Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 5
SECT. V. Of the Gift and Works of the Holy Ghost.
72. There are three ſorts of Operations of the Holy Ghoſt, one common, and two proper to them that ſhall have, or already have Juſtification.
1. The firſt is preparing common Grace, which maketh men fitter for ſpecial Grace, which yet they may have that periſh.
2. The ſecond is that Grace of the Spirit by which we perform the The Thomiſts make the act of contrition and chari…y to be the ulti…ate diſpoſition to Juſtification, which is with them the habit: And yet they ſay, that it floweth from that habit; And if the diſtinction of Alva…ez Diſp. de Aux 59. p. 264. & poſſim be not contradiction, I underſtand it not, [Eadem contritio quae eſt ultima diſpoſitio ad gratiam, & in genere cauſae materialis antecedit illam, in genere tamen cauſae formalis & efficientis, eſt effectus ejuſdem gratiae.] Though that which is the effect of one act of Gods Love, be the Object of another act.firſt Act of ſpecial Faith and Repentance, called commonly by Divine… Vocation, which goeth before any ſpecial habit; but not before any holy ſeed; Becauſe the very influx of the Spirit on the Soul is as a ſeed, which exciteth the firſt act before a habit, though not ordinarily before ſome preparations. This Faith is commanded us as our duty firſt, and made neceſſary to us, as the Condition of the Covenant; And when we know it to be thus required of us, and hear in the Goſpel the Reaſons which ſhould perfwade us, then the Holy Spirit moveth us by his Influx to believe and conſent, where God and man are conjunct Agents; but man ſubordinate to God.
3. The third ſort is the Spirits Operation of the habit of Divine Love, and all other Graces in the Soul, which is called his In-dwelling, and Sanctification; This is that Gift of the Spirit (beſides Miracles of old) which is promiſed to Believers: To this, Faith is the Condition: To this, upon believing it is that we have Right given us by Gods Covenant; and thus it is that by Baptiſm our right to the Spirit, as an in-dwelling Sanctifier and Comforter is given us.
73. This third Gift or Work of the Spirit eminently ſo called, is in the ſame 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; 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 puniſhment for Sin; However God is free herein, and if he pleaſe may give more even to them that forfeit it.
76. This Covenant of Grace, being a conditional pardon of all the world, The extent of the New Covenant.is univerſal in the tenor or ſenſe of it; It is of all Mankind without exception that Chriſt ſaith, If thou confeſs with thy mouth, and believe i… thy heart, thou ſhalt be ſaved: No perſon antecedently is excluded in the world.
77. And as to the promulgation of it, Chriſt hath commiſſioned his Miniſters to preach this Goſpel to all the world, and to every Creature: So Matth. 28. 19, 20. Mark 16. 15, 16.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 deprived of it, penally for that rejection.
79. Thoſe Nations that live inhuma…ely 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 commonly ſhew, and hath proclaimed it as his Name, Exod. 34. and put it in Tables of 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…el, 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 Covenant The ſtate of thoſe that have not the Goſpel.of Grace in the laſt Edition, are left by Chriſt in as good a ſtate …at least, if not better) than he found them at his Incarnation. He took …way no mercy from them, which they had.
82. Therefore, as it is before proved that before Chriſt's time, none Of Zuingliu's Opinion of the Salvation of Heathens by name, Hercules, Theſeus, Socrates, Ariſtides, Antigonus, Numa, Camilli, Caton…s, Scipiones, &c. Vid. Monta…ut. exercit. Eccleſ. 1. Sect. 4. & Twiſſum contra Corvinum, pag. 371. col. 1. Omnium temporum una eſt fides; Deum eſſe, eundem que & Juſtum, & Bonum, & Remuneratorem ſperantium in ſe; omnium plene meritis reſpondentem, ante legem, ſub lege, ſub gratia: Nemini rectum ſapienti venit iſtud in dubium: ſine iſta nemo unquam ingreſſus eſt ad ſalutem. Rob. Sarisberienſ. Polycrat. de nugis curial. Pol. Peucer Hiſt. Carcerum againſt the Lutherans Concord ſaith, p. 715. Etſi nec ad Ethnicos ante natum Chriſtum nec ad Judaeos poſt natum Chriſtum miſit ſingulares miniſtros: ſonuit tamen v…x doctrinae de Deo patefactae utro que tempore: Hoc modo & adhuc ſonat, ut exaudiatur nunc etiam a Turcis & Judaeis: Nec fuerunt unquam excluſi prorſus a gratia & miſerecordia Dei ante Chriſtum Ethnici: E quibus innumeri ex omnibus gentibus fuerunt ad Deum converſi: Poſt Chriſtum natum Judaei: Panciores ex his tamen.of the world were left deſperate, under the meer violated Covenant of …nnocency, but that the tenor of that New Covenant, as made to Adam …nd Noah, extended to them all, ſo are they ſtill under all the Grace of …hat Edition of the Covenant, further than they are penally deprived of … for violating it. The Law of Grace in that firſt Edition is ſtill in force, …nd the Law by which the world ſhall be governed and judged; They …re all Poſſeſſors of Mercy which leadeth to Repentance, and bound to uſe …he means afforded them in order to Repentance and Salvation, and it is …heir ſin that they do not: For which it is ultimately that they are con…emned. Though wickedneſs harden men againſt the Law of Grace, …hat changeth not Gods Law to them, but brings them under the penalty. Not that any are bound to expect a Chriſt to come, but to perform the …ommon Conditions of that Covenant before deſcribed.
83. Therefore no man is now condemned for Original Sin alone; Though it is pardoned to no man, till he perform the condition of it, in …he pardoning Covenant. For God having brought all men under terms …f mercy tending to recovery, they ſhall be judged as they uſe that reco…ering mercy, according to that Law of Grace which they are under, …hether of the firſt or laſt Edition.
84. The exception which ſome make of Infants is vain: Becauſe as …ar as God hath revealed his mind about them to us, he eſteemeth them …nd uſeth them as parts of their Parents and Owners, and if he condemn …hem, it is not for Adam's ſin only, but alſo ultimately for their Parents …ejection of recovering Grace, and not devoting them to God in his Cove…ant. And though God will not condemn the Children for the Parents …in; that is, when they themſelves repent and turn to God. But the Scrip…ure is moſt plain and frequent in expreſſing our guilt of our nearer Pa…ents ſins againſt Grace, which is a part of our Original Sin: and ought …ot to be ſo ſlighted as uſually it is. However, 1. It is an incredible …pinion, That God ſhould rule and judge all the reſt of the world by a …aw of Grace, and leave only poor Infants without any mercy, under the …eer Law of Innocency, and judge them only by another Law, than he …oth all the world. 2. And it is the trick of a Deceiver to argue ab …gnotiore, and carry his Cauſe into the dark. And Infants Caſe is left to …s in Scripture much darker than that of the adult.
85. Therefore it ſeemeth plain to me, that though Chriſt's Church be …ow incomparably happier than the Jewiſh Church was, (in magnitude, …ight, 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 Jewiſh Church excelled them; Yet the reſt of the world ſtand now in much like relation to God and the Chriſtian Church, as before Chriſt's …ncarnation they did to God and the Jewiſh Church, who were his pecu…iar (but not his only) people; the foedus peculiaritatis was theirs only; but not foedus gratiae: So are we much more, as a holy Nation, a royal Prieſt…ood 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 …he negative.
85. But certainly in no Nation under Heaven, there is no coming … God, or pleaſing him without Faith; nor ſeeing him without Holineſs▪ nor any Name given under Heaven by which men can be ſaved, but by Chriſt; Heb. 11. 5, 6. Heb. 12. 14. Act. 4. 1…. Rom. 8. 9. Joh. 14. 6. 1 Joh. 5. 10, 11, 12.nor any Sanctification but by Chriſt's Spirit; nor any coming to the Fath… but by the Son; nor any Pardon and Life but by a Covenant of Grace, … by the Merits and Purchaſe of Christ. But how far he giveth this S… and Grace where he is not known himſelf as 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 Goſpel, than of Believers and Unbelievers (privative, *I deſire the Reader to peruſe Ga…aker's Preface to Antoninus of the Stoicks.that hear it) becauſe it leſs concerneth us to know it, and to be buſie in judging the Servants of another, yet in this point are mens confide… and oppoſition moſt vehement. On one ſide ſome ſay, [Before I would believe that God hath ſhut all the millions of the Earth, fro… Adam's days till now, ſave a few Jews and Chriſtians, out of all poſſibility of Salvation, ſo that they are left as the Devils without he… hope or means, and periſh Infants and all meerly becauſe God wi… have it ſo, and that in everlaſting fire; I will eaſilier believe that the Goſpel is not true, as having leſs of Natures light to condemn me, th… for receiving ſuch thoughts of the infinitely Good and merci… 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 the… 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 Orthodo…, will preſently without impartial conſideration, or friendly debate, … giſterially paſs their judgment among thoſe that reverence them, and backbite thoſe that they cannot confute, and ſay, [Such a man holdeth dangerous Opinions, that Infidels may be ſaved,] and it's like falſly repreſent my words. When yet the ſame men perhaps will maintain that all the Elect are justified before they believe, and ſo that Infidels, even privative, are juſtified, ſo they be but elect: And this ſeemeth to them no injury to Chriſt: ſo powerful is prejudice, and pride, a… partiality.
87. The queſtion whether any beſides Chriſtians are put into a poſſib… lity of Salvation is eaſily and certainly reſolved in the affirmative from Subit me certe ſubinde (ita iſta dum lego, affectum me ſentio, & ingenue agnoſco) non ſtupor duntaxat, ſed horror etiam, cum arcani Divini admiratione v…hementiſſima conjunctus, ſerio apud me reputantem, quam longe in multis ab …o abſim quod de ſe vir iſte, veri ad ſalutem perduc…ntis tramitis ignarus, de ſe profitetur, nec quin vere & ingenuem, ambigi poſſe videtur: ut proinde & Marco & Epict… tin… aſſurgens Hymnum illius vel maxi…o majorem & praſtantiorem decantare jugiter debeam—Gataker Proloq. … Antoninum. Read the multitude of Teſtimonies of the Virtues of Antonine, collected by Gataker poſt opera. Fuit Marcus Antoninus, vir omnium …irtutum & ſanctitate vitae praecipuus, coeleſtiſ que ingenii. S… baſt. Munſter. Coſmogr. li …. Bonitatis ac ſapientiae numine ab omnibus dum viveret in ea aeſtimatione bonore que habitus, qua nemo unquam vel a…te ipſ…, … quod n…vi…us poſt i…ſum fuerit.—Nunquam ita conſpirarunt ſcriptores, in tribuendo cuiquam quaecun que p…terant bo…itatis, inte… tis, innocentiae, cujuſvis den… que tituli apud …thnicos ſpecioſiſſ…mi teſtimonia: Celebrant illum non tantum ut principe… opti…, … ſimpliciter & abſolute ut …ominem optimum & philoſophum optimum omnium qui u…quam extiterunt. Eſt que hoc ipſ…us peculia…e e…co… quod ita pr…dicetur, citra exceptionem …llam praedicatur. Mer. Cauſabon. Praef. in Verſ. Angl. ut citat. per Gataker.what is ſaid: But the queſtion whether any or how many are actua…y ſaved, doth depend on the reſolution of the queſtion, whether any of them are truly ſanctified, that is, [do truly love God and Holineſs, ab… the Pleaſures, Profits and Honours of this world.] For nothing is mo… certain in Gods Word, than that all that do ſo ſhall be ſaved: For a … to live in Hell with the predominant love of God, is as great a contradiction, as for a man to be ſick in health, and both in the greater degree. God cannot damn or forſake a Soul that loveth him and is holy, (in ſenſu compoſito.)
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 fact, upon that heartknowledge of other men) which belongeth to God only. 1. How can I that live in an obſcure corner of England, know whether any love God in Siam, China, Japon, or 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 ſhall be judged by, and ſo that their Sanctification and Salvation is poſſible; 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 underſtandings as their own, but must be ſo to all true Chriſtians, do but diſcover 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 numbred with thoſe that by over-doing, do dangerouſly undermine the Chriſtian Faith.
90. The Texts urged by them for this pretended certainty, are all abuſed ſome of theſe ways: 1. Either ſome one difficult Text is expounded contrary to the current of the whole Scripture. 2. Or the words that are ſpoken only of privative Unbelievers who hear the Goſpel, 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 ſuperadded ſince Chriſt's Incarnation in ſpecial; As if all the Apoſtles before they believed Christ's Sacrifice, Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, &c. were Infidels in a ſtate of damnation. 4. Or elſe they ſuppoſe (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 diſcernable.
91. Were it not evident in Scripture, that the world is under the Law of Grace as the norma officii & judicii, (as it is) yet could no man truly ſay that he is certain, that no one of them ſhould be ſaved. For if they were all under the Law of Innocency, yet there is this great difference between it, and the Law 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 remiſſible, and it did not paſs a peremptory ſentence of diſpair. Though it gave no hope of Pardon, yet it took not away the hopes of it: that is, It had a threatening-diſpenſable: (as Dr. Twiſſe and many other ſay, Without a Saviour had God ſo pleaſed; And as others ſay, Through the virtue of Chriſt'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 ſay, that they are certain that he never will do it, unleſs he had firſt ſaid ſo himſelf.
92. If in all Humane Judgments Nature dictateth that in doubtful caſes, the Judge ſhould rather propend to the better interpretation, and favourable Judgment; why ſhould it not be ſo in our judgment of God and man? The Nature of God is infinitely good; He hath proclaimed 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, … rather that he repent and live: and ſo that he firſt ſeeketh the Glory of his Mercy; 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; An inconſiderable point or ſpot of the Earth, as to its magnitude. 2. That moſt of the worlds duration in likelihood was over (as Biſhop Uſher reckons, 4000 years) before Chriſt's death, and the ſecond Edition of the Covenant. So that if none but Jews were ☞ſaved all that while, the number was comparatively next to none. 3. That no man that I know of hath preſumed to ſay, that before Moſes time, none but the Seed of Abraham were ſaved. 4. That the Covenant 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 Iſhmael, of 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 Subjects, 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, if 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 Jewiſh and the Chriſtian Church, ſeemeth not very deſirable either as to the Glory of the good and gracious God, nor as to the good of Mankind; 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 aſketh 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 bigneſs 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 ſaw Chriſt's day and rejoy…ed?
93. It is a certain truth, that as God the Creator, ſo Christ the Redeemer doth extend his mercy farther than he himſelf is known: And as the S… ſendeth ſome light to the world before it riſeth and is ſeen it ſelf, ſo doth 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 Apoſtles 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.