Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Concerning Election and Reprobation, agreeing with the Holy Scriptures.
THis is that which many hold, That God from all Eternity hath unchangeably ordained whatſoever comes to paſs; and That God hath decreed one part of the Angels, with Men, Women and their Infants, for everlaſting Damnation. Which Doctrine is moſtly held by the Presbyterians, as by their Confeſſion of Faith, cap. 3. which Doctrine I have often conſidered in the ſpirit of Meekneſs, and according to my meaſure of Gods holy Truth by Jeſus Chriſt, do I declare as followeth, That to know God by Jeſus Chriſt, is Life eternal, and for that end was the Son of God made manifeſt, that all might come unto God through Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, and through Grace, by him be ſaved; for God made Man in his own Image, and gave him a being in the Garden of Paradiſe, from which ſtate he ſoon fell, which Fall was through Diſobedience by eating of the forbidden …ruit, which hath brought Darkneſs over the Children of Men, which are in a ſtate of Bondage to that Seed of the Enemies ſowing in their firſt Parents, which more or leſs comes by Nature in the Children of Men, in whom that Seed luſteth, which is a doing of that in Obedience to the Temptations of the Souls Enemy, which God hath ſtrictly commanded ſhould not be done. And for that end, that the Children after Adam ſhould know the Will and Mind of their Maker, God in all Ages gave unto the Sons and Daughters of Men a gift duplicate page duplicate page of his own Spirit of divine Light, by which they might ſee the right way of the Lord, and walk therein which is according to his holy Promiſe, as in Gen. 3.15. And I will put Enmity between thy Seed and her Seed, it ſhall bruiſe thy Head, and thou ſhalt bruiſe his H…el; in which two Seeds i… chiefly contained Election and Reprobation; former Seed ſhould bruiſe the Head of the Serpent, and break his Power, that is, through perfect bedience to Chriſt, the Seed of the Woman, and to his Grace, which is that gift of divine …ight that makes manifeſt all the hidden things of Darkneſs; ſo that let the Devil appear in what likeneſs ſo…ver he will, yet as Men and Women ſtand faithful to the manifeſtation of Gods gift, the Enemy's Power comes to be…broken. So that the Promiſe of God in the Seed remains only to the faithful; for the Promiſe of God was not to Seeds, as of many, but as of One and to thy Seed, which is Chriſt, Gal. 3.16. for the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Chriſt, the Law which was four hundred and thirty Years after, cannot diſannul, that it ſhould make the Promiſe of none effect; for the Law was added becauſe of Tranſgreſſion, till the Seed ſhould come, to whom the Promiſe was made; but the Scripture hath concluded all under ſin, that the Promîſe by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, might be given to them that believe, Gal 3.17, 18, 19, 20. Now all not believing in Chriſt the true Seed, doth not include, that God ordained them to periſh, becauſe the Promiſe of God in the Seed is tendered in Gods own time and way to all the Children of Men, otherwiſe all that periſh would not be left without excuſe, concerning which the Spirit of God hath left it plain to be underſtood, that the Seed of the Kingdom hath been ſown in all ſorts of Ground; and the Reaſon is rendered by the Spirit of God, why it did not bring forth fruit in all ſorts of Ground, which is, becauſe Obedience hath not been yeilded to the Command of God; for if God had abſolutely decreed mens Damnation, his Decree being unrevokable, there would be no need for men to ſtrive for Salvation, for who could reſiſt ſuch an abſolute Decree? But bleſſed be the Name of God, and Father of Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe faithful People well know, that he is a juſt God which hath not ordained the Souls of any to periſh before they were born, but for their Sins and final Impenitence, through Diſobedience to the …ift of his Grace, which is of the Seed of the Kingdom, and hath been ſown throughout all Ages, in all ſorts of ground of what Nature ſoever, and hath been the ſame in this day among all the Children of Men, and if any periſh, it is of themſelves, for Light is come into the World, and mans Condemnation is of himſelf, becauſe he loves Darkneſs rather than Light, Joh. 3.1. the Reaſon is, becauſe he hates the Light, which repreves his evil Deeds; in which ſtare the Seed is appreſſed, and kept as in Bondage, by which it can take no ro…t in the hard rebellious heart and barren ſandy ground, where Rocks, Thornes and Thiſtles grow, and Serpents have their abiding place, which deſtroy and cauſe the Life of the Seed to depart, which i… the ſtate of diſobedient and rebellious men, whoſe Damnation neither ſlumbereth nor ſleepeth, but is of themſelves; by which they cannot charge the juſt and holy One of ordaining them to periſh. By which it is manifeſt that mans Dimnation is of himſelf, and tha… is by yeilding his mind to ſerve in Unrighteouſneſs, when occaſions ſin that deſtroys the ſoul. …y which at appears, that they unjuſtly charge …od of decreeing men …o periſh which for the begetting of a further belief of unfound Doctrine, they have wreſted the Apoſtles words, Rom. 9.11, 12, 13 where is is ſaid, The Children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpoſe of God, according to Election might ſtand, not of Works, but of him that calleth, it was ſaid unto her, the elder ſhall ſerve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Eſau have I hated. Alſo, in another place, where it is ſaid, That Eſau ſought the bleſſing with Tears, but could not obtain it; All which makes not the leaſt proof that the ſoul of Eſau did periſh; for they themſelves allow, that if the Parents are Believers, their Children are holy: Then finding that the Parents of Eſau were holy Believers, why ſhould any judge of God to be ſuch a ſevere Maſter, as to decree the ſoul of a Child born of holy Parents, to periſh, without having done any evil in its own Body▪ And as to Eſau …s being hated, the Lord never hated the ſoul of any man, as to decree its Damnation before he was born, but for its ſins and final Impenitency; for hatred is taken in a two-fold ſence; for Jacob loved Rachel, and hated Leah: And Chriſt ſaid, He that hateth not Father and Mother, Wife and Children, he cannot be my Diſciple, Luke 14.26. Now if God had hated Eſau with ſuch Hatred as to decree his ſoul for Damnation, before he was born, or had done either good or evil, then Iſaac by Faith would not have bleſſed Eſau; for Iſaac did by Faith bleſs Jacob and Eſau concerning things to come. And as to Repentance, which Eſau could not find, it was relating to the firſt bleſſing, which he could not recover, being before given to Jacob the younger, of whom it is ſaid, Eſau the elder ſhould ſerve. Which no more implyes that Eſau did periſh, than David the younger Brother, whom God choſe before all the reſt of his elder Brethren, who were to ſerve David their younger Brother, whom God ſaw good to place on the outward Throne, in the outward Kingdom of Iſrael, that the outward Government might … in the Line of David, in which line of David's ſtock, the elder did ſerve the …ounger; for ſo did the Wiſdom of God order the outward Government of Iſrael in Church and State, in which the elder did ſerve the younger. And in Jacob's Line, the ſtock of Eſau ſerved the younger, until the …ling of the Gentiles, which then did reach the ſtock of Eſau, and all Nadons that ſhould be found to call on his Name, that they may poſſ…s the Remnant of Edom, and all the Hea…hen which are called by any Name, ſaith the Lord, …mos 9.12 by which it is manifeſt, that the Church of God remains ſeattered a…n…ng all Nations, among whom they that …. God and work his Righteouſn…s, the ſame ſhall be ſaved, through Faith in Chriſt Jeſus; for the gift of Gods Grace b… Jeſus Chriſt is large in his love to all Nations, which b… his promiſe in calling the Gentiles, it frees the yoke of ſervitude from the ſtock of Eſau's Poſterity, which is no leſs priviledge than to be made partakers of Gods Promiſe in the Government of his Grace by Jeſus Chriſt, which the ſtock of Jacob have refuſed, for which cauſe they have loſt their Intereſt, through their Self-Righteouſneſs in the firſt Covenant of Works; for which cauſe of refuſing the rich Mercy of Gods Grace by Jeſus Chriſt, they are given up in Unbelief concerning the great Work of Redemption by the Son of God whom they wickedly ſlew without the City Gates, for which cauſe the Lord hath given them the Spirit of Slumber, Eyes that they ſhould not ſee, and Ears that they ſhould not hear unto this day. And Davîd ſaid Let their Table be a Snare, and a Trap, and a ſtumbling Block, and a Recompence unto them; let their Eyes be dirkenêd that they may not ſee, and bow down their back alway; Then have they ſtumbled that they ſhould fall? God forbid, but rather through their Fall Salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealouſie; for if the fall of them be the Riches of the World, and the diminiſhing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulineſs? For if the caſting away of them be the reconciling of the World, what ſhall the receiving of them be, but Life from the Dead? for if the firſt Fruit be holy, the Lump is alſo Holy; and if the Root be Holy, ſo are the Branches; for if through Ʋnbelief they were broken off, then it is by true Faith that there is an entrance into the Covenant of Grace, which extends to the ſtock of Eſau, Iſhmael, and all the Nations of the World; for the Lord hath ſaid, That he will call them his People which were not his People, and her his beloved which was not his beloved, Rom. 9.25 Hoſ. 2.23. 1 Pet. 2 10. Hoſ. 1.10.
Therefore let not any be ignorant, to eſtabliſh their own Righteouſneſs, but ſubmit to that Righteouſneſs which is of God, by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, who doth not delight himſelf in the death of any ſinner, but had rather all might turn and live. By which it is evident that God hath not decreed the Deſtruction of any mans ſoul, before he hath ſinned out the day of Gods Viſitation, whoſe ſpirit ſhall not always ſtrive with man whoſe Condemnation is of himſelf, through the unbelief of his own hard heart, and the decree of God reſpecteth him only as ſuch, which was the ſtate of Pharaoh, of whom it is ſaid, The Lord hardned the heart of Pharaoh, that be might be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his hoſt; So not only Pharaoh, but his People alſo had rebelled againſt the Word of the Lord by his Servants and Meſſengers of his Truth, for which cauſe the Lord gave them up (thorough unbelief) to haron… of heart, by which it is ſaid, The Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, for this end, to give honour to his own holy name, thorough the overthrow of ſo great a King as Pharaoh in the Earth then was, who hardened his own heart, through the unbelief which he had to the Word of the Lord, who permitted the Devil to draw Tharaoh from Obedience to the Command of the Lord, thorough which his heart came to be hardened, to the Glory of God and honour of his name; for all the Devils work is by permiſſion, and is to the honour of God in the Condemnation of them, which thorough Diſobedience yeild their minds in obedience to the Devils Power, by which their hearts come to be hardened againſt Gods holy Truth; ſo that God hardeneth not any mans heart, whoſe Condemnation is of himſelf, in that he will not yeild his Obedience to the gift of God, who deſires not, that any ſhould periſh, but that all might do his Commandments and live; for which end all men have ever had the way of good and evil ſet before them; which proves, that man do not periſh thorough a decree of Gods making, before they have done either good or evil, hat they ſhall periſh; for tho the Decree or Purpoſe of God begins not in time, yet it reſpecteth Man, having had a time and day of Viſitation, and living in Sin, until it be expired; for the holy Scriptures are very full, that God is clear of all mens Blood which periſh; for he hath tendered Life to all the Children of men; by which, thorough Faith in Obedince to the Gift of his Grace, they may not fall ſhort of the true Hope which is by Jeſus Chriſt, who will not with-hold from any man of his Grace, whom he finds in the well doing; for he that doth well ſhall be accepted, but he that doth not well, ſin …veth at the door, and unto him ſhall be his deſire, and he ſhall rule over him; which proves ſin is the cauſe of mans periſhing; for the ſpirit of … and whoſoever wîll let him come, and tane the Water of Life freely, Rev. 22 7. So that for my part, ac… that ſmall meaſure of Light which God hath …, Concerning the knowledge of his Truth as it … he Son of his Love, the Lord Jeſus, thorough Faith …, do I believe, with many thouſands o… the Lords …thfull People, that God who in his ind…ite Wiſdom knows all things long before the …o…ld began, and whatever comes to paſs, that it is by his Power of commiſſion or permiſſion; but tha… he hath unchangeably ordained whatſoever cames to paſs, ſeems to me, a charging of God with all the unrighteous Actions, and wicked W…ks, that ever unrighteous and wicked men have done, or ever ſhall do for time to come, and to hold that God from all etern…ty hath ordained men, women, and their infants for everlaſting perdition, without reſpect to their final impeaitency, is that which they can never prove, by or from any things that is left on holy Record by the Spirit of God in the holy Scriptures of Truth; for he that fears God, and works his righteouſneſs through Faith in Chriſt, the ſame ſhall be accepted, as a faithfull Child of God, and true Servant of Jeſus Chriſt, whom the Father hath made manifeſt by the gift of his divine Light, which through Obedience thereunto, no man need walk in Darkneſs, but have the Light of Life, which gives the knowledge of God in Jeſus Chriſt, whom to know is Life Everlaſting.