word only for them; and fend his word unto the reft, as if he held in and kept to himself the knowledge of their disobedience, and would not by his Prefcience hinder the Declaration and Manifeftation of his good Will to them. So that by this the Preaching of the Word is the Fountain of all Grace to them who receive Grace, and might be alfo to them that receive it not. And God's Purpose or Predeftination out of Foreknowledge is the Fountain of Grace to them that have it, because for their fakes especially it was that the word was fent and preached and they which have not Grace, to whom the word is Preached, want it not thro' the want of Predeftination, but thro' their own neglect and difdain; for had their obedience been foreknown, they might have been of the number of the Predeftinate. And we fhould always remember, that whom he did foreknow is as much before, he did Predeftinate; as whom he did Predeftinate, is before be Called.

Laftly, we learn by the links of this Chain obferved feverally, that whofoever would know, whether he himself be of the number of the Elect, he fhould not fix his Eye immediately upon either of thefe extremes, Predeftination and Glorification; but upon the middlemoft that be between, and try whether he be Called or whether he obeyed the Call; whether he be Justified, or made like to the Image of God's only Son, or walk Religiously in all good Works. These things if he find, then may he truft, that God hath Elected him, hath Predeftinated him to Salvation. So Bishop Bancroft understood our Article, at the Conference at Hampton-Court; as Pag. 294. teaching to reafon rather by afcending from thefe middle links to the higheft, than the contrary; and fo * Melanchton understood St. Paul.

Nufquam effe Electos, nifi in cœtu vocatorum.

In Rom. 8. 29. Loco de Pradeft.

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Now

Now I come to the fecond Paragraph, which giveth direction for the right ufe of this Doctrine, and cautions for avoiding abufes and fcandals. The whole Paragraph confifteth of two Propofitions ; the first beginneth here, as the Godly confideration of Predeftination, &c. the fecond at, furthermore we must receive, &c. The firft Propofition is long and confifts of two parts relating to, and compared with each other, which relation and comparison is expreffed by the Signs, as, fo. The fecond period is fhorter, but yet confifteth of a copulative propo fition, which is in fubftance two. One directing to receive God's promifes generally; the other directing to follow in our doings that will of God, which is directly expreffed in the word of God.

The comparifon in the first Period, is laid between two unlike confiderátions of two different things, which produce two unlike effects in Perfons of different Qualities, expreffed in thefe words

As the Godly confideration of Predeftination, and our • Election in Chrift is full of sweet, pleasant and un• Speakable Comfort to Godly Perfons, and fuch as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Chrift, mor tifying the works of the Fleft, and their earthly Mem •bers, and drawing up their Minds to high and Hea

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venly things, as well because it doth greatly establish • and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed by Chrift, as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God: fo for curious and carnal Perfons lacking the Spirit of Chrift, to have continually before their Eyes the fentence of God's Predeftination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the Devil do's thrust them either into defperation, or into wretchlef nefs of unclean living, no less perilous than defperations So far the firft Period. Out of the first part of this comparison we may conceive thefe inftructions given us by the Church.

1. That

1. That the confideration of our Predeftination and Election in Chrift, according to the Definition and Doctrine in the former Paragraph, is the only godly confideration of Predeftination; and therefore ought to be ufed by all that will either teach or confider this myftery, viz. not to confider our Election without confidering Christ.

2. That this confideration wherein Chrift is had, is the fountain of moft fweet, pleafant and unfpeakable comfort; as indeed without Chrift there can be no comfort to any child of Adam.

3. That this comfort appertains, and is applicable only to Godly perfons, and fuch as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of God; fo that no Man is to prefume his Election before he feel the working of the Spirit in him mortifying, &c.

4. That to fuch, their Faith may be greatly confirmed of obtaining Salvation by Chrift, feeing themselves conformed to the Image of Chrift; and their Love to God greatly kindled, finding that God hath called them, and fanctified them in Chrift Jefus.

5. Lastly, that the publishing of this Doctrine of our Election in Chrift is very juftifyable and warrantable; because to fupprefs or withhold fo good an occafion of confirming the Faith, and inflaming the zeal of Godly Men, would be a great injury to them, and a great wrong to the

Grace of God.

Out of the fecond part, or reddition of this comparifon; So for curious and carnal Perfons, &c. we may conceive these cautions given us by the Church.

1. That to have continually before a Man's eyes the fentence of Predeftination, is a different thing from the Godly confideration of Predeftination in Chrift.

2. This

Mat. 4. 6.

2. This fentence is a moft dangerous downfall; like fome exceeding high and fteep rock, which is dangerous for any Man to ftand upon, or to look down from; feeing from fuch high Downfalls the Devil ufeth to tempt Men to throw themfelves down, as he did Chrift; and from this precipice the Devil may thruft Men either into despair or fecurity.

3. That this having the fentence of Predeftination continually before their eyes, is the ufe and practife only of curious and carnal Perfons, and fuch as lack the Spirit of Chrift, to whom alfo thefe Evils of defpair and fecurity do betide; and therefore should be fhunned and avoided, as he that loves his fafety would fhun to walk upon, or gaze from fome high precipice.

One point in this comparison needeth fome more full explication; for it may be queftioned, whether the Article means that these different effects of comfort or downfall, do procede only from the difference of the Perfons that do confider; being either Pious or Curious, Carnal or Spiritual, having the Spirit of Chrift, or lacking the Spirit of Chrift; or do flow alfo from the difference of the things confidered, viz. either of Predeftination or Ele. Etion in Chrift, or the Sentence of God's Predeftination.

There are who make no difference between those two, and fo to them the difference that the Arti. cle noteth must arife, only from the difference of the Perfons confidering one and the fame doctrine of Predeftination. But I may be bold to put a difference between the things confidered, as well as between the Perfons confidering, because the Article doth fo; fo for curious and carnal Perfons, &c. The Article doth not fay, the confideration of Predeftination and Election in Chrift, is a dangerous downfall keeping the fame fubject whereof it had fpoken be

fore

fore as comfortable; but it substituteth another fubject, to have continually before their eyes the Doctrine of God's Predeftination: that is a dangerous downfall, and not the other. And to me it feemeth incredible that either the Article, or Dr. Bancroft fhould fay that the found, full and whole Doctrine of Predeftination and our Election in Chrift, fuch as is here delivered in the former Paragraph, fhould be a dangerous downfall, even to carnal Perfons, and fuch as lack the Spirit of Chrift. For altho' it be true that the fruit and comfort of this, and many other divine Truths be reaped only by Godly Perfons when they are come to have the Spirit of Chrift, &c. And it be true alfo, that our curiofity and carnal affections be great impediments to the right conceiving and judging of Divine Truths: it is as true that every neceffary Doctrine is in facred Scripture fo fully, perfectly and coherently delivered, and ought to be therefore fo fitly thence deduced by the Church, that of it felf it have no aptnefs to become a downfall even to carnal Perfons, and fuch as have not the Spirit of Chrift; fince the Scripture was not written to be read only of them that do already in humility believe it, and are filled with the Spirit of Chrift, but even by natural Men having only ordinary human judgments for tafting the things of God.

What then is it, the Article faith, hath fo much as a likelyhood of a downfall to the curious and carnal? To have continually before their eyes the fentence of God's Predeftination. What is this fentence? The bare and naked fentence; that very Decree it felf in generality, like the firft of the Lambeth Affertions; That God hath Predeftinated fome Men to Life, and hath Reprobated fome Men to Death ; without any mention or confideration of Chrift, of Faith, of Gods Prefcience, or any other of his Attributes. This naked fentence, without any thing

of