Apology for the Ministers Who Subscribed, Chapter 2 · Section 3 · Appendix

Apology for the Ministers Who Subscribed · Chapter 2 · Section 3 · Appendix

p. 145An Appendix of the third Section, concerning Diſpoſitions previous to Regeneration, and through Converſion.

WE Remember, that in our Preliminaries to the foreſaid Diſcourſe, concerning the Preparations and Diſpoſitions that are Antecedent to Juſtification, we ſaid that as there are ſome, which have a neceſſary infallible Connection with Juſtification, (of which we have ſpoken already) ſo there are others which have not ſuch a neceſſary infallible Connection with it: As to this laſt ſort, we do not ſay, that they are Diſpoſitions and Preparations, with which Men are always, and without which they are never, nor ever can poſſibly be juſtified; yet we think that ordinarily they do precede Juſtification and Effectual Vocation too, in all that are Effectually Called and Juſtified.

All ſuch Diſpoſitions and Preparations, our Author denies in the 12th Page of his Letter, and pretends that Calvin, the Church of England, and Weſtminster Aſſembly of Divines, do all concur with him therein. We do not at all wonder, that he denies all Preparations and Diſpoſitions before Effectual Calling, and the firſt ſaving Converſion, ſince (as we have ſeen) he denies that there is any good wrought in us, or done by us before Juſtification. And as for Preparations and Diſpoſitions before Converſion, if he would or could aſſure us, that he denies them in no other ſenſe, than all his Authors, Calvin, the Church of England and Aſſembly of Divines do deny them, we ſhould have no controverſie with him about that matter; but we think that he is of a different Judgment, and either doth not underſtand in what ſenſe it is that they deny them, or if he underſtand them aright, he doth not believe them, or if he believe ſome part that he likes, yet he doth not believe all that they ſay concerning thoſe Diſpoſitions, previous to Regeneration and Converſion.

p. 146That it may be clearly known, what our Judgment is concerning thoſe Preparations that are ordinarily previous to Regeneration and Converſion; we ſhall, (1.) Name them, and ſhew what they are. (2.) Declare what our Opinion is concerning them. (3.) Shew that our Opinion concerning them, is neither new nor ſingular, but what we believe in this matter, we have learned and received from the moſt eminent Paſtors of the Reformed Churches, whereof many lived and died in the true Faith, before many of us were born.

Firſt then to Name them, there is

(1.) An Illumination of the Mind by the Word and Spirit of God, by means whereof Sinners come to know more of God and of his Word, particularly of his Law, than ever they did before.

(2.) There is a Conviction of their Conſcience, that they have frequently and hainouſly tranſgreſſed Gods Law, in habit and Act, in Heart and Life. And by their Sins Original and Actual are fallen under the curſe of the broken Law, and the Wrath of the offended Law-giver.

(3.) There thence ariſeth in them a fear of the Wrath and Vengeanceof an offended God.

(4.) Thereupon they begin to be ſorry, that by their Sin and Folly, they have brought themſelves into ſuch a dangerous Condition, and to humble themſelves before God; if ſo be that his Wrath may be turned away from them.

(5.) The Light, whereby the Word and Spirit had given them a clearer Knowledge of God and of themſelves, than ever they had before, and of their obnoxiouſneſs to Gods Everlaſting Wrath and Vengeance, is increaſed by the Goſpel, and thereby is given them ſome Diſcovery and Knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt the only begotten Son of God, as one whom God hath ordained to be the Saviour of loſt Sinners of Mankind, and to reconcile them unto God by ſatisfying his offended Juſtice, and by Meriting for them his Grace and Favour.

(6.) Upon this Knowledge of Chriſt, there follows ſome kind of common Faith and Hope, that it is poſſible for them in particular to get their Sins pardoned and their Souls ſaved, through the Mediation of Jeſus Chriſt, Mark 10.27.

(7.) Then there ariſeth ſome Joy in them, from the foreſaid Faith and Hope of the poſſibility of their obtaining ſo great Salvation, from the Curſe of the Law and Wrath of the Law-giver, Mark 6.20. Luke 8.13.

(8.) This Joy and Gladneſs of Heart, ariſing from the Hope of the Poſſibility of their obtaining ſo great Salvation, makes them deſire that that poſſibility may be reduced into Act, and that they may actually obtain the poſſible Salvation.

(9.) The deſire of actually obtaining it, makes them in ſome ſort willing to uſe the means appointed by God for obtaining ſo deſirable an end; whereupon they give themſelves to conſider, What thoſe means are, and how to uſe them? and from that they proceed to read and hear the Word of God more than formerly, to pray unto God themſelves, and to deſire the Prayers of others, for the pardon of their Sins, and the Salvation of their Souls.

(10.) And laſtly, They endeavour to reform their Lives, by abſtaining from the outward Commiſſion of thoſe Sins, which they have been moſt groſly guilty of, and which do moſt burden their Conſciences.

Theſe are the Diſpoſitions, which are previous to Regeneration and a through Converſion, for we humbly conceive it poſſible for Sinners to go thus far towards, before they attain unto, a ſaving Converſion.

Secondly, To declare what our Opinion is concerning theſe Diſpoſitions previous to Converſion. (1.) We do not think, that they are all abſolutely neceſſary on Gods part, as if he could not poſſibly Convert a Sinner immediately without ſuch foregoing Diſpoſitions. We know nothing to the contrary, but that God can come unto a Sinner by the powerful Operation of his Spirit and Grace (if he pleaſe,) in the midſt of his greateſt and deepeſt unpreparedneſs, and turn him from p. 147his Sin and bring him to Chriſt by ſaving Converſion immediately. But yet.

(2.) We do not think, that this is Gods uſual way of drawing Sinners to Chriſt, for though ſuch previous Diſpoſitions to Converſion be not abſolutely neceſſary on Gods part; yet they are ordinarily neceſſary on mens part, eſpecially in Countreys where God hath planted Churches, hath ſent Miniſters to preach the Goſpel publickly, and hath eſtabliſhed a courſe of outward viſible means; we think, that in ſuch places, though God hath not tied himſelf to means, yet he hath tied men to the uſe of them, and that they have never ſo much Reaſon to expect Gods ſpecial help and Effectual Aſſiſtance for their faving Converſion, as when they are uſing their beſt endeavours, in the uſe of the means which God himſelf has ordained for the communicating of his ſaving Grace to loſt Sinners of Mankind.

(3.) The foreſaid Preparations, which we believe to be ordinarily neceſſary on mans part, we do not judge to be the product of meer natural Light and Power in Man, but to be the effect of common Grace; which Grace we call common, becauſe not only the Elect, but the Non elect alſo are made partakers of it in the Viſible Church; and we hold it to be of a ſupernatural Order of Beings, whereby thoſe who are made partakers of it, are enabled to do things that are above their meer natural Capacity, and which they could not poſſibly do of themſelves, without that ſupernatural Help and Aſſiſtance.

(4.) We do not believe, that any thing, or all that man doth by the help of the ſaid ſupernatural common Grace, is Meritorious either (ex condigno or ex congruo) of Condignity or of Congruity, of ſpecial ſaving Grace, ſo as God ſhould be obliged, and could not with Honour but give ſpecial ſaving Grace to thoſe unto whom he hath firſt given the foreſaid common Grace.

(5.) Yet we think, that God doth not take away the ſaid common Grace from any to whom he hath given it, till they have firſt forfeited it, and provoked God to take it from them by their neglecting to improve it, as they ought and might have done. For we are of Dr. Owens Opinion in this matter, as he expreſſeth it in his Diſcourfe concerning the Holy Spirit, Pag. 198. Where ſpecial Grace, and real Converſion is not attained (to wit, by means of common Grace, and its effects on the Soul) it is always from the Interpoſition of an Act of Wilfulneſs and Stubbornneſs in thoſe Englightned and Convicted, they do not ſincerely improve what they have received, and faint, not meerly for want of Strength to proceed, but by a free Act of their own Wills, they refuſe the Grace which is further tendred unto them in the Goſpel. From this Paſſage of Dr. Owens, we ſee that according to him the only culpable Reaſon, why thoſe who have the foreſaid common Grace, and thereby go ſo far in the way to Converſion, but yet do not attain the end, do not arrive at ſpecial Grace and ſaving Converſion thereby, is becauſe they were groſly wanting in their Duty to God and themſelves, of improving common Grace as far as it would go.

(6.) Though we thus ſhew, that men themſelves are the only culpable Cauſe of their not obtaining ſpecial Grace and ſaving Converſion thereby, yet we do not ſay on the other hand, that the Elect are the laudable Cauſe of their infallibly obtaining ſpecial Grace and ſaving Converſion thereby. No, no, we are no ſuch Perſons, we hold no ſuch Opinions; but are of Proſpers Mind, and ſay with him, [Quantumlibet impiorum malignitas accuſetur, Proſper de vocat. Gentium, lib. 1. Cap. 25.reſiſtens gratiae dei, nurquid probabuntur, eam quibus eſt collata meruiſſe? aut illa virtus gratiae, quae ſibi quos volicit ſubdidit, convertere eos qui inconvertibiles permanſere, non potuit? tales fuerunt qui ſunt attracti, quales bi qui in ſuâ duritiâ ſunt relicti, fed illis tribuit gratia ſtupenda, quod voluit, iſtis tribuit veritas juſta quod debuit, ut judicium Dei magis inſcrutabile ſit in Electione gratiae, quam in retributione juſtitiae. How much ſoever the Malignity of the Wicked, which reſiſts the Grace of God be accuſed, can it ever be proved, p. 148that they to whom ſpecial Grace is given, have deſerved or merited it? Or that powerful Efficacy of Grace, which hath ſubdued to it ſelf whom it would; could it not convert thoſe who remained unconverted? They who are drawn to the Lord were ſuch as thoſe are who are left in their hardneſs. But wonderful aſtoniſhing Grace gave what it would to thoſe that are converted; and juſt Truth, that, is the True and Juſt God rendered what he owed unto the others who are unconverted: So that the Judgment of God is more unſearchable in the election of Grace, than in the Retribution of Juſtice. That is, it is more difficult to give a reaſon why God gives ſpecial effectual converting Grace to ſuch and ſuch particular perſons, who could never deſerve to have it, than why he with-holds it from other perſons who have really deſerved to want it.]

This is the true meaning of the laſt clauſe of that excellent Writer, whereby we ſee that the Father, on the one hand aſſigns the juſt demerits of the ungodly Reſiſters of Gods Grace, for the reaſon of their not being converted by ſpecial and victorious Grace; but on the other hand he acknowledges that no reaſon can be given why the like reſiſtance is overcome and taken away, in the Elect, and they are ſavingly converted, by diſcriminating Grace, but that it is Gods good will and pleaſure to have it ſo; of the ſame judgment are we in this matter, and as we derive the reaſon on the part of Gods Select People, why they rather than others are infallibly converted by ſpecial Grace, from the meer will and pleaſure of God, (becauſe we know no other reaſon of it), ſo we aſcribe unto God all the Glory of it, ſaying with our Bleſſed Saviour; We thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, becauſe thou haſt hid theſe things from the Wiſe and Prudent, Mat. 11.25, 26.Matt 11:25Matt 11:26and hast revealed them unto Babes. Even ſo Father, for ſo it ſeemed good in thy ſight.

Thus we have briefly declared what our opinion is, concerning the Preparations and Diſpoſitions which ordinarily go before ſaving Converſion, in ſome more, in others leſs, in ſome for a longer, in others for a ſhorter time; but in all ſo as to enlighten, convince, and humble them.

Thirdly, Now in the third and laſt place we ſhall ſhow that our opinion concerning them, is neither new nor ſingular, but that what we believe in this matter, we have learned and received from the moſt Eminent Paſtors of the Reformed Churches, whereof many lived and died in the true Faith, before many of us were born.

And our firſt Witneſs is Calvin, who writing againſt Pighius, doth plainly confeſs that Sinners are diſpoſed and prepared by the Grace of Gods Holy Spirit, before they be ſavingly converted and juſtified. His words are theſe, [Neque verò hoc medo praeparari hominem ad recipiendum juſtitiae donum, negamus; ſed Spiritus Sancti directione, Calvin contra Pighium, de lib. arbit. lib. 5. §. adducit tamen.non ſuo ingenio, &c. But neither do we deny that man is thus prepared to receive the gift of Righteuſneſs; but it is by the direction of the Holy Spirit, and not by his own natural underſtanding and ſtrength. Chriſt doth not call any to come unto him, but ſuch as labour and are heavy laden: But yet it is he himſelf who makes us to feel our burden, and to groan under it. We confeſs that the common Proverb is moſt true, that it is the only hopeful beginning of a cure, where the ſick Perſon is ſenſible of his Diſeaſe. Therefore that Chriſt may become thy Phyſician, it behoves thee to acknowledge and be ſenſible of thy Diſeaſe.

Again in his Inſtitutions, he expreſly confeſſes that there are ſome common operations of the Spirit, Idem Inſtit. lib. 3. cap. 2. §. 11.whereof the Non-Elect are partakers in the viſible Church. Experientia (inquit) oſtendit; reprobos interdum fimili ferè ſenſu atque Electos affici; ut ne ſuo quidem judicio quicquam ab electis differant, &c. Experience (ſays Calvin) ſhews that the Reprobate are ſometimes affected with a ſenſe and feeling (to wit of Spiritual p. 149things), almoſt like to that which is in the Elect; in ſo much that in their own Judgment, they differ not at all from the Elect. Wherefore there is no abſurdity at all in this, that by the Apoſtle, a taſte of Heavenly Gifts; and by Chriſt, a temporary Faith is aſcribed unto them.

Thus Calvin, who there ſhews that in the Elect after ſaving Converſion and Juſtification, there is always ſomething of a higher nature which differenceth them from the Non-elect, and then adds, [Sed hoc minimè obſtat quin illa inferior Spiritus operatio curſum ſuum habeat etiam in reprobis.] Yet this doth no ways hinder, but that that inferiour operation of the Spirit hath its courſe even in the Reprobate. And more he hath to this purpoſe; whereby it evidently appears that in his Judgment, there is ſuch a thing as we call common Grace, which oftentimes makes ſuch a change upon the Unregenerate, that it is hard to diſtinguiſh them from the truely Regenerate.

We might alſo alledge to this purpoſe the Teſtimonies of Chemnitius, in his Examination of the Council of Trent; of the Divines of Wittenberg, in the Conference at Al…enburg, of Pareus writing againſt Bellarmine about Juſtification; of Paulus Ferrius in his Specimen of Eccleſiaſtical Orthodox Divinity; and of others, acknowledging and maintaining that there are ſuch preparations and diſpoſitions wrought in Sinners, by the Grace of Gods Spirit, before their Regeneration or Converſion and Juſtification; but becauſe we have been longer already than we firſt intended, we will paſs them; and come to the Teſtimony of the Synod of Dort, which ought to be of more weight with us, than any other Teſtimonies of Proteſtant Divines, that can be brought either for or againſt thoſe previous diſpoſitions we ſpeak of. And from amongſt all that might make for our purpoſe in that famous Synod, we will ſingle out, and content our ſelves with what our own Britiſh Divines have ſaid for this opinion, in their Collegiate ſuffrage approved by the Synod, and Recorded in its Acts. And for the ſake of our Countrey-Men who cannot have recourſe to the Original to examine our Tranſlation, Act. Synodi Dordr. part. 2. p. 165.6, 7, 8.we will (as we have done before) make uſe of the old Engliſh Tranſlation which ſome of them may have, or may meet with it. Thus then they begin.

Of thoſe things that go before Converſion.

The Firſt Poſition.

There are certain external Works ordinarily required of men before they be brought to the State of Regeneration or Converſion, On the 3d. and 4th. Articles, p. 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, &c.which are wont to be performed freely by them, and other whiles freely omitted, as to go to Church, to hear the word Preached, or the like. This they prove from Rom. 10.14. As alſo, from Reaſon and Experience, and other Scriptures. Mark 6.20. Acts 13.46. Pſal. 58.4, 5.

The Second Poſition.

There are certain inward Effects going before Converſion, or Regeneration, which by the power of the Word and Spirit, are ſtirred up in the hearts of Men not yet juſtified; ſuch as are, a knowledge of Gods will, a ſenſe of ſin, a fear of Punſhment, a bethinking of freedom, or deliverance, and ſome hope or pardon.

The Grace of God is not went to bring men to the ſtate of Juſtification (in which we have peace with God through our Lord Jeſus Christ) by a ſudden Enthuſiaſm, or Rapture, but by divers degrees of foregoing Actions taming and preparing them through the Ministry of the Word. (1ſt.) This we may ſee in thoſe, who upon bearing S. Peters Sermon, feel the burden of their ſin, are ſtricken with fear and ſorrow, deſire deliverance p. 150and conceive ſome hope of Pardon. All which may be collected of thoſe words, Acts 2.37. When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts, and ſaid unto Peter and the reſt of the Apoſtles, Men and Brethren what ſhall we do?

(2.) This the very nature of the thing requires, for as in the natural Generation of man there are many previous Diſpoſitions, which go before the bringing in of the form, ſo alſo in the Spiritual Generation, by many actions of Grace, which muſt go before, do we come to the Spiritual Nativity.

(3) To conclude, this appears by the Inſtruments which God uſes for the Regenerating of men. For he imployeth the Miniſtry of Men, and the Inſtrument of the Word, 1 Cor. 4.15. I have begotten you through the Goſpel. But if God would Regenerate and Juſtify a wicked man immediately, being prepared by no knowledge, no ſortow, no deſire, no hope of pardon, there would be no need of the Miniſtery of men, nor of the Preaching of the Word for this purpoſe: Neither would any care ly upon the Miniſters dividing the Word aright, fitly and wiſely, Firſt, To wound the Conf…iences of their Auditors with the terrors of the Law, then to raiſe them up with the promiſes of the Goſpel, and to exhort them to beg Faith and Repentance at Gods Hand, by Prayers and Tears.

The Third Poſition.

Whom God doth thus prepare by his Spirit through the means of the Word, thoſe doth he truly and ſeriouſly call and invite to Faith and Converſion.

By the nature of the benefit offered, and by the moſt evident. Word of God, we muſt judge of thoſe helps of Grace, which are beſtowed upon men, and not by the abuſe or the event. Therefore when the Goſpel of its own nature calls men to Repentance and Salvation, when the Incitements of Divine Grace tend the ſame way, we muſt not ſuppoſe any thing is done feignedly by God. This is proved by thoſe earneſt Pathetical Intreaties; 2 Cor. 5.20. We pray you in Chriſts ſtead, be ye… reconciled to God. Thoſe exhortations, 2 Cor. 6.1. We beſeech you that you receive not the Grace of God in vain: Thoſe Expoſtulations, Gal. 1.6. I marvel that you are ſo ſoon removed from him that called you to the Grace of Chriſt: Thoſe Promiſes; Revel. 3.20. Behold, I ſtand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him.

But if God ſhould not ſeriouſly invite all, to whom he vouchſafes this gift of his Word and Spirit, to a ſerious Converſion, ſurely both God ſhould deceive many, whom he calls in his Sons Name, and the Meſſengers of the Evangelical Promiſes, might be accuſed of falſe witneſs, and thoſe who being called to Converſion, do neglect to obey, might be more excuſeable, for that calling by the Word and Spirit, cannot be thought to leave men unexcuſable, which is only exhibited to this end, to make them unexcuſable.

The Fourth Poſition.

Thoſe whom God hath thus diſpoſed, he doth not forſake, nor ceaſe to further them in the true way to Converſion, before he be forſaken of them by a voluntary neglect, or repulſe of this initial or entring Grace.

The Talent of Grace given by God, is taken from none, but from him who firſt buries it by his own fault; Mat. 25.28. Hence is it that in the Scriptures every where we are admoniſhed, that we reſiſt not the Spirit, that we quench not the Spirit, that we receive not the Grace of God in vain, that we depart not from God; Heb. 3.12.

Yea, that is moſt evidently noted to be the reaſon of Gods forſaking man, becauſe God is firſt forſal … by man; Prov. 1.24, &c. Becauſe I have called, and you refuſed, I will laugh at your Calamity.

2 Chron. 24.20. Becauſe ye have forſaken the Lord, He hath alſo forſaken you. But never p. 151in the Scripture, is there the leaſt mention (or Intimation) that God is wont, or that he will at any time, without ſome fault of man going before, take away from any Man the aid of his exciting Grace, or any help which he hath once conferred towards Mans Converſion, or (as it is in the Original) that is ordained unto Mans Converſion.

Thus the Orthodox Fathers, who had to do with the Pelagians ever …anght. It is the Will of God, that we continue in a good Will, who before he be forſaken, for ſakes no Man, Aug. vel. Proſper a… Art. falſ. ad. 7.and oſt-times Converts many that forſake him. — Theſe are the Words of Proſper in Anſwer to the ſeventh Objection of one Vincentius againſt the Doctrine of Auguſtine and Proſper.

The Fifth Poſition.

Theſe forgoing effects wrought in the Minds of Men by the Power of the Word and Spirit, may be ſtifled and utterly extinguiſhed by the fault of a rebellious Will, and in many are; ſo that ſome, in whoſe Hearts by the virtue of the Word and Spirit, ſome Knowledge of Divine Truth, ſome Sorrow for Sin, ſome Deſire and Care of Deliverance have been imprinted, are changed to the quite contrary, they Reject and Hate the Truth, they give themſelves up to their Luſts, are hardened in their Sins, and without all deſire or care of Freedom from them, Rot and Pu…rifie in them.

Matth. 13.19. The Wicked one cometh and catcheth away that which is ſown in his Heart. 2 Pet. 2.21. It had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteouſneſs, than after they have known it, to turn from the Holy Commandment detrvered unto them. But it is happened to them according to the true Proverb, the Dog i… turned to his own Vomit again. Heb. 6.4, 5, 6. It is impoſſible for thoſe who were once inlightned, and have taſted of the Heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, and have taſted of the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come, if they ſhall fall away to return them again unto Repentance.

The Sixth Poſition.

The very Elect in thoſe Acts going before Regeneration, do not carry themſelves ſo, but that for their Negligence and Reſiſtance, they may be juſtly relinquiſhed and forſaken of God, but ſuch is the ſpecial Mercy of God towards them, that though they do for a while repel and choak the Grace of God exciting and inlightning them, yet God doth urge them again and again, nor doth he ceaſe to ſtir them forward, till he have throughly ſubdued them to his Grace, and ſet them in the State of regenerate Sons.

John 6.37. All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no no wiſe caſt out. Jerem. 14.7. O Lord, though our Iniquities teſtifie againſt us, do thou it for thy Names ſake, for our backſlidings are many. Jerem. 32.39. I will give them one Heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever. And Phil. 1.6. He that hath begun a good work in you, will perform it, until the day of Jeſus Chriſt.

But if God ſhould not go on thus to follow, even thoſe that hold off and retire from him, no Calling would be effectual, there would be no Filial Adoption, and even Election it ſelf, grounded upon the good Pleaſure of God, would be fruſtrated.

Since the Fall of Man, God would have it aſcribed to his Grace, that a Man doth come unto him, neither will he have it aſcribed Aug. de bono… perſever.to any thing but his Grace, that a Man doth not go from him.

p. 152The Seventh Poſition.

Thoſe that are not elected, when they reſiſt the Spirit of God and his Grace, in theſe Acts foregoing Regeneration, and exſtinguiſh the initial effects of the ſame in themſelves, by the fault of their own free will, are juſtly forſaken by God, whenſoever it pleaſeth him: Whom by their own fault ſo forſaken, we truly pronounce to remain by the ſame demerit, hardned and unconverted.

We think it to be without all doubt, that no mortal man doth ſo carry himſelf toward God, but that either by omitting that which he ſhould have done, or committing that which he ſhould not have done, he deſerves to have the Grace taken from him which be hath. Which ground being forelay'd, it is clear, that God without all injuſtice, or cruelty, may take from ſuch men that Grace which he hath extended to them, and leave them to the hardneſs of their own hearts; Rom. 9.18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardneth. God alſo oweth this to no man, that when he reſiſts enlightning and exciting Grace, and ſerves his own luſts, he ſhould then ſoften and mollify him by that ſpecial Grace which no hard heart reſiſts; Rom. 11.35. Who hath first given unto him, and it ſhall be recompenced unto him again? Again he that is thus forſaken, being not converted, periſhes through his own fault; John 5.34, 40. I ſay theſe things, that ye might be ſaved, and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life; Acts 28.27. The heart of this people is waxed gro… and their eare are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they cloſed, least they ſhould be converted and I ſhould heal them.

Thus our Divines in the Synod, and with the approbation of the Synod of Dort, gave their Judgment at large, and the grounds and reaſons of it, concerning the diſpoſitions which are ordinarily previous to Regeneration and ſaving Converſation; all which we have tranſcribed word for word, out of their Collegiate ſuffrage, that the world may ſee that our opinion concerning Preparations and Diſpoſitions, previous to ſaving Converſation, is neither new nor ſingular, but is the very ſame with that of the Synod of Dort, from whom we learned it according to the Scripture.

Now we will ſhew that this ſame Doctrine of our Divines in the Synod of Dort, is received and approved by thoſe very Divines whom our Authour in his Letter would ſuborn to be Witneſſes againſt us in the Controverſie between him and us; we ſhall demonſtrate this by the Teſtimonies of Dr. Ames, Dr. Twiſs and Dr. Owen, who do all three expreſſy approve of the ſuffrage of our Britain Divines in this matter.

(1.) Dr. Ames hath an intire Diſputation againſt Maccovius, concerning the preparation of a Sinner to Converſion. It and ſome other Diſſertations of his, are ordinarily bound up with his ſhort Scholaſtical reply to Grevinchovius.

In that Diſputation, after he had in the firſt Poſition rejected (as we have done) all Diſpoſitions any wiſe meritorious of Juſtification; in the ſecond Poſition he ſays, That becauſe there are no meritorious Diſpoſitions, for that reaſon ſo to hate the very name (Diſpoſition), as without any distinction to take away and deny all Preparatory affections and motions in a Sinner, whereby God makes way for his Congruous Converſion, and in ſome ſort puts him in an order and courſe of Actions, which have a tendency unto Regeneration, this is as judiciouſly and wiſely do…e, as if one ſhould abſolutely deny that there are any good Works at all, becauſe meritorious works are juſtly condemned.

And in his 3d. Poſition, But we doubt not to aſſert, (ſays Ames,) that in every Sinner of ripe years who is to be Converted, ordinarily ſome diſpoſitions tending to Converſion, go before it, altho in a different degree, according to the wiſe diſpenſation of God.

And in his 5th. Poſition, De istis (inquit) nihil certius eſt, quâm quod in Syn. Dord: ad art. 3. & 4. Propoſuerunt Theologi Britanni, ſunt quaedam opera, &c. Concerning thoſe Diſpoſitions (ſays Ames) Nothing is more certain than that which the Brittain p. 153Divines propoſed in the Synod of Dort, upon the 3d. and 4th. Articles, There are ſome external works ordinarily required of men, before they be brought to the ſtate of Regeneration or Converſion. And there are ſome internal Effects previous to Converſion or Regeneration, which by the power of the Word and Spirit are ſtirred up in the hearts of thoſe who are not yet juſtified, ſuch are the knowledge of Gods will, ſenſe of ſin, fear of Puniſhment, thought of deliverance, ſome hope of pardon. For as in the natural Generation of man, there are many previous diſpoſitions, ſo alſo in the Spiritual Generation, &c. Thus Ames highly approved what we have quoted before at large out of the Suffrage. Then he quotes Perkins for the ſame opinion in his caſes of Conſcience; Book 1. c. 5.

In his 8th, Poſition, So great (ſays Ames) is the evidence of this Truth, that he who oppoſeth it, by one raſh Sentence ſeems to blot out the whole firſt part of the Catechiſm, with a great part of the Second; and alſo to abrogate and make void the whole Miniſtery of the Word in order to the Converſion of Sinners. ☞ For as there is no uſe of the Miniſtery with reſpect to the Regenerate but that they may be prepared for and brought unto Glory, ſo there is no uſe of it with reſpect to the Unregenerate, but that they may be prepared for, and brought unto Converſion.

In his 9th. Poſition, he brings two places of Scripture to prove that there are ſuch diſpoſitions previous to Converſion; Mark 12.34. Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God; Acts 2.37. When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. Upon both theſe places of Scripture he quotes Calvin, Obſerving from them that there are Preparations and Diſpoſitions previous to ſaving Converſion. Let Scholars conſult the Author himſelf, and read the whole Diſputation if they pleaſe. What we have tranſcribed out of it, is abundantly ſufficient to demonſtrate that Ames is on our ſide, and approved the ſaid Doctrine of our Britain Divines in the Synod of Dort.

(2.) Dr. Twiſs in his anſwer to Mr. Hoard, his Book called, Gods love unto Mankind, diſcourſing there of what our Divines at Dort, Twiſs againſt Hoard p. 205.on the Fifth Article, ſaid concerning the change which by Gods Word and Spirit is wrought in the minds, affections and manners of men, even of the Nonelect, before Converſion and Juſtification; he ſays Expreſly: That the diſpoſitions which God grants unto men before ſaving Converſion, as they are in the Elect, they are preparations to further Grace; and ſo in the Reprobate they might be preparations to further Grace, if it pleaſed God ſo to ordain as to bring them on forward to Juſtification, and true Sanctification conjunct therewith, and thereby unto Salvation.

From which words we obſerve two things, (1) That Dr. Twiſs abſolutely aſſerts, that the previous Diſpoſitions which God by his Word and Spirit works in the Elect before Converſion and Regeneration, are preparations to further Grace.

(2.) As for the like Diſpoſitions wrought by the Word and Spirit in the Reprobate who are never Converted and Regenerated, he affirms not that they are de facto, but that they might be in them alſo, preparations, unto further Grace, upon ſuppoſition that it pleaſed God to give them the like ſpecial effectual ſaving Grace which he gives unto the Elect.

And afterwards in the ſame Book he approves what our Divines ſay on the 3d. and 4th. Articles, concerning previous diſpoſitions, and which we have quoted out of them at large; only he ſaith, he doth not ſufficiently underſtand the laſt Clauſe of their Argument to prove their third Poſition, Which is, [That calling by the Word and Spirit, cannot be thought to leave men inexcuſable, which is only exhibited to this end, to make them unexcuſable.] Twiſs againſt Hoard p. 218.This is the only thing in that Diſcourſe of theirs concerning previous Diſpoſitions which Dr. Twiſs pretends not to underſtand. Yet at the ſame time he ſays, That he thinks (by Gods making men unexcuſeable) they meant Gods ſo taking away all excuſe from men, as that thereby they become p. 154faulty and culpable before God, for want of a ſufficient excuſe, which he grants to be the ordinary meaning of the (word unexcuſable); and then he adds [In this ſenſe I willingly ſubſcribe unto them, and therewithall ſhew what I take to be their meaning, namely this, that if God, making ſhew that if they believe he will accept them, and that they ſhall be ſaved, did not indeed mean that he would in that caſe, accept and ſave them, then there were no reaſon why they ſhould be accounted faulty, and condemned for not believing. Thus, (ſays he) in a deſire exactly to conform my ſelf to the Judgment of theſe Worthies of our Church, made choice of by our Soveraign, to be ſent in ſo honourable an Ambaſſage, to countenance that famous Synod of the moſt Reformed Churches: I have made bold to Interpret them, and to ſhow my concurrence with them, &c. By this paſſage it is evident that he approved all they wrote on that head of diſpoſitions previous to Regeneration. For he ſcrupled only one Clauſe, which he ſo Interpreted as to remove the ground of the Scruple, and then declared his Concurrence with them in that which he took to be the true ſenſe of their words, and indeed he needed not to have made any ſuch Scrupulous Objection, as he there doth; for undoubtedly our Divines uſed the word (unexcuſable) there, in no other ſenſe, but what he yields to at laſt and approves of. To wit, That that calling by the Word and Spirit, cannot be thought to leave men faulty by taking away their excuſe, which is only deſigned and exhibited to make them faulty for want of an excuſe. It appears plainly by the whole Series and Contexture of their diſcourſe, that this was the meaning of our moſt Learned and Judicious Divines; and conſequently that there is no difference between Twiſs and them in this matter. Eſpecially it is moſt evident that Twiſs and they exactly agreed, that in the Elect the foreſaid Diſpoſitions before Converſion, are Preparations to further Grace, even to the ſpeciall Grace of ſaving Converſion it ſelf: And this is the main thing that we now enquire after; to wit, Whether there be any preparatory Diſpoſitions in the Elect before Converſion?

Thirdly, Dr. Owen alſo in his Diſcourſe in Folio, concerning the Holy Spirit, quotes the Judgment of our Brittain Divines at the Synod of Dort, concerning the foreſaid diſpoſitions previous to Regeneration, Dr. Owens diſcourſe concerning the work of the Holy Spirit; Book 3. Cap. 2. Pag. 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196.and approves it, and goes the ſame way that they do, in diſcourſing of them, and ſhewing what they are and how they are wrought. Firſt (ſays he) in reference unto the work of Regeneration it ſelf, poſitively conſidered, we may obſerve, that ordinarily there are certain previous and preparatory works, or workings in and upon the Souls of men, that are antecedent and diſpoſitive, unto it: But yet Regeneration doth not conſiſt in them, nor can it be educed out of them. This is for the ſubſtance of it, the Poſition of the Divines of the Church of England, at the Synod of Dort, two whereof died Biſhops, and others of them were dignified in the Hierarchy. I mention it, that thoſe (new Divines) by whom theſe things are deſpiſed, may a little conſider whoſe aſhes they trample on and ſcorn.

Then the Dr. tells us (1.) That he ſpeaks not of the Regeneration of Infants, but of the adult. (2.) That the diſpoſitions previous to their Regeneration are not formal but material diſpoſitions. (3.) That ſome of them are attainable by the power of nature alone, ſuch as are outward attendance on the diſpenſation of the Word, and a diligent intenſion of mind in attending on the means of Grace, to underſtand and receive the things revealed, and declared as the mind and will of God: and he ſays, that the omitting or neglecting to uſe this natural ability, is the principal occaſion and cauſe of the eternal ruin of the Souls of the Generality of them, to whom, or amongſt whom the Goſpel is preached, John 3.19.

(4.) That there are certain Internal Spiritual Effects wrought in and upon the Souls of Men, whereof the Word preached, is the immediate Inſtrumental cauſe, p. 155which ordinarily do precede the work of Regeneration, or real Converſion unto God: And they are reduceable unto Three Heads, (1.) Illumination. (2.) Conviction. (3. Reformation. The firſt of theſe reſpects the Mind only. The ſecond the Mind, Conſcience and Affections. And the third, the Life and Converſation. Theſe are attained by the inward influence of the Holy, Spirit upon mens Souls, concurring with the Word to make it effectual unto thoſe ends.

All theſe things may be wrought in the minds of men by the diſpenſation of the Word, and yet the work of Regeneration be never perfected in them. Yea, although they are good in themſelves, and fruits of the kindneſs of God towards us; they may not only be loſt as unto any Spiritual advantage, but alſo be abuſed to our great diſadvantage. Then Pag. 196. The Dectrine (ſays he) concerning theſe things, hath been variouſly handled, diſtinguiſhed and applyed, by many Learned Divines, and Faithful Miniſters of the Goſpel, Unto that Light which they received into them from the infallible Word of God, they ſoined thoſe experiences which they had obſerved in their own hearts, and the Conſciences of others with whom they had to do, which were ſuitable thereunto. And in the diſpenſation of this truth, according to the meaſure of the gift of the Grace of Chriſt, which they ſeverally received, they had an uſeful and fruitful Miniſtery in the World, to the Converting of many unto God. ☞ But we have lived to ſee all theſe things decried and rejected. Thus Dr. Owen concerning Diſpoſitions previous to Regeneration, whoſe ſenſe upon the whole, we have here briefly and faithfully repreſented unto all into whoſe hands this may come. And in the firſt and latter part of this long quotation, we have tranſcribed his own words.

By all which we ſee that Dr. Owen received and approved as true, good and uſeful, the foreſaid Doctrine of the Engliſh Divines at the Synod of Dort, concerning Diſpoſitions and Preparations before Regeneration; and ſeems to have ſaid it with ſome grief, that he had lived to ſee all theſe things decryed and rejected, to wit, by ſome Arminian Divines of the Church of England: And would it not have grieved him a little more, to have ſeen all theſe things decryed and rejected alſo by Nonconformiſts, that pretend to be the only party of Proteſtants who adhere to the old pure Doctrine of the beſt Reformed Churches; when at the ſame time and in the ſame thing they join with the new Divines, (as Dr. Owen expreſly calls them) that is, with the Arminians, againſt the Synod of Dort, and the old Doctrine of the Church of England. But you may ſay, doth our Author do ſo? doth he decry and reject thoſe Preparations and Diſpoſitions before Regeneration and Converſion, which our Divines maintained in the Synod of Dort, and which Dr. Owen maintained after them againſt modern Arminians? We anſwer, if he doth not decry and reject them, what means all that which he writes in the 12 page of his Letter againſt all Preparations and Diſpoſitions before a ſaving and juſtifying Faith? Surely he took wrong meaſures if the thought that thoſe diſpoſitions might be admitted before Regeneration and Converſion, but not before a ſaving and juſtifying Faith. For it is ſimply impoſſible, and implyes a contradiction, that they can be before Regeneration and firſt ſaving Converſion, but they muſt be alſo before ſaving and juſtifying Faith. So that either he muſt contradict himſelf after his uſual manner, if he hold the foreſaid diſpoſitions to be before Regeneration and Converſion, but not before ſaving juſtifying Faith; or if he affirm that they are neither before Regeneration and Converſion, nor yet before ſaving Faith, which is neceſſarily implyed in Regeneration and Converſion; then indeed he doth not contradict himſelf, but he doth that which is worſe, he contradicts the Truth, and the Synod of Dort, with Dr. Ames, Dr. Twiſs, and Dr. Owen, who all maintain this Truth that the ſaid preparatory diſpoſitions are before Regeneration and Converſion, and ſo before a ſaving juſtifying Faith.

If he ſays that he doth not deny them to be before Regeneration and Saving Juſtifying Faith, nor to be diſpoſitive thereunto, but that he only denies them to be diſpoſitive unto Juſtification.

p. 156We Anſwer, (1.) That then he yields the Cauſe, and comes over to us; for we do not ſay that any thing before Regeneration and ſaving juſtifying Faith, is or can be immediately Diſpoſitive unto Juſtification; but that the foreſaid Preparations are Diſpoſitive unto Regeneration and Converſion, which are in Order before Juſtification. (2.) Then he is as much bound to Anſwer his own Argument againſt their being Diſpoſitive unto Juſtification, as we are; for his Argument is this, that nothing a Man doth before ſaving juſtifying Faith, can diſpoſe him for Juſtification, becauſe it is all Sin, and Sin can never diſpoſe a Man for Juſtification.

Now if this be true, if all that a Man doth before ſaving juſtifying Faith, be Sin, if it be vain labour, and an Acting of Sin, and therefore cannot diſpoſe him for Juſtification; then for the ſame Reaſon, it cannot diſpoſe him for Regeneration and ſaving juſtifying Faith; for it is ſelf-evident, that that which is vain labour, and nothing but Sin, can no more diſpoſe a Man for Regeneration, than for Juſtification.

Indeed Sin can diſpoſe a Man for nothing, but for Sin and Puniſhment; and if that which is vain labour could diſpoſe a Man for Regeneration and Converſion, it would at once be both vain labour, and not vain labour; it would be vain labour, for ſo it is ſaid and ſuppoſed to be; and it would not be vain labour, becauſe it diſpoſes a Man for Regeneration and Converſion, and that is not vain labour which is uſeful to ſo good an end as the Regenerating and Converting of a Man is.

But (1.) our Author Objects the 13th Article of the Church of England. To which we Anſwer, (1.) That the Engliſh Divines at the Synod of Dort, underſtood the Articles of their own Church much better than our Author doth, and yet they found nothing in the 13th Article againſt Diſpoſitions before Converſion, wrought in Sinners by the Word and Spirit of Chriſt.

(2.) The Article ſpeaks only of Works done by Infidels without any Grace of Chriſt at all, and without any Inſpiration of the Spirit. Now it is Confeſſed, that ſuch Works are not pleaſant to God, See the 10th Art.nor are they Diſpoſitive unto Regeneration and Converſion. But the Works which the Synod of Dort, Ames, Twiſs and Owen affirm to be Preparatory and Diſpofitive unto Regeneration and Converſion, are not ſuch Works, they are not works done by the meer Power of Nature without any ſupernatural Grace at all; but they are Works done by the Power of the Word and Spirit of Chriſt, they are Works done by a certain Inferior kind of ſupernatural Grace of Chriſt and Inſpiration of the Spirit of Chriſt, which is ſufficient to elevate and raiſe the Faculties of a Sinner ſomething above its natural Capacity, to the producing of ſuch Actions, which though they be not ſavingly good and ſo not pleaſing to God unto Juſtification and Salvation; yet they are materially good, and Relatively good too in Order to the uſe and end for which God has ordained them, that is, they are Diſpoſitively good, they have from God ſo much goodneſs as makes them fit to be a Material Diſpoſition of the Sinner to receive from God that which is in a higher Order of goodneſs, even that which is ſavingly good; and in this reſpect being good, they are ſo far pleaſing to God, as they are diſpoſitive unto Regeneration and Converſion. Hence it is written, Mark 10.21. That Jeſus beholding an unconverted man, loved him; the Man was certainly as yet in an unregenerated unconverted State, as appears by the 22 verſe, and by the following Diſcourſe of our Saviour▪ yet he was ſomething ſolicitous about his Salvation, and had ſome ſmall weak Diſpoſition towards Converſion; which our Saviour obſerved in him, and was pleaſed with it, and loved him under that Conſideration, as ſomething inclined and diſpoſed towards Converſion; now our Saviour as Man and as Mediator was never pleaſed with any thing, but as it was pleaſing to God, and never loved any Man further than God loved him.

p. 157(3.) The Article doth not deny but that the foreſaid Works or Actions of unregenerate Men, done by the Grace of Chriſt and Inſpiration of his Spirit, are by the Ordination and free Conſtitution of God, Preparatory and Diſpoſitive unto the Reception of ſpecial ſaving Grace in Regeneration and Converſion; But if it intends them at all, it denies that of their own Nature they are meritoriouſly Diſpoſitive either unto the Grace of Regeneration or Juſtification; for the clearing of this, it is to be well conſidered that before the Reformation there were ſeveral numerous Sects of Schoolmen in the Roman Church, whereof one, to wit, the Scotiſts, held that a Sinner by doing what he can, as far as his natural Strength will go, without any Supernatural Grace from Chriſt, may Merit the firſt Supernatural Grace, with a Merit of Congruity; and this ſame Doctrine was taught at Rome even after the Reformation and Council of Trent, and publiſhed by Nider in a Book intituled, Conſolatorium timoratae Conſcientiae, Printed at Rome in the Year, 1604. as is to be ſeen in the 9. Chap. of the 2d. part, pag. 57. where he maintains that, Facienti quod in ſe eſt, ſolis naturae viribus, Deus da… gratiam infallibiliter & neceſſario: That unto a Man who doth what he can by the alone Power of Nature, God gives Grace infallibly and neceſſarily, …v…n as neceſſarily as the Sun gives Light to all that open their Eyes to receive it. But others of the Schoolmen rejected this Opinion of the Scotiſts, as a Semipelagian Error, yet even they held that God having freely given to an unconverted Sinner the firſt ſupernatural preventing Grace, he may thereby ſo Convert and Turn himſelf to God, as to Merit of Congruity the Grace of the firſt Juſtification, that is, the Infuſion of the Habit of juſtifying or ſanctifying Grace.

Now the 13th Article of the Church of England, was levelled againſt both theſe Opinions of the Papiſts, eſpecially and expreſly againſt the (1ſt.) Works done by the alone Power of Nature, cannot make Men meet to receive Grace, or they cannot deſerve Grace of Congruity, becauſe they are done before and without any Grace of Chriſt and Inſpiration of his Spirit, and ſo are not pleaſing to God, and what is not pleaſing to him cannot poſſibly Merit the Grace of Regeneration or Juſtification at his Hand. (2.) Neither the Works done without any Grace of Chriſt, nor the Works done by the help of Chriſts preventing common Grace before Regeneration, make Men meet to receive, or of Congruity deſerve the Grace of Juſtification, becauſe they do not Spring out of Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, but are both of them before it, and therefore are not pleaſing to God unto Juſtification and Salvation; yet that nothing hinders, but the Works which are done by the preventing Grace of Chriſt before Converſion, may by Gods free Ordination be Preparatory and Materially Diſpoſitive unto Converſion and Faith in Chriſt.

(4.) We willingly grant what the Article ſaith, That Works done before Regeneration and Converſion have the Nature of Sin, becauſe they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, that is, they are not ſo circumſtantiated as God requires good Works to be. Yet it doth not follow that ſuch of them as are done by the help of preventing Grace, are Sin and nothing but Sin, as our Author would make People believe; for it is one thing for a Work to have the Nature of Sin cleaving to it, and it is another thing to be Sin and nothing but Sin; the Works of which we now ſpeak; certainly have the Nature of Sin cleaving to them, as they proceed from an unregenerate Man, whoſe Heart is not yet renewed, and who is not endued with a ſaving Faith, and as they are not directed by him to the Glory of God as the beſt and higheſt end; and yet it, is ſo far from being true, that they are Sin in the abſtrect, and nothing but Sin, that on the contrary, they are Materially and Subſtantially good, as they are commanded by God, and as they proceed from the preventing, exciting Grace of Chriſts Spirit, cauſing a Man to do them in Obedience to Gods command; and likewiſe they are Relatively and Diſpoſitively good, as they are ordered by God to be a means of preparing and diſpoſing Man for the ſaving Grace of Regeneration p. 158and Converſion. Hence Dr. Owen in the Book aforeſaid, Pag. 196. ſaith, That they are good in themſelves, and Fruits of the kindneſs of God towards us. And Pag. 198. He ſaith, That in their own Nature they have a tendency unto ſincere Converſion. And Pag. 167. He ſaith, that the Spirit of Grace ordinarily giveth not out his Aids and Aſſiſtances any where, but where he preparen the Soul with Diligence in Duty. Thus Dr. Owen, whereby it manifeſtly appears that he was far from thinking, that all a Man can do before he have the Spirit of God dwelling in him, and in Order to a Holy change, firſt in his Heart and then in his Life, is both vain labour, and an Acting of Sin.

And as far was Dr. Twiſs from any ſuch thought, for thus he writes in the Book mentioned before: Anſwer to the Doctrine of the Synod of Dort and Arles, reduced to Practice. p. 106.[There is a legal Repentance, and there is an Evangelical Repentance. And that legal Repentance may be unto Deſperation, as Judas his Repentance was: Again that legal Repentance may be a Fruit of the Spirit of Bondage, which prepares for the hearing of the Goſpel, and for the receiving of the Spirit of Adoption by the Goſpel; then in the Preaching the Goſpel, the tender Mercies of God diſplayed unto us, and how ready be is to Pardon Sin in general, and that of Free Grace, may better our Repentance; and when we are thus by Degrees brought to the Spirit of Adoption, to cry Abba Father, then our Repentance ſhall be moſt perfect, as before I ſaid. And when we look upon him whom we have pierced, and can in Aſſurance of Faith, ſay with the Apoſtle; I live by Faith in him who loved me, and gave himſelf for me, this is of Power to prick a Maſter vein, and make us bleed out Repentance in the ſight of our Gracious God (whom we have offended, and who yet in deſpite of our Sins hath loved us) more Devoutly and Affectionately than ever before. Yet is it true, as he (the Arminian ſaith) That Repentance is nothing worth without Faith? what thinks he of Ahabs Repentance, when he put on Sackcloath, and wallowed in Aſhes, upon the Word of Judgment againſt his Houſe, brought unto him by the Prophet Eliah? Do we not know, what the Lord ſaid hereupon unto Eliah, Seeſt thou, how Ahab is humbled before me? becauſe he ſubmitteth himſelf before me, I will not bring that evil in his days. The uttermoſt of the Ninivites Faith was but this, that we read of, who can tell if God will turn and Repent, and turn from his fierce Wrath, that we periſh not? Yet their Repentance was ſuch, that when God ſaw their works, that they turned from their Evil Ways, he repented of the Evil which he ſaid, that he would do unto them, and he did it not, Jon. 3.9.

Thus Dr. Twiſs, whereby it is evident that he was far from thinking that all which a man can do before he have the Spirit of God dwelling in him, and that he may get a Holy Heart, and a ſaving Faith, and ſo be fitted to lead a Holy Life, is nothing but vain labour and an Acting of Sin.

Object. 2. Secondly, Our Author Objects, the ſeventh Article of the 16. Chapter of the Weſtminſter Confeſſion of Faith.

And our Anſwer is, That that Article of the Confeſſion of Faith, is the ſame in effect with the 13th. Article of the Church of England, and therefore is to be taken in the ſame Sence, to wit, That the Works of unregenerate men done before and without any Grace of Chriſts Spirit, though they may be materially good, yet they are formally ſo ſinful, that they do not make a Man meet to receive any Grace from God, either the Grace of Regeneration or Juſtification; and as for the Works of unregenerate Men, which are done by the help of ſupernatural preventing common Grace, though they be better than the former, which are done by the alone Strength of Nature, yet they are ſinful too, they are ſo defiled with Sin as they proceed from an unregenerate Man, that they cannot pleaſe God, ſo far as to make a Man meet to receive the Grace of Juſtification from God; nor do they make a Man meet to receive the Grace of Regeneration from God, by way of Reward due to them as Congruouſly Meritorious thereof. Yet in another ſound ſence they may make a Man meet to receive the Grace of Regeneration and Converſion p. 159from God, to wit, as they are wrought in Men by the Spirit, and according to the Word, and are ordained by God to be means of removing ſuch things as hinder Converſion, and of the helping men forward in the way unto, and of fitting and preparing them for Converſion, as a Gracious Gift which ordinarily God freely gives to thoſe who are ſo prepared by the Word and Spirit of Chriſt. In this ſound ſence (though not in the Popiſh or Semipelagian ſenſe) the foreſaid works do indeed make men meet to receive Grace from God, and the Article of the Confeſſion of Faith, ſaith nothing to the contrary. Yea it is plainly againſt that abſired opinion that all that an Unregenerate man can do by any means, in order to the getting of his heart ſavingly changed and initially ſanctified by the ſpecial effectual Grace of the Regenerating Spirit of Chriſt, is vain labour and an acting of Sin; we ſay that the foreſaid Article of the Confeſſion of Faith is plainly againſt that abſurd opinion, for it ſays expreſly, That works of Unregerate men, are things which God Commands, and are of good uſe both to themſelves and others; and one of the beſt uſes they can poſſibly be of unto themſelves, is to diſpoſe and prepare them for Regeneration and Converſion, and to make them (if not meet, yet at leaſt) leſs unmeet, to receive ſpecial ſaving Grace from God through Jeſus Chriſt. And thus according to the Confeſſion of Faith, and our principle agreeable thereunto, we can give encouragement to unregenerate men to attend upon God in the diligent uſe of means for obtaining the free and effectual Grace of the Regenerating Spirit, and ſo Converſion thereby; but our Author ſeems to tell Unregenerate men, that all they can do before they be Regenerated, and have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, which is got only by Faith in Chriſt, and therefore is in order of nature after Faith in Chriſt; altho they do it with a deſire that they may be Regenerated, and may obtain a precious holy Faith in Chriſt, and thereby the Holy Spirit of Chriſt. it is all vain labour and an acting of ſin. Now is not this great encouragement for men to wait upon God in the uſe of his appointed means for the obtaining of converting Grace and a new holy heart, to tell them that all they can do in order to that end, is vain labour, and acting of ſin? We hope ſuch men will not believe our Author; but if they do, there is nothing can be expected from them; but that …hev ſhould caſt off all uſe of means, and give over all reading hearing, and praying, for why ſhould they trouble themſelves with ſuch Religious Exerciſes, ſince all is an acting of ſin, and loſt labour too. Yet if our Author ſhould intend to ſet up for a Quietiſt, the foreſaid Doctrine may be of good uſe to bring in Diſciples to him; for he can tell them holdly (as his manner is) that if they will become Quietiſts, he will ſhew them an infallible way wherein they ſhall neither act ſin, nor yet loſe their labour; for if they will become right Quietiſts, they ſhall neither act nor labour, but wholly reſt from action and labour; and ſhall not act ſin, nor loſe their labour, becauſe they ſhall not act nor labour at all, but wholly reſt from action and labour; and whileſt they are in a ſtate of perfect reſt, without any kind of action or labour at all, Then the Spirit of God ſhall fall upon them, and Regenerate and Convert them.

3d. Objection. Thirdly, He Objects the Teſtimony of Calvin, who in his Inſtitutions writes thus againſt the Papiſts, Inſtitut. lib. 3 cap. 15 § 6.They have found out I know not what moral good Works, whereby men are made acceptable to God, before they are ingrafted into Chriſt, as if the Scripture lyed, when it ſaith, they are all in death who have not the Son. 1 John 5.12. If they be in death, how ſhould they beget matter of Life? As if it mere of no force, whatſoever is without Faith is ſin, Rom. 14.23. As if an evil tree could have good Fruit: But now what place have thoſe moſt Peſtilent Sophiſters left unto Chriſt, where he may put forth and diſplay his Vertue? Why they ſay, that be hath merited for us the firſt Grace, that is, he hath given us occaſion of meriting; And that now it is our part, not to be wanting p. 160in improving the occaſion offered. By this paſſage of Calvin quoted here more fully than it is in the letter, we ſee more clearly what it is that Calvin is there diſputing againſt, to wit, the Popiſh Doctrine of mans meriting his Juſtification and Acceptance with God, as righteous unto eternal Life, by moral good works done by him before he be juſtified, and that is, in their ſenſe before he be initially ſanctified in Regeneration and Converſion; for they perpetually confound theſe two, Juſtification, and Initial Sanctification, on the infuſion of habitual Grace, as ſignifying the ſame thing. This is that which Calvin there denies and diſproves. Now this being premiſed, to give light unto the whole matter, We anſwer, That this is nothing to our Authors purpoſe, who brings this paſſage to prove that Calvin denyed all preparations and diſpoſitions before Regeneration and Converſion, and conſequently before Juſtification; whereas Calvin here denies no ſuch thing; the onelyonly thing that he here denies againſt the Papiſts. Is that a man by moral good works done before Juſtification, can merit Juſtification; which we deny, as much as he doth; and that for the ſame reaſon too, becauſe there neither are nor can be any moral works before Regeneration and Converſion, that are ſo good as to merit Juſtification, and render a man acceptable unto God. But elſewhere he is ſo far from denying, that he expreſly affirms and maintains that there are ſome preparations and diſpoſitions in man previous to his Juſtification, as we have plainly ſhewed before: And particularly in his anſwer to Pighius, he only denies that a man by his meer natural power without any ſupernatural Grace, can prepare and diſpoſe himſelf for ſpecial ſaving Grace, but at the ſame time he confeſſes and proves, that by the gracious influences of Gods Spirit upon a man, he may be and is prepared and diſpoſed for Juſtification; for though the man be Spiritually dead, yet he hath a natural life and the uſe of his reaſon, and the living and life-giving Spirit of God, can uſe his naturally living, and rational Faculties, to produce ſuch actions as by the Ordination of God ſhall prepare and diſpoſe him to receive the firſt principle of Spiritual Life from the Lord of Life, and upon the exerciſe of that firſt principle of Spiritual Life in acts of Faith and Evangelical Repentance, God for Chriſts ſake alone, pardons his ſins, and gives him a right to eternal Life.

This is all that we, with Ames, Twiſs, and Owen, after the Synod of Dort, hold and maintain concerning diſpoſitions previous to Regeneration and Juſtification, and Calvin in this paſſage doth not contradict this opinion, but in his other Books maintains it himſelf. If our Author ſhould yet object, that at leaſt one of the places of Scripture which Calvin alledges againſt the Papiſts, to wit, Rom. 14.23. Whatſoever is not of Faith, is ſin, will be of force againſt us, and againſt the previous diſpoſitions which we with the Synod of Dort maintain:

We anſwer, That he will find himſelf very much miſtaken, for it is of no force at all againſt us and our opinion: And to ſpeak our minds freely, as it becomes all ingenuous men to do, we do not ſee that in it ſelf, it was of any force againſt that opinion of the Papiſts which Calvin was there Confuting. Yet to excuſe Calvins arguing from it againſt them, it may be ſaid, that he did not ſpeak his own ſenſe therein, but the ſenſe of Auguſtin, who miſtook the true ſenſe of that place of Scripture, as if the word (Faith) there, did ſignifie a Juſtifying Faith, and ſo urged it frequently againſt the Pelagians. Now the Popiſh Schoolmen pretended to have a great Veneration for the Authority and Judgment of Anguſtin; therefore Calvin knowing this, might argue ad hominem againſt them, from that place of Scripture taken in Auguſtins ſence, and the argument might be of ſome uſe to ſtop their mouths. But otherwiſe the Argument in it ſelf was of no force at all, becauſe it is grounded upon a falſe Interpretation of the word (Faith) in that place. And this Calvin knew well enough, therefore not only in his Commentary on the Epiſtle to the Romans, but ſeveral times in his Inſtitutions, when he ſpeaks his own fence of Rom. 14.23. Whatſoever is not of Faith, is p. 161ſin; he ſays, that by the Word (Faith) there is not meant a juſtifying Faith, but a firm perſwaſion of Mind, in oppoſition to doubting that a thing is lawful, and that it may be done without ſin: ſo that according to Calvin, the true and genuine ſence of the place is, That whatſoever a man doth without Faith, that is, without a firm perſwaſion of mind that he may lawfully do it, whatſoever a man doth with a doubting Conſcience, it is ſin to him who, ſo doth it, though the thing be never ſo lawful in it ſelf. Thus Calvin expounds it in the Third Book of his Inſtitutions, Chap. 5. § 10. Quum nihil operis debeant aggredi fideles, niſi ceriâ Conſcientiâ, ut Paulus praecipit (Rom. 14.23.) in oratione potiſſimum requiritur haec certitudo. Since Believers ſhould undertake no work, but with a ſure Conſcience, as Paul Commands in Rom. 14.23. This aſſurance is chiefly required in Prayer; to wit, that we pray to no perſon, See alſo Inſtit. lib. 4. cap. 13. §. 17.but with a ſure and well Grounded Perſwaſion in our Conſcience, that we may Lawfully pray to him. Again in the Fourth Book, Chap. 15. §. 22. In rebus etiam minutiſſimis, ut in cibo & potu, quicquid dubiâ conſcientiâ aggredimur, Paulus aparte clamat eſſe peccatum. Rom. 14.23. Even in the moſt minute little things, as in meat and drink, whatſoever we do with a doubting Conſcience, Paul doth plainly declare it to be ſin. Rom. 14.23. For whatſoever is not of Faith is ſin. In theſe paſſages Calvin ſpeaks both his own ſence, and the true ſence of the Apoſtle; and therefore in the other paſſage quoted by our Author, he muſt either ſpeak the ſence of Auguſtin, and from it argue ad hominem, againſt the Papiſts, or elſe he plays the Sophiſter, and wreſts the Scripture againſt his own knowledg and Conſcience, which we are unwilling to believe of ſo great and good a man: But we cannot be ſo confident of the ſincerity of our Author as we are of Calvins, and therefore we commend to his ſerious Conſideration, a paſſage of the Reverend and Learned Pitcarne in his Evangelical Harmony of the Apoſtles Paul and James in the Doctrine of Juſtification, Art. 1. Pag. 10. Tantum addo quod, &c. I only add (ſays he) that in the Scriptures, the word (Faith) is alſo uſed for the Conſcience or perſwaſion of the will of God approving our Fact, or that which we are to do. [Whatſoever is not of faith, is ſin.] That is, It is ſin, whatſoever it be that is done with a Conſcience that is doubting and uncertain of the will of God. I was not a little grieved when I read Suarez accuſing our Divines, that they acted the part of Sophiſters, when to prove Justification by Faith alone, they alledge without making a right choice, or putting a difference between one and another, any places of Scriprure where faith is mentioned, although in them there is not the leaſt tittle to be found of Faith related to Christ, and the promiſes of the Goſpel, or that hath reſpect unto abſolution from the guilt of ſin. This ſhould teach us all to take great care how we quote and apply Scripture to prove our opinions, leaſt by miſapplying Texts, we wreſt the Scripture, grieve Gods Spirit, and harden our Adverſaries in their Erroneous opinions.

4th. Obj. Fourthly, He Objects againſt us, The Seventh Canon of the Sixth Seſſion of the Council of Trent, which Anathematizeth all thoſe who ſay that all works done before Juſtification, howſoever they be done are truly ſins. We anſwer, that this objection is impertinent, and makes againſt himſelf as well as againſt us. Let. p. 16.32.For (1.) He ſays that Faith is in order of nature before Juſtification, as we have proved from ſeveral paſſages in his Letter.

(2.) He ſaith, Pag. 11. That Faith is a work, that it is a great work, that it is a work of God, yea a work of God which we do, and cannot do too ſoon. Now we hope he will not ſay that this great work of God, which through Grace we do before Juſtification, and cannot do too ſoon, is an evil work, and is truly ſin: And if it be not an evil work, and truly ſin, then it muſt be a good work, and truly Gracious: And thus we have himſelf holding with the Council of Trent, as well as we do, that before Juſtification there is a good work which is not truly ſin, but truly good and Gracious. If he ſay, that Faith doth not juſtifie as a work, that is nothing to the purpoſe, for the Queſtion now is not, p. 162whether Faith juſtifie as a work, or as an inſtrument, but whether Faith really be a work, an internal work of the Soul, which it may well be, and yet not juſtifie as a work: And he himſelf hath expreſly confeſſed that it is a work, and a great work too, and likewiſe that it is a great work which not only God doth, but which we do through the Grace of God enabling us. But after all, if he be ſo reſolved that he will have nothing common with the Council of Trent, but differ from them in all things true or falſe, right or wrong; and therefore becauſe they hold that juſtifying Faith is a good work before Juſtification, that is not truly ſin, he will hold the contrary that tho juſtifying Faith be before Juſtification, yet it is not a good work, but an evil work, and is truly ſin: we can ſay nothing to it, he hath his free choice, for any thing that we can do to the contrary; yet we ſhould adviſe him to be wiſer, and not to reject any Truth of the Goſpel, becauſe an adverſary holds and believes it. And that it is a Goſpel-truth, that juſtifying ſaving Faith is a good work, tho it be in order before Juſtification, we doubt not but his own Conſcience knows it and is convinced of it. Sure we are that our Conſcience is fully perſwaded of it. And tho' we believe in our hearts and confeſs with our mouths, that juſtifying Faith in the beſt of us is too too little and weak, and that the gradual defect of it is truly ſin, and deſerves the hatred of God; yet are we infallibly ſure that the Grace and gracious Act it ſelf of juſtifying ſaving Faith, ſo far as we have any of it, is truly good and cannot be truly evil and ſin. This we are ſure is a truth, and we believe it, and are reſolved through Grace ſo to do, and never to like it the worſe becauſe the Papiſts believe it, and curſe all thoſe who disbelieve it. We join with them in believing the truth ſo far as they do believe it; but we utterly abhor their curſing of Diſſenters. If our Author think fit to Diſſent from us in this matter, we ſhall be ſo far from curſing him, that we ſhall pray God to bleſs him with a better underſtanding of this and all other things, wherein he may be miſtaken. As for the other paſſage which our Author quotes out of the 11th. Canon, and calls the bellowing of the Beaſt, We might paſs it over, for it doth not at all concern us, nor the Controverſie that is between the Author of the Letter and us. Yet this we will ſay that he ſeems not to underſtand the Language of that Beaſt of Trent, for they confeſs with us, That the Grace whereby we are juſtified, is the favour of God; as plainly appears from what they ſay before the Canons, in the 7th. Chapter, but they curſe all thoſe who ſay that the Grace whereby we are juſtified is only the favour of God: For they hold that we are juſtified by a two-fold Grace, the one External without us, and it is the mercy and favour of God, which is that that principally moves him to juſtifie us; the other Internal within us, the effect of the firſt, and it is the habit of Grace or Charity infuſed into us by the holy Spirit to make us formally juſt by ſomething Inherent in our ſelves. Now we do not ſay (any more than they do) that we are juſtified by the favour of God only, and excluſively of all other things; for we maintain that we are juſtified by the Grace and Favour of God, and alſo by the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt imputed to us, according to Rom. 3.24. And this is the ground of the Quarrel, this is it for which they Curſe our Author and us both, becauſe we both believe that we are juſtified by Chriſts Righteouſneſs imputed to us, and not by Gods Grace infuſed into us, and inherent in us. And yet we believe this too, to wit, that Gods Grace is infuſed into us and inherent in us; only we do not call this Juſtification, but give it another name, and call it Sanctification. Thoſe Trent Fathers therefore had no reaſon to be ſo angry with us, and in their Beaſtly wrath to fall a curſing of us.

But after all this anger on both ſides, there may be ſome hope that the Children of thoſe Fathers and our Author may be reconciled in time, if the old Axiom be true, that (Quae ſunt eadem in tertio, ſunt eadem inter ſe); They who agree p. 163in a Third, agree between themſelves or one with another. But ſo it is that they agree in a third, to wit, in Bradwardin. For certain, Papiſts agree with Bradwardin in the matter of Juſtification; and they will have good hope that our Author will do ſo too, when they conſider that in the 13th. page of his Letter, he ſaith, That God gave Bradwardin for a Bleſſing to England. For ſince he believes that Bradwardin was a Bleſſing to England, the Papiſts cannot but hope that he will be of Bradwardins mind in the important point of Juſtification, and if the World would know of what mind Bradwardin was in that matter, they may ſee it in his Book, pag. 406 Conſiteor Deum meum ſicut aeternaliter gratuitô me dilexit, & aeternaliter gratiam Justificatricem tempore placito coram eo, mihi gratis conferre diſpoſuit; ſic tempore placito veniente, gratis inſundere gratiam Juſtificatem mihi injuſto, juſtificare me gratis, lavare injuſtitias meas gratis, ſuſcitare & ſanare me gratis, debitum poenae aeternae dimittere mihi gratis, atque in poenam temporalem vertere ipſam gratis, &c. I confeſs that my God, (as from eternity he freely loved me, and likewiſe from eternity purpoſed freely to give me juſtifying Grace in ſuch time as ſeemed good in his ſight, ſo when the time appointed comes) doth freely infuſe juſtifying Grace into me an unjuſt man, that he doth juſtifie me freely, waſh away my unrighteouſneſs freely, raiſe up and heal me freely, that he doth freely forgive me the debt of eternal puniſhment, and freely change it into temporal puniſhment, &c. And Pag. 416. Nec etiam peccator, peccato dimiſſo, ſtatim habet reformatione plenariam ſtatus ſui, ſicut evidenter ſequitur ex predictis; adhuc enim remanet debitor poenae, & ſatisfactionis debitae pro peccato. Nor when ſin is forgiven, hath the Sinner immediately a full reformation or change of the ſtate of his Soul, as it evidently follows from what hath been ſaid before, for he yet remains a debtor of punistment, or bound to ſuffer puniſhment, and to make the ſatisfaction which he ows for his ſin. Thus Bradwardin, he ſpeaks the true Language of the Beaſt, and makes Juſtification to be by inherent Righteouſneſs, and the pardon of the eternal puniſhment of ſin, with a reſervation of the temporal puniſhment to be yet ſuffered, and of ſatisfaction to be made by our ſelves either in this life, or in Purgatory after this life. In all which there is a perfect agreement between him and the Council of Trent. And let no man think that he muſt needs differ from the Council of Trent, becauſe he ſpeaks ſo much of Gods freely juſtifying the unrighteous; for it is the firſt Juſtification that he ſo ſpeaks of, and the Council of Trent ſpeaks the ſelf-ſame Language, witneſs their own formal expreſs words in the Eight Chapter of the Sixth Seſſion, Concil. Trident Seſ. 6. Cap. 8.Perpetuus Eccleſiae Catholicae conſenſus tenuit, ut, &c. The perpetual conſent of the Catholick Church hath always held, that we are therefore ſaid to be juſtified freely, becauſe none of thoſe things which go before Juſtification, whether Faith or Works, do merit the Grace of Juſtification; for if it be of Grace, then it is not of Works, otherwiſe as the ſame Apoſtle ſaith, Grace is no more Grace, Rom. 11.6. Thus the Council of Trent. Whereby it is evident that they and Bradwardin are agreed as to the freeneſs of Juſtification, and it is as evident from the Canons that they are agreed about the formal nature of Juſtification, wherein it conſiſts. And as the Papiſts that keep cloſe to the Council of Trent, are agreed with Bradwardin in the fundamental point of Juſtification againſt the Pelagians; ſo they are not without ground of hope that our Author will agree alſo (if he do not already agree) with the profound Bradwardin, in that fundamental point of Juſtification againſt the Pelagians, becauſe he hath publickly confeſſed it in the 13th. Page of his Letter, that God gave Bradwardin to be a Bleſſing unto England; ſurely then (will they ſay among themſelves) this Miniſter will not differ from Bradwardin in ſo important a point of Religion, for fear he ſhould prove a Curſe unto England. It is not impoſſible, nor it may be improbable, but Papiſts who conſider of the matter, may thus reaſon themſelves into the hopes of a Proſelyte to their Religion. Therefore we will endeavour to fruſtrate their hopes, and to prevent our Brothers being drawn over to them, by p. 164means of his admired Bradwardin, and this we ſhall do by giving him a further account of the Principles and Practices of that profound Doctor. Thus then he writes in 61 page of his Book, called, The Cauſe of God. Nos Imagines Christi, Dei, Trinitatis, Angelorum & Sanctorum hominum Adoramus. We worſhip the Images of Chriſt, of God, of the Trinity, of Angels, and Holy Men. Again in the ſame page, Nos Deum propter ſe, & Sanctos, Angelos ejus, & Homines, & ipſorum Imagines adoramus finaliter propter Deum. We worſhip God for his own ſake, and we worſhip his holy Angels and Men finally for Gods ſake. This Bradwardin confeſſeth to have been the Principle and Practice of himſelf and his Church: And in the ſame page he very kindly makes an Apology for the Heathen, and excuſes them from the guilt of damnable Idolatry upon the ſame principle, For (ſays he) it is probable they had ſome knowledge of the true God, and him they worſhipped for his own ſake, (ſub nomine tamen & Idolo Dei Jovis) yet under the name and Idol or Image of the God Jupiter. Et nihilominus praeter ipſum, &c. And yet beſides him, they worſhipped ſome other Idols, dedicated unto Holy Angels, unto Men and Demons, and in them, and by them they finally worſhipped God. That is the Pagans worſhipped God for himſelf, but they worſhipped Idols and Devils for Gods ſake, juſt as the Papiſts worſhip Saints and Angels; and that excuſed them from the guilt of damnable Idolatry, as it doth the Church of Rome; and they therein found acceptance with God: For they knew no better, and did as well as they could, Therefore (Deus iſta piè & diſcretè reſpiciens, ignorantiae & ſimplicitati eorum pepercit, ſinceram verô dilectionem, ſanctam intentionem, & benevolam voluntatem acceptavit: Hoc autem conſonum videtur rationi, non enim videtur quod juſtiſſimus atque piiſſimus plus requirat ab homine quam accepit, & quam ſit in hominis poteſtate, imò quod illud acceptet ſi intentione debitâ offeratur.) God conſidering theſe things mercifully and diſcreetly ſpared their ignorance and ſimplicity, but he accepted the ſincere love, the holy intention, and kind will of thoſe worſhippers of Demons. And this ſeems agreeable to reaſon that it ſhould be ſo, for it is not likely that the moſt juſt and merciful God doth require more of a man than he hath received, and more than is in a mans power; yea it is rather probable that God accepts of what a man is able do, if it be offered with a due Intention. Thus the profound Doctor, and by this let all Calviniſts judge, and let the Conſcience of our Author judge, how well that Doctor hath confuted the Pelagians, and how greatly England is bleſſed with ſuch a Confuter.

One touch more, and we have done with him. In the 26th Chapter of his firſt Book of the Cauſe of God againſt Pelagius, he maintains with all his might, that nothing is evil of it ſelf, but by Accident, no not the wickedeſt thing that a Man doth or can do; and therefore that the moſt horrid wickedneſs a Man can commit, in other circumſtances may ceaſe to be Evil, and be no Sin to him that commits it: To prove this, he makes ſeveral Suppoſitions. As, (1.) in Pag. 256. He puts this Caſe (which he ſays is poſſible) That a ſimple Man without any foregoing fault of his, is ſo deluded by the Devil (whom he calls Behemoth, the moſt cunning of all Sophiſters) that he is made to believe that unleſs he blaſpheme or hate God, he ſhall neceſſarily and unavoidably commit more Sin, than that blaſphemy or hatred of Gods amounts unto.

Now ſays our profound Doctor in this Caſe, (Iſte ſimplex ſecundum judicium rectiſſmae rationis, tenetur blaſphemare Deum, vel odire, ne alias incidat in majus peccatum, quoniam ſecundum communem animi conceptionem, de duchus malis, minus malum eſt eligendum, cujus cauſa eſt, quia in bonis est è contrario, ſcilicet quod majus eſt magis eligendum.) That ſimple Man according to the Judgment of the moſt right Reaſon, is bound to blaſpheme God, or to hate him, leſt otherwiſe, (as Satan tells him) he fall into a greater Sin, for according to the common Notion of Mans Mind, of two Evils the leaſt is to be choſen, the Reaſon whereof is this, that on the contrary, of things that are good, the greateſt is to be choſen.

From theſe Premiſes he concludes, that to blaſpheme or hate God, is not of it ſelf neceſſarily and unalterably evil and ſinful; becauſe there may happen a Caſe, p. 165wherein a ſimple Man, deluded by the Devil, is bound to blaſpheme or hate God, and that according to the Judgment of Reaſon, of Right Reaſon, yea of the moſt Right Reaſon, and that is, of the beſt Reaſon in the World. (2.) In the ſame Page he puts another like Caſe, which he ſaith, Is poſſible alſo without any foregoing fault of the Perſon concerned. Suppoſe a ſimple Man ſwears to be entirely obedient to his Prelate or Superior in all things; then that Prelate, or the Devil transformed into him, commands the ſimple Man to hate or blaſpheme God. The Poor Man is certainly caught in a ſnare, but how ſhall he get out? why according to Bradwardin, It is poſſible for him to get out ſafe by blaſpheming or hating God in Obedience to his Superiour, and out of Conſcience of his Oath; for that is the leaſt Evil of the two, and ſo comparatively is no Evil at all; becauſe to blaſpheme or hate God is but one Sin, and that againſt God only, (multumque excuſatum per praeceptum Praelati) and it is much excuſed by the command of his Superiour; whereas he believes, that in this Caſe not to obey, is a greater Sin, becauſe (1.) It is againſt his Superiour. (2.) It is alſo againſt God, whoſe Vicegerent his Superiour is. (3.) It is a Violation and breach of his Oath and Vow.

This is another of his Demonſtrations, that blaſphemy and hatred of God, is not of it ſelf and unalterably Evil, becauſe here is a poſſible Caſe wherein it ceaſes to be Evil, and an Honeſt Man outwitted by a Knave may do it without Sin. In the next Page, he hath other Arguments of the like Nature to prove the ſame Poſition; but we are unwilling to have any thing more to do with him, for he next ſuppoſes Satan to be transformed into Chriſt himſelf, and in that likeneſs to act his part ſo dexterouſly and effectually as to diſcharge a Man from his Duty to God, and oblige him in Conſcience to commit the foreſaid Wickedneſs for a time, for fear of being neceſſitated to do it for ever, and to all Eternity. Now upon the whole, we refer it to all Men of common ſenſe, who have any true fear of God, and love to Chriſt and pure Chriſtianity, to judge whether this be bleſt or curſed Doctrine, and whether England be beholding to that Man who commends ſuch Books to young Miniſters?

But though we think the Nation, and young Miniſters in it are little beholding to him on that account; yet we hope better things of him than that he will ever become a Proſylite to the Popiſh Religion, or that for the ſake of Bradwardin, he will ever embrace the foreſaid Doctrines, which many Papiſts themſelves abhor.

It may be he will ſay, that this Bradwardin was an Engliſh Man, that lived long ſince, and he did not ken him well; but if he had ken'd him or his Book either, he would never have ſo commended him. And if he be ingenuous to ſay ſo, we readlly admit the excuſe, for we believe it to be very true, and find that in more things than that one, he writes of what he doth not underſtand, and that too with an Air of Confidence that deſerves a rebuke. And withall, we adviſe him for the future to forbear talking of old Authors, and commending their Books to Miniſters, for he ſeems not to be much acquainted with that kind of Learning.

As he writes in his Letter, Pag. 2. That a great many Young Students have contented themſelves with ſtudying Engliſh Authors, ſo we think it had not been ill for him, if he had contented himſelf with ſtudying ſuch Scots Authors, and Engliſh too, as never trod in the By-paths of Bradwardin, Saltmarſh or Criſp. We have mentioned ſome of that ſort already, to whom we will now adde a few more; and firſt we commend to our Authors Conſideration, a Paſſage or two of a Reverend, Learned and Modeſt Scots Divine, whom he ſhould Ken better than the old Engliſhman Bradwardin. It is Mr. Dickſon once Profeſſour of Divinity in the Colledge of Edinburgh, who in his Therapeutica Sacra, writes thus, Dickſons Therapeutica Sacra. Book 1. Chap. 6. pag. 92.[Together with theſe external Means (mentioned before) ſerving for drawing on the Covenant, and going on in it, the common Operations of God do concur; common to all the called both Elect and Reprobate, and Gifts common to both are beſtowed, ſuch as Illumination, Moral Perſwaſion, Hiſtorical, Dogmatical and Temporary Faith, Moral Change of Affections, and ſome ſort of external Amendment of their p. 166outward Converſation, ſaving Grace being the ſpecial Gift of God to his own, &c. And pag. 95. The Lord makes uſe of this outward and common Covenanting with all Receivers of the offer, as a mean to draw the Confederate in the Letter, to be Confederate in the Spirit; for the Faith which he requires as the Condition of the Covenant, he worketh in the Elect, if not before, or with the external Covenanting, yet undoubted after, in a time acceptable, and that by the ordinary means, the uſe whereof is granted to all Confederate externally; and ſo as common Illumination is a mean to that Special, Spiritual and ſaving Illumination; and Dogmatical and Hiſtorical Faith, is a mean unto Saving Faith, and external Calling is a mean to Effectual Calling, ſo external Covenanting in the Letter, is a mean moſt fit and accommodate to make a Man a Covenanter in the Spirit.

Here are Preparations and Diſpoſitions before either Regeneration or Juſtification plainly aſſerted by Dickſon; then pag. 99. he enters upon a large Diſcourſe, concerning the Condition of the Covenant; and he ſays,

That in receiving of grown Perſons into Covenant, There are three Conditions to be obſerved and diſtinguiſhed one from another. (1.) The Condition of the Perſon deſiring to be in Covenant with God for Reconciliation and Grace through Chriſt. (2.) The Condition upon which he is entered into Covenant. (3.) The Condition required of him for evidencing of his ſincere Covenanting. And Pag. 100. He ſays all theſe three are expreſſed by Chriſt in Matth. 11.28, 29.

Firſt, They that labour and are heavy laden, are they whom Chriſt calleth unto a Covenant, and fellowſhip of his Grace; this that he calls the Condition of the Perſon, is the ſame thing with that which we call the Diſpoſition or Qualification of the Perſon.

Secondly, He propounds the Condition of the Covenant, to wit, that they believe in Chriſt, or come unto him, that in him they may find full relief from Sin and Miſery, and in him full Righteouſneſs and Felicity.

Thirdly, He requires of them who do embrace him by Faith, and ſo have accepted the Condition of the Covenant, that they give evidence of their Faith in him, by taking his Yoke upon them. Take my Yoke upon you, ſaith he. Mr. Dickſon calls this, The third Condition, and ſays a little before, that it is the Covenanters up giving of himſelf to Chriſts Government and Obedience of his Commands.

This brings to our remembrance, a Paſſage in the Catechiſm, publiſhed by the Calviniſts of Marpurgh in the Year 1606. Fidem ſufficere ad apprehendendam ſalutem, non autem ad cam conſervandam: ſed amplius requiri vitae emendationem.

That Faith is ſufficient for the firſt apprehending or receiving of Salvation; but not for the conſerving or continuing of it; but there is moreover required Amendment of Life.

It reminds us alſo, of what we read in the fourth Tome of Monſieur Claudes Poſthumous Work, in the very entrance of his Treatiſe of Juſtification, Pag. 75. That there are Diſpoſitions previous unto Juſtification; and that there are Conditions, which God neceſſarily ſuppoſes in Man, and which ought to be found actually in him. And then that there are Conditions, which God impoſes upon a Man, when he juſtifies him, to the end that he may obſerve them for the time to come.

In like manner he diſtinguiſhes, in his Hiſtorical Defence of the Reformation, Part 2. Chap. 6. pag. 218. of the Engliſh Tranſlation, Between the Condition ſuppoſed to Juſtification, which is Faith and Repentance; and the Condition impoſed upon us by the Lord, when he juſtifies us, which is, that for the time to come, we live Holily according to the Laws which he has given us.

p. 167But this on the by, from Dickſon we paſs to the Learned Charnock, he ſaith, That beſides the Paſſive Capacity, that is, Charnock, Vol. 2. p. 148.the Rational Faculties, there are more immediate Preparations. The Soul muſt be beaten down by Convictions, before it be raiſed up by Regeneration; there muſt be ſome apprehenſions of the Neceſſity of it. Yet ſometimes the Work of Regeneration follows ſo cloſe upon the heels of theſe Preparations, that both muſt be acknowledged to be the work of one and the ſame hand. The Preparation of the Subject is neceſſary, but this Preparation may be at the ſame time, with the conveyance of the Divine Nature. And afterwards for ſeveral Pages, he ſaith no more, than what we have ſaid, That there is not any abſolute cauſal Connection between ſuch Preparations, Ibid. p. 148.149. &c.and Regeneration, nor any Connection that is meritorious. — Yet all along he aſſerts Preparations.

From Charnock we paſs to Flavel, Flavels Method of Grace, from pag. 347, to pag. 402.who ſpends two whole Sermons to prove, That there is no coming ordinarily to Chriſt without the Application of the Law to our Conſciences, in a way of effectual Conviction. This our Author will grant, as we perceive by his Letter. But Mr. Flavel ſpends two Sermons more to prove, That this cannot be without the teachings of God in the way of Spiritual Illumination.

From Flavel we paſs to Firmin, Firm. Real Christ. p. 6, 7, 8, &c.who ſhews at large That man naturally is not a ſubject fit or diſpoſed to receive Chriſt immediately when offered to him, but before he will receive him, there muſt be ſome work of the Spirit upon him to prepare him, make him willing and glad to receive him.

—And if this were not ſo, but as our Author would have it, it would follow unavoidably that Mr. Hooker and Mr. Shepherd in their Books about the Souls Preparation for Chriſt, and the ſeveral ſteps of it, viz. Conviction, Compunction, Humiliation, &c. wrote very great impertinencies, and, which is worſe, did a great deal of hurt to the Souls of men.

For our parts, ſince we are ſaid to be Middle-way-men, we think that to anſwer that Character that is given of us, we ought to avoid all extremes as well in this, as in other matters; and therefore we ſay, that no more of the foreſaid Preparatory Diſpoſitions, is ſimply and abſolutely neceſſary than what makes the Soul, (1.) See its abſolute need of Chriſt, and its being utterly loſt and undone without him. (2.) What makes it ſee and believe that there is abundant help and relief for loſt Sinners in Chriſt, that he is an Alſufficient Saviour, and the only Alſufficient Saviour, able and willing to ſave to the uttermoſt all that come unto him, and unto God by him, in the way preſcribed in the Goſpel. (3.) What makes them thereupon deſirous to have him, and in ſome ſort willing to receive him in all his Offices as he is offered, deſirous to have him, and willing to receive him, and his Benefits with him upon his own Terms, the Terms held forth in the Goſpel. Of them who by the preventing Grace of the Holy Spirit are thus diſpoſed, there is no more required to be done by them in a way of Preparation for Chriſt, but they may and ought immediately to receive him into their Hearts by Faith, and Confidently truſt him with their Souls and Bodies, with their whole Perſon, to be ſaved by him in the way agreed upon between God and Him; and may be firmly and fully perſwaded that if they do ſo through Grace, they cannot poſſibly miſcarry under the hand of ſuch a Saviour and Phyſitian of Souls.

Thus we Preach, and we know none can have juſt cauſe to ſay, that this is a new Goſpel, and we hope none will any more ſay ſo. We are ſure this uſed not to be accounted a new Goſpel heretofore in England, nor is it ſo accounted at Geneva; **Turret. Inſtit. Theolog. Elenct. part 2. Loc 15. queſt. 5. p. 592.for Turretin lately taught there,

That in the Spiritual Generation, no leſs than in the natural, the Soul of Man attains unto the Spiritual Birth, by many precedent Operations; and God who will effect that Work in man, p. 168not by violent raptures, and Enthuſiaſtical Motions, but in a way agreeable to our Nature; and who doth not in one Moment, but ſucceſſively and by degrees carry it on; uſes various Diſpoſitions whereby man may be prepared by little and little, to receive ſaving Grace, at leaſt he does ſo, in the ordinary way of Calling: So that there are various Acts previous to Converſion, and as it were degrees or ſteps towards the thing it ſelf, before Man be brought unto the State of Regeneration.

And they are either External, which may be done by a Man, or are in his Power, ſuch as to go unto the Church, to hear the Word, and the like; or they are Internal, which are excited by Grace, even in the Hearts of the unconverted, ſuch as the Reception and Apprehenſion of the Word Preached, Knowledge of the Divine Will, ſome Senſe of Sin, Fear of Puniſhment, and ſome kind of Deſire of Deliverance.

Thus Turretin in a Book Printed at Geneva, in the Year 1688. By all which Teſtimonies we have made it plainly appear, That our Opinion concernnig the Preparations and Diſpoſitions which ordinarily go before Regeneration and ſaving Converſion, is neither new nor ſingular, but that what we Believe and Preach, as to this matter, we have learned and received from the moſt eminent Paſtors of the Reformed Churches, whereof many have lived and died in the true Faith before many of us were born. And this may ſuffice as enough, and indeed too much, for the Confutation of our Authors third Error againſt the Purity of our Chriſtian Faith.