cavils and contentions, and a thousand unchris-tian reproaches from the lips and pens of those who profess to worship the same God, to believe in the same Saviour, to hope for the operations of the same blessed Spirit, and who desire to ascribe their salvation to the same grace of God, who is blessed for evermore! Amen. TRACT IV. SERIOUS CONSIDERATIONS ON ABSOLUTE PRE DESTINATION. 1. GOD out of his infinite love, who delighteth not in the death of a sinner, but that all should live and be saved, hath given his only Son, to the end that whosoever believeth on him should no perish, but have everlasting life. He is the true. light, who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world.' And this light would work out the salvation of all, if not resisted. Nor is it less universal than inbred sin, being the purchase of his death, who tasted death for every man. For as in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 2. But some are not afraid to assert, That "God by an eternal and unchangeable decree hath predestinated to eternal damnation the far greater part of mankind, and that absolutely, without any respect to their works, but only for the showing the glory of his justice; and that for the bringing this about, he hath appointed these miserable souls necessarily to walk in their wicked ways, that so his justice may lay hold on them and that he justly condemns these, although he hath withheld from them that grace by which alone they could have laid hold of salvation, as having decreed, (without any respect to their works) that they shall not obey; and that the gospel, which he publicly invites them to accept, shall never prove effectual for their salvation, but only serve to aggravate their guilt, and occasion their greater damnation." 3. We may safely call this doctrine a novelty, seeing in the first four hundred years after Christ there is no mention made of it by any writer great or small, in any part of the Christian church. For as it is contrary to the testimony of scripture, and to the tenor of the gospel; so all the ancient writers, teachers, and doctors of the church pass it over with a profound silence. The first foundations of it were laid in the latter writings of Augustine, who in his heat against Pelagius, let fall some expres. sions, which some have unhappily gleaned up for the establishing of this error; thereby contradicting many others, and many more and frequent expressions of the same Augustine. It was afterwards taught by Dominicus, a Popish friar, and the monks of his order; and at last it was unhappily taken up by John Calvin, (otherwise a man in divers respects to be commended) to the great staining of his reputation, and defamation both of the Protestant and of the Christian religion. However, we should not reject, it for the silence of the ancients, if it had any real bottom in the word of God, and if it were not highly injurious to God himself, to Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer, to the power, virtue, nobility and excellency of his blessed gospel, and lastly, to all mankind. 4. First, It is highly injurious to God, because it makes him the author of sin. I confess, the assertors of this doctrine deny this consequence of it but that is but a mere illusion, and is equally ridiculous as if a man should deny that two and two make four. For if God has decreed, that the reprobated shall perish, and if he hath also decreed that they should walk in those wicked ways by which they are led to that end; who, I pray, is the first author and cause thereof but God, who so willed and decreed? This is as plain and natural a consequence as any can possibly be. And therefore although many of the preachers of this doctrine have sought out various strange, strained, and intricate distinctions to avoid it; yet some, and that of the most eminent among them, have openly acknowledged it. I shall instance a few among many passages.* I say, that by the ordination and will of God, Adam fell. God would have man to fall. Man is blinded by the will and commandment of God. We refer the causes of hardening us to God. The highest or remote causes of hardening, is the will of God. These are Calvin's words. God (saith Beza) *Calvin in cap. 3, Gen. Id. 1. Inst. c. 18. s. 1. Idlib. de præd. &c. ↑ Beza lib. de præd. hath predestinated whomsoever he saw meet, not only unto damnation, but also unto the causes of it. * It is certain (saith Zanchius) that God is the first cause of obduration. Reprobates are held so fast under God's almighty decree, that they cannot but sin and perish.-† God (saith Martyr) doth incline and force the wills of wicked men into great sins. God (saith Zuinglius) moveth the robber to kill. He killeth, God forcing him thereunto.-§ Reprobate persons (saith Piscator) are absolutely ordained to this two-fold end, to undergo everlasting punishment, and necessarily to sin: and therefore to sin, that they may be justly punished. 5. If these sayings do not import, That God is the author of sin, we must not then seek these men's opinions from their words, but some way else. It seems as if they had assumed to themselves that monstrous, two-fold will they feign of God: One, by which they declare their minds openly; and another, more secret and hidden, which is quite contrary to the other. Nor doth it at all help them to say, that man sins willingly; since that willingness to sin is (according to their judgment) so necessarily imposed upon bim that he cannot but be willing, because God hath willed and decreed him to be so. This shift is just as if I should take a child unable to resist me, and throw it down from a high precipice. The weight of its body indeed makes it go readily down, and the violence of the fall * Zanch. de excæc. q. 5. Id. lib. 5. de nat, Dei. Martyr in Rom. Zuring. lib. de provid. c. 5. Resp. ad vorst. par. 1. p. 120. beats out its brains. But through the weight of its body, and not any immediate stroke of my hand, makes the child die; whether is the child or I the proper cause of its death? Let then any man judge, whether they who make God's part as great, and more immediate, in the sins of men, do not make God the author of sin, and so are highly injurious to him? 6. Secondly, This doctrine is injurious to God, because it makes him delight in the death of sinners, contrary to the express words of God himself. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?' Ezek. xxxiii. 11. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour: who willeth all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth,' 1 Tim. ii. 4. "The Lord is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come unto repentance.' But if he hath created men only for this very end, that he might show forth his vengeance upon them, (as these men affirm,) and for effecting this end hath withheld from them that grace whereby alone they could be saved from perishing, yea, and also predestinated the evil, that they might fall into it, certainly he must delight in their death, contrary to his own express declaration. 7. Thirdly, This doctrine is highly injurious to Christ our Mediator, and to the efficacy and excellency of his gospel. For it supposes his mediation to be necessarily of none effect with regard |