Hidden Manna, Title page – Dedication
Hidden Manna: OR, The Myſtery of Saving Grace.
Wherein The peculiarity of Gods eſpeciall Grace to the Elect is aſſerted and proved, and divers Objections of Pelagians and Arminians about the power of the Will of man to ſupernaturall good, are fully anſwered and confuted.
By that Reverend, Learned, and faithfull Miniſter of Gods Word, William Fenner B. D. late of Rochford in Eſſex.
Perfected many years ſince by the Author whilſt he was Preacher at VVillingſworth in Staffordſhire.
Joh. 14. 22.
Judas ſaith unto him (not Iſcariot) Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifeſt thy ſelfe unto us, and not unto the world?
Imprimatur
Edm. Calamy.
Printed at London by R. I. for S. Bowtell, at the Bible in Popeſ-head Alley. 1652.
TO THE Worſhipfull my very loving Friends, Mr. John Wollaſton (now Sir John Wollaſton Kt. and Alderman of the City of London, and Maſter Thomas Parkes Eſquire. Grace and peace from our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
THe will of man is more wilfull, then the underſtanding blinde; The Prophet, ſpeaking of the Learned Scribes and Doctors, ſaith, They have known the way of the Lord, but they have altogether broken the yoke, Jerem. 5. 5. more wilfull, then blinde; yea, the very Pagans, When they knew God, they glorified him, not as God, Rom. 1. 21. Yea, They were haters of God, ver. 30. who knowing the Judgements of foreign Chryſ.God, that they which commit ſuch things are worthy of death, not only doe the ſame, but have pleaſure in them, and doe them, ver. 32. The reaſon why I ſay a wicked man ſinnes more out of wilfulneſſe, then blindneſſe is, three fold; the firſt is taken à causâ, from the cauſe, becauſe his wilfulneſſe is the cauſe of his blindneſſe: For fooles hate knowledge, Prov. 1. 22. or at leaſt they regard not to know it, Prov. 29. 7. Neither is this only true of thoſe people that have preaching, who actually refuſe inſtruction, and will not learne amendment of life, of whom the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks; They know not, neither will they underſtand, Pſal. 82. 5. But it is true alſo of thoſe blinde ſoules, that live under blinde Guides, they doe potentially, and innato habitu, reject the Doctrin of newneſſe of life, of whom Salomon ſpeakes; Speake not in the eares of a foole, for he will deſpiſe the wiſdome of thy words, Prov. 23. 9. The ſecond is taken ab effectis, from the effects, becauſe the effect ſhews his wilfulneſſe, more then his blindneſſe; He knowes that drunkenneſſe, and company-keeping is a ſinne, yet he will live in it; he knowes that interloquutory ſwearing is a ſinne, and yet he will continue in it; That worldlineſſe, orVideo meliora probo que deteriora ſequor. pleaſure-hunting is a ſinne, yet he will goe on in it; like Ovids Medea, that knew the good, and yet would not doe it; his ſinne is not ſo much ignorance of the ſinne, as hatred of good: The wicked ſhall be caſt away for his malice, Prov. 14. 32. and therefore Moſes calls the ſinne of the wicked, A roote of Gall and Worm wood, Deut. 29. 18. they are ſharpe and piquant againſt purity, and bitter againſt the power of godlineſſe; they are ſaid to walke after the ſtubbornneſſe of their heart, verſ. 19. all ſhewing, that they are more wilfull, then blinde. What wiltforeign. thou ſay now, ſaith S. Chryſoſtome? thou knoweſt not what things are to be done? thou both knoweſt them, and willingly refuſeſt to walke in them. The third is taken, ab experientiâ, from experience, experience tells us, that the wicked are more wilfull, then blind! wherefore elſe could Elias, that was a Prophet thirty yeares, and Eliſha, that was a Prophet in his roome ſixty yeares, wherefore could they doe no more good upon the people? Wherefore does St.Hierom. & Nicephorus. John after his ſo many ſcores of yeares teaching, breake off with this ſpeech? He that is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill, Revel. 22. 11. The Drunkard heares us preach againſt drunkenneſſe, and he will not obey; the Blaſphemer heares us preach againſt blaſphemy, and he will not be reformed; the Church-ſleeper hath heard his Church-ſleeping condemned, and yet he will not mend it. If Nero could not endure Veſpaſian, becauſe he ſlept at his Muſicke, how can God endure ſuch as ſleepe at his Word? yet no reſtauration.
Whence we ſee, that the will is more corrupt by wilfulneſs, then the underſtanding by blindneſſe; The heart is deceitfull above all things, Jerem. 17. 9. Above all things; That is, the heart is corrupt above all things, namely, the will above all things elſe, and therefore above the underſtanding. The heart of the wicked is like an Oven, as hot as fire, Hoſ. 7. 6. That is▪ the will is like a red hot Oven, where all ſins are baked with the heat of Concupiſcenſe. And therefore wicked men are very oft ſaid to walke after the ſtubbornneſs of their heart, Jer. 9. 14. Jer. 11. 8. Jer. 13. 10. Jer. 18. 12. Jer. 23. 17. Eccleſ. 11. 9. There be three reaſons why the Will is more corrupt of the twaine:
1. Ratione Originis, becauſe the Will was it that firſt rebelled againſt God, for the Serpent could not have deceived the underſtanding of Eve, unleſſe ſhe would; the underſtanding as long as it was in innocency could not be deluded by the Devils guile, unleſse it would, for otherwiſe God had made the underſtanding imperfect with a ſinfull ignorance; the underſtanding it ſelfe like a naturall Agent, underſtands, and works, ad ultimum virium, as well as it can, and it ſuſpends not its conſideration it ſelfe; now it is the Will only that is eſſentially free, and a free worker of its owne workes; and now freely itching to ſinne by its privie influence into the underſtanding, ſuſpends it, not to conſider, and libertate participatâ, by a participated freedome, not to obſerve Satans policy. Thus Adam and Eve, willingly guld, ate the forbidden fruit, and firſt ſinning willingly, they and we are moſt puniſhed in the wil, moſt corrupted in wil. And therefore all ſinne is devolved upon the heart, as the firſt inward cauſe thereof. The Atheiſm of the Atheiſt is caſt upon the heart; The foole hath ſaid in his heart there is no God, Pſal. 14. 1. The miſchiefe of the miſchievous is turned upon the heart, But miſchiefe is in their hearts, Pſal. 28. 3. the iniquity of the vaine man is truly fathered upon the heart; His heart gathereth iniquity to it ſelfe, Pſal. 41. 6. Our Saviour Chriſt ſets all corruption upon the hearts ſcore; Out of the heart proceede evill thoughts, Murthers, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, Falſe Witneſſes, Blaſphemies, Matth. 15. 19. St. Chryſoſtome foreign. &caddes more; Reviling, touchy, teaſty words, filthy talking, &c. And I may adde, Out of the heart proceeds drunkenneſſe, and company keeping, &c. That is, out of the wil, for the heart is commonly put for it.
2. Ratione reatus, becauſe the will is it that indeed is guilty of all the evill in the ſoule, yea of all the ſaid errors, and ignorance of the underſtanding. And therefore ſaith God of the wicked, They doe alwayes erre in their heart, Pſal. 95. 10. Errour is not in the heart, but in the minde, and underſtanding; but ſayes the Text, They doe erre in their heart, becauſe they doe erre, and they would erre. They walked in the counſels and imaginations of their evill heart, Jerem. 7. 24. Counſels and imaginations are properly in the underſtanding and minde, and not in the heart; but ſayes the Text They walke in the counſels and imaginations of their evill heart. For the underſtanding, as it ſayes the ſinne is delightfull, and gainfull to fleſh and bloud; ſo it would ſay alſo, that it is forbidden by God, and puniſhed with death; but the will gives eare to that word, the pleaſingneſs and the profit of ſinne, but will hear no more, or elſe bridles the underſtandings that it conſider, no further. And therfore theſe broken counſels, the imaginations by halves, as interrupted ones of the heart, are of the heart. Hereupon it comes to paſſe, that as the will is free by native diſpoſition, and the underſtanding free by participation; ſo is the underſtanding blinde, and ignorant, and deceived ſubjectively by innate errour, and the will by a circular communication. And ſeeing the will is guilty of all the evill in the ſoule, all the blame God layes upon the will, and plagues it with the ſoreſt ſpiritual plagues, that it is moſt wilful.
3. Ratione ipſius, in regard of it ſelfe, becauſe the will was beſt while it wasCorruptid optimi peſsima. good, now it becomes worſt when it is bad. As a good King is the beſt of men, ſo a wicked Tyrant is the worſt of men. A good heart is Gods; My ſon give mee thy heart, Pr. 23. 26. A wicked heart is the devils; Satan hath filled thy heart, Act. 5. 3. Every conceit of the underſtanding is not evill; But every imagination and thought of the heart is onelyonly evill continually, Gen. 6. 5. The heart is the fountaine, Jam. 3. And when God would curſe all the rivers & ſtreams, he curs'd the fountaine, the heart. Now as in a corrupt fountaine, the nearer ye come to the fountaine head, the more corrupt the water is, ſo the nearer the heart, the more corrupt. And therefore the outward actions being corrupt, the outward members are more corrupt; they being corrupt, the fancy is worſe corrupt; that corrupt, the underſtanding is worſe corrupt; that being corrupt, the affections are ſtill worſe and worſe corrupt; and they being corrupt, the heart is worſt of all corrupt; for thatforeign. Chryſ. is the fountaine. Out of the abundance of the heart the minde thinketh, the ſenſe remembreth, the fancie imagineth, the mouth ſpeaketh, the hand worketh, the foot walketh, out of the abundance of the heart; ſo that that which is at all in the other faculties and members of the man, is in abundance in the heart.
Whence againe we ſee that the will does not alwayes follow the underſtanding; for the Wiſe-man preſuppoſeth that a mans underſtanding may be right, and yet the will not follow it; and therefore he ſaith, Be ye wiſe, and refuſe it not, Prov. 8. 33. Thus how many thouſands, their owne knowledge, yea and their owne conſcience haling them from, yet will runne upon ſinne: The envious, revengeful, malicious man, his owne knowledge teſtifies againſt this ſin, and yet he will revenge; his owne conſcience reproves him for this ſinne, and yet hee will beare malice. The lukewarmling, and the civiliſt, his own knowledge in the Scripture tels him, he muſt live holier and ferventlier, his owne conſcience checks him for not living better, and yet hee will not live better; Like the knowing Phariſees, Ye are of your father the devill, and the luſts of your father yee Will doe, Joh. 8. 44. Indeed its true, that the will muſt needs follow one dictate or other in the underſtanding, for it cannot ſee its object but by the underſtandings ſpectacles. Nevertheleſſe the underſtanding having nothing but a political or a ſuaſive power over the will, it can but tender the diſ-junction, and leave the aſſumption to the wils choice, for any imperative power that it hath. As for example, worldlineſſe; true, it is a gainful ſinne, you may be better to live to the eye of the world, that you may get by it: but then it is a dangerous—ſayes the underſtanding. Let me have it, let me have it, ſayes the will; I will cark, I will care for the world &c. This I will doe, I will pull downe my barnes, and I will build greater, and there will I beſtow all my fruits, and my goods, Luke 12. 18. and then I will ſay to my ſoul, &c. v. 19. I grant likewiſe, that an inordinate act of the will preſuppoſeth an errour in the underſtanding too; I ſay, an errour in the underſtanding, but not alwayes an erring underſtanding; it preſuppoſeth errorem materialem, non ſemper formalem, in caſe the will immediately before this inordinate act were an incorrupt will, and the underſtanding an inlightened underſtanding, as the Angels, and Adam before their fall. It is a goodly Apple, faire to ſee to, ſweetly likely to taſte on, and the Serpent tels me I ſhall not dye, ſayes the underſtanding: Well, I will put it to the hazard, I will eat it, ſayes the Will. Theſe were the ſeeds of an errour, but not an errour it ſelf, till by the wils intervening itch, the underſtanding began to be darkned in a moment. Now that the will, will not follow the underſtanding alwayes, may appear by theſe reaſons:
1. Becauſe the bleſſed Angels, albeit extrinſecally they be confirmed in grace, and by the vertue of extrinſecal actuating, are finally, and infallibly, and intrinſecally ſetled in their wils upon grace, yet they have an inbred radical mutability of will poſsibly to depart from the grace revealed.
2. Becauſe, if the will muſt needs follow the underſtanding, then there could bee no ſinne in the wil againſt knowledge, much leſſe the diſtinct and illuminate knowledge, which is to be ſeene in the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, wherein the wilfulneſſe of the wil, lifts up the heele againſt the very face of more ſpecial knowledge. And although there bee ignorance, yea the myſticalleſt and devilliſheſt ignorance of all ignorances admixt with that knowledge, yet that ignorance is not the cauſe, but a concomitant of the wilfulneſſe, eſpecially quatenus, as it is a ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt.
3 Becauſe the will is ſo far from following the Underſtanding, that the more underſtanding, the underſtanding is in goodneſſe, the ſtouter the Will is; as is evident by the wicked, who the more they grow learned, and Doctorly, the further they are from the maſtery of their corrupt wils. Some of the deepeſt heads, that could anſwer all the objections in their braines by their extracted Science out of the Word of God, that any carnal man can bring to perſwade them to live in any one ſinne, and declare that they muſt live ſo and ſo, if they themſelves meane to be ſaved; yea and in this particular, at this particular time, together with all the circumſtances of preſſe knowledge, yet notwithſtanding have unſanctified hearts; and therefore Salomon having charged us to be wiſe in underſtanding, hee chargeth us alſo to be wiſe in heart, Prov. 8. 5. yea, the good Saints of God, the more knowledge they have, the more their wils grow reſty from zeale, or from the ſtrength of zeale that they had before, notwithſtanding that grace hath abated the violence of their reluctant wils, and given it a mortiferous blow. I know that Learning and knowledge puffeth up, and caſts a miſt before the eyes of the underſtanding, yet this doth not hinder the truth of the poſition, That the heart is more wilfull, then the minde is blinde; be it that the minde is blinded, yet the wilfulneſſe growing upon the knowledges ſtature, ſheweth plainly, that it is the more wilfull of the two, the knowledge of Saving Grace being not ſo adverſe to the fleſh as the practiſe thereof, and therefore Salomon having bidden us get knowledge, he commands us to love it with our heart; Get underſtanding, Prov. 4. 5. And love her, and ſhe ſhall preſerve thee, verſ. 6.
4. Becauſe the argument of them which hold the will muſt needs follow the laſt dictate of the underſtanding, may be retorted upon themſelves; They ſay, it muſt and does, becauſe the Sinner never ſinnes a ſinne, which his underſtanding knowes is a ſin, and that a perilous ſinne to his owne ſoule, and at this time too; but the Will goes further, and tells him, That it is a delightfull profitable ſinne, and there is hope that God will not be ſo ſtrict with him, as to damne him for it; O, Chriſt dyed for our ſinnes, and God is merciful, and at what time ſoever a ſinner doth repent him, &c. and therefore I may doe the ſinne; I ſay, this may be recoyled back upon them, becauſe this is but a begg'd dictate, which the wil would faine have, and therefore to gratifie its Luſts, the underſtanding like a partial Judge, and a fee'd Counſellour, and a crafty Lawyer, or elſe Jury, pleads, judges, and counſels, and gives Verdict according as the importunate Wil would have it.
For the Underſtanding and Will, are ſomewhiles like Simeon and Levi, brethren in evil, ſworne brethren in wickedneſſe. The Will will yeeld to the Underſtanding in ſome things, and the Underſtanding to the Will in other things, for they are two wicked brats of a wicked parent ſoule. Other whiles the Underſtanding and the will are like two diſagreeing hounds in a collar, that neither the Underſtanding will doe as the Will would, for ſometimes its made to underſtand a thing againſt the will, or ere the Wil be aware of it, nor the Wil doe, as the Underſtanding preſcribes it. Sometimes the Wil deales with the Underſtanding, as Nahaſh would with the Gileadites, plucke out its right eye, or draw it ſome other way, or ſhut it ſelfe that it may not looke upon this or that luſt, with Scripture looks, or Bible-glaſſes, but view it onelyonly with the left eye, with reſpect to what gaine it wil bring in, what pleaſure it will afford, what credit it wil yeeld, what conformity it hath to ſelfe love.
Thus the ſinner wil minde the ſinne, wil conceive the ſinne, wil invent reaſons to maintaine the ſinne, why? he would faine commit the ſinne: Thus the Will gives the Underſtanding its quue, and prompts it, what it would have ſaid, and then follows the advice when it hath done. Lewd things are in his heart, hee imagineth evil at all times, Prov. 6. 14. He imagineth, how ſo? becauſe lewd things were before in his heart. So that now we may ſee the deſperate eſtate of the corrupt will: It is not onelyonly ſtupens voluntas, a Wil in a ſwoon, but dead; ſhew all the light to a dead man, whats he the wiſer? neither is it enough that the Will have a poſſe, a power of willing grace vouchſafed it, for the Will is more wilful, then impotent. It is wel obſerved by S. Auſtine, The Apoſtle doth not ſay, it is God that worketh in you the poſſe, but the Will: It is not ſaid, God worketh in you the power to wil, But it is God that worketh in you the will and the deed, Phil. 2. 3. It is not ſaid, I will put my Spirit into you, and cauſe you to bee able to walke in my Statutes, but Ego faciam ut faciatis, ſaith the ſame Father, I will make you to do it, Ezek. 36. 27. The will of it ſelfe, the more reaſon it hath to be turned, the more it is wilful, it hinches and winches, and ſnuffes againſt it: For ſinne taking occaſion by the [knowne] comandement workes all manner of concupiſcence, Rom. 7. 8. Nitimur in vetitum ſemper, cupimuſque negata. Like the running torrent, that having nothing to ſtay it, runs the ſlowlyer, at ab obice ſaevior, but being hindred, runs the fiercelier.
Behold then here, what a ſecret the grace is, that converts this profligat will, which I here preſent you with, and ſo much the rather you, Loving Sirs, becauſe I would have you have a depoſitum of our Countries thankfulneſſe unto you, & ſuch as you are in that famous City, that have like ſo many Joſeſes, brought your money and laid it downe at the Apoſtles feet, to the plantation of the Goſpel in our ignorant coaſts. The bleſſedeſt project that ever could come into any Chriſtian heart; for as the people might goe to Gods houſe, when the word of the Lord came from Jeruſalem, Eſa. 2. 3. ſo may our people heare it; For the word of the Lord is come forth of your Jeruſalem, and proſpers: Bleſſed be our Lumen Angliae, our Columna literarum, that ſtands in our Country as a Becon to all, by whom, as a worthy inſtrument, Deus nobis haec otia fecit. Accept of this poore mite, as a gratulatory Schedule, from my ſelfe in ſpecial to the one of you, and from the Countrey in general to the other of you. And I pray God to move the hearts of more ſuch as may helpe forward the worke of the Lord,
Your loving friend, and poore labourer in Chriſts Vineyard, W. F. Decemb. 29. 1626. from Willingſworth.