56 LÌ DiSPLAY Of be.damved, Matth. xvi. 16. bVarereby faith is e$ablifhed, the condition óf falvation, and unbelief; threatued with hell : if. God Mould by iris holy fpirit, ingenerate faith in thehearts of any, cauftog them fo to fulfil the condition, it were a meet mockery, tobe exploded from a theater as an unlikely fì£tion : which, what an afperfton it coils upon the whole Golpel of Chrift, yea, on all God's dealing with the children ofmen, ever fii.ce, by reafinn of the fall, they became unable ofthemfelves to fulfil his com- mands, 1 leave to all mens filent judgments. Well th_n, feeing they mutt be accounted dawrava, things inconfifteat, that God should he fo righteous, as to ,hew as our duty, and yet fo good and merciful, as to bellow his graces onus: let us hear more of this fluff. (a) Fait)' and converfiea cannot beour ciodime, if they are 'Wrought io as by God, fey they at the Hague: and Epifcrph,s, (b). that it is a rnoff abfurd thing to affirm, ,hat God either cited, by his power, or procure, Is by his wifdom, that the cleft fhould, do th f rhi,gs, char le reepireth of them. So that whereas the fcripture calls faith_ the gift, and work orGod, they fay it is an improper locution, in as much as he commands ir, properly it is an aft or work of our moo. And (c) for that reaonared frying or StAnn/tine, that God erowneth his own gifts in us, that it is not to be received wit;roue a grain offall, that is, fume f ch glofsas wherewith they corrupt the fcripture : the fern at which they aim is, that toaffirm, thatGod beftowerh any grace upon us, of eifc£tually worketh them in us, coutradi£teth hisword, regnirirg them as our duty, and obedience : by which means they have ere£ted their idol into the throne of Goals free grace andmercy, and attri- bute unto it all the praite due to thole marry heavenly qualifications, the fervauts of God are endowed withal, for they never have more good in them, no, nor fo much as is required, all that they have, or do, is but their duty i which how derogatory it is to the merit of Chrift, themfelves feem to acknowledge, when they affirm, that he is no otherwife faid to bea Saviour, alum are all they, who confirm the way to falvation by preaching, miracles, martyrdom, aud,example. So that havingquite overthrown the merits of Chrift, they grant us to be our ownSaviour in a very large fenfe Rem. Apol. fol. y6. All which aflertions, how contrary they are to the exprefs wordof God, I (hall now demoafirate. There is not one of all thofe plain texts of fcripture, not one ofthole innumerable and invinciblearguments, whereby the eift/ualworking of God's grace inthe conver- fion of a firer, his powerful tranflating us from death co life, from the flute of fin and bondage, to the liberty of the tons of God, which dothnot overthrow this prodigious error. I will content my felf with infaincing in force fewof them which are directly oppofite unto it, even in terms. [r.] Deuter. X. 16. The Lord commander: the Ifn-aelites, to circvmcife the foreskin of theirhearts, and to be so mote fl f necked : fo that the circumeifingof their hearts was a part oftheir obedience, it was their duty foto do inobedience to God's commands : and yet in the chap. 30. ver. 6. he affirmeth, that lee will circumcfe their hearts, that they might lave the Lord their God, with all their hearer. So that it Teems, the fame thing, in divers refpe&s may beGod's a£t in us, and our duty towards ham : and hors the Lord willhere efcape the Arminiancenfure, theWhit words be true in the latterplace, his command in the former is vain, and foolifh, ip`e videri , let him plead his caufe, and avenge himfelf on thofe that rife up agaiuft him. [a.] Ezek. xviii. 3 ,. Make you no new heart, and anew fpirit, for whywill you die, O houfe of Ifael ? Themaking of a new heart, and a new fpirit, is here required under a promifè ofn reward oflife, anda great threatning of eternal death; fo that, to to nfo, mutt needs be a part of their duty and obedience: and yet chap. 36. err. 36. He affirmeththat he will do this very thing, that here he requirethof them; A new heart affo will I give you, and anewfpirit will I put withinyou, and1 willtake away the flony heart out ofyour fief:, and give you are heart of flcfh: and I willcaufe you to walk inmy frames, &c. In how ma:nplacesalto are we commanded to fear the. Lord, which when we do, 1 hope none will deny to be a performance ofour duty and yet ferevr. xxxii. 40. God promifech that he willput his fear in our hearts, that we pall not depart from him. (al Fides & convento non poffnnt effe obedientia, I tantum ab angina, in aliq eficiantur, Rem. Colloq. 1f..;. 0. 196. (b) Ablìudum eft ftatucre Doom, aut efficere per potentiam, aim pro- curare per fpiemiom, ut eletti ea facianr, qux ab ipfis, ut ipfi ea faciant, ezigit & poll/itt, fspi lop. Arib pr'. Y 1,ßf , ()) Apo]. cap. 9. ubi. fop. Drumdona Da in nobis curgnare ditta m het Au ' °i falls accipiaray aeuoiquam eft admittendnm, idem.. Aid fol. 175. (d) At ni lic f1n, ses , - 1? i alter omnes, coital refill) quo Chriftus, faltnmec parte qui pm- corno, miraculis, mac:; l ;a iless siam con/anent etto, quid tun ? Idem. cap. 8. [3.] Thofe
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