reprobates in the church of God are partakers of, as well as God's elect."*

PAG. What difference do you obferve betwixt the elect and reprobates, as to their respective concernments and engagements in this covenant?

DIO. The reprobates are called and obliged (as I may fay) to fubfcribe this covenant, and engage themselves to perform the conditions o it, and are generally promifed the benefit of pardon and falvation upon that performance, as well as the elect. But here is the difference: when the elect do actually engage themfelves in covenant with God, though they be thereby obliged to the conditions of that covenant, yet they have God reciprocally obliged by his promife to them; and his fidelity ftands fo far engaged to effect the conditions of this covenant, in them, and to fecure them from the violation of it, that it is impoffible, upon this account, they should either finally or totally fall from it: but when the reprobates do by their external engaging act, oblige themselves in covenant to God, he keeps himself dilengaged ftill, and is not actually obliged by promise to them, for affording fuch affiftance (without which the conditions are impoffible to them;) and hence it comes to pafs, that thefe reprobates do prevaricate and break covenant, and fall totally and finally from God; which the elect cannot do.t

PAG. But why doth Almighty God, being fo merciful and gracious as he proclaims himself, invite and woo them fo earneilly to engage themfelves in this covenant, feeing he will not vouchfafe them grace fufficient and neceffary to per

form it?

Dio. You maft remember, God hath other attributes to glorify as well as his grace and mercy. He knocks at the hearts of reprobates by the outward miniftry, because they are mixed among ft the elect, upon whom he works effectually

* Dr. Twifs, ubi fupra, p. 54. + Mr. Baxter Difp. of R. to Sacram. Difp. 4. p. 422. M. Exod. xxxiv. 6

by this difpenfation; and fometimes he moves them inwardly, faith Amefius, That they may understand the benefit offered to them, the office due from them, and the heinoufnefs of their fin. God doth this as others are pleafed to exprefs it: 1. To convince them of their negligence: 2. To render them inexcufable: 3. To improve their induration: and 4. to augment their torments. In fhort, God, in thefe his proceedings, declares his own liberty and pleasure, the abfoluteness of his dominion and fovereignty, and, in fine, his juftice too, because hereby the reprobates are left inexcufable; and violating that covenant wherein they have voluntarily tied themfelves, they are at laft proceeded against as contemners of the divine grace, and the great falvation.

PAG. I confefs, I have heard of a horrible decree, and of a hard faying: but of none fo hard and horrible as thele, in all my life. And if this be your covenant of grace, fealed, as you fay, with the blood of God's only Son, you must hold me excufed, if thofe laws by which I have been governed from my childhood in matters of mutual commerce and contract, keep me unfatisfied touching the equity of it.

Dio. Why, what is it you ftumble at ? All the learned confefs, that it is in the power of God to annihilate the holiest angel in heaven; and that in the execution hereof, he thould execute no other than a lawful power; and as he is Lord of life and death (though not as a judge) they conclude he hath power to inflict any pain upon the creature, be he never fo innocent.

PAG. To annihilate is one thing, to impofe torments another. Where there is no defert, God, no doubt, may take away what he hath given, without injuftice. If in taking away his creature's life, he inflicts a pain that is finite, not exceeding thofe pleasures of life it hath enjoyed, who doubts of the equity of fuch proceedings? But to inflict everlasting tor

* Bel. Ener Tom. IV. 1. 3. cap. ii. n. 7. mihi. p. 55. See the Apol. for Tilen. p. 189, & 190.

ments

ments in hell-fire, in proportion fo much above all the good either conferred upon the creature, or made poffible to it, is (to fay no worle) a feverity too extreme to be attributed to a good God. And if your principles be fuch (as I think they are) that, according to them, the defign of the whole affair must be finally refolved into his mere pleafure, to let forth his fovereign powe:, the imputation will be to much the more abominable. To fay (as fome of you have done*) it is better to be in hell than not to be at all, is luch a paradox, that, befides the common fenfe of all the world, it is exprefsly contradicted by Curift himself.+

As for God's lovereignty, I have no defire to dispute the limits of it; but as I take him for my Lord, fo I take him as he hath declared himself. for "a Lord merciful and gracious" and as he fhall be my judge at last, so I am confident he will proceed according to laws that are much more reasonable than thofe decrees and covenants which have you been unfolding to me.

But I pray inform me whether those elect and reprobates you speak of, fhall be infallibly faved, and damned respectively, as you fay is decreed?

DIO. Without doubt they fhall; for the decree is paft from all eternity, as wel for the benefit of the one, as for the ruin of the other.

PAG Do you think there hath been any of those elect in former ages, in thele (which you call) Pagan countries? and if there were, what became of them?

Dio. Whether there were any of that number amongst your ancestors, is too hard a queflion for me to antwer; but if there were any fuch, I am certain they were faved by fome emergency of Providence or other; for it is not poffible that the elect, whom God hath chofen to eternal life, thould perish.

* Dr. Twifs, ib. a. 48. + Matth. xxvi. 24. Vide Steph. Curcellæum De Jure Dei in Creaturas. § Exod. xxxiv. 6.

PAG.

PAG. I fhall give you the trouble but of one question more; which is to know your opinion, whether there be any fuch elect here amongst us now?

Dio. Sir, I love not to pry fo far into God's fecrets; this is a mystery locked up in the cabinet of his own counsel. I had rather therefore you would betake yourfelf to fome more profi able difcourfe.

PAG. I have heard, 'tis the opinion of fome of your greateft divines, that this abfolute election is the very foundation of Chriftianity; and if it be fo, then a matter of that great moment is very fit to be enquired into, in order to my espousing that religion. If therefore you think there be any fuch amongst us, I would know whether they fhall perish for the want of your administration? for if you say they shall, you contradict yourself, and then you are not fit to be believed if you fay, they fhall not perish for the want of it, then they will stand in no need of your miniftry: but if you fay there are no fuch elect amongst us, then I must enquire further, whether your preaching can procure us to become elect? If you fay it may procure us to become fuch, then it feems you can by your preaching procure new decrees to be made in heaven, and new immanent acts to be produced in Almighty God, and the number of the elect to be increased; all which affertions, as I have been informed, are con rary to the judgment of your own divines: but if your preaching cannot procure us to become elect (if we are not fuch already) then to what end fhould we admit of it? Seeing, therefore, you conclude us all to be abfolutely either elect or repiovate, and that neither the elect can perifh, nor the reprobate be faved; I fhall fatisfy myself that I am better without your miniftry than with it; becaufe though it cannot beget a saving faith in me (that being, as you affirm, a gift of God's immediate and irrefiftable infufion,) yet it may conduce to aggravate my fin and condemnation. And in this refolution I fhall take my leave of you.

THE

THO

HOSE articles which, rightly understood, are difcouragements to the embracing of Chriftianity, are not ferviceable to the interek of fouls, not profitable in the exercise of the miniflerial function, and not according to godlinefs.

The articles which the Calvinists maintain against the remonftrants, rightly understood, are difcouragements to the embracing of Chriftianity. -Therefore,

The articles which the Calvinifts maintain against the remonflrants, are not ferviceable to the interefts of fouls, not profitable in the exercife of the minifterial function, and not according to godliness.

The first propofition is evident of itself; the second is proved by the preceding Dialogue.

Rom. ii. 24.

The Name of God is blafphemed among the Gentiles through you.

OTHER PROOFS OF THE SECOND.

"IT is falfe to fuppofe God does not work by the finner: for though he does not work by him to his own happiness, (in which refpect he works by no creature) yet to his own glory, he does. He difplays the glory of his juftice, in damning the impenitent; the glory of his mercy, in faving the penitent finner."Pifcator againft Scaffinan, Thef. 34.

"God wills not all who are called should believe in Christ, and be saved.—Do. to his friend, c. n. p. 155.

They also are bound by the command to believe, who by the decree of God are hindered from fo doing."-Do. p. 188. "Lo! he fpeaks to them, but that they may be more hardened; he enlightens them, but that they may be made blinder; he offers them his truth, but to make them more ftupid; he fets forth a remedy, but not that they may be healed." Calvin's Inflitutes, Book III. ch. xxiv. fect. 13.

END OF THE FIRST DIALOGUE.

A Sermon