Though these signes be languishing in thee, and not seated in thine heart, thou must not therefore be dejected or terrified, the effects of the faith and spirit are not yet so fully felt in thee; conclude not therefore thou art a reprobate, or doubt of thine election, because the Elect themselves are without them, before their conversion. Thou maist in the Lords good time be converted; some are called at the 11th. hour: Use, I say, the means of thy conversion, expect the Lords leisure, if not yet called, pray thou maist be, or at least wish and desire thou maist be.

Notwithstanding all this which might be said to this effect, to ease their afflicted minds, what comfort our best Divines can afford in this case, Zanchius, Beza, &c. This furious curiosity, needless speculation, fruitless meditation about election, reprobation, free will, grace, such places of Scripture preposterously conceived, torment still, and crucifie the souls of too many, and set all the world together by the ears.

To avoid which inconveniences, and to settle their distressed mindes, to mitigate those divine Aphorismes, (though in another extream some) our late Arminians have revived that plausible doctrine of universall grace, which many Fathers, our late Lutheran and modern Papists do still maintain, that we have free-will of our selves, and that grace is common to all that will beleeve.

Some again though less orthodoxall, will have a far greater part saved, then shall be damned, (as Cælius secundus stiffly maintains in his book, De amplitudine regni cœlestis, or some impostor under his name) beatorum numerus multo major quam damnatorum.

He cals that other Tenent of speciall Election and Reprobation, a prejudicate, envious and malicious opinion, apt to draw all men to desperation. Many are called, few chosen, &c. He opposeth some opposite parts of Scripture to it, Christ came into the world to save sinners, &c.

And four especiall arguments he produceth, one from Gods power. If more be damned then saved, he erroneously concludes, the divel hath the greater sovereigntie; for what is power but to protect? and Majestie consists in multitude. If the divell have the greater part, where is his mercy, where is his power? how is he Deus Optimus Maximus, misericors? &c. where is his greatness, where his goodness?

He proceeds, We account him a murderer that is accessary onely, or doth not help when he can; which may not be supposed of God without great offence, because he may do what he will, and is otherwise accessary, and the author of sin.

The nature of good is to be communicated, God is good, and will not then be contracted in his goodness: for how is he the Father of mercy and comfort, if his good concern but a few? O envious and unthankfull men to think otherwise!

Why should we pray to God that are Gentiles, and thank him for his mercies and benefits, that hath damned us all innocuous for Adams offence, one mans offence, one small offence, eating of an apple? Why should we acknowledge him for our governour that hath wholly neglected the salvation of our souls, contemned us, and sent no Prophets or instructors to teach us, as he hath done to the Hebrewes? So Julian the Apostate objects.

Why should these Christians (Cælius urgeth) reject us and appropriate God unto themselves, Deum illum suum unicum, &c. But to return to our forged Cælius. At last he comes to that, he will have those saved that never heard of, or beleeved in Christ, ex puris naturalibus, with the Pelagians, and proves it out of Origen and others.

They (saith Origen) that never heard Gods word, are to be excused for their ignorance: we may not think God will be so hard, angry, cruell or injust as to condemn any man indicta causa. They alone (he holds) are in the state of damnation that refuse Christs mercy and grace, when it is offered.

Many worthy Greeks and Romans, good moral honest men, that kept the Law of Nature, did to others as they would be done to themselves, as certainly saved, he concludes, as they were that lived uprightly before the Law of Moses. They were acceptable in Gods sight, as Job was, the Magi, the Queen of Sheba, Darius of Persia, Socrates, Aristides, Cato, Curius, Tully, Seneca, and many other Philosophers, upright livers, no matter of what Religion, as Cornelius, out of any Nation, so that he live honestly, call on God, trust in him, fear him, he shall be saved.

This Opinion was formerly maintained by the Valentinian and Basilidian hereticks, revived of late in Turky, of what sect Rustan Bassa was patron, defended by Galeatius Martius, and some ancient Fathers, and of later times favoured by Erasmus, by Zuinglius in exposit. fidei ad Regem Galliæ, whose Tenet Bullinger vindicates, and Gualter approves in a just Apology with many Arguments.

There be many Jesuites that follow these Calvinists in this behalf, Franciscus Buchsius Moguntinus, Andradius Consil. Trident. many Schoolmen that out of the 1 Rom. v. 18. 19. are verily perswaded that those good works of the Gentiles did so far please God, that they might vitam æternam promereri, and be saved in the end.

Sesellius, and Benedictus Justinianus in his Comment on the first of the Romans, Mathias Ditmarsh the Politician, with many others, hold a mediocrity, they may be salute non indigni, but they will not absolutely decree it. Hofmannus a Lutheran Professor of Helmstad, and many of his Followers, with most of our Church, and Papists are stiffe against it.

Franciscus Collius hath fully censured all Opinions in his five Books de Paganorum animabus post mortem, and amply dilated this question, which who so will may peruse.

But to return to my Author, his conclusion is, that not only wicked Livers, Blasphemers, Reprobates, and such as reject Gods grace, but that the Divels themselves shall be saved at last, as Origen long since delivered in his works, and our late Socinians defend Ostorodius, cap. 41. institut. Smaltius, &c.

Those terms of all and for ever in Scripture, are not eternal, but only denote a longer time, which by many Examples they prove. The world shall end like a Comedy, and we shall meet at last in Heaven, and live in bliss altogether; or else in conclusion, in nihil evanescere.

For how can he be merciful that shall condemn any creature to eternal unspeakable punishment, for one small temporary fault, all posterity, so many myriads, for one and another mans offence, quid meruistis oves? But these absurd paradoxes are exploded by our Church, we teach otherwise.

That this vocation, predestination, election, reprobation, non ex corrupta massa, prævisa fide, as our Arminians, or ex prævisis operibus, as our Papists, non ex præteritione, but Gods absolute decree ante mundum creatum, (as many of our Church hold) was from the beginning, before the foundation of the world was laid, or homo conditus, (or from Adams fall, as others will, homo lapsus objectum est reprobationis) with perseverantia sanctorum, we must be certain of our salvation, we may fall but not finally, which our Arminians will not admit.

According to his immutable, eternall, just decree and counsell of saving men and Angels, God cals all and would have all to be saved according to the efficacy of vocation: all are invited, but onely the elect apprehended: the rest that are unbeleeving, impenitent, whom God in his just judgement leaves to be punished for their sins, are in a reprobate sense; yet we must not determine who are such, condemn our selves or others, because we have an universal invitation; all are commanded to beleeve, and we know not how soon or late before our end we may be received.

I might have said more of this subject, but forasmuch as it is a forbidden question, and in the Preface or Declaration to the Articles of the Church, printed 1633, to avoid factions and altercations, we that are Universitie Divines especially, are prohibited all curious search, to print or preach, or draw the Article aside by our own sence and Comments, upon pain of Ecclesiastical censure, I will surcease, and conclude with Erasmus of such controversies:

Pugnet qui volet, ego censeo leges majorum reverenter suscipiendas, & religiose observandas, velut a Deo profectas; nec esse tutum, nec esse pium, de potestate publicâ sinistram concipere aut serere suspitionem. Et siquid est tyrannidis, quod tamen non cogat ad impietatem, satius est ferre, quam seditiose reluctari.