Divel and he will fly from thee, pour out thy soul unto the Lord with sorrowful Hannah, "pray continually," as Paul injoyns, and as David did, Psal. 1. "meditate on his law day and night."

Yea, but this meditation is that that mars all, and mistaken makes many men far worse, misconceiving all they read or hear, to their own overthrow; the more they search and read Scriptures, or divine Treatises, the more they pusle themselves, as a bird in a net, the more they are intangled and precipitated into this preposterous gulf: "Many are called, but few are chosen, Mat. 20. 16. and 22. 14. with such like places of Scripture misinterpreted strike them with horror, they doubt presently whether they be of this number or no: God's eternall decree of predestination, absolute reprobation, and such fatall tables, they form to their own ruine, and impinge upon this rock of despair. How shall they be assured of their salvation, by what signes? "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinners appear? 1 Pet. 4. 18. Who knows, saith Solomon, whether he be elect? This grinds their souls, how shall they discern they are not reprobates? But I say again, how shall they discern they are? From the divell can be no certainty, for he is a lyar from the beginning: If he suggest any such thing, as too frequently he doth, reject him ås a deceiver, an enemy of humane kinde, dispute not with him, give no credit to him, obstinately refuse him, as S. Anthony did in the wilderness, whom the Divel set upon in severall shapes, or as the Collier did, so do thou by him. For when the divell tempted him with the weakness of his faith, and told him he could not be saved, as being ignorant in the principles of Religion, and urged him moreover to know what he beleeved, what he thought of such and such points and mysteries: the Collier told him, he beleeved as the Church did; but what (said the Divel again) doth the Church beleeve? as I do (said the Collier); and what's that thou beleevest? as the Church doth, &c. when the divel could get no other answer, he left him. If Satan summon thee to answer, send him to Christ: he is thy liberty, thy protector against cruell death, raging sin, that roaring Lyon; he is thy righteousness, thy Saviour, and thy life. Though he say, thou art not of the number of the elect, a reprobate, forsaken of God, hold thine own still,

hic murus aheneus esto,"

Let this be as a bulwark, a brazen wall to defend thee, stay thy self in that certainty of faith; let that be thy comfort, CHRIST will protect thee, vindicate thee, thou art one of his flock, he will triumph over the law, vanquish death, over

come

come the divel, and destroy hell. If he say thou art none of the elect, no beleever, reject him, defie him, thou hast thought otherwise, and maist so be resolved again; comfort thy self; this perswasion cannot come from the divell, and much less can it be grounded from thy self? men are lyars, and why shouldest thou distrust? A denying Peter, a persecuting Paul, an adulterous cruel David, have been received; an Apostate Solomon may be converted; no sin at all but impenitency, can give testimony of final reprobation. Why shouldest thou then distrust, misdoubt thy self, upon what ground, what suspition? This opinion alone of particularity? Against that, and for the certainty of Election and salvation on the other side, see God's good will toward men, hear how generally his grace is proposed to him, and him, and them, each man in particular, and to all. 1. Tim. 2. 4. "God will that all men be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth." "Tis an universal promise, "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved." John 3. 17. He that acknowledgeth himself a man in the world, must likewise acknowledge he is of that number that is to be saved: Ezek. 33. 11. “I will not the death of a sinner, but that he repent and live :" But thou art a sinner; therefore he will not thy death. "This is the will of him that sent me, that every man that beleeveth in the Son, should have everlasting life." John 6. 40. "He would have no man perish, but all come to repentance," 2 Pet. 3. 9. Besides, remission of sins is to be preached, not to a few, but universally to all men. "Go therefore and tell all Nations, baptizing them," &c. Matth. 28. 19. "Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," Mark 16. 15. Now there cannot be contradictory wills in God, he will have all saved, and not all, how can this stand together? be secure then, beleeve, trust in him, hope well and be saved. Yea that's the main matter, how shall I beleeve or discern my security from carnall presumption? my faith is weak and faint, I want those signes and fruits of sanctification, sorrow for sin, thirsting for grace, groanings of the spirit, love of Christians as Christians, avoiding occasion of sin, endeavour of new obedience, charity, love of God, perseverance. Though these signes be languishing in thee, and not seated in thine heart, thou must not therefore be dejected or terrified; the effects of the faith and spirit are not yet so fully felt in thee; conclude not therefore thou art a reprobate, or doubt of thine election, because the Elect themselves are without them, before their conversion. Thou maist in the Lord's good time be converted; some are called at the 11th hour: Use, I say,

• Abernethy.

he

the means of thy conversion, expect the Lord's leisure, if not yet called, pray thou maist be, or at least wish and desire thou maist be.

i

Notwithstanding all this which might be said to this effect, to case their afflicted minds, what comfort our best Divines can afford in this case, Zanchius, Beza, &c. This furious curiosity, needless speculation, fruitless meditation about election, reprobation, free will, grace, such places of Scripture preposterously conceived, torment still, and crucifie the souls of too many, and set all the world together by the ears. To avoid which inconveniences, and to settle their distressed mindes, to mitigate those divine Aphorismes, (though in another extream some) our late Arminians have revived that plausible doctrine of universall grace, which inany Fathers, our late Lutheran and modern Papists do still maintain, that we have free will of our selves, and that grace is common to all that will beleeve. Some again, though less orthodoxall, will have a far greater part saved then shall be damned, (as Cælius Secundus stifly maintains in his book, De amplitudine regni cælestis, or some impostor under his name) beatorum numerus multò major quàm damnatorum. *He cals that other Tenent of speciall "* Election and Reprobation, a prejudicate, envious and malitious opinion, apt to draw all men to desperation. Many are called, few chosen," &c. He opposeth some opposite parts of Scripture to it," Christ came into the world to save sinners, &c. And four especial arguments he produceth, one from God's power. If more be damned then saved, he erroneously concludes, the divel hath the greater soveraigntie; for what is power but to protect? and Majestie consists in multitude. "If the divell have the greater part, where is his mercy, where is his power? how is he Deus Optimus Maximus, misericors ? &c. where is his greatness, where his goodness?" He proceeds, "We account him a murderer that is accessary onely, or doth not help when he can; which may not be supposed of God without great offence, because he may do what he will, and is otherwise accessary, and the author of sin. The nature of good is to be communicated, God is good, and will not then be contracted in his goodness: for how is he the Father of mercy and comfort, if his good concern but a few? O envious and unthankfull men to

See whole books of these arguments. * Lib. 3. fol. 122. Præjudicata opinio, invida, maligna, & apta ad impellendos animos in desperationem. * See the Antidote in Chamiers Tom. 3. lib. 7. Downam's Christian warfare, &c. 1 Potentior est Deo diabolus & mundi princeps, & in multitudine hominum sita, est majestas. m Homicida qui non subvenit quum potest; hoc de Deo sine scelere cogitari non potest, utpote quum quod vult licet. Boni natura communicari. Bonus Deus, quomodo misericordiæ, pater, &c.

n

think otherwise! Why should we pray to God that are Gentiles, and thank him for his mercies and benefits, that hath damned us all innocuous for Adam's offence, one man's offence, one small offence, eating of an apple? why should we acknowledge him for our governour that hath wholly neglected the salvation of our souls, contemned us, and sent no Prophets or instructors to teach us, as he hath done to the Hebrews?" So Julian the Apostate objects. Why should these Christians (Cælius urgeth) reject us and appropriate God unto themselves, Deum illum suum unicum, &c. But to return to our forged Cælius. At last he comes to that, he will have those saved that never heard of, or beleeved in Christ, ex puris naturalibus, with the Pelagians, and proves it out of Origen and others. They (saith Origen) that never heard God's word, are to be excused for their ignorance: we may not think God will be so hard, angry, cruell or unjust as to condemn any man indictá causa. They alone (he holds) are in the state of damnation that refuses Christ's mercy and grace, when it is offered. Many worthy Greeks and Romans, good moral honest men, that kept the Law of Nature, did to others as they would be done to themselves, as certainly saved, he concludes, as they were that lived uprightly before the Law of Moses. They were acceptable in God's sight, as Job was, the Magi, the Queen of Sheba, Darius of Persia, Socrates, Aristides, Cato, Curius, Tully, Seneca, and many other Philosophers, upright livers, no matter of what Religion, as Cornelius, out of any Nation, so that he live honestly, call on God, trust in him, fear him, he shall be saved. This opinion was formerly maintained by the Valenti nian and Basiledian heretickes, revived of late in Turky, of what sect Rustan Bassa was patron, defended by P Galeatius Erasmus, by Zuinglius in exposit. fidei ad Regem Galliæ, whose tenet Bullinger vindicates, and Gualter approves in a just Apology with many Arguments. There be many Jesuites that follow these Calvinists in this behalf, Franciscus Buchsius Moguntinus, Andradius Consil. Trident. many Schoolmen that out of the 1 Rom. v. 18. 19. are verily perswaded that those good works of the Gentiles did so far please God, that they might vitam æternam promereri, and be saved in the end. Sesellius, and Benedictus Justinianus in his Comment on the

*Vide Cyrillum lib. 4. adversus Julianum, qui poterimus illi gratias agere qui nobis non misit Mosen & prophetas, & contempsit bona animarum nostrarum? "Venia danda est iis qui non audiunt ob ignorantiam. Non est tam iniquus Judex Deus; ut quenquam indicta causa damnare velit. Ii solum damnantur, qui obla am Christi gratium rejiciunt. Busbequius Lonicerus Tur. hist. To. 1. 1. 2. Paulus Jovius Elog. v.

Illust.

P Clem. Alex.

first

T

first of the Romans, Mathias Ditmarsh the Polititian, with many others, hold a mediocrity, they may be salute non indigni, but they will not absolutely decree it. Hofmannus a Lutheran Professor of Helmstad, and many of his Followers, with most of our Church, and Papists, are stiffe against it. Franciscus Collius hath fully censured all opinions in his five Books, de Paganorum animabus post mortem, and amply dilated this question, which who so will may peruse. But to return to my Author, his conclusion is, that not only wicked Livers, Blasphemers, Reprobates, and such as reject God's grace, "but that the Divels themselves shall be saved at last," as Origen himself long since delivered in his works, and our late* Socinians defend, Ostorodius, cap. 41. institut. Smaltius, &c. Those terms of all and for ever in Scripture, are not eternal, but only denote a longer time, which by many Examples they prove. The world shall end like a Comedy, and we shall meet at last in Heaven, and live in bliss altogether, or else in conclusion, in nihil evanescere. For how can he be merciful that shall condemn any creature to eternal unspeakable punishment, for one small temporary fault, all posterity, so many myriads, for one and another man's offence, quid meruistis oves? But these absurd paradoxes are exploded by our Church, we teach otherwise. That this vocation, predestination, election, reprobation, non ex corruptâ massâ, prævisa fide, as our Arminians, or ex prævisis operibus, as our Papists, non ex præteritione, but God's absolute decree ante mundum creatum, (as many of our Church hold) was from the beginning, before the foundation of the world was laid, or homo conditus, (or from Adam's fall, as others will, homo lapsus objectum est reprobationis) with perseverantia sanctorum, we must be certain of our salvation, we may fall but not finally, which our Arminians will not admit. According to his immutable, eternal, just decree and counsell of saving men and Angels, God cals all, and would have all to be saved according to the efficacy of vocation: all are invited, but onely the elect apprehended: the rest that are unbeleeving, impenitent, whom God in his just judgement leaves to be punished for their sins, are in a reprobate sense; yet we must not determine who are such, condemn ourselves or others, because we have an universal invitation; all are commanded to beleeve, and we know not how soon or how late our end may be received. I might have said more of this subject; but forasmuch as it is a forbidden question, and in the Preface or Declaration to the Articles of the Church, printed 1633, to avoid factions and altercations, we that are

Non homines sed & ipsi dæmones aliquando servandi. Harmoniam art. 22. p. 2.

VOL. II.

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* Vid. Pelsii

Universitie