Admonition Unto Congregations, Petition
To all the moſt vvorthy Governors, Learned Teachers, and Godly people of all eſtats and conditions in theſe vnited Provinces. Grace and peace from God the father, and our lord Ieſus Chriſt.
VVEE, amonge the reſt of the people of God, that profeſſe the goſpel of Ieſus Chriſt, have great cauſe to praiſe the lord for the freedome & libertie that wee have in theſe Provinces to profeſſe & ſpeake in the name of Ieſus: and wee are bound, and do with all humblenes of hart thankfullie acknowledg it. And wee beſeech the lord in merciemercy to recompence it ſeaven-fold into the boſome of thoſe that are in aucthoritie, by whoſe great fauour wee enioy this bleſſed and comfortable libertie: the which libertie wee have not the leaſt thouhts to abuſe neither by the grace and merciemercy of God will ever willingly do. And wee humblie crave now, that wee may with favour and good acceptance vſe this Chriſtiā libertie thus fair as to propound the ground of Religion by way of queſtion and demaund, & wee doubt not (through the grace of God) but it being throughly and faithfullie debated and tryed by the Godly, wiſe, …e learned, it will put a ſhort end to that longe continewed controverſie of Gods eternall decree of life and d…ath to ſalvation and condemnation, And thus with reverence and due reſpect vntounto all deg…ees of perſons wee proceed.
Our firſt queſtion and demaund is.
1. VVether God decreed not, that if Adam did obey, he ſhould live?
Our ſecond.
2. VVhether God did not, according to this his decree, create Adam in his owne jmage Gen. 1.17. In righteouſnes, & true holines Ephe. 4.24. giveing him thereby free will & power, in, and of himſelf, that he might obey & live?
Our third.
3. VVhether God did not according to this his d… & w…rke of creation give Adam his comaundement … obey, & live. Gen. 2.16.17.
Our fovvrth.
4. God then decreeing that if Adam did obey he … live and giveing him freewil & power … ▪ & of himſ…lf that he might obey & live, and … him to they & live. Our demaund … …nderſtanding it can be … ▪ that God decreed Adam ſhould diſob… … were not this to make God in his de… … worke, & in his comaundment contrary to himſelf? doth God decree that if Adam did obey he ſhould live, & decree that he ſhould diſobey & dye? doth God create Adam after his owne jmage, with power & will to worke righteouſnes, & decree that he ſhould worke vnrighteouſnes & ſinne doth God comaund Adam to obey, & decree he ſhould diſobey wee demaund how theſe thinges can agree.
Our fift.
5. VVhether God ever made anie other decree with man-kind concerming life & death ſalvation & condemnation but that he made with Adam? Then God not decreing Adam to ſinne by whome ſinne entred Rom. 5 1…. Nor Adam to be condemned, by whoſe ſinne, condemnaton came on all men Rom. 5.18. hovv can it be ſaid, that God hath decreed anie man to ſinne: or anie man to condemnation?
Our Sixt.
6. VVhether Gods decree vvas, not frō before all beginings. That if Adam deſobeyed & ſinned he ſhould dye? Gen. 2.17. hovv then is it ſaid, that it vvas Gods decree that he ſhould diſobey & dye? both theſe cannot ſtand: & can the firſt be denyed.
Our Seaventh.
7. If anie ſhould through vnadviſednes not knovving God, or of vvilfull vvickednes, deny Adam before his fall to have freevvill & povver to vvorke righteouſnes: vvee demaund of them vvas not his vnderſtanding holy? his vvill holy? and all the faculties & povvers of his ſoule & bodie holy? & had he not povver to vſe them holily? If all theſe thinges vvere not ſo, hovv is that true vvhichwhich God hath ſaid. In the jmage of God created he him?
Our Eight.
8. VVhether Adam before his fall did not vſe all the faculties & povvers of his ſoule & body vvholy to Gods glory? vvhen the lord brought vntounto him all the foule of heaven & every beaſt of the feild, to ſee hovv he vvould call them, and he gave names vntounto all cattle, & to the foules of heaven, & to every beaſt of the feild: as alſo vvhen the lord brought the vvomā he had made, to Adā, Adam ſaid, this novv is bone of my bone & fleſh of my fleſh, ſhe ſhalbe called vvoman becauſe ſhe vvas taken out of man. VVee demaund, vvhether it be not heare moſt evident & plaine, that Adam had free povver over his vnderſtanding vvill, & affections, vvhen he did theſe thinges to the glory of God?
Our Nynth.
9, Adam haveing then freevvill & povver from God in, & by his creation to obey & live, hovv can it poſſibly be ſaid that God in his eternal decree decreed him or anie man to condemnation?
VVee diſire a Godly carefull conſideration & reveivving of theſe things, for vponupon this ground depends the vvhole cauſe of Predeſtination and gods decree cōcerning ſalvatiō & cōdēnatiō: for if Adā had freevvil & povver to obey, vvhichwhich never mā that knevve God yet denyed, then hovv could God decree anie man to condemnation? and if Adam had not freevvill and povver to obey, then God decreed he ſhould diſobey & ſinne, & then hovv can it be denyed but God hath decreed men to condemnation, & ſo is vniuerſall redemption vtterly overthrovvne: for hovv could Chriſt redeame all, & God decree ſome to be condemned: But if Adam had freevvill and povver to obey, then God decreed no man to condemnation: and if God decreed no man to condemnation before the begining of the vvorld, then the lambe ſlayne from before the begining of the vvorld, muſt needs be given a Redeamer for all men. And then are all men bound to glorifie God in that he hath given a Saviour and meanes of ſalvation for them. But if he be not given a ſaviour for all men, then the greateſt part of men in the vvorld, have no cauſe to glorifie God therein. And vvee demaund vvhether this be not greatly to rob god of his honor herein.
And let vsus yet requier one thinge more at your hands that baptize infants: vvhether you do not of faith, baptiſe thē as being redeamed by Chriſt in that you declare them (as appeareth in your forme of baptiſme) to be ſanctified in Chriſt and therefore that they ought to be Baptized, as mē bers of the Church, vvhichwhich is the bodie of Chriſt▪ Surely it cannot be but that you faithfullie beleeve that all the infants you Baptiſe are redeamed by Chriſt or els you vvould not Baptiſe them into the name of Chriſt, & acknovvledg thē members of his bodie. And if you do hold, all the infants you Baptiſe to bereadeamed by Chriſt, then if your rule of perticuler Redemption & perticuler Predeſtination, be a true rule, you muſt needs hold that all Dutch-land muſt be ſaved, and no one of them can be condemned: and ſo muſt you hold the like of all England, all France, all Scotland and generally of all the Nations vvhoſe Baptiſing of infants you approve of. And in that you approve of the Baptiſing of all the Turkes, and all the Heathens vvhat ſoever & their infants, if they ſhould come vntounto the acknovvledging of the faith of Ieſus Chriſt vvhichwhich vvee hope none can ſay, but they may, do you not … plaine ſhevve that you ho…d Chriſt ha…h R…ed thē alſo: & thus you hold that Ch…iſt hath Rede… med all the vvorld, if you … vndeſtād yourſelves in your ovvne … vvee beſeech you to … on be able (through Go … of your faith herein.
Oh that wee might on Chriſts be half require you with Godly carefull adviſednes throughly to conſider of theſe few thinges ſo ſimplie and plainely ſet downe. That al the honor and praiſe that is due vntounto Chriſt for that his great worke of Redemption might freely be given vntounto him: and that none that profe…e and feare his na…e would ſ…ve to leſſen his vnſpeakeable worke of merciemercy herein, whereby they do not onelyonly leſſen the honor and praiſe due vntounto him for that his ſo gracious worke of redeaming all without reſpect of …, but they do alſo depri… … of God of … vnderſtanding of Gods … and merciemercy vntounto all, being all but vnderunder…d the …me tranſgreſſion in Adam by whoſe … condemnation went over all, the which … Chriſt was for given Adam▪ and then muſt it needs be forgiven to all his poſteritie, ſeeing God doth nor puniſh the Child for the fathers ſinne, eſpe…ially forgiveing the father that ſinne. Let men be…re how they take from the word of God and ſo flee…e vengeance that is to come vponupon all thoſe that ſhall ſo do.
Grace be vvith you Amen.
ANd whereas it is ſuſpected that they which hold vniuerſal Redemption do, or muſt hold freewill, wee deſire to teſtifie vntounto all, for the cleering of our ſelves from the ſuſpect of that moſt damnable hereſie, that god in merciemercy hath thus farr given vsus grace to ſee That who ſoever holds vniuerſall red…ption by Chriſt, they cannot hold frewill, if they have anie vnderſtanding: ffor freewill d…th vtterly aboliſh Chriſt, and deſtroy … and ſet … workes: for freewill is to have abſolute power … mans ſelf to worke righteouſnes and obey god in perfect obedience; And ſuch men need no Chriſt, and if anie ſhalbe ſo blind as to thinke that Chriſt reſtored man into his former eſtate of Innocencie, thē muſt there needs be a new tree of knowledg of good, and evill: for there is no other way ſhewed in the Scriptures, for a perfect man that is reſtored to Adams eſtate, to ſinne, but by eating of that tree, and if man be reſtored to perfection: or if all men fell not in Adam, as the ſcriptures teſtifie they did. Rom. 5.12.18. then man hath power in himſelf to obey, and then ſome may yet obey, and ſo ſtand no need of Chriſt.
VVe knowe not anie certentie of theſe mens opinions, therefore wee will not enter into them, onelyonly one man once told vsus he had freewill, but wee found him to hold ſo manie other horrible opinions wherein he was ſo obſtinate as wee had no faith no have anie further conference with him. To theſe men onelyonly thus much do wee ſay, that thus ſpeaketh the word of god Gen. 5.2. God created Adam, in the likenes of god made he him, and verſ. 3. Adam lived an hundreth and thirtie yeres, and begat a child in his owne likenes, after his jmage. If mē cannot ſee heare that Adam begat not a could in the likenes of god, but in his owne likenes: and that the likenes or jmage of god, which is Perfection, righteouſnes, and true holines, doth differ, and is cleane contrary to the likenes and jmage of ſinfull Adam, who when he began …heth his ſonne was of himſelf an imperfect, vnholy, vnrighteous man. If they cannot ſee this, then are they void of all knowledg of god And thus much wee leave for a remembrance to all thoſe that ſtand for freewill, that they may looke backe in whoſe jmage and likenes they are begotten and if their fathers begatt them in the jmage of God, then are they certenly perfect, …oly and righteous, and ſo have freewill: but if then … begatt them, in their owne jmage and likenes, as Adam begatt Sheth his ſonne, then let them with David cry out and confeſſe. Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in ſinne hath my mother conceived me. Pſal. 51.5. And if they confeſſe that they were borne in iniquitie & conceived in ſinne as the holie man David was, how doth the devill bewitch them to make them thinke, that they are perfect and have freewill.
For our ſelves wee confeſſe with. Th-appoſtle Rom. 7.18. wee knowe that mvs that is in our fleſh dwelleth no good thinge. And Chriſt hath taught vsus Io. 3.6. That which is borne of the fleſh is fleſh, and therefore muſt needs onelyonly do the workes of the fleſh: & that which is borne of the ſpirit is ſpirit, and therefore all that are borne of the fleſh muſt be borne againe, before they can be ſpirituall. And wee confeſſe with the ſame Appoſtle 1. Cor. 1.30. That wee are of God onelyonly in Chriſt Ieſus, who of god is made vntounto vsus, wiſedome and righteouſnes and ſanctification and redemption. & Eph. 2.8.9. By grace onelyonly are wee ſaved through faith, and that not of our ſelves but of the gift of god not of workes. Let it heere be obſerved that faith is a Created quallitie in man, as knowledg is, which being ſanctified by the ſpirit of grace, is knowledg to ſalvation, and faith to ſalvations: And therefore our ſaviour Chriſt ſheweing that knowledg is not ſufficient ſaith. Not the knowers of my will but the doers are juſtified. And the holy ghoſt (ſpeakeing of faith) ſaith. Faith without works is dead, ſheweing that the devills beleeve Iam. 2. And therefore faith is not a new gift, but it is Grace in Chriſt which Th-appoſtle ſaith in this place, is the gift of God whereby mens knowledg and faith are ſanctified to ſalvation, and ſo are ſaved by grace onelyonly, through faith ſanctified by that grace of god in Chriſt. And this grace of god, which is his merciemercy by Chriſt, hath god given to all: ffor that grace of God that bringeth ſalvation vntounto all men hath appeared Tit. 2.10. but all receive it not, as Pa…e and Barnabas teſtifie againſt the Iewes Act. 13.4…. …. Yee put from you the word of God and … yourſelves vnworthy of everlaſting life. And Stephen …ith to them Act. 7.51. Yee … the holy ghoſt. Now wee pray that the great … of ſuch as, by the d…ce… ▪ Sati… and … carried into theſe errors before ſpoken of, and wee knowe not into how manie … grevious & damnable, may not be a ſtumbling block to hinder a…e gracious …att from ſe… ching, ſeekeing after & …raccing … of god they hold. Let the bl…ed truth of god be never the l…ſ…e beloved & liked of, becauſe manie that pro…e… it hold fearefull errors, but rather embrace… and vſe all godly diligence to bring them out of their errors, if it be poſſible, leaſt they periſh in them, which is greath to be feared in manie of them.
THE END.
The Helvvys
End of the text · Thomas Helwys, Admonition Unto Congregations (1611)