Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 24 – Title page 3

Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable · Section 24 – Title page 3

p. 127SECT. XXIV. On the other ſide.

681. ON the other ſide read but Suarez and Ruiz to ſave me tranſcribing, and ſee what they grant (beſides that Ariminenſ. and many old Schoolmen go as far as the Synodiſts, as the Dominicans do much further.) Petr. à S. Joſeph. Suav. Concord. writing for Scientia Media, ſummeth up the difference between them and the Thomiſts (that is, the Arminians and Calviniſts) ſo briefly as is worth the reading: In which he granteth,

1. [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 [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 of reprobation.]

2. He granteth that [the Decree of Predeſtination is certain and immovable in three reſpects: 1. In that juſt ſo many ſhall certainly be ſaved as God hath predeſtinated. 2. In that the ſame ſpecies of men ſhall be ſaved whom God predeſtinated to glory: ſo that both materially and formally, the number of the predeſtinate is certain. 3. In that by the force of Predeſtination, anteceding all Merits **That is, Rewardable act… of man., yea, and Cauſing them, God giveth to the predeſtinate, effectual helps of grace, by which they ſhall infallibly come to glory.]

And is not here a fair conceſſion for peace? And muſt not the remain…ing differences be only 1. About words, 2. Or unſearchable Orders of Gods Decrees and Modes of operation? Read him further, and ſee.

682. Dion. Petavius the Jeſuite is too large to tranſcribe. Vol. 1. Theol. Dogm. lib. 9. of Predeſtination is worth the reading; eſpecially to know what the Fathers held of Gods Decrees, who generally agreed, that God Which he largely ſheweth in their own words; better than any that ever I ſaw, and may ſave the Reader much labour in the inveſtigation of the ſenſe of the Antients herein.decreed none to Hell, but upon foreſight of their own ſin. Though he himſelf doth furiouſly rail at Calvin, and Amyraldus, yet he ſo far acquitteth all other Calviniſts ſave Beza and Piſcator, and a few that he calleth meer fools, that he ſaith, They have all forſaken his opinion, and inſtanceth in the whole Synod of Dort, who he ſaith deſert him. And he profeſſeth that Auguſtines judgement may ſafely be held, which is it indeed, that thoſe now called Calviniſts own, except in the point of perſeverance. See his lib. 10. c. 1. & 9, 10, 11.

But what a plague, livor and faction is to the Church and the owners ſouls, let but theſe ugly words of his be witneſs, lib. 10. cap. 14. p. 728. [Calvinus nocentem nullum, innocentes omnes damnari ſtatuit] When …e had made Amyrald an impudent lyer, for proving Calvin to think otherwiſe. O take heed of the ſpirit of a Sect.

683. Suarez de Auxil. l. 3. cap. 6. about ſufficient and effectual grace, See Zumel reciting the opinions of Molina, Bellarmine and Suarez de Gratia efficaci, Part …. pag. 50, 51, &c.(into which all the other controverſies fall,) confeſſeth that [Sufficient grace is that quod ſatis eſt ad efficiendum ſupernaturalem actum, quod tamen non facit, non ex inſufficientia auxilii, ſed ex libertate Voluntatis: But effectual grace is called ſuch not only ab eventu & effectu, ſed etiam quia vires praebet efficaciſſimas Voluntati, & ſingularem vim habet ad p. 128agendum.] And is here no ground for Chriſtian Concord in this point?

But of this ſubject, I muſt ſpeak more particularly in the Third Part.

684. Bellarmine himſelf hath enough I think to convince any man, I am told to my face that our Doctrine of Abſolute Reprobation we have learned from the Papiſts; Another profeſſeth that the Jeſuits ten of them for one favour the abſolute irreſpective decree, follow herein, as they think S. Auſtin, but eſpecially their S. Thomas and Scotus, with all the rabble of rotten Schoolmen, and the whole tribe at this day of the Dominicans, who are buſie Zealots for the Cauſe, of whoſe conſent ſome among us are not aſhamed to brag. Twiſſe againſt Hoard li. 1. pag. 85. This reporter maketh us at one with Jeſuites and Dominicans. And yet may we not be ſo with Proteſtants?that he muſt have a ſubtile contentious wit, that can find any great intolerable difference herein between him and the Synod of Dort: (I Write not for them that will revile Gods truth, if Bellarmine do but own it.) De Grat. & lib. arb. li. 2. cap. 9. this is his propoſition [Though a Grace ſufficient be given to all, yet no reaſon from us (or our part) can be given of Gods predeſtination,—By which we exclude not only Merits properly ſo called, but alſo the good uſe of free-will, o… grace, or both as foreſeen of God, though it be not called Merit, but de congruo, and though it be not called a Cauſe, but a Condition … qua non praedeſtinaretur.] (And what elſe would you have excluded?) And he goeth on in divers Chapters at large to prove from Scriptures, Auguſtine, Tradition, Reaſon, that there is no foreſeen Cauſe or Condition of predeſtination in our ſelves.

685. And I deſire the Reader to note his Order of the Decrees (for they muſt all be medling with the Order of Gods inward acts▪ But he doth i… moſt briefly and plainly thus) ib. cap. 9.

[According to our mode of underſtanding, this ſeemeth to be the Order of Predeſtination in Gods mind: 1. God foreſeeth that if he make man he will fall with all his poſterity; And withal he ſeeth th… he can deliver all or ſome as he pleaſe. 2. He decreeth (or willeth) 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 perdition. 3. He contrived apt remedies for the ſaving of the elect: I… which the incarnation and paſſion of our Saviour hath the firſt place▪ 4. He approved thoſe remedies, and then choſe Chriſt and us in him, before the Conſtitution of the World. 5. He diſpoſed, ordained, and in a ſort 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? For he mentioneth no giving of Chriſt, or any remedy at all to any but the Elect, nor carrying the reſt any further tha… the common maſs of perdition, before they be forſaken; contrary to what Martinius, Crocius, Molinaeus, the Brittiſh Divines, and others delivered to or in that Synod: And indeed it is unſound.

686. If you ſay, that he begins with a Scientia Conditionalis. I anſwer, It's no more than what all ſober men 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, [If I ſo make man, he will fall.] If this was quid intelligibile, no doubt but God knew it. But de ordine & de nomine, 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 acts▪ (ſaith he) the firſt is of the underſtanding, the ſecond of the will, the third of the underſtanding, the fourth of the will, and the fifth of the underſtanding; and in that laſt the eſſence of predeſtination eſpecially conſiſteth.]

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 oppoſeth them p. 129and copiouſly laboureth to prove that election to glory is abſolute without any foreſeen condition in us, as well as that to grace: Though without ſomething in us, we have not a Right to glory: Even (ſaith he) as if a Phyſicion were ſure that by ſuch a Medicine he can cure a man, and ſo reſolveth to give it him, the Medicine is the Cauſe that he is cured, but not that it was aſcertained by the decree of the Phyſicion before.

689. And c. 15. ad obj. 2. he proveth Gods certain foreknowledge …erein, becauſe [Though all have pro loco & tempore ſufficient grace to be converted if they will, yet indeed no man is converted, and no man perſevereth, but he that hath the ſpecial gift of Repentance and Perſeverance, which is not given to all, but to thoſe only for whom God decreed it.]

689. And to them that ſay, the Elect can refuſe grace, he anſwereth …hat [They can indeed; but it's certain that they will not; becauſe God will call them ſo as he ſeeth ſo congruous, that they may not refuſe his call: For thus true grace is refuſed by no hard heart, becauſe it is given with a purpoſe to mollifie it. And there is no danger leſt God ſhould want skill or arguments, to perſwade any man to what he pleaſe.]

690. And indeed before de Gratia efficaci li. 1. cap. 12. he tells us, that …here are three opinions wherein the efficacy of grace conſiſteth: The firſt is, that it is called effectual only from the event, through mans con…ent: which he diſproveth. The ſecond, that it is only efficacious by neceſſitating phyſical predetermination, which he thinks to be an error on …he other extream: And the third which he defendeth is [that it is efficacious by Gods will that it ſhall be ſo, and by the Congruity or moral …ptitude of inward and outward perſwaſions 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…elling and bitter cenſures in this point?**When even Bradwardin… holdeth, that Gods Volition of mans act alone (which Bellarmine includeth) is the effectual unreſiſtible Grace … parte Dei operantis.

691. Lib. 2. cap. 16. he maketh two acts of Reprobation the very ſame that almoſt all the ſuffrages in the Synod of Dort aſſign, and the ſame doctrine that Davenant, and the Synod deliver. His firſt act of Reprobation is Negative, the ſecond Poſitive; [1. Non habet Voluntatem eos ſalvandi, 2. Habet Voluntatem eos damnandi:] And as to the firſt, [Nulla datur ejus cauſa ex parte hominum, ſieut neque praedeſtinationis: Poſterioris cauſa eſt praeviſio peccati.] They are unmerciful contenders that this much Reprobation will not ſatisfie.

692. He proveth as the Calviniſts do, [that it was not ſo much as for original ſin foreſeen, that God is ſaid to hate Eſau; becauſe then he would have hated Jacob alſo: but it muſt be referred to the …eer will of God, that one was loved to ſalvation, and the other ſo hated as not to be ſaved.] Juſt as the Synod of Dort ſaith.

693. Franciſc. à Sancta Clara, alias Davenport, a Learned Scotiſt in his Deus, Nat. Grat. Probl. 1. pag. 3. deſcribing Predeſtination out of Auguſtine, Arriba, Scotus, Suarez, &c. ſaith [And with all theſe agreeth the deſcription of Predeſtination Art. 17. of the Engliſh Confeſſion.]

694. And Probl. 2. of the Cauſes of Predeſtination he noteth that [We mean not the Cauſes of Gods will, ex parte actus volendi, ſed ex parte volit…rum, in quantum Deus vult unum eſſe propter aliud.] And on that ſuppoſition how eaſie is it to agree?

695. But he addeth [If you had rather ſay as Suarez 1. p. l. 2. de praed. c. 1. that alſo ex parte actus divini (there is a Cauſe,) it muſt p. 130be, not as Gods act is abſolutely conſidered, for ſo it is his eſſence that hath no cauſe; but as terminated on the Creature.]

696. Pag. 7. he himſelf profeſſeth, that when the Proteſtants ſay that [on the part of the Predeſtinate there is not ſo much as any merito… ous Cauſe, Diſpoſition or Condition, they ſpeak but the common opinion of all the School Doctors, taking it properly and in Scripture ſen…e.And what Montague and the Arminians ſpeak of foreſight, he diſowneth, as contrary to Paul, Auguſt. Aquin. 1. p. q. 23. a. 5, &c. Scotus, Bradwardine, Eſtius, Smiſings,—Yea, he rejecteth Abbot Joachim who 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 unprepared] pag. 5, 6.

697. Yea (ordering Gods Decrees after the uſual preſumption) be Ruiz de Praedefin. tr. 2. diſp. 6. ſect. 2. p. 86, 87. Deus pro ſuo beneplacito decrevit ab aeterno efficaciter cauſare liberas operationes honeſtas prius ratione quam illas praevideret ut abſolute futuras—Unde infallibiliter ſequitur liberi arbitrii operatio (neceſſitate conſequentiae:) Pag. 87. 1. Scriptura fidem, ſanctitatem & quodlibet diſcrimen ſanctorum à reprobis, reducit ad electionem gratuitam: 2. Ex vi ſortis, &c. 3. Divina electio abſque meritis eſt cauſa quae diſcernit juſtos ab impiis. Quamvis (n) liberum arbitrium ſit ſecundaria cauſa ſ…ipſum diſcernens, qua potuit reſiſtere vel conſentire—Haec tamen liberi arbitrii cooperatio revocatur in Deum ut in primariam cauſam ſuaviter praedefinientem. E… Tr. 3. d. 18. ſect. 3. p. 222. Ea merita nihil obſun… quidditati gratiae quae tanquam ex prima radic… naſcuntur ex prima gratid data abſque ullo prorſus merito: At…amen quodlibet etiam leviſſimum & remotiſſimum meritum de congruo, ſi ex illo naſcitur prima gratia, vel propter illud datur, obeſſe quidditati gratiae: Yea, he addeth p. 223. Conditio, ratio, vel occaſio prorſus ſeparata à merito, impetratione & diſpoſitione, adhuc repugnaret (primae) gratiae: quoniam adhuc maneret debitum connaturalitatis, quamvis abeſſet debitum obſequii.Exod 6aſſerteth, that God firſt intendeth our bleſſedneſs as the end, before he intendeth us grace, faith, &c. as the means: And therefore cannot do it for foreſeen faith, &c. Yea, that he firſt decreed to give us bleſſedneſs, before he decreed to create us, as Scotus 3. d. 7. and Ovan… ibid. q. 3. a. 2. Yea, that God willeth all this, before he knoweth that it will be, as Scotus 1. d. 39. And that ſeeing all Gods Volitions of giving any good, are free, without any precedent Cauſe in man, it muſt needs be that the Decree of glory and not of grace only, muſt be without Merit. And he concludeth p. 13. that they have no quarrel here with the Doctrine of the Articles of the Church of England.

698. Probl. 3. he reſolveth with Smiſings, 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: And therefore his decree doth not only conſiſt with Liberty, but maketh it neceſſary.

699. His feigned order of the decrees is pag. 27. that 1. God decreeeth to glorifie, 2. To give grace and merits to obtain it, and that definitively: 3. Then he foreſeeth that they will concurr with grace. 4. Then he decreeth the execution, that glory ſhall be given them by the means of their operations.

And of Reprobation; 1. That God effectually decreeth to do ſo much 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 decreeth their damnation.] I would not cite this man if he were a Thomiſt or Dominican (who are known to go higher than the Synod of Dort, though their reputation at home with their party tempt them to rail at the Calviniſts:) But as he is a Scotiſt, and ſo of a middle profeſſion. (Though Dr. Twiſſe perceived how much their founding Gods foreknowledge in his Volitions, advantaged him.)

700. Suppoſing you to remember the ordo ſignorum of his Maſter Scotus before cited, I adjoyn the order Doctoris illuminati (viz. Fra…. Mayronis) in li. 1. d. 41. q. 4. Sunt quatuor ſigna: Eſt ergo pri… in quo Judas & Petrus offeruntur Voluntati Divinae ut neutri: & t… Voluntas Divina ordinavit Petrum ad gloriam: nullum autem actum poſitivum habuit circa Judam, ſecundum Auguſtinum. Secundum ſignum eſ… in quo ordinavit Petrum ad gratiam: & tunc circa Judam nullum act… poſitivum habuit. Tertium ſignum eſt in quo relinquuntur ſibi ip…s… & uterque cadit in peccatum. Quartum ſignum eſt in quo Petrus reſ… git; p. 131Quia non poteſt permanere: quia praedeſtinatus intelligitur ex primo ſigno. Judas autem non reſurgit; eo quod non habet relevantem in Deo: ideo reprobatur.]

Here you ſee a Reprobation that is no Act of God, but a non-acting, or is negative quoad actum and not only quoad objectum. And he before ſaith out of Scotus and with him [Ideo dico ſicut dicit Doctor noſter, Quod prius Deus videt merita quam reprobum; licet prius non vide at merita quam eligat:] which is the commoneſt Doctrine of the Schoolmen and other Papiſts, as well as Auguſtines.

701. So D'Orbellis in 1. d. 41. [Et dicunt quidam quod non eſt alia ratio quare Deus iſtum elegit, & non illum, niſi quia placet—Eo enim ipſo quod placet, ideo rectum eſt, propter ſummam ipſius Voluntatis rectitudinem—Sic dicit Scotus, quod licet non videatur aliqua ratio praedeſtinationis à parte praedeſtinati, aliquo modo prior praedeſtinatione; Reprobationis tamen eſt aliqua ratio, propter quam ſcilicet iſta actio terminatur ad hoc objectum & non ad illud:—Cum Reprobare ſit Velle Damnare, Reprobatio habet ex parte objecti, rationem, ſcilicet peccatum finale praeviſum—Non videtur autem dicendum conformiter de Praedeſtinatione & Reprobatione; Quia Bona Deo principaliter attribuuntur, Mala autem nobis. Quia tamen▪ Apoſtolus videtur totum ho… imperſcrutabile relinquere, Rom. 9. O altitudo, &c. ideo dicit Scotus quod eligatur opinio quae magis placet; Dum tamen ſervetur Libertas Divina, abſque injuſtitia. Hoc autem debet fieri abſque aſſertione pertinaci. Rationes namque particulares, propter quas ex parte diverſorum Divina inferuntur judicia, ſunt imperſcrutabiles.]

But note, that as to the firſt part of Reprobation, non velle dare gratiam, Scotus, Mayro, &c. hold it to be nothing, or no act at all.

702. And what D'Orbellis next addeth of Bonaventure ſetteth us at no further odds. [Bonav. dicit quod licet non ſit aliqua ratio Cauſalis, ſeu meritoria, praedeſtinationis à parte praedeſtinati, (quia ſiquis poſſet de condigno mereri primam gratiam, tunc Gratia non eſſet Gratia) Poteſt tamen eſſe aliqua ratio congruitatis & condeoentiae praedeſtinationis; Non quantum ad ſignificatum quod eſt Volitio Divina, ſed quantum ad Connotatum quod eſt Gratia & Gloria. Poteſt enim dici quod Deus praedeſtinat iſtum proper praeviſionem bonorum operum ut aliquo modo ſunt à libero arbitrio: Licet enim Gratificatio vel Juſtificatio ſit principaliter à Divina Voluntate, hoc tamen eſt cum cooperatione & praeparatione liberi arbitrii; quia ut Aug. Qui fecit te ſine te non juſtificabit te ſine te. Unde cum peccator facit quod in ſe eſt, meretur de congruo juſtificari, ſeu ſecundum quid, ex condecentia Divinae liberalitatis.]

But the true meaning of this is no more than Proteſtants commonly hold, that God giveth ſpecial Grace uſually to ſuch only as are prepared for it by more common Grace; and ſo this preparation is quid praeviſum in Gods decree, but no Cauſe of his Act of Volition or decree.

703. And in the next words he granteth, that even this Preparation to ſpecial grace, is not alwayes neceſſary, [Deus tamen ſine aliqua praeparatione & cooperatione aliquos juſtificat, ut patet de ſanctificatis in utero, & de parvulis poſt baptiſmum ad coelum evolantibus; aliis ſine baptiſmo decedentibus—&c.]

704. And though they oft ſay, that God would have all men ſaved quantum in ſe, they mean not, that God doth all to it that he can, but that he maketh all capable of ſalvation, and ſo far helpeth them, that the failing ſhall not be on his part. For ſo Bonavent. ubi ſupra in 1. d. 47. a. 1. q. 1. explaineth it, plainly adding, that here Gods p. 132will connoteth not ſalvation it ſelf, but only the ſaid Capacity and helps.

705. Obj. But many ſay, that Predeſtination doth not neceſſitate the eve…. Anſw. Twiſſe told you before that we are agreed all in this; It inferreth a Logical Neceſſity Conſequentiae, though not a phyſical Conſequentis: As Bonavent. 1. d. 40. q. 2. Ex parte rei evenientis nullam: ex parte De… praeſcientis aliquam; ſcilicet immutabilitatis certitudinem: Yea, as to grace and ſalvation it is certainly Cauſal as they confeſs.

706. Obj. Many ſay, that a predeſtinate perſon may be damned. Anſw. Even as D'Orbellis in 1. d. 40. a. 2. [Iſta propoſitio, [Pradeſtinatus poteſt damnari] eſt falſa in ſenſu compoſito; & vera in ſenſu diviſe] Vide explicat. It is unchriſtian and unmanly to revile men that ſay the ſame 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 that give ſo much to mans free-will. 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 …poh a factious prejudice and partial oppoſition 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 hea…, when the Devil himſelf can but allure them? I know it would not. D… but make it plain as a granted thing, that God doth not Will or Love ſin, and do more to Cauſe it, than the Devil, or the wickedeſt ſinner 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 diſſenters. Let it be the Devils work, and no good Chriſtians, to paint God in the ſhape of the Father of lies and all iniquity: Our God is Holy, and Holineſs becometh all that draw near him, and is the mark of all that ſhall ſee his face. Dear Brethren, let not us that daily and juſtly condemn our ſelves for ſin, and take ſuch odious titles to our ſelves, make our ſelves yet Holier▪ than God, and make God a far greater Lover and Cauſe… of ſin than we are.

I will add one deſcription of Free-will out of the laſt named Schoolman, D'Orbellis a Scotiſt, in 2. ſent. d. 25. dub. 2. And tell me what the moſt rigid oppoſer of Free-will can deſire more. [Q. Whether Free-will be equally in all that have it? Anſ. Free-will may be compared 1. To that which it is free from, 2. And to that which it is free to 1. In the firſt ſenſe, there is a threefold Liberty; 1. From conſtraint, 2. From ſin, 3. From miſery. Liberty from ſin is not equally in good and bad, nor in man on earth and in Heaven. As Aug. Enchir. That's the freeſt will, that cannot at all ſerve ſin. And Liberty from miſery is not equally in all: But Liberty from conſtraint is equally in all, becauſe the will cannot be forced. Though in God and the bleſſed there be a Neceſſity of Immutability, yet not of Co-action. And neceſſity of Immutability, repugneth not Liberty: For the will is called Free ſimply, not becauſe it ſo willeth this, as that it can will the contrary: but becauſe that whatever it willeth, it deſireth it by its own Empire; Becauſe it ſo willeth any thing, that it willeth to will it: And therefore in the act of willing, it moveth it ſelf, and uſeth dominion on it ſelf; And ſo far it is called Free, though it be immutably ordained to it. **But it were not ſo, if it were immutably ordained and moved to ſin.2. But if free-will be compared to that to which it is free, viz. To do right (for as Anſelm ſaith, It is a faculty or power to keep rectitude) ſo it is not equally in all: For this Power is in God of Himſelf; and in the Creatures received from God: And it is more in the confirmed than the nonconfirmed, p. 133and in the good than in the bad. And ſeeing to be able to ſin, is a diminution of Liberty; therefore according to Anſelm, to be able to ſin, is no Liberty nor part of liberty▪ taking Free-will according to the Common Reaſon of it. But to have power as to the Act which deformity is annext to, may well be a part of Liberty, not ſimply, but of Created Liberty. And ſo the deformity in the Act more agreeth with free-will as it is a Creature, or as it is of Nothing, than as it is Free.—Dub. 3. Can free-will be compelled? Anſw. God can deſtroy it, but not force it; for that is a Contradiction: But he can well effectually incline it, and make it move it ſelf freely to which part God will.**But to ſin he will not ſo incline it.

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, but how much of it the unſanctified have, he elſewhere ſheweth, and I have oft told you how much the moſt are agreed in it.

708. To conclude, The heart and ſumm of all our differences is how to make God the total firſt Cauſe of all Good, and not to make him the Cauſe of ſin, and the damner of man for that which he himſelf inſuperably cauſeth. I hope both ſides hold faſt both the concluſions (that our ſin and deſtruction is chiefly of our ſelves, but in God is our help, and our good and happineſs is all from Him.) And if they both hold this, it is not the difficulty of joyning them together, and opening Gods unſearchable methods, that muſt disjoynt us, and draw us to withdraw our Love, or contemn each other, or diſturb the Churches peace and unity.

709. Gregory Ariminenſis 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 ſin, as Alvarez, Twiſſe and Rutherford ſay. But let the Learned Reader note theſe things; 1. That over and over they affirm that though God Cauſe all the Act of ſin, yet he is but the Cauſa partialis: I like not the phraſe my ſelf for the reaſons before given; but by this they do greatly differ from the aforeſaid Authors: ſee Greg. 2. d. 34, 35. ar. 3. frequently ſaying, that God is Cauſa partialis. And in anſwering Aureolus ad nonum he thus fully explaineth it: Dicendum quod Cauſa dupliciter poteſt accipi Totalis: Uno modo Totalis totalitate relata ad Cauſam; id eſt, ſufficiens Cauſare effectum abſque concurſu alterius Cauſae praeciſe cauſando ſicut Cauſat: & ſic neganda eſt iſta Conſequentia: Quoniam nec Deus nec Creatura eſt ſic Totalis Cauſa actus mali. Nunquam enim talis actus fieret, ſi De…s non Cauſaret …um; Neque etiam ſi Creatura non cauſaret, & Deus non aliter cauſaret, quam nunc de facto cauſat, concurrendo cum Creatura. Alio modo Totalis totulitate relata ad effectum, id eſt, totum effectum cauſaus: Et ejuſdem poſſ…nt eſſe plures totales Cauſae: ejuſdem enim Volitionis ſecundum totum eſt Cauſa Notitia & etiam Voluntas.

Here note, that 1. He taketh not Cauſa totalis for the ſame with Solitaria. 2. That he aſſerteth only, that God cauſeth the Totum of the Act, but not by a total Cauſation of it: And that Gods way or ſort of Cauſation is not ſufficient to cauſe it if man concurred not, which they ſay he freely doth, and could do otherwiſe.

710. So that theſe mens way of freeing God from being the cauſe of ſin is like Scotus his; As if (as I before made the ſimilitude) a Father to try his Childs obedience, bids him lift up a Stone, which he cannot do of himſelf; and the Father holdeth his hand and joyneth his ſtrength, yet not ad ultimum poſſe, but with a purpoſed reſtraint ſo far that if the Child will not put forth his degree of ſtrength, p. 134it ſhall not be done. But who can comprehend the wayes of Divinè concurſe?

711. And it is to be noted, that when Aureolus argueth, that [if God immediately concurr, either he determineth mans act, or man determineth Gods act, or neither; which are all abſurd:] here Biel citeth Scotus as holding the third, and anſwering Neither, as no abſurdity. But Greg. Arim. that ſeemeth to go higher, yet ſaith, [**Ubi ſuprae ad 8. Juxta modum loquendi arguentis dico quod Deus ſequitur determinationem Voluntatis: non qu… determinatio Voluntatis fit aliqua Entitas diſtincta à Voluntate & act… ejus, quia primo fiat à voluntate—nec intelligendo quod prius natura Viluntas agat actum quam Deus, proprie loquendo de priori natura: Quoniam tunc ſequeretur quod poſſet illum agere, Deo non coagente.—Sed ad hunc ſenſum dico Deum ſequi Determinationem Voluntatis; Quoniam ideo Deus agit illum actum, quia ††I think it ſhould be [Eum.]cum Voluntas agit. Et non ideo qu… Deus agit, ideo Voluntas agit: & ideo magis proprie dicitur Deus coager… Voluntati in talem actum cauſandi, quam Voluntas dicatur coagere De….] You ſee that theſe Nominals do toto coelo differ from Alvarez, T…iſſe and Rutherford. (And yet Alvarez would fain be moderate in that one Diſputation which Dr. Twiſſe in a peculiar Digreſſion oppugneth.)

712. And note, that the thing which moved Gregory to go ſo far as he doth is, Leſt God ſhould be denyed to be the Cauſe of all Natural Entity: But if you ſet before the will, the Creator (or Chief Good) and the Creature (or ſenſual pleaſure) the Act in genere as a Volition is an Entity, or modus entis: But who can prove that comparatively as it is terminated on the Creature, rather than on the Creator, it hath any Natural Entity, more than the act in genere; or any modality which God is not able to give a Creature power to cauſe, or not cauſe, witho… predetermination from God or any other?

713. Yea, Ariminenſis ſeemeth to mean this himſelf, when ibid. d. 34, 35. a. 2. ad 5. he ſaith [Deus …poteſt ſolus actum illum cauſare, & act… odiendi, id eſt, qui eſt odium Dei, & mendacium etiam poteſt cauſare▪ Non tamen poteſt cauſare actum odiendi Deum, ſeu odium Dei: neq… poteſt Cauſare Mendacium vel mentiri, neque poteſt cauſare actum … lum; Quare quemcunque actum cauſaret ſolus, licet ille nunc ſit Odi… Dei vel mendacium, vel aliquis actus malus, ſi tamen Deus ſolus ill… cauſaret, ſicut poteſt illum cauſare ſolus, non eſſet actus, neque odi…m De… vel mendacium.] But whatever he thought, I have before anſwered this difficulty of the Entity of the acts of ſin.

I mention Ariminenſis judgement the rather, becauſe the Learned Calviniſts commend him: And I remember when I once askt Arch-Biſhop Uſher which of the Schoolmen he moſt valued as the ſoundeſt, he ſaid Greg. Ariminenſis.

714. Is not all this doctrine from theſe men cited conformable to the doctrine of the Synod of Dort? Who in the concluſion name many poſitions which they and all the Reformed Churches with them do, toto pect…re deteſtari, abhorr with all their hearts: Among which one is, Deum n… puroque Voluntatis arbitrio, abſque omni peccati ullius reſpectu vel intuit…, maximam mundi partem ad aeternam damnationem praedeſtinaſſe & creaſſe. And another is, Eodem modo quo electio fons eſt & cauſá fidei ac b… norum operum, reprobationem eſſe cauſam infidelitatis & impietatu: Another is, Multos fidelium infantes ab uberibus matrum innoxios abri… & tyrannice in Gehennam praecipitari, adeo ut iis nec Baptiſmus, nec Eccleſiae in corum baptiſmo preces, prodeſſe queant.

p. 135And it is much to be noted, that in concluſion they deſire all men to judge of the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches, not by Calumnies, nor by the Private ſayings of ſome D…ctors, ant…ent or later, but by the publick Confeſſions of the Churches, … and by the Declaration of this Synod. Therefore not by the extreams of Beza, Piſcator, Spanh…m…s, Twiſſe and Rutherford; but by what the Articles of the Churches ſubſcribed by the Paſtors do contain. Otherwiſe we ſhall be far more fooliſh than the Papiſts, who will not expoſe their Church to obioquy or diviſion by ſtanding to the ſayings of Alvarez or Molina, or any private Doctor whoſoever.

715. And it is notorious to any impartial-pe…uſer, that the whole fo… 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 Univerſal ſufficient Redemption and Grace ad poſſe, but for no Reprobation but on foreſight of 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 impediment of the Churches Concord. The name of a Calviniſt is ſo hateful among the Papiſts, that even the Predeterminant Dominicans who go higher than ever Calvin did, (and the Janſeniſts, who go as high in the main cauſe, and higher than the Synod of Dort,) do yet find it a matter of neceſſity to rail at Luther, Zuinglius, 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 oppoſers ſhould make men believe that they are half Papiſts, or err with them. And the moderate Calviniſts are fain to ſtretch hard, that they may ſeem to differ more from the Arminians than they do, leſt a ſelf-conceited reviler ſhould blot their names with the ſuſpicion of Arminianiſm. O doleful caſe of all the Churches! But where Proteſtants are few 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 Torunenſi c. 4. de grat. depulſ. Calum. ſect. 5, 6. all the Reformed Churches of Poland with Joh. Bergius the Duke of Brandenburgs Chaplain, and others did profeſs, [Falſo accuſamur, quaſi Mortis & Meriti Chriſti pr… omnibus ſufficientiam negemus, aut virtutem imminuamus, cum potius idem hic quod ipſa Synodus Tridentina ſeſ. 6. cap. 3. doceamus, viz. Etſi Chriſtus pro omnibus mortuns ſit, non omnes tamen mortis ejus beneficium recipere, ſed eos duntaxat quibus meritum paſſionis ejus communicatur. Cauſam etiam ſeu culpam, cur non omnibus communicetur, nequaquam in merito & morte Chriſti, ſed in ipſis hominibus eſſe fatemur.] Here was no partial intereſt to make them afraid of being ſuſpected to comply with Papiſts.

717. I end with this requeſt to all my Brethren who by their averſeneſs 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?

p. 1362. That they will but read over Davenants two diſſertations, and the ſecond Tome (at leaſt) of the Learned Dallaeus 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 Theophylact, 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 have ſo great a zeal to contract the Glory of Gods Mercy, and deny his Grace, as that they will caſt off the judgement of all the antient Churches of Chriſt, and ſo many later, rather than acknowledge it, I ſhall 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 Part.

THE Second Part OF GODS GOVERNMENT, AND MORAL WORKS. WHEREIN Of his Laws or Covenants, of Redemption, of ſufficient and effectual Grace, of Faith, Juſtification, Works, Merits, Perſeverance, certainty of Salvation, &c. ſo far as the Church-troubling-Controverſies do require.

LONDON: Printed for Nevil Simmons, at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-Yard. 1675.