Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 23
SECT. XXIII. Healing Principles and Conceſſions of the Synod of Dort, &c.
666. I Know not how to conclude this diſcourſe more ſuitably to my 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 judgement about theſe matters, and that in their own words. Remember ſtill that it is not ſome few that run further than the reſt (either Epiſcopius, Curcell…, &c. on one ſide, or Maccovius, Rutherford or Dr. Twiſſe, or Alvarez and other Predeterminants on the other ſide,) whoſe particular opinions I cannot undertake to reconcile: But only the generality of the Calviniſts who go no further than the Synod of Dort (which is my teſt of the party) and the moderate Arminians, Lutherans, and Jeſuits (in theſe points) on the other ſide. And let none reproach me for putting in the Jeſuites, for as I know that very few Calviniſts fly near ſo high for Predetermination as the Dominicans do; ſo I know that (though Arminius himſelf was a ſober man, and Epiſcopius is cryed up by ſome, as Volkelius and other Socinians are by others, as moſt clearly rational, yet) there is none of them all that equal in accurateneſs of ſearch and clearneſs of reaſon, either many of the ancient Schoolmen, or Suarez, Ruiz, Vaſquez, Albertinus, and many other latter School Jeſuits.
667. The firſt thing that I 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 diſſertations, Dr. Sam. Wards works; the Judgements of Davenant, Morton, Hall, to Dury about this: Biſhop Robert Abbots, and Biſhop Carltons works oft on the by: Biſhop Uſher of Redemption, &c. Mr. Fenn…r of wilful Impenitency, and Hidden Manna, Joh. Bergius for Reconcil. I… dov. Crocii Syntag. Conrad. Bergii Praxis Can. Junii Irenicon and of predeterm. Paraei Irenicon. Amyrald. Defenſ. doct. Calv. & Irenicon. Teſtard. de nat. & Grat. Hotton. de toler. Theſes Salmur. but above all Le Blanks Theſes, Voſſii Theſs. & Hiſtor. Pelag. Muſculi Loc. Commun. And the geral Irenicons, as all Durie's, Hall's Peacemaker and Pax terris, Burroughs Iren. Acontii ſtratagem. Satana (an excellent book) &c.
668. 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, but mention no other Reprobation but Gods not-electing, or paſſing by, ſome whom he found in ſin, and in the miſery in quam ſe ſuâ culpâ praecipitarunt, &c. and not giving them effectual grace of Converſion, but leaving them in their ſin. And can any doubt of this? or do any Jeſuits or Arminians deny it?
Where alſo they declare that God is no cauſe of mens ſin, but themſelves; And that the Children of the faithful are by Covenant ſo holy, that their ſalvation who dye in infancy is not to be doubted of: And that 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. II. About Chriſts death they ſay, 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, but periſh, is not through any defect or inſufficiency of Chriſts ſacrifice, but by their own fault. And that others believe is of undeſerved grace.
670. III. In the third and fourth Art. ſect. 8, 9. they ſay that the fault is not in Chriſt or the Goſpel, that many that are called are not converted and come not, nor in God that calleth them and giveth them many gifts, but in the called themſelves that receive not the word of life, &c. And that you may ſee that they hold a conditional will or decree not only of future but of non-future contingents, they ſay that [As many as are called by the Goſpel are ſeriouſly called, and God ſeriouſly and truly ſheweth by his word, what would be acceptable to him, viz. that the 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 opinions requireth.
671. And the confeſſion of Pet. Molinaeus received by the Synod, is worthy obſervation pag. 290, 291. where he ſaith [Sin is the Meritorious Cauſe of Deſtination to puniſhment] And [Though natural corruption be cauſe ſufficient for Reprobation (as we kill new ſpawned Not only of puniſhment it ſelf.Serpents before they hurt any) yet there is no doubt but that for what cauſe God damneth men, for the ſame he decreed to damn them: But he damneth reprobates for ſins committed; For they ſuffer in hell not only for original ſin, but for all actual ſins; whence is the inequality of puniſhment: Therefore God Decreed to damn them for the ſame ſins: For nothing hindereth but that God who conſidereth men in natural corruption and pravity may conſider them alſo polluted in the actual ſins which they will thence commit. And among the ſins for which any one is Deſtinated to puniſhment no doubt, is unbelief and rejection of the Goſpel—No reaſon ſuffereth, that he ſhould be Reprobated for rejecting of the Goſpel—to whom the Goſpel was never revealed—That God deſtinated any to eternal puniſhment, without conſideration of impenitence and unbelief, we neither ſay nor think—And though God predeſtinate the Elect to faith, he doth not predeſtinate the Reprobate to unbelief; For we muſt diſtinguiſh the media which God findeth in men, from thoſe which he maketh. He findeth in men unbelief the means of damnation: But faith he findeth not, but maketh. Therefore he predeſtinateth to faith, but not to unbelief: For he predeſtinateth but to that which he decreed to make. Laſtly, Impenitence in order goeth before Reprobation; but faith is after Election as being its effect—] Is not here enough to reconcile?
And next of Chriſts death he ſaith that [It is abundantly ſufficient 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 and unbelief.]
672. And pag. 295. he ſaith that Arminius holdeth irreſiſtible grace, and that the Elect are drawn of God by effectual grace, whoſe effect is moſt certain and infallible (by Congruity.)—
673. The Brittiſh Divines in their Suffrage ſay that [Pag. 11. Th. 1. Expl. God in the decree of Election prepareth Glory, and effectual Rom. 9. 11. 15. 21▪ Joh. 10. 26. Rom. 6. 21.grace, intending that it ſhall be effectual: This he doth not for the Reprobate; and beſides this negation, they know no act of Reprobation, as oppoſite to Election.]
And they ſay that [the Goſpel and grace, are denyed to none but the unworthy (ſinners,) And that God damneth none, nor deſtinateth none to damnation, but out of the conſideration of ſin.]
674. The Haſſian Divines ibid. Par. 2. pag. 34. ſay [The juſt Judge (God) doth not for one cauſe Decree to puniſh; and for another execute it on the guilty, but both have the ſame cauſe: that is, both original and actual ſin.]—
675. The Helvetian Divines there ſay, p. 37. §. 12. [Which is the Order and Number of Gods Decrees, ſeeing Gods thoughts and wayes are not as ours, and none of us are of his Council, we leave to Him alone whoſe underſtanding is infinite.]
676. The Embdan Divines ibid. p. 75. ſay [No one is predeſtinated by God to ſin] which they there prove.
677. On the ſecond Art. the Brittiſh Divines ſay (p. 78.) [God having Act. 10. 43. Rom. 3. 24, 25. Ma…k 16. 15, 16.mercy on faln mankind, ſent his Son, who gave himſelf a price of Rede… ption, for the ſins of the whole world.
Theſ. 4. In this Merit of Chriſts death is founded the Univerſal Goſpel Promiſe—
Th. 5. In the Church, where for this Goſpel-promiſe ſalvation is offered Iſa. 59. ult. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Tit. 2. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Luk. 10. 9, 11. Joh. 15. 22. Heb. 2. 3. & 4. 3. & 6. 4. Mat. 10. 15.to all, there is that adminiſtration of Grace, which is enough to convince all the impenitent and unbelieving, that they periſh and …o…e the 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 Theſes of ſpecial Redemption, and ſeventeen Errours rejected, ſo ſound, ſo full, ſo accurate, that I know not whither to referr the Reader to ſee the whole controverſie 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 ſence have Iſelburge and Lud. Crocius adjoyned the… ſuffrages, the laſt being both brief and full.
680. The ſame Breme Divines ſay no more of Reprobation but theſe three Theſ. 1. That there is a Decree of preterition as to ſpecial ſaving Rom. 9. 12, 19, &c. Mat. 7. 21. Deut. 4. 34.grace. 2. That none are condemned but juſtly, for their ſins. 3. That others as unworthy are converted in Mercy: And if others had ſaid no more of this, it had been never the worſe.
And of Infants they ſay [Of only Believers Infants, who dye before they are capable of doctrine, we determine that they are beloved of God, P…tavius chideth Gerſon, Biel, Cajetan, Catherinus for their found opinion of Infants ſalvation without Baptiſm.and ſaved, as holy by Covenant-relation: which Baptiſm is a Confirmation of—]