The Riches of Gods Love, Part 2 · Treatise · Type of argument 3 · Section 5
DISCOURSE. SECT. V.
IN the laſt place thoſe other gifts of God, whereby mens underſtandings are enlightened, and their ſoules beautifyed, (which are knowledge, repentance, fortitude, liberality, temperance, humility, charity, and ſuch like) are beſtowed upon all them that have them, (among whom are many that may prove Reprobates in the end) that by the exerciſe of them, and continuance in them, they might be Saved. The Reprobates are adorned with many of thoſe graces, as apears plainly by many Scriptures, eſpecially Hebr. 6. 4. Where the Apoſtle ſayes, that it is impoſſible for thoſe that have been enlightned, taſted the heavenly gift, been made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, taſted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away, ſhould be renewed by repentance: and the graces which the Apoſtle ſpeakes of here, are not ordinary and common, but ſpeciall graces, illumination, faith, reliſh of the ſweetneſſe of Gods Word, and the taſt of Heaven. The perſons ſpoken of, are Apoſtates, ſuch as are under the poſſibility of falling away, (for upon a dainger not poſſible cannot be built a ſolid exhortation) and if Apoſtates then Reprobates, and the thing intimated is that upon Apoſtates and Reprobates are theſe gifts beſtowed. The Like ſpeech we have: Hebr. 10. 26. For if we ſinne willingly, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaines no more ſacrifice for ſinne &c. from whence we collect, that men that ſinne willingly and unpardonably, may receive the knowledge of the truth, yea and be ſanctifyed by the bloud of the Teſtament and the Spirit of grace, v. 29. 2 Pet. 2. 20. They may eſcape the filthineſſe of the world i. e. be waſhed from their former ſins by repentance, the uncleane ſpirit may goe out of them. Mat. 12. 43. They may receive the word with joy, Mat. 13. 20. And many excellent graces they may have beſides: All which graces are not given them that they might abuſe them, and ſo purchaſe to themſelves the greater damnation; or that they might doe good to others with them, but none to themſelves; but rather that as by the former gifts Suffrag. Britt. p. 41. Theſ. 2. & p. 43. Theſ. 3.of nature, ſo by theſe of grace, they may obtaine Salvation. If God aime at this in thoſe gifts that are farther off, much more in theſe, which make thoſe that have them (like the yong man in the Goſpel) not farre from the kingdome of Heaven. Thus we ſee what end God aimes at in his gifts to men.
TWISSE Conſideration.
THeſe gifts this Author formerly deſcribed to be gifts of grace, applying ſalvation unto men, which he diſtinguiſheth from gifts of grace purchaſing ſalvation, in the entrance upon this reaſon of his. Now it is apparent, that moſt of theſe gifts have been found in the heathen men: and who was ever heard to call theſe vertues found in the heathen, gifts of grace, applying the ſalvation purchaſed by Chriſt, whereof they were wholy ignorant, like as of Chriſt himſelfe. And whereas he makes, faith and repentance, to be gifts communicated unto ſuch, who (as he expreſſeth it,) doe prove Reprobates in the end; Saint Auſtin to the contrary, as formerly I have alleadged him out of his 5. lib. contra Julian Pelag. c. 5. Expreſſely profeſſeth of the Non praedeſtinate, that God brings not one of them to wholſome and Spirituall repentance, whereby a man is reconciled to God in Chriſt: And our Brittaine Divines in the Synod of Dort, upon the 5th Article and fourth poſition, profeſſe in like manner of all ſuch as are none of Gods elect, that it is manifeſt they never really and truly attaine that change and renovation of the mind, and affections, which accompanieth juſtification; nay, nor that which doth immediatly prepare or diſpoſe to juſtification. For they never ſeriouſly repent, they are never affected with hearty ſorrow for offending God by ſinning, nor doe they come to any humble contrition of heart, nor conceive a firme reſolution to offend any more. And whereas he ſaith, that ſuch doe prove Reprobates in the end, he may as well ſay of others, that they prove elect in the end, which doth wholly ſavour, of ſhapeing the decrees of God, to be of a temporall condition, and not eternall; unleſſe he delivers it of the manifeſtation of it in the judgement of men, which yet as touching Reprobates cannot appeare untill their death, and 'tis a very hard matter for any man, to paſſe upon men generally the cenſure of elect, or reprobates; the hypocriſy of man hath ſuch power to evacuate the one, and the ſecret operation of Gods mercy and grace the other. How farre reprobates may attain to the illunination of their mind, and renovation of their wills, and reformation of their lives, is ſet downe more fully by our Brittain Divines in the Synod of Dort, than by this Author; not one particular (if I miſtake not) being mentioned here, as touching the places of Scripture, containing the indication thereof, which is not ſet downe there, and ſome there are ſet downe, which are not ſet downe here. In their firſt poſition concerning thoſe who are not elect, upon the fifth Article (this Authors quotation here leaving out the Article) and by a wild reference to the page, being fitter to confound a Reader than direct him) the firſt poſition there is this, There is a certain ſupernaturall enlightning granted to ſome of In the Engliſh Tranſlation. Pag. 104. Pag. 106.them who are not elect, by the power whereof they underſtand thoſe things to be true, which are revealed in the word of God, and yeeld an unfained aſcent unto them. And in the explication of it Luke 8. 13. The ſeed which fell upon the ſtony ground, noteth unto us ſuch hearers, as for a while believe, that is, thoſe that for a while give aſcent to things revealed from above, and eſpecially to the covenant of the Goſpell; and thereby it is plaine, that this their aſcent, is no way faigned, becauſe they received the word with joy. Acts 8. 30. And afterwards they Pag. 107.give a farther reaſon of it thus, For it is not to be imputed for a fault to any man, that he is fallen from an Hypocriticall faith, neither can a ſhipwrack be made of a faigned faith, but only a detection and manifeſtation of it, nor indeed can he ſuffer ſhipwrack, who was never in the ſhippe. 2 Pet. 2. 20. Some are ſaid to have eſcaped from the filthineſſe of the world, by the knowledge of the Lord, whoſe latter end is worſe than their beginning: and of thoſe Ioh. 12. 42. who believed in Chriſt, but did not confeſſe him, they write that they believed with an unfaigned dogmaticall faith, which then lay ſecretly hid in their hearts: but never ſhewed it ſelfe in any outward profeſſion, for feare of danger enſuing. Thir ſecond poſition is this, In theſe fore-mentioned, there doth ariſe out of this knowledge and Pag. 108.faith, a certain change of their affections, and ſome kind of amendment of their manners. This they prove out of Math. 13. 20. They received the word with joy: and 1 Kings 21. 17. concerning Ahabs humbling of himſelfe: and out of Heb. 6. 4. alleadged by this Author, and over and above out of v. 6. obſerve a renovation alſo, in as much as it is ſaid, That it is impoſſible they ſhould be renued againe, which implyeth, that they had been formerly renued in ſome ſort, and out of Chap. 10. 19. That they trod under foot the blood of the Covenant, by which they are ſanctified; and that they attained to ſome amendment of life, they prove both by the example of Herod; and out of 2 Pet. 2. 20. where tis ſaid of them, that they had eſcaped from the filthineſſe of the world. And Chap. 1. 9. Where they are ſaid to have forgotten that they were purged from their old ſinnes. And out of Math. 12. 43. Where 'tis ſaid the unclean ſpirit was departed out of them, and that all this was not faigned, but that they proceeded out of the power of thoſe diſpoſitions unto grace, and from the inſpiration of the Holy Ghoſt: yet notwithſtanding all this in their fourth Pag. 110.poſition they pronounce, that they never attaine unto the ſtate of adoption and juſtification: and in their explication of it, that they never attaine the change and renovation of the mind and affections, which doth immediatly prepare and diſpoſe unto juſtification; For they Pag. 111.never ſeriouſly repent &c. at large. Now ſeeing God brings them no farther, as he doth his elect; with what ſobriety can it be ſaid, that God intends their ſalvation? And as for the poynt of ſanctification, which here is attributed to them, other Divines doe not goe ſo farre, as to interpet it of any inward ſanctification, as Paraeus; Erat autem (ſaith he) Sanctificatio Apoſtolorum non interna ſed externa in profeſſione fidei, & participatione ſacramentorum externa conſistens, erant ſanctificati, hoc eſt, a Judaeis & Paganis profeſſione ſegregati, & pro veris Chriſtianis habiti. Loquitur enim ſecundum judicium charitatis, quae omnes de doctrina for is conſentientes habet pro ſanctificatis, licet non omnes cordibus vere ſint ſanctificati, Non eergo hinc ſequitur, Apoſtatas. Vere fuiſſe regeneratos. Pro quibus enim Chriſtus ne or are quidem dignatus eſt, eos multo minus ſanguine ſuo ſanctificavit: ideo Johannes Apoſtatas de Eccleſia renatorum fuiſſe negat: ex nobis egreſſi ſunt, quia non erant ex nobis. Et Petrus vocat eos canes & porcos redentes ad vomitum, & volutabrum, canis vero etiam poſt vomitum est canis, & ſus lota eſt ſus, canem vero & ſuem ſe ſemper manſiſſe, & ille & iſta per reditum ad vomitum & volutabrum declarat. Cameron likewiſe in in his Myroth. p. 334. Dupliciter ſanctificantur homines alii abſolute, ut ſoli fideles, cum ſcilicet non tantum ab aliis hominibus ſegregantur (hoc enim verbum ſanctificare ſaepe ſignificat in Scriptura) a Deo, ſed & remiſſione peccatorum apprehenſa & Spiritus Sancti virtute ſanctificati, & in ſanctitatis studio permanent. Alii comparate, qui ſcilicet ſeparantur quidem ab aliis hominibus externa fidei profeſſione, & aliqua fortè vitae inſtituti immutatione, at non ſanctificantur abſolute ut fideles, ad hoc poſterius ſanctificationis genus pertinet hoc Apoſtoli dictum, in quo ſanctificatus fuit. But albeit they were truly ſanctified, (to ſuppoſe that for the preſent) yet if God purpoſed not to give them perſeverance therein, undoubtedly he intended not their ſalvation. Nay, no Arminian denies, but that God did from everlaſting intend the ſalvation of all ſuch Apoſtates; and to ſay that he had a velleity to ſave them, is to daſh a mans ſelfe againſt the rock of abſurdity, as to deny Gods omnipotency, unleſſe he will ſay Gods mind is changed: and to talke of a conditionate will intending their ſalvation, is no more to ſay, that he intends their ſalvation in caſe they doe believe, than to ſay, he intends their damnation in caſe they doe not believe. And as for his allegation out of the ſuffrages of our Divines in the Synod of Dort, that is very wild, neither mentioning the Article, nor rightly quoting the page: though the things here propoſed are moſtly taken out of the firſt and ſecond Theſis, concerning the Non-elect, upon the fifth Article: but no glimps doe I find there, of any ſuch end of Gods granting theſe diſpoſitions, as that thereby they might be brought unto ſalvation; though as in the elect ſuch like diſpoſitions are, ſo in the Reprobate, they might be preparations to farther grace, if it pleaſed God ſo to ordaine as to bring them on forward to juſtification and true ſanctification conjunct therewith, and thereby unto ſalvation.
As for the ends which God doth intend thereby, to wit, by bringing them ſo farre; look whatſoever God doth bring to paſſe hereby, that God doth intend. For nothing can fall out caſually unto God. If they doe perſevere in this condition, to wit. as touching the outward emendation of their life, it is, ut mitius puniantur, as Auſtin expreſſeth himſelfe ſomewhere, which now doth not come to my remembrance, if they fall from it, whereupon they ſhall be more grievouſly puniſhed: this also was intended by God. Or if others are bettered by them, undoubtedly this alſo was intended by God, as alſo to teach all others not to content themſelves with ſuperficiall renovation, ſuperficiall obedience; and ſo likewiſe illumination clearely takes away that excuſe, which ſome are apt to make, as Auſtin obſerves, namely, Dicere ſolet humana ſuperbia ſi ſciſſem feciſſem. Which how well this Author infringeth, we are to De grat. & lib. arb. c. 2.conſider in the next place.