and sometime less. 2. And in the like manner God a s.Jofqh.thtf. univ. it
causeth gracious or holy acts: Rectifying Our Powerst and fortifying then* Vt°> »* ^a^fiJ
by Ac/y habits, and preserving and actuating thenrij by the Holy Ghost: C„tfLac'aufiT'stdfJti*
Yet the Spirit is to Grace, a.s God the prime cause is to Nature : Hegiv-
eth us wars Gracious Power than and than his own concurfe al*
waves reduceth into adequate act : So that Gods operations in Nature
and (7r<ie<? are not 4^ ultimum posse Dei , nor ad ultimum posse hominis ;
but limited by his most wife and holy will : And man as a free agent is
not only Able, but obliged , to use his power further , than by all Gods
concurfe or premotion it is used.
And in this fense I conceive it is that Scotus and others call God and
man Cause partiales, in that there is a certain proportion of premotion
and help, which God as the first Cause otNature and Grace, doth afford to
man And there is moreover a certain use of Gods help and Grace , be-
yond what God predetermined man to, ( as comparative to this object ra
ther than that, &c. ) which man can do, and is bound to do ; Not inde
pendently or in co-ordination with God 5 but by the Power and Liberty
which God only giveth and upholdeth, and affordeth him sufficient help
to actuate. Now if man do this Part which is left to his liberty\ the ef
fect alwayes followeth. If he do not, it may not follow, though God
gave him that necessary help or grace or premotion which is commonly
called sufficient. And when Scotus likeneth God and man, to two draw
ing a Boat, where the strength of both must concurr, I believe he meant no
more than I have said.
1. All the Power is of God as the totalfirst cause.
3. All the Grace that rectifieth and difpofeth our faculties , is of God
as the total first cause.
3. All the Act as an Act in genere, is of God as the total ( though not
the sole) cause.
4. All the Holiness or Moral Goodness of the Act is Of God as the total
first cause ( though not the only cause. )
5. But all the finfulnejs or moral evil of Acts and Habits is from
Man.
6. And that implyeth, that mans free-will is not so much freed from
fin, mutability and infirmity, but that it can neglect to use well the power
and helps of grace afforded. But of total and partial Causality I have
spoken ...
 Of (jods (gracious Oferations on Mans Soul:

spoken more fully in the first Book. And of their opinion , that Gods
Influx puts nothing into the will , but only is ad aclum feu effeclum , if ic
be true, it easily endeth the controversie of the difference of sufficient
and effectual grace, as to that Act : But it is to me unintelligible, and the
thing quite above all our understandings, and very unfit for bold disputes,
or mutual censures*

i& VI.

The true face er Scheme of the Dominican predeterminant way } as

to the fense and consequents.

I Do readily confess that, as the fumm of all the Controversie is, Whe
ther man have truly any Free-will, that is not moved as neceflarily as
any natural motions are caused ; so the arguments ofHobbes and the Domi
nicans and Dr. Twiffe are not easily answered. And had we not bet
ter proof of all that Morality and Religion which is inconsistent with
this opinion, I should myself be inclined also to think, that we must be
contented with the naked name of Liberty ^ there being nothing indeed,
but Volition necessitated; and that man is an Engine moved by God and
other causes, no less neceflarily and physically than a Clock or Watch,
but only by more invisible causes and- to us unknown , and therefore our
Volitions are called Contingent and free , when truly there is nothing
contingent in the World. We that converse in the body with things
corporeal, are so much strangers to out selves and to all the race of In
tellectual-free Spirits, that we are very prone to such gross corporeal ima
ginations, and to think that all action is like the motus projetlorum, vio
lent, and necessitated ; and that it belongcth to the perfection of the first
mover that it should be so, yea, that he himself should be in all things
the most necessary agent , and consequently all things necessitated by .
him.
But is Alvarez, confesseth, Free-will is proved by Jfuinasaad many
others, by natural proofs, and no Predeterminant or Hobbifl can give the
tenth part so full and certain proof, of the necefsitation of all Volitions±
as we can give of all the contrary principles, in Morality which are over
thrown thereby.
And therefore ( whatever some think of the fatum Stoicorum ) the
Light of Nature taught almost all the Philosophers in the World, the
freedom of mans will, and the morality there founded : ofwhich Grotius
hath collected so full a Volume of testimonies in his Book entituled De
fato, that it shall save me the labour of transcribing any.
Yet though I think Christianity inconsistent with their opinion, I doubt
not but many of the Pre determinants are good christians, and excellently
learned and acute Divines, as not apprehending the inconsistency of their
own thoughts : And I confess that there is a Religion consistent with
their fundamental error , which I shall therefore put into the Scheme,
lest any think that none but Hobbes hath made the right deductions
from it.
And remember, that I charge them not to fay all the words which I here
Jay down, but only that the reason why I my self do above all others shun
their principles, is because I take this following to be the trui fense and com
plexion of them, which I must also believe, if I do believe them .- And
I suppose
 <:Jnd the Sul-operatknrof Mans Will. 8r

I sucpose the Reader to be acquainted with their own words, and to have
their Books at hand. * * AJ lJjj
I. Their fundamental Principle is, that "//« naturally Impossible Aivt>t\,wA Dr. twist
c< /Z»r agent Natural or fret to do any atf> or vary any-, comparative- and Rutkrford. dt ?rov.
.e t or circumstantially,
<c /y ■ n +11 L 1 by
but 1L. the • Immcdtate
. J 1 Physical
t.7 r l efficient
h.• ■ Jadequate
J Better faith
y. fent.d.^art. B.zsfl7;<
2. nm
" -predetermining Premotion of Gods Omnipotency, as the firjl Cause • <»//<?'«« ftfwvi i»ot wft
"fides his Influx by which he sustaineth their natures and concauses, ^f™£$£%
<c and affordeth them his general Concurfe or premotion to the act as an produclorum vtlmttt di^
"ac? in genere only. And it is Impossible for any Avert lo predetermi- ™m promm-
t i 0 f /• 1 « ■ ft t • ° n J 1 1 tribum agenti part;-
" ned by physical premotion, not to acs tn all the circumstances that it c*lari facultatem agmdi
«so moved to act in. • fic vel s'c •* "n u"n
" « 1 1. To fay that any creature can act without this physical predeter- %lnt tit
ccmination to all the circumstances, or can forbear to act when so pre- him va HUm : &iflo
" determined, is by consequence to say, that such a creature, is God, the ™$[ol^m
"■first cause. For it is as impossible, as to be God, or to make a qurntmeunqu difomium:
« World. Talium atluum ejl
"III. Yea, the creature that; will forbear any act which God so pre- taf'bi^a^K^tfiti.
" determineth him to, must be stronger than God and overcome him-, or infkutil gtneraii beu
« do contradictions ^XffiZZ
"IV. And it God had not decreed so to predetermine by physical ef- voiuntatu mu ejl jam dt-
« ficient premotion , he could not have knoven any future acts. No, d"^inMS m ad plccar'
" though with Scotus we fay, that he willed all those Acts antecedently to And Gakvieipofiscotum,
c c his prescience, it would not serve, unless he wtlled so to predetermine }ti 'ft tffitiva rf'
- ,t • r . ' r .1 ctitudinis quod quantum
« the agent in causing them. $ defe dm\ iUm a£}ltij(
■ " V. Yet we will say, that the will is free : but we mean only chit v$im'as coopn■antm.um-
«to wiS and to will freely are words of the fame fense. For a man ^Zk^SS *.
"is said to will freely in that he willeth, and his. willing is not a dam tti*m amfiquenter,
« r<lUlin<f quantum ejl ex fe , si no*
_ ... , , „ , , . , . ... ejset impedimentum : Vc
"VL Free-will then is nothing but Tacul\as Voluntatts & rationvs Uatta autem quantum ejl
ad utrumlibet agendum vel non agendum rjr ad agendum unum vel alte- ex fe non^djit ntUtudinm
rum : fed tantum prout a prima causa physice pradeterminatur : That £ ,.d'uD?i?' stair
,"is, it is such a faculty as God can predetermine to act which way he okamin i.d.45. &318.
"will, by making it will: yet its Indifferency is not only objective or orbiiis m!'f d! 97 ^
,'c passive, but also Active, because it is an Active Power of the will which it* Fr. Mayro i.d. 37.
"God predetermined. God predetermined! the will to determine q-«-ad4- &q.«. adj.
cc . , ./ r & q. 3. concl. 4-& Greg,
it ieir. Anm. 2. d. 37. q.i. a- 3'
"VII. We will call this the wills Power, but it is but hypothetically &d.2f?.q. i.a.3Jdarg.
cc a Power, viz. It can act if God physically predetermine it : else not at ^^Sj^KS
" all. As the Wheels of the Clock can move if the Poise or Spring move 3oo, 301, &e'.fyeak-
them, or rather, as the hand can move, if the will and the Spirits in the "I1 100 P1*?^ ®
VT ' , 5 . ' this purpose, with Wg6
« Nerves do move it. iffj^. ptrt. 1 3. bc-
"VIII. The will is said to be free, partly by reason that its active ing more careful to
«c power is capable* of being determined by God , and then by it self ad. j£ ^v^t7m\
<( utrumlibet, and partly in that it is not lyable to coaction. than to deny it [ m>*
" IX. The will that is by Omnipotent physical premotion efficiently V** quod didtur, non bent
t . ju J • /1 *j l r • •// / dtcitur,. fed quia quod be-
"predetermined by God, is not constrained, because it willeth not un~ nt dititur , nm rent in*
" willingly : that is, so far as it is willing it is not unwilling and re- »%*/«r.] And his moi-
<c\ a. & hfication is that [ God
lUCtant. willeth fin only secundum
"X. Yet the will that was one way endined, habituated and acted in qui; for Gods Mefim-
"che precedent instant, is oft physically premoved and predetermined by jf^SijiwlSwiS
" Omnipotency to the contrary act in the next instant , which it could approve' it as good, and
"not resist : As he that in this instant willeth Chastity, may in t':enext 2^^v*^ ^JEj
*c instant be predetermined by unresistible Omnipotency to will fornica- "u^er ^u({^t l£0Tl
[c tion ; or he that Loved God may be predetermined and premoved by them sey that God wife
Mmm m " God

1
 82 Of (jod's (fradons Operations on Mans Soul :

icth sin, because they <• God to hate him the next moment. But we will not call this irresistible
trorauchabhorrit. No <icfgcicncv [ coaffuti,! because it is ad Volendum , and so in tpfo ad*
aft is unjust limply, but . / • «_ /-a
all just, and all the con- ''there is no reiuctancy or resistance.
sequents of it just , in « x I. When Cod hath given man a Power with liberty to will or nill^
E!ct TWbre* fint " or not will, to will this or that, and also giveth him all neceflary objects
ply in the Universe, "and concauses , and also as the first cau.e of natural and free action
dination? Gc/w£h "giveth him all that Influx which is necessary to an Act as such, yet the
sm as a p'hys.don doth c< moral specification of that Act, to this proposed objetf rather than that
Sy[he 'e Safe6 ofd£ "(as to hate God, rather than to hate fin,) or to- this Act rather (haft to
good, the punilhmeocof u thatsas to hate God, rather than to Love him, or to speak a lye,rather than
the evil, the contem- «thc truth) hath so much Entity in it, that it is a blasphemous deifying
£eTorlth%le;Tstnotf cCman to fay, that man can doit, without Gods fore-described unreiisti-
the author of evil as he <;blc predetermining physical premotion.
he^ifThe 'soiergi>vcrtbof "XII. Gcd made the Law which forbiddeth sin, and God made mans
faith' charity, &c. ere- " nature Intellectual and free to be ruled by Law ; and God made and
itane'th notmen nfsis " orderccn a^ tne objects, temptations and concaufes and God by the said
agamst their w™s:°nor " efficient, physical premotion causeth irresistibly every act of sin in all its
doth he cause it unjustly « circumstances : ( As when David was deliberating, Shall I do this Adul-
»B«ttif meerroife? " tcry and Murder or not i God first by omnipotent motion determined
i. Doth God will any ' 4 his will co it, or else he could not possibly have dene it.} And fa in
S^ood^th^if lie will u'^> female is nothing but the Relation of Difconformity to Gods Law,
k" 82? is Gods not Re- *c which can have no cause but that which causeth the fubjectum, funda-
warding it, a not willing «c mentum dr terminum - nor can it possibly be, but it must exist per nu-
c4 not men for bring "dam resultantiam, hifee pofitis. And yet though God make the man,
him? You feign God to "the Law, the act, the object, and allthac is in the world from whence (in
and ti2 dam? men for " rcfultcth as a meer relation, we are resolved to fay that God is not the
ic, and then prove that ec Author or Cause of sin.
5ot'S 'to ^JTwH! It be "XIII. Yea j though the Habits of sin are certain Entities, and there-
«us<f hrrdamncd'Cmcn " fore God must needs be their first cause in their full nature, according
for it. j. Do you not « t0 oar principles, who account it proper to God to be the first and prin-
™se oftvii habits and " c»Pa! "use ot any toch entity-, yet we are resolved to lay, that God is
acts as of good , when « not the Cause or Author at least of sin.
SSTSf Md*? St " X 1 V- Yec we *iU soy » lhat he is an estcmy 10 Gods Providence,
them ? 4. Do you not " chat holdeth that man can possibly do any wickedness, unless God thus
enikr tvAeadi "and " Prc^Gtcrminc botn Will, Tongue, Hand, and every active p3rr, to eve-
riot sor em, as well "as w *y ac^ which he hath forbidden with all its circumstances.
God ? i. is not nun an « X V. Sin is caused by God as to the circumstantiated AH which is the
S\l^h2gtim> "1 materiale , but not as to the for male : And yet we must confess,
6. is it any better to " that (he Relation is caused by causing the subject, foundation and
SscrabieTyraSU^m ( allvvhich God principally doth,; and can be caused no other-
willing , Hi.in to make " Wise.
hisftwiH ?byNa ^could1 a " * V ** Eut forn,ale of sin is but a or privation, which i*
man be Me't sinner ^nothing: Therefore rr^n and not God is the cause ofit ; For God can-
by force without making "not be a deficient cause, nor have any privation. And yet we cannot
^SSSS^J^Si c'dcny bnc th;,t » -There is as much positivity ofRelation in disobedience
call you it poyson which <; as in obedience, \ncurvity as in rectitade, in difeonsormity as in confor-
Yolmwn nos'tnat " mUv' 2,Nor thac God can be a Ct*se of frivations ( such as deatfi
there is any evil in it " is, ) though not a subject of them ; even such a cause as they can have,
which God caused not '« j.Kor that some of ours seven Alvarez) say that sins of commission
jma^atelyaythan m: " sand habits) are positive in their firmalc. 4. And sin is such a Nothing,
and so that God first " as is mans misery, and he is damned for and by. And if it be such
puc^^i^his^rntd?- u a Nothing as can have no caure, man can no more be the cause of ic
cme. g. And why are " than God. 5. And that the Reason of non existences, negations, or
you afraid of speaking u privations, is :* notoriously resolved into the will or non-agency of the
 And the Sub-operations of Mans Will. 83

"•first necessary cause of the contrary, as existences and positives are re- y°ur opinion to rhd
"solved into his will and agency. And isa man cannot think a good S aw raoSeST^
"thought by any help that God can give him, unless he physically prede- you speak against the
e< termine him to it, then the reason why man doth it not is as notoriously principles of
" to be resolved into Gods not- predetermining him to it, as the reason g^are" sounder'1Cthan
"why he doth it into his predetermination-: and as it is night, because yourself? 9. And much
c"theSunffiinethnot.in f » , 1 •" .' 1 '
'/•'/•/» t " ' /- S?*f
cinnottcll liow J™
Godpu-
"XVII. But at least we can fay that God is not the cause of sin, because nisheth sn wkh sin, un?
<c he is under no prohibiting Law. Though it be true, 1 . That his na- vff he, ca',se what
,. c cl- u f *ii t • ' i_ t a j it by the Law of nature
" ture or perfection, the root or all Laws, is more than a Law : 2. And we in creation he ordain
ct know indeed that this proveth him not at all to be no cause of the sin of *at 1,e *?* is a glutton
"man, but only to be no sinner himself though he cause it : which is Arsenick feiiœrrode
<f none os the question. , ,. , j his bowels that eateth it,
"XVm. And from this necessity ofpredeterminaticnitfolIoweth,that rtuVwinfSn breed
" all that part of our holiness and obedience w:hich consisteth in not finning, the Gout, &c. Doth he,
"is not at all caused by God, that we hate him not, nor his truth audr j^^^-*^ raenc-L°
"wayes and servants, that we murder not, commit not adultery^ steal not, orirnottheexcesrfroin
lye not, covet not, blaspheme not, wrong none, do no evil, &c. we,need them? and yet the penal
« no help of God for this 5 Because if he will not move our wills by efficient SSff consequcnK
" predetermination to do them, it is impossible for us to do them at all. And suitably to all this
(i XIX. And though we fay that God willeth sin to be, by his permission frj^™\?™fa*nt
<c only and not by his efficience, yet indeed predetermining by efficiency, as (without which
" the first cause, is the principal efficiency : And properly we must fay that n° one fin can be avoid-
« God permitteth ho sin at all 5 For we fay that his permission proveth the fhaii be^doneT'( And so
" consequence of the thing permitted : And therefore we must say that he no man can any more do
u permitteth no sin but what is done. And that which is done by commit- d^hftibl^hTcan make
<c lion positively he effecteth by effecting thefundamentum ; and. therefore a world. ~) And free-will
cc permitteth not : And men lin by omijjion because God doth not make •a^ws,*!r*
<c them siti, and not because he meerly permitteth it. For permission is csMU?™'uiutarie"xt~
<<rnot de impofjibilibus. , , 1 so that to via,
"XX. God willeth not sin, because hewillethit not as 6»s in ta/ss-S^V^ t
iC male : which also we must confess that the wicked themselves do not. moved to every fin, by
"XXI. And whereas we hold that God cannot foreknow things future,
" but as he willeth or decreeth them, we must confess that the formale pec- is made wiring, that" u,
" cati as well as the materiale^ was (such as it is ) quid futurum, ( if it was s™M'
" but futura privatio : ) And therefore this would inferr that God willed acJim^Da %rntmZ*
*' and decreedtheformale peccati also. , . tnmmh priusnaturaiiter
« XXII. Gods mllis his Love : and what he willeth he Loveth. . %aT&quUvmcmZ
<c XXIII. God willeth the futurity and Existence of sin, not only of the atJitntmptr matvam m
ec materiale, but the formale, even of all the sin. that ever is done. *Jf» ***** man
"XXIV. The existence of sin is Good and Amiable^ not only by acci- So that all o^ssionfsfoT
" dent, but per fe, as being very conducible to the Glory of Gods Justice repentance, oae-
« and Mercy, and therefore is per fe Willed and Loved of God. tdohcdt^ Ctodsfirst
''XXV. It is incomparably much more fin than Holinest which God am-aguuyp.6n. [.%«•
" willeth, and Loveth, and by predetermination caufeth in mankind on j^"^^/;^
"earth : Fordtismuch more fin than Holinest thatexistethinman.: And steUam, calm maps, idea
" all that exiflcth God caufeth as aforesaid ( the circumstantiated act, and nn\it&tfmi
"so the resultancyof the relative form : ) And he willeth and Loveth thc'J^j&J^fJ
" existence of all, and the thing existing so far as he caufeth it. • «>» positive : scilicet
"XXVI. God mlleth, Loveth and Caufeth sin incomparably more than ^^££5^$
" wicked men do : For they Will and Love it with a humane mutable de- cauftUtertstDeumnoUepo-
" pendent will • but God with a Divine, primary, immutable will. Man jjjgjyjjj}«£***
I' cauleth the forbidden act ( \yhence the relation refulteth ) with a Will wt^%^rfm m
Mm mm 2 ''that This is plain
 Of Cjocts (jraciom Operations on Mans Sml :

dealing : AU men that " that is irresistibly moved so to do by God (as the pen writeth • only/*j
Love not God, and_ all cf m0^ \T0lUion :) But God caufeth it as the first omnipotent unre-
£aveUCit « sistible cause, of all that the Creature doth in firming,
so, and make them do as "XXVII. The fame must be said of God and the Devil, who can no
Syd KdiouT° volumes " more commit one sinful act, till God unavoidably predetermine his will to
and intricate disputes if « it, by his premotion, thansihful man can.
fTtwhÆiKChrt "XXVIII. God by his Law, doth strictly forbid all those sinful acts
RcHgionthen i " which he principally and unavoidably caufeth : And he strictly conirhand-
" eth all those good acts, whose contraries he thus caufeth us to do.
"XXIX. Though there is nothing in sin which can have a cause, of
" which God is not the Principal cause, and though he Willeth and Loveth
tf all that he caufeth, yet the Scripture saiththat God batetb fin, and cannot
« behold and bateth all the workers of iniquity, and that it is nbomi-
u nation to hint) that he is as one laden with it, and wearied, provoked, and
" offendedby it. And that he Loveth the Acts of obedience and holiness,
' * when he will not cause them, but doth cause and will the contrary.
te XXX. Pardon and salvation is promised and earnestly offered by God,
"to the Reprobate themselves, on condition, that they will believe and
" repent, when God doth unavoidably as the first cause, determine their
<* wills to the contrary acts, even to disbelief and impenitent hatred of God
" and holiness.
"XXXI. The Law of God is, that all the Reprobates shall be damned
"to hell fire, if they will not believe and repent, when his omnipotence
« doth unavoidably premove and determine them to unbelief and impeni-
" tence : and if they will not give over those acts of sin, to which God
" doth thus unavoidably move and determine them.
** XXXII. Gods executions are answerable to these Laws 5 and all save
rt Christians, and all professed Christians saving the sanctified, are to be
te punistiedm hell fire for ever, only for not doing the acts of Faith, Love
cc and obedience, when God as the first cause predetermined them to the
te contrary 5 and for doing the acts of sin, when God unavoidably moved
" them to it, and made them do it : so that consequently all that are
** damned, suffer in hell, for not being Gods, even the first sufficient causes
"of their own acts, and for not being above God Ot stronger thanhe,tnac
"is, for not overcoming or avoiding, his invincible and unavoidable pre-
" determining premotion unto evil acts.
"XXXIII. The fame must be said of the Devils, who sin and suffer on
"the same terms.
XXXIV. .g^What kind of torment then will there be in Hell ^ Can
Conscience torment men for doing that which they were unavoidably
made to do by Omnipotency f and for not doing that which without Di
vine predetermination they could no more do than make a world i or for
not doing that whose contrary they were thus predetermined to 1 that is,
for not overcoming Gods ( when they know the cafe. )
Or must we not more congruously fay, that the state of Hell torments
lyeth in a most vehement hatred of God for so using them, and a justifying
of themselves f Or will every mouth be thus stopt in judgement?
XXXV. J^ Is not Divine Justice the most perfect Justice i and the
exemplar of all humane Justice (allowing for disparities i ) And should
Kings and Judges imitate this fore-described course i And how then would
they be esteemed i
XXXVI. Q^ls not that best which is most agreeable to Gods Will
and Love i And therefore fin better than Hvlinesi in all that have fin, and
not
 And the Sui~operatidns of Mans Will.

not holiness, and In the Godly so far as they sin * because that it shall be
so, is more ( yea only ) willed by God, and caused by his predetermina
tion *
XXXVII. ^Whether this doctrine tend not to utter IfrSdelity, as td
the Christian faith, by making it seem to men incredible f Is it credible
that God sent his Son so wonderfully to expiate thole fins which he so loved
and caused as aforesaid *. and to save his people frofruheir sins, which God
thus unavoidably moved them to commit f drid to destroy the works- of
God, under the name of destroying the works of the Devil? Must Christ
suffer, bleed, die and bear Gods wraths so* that which God Unavoidably
made man do by his principal determination i And is it easie for him thatc
believeth one of these to believe the other ? •■»- - .
XXX VIII. ^.How will men preach arid hear the Gospel, if the? dd
it in congruity with this doctrine * Will they fay (* God sent us to beseech
and charge you, not to do that sinful act, which Jon cannot do unless, he
make you do it by predetermination, and which you cannot avoid if he so
make you do it. He beseecheth and importuned) you to 88 all those com
manded acts, which you can no more do than make a world unless he pre-<
determine yon to do them, nor can forbear them if he do Q
XXXIX. £^How will men Repent, confess, resist temptations, pray>
and use the means of Grace, if they believe that all sinful acts in the world
are thus unavoidably Caused, and Willed and Loved of God as good for1
his Glory ?
XL. ^Whether they that teach (as Dr. Tnriffe ofteri ) that sin is riot
tnalumDei feel ndflri7 do not take it to be no injury to God, nor displeas
ing to his will ? Or is not injury arid displeasing, evil in respect to God as
the terminus, though it be no hurt to him, nor his evil as the subject or
agent ? And doth not the opinion that it's Evil only to us> and Good to
God as conducible to his glory, teach men to hate it only out ofself-love^
and not out of love to the glory of God? yezto Love it as conducible to Gods
Glory, more than to hate1 it as evil to our selves * feeing Gods Glory must be
preferred above Sur selves ?
XLI. j^ts not sin thus made a coequal with Christ ? who is but a
means to the glorifying of God , to Which faith ( Dr. T&ijse ) sin is
sum me CoftdUcibilei
XLII. Doth not this doctrine make the sanctification of the Holy
Ghost to be unnecessary > when all that is to be done to save us ffdm sin, is
for God not to make us sin by his ptemotion i Or doth it not make sancti
fication to be nothing but this predetermination of God, which is made
as necessary to sin as to duty, and so natural and gracious operations
made the fame, and God to do as much to produce evil efficiently as
good?
XLI1I. Is it not mtjch worse! to man, if God by predetermination
make him first a sinner, ( and wicked by sinful Habits ) arid then damn him
for it, than if he should damn an innocent man for nothing i For sin and
pain is far worse than pain without sin. Arid to compel the will unwil
lingly to sin, wet e it possible, is less than to make it willing.
XL1V. Doth riot he that affirmeth that the Devil doth but sin as effi
ciently predetermined by God, and doth not force, nor determine any mans
will to any sinful act, but that God predetetmineth all men and Devilsto
every sinful act committed, t fay, doth he not describe God as Worse than
Satan (horrescoquœrensl*) if (inbz the denominating ev'Ui and the causing
of fm be more than tempting to it? Had I not rather my will were re
—•— : • ; : • > -f
86 Of (jod's (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :

fifthly tempted to sin, than unrefiftibly made to sin, by predetermining

efficient premotion i
XLV. Is not the objective Reason in Devils of mans impIanted Enmity
against them, Gen. 3.15. because they are Enemies to God and as, as being
themselves Lovers of fins and Tempters of us to fin and misery ?
i XLVI. Doth not he take the directest course to root out the Love of
God and all Religion from the World, and to tempt men to hate God, and
so to begin a Hell on Earth, who describeth God in Satans likeness and
much worse; as much as being the printipal cause of all fin in men and
Devils, is worse than finning when predetermined, and tempting ethers
to it t
XLVII. I think that the Dominican Predetermination, directly and ne
cessarily overthroweth all certainty of Divine Revelation, by man, or An
gel, and consequently all certainty of the Christian faith : even by over
throwing the very formal object, the Divine Veracity. For if God effi
ciently premove and predetermine all wills and tongues and pens to all the
• lies that ever are made in the world, then 1. To do ft•, is not inconsistent
with his perfections ot his will ; 2. And then we can never know when
he doth not sot unless by the event. This is grounded on these supposi
tions,
1. That Gods revelations to us are not Immediate only by himself, but
by some Creature , Angel or Man, or a created voice or sign. 2. That
the Ratio certitudinis of such Revelations by a Creature, is because it is
God that is the chief author of them. 3. That it is not conceiveable
how God can by any way of Revelation be more the author of it,
than by physical efficient immediate adequate predetermining both will and
tongue to the act with all its circumstances. Call it by what name you
please, Inspiration, Vision, Illumination, Impulse, ejrc. it can speak nothing
more of Gods Agent efficient Interest than this predetermination doth.
4. If it did do more, yet it would overthrow all certainty of our faith :
Because if God can efficiently cause, and that as the total principal cause
by predetermination, all the lies that ever were told in the world; we can
never be sure that the other mode of his operation so far differeth from
this, as that he cannot be the chief cause of a lie in this way as well as of
all lies by predetermination. I have driven many to fay their utmost,
and could never yet hear any such difference assigned, as could prove any
Inspiration whatsoever, to have more of Divint Causality in it, thanpfey-
fical predetermination doth signifie and import : nor how this principle
leaveth us any certainty that the tongues of all the Prophets and Apostles
were not predetermined to speak falfly , (ab antecedente } and so their
pens. )
XLVin. To fay that God is not able to make a Creature with power
to determine any one Volition of its own, even as modified, comparate or
circumstantiate, without his efficient physical predetermination aforesaid,
sayeth more against Gods Omnipotency ( though on pretence of a con
tradiction ) than I dare fay or think.
XLIX. Yet after all this I grant that if all proper free will and coa-
tingency be denyed, and every act in the world ( as comparate and cir
cumstantiate) made as necessary by predetermination as the motions in
a Clock, yet a certain Religion is consistent with it, and the Atheist that
hence would nullifie all Religion absolutely, would raise false inferences
from this principle. Much more perswaded am I, that many that hold
it are very worthy holy persons, much better than I am or can hope here

1
 And the Sh ^operations of Man s tVtll.

to be, as not discerning the inconsistency os their opinions (as I

said. )
L. The Religionrconsistent with it I conceive must be such as this :
i . There is a God who moveth all things by physical nccessitation, evert
mans Volitions as well asany natural actions. •
a. This God doth all that he doth himself by necessity, viz,, os perfecti
on, not os co-action : And there is no contingency in rerum natura.
3. This God hath made his Creatures of various ranks and degrees of
excellency : And man a more knowing Creature than the Bruits.
4. Among men he maketh some wise, some foolish, some good andr
Godly, and some vitious and ungodly And as he maketh the difference
of men and beasts, of a Horse and a Toad, of the Sick, and the sound> 06
Prince and people, rich and. poor, so doth he of godly and ungodly, chad
and unchaste, &c.
5. Yet man being Intellectual,. God will move him by means and fe-,
cond causes -y and therefore hath made him Laws, obliging him dr jure,
and commanding his utmost diligence to keep them 5 promising and threat-
ning Life and death hereafter tor the keeping or the breaking of them :
and appointing Ministers and Magistrates, to perswade and drive him on.
6. And it's likely though not certain that God will do according to these
Laws, in some considerable degree.
7. Man by his Nature, and by Scripture ( which may be true ) is bound
to Love and serve his God above all other, as the Cause of all the being
and good that is in the world, ( whatever he do by us, ) and of all out
good. • . .
k 8 . There is another 1 ife of Reward for the good, and punisiiment sot the
bad, which must be our hope and fear.
9. Gods Laws are called moral means, but Cause only as physical en
gines or tacklings, to move mans will by the said necessitation.
10. Gods hatred of sin, is no true hatre/1 or noliticm ( where sin is:)
but only his prohibiting it to us, and hispunilhing men for it.
11. If God did fend Christ and the Apostles, and Miradess &c, it was
only to be tacklings or parts, in this engine of physical operations.
1 2. God causeth. and Loveth sin as much as obedience but he maketh it
not so GWand Lovely to us, it being our disease and misery.
13. As God no otherwise haceth sin than Jitknesi, and starters than the
sicky andlooketh.on^foij^ bad but as modalshysteal differences caused by
himself ; so must we do also : and hate that most that hurteth us most.
14. To mourn for sin, and confess it, and strive against it, or talk of
Christs suffering or satisfying for it, any othetwise than as a Voluntary di
sease and misery of man, or to avoid any sin any otherwise than as a misery
toour selves or others, is but the errour of superstitious men.
1 j. Men should do all that ever they can to cure their fins, and live holily,
so far as increaseth not their misery, and no further and this only as a phy-i
sicatVoluntary perfection, and as the avoiding of a natural misery to them
selves and others*
1 6. God will punisli man, not oat of any hatred of sin ( which he wil-
leth and causeth ; but out of a differencing will, as he maketh Toads and
Serpents, and causeth Cattle and Fowl to be killed by us, and Horses la
boured in pain : Therefore we have no reason to fear any other misery in
Hell, than Gods arbitrary disposal bringech on the more wretched sort of
his Creatures, withoucany sinful comment or provocation • and perhaps
little more than we voluntarily here choose and bring upon out selves, or of
 OsQoss (jracious Operations on Man's Soul :

the same kind, our sin it self being our punishment though it pleaseth us,
(As scratching is to him that hath the itch.)
17. Therefore the end of a mans life is the publick good and his natu
ral felicity-, besides and above which to make God our End, as he is holy
and to be pleased by Holiness, is an errour ^ for all that cometh to pass whe
ther sin or holiness, do equally please and fulfil his will, as they are equally
caused by him, according to their several natures.

I Have delineated this hypothesis with its conscctarics as truly as I can.

If any expect that I mould have given you their own words for all that
I have said. 1. Remember that I charge not all these words on them ; but
mention their judgement with the consequents. 2. That I charge not
these consequents to be owned by the men, but upon their doftrine. And
let any man discharge or justifie them that can. 3 . But I desire no more to
prove that I wrong them not, than that the Reader be acquainted with their
own writings, and not to impose too many on him, particularly, with Brad-
wardine, Bannes, Holkot and Alvarez,, and with Pifcator, Maccovius^
Dr.Trvijse, and Rutherford deprovid. And I desire him first but to read
the words which I have before cited and confuted of theirs in this Treatise;
and the words of Alvarez and Trvijse which I have cited and answered in
my Dijput. contr. Prxdeterm. in Methodo Tbeolog.
And I must profess that the Religion here described in the end, is all that
I can prove consistent with their opinion truly understood in it self and its
confectaries and that if I held their doctrine, I think I could have no
other faith : Which I have annexed lest the H<>yi>i(ts should think that
their principle, were it proved, would justifie all Immorality and Irreligion.
For this much they might be obliged to notwithstanding it.
But he that can fee so great evidence for the Dominican predeterminat'b;
on, above the other three waygs, and what I have here farther added, as for
the fake of it, to admit so great a change of his Religion, or so great a de
cree of the forsaking of true Religion, he seeth not with my eyes, and I
nope I shall never lee with his, though I am not a stranger to the pretences
for their way, that make it seem plausible to them that do refpicere ad
pauca.
And if any think that I deal too harstily in clogging their opinion with
such odious consequents, Let them prove them inconsequent, and I
will recant it: But if they cannot, civility shall not make me hide and fa
vour so great Impiety and as little in Doctrine as in manners, ( as Adul
tery, perjury, blasphemy, &x\ ) because he that thinketh he doth well,
will not Repent, and an erring mind will justifie sin, and fight against God
and his truth in his own name 5 and it's more to Teach men to break a com
mand, than to do it, and confesi the fin. They think it is for God that they
erre ; And I think it is for God that I detetl it. And who it is that erreth
indeed^ the Light must discover, and the studious impartial prepared Chil
dren of the Light must discern and the Father of Lights must finally judge.
Note that in the first part I speak as in the name of the Predeterminants ;
till I come to the Questions, and thence- forward I speak as in my own
name, which the Reader may easily perceive.

VII.
 And the SHb-operations of Man s Willis

\ Of Jansenius his way of reconciling Grace and FreevLf'J^.,

\

x* T)^1 a^ter a^ l^e^e cometn J**s**?*»} justly blaming' .Philoso-

Jj phy as the great occasion of our heresies and errours, which
nrifled the Schoolmen, Jesuites and others, he goeth to Augustme alone
Cas Lot»bard thought he had well done before him*) and difgraeeth his
C4ufe by saying that Augustine first taught it to the Church, ( as if Grace
had been unknown by the former ages : ) And because many will not be ac
the labour to know his mind by reading so big a volume, 1 (hall briefly
select what concerned} the matter in hand, and animadvert upon it. ;i
J. His first Towe describeth the Heresieof Pelagiut, wherein he provetfi
. that Pelagius held all this that sollowcth concerning grace : .
"x, The Remission of sins, containing i . Conversion to God, 2. The
" abstersion of the blot and filth, 3. Reconciliation, or remission of Gods
" offence, 4. And of theeternal punishment. Janseniw Aug.To. 1. /. fi
■ uc. 11. p. \t6% 127. . .-
" 2. That Pelagins owned the, Infusion of habitual grace. And that
" God in Baptism did Wot out all sins, purge,.deanse and expiate them, save
" and renew the soul, restore nature, deliver from the body of this death, and
" from the contracted custome ofsinning : He held that Grace doth Regene-
" rate, Illuminate, cause Faith, Justifie, ( even Infants,) Sanctisie, make us
" new Creatures, incorporate us into Christ as his members, give us the
« anoiating of the Holy Ghost, not only restoring us to the state that we
« were in in Adam, but to a better, and to be adopted sons of God, and
" saved. cap.iAf. And 25. as to .the Relative effects, that Grace Recon-
" cileth man to God, maketh him an adopted Son of Go*l> and the Temple
"of the.Holy Ghost> an Heir of God, and co-heir with Christ: So that
." they acknowledge not only Habitual Infused Grace, but more * even in
•" Baptism : As alto the Assisting moiionsiof thespiricto. good acts, making
"them possible. ■;. J
" Also that after Pope Zozywus had condemned the Pelagians, they
" went further, and that their design was but to lay mens salvation or dam-
" nation on free-will. lib. 6. c. 7. &c. 1 ...... .
And when hecometh to characterize Pelagim, he doth it as he doth else
where t\\t Protestants, and as Malignants do Religious persons, by pre
sumptions: viz,, that he was indeed as Augustine faith, Temperate and of
a good life, but singular and very proud, (which he proveth by, his opinion,
and. because he was against Sweariag, and said.$ "that Gads servants
" meurfas mould venc no bitter thing, but only that which i? sweet 5 and
" that Christians must be so patient as readily to let go what is taken
,c< from them* and that gallantry atWl gay ctoathing is' contrary to God, and
." that enemies mustbe Javedas friend$,and yet not believed, -and that Riches
"mu.st.be forsaken,.^.) as hoi ding notrung mean and moderate : that he
" affected novelty- ( and yet bis ejrours were old, coming from Origeny
" Austi/tifSy palladin, Evagr'wi^jfo&iMan and the.'Pinlosoph^s ) that he
" affected fame, admiration, hypocrisie, pretending to more holiness than
" other* . under the g*rl?:of poverty, drc. over-valued. Reason, Logick,
"Syllogismcs, Philosophers,*^. Ail which ^mention, not u abate any
4 Nnnn mans

i
po Of (jois Qraciom Operations on Mans Soul :

mans dislike of any one errour of Pelagius, but to lhew that it is so usual
for dissenters to make one another {gem odious, and to feign or aggravate
faults, and to vilifie or deny Gods grace in others, that he that would not
be tempted into malice, uncharitableness and slander, must take heed whac
he believeth, even of men accounted most abominable hereticks. Doubt
less pelagius his denying original sin, and his laying too much on mans
will, and too little on grace, are things to be detested.
1 1. Janfenim asserteth that the Angels and Adam had such Free-will as
could obey or disobey, and so could determine itself to good, and persevere
therein, without any more grace than they had when they did it not: And
that by this Free-will some Angels stood and some fell, and Adam fell when
he might by it have stood, and thereby fell from a nobler sort of Free-will,
which consisteth in a due subservience to God, and fell to the Love o£
Himself "(not primarily of external things) instead of God, and to self-
dependency and dominion. De Grat. primi horn. c. 6. p. 40, 41, 42 . & c. 7.
f_ " Nos hie afferimus tanquamfine dubitatione verijjimum juxta dolirinam
" santfi Augustini dr ecciefia, omnia hujusmodi opera adeoque ejr ipfam jf-
" dem <jr dilectionem Dei, ab eo potuijfe per arbitrii liber tatemfieri sic ut ex
<cmn donaret ei gratia Dei."] vid. c.7, 8, drc. The reason of this was
" fanitas Voluntatts Adami. c. 9.
"III. Yet Grace was necessary to man and Angels both to perseverance
"and to every good act. c. 10, 1 1. And c. 12, i$,&c this Grace ne
cessary to all was not Habitual Grace, ( for that they had-,) nor general
concurse, which none denyed : but it was Actual Adjuvant Roborating
" help. But the Grace given to Angels and Adam was Adjutorium fine quo
" non, giving the will power to determine it self, but not Adjutorium quo
" which ever determined! it. One giveth the Power, and the other the
Ail, ( The same that is meant by the common distinction of Grace suffi
cient and ejfetfualby the Dominicans.") "Yet this Adjutorium fine quo
u non did with free- will procure the Act in the standing Angels, and Adam
" while he stood : But that made it not Adjutorium quo because it is not
"socalled (e/ficax) only ab eventu : but because it so helpeth that iHo
"prasente continua fiat id propter quod datur ; iilo absente nunquam fiat.
Kp. 63. 14, ry. One is like Lignt and the visive faculty advidendum;
t "the other utipsa vifio ( such as all formal causes are, and Gods simula-
" neous efficiency.) The difference is ( c. 15. ) that Adjutorium fine
" quo non doth but perfect the power, and the chief honour belongeth to
" the will that usetn it and could choose: But contrarily the adjutorium
" quo is the principal cause of the Act, and leaveth not the event to the
" will, but ufeth it effectually to the act intended. Therefore' merit and
" perseverance in Innocency were no special gifts of God.
H I V. That without or before faith no good work is done, but lies and
"fins: /. 3. c^4.f. t.p.213. no nor without true Godliness,^. 261. dr
"passim. To think that Infidels and ungodly have any true virtue, is do-
" tage. c. 1 7.
" V. The first sin had no necessity, being meer sin, and no punistimenr,
"and so easily avoidable and wholly voluntary : Other sins are also pu-
"nilhments, and so partly involuntary and unavoidable and necessary :
rc Though a sinner may forbear one sin by another, cap. 22.
"VI. A rational Creature could not be made of God sinless without
" true Love to God, or at least a faculty most sufficient to love him and
" cleave to him. Deflatunat.pur.l.i.c.iy.p.^2^,^i^. nor can God
" withd raw that grace of Love noæ the innocent, c. 1 8. .
, ; «Vn. T/je
 And the Sub^operaiions of Man s Will. £I

u VI I. The grace of Adam , and os Christ , Adjutorium fine quo

°non , & Quo , do thus differ , that the first i'erveth the will, and
" is determined by it : The second ( Adjutorium medicinale ) giveth
"the ifsum velle to the unwilling j which else it could not have.
<c De Grat. Chr. Sal. Li. i. c. 4. and is more than Lex, feientia, reve-
" latio, remijfio peccatorum, gratia fufficiens , babitualU, & per congrui--
ei tatem efficax. c. 5 . Also 1 . The Adjutorium fine quo non giveth noc
" Merit to the will, but it meriteth it self: But the Adjutorium Quo giv- ■
"eth us the ipfum opus & meritum. 2. The former is meritum buma-
" mm ; the lecond meritum divinum, as given of God. 3 . To t<he first
"Life would be merces meriti: To the second it is a free gift? Reward
" and Gift are re'pugnant. Angels merited life.^ 4. By the first and free
" will Angels persevered : but we cannot but by the second. 5 . The first
<c ( fine quo non ) was given them that were to be differenced by free-will :
<l The second to them that are to be differenced by grace, c. 6, 7, 8. One
*c is adjutortum poffibilitatis, the other aolionis. c. 9. ,.
• "V II I. That since the fall no good can be in or of man, but by-Gods
wgift> and is not laudable in any but God. c. 23. Man hath no pare
«« of the praise. This grace is, ever effectual, determining , rapeth the
" will so that it is scarce perceived to act : It useth the will as an in-
" strument, which way God will : It is insuperable, irresistible, not meer-
" ly potential : It is never uneffectual, but in all that have it infallibly
''effecteth. c. 24, 25^ , >')
"IX. There is no grace ofChrist but this (quo): None now fine quo'
^non, or adposse], c. 27. That ceased with innocency. -
" X. This grace is ever effectual , but noc ad omnia : It giveth some:
tc small degree to some, and more to others : And the weakest have not
" enough to produce faith, prayer, hope, obedience, but some Velleities and
*' ComplacenciesI only, t. 27. p. 86. / .. f
X I. He distinguifheth sufficient Grace into that Prater quod nil aliud
ex parte Dei per modum Principii neceffarium eft ut homo Velit aut opere-
iur : And that Quod satis eft ut homo dicatur posse operari, quamvis ali-
ud adhuc necejfarium eft M de fa&o operetur. The later hedenyeth not:
As to the former he faithi Nullum jam dart hominibus lapfis gratia fuf
ficiens, quin fit fimul efficax. lib. 3. c. i.p.\oz, loj. This Gratia fuffi
ciens is DUt the fine ipo non, the grace of innocency and not medicinal^
and that which Velagius and the M*ffUic*fss held against Augustine, yea, ad
gratiam natur* pertinet, & Lapjorum reparations inutilts & perniciofa^
cap. 2. p. 104. For it supposeth Nature to be sound. Quid bomini mi
ser0 pernickftus, quam iSa gratia abundare , qua nemo unquam,fatenti-
bus fcbolafticis, nisi majorem damnationem ajfecutus eft? Hoc ipfo quippe
twufquifque damnabilior eft, quomagis sufficients gratia abundavit. Nemo
enim unquam sufficients gratia ufus eft, aut tttitur , aut utetur in <tter-
num ij tfui mitius puniretur fi tali auxilie caruiffet; quoVeus neminem
n/el damnandorum vel falvandorum ufurum effe prafeivit. 1
He concludeth c . 4. Nullam Cbrifti gratiam effecJu operit ad quern ef-
ficiendum vcluntati datur, ulla voluntatis peri/icacia fruftrari.
X 1 1. He malceth this to be the great doctrine of Auguftine, that All
Gods Law, both old and new, is given to convince men that they cannot
keep it, and all written precepts are to shew men their sin, which maketfi
them the worse, because of the Laws restraint and commands: And that
Law and Grace thus differ, that Chrifts Grace is only Gods making us trill
and do and the Law fheweth that we cannot, and so ckiveth us from it
to Grace 5 c. 4. • That to Jews and Christians that have written Laws,
Nnnn 2 " there
there is no sufficient or adjuvant grace, but what maketh them do the
act. c. 5 . No potential grace ( that giveth the power ) is sufficient to the
act, unless it give the act. c. 6. Hence is the necessity of sinning,/'. 12 6.
Unbelievers want Remote as well as Proximate sufficient help and all
its principles, e. II. And the Commands are to them impossible, yec
make them unexcusable, c. 18,1 9.
XIII. That impotency excusetha man, when he strongly would do the
act and cannot $ but not that by which he would not do it , though he
cannot will it without grace, p. 145, 146.
XIV. Christs dying for All, is meant only for all the Church, or all
forts : yet as he giveth to others the grace of faith and Love withonc
perseverance and salvation, so far he dyed for them, and prayed for them.
c.20. p. 163, 164.
XV. The eflence of the grace of Christ is a Heavenly Suavity or De
lectation, given before our free act, by which the will is bowed to act
what God will. It is a vital and indeliberate act of the foul, even of
Love and Desire before Consent, and that Delight which is our Rest and
Joy. /r.4. c. 1. Plainly it is a necessitated complacency, which
is the first act of Love ; when God and Righteousness, not for our selves,
but for themselves and as such, are Pleasing to the soul.
XVI. Christs grace is neceflary only to Love God sincerely in every
act of obedience, and only thisLove and Suavity is Christs grate, what
ever other graces or acts as to the name it is found in. It. 5 . c. 1 . For
nothing is good that is done only by Fear, and not in Love of Justice.
The Justice Loved is not any habit or act of the foul, but God the Eter
nal Justice, c. 2. and the Justice of his Precepts. Virtue is nothing buc
the Love of God. c. 3. The four Cardinal Viitues are fourfold Love of
God : And so all others, c. 4, 5.
XVII. By the Love of God is not, meant only that degree by which
we Love him above all, but true sincere Love of God for himself, and not
ullius creature intuitit : which is either Imperfect, not Loving him so
well as the creature, ( but only to an uneffectual Velleity ) which yec
how remiss and small soever, is the true and chaste fruit of the Love of
God, even amoris amicitU : or more perfect , which justifieth. The
first is quadam diletfio justitU quasi simplex ejus complacentiay qua. non
eo usque increverit, ut adversantia isti bona voluntati valeat superare.
This goeth usually first, and sinners find a good will to goodness, and like
it, and many years perhaps are wishing and purposing to leave their sins for
it, and turn to God, till at last Loveprevaileth. And this though imper
fect, is true sincere Love, not from a perfect habit, but from the excitati
on of the Holy Ghost; It hath the fame object as perfect Love, that is,
Justice for Justice, or God for God, not loved on consideration of any
other reward : which proveth it sincere Love. Such wish to live chaste
ly, temperately, justly, but cannot come to it. Out of this imperfect
love, springs faith ; faith may be habitually many years before Justifica
tion : Justification is the grace of perfect Love to God above all .-Hope and
Perfect Love also come from this initial Love. c. 7, 8, 9.
XVIII. As Hope, so Reward and respect to it may stand with this
grace of Love : For the Reward is not desired ex amorc concupifeenti*
for our selves only 5 cum enim charitatis proprium [it ejr unita voluptat
diligere Deum, non quia hoc fibi suave velutile velgloriofum est, vel alia,
quacunque considerattone redundat in fe, fed quia ita eft ordo creatur*
sub creatore, qui propter feipfum super omnia ( ex fuperexcellenti boni-
tate) diligendus est ita unicum premium est, veritatemcjr boni-
tatem
 And the Sub-operations of Man s Will. 93

tatem Dei facie ad faciem contcmpUndi ardentias amarc dr Utidare De-

um ; non quia utile ejf dr beutifcum diligenti , fed quia œtcrna veritxti
congruum, dilefto debitta>i,drc. Amoris hie tnchoati, Amor futurus con-
fttmmatut unica merces. Premium Dei ipje Detcs est. Qui(quis delabi-'
tur ah ilia cbaritatts puritate, ut am ore concupifeentiæ incipiat velle dr
concupifeere ftbt Deum , totum dtlefttonis ordtnem quern natura docet, dr
Lex <eterna prœcipit, d'.ltgcndi perverstate per'turbat. Nam drDeuritttd
fe refers, dr feipfo frtiitur, quorum utrumque aterna dr indijpenfabili
lege proferiptum eft. c. ic'.
XIX. The fear of punishment ( and attrition ) is good, being fug*
malt •, an Antecedent of wisdom : It is from a certain general grace, bus.
not that properly called the gracebf Christ: The Spirit of the Old Testa
ment even of fear, is Gods Spirit; not that which Christ dyed to give men,
which is contrary (delectations but another much inferiour grace, which
after the firm belief of Gods judgement and eternal punishment, fohaffts
Gratiam peculiars cujusdam provident!* & operations non excedit.
They that have but the Righteousness of fear by knowing the Law, have
not Gods righteoufnels but their own ; Indeed' they have faith and that ra
dicated, but notChrists proper grace, but that which may come exproprii
arbitrii viribus, excited by providence, or, if you will, inspired fear : no
iin can be avoided by it, but by other sin. c. 22, 23, drc. It is but of self-
love. It is Legal righteousness and our own. c. 3 1 , 3 2 . , ' ,
X X. Liberty of will is either meer Foluntarinefs, whose contrary ne
cessity is involuntarii coattio-, or that free state which is the Love of God,
consistent with simple necessity, lib. 7.
XXI. Gratio, Christi e(l Pr<tdcterminatio voluntatis, fed non Dominica-
norurn prxdetcrminatio. i . Prtdeterminatio pbyfica ejl motto nefcio qua
irirtuoja, hdbens ejje incompletum, ut colores in acre, impetus in impulfo:
Gratia Chrijli eft verifjimus motus voluntatic , ineffabilis, viz. deleftatiot
Sec. 2. Prxd. phyftca non est eis aftus Vitalu animi , fed aliquid ait vo-
luntas tantum passive fubjacet : Gratia contraj &c 3. Prædet. physica.
in quibuscunque circumstantiis voluntas collocetur, omnem superat reftjlen-
tiam dr semper facit effeftum : contra deleftatio viftrix, ft alter arden-
tior est, in folts inejficacibus deftderiis harebit animus. \.Pr*d. phyftca
est instdr concurfus cujusdam generalis Dei in ordine super natur ali : Ad-
jutorturn Christi non ita. 5. Præd. phyftca neceffaria statmitur omnibus
agenti bus ex vi cause fecund*, &c. christi adjutorium Ufa tantum vo-
luntati propter vulnus neceffarium est. 6. Pr<ed. phyftca propter natura-
lem indifferentiam voluntatis exigitur : Gratia non ita —1 7, Prad.
phyftca statui innocentU neceffaria dicitur : Gratia christi non tta, ergo hi
( Dominicani ) magis Aristotdici quam Augustiniani funi. Gratia tamen
efiprad.phyftca: And grace and free-will are reconcilable as Predetermina
tion and free-will are. /. 8. c. 2, 3, 4. Summa est, quod Gratia Amantem dr
Volentem facit : dr non tantum posse velle dat. In conclusion he belyetfi
Calvin^ 1 . As denying in man boni dr malt eleftionem, and so in many
other points, cap. 21. . , *i
XXII. His doctrine of Predestination as congruous to this I pass by,,
only adding that he denyeth Angels to be elected of grace or to perseve
rance, which was but foreseen, and they -were made to differ, not by
grace, but by merits ; Man is elected to merits and glory • but to glory
before the foresight of merits. The Reprobation of Angels was after the
purpose of giving them sufficient grace, and the foresight of sin Permis
sion of sin was no effect of it : But the Reprobation of men was by Gods
positive
94 Of (sods Gracious Operations on Man's Sml :

positive absolute will, of men in original sin, and the effect of it excæcation
and obduration t, but not the permission of the first sin. lib. 10.
' This is the Epitome of Janfenius as far as concerneth our present
business.

The Animadversions.

£.2. I. IT seems Augustine and Pelagius were both pious men, that
J differed in the methodizing "and wording those fundamental
conceptions in which they agreed $ by which pelagius ran into errors. And
I doubt, he was not so innocent as Janfenius intimateth, when hemaketh
Augustine to be the first true Teacher of grace, and Pelagius his Opinion
to liavc been so antient. And if it were not too bold to fay so against
one that read over all Augustine ten times, and all his writings against
the Pelagians thirty times, I would fay that I think that Austin owned
more universal grace and free-will, than Janfenius supposeth him to have
owned. Of Prosper and Fulgentius it cannot modestly be denyed 5 who I
think were of Augustines mind.
I I. He confefleth that self determining free-will and sufficient Grace,
were the condition of the Angels and innocent man ^ and so that it is
not alien to Gods government, or prerogatives, for subjects to be so Ru
led and Judged.
III. He seemeth to me to ascribe far too much to innocent man and
Angels in using sufficient grace, when he maketh their wills the chief lau
dable cause of the effect : I rather think that no Angel ever did any good,
the chief praise of which was not due to God as the principal first cause.
God givetn them all the power, liberty, help, means, motives, by which
they do it } Besides that they did nothing but what he fore-decreed and
willed they should (eventually) do: Therefore there is no good but of
him as the first cause, though not as the sole cause.
IV. Whether the best actions of Infidels or ungodly men be properly
to be called good, is but a Logomachy: Call them but a Less evil, or the
abatement of evil, and actions that tend as Means to their repentance, aud
salvation, and I mall not disagree with you in this.
V. His concession that the first sin was not necessitated is of great mo
ment : But it is a great mistake, that following sins arc necessary, because
they 'are punishments. It is not the existence of the sin that is a punish
ment, but the hurtfulnefs of it supposing the existence. If drunkenness,
or gluttony be themselves noxious and penal, that is but a consequent of
their existence, which was not necessitated by God as punishing them that
caused them.
V I. The sixth I think found , and the Schools Q pure nature \ as if
Adams Love ( in the principle) was not his necessary Sanity, is unsound.
V 1 1.. Here again, 1. 1 think he giveth too much to free-will in inno-
cency, and too little to God. For Gods Help did not then serve mans will so
much as Gods 5 and God fulfilled all his will while Angels used their
Jower and liberty, and they did no good but what God willed and caused as
le saw best. And while man and Angels used their liberty , they fulfil-
ed Gods will in all their duty, as much as if they had been necessitated
by natilral predetermination.

2. And
 : • And the Sub-operations of Marts Witt* *

a. And ic is not true that their sufficient grace gave not Merit to the
will : For it followeth not, that because they could have omitted a duty, .
therefore in doing it they did any thing of which God was not the prime
cause : He that gave them all their power, disposition, objects, helps and
motives, did give them that which he calleth Merit.
jjtishis grand error that Gift and Reward arc repugnant, and that
Life would not have been to Adam, and was not to the Angels of free
gift, though of Reward. For it is impossible that any creature can merit
of God as a Proprietor in point of Commutative Justice 5 seeing God is the
absolute Owner of us and all things* and no creature can give him any
thing but what is his own : Therefore there is a natural impossibility that
qnoadvalorem reiy Mt ipfum beneficium a creature can have any thing
but of free gift ; But God who is an Owner and Benefactor is also a Re- ,
{for, and lo the cause of Moral Order as well as of real Benefits j And so
that which as a Benefit is a meer gift , yet quoad ordinem conferendi is
given by God fermodum promts to those that will Accept the Gift accor
ding to its nature, and denyed to thole that will despise it and resu!e in
As a Father will give a purse of Gold to the Child that will thank him,
and humbly take it- and not to the Child that will spit in his face.
Janfenius doth so weakly open the nature of Merit and Reward, as
that alone would shew that he was not meet for his great undertaking :
Though he excellently shew that Cod is cur Reward himself yet the Rati -
ones pramii he faith little to, that can satisfie the judicious. Of which
more anon.
4. Angels were differenced inter fe by Gods will and their own : And
we confess, that so far as sin made the difference, it was by their own will
and not by Gods : But was he sure that no such difference is made since
the fall among men ? He will confess, that when Eve sinned before Adam,
it was she that made the difference: And how can he prove, that it was
not Cain who by sin first differenced himself from Abel ? or the Prodigal,
Luke 15. that by forsaking his Father* first differenced himself from his
Brother < According to his own principles who holdeth falling away from.
Grace and Justification, doth not he that falleth away > difference himself
from him thatstandeth? He can never prove, that now two men may not
have equal help from God to go to Church, or read a good Book, and one
do it, and the other go to the Tavern, or read a Play-book.
VIII. 1 . God doth not so use man as his Instrument in good, but that
he giveth the Instrument its proper aptitude and attion as to the effect:
And that which it is and doth may be spoken of it : To say a thing is
good, is to praise it; and good must be calledgood-, And to fay that you
were the Acsor of Good and that Voluntarily, is to praise you. Therefore
the Actor of good ex natura rei deserveth praise, seeing Trath must be
spoken of all things.
2. God himself doth so often praise his servants, and promise to honour
them that honour him, that to fay no praise is due to them is to charge
God with error. . , . ,' >
3. To deny all Reward, and Merit as it signifieth Rewardablenefs, or
Moral aptitude for Reward, is to deny the greatest part of the Scripture j
to deny God to be pur Rector, and so to be our God 5 to deny the whole
frame of his Sapiential Government, and his glory therein, and u>to deny his
Laws, Judgement and Execution, Sin, Duty, Heaven and Hell; \
The summ of all is this, 1 . No man or Angel can merit of God in Com
mutative Justice as Proprietor : But only as Rector. All is (as isbeford
said ) of free gift from God as Proprietor apd Benefaftor*
96 Of (jod's (jracioHs Operations on Mans Soul :

2. The same God who is Omnipotent, is also sapientifftmus ejr optimus :

And he that glorifieth his Power eminently as the Author of Nature, as
Creator, Conservator, and Motor, doth also glorifie his Wisdom in rerum
Ordine: And he ordereth Mora\ Agents eminently per sapientiam ut Re
iser per media moralia, viz. Dotfrinam, Leges, Judicia : And he glorifieth
his Goodness and Love partly Antecedently ( to mans Actions ) and as a
free Benefactor 5 partly consequently, according to the order of his Laws.
So that as his Attributes are inseparable, so are (herein ) the operations
of them. And the fame Benefit is ut quid produtfum the effect of Gods
Omnipotency and Dominion j and ut Bontm <jr Benefcium the effect of the
Benefactors Love 5 and yet quoad ordinem conferendi it is Premium a Re-
[tore adjudicatum. And between all these there is no repugnancy.
3. We grant that God Rewardeth no man now, according to the Law
of Innocency, ( for thattondemneth every sinner. )
4. Nor according to, or for the works of the Mofaical Jewish Law.
5. Nor for any sincere obedience to the Law of Nature, or any other,"
without Redemption by Christ.
6. We are agreed that the Reward is now doubly and eminently a free gift,
and the reward of Christs merits. It is not only free as all Benefits from God
to man are, as to commutation : but also after forfeiture freely given to sin
ners ; and it is procured by the merits of Christ, who was freely given to be
the Saviour of the world ; and it is given us by Christ as free gifts are, upon
condition of Acceptance; and an Accepting Will is Gods free gift$ and
they that have it not, want it because they refused Preparatory grace, which
ithey \Vere able to have better used or submitted to.
So that the Reward is only such as a free gift, which quoad ordinem cense-
rendi^ejr rattones adjudicandi is given by God as a Father, who at once useth
-Power, Love and paternal Justice, according to the tenour of his own Law of
Crace, which is founded in Christs perfect merits, and is Christs own Law.
VIII. and IX. 1. That quoad eventum the good Angels grace was
effectual, and Adjutorium quo as well as fine quonon3 hegranteth. ( And
Adams till he sell.) Let us find out the difference then. To fay that yet
They could have finned^ is a doubtful fyeech: If \could~} signifie Peten-
tiam naturalem, it is not for want of Natural Power that Christ himself
tinned not 5 but because perfection caused the right use of that Power.
To be able to sin3ornot to believe, or not to love' God, if it sigmfie any
more than the Natural power which men abuse, is an improper speech : for
sin is from moral impotency, (or indetermination, ) and not an act cf
(other) power. But a Logical Possibility of any event but what came to
pass, Gods very fore-knowledge will exclude, ( and so his Decree. ) And,
if the question be Whether Adam could not have stood when he fell, it is
agreed that he could. — • ■* *■ - '
It secmeth then that our Controversie lveth plainly in. these two things,
I. Whether any man now ("Holy or unholy) have any help from God
by Christ by which he is truly able to do any one good action more or
other than he doth, or to forbear any more evil < a. Whether all Divine
causation or operation be fuCh,asof it self" alone will inserr the certainty
of mans Volition as the Bffect<f We grant that Divine prescience doth
inferr it, ex necefjitate infallibititatis. Divine Volitions some think are
ever efficteof all that is willed, and that God hath no other operation
but Volition -(aiBradtvardine and^thert.} Othersdeny this, and fay both
that God hath Power operative as much distinct from Volition as Intel
lection is, ahd also that God veilleth more than he operateth or totally
causcth. And of this opinion must Janfenius needs be, because he held
• ' thac
 And the Sub*operations of Mans Will.

that the free-will os Ad,am before his fall, and of the good Angels caused
more obedience than God caused as to the totality of causation: And yet
methinks he should be loth to fay that it was more than God willed or
decreed. How ever the former is but a wordy strife : For if God operate
only Volendo, yet his will as Immanent and a meer will (as mans j) must be
distinguished from his will as transient and efficient by operation* So
then the thing in question is, Whether Gods power or will so far onlv as
it is operative be so total a cause, as that (few pojtta ex vicausandi necejja-
rio sequitur effectum ( viz,. fidcm> charitatem hnmanam ) secuturum ?
And we grant that as ex perfetfione Intellects, it followeth, Deus prase-it
hoc futurum , ergo futurum est : Co ex perfeCtione Foluntatu, & fumn'o
Imperio, cjr fælicitate Divina it followeth., Deus vult hoc futurum ejse,
ergo futurum est : and that ex necessitate existentiœ, no doubt it is a good
consequence, Deus hoc fecit3ergo faftum est : But Whether from his meer
adjutorium, or prime efficiency, limited by his own will, it be a good con
sequence, s_ God giveth as much help as is of necessity to mans volition 5
ergo, man will consent or will* 3 is the doubt. He granteth thatinlnno-
cency it would not have followed, but he thinks'that now it will.
We grant that God giveth not only the pojfe velk, but the ifsum velte
to those that have it : His giving it being but a causing their faculties to
Act: And we grant that wherever God absolutely willeth that his Help
shall be successful, it is so : And also that whereas all the eftect cometh
from our natural Power, and Gods grace conjunct, God is the cause of
both 5 And is ever the total cause quoad ejfetfum, that is, totius effecti.
And we grant that Gods causing Impress on the will is such on some, ( and
perhaps on all in the act of special sanctification) as ex vi cause will inferr
the effect, and is unresistible, and doth not only determine the will, but so
determineth it as overcometh all moral power or disposition to the contrary.
But yet that there is a Grace or adjutorium of Christ, which giveth a
power either not necessitating the act, or when the act followeth not, such
as he calleth [me quo non3 I think for these reasons :
1 . Because else no man can do any more good or less evil, than he doth :
which I believe not.
2. Because else All men that perish are damned only for original sin, and
its consequents which they had never power to avoid: which is quite con
trary to the tenour of the Scripture.
3. And then God would judge them only by the Law of Innocency :
whereas he will judge them by Christ and by his Remedying Law, for re
jecting the remedying grace.
4. And then the Conscience of the damned, would have nothing to tor*-
ment them with, or accuse them for, but original sin, and its unavoidable
consequents : And itowould give them this excuse and ease, God never made
it Possible for me to do otherwise.
5. Because it teacheth men great ingratitude to say, I never had any help
of Christ.
6. And so it teacheth them impenitently to extenuate their sin, if they
do but find themselves wicked, and to fay, I never sinned against any Grace
of Christ.
7. And it feigneth God to give men all that reprival, and mercy which
the reprobate have, from some other Cause and not by Christ 5 And so to
make a kind of grace common in the World which the Scripture knoweth
not, nor is according to the Covenant of Innocency or of Grace.
8. Because God is Immutable, and too gross mutations are not without
proof to be imputed to his Laws and Government : Therefore it feemeth
O000 to
 II ,■ --1 ■-
98 Of Cjodys Cjrackm Operations on Mans Soul :

to me an injurious fiction to lay as Janfeniw, that God had such Laws

as supposed mans self-determining will, and governed so as to use sufficient
Grace ot adjutonum fine quo non, to man and Angels, at the first, and riiat
now he hath no such at all, but only amoving efficiency. I should sooner
yield to the Dominicans and Hobbes that no other than necessitated Voli
tions are possible or ever were, than to hold as he, that there were other
before the fall, and none ever since. For as to his great argument ( viti
ated nature) I answer it, I. Man is man still s And therefore God ruleth
him as man And that in via. And if then man and Angels were sup
posed to have a self-determining free-will, that could do this or not do it,
we have reason to think it is so still. Why is not grace meerly sufficient
as consistent with Lapsed as Innocent nature i ( supposing that it is not the
fame help that is now sufficient to salvation as then.) 2. Consider the
great difference between perfect Innocency, and some one commanded act :
And a. Consider that the helps afforded by grace are very great, and that
Habitual Grace doth in some measure heal lapsed nature, or else what is
it f He that is Habitually Prompt to Love and duty, hath some cure, and
some ability : For to be prompt is more than to be able. And therefore it
is an incredible thing, and a reproach of habitual grace, that Adam was
more able to live and persevere without any sinful thought, word, or deed,
than a Holy soul is to think one good thought, or ipeak one good word,
or restrain one blasphemy or other sin. Therefore it is as credible that
Christs repairing habitual Grace enableth godly men ( and his commoner
grace common men ) to think or do somewhat better than they do, as
that Angels and Adam had no other grace, and could without other, live
without any sin.
Therefore I take Jansenius to do well in opening Original pravity, and
the power of Gods grace, and his special intent to save his chosen. But I
think he so earnestly studied for that side alone, that he injuriously overlook-
eth the whole frame of sapiential Government, and the common grace which
is presupposed to the special, and greatly wrongeth Christ and his grace,
by denying him to give to men in common, that which our experience as-
sureth us they possess.
AdX. When he maketh uneffectual Velleitiesto be Christs unresistib/e
grace, either he thinketh that men are saved with such only, or not ; ( for
he speaketh not his mind plainly in that that I can find: ) If yea, then he
abascth the grace of Christ, to think that many are laved by it, that love
a Whore or any sin much better than God and Grace and Glory. If not
(as I think he held) then he holdeth that most that have the effectual grace
of Christ are damned, and had no possibility ("properly) of escape. And
why doth he make so harsh a thing of mens asserting a sufficiency of some
unessectual grace, and say to what purpose is it «nd yet assert that to
most men the grace of Christ had not so much as any sufficiency to save
them, nor put them into any true possibility of life i
Ad XI. I. It scemeth to me a contradiction to say fas in the second
■branch of his distinction ) that Homo potefivelle, and yet that aliudadhuc
adjutorium necejjarium est ut de fatto velit. For neceffarium est fine
quo res ejje non potest : Therefore the run potest is present wherever the
wecefjarium is wanting. But if they talk only of a passive or obediential
ipower, and fay, [Man can believe because God can make him believe, 3
and so denominate man Able to do that, which they mean God is able to
make him do, this is but to play with words.
1 1. Hisfaying that now there is no sufficient grace, is before disproved,
and by him not proved. That it is the fame with that of the state of In
nocency.,
 And the Sub-operations of Mans Wtll*
— — — i ;•-
nocency, is vainly said : It is the fame in general, as man is the fame and
Intellect and will the fame: But to be able to live without sin, and to be
able to forbear one sin or to hear a Sermon, or do one commanded act,
are not the fame. And to hold none but this with Pelagius, is not all
one as to hold this with a more special grace. ,
And that it is pernicious to the lapsed is rashly said : For in the repro
bate it doth them no harm but good $ and in the elect it tendeth to higher
grace.. And he mistaketh in faying that it fupposeth nature found : For
if it were proved that nature without grace hath no good inclination, yet
why may not unsound nature, receive grace ad pojje ? Is not that grace
some cure of its unfoundness i and tends to more ?.
III. But as to his saying that the more men have of it the more misera
ble they are, and the more damnable, and that no man ever used sufficient
grace or will do, I answer, I. The good mast it seemeth forgot that all the
same may be said as truly of his special Grace, both in them that come short
of faith and Justification, andthem that apostatize from it ( as Jne hold-
eth many do. ) 2. But it is not true, that having it maketh them damna
ble any more than having life, health and riches but it's the abusing ir.
3. That never any used sufficientgrace , by his leave and the School-mens,
is unproved : viz,, that no man since the fall ever did any good, or for
bore any evil, obediently, by such grace as left him able to have done other
wise in the instant before the act, or as inferred not his volition as neces
sary ex vi tiltus cause. 4. And that all that which cometh short of the
effect, is none of the Grace of Christ is unproved, unless he mean only the
adequate immediate effect. The Law doth make Duty',andso hath its efj
sect •, And Gods motions make their various Impressions on the foul, and so
have their effect: But whether a Godly mans will could not by that fame
motion have produced a better effect in his will than was produced by it^
.he must better prove.
Ad XII. I. Whereas Paul opposeth the Law of works, and the Grace
of Christ, he opposeth, or too far distineuisheth the Law of Christ and the
Grace of Christ ; Just as Sir H. V. in his Meditations. He taketh all
Jpoken and written precepts or Laws, to be the Law, which is distinguished
from Grace, which is meer Alteration of the foul. But this is confusion>
and fubverteth true Theologie. For the Law is the instrument of signi
fying Gods mind, and the Spirit worketh with and by it on our minds :
And both go together both before the fall and under Christ : And both
are Grace now even as body and soul arc one man : The Gospel is oft:
called Grace in the New Testament : It's true that a Law meerly as a Law
may be distinguished from the Spirits operations on the soul : And ioPaul
and Augustine oft shew that the Jewish Law as a Law could not make
men righteous without grace. And we deny not but the Law of Christ,
meerly as a Law is insufficient without the Spirits Grace. But to conclude
hence that this is the difference between the Old Covenant and the New,
and the Righteousness of each of them ( of men under them )> that one
is obedience to a written Law, and the other is the effect of the Spirit, is
not found : For under each Covenant there was both Law and Spirit,
though with difference. Adam had Grace as Jansenitts confesseth : And
the Fathers before the Flood had Law and Spirit : And the Godly Jews
had Law and Spirit : And all Christians are subject to Christ their King,
and obey his Laws, though by the Grace of his Spirit : And it is not two
Righteousnesses that relate to Law and Spirit, but one as an effect of
two concauses : The doctrine of faith and Law and promises of Christare
the Means which the Spirit useth in operating our Faith, Love and Obedi-
Oooo a encej
I0S Of (sod's (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :

ence. And it is not two Covenants that give these two : but as foul and
body make one man, so the Word of cbnst and his spirit make up one
total cause of our sanct'ification. The Spirit caufeth us to believe that
which the Word revealeth, and to love the good which it proposeth, and
to obey the Precepts of the Word; Therefore the Gospel is Grace, and
the Spirit is Grace , that is, a free gift of God to miserable sinners for
their recovery, and inward holiness is the effect of both. And to feign thac
all obedience as it is performed to Chests Law upon its proper motives is
therefore not of the Spirit, or is our own Righteousness opposed to Christs,
because our own reason and free-will is exercised in it, is Phanaticism, and
subverteth the Gospel, and the Prophetical and Kingly Office of Christ.
II. God never gave a Law, no not to the Jews* only to convince them
that they could not keep it 5 but to be the Rule of their obedience; And
the Just did keep it in sincerity. But the Law of Meses-as separated by
the ignorant Jews from the promise and grace of Christ could not be kept
by any r!o Justification. To fay that Christs Laws now have no higher
end than to tell us that we cannot keep them, is Antichristianity. Are we
commanded to repent, believe, love God , only to tell us that we cannot
do it ? It's true, that without the Spirits help, we cannot. But it's as
truej that the Command is the Rule of our duty, and all the Gospel and
Covenant os Grace, is the means of exciting us to our duty, by which the
Spirit worketh in us faith , repentance, love and obedience. But, faith
Jansenius, the Law of Christ is to humble men in the fense of their dis
ability, and drive them to seek to Christ for his grace. I answer, i . Is
not humbling men, and driving them to Christ,a good effect i If so, then his
Lawisthe means of allthatgood. 2. Were the Gospel and all the Apostles
Epistles written only to drive men to Christ, and not to edifie them and
make them perfect to salvation < Were not the Precepts of Love and
Holiness means of working Love and Holiness in men c Is not the Word,
the feed that begetteth men to eternal life < and is not the receiving of
this feed into good and honest hearts, made by Christ the cause of holi
ness and salvation ? Were not the Disciples clean by the word that Christ
spake to them < and doth he not say, that bis Word was spirit and life,
as being the concaufe of the Spirits vivificatiost i He that never received
more benefit by Christs Doctrine, Law and Gospel, than to be convinced
that he cannot believe, repent, obey or love God, hath not yet the benefic
which they are principally intended for.
But suppose that by Laft he had meant the meer penal part or threat-
ning ( as some words would make a man suspect:) 1. It's a strange de
scription of a Law, to exclude the precept and premiant part, and include
only the penal part which is the last and least. 2. As it is the fame
Man that hath Love and Hatred , Hope and Fear , so it is the fame
Law of Christ which hath precept and prohibition, promise and penalty :
And it is the fame Holiness, or New Creature which is a conformity to
-all together. Of which more anon.
III. He can never prove, that all unbelievers have no Power to use
any means which tendeth to faith, by a preparatory grace ; nor that the
use of all such means is Impossible to them.
; . X 1 1 1. His distinction of Natural and Moral Impotency is good : But
then that Moral Impotency it self must not be made the fame with the
Natural : else there will be the same reason for excusing sin by it. If
-mans Will had been made by God such as could not possibly love him or
holiness, it would not have left a man unexcusable in judgement, that his
enmity was Voluntary : It is reason enough for a man to kill a Toad or
Serpent
 idnd the Sub-operations of Mans JViUi \0 iSi

Screen! as m&lum fibi naturale , because it is a hurtful creature ; But

this is no Moral Evil in them, nor is their death their puniihmcrit : ; noc
yet in any ravenous creature, which .preyeth on the rest that are . inne*
cent. And so Would it be with bad men, if God had made them badi
Indeed if Adam have made them all bad, and.God have given no Savioury
Grace . or Remedy, they are condemnable and .unexcusable, . as > they were>
virtually in Adam, if judged only by the Law of Innocency as made to
Adam: But they are excufeable if judged by Christ by the Law of gn-ce,
which condemneth no man meerly as not innocent, or a sinner, but as.ai
rejecter of grace. These things are so plain and weighty, that Jansenius.
fliould hot joynwith the Anthromians in opposing them. . I.!.,'/.
X I V. While heconfesleth rhac Christ so far dyed for all,. as to«pro-f
cure them all the mercy which he giveth them, I have no further qiiarreA
with him, but to prove that a Condition pardon of sin and grant of Life
eternal, with much means and help to make men perform the Conditions
which is. but a suitable Acceptance, is indeed mercy. .......
X V I. That Christs grace is Love, or Complacency in good, is a truth
which I highly value : but with all these exceptions to his doctrine, i . k
is the Heart of the neiv. Creature, and that which must communicate it self
to all the rest, or else they are lifeless -and unacceptable : Tor the will is*
the man in Gods account 5 And complacency, or love, or appetite is the
first act of the will which is it that he calle'th with Augustine Deletfa-i
tion: Grace lyeth principally in a Placet. But the man hath more parti*
than his Heart: And all other parts of sanctification are graces of Christy
in their several places, and not love only. • i
2. Though no man is to lovehimself as God, nor instead of God, nor
above God, nor as the noblest ultimate object of his love 5 yet all men are
necessitated by nature to love themselves 5 and therefore to desire their
own felicity in loving God, next to God as the final object of that love 5*
And so our end is fjiis amantis vet amteitiæ which includeth mutual
complacency and union, though not in equality. And to such an end,
grace causeth us rouse the means : And Christ is proposed, to us as our
Saviour, and all his grace as for our good , and all Gods commands as
necessary for our happiness, and finis described to us to be hated as our
own evil and destruction, and against our good as well as against Gods
will and honour. And with us this is denyed scarcely bjr the Antinomi*
ans themselves; Much less by any judicious Christians.
3. It is past the reach of any of us, to prove that our actual love is the
first effect of the sanctifying Spirit on the soul. I mean not only, Whe
ther some other acts ( as Intellectual perception, and belief ) be not in
order of naturebefore.it, and in time with it, and real parts of the fame
new creature, but also, Whether as Alvarez, and others fay, there be not
such a divine motion or impulse on the soul tending to this love, and an
tecedent to love it self, in nature, ( love being an effect of Gods will and
mans, ) which Jansenius denyeth.
But 4. If it be not so, but really love be the first effect of God on the
foul, then the controversies are all at an end, about the difference of suf
ficient and effectual, equal and unequal grace. For then it would be as
Jansenius faith, and there is no grace but the effect it self, and so there
would be no question, but Whether all men love God, and all alike. But
I yet believe that there is some preparatory grace of Christ which tend-
eth to the love of God.
X V I. I believe that the will is the prime scat of Morality, and that
love or complacency is as. the spirit os all saving special grace. But yet
io^ Of Qod's (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :

it is ill said, that Christs grace is necessary only to love or delighr. For
the soul of man hath three faculties, which must be conjunctly ianctified,
viz,. Vital active power, Intellect and Will and sin is in all . And the
Spirit reneweth them by a threefold effect, Vivification, Illumination and
Conversion ( or love. ) And hatred of sin, and fear of sinning, and of
God, are graces of Christ also, ( as are obedience, patience,^.) though
below love.
2. There is an Analogical good that is done by self-love and fear, which
hath a tendency to mans recovery, though not such good as is true holiness
and hath a promise of salvation.
XVII. I. Here we come to a difficult case : i . Whether indeed any
ungodly man or Infidel, do love God sincerely amore amicitue dr proper
fe : The doubt is, because to love him less than sinful pleasures and the
creature, seemcth to be a loving him as less amiable or good. And to
love him as Inch, is not to love him as God, nor indeed to love God, but
an Idol of the imagination. I think we must fay, i. That no man loveth
God adequately tor no man hath an adequate conception of him. 2 . But
yet that there are some essentials of such true love as is necessary and
suitable to our dark and weak condition, which all must have that will
be saved (either distinctly or confusedly ): As to know and love him as
the Infinite Spirit the first cause and last end of all, most powerful, wise
and good, our Owner, our Ruler and our Benefactor and chief good : Fa
ther, Word and Spirit ; the Creator,Redeemer and Sanctifier ; the Author
of Nature, Grace, Glory. 3. That no wicked or unholy person truly lov
eth God thus, viz,. As his own Governour to make him holy, and save him
from the Flesh and World: and as the Author of those holy Laws, by
which he governeth,and a righteousJudge according to those Laws. 4.There^
iorejanfenius's little sincere Love in sensual men is but a love of ali-
quidDei, somewhat of God, and not properly of God as God: speaking
os God as the object of love it self. 5. Yet the fame person may have
all the foresaid Notions of a Deity, and may notionally call them all good
and laudable 5 but his Practical Judgement is not such of God as his holy
Governour, Judge and End, as to bring him truly as such to love him.
6. Yet this may be called a Love ofCod analogically, as he is said to love
the King who loveth him as great and good to the Common-wealth, though
not as a governing restrainer of his lusts. By this I would have that ex
plained wnich I have said of this subject in my Saints Rest.
I I. But here I am at a further loss. Did he mean that this love cal
led sincere, is in none but those that are saved or not i As I said before,
Is he did, then a common Drunkard, Adulterer, eye. may have this love
and be saved : But I suppose he meant Negatively : And if so, methinks
hence all his opposition to sufficient Grace turneth back upon himself :
And to him it may better be said, Why do you feign Christ and the
Holy Ghost to give men such a Grace, such a Love to God , as no man
ever was or will be saved by, without more i Is it any more dishonour
to Christ, to give men some such Power to do some more good thaa
actually they do, as Adam had to have continued innocent, than effectu
ally to give so many persons sincere love which shall never save them f
< Whether these be they that he will adjudge to Purgacory I know not :
If so, he will stretch the rank of Venial sins to those that other men call
Mortal.)
III. But yet my greatest difficulty remaineth : I am in doubt Whe
ther he that denyeth common sufficient grace, and extendeth the grace of
Christ seemingly but to few, do not really either make it the same ihiog
with
 And the Sub-operations of Man's WtS. 103

with Nature, or extend it to all ; For I suspect that all -Or almost all
men on earth, ( till they have sinned themselves into diabolical de'perare
malignity ) have this which he calleth Amor amicit/æ and sincere imperfect
love to God and Justice. Yoxlntelletfus eft Entis & veri intellectus, &
Voluntas eft Boni. Good apprehended such, is the wills necessary natural
object. And a simple complacency in apprehended good, is the wills first
necellary act. Nature telleth man, that there is created goodness, and that
the Creator who giveth it, must needs have more than all his creatures :
And nature tells men, that the World, or millions are better than one
person s and their good to be preferred: And how can it be then, that he
that taketh the World to be so much better than himself, and God to be
better , that is, more amiable than all the World, (hould not have the least
simple complacency in thinking of him ? All men take Wisdom and
Goodness, and Beneficence for amiable : And they that believe that God
hath most of these, must needs have some Love to him, not only as good
to them, but as most excellent in himself : Insomuch that as Adrian the
sixth before cited faith, in some sort a bad man may love God better than
himself ^ and he is scarce worthy the name of a man, that would not ra
ther be annihilated, or wi(h that he had never been born, than that there
were no World, or no God, ( if per impofflbile he supposed he could live
without them. ) And if you tell every man that he hath that sincere
love to God which is Gratia chrifii, who hath the least love to God and
Justice propter fe, though he have more love to his fleshly interest and
iinful pleasures, I doubt you will not much differ from Pelaglus, and will
have no way left but to fay, that it is not of Grace by Christ that Na
ture is reprieved and supported : Or at least that this is of a common
fort of grace. We may presume of many things as received from our Teach
ers : but it is hard to prove, that Adam the next moment after his sin was
totally deprived of all degrees of love to God, and goodness, and so was
privatively as bad as- Devils j or that all mankind are naturally for
Though I believe that it was of grace, even Gods first pardoning act as
our Redeemer, not so totally to execute the Law> nor takeaway his gracej
and leave man to the utmost penalty of his sin, but to keep nature from
But sure Man is Man still, and
not a Devil : And I speak with few or none that seem not to have some
liking of God and goodness, or Justice as such 5 though they love not God
or goodness, as contrary to their fleshly lusts, nor love God as their San-
ctiner and Ultimate End. And thus the Carnal Mind is Enmity to God,
being not subject to his Law, though this be consistent with loving hinl
secundum quid.
IV. 1 believe him that there is a faith, such as the Devils> which
may be without Justification, both in habit and act: But that the fame
Faith which after justifieth, can be many years Habitually before Justi
fication ( that is, Sanctification as he meaneth it ) I believe not : See
ing God hath promised that all that believe ( thus) shall be justified and
have his Spirit.
V. Janfenius seems to me to set too light by Habitual Grace, as if it
were some common thing in comparison of the Act : Whereas I take a Ha
bit of love to God to differ from an act , either as a Spring or RiVolec
from a drop , or as Honesty from an honest act, or Learning from a
learned exercise , Or as a fixed friendly Inclination which is like to
Nature, differeth from a friendly action 5 and to be more excellent than
a particular act.

XVIII. His
 OfCjodsCsracious Operations on Mans Soul:

XVI I L His judgement of the Matter of the Reward (that it is but

God himself seen and perfectly loved for himself ) is of great use : But
yet it is both lawful and ex individuationis p'rincipiis & ex natura hu
mans, neceslarythac we take and desire this as our own felicity, and so
under God intend our selves. And quoad rationem prdmii it is the Re
ward of a Rewardable state or work, and therefore of the free act of a
creature not meerly necessitated : It may be a gift without Respect to
our Liberty and Obedience, but not a reward : But it is both a gift and
a Reward.
X I X. That Fear and its effects are good, and yet not of Christs grace 5
that they are of Gods Spirit, but not the Spirit given by Christ, but the
grace of some other Providence All this I take for unsound and inju
rious to Christ and grace. Where doth the Scripture tell us since the
fall, of any grace given to the World but by the Redeemer, who is Head
over all things to his Church i If you fay, that God can give men the
race to fear him and depart from evil without a Saviour or Mediator,
ow can you prove, that he may not do so by the rest *. Either he giv-
eth this grace as Rector according to his Laws or not ; If nor, then on
the fame reason you may feign that most men are not his subject;, nor
under any Law of God; and so sin not, nor are punishable: NIf yea, thenic
is according to the Law of Innocency, or of Grace, ( For if Moses Law
as Jewish be called a third, it is nothing to our cale. j If it be by a
Law of grace, it is Christs Law , either of the first Edition, called the
Promise, or of the second, called the Gospel: The Spirit and grace ('in
various measures ) given by both, are of Christ. It's a dangerous aflerti-
on, that there is any, yea, so much grace, which is not Christs : Itpre-
judicerh me against Jansenius's Opinion , that it should cast him on luch
absurdities, as to deny so much of the grace of Christ, while he pretend-
eth to honour it, and to set up such a feigned way and sort of grace
without a Saviour, and yet speak so hardly of the Pelagians as he doth
for wronging grace.
2. As Fear is one of mans natural passions, though but subservient to
love: so the sanctifying of it is one part of the Work of Christs
Spirit.
3. I am sure Christ himself commandeth Fear, Luke 12.4, 5. Heb.^.u
fjr 12. 28, 29. dr paffim. Andisitfwr oven Legal Righteousness to obey
the commands ofChrist? Indeed if Fear were all, or had no conjunct
hope and love, it would be Legal, and shew the Spirit of bondage, from
which Christ delivereth us by the Spirit of Power , and Love, and a sound
mind, which are the fruits of the Spirit of Adoption : For Moses Law
separated by the Infidel Jews from the Law of Grace or Promise ofa Ju
stifying Mediator, could have no better effects than Fear : But Ahraham
that believed and foresaw Christs day, rejoyced in that Faith , and yet
had a Law cf obedience which had its penalty j and so hath the Law of
Grace which we obey.
X X. Of Free-will I have said enough before : Natural Liberty as di
stinct from the Moral freedom from sin and ill disposition , is sure more
than meer Voluntariness : And I think if God gave Satan or man power,
to take away from a Saint all his Habitual and Actual love of God and
goodness , whilest antecedently the person did hate such a change and
pray against it, by making him willing of evil, and making a Devil of
him remedilesly , he would take away or cross the Natural as well as
the Moral Liberty of his will , though it were willingness that were
caused. Is any think otherwise , remember that it is but de nomine,
for
 And the Sub-operations of Mans Will, i 6j

for de re we are agreed , that such a change would be our great

misery.
XXI. I take it to be the commendation of Janfenius, that herenourt-
ceth the Dominicans Physical Efficient Predetermining Premotion, as na
turally necessary to all actions natural and free. But his habitation, con
verse and worldly interest tempted him factioufly to calumniate Calvin,
lest he himself should become odious with his own party , and so mils
of his expected success j which hath prevailed also with Gibieuf Arnol-
dtts and most other Papists to do the like, when they differ from their
Brethren.
XXII. He well faith, that Permission of the first sin is no effect of
Reprobation: But his ordination of Gods acts into f_ this Before and that
After 3 and Ib his differencing the Election of Angels and men , I feat
hath somewhat in it presumptuous and unproved.
In conclusion, I much miflike in Janfenius, I. His contempt of the
Sacred Scriptures, as being not properly Christs Laws, but some odd occa
sional Writings, his Laws being only in the heart and tradition.
2. His flighting of Habitual Grace comparatively, which yet is indeed
Christs Law and Gods Image in the heart.
3. His feigning a new or odd sort of grace ( fear ) which is none of
the grace of Christ , no not preparatory to his higher work j but a
grace of some other Providence.
4. Consequently that there are men ( yea, most) who are no subjects
of Christ, nor under any Law of grace by Christ, and yet not under the
meer Law oflnnocency -y and therefore are under some other Law (who
knows what? ) or lawless.
5 . His damning all that perish meerly for Original Sin , and its ne
cessitated consequents , which no man had ever the least power to
avoid.
6. His asserting that Angels and Adam had sufficient Grace, and Free-'
will, by which the Angels did, and Adam could have persevered in Inno-
cency and never sinned : And yet that since the fall, no ungodly man
hath such help and free-will to any one better act than he doth, nor
the holiest person to any better than he doth 5 but the best Saint
is less able to do one better act , than Adam was to keep all the.
Law.
7. And so his consequent, that it is properly impossible for any man in
the World, good or bad, to do any better than he doth.
8. That all they love God sincerely amove amicitU who love God
and Justice proper Je as amiable in himself S though they love their
filthiest sins so much better , and all their fleshly worldly interest, a$
that they have but an uneffectual wish that they could leave them.
9. That we must not say, that Christ giveth men either a Power to
do better than they do, nor yet that Grace ofFear which they have, (as be
ing below him ) ; And yet must fay that he giveth multitudes this unef-
fectually sincere love, which never saveth them.
10. That a Habit of true faith may be many years in a man before it
justifie him : when as the word f_ true] must mean some other faith, or
else that same will never justifie him which did not justifie him sq
long.
11. His Antinomian orPhanatick distinguishing Law and Grace,' as if
Christ had no Precepts or Laws, but Operations; or else his Gospel and
Covenant in fignis were no part of his Grace.

Pp pp 12. And
 OfCjocts (jraciotis Operations on Mans Soul:

12. And thence his fiction that all that which is done by any Grace
ad posse, and in obedience to Christs written Law, is a Legal Righteous^
nese of our own, and no part of Christs Righteousness.
These with what else I have before disclaimed, I dislike in Janseni/u his
way : And yet think that a man that can well distinguish words from
things, and will not be deceived by ambiguous terms, may (hew that even
he and his adversaries are not so far disagreed as they seem. E.g. Whe
ther Christ dyed for all? They are agreed that he dyed to procure for all
so much Grace or Mercy as he giveth them ; and that among these a condi
tional Pardon, and Gift of Christ and Life, is one, &c. And they agree
that he dyed not with any absolute intent of giving them any more than he
doth give them. What remaineth then, but the Controversie de nomine^
Whether this much be fitly called, his Dyingfor all? which Scripture put-
teth out of doubt.The like I might fay of many of the rest of the differences.

b. VIII.

I Conclude with this summary determination of all these Controversies to

fatissie sober minds.
1. GOD our CREATOUR is the Causa prima, the spring and
Master zwittiA of NATURE and accordingly having antecedently
made the creature in such variety as pleased him, i. He Actively affordeth
them all that general Influx by which the Being given them is supported, and
they are sufficiently surnilhed for their several motions, operations or re
ceptions.
2. And his Infinite Goodnef and blessed Will is their common End in
which they are all finally terminated 5 but varioufly thereby felicitated ac
cording to the variety of their capacities.
3. And as the Governour of the Universe he sapientially orderech all
things, and conducteth them from their Beginning to their End ; but vari
oufly as they are various.
II. So GOD our REDEEMER, having in Christ made all ne
cessary preparations, and Redeemed mankind as to what belonged to a Savi
our to do in Person upon earth, and having antecedently made an Universal
Law of Grace, 1 . Doth Reveal his Mercy to lost sinners, commonly, buc
in various degrees as he pleaseth ; And doth concurr with his Gospel, by
vouchsafing a Common Gracious Help, which hath an aptitude and tendency
to the recovery of lost sinners.
2. And as the final Infinite Good hefelicitatetb all that are by Grace coo*
ducted to him as their end ; and on the rest will have his absolute willfulfilled,
and will not be frustrate of his End, though sinners may be frustrate of
theirs, and be unhappy.
3. And zsRetfor he fapientially conducteth man in the way to this feli
citating Endj antecedently by the Gospel, which is the (ame in it self to all
that have it : and consequently as Judge by his Rewards • In which sup
posing his foresaid commoner preventing Grace, he consequently giveth men
such further degrees of co-operating grace or help and spiritual mercy, as in
the use of former grace, they are fit to receive : and justly and penally deny-
eth that to others which they have made themselves immediately unapt for,
or uncapable ofin the way of this ordinary common operation.
But withall as a free Owner and Benefactor who may do with his own as
he list, (as he diversifieth the works of Nature, though Nature keep a con
stant course, except in Miracles, so ) he freely diversifieth the gifts of his
Grace
 And the Sh ^operations of Mans Will.
. — .—_— eaaa ac K1
Grace ( external and Internal ;) though as Rector and the common Bene-1
factor of lost sinners, he alter not the terms and means of Grace, which he
at first determined of. And the crudity and constancy of his Rectoral and
Judicial distributions, is no way inconsistent with the diversity Which as 3
free Owner and Bencfaffor he maketh either in his Decrees or Gifts.
So that he is the Cause of All Good, though not every way equally to Altj
to make All Good and happy: And he hath made man capable of Impro
ving his Gifts, to return him his own with Usury, which he will require:
But he is the Author of no evil of ft» • nor punijhetb any but for fin, and
as a means to that Good, which is better than the Impunity of the (inner :
But he ruleth and causeth the Effects ofsin* when he eauscth not thesin it self.
The Order of his Productions may be much perceived by man, and are sic
for our observation. Of his own Knowledge and Volitions of them, we know
no more, but that It is not formally the fame thing as Knowledge and will in
Man, that It is most perfect and incomprehensible ; that In is his Essential
Intellect and mil variously named as Variously connoting the effects and ob
jects : that To dispute of any other internal order, priority or posteriority
in God's Knowledge) of mil, ( asif he had particular Thoughts, Ideas and
^>/;//wasmanhath, or any thing in Him were Caused by the object, y
and to vex the Church with contentions hereabout, is a presumptuous ar
rogance and prophaneness, which God will punish, and good and sober meri
should tremble at and hate, and not become parties, in such daring medlings
with the Consuming Fire.

Notes on somepassages of Mr, Peter Sterries Book of Free-will. \ ?'

$4 t. TT is long since I heard much of the name and fame of Mr. Pe-
J_ ter sterry, long Chaplain to Robert Lord Btook) and after td
Oliver Cromveel when he Was Protector ( as then called. ) His common!
fame was, that his Preaching was such as none or few could understand :
which incensed my desire to have heard him, of which I still mist, though
I oft attempted it. But now since his death* while my Book is in the]
Press unfinished, a posthumous tractate of his cometh forth of Free-will i
Upon perusal of which I find in him the some notions (for so far as he
meddleth with the fame subjects ) as in Sr. H. Vane, and somewhat of
what Dr. Gibbon seemeth to deliver in his Scheme 5 but all handled with
much more strength of parts tt\&rapturesoi highest devotion, and great
candour towards all others, than I expected. His Preface is a most ex^
cellent Perswasive to Universal Charity : Love was never more extolled
than throughout his Book. Doubtless his head was strong, his wit ad-» \
mirably pregnant, his searching studies hard and sublime^ andj I think, ;
his Heart replenished with holy Love to God> and great charity, modera^
tion,and peaceableness toward men : In so much that I heartily repent that
I so far believed same as to think somewhat hardlier or less charitably of
him and his few adherents than I now hope they did deserve. Hasty judg*
ingy and believing fame is a cause of unspeakable hurt to the world, and
injury to our brethren.
£.2. But I find that it is no wonder that he was Understood by few, For
1 . His sublime and philosophical notions, met not with many Auditors, so
well studied in those things as to be capable of understanding them* It is
a great inconvenience to men of extraordinary discoveries and sublimity^
that they must speak to very few. 1. And though he cloud not his mat-
Pppp a " ter
 io8 Of CsO<fs Qrac'wm Operations on Mans Soul :

ter with so many self-made names and notions as Behmen, Paracelsus, wi->
gclius and some others, yet those few that he hath, do somewhat obscure it :
3. But above all the excessive pregnancy of his wit produceth so great a su
perabundance of Metaphors or Allegories, that (about the description of
Christ especially) they make up almost all his style so that to any ordinary
Reader his matter is not so much cloathed in Metaphors, as drowned,
buried or lost : And though I confess my wit, being to his, but as a barren
Desart to a florid Meadow, may be apt to undervalue that which it at-
taineth not yet I do approve of my present judgement, in thinking, that
( seeing all metaphorical terms arc ambiguous, ) he that excessively uleth
them befriendeth not the Truth and the hearers intellect, but while he is
too much a Rhetorician, he is too little a good Logician : and as he is
hardly understood by others, I should fear lest he seduce his own under
standing,, and can scarce have clear mental conceptions of that matter,
which he utters by a torrent of ambiguous Metaphors, if he think as he
fpeaketh, and his words be the direct expressions of his mind. I had ra
ther be instructed in the words of the most barbarous Schoolman, adapted
to the matter, than to be put to save my self from the temptation of equi
vocations in every sentence which I hear, and to search after that Truth
( which is known only naked ) under so florid a disguise and paint.
. £.3. But I cannot deny, that though my temptations before w ere very
great, to doubt whether the Doctrine of UniversaUy-necejfary Predeter
mination, as delivered by Bradveardine, the Dominicans, Dr. 71w/j^ir, Ru
therford and Hob bes, were indeed to be rejected, the Reading of Mr. Sterry
increased my temptation 5 not by any new strength of argument which
he hath brought, but by the power of his pious florid Oratory, by whurh,
while he entitleth God to the necessitating causation of ail fif$taad-miseryf
he seemeth to put so honourable and iovely a doathing on them, from
their relative order to God,totheUniverfc,andto their End, as that Ifelc
my hard thoughts of both to abate, and I was tempted to think of them as
part of the .amiable consequents of the Divine Love, and of the Harmoni
ous order caused by the manifold wisdom of God.
4. And by this I fee, of how great importance it is in the world, not
only rvhatDo&rine is taught, and with what proof, but rvho fpeaketh it,
andinwfor manner. For as I found the fame things reverenced in Dr.
Tmjje and Rutherford^ which were not so in Alvarez, or Janfenius, or
Thorn, white so I found the fame Doctrine of Predetermining "Necessi-
tation almost commonly brought into greater dislike by Hobbes and Bene*
Tract. Polit.Thcol. ditfus spinofa's owning it, and applying it to its too obvious uses, than all
argumentations had ever before brought it 5 And I fee it as likely to re
cover its honour by the pious and florid dress put upon it by Mr. Sterry,
as if some new demonstrations for it were found out.
5 . If I should recite Mr. sterries mind in his own Metaphors, the
Reader may not understand it ; If I Epitomize him and change his words,
some may fay that I misunderstand and wrong him : But I will not do it
willingly } and if I do it necessarily, his stile is my excuse. He that would
be seen must come into the light.
$.6. Thesumm of that which I am now concerned in, in Mr. Sterry %
Treatise is, That c' the freedom of all things is to aft according to their
f natures ; and so is that of the will of man $ and that in God and man,
u Necessity and Liberty concurr, and that whatever we do or will, we do
" or will it necessarily, as being moved to it by the first cause and a chained
«€ connexion of necessitating causes 5 by which all things in the world arc
tccarryedon: That a will not determined by God, but left to a self-de-
* termination
 <sJ nd the Sub-operations of Mans Will.

" termination without Gods predetermining causality,- is not tobeaflerredj

"as contrary to Gods Goodness,, Wisdom, power,,cfc. That sin is a pri-
"vation formally , and all that is positive in it is directly and not by
" accident of Gods positive causation ( else with the Manicbces we must
"hold two first caues •) And that the formal privation is from the with*
" drawing of necessary Divine causation os the contrary, and God is the
" Negative necessitating cause of it : Even as he causcth Light by the
" mining of the Sun, and causeth darkness by its setting or not ihining : os
"as he causeth substances and shadows, Life and death ; And that all sirs
i£ thus as necessarily followeth Gods not giving the contrary, or his leaving
<c the defcctible Creature to itself, as the darkness followeth the Lights
"removal-, And this was the entrance of sin into the world; the Woman
"being Necessarily.deceived, neceflarily sinned 5 and all good and evil is
"thus ( as to necessity equally) to be resolved into Gods causing and not
** causing Will 5 what he will cause cannot but be,and what he will not cause
<c cannot be : And this is the beautiful variety and harmony in the Universe :
" In God himself is nothing but perfection, but the Creature being the
"shadowy Image of God, defectibility and imperfection is essential to it:
" so that he reduceth Morality to the frame, and necessity of physical mo-
"tion, and maketh Moral Good and evil to be indeed as much natural good
"and evil and of the fame kind (except as in another subjects as Sum-
"mer and Winter, heat and cold, day and night, health and sickness, life
fc and death, animate and inanimate, the unavoidable diversifications of the
"will and work of God ; And that every perm^wiof his will is accom-
" panied with a positive volition of the thing permitted, fAnd yet that mit
" is not properly in God,but so called after the manner of man :) That sin is
" considered as related to the Principle of action, which is God, and so it is
"good; or as in the terminus Man, and so it is horrid, devilish, odious^
<c evil, as blindness, death, darkness, caused all by Gods desertion, or not
" operating otherwise than he doth.
7. To the quieting of the mind that cannot digest this, but thinketh
" God is thus dishonoured, being made more than Satan the cause of sin,
*" and misery for sin, which the Scripture contradicteth > and that man is
"excusable at the barr of Justice that could no more fin innocency ) for-
" bear to sin, than to make a world ; To them that think it hard that no one
" in all the world could ever possibly do more or less Good or Evil than
" they do, but that is all done, by physical motion as in an Engine, &c. he
" hath a great deal to fay, and more than ever I elsewhere met with, and
tc with great modesty proposed.
"£.8. As to the Law ( whose transgression is sin) he suppofeth, that
« Whatsoever imposeth on us any thing to be done by us, as an antecedent
"condition to any consequent good, is the Law opposed to the Gospel. Pag. 1^9*
" Yea that the proposal or pressing of any Truth or Goodness on us, in a
<e literal or moral way only, or the word as written in Letters, is the Law t
u and the spirit operating the thing it self on the soul is the Gospel ; the
u first is the old Covenant and the second the New ; That the proper
u and next ends of the Law ( or letter ) are sin, condemnation, death and
"the Divine wrath : To let in sin, and heighten it that it might abound;
" and to bring on us spiritual death These flow not from the Law of it self %
" but by accident, frem the weakness of the flem and creature : But both
* c Law and sin are brought in ultimately for good ; w. God having a
"design which he intended to enrich with the fullest, the highest glories of
"his Godhead, brings forth in the course os this design, a dark scene of
« all evils, sin, death, wrath 5 The evil in this scene is carryed on to its ut-
"most
 i io Of (jod*s Cjracioto Operations on Mans Soul :

" most extent and height * Thus the variety becomes more full in the whole
" design, and the chief design is heightned in its greatest Glory > God in his
,( Infinite wisdom sobringeth in this scene of sin and evil, that himself is
** perfectly pure and good in the contrivance and conduct of it. He setteth
"up a Law, good, holy and spiritual, but such that sin inevitably may take
te occasion from it through the frailty of the stem and os the creature, to
" spring up as an overflow ing flood, to display it self over all things in its
Pag. 175,175. "fullest foulest birth. This Law is to convince us of the frailty and rau-
" tability in mans primitive state, &c ( viz. that he is a creature. ) For
" man is composed of the light of God, and his own proper darkness ; These
K two the Schools call the Act and Potentiality, the form and the matter,
"being and not being, which constitute every Creature*, The darkness or
" nothingness, which is the Creatures own, is the proper ground of fin——
Pag. 177. " The Law comes and distinguistieth the Light from the Darkness ,
Pag, 1 78. £! (so that to fee sin is to fee that we are Creatures ; ) God withholds his
" Divine presence, appearances and influences from man, ■ and so the
f* darkness discovereth it self in man, and predominateth and captivateth
" him entirely, and becomes his choice and Lord. ( so that sin is but an
Imperfect Creature, and the Law to cause and (hew it. )
£.y. Pag. 113, w^&c He faith f_" The Immediate cause of the first
" change made in the understanding at the fall, was the Divine Glory wkh-
£c drawing or withholding it self • Darkness is the privation of Light :
Cc Privations have no proper Causes, but accidental only. Thus the Divine
tc Glory retiring from the understanding, or ceasing to shine in it, is by ac-
" cident the cause of the darkness there 5 as the Setting or departing of the
" Sun is the cause of Night 5 which is not a blemish to the Sun, but its
" glory, that in its presence are all the beauties and joyes of light, in its
u absence all the disagreeableness and melancholies of night and darkness :
"Pag- 115. All evil is from the absence of God, &c. p. 117. The fault
<e in man is the deficiency which arifeth from the defectibility or nothing-
" ness of the Creature, in its shadowy state, in the purity of its first
"Creation. Pag. 122. The fall springs from the Harmony of the eter-
"nal design in the Divine mind, being comprehended in it as a part of
"it. :
$.10. And yet he makes man Guilty and unexcufeuhle, and Godjail ia
this; because ["Guilt is but our being really bad: And he that cannot de-
f* ny himself tobebad,isunexcuseable : And the opening of this caufeth
" lliame : And Justice is to Judge and use all creatures as they are.J
£.11. To be short, he maintaineth, " that man can have no freedom from
"necessitating predetermination If he should it would cross the nature of
" God, of the creature, of the foul, and the unity and harmony of all
rt things ; But that God caufeth all sin negatively as necessarily, as he cau-
ilscth darknesi, or any natural privation: But then he doth with a torrenc
of Rhetorick so Praise Gods design in it, and the beauty and harmony of all
things made up of good and evil, unities^ varieties, diversities and contra
rieties^ and sliewethfo largely the glory that cometh to God by sin, and the
good to the Universe, and that it's but our narrowness and weakness of sight
that maketh us take it to be any other than a part of the glory of the uni
verse, though bad in and to the person that sinneth, that I confess I never
found myself more tempted to Love sin, or to cease my hatred of it, than
by his florid Oratory.
^.12. Andwithall,asheresolveth all the rest of Morality into Physical
conceptions, so he seemeth to judge suitably of Hell and of Redemption^ sup
posing that all this <for*/7<r/TthatGod brings on sinners, is but to prepare for
their
 And the Sub-operations of Mans JViil.

their resurrection to a life of Unity andglory • and that it shall go well with
them in the end.
1 3. And as to the work of Redemption, his notions are too floridly or
ambiguously delivered for me to undertake with confidence to unriddle :
But this feemeth the lumm : " 1. That God is the fountain of Being by
t( Emanation as the Sun of light : And that his eternal wisdom is Jefui
<c Christ in the first instant or nature. 2. That the first creature that he
"made (or emaneth from him) is a perfect universal mind, the plat-
ff form ot' all the rest of the Creation •, (such as ihe old Philosophers called
the soul of the world, or an universal Intelligence : ) ffAnd that this is Je-
(l sus Christ in hu second nature and notion: which Arim knew, but did
<c ill deny his divine nature. 3. That this Universal Spirit or Mind\
« maketh all the world besides, and is in them all : And so the whole Crea
tion else was Christs firstshadowy image, (or body.) 4. That the An-
tlgels are the noblest parts of this, and that the Deity first, and christs
<« superangelical nature next, is one in them all, and they one with him, as
t( the beams with the Sun, and as the lower part of the Sun-beams with the
« parts next the Sun. 5. That the joul of man is the next part of Christs
"shadowy Image, into which he defcendecl. 6. And so into all Bodies,
*( 7. And as into a special Branch, into that Body born of the Virgin Mary.
(* 8. And in that, and in other Bodies, he dyeth, and descendeth to his low-
t< est state ; and 9. Then, as the Sun, doth rife a|ain, and bring all back
*< to the state of pure spirituality in his super angelic al nature, whence all
f(sprang : And this is their Redemption ) which is most floridly set forth. *
^.13. This doctrine feemeth to reconcile Philosophy ( or- Gentilifm )
and Christianity : For what is it almost but names that are left in diffe
rence t That which a Philosopher will call an universal Intelligencej or soul
of the nwW, he calleth chrtst: And if such a foul there be, no one will deny
but that it floweth into all particular souls and bodies, and is united to
them, or is to individuals as the soul in the head to the soul in the hand and
foot.
14. And if I did believe that sihj death, hell •, anrlholiness, life, Glory;
are in the world but as Winter and Summer, Night and Day, and, as Origen,
that the wicked are but in a state of Revolution, and shall come about again
into a state of hope •, or, as he here feemeth, that their sin and misery is
but like the dying of a flower in the fall, that shall in the Sprirtg again be
as before, ( or rather another in its stead • ) and that it is but the retiring
of Christ from the Creature, as the spirit of theTreein Autiimn from the
Leaves, I should then be ready to receive his Necessitating Predetermina
tion to sin, and fit all the rest of my opinions hereunto.
£.15. There is (among many others) one Job. Jessenita 4 Jessen
Doctor dr Eques Hungarus, who in a Tract, de Anima ejr Corpore Universt
hath written much to the like purpose, save as being a Peripatetics: he dif-
fereth from the Platonists ; viz. The world is one Animal and hath one
foul and body, which all Creatures are parts of : That Stars are Intelle
ctuals, or Angels, and all intuitively know each others minds, loving the
good, and hating the evil here, and are our chief friends and Keepers : Thar.
Death befalleth only us lower Creatures ; Mors continua ftngulis, nulU
tamen aterna : Nam post longijjimum temporis excursum, quern Plato tri-
ginta ejr insuper aliquot annorum millibus determ'mare ausus eft, remo-
•vebitur, fact! iterum aliqua secundum naturam solutione, redintegrati-
one. And the Intellectus Agens he describeth as Mr. Sterry doth Christ
in his seconder middle nature, pag. 165. Intellectum agentem substantiA
pr'im&atqu: Dei fulgorcm ejse • Non accidens, fed substantial InteHigen-
tem j
in Of (jod's (jracious Operations on Mans Soul :

tern • quaprimo proprieque Intellectut dicitur agens : Primœ jab-

ftanti* adharens, ab ea excurrens, indivisus & indivisibility non alitcr ac
Lumen a Lucido emanat : and so in many other particulars.
1 6. To all this my short time will allow me to give you but these
short observations following : i. The doctrine of Redemption is so much
of meer supernatural Revelation, as that we must not easily receive that
concerning it, which is not in the Scriptures 5 And where Christs person hath
such a description in Scripture as he giveth, I am not satisfied : (e.g. inpa*.
2-32. where he thus faith The Word made stem, is the whole Tree of
u Being, Uncreated and Created, the Root, the Body, with all the Branches,
u putting forth themselves into one little top branch3 now withering, that
"through its death, they may renew all to a frelh and flourishing spring.]
I am loth to say that the Universe is Christ: that his Divinity is the soul,
and the world his body, and every Man and Beast and substance part of it,
and that he dyeth in all that dye, and that his body born of the Virgin
Maryj was but one top branch of the Tree, which Christ thus animateth,
and so that all other bodies are as truly personally united to the mrd} as
jthar.
17. I will not deny that the Opinion of a Threefold nature in Christ,
lookethvery plausibly; viz. that the Divine eternal word ( the first na
ture) produced and united it self to the prime created superangelical Mind
{ the second nature : ) and that this second nature in the fulness of time
produced and united itself to the humane ( third ) nature. 1. There are
many texts which seem to countenance it. 2. It seemeth to give Christ
the greatest honour, as being the most excellent of all Gods Creatures ;
which is not so easily believed of him as Man. 3. It seemeth to expound
those texts of the Old Testament, which mention such appearances of God
to Adam, Abraham and others, which many of the Ancients fay was Christ :
And it seemeth to some more probable that some pre-existent created nature
sliould assume a body, than the Divine nature only and immediately.
4. And it smileth on us as an opinion likely to reduce and reconcile the
Arians^ ( once too great a part of the Christian World, (as called Chri
stians) as not only Philostorgius^ and Saudius shew, but also Petavius de Tri*
nit. ) . who holding the prime-created super-angelical nature, and denying
the Divine, it's like would the more easily be brought to acknowledge the
Union of the Divine Nature with the super-angelical, if the supet-angeVv-
cal itself were first granted them 5 For they might the sooner be convinced
that the eternal wisdom or word, which made that first creature, was inti
mately united to it. I know some pious worthy persons who upon such
reasons incline to this opinion of a threefold nature in Christ-, ( Though
some of them think that this second nature, was the humane soul, assuming
only a body, and others, that it assumed both soul and body. ) I am not
forward to take men for unsufterable Hereticks, that differ from me, or hold
that which seemeth to me hard and strange But I must say, 1. That I see no
cogent proosof this super-angelical nature : 2 .That seeming congruities and
conveniences must not embolden us to take up a doctrine which is new and
strange to the Church of Christ, in so great a matter as the Natures and
person oPChrist are. 3. And were it never so true, if it be not suffici
ently revealed to us in Gods Word, it cannot be necessary to our salvation.
4. Yea presuming too boldly to conclude of unrevealed things, ( so high )
seemeth to me dangerous temerity, curiosity, and prophaneness, like the
Eethsbemites or Uzzah's meddling with the Ark, and the Sons of Aaron of
fering false fire. Let them therefore here thus proceed that dare. For I
dare not.
18. But
 *J nd the Sub-operations of Mans Will* 11 j

£. 1 8. But this much I easily concede, i. That as all Being is originally

From God, so there is a continued divine causation of them, withouc which
they would all cease or be annihilated: which some call a continued Crea
tion, and some an Emanation, and some a continued Action or operation ad
rerurn effe. And it is an intolerable errour to hold that God hath made the
World or any part of it self-sufficient ot independent as to himself, as to
Being, Action or Perfection. We grant therefore that all the world is so
far United to God, as to depend on his continued causality : And chat the
Beams do not more depend on the Sun, or Light, beat and motion on the Sun
and other fire, nor the branches, fruit and leaves more depend on the Trec>
than the Creature on God.
£. ip. a. I grant that thus far the world may be said to be one, as all
things are united in onefirst cause from which they flow, and by which they
are.
£.20. 3. But yet all these are no parts of God, as the fruit and leaves
are of the Tree, and as the beams are of the Sun : But they are Creatures■>
because Gods emanation or causation is creative, causing the whole Being
of the effect : And it feemeth likest to the Sun ( or fire's ) causation of Mo
tion, Light and Heat as they are in the Recipient, distinct ab essentia &
Attione Agentis qua tali.
£.ai. 4. I grant that (though as to proximity of essence God is no
further from one Creature than from another, being intimate to all, imme-
diatione essentix, yet ) he ufeth one Creature as a second Cause to ope
rate on another ; and that the Higher and Nobler, operate on the lower and
more ignoble : And in that sense we may conceive that some Creatures are"
first from God or nearest to him, that is, of the highest nature anduse. And
so we deny not, but that it is like that in the Creation God made one nature
existent, ( e. g. the highest Intellectual ) as more excellent, powerful, preg
nant, active, and perfect than any of the rest : that there was in the won-;
derful diversity, some one that was Best, and above the rest.
£.22. 5. I grant that it soundeth probably that the first and noblest
Nature in specie lhould be found but in one Individual 5 But of this there is
not the least certainty to us mortals : viz. Whether from one God first .
flow one perfect Created Intelligence or Spirit 5 or, ab uno plures, two, three
or millions in the first order flow from one God i Though in nature we fee
that from the trunk of the Tree few great members first arise, and multipli
city is in the extremities. And we grant that the greatest multiplicity ap-
peareth where things dwindle to littleness or baseness: One sound Sheep is
better than a rotten one that hath a thousand Worms in his Veins and In
testines ; And a man that hath a thousand Lice on his Head is not the No
bler: And when the one souj hath left a Carkafs, it may turn to thousands
of contemptible Vermine : And a Looking-glass broken intflan hundred
pieces is not the better because it will make an hundred images of the face:
But yet we are strangers to Gods unseen works, further than he revealeth
them, and therefore must confess our ignorance.
£.23. 6. We grant that all Gods works have some Union, Concord
and Harmony among themselves 5 which yet consisteth with numerical di
versity : And though Men and other Animals walk aboiit with Bodies'
that touch not one another, ( and therefore the ignorant conceive of them
as totally incoherent, and think that though Pears, Apples and other Fruit
on the Tree, and Trees in the Earth, be both Many, and Divers, and yec
parts of one Tree, and of one Earth, yet it is not so with animals, because
the union of spiritual beings is invisible :) yet indeed it is not probable
that the souls of Animals have no dependant coherence with nobler fupe-
Q,q qq " ' " "~ tlouij
j lq Of Qocss (jrac'wm Operations on Mans Soul :

riour Spirits* Though ( because we know of no nature above the Intel

lectual ) it is utterly uncertain to us, Whether Humane fouls depend on
any proper superiour Cause of their Being but God alone immediately $
For God causeth the highest Natures, without any mediate second Cause .*
Though as to ORDER and helps of action and rvell being they may de
pend on others, as the several Wheels or parts of the fame Watch or
Clock, or as the Sheep upon the Shepherd.
.^.24. Augustine deAnimah put to it, whether he will hold 1. That
fouls are Many and not One ? 2. Or One and not Many ? 3. Or both One
and Many? The two first he rejecteth: The last heconfefleth hard to de
fend, but feemeth most inclined to : But what Union he meant, is hard to
pnjecture j Whether that they were all the spiritual Parts of one Uni
versal, or one Greater soul ( if souls may be Parts i ) or Whether distinct
froduhs of one such foul ( either Univerfitatis or hujus system&tis ) ;
or WhetherOw Relatively and Politically, by making up wa? society ; or
Whether one because emaning from one spring or Causa, prima? The two
last are certain : The two first are far otherwise.
£.35. 7. If he could prove, that there is one Firsts Best, Universal ere-'
ated Intelligence, or super-Angelical Spirit, which God made the chief of
all second causes, by which he created and governeth all the rest, and that
this is Christ in his second Nature, we would not deny, but that Christ as
the Mediator of Nature ( as Mr. Sterry calleth him ) is in all other
Creatures as the Cause is in the being of the effect 5 But it would not fol
low, that the' Essence of Christ ( or this Universal Intelligence ) is any
Constitutive Cause ( or part ) of each creature : For as God causeth them
by Creative Emanation, and not as a Constitutive part of them 5 so we
should rather hold, that ( under God, by a Power of producing Enti
ties received from hip) this Universal Spirit did the fame in a subordi
nate second place.
^.26. But his Opinions which lam now most concerned to renounce,
ire those about Gods Moral Government, his Laws, Justice, our free-will,
iin, guile, and Gods Redemption, Judgement and Punishment of man-, all
which I think he much subverteth.
27. And I. I take the root of his error to be, his overlooking and
undervaluing Gods Design in Making and Governing free Intellectual
agents, by nis Sapiential Moral Directive way : He supposeth this way
to be so much below that of Physical Motion and Determination , as
that it is not to be considered but as an instrument thereof : As if it
were unworthy of God to give any creature a Meer Power, Liberty, Law,
and Moral Means alone, and not to Necessitate him Positively or Nega
tively to Obey or Disobey. And this looking only at Physical Good, Be
ing and Morion, and thereby thinking lightly of Sapiential Regency, is the
fumm, as of his, so of Hobbes,spinoJas, Alvarez, Bradtvardines,Twiffesy
Rutherfirds, and the rest of the Predeterminants errors herein : And had
hot I other thoughts of this one thing, I should come over to their Opi
nion : For I confess the cafe to be of very great difficulty.
: 28. I think that as the Divine Life and Power glorifieth it self emi
nently in the Causation of the Being, Motion and Life of the creatures;
so the Divine wisdom eminently glorifieth it self in the Order of all things,
. ' and in the Moral Directive Sapiential Regiment of Intellectual free
agents. And that Gods Laws and Doctrine are the Image of his Wisdom,
and an admirable harmonious and beautiful frame : And that all would
think so, and be wonderfully delighted in them, were they compleatly
— on our Minds and Hearts.
{. 19-
 And the $u />- operations of Mans Will. \ik

\, 29. II. And accordingly I think, that the glory of his governing
wisdom, and Punishing and Rewarding Justice, is a great arid notable part
of that glory which man must give him now and for ever.- And th.it
this Justice is not his physical using all things according to their physical
aptitude only ■ But his Judging and Executing according to that rho:
ral aptitude commonly called Merits Punishments and Rewards; And
that to deny God the glory of all this, is no small error in a Philosopher or
Divine.
£.30. III. Accordingly I think, that God made man a free self-deter
mining agent, that he might be capable of such Sapiential Rule : And
that it is a great Honour to God, to make so noble a Nature, as hath a
Power to determine its ovvn elections : And though such are not of the
'highest rank of Creatures, they are far above the lowest : And that God
( who we fee delighteth to make up beauty and harmony ofdiversities )
doth delight in the Sapiential Moral Goverrmwnt of this free sort of Crea
tures : And though man be not Independent, .yet to be so far like God
Himself, as to be a kind of first-determiner of many of his own Volitions
and Nolitions, is part of Gods Natural Image on Man.
$.31. IV. Accordingly I tike Duty to be Rewardable and Laudable;
and fin to be odious, as it is the Act of a site agent : And that the Na
ture of Moral Good and Evil, confisteth not in its being the meer effect
of physical premOtion, but in being a Voluntary. Conformity or Difcon-
formity to the Sapiential Rule of duty, by a free agent that had Power
to do otherwise. .
£.32. V. Free-mil then is not only the fame with veiUin* it self, or
a meer agency according to Nature , by the premotion of thf first deter
mining necessitating Mover. It is not only such a freedom as Fire, Wa
ter, Beasts^ and every moved thing hath, ("to be moved according to the
first Movers action ) which is in the will of man ; But it is a Power to
be a first, determining Specifier of its own acts as Moral : Not that it is ne
ver predetermined, but that it can do this;.
$.33. VI. Accordingly I judge of Guilt, and shame, and the Accusa
tion of Conscience •, which will not be a bare discerning what God made
us do or be ; but what we Voluntarily did or rvere > when we could do
otherwise. . • i*
34. VII. And I am past all doubt, that he grofly mistaketh the
nature and distinction of Law and Gospel: 1. To think that Gods Law,
when it is dot accompanied* with physical predetermination , is but to
{hew us that we are creatures, that cannot but sin. . .- .
2. Yea, hereby he wrongeth the glory of the Creator, that made no
creature with a power to do any thing but evil , unless predetermined;
physically thereto. , ,
3. It's gross to fay, that all the Doctrine of Redemption, and Faith,'
and Justification by Christ, as a meer fignum, Letter or Law, is the Law
or Covenant of Works, and so that every Command is the Covenant of
Works, and Physical Efficiency of Good in us is the Gospel or Cove
nant of Grace. . For that which we call the Gospel is not true, if this
be true : For this Goi'pel is a preached word spoken by mans mouth,'
which some believe, arid some believe not, but reject arid disobey , and
therefore perish: ^4/^.4.23.^-11.5. (^24.14. &i6. 13. Mark
■ 16. 15. LukcAf. 18. I Cor. 9. 14, 16, 18. Heb. 4.2. 1 Pet. I.«5*
1 Pet. /\. 6. a Theft.T. 8> 10, 1 1. Matth. 13. 10. ASsiyji It is a
Law by which men shall be judged to life or death, Rom. 2. 16. Mar.
16.15,16. i.Thes.i.%. Rom. 19.16. Job»$, 19,20% 21: iCdr.^.
Qctqq a. 3>4-'
 Of Cjods (jraciom Operations on Mans Soul :

3,4. It is a word which some pervert, Gal. 1.7. and many sin against,
Gal. 2.14. iPet.4. 17. The rejecters of it arc to speed worse dun
Sodom and Gomorrah, and they cannot escape that neglect so great sal
vation. Whereas by his description, 1. No man ever yet sinned against
the Gospel or Covenant of Grace: For it is not that Covenant or Go
spel further than it is a physical effect on the foal. 2. And every Hea-
then that hath any good effect on his foul by Common Grace hath so
much Gospel-, 3. Yea, why is not then all Gods Creation, being a
physical effect, the Covenant of Grace 5 if that he doth be it , and*ali
that he commandeth as such be the Law of Works t 4. And how thert
can the Law of Works and Grace be two, if every proper Law be the
Law of Works ? For a Law is sub genere figni, and a produced event
is another thing. 5. And what sense will be found throughout the Scri
pture, if we must hold, that It is the Covenant or Law of Works which
telleth us, that the Law of Works is abolished, and calleth us to believe
in Christ for free Justification, and not to expect Justification by the Works
of the Law, and offereth us pardon and life in Christ i &c. But I will
add no more, seeing the plainness of the matter makes it needless.
£.35. The truth is, he distinguisheth between the Law and the effect
of the Law and Spirit of God, and calleth one the Law of Works and
the other the Gospel: whereas the Scripture only maketh it the excellen
cy of the Gospel, that by it the Spirit effectually worketh on the /oul
more usually and more excellently ; and no meer Law ( of Works or
Grace) will renew us without the Spirit.
£.36. VI I I. And if Redemption be nothing but Physical efficiency
by Christ, (who as a creating Mediator first giveth all creatures what
they have, and next faileth them and leaveth them in darkness, as the Sun
setteth, and then Riling again revolveth all things into his original pure
spirituality, like the revolution of day and night, Summer and Winter, j
it is sure another thing than the Scripture describeth it, which maketh
it a noble part of that Sapiential frame of Moral Government which
some despise.
37. IX. But let it be noted, that we hold, that as the Almighty
Father is > the glorious Creator, Motor and Life of Mature, and the Eter
nal JVtfdom^word and-Sto, the Glorious Ordinator, Rector and Redeemer, so
the Eternal Love, and \ht*lioly Ghofi is the final PerftBer of believers,
even of Gods Elect $ and that this Sanctificatton and proficiency, is by
more than Moral Sapiential Regiment, even by the Real shedding abroad
Gods Love upon the soul, or by a Quickning, Illuminating, felicitating
Communication of Divine Life, and Light, and Love, which yet maketh
not the Sapiential Regiment vain.
38. And as to Free-will I further fay, that we are far from holding
that if is a state of man in which he is Above God, or independent and
as a God to himself, or that God is any way a defective or idle ( as
they cali it ) Spectator of mans sins, or free acts : But that this rank
and stare of free agents is Gods own wifely- chosen work in which he is
delighted. And that he doth truly attain his ends in all.
3$. Therefore as Mr. Sterry magnifieth the harmony which ariseth
from Moral Good and Evil as designed and necessitated by God, so we first
admire the harmony which ariseth from Natural and free agents and their
works 5 which must not be dishonoured and left out.
40. And more than so, we doubt not but all Gods works are per
fect, it heing their perfection to be suited to his own will. And the dif
ference between us and Mr. Sterry , Dr. Tvcifse, (jrc is not, Whether
God
• I ... .

And the Sub-operations of Mans Will. , 117

God be Gjorious in all his works, or they be perfect : For we fay, that
though mans sin be found upon Gods works, and that sin be none of his
works, nor any. means ( properly ib called ) of Pleasing or Glorifying
him, nor as all willed or caused by him, but bated and punished -T yet
he lofeth pone of his . complacency or glory by it, but notwithstanding
its malignity, sliineth. gloriously in the perfection of all his works.
£.41. Yea, more we fay, that men sin under his Disposing power, and
that he will rnake ufe of their evil junto Good, and i in shall become an
occasion of that Glory to God ( as sickness to the Physicion ) of which it is
no Cause ' or proper Means, nor of it self conduceth thereunto. Yea,'
and that no Act as an Act, how sinful soever, is done, but by Gods causa
tion as he is, the fountain of nature, and prime Motor: Yea, more,
that all the JEfetfs and consequents of sin that are not (in it self, are
under die Causal Government and. disposals'God;, who will attain his
Ends in all. - <„; '.. . ™ ■ .
$.■42. Therefore we differ but in this-, whether God get not all that
glory which Mr. St. floridly describeth, notwithstanding sin, or on supposi
tion of it as barely, permitted {negatively, but with a Decree or Volition
of all the good consequents occasioned by it, ) rather than by fin it self
as a willed, designed effect of his own necessitating Negations, and in the
positive past of the dels as circumstantiated , of his determining premoti
on ? Whether mans permitted sin, be any of Gods works i And whether'
Gods glory be not rather non obstante peccato, and also by occasion ofIt,
supposed to be mans work only $ and by all the good consequents caused
•by God, than by the sin it self as a Means conduciblcj or a Cause?
$.4.3. For we deny not, that God could have prevented all sin if he had
so reso.ly.ed, and yet we believe not that such a permission is equivalent
to a necessitating Motion, or Privation, as Mr. Sterry would perfwade
us : To make a creature no better than such as can do good if he will,
and can be willing, ('with a decree to make many willing,) is much dif
ferent from making the creature bad, and then condemning him to Hell for
being so, as an act of Justice. Yet we doubt not, but the Divine Light
will shortly give us all a fuller discovery of that which shall vindicate
the Wisdom, Goodness and Justice of God , in his Government of man,
than yet the wisest mortals have. ^
44. Either you suppose that God doth all that he can do, or mt.
If yea, then you suppose that he cannot ( nor ever could ) make any one
Creature, Worm, or Grafs, more or less, greater or smaller, sooner or
later, or otherwise, than he doth : which few will believe: ( It being
not for want of Power, but through perfection of Wisdom and freedom
of Will that he doth no more. ) But if God can make one creature
more, or one Motion more, and yet doth not, I ask Whether you dare
call that non- agency by the name of idleness or deficiency? If not, why
should the Non- causation of sinful Volitions in specie morali, or the leav
ing free-will to its own determination, be so called < Not to make
more creatures, or more physical motion, or not to give more Grace
and Glory , is as much a non-agency as not to determine a sinning
Will.
^.45. As to all Mr. Sterr/s Reasons against Free-will, they are so
Rhetorically rather than Logically delivered, that I think it not meet
to trouble the Reader with any further answer of them, or to suppose
them to have any more strength than those that other men plainlier have
delivered,
1 18 Of (jod's (fracious Operations on Mans Soul,6tc.

£.46. I conclude with tins repeated profession , that I am fully satis

fied, that all the rest of the Controversies , about Grace and Nature;
and Predestination and Redemption , as they stand between the Synod
of Dort and the Armtnians, arc of no greater moment than I have oft
expresled in this Book , nor worthy any of that stir and contention,
which men that sufficiently difference not words , Methods and Matter
have made to the mischievous injury of the Church : And thac the true
life of all the remaining difficulties, is in this controveilic between the
defenders of Necessary Predetermination, and of Freewill 5 that is, ( noc,
What free-will sinners have left, but) ^whether ever in Angels or Inno
cent man, there was such a thing, as a wtll th*t can and ever did de
termine it self to a Volition or Nolititn in specie morali , without the
predetermining efficient necessitating ft emotion of God as thefirst Cause?]
or as Hobbes Ipeaketh , Whether ever a created will, did act, without a
necessitating premotion? An^ whether to will and to will freely, be all
one < And whether the will ( except as to the kind of action ) be noc
as much necessitated to will or not will, as my Pen to write or noc
write i and we call not its acts Contingent or free , either because they
are what they are ( Volitions, ) or through Ignorance, because we fee noc
the moving Causes <
47. And if this hold, for my part I must confess, that I think the
Religion which agreethwith it, must neither be so good as Dr. Twijses,
Rutherfords, Bradwardines, or Alvarezes, nor yet so bad as Hobbes s, or
Spenofa's but just such as Mr. Stcrry's or the old Platonick or Sttick
Philosophers ; I mean not such as Mr. Sterrfs was , ( for I hear he'
was an excellent person * ) but such as his Book ( though obscurely ) inti-
mateth. And if any of that judgement have abetter or worse, it is dot
in consistency with his own principles.

§ - ■ • ■

F1&CIS.
I
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