Willful Impenitency, To the reader
To the Chriſtian Reader, who deſireth to hold faſt the forme of ſound words in faith, and love, which is in Chriſt Jeſus, and to advance Free-Grace, above Free-will.
MOſt admirably wiſe and fatherly hath been the Lords care of his Churches in all ages; and when there were falſe Prophets under the old Teſtament, the Lord had his Jeremiahs to confute them,Jer. 1.18. whom he made a defenced City, an Iron pillar, and brazen wals againſt all oppoſition. When the devill ſtirred up Hymmeneus, Philetus and others, to undermine the truths of the Goſpel in the times of the new Teſtament; the Lord rayſed and accompliſhed his Pauls to confound them alſo.1 Tim. 1.20. You ſhall finde when the Churches of Chriſt are in a wilderneſſe condition, and the Sepent caſts out of his mouth waters as a floud after the woman, that is multitudes of unſound and Hereticall opinions, the earth helped the woman,Rev. 12.15 16. See Learned M. Mead in his excellent Booke on the place. and opened her mouth, and ſwallowed the floud which the Dragon caſt out of his mouth: that is, Jeſus Chriſt had thoſe here that did encounter and overthrow all falſe Doctrine, with which the devill by his Agents endeavoured to poyſon and deſtroy the Churches. Beſides the foure generall councels, namely, that of Nice, when Arrius a Presbyter of Alexandria denying that the Son of God was conſubſtantiall with the Father,1 About A.D. 330. under Conſtantine the great, vian. and that there was a time when he was not,) was confuted, and truth obtained a victory there God ſtirring up many learned men to oppoſe him.
2 About A.D. 383 under Theodofius.And in the ſecond, that of Conſtantinople, when there was a Macedonius who called the Holy Ghoſt a creature, many were able by the power of truth to confound him.
About A.D. 490, under Theodo. the ſecond, n…t foreign, but foreign. About A.D 456, under Ma…tianus. Calcedon.And the third when a Neſtorius who denyed that the Virgin Mary could be called the Mother of God, providence ordered it ſo that then a councell of learned Biſhops and Elders at Epheſus, ſhould blaſt that opinion. And when an Eutiches, (who in a different way from Neſtorius, who denyed the perſonall Ʋnion of the two Natures in Christ) would have the humane Nature ſo ſwallowed up by the immenſity of the Divine nature in Chriſt, that there was onelyonly the Divine Nature in him, another councell at Calcedon overthrew him.
God had variety of champions to conteſt with the moſt ſubtill,Cent. 3. and prevailing adverſaries; from hand to hand particularly when there was Manes & Manichaei who rejected the old Teſtament, and affirmed that man fell not by voluntary defection, but of neceſſity, becauſe mans body was made of the prince of darkneſſe (wherewith Auſtin was levened before his converſion) The Lord had Chryſoſtome and others to hinder the ſpreading and prevayling of it.
When there was an Arrius, Cent. 4.who denyed the Divinity of Chriſt, there ſhould be an Athanaſius rayſed to overthrow him.
When a Macedonius to oppoſe the holy Ghoſt, then a Baſil to break him.Cent 5. Dem…ſterus ex W…lfild… refert eodem die quo ille in Angliâ natus, tenebra… error… toti mund… effudit, ſumum Eccleſiae lumen Auguſtinum in Africâ emicuiſſe. Ab. A.D. 41…
When a Pelagius to advance Freewill, into the Throne of Free-Grace, then God would rayſe up an Auſtine, (that great light of the Church in his time) to depoſe that, and to reſtore this to its crown and dignity.
This Pelagius was borne in Britan the ſame day that Auſtin in Affrick; he was the firſt preſumptuous advancer of the pride of Free Will. About A.D. 418.He did not thinke the grace of God to be neceſſary for the helping of Free Will, for good things in every act. This was condemned in the councell of Carthage, wherein indeed to ſave himſelfe he did aequivocate in the word,Note grace, acknowledging a naturall, an exciting, and after converſion an Aſſiſting grace. This Doctrine was likewiſe condemned in the Synod of Paleſtina, Damnata antequam …ata a…minii opinio.1200 Years agoe, and therin Arminianiſme kil'd before it was borne by the ſtrength of that place, 2 Tim. 1.9.
This Pelagius had his Scholers, Julianus, and Caeleſtinus. Ieſus Chriſt would not then leave Auſtin without ſome Diſciples to conflict with thoſe (as Chryſoſtome had his Oecumenius, and Theophylact his Pediſſequi, his followers) ſo was there a Proſper, and Hilary Arelatenſis, to encounter the old M…ſſilians, and Semi-pelagians in France.Vide learned Arch. Bi. Ʋſher, moſt excellent diſcourſe of freewill, …n this anſwer to the Jeſuits challenge.
And when there was a Fauſtus Regienſis (a moſt ſubtill adverſary) A Biſhop who did cloſely defend Pelagianiſme in two Bookes of Free-Will. The Church ſhould have a Fulgentius, and Petrus Diaconus, and others to oppoſe him. Yea ſentence was then given againſt Pelagius, About A.D. 529 un-and Semi-pelagians, in the councell of O…ange. In the general, that their opinions touching free-wil and free-grace, were not agreeable to the Catholique faith.
Further, about the yeare 850, one Johannes Scotus (not he which wrote upon the Sentences, with ſo much oppoſition againſt Thomas Aquinas but an other) wrote a Booke againſt Praedeſtination, which the Church of Leyden confuted with a godly and learned book.
When Godeſcalcus a man of the Low-Countries, is reckoned in the number of this age, about the yeare of our Lord 849. Becauſe he ſpake of Predeſtination perilouſly, to wit, That thoſe who were predeſtinated to Life by the decree of Gods predeſtination, were forced to do well: and thoſe who were predeſtinated to condemnation, were forced by the decree of God to do evil, was reſiſted by Hincmarus and other learned men.
This infectious errour Pelagianiſme ſpread into England, where it was apt to take the deeper rooting, becauſe Pelagius himſelfe, by Birth, was a Britaine: But the Lord rayſed learned Bradwardine, Arch biſhop of Canterbury and ſome others …o appear in the cauſe of God and of Free-grace and to fortify the Churches againſt all Pelagians, whom Auguſtine calls Inimicos gratiae dei, and Fulgentius, vaſa irae dei.
Afterwards the ſubtilty of the Serpent inſinuated himſelfe into the Garden of the Church by the wit and learning of Fauſtus Socinus (another Infauſtus Fauſtus in Poland,) They who have opportunity to conſult Socinus bookes de Miniſterio; and the Catechiſmus Cracovienſis (a moſt ſubtill, and dangerous booke) ſhall finde there the ſeeds of Arminianiſme, their Helena, there to be conceived (however Molina and other Popiſh Authors contend as once the ſeven Cities did whoſe Homer was) their Media Scientia. They will grant a Divina Praeſcientia, but deny decretum Divinum to paſſe upon all things, leaving the will to it ſelfe to produce its own acts, which indeed is no leſſe, then a degree of Atheiſme, ſetting up the ſecond cauſe into the throne of the firſt. Herein and in diverſe other things the Arminians do tread in their ſteps, as will appear to thoſe who examine Peltzius his book, the Harmony of the Socinian and Arminians Doctrine. Peltzius his harmony of Socin. & Armin. NoteI wiſh that book were in Engliſh, it would make many bluſh now adayes to ſee how incogitantly (I hope) that is the worſt in many) they have runne themſelves into the Tents of Socinians and Arminians, and know not now how honorably to retreate.
About the yeare 1570, when Petrus Baro a French man, had infected Cambridge with that diſeaſe from France,Vide Mr. Prius antiarm…aniſm. (you ſee ſpirituall as well as bodily evills have come from France) and one Mr. Barret who acted concurrently with him: but then God giving the Heads of Colledges with the Vice-chancellor a prudent zeale to oppoſe it, they ſent up Doctor …indall and Doctor Whitaker, to complaine to Arch-biſhop Whitgift, which begot that Uſefull book of Articuli Lambethani ▪*Soone after this journey Doctor Whitakers bleſſed ſoul returned to her eternall reſt, haveing not long before in an admirable conci… ad clerum, (rightly called his Cy…naea Cantio) di…covered and confuted the chiefe points of Arminianiſme therein.
The Leaven came then into the Netherlands, and (as learned King James ſaith) Arminius was the firſt that infected Leyden with the Pelagian Hereſie †Pelagianiſme oft called Haereſis Vide D. Featles preface to his Pelag. Red.He was a ſtrong, and cleare parted man; and as it is ſaid of Origen, Ubi bene, nemo melius: ubi male nemo pejus, ſo there are ſome excellent diſcourſes in his Workes, and others as deſperately oppoſite to the Covenant of Grace, ſhattering all the linkes of the goulden chaine of our ſalvation, which is the great evill of Arminianiſme. From a young ſtudient, Junius praeſaged of him,Fide Ameſ. ca…. Conſc. that he would be a very uſefull, or moſt pernicious inſtrument in the Church of Chriſt. By this Junius (when the Lord had converted him from Atheiſme, by reading the beginning of the firſt Chapter of the Goſpell of John,Junius & Perkins. Who both in an year. wherein he ſaw ſuch majeſty, that he thought that the Lord did therein, detonare ab alto) the Lord gave a ſoveraigne antidote to his Church in thoſe parts, againſt the infection … Arminianiſme. As about the ſame time … that glorieus light,Note. Mr. Perkins … England, whom the Lord made a Malleus both of Papiſts and Arminia…, and by more cleare and condeſcending diſcoveries of Chriſt, made the deepe myſteries of ſpeculative, and the heavenly ſecrets of practicall Divinity, to meete in the pulpit; and all this in a little time; (for he lived but about 44 Yeares, being borne (ni faller) in the firſt▪ and dyed in the laſt of Queene Elizabeths … Oh how much did he in a little time?
But ſtill the Devill will bee caſting weeds into Chriſts garden, picking up thoſe that have been rooted out, and throwing them over the wall againe.
Now he made uſe of Barnevill in Holland, to bring Religion to ſerve State purpoſes, and ſo carried on the Arminian deſigne there. Theſe differences about the power of Free-will, and ſuch things as hang upon that (for there is the primum movens) now came to be reduced to five Articles, which begate the Conference at Hage, betwixt both parties; which is reported both by Brandius, and Bertius.
About this time came up the name of Remonſtrants, As the name Proteſtan…s given firſt to the princes free Cities of Germany that ſought Reformation in the Diet at Spiro, A.D. 1529. & from them paſſed to us and other countries where it was effected.as the name Proteſtant had formerly. Whereupon Doctor Ames (once Fellow of Chriſts Colledge in Cambridge, but in Doctor Charyes time then Maſter of that place, it grew too hot for him, hee not complying with the preſent Ceremonies, and having Preached a Sermon at the Univerſity Church againſt playing at Cards which … not then be borne) was by he diſpoſing hand of Divine Providence …arried into …ſe parts, where (as the …uſtine of that time and place) hee did graple with all the Patrons of Free-will. And as an Appendix to that conference at Hage, (as it is ſet forth by Brandius) writ that moſt excellent Booke of his Coronis. But ſtill Arminius his diſciples acted to their utmoſt, Bertius, Grevinconius, and others ſo diſtracted thoſe Churches, that there was a neceſſity of calling a Synod which God gave them as a happy remedy, Anno. Domini. 1618.
Syn…d of Do…, A.D. 3618Oh the unwearied activity of adverſaries to the cauſe of Chriſt (which ſhould make others bluſh to move ſo heavily in aſſerting the Doctrine of Free-grace) before we could underſtand what the Anti-remonſtrants in the Synod at Dort fully intended, wee had from the Remonſtrants Acta Synodalia, a Booke indeed that required an Ames to anſwer it (which he hath done moſt learnedly, where you have Magnum in Parvo, a great ſoule in a little body, a great deale of forme in a little matter (as in his Bellarminus enervatus) that being done by the Fraternity with the concurrent indeavours and quinteſſence of the beſt wits amongſt the Remonſtrants.
About the yeare 1627, Mr. Montague a man of great learning, and being backed by the then potent Duke of Buckingham, opened his Arminian (and I had almoſt ſayd Popiſh) pack, when the Lord uſed Biſhop Carleton, Doctor Featly, Doctor Preſton, and others, as happy inſtruments to diſcover his adulterate wares.
Lately there ſprung up a new broode of ſuch as did aſſert Arminianiſme, as Dutch Tompſon fellow of Clare-Hall, Mr. William Chappell fellow of Chriſts Colledge, (as the many Pupills that were Arminianized under his tuition (whether by him or no, he beſt knowes) but men are more confirmed in their ſuſpition hereof, ſince they heard of his anſerable actings in the Univerſity in Ireland) but ſtill as in Oxford, when there was any danger of ſpreading Arminianiſme, whether in Acts, Bookes, or Sermons, they had there Robert Abbot, Twiſſe, Prydeaux, and other workes to ſuppreſſe them; So in Cambridge God gave us lately Davenant and Warde, who did victoriouſly enter the liſts with the moſt confident adverſaries of Free-grace. And that bitter weeds could never take deepe rooting in any of theſe three Kingdoms, and thrive very fruitfully; There was in Ireland a moſt learned Arch-Biſhop Uſher to cruſh it there. And a mighty man in theſe Controverſies,Who were aſſra primae magnitudin…. Doctor Twiſſe (another Auſtine) to ſuppreſſe it in England. As learned and induſtrious Mr. Rutherford and others have done their parts ſucceſſefully in Scotland. But alas Arminius now appeares amongſt us not ſo much in the Schooles and Pulpits, as in popular meetings.
For as Zanchius complained with much regret of the Sulteran Ubiquitaries, that hee found them ubique, everywhere to vex and moleſt him, ſo may wee grieve,2 Tim 2.34. (O that we could with brokenneſſe of heart bewaile it) that our Univerſalliſts, are almoſt univerſally ſpread amongſt us; It is gotten into our Netherlands, much into the Fenniſh and Mooriſh parts of this Kingdom, yea amongſt many people that love Ieſus Chriſt, and therefore entertaine it, as conceiving it moſt for his Honour (the more are they to be pittied, and to be instructed with a ſpirit of meekeneſſe; ſhew them by Scripture evidence this is not Gods way of advancing Chriſt, and you recover them) it is now in popular hands, wee neede ſuch worthies as the Author of this following Treatiſe (bleſſed be the Father of mercy, the Fountaine of every good and perfect gift, for his and many others fruitfull labours) who may condeſcend to parley with poore Chriſtians at their Tables, in their Shops, to follow them at the plow (as Reverend Mr. Greenham was wont to doe) endeavouring to rectifie and reduce them.
He knew how to deale wiſely with ſubtile adverſaries,foreign non foreign that he might have the more advantage againſt them, grants them as much as he could with conſiſtency to his owne principles, that ſo he might the more eaſily confound theirs; OnelyOnly you will be ſo candid as to conſider that herein hee ſpeakes ad populum. And therefore as the ancient Fathers, often uſeth the liberty of ſpeaking like a Preacher rather then as a Doctor of the Chaire.
I reckon this a very ſtrong argument to confute the power of Free-will to any ſpirituall action in a gratious manner, Jer. 17.9.the wofull experience of mine owne wretched heart, being naturally ſo deſperately wicked, oppoſite to any ſpirituall good;Note But this will not convince others (onelyonly by the way I would know how it comes to paſſe, if Arminius Doctrine bee true that we have Free-will, to chooſe that which is truly good, why Arminians are not all very good men? Will not this bee an aggravation againſt them at the dreadfull day of judgement?
Eccleſ. 12.11.Therefore the Lord is moſt admirably gratious in giving us ſuch Maſters of the Aſſemblies to faſten ſuch Scripture truths as may hold us faſt and cloſe under the Covenant of Grace.
He was a bleſſing to the Colledge where he was fellow of Pembrooke Hall in Cambridge (which hath bin a fruitfull nurcery to this Church, and an ornament to the Univerſity) and after a burning and ſhining light in Staffordſhire;Ioh. 5.35. He delighted much in preaching in an Evangelicall way, from place to place, as pitying many poore pining ſeduced ſoules under blinde and ſuperſtitious Miniſters. The Lord fill their hearts, with compaſſion to them, who have power in their hands to ſupply them, that ſo millions do not periſh for want of viſion.
Afterwards the noble Earle of Warwick fixed him at Rochford in Eſſex, where hee did ſpeake and doe great things to the honour of Free Grace; Hee lived there more by acting vigorouſly to his great Lord and Maſter Jeſus Chriſt, It is not enough loqui magna unleſſe we do magna …ve…e a Eraſ.in a fewe Yeares then moſt of us his Brethren doe in many.
O that we who are left behinde in theſe conflicting times could more punctually and cloſely follow his example; Jt is not ſtudying the groundleſſe fopperies of Popery, nor the immerſing our minds wholy into ſome dry diſputes concerning ſome externalls and formes about Religion, (as too many do now a dayes being engaged in a party) that will ſpiritualize us or our hearts ſo much as Studying and Preaching over the Covenant of Grace; The myſterious and Heavenly ſecrets of the Goſpell rightly opened and wiſely applyed, will by Gods bleſſing breed a Goſpell ſpirit in thee, leave a gratious tincture upon the ſpirits of Teachers and Hearers; whereas poſſibly for want of this, there may be a legall tartneſſe and ſeverity in the Spirits and Tongues of able and good men.
The gratious and powerfull Lord who, onelyonly teacheth to profit, annoynt all his Saints with that holy unction that they may be able to diſcerne of things that differ, clearely to diſtinguiſh betwixt truth and error. And that he may to this and other happy purpoſes, bleſſe abundantly this ſavourly acute and ſolid Treatiſe, ſhall be the earneſt Prayer of him,
Who is thine in and for the Lord Jeſus. THOMAS HILL.