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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85704	A treatise touching falling from grace. Or Thirteen arguments tending to prove that believers cannot fall from grace, as they were laid down at a conference at Yalding in Kent, examined and answered, with many absurdities of that doctrine shewed. Whereunto is added thirteen reasons to prove that believers may fall totally and finally from grace, and many profitable uses flowing from that doctrine. By John Griffith.	Griffith, John, 1622?-1700.	1653 (1653)	Wing G2006; Thomason E690_17; ESTC R202323	40,736	75

branches in the Vine may be taken away viz. men united to Christ as the branches are to the Vine may be taken away or disunited because they die or bear no fruit I am the vine saith Christ and my father is the husbandman every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away therefore saith he continue in my love and least they should not know how he saith if ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my fathers commandments and abide in his love therefore believers in Christ may fall away be cut off die bear no fruit c. Reason 11 The eleventh Reason is because they that have obtained like precious faith must give diligence to make their calling and election sure it followes then that believers may fall even such as have precious faith and that their calling and election is not sure without their giving dilligence to make it so therefore believers in Christ may fall away The twelfth Reason is because Believers chosen Reason 12 persons are exhorted to put on the whole armour of God that they may be able to stand against the wiles of the Divel Now we know that when men arme themselves it is because of some enemy yea and such an enemy as may overcome them slay them spoile them vanquish them c. therefore they must stand fast quit themselves like men be strong now if believers cannot fall from the faith nor be overcome they have no need of armour if the Divels wiles cannot prevail they need not arm themselves but they must take to them the whole armour of God therefore believers in Christ may fall away The thirteenth reason is because men that have their names written in the book of life and their Reason 13 part in the holy City which none but believers have may by transgression have their names blotted out and their part taken away out of the City For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book if any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde the plagues that are written in this book and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things that are written in this book thus men whose names are written in the book of life may have their name blotted out and their part taken out of the holy City that do sin wilfully but those that overcome Christ will not blot their names out of the book of life but will confesse them before his father and before his Angels therefore believers may fall away I leave these Reasons to the serious and unbiased Reader to weigh in the ballance of the sanctuary I shal now come to shew the use and profitablenesse of this doctrine of perseverance or the possibility that Saints stand in to be deceived and so fall if they do not take heed use the means strive and labour after the obtaining the Crown which they cannot have if they do not fight the good fight and finish their course keep the faith to the end as saith the spirit be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the Crown of life which God will give unto all them that so do and love his appearing The profitable uses that flow from this doctrine that t is possible for the Saints to fall finally if they take not heed IT teacheth the Saints to be watchfull over Vse 1 themselves their words thoughts and actions least they should be over taken this duty is much urged in Scripture watch therefore for you know not the day nor the hour wherein the son of man cometh watch and pray that you fall not into temptation watch ye stand fast in the faith be strong Therefore let us not sleep as do others but watch and be sober So Paul exhorteth Timothy but watch thou in all things indure affliction in this duty were the Saints much exercised the Prophet Habakkuk saith I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me and what I shall answer when I am reproved So was that gracious soul the Prophet David exercised when he said My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for the morning there is a blessedness annexed to this duty of watchfulness they are reckoned amongst the blessed ones that shall inherit the earth Behold I come as a theef blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame but in the neglect of this duty there may be great losse Be watchfull and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die c. If therefore thou wilt not watch I will come on thee as a theef and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee by this we may see how necessary this duty is and likewise how it flowes from the aforesaid doctrine as a streame from the fountain for we must watch because we have an adversarie that seeks to devour us be sober be vigilent because your adversary the devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Le ts consider what need the servants of Christ have to watch to take heed and to beware their enemies are many and great as the devil a potent adversarie and his baits very deceiving as the world and the pleasures thereof when he tempted Christ our beloved Lord what was his baits why the world all this will I give thee saith he if thou wilt fall down and worship me If I should inquire into the experience of the Servants of Christ they would tell me that the adversary of their peace layeth this bait before them also suggesting unto them and setting before them the glory riches greatnesse and honor of the world saying if thou forsake this way of Religion thou art in which thou mayest do and yet go to heaven * saith he then friends will cleave to thee the world will love thee whereas now they despise thee then wilt thou be in the way of profiting thy self by thy trade and make the best of it though by lying and dissembling a little saying to the Selller it is nought but when he is gone thou praiseth it and by this means mayest thou become rich and so have many friends and be in repute and in the way of preferment and come to places of honour in the world and be called of men Rabby thou art a fool to dote upon this dispised way of Religion thus as thou doest and be made a scorn and a derision of all do not so thou maiest delight thy self in pleasures and fleshly lusts too and spend thy time merily while thou art here c. With these and

kept by the power of God and least that keeping should be for a little while he tells you it is an inheritance that fadeth not away Rom. 8.30 Ans. The strength of this Argument lyeth in two particulars First Gods unchangeablenesse Secondly in believers being kept by his power First Therefore to the unchangeablenesse of God I grant that he changeth not and yet it doth not follow but justified persons may fall totally and finally For Union and salvation are conditional First their entrance into it is conditional he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.16 being justifyed by faith c. Rom. 5.1 without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 if by faith they are justifyed then not without it he that believeth not is condemned John 3.18 19. But some may say we are justified before in Gods account I answer then we were his people in his account also without or before believing which to say were to contradict the Scripture 1 Pet. 2. which in time past were not a people yet are now the people of God which were not under mercy but now have obtained mercy Rom. 9.25 26. Hosea 2.23 the Apostle Paul saith that Andronicus and Junia were in Christ before him Rom. 16.7 the Apostle John saith if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darknesse we ly and do not the truth 1 John 1.6 and again He that saith he knoweth him and keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him ch. 7.4 by all which appears that we are not the justifyed ones neither have we union with Christ without believing and doing his commandements 1 John 1.7 Secondly we are continued in union with Christ on condition of believing and persevering in the doing the will of God and not without this the word of God doth teach us in many places For we are made partakers of Christ mark if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end Heb. 3.14 Paul saith to the Colossians that Christ hath reconciled them in the body of his flesh through death to present them holy and unblameably and unreprovable in his sight if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not mov'd away from the hope of the Gospel which ye have heard Col. 1.21.22.23 mark they then shall be presented holy unreprovable unblameable upon what terms why if they continue c. and so saith the Spirit unto the Angells of the Church in Smyrna be thou faithfull unto death and I will give the Crown of life Rev. 2.10 and so unto the Church in Thyatira he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the nations verse 25 26.27 he that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot his name out of the book of life but I will confesse his name before my father and before his holy Angels cha. 2 5. our Lord Christ saith in the fifteenth of John the second every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away some branches in Christ may become fruitlesse and so taken away by the Father so the Author to the Heb. saith that which beareth thornes and bryers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.8 By this which hath been said it appears that we have no union with Christ but by believing and doing the will of God and that union with Christ is continued by persevering in doing the will of God and not otherwise God having promised eternal life upon no other terms Now this considered we may plainly see that although persons which have union with Christ may fall from it by not holding fast unto the end yet God never the more changeable because justification union and salvation are conditionall as hath been shewed God hath bound himself as I may say to give life to overcomming Saints but if any man draw back his soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.39 he hath promised his blessing unto fruitfull branches in Christ but fruitlesse ones he will take away John 15.2.3 So much to the Argument Now to the Scriptures alleged The first is Isa. 54.17 the supposed strength which is in this text lyeth in these words No weapon formed against them shall prosper Let us examine now who it shall not prosper against why saith the Lord this is the heritage of the Lords servants now the Lords servants are they that still overcome against whom no weapon shall prosper not they that fight for a time and are overcome at last let not him that girdeth on his armor boast himself as he that putteth it off 1 Kin. 20.11 in serving the Lord we have a promise as the Apostle saith who is it that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good 1 Pet. 3.13 so that this doth not prove but that believers may fall and so cease to be what they were and God not engaged in promise unto them for he saith Ezek. 18.24 but when the righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abomination that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them he shall dy c. Again this is a promise made unto Israel of and concerning their being established in righteousnesse after their scattering and rejection for their not receiving Christ for it relates to Gods performing Covenant with them in which Covenant they shall all be taught of God see verse 13. and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children but not a promise made to any in the time of their warfare without the condition of standing fast taking heed overcoming and the like for otherwise there be weapons viz the firy darts of Satan and the like may and do prosper against many and we no promise to the contrary which proves that God one day will look upon Israel though now tossed and afflicted and turn ungodlynesse from Jacob in which day or at which time no weapon formed against him shall prosper for the Lord will assuredly establish Israel a people before him therfore this text doth not so much as seem to prove the thing it is brought for The second place alleged is Psal. 125.1 they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion that cannot be moved but abideth for ever c. I grant as before that persons that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion unmovable so long as they continue trusting in him but some that trust in the Lord may let go their confidence as hath been shewed yea some have so done Jer. 2.5 compared with verse 12.13 thus saith the Lord what iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are

lessened thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe unto thee or not now consider the Lords hand being his power whether he doth not set to his hand to those that do fall to this end that they might not fall to destruction see Jer. 2.5.3.12 13 14. compared with Rom. 10.20 21. Again we have shewed what Gods power is by which he keeps men to salvation through faith in the answer to the second Argument to which I refer you for a more full answer to this the power of God as hath been shewed by which he keepeth men or his hand he sets to believers to the end they might not fall to destruction is his word which is the powerfull means that he useth to that end in which means he is not wanting to any that do fall for the Reason of their fall is not because the Lord is wanting in the meanes but ●●cause they reject his word Thus is this Argument found too light now to the next The 12th Argument is taken from these words The path of Just men is still increasing and growing therefore they cannot totally nor finally fall away Psal. 1. c. Men that are just and so continue are like unto a tree that is planted by the Rivers of waters that bringeth forth his fruit in his season and they that do so I grant cannot fall totally and finally but what is this to prove the assertion doth it therfore follow that just men cannot become unjust by their forgetting they were once purged from their old sins and so become unfruitful men that are blind and cannot see but men that have their delight in the law of the Lord and in it do meditate day and night will be fruitfull This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shall meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein for then if thou so doest thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good successe but if otherwise see Isa. 1.19 20. Thus is this Argument weighed in the ballance also and found too light The thirteenth Argument is stated upon these words The gifts and calling of God being without repentance Rom. 11.29 therfore they cannot totally nor finally fall John 5.24 1 John 2.19 2 John 2. v. The proposition I grant viz the gifts and callings of God are without repentance but what doth this prove that believers cannot fall totally nor finally no the Apostle brings it for another end viz. to prove that God wil perform covenant with Israel But lest this should not do it you allege three places of Scripture to prove your conclusion I shall therfore examine them in order and see whether they are of that weight to this thing as to prove it The first place is Joh. 5. ●4 the words are these Verily Verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemation but is passed from death to life what doth this prove that believers cannot fall it is true they that believe shall not come into condemnation if they continue believing for so Christ is to be understood which as I suppose will not be denyed But it may be objected they shall continue because Christ saith they shall not come into condemnation They that do continue believing shall not come into condemnation I grant but that this proves a necessity of continuing I deny for we find that some that believed did not continue as saith the Evangelist from that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him see here that some that were Christs disciples and thereby under the promise of everlasting life yet they shall come unto condemnation because they do not continue Hymeneus and Alexander believed and thereby were under the promise yet they made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience and so come under condemnation for they were delivered to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme some are already turned aside after Satan this thou knowest that all they that are in Asia be turned away from me of whom is Phyletus and Hermogenes who concerning the truth have erred saying that the resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some viz. Hymenues and Phyletus but they that do believe and do continue according to the text shall not come into condemnation Your second place is 1 John 2.19 the words are these They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out from us that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us What doth this text prove that believers cannot fall away or doth it prove that some have fallen away sure it rather proves the latter then the former for they were with them and they did go out from them But it may be objected that they never were of them and therefore they went out from them so that they fell not from the faith but from a seeming faith I answer that they never were of them the text doth not say for then they would never have been with them Again when they went out from them they were not of them I grant but that they never were of them I deny those that depart from the faith are not of those that keep the faith they that go from the Churches are not of them that continue with the Churches but they have received another spirit viz the spirit of Antichrist and therfore they go out from them that are of the spirit of Christ but that they never were of them is more then the text will prove the Apostle telleth them in verse 18. that there are many Antichrists they saith he went out from us viz. those Antichrists according to the Apostle Acts 20. also of your own selves shall men arise mark well of your own selves those were of them and they shall speak perverse things to draw disciples alter them thus is this Scripture found not sufficient to prove that which it is brought for Your last place alleged is 2 John 2. the words are these for the truths sake which abideth in us and shall be in us for ever I answer the truth will abide with those that do abide in it I grant but some do erre from the truth therefore Saints must beware least being lead away with the error of the wicked they fall from their own stedfastnesse but if they abide in the truth the truth shall make them free so that you may see that if they abide in that truth that truth will abide with them for ever and not otherwise and therefore the Apostle exhorts the elect Lady looke to your selfe saith he that we loose not the things that we have wrought but that we receive a full