eternall life and that the terrifying threats vsed by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures are to this end to stirre vp the elect to watchfulnesse and diligence motiues they are to and meanes of perseuerance not arguments at all to proue the Saints Apostasie u To the place of Matth. 12. 44. we answer First we ought not to ground any doctrine of faith vpon a meere parable or allegory because as Saint Augustine in his booke de Doctrinâ Christianâ deliuereth it All those points which belong to faith and manners are plainly deliuered in the Scriptures Secondly we cannot aâ—gue strongly from corporall possession or dispossession to spirituall as a Lunaticke man so a man possessed with the Deuill in body may be yet in the state of grace in his soule and in like manner as a man that is cured of his frensie or lunacie may be yet an vnsanctified man so a man out of whom the Deuill is cast from tormenting or possessing the body may be yet an vnregenerate man although I grant our Sauiour seldome or neuer cured any mans body but first he healed the soule as some Interpreters haue obserued yet no necessary consequence can be drawn from the health or sicknesse of the body to the health or sicknesse of the soule Neither is it said here that the vncleane spirit was cast out by Christ nor by any other but that he went out of himselfe and returned againe and therefore this possessed person can be no fit embleme of a truly regenerated and iustified man out of whom the Deuil is powerfully cast out and the party is no way vnder him or in his power but led by the spirit of God Rom. 8. and wholly deliuered from the power of Satan Thirdly the meaning of the Parable is as appeareth by our Sauiours application that as the latter state of that man out of whom the Deuill first departed and afterward returned with seuen worse than himselfe was worse than the former so it should be with the wicked Iewes out of whom the vncleane spirit had gone out for feare of the Law but now was returned againe vnto them through their refusall of the Gospell and despiting the Spirit of Grace Thus Saint Hilary Ierome and Bede expound the Parable and their Exposition is euidently grounded vpon our Sauiours words vers 45. Euen so shall it be also vnto this wicked generation As it is particularly applied by our Sauiour to the Iewes so it may be to any Nation out of which the vncleane spirit departeth for a while or is driuen away by the preaching of the Gospell if it be empty of good workes and giuen to the pleasures of this world like the lodging of the vncleane spirit which he found empty swept and garnished The vncleane spirit will enter with seuen worse that is the Gospell shall be taken away from them and the Kingdome of Grace for the abuse of it and they shall be brought into worse bondage of the Deuill then before according to Saint Peter 2 Epist. 2. 20. If after they haue escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ they are againe intangled therein and ouercome the latter end shall be worse with them than the beginning for it had beene better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse than after they haue knowne it to turne away from the holy commandement deliuered vnto them This was the case of the Kingdome of Congo which for a time embraced the Gospell but afterwards perceiuing that it restrained their carnall libertie and no way permitted pluralitie of wiues they cast off the yoke of Christ and enthralled themselues againe to Satan But it is not so with those that are truly regenerate for to them his yoke is easie and his burthen light Lastly this obiection may be retorted against the Aduersaries thus This Parable is meant of a wicked generation Matth. 12. 45. an euill and adulterous generation vers 39. a generation of vipers vers 34. such as the Scribes and Pharises were who in this Parable are reproued by our Sauiour But the regenerate children of God are not a wicked adulterous or viperous generation but a chosen generation a royall Priest-hood an holy nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. 9. Therefore this Parable is not meant of the regenerate children of God * To the place of Saint Luke 8. 13. and Mat. 13. 20. we answer First the heart of a man truly regenerated is not compared to a stony ground for God by regenerating grace takes away our stony heart and giues vs an heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. Secondly a temporary faith is not of the same nature with a iustifying faith a temporary faith hath no root Matth. 13. 22. and Luke 8. 13. a iustifying faith hath a temporary faith beareth no fruit but a iustifying faith beareth fruit Matth. 13. 23. and Luke 8. 15. Those who beleeue the Gospell meerely out of temporary hopes because godlinesse hath the promise of this life they receiue the word with ioy while they thriue and gaine by it but when there ariseth trouble and persecution for the Word they are offended and fall away but those who ground their faith vpon the promises of a better life their faith like gold 1 Pet. 1. 7. being tried in the fire is made much more precious and found vnto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ beleeuing with ioy vnspeakable and full of glory receiuing the end of their faith the saluation of their soules vers 8. Their faith differeth from the faith of Hypocrites and Temporizers in the cause and kinde their ioy in the degree and both in the continuance Lastly this obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie First thus They who are compared vnto the good ground are not meant here by stony ground But truely regenerate Christians and beleeuers Luke 8. 15. and Matth. 13. 23. are compared to good ground Therefore they are not here meant by stony ground Secondly thus That faith which is distinguished from a iustifying faith in this Parable cannot be taken for the faith of a true regenerate Christian But the temporary faith is distinguished in this Parable from a iustifying faith Therefore the temporary faith cannot be taken for the faith of a true regenerate Christian and consequently the Appealer and Arminians are in this their allegation mistaken Of Falling away from Grace ARMINIANS BERTIVS of the Apostasie of Saints pag. 26. Apostasie is described by the phrase to wax cold Mat. 24. 12. And because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall x wax cold Bertius pag. 34. The Apostle fore-seeing that the conuerted Gentiles might be bewitched with that opinion That they could not be cut off from the Church warneth them that they wax not proud against the Iewes but that they learne by their example that it may come to passe that they also may bee cast away Rom. 11. 19. They were broken off
contingencie in future euents in respect of their second causes which worke contingently though whatsoeuer commeth to passe falleth within the certaine presience of God and is ordered by his prouidence 4. The Stoicks taught that men were impelled to sin by a fatall motion and that mans will was forced by Destiny We detest and abhorre any such assertion See more hereof in Melancthon his Common places Gratianus Ciuilis in Semipelagianismo Lipsius lib. 1. de Constantia cap. 18. sequent g T is true as we reade in the seuenteenth Article that for curious and carnall persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to haue continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Predestination is a most dangerous downefall whereby the Deuill doth thrust them either into desperation or into retchlesnesse of most vncleane liuing no lesse perillous than desperation The sweetest meat in a corrupt stomacke turnes to choller but the fault is in the stomacke not in the meat in like manner the word of God and in particular this doctrine of the Word is in it selfe a sauour of life vnto life but to some proues no better than a sauour of death vnto death because as Saint Peter 2. 3. 16. telleth vs They peruert the doctrine of holy Scriptures to their destruction For the doctrine it selfe of Predestination it openeth no gate to a dissolute life but shutteth and barreth all such vnlawfull posternes Shall we continue in sinne because grace aboundeth God forbid Rom. 6. 1. On the contrary it openeth a faire gate and directeth a certaine readie way to holinesse of life For God hath predestinated vs that we might be conformable to the Image of his Sonne Rom 8. 29. And God hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world that we might be holy and blamelesse before him in loue Ephes. 1. 4. h In this obiection from Desperation the Arminians and Appealer as likewise in the former furbush vp the old Pelagians harnesse which Saint Augustine hath beat in peeces in his booke of the gift of Perseuerance chap. 17. I will not amplifie with mine owne words but I leaue it rather to them seriously to consider what a strange thing it is that they should perswade themselves the doctrine of Predestination doth bring to the hearers rather matter of desperation than exhortation or consolation for this is in effect to say that then a man is to despaire of his saluation when he is taught to repose his hope and confidence not in himselfe but in God whereas the Prophet crieth out Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man Some indeed make a desperate vse of this doctrine but the doctrine it selfe is no desperate doctrine or doctrine of desperation but of heauenly consolation as we reade in the seuenteenth Article which ought for euer to stop the mouth of the Appealer from slandering as he doth the truth of God The godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and vnspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feele in themselues the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing vp their minde to high and heauenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirme their faith of eternall saluation to be enioyed through Christ as because it doth feruently kindle their loue towards God On the contrary the doctrine of the Arminians and the Appealer which maketh Gods Election to depend vpon the will of man which as they say may totally and finally fall away from grace is in truth a most desperate doctrine taking away all solid and firme ground of comfort both in life and death as shall appeare hereafter Of Election vpon fore-seene faith ARMINIVS ARMIN. Oration to the States pag. 49. * The Decree whereby God hath decreed to saue certaine and singular persons doth depend vpon his prescience by which he fore-knew from eternitie who according to the dispensation of sufficient meanes for their conuersion and faith would by preuenting grace i beleeue and subsequent perseuere And he is so hot in this point and proceedeth so far Argument 19. as to affirme That the opinion of precise Election without respect of foreseene faith in the elect ouerthroweth the foundation of all Religion Hag. Conference set out by Bert. pag. 62. The absolute decree whereby it is said that God in chusing men did not respect any mans good qualities fore-seene cannot stand with the nature of God nor with Scriptures The like is affirmed by Arnoldus against Tilenus And Greuinchouius against Amese and the Arminians generally who thus take that question in the Conference at Hage pag. 123. Faith in Gods decree of election doth in order goe before not follow election it is not a fruit of election but an antecedent conditon to it APPEALER APPEALE pag. 58. The irrespectiue decree of God to call saue and glorifie Saint Peter without any consideration had of or regard vnto his i faith obedience and repentance c. I say there and I say truly is the priuate fancie of some particular man Pa. 64. There must needs be first a k disproportion before there can be conceiued an election or dereliction This disproportion he afterward declares to be in the different wils of men wherof some took hold of merey others would not His words are When all alike being plunged c. God out of his mercy stretched out to them deliuerance in a Mediator the Man Iesus Christ and drew them out that tooke hold of mercy leauing them there that would none of him Which is all one as if he had said he decreed to saue them from the common destruction which he fore-saw would beleeue and reiect those whom he fore-saw would not beleeue for by faith they take hold of mercy and through incredulitie reiect it nay in this point the Appealer speaketh not so warily as the Arminians for they require faith in a person to be elected and iustified as an antecedent condition they doe not say as a cause or motiue in God to elect iustifie and saue But the Appealer Answer to the Gag pag. 143. and Appeale pag. 194. saith that God was drawne by our faith to iustifie vs. * Decretum quo decreuit Deus singulares certas quasdam personas saluare praescientiâ nititur quâ ab aeterno sciuit quinam iuxta administrationem mediorum ad conuersionem fidem idoneorum ex praeueniente gratia credituri erant subsequente perseueraturi i When the Arminians and the Appealer make Election to depend vpon fore-seene faith either they meane that this faith is a meere gift of God receiued only by mans free-will or not so but in part or in whole a worke of mans will If they hold faith to be a meere gift of God their opinion of election vpon fore-seene faith implieth a contradiction for it maketh the former grace and gift of Predestination to glory to depend vpon a latter gift of faith Beside if
former therefore he that is once truly iustified may fall into an estate worse than the former Bert. pag. 36. Among the causes of Apostasie one is the feare of persecution He that receiued the seed in stony places the same is he that heareth the Word and anon with ioy receiueth it yet hath he not root in himselfe but dureth for a while for when tribulation ariseth because of the Word he is offended APPEALER APpeale pa. 159. Ezek. 18. 24 26. If the righteous t turne away from his righteousnesse and commit iniquitie and doe according vnto all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he liue All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be remembred but in his transgression that he hath committed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them shall he die Ibid. Ezek. 33. 13. If hee commit iniquity all his righteousnesse shal be no more remembred but for his iniquitie that he hath committed he shall die for the same Therefore the righteous may lose his righteousnesse abandon his faith die in his sinne c. Ibid. pag. 159. The vncleane spirit eiected returneth vnto his former residence entreth possedeth his former state and the case of that man is worse than the beginning Matth. 12. 44. u Satan is not eiected but where the partie is in the state of grace with God being regenerate by faith Reposseding is not but by relapse into sinne nor a worse state but where a man dieth in sinne Ibid. pag. 159. Luke 8. 13. * They on the rock are they who when they heare receiue the Word with ioy who for a while beleeue and in time of temptation fall away t Because this place of Ezekiel is set in the fore-front both by the Appealer and by Bertius as a testimony on which they most rely and are most confident of I will endeuour both fully to answer and retort it against them Besides those Answers by which others haue rebated the edge of this Obiection As * first that this speech is conditionall suppositiue and not positiue and therefore no more inferreth that a righteous man may fall from his righteousnesse then those words of Saint Paul If an Angell from heauen shall preach vnto you another Gospell than that you receiued let him be accursed conclude that an Angell from heauen can preach another Gospell Or the like of our Sauiour They shall doe signes and wonders to seduce if it were possible the Elect therefore it is possible to seduce the elect whereas indeed the contrary may be inferred euen from those words Secondly That the Prophet speaketh of him that is righteous in his owne opinion and before men but not in the sight of God such a man may fall away from his righteousnesse but the question is of a man regenerate and truly righteous and such a one cannot turne away from his righteousnesse Of this minde is Saint Gregory Moral in Iob. lib. 34. cap. 13. They who may be seduced in such sort that they neuer returne againe may seeme to lose the habit of sanctitie before the eyes of men sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habuerunt but indeed they neuer had any holinesse in the sight of God Thirdly that the Prophet speakes here of actuall righteousnesse which may be lost and is lost by the committing of any wilfull and grieuous sinne against conscience not of habituall which cannot be lost if he doe that which is lawfull and right Ezek. 18. 21. and 24. If he doth according to all the abominations the wicked man doth all the righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be remembred here is not a word that importeth habituall righteousnesse but meerely actuall which all sides confesse may be lost Besides these answers I say further that this Scripture no way tendeth to Bertius or the Appealers purpose For they should proue that a iustified man may lose Euangelicall righteousnesse or the righteousnesse of Faith not Legall righteousnesse Now it is euident that the Prophet speaketh of Legall righteousnesse First by the pronoune his if the righteous turne away from his righteousnesse that is the righteousnesse of his owne workes or his inherent righteousnesse not the imputed righteousnesse of Christ for that is not his owne Philip. 3. 9. That I may be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Secondly by the enumeration of particulars vers 6 7 8. 15 16 17. all which appertaine to Legall righteousnesse If he hath not eaten vpon the mountaines nor lift vp his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel nor come neare to a menstruous woman and hath spoiled none by violence and hath not giuen his money vpon vsury c. Lastly this argument may be retorted against the Aduersaries two wayes First thus If the difference of the Couenant betweene the Law and the Gospell consisteth especially in this that the righteousnesse required by the one may be lost but the righteousnesse promised by the other cannot be lost then the argument from the losse of Legall righteousnesse to Euangelicall is of no force but to disproue our Aduersaries tenent for that which in this place of Ezekiel is affirmed of the one may not be affirmed of the other but the difference of the Couenant betweene the Law and the Gospel cōsisteth especially in this that the righteousnesse required by the one may be lost but the righteousnesse promised by the other cannot be lost Ierem. 31. 31. 33. 34. Heb. 8. 8. Behold the dayes come that I will make a new Couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah not according to the Couenant that I made with their Fathers c. but this shall be my Couenant which I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinne no more And Ierem. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting Couenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Secondly thus If these words are spoken generally to the children of God and belong to the elect as well as others they cannot imply a totall and finall falling away from righteousnesse no not in the iudgement of the Arminians and Iesuites themselues with whose Heifer the Appealer plowes For as the Iesuites so Arminius himselfe teacheth that a man that is elect and predestinated to eternall life cannot fall finally nor perish for euer But the words of the Prophet Ezekiel are spoken generally vnto all and belong to the very Elect therefore I conclude in the words of the great Champion of Popery in generall and of this particular touching the Apostasie of Saints Card. Bellarm. lib. 3. de Iustif. cap. 12. It is true that the predestinated or elected are in no danger of losing