The Blind Guide, Chapter 4 · Floating text 1 – Letter 1
The whole Armour of God.
Page 233. In ſomething or other all thoſe which believe not come ſhort of that which they might have done for attaining unto this precious gift of faith: and that is it for which another day they ſhall be condemned, unbeliefe is in a mans power.
Page 604. Let every one of what ranke or condition ſoever he be, be encouraged to apply to himſelfe theſe glad tidings of pardon; and ſeeing God excludeth none, let not any of us exclude our ſelves.
Page 591. In the order of Redemption God hath made mans ſinne pardonable; but man by his impenitency makes it not to be pardoned.
Page 230. Did not the very lifting up of the Serpent ſhew, that it was Gods will they ſhould looke on it, and looking be cured? So God cauſing Chriſt to be lifted up by preaching of the Go pell before thee, ſhewe… that HEE WOULD THOU SHOULDEST BELIEVE, and believing, have everlaſting life.
Page 231. God never failed any that continued to wait on him, at length he ſatisfied their longing.
Page 289. foreign be hard to the carnall careleſſe man, yet (as Salmon ſaith of knowledge Prov. 146.) faith is eaſie to him that will believe, not that it is ſimply in mans power, but that GODS SPIRIT SO OPENETH HIS UNDERSTANDING, &c.
Page 290. If we repaire to the Author who giveth faith, and to the ſpring whence it floweth; if we rightly uſe the right meanes of attaining it, and waite at the doore of wiſdome till hee open unto us, UNDOUBTEDLY WE SHALL FINDE FAITH, and not miſſe of it.
The Div. Auth. of the Scriptures.
Pag 26. Naturall men may do ſuch things, as whereunto God hath by way of promiſe annexed grace and acceptation.
Page 169. To ſuppoſe that they to whom God maketh rich and ſweet applications of himſelfe, are wholly deſtitute of all power to do what he requires of them, in this caſe to ſave them from deſtruction, and to confer the great things promiſed upon them, as viz. to believe and repent, is to repreſent the glorious God in his greateſt expreſſions of mercy and grace, and love unto the world, rather as laughing the world to ſcorne in that great miſery wherein it is plunged, then as a God any wayes truly deſirous, or intending to relieve it.
Page 183. They which are without (I meane without the Goſpell written or preached upon ſuch termes as it is preached among us daily) have alſo ſufficient meanes (if not large and plentifull) for beleeving.
Page 186. They who are deſtroyed and periſh by the hand of God for unbelief, had meanes, and thoſe ſufficient whereby to have beleeved.
Page 182. Concerning thoſe have onelyonly the Heavens, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and the goodneſſe of God in the government of the world, to preach the Goſpell unto them; theſe alſo have reaſon ſufficient (if not in abundance) to thinke the ſame though, and judge the ſame judgement with the other [who have the Letter of the Goſpell] in the point in hand.
In all the paſſages que…ed out of the whole Armour of God, there is no ſentence that implyeth, that naturall men may do ſuch things as whereunto God hath by way of promiſe annexed grace and acceptation. Men are there incited to do what lieth in them for attaining grace; but it is not ſaid, that any promiſe of grace is annexed to that which they do, while they temaine in their naturall eſtate.
Neither is it ſaid in any of thoſe paſſages, That none of thoſe to whom God maketh rich and ſweet applications of himſelfe, are wholly deſtitute of all power to believe and repent; for thoſe ſweet applications in the outward diſpenſation of the Word, are made to all preſent, though there may be many reprobates there, who have not power to believe and repent.
Nor yet is it there ſaid, That they who are without the Goſpell have ſufficient meanes for beleeving; nor, That they who periſh for unbeliefe, had meanes ſufficient to have beleeved, if meanes be taken for that power and ability which is in a naturall man.
1 Object. If mens coming ſhort of that which they might have done be the reaſon of their condemnation, it undeniably followes,Yo. Eld. p. 70. that they have power to do that whereby their condemnation might be prevented.
Anſw. It doth not follow; becauſe they might more improve their naturall parts than they do, and yet not prevent condemnation thereby, they are ſupernaturall gifts whereby condemnation is prevented.
2 Object. In ſaying unbeliefe is in a mans power, Ibid.doth he not imply, that a man hath power over it, and may diſſolve, ſubdue, and deſtroy it, if he will?
Anſw. No, he implyeth no ſuch thing; he onelyonly intendeth that it ariſeth from a mans ſelfe, and is ordered by a mans own free will, as other corrupt acts are. The evils which are in the Devill, are in his power; yet can he not diſſolve, ſubdue, and deſtroy them. As for the inſtances of originall corruption, blindneſſe by birth, frailty of life, mortality, corruptibleneſſe of fleſh, foreign, for none of theſe are acts under the will of man, to be ordered thereby, as unbeliefe is.
3 Object. Queſtionleſſe a Teacher would not incourage men,Ibid. pag. 71. or perſwade men to incourage themſelves, to do that which he judgeth impoſſible for them to do.
Anſw. 1. That which is here taken to be unpoſſible, is brought upon man by his owne default.
2. It is ſuch an impoſſibility as God by the worke of his Spirit can, and ordinarily doth make poſſible. In this reſpect Chriſt ſaith of that which is impoſſible with men, that it is not ſo with God, Mark 10.27.
3. The Teacher doth incourage men to go as far as they can, and to do as much as in their power lyeth, to obtaine ſuch or ſuch a bleſſing; which is not to perſwade to that which is impoſſible.
4. Object. If God excludeth none [from bleeving] then hath he not inflicted any ſuch puniſhment upon men for their ſinne in Adam, by which they are diſabled from believing.
Anſw. That which is ſpoken of Gods excluding none, is meant of the manner of diſpenſing the Goſpell, and offering grace, which is wi… ſuch generall tearmes, as therein no man hath cauſe to thinke himſelfe excluded. The Author of the … God, thus explaineth his owne minde, pag. 603. This Do…trine is to be underſtood of Gods outward diſpenſation and manife…ation of his mercy by the miniſtry of the Word, wherein no difference is made betwixt perſons, nor excertion of any. So as it calleth not into queſtion the ſecret counſell and …ernall decree of God.
SIR,
YOu,Maſter Sou… … Vindication. with many other Miniſters of the Province of London, gave … againſt this tenent of Maſter John Goodwin, viz. touching … aſſerte …, That by impr…vement of nature a man may attaine to ſuch …, is upon which ſaving converſion alwayes follows: This I judge to be an errour.1 Cor. 2.14. For the Apoſtle ſaith, The naturall man reiciveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are … him: Neither can be kn…w them, becauſe they are ſpiritual…y …. Rom. 8.5, 7, 8.And he ſaith alſo, They that are after the fleſh (as all naturall men are) ſav…ur or minde the things of the faſ…. And againe, The carnall minde is enmity againſt God, for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, nor indeed can be. So that they that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God. Wherefore man by no naturall power can improve the gifts of nature ſo, as without ſpeciall grace to will or do that which is ſpirituall and ſupernaturall, as to repent, believe, &c.
I fi…de that Maſter John Goodwin hath alleadged ſome paſſages in my booke,Chriſtians daily walk, cap 15. ſect. 1. page 452, 453. as if I did concurre with him, or favour his opinion. I have hereupon conſidered and weighed well what I have there written, and finde nothing tending to the maintenance of his errour; but ſomething expreſly againſt free will to good. I declaring, That notwithſtanding Chriſt may be ſaid to give himſelfe a ranſome for all, &c. yet this doth not argue univerſall Redemption, nor that all men may be ſaved if they will. I appeale to any judicious and impartiall Reader, whether in any thing I have there written, I have juſtified his opinion; which I am utterly againſt.
Henry Scudder.