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 ...

DISCOURSE. SECT. V.

IN the last place those other gifts of God, whereby mens understandings are enlightened, and their soules beautifyed, (which are knowledge, repentance, fortitude, liberality, temperance, humility, charity, and such like) are bestowed upon all them that have them, (among whom are many that may prove Reprobates in the end) that by the exercise of them, and continuance in them, they might be Saved. The Reprobates are adorned with many of those graces, as apears plainly by many Scriptures, especially Hebr. 6. 4. Where the Apostle sayes, that it is impossible for those that have been enlightned, tasted the heavenly gift, been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away, should be re∣newed by repentance: and the graces which the Apostle speakes of here, are not ordinary and com∣mon, but speciall graces, illumination, faith, relish of the sweetnesse of Gods Word, and the tast of Heaven. The persons spoken of, are Apostates, such as are under the possibility of falling away, (for upon a dainger not possible cannot be built a solid exhortation) and if Apostates then Reprobates, and the thing intimated is that upon Apostates and Reprobates are these gifts bestowed. The Like speech we have: Hebr. 10. 26. For if we sinne willingly, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne &c. from whence we collect, that men that sinne willingly and unpardonably, may receive the knowledge of the truth, yea and be sanctifyed by the bloud of the Testament and the Spirit of grace, v. 29. 2 Pet. 2. 20. They may escape the filthinesse of the world i. e. be washed from their former sins by repen∣tance, the uncleane spirit may goe out of them. Mat. 12. 43. They may receive the word with joy, Mat. 13. 20. And many excellent graces they may have besides: All which graces are not given them that they might abuse them, and so purchase to themselves the greater damnation; or that they might doe good to others with them, but none to themselves; but rather that as by the former gifts * 1.1 of nature, so by these of grace, they may obtaine Salvation. If God aime at this in those gifts that are farther off, much more in these, which make those that have them (like the yong man in the Gospel) not farre from the kingdome of Heaven. Thus we see what end God aimes at in his gifts to men.

TWISSE Consideration.

THese gifts this Author formerly described to be gifts of grace, applying sal∣vation unto men, which he distinguisheth from gifts of grace purchasing salvation, in the entrance upon this reason of his. Now it is apparent, that most of these gifts have been found in the heathen men: and who was ever heard to call these vertues found in the heathen, gifts of grace, applying the salvation purcha∣sed by Christ, whereof they were wholy ignorant, like as of Christ himselfe. And whereas he makes, faith and repentance, to be gifts communicated unto such, who (as he expresseth it,) doe prove Reprobates in the end; Saint Austin to the contrary, as formerly I have alleadged him out of his 5. lib. contra Julian Pelag. c. 5. Expressely professeth of the Non praedestinate, that God brings not one of them to wholsome and Spiritu∣all repentance, whereby a man is reconciled to God in Christ: And our Brittaine Divines in the Synod of Dort, upon the 5^th Article and fourth position, professe in like manner of all such as are none of Gods elect, that it is manifest they never really and truly attaine that change and renovation of the mind, and affections, which accompanieth justification; nay, nor that which doth immediatly prepare or dispose to justification. For they never seriously repent, they are never affected with hearty sorrow for offending God by sinning, nor doe they come to any humble contrition of heart, nor conceive a firme resolution to offend any more. And whereas he saith, that such doe prove Reprobates in the end, he may as well say of others, that they prove elect in the end, which doth wholly savour, of shapeing the decrees of God, to be of a temporall condition, and not eternall; unlesse he delivers it of the manifestation of

it in the judgement of men, which yet as touching Reprobates cannot appeare untill their death, and 'tis a very hard matter for any man, to passe upon men generally the censure of elect, or reprobates; the hypocrisy of man hath such power to evacuate the one, and the secret operation of Gods mercy and grace the other. How farre re∣probates may attain to the illunination of their mind, and renovation of their wills, and reformation of their lives, is set downe more fully by our Brittain Divines in the Synod of Dort, than by this Author; not one particular (if I mistake not) being mentioned here, as touching the places of Scripture, containing the indication there∣of, which is not set downe there, and some there are set downe, which are not set downe here. In their first position concerning those who are not elect, upon the fifth Article (this Authors quotation here leaving out the Article) and by a wild refe∣rence to the page, being fitter to confound a Reader than direct him) the first positi∣on there is this,

There is a certain supernaturall enlightning granted to some of * 1.2 them who are not elect, by the power whereof they understand those things to be true, which are revealed in the word of God, and yeeld an unfained ascent unto them.

And in the explication of it Luke 8. 13.

The seed which fell upon the sto∣ny ground, noteth unto us such hearers, as for a while believe, that is, those that for a while give ascent to things revealed from above, and especially to the cove∣nant of the Gospell; and thereby it is plaine, that this their ascent, is no way faig∣ned, because they received the word with joy.

Acts 8. 30. And afterwards they * 1.3 give a farther reason of it thus,

For it is not to be imputed for a fault to any man, that he is fallen from an Hypocriticall faith, neither can a shipwrack be made of a faigned faith, but only a detection and manifestation of it, nor indeed can he suf∣fer shipwrack, who was never in the shippe. 2 Pet. 2. 20. Some are said to have es∣caped from the filthinesse of the world, by the knowledge of the Lord, whose lat∣ter end is worse than their beginning: and of those Ioh. 12. 42. who believed in Christ, but did not confesse him, they write that they believed with an unfaigned dogmaticall faith, which then lay secretly hid in their hearts: but never shewed it selfe in any outward profession, for feare of danger ensuing.

Thir second positi∣on is this,

In these fore-mentioned, there doth arise out of this knowledge and * 1.4 faith, a certain change of their affections, and some kind of amendment of their manners.

This they prove out of Math. 13. 20. They received the word with joy: and 1 Kings 21. 17. concerning Ahabs humbling of himselfe: and out of Heb. 6. 4. al∣leadged by this Author, and over and above out of v. 6. observe a renovation also, in as much as it is said, That it is impossible they should be renued againe, which implyeth, that they had been formerly renued in some sort, and out of Chap. 10. 19. That they trod un∣der foot the blood of the Covenant, by which they are sanctified; and that they attained to some amendment of life, they prove both by the example of Herod; and out of 2 Pet. 2. 20. where tis said of them, that they had escaped from the filthinesse of the world. And Chap. 1. 9. Where they are said to have forgotten that they were purged from their old sinnes. And out of Math. 12. 43. Where 'tis said the unclean spirit was departed out of them, and that all this was not faigned, but that they proceeded out of the power of those dispositions unto grace, and from the inspiration of the Holy Ghost: yet notwithstanding all this in their fourth * 1.5 position they pronounce, that they never attaine unto the state of adoption and justification: and in their explication of it, that they never attaine the change and renovation of the mind and affections, which doth immediatly prepare and dispose unto justification; For they * 1.6 never seriously repent &c. at large. Now seeing God brings them no farther, as he doth his elect; with what sobriety can it be said, that God intends their salvation? And as for the poynt of sanctification, which here is attributed to them, other Divines doe not goe so farre, as to interpet it of any inward sanctification, as Paraeus; Erat autem (saith he) Sanctificatio Apostolorum non interna sed externa in professione fidei, & participatio∣ne sacramentorum externa consistens, erant sanctificati, hoc est, a Judaeis & Paganis professione se∣gregati, & pro veris Christianis habiti. Loquitur enim secundum judicium charitatis, quae omnes de doctrina for is consentientes habet pro sanctificatis, licet non omnes cordibus vere sint sanctificati, Non eergo hinc sequitur, Apostatas. Vere fuisse regeneratos. Pro quibus enim Christus ne or are quidem dignatus est, eos multo minus sanguine suo sanctificavit: ideo Johannes Apostatas de Ec∣clesia renatorum fuisse negat: ex nobis egressi sunt, quia non erant ex nobis. Et Petrus vocat eos canes & porcos redentes ad vomitum, & volutabrum, canis vero etiam post vomitum est canis, & sus lota est sus, canem vero & suem se semper mansisse, & ille & ista per reditum ad vomitum & vo∣lutabrum declarat. Cameron likewise in in his Myroth. p. 334. Dupliciter sanctificantur homi∣nes

alii absolute, ut soli fideles, cum scilicet non tantum ab aliis hominibus segregantur (hoc enim verbum sanctificare saepe significat in Scriptura) a Deo, sed & remissione peccatorum apprehensa & Spiritus Sancti virtute sanctificati, & in sanctitatis studio permanent. Alii comparate, qui scilicet separantur quidem ab aliis hominibus externa fidei professione, & aliqua fortè vitae instituti immu∣tatione, at non sanctificantur absolute ut fideles, ad hoc posterius sanctificationis genus pertinet hoc A∣postoli dictum, in quo sanctificatus fuit. But albeit they were truly sanctified, (to suppose that for the present) yet if God purposed not to give them perseverance therein, un∣doubtedly he intended not their salvation. Nay, no Arminian denies, but that God did from everlasting intend the salvation of all such Apostates; and to say that he had a velleity to save them, is to dash a mans selfe against the rock of absurdity, as to deny Gods omnipotency, unlesse he will say Gods mind is changed: and to talke of a conditionate will intending their salvation, is no more to say, that he intends their salvation in case they doe believe, than to say, he intends their damnation in case they doe not believe. And as for his allegation out of the suffrages of our Divines in the Synod of Dort, that is very wild, neither mentioning the Article, nor rightly quoting the page: though the things here proposed are mostly taken out of the first and second Thesis, concerning the Non-elect, upon the fifth Article: but no glimps doe I find there, of any such end of Gods granting these dispositions, as that thereby they might be brought unto salvation; though as in the elect such like dispositions are, so in the Reprobate, they might be preparations to farther grace, if it pleased God so to ordaine as to bring them on forward to justification and true sanctificati∣on conjunct therewith, and thereby unto salvation.

As for the ends which God doth intend thereby, to wit, by bringing them so farre; look whatsoever God doth bring to passe hereby, that God doth intend. For no∣thing can fall out casually unto God. If they doe persevere in this condition, to wit. as touching the outward emendation of their life, it is, ut mitius puniantur, as Austin expresseth himselfe somewhere, which now doth not come to my remembrance, if they fall from it, whereupon they shall be more grievously punished: this also was in∣tended by God. Or if others are bettered by them, undoubtedly this also was in∣tended by God, as also to teach all others not to content themselves with superfici∣all renovation, superficiall obedience; and so likewise illumination clearely takes a∣way that excuse, which some are apt to make, as Austin observes, namely, Dicere solet humana superbia si scissem fecissem. Which how well this Author infringeth, we are to * 1.7 consider in the next place.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Suffrag. Britt. p. 41. Thes. 2. & p. 43. Thes. 3.
• * 1.2

  In the English Translation. Pag. 104. Pag. 106.
• * 1.3

  Pag. 107.
• * 1.4

  Pag. 108.
• * 1.5

  Pag. 110.
• * 1.6

  Pag. 111.
• * 1.7

  De grat. & lib. arb. c. 2.