befalleth them. Tribulation hath in it divers circumstances, the mind sundry faculties to apprehend them: it offereth sometime itself to the lower powers of the soul, as a most unpleasant spectacle; to the higher sometimes, as drawing after it a train of dangerous inconveniences; sometime as bringing with it remedies for the curing of sundry evils; as God's instrument of revenge and fury sometime; sometime as a rod of his just, yet moderate ire and displeasure; sometime as matter for them that spitefully hate us to exercise their poisoned malice; sometime as a furnace of trial for virtue to shew itself, and through conflict to obtain glory. Which different contemplations of adversity do work for the most part their answerable effects. Adversity either apprehended by sense as a thing offensive and grievous to Nature, or by Reason conceived as a snare, an occasion of many men's falling from God, a sequel of God's indignation and wrath, a thing which Satan desireth and would be glad to behold; tribulation thus considered being present causeth sorrow, and being imminent breedeth fear. For moderation of which two affections, growing from the very natural bitterness and gall of adversity, the Scripture much allegeth contrary fruits, Psal. which affliction likewise hath whensoever it falleth on them cxix. 71. that are tractable, the grace of God's Holy Spirit concurring therewith. But when the Apostle St. Paul teacheth, “That 2 Tim. every one which will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution," and, "by many tribulations we must enter [Acts into the Kingdom of Heaven;" because in a forest of many wolves sheep cannot choose but feed in continual danger of life; or when St. James exhorteth to "accompt it a matter Jam. i. of exceeding joy, when we fall into divers temptations," because, " by the trial of faith, patience is brought forth;" was it, suppose we, their meaning to frustrate our Lord's admonition, "Pray that ye enter not into temptation?" When [Matt. himself pronounceth them blessed that should for his name' sake be subject to all kinds of ignominy and opprobrious malediction, was it his purpose that no man should ever pray with David, "Lord, remove from me shame and contempt?" Psal. "In those tribulations (saith St. Augustine) which may hurt Ang as well as profit, we must say with the Apostle, What we xxi. should ask as we ought we know not; yet because they are iii. 12. xiv. 22.] 2, 3. xxvi.41.] cxix. 22. Aug. Epist. c. 14. "To pray against ["all," in T. C.] persecution, is contrary to that word which saith, That every one which will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution.' T. C. lib. iii. p. 200. [Heb. xii. 11.] Prov. i. 32. [Psal. Xxx. 6.] Prayer that all men find mercy; and of tough, because they are grievous, because the sense of our weakness flieth them, we pray according to the general desire of the will of man, that God would turn them away from us; owing in the meanwhile this devotion to the Lord our God, that if he remove them not, yet we do not therefore imagine ourselves in his sight despised, but rather with godly sufferance of evils expect greater good at his merciful hands. For thus is virtue in weakness perfected." To the flesh (as the Apostle himself granteth) all affliction is naturally "grievous." Therefore, Nature which causeth to fear, teacheth to pray against all adversity. Prosperity in regard of our corrupt inclination to abuse the blessings of Almighty God, doth prove for the most part a thing dangerous to the souls of men. Very ease itself is death to the wicked, "and the prosperity of fools slayeth them:" their table is a snare, and their felicity their utter overthrow. Few men there are which long prosper and sin not. Howbeit, even as these ill effects, although they be very usual and common, are no bar to the hearty Prayers whereby most virtuous minds wish peace and prosperity always where they love, because they consider that this in itself is a thing naturally desired: so because all adversity is in itself against Nature, what should hinder to pray against it, although the Providence of God turn it often unto the great good of many men? Such Prayers of the Church "to be delivered from all adversity" are no more repugnant to any reasonable disposition of men's minds towards death, much less to that blessed patience and meek contentment which Saints by heavenly inspiration have to endure, what cross or calamity soever it pleaseth God to lay upon them, than our Lord and Saviour's own Prayer before his Passion was repugnant unto his most gracious resolution to die for the sins of the whole world. 49. In praying for deliverance from all adversity, we seek that which Nature doth wish to itself; but by entreating for may mercy towards all, we declare that affection wherewith the will Christian charity thirsteth after the good of the whole that world; we discharge that duty which the Apostle himself doth impose on the Church of Christ, as a "commendable" saved. office, a sacrifice "acceptable in God's sight," a service according to his heart whose desire is to "have all men saved:"* a work most suitable with his purpose, who men all might be * 1 Tim. ii. 3, 4. ix. 22.] gave himself to be the price of redemption for all, and a forcible mean to procure the conversion of all such as are not yet acquainted with the mysteries of that truth which must save their souls. Against it, there is but the bare shew of this one impediment, that all men's salvation, and many men's eternal condemnation or death, are things the one repugnant to the other; that both cannot be brought to pass; that we know there are "vessels of wrath," to whom [Rom. God will never extend mercy, and therefore that wittingly we ask an impossible thing to be had. The truth is, that as life and death, mercy and wrath, are matters of mere understanding or knowledge, all men's salvation, and some men's endless perdition, are things so opposite, that whosoever doth affirm the one, must necessarily deny the other; God himself cannot effect both, or determine that both shall be. There is in the knowledge both of God and man this certainty, that life and death have divided between them the whole body of mankind. What portion either of the two hath, God himself knoweth; for us he hath left no sufficient means to comprehend, and for that cause neither given any leave to search in particular who are infallibly the heirs of the Kingdom of God, who cast-aways. Howbeit, concerning the state of all men with whom we live (for only of them our Prayers are meant) we may till the world's end, for the present, always presume, that as far as in us there is power to discern what others are, and as far as any duty of ours dependeth upon the notice of their condition in respect of God, the safest axioms for charity to rest itself upon, are these, "He which believeth already is;" and, "he which believeth not as yet, may be the child of God." It becometh not us, "during life, altogether to Sidon. condemn any man, seeing that (for any thing we know) ib. vi. there is hope of every man's forgiveness, the possibility of whose repentance is not yet cut off by death.” And, therefore, charity which "hopeth all things," prayeth also 1 Cor. for all men. Wherefore, to let go personal knowledge touching vessels of wrath and mercy, what they are inwardly in the sight of God it skilleth not; for us there is cause sufficient in all men whereupon to ground our Prayers unto God in their behalf. For whatsoever the mind of man apprehendeth as good, the will of charity and love is to have it enlarged in the very uttermost extent, Apol. Epist. xiv. 7. Ron.. ix. 3. x. 1. that all may enjoy it to whom it can any way add perfection. Because, therefore, the farther a good thing doth reach, the nobler and worthier we reckon it, our Prayers for all men's good, no less than for our own, the Apostle with very fit terms commendeth as being kaλov, a work commendable for the largeness of the affection from whence it springeth; even as theirs which have requested at God's hands the salvation of many with the loss of their own souls, drowning, as it were, and overwhelming themselves in the abundance of their love towards others, is proposed as being in regard of the rareness of such affections répraλov, more than excellent. But this extraordinary height of desire after other men's salvation, is no common mark. The other is a duty which belongeth unto all, and prevaileth with God daily. For as it is in itself good, so God accepteth and taketh it in very good part at the hands of faithful men. Our Prayers for all men do include both them that shall find mercy, and them also that shall find none. For them that shall, no man will doubt but our Prayers are both accepted and granted. Touching them for whom we crave that mercy which is not to be obtained, let us not think that our Saviour did misinstruct his Disciples, willing them to pray for the peace even of such as should be uncapable of so great a blessing; or that the Prayers of the Prophet Jeremy offended God, because the answer of God was a resolute denial of favour to them for whom supplication was made. And if any man doubt how God should accept such Prayers in case they be opposite to his will, or not grant them if they be according unto that which himself willeth; our answer is, that such suits God accepteth in [2 Pet. that they are conformable unto his general inclination, which is, that all men might be saved; yet always he granteth them not, forasmuch as there is in God sometimes a more private occasioned will which determineth the contrary. So that the other being the rule of our actions, and Matt. Jer. xv. 1. ["They pray that all men may be saved.”—Admonition, Part II.] +["The Church of England believeth, that Predestination unto life is the eternal purpose of God, whereby before the foundations of the world were laid, he constantly decreed by his Counsel, unto us unknown, to deliver from the curse and destruction them whom he chose in Christ out of mankind; and, as vessels made unto honour, through Christ to bring them to eternal Salvation. Whereupon they who are indowed with so excellent benefit of God, are called according to his purpose, and that by his Spirit working in a fit time: ARTICLE XVII. But you, Master Hoo. seem to us, to affirm contrary, when you say,' If any man doubt how God should accept such prayers in case they be opposite to his will, or not grant them if they be according to that himself willeth; our answer is, that such suits God accepteth in that xii. 13.] not this; our requests for things opposite to this will of God are not therefore the less gracious in his sight. There is no doubt but we ought in all things to frame our wills to the will of God, and that otherwise in whatsoever we do we sin. For of ourselves, being so apt to err, the only way which we have to straighten our paths is, by following the [Heb. rule of his will, whose footsteps naturally are right. If the eye, the hand, or the foot, do that which the will commandeth, though they serve as instruments to sin, yet is sin the commander's fault and not theirs; because Nature hath absolutely, and without exception, made them subjects to the will of man, which is lord over them. As the body is subject to the will of man, so man's will to the will of God; for so it behoveth that the better should guide and command the worse. But because the subjection of the body to the will is by natural necessity, the subjection of the will unto God voluntary; we therefore stand in need of direction after what sort our wills and desires may be rightly conformed to his: which is not done by willing always the self-same thing that God intendeth. For it may chance, that his purpose is sometime the speedy death of them whose long continuance in life if we should not wish we they are conformable to his general inclination, which is, that all men might be saved; yet always he granteth them not, forasmuch as there is in God a more private occasioned will, which determineth the contrary.' Here we beg your aid, to make manifest unto us, How God eternally predestinateth by a constant decree, them whom he calleth and saveth, as our Church professeth, and yet hath, as you say, a 'general inclination that all men might be saved?' Whether he foresaw not something that occasioned his will otherwise; so that he elected not all, but only them whom he calleth and saveth; or that of his general inclination he elected all men, but some more privately occasioned him in time to alter his will, and to refuse them; or, that some men gave God occasion that he saveth them, though he never decreed it before the foundations of the world? What meant the blessed Apostle, where he saith, Whom he predestinated, them also he called; and whom he called, them also he justified, &c.' Rom. viii. 30; is this to be understood of a constant decree, as we say, or of an inclination?' He saith, God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,' Eph. i. 11; is this to be understood, that upon occasion sometimes he either altereth his counsel, or decreeth something which he had not thought upon before? St. James saith, that in God there is 'no variableness, nor shadow of turning,' James i. 19; is not this more than a variableness or shadow of turning, to incline one way, and upon occasion to decree another? Do not these words of yours give some place unto chance and fortune? Do they not make God as a man, not of an all-sufficient knowledge, wisdom, and counsel, but inclinable some one way, till by occasion he find a better way? Where is that God you speak of in your First Book (p.75), Of whom, through whom, and for whom, are all things,' Rom. xi. 36? And, where is that Law by which he worketh, which you there call eternal, and therefore can have no shew or colour of mutability?' Have we not cause to fear that the witty Schoolmen have seduced you, and by their conceited distinctions made you forget, That you are neither able nor worthy to open and look into the book of God's Law, by which he guideth the world?' Ibid. p. 75. And yet you will say, 'There is in God an occasioned will! Good Master Hoo. help us here, and shew us how we may think that you incline not to the errour of Popery touching Works foreseen, and that you favour our Church's belief."-A Christian Letter, p. 15.] |