<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2013-10-10</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B130810.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B12292">
<STC T="S">6110</STC>
<STC T="C">S114543</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99849768</BIBNO>
<VID>177911</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A BRIEFE ANSVVERE TO CERTAINE Objections again&s;t the <HI>Treati&s;e of Faith,</HI> made <HI>by</HI> EZ. CVLVERVVELL. Clearing him from the errors of <HI>Arminius,</HI> vnju&s;tly layd to <HI>his charge.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>I. D.</HI> for <HI>William Sheffard,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his Shop at the entrance in out of <HI>Lumbard</HI> &s;treete into <HI>Popes</HI>-head Alley. 1626.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_Although my great care in &s;etting forth <HI>A Treati&s;e of Faith,</HI> was to deliver that truth which I gathered out of the holy <HI>Scriptures,</HI> and, keeping in mine eye, the marke I aimed at, To &s;trengthen the weake in faith, I pur|po&s;ely avoyded all con|trover&s;ies
<PB REF="3"> which might entangle weake Iudge|ments: Yet now of late I perceiue, that, as my Labours haue had good approbation of the Learned, and haue beene profitable vnto weake Chri&s;tians, &s;o &s;om few haue by &s;peech and writing manife&s;ted their differing judge|ments from me, and an hard cen&s;ure of me; which I had purpo&s;ed to pa&s;&s;e by in &s;ilence: but meeting of late with a <HI>briefe confutation</HI> in print, of &s;ome cheife points
<PB REF="3"> in my Booke, which might &s;tumble many weake ones, I hold my &s;elfe bound in Con&s;ci|ence to maintaine the truth by me delivered, and to cleare my &s;elfe from many vniu&s;t im|putations. Wherein pa&s;|&s;ing by the <HI>Author,</HI> and all his intentions, I will touch the principall points gain&s;ayed. This formerly I had done, and &s;ent to the <HI>Author</HI> before he publi&s;hed his <HI>Confutation.</HI> Therefore he had no ju&s;t cau&s;e to make my defect of an|&s;wer
<PB REF="4"> a cau&s;e of putting his <HI>Confutation to the pre&s;&s;e,</HI> as he alledgeth in his <HI>Epi&s;tle to the Reader.</HI></P>
<P>HIS<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">pag. 4.</NOTE> fir&s;t exception is again&s;t the&s;e words, <HI>Many of Gods children doe not enioy that &s;weete life and ble&s;&s;ed e&s;tate in this world, which God their Father hath provided for them.</HI> Any in|different Reader may &s;ee his gro&s;&s;e mi&s;taking herein. For what I &s;peake of Gods bountie in providing meanes, whereby his children might liue more com|fortably,
<PB REF="4" MS="y"> if the fault were not in the~&s;elues, he vnder&s;ta~ds of Gods Decree, which is vn|changeable, and cannot be fru&s;trated. So that all his Di&s;cour&s;e here|of, as many others, might well haue beene &s;pared.</P>
<P>The<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">pag. 7. 8. &amp;c.</NOTE> &s;econd, and in|deed the onely point in que&s;tion is, <HI>Whether Sal|vation in Chri&s;t, be in the Go&s;p<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ll proclaimed and offe|red in generall to all that heare it, or onely to the El<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ct.</HI> The former I hold &amp; proue by mo&s;t evident Scrip|tures,
<PB REF="5" MS="y"> as, I doubt not, the Learned will ap|proue.</P>
<P>Herein I haue, be&s;ide many other Orthodox defenders of the truth, both ancient and mo|dern, the con&s;ent of that famous <HI>Synod at Dort,</HI> wherein were a&s;|&s;embled a great num|ber of leared <HI>Divines,</HI> out of the Reformed Chur|ches. Their own words I will &s;et downe, that all may &s;ee how I agree with them.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chap. 2. Art. 5.</NOTE><HI>It is the promi&s;e of the Go&s;pell, that who&s;oeuer be|leeveth
<PB REF="5" MS="y"> in Chri&s;t crucified, &s;hould not peri&s;h, but haue life everla&s;ting: which promi&s;e, together with the iniunction of Repentance and faith, ought promi&s;cuou&s;ly and without di|&s;tinction to be declared and publi&s;hed to all men, and peo|ple, to whom God in his good plea&s;ure &s;ends the Go&s;pell.</HI></P>
<P><HI>But for as much as many being called by the Go&s;pell,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Art. 6.</NOTE> <HI>doe not repent nor beleeue in Chri&s;t, but peri&s;h in their In|fidelitie, this comes not to pa&s;&s;e for want of, or by any in&s;uffi|ciency of the &s;acrifice of Chri&s;t offered vpon the Cro&s;&s;e, but by their owne default.</HI></P>
<PB REF="6" MS="y">
<P>This &s;hall &s;uffice for my defe~ce in this point. As for further Confu|tation of his arguments to the contrary, it is not my purpo&s;e to charge the Pre&s;&s;e with more Controver&s;ies among our &s;elues. Onely this I will &s;ay (which may be a &s;ufficient an&s;were to all his Allegations) that all the Scriptures which re&s;traine the me|rits of Chri&s;t to &s;ome onely, are to be vnder|&s;tood of tho&s;e that &s;hall enioy them: but tho&s;e Scriptures which en|large
<PB REF="6" MS="y"> Chri&s;ts Merits to all, are to be meant of the <HI>Offer</HI> onely, or pro|claiming them to all, though many of them never partake of Chri&s;t. So then the <HI>Generall offer</HI> doth not make all par|takers of Chri&s;t: nor the <HI>Speciall Partaking of Chri&s;t,</HI> hinder the gene|rall offer.</P>
<P>By <HI>Offer</HI> I meane one|ly the <HI>outward Calling by the Go&s;pell,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 22.14.</NOTE> which none can deny to belong <HI>to many that are not cho&s;en.</HI> This I affirme to be the onely ordinary &s;eed to
<PB REF="7" MS="y"> beget &s;aving Faith. My Adver&s;ary taketh this <HI>Offer</HI> for a <HI>Promi&s;e</HI> to haue Chri&s;t (which I confe&s;&s;e that none &s;hall haue but the Elect) and &s;o he &s;pends much la|bour in vaine.</P>
<P>Whereas<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">pag. 16. &amp;c.</NOTE> he chalen|geth all the Scriptures by me alleaged, to proue the <HI>generall Offer,</HI> to be mi&s;applied, for that he would haue them to be vnder&s;tood of the <HI>Elect onely,</HI> I mu&s;t referre this al&s;o to the judgement of the Learned: with &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to their cen|&s;ure,
<PB REF="7" MS="y"> I profe&s;&s;e, I cannot find any one clear place where the VVORLD mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;itie be ta|ken for the ELECT <HI>onely.</HI> For the <HI>wicked</HI> in the world it is oft v&s;ed; and more generally, for all <HI>Mankinde,</HI> as M^r <HI>Calvin,</HI> with &s;undry other great <HI>Divines</HI> vnder&s;tand it, e|ven<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Io. 3.16.</NOTE> in the place where he mi&s;alledgeth him to the contrary. In this Scipture <HI>(God &s;o loved the World, that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne, that who&s;oe|ver beleeveth in him &s;hould not peri&s;h, but haue everla|&s;ting
<PB REF="8"> life)</HI> I de&s;ire may be con&s;idered, if the <HI>World</HI> be not divided into be|leevers, who &s;hall be &s;aved, and vnbeleevers who &s;hall not be &s;aved: which cannot be vn|der&s;tood of the <HI>Elect</HI> onely. As for<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Mar. 16.15.</NOTE> this mo&s;t manife&s;t &s;cripture <HI>preach the Go&s;pell to every creature</HI>) to vnder&s;tand the <HI>Elect,</HI> is vnrea&s;onable. There|fore I profe&s;&s;e that his Accu&s;ation is vniu&s;t.</P>
<P>He commeth<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">pag. 20. &amp;c.</NOTE> in the next place to my maine argument, wherein he fowly mi&s;taketh my
<PB REF="8"> meaning, not well con|&s;idering my words. For what I &s;peake of the knowledg of a pardon <HI>proclaimed,</HI> he vnder&s;tands of the knowledge of a pardon <HI>embraced,</HI> which belongs onely to a be+leever: but the procla|mation of a pardon, mu&s;t be knowne to an vnbeleever before he can beleeue; which is that that I maintaine.</P>
<P>After this<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">pag. 26.</NOTE> he obiec|teth, that <HI>there be many o|ther &s;trange pa&s;&s;age;</HI> wher|in he doth much mi&s;|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ake my plaine mea|ning.
<PB REF="9"> One of the &s;up|po&s;ed <HI>&s;trange pa&s;&s;ages</HI> is, that I &s;ay, <HI>By divers con&s;i|derations in a man voyde of faith, faith may be gotten,</HI> as if I meant that this might be effected without the helpe of the Spirit: whereas to &s;hew my &s;elfe an enemy to <HI>vni|ver&s;all grace,</HI> and &s;o to cleare me from <HI>Arminius</HI> his errors, I plainly &s;ay, that <HI>None can attaine vnto faith without the &s;peciall grace of Gods Spirit</HI> (pag. 42.82.) to which purpo&s;e I cite &s;undry Scriptures proo|ving the &s;ame.</P>
<PB REF="9">
<P><NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">pag. 27.</NOTE>Another of the ob|jected <HI>&s;trange pa&s;&s;ages</HI> is, that <HI>I make &s;orrow for &s;inne, and de&s;ire of remedy, cau&s;es of faith.</HI> But tho&s;e words are none of mine, they are his collection from the&s;e words of mine, (pag. 44.) <HI>Vnder the cau|&s;es I comprehend all that work of God, whereby he worketh faith in any.</HI> Vnder that worke of God, among other things, <HI>I mention &s;ound &s;orrow for mans mi&s;ery, and fervent de&s;ire after Chri&s;t the remedy.</HI> Let any indif|ferent <HI>Reader</HI> now judge if I make not <HI>Gods worke</HI>
<PB REF="10"> the cau&s;e of faith: and the&s;e, with other parti|culars, &s;uch gifts as God worketh in vs before faith.</P>
<P>In the next place<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">pag. 29.</NOTE> char|ging me with <HI>Arminiani&s;|me</HI> mo&s;t vnju&s;tly; he ta|keth in hand to confute <HI>Vniver&s;all Redemption</HI> by many Arguments. But &s;eeing I haue purpo&s;ely avoyded that que&s;tion, and doe from my heart deny, that <HI>every man is ac|tually reconciled by Chri&s;t,</HI> and affirme, that <HI>none haue any benefit by Chri&s;t, but Beleevers and their &s;eede:</HI> I
<PB REF="10"> leaue the &s;canning of his arguments to his ad|ver&s;ary who&s;oever he be: and I doe here te&s;ti|fie vnder my hand, to all po&s;teritie, that I re|nounce all <HI>Arminius</HI> his errors: and giue my full con&s;ent to the <HI>Synod of Dort.</HI></P>
<P>As for the&s;e phra&s;es, (<HI>God hath made a deed of gift, and grant of Chri&s;t to mankinde,</HI> yea <HI>to all &s;inners excepting none,</HI>) and other like to them, which he pre&s;&s;eth again&s;t mee, they are to be taken of Gods di&s;pen&s;atio~ of his
<PB REF="11"> mind in and by the Go|&s;pell: and &s;o much is expre&s;&s;ed by me (pag 36.) in the&s;e words; <HI>Making &s;o free a grant there|of,</HI> in the Go&s;pell, <HI>to all &s;inners excepting none.</HI></P>
<P>Any indifferent Rea|der may &s;ee, that my maine &s;cope is, to draw every one that heareth the Go&s;pell, to beleeue, by this, that <HI>Chri&s;t and his benefits be proclaimed to him, and &s;hall never be be&s;towed on him, vnle&s;&s;e he beleeue;</HI> which is far from <HI>Armi|nius</HI> his errors.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, where he con|ceiveth
<PB REF="11"> &s;ome contradi|ctions in my Booke, it is cleare they be his co~|ceipts, as will evidently appeare by the particu|lars.</P>
<P>Concerning the fir&s;t pretended contradicti|on, his words are the&s;e,<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">pag. 39.</NOTE> <HI>You &s;ay, that all Gods promi|&s;es made to the Elect,</HI> are ab|&s;olute, (pag. 141.) And againe, <HI>Mo&s;t of the free pro|mi&s;es of the Go&s;pell be pro|pounded</HI> with &s;ome con|dition. What contradi|ction is in the&s;e words? Are the&s;e termes (<HI>ab&s;olute</HI> &amp; <HI>vpon &s;ome condition</HI> con|tradictory)?
<PB REF="12"> Are not the conditions required in the Go&s;pel, ab&s;olute|ly promi&s;ed to the E|lect? The di&s;tinction which I make of pro|mi&s;es ab&s;olute and con|ditionall, &s;heweth, that there is no contradic|tion in tho&s;e words. The&s;e well agree, that <HI>The Elect cannot faile of that which God promi&s;eth to them,</HI> and <HI>all others to whom God offers &s;alvation, &s;hall not ob|taine it, becau&s;e they beleeue not.</HI></P>
<P>Another pretended contradiction he thus
<PB REF="12"> expre&s;&s;eth, <HI>I take it that the manife&s;tation of GODS coun&s;ell to the heires of pro|mi&s;e</HI> (pag. 209.) <HI>cro&s;&s;eth the generall offer.</HI> Who would &s;o take it but he? it being Gods eternall coun&s;ell to &s;aue none but the Elect, which he manife&s;teth to <HI>Abraham</HI> and his &s;eed according to the Faith; this no|thing hindereth the ge|nerall offer, and pro|clamation of pardon to the Reprobate, to make them inexcu&s;able for refu&s;ing mercie offe|red.</P>
<PB REF="13">
<P>A third pretended contradiction is, that I &s;ay, <HI>God out of his faithful|ne&s;&s;e freely be&s;tows that which he offereth and &s;ealeth</HI> (pag. 357.) and that <HI>Many doe not receiue that which is pro|mi&s;ed and &s;ealed</HI> (pag. 358.) What contradiction is it to &s;ay, that <HI>Many for want of faith receiue not that which is promi&s;ed?</HI> God faithful|ly performeth what he offereth in the Word, and &s;ealeth by the Sa|craments, but onely to &s;uch as by faith receiue both.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS</TRAILER>
<PB REF="13">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
