Additions to the Saints Everlasting Rest, Section 1 – Section 5
§ 1.SECT. I.
IT is a matter of such unexpressible consequence for every man to make sure work in the great business of his Salvation; it being so Easie, so Ordinary, and so Dangerous to be Mistaken, that I think fit yet to add some further advice, to help men in the Triall of their own states. There is no Christian that hath any care of his Soul, or any Belief and true sense of the matters of Eternity, but must needs be very solicitous in enquiring, How he may know what will become of him for ever and ever? and be glad of a cleer undeceiving Direction for the Discovery of this. As I lay under seven years doubting and perplexity of spirit my self, much through my ignorance in the managing of this work, so was I very inquisitive still after signes of Sincerity, and I got all the Books that every I could buy, which laid down Evidences and Marks of true Grace, and tended to discover the Difference betwixt the true Christian and the Hypocrite or Unsound: I liked no Sermon so well as that which contained most of these Marks: And afterward when I was called to the Ministry my self, I preached in this way as much as most. I have heard as many complaints of Doubting, distressed Souls as most: and had as many that have opened their hearts to me in this point; of whom many have proved the most humble, self denying mortified Christians; and many that were deepest in doubtings and distress, upon triall of their lives, I found also deepest in Pride, Peevishness, unmortified Lusts, and unfaithfull Walking, which did feed their troubles. Upon this long experience of my self and others, and most serious study of this point, and prayer to God for his direction, I think it but my duty to open yet more fully for the benefit of others, what I have herein discovered which is necessary for them to understand in this weighty work: For one Error here may put the hearts and lives of godly people quite out of frame, and may do much to the confirming of the wicked in their Presumption and self deceit. I shall therefore lay down what I conceive to be the Truth in certain Propositions.
§ 2 SECT. II.
Prop 1 Propos. 1. A Sincere Christian may attain to an Infallible Knowledge of his own Sincerity in Grace, or in his performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Life, and consequently of his Justification, Adoption, and title to Glory: and this without any extraordinary Revelation.
This Proposition I have proved before, and therefore need to say no more to it now. I lay it down here by way of Caution to prevent mistakes, lest any should think that I am against an attainment of Assurance here, because of some passages following.
§ 3 SECT. III.
Prop 2 Propos. 2. THis Infallible Knowledge is not properly a Certainty of Faith, (as too many Divines affirm.)
This also I have proved before in opening the Nature of Assurance,Lege Amesii Coron. de Art. 5. cap. 1. Coroll. 6, 7. pag. (mihi) 288. eadem quae Theologi in Synodo tradentem. and in the Appendix of my Aphorismes of Justification. And Mr Wotton de Reconcil. and very many learned Divines of late have confirmed it fully. Proper Certainty of Faith, is when a man by meer Believing is sure of the Truth of the thing Believed: This therefore leaneth fully on a Divine Testimony. But there is no Divine Testimony revealing that such or such a mans sins are pardoned, or he Justified. The Testimony of the Spirit is but partly by Giving us the Conditions of the Promise, which is our Evidence, and partly helping us to see them, and conclude from them, and take comfort therein. And so it witnesseth with our Consciences, by causing our Consciences spiritually and effectually to witness. But this Testimony is not the Object of Faith: It is only Gods Testimony in *Supposing that other ways of Revelation are ceased. Assensum quippe nostrum afficiunt fidei catholicae Articuli, ut principia immediata, ac prima. Fides autem subjungitur per modum assumptionis. Illius crgo quae hanc persuasionem facit, conclusionis non potest esse firmitudo major, quā quae praemissar…m debiliori inest. Subsumptio autem illa experimentalibus nititur judiciis, per privatam hominis conscientiam pensitatis. Quae cum n…nnunquam in dubium vocentur, an sint signa g… nuina & sa…e tent…ionum nu… occultentur, n… ad praesens solatium effulgeant, quid mirum si non, &c. Thologi. B…it…a…n in …ynod. Dordr. Suffrag. ad Art 5. Thes 3, &c.Scripture which affords us a Certainty of Faith properly Divine in this point. (Though in other cases Natural Discoveries may be truly called a Divine Testimony in a larger sense; yet this is above nature:) Now Gods Word doth only say, He that Repenteth and Believeth, shall be pardoned, and justified, and saved: but no where saith, that you or I shall be saved. Object. But (you will say) as long as we may know that we Believe, is it not all one? Answ. No: For Gods Word tels me not that I Believe, therefore this must be known by Reflection and Internal sense, and not by Believing. He that Believeth he doth Believe, Believeth himself and not God: for God no where telleth him so; so then it is beyond doubt, that Assurance (as I said before) ariseth from the Conclusion, one of whose Premises is in the Word of God, and must be Believed: the other is in our own Hearts and must be felt or known: and therefore the Conclusion is mixt, and to be deduced by Reason, and is not an Object properly of Divine Faith, or of any Faith at all. There is but one Objection that seems to me to have any appearance of strength to take with any reasonable man: and that some think cannot be answered. And thus they argue, Whatsoever we ask of God through Christ according to his Will, we must Believe we shall Receive: But we ask Justification and Glorie of God according to his Will through Christ: Therefore we must Believe we shall receive them. Ans. This makes not our Justification and Salvation to be upon Certaintie of Faith. For, 1. The major Proposition doth only express a conditional Promise of Justification and Salvation, and no Absolute promise. Now a Conditional Promise puts nothing in Being, till the performance of the Condition, nor gives any Certainty but on such performance. The Condition here expressed, is, That we ask, and that we ask according to Gods Will: which implies many other Conditions: For it must be in Faith and Repentance, and to right Ends, not to consume it on our Lusts (saith James) and we must be Certain that we are sincere in all this, before we can upon this Conditional Promise have a Certainty. 2. So that the minor Proposition here (That we thus Ask according to Gods Will in true Faith, &c.) This no Scripture speaks; and therefore must be known otherwise then by Believing. 3. Yet we may be said to Believe we shall Receive, in reference to the major Proposition or Promise in Scripture, which is an Object of our Belief.
§ 4 SECT. IV.
Prop 3 Propos. 3. THough Infallible Assurance, as aforesaid, may be . Read of this our British Divines in the Synod of Dort. in suffrag. ad Art. 5 Thes. 2. & 3. excellently and moderately (as they did in all)here attained, yet perfect Certainty in Degree cannot; nor may lawfully be by any man expected.
This also I have proved before. For if we may be Perfect in the Degree of Assurance, why not of all Grace as well? and so have no sin? Nay there are so many Graces exercised in producing our Assurance (besides Reason it self) that if they be not first perfect, it is impossible, that Assurance should be Perfect. For Example: He that Believeth not in Perfection the Truth of Scripture, and of that Promise, That [Whosoever Believeth shall be saved.] 2. And he that knoweth not in Perfection, the sincerity of his own Faith (neither of which any man breathing doth do;) cannot possibly be Perfectly Certain, that he is Justified, and shall be saved. For who can be Perfectly Certain of the Conclusion,The Conclusion follows the weaker part of the Premises, say Logicians. Vide Smigletii Logicam Dispu. 13. Quaest. 8. 12, 13. ubi strenuè probatur, praemessae alterius debilitatem, semper & in omni mat…ria, redundare in conclusionem. who is but Imperfectly Certain of the Premises? And yet I have met with some men that think themselves very learned and spiritual, that confidently Dispute for a Perfection in Assurance. If any man say [That Bellarmine meant as much as this Imperfect Certainty, when he grants a Conjectural Certainty;] and be sure that he speaks truly; I will like Bellarmine the better, and his opposers in this the worse; but I will like a plain necessary Truth of God never the worse. Sure I am that our great Divines affirming, That we are sure of Salvation by a certainty of Faith, hath given the Papists fearfull ground to baffle them and play upon us, and triumph over them. And when their own Students and followers finde it so, it hardens them against us fearfully. And as sure I am, that no man is Perfect gradually in this life in any Grace, much less in so high a point as his Assurance. Among all those Consciences that I have had opened to me, I never met with an humble, heavenly, upright Christian, that would say, He was perfectly Certain: (Nay, and but few that durst call their Perswasion A Certainty, but rather a strong Hope:) But some licentious, fantastical Disputers, I have heard plead for such a Perfect Certainty; whose Pride and loose Living and unmortified Passions and corruptions, told the standers-by, that they were the furthest from true Cert…inty of any.
§ 5 SECT. V.
Prop 4 Propos. 4. THough in some Cases it may be usefull to name several Marks: Yet the true infallible Marks of Sincerity, which a man may gather Assurance from, are very few, and lie in a narrower room then most have thought.
As I would not pick quarrels with the most Godly Divines, who lay down many Marks of Sincerity in their Sermons and Books; so would I not in foolish tenderness of any mans Reputation be so cruel to the Souls of poor Christians as to hide the Truth from▪ them in so weighty a point, and I speak against no man more then my self (heretofore.) I know ordinary Christians cannot discern how these multitudes of Marks do lie open to exceptions: but the Judicious may easily perceive it, I shall therefore here tell you the Truth, how far these many Marks are commendable and convenient, and how farre they are condemnable and dangerous. And, 1. When we are only discovering the Nature of some sinne, rather then the Certainty of the sinner, it is both easie and usefull to give many signs, as from the Effects, &c. by which it may be known, what that sin is; and so men may know how far they are guilty of it. But to know certainly whether that sin will prove the Damnable state of the sinner, is neither easie (in most cases) nor to be done by many Marks.
2. When we are discovering the Nature of some Duty or Grace (and not the very point wherein the Souls sincerity in that Grace or Duty lieth) it is both easie and usefull to give many Marks of them. But by these no man can gather Assurance of his sincerity.
3. When we are describing a high Degree of wickedness, which is far from the best state of an unregenerate man, it is both easie and usefull to give plain Marks of such a state. But to discover just how much sin will stand with true Grace, is another matter.
4. When we are describing the estate of the strongest Christians, it is easie and usefull to Mark them out, and to give many Marks of their strength: But to give many of their Truth; and to discover the least degree of true Grace, is not easie. So I have shewed you wherein Marks may commendably be multiplied: But to lay down many Marks of sincerity, and say, By these you may certainly know whether you shall be saved or not: This I dare not do.