under King Edward the fixth had composed the Articles and Liturgy before P. Martyr, and Martin Bucer came hither; as doth appear in Mr. Fox's Hiftory. Hence when Bellarmine objected that Bucer and Martyr were the "Planters of the faith profelfed in England, the renowned Dr. * Andrews anfwered, that it was by no means true, that thofe • two Perfons Planted the Faith in England, fince they found it already fown, and flourishing here from the remoteft Antiquity; but only that they rooted out certain Tares, which long after were fown amongst it by the Romish Emiffàries; altho even thofe Tares themselves were in great part both • condemned and rooted out before their arrival: but

Summer of 1548. Pet. Martyr came into England about the end of November, when the Liturgy had been already approved by the King and Councel; and a Bill for its Establishment came into Parliament the 9th of December, and was agreed on the 15th. of January following. ArchBp. Cranmer's Letter, inviting Bucer into England, is dated the ad. of October 1548, but it is plain, from the repetition of that invitation in a Letter of Pet. Alexander's to him, that he was not arrived hither on the 24th. of March 1549. Bucer indeed afterwards reviewed and corrected the Liturgy, but the alterations he made nothing concern these disputes. As for the Articles, tho' the supposed Compofers of them were too far advanced in Age and Learning to be the difciples of Pet. Martyr and M. Bucer, yet it is a miftake to fay they were compofed before their arrival here, fince that was not done till 1551, after Bucer's Death. Vid. Burnet. Hift. Reform. Part 2. B. 1. Pag. 27. 61. and B. 3. Pag. 166. Heylin, Hilt. Refor. Pag. 65. Buceri Script. Angl. Pag 191

Tametfi enim, ibunt quovis feculo inter doctos Bucerus & Martyr, ut nos eorum pudere non debeat: non tamen (fi verum volumus) feminarunt duo illi fidem in Anglia (ut ridiculè Cardinalis.) quum, ante vel Gregorium, vel Elutherium: Apoftolorum feculo feminatam, latè hic crefcentem invenerunt. Zizania modd quadam, longo poft intervallo, a veftris fuperfeminata erunc. arunt: quanquam & illa ipfa Zizania, ante illorum huc adventum magna ex parte & indicata erant, & evulsa. Hi autem in Labores aliorum intrarunt, &, ut Illis in re Academica modo fuppetias ferrent, operam hic fuam posuerunt. Ad Card. Bellarm, Apol. Refp. Pag. 31.

they

• they entered upon the labours of others; and bestowed their endeavours here, in affifting our Reformers in the affairs of the Universities.

3. That it is certain that ArchBp. Cranmer was one of the chief compofers of our Articles, and whosoever were befides, they had more refpect to See the the Auguftan Confeffion, than to any other, as appears Farm. of by the very Identity of many of the Articles: and Confeff. the Principal of our Churchmen at that time had more familiarity with Melanchton and Erafmus, than any other Divines, fingularly approving their Expofitions of the Sacred Scriptures, and of the principal Articles of the Chriftian Faith: infomuch that they caused to be tranflated into English, Erasmus's Paraphrafe on the Gospels, and enjoined them to be Study'd by Priefts, and to lie ready in Churches for all Men to read, and as it were to drink in the Doctrine of the Scriptures according to Erafmus his interpretation; whofe writings which way they go in thefe Controverfies, all Men well know who have read them.

CHA P. III.

THE THIRD OPINION.

HE third Opinion is;

THE

1. That God decreed to create Mankind Good, &c. as the fecond Opinion faid.

2. That he forefaw the fall of Man, &c. as in the fame fecond Opinion was faid.

3. That he decreed to fend his Son to die for the World, and his Word to call, and to offer Salvation unto all Men, with a common and fufficient Grace in the means to work faith in Men, if they be not wanting to themselves.

4. That out of God's foreknowledge of Man's infir

mity, and that none would believe by this common Grace, be decreed to add a special Grace more effectual, and abundant, to whomsoever he pleased, chofen according to his own purpose and Grace, by which they shall not only be able to believe, but also actually believe.

This feems to be defended by the Reverend and Learned late Bishop of Norwich, Dr. Overal, and Richard Thompson his diligent Auditor and Familiar; as may be gather'd out of the Bishop's Judgment, concerning the five Articles controverted in Holland, and out of the Conference at Hampton Court, and out of Thompson's Diatribe de Intercifione juftitia. which Opinion, if I understand it right, I have not found exprefly or strictly examined by any Divine: Dr. * Abbot, in his Animadverfion upon Thompson's Diatribe cap. 4. fufpecteth Arminianism in it and rejecteth it. But Dr. Overal doth clearly fever it from the Remonftrants Tenets, as you shall fee by and by. I have the following objections against it.

I, That common Grace, which is fo far inferiour to the infirmity of Man, that no one is faved by it, is not the Grace of the Gospel, which fure was intended to be Salutary at leaft to fome; nay it deferveth not the name of Grace, fince it is not beneficial to any.

2. That fuperabundant, fpecial, effectual Grace, feems not to be the Grace of the Gospel, being rejected of none to whom it is offered: for the Grace of the Gofpel, is fuch as is received by fome, and the felf fame rejected by other fome; to fome 'tis in vain, to others not in vain.

3. This Opinion, with the two former, feems to bring in a certain defperation into the minds of Men, (as was of old objected to St. Augustine) feeing none can be faved but by that special and abundant Grace, which is given but to a few, out of

Infuavis quidem & gravis halitus Arminiani dogmatis cap. 4.

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the fecret purpose of God; which whether God doth intend to give or no, the general promifes of the Gofpel do not affure; feeing they imply no more than a common Grace, which is ineffectual, according to this Opinion.

But before I cenfure it farther, take it in the words of one of the most Learned Doctors of our Age. *There were five Articles controverted in Holland; the Firft, of God's Predeftination: The • Second, of Chrift's Death: The Third, of Freewill and Grace: The Fourth, of the Manner of the working of God's Grace: The Fifth, of the Perfeverance of Believers. Touching which the Remonftrants or Arminians, and the Contra-Remonftrants or Puritans, ⚫ do maintain contrary Opinions; the middle Way • between which, our Church (as I conceive) doth much more rightly hold.

ARTICLE I. Of God's Predeftination."

First, the Remonftrants make the General and ‹ Conditional Decree of Predestination to be, upon <condition of Believing, according to the general Gofpel-promife of Saving all Men, through Chrift dying for them, if with a lively and perfevering Faith they fhall believe in him, by the Word and Holy Ghoft affifting it. And they make the fpècial and abfolute Decree, to be out of the foreknowledge of Faith, touching the faving all fuch particular Men, whom God forefaw would believe through Grace; and on the other fide, condemning of those whom he forefaw would continue

* All this Quotation is in a fair Lat. MSS. in the Library of Trinity Coll. Camb. Z. 15. 20. and to the end of it, is added an attempt to prove what is here advanced, as the Do&trine of our Church, from the Articles, Liturgy and Homilies. Perhaps the whole is a Prelection of Dr. Overal, when he was Reg. Prof. of Divinity.

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impenitent in Sin, and unbelievers. And this is the Opinion of the Antient Fathers before St. Auguftine, and of many after him, and of many • Papifts, Lutherans, and many others.

Secondly, the Contra-Remonftrants, excluding the general and conditional Decree, make one only particular and abfolute Decree touching the faving, and enduing with Faith and Perfeverance, fome certain particular Men, chofen out of Mankind, through Chrift dying for them alone, by the effectual or irrefiftable Grace of the Holy Ghoft, peculiar only to them; all others, by an abfolute 'Decree, being rejected and condemned. And this is the Opinion of Zuinglius, Calvin, and the Puritans; but (unknown to all the Antient Fathers even MSS. Trin. to Austin and his followers, and is rejected by all Pa- Coll. Cant. pifts, Lutherans, and many others,

Thirdly, Our Church taking the middle way, joins the particular abfolute Decree (not out of foreknowledge of Man's Faith, or Free-will, but out of the purpose of God's Will and Grace) touching the freeing and faving those whom God • hath Elected in Christ, with the General and Con'ditional Will, or the general Promise of the Gofpel; teaching that God's Promifes are fo to be embraced as they are propofed to us in the Holy Scriptures. • and that Will of God is to be followed of us, which we have exprefly Revealed in his word; as namely, that God gave his Son for the World, or for all Man• kind, that Christ offered himself a Sacrifice for all the Sins of the whole World; that Chrift redeemed • all Mankind; that Chrift commanded the Gospel to be Preached unto all; that God wills and commands • all Men to hear Chrift, and to believe in him; and • in him offers Grace and Salvation unto all Men. This is the infallible Truth, in which there can be no • falfhood; otherwise the Apostles, and other Mini• fters of the Gospel preaching the fame, fhould be

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