Although my great care in setting forth A Treatise of Faith, was to deliver that truth which I gathered out of the holy Scriptures, and, keeping in mine eye, the marke I aimed at, To strengthen the weake in faith, I purposely avoyded all controversies [Page] which might entangle weake Iudgements: Yet now of late I perceiue, that, as my Labours haue had good approbation of the Learned, and haue beene profitable vnto weake Christians, so som few haue by speech and writing manifested their differing judgements from me, and an hard censure of me; which I had purposed to passe by in silence: but meeting of late with a briefe confutation in print, of some cheife points [Page] in my Booke, which might stumble many weake ones, I hold my selfe bound in Conscience to maintaine the truth by me delivered, and to cleare my selfe from many vniust imputations. Wherein passing by the Author, and all his intentions, I will touch the principall points gainsayed. This formerly I had done, and sent to the Author before he published his Confutation. Therefore he had no just cause to make my defect of answer [Page] a cause of putting his Confutation to the presse, as he alledgeth in his Epistle to the Reader.
HISpag. 4. first exception is against these words, Many of Gods children doe not enioy that sweete life and blessed estate in this world, which God their Father hath provided for them. Any indifferent Reader may see his grosse mistaking herein. For what I speake of Gods bountie in providing meanes, whereby his children might liue more comfortably, [Page] if the fault were not in thēselues, he vnderstāds of Gods Decree, which is vnchangeable, and cannot be frustrated. So that all his Discourse hereof, as many others, might well haue beene spared.
Thepag. 7. 8. &c. second, and indeed the onely point in question is, Whether Salvation in Christ, be in the Gosp [...]ll proclaimed and offered in generall to all that heare it, or onely to the El [...]ct. The former I hold & proue by most evident Scriptures, [Page] as, I doubt not, the Learned will approue.
Herein I haue, beside many other Orthodox defenders of the truth, both ancient and modern, the consent of that famous Synod at Dort, wherein were assembled a great number of leared Divines, out of the Reformed Churches. Their own words I will set downe, that all may see how I agree with them.
Chap. 2. Art. 5. It is the promise of the Gospell, that whosoeuer beleeveth [Page] in Christ crucified, should not perish, but haue life everlasting: which promise, together with the iniunction of Repentance and faith, ought promiscuously and without distinction to be declared and published to all men, and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the Gospell.
But for as much as many being called by the Gospell, Art. 6. doe not repent nor beleeue in Christ, but perish in their Infidelitie, this comes not to passe for want of, or by any insufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ offered vpon the Crosse, but by their owne default.
This shall suffice for my defēce in this point. As for further Confutation of his arguments to the contrary, it is not my purpose to charge the Presse with more Controversies among our selues. Onely this I will say (which may be a sufficient answere to all his Allegations) that all the Scriptures which restraine the merits of Christ to some onely, are to be vnderstood of those that shall enioy them: but those Scriptures which enlarge [Page] Christs Merits to all, are to be meant of the Offer onely, or proclaiming them to all, though many of them never partake of Christ. So then the Generall offer doth not make all partakers of Christ: nor the Speciall Partaking of Christ, hinder the generall offer.
By Offer I meane onely the outward Calling by the Gospell, Math. 22.14. which none can deny to belong to many that are not chosen. This I affirme to be the onely ordinary seed to [Page] beget saving Faith. My Adversary taketh this Offer for a Promise to haue Christ (which I confesse that none shall haue but the Elect) and so he spends much labour in vaine.
Whereaspag. 16. &c. he chalengeth all the Scriptures by me alleaged, to proue the generall Offer, to be misapplied, for that he would haue them to be vnderstood of the Elect onely, I must referre this also to the judgement of the Learned: with submission to their censure, [Page] I professe, I cannot find any one clear place where the VVORLD must of necessitie be taken for the ELECT onely. For the wicked in the world it is oft vsed; and more generally, for all Mankinde, as Mr Calvin, with sundry other great Divines vnderstand it, evenIo. 3.16. in the place where he misalledgeth him to the contrary. In this Scipture (God so loved the World, that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne, that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish, but haue everlasting [Page] life) I desire may be considered, if the World be not divided into beleevers, who shall be saved, and vnbeleevers who shall not be saved: which cannot be vnderstood of the Elect onely. As forMar. 16.15. this most manifest scripture preach the Gospell to every creature) to vnderstand the Elect, is vnreasonable. Therefore I professe that his Accusation is vniust.
He commethpag. 20. &c. in the next place to my maine argument, wherein he fowly mistaketh my [Page] meaning, not well considering my words. For what I speake of the knowledg of a pardon proclaimed, he vnderstands of the knowledge of a pardon embraced, which belongs onely to a beleever: but the proclamation of a pardon, must be knowne to an vnbeleever before he can beleeue; which is that that I maintaine.
After thispag. 26. he obiecteth, that there be many other strange passage; wherin he doth much mis [...]ake my plaine meaning. [Page] One of the supposed strange passages is, that I say, By divers considerations in a man voyde of faith, faith may be gotten, as if I meant that this might be effected without the helpe of the Spirit: whereas to shew my selfe an enemy to vniversall grace, and so to cleare me from Arminius his errors, I plainly say, that None can attaine vnto faith without the speciall grace of Gods Spirit (pag. 42.82.) to which purpose I cite sundry Scriptures prooving the same.
pag. 27.Another of the objected strange passages is, that I make sorrow for sinne, and desire of remedy, causes of faith. But those words are none of mine, they are his collection from these words of mine, (pag. 44.) Vnder the causes I comprehend all that work of God, whereby he worketh faith in any. Vnder that worke of God, among other things, I mention sound sorrow for mans misery, and fervent desire after Christ the remedy. Let any indifferent Reader now judge if I make not Gods worke [Page] the cause of faith: and these, with other particulars, such gifts as God worketh in vs before faith.
In the next placepag. 29. charging me with Arminianisme most vnjustly; he taketh in hand to confute Vniversall Redemption by many Arguments. But seeing I haue purposely avoyded that question, and doe from my heart deny, that every man is actually reconciled by Christ, and affirme, that none haue any benefit by Christ, but Beleevers and their seede: I [Page] leaue the scanning of his arguments to his adversary whosoever he be: and I doe here testifie vnder my hand, to all posteritie, that I renounce all Arminius his errors: and giue my full consent to the Synod of Dort.
As for these phrases, (God hath made a deed of gift, and grant of Christ to mankinde, yea to all sinners excepting none,) and other like to them, which he presseth against mee, they are to be taken of Gods dispensatiō of his [Page] mind in and by the Gospell: and so much is expressed by me (pag 36.) in these words; Making so free a grant thereof, in the Gospell, to all sinners excepting none.
Any indifferent Reader may see, that my maine scope is, to draw every one that heareth the Gospell, to beleeue, by this, that Christ and his benefits be proclaimed to him, and shall never be bestowed on him, vnlesse he beleeue; which is far from Arminius his errors.
Lastly, where he conceiveth [Page] some contradictions in my Booke, it is cleare they be his cō ceipts, as will evidently appeare by the particulars.
Concerning the first pretended contradiction, his words are these,pag. 39. You say, that all Gods promises made to the Elect, are absolute, (pag. 141.) And againe, Most of the free promises of the Gospell be propounded with some condition. What contradiction is in these words? Are these termes (absolute & vpon some condition contradictory)? [Page] Are not the conditions required in the Gospel, absolutely promised to the Elect? The distinction which I make of promises absolute and conditionall, sheweth, that there is no contradiction in those words. These well agree, that The Elect cannot faile of that which God promiseth to them, and all others to whom God offers salvation, shall not obtaine it, because they beleeue not.
Another pretended contradiction he thus [Page] expresseth, I take it that the manifestation of GODS counsell to the heires of promise (pag. 209.) crosseth the generall offer. Who would so take it but he? it being Gods eternall counsell to saue none but the Elect, which he manifesteth to Abraham and his seed according to the Faith; this nothing hindereth the generall offer, and proclamation of pardon to the Reprobate, to make them inexcusable for refusing mercie offered.
A third pretended contradiction is, that I say, God out of his faithfulnesse freely bestows that which he offereth and sealeth (pag. 357.) and that Many doe not receiue that which is promised and sealed (pag. 358.) What contradiction is it to say, that Many for want of faith receiue not that which is promised? God faithfully performeth what he offereth in the Word, and sealeth by the Sacraments, but onely to such as by faith receiue both.