falfe Witneffes of God, and fhould make him a lyar. And this Opinion agrees with the Judgment of St. Augustine, as he is expounded by ProSper and Fulgentius: and is the more common Dotrine of the Church after St. Augustine. And thefe two things do well ftand together; God in the first place, to offer Salvation to all, if they will believe, and common Grace and fufficient in the means ordained by him, if Men be not wanting to his Word, and Holy Spirit. And then in the fecond place, that for the help of Human frailty, and the greater certainty of Man's Salvation, he should add his fpecial, more effectual and abundant Grace to be communicated to whom he please, by which not only they are able to believe or obey (if they please) but also actually do will, believe, obey and perfevere, according to the • Sentence of St. Austin; fo God ordained the Life of all Angels and Men, that therein he might first manifeft Pag. 799 how far Free-will could go; And then what the Benefit of his Grace, and the Judgment of Righteousness could do.

De correp & grat. cap. Io.

Octav.

ARTICLE II. Of Chrift's Death.

In like manner of the Death of Chrift for all, there are three Opinions.

The first, that Chrift dyed for all Men, and by his Death did redeem all mankind in God's general and conditional purpofe of giving Salvation for Chrift's fake that dy'd, to all, upon condition of Faith, depending on the free Cooperation of Men under Grace.

The fecond contrary to the first, that Chrift did not Die for all, &c. nor did redeem all Mankind, c. nor that God by any manner of means, or upon any condition, did will or intend to give Salvation or Grace for Chrift's fake, to any other, fave only the Elect, c.

• The

The third, fuppofing Chrift's Death for all Men, and God's purpose conditioned with the general Grace of the Gofpel-promises, adds the fpecial ⚫ intention of Faith, touching the applying the benefit of Chrift's Death, by Grace more abounding, and effectual, abfolutely, certainly, and infallibly, only to the Elect; without any Prejudice, or any Dimia nution of the Will, and Grace common and fuf'ficient.

ARTICLE III. Of Free-will and Grace.

All agree that Free-will is not able to do any thing that is Good, without Grace preventing, prefent and fubfequent; fo that it holds the beginning, middle and end in Converfion, and Faith, and every good Work: but they difagree in this,that. • The first Opinion makes exciting Grace fo to be joined with the word Heard, and Understood, and Meditated upon, that in fome degree it is common to all, who are willing to obey it.

The Second strives to make Grace proper and peculiar only to the Elect, and will not confefs it to be in any manner of way common < to all.

5

The third conjoins both fides, acknowledging Grace fo to be common, and fufficient, being joined with the Word, as withall to profefs, 'tis fpecial and effectual to produce certainly Salvation, being proper to thofe, whom God out of his good Pleasure hath Graciously elected in Chrift.

ARTICLE IV. Of the Manner of the Working of God's Grace.

The first Opinion makes Grace fo to work in Man, that it takes not away the Liberty of his Will but preferves it; fo that a Man may by Grace

fo believe and obey, as that he may also by his Free-will refift Grace.

The fecond makes the Works of Grace to be irrefiftable, fo as wherever it comes, it doth immutably incline and draw the Mind to affent and obey. The third Opinion teacheth, Men may be so stirred · up and moved by Grace, that they may both obey that Grace calling and moving, if they attend thereto, and also may through their Free-wills, reMSS. Trin. fift God's Call and Motion, and that they too freColl. Cant. quently do refift it: but it adds further, that God, when he will, and to whom he will, doth give • Grace fo Abundant, or Powerful, or Congruent, or fome other way effectual, that altho' the Will in refpect of its Liberty may refift, yet it doth not refift, but certainly and infallibly obey and that God thus deals with those whom he hath Elected in Chrift, fo far forth as is neceffary to their Salvation.

ARTICLE V. Of the Perfeverance of Believers.

The firft Opinion maketh all Believers, to be so furnished with God's Grace, that they are able to perfevere, if they will be as carefull as they fhould be; that the fame Men alfo may poffibly • fall away from Faith and Grace, through Negligence and Security.

The fecond denies Believers, to be able fo to fall away from Faith and God's Grace, as to become in the State of Damnation, or Perish; but fuch as fhall once truly believe, fhall always fo persevere in Faith and Grace, that at length they may all attain Salvation.

The third with St. Augustine, makes believers, through the infirmities of the Flesh, and Tempta<tions, to be able to depart from Faith and Grace, or likewife to fall away; but it adds, thofe be

⚫lievers

hievers who are call'd according to purpose, and who are firmly rooted in a lively Faith, cannot either Totally or Finally fall away, or perish; but by fpecial and effectual Grace, fo persevere in a true lively Faith, that at length they may be brought to Eternal Life.

By this we may understand, what Dr. Overal's H. C. C. mind was in the Conference at Hampton Court: Pag. 41. And with him agrees Richard Thompson, for after 42. having fpoken of Chrift, given to redeem and reconcile all unto God, and of Aids and Means given whereby Men may be actually reconciled, he adds, • But Miferable had been Mankind, if even fo they had DeIntercisi been left of God, for great is the Wickedness of Man, Juftitia. and every imagination of his Heart is Evil continually. Octav.

Pag 19. • Therefore it must needs come to pass that either all of themselves should defpife thofe Riches of God's Goodness, or if any should make use of them, yet a while after, they would loath them again, except the fuperabundant Mercy of God had feparated fome to Himself, to whom he bad decreed from all Eternity, to afford an effectual Calling, and final Perfeverance in Grace • received according to his purpofe; others being paffed by, and left to the Aids of common Providence, whom in the End he would condemn for their Impenitence • and Unbelief.

You now know this Opinion; and the Author is to be commended for his Integrity in opening the State of thefe Questions, and for coming on thus far nearer to the Truth, than the former did; in acknowledging,

1. That Chrift Died for the Sins of the whole World.

2. That the Promife of the Gospel is Universal. 3. That Grace fufficient is given, common to all that hear the Gofpel, to Believe and Obey it. 4. That God's Foreknowledge is extended not only to the fall of the firft Man, but the infirmity

of

Thef. 3. 4.

5.

31.

John, 12.

of all Men in particular; whereupon for fom Men there was prepared by God, a more fuperabundant and effectual Grace than for others.

His defign is alfo Laudable, in that He endeavoureth to accord the first part of our seventeenth Article, concerning an abfolute Predeftination, with the latter part concerning the univerfal Promises: and the like good defire appears in our Divines that were at Dort, in their joint fuffrage concerning the fecond Article. But how Congruous and Happy this Conjunction can be, of two extremes, into a third, or how poffible it is to accord thofe two parts of the Article without fome other fuppofition than hath yet been mentioned here, I cannot hope ever to fee demonftrated. Nay I am persuaded that these manifest Truths founding in every part of the New Teftament; that Chrift is given a Redeemer Univerfal; that the Promises of the Gofpel are General; that the Spirit of Truth and Power goes with them, in the Preaching of them; are able being rightly weighed, utterly to overthrow all manner of frames whatfoever may be imagined, of the order of the Divine Predeftination, which fhall exclude the Divine Prescience, Proper, Prime and Univerfal, fuch as the fifth Opinion will difcover. For fince the Gospel prefuppofeth, and acknowledgeth the fall of Mankind, and all to be Sinners, and taketh its occafion there-from; fince it calleth all Men to re

conciliation with God; commands Repentance and Mark. 16. Faith to all; promifes Forgiveness and Life to all 15, 16. that believe in the Redeemer; threatneth Wrath and Acts. 17. Death, to abide upon all that believe not; and declareth that God will fudge the World by Jefus Christ, and by the Word of the Gospel: And fince God will Judge in Righteousness, Man as a reasonable Creature of having a Free-will; the Gofpel, (I fay) cannot admit a Decree of Predeftination to Life or Death, that fhall be made upon contemplation of

48.

the