A briefe ansvvere to certaine obiections against the treatise of faith, made by Ez. Culvervvell Clearing him form the errors of Arminius, vniustly layd to his charge.

Christian Reader ,

Although my great care in setting forth A Treatise of Faith , was to deliver that truth which I gathered out of the holy Scriptures , and , keeping in mine eye , the marke I aimed at , To strengthen the weake in faith , I purposely avoyded all controversies which might entangle weake Iudgements : Yet now of late I perceiue , that , as my Labours haue had good approbation of the Learned , and haue beene profitable vnto weake Christians , so som few haue by speech and writing manifested their differing judgements from me , and an hard censure of me ; which I had purposed to passe by in silence : but meeting of late with a briefe confutation in print , of some cheife points in my Booke , which might stumble many weake ones , I hold my selfe bound in Conscience to maintaine the truth by me delivered , and to cleare my selfe from many vniust imputations . Wherein passing by the Author , and all his intentions , I will touch the principall points gainsayed . This formerly I had done , and sent to the Author before he published his Confutation . Therefore he had no just cause to make my defect of answer a cause of putting his Confutation to the presse , as he alledgeth in his Epistle to the Reader .

HIS a a pag. 4. first exception is against these words , Many of Gods children doe not enioy that sweete life and blessed estate in this world , which God their Father hath provided for them . Any indifferent Reader may see his grosse mistaking herein . For what I speake of Gods bountie in providing meanes , whereby his children might liue more comfortably , if the fault were not in themselues , he vnderstands of Gods Decree , which is vnchangeable , and cannot be frustrated . So that all his Discourse hereof , as many others , might well haue beene spared .

The b b pag. 7. 8. &c. second , and indeed the onely point in question is , Whether Salvation in Christ , be in the Gosp●ll proclaimed and offered in generall to all that heare it , or onely to the El●ct . The former I hold & proue by most evident Scriptures , as , I doubt not , the Learned will approue .

Herein I haue , beside many other Orthodox defenders of the truth , both ancient and modern , the consent of that famous Synod at Dort , wherein were assembled a great number of leared Divines , out of the Reformed Churches . Their own words I will set downe , that all may see how I agree with them .

Chap. 2. Art. 5. It is the promise of the Gospell , that whosoeuer beleeveth in Christ crucified , should not perish , but haue life everlasting : which promise , together with the iniunction of Repentance and faith , ought promiscuously and without distinction to be declared and published to all men , and people , to whom God in his good pleasure sends the Gospell .

But for as much as many being called by the Gospell , Art. 6. doe not repent nor beleeue in Christ , but perish in their Infidelitie , this comes not to passe for want of , or by any insufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ offered vpon the Crosse , but by their owne default .

This shall suffice for my defence in this point . As for further Confutation of his arguments to the contrary , it is not my purpose to charge the Presse with more Controversies among our selues . Onely this I will say ( which may be a sufficient answere to all his Allegations ) that all the Scriptures which restraine the merits of Christ to some onely , are to be vnderstood of those that shall enioy them : but those Scriptures which enlarge Christs Merits to all , are to be meant of the Offer onely , or proclaiming them to all , though many of them never partake of Christ . So then the Generall offer doth not make all partakers of Christ : nor the Speciall Partaking of Christ , hinder the generall offer .

By Offer I meane onely the outward Calling by the Gospell , Math. 22.14 . which none can deny to belong to many that are not chosen . This I affirme to be the onely ordinary seed to beget saving Faith . My Adversary taketh this Offer for a Promise to haue Christ ( which I confesse that none shall haue but the Elect ) and so he spends much labour in vaine .

Whereas c c pag. 16. &c. he chalengeth all the Scriptures by me alleaged , to proue the generall Offer , to be misapplied , for that he would haue them to be vnderstood of the Elect onely , I must referre this also to the judgement of the Learned : with submission to their censure , I professe , I cannot find any one clear place where the WORLD must of necessitie be taken for the ELECT onely . For the wicked in the world it is oft vsed ; and more generally , for all Mankinde , as Mr Calvin , with sundry other great Divines vnderstand it , even d d Io. 3.16 . in the place where he misalledgeth him to the contrary . In this Scipture ( God so loved the World , that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne , that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish , but haue everlasting life ) I desire may be considered , if the World be not divided into beleevers , who shall be saved , and vnbeleevers who shall not be saved : which cannot be vnderstood of the Elect onely . As for e e Mar. 16.15 . this most manifest scripture preach the Gospell to every creature ) to vnderstand the Elect , is vnreasonable . Therefore I professe that his Accusation is vniust .

He commeth f f pag. 20. &c. in the next place to my maine argument , wherein he fowly mistaketh my meaning , not well considering my words . For what I speake of the knowledg of a pardon proclaimed , he vnderstands of the knowledge of a pardon embraced , which belongs onely to a beleever : but the proclamation of a pardon , must be knowne to an vnbeleever before he can beleeue ; which is that that I maintaine .

After this g g pag. 26. he obiecteth , that there be many other strange passage ; wherin he doth much mis●ake my plaine meaning . One of the supposed strange passages is , that I say , By divers considerations in a man voyde of faith , faith may be gotten , as if I meant that this might be effected without the helpe of the Spirit : whereas to shew my selfe an enemy to vniversall grace , and so to cleare me from Arminius his errors , I plainly say , that None can attaine vnto faith without the speciall grace of Gods Spirit ( pag. 42.82 . ) to which purpose I cite sundry Scriptures prooving the same .

h h pag. 27. Another of the objected strange passages is , that I make sorrow for sinne , and desire of remedy , causes of faith . But those words are none of mine , they are his collection from these words of mine , ( pag. 44. ) Vnder the causes I comprehend all that work of God , whereby he worketh faith in any . Vnder that worke of God , among other things , I mention sound sorrow for mans misery , and fervent desire after Christ the remedy . Let any indifferent Reader now judge if I make not Gods worke the cause of faith : and these , with other particulars , such gifts as God worketh in vs before faith .

In the next place i i pag. 29. charging me with Arminianisme most vnjustly ; he taketh in hand to confute Vniversall Redemption by many Arguments . But seeing I haue purposely avoyded that question , and doe from my heart deny , that every man is actually reconciled by Christ , and affirme , that none haue any benefit by Christ , but Beleevers and their seede : I leaue the scanning of his arguments to his adversary whosoever he be : and I doe here testifie vnder my hand , to all posteritie , that I renounce all Arminius his errors : and giue my full consent to the Synod of Dort .

As for these phrases , ( God hath made a deed of gift , and grant of Christ to mankinde , yea to all sinners excepting none , ) and other like to them , which he presseth against mee , they are to be taken of Gods dispensation of his mind in and by the Gospell : and so much is expressed by me ( pag 36. ) in these words ; Making so free a grant thereof , in the Gospell , to all sinners excepting none .

Any indifferent Reader may see , that my maine scope is , to draw every one that heareth the Gospell , to beleeue , by this , that Christ and his benefits be proclaimed to him , and shall never be bestowed on him , vnlesse he beleeue ; which is far from Arminius his errors .

Lastly , where he conceiveth some contradictions in my Booke , it is cleare they be his conceipts , as will evidently appeare by the particulars .

Concerning the first pretended contradiction , his words are these , k k pag. 39. You say , that all Gods promises made to the Elect , are absolute , ( pag. 141. ) And againe , Most of the free promises of the Gospell be propounded with some condition . What contradiction is in these words ? Are these termes ( absolute & vpon some condition contradictory ) ? Are not the conditions required in the Gospel , absolutely promised to the Elect ? The distinction which I make of promises absolute and conditionall , sheweth , that there is no contradiction in those words . These well agree , that The Elect cannot faile of that which God promiseth to them , and all others to whom God offers salvation , shall not obtaine it , because they beleeue not .

Another pretended contradiction he thus expresseth , I take it that the manifestation of GODS counsell to the heires of promise ( pag. 209. ) crosseth the generall offer . Who would so take it but he ? it being Gods eternall counsell to saue none but the Elect , which he manifesteth to Abraham and his seed according to the Faith ; this nothing hindereth the generall offer , and proclamation of pardon to the Reprobate , to make them inexcusable for refusing mercie offered .

A third pretended contradiction is , that I say , God out of his faithfulnesse freely bestows that which he offereth and sealeth ( pag. 357. ) and that Many doe not receiue that which is promised and sealed ( pag. 358. ) What contradiction is it to say , that Many for want of faith receiue not that which is promised ? God faithfully performeth what he offereth in the Word , and sealeth by the Sacraments , but onely to such as by faith receiue both .

FINIS