The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute hatred or reprobation of the vessells of wrath, or, An answer unto a book entituled, Gods love unto mankind ... in two bookes, the first being a refutation of the said booke, as it was presented in manuscript by Mr Hord unto Sir Nath. Rich., the second being an examination of certain passages inserted into M. Hords discourse (formerly answered) by an author that conceales his name, but was supposed to be Mr Mason ... / by ... William Twisse ... ; whereunto are annexed two tractates of the same author in answer unto D.H. ... ; together with a vindication of D. Twisse from the exceptions of Mr John Goodwin in his Redemption redeemed, by Henry Jeanes ...

TWISSE. Consideration.

THat Salvation, and that by the ordinance of God, is only obtaineable by men of ripe years, by faith and repentance, as also, that in case every one should believe and repent, every one should be saved, is without question. For hath not our Saviour professed, that whosoever believeth shall be saved; and doth it not undeniably follow herehence, that it is Gods will, that whosoever believeth shall be * 1.1 saved: Neither is this any wish as this Author faigneth, neither doth any of our Di∣vines say, that ever I read, or till now heard of, that God wisheth that all that believe shall be saved; this being a most absurd speech and contradiction to the ordinance of God. For those things which God or man are said to wish, are such which doe not alwaies come to passe: but this ordinance of God, whosoever believeth shall be saved, is more stable than the covenant which God hath made with day and night. Not any Arminian that ever I read, doth expresse himselfe in so prostitute a manner, as to say, God seriously wisheth the salvation of Reprobates, in case they believe. For he hath not wished, but ordained, and made it a positive law, that whosoever believeth shall be saved, and herehence it followeth, that if all and every one, from the beginning of the World to the end, shall believe in Christ, all and every one of them shall be saved. But when they speake of velleity in God, or wishing, the object thereof they make not to be the salva∣tion of men in case they repent, but absolutely the salvation of men: which kind of velleity, is resolved indeed in the issue, into a conditionate will, thus; Gods will is, that all shall be saved in case they repent: not thus, I doe wish that all may be saved in case they repent, according to the most absurd fiction of this Author. At length he grants that God will have all men to be saved, only upon condition they will believe and repent; and that con∣ditionall promise may be serious, as well as an absolute: but then (saith he) the condition must be possible to them, to whom the offer and promise is made, and the performance of the condition must be a part of Gods will, as well as the salvation promised, or else the promise cannot be candid and sin∣cere. Whereto I answer, that it is confessed on both sides, that God hath ordained, that all that believe shall be saved, and consequently it must be granted, that the promise of salvation hereupon, to wit, upon faith, must needs be candid and sincere, it being the promise of God. Now shall we herehence inferre hand over head, that therefore the condition must be possible unto all, in spight of all other evidences to the con∣trary, though never so plainly and expressely laid downe unto us in holy Scripture; as namely, that a naturall man perceives not the things of God, they are foolishnesse unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor. 2. 14. That they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Rom. 8. 8. That they who are accustomed to doe evill, can no more doe good, then a Blackemore change his skinne, or the Leopard

his spots. Jer. 13. 23. This is the immodest course of this Author, to set up one piece of Scripture, by his paltry consequences, to outface another, nothing lesse evident. Notwithstanding this Scripture discovereth unto us, how this impotency of doing good, is contracted unto us all, by sinning in Adam, as whereupon we were bereaved of grace, and of the spirit of God: yet if he would deale fairely, and deny originall sinne, he should erre no more then Pelagius did, and withall, he should have as much ingenuity as Pelagius had: But now though equall to him in the one, yet is he inferi∣our to him in the other. But come we nearer to him than so; What one of our Divines denyeth the performance of this condition to be possible to al men? But is it fit that he should talke of possibility (as he doth at large,) without any reference to the grace of God? And dares he say that it is possible to any man, whether elect or reprobate, without grace? I say he dares not say so much, though like enough, he and all the Sect of them, have a good mind to it. What then is the issue of all this Controversy between us, but to enquire what manner of grace that is, without which it cannot be, that any should believe? Is it only such a grace, as gives only power to believe? This is no better than plain Pelagianisme, as appears by Austin de grat. Christ. cont. Pelag. & coelest. c. 6. and in the end, where he comes to make an overture for the compoun∣ding of the Controversy between them: Or, Is it some other grace prevenient, work∣ing only Morally by way of perswasion? This also appears clearely to have been the opinion of Pelagius, in the same book of Austin cap. 10. And he challengeth him to the acknowledging of another manner of grace, if he will not only be called a Chri∣stian, but be indeed a Christian: Or Lastly, is it only grace subsequent, by way of concourse, as to say, that God workes in us the act of believing, provided that we will believe? This, this is that Helena, that our homeborne Arminians are inamou∣red with, meere Pelagianisme: for who seeth not, that thus the grace of faith is confer∣red * 1.2 according to the acts of willing in men, which is as much as to say, tis conferred accor∣ding to works. Then marke yet farther absurdities; for thus God hath not mercy on whom he will in giving faith, but on whom man will; and what colour is there in this case, for any such objection to be made hereupon, as is devised by the Apostle? Thou wilt say then, why doth he yet complaine, for who hath resisted his will? Fur∣ther consider; Doth not God in this manner concurre to the most sinfull act that is commited in the world? And why then doe we not as well say; that the commission of sinne is not possible without grace subsequent; for certainly tis not possible with∣out divine concourse. Lastly say farther, what is the grace required to the very act of willing; Doth God work this also by grace subsequent? As much as to say, God works in us the act of willing, provided we worke it in our selves. Such morsells as these can easily goe downe with these stomacks, which are apt to tumultuate upon the hearing that God hath power to make whom he will vessells of mercy, or vessells * 1.3 of wrath; man must be the crafts-master of his own fortunes, and it were neither agreeable to Gods mercy, nor to his justice, nor to his truth, unlesse their free-will hath the greatest glory of their conversion; and God be admitted no more to the working of that act of faith, and of repentance, than to the working of the most sin∣full act that is committed in the world. But I find it nothing strange, that as many as refuse to be in subjection unto God, have liberty enough to be made vassalls, and be brought in subjection unto their own corrupt and unreasonable fancies. For the word of God forsooth must be tempered, and interpreted according to the rules of their reason; their reason must not be ordered, and squared according unto the word of God. But to proceed, the Lawyers rule of the nullity of a contract, sub conditione impraestabili, is nothing to the present purpose: For the case is not alike between man and man; and between God and man. God stands not at the pleasure of man, to contract in what manner he thinks good. And when he hath given him power to performe, whatsoever at any time he shall command him; if man disable himselfe, shall God hereby be deprived of his right to command what he thinks good, and to punish for disobedience as he thinks good? We read of some, that have cut off their thumbs, to disable themselves for military service: is it not just with men to punish such, as runne away after they have received their presse monies? But there is yet ano∣ther geofaile in the accommodation of this rule of Law. For, conditio impraestabilis there, is such as cannot be performed by reason of impotency naturall; but the im∣potency we speake of, in the case between God and man, is meerely impotency mo∣rall; to wit, therefore they cannot, because they will not, were it not for the corrup∣tion

of their will, no power were wanting in man to believe, and repent. But as Au∣stin saith, alleadged by the Brittaine Divines out of Retract. 1. 15. Voluntas sine charitate est tota vitiosa cupiditas; and upon the 3^d and 4^th artic. De conversione, qua denotat imme∣diatum opus Dei hominem regenerantis. Thesi. 2. They professe that in voluntate lapsa est po∣tentia passiva ad esse hoc supernaturale extrinsecus adveniens, recipiendum, non autem activa, ad idem vel per se, vel cum alio producendum. Jer. 17. 14. Sana me domine & Sanabor. And out of the Synodicall Epistle of the Bishops of Africa to the same purpose, they alleadge this passage, In vivificandis hominibus Deus nullum initium voluntatis humanae expectat, sed ipsam voluntatem bonam faciendo vivificat. And also that of Austin de corep. & gra. cap. 14. Creatio in Christo in libertatem voluntatis facta est, & sine nobis: si in libertatem, tum non ex libertate: si sine nobis, tum penes nos non est hoc Dei opus impedire. Be it all one to deny a piece of mony flat∣ly to a blind man, and to promise it upon a condition, that he will looke upon it with his eyes: In like sort, as touching the Reprobate, God hath no purpose to give salvation, but to deny it rather; although he give this generall rule, that whosoever believeth shall be saved; * 1.4 and therefore he gives this rule, because he purposeth by these means, to draw his e∣lect unto Christ by faith; such a manner being most agreeable to their reasonable natures. And the reason why the rule is proposed to all, is, because partly Gods Mi∣nisters are not acquainted with Gods counsell so farre, as to know whom he hath e∣lected; partly in respect that the more carnall men are, the more confident they are of performing any such duties, I meane of power to performe it, as namely to be∣lieve, to obey, to repent: partly to the end, that some hereby may be brought, ad exteriorem vitae emendationem, quo mitius puniantur, as Austin sometimes speaketh: as also because there is a kind of faith, performeable by a naturall man; for we see both prophane persons and Hypocrites, concurre in an outward profession of Christianity, with the children of God: yet there is a great difference between blindnesse naturall, and blindnesse spirituall; for in the one there is a will and desire to see, not so in the other; the one being impotency naturall, the other morall. And in a word, there is no impotency morall in man, that hath not been brought upon him through sinne, either originall, of actuall. As for the spanning of the earth, or touching the heaven with ones finger, this never was in the power of man; but to believe any word of God, I hope this Author will not deny to have been sometimes in the power of man: nay he seems to be of opinion, that it is in the power of all men still, yet he would not be thought to deny originall sinne. One thing yet remaines to be considered; he said to whom the promise of salvation is made, the performance of the condition, must be a part of Gods will, as well as the salvation promised: But of what will of God must this be a part? Of his will as it signifies his commandement? We grant it is; for he commands, saying, Repent and believe the Gospell; and by this commandement it is apparent, that it is the will of God, that it shall be the duty of every man, that hears this commande∣ment, to obey it. But will he have it a part of Gods will, to worke it effectually in all? And how I pray? Either by way of grace prevenient, or by way of grace subse∣quent? Not by way of grace prevenient, for then all that heare the Gospell, should believe and be saved; for to worke Faith effectually that way, is to worke the will unto Faith. As for the working of it by way of grace subsequent; this I have been late∣ly taught by an Arminian, to be no other than the working of it by way of con∣course, and that depends on the will of man: and we doe not deny, but that if any Reprobate will believe, God will concurre to the working of this beliefe; but so we say, (and no Arminian that I know will deny it) that if man will work any sinfull act, God will concurre to the working of it; in as much as 'tis generally held, that no acts of the creature, can be performed without Gods concurrence thereunto. Now how well, and how judicially this Author hath plaid his part in shewing the contra∣riety of our opinion to the Attributes of God, I am content the indifferent may judge.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mark. 16. 16.
• * 1.2

  Ro. 9. 18, 19.
• * 1.3

  Rom: 9. 21, 22, 23.
• * 1.4

  Mark. 16. 16.