Tilenus. He fpeaks of that conviction, which the force of his Arguments, dictated to him by the holy Spirit, made upon their understandings, fo that they were not able to anfwer him in difputation: but he fpeaks not of any irrefiftible impreffion that the internal Divine Grace made upon their wills; for there was no fuch effect wrought in them as appears in the following verfes, but rather the contrary, as you may conclude from St. Stephens words, Te do always refift the Holy Acts 7. 510 Ye 7.5 Ghoft.

Mr. Efficax. By refifting the Holy Ghoft there, Stephens meaning is, that they oppofed the outward Miniftry which was authorized and fent out by the holy Ghoft.

Zech. 7.

12.

Tilenus. The words are plain in themselves, and fo they are literally clear against you: but that this Evafion may not ferve your turn, we find the Word and Spirit both together; Yet 'tis faid, they hardened their hearts like an Adamant, and refifted both. But Men may, and do refift that Power of Efai. 63. Divine Grace, which doth effectually and eventually 10. convert others; yea, a greater Power, than that which doth it. The Men of Nineveh shall rise up Luk.11.32. in Fudgment with this Generation, and shall condemn it, for they repented at the Preaching of Jonah: and behold a greater than Jonah is here. And as much is implied in those words of Chrift. Wo unto thee Chorazin, wo unto thee Bethfaida: for if the migh- Mat. II. 21. ty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sydon, they would have repented long ago in fackcloth and afbes. Thofe Heathen cities would have been wrought upon by these Gracious difpenfations, but you to whom they are fo freely and earnestly adminiftred, do refift them. And why fhould our Savior work fo many Miracles to their Senfes, to induce them to believe and be converted? Ad quid perditio hac? Why fo much pains M m 2 loft?

loft? For if that had been the way, that one fuperlative Miracle, the irresistible operation of internal Grace had fuperfeded the neceffity of all others, and made them utterly fuperfluous.

Mr. Impertinent, what fay you to that Text, Luk. 14. Compel them to come in: doth not that imply an irrefiftible Power upon them?

23.

Tilenus. This place of St. Luke fpeaks of a charge given to a Minifter, whofe office it is, to call, invite, and importune; to fay nothing that it is part of a Parable. And I remember even now, when you were urged with this Text, je always refift the Holy Ghoft, then you could alledge, that that was fpoken concerning the outward miniftry of the word, which you confeffed might be refifted: but now you produce a Text your felves, which tho' it doth moft evidently belong to the outward miniftry, yet because it hath the word compel in it, and will ferve your Intereft, it must needs fignify irrefiftible. So that in the Acts, the Holy Ghoft muft, according to your interpretation, fignify the outwardMiniftry, and that must be the only thing refifted: but in St. Luke, the outward Miniftry fhall fignify the inward working of the Holy Ghoft, and that fhall be irrefiftible.

Mr. Efficax. The Apoftle faith, It is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good Pleasure.

Tilenus. The Apoftle doth not fay, that God doth this immediatly and irrefiftibly; for if he did, that would evacuate the force of his exhorta· tion, which is both a mean and fwafion to the duty of working out our Salvation, &c. for the inforcing whereof, that is rendered as the reason, which is the cord of a Man. He fpeaks not of the means or manner of God's working; and that he works the ability I grant, but not the very act it felf of our Duty, which if he did, it would

be

be his act, not ours, and fo not obedience, for he hath no fuperior, much lefs doth he work it immedially and irresistibly..

Mr. Efficax. The Prophet acknowledgeth that Ifa. 26.12. the Lord worketh all our works in us.

Tilenus. If the Text were to be read in us, there were fome fmall color for your pretenfions; but in the Original, it is for us; and therefore rejecting the Senfe which you would put upon the words, fome understand all the benefits which God hath bestowed upon them, anfwerable to the former part of the verfe, Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us: for thou hast wrought, &c. others understand it of their afflictions and diftreffes, in oppofition to that former branch of the verie, and agreeable to the verfe following, other Lords have had Dominion over us. But if you would have the meanning of that, or any other place of Scripture to be this, that God doth immediatly and irresistibly produce all other fpiritual Works, which are Works as well of Grace as of Duty in us; and that he hath tyed himself by Covenant and Promife fo to do, as is affirmed by fome; then it will undeniably follow that God himself being fo engaged, ought to believe, repent and pray, and do all other neceffary good in us: as Servetus faid, the Fire burns not, the Sun fhines not, bread nourifles not; but that God alone doth immediatly all thefe things in his Creatures, without having given them Such properties; and then, fure it were fitter for the Preacher to direct his admonitions to God alone, that he would perform his undertaken work in Mens hearts, by his Omnipotency, unto which they may never find ability to make refiftance. But the truth is, it ftandeth not with God's Wifdom, neither doth he ever ufe to work upon the Will of Man after this manner, and that for these reafons.

Dr.

Dr. Dubius. I pray let us hear them clearly from you.

Tilenus. First then, tho' fpeaking of his abfolute Power, God can compel and neceffitate the Will of Man, and fo we do not make him ftronger than God, as is very weakly concluded by fome; yet he will not, because he will not violate that order which he hath fet in our Creation. He made Man after his own Image, invefted him with a reasonable Soul, having the use of Understanding, and the freedom of Will: he endow'd him with a Power to confider and deliberate, to confult and choose, and fo by confequence he gave him Dominion over himself and his own actions; that having made him Lord of the whole World, he might not be a flave to himself, but might firft exercife his Sovereignty in the free poffeffion of his own mind. To force his Will, were to deftroy the nature of his Creature, which Grace is not defigned to do, but only to heal and affift it; and therefore God deals with Man as a free Agent, by inftructions and commands, by promifes and threatnings, by allurements and reproofs, by rewards and punishments. So true is the faying of Tertullian; nemo invitus fit bonus. With this Ecclef. 15. accords the Son of Syrach, God made Man from the 14. to 17. beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel. If thou wilt keep the commandments, and perform acceptable Faithfulness. He hath fet fire and water before thee: Stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt. Before Man is Life and Death, and whether him liketh fhall be given him.

Mr. Knowlittle. That Text is Apocryphal, and therefore will not ferve your turn, if you produce it to confirm a point of Faith.

Tilenus. My fecond reafon fhall confirm it out of the Authentic Canon, and it fhall be this, viz. because God would have our Faith and our Repent* Imprimis animi fui possessione regnaret. Testul.

ance

13.27

ance, and his whole Service wherein we engage our felves, to be a work of our own Choice; as 'tis faid of Mary, that he had chofen the good part: and hereupon our Savior propounds the Query, wilt thou be made whole? And fo the Prophet Jeremiah before him, O Jerufalem, wilt thou not be made clean? When fball it once be? God doth not neceffitate nor irrefiftibly determin his peoples Will; but only directs, conjures and affifts them to make the best choice. Behold I fet before you this day a bleffing and Deut. 11. a curfe; and again, See, I have fet before thee this 26. day, Life and Good, Death and Evil; And, I call 30. 15. Heaven and Earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you Life and Death, Bleffing and Curfing: therefore choofe Life. And this is rendred as the reafon of Man's rejection; because ye did not choose Prov. 1. 29 the fear of the Lord.

Mr. Narrowgrace. By this reason you make Man to have Freewill.

Tilenus. Under favor Sir, 'tis not I, but it was God that made him to have it; and he that denyeth all Freedom of Will to Man, deferves no other Argument than a cudgel or whip to confute him. Sure the smart would quickly make him find liberty enough to run from it. Our woful expe

v. 19.

John 8.36.

rience tells us we have too much Freewill to do Evil, and Scripture teacheth us plainly that we have liberty enough in moral things, and for the fervice of God and things Spiritual. Our Savior Chrift faith, if the Son fhall make you free, and he doth fo by the Miniftry of his Gospel, ye shall be free indeed and Sin fhall have no more Dominion over Rom.6.14. you, unless ye yield your felves up to the Power of Comp. 16. it. Joshua was fo well affured hereof, that he put it to Jof. 24.15. the Peoples choice, which implies their liberty to ferve the Lord or other God's. Yet were not they under so great means as we are, your felf acknowledged even now out of the Philippians, that God work

eth