Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Section 32 – Section 35
SECT. 32.
THe conſideration o… our Election, The certainty of Gods election and of Gods grace, ſhold whet our diligence to all good duties.whether we have the knowledge o… it or no, and the certaine and infallible performance of all Gods promiſes (which wee have ſo fully proved) ſhould whet our diligence in all good duties, teaching us to labour earneſtly for Faith and all other ſaving graces, which as they are the meanes of our Salvation, ſo are they the evidence of our Election; As we are choſen to Salvation (and to attaine it) through ſanctification of the Spirit and beleef of the Truth; So are we to give all diligence to make our calling and Election ſure; 2 Theſ. 2.13 2 Pet. 1.10.For, ſaith S. Peter, if yee doe theſe things, ye ſhall never fall. As Faith and Repentance, & like graces are bleſſings, in regard of God, & ſo doe befall the Elect, moſt certainely; whereof alſo hee gives them aſſurance, by his moſt free and abſolute promiſes, Epheſ. 1.3.and by his Covenant of Grace: So are they (moſt of them at leaſt) duties, in regard of us, being required of all (living eſpecially in the Church) and ſuch as from which none may exempt themſelves.
Though then we ſhould know our ſelves to be elected to life, 1Such as know their election, muſt not neglect the means.yet wee are by no meanes to neglect the meanes of Life; as hearing of the word Faith, Repentance, prayer, perſeverance, &c. Seeing God hath as well foreordained us to the meanes as to the end, to theſe as well as to life; yea to life by theſe meanes; so that if any will neglect the meanes, let him never look to attaine the end. So that I avow it, and ſay, that if it were poſſible that the Elect ſhould not bee ſanctified, ſhould not beleeve, or not uſe the meanes (being called to the uſe of them) upon that ſuppoſall they ſhould never attaine to life, but periſh eternally; So Paul concluded in a like caſe; Hee was aſſured of ſafety for himſelfe, and thoſe that ſailed with him; yet ſaid he moſt truly, except theſe (the mariners) abide in the ſhip, and ſo uſe the meanes of ſafety appointed of God yee cannot be ſaved. Hebr. 12.14See Acts 27.22.24.25. with verſes 30.31. Luke 13.3.Therefore ſay I to ſuch: Follow peace and holineſſe, without which no man ſhall ſee the Lord. And, Iohn 8.24.except ye repent, yee ſhall all likewiſe periſh. And if ye beleeve not, ſaith Chriſt, that I am he, yee ſhall dye in your ſinnes, Iohn 3.36.and hee that beleeveth not the Sonne ſhall not ſee Life.
On the other hand, Much Ieſſ… ſhould ſuch as know it not a… yet.let not the wickedeſt that truly repent and beleeve, deſpaire of Life; Let them do well, and they moſt undoubtedly ſhall have well; God himſelfe could ſay to Cain, whom yet hee knew to be a reprobate: Gen. 4.7.if thou doſt well, ſhalt thou not be accepted? And I as truly may ſay to all (one and other) as our Saviour in my Text: If yee know theſe things, happy are ye if ye doe them. Exclude not thou thy ſelfe, & Gods Word will not exclude thee; doe thou thy duty, and attend to the Word; (as for Gods ſecret coun…ll meddle not with it, nei…er ſearch into it, and I am ſure God hath not revealed to any in particular aforehād, that they are reprobates) and flye to God, though he ſeeme an enemy unto thee; at leaſt put it to this adventure, and ſay to God as the Lepers reaſoned concerning the Syrians: if he kill us, we ſhall but dye; See 2 Kings 7.3.4. And with the Ninivites, ſaying when they heard a terrible threatning abſolutely (for the forme of it) denounced: Iona 3.9.who knoweth if God will returne & repent, &c. Repent thou, and put it to the tryall (otherwiſe thou ſhalt moſt undoubtedly periſh) & thou ſhalt finde unexpected ſucceſſe. Oh that we durſt or would but take tryall of Gods Truth, and promiſed mercies. Oh that God would make this exhortation (working po…erfully by it) effectuall to …he calling home of his owne.
But howſoever let us all know that wee muſt expect an end anſwerable to our doings. All muſt expect an end anſwerable to their doings.If then, ſaith Paul, yee live after the fleſh, yee ſhall dye; but if through the Spirit yee doe mortifie the deeds of the body, yee ſhall live; Be not deceived, God is not mocked; For whatſoever a man ſoweth that ſhall he alſo reape; Rom. 8.13.For he that ſoweth to the fleſh, Gal. 6.7, 8.ſhall of the fleſh reape corruption; but he that ſoweth to the Spirit, ſhall of the Spirit reape Life everlaſting. Ceaſe then to doe evill, learne to doe well; If ye be willing and obedient, Iſa. 1.16, 17, 19.20.yee ſhall eate the good of the Land; But if ye refuſe and rebell, ye ſhall be devoured with the Sword; for the month of the Lord hath ſpoken it. Know it then for a certainty, that God will render to every man according to his deeds, to them who by patient continuance in weldoing ſeeke for glory, honour, Rom. 2.6, 7, 8, 9, 10.and immortality, eternall Life; But to them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth, but obey unrighteouſneſſe, Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and anguiſh upon every ſoule of man that doth evill; But glory, honour and peace to every man that worketh good. And ſo I conclude, ſaying with my Text: If ye know theſe things, happy are yee if ye doe them.
A COROLLARIE.
SECT. 33.
WHereas Truth is ever conſonant to it ſelfe, A generall inference from the foregoing diſcourſe.and that there is no reall and true contradiction in the Scriptures, but a ſweet Harmony and Analogie, proportion, and correſpondence, betweene and among all the parts thereof; and ſeeing the Scriptures are ſo evident and exceeding plaine, pregnant and full. For the proofe of the powerfull determining, and moſt effectuall operation of Gods grace, and of the moſt certaine performance of Gods conditionall promiſes, by his undoubted working and effecting of the required Conditions themſelves, according to his moſt abſ… lute and free promiſes, and his new Covenant made in Chriſt, as now hath beene ſhewed; we may from ſuch pregnant proofes and evidence of Scripture cōceive of the truth of ſuch other points and articles, Teaching us how to conceive of other controverted points.as have either dependance on, or reference unto the aforeſaid evident doctrin, which (ſome of them eſpecially) perhaps are not ſo cleare unto us, partly through the doubtfullneſſe & ſeeming obſcurity of ſome texts of Scripture; partly and eſpecially by reaſon of the blindneſſe, and yet ſelfe wiſedome of mans corrupt reaſon, who is ready to conceive of God onelyonly, according to his owne fancy, or at leaſt not willing to entertaine any thought of God, but ſuch as hee can well in reaſon conceive of.
Now theſe other points are eſpecially the Doctrine of predeſtination, As of predeſtination, the end of Chriſts death, certainty of ſalvation and perſeverance.namely of election and reprobation, the efficacy, intention, & end of Chriſts death, the certainty of Salvation, both in it ſelfe and to us, with the perſeverance of the Saints in grace, without falling away from it, either finally or totally, with other leſſer, yet like points which our Church of England and other Reformed Churches doe hold and maintaine againſt Pelagians▪ Papists, Semipelagians, Remonſtrants, or Arminians, and Socinians.
SECT. 34.
ITs true, all other points doe chiefely depend up on the Doctrine or Gods predeſtination; All other points are framed, according to the doſtrine of Gods predeſtination.and as it is conceived of by either party, ſo and accordingly all other heads of Doctrine are framed. But whereas our Adverſaries charge us with an unwillingneſſe in handling that Controverſie, they doe it very falſly. For our men begin with it and prove it ſubſtantially out of holy Scriptures, to the full Conviction (though not ſatisfaction) of our refractory Adverſaries; And doe accordingly thence conclude againſt univerſall grace and redemption, (which extend not themſelves beyond the Decree, Collat. Hagienſ. p. 489.and are no more Conditionall then the Decree it ſelfe, which Gods Word makes abſolute and independant;) So againſt the Apoſtaſie of the Saints, and uncertainty of Salvation▪ &c.
But yet it is as true, that there is that neceſſary agreement amongſt all theſe points of Controverſie, that holding any of theſe latter points as we, according to Scripture, doe hold and maintaine them; Predeſtination (as thoſe other points alſo) muſt be maintained juſt in that manner, and no otherwiſe then wee hold and teach it, (which yet is according to the Scriptures,) Ibid. Though the Remonſtrants make freewill their Helena, and accordingly frame other points.which the ſame our Adverſaries cannot (wholy) deny.
Though to ſpeake as the thing is, the Remonſtrants, pretending to make the Doctrine of predeſtination the ſole and onelyonly controverſie, and accordingly to reduce and frame all other controverted points thereunto; hoping for great advantage hereby, and preſuming to make their Doctrine, eſpecially concerning reprobation, paſſe for current amongſt the vulgar or moſt, becauſe of the plauſibleneſſe thereof; and becauſe every common underſtanding cannot clear it ſo eaſily, of the odious, though moſt unjuſt, imputations laid upon it, as, that it makes God the Author of mans ſin, unjuſt, cruell, and tyrannicall. &c. Yet I ſay in very deed, the onelyonly Helena, which they as their Friends the Papiſts, doe ſo earneſtly ſtrive and contend for, is the power of nature and liberty, indifferency, and freedome of mans will, and naturall power in workes and actions ſupernaturall; This they doe, will, and muſt maintaine, and accordingly they frame their predeſtination, and all their other Tenets, oppoſing mainely the Doctrine ſo clearely laid down in the Scripture, and now taught (though by me but weakly) in this preſent Treatiſe. Againſt this eſpecially they bend all their forces, (though in vaine) as knowing that if this free, powerfull and determining grace of God in mans converſion eſpecially) be granted and ſuffred to ſtand, then of neceſſity the whole Fabricke of their predeſtination and other Tenets muſt all of them fall before it, as Dagon before the Arke of God.
SECT. 35.
SEeing then that (as our Churches Doctrine is) the Church may not ſo expound one place of the Scripture, Artic. 20. From the Doctrine taught of Gods free and effectual grace we may inferre,that it be repugnant to another; And that the places brought for proof of this one point, are ſo pregnant, we are therefore to conclude alſo,
1. That Gods eternall decree of Election is as abſolute as are his promiſes, 1That his election is not conditionall, or of all, but abſolute & independant.for effecting in us what hee requires of us; (on which indeed the promiſes depend;) and that his election is not of al, with Condition of their workes, (as the Papiſts would have it) of Faith, (as the Arminians would have it,) or of humility and meekeneſſe (as our new refiners frame it,) but of thoſe few only, to whom hee hath abſolutely in his new Covenant promiſed, and in whom he effectually in time worketh all theſe, both Faith, Humility, and other graces.
2. That Gods effectuall grace, 2That grace and redemption are not univerſall.and the Redemption wrought by Chriſt, is not (in the Arminian ſence) univerſall and common, equally intended for all, and that Chriſt by his death hath not obtained Reconciliation and remiſſion of ſinne, for all and each. So that if any place of Scripture to us ſee me to import otherwiſe; it muſt be expounded (as indeed the hardeſt places of all may) agreeable to ſuch moſt evident Texts, as whereon the foregoing diſcourſe is built, and muſt admit of ſuch an expoſition, as is agreeable to the Analogy of Faith, and not repugnant thereunto.
3. That, 3That the ſalvation and finall perſeverance of the Saints is certaine.as Gods promiſes of grace are moſt free, and abſolute, and doe infallibly and neceſſarily take place; So alſo, not onelyonly the Election, but Salvation, and ſo the finall perſeverance in grace of Gods Children, …s moſt certaine and infal…ible, as not depending on man himſelfe, but on Gods purpoſe, promiſe, 4That the faithfull may be aſſured of their ſalvation.and power.
4. That conſequently the Elect, after Converſion, may be aſſured and aſcertained by their Faith, in theſe abſolute promiſes (to their unſpeakable comfort) of their Election and Salvation, and not only of their preſent eſtate and being in grace.
foreign.
FINIS.
THE SECOND TREATISE Concerning, The extent of Chriſts Death and Love.
With an Aditionall Further clearing the Doctrine.
By the ſame Author.
The Contents may briefely bee viewed in the Margent.
LONDON, Printed by E. G. for L. Blaikelocke at his ſhop at the Sugar-Loafe next Temple-Bar in Fleete-ſtreete, 1642.