secrets of all hearts shall be revealed? And if you are able so to do, ye shall be profitably occupied, (as I think,) if by your plain and simple writing ye would study to put an end to this controversy, the chief point whereof stands in this, that we affirm, that causes able to satisfy the curi osity of man cannot be assigned from God's plain Scriptures, why God permitted a great number of his angels to fall, of whom he hath redeemed none, but reserveth them to judgment? Why God did suffer man to fall, and yet of one mass elected some vessels of mercy to honour, and appointed others for sin to damnation? And finally, as before I have said, Why God deferred the sending of his Son so long, and why, also, his second coming is so long delayed? If ye will answer that these two last are resolved by the Scriptures, the one to be as the apostle writes, lest the fathers should have been made perfect without us; (Heb. xi.) and the other, that the number of God's elect children might be fully complete-we confess this to be a reason most strong, and sufficient for all God's children, neither yet do we require any other; but the curious brain will not be so quieted, but it will still demand, May not God in one moment, if so it pleases him, fulfil the number of his chosen children, as well as he of nothing did create the heaven and the earth, and shortly in the space of six natural days, set all things in perfect order? Consider with yourselves what you take in hand, if ye will affirm that all God's judgments are so known, that a sufficient reason of every one may be assigned from the word. And if you say, there are some things secret, then consider, I beseech you, that the Holy Ghost has never made mention of any greater secret than that which lieth hid in God's most just judgments, which Paul affirms to be incomprehensible; and David saith, They are deep and so profound, that neither can the understanding of man, nor of angel, reach to the bottom of the same. Why ye should accuse us that we should affirm, that God shall judge the world, not according to Christ's gospel plainly revealed, but according to some other secret will, I see neither cause nor reason. For no men do more constantly abide by that which is written and revealed, no men do less care to seek for new revelations or uncertain authorities, than we do. Our continual doctrine is, that God shall absolve from damnation such as by true faith embrace his dear Son Christ Jesus; and shall condemn to inextinguishable fire all infidels, and all such as delight in manifest impiety and wickedness. And this judgment do we believe that God shall pronounce by his Son Christ Jesus, to whom all judgment is given. And for no other secret will, in that matter, do we search. Page 371, 372. The Lord himself saith unto Jeremiah; Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have ordained thee above nations and kingdoms, that thou mayest root out, destroy, and scatter, and that thou mayest also build up and plant. And unto Paul it was said, And now I will deliver thee from the nations to the which I send thee, that thou mayest open the eyes of those that are blind, that they may turn from darkness unto light, and from the power of satan unto God. These words do witness that the effectual power of God doth work with the word, which he putteth into the mouths of his true messengers, insomuch that either it doth edify, lighten, or mollify to salvation; or else it doth destroy, darken, and harden. For the word of God is of the nature of Christ Jesus; and he is not only come to illuminate and to raise up, but also to make blind, and to beat down; as he himself doth witness, saying, I am come for judgment into this world, that those that see not shall see, and that those that see shall be blind. And Simeon saith, Behold, this is he that is put in resurrection and in ruin of many in Israel. (Luke ii.) Insomuch that upon whom that stone of offence falleth, it shall bruise him to powder. And, therefore, we cannot admit that the ministry of his blessed word, preached or published by his faithful messengers, is nothing else but a simple declaration what men are. No; we know that it is the power of God to salvation to all those that believe; that the message of reconciliation is put in their mouth; that the word which they preach hath such efficacy and strength, that it divideth asunder the joints and sinews, the bones from the marrow; that the weapons of their warfare are not carnal, but are powerful in God, to the beating down of all strong holds, by the which the true messengers beat down all counsels, and all height which is raised up against the knowledge of God; by the which, also, they lead into bondage all cogitations, to obey Christ. We know further that they have vengeance in readiness against all disobedience; that fire passeth forth of their mouth, which devoureth their enemies; that they have power to shut the heaven, that rain descend not in the days of their prophecy. (Rev. xi.) That God's power both in the one sort, and in the other, is contained with his word, even preached, pronounced, and forespoken by his messengers, all examples in God's Scriptures do witness. Page 382. We constantly affirm, that the brightness of our God doth so blind nature and reason, as they now are corrupted, that the natural man can never attain to those things which appertain to God, to the knowledge of his will, nor yet to his true honour. For we know that the world hath not known God by wisdom, but, thinking themselves most wise, have become most vain, insomuch that they have worshipped the creature more than the Creator. And thus we believe that nature and reason are not only unable to lead us to the true knowledge of God, by which we may attain to life everlasting, but also we affirm that they have been mistresses of all error and idolatry. And therefore we say, that nature and reason do lead men from the true God, but are never able to teach us, neither to express to us the eternal, the true, and everliving God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Further, we hesitate not to embrace, to believe, to reverence, and to honour the majesty of our God, who hath made division betwixt one sort of men and another, as we have before plainly proved. Page 387, 388. The words of the evangelist, (John i.) are plainly wrested by you. For he affirms not, that every man is illuminated to salvation, neither yet that Christ is offered (as ye would shift) to every man. But speaking of the excellency of Christ Jesus, in whom was life, and by whom all things were created, he saith: "This was the true light, which doth illuminate all men who come into this world." In this word, he speaks nothing of man's redemption, neither yet of any light which man receives necessary for the same; but only of that light which was given to man in his creation; a part whereof, how small soever it be, yet remains in man, not by his own power, but by the free gift of God, in whom we live, are moved, and have our being. And that the evangelist speaks nothing of the light of our redemption, is evident by his own words. For before and after he doth witness, that the light did shine in darkness, but darkness did not apprehend it, that is, receive and acknowledge it. That he came amongst his own, but his own did not receive him. That such as did receive him, were neither born of blood nor of the will of the flesh, neither yet of the will of man, but of God. By which words it is manifest that the evangelist most evidently declares, that the light of salvation is not common to all, but that it is proper to those only that are born of God. He further teaches that all reason and natural understanding, which man hath by his first birth, is so choked, so blinded, and extinguished, that man must needs be born again, before he can see the kingdom of God; that Christ Jesus must needs illuminate those that are born blind, or else, without remedy, they shall perish in their blindness. Page 402, 403. There are two sorts of sinners, the one are they who mourn, lament, and bewail their own wretchedness, and misery, unfeignedly before God, confessing not only that their whole nature is sinful and corrupt, but also that daily they so offend the majesty of their God, that they deserve most justly the torments of hell, if Christ's justice, and Christ's mediation, which by faith they embrace, should not deliver them from the wrath to come. To these sin is not imputed, for the blood of Christ cleanseth them from all sin, his advocation and intercession makes to them an entrance to the throne of their Father's grace. To them is given the spirit of sanctification, which, from time to time, reveals their sins, and mortifies and cleanses the same.But there is another sort of sinners far different from these. For they are neither displeased with themselves, nor yet hate their iniquity, but they run furiously against God's express commandments. |