Dunton's remains, or, The dying pastour's last legacy to his friends and parishioners ... by John Dunton ... ; to this work is prefixt the author's holy life and triumphant death : and at the latter end of it is annext his funeral sermon.

DIALOGUE. II.

Concerning Gods Decrees, and Creation.

Parish.

TO what purpose should I seek the good of my Soul? If I be elected I shall be saved, if not I cannot.

Conf.

It is not for you to search the Ca∣binet of Gods Counsel, but to believe, and repent; which, if you do, you are not to question your salvation. Saving Faith (tho' it be not a cause) is a fruit of Election, for God hath respect to the means, as well as the end, and conjoyneth them in his Decree. And therefore we may conclude, that be∣lieving we are justified, which is an assured Argument we were predestinated, and shall be saved. But on the other hand, they that are hardened by sin, are rejected of God, and shall be damned.

Par.

If God predestinate the means as well as the end, seeing sin is the means tending to dam∣nation, whom he predestinates to damnation, doth not he predestinate them to sin? And if so, how can he be freed from it?

Conf.

In Predestination two things are to be considered:

• 1. Gods Preterition, passing by, or non∣electing of a person.

• 2. Predamnation, or fore-condemning a person to Perdition.

The former is of the meer pleasure of God; for there can be no other Reason given, why this man is chosen, and that re∣fused. Now those whom God thus passeth by, through want of that assistance which he is not bound to give, fall finally from God, and so considered, are pre-damned, or fore-ordained to Destruction. God doth not force, or cause men to sin, but leave them to it: For sin being no positive thing, but a privation of what should be; viz. of obedience, ariseth from the insufficiency of the Creature, left to it self. If a King by his Wisdom could foresee, that divers of his subjects would prove Traytors, and be hang∣ed, unless he prefer them, and doth for∣bear to gratifie them so far, only because it is not his pleasure so to do, can he be just∣ly accused of the Treason which after they commit? I believe no Politition will affirm it: Must we then be so bold, as to charge him who is of purer Eyes than to behold iniquity, to be in any sort the cause thereof, because he doth not uphold us against it?

Par.

If God do not only pass by men, but predamn them to Hell also by this Decree (as you shewed in the Resolution of the last Doubt) how can his Justice be cleared, seeing man had then not actually sinned?

Conf.

Men sin in time, not from Eternity: yet are their sins from Eternity, and to E∣ternity with God. For with him things are not past, present, and come, as with us, but always present in one infinite moment. And therefore the Lord who seeth all the sins of a Reprobate by one pure, individual act, from, and to all Eternity, may as well pass an act of Damnation against them, as if they were actually committed.

Par.

Might not God as well damn men in a Capacity of holiness, as thus to leave them to sin, and then condemn them for it?

Conf.

It is a curious and unprofitable que∣stion, to dispute whether he might not with∣out wrong to the Creature, have done so: Perhaps Rom. 9.20, 21, 22. will prove he might, but such a case never did, nor never will fall out: However, to our Capacity, the justness of God should not shine so per∣spicuously, if he should damn a Creature that never sinned; for then should he in∣flict undeserved Punishment, whereas in the course he now takes, he only denyeth unde∣served Favours, and layeth on them deser∣ved Penalties.

Par.

But if Gods Decrees binds not man to a necessity of sinning, how came sin into the World, seeing Men and Angels were made holy, and the whole Creation is by God himself pro∣nounced good?

Conf.

Gods Decree doth no otherwise bind man to a necessity of sinning, than the withdrawing of the upholding hand from a staff reared up, binds it to a necessity of falling, viz. in a privative way. I shewed before that sin is only privative; that is, a defect of some thing required, as darkness is nothing else but a defect of light; and these privations do not necessarily require causes, or Creation; light was indeed crea∣ted, but darkness was before on the face of the deep. Now though God made Angels and Men holy, he made them not Gods, that they should stand of themselves without his help, which when he withheld from man, and some of the Angels, they faltred in their obedience, and so became sinful.