Secondly, That I fearch not at all into any thing by mere natural light, and human reafon, which to do in these things were a prefumption deferving precipitation, but by the light of Divine revelation in God's holy word; and therefore I have fet for my title, APPELLO EVANGELIUM, AN APPEAL TO THE GOSPEL, which is the opening of God's counfel, fo far as he is pleased to communicate to us.

And Thirdly, This I do not only by appealing to thofe texts that directly and immediately fpeak of our Predeftination and Election, which may feem hard and obfcure; but alfo to the openeft and commoneft places that are fundamental principles of Chriftianity, and the Grounds of Catechifin; which ordinary Capacities, (and not great wits alone) are able to understand: and by which the fewer and harder Texts are to be enlightened and interpreted, and not contrarily.

* Irenæus hath a right faying, that they must put a very forced and wrong sense on many things, who will not rightly understand fome one; which hath happened to many in our age. That one

* Multa malè interpretari coguntur, qui Unum rectè intelligere non volunt. Lib. 5.

thing which they will not rightly understand is, *the univerfal promife of Grace and Acceptance, made in the Gospel to all Men, through Chrift the redeemer of all, which our Church profeffeth in her Articles, and in her Catechism; which one promife is the ground of all the conclufions here maintained. So that my Studies have not been about fome curious and fuperfluous queftions, feparable from the body of Divinity, and which might well have been fpared; but about the most effential parts, and Articles of that Body, and of their mutual coherence and connexion: The induftrious fearch and examination whereof is fo neceffary and worthy a thing, as I can hardly hold him worthy the name of a Divine, that hath not laboured therein.

And as my Opinions which, unexamined, may be prefumed to be nothing else but either antient or late condemned herefies, (which imputation or very fuppofition, no good man ought to bear with filence) thefe leaves do undertake to fhew, that the apprehenfions expreffed in it, are none of those old condemned Herefies, nor of thofe late rejected Heterodoxies; BUT THE VERY DOCTRINE OF THE ANTIENT FATHERS OF THE

*Promiffum Evangelicum univerfale, in Chrifto redemptore univerfali.

CHURCH,

CHURCH, BUILDED UPON

THE SENSE AND

LETTER OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, AND CONSONANT TO THE PUBLICK ESTABLISHED DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, CONTAINED IN THE BOOKS OF ARTICLES, COMMON PRAYER, AND HOMILIES, which if I fhall make good by clear and undeniable evidence, then I hope my good Friends will hold me excused, and cleared of any such crime as Herefie, or Semi-herefie, or Novelty: and will take me for a true and found Member of the Church of England, both in Doctrine and in Discipline: from both which, I fear, there hath been made by many in this Church too great a defection and departure, fince the daies of King Edward the Sixth, when they were first established; and fince the Primitive years of the happy Reign of Queen Elizabeth, wherein they were ratifyed and strengthened with a fecond, and oft-renewed Judgment. But the Examination and Tryal of all this, I commit and fubmit to my ingenuous and loving Friends, and them and their Studies to the Goodness and Grace of God our Father,

CHAP.

CHAP. I.

THE FIRST OPINION.

THE

HE firft Opinion concerning the Order of divine Predestination, and having these defenders, Beza, Pifcator, Whitaker, Perkins, and other holy and learned men, is this:

1. That God from all Eternity decreed to create a certain number of Men.

2. That of this number he Predeftinated fome to everlasting Life; and other fome he reprobated to eternal Death.

3. That in this A&t he respected nothing more than his own Dominion, and the Pleasure of his own Will.

4. That to bring Men to these ends, he decreed to permit Sin to enter in upon all Men, that the reprobate might be condemned for Sin; and that

he

he decreed to fend his Son to recover out of Sin his Elect, fallen together with the reprobate.

This opinion is rejected by many Proteftant Divines, as by the Reverend Divines of our Church that were at the Synod at Dort, by Peter Moulin, Robert * Bishop of Salisbury, and others: it is detested by the Papifts and Lutherans; it was that which Arminius, and his followers chiefly oppofed in the low Countries. It is charged,

With making God the Author of Sin.

With reprobating Men before they were Evil.

IVith Electing Men not in Chrift, who is fent, according to this Opinion, to recover out of Sin those that were Elected, before they were confidered as Sinners.

This is that irrespective decree which † Mr. Mountague difliketh, because in it there is no refpect had to any thing fore-known, not fo much as the fall of Man, much lefs Chrift, or

* Abbot.

See his Appello Cafarem, Pag. 49. 54 &c. He was

afterwards Bishop of Chichester.