Rusticus ad academicos in exercitationibus expostulatoriis, apologeticis quatuor The rustick's alarm to the rabbies, or, The country correcting the university and clergy, and ... contesting for the truth ... : in four apologeticall and expostulatory exercitations : wherein is contained, as well a general account to all enquirers, as a general answer to all opposers of the most truly catholike and most truly Christ-like Chistians [sic] called Quakers, and of the true divinity of their doctrine : by way of entire entercourse held in special with four of the clergies chieftanes, viz, John Owen ... Tho. Danson ... John Tombes ... Rich. Baxter ... by Samuel Fisher ...

CHAP, III.

ANd this, that Christ died for all men, without exception, and God in him intends salvation to all, as truly willing they should have it, rather then not (if in their own obstinate wills they withstand it not by refusing to return when he draws them) as he truly tenders it to them, and hath of his own free Love and Grace impowered them, as well to receive it, if they will, as to reject it if they will, and vouchsafed them all some measure, though not the same measure of the true Light, which is sufficient to guide All that follow on to know him in it to that saving knowledge of himself, and Christ, which is Life eternal, is from the whole scope of Scripture as cer∣tain (to him who is not blinded, with that Sorcerer that could not see the Sun) as 'tis that I: O: sayes (falsly) the contrary is certain from innume∣rable places of it; out of which I argue, in proof of the foresaid Truths, as followeth.

Argum. 1. If it were so certain (as these men say 'tis by their spokes∣man I: O: Ex. 4. S. 13, 17.) that God doth not savingly enlighten all and every man, but some only, i.e. the Elect; that he must be blind, and void of all spiritual understanding, that dreames to the contrary, and that Christ in no wise vouchsafes saving Light to all and every man, nor any measure of that Grac•• that is sufficient to save men, let them attend to it never to well,* 1.1 then he could not say truly and honestly without a lye, * 1.2 that this wayes are equall; and as he lives he had rather the wicked should turn from his wickedness, and live, then die in and for it; fith he might (in a way of con∣sistency with the unchangeableness of his un∣changeable Decree. concerning the death of finall Impenitents) put them, at least, into a capable∣ness to chuse life, and possibility to come to it, if they would, as well as to chuse death, if they would, and thereby have shewed the equally of his wayes, in letting men have what they will, and as they do, yet would not do so much for them as that.

But most certain 'tis, that Gods wayes are all most equall, so as to let men have from him what they chuse (viz.) Life, and Good, and Blessing in Christ the Light, or Death, and Evil, and the Curse, in the deeds of darkness, when both are set before them, Deut. 11.26.30.19: Isai. 66: 3, 4: and as certain 'tis that God so sayes as abovesaid, and truly wishes rather that the wicked, even those that do die, should turn and live, (as else they cannot,) but that they will not; mark Ezek: 18: throughout, and Ezek: 33: v. 8: to v: 21. Yea. O (saith he) that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me, &c. that it might be well with them, Deut: 5: 29: with a number more of the

like wishes, Matth: 23: 37: Luke 13: 44. Luke 19:41, 42. And whatever God sayes or wishes, he doth it truly and honestly, meaning as he sayes, and is not such an Hypocrite, Lyar, and Dissembler, as T: Ds: Doctrine, of his tendring what he never intends. doth make him.

Therefore he vouchsafeth to All and every man, even those that come to perish, but that they neglect it at some time or other, same measure of sa∣ving Grace, and a Light sufficient to lead them to Salvation.

Arg. 2: If God did not give at one time or other to all men such Grace, Liberty, Light, and Power, as is sufficient to bring them to life, if they will chuse the life, and well improve that Light and Power, to the working out of their Salvation, when he bids them, by it, then God could not to all men render life by his Ministers, nor say, Work out your own salvation, chuse life, that ye may live, else my soul shall chuse your greater destruction, without mock∣ing of men in in their misery, before that time wherein he sayes, he will only, & may justly mock at their calamity (which is only when they have fil∣led up their measure of scorning at him, set at nought all his counsel, and utterly rejected his reproof, Prov: 1:) (Si enim lumen seu gratiam salutarem suam dare omnibus Deus nolit, & tamen omnes ad salutem pervenire (Sub poena) requirit; quid ni per talem gratiam millies mille miseros homunciones ludos fa∣cere (absit blasphemia) ••stimandus est?) Nay, nor yet without horrible cruelty, absurdity, and non-sense: For as much as it is no lesse then non-sensicalnesse, absurdity, meer mockage, and cruelty, for a Prince to say to a condemned help∣lesse Malefactor that is lock'd up in chains, ready to be led away to executi∣on (without affording him sufficient help so to do, and with much threaten∣ing of so much the worse torture and pain in his death, if he do it not,) •• would not at all that thou shouldst dye, chuse rather to live, shake off thy chains, run from thy Guard that leads thee, save thy self, and here is a Par∣don for thee; but if thou dost not take this my counsel, thou shalt be ten∣fold more severely executed: Yea, it is against the very nature of choice, to lay two things before a man, saying, chuse which of these two thou wilt, and yet leave him under a necessity of taking the worst, and put him into no possibility of taking the other, but rather lay it utterly out of his reach, so that he must needs have the worst or neither: such choice (as the Pro∣verb is) is no other then Hobson's choice, which is, chuse whether thou wilt have this or none.

But it is certain, that God speaks in such wise, as aforesaid, by his Mini∣sters to men, and it cannot be denyed by your selves (unless you deny your own Doctrine) for ye usually preach so in his Name to all men; yea, could the whole World (to use T.Ds: phrase in his Ep. 2 Pamph.) be brought in the reach of your voices, ye would offer Salvation to them All, (as much as ye seem to your selves to know, that God intends it only to a Few) and would say, We (as Ambassadours from God) set life and death before you, Chuse life that ye may live, God would not have you die, Why will you die? Work out your own salvation (though ye (falsly) believe he hath wrought but in a few a sufficient Light, Grace, and Power, to will and de what ye calls them to) turn your selves, and live, here is plenteous Re∣demption for you, else if ye do not, this call, warning, tender, fair proffer, shall be to you but the sorer condemnation: And yet God neither is non-sensicall,

nor absurd, nor cruell, nor a mocker of men in their misery by his Ministers, till they have utterly set at nought all his councel, and finally rejected his re∣proof.

Therefore God hath undoubtedly vouchsafed a measure of his saving Grace, and Power, and a light sufficient to lead them to life, if they use well, improve, they, follow, ••hat Eight, Power, and Grace, to all and every man.

3. If God have not sufficiently and savingly enlightned and impowred all and every man everywhere by such measure of that Grace of his, as may lead and enable them to act that Repentance which is to Life and Salvation, but some few only, i.e. the Elect (which, according to your Principles too, are scarce one of a thousand in the world) then he not only requires and commands utter impossibilities from most men, but also judges and pu∣nishes them most severely, yea eternally, for the not doing of that in their own persons, which he knows they neither can, nor in their own persons ever could do; for asmuch as sub poena Iudicii, on pain of Iudgement and Condemnation at the great day of it by Christ, he, now at least, commandeth all men (saith Paul, Acts 17••.30, 31.) even everywhere to repent, and yet he knows, that without him and his Grace they can do nothing, all their sufficiency to will and to do good must come from him, and that his Grace, which in the least measure of it, is sufficient for them, and that he gath given but to very few (though he requires of them, that have it not, to do what they only can do, that have it) and to give it to the most he never intends it.

But God does not command from most men (though sinne••s) utter impossibilities, and require of them with such rigour, as own pain of his doubling condemnation on them, the doing of that in their own persons, which he knows per se they neither can do, nor ever could; for this were utterly inconsistent with that tender Mercy, exceeding great Love, Bowels of compassion, and true good Will, which the Spirit every where declares God heares to all Mankind, even in the Fall, to the World, even in its Enmity, who proclaims Peace, Reconciliation, Good will towards Men, (An indefinite phrase aequivalent there to an universal) incomparable Love to the World, though it perishes for hating that Light that is come into them, which he sends to save them: See and mark Luke 2, 14. Iohn 3.16, &c. Rom. 5, 8. 2 Cor. 5.18, 19, 20. utterly inconsistent also with the truth of that professed willingness, that all should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth, which only saves and makes free indeed, 1 Tim. 2.4. and willingness that all should come to Repentance, and unwillingness that any should perish, 2 Pet. 3.9. inconsistent (as abovesaid) with the equality of Gods wayes, and the integrity of those vehemently pretended wishes of his, that men would rather live then die, and with the sincerity of those sayings, that he would gather them into life, but they will not, Deut. 6.29. Ezek. 18. Ezek. 33. Matth. 23.29. Luke 13.34. Since (if our dim Divines Doctrine were true That he gives not to all Light and Grace sufficient to lead and save them, and Arbitrium (vel lib••∣rum, vel liberatum) a liberty, a power, to chuse, to will, to do, what he requires to work out their salvation, as he sayes he does, Phil. 2.13, 14. of his own good will and pleasure, to which only belongs the glory therefore, and not unto us, of the salvation so wrought out by us) the case is clearly otherwise then Go•• sayes, for men might be put (at least) in possibility of living by such

Grace, Light, and Power, if God had given it, but he would not.

And lastly, This would make God like to, or worse then Pharoah himself, whom he plagued for the self-same cruelty and tyranny, even a rigorous Re∣quirer of men with many and sore stripes, yea on pain of his eternal Wrath and Vengeance, to make Bricks without any allowance at all of any straw, fit for such a purpose, an austere man, a hard Master, a tyrannical Task-master (as the idle, unprofitable Servant falsly represented him) that looks to reap where he never sowed, and to gather where he hath not strawed; that calls, on perill of perishing for ever, for a crop of Good works from those hearts, wherein he never sowed the Good Seed of his own Word; Fruits of the Spirit from such Souls, into which he never sent his Spirit, from whence only they can grow up; a walking in that Light of the Lord, (which is said to be given, not to condemn them, but that through it they might be saved, under penalty of being condemned for not walking in it) when yet not the least beam of that saving Light was at all vouchsafed them, but a Light of another sort (as our Seers say) which could never have served their ta••n so as to have saved them, had they attended never so strictly to it, but only Gods turn against them, so as to damn them further, and leave them without excuse, and excuse him in his condemning them: Finally, a growing in that saving Grace of God, on pain of condemnation, for turning it into wantonness, and receiving it in vain, which was never received at all by them, because not at all given them of God, from whom the most have nothing (say our silly Sophisters) but a certain common, high-way, in∣sufficient G••ace, to know God, or do good by, that accommodates them that have it in their hearts, to serve God acceptably by it not at all, and therefore not half so well as the stubble did the Israelites to make brick withall, which they gathered instead of straw; which Divinity of our Divines yet (how∣true soever they deem it) is but a turning of G••ds Gospel, Grace, and Truth, upside down, and is esteemed of him and his no better then dirt and Pot∣ters clay, and is utterly contrary to the Wisdome of God in Scripture, which justifies him still, as accepting every man according to what he hath, or hath had, and not expecting (much lesse with rigour exacting) of any man, ac∣cording to what from him he neither hath, nor never had; as requiring from men no otherwise then according to what is committed to them, which is one Talent, some true saving Light within at least, even to him that hath least, which, if he be faithful in it, though but a little, shall lead and let him (de Iure) into the Masters joy, if neglected, shuts him out into the outer darkness: Yea God calls for no more from any man, then im∣provement of his own money, that he commits to him to trade with, which money, if every one put into the bank, that the Lord at his coming may re∣ceive but his own, with the use thereof, and increase in the same kind of Grace that he freely gives, he will never enter into judgement with them to condemnation.

Therefore undoubtedly God hath sufficiently and savingly enlightned and impowered all and every man every where, by such measure of that Grace of his, as may lead and inable them to act that Repentance, which is to Life and Salvation.

Arg. 4. If God have not vouchsafed some measure of sufficient and sa∣ving Light to all men, then its either the Children of the Light that believe in it, who have it not, or else the Children of the darkness that believe not in it; but both they who believe in it, and so are the Children of it, and they who believe not in it, and are not the Children of it, have it; That the first have it, none do deny; and that the second sort have it, is most evident to all; but such Children of the night, as neither believe what the Letter sayes of, nor what the Light it self shews concerning it self within them∣selves, sith Iob. 12. Christ sayes to such as were not yet the children of it, but of the darkness, because though 'twas in them, they were not believing in it, but walking besides it, in the deeds of darknesswhich it condemns: While ye have the Light, walk in the Light, believe in the Light, that ye may be the Children of it, which over-turns that profoundly, bottomlesly deep, and groapably dark imagination, which is I. Os. and T. Ds. who in their muddy minds make no difference between the Lights being in men, and mens being in it, the Kingdomes being in men, & mens being in it; where∣as it was in the Pharisees, who never came into it. Of I. Tombs, and R. Baxt. also, who page 44. in the fift of those thirty thredbare Argum. there ur∣ged by them against the true Lights enlightning all and every man (which all must come to Iudgement by and by) cloudily confound these two so distinct businesses into one; viz. to have the Light, and to be the Children of it; saying, (with as great confidence, as small consideration) That to be a Child of Light, is all one, as to be a person that hath Light in him, to guide him so as to please God; when as all the children of the darkness (in which the true Light is said to shine) though the darkness (viz. I. Os. T. Ds. I. Ts. R. Bs. and o∣ther dark hearts comprehends it not, Ioh. 1.) have, if not a Letter with∣out them, yet (which is more) light in them to guide them to please God (de Iure) and to tell them when they displease him (de facto) as the Let∣ter does not, which shews men what they have done, should de, and be, but no men (as the Light does) what they have done, do, and are; but the Children of the Light are not all that have the Light in them, for all men have it, though ill men hate it, and (because it condemns the evil deeds they love, and are loath to leave) condemn it, love the darkness more then it, whereupon it is, though, as from God, intentionally their Salvati∣on, yet actually their condemnation, Iohn 3.16.17.18.19.20.21. &c. but all and only those who are actually led and guided by it, who are, and walk in it, as it is in them, and as God is in it, guiding them into the way that's well-pleasing in his sight, and into fellowship and acquaintance with himself, 1 Ioh. 1.7.8. These I say are the Children of the Light, who are justified by it, by whom also it is justified, while the world condemn it, who are condemned by it, as Wisdome is justified of her own Chil∣dren.

Therefore God hath undoubtedly vouchsafed some measure of suffici∣ent Light, or Saving Grace, to All men.

Arg. 5. If any have not, some measure at least, of this saving Light, it must be either the Reprobates that are rebellious against it, or the Heathen (as ye call them, who are in name Christian, in nature as Heathenish as they) which have not any Letter without, nor knowledge of Christ Ie∣sus

after the flesh; for yourselves, who name the Name of Christ, and so think ye are Christians, would deem your selves disparaged, if we should say, they have that Light ye have not, and ye cannot deny but true Chri∣stians that obey it, and depart from the iniquity it condemns, must much more have the gift of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saving Light and Grace, if the Rebellious have it.

But the very Rebellious (though they improve it not, and so dwell in a dry land, and find not the green pastures the Sheep of Christ feed on, who hear his Voice, yet) have this gift of saving Grace, by Christ the Mediator re∣ceived for them, and vouchsafed to them, by the leadings of which, if they follow it, they may come to witness the Lord God dwelling in them, Psal. 68.18. Yea Iob 24.13. If the Rebels against the Light had it not shi∣ning in them in that time in which that was spoken, which (as is ge∣nerally judged, was before any of your Scripture was written) they could not be said to rebell against it: And beside, to the rebellious and gain∣saying people in Israel, God says, what should, or could I have done more for them, that I have not done? which he could not have said in the iudg∣ment of Reason it self (as much as he had done for them, in giving them an outward Scripture) if he had not vouchsafed them withall, some mea∣sure of that Light and Grace, which is only able to guide men that im∣prove it to Salvation, for less then so much could not put them into so much as possibility of Salvation, for all their Letter, and in all Reason he should have put them at least into a possibility of it by a Grace sufficient (if improved) to bring them to it, or else all he did for them beside, was little worth, or worse then nothing to them, and he had not done enough on his own part toward their deliverance from damnation, let them have put forth themselves never so far, but rather that which (according to your principles) must unavoidably tend to their sorer condemnation, but doing that, and putting them by the gift of his own Light, Grace and Power, into a capacity to work out their own Salvation (whether they would walk in that Light, or not walk in it, improve that Power, gift of Grace, or not improve it) he would be clear of their blood, and their mis∣carriage on their own part, and they perish on the score of their own putting the Salvation of God far from them, when he brought it nigh them, and as he might truly say, what could I have done more then I have done for them (unless I shall force them to live whether they will or no, and so change my Decree unchangeable, which is to put men again by my Grace, by my Son, whom I give to be my Light to the Nations, and my Sal∣vation to the ends of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, into a posse peccare, and posse non, at least * 1.3 a liberty and power to abuse life or death, when I set the way of both before them, and then leave them, ad libitum, to imbrace which they please) so they in all rea∣son could expect no more, it being pitty enough to provide meat and set it before poor perishing men, though one do not put it per force into their mouths, when they are capable to feed themselves; and if any, when they are made videre meliora, will deteriora sequi, and needs take the wrong way, which they know to be the worst, and its end to be death, when not only the Right is shewed them, but they will'd, and wish't, and enabled to

walk in it, that they may live thereby, as to be in Potentia ad actum, to have from Free-grace the power to chuse life or death, is grace enough to condemned men; so to them that chuse to die, no wrong is done, fith Volenti non sit in∣juria. Besides, the Wisdome of God it self is said, Prov. 1.21 &c. to call very Scorners that delight in scorning, fools that hate knowledge, and love folly, to turn at her reproof, promising more and more to poure out her spirit on them, and make known her words to them, they hearkening to her reproofs, who talks with them in their beds when they awake, and by the way, &c. otherwise 'tis the turning away of the simple from her teachings, not being without her teachings that slayes them.

And as for the Heathen, how they have that which is to be known of God (even enough as to their Salvation) manifest by God himself within them, and not only the Wrath of God against all their ungodliness, but also the Righteousness of God revealed from heaven, even by him that speaks from heaven in their own hearts, so that they both know God in some measure (though not liking to retain the knowledge of him in them, nor glorifying him as God, answerably to what they know of him, their foolish hearts are dark∣ned, and they given over to vileness) but also know the Iudgements of God, that the things they do are worthy of death; as also, that Life and Peace from God, should be to them in the contrary, and so are condemned, accused, and without excuse, when they sin, as well as cleared, accepted, justified before God within themselves when they do well, by the work of the Law of God written in their hearts; by which, though they have not the Law in Letter, or a literal Copy of it, as Professors have, whom they will Iudge, and be justified before, for all the Professors boasting, if they do the things con∣tained in the Law, as its written in their consciences, and much more to this purpose; is so clear to them that in the Light with any solid under∣standing, and not in their own benighted minds, and prejudiced spirits against the true Light, which the Letter points to, read the first and second Chap. of Paul to the Romans thoroughout, that all the Objections, to the con∣tradicting of this Truth we (even thence) plead against them, made by our hasty opposers, will appear to be but Obulaty sticks and straws, reeds and rushes, when (as anon we must) we come to examine them: Therefore the premises well considered, it will plainly appear, that some measure at least of that saving Light and Grace, which is sufficient to lead such as follow it unto Life, is vouchsafed to all and every man.

Arg. 6. If Christ the Saviour, and the Salvation of God it self, be a Common Salvation, given in Common to All and every man without exception, so that All that will may have it, then that sufficient saving Light that leads to it, and the gift of that Grace of God that puts men into a power and possibility to work it out to themselves, brings it to them, and (being not neglected, but improved) brings them to it, must be given also in Common to All and every man, else it cannot be said properly, they are in posse to it, or so much as that they may have it: But the Salvation of God is freely given in common to All men, so that every man who will may have it: else God (who means as he sayes, and mocks not most men in such cruelty, as to say to them whom he knows are lockt up, so that they cannot come at it (unless loosed by him who yet never intends to loose them) here's Salvation, here's plenteous Re∣demption

for All you sinners, which I would you should All have without respect of persons; Take it who will freely, as 'tis freely tender'd, else far greater vengeance shall fall on you, then if I had never been gracious to you, for refusing my rich Grace and Goodness which I would have had you enjoyed, but you would not) would not utter his mind with so many strong and serious Asseverations, Complaints, Commands, and seemingly compassionate C••mpellations, by which to take all scruples away, and put his great and true love to them out of doubt, as he does; saying,

Look ye unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth. Behold my Ser∣vant, I g••ve h••m a Light to the Nations, to be my Salvation to the ends of the earth. Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye unto the waters, and he that hath no money come, yea come, and buy wine and milk without money and price. Hearken unto me, and let your souls delight in farness, hear and your souls shall live, Why will ye die? turn and live; Chuse life that ye may live. The Spirit a••d the Bride say come, and let him that is athirst come, and whoever will, let him c••me and take of the water ••f life freely. The Son of man is c••me to seekout a••d save that is lost: I am came, that they might have life abundantly: Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. He hath laid help on One that is mighty, who is able to save to the utmost, all that come to God by him: Him that cometh unto me will I in no wise cast out: In the Lord is compassion, and with him is pl••nteous Redemption. Let the wicked forsake his way, the unrighteous his thoughts, and turn to the Lord, for he is gracious, and to our God, for he will abun∣dantly pardon; he is long suffering, not willing any should perish, but that All should come to repentance, wills that All should be saved, and come to the know∣ledge of the truth: God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth in him may not perish, but have everlasting life; for he sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved: He that believeth shall not be condemned, but he that be∣lieveth not is condemned already, because he believeth not on the only begotten Son of God. This is the gift that he hath given us, eternal Life, and this Life is in his Son (the Light:) He that believeth not makes God a lyar because he believeth not the testimony God gives of his Son; In him is life, and his life is the light of men, and the light shineth in the darkness, but the darkness comprehends it not He came (A Light) into the world, and the world knew him not. This is the true Light, which enlighteneth every man that comes into the world. Glory be to G••d on high, on Earth peace, good will towards Men. Glad tydings of great joy, which shall be unto All People, to you is born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, the One Mediator between God and Men, Iesus, who gave himself a Ran∣some for All, who died for All, & by the Grace of God tasted death for every man. God commendeth his love to us, in that when we were sinners Christ dyed for us, dyed for the ungodly, justifieth the ungodly (i.e. from, not in sin) the Saviour of the world given as Gods witnesse to people, a Leader and Commander to people; if any man sin, A Propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole World, in whom God was reconciling the world (his enemies) by his blood to himself; not imputing trespasses to them, that will not persist in their enmity, giving out a Ministry of this reconciliation, by whom, as by Embassadors for God, men are besought in Christs stead to be reconciled to God, who made him sin who knew no sin, that we might be made the Righteousness of

God in Him; The Wisdome of God, that cryes out; How long ye scorners will ye delight in scorning, simple ones love simplicity, fools hate knowledge? Turn at my reproof; I will pour out my Spirit upon you, make known my words unto you: Wherefore is a prize put into the hand, of a fool, seeing he hath not a heart to make use of it? Because I call, and ye refuse, stretch out my hands to a rebellious and gain-saying people, and no man regardeth, but ye set at naught all my counsel, will none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your ca••amity, and mock when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation, and your de∣struction as a whirle-wind; when distresse and anguish cometh upon you, because ye hated knowledge, and did not chuse the fear of the Lord; for the turning away only of the simple slayes him: And this is the condemation (nothing else irre∣coverably) that light is come into the world, and men love darkness more than Light, which is come into them to save and lead them to l••fe, because their deeds are evil: But who so hearkneth to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from the fear of evil.

And a number more like to these, of solemn Compellations, Complaints, Counsels, Consolations, Compassions, Wishings, and wouldings; Adju••ations, Cor∣rections, Condemnations, Intreaties, Threatnings, Perswasions, poured out to All Men, the most, even a thousand to one, of which are personally, peremptorily predestinated, never to have none of all this Good, nor Life, nor Salvation, nor the least dram of any such Grace, Power, Light, as may be of any efficacy, or have any sufficiency in it, but a common Grace only, that hath nothing but insufficiency in it (u••cunque et aetendatur, howsoever attended to) to bring them to it. Is all this talked out to men bolted out from it all be∣fore ever they were born, by an absolute Decree, for the personal transgression of one individual man, and pre-ordained to have their portion in manifold more wrath and condemnation, for refusing to come to God when they were called, but never capacitated by any measure, of such Light and Grace, by which only they can possibly do ought that is required?

Is all this openly, as from the true, mercifull God, meerly tendred in hypo∣crisie to millions of miserable sinners, to whom it's never intended, that they must and shall come within the bounds of so much as a possibility of it? nor have so much as Arbitrium Libertatum, a Liberty lent them to take or re∣fuse, but he kept down under a certain necessity of perishing, contracted to them (as is supposed) from one single sin of one, whom they never chose to be their Proxy, and Representative of their persons to God, so as that they would live or die for ever, as he should stand or fall, from whose loīnes, it's doted by our dreaming Divines, that there is drawn and derived such (by them) inevitable damnation upon all individuals, that for want of a sufficient Light and Grace vouchsafed them to lead them out of it, to escape it (as the Four men aforesaid intimate to us) the most must necessarily, unavoidably, unalterably (as by Gods particular private Decree, without reference to their finall rejection of God first) sin from the Womb to the Tomb, that they may, by filling up their measure, become vessels of wrath fit for destructi∣on, and (upon account of that personal Decree still concerning them) not so much as possibly escape the condemnation of Hell?

Must the most on the account of no Saviours dying for them, but for a very few only, never see the Lords Salvation? and yet be alwayes called

upon to look to him for it, and told that Christ died for them, and have the Sal∣vation tendred to them in the Name of God, and be injoyned to believe he di∣ed for them, for whom (on their principle of Christs dying not for all, but the Elect only, which with these men are but very few, one of a thousand in the world) its a thousand to one whether they be of that small number he died for, yea or no; and yet for not b••lieving that viz. each person that he died for h••m, when he died but for some, all must be condemned, even be∣cause they believed not on him, for that's the cause of All Iudgement and Condemnation to the world that perishes for sin, Iohn 3. I••hn 16. even be∣cause they believe not in me (saith he) who enlightens all that come into it: Must the glad tidings of great joy, that a Saviour is born, be proclaimed as glad tidings to All people, when he is intentionally sent to save but some few, and all the rest must hear the sad tiding•• of a certain s••••er condemnati∣on, then if he had never come into the world at all, because they believe not in him still, that he died for them, for whom yet he died not, if he died for none, but such a few as these men call the Elect?

What a strange uncouth representation of God and Christ in their great goodness, multitudinous mercy, inconceiveable kindn••ss, large love, rich grace, good will, tender bowels, incomparable compassion to the whole world, is this of these men? what a most grievous kind of Glad tidings of great joy con∣cerning a Saviour to All people is this, that he died to save one of a thou∣sand, but a thousand to one are remedilesly, and more inexcusably, irrecover∣ably, unavoidably, incontroulably, and intolerably destroyed, by occasion of his dying for every man, then if he had never died for any man at all? tell me, O ye narrow mouth'd old Bottles, that vent out so much of the old wine of your own wisdome, and Sent so sparingly of the new: Suppo••e a thousand of you were sentenced to die, were it a way to shew the mercy of the King to be matchlesly more then his severity? And would you count him gracious to you all, and deem it Glad ridings of great joy, that is so truly to you All, to have a Pardon tendred to you all on terms imp••ssible by you to be perform∣ed, but intended really but to one of you; so that the benefit of it shall effectually extend to but one, and that in such a way as shall occasion the more severe execution of all the rest, when 'tis in the Kings Power, if he be minded, to shew the riches of his mercy to be beyond his severity, to save 999. and execute but one as an Example? were the other a Common Salvation to them all? But I say the Salvation of God is Common to all and everyman, what ever these men say, and even intended as truly, as it is ten∣dred and proclaimed to All, or el••e God, who cannot lye, would never so proclaim it, nor his Spirit stile it a Common Salvation, as he does, Iude 2.3.

Therefore much more common is that saving Grace and Light, which brings it to All men, and All to it, who walk in the teachings and leadings of it, or else it could no more be Grace, Gospel, Good news, Glad tidings to All people, as it is, but Sad tidings truly to the most; whereupon it is said of it by such Ministers as sought to magnifie it of old, as much as our churlists modern Ministry-seeks to minifie it, to be saving Grace to All men, though all are not actually saved by it, Tit. 2.11.12. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men, hath appeared; as it could not be said to do, if Christ

under no consideration had vouchsafed it to All, but to some only, (as I.O.) and the salvation it brings in a true tender to All men were intended only to few (as T.D. diminatively declares of it.)

Yea in a word, as Grace were no Grace to that man to whom its given, if it were not saving or sufficient (he using it) to save him.

So saving Grace is no saving Grace, and so no Grace nor glad Tydings of great Ioy at all to All people, as 'tis call••d, though it bring Salvation where it is, if it appear to be given, and to appear only to a few: Besides, your selves tell vs of a Common Grace, which is vouchfased to All men.

But Friends, a few words with you, and to all you Followers and Fainers of this Fantastical piece of meer falsity, not to say foolery, who in the night (while men sleep) dream out this dark and Grace-darkning Doctrine of Divinity, which, with the abundance of Absurdities and Confusions that are concatenated to it, make up such an incredible kind of Creed, such a Braky messe of Belief, such a Lab••rynth of lightlesse Literature, such a Wil∣derness of wondrous Wisdome, as no wise men, nor any (but such drunkards of Ephraim, as lie (like Briars and Thornes) enfolded together in one false Faith, that at last they may be consumed as stubble fully d••y) can find any other then a winding way into, nor when he is in, any other way easily out of, but that of the Spirit of God, which searcheth and traceth out all the twinings and turnings of the Serpent upon his Rock.

Are you not yet ashamed (the night being so far spent, as it is in England, and the day so nigh at hand to them that watch for it) to appear upon the stage (ye may well say, not without a Blush, as T.D. does) before the world, with such a Gospel of glad Tidings to it, and all Mankind in it, as this, That God loves all mankind, wills not (unless they will) the death of any of them, nor of any sinners, but had much rather they should turn from their wickedness and live, and would have them all come to repentance and life, and not any to perish, but all to come to the acknowledgement of the Truth, that in it (unless they hate and turn from it, and then his Justice and Wrath hath place to shew it self to so many persons) they might be saved; and hath sent Salvation among them in his Son, the Light of the World, and Word of Life; not bolting or excluding any from it, but such as put it away from them, and thereby judge themselves unworthy of eternal Life, and Bath so loved the World, as to send his only Son into it, to such as were else lost, and likely else to perish, not to condemn them further, but to save them; even (qua sic) as lost, so consequently all men (quatenus ipsum, ever including de omni) from condem∣nation, or that, alias, to that end, intent, or purpose, that (unlesse, against his honest, true, sincere wishing and woulding otherwise, they needs will) they might not perish, but have everlasting life: and so loved men also, as to send his Messengers among them to make universal Proclamations of his large love to all mankind, and in his name to publish glad Tidings of great Ioy, even to All people, and the good will of God toward men (An indefinit phrase in a necessary matter equivalent to an universal) and to call to every one that will, to take of the water of life freely, without exception of any positively, personally, or nominatim, who exclude not themselves by their own personal unbelief of his Love to them, and refusal to come, and without accounting any unworthy of his Supper, but such as come not when call'd, and put

not on the wedding Garment, which renders them (as taking away all their sins, guilt, and filth) beloved, accepted, pure, and justified in his sight, as well as fit and meet to come into his holy presence, as by their own righte∣ousnesse that they work, and not Christ in them, they are not any more then by unclean things dung, losse, and filthy rags; and send out Hue and Cry also, to summon all in to himself, and blown a Trumpet too, even to All peo∣ple to come and welcome, promising (to the removing of all obstacles and and objects of discouragement, and giving good ground of hope to every man) that there is mercy with God for him, whatever his sins have been, if he come in time, before the dore be shut, and while God calls, and woes, and knocks at the dore of his own heart within, by the motions of his Spirit, that he will receive all comers, and though they have r••n a whoring from him, after many other Lovers (and few men will receive their wives again, that so do) yet returning he will receive them, so that whoever comes to him he will in no wise cast out, but as he hath sent his Son a Propitization for the sins of the whole World, and provided plenteous Redemption, and purchased Salvation by his blood sufficient for them All, so that he is able to save to the utter∣most, and will too, effectually, All that come to God by him; and that it is his will they should All come also, and reveals and publishes it as his will too, expostulating very angrily with all men too, for despising the riches of his Grace, for not being led to repentance in the day of his long-suffering and sal∣vation by his goodness, telling them he waits upon them, that he might be gra∣cious to them; saying, O that thou wouldst hearken to me that thy peace might be as a River, wilt thou not be made clean? (for thus cry out Clergy to All people where they preach) when shall it once be? Why will ye die people? I have no pleasure in it that ye should, and if any do, I delight not in the death of him that doth, but that he will, and there is no remedy, unless I alter my unchange∣able will (as I will not for mans wills sake, fith I have done so much for him already, that he may be saved, unless he chuse to perish) which will of mine is, that the soul that sins, and turns not from his wickedness, that he may live, shall die for ever, and the very wicked, turning from his wickedness, and doing right, shall not die, nor yet have his sins mentioned, unlesse he turn back from his righteousnesse into sin again, and then be must die; and though I forgave him before, yet he taking his fellow servant by the throat after, I must lay him up for the whole debt: Wherefore why, why will ye die, turn, turn your selves and live, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for I have done my part, a friends part, towards you, I have wrought in you both to will and to do, of my free grace, of my good pleasure, it wants but your put¦ting that into act, which I of my free Grace have put into your power, and your willing and doing accordingly, and your getting up, and trading with your Talent and turning to the light that I have entrusted you with, and reprove your evil deeds by; will ye alwayes resist my holy Spirit, when it moves in your hearts, and be stiffe-necked, and stubborn? Turn yon at my reproof, though ye are fools, scorners, delighting in scorning, and I will pour out my Spi∣rit upon you, and make known my words to you; if not, as I call and ye refuse, so the time will be, ye shall cry, and I will not bear you, because ye did not chuse the fear of the Lord, would none of my counsel, set at naught all my reproof, which otherwise you should have found to have been the way of life: I

am in Christ reconciling the world to my self, not imputing trespasses; and I have sent out a Ministry to declare this my Reconciliation to the world, as con∣cerning all that's past, if they now do not 〈…〉〈…〉 and abide in en∣mity, I am friends, unless they will needs fight on, and fight it out with me to the last, and then they will have the worst 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I have made him sin, that knew none, that they might be righteousness, who are yet in their sins; I have given him a Ransome for All, and he hath offered himself, and died for All that were dead in their sins, and tasted death for every man: Now then hear my Embassadors that pray you without, as in my Sons stead, who al∣so himself by his Spirit strives with you to the same end within, that ye would be reconciled to God; and having those promises, and received so much Grace as brings Salvation with it to such as despise it not, receive not this preci∣ous Grace of God * 1.4 in vain; but ••korse your selves from all uncleanness of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spirit, per∣fecting Holiness in the fear of God: I have dra••n you with the cords of my love, ye will perish if ye refuse to return.

I say are ye not ashamed to go out, as from God (in whose name yet I am sure ye never went with the Doctrines that here under follow) to publish to all people, as Ambassadors from him, his so large love, and the great and wonderful things that he doth for the whole Creation of mankind, say∣ing, What can he do more for you (People) the he doth, unless you will have him violate his own unchangeable will for your sakes, and save sin∣ners in sin, which he hath decreed never to do, as irrevocably as he hath never to refuse such as come to him when he calls, and hath enabled them thereunto.

And yet after all this good news, glad tidings to the whole world, offers of a Gospel of Salvation to all people, as far as ye are able to proclaim them, then to come in with such cold comfort again upon them as this, and put such a Bit into peoples Iaws, and bridle on their mouths, ••••nsing them to erre, so as to go Round, and tell them, that of a truth, and for truth they must take it from them and believe it as an Article of their Faith, as O••b••∣dox Doctrine, that they are Heretical if they deny it; viz. that though ye thus largely tender and offer Salvation from God to them All, without excep∣tion, on condition they come, and so, that if they come they shall be accept∣ed, and there's Grace, Mercy a Saviour and Salvation for them in Christ, in whom they are All to believe, even every mothers child of them for him∣self, that its there for him, that he died for him, and is his Saviour (which is the only good news to individuals, and to the universal world of mankind also for its no glad tidings to a thousand to one in the World to hear that Christ will save some one of a thousand among them, and damn All the rest, or All the rest he is preached to (doubly) by his coming into it, be∣cause they believe not in him, who yet was never given for them) and this on pain of double condemnation.

And though ye reveal this to them as the Will of God, yet there's no such matter of Vniversal Love or Salvation intended to them All, as ye ten∣der, extend, talk of, proclaim, and offer from God to them All; but his Will in secret is otherwise then ye say, these proffers are to another purpose

then to this intent, that they All, or half of them either, or any but a very few of them should have it, even but to leave men the more in sorer condemnation; though ye bid All come and welcome, yet All can't come, nay, none without God, who calls, give his Saving Grace (that's true e∣nough) and most can never come for want of that Saving Grace, for want of a sufficient Light to lead them, which Grace and Light they want also, upon no other account, then because God never did, nor never intends to vouchsafe it them; and that he hath a reserve in his mind, a certain secret will within himself, not known to man, which runs otherwise then his re∣vealed wil does that ye declare, even a secret purpos (which yet as secret as 'tis, ye it seems pretend to know it, and must be babling about it, to the shaming and contradicting your selves ith' t'other) even to give this Salvati∣on but to a certain small number in comparison of the rest whom from E∣ternity he hath Reprobated, and purposed personally upon Adams score, shall go without it; which sin of that single man shall so remain on the score with him for ever, that upon the account thereof, a thousand to one of mankind his posterity (though yet he would (in words) shew himself more rich in mercy to them All, then severe to take advantage against any, ••o as to have it told thus in universal terms, that his Son died for them All, for every man, the whole world, &c.) should be left without any interest or share in it, or potential title thereunto; and howbeit he will have them all call'd to come and lay hold on it, and promises made of Life to them, on condition they come, and believe in his Son, and his love to them in him, yet he so hates them (personally) before ever born, or doing good or evil, that they shall never from him be sufficiently impowered to come or believe (as he could impower them if he so pleased) nor be put into any capa∣city by him to ch••se the Life, though set before them, as well as the death, with a chuse life that ye may live, but be left for want of a will, set at any liberty to chuse the good, under a necessity of having the evil, and to chuse either that or none, and yet if they do not chuse the good too, that ad∣vantage shall be taken the more against them to double vengeance on their heads, for that (helpless) unavoidable fault of refusing the good, and a quarrel pic••t against them (upon the account of the old intended praeterition) and so double execution be done upon them now as rebellious against the Gospel of Gods Grace, whereby he would (in words, alias, seemingly, though secretly he never would, nor intended it) have saved them, and for not believing in his Son as theirs, when yet he left them lockt up when he call'd on them to believe, so fast, that he knew they could not answer, and would not so much as un••o se them neither, to see if they would ac∣cept his love, believe, repent, and make use of the remedy, yea or nay, in whom also if they had All believed, most of them had (as the case stood) been deceived, and believed but a lye, a matter that was no such matter; viz. That Christ died for every individual of them, if they would believe it; &•• so his wrath shall abide on them the more heavily for ever, even be∣cause they believed not the testimony God gave by his Ministers, openly of his Son, that he died for them, whom yet he died not for, but only for a few Elect one: And so whereas God sayes, He that believes not the testimony that God gives of his Son, viz. that he gives Eternal Life by him to every man

that believes in him, makes God a lyar; If every man should believe in him, as they all are bid, and take the testimony of the Life by him to themselves to be true, either some must believe a lye (since he died not for every man, but for some only, as they say) or else their testimony is a lye, and they All lyars (which is indeed the truth) who testifie that God gave his Son in∣tentionally, but for a very few, when Gods own testimony of him is, That he gave him a Ransome for All.

And moreover, if they walk not in the Light they have to Salvation, they shall be condemned; therefore, upon the account of the highest crime of All, which Light that each individual hath notwithstanding, never was Salutare, so much as sufficient to guide them to Salvation, but Naturale, a thing that was too weak to such a business, and (fines salutares quod a••rinet) mers tenebrae & Caeritas, as I.O. Are ye not ashamed thus to ingross the Grace of God, which is great to All, among your selves, and a few like your sinning selves, who think that ye shall scape, as Gods choice elected ones, upon your blind confidence of it, the wrath of God, though ye are found living and dying in the same evills, and not purged from sin, nor believing ye ever shall be, while ye live here, for the sake of which, wrath must come for ever on all others, as on children of no other disobedience, then that ye live, and look to die in some degree of your selves? Seemeth it a small thing to you, O ye wofnlly blind, pitiful, or rather pitiless Shepherds of this English Is∣rael (as ye call it) to eat up the good pastures your selves, and in your fancies feed your selves, and a few choice ones more ye count upon, that lie in wickedness, as the rest of the world, with all the fine things of the Gospel, freely, fully, fairly, and unfainedly offered to All, as well as you, as things truly intended to your personally from everlasting, but to the most on∣ly extended, without any true intent that ever they shall have them, so impropriating the benefit of Salvation to your sinful selves, as if ye were such whom God so indulges, as to wink at your infirmities, and justifie you in and under the guilt of them, if ye should happen (with David) to fail and slip aside into adulteries and murders, whilst other mens failings and infirmities of a less hideous nature, must be the faults and hainous crimes, which God will shew no Saving Mercy (as not intending it to them what e're he talks) to a thousand to one of those that commit them, & that unavoidably, upon the account of a certain Inherent necessity of sinning, drawn out of Adams Loyns, together with their very being as men, from under which necessity God never intends to help them so far, as to give them sufficient Grace or Light to guide and lead them out of it, or into so much as a liberty of doing better? and all this, before they have ever actu∣ally in their own persons so much as forfeited their share in that special Grace or favour of his, that is in common offered to all men, by any Personal Rebel∣lion and disobedience, and so interesting your disobedient selves still, as Gods Darlings in all the riches of his Grace, but detruding a thousand to one, for the Elect are very few with you, as little disobedient as your selves, irre∣sistably into the depth of condemnation, preaching out that which is your mea••, as their poyson, and so designed to be from Eternity, without reference to any default in their own persons, but such as is derived on them only from Adams action? Seemeth it nothing to you to eat up all the good pasture

among a few of you, but ye must tread down as mud and dirt, and soul the residue with your feet, and make all other people, but your pretended Saints and Elect Ones, to eat and drink that Doctrine about Gods Grace and Gospel, which ye make no Grace or Glad tidings, but gall and wormwood, and Sad tidings, when ye have trodden and fowled in this filthy, pudly wise with your feet, Ezek. 34.18, 19.

By these, and the like sowrestuff, which is like Colloquintida in pottage, do you spoil all your dainties ye set before men, in your pretended Gospel Ministry of Gods large Love, rich Grace, and matchless mercy to mankind, & with your tenders of things to All men from God, that yet ye say God intends not to All, to whom you tender, and he by you extends them, make men Tantalize, and set them all a gaping and staring after that, which yet you tell them All may not, must not, cannot have, because God purposes to give them but to a few: Hereby ye make your selves, and God too, like your selves, a Lyar in one or other of his wills, and a meer mocker of men out of your mouths: Hereby you make your selves from God Ministers of impossibilities to men; ye must go about, & be paid largely for your pains too, to call All men to do that, on peril of eternal ruine and condemnation, which yet, on pain of condemnation too, you charge them to believe (as truth, the con∣trary to which is Herefie) the most of them neither can do, nor ever could, nor shall ever be vouch••afed any ability by God sufficient to per∣fo••m it; hereby do you not only coop up the infinite, saving, special Grace of God into a corner, as I have shewed, but make it utterly of none effect to a thousand to one of mankind, nor through any default or defect in the particular persons, that have no share in it, but in a certain Common Grace that can do them no good as to Salvation, only helps on their condemna∣tion, and given to no other end, but to leave men more lyable to wrath without excuse (as ye say) & that on the account of Adams sin only, which particular act of his, hath l••ft all men for ever under sin, wrath, guilt, and incapacity to live, without Gods Grace, which he yet will not vouchsafe but to a few, which upon a personal appointment thereto, must necessarily be saved, and cannot chuse, while all the rest are as personally & peremptorily de∣creed to dumpation; alias, never to be so helped, but that they must lye un∣der the guilt of Adams old sin, and add new ones, to incur a thousandfold more wrath upon their heads, and condemnation, for not coming from under the old, which they were left lockt up from coming out of, and so hereby ye make God like some merciless mocking Tyrant, tha•• calls to ano∣ther tyed to a post, Come hither, with sooming pretences and promises of great matters, which he swears also he restly would have him have if he will come, and yet he will not loose him, when 'tis in his power to loose him, and yet at last too, because he comes not at his ••all, pretending for no other thing then that, or else he desired not his death, but had rather he should have come, & enjoyed the good things he hold out to him, comes in wrath on the said lockt-up-man, and knocks him on the head for his refu∣sing, before ever it was tryed by any liberty or ability given him, whether he would come, yea or nay.

Hereby ye make God a Lyar again, on that ye draw down damnation on ••••ost of Adam Sons for their Fathers fault, while they yet are innocent in

their own persons (for all personal transgression, ye say, Is the punishment entail'd on it, and consecutive of the Original sin) when yet God hath long since said, The son shall not bear the fathers sin, whiles not actually succeed∣ing him in the same, and that Proverb be used no more in Israel, of the childs teeth edged by the fathers eating four grapes, but that soul that sins only, it shall die, Ier. 31.29, 30, 31. Ezek. 18.19, 20. and every soul for his own ini∣quity only, and not anothers under the new Covenant, or Gospel, for that was of Old, and concerning temporal things, signifying, how the seed of the righte∣ous, that succeed one another in righteousness, are all blessed, and the whole seed of the wicked cursed, that succeed one another, not in a way of fleshly generation, but spiritual sinful degeneration in wickedness and blood: And so the blood of righteous Abel, and his seed, to this day, shall be re∣quired at the hands of Cain and his seed, that hath shed it, in this very Ge∣neration.

Ye use to say, the Qua. condemn all but themselves, who condemn only in order to mens being saved: But how do ye draw down to con∣demnation irresistably before they are born All but your selves, i.e. a few Elect and chosen Ones, and such Saints, as ye are your selves, that never mean to leave sinning (for how can you, when ye believe ye cannot) so long as ye live in this world?

Hereby ye shew your selves the Niggards and Churls, that would sain be called bountiful and liberal too, and yet make empty the souls ye would seem to fill, and cause the drink, ye call the thirsty to, to fail from their throats, and so bring Tantatalus his condemnation on them (as I said above) before their time.

Hereby ye shew your selves to be the narrow-mouth'd, Old Bottles, that have none of the new Wine in them, but are pouring out for money to men such soure Vinegar and Wine of Sodom (as ye have to fell) to the setting of the teeth of God and good men on edge with your cut-throat Gospel, which to the whole World, to which Gods Grace and Gospel is to be preached, and to most of them ye preach your, so call'd, Gospel to also, hath a thousand fold more condemnation, judgement, and remediless wrath and misery in it, then it hath of Salvation, Grace, good News, glad Tidings to All, or tender Mercy to every man in it, to whom you tender it, in which Attribute of Mercy yet, ye say your selves, God desires more to be known by to the whole World of mankind (if man himself hinder not himself from the Sight and frui∣tion thereof, then by all his Attributes besides.

When the wide-mouth'd Qua. as you call them (truly) in one sense, though (scoffingly) in your own, are those liberal Ones, that lay not the large Love of God up into a little nook, as ye do, but lay it forth in truth at large, as it is, and, while you Churls are evil toward them for it, working iniquity in your hearts, and practising hypocrisie, delight in, and devise the liberal things, by which liberal things they shall stand.

I say, Are ye not ashamed thus to confound and contradict your selves, as ye do, upon your Principles, and to bely God, and mock men as from him, and make as if he meant not as he said, and make him, who was not so bad to Pharoah himself, as to burden and heighten him to destruction, till Pharaoh had hardened himself (for though God did harden him, and said he would,

yet it was on the account of his seeing how he would first rebell, or swell in pride against him, as he had done all his life before) even worse then Pha∣roah himself, whom he destroyed for so doing, that punisht men for not ma∣king brick without straw, by how much Pharoah shewed himself but like himself from the first; but God (as ye represent God, as walking under a cloak among men) makes men (if your doctrine is to be believed) be∣lieve he loves them, and truly wishes well to them All, and yet within himself (though outwardly saying, he would not they should perish, conditionally they be willing to come to him for life) wills absolutely, unavoidably the re∣medilesse destruction of a thousand to one of them.

Are ye not ashamed to make God not only tyrannical, but hypocritical, and as dissembling as your selves? And not meaning truly as he sayes, but meaning a few only when he sayes All; to say that by every man he means some few, seeming Saints only, such as your selves; and that his meaning cannot be as his words import, and that Christ may be mistaken, if his words be taken in the or∣dinary literal sense of them, as if there were no hold to what he sayes.

And to say that Gods love is large to All, and yet that under no considera∣tion he hath vouchsafed saving Light, saving Grace to All, but only such a common Grace as shall inevitably serve to damn them more, then if he had never given it, and then if Christ had never come into the world, and the Gospel had never been preached, and Salvation never tendred to them; but in no wise be sufficient to help them?

Are ye not ashamed to force maintenance from men (as ye do) to main∣tain you in your mock ministry, and for running on such a sleeveless errand (as this is to most men) from God to all men, and to bear your charges, to the overcharging of a sinking Nation for your sakes, in your Message of contra∣dictions, lies, and utter impossibilities, for so it is, on pain of condemnation to call All to come to Christ for Salvation, and to believe it, every man for himself, that Christ died for him, is tendered truly, sincerely from God to him; and in particular, each is to believe him as his Lord and Saviour, or perish, and thae he is now freely proffered, and as truly, and unfeignedly offered from God to him, as he did once offer himself to God for him as his Ransome, as well as for any, and that there is this good ground for each particular man to believe it for himself; because All, without exception of any sinner in the World, that does not exclude himself by his not coming, are freely, without respect of persons, invited to come; and this ground also, that as he is truly, without m••ckage, held out to All, and All bid to come, so God is willing they should come and have the Salvation, and to that end hath sent his Son, not to condemn, but save them; and his Son his Ministers, to intreat them to be willing as he is, and reconciled to him as he is to them; and they de∣clare from him, according to Gods words in the Scripture, that he died for a••l and every man, is a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World, and died for the ungodly, and came to save them, and heal the sick, and seek the lost, and such like; and therefore every man may conclude its for him, one as well as another, that can say, he is a man lost, sick, sinful, ungodly, and of the World; and that God hath also wrought in them, of his good Pleasure•• to will and to do, and therefore now they must up and be doing, and work out their salvation, which if it be not wrought out, God hath done his part,

and the fault is only in their own particular persons, and yet in Adam too, and God is no hard Master, but hath given to every one one talent at least, which if he hides, he will be cast into utter darkness, and weep, and gnash his teeth at the remembrance of it, that once he might have been happy, had he not been wanting to himself, and been an unprofitable servant with what he had, and had not in his own person still (Mark) put the Salvation from him, and hated the Light and instruction, and that God requires of men but the improvement of his own, and much more to this purpose, which all is sound, true, plain, wholesome, and saving Doctrine: And then to come with a new tale, whereby all the good grounds before laid for every man, that is called thereto, to come and believe upon, are utterly razed and removed, and to tell them, that though all are call'd, invited outwardly, yet an hun∣dred to one are by a Decree in Gods secret Counsel so secluded by Adams sin, that they cannot come, nor have any right to Christ, he did not so much as die for them, but for some Elect ones, nor offer himself for the most, but a few, though God indeed sayes All, every man, sinners, ungodly, the lost, the whole world, and makes offers to all, where his Gospel is preached, yet by All, and such like universal terms, we must understand God and Christ, meaning another matter far otherwise then they say, for in innumerable pla∣ces where God says, Omnis, All, its the Elect only, one of a thousand he means (so I.O.) & 'tis an usual thing for God and Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense.

If we object; But its the most ordinary and literal sense of the words, and the very letter of the words so imports.

Tush, Tush, (quoth T.D.) never talk of that, man, I tell thee, 'tis usual with Christ to speak words of doubtful sense, so that his meaning may be mistaken, when his words are taken in the most ordinary and literal sense, and so 'twould be here, if by every man we should understand every individual man, I know and confess the words import so, John 1.9. but the indefinite phrase (so T.D. calls it, though every man is an universal) hath a restrained sense, as else∣where in the Scripture, Christ tasted death for every man, when as he died but for a certain number, and the meaning of those words cannot be as the letter of them d••th import, for then the Scripture would contradict it self, but it must be, if not in the other way in which I said it might me, then in this way as I say, that every man is not every individual man (so T.D.) And besides, as God intends not the Salvation to all its offered to, so all its offered to on pain of sorer condemnation if they believe it, cannot believe it, nor accept it, and he offers it to All upon condition of acceptance: Indeed, could you suppose that all would take him at his word, and accept his offer, they should have the benefit thereof; but that must not be supposed, on pain of being Heretical in the Faith, for 'tis not Orthodox, that men can come to God when he calls them, nor accept of what he proffers, nor believe in him, whom he bids them believe in, that he died for them in particular, whom if they should believe in, that 'tis so, then 'tis so in deed, & in truth, that he died for them, else not (as if he died not for sinners, qua sinners, and lost, but qua believers, which is absurd) for men must have this first as a ground to believe upon, that he died for them, because for All, every one, sinners, ungodly, lost, Rom. 4. Rom. 5. while yet sinners, otherwise they have no ground on which to believe, nor can any man that does be∣lieve

with any Faith, save that which is but meer fancy, believe that Christ died for him in particular, but as he died for All. For thus a man may safely conclude, Christ died for every man, for sinners, lost, ungodly, the whole world, therefore for me: But bid a man believe Christ died for him in particular, & tell him he died not for All, but for one of a thou∣sand, the Elect only, and tell him also (as T.D. does) the Maisters know not the Elect, and ye cannot assure him, he is that one of a thousand, one of those few Elect ones, nor he himself neither know, or be assured of it, till after he believes it, and ye utterly take away the ground he is to believe upon, for he will argue thus rationally against you, or expostu••ate with you, to the shewing of your exhorting him to believe, to be a piece of frivolous foolery.

Arg. Ye bid me believe Christ died for me, has Salvation for me, which God by you offers to me, and you call me to come to him for it, as that which, without hypocrisie or feignedness, God would have me to enjoy, being not willing I should perish: But what ground would ye have me to come upon, or of assurance I shall be welcome, or accepted in my acceptance, or of believing assuredly that God is really willing I should have it?

Ans. Its sufficient for all.

Arg. That's not the Question, I doubt not but there's sufficiency enough in Christ to save All to the utmost that come to God by him, but what's that to me? that's not a sufficient ground for me to believe upon; many things are sufficient for many things, & to many more men then are ere the better for them (as some greedy Grandees have many thousand pounds a year, which is sufficient for an 100 honest men to live honestly upon; but he that shall go upon that account to feed and live at one of their Tables, may for all that be likely thrust out as an Intruder) but can you tell me the glad tidings that that is for me, if so, I'le believe it, and accept it, and come with all my heart, if you can lay a ground for me to be confident on, that I may, if I come, not be more bold then welcome.

Ans. All are invited and call'd to come, and call'd freely, fully, without exception, to believe; therefore why not thou?

Arg. But Friends, though all be called to come and welcome to God, by you who say ye are his Ministers, Is this in sincerity and truth, or in hypocrisie and ••••ackage? is God as willing as ye seem to make him, that all shall come to life.

Arg. Yea without hypocrisie, for God cannot dissemble, nor mean one thing and say another (though we say so of him sometimes, as T.D. does) he is freely willing, if thou art willing, he would not have thee die, but much rather live.

Arg. But how shall I know that yet for my self? does he intend the Salvation to all as really as ye pretend he does in the universal extent and proffer, or to s••me only? for some of you say, he does offer it where he intends they, to whom ye say so sincerely offered, shall never have it, but are by a secret Decree of God bolted out from it for Adams sin before they were born, in the guilt of which (though he will save a few, that he may shew his Mercy, Live, Grace to All (as some sillily say) to be of more extent then all his works, which few are only known to himself, and not (as ye say) to you and me) he will praeterire, pass by, even a thousand to one, to perish unavoidably, notwithstanding Christs death, and so I may be one of those many, for ought either you or I know, yea a thousand to one but that I am proe-ordained to perish, and therefore still I have far more

reason to believe, according to those principles, that I am one of those thousands to one that must perish, and to whom Christ is not intended by God, for all your fair proffers of him from God to me, then that one of a thousand Elected to life by him: There's no small odds in these two, for if but an hundred men were sentenced to be hanged, and a pardon should be proclaimed to them all, and yet such an af∣ter-clap come, that its not intended to the whole hundred, but to one of them on∣ly, and ninety nine must be hanged for all this, and he that is so free in proclaiming the Pardon, can't tell me neither that I am the only man that must be spared, I should think him a fool if he should stand pressing me to believe it, that I am he, and can shew me no evidence of it, and shall still rather believe (do what I can) that I am of the ninety nine, and should think him little less then mad too, if he should tell me, that if I do not believe it, that I ••••ithe man (when yet he bids all the rest believe it too, each for himself, upon that same penalty, in case they do not) I shall be hanged for this very thing, as he sayes every of them shall too, as the chief account on which they perish, even because we do not believe every man for himself, that he is the man, and for despising the mercy tender'd, and the large love of the Pardon-sender, and such like, and that in a more severe way of execution, even with quartering, &c. whereas nor I nor any of us all should perish, if we did believe it; now does he intend it to all of them, if so, there I may safely believe he does to me, else I cannot.

Ans. Not so in any wise.

Arg. Does he intend it to the most?

Ans. Nay, but to very few.

Arg. Do ye know I am one of those few that he intended it to, or of those many to whom not?

Ans. No not I, we are servants, we know not what the Master does, not which are the Elect, which not.

Arg. On what ground then bid you me believe I am one of the few, its more likely I am of the many that must perish, even by how much they are so many to one more then those are that must live?

Ans. All that come shall have it.

Arg. How can that be, when yet ye say its not intended to All, which if it be true, suppose all should accept it and come (as ye say all cannot neither for want of power) they cannot have it, because not intended for them?

Ans. Yea, its offered on condition of acceptance, faith, and coming, so that could ye suppose All would take God at his word, and accept the proffer, they should have the benefit.

Arg. But that must not be supposed, nor cannot rationally, according to your principles, who tell us All cannot come, cannot believe nor accept, for to accept, believe, the power at least must come from God, and he hath not, say you, given that, nor saving Light, under any consideration to All, but to those few only to whom he intends the Salvation, which I still demand a ground from you whereupon to believe I am one of, which till then I cannot believe any more then groundlesly, and groundless faith is no better then vain hope, which is fancy that will fail when men come to give up the Ghost?

Ans. Believe only in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved; believe, and the Salvation is thine.

Arg. But that's Idem per Idem still, the thing ye are to give me a ground to

do, but cannot; I should believe it, if ye can shew me a ground whereupon; you would have me first to believe it, and then my believing it will be a sufficient ground for me whereupon to believe it, whereas I must first have some ground wherein that faith ye call me to must stand, and whereon it must be founded, for Faith is not the ground of it self; and your Crede quod habes & habes, s as foolish a conceit, as if ye should tell me that a man I never saw intends to give me an inheritance in particular, when yet ye never heard him say so, and would have me believe it, yet can give me no good ground whereon to believe it, but your single say so, who yet say ye know not that I am the particu••ar man he intends it to neither, only ye have heard say he proffers it to a thousand, not me by name; and yet for all it is proffered to so many, its intended only to one of them.

Ans. If thou wilt believe it is so.

Arg. But is it so that he intends it to me really and particularly?

Ans. Nay, I cannot tell that, its hid from me; but this is all we can say, that he intends it to some really, and he offers it to all conditionally they believe, so that if thou believe it its thine.

Arg. I cannot believe that though you bid me, nor ought neither, which you, who bid me believe it, can give me no ground for, nor evidence of, that it is so, and confess your selves you know not whether it is so or no; that he died, I believe, as ye say, for some, and so they believe all o're Christendome, and in England, and also believe mostly every man for himself, that Christ died for him; where yet for all your saying, he that believes so hath him, there's not one of many h••th him, as your selves confess; whose faith therefore, which ye beget many to, is mostly fancy, for they have not the Salvation yet, which is from the sin, but to believe it without more evidence for it, that it is a truth, he died for me, even for me in par∣ticular, then I see upon what principles ye are able to give me, were as fond as to believe a piece of news for truth, which the man who tells it, tells me, he knows it not, whether it be a truth or no, but much doubts it, or glad tidings of great joy to all people, which the News-m••nger himself can give me no evidence at all, that it belongs to me at a••l; but after his most universal publication of it, that he has tidings to all and every one, and would have every one believe it so to him∣self, begins to fall back into such a diminutive prate, or pinching publik•• privi∣cation, or private publication, as, when demanded about his news in this manner, Friend, a••t thou sure this thou extendest to all, is good news intended to all, is it so to me in particular, whom thou bidst believe it good news to me? Replyes in this wise; Nay, I cannot say that, I say its to all and every one, but by those terms I mean but some, and those very few; and I cannot say which nor whether in particular, thou art one of them or nay, yet thou must be∣lieve it, or else sad tidings will come after it, thou shalt be hanged up for not believing its glad tidings, which said News; monger I should judge so little worth much heeding, crediting, or believing in what he sayes, that I should rather think him out of his wits, and to have suffered some shipwrack (as our Priests have done of the true Faith) of his very common sense and reason Shew me therefore what evidence ye have of the truth of the thing ye tell me, and bid me believe, or else its but as Implicit Faith ( as at Rome) if I should believe it, and not because I see it likely, but because ye say so, who yet tel' me of what ye say, or bid me believe, viz. that Christ died for me, for he died for some, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Elect only; that he cannot tell at all

whether I am one of those Elect Ones for whom, yea or may.

Answ. We say still it is offered to you as 'tis to all, on condition of ac∣ceptance and of faith, so that who believes it shall have it, whoever he is, and 'tis believing evidences it to be so.

Arg. Still ye run but in a round (as the Colliers faith does) and say no more in effect then thus, first believe, and be confident, that Christ died for thee, and then this faith and belief of it, that he died for thee, is a sure good ground or evidence for thee, upon which thou mayest believe and be confident, that he did die for thee, and that thou art one of those few he died for, and not of those many to one, to all whom as freely as to thee he is offered, not one of whom yet he died for, or was by God ever intended to.

Answ. But mind the Condition though; he is offered to all on condi∣tion of acceptance, so that if thou perform the condition, as most do not, for few will come, thou must have the thing promised thereon, that is, the Salvation.

Arg. The Condition! I know Christ is not only offered to all on condition, but intended also to be the Saviour of All, on that condition they reject him not, but believe in his Name, come at his Call, and obey his Voice and Counsel, which God also by his Truth, Grace, and Love, puts men into capacity to do, or not to do, at their choice.

But as for your Condition, I say, it's more monstrous then all the rest, while for all your offers to All conditionally, they believe ye say it's peremptorily intended but to few, and those few shall not chuse but perform it, and an hundred to one are as peremptorily intended by God, to be never interested in it, nor enabled to per∣form the Condition ou which only its meant.

Ye say indeed God offers and tenders Salvation by Christ to all conditionally, they believe in him, each man that he died for him, but what is this, so long as it's not intended to all, and there is no such matter ( as ye say) to b•• believed, un∣lesse most men believe a lye, as that Christ died for All, and every man? For a man to tell an hundred condemned men, there is life offered to them all, on condi∣tion they every man of them believe it is so as he sayes, and to bid them believe it as the Truth, for want of believing of which only they shall be executed more cruelly, in believing of which they shall be saved; and then to tell them, the said Pardon is really, positively, and peremptorily intended but to one of them only, and not one of all the rest assuredly shall ever have it, its absolutely, unalterably de∣creed, that the ninety and nine shall be hanged, is to destroy all the ground of the belief ye would beget them to, and to carry an hundred men up on high into a Steeple, in vain, aiery hopes of some glorious sight pretended to be shewed to them all, that from thence advantage may be taken, as the thing intended, for all the fair pretence, to throw ninety and nine of them down, go the breaking of their necks, and the mischieving of them more, then if they had never been so fairly premised, and so highly elevated, and but one of them be shewed the Light, which to all was promised; for the absolute Decree and intent of God must ever inavoidably stand and take place against the conditional proffer of that which in the Decree is not intended; so the proffer on condition still is not worth a straw, nor any thing, but a meer mockage of men, and such a one as is before that time wherein God sayes he will mock and laugh at men, which is only when they have finally rejected what once they truly might have had, and was indeed as truly in∣tended

as tendered on condition they by their wills refuse it not, Prov. 1. Psal. 2.4. For what God absolutely wills and intends, ever is, & does come to passe, but what he intends (much more what he does but offer us, and tender, and not intend at all) but conditionally, of mens standing or falling, rejecting or receiving, when he has put them into an Equilibrio, for either, may be one way or another, this or that, so or so, and yet Gods absolute Decree stand inviolable, unalterable ( ••ut Alibi) as namely, Adam when he was stated f••••m God upright (as a stick may be set upright by a man, resolving which way it falls it shall lie, either in mire or on fair ground) had posse peccare, posse non, God left him to his choice, intending, as to the man, conditionally, that if he fin'd, he should die, if not, live, and should have love or hatred from him, according as he did; but as to the two states of sinning or standing, •••• is Decree was absolutely unalterably thus, viz. tthat the Life should be the reward of the standing, and the Curse the reward of the sinning, happiness and blessing he felt in the one way, ?oe, and wrath, and mi∣sery in the other: so is the Election and Reprobation of God not absolute, but con∣ditional only (as to persons) but absolutely without condition, and inalterable (as unto stares, things, wayes, actions good or bad, wickedness, or righte∣ousnesse) so that in the way of righteousness he hath absolutely intended Life shall be enjoyed, and in the path way thereof no death to any, as found therein, and as absolutely, that the way of the wicked, or of wickedness and ungodliness, shall perish, and they in it, that forsake it not; that the seed of the Serpent shall be bruised, Satan and all that serves him (as so) and the seed of the woman only blessed.

But now (as to persons) his Decree and intent is truly •••• his proffer i•• (i.e.) universally and conditionally to all, that as they do they shall hav••••, as they sow reap, corruption or life; the seed is they serve, and are one with, their portion shall be, as the way is they chuse finally to walk in, of good and evil, truth or deceit, light or darkness, life or death, which are both set before them, so their end shall be without change, because (though he would have all persons chuse life, that they may live, yet so as leaving them to their choice) yet to this way he hath everlastingly intailed the Blessing, to that the Curse, without alteration for ever (ut alibit) Wayes are absolutely approved or reprobated, Men only conditionally, as chusing the wayes, either approved or reproved; so that while ye say God proffers conditionally only to all, but intends absolutely, that one of a thousand shall not have the benefit of the Salvation, besides the mockage that is in that offer, he cuts the throat of all that comfort that is or can be conceived by it, and is also a flat contra∣diction to say, God offers Salvation to all, which is as much as to say, pretends him∣self willing that all truly should have it, and yet to say also (as T.D. does) that God does not pretend to intend the benefit offered to all to whom it is offered; for however ye say (falssy) that he in himself really intends it not to all; yet this is true, that so long as he proffers it to all, he pretends thereby to intend it to all to whom it is offered, or else ye run on a much more sleeveless errand then before, viz. pretending that to men, which yet ye say your selves, for all your offering it in his name, and pretending to offer it as from God, God neither intends, nor yet so much as pretends they all shall have it, to whom ye offer it; which err and God never sent you on, but ye run on your own heads, with your heels upwards, to the work of preaching the Gospel, and so no marvell that ye turn it upside∣down.

That God intends not Salvation to all to whom it is offered, and yet though he offers it, saying, Look to me and he saved, my hand is not shortened that is cannot save, nor my eare heavy that it cannot hear, if your sins separate not good from you; as I live, I would not have any of you pe∣rish, I would have all saved, and know the Truth, and come to Repentance and Life; I have sent my Son that (alias, to that intent) ye should not be condemned, but saved; And yet thereby to say he pretends not to intend it, as if all his fair proffers are not only without any intent to save, or do as he sayes he is willing to do, if we be not wanting, but as willing; but also not so much as Tantamount to apnetence of such a thing, is such a mess of Pro∣positions, as by which the Propounder thereof little lesse then pretends to intend to proclaim himself •••• self-confounder before the whole world: Yet this is T.D. prittle pra••le in his parcell I am yet in hand with, whose deep Divinity in it I shall take notice of yet a little more as fol∣lows.

T. D. I do not affirm God offers it to all men, for many Ages and Generations never had one proffer, 1 Tim. 3. last.

Rep. The mere shame for thee that thou deniest it, to the damning of All men in All Ages before the time of Christs appearance in that flesh that died at Ierusalem, as thy quoting that intimates: Was the Gospel of Salva∣tion, because more clearly offered, as to the promulgation, then, not at all offered before? was it, because now more revealed, then so hidden, as not at all revealed to any Ages above ? what abominable grossnesse is here? had not All the Iews, and some Gentiles (as Ninivee by Ionah) the Gospel preached to them as well as to us, though to us more plainly, but that they believed it not? That very Text also sayes, God was manifest in the Flesh, was justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached in the Gentiles, En Ethnesin, believe on in the World, received up into Glory: Was the preaching of the Gospel, En Pase Te K••sei, En Ethnesin, in the Gentiles, in every Crea∣ture (though a Mystery I confess, and so to you at this day) never mani∣fested in any man, or in any measure at all before?

T. D. But I do affirm its offered to more then intended.

Rep. Then, as R. H. said, the proffer is to little purpose.

T. D. Yea, 'tis to some purpose too as the Light is given (i.e.) to leave men without excuse.

Rep. A cold piece of comfortless glad Tidings, a Gospelless-Gospel, a Merciless-Mercy to the s••nf••l World, that is given not to save, but to this purpose and intent, further to condemn most of them, to leave them without excuse (as thou sayest, and thy three fellows also) yet I shall shew by and by, does not, as ye hold it, leave them without excuse nei∣ther; a Truth, that if it were so (as thou sayest it only) were a belying of God, as R.H. truly told thee.

T. D. No, for he pretends not to intend it to all to whom its offered, the election obtains it, the rest are blinded; and beside, he offers it on condition of acceptance to all; and could ye suppose all would take him at his word, and accept his offer, they should have the benefit.

Rep. But that must not be supposed from the Principles of thy per∣sonal Election of a few, and blinding all the rest from the very birth, nay

cannot be supposed; thou shouldst say could, suppose they could take God at his word, and accept; for, by thy Principles and I. Os. of denying the saving ability so to do, the most, they to whom it's not intended can no more accept or believe, then 'tis possible, if they should believe, they should obtain that which they are personally and absolutely reprobated from so long before: for if God do not, will not give, hath not given, as ye say he hath not, some measure of the saving Grace, whereby to believe and ac∣cept it, to all whom he offers life to on that condition of acceptance, but calls, and requires them to believe and accept, what he knows they can∣not without him, this makes him as much a Mocker of men still, as such a merciless Tyrant and Arrand Hypocrite, as shall stand aloof off from one hungry, that is lockt in the stocks, with a dish of meat in his left hand, and a Pole-Axe in his right, saying, why wilt thou starve thou self-murdering man? come to me, and here is meat for thee, I am freely willing thou shouldest have it, and not perish (never coming neer to unlock him all this while, nor bringing the meat within his reach) but if thou wilt not come I will knock thy brains out; and so because he comes not, when yet he knows he cannot, runs on him, pretending to do just Vengeance on him for his wilfull refusing his own help, when he might (alias, never might) have had it, and cuts him to pieces indeed: for he that on pain of punishment, death, and condemnation, if the Terms be not performed, tenders Life and Salvation on Termes and Conditions utterly impossible to be, or ever to have been performed by the person to whom the tender is, unless a Grace be given him, which yet never shall be, is an Hypocrite and a Tyrant, (and such a one ye make God by your Doctrine, who yet is no such, but that ye belie him) as such as he that shall say, he truly desires to make me his Heire, and so tenders me a good Estate, conditionally I will take a journey to the Man in the Moon first, to get it confirmed there, when I come back again, but if I refuse to go thither he will kill me, and so because I cannot climbe up to the Moon, falls on me, and puts me to death indeed.

Arg. 7. Moreover, Gods offer of Salvation to many, to whom he intends it not, on conditions he knows they cannot perform without him, and yet not so much as enabling them all to perform them, when he might, but some few only to whom he intends it, makes God a Respecter of Persons, as R. H. truly said of it, when yet God is no Respecter of Persons, as the Scripture saith, but in every Nation, Men that fear him, and work righteousness, are ac∣cepted with him, and not otherwise.

T. D. To that of making God a Respecter of Persons this answer will suffice, did God give Salvation to some, who accept not of it, out of particular fancy to them; but exact of o••hers that acceptance, and for default thereof deny them Salvation? then there might be some ground for the cavil, but now that its offered upon equal termes there is none.

Rep. Does not God upon your blind Principles of personal Election, or loving of a few, out of a particular Fancy to them, and perempto∣ry Reprobation, and hating the most of Mankind before they were born, without respect to foreseen good or evil to be done in time in their own persons (excepting the respect to Adams sin, which the Sublapsarians

prate of against the Supralapsarians, whose blind wranglings, whether Election be ex massa corrupta, or pura, are not more wearisome & toilsom, then they are both no••some and loathsome to look upon, by any that love and know the Truth, give Salvation to some out of fancy, who accept it no more then others; but as he (as you say) makes them to do it by an irrestible power, which he denies to the other) and exact of the other that obedience he enables them not to, and that for default thereof, not only de∣ny them the Salvation, but also damn them down into double condemna∣tion? Does not God do so, I say, according to your Principles? and if so, then is there not a ground by thy own confession, for that Assertion thou call'st a cavill, i.e. that God by your doctrine is (doctrinally) made a Respecter of persons? And whereas thou sayest, Salvation is offered to men on equall termes, and therefore there is no ground to assert God a respecter of persons: I say, 'tis the Truth we hold indeed, that 'tis on equal termes tendered to men so far, at least, that till some put the word of life from them, and the salvati∣on that is sent to them, so making themselves unworthy of it, when others receive it, it is so brought by Christ the Light, that the whole World might be saved as well as some of it, 1 Iohn 2.3. Iohn 3.17. and where it is of∣fered, there are none to whom it is not as sincerely intended; on condition of acceptance, as it is to some, and so God is in truth no respecter of persons. But darest thou say, and is it not a contradiction to thy self for thee T.D. as thy Principles are, to say Salvation is offered on equal Termes, who saidst above, that among those where the Gospel is preached, Salvation is offered to more then to whom it is intended? if it be truly intended to any one, and not truly intended to every one to whom it is offered, but it is (for all the fair offers) absolutely decreed a few shall have it, and shall not chuse but per∣form the condition of it, which is acceptance; and as absolutely decreed that the most shall never be enabled to perform the said condition of ac∣ceptance, which is exacted of them, and so shall unavoidably go without it, are these equal Termes? Is not this offer upon as unequal termes, as if a man should tender to two condemned prisoners bound up in chains, that they shall both live, if they will come out of prison, but if not, they shall be more cruelly executed for refusal, intending to unlock one of them, that he may come forth, and to light, lead, and compel him irresistably to come forth also, that he may have the benefit of the Pardon, and live; and as ab∣solutely intending to leave the other lock'd under restraint in his chains, utterly devoid of any liberty to come forth, to the end that he may cut him off from any benefit of the promised Pardon, and take double vengeance on him for non-acceptance thereof? and are these equal Termes? are these wayes so equal as God sayes his wayes are? Ezek. 18. who absolutely wills not the death of any that are as willing to live as he would have them, and that do not wilfully die for want of turning from those iniquities in which they cannot live, and from which he impowers them to turn, but that they refuse it, as well as leaves them to chuse death too, if they will neees have it? Who sees not the foolish frivolousness, and self-contradiction of T.Ds. Divina∣tions?

T. D. And for Christs being given for Salvation to the ends of the earth, that imports not so much as that the offer, much less the benefit should be of such ex∣tent

in all Ages and Generations, as the fulfilling of that Prophesie bears date; from the Apostolical Commission, Ma••th. 38.19. and it intends that no Nation, how remote soever from Judea, should want the offer, nor some of it the benefit of Sal∣vation.

Rep. See how unsound Iudgements jump together, Christs coming a true Light into the world to enlighten every man in it, I.O. (as is seen above) dates but from about the time of his appearing in that Person, that 1600 years since died at Ierusalem, and his being a Light to the Nations, and Gods Salvation to the ends of the earth, is dated from much what about the same period, according to T.D. his Calender: But as for the extent of his Light and Salvation, which is said to be to every man that cometh into the world, and to the very ends of the earth; This is extenuated by them both into an extreme little compass, in respect not only of time and seasons, but of places and persons also▪ For first, as here is a cutting off of all Ages and Generations before the Apostolical times, by both I. O. and T. D. from any benefit from Christ and his Light, and from any interest in his Salva∣tion, and of all Nations for 4000 years together, as it were by the lump and wh••le sale, unle••s happily they except the little nook of the Iewish Na∣tion, which (saving a few that walk't with God in the Light of Christ, as some in other Nations al••o did) was, in moralities, well nigh as wicked generally as any people, yea, to the justifying of her Sister Sodom it self. And secondly, even of these last Ages, since the said appearance of Christ in flesh, the major part, by thousands to one, are, in the Doctrine of our Divines cut off, not by their own obstinacy and rebellion against Christs Light (for so we say most are without the benefit justly enough, for hating and not coming to Christs Light in their hearts, which else would save them) but by God himself, for want of his vouch••a••ing them such a Light, as, if improved, is sufficient to Salvation; for if all Nations have the offer of it now (as in an outward Ministry they have not had since Christ, nor yet have, there being not a few at this day to whom the outward news of Salvation is not come by any outward Ministry, and therein T.D. is also out in his accounts; yet where the offer is, there's not one of ma∣ny (according to these two men) that have so much grace ever given them of God, whereby to be in capacity to lay hold on it because its intend∣ed but to few, even of such, and so the offer is but a meer mockage still, all have not the offer, and of such as have that, but few the benefit of the Salvation, because not intended, though rendered to them, and they not put in possibility for it for want of Saving Light, or sufficient g••ace to ac∣cept it, or to perform the condition on which its rendered; and so as uni∣versally as is talkt of in Scripture, in Terminis, as belonging to All, yet by the restrained senses they put on these universal terms, as some, a few, the Elect, &••. its not one of a 1000 that can have the thing, or are intended by God to have any share in it. But O ye Niggards and Churls, that are called by the name of Masters in Israel•• Is the Spirit, and Saving Light, and Saving Grace, Saving Health and Salvation of the Lord thus straitned and limitted, as ye limit them? Are these his doings? Doth he mean as ye say he does, when he sayes All, every man, the whole world, and not rather as he sayes himself? Are not the••e your doings, thus to pervert the right words and wayes of

the Lord? and with your narrow senses to distinguish the most infinitely im∣mense Mercy, and incomprehensibly large love of God to all mankind, and every individual person thereof, that does not first personally slight and sin a∣gainst it, and so pull more misery upon themselves, into such a diminu∣tive matter, as amounts truly, seriously, and intentionally, to the redeeming of some one of a thou and from misery, to no more then a meer making of a thousand to one more miserable, then if he had never sent the news of that mercy in Christ, and a most cruel mocking of those individual per∣sons in that (as to them from the first) remedilesly derived and decreed misery also? Is this the glad ••••dings of joy to all people, and all man∣kind, that by their own neglect do not loose their share in it, to tell them by general Proclamation, that there's Salvation and life for them All in Christ without exception▪ and its offered on equal terms to them All without respect of persons, and then to tell them after, that this Salvation, which is so infi∣nitely sufficient for all, is intended but to few among them, and those are ye know not which; and these few shall assuredly partake of it, and many to one shall as assuredly never see it, nor be made capable to come to it by any Light sufficient to lead to it, though never so well attended to, because it was never intended to them, but from all Eternity the very con∣trary was intended, and irrevocably decreed, as conce••ning their particu∣lar individual persons, that they shall perish for, and not be one jot the better for that Salvation, do what they can by the improvement of that Light and Grace they have from God, which is only common, and not sa∣ving, nor able to help them, and God in no wise will help them to more, but leave them helpless, that the Salvation may pa••s by them to the few to whom its intended, and be (as to the rest only) as a means to make them liable to more wrath for their refusing it, and more without excuse in the midst of that misery too that's encreased by it? Is this your G••spel of Gods infinite Grace to All men in Christ, that very few shall be sa∣ved, but unavoidably, by any thing that God will ever enable them to do to the contrary, most men, perhaps a thousand to one of those to whom its offered shall be according to Gods unchangeable and personal Decree con∣cerning them in that kind, doubly damned by Christs coming into the World, of whom ye shameless ones do you not hear God say, he sent him not to condemn, but to save the world, which yet through the despising his true Grace, and hating his (saving) Light when its come to them, are (his love not∣withstanding) the more sorely condemned? Is this good news to an hun∣dred, to hear that one of them shall be highly preferred, and none shall hinder it, but as uncontroulably his rise shall be the ruine of all the rest, and and an occasion whereupon the ninety nine shall come all to be hanged? Ye fools and blind, Is this your liberal, universal rich Gospel to the whole world? O ye graceless, ungod-like, ungospel-like Gospel Ministry of England, and Vniversities of the same, about which there is such ado among the Powers, Parliaments, Armies, and their Generals Courts Committees, Cities, and their Common Councels of late, that ye may be so richly, liberally, and univer∣sally maintained in your private promulgations of it, not far from your own fire sides, much less so far as Christ gave Commissian to his Ministers to pub∣lish his Gospel going out into all the World, all Nations, every creature, the ends

of the earth; but like Gospel, like Minister of it, a private particular, publica∣tion of it for pay, and impiop••iations by each Preacher in his private parti∣cular Parish, or place of preferment, is most proper to such an impropria∣ted, private, particular Gospel as yours is, whose care is more, according to the provision the Earthly Powers, that are bewitcht by you, make for you in that particular, to make augmen••••tion of your own means in the Earth, then an augmentation of Gods true Gospel so far, as to all ends of the earth, by exposing of your own persons to the pains, and weariness, and travels, and ha∣zards, that many of Christs Servants have gone through, and some even in these dayes for the sake thereof, or for the sake of your non Gospel ei∣ther, which yet sith 'tis your own, and another then that which Paul and others then preached, its no great matter (for a private preaching of it is fittest for it) whether it go so far, yea or nay, as to the ends of the earth; and indeed much farther then it has gone it must not go, neither in respect of time nor place, and no great ma••vel, for Pauls Anathema is entail'd to it, and the folly of i•• is beginning to be made manifest unto all men, as theirs al∣so was, 2 T••m. 3. even Iannes and Iambres, who of old withstood Moses and the Truth: If any man judge me too long in this business, let him excuse me if he please, or if not, let him chuse, I matter it not, for I here honestly profess the Doctrines that are entail'd on each other▪ in this matter of parti∣cular Election of a few, and personal Reprobation of most men by God, from both Salvation, and all possible sufficient means of it, either upon, or before Adams fall, without reference to personal good or evil first performed, or commit∣ted, do hang so together; like some tangling bushy brake of b••yars and thorns, to the cumbring of the ground where the Truth it self should grow out, and are such a wild Wilderness of Contradiction and Confusion, that being, by the way whereinto I. O. and T. D. dark distinctions have driven me, once entred into it▪ I cannot easily on a sudden find any way out of it again, and must walk yet a little further, before I can be so clearly quit of as I de∣sire to be.

I. O. sayes, that its so certain, from innumerable places of Scripture, that Christ hath not savingly enlightned All, but some only; that he hath no spiritual understanding who once dreams to the contrary; whereas I say, he hath yet no more then a meer mysty ••nsight into the mystery of Gods love in Christ to the world, who limits it only to a few: I know the Scripture from one end to another, yet I know not so much as one place wherein there's the least hint against the universality of his sufficient (G••ace••to All, 'twould have been more to my satisfaction, had I. O. named but one testi∣mony of Scripture, and directed us to it, then to give us intimations of in∣numerable Texts, and testimonies to that purpose▪ and set down not so much as one, which till he doth, I shall be so bold as to tell him; there is not one at all of any true tendency that way, but very many more, be∣sides those above-alluded to, which evince the universality of Christs death, the commonness of his Salvation, the generality of sufficient Light, Grace, and of the gift of his Righteousness unto All, and upon A••1, as they be∣lieve, without difference or respect of persons, Rom. 2.10.11.3.22. 1 Pet. 1.17.

The usual common silly shifts, and pedling put offs, that are made a∣gainst

those Texts which speak in universal terms, are that by All, All men, every man, every creature, the World, All the World, the whole World, not All and every one indeed is meant, but some, the Elect only, which T. D. calls few in comparison of the rest, All manner of people, not Jews only, but Gentiles also. So J. Tom. and R. Baxt. p. 60.62. The senses in which Christ Mediator en∣lightens with spiritual Light every man that cometh into the world, 1 John 9. That Text may be understood of this Light two ways: 1. All who are enlightened with Spiritual Light: 2. All sorts and Nations of men, Gentiles as well as Jews, not singuli generum, but genera singulorum, some in All Nations, some Iews, some Gentiles, and among the Gentiles some Barbarians, some Scy∣thians, some Englishmen, some French, some Turks, some Tartars, &c. not All in every Nation, not All of every sort, but some of All sorts, some Kings and men in Authority, some under Authority, some rich, some poor, some Ma∣sters, some Servants, &c. not the whole Globe, or Wheel of the World; but I.Os. whimsie, or Wheel within a Wheel, that is his Church, or as others, Mundus Electorum ex mundo Electus: This and such like is the narrow strict, restrictive rattle of I.O.T.D.I.T.R.B. and the rest of that Fry, whose restrained senses of so universal terms, let us reason together about a little.

Rep. 1. Is it so indeed Friends, that these so eminently comprehensive terms, All, everyone, &c. signifie no more then some, a few, &c. as afore∣said? Is this Syncategorema istud Omnis, the Con-signification of that Adie∣ctive All? Is it so as I.O. sayes, per omnem hominem, non omnes & singulos, sed quosvis tantum intelligi debere, that by All and every one, we ought to un∣derstand not All and every man, but some only; All not absolutely, but re∣spectively to the Elect; which are but few? This is more then ever I could yet understand since I left off to be (as ye are, and will be more ere long, if ye go on to fight against the Light) without understanding to this ve∣ry day.

To say that All may signifie many (as many is sometimes expressive and truly conclusive of All, and not exclusive of any; as Rom. 5.15.18.) is much better to be born with; but that All, or at least that every man, which is more indigitative of every individual without exception, should be said to signifie, not so much as the major, but the minor part of men: This is one absurdity more then I ever learnt before from any, but the unlearned labours of your selves, and such as side with you in your silly-come-sensless senses upon the Scripture.

2. If it be no absurdity but usual and proper to intend, not All men, nor Ill men, which are the most; but the Elect, a few good men only, by those terms All men, every man, All the World, &c. and not every individual (prout innumer is aliis locis usurpatur•• as it is used (quoth I.O.) in innumerable o∣ther places) then I shall the more willingly excuse him, who shall in∣terpret those Texts, viz. Rom. 3.9.10.11.12.22.23. Rom. 5.12. Gal. 3.22. and many more Texts (which must be some of I.Os. numberless number, there being not innumerable places besides them) that speak of All mens being gone out of the way, &c. All mens having sinned, and falling short of Gods Glory, dying in Adam, &c. All the worlds becoming guilty before God, &c. All Believers being justified, All Saints honoured, &c. Al∣so

such places as speak of Gods being avenged on All that obey not the Gospel, 2 Thes. 2. and such like (respectively) not of All and every man, e∣very Believer, every Saint, every Rebel, against the Gospel, but of some few, a few Believers, a few Saints, a few Rebels against the Gospel, which were an absurdity unsufferable, if not no less then madness in the abstract. But I.O. that he might at least insanire cum ratione, in proof that there are in∣numerable places besides, Iohn 1.9. where these general terms are so re∣strained, makes a shift to produce one, which is as much to his purpose as one can be, that over-turns it, that is Col. 1.6. where Paul sayes the Go∣spel is come into All the World, by which term All the World, I.O. under∣stands not All men, but the Elect only, heeding as little, as he does other matters, that the same Apostle in the same Chapter, ver. 23. speaks of the same Gospel in the same way as here, that it is preached, En Pase Te K••isei, In every creature that is under Heaven.

So that the 6th ver. which is I.Os. instance, doth by (All the World) intend the same Subject as he does, by the term (every creature) which is not such a pi••••a••••••, as the Elect only; for then the absurdity would be no less in these two verses, then it would be so to interpret it in Mark 16.16.17. where both these terms stand together; and how gross would it be when Christ sayes to his Messengers, collectively considered, Go out into (All the World) and preach the Gospel to, or in (for there's no Preposition) (every creature) He that believes shall be saved, &c. to read and render these general terms not absolute (as I.O. sayes Omnis must not be) but relate ad Electos, with reference only to the Elect▪ a Fool may see: For as I shewed above from Iohn 3.16. of the word World, so may I much more here shew from the word (All the World) the folly of them that will have it signifie no more then the Elect, it being then to be thus read; viz. Go out unto the Elect, and preach the Gospel to every Elect one, whoever in all the world, that is among the Elect, believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but whoever among those Elect ones, believeth not, shall be damned: Here's I.Os. Syncategoremaistud (Omnis) yet surely, as far as both he and T.D. are from holding the Gospel to be intended by God to any, but those few they call the Elect, neither of them is such a niggardly Churl, but they are both rather so free as to have the Gospel (excepting ever what large pay the Preachers must have for it) very freely offered from God to no less then All; whether this be any of those innumerable places I.O. means, when he sayes the word Omnis, All, is so used in them, or not, I know not; but here's the same terms, every creature, and All the world, as are used in that Col. 1.6.23. which he alludes to; and if this be not one, I doubt his number will come short of numberless; for at present (as I shall look no further) so I mind no more then one place, where the same term of (All the World) is used; viz. Rom. 3.22. where its said, All the World is become guilty before God, which if I.O. read non absolute, but relate ad qu svis tantum; that is, ad Electos, excluding All the rest (as he does the worst from the Grace of God) so as to say a few of the world only, that is, the Elect, are become guilty before God; then let's eat and drink, that we may live and dye Reprobated from God, and so become guiltless, ••ith none but his Elect become guilty before him, who are of all men then indeed most mi••erable.

And as I.O. so T.D. seems not to dote without at least some seeming shew of a Reason for his most impossibly proper sense of that term, Every man that cometh into the world, John 1.9. by which R. H. truly told him he makes John a Ly••••, and so say I too, while he understands it of but some of every Nation, and those so few, that page 5.1 Pamp. he stiles them a small number in comparison of the rest who are not enlightned, T.D. No such matter (quoth he) I make not the Apostle a Lyar, for the indefinite phrase hath a restrained sense, as elsewhere, Heb. 2.9. Christ tasted death for every man, when as he died but for a certain number.

Rep. To which I need say no more among wise men, then to tell T.D. that if he over-shot himself unawares in saying (every man) is an indefi∣nite phrase, let him only fetch back that Bolt of his which was so soon shot, and I shall freely give it him again, and there's no harm done; but if he shot it not in hast, but wittingly, 'twas with so little due deliberati∣on, that (as brief as he is, page 3.2. Pamp. to take on him to teach G.W. who in things of God may be his Teacher) he had need to be taught a∣gain (notwithstanding the flourishing his Title page with M.A.) by such as hold it fitter to forget, then to teach others any of that Tyruncular kind of learning, That (man) and (men) are indefinite phrases in such neces∣sary matters, are equivalent to an universal, though in some contingent bu∣siness they are aedaquate only to a particular; but as for Omnes homines, Omnem hominem, quoseun{que} unumquem{que} (All men) (every man) and such like; These are so far from being but indefinite, as hominem, quosvis homines a••e, that they are the most express universal terms that can be spoken; yea, nothing is more universal, according to the very litteral sense of the words, then Vper Panton Anthropon, Panta Anthropon Ercomenon Eis 〈◊〉〈◊〉: for All men, every man that cometh into the world; these, specially this last (every man) is so indigitative and absolutely conclusive of each individual, that it is not at all exclusive or exceptive of any at all; and if every man ••n the wo••ld be an indefinite phrase (as T.D. ayes) I know none is universal, for All is not (if it be so much) more comprehensive, then that, of All without excepti∣on; and if (as he sayes) every man that cometh into the world, be but some, a few of every Nation, Kindred, Tongue and People, then I'le read and ren∣der (by the same rule) the word every, as affixed to Nation, Tongue, &c. so restrictively too (for who shall forbid me? T.D. of All men can't) thus; viz. Every man of every Nation, that is, only some, a few men, of a few Na∣tions, ••f a few Families, Tongues and People, and then I'le carry the bound∣l••ss Grace of God, and incomprehensible Light of Christ, into a small compass, and diminutive corner of the world indeed.

But T.D. perhaps deems se imperatorem esse, and so may Leges dare, non accipere; for when we use any term in a sense that troubles him, then the phrase imports otherwise (quoth he) the words intend so or so, it must bind and be cogent to us, saying when he sayes Rex sum, sic volo, sic Iubeo, Nil ultra quaero Plebeius; but when we tell him, as we do in this, the words import otherwise, the very literal sense of them cannot be that, then he tramples that down: Tush (quoth he) the meaning of those word; cannot be as the Letter of them does import, for then the Scripture must contradict it self; it was an usual thing with Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense,

his meaning may be mistaken, when his words are taken in the most ordinary and literal sense, and so it would be, if, by every man, we should understand every indi∣vidual man.

Rep. Where note, first, that T.D. yields, that the most ordinary and literal sense of (every man) is every individual man, and that the letter of those words, every man, Iohn 1.9. does indeed import no other then we say against T.D. and I.O. viz. That the true Light, which is that of Christ, en∣lighteneth every individual man that comes into the world.

And so secondly, to the contradiction of himself, who so calls it, that every man is not an indefinite, but an universal phrase, and so cannot have such a restrained sense as in some cases, not all, an indefinite expression may, for mostly an indefinite it self is equivalent to an universal; and if it be taken according to the proper import, ordinary, and literal sense of it, it is to be read every individual man.

3. That in those three places, Iohn 1.9. Heb. 2:9. 2 Cor. 5.14. Christ enlightneth, tasted death for every man; died for all: The letter, and the true, proper, genuine, ordinary, and litteral sense, which the words All and every man import, is on the Qua. side, by T.Ds. own free, or rather forced, confession; and (whether they, who fighting and scoffing at the Light and Spirit within, which only reveals it, know it not, or will grant that or no) we know that we have the true meaning and mind of Christ.

4. What hath T.D. and I.O. left then on their sides to help them∣selves with? Nempe velle suum cuique est nec voto vivitur uno; every man his own will, even what opinion he pleases: Quot homines, bis tot s••ntentiae; as ma∣ny more minds, as men, for they do not both in every thing fain the same, nor doth each of them fancy the thing at all times alike, but is at odds about it within himself: I.O. hath two shifts, as I have shewed, but ne∣ver a good one, to slide away by, but one of which T.D. shuts in with: T.D. hath three, two of which (as short as they are of truth in his own intent) extend far enough, as is said above, to give the cause contended for to us; and the third, which is I. Os. also, hath nothing to say for it self, but that it's a wresting and restraining the phrases All and Every man, besides their ordinary literal signification and import; it cannot be, as the words and letter of them doth import, therefore it must be in this or else that sense, which the letter of the words does not import; Somewhat they would say, but they cannot tell what; Somewhat it is, but no matter what, so it be not the right meaning, or true literal sense; in a word, all they have to trust to is, their own muddy meanings, foolish figments, false 〈◊〉〈◊〉, unccuth imports on plain phrases, which none (but that some will) need at all to mistake, which who is such a fool, as to be taken with the ••oy••shness of them, may take, and who will not, may safely let alone, and every wise man will feel to be foolish, and every reasonable man will refuse as so.

5. 'Tis to be noted, that when the proper, ordinary, literal sense of any words do but seem to tend toward their own turns, our Divines insist much upon that intent and purport of them, though they will needs make them mean another matter then they intend, or truly import, when the

true interpretation of them over turns and thwarts the tenure of their false Doctrines, and so Rule o'••e their Rul•• as they list, according to their own unruly will, and lay out the Letter, like a piece of lead into what shape, sense, or form seems good to their own lewd, Lesbian, or petulant fancies; and when it does not ••••and handsomely to their particular private purpose one way, they set it another, and sometimes two or three wayes at once, not determining which it is, but saying, Its either this, or that, or both: So Io. Tom. and R. Bax. page 60.62. that Text, Iohn 1.9. may be understood of this Light two wayes: 1. All who are enlightned. 2. The other sense is, All sorts and Nations, &c. but not that of the Qua. though the letter it self imports it: But page 35. 1 Pamp. both meanings are the Holy Ghosts, the phrases will bear either senses, and either of them cross the Qua. interpretation; and when they deem they can make any use to help their crazy cause, by the literal sense and import of the words, then they will have that; and so what a deceitful deal of-Do there is with T.D. about the import of the words, a very Boy may behold up and down in his two Trisles, page 5. 1 Pamp. That expression, Luke 17.21. may import, that the Kingdome which the Pharisees did upon a mistake look for without them, was indeed (Mark) a Kingdome within them.

Here it seems T.D. unawares, thought the import of the expression would have served his turn, and was mistaken, it serving the Qua. for truth, whereupon upon second thoughts (as he sayes) gives another, which he judges the most genuine interpretation En Vmin among you; so the Preposition may be rendred (quoth he) when as there's no such Pre∣position at all as En in that Text, it being Entos Vmon, as is shewed a∣bove. So page 14. the phrase doth not import the perfection of any on earth; that likes him not it seems, but else the phrase imports it well enough, for he sayes, ye are come to the Spirits of just men made perfect; as its said, The Saints are all to come up to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, Heb. 12.23. Eph. 4. So page 16. Perhaps the clause should b•• re∣ferred to Sanctification, 1 Cor. 6.11. or else it may be meant of the Spirits application, forte ita, forte non. So page 4. 2 Pamp. as the Apostles expressi∣on is (there he is for the import of the expressions) So page 47. 1 Pamp. The expressions of freedome from sin, do not note freedome from the be∣ing, but dominion of sin. Page 4. 1 Pamp. As for the phrase in your hearts, it imports but the same with that expression, the eyes of your under∣standing being enlightned. Page 9. Doth not commit sin, that cannot be meant of freedome from sin, but either there is an Emphasis in the word sin, intending under that general term one kind or sort of sin; i.e. the sin unto death, or if not in the Substantive, then on the Verb Poiei, which notes to make a trade of sin, (as the Priests do, who preach sin up, and down for money) So somewhat it is, if they could tell what, and no mat∣ter what, nor where the Emphasis lyes; whether we can distinctly tell, yea or nay, so we may keep that Doctrine of sufficient Grace against sin to All men, and that danmable Doctrine of Devils (that is, of not sinning any more which the Qua. teach up among men, from taking too much root, and bringing forth fruit to perfection of holiness; that spoils all their ••••ading as well as the Lawyers, which stands but upon mens trespasses and

sins, if once men come to leave sinning, and hating, and envying, and steal∣ing, &c. and come to live in love, innocency, honesty, and peace, that marres their Ministry; therefore they'l beware of that Leven however, which will sowre all the sweet success that they have from Generation to Generati∣on, into the Popish preferments of their deceased Predecessors, if that way be shewed how to live without sin, it turns their rich trade of preaching down sin, and talking against sin, up by the roots; and therefore, though their Trade is for money to declare against sin, yet they must preach it up, and talk for it a little too, and do their work not too hastily, all at once, left there be no more work for them ere long to do, but such as they were never bred up to live by.

Thus not only T.D. I.O. R.B.I.T. but in a manner all our literal Prea∣chers, when the Letter leans not that way themselves, for their lusts sake list to have it, make no more to wrest it besides its own ordinary, proper, and li∣teral se••se and import, which when it smiles with them, they plead, as much as they implead it, when it makes against them, then a man need do to turn a Nose of Wax which way he will, and no less then twenty wayes one after another, if they please; yea, it is but saying when they are minded so to do, upon mislike of the Spirits plain, naked, honest mean∣ing, thus; viz. The Spirit does not mean here as he sayes, but means another thing; 'tis usual with Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense, his meaning may be mistaken, when his words taken in the most ordinary and literal sense; and so it would be, if by every man, we should understand every individual man; the meaning of th••se words cannot be as the Letter of them does import, then this and that absurdity would follow (say our reconciling self-contra∣dictors) by which they import themselves to be very little insighted, ei∣ther into the Letter it self, which they are Ministers meerly of, and much less into the mind of the Spirit which gave it forth, which never does, as these in••aners and Opinionists would make it, speak one thing, and mean ano∣ther, but means truly what he sayes, though his very sayings are mysteries to the misty Ministers; when he sayes All, and every man, he means not some only, a few, one of a thousand, as the personal Electionists do, who extend the large Love of God so far, as to say, its intended but to few, and streighten the boundless Mercy of God into a Mi••e, which is stretched out matchlessly be∣yond measure over all his works, which universal terms (All men) (every man) if they were to be restrained, as they tell us, how much more legally may indefinite terms be taken in a restrained sense, and be made e∣quivalent to particulars, and upon that account we may except the most sin∣ners (as they indeed do some of them personally and absolutely from all Iudgement and Condemnation, and the most, as absolutely from Mercy and Sal∣vation) from the fear of any evil befalling them for their sins; so as to say, when God speaks indefinitely, he will rain snares, fire, brimstone, storm and temptest on the wicked; that's not All, and every wicked man, but a few only, therefore fear not; Wh••remengers and Adulterers God will judge, Lyars, Murderers have their part in the Lake; that's but some few only, at least not All, nor the most, not the Saints, not his upright hearted Davids, when gone from their uprightness (for so David was in that matter of Vri∣ah, when guilty of Murder and Adultery) therefore droop not ye murderous,

adulterous Saints of this English unclean-hearted Israel: If God had said All, and every Adulterer, and every Murderer hee'll judge, and divide him his portion in the Lake, his meaning had not been as those words im∣port, 'tis usual for Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense, ye mistake his meaning, if you understand him according to the ordinary and literal se••se of the universal terms All, and every man, as speaking of every individual man, but he speaks but indefinitely, Sinners, Whoremengers, Adulterers, Murderers, not expressing All and every such a one, which had he exprest, he had dot implyed, though the terms import so, for he offers one thing oft when he means another, offers that to all in words in his revealed Will, which in heart and his secret Will he intends but to a few, and if an universal cannot, without going aside from the literal sense it imports, yet the indefinite phrase hath a restrained se••se.

Ob. Nay, this cannot be, though in the other case it may, because this is con∣trary to the Faith, the other is not, and we must keep to the Analogy of Faith in our interpretings of the Scriptures.

Rep. Herein ye are more miserably bemoped and befool'd (if ye could once see it) then in all other your absurdities put together, for I ••row whence, or from what Church, Principle, Ground, Foundation, comes that Faith, according to the Analogy of which ye are to conform in your interpretations of the Scripture, it must be either the Infallible Chair, and bottomless pit of mens dunghilly Traditions, which is the Foundation of the Church of Rome, and her Faith, which Foundation, Church and Faith that's built on it, ye would seem in words at least to deny, or else the Infalli∣ble Light and Spirit of God in the heart, which the Letter came from; and the Qua. according to the Letter, and together with it, call men to, and are themselves, as to their Faith founded on, whom together with their Faith (which stands not in mens words, writings, nor thoughts, but in that Light which is the Power of God) and that Foundation of it also, with no less, but a little more detestation ye deny; or else the Scripture it self, which (as much as ye live by (yea by Popish) Tradition in many things, as the Papists do) yet (in words) ye own. Now the two first being deny∣ed, this last is the Rule of your Faith, according to the Tenor and Analogy of which, the Churches Faith, which ye must interpret Scripture by, is to be framed and conformed: See then your most abominable confusions and rounds ye run in: 1. You have the Scripture, before which the true Faith was delivered to the Saints a 1000 years, which Scripture is the Foundation of your Church & Faith (whereby ye might see, were ye not blind, that your Church and Faith has not the same Foundation as the true had) Next, you have a Faith which must be squared by the best interpretations ye can make of that Scripture, alias, a common stock of Divinity, that stinks as the blood of a dead man that hath no life in it: Then again, this Scripture, by the Ana∣logy of which (as the Church interprets it) your Churches Faith is to be framed, must be bent to, and interpreted by the Analogy of that Faith which was thereby framed: So Riddle me, Riddle me, what's this Round of our reasonless Rabbies? 1. The Scripture is the Rule of our Faith (say they according to our Churches interpretations of which her common Faith must (as to the Articles of it) be framed and conformed. 2. The common Faith

is the Rule, according to the Analogy of which the Scripture must be inter∣preted, and all our Expositions of it framed and conformed: Oh the bruitish brainy notions of our of our Brittish Nation! A false Faith about personal Ele∣ction and Reprobation, about Alls signifying some men only, and every man only a few, being framed in Iohn Calvins fancy upon his miserable mi∣stakes, and misinterpretations of the Scripture (Scilicet) ever since All Scripture must be interpreted according to the Analogy of that false Faith: ••••a ferunt & circum-feruntur, T. D. J. O. R. B. J. T. Ignoramus, Sm••ctim∣nuus, and others.

The Blood of Christ cleanseth us, in presenti, from all sin, that's the guilt (say they) not filth of it, though the very phra••e imports otherwise; cleanse your selves from all uncleanness of flesh and spirit, that's not as the Letter imports, All indeed, but All gross iniquities; we must have our infirmities while we live here, and and if he meant them, he command∣ed impossibilities, which the Apostle did not: He that sinneth is of the De∣vil, he that's of God, sins not; that's not as the word Amartanei (nemine c••ntradicente) imports, but it must be expounded by the other phrase Amartian Poiein, operam dare peccato, &c. (which Amartian Poiein, but that they stretch it out upon the Tenters, is no more then Amartanein; for he that sins does sin, and he that commits sin does no more, and does so much, as that while he does sin, he is (as Christ said, Iohn 8.) a servant of it, and not of Christ in that; they do no iniquity, that is, not as the Letter imp••rts, but they do none as the wicked do it, that is, with all their might, but more moderately: Perfection, that's only such an uprightness and sincerity, as respects all Gods Commandments, whether they be kept or bro∣ken; saved from sin, is from the dominion, not being of it, while we have a being here, it hath not potestatem dominandi, nor damnandi, but operandi, bellandi, captivandi, only led Paul captive; while he liv'd, to the Law of it; so that with his flesh he served it, but it domineers not, damns not, because the mind approves it not, while the flesh commits it, if it chance to be murder and adultery, as that of David, whose heart was upright (say they) though the Scripture excepts him from uprightness in that case, and therefore iustified (quoth T. D.) alias, held guiltless (O Criss-Cross) while under the guilt of it, being weak, and temptation strong, and an hundred more such fetches do our formally holy Fathers find, wherewith to feed up them••elves and their failing Flocks from fainting under their ••••••lest faults, minifi••d into the name of Saints infirmities.

Thus they swim up and down in their non-sensical senses and notions, so that nothing must be taken as the words import, but when a meaning serves their licenticus turns, and then they urge, the words import it so; one while it must be as the phrase imports, other whiles it cannot be so, but otherwise then the Letner imports it, for then the Scripture (so it seems indeed to the Owls and Batts, whose eyes dazle at the Light it came from, so that they see more by night then by day) would contradict it self, and be at variance, and disagree within it self, and cannot approve it self to their own understandings, without the mediation of their (own) meanings and inter¦pretations, and therefore they must reconcile it to it self, though they are at never so much odds among themselves, and each man within himself, a∣bout

this matter of setting it to rights, even one saying this is the mean∣ing, the other that, a third in my opinion it is so, a fourth, I think it must be either so, or so, but which he determines no more then T. D, till they have reconciled it into nothing, but an irreconcileable enmity with it self, and an occasion of irreconcilable enmity about it between them∣selves.

And this I know not only as one of those that now see in the Lords light their dotage herein, and the wrong and crooked wayes wherein they are at work, to set that to rights, and strait, which is so already in itself, if they could let it alone, without wresting it into constructions as crooked, as they are in their conversations, but as one that was once as busie as the best of them in the same blind, fruitless, frothy work, of beating the brains about the meaning of this and that, which the Spirit only reveals to the poor in Spirit, and not to the proud, haughty Scorner, that dealeth in proud w••ath against the righteous, having been my self (when I was where they yet are, who where I now am cannot come, but with the losse of that life they yet live, and through the death of a crosse thereunto) looking, and skim∣ming, and scraping among the learned Scribes, into the Scripture for the sense of it without the Spirit; I can tell them by experience, as well as by the Light, in which it is seen, and told them by my self and many more, to what little purpose or profit, either to themselves or their people, who dea••ly pay for it, they are by the best improvment of their natural capacities Academical Parts, and such meer Animal Accomplishments, p••ying into the privi∣ties of the Scriptures, which according to I. Os. and specially T. Ds. his Principles and way of interpretation and giving meanings, is more made to patronize and partize with the transgressions of supposed Saints, then to promote the perfect purging from them in this world, which yet the Scri∣ptures truly plead not only a possibility, but a necessity of before men die, un∣less they mean to die for ever, when T. D. and his abettors, implead it as a very doctrine of Devils, pleading rather (because an impossi∣bility of living without it) a necessity of living in it, while in the body.

Which said Doctrine of Perfectior, or full pardon from sin here, I shall have a few words about with T. D. by and by, after an Addition of some few Arguments more in proof of the universality of Gods Love in the dea••h of Christ for All, and of the gifts of his saving Grace, or Light sufficient to lead All that follow it to Life, vouchsafed to every man, and some brief Ani∣madversion of what more our Four fore named Antagonists argue to the con∣trary.

Arg. 8. If Christ died not for the whole world, and for All and every man in it, but for a few only: and God gave him not, A Light, to be his Sal∣vation (as it is said Isai. 49.6.) to All the ends of the Earth, All which al∣so he calls to look to him and be saved, Isa. 45.22. to hear him, that their souls may live to come to him, even whoever will, that they may find rest, and have of the water of life freely, Isai. 55.1. Matth. 11.28. Rev. 22. Then the world, and most men, who generally are damned for this very sin, even because they believe not in, hear not, look not, come not to Christ Iesus, Iohn 3.18. Iohn 16.8, 9. are damned for not looking to, coming to, nor believing

in their Saviour, when yet they had no Saviour of theirs to look at, or come to, or believe in.

But All men have a Saviour to believe in, and look to, and come to, which for not hearing, looking, nor coming to, nor believing in, they are damned (yea this is the worlds condemnation, that light is come into it, yet the world comes not to the light) otherwise as 'tis sottish Absurdity, and lamentable mockage, to call All to look, and come to, and believe in him; so such inconceivable cruelty, as (Absit Blasphemia, far be it from us to think there is in God) to damn them, upon the account of not coming, or non-believing in him: Therefore he is given a Light, a Ransome, a Saviour for All and every man.

Arg. 9. If it be a lie, that Christ died for every man (as we say he did) and a truth, that he died but for a few only (as they hold) then, sith God requires A••l on pain of damnation so to believe, if every man should believe Christ died fo•• him, God, on pain of damnation, requires most men to be∣lieve a lye, and damns them for believing the very truth, viz. that he died not for every of them, and for not believing that, which if they All had believed, the most of them had believed a lie.

But (Absit Blasphemia) God damns no man for believing the Truth, or for not believing, that which if they did All believe, most of them must ne∣cessarily and unavoidab••y believe a lie.

Therefore Christ did undoubtedly die for every man, and not for a few only.

Arg. 10. If the Redemption and Salvation by the death and blood of Christ, which we confesse actually to extend to none, but such as actually believe, be not truly given from God to every man as his, as well as any man, so that at least every man may really have it, if he will, then either it is 1. Because Christ is not a Ransome sufficient to save All: Or 2. Because God wills and desires not that should save every man, which is sufficient so to do: Or else 3. because most men neglect that so great Salvation, and put it away from themselves, and will not have it when God would they should, and thereby judge themselves unworthy of it: Or 4. else for some other Reason.

But 'tis not the first, for your selves and All men confess a sufficiency of Redemption and Salvation in Christ for All men: Nor the second, for that were to make God, whose wayes are all exact and equal, so inequal in his doings, as no wise man is, to cut out a plaister as broad as a bushel to lay to a scare no broader then a shilling, or rather (upon your Principles of unavoid∣ble, sorer condemnation to the Reprobate part of the World, by Christs coming into it to save it, then if he had never come a Saviour into it at all) to pro∣vide a plaister sufficient to heal the whole sore, with an intent effectually to heal some very small part of it only, but to render all the residue more outragious and farre sorer, or to pay a Ransome sufficient to redeem a thou∣sand prisoners for debt, with intent actually to set some one at liberty, and for ever lay all the rest up closer prisoners in the Dungeon. Which absurdity, and mockage, and perfect hatred, under pretence of love too, far be it from any good man to father and fasten upon God, and from me to fasten on any good man, that in the least measure is merciful as God is merciful. Moreover Deus nil facit f••nstra.

If ye say the third, ye say no otherwise then that Truth with us (that yet ye fight against) viz. That God, as he has provided life in his Son, so he is as truly willing All men should live, but that some will die, and would gather men unto life, save only that they themselves will not.

If any other thing be the Reason, why every man may not as truly be sa∣ved by Christs death as any man, it lies in you to assign it, I know none. Therefore Christ died intentionally to save every man.

Arg. 11. If All men are not put into possibility of life by Christs dying intentionally for every one of them, if themselves chuse not death; then it could not be said, As by sin condemnation is come on All men, so justification of life is come on All men; and that the gift of Gods Grace, and gift of God in Christ, and the benefit and blessing is every way, at least, as large, and some wayes larger and abounding, beyond the mischief and Curse that comes by the sin.

But it is in effect so said, Rom. 5.15.18: 23. Therefore All and every man is made as capable to be saved by Christ, as every man is liable to be dam∣ned by reason of the sin.

Arg. 12. Christ could not be truly or properly said to be the Propitiation for the sins of the whole world, nor the Saviour of the whole world, to be given a Covenant to the People; a Witnesse to the People; a Leader and Commander to the People; a Light to the Nations, Gods Salvation to the ends of the Earth, much lesse could All People in any consistency with mercy, or (ut prius) with∣out foolery and mockery of most men in the midst of their remediless mise∣ry, be bid to behold him, or all the ends of the Earth be summoned with promise, yea assurance of Salvation if they do, and on pain of more cruel dam∣nation if they do not, to look and come to him for it, and hearken to his voice (or else be cut off) in All things whatever he saith to them, and such like, un∣less he were truly, properly, and intentionally, at least, given to be All this to all Men, all the People, the whole World, and every man in it.

But he is said so to be (as abovesaid) to All, and all People, even all ends of the Earth, &c. are on such Promises and Penalties, summoned to be∣hold him, look, come, and hearken to him (as aforesaid) Isai. 42.16.45.22.49.6.55.1, 4. Acts 3.22, 23. Iohn 3.19. 1 Iohn 2.12. and in unspeaka∣ble more places.

Therefore he is a Saviour, a Leader, a Light, &c. which (in some measure at least) savingly enlightens no lesse then every Individual.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vt cunque ei attenda∣tur I: O: Ex. 4: S: 17.
• * 1.2

  Absit blasphemia, far be from us that blasphemy once to think that God lies.
• * 1.3

  Which is a state diffe∣rent from a non posse peccare.
• * 1.4

  Tins shews you that men may have a gift of Grace, and yet receive it in vain.