PREFAC E. TH HE Preface fhews, firft, how the Author, who had his education under men of the Calvinistical perfuafion, came to doubt of, and afterwards to reject thofe doctrines, Section 1. The DISCOURSE I. Concerning ELECTION and REPROBATION. THAT HAT the word hath no relation to any decree of Reprobation, but only to God's CH APTER II. This doctrine is contrary to the perfections of the divine nature, viz. ft. to his natural defire, What abfolute election doth import; and that the election mentioned in fcripture, 1ft, is not of The doctrine of abfolute election confuted, 1ft, From God's will, that all to whom the gospel is That the doctrine of abfolute cleation and reprobation is contrary to the fentiments of the * ἀδόκιμος. Η πρόγνωσις, πρόθεσις, προωρισμός, be good or bad, veffels of honor or dishonor, wrath or mercy, &c. Section 1. 2dly. From the ex- DISCOURSE II. Concerning the EXTENT of CHRIST'S REDEMPTION. T ༡ “་ན་ནས་་ན་ ན ; 1 HE fcripture frequently and exprefsly faith Chrift died for all, and never faith any The fecond general argument for this extent of Chrift's falutary paffion is taken from all the This doctrine is farther proved, 1ft, Because he died for them that perish, Section 1. 2dly. For CH APTER IV. This doctrine is confirmed, ift, From the obligation of all to whom the gofpe! was preached to This chapter contains an antwer to the arguments produced from scripture to prove Christ died This Section offers arguments from reafon for the univerfality of Chrift's redemption, ift, Be- CHA PTER VII. Two co- The Section contains an answer to fix objections from reason against the doctrine of univerfal pes to any, Section 1. 2dly. That a general will that all men fhould be faved, carries fome marks of imperfection in it as reprefenting God wishing somewhat, which he would not accomplish, Section 2. 3dly, That if Chrift died for all, and all are not faved, the wifdom of God must be defeftive and imperfe&t; for to fall short of our intentions fhews a deficiency in point of wisdom, Section 3. 4thly. That then God is not omnipotent, Section 4. 5thly. That then the great love of God in fending his Son thus to die, is useless and unprofitable to many, Section 5. 6thly. That then Chrift paid a price of redemption for them who will never be the better for it, Section 6. Ali which objections are fully answered in the faid fections., DISCOURSE OURSE III. Of SUFFICIENT and EFFECTUAL, COMMON and SPE, CIAL GRACE. TH The State of the Question CHAPTER I. HE true import of the word grace in fcripture, Scation 1. edly. That befides the vouchfafement of the gospel as a rule of life, it feems neceffary to affert that God vouchfafes fome inward operations and affiftances of his Holy Spirit to incline us to what is good, and to work converfion in us; this is proved by many arguments, Section 2. 3dly. The manner in which God's grace or fpirit works upon the heart and mind of man for producing the fruits of the good fpirit, or the preparatory difpofitions towards them, is fuitable to the reafon and the faculties of man, his understanding and his will, Section 3. This is farther evident from the method all men ufe to perfuade others and to all God's difpenfations towards them, Section 4. The operation of the Holy Spirit on us in this cafe, feems to confift in these two things, viz. 1ft, the representing divine truths more clearly to our understandings. edly. In bringing the divine motives to our remembrance, that they may be prefent to our minds when this is neceffary to engage us to the performance of our duty, Section 5. In what fenfe a phyfical operation of the Holy Spirit on us may be allowed, how they are exciting, reftraining, preventing, affifting and fubfequest grace, and of the diftinction of grace into fufficient and efficacious, common and fpecial grace, Section 6. No Heceffity of fupernatural infufed habits, Section 7. This chapter contains arguments against the neceffity of an irrefiftible and unfruftrable operation in order to the converfion of a finner, 1ft, From the conceffions of our adverfaries, Section 1. 2dly. From God's declaration that he had done all that was fufficient, and could be reasonably expected in order to that end, when that effect did not follow, Section 2. 3dly. From his earnest defires of the obedience and reformation of his people, Section 3. 4thly. Becaufe this renders vain (1ft) All the commands and exhortations directed to the wicked to turn from the evil of their ways. (2dly) All the threats denounced against them who go on in them. And, (3dly) All the promifes of pardon and life to them who turn from them, Section 4. 5thly. Becaufe then it could not be righteous to punish them with eternal mifery for their disability to do what God requires, nor could that dif ability be their fia, Section 5. The answer that this difability is contracted by our own fin, because it came upon us by the fin of our first parents, is largely confuted, Section 6. 7thly. Because fuch a divine, unfruftrable operation renders the word no inftrument or means for the converfion of a finner, Section 7. 8thly. Because then no fufficient motive can be offered to induce any person to enter upon a change of life till he feel this divine impulfe come upon him, Section 8. 9thly. Becaufe then nothing can be required of us as a prerequifite, or a preparatory condition of our converfion, Scation 9. 1othly. Because then no man could be converted fooner or later than he is, Section 10. 11thly. Because God chargeth the wickedness of men not upon their impotency or difability, but upon their wilfulness, Section 11. Laffly, our opinion tendeth molt to the glory of the divine attributes, Section 12. And is moft confonant to the judgment of antiquity, dection 13. 1. This chapter contains an answer to the arguments produced to prove that man is purely paffive in the whole work of his converfion, that being wrought by God alone without his cooperation, Some general obfervations are premifed as a foundation of an answer to thele arguments, Section Which arife, ift. from the feprefentation of this work, as a refurrection, a creation, a new birth, Section 2. 2dly. From thofe fcriptures which reprefent the unregenerate as dead in fins, and unable to difcern the things of God, to think any thing as of themselves, to do any thing till they be in Chrift, to come to him till they be drawn, to bring forth good fruit, or to be fubjeft to the law of God, Section 3. 3dly. From thofe feriptures which fay, That God gives faith and repentance, and openeth the heart, Section 4. 4thly. From thofe which fay God circumcifes, gives a new heart and ípirit that we may fear him, and writes his law in our hearts, Section 5. 5thly, That he worketh in us to will and to do, Section 6. 6thly. That according to this doctrine, ift, one man makes himself to differ from another, Se&tion 7. 2dly, Man will have caufe of boatting, Section 8. 3dly. The glory of our converfion will not be of God alone, itid. 4thly, it will be uncertain whether any one will be converted or not. 1 Of the FREEDOM of the WILL of MAN. The State of the Question. CHAPTER I. THAT the fate of man in this world is a ftate of Trial and Probation, is proved by five arguments, Section 1. And hence it follows, that the liberty belonging to this question is only that of a lapfed man in the ftate of trial, probation and temptation; fo that all the arguments ta ken from the freedom of God, of good or evil angels, or of Chrift, to prove that liberty of freedom may confift with a neceffity, or a determination to good or evil must be impertinent, they being not in a state of Trial, Section 2. This freedom of the will,in a state of trial, cannot confit with a determination to one, whether it be to good or evil, Section 3. The free will of man being a faculty or power, which hath for its object in moral actions fomething morally, in fpiritual actions fomething fpiritually good or evil to be chofen or avoided; that which difables a man from choofing what is morally or fpiritually good, or refufing what is thus evil, muft alfo take away his liberty to choose the good or refufe the evil action, Section 4. It is abfurd to say that men thus difabled may deferve punishment for what they do, though they cannot do otherwife, because they disobey willingly, and choose to do so, Section 5. Or to say that men under an unfruftrable operation are ftill free, because what they are moved thus to do they will to do, and do it with complacency, Section 6. That opinion which teacheth that man by the fall hath contracted fuch disability, that he not only can do nothing which is truly good, but alfo lies under that fervitude to fin which makes it neceffary for him to be till doing evil, hath no foundation in the holy fcriptures, with an an fwer to all the fcriptures aliedged to that purpose, Section 7. That thefe new notions of liberty are repugnant to the fenfe and common reafon of mankind, Section 3. The holy fcripture declares that the liberty of the will even in chriftian virtues of the highest mature is oppofite not only to coaction, but neceffity, Section 1. Hence appears the falsehood and hypocrify of all the tenders of the gofpel to their fuppofed reprobates, as they are expounded by men of the contrary perfuafion, Section 2. Five farther arguments from fcripture to prove the lib. erty contended for, Section 3. Thefe arguments ftrongly confirmed from the concurrent fuffrage, and the exprefs and frequent declarations of the ancient fathers, Section 4. The freedom of the will in a state of trial from neceffity is argued, 1ft, From God's method in dealing with men by perfuafions and moral inducements, Section 1. 2dly. From the received notion of the words liberty and freedom, Section 2. 3dly. Because otherwife man in his lapfed ftate could not be subject to a command or prohibition, Section 3. 4thly. Becaufe then the fins of wicked men, whether of omiflion or commiffion, would not deferve that name, Section 4. Where it is manifefted, ift, That there is a clear agreement of those men who place the liberty of the willin a freedom not from neceffity, but only from coaction, with the doctrine of Mr. Hobbs, Section 1. 2dly. With the doctrine of Fate. And that the difference betwixt them and the fatalits, is not material, Section 2. 3dly. That the fame reasons which induced the philofophers, from the light of reafon to condemn this fate in thofe heathens who maintained it, induced the chrif tians to reject it when it was taught by the Colobarfans, Prifcillianifts, and other hereticks, Sec. tion 3. The judgment of all antiquity for that freedom of the will we contend for is evinced from the fe confiderations: ift. That they place the freedom of the will from neceffity among the doctrines delivered to the church by the preaching of the apofiles, and by ecclefiaftical tradition, Section 1.—edly. From what St. Auflin lays down in confutation of the Manichees, viz. (1ft) That no man is blameworthy for doing that evil which he was not able to refift. edly. That no fouls offend in not being fuch as they cannot be. 3ly. That no man is worthy of difpraife or punishment for not doing that which he cannot do. 4thly. That no man is guilty for not having that which he hath not received. 5thly. That this is the true definition of fin, that it is the will to do that from which we have the liberty to abftain. 6thly. That it is folly to command him who hath not the power to obey. 7thly. That it is not the duty of him to repent who cannot do good. 8thly. That the de nial of this liberty is contrary to fcripture and deftroys the equity of divine judgments; in all which things he hath the general fuffrage of the Greek and Latin fathers, Section 2. The argu ments by which the fathers do confute the doctrine of Origen are as ftrong against this opinion, Section 3. The replies which Auflin makes to fome of his own arguments are infufficient, Sec. tion 4. DISCOURSE V. Concerning the PERSEVERANCE of SAINTS. ift. WE The State of the Question. CHAPTER I. E own (1) that they who are preferved from falling are fo preferved by the power of God through faith; but know of no promife that all true believers thall be fo preferved. edly. That God hath engaged to preferve them who do not wickedly depart from him, from being forced from him by the malice, fubtilty or power of their adverfaries; but not from falling from their own fted faftnefs. 3dly. That he hath promifed perfeverance to all that ufe the means, but not that all fhall do fo who were once true believers, Section 1. What our adverfaries grant deftroys most of their arguments, Section 2. CHAPTER II. The arguments against the doctrine of perfeverance of all true believers to the end are taken, 1ft, From God's exprefs declarations to the contrary, Ez, xviii. 24, 26. xxxiii. 13. Section 1. 2dly. From these words, Heb. vi. 4. 5, 6, it is impoffible-and yet fall away to renew them to repentance, Section 2. 3dly. From thefe words, Heb. x. 26, 29. To him that accounteth the blood of the covenant u herewith he was fanctified an unholy thing, there remaineth no more facrifice for fin, Seation 3. 4thly. From thefe, ver. 38. If the juft man, who lives by faith, draw back, my foul fhall have no pleasure in him, Section 4. 5thly. From thofe, if after they have efcaped the pollutions which are in the world through luft, they are again entangled and overcome, 2 Pet. ii. 18. Section 5. 6thly. From many inftances of fuch men who have actually fallen away, especially in the Jewish nation, Section 6. This argument is confirmed from many places of the Epiftle to the Hebrews, ibid. 7thly. From the commands and exhortations directed to true believers to continue to the end, and to fear left they should fall away, and the cautions to prevent their doing fo, the promifes made to them if they continue ftedfaft, the threats against them who did not fo; of which in general, Section 7. In particular this is proved, ift. From the commands, Section 8. The exhortations to perfevere, Section 9. And to fear left they should fall away, Section 10. Particularly from the fears of the apoftles left it should be fo, Section 11. The promifes made to them that do not, Section 12. The threats against them that do thus fall away, Section 13. Laftly, This is proved from many places which fuppofe that true believers may thus fall, Section 14. CHAPTER III. In this chapter is contained an answer to the arguments produced from feripture to prove the perfeverance of faints to the end, as v. g. aft. From Mat. xxiv. 24. They fhall deceive, if it were poffible, the very elect, Section 1. 2dly. From John vi. 39, 46. It is the will of the father that every one who is given to Chrift and believeth in him fhould not perish but have everlasting life, Section 2. 3dly. Because the Lord hath not caft off his people whom he foreknew, Rom. xi. 2. Section 3. 4thly. Becaufe whom God juftifies them he alfo glorifies, and none can feparate them from the love of God, Rom. viii. 29, 35. Section 4. 5thly. Becaufe true believers have that fpirit of God who feals them up to the day of redemption, and is the earneft of their future inheritance, Eph. i. 13. iv. 30. Section 5. 6thly. Becaufe the Lord knoweth who are his, 2 Tim. ii. 18, 19. Section 6. 7thly. Because they are kept by the power of God through faith to falvation, Section 7. 8thly. Because they who go out from true believers were not of them, 1 John ii. 19. Section 8. 9thly. Because he that is born of God cannot fin, 1 John iii. 9. Section 9. This chapter anfwers the texts produced to prove that God ftands engaged by promifes to preferve true believers ftedfaft to the end. (ft.) I will give them one heart, and one way that they may fear me forever: I will put my fear into their hearts that they fhall not depart from me, Jer. xxxii. 38, 39, 40. Section 1. 2dly. Chrift faith he that comes to me fhall never hunger, he that drinketh of the water that I fhall give him fhall never thirst, Jo. vi. 35. iv. 14. Section 2- 3dly. Chrift promifeth that his fheep fhall never perifh; none fhall pluck them out of his hands, John x. 28. Section 3. 4thly. God hath engaged to confirm them unblameable to the end, 1 Cor. i. 9, 10. To perfect the good work begun in them to the day of the Lord, Philip. i. 6. To fanctify them whom he hath called in body, foul and fpirit, a Theff. v. 23. To eftablish them, and keep them from evil, 2 Theff. ii, 3. Section 4. 15 ふ A comparifon betwixt the two doctrines (ift) as to the comfort of believers, where it is proved, (1 ft.) from many inftances that a doctrine is not therefore true because it is comfortable to them that believe it. (2dly) That a poffibility of falling into a great evil is no juft caufe of trouble or anxiety, when I am affured I cannot do fo unless I will and choofe to do fo, and cannot do fo but by acting against the cleareft rules of reafon and difcretion, and the highest motives to the contrary. 3dly. That the doctrine of the faint's perfeverance cannot be truly comfortable, or give any advantage above the othe in the point of comfort, Section 1. 2dly. As to their tendency to pre. mote holiness, where it is fhewed that our doctrine hath the advantage on feveral accounts, Section 2. 3dly, That it hath the fuffrage of all the ancients, and was the doctrine of the whole Church of Chrift for many ages, Section 3. |