Defense of the Synod of Dort, Chapter 2 · Defense 5 – Adversary 6
DEFENCE.
I Answer, that the persons of whom those Scriptures speak, were the peculiar people of God, and not yet wholly cast off by him. The argument therefore from Gods will and work for the saving of them, is stretched beyond its reach, to prove such purpose, will or work of God to save all which are not his people, as they were. Secondly, I grant, that where the Gospell is preached, there the Lord truely wills, that is, commands the conversion of sinners, and their turning from iniquity, as the text hath …t; approving and rewarding the same with salvation, in them, in whom it is found, as it is ordinarily in some of them to whom the Gospell is preached; and so was in some of the persons to whom the men of God spake in those places; who before were elect of God, and redeemed of Christ, and were in their time effectually called to that grace, whatsoever before they had done, or been. Now the Apostles not knowing which in particular were elect, and redeemed in the secret purpose of God, and Christ, were to sow the seed of grace upon all grounds, and to preach to all indifferently, as they had occasion; hoping in charity that this, and that, and any one particular, might be of the elect vessels, and good ground in Gods destination: by whose preaching such as were preordained to life, beleeved actually. The LordAct. 13. 48 Act. 18. 10 tels Paul, abiding in Corinth, that he had much people in that Citie, and that therefore he should speak the word there, and not hold his peace. He sayth not, as they would have him, that all in that Citie were his people in that sense, but much, or many. Now Paul not knowing which were they, which not, preacheth1. Cor. 3. 6. 7. Chap. 6. 20. indifferently to all; and the Lord by giving an increase to his preaching, shews in time which of them were bought with the price of Christs blood: they becomming members of Christ▪ and joyned to the Losd; which he notes as singular privileges of the elect from eternity, aboue others. And in this I hauehave been something the longer, because being well noted and applyed, it may serve for answer to all the Scriptures brought by them for the establishing of their universall grace ftom the preaching of the Gospell, though it were as universall as they erroneously make it.
More particularly, to their first proof from the similitude of Pag. 46.marriage, Math. 22. I answer, that it makes nothing for them either in drift, or words. The drift of the parable is not to shew that all and each person in the world are called, but that few of them that are called, doe rightly obey. Neither sayth Christ, that all are called, but many. I add, that this place by rebound utterly overthrowes them: as shewing plainly, that the Gentiles (as the latter guests) were not called, till the Iews (the first guests) refused to come. Many thousands therefore of them in former ages, lived and died being uncalled by the Gospell. The places, Math. 28. and Mark. 16. speak also of the time after Christs ascension, and not before, and so overthrow an universall calling of all, at all times: God shewed his word to Iakob; but dealt not so with any other nation. Besides, theirPsa. 147. 19 …0. meaning is not, that the Apostles should preach to every particular person in the world: for that neither could they possibly doe, ne…ther can they be imagined, without madnesse, to have done it, but to shew, that as God had formerly by the Prophets taught that one nation of the Iewes; so now hee would have all other nations taught, as there was opportunity and occasion. By that Rom. 10. 18. the Apostle means not, that the Gospell was preached in all ages to every person in the world. He quotes Psal. 19. which speakes apparently of the creatures preaching, specially the heavens and firmament, which the Holy Ghost here applieth to the Apostles preaching in their age, either by way of argument, or allusion. And yet even this very Apostle in this Epistle, shews that then there were places, where Christ was not named, nor spoken of, andRom. 15. 20. 21. wheremen had not heard of him.
To the other places brought, the former answers suffice. Where it is sayd, the Gospel is now preached to all nations, and through the whole world, ▪ and to every creature, and the like, first, the note of distinction now, is to be minded, intimating, that before now the Gospel was not preached to nations, but to that one nation of the Iewes onelyonly. Secondly we are not to imagine, that by all nations, and the like, is meant every particular nation without exception, much lesse, every particular person in every nation, but to take the words as indefinitely spoken (as opposed to the preaching to that one nation) as there was occasion for the Apostles or other reachers to come unto them. Where it is sayd, Act. 2. 5. that there were dwelling in Ierusalem devout men out of every nation under heaven, shall we imagine that there must needs be English and Irish, and Iappanians there? The particular enumeration of many, v. 9. 10. 11. shewes what is meant by all. When the Iewes of▪ Asia, Act. 21. 28. accused Paul to teach all men every where against the people, and Law, and holy place, shall we be so senselesse as to think their meaning to have been, that he so taught every particular person in the world? What is it, if this be not, for the unlearned and unstable to pervert the Scriptures to their own destruction?
Lastly, their passionate out-cry against our doctrine, as blasphemy, and as making God to dissemble in all these his sayings, as having left the greatest number in sin, without reconciliation, because Pag. 46. 47▪he would have them damned, is to be taken as a fit of their raving, by reason of that spiritual burning feaver which possesseth and distempereth their hearts, and brains, and whole man. We doe not say that God doth any thing at all either tending to, or in the condemnation of men, because he would have them damned, but that he performs all his most just, though fearfull works about Reprobates, to shew his wrath, and make his power known against sin and sinners to the gloryRom. 9. 22. of his Iustice, in their deserved condemnation. Which his unsearchable iudgements and works, we do not furiously oppugne, as these their, and our adversaries doe, but admire with fear and trembling, as we are taught by the Apostles exclamation, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, Rom. 11. 33▪how unsearchable are his iudgments, and his wayes past finding outs And what if the holy & iust God had left all men universally (as having defaced his image in which they were at first created & made) without any means or hope of remedy, as he did the 2. Pet. 2. 4. Iude 6.Angels that sinned, had it been any more then justice in him so to have done? And will these male-parts then sue him at the law, if he have held that course of justice towards some, which was due to all? Will they make the grace of the Gospell a debt from God to men, or a matter of meer grace, and merciemercy? Is it not of meer merciemercy that he calls any to life? and but just if he leave all to themselves, and their own affected ignorances and lusts? We doe not then impute either dissimulation or cruelty to God in any thing which he sayth or doth▪ but deny him to say or do as they dream.
VponUpon the objection here framed in our name, that there are many which never heard of Christ, we doe not demand as they fondly make us, how then the Scriptures (cited by them) are verified? Pag. 47.but doe affirme that the same Scriptures are by them perverted against their right meaning. But now, how do they satisfie this objection put into our hands by the Apostle himselfe, Rom. 15. 20. Do they set themselves, as is meet, to a plain and direct answer? Nothing lesse. But as a crafty guide meaning to deceive his inexpert passenger, leads him by many turnings, and the same perplexed, and hard to find, in which he may easily loose his aym: so doe these deceivers here, and in many other places, in stead of giving a direct answer, fetch compasse about, by bringing in by-things, some true, some false, none pertinent, in which the weaker sort of Readers cannot but loose themselves, and forget the force of the Argument brought. And by this means they rather escape ArgumentsPag. 47. 48▪ 49. &c. then answer them.
The discourse about the Law, into which they here wander, may be admitted; onelyonly one particular greatly weighty in it selfe, and as greatly by them mistaken, excepted.
ADVERSARIES.
Adams posterity, as they came to understanding, had a law. And again, the law is given to a man when he comes to understanding, and when his conscience gives him peace by keeping it, and war for breaking it, and not till then: which qualities (say they) are not in babes: for they discern not earthly things, and how then should they discern heavenly, &c. seeing there must be a conscience, unto which the Law is given, which infants hauehave not.